[Kitty Pilgrim, Cnn Correspondent:] Thanks, Wolf. Tonight, Senator Barack Obama blasts Lou and this broadcast, but Obama's so-called facts are completely wrong. Tonight, the city of Phoenix, Arizona reverses itself gives police officers new powers to fight illegal immigration. And tonight, President Bush makes a new effort to impose his failed trade policies on American people and the Congress, all of that, today's news and much more straight ahead tonight.
[Announcer:] This is
[Lou Dobbs Tonight:] news, debate, and opinion for Friday, May 23. Live from New York, sitting in for Lou Dobbs, Kitty Pilgrim.
[Pilgrim:] Good evening, everybody. The McCain campaign today released eight years of his medical records to prove McCain is fit enough to be president. Now those records suggest McCain is in generally good health despite having had five skin cancers. Meanwhile, Senator Clinton faced a storm of protests after referencing the assassination of Robert Kennedy as a reason to stay in the presidential race. Clinton later expressed regret about her remarks. We have extensive coverage tonight. We begin with Mary Snow on McCain's medical records Mary.
[Mary Snow, Cnn Correspondent:] Kitty, the headline from McCain's doctors is that they have not seen any recurrence of the melanoma that caused him to have extensive surgery back in 2000. There is a lot of anticipation about making these medical records public and as the campaign did, it did so in a controlled setting.
[Snow:] The release of the medical records had been a long time coming. The campaign had postponed it a number of times citing scheduling conflicts. It calls this release unprecedented. One of his doctors, John Eckstein, hoping to reassure the public about McCain's health.
[Unidentified Male:] I and my colleagues can find no medical reason or problems that would preclude Senator McCain from fulfilling all the duties and obligations of the president of the United States.
[Snow:] On Thursday McCain was asked about his health and the rigors of the campaign.
[Sen. John Mccain , Presidential Candidate:] I think it's obviously as you'll see excellent. I this issue I think is one that most Americans will see the vigor of my campaign.
[Snow:] McCain has pointed out several times he hiked the Grand Canyon rim to rim in 2006, which took three days. But Northeastern University Political Science Professor Robert Gilbert, who has written several books about the health of presidents, says McCain who is 71 had no choice but to release a detailed medical history, since if he wins, he'll be the oldest first term president in history.
[Professor Robert Gilbert, Northeastern University:] When a candidate has experienced serious cancer surgery, I really think there's a special need for complete or almost complete medical disclosure before voters go to the polls.
[Snow:] Some political strategists say while the medical records show that McCain's cancer did not spread and his doctors say it's unlikely to return, it won't put to rest questions about his health, citing his age and the fact McCain gets checked every three to four months. Observers say they don't expect rivals to make McCain's health an issue And Kitty, another disclosure from the McCain campaign late in the day, it released a summary of Cindy McCain's 2006 tax returns, showing that she earned more than $6 million, paying 1.7 in taxes. Noteworthy because Cindy McCain had said she would never release them since she files her taxes separately from her husband. But she changed course, the McCain says she did not want to become a distraction Kitty.
[Pilgrim:] Mary, a lot of information for the day before the Labor Day weekend, isn't it?
[Snow:] Yes, it's supposed to be a slow day, not so much.
[Pilgrim:] All right, thanks very much. Mary Snow. Our chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta was among a small group of reporters who were allowed to review Senator McCain's medical files and Sanjay Gupta joins us now. Sanjay, what did we learn more about McCain's cancer history?
[Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Cnn Sr. Medical Correspondent:] Well you know he had the extensive operation back in 2000. That's what most people have paid attention to those scars on the left side of his face. But found out today, for example, in addition to removing the melanoma, they always took out 34 lymph nodes from his neck, which is why probably he has continued swelling in that part of his face. We also found, for example, that he had a squamous cell carcinoma. That's a skin cancerous lesion removed from his leg in February of this year, so there was some news there you know that we hadn't heard before, lots of things to look for. You know it was interesting it was 1,200 pages of records, Kitty, and going through them in three hours was kind of like combining medical school and residency and all into one, a lot of things to look for. His heart history, for example, something that you know needed to be paid attention to. He takes several medications including a cholesterol lowering medication, a baby aspirin; he takes hydrochlorothiazide, which is a medication to control kidney stones. But you know his heart, as Mary said, and his overall health seemed to be pretty good. For example, he had a stress test this year of his heart, which looked almost identical to a stress test from 2000, so you know it looks like overall you know he's fit to lead.
[Pilgrim:] You know, Sanjay, you bring up this point about you know this volume of material to get through. Someone with your expertise even having difficulty absorbing that much information, you weren't allowed notes or anything in the room, were you?
[Gupta:] It was interesting. It was I had never experienced anything quite like it, I think it's fair to say. We were sort of taken to this private room, first they told that we couldn't leave except to go to the restroom and then had to come back. And once we left, we were no longer allowed into the room. I'm not sure and as you pointed out with Mary, this is the Friday before Memorial Day. Who knows what to make of all of that? It was a very interesting process for sure.
[Pilgrim:] Yeah, it is an interesting process, but I guess the sort of bottom line is there is no reason why McCain can't be president medically, correct?
[Gupta:] Yeah, I think you know if you look some of the specific numbers, again people paying attention to the melanoma I think probably more than anything else. The most significant melanoma was operated in 2000. At that time they said he had a chance of having recurrence about 66 percent over 10 years. That was eight years ago. And the further out you get from it, the better your odds are, so it looks like he's done pretty well. He's seen eight different doctors this year alone, so he's really seemingly committed to taking care of his health.
[Pilgrim:] Thanks very much, Sanjay Gupta. We could not do without your expertise.
[Gupta:] Thank you, Kitty.
[Pilgrim:] Thank you. In the Democratic race Senator Clinton today invoked the assassination of Robert Kennedy as an argument to stay in the contest. Now Clinton was speaking to the editorial board of the Sioux Falls Argus Leader in South Dakota. And she also said reports that she's considering becoming Obama's running mate are quote, "flatly untrue".
[Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton , Presidential Candidate:] Between my opponent and his camp and some in the media there's been this urgency to end this. And you know, historically that makes no sense, so I find it a bit of a mystery.
[Unidentified Male:] You don't buy the party unity argument?
[H. Clinton:] I don't because again I've been around long enough. My husband did not wrap up the nomination in 1992 until he won the California primary somewhere in the middle of June, right?
[Unidentified Male:] June.
[H. Clinton:] We all remember Bobby Kennedy was assassinated in June in California. You know, I don't understand it.
[Pilgrim:] Now the Obama campaign said Clinton's comments about Robert Kennedy have absolutely no place in this election. Senator Clinton later expressed regret about her remarks.
[H. Clinton:] Kennedys have been much on my mind the last days because of Senator Kennedy and I you know regret that if my referencing that moment of trauma for our entire nation and particularly for the Kennedy family was in any way offensive, I certainly had no intention of that whatsoever.
[Pilgrim:] Now we'll have more on this with our political panel later in the show. Senator Obama is stepping his efforts to win support of voters in Florida. Obama today focusing on Cuban Americans, a powerful group in Florida and Obama said that if he becomes president his policy towards Cuba would be based on achieving liberty for the Cuban people. John Zarrella reports from Miami John.
[John Zarrella, Cnn Correspondent:] Kitty, Barack Obama came to what has traditionally been a Republican stronghold. His hope to wrestle Cuban American votes way from John McCain. He made a good impression, but getting those votes won't be easy.
[Zarrella:] Cuban Americans listened politely and applauded Barack Obama, but the question is will they vote for him? The Illinois senator came to Miami to sell his vision for Cuba.
[Sen. Barack Obama , Presidential Candidate:] Together, we will stand up for freedom in Cuba.
[Zarrella:] Obama spoke at a Cuban American National Foundation luncheon. The organization has for decades driven U.S. policy towards Cuba. For Cuban Americans, Democrats have historically been a tough sell. Obama may be even tougher. The senator has said he would be willing to meet with Raul Castro. That does not play well here. Friday he stood by his words, saying it's time to pursue direct diplomacy without pre-conditions.
[Obama:] As president I would be willing to lead that diplomacy at a time and place of my choosing. But only when we have an opportunity to advance the interests of the United States, but even more importantly to advance the cause of the freedom for the Cuban people.
[Zarrella:] For many in his audience, any notion of talking with Cuba's current leaders, makes them uneasy.
[Ramon Saul-sanchez, Democracy Movement:] Make sure that that dialogue happens for the best interest of the Cuban people and not to maintain the status quo or to just do business with the Cuban regime.
[Zarrella:] Obama promised two things most Cuban Americans want. He would immediately end current restrictions by allowing Cuban Americans to visit relatives on the island and to send money to families in Cuba. Will that be enough to break the Republican stranglehold here? Bill Clinton got more votes in the Cuban exile community than any Democrat ever, and he only polled 35 percent. [on camera]: Many of the people we spoke with after Obama's speech said he made a good impression, but they wouldn't go so far as to say that they would vote for him Kitty.
[Pilgrim:] Thanks, John John Zarrella reporting from Miami. A top Democrat trying to force the national leadership to recognize Florida's primary hopes a court will rule on the case before the end of this month. Florida Senate Democratic Leader Steven Geller has filed suit in federal court and he says the Democratic National Committee cannot ignore nearly two million votes. Geller wants a federal court to make a judgment before the DNC Rules Committee reviews the disputed primary on May 31. Controversial Minister John Hagee today blasted his critics one day after Senator McCain disowned him. Hagee said the break with McCain is quote, "best for the both of us". McCain rejected Hagee's endorsement after the release of an audiotape of Hagee talking about Adolf Hitler and the Holocaust. Brian Todd has our report Brian.
[Brian Todd, Cnn Correspondent:] Kitty, Pastor Hagee said the last couple of days have been disappointing and painful for him and he said this has nothing to do with him and John McCain parting company.
[Unidentified Male:] Thousands of dead.
[Todd:] Frustrated by perceived distortions in the media, an embattled church leader uses his own air waves to strike back at critics.
[Pastor John Hagee, Televangelist:] To hear people who know nothing about me or my life's work claim that I somehow excused the Holocaust is simply untrue and heartbreaking.
[Todd:] But Pastor John Hagee does not apologize or back away from the controversial remarks that led John McCain to reject his endorsement. A sermon in the 1990's in which Hagee said Adolf Hitler was sent by God to push the Jews out of Europe.
[Hagee:] Why did it happen? Because God said my top priority for the Jewish people is to get them to come back to the land of Israel.
[Todd:] Following inquiries from CNN about Hagee's sermon, McCain rejected his endorsement, which the pastor then withdrew. Hagee's defense is combative.
[Hagee:] To asset that I in any way condoned the Holocaust or that monster Adolf Hitler is the most vicious of lies.
[Todd:] Hagee said his sermon was merely an effort to explain how God could let the Holocaust take place and a popular San Antonio rabbi, who is also a close friend, supported him. When we asked a representative for Hagee if there was any resentment toward McCain she said she wouldn't go that far. But she said don't expect Hagee to get back into the political game anytime soon and observers say the fallout may effect other Republicans seeking the support of evangelicals.
[Tony Perkins, Pres. Family Research Council:] I think this is going send a pretty strong message to a lot of evangelical leaders who they need the support of. And I think they would be hesitant to make an endorsement thinking that everything they've taught on, everything they've said would be scrutinized.
[Todd:] And that feeling may be mutual. One political analyst told us this is the year when candidates may decide that endorsements and surrogates of any kind are simply not worth it, that they can lose you more votes than they can get for you Kitty.
[Pilgrim:] Thanks, Brian. Brian Todd reporting from Washington. More on the presidential campaign later. Also, important new developments in the fight against illegal immigration. Casey Wian will have the report Casey.
[Casey Wian, Cnn Correspondent:] Kitty, city officials in Phoenix, Arizona are finally listening to their constituents. Phoenix is ending its sanctuary policies for illegal aliens. We'll have details coming up, Kitty.
[Pilgrim:] Thanks, Casey. We look forward to your report. Also Senator Obama launches an astonishing and inaccurate attack on Lou and this broadcast. And President Bush refuses to change his failed policies on so- called free trade. We'll have a special report, war on the middle class.