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CNN Live Today

Senate Showdown; Rosa Parks Funeral; Bombing In Iraq; 'Saving Time Tips'

Aired November 02, 2005 - 10:00   ET

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

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Soledad.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, they were the first back online.

All right, Miles, thanks. We look forward to that.

We're out of time, as Miles said. So let's get right to Daryn Kagan. She's at the CNN Center and she'll take you though the next few hours.

Good morning to you, Daryn.

DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, Soledad. You have a great day in New York City.

We'll go ahead and get started. Let's take a look at what's happening "Now in the News."

About 4,000 mourners are gathering in a Detroit church as we look at live pictures. It's the funeral for Rosa Parks. The Reverend Jesse Jackson will deliver the eulogy for the civil rights legend. We'll have live coverage of the funeral over the next two hours here on CNN LIVE TODAY.

Two U.S. Marine pilots were killed today when their helicopter crashed in Iraq. There is no word yet on the cause of the crash near the city of Ramadi. Ramadi is in Anbar Province where U.S. forces have been involved in ongoing operations against insurgents.

A vehicle bomb exploded outside of a Shiite mosque south of Baghdad today. Police say 20 people were killed, another 46 wounded. The incident took place in the same town where 98 people were killed in a bombing in July. The town is located in an area known as the triangle of death.

Prime Minister John Howard says Australian authorities have received specific intelligence that terrorists are planning an attack on that country. Australia has been a terror target overseas but has never had such an attack on its home soil. Mr. Howard is asking lawmakers to quickly pass legislation to help protect that country.

And the White House is making final preparations for a royal welcome. Britain's Prince Charles and his wife, the duchess of Cornwall, arrived two hours from now. The couple began a U.S. tour yesterday in New York. They'll also visit New Orleans, and San Francisco.

Good morning to you. I'm Daryn Kagan at CNN Center in Atlanta.

A showdown looming on Capitol Hill. Republicans are seething over the Democrats' surprise move that plunged the Senate into a closed session yesterday. Republican leaders denounced the move as a stunt and an insult. Call it what you will, Democrats say the rarely used tactic was effective. They're demanding answers on the Bush administration's handling of pre-war intelligence on Iraq.

And what's more, Democrats are threatening to close the Senate every day until the long promised investigation is complete. CNN Congressional Correspondent Ed Henry on Capitol Hill following all the drama.

Ed, good morning.

ED HENRY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Daryn.

That's right. Republicans say this was just a side show, but Democrats insist there's a substantive question they're trying to answer. Was the war in Iraq, which has now left more than 2,000 Americans dead, launched on a lie?

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HENRY, (voice over): A Democratic sneak attack that sent shock waves through the Senate.

SEN. HARRY REID, (D) MINORITY LEADER: Mr. President, enough time has gone by. I demand on behalf of the American people that we understand why these investigations aren't being conducted.

HENRY: Democratic Leader Harry Reid accused Republicans of failing to probe allegations the White House manipulated intelligence to justify the war in Iraq.

REID: And in accordance with Rule 21, I now move the Senate go into closed session.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. President, I second the motion.

HENRY: An easy but rare maneuver with extraordinary consequences. The Senate chamber was locked down, television cameras shut off, so lawmakers could go into secret session to debate. Republican Leader Bill Frist was enraged.

SEN. BILL FRIST, (R) MAJORITY LEADER: Not with the previous Democratic leader or the current Democratic leader have ever. I've been slapped in the face with such an affront to the leadership of this grand institution. There has been at least consideration for the other side of the aisle before a stunt, and this is a pure stunt.

HENRY: Reid refused to back down, demanding the Republican-led intelligence committee finish a long-awaited report on whether the Bush administration twisted intelligence. REID: This investigation has been stymied, stopped, obstructions thrown up every step of the way. That's the real slap in the face. That's the slap in the face. And today the American people are going to see a little bit of light.

HENRY: What's really going on is Democrats feel emboldened by the indictment of Vice President Cheney's former chief of staff, believing this is their chance to issue a broader indictment of the Bush administration.

SEN. RICHARD DURBIN, (D) MINORITY LEADER: We have last over 2,000 of our best and bravest. Over 15,000 have been seriously wounded. We are spending more than $6 billion a month with no end in sight. And this Republican-led Senate Intelligence Committee refuses to even ask the hard questions about the misinformation.

HENRY: Republicans insist they're completing the investigation and this is just a distraction.

SEN. RICK SANTORUM, (R) PENNSYLVANIA: This is purely political, settling their old political score.

HENRY: Democrats say they also want to signal they're ready to stand up to the Republican majority and may even filibuster the president's latest Supreme Court pick, Samuel Alito. A move that would make these events seem like the opening fireworks in a much nastier battle.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HENRY: But if Democrats do launch a filibuster against Judge Alito, who is back on Capitol Hill this morning meeting with senators, it may be very hard to sustain that filibuster. Some of the members of that gang of 14 moderates who prevented a previous showdown over judicial nominations, some of those members are already starting to make noise, that they do not believe this is an extraordinary nomination that would force a filibuster. They do not believe it really justifies a filibuster.

Daryn.

KAGAN: You know, Ed, it was so fascinating to watch coverage of this last night as it was unfolding. You turn on one channel and they say, hear, hear, the Democrats are, you know, power for the people and they're making a power move. You turn on another channel, they paint the Democrats as desperate and not emboldened by the Libby indictment, but frustrated because the prosecutor, Fitzgerald, saying that this is not going to be an investigation into what happened and the war. So which is it?

HENRY: Well, I think that probably shows the divide in the country over the Iraq War itself. I think in part what Democrats showed yesterday is that maybe they finally are trying to prove to their liberal base that they have a spine. There have been a lot of liberals saying that people like Harry Reid haven't had any guts to stand up to the Republican majority. He would, obviously, dispute that.

But I think there may be some other Democrats wondering what took so long. I think there are other Republicans then on the opposite side of the aisle saying that this proves it's a stunt. They're just trying to show that they're muscular here. They're just trying to show to the liberal base that they're going to stand up to the Republicans and that this whole idea that it's a substantive fight is not true.

But I can tell you that Democrats are insisting that while, sure, there are some politics being played here, nobody would deny that, that this is a real issue. Obviously, over 2,000 Americans have now died in Iraq and they want some answers about whether or not this war was launched on a lie.

Daryn.

KAGAN: Ed Henry on Capitol Hill. We will see you throughout the morning. Ed, thank you.

HENRY: Thank you.

KAGAN: And Ed was mentioning also on Capitol Hill today, Supreme Court Nominee Samuel Alito is making a second day of visits to senators who will decide his confirmation. Today, Alito plans to visit six senators, half of them Republican, half Democrat. Alito is not basing the immediate firestorm that doomed the candidacy of his predecessor, Harriet Miers.

According to a new CNN/"USA Today"/Gallup Poll, 44 percent of Americans have a positive opinion of Alito, 23 percent are neutral and 19 percent of those polled have a negative opinion of him. When asked about Alito's views on important issues, 51 percent say they believe his opinions are in the mainstream, 26 percent say they're too extreme, and 23 percent say they are unsure. And the poll also asked if Alito should be confirmed, if he would help overturn Roe v. Wade, a decision that legalized abortion. Thirty-seven percent said that he should be confirmed, 53 percent said he should not.

It is one day after President Bush unveiled a massive program to protect against a flu pandemic. Live pictures now from Capitol Hill where the Senate Appropriations Committee is holding a hearing on how to pay for those plans. The Bush administration estimates that the cost of $7.1 billion. The nation's top health officials are on hand for the hearing which began last hour. The program was proposed by President Bush. It includes developing a new vaccine against a pandemic strain of influenza and stock piling of central medicines.

Fears of bird flu increase with the seasonal migration of wild birds. Later this hour, we're going to show you how one country scrambled to contain the threat when disease was found among its birds.

There's a report in today's "Washington Post" that contends the CIA has been holding more than 100 suspected terrorists in secret prisons outside the U.S. The paper quotes U.S. and foreign officials and says some of the top al Qaeda captives are being held at a Soviet Arab (ph) compound in Eastern Europe. And the CIA reportedly has the so-called black sites in eight countries since 9/11.

"The Post" reports the largest CIA prison in Afghanistan was code named The Salt Pit. And the prison has had three locations. At one of those sites, "The Post" reports, an uncooperative detainee froze to death. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales was asked about the CIA prisons earlier on CNN's "American Morning."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ALBERTO GONZALES, ATTORNEY GENERAL: I'm not going to confirm or deny on this show the existence of this program. We normally do not talk about intelligence activities. What I can say to your viewers is that the president has charged the administration with doing what we can to protect America against another domestic attack and to protect our allies and those who are working with America. But to do so in a way that is consistent with our legal obligations both domestically and internationally. So I can say that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: And we're going to have more on this story when an editor with "The Washington Post" joins me at the bottom of the hour.

Turning now to the escape of a suspected al Qaeda leader from a U.S. military prison in Afghanistan. Indonesian officials are criticizing the U.S. for not informing them of Omar al-Farouq's escape. Al-Farouq actually escaped in July from the detention facility at the U.S. base at Bagrame. But he was identified by an alias at that time. The U.S. military has now confirmed his identity. Al-Farouq was considered one of Osama bin Laden's top lieutenant's in Southeast Asia. He was captured by Indonesian authorities in 2002 and turned over to the U.S.

And now to Detroit, Michigan. Mourners already arriving to remember Rosa Park. Funeral services scheduled for the next hour for the woman known as the mother of the civil right's movement. CNN's Dan Lothian is on hand and joins us with more.

Good morning.

DAN LOTHIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Daryn.

You get the sense from talking to people here that it is not so more about mourning her death, but really celebrating her life. People who may have never met Rosa Parks but they still feel like their life was made better, especially African-Americans. They feel like they have been empowered because of that one act that she committed 50 years ago.

Now these people behind me, some of them have been standing in line for many, many hours. In fact, some came out here from 9:00 last night, bringing cots and blankets and chairs. They wanted to be first in line in order to go in and participate, be part of this great moment. They say they really want to be right next to the woman who impacted their lives in so many, so many different ways.

Now Rosa Parks, as you know, passed away late last month and then her body was taken to Alabama and then the Rotunda in Washington, D.C., before returning here to Detroit where she has called this area home since 1957. Many dignitaries expected to take part in today's ceremony which, as you mentioned, is expected to get underway in less than an hour. The president, former President Bill Clinton will be here, including various civil rights leaders, like the Reverend Jesse Jackson.

After the service, her body will be taken by a horse drawn carriage to a nearby cemetery where there will be a private ceremony.

Daryn.

KAGAN: All right, Dan, we'll be back with you many times over the next few hours. Dan Lothian in Detroit, Michigan, thank you.

Within the past hour, a powerful blast near a mosque in Baghdad. Dozens of people killed or wounded. We'll get the latest details live from Iraq ahead on CNN LIVE TODAY.

Also, remember those 40-hour work weeks? Well dream on. It's a lot more for most Americans. A hard-working nation needs to take a break and Gerri Willis is here to offer her top five tips on taking back your time.

Plus, the royals are here. A lot of people don't really seem to care. Live coverage of the visit to Washington by Prince Charles and his wife, Camilla, ahead on CNN LIVE TODAY.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: It is a violent day across Iraq just as the Muslim holy month of Ramadan is coming to an end. Our coverage begins with a bombing outside of a mosque south of Baghdad. Aneesh Raman is in the capital with details on that.

Aneesh, hello.

ANEESH RAMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Daryn, good morning to you.

At least 20 people were killed, some 60 others wounded after a massive suicide car bomb detonated in the town of Musayyib. That's south of the Iraqi capital. It happened just about an hour ago.

As you mentioned, we are nearing the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. The beginning of the festival of eve. And we're told by officials on the ground that a large number of people were out in this area when the explosion took place near a Shiite mosque, near restaurants, near shops.

Musayyib itself has seen violence like this before. In July of this year, a car bomb detonated in this same area killing at least 98 people. It is an incredibly tough fight in what is called the triangle of death south of the capital. It's where I was embedded last week with U.S. forces.

They are pushing ahead, trying to bring stability, routing out IEDs and car bombs. But these attacks, clearly, still continue. A suicide car bomb on the streets essentially impossible to prevent.

So again, a bomb in the town of Musayyib. At least 20 confirmed killed, some 60 others wounded.

Daryn.

KAGAN: Aneesh Raman live from Baghdad. Aneesh, thank you.

Other news around Iraq today. Roadside bombings around Baghdad killing at least five people and wounding eight others. In one attack, five civilians were killed by a bomb apparently meant for a police patrol. Another bomb detonated near a bus carrying workers to an oil refinery. Five of those workers were wounded. And the U.S. military today announced a Marine and a Sailor were killed in combat. That happened in the city of Ramadi on Tuesday.

Coalition air strikes in Iraq today destroyed several safe houses and killed suspected terrorists. The series of attacks were in the Husayba area near the Syrian border. Military sources report that a senior al Qaeda officer in Iraq and an Iraqi fighter was killed in one of the safe houses. During the air strike, the group was spotted placing roadside bombs along a main route. That group was attacked and an unknown number was killed.

Back here in the states, saying good-bye to Rosa Parks. Today, we remember a woman who helped change the country. Her funeral service begins soon. We'll take you to Detroit live for that.

And so you say you just can't seem to get it all done? Gerri Willis looking at the alleged 40-hour work week.

Gerri, hello.

GERRI WILLIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Daryn.

Who are we kidding? It's 50, it's 60 hours. If you manage your time a little better though, you can cut down your work hours. We'll show you how. "Five Tips" is next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: The question they're looking at on Capitol Hill today, why did the levees fail in New Orleans? The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee looking for answers this morning. The panel's holding its fifth Katrina related hearing. Researchers with the National Science Foundation are scheduled to report their findings on the levee's failings. The researchers say they uncovered a design flaw and evidence of poor maintenance.

Now to your work day and your work week. Are you working longer hours because you just can't seem to get your projects finished? In today's "Top Five Tips," we look at ways for you to save time at work. And here to help, someone who gets her work on time, will always stay late, anything we need, our personal finance editor, Gerri Willis.

WILLIS: Thank you so much, Daryn. You're so nice.

Tip number one, and you know this as well as I do, Daryn, you've got to use those comments that you have wisely. Too many people say, I can't get anything done in just a couple of minutes. So let's take a look at some of the things that happen in just 60 seconds. Eight- hundred-sixty-seven Twinkies are filled with cream, for example. I bet you didn't know that.

KAGAN: Oh, I like that stat.

WILLIS: Eight babies are born in the U.S. Sixty planes nationwide take off or land. So there's a lot that can happen in just a minute.

KAGAN: I'm looking at the thing about cars and taxis running a red light in New York City.

Well, one reason people aren't getting stuff done is because the e-mail just does not stop.

WILLIS: Yes. You know what, you've got to ignore it. It's just too much. Face it, probably only two or three out of every 10 e-mails is even something you want to pay any attention to in the first place. The best thing to do, start your day, if you can, with an hour where you're not even paying attention to e-mail. Turn it off. Put it away so you're not peeking at it every couple of seconds. It will really save you some time.

And here's some news. I didn't know this. Multitasking, it doesn't work.

KAGAN: Oh you're kidding? Come on.

WILLIS: Yes.

KAGAN: It doesn't work for men.

WILLIS: No.

KAGAN: It works for women. It's how we live. Ger?

WILLIS: Well, that's a really good point, Daryn, I never thought of it that way.

KAGAN: Yes. That (INAUDIBLE) was probably done by a man.

WILLIS: The American Psychological Study did it. They said you're better off doing tasks sequentially because that way you give it your complete attention. No mistakes. You get it done right the first time. You don't have to keep going back. It has some logic, you've got to admit.

KAGAN: I know. But I bet you if you look, any amount of money, that study was done by a man. Multitasking doesn't work. WILLIS: You know what, Daryn, we're going to find out for you.

KAGAN: OK. My weak link, clutter on the desk. Yes.

WILLIS: This is a problem. You know what, you can't get things done if you've got a really messy desk. And who doesn't these days? So much e-mail, so many papers coming to you. Snail mail just piling up. You've got to organize it so that you can get through things. And here's the deal, it's going to take you two or three hours probably to get through it all. Make sure you set aside some time. Discard it. Do it. Delegate it. Those are the keys for each and every piece of paper you're looking at.

KAGAN: This one seems kind of basic, put your schedule in writing.

WILLIS: Well, it sounds basic but I think, as a practical matter, the way you approach your day, it may not be as easy as it sounds. I don't know about you, but I often have post-it notes stuck all over my computer screen. Not the way to go because it's hard to organize, it's hard to know what you're supposed to do next. So for every task that you want to accomplish, everything you want to put on your schedule, one place, one schedule, that way you'll save yourself a lot of time.

KAGAN: Figure out your own personal energy level.

WILLIS: You know, some people are morning people. I don't know about you, Daryn. Some people are night time people. You've got to do the most difficult tasks when you have the most energy. And that may be a little contrary to what you want to do, what your impulse is to do, because you may want to wait until, you know, later in the day, put it off. But let me tell you, you want to get that stuff done when you're best prepared to do it.

KAGAN: I am all about the morning.

WILLIS: Me, too.

KAGAN: Yes. Good. That's why you're here.

Gerri, thank you.

WILLIS: Thank you.

KAGAN: We're going to look at something that could be a secret there the war on terror. "The Washington Post" says the CIA is running secret prisons overseas. Up next, I have a chance to ask a top editor at "The Washington Post" about the story.

Also, we're remembering Rosa Parks this morning. Funeral services begin very soon in Detroit, Michigan. We will take you back there live when CNN LIVE TODAY rolls on.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Welcome back to CNN LIVE TODAY. I'm Daryn Kagan. Here's what's happening "Now in the News."

Funeral services are to begin at the top of the hour for Rosa Parks, the woman who became known as the mother of the civil rights movement. Former President Bill Clinton and several civil rights leaders are among those expected to attend. The Reverend Jesse Jackson will deliver the eulogy.

A labor strike on the ground may keep satellites out of the sky. Fifteen hundred Boeing workers have rejected a contract offer and they've walked off the job. The machinists who work with the delta rocket program could affect satellite launch facilities at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California and Cape Canaveral in Florida.

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