>> back in the day, powerful democrats and republicans were able to make mutually beneficial deals. think of ronald reagan and tip o'neill in 1983, working out a deal on social security, or president clinton compromising with newt gingrich on welfare reform in 1996. that was then. time for the question of the day. it is -- is compromise a sign of weakness? send us an e-mail, tweet or message us on facebook. we'll read your responses later in the show. still to come this morning, recall alert from nissan. a problem that could lead to loss of control. we'll tell you which models are pulled and what you need to do to stay safe. the second recall we're talking about. the other one a massive one involving ford f series trucks. >> a study finds doctors are too quick to use a common and costly procedure to treat heart disease. it's 19 minutes past the hour. ml of your missed opportunities in one place. the winning horse you could have picked. ♪ that "old flame" you should have called. ♪

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23 minutes after the hour. minding your business. u.s. stock futures are trading lower ahead of the opening bell. wall street not feeling that confident after weak manufacturing numbers out yesterday pushed stocks lower to start the week. wall street looking to more economic data for a fresh read on the recovery. looking for a slight increase for personal income and personal spending in june compared to the month before. those comes out in about an hour. toyota announcing a loss from a lag in production after the earthquake in japan but raised its earnings and pfizer reported its earnings were in line with wall street's expectations. other earnings including sirius xm, office max and hyatt. minnesota is getting a downgrade on its debt from moody's. the ratings agency says new revisions to the state's balance

sheet could create future gaps in its budget. the revisions made to end the government shutedown which ended last month. the major automakers will start releasing information on new car sales for july. we'll be watching closely. those figures are used as indicators of consumer demand and another gauge on the country's economic recovery. ford is recalling more than a million pick-up trucks because of fuel tank straps that can rust causing the fuel tank to drag on the ground. several fires reported from the defect. the recall covers the best selling u.s. passenger vehicle the f-150 from 1997 to 2003, some f-250s, 1997 through 1999. "american morning" back right after this quick break. hey, check it out. she's using the mr. clean magic eraser bath scrubber. i've heard of it, but i haven't seen one up close. what's the word around the sink? that it removes 3 times more soap scum per swipe, and it came from outer space. it is not from outer space! no, man, it's from outer space. they're aliens on an intergalactic cleanliness mission. they're here to clean up the universe. oh, the kitchen scrubbers are aliens, too?

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welcome back to "american morning." a rare sight in the house last night. republicans and democrats standing side by side, forgetting about their differences for one glorious moment. there were cheers, plenty of tears, when wounded congresswoman gabrielle giffords emerged on the house floor. she said she had to come to stop congress from inflicting an unnecessary wound on the american people. >> dr. sanjay gupta joins us live from the cnn center to discuss how giffords' recovery is coming along after observing her last night on the house floor. but first, the house member who knew giffords would be showing up last night, probably one of the only ones if not the only

one, florida democrat debbie wasserman-schultz one of gabby giffords' closest friends joins us live from west newton, massachusetts. congresswoman schulz, none of us who -- we were all surprised by this and watched it and wasn't a dry eye anywhere for anybody who watched that happen. you knew it was going to happen. tell me how this came to be. how did giffords gabrielle end up coming to the house of representatives yesterday? >> it was an absolutely incredible moment, you're right, ali. mark called me on sunday and told me gabby had been following the debate and the discussion and negotiations very closely, felt strongly that if it came down to her vote, that she wanted to make sure the country would not default on our obligations for the first time in history and was going to make sure that she came to washington to cast that vote. and then she decided as the hours went by, that you know what, this is probably the most important bill that we'll consider, the whole congress, and she wanted to make sure her

constituents in the eighth district in arizona had their voice represented in the chamber and she came. it was an absolutely incredible moment. >> it certainly was. tell us how she was able to make it? did she have her friends surrounding her? i noticed someone had their hand around her waist supporting her in congress. how does that work? >> her chief of staff and i helped walk her into the chamber. her chief of staff stayed by her side, i was on the other side of her and we prearranged for -- i kind of -- i went in the chamber first, saved some seats that would make sure that they were right by the exit, by putting my purse and my ipad and a folder on three seats so that we could keep her one seat in case it was too much for, you know, the mob that we knew would happen, but she went right to the last seat, the seat on the end, so she could have the easiest access to all the members. her whole delegation in arizona came over, republicans, democrats, you know, we had a very tough few weeks leading up

to this fight and this final compromise, and gabby melted everybody's heart last night if anyone would do it she could. >> giving the uncompromising nature of congress, you taking up three seats with your i pad, folder and purse could have gotten you a punch in the nose. how did gabby giffords affect the mood and tone? the mood and tone in congress, even you know, is just ugly. >> it's been very tough. very hard edged and as gabby came in and people realized it was just this wave of recognition and the house erupted, it was electrifying. it really, i think it did a lot of good to melt the -- even the most hardened of hearts we've had a tough road to get to this compromise, but knowing that gabby put aside everything and came to the -- came to the house to cast her vote, even in spite of everything she's been through, i think it made, you know, all of us realize just how important what we do is every

day in that chamber and how important it is that we work together. >> one of my favorite stories is joe biden was saying that he saw gabrielle giffords and, you know, after this contens you day trying to convince people to vote for this thing and found himself embracing michele bachmann. he was amazed by that. >> vice president biden -- gabby was surprised, vice president biden came, i knew about that too, but he came into the chamber, you know, gave her the biggest bear hug. they rubbed noses. it was just -- it was unbelievable. just the best ending to an opportunity for us to reach a compromise that is a tough one, but establishes the balance, puts on a path to getting the deficit reduction and the revenue that we need, makes cuts that are painful, but also makes cuts to defense that important as well and hopefully the second half of this we'll make sure we can strike that balance and then

focus on jobs and the economy like president obama has been pushing so hard for. >> we've got everything crossed, fingers, toes. >> hoping jobs become an issue. represent represent debbie wasserman-schultz. great reason to have you on the air. we'll have her on the air for things that aren't nearly as great some times. how is gabby giffords doing? you saw the pictures of her. after her first public appearance since january. it's clear she's come a long way. she was shot in the head. >> but you could see she's still having a little trouble. bring in our chief medical correspondent dr. sanjay gupta. it's amazing gabrielle giffords looked as good as she did but you could tell she wasn't using one of her arms, had trouble, you know, after a long wave, and so as you observed her, from these pictures, sanjay, how is she doing? >> well, it's exactly that. it's worth pointing out the beginning point of all this, january 8th, about three quarters of people who suffer gunshot wounds to the head like

she had even survive. keep that in mind as you look at these images again. a little context. looks like she's acknowledging people, recognizing people, moving as you say just to the left side of her body. although her right leg is probably strong enough she's able to obviously maintain her weight, her right arm not moving at all. part of her rehab for some time. we've seen her go through that rehab, learning to right with her left hand instead of her right hand. these are things that take place there. she was saying thank you. it seemed like a lot. mouthing those words. i think as well as you pointed out she did have someone at times not only supporting her by holding her arm but around her waist, make sure she wouldn't stumble or lose her balance. this is what's sort of expected if you survive a head injury like this. a left sided brain injury, controls the right side of the body. that's why the right arm is weak, right leg likely weak. it in part is responsible for speech. speech more specifically meaning the ability to express yourself.

to say words, to write words, to make gestures that are meaningful. that's -- that is still part of her rehab process there. >> what -- when you -- how good does it get for her? once all the rehab is done, how good does it get for gabrielle giffords? what pernls percentage of her physical and mental ability that she had before the shooting could recover? >> in terms of the comprehension, ali, almost since the beginning, almost since she was examined after this injury took place, she was able to comprehend things, to listen, to understand and to execute a command based on that. that's always been there. so the comprehension and cognition that's there. it's more the expression. she still has a ways to go, but you know, the people say 12 to 18 months, people start to peak out in terms of recovery. she's about seven months out. she still has time to go. remember bob woodruff he had a significant brain injury to the

left side of his brain and you've probably seen him on the air on abc. he looks fantastic. still has troubles every now and then finding words. you can see that word finding difficulty sometimes cross his face. maybe similar things with her. right side of her body will probably continue to get strong although my guess is she may continue to have a weak right arm given that it really wasn't moving hardly at all yesterday. but, you know, again, this is still a process and she's right in the middle of it. >> i think we can take that. i think a person who cheats death in that way, if you got to struggle for a little while with one side and struggle find something words, it's a good deal. it's a good deal given what she's gone through. >> all that me oceemotional sup that's part of the rehab as well. being surrounded by friends and family, that helps your rehab in many ways. >> makes the fight seem worth it. thank you very much, sanjay. >> you got it. today is up to the senate to pass the plan to raise the debt ceiling. the house approved the bill yesterday. we've been telling you that.

this morning we want to talk to two members of congress, one from each side of the aisles who voted against the bill. joining me now freshman member of the tea party caucus, republican congressman joe walsh and congressman dennis kucinich. welcome to you both. >> good morning. >> thank you. >> i'm just curious to see how you felt when you saw gabrielle giffords come into the house chambers and cast this ballot. joe, let's start with you, congressman walsh. >> i was -- we were all so blown away. you said and i think it's right, there wasn't a dry eye in the house. and i just whispered to myself, welcome back, not really knowing gabby. that's all i could say. what a moment, though. it was amazing. >> congressman kucinich, does her presence, just seeing her there, did it remind lawmakers to be civil? will it make them more likely to reach compromise on things? >> well, first of all, carol, there's no question that her entry at that moment, totally

changed the environment. and in a sense, it helped put things in perspective. there's a very human profound narrative that is gabby giffords' life and as congress came to understand that she was back, it really reminded us of the sanctity of life, of how important she is to the country, and it was a moment of joy amidst a time of confusion. >> it has been a time of confusion. let's just talk about this contentious debate. i know congressman walsh you voted down this debt ceiling bill but it's already passed the house. it's likely to pass the senate. and then we're going to have to deal with this super committee who will decide on the next round of cuts. what is your biggest concern with that super committee? >> well, and again, when i look back now and dennis may agree with this, it may have been the best deal that could have been cut. my biggest objection was that we didn't need a washington deal.

these are important issues we're dealing with. the country needs a solution. we just passed a plan yesterday, a compromise, the senate will pass it today, that might cut $1 trillion to $2 trillion over the next ten years. even with that plan, we're going to add an additional $7 trillion to $10 trillion in debt over the next ten years as well. we're on a disastrous fiscal path and if we don't change things, we really are bankrupting future generations. we've had commissions, we've had committees, we've had -- i just think america is beyond a committee and a commission. it's time that congress, the duly elected members of this body, make some real tough decisions and i think we avoided that yesterday. >> but congressman kucinich, you voted no on this deal, but isn't this a good first step? aren't we at least heading in the right direction? >> well, carol, 161 people voted

no. are we headed in the right direction? no. we have 14 million americans out of work, over $3 trillion in infrastructure that needs repair. your report today showed that manufacturing is slowing. our gdp is down. we've got to get america back to work. we've got to invest in america. we need to create jobs. and when you start stopping the investment that is needed and government is a primary motivator of that investment, you're in real trouble. we're looking at a double dip recession. i think it's the wrong way. that doesn't even get into the issues down the road where there will be attempts to cut medicare, medicaid and social security. we have to protect that safety net, not shred it. and i voted no because i think that america has to create jobs. that's where our focus should be right from the beginning. invest in america, don't start cutting investments. >> congressman walsh, congressman kucinich mentions cuts to entitlement programs. what if this super committee says, we have to raise tax

revenue, we have to institute tax reform. how would you feel about that? really, the power has been taken away from you, unless you know the whole body of congress votes no on this second round of cuts that the super committee comes up with? >> that's why maybe i take a contrary view to what we're going through. i think what congress has been doing the last few months is wonderful. this is an important debate and may seem heated, it may seem contentious, but understand, we've got very different ideas on what needs to be done. mr. kucinich talks about the fact that the economy is dying right now. it is dying. we need job creation. and we republicans have a much different idea of what needs to be done. the private economy needs to be freed up. government right now is suffocating through regulations and taxes the small businessmen and women in this country who create jobs. these are big, passionate disagreements we have and i just

want to tell all of our americans, you know, get ready. we've got battles to come and this is important stuff. >> well hopefully everyone in congress, and i'm sure the american people will feel that way, will remember the spirit of gabrielle giffords and the next round of arguments will be more civil. thanks to both of you for being on this morning. congressman joe walsh, congressman dennis kucinich. we'll be back with more after this. hey, the new guy is loaded with protein! really? 25 grams of protein. what do we have? all four of us, together? 24. he's low fat, too, and has 5 grams of sugars. i'll believe it when i--- [ both ] oooooh... what's shakin'? [ female announcer ] as you get older, protein is an important part of staying active and strong. new ensure high protein... fifty percent of your daily value of protein. low fat and five grams of sugars.

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44 minutes after the hour. japan workers are finding lethal levels of radiation around the crippled fukushima daiichi nuclear plant the highest they've seen yet. zain verjee joins us now from london. what are we learning, zain? >> this kind of radiation level, ali, we are learning could kill human beings in weeks. it's the highest they've discovered since the earthquake and tsunami about five months ago. just take a look at the pictures here, because they have detected these radiation levels between reactor one and reactor two. it's kind of right at the bottom of the ventilation tower, right there. you can see the things there that represent the level of radiation.

japan has been trying to stabilize this particular fukushima daiichi reactor. it's now raising questions about the safety of workers, will there be risks? what experts are saying is that this has only been detected in a small area and it's not a widespread radiation issue at the whole compound. they're going to continue working. ali? >> the other thing is, hugo chavez showed up and without his normal head of hair, he was sporting a hair do more like mine? >> i was just going to say that. >> yeah. >> he was. take a look at this picture. hugo chavez is calling it his new look. he has his hair down closely shaved. it's because he's got cancer and he's been undergoing chemotherapy but he's saying look at my new hair style. this means that i'm better and the chemotherapy is working. we don't know what kind of cancer, ali, that the venezuelan leader is suffering from but he had gone to cuba a few weeks ago in june to remove a cancerous tumor that was believed to be in

his pelvis. we don't have more detail than that. >> the guy looks remarkably robust. while in cuba he and fidel castro were shown in their athletic wear, track suits like finishing a tennis match or going for a run. if he's trying to give off the image of robust and healthy, i think the hair, this hair style only helps. >> well, that's exactly right. he is trying to do that to show he's in control, because surprise surprise, the elections in venezuela are around the corner and he needs to show he's okay. >> all right. i got someone else who looks like me in the world. good to see you, zain verjee. >> you're better looking. >> thank you, zain. that's what you need. if you want to come back and take up as much time talking about whatever you want on the show you're always welcome to do so, zain. >> carol? man getting deep in here. on the subject of your health, becoming a more common procedure to treat heart patients but an investigation by consumer reports find angioplasty is a

costly treatment that might be overused. in the past decade angioplasties have increased 300%. what's going on here? joining me is a medical adviser at consumer reports. welcome. we were talking, my father had, you know, more than one angioplasty. i think everybody's parent has had one. you're saying not all of them may have been necessary? >> right. it's interesting, in an acute heart attack it's wonderful and it can be life saving, but in someone who doesn't have an acute heart attack, who's just, perhaps, suffering from mild symptoms, it's important to also consider medication and lifestyle changes, which are equally effective in the long run in preventing another heart attack and much safer. >> explain briefly what an angioplasty is? >> right. a tube is inserted and a blood vessel is opened through a catheter and often a stent or wire mesh is put in place to

prop the blood vessel open. >> and you're saying that many times that's just totally unnecessary? >> it is unnecessary. in the case of multiple blockages, for example, surgery may be a better solution or if the main artery is the one that's diseased, then surgery is preferred. and in patients that have few symptoms or really can make significant changes with lifestyle measures, changing their cholesterol by a healthy diet, losing weight, stopping smoking, those are all better to do because they're safer. >> you know, this is a serious accusation you're making because you're saying that doctors, are they deliberately performing these unnecessary treatments on patients? >> right. deliberate is a strong word, but there are some perverse incentives these days. doctors are unfortunately reimbursed far more today for doing procedures than for sitting down with patients for anou