No Deal on Budget; Troops Could Miss Paychecks in case of Shutdown; Airstrike Hits Libyan Rebels; Tough Talk from NJ Governor; Trump Moves Up in Polls; Government Shutdown One Day Away
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: It is 9:00 a.m. on the East Coast, 6:00 a.m. in the West. I'm Carol Costello in for Kyra Phillips. This morning two Libyan rebels killed in an airstrike. Right now NATO is thinking this was a coalition mistake because Gadhafi has almost no air power. Another air traffic controller accused of sleeping on the job. Authorities think he might have snoozed for five hours as planes try to land. And the weekly jobless numbers are out. The number of Americans filing for first-time benefits fell by 10,000 from the previous week. The budget drama is going down to the wire. No deal overnight. Fewer than 39 hours until the deadline and a possible government shutdown. President Obama says he will call congressional leaders this morning to urge them to hammer out something. If there is no movement, he will call for another White House meeting. There is some hope, though, if you measure it in images. Bitter political rivals, House Speaker John Boehner and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid stood shoulder to shoulder. And that is a rare sight. Both men and President Obama are holding on to optimism.</s>BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I remain confident that if we're serious about getting something done, we should be able to complete a deal and get it past and avert a shutdown. But it's going to require sufficient sense of urgency from all parties involved.</s>SEN. HARRY REID (D), MAJORITY LEADER: I have confidence that we can get this done. We're not there yet. But hope lies eternal.</s>REP. JOHN BOEHNER (R), HOUSE SPEAKER: There is an intent on both sides to try to continue to work together to try to resolve this. No one wants the government to shut down.</s>COSTELLO: President Obama also said it would be inexcusable not to get a deal passed because there is such a narrow difference between the two parties' plan. So let's go to the White House and talk with Ed Henry. Ed, I know it is difficult to tell exactly how negotiations are going especially when the Republican leader is saying, let's get a one-week extension to hammer out some remaining differences. That would keep the government fully open for business. Would the president be receptive to that?</s>ED HENRY, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: No, he is not, Carol. And here's why. There is some politics being played because the Republicans have a one-week short-term spending measure as you mentioned that would cut $12 billion in spending, more cuts that Democrats on the Hill largely do not want and would also make sure that while the wider government is funded for one week, the Pentagon and U.S. troops are funded through September 30th. And so basically Republicans are saying, look, Democrats, do you want to make sure, you know, military folks are not paid? And so Democrats believe that this is a political ploy. The president has rejected it so far saying we can't keep doing this one week at a time and throw inside issues like, let's pay the Pentagon but not pay the rest of the government. So they are rejecting it because the Democrats are worried on the Hill also about losing some ground in these negotiations if they keep allowing John Boehner to cut $12 billion at a time without some broader budget deal. It's really going to hurt the Democrats' position. And Republicans are going to get a lot more.</s>COSTELLO: And you know what Americans are really upset about? I mean essentially, we hired these people to keep the government running, to put a budget into place. And they can't seem to do that. And it's been quite a while now. So there's political damage all around, isn't there, already?</s>HENRY: Well, that's why when the question is -- with the finger pointing, about who would be to blame, there are real lives here at stake, real livelihoods at stake. The president himself last night mentioned there are people who, for example, waiting for their tax refunds from the federal government. They may need that to pay their bills, pay their mortgage. And here they are waiting as these games are played back and forth. So I think the bottom line is, there are a lot of people who would be hurt, would be impacted by this. That's why you saw the president taking the extraordinary step and Republican Speaker John Boehner taking that step as well of coming here so late last night at the White House. Very rare meeting for them to come together, especially so late to try and work it out. They are not there yet. But it looks like they are inching closer to a deal -- Carol.</s>COSTELLO: All right. Ed Henry, live at the White House. Thanks as always. So much could happen in a shutdown. You heard Ed mentioned that. The fragile housing market could suffer, too, because the FHA would come to a halt. That could spoil mortgage deals and give private lenders the jitters. We told you how the EPA has extra air monitors to watch for possible radiation from Japan? Well,</s>LINDSEY KNAPP, GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEE: If I don't get to come to work on Monday, I don't know how I'm going to pay my bills. And are they going to pay my bills for me? Or are they going to pay the late fees on my bills if they pay me retroactively? Well, I guess they just want me to tell my 3-year-old daughter in the meantime that she can't eat. That she'll have to eat retroactively when I get paid again.</s>COSTELLO: Let's talk more about this with Pentagon correspondent, Barbara Starr. Barbara, a Defense Department official says the troops will earn money but not get it. You know, it might be delayed. But come on. Military people are not paid what they should be anyway. Missing a paycheck is a big deal.</s>BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Yes, you know, Carol, I don't think anybody puts it out on the line more than the active duty, military forces, especially those young men and women in the war zone on the front line. Bob Gates, Defense secretary, is in Iraq right now. And it was one of the first questions he got when he landed. The troops wanted to know right away what was going to happen. They are very aware of this situation and their families back home. The impact it will have on them. Gates told them if the government shuts down, in fact, yes, their pay will stop. They'll get back pay. But as you just saw from that person on that air, a small comfort, the troops really do live paycheck to paycheck, many of them.</s>COSTELLO: Yes, how much do they make? I mean how much does a typical soldier make?</s>STARR: Well, we have a graphic to show you on that. A typical army private 1st class who's been in the U.S. Army for two years -- we'll put up the numbers -- makes a staggeringly small amount of money, about $20,000 a year. They get some extra money for housing and other allowances. But these folks live paycheck to paycheck. And Defense Secretary Gates had some gallous humor about the whole thing.</s>ROBERT GATES, DEFENSE SECRETARY: As a historian, it always occurred to me, the smart thing for government was always to pay the guys with guns first.</s>STARR: Yes, a little -- a little gallous humor there. But this will affect everyone from General David Petraeus to troops on the front line and yes, Carol, to the wounded troops still lying in their hospital beds trying to recover -- Carol.</s>COSTELLO: It would be the last thing I'd want to worry about on the battlefield, is whether my family had to pay late fees in their mortgage payments or not go grocery shopping for that week. Those are things that really the military shouldn't be worrying about. So that's really a concern to many Americans. Barbara Starr, live at the Pentagon. Thank you.</s>STARR: Sure.</s>COSTELLO: The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is usually the most visited national park in the country. It's an easy trip for millions of Americans. We'll go there in a few minutes to tell you what a government shutdown could do. And today at 2:00 p.m. Eastern in the CNN NEWSROOM, we turn the microphone over to the voters all across the country for their comments on the potential shutdown of our government. Watch "Countdown to Shutdown", a CNN NEWSROOM special that begins at 2:00 p.m. Eastern. Now let's head to Libya where at least three people were killed and 10 wounded in a strike on an opposition forces today near the eastern town of al-Brega. It's unclear whether the aircraft was from NATO or pro-Gadhafi forces. CNN's Nic Robertson in Tripoli where there have been blasts as well. Nic, what can you tell us about this?</s>NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, as far as Tripoli is concerned, on several occasions today, at least two occasions, we have heard aircrafts flying overhead. And on both of those occasions, we have heard what sounded like heavy explosions coming immediately after or just before we've heard the aircraft. It's not clear exactly what is being targeted sin and around Tripoli. But this is the first time we've heard explosions here that sound like a bombing raid. The first time we've heard this in six days. Unusual as well to have a bombing raid during daylight hours. What has happened with what appears to be an airstrike on rebel forces in the east of the country, the details of that still remain unclear. However, I just had a discussion with former Congressman Curt Weldon, who was in a meeting with the prime minister here in Tripoli just a few minutes ago. And he told me that the prime minister took a telephone call in the middle of their meeting and the prime minister told former Congressman Weldon that there had been an airstrike in which there were 50 civilian casualties. Now former Congressman Weldon couldn't verify that. The prime minister offered him no evidence of that. And this is in line with what we've heard from government officials here before of saying that there have been a huge number of civilian casualties but without offering any evidence of it. And it later proves to be at the very -- at the very least a fabrication and at the worst just blatant lies -- Carol.</s>COSTELLO: You mentioned Curt Weldon. He just spoke on "AMERICAN MORNING" about this potential meeting with Moammar Gadhafi which of course hasn't happened yet. So listen to this, Nic, and then we'll talk.</s>CURT WELDON, FORMER U.S. CONGRESSMAN: Nothing is clear. There is a lot of uncertainty here. I know there are a lot of concerns about the security of Colonel Gadhafi because of all the turmoil. Outside of our hotel last night, we saw traces of weapons fire and there are some planes that flew over and attempts to shoot them out of the air. We heard some rifle shots. So there is uncertainly here. And they're concerned about security. And in my previous meetings with Gadhafi, you never know until the last moment --</s>CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: Right.</s>WELDON: That you're going to have the meeting.</s>ROMANS: Right.</s>WELDON: We are here and we are available.</s>COSTELLO: So two questions. Who was the guy standing beside him? Maybe I should know that but I don't know that. And number two, why hasn't this meeting with Gadhafi taken place?</s>ROBERTSON: Well, the gentleman</s>COSTELLO: Nic Robertson, live in Tripoli. Thank you. In Afghanistan, the rhetoric was heated but the demonstration peaceful. Hundreds of people turned out in Kabul today to demonstrate against the burning of the Quran. Protesters are demanding a Florida -- a Florida pastor be sent to an Islamic country to face punishment for the burning. Pastor Terry Jones sparked the protest when his church burned the Muslim holy book last month and demonstrations in Afghanistan last week took a deadly turn because of that. In West Africa, the bloody fight over who will be the president of Ivory Coast. The Red Cross says a fierce gun battle is taking place at the home of the former president who refuses to admit defeat in last November's election. We're getting word this morning that several African countries are offering a safe retreat but there is no sign he plans to surrender. New Jersey's governor, speaking his mind. What else is new? Governor Chris Christie is calling leaders of a teacher's union political thugs. And that tops our "Political Ticker." Mark Preston is at the CNN political desk in Washington. So why the renewed rhetoric?</s>MARK PRESTON, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL EDITOR: Well, you know, Carol, there's a lot to talk about. Chris Christie, a lot of people want him to run for president. But just so you know people are probably wondering what's happening behind me right now. All this talk about the government shutdown. Well, here at CNN obviously we've got to prepare for it as well. We actually have Brett, Dave and Michelle here getting this all ready. If the government shuts down, Carol, what you see behind me is very likely to be one of the command centers for CNN to report what is going to happen. Of course we all hope that there is some kind of deal reached. And we don't see a government shutdown. But if that's the case, that whole scene right there will be put in place. It's something you often don't see behind television. But you know something, Carol? You talk about Chris Christie and a lot of people are running -- asking him to run for president. You know they like his tough talk, especially when he talks about budget cuts and when he talks about unions. Specifically teachers unions. Let's hear what he had to say in an ABC interview regarding the New Jersey teachers unions.</s>GOV. CHRIS CHRISTIE (R), NEW JERSEY: I believe the teachers in New Jersey deserve a union as good as they are. And they don't have one. And they should start demanding to get a union as good as they are. Because I believe the teachers in New Jersey and the Maine (ph) are wonderful public servants and care deeply. But they are union. The union are a group of political thugs.</s>PRESTON: And there you go, Carol. It's that kind of tough talk that a lot of people want Chris Christie to run for president. He was again asked in that ABC interview, why don't you run? Are you going to run? He said absolutely not. He says he doesn't feel it in his heart to run. So not only a little bit of tough talk there, Carol, but a little bit of straight talk from the New Jersey governor.</s>COSTELLO: Let's talk about some poll numbers on possible Republican presidential contenders, because Donald Trump just moved up.</s>PRESTON: He just moved up. In fact, he continues to do interviews. Let's look at this new poll from NBC and "The Wall Street Journal" just out. It shows that Donald Trump has widespread support amongst Republicans, more support than most people think. In fact, he comes in second place. He ties with Mike Huckabee, which a lot of people think would be a fantastic candidate to run for the Republican presidential nomination, if he decides to do it. Of course, at the top is Mitt Romney. Some people say he's the front- runner. But all the talk behind Donald Trump is, would he be a good president, because he's been a good businessman. Well, a lot of people think that he's been a great businessman, we're not sure if he'd be a great president, but he has garnered a whole lot of headlines, though, Carol, because he continues --</s>COSTELLO: Well, let's look --</s>PRESTON: -- to talk about President Obama's --</s>COSTELLO: Right. Well, let's look --</s>PRESTON: -- birth certificate.</s>COSTELLO: Exactly. Let's look -- look behind those numbers, because I was reading Erick Erickson's blog, and he said the reason that Donald Trump has that percentage is because Republicans really aren't jazzed about the entire field.</s>PRESTON: There is something to be said about that. But we really haven't seen the field gel together. Tim Pawlenty, Newt Gingrich are really the two well-known names who have officially taken steps to run for president. The other ones haven't done so. Republicans are looking for somebody to emerge from the field. I think that we'll start to see that happen over the next month or so. In fact, Donald Trump says he'll make a decision about whether to run for president right before June. He has the "Celebrity Apprentice" on NBC right now, and he says that he can't run for president. So, Erick Erickson, who's one of our CNN contributors, a very-well- known voice in the conservative blogosphere, he's absolutely right. Nobody is excited yet. But still, there's a long way until the first contest in Iowa in February of 2012.</s>COSTELLO: Point taken. Mark Preston, many thanks.</s>PRESTON: Thank you.</s>COSTELLO: Also, a program note for you. Later today in the NEWSROOM, Donald Trump, will he or won't he? He answers questions about his presidential plans this afternoon with Suzanne Malveaux. That will come your way at 12:15 Eastern. And we'll have your next political update in one hour. And a reminder, for all the latest political news, go to our website, cnnpolitics.com. One group watching the potential government shutdown with intense interest, government workers. The president of the American Federation of Government Workers joins me next with his take on the talks and a warning. He's ready to sue.