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American Morning

President's Tour of South Asia; People All Over Oklahoma Returning Home to See Damage Left Behind by Wildfires

Aired March 03, 2006 - 09:32   ET

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

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Let's talk about the president's speech. We just saw it a few moments ago. The president in New Delhi now making his way toward Pakistan as he continues his tour of South Asia, an important trip in the context of the war on terror.
Trent Duffy is the deputy White House Press Secretary.

Trent, good to have you with us this morning.

TRENT DUFFY, DEP. WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECY.: Good morning, Miles. How are you?

O'BRIEN: Yes, I think we gave you a promotion by the way. Did you hear that?

DUFFY: Yes, I appreciate that, Miles. I do need the extra money, so thanks very much. And happy early St. Patrick's Day to you.

O'BRIEN: Yes, in case you're getting ribbed there, it was our fault. He didn't put that on his resume Mr. Card, sir.

DUFFY: We never do blame gaming in Washington, Miles, you know that.

O'BRIEN: Never. Never have you done that ever.

DUFFY: Exactly.

O'BRIEN: Let's talk about Pakistan. We have a brief excerpt of the president. I want to share with viewers what he had to say about his trip to Pakistan.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRES. OF THE UNITED STATES: On my trip to Islamabad, I will meet with President Musharraf to discuss Pakistan's vital cooperation in the war on terror and our efforts to foster economic and political development so we can reduce the appeal of radical Islam.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'BRIEN: This is a rather thorny friendship, isn't it?

DUFFY: Well, it's a good friendship, Miles, and it's a very important friendship. I mean, Pakistan is a very valuable ally in the war on terror, and that's really what the president is discussing in his forward strategy for freedom, about spreading democracy in parts of the world that have never had it before. That's one of the real great success stories of Afghanistan. Also an important part of the president's trip. So our relationship with Pakistan is very important. They've been very helpful in chasing down the remnants of the Taliban, which is very important.

And again, winning the war on terror is taking it to the terrorists overseas so they cannot fight the war here on our own shores.

O'BRIEN: What can the president do to press the case to get Osama bin Laden, though, the big noticeable exception to that hunt for terrorists?

DUFFY: Well, listen, Miles, if we knew where he was, we'd go get him right now, and I'm sure that we will. This isn't about one single man, though. We've been very successful in capturing a lot of al Qaeda's top leadership. They're either in jail, on the run, or dead. And that's a good thing, which means they can't bomb our commuter trains and churches like they have and like they want to. So the hunt for Osama bin Laden goes on. He will be brought to justice, just like Saddam Hussein is seeing right now.

O'BRIEN: Let's talk about that nuclear deal that the president penned with the prime minister of India, which basically allows India, with some constraints, some access to U.S. nuclear technology, nuclear supplies, uranium, that kind of thing. What happens when the Pakistanis say, hey, we want a deal like that, too. This is a country that there's gun proof that it has helped proliferate nuclear technology and expertise all throughout the world.

DUFFY: Well, the justification for the agreement with India is a good one. India is developing nuclear capabilities on a civilian side, and we want to be able to engage with them, and we want to strengthen our relationship with India. They are one of the world's largest democracies, and we believe they are a strong ally of the United States, as is Pakistan. So we have a strong relationship with both countries, and that will continue under this president. That's an important part of his global strategy to keep us safe.

O'BRIEN: But what if the Pakistanis say, hey, we want a deal like that, too? And if we don't get a deal like that, we're no going to continue to be so cooperative.

DUFFY: Well, in addition not doing blame gaming in Washington, we try to avoid speculating as well, and operating foreign policy through the press. I appreciate the opportunity to try, but I'm going to pass on that one today.

O'BRIEN: All right. I guess I'm zero for two on that.

Let's talk about Michael Brown, former FEMA director. He was just with us a little while ago. It was kind of wide-ranging interview. I just want to share with you a brief clip. We were talking about -- I asked him a question as to why he hasn't been critical of the president.

Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAEL BROWN, FMR. FEMA DIR.: Now, I will say that I think the mistake the president did make is that he was overconfident in FEMA.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'BRIEN: And to put that in context, what he's saying is that he believes, the administration has set FEMA up for failure, because the way it has been subsumed by the Department of Homeland Security. What's the administration going to do about that?

DUFFY: Well, first of all, I disagree with Mr. Brown's statement. I mean, the president was not overconfident. He knew the storm was very deadly and dangerous, Miles. That's why he took the extraordinary actions that he did. He signed emergency disaster declarations ahead of landfall. He, on August 28th, urged the people of the Gulf Coast, though a televised address, to move to safe ground, and to listen to state and local officials. He also called Governor Blanco and Mayor Nagin and asked them to order a mandatory evacuation.

So the president was well aware that this was a devastating storm, and we prepositioned more manpower and material ahead of the storm than ever before. It turned out not to be enough.

Now as to FEMA, going forward, we do need to strengthen their capabilities, particularly in a regional sense. One thing we learned in Katrina was that we do need to have closer relationships with state and local officials, so that when crisis strikes, we're working with people that we know, that know the communities best and that know the neighborhoods the best, and that's what we're doing.

General Honore gave us some very good recommendations about how we can strengthen the emergency response capability going forward prior to June 1st.

O'BRIEN: And going forward, do you federalize it sooner? Shouldn't the president have federalized the response right away?

DUFFY: Well, you can always look back. And there's been a lot of that. We just finished a 200-page report. There was more federal assets brought to bear in this storm than ever before. There were more boots on the ground and more military troops.

We do need to have a very deliberate discussion about the role of the military in very catastrophic disasters like this. That's a discussion that needs to take place with our governors, with our state and local officials.

Because, Miles, the bottom line here is that our first line of defense will continue to be state and local responders. That's a good thing, again, for the reasons I mentioned. They know their neighborhoods best and their communities best. And the federal government has to be able to move in and support them. And in the catastrophic events, the military does need to play a greater roll. And that's one of the things we're looking at.

O'BRIEN: Thank you very much, Trent Duffy, who is the deputy press secretary at the White House, not the deputy chief of staff.

DUFFY: Oh, come on, Miles.

O'BRIEN: All right, we'll work on the promotion.

DUFFY: All right, thank you. Appreciate it.

O'BRIEN: All right -- Carol.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: People all over Oklahoma are returning home now to see the damage left behind by dozens of wildfires. These fires are under control now, but the devastation will last much longer.

CNN's Christopher King takes a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRISTOPHER KING, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Kimberly Gentry has nothing left. Wildfires burned her trailer home in Duncan, Oklahoma to the ground. The roof collapsed. The metal walls twisted and jagged as if her home imploded. The pictures of her grandchildren up in smoke, like the dry grass that fed the wildfires.

KIMBERLY GENTRY, LOST HOME IN WILDFIRE: It was terrible, because you don't have anything left. Everything from my childhood, my son, my grandchildren, everything was in that house.

KING: Gentry had just remodeled her home, but on Wednesday afternoon she had to evacuate. She grabbed what few belongings she could, hoping she'd return to salvage something, but finding nothing.

GENTRY: Can't get in it.

KING: Wildfires scorched thousands of acres of grassland here in southern Oklahoma. Dry weather, high winds and temperatures on some days soaring up to the 90s stoked the fires.

(on camera): This used to be someone's home. All that's left is rubble and debris, charred earth stretches as far as the eye can see. These wildfires burned down dozens of people's homes, and with them the memories of lives they once had.

(voice-over): Church members hugged at Liberty Baptist, their house of worship now ashes.

MARVIN KNOX, LIBERTY BAPTIST CHURCH: There are people who are devastated, but I think they'll get over it, because we're a people of faith, and we believe God has a purpose and a reason for it, and that good things are ahead for the church.

KING: But Kimberly Gentry isn't so optimistic. With everything she owned gone, she's not sure where to go.

GENTRY: Our families are separated. We have nothing. And you just go down to the fairground and try to get free food and wait.

KING: Wait at the emergency staging center at the Stevens County Fairground, and hope that somehow she finds help at rebuilding her life.

In Duncan Oklahoma, I'm Christopher King.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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COSTELLO: "CNN LIVE TODAY" coming up next. Tony Harris in for Daryn today.

Hello.

TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Hey, hey. Good morning to you, Carol.

And coming up on "CNN LIVE TODAY," backpacks and bullets. We'll show you a sign of the war in Iraq you haven't seen before, a fourth- grade class in Baghdad where school students don't even flinch at the sound of gunfire.

And the art of the chase, Carol, we'll also take you to a different kind of school. This one is for police officers, where they learn how to perfect their high speed pursuit skills, all coming up at the top of the hour.

Carol, back to you.

COSTELLO: I would love to take that course.

HARRIS: Strap on the safety belt, OK.

COSTELLO: I would.

HARRIS: It's not for the meek or timid.

COSTELLO: Which I am not.

HARRIS: That's true.

COSTELLO: Thank you, Tony.

HARRIS: Sure thing.

COSTELLO: "AM Pop" coming your way next. "Brokeback Mountain" is the odds-on favorite for Oscar's top prize. But some people think there's another film that could pull off an upset. Our Oscar predictions coming up next on AMERICAN MORNING.

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(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: This Sunday is Hollywood's big night. All the stars will be out for the 78th Annual Academy Awards. Who's going to be taking home the gold statues? "US Weekly's" Bradley Jacobs has his predictions.

And you did so well with the Golden Globes. I mean, you're a rock star.

BRADLEY JACOBS, "US WEEKLY": Maybe we could try to do it again. We'll see.

(CROSSTALK)

S. O'BRIEN: Let's repeat again.

So I'll tell you what, I'll read out the nominees, and then you tell me who you think is going to walk away with it.

You ready?

JACOBS: Yes.

S. O'BRIEN: Let's start with best picture. The nominees are -- drumroll -- "Brokeback Mountain," of course, "Capote," "Crash," "Goodnight and Good Luck," "Munich." Who do you think is going to win?

JACOBS: This is clearly "Brokeback Mountain's" year. I have no doubts about that. There's a tiny chance you could see an upset from "Crash," but I really think it's going to go to "Brokeback."

S. O'BRIEN: All right, you're on the record. Let's talk about best actor in a motion picture.

Here is the list: Philip Seymour Hoffman in "Capote," fantastic, Terrance Howard in "Hustle and Flow," also wonderful. This is actually a very tough category, I've got to say. Heath Ledger, "Brokeback Mountain" again, Joaquin Phoenix, "Walk the Line," David Strathairn," "Good Night, and Good Luck."

I think this is going to be a tricky. This might the one, if you're going to mess up on one pick, this is going to be the one you're going to mess up on, Brad. What do you think?

JACOBS: I'm willing to go to the mat and say this is going to be Philip Seymour Hoffman. He just nailed it in "Capote." And he got all the affectations. He got the Southern drawl. He's one every critics prize. And he's been so great in so many films. This is just -- it's his award.

S. O'BRIEN: We'll see. It's a tough category. Let's talk about best actress in a motion picture. Here's the list: Judi Dench, "Mrs. Henderson Presents," Felicity Huffman in "Transamerica," Keira Knightley in "Pride & Prejudice," Charlize Theron in "North Country," and Reese Witherspoon in "Walk the Line," again.

Not such a tough -- I mean, certainly the category is not as tough as the previous category.

JACOBS: Right. The best actress mix isn't as powerful this year, but this is clearly going to Reese Witherspoon. Again, she's won the SAG Award. Won the Golden Globe. This has been her award for months. And I think you're definitely going to see her walk away with in on Sunday.

S. O'BRIEN: Ooh, look at that. Definitely, huh?

JACOBS: Definitely.

S. O'BRIEN: Let's talk about the supporting actor and actress category. Actor first: George Clooney is up for "Syrianna," Matt Dillon is up for "Crash," Paula Giamatti for "Cinderella Man," Jake Gyllenhaal for "Brokeback Mountain," William Hurt, "A History of Violence."

Who do you think?

JACOBS: I think George Clooney. Not just because of his great performance in this film, but also he directed "Goodnight and Good Luck," another great movie from this year, and it's the first time that an actor has been -- a person has been nominated for acting and for directing a different movie in the same year. He is breaking records already. He's loved in Hollywood. This is his award. I am fairly certain he's going to get it.

S. O'BRIEN: Going to give to him on a lot of fronts.

JACOBS: Yes.

S. O'BRIEN: Best supporting actress in a motion picture: Amy Adams in "Junebug," Catherine Keener in "Capote," Frances McDormand in "North Country," Rachel Weisz in "The Constant Gardener," and Michelle Williams, "Brokeback Mountain."

And the award goes to...

JACOBS: I'm fairly certain Rachel Weisz will win this one. Again, she won the Golden Globe. She won the SAG. There's a lot of goodwill for her out there.

S. O'BRIEN: Michelle Williams is getting such nice reviews.

JACOBS: Right. There is a possible upset that Michelle Williams could take it, and she might be the only actor to actually win an award for "Brokeback Mountain." You could see that being an upset, but I do think if I had to pick one, and I do, because you're making me.

S. O'BRIEN: And you have to pick one...

JACOBS: It's Rachel Weisz in "The Constant Gardener."

S. O'BRIEN: Best director category: Ang Lee in "Brokeback Mountain," Bennett Miller for "Capote," Paul Hagis for "Crash," George Clooney, "Good Night, and Good Luck," Steven Spielberg for "Munich."

JACOBS: All these directors did great work. I think it's going to go to Ang Lee, because the best picture winner almost always has the director win alongside it. I think I'm fairly certain we're going to see Ang Lee.

S. O'BRIEN: Not Paul Hagis? That's who I'm rooting for.

JACOBS: You know, you could see a little bit of an upset, because I said before, there's a lot of momentum around "Crash." But I really, I truly think it's going to Ang Lee.

S. O'BRIEN: "US Weekly's" Bradley Jacobs. You know, you have a pretty good track record so far coming off the Golden Globes, very high.

JACOBS: Thank you, Soledad.

S. O'BRIEN: We'll see how it goes. Thanks.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: Pretty exciting, huh? Stay with CNN and Headline News live from the red carpet in Hollywood on Sunday night. We'll have a special Oscar edition of "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT," 5:30 Eastern on Headline News. And then at 6:00 live coverage moves to CNN with "Hollywood's Gold Rush."

A quick break. AMERICAN MORNING back in a moment.

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