CNN Poll Shows Americans Split Over Sotomayor Nomination; Police Questions Two Persons in Killings of Florida Couple; Thousands Attend Steve McNair's Funeral
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, everybody. From the CNN Center in Atlanta, this is CNN SUNDAY MORNING. Sunday, July 12th. Good morning, everybody. I'm Betty Nguyen.</s>T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: Going to get another of CNN in there somewhere.</s>NGUYEN: Trying to.</s>HOLMES: All right. Hello...</s>NGUYEN: There's a bug on the TV. There's one behind us, up above. You know where you are.</s>HOLMES: You know where she was and know her (ph). I'm T.J. Holmes. It's 8:00 here in Atlanta, 7:00 a.m. in Chicago -- our executive producer's hometown as we always have that in there. Also, 5:00 a.m. for folks walking up in the San Francisco Bay area. Wherever you are -- thanks for being here. It's going to be an interesting week of breakthroughs or maybe of break downs. You never know what you're going to see at these confirmation hearings, but she's on the hot seat this week, Judge Sonia Sotomayor. They start tomorrow, those confirmation hearings, and Republicans are expected, as always, in the case here, the opposing party, to grill her pretty good. Democrats expected to support that nomination. We'll take a closer look at the justice. If confirmed, she would become the first Latina on the highest court.</s>NGUYEN: We want to give you a live look now at Space Shuttle Endeavour on the launch pad this morning. You know, yesterday's liftoff, apparently was a no-go because we're watching it right now, still on the launch pad. But we're going to tell you why it was delayed and when the next attempt is scheduled. Plus, the tough economy to take a serious toll on two Boston area zoos. This has been the talker this morning -- without needed funding, these zoos could close and they might even have to euthanize some of the animals. Many of you already sending us your comments, keep them coming -- Facebook, Twitter, you can find us, we'll read them on the air. But that story is coming up in about a half hour.</s>HOLMES: Now, the president is back in town, back in the U.S., after a week-long trip overseas, got back just after midnight last night. The president's overseas trip included arms talks in Russia as well as discussions in Italy over the global economy. The family's last stop was to a 17th century castle in Ghana that held Africans who were forced into slavery. So, back to the domestic agenda this week with the president on Monday, and on Tuesday, he'll turn his focus to health care reform. And on Thursday, he'll speak at the NAACP convention in New York, that group marking its 100th anniversary. The president will also visit New Jersey on Thursday. He'll appear at a reelection rally for Governor Jon Corzine.</s>NGUYEN: Our Anderson Cooper got exclusive access to the president on this trip. And he was there when the president visited a slave port in Ghana. The president compared it to a concentration camp. (</s>BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, CNN'S ANDERSON COOPER 360) ANDERSON COOPER, "ANDERSON COOPER 360" HOST: Do you think what happened here still has resonance in America? That the slave experience still is something that should be talked about and should be remembered and should be present in every day life?</s>BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Well, you know, I think that the experience of slavery is like the experience of the Holocaust. I think it's one of those things you don't forget about. I think it's important that the way we think about it and the way it's taught is not one in which there's simply a victim and a victimizer and that's the end of the story. I think the way it has to be thought about, the reason it's relevant is because whether it's what's happening in Darfur or what's happening in the Congo, or what's happening in too many places around the world. You know, the capacity for cruelty still exists.</s>NGUYEN: Find out what else the president had to say when he gave Anderson Cooper exclusive access on his African trip. You can catch it on "ANDERSON COOPER 360" tomorrow night at 10:00 Eastern.</s>HOLMES: Well, the president and his attorney general might not be on the same page on a particular topic. The attorney general, Eric Holder, appears to be considering appointing a prosecutor to investigate Bush administration interrogation techniques. Again, this goes against what the president has said he wanted. He says he wants to leave all that stuff essentially behind, leave some of those policies in the past. Now, this probe by Holder would include or talk about the CIA and whether or not they tortured terror suspects after 9/11. We could get a decision within the next few weeks from the attorney general.</s>NGUYEN: Well, in about 24 hours, Judge Sonia Sotomayor faces the Senate committee that could make her this country's first Latina Supreme Court justice. Now, a majority of those questioned in a new CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll, 47 percent of them say the Senate should approve her nomination. However, 40 percent say no, and 13 percent, well, they're still unsure. Let's get more about public sentiment on the eve of her hearings and check in with CNN's deputy political director Paul Steinhauser. All right, Paul. First up, how deep is the divide in the Sotomayor support when it comes to party lines?</s>PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN DEPUTY POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Yes, our poll, Betty, shows a pretty big partisan divide. Take a look at these numbers, CNN/Opinion Research Corporation national poll. You can see nearly seven in 10 Democrats think that the Senate should confirm Sonia Sotomayor. Independent voters appear to be split and Republicans only about one in four indicate, in our poll, that they think Sotomayor should be confirmed. That number in the lower right, 65 percent opposing, that is pretty interesting. Our polling director, Keating Holland, indicates -- tells us that that's a lot higher than the number of Republicans back in the 1990s who opposed the confirmation of Ruth Bader Ginsburg and its higher than the number of Democrats four years ago who opposed the nomination of Alito and Roberts.</s>NGUYEN: OK. So, 60 percent of Democrats say yes, 65 percent of Republicans say no. All right. So, when it comes to those hot-button issues, what are people saying about that?</s>STEINHAUSER: Well, people feel that if Sotomayor is -- if people that she is qualified, the issues may stand in her way. Take a look at these numbers. Americans are split. If Sotomayor's qualified, senators are justified in voting against her, Americans are split on that. And what a change from back in the day when the common thought was if a nominee was qualified, the issues really should not matter as much. But, you know, nowadays, things are much more partisan than they used to be, Betty.</s>NGUYEN: Yes, 47 percent saying yes, and then it's almost half, too, saying no. We're seeing it along party lines. Is there anything people agree on when it comes to Sonia Sotomayor?</s>STEINHAUSER: Yes, our poll indicates there is something people agree on, but it may not be the best thing in the world. Take a look at this: six in 10 Americans say what is likely to happen next week, a major fight between the parties; a little less than four in 10 say there will be some bipartisan agreement. So, they're on agreement there but maybe not the best thing in the world.</s>NGUYEN: Yes. All right. CNN's deputy political director Paul Steinhauser -- thanks so much for your time today. We appreciate it.</s>STEINHAUSER: Thanks, Betty.</s>NGUYEN: And you can see Sotomayor's confirmation hearings right here on CNN. Follow the pointed questions about her background, her rulings, controversial comments and speeches that she's made -- all of it live on CNN all week long.</s>HOLMES: The parents of 16 children killed. Most of these children were adopted -- now, all of them without their parents. Our David Mattingly picks up the story for us from Pensacola where authorities have a major break in the case, possibly.</s>DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It is a critical piece of evidence and investigators are combing through it to see what they can find. They believe this is the same van recorded by a home security camera the night someone broke into the home of Byrd and Melanie Billings and shot them dead.</s>SHERIFF DAVID MORGAN, ESCAMBIA COUNTY, FLORIDA: Once we had located the van, developed an address where the van had been registered to, interviews with associated neighbors and friends and family then led us to two persons of interests. As you know, we are looking for a total of three.</s>MATTINGLY: Three young white men also recorded on the family's security system as they broke into the Billings' home. Investigators won't say if anything was taken from the house or what kind of weapon was used. But the men who did this worked so quickly that authorities believe they had some kind of experience.</s>MORGAN: We were surprised with the rapidity of the crime. And that's, you know, about the most I could say about it.</s>MATTINGLY: Investigators will not discuss motive. Byrd and Melanie Billings were known for their kindness. They had adopted a dozen children over the years, many with special needs. Eight of the children were at home at the time of the murders, none was harmed. But why were the Billings targeted? Was it robbery or? Or was it something else? The sheriff identified this man as one of the persons of interest. He said his appearance matches one of the men seen by security cameras. At the time he was seen by our camera, he had not been named as a suspect and no arrests had been made. David Mattingly, CNN, Pensacola.</s>HOLMES: Officials have exhumed one grave at Illinois' Burr Oak Cemetery as they continue to investigate the desecration of hundreds of graves there. Four cemetery employees are accused of digging up hundreds of bodies to resell the plot. The Cook County sheriff says they found just one body in this exhumed grave despite earlier reports that two bodies were there. Police have declared parts of the cemetery a crime scene.</s>NGUYEN: Well, it was a massive turnout -- friends, family, fans, all of them came by the thousands to remember Steve McNair. Many, though, are still trying to make sense of the apparent murder-suicide that led to the 36-year-old's death. And our Larry Smith reports on the emotional funeral.</s>VINCE YOUNG, TENNESSEE TITANS QUARTERBACK: Steve was like, you know, a hero -- a hero to me and heroes are not supposed to die.</s>LARRY SMITH, CNN SPORTS (voice-over): It was an emotional farewell for Steve McNair. Thousands came to pay their respects to the former NFL most valuable player and what organizers called one of the largest home-going services in Mississippi history.</s>SMITH: For the past week, the sorted details of McNair's murder sent shock waves across the nation. But this was about his legacy on and off the field during a stellar career. When asked how many people had McNair stopped and had given an autograph to, nearly half raised their hands.</s>RAY LEWIS, BALTIMORE RAVENS LINEBACKER: I find myself in awe when I speak about a man like McNair, in awe being here to speak where it all started from.</s>SMITH: Opponents called McNair a warrior for his ability to play through pain. And his former teammates say his grit and determination made them better.</s>DOUG SMITH, WINNING QUARTERBACK, SUPER BOWL XXII: I don't think Steve played a game once he got into the professional ranks totally healthy, but you wouldn't have known the way he performed. So, I've always respected the way he played and he played to win. Every play was to win.</s>SMITH: Just two weeks ago, McNair hosted a football camp for kids here. And when everyone else was gone, he was the one cleaning up after a day of giving.</s>CARDELL JONES, MCNAIR'S COACH AT ALCORN STATE: Mississippi has lost a tremendous legend.</s>JONES: I truly feel that it would be a long, long time before there'd be another player the caliber of Steve McNair.</s>SMITH (on camera): Steve McNair was buried later in the day in his hometown of Mount Olive, about 30 miles from here. But his good work will live on. As Vince Young said, the world would be a better place if everybody helped others the way Steve did. Larry Smith, CNN, Hattiesburg, Mississippi.</s>NGUYEN: Well, it is T minus 11 hours now until NASA tries to send up the Endeavour again. It will take a crew of seven to the International Space Station.</s>HOLMES: And they'll be taking the final piece of a Japanese space lab. But with all depends on whether, the shuttle's electrical system checked out and also weather always plays a role and that kind of played a role in why it's still sitting there in the first place.</s>NGUYEN: Exactly. They scrubbed it yesterday on the launch pad because of -- well, you're looking at it -- about a dozen lightning strikes near that launch pad. NASA says there's nothing to show that the shuttle was affected by it. So, that's some good news.</s>HOLMES: Yes, and Reynolds was describing this yesterday. Do you really want a bolt of lightning anywhere close to those fuel tanks?</s>NGUYEN: Not at all.</s>HOLMES: It makes sense not to launch. This is the third time NASA delayed this particular launch. It was canceled twice last month because of a liquid hydrogen leak. It sounds bad, as well. The president's stimulus plan, meanwhile, it's been in effect for about 100 days. How is it working for you? Josh Levs is following the money. Good morning, Josh.</s>JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, good morning to you, guys. We're going to find out how much of that money is going to any county in the entire country and within that, how many projects are underway there. And this is not a government Web site. We're going to show you how to find it -- Betty?</s>NGUYEN: And take a look at this. These animals right here, they need a bailout and fast. Their zoos could soon be making life or death choices because of budget cuts. And many of you already are sending us your comments on this story. Keep them coming. We'll have more on it. We're going to be reading them in our next half hour.