Another Day, Another Record for Gas Prices
CLINTON: We know from the bible that faith can move mountains. And, my friends, the faith of the mountain state has moved me. I am more determined than ever to carry on this campaign.</s>ROBERTS: Hillary Clinton last night in West Virginia after a blowout 67 percent to 26 percent victory over Barack Obama. Bill Richardson is the governor of New Mexico. He's a former candidate for president, now an Obama supporter. Let's talk with him more about what happened last night. Governor, it's good to see you again. Thank you, John.</s>ROBERTS: Hillary Clinton last night pledged that she is going to stay in this until every last voice is heard. What do you think about that? I mean, you've sort of been going down this road that it's time for her to stop.</s>GOV. BILL RICHARDSON (D), MEXICO: Well, I think she deserves to stay in until the last primary, but that's June 3rd. That's six more primaries. And then I think as Democrats nationally, we have to face reality. Senator Obama so far has won 32 states to 16. He is ahead in the delegate count. He needs 141 more to win. He got 28 superdelegates pledged to him in the last week, moving in his direction. He's got momentum. She deserves accolades for the victory yesterday, but this was a state that was tailor made for Senator Clinton. But the key thing is what do we do about June 3rd. Are we going to continue this divisiveness, this uncertainty when it is clear that we have a candidate with enough delegate votes while Senator McCain, as I was saying earlier, is out campaigning in Democratic states like Oregon, talking about Democratic issues, the environment and climate change? He's undamaged and we go on flailing at each other. I think the time has come very soon, after the last vote, and she should stay in until the last -- till the last vote and then we've got to unite behind a nominee and be ready for the fall election.</s>ROBERTS: Governor, you were suggesting, chatting with Wolf Blitzer yesterday, that this is beginning to hurt the Democrats in blue states. We played that for Governor Ed Rendell of Pennsylvania, a Hillary Clinton supporter, in our last hour. Here's what he said in response.</s>ED RENDELL (D-PA), CLINTON SUPPORTER: So, I think this has helped him. It's made him a stronger candidate. He's handled attacks. Attacks from the media, attacks from the Clinton campaign. So I think he's grown even stronger.</s>ROBERTS: He's suggesting the prolonged nature of this campaign is actually making Barack Obama a stronger candidate. Do you agree with that?</s>RICHARDSON: Well, no, I don't necessarily agree. I mean, what I like is that Senator Obama is still very strong among independent voters nationally. He is facing Senator McCain in key battleground states and doing very well, like Colorado, like out west. But, you know, this prolonged division of the party and supporters of Senator Clinton and Senator Obama going at each other nightly in every state, that isn't good. It's good to have a spirited contest, but eventually I believe we have to unite realistically behind the candidate that has the most delegates and can bring the country together, and that's Senator Obama.</s>ROBERTS: On that point of delegates, the official Democratic National Committee finish line this morning is 2,025 delegates to clinch the nomination. That number will actually go up by one, 2,026, when Travis Childers, who won that special election in Mississippi, is sworn in. But the Clinton campaign and Hillary Clinton herself is talking about a very different number. Let's listen to how she's putting it.</s>CLINTON: Under the rules of our party, when you include all 50 states, the number of delegates needed to win is 2,209, and neither of us has reached that threshold yet. This win in West Virginia will help me move even closer.</s>ROBERTS: Governor, is Senator Clinton moving the goal posts?</s>RICHARDSON: Well, yes, because you can't change the rules right now. She's talking about Florida and Michigan. And the whole Democratic National Committee voted a certain direction. All the candidates abided by it. I remember we didn't go into Florida and Michigan when I was running because of this situation. You can't change the goal posts at the last minute. And the reality is, yes, let's try to seat these delegates in some way at the convention but not change the rules to benefit anybody.</s>ROBERTS: You know, we talk about whether or not she should be the vice presidential running mate should Barack Obama become the nominee. In a recent Gallup Poll, 55 percent of respondents said yes, she should. Would you encourage him to take her on as his running mate should he clinches the nomination?</s>RICHARDSON: Well, you know, this is premature. I think Senator Obama has to make that choice. She obviously would be a very strong candidate. But you know, a lot of it will depend, John, on the dynamics between the two of them. And, you know, there's a continuing battle and divisiveness, that's not going to help if you want to promote that situation.</s>ROBERTS: Governor Bill Richardson from New Mexico, thanks for joining us this morning. All right, have a great day. Kyra?</s>PHILLIPS: Democratic candidates are hitting the road again. Senator Hillary Clinton is in Washington today and will sit down with CNN's Wolf Blitzer for her first interview after last night's West Virginia win. That will air on "</s>THE SITUATION ROOM" 4: 00 p.m. Eastern. Senator Barack Obama heads for a rally in Michigan and Senator John McCain is holding private fund-raising. Now, in the next three weeks, there are five primaries with 189 delegates up for grabs. Next Tuesday, it's Kentucky and Oregon with a total of 103 delegates. Oregon is a mail-in vote, by the way, which is already under way. Then June 1st, it's Puerto Rico with 55 delegates. Then on to June 3rd, Montana and South Dakota with 31 delegates total. Breaking news out of Myanmar right now. Forecasters say that another cyclone is forming off the coast. The United Nations warns that there could be a, quote, "second wave of death." Aid has been trickling in for the 1.5 million people still suffering from the last cyclone more than a week ago. And earlier this morning, I had a chance to talk with Admiral Timothy Keating who is heading the American relief effort. He says that the U.S. is ready with more aid but still needs permission from Myanmar's military government.</s>VOICE OF ADM. TIMOTHY KEATING, COMMANDER, U.S. PACIFIC COMMAND: We talked to our Burmese host about that option, Kyra, of slinging supplies underneath helicopters and bringing them from the "U.S.S. Essex" group which is off the southwest coast of Burma. They are in position now with a dozen-plus heavy-lift-capable helicopters. But we are not going to, "invade Burmese air space." We will only do this with the approval of Burmese officials.</s>PHILLIPS: The U.N. says survivors are depending on rain for drinking water.</s>JOHN ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: Some problems here at home as well as it relates to water. Alina Cho here with other stories making headlines. Good morning to you.</s>ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, some big flooding in the south. Good morning, guys. Good morning, everybody. And we are following that extreme weather this morning. A flashflood warning is in effect for another 45 minutes or so in Shreveport, Louisiana. Massive flooding there, up to six inches of rain fell overnight. Flash floods stranded hundreds of motorists. Police say one death may be related to the flooding and more heavy rain is in the forecast today, another two to three inches. Schools are closed again in parts of Florida as wildfires continue to burn there. The flames have now destroyed at least 40 homes and have charred more than 10,000 acres. Crews in Brevard County say, however, that they have most of the fires contained. The death toll from Monday's earthquake in China is rising again. Nearly 15,000 people are dead. Another 40,000 missing or buried. And rescuers are now stepping up the efforts to reach survivors, traveling on foot in many cases because many of the roads are closed. 20,000 Chinese soldiers have now made it to the most remote villages. Another 30,000 soldiers are headed there. Former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor will speak out today about her husband's struggle with Alzheimer's disease. She'll be part of a panel speaking to a senate committee about the fight against Alzheimer's. More than 5 million Americans are living with the disease. And a sign of the times. More Americans are apparently cutting the cord on landline phones. A new study says by the end of last year, 16 percent of homes were cell phone only. In 2004, that number was just 5 percent. And users who have landline phone, get this, say they mostly ignore the calls on them. Why? Because they're mostly from telemarketers. Apparently they haven't signed up for that do- not-call list. Anyway, I barely know my home phone number.</s>PHILLIPS: And I never check the voice-mail.</s>CHO: No, I'm only on my landline phone when I can't get service on my cell phone in my house.</s>ROBERTS: And how often is that?</s>CHO: Well, you know, I would say 60 percent of the time. Inside --</s>PHILLIPS: Rotary dial.</s>ROBERTS: I don't know many places in America where cell phones work worse than here in New York City.</s>CHO: You're right.</s>ROBERTS: All right. Thanks, Alina. New numbers in on inflation that just came across our desk. And Ali Velshi at the business update desk with that. Good morning, Ali.</s>ALI VELSHI, CNN, SENIOR BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, John. Good morning to all of you. We just got the numbers for April inflation. And we are parsing through them. There's a lot of detail in this. Here's the important thing you have to know, compared to last year, inflation in April is up 3.9 percent year over year. That's an important number because that relates to how much you earn and how much you make in your investments. If you're not getting more than that in investments, you're losing money. If you're not getting more than that in a raise, you're being set back. Now, the bottom line is that it has dropped just a smidgen from what we knew it was in March. It was 4 percent in March and now it's 3.9 percent. That's the good news. The bad news, and we are working through the information right now to see if we can confirm this, but we are seeing reports that the jump in food prices is the biggest in 18 years. Now, John, we have discussed this before. The government likes to talk about a core rate and a headline rate. The headline rate is all of the inflation that consumers pay. The core rate is that number minus food and energy, which is very good for economists to measure and accept the bottom line as we all include energy. Food prices, it is looking like, we may have seen the biggest jump in one month in 18 years in this April report. I'm going to go through these numbers and bring you more information as I get it. But right now, we're looking at just a little under 4 percent, year over year in inflation. John.</s>ROBERTS: All right. That's still a big number.</s>VELSHI: It is.</s>ROBERTS: Ali Velshi for us this morning, thanks.</s>VELSHI: OK.</s>PHILLIPS: And show him the money. We're not talking about Ali Velshi. We're actually talking about the superdelegate you're going to meet. He's selling his vote for 20 million bucks. You're going to hear why straight ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.