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American Morning
Discussing Potential for Peace in Middle East; Examining Debate About Decency on Television
Aired February 07, 2005 - 08:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: We do want to get straight to the headlines, though, everybody.
Unfortunately, deadly attacks in Iraq to talk about today. Insurgents set off a car bomb in a taxi outside of police headquarters in Ba'qubah. That's northeast of Baghdad. At least 14 people were killed.
And another attack in Mosul. Most of the victims were recruits at a temporary police station there.
The Spanish consulate in Switzerland confirms its staff are safe following a brief hostage takeover. Spanish state run media is reporting a group of three intruders broke into the consulate building in what appears to have been a robbery attempt. At least one person is reportedly injured.
President Bush set to deliver his budget to Capitol Hill. The $2.5 trillion proposal cuts or freezes 150 domestic programs. It's part of the president's campaign pledge to cut the deficit in half by 2009.
And Patriots fans celebrating the team's third Super Bowl championship in just four years. Fans went wild after the 24-21 in Jacksonville. And in Boston, about 1,000 police officers were on hand to keep the post-game partiers in control. Boston's mayor, though, says a big celebration will take place tomorrow. And a big celebration I bet it will be -- Soledad, over to you.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: No question about that.
All right, Heidi, thanks.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is on her way to Rome this hour after a weekend in the Mideast to analyze the state of the peace process between Israelis and Palestinians. Earlier this morning, she met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on the West Bank. Rice says the U.S. will give $40 million in aid to the Palestinians over the next three months.
Yesterday, she met with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon in Jerusalem.
Both leaders have agreed to separate visits to the White House this spring.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CONDOLEEZZA RICE, NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: The parties are showing a capability the make progress on their own. This is a good thing. The United States does not feel that it is necessary to intervene simply for the sake of intervening. The bilateral security cooperation is more important than anything that we could do trilaterally because, of course, it builds confidence and trust among the parties, too.
But if we need a trilateral mechanism, we'll be prepared to use one.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
O'BRIEN: Rice also announced that Lieutenant General William Ward will be the Palestinian security coordinator.
Former Senate majority leader George Mitchell is very familiar, of course, with the delicate Middle East peace process.
He joins us this morning to talk a little bit about Secretary Rice's trip.
Let's talk about the trilateral and bilateral, basically, those are code words for U.S. involvement or no U.S. involvement, or less U.S. involvement.
What do you think about what she's proposing, which is kind of the U.S. stands back a little bit?
GEORGE MITCHELL, FORMER SENATE MINORITY LEADER: I think just for this meeting, there's no doubt, and I'm certain in her mind that this can't be accomplished without active United States leadership. That doesn't mean that she or the president has to be at every meeting. But the reality is, of course, that the level of mistrust between the parties is so high that they can't take steps on their own and no other entity, no other government or other entity has the capacity to create the context in which the process will move forward.
So I think you'll see continued U.S. active involvement.
O'BRIEN: So when she says the U.S. doesn't need to take an active -- a leading role, I mean, are we splitting hairs between leading role and active involvement?
MITCHELL: Well, I think she's talking about the one meeting in Egypt. This gives Egypt a chance to hold center stage. I think it's very important. They're a large country in the region, very important to any process.
I don't think she means that the U.S. is not going to play an active or leading role throughout the process.
O'BRIEN: The security coordinator, William Ward has now been named.
What do you think of that action and are you familiar with him and what he can bring to this process?
MITCHELL: I'm not familiar with General Ward. But I think the action is a correct one, and, in fact, it's a restoration of the process that began in previous years. As you might recall, George Tenet, the former head of the CIA, set up a process in which the CIA station chief in Jerusalem was the central focus of a series of meetings of the security forces on both sides. This is, I assume, something like that and the U.S. will lead a security effort by both, because it's critical to the process going forward that there be a fairly good level of security and a reduction in violence.
O'BRIEN: Forty million dollars, Dr. Rice announced, will be coming in the next three months.
Enough money?
And it's part of the $350 million that we're expecting Congress will approve for the Palestinians.
What do you think of the timing, three months?
MITCHELL: Well, I think it's an effort to give a carrot and say if good things happen, then there'll be more to come. It, of course, is not the only source of assistance. The European Union and other Arab nations have, for a very long time, provided very substantial sums of funding to the Palestinian Authority. So I think it'll be part of a larger effort.
I think what has to happen, however, is that the focus, while is it necessarily on security and politics now, must soon shift to economics, or at least economics has to be included.
You can't have a peace process in any conflict society unless you have economic growth, job creation, a sense of hope and opportunity. It is despair and the lack of opportunity that I think is the fuel for instability and continued conflict, not just in the Middle East, but everywhere.
O'BRIEN: You mentioned hope, and I'd be curious -- I mean every time we talk sort of the top of hope or the bottom of hope will feel.
Where do you put us now in our hopeful mood? Or do you feel very hopeful about the opportunities in the talks or do you feel less hopeful?
MITCHELL: Well, very hopeful now. Of course, everything in life is relative. It's been so bad for so long that it doesn't take much to produce hope. But I think there is a real opportunity here.
The Israelis want security. The Palestinians want a state. I believe that neither can attain its objective by denying to the other its objective. The Palestinians are not going to get a state until the Israelis have security and the Israelis aren't going to get sustain security over the long-term until the Palestinians get a state. I think they recognize that. I think they're tired of the conflict, exhausted from what's gone on. And I think there is a real opportunity here and I commend Secretary Rice for making it an early visit. What the United States has to do is strong, sustained and preserving leadership. There are going to be setbacks. We've got to say we're there to get the job done and we're going to stay until it is done.
O'BRIEN: Well, persevere might be the word to underscore there.
Former Senator George Mitchell joining us this morning.
Nice to see you, as always.
MITCHELL: Thank you, Soledad.
O'BRIEN: A good day for Boston, huh?
MITCHELL: A good -- a great year for Boston.
Don't forget the Red Sox.
O'BRIEN: Oh, we'll never forget the Red Sox.
Thank you, sir.
MITCHELL: All right.
O'BRIEN: Rob.
ROB MARCIANO, CNN ANCHOR: A double whammy there, Red Sox and the Patriots.
Thanks, Soledad.
Well, speak of the Super Bowl, all eyes last night were on it, not just for the game, but for the entertainment, too. I mean one year ago Janet Jackson's wardrobe malfunction led to a fiery debate over decency on television.
CNN national correspondent Kelly Wallace joins us now with a look at how TV has changed and what may be next.
They went from one extreme to the other, it seems like, this year.
KELLY WALLACE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right.
You watched the game last night, right?
MARCIANO: Oh, yes.
WALLACE: A pretty tame half-time show.
MARCIANO: Very much so. WALLACE: Yes. Organizers steering clear of any controversy after last year. Since then, it has been a year of questions about what is acceptable and what is not, and that is a debate that is still raging on.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
WALLACE (voice-over): What a difference a year makes. The non- controversial and fully clothed Paul McCartney, the half-time headliner last night, a year after Janet Jackson's so-called wardrobe malfunction led the FCC to slap CBS with a hefty $550,000 fine, sending ripples throughout the broadcasting industry. For instance, stations representing nearly one third of the country refused to air the World War 2 epic "Saving Private Ryan" because it includes expletives.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "FAMILY GUY," COURTESY FOX TELEVISION)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So I'm just going to tell a little like, OK?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WALLACE: And the Fox television series "Family Guy" blurring the rear ends of characters.
PROF. PAUL LEVINSON, FORDHAM UNIVERSITY: You know, you don't whether to laugh or cry. The media are now apparently so frightened of the FCC that rather than standing up for their first amendment rights, they're censoring themselves.
WALLACE: Levinson calls the FCC fines "unconstitutional and unprecedented," pointing to more than $7 million in indecency fines year compared to just $48,000 four years ago.
On the other side, the leading critic of television content, the Parents Television Council. It says it is not looking for censorship but corporate responsibility.
LARA MAHANEY, PARENTS TELEVISION COUNCIL: I think the critics are acting like the sky is falling, you know, instead of just looking at really what the FCC has already ruled on in the past and looking at some general guidelines. I mean you have to go really far over the line.
WALLACE: So what does the future hold?
First, a new FCC commissioner, with Michael Powell stepping down in the midst of a nationwide debate over what's acceptable and what's not.
MAHANEY: I think both sides of the debate want a little bit more clarity on indecency.
WALLACE: And then there is cable programming, currently unregulated by the FCC, but many expect efforts to try to change that.
LEVINSON: What does that mean? We'll see "The Sopranos" bleeped or there won't be a "Sopranos" at all?
(END VIDEO TAPE)
WALLACE: And the debate likely to heat up inside Congress this year. Law makers considering measures which would dramatically increase those fines, FCC fines for indecency on television.
MARCIANO: Well, if they do that, what's the likelihood of it passing somehow?
WALLACE: Well, you know, they had measures before Congress last year and they didn't pass, and this was after the uproar over the Janet Jackson wardrobe malfunction. But law makers on both sides say they've got a lot of support this year, so they think there will be some measures that will increase those fines.
MARCIANO: We'll see what happens.
Thanks, Kelly.
WALLACE: Sure.
MARCIANO: Soledad -- back over to you.
O'BRIEN: All right.
Thanks, Rob.
Time to check back on the weather.
Chad Myers is at the CNN Center with the latest for us -- hey, Chad, good morning to you.
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, Soledad.
(WEATHER REPORT)
O'BRIEN: How about this? Jumping into the freezing Atlantic wearing next to nothing. It kind of sounds like "Fear Factor," doesn't it? But it's all for a good cause, actually. More than 800 people ran into the frigid waters in New Hampshire yesterday morning. They took part in the annual Penguins Lunge. It's a fundraiser for the state's Special Olympics. Some awards were given for best costumes, as well as top fundraiser. There's not a lot of costumes there. I just see a lot of cold looking, out of shape pale people jpg into the water.
MARCIANO: Yes, and pictures were there to prove it. It's nice to know they were doing it for a cause. A lot of people just tend to jump in the ocean this time of year, you know, for the heck of it.
O'BRIEN: Just for the heck of it.
See, you raise money. It's all good.
MARCIANO: Well, doctors say there are new rules when it comes to moms and breast feeding. We'll be "Paging Dr. Gupta."
O'BRIEN: Also, more on Condoleezza Rice's trip to the Middle East. Did the White House just take a huge risk with its new pledge?
MARCIANO: And what's the word this morning from the Vatican on the pope's help? A report from Rome. All that ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MARCIANO: And we are back.
Pope John Paul II has been advised by his doctors to remain in the hospital for just a few more days as a precaution, even as the Vatican says his health is improving. Yesterday, the 84-year-old pontiff made his first public appearance since being hospitalized last week.
Earlier, I spoke with CNN Vatican analyst John Allen from Rome for the latest on the pope's condition.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
JOHN ALLEN, "NATIONAL CATHOLIC REPORTER": The bottom line is more reassuring news from the Vatican today. They tell us that the pope's condition continues to improve, that he is eating regularly; he spent some hours in a chair outside of his bed; that he's taking part in the mass every day in his hospital room, and, in fact, has invited some of the medical personnel taking care of him to join him; that his fever has gone away and that, in fact, jokingly, they said he looked at the newspapers this morning just to see how his illness was going. I mean, in other words, the joke being that he was turning to the newspapers rather than the doctors, because the newspapers are full of speculation, of course.
On the other hand, the precautionary note is that he is going to be remaining in Rome's Gemelli Polyclinic Hospital at least until Thursday. So he is going to not be taking part in the traditional Ash Wednesday service here in St. Peter's Basilica on Wednesday night.
However, the Vatican is not ruling out that he might be able to take part in a scheduled liturgy for the Day of the Sick on Friday.
So bottom line is all news continues to be encouraging.
MARCIANO: Well, you saw him physically in his latest public appearance.
How did he look and sound to you?
ALLEN: Well, you know, as is often the case, I think he sounded worse than he looked. I mean, that is to say, the voice was obviously weak. It was raspy. It was difficult to understand. But his body language seemed relatively good. He perked up at a couple of points during the Angelus address, clearly seemed to be following what was going on, and in that sense did not look much different than we have become accustomed to seeing him in recent months.
MARCIANO: He seems to be reassuring everybody that he's doing well, that he's going to be hanging around.
Was there any sense that he gave that he might be stepping down?
ALLEN: No. I think exactly the contrary, Rob.
I mean if you notice carefully, in the message he delivered yesterday, or the message that was read on his behalf, there was -- the critical line of that message was John Paul saying even here in the hospital, I continue to serve the church and continue to serve humanity. And I think that was yet another indication on his part that he has no intention of stepping down. And this, of course, builds on a number of previous public declarations the pope has made to the effect that it's the hands of god and therefore not up to him how much longer he continues.
MARCIANO: Well, this could be a problem.
I mean what's the buzz there if he happens to become incapacitated? I mean who becomes the leader of the church itself?
ALLEN: Rob, that's a great question and I think it's one of the ultimate head scratchers in the Catholic Church. The truth is that church law makes no provision for what to do in the case of an incapacitated pope. And the pope's powers are non-transferable in the sense that there is no vice pope and there can't be, by design. That's the nature of the system.
So that it really is an open question. And I've interviewed senior officials in the church from the very top all the way on down and the answer is we do not know what would happen in a set of circumstances in which the people simply could not communicate his wishes.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
MARCIANO: That was CNN's Vatican analyst John Allen in Rome -- Soledad, back over to you.
O'BRIEN: Thank you.
Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld yesterday rejected calls for a timetable to remove U.S. troops from Iraq. He also spoke on CNN about the Iraqi election.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD RUMSFELD, SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: They're going to decide what government they want. They're going to write their constitution. It's not going to be written by foreigners. It's going to be written by them.
Now, when you ask me what I think, I think that the Shia in Iraq are more Iraqis than they are Shia. I don't think they're a people who are getting up in the morning and saying gee, I wish we had a theocracy like Iran does, with a handful of clerics telling everyone what to do. I don't think that's going to happen.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
O'BRIEN: Secretary Rumsfeld also insisted that there are 136,000 Iraqi security forces on the job, a number that many dispute. Rumsfeld admits that some of those troops are "green as grass."
It is one of Washington, D.C.'s biggest mysteries, but there is a new clue this morning on the identity of Woodward and Bernstein's "Deep Throat."
That's ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: Time to check in on one of the most popular stories this morning on cnn.com.
Two teenage girls who surprised their neighbor with homemade cookies are being court-ordered to pay $900 for her medical bills. The neighbor says she was so frightened by the late night delivery, she had to go to the hospital. The judge did not award punitive damages because he did not believe the girls acted maliciously.
Well, that'll show them.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Come on.
O'BRIEN: Don't do anything nice for anybody.
CAFFERTY: No good deed goes unpunished, isn't that the saying?
O'BRIEN: Absolutely. Um-hmm.
CAFFERTY: Yes.
All right, the battle is joined on Social Security reform. Tens of millions of dollars is going to be spent starting today on advertising on both sides of the issue. It's all about the president's plan to give workers private investment accounts, where people born after 1950 could divert up to a third of their payroll taxes to these private accounts.
The question is this, how are you planning for your retirement?
Blair in Toronto says: "Jack, I put all my money on the Eagles. Retirement is no longer in my vocabulary."
Tom in Florence, Alabama: "I'm 60 years old. I'm planning to work as long as I am physically and mentally able to. The Bush years have messed up the fine 401K that was blossoming during Clinton's stewardship."
Jack in Colgate, Wisconsin: "Privatizing our campaign finance system led to massive congressional corruption. Privatizing Social Security will do the same. In this case, it'll be the Wall Street barons and financial institutions that are funding the political campaigns."
And Stephen in San Jose writes: "I can't wait to retire. I'm going to fake senility so I can say what's really on my mind without being held accountable -- sort of like you, Jack."
I ain't faking it.
MARCIANO: Words of wisdom.
CAFFERTY: It's the real deal.
O'BRIEN: Wow! It is just depressing, I mean, if it's true. I mean the math doesn't add up.
CAFFERTY: You know what? There are not a lot of letters coming in saying gee, what a great idea. And more than that, the theme that really comes out is people are struggling with this idea of how they're going to live in retirement, people saying this...
O'BRIEN: As you mentioned. Yes, two family -- I mean almost everybody has a two family income.
CAFFERTY: Yes.
O'BRIEN: I mean (UNINTELLIGIBLE)...
CAFFERTY: You've got four young children all within, what, less than five years of age. Wait until you start putting those four through school by the time they're old enough to go.
O'BRIEN: Yes.
CAFFERTY: I mean it's a problem.
MARCIANO: You'll be working forever.
O'BRIEN: I met a woman who told me that, well, she said, I'm just planning on my kids getting scholarships. Her son was 18 months old. I'm like, you know, I -- that's sort of...
MARCIANO: That's a good angle.
CAFFERTY: That kid is going to be in for a happy childhood.
O'BRIEN: Exactly.
MARCIANO: Exactly.
CAFFERTY: You're going to get a scholarship.
O'BRIEN: It's a little scary, but she, you know, she wasn't kidding. She really -- that was how she was going to, you know, pay for his education, he was going to have to get a scholarship. CAFFERTY: Oh, it ain't all that bad.
MARCIANO: Thanks, Jack.
CAFFERTY: Well...
O'BRIEN: Really?
Are you going to start e-mailing yourself?
MARCIANO: I feel better already.
CAFFERTY: I'm going to go write myself a letter.
O'BRIEN: You might need that to balance it off today.
CAFFERTY: Actually, I'm actually very close to that retirement situation also.
O'BRIEN: Really?
CAFFERTY: Yes. I'm 62.
MARCIANO: How are you doing? How is your account?
CAFFERTY: Huh?
MARCIANO: How many commas you got in the account?
CAFFERTY: You're kind of nosy, aren't you, for a new guy who just got up here? What, do you want me to...
MARCIANO: You don't seem too worried.
O'BRIEN: You've started so well, Rob.
CAFFERTY: I'll bring you my checkbook tomorrow. You can go through it. Maybe you've got some ideas or tips.
MARCIANO: M-A-R-C-I.
O'BRIEN: Jack, thanks a lot.
CAFFERTY: Yes.
O'BRIEN: Well, the president sends the tightest budget in years off to Congress today. Some popular programs, though, are on the chopping block. We're going to take you live to the White House just ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: Get the latest news every morning in your e-mail. Sign up for AMERICAN MORNING Quick News at cnn.com/am.
Still to come this morning, the Mideast peace process. Is a new pledge from the White House too big of a risk? Kamber and May battle it out ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: Welcome, everybody.
Just about half past the hour on this AMERICAN MORNING.
Bill Hemmer is off today.
Rob Marciano is filling in.
Nice to have you.
MARCIANO: Nice to be here. His job is safe, but it's nice to be here.
O'BRIEN: Well, it's nice to have you.
Thanks.
The president's budget is being delivered to Capitol Hill right now. It has a lot of steep cuts that law makers are not going to like. We're going to take you live to the White House to hear about another tough sell for the president.
MARCIANO: Meanwhile, the administration is taking bold steps in the Middle East. We'll see if Victor Kamber and Cliff May, what they think about it. Is it a great stride or a big stumble?
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Aired February 7, 2005 - 08:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: We do want to get straight to the headlines, though, everybody.
Unfortunately, deadly attacks in Iraq to talk about today. Insurgents set off a car bomb in a taxi outside of police headquarters in Ba'qubah. That's northeast of Baghdad. At least 14 people were killed.
And another attack in Mosul. Most of the victims were recruits at a temporary police station there.
The Spanish consulate in Switzerland confirms its staff are safe following a brief hostage takeover. Spanish state run media is reporting a group of three intruders broke into the consulate building in what appears to have been a robbery attempt. At least one person is reportedly injured.
President Bush set to deliver his budget to Capitol Hill. The $2.5 trillion proposal cuts or freezes 150 domestic programs. It's part of the president's campaign pledge to cut the deficit in half by 2009.
And Patriots fans celebrating the team's third Super Bowl championship in just four years. Fans went wild after the 24-21 in Jacksonville. And in Boston, about 1,000 police officers were on hand to keep the post-game partiers in control. Boston's mayor, though, says a big celebration will take place tomorrow. And a big celebration I bet it will be -- Soledad, over to you.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: No question about that.
All right, Heidi, thanks.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is on her way to Rome this hour after a weekend in the Mideast to analyze the state of the peace process between Israelis and Palestinians. Earlier this morning, she met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on the West Bank. Rice says the U.S. will give $40 million in aid to the Palestinians over the next three months.
Yesterday, she met with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon in Jerusalem.
Both leaders have agreed to separate visits to the White House this spring.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CONDOLEEZZA RICE, NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: The parties are showing a capability the make progress on their own. This is a good thing. The United States does not feel that it is necessary to intervene simply for the sake of intervening. The bilateral security cooperation is more important than anything that we could do trilaterally because, of course, it builds confidence and trust among the parties, too.
But if we need a trilateral mechanism, we'll be prepared to use one.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
O'BRIEN: Rice also announced that Lieutenant General William Ward will be the Palestinian security coordinator.
Former Senate majority leader George Mitchell is very familiar, of course, with the delicate Middle East peace process.
He joins us this morning to talk a little bit about Secretary Rice's trip.
Let's talk about the trilateral and bilateral, basically, those are code words for U.S. involvement or no U.S. involvement, or less U.S. involvement.
What do you think about what she's proposing, which is kind of the U.S. stands back a little bit?
GEORGE MITCHELL, FORMER SENATE MINORITY LEADER: I think just for this meeting, there's no doubt, and I'm certain in her mind that this can't be accomplished without active United States leadership. That doesn't mean that she or the president has to be at every meeting. But the reality is, of course, that the level of mistrust between the parties is so high that they can't take steps on their own and no other entity, no other government or other entity has the capacity to create the context in which the process will move forward.
So I think you'll see continued U.S. active involvement.
O'BRIEN: So when she says the U.S. doesn't need to take an active -- a leading role, I mean, are we splitting hairs between leading role and active involvement?
MITCHELL: Well, I think she's talking about the one meeting in Egypt. This gives Egypt a chance to hold center stage. I think it's very important. They're a large country in the region, very important to any process.
I don't think she means that the U.S. is not going to play an active or leading role throughout the process.
O'BRIEN: The security coordinator, William Ward has now been named.
What do you think of that action and are you familiar with him and what he can bring to this process?
MITCHELL: I'm not familiar with General Ward. But I think the action is a correct one, and, in fact, it's a restoration of the process that began in previous years. As you might recall, George Tenet, the former head of the CIA, set up a process in which the CIA station chief in Jerusalem was the central focus of a series of meetings of the security forces on both sides. This is, I assume, something like that and the U.S. will lead a security effort by both, because it's critical to the process going forward that there be a fairly good level of security and a reduction in violence.
O'BRIEN: Forty million dollars, Dr. Rice announced, will be coming in the next three months.
Enough money?
And it's part of the $350 million that we're expecting Congress will approve for the Palestinians.
What do you think of the timing, three months?
MITCHELL: Well, I think it's an effort to give a carrot and say if good things happen, then there'll be more to come. It, of course, is not the only source of assistance. The European Union and other Arab nations have, for a very long time, provided very substantial sums of funding to the Palestinian Authority. So I think it'll be part of a larger effort.
I think what has to happen, however, is that the focus, while is it necessarily on security and politics now, must soon shift to economics, or at least economics has to be included.
You can't have a peace process in any conflict society unless you have economic growth, job creation, a sense of hope and opportunity. It is despair and the lack of opportunity that I think is the fuel for instability and continued conflict, not just in the Middle East, but everywhere.
O'BRIEN: You mentioned hope, and I'd be curious -- I mean every time we talk sort of the top of hope or the bottom of hope will feel.
Where do you put us now in our hopeful mood? Or do you feel very hopeful about the opportunities in the talks or do you feel less hopeful?
MITCHELL: Well, very hopeful now. Of course, everything in life is relative. It's been so bad for so long that it doesn't take much to produce hope. But I think there is a real opportunity here.
The Israelis want security. The Palestinians want a state. I believe that neither can attain its objective by denying to the other its objective. The Palestinians are not going to get a state until the Israelis have security and the Israelis aren't going to get sustain security over the long-term until the Palestinians get a state. I think they recognize that. I think they're tired of the conflict, exhausted from what's gone on. And I think there is a real opportunity here and I commend Secretary Rice for making it an early visit. What the United States has to do is strong, sustained and preserving leadership. There are going to be setbacks. We've got to say we're there to get the job done and we're going to stay until it is done.
O'BRIEN: Well, persevere might be the word to underscore there.
Former Senator George Mitchell joining us this morning.
Nice to see you, as always.
MITCHELL: Thank you, Soledad.
O'BRIEN: A good day for Boston, huh?
MITCHELL: A good -- a great year for Boston.
Don't forget the Red Sox.
O'BRIEN: Oh, we'll never forget the Red Sox.
Thank you, sir.
MITCHELL: All right.
O'BRIEN: Rob.
ROB MARCIANO, CNN ANCHOR: A double whammy there, Red Sox and the Patriots.
Thanks, Soledad.
Well, speak of the Super Bowl, all eyes last night were on it, not just for the game, but for the entertainment, too. I mean one year ago Janet Jackson's wardrobe malfunction led to a fiery debate over decency on television.
CNN national correspondent Kelly Wallace joins us now with a look at how TV has changed and what may be next.
They went from one extreme to the other, it seems like, this year.
KELLY WALLACE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right.
You watched the game last night, right?
MARCIANO: Oh, yes.
WALLACE: A pretty tame half-time show.
MARCIANO: Very much so. WALLACE: Yes. Organizers steering clear of any controversy after last year. Since then, it has been a year of questions about what is acceptable and what is not, and that is a debate that is still raging on.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
WALLACE (voice-over): What a difference a year makes. The non- controversial and fully clothed Paul McCartney, the half-time headliner last night, a year after Janet Jackson's so-called wardrobe malfunction led the FCC to slap CBS with a hefty $550,000 fine, sending ripples throughout the broadcasting industry. For instance, stations representing nearly one third of the country refused to air the World War 2 epic "Saving Private Ryan" because it includes expletives.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "FAMILY GUY," COURTESY FOX TELEVISION)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So I'm just going to tell a little like, OK?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WALLACE: And the Fox television series "Family Guy" blurring the rear ends of characters.
PROF. PAUL LEVINSON, FORDHAM UNIVERSITY: You know, you don't whether to laugh or cry. The media are now apparently so frightened of the FCC that rather than standing up for their first amendment rights, they're censoring themselves.
WALLACE: Levinson calls the FCC fines "unconstitutional and unprecedented," pointing to more than $7 million in indecency fines year compared to just $48,000 four years ago.
On the other side, the leading critic of television content, the Parents Television Council. It says it is not looking for censorship but corporate responsibility.
LARA MAHANEY, PARENTS TELEVISION COUNCIL: I think the critics are acting like the sky is falling, you know, instead of just looking at really what the FCC has already ruled on in the past and looking at some general guidelines. I mean you have to go really far over the line.
WALLACE: So what does the future hold?
First, a new FCC commissioner, with Michael Powell stepping down in the midst of a nationwide debate over what's acceptable and what's not.
MAHANEY: I think both sides of the debate want a little bit more clarity on indecency.
WALLACE: And then there is cable programming, currently unregulated by the FCC, but many expect efforts to try to change that.
LEVINSON: What does that mean? We'll see "The Sopranos" bleeped or there won't be a "Sopranos" at all?
(END VIDEO TAPE)
WALLACE: And the debate likely to heat up inside Congress this year. Law makers considering measures which would dramatically increase those fines, FCC fines for indecency on television.
MARCIANO: Well, if they do that, what's the likelihood of it passing somehow?
WALLACE: Well, you know, they had measures before Congress last year and they didn't pass, and this was after the uproar over the Janet Jackson wardrobe malfunction. But law makers on both sides say they've got a lot of support this year, so they think there will be some measures that will increase those fines.
MARCIANO: We'll see what happens.
Thanks, Kelly.
WALLACE: Sure.
MARCIANO: Soledad -- back over to you.
O'BRIEN: All right.
Thanks, Rob.
Time to check back on the weather.
Chad Myers is at the CNN Center with the latest for us -- hey, Chad, good morning to you.
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, Soledad.
(WEATHER REPORT)
O'BRIEN: How about this? Jumping into the freezing Atlantic wearing next to nothing. It kind of sounds like "Fear Factor," doesn't it? But it's all for a good cause, actually. More than 800 people ran into the frigid waters in New Hampshire yesterday morning. They took part in the annual Penguins Lunge. It's a fundraiser for the state's Special Olympics. Some awards were given for best costumes, as well as top fundraiser. There's not a lot of costumes there. I just see a lot of cold looking, out of shape pale people jpg into the water.
MARCIANO: Yes, and pictures were there to prove it. It's nice to know they were doing it for a cause. A lot of people just tend to jump in the ocean this time of year, you know, for the heck of it.
O'BRIEN: Just for the heck of it.
See, you raise money. It's all good.
MARCIANO: Well, doctors say there are new rules when it comes to moms and breast feeding. We'll be "Paging Dr. Gupta."
O'BRIEN: Also, more on Condoleezza Rice's trip to the Middle East. Did the White House just take a huge risk with its new pledge?
MARCIANO: And what's the word this morning from the Vatican on the pope's help? A report from Rome. All that ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MARCIANO: And we are back.
Pope John Paul II has been advised by his doctors to remain in the hospital for just a few more days as a precaution, even as the Vatican says his health is improving. Yesterday, the 84-year-old pontiff made his first public appearance since being hospitalized last week.
Earlier, I spoke with CNN Vatican analyst John Allen from Rome for the latest on the pope's condition.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
JOHN ALLEN, "NATIONAL CATHOLIC REPORTER": The bottom line is more reassuring news from the Vatican today. They tell us that the pope's condition continues to improve, that he is eating regularly; he spent some hours in a chair outside of his bed; that he's taking part in the mass every day in his hospital room, and, in fact, has invited some of the medical personnel taking care of him to join him; that his fever has gone away and that, in fact, jokingly, they said he looked at the newspapers this morning just to see how his illness was going. I mean, in other words, the joke being that he was turning to the newspapers rather than the doctors, because the newspapers are full of speculation, of course.
On the other hand, the precautionary note is that he is going to be remaining in Rome's Gemelli Polyclinic Hospital at least until Thursday. So he is going to not be taking part in the traditional Ash Wednesday service here in St. Peter's Basilica on Wednesday night.
However, the Vatican is not ruling out that he might be able to take part in a scheduled liturgy for the Day of the Sick on Friday.
So bottom line is all news continues to be encouraging.
MARCIANO: Well, you saw him physically in his latest public appearance.
How did he look and sound to you?
ALLEN: Well, you know, as is often the case, I think he sounded worse than he looked. I mean, that is to say, the voice was obviously weak. It was raspy. It was difficult to understand. But his body language seemed relatively good. He perked up at a couple of points during the Angelus address, clearly seemed to be following what was going on, and in that sense did not look much different than we have become accustomed to seeing him in recent months.
MARCIANO: He seems to be reassuring everybody that he's doing well, that he's going to be hanging around.
Was there any sense that he gave that he might be stepping down?
ALLEN: No. I think exactly the contrary, Rob.
I mean if you notice carefully, in the message he delivered yesterday, or the message that was read on his behalf, there was -- the critical line of that message was John Paul saying even here in the hospital, I continue to serve the church and continue to serve humanity. And I think that was yet another indication on his part that he has no intention of stepping down. And this, of course, builds on a number of previous public declarations the pope has made to the effect that it's the hands of god and therefore not up to him how much longer he continues.
MARCIANO: Well, this could be a problem.
I mean what's the buzz there if he happens to become incapacitated? I mean who becomes the leader of the church itself?
ALLEN: Rob, that's a great question and I think it's one of the ultimate head scratchers in the Catholic Church. The truth is that church law makes no provision for what to do in the case of an incapacitated pope. And the pope's powers are non-transferable in the sense that there is no vice pope and there can't be, by design. That's the nature of the system.
So that it really is an open question. And I've interviewed senior officials in the church from the very top all the way on down and the answer is we do not know what would happen in a set of circumstances in which the people simply could not communicate his wishes.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
MARCIANO: That was CNN's Vatican analyst John Allen in Rome -- Soledad, back over to you.
O'BRIEN: Thank you.
Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld yesterday rejected calls for a timetable to remove U.S. troops from Iraq. He also spoke on CNN about the Iraqi election.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD RUMSFELD, SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: They're going to decide what government they want. They're going to write their constitution. It's not going to be written by foreigners. It's going to be written by them.
Now, when you ask me what I think, I think that the Shia in Iraq are more Iraqis than they are Shia. I don't think they're a people who are getting up in the morning and saying gee, I wish we had a theocracy like Iran does, with a handful of clerics telling everyone what to do. I don't think that's going to happen.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
O'BRIEN: Secretary Rumsfeld also insisted that there are 136,000 Iraqi security forces on the job, a number that many dispute. Rumsfeld admits that some of those troops are "green as grass."
It is one of Washington, D.C.'s biggest mysteries, but there is a new clue this morning on the identity of Woodward and Bernstein's "Deep Throat."
That's ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: Time to check in on one of the most popular stories this morning on cnn.com.
Two teenage girls who surprised their neighbor with homemade cookies are being court-ordered to pay $900 for her medical bills. The neighbor says she was so frightened by the late night delivery, she had to go to the hospital. The judge did not award punitive damages because he did not believe the girls acted maliciously.
Well, that'll show them.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Come on.
O'BRIEN: Don't do anything nice for anybody.
CAFFERTY: No good deed goes unpunished, isn't that the saying?
O'BRIEN: Absolutely. Um-hmm.
CAFFERTY: Yes.
All right, the battle is joined on Social Security reform. Tens of millions of dollars is going to be spent starting today on advertising on both sides of the issue. It's all about the president's plan to give workers private investment accounts, where people born after 1950 could divert up to a third of their payroll taxes to these private accounts.
The question is this, how are you planning for your retirement?
Blair in Toronto says: "Jack, I put all my money on the Eagles. Retirement is no longer in my vocabulary."
Tom in Florence, Alabama: "I'm 60 years old. I'm planning to work as long as I am physically and mentally able to. The Bush years have messed up the fine 401K that was blossoming during Clinton's stewardship."
Jack in Colgate, Wisconsin: "Privatizing our campaign finance system led to massive congressional corruption. Privatizing Social Security will do the same. In this case, it'll be the Wall Street barons and financial institutions that are funding the political campaigns."
And Stephen in San Jose writes: "I can't wait to retire. I'm going to fake senility so I can say what's really on my mind without being held accountable -- sort of like you, Jack."
I ain't faking it.
MARCIANO: Words of wisdom.
CAFFERTY: It's the real deal.
O'BRIEN: Wow! It is just depressing, I mean, if it's true. I mean the math doesn't add up.
CAFFERTY: You know what? There are not a lot of letters coming in saying gee, what a great idea. And more than that, the theme that really comes out is people are struggling with this idea of how they're going to live in retirement, people saying this...
O'BRIEN: As you mentioned. Yes, two family -- I mean almost everybody has a two family income.
CAFFERTY: Yes.
O'BRIEN: I mean (UNINTELLIGIBLE)...
CAFFERTY: You've got four young children all within, what, less than five years of age. Wait until you start putting those four through school by the time they're old enough to go.
O'BRIEN: Yes.
CAFFERTY: I mean it's a problem.
MARCIANO: You'll be working forever.
O'BRIEN: I met a woman who told me that, well, she said, I'm just planning on my kids getting scholarships. Her son was 18 months old. I'm like, you know, I -- that's sort of...
MARCIANO: That's a good angle.
CAFFERTY: That kid is going to be in for a happy childhood.
O'BRIEN: Exactly.
MARCIANO: Exactly.
CAFFERTY: You're going to get a scholarship.
O'BRIEN: It's a little scary, but she, you know, she wasn't kidding. She really -- that was how she was going to, you know, pay for his education, he was going to have to get a scholarship. CAFFERTY: Oh, it ain't all that bad.
MARCIANO: Thanks, Jack.
CAFFERTY: Well...
O'BRIEN: Really?
Are you going to start e-mailing yourself?
MARCIANO: I feel better already.
CAFFERTY: I'm going to go write myself a letter.
O'BRIEN: You might need that to balance it off today.
CAFFERTY: Actually, I'm actually very close to that retirement situation also.
O'BRIEN: Really?
CAFFERTY: Yes. I'm 62.
MARCIANO: How are you doing? How is your account?
CAFFERTY: Huh?
MARCIANO: How many commas you got in the account?
CAFFERTY: You're kind of nosy, aren't you, for a new guy who just got up here? What, do you want me to...
MARCIANO: You don't seem too worried.
O'BRIEN: You've started so well, Rob.
CAFFERTY: I'll bring you my checkbook tomorrow. You can go through it. Maybe you've got some ideas or tips.
MARCIANO: M-A-R-C-I.
O'BRIEN: Jack, thanks a lot.
CAFFERTY: Yes.
O'BRIEN: Well, the president sends the tightest budget in years off to Congress today. Some popular programs, though, are on the chopping block. We're going to take you live to the White House just ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: Get the latest news every morning in your e-mail. Sign up for AMERICAN MORNING Quick News at cnn.com/am.
Still to come this morning, the Mideast peace process. Is a new pledge from the White House too big of a risk? Kamber and May battle it out ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: Welcome, everybody.
Just about half past the hour on this AMERICAN MORNING.
Bill Hemmer is off today.
Rob Marciano is filling in.
Nice to have you.
MARCIANO: Nice to be here. His job is safe, but it's nice to be here.
O'BRIEN: Well, it's nice to have you.
Thanks.
The president's budget is being delivered to Capitol Hill right now. It has a lot of steep cuts that law makers are not going to like. We're going to take you live to the White House to hear about another tough sell for the president.
MARCIANO: Meanwhile, the administration is taking bold steps in the Middle East. We'll see if Victor Kamber and Cliff May, what they think about it. Is it a great stride or a big stumble?
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