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American Morning

President Defending Decision to Listen in on Americans; Look at Some of the Most Chilling Decisions Made in Churchill's War Room

Aired January 02, 2006 - 09:35   ET

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

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: New year, persistent questions about those White House wiretap orders. The president is defending his decision to listen in on Americans without checking in with the judge, saying so-called limited listening is necessary. CNN's Suzanne Malveaux at the White House.
Suzanne, when do we expect to hear from the president this morning?

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Miles, we don't expect to hear from him today. We know it's going to be a pretty quiet day here at the White House. He's going for a bike ride this morning, but he is going to be making some major speeches later in the week on the war on terror, as well as the state of the economy.

But as you mentioned, of course, the president is aggressively defending this controversial domestic spy program. It was just yesterday, just returning from the Crawford Ranch, before when he was visiting some U.S. wounded soldiers. He was asked about this from reporters essentially whether or not if he knew any resistance from the program of top officials from his own administration. The president sidestepping that question, but he did make the case over that he thinks this program is legal and necessary.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The United States program is one that listens to a few numbers, called from the outside of the United States, of known Al Qaeda or affiliate people. In other words, the enemy's calling somebody. And we want to know who they're calling and why. And that seems to make sense to me, as the commander in chief, if my job is to protect the American people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: Now, Miles, of course, a White House spokesman also wanted to add to the president's comments there to clarify, they also, part of that program, are monitoring Americans, those inside of this country to overseas calls, people who they believe are members of Al Qaeda or members of a terrorist organization. So it does go both ways. Of course, those congressional hearings from Republican Arlen Specter will happen in the next couple of weeks or so to determine whether or not the president, in fact, overstepped his bounds in authorizing that program.

Miles? M. O'BRIEN: All right, so to be as clear as we can, It is incoming and outgoing calls, right?

MALVEAUX: Absolutely. Absolutely. Both ways.

M. O'BRIEN: Thank you, Suzanne Malveaux, at the White House. Happy New Year to you.

MALVEAUX: Happy New Year.

M. O'BRIEN: So what will your New Year's resolution be if you were the president? What task would you put at the top of the White House to-do list. Suffice to say, President Bush will resolve to forget about 2005, a tough year by any measure.

Mike Allen with "Time" magazine covers all this for us.

Mike, good to have you with us.

MIKE ALLEN, "TIME" MAGAZINE: Happy bowl day, Miles.

M. O'BRIEN: Bowl day? It is bowl day, yes.

The president began the year, newly minted on his second term, talking about the political capital that he had, and he intended to spend it. Did he spend it wisely?

ALLEN: Well, Miles, you mentioned that 2005 is a year they're going try to write off. In January, the president is very anxious to get off to a strong and different start.

Now Karen Tumulty, my "Time" colleague, and I have a story this week talking about how there's been a monkey wrench thrown into that plan by all of the conversation about the NSA program. The plan had been to have a quick victory on the Supreme Court confirmation of Judge Alito, then go right into a strong State of the Union Address. Now you have several forums where questions about the NSA program are going to be aired, including the Alito hearings, plus the relitigation of the Patriot Act that now is going to occur next month, now that it expires February 3rd. And Suzanne mentioned the hearings that the Judiciary Committee, Arlen Specter, wants to have.

Now one thing that "Time" is reporting this week is that Republicans in the White House will lean on Senator Specter to defer to the intelligence committee to the hearings. So they'll be held behind closed doors so that there maybe would not be a spectacle about this.

Senator Specter has said there might be hearings or investigations where part of it was public, talking about the powers of the presidency, and part of it will be closed and looking at the technology of the program. So in the next couple of weeks, we're see a tussle about exactly how that's going to be aired.

M. O'BRIEN: Well, it will be interesting, because I think the American people want to see whatever portion of this that they can, just to make their own evaluation about all of this.

But let's get back to this political capital -- how much is in the bank for the president?

ALLEN: Well, Miles, the president recognizes that in an election year, which I guess officially started yesterday, there's only so much he can do with Congress. So the White House has plans to do a lot of -- to accomplish a lot of things separately from Congress. You're going to see a lot of creative use of the bully pulpit. Suzanne mentioned the president's speech is this week. Miles, after today, we're going to be seeing the president on camera every day, talking about the two topics that are important to him and also that were at the root of his whole promise last year. That is the war on terror and the economy. You're going to see the president on Wednesday, most people in the White House are going to be thinking about UT being in the Rose Bowl, the Longhorns, but also on Wednesday, the president's going to be at the Pentagon talking about Iraq. On Friday, you're just going see the president at the Chicago Board of Trade. In between, you'll see him meeting with former defense secretaries, secretaries of state.

So in a relatively quiet week in Washington -- the Judge Alito hearings don't start on January 9th -- you're going to the president trying to use that available time to make his point. The White House feels that the frequent use of the president in December worked, and so they're going to continue that.

We're surprised, Miles, yesterday when at end of the president's visit with wounded soldiers who as they came out, said they really appreciated those visits, their families were mostly very supportive of the president. He came out and took five questions from us, which was quite a New Year's present, because that has not been the pattern, until quite recently.

M. O'BRIEN: And quickly, if it can be done quickly, Mike, 2006, mid-term elections now officially in this timeframe. You care to give us a sense? Can you handicap it at all at this point?

ALLEN: Well, I can tell you what Republicans are talking about. I mentioned it's a relatively quiet week for Congress this week, but I think we might see explosive news in the case of Jack Abramoff, the lobbyist who now has legal problems and is negotiating a plea deal. Republicans are very concerned about how the facts and the implications of that could affect them in the mid-term elections, and House members realize that they could lose control of the House. There's an incredible amount at stake here. So this is why you're going to see the president out talking about Republican accomplishments, and you're going to see Democrats trying to make their point that about they talk about this culture of corruption of Republicans. Republicans have not done themselves any favors by leaving them exposed on the Hill. As you know, the House Ethics Committee has been barely functioning this year, and so the Republican stewardship of Congress is something that will be debated intensively all year.

M. O'BRIEN: Mike Allen is with "Time"" magazine, covers all of this for "Time," and helps us all quite a bit. Thanks for your time as always.

ALLEN: Have a great New Year, Miles.

M. O'BRIEN: You, too -- Soledad.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Ahead this morning, oil and gas prices, are they going to start cooling off in 2006? We're "Minding Your Business" just ahead.

Also, a preview -- look at that beautiful float. A preview of the 117th Annual Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, California.

There's our friend Jack Hanna, and he's holding a friend as well. We'll check in with Jack. He's been taking part in this parade for years. He's back at it again this year. We're going to ask about the weather, too. That's all ahead this morning.

Stay with us. We're back in just a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(MARKET REPORT)

M. O'BRIEN: All right. One of the more popular stories running on CNN.com, Winston Churchill's plan for Adolf Hitler should Allies have captured him alive. A summary execution is what he'd like by a U.S.-supplied electric chair. That's according to some newly-released documents.

Chris Rogers of ITV in Britain reports on some of the most chilling decisions made in Churchill's war room.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRIS ROGERS, ITV REPORTER (voice-over): Previous records of war cabinet meetings have only ever revealed the general tenure decisions of what to do with Nazi leaders. At the time, capital punishment in Britain involved hanging. But now we know that Churchill favored the electrical chair for Hitler as punishment without trial.

(on camera): Churchill revealed his brutal attitude towards his enemies during a serious of meetings in how to deal with war criminals. They were held here, at the cabinet war room. The shorthand notes were taken by the deputy cabinet secretary. And now released to the public, we have the first insights of what was said, who said it. Not everyone agreed with the prime minister.

(voice-over): At a cabinet meeting in December 1942, Churchill noted, "contemplates that if Hitler falls into our hands, we shall certainly put him to death. This man is the main spring of evil."

But the future Labor prime minister, Clement Attlee, battered the wartime leader to moderate his combative views.

Two years later, the home secretary, Herbert Morrison, argued that a mock trial of Nazi leaders would be objectionable. Churchill agreed that a fair trial for Hitler would be a farce. However, within weeks, the U.S. and Russia insisted on court proceedings.

Churchill was to be irritated further. The papers revealed he favored leading Gandhi die while under British detention if he went on hunger strike, but the spiritual campaign for India's independence was saved by ministers who opposed the tactic, fearing Gandhi would become a martyr. He was eventually released officially on compassionate grounds.

Chris Rogers, ITV News.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

M. O'BRIEN: One more thing that comes out of the notes, British troops were told to respect America's policy of segregation in the armed forces. In World War II, as you probably know, black and white soldiers in the British army shared facilities, but American soldiers, of course, were segregated -- Soledad.

S. O'BRIEN: A fascinating look back at history, isn't it?

M. O'BRIEN: It is.

S. O'BRIEN: Let's get right to Daryn Kagan. She's coming up next this morning.

Hey, Daryn, good morning.

DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Happy New Year to you, Soledad.

S O'BRIEN: Thank you. Likewise.

KAGAN: We have a lot to get going on the first Monday of 2006. At the top of the hour, It started when the troops came home after World War II. Now some baby boomers are turning 60 this year. We will talk to the first official boomer about her generation of change.

Also from our "wish I would have thought of that" department, we're going to bring you the million-dollar homepage and the very ridge college student who came up with the idea. Miles will love this story. Each pixel he sold for a dollar, and there's a million pixels.

S. O'BRIEN: It's brilliant. It's brilliant. It was such an idea that we wish he had. He's renting out the space. It's brilliant. It's brilliant.

M. O'BRIEN: No wonder I get up at 3:00 in the morning. I am such a moron.

All right, thank you.

S. O'BRIEN: Thanks, Daryn. We'll see you at that time the top of the hour.

Ahead this morning for us, animal expert Jack Hanna is going to join us. He is riding one of the big floats in today's Rose Parade.

M. O'BRIEN: Nice chappeaux (ph).

S. O'BRIEN: Tournament of Roses Parade.

Yes, a chappeaux unfortunately, because, Jack, not for me -- is it raining? Is it going rain? Yes, it's going rain.

M. O'BRIEN: Rain, rain, in a word.

S. O'BRIEN: Pretty definitively rain.

He's also going to show off some of his friends. You can see one right there. Got that just ahead on AMERICAN MORNING. A short break. We're back in a minute.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

S. O'BRIEN: Oh, it's ugly out there. Take a look at that. These are folks who've lined up for the Tournament of Roses Parade. It gets underway in just a little over an hour now. And as you can see, it is raining. Got slickers, got umbrellas. Almost everybody's got something on their head because it is wet. Hasn't rained on that parade for 51 years, but this is the first time in a long time.

Luckily, the throats are made of flowers, and those flowers are held together with water-proof glue.

Jack Hanna, who is at host of "Jack Hanna's Animal Adventures" is riding on the parade. It is his ninth year.

Nice to see you, Jack. Thanks for talking with us.

JACK HANNA, "JACK HANNA'S ANIMAL ADVENTURES": Oh, it's great. It's a little rainy and windy out here, but we're going to go anyway, no matter what.

S. O'BRIEN: Tell me who you've got with you this morning.

HANNA: I'm sorry?

S. O'BRIEN: Tell me who's with you this morning, Jack.

HANNA: All right, this is Walter Crawford, and this is a Bethler (ph) eagle. And when you see the stealth bomber open the parade up this morning, you'll see -- this bomber was designed after this bird. And Walter and I have been doing this parade for many years and the rain bird float, and it's won that the parade, by the way, last six out of the nine years. So we don't know what place it is today, but it's a tremendous float, I'll tell you that.

S. O'BRIEN: And that IS a tremendous-looking bird. I know you're got a couple of friends you've brought this morning. Before we get to the rest of them, I want to ask you a couple of questions. I said it's going to rain. Are you pretty confident in fact that it's going to rain?

HANNA: Well, as I look up here, I've never been in a hurricane before, and I know there's hurricanes in California, but it's going to be interesting.

S. O'BRIEN: Well, at least the animals won't mind, right? They're made for this stuff. What's the theme of the float this year? What's the theme you're working with.

HANNA: You see the bird now. It's a rain bird float, so it's going float. It's the largest irrigation company in the world, and so we're definitely to have enough water, I'll tell you that.

S. O'BRIEN: Look, a silver lining already.

HANNA: I'm going to put my bathing suit on.

Do what?

S. O'BRIEN: I said a silver lining already.

You know, we're looking at pictures of people working on the parade. We were showing the koalas a little while ago. And I know you brought a koala friend as well, I believe this morning. Tell me a little bit about koalas. I've spend time in Australia. Koalas are not nice, little cuddly animals.

HANNA: No, no, actually the koala is not here, but what is here, look at this. This is a kangaroo in a pouch, which is a marsupial. And the kangaroo -- this is a red kangaroo. And Anita Jackson brought this beautiful animal. It's from Australia. Again, the marsupial develops in the pouch, and of course the rain bird float is Mystical Marsupials, with the magnificent trees there in -- without water, we obviously can't have a lot...

S. O'BRIEN: What's he eating?

HANNA: Oh, he's just eating peanuts and things. And this is a kangaroo here. and look over here. We have right next to the kangaroo is some beautiful sugar gliders. Aren't they something? Can you see these?

S. O'BRIEN: Yes, they're so cute. What are they?

They look like little chipmunk kind of things.

HANNA: Hold on, we've got to bring them out of their pouch here. They're sugar gliders in there, and so they're like little squirrels. And they're also a marsupial.

S. O'BRIEN: Oh, they're cute, Jack.

HANNA: So Mystical Marsupials, watch this, it will be the 17th float. And you won't believe, it's got 10 waterfalls and 1,500 gallons of water. Well, maybe now we've got have 5,000 gallons of water.

S. O'BRIEN: Yes, water's not going to be a problem, I would imagine, today. As we mentioned, this was your ninth year of doing it. It must be pretty exciting for you year after year, huh? HANNA: Yes, it really is. I traveled the world and filmed in every continent in the world, going up mountains in Nepal and diving in the ocean in thousands of feet, but you go around this corner with a million people watching this parade, and I'll tell you something, it's something. I call it one of the wonders of the world. To see these flowers and the work of these volunteers doing these floats is absolutely amazing, and my heart goes out to them, because really, it's not me and the rain, Walter and I. I can dry off, but to see all of the work that's been put into this, I just hope that it just holds off at least just to get us through there so people can see this on TV and things.

S. O'BRIEN: They told us the floats are built for 50 mile-an- hour winds, and it's waterproof glue, Jack. So everybody should be all right rain or shine is what I've been told.

HANNA: I hope so. I hope so. If not, there's going to a koala on top of my head.

S. O'BRIEN: And as we said, those are not sweet little animals. Jack Hanna is the host of "Jack Hanna's Animal Adventures," going to be on that float today, as he mentioned.

HANNA: Thank you.

S. O'BRIEN: Thanks, Jack. Thanks to your friends as well. Cute little animals to show us.

(WEATHER REPORT)

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