Return to Transcripts main page
American Morning
Bush Prepares for State of the Union; Coretta Scott King Announced Dead; Alito Confirmation Vote Today
Aired January 31, 2006 - 7:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Thank you, Chad.
Good morning, everybody. I'm Soledad O'Brien. Some new information for you on that postal shooting in California. Police say the death toll is more than twice what they originally thought. We're going to take you there live for more on this developing story.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Miles O'Brien. Homeward bound for ABC News anchor Bob Woodruff and his cameraman Doug Vogt. They're taking off from Germany, heading to the U.S. We'll have a live report.
S. O'BRIEN: And high stakes for President Bush tonight. Get he get his second term agenda back on track? One of his top advisers will join us live ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
M. O'BRIEN: Welcome. State of the Union day.
S. O'BRIEN: Yes, lots to talk about this morning. President Bush, of course, is going address a joint session of Congress tonight. It's his fifth State of the Union address, and it comes as his approval ratings hover in the low 40s. The economy, healthcare, Iraq, Iran. What's he going to say?
Let's get right to CNN's Elaine Quijano. She's live for us at the White House this morning.
Elaine, good morning. What is the focus for the president tonight?
ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Soledad. Well, in a word, optimism. At a time when polls show that many Americans don't think that the country is headed in the right direction, aides say that President Bush is going to try to strike an optimistic tone tonight.
Now, as he heads into the State of the Union address, the president's approval ratings recently have all been hovering in the low 40s, including a recent CNN-"USA Today"-Gallup poll showing him at 43 percent. So aides say the focus tonight will be on issues the White House believes are important to Americans. Those include things like energy and gas prices. Also, healthcare and retirement.
And we're also expecting to hear the president talk about a new proposal to help America stay competitive worldwide. But, of course, the political stakes quite high, as you know, Soledad. This, of course, falling in an election year -- Soledad?
S. O'BRIEN: What about Iraq? What is the president expected to say, or what can he say when you consider the bulk of bad news on many fronts that we've had out of Iraq?
QUIJANO: Well, that's exactly right. In fact, since the U.S.- led invasion began, more than 2,200 Americans have died. And the White House really has been trying for sometime to turn around public opinion on Iraq, and also send the message that the president is committed to ensuring success there.
But we can expect the president tonight to, again, vigorously defend his Iraq policy. We're not expecting any major announcements, Soledad, but again, expect him to talk about how he feels this is important for the war on terrorism -- Soledad?
S. O'BRIEN: Many people will be watching and listening, tonight. Elaine Quijano at the White House for us. Elaine, thanks.
Just about 20 minutes from now, we're going to talk to White House counselor Dan Bartlett, and then later Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist will join us, and Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid.
CNN's prime time coverage of the State of the Union address begins at 7:00 p.m. with a special edition of "THE SITUATION ROOM" with Wolf Blitzer and Paula Zahn. And then that will be followed by our live coverage of the president's speech at 9:00 p.m. Eastern. Then Anderson Cooper will bring you immediate reaction, and Larry King will host an hour insight and analysis live at midnight. That's all ahead. Tomorrow morning, of course, AMERICAN MORNING will be coming to you in part from Washington, D.C., a follow-up on the State of the Union address -- Miles?
M. O'BRIEN: If you're not a night owl, you won't miss a thing. Watch us the next morning.
They are heading in the right direction. ABC News anchor Bob Woodruff and photographer Doug Vogt on their way home right now. The military flying them from Ramstein in Germany to Bethesda Naval Hospital near Washington. They, of course, were seriously injured Sunday by a roadside bomb in Iraq. CNN's Chris Burns on the line now from Ramstein with more -- Chris?
CHRIS BURNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Miles, Woodruff still listed in stable but serious condition. In fact, because of that, they're flying back with what they call CCAP teams. They're called critical care air transportable teams. It's basically an ICU in the sky with a physician, a nurse, and a respiratory technician.
And they are -- sadly, this is just another day here at Ramstein Air Base. There are some 30 injured that are flying altogether, along with Woodruff and Vogt. Half of them are on stretchers, half of them are walking. Five of them, including the two, are called the CCAP patients, in other words, in ICU. So it is another day that they're flying back to states that way. Though of course, with Woodruff headed toward Bethesda, that's the hospital of presidents. He's going to get some extra special care -- Miles?
M. O'BRIEN: Chris Burns at Ramstein. Thank you very much.
A new disturbing video on Al Jazeera showing an apparently distraught Jill Carroll. The U.S., you'll recall, was abducted in Baghdad January 7th. Clearly, she's in distress here. The video was fed without sound. We can't hear what she's saying. Her abductors want the U.S. to release all Iraqi women prisoners. Five were released last week.
In the next half hour on AMERICAN MORNING, we'll talk to Roy Hallums. He was held hostage in Iraq for 10 months. He'll tell us how kidnappers stage manage those videotape messages, give us some insights into what might be real and what might not in that tape. That's 7:30 Eastern time, about 25 minutes from now -- Soledad?
S. O'BRIEN: Osama bin Laden's right hand man, Ayman al-Zawahiri has popped up two weeks after the U.S. tried to kill him. He is in a new videotape being shown on Arab television, and he talks about those efforts to kill him in a January 13th air strike in Pakistan. Our senior international correspondent Nic Robertson has seen this videotape. He's the CNN center this morning.
Nic, good morning.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Soledad. And really, it's taunting President Bush, saying, "You fired at me. You missed. You killed 18 Pakistanis women and children. You missed me," he says. "You missed the four Al Qaeda members with me. The brothers," he calls them.
There's two messages here. It really seems aimed at -- one message aimed to the people of the United States. He goes on to say that President Bush is lying. He goes on in the other part of the message to try and sort of identify the attack on him as being an attack against all Muslims. This is very personal message. He even taunts President Bush, saying, "You don't even know where I am."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AYMAN AL-ZAWAHIRI, AL QAEDA LEADER (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): Bush, do you know where I am? I am among the Muslim masses, enjoying their care with God's blessing, sharing with them their holy war against you until we defeat you, God willing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTSON: What is surprising about this tape is that Al Qaeda has been able to get it out so quickly. The most recent time reference, a reference to Osama bin Laden's audio message, just 12 days ago now, 11 days after this message was first aired.
Appears to be an indication that Al Qaeda is very quick in turning around its message at the moment. And it does seem to be an indication, Zawahiri not particularly concerned that he's about to be caught any time soon -- Soledad? S. O'BRIEN: It certainly sounds very confident. So what do you make of the timing? Is there a sense that Zawahiri understands the president's on the verge of giving his State of the Union address?
ROBERTSON: He certainly will be aware of that. Whether he timed it to come out before or after, that's not clear. It seems to be that the motive here was perhaps a proof of life, if you will. Intelligence experts had expected him to release some kind of message to show that he was alive after that air strike on him.
But, again, his messages recently have been tailored to sort of try and divide the American people in support of the war in Iraq, the war in Afghanistan. The message is again like previous ones, that, "Your president is lying. Don't support him."
S. O'BRIEN: Nic Robertson for us this morning at the CNN Center. Nic, thank you -- Miles?
M. O'BRIEN: A wild horrifying scene at a postal facility in southern California overnight. Seven are dead, including the woman responsible for the rampage. Police believe she was a former employee there. The facility in Goleta, just a few blocks from the campus of the University of California Santa Barbara. That, about 100 miles north of Los Angeles. Ted Rowlands is live there with details -- Ted?
TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Miles, the scene dramatically different now. A couple of hours ago, it was unclear where the shooter was. But within the last two hours they were able to identify the shooter, a woman that the sheriff in Santa Barbara County says walked into this postal processing plant and started this shooting rampage about 9:15 Pacific time.
When sheriff deputies and police first arrived, they found four victims, three fatalities, and a woman who was critically injured with a gunshot wound to the head. But they didn't know who the shooter was or where the shooter was.
There are 50 to 70 employees working at the time of this, and they had to go through each employee before they would let them leave, because they just didn't know where the shooter was. Five hours later, about 2:00 a.m. Pacific Time, they found the shooter with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to her head.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SHERIFF JIM ANDERSON, SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA: The search revealed an additional four victims who were fatally shot. This is in addition to the three victims who were identified earlier. One of the four deceased inside appear to have suffered a self- inflicted gunshot wound. We've concluded the search of the building, and we do not believe that there's any additional threat to the community.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROWLANDS: Now, according to the sheriff, the gunman used one weapon, a semiautomatic handgun. They also say that the bodies were found all around this 20,000 square foot plus postal facility in different areas -- Miles?
M. O'BRIEN: Ted Rowlands in Southern California. Thank you very much -- Soledad?
S. O'BRIEN: Nine minutes past the hour. Let's get a look at the forecast this morning. Chad's got that.
(WEATHER BREAK)
M. O'BRIEN: If you've ever been to a bull fight, you know how cruel they can be. Well this time, the bull got some revenge, at least for a little while. Take a look at these pictures. Mexico City, the bull rampages into the crowd, a thousand pound bull. Not with a great name, Little Birdie, Parajito (ph), jumps the barrier. Into the crowd he goes, pushing his way through. A lot of frightened people.
S. O'BRIEN: Oh, that person.
M. O'BRIEN: Yes. Several were hurt, as you can plainly see. A couple of them were hospitalized. We think everybody's going to be OK. But, boy, they have a story to tell. In the end, Little Birdie is no more.
S. O'BRIEN: How is he trapped in there? I guess he's stuck on the chairs? Is that what happened?
M. O'BRIEN: I guess so, yes.
S. O'BRIEN: Unbelievable. I've been to a bunch of bullfights, and I have never ever even seen a bull come close to being able to jump up the fence and then jump into the spectator stands. And he did it like it was no problem at all.
M. O'BRIEN: That was some bull. All right.
S. O'BRIEN: Let's talk about what we were talking about in a little bit, a preview of tonight's State of the Union address. We don't know how President Bush is going to turn around those low approval ratings he's got. We'll talk to one of his top advisers. Dan Bartlett will join us just ahead this morning.
M. O'BRIEN: Also, they're calling it the business world's trial of the century. So how did it take just a single day to pick a jury in the Enron case? Andy will explain for us.
S. O'BRIEN: Then later, some Gulf Coast women who could give lobbyists a good name. We're going to tell you what they're doing to rebuild their hurricane-ravaged hometowns. Those stories all ahead on AMERICAN MORNING. We're back in a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
M. O'BRIEN: All right, the judge in this case, the Enron case, sort of sounds like a video game. You know, Sim City, Sim Lake. It turns out he's running the trial like a video game. Bing, bing, bang, off it goes, right?
ANDY SERWER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Very efficient, Judge Sim Lake. And he delivered. He said yesterday that he was going to pick a jury in the Enron trial -- the trial, of course, of Ken Lay and Jeff Skilling -- in one day, and he did. Sort of to the dismay, I think you could say, of the defense attorneys.
M. O'BRIEN: I bet. Didn't they have the preemptory questions and all that stuff they could do?
SERWER: They did. But in the end, they went along with it. Some suggest that this may set the stage for a situation where they object to the outcome of the trial.
M. O'BRIEN: So a mistrial?
SERWER: Right.
M. O'BRIEN: The seeds are planted early?
SERWER: Some are suggesting that. The trial of the century, they're calling this, and I guess that's fair because it's only 2006. And the jury was picked. What do we got here? We've got four men, eight women, two alternatives who are men, and two alternates who are women.
And the trial is set to resume this morning in Houston at 9:30 Eastern. We're going to have opening arguments, and then evidence is going to be presented on Wednesday. The trial is supposed to last four months. This, again, according to Judge Sim Lake. So it probably will last four months, or maybe even less.
M. O'BRIEN: Maybe less. What do we know about the demographics of the jury?
SERWER: We don't know a whole lot. They are a trial of peers, people from, Houston, obviously. And they were picked from an initial pool of 400, whittled it down to 100. And again, the defense attorneys simply went along with the proceedings, said it's fair.
Want to talk a little bit about what's going on in Washington, D.C., today, Miles. The Federal Reserve is meeting. This is Alan Greenspan's final hooray at the Fed after 18 1/2 years. And interest rates -- expect him to raise interest rates again for the 14th time over the past 19 months to 4.5 percent. That announcement will come at 2:15.
There you go. Right up the ladder there. This is to prevent the economy from overheating. And you'll probably want to tune into CNN to watch that happen live, wouldn't you think?
M. O'BRIEN: I would think that would be must-see TV all the way around. He's going to write a book, right?
SERWER: He's going to write a book.
M. O'BRIEN: Do you think we'll be able to understand it? Do you think we'll get it?
SERWER: No, I don't think we'll understand it all. But his successor is going to be Ben Bernanke, and that will be happening on Thursday.
M. O'BRIEN: Thank you, Andy Serwer.
SERWER: You're welcome.
M. O'BRIEN: Soledad?
S. O'BRIEN: Ahead this morning, we're going to be talking about this videotape, this new videotape of the kidnapped American journalist Jill Carroll. If you've seen this, just heartbreaking to watch her. She sobs in the tape. We're going to talk about what it says about her condition with a hostage, an American hostage, who was held in Iraq for ten months.
Also ahead this morning, a preview of tonight's State of the Union address. We'll talk to one of the president's top advisers, find out from his what he thinks Mr. Bush needs to get across to the nation. Just ahead on AMERICAN MORNING. We're back in a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
S. O'BRIEN: President Bush delivers his fifth State of the Union address tonight. Joining us from Washington, D.C., White House counselor, Dan Bartlett.
Dan, good morning. Nice to see you, as always.
DAN BARTLETT, WHITE HOUSE COUNSELOR: Good morning.
S. O'BRIEN: We've heard from the White House that the message from the president is going to be upbeat. In a year when the president has had a lot of bad news, are you concerned that the message isn't going to match the feeling that Americans have?
BARTLETT: Well actually, I think what the public expects from their president is, despite the challenges our country may face, they want a leader that has an optimistic vision and outlook on life and puts forward an agenda that meets that optimism.
If you had a president of the United States, Soledad, who looked at all of the challenges and only saw the dark side of it and had a pessimistic view, you couldn't lead this country. So this is a leadership speech. It is a speech to say, "Yes, we have challenges in our country, but America always does best. Americans always win when America leads."
And it's critically important we understand the stakes of our leadership, not only around the world but here at home as well. So he'll talk at length about leadership in our country, what it means, why it's important to our security, and why it is critically important to maintain our economic leadership in the world, which means more jobs and a higher standard of living for the American people.
S. O'BRIEN: Some of the bad news has been -- let's just take the last few weeks -- Zawahiri's new tape, where he's clearly challenging the president. Big victory by Hamas. The secretary of state has said, "We really didn't see it coming." Jill Carroll, that new videotape is absolutely heart wrenching where she's sobbing on this tape.
News about Bob Woodruff and his cameraman as well, where we've heard journalists say, "Things are getting worse in Iraq. They're not getting better." What's he going to say about Iraq, and really, his overseas policies?
BARTLETT: Well, Soledad, one thing is very clear, that there's nothing pretty about war. It's very difficult. It's difficult not only on the military, their families, on the citizens of Iraq or those who have become the innocent bystanders of such a brutal enemy such as Al Qaeda, but also the journalists who are covering this war.
They put their own lives at risk to give the story and provide the story to the American people and to the world, for that matter. So there's no question that it's very difficult. But what is important, Soledad, is that we take very seriously the words of the Zawahiris and Zarqawis and bin Ladens of the world.
Their intentions are very clear. They have a very specific motivation, and that is the destruction of freedom-loving people everywhere where. The have a very dark ideology. And the stakes are critically high. And that's why the president feels so passionate when he talks about spreading democracy, and when he talk about the need for a terrorist surveillance program.
We need to know what the enemy is thinking. We need to know what they're planning in order to prevent an attack like 9/11 from happening again. So the president will begin the speech and talk at length about the war on terror, what it means for the country, the challenges we still face, but also the accomplishments we are making.
And I would take issue, there are real accomplishments being made in Iraq. No question about it, though, it is very difficult fighting. Some of the best that America has to offer have paid the ultimate sacrifice in this war. But it is necessary. You only have to take the words of the enemy to understand that.
S. O'BRIEN: Take a look at what Michael Ware had to say. He is the Baghdad bureau chief for "Time" magazine. He's talking about Iraq.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAEL WARE, "TIME" BAGHDAD BUREAU CHIEF: We can no longer move about Baghdad without fully armed escorts. And even armed escorts are no guarantee of safety against suicide car bombings or determined kidnapped attempts. Even in your own home, you can be car bombed. And we've seen incidents where insurgents have assaulted westerners' homes and dragged them out for kidnap and hostage taking.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
S. O'BRIEN: He was talking to Wolf Blitzer in "THE SITUATION ROOM" yesterday. Isn't it going to be hard for the president to talk about progress and optimism and looking forward when the reality on the ground -- and Michael Ware is a guy who would truly know -- is bad, and he says getting much worse?
BARTLETT: Soledad, I think it's very important. He brings up some very interesting developments that are happening there. What our commanders tell us, and what has been clear over the course of the last three years, is that this enemy is a very smart, thinking insurgency.
Well, what they can't do is defeat us militarily. So what they are doing are using these brutal tactics. They are targeting the very reporters who are reporting the news back to America and elsewhere in the world to shake our will. That is why Zawahiri's comments are important to understand. He is attacking the president, he is West. What he is trying to do is shake our will, and it is a very brutal technique they are using.
They are targeting the innocent. They are targeting -- they are taking hostages. They are targeting reporters because they're trying to affect the psyche of the civilized world because they cannot beat us militarily. That makes this a very difficult complicated mission, but it doesn't suggest that we're not achieving our goals in Iraq. In fact, we are achieving our goals. But it is very difficult.
S. O'BRIEN: Lots to talk about. Unfortunately, we're out of time, Dan, but we'll watch the speech and maybe we'll get a chance to talk about it on the other side of the speech.
BARTLETT: Sounds great.
S. O'BRIEN: Dan Bartlett is White Counselor. Always nice to see you. Thanks for talking with us.
BARTLETT: You're welcome.
S. O'BRIEN: Later this morning, we're going to talk to Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, and then we're going to hear from Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid. And a reminder, AMERICAN MORNING is going to have a complete look at the president's address and reaction, too, from Washington. We begin at 6:00 a.m. Eastern.
Let's get right back to Miles.
M. O'BRIEN: This just in to CNN. Coretta Scott King, 78 years old, the widow of the civil rights leader, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., has passed away. This just in as we tell you. Coretta Scott King, at the age of 78 over the past year, had suffered in the wake of a stroke and heart attack, initially unable to speak and move on her right side. She was seen just recently in public for the first time in quite some time at commemorations honoring Martin Luther King Day, the birthday of her late husband. And was unable to speak, but was able to acknowledge a crowd there in the city of Atlanta, as that day was remembered. Once again, Coretta Scott King, at the age of 78, has passed away. And Soledad has some more.
S. O'BRIEN: Mother of four, and a real force in the American Civil Rights movement in her own right. Here's a look back at the life of Coretta Scott King.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
S. O'BRIEN (voice-over): She became known to the world as a woman of courage and conviction. But as a girl from rural Alabama, Coretta Scott King probably never dreamed of the historic events that awaited her life.
She studied music at Antioch College in Ohio. In 1951, she received a scholarship to the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, Massachusetts. While there, she met and married Martin Luther King Jr., who was studying theology at Boston University.
In 1954, Dr. King began his career as a pastor and his civil rights work in Montgomery, Alabama. Mrs. King worked closely with her husband behind the scenes while raising their four children. In December 1955, Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a public bus to a white man.
MARTIN LUTHER KING JR., CIVIL RIGHTS LEADER: One of the glories of American democracy is that we have the right to protest.
S. O'BRIEN: It set off the 381-day Montgomery bus boycott. The civil rights movement had begun. It was a dangerous time for the King family.
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: He was beaten and stabbed and jailed and came close to losing his wife and baby daughter when their house was bombed.
S. O'BRIEN: In 1960, the Kings moved to Atlanta where King was jailed until Mrs. King appealed to then-presidential candidate John F. Kennedy to intervene.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I know of the times that Coretta got up early in the morning to go out and help women organize as hospital employees.
S. O'BRIEN: Coretta King balanced mothering with movement work, organizing sit-ins at segregated restaurants, and marches. She also performed at freedom concerts, singing and reading poetry to raise money for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. She was present at many of the major events in the Civil Rights Movement, like the Washington Mall March, where her husband gave his "I Have a Dream" speech. In 1968, an assassin's bullet shattered her world killing Martin Luther King Jr. in Memphis. His death sparked outrage and riots. Coretta moved from the role of wife to that of care-taker of her husband' legacy.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: At the same time she was raising four children, encouraging and teaching us by example to be the very best that we could be.
S. O'BRIEN: She created a living memorial dedicated to advancing King's dream. Mrs. King remained a dynamic figure for civil rights. She joined the battle to end apartheid in South Africa. But life in the endless spotlight proved to be grueling. There was a bitter public fight between the King family and the National Park Service over preserving King's birth place and his tomb. And the controversial absolution by her youngest son Dexter King of James Earl Ray, the man who confessed and then recanted to the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.
DEXTER KING, MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.'S SON: I believe, and as I said my family believes, that he is innocent.
S. O'BRIEN: Like others who've survived racism, intolerance and great loss, Mrs. King lived life with a special kind of grace. She challenged future generations to dream of more.
CORETTA SCOTT KING: We must make our hearts instruments of peace and nonviolence. Because when the heart is right, the mind and the body will follow.
S. O'BRIEN: A civil rights icon herself, she ranks among the most influential African-Americans of all time.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANNOUNCER: You're watching AMERICAN MORNING with Soledad O'Brien and Miles O'Brien.
S. O'BRIEN: Welcome back, everybody. Lots to get to this morning, happening here domestically and also overseas.
Also, as we noted, Coretta Scott King has died. Carol's got that story and much more this morning in her update.
Good morning, Carol.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I do. Good morning.
The passing of one of the most influential women leaders. Coretta Scott King has died. She was the widow, of course, of the civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. She marched with him in the '50s. She stayed active in the civil rights movement after his death. King had been recovering at home since suffering a stroke and a heart attack back in August. She died last night in California. Coretta Scott King was 78 years old.
More developments in that shooting out of Southern California to tell you about now. A former postal workers goes on a shooting rampage at a mail facility. It happened last night. Authorities now say she killed six people and wounded another person and then she turned the gun on herself. The wounded person is said to be in critical condition.
President Bush preparing for tonight's State of the Union. White House aides say the president will keep it upbeat even though his approval ratings are down. He will try to offer solutions for high energy and healthcare costs and international worries, including Iran's nuclear program. CNN's coverage of the State of the Union Address and the Democratic rebuttal begins in "The Situation Room" at 7:00 p.m. Eastern.
Iran could face economic sanctions over its nuclear program and two of its allies are trying to step in. Russia and China announcing a short time ago that they will send diplomats to Iran. They want the country to cooperate with the United Nations nuclear watchdog agency. That could help Iran avoid possible action from the Security Council. The U.N. nuclear agency is set to meeting on Thursday to discuss Iran.
And check this out. Check it out. This guy jumped from Mexico City's tallest building. There he goes. He was 50 stories up. He free fell for about 20 seconds and, as you can see, opened that parachute. And you're going to shortly see, hopefully, that he made a safe landing. And then, boy, did he make a quick get-away. He didn't have a permit for the jump and police were trying to detain him on charges for putting the public and himself in danger. But it was all worth it because he was advertising for some power drink. I think it was Red Bull.
S. O'BRIEN: Yes, we see that.
M. O'BRIEN: Yes, we saw. He got the plug in for us. Red Bull.
COSTELLO: Red Bull. I need about like a case before I did that.
M. O'BRIEN: Maybe that's what happened. He drank a case, he decided to jump off a building.
S. O'BRIEN: Could be. Could be.
COSTELLO: He was prepared.
S. O'BRIEN: And they always make quick get-aways, of course, because the cops will nab you like that.
M. O'BRIEN: Yes.
S. O'BRIEN: I did a big story on base jumpers once in California.
M. O'BRIEN: Base jumpers, that's right. S. O'BRIEN: All right. Let's continue to talk about Coretta Scott King. As we've just announced, word has come to CNN that she has passed. She was very ill, gravely ill since August when she suffered a heart attack and a stroke as well. Let's get to John Lewis. The congressman is joining us by phone.
Sir, thanks for talking with us this morning.
Sir, can you hear me?
Looks like we're having audio difficulties, so let's see if we can bring that back up and turn on to our next story.
Judge Samuel Alito just hours away from becoming a Supreme Court justice. His confirmation vote coming later today after senators from both sides of the aisle shut down an attempted filibuster. CNN's Andrea Koppel live on Capitol Hill with the very latest.
Hey, Andrea, good morning.
ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, good morning to you, Soledad.
In the weeks since President Bush first presented Samuel Alito as his choice to replace retiring Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, his nomination has become a rallying cry for conservatives on the one side, a lightning rod for pro-choice and civil rights activists on the other.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The yeah's are 72, the nah's are 25. The motion is agreed to.
KOPPEL: And with that, Judge Samuel Alito took a decisive step closer to reaching the nation's highest court.
SEN. BILL FRIST, (R) MAJORITY LEADER: The sort (ph) of the filibuster has been sheaved because we are placing principle before politics and results before rhetoric.
KOPPEL: But Democrats didn't give up without a fight.
SEN. EDWARD KENNEDY, (D) MASSACHUSETTS: If you are looking for someone that is going to be willing to stand up to the executive branch of government in a time that he is going to exceed his power and authority and the law of this country, it's not going to be Judge Alito.
KOPPEL: Edward Kennedy, one of two Massachusetts Democrats leading the uphill charge. A futile attempt to filibuster Alito's controversial nomination. More symbolic than serious. While Republicans remained united in their support.
SEN. PETE DOMENICI, (R) NEW MEXICO: This has turned into nothing more than a political war. KOPPEL: A handful of Democrats crossed party lines to block the filibuster. Among them, Ben Nelson of Nebraska. A first-term senator facing reelection in a red state and a member of the so-called gang of 14. The bipartisan group sealed Alito's fate following a meeting Monday.
SEN. BEN NELSON, (D) NEBRASKA: This one is not one that should be filibustered, in our opinions.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KOPPEL: And in the end, it wasn't. Now in about four hours from now, the Senate and the White House appear set to celebrate yet another major victory. Remember, just a few months ago they sent John Roberts to the Supreme Court. Now at about 11:00 a.m., the full Senate is going to vote. And barring any last-minute twists, which nobody expects, Samuel Alito will be confirmed here at the Senate and, tonight, Soledad, the expectation is that after he is sworn in at the White House, he may very well attend the president's State of the Union.
Soledad.
S. O'BRIEN: Yes, my guess is that he's going to be highlighted tonight with sort of pointing out in the nod by the president as he begins the State of the Union. That's what I would put $5 on, but who knows.
KOPPEL: I think it's a safe bet.
S. O'BRIEN: We'll wait and see. Andrea Koppel for us this morning. Andrea, thanks.
We had technical difficulties a moment ago but let's get right back to Congressman John Lewis joining us by phone. We've been talking about Coretta Scott King who has passed. She was very ill since August when she suffered a stroke and really other injuries as well.
Congressman, thank you for talking with us. A huge loss. I mean, obviously, people, of course, when they talk about civil rights think about Martin Luther King Jr. But Coretta Scott King, to a large degree, sir, was the glue that held a lot together for that family.
REP. JOHN LEWIS, (D) GEORGIA: Well, it is a very sad time and extraordinary loss. As a matter of fact, Mrs. King not only had to hold the family together, but during the early days (INAUDIBLE) when Dr. King had emerged as the leader, she was the cement. She was the glue. Long before she met and married Martin Luther King Jr., she was an activist. She was an activist for peace, for civil rights and for civil liberty.
And I met Mrs. King before I met Dr. King. She traveled around the country. She came to campuses telling the story of the movement that was taking place on Montgomery (INAUDIBLE). So this is a very sad hour for those of us who worked with Dr. King and worked with Coretta Scott King.
S. O'BRIEN: And I think fair to say a real loss for Americans. She was also the person who, to a large degree, was the keeper of the flame for her husband's memory and his mission, too, right?
LEWIS: She became the embodiment of the personification, keeping the mission, the message, the philosophy, the (INAUDIBLE) of nonviolence in the forefront. And she did everything possible to build a living monument to Dr. King with the Martin Luther King Center for Social Change and happened to pass the federal legislation to make his birthday a national holiday.
S. O'BRIEN: Who do you think takes over that role as she has now passed? I mean, who picks up that legacy?
LEWIS: Well, I don't know whether that's anyone that is prepared or able to fill the shoes of Mrs. King. She was one of a kind. She was brilliant, was poised, (INAUDIBLE) and a great deal of grace. And she was a believer. A true believer. It's not just the wife of Martin Luther King Jr., but she was a leader in her own right. And I don't think anyone in the short-term is going to be able to fill her shoes.
S. O'BRIEN: I think you're probably right, sir. Congressman John Lewis joining us this morning by phone talking about Coretta Scott King, the wife of the slain civil rights leader, Martin Luther King, who died on Monday night in California. That word coming to us from an aide. She was receiving already treatment in California, rehabilitation for her heart attack and a stroke suffered in August.
A short break and we're back in just a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(WEATHER REPORT)
S. O'BRIEN: Google.
SERWER: In the news again.
M. O'BRIEN: Just Google.
S. O'BRIEN: Just Google.
SERWER: Yes.
M. O'BRIEN: Google, cupcake. That's what I think.
SERWER: This (INAUDIBLE) no. No. (INAUDIBLE) stock.
S. O'BRIEN: Well usually we're talking stock prices. This is not that story today.
SERWER: No. This is not -- had the stock price at all. Nothing to do with it. Interesting stuff here about Google. Executives from that company have declined to appear before the Congressional Human Rights caucus which will be meeting on Wednesday. Congressman there want to ask the company about its business in China. You may remember a few days ago, we told you that Google opened up its search engines in China. But bowing to pressure from the Chinese government, Google has declined to allow its customers to view sites that the Chinese government deems unworthy of their people to see.
Now, these include sites that discuss Tiananmen Square, the massacres there. Also sites about Fangang (ph), which is the spiritual movement, the dissident group in that country. Microsoft and Cisco have also declined to appear before this committee. We should say that it's an informal event and they're not compelled to do so. But, still, watch this story. I think this has . . .
S. O'BRIEN: It's getting some legs.
SERWER: Yes, I agree, completely.
M. O'BRIEN: Will they subpoena them, do you think? Will it go that far?
SERWER: I don't think that this group -- this committee has the right to do that.
M. O'BRIEN: They don't have that power?
SERWER: Right, they don't have that power.
Another interesting company story here to tell you about, having to do with Pepsico and a lawsuit filed against them by a doo-wop group. That's right, the Flamingos and their attorneys have sued successfully Pepsi over a nonpayment for a song, "I Only Have Eyes For You."
S. O'BRIEN: Why do you . . .
M. O'BRIEN: Doo-wop. Doo-wop.
S. O'BRIEN: Why do people do this?
SERWER: That's the original version.
S. O'BRIEN: But why would you ever do a commercial and run music -- there should be one person in charge of getting the permission for the music clips.
SERWER: Right. In fact, Pepsi said that it was an oversight. But, I mean, you have a whole legal department.
M. O'BRIEN: And there's an AP that's in real trouble right now.
SERWER: Right. You think that, well, maybe they're not around any more and they won't notice. Well, this is a commercial that airs nationally and millions and millions of people hear it. S. O'BRIEN: We've had this -- versions of this story a bunch of times before where people use a picture or a clip or whatever and they sort of neglect. It's only a 30-second commercial. The doo-wop song is actually a fairly large portion of that 30-second commercial. The commercial, I'm sure, cost a ton of money.
SERWER: This is another $250,000.
If they ever use our likeness without our permission.
S. O'BRIEN: That's at least $8.
M. O'BRIEN: Oh, because we've done some doo-wop songs that are really, really good. A lot of people don't know that.
SERWER: Cover your ears. Cover your ears people.
S. O'BRIEN: Oh, exactly.
All right, Andy, thank you.
SERWER: You're welcome.
M. O'BRIEN: Thanks a lot.
S. O'BRIEN: Ahead this morning, lots riding on the president's State of the Union Address. What does he have to do to give Republicans a boost in the midterm elections? Republican Senator Bill Frist is going to join us live.
M. O'BRIEN: And next, they call themselves the Women of the Storm and they're on a mission to rebuild their beloved Gulf Coast. We'll look at how they're giving lobbyists a good name, ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
M. O'BRIEN: Mention the word lobbyist. What do you think? Well, quick as you can say Abramoff, one group of women from Louisiana is changing your image of lobbying. The question is, can they change minds in Washington? AMERICAN MORNING's Alina Cho is here to explain.
Hello, Alina.
ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well you know some of these women, Miles, and they are a feisty bunch.
M. O'BRIEN: Yes.
CHO: Just imagine 140 women on a plane together. There was a lot of seat hopping, a little primping. And with these women, above all, there was hope. In the middle of it all, we found Cecile Tebo. If her name sounds familiar, that's because it is. She is a friend of AMERICAN MORNING and a woman committed to rebuilding her city.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) CHO, (voice over): It is 6:00 in the morning and Cecile Tebo is giddy, even though she hasn't slept a wink. Few of these women have.
They call themselves Women of the Storm. The brainchild of New Orleans Philanthropist Anne Millen (ph). In just two weeks, Millen was able to achieve the impossible. She brought together 140 women, most from New Orleans, even two nuns, to travel to the nation's capital. They raised money, chartered a plane and have a mission to personally invite more than 250 members of Congress to visit areas devastated by Hurricane Katrina.
Cecile Tebo is among those traveling.
This came together so fast, didn't it?
CECILE TEBO, WOMEN OF THE STORM: Isn't it amazing? And you know what's so cool? We're not a commission. We're not sponsored by any government program. This is literally New Orleanian Women.
CHO: Second, third and fourth generation New Orleanian women. Women passionate about rebuilding the city they love.
PEGGY LABORDE, WOMEN OF THE STORM: I am very excited. You can just feel the energy on the plane.
CHO: These women talk and talk and talk. But their serious about bringing those in power to the Gulf Coast.
BARBARA BLACKWELL, WOMEN OF THE STORM: You can't see it from the air. You have to be in the neighborhood, walk block by block, mile by mile.
CHO: Cecile says seeing is believing.
TEBO: You have to feel the people who have lost everything.
CHO: Three hours after takeoff, the women are on a bus. Cecile is working the phone.
TEBO: How are you? We're here.
CHO: Everywhere there is symbolism. The bus travels along Louisiana Avenue, the women carry blue umbrellas, the color of tarps covering rooftops all over New Orleans. There's a news conference. Then the real work begins.
TEBO: We're the Women of the Storm.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK.
TEBO: Hi.
CHO: Cecile's group is here to see California Congressman Pete Stark, a family friend. That gets them access.
TEBO: Because you're coming to New Orleans. CONGRESSMAN PETE STARK: Ah!
CHO: But not necessarily results.
STARK: You get two or three Republicans and may I'll . . .
TEBO: Oh, you got it.
CHO: Cecile may be an accidental lobbyist.
TEBO: I'm a mom. I have three kids. I do mommy stuff, you know? But here I am in D.C. and I'm fighting for the survival of my city.
CHO: But she, like the others, are convinced New Orleans, someday, will be back.
TEBO: Give me five.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHO: You have got to love this woman. Now all of the women, if you can believe it, are already back in New Orleans. They only spent about eight hours on the ground in Washington. Cecile tells us at last count, 25 members of Congress have agreed to visit the Gulf Coast next month. Now that is only a tenth of the invitations they extended, but they are still hopeful that others will follow. Miles, of course, these are the people who make the decisions on money, so it is important that they get down there.
M. O'BRIEN: Yes, and it's hard to really grasp it when you're watching it on television.
CHO: I agree. I agree.
M. O'BRIEN: You know, Cecile has such infectious enthusiasm.
CHO: She certainly does.
M. O'BRIEN: You know, she has a lot -- a tremendous amount of energy. I could see her running for mayor there and probably winning. How is she doing personally, though? I know, you know, she's had a tough time with her house and insurance payments and a trailer and all that stuff.
CHO: She most certainly has and a lot of it has been documented on this program. She is still in a FEMA trailer. She's been there since November. She's renovating her home. The trailer's right outside her home. It's in her driveway. She's hoping to be in, in three or four months.
But, you know, as you've heard on the show in earlier weeks, they're thinking -- the city is thinking about turning her neighborhood into a park and so she's got a real fight on her hands and she's hoping she will win the fight. But certainly she's got a lot ahead of her. M. O'BRIEN: Big green dot right over her neighborhood, which was -- you know, the idea was to make that a park.
CHO: Right.
M. O'BRIEN: I don't think that's the last word we're going to hear on this, though.
CHO: Oh, no. Oh, no.
M. O'BRIEN: Not with Cecile in the middle of it.
All right, Alina, excellent job. Thank you.
CHO: Thank you.
M. O'BRIEN: Coming up. Do you ever get a gut feeling about something? Just like my gut feeling about Cecile in politics. I think she'd be a winner in that. Well, you've got to trust your gut because there's some real science behind those intuitions. We're going to tell you about that. And I have a hunch right now we're going to roll some commercials. What do you think? Yes, that's what we're going to do.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
M. O'BRIEN: Good morning. I'm Miles O'Brien.
Just in to CNN this morning, Coretta Scott King has died. The widow of Martin Luther King Jr. was a pioneer in her own right in the civil rights movement. We'll have much more on this breaking story in just a bit.
S. O'BRIEN: I'm Soledad O'Brien.
Wheels up for ABC News Anchor Bob Woodruff and his cameraman Doug Vogt. Just minutes ago, the seriously injured pair took off for the long trip home. We're live in Germany with the very latest.
M. O'BRIEN: And President Bush tries to get back on message with the State of the Union tonight. We'll talk to the Senate majority and minority leaders ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
