Obama and Stewart Squares Off; Terror Target: DC Subways
JOHN ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning and thank so much for joining us on this Thursday, 28th of October. Good to have you with us. I'm John Roberts.</s>KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Kiran Chetry. We have a lot to talk about this morning. First for a sitting president. This is a first. Barack Obama making an unprecedented appearance, leader of the free world, last night on "The Daily Show." The White House desperate to reach young voters and reel and core Democrats. So, how did it go for the president? The highlights and the live report from the White House.</s>ROBERTS: A chilling terror plot to blow up Washington, D.C. area subway stations, investigators say the suspect thought that he was part of an al Qaeda planned attack, but he was working with the FBI instead. Homeland security correspondent, Jeanne Meserve, live with the details -- just ahead.</s>CHETRY: She's been dubbed Mexico's bravest woman, taking a job no one else wanted. Now, our Kaj Larsen introduces to the 20-year-old top cop in one of the most violent areas in the world.</s>KAJ LARSEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Are you afraid of the drug traffickers? Are you afraid of the drug cartel?</s>MARISOL VALLES GARCIA, POLICE CHIEF (through translator): I have fear. I'm afraid for my security. But this is natural for the chief of police.</s>CHETRY: We'll see more on how this young woman is taking on the violent drug cartels.</s>ROBERTS: We begin the hour with a cable TV first: A sitting president appearing on Comedy Central last night just five days remain before Election Day and the stakes could not be higher.</s>CHETRY: The leader of the free world squaring off with "The Daily Show's" Jon Stewart, who some called the leader of America's discouraged left.</s>JON STEWART, HOST, "THE DAILY SHOW": So, you wouldn't -- you wouldn't say you'd run this time as a pragmatist? You would not -- it wouldn't be "yes, we can" given certain conditions and --</s>BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITEDS STATES: No, no. I think -- I think what I would say is --</s>STEWART: Yes?</s>OBAMA: Yes, we can, but it's not --</s>OBAMA: But it is not going to -- it is not going to happen overnight.</s>ROBERTS: Ed Henry live at the White House this morning. So, what's the talk there at 1600 Pennsylvania? How did the president do?</s>ED HENRY, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, they realize it wasn't perfect. There were some moments that were difficult for the president. But they feel these type of offbeat venues are good. He was on "The View" recently, reached out to female voters. Now, trying to reach to young voters on "The Daily Show." And it was interesting because it was not full of softballs, there were some fast balls from Jon Stewart, who was basically pressing this president on some of the lofty goals and whether he's really fulfilled some of the promises of change and maybe he was representing sort of that disillusioned left, as you noted. And the president really pushed back hard.</s>STEWART: You ran with such -- if I may -- audacity. So much of what you said was great leaders lead in a time of opportunity.</s>OBAMA: Right.</s>STEWART: We're the ones we are looking for. Yet, legislatively, it's felt timid at times, that I'm not even sure at times what you want out of a health care bill.</s>OBAMA: And I've -- and this is -- Jon, I love your show.</s>STEWART: Well, very kind of you.</s>OBAMA: But --</s>STEWART: Yes?</s>OBAMA: But this is something where, you know, I have a profound disagreement with --</s>STEWART: Right.</s>OBAMA: -- and I don't want to lump you in with a lot of other pundits, but this notion --</s>STEWART: You may.</s>OBAMA: You know -- no, no, look, this notion that --</s>STEWART: Yes?</s>OBAMA: -- health care was timid, you got 30 million people to get health insurance as a consequence of this.</s>HENRY: Some lighter moments, as well. Such as when the president defended his economic team by saying Larry Summers is doing a heck of a job. Jon Stewart stopping him and saying, "Given the 'Brownie, heck of a job' deal after Katrina, maybe that's not a good idea, dude," as Jon Stewart called the president. And they had a little laugh about that. But maybe this is an opportunity for the president to humanize himself having that sort of give and take -- John, Kiran.</s>ROBERTS: All right. Well, at any rate, that was a whole lot of fun. Ed, thanks so much.</s>CHETRY: Thanks, Ed.</s>ROBERTS: President Obama has made more appearances on TV shows than any other president before him. Here's more in an A.M. extra. He announced his final four picks on ESPN twice. He became the first sitting president to appear in a late-night show this spring when he sat down with Jay Leno. This summer, he became the first sitting president to visit a daytime talk show when he appeared on "The View."</s>CHETRY: And don't forget, the Obamas also did Christmas at the White House special with Oprah Winfrey last December and he's not done yet. So, what's coming up next? Well, the president is going to have a walk-on roll on Discovery Channel's "MythBusters" this December. It's an episode about whether or not it's a myth that Archimedes was able to beat back an army by deflecting the sun's rays in almost like a heat ray gun unto the enemy.</s>ROBERTS: If he had that hotel in Las Vegas, he might have been able to do it. Also new this morning, the Pentagon says there will be extra security at this weekend's Marine Corps marathon after a string of shots were fired at American military buildings, including the Pentagon. Sunday's marathon is one of the largest in the country. Thirty thousand runners expected to participate.</s>CHETRY: A Pakistani-American is in FBI custody this morning, accused of plotting to blow up subway stations in the Washington, D.C. area.</s>ROBERTS: Our homeland security correspondent, Jeanne Meserve, is following developments for us from Washington. Jeanne, on the surface this seems very troubling, is it?</s>JEANNE MESERVE, CNN HOMELAND SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: According to the indictment, 34-year-old Farooque Ahmed, a naturalized U.S. citizen born in Pakistan, wanted to kill as many military people as possible and cased four metro stations near the Pentagon. He was plotting with people he believed to be members of al Qaeda, but it was a government sting. The indictment says he provided video and sketches of the stations, recommended attack between 4:00 and 5:00 in the afternoon when the system would be most crowded, and suggested how to conceal and plant the explosives. Officials say at this point, there is no indication he was working with other extremists in this country or overseas, but the investigation is continuing and sometimes those links do show up later. He will be making a second court appearance Friday. If he is convicted on all three charges, Ahmed faces a maximum penalty of 50 years in prison. Officials do emphasize that the public was never in danger. The FBI was aware of this individual and closely monitoring him -- John and Kiran.</s>CHETRY: It is troubling, though, because this isn't the first plot targeting U.S. mass transit here in the</s>U.S. MESERVE: No. And certainly, isn't one of the most recent. Najibullah Zazi who was plotting to attack New York subway system, and there have been successful strikes in Spain and India, in Britain. It's all caused a lot of discussion here in the United States, especially up on Capitol Hill, where people wonder if enough attention is being paid to securing transit systems. It's a very difficult thing to do because of the number of entry and exit points, but you can bet that this case is going to add to the debate over whether more can and should be done -- back to you.</s>ROBERTS: Jeanne Meserve this morning -- Jeanne, thanks. A devastating storm that rocked the Midwest is still not done yet. Let's have a look at the satellite image from this morning. Parts of the South and Mid-Atlantic were rocked overnight. Dozens of tornadoes reported in North Carolina, Virginia and Maryland. Time lapse video taken from yesterday outside of a CNN Center in Atlanta shows just how ominous the system looked as it approached. Our Rob Marciano is in Atlanta this morning where it's a wholly different day. And we're pretty thankful for that. Hi, Rob.</s>ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, guys. Yes, we had a couple of tornado warnings that were issued for the Metro Atlanta area yesterday, but thankfully dissipated. But just to the north and to other spots of Georgia, we had some serious weather. In Cherokee County, Georgia, there was wind damage there. The thunderstorms that produced that yesterday are now beginning to slowly push themselves down to the south and east and get offshore. But the chainsaws were out in action yesterday. A lot of tree damage in Georgia and much greater damage in places like Richmond, Virginia, and parts of North Carolina, and as you mentioned, Maryland. Here's where the storms are off the East Coast. So, the Northeast looks good for now and drier, cooler air is moving into this area later on tonight and through tomorrow. And the backside of this would be so cool where we might see some subfreezing temperatures as far south as north Texas. Not frigid stuff but enough to throw on the jacket at least in the morning or evening. John and Kiran, back up to you.</s>CHETRY: All right, Rob. Well, you know, we'll be watching, because game one of the World Series went to the Giants and they play again tonight.</s>ROBERTS: Yes. The San Francisco beat the Texas Rangers 11-7. Battering the Ranger's best pitcher Cliff Lee scoring six runs in the fifth inning to break the game wide open. Game two tonight in San Francisco.</s>CHETRY: I wonder if Giants first baseman Aubrey Huff will be wearing what has been dubbed his secret weapon. Apparently, it's glittery red thong underwear that he says are his lucky shorts.</s>ROBERTS: What?</s>CHETRY: We had a pic. We're looking for the picture but, yes, they say -- remember Jason Giambi? Didn't he do that, too?</s>ROBERTS: Yes.</s>CHETRY: I think he had a gold thong to help him break out of his batting slump.</s>ROBERTS: Who cares?</s>CHETRY: Show the picture. There it is. Aubrey. Who knew that was the trick behind the World Series?</s>ROBERTS: Well, at least it's just the thong. I thought it was a picture of him actually wearing that. So, we'll leave it at that. Well, check out the new superhero in town -- talking about tights and other form of underwear -- fighting negative attitudes in a rough economy. It's "Unemployed Man" to the rescue -- coming up on</s>CNN. CHETRY: And also, New York City is sufficiently terrified because of this bedbug epidemic. Well, now, the pests are spreading to yet another landmark. Nine minutes past the hour.