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American Morning
East Coast Flooding; Possible Troop Cuts; Warren Buffett's Benevolence
Aired June 26, 2006 - 08:59 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I'm Bob Franken in Washington, a city that is under water, and a city that, to a large degree, at least the official part, is closing down because of the flooding.
ED HENRY, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: I'm Ed Henry at the White House, where the Bush administration is considering a plan for major troop cuts in Iraq. Democrats crying foul. They say it sounds suspiciously similar to a timetable. I'll have that story.
ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I'm Andrea Koppel in Washington. A flag burning debate on Capitol Hill is making tempers flare. But is this just more election year politicking? I'll tell you coming up.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Also, Warren Buffett taking philanthropy to new heights, giving away billions upon billions to someone even richer?
That's ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
Good morning to you. I'm Miles O'Brien.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Soledad O'Brien.
It's a messy commute, as you just saw from Bob Franken's live shots. In and around Washington, D.C., the streets are washed out, cars are stranded. Washington suffering, really, from the weekend rains that hit the East Coast this weekend.
Let's get right back to Bob in D.C.
Hey, Bob. Good morning.
FRANKEN: Good morning.
This area right here off Constitution Avenue used to be in the 1800s a canal. Regrettably, it is now.
This is actually the 12th Street -- 12th Street tunnel that goes from Constitution Avenue out to the beltway. Inside the beltway it's kind of a mess, and immediately outside it is, too.
As far as Washington is concerned, a lot of the museums are closing down today. The Internal Revenue Service is closing down. We'll pause for people to wipe a tear. The Justice Department shutting down. The National Archives shutting down today, although we've been assured that none of the records in the archives downtown was affected by water.
In addition, outside the city there have been any number of problems, including a mudslide at one highway ramp in Alexandria. Quite a few of the roadways, including the one here, have been shut down because of an inability to transport on them. The metro subway system, portions of the rail system had to be shut down, also, which is causing big disruptions, as well as commuter service on rail lines that come in from Virginia and Maryland.
In other words, it's going to be very, very difficult to function in Washington today. The weather was quite severe. And look no further than the White House to see that. The wind and the rains and the lightning all blew down a tree on the north lawn.
Now, happily, I can report no reporters at the time were standing near the tree. That's where the different live reports come from, where you'll see Ed Henry in just a few minutes.
In any case, the north lawn had a tree knocked down. That's been a problem throughout the area. And the difficulty is going to be that this weather is expected to continue with more rain.
It has really been a heavy weekend of rain, not just here, but in outlying areas, including the Eastern Shore. Towns out there just inundated. Federalsburg, Maryland, and Seaford, Delaware, particularly hit hard. And your nation's capital on this particular day is going to have a hard time functioning -- Soledad.
S. O'BRIEN: Well, it sounds bad. All right, Bob. Thanks.
Severe weather expert Chad Myers at the CNN Center.
Chad, good morning.
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, Soledad.
Tropical moisture that came out of the south, came out of the Bahamas and Florida, ran right up a front. And we knew that it would. And just settled right over a stationary boundary, a front that wouldn't move. And when you get storms that don't move or move on top of another storm that just moved on by, obviously you see showers and storms and you see flooding.
Some thunderstorms around Atlanta this morning. That will slow down the airport. The only airport delay so far is actually Philadelphia, at 30 minutes.
A couple of showers around Miami. Most of them are offshore.
Look at Reagan National. In six hours, from 10:00 -- 8:00 until 2:00 in the morning, 5.77 inches. Dulles Airport, six inches. A lot of the feeder roads to Dulles wered flooded. From Federalsburg, as Bob was talking about, 11.5 inches. In Georgetown, Delaware, 7.5, or a little bit more than that, inches of rain from yesterday morning until now.
And here is where the rain is expected for today and tomorrow. Everywhere that you see White, including just to the west of D.C., again, into northern Virginia, right on up into Pennsylvania, that's all three inches of rain or more.
We also see that number, that white color all the way down into Georgia, the north Georgia mountains, part of the Piedmont to North and South Carolina. Upstate in South Carolina going to get hit hard -- 84 in Memphis today.
And then tomorrow, Miles, you get the rain back to you. Today for New York City it should be fairly dry. I say that because it's all relative. But tomorrow gets a lot wetter than today.
M. O'BRIEN: Wow, you said, "You get the rain." I thought there was going to be like a personal storm cloud right over my head.
MYERS: You. You're the pigpen of the rain today. It's right over your head, that cloud.
M. O'BRIEN: Right over me. All right. That's what happens when you come back from vacation.
Thank you very much, Chad.
MYERS: That's right. You're welcome.
M. O'BRIEN: The Pentagon has a timetable for pulling troops out of Iraq, starting as soon as this fall, if conditions on the ground are right. Democrats today are accusing the White House of playing politics on this front. You'll recall two Democratic plans to bring troops home on dates certain voted down last week.
Ed Henry live at the White House with more.
Good morning, Ed.
HENRY: Good morning, Miles.
The White House facing charges of hypocrisy this morning because, as you noted, the administration is considering this plan for major troop cuts. It comes just days after Republicans were charging that such plans would only embolden terrorists.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HENRY (voice over): Military sources tell CNN General George Casey is considering pulling two combat brigades, up to 10,000 U.S. troops, out of Iraq this fall, with even deeper troop cuts on the horizon in 2007, according to a "New York Times" report of Casey's recent classified briefing at the Pentagon. Democrats charge the White House, which has repeatedly refused to set a timetable, is giving in to the political pressures of the midterm elections.
SEN. CARL LEVIN (D), MICHIGAN: I don't think there's the slightest doubt that there will be reductions in American troops before the elections. The Casey plan has a reduction prior to November. And I think it's kind of the worst kept secret around here that the administration is going to find a way, one way or the other, to reduce American troop presence in Iraq.
HENRY: Senior Republicans insist General Casey does not have a formal plan to withdraw U.S. troops. And facts on the ground, not politics, will dictate any redeployment.
SEN. JOHN WARNER (R), ARMED SERVICES CHAIRMAN: We will move to reduce our troops as soon as the new government gets up and gains the full confidence of its military to direct them to put down the insurgency.
HENRY: Democrat Russ Feingold's plan to bring U.S. troops home by next July was soundly defeated in the Senate last week amid Republican charges it was "cut and run." Feingold, a potential presidential candidate, says it appears the White House has a timetable after all.
SEN. RUSS FEINGOLD (D), WISCONSIN: And I wonder what all this talk was about how a timeline is a bad idea, we can't tell the terrorists what we're going to do. Well, General Casey just told them.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HENRY: Now, Republicans insist the Casey plan has no firm deadline. So that gives the military more flexibility to make sure Iraqis can take over security. But Democrats say, look, if it looks like a duck, talks like a duck, it's a duck. And they think this is a timeline -- Miles.
M. O'BRIEN: Ed Henry at the White House.
Thank you very much -- Soledad.
S. O'BRIEN: Iraq is offering up amnesty now for thousands of prisoners. That is part of the prime minister's plan to rebuild and rehabilitate his country. But part of that amnesty plan is stirring up some controversy right here in the U.S.
CNN's Andrea Koppel live on Capitol Hill this morning.
Good morning, Andrea.
KOPPEL: Good morning, Soledad.
Well, under that 24-point plan laid out by Iraq's new prime minister over the weekend, it would only offer amnesty to prisoners who were not involved in any terrorist activity and war crimes or crimes against humanity. Some U.S. senators are calling the idea of a reconciliation plan a positive step forward for Iraq's new government, but at the same time they worry the plan, which is still being worked out, could include amnesty for insurgents who have killed American soldiers.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. MITCH MCCONNELL (R), MAJORITY WHIP: I don't think granting amnesty to people who have killed Americans is acceptable, and I don't believe that's what the Iraqi government intends to do.
SEN. RICHARD DURBIN (D), MINORITY WHIP: I can understand the concept of reconciliation, but there's also a concept of accountability here. Now, let me just ask you this: If you thought there was a plan in place in Iraq which said the killing of an American soldier is excusable, would you want to leave your son in uniform as an American soldier in that country?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KOPPEL: Iraq's prime minister has said that reconciliation will not happen with terrorists or with those who supported Saddam Hussein, but what is still unclear is whether amnesty might be offered to those insurgents who planned or financed attacks against Americans. And, Soledad, unlike previous versions, the current plan does not make a distinction between crimes committed against U.S. troops and crimes against Iraqis -- Soledad.
S. O'BRIEN: Let's also talk about the flag burning debate that's going on. It's kind of heating up on Capitol Hill. Is there evidence that the American people are up in arms about this?
KOPPEL: Well, it depends who you ask. Certainly some of the polls do show that.
Democrats say that they think there are hardly any instances where people are burning the flag these days, and they accuse Republicans of what they say is a transparent election year ploy, a carefully-timed debate. We're a week out from the Fourth of July and about four months from midterm elections. Democrats say it's a way to fire up the party's conservative base on issues they care about most in the hopes of convincing them to turn out on Election Day.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FEINGOLD: Oh, no, it always comes up just before July 4th. It's a political game, it's outrageous, and we have more important things to deal with, such as getting our troops out of Iraq, helping our veterans, making sure that we get health care for all Americans. That's more important than trying to mess up the Constitution.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KOPPEL: The amendment, if it passed, would protect the American flag from what they say is physical desecration by changing the U.S. Constitution for the first time in decades. It's been rejected by the Senate before, but its chief sponsor, Utah Republican Orrin Hatch, predicts it will have the 67 votes it needs to pass this year. Debate gets under way later today, Soledad, with a vote is as soon as tomorrow.
S. O'BRIEN: Andrea Koppel for us this morning in Washington, D.C.
Andrea, thanks.
In Iraq, two Pennsylvania National Guard soldiers face charges in connection with a killing of a civilian. The soldiers are with the 1st Battalion 109th Infantry. Specialist Nathan Lynn (ph) is charged with voluntary manslaughter for allegedly killing an unarmed man near Ramadi back in February. Lynn (ph) is also charged, along with Sergeant Milton Ortiz (ph), of obstructing justice for allegedly conspiring to plant an AK-47 near the body.
From Abu Ghraib to these latest charges, we're going to get some perspective on all this from two former soldiers. That's coming up at 9:30 a.m. Eastern Time -- Miles.
M. O'BRIEN: It's a philanthropic record. In fact, nothing really even comes close. Warren Buffett, the world's second richest man, donating the bulk of his fortune, $44 billion, give or take, and most of it is going to the world's richest man, or at least his foundation.
CNN's Allan Chernoff live now from the New York Public Library, where Buffett, along with the Gates group, will be holding a town hall meeting this morning to roll out this impressive proposal.
Hello, Allan.
ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN SR. CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Miles.
Yes, it's not exactly as if Bill Gates has his hand out and he's in any need at all. Of course, as you mentioned, the money going actually to his foundation. Essentially, what Warren Buffett is saying here is that Bill Gates is better at giving money away than he would be.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHERNOFF (voice over): Mega billionaire Warren Buffett says he'll give away much of the fortune he spent a lifetime accumulating. In an exclusive interview with "Fortune" magazine, the 75-year-old Buffett says he will gradually give away 85 percent of his wealth to five charitable foundations.
Buffett is worth nearly $44 billion. His gifts in stock would be worth $37 billion at today's value.
The lion's share of that will go to the world's largest philanthropic organization run by Buffett's close friends, Bill and Melinda Gates. The Gates Foundation focuses mainly on world health issues like AIDS and malaria, and improving education in the U.S.
In a statement Sunday, Bill and Melinda Gates said, "We are awd by our friend Warren Buffett's decision to use his fortune to address the world's most challenging inequities. We have a tremendous opportunity to make a positive difference in people's lives."
BILL GATES, MICROSOFT CHAIRMAN: The change we're announcing today is not a retirement. It's a reordering of my priorities.
CHERNOFF: Buffett's pledge comes on the heels of Gates' announcement two weeks ago that he will give up running Microsoft day to day to concentrate on his charitable efforts.
ANDREW KILPATRICK, BUFFETT BIOGRAPHER: And what this is, really, is a merger of Buffett and Gates. It's not a business deal, but it's two great minds joining together for charity. He says he's really not giving it to Bill Gates, he's giving it through Bill Gates to give to the causes that foundation deems -- deems the best.
CHERNOFF: Warren Buffett built his fortune as chairman and guiding genius of the Berkshire Hathaway investment company based in Omaha, Nebraska. For years Buffett said his fortune would go to good causes after his death, but when his wife Susan died two years ago, he started to rethink his charitable timetable.
Buffett's children who control the foundation is getting the rest of the stock. Twenty years ago he famously remarked about the dangers of leaving too much to the kids, saying, "A very rich person should leave his kids enough money to do anything but not so much they will do nothing."
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHERNOFF: And it's not as if they will be doing nothing. The three children will be running their own foundations which are devoted to environmental causes and education for the needy -- Miles.
M. O'BRIEN: Allan, let's talk about this interesting friendship between Warren Buffett and Bill Gates. Warren Buffett isn't even very bullish on tech stocks. I don't think he holds much of Microsoft, not much at all, and historically wasn't a dot-com-type guy.
How did they become such close friends?
CHERNOFF: Yes, they actually met through a mutual friend back in 1991, and they developed a good relationship. And interestingly enough, it's really not devoted on business practices at all because, as you mention, Bill Gates, a great technology businessman, but Warren Buffett basically says don't show me a technology stock. I don't really understand it.
That's one reason that Buffett did not get hit really hard at all during the dot-com bust. He had underperformed prior to that, but he really avoided the big bust back in 2000 and 2001.
M. O'BRIEN: Ah, yes, sometimes it pays to be a Luddite.
Allan Chernoff at the New York Public Library, which, incidentally, was donated by another benefactor, Andrew Carnegie, some years ago -- Soledad. S. O'BRIEN: Coming up this morning, the very latest on North Korea's reported plans to test a missile that could reach the United States. Just how serious is that threat? We'll take a look.
M. O'BRIEN: Also, here's a frightening trend to tell you about. Think about this as kind of like a timeshare in a gun, I guess. Criminals stashing guns outside in a place so others can use them. We'll look at how the authorities are trying to crack down on this difficult problem.
S. O'BRIEN: And then coming up next, a primary race between two Republicans in Utah. We're going to take a look and see how it could set the tone for the immigration debate nationwide.
Those stories all ahead. We'll continue right here on AMERICAN MORNING in a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
S. O'BRIEN: Immigration is not on the ballot in tomorrow's Utah Republican primary, but it might as well be.
CNN's Candy Crowley explains why one district in Utah could set the tone for November.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CANDY CROWLEY, CNN SR. POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): On any given summer Saturday, this is the kind of place you can find a parade. In political lingo, this is Utah 3, probably the most conservative, most Republican, most Mormon district in the country.
Chris Cannon is a five-term congressman representing Utah 3. He is conservative, Republican, Mormon, and in trouble.
REP. CHRIS CANNON (R), UTAH: I could lose. There are a bunch of people that are really afraid, and they are going to vote, and they'll vote against me.
CROWLEY: John Jacob is a conservative Republican Mormon with a lot of money and a whale of an issue.
JOHN JACOB (R), UTAH PRIMARY CANDIDATE: Well, I think Chris can help with that because he became the president's point man on illegal immigration.
CROWLEY: Both Republicans want better border security, they differ on what to do with undocumented workers already here. Jacob wants them forced out of the country. Cannon argues it's impossible and bad for the U.S. economy.
CANNON: That disagreement is whether the Republican Party is going to be some kind of new xenophobic, anti-foreigner party, or whether they're going to be the party of a country that we're thrilled has grown.
JACOB: You need to know, Chris, that it's not anti-foreigners. We love legal immigrants. It's strictly the word "illegal."
(APPLAUSE)
CROWLEY: As a kind of petri dish for the national debate, Utah 3 has seen an influx of outside money and won very pointed third-party ad.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice over): Congressman Chris Cannon says he's tough on illegal immigration. He says he's never supported amnesty for illegal aliens.
CROWLEY: Cannon has brought in the big guns, via robo (ph) call.
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES (voice over): Hello. This is President George W. Bush. I'm asking you to vote for Chris Cannon on Tuesday, June 27.
LAURA BUSH, FIRST LADY: We need Chris in Congress so he can continue securing our borders.
CROWLEY: The Cannon-Jacob smack-down comes as the House and Senate struggle over when or whether to meet to find a mutually acceptable immigration bill.
(on camera): And if your opponent wins this primary, what's the message?
CANNON: Well, then I think we go into a conference, maybe. Maybe we don't even get to a conference on immigration and people say, this is toxic.
CROWLEY (voice over): Utah 3 is being monitored as closely as a canary sent into a cave to detect poisonous gas.
(on camera): And what's the immigration message that your election would send to the Washington establishment?
JACOB: Secure our borders. Make it safe here in America.
CROWLEY (voice over): The vote and the message come tomorrow.
Candy Crowley, CNN, Provo, Utah.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
S. O'BRIEN: Candy Crowley, of course, one of the members of the best political team on TV.
Some polls are giving the edge to Cannon. "The Salt Lake Tribune," though, has them in a dead heat. The winner should easily defeat the Democratic candidate come November.
Coming up this morning, the very latest on those reported plans by North Korea to test launch a missile that could hit the U.S. We'll see if the U.S. is ready for the possible threat. Then later, take a look at these pictures. A fight at a casino turns deadly when this -- that guy right there pulls a gun and starts opening fire. This morning there's a hunt on for the gunman.
Those stories and much more ahead on AMERICAN MORNING. We're back in a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
S. O'BRIEN: Wow. Take a look at these pictures. You're looking at Chevy Chase, Maryland, be under lots of water this morning. Floods, our top story.
These pictures coming to us -- coming in just moments ago from our affiliate WTTG. Maryland has a big problem, Virginia, Washington, D.C. Delaware has a big, big problem this morning. And Pennsylvania has got some flash flood warnings today, as well.
We are watching it for you. Boy, this is an ugly scene. And as Chad has been telling us all morning, it's not going to get better anytime soon. So some pictures for us this morning of Chevy Chase, Maryland, where they're under quite a bit of water today -- Miles.
M. O'BRIEN: Some tough talk south of the DMZ this morning, as North Korea continues it's apparent march toward a long-range missile test. The South Korean government saying it will take measures that will match the seriousness of any such missile test.
Meanwhile, the U.S. and Japan are poised to place Patriot missile interceptors in the region. They are designed to knock down any North Korean rocket in flight.
Joining me now from Washington is our CNN national security correspondent, David Ensor.
David, good to have you with us this morning.
I want to share with our viewers and you an op-ed piece which came last week from the defense secretary under the Clinton administration, William Perry. He wrote this, along with Ashton B. Carter. He said this, "If North Korea persists in its launch preparations, the United States should immediately make clear its intention to strike and destroy the North Korean missile before it can be launched."
Now, let's juxtapose this against what the vice president had to say about this notion.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RICHARD CHENEY, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: If you're going to launch strikes at another nation, you better be prepared to not just fire one shot. And the fact of the matter is, I think the issue is being addressed appropriately.
(END VIDEO CLIP) M. O'BRIEN: All right. So there you have it. It's kind of interesting to see Mr. Perry coming out and saying preemptive strike. The implications of that are really almost hard to conjure.
DAVID ENSOR, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, that's true. And it's a remarkable sight to see a former Democrat -- Democratic defense secretary advocating the use of military force and a hawk like the vice president against it and calling for a diplomacy.
A remarkable turnaround in a way, but there has been the view for some time now among the members of the Clinton administration that the Bush administration has not done enough on this North Korea matter, that it's allowed it to just continue, giving the North Koreans time to process more plutonium, perhaps make more nuclear weapons and make progress in their missile program without doing anything about it. So there's a sense of frustration among former office holders from the previous administration that not -- that more has not been done.
At the same time, obviously, there would be tremendous risk in taking out the missile. Risk to Seoul, South Korea, for example, a major city that is just inches away from the North Korean DMZ.
M. O'BRIEN: Let's give folks the lay of the land there using our Google Earth technology here. We'll zoom in on the Korean peninsula and give you a sense.
First of all, Seoul, South Korea, is a city of 10 million-plus people. OK. Here you are, the Korean peninsula right there. This is the DMZ right across in there.
If we could zoom in a little bit closer, we'll give you a sense of what David is talking about. We're right here now. That's the center of Seoul. If we zoom back out from there, as we say, 10 million people, this -- once again, I'll highlight it for you. That is that DMZ.
The distance from there to there is all of about 35 miles, give or take, 35 miles. That, David, is about what artillery range would be. And that means that you can fire, relatively speaking, a simple gun and cause tremendous numbers of casualties. And that, of course -- couple that with the fact there are 37,000 U.S. troops along that DMZ -- is truly a powder keg.
ENSOR: It is a powder keg, indeed. And that city is very much held hostage in a way to the North Korean army. In the event of hostilities, there would be tremendous carnage.
So, obviously that's something that factors in to the Bush administration's calculations as it tries to decide what to do about the missile test. But this is a missile that the experts believe for the first time is at least potentially capable of reaching U.S. soil. And it is a missile that could one day be designed to carry a nuclear warhead.
Now, nobody suggesting that the North Koreans have figured out how to make a nuclear warhead small enough and sturdy enough to last -- to put it on top of this kind of missile and have it last through -- through the launch phase. But that is clearly coming. So, there is tremendous concern this missile, which is at least -- depending on who you talk to, it's either fully fueled or it's partially fueled for launch -- is being watched by practically every surveillance satellite available over the top of it -- Miles.
M. O'BRIEN: Is there a good diplomatic option right now? Some would suggest bilateral talks, U.S.-Korea talks are the way to go. But is this the right time?
ENSOR: Well, the U.S. takes the view that there were bilateral talks years ago with North Korea, deals were made and not kept by the North Koreans. So, the effort was then made to try and have a six- party arrangement where North Korea's neighbors and the state that it owes the most to, China, would be at the table as well, and it would make commitments to all six of these. But the North Koreans have been dragging their feet on attending these talks.
The U.S. has, meantime, gone ahead with some other actions against North Korea to try and stop it from counterfeiting dollar bills and various other illicit activities. And the atmosphere is very cool, indeed. Meanwhile, you have the North Koreans watching all the attention that Iran is getting, and some of the analysts say the North Koreans are fueling up a missile to try to get more attention -- Miles.
M. O'BRIEN: A little bit of "me, too," unfortunately.
All right. National Security Correspondent David Ensor.
Thanks very much -- Soledad.
S. O'BRIEN: Coming up this morning, police call them community guns. These are guns that are stashed by criminals so that anybody else can grab them, use them, and put them back any time they want. Well, as you can imagine, they are almost impossible to track and trace. We're going to show you how authorities are cracking down.
And also, a gunman on the loose after a deadly shooting inside a casino. Look at this videotape. The hunt for the suspect is ahead on this AMERICAN MORNING.
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