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American Morning
Inaugural Themes; Interview With Charles Graner`s Parents; Social Security & FDR
Aired January 17, 2005 - 8:59 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.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, everybody. 9:00 in New York City. Soledad is out today. Heidi Collins is back from assignment.
Good morning to you.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning to you.
HEMMER: Social Security one of the big issues the president promises to tackle in his second term. And the White House advertising campaign has caught the eye of one interested party, Franklin Delano Roosevelt`s grandson. We`ll talk to James Roosevelt about why he is unhappy with the White House and its position. We`ll get to that this hour.
COLLINS: Also, Sanjay`s "New You Revolution" series for 2005 begins today. We`ll meet five people who could turn their lives around. Their health problems are the same ones many of us face, in fact. So Sanjay is going to share his plan with us in just a moment.
HEMMER: Five great folks, too.
COLLINS: Yes.
HEMMER: They`re characters, aren`t they?
Hey, Jack. Good morning.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, Bill.
Sy Hersh has a very compelling piece in this week`s "New Yorker" magazine suggesting the Bush administration may begin striking military targets inside Iran as early as this coming summer if they can confirm intelligence that Iran is working on developing nuclear weapons. Think it`s a good idea? Or perhaps you don`t. AM@CNN.com. We`ll read some letters a bit later.
HEMMER: All right. Thank you, Jack.
COLLINS: Thank you, Jack.
HEMMER: Also on a Monday, Carol Costello is with us here with the headlines in the news.
Good morning, Carol.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, Bill. Good morning to all of you.
"Now in the News," a violent -- a violent morning in Iraq. Insurgents have launched attacks against Iraqi security groups throughout the country, killing at least 14 people. U.S. and Iraqi military officials say four other Iraqi soldiers were wounded when they were hit by small arms fire south of Baquba.
Crews near Park City, Utah, are resuming a search this hour for more victim of last week`s avalanche. Yesterday, rescuers found the body of a 27-year-old skier from Idaho. Officials say they found clues more people may have been buried.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SHERIFF DAVID EDMUNDS, SUMMIT COUNTY: We have found some other personnel effects in the debris field which might suggest other victims. But we don`t know at this point. Hopefully, today will answer some more questions as the searchers get out up on the hill and we begin probing once again.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: High-tech radar equipment is expected to be brought in today to assist in the search.
President Bush is honoring the work of a man he calls a visionary American, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The president will speak at a Let Freedom Ring celebration honoring Dr. King`s life. That will happen this afternoon at the Kennedy Center in Washington. A parade will be held in honor of the civil rights leader. That`s set to begin in about an hour in Washington, one of several events planned across the country.
And a new coach is ruling at the box office. "Coach Carter," the film starring Samuel Jackson, raked in $23.of million this week, and it bumped off the comedy "Meet the Fockers," which means we will be unable to say the word "Fockers" ever again on the air very soon. "Racing Stripes," about a zebra at the track came in at number three.
HEMMER: That was "The Fockers" flick, right?
COSTELLO: It was the "Fockers" flick.
HEMMER: They times fast, say it. Come on.
COLLINS: Oh, no, no, no.
COSTELLO: No, that`s dangerous.
COLLINS: Very dangerous.
HEMMER: Thank you, Carol.
COLLINS: Carol, thanks.
Looking ahead now to Thursday`s inauguration and how the upcoming elections in Iraq are shaping President Bush`s message for a second term. For that, we go live to CNN`s Elaine Quijano standing by at the White House this morning.
Elaine, good morning.
ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Heidi.
That`s right, officials say President Bush spent part of his weekend reviewing his inaugural address, one that aides say will emphasize freedom and also President Bush`s vision of spreading democracy around the world. Now, a big part of that, of course, is Iraq.
But with some 1,300 U.S. troops killed and reports continuing about violence ongoing, and insurgents trying to disrupt the political process in that country, the administration in recent days has seemingly been trying to lower expectations. Officials now painting a picture of uncertainty for Iraq`s January 30 elections.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAN BARTLETT, COUNSELOR TO THE PRESIDENT: The security environment is tough, no question about it. And we`re going to do everything we can to help achieve the best possible scenario in order for as many people as possible to vote. But we do know million of Iraqi people want to vote, and we`re going to find ways to get them to the polls.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
QUIJANO: Now, as the president heads into his second term, he does so with an overall approval rating of 53 percent, according to a new poll. That`s up about four points from where it was a month ago. But when it comes to the issue of Iraq, according to a recent CNN-"USA Today"-Gallup poll, only 42 percent of Americans approve of the way he`s handled that situation; a majority of Americans, 56 percent, disapprove.
Nevertheless, the president is standing by his actions, expressing no regrets about removing Saddam Hussein from power. And administration officials are emphasizing that this is only the first step in what they hope will be democracy taking root in that region -- Heidi.
COLLINS: All right. Elaine Quijano, from the White House. And Elaine, thanks for battling the wind out there today, too. We appreciate it.
Also, make sure you tune in on Thursday for AMERICAN MORNING`s special live coverage of inauguration preparations. That will be coming your way 7:00 a.m. Eastern.
HEMMER: Army reservist Charles Graner says he has no regrets and no apologies for abusing Iraqi inmates at Abu Ghraib prison, west of Baghdad. Convicted by a military court, Graner received a 10-year prison term, was demoted to private, and will be dishonorably discharged. This morning I talked with his parents, Irma and Charles Graner, what they thought of the verdict and the sentencing.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
IRMA GRANER, CHARLES GRANER`S MOTHER: It was so one-sided. It was just terrible. And I want the people of the United States to know how the prosecution and the judge just let my son out to dry. He has a wonderful...
HEMMER: How so, Mrs. Graner?
I. GRANER: Well, he has a wonderful defense team. They could get nothing in. Every time they wanted to present evidence, it was turned down.
They weren`t allowed to have witnesses testify. Everything was hearsay. They had witnesses that worked right in the Abu Ghraib prison with him that weren`t allowed to testify because it was hearsay. How can it be hearsay when you`re working right side by side with the person?
CHARLES GRANER SR., CHARLES GRANER`S FATHER: Judge Pohl single- handedly led the jury down a garden path, a garden path in which Judge Pohl constructed blocked walls so the jury couldn`t see the defense beyond these blocked walls.
HEMMER: And Mr. Graner, some critics have said your son has shown no signs of remorse, seeing him smiling leaving the courtroom area. Have you talked to him about that?
C. GRANER: My son, to say he showed no signs of remorse, why should you show a sign of remorse for doing your job? And he firmly believed that he was doing his job.
His job -- you know, at first, as he said, he was a Christian who didn`t believe in doing that. He was a correction officer who says, hey, this isn`t right. But he believed that after listening and found out what he was doing -- he was doing a good job. He was saving people, American people.
You know, the Americans, like the ones that they shot in a car, burned the car, took the bodies out and hung them on a bridge, he was doing that. He was trying to save more people.
It was a job. He did the job. Should he be remorseful for doing a job? I think not.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HEMMER: Again, the parents of Charles Graner.
The woman known as Graner`s girlfriend, Private First Class Lynndie England, will also face a court-martial on abuse charges. Rick Hernandez is England`s attorney. He`s my guest now in Denver, Colorado.
And sir, good morning to you in Colorado. RICK HERNANDEZ, LYNNDIE ENGLAND`S ATTORNEY: Good morning.
HEMMER: Are you concerned now with Graner`s sentence being handed down about your own case?
HERNANDEZ: No. I believe that Lynndie England is a different person than Graner. And the facts that will be presented to a panel or a judge in Lynndie England`s case hopefully will be different than those presented or allowed to be presented in Charles Graner`s court- martial.
HEMMER: You say a different person or different facts?
HERNANDEZ: Different person and different facts. Charles Graner was accused in many more assaults than Lynndie England. The sum total of the assault charges that Lynndie England was facing are one specification of assault where she pushed a detainee and two specifications where she stepped on toes. That is the sum total of the government`s case regarding detainee abuse by Lynndie England.
HEMMER: What we saw in the Graner case, though, is that he defended himself by saying he was just following orders. And apparently, that did not work well for him. Does that concern you as the defense for your client?
HERNANDEZ: Well, I think the difference between them is the amount of time that they had spent in the military. The amount of training that Charles Graner had as a civilian, as well in the military, is completely different from Lynndie England, who was an admin clerk and was never trained as an MP and was never trained while at Abu Ghraib.
HEMMER: Well, that aside, though, what`s your defense then if that`s the case?
HERNANDEZ: Well, the defense is still that they were following orders. That hasn`t changed from any single person that`s either pled guilty or been found guilty in this case.
It has been repeated by all of them, that they were in fact following orders. We hope that in this case the government is not seeking a conviction, but is rather seeking the truth. And by seeking the truth, they will allow us to call witnesses that were not allowed to be called.
HEMMER: The problem with all of this is you`ve got this picture of your client holding this leash. How do you get around that?
HERNANDEZ: Well, the picture with her holding the leash has been made famous. However, it still does not represent what went on before or after, or whether that was in fact ordered by MI in order to soften up prisoners. We have Major General Miller`s report that indicates that MI was using the MPs to soften up prisoners. Whether that was a psychological tactic to get them to speak is a different story...
HEMMER: Do you think -- and let me try a different approach. Do you have any evidence that will suggest somebody in that prison was told to do something and said, "No, I`m not doing that, that`s illegal. I could be in trouble for doing that?"
HERNANDEZ: Well, there are some people who refused to take certain actions. However, the people that were in Tier One Alpha (ph), dealing with the most severe -- actually the most suspected al Qaeda terrorists or terrorist cells that were -- people that were suspected of being terrorists, those people in Tier One had a different agenda for military intelligence than the rest of the prison.
HEMMER: One final question here. Your client had a baby back in October, I believe. Some reports say Charles Graner is the father of that child. Is that the case?
HERNANDEZ: We have no reason to doubt that Charles Graner is the father. That is, in fact, the case that`s been stated previously and will continue to be stated.
HEMMER: All right. Thanks for your time. Rick Hernandez, the attorney for Lynndie England, there from Denver, Colorado. We`ll continue to follow it. Thanks again.
Here`s Heidi.
COLLINS: Time now for a check on the weather. Chad Myers at the CNN Center with the very latest this morning.
(WEATHER REPORT)
HEMMER: There`s a former president in the center of a controversy. We`ll talk to FDR`s grandson about why he has a bone to pick with the White House in a moment.
COLLINS: James Roosevelt, Jr. there.
Also, a special series, "What`s in it for Us?" What do military families want from the president in his second term? We`ll have one wife`s story.
HEMMER: Also, a glimpse at one of the solar system`s greatest mysteries. A moon takes it`s star turn.
Back in a moment here after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: Well, the data being sent back to Earth by the Huygens space probe on Saturn`s moon Titan. Pictures show a frozen orange world covered in a methane-rich haze. This is one of three pictures released so far.
This along the surface of the moon. Dark ice rocks dot several riverbed-like surfaces. And the scientists studying the images say they suggest a common background among Mars, Earth and Titan, and perhaps other planets within our sopolar system. Stay tuned. Maybe later in the week more pictures again from Titan deep in space -- Heidi.
COLLINS: President Bush`s plan to revamp Social Security has its opponents on Capitol Hill and beyond. One of them is James Roosevelt, Jr. He`s voicing his opinion not so much on his own behalf, but for the historical legacy he says of his grandfather, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the man who created Social Security, in fact. Here`s what Roosevelt is unhappy about.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It took courage to create Social Security.
FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT, FMR. PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: This Social Security measure...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It will take courage and leadership to protect it. Once 16 workers supported one retiree. But when today`s workers retire, only two workers will support one retiree. Washington must strengthen Social Security. No changes for those at or near retirement, but younger workers should have the option...
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: James Roosevelt, Jr. is joining us now from Boston, Massachusetts, this morning.
Sir, thank you for being with us here on AMERICAN MORNING. You have a big problem with this ad. Tell us why.
JAMES ROOSEVELT, JR., FDR`S GRANDSON: Yes. I think it`s outrageous, Heidi, that this group which is supporting President Bush`s effort, along with his friends on Wall Street, to destroy and privatize Social Security would use the image of my grandfather beginning a program, Social Security, which has been the most successful domestic program for families that this country has ever had, and that they`d use his image to imply that what they`re doing would accomplish the same thing. And in fact, it would subject Americans to tremendous risk for their retirement.
COLLINS: We should point out that you are currently a member of the DNC, and also the Massachusetts Democratic Committee. You are also a lawyer. Now, do you have any grounds to take legal action against the group, Progress for America, who is behind this ad?
ROOSEVELT: I don`t think so. I`m a strong believer in the first amendment and, of course, my grandfather, FDR, was definitely a public figure. So I think they have the legal right to use the image. But I think it`s misleading, and it has a very misleading implication for the American people.
COLLINS: In fact, we should say that in contacting them, they said, "We appreciate Mr. Roosevelt`s feedback, but we`ll continue to air the add in its entirety." How does that make you feel?
ROOSEVELT: Well, I`m glad they`re happy to hear from me, but I do not think they should continue to air the ad. The ad is part of stirring up a phony crisis that the White House and President Bush have been trying to inspire.
Social Security is not in crisis. If anybody read the excellent article in "The New York Times" magazine yesterday, all of the facts and figures are laid out there about why there is no crisis. Even the Congressional Budget Office and the Social Security trustees appointed by the president say that Social Security is financially sound, without any changes for the next 40 to 50 years.
COLLINS: Well, as we look at this pick picture of your grandfather actually signing the Social Security bill into law back in 1935, and you mentioned that President Bush and some Republicans really don`t want to save Social Security, why would they not want to save it? What would be the motivation?
ROOSEVELT: As a memo from one of Karl Rove`s assistants said a couple of weeks ago, after trying for six years to do -- six decades, rather, to do away with Social Security, they now finally have the chance to do it, they believe, since they control both houses of the Congress and the White House. It`s ideological.
It`s a feeling that the American people should not work with their government to provide security for our older generations and our disabled and the survivors of parents who have died and widows. It`s really ideological. There is, of course, also a financial benefit to firms on Wall Street who are big supporters of the White House.
COLLINS: So pardon the interruption, but what does need to be done, then, in order to keep this program financially sound?
ROOSEVELT: Every 10 to 20 years, Social Security, like every other insurance program, has needed small adjustments to reflect the changes in Americans` working patterns and lifestyles. And that`s what needs to be done now.
Small changes done now would preserve Social Security at full benefit, even if no changes were made. And even if you use the pessimistic assumptions of the Social Security trustees, they`d still be able to pay 75 percent of the benefit for the rest of the century. But with small changes, it could be 100 percent.
COLLINS: Well, James Roosevelt, Jr., we appreciate your time here this morning, live from Boston today. Thanks again.
ROOSEVELT: Great to be with you, Heidi.
COLLINS: Thank you.
HEMMER: A question this morning. Why would a self-described running addict need to shed 80 pounds? Meet the first participant in our "New You Revolution" ahead after this on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: NFL now. Down to the final four. In New England yesterday, snow kept the score down, and so, too, did the Patriots` defense. They swarmed all over Indianapolis. Colts stayed close at the half, 6-3. But the Patriots dominated late. They knocked off Peyton Manning and Indianapolis, 20-3 the final. New England continues.
Philadelphia now headed for their fourth straight NFC championship game. Look at this play here. Great catch there.
Rule of fumble recovery for a touchdown helped the Eagles knock off Vikings. 27-14 the final there.
So, here`s how we have it. The Patriots go to Pittsburgh, face the Steelers on Sunday. The Steelers knocked out the jets 20-17 overtime on Saturday. What a wild game that was.
The Eagles host the Atlanta Falcons. The Falcons beat the Rams, 47-14 on Saturday. So you`re all set.
Winners go to the Super Bowl in Jacksonville.
COLLINS: So did you pick the games?
HEMMER: I took all of the home teams.
COLLINS: Yes - 4-0, then, that makes you.
CAFFERTY: When that -- when that guy got hit at the five yard line at the Philadelphia- Minnesota game, and fumbled the ball in the end zone...
HEMMER: Yes.
CAFFERTY: He should just go home.
HEMMER: That`s right.
COLLINS: Yes, I totally agree.
(CROSSTALK)
CAFFERTY: If it`s not happening for you, just go to the locker, get a shower, get on a bus, get out of Dodge.
American commandos have been conducting secret missions inside Iran since last summer, trying to identify potential military targets for attack possibly by this summer. This is according to a story by Pulitzer Prize winning author Seymour Hersh in this week`s "New Yorker."
The question we`re asking is, should the United States attack military targets inside Iran?
Michael in Marlton, New Jersey, "Where are people`s heads? To leak intelligence that we`re sending our finest men into Iran for reconnaissance is beyond criminal. We might as well send them the exact date and time of when we`ll attack these sites as well." Sassan in Laguna Niguel, California, "Regime change in Iran is in the interest of both the Iranian people and America. Iran needs a regime change. The question of whether we have to do it militarily is still an open question. But as an Iranian, I can say the Iranian people are as pro American as any country in the Middle East, right there with Israel."
Huh?
Lance in Yorkton, Canada, "Osama bin Laden got the essence of his anti-Jewish, anti-American mass murder jihad from the Islamic fascism of the ayatollahs. The United States cannot afford to allow Iran to go nuclear. If our so-called allies continue to drag their feet, the U.S. will have to be prepared to take out Iran`s nuclear potential itself."
And Paul in Asbury Park, New Jersey, says this: "I say blow them to bits. We can tell the rest of the world community that they were spanking their children and sending them to bed without their dinner."
HEMMER: That will do it. Wasn`t it about a year ago we were reporting on all of these student protests on the campuses of universities throughout the country of Iran? What`s happened to those?
CAFFERTY: I think -- I think there`s a generation there that very much wants freedom of self-governance. And the ayatollahs, of course, it`s like, you know, the ayatollahs control China the way Chinese communists controlled that country for so many years. It ain`t going to happen until these old fools are out of the way and...
HEMMER: There was an amazing statistic that said the demographics in Iran today, 70 percent of the population is under the age 30.
CAFFERTY: Is that right?
HEMMER: That`s remarkable if true.
COLLINS: A very, very young country.
CAFFERTY: It`s a young country.
HEMMER: I`m telling you.
CAFFERTY: So they just need these old guys to fade away and then they can get on with business over there.
HEMMER: Thank you, Jack.
CAFFERTY: Maybe the president`s going to help.
HEMMER: All right.
A sneak peek at "90-Second Pop" in a moment.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HEMMER (voice-over): The Golden Globes are in the books. The big winners and losers on stage and on the red carpet. And if you missed the biggest surprises, they`re ahead, too, on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: Snowy day here in New York. Good morning, everybody. 9:30 here on the East Coast. Soledad is out. Heidi is with us.
COLLINS: I think she`s somewhere very warm.
HEMMER: Yes, I think so too. Come back with good stories, too.
In a moment here, we`ll look at some of the big issues for the president and the country now facing three days away from the inauguration on Thursday. Our series is called "What`s in it for Me," and today Kelly Wallace tells us what military families want to see happen in Iraq. So we`ll get to Kelly in a moment here.
COLLINS: Also, a little something for the trophy case. Some of the biggest names in Hollywood cleaning up at the Golden Globe Awards last night. We`ve got a special "90-Second Pop" coming up, looking at the winners, losers and the biggest surprises there.
HEMMER: All right. Carol Costello`s back as well, looking at the headlines.
Good morning, Carol.
COSTELLO: I am indeed. Good morning to you. Good morning, all of you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired January 17, 2005 - 8:59 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, everybody. 9:00 in New York City. Soledad is out today. Heidi Collins is back from assignment.
Good morning to you.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning to you.
HEMMER: Social Security one of the big issues the president promises to tackle in his second term. And the White House advertising campaign has caught the eye of one interested party, Franklin Delano Roosevelt`s grandson. We`ll talk to James Roosevelt about why he is unhappy with the White House and its position. We`ll get to that this hour.
COLLINS: Also, Sanjay`s "New You Revolution" series for 2005 begins today. We`ll meet five people who could turn their lives around. Their health problems are the same ones many of us face, in fact. So Sanjay is going to share his plan with us in just a moment.
HEMMER: Five great folks, too.
COLLINS: Yes.
HEMMER: They`re characters, aren`t they?
Hey, Jack. Good morning.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, Bill.
Sy Hersh has a very compelling piece in this week`s "New Yorker" magazine suggesting the Bush administration may begin striking military targets inside Iran as early as this coming summer if they can confirm intelligence that Iran is working on developing nuclear weapons. Think it`s a good idea? Or perhaps you don`t. AM@CNN.com. We`ll read some letters a bit later.
HEMMER: All right. Thank you, Jack.
COLLINS: Thank you, Jack.
HEMMER: Also on a Monday, Carol Costello is with us here with the headlines in the news.
Good morning, Carol.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, Bill. Good morning to all of you.
"Now in the News," a violent -- a violent morning in Iraq. Insurgents have launched attacks against Iraqi security groups throughout the country, killing at least 14 people. U.S. and Iraqi military officials say four other Iraqi soldiers were wounded when they were hit by small arms fire south of Baquba.
Crews near Park City, Utah, are resuming a search this hour for more victim of last week`s avalanche. Yesterday, rescuers found the body of a 27-year-old skier from Idaho. Officials say they found clues more people may have been buried.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SHERIFF DAVID EDMUNDS, SUMMIT COUNTY: We have found some other personnel effects in the debris field which might suggest other victims. But we don`t know at this point. Hopefully, today will answer some more questions as the searchers get out up on the hill and we begin probing once again.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: High-tech radar equipment is expected to be brought in today to assist in the search.
President Bush is honoring the work of a man he calls a visionary American, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The president will speak at a Let Freedom Ring celebration honoring Dr. King`s life. That will happen this afternoon at the Kennedy Center in Washington. A parade will be held in honor of the civil rights leader. That`s set to begin in about an hour in Washington, one of several events planned across the country.
And a new coach is ruling at the box office. "Coach Carter," the film starring Samuel Jackson, raked in $23.of million this week, and it bumped off the comedy "Meet the Fockers," which means we will be unable to say the word "Fockers" ever again on the air very soon. "Racing Stripes," about a zebra at the track came in at number three.
HEMMER: That was "The Fockers" flick, right?
COSTELLO: It was the "Fockers" flick.
HEMMER: They times fast, say it. Come on.
COLLINS: Oh, no, no, no.
COSTELLO: No, that`s dangerous.
COLLINS: Very dangerous.
HEMMER: Thank you, Carol.
COLLINS: Carol, thanks.
Looking ahead now to Thursday`s inauguration and how the upcoming elections in Iraq are shaping President Bush`s message for a second term. For that, we go live to CNN`s Elaine Quijano standing by at the White House this morning.
Elaine, good morning.
ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Heidi.
That`s right, officials say President Bush spent part of his weekend reviewing his inaugural address, one that aides say will emphasize freedom and also President Bush`s vision of spreading democracy around the world. Now, a big part of that, of course, is Iraq.
But with some 1,300 U.S. troops killed and reports continuing about violence ongoing, and insurgents trying to disrupt the political process in that country, the administration in recent days has seemingly been trying to lower expectations. Officials now painting a picture of uncertainty for Iraq`s January 30 elections.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAN BARTLETT, COUNSELOR TO THE PRESIDENT: The security environment is tough, no question about it. And we`re going to do everything we can to help achieve the best possible scenario in order for as many people as possible to vote. But we do know million of Iraqi people want to vote, and we`re going to find ways to get them to the polls.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
QUIJANO: Now, as the president heads into his second term, he does so with an overall approval rating of 53 percent, according to a new poll. That`s up about four points from where it was a month ago. But when it comes to the issue of Iraq, according to a recent CNN-"USA Today"-Gallup poll, only 42 percent of Americans approve of the way he`s handled that situation; a majority of Americans, 56 percent, disapprove.
Nevertheless, the president is standing by his actions, expressing no regrets about removing Saddam Hussein from power. And administration officials are emphasizing that this is only the first step in what they hope will be democracy taking root in that region -- Heidi.
COLLINS: All right. Elaine Quijano, from the White House. And Elaine, thanks for battling the wind out there today, too. We appreciate it.
Also, make sure you tune in on Thursday for AMERICAN MORNING`s special live coverage of inauguration preparations. That will be coming your way 7:00 a.m. Eastern.
HEMMER: Army reservist Charles Graner says he has no regrets and no apologies for abusing Iraqi inmates at Abu Ghraib prison, west of Baghdad. Convicted by a military court, Graner received a 10-year prison term, was demoted to private, and will be dishonorably discharged. This morning I talked with his parents, Irma and Charles Graner, what they thought of the verdict and the sentencing.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
IRMA GRANER, CHARLES GRANER`S MOTHER: It was so one-sided. It was just terrible. And I want the people of the United States to know how the prosecution and the judge just let my son out to dry. He has a wonderful...
HEMMER: How so, Mrs. Graner?
I. GRANER: Well, he has a wonderful defense team. They could get nothing in. Every time they wanted to present evidence, it was turned down.
They weren`t allowed to have witnesses testify. Everything was hearsay. They had witnesses that worked right in the Abu Ghraib prison with him that weren`t allowed to testify because it was hearsay. How can it be hearsay when you`re working right side by side with the person?
CHARLES GRANER SR., CHARLES GRANER`S FATHER: Judge Pohl single- handedly led the jury down a garden path, a garden path in which Judge Pohl constructed blocked walls so the jury couldn`t see the defense beyond these blocked walls.
HEMMER: And Mr. Graner, some critics have said your son has shown no signs of remorse, seeing him smiling leaving the courtroom area. Have you talked to him about that?
C. GRANER: My son, to say he showed no signs of remorse, why should you show a sign of remorse for doing your job? And he firmly believed that he was doing his job.
His job -- you know, at first, as he said, he was a Christian who didn`t believe in doing that. He was a correction officer who says, hey, this isn`t right. But he believed that after listening and found out what he was doing -- he was doing a good job. He was saving people, American people.
You know, the Americans, like the ones that they shot in a car, burned the car, took the bodies out and hung them on a bridge, he was doing that. He was trying to save more people.
It was a job. He did the job. Should he be remorseful for doing a job? I think not.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HEMMER: Again, the parents of Charles Graner.
The woman known as Graner`s girlfriend, Private First Class Lynndie England, will also face a court-martial on abuse charges. Rick Hernandez is England`s attorney. He`s my guest now in Denver, Colorado.
And sir, good morning to you in Colorado. RICK HERNANDEZ, LYNNDIE ENGLAND`S ATTORNEY: Good morning.
HEMMER: Are you concerned now with Graner`s sentence being handed down about your own case?
HERNANDEZ: No. I believe that Lynndie England is a different person than Graner. And the facts that will be presented to a panel or a judge in Lynndie England`s case hopefully will be different than those presented or allowed to be presented in Charles Graner`s court- martial.
HEMMER: You say a different person or different facts?
HERNANDEZ: Different person and different facts. Charles Graner was accused in many more assaults than Lynndie England. The sum total of the assault charges that Lynndie England was facing are one specification of assault where she pushed a detainee and two specifications where she stepped on toes. That is the sum total of the government`s case regarding detainee abuse by Lynndie England.
HEMMER: What we saw in the Graner case, though, is that he defended himself by saying he was just following orders. And apparently, that did not work well for him. Does that concern you as the defense for your client?
HERNANDEZ: Well, I think the difference between them is the amount of time that they had spent in the military. The amount of training that Charles Graner had as a civilian, as well in the military, is completely different from Lynndie England, who was an admin clerk and was never trained as an MP and was never trained while at Abu Ghraib.
HEMMER: Well, that aside, though, what`s your defense then if that`s the case?
HERNANDEZ: Well, the defense is still that they were following orders. That hasn`t changed from any single person that`s either pled guilty or been found guilty in this case.
It has been repeated by all of them, that they were in fact following orders. We hope that in this case the government is not seeking a conviction, but is rather seeking the truth. And by seeking the truth, they will allow us to call witnesses that were not allowed to be called.
HEMMER: The problem with all of this is you`ve got this picture of your client holding this leash. How do you get around that?
HERNANDEZ: Well, the picture with her holding the leash has been made famous. However, it still does not represent what went on before or after, or whether that was in fact ordered by MI in order to soften up prisoners. We have Major General Miller`s report that indicates that MI was using the MPs to soften up prisoners. Whether that was a psychological tactic to get them to speak is a different story...
HEMMER: Do you think -- and let me try a different approach. Do you have any evidence that will suggest somebody in that prison was told to do something and said, "No, I`m not doing that, that`s illegal. I could be in trouble for doing that?"
HERNANDEZ: Well, there are some people who refused to take certain actions. However, the people that were in Tier One Alpha (ph), dealing with the most severe -- actually the most suspected al Qaeda terrorists or terrorist cells that were -- people that were suspected of being terrorists, those people in Tier One had a different agenda for military intelligence than the rest of the prison.
HEMMER: One final question here. Your client had a baby back in October, I believe. Some reports say Charles Graner is the father of that child. Is that the case?
HERNANDEZ: We have no reason to doubt that Charles Graner is the father. That is, in fact, the case that`s been stated previously and will continue to be stated.
HEMMER: All right. Thanks for your time. Rick Hernandez, the attorney for Lynndie England, there from Denver, Colorado. We`ll continue to follow it. Thanks again.
Here`s Heidi.
COLLINS: Time now for a check on the weather. Chad Myers at the CNN Center with the very latest this morning.
(WEATHER REPORT)
HEMMER: There`s a former president in the center of a controversy. We`ll talk to FDR`s grandson about why he has a bone to pick with the White House in a moment.
COLLINS: James Roosevelt, Jr. there.
Also, a special series, "What`s in it for Us?" What do military families want from the president in his second term? We`ll have one wife`s story.
HEMMER: Also, a glimpse at one of the solar system`s greatest mysteries. A moon takes it`s star turn.
Back in a moment here after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: Well, the data being sent back to Earth by the Huygens space probe on Saturn`s moon Titan. Pictures show a frozen orange world covered in a methane-rich haze. This is one of three pictures released so far.
This along the surface of the moon. Dark ice rocks dot several riverbed-like surfaces. And the scientists studying the images say they suggest a common background among Mars, Earth and Titan, and perhaps other planets within our sopolar system. Stay tuned. Maybe later in the week more pictures again from Titan deep in space -- Heidi.
COLLINS: President Bush`s plan to revamp Social Security has its opponents on Capitol Hill and beyond. One of them is James Roosevelt, Jr. He`s voicing his opinion not so much on his own behalf, but for the historical legacy he says of his grandfather, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the man who created Social Security, in fact. Here`s what Roosevelt is unhappy about.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It took courage to create Social Security.
FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT, FMR. PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: This Social Security measure...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It will take courage and leadership to protect it. Once 16 workers supported one retiree. But when today`s workers retire, only two workers will support one retiree. Washington must strengthen Social Security. No changes for those at or near retirement, but younger workers should have the option...
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: James Roosevelt, Jr. is joining us now from Boston, Massachusetts, this morning.
Sir, thank you for being with us here on AMERICAN MORNING. You have a big problem with this ad. Tell us why.
JAMES ROOSEVELT, JR., FDR`S GRANDSON: Yes. I think it`s outrageous, Heidi, that this group which is supporting President Bush`s effort, along with his friends on Wall Street, to destroy and privatize Social Security would use the image of my grandfather beginning a program, Social Security, which has been the most successful domestic program for families that this country has ever had, and that they`d use his image to imply that what they`re doing would accomplish the same thing. And in fact, it would subject Americans to tremendous risk for their retirement.
COLLINS: We should point out that you are currently a member of the DNC, and also the Massachusetts Democratic Committee. You are also a lawyer. Now, do you have any grounds to take legal action against the group, Progress for America, who is behind this ad?
ROOSEVELT: I don`t think so. I`m a strong believer in the first amendment and, of course, my grandfather, FDR, was definitely a public figure. So I think they have the legal right to use the image. But I think it`s misleading, and it has a very misleading implication for the American people.
COLLINS: In fact, we should say that in contacting them, they said, "We appreciate Mr. Roosevelt`s feedback, but we`ll continue to air the add in its entirety." How does that make you feel?
ROOSEVELT: Well, I`m glad they`re happy to hear from me, but I do not think they should continue to air the ad. The ad is part of stirring up a phony crisis that the White House and President Bush have been trying to inspire.
Social Security is not in crisis. If anybody read the excellent article in "The New York Times" magazine yesterday, all of the facts and figures are laid out there about why there is no crisis. Even the Congressional Budget Office and the Social Security trustees appointed by the president say that Social Security is financially sound, without any changes for the next 40 to 50 years.
COLLINS: Well, as we look at this pick picture of your grandfather actually signing the Social Security bill into law back in 1935, and you mentioned that President Bush and some Republicans really don`t want to save Social Security, why would they not want to save it? What would be the motivation?
ROOSEVELT: As a memo from one of Karl Rove`s assistants said a couple of weeks ago, after trying for six years to do -- six decades, rather, to do away with Social Security, they now finally have the chance to do it, they believe, since they control both houses of the Congress and the White House. It`s ideological.
It`s a feeling that the American people should not work with their government to provide security for our older generations and our disabled and the survivors of parents who have died and widows. It`s really ideological. There is, of course, also a financial benefit to firms on Wall Street who are big supporters of the White House.
COLLINS: So pardon the interruption, but what does need to be done, then, in order to keep this program financially sound?
ROOSEVELT: Every 10 to 20 years, Social Security, like every other insurance program, has needed small adjustments to reflect the changes in Americans` working patterns and lifestyles. And that`s what needs to be done now.
Small changes done now would preserve Social Security at full benefit, even if no changes were made. And even if you use the pessimistic assumptions of the Social Security trustees, they`d still be able to pay 75 percent of the benefit for the rest of the century. But with small changes, it could be 100 percent.
COLLINS: Well, James Roosevelt, Jr., we appreciate your time here this morning, live from Boston today. Thanks again.
ROOSEVELT: Great to be with you, Heidi.
COLLINS: Thank you.
HEMMER: A question this morning. Why would a self-described running addict need to shed 80 pounds? Meet the first participant in our "New You Revolution" ahead after this on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: NFL now. Down to the final four. In New England yesterday, snow kept the score down, and so, too, did the Patriots` defense. They swarmed all over Indianapolis. Colts stayed close at the half, 6-3. But the Patriots dominated late. They knocked off Peyton Manning and Indianapolis, 20-3 the final. New England continues.
Philadelphia now headed for their fourth straight NFC championship game. Look at this play here. Great catch there.
Rule of fumble recovery for a touchdown helped the Eagles knock off Vikings. 27-14 the final there.
So, here`s how we have it. The Patriots go to Pittsburgh, face the Steelers on Sunday. The Steelers knocked out the jets 20-17 overtime on Saturday. What a wild game that was.
The Eagles host the Atlanta Falcons. The Falcons beat the Rams, 47-14 on Saturday. So you`re all set.
Winners go to the Super Bowl in Jacksonville.
COLLINS: So did you pick the games?
HEMMER: I took all of the home teams.
COLLINS: Yes - 4-0, then, that makes you.
CAFFERTY: When that -- when that guy got hit at the five yard line at the Philadelphia- Minnesota game, and fumbled the ball in the end zone...
HEMMER: Yes.
CAFFERTY: He should just go home.
HEMMER: That`s right.
COLLINS: Yes, I totally agree.
(CROSSTALK)
CAFFERTY: If it`s not happening for you, just go to the locker, get a shower, get on a bus, get out of Dodge.
American commandos have been conducting secret missions inside Iran since last summer, trying to identify potential military targets for attack possibly by this summer. This is according to a story by Pulitzer Prize winning author Seymour Hersh in this week`s "New Yorker."
The question we`re asking is, should the United States attack military targets inside Iran?
Michael in Marlton, New Jersey, "Where are people`s heads? To leak intelligence that we`re sending our finest men into Iran for reconnaissance is beyond criminal. We might as well send them the exact date and time of when we`ll attack these sites as well." Sassan in Laguna Niguel, California, "Regime change in Iran is in the interest of both the Iranian people and America. Iran needs a regime change. The question of whether we have to do it militarily is still an open question. But as an Iranian, I can say the Iranian people are as pro American as any country in the Middle East, right there with Israel."
Huh?
Lance in Yorkton, Canada, "Osama bin Laden got the essence of his anti-Jewish, anti-American mass murder jihad from the Islamic fascism of the ayatollahs. The United States cannot afford to allow Iran to go nuclear. If our so-called allies continue to drag their feet, the U.S. will have to be prepared to take out Iran`s nuclear potential itself."
And Paul in Asbury Park, New Jersey, says this: "I say blow them to bits. We can tell the rest of the world community that they were spanking their children and sending them to bed without their dinner."
HEMMER: That will do it. Wasn`t it about a year ago we were reporting on all of these student protests on the campuses of universities throughout the country of Iran? What`s happened to those?
CAFFERTY: I think -- I think there`s a generation there that very much wants freedom of self-governance. And the ayatollahs, of course, it`s like, you know, the ayatollahs control China the way Chinese communists controlled that country for so many years. It ain`t going to happen until these old fools are out of the way and...
HEMMER: There was an amazing statistic that said the demographics in Iran today, 70 percent of the population is under the age 30.
CAFFERTY: Is that right?
HEMMER: That`s remarkable if true.
COLLINS: A very, very young country.
CAFFERTY: It`s a young country.
HEMMER: I`m telling you.
CAFFERTY: So they just need these old guys to fade away and then they can get on with business over there.
HEMMER: Thank you, Jack.
CAFFERTY: Maybe the president`s going to help.
HEMMER: All right.
A sneak peek at "90-Second Pop" in a moment.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HEMMER (voice-over): The Golden Globes are in the books. The big winners and losers on stage and on the red carpet. And if you missed the biggest surprises, they`re ahead, too, on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: Snowy day here in New York. Good morning, everybody. 9:30 here on the East Coast. Soledad is out. Heidi is with us.
COLLINS: I think she`s somewhere very warm.
HEMMER: Yes, I think so too. Come back with good stories, too.
In a moment here, we`ll look at some of the big issues for the president and the country now facing three days away from the inauguration on Thursday. Our series is called "What`s in it for Me," and today Kelly Wallace tells us what military families want to see happen in Iraq. So we`ll get to Kelly in a moment here.
COLLINS: Also, a little something for the trophy case. Some of the biggest names in Hollywood cleaning up at the Golden Globe Awards last night. We`ve got a special "90-Second Pop" coming up, looking at the winners, losers and the biggest surprises there.
HEMMER: All right. Carol Costello`s back as well, looking at the headlines.
Good morning, Carol.
COSTELLO: I am indeed. Good morning to you. Good morning, all of you.
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