Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

The Fight For Iraq; America Votes 2006; Suspicious Device; Search At World Trade Center

Aired October 23, 2006 - 10:00   ET

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

HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Five years after 9/11. New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg commenting this hour.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: And wait just a minute, Madonna. The father of an African boy she wants to adopt is having second thoughts. It is Monday, October 23. You are in the NEWSROOM.

COLLINS: Timetable for Iraq. The Bush administration throws cold water on one report, but a change in strategy may be what nervous Republican office holders are looking for. CNN White House Correspondent Elaine Quijano has that.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): It's been part of President Bush's Iraq mantra for months.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: You can't win a war if you have an artificial timetable for withdrawal.

Many advocating an artificial timetable for withdrawing our troops are sincere, but I believe they're sincerely wrong.

QUIJANO: But "The New York Times," citing senior U.S. officials, reports that the Bush administration is drafting a timetable for the Iraqi government to address sectarian divisions and take on more of the country's security responsibilities. A White House spokeswoman said "the story is not accurate." Adding that the administration is constantly developing new tactics to achieve its goal and that the administration has been coordinating with the Iraqis for months on a series of measures they can take to assume more control of their country.

With the violence in Iraq showing no signs of letting up and Republicans in Congress nervous about their re-election prospects in just over two weeks, the debate over what to do next in Iraq has intensified. Against that backdrop, the pressure for the White House to change course has come from both Democrats and Republicans.

SEN. ARLEN SPECTER, (R) JUDICIARY CHAIRMAN: I don't believe that a shift in tactics ought to wait until after the election. There are too many casualties there. If we have a better course, we ought to adopt it sooner rather than later.

SEN. JACK REED, (D) RHODE ISLAND: The strategy of the administration has failed. The strategy of clear, build and hold has not worked. It's been clear, build and wait. And while we've waited without the resources to rebuild the Iraqi economy, the insurgents have snuck back in, the sectarian militias have snuck back in.

QUIJANO: One analyst suggests that with Democrats on the offensive over Iraq, the administration may be trying to throw vulnerable Republicans a political lifeline.

NORMAN ORNSTEIN, AMERICAN ENTERPRISE INSTITUTE: And this new announcement of sorts give Republican candidates an ability to say they're for change without undercutting their own administration. Is politics a part of this? It always is.

QUIJANO: While the White House calls "The New York Times" story overwritten, on Friday, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld acknowledged the U.S. is working with the Iraqi government to develop a set of "projections" as to when the U.S. can hand over various security responsibilities.

Elaine Quijano, CNN, the White House.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: Big political countdown. The midterm elections now just two weeks and one day away as we head to the home stretch. Control of Congress very much up for grabs. Democrats need to pick up 15 seats to regain control of the House, six seats to reclaim the Senate. Both House of Congress under Republican control right now and for the last dozen years.

COLLINS: The seat held by former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay in the spotlight in Texas as the midterm elections approach. Here's CNN's national correspondent Bob Franken.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SHELLEY SEKULA-GIBBS, (R) CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATE: I'm Shelley Sekula-Gibbs and I'm running for Congress.

BOB FRANKEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): Houston city councilwoman Shelly Sekula-Gibbs was recruited to replace Tom DeLay with little delay, but too late for her name to get on the ballot, not the one for the next two years in Congress.

NICK LAMPSON, (D) CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATE: I'm Nick Lampson. I'm running for the U.S. House of Representatives.

FRANKEN: Democrat Nick Lampson won his spot on the ballot the old fashioned way, in the primary.

Sekula-Gibbs is listed in a special election called to finish out the weeks left in DeLay's unfinished term. The problem, the special election is the same day as the general election. Her paid TV message, vote twice.

SEKULA-GIBBS: First, vote for me in the special election where my name will appear on the ballot. Then, in the general election, on the same ballot, right me in.

FRANKEN: Does it make any sense to you at all?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No. Does it, you?

FRANKEN: Do you understand this at all?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't. No, I don't.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Not that.

FRANKEN: What do you do?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't know. It is a quandary. It really is. What do you suggest?

FRANKEN: Someone suggested to Sekula-Gibbs she should have a jingle.

SEKULA-GIBBS: Vote twice for Shelley, special and then write here in.

FRANKEN: Lampson, the Democrat, he's staying off the ballot where Sekula-Gibbs does appear.

LAMPSON: The special election is something that was going to -- it turned out to be very confusing and I chose not to be a part of that.

FRANKEN: Although it's considered to be leaning Democratic this time, the indications are that's because of the ballot confusion, not all the problems weighing down Republicans nationally. In fact, the party heavyweights have been campaigning in the area, even DeLay. But Sekula-Gibbs feels she needs to sing for her support.

SEKULA-GIBBS: You can do it and then we'll win.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: It's kind of catchy. I don't know, Bob. We're singing it up here at the desk. But, listen, she explained pretty well that she has to win two ways here. What are the chances of that really happening?

FRANKEN: Well, you would think in an election like this, with all the problems Republicans are having nationally, that she wouldn't have much of a chance. But most of the experts are saying this is only a district that is leaning Democratic. I think it may welcome come down to, Heidi, the jingle. Whether people are attracted to it or irritated by it.

COLLINS: All right, Bob. And we know what kind of singer you are too, so we're going to spare the viewers. Thank you, sir. Tonight on CNN, something you won't want to miss. As part of our "Broken Government" series this week, Ed Henry is going to be taking a closer look at "The Do Nothing Congress." That is coming your way at 8:00 p.m. Eastern and it's something you'll see only on CNN.

HARRIS: And, Heidi, right now we want to tie up some of the loose ends on a breaking news story from just a couple of minutes ago. We showed you this bomb device here that was used by the bomb squad to set off this device in Coral Springs, Florida, at the Ramblewood Elementary School. And Captain James Hanrahan is on the line with us to sort of wrap this up for us.

And, Captain, thanks for your time.

CAPT JAMES HANRAHAN, CORAL SPRINGS POLICE: Hi. How you doing?

HARRIS: Great. Great. Thanks for you time this morning.

HANRAHAN: No problem.

HARRIS: First of all, walk us through this if you would, from the initial call. What time did you get it? And what did you find at the scene?

HANRAHAN: We got a call about 8:40 this morning. Actually it was a teacher that was walking around outside the building through an exterior basketball court. She saw what she thought was a suspicious can. It may have been an old soda can with a piece of ducks tape on it. OK. She contacted the school resource officer who then contacted the administration and we contacted the Broward Sheriff's Office Bomb Squad. The bomb squad came out. They -- as far as I know at this time, all it was, was a can. They detonated the can and everything is fine. Everybody's safe. The kids are safe. The administration is safe.

HARRIS: And we're looking at the moment right now when that can was detonated. What is that piece of equipment, if you could tell us, that is being used to set off that detonation that actually destroyed that can?

HANRAHAN: I'm in front of the school. I don't see it. But from what I was told, it was like a shotgun shell that they shoot at it and that explodes the can. So it takes care of it that way.

HARRIS: Hey, were the kids ever evacuated to your knowledge or were they just taken to . . .

HANRAHAN: No, everybody stayed in the school. The administration stayed in. The teachers stayed in. Everything was fine. It was the safest thing for the kids to stay in the school.

HARRIS: And the situation is quiet now, under control, and we're back to classes and the rest of the school day there at Ramblewood?

HANRAHAN: Yes, Ramblewood Elementary School, yes, everything's good. And, oh, the fire department, everybody's left the scene. HARRIS: All right, Captain James Hanrahan with us from the Coral Springs, Florida, Police Department.

Captain, appreciate it. Thank you.

COLLINS: Searchers at Ground Zero in New York this morning once again looking for the remains of victims from the 9/11 terror attacks. CNN senior correspondent Allan Chernoff is joining us now live from New York.

Boy, Allan, we thought this was all finished.

ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely, Heidi. And, unfortunately, it is continuing. In fact, since last Thursday, more than 100 remains have been located in manholes and utility crawlspaces at the World Trade Center site. This actually happening after some construction crews last week were beginning to dig a hole underground from the Trade Center site to Battery Park City, which is on the other side of West Street. All of this is on the west side of the World Trade Center site.

And you might wonder, how is it possible that this had been overlooked? What happened is that while the recovery was underway back in 2002, the West Street Road was paved over. It was expanded so that traffic could actually move along and nobody bothered to look inside of these manholes. And then last week, as this construction was occurring, bones were uncovered. In fact, some bones as large as arms and legs. Now some family members of the victims say that all construction at the site should stop.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SALLY REGENHARD, SKYSCRAPER SAFETY CAMPAIGN: My son gave his life for this city, for the state of New York and for the city of New York. He went into the Port Authority property, which was immune and exempt from all the building and fire codes. He went into a death trap and now these agencies, these governmental entities say that my son cannot be found to this day. I have not found one single iota of my son.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHERNOFF: Thus far, the city is not planning to stop the construction there. Construction of the Freedom Tower. The first tower that will rise at the site. So far, remains of more than 1,100 victims of the Trade Center tragedy, more than 40 percent of the victims, their remains have never been identified.

Heidi.

COLLINS: Wow, that's got to be just agonizing for the family members, as you can see.

Quickly, though, Allan, before we let you go. What are the chances of positively identifying these latest remains? CHERNOFF: Heidi, this at least is some good news. The chances actually have improved dramatically. A company in Virginia that the medical examiner of New York is using, they have refined their DNA extraction technique and they actually have been able to find patterns on the chromosomes of DNA of plenty of bone fragments that have previously been uncovered. And the medical exercise in New York is now trying to make a positive identification. So there is a chance, a decent chance, that some of these bones actually will be identified, which hopefully would at least bring some closure to the families of the victims

COLLINS: Well, maybe. We hope so.

Allan, thanks so much for that.

We should also mention quickly that Mayor Michael Bloomberg will be holding a press conference. It's going to come our way any minute now. On an unrelated topic, but likely will be taking questions about this very issue today.

Allan Chernoff, once again, thanks.

HARRIS: Taking politics a bit too far and drawing the attention of the secret service. That story ahead in the NEWSROOM.

COLLINS: And raising money and his profile. But is Mitt Romney taking a right turn on the campaign trail? We'll have that story coming up.

HARRIS: Misgivings or misunderstanding? An African man says he never intended to give up his son to be adopted by Madonna.

You're watching CNN, the most trusted name in news.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: CNN's John Roberts is imbedded with U.S. troops in western Baghdad today and he has found a moment where he could actually give us a call and update us on the situation in Baghdad.

And, John, I understand you have a bit more violence to fill us in on today?

JOHN ROBERTS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, good day to you, Tony.

It's the end of Ramadan, the beginning of the traditional holiday of Eid. It's Eid day today for Sunnis. It begins tomorrow for Shias. But there certainly is no end to the violence.

I'm in Harea (ph), which is a sort of a border neighborhood on the western side of Baghdad. The area that I'm in is predominantly Shia. Just a little bit to the west it's predominantly Sunni. And not long ago, within the hour, a car bomb went off in a very busy market. This is when people are doing their shopping before the holiday tomorrow. Four dead, six people wounded. We came up on it just after the bodies had been taken away. A car -- a small vehicle, small four-passenger car just twisted into shards by the force of the explosion. There were still unexploded devices around the car that had been packed inside it. They looked to me, as the Iraqi police put them in the back of the van, to be mortars. So this again would appear to be (AUDIO GAP) the munitions that are left over from Saddam Hussein's regime to wreak terror and havoc in the neighborhoods of Baghdad. It's another example of the sectarian violence that is threatening to tear this country apart, Tony. Just a gruesome seen in this marketplace tonight.

HARRIS: John, just a quick question. And I posed this to Arwa Damon last hour. Let me try it on you. Is there a sense that perhaps, perhaps -- and maybe there's no way to know this -- we might see the violence subside a little bit with the close of Ramadan, or have the groups who are responsible for this gotten a real taste for this and might the violence continue with the sense that they may be able to change the political dynamics on the ground there?

ROBERTS: Yes, there's certainly nothing to indicate, Tony, that the violence is going to end any time soon. As to whether it has subsided or not, we've seen some statistics which have indicated that the number of attacks has diminished over the course of Ramadan. There was a real spike right at the beginning of the holy month. It has diminished somewhat but certainly has not tailed off.

There is still an awful lot of attacks, 23 people killed in Baghdad just yesterday. There have been 700 bodies found this month alone as the sectarian violence continues. And it would appear that these radical elements, Tony, that are trying to incite the split between Sunni and Shia are only becoming emboldened by what they see on the ground and what they see reported in the international media. So there is nothing to suggest that the sectarian violence will subside. In fact, all indicators point to the idea that it's going to get even worse.

But, you know, we've been on the ground in many of these Sunni, Shia and mixed towns, and there is a desire by the overwhelming majority of people to live in peace. There has been relative peace, although under an authoritarian government, up until these recent months, up until the toppling of Saddam, at least, as well. And they long to get back to that. But these radical elements certainly do appear to be gaining strength. And every time they set off a bomb like this and they exact the type of toll that they had this afternoon, it really only gives them more impetus to continue with this type of attack

HARRIS: CNN's John Roberts imbedded with U.S. troops in western Baghdad.

John, appreciate it, as always. Thank you.

COLLINS: He's a Republican who heads a liberal state. Is he modifying his message for a possible White House run? Well, CNN's Dan Lothian has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAN LOTHIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): It might feel like he's running for president in 2008, but Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney insists he's just doing his homework.

GOV. MITT ROMNEY, (R) MASSACHUSETTS: That's not a passive activity. To keep one's option open, you have to be seen in the early primary states. You need to put together a fund raising network and see that you have individuals who might support you if you decided to get into it.

LOTHIAN: From New Hampshire, to Iowa, to South Carolina, Romney, whose chairman of the Republican Governor's Association, has been raising money and his profile.

RON KAUFMAN, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: The more he's out and about traveling for candidates, the more people see him, the more people think this man is a leader for the future.

LOTHIAN: But critics say the process of becoming that leader and the effort to win the hearts of evangelicals is pushing Romney away from the more moderate candidate that he was four years ago.

JEFF SANTOS, TALK SHOW HOST: He has played around with the choice and life issue.

LOTHIAN: Jeff Santos is a liberal Boston radio talk show host.

SANTOS: Taking that hard right turn and somebody thinking that he's believable on that part. I have a hard time with that.

LOTHIAN: Romney admits he now takes a harder line against abortion than he did in his gubernatorial campaign. But he disagrees he's toughened his stance against same-sex marriage.

ROMNEY: I'm in the same position I was before.

LOTHIAN: He shared that position with evangelicals in Boston at a recent nationally televised rally against sam-sex marriage.

ROMNEY: Every child deserves a mother and a father.

LOTHIAN: A warm welcome from a key voting block. But political analysts say some may ultimately be reluctant to embrace him as a presidential candidate because he's a Mormon.

DAVID GERGEN, HARVARD UNIVERSITY, FMR. WHITE HOUSE ADVISER: There are people in his own party, in his own conservative base, the social conservatives, evangelical conservatives, some of whom see the Mormonism as an errant, a deviation from the word of God.

LOTHIAN: Romney says everyone is on the same page when it comes to values, and that is what motivates voters. Republican Adviser Ron Kaufman agrees.

KAUFMAN: People are voting for the commander in chief, I think, not the pastor in chief.

LOTHIAN: Political analysts say the Mormon factor is difficult to measure, but it has been getting more attention as Romney has been quietly rising to the top tier of potential presidential candidates. If the spotlight intensifies, some say the issue will only get bigger

Dan Lothian, CNN, Boston.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: Personal finance editor Gerri Willis joins us on a Monday morning.

And, Gerri, you're talking about the vein of my existence here. Can't wait to hear your tips. You're talking about credit cards.

Good morning.

GERRI WILLIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, good morning, Tony. Good to see you.

Does it seem like you can never dig yourself out of credit card debt? We'll tell you why it might get worse and what you can do to protect yourself. That's next on "Top Tips."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Vicki (ph), live pictures or on tape? Just new video in -- OK, new pictures, just moments ago, Condoleezza Rice, secretary of state, and Mohamed ElBaradei, who heads up the IAEA, meeting this Monday in advance of what the Security Council will be doing later this week. Heidi, the Security Council will be talking about sanctions against Iran for its nuclear program. And this meeting was designed to sort of get the lay of the land from the U.N.'s perspective on where things are in Iran right now with regard to Iran's program, nuclear program, right now. And then those comments will be taken into the Security Council for those discussions and those deliberations on what exactly to do from a Security Council's point of view later this week.

COLLINS: Also, want to get a look at the big board now. Some numbers to talk about. Yet again, still above 12,000. We closed above 12,000 on Friday as well. So far, so good there. Dow, 65 points up, so we'll be watching that as always right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.

HARRIS: The perils of plastic. Do you know what hidden fees may lurk behind that credit card offer? Here to walk you through that mine field of fine print, CNN's personal finance editor Gerri Willis. She joins us from New York.

Gerri, good to see you. Good Monday to you.

WILLIS: It is, Tony. Good -- happy Monday to you too.

You know, I think this is the vain of everybody's existence, credit cards.

HARRIS: Yes.

WILLIS: So much debt and so much debt from fees. In fact, you may not know it but fees have doubled in the last 10 years. That according to a recent Government Accountability study. And those companies, they're doing a poor job of disclosing fees, Tony. So here's what you should be on the lookout for.

HARRIS: Right.

WILLIS: Fees for making payments over the phone, fees for balance transfers, over limit fees and cash advance fees. Now these can be up to $30 a pop. Remember, penalties are far stiffer than they were in the past. Late fees have more than doubled. So, if you miss a payment, Tony, even by a few hours, your interest rate could go up by 30 percent.

HARRIS: SO you don't get a day. You mean by a few hours and you could get tacked on with a penalty and late fees?

WILLIS: Yes, sir. Yes, sir.

HARRIS: Well, you mentioned that there is a code to understanding all of this and maybe it's all in the fine print and we don't take enough time to read the fine print. But what is the code and how do we crack it?

WILLIS: Well, you'll probably see some disclosures on your credit card offer and it will explain things like annual percentage rate, APR, or if you have any annual fees. But what you want to know is what triggers a late charge or whether the credit card company has what they call a universal default clause. This is a big deal. It raises your interest rate if you miss a car payment or if you're late on your mortgage payment on your credit card. So if you're shopping around, you'll find this information in the card member agreement. Make sure you call the customer service line and ask questions about the specific details of the card. But the devil's in the details, Tony.

HARRIS: Wow, it sure is.

Can what's happening with your corporate card -- not your personal card, we all understand that, but can what's happening, the activity, the payment schedule with your corporate card impact your credit?

WILLIS: You bet. You can be on the hook if you have a problem with your corporate credit card. Late fees on company cards can lower your credit score and bump up the interest rate on other cards even if it's your company that's late paying the bill. Now, you need to find out if your corporate card is listed on your credit report. That's easy enough to do. Then you'll need to find out what your company's policy is when it comes to payment. But this is not good news for people out there who have their company pay, say, their travel expenses. HARRIS: So the way to think of this is, if you have your name on any credit card, you're responsible. That's what it sounds like.

WILLIS: Absolutely.

HARRIS: Yes. Okay. No, go ahead, Gerri.

WILLIS: Well, I was going to say, you've got to keep on your toes, you know.

HARRIS: Yes.

WILLIS: Just a note of caution here, credit card companies are trying to encourage you to use plastic to pay for small transactions, believe it or not, like a cup of coffee or a magazine.

HARRIS: Oh, brother.

WILLIS: Yes. Well they're saying, you don't have to put a signature on payments less than $25. But I've got to tell you, this is not something you want to fall for. It's not a good idea because it's hard to remember all those little purchases and they can add up really quickly.

HARRIS: Who are you telling.

Gerri Willis with us this morning. Always good to see you, lady. Have a great day.

WILLIS: Thank you, Tony. Good to see you.

COLLINS: New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg addressing the media now live. Some pictures there. We do expect some questions about the news that five years after the September 11th attacks more human remains are just now being found. We're going to bring that to you live coming up in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: The midterm elections two weeks from tomorrow. It is a battle royal as Democrats try to seize control of the House and Senate. Republicans in control now for a dozen years. One of the key battleground states, Pennsylvania.

Here's CNN's chief national correspondent John King.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN KING, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Foot soldiers in the midterm election ground war, door to door in the Philadelphia suburbs, in this case targeting union households and plugging Democrats.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Can we count on your support?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you, ma'am.

KING: The area is a critical test of the Democratic turnout effort that has lagged behind a much more sophisticated Republican get out the vote machine in the past few election cycles. There are three vulnerable House Republicans in the Philadelphia area, and incumbent GOP senator Rick Santorum also is in trouble.

Delores Bowie of the Service Employees International Union says she's confident this year because of encounters with union members who in the past have supported Republicans

DELORES BOWIE, SEIU ORGANIZER: We kind of turned them around or at least get them to thinking about turning the other way. So, you know, so far -- and we had done that in this campaign. So they have already changed their vote. And they're coming on our side.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK, that's awesome, Emmanuel (ph). OK, don't forget to get out and vote on the 7th, OK?

KING: This SEIU trailer is a mobile phone bank, 12 stations for calls reminding union members and their families to vote.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Should I say you're undecided?

KING: This is the first big election test for labor since a nasty feud caused two of the biggest and most politically active unions, the service employees and the teamsters, to split from the AFL-CIO.

And it is a reminder of the biggest difference in the turnout battle. Democrats are still dependent on labor and other allies.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Since a lot of you are on our payroll, we...

KING: In contrast, Republican National Committee Chairman Ken Mehlman and the Bush White House have spent millions on a centralized national database, and then sent trained, paid staffers and direct turnout efforts in key states and races.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm campaigning for the Republican party, and I have to make sure that all Republicans get out and support our ticket.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Eleven seventy-four, down here.

KING: Republicans say they will make more than a million voter contacts a week between now and until election day, hoping their organizational and financial edge offsets, or at least somewhat blunts, a breeze that here and across the country appears to be blowing the Democrats' way.

John King, CNN, Norristown, Pennsylvania.

(END VIDEOTAPE) COLLINS: A snapshot now of thoughts about the state of American democracy. In a new poll by Opinion Research Corporation, 78 percent of the respondents say our system of government is broken. Twenty-two percent disagree. But a silver lining to this dark cloud now. Among those who say the government is broken, more than 7 out of 10 say it can be fixed; 7 percent say it cannot.

Tonight on CNN, something you won't want to miss. As part of our "BROKEN GOVERNMENT" series this week, Ed Henry is going to be taking a closer look at the so-called do-nothing Congress. It's coming up at 8:00 p.m. Eastern and it's something you'll see only on CNN.

HARRIS: A new controversy surrounding Madonna's adoption. The child's father says he never intended to permanently give up his son.

More from CNN Africa correspondent Jeff Koinange.

JEFF KOINANGE, CNN AFRICA CORRESPONDENT: Hey, there, Tony. Well, it seems like this adoption is getting messier by the day. It also seems like a classic case of lost in the translation. The young toddler's biological father saying when he signed over those adoption papers he didn't realize that, in his own words, he was going to give up his son forever.

So now a huge controversy, and also very, very discouraging for future potential parents. What are they going to do if they can -- if Madonna can face this kind of grief, imagine what ordinary folks would be facing in the situation erupts like this, Tony?

HARRIS: Well, Jeff, what is -- maybe you can help clear up the confusion for us. We're understanding that it is not uncommon for some African families to allow for others with more means to raise their children.

KOINANGE: This is absolutely true, Tony, but within an African context. This Yohane Bandala (ph), the young toddler's father, knew what he was getting into, he knew he was signing over his son, and Madonna's people explained to him that the son would be able to come home frequently, whenever he can, and just to keep in touch with his African roots.

What he -- he must have gotten a week to think about it or maybe he's getting a lot of pressure from family folks, from traditional leaders, from other members there. They're telling him, how could you have given up your son? And now he's having second thoughts. Too little, too late for now -- Tony.

HARRIS: Yes. Well, Jeff, let me be a little bit cynical here, and I apologize ahead of time. Is this is this one of those situations that will go away if more money changes hands somewhere in the process?

KOINANGE: Unfortunately, that may be what it will have to end up in. But in the meantime, the controversy will continue. More potential adoptive parents will be discouraged, and the children, at the end of the day, Tony, the children who are dying for a family, someone to call dad and mom, they are going to be so, so disheartened. At the end of the day, it's a lose-lose situation -- Tony

HARRIS: Boy, it really sounds -- Jeff, good to see you as always. Thanks for your time. Jeff Koinange.

And still ahead, health news. Surviving breast cancer. Does race make a difference? Details coming up in the NEWSROOM.

And a very a lady taking her politics, well, a bit too far and drawing the attention of the Secret Service. That story, straight ahead. You're watching CNN, the most trusted name in news.

SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Susan Lisovicz at the New York Stock Exchange, where Ford shares are selling off after reporting quarterly losses that its top executive calls "clearly unacceptable." I'll have the numbers when NEWSROOM returns. You're watching CNN, the most trusted name in news.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BUSINESS HEADLINES)

HARRIS: Baby -- I should sing it -- but, no. Baby, it is getting pretty cold outside. Chad Myers, the scoop on this arctic blast. A couple of things coming together now, not very good if you don't like the cold weather. But for someone like Heidi Collins, it couldn't be better. That story next in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: A 14-year-old girl who doesn't like President Bush's politics took her opinion online, and that's when the trouble started. CNN's Alina Cho brings us the story from Sacramento, California.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): 14-year-old Julia Wilson is passionate about horses, teenage heartthrob Jake Gyllenhaal and politics.

JULIA WILSON, 9TH-GRADER: I understand that I went too far. And, I mean, teenage emotions, they are at a peak, and just one day I decided to make a MySpace page that just went over the line.

CHO: Julia created this image on her MySpace page, a photo of the president with the caption "Kill Bush" that caught the eye of federal agents who went looking for the high school freshman at her home in Sacramento.

KIRSTIE WILSON, JULIA'S MOTHER: I just didn't have any idea what was going on, because I know Julia. She's a bit of a spirited child, but she's not a vicious child.

CHO: Julia's mom Kirstie says she told the two Secret Service agents her daughter was at school, then sent a text message to Julia's cell phone. K. WILSON: Julia, please come home from school right away. Apparently you've made some threats against President Bush, and they take these things very seriously these days.

J. WILSON: I was freaking out. I texted her, oh, my god, am I in trouble?

K. WILSON: And the next thing I know, I get another text message from her saying they've taken me out of class.

CHO: Julia says what happened next reduced her to tears.

J. WILSON: And they said, like, this is a serious matter. I don't think you understand that this is a federal offense. And they just started, like, yelling at me and I just broke down crying.

CHO: The Secret Service tells CNN, "We have to run out every threat. We don't have the liberty to do otherwise."

Julia's parents understand that, but not the way it was handled.

JIM MOOSE, JULIA'S FATHER: If a child at first blush appears not to be threatening, not withstanding having put something bad on MySpace, isn't it a good thing to meet with her at her young age in her home rather than taking her out of class, humiliating her?

CHO: Julia, a self-described crazy liberal with strong opinions, says she never meant the president any harm.

J. WILSON: I don't actually hate him. Hate is a very strong word. I really dislike him. I should say that I hate his policies.

CHO: The lesson learned?

J. WILSON: The government is watching your every move.

CHO: The "Kill Bush" Web page is gone. In its place, Julia has started another one. The new message, world peace.

Alina Cho, CNN, Sacramento, California.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(WEATHER REPORT)

HARRIS: OK. Want to get you to New York now. Mayor Michael Bloomberg is taking some questions on news that five years after the September 11th attacks, more human remains are being found.

MAYOR MICHAEL BLOOMBERG, NEW YORK: Right now the medical examiner has a lot of experience and has the best trained people and ConEd is -- and Verizon are working in their respective areas.

These were -- I think the reasons that these weren't discovered before was that these are not functioning manholes or service boxes. They were abandoned a long time ago. And when they were covered, I just assume people said, oh, there's nothing in there and didn't go in.

But you have got to remember that this was a massive cleanup done, a heroic job, I think, is a fair way to phrase it, by people who really dedicated themselves, firefighters who had lost sons and brothers, construction workers who worked in difficult conditions, where you had lots of heavy machinery and there was a lot of pressure to do things quickly, and I think on balance they did a magnificent job.

It's tragic that a handful of places were apparently were not done -- not cleaned or scrutinized as well as they should have been. But we have had -- remember, the fire department who cares more than -- perhaps more than any group did go through almost all these buildings. There are still two buildings that, when they start to come down, they're contaminated, and we will go through those at that time with all of the care and respect that you -- that is appropriate.

But I think that in the end you just have to understand that -- the families have to understand, people are trying to do their best. But in terms of making sure that we get -- we go ahead, we're going to go ahead. Any other questions? If not, thank you very much.

Yes, sir, we'll take a question.

QUESTION: If I may, sir, just a follow-up on what Marsha (ph) asked. The families' concern is that there's a strategic issue here, that discoveries of remains have been accidental rather than because people were out looking for them. Do you see a balance there, sir, and do you think going forward ...

BLOOMBERG: I'm not sure I follow your question. If you're questioning whether or not the people that risked their lives and worked 10, 12, 14 hours every day to -- in the world's greatest recovery effort, if you're questioning their honesty, I don't.

I think that they did everything they thought was appropriate at the time, as much as they could. And it's just a massive task where things are spread out for a large -- in a very large area. And the practical reality is you can't be every place.

Yes, miss, we'll take it.

QUESTION: Thank you.

BLOOMBERG: You're welcome.

QUESTION: Can you comment on this proposal -- the TLC says that they may no longer do background checks on taxi drivers? Do you no longer require that?

HARRIS: Yes, let's hold it right there. New York's mayor, Michael Bloomberg, taking a couple of questions there on the fact that -- I guess this story broke over the weekend, that five years after the September 11 attacks human remains are still being found in manholes and some crawlspaces and explaining it by saying it was and continues to be a massive job ... COLLINS: Oh, absolutely.

HARRIS: And that not every area was covered perhaps even as well as he would have liked or anyone would have liked.

COLLINS: It almost seems like an impossible task, amazing still that this long down the road we're still finding human remains. But there's still apparently 12 additional underground areas that they're going to continue to check. So, we may even see more of this.

HARRIS: And I think you can understand it from the perspective of family members who perhaps haven't had any remains recovered, that they would like this space gone over with a fine-toothed comb and would like some explanations there. So you have it, two sides of that quarter.

COLLINS: A couple issues, for sure.

Meanwhile, seeking security among sectarian strife, our John Roberts embedded with U.S. troops in Iraq. His report is coming up in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Want to take a look at some of this video here. I assure you, this deer is OK. But it is pretty remarkable that we are able to get shots like this. This is the D.C. Animal Control working to save this deer who was basically kind of stuck and swimming around in the Tidal Basin. It's right near the Jefferson Memorial. Apparently this happens quite a bit. There are a lot of deer in the area. And -- see, look?

HARRIS: Success? Success?

COLLINS: The deer is good. This is our version of D.C. "Baywatch."

HARRIS: We'll get you -- Mr. Deer, going to get you to a little bit of a head start on shedding those antlers, if that's OK with you.

COLLINS: I think the -- look, there's the monument. They pan up to the monument. That is nice. Nice work. All right. So, the deer is OK, and we are happy to report a happy ending there.

Meanwhile, in New York, a T-shirt designer is drawing stares and actually even some death threats.

HARRIS: Yes, his T-shirt is being called distasteful, offensive.

CNN's Jeanne Moos has that.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's ironic that the creator of a suicide bomber T-shirt would end up getting death threats. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, wow. Why do you have that on?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh. That's bad taste.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Wouldn't be funny if it was real.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So if you push the button, what happens?

MOOS: Not this. The only blast the terror T-shirt causes is an explosion of laughter or outrage.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Someone yelled at me to take it off immediately. Just take that off right now, that's offensive. You know, who the hell do you think you are?

MOOS: He is Brian (ph). He asked that we not use his last name. Real suicide bombings gave him the idea to make a T-shirt modeled after the old tuxedo T-shirt.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm just a big believer in humor. I'm not trying to make a political statement, I am not trying to hurt anybody's feelings.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't like it. It's like killing puppies or seals or something.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's all right. I like it.

MOOS: Brian says he sold almost 4,000 T-shirts in a couple of weeks, sold them on his terror T-shirt Web site, which features only one product that comes in only one color.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Looking for a graphic designer was a nightmare. They didn't want to touch it with a 10-foot pole.

MOOS: But this guy did.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right now.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You're going to put it on?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm going to put it right on now.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you like it?

Would you wear one?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, I certainly would not. I'll leave it all up to him.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I would wear it. I really don't care what people say.

MOOS (on camera): Obviously.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I like to be stirred up. MOOS (voice-over): After all, she's wearing a "Do I Look Like a (EXPLETIVE DELETED) People Person?" T-shirt.

Brian says he wanted his shirt to look cartoonish, not like a real suicide bomber.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think it's disturbing.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: At first I thought it was real from a distance.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't think it's funny and I think it's disturbing.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It looked a little real.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She just said, look, that guy has dynamite strapped on him. I said, where?

MOOS: Where not to wear the terror T-shirt? The airport, for one. At JFK, this anti-war activist had to cover up his T-shirt just because it said in Arabic, "we will not be silent."

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was told by one of the officials that wearing a T-shirt with Arabic script in an airport now is like going to a bank with a T-shirt that reads, "I am a robber."

MOOS: That spawned the "I Am Not a Terrorist" T-shirt. And now for $20, this.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Might be a little tasteless. As long as you don't run into places screaming, it's not that bad.

MOOS: This isn't just a T-shirt. It's a TNT-shirt.

Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com