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President Bush to Deliver Another Major Speech on Iraq; Iraqis Vote Tomorrow in Parliamentary Elections; Interview With Senator Mary Landrieu

Aired December 14, 2005 - 08:59   ET

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

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. Welcome, everybody, as we come right to the top of the hour, updating you on stories overseas.
Iraq elections, obviously, we're watching very closely. And also here at home.

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, the -- I guess you could call it the P.R. war at home as the president continues his series of speeches. We're about a couple of hours away from another major speech on Iraq by President Bush. It's part of that campaign to change public opinion about the war, and there's not coincidence about the timing. It's the day before those Iraqi elections, as we've been telling you.

Suzanne Malveaux live at the White House with a preview for us.

Good morning, Suzanne.

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, good morning, Miles.

President Bush is expected to set the tone not only for tomorrow but also for next year. He's going to be making the case here that this is an important transition for the Iraqi people, but also for the U.S. mission in Iraq.

Of course he's going to be tying together the U.S. strategy, the three elements, political, economic and military elements, to make the case that the U.S. mission will work in Iraq. All of this a part of a very robust campaign to convince the American people to get behind this mission. And already the White House somewhat encouraged by poll numbers that show that Americans are at least listening to the big picture.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SCOTT MCCLELLAN, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: On the eve of an historic election, the president believes it is an important time to take stock of where we are in Iraq, why we are there, why it is important, what the stakes are, and why we will achieve victory.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: And Miles, of course you know the president's own credibility has been called into question by many Americans on his leadership in Iraq. The latest CNN-"USA Today"-Gallup poll showing, however, a slight uptick here. The question, of course, whether or not it was a mistake to send U.S. troops to Iraq.

A month ago, 54 percent said yes. Now it is 48 percent.

White House officials taking somewhat a sign of encouragement by those numbers, but they also know, Miles, there's a lot that they cannot control, specifically what happens on the ground in Iraq. They certainly hope that at least getting this message out, this optimistic message, that people will be patient -- Miles.

M. O'BRIEN: Speaking of not controlling things, in the last speech the president took some questions which were not scripted. What about this time?

MALVEAUX: Well, that's right. We don't expect that he's going to take questions this time around. And we've asked and we've been told that, no, that's not in the plan, it's not in the works. But, Miles, I have to tell you, the last time that happened it even surprised some people here in the White House, with the last-minute decision that was made by the president.

But certainly giving a lot of thought behind it considering all the criticism that the president has been basically operating in a bubble. So we'll see.

M. O'BRIEN: Suzanne Malveaux at the White House.

Thanks.

We'll have the speech, of course, for you, 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time, right here on CNN -- Soledad.

S. O'BRIEN: In Iraq, no campaigning is allowed today, the eve of elections there. Till now, the political activity, though, has been fierce. And for volunteer campaign workers, often very dangerous.

Aneesh Raman is live for us in Baghdad this morning.

Aneesh, good morning.

ANEESH RAMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Soledad, good morning.

I recently hit the campaign trail here to talk to those young volunteers, and I found some big similarities to what we find back in the U.S., but also some huge differences.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RAMAN (voice over): They came to be convinced.

SHEREEN AL-JAF, CAMPAIGN WORKER: Hello?

RAMAN: And at this campaign rally for the former interim prime minister, Ayad Allawi, working the crowd, 27-year-old Shereen al-Jaf, is courting votes. So far it appears to be working.

AL-JAF: And my plan is working very good. I'm very, very happy.

RAMAN: In this fiercely-fought political campaign there is an army of young Iraqi volunteers working behind the scenes, putting their idealism into action.

AL-JAF: I believe that Allawi can change many things in Iraq, like security, like education, human rights.

RAMAN: But not all are for change. On the streets of Baghdad, 23-year-old Jafar Ibrahim, working out of his car, is pushing the message of the current governing Shia List. While handing out posters, he tells me why this election is so important.

"This government will be in power for four years. It will determine a lot. So I'm working as hard as I can, doing all I can to make sure the Shia List wins."

After a few minutes here, it's off to another neighborhood. An uneasy decision.

(on camera): Grassroots campaigning in Iraq is essentially about getting out your base. Jafar is pushing the Shia List and says if he were to campaign in a Sunni neighborhood he could very well get shoot.

(voice over): For Shereen, too, there are concerns. Those expressed by her family because of what she's doing.

AL-JAF: They are afraid. Afraid. They say, "You are a woman, and it's not good now." And maybe they kill me. I don't know.

RAMAN: But both agree there is too much at stake to not get involved. For them, this election is as much about historical import as it is about fixing tomorrow.

AL-JAF: Everyone should do something for Iraq. It's for Iraq. It's for you. It's for me. It's for family. It's for children. You know, that if we don't know -- we don't do anything, who will do it?

(END VIDEOTAPE)

RAMAN: So for Shereen, for Jafar, Soledad, all that effort, decision day comes tomorrow -- Soledad.

S. O'BRIEN: Aneesh, an update, if you will, on these -- these ballots, this truckload of fake ballots, thousands of them that were found in Iraq today. What do you know about what exactly has happened with these ballots? And who's to blame?

RAMAN: Well, multiple Iraqi police sources have told us that they found a large vehicle yesterday carrying thousands of fraudulent ballots. The driver of that vehicle was Iranian. The license plate of that vehicle was from Iran. They also say there are a number of other vehicles that could still be out there with these fraudulent ballots. Now, Iraq's Interior Ministry has come out quickly and swiftly, saying that they deny these reports. But there are those in Iraq, many of whom think that within the Interior Ministry there are factions with strong allegiance to Iran -- Soledad.

S. O'BRIEN: Aneesh Raman in Baghdad.

Thanks, Aneesh.

A reminder. CNN's got special coverage of this turning point in Iraq on "ANDERSON COOPER 360." He's live all week, 10:00 p.m. Eastern.

Other stories making news here in this country. Let's get right to Carol Costello for an update.

Hey, Carol.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, Soledad, because we have a developing story to tell you about this morning. This is according to The Associated Press.

Authorities say at least one person is missing after a dam break in Lesterville, Missouri. That's in the southeastern part of the state. We have a map, and we're going to zoom in to where this is.

Now, conditions are considered dangerous because it's been raining all night long last night. The dam is in the Ozarks. That's about 100 miles southeast of St. Louis. I'm going to read from the AP article I've pulled up on my computer.

It says the Upper Taum Sauk Lake Dam failed. People are reported missing. The National Weather Service says at least one home along the Black River has washed away, and a tractor trailer and some other vehicles were washed off of a highway.

Officials are warning that residents near Lesterville and south to a point west of Annapolis will be vulnerable. So keep that in mind.

We have a dam break to tell you about in Lesterville, Missouri. When we get more information about this, of course we'll pass it along to you.

In other news this morning, the U.S. House is expected to vote today on renewing several provisions of the Patriot Act. Those provisions will expire at the end of the year unless extended. But the fate of the bill could hit a snag in the Senate. Some Democrats, even some Republicans, are moving to block a vote on the act, saying it gives police too much power.

Former President Gerald Ford is resting at home this morning. He had to go to the hospital last night. He was released from Eisenhower Medical Center in Los Angeles after having some tests done, though.

The reason for the medical tests not clear to us now. But a spokeswoman did tell us they'd been scheduled for some time. As you know, the former president is 92 years old. And that's spokesperson told us he's been suffering from a cold recently.

In New Orleans, another sign of the city slowly coming back. A consultant says the Superdome's sports and convention facility could be repaired and ready to reopen by November 1. Its expected repair costs will be about $140 million.

You will recall -- I know you will -- the Superdome was used as a shelter for as many as 30,000 people following Hurricane Katrina.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When do we want it?

UNIDENTIFIED GROUP: Now!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When do we want it?

UNIDENTIFIED GROUP: Now!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Oh, you're looking at a whole lot of angry transit workers here in New York City. They're pumping up for a partial strike now set to begin tomorrow night. And boy does that spell chaos for millions of workers and holiday shoppers.

On Tuesday, a judge upheld a state law banning strikes by public employees. Bus and subway workers who do walk out face fines of two days' pay for every day they miss work. The city says a transit strike would be devastating.

It could cripple the city. It could cost up to $600 million a day in lost business.

And can you imagine? I mean, millions of people ride the subways and other transit systems in New York, and they'll be virtually stranded. How do you get to work?

We'll see what happens tomorrow. Let's check on the weather now, though. Jacqui Jeras is at the CNN Center in Atlanta.

(WEATHER REPORT)

M. O'BRIEN: Coming up, Louisiana Senator Mary Landrieu will join us. It's going to take a lot of money to rebuild her state. Can she really keep Congress working through Christmas to get it? We'll ask her about that.

S. O'BRIEN: And then later this morning, a look at morning "House Call." If you think a high fiber diet is helping prevent colon cancer, well, think again. That story's ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

M. O'BRIEN: Well, it was bound to happen sooner or later. The Hurricane Katrina bus tour starting up in New Orleans.

Gray Line buses normally goes past historic homes and the city's garden district. But now tourists can get a firsthand look at broken levees in the view section. Ten dollars from every ticket will go to the Katrina Relief Fund. It's a $35 tour.

Some say the bus company is taking advantage of hurricane victims. But it probably wouldn't be a bad idea if every member of Congress got a chance to see the damage in New Orleans firsthand.

Members of the Louisiana delegation in Washington are frustrated by the slow federal response in the wake of Katrina. Among them, Senator Mary Landrieu, who joins us now from Washington.

Senator, I think that bus tour might not be such a bad idea. What do you think?

SEN. MARY LANDRIEU (D), LOUISIANA: I think every member of Congress should take it. We'd even give them a free ticket, because we had three major levee breaks, which were the federal government's responsibility, and other breaks that really devastated New Orleans and the region, and has left us in a very dire situation.

M. O'BRIEN: When last we spoke, you were threatening to be a grinch and hold your colleagues over through the holiday, insisting that they appropriate some money to begin the repairs there beforehand.

Are you sticking to that?

LANDRIEU: Well, I hate to be a grinch, but, you know, many people in Louisiana don't believe that Congress should go home for the holidays without people in Louisiana and Mississippi at least having some hope that they can get home soon. And this administration, and Speaker Hastert and Bill Frist, I think have an obligation to really act before we leave.

Now, they've said they're sending money to FEMA. What we have said is FEMA is dysfunctional.

Senator Cochran is leading the effort to redirect some money from FEMA to really direct programs, benefits to homeowners, helping them recover some equity, investing in our small businesses, and standing up a levee system which is imperative to the businesses and homeowners and renters in the New Orleans area in order for them to come back. And so far, Miles, we have not had a really -- an indication that that's going to happen. And so I'm prepared to slow things down on behalf of the people of Louisiana and Mississippi until we get some real help.

M. O'BRIEN: Let's talk about the levees, because it seems to me that so much falls from that decision, that statement from the federal government that this will happen, these levees will be rebuilt. We haven't heard that.

LANDRIEU: Well, yes, we've heard statements, absolutely. We've heard statements, "We'll do whatever it takes. We're there for you. We're going to be your partner. We're going to rebuild your levees."

M. O'BRIEN: No, but something more definitive.

LANDRIEU: But we haven't seen...

M. O'BRIEN: Something more definitive, yes.

LANDRIEU: Correct. But we have not seen the money. It's not in the budget.

And so that's what Senator Cochran is saying, that we need to add to this reallocation bill to make sure that there's Category 3, plus 5 levee protection, that we have some reimbursements for the schools that have taken in over 370,000 children -- 370,000 children displaced, and a startup for the Mew Orleans school system.

You know, this Republican leadership right here, Miles, seems to be interested in the Patriot Act about patriots all over the country. What about patriots on the Gulf Coast? What about the veterans, 400,000 that have lost much of what they've had in Mississippi and Louisiana? What about tax-paying patriotic citizens who built businesses that are devastated?

The thought of Congress going home without giving real aid and support is really beyond what leadership calls for. We're not looking for a handout. We're looking for a hand up. And we hope we can count on our federal partners.

M. O'BRIEN: Beneath the surface here, though, Senator, is the sense -- it's been stated publicly here and there -- Speaker Hastert said it at one point -- that perhaps it isn't appropriate to spend all this money to repair every last neighborhood that was affected by Katrina.

What do you say to that?

LANDRIEU: We're not trying to rebuild every last home. What we're trying to do is rebuild the heart of the energy coast, the only one the nation has.

Speaker Hastert couldn't even get energy to his district without the Gulf Coast. So it really is just a lack of understanding about what the Gulf Coast provides to this nation, and what it has provided for over 200 years.

We're asking for a partner, not a bailout. We're asking for someone up here to meet us halfway.

If we could get some of our oil and gas revenues redirected that we generate, billions a year directly to the federal Treasury, we could build one of the finest levee systems in the world. We're going to the Netherlands to see how it was done. A country not a thimble size compared to ours has done it. Surely America can do it.

So people are marching on Washington today in Lafayette Square at noon. We're going to have a series of marches over time. But this Republican leadership, I say, has an obligation to the patriots right here at home, and to act here at home just like they're acting in Iraq.

M. O'BRIEN: Well, let me ask you this: is -- would it be starter, though, for the Louisiana delegation, instead of saying let's rebuild the city as it was, to sort of agree that certain places wouldn't necessarily be safe for -- you know, the Category 5 protection is too much money? And wouldn't that...

LANDRIEU: Miles...

M. O'BRIEN: ... wouldn't that be a better compromise initiative on the part of the delegation?

LANDRIEU: Well, first of all, our delegation, along with the American Architects Association, American Planning Association, some of the finest builders and urban planners, have been down there for weeks working on plans to strengthen and rebuild our city higher, better and stronger. But we are not going to abandon New Orleans or south Louisiana.

First of all, it contributes so much to the economic bottom line of this nation. The ports of south Louisiana are the largest ports in the nation. They've been there for over 200 years. We're not going to walk away from them.

We are five feet below sea level. The Netherlands is 21 feet below sea level. They have Rotterdam, which is a gateway to Europe. We are a gateway from South America and Africa and places in Central America to this country.

We are not going to abandon these trade routes because Denny Hastert and a few others don't understand the importance of the Gulf Coast and the energy coast of this nation. We have got to dig in and rebuild.

And we're not asking for huge amounts of money compared to what we contribute. We send to the federal Treasury $6 billion a year over and above all of our taxes. If we got just a portion of that back over time we could get this job done and rebuild a great American city and region.

That's what we intend to do. And it's just a question of whether this Republican leadership will help us or not.

M. O'BRIEN: Senator Mary Landrieu.

Thanks for your time. Good luck with it.

LANDRIEU: Thank you.

M. O'BRIEN: Soledad.

S. O'BRIEN: Ahead this morning, the truth about fiber. Is it really the key ingredient to your good health? We're going to find out up next on "House Call." Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

M. O'BRIEN: This just in to CNN, coming in to us from Lesterville, Missouri. As we told you just a little while ago, some flooding in a reservoir in Missouri. Not clear whether a dam failed or was over-topped. But in the wake of it, some additional flooding around the upper Taum Sauk Lake Dam, a reservoir there in the Ozark region of Missouri.

Joining us on the line right now is Ginger Bell. She is a dispatcher with the Reynolds County Sheriff's Office.

Ms. Bell, first of all, did the dam fail or did the reservoir just overflow?

GINGER BELL, REYNOLDS COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPT.: I'm not sure if it overflowed. It wasn't the dam itself. The dam is still intact.

The upper reservoir, I don't know if there was a small crack and it got worse, or exactly what happened. But it is completely empty, and all of the water has went down Black River and completely flooded Johnson Shut-Ins State Park.

M. O'BRIEN: All right. So the upper reservoir, is it a dam that cracked, or what -- what -- what broke that caused the upper reservoir to be empty?

BELL: I'm not sure what exactly caused it. What it is, is that Ameren UE has a power plant up there, and they use the water to generate electricity. And the water is stored in a very large reservoir on top of Taum Sauk Mountain.

It's a very -- it's old, and I'm not real sure if there was just a crack or what exactly caused the leak. But the water came out of the reservoir. It is completely empty, and all the water rushed down Black River, completely flooding Johnson Shut-Ins and destroying some residences.

M. O'BRIEN: Do you know how big that reservoir was, whether it was filled up?

BELL: I don't -- I don't know exactly how much water it holds, no.

M. O'BRIEN: Tell us about people who might be affected. I know there's a state park nearby where there's some campers.

BELL: At this time we're not sure if there was any campers in the park at all. There was a family of five that lived in a residence that was destroyed. They are all accounted for at this time, and they are at Reynolds County Memorial Hospital.

There was one individual that lived inside the camp. She has also been accounted for. Up and down the river, it's really -- it's hard to say how many homes. As many as 100, 150, 200 people could have been affected.

We have decided to go ahead and evacuate the town of Lesterville, all residences that are along the Black River and as far south as Annapolis to Cambridge (ph).

M. O'BRIEN: All right. So Lesterville you're suggesting is mandatory evacuations. How big a town is Lesterville?

BELL: Well, Lesterville is approximately 500 people. It's not a mandatory evacuation for the entire town. Just those people who live along the river.

M. O'BRIEN: All right. So 150 to 200 people might be affected. Do you know how many homes? And at this point, do you have any confirmed casualties at all?

BELL: We have no confirmed casualties at this time. I don't know exactly how many homes that will be affected. But like I said, at this time, everybody that we know of that is missing has been accounted for. We have some people that we're not sure if they're related to this incident or not.

M. O'BRIEN: OK. Thank you very much, Ginger Bell. I know you're busy.

She's a dispatcher with the Reynolds County Sheriff's Office there in the Ozarks region of Missouri, where some sort of malfunction at a power plant has led to a reservoir emptying out, causing some flooding nearby.

We'll be watching it for you.

S. O'BRIEN: Yes. And the cause of the malfunction, of course, is what everybody's looking for right now.

Let's get right to Jacqui Jeras.

(WEATHER REPORT)

M. O'BRIEN: We're going to watch it for you very closely. And we'll be back with more in just a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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