that's all the time we have for today. if you missed any part of the show, check out cnn.com/podcasting. thank you for following along. this is the place for all your answers for your medical questions. more news on cnn starlets now. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com hello, everybody. from the cnn center, this is "cnn saturday morning." it's august 15. look at atlantis this morning. it's a gray morning happening. maybe it will clear up. this is downtown. some of the windows are still gone from the builds where the tornado hit a couple years ago. thank you for being with us. >> 8:00 a.m. where we sit in

georgia. 6:00 a.m. for people in colorado where the president will be later today for a town hall meeting about what else, health care. grand junction had a good health care plan out there. model plan. he's out there. you're going to be talking this morning, i believe the mayor and a doctor. >> who helped cultivate and create the plan they are using there. it's costing very little when it comes to medicare and providing a lot of health care to people in need there. also want to talk about the california fire in santa cruz. they are facing more evacuation because of just that, the video you are seeing behind us. a state of emergency has been issued. the fire started wednesday. it's still only 15% contained. >> let's take a look at the stories you may have missed. a suicide bomber set off a car

bomb. at least seven people killed and 100 injured. >> it went off near nato headquarters. they vowed to disrupt next week's elections. a massive rescue operation in taiwan to save people from the flooding by the typhoon that slammed into taiwan last saturday. take a look at what's been happening there. friends and family of the victims holding memorials across taiwan today. more than 100 people are confirmed dead. the death toll could go as high as 500. president obama is taking his health care show on the road this weekend. he's in montana this morning where he held a town hall meeting yesterday. the crowd was pretty civil for the president. but he got tough, yet polite questions. >> the president has a town hall

meeting in grand junction later this evening. a lot of health care related events going on. >> we have a map showing where they all are across the country. pete stark is holding three in california. he's going to be a busy guy. as you can see from the map, there's events in chicago and atlanta. >> the first lady, sasha and malia didn't stay home. they are traveling with the president this weekend. >> so is ed henry. he tells us the president is mixing business with pleasure in big sky montana. >> reporter: sure, montana is a nice place to visit this time of year. the president had more on his mind than fly fishing. he came for urgent business. buttering up the state's senior senator and chairman of the finance committee who could hold the fate of health care in his hands. >> first of all, the man working

tirelessly to make sure americans get a fair deal when it comes to health care in america. give him a big round of applause. >> reporter: in private, top presidential advisors said the fight reached a critical stage. the opposition gained steam, capitalizing on anger over bail outs and debt. >> where does it state government has these powers to take over health care. >> by comparison, the president's town hall was tame. he got one pointed question that reflected the strong opposition he's facing. >> we keep getting the bull. that's all we get, bull. you can't tell us how you are going to pay for this. the only way to get that money is to raise our taxes. you said you wouldn't. >> look, you are absolutely right that i can't cover another 46 million people for free. >> but the president did not

shrink from the challenge. he vowed not to change taxes for the middle class. >> i promised i would not raise your taxes if you made $250,000 or less. for people, like myself, who make more than that, there's nothing wrong with helping people who have a little less. >> it's easier said than done. it leaves the details of how to pay for reform. his panel is the last best hope of a bipartisan deal. >> henry joins us live from big sky montana. all right, ed. later grand junction, colorado. why these locations? >> reporter: well, in part, it's a little like the campaign.

remember, then candidate obama, tried to go to nonfriendly places, places democrats gave up on and he did pretty well. he came close in montana, but fell short. they are trying to mimic that in the health care debate. he's not afraid to go to places where he's not only going to hear wonderful things, but engage people. he's going to try to make his case. >> a little later, things are peaceful for the president. getting r & r with his family. >> reporter: he did fly fishing. his wife and daughters were expected to do white water rafting. today, they will go to yellowstone national park, get a look at old faithful and tomorrow, after the town hall

they will be in arizona to check out the grand canyon. his daughters are getting what a lot of people would think is a cool summer camp, if you will, before they get back to school. >> a ride on air force one, a summer vacation, it's not a bad deal at all. >> i would be jealous if i was in their class and heard about their vacation. >> you have a tent behind you? what is that. >> reporter: it's a tepee. we have a small fire. it's pretty nice out here, but my hands are a little chilly. we are two hours back. you got me out of bed a little early. >> you were on yesterday with your hat and flying all over the country. >> i'm sure it's nice in the studio. >> have fun at yellowstone later today. >> reporter: i'll call you from

the grand canyon tomorrow. >> get back in your tepee. the president is hammering home his message in grand junction, colorado, lawmakers continue to hold their own sessions. for more on the debate, let's bring in paul. you know him well by now. he's the deputy political director. good morning to you. how are you doing? >> if you are getting bored out there, come to d.c. it's going to be hot and humid. >> let's talk about the president here. we saw this one meeting. i don't know, people -- you get the president in front of you and you're not going to get too hot and heated. all this shouting and confrontation, we see these on tv and a few clips are shown. is there a feeling that all of them happening across the country, some we don't see, are they all shouting matches?

>> no, they are not all like this. as the president said, the shouting makes for good tv. a lot of media coverage for that. cnn has been in a bunch of these where there isn't shouting. tough questions, but civil discourse. it's not just all shouting across the country. remember, we are two weeks into the five-week summer recess for congress. we have three more weeks to go. you're going to have a lot more town halls. advocate si groups are out there. there could be more protest. >> that's a good point to make. we have been to a lot of them. they are not all the same. we have seen though, some of them make good tv. a lot of that public debate, that heated debate affect the president one way or another? >> that's the big question.

are these things making a difference. you can see from this poll, nearly seven in ten americans are paying attention. they have watching it on tv or online. 18% not so closely. check out the next number as well, t.j. this is interesting. the protests by the demonstrators against the president's plan, are they making you more sympathetic to their views? 36% say no difference what so ever. as to the president, his numbers, americans seem split on how he was handling health care before the protests started. they are still split. his approval rating is still the same. not too much change. we are only two weeks in. we're going to watch the polls. >> this is going to be the longest month recess the congressmen have had.

>> thank you. cnn has comprehensive coverage at cnn.com/healthcare. our in focus coverage. learn where the town hall meetings are being held. the controversial sticking points it's all there at cnn.com/healthcare. i want to turn to the developing story that hoped overnight. nato believes they can security elections. the bombing we were talking about, seven people killed. also, this was near the u.s. embassy. >> yes, it was. we are in cabo. are voters buying it, especially after the explosion? >> reporter: absolutely not, betty, especially after this

mornings explosion, we have seven killed and at least 91 injured. we expect the totals to rise. the international security assistance force. you have u.s. forces, we're not sure if they were injured in today's incident. the nato people we have, they are telling us they are trying their best to secure areas for the afghan people to feel secure enough as we felt with thousands of u.s. marines flooding in the country this summer. last month was the deadliest month for nato forces in afghanistan since the war began in 2001. they are trying. they have secured certain areas, there are many areas they can't support. some people's ideologies are so strong they will kill themselves to interrupt the elections. >> thank you so much for that. to really understand what's

going on over in afghanistan and why we are over there, watch a documentry. it's "generation islam" it airs here on cnn. we have a lot coming up this morning including the wildfires in california that have been burning out of control. also, we are going to talk to the "american idol" star and star of "stage and scream" and fantasia. ( siren blaring )

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all right. want to get to the latest on the wildfires in california. in fact, one is called the lockheed fire. taking a look at it now. strong winds are making it very difficult to fight this fire. it's just outside santa cruz, california. new video overnight. close to eight square miles of the forest have been burned. about 15% of the fire has been contained. not a whole lot. but, there are plenty of firefighters on the scene, working this. some 1500, in fact. a lot of mandatory evacuations are in place as well. as a state of emergency, which has been declared because of this fire. >> reynolds wolf is keeping on eye on things. we were talking earlier, there's another fire in southern california now.

they are up against it. the southern part of the state, really dry conditions. >> mediterranean climate, very dry there. they will have their work cut out for them. the sea breeze is really kicking in. certainly, rough times. we are talking about the strong winds we may be dealing with in parts of california. you want to talk about serious strong winds, head to the tropics. the winds 40 miles per hour gusting to 50 miles per hour. we are going to put the storm in motion. as we do so, you'll notice the forecast brings more to the west and northwest. notice the strengthening as we get to monday. you'll notice a few other things, case and point. it's strengthening a bit more tuesday, wednesday and thursday. notice the cone of probability. it has a chance or moving more to the south or veering to the

north. the issue is once it moves to cooler water, there's the possibility of weakening considerably. it's going to be warm ahead of it, especially in the bahamas. it may become a hurricane before all is said and done thursday and into friday. makes land fall in parts. there's a lot that can happen. it could die out all together. we're going to talk about your national forecast. pretty good conditions in parts of the southeast. showers will be a possibility. when you get to parts of the northern plains and the midwest, your daytime heating that could give you a chance of strong storms, large hail, damaging winds and flash flooding. the southwest will be dry. dry out west where they are battling the blazes. scattered showers in virginia and back to the nation's

capitol. it's going to be a great weekend for you. for this weekend's get away, it's not a bad place to head. washington, d.c. is a baa nan sa to the budget minded. >> everyone knows washington, d.c. is full of our nation's history. the capital is a great place for a free tour to see the details of the government. >> reporter: whether the monument or zoo, there are dozens of places to visit for free including the smithsonian art museum. >> it's the largest art collection anywhere in the world. it's 4,000 works of art by america's most prominent and beloved artists from all periods. >> reporter: be prepared for crowds and maybe surprises. >> what you don't expect about washington, d.c. is it's full of modern pleasures like

restaurants and exceptional people watching. >> all right. well, some call it the music festival of all time. >> what do you guess we are talking about, folks? of course, woodstock. was it as amazing as they said it was? up on this stage in front of 2,000 or 3,000 or stand on a stage with a microphone standing there facing simon cowell? that is fantasia folks. talk to her about the health condition that almost or could have threatened her career.

♪

♪ >> 31 bands rocking out today, 40 years ago. tickets were $18 or something like that. my goodness, to see all of them. i don't know. well over $100 or $200. it's not going to be happening again. there's not going to be anything like woodstock to ever occur again. >> i didn't realize, played at 9:00 a.m. -- >> in the morning. can you imagine waking up to jimmy hendricks? >> i didn't mean that in a bad way at all. >> he closed out the concert at

9:00 a.m. we talked to those that were there. was it really as great as people remember? ♪ >> reporter: woodstock the most famous music festival of all time, but it wasn't held in woodstock, new york. >> i don't think they got the approvals to play there or permits. >> reporter: bobby played with his band, blood sweat and tears. the people that attended had a different experience than the performers. >> we were waiting to go on stage, but there's not a -- a -- you know, that kind of gathering how you feel, peace man. isn't this love, brother? >> reporter: jefferson airplane played.

now, a visual artist, she's painted a picture of who was there. >> janice, richey davis. the people who put on the festival contacted everybody they could. some probably thought oh, that's stupid they don't know what they are doing. or some thought they couldn't be there because they had a commitment. >> reporter: who made it to the festival? roger called it the worst gig they ever played. rain and mud were plentiful. good and facilities were not. >> i didn't go to the bathroom all night. there wasn't a bathroom on stage. it's okay for guys, they can lean over the stage. for women, it's tricky. >> reporter: in 1969, a decent paying gig. >> the top pay, as far as i know was 15,000. >> reporter: for 500,000 concert

goers, the experience was priceless. >> we'll never see another like it. >> nope. the president, we were talking at today heading to grand junction, colorado to talk about health care. he's going to be met with some critics. >> what we want to do is express the fact there are millions of americans who disagree with his plan for nationalizing health care. >> we're going to talk with the mayor of grand junction about why his health care system could be a model for the nation. looking at where democrats and republicans agree on the issue of health care. >> reporter: it's the one thing we hear about the least. there are areas of agreement. it makes those changes likely to happen. er's interest and providing them with security. total security protection is a feature that comes with all of our credit cards.

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health care reform proposal from residents in grand junction, colorado. it's 250 miles outside of denver. it's a two-hospital town, yet it is getting lot of attention for its health care model. here is one reason why. they have some of the lowest medicare reimbursement rates in the country. it's by design. the mayor, bruce hill and retired doctor are with me this morning. dr. madison, let me start with you. you helped change the health care formula in your city. how did you get doctors to ban together and give me the highlights of the health care plan. >> we figured we had three populations we were dealing with. one was the population that could pay for the insurance. the other was working but unable to pay and the medicaid population. the doctors got together and

decided they needed to get a plan where the working who could not afford insurance to be covered and medicaid patients to be covered. at that time, medicaid patients were not being seen because the reimbursement rate was so low. we wanted to cure that problem. we did that by giving everybody the same pay for the patients and we were able to curb the medicaid -- >> were doctors having to take a loss because of that? >> the doctors were at risk on that. or, like, if we had $100 payment due, they would pay us 80% of that and with hold 20%. at the end of the year, if we break even, we got 20% back. if we didn't, we forfeit the 20% to pay the bills. >> the focus with this plan is more on getting people, regardless of who they are, the

care they need and less about the monetary gain of it all? >> that's correct. we are nonprofit. we wanted to give everybody care. we set it up so the pharmacy's the hospitals, all the facilities are included in this program. everybody bought into it for the whole community. we have 150,000 people in the valley. that's where we started the plan. we are now statewide, though. everybody seems to get along with this program. >> all right. >> it's nonprofit. >> let me ask the mayor, for just a second, as we listen to this plan and many are counting it as a model for the rest of the nation. what can lawmakers learn from this. there's going to be a town hall in your area tonight. >> there is going to be a town hall. what you can learn is people coming together and working on a specific problem. we do it well in western colorado.

250 miles west of denver, we have to do a lot of things on our own. we do emergency service, whether 911 dispatching or fire fighting. we have to do it as a community. you can see this in our community as all those involg ved coming together, both the patients, doctors and hospitals and other organizations to solve a problem. 30 years later, it's done just that. >> doctor, i want to get back to you. you know the ins and outs of what's taking place in grand junction. how does it differ from the plan president obama has on the table? >> i'm not sure exactly what plan obama has on the table -- president obama. all i can say is it's a community effort. everyone is involved and we try to cover everyone. >> well, the president is trying to do that as well. he's trying to provide health

care to every american, but the details of it, it's where it gets sticky. everyone wants something different from it. the town halls are supposed to alleviate the questions and concerns out there. let me get to you, mayor. you are planning on attending tonight. what are some of your concerns out there or the many plans out there. what do you want to know about and what do you want answered at tonight's town hall meeting? >> my role is to welcome the president of the united states. we're excited he's chosen grand junction, colorado to hold a town hall meeting. i think my constituents on both sides of the issues will do a nice job -- >> you have no questions personally? >> on the health care issue, no. i want to be a good host for the president and welcome him to the community. >> as the mayor of your city, you have no questions about the health care plan or proposals out there.

you are just there to welcome the president? >> that's correct. very interesting. >> doctor, do you have questions or concerns about the health care plan that's out there and the proposal that is are out there? >> yes, i do. the first and number one most important problem i feel is toward reform. i think, until something is done toward tort reform, we can't bring the cost of health care town. i think that's one of the driving forces on many of the test that is are done and we need to get rid of that. the other thing i would like to ask congress is why don't they go under the same plan they are proposing instead of having their own separate plan? >> yeah, it seems like the house has a plan, the senate has a plan and the president has an overall plan. everyone is trying to figure out the best way to do this.

dr. madison, mayor hill, thank you for your time. it will be interesting to see how it plays out as the president is in grand junction tonight. thank you both. if you want to know more about the health care debate and how it could affect you, check out the website on cnn.com. get the latest from town hall debates, you can read the entire bill. go to cnn.com/healthcare. you don't have to be a football fan to have an opinion on this. michael vick starts practice today with the eagles. you can weigh in. facebook and twitter. check out our blog on cnn.com.

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all right. we are getting new information just in to cnn. virginia senator jim webb, he was in country, headed home, i believe. while there, he met with prodemocracy leader earlier. he is a noble peace lore yat and has been held in her home under house arrest for years on end.

on tuesday, her house arrest was extended for this spring where an american swam to her home, uninvited. her home is protected by guards because she is under house arrest. because he was there, it was a violation. he received seven years hard labor. senator webb, who was in the country speaking with leaders on myanmar. we'll bring more straight to you. >> in the meantime, a huge suicide blast rocked afghanistan this morning, days before the presidential election. at least seven people were killed. the taliban, which vowed to disrupt the elections are claiming responsibility for the

explosion. memorial services were held in taiwan. a typhoon slammed into taiwan saturday. it was the worst in 50 years. more than 100 people, in fact, are confirmed dead. officials say the death toll could exceed 500. from a falcon to an eagle, michael vick signed. he has a job. the philadelphia eagles are going to give him a second chance. his first in-depth news conference listen to him. >> we all use the excuse, it was part of our culture. i don't think that's an excuse. now, i understand people care about their animals, their health, the welfare and protection of animals, now i do. >> is this going to work?

a consultant for the nfl, good morning to you. he has a job. he is back. technically, but he's still not cleared to play, just yet. the commissioner is going to wait -- excuse me, not wait, but make a decision by week six. tell us, literally, what is next for michael vick? is he practices and his career restorting? >> as of yesterday, get in shape, stay in shape. this year is a get in shape year. next year, he wants to look like the face of the nfl. our country is a country of second chances. well scripted but sincere. tony dungy is his personal mentor. he's going to look him in the eye and say, do i believe what you say? that's on ongoing process.

>> what else does the commissioner need to hear from michael vick? does it matter, making statements and press conferences or is it coming down to him looking him in the eye. >> i'm lucky enough to have worked with roger for a number of years and eagles owner for a number of year. they are sincere individuals who care about their team and their legal. the eagles are one of the top five franchises in the league, worth well over a billion dollars. they believe in second chances. i think the philadelphia process has a number of mentors built into the process. >> you talked about michael vick getting in shape. he was a superstar. not a starter yet, of course. he talked about this yesterday.

he's not ready to step in and take the starting role. >> i have been away from the game for two years. i got to start somewhere. i have to crawl before i walk. i can't imagine going out after a two year hiatus, going out and trying to be a starter for a football team. with as much god given abilities i have, i don't think i could do it. i think i could, but i wouldn't risk it. i need time to get my feet wet and get ak la mated. >> philadelphia fans not easy to please. first of all, why would the eagles take a chance on him, if they don't really need him. they don't expect him to be a starting quarterback or back up quarterback. they are paying him decent money. why take him in? they don't necessarily need him,

do they? >> listen what he did was heinous, unforgivable and premeditated. he's 29 years old. do you know how fast that guy is? that's the bottom line as far as on the field. plus, the nfl, 45% of nfl fans are avid, based on all measurements, especially in philadelphia. they know their football. if he is mentors properly and overcomes the image issues, that's the risk they are taking. >> he's an incredible athlete, so they think he can help. thanks so much. have a good saturday. michael vick going to the eagles. a lot of people are fired up about it. some say it's great. others say i'm not going to watch them anymore. let's see what you are saying this morning. let's go to our facebook and

twitter pages. we have a lot of responses. let me pull up my facebook page. let's see. it's kind of a second round of punishment going to a team like the eagles. that was rough. james says i believe in second chances. vick did an awful thing, but tony dungy has his back. that's good enough for me. >> there in the middle, everyone deserves a second chance, just not a third and fourth. that's something michael vick mentioned. i know i have one shot. he's getting a second chance. there will not be a third or fourth. if he sneezes in the wrong direction, someone is going to be there to capture that. you know where to find us on twitter and facebook. detroit has definitely been in the headlines lately as a city in dire economic straights.

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this is the official card... of the world's largest airline. we heard this week about a slight improvement in the economy, what does it mean for cities like detroit that's suffered under this recession? we took a trip there to see

businesses are booming. >> running a small business in this recession is a daunting task especially in a city as hard hit as detroit. she's betting on dogs. >> business is doing well. i'm lucky to be able to say that. >>reporter: the dog care business grew 28% from 2007 to 2008. this year, she's hoping for 15% growth. >> people have not stopped spending on their pets. >> we have a problem fitting it into the budget. it's not easy, but we fit it into the budget. >> i have to do it. it makes me feel good. i have to take care of him. >> just like you groom yourself, you're going to groom your little people. >> reporter: running her business comes with challenges.

>> the neighborhood, for sure. we tall it mid-town now. it used to be the corridor. it was a rough neighborhood, lots of hookers and drugs. it's definitely, you know, people that pay $4 for a latte and people that pay $10 for a crackhouse. weird. >> reporter: it's prompted her to install a security camera. she's here to stay. >> i deal with the neighborhood. i deal with the challenges. i actually hope that in opening my business here, i am making the neighborhood better. i think i am. >> her business is somewhat an anomaly in detroit. one of the reasons her business is doing well is because she's the only doggy day care or groomer in downtown detroit.

as you heard, people are willing to spend on their pets, sometimes more than they are willing to spend on themselves. >> in her case, where she owns the market, she's the only one in town doing that. for the most part, entrepreneurs wouldn't think detroit is the place to be. >> reporter: it's a city reinventing itself, focusing on things other than the autoindustry. we have heard lawmakers in michigan talk time and time again about the goal of being a green energy corridor and creating jobs. with that will come many opportunities. for people that have been laid off, they have business ideas, detroit is maybe not a bad place to start their own business. that said, getting a loan is anything but easy. it's a bright story out of a

city having a hard time. >> absolutely, we love to hear those stories. what's coming up on "your bottom line"? >> here are the topics. congress on recess. the health care debate is raging on. we're going to break down the credit card holders bill of rights and show the rules you need to know. they take effect thursday. also, if you don't want to buy the expensive electronics and appliances, rent them. you can rent designer clothes. that's coming up at 9:30 eastern time here on cnn. >> looking forward to it. thank you. all right, for someone who only has a ninth grade education, a shot to superstardom, the last thing you want to hear is it's being threatened. health condition that threatened her voice.

fantasia is a star. possibly a reality star, too. >> talk about your fame and all that comes with it. you are signing up for a reality show. you're going to let people into your life. for the rest of us call them reality shows. >> reality show. come on. a documentry. come on. i go backstage with her. we talk. we have light in a moments. still, a health condition threatened her singing career. that interview coming up.

singing on stage, never been a problem for fantasia. she's been doing it all her life and helped her win "american idol" in 2004. she's mixing acting in her roles. her first run with the show

ended in 2008 after she missed over 50 performances with no real explanation. now, she's ready to explain why she left and why she had to come back. >> she's a part of me. after my first week, i knew, like oh my god! this ain't know joke! it's not. this is the first time i did it. i think that when i was doing it then i had so much baggage of my own it was hard for me. >> you are back. everybody wondered, where did you go? >> i had a lot going on. i had a tumor. i had to have surgery. i was tired. i didn't understand why i was so tired. i would go get i.v.s because they said i was dehydrated. i had two tumors draining

everything out of me. >> reporter: the tumors were in her throat, of all things. she's a woman without a high school diploma and her success was based on her ability to sing. >> after having surgery, i couldn't speak for six weeks. so, i'm like, everything at the time was going wrong. i work because i have to pay my bills and i have to take care of my whole family. >> are you fully recovered now? >> fully recovered. >> how are the vocal cords? >> i have to get somebody to work with me because my talking is worse than my singing. never heard that before. i don't know. everybody saying do you really talk like that? i said yes. my doctor says my talking is

worse than my singing. is singing voice, judge for yourself. fantasia's health scare taught her to get a back up plan, an education. >> how is it going? >> it's hard. it's been a long time. i dropped out of school in the ninth grade. i am doing it because i have an 8-year-old daughter and 16-year-old brother. it's so hard on them. how about this. i'm getting my diploma and i'm still cool. >> she really talks like that. >> yeah. >> it's funny. it throws you off. are you serious? want to clear your throat? come on. she is taking that test this fall. it's coming up, i think in a few months. she was nervous to tell me she was doing it. >> she seemed determined.

>> we're going to ask if she passed or failed. she says failing is not an option. >> look at her career. failing is not an option. she's soaring. >> she said simon, that's easy compared to stage. she sings. i can sing in front of anybody. in front of a crowd, i have to remember my lines and acting and where to stand on the stage. it's a lot trickier. >> got it. all right. there's much more to come here on cnn. hello, everybody from the cnn center, this is cnn saturday morning. it's august 15. good morning everybody. >> it is 9:00 a.m. where we sit here in atlanta, georgia. 10:00 in tennessee.

11:00 in grand junction, colorado where the president is going to be. a lot to talk about this morning. let's start with myanmar. he met with the prodemocracy leader. she's a nobel prize winner that's been locked away for years on house arrest. tuesday, her house arrest was extended for an incident that happened in the spring that she didn't have anything to do with. she had an uninvited guest. in may, an american man swam to her home. he was sentenced to seven years with some of those years hard labor. the taliban is claiming responsibility for the attack in cabo, afghanistan. 100 were injured when a suicide car bomb exploded. the blast comes days before

afghanistan's presidential elections which the taliban vowed to disrupt. the rescue operations continue in taiwan. this is after a week ago, we saw the typhoon, more than 1,000 villagers stranded. it hit saturday. the death toll is above 100. officials expect it to go up to at least 500. let's get back to the top story this morning. president obama is taking his health care show on the road this weekend. he's in montana this morning where he held a town hall meeting. he held one there yesterday. the crowd was civil for the president. he got tough, yet polite questions about his reform plan. >> he has a town hall in grand junction, colorado. it happens later this evening. >> i want to give you a map showing them across the country. pete stark is holding three town

hall meetings today. all of them in california. there are events in chicago and georgia. now, the first family is with the president on his trip this weekend. so is our senior white house correspondent, ed henry. the president is mixing business with pleasure. >> reporter: montana is a nice place to visit this time of here. the president had more on his mind than fly fishing. he came for business. buttering up the chairman of the finance committee who could hold health care in his hand. >> first of all, the man who is working tirelessly to make sure the american people get a fair deal when it comes to health care in america. give max a big round of applause. >> reporter: in private, top presidential advisors said the fight reached a critical stage. the opposition gained steam,

capitalizing on anger of bail outs and debt. >> where does that state that government has these powers to take over health care? >> reporter: by comparison, the president's town hall here was tame. he got one pointed question that reflected the strong opposition he's facing. >> we keep getting the bull. it's all we get, bull. you can't tell us how you're going to pay for it. the only way to get the money is raise our taxes. you said you wouldn't. >> look, you are absolutely right that i can't cover another 46 million people for free. >> reporter: the president didn't shrink. he will not raise taxes on the middle class. >> when i was campaigning, i made a promise, i would not raise your taxes if you made $250,000 a year or less. for people like myself, who make

more than that, there's nothing wrong with me paying a little bit more in order to help people who got less. >> reporter: many agree it's easier said than done. they have to figure out the details of how to pay for reform. white house aids acknowledge the panel is the last best hope of a bipartisan deal. weeks of negotiations in washington have thus far come up empty. >> ed henry joins us live in big sky, montana. later, grand junction, colorado. why these locations? >> reporter: these are not places you would normally expect a lot of obama supporters. think back to the campaign, as a candidate, he went out to the mountain west state that is a lot of democratic presidential candidates gave up on. he did well carrying california, arizona and nevada. he came up short in montana but

close. he's in the middle of the negotiations, so the president wanted to reach out to him, buck him up a little bit and keep the talks in washington going. the window is going to close fast for them to get a deal before we reach the end of the year deadline. >> ed, i have to ask you, where are you exactly? when you see that tepee behind you and noise. are you at a national park? where are you? >> we're in a mountain resort in big sky. >> a resort? >> reporter: there's a stagecoach and fire burning out there. my hands are kind of chilly. it got colder because of the cloud cover. the good news is, i don't know what you have on the docket tomorrow, we're going to arizona and the grand canyon -- >> you want to rub it in our faces, don't you? >> i hate to do that. i have this hat to keep me warm.

i feel like i can make it through. it's going to be fine. >> big hats and big sky, montana. you fit the part there. try to do a little work while you are on the sightseeing tour. we enjoyed your reports. we'll talk to you later this morning. see you ed. a different look at health care from los angeles. one they illustrates so many americans fears and struggles to get basic medical needs met. for days, 1500 people stood in line hoping to see a nurse or doctor at a free medical clinic. ted rollens is there. >> reporter: this 18,000 plus seat stadium is converted into a treatment sent filled with thousands of people. they are getting medical, dental and vision care absolutely free. thousands of people spent hours overnight this week waiting outside the englewood forum for free medical care.

among them, 37-year-old dionne greene, unemployed and uninsured. the arena floor is a treatment center. it's free. ♪ it's a beautiful morning. >> reporter: for dionne and thousands of others willing to wait. after getting his eyes checked, he gets a new pair of glasses. >> look like a scholar, feel like a scholar. >> reporter: then he waits to see a dentist. he tried pulling two of his own teeth out because he didn't have insurance or the money to pay for it. >> do you want to pay insurance or eat? do you want to pay for health care or put clothes on your back? it becomes a catch 22. you have to pick your poison. >> let's go to work. >> reporter: r.a.m. is the organization behind this give away. there's basic medical, including

cancer screening, mammograms and hiv screenings. all of the work is done by volunteers. hundreds of doctors, dentists and technicians volunteering their time. >> either you cry or work on the patient. >> reporter: organizers say they could see more patients if they had more doctors. they wanted to bring more eye doctors because they didn't have enough volunteers. doctors in this country cannot cross state lines, even if they are volunteering. >> nobody gets it. it would not cost the government a cent. it would not cost the taxpayer a cent. these people, these volunteers travel to these events at their own expense. >> reporter: years ago, he co-starred in "wild kingdom"

says laws prohibits out of state doctors to volunteer are preventing r.a.m. from making more of an impact. >> it may not be the solution, but it would be a quantum leap in the right direction. >> reporter: those two teeth dionne tried removing from vice grips still had roots left. a dentist took them out. it was painful, but free. >> oh! man oh man. >> reporter: the event here in los angeles runs through tuesday. organizers say by the end, they hope they will be able to treat more than 8,000 people. >> that's the length people will go to get free medical care. painful but free. the health care crisis isn't a political lightning rod or town hall debate, it's a real-life

crisis. sam founded the nonprofit remote medical volunteer organization. he joins me by phone. when you created the program, did you think it would take off in l.a. and it would be so critical? >> caller: good morning, betty. yes, i did. despite the fact there's been an increase in the patients we are seeing, actually this situation prevailed in the united states for many, many, many decades. so, everywhere we go, whether rural america or urban america, we're going to see people in huge numbers and we just wish we could see them all. the first day here, we gave out 1500 numbers. in rural america, we gave out 1600 numbers. it's pretty consistent all over the country. >> it's in the just adults, it's children as well. what are the main problems or

conditions they are coming to you for? >> they all really need, in very large part to see a medical doctor about all kinds of things from diabetes and hypertension and so forth. but, at these clinics we put together, they are mainly coming because they are in pain with bad teeth, they want to get their teeth fixed for free. they can't afford to go to a regular dentist, they want to improve their eyesight and they simply need a pair of prescription glasses. basically, you might say that virtually 100% of the people come because they need the eye doctor and the dentist. they also need the medical doctors as well. they know they can go to the emergency room and get the medical doctor. >> would you say the majority of it was medical care they wouldn't get because they did not have health insurance? >> yes.

88% are between 29 and 66. they have not been able to look after their teeth and eyes during that period and stuff is deteriorating on them. that's why we see quite a small percentage of children. the kids, fortunately can get care until the age of 18. >> quickly, how much longer can you do this? where will you be next? >> from here, next week, we go to the ft. reservation, then back and the show goes on. we have done 576 of these special operations. >> it's got to be a strain on your resources but you are dedicated to this. we appreciate what you do. thanks for spending time with us today. we thought this might be coming. it's happened. we are confirming through jim webb he has secured the release

of a man who was convicted and sentenced to seven years in prison, four years hard labor for illegally entering a home of a leader who was convicted to 18 months home detengs. she is the prodemocracy leader under house arrest for the past 14 of 20 years. strang story, a missouri man in may swam across a lake to get to her home in myanmar. he was ill. she took him in for two nights. it led to trials for both of them which ended with her being sentenced to an extra 18 months of home sentences. jim webb has now made a trip to the region. he was there. he met with the myanmar president. there were rumblings that maybe he might be able to go, get this

man released. the american who was convicted, according to jim webb's office, i have a release in my mand. i am grateful to the myanmar government for honoring these requests. now, he was not, however, it seems able to secure a release for the woman. he did meet with her for about an hour this afternoon. he described the meeting as an opportunity to convey deep respect for her. leave it up to the military there. what will come of her. we are getting word that he will be leaving with webb from myanmar. webb is the first high ranking u.s. official in a decade to meet there with the myanmar government there. again, this is a reclusive

administration or government. it's been under military coup for the last several years. she won her election overwhelmingly, but then the military would not allow her to take office. she's been under detention 14 of the last 22 years. he's leaving with jim webb, then taken to bankok. don't know if he will leave with webb or come back to the united states. he said he was on a mission to god to try to free her. that didn't happen. didn't know why he did it, but he's coming home, this missouri man. it appears jim webb did what he was told to do. dan, what else can you tell us here? jim webb, a successful trip. some criticism for him going over in the first place. a lot of people thought he would

be giving credibility to the regime there. >> caller: it's certainly good news for the family. it will be obviously portrayed as a great success by jim webb's delegation. he's managed to see her. that's something that even moon, the u.n. was unable to do. he also met the man in charge of the military dictatorship. so, in the space of 24 hours, he's did a lot. he's supposed to be flying out to bankok tomorrow. that's later today, your time. we will hopefully get to speak to him as he arrives in bankok. remember, john is the man who swam across the lake to her house and spent two days in the house before he was detained by

authorities. that sparked a trial resulting in her having 18 months of house arrest. >> do we know what will happen to her? she was unwilling participant in this. did not invite the man there. he fell ill, she took care of him. do we know what will come of her? we know the international outcry after she was convicted. got another 18 months in home detenti detention. what will come of her now? >> caller: that's the million dollar question now. i would be surprised if she's out of her house arrest. they have elections planned next year and there was widespread speculation. this was convenient for the military to keep her locked up during those elections. most analysts are saying those will be nothing more than a sham. it gives it a kind of

respectab respectable democracy. they will keep her out of the picture to make sure she's no danger to them. certainly, it's good news that john is coming back. it sounds like he was quite an ill man, a disturbed man, a former vietnam veteran with lots of siezures while he was being held. he has a form of epilepsy as well. on the grounds of his health and mental health, it sounds like it's good news he will be released and coming back to the united states soon. >> dan, a lot of people were not happy with jim webb making the trip. even if it was seen as an overwhelming success and he gets the american out and meets with them, fine. a lot of people did not like the idea of a high ranking u.s. official going over and shaking hands with military leaders.

they thought it would be used to legitimize a regime. what could it mean down the road? will this -- have they historically in myanmar used things like this as a propaganda tool or could it be a breakthrough here? >> caller: it definitely will be used as a propaganda tool, certainly. in the same way when moon visited a few weeks ago, it was broke up endlessly on television and they made a great deal of that. it will be used as propaganda. the thing to remember is jim webb is not there in a state department at all. he's there as a member of a committee in the senate, a subcommittee of that. he's not there remembpresenting

state department. it's a balancing act. it could be, possibly, a new chapter for u.s.-myanmar relationships. it doesn't have a ambassador there. there are sanctions in place. the policies in the bush years are to impose sanctions to try to turn off the trade taps of this country. china and russia and india continue to trade with this regime. it's had limited effects. now, there's talk of whether there's time to repraise it and perhaps it's the beginning of a channel or dialogue opening up. he managed to meet the man in charge. it's significant they allowed him to meet her. >> all right. we appreciate you hopping on the

horn with us. we'll check in with you, again. jim webb is not on a official state department mission. he serves on a subcommittee. still, he's a high ranking u.s. official. he did get the white house blessing to go on this trip, even though he is not going for the president or the state department. it was breaking news here, betty. this american, this saga, a weird saga that started in may. >> he's on a mission from god to save her. i think something dan said that was important, he's facing a lot of ill bszs, physical illnesses. he had several siezures while waiting for the trial to end. perhaps it was part of the whole grand scheme. imagine what would have happened if he had to serve seven years in a hard labor camp.

again, senator webb leaving with the american. we will be following the story and bringing you the latest news as soon as we get more information. that's the headline now and you are watching cnn "saturday morning." as the market cornered on. let me make it easier for you. let me show you how i can make it easier for you. online banking is going to be your best friend; it's going to help you to manage your money. it has an alert system that can text message you. we have great new image atms. it will give you a receipt which has a copy of the check you deposited. you're in control of your finances. now when you talk about convenience, you measure us up to everyone else. well, you'll see we stand a head of the curve. bicycle, what are we waiting for? the flowers are blooming. the air is sweet. and zyrtec® starts... relieving my allergies... 2 hours faster than claritin®. my worst symptoms feel better,

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all right. just a recap of breaking news this morning senator jim webb made his way to myanmar where he met with the military government. a u.s. citizen was on a mission from god to protect her.

he went into her home and was an uninvited guest. because of that, it broke the condition of her house arrest. they were both on trial recently. that man there, john, was sentenced to seven years with hard labor. it appears senator webb, on this trip, secured the release of the american. he is bringing him back to the states. that is the breaking news at this hour. we will continue to follow that. we want to continue to keep an eye on the health care battle around the country. more claims we hear from people at the town hall meetings. >> good morning to you guys. take a look at this quickly. one we keep hearing about illegal immigrants. here is an example from town hall the other day. >> why is it fair for an illegal immigrant to be eligible for health care over an older american who paid taxes their whole life?

>> we took a look at that. illegals are now going to be covered. the biggest bill is the big before the house. zoom in. i have it behind me here. i want you to see the key section here. no federal payment for undocumented aliens. nothing in this law will be there to provide basically coverage for individuals who are not lawfully present in the united states. this is the biggest one people are looking at. we did look at what's out there. take a look at the verdict here, we have it for you. the verdict is false. i encourage you to look at the truth squads we are hearing. you can see every single one from cnn.com/healthcare, it's just been set up. we're going to keep chaising them down as the claims come forward. >> thank you for that. "your bottom line" begins now.