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American Morning

Search for Jimmy Hoffa Heats Up Again After 30 Years; Hayden Braces for Senate Confirmation Hearings

Aired May 18, 2006 - 08:00   ET

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

DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: After 30 years, the search for Jimmy Hoffa heats up again.
I'm David Mattingly in Milford, Michigan, where FBI agents have their shovels and are digging for clues.

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: A grilling over domestic spying. The chief architect of those warrantless wiretaps faces off with lawmakers, who will decide if he gets to run-the CIA.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: And dams are still at the breaking point across New England. People, though, finally coming home to assess the damage.

Also this...

RICHARD QUEST, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Richard Quest at Heathrow Airport in London, where the world's biggest passenger plane is going to make its first visit. We'll bring you here live in this hour to see it happen.

M. O'BRIEN: And she's up and at them. Our marathon bed rester, Erin Peterson, is now back in the world of the vertical. We'll ask her what it was like to stand up after four months in bed for the greater good of science.

We're wide awake here on this AMERICAN MORNING.

Good morning to you.

I'm Miles O'Brien.

S. O'BRIEN: And I'm Soledad O'Brien.

Let's get right to our top story this morning.

The 30-year mystery of Jimmy Hoffa could come to an end today. That's a pretty big could, because the FBI agents following a tip now, digging up a horse farm in Milford, Michigan.

Let's get right to CNN's David Mattingly.

He's at that farm.

It's just about 35 miles outside of Detroit -- hey, David, good morning. MATTINGLY: Good morning, Soledad.

Thirty years after the disappearance of Jimmy Hoffa, one credible tip has heated up this seemingly cold case, one of the biggest mysteries of the late 20th century.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MATTINGLY (voice-over): Whatever happen to Jimmy Hoffa, the former Teamsters' boss who disappeared over 30 years ago? It's been an enduring mystery, up there with did Oswald act alone and who is Deep Throat?

We now know about Deep Throat. But now another puzzle could soon be solved.

FBI and Michigan police are digging for Hoffa's bones on a rural horse farm outside Detroit. Investigators say they are searching for evidence of criminal activity that may have occurred under previous ownership on the property. They say their tip is credible, but they won't identify their source. But it has the locals talking.

DEB KOSKOVICH, LIVES ON NEIGHBORING PROPERTY: It's very unusual. It's just a big surprise. I'm -- I'm still trying to ferret it out, soak it in.

MATTINGLY: Jimmy Hoffa made his share of enemies in his time as leader of the influential Teamsters labor union during the '70s. He also had run-ins with Robert F. Kennedy, who investigated Hoffa's links to organized crime.

Hoffa disappeared in July 1975, last seen at a Michigan restaurant, ostensibly meeting with reputed Mafia enforcer Anthony Giacalone and New Jersey Teamsters Anthony Provenzano. Hoffa believed the meeting had been set up to settle the feud with Provenzano. He was never seen again.

GENE ZAFFT, HOFFA ATTORNEY: We thought, at that time, he had been kidnapped. And they were kind of waiting to hear from someone making a demand. It never came.

MATTINGLY: There is no shortage of conspiracy theories on what happened to Hoffa -- buried in Giants Stadium, put in a steel drum and buried in a toxic waste site, or shot by a Teamster in a Detroit home. Investigators dug up the floor boards of that home two years ago, but found nothing. They also dug up a backyard pool in Michigan the year before that and again nothing.

ZAFFT: No one really knows. Those who know aren't talking.

MATTINGLY: Will this latest search answer history's questions?

The mystery continues.

(END VIDEOTAPE) MATTINGLY: This farm is about 15 miles away from where Hoffa was last seen dining at a restaurant back in July of 1975. People who live around here say they've heard rumors for years that Jimmy Hoffa might have been buried at this farm, but, Soledad, as you know, that would be just one of many rumors that have been popping up over the last decades about Jimmy Hoffa's disappearance.

S. O'BRIEN: Yes, one of -- just a ton of rumors, really.

David Mattingly for us this morning.

David, thanks -- Miles.

M. O'BRIEN: General Michael Hayden facing some hostile fire today on Capitol Hill. Ninety minutes from now, he will appear before the Senate Intelligence Committee. It's the confirmation hearing for the president's pick to head the CIA.

CNN Congressional correspondent Andrea Koppel joining us live from Capitol Hill with a preview -- hello, Andrea.

ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi.

Good morning, Miles.

When that hearing gets underway right behind me, look for most of those senators' questions to focus less on the general's military background and more on his role in helping to develop that controversial warrantless wiretapping program at the NSA. Remember, he used to be the director of the NSA.

Also questions focusing on reports that perhaps the NSA was taking records, phone records, from millions of Americans without their knowledge.

Now, I sat down yesterday with the come home of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Arlen Specter, and he told me that he wants to really get at what Michael Hayden's vision is for the CIA.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. ARLEN SPECTER (R-PA), JUDICIARY COMMITTEE: And that's been very important. I want to know what his position is on several items that, on that score, on how he's going to run-the CIA. And we've got a great increase in human intelligence, 50 percent more by date certain. I don't know how we'll pay for it. You know, those are the questions I want to ask in terms of him actually running the CIA.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KOPPEL: Now, this hearing is only supposed to last a day. It'll be held in both open and closed session, Miles, so that when senators get into some of the delicate questions that have to do with highly classified intelligence, they won't be doing so in public -- Miles.

M. O'BRIEN: Andrea, the thread which runs through the criticism of General Hayden and the administration in general from Congress is that the White House is not properly consulting Congress.

Are we going to hear a lot of concern and complaints about that today?

KOPPEL: Not as much, Miles. That's because after five months of what the Democrats say was stonewalling, the White House suddenly reversed course and sent up the head of the CIA -- the head of the NSA, rather -- to have a closed door briefing with all of the members, both of the Senate Intelligence Committee and the House Intelligence Committee. As a result, one senior Democratic staffer told me they're going to be involved in a rather delicate minuet as they try to both get at the root of Michael Hayden's nomination, but also not try to let him get by with -- without some tough questions -- Miles.

M. O'BRIEN: Andrea Koppel at the hearing room.

Thank you very much.

And our coverage of the hearing begins with a special edition of "THE SITUATION ROOM" with Wolf Blitzer, 9:25 Eastern. Andrea will be a part of that, as well. If you can't get to your TV, you won't miss a thing if you just go to cnn.com/pipeline, commercial-free coverage of those hearings wall to wall -- Soledad.

S. O'BRIEN: Let's check on gas prices now.

The latest CNN Gas Gauge is this. The national average, $2.92 a gallon for regular unleaded. A month ago, it was $2.79. A year ago, it was just $2.15.

A big ugh for people who live or work or plan to visit New York City. The city's cab drivers want to raise the base fare from $2.50 to $4. That's the fare you pay when you just get into the taxi. They say it's gas prices. They've doubled over the last two years and the taxi fares haven't budged.

Gas prices could also put a damper on Memorial Day travel. AAA says the number of Americans who are driving and flying expected to rise only slightly this year. It also expects flights over the holiday weekend to be about 10 percent more expensive -- Miles.

M. O'BRIEN: In New England, the rivers are still swollen, but a brief respite from the weather offering an opportunity to take stock of the damage.

In Massachusetts alone, it is expected to cost tens of millions of dollars to fix what was ruined by 17 inches of rain.

Lauren Przybyl of our affiliate, WHDH, out of Boston, is in Lawrence, Massachusetts, along the Merrimack River.

What can you tell us there?

LAUREN PRZYBYL, WHDH CORRESPONDENT: Even though water levels are dropping in this area, command centers like this one are still set up and here's the reason why. This looks like a lake over here, but it's actually a ball field. You won't be hearing any cheers coming from this area for a while. You can see that scoreboard.

At the height of this river, the water level was a few inches below it. You can see the water level has considerably dropped. Homeowners here, though, are still busy bailing out their basements. After eight days of rain, the sun-finally came out yesterday. Cleanup kicked into high gear.

Still, many roads in this area north of Boston are closed. Kids have a fourth day off from school. There are some health concerns. We're being told there is sewage in the water. Also, mold is starting to form. New England is expecting another warm, sunny day today, but rains are expected to return this evening.

In Lawrence, Massachusetts, I'm Lauren Przybyl with WHDH-TV.

S. O'BRIEN: All right, Lauren, thank you.

Let's take another check of the weather now at nine minutes past the hour.

Rob Marciano is in for Chad today -- hey, Rob, good morning.

ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Hi, Soledad.

(WEATHER REPORT)

M. O'BRIEN: Coming up, is General Michael Hayden the right man at the right time to run-the CIA?

We'll ask someone who helped investigate the intelligence failings before 9/11 about that.

S. O'BRIEN: And remember the woman who volunteered to stay in bed for three months straight for NASA? Well, she's finally out of bed. We'll find out how it feels to be back on her feet.

M. O'BRIEN: And CNN's Larry King will drop by to talk about a new book he's written called "My Dad and Me." It has some heartwarming stories for us, in time for Father's Day, we might add. And, of course, some of the famous people will be in there, too, because those are Larry's pals.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

S. O'BRIEN: The man that President Bush wants to head the CIA faces a confirmation hearing before the Senate Intelligence Committee this morning. The hearing for General Michael Hayden convenes one hour and 15 minutes from now.

Just what does the CIA need in its new director?

Tim Roemer is a former Democratic congressman from Indiana.

He's also formerly a member of the 9/11 Commission. He's in Washington this morning.

Nice to see you, sir.

Thanks for talking with us.

TIMOTHY ROEMER (D), FORMER U.S. REPRESENTATIVE, FORMER 9/11 COMMISSIONER: Good morning, Soledad.

S. O'BRIEN: Let's imagine you were in that room.

What's the tough question that you would have for General Hayden, sir?

ROEMER: Well, Soledad, I think if Congress does its job -- and its oversight function is key to all of this -- it should provide some fireworks and some grilling up there to see, one, how do we rebuild the CIA capability of producing spies, people that can penetrate al Qaeda and tell us what's happening around the world?

Two, what is General Hayden's record? Is it mixed at the NSA? Was he responsible for some cost overruns and some problems at NSA with some of their programs? At DNI, when he was the deputy to Ambassador Negroponte, why didn't they see some of these problems under Porter Goss happening a little bit earlier?

And, three, Soledad, I think a very important set of questions is to go into how are we doing on the overall war on terrorism today, from the CIA rebuilding and reform and the demoralized people over there, to are we making enough progress at the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security, which is getting too big, and is the DNI getting too big?

Is this going to be, from some Democrats and Republicans, kind of a questioning about where the Bush administration, what progress or lack of progress they've made on the war on terrorism?

I think it could be very interesting.

S. O'BRIEN: So those are the questions you have.

You have said that what the CIA needs is not a transitional leader, but a transformational leader.

Do you think that, in fact, General Hayden is a guy who can be the transformational leader?

ROEMER: We'll find out today, Soledad.

It could be very interesting. We have -- look, we have had our, now, our third CIA director since the 9/11 attacks and Porter Goss spent 18 months there as a transitional leader.

We need somebody there that can really restore the morale. We need people that can make sure that we have eyes-on on tough targets around the world. And the framework of this, Soledad, remember, take a step back. We have just had one of the biggest failures on 9/11, where we didn't adequately protect our country. Then when we took our troops into war, we didn't have the adequate intelligence to know whether there were weapons of mass destruction. And now we're looking at Iran and we don't have enough good information on Iran or North Korea, two of the so-called three axis of evil, according to the Bush administration.

So rebuilding this capability with better language, better eavesdropping, better electronic and human intelligence, strategic analysis, that's key. And I think we're going to find out whether General Hayden is the right person for the tough job right now.

S. O'BRIEN: Yes, I don't think anybody would argue with you that it's certainly, you know, a tough road to hoe for whoever takes the job.

You have an op-ed in today's "Chicago Tribune," and part of it says this: "The CIA is demoralized with high turn over, distracted by constant leadership changes, disrespected by many intelligence consumers and policymakers."

I'm curious to know if you think that the controversy involving General Hayden and the NSA, does that sort of immediately make him the wrong guy for the job? I mean does it add to all the dilemma within the CIA already?

ROEMER: I don't think it disqualifies him, Soledad, just as his military uniform should not disqualify him, either. What I tried to say in that op-ed piece is let's not get distracted by red herrings or partisan comments in this hearing. It's too important for Democrats and Republicans to look at the tougher issues of rebuilding the CIA in the right way, trying to make sure that we have language capabilities there and the right kind of spies to help us penetrate tough networks.

Al Qaeda is morphing like mercury on a mirror, becoming more nimble and dynamic. Is the United States doing that with its post- 9/11 reforms?

And we would argue, on the 9/11 Commission, Soledad, two of the biggest ones left to do are improving Congressional oversight. Congress needs to do its job more. And strengthening the civil liberties and civil rights board that we had suggested be created, but still doesn't have subpoena power today.

S. O'BRIEN: In the context of midterm elections right around the corner, is that going to happen?

ROEMER: Good question, Soledad.

I hope it does because the American people don't much care right now about the November election. I think they're more worried with the bin Laden tape coming up a couple of weeks ago. They know that when al Qaeda comes out its next time, they're not going to kill Democrats or Republicans, they're going to kill Americans. And we need to make sure we get back to reform efforts. We have a lot to do in this country on our borders, our ports, nuclear proliferation issues, rebuilding the CIA.

This is a big agenda and I think the American people are going to be watching General Hayden. They're also going to be watching Congress. Are they going to do their job today to ask the big questions to make us safer?

S. O'BRIEN: We will be watching, because it starts in a little over an hour from now.

Former Democratic Congressman Tim Roemer.

He was also, of course, a member of the 9/11 Commission.

Thanks, sir.

Nice to see you, as always.

ROEMER: Thank you, Soledad.

S. O'BRIEN: A short break.

We're back in just a moment with Richard Quest, as that super jumbo jet gets ready to land at Heathrow. Here are the live pictures as this big moth comes on in -- 800 passengers. The big question, of course, can Heathrow handle a jet of this size?

M. O'BRIEN: Easy, easy, easy, easy. Stay inside the line. A little rocky. Must have been a little crosswind there. Wow! That is some plane. That was not a very smooth landing, I've got to say, right there. That was -- I'm sure the pilot wishes he could do a do- over on that one.

S. O'BRIEN: Well, you know, I thought it was pilots who say any landing you can walk away from is a good landing.

M. O'BRIEN: Yes, they do...

S. O'BRIEN: So...

M. O'BRIEN: They do say that.

S. O'BRIEN: It looked pretty good to me, Miles.

M. O'BRIEN: No one is aboard, just a bunch of instrumentation and devices and so forth. And basically they're trying to figure out if it can make its way through the taxiways and get to the gate and jet ways and all the things you can imagine.

This -- it reminds me of 30 years ago when the 747 first came out. There were similar issues. They had to widen runways and taxiways and increase the distance the jet ways go and so forth. Imagine that times two here, which is what we're seeing in the Airbus A380. S. O'BRIEN: Live pictures coming to us from Heathrow Airport where they're performing this test. This is -- it's really hard, of course, to tell the size of an airplane when it's not in right now to anything else out on the field there, out on the tarmac there.

M. O'BRIEN: Yes. Yes, I mean, it's --

S. O'BRIEN: A double-decker plane.

M. O'BRIEN: ... that's roughly the size of Cleveland right there so -- just to give us a sense of scale.

No, it's big.

S. O'BRIEN: What...

M. O'BRIEN: It's real big.

S. O'BRIEN: It's twice the number of passengers on a normal jetliner?

M. O'BRIEN: Yes. Yes, about twice. They say that, you know, in certain configurations -- it'll be interesting to see who configures it this way -- a lot of the Pacific Rim airlines tend to put in a lot more seats -- upwards of 800 people. Eight hundred people. That's with two bags and carry-ons.

Wow! that's a lot of...

S. O'BRIEN: That's a lot of stuff.

M. O'BRIEN: That's a long conveyor belt when you get to the end of that.

S. O'BRIEN: Well, that's the pictures of the super jumbo jet landing at Heathrow.

We've got Richard Quest right on the other side of this short break to talk to us about it live.

We're back in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

M. O'BRIEN: Live pictures now. This is the Airbus 380. Look at the outboard engine as it kicks up a little windstorm there in the grass. They don't use the reverse thrusters on those outboard engines because of concern of kicking up dust and dirt and causing problems. In board is enough, anyway.

But that is one big plane that has made its way safely to the ground at Heathrow Airport. And while I was -- I was being kind of hard on the pilot. It is clearly very gusty and windy at Heathrow, as we learned from our last live shot from Richard Quest, who is there -- and, Richard, you know, as Soledad pointed out, any landing which you can walk away from is a good one. And it's making its way. The real test, of course, is post-landing and how it does on the ground there, right?

QUEST: Well, and that is what they're going through the process and will be between now and Friday, when it leaves Heathrow Airport.

The plane is basically wending its way through the various taxiways, taxiways that had to be widened, strengthened. The lighting had to be changed, Miles.

About half a billion dollars worth of work had to be done here at London Heathrow to accommodate the A380.

this is going to be one of the main airports that will be using it.

Incidentally, I was asking Airbus a short while ago when will it make its first arrival into the United States. They believe the technical arrivals and the technical flights will take place in the U.S. at places like L.A. San Francisco-and New York early in next year.

But these are the gates here that have been specially constructed, Miles, for the A380, which is now just wending its way round.

M. O'BRIEN: Wending its way your lumbering its way around.

I don't know if you can see it, Richard, but the guy in the left seat there -- and they finally gave us a good sense of scale. I don't know if we still have that shot. He was flying the Union Jack, appropriately so. There it is, a couple of Union Jacks coming out of the windows there, now that they've made it. And they're taxiing their way in.

I would think taxiing this thing would be a real challenge. It's so big and it's so -- well, look at that. Look at that wing span there. It's something.

QUEST: You see, Miles -- Miles, like me, you see, you're a bit of an aircraft and aviation geek. So, yes, the machinations of getting something this big -- interestingly, when the 380 landed, I don't know whether you could see, but there was a VA-747 taxiing out at the same time.

So that was a real test -- could they pass each other on the taxiways? And now you can hear those Rolls Royce engines drowning me out, if that were possible, as the thing comes into taxiing.

M. O'BRIEN: It is not possible.

Richard Quest from Heathrow Airport. You've never been drowned out heretofore and will not be.

Thank you for being with us.

And we'll be back with more in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

M. O'BRIEN: Working from home -- it might be your dream, but if it's not done right, it can become a nightmare.

Welcome To The Future.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HEATHER: I have to have flexibility working from home with a 4- year-old. One of the drawbacks to working from home is that I can never leave my work. My husband works at home part of the time, also. He sits on the couch behind me in the office while we both try to conduct phone calls and business and e-mails. And it definitely has its moments, especially when I haul myself up and wander in my house while my daughter is playing elsewhere.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

M. O'BRIEN: Going to work in your pajamas sure sounds enticing, doesn't it? But working from home can be terribly distracting, what with the kids, dogs and refrigerator nearby.

The solution may be just outside your door.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOEY RYMAN, MARKETING CEO: A home office should look more like a sanctuary where my imagination can run-free, not where it's shut down.

M. O'BRIEN (voice-over): Marketing CEO Joey Ryman (ph) is known for his bright ideas, like turning this old square dancing hall in his backyard into a home office. Ryman sees a future where nearly everyone can work from home, in a pleasing setting that breeds creativity and comes complete with what he calls an uber-nanny (ph).

RYMAN: What was the office manager now is your house manager. But they are also kind enough and compassionate enough to take care of your children.

M. O'BRIEN: Ryman says today's workers aren't striving to become millionaires, but instead familiar-aires, people who put their wealth in their friends and families. But first, he says, we need a change of pace.

RYMAN: I imagine that we're going to go to a six hour work day and a four day work week. For those people who don't think that slowing down wins the game, they ought to read "The Tortoise and the Hare." The tortoise does win.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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