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American Morning

9/11 Reform Bill Becomes Law; Internal Criticism Rises Against Rumsfeld

Aired December 17, 2004 - 09:00   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.


SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR, AMERICAN MORNING: From the ashes of 9/11, now the largest overhaul ever of America's intelligence community. The president signing the 9/11 reform bill into law. The ceremony begins this hour.
Republicans now taking more shots at the defense secretary. Can Donald Rumsfeld survive a crisis of confidence in Washington?

And a horrifying crime in Missouri. An amber alert issued for a stolen fetus. On this AMERICAN MORNING.

ANNOUNCER: From the CNN Broadcast Center in New York, this is AMERICAN MORNING with Soledad O'Brien and Bill Hemmer.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: Good morning. Welcome back everybody.

Bill Hemmer's off today but Miles O'Brien has been helping us out.

We're going to begin our live coverage of the 9/11 signing bill in just about 15 minutes. It's been a long journey for the family member whose challenged Washington, D.C. and pushed for this legislation every step of the way.

Carie Lemack is one of those family members. She's going to join us in just a few minutes to put this day into perspective. We're going to ask her what she thinks, though, about this bill that's been left undone.

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR, AMERICAN MORNING: Also, we'll meet the Hortons, parents of quintuplets. You think you're doing baby juggling. Boy, quintuplets. Born under tough circumstances too. Father Josh was injured in Iraq near the time of the birth. Also one of the babies died. It's been a hard couple of months. We're going to check in and see how they're doing.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: They're really holding up nicely.

MILES O'BRIEN: An amazing story. It really is.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: Yes.

JACK CAFFERTY, CNN CORRESPONDENT, AMERICAN MORNING: Who might you recommend for this nation's highest civilian honor? That would be the Presidential Medal of Freedom. They've been handing them out in the last week down in Washington, D.C. Your ideas on who might receive these am@cnn.com and we'll read some of the responses in about 20 minutes or so.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: All right. Thank you very much.

CAFFERTY: Sure.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: Let's get right to the headlines.

Kelly Wallace for us this morning.

Hello.

KELLY WALLACE, CNN CORRESPONDENT, AMERICAN MORNING: Hello to you.

Good morning again everyone.

Now in the news. We're just getting word troops in Afghanistan have ended a deadly standoff at one of the country's most notorious jails. That's according to wire reports. The nine-hour standoff apparently began with an escape attempt by al Qaeda suspects. At least six people were killed in the incident.

Now to a very, very disturbing story in Missouri. Authorities in that state issuing an Amber alert for an infant after a woman 8 months pregnant was killed and the fetus cut from her body. Police say Bobby Joe Stinnet (ph) was murdered at her home in Skidmore (ph), Missouri, yesterday afternoon. Police believe the fetus may have been born alive. The alert says the suspect who is not named has blond hair and is driving a red vehicle.

And the Army National Guard enlisting new incentives to try and stave off a dramatic drop in recruits. The Guard's top brass reporting they are 30 percent below recruiting goals over the last two months. To make it more attractive to sign up, the National Guard is offering new incentives for recruits, including enlistment bonuses of up to $15,000. And this could be a big problem. One report saying that the National Guard, Army Reserve troops now making up about 40 percent of the troops currently in Iraq. So this could be a problem. Well, see if it works, that strategy.

MILES O'BRIEN: All right. Thank you, Kelly.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: Thanks, Kelly.

Well, later this hour, President Bush is going to sign the 9/11 reform bill into law. The intelligence overhaul was set in motion by the 9/11 Commission and approved by Congress earlier this month.

Carie Lemack lost her mother on 9/11 and she joins us from Washington, D.C. She's there to witness the signing of that bill.

Nice to see you again, Carie. Thanks for being with us.

CARIE LEMACK, DAUGHTER OF 9/11 VICTIM: Nice to see you. Thank you.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: Give me a sense of how you feel today. A very, very huge day for you.

LEMACK: It is a huge day. But I'd say it's probably a bittersweet day. While we're glad that the country is moving forward in the terms of creating better intelligence community to protect the country, it's difficult for the families. It's not been a long road. It's not been an easy one. We've been fighting for over three years for this bill, so we're thankful to have it. But it's difficult because our family members still aren't here today.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: Do you believe this legislation almost immediately works to help stop another terror attack, though?

LEMACK: Well I think, first and foremost, it's important that the country recognizes that there were problems on and before September 11th and that we're fixing those problems. It's a great acknowledgment. It shows that we can look at our failures and fix them. So I think that that's very important.

And the next step is going to be how we implement this bill. There's a lot of room for someone to have a lot of sway. The president's going to choose a national intelligence director. We hope that that person is given the authority and the power that this bill provides and will be able to do their job effectively.

But there's some other things that we have to look at. For example, congressional oversight. We want to make sure that the next director of Homeland Security doesn't have to report to 88 committee in Congress. So there's some more changes that need to be made.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: Is there anything in the bill that you wish were in there that's not?

LEMACK: Well, first of all, it would be the congressional oversight. We really need to make sure that there's - let the people do their jobs and not have to always testify in Congress. The other thing that's important is for the Civil Liberties Board that this still provides to have full authority, to have full subpoena power, so that they can really make sure that we're maintaining our civil liberty in this country because this bill provides a lot of authorities to law enforcement officers but we have to balance that with the civil liberties.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: What about the immigration issues that were brought up by Congressman Sensenbrenner?

LEMACK: Well, this bill actually provides 10,000 more border guards protecting our borders. It has new standards for visas. It has biometric data entry and exit systems. So this bill does a lot for immigration. And, in fact, it's the first step in immigration reform we've had in years.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: Do you think, though, it could go fathered, as Sensenbrenner said? It really is a first step and while it's provided for more border guards and things like that, some of the issues about access to licenses and things like that could make things easier for someone who wants to come to this country and wreak havoc, frankly? LEMACK: Well, the 19 terrorists who killed my mother and 3,000 other people were given licenses because they had valid visas. They shouldn't have been issued the visas. So it starts with intelligence and finding out who are the bad guys and who are the not bad guys. The good people should be allowed into this country. This is a country built on immigration, built on people coming to our land. But the bad people are the ones we have to kept out. And that's where intelligence comes in.

Now Congressman Sensenbrenner was talking about a national driver's license. That's something that we haven't had hearings on and hasn't been discussed fully. This bill talks about things, implements things that have been discussed for years on end. So I think that there's a difference there.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: Do you think that this victory in getting this passed and finally signed by the president in any way gives you a little bit of closure on your mom's death?

LEMACK: No, I don't think closure is a word that I would consider. I believe it is a little bit bittersweet. You know, two days ago my sister gave birth to a beautiful baby boy and he's my mom's first grandchild. She's never going to meet him. We have to understand that the country's still not safe but I'm going to continue to make sure that this nephew of mine is going to live in a country that's fantastic, that allows for a lot of liberties that we all enjoy but also will make sure that he's safe so no one else in his family he won't get to meet.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: Carie Lemack. Congratulations to your sister, as well. Thanks for being with us, Carrie. Nice to see you again. Enjoy the ceremony today.

LEMACK: Thank you.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: CNN's going to have live coverage of this morning's signing ceremony. President Bush will sign that intelligence reform bill at 9:55 a.m. Eastern Time. Obviously just before 7:00 a.m. on the West Coast.

MILES O'BRIEN: Southern California bracing for another day of those Santa Ana winds. The gusts were so powerful yesterday they actually toppled big rigs. The winds reached 70 miles an hour in the Santa Ana Mountains. The highway patrol had to close sections of freeways near San Bernardino and San Diego Counties. The wind advisory in effect through this afternoon.

Which brings us to the weather. Chad Myers watching the Santa Anas and other matters as the nations - boy, you've got a lot to handle today, as a matter of fact, Chad, so I'd better shut up and let you talk.

(WEATHER REPORT)

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: All right, Chad, thank you very much. Still to come this morning, we'll talk with the family of a wounded Iraq war veteran. They could have been devastated by their losses, instead they say they're overwhelmed by the help of friends and strangers. We've got their story.

MILES O'BRIEN: Also, big changes in store, the way America tries to fight terrorism. That will happen when the president signs that landmark intelligence reform bill. We will, of course, see that live.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: And "The Apprentice." It came down to a choice between a well-liked West Point man and hard driving West Coast lawyer. What does our "90 Second Pop" crew think of Donald Trump's choice? A look ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: This holiday season, the Horton family of Oswego, Illinois, is counting its blessings in little fingers and toes. Their lives have changed dramatically since we first met them this past summer. At that time, the father was about to embark on a military tour of duty, a decision that suddenly became five times harder.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, (voice over): Marine Sergeant Josh Horton had a tough choice to make. When his Illinois reserve unit was called in June for service in Iraq, he could have chosen to stay home with his pregnant wife. Taunacy Horton, already a mother of two, was carrying quintuplets.

TAUNACY HORTON, GAVE BIRTH TO QUINTUPLETS: It would have been so easier just to say, you know, I need you here and that was really hard for me.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: Sergeant Horton decided to go. In October he was wounded in action near Baghdad. Four days later, Taunacy delivered five tiny newborns, three girls, two boys, all weighing in under 2 pounds. With her husband in a military hospital, the births were bittersweet.

TAUNACY HORTON: Joshua was told of the arrival of the quintuplets and was able to see a video of them.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: Sadly, one of the quints, baby Addyson, lived only 19 days. Her four sister sisters and brothers, though, are doing well and growing.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: Little picture of a little diaper there. The Hortons, Taunacy and Josh join us this morning.

Nice to see you. Thanks so much for being with us. We certainly appreciate it.

TAUNACY HORTON: Thank you.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: How are the babies doing, Taunacy?

TAUNACY HORTON: They are getting so fat. They're getting just fat.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: That's what we like to hear. That's what it's all about, right?

TAUNACY HORTON: Yes.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: The quints were born - oh, that picture's so cute, 26 weeks. It was four days, though, after Josh was seriously wounded. Did you know? I mean was that part of the reason you went into labor? Did you know how bad he was injured when you went to the hospital?

TAUNACY HORTON: No, I didn't really know the extent of his injuries. It actually didn't have anything to do with the other. It just - I had gotten so big that they were coming whether he got hurt or not.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: Yes, they were ready to come out.

Josh, take us back to what happened to you on October 7th. You, to this day, have shrapnel all over your body, right?

SGT. JOSH HORTON, PARENT OF QUINTUPLETS: Yes, I'm loaded with metal. My company, Fox Company, was just south of Baghdad and Falluja. We were setting up a blocking position with the army, preparing for the offensive against Falluja. My squad and I were up on the roof of a three-story building late one night and watching for snipers and for any enemy troop movements. And we started getting mortared. And one of the mortars hit the top of the building that we were on and that was it.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: What point did you become aware that Taunacy had had the babies? Because she wasn't due until January 12th, months later.

JOSH HORTON: Right. Actually they flew me to Baghdad, then they flew me from Baghdad to Germany and then from Germany onward to Bethesda, Maryland. And the entire time I was sedated. And then when they finally woke me up in Maryland like five days later, my family - or some of my family was there and they actually brought a video along of the babies. And that's when I found out that Taunacy had given birth.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: And what was your reaction?

JOSH HORTON: Oh, it was great. It was, you know, the best news I could have. That they had been born and Taunacy and all five kids were doing well. Great news.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: I know that, as we mentioned, it was terrible to hear that you had lost little baby Addyson. I think she had some kind of an infection. Is that right?

JOSH HORTON: Right.

TAUNACY HORTON: Yes. Yes, she just caught an infection and just - she went so fast. I mean there was no warning or anything. She just went.

JOSH HORTON: Within hours, literally.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: What's the prognosis for your other kids? The doctors say they're all going to be fine?

TAUNACY HORTON: Yes. I mean, they all are - every time we talk to the doctors, they're really impressed with the babies. They're right on schedule to where they should be.

JOSH HORTON: Yes, they're doing great.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: Wow, that's terrific.

JOSH HORTON: They're really doing great.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: I know you guys have said that people have been incredibly kind to you. Give me a sense of or examples of what's happened.

TAUNACY HORTON: Oh, my gosh. My probably favorite, you know, is a lady, you know here in Naperville, she had hand-made some quilts, or American flag quilts. And she had just put a little note in there, you know, that, you know, her and her husband had actually had lost their jobs and, you know, didn't have anything else really to give but she said that she could sew and so she hand-made these quilts and said that she thought that our babies should be able to sleep under the flag that her father was protecting. And it's just little things like that or the little coins from little kids' pig by banks or the tree that, you know, people have taken their time to come decorate. I mean, just lots of love from everywhere.

JOSH HORTON: It's been incredible. I mean, it's not only locally. I mean, locally it's been just tremendous but all over the entire country.

TAUNACY HORTON: Yes.

JOSH HORTON: There was a girl scout troop out in Oregon that when my unit went out to California, when went to Iraq and even since I've been home, they've been sending me things and sending the guys in my unit that are still over there things just to make life a little bit easier. It's just amazing the community outpouring.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: And eventually all those kids are going to be working their way through all those Girl Scout cookies, you know.

Guys, congratulations to you. It's so wonderful to have you and to see that you're doing well and the family's doing well, especially at this holiday time. TAUNACY HORTON: Thanks.

JOSH HORTON: Thank you.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: When we're really happy for you. Thank you very much.

TAUNACY HORTON: Thank you.

JOSH HORTON: Thank you.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: We should remind our viewers, as well, there's a fund that's been set up if you want to help the Horton family. Donations can be made at the Horton Five Fund, care of Harris Bank, P.O. Box 6201 in Carol Stream, Illinois, 60197-6201.

Miles.

MILES O'BRIEN: Still to come on the program, the live signing of that intelligence reform bill.

And New York cab drivers, at least the ones that speak English, are famous for doling out advice. We're going to hear about one who people actually listen to. He gives advice on dating. Stay with us on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: Our weekly "Extra Effort" series a tribute to those who go the extra mile to help others. This morning it's a New York City cabby who has become an unlikely cupid. And people searching for Mr. or Mrs. Right are flagging him down.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, (voice over): He may not look like a love doctor but New York taxi driver Ahmed Ibrahim can hear the lonely hearts cry.

AHMED IBRAHIM, CABBIE MATCHMAKER: You listen to all the stories and I realize they are missing each other by one get out, one get in to my taxi. So I said, you know what, I've got to do something about it. So I start to help some people.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: For the past ten months, the Egyptian immigrant has offered a unique service to his regular, single customers, match making at no extra charge. He conducts interviews that he connects people he thinks could be soulmates.

This couple took a ride in Ahmed's taxi. Now they've been dating six months.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We both felt that, you know, meeting Ahmed, he's just such a character and somehow you trust him and you believe that he really wants to help you out. MARTIN KARAMON, MANHATTAN TAX ATTORNEY: Honestly, because it sounded so outrageous and so different that I was less skeptical. Because, to me, it was more like sort of this New York adventure.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: Ahmed is quick to offer couples some tips of his own. First dates should take place on a weekday, he says. And try not to be too choosey.

IBRAHIM: Like high school. You're looking for Ms. Universe. You go to college, you look for Miss America. When we got older we said, hey, Miss Brooklyn is OK for me.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: Miss Brooklyn is OK for him. Well, his customers come first. Ahmed says he's also on the market. The divorced matchmaker says he's looking for his own Miss Brooklyn.

MILES O'BRIEN: OK. And you're mad at me because I diss (ph) cab drivers in New York.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: A little. Did you hear that?

CAFFERTY: What did he say? No.

MILES O'BRIEN: A little English problem. I just said, you know, you don't get a lot of advice these days from these guys because they're not . . .

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: He complained. I told him it's not New York (INAUDIBLE).

MILES O'BRIEN: Yes, and she said I was bad for doing that. So, I'm sorry.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: Thank you.

MILES O'BRIEN: Or whatever language you prefer, I'm sorry.

CAFFERTY: All right.

Presidential Medal of Freedom was handed out to three people by President Bush this week. Retired General Tommy Franks, former CIA Director George Tenet and Paul Bremer, who ran the civilian operation in Iraq right after the first phase of combat ended.

This is the nation's highest civilian honor. Previous recipients have included Mother Teresa, Rosa Parks, the Pope, Martin Luther King, Jr. So we thought since they're giving them out, maybe you've got some ideas who ought to be getting them. Who should receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Joe in Big Pine Key, Florida, writes, let me get this straight. If Bernard Kerik's "undocumented nanny gets on an airliner, uses her cell phone to detonate a bomb in the unscreened cargo on board, then Mr. Kerik will get the Medal of Freedom?" Raphael in Salt Lake City. "The Presidential Medal of Freedom should go to Paul Allen for his involvement in the first non- government rocket ship" to fly on the edge of space. War and politics are overrated. That's a good one.

Tom writes this in Marion, Illinois. "Slam dunk, Jeb Bush for the 2000 election.

And Reg in Thunder Bay, Ontario. You remember Jeb?

MILES O'BRIEN: Yes, yes, we remember Jeb.

CAFFERTY: Reg in Thunder Bay. "I recommend Arnold for recreating the English language, Bill Clinton for reopening trade in Cuban cigars and Michael Jackson for his work in the youth community.

MILES O'BRIEN: Oh, boy. These people really are drinking, aren't they? They're up all night.

CAFFERTY: Some of my folks.

MILES O'BRIEN: Don't be messing with the people. Don't mess with New York cabbies.

CAFFERTY: No messing with my folks, that's right.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: Thank you, Jack.

Still to come this morning, President Bush spent a lot of his political capital to get the 9/11 intelligence reform bill passed. In just a few moments, he's going to sign it into law. We're doing hear what they're saying in Washington today.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: Good morning. Welcome back, everybody. Just about half past the hour on this AMERICAN MORNING. We're about 20 minutes away in President Bush and this morning's signing ceremony for the 9/11 intelligence reform bill. We'll get a report on what's ahead. Also we'll take a look at some of the big challenging that come now in just finding the right people for a number of those new high-powered intelligence positions.

MILES O'BRIEN: And to prove we cover everything here, from that to "90 Second Pop," as well. Donald Trump has picked another apprentice. Our panel is talking at that this morning and whether the choice was a no-brainer.

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Aired December 17, 2004 - 09:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR, AMERICAN MORNING: From the ashes of 9/11, now the largest overhaul ever of America's intelligence community. The president signing the 9/11 reform bill into law. The ceremony begins this hour.
Republicans now taking more shots at the defense secretary. Can Donald Rumsfeld survive a crisis of confidence in Washington?

And a horrifying crime in Missouri. An amber alert issued for a stolen fetus. On this AMERICAN MORNING.

ANNOUNCER: From the CNN Broadcast Center in New York, this is AMERICAN MORNING with Soledad O'Brien and Bill Hemmer.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: Good morning. Welcome back everybody.

Bill Hemmer's off today but Miles O'Brien has been helping us out.

We're going to begin our live coverage of the 9/11 signing bill in just about 15 minutes. It's been a long journey for the family member whose challenged Washington, D.C. and pushed for this legislation every step of the way.

Carie Lemack is one of those family members. She's going to join us in just a few minutes to put this day into perspective. We're going to ask her what she thinks, though, about this bill that's been left undone.

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR, AMERICAN MORNING: Also, we'll meet the Hortons, parents of quintuplets. You think you're doing baby juggling. Boy, quintuplets. Born under tough circumstances too. Father Josh was injured in Iraq near the time of the birth. Also one of the babies died. It's been a hard couple of months. We're going to check in and see how they're doing.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: They're really holding up nicely.

MILES O'BRIEN: An amazing story. It really is.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: Yes.

JACK CAFFERTY, CNN CORRESPONDENT, AMERICAN MORNING: Who might you recommend for this nation's highest civilian honor? That would be the Presidential Medal of Freedom. They've been handing them out in the last week down in Washington, D.C. Your ideas on who might receive these am@cnn.com and we'll read some of the responses in about 20 minutes or so.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: All right. Thank you very much.

CAFFERTY: Sure.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: Let's get right to the headlines.

Kelly Wallace for us this morning.

Hello.

KELLY WALLACE, CNN CORRESPONDENT, AMERICAN MORNING: Hello to you.

Good morning again everyone.

Now in the news. We're just getting word troops in Afghanistan have ended a deadly standoff at one of the country's most notorious jails. That's according to wire reports. The nine-hour standoff apparently began with an escape attempt by al Qaeda suspects. At least six people were killed in the incident.

Now to a very, very disturbing story in Missouri. Authorities in that state issuing an Amber alert for an infant after a woman 8 months pregnant was killed and the fetus cut from her body. Police say Bobby Joe Stinnet (ph) was murdered at her home in Skidmore (ph), Missouri, yesterday afternoon. Police believe the fetus may have been born alive. The alert says the suspect who is not named has blond hair and is driving a red vehicle.

And the Army National Guard enlisting new incentives to try and stave off a dramatic drop in recruits. The Guard's top brass reporting they are 30 percent below recruiting goals over the last two months. To make it more attractive to sign up, the National Guard is offering new incentives for recruits, including enlistment bonuses of up to $15,000. And this could be a big problem. One report saying that the National Guard, Army Reserve troops now making up about 40 percent of the troops currently in Iraq. So this could be a problem. Well, see if it works, that strategy.

MILES O'BRIEN: All right. Thank you, Kelly.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: Thanks, Kelly.

Well, later this hour, President Bush is going to sign the 9/11 reform bill into law. The intelligence overhaul was set in motion by the 9/11 Commission and approved by Congress earlier this month.

Carie Lemack lost her mother on 9/11 and she joins us from Washington, D.C. She's there to witness the signing of that bill.

Nice to see you again, Carie. Thanks for being with us.

CARIE LEMACK, DAUGHTER OF 9/11 VICTIM: Nice to see you. Thank you.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: Give me a sense of how you feel today. A very, very huge day for you.

LEMACK: It is a huge day. But I'd say it's probably a bittersweet day. While we're glad that the country is moving forward in the terms of creating better intelligence community to protect the country, it's difficult for the families. It's not been a long road. It's not been an easy one. We've been fighting for over three years for this bill, so we're thankful to have it. But it's difficult because our family members still aren't here today.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: Do you believe this legislation almost immediately works to help stop another terror attack, though?

LEMACK: Well I think, first and foremost, it's important that the country recognizes that there were problems on and before September 11th and that we're fixing those problems. It's a great acknowledgment. It shows that we can look at our failures and fix them. So I think that that's very important.

And the next step is going to be how we implement this bill. There's a lot of room for someone to have a lot of sway. The president's going to choose a national intelligence director. We hope that that person is given the authority and the power that this bill provides and will be able to do their job effectively.

But there's some other things that we have to look at. For example, congressional oversight. We want to make sure that the next director of Homeland Security doesn't have to report to 88 committee in Congress. So there's some more changes that need to be made.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: Is there anything in the bill that you wish were in there that's not?

LEMACK: Well, first of all, it would be the congressional oversight. We really need to make sure that there's - let the people do their jobs and not have to always testify in Congress. The other thing that's important is for the Civil Liberties Board that this still provides to have full authority, to have full subpoena power, so that they can really make sure that we're maintaining our civil liberty in this country because this bill provides a lot of authorities to law enforcement officers but we have to balance that with the civil liberties.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: What about the immigration issues that were brought up by Congressman Sensenbrenner?

LEMACK: Well, this bill actually provides 10,000 more border guards protecting our borders. It has new standards for visas. It has biometric data entry and exit systems. So this bill does a lot for immigration. And, in fact, it's the first step in immigration reform we've had in years.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: Do you think, though, it could go fathered, as Sensenbrenner said? It really is a first step and while it's provided for more border guards and things like that, some of the issues about access to licenses and things like that could make things easier for someone who wants to come to this country and wreak havoc, frankly? LEMACK: Well, the 19 terrorists who killed my mother and 3,000 other people were given licenses because they had valid visas. They shouldn't have been issued the visas. So it starts with intelligence and finding out who are the bad guys and who are the not bad guys. The good people should be allowed into this country. This is a country built on immigration, built on people coming to our land. But the bad people are the ones we have to kept out. And that's where intelligence comes in.

Now Congressman Sensenbrenner was talking about a national driver's license. That's something that we haven't had hearings on and hasn't been discussed fully. This bill talks about things, implements things that have been discussed for years on end. So I think that there's a difference there.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: Do you think that this victory in getting this passed and finally signed by the president in any way gives you a little bit of closure on your mom's death?

LEMACK: No, I don't think closure is a word that I would consider. I believe it is a little bit bittersweet. You know, two days ago my sister gave birth to a beautiful baby boy and he's my mom's first grandchild. She's never going to meet him. We have to understand that the country's still not safe but I'm going to continue to make sure that this nephew of mine is going to live in a country that's fantastic, that allows for a lot of liberties that we all enjoy but also will make sure that he's safe so no one else in his family he won't get to meet.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: Carie Lemack. Congratulations to your sister, as well. Thanks for being with us, Carrie. Nice to see you again. Enjoy the ceremony today.

LEMACK: Thank you.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: CNN's going to have live coverage of this morning's signing ceremony. President Bush will sign that intelligence reform bill at 9:55 a.m. Eastern Time. Obviously just before 7:00 a.m. on the West Coast.

MILES O'BRIEN: Southern California bracing for another day of those Santa Ana winds. The gusts were so powerful yesterday they actually toppled big rigs. The winds reached 70 miles an hour in the Santa Ana Mountains. The highway patrol had to close sections of freeways near San Bernardino and San Diego Counties. The wind advisory in effect through this afternoon.

Which brings us to the weather. Chad Myers watching the Santa Anas and other matters as the nations - boy, you've got a lot to handle today, as a matter of fact, Chad, so I'd better shut up and let you talk.

(WEATHER REPORT)

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: All right, Chad, thank you very much. Still to come this morning, we'll talk with the family of a wounded Iraq war veteran. They could have been devastated by their losses, instead they say they're overwhelmed by the help of friends and strangers. We've got their story.

MILES O'BRIEN: Also, big changes in store, the way America tries to fight terrorism. That will happen when the president signs that landmark intelligence reform bill. We will, of course, see that live.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: And "The Apprentice." It came down to a choice between a well-liked West Point man and hard driving West Coast lawyer. What does our "90 Second Pop" crew think of Donald Trump's choice? A look ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: This holiday season, the Horton family of Oswego, Illinois, is counting its blessings in little fingers and toes. Their lives have changed dramatically since we first met them this past summer. At that time, the father was about to embark on a military tour of duty, a decision that suddenly became five times harder.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, (voice over): Marine Sergeant Josh Horton had a tough choice to make. When his Illinois reserve unit was called in June for service in Iraq, he could have chosen to stay home with his pregnant wife. Taunacy Horton, already a mother of two, was carrying quintuplets.

TAUNACY HORTON, GAVE BIRTH TO QUINTUPLETS: It would have been so easier just to say, you know, I need you here and that was really hard for me.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: Sergeant Horton decided to go. In October he was wounded in action near Baghdad. Four days later, Taunacy delivered five tiny newborns, three girls, two boys, all weighing in under 2 pounds. With her husband in a military hospital, the births were bittersweet.

TAUNACY HORTON: Joshua was told of the arrival of the quintuplets and was able to see a video of them.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: Sadly, one of the quints, baby Addyson, lived only 19 days. Her four sister sisters and brothers, though, are doing well and growing.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: Little picture of a little diaper there. The Hortons, Taunacy and Josh join us this morning.

Nice to see you. Thanks so much for being with us. We certainly appreciate it.

TAUNACY HORTON: Thank you.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: How are the babies doing, Taunacy?

TAUNACY HORTON: They are getting so fat. They're getting just fat.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: That's what we like to hear. That's what it's all about, right?

TAUNACY HORTON: Yes.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: The quints were born - oh, that picture's so cute, 26 weeks. It was four days, though, after Josh was seriously wounded. Did you know? I mean was that part of the reason you went into labor? Did you know how bad he was injured when you went to the hospital?

TAUNACY HORTON: No, I didn't really know the extent of his injuries. It actually didn't have anything to do with the other. It just - I had gotten so big that they were coming whether he got hurt or not.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: Yes, they were ready to come out.

Josh, take us back to what happened to you on October 7th. You, to this day, have shrapnel all over your body, right?

SGT. JOSH HORTON, PARENT OF QUINTUPLETS: Yes, I'm loaded with metal. My company, Fox Company, was just south of Baghdad and Falluja. We were setting up a blocking position with the army, preparing for the offensive against Falluja. My squad and I were up on the roof of a three-story building late one night and watching for snipers and for any enemy troop movements. And we started getting mortared. And one of the mortars hit the top of the building that we were on and that was it.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: What point did you become aware that Taunacy had had the babies? Because she wasn't due until January 12th, months later.

JOSH HORTON: Right. Actually they flew me to Baghdad, then they flew me from Baghdad to Germany and then from Germany onward to Bethesda, Maryland. And the entire time I was sedated. And then when they finally woke me up in Maryland like five days later, my family - or some of my family was there and they actually brought a video along of the babies. And that's when I found out that Taunacy had given birth.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: And what was your reaction?

JOSH HORTON: Oh, it was great. It was, you know, the best news I could have. That they had been born and Taunacy and all five kids were doing well. Great news.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: I know that, as we mentioned, it was terrible to hear that you had lost little baby Addyson. I think she had some kind of an infection. Is that right?

JOSH HORTON: Right.

TAUNACY HORTON: Yes. Yes, she just caught an infection and just - she went so fast. I mean there was no warning or anything. She just went.

JOSH HORTON: Within hours, literally.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: What's the prognosis for your other kids? The doctors say they're all going to be fine?

TAUNACY HORTON: Yes. I mean, they all are - every time we talk to the doctors, they're really impressed with the babies. They're right on schedule to where they should be.

JOSH HORTON: Yes, they're doing great.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: Wow, that's terrific.

JOSH HORTON: They're really doing great.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: I know you guys have said that people have been incredibly kind to you. Give me a sense of or examples of what's happened.

TAUNACY HORTON: Oh, my gosh. My probably favorite, you know, is a lady, you know here in Naperville, she had hand-made some quilts, or American flag quilts. And she had just put a little note in there, you know, that, you know, her and her husband had actually had lost their jobs and, you know, didn't have anything else really to give but she said that she could sew and so she hand-made these quilts and said that she thought that our babies should be able to sleep under the flag that her father was protecting. And it's just little things like that or the little coins from little kids' pig by banks or the tree that, you know, people have taken their time to come decorate. I mean, just lots of love from everywhere.

JOSH HORTON: It's been incredible. I mean, it's not only locally. I mean, locally it's been just tremendous but all over the entire country.

TAUNACY HORTON: Yes.

JOSH HORTON: There was a girl scout troop out in Oregon that when my unit went out to California, when went to Iraq and even since I've been home, they've been sending me things and sending the guys in my unit that are still over there things just to make life a little bit easier. It's just amazing the community outpouring.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: And eventually all those kids are going to be working their way through all those Girl Scout cookies, you know.

Guys, congratulations to you. It's so wonderful to have you and to see that you're doing well and the family's doing well, especially at this holiday time. TAUNACY HORTON: Thanks.

JOSH HORTON: Thank you.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: When we're really happy for you. Thank you very much.

TAUNACY HORTON: Thank you.

JOSH HORTON: Thank you.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: We should remind our viewers, as well, there's a fund that's been set up if you want to help the Horton family. Donations can be made at the Horton Five Fund, care of Harris Bank, P.O. Box 6201 in Carol Stream, Illinois, 60197-6201.

Miles.

MILES O'BRIEN: Still to come on the program, the live signing of that intelligence reform bill.

And New York cab drivers, at least the ones that speak English, are famous for doling out advice. We're going to hear about one who people actually listen to. He gives advice on dating. Stay with us on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: Our weekly "Extra Effort" series a tribute to those who go the extra mile to help others. This morning it's a New York City cabby who has become an unlikely cupid. And people searching for Mr. or Mrs. Right are flagging him down.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, (voice over): He may not look like a love doctor but New York taxi driver Ahmed Ibrahim can hear the lonely hearts cry.

AHMED IBRAHIM, CABBIE MATCHMAKER: You listen to all the stories and I realize they are missing each other by one get out, one get in to my taxi. So I said, you know what, I've got to do something about it. So I start to help some people.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: For the past ten months, the Egyptian immigrant has offered a unique service to his regular, single customers, match making at no extra charge. He conducts interviews that he connects people he thinks could be soulmates.

This couple took a ride in Ahmed's taxi. Now they've been dating six months.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We both felt that, you know, meeting Ahmed, he's just such a character and somehow you trust him and you believe that he really wants to help you out. MARTIN KARAMON, MANHATTAN TAX ATTORNEY: Honestly, because it sounded so outrageous and so different that I was less skeptical. Because, to me, it was more like sort of this New York adventure.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: Ahmed is quick to offer couples some tips of his own. First dates should take place on a weekday, he says. And try not to be too choosey.

IBRAHIM: Like high school. You're looking for Ms. Universe. You go to college, you look for Miss America. When we got older we said, hey, Miss Brooklyn is OK for me.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: Miss Brooklyn is OK for him. Well, his customers come first. Ahmed says he's also on the market. The divorced matchmaker says he's looking for his own Miss Brooklyn.

MILES O'BRIEN: OK. And you're mad at me because I diss (ph) cab drivers in New York.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: A little. Did you hear that?

CAFFERTY: What did he say? No.

MILES O'BRIEN: A little English problem. I just said, you know, you don't get a lot of advice these days from these guys because they're not . . .

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: He complained. I told him it's not New York (INAUDIBLE).

MILES O'BRIEN: Yes, and she said I was bad for doing that. So, I'm sorry.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: Thank you.

MILES O'BRIEN: Or whatever language you prefer, I'm sorry.

CAFFERTY: All right.

Presidential Medal of Freedom was handed out to three people by President Bush this week. Retired General Tommy Franks, former CIA Director George Tenet and Paul Bremer, who ran the civilian operation in Iraq right after the first phase of combat ended.

This is the nation's highest civilian honor. Previous recipients have included Mother Teresa, Rosa Parks, the Pope, Martin Luther King, Jr. So we thought since they're giving them out, maybe you've got some ideas who ought to be getting them. Who should receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Joe in Big Pine Key, Florida, writes, let me get this straight. If Bernard Kerik's "undocumented nanny gets on an airliner, uses her cell phone to detonate a bomb in the unscreened cargo on board, then Mr. Kerik will get the Medal of Freedom?" Raphael in Salt Lake City. "The Presidential Medal of Freedom should go to Paul Allen for his involvement in the first non- government rocket ship" to fly on the edge of space. War and politics are overrated. That's a good one.

Tom writes this in Marion, Illinois. "Slam dunk, Jeb Bush for the 2000 election.

And Reg in Thunder Bay, Ontario. You remember Jeb?

MILES O'BRIEN: Yes, yes, we remember Jeb.

CAFFERTY: Reg in Thunder Bay. "I recommend Arnold for recreating the English language, Bill Clinton for reopening trade in Cuban cigars and Michael Jackson for his work in the youth community.

MILES O'BRIEN: Oh, boy. These people really are drinking, aren't they? They're up all night.

CAFFERTY: Some of my folks.

MILES O'BRIEN: Don't be messing with the people. Don't mess with New York cabbies.

CAFFERTY: No messing with my folks, that's right.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: Thank you, Jack.

Still to come this morning, President Bush spent a lot of his political capital to get the 9/11 intelligence reform bill passed. In just a few moments, he's going to sign it into law. We're doing hear what they're saying in Washington today.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: Good morning. Welcome back, everybody. Just about half past the hour on this AMERICAN MORNING. We're about 20 minutes away in President Bush and this morning's signing ceremony for the 9/11 intelligence reform bill. We'll get a report on what's ahead. Also we'll take a look at some of the big challenging that come now in just finding the right people for a number of those new high-powered intelligence positions.

MILES O'BRIEN: And to prove we cover everything here, from that to "90 Second Pop," as well. Donald Trump has picked another apprentice. Our panel is talking at that this morning and whether the choice was a no-brainer.

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