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American Morning
Wal-Mart Cashier Abducted in Parking Lot; Havin' a Ball; Interview With Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison
Aired January 21, 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. A Wal-Mart cashier abducted in the store's parking lot. Police trying to track down a man seen in this surveillance videotape.
The president and the first lady stepping out for a big night of post-inauguration celebrations.
And snow on the ground, ice on the road, and a lot more of both on the way very soon on this AMERICAN MORNING.
ANNOUNCER: From the CNN Broadcast Center in New York, this is AMERICAN MORNING with Bill Hemmer and Soledad O'Brien.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. Welcome, everybody.
The inauguration is over in Washington. Getting back to normal now. The president still giving us a lot to talk about, though, with his speech of yesterday. We're going to get a report this morning from John King, also some reaction from reaction of voters. Find out what they think of the president's challenge to the world.
HEMMER: Also this hour, Republicans had hoped to confirm Condoleezza Rice yesterday, but Democrats made sure that did not happen. Won't be today either. In fact, some say it might be Wednesday of next week. Republican Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison here to talk about that with us this morning.
O'BRIEN: Jack Cafferty, good morning.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Hello. Is it a realistic goal for the United States to take it upon itself to spread freedom and democracy around the world? AM@CNN.com. That was a big part of the subject of the president's inaugural address yesterday. Interested in your thoughts on that. We'll read some letters in a few minutes.
O'BRIEN: All right, Jack. Thank you very much.
CAFFERTY: Sure.
O'BRIEN: Let's go to Heidi, a look at the headlines.
Hi, Heidi.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Hey, good morning once again, guys. And good morning to you, everybody. "Now in the News" this morning, we begin in Iraq, where there's been an attack of an Iraqi mosque during morning prayers. Iraqi police sources say at least 14 people were killed when a car bomb went off in southern Baghdad. The attack comes on the holiday known as the Feast of Sacrifice, marking the end of the Muslim pilgrimage Hajj.
Here in the U.S., a CNN "Security Watch." The FBI is adding 10 new names to a list of people sought for questioning in connection with the possible terror plot in Boston. The names are in addition to four Chinese nationals named yesterday. Sources said two Iraqis were also mentioned in the threat.
Authorities stress the information regarding a possible threat still has not been verified. But stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security.
Firefighters now on the scene of this. You're looking at some live pictures coming into us here.
A massive house fire in central Philadelphia. Believed to be a four-alarm blaze and a multi-family home. Pretty tough to see there, but there are reports of people missing.
It has not been confirmed. But we are going to be watching this one for you. You see that smoke pouring out of the scene there. We'll bring you more details just as soon as they come into us.
And the annual running of the brides. These pictures from Filene's Basement in Atlanta, Georgia. Look out. We showed you this last hour. I thought we'd show it again.
The soon to be brides hoping to find their dream dress at a huge discount. The wild scene has been repeated in various Filene's Basements throughout the country since 1947. But so much noise down in the basement. You can probably hear it out on the street.
O'BRIEN: Have you ever gone to that?
COLLINS: No, I haven't. I've been afraid.
O'BRIEN: It is actually -- it's a horrifying, horrible experience.
HEMMER: Really?
O'BRIEN: I mean, it's fun, but...
COLLINS: Did you go for your wedding dress?
O'BRIEN: No. I went with a girlfriend many moons ago. And I will never go back. It was traumatic.
HEMMER: If they let men shop like that, maybe we'd do it more often.
O'BRIEN: People -- it's like elbowing. HEMMER: Like a football game.
COLLINS: Maybe not.
O'BRIEN: It is. You know, you get injured. It's scary. No kidding. It really is.
COLLINS: I'm never going. You've confirmed it.
HEMMER: Talk to you later.
COLLINS: OK.
HEMMER: A weather warning to folks here in the Northeast. A big winter storm is now headed your way. Snow and ice storms pounding parts of North Carolina for the past few days. And that is trouble there.
Roads became ice rinks. Traffic, gridlock. Trips that usually took a few minutes stretched into hours.
Chad warned us. This is part of the weather forecast for this week.
Hey, good morning.
(WEATHER REPORT)
O'BRIEN: All right. Chad, thank you very much. We'll keep watching to see where that final tweaking actually goes. Appreciate it.
In Texas, police say they need the public's help in solving the apparent abduction of a young woman at a Wal-Mart parking lot. The entire incident was captured on surveillance tape on Wednesday night.
Ed Lavandera is in Tyler, Texas, with more for us this morning.
Hey, Ed. Good morning.
ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Soledad.
Well, it's been almost 36 hours since 19-year-old Megan Holden wrapped up her shift as a cashier here at this Wal-Mart in Tyler. She was walking out to her car when apparently she was abducted.
As you mentioned, the whole incident caught on surveillance cameras and a series of cameras are that are situated throughout the parking lot. In fact, police say they don't think Megan Holden knew she was about to be abducted until the very moment the altercation took place.
She can be seen in the tape -- on the tape wearing a lime green shirt with horizontal stripes and light colored pants. She had just wrapped up that shift here working as the cashier. And in the tape you can also see a man approaching her through the parking lot from behind.
But it turns out police also say they went back another two hours from when that abduction happened. And this suspect, who police describe as a black male about six feet tall, weighing about 180 pounds, with a muscular build, could be seen on the tape also walking inside the store and back outside. In fact, he approached the Wal- Mart store walking through the parking lot.
So they don't know if he drove into this area or if he's even from here. And police are trying to figure out who he is at this point.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OFFICER DON MARTIN, TYLER POLICE DEPT.: We think he had a motive for being there, that his reasons possibly were to possibly abduct someone or to get a vehicle, to maybe get out of town, or whatever. We really don't know what the reasons are.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LAVANDERA: On the tape, police also say that the suspect could be seen following other women as they walked out of the store, and then giving up for whatever reason and coming back. But at this point, the main focus is on finding the truck that Megan Holden drives.
They believe the suspect took off from this scene with her in her own truck, a 2002 Ford F-150 red pickup truck with a long scratch along the left-hand side of the car. And that's what police are looking for.
In fact, they've launched aerial searches in the area yesterday, but to no avail. A hundred officers in the state of Texas are working this case, as are authorities in Louisiana, Arkansas and Oklahoma -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Ed Lavandera for us this morning, following this case. Ed, thank you -- Bill.
HEMMER: In our nation's capital, inauguration whirlwind ending with a full night of parties last night. President Bush and the first lady tripping the light fantastic at no fewer than 10 balls. All that, and they were back home at the White House just after 10:00 last evening. The official celebration ends this morning as it began yesterday with a prayer service starting at about an hour from now.
Back to the White House this morning. Here's John King.
Good morning.
JOHN KING, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Bill.
That prayer service will end several days of celebrations and ceremonies, getting the president's second term under way. As Mr. Bush attends that service today, here in Washington and around the world they are still analyzing a second inaugural address in which the president promised to set American foreign policy on a dramatic new course.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The Constitution of the United States.
KING (voice-over): Left hand on the family bible...
BUSH: So help me god.
KING: ... the second inaugural address shaped by the defining day of the first term, September 11, a day of fire, the president called it.
BUSH: The survival of liberty in our land increasingly depends on the success of liberty in other lands.
KING: The self-described war president said his second term mission will be using American power and influence to end tyranny and promote democracy.
BUSH: It is the honorable achievement of our fathers. Now it is the urgent requirement of our nation's security and the calling of our time.
KING: No specific mention of Iraq, where critics suggest Mr. Bush's zeal for promoting democracy is failing its first big test. But without singling out any one government, Mr. Bush promised an aggressive second term approach that could, if he follows through, strain relations with governments with whom critics say Mr. Bush has been far too cozy -- Russia, China and Saudi Arabia among them.
BUSH: The leaders of governments with long habits of control need to know, to serve your people, you must learn to trust them.
KING: Here at home, Mr. Bush said a freedom agenda would give individuals more power and government less, and promised as he pushed controversial ideas like revamping Social Security to reach across party lines.
BUSH: We have known divisions which must be healed to move forward in great purposes and I will strive in good faith to heal them.
KING: Chief Justice William Rehnquist administered the oath. But his frail condition amid a battle with cancer was a reminder a Supreme Court nomination could soon test any hope of bipartisanship. And even as they joined the ceremonies, Democrats fired a symbolic early warning shot, blocking confirmation of Condoleezza Rice as secretary of state until next week.
Protests along the parade route were another reminder that Mr. Bush begins his second term as he did the first -- a polarizing figure. The security was unprecedented and only at the very end did the president and first lady leave the limousine to enjoy a bit of the parade route on foot, before joining family members, the vice president and others in the VIP reviewing stand to savor the moment.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
KING: The president and first lady did go to all of the inaugural balls, but they whipped through them quite quickly. Back at the White House, 90 minutes ahead of schedule. But, Bill, I can tell you this, this morning, many of the senior White House staff usually here at daybreak. Some of them just arriving now.
HEMMER: I can imagine that. You know, John, reflect on the theme from yesterday about democracy all over the world. Is there a proposal from the White House as to how that is achieved?
KING: No. And that is the big test again.
The president said it is not necessarily achieved through military force. He was trying to send a signal to the world that he doesn't really want to be known as the war president anymore. But how do you do that?
You can, of course, do that just by public speeches, highlighting. You can meet with, say, opposition figures from Iran. You can lecture the Chinese to release dissidents.
The president meets next month with a man he calls friend, Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia. There have been a number of steps by the Kremlin, and Mr. Putin, specifically, that the White House says are anti-democratic. Will the president lecture him in public? That could be one of the first big tests.
HEMMER: All right. John, thanks. John King at the White House -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Well, it is hurry up and wait for America's next secretary of state. Democrats derailed President Bush's man to have Condoleezza Rice confirmed on the day he was inaugurated. The full Senate vote on her nomination now expected next week.
Republican Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas joins us from the Capitol.
Good morning. Nice to see you.
SEN. KAY BAILEY HUTCHISON (R), TEXAS: Thank you, Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Before we talk about what's going on with the Condoleezza Rice nomination, let's talk a little bit about the president's speech yesterday. What did you make of the speech?
HUTCHISON: Well, I think he was speaking to the world and saying that now we are going to be looking at places that enemies can foment rebellion and come to our country and harm us. And therefore, we're going to take a more proactive role in helping any freedom fighter who is trying to get freedom for his or her country.
O'BRIEN: There are some people coming who have been coming up with a list because speeches like this often are short of specifics. So they've come up with a list of countries that maybe the president was talking to, like Iran and China and Pakistan and Saudi Arabia and Egypt, North Korea, Cuba. The list could go on and on and on.
Some have said that's too aggressive, too far-reaching, too ambitious. You agree or disagree?
HUTCHISON: Well, Soledad, what I think the president was saying is, if you are going to harm Americans, we are going to stand up to you. And we are going to go after terrorists wherever they are.
And Iran, certainly with a potential nuclear weapon, would certainly be a matter of grave concern to the president because it would affect the security of our country. And Saudi Arabia has allowed these Wahabists to fester in their country and now come out and harm Americans.
And I think these countries need to be forewarned that we're not going to let terrorists come to our country and kill Americans. And we're going to go where they are to try to wipe them out.
O'BRIEN: There was not a whole lot said about the domestic agenda. Some have said that that means that he's chucking Social Security overboard. I think a speechwriter said on our air this morning. Did that seem to you like that was an admission that signifies that maybe Social Security's not going to be at the top of the president's agenda?
HUTCHISON: No. I do think on the domestic agenda Social Security will be the number one priority. And I think that will come out in the state of the union message to Congress. But honestly, I think the president was trying to talk to Americans, but he was speaking to the world.
I think he was trying to focus on where America is and why we are so resolute that we must now make sure that other people have freedom, because where freedom is freedom prevails. And we need to let the world know that, if you are going to harm Americans and threaten Americans because you don't have freedom, then it becomes an issue for us.
O'BRIEN: Let's talk about the Democrats and Condoleezza Rice. They now say it might be till next week before Condoleezza Rice is confirmed as secretary of state. Senator Reid said yesterday to me that it is not a stalling tactic, that four or five days is hardly a stall. How do you read it?
HUTCHISON: Well, I'm disappointed. I think the president should have had his secretary of state on his inauguration day. I think there was no reason to delay her confirmation.
We've had two long days of hearings. And if senators wanted to talk, we could have had a time agreement. But really, I think only one or two senators wanted to talk. And now we'll probably have more because there are going to be many hours of debate before we confirm her. And I think it is a tactic, and I think it's unfortunate.
O'BRIEN: A tactic to what -- forgive me for interrupting. I'm just curious, a tactic to what end? What do you think the motivation is?
HUTCHISON: To use the time to criticize the president and the war on terrorism and Iraq through debate on the floor over Condi Rice. It was a tactic to have the forum to harm the president.
And I think now they're going to have their time, and we're going to have a large number of votes, overwhelming majority for Condi Rice. But I think the Democrats misjudged this. I think they should have helped go along, show that there would be bipartisanship, particularly on secretary of state, where we would want to have unity of our country to let the president have his voice in foreign policy.
O'BRIEN: Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison joining us this morning. Nice to see you. Thanks for chatting with us.
HUTCHISON: Thank you, Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Bill.
HEMMER: Well, the pundits have had their say. How did the address play in the heartland? Carlos Watson went there to find out. We'll talk with Carlos in a moment on that.
O'BRIEN: Also, at a time when many Americans want a crackdown on illegal immigrants, meet one man who says we really should be reaching out. Our special series, "What's In It for Me?" is ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: Part of what President Bush said yesterday was this: "The survival of liberty in our land increasingly depends on the success of liberty in other lands." What does that mean to Americans watching yesterday?
CNN political analyst Carlos Watson here looking into that.
Good morning. Welcome back here to New York.
CARLOS WATSON, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Good morning.
HEMMER: You were in Ohio.
WATSON: Had to go back to our home state.
HEMMER: That's right. Go Buckeyes.
WATSON: Yes.
HEMMER: Now, you sat down with -- we'll talk about that in a moment. But one of the things you said about this speech yesterday, don't look at the speech in isolation, but rather part of a bigger picture. What sort of picture?
WATSON: I think -- I think this White House has been the most strategic we've ever seen in terms of thinking about the inaugural address, not as a singular event but as part of, if you will, a 100- day kickoff to the second term. So you've got the inaugural address, you've got the state of the union coming up soon, you've got the Iraqi elections, but you also, by the way, are beginning to see the president barnstorm the country a little bit.
You see a series of interviews, including with our own John King recently. And you clearly see the president knowing that this is his chance to not only spend some of that political capital, but to begin to rally some public support.
HEMMER: I want to find out what you found out with voters in Ohio. You had a group of, what, six people, right?
WATSON: Yes, a half-dozen.
HEMMER: You had four men, two women, ages 20 to 69. How did they react watching?
WATSON: You know what was interesting? They thought it was a good speech, but nothing surprising, Bill. And that, by the way, came both from the president's supporters and from those who didn't support the president.
HEMMER: Nothing surprising? I'm surprised that they wouldn't find it was surprising that nothing on the domestic agenda was mentioned.
WATSON: Well, you know what? Interestingly enough, I don't think they had big expectations for it. I think a lot of the expectations will come two weeks from now with the state of the union, because in many ways, you know, you clearly had them express concern about Iraq.
And we were only a few miles away from Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, one of the major installations. So a lot of people had family involved in the conflict in one way or another.
But on the domestic agenda, interestingly enough, they don't have one hut-button issue. We heard stem cell research. We heard medical malpractice reform, which doesn't seem like an issue they would be interested in, in the heartland, but they were.
You heard abortion. You heard, interestingly enough, from social conservatives, "Don't back down, Mr. President. Don't back down when it comes to judicial nominations, don't back down when it comes to a constitutional amendment on gay marriage." Again, it wasn't a scientific sample. We only had a half-dozen people.
HEMMER: Sure. But you had -- you had a fabric of reflection in that focus group, too. Iraq wasn't mentioned, but it was implied throughout that entire 21 minutes yesterday. I want to show you some Gallup poll numbers for you. And we're talking -- you mentioned domestic issues here.
WATSON: Sure.
HEMMER: "In his second term, will the president improve education?" Fifty-eight percent say yes. "What about strengthening Social Security?" Only 40 percent say yes there. That signals what?
WATSON: Clearly, the president has a lot of work to do on Social Security, and the president knows that. And consequently, you'll see him employ a lot of the campaign techniques that were successful for him in 2004 in his policy drive in 2005.
What do I mean? I mean e-mails to the 7.5 million people who were in the RNC's e-mail database. I mean reaching out to the 1.5 million people who volunteered on the campaign. I mean twisting the arms and visiting, if you will, the districts of questioning a recalcitrant Republican congressman in particular.
HEMMER: Thank you, Carlos. We'll see you this weekend, won't we?
WATSON: Sunday we've got "Off Topic," great show.
HEMMER: All right.
WATSON: Arnold Schwarzenegger.
HEMMER: I want to give it a little plug here quickly. You're going to talk with the governor from California to talk about what? Possibly amendment to the Constitution? Could that put an Austrian in the White House some day?
Also, "Desperate Housewives" Eva Longoria with Carlos this weekend. Sunday night, 10:00 Eastern, 7:00 on the West Coast. We'll look for it then.
WATSON: Thank you so much. Good to see you.
HEMMER: Come again, all right?
WATSON: Yes.
HEMMER: Here's Soledad.
O'BRIEN: The relief effort continues in southeast Asia, but one country could pay the price for a new development involving U.S. troops. A look at that's ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: Welcome back, everybody. We've been talking about the inauguration of yesterday. No exception right now. Jack's got the "Question of the Day." Good morning.
CAFFERTY: The freedom speech, I guess, is how it will become to be known at some point. He stressed spreading freedom and democracy around the world, our president did.
There have been some successes, places like the Ukraine. Afghanistan had elections not so long ago. The Iraqis will vote here in a week or so.
But what about places like Saudi Arabia and China and Russia, Egypt, Pakistan, countries where perhaps the desire to export freedom and democracy will conflict directly with U.S. policy on security or the economy? Is President Bush's goal of expanding freedom realistic, is the question.
Buck writes, "Of course it is. But it's not going to happen between commercials or in 30-second sound bites. The Marshall Plan involved thousands of people and billions of dollars in order to create a free western Europe. The Cold War didn't end until almost 50 years after World War II."
Vinnie in Decatur, Georgia, "There should have been an asterisk on the screen. 'Freedom does not apply to gay people, minorities, the poor, people wanting to drink clean water or breathe clean air, or people with chronic diseases hoping for stem cell research.'"
Ruben from Lompoc, California, addresses his letter to "Jack, Jill and Jim."
(LAUGHTER)
HEMMER: Hey, we've been called worse.
O'BRIEN: A lot worse.
CAFFERTY: "He may not achieve it in his administration, but is that not what the last several presidents have been striving for all these years? One country at a time."
And finally, Jim in South Orange, "Did anyone miss the irony of a speech laden with freedom followed by a six-block procession in an armored personnel carrier with a Cadillac insignia on the front?"
Back to you, Jim and Jill.
HEMMER: Hey, Bob.
O'BRIEN: I like Jill. I think that's sort of -- OK.
HEMMER: Yes. Well, you can have it.
CAFFERTY: A lot of smart alecks out there, you know? They aren't all up right at 7:00, but they fall out of bed...
(CROSSTALK) O'BRIEN: I thought they were very clever. Thank you, Jack.
Well, get ready for a deep freeze. There's a monster winter storm sweeping across the country. It could be coming in your direction. A look at that's ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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Aired January 21, 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. A Wal-Mart cashier abducted in the store's parking lot. Police trying to track down a man seen in this surveillance videotape.
The president and the first lady stepping out for a big night of post-inauguration celebrations.
And snow on the ground, ice on the road, and a lot more of both on the way very soon on this AMERICAN MORNING.
ANNOUNCER: From the CNN Broadcast Center in New York, this is AMERICAN MORNING with Bill Hemmer and Soledad O'Brien.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. Welcome, everybody.
The inauguration is over in Washington. Getting back to normal now. The president still giving us a lot to talk about, though, with his speech of yesterday. We're going to get a report this morning from John King, also some reaction from reaction of voters. Find out what they think of the president's challenge to the world.
HEMMER: Also this hour, Republicans had hoped to confirm Condoleezza Rice yesterday, but Democrats made sure that did not happen. Won't be today either. In fact, some say it might be Wednesday of next week. Republican Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison here to talk about that with us this morning.
O'BRIEN: Jack Cafferty, good morning.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Hello. Is it a realistic goal for the United States to take it upon itself to spread freedom and democracy around the world? AM@CNN.com. That was a big part of the subject of the president's inaugural address yesterday. Interested in your thoughts on that. We'll read some letters in a few minutes.
O'BRIEN: All right, Jack. Thank you very much.
CAFFERTY: Sure.
O'BRIEN: Let's go to Heidi, a look at the headlines.
Hi, Heidi.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Hey, good morning once again, guys. And good morning to you, everybody. "Now in the News" this morning, we begin in Iraq, where there's been an attack of an Iraqi mosque during morning prayers. Iraqi police sources say at least 14 people were killed when a car bomb went off in southern Baghdad. The attack comes on the holiday known as the Feast of Sacrifice, marking the end of the Muslim pilgrimage Hajj.
Here in the U.S., a CNN "Security Watch." The FBI is adding 10 new names to a list of people sought for questioning in connection with the possible terror plot in Boston. The names are in addition to four Chinese nationals named yesterday. Sources said two Iraqis were also mentioned in the threat.
Authorities stress the information regarding a possible threat still has not been verified. But stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security.
Firefighters now on the scene of this. You're looking at some live pictures coming into us here.
A massive house fire in central Philadelphia. Believed to be a four-alarm blaze and a multi-family home. Pretty tough to see there, but there are reports of people missing.
It has not been confirmed. But we are going to be watching this one for you. You see that smoke pouring out of the scene there. We'll bring you more details just as soon as they come into us.
And the annual running of the brides. These pictures from Filene's Basement in Atlanta, Georgia. Look out. We showed you this last hour. I thought we'd show it again.
The soon to be brides hoping to find their dream dress at a huge discount. The wild scene has been repeated in various Filene's Basements throughout the country since 1947. But so much noise down in the basement. You can probably hear it out on the street.
O'BRIEN: Have you ever gone to that?
COLLINS: No, I haven't. I've been afraid.
O'BRIEN: It is actually -- it's a horrifying, horrible experience.
HEMMER: Really?
O'BRIEN: I mean, it's fun, but...
COLLINS: Did you go for your wedding dress?
O'BRIEN: No. I went with a girlfriend many moons ago. And I will never go back. It was traumatic.
HEMMER: If they let men shop like that, maybe we'd do it more often.
O'BRIEN: People -- it's like elbowing. HEMMER: Like a football game.
COLLINS: Maybe not.
O'BRIEN: It is. You know, you get injured. It's scary. No kidding. It really is.
COLLINS: I'm never going. You've confirmed it.
HEMMER: Talk to you later.
COLLINS: OK.
HEMMER: A weather warning to folks here in the Northeast. A big winter storm is now headed your way. Snow and ice storms pounding parts of North Carolina for the past few days. And that is trouble there.
Roads became ice rinks. Traffic, gridlock. Trips that usually took a few minutes stretched into hours.
Chad warned us. This is part of the weather forecast for this week.
Hey, good morning.
(WEATHER REPORT)
O'BRIEN: All right. Chad, thank you very much. We'll keep watching to see where that final tweaking actually goes. Appreciate it.
In Texas, police say they need the public's help in solving the apparent abduction of a young woman at a Wal-Mart parking lot. The entire incident was captured on surveillance tape on Wednesday night.
Ed Lavandera is in Tyler, Texas, with more for us this morning.
Hey, Ed. Good morning.
ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Soledad.
Well, it's been almost 36 hours since 19-year-old Megan Holden wrapped up her shift as a cashier here at this Wal-Mart in Tyler. She was walking out to her car when apparently she was abducted.
As you mentioned, the whole incident caught on surveillance cameras and a series of cameras are that are situated throughout the parking lot. In fact, police say they don't think Megan Holden knew she was about to be abducted until the very moment the altercation took place.
She can be seen in the tape -- on the tape wearing a lime green shirt with horizontal stripes and light colored pants. She had just wrapped up that shift here working as the cashier. And in the tape you can also see a man approaching her through the parking lot from behind.
But it turns out police also say they went back another two hours from when that abduction happened. And this suspect, who police describe as a black male about six feet tall, weighing about 180 pounds, with a muscular build, could be seen on the tape also walking inside the store and back outside. In fact, he approached the Wal- Mart store walking through the parking lot.
So they don't know if he drove into this area or if he's even from here. And police are trying to figure out who he is at this point.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OFFICER DON MARTIN, TYLER POLICE DEPT.: We think he had a motive for being there, that his reasons possibly were to possibly abduct someone or to get a vehicle, to maybe get out of town, or whatever. We really don't know what the reasons are.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LAVANDERA: On the tape, police also say that the suspect could be seen following other women as they walked out of the store, and then giving up for whatever reason and coming back. But at this point, the main focus is on finding the truck that Megan Holden drives.
They believe the suspect took off from this scene with her in her own truck, a 2002 Ford F-150 red pickup truck with a long scratch along the left-hand side of the car. And that's what police are looking for.
In fact, they've launched aerial searches in the area yesterday, but to no avail. A hundred officers in the state of Texas are working this case, as are authorities in Louisiana, Arkansas and Oklahoma -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Ed Lavandera for us this morning, following this case. Ed, thank you -- Bill.
HEMMER: In our nation's capital, inauguration whirlwind ending with a full night of parties last night. President Bush and the first lady tripping the light fantastic at no fewer than 10 balls. All that, and they were back home at the White House just after 10:00 last evening. The official celebration ends this morning as it began yesterday with a prayer service starting at about an hour from now.
Back to the White House this morning. Here's John King.
Good morning.
JOHN KING, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Bill.
That prayer service will end several days of celebrations and ceremonies, getting the president's second term under way. As Mr. Bush attends that service today, here in Washington and around the world they are still analyzing a second inaugural address in which the president promised to set American foreign policy on a dramatic new course.
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GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The Constitution of the United States.
KING (voice-over): Left hand on the family bible...
BUSH: So help me god.
KING: ... the second inaugural address shaped by the defining day of the first term, September 11, a day of fire, the president called it.
BUSH: The survival of liberty in our land increasingly depends on the success of liberty in other lands.
KING: The self-described war president said his second term mission will be using American power and influence to end tyranny and promote democracy.
BUSH: It is the honorable achievement of our fathers. Now it is the urgent requirement of our nation's security and the calling of our time.
KING: No specific mention of Iraq, where critics suggest Mr. Bush's zeal for promoting democracy is failing its first big test. But without singling out any one government, Mr. Bush promised an aggressive second term approach that could, if he follows through, strain relations with governments with whom critics say Mr. Bush has been far too cozy -- Russia, China and Saudi Arabia among them.
BUSH: The leaders of governments with long habits of control need to know, to serve your people, you must learn to trust them.
KING: Here at home, Mr. Bush said a freedom agenda would give individuals more power and government less, and promised as he pushed controversial ideas like revamping Social Security to reach across party lines.
BUSH: We have known divisions which must be healed to move forward in great purposes and I will strive in good faith to heal them.
KING: Chief Justice William Rehnquist administered the oath. But his frail condition amid a battle with cancer was a reminder a Supreme Court nomination could soon test any hope of bipartisanship. And even as they joined the ceremonies, Democrats fired a symbolic early warning shot, blocking confirmation of Condoleezza Rice as secretary of state until next week.
Protests along the parade route were another reminder that Mr. Bush begins his second term as he did the first -- a polarizing figure. The security was unprecedented and only at the very end did the president and first lady leave the limousine to enjoy a bit of the parade route on foot, before joining family members, the vice president and others in the VIP reviewing stand to savor the moment.
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KING: The president and first lady did go to all of the inaugural balls, but they whipped through them quite quickly. Back at the White House, 90 minutes ahead of schedule. But, Bill, I can tell you this, this morning, many of the senior White House staff usually here at daybreak. Some of them just arriving now.
HEMMER: I can imagine that. You know, John, reflect on the theme from yesterday about democracy all over the world. Is there a proposal from the White House as to how that is achieved?
KING: No. And that is the big test again.
The president said it is not necessarily achieved through military force. He was trying to send a signal to the world that he doesn't really want to be known as the war president anymore. But how do you do that?
You can, of course, do that just by public speeches, highlighting. You can meet with, say, opposition figures from Iran. You can lecture the Chinese to release dissidents.
The president meets next month with a man he calls friend, Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia. There have been a number of steps by the Kremlin, and Mr. Putin, specifically, that the White House says are anti-democratic. Will the president lecture him in public? That could be one of the first big tests.
HEMMER: All right. John, thanks. John King at the White House -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Well, it is hurry up and wait for America's next secretary of state. Democrats derailed President Bush's man to have Condoleezza Rice confirmed on the day he was inaugurated. The full Senate vote on her nomination now expected next week.
Republican Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas joins us from the Capitol.
Good morning. Nice to see you.
SEN. KAY BAILEY HUTCHISON (R), TEXAS: Thank you, Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Before we talk about what's going on with the Condoleezza Rice nomination, let's talk a little bit about the president's speech yesterday. What did you make of the speech?
HUTCHISON: Well, I think he was speaking to the world and saying that now we are going to be looking at places that enemies can foment rebellion and come to our country and harm us. And therefore, we're going to take a more proactive role in helping any freedom fighter who is trying to get freedom for his or her country.
O'BRIEN: There are some people coming who have been coming up with a list because speeches like this often are short of specifics. So they've come up with a list of countries that maybe the president was talking to, like Iran and China and Pakistan and Saudi Arabia and Egypt, North Korea, Cuba. The list could go on and on and on.
Some have said that's too aggressive, too far-reaching, too ambitious. You agree or disagree?
HUTCHISON: Well, Soledad, what I think the president was saying is, if you are going to harm Americans, we are going to stand up to you. And we are going to go after terrorists wherever they are.
And Iran, certainly with a potential nuclear weapon, would certainly be a matter of grave concern to the president because it would affect the security of our country. And Saudi Arabia has allowed these Wahabists to fester in their country and now come out and harm Americans.
And I think these countries need to be forewarned that we're not going to let terrorists come to our country and kill Americans. And we're going to go where they are to try to wipe them out.
O'BRIEN: There was not a whole lot said about the domestic agenda. Some have said that that means that he's chucking Social Security overboard. I think a speechwriter said on our air this morning. Did that seem to you like that was an admission that signifies that maybe Social Security's not going to be at the top of the president's agenda?
HUTCHISON: No. I do think on the domestic agenda Social Security will be the number one priority. And I think that will come out in the state of the union message to Congress. But honestly, I think the president was trying to talk to Americans, but he was speaking to the world.
I think he was trying to focus on where America is and why we are so resolute that we must now make sure that other people have freedom, because where freedom is freedom prevails. And we need to let the world know that, if you are going to harm Americans and threaten Americans because you don't have freedom, then it becomes an issue for us.
O'BRIEN: Let's talk about the Democrats and Condoleezza Rice. They now say it might be till next week before Condoleezza Rice is confirmed as secretary of state. Senator Reid said yesterday to me that it is not a stalling tactic, that four or five days is hardly a stall. How do you read it?
HUTCHISON: Well, I'm disappointed. I think the president should have had his secretary of state on his inauguration day. I think there was no reason to delay her confirmation.
We've had two long days of hearings. And if senators wanted to talk, we could have had a time agreement. But really, I think only one or two senators wanted to talk. And now we'll probably have more because there are going to be many hours of debate before we confirm her. And I think it is a tactic, and I think it's unfortunate.
O'BRIEN: A tactic to what -- forgive me for interrupting. I'm just curious, a tactic to what end? What do you think the motivation is?
HUTCHISON: To use the time to criticize the president and the war on terrorism and Iraq through debate on the floor over Condi Rice. It was a tactic to have the forum to harm the president.
And I think now they're going to have their time, and we're going to have a large number of votes, overwhelming majority for Condi Rice. But I think the Democrats misjudged this. I think they should have helped go along, show that there would be bipartisanship, particularly on secretary of state, where we would want to have unity of our country to let the president have his voice in foreign policy.
O'BRIEN: Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison joining us this morning. Nice to see you. Thanks for chatting with us.
HUTCHISON: Thank you, Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Bill.
HEMMER: Well, the pundits have had their say. How did the address play in the heartland? Carlos Watson went there to find out. We'll talk with Carlos in a moment on that.
O'BRIEN: Also, at a time when many Americans want a crackdown on illegal immigrants, meet one man who says we really should be reaching out. Our special series, "What's In It for Me?" is ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
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HEMMER: Part of what President Bush said yesterday was this: "The survival of liberty in our land increasingly depends on the success of liberty in other lands." What does that mean to Americans watching yesterday?
CNN political analyst Carlos Watson here looking into that.
Good morning. Welcome back here to New York.
CARLOS WATSON, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Good morning.
HEMMER: You were in Ohio.
WATSON: Had to go back to our home state.
HEMMER: That's right. Go Buckeyes.
WATSON: Yes.
HEMMER: Now, you sat down with -- we'll talk about that in a moment. But one of the things you said about this speech yesterday, don't look at the speech in isolation, but rather part of a bigger picture. What sort of picture?
WATSON: I think -- I think this White House has been the most strategic we've ever seen in terms of thinking about the inaugural address, not as a singular event but as part of, if you will, a 100- day kickoff to the second term. So you've got the inaugural address, you've got the state of the union coming up soon, you've got the Iraqi elections, but you also, by the way, are beginning to see the president barnstorm the country a little bit.
You see a series of interviews, including with our own John King recently. And you clearly see the president knowing that this is his chance to not only spend some of that political capital, but to begin to rally some public support.
HEMMER: I want to find out what you found out with voters in Ohio. You had a group of, what, six people, right?
WATSON: Yes, a half-dozen.
HEMMER: You had four men, two women, ages 20 to 69. How did they react watching?
WATSON: You know what was interesting? They thought it was a good speech, but nothing surprising, Bill. And that, by the way, came both from the president's supporters and from those who didn't support the president.
HEMMER: Nothing surprising? I'm surprised that they wouldn't find it was surprising that nothing on the domestic agenda was mentioned.
WATSON: Well, you know what? Interestingly enough, I don't think they had big expectations for it. I think a lot of the expectations will come two weeks from now with the state of the union, because in many ways, you know, you clearly had them express concern about Iraq.
And we were only a few miles away from Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, one of the major installations. So a lot of people had family involved in the conflict in one way or another.
But on the domestic agenda, interestingly enough, they don't have one hut-button issue. We heard stem cell research. We heard medical malpractice reform, which doesn't seem like an issue they would be interested in, in the heartland, but they were.
You heard abortion. You heard, interestingly enough, from social conservatives, "Don't back down, Mr. President. Don't back down when it comes to judicial nominations, don't back down when it comes to a constitutional amendment on gay marriage." Again, it wasn't a scientific sample. We only had a half-dozen people.
HEMMER: Sure. But you had -- you had a fabric of reflection in that focus group, too. Iraq wasn't mentioned, but it was implied throughout that entire 21 minutes yesterday. I want to show you some Gallup poll numbers for you. And we're talking -- you mentioned domestic issues here.
WATSON: Sure.
HEMMER: "In his second term, will the president improve education?" Fifty-eight percent say yes. "What about strengthening Social Security?" Only 40 percent say yes there. That signals what?
WATSON: Clearly, the president has a lot of work to do on Social Security, and the president knows that. And consequently, you'll see him employ a lot of the campaign techniques that were successful for him in 2004 in his policy drive in 2005.
What do I mean? I mean e-mails to the 7.5 million people who were in the RNC's e-mail database. I mean reaching out to the 1.5 million people who volunteered on the campaign. I mean twisting the arms and visiting, if you will, the districts of questioning a recalcitrant Republican congressman in particular.
HEMMER: Thank you, Carlos. We'll see you this weekend, won't we?
WATSON: Sunday we've got "Off Topic," great show.
HEMMER: All right.
WATSON: Arnold Schwarzenegger.
HEMMER: I want to give it a little plug here quickly. You're going to talk with the governor from California to talk about what? Possibly amendment to the Constitution? Could that put an Austrian in the White House some day?
Also, "Desperate Housewives" Eva Longoria with Carlos this weekend. Sunday night, 10:00 Eastern, 7:00 on the West Coast. We'll look for it then.
WATSON: Thank you so much. Good to see you.
HEMMER: Come again, all right?
WATSON: Yes.
HEMMER: Here's Soledad.
O'BRIEN: The relief effort continues in southeast Asia, but one country could pay the price for a new development involving U.S. troops. A look at that's ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
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O'BRIEN: Welcome back, everybody. We've been talking about the inauguration of yesterday. No exception right now. Jack's got the "Question of the Day." Good morning.
CAFFERTY: The freedom speech, I guess, is how it will become to be known at some point. He stressed spreading freedom and democracy around the world, our president did.
There have been some successes, places like the Ukraine. Afghanistan had elections not so long ago. The Iraqis will vote here in a week or so.
But what about places like Saudi Arabia and China and Russia, Egypt, Pakistan, countries where perhaps the desire to export freedom and democracy will conflict directly with U.S. policy on security or the economy? Is President Bush's goal of expanding freedom realistic, is the question.
Buck writes, "Of course it is. But it's not going to happen between commercials or in 30-second sound bites. The Marshall Plan involved thousands of people and billions of dollars in order to create a free western Europe. The Cold War didn't end until almost 50 years after World War II."
Vinnie in Decatur, Georgia, "There should have been an asterisk on the screen. 'Freedom does not apply to gay people, minorities, the poor, people wanting to drink clean water or breathe clean air, or people with chronic diseases hoping for stem cell research.'"
Ruben from Lompoc, California, addresses his letter to "Jack, Jill and Jim."
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HEMMER: Hey, we've been called worse.
O'BRIEN: A lot worse.
CAFFERTY: "He may not achieve it in his administration, but is that not what the last several presidents have been striving for all these years? One country at a time."
And finally, Jim in South Orange, "Did anyone miss the irony of a speech laden with freedom followed by a six-block procession in an armored personnel carrier with a Cadillac insignia on the front?"
Back to you, Jim and Jill.
HEMMER: Hey, Bob.
O'BRIEN: I like Jill. I think that's sort of -- OK.
HEMMER: Yes. Well, you can have it.
CAFFERTY: A lot of smart alecks out there, you know? They aren't all up right at 7:00, but they fall out of bed...
(CROSSTALK) O'BRIEN: I thought they were very clever. Thank you, Jack.
Well, get ready for a deep freeze. There's a monster winter storm sweeping across the country. It could be coming in your direction. A look at that's ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
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