Mitt Romney Picks Paul Ryan as Vice Presidential Running Mate; Interview with Randy Forbes; Sinkhole Evacuees Won't Go Home Soon; Not Letting "Fast And Furious" Go; Democrats Attacking Paul Ryan In Force; Medicare Facing Insolvency By 2024
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning. Welcome, everybody. Our "Starting Point" this morning, a campaign jolt. Mitt Romney and his new running mate, Paul Ryan, hitting the road, drawing huge energized crowds. On the attack, Democrats who are pouncing on the pick, blasting Ryan's stance on taxes and spending and entitlement programs. What is the so-called Ryan budget plan? We're going to talk about that. And prayers for a quick recovery as 93-year-old evangelist, Billy Graham, is taken to the hospital. He has a lung infection. We have a packed show. Spiritual leader turned movie producer, Bishop T.D. Jakes, will be joining us. Olympic gold medal skier, Picabo Street, Maryland congressman, Chris Van Hollen is our guest. Virginia governor, Bob McDonnell, and Democratic Party chairwoman, Debbie Wasserman Shultz all joining us this morning. It's Monday, August 13th and STARTING POINT begins right now. This morning we're talking about Congressman Paul Ryan, Mitt Romney's new running mate. One man who knows him very, very well is Ryan Lizza. You'll remember he's the Washington correspondent for the "New Yorker." He was writing an in depth article about how Ryan won over the GOP. Ryan is with us this morning. It was eight days, nine days ago we were discussing Paul Ryan, the article in the "New Yorker" called "Fuss Budget." Did you know then he was actually on the fast track to be a pick for the VP?</s>RYAN LIZZA, "THE NEW YORKER": No, we barely talked about it in my interview. The reason I wrote the piece, I wanted to think about what is Romney going so do if he wins. If you want to understand what Republicans will do if they gain the White House, Paul Ryan is the guy to understand. It was his policy agenda that you knew Romney was going in the direction. I didn't think he would take Paul Ryan himself.</s>O'BRIEN: You could have said yes and told us you did --</s>LIZZA: I want to be honest. I did say he was a long shot for veep.</s>O'BRIEN: We're talking al about Paul Ryan today. In fact, we want to get up close and personal with the congressman. Mitt Romney says he is very happy with his new running mate, Ryan seems genuinely moved by the appointment and at point practically crying with emotion. Last night on "60 Minutes" Paul Ryan said Romney has been battling on an uneven playing field for too long.</s>PAUL RYAN, (R) VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I'm Going to help him win the race to do it for the American people. We're going to split up more of often than not and double our efforts. It was one against two for a while now it's two against two. We'll bring a message to the country. Here's how you get the country back on track.</s>O'BRIEN: We're going to talk more this morning about that message. President Obama is leaving Chicago kicking of a three-day bus tour across Iowa. Vice President Biden has a campaign event in Durham, North Carolina. And Ryan will make his first solo appearance as Romney's running mate at the Iowa state fair in Des Moines, while Romney makes two stops in the state of Florida. All of that brings us right to CNN's national political correspondent Jim Acosta. He's joining us from Saint Augustine, Florida, this morning. Good morning, Jim.</s>JIM ACOSTA, CNN NATIONAL POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Soledad. I had a chance to talk to a couple of advisers and they do like the response to the Romney/Ryan ticket. They had some of the biggest crowds at the campaign as seen over the last 48 hours in states like Virginia, North Carolina and Wisconsin. And they do recognize that the Ryan budget plan you just mentioned has stoked some controversy but they emphasize Mitt Romney is at the top of the ticket. They also like the visuals coming out of this team. Paul Ryan, as they like to point out, first generation x vice presidential candidate in this country's history. He's got a young wife and family that they had out there on the campaign trail as well. But these two men have gone their separate ways, Paul Ryan off to Iowa and Mitt Romney in Florida. We saw the two of them shake hands and get on separate planes last night on a tarmac in Wisconsin, but not after the Wisconsin congressman had an emotional home coming at an event in Wisconsin late yesterday. Here's what he had to say.</s>RYAN: I'm fifth generation from this state. My family came here back in the 1800s, made a go of it. It's where we've all raised our families ever since. This is such a phenomenal place to live and to work and to raise your family. My veins run with cheese, bratwurst, and a little spot of linies and some Miller.</s>ACOSTA: Now, for our non-Wisconsin viewers, Soledad, that linies, he's referring to are Line and Koogle's. He was also talking about some other Wisconsin beers there. Paul Ryan flexing his Wisconsin muscles, talking about his Wisconsin roots. We should mention getting back to the Medicare issue. The Obama campaign has released a new campaign video hitting Romney and Ryan on Medicare, featuring seniors down here in Florida. We'll get a chance to see how this Ryan plan for the budget will play with seniors later on this week. And the Romney campaign is pushing back on the notion that they are hiding Paul Ryan from Florida. They say he will be down here for a campaign event later on this Saturday. Soledad?</s>O'BRIEN: We're going to obviously be watching. Thanks, Jim. In a couple of minutes we'll talk to Congressman Randy Forbes from the state of Virginia. He spoke at the rally when Paul Ryan made his running debut. First let's get to John Berman with a look at the day's top stories.</s>JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, an Illinois man charged with shooting his air rifle at the mosque during Ramadan services will appear in bond court. The leader of the mosque thinks David Conrad should be charged with a hate crime. But police say prosecutors rejected hate crime charges in this case. Gabby Giffords is back home 19 months after being shot at a political event. The former Congresswoman and her husband moved back to Tucson yesterday permanently. Giffords had been spending most of her time in Houston rehabbing. Her husband Mark Kelly tweeting, "Gabby has been waiting for this day for a long time." Evangelist Billy Graham is alert and good spirits in a North Carolina hospital this morning. The 93-year-old preacher has been battling a pulmonary infection believed to be bronchitis. Graham's spokesman has said no date has been set for his discharge. NFL star Chad Johnson, formerly known as Chad Ochocinco is known as a dolphin. He was arrested for head butt being his wife. According to the arrest report, Lasada was asking for a receipt for condoms she found when he grabbed her and head butted her, causing a laceration, Johnson tells police. There's a lot going on with that one. Next stop, Rio. London promised a party and they delivered. Spice Girls, George Michael, The Who, Annie Lennox and even an appearance by Monte Python phenom Eric Idle helped close out the 2012 summer games. The U.S. topped the medal count with the most total medals, 104, and the most gold with 46. So what do these Olympians do next? Coming up next hour, Soledad sits down with gold medal skier Picabo Street. Perhaps she can shed some light on life after the Olympics.</s>O'BRIEN: I'm guessing they go to a bar and take a week off from practice, and then go back at it.</s>BERMAN: They don't all make it and come back and get the big Wheaties box.</s>O'BRIEN: Thanks, Ryan. Moving on now.</s>BERMAN: I was sad to learn that.</s>O'BRIEN: Our STARTING POINT this morning, of course, is the new Romney/Ryan ticket. They are trying to earn some of the key swing state votes. As we mentioned they will hit Iowa and Florida separately. They gave their first joint interview last night where Mitt Romney gave Paul Ryan high praise. Listen.</s>MITT ROMNEY, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Paul could become if it were necessary, could become president. He has the experience and judgment and capacity and character to become president. That was the first and most important criteria.</s>O'BRIEN: Randy Forbes is a Republican congressman from state of Virginia and member of the arms services and Judiciary Committee. He spoke at the rally on the USS Wisconsin when Paul Ryan made his running mate debut. Thanks for talking with us. I know we have some of the great photos you took in Virginia where folks were going wild cheering. Do you think you'll be met with cheers from what I think what's a critical group here, the independents and undecideds, will they have the same energetic take on Paul Ryan being added to the ticket?</s>REP. RANDY FORBES, (R) VIRGINIA: Soledad, I think they will. I've known him politically and personally and governmental capacity. He has such a strong character and strong family man. Most importantly Paul Ryan is a brilliant guy. He has more good ideas about breakfast than most people have in their entire career. What most independents are looking for, they are tired of this these political attacks and want new government ideas. That's what Paul is going to bring to the table. I think it's going to excite them.</s>O'BRIEN: He's an unknown if you look at the polling. And there isn't a lot among independents and this was done before he was tapped to be VP pick, favorable 27 percent, unfavorable 22 percent, no opinion, 15 percent and never heard of the largest there at 36 percent. Which is most concerning statistic of those that I just read to you as you look at that list right now? What worries you on that list?</s>FORBES: None of those statistics. He's been announced a little over a day. And I think in just a few weeks America is going to know Paul Ryan. The more they know about Paul Ryan, the more excited they are going to be, because if in fact the economy is the number one issue in the country for most people and jobs are the number one issue in the economy, they can't find anybody better than Paul Ryan to bring the ideas to the table that we need to turn this economy around and start rehiring people across the country.</s>O'BRIEN: We'll talk budget in a moment. I want to talk about Medicare, best known for the dramatic changes he would like to see am Medicare. And 55 and older as he proposes it wouldn't change. Under 55, the goal is a voucher system where seniors could pick what they want go into effect in the year 2023. Do you worry that talking about dramatic changes for Medicare is going to be of great concern for the people in the swing states that have an older population, like the state of Florida and Pennsylvania and Iowa?</s>FORBES: Soledad, I don't. And a couple of reasons for that. First of all, I think the most dangerous approach to Medicare is Vice President Biden's approach. I think the second most dangerous approach is what the president wants to do in taking $700 billion out of Medicare, which he's proposed to do. I think the third thing is in what I think is going to be very concerning to people in reassuring to them is the fact that Paul has made it clear for people 55 and older, they won't have a change in Medicare. But he's emphasized Medicare is going to go bankrupt if we don't do something to change it. He wants to make sure he strengthened it and preserves it for generations after us.</s>O'BRIEN: I want you to elaborate for me when you say Vice President Biden's plan. Give me some specifics on that. But I have to tell you as I'm sure you know, $700 billion dollar figures has been debunked by CNN and the congressional budget office. That number has been battered around a lot. And that's very much political spin. Tell me Vice President Biden, what plan does he have.</s>FORBES: Soledad, that's just it. He doesn't have a plan. If you have no plan at all, then Medicare is going to go bankrupt and we won't have it at all for people under 55. We decide we're going to do with the vice president has done and put our head in the hole and do nothing and led Medicare go bankrupt or do something to make sure we're preserving for people 55 and under. Paul is trying to do is put ideas on the table and say if you're on Medicare, approaching the time to be on Medicare, you're not going to be impacted at all. But for those who are younger than 55 who know that they won't have Medicare when they are there because it's going to be bankrupt, we want to do something to make sure we're shoring that up and it's going to be there for them. I think doing nothing is not a satisfactory approach.</s>O'BRIEN: Congressman Randy Forbes of Virginia, nice to see you, sir.</s>FORBES: Always good to see you.</s>O'BRIEN: I appreciate that, thanks.</s>FORBES: Let's get right to Ryan Lizza. You heard from the congressman, the theory that do something is better than do nothing. I was sort of confused when he brought in the Vice President Biden.</s>LIZZA: I was too, didn't understand what he meant. He was just saying he's proposing nothing.</s>O'BRIEN: As opposed to Paul Ryan who proposed something.</s>LIZZA: They will be debating in the vice presidential debate what Congressman Forbes is saying, rather than Obama he's pointing to Biden. It seemed very deliberate, I wonder if he's trying to change the debate to Paul Ryan to the man he'll be running against, Joe Biden. In a way it raises Mitt Romney. He was somewhat diminished because we were talking about Ryan's plan not his.</s>O'BRIEN: Interesting strategy, do something versus do nothing. If that's the plan when you're going to have clearly over the next I'd say starting yesterday to continuing on, an attack and focus by the Dems on this budget and Medicare.</s>LIZZA: The Medicare -- look the Republican line on Medicare is to point out to this $700 billion figure. They are going to say, you want to say Paul Ryan is going to hurt Medicare, wait a second the president of the United States took $70 billion out of Medicare and used it to pay for Obama care. What's important to point out as you were getting at in the interview, that $700 billion was not cuts to beneficiaries. They took $70 billion out of payments to actually decrease in the rate, in the rate of increase to providers. It's not beneficiaries that got -- we'll hear that number a lot.</s>O'BRIEN: Clearly.</s>LIZZA: It's important to spell out what went on.</s>O'BRIEN: He was signaling a lot of what we'll see in the debate as we move forward. We'll keep talking about this this morning. Still ahead, Delaware's Democratic governor Jack Markell will join us. He's calling Mitt Romney's VP pick, quote, "out of touch with the middle class." I think I hear another strategy. And how much would you pay for your child's school back pack? Gucci is hoping you're comfortable with $800.</s>LIZZA: What?</s>O'BRIEN: God, I have so many children, I could never possibly afford that. Top fashion designers are pushing super expensive duds head back to school. We say, get real. You're watching STARTING POINT. We're back in a moment.