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American Morning

Johnny Carson: 1925-2005; Winter Blast; Secret Spy Branch

Aired January 24, 2005 - 09:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: After the hard good-bye 13 years ago, America's missing Johnny Carson all over again. This morning, saying good-bye to a legendary entertainer.
The United States trying something different in the hunt for Osama bin Laden. A new offer going out in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

And three feet of snow in places with drifts six feet high. Digging out from the big blizzard on this AMERICAN MORNING.

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

BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, everybody. We came to work about four hours ago, it was 11 degrees then. It's 11 degrees now. It has not moved. We'll get back to the weather...

O'BRIEN: It's not warming up at all this morning.

HEMMER: That's exactly right.

So many, also, thinking about Johnny Carson this morning. The legendary host of "The Tonight Show" dying yesterday at the age of 79. We look back at his life and all of those great moments from his show.

We'll also talk to a comedian who had been on the show 82 times. Robert Klein shares his memories in a moment.

O'BRIEN: Also this morning, from the Pentagon we're learning more about a powerful spying unit said to have brought authority to go into other countries on secret missions. Barbara Starr is going to tell us about this new mission just ahead.

HEMMER: All right. Jack is back as well.

Good morning.

JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Looking at that turban Johnny Carson, the Carnac moments. What I remember was "Cock-a-doodle-do." And the answer was, "What forms on your cock-a-doodle in the morning."

(LAUGHTER)

CAFFERTY: Favorite Carson memory at am@cnn.com. We'll read a few letters later.

HEMMER: Keep them coming. Thank you, Jack. O'BRIEN: Let's get to the headlines, though, with Carol Costello.

Hey, Carol. Good morning again.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning to all of you. And good morning to you.

"Now in the News," Iraqi forces say they have captured a man they are blaming for some 75 percent of suicide car bombings in Iraq. CNN learning just a moment ago that officials are holding the top al Qaeda figure in Iraq. The man was apparently arrested during a raid in Baghdad on January 15.

Also in Iraq this morning, at least a dozen people are wounded following a suicide car bombing near the political office of Iraq's interim prime minister, Ayad Allawi. Iraqi officials say most of the people injured are police officers. A militant group led by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi is claiming responsibility for this attack, the latest in the run-up to the January 30 elections.

CNN now confirming Asa Hutchinson, undersecretary at the Homeland Security Department, is expected to announce he is stepping down. Sources say Hutchinson will make the announcement official this morning. His resignation would be effective March 1st. That's when nominee Michael Chertoff is expected to take over the department for Tom Ridge. Hutchinson says he is leaving because he was passed over for the position twice.

And it's New England versus Philadelphia in Super Bowl XXXIX. The Patriots beating Pittsburgh 41-27 in yesterday's AFC Championship match. The Pats now set to go for their third NFL title in the past four years. They are amazing.

And in the NFC, Philadelphia finally earned their Super Bowl slot by downing the Atlanta Falcons 27-10. The big game, Sunday, February 6, in Jacksonville, Florida. And hopefully it will be warm there then.

Because it's cold in Florida, isn't it, Rob Marciano?

ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: It is today, Carol, yes. But that's unusual.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HEMMER: That's why they call it January, right?

MARCIANO: Exactly.

HEMMER: Thank you, Rob. Talk to you a bit later.

This morning, fans and fellow entertainers remembering the life of Johnny Carson. Carson died yesterday at the age of 79 in California. CNN's Sibila Vargas is live in LA with more on the king of the late night. Sibila, good morning there.

SIBILA VARGAS, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: Hey, good morning.

Every once in a while you get an entertainer that pretty much breaks the mold. And that was certainly the case with Mr. Johnny Carson. What an incredible impact he had on all of us, and on the entertainment industry in particular.

Behind me, on his star at the Hollywood Walk of Fame, you see the flowers and the candles that have been laid out. And as the day progresses, there's going to be a lot more outpouring of love. Johnny Carson may have passed away of emphysema at the age of 79, but his legacy will live on forever.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ED MCMAHON, "THE TONIGHT SHOW": Ladies and gentlemen, here's Johnny.

VARGAS (voice-over): For nearly three full decades, he was the reigning king of late night.

JOHNNY CARSON, ENTERTAINER: I could never have imagined I would walk through that curtain almost 5,000 times in 30 years.

VARGAS: Johnny Carson was born in 925, in Corning, Iowa. He moved to Norfolk, Nebraska, as a boy, bought his first mail-order magic set and began his career as an entertainer known as "The Great Carsoni." He performed in the Navy, graduated from the University of Nebraska, and went on to work at Omaha radio stations.

His first televised show, "Carson's Cellar," debuted in 1952 and led to a job as a staff writer on Red Skelton's variety show. In 1954, Carson got his big break when Skelton was knocked unconscious an hour before air time and Carson was asked to step in.

His natural ease in front of the camera led to a contract with CBS. After a short stint as an emcee of "Earn Your Vacation," Carson got his own half-hour comedy show, called "The Johnny Carson Show."

Carson moved to ABC for the daytime game show "Who Do You Trust?," where in '58 he was joined by his sidekick, Ed McMahon. In that same year, he was asked to sit in for Jack Paar on "The Tonight Show."

CARSON: I can only tell you that it has been an honor and a privilege to come into your homes all these years and entertain you.

VARGAS: Perhaps more important than anything else to Carson was that he loved making people laugh.

CARSON: I am one of the lucky people in the world. I found something I always wanted to do, and I have enjoyed every single minute of it. (END VIDEOTAPE)

VARGAS: And we were certainly lucky enough to be entertained by him. What an incredible man he was.

Now, he was also a very private man. And his family says that they planned no memorial service. So they're going to definitely respect his privacy. But the outpouring of love from his peers, his colleagues, has been really unprecedented.

The amount of email that we got in our office yesterday was phenomenal, really. And I just can imagine that we're going to continue to see that as the day progresses, and as more people get to realize that this man has passed on. He was an incredible man, and he's going to be sorely missed here in Hollywood and in the rest of the world -- Bill.

HEMMER: Sibila, thanks.

In a statement from the White House, the president had this to say -- and quoting now -- "Johnny Carson's wit and insight made Americans laugh and think, and had a profound influence on American life and entertainment. He was a patriot who served in the United States Navy during World War II and always remembered his roots in the heartland of America. We send our prayers and condolences to the entire Carson family."

That from the president -- Soledad.

O'BRIEN: Actor and comedian Robert Klein appeared on "The Tonight Show" with Johnny Carson 82 times. He joins us this morning to recount his fondest memories of the man who really defined the late night talk show genre.

Nice to see you.

ROBERT KLEIN, COMEDIAN: Nice to see you, Soledad.

O'BRIEN: Tell be about the first time you were on.

KLEIN: This month it's 37 years, January 19, 1968. I was terrified.

O'BRIEN: Really?

KLEIN: And he was very protective, you know. And I did a panel first, which is unusual.

He was very protective. And also, if you did your work, of the many times that I did it he laughed you up and was supportive. And it was because it was basically a terrifying experience for comedians. And he knew that.

O'BRIEN: You used the word a minute ago when we were off air "fair," which -- deconstruct why -- why his brand of humor worked so much. Because he seemed so gentle. I mean, if it was bombing he was nice. If it was going great he was nice. And I think people really liked that.

KLEIN: Well, I don't know that his -- in his entire personal life and everything he could be considered gentle. He knew his station.

When he walked into the hallway and said hello just before the show went on, and you hear da, da, da, you know, he was followed by an entourage. He was -- he was the star.

But comedians are very competitive. And, boy, oh boy, he was so supportive when the young comedians would go on that show and do well. And sometimes only he and the band were laughing. A lot of the stuff I was laying down early on was fairly hip. And he was...

O'BRIEN: No one was getting it yet then.

KLEIN: Well, that's right. And that's what I mean by fair, that if you did your -- you did your preparation.

And also, plenty of times I'd see his -- he'd cross his eyes at me when some starlet was digging her own grave on the panel there and being obnoxious. And he'd look at me like this.

He always had that Pall Mall for years. It used to be right out there.

You know, Tony Randall was always -- hated smoking. And Johnny and I were smoking. This was early on, the late '60s or so, and he'd go, "Please don't smoke. Lips that touch tobacco will never touch mine." And I said, "Don't worry about it, Tony. I hadn't planned on kissing you."

He was -- you know, I mean, he lived hard. But he -- that show was his -- his foundation.

And, you know, he once told me, too, that he could never have continued doing the show if he didn't have all of that time off. They used to make fun of him. But after that many years he was entitled to be fresh when he went on.

O'BRIEN: It surprised a lot of people, because often when somebody retires they don't really retire. They retire for like six months to 12 months, and they come back with something else. And he really retired. I mean, he was -- he was pretty much gone.

KLEIN: Yes. And they say, you know, he'll be missed. I mean, he was missed already. I mean, people -- he went secluded. He apparently...

O'BRIEN: Why, do you think?

KLEIN: Well, he -- I think he was bitter a bit about how things wound up with NBC. See, he was as good the day he left as the day he came, which most people can't say.

The thing is, he was expensive. He was getting about $40 million, and they could get the same size audience now at about $1.5 million with Leno.

He was resistant to change. I mean, with Doc Severinsen telling me he wanted to do jazz fusion and Johnny said, "Keep that big band stuff." But he was just as skillful.

He was invited to bedrooms, don't forget, not living rooms. And he was just thought of so affectionately by most of America because that's how -- you only invite that kind of person into your bedroom.

And he was great with little old ladies. He could be mildly impertinent, but very sweet with little kids and old ladies. And he also gave credit to Steve Allen in his generosity for starting those genre. But then he went a long way with it.

O'BRIEN: You ever felt you got to know him personally 82 types on the show?

KLEIN: I partied a little with him. He could drink a lot. He had a tremendous amount.

No. The answer is no. I never could fathom him. I was not any close friend. But professionally he was aces up all the way.

And I owe him and his show a lot. It made a career for me.

O'BRIEN: As it did for many other comedians as well.

KLEIN: Yes.

O'BRIEN: Robert Klein, nice to see you. Thanks for coming in to talk to us.

KLEIN: Nice to see you. Thank you.

O'BRIEN: We appreciate it.

Tonight on "LARRY KING LIVE," Larry's guest is going to be Johnny Carson's longtime sidekick, Ed McMahon. That's at 9:00 p.m. Eastern -- Bill.

HEMMER: Soledad, a break here in a moment. Is the Pentagon stepping on the toes of the CIA? Some members of the Congress want to know why they were not told about a reported secret operation.

Also, a medical surprise. Blood pressure can be dramatically lowered, and it is easy to do.

Those stories when we continue right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HEMMER: It is 11 degrees here in New York City. And people from the capital to the cape digging out after a huge weekend snowstorm. That storm dumped more than three feet of snow in some areas. And Chris Huntington is back in Boston. He's cold, and he's still outside. Chris, how goes it this hour?

CHRIS HUNTINGTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Bill, we're warming up considerably here. The sun is out. Is it actually quite a clear, and I would say, beautiful day. Still very, very windy.

This storm that passed through here packed a serious wallop. It was not the record-breaker, nor the devastation that many had feared. It nonetheless was a deadly blizzard.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HUNTINGTON (voice-over): The storm battered the Bay State from Cape Cod in the south to the north shore near Gloucester, and, of course, downtown Boston in between. The peak hours early Sunday morning, snow fell at more than three inches an hour, dumping close to three feet in many towns and more than two feet in Boston Common, where temperatures hovered around 10 degrees for most of the day.

But it was the hurricane-force winds that caused most of the trouble. Driving snow into dangerous whiteout conditions, plundering the plows' best efforts, and whipping 10 to 15 feet waves on top of a storm surge along the coast.

The entire island of Nantucket lost power. Across the state of Massachusetts 30,000 homes went dark. Governor Mitt Romney declared a state of emergency, putting National Guard troops on alert for evacuation and rescue operations and clearing the way for federal funding to help cover the considerable cost of snow removal.

Boston Mayor Thomas Menino announced that he would order only essential city personnel to work on Monday. And he said that Boston public schools would be closed through Tuesday.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HUNTINGTON: Now, the final total accumulation here in downtown Boston of 26 inches was an inch and a half shy of the all-time record. But as I mentioned, this storm was a deadly one. Two fatalities.

A former "Boston Globe" columnist suffered a heart attack while shoveling snow. And a young boy in the Roxbury area died of apparent carbon monoxide poisoning trying to stay warm in an idling car.

One final note. Logan Airport, they tell us, is technically open. But word from passengers there is that they are being turned away from flights. In many cases, the delays will probably run through till late this afternoon.

Bill, back to you.

HEMMER: All right. Chris, stay warm out there in Boston. Chris Huntington working the streets of Boston this morning.

There is an intriguing story from the Pentagon this morning. Reports say a secret spy branch has been running since 2002. Secret spy may sound repetitive, until Barbara Starr explains this at the Pentagon there this morning.

Good morning.

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Bill.

Well, indeed, the Pentagon's Defense Intelligence Agency has been running a special clandestine human intelligence gathering operation for more than the last two years of program that allows it to send operatives around the world to gather intelligence to go anywhere that they are ordered to go. How sensitive is this? Well, apparently very sensitive.

When the story broke in the "The Washington Post" newspaper yesterday, the Pentagon came out with what appears, at least, to be a denial. The Pentagon spokesman, Larry DiRita, issuing this statement, saying, "There is no unit that is directly reportable to the secretary of defense for clandestine operations."

Well, technically, that is true. But the unit does exist. It conducts clandestine operations. It reports to the DIA, the Defense Intelligence Agency, and then to some of Rumsfeld's most senior aides here in the building.

Now, according to one official this morning, it's own an administrative organization. But observe the weekend, we've spoken to a number of officials with direct knowledge of this organization, and they say that indeed it does send DIA personnel in teams with Special Forces out into the field, places like Iraq and Afghanistan, to gather so-called human intelligence, to interrogate people to spy, to recruit agents that will give the U.S. government information.

Very sensitive, Bill, because it puts DIA Pentagon personnel in the field with Special Forces. And by all accounts, that's something Special Forces feel a little bit queasy about.

When Special Forces go into the field, when they kick down a door, so to speak, on some of their most clandestine missions, they really don't wand a crowd of Pentagon officials watching them. They like to operate small and deadly. It's why they call them snake eaters.

But it's not the end of this story, Bill, because we have also confirmed this morning that the Pentagon is working on 60, 60 additional initiatives to overhaul defense intelligence programs. Is it something that Don Rumsfeld feels very, very deeply about.

He has been on the record on this. He feels that there is not a good job being done right now on collecting that human intelligence. And he wants it improved. This appears to be one of his first efforts in that direction -- Bill.

HEMMER: Again, called the snake eaters. It sounds like a movie down the road that we'll hear more about this many years from now.

Barbara, about an hour and a half ago, there was a story that broke out of Baghdad. Authorities there on the rocky side. They indicate that they've -- they've captured this al Qaeda leader who is responsible for 75 percent of the car bombings in Baghdad. Has there been any reaction from the Pentagon on this?

STARR: Well, U.S. military officials know about this, they know about the announcement. It is something they're looking at very closely.

They believe that perhaps yes, this man was possibly responsible for some 30 car bombs in the Baghdad area. But nobody's ready to say that any one arrest yet fundamentally changes the insurgency.

Of course, as we all know, it operate across Iraq. Is it deadly across Iraq. And they do note that this statement from the Iraqi government about this arrest comes, of course, just a few days before the election in that country.

And certainly the campaign rhetoric is at an all-time high there. Many of these Iraqi officials involved in campaigning for various offices. So the U.S. looking at it very closely, but not ready to call it a fundamental change in the balance of what the insurgency can do -- Bill.

HEMMER: Barbara, thanks. Barbara Starr at the Pentagon there -- Soledad.

O'BRIEN: After the weekend blizzard, some roads and trains and airports are just getting up and running this morning. A look at that's ahead.

Also, is the government about to double the reward for Osama bin Laden? Why didn't $25 million do the job?

Those stories ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CARSON: ... reminds me of my old girlfriend back in Nebraska, Geena Statatory (ph).

(LAUGHTER)

Her name was Geena Statatory (ph) and she went to Lincoln High. And she was voted Miss Lincoln because every guy in school took a shot at her in the balcony.

(LAUGHTER)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'BRIEN: We had a guest earlier who was saying that he could say things that no one else could say.

CAFFERTY: Oh, yes. O'BRIEN: But just in the right way.

CAFFERTY: He knew right where the edge was and spent most of his on-air time within a millimeter or two, yes. He was gifted.

Favorite memories of Johnny Carson: "I was determined to see the show live," writes Mike. "Drove to LA, got up at 3:00 a.m. for tickets, stood in line all afternoon, and got into the second to the last row. It was one of his last shows. The comedian was someone we never heard of named Drew Carey."

John in Oologah, Oklahoma, "Favorite moment may be too commercial. My mother and her business partner developed Naval Jelly. A rust remover was marketed exclusively by direct mail until a TV buy on 'The Tonight Show.' It was supposed to be 30 or 60 seconds, but Carson and McMahon completely lost it with double entendres and the product got five minutes of free air time."

Sharon in Tawas, Michigan, "Favorite moments were any time Carson did "Carnac the Magnificent." I used to pull that with my kids anytime they'd ask me silly questions like, 'Where's my other sock?' I would say, 'Wait, let me put on my swami hat.'"

"I'd put my hand to my forehead, I'd go, 'Hmm, I see something that's not in your dresser drawer.' They never thought it was very funny."

And Reinhard in Rutherford, New Jersey, "Carson was to the point. Back when the Disney company was building EuroDisney in France, a French newspaper stated, 'The only people who would go to a place like that are fat, lazy Americans.' Carson's comment, 'Yes, like all those fat, lazy Americans who landed at Normandy.'"

HEMMER: He served. Navy, Second World War. Thank you, Jack.

The storm might be over, but New York City in the thick of a commuter nightmare at this hour. We'll see why you may not be able to get there from here so far today.

Back in a moment.

O'BRIEN: Get the latest news every morning in your email. Sign up for AMERICAN MORNING quick news at cnn.com/am.

Also ahead this morning, Johnny Carson.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CARSON: That's a candle.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That's a candle.

CARSON: Wow.

MCMAHON: Look at this one, John. CARSON: No, no, no.

(LAUGHTER)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'BRIEN: He ruled over Hollywood, but he never lost his common touch. Who's going it fill his shoes? That's ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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Aired January 24, 2005 - 09:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: After the hard good-bye 13 years ago, America's missing Johnny Carson all over again. This morning, saying good-bye to a legendary entertainer.
The United States trying something different in the hunt for Osama bin Laden. A new offer going out in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

And three feet of snow in places with drifts six feet high. Digging out from the big blizzard on this AMERICAN MORNING.

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

BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, everybody. We came to work about four hours ago, it was 11 degrees then. It's 11 degrees now. It has not moved. We'll get back to the weather...

O'BRIEN: It's not warming up at all this morning.

HEMMER: That's exactly right.

So many, also, thinking about Johnny Carson this morning. The legendary host of "The Tonight Show" dying yesterday at the age of 79. We look back at his life and all of those great moments from his show.

We'll also talk to a comedian who had been on the show 82 times. Robert Klein shares his memories in a moment.

O'BRIEN: Also this morning, from the Pentagon we're learning more about a powerful spying unit said to have brought authority to go into other countries on secret missions. Barbara Starr is going to tell us about this new mission just ahead.

HEMMER: All right. Jack is back as well.

Good morning.

JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Looking at that turban Johnny Carson, the Carnac moments. What I remember was "Cock-a-doodle-do." And the answer was, "What forms on your cock-a-doodle in the morning."

(LAUGHTER)

CAFFERTY: Favorite Carson memory at am@cnn.com. We'll read a few letters later.

HEMMER: Keep them coming. Thank you, Jack. O'BRIEN: Let's get to the headlines, though, with Carol Costello.

Hey, Carol. Good morning again.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning to all of you. And good morning to you.

"Now in the News," Iraqi forces say they have captured a man they are blaming for some 75 percent of suicide car bombings in Iraq. CNN learning just a moment ago that officials are holding the top al Qaeda figure in Iraq. The man was apparently arrested during a raid in Baghdad on January 15.

Also in Iraq this morning, at least a dozen people are wounded following a suicide car bombing near the political office of Iraq's interim prime minister, Ayad Allawi. Iraqi officials say most of the people injured are police officers. A militant group led by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi is claiming responsibility for this attack, the latest in the run-up to the January 30 elections.

CNN now confirming Asa Hutchinson, undersecretary at the Homeland Security Department, is expected to announce he is stepping down. Sources say Hutchinson will make the announcement official this morning. His resignation would be effective March 1st. That's when nominee Michael Chertoff is expected to take over the department for Tom Ridge. Hutchinson says he is leaving because he was passed over for the position twice.

And it's New England versus Philadelphia in Super Bowl XXXIX. The Patriots beating Pittsburgh 41-27 in yesterday's AFC Championship match. The Pats now set to go for their third NFL title in the past four years. They are amazing.

And in the NFC, Philadelphia finally earned their Super Bowl slot by downing the Atlanta Falcons 27-10. The big game, Sunday, February 6, in Jacksonville, Florida. And hopefully it will be warm there then.

Because it's cold in Florida, isn't it, Rob Marciano?

ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: It is today, Carol, yes. But that's unusual.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HEMMER: That's why they call it January, right?

MARCIANO: Exactly.

HEMMER: Thank you, Rob. Talk to you a bit later.

This morning, fans and fellow entertainers remembering the life of Johnny Carson. Carson died yesterday at the age of 79 in California. CNN's Sibila Vargas is live in LA with more on the king of the late night. Sibila, good morning there.

SIBILA VARGAS, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: Hey, good morning.

Every once in a while you get an entertainer that pretty much breaks the mold. And that was certainly the case with Mr. Johnny Carson. What an incredible impact he had on all of us, and on the entertainment industry in particular.

Behind me, on his star at the Hollywood Walk of Fame, you see the flowers and the candles that have been laid out. And as the day progresses, there's going to be a lot more outpouring of love. Johnny Carson may have passed away of emphysema at the age of 79, but his legacy will live on forever.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ED MCMAHON, "THE TONIGHT SHOW": Ladies and gentlemen, here's Johnny.

VARGAS (voice-over): For nearly three full decades, he was the reigning king of late night.

JOHNNY CARSON, ENTERTAINER: I could never have imagined I would walk through that curtain almost 5,000 times in 30 years.

VARGAS: Johnny Carson was born in 925, in Corning, Iowa. He moved to Norfolk, Nebraska, as a boy, bought his first mail-order magic set and began his career as an entertainer known as "The Great Carsoni." He performed in the Navy, graduated from the University of Nebraska, and went on to work at Omaha radio stations.

His first televised show, "Carson's Cellar," debuted in 1952 and led to a job as a staff writer on Red Skelton's variety show. In 1954, Carson got his big break when Skelton was knocked unconscious an hour before air time and Carson was asked to step in.

His natural ease in front of the camera led to a contract with CBS. After a short stint as an emcee of "Earn Your Vacation," Carson got his own half-hour comedy show, called "The Johnny Carson Show."

Carson moved to ABC for the daytime game show "Who Do You Trust?," where in '58 he was joined by his sidekick, Ed McMahon. In that same year, he was asked to sit in for Jack Paar on "The Tonight Show."

CARSON: I can only tell you that it has been an honor and a privilege to come into your homes all these years and entertain you.

VARGAS: Perhaps more important than anything else to Carson was that he loved making people laugh.

CARSON: I am one of the lucky people in the world. I found something I always wanted to do, and I have enjoyed every single minute of it. (END VIDEOTAPE)

VARGAS: And we were certainly lucky enough to be entertained by him. What an incredible man he was.

Now, he was also a very private man. And his family says that they planned no memorial service. So they're going to definitely respect his privacy. But the outpouring of love from his peers, his colleagues, has been really unprecedented.

The amount of email that we got in our office yesterday was phenomenal, really. And I just can imagine that we're going to continue to see that as the day progresses, and as more people get to realize that this man has passed on. He was an incredible man, and he's going to be sorely missed here in Hollywood and in the rest of the world -- Bill.

HEMMER: Sibila, thanks.

In a statement from the White House, the president had this to say -- and quoting now -- "Johnny Carson's wit and insight made Americans laugh and think, and had a profound influence on American life and entertainment. He was a patriot who served in the United States Navy during World War II and always remembered his roots in the heartland of America. We send our prayers and condolences to the entire Carson family."

That from the president -- Soledad.

O'BRIEN: Actor and comedian Robert Klein appeared on "The Tonight Show" with Johnny Carson 82 times. He joins us this morning to recount his fondest memories of the man who really defined the late night talk show genre.

Nice to see you.

ROBERT KLEIN, COMEDIAN: Nice to see you, Soledad.

O'BRIEN: Tell be about the first time you were on.

KLEIN: This month it's 37 years, January 19, 1968. I was terrified.

O'BRIEN: Really?

KLEIN: And he was very protective, you know. And I did a panel first, which is unusual.

He was very protective. And also, if you did your work, of the many times that I did it he laughed you up and was supportive. And it was because it was basically a terrifying experience for comedians. And he knew that.

O'BRIEN: You used the word a minute ago when we were off air "fair," which -- deconstruct why -- why his brand of humor worked so much. Because he seemed so gentle. I mean, if it was bombing he was nice. If it was going great he was nice. And I think people really liked that.

KLEIN: Well, I don't know that his -- in his entire personal life and everything he could be considered gentle. He knew his station.

When he walked into the hallway and said hello just before the show went on, and you hear da, da, da, you know, he was followed by an entourage. He was -- he was the star.

But comedians are very competitive. And, boy, oh boy, he was so supportive when the young comedians would go on that show and do well. And sometimes only he and the band were laughing. A lot of the stuff I was laying down early on was fairly hip. And he was...

O'BRIEN: No one was getting it yet then.

KLEIN: Well, that's right. And that's what I mean by fair, that if you did your -- you did your preparation.

And also, plenty of times I'd see his -- he'd cross his eyes at me when some starlet was digging her own grave on the panel there and being obnoxious. And he'd look at me like this.

He always had that Pall Mall for years. It used to be right out there.

You know, Tony Randall was always -- hated smoking. And Johnny and I were smoking. This was early on, the late '60s or so, and he'd go, "Please don't smoke. Lips that touch tobacco will never touch mine." And I said, "Don't worry about it, Tony. I hadn't planned on kissing you."

He was -- you know, I mean, he lived hard. But he -- that show was his -- his foundation.

And, you know, he once told me, too, that he could never have continued doing the show if he didn't have all of that time off. They used to make fun of him. But after that many years he was entitled to be fresh when he went on.

O'BRIEN: It surprised a lot of people, because often when somebody retires they don't really retire. They retire for like six months to 12 months, and they come back with something else. And he really retired. I mean, he was -- he was pretty much gone.

KLEIN: Yes. And they say, you know, he'll be missed. I mean, he was missed already. I mean, people -- he went secluded. He apparently...

O'BRIEN: Why, do you think?

KLEIN: Well, he -- I think he was bitter a bit about how things wound up with NBC. See, he was as good the day he left as the day he came, which most people can't say.

The thing is, he was expensive. He was getting about $40 million, and they could get the same size audience now at about $1.5 million with Leno.

He was resistant to change. I mean, with Doc Severinsen telling me he wanted to do jazz fusion and Johnny said, "Keep that big band stuff." But he was just as skillful.

He was invited to bedrooms, don't forget, not living rooms. And he was just thought of so affectionately by most of America because that's how -- you only invite that kind of person into your bedroom.

And he was great with little old ladies. He could be mildly impertinent, but very sweet with little kids and old ladies. And he also gave credit to Steve Allen in his generosity for starting those genre. But then he went a long way with it.

O'BRIEN: You ever felt you got to know him personally 82 types on the show?

KLEIN: I partied a little with him. He could drink a lot. He had a tremendous amount.

No. The answer is no. I never could fathom him. I was not any close friend. But professionally he was aces up all the way.

And I owe him and his show a lot. It made a career for me.

O'BRIEN: As it did for many other comedians as well.

KLEIN: Yes.

O'BRIEN: Robert Klein, nice to see you. Thanks for coming in to talk to us.

KLEIN: Nice to see you. Thank you.

O'BRIEN: We appreciate it.

Tonight on "LARRY KING LIVE," Larry's guest is going to be Johnny Carson's longtime sidekick, Ed McMahon. That's at 9:00 p.m. Eastern -- Bill.

HEMMER: Soledad, a break here in a moment. Is the Pentagon stepping on the toes of the CIA? Some members of the Congress want to know why they were not told about a reported secret operation.

Also, a medical surprise. Blood pressure can be dramatically lowered, and it is easy to do.

Those stories when we continue right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HEMMER: It is 11 degrees here in New York City. And people from the capital to the cape digging out after a huge weekend snowstorm. That storm dumped more than three feet of snow in some areas. And Chris Huntington is back in Boston. He's cold, and he's still outside. Chris, how goes it this hour?

CHRIS HUNTINGTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Bill, we're warming up considerably here. The sun is out. Is it actually quite a clear, and I would say, beautiful day. Still very, very windy.

This storm that passed through here packed a serious wallop. It was not the record-breaker, nor the devastation that many had feared. It nonetheless was a deadly blizzard.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HUNTINGTON (voice-over): The storm battered the Bay State from Cape Cod in the south to the north shore near Gloucester, and, of course, downtown Boston in between. The peak hours early Sunday morning, snow fell at more than three inches an hour, dumping close to three feet in many towns and more than two feet in Boston Common, where temperatures hovered around 10 degrees for most of the day.

But it was the hurricane-force winds that caused most of the trouble. Driving snow into dangerous whiteout conditions, plundering the plows' best efforts, and whipping 10 to 15 feet waves on top of a storm surge along the coast.

The entire island of Nantucket lost power. Across the state of Massachusetts 30,000 homes went dark. Governor Mitt Romney declared a state of emergency, putting National Guard troops on alert for evacuation and rescue operations and clearing the way for federal funding to help cover the considerable cost of snow removal.

Boston Mayor Thomas Menino announced that he would order only essential city personnel to work on Monday. And he said that Boston public schools would be closed through Tuesday.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HUNTINGTON: Now, the final total accumulation here in downtown Boston of 26 inches was an inch and a half shy of the all-time record. But as I mentioned, this storm was a deadly one. Two fatalities.

A former "Boston Globe" columnist suffered a heart attack while shoveling snow. And a young boy in the Roxbury area died of apparent carbon monoxide poisoning trying to stay warm in an idling car.

One final note. Logan Airport, they tell us, is technically open. But word from passengers there is that they are being turned away from flights. In many cases, the delays will probably run through till late this afternoon.

Bill, back to you.

HEMMER: All right. Chris, stay warm out there in Boston. Chris Huntington working the streets of Boston this morning.

There is an intriguing story from the Pentagon this morning. Reports say a secret spy branch has been running since 2002. Secret spy may sound repetitive, until Barbara Starr explains this at the Pentagon there this morning.

Good morning.

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Bill.

Well, indeed, the Pentagon's Defense Intelligence Agency has been running a special clandestine human intelligence gathering operation for more than the last two years of program that allows it to send operatives around the world to gather intelligence to go anywhere that they are ordered to go. How sensitive is this? Well, apparently very sensitive.

When the story broke in the "The Washington Post" newspaper yesterday, the Pentagon came out with what appears, at least, to be a denial. The Pentagon spokesman, Larry DiRita, issuing this statement, saying, "There is no unit that is directly reportable to the secretary of defense for clandestine operations."

Well, technically, that is true. But the unit does exist. It conducts clandestine operations. It reports to the DIA, the Defense Intelligence Agency, and then to some of Rumsfeld's most senior aides here in the building.

Now, according to one official this morning, it's own an administrative organization. But observe the weekend, we've spoken to a number of officials with direct knowledge of this organization, and they say that indeed it does send DIA personnel in teams with Special Forces out into the field, places like Iraq and Afghanistan, to gather so-called human intelligence, to interrogate people to spy, to recruit agents that will give the U.S. government information.

Very sensitive, Bill, because it puts DIA Pentagon personnel in the field with Special Forces. And by all accounts, that's something Special Forces feel a little bit queasy about.

When Special Forces go into the field, when they kick down a door, so to speak, on some of their most clandestine missions, they really don't wand a crowd of Pentagon officials watching them. They like to operate small and deadly. It's why they call them snake eaters.

But it's not the end of this story, Bill, because we have also confirmed this morning that the Pentagon is working on 60, 60 additional initiatives to overhaul defense intelligence programs. Is it something that Don Rumsfeld feels very, very deeply about.

He has been on the record on this. He feels that there is not a good job being done right now on collecting that human intelligence. And he wants it improved. This appears to be one of his first efforts in that direction -- Bill.

HEMMER: Again, called the snake eaters. It sounds like a movie down the road that we'll hear more about this many years from now.

Barbara, about an hour and a half ago, there was a story that broke out of Baghdad. Authorities there on the rocky side. They indicate that they've -- they've captured this al Qaeda leader who is responsible for 75 percent of the car bombings in Baghdad. Has there been any reaction from the Pentagon on this?

STARR: Well, U.S. military officials know about this, they know about the announcement. It is something they're looking at very closely.

They believe that perhaps yes, this man was possibly responsible for some 30 car bombs in the Baghdad area. But nobody's ready to say that any one arrest yet fundamentally changes the insurgency.

Of course, as we all know, it operate across Iraq. Is it deadly across Iraq. And they do note that this statement from the Iraqi government about this arrest comes, of course, just a few days before the election in that country.

And certainly the campaign rhetoric is at an all-time high there. Many of these Iraqi officials involved in campaigning for various offices. So the U.S. looking at it very closely, but not ready to call it a fundamental change in the balance of what the insurgency can do -- Bill.

HEMMER: Barbara, thanks. Barbara Starr at the Pentagon there -- Soledad.

O'BRIEN: After the weekend blizzard, some roads and trains and airports are just getting up and running this morning. A look at that's ahead.

Also, is the government about to double the reward for Osama bin Laden? Why didn't $25 million do the job?

Those stories ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CARSON: ... reminds me of my old girlfriend back in Nebraska, Geena Statatory (ph).

(LAUGHTER)

Her name was Geena Statatory (ph) and she went to Lincoln High. And she was voted Miss Lincoln because every guy in school took a shot at her in the balcony.

(LAUGHTER)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'BRIEN: We had a guest earlier who was saying that he could say things that no one else could say.

CAFFERTY: Oh, yes. O'BRIEN: But just in the right way.

CAFFERTY: He knew right where the edge was and spent most of his on-air time within a millimeter or two, yes. He was gifted.

Favorite memories of Johnny Carson: "I was determined to see the show live," writes Mike. "Drove to LA, got up at 3:00 a.m. for tickets, stood in line all afternoon, and got into the second to the last row. It was one of his last shows. The comedian was someone we never heard of named Drew Carey."

John in Oologah, Oklahoma, "Favorite moment may be too commercial. My mother and her business partner developed Naval Jelly. A rust remover was marketed exclusively by direct mail until a TV buy on 'The Tonight Show.' It was supposed to be 30 or 60 seconds, but Carson and McMahon completely lost it with double entendres and the product got five minutes of free air time."

Sharon in Tawas, Michigan, "Favorite moments were any time Carson did "Carnac the Magnificent." I used to pull that with my kids anytime they'd ask me silly questions like, 'Where's my other sock?' I would say, 'Wait, let me put on my swami hat.'"

"I'd put my hand to my forehead, I'd go, 'Hmm, I see something that's not in your dresser drawer.' They never thought it was very funny."

And Reinhard in Rutherford, New Jersey, "Carson was to the point. Back when the Disney company was building EuroDisney in France, a French newspaper stated, 'The only people who would go to a place like that are fat, lazy Americans.' Carson's comment, 'Yes, like all those fat, lazy Americans who landed at Normandy.'"

HEMMER: He served. Navy, Second World War. Thank you, Jack.

The storm might be over, but New York City in the thick of a commuter nightmare at this hour. We'll see why you may not be able to get there from here so far today.

Back in a moment.

O'BRIEN: Get the latest news every morning in your email. Sign up for AMERICAN MORNING quick news at cnn.com/am.

Also ahead this morning, Johnny Carson.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CARSON: That's a candle.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That's a candle.

CARSON: Wow.

MCMAHON: Look at this one, John. CARSON: No, no, no.

(LAUGHTER)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'BRIEN: He ruled over Hollywood, but he never lost his common touch. Who's going it fill his shoes? That's ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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