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American Morning
Condoleezza Rice Prepares to Take World Stage; Were Rules of War Broken in Falluja?
Aired November 16, 2004 - 08:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
RICK SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: Condoleezza Rice prepares to take the world stage, expected to be named the next U.S. secretary of state.
The battle of taking on insurgents in Iraq now moving to Mosul, with a new offensive there today.
Were the rules of war broken in Falluja? An investigation into one Marine's decision to shoot.
And in California, things really getting shaking at the Vibe Awards, when the prize for lifetime achievement triggers an all out awards show brawl. We've got more pictures on this AMERICAN MORNING.
ANNOUNCER: From the CNN broadcast center in New York, this is AMERICAN MORNING with Bill Hemmer and Soledad O'Brien.
SANCHEZ: And welcome back, everyone.
And good morning.
I'm Rick Sanchez, in for Bill.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Heidi in for Soledad.
Anybody else?
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Jack and I actually belong here.
SANCHEZ: Thank you, Jack.
COLLINS: We're going to talk more about the changing faces in Washington in a moment. David Gergen will be here with us to talk about those cabinet moves.
We're also going to talk about the lame duck Congress. With such a big shift in power just around the corner, we're going to look at what the session of Congress still plans to get done.
SANCHEZ: Also, why does Minnesota have so much extra supply of the flu vaccine? A perplexing question, isn't it? We're going to look at what the state did that others did not and whether Minnesota is, as a result of this, now ready to share with the rest of us.
COLLINS: Jack Cafferty now, the guy who's supposed to be here.
CAFFERTY: Well, I'm not filling in for anybody, except myself.
Coming up in the "Cafferty File" this morning, we'll tell you about a man who is suing his wife's lover for breaking up his marriage, as opposed to sending him a thank you note.
And a landlord being sued for demanding sex for rent from one of his tenants. His lawyer insists that it's not illegal.
We'll explore these penetrating issues in about a half hour.
COLLINS: What state is that?
CAFFERTY: What? I don't know.
COLLINS: We've got somebody to fill in for you now.
CAFFERTY: All I got is what's on this paper here and the state's not there.
SANCHEZ: Somewhere in the U.S.
COLLINS: I'm sorry I asked.
CAFFERTY: That's all right.
SANCHEZ: Let's go over to Daryn Kagan now.
She's following some of the other stories making news on this day at the CNN Center -- hi, Daryn.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Rick, good morning to you.
Now in the news, U.S. and Iraqi forces have launched a new offensive in Mosul. There are reports of sporadic fighting this morning as the Iraqi city remains under curfew.
Meanwhile, the U.S. military says Falluja is now secure. Multinational forces there have been pounding insurgent targets both on the ground and in the air. U.S. warplanes dropped a new round of bombs overnight.
The U.S. military is investigating the shooting of an unarmed wounded insurgent in Falluja by a U.S. Marine. The incident was captured on videotape by a reporter who was out in the field. The Iraqi was apparently shot in the head at close range. The Marine has been removed from his unit. Military investigators say they plan to question one of the other wounded Iraqis as part of the probe.
More resignations at the CIA. Porter Goss -- he is the new CIA director -- has confirmed the resignations of two top leaders at the agency's clandestine service. It is not clear if they decided to leave or they were asked to step down. Goss took charge in late September. He says both men are leaving behind a legacy of dedication.
And speaking of dedication, how about the world of sports. Seven the magic number for Barry Bonds. The San Francisco Giants star has now won his seventh National League MVP award. It's his fourth award in a row. At age 40, Bonds is the oldest player to win the honor. There still, though, is that issue of the World Series that eludes him.
The American League MVP award winner is set to be announced later today.
So he says, Barry Bonds says, you know, individual accolades are nice. He wants the World Series ring. And, Rick, there's also looming out there, Hank Aaron's all time home run record, 755, that is well within Barry's reach.
SANCHEZ: You know what he got for winning that award, by the way, other than the accolades?
KAGAN: Built into his contract?
SANCHEZ: $500,000.
KAGAN: Not a bad day at the office, I'd say.
SANCHEZ: For winning a little award. Well, maybe not so little.
KAGAN: Yes, a big award.
SANCHEZ: Thanks, Daryn.
KAGAN: All right.
See you.
SANCHEZ: With a lame duck Congress now in session, the future of major bills concerning intelligence and spending could be at risk.
Congressional correspondent Joe Johns is live on Capitol Hill with more on that. Also, he's got a look at what's topping the agenda for the next session.
Good to see you -- Joe.
JOE JOHNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good to see you, Rick.
The new Congress is operating on a couple different tracks today. They're tying off loose ends from the last year and they're trying to organize for the new Congress that starts in January.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
JOHNS (voice-over): Seven Republican senators elect, six of them current or former House members and one a former Cabinet secretary, all determined to put a conservative stamp on the Congress, representing a significant shift in the political center of gravity.
SEN. ELECT TOM COBURN (R), OKLAHOMA: You know, our biggest problem in this country is people campaign on promises and then don't try to carry them out, let alone carry them out.
JOHNS: Of course, they won't even be sworn in until January, but their mere presence on Capitol Hill says something about the direction of the next Congress. All pledged bipartisanship but said Democrats will have to recognize the new political reality.
SEN. GEORGE ALLEN (R), VIRGINIA: Messages have been sent, lessons have been learned.
JOHNS: At the top of the freshman agenda, health-care and Social Security reform, getting floor votes for conservative judges, cutting taxes and reigning in government spending. However, this group will have to sit on the sidelines while the 108th Congress, in its last breath, wrestles with a mammoth spending bill and a bill to reform the nation's intelligence community.
After weeks of stalled talks, House Republicans Monday reporting progress on the intelligence bill, including the sticky issue of giving a new national intelligence director the power to handle the purse strings.
REP. PETE HOEKSTRA (R), MICHIGAN: I think on budget authority, budget control, we may have an agreement on language.
JOHNS: Democrats are warning that failure to finish the entire bill now means the Congress will have to start all over again next year.
REP. JANE PELOSI (D), CALIFORNIA: The requirement is within the next 24 hours to come to agreement on a consensus product. If we don't get it now and it dies this week, it won't be back in the next Congress.
JOHNS (on camera): The Congress also has to tackle the issue of raising the government's debt ceiling again. Democrats want an up or down vote on that. Republicans don't. Either way, the Treasury Department says something has to be done.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
JOHNS: This Congress also has to tackle raising the debt ceiling once again. Democrats have pushed very hard for a stand alone vote on it. The Treasury Department says something's got to be done -- Rick.
SANCHEZ: Then there's Senator Arlen Specter, who's certainly been in the news the last couple of weeks. I understand he's going to be meeting with some Republicans on the Hill today.
Joe, what do you expect he wants to accomplish?
JOHNS: That's right, obviously the question is whether he will be able to keep his position, his expected position on the Judiciary Committee as chairman in the United States Senate. There are a number of conservative groups around the country that have said he should not be given that position because he's a moderate. They say he's not in line with the current views of the voters in the country. He will be meeting, we're told, with the second ranking senator in the Republican Party; also, with all of the members collectively, the Republicans in the Judiciary Committee, to make his case for why he should become the next chairman of the Judiciary Committee when the Congress reconvenes in January -- Rick.
SANCHEZ: CNN's Joe Johns following things for us there on the Hill.
Thank you, Joe -- Heidi.
COLLINS: The president's second term cabinet won't look much like his first. Six cabinet members have now resigned. Secretary of State Colin Powell and three others stepping aside just yesterday.
David Gergen, adviser to four presidents, is in Boston this morning talking to us about Powell's departure from State and the expected arrival of Condoleezza Rice.
Mr. Gergen, nice to see you again.
DAVID GERGEN, FORMER WHITE HOUSE ADVISER: Thank you, Heidi.
COLLINS: Thanks for being here.
GERGEN: Thank you.
COLLINS: OK, so as we've been saying all morning, administration sources are telling us that Condoleezza Rice will be the next secretary of state.
What changes do you think we might see in foreign policy?
GERGEN: It appears that we're going to have a harder line more consistently across the administration. Secretary Powell himself told the "Financial Times" a couple of days after the election that the president had won a mandate for "an aggressive foreign policy."
And now what we see is that the men who represented the moderates, the moderate conservatives within the administration is leaving and there's talk of a purge down the ranks by the White House of other moderate conservatives at the State Department.
And meanwhile the man who represented the hard line, Secretary Rumsfeld, appears to be staying. And I think with Condoleezza Rice going down to the State Department, what you're going to see is not only a harder line, but a much greater centralization of power in the White House itself, under the president and the vice president. They're clearly going to be -- have personal emissaries now running these departments. Not only have they put their, from the White House they have chosen Condoleezza Rice to go to State, they have chosen Alberto Gonzales from the White House staff to go run the Department of Justice. And we have a report that their top energy -- education adviser at the White House, Margaret Spelling, is going to run the Education Department now. COLLINS: But what does it all mean? And as we have already mentioned, Powell was seen as someone who was more diplomatic. Condoleezza Rice more in line with the president. So the two of them are on the same page, especially with regard to foreign policy.
Is that bad?
GERGEN: Well, when you say the two of them, I'm not sure which two you're talking about. Condoleezza Rice...
COLLINS: Condoleezza Rice, President Bush.
GERGEN: Condoleezza Rice and Secretary -- and President Bush -- are clearly on the same page. And that will ensure, and she will -- when she goes to foreign capitals, people will talk to her knowing that she represents the president, that there is great confidence in her word, that it's exactly what the president wants said. That will send very clear signals to the rest of the world.
But let's understand, the rest of the world thought that the person who best understood them, who best represented their perspectives to the White House, was Secretary Powell. They will find this very dismaying, to see the purge that may occur within the ranks...
COLLINS: But...
GERGEN: So I think what -- the president won the election. He's entitled to have the cabinet he wants.
COLLINS: Right.
GERGEN: And he ran as a conservative. He's totally entitled to put people like Condoleezza Rice in the office and...
COLLINS: How well do you think the rest of the world knows Condoleezza Rice at this point?
GERGEN: I think that they know her reasonably well, but not as well as they'll come to know her, obviously. She has done some personal diplomacy in the Middle East. I think she could be -- listen, there's nothing to say that she won't be a terrific secretary of state. She may well be. She's obviously a woman of enormous stature. She's highly accomplished. And she does, she's developed this intensely close relationship with the president.
She's also a woman who could have been president of any major university in this country. She chose not to put herself into a position where she would have been chosen president of Stanford University.
COLLINS: Right.
What do you think her priorities will be?
We've got Iran, Iraq, North Korea and now this diplomatic opening in the Middle East with the death of Yasser Arafat.
Where do you think she'll focus first?
GERGEN: I imagine her priorities will first and foremost be Iraq, trying to ensure that we have a smooth transition and then America can gradually withdraw. That's going to be a tall order. I think she will put enormous emphasis on diplomacy with regard to Iran and North Korea. But there will be some shift here.
Secretary Powell was someone who very much wanted to explore the diplomatic options and to emphasize the diplomacy with regard to Iran and North Korea, especially in Iran, working with the Europeans. There are others, the harder liners in the administration distrust that diplomatic process and would like to see sanctions applied toward Iran.
I think the administration is more likely to lead toward sanctions. That's -- now, as opposed to diplomacy. That's what I mean by the harder line.
COLLINS: OK.
GERGEN: I think the administration is likely to take a harder, continue its hard line very much in support of Sharon, so that from the -- the president is doing exactly what he indicated he was going to do.
COLLINS: Right.
GERGEN: And that was -- and so that he's carrying it out.
But let's understand that the voices inside the administration who wanted to take it more toward the diplomatic, multilateral, cooperative view toward other nations and other -- such as the Europeans -- those voices are now being silenced in the administration.
COLLINS: So...
GERGEN: And it will be a much more uniformly conservative administration.
COLLINS: David Gergen, former White House adviser, we certainly appreciate your time, as always.
GERGEN: Thank you.
COLLINS: Thank you.
GERGEN: Thank you very much.
SANCHEZ: Time to check back in on the weather.
Chad Myers is following things for us at the CNN Center in Atlanta with the very latest -- good morning, Chad.
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Hey, Rick, how long do you get to stay up there?
SANCHEZ: I think I'm going to come back and hang out with you tomorrow, is that all right? If the weather is fine.
MYERS: Well, That's all right. But Hemmer has his 40th birthday in Thursday and then he doesn't show up. It's like well, he's too old to come to work now.
SANCHEZ: Well, he ate a lot of pizza, I understand.
MYERS: Some kind of recovery going on there.
And good morning.
(WEATHER REPORT)
SANCHEZ: All right, thanks a lot, Chad.
Let me know when you need me to fill in for you, too, buddy.
MYERS: Any time.
COLLINS: And let us know when it's your birthday, because I hear you get lots of time off.
MYERS: Actually, my wife is having a baby, so I'll get two weeks pretty soon.
COLLINS: There you go.
SANCHEZ: Free party at Chucky Cheese's.
MYERS: That's right.
COLLINS: Thank you, Chad.
MYERS: You're welcome.
COLLINS: Still to come this morning, there have been big changes at the CIA since Porter Goss took over. Is it a necessary overhaul or a politically motivated shakeup? We're going to take a look at both sides of that.
SANCHEZ: Also, there was more action on the floor than on the stage at the Vibe Awards. Take a look at this and we'll tell you what happened.
COLLINS: And you keep hearing about flu shot shortages. But the problem for one state is actually a surplus. We'll tell you about it ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SANCHEZ: We've heard about the national flu shot shortage, but there's actually an excess of flu vaccines in Minnesota, we're happy to report. Joining us this morning from Minneapolis is Mary Ann Blade.
She's president of the Minnesota Visiting Nurse Agency.
This is a non-profit organization that provides home health care and public service, health service, in the Twin Cities there for a Minneapolitans and residents of St. Paul, as well.
So what gives? Why is there a surplus in Minnesota, unlike the rest of the country?
MARY ANN BLADE, PRESIDENT, MINNESOTA VISITING NURSES AGENCY: Well, I think part of it is what we call Minnesota nice, in that people have been very concerned about the shortage of flu vaccine and have been deferring to people who they thought were more ill than them or maybe met the qualifications more and deferred getting the shot. And as a result, we have a lot of people that haven't been vaccinated that need to get vaccinated here.
SANCHEZ: What do you mean when you say Minnesota nice, that people are basically letting others use the vaccines?
BLADE: Exactly. People are very -- in our city, people care about each other and are worried about people who may have an illness or need the flu shot more than them. They're worried about them and wanting to make sure that they get the shot before they do, before they come out.
We had clinics this last weekend and we had so many people that felt so guilty about coming and getting a shot, even though they were high risk. They were worried that they were taking the shot away from somebody who needed it more.
SANCHEZ: You know, it's interesting, I was reading in the research as I was preparing for this interview with you, and I heard that there was actually some seniors who have declined taking this and they really, really need it. I imagine you have some stories that you can share with us about this. And there may be some concerns there that we're going to be talking about in a minute, as well.
BLADE: Absolutely. We had one woman who was 88 years old and part of a card club and her card club declined to get the flu vaccine. All of them were elderly and they just said that they were worried about the children, they were worried about people with chronic illness and they were healthy.
SANCHEZ: Wasn't one of them even a stroke victim?
BLADE: Yes, absolutely.
SANCHEZ: They need it.
BLADE: They do. And I think the message, the big message today is if you're 65 and over, you really need to get your shot.
SANCHEZ: Yes. It's good to be nice, but you also need to take care of number one, as well, especially if you fall into that category, right?
BLADE: Absolutely.
SANCHEZ: Yes.
What are you going to do with the rest of the surplus if, indeed, it turns out to be that way? Can you share it with us?
BLADE: Well, I think we're going to be working with the state health department. And the state health department is really indicating to us where vaccine is needed in our state. And I know that we're going to be working very hard with the state health department and the local public health departments to get the word out that people with chronic illnesses, pregnant women, people over 65 should get their flu shot. It'll help protect us all.
SANCHEZ: Before we go, here's the big concern, I would imagine. We really aren't into the flu season yet, I mean as we have experienced it in the past. It usually comes about a month from now or more.
Are you concerned that these people that have chosen to bypass the vaccine will really get hit then and then you're going to have a more serious problem in Minnesota?
BLADE: That's exactly right. That's why we're trying to get the message out now so that people will come in and get their flu shot.
SANCHEZ: Well, I certainly understand your situation, but, you know, it's a good news story when you hear citizens coming together and trying to help others. So I'm so glad that you had a chance to share that with us.
Mary Ann Blade, thanks for being with us.
BLADE: All right, thank you.
SANCHEZ: Appreciate it.
COLLINS: Should foreign born citizens be allowed to run for president of the United States? It's a controversial question now. And a new ad campaign took to the air waves in California yesterday in support of a constitutional amendment that would allow Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and others a chance for the White House. Schwarzenegger, as you probably know, was born in Austria. He declines, though, to say whether he would actually run for president if an amendment passed. He will be a guest on "LARRY KING LIVE" tonight. That's coming your way at 9:00 Eastern.
SANCHEZ: Still to come, remember that ad? It seems that the FDA had a bit of a problem with the latest commercial from Viagra. Yes, that one. We're "Paging Dr. Gupta" to find out why.
Stay with us.
We're AMERICAN MORNING. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: Secretary of State Colin Powell's resignation has promoted a lot of talk, including on the late night comedy shows. I bet you knew that already, though.
Here's Jon Stewart now from "The Daily Show," as he poked a little fun at Powell.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "THE DAILY SHOW WITH JON STEWART, COURTESY COMEDY CENTRAL)
JOHN STEWART, HOST: While many have criticized Powell for being a shrinking violet, it's important to remember, the secretary of state is an extraordinarily difficult job, requiring a broad spectrum of diplomatic skills, ranging from this...
COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE: Less than a teaspoonful of dry anthrax in an envelope shut down the United States Senate in the fall of 2001.
STEWART: To a little bit of this.
Was that anthrax in the vial of Ecstasy? No one knows.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: Good lord.
It -- we had that on here. I mean I laughed for days. He looked a little bit like Bob The Builder.
CAFFERTY: What was the second part with the hard hat? What was he doing there?
SANCHEZ: It was a ceremony they did.
COLLINS: But he was doing a little dance.
SANCHEZ: Yes, where...
COLLINS: He was having a good time.
SANCHEZ: ... he and other members of the cabinet.
COLLINS: Yes.
SANCHEZ: It was quite fun to watch, actually.
CAFFERTY: Oh, was that the correspondents' dinner down in Washington?
COLLINS: It was.
CAFFERTY: Yes.
COLLINS: Hi, Jack.
CAFFERTY: Hey, Heidi.
Secretary of state -- when will the regulars be back, you know?
SANCHEZ: What state...
(CROSSTALK)
COLLINS: Such a warm reception.
CAFFERTY: I know.
All right, Powell's out, Condoleezza Rice will be in. Powell occasionally seemed like he disagreed a little bit with some of the president's policies. Condoleezza Rice is very close to the president. It's expected that she would be more likely to rubber stamp his wishes. But that remains to be seen.
Nevertheless, if she's the new SOS -- that's short for secretary of state -- she's got the Middle East, she's got Iraq, Iran, North Korea. She will be a very busy lady.
How will things be different is the question we're asking this morning.
Bill in Palm Bay, Florida: "Unfortunately in the parts of the world where U.S. diplomacy is needed most, there is less respect for women."
Cliff in Barrington, Michigan: "I think Rice is a good choice. Powell's a nice man, but if we're to take a hard line against international terrorists, then Rice is the choice."
Gladys in Watertown, New York: "Dr. Rice is very intelligent and capable. The question is whether she'll have the courage to really fight Bush when she disagrees with him. He appears to be gathering around him only those people who agree completely with his dangerous ideas."
And Anthony in Nova Scotia: "How will U.S. diplomacy be different with Powell out and Rice in? Diplomacy? What diplomacy?"
That's a little harsh. That is.
COLLINS: Well, we should say...
CAFFERTY: We get along good with England.
COLLINS: We should say, too, the Powell stuff was not the correspondents' dinner. It was actually the meeting of foreign ministers where they were doing the dance.
CAFFERTY: Oh.
SANCHEZ: Doing the dance. CAFFERTY: He may request that tape be erased at some point in his life.
COLLINS: I think he probably may have already done that.
CAFFERTY: Yes.
COLLINS: Yes.
Jack, thank you.
SANCHEZ: Or maybe he takes pride in it.
COLLINS: You never know.
SANCHEZ: Who knows?
Still to come, did a U.S. Marine violate the rules of engagement in Falluja? We're going to have the latest on this still developing story.
Also, an awards show turns into fight night. The bad vibes at the Vibe Awards ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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Aired November 16, 2004 - 08:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
RICK SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: Condoleezza Rice prepares to take the world stage, expected to be named the next U.S. secretary of state.
The battle of taking on insurgents in Iraq now moving to Mosul, with a new offensive there today.
Were the rules of war broken in Falluja? An investigation into one Marine's decision to shoot.
And in California, things really getting shaking at the Vibe Awards, when the prize for lifetime achievement triggers an all out awards show brawl. We've got more pictures on this AMERICAN MORNING.
ANNOUNCER: From the CNN broadcast center in New York, this is AMERICAN MORNING with Bill Hemmer and Soledad O'Brien.
SANCHEZ: And welcome back, everyone.
And good morning.
I'm Rick Sanchez, in for Bill.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Heidi in for Soledad.
Anybody else?
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Jack and I actually belong here.
SANCHEZ: Thank you, Jack.
COLLINS: We're going to talk more about the changing faces in Washington in a moment. David Gergen will be here with us to talk about those cabinet moves.
We're also going to talk about the lame duck Congress. With such a big shift in power just around the corner, we're going to look at what the session of Congress still plans to get done.
SANCHEZ: Also, why does Minnesota have so much extra supply of the flu vaccine? A perplexing question, isn't it? We're going to look at what the state did that others did not and whether Minnesota is, as a result of this, now ready to share with the rest of us.
COLLINS: Jack Cafferty now, the guy who's supposed to be here.
CAFFERTY: Well, I'm not filling in for anybody, except myself.
Coming up in the "Cafferty File" this morning, we'll tell you about a man who is suing his wife's lover for breaking up his marriage, as opposed to sending him a thank you note.
And a landlord being sued for demanding sex for rent from one of his tenants. His lawyer insists that it's not illegal.
We'll explore these penetrating issues in about a half hour.
COLLINS: What state is that?
CAFFERTY: What? I don't know.
COLLINS: We've got somebody to fill in for you now.
CAFFERTY: All I got is what's on this paper here and the state's not there.
SANCHEZ: Somewhere in the U.S.
COLLINS: I'm sorry I asked.
CAFFERTY: That's all right.
SANCHEZ: Let's go over to Daryn Kagan now.
She's following some of the other stories making news on this day at the CNN Center -- hi, Daryn.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Rick, good morning to you.
Now in the news, U.S. and Iraqi forces have launched a new offensive in Mosul. There are reports of sporadic fighting this morning as the Iraqi city remains under curfew.
Meanwhile, the U.S. military says Falluja is now secure. Multinational forces there have been pounding insurgent targets both on the ground and in the air. U.S. warplanes dropped a new round of bombs overnight.
The U.S. military is investigating the shooting of an unarmed wounded insurgent in Falluja by a U.S. Marine. The incident was captured on videotape by a reporter who was out in the field. The Iraqi was apparently shot in the head at close range. The Marine has been removed from his unit. Military investigators say they plan to question one of the other wounded Iraqis as part of the probe.
More resignations at the CIA. Porter Goss -- he is the new CIA director -- has confirmed the resignations of two top leaders at the agency's clandestine service. It is not clear if they decided to leave or they were asked to step down. Goss took charge in late September. He says both men are leaving behind a legacy of dedication.
And speaking of dedication, how about the world of sports. Seven the magic number for Barry Bonds. The San Francisco Giants star has now won his seventh National League MVP award. It's his fourth award in a row. At age 40, Bonds is the oldest player to win the honor. There still, though, is that issue of the World Series that eludes him.
The American League MVP award winner is set to be announced later today.
So he says, Barry Bonds says, you know, individual accolades are nice. He wants the World Series ring. And, Rick, there's also looming out there, Hank Aaron's all time home run record, 755, that is well within Barry's reach.
SANCHEZ: You know what he got for winning that award, by the way, other than the accolades?
KAGAN: Built into his contract?
SANCHEZ: $500,000.
KAGAN: Not a bad day at the office, I'd say.
SANCHEZ: For winning a little award. Well, maybe not so little.
KAGAN: Yes, a big award.
SANCHEZ: Thanks, Daryn.
KAGAN: All right.
See you.
SANCHEZ: With a lame duck Congress now in session, the future of major bills concerning intelligence and spending could be at risk.
Congressional correspondent Joe Johns is live on Capitol Hill with more on that. Also, he's got a look at what's topping the agenda for the next session.
Good to see you -- Joe.
JOE JOHNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good to see you, Rick.
The new Congress is operating on a couple different tracks today. They're tying off loose ends from the last year and they're trying to organize for the new Congress that starts in January.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
JOHNS (voice-over): Seven Republican senators elect, six of them current or former House members and one a former Cabinet secretary, all determined to put a conservative stamp on the Congress, representing a significant shift in the political center of gravity.
SEN. ELECT TOM COBURN (R), OKLAHOMA: You know, our biggest problem in this country is people campaign on promises and then don't try to carry them out, let alone carry them out.
JOHNS: Of course, they won't even be sworn in until January, but their mere presence on Capitol Hill says something about the direction of the next Congress. All pledged bipartisanship but said Democrats will have to recognize the new political reality.
SEN. GEORGE ALLEN (R), VIRGINIA: Messages have been sent, lessons have been learned.
JOHNS: At the top of the freshman agenda, health-care and Social Security reform, getting floor votes for conservative judges, cutting taxes and reigning in government spending. However, this group will have to sit on the sidelines while the 108th Congress, in its last breath, wrestles with a mammoth spending bill and a bill to reform the nation's intelligence community.
After weeks of stalled talks, House Republicans Monday reporting progress on the intelligence bill, including the sticky issue of giving a new national intelligence director the power to handle the purse strings.
REP. PETE HOEKSTRA (R), MICHIGAN: I think on budget authority, budget control, we may have an agreement on language.
JOHNS: Democrats are warning that failure to finish the entire bill now means the Congress will have to start all over again next year.
REP. JANE PELOSI (D), CALIFORNIA: The requirement is within the next 24 hours to come to agreement on a consensus product. If we don't get it now and it dies this week, it won't be back in the next Congress.
JOHNS (on camera): The Congress also has to tackle the issue of raising the government's debt ceiling again. Democrats want an up or down vote on that. Republicans don't. Either way, the Treasury Department says something has to be done.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
JOHNS: This Congress also has to tackle raising the debt ceiling once again. Democrats have pushed very hard for a stand alone vote on it. The Treasury Department says something's got to be done -- Rick.
SANCHEZ: Then there's Senator Arlen Specter, who's certainly been in the news the last couple of weeks. I understand he's going to be meeting with some Republicans on the Hill today.
Joe, what do you expect he wants to accomplish?
JOHNS: That's right, obviously the question is whether he will be able to keep his position, his expected position on the Judiciary Committee as chairman in the United States Senate. There are a number of conservative groups around the country that have said he should not be given that position because he's a moderate. They say he's not in line with the current views of the voters in the country. He will be meeting, we're told, with the second ranking senator in the Republican Party; also, with all of the members collectively, the Republicans in the Judiciary Committee, to make his case for why he should become the next chairman of the Judiciary Committee when the Congress reconvenes in January -- Rick.
SANCHEZ: CNN's Joe Johns following things for us there on the Hill.
Thank you, Joe -- Heidi.
COLLINS: The president's second term cabinet won't look much like his first. Six cabinet members have now resigned. Secretary of State Colin Powell and three others stepping aside just yesterday.
David Gergen, adviser to four presidents, is in Boston this morning talking to us about Powell's departure from State and the expected arrival of Condoleezza Rice.
Mr. Gergen, nice to see you again.
DAVID GERGEN, FORMER WHITE HOUSE ADVISER: Thank you, Heidi.
COLLINS: Thanks for being here.
GERGEN: Thank you.
COLLINS: OK, so as we've been saying all morning, administration sources are telling us that Condoleezza Rice will be the next secretary of state.
What changes do you think we might see in foreign policy?
GERGEN: It appears that we're going to have a harder line more consistently across the administration. Secretary Powell himself told the "Financial Times" a couple of days after the election that the president had won a mandate for "an aggressive foreign policy."
And now what we see is that the men who represented the moderates, the moderate conservatives within the administration is leaving and there's talk of a purge down the ranks by the White House of other moderate conservatives at the State Department.
And meanwhile the man who represented the hard line, Secretary Rumsfeld, appears to be staying. And I think with Condoleezza Rice going down to the State Department, what you're going to see is not only a harder line, but a much greater centralization of power in the White House itself, under the president and the vice president. They're clearly going to be -- have personal emissaries now running these departments. Not only have they put their, from the White House they have chosen Condoleezza Rice to go to State, they have chosen Alberto Gonzales from the White House staff to go run the Department of Justice. And we have a report that their top energy -- education adviser at the White House, Margaret Spelling, is going to run the Education Department now. COLLINS: But what does it all mean? And as we have already mentioned, Powell was seen as someone who was more diplomatic. Condoleezza Rice more in line with the president. So the two of them are on the same page, especially with regard to foreign policy.
Is that bad?
GERGEN: Well, when you say the two of them, I'm not sure which two you're talking about. Condoleezza Rice...
COLLINS: Condoleezza Rice, President Bush.
GERGEN: Condoleezza Rice and Secretary -- and President Bush -- are clearly on the same page. And that will ensure, and she will -- when she goes to foreign capitals, people will talk to her knowing that she represents the president, that there is great confidence in her word, that it's exactly what the president wants said. That will send very clear signals to the rest of the world.
But let's understand, the rest of the world thought that the person who best understood them, who best represented their perspectives to the White House, was Secretary Powell. They will find this very dismaying, to see the purge that may occur within the ranks...
COLLINS: But...
GERGEN: So I think what -- the president won the election. He's entitled to have the cabinet he wants.
COLLINS: Right.
GERGEN: And he ran as a conservative. He's totally entitled to put people like Condoleezza Rice in the office and...
COLLINS: How well do you think the rest of the world knows Condoleezza Rice at this point?
GERGEN: I think that they know her reasonably well, but not as well as they'll come to know her, obviously. She has done some personal diplomacy in the Middle East. I think she could be -- listen, there's nothing to say that she won't be a terrific secretary of state. She may well be. She's obviously a woman of enormous stature. She's highly accomplished. And she does, she's developed this intensely close relationship with the president.
She's also a woman who could have been president of any major university in this country. She chose not to put herself into a position where she would have been chosen president of Stanford University.
COLLINS: Right.
What do you think her priorities will be?
We've got Iran, Iraq, North Korea and now this diplomatic opening in the Middle East with the death of Yasser Arafat.
Where do you think she'll focus first?
GERGEN: I imagine her priorities will first and foremost be Iraq, trying to ensure that we have a smooth transition and then America can gradually withdraw. That's going to be a tall order. I think she will put enormous emphasis on diplomacy with regard to Iran and North Korea. But there will be some shift here.
Secretary Powell was someone who very much wanted to explore the diplomatic options and to emphasize the diplomacy with regard to Iran and North Korea, especially in Iran, working with the Europeans. There are others, the harder liners in the administration distrust that diplomatic process and would like to see sanctions applied toward Iran.
I think the administration is more likely to lead toward sanctions. That's -- now, as opposed to diplomacy. That's what I mean by the harder line.
COLLINS: OK.
GERGEN: I think the administration is likely to take a harder, continue its hard line very much in support of Sharon, so that from the -- the president is doing exactly what he indicated he was going to do.
COLLINS: Right.
GERGEN: And that was -- and so that he's carrying it out.
But let's understand that the voices inside the administration who wanted to take it more toward the diplomatic, multilateral, cooperative view toward other nations and other -- such as the Europeans -- those voices are now being silenced in the administration.
COLLINS: So...
GERGEN: And it will be a much more uniformly conservative administration.
COLLINS: David Gergen, former White House adviser, we certainly appreciate your time, as always.
GERGEN: Thank you.
COLLINS: Thank you.
GERGEN: Thank you very much.
SANCHEZ: Time to check back in on the weather.
Chad Myers is following things for us at the CNN Center in Atlanta with the very latest -- good morning, Chad.
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Hey, Rick, how long do you get to stay up there?
SANCHEZ: I think I'm going to come back and hang out with you tomorrow, is that all right? If the weather is fine.
MYERS: Well, That's all right. But Hemmer has his 40th birthday in Thursday and then he doesn't show up. It's like well, he's too old to come to work now.
SANCHEZ: Well, he ate a lot of pizza, I understand.
MYERS: Some kind of recovery going on there.
And good morning.
(WEATHER REPORT)
SANCHEZ: All right, thanks a lot, Chad.
Let me know when you need me to fill in for you, too, buddy.
MYERS: Any time.
COLLINS: And let us know when it's your birthday, because I hear you get lots of time off.
MYERS: Actually, my wife is having a baby, so I'll get two weeks pretty soon.
COLLINS: There you go.
SANCHEZ: Free party at Chucky Cheese's.
MYERS: That's right.
COLLINS: Thank you, Chad.
MYERS: You're welcome.
COLLINS: Still to come this morning, there have been big changes at the CIA since Porter Goss took over. Is it a necessary overhaul or a politically motivated shakeup? We're going to take a look at both sides of that.
SANCHEZ: Also, there was more action on the floor than on the stage at the Vibe Awards. Take a look at this and we'll tell you what happened.
COLLINS: And you keep hearing about flu shot shortages. But the problem for one state is actually a surplus. We'll tell you about it ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SANCHEZ: We've heard about the national flu shot shortage, but there's actually an excess of flu vaccines in Minnesota, we're happy to report. Joining us this morning from Minneapolis is Mary Ann Blade.
She's president of the Minnesota Visiting Nurse Agency.
This is a non-profit organization that provides home health care and public service, health service, in the Twin Cities there for a Minneapolitans and residents of St. Paul, as well.
So what gives? Why is there a surplus in Minnesota, unlike the rest of the country?
MARY ANN BLADE, PRESIDENT, MINNESOTA VISITING NURSES AGENCY: Well, I think part of it is what we call Minnesota nice, in that people have been very concerned about the shortage of flu vaccine and have been deferring to people who they thought were more ill than them or maybe met the qualifications more and deferred getting the shot. And as a result, we have a lot of people that haven't been vaccinated that need to get vaccinated here.
SANCHEZ: What do you mean when you say Minnesota nice, that people are basically letting others use the vaccines?
BLADE: Exactly. People are very -- in our city, people care about each other and are worried about people who may have an illness or need the flu shot more than them. They're worried about them and wanting to make sure that they get the shot before they do, before they come out.
We had clinics this last weekend and we had so many people that felt so guilty about coming and getting a shot, even though they were high risk. They were worried that they were taking the shot away from somebody who needed it more.
SANCHEZ: You know, it's interesting, I was reading in the research as I was preparing for this interview with you, and I heard that there was actually some seniors who have declined taking this and they really, really need it. I imagine you have some stories that you can share with us about this. And there may be some concerns there that we're going to be talking about in a minute, as well.
BLADE: Absolutely. We had one woman who was 88 years old and part of a card club and her card club declined to get the flu vaccine. All of them were elderly and they just said that they were worried about the children, they were worried about people with chronic illness and they were healthy.
SANCHEZ: Wasn't one of them even a stroke victim?
BLADE: Yes, absolutely.
SANCHEZ: They need it.
BLADE: They do. And I think the message, the big message today is if you're 65 and over, you really need to get your shot.
SANCHEZ: Yes. It's good to be nice, but you also need to take care of number one, as well, especially if you fall into that category, right?
BLADE: Absolutely.
SANCHEZ: Yes.
What are you going to do with the rest of the surplus if, indeed, it turns out to be that way? Can you share it with us?
BLADE: Well, I think we're going to be working with the state health department. And the state health department is really indicating to us where vaccine is needed in our state. And I know that we're going to be working very hard with the state health department and the local public health departments to get the word out that people with chronic illnesses, pregnant women, people over 65 should get their flu shot. It'll help protect us all.
SANCHEZ: Before we go, here's the big concern, I would imagine. We really aren't into the flu season yet, I mean as we have experienced it in the past. It usually comes about a month from now or more.
Are you concerned that these people that have chosen to bypass the vaccine will really get hit then and then you're going to have a more serious problem in Minnesota?
BLADE: That's exactly right. That's why we're trying to get the message out now so that people will come in and get their flu shot.
SANCHEZ: Well, I certainly understand your situation, but, you know, it's a good news story when you hear citizens coming together and trying to help others. So I'm so glad that you had a chance to share that with us.
Mary Ann Blade, thanks for being with us.
BLADE: All right, thank you.
SANCHEZ: Appreciate it.
COLLINS: Should foreign born citizens be allowed to run for president of the United States? It's a controversial question now. And a new ad campaign took to the air waves in California yesterday in support of a constitutional amendment that would allow Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and others a chance for the White House. Schwarzenegger, as you probably know, was born in Austria. He declines, though, to say whether he would actually run for president if an amendment passed. He will be a guest on "LARRY KING LIVE" tonight. That's coming your way at 9:00 Eastern.
SANCHEZ: Still to come, remember that ad? It seems that the FDA had a bit of a problem with the latest commercial from Viagra. Yes, that one. We're "Paging Dr. Gupta" to find out why.
Stay with us.
We're AMERICAN MORNING. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: Secretary of State Colin Powell's resignation has promoted a lot of talk, including on the late night comedy shows. I bet you knew that already, though.
Here's Jon Stewart now from "The Daily Show," as he poked a little fun at Powell.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "THE DAILY SHOW WITH JON STEWART, COURTESY COMEDY CENTRAL)
JOHN STEWART, HOST: While many have criticized Powell for being a shrinking violet, it's important to remember, the secretary of state is an extraordinarily difficult job, requiring a broad spectrum of diplomatic skills, ranging from this...
COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE: Less than a teaspoonful of dry anthrax in an envelope shut down the United States Senate in the fall of 2001.
STEWART: To a little bit of this.
Was that anthrax in the vial of Ecstasy? No one knows.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: Good lord.
It -- we had that on here. I mean I laughed for days. He looked a little bit like Bob The Builder.
CAFFERTY: What was the second part with the hard hat? What was he doing there?
SANCHEZ: It was a ceremony they did.
COLLINS: But he was doing a little dance.
SANCHEZ: Yes, where...
COLLINS: He was having a good time.
SANCHEZ: ... he and other members of the cabinet.
COLLINS: Yes.
SANCHEZ: It was quite fun to watch, actually.
CAFFERTY: Oh, was that the correspondents' dinner down in Washington?
COLLINS: It was.
CAFFERTY: Yes.
COLLINS: Hi, Jack.
CAFFERTY: Hey, Heidi.
Secretary of state -- when will the regulars be back, you know?
SANCHEZ: What state...
(CROSSTALK)
COLLINS: Such a warm reception.
CAFFERTY: I know.
All right, Powell's out, Condoleezza Rice will be in. Powell occasionally seemed like he disagreed a little bit with some of the president's policies. Condoleezza Rice is very close to the president. It's expected that she would be more likely to rubber stamp his wishes. But that remains to be seen.
Nevertheless, if she's the new SOS -- that's short for secretary of state -- she's got the Middle East, she's got Iraq, Iran, North Korea. She will be a very busy lady.
How will things be different is the question we're asking this morning.
Bill in Palm Bay, Florida: "Unfortunately in the parts of the world where U.S. diplomacy is needed most, there is less respect for women."
Cliff in Barrington, Michigan: "I think Rice is a good choice. Powell's a nice man, but if we're to take a hard line against international terrorists, then Rice is the choice."
Gladys in Watertown, New York: "Dr. Rice is very intelligent and capable. The question is whether she'll have the courage to really fight Bush when she disagrees with him. He appears to be gathering around him only those people who agree completely with his dangerous ideas."
And Anthony in Nova Scotia: "How will U.S. diplomacy be different with Powell out and Rice in? Diplomacy? What diplomacy?"
That's a little harsh. That is.
COLLINS: Well, we should say...
CAFFERTY: We get along good with England.
COLLINS: We should say, too, the Powell stuff was not the correspondents' dinner. It was actually the meeting of foreign ministers where they were doing the dance.
CAFFERTY: Oh.
SANCHEZ: Doing the dance. CAFFERTY: He may request that tape be erased at some point in his life.
COLLINS: I think he probably may have already done that.
CAFFERTY: Yes.
COLLINS: Yes.
Jack, thank you.
SANCHEZ: Or maybe he takes pride in it.
COLLINS: You never know.
SANCHEZ: Who knows?
Still to come, did a U.S. Marine violate the rules of engagement in Falluja? We're going to have the latest on this still developing story.
Also, an awards show turns into fight night. The bad vibes at the Vibe Awards ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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