Return to Transcripts main page

American Morning

White House on Edge; Wilma's Wrath

Aired October 25, 2005 - 09:30   ET

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

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: About 30 minutes past the hour, bottom of the hour.
Good morning on this AMERICAN MORNING. I'm Miles O'Brien live from Fort Lauderdale, in for Soledad all this week.

Zain -- good morning, Zain.

ZAIN VERJEE, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning to you, Miles.

(NEWSBREAK)

VERJEE: There's a "New York Times" report out today saying the chief of staff to Vice President Dick Cheney first heard from the covert CIA officer from Cheney himself. Dana Bash is live at the White House.

Dana, what implications it could have for the president.

DANA BASH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, that is a big open question, Zain, and just to give a little bit more background on what "The New York Times" is reporting. As you mentioned, what they are saying is that it was the vice president himself who told his chief of staff first about the existence of Valerie Plame. She of course is at the heart of this leaks investigation. Libby, of course is a central figure in this probe. We know that he did speak with a couple of reporters about this. We found out last week that he found out about Plame from another central figure in this, and that is top political aid Karl Rove.

The open question is, how did Libby find out? Now "The New York Times" says it was actually from Cheney. He got that information from the CIA director George Tenet. Now what does this mean for the vice president? The vice president's office will not comment about it and won't confirm it. However, that is not stopping some Republicans close to the vice president to try to stem the political damage that this could or may do to him. One source close to Cheney telling us last night that this would not be unusual, wrong or even illegal for him to speak to his national security adviser and Scooter Libby, his chief of staff about something that is classified, and there's no indication that either men at that point knew that Plame's identity was covert.

But, Zain, I can tell you, this comes at a very, very tense time here at the White House. They're waiting for Patrick Fitzgerald, the special prosecutor, to come down with perhaps some imminent indictments or announcements. They're preparing quietly for that here. It is an understood notion that if anybody is indicted, they will resign, and we expect the president very soon after that, if that happens, to come out with a public statement -- Zain.

VERJEE: Dana Bash reporting for us from the White House.

BASH: Thank you.

We want to take you back now to Miles in Fort Lauderdale.

O'BRIEN: Thank you very much, Zain.

We're here on Sixth Street Southeast in Fort Lauderdale. I've just been kind of looking through the debris here, you know, a three- ring notebook here from somebody's office. Nothing inside there. This is an odd one right here.

It says "soda can crusher," which itself has been crushed today. Lots of insulation, ceiling tiles. Lots of that shatter-proof glass, a little Halloween pumpkin that came through here. All of this coming from the offices down the road. This west wind came in, category-two strength upwards of 110 miles an hour. Who knows where that chair began its day today? 10:30 in the morning when it came through it was just sent down the road, and as a matter of fact, people are raking documents from the Broward County school system out of their yard this morning, because all this stuff just ended up going downdraft, if you will.

CNN's Allan Chernoff is downstream of us a little bit by about 12 miles.

He's in Sunny Isles, Florida, where it is, in fact, sunny this morning, but I'm sure people aren't feeling so sunny inside, given all that they face right now with damage, lack of power and lack of drinkable water.

Good morning, Allan.

ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Allan.

All along the coastline, we have thousands of cases of windows blown in, powerlines down, trees knock down, but this perhaps is one of the most dramatic examples of the power of the hurricane. You're looking at what had been a marina until yesterday. As you can see, the winds just knocked this entire structure down, made of steel, galvanized steel, and also aluminum sheets, no match whatsoever for the hurricane-force winds, and even this morning we've been seeing chunks of aluminum just waving back and forth, and the hurricane itself tossed pieces of aluminum all over the road here. Cars have been driving by, some hitting aluminum.

In fact, right here, right next us to, here's a chunk over here, some fiberglass as well. Sheeting as well. So a very difficult situation for the owners of this place, because I just spoke to some employees. This marina was sold only two weeks ago, and of course trapped beneath hundreds of boat, the dockhands tell me that there are more than 350 boats over here, cigarette power boats, fishermen's boats as well, so millions and millions of dollars in damage, and on top of that, it's actually quite a dangerous situation, not only because of the debris around, but also because powerlines are down. Water is pouring out from inside of what had been the marina, and the dockhands tell me also, because these bolts are tilted, gasoline is pouring out. So we've got really a potentially toxic mix over here. People are going to have to be very careful in cleaning up -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: Allan Chernoff in Sunny Isles, Florida, thank you very much.

(WEATHER REPORT)

O'BRIEN: In the wake of this hurricane, and unfortunately these storms tend to bring out the best and the worst in us, and we're going to talk a little bit about the latter right now with the attorney general for Florida, Charlie Crist. A couple of concerns on his mind this morning, which we want to share with you.

Good to have you with us, Mr. Crist.

First of all, price gouging. We always hear about -- especially with gasoline being in such short supply, we always hear about people trying to take advantage of that. Have you had reports of it? And what are you doing about it?

CHARLIE CRIST, FLORIDA ATTORNEY GENERAL: We have had reports of it. We've had about calls so far. Most of those are dealing with the price of gasoline. We've also gotten calls about generators. For example, one over in Naples, on the other side of the states, somebody is trying to sell for about $1,300 that would ordinarily go for about $800.

So that clearly would be a case of price gouging. Our message here is for people to just not do that to our fellow Floridians. We need to be helping them. There are significant consequences for price gouging in our state and they'll be prosecuted if they try it.

O'BRIEN: All right, so just to be clear, we're talking about things that are considered essential services in the wake of a storm like this, like a generator, like gasoline. I mean, on the other hand, the free market, if, you know, people are taking an extra effort to get water to people they should be compensate toward that. There's a fine line there, right?

CRIST: You're absolutely right. I mean, we're all for people making a profit, but not profiteering on the backs of people that are suffering. This price gouging statute is a good one. It only goes into effect after Governor Bush smartly, last Thursday, in fact, declared a state of emergency for the state.

And so if the price goes up in gross disparity after that governor's declared that state of emergency, then it is price gouging per se. It is designed to protect our citizens to make sure they get, as you say, the necessities that they need and not get taken advantage of in the process.

O'BRIEN: Are they difficult cases to prosecute and prove?

CRIST: Well, not in the jury in Florida. If they think somebody is taking advantage of a fellow Floridian, we can prosecute those cases fairly effectively. It's $1,000 per incident, up to $25,000 per day or even more if it's unfair trade and deceptive practice and then it's $10,000.

O'BRIEN: All right. The other thing we always worry about in the wake of these things are these, you know, fly by night contractors, roofers that come in, for example -- and particularly in Florida with a significant elderly population, they're just ripe for the taking in some cases. What should people do and not do when a contractor comes knocking on your door?

CRIST: Well, the smartest piece of advice we can give anybody is to utilize common sense. Obviously, if it's a contractor you've used before, you have confidence in, that's the best, or a family member or a friend that you know recommends them.

Short of that, you know, you'll want to try to go to somebody that the Better Business Bureau might recommend or your local chamber of commerce. If you can't do that, then you want to make sure they have got the proper licensing anyway. That's always essential to have.

Otherwise, if it's someone that just kind of shows up out of the blue, odds are they're not going do a good service. They may try to take advantage of you. And you don't want to pay up front. You don't want to pay in cash. You want to make sure you get a bill after the work is done. Utilize common sense. That's always the best bottom line.

O'BRIEN: All right. We have got a phone number on the bottom of the screen. It's only for Florida residents, I should tell you. It doesn't work outside of Florida, but if you have questions and also reporting any sort of price gouging or problems with contractors, you're invited to call the number, right?

CRIST: Yes, we appreciate it. It's 1-866-9-NO-SCAM. We want to fight for our fellow Floridians and protect them. You know, they don't need to be victimized twice. They're been victimized once by the storm. They're not going to get victimized again by somebody trying to scam them.

O'BRIEN: Charlie Crist is the attorney general in Florida. Thank you very much and good luck and we hope we don't see too many cases of people taking advantage in the wake of this. Back to you, Zain.

VERJEE: Thanks, Miles. We want to take a moment and update you now on the story we told you about from Long Beach in California. The all clear has now been given after that bomb threat. The airport is expected to open in about an hour.

Still to come, Ben Bernanke -- beg your pardon -- is he the best pick to lead the Fed or a safe pick by a White House under fire. And he's minding your business just ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VERJEE: Welcome back. I'm Zain Verjee in for Soledad this week. A safe bet, that's what some analysts seem think of President Bush's choice to replace Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan. With that story and an early check on the markets, someone who knows how to look at the right cameras at the right times.

ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE MAGAZINE": Sometimes.

VERJEE: Sometimes. Again ...

SERWER: Yes. Zain, good to see you. Let's talk about the markets. First of all, go down to Wall Street and check out the big board. Down 14 points, the Dow Jones Industrial Average, not a surprise, Zain, after yesterday's 169-point advance called the Bernanke rally, this after President Bush tapped Ben Bernanke to replace Alan Greenspan. We'll get to that in a second.

I want to mention to you that McDonald's is looking to spin off its Chipotle Mexican fast food restaurant chain in an IPO, 450 of these restaurants around the country. Pretty good fare, actually, I happen to think. And more on that later.

Now, let's talk about Ben Bernanke, 51 years old, former Princeton professor who has been tapped to replace Alan Greenspan. He's known to be competent, well-respected and he's very likely to be confirmed, this unlike the reception that the president received when he nominated Harriet Miers, Zain.

VERJEE: Didn't he win a spelling bee once?

SERWER: He did. There's some interesting stuff. I want to get to sort of the lighter side of Ben Bernanke. He grew up in South Carolina and he won the state spelling bee. He went to the nationals but tripped up over the word edlweiss, E-D-L-W-E-I-S-S. I had to look it up.

VERJEE: Every morning ...

SERWER: Yes, oh, I love the song.

VERJEE: Sorry, go on.

SERWER: And then also another lighter side here. He said my proposal that fed governors should signal the commitment to public service by wearing Hawaiian shirts and Bermuda shorts have so far gone unheeded. SO he likes casual dress, but he's going to have to be wearing a suit in that new job.

VERJEE: Andy Serwer. We must stop meeting like this. Thank you.

SERWER: All right.

VERJEE: Thank you.

"CNN LIVE TODAY" is coming up next with Daryn Kagan. Daryn, what are you working on?

DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Zain, darling ...

VERJEE: Darling, hello.

KAGAN: ... you're looking fabulous up there in New York City..

VERJEE: I might not come back. I'm having so much fun here.

(CROSSTALK)

KAGAN: I wouldn't be surprised if that happened.

Let's talk about what we have going at the top of the hour. We're watching Wilma again and the aftermath in Florida to the stormy weather whipping up the Northeast. We are all over the hurricane live up and down the Atlantic coast.

And on the day that the U.S. reaches 2,000 American troops killed in Iraq, President Bush will be speaking to a gathering of military wives about the war. We'll bring that to you live. It's coming up on "CNN LIVE TODAY," but for now, at least 12 more minutes of Zain.

VERJEE: Darling, thank you.

Still to come, she refused to give up her seat on the bus, changing the racial landscape of America. Just ahead, more on the life, death and legacy of Rosa Parks. Stay with us on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VERJEE: We know Rosa Parks as the mother of the civil rights movement. She died last night in Detroit. Today her friends are talking about the woman they knew. Judge Adam Shakoor was a longtime friend of Rosa Parks.

Forty years or so, right, judge?

JUDGE ADAM SHAKOOR, FRIEND OF ROSA PARKS: That's correct.

VERJEE: What does her death mean to you? What does it mean to America?

SHAKOOR: Well, her death to America is a very tragic loss of one of the persons who pioneered the civil rights movement, and is respectfully known as the mother of the modern civil rights era. To me personally and to those of us who knew and loved her, it's a terrific personal loss, immeasurable. She was an icon in our eyes, and certainly in many people, some of whom didn't have the opportunity of meeting her. She just had such a strong presence in terms of her history and her life. VERJEE: There is a terrific story, judge, about Rosa Parks and Nelson Mandela, where Mandela was coming to the U.S., and Rosa Parks waiting there is recognized by Mandela, and Mandela recognizes her and starts to chant, "Rosa Parks, Rosa Parks," and that sort of escalates. Tell us a little bit about that.

SHAKOOR: Well, that was in 1990 when Nelson Mandela was making his American tour. He had been invited to Detroit by Mayor Coleman Young, and as the mayor at that time in Detroit, the governor of Michigan at the time, Governor James Blanchard, and other dignitaries were on the tarmac as the airplane landed. Nelson Mandela and Winnie Mandela exited the plane, and as Nelson Mandela observed that Mrs. Parks was amongst the dignitaries present, he immediately bypassed all of the others chanting "Rosa, Rosa, Rosa Parks," and went over and embraced her, and it was a warm embrace and a smile on both of their faces.

VERJEE: And she was a little embarrassed there, you know, right before Mandela came in on the plane, saying, you know, you won't know me. What if he doesn't know me? That was a little moment.

SHAKOOR: Well, Mrs. Parks was a person that had such a very humble spirit. She never wanted to seek the limelight. She was thrust into the limelight, and she was -- she just represented so much love for people, that she never wanted to stand apart from them, and she was one who was almost unaware of her significance, and she was embraced by so many people, Nelson Mandela, and many, many others.

VERJEE: Right, we're remembering her today as the mother of the civil rights movement. How do you think she would like us to remember her?

SHAKOOR: Well, I think that is a very important part of her legacy, and as I said, she embraced it, but she was the founder -- co- founder, along with Elaine Steele, of the Rosa and Raymond Parks Institute for Self-Development, which is an institute that is still ongoing and attempting to bridge the gap between young people and older adults. In fact they had an interestingly an intergenerational learning experience, and Mrs. Parks became computer literate, knowing how to e-mail and other things in about 1997. It is a program that helps young people, 11 to 17 years of age, identify with the civil rights movement. It has a trip that is taken annually to -- it's called Pathways to Freedom, that visits those places that the Freedom Rides of the early '60s, visited the Underground Railroad, which was a route used by slaves to escape from slavery.

And I believe her legacy extends beyond just the civil rights movement and to the human rights area in terms of upliftment of people of all races and creeds.

VERJEE: Judge Adam Shakoor, a longtime friend of Rosa Parks, thank you very much for join us.

We're going to be back in a moment.

Rosa Parks gave one of her last interviews in 1995, and she talked about what people would like to remember her by when she passed, and she said this: "I'd like people to say I am a person who always wanted to be free, and wanted it not only for myself, freedom is for all human beings."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: We're out of time. Thanks for being with us. I'm Miles O'Brien, in Fort Lauderdale this morning, hopefully from New York tomorrow -- Zain.

VERJEE: Hopefully. I'm Zain Verjee in for Soledad. Daryn Kagan is at the CNN Center to take you through the next couple of hours on "CNN LIVE TODAY."

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com