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Winter Storm Leaves Big Problems In Heartland; Massive Anti- Government Rally Underway In Beirut; Abdul Aziz al-Hakim To Meet With President Bush; Rats Move Into One Town After Katrina; Class For Incoming Congress
Aired December 02, 2006 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: Now in the news, millions of Americans are digging out from the season's first big wintry storm. It cut a wide swath from the Southern Plains into the Upper Midwest. Snow like you see right there, lots of ice, rain and wind all part of this mix.
We have a weather update in just two minutes.
Check this out -- Fidel Castro a no-show at a big parade today in Havana in his honor. Supporters had hoped the ailing Cuban president would make an appearance. The event culminates five days of belated birthday celebrations for Castro. The 80-year-old Cuban leader, who is recovering from intestinal surgery, has not been seen in public since late July.
Now to Lebanon. Supporter sort of Hezbollah returned to the streets of Beirut for the second straight day. They are demanding the resignation of the country's Western-backed government. Lebanon's prime minister says his government will not be toppled through demonstrations.
T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: In Iraq, more bloodshed in the streets of Baghdad. Three car bombings killed dozens and wound dozens more. The bombs exploded today near a busy Baghdad market.
Investigators in Britain are still searching for clues in the radiation poisoning death of a former Russian spy. Autopsy is complete. Results, however, won't be known until the criminal probe is finished.
Also today, British Airways says three jetliners grounded by investigators looking for possible radiation traces have been cleared to resume service.
NGUYEN: From the CNN Center in Atlanta, with news unfolding live right here on Saturday, the second day of December, good morning, everyone.
I'm Betty Nguyen.
HOLMES: And I'm T.J. Holmes.
You are in THE NEWSROOM.
NGUYEN: We do have some major international stories developing this hour.
A big birthday bash in Cuba for Fidel Castro, but no sign of him, fueling more suspicions about the health of the ailing leader.
Plus, a delicate separation surgery in Saudi Arabia. Eleven- month-old Iraqi conjoined twins go under the knife.
And a protest over power -- Hezbollah supporters turn out by the thousands demanding the resignation of Lebanon's government.
HOLMES: But up first here, millions of Americans waking up to a wintry mess this morning. The season's first big storm has moved to the Northeast after dumping ice and snow from Texas to Michigan. At least nine deaths now blamed on the storm.
And that storm is doing what, now?
Is it still wreaking havoc?
We've got to find that out from Reynolds Wolf -- good morning to you, sir.
(WEATHER REPORT)
NGUYEN: Slick roads and runways, schools and businesses all shut down. Thousands of people just shivering in the dark.
CNN's Ed Lavandera take a closer look at those major problems left by a big wintry storm in the nation's heartland.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Chicago O'Hare empty, a FedEx plane stuck in the mud, piles of snow, cars stuck in ditches, snow blowers humming -- the snapshots of a winter like mess.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I loved it. I got the day off yesterday. I didn't have to go to work, so it was great.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I had to go to work this morning and I'm looking at some vacation time. So I just decided to take a half day and hope that I can make it home in four hours.
LAVANDERA: Humor was in short supply for the thousands of people who tried to navigate the roadways. A 50-mile stretch of Interstate 70 in Missouri had to be shut down. Nothing says you're about to have a bad day like spinning off the road while driving to work.
This Chicago resident was lucky enough to be caught on tape struggling through the storm.
HUGO CUNIGA, CHICAGO RESIDENT: The road, it was pretty bad. And it was worse. It was kind of drizzling worse. But, I mean, we expected it. I mean we heard that on the news, but we never thought it was going to be like this bad. LAVANDERA: Across Wisconsin, Illinois and Missouri, many areas saw nearly 12 inches of snow. Snow piles reached 18 inches in some places. Thousands of travelers stranded. Airlines canceled hundreds of flights. By late Friday, airports were starting to crank up again, but it will take some time to get the backlog of stranded passengers to where they want to go.
Hundreds of thousands of homes across the Midwest lost power. The weight of snow and ice cracked tree limbs and knocked over power lines.
GARY RAINWATER, PRESIDENT/CEO, AMERICAN CORP.: Some customers will be out for four or five days and possibly longer.
LAVANDERA: As the storm makes its way into Canada and the Northeast, the heartland looks forward to seeing the sun-again.
Ed Lavandera, CNN, Chicago.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: We turn overseas now for a political storm paralyzing parts of Beirut. A massive anti-government rally is underway in the heart of the Lebanese capital.
Our Beirut bureau chief, Brent Sadler, live now for us at the scene -- Brent.
BRENT SADLER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: T.J. thanks.
For the second straight day, the center of Beirut is now paralyzed by many thousands of anti-government protesters who essentially are here to try to topple the U.S.-backed government of Prime Minister Fouad Siniora.
I want to take you now straight into the heart of that crowd where, for the past several hours, they've been hearing one speaker after another condemning the government of Siniora as being far too close to U.S. interests for Lebanon's own good.
Essentially, these protesters have been brought together under the banner of an Hezbollah-led opposition. Hezbollah, you'll remember, fought a 34-day war with Israel during Beirut's summer. But now Hezbollah is using a war of words to try to topple the Siniora government.
So far, this has been a peaceful protest and many of the protesters using song and dance and humor to lampoon the Western- backed government of Fouad Siniora. That government, incidentally, the prime minister's complex now surrounded by armored vehicles and combat troops and many within the pro-government camp fearing that at some stage, this so far peaceful demonstration could turn violent.
This political upheaval important for the U.S. administration as it seeks to try to reign in Syrian/Iranian influence in the Middle East. Now back to you -- T.J.
HOLMES: All right, Brent Sadler for us on the scene in Beirut.
Thank you so much, Brent.
NGUYEN: As the war in Iraq worsens, President Bush turns to a powerful Shiite politician. Abdul Aziz al-Hakim is head of the largest party in Iraq's governing coalition. He meets with President Bush in Washington on Monday.
So let's go to CNN's Kathleen Koch live at the White House -- Kathleen, really, can anything major come from this meeting?
KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Betty, that's very difficult to say right now. Major perhaps not. But this is certainly part of a new White House strategy to begin to reach out to all the players in Iraq's very complex government.
A senior administration official telling me that President Bush has issued what's basically an open invitation to all senior Iraqi leaders to please come visit him when they are in Washington.
Now, Abdul Aziz al-Hakim is certainly, though, a very important player in Iraqi politics right now. He's the chief rival of radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. And if his party, Hakim's party, The Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution In Iraq, were to back Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki, that would lessen al-Sadr's importance and influence.
If you remember, it was al-Sadr's delegates who walked out of Iraq's parliament to protest the meeting earlier this week between President Bush and Iraqi prime minister, the Iraqi prime minister, Al- Maliki.
Now, the Monday meeting with Hakim comes just two days before the Iraq Study Group issues its final report. The president -- President Bush, in his radio address, made it clear today that he's casting a very wide net when it comes to finding ideas for a new way forward in Iraq.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I want to hear all advice before I make any decisions about adjustments to our strategy in Iraq. I recognize that the recent violence in Iraq has been unsettling. Many people in our country are wondering about the way forward.
The work ahead will not be easy. Yet by helping Prime Minister Maliki strengthen Iraq's democratic institutions and promote national reconciliation, our military leaders and diplomats can help put Iraq on a solid path to liberty and democracy.
(END VIDEO CLIP) KOCH: Now, next month, President Bush will be meeting with a top Sunni leader here in Washington at the White House, and that is Vice President Tareq al-Hashimi. That according to a senior administration official.
And Hashimi has advocated dissolving Maliki's government. He's no fan of Maliki or the way he's conducting the government in Iraq right now, saying he'd like to see it replaced with a new coalition that ensures more collective decision-making -- Betty.
NGUYEN: All right, CNN's Kathleen Koch.
We'll see how that turns out on Monday, the big meeting there.
Thank you, Kathleen.
KOCH: You bet.
NGUYEN: And tonight in THE NEWSROOM, the next chapter in Iraq. Carol Lin examines the military options for the U.S. And they range from a complete troop withdrawal to sending many more Americans into the conflict. That's tonight, 5:30 Eastern, right here in THE NEWSROOM.
And on THIS WEEK AT WAR, CNN correspondents discuss the ongoing bloodshed in Iraq. They'll also talk about troop deployments and whether Iraq is in a civil war. Join John Roberts tonight at 7:00 Eastern.
HOLMES: Well, we tell you about all kinds of stories here.
NGUYEN: Yes.
HOLMES: Now we've got kind of a gross story to tell you.
NGUYEN: Kind of nasty.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHARLIE ENGLAND, RAT CONTROL: I really didn't want to believe it was a rat. But if something leaves a hole in your leg, you know, it was what it was.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: A hole in your leg.
NGUYEN: By a rat.
HOLMES: Bitten by a rat. Yes, this is one of the post-Katrina problems in Louisiana.
NGUYEN: America voted and the winners are at a school for Congress. And...
HOLMES: Yes, a bit of a brawl in Mexico-over who... NGUYEN: Ouch!
HOLMES: ... is president. Stay here.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: So you might be asking what's clicking at CNN.com.
Well, here are the most popular videos on our Web site.
Radioactive Polonium explained in plain English. The substance killed a former Russian spy. His widow and associate now testing positive for very low levels of the radioactive Polonium.
A 19-year-old murder defendant recants, stunning the jury. Zack Gibeon (ph) now says he did not kill his stepfather, a retired New York City cop bludgeoned with a Samurai sword, of all things. The teen now claims he is covering for his mother. He says his stepfather sexually abused him for years and his mother walked in on them the night before the murder.
She denies being involved.
And is your iPod a tattletale?
Well, a tiny shoe transmitter from Nike can send info on your exercise routine to your iPod and apparently there is a security flaw. Techies with a little wireless know-how can track your steps in real time. It's kind of frightening, T.J.
HOLMES: Oh, it is.
Well, nearly 15 months after Hurricane Katrina, one hard hit area in South Louisiana faces a serious problem. Flooding drove thousands of people from their homes and now hordes of rats have moved in.
The story from our Gulf Coast correspondent, Susan Roesgen.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SUSAN ROESGEN, GULF COAST CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Blake Forestall is fixing up a friend's house with an abandoned house next door. Abandoned but not exactly empty. More than once, Blake says he's seen a rat sit in the windowsill, watching him work.
BLAKE FORESTALL, ST. BERNARD PARISH RESIDENT: They don't have much to be scared of, do they? I mean they control this. This is their world. We're in their world now.
WILL SCHULTE, RAT CONTROL: The ones we've marked in yellow are repeat customers.
ROESGEN: For the first time in years, St. Bernard Parish is giving away rat poison. Six pounds per person is the average. And between 40 and 50 people a day are asking for it. The problem is thousands of still ungutted houses -- perfect places for rats to survive and multiply.
A fast moving rat is not the easiest thing to capture on camera. But people who have caught them in traps seem to want to share what they've found. These are dead rats on ice at what's become the parish rat control headquarters. And live rats don't seem content to stay in unheated houses.
SCHULTE: But there's a little -- a drainpipe or something from the air conditioner, I think it is. And it's just -- it's just thin stuff. They just poke a hole in it.
ROESGEN: Parish worker Will Schulte says the rats have found out how easy it is to get inside a FEMA trailer. The Parish has started putting bait under as many FEMA trailers as possible, hoping the rats will be drawn to this bright blue, molasses-smelling poison.
But in some cases, it's too late. This is a normal sized hole for a trailer power cable. This is one that's been gnawed on by a rat. Even worse, Parish worker Charlie England says he was gnawed on by a rat.
CHARLIE ENGLAND, RAT CONTROL: I really didn't want to believe it was a rat, but if something leaves a hole in your leg, you know, it was what it was.
ROESGEN: The only answer may be letting the rats bite into something that can kill them.
Susan Roesgen, CNN, St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: That's the sound from the forgotten war. As the violence in Iraq continues to increase, we have a reality check in the fight for Afghanistan.
HOLMES: And Christmas is coming, which makes us wonder what does Congress need under the tree. We're going shopping today in THE NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice crisscrossing the globe as the diplomatic sands shift in Iraq and in Washington, D.C. The top U.S. diplomat lands a nomination as "Time" magazine's person of the year.
ROMESH RATNESAR, WORLD EDITOR, "TIME": Condoleezza Rice, the Secretary of State, I think, has emerged as the pivotal figure in the Bush administration's national security team. As secretary of state, she's come into her own and she's developed a level of influence within the administration I think only the vice president possibly can match. Her main accomplishment is sort of shifting the rhetoric of the administration's foreign policy away from this kind of unilateralist, with us or against us approach that we saw in the first term. And we could see, next year or the year after, Condoleezza Rice really being thrust to the forefront as the U.S. tries to deal with both managing some type of withdrawal from Iraq and also dealing with the threats from Iran and North Korea.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: This just in to CNN. We do have some new numbers on the people killed in a bombing this morning in Baghdad. Three consecutive bombs went off. The new number is 51 people so far have been killed in that, 91 people wounded. Obviously, a lot still going on at the scene. Three car bombs, once again, erupted in central Baghdad this morning. One of them appeared to target an Iraqi Army patrol.
And as soon as we get more information on this, we'll bring it to you.
But, again, 51 people dead so far in that bombing.
HOLMES: Across America now, this first weekend of December, a New York family burying a groom-to-be today. Police shot Sean Bell to death a week ago after his bachelor party. Still not clear why police opened fire and fired some 50 bullets. Five officers are now on leave while a grand jury investigates.
NGUYEN: The Granny Peace Brigade walks. Yes, charges against 11 anti-war protesters tossed in Philadelphia. The women, well, they were arrested in June when they wouldn't leave a military recruiting office. They tried to convince young people not to join and they've even tried to enlist themselves -- the Granny Brigade.
The military, though, has declined.
HOLMES: The aircraft carrier Intrepid ready to roll on Tuesday. Crews have spent nearly a month digging the ship out of mud at New York's Pier 86. The Intrepid, now a museum, will be towed five miles down the Hudson to a shipyard for repairs.
NGUYEN: Finally out of the mud.
Well, the final chapter for "Dewey" -- yes, look at "Dewey," the long time mascot of the Spencer, Iowa Library. Someone left Dewey in the library's book drop one cold day back 19 years ago, and he became a town celebrity.
Dewey named, of course, for the Dewey decimal system, loved to dine on T.J.'s favorite thing -- cheeseburgers.
HOLMES: Love a cheeseburger.
NGUYEN: So does Dewey. It may have led to his health problems, though.
HOLMES: See...
NGUYEN: The poor cat died in the librarian's arms this week. So long, Dewey.
HOLMES: Oh.
NGUYEN: While the U.S. has focused largely on Iraq in recent years, has Afghanistan fallen apart?
Well, at the NATO meeting this week, international leaders pledged to increase troops and reconstruction efforts in the country. It has been more than five years since the U.S.-led war was launched in Afghanistan following 9/11.
So we wanted to know what the war has actually accomplished and what it hasn't.
Joshua Levs has a reality check.
JOSHUA LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Betty, you know, former President Clinton made news on our air this week when he said he's very worried about Afghanistan and that he believes the United States should send more troops there.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BILL CLINTON, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: And I'm worried about the inroads that have been made by the Taliban trying to come back and what that might mean for greater freedom of movement for al Qaeda. We have to -- we can't separate entirely our challenges in Iraq from our challenges in Afghanistan.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEVS: So we wanted to show you now that so much of what's happening in Afghanistan is exactly what the United States was hoping to prevent.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LEVS (voice-over): A widespread increase in violence, as Taliban fighters target troops. Six hundred thousand people who could go hungry this winter if relief trucks can't make it through. Afghanistan could become a failed state. These are the realities, according to U.N. agencies, striking when compared with what President Bush said the U.S. had already accomplished three months after the war began.
BUSH: Destroyed Afghanistan's terrorist training camps, saved the people from starvation and freed a country from brutal oppression.
LEVS: The U.S. did destroy al Qaeda training camps and toppled the Taliban following the 9/11 attacks. Now, the U.S. acknowledges the Taliban insurgency is back and growing. This propaganda video from the Taliban shows a group of some 60 men training.
And there's this -- it looks pretty, but it's a poppy field. The U.N. says opium production is up 50 percent this year, a $3 billion industry, and a massive source of corruption, potential funding for terrorism.
Back in 2002, President Bush said the war sent a message to terrorists.
BUSH: Across oceans and continents, on mountaintops and in caves, you will not escape the justice of this nation.
LEVS: But Osama bin Laden is still on the loose, believed to be hiding in the mountains along the Pakistan/Afghanistan border. The U.S. did kill or capture some other al Qaeda leaders in Afghanistan, though more in Pakistan.
Amid the fighting, the war led to a new era for freedom and an elected government.
JAAP DE HOOP SCHEFFER, NATO SECRETARY-GENERAL: Afghanistan is making real progress to build a society that is Democrat, under afghan ownership and that is no longer a threat to the world.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEVS: And that is what world leaders want -- a democratic Afghanistan that does not threaten any of its neighbors.
Now, for this reality check. A couple important statistics we wanted to give you. First of all, troop deaths in Operation Enduring Freedom, which focuses primarily on Afghanistan, more than 500 non- afghan troops killed. The majority of them American.
We also looked at U.S. taxpayer dollars. Now, the Bush administration does not give an exact figure for Afghanistan specifically, but we worked with the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office. It is a safe estimate to say more than $100 billion has been spent in Afghanistan.
There's also one more thing I wanted to show you here. I wanted to help you see exactly where Afghanistan is. So there you go. Hold onto your seats. We're jumping out to outer space.
Take a look here. You see where Afghanistan is. Now, let's look at what is around it. You've got Iran to the west. The United States saying Iran could present a major security threat to the world. Down here, southeast, you've got Pakistan. Right there, where the battle against al Qaeda rages every day. And one more thing. Notice the stretch up here that heads over into China.
See that, China on the east?
Keep in mind, China being the one place that can give the United States a run-for its money as the world power, the dominant power. So, when U.S. leaders, when world leaders say that the position that Afghanistan is in can have ripple effects throughout the entire world, you can look right there. You can physically see why -- Betty.
NGUYEN: Well, you see the importance right there.
Thank you so much, Josh.
LEVS: Thanks a lot.
HOLMES: We're just getting word here, as well, more violence out of Iraq. Getting word now that 44 bodies have been found across Iraq today. This in addition to three car bombings that we've seen today, as well. Of course, the major issue being trying to find a way to quell the sectarian violence that has just really -- really up ticked in the past couple of weeks or so that we've seen.
But 44 bodies now, we're getting word, have been found across Iraq today. Again, this is in addition to the 51 that were killed today by three car bombings at a central Baghdad market. Another 91 injured in that attack. But, again, the violence there continues and it turns out that, it appears to be a violent weekend across much of Iraq, and especially in central Iraq, in Baghdad.
Again, 44 bodies found, 51 killed today in that attack, three car bombings.
We will continue to keep an eye on what's happening in Iraq.
NGUYEN: Are you ready to rumble?
Check it out. Mexico-was. And we're going to show you yesterday's inauguration blow by blow.
HOLMES: And it's about a month until the new Congress starts. But only 22 shopping days left before Christmas.
So, what are Democrats and Republicans asking for in their stockings?
NGUYEN: And it's back to school for freshmen congressmen.
What are they learning?
The bells are ringing right here in THE NEWSROOM.
NGUYEN: Take a look, the storm's gone and all that's left, snow and very cold weather. People from Dallas to Milwaukee, all the way to Chicago are digging out today. Under the thousands are waiting to get their power back. Chicago's O'Hare hoping to get flights back on track today after hundreds of cancellations.
Three car bombs blasting a Baghdad marketplace today, one after the other. At least 51 people lost their lives, there's a look at that. Ninety people were wounded in that incident. Witnesses say one of the bombs appeared to target an Iraqi army patrol. Now in a separate incident, 44 bullet-ridden bodies were also found across Baghdad today. A violent day.
National Intelligence Director John Negroponte suggesting the violence in Iraq is feeding on itself, calling it self-sustaining. He says a wider range of people and groups are now taking part in the insurgency. Negroponte says it's the job of Iraq's leaders to end the killings and make democracy work.
HOLMES: Thousands of Hezbollah supporters on the streets of Beirut for a second day. They're demanding the resignation of Lebanon's prime minister. He says, it's not going to happen. Beirut's commercial district paralyzed today by all the protests.
And a no-show, Cuba's Fidel Castro didn't make it to a military parade today, it caps five days of belated celebrations for Castro's 80th birthday. Castro hasn't been seen all week. U.S. officials suspect he has inoperable cancer.
NGUYEN: Talking politics now, Indiana Senator Evan Bayh taking a step toward a White House bid. Sources close to the Senator tell CNN he will file paperwork to set up an exploratory committee next week. Democrat Bay sometimes called a Republocrat because of his centrist stand on the issues. Bayh's schedule has him in Iowa and New Hampshire next week.
But before you make laws, you have to go back to school, that's the order of things. And Harvard is holding a boot camp for freshmen members of Congress. Here's CNN's Mary Snow.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Patrick Murphy, the first Iraq war vet to be elected to Congress makes sure not to wear new shoes. The old warn ones remind him of his roots in fighting a hard campaign and now he's walking the path to another challenge. This one at Harvard University.
PATRICK MURPHY (D), PENN. CONGRESSMAN-ELECT: It's like officer basic course for Congressmen.
SNOW: New congressmen that also include John Hall, former band member of the pop group Orleans.
JOHN HALL (D), NEW YORK CONGRESSMAN-ELECT: A lot of them went, are you the guy from that band that sang "Still the One."
SNOW: Now he wants to be known for making a difference.
HALL: None of this thought that this was going to be easy, but I think we're finding out in some respects how hard it's going to be.
SNOW: Vern Buchanan is the Floridian taking Katherine Harris' seat. He won by just 379 votes.
VERN BUCHANAN (R), FLA. CONGRESSMAN-ELECT: I have a big learning curve and there's a lot of education, but I also bring a lot of real world experience.
SNOW: One of their biggest tests, Iraq, and there were plenty of questions for teachers like former Senator Gary Hart.
STEVE COHEN (D), TENN. CONGRESSMAN-ELECT: Senator Hart, you talked about our oil policy, and a lot of people in this room, probably a majority of us, are of the proposition that we need to get out of Iraq.
SNOW: Most importantly the school is a chance for the newcomers to pick the brains of those who have been in their shoes, but these new members are also aware they're stepping into new territory.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Every generation has to grapple with the challenges of its day. We've reached a watershed moment quite frankly.
SNOW: And to deal with that watershed moment, the director of the program former New Hampshire Governor Jeanne Shaheen says like any other school, there are lessons learned in building trust.
JEANNE SHAHEEN, DIRECTOR, INSTITUTE OF POLITICS: As a freshman class, they will bond in a way that I think will be helpful to them for many years to come.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: A couple tidbits now about the 110th Congress, it will be sworn in, in the first week of January with around 50 freshmen, there will be 16 women in the Senate, the most ever. Congress also gets his first Muslim member -- T.J.
HOLMES: Betty, this year, one could say some politicians have been naughty. Some have been nice, and with what, 22, 23 shopping days left, what would Democrats and Republicans like to get for Christmas?
John Mercurio from National Journal's "The Hotline" is here with his thoughts. Good morning sir. We know that at least one person got something, an early Christmas gift, if you will. The Texas representative, Mr. Reyes.
JOHN MERCURIO, NATIONAL JOURNAL'S "THE HOTLINE": Sylvester Reyes.
HOLMES: He's going to be heading up that intelligence committee, a good gift for him?
MERCURIO: A big gift for him, sure. Look, he is somebody who's been a reliable vote for the Democrats, for Nancy Pelosi an ally on the war in Iraq, on intelligence, on national security issues. Much more so than Jane Harman, who's the Democrat from California, who Reyes beat out for this position.
He will be for the democratic leadership, sort of I think a more partisan spokesperson and advocate on behalf of the democratic leadership and I think a much harsher critic of the war in Iraq than Jane Harman would be. At least that's Nancy Pelosi's strategy in choosing him over Jane Harman and over Alcee Hastings.
HOLMES: And so upside too as well, you saw me there struggling trying to come up with his name. Not everybody knows this guy. Is that a good thing?
MERCURIO: Well I mean I think it's a good thing from the perspective that he's not Jane Harman, he's not Alcee Hastings, who's a sort of an ethically challenged congressman from Florida. He had been a federal judge who'd been impeached while he was in office and was forced to leave that position.
That was an ethical issue that I think Nancy Pelosi and the democratic leadership, who basically won the elections in 2006 on the issue of ethics, didn't want to have to confront once again. So I think from the perspective that Reyes is relatively unknown, he's allowed at this point to create his own reputation and record.
HOLMES: All right, we'll go with the Democrats and the Republicans now, what they would they like from Santa this Christmas? Tell me what Democrats, first, is on their wish list and are they going to get any of that?
MERCURIO: Right, that's -- the big question is whether they're going to get any of this stuff. But first of all I think what they want and need badly is party discipline and unity. That is something that's a lot easier to achieve when you're in the minority than when you are in the majority. That's something Nancy Pelosi is going to be very strict on trying to push quickly.
The other thing is they need some fast and quick accomplishments and achievements. The public is watching very closely, this idea of a divided government, the Republican White House and a Democratic Congress. The last time we had this, it didn't start out very well in 1996 with a Republican Congress and a Democratic White House.
So I think Democrats trying to push issues that they've been advocating. The minimum wage increase, the prescription drug reform of some sort, the college loan tax cuts that they've been talking about and very specifically immigration reform on which they think they can work closely with the White House.
The third issue I think is their gift, I think they want right now is some victories in these two runoffs that are going to be taking place in December. Slightly before Christmas, but we've all gotten a few early Christmas presents. There's a runoff in Texas' 23rd district, a Republican congressman who could face a tough race against a Democratic former Congressman Ciro Rodriguez.
And in Louisiana's 2nd congressional district, Congressman Bill Jefferson up against Karen Carter, a Democratic challenger. Jefferson has had his own ethical problems, Carter could come out of this, or it looks as though she will come out of this as the victor. The last thing the democratic leadership wants again after winning the election on the issue of ethics is to have Congressman Jefferson come back to office under investigation.
HOLMES: Well my goodness man, that's a pretty thick list the Democrats have there. What about Republicans? What's on their wish list?
MERCURIO: Well I think the first thing that most Republicans both in the White House and on Capitol Hill want is a tidy resolution to the situation in Iraq. Certainly sometime in 2007, and definitely before the 2008 presidential campaign. Nobody, Republican or Democrat, at this point, wants to run in 2008 on the issue of Iraq.
The second one, look, Republicans need a strong president. They need a president whose approval ratings are above 50 percent, so I think they want to see a dramatic increase in President Bush's approval ratings. They need to have a popular president who can articulate the Republican message across the country in a way that he hasn't been able to do over the past year and a half or so. So they really need that.
And third, I think that what we're preparing for on Capitol Hill, one of the biggest and most partisan debates is going to be over the issue of judicial nominations. That was the case even when Democrats were in the minority in the Senate and I think what Republicans want for Christmas is a more smooth and easy confirmation process for their judges. Of all the gifts I've talked about this morning, that's the one I think they're the least likely to get.
HOLMES: Well, all right, I guess Santa will tell, and I'm sure the voters have already spoken about who they think is naughty or nice this time around.
MERCURIO: Exactly.
HOLMES: John Mercurio, thank you so much, always good to see you.
MERCURIO: Thanks, T.J.
NGUYEN: A delicate surgery in Saudi Arabia for two conjoined Iraqi twins. Plus this --
HOLMES: There was a chair flying in there somewhere, cars nearly crashing, and the terminator? No one does presidential inaugurations quite like Mexico. We'll tell you about this. Stay here, you're in THE NEWSROOM.
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DANIEL SIEBERG, CNN TECHNOLOGY CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Mosquitoes, not only are they pesky, but they can transmit diseases, from West Nile Virus to malaria. One company hopes to use technology to keep mosquitoes at bay.
DEVIN HOSEA, PRES. & CEO, AMERICAN BIOPHYSICS CORP.: We're perfectly happy to let mosquitoes live and thrive in the 98 percent of all land humans do not occupy.
SIEBERG: Alone a mosquito magnet works like a vacuum, attracting and sucking up mosquitoes. But new technology is taking it to the next level. When the machines are linked to a computer network and placed around the property, they create a smart fence, which keeps mosquitoes out.
HOSEA: We think it's just revolutionary in terms of basically allowing people to take back their outside.
SIEBERG: Future plans include using the technology in third world countries, where according to the World Health Organization, malaria kills more than a million people a year.
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HOLMES: Doctors in Saudi Arabia are right now trying to separate a pair of Iraqi conjoined twins. The 11 month old girls are from Baghdad's volatile Sadr City neighborhood and so far doctors say they've successfully separated the girls at the chest, liver and colon. They're now trying to divide the twin's urinary system.
NGUYEN: Democracy in action, we're going to show you here. The kind of action, well, you might be seeing in a boxing ring? That's what happened at the swearing-in of Mexico's new president. CNN's Jeanne Moos has the blow by blow.
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JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This was supposed to be a swearing-in, not a swearing at, but you can bet some swear words flew, not to mention some chairs and a few punches here on the floor of Mexico's Congress. Hold on to your hats, hold on to that guy. This is what happened as the winner of Mexico's disputed presidential election was supposed to take the oath of office, when the opposition tried to spoil his day.
The losers whistled, the winners chanted. All that shoving happened in vivo, live on Mexican TV for all to see. All this action makes inauguration day in the U.S. seem wimpy. U.S. presidents have to contend with say a half-naked streaker protesting or an egg tossed at the presidential limousine.
But they were trying to toss each other at Mexico's inauguration. The first President Bush was on hand for the Mexican ceremony, and look who else was invited? It's good action Arnold said when reporters asked what he thought of the brawling. It was as if Arnold was striding in to terminate the fighting.
As the New Mexican president's motorcade headed for Congress, it boar a striking resemblance to a certain bronco chase barely escaping a fender bender. President Felipe Calderon finally entered the building and quickly took the oath of office, who donned his sash and ordered the podium removed. Who says democracy is dignified. It looked like moving day at this inauguration.
They managed to sing the national anthem, then after staying a total of about five minutes, President Calderon was whisked away. One thing you can say about the Mexican brawl, it was tame compared to the Taiwanese brawl or the Russian brawl. What's a little gentle shoving compared to the infamous Czech politician slapped?
Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.
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NGUYEN: That just sounded painful. That kind of looked like a Christmas party around here, right?
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Oh really?
NGUYEN: Kidding, I'm just kidding.
HOLMES: I haven't been to one yet.
NGUYEN: You may not want to go T.J.
HOLMES: Sounds good though. In the NEWSROOM of course at the top of the hour, Fredricka, always good to see you.
WHITFIELD: All right, good to see you guys as well. You talked about the conjoined twins that are in the middle of the separation surgery, well we are going to talk to the chief surgeon from Riyadh in the 12:00 hour to find out exactly how these twins were selected, why they're lucky enough to be getting this surgery in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and what their prospects are.
Also in the 2:00 hour, a lot of folks in Atlanta still outraged over the death of this grandmother because of a no-knock search that took place in her home. We're going to find out from our legal eagles just how common something like this is in terms of the no-knock search warrants that are carried out in many jurisdictions across the country and just how vulnerable a lot of folks are in their own homes to this kind of fatal accident, potentially, from happening again.
NGUYEN: A lot of people very upset about that story, because they just barged in, and grandma had a gun.
WHITFIELD: She was protecting herself and come to find out it was the wrong house.
NGUYEN: Just an awful story. All right, thank you so much, Fred, looking forward to that.
Well Veronica de la Cruz joins us now with a look at that wintry weather out there.
VERONICA DE LA CRUZ, CNN ANCHOR: Hey there Betty, T.J., yes you're absolutely right, you know winter weather has been topping the list for our i-Reporters out there. We'll show you the best of the best, that's after this break, here in THE NEWSROOM. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: All right, man, it looks like we're so far away from each other.
NGUYEN: It does.
DE LA CRUZ: I know, come on over.
HOLMES: We're talking i-Reporters of course, they're working hard, braving the elements actually.
NGUYEN: Yes, and some elements especially today and yesterday. I imagine you're getting some really interesting pictures.
DE LA CRUZ: The weather, the weather, the weather. And I don't have to tell you guys how gifted and talented our i-Reporters are, you've been looking at their pictures, right?
Go ahead and take a look for yourself. Here are some of the best of the best that we received this week. This picture sent to us by Esther Archut of Fairview Heights, Illinois. This is her backyard and she calls this picture 10 trees a-bendin'. Archut told us that she heard these trees snapping in her yard on Thursday night.
This next one is from Chad Garrett in Greenville, Illinois, Chad woke up in the morning to absolutely no power and hat's because this tree that you're looking at took out the power line in his neighborhood, and then it nearly missed that car that's parked right there too.
NGUYEN: Not a good day for Chad.
DE LA CRUZ: Definitely not. And this one from Kim Brzozowske, she is a housewife in Guthrie, Oklahoma, she sent us this picture, it's a lovely picture right outside her home, which is about 30 miles outside Oklahoma City. She says the worst of the snow is now over, but it is unusually cold at nine degrees. Is she missing a number there?
This one from Kadee Gross, I love this one. This is St. Louis, she sent us this work of art. She says that she was able to find the beautiful side to all this wintry weather, when she snapped a picture as ice was falling and it was freezing outside. And it must have been to be able to get this shot.
Ok, just in time for the holidays, we'd like to know what are some of the best or the worst gifts that you have received. Just take a moment you guys, think about that.
NGUYEN: Do we have enough time for this one?
DE LA CRUZ: Log on with your answer, maybe a picture or two, even, that address is CNN.com. I remember when I was seven years old, somebody gave me a rolling pin and a little wooden board. It was child-sized, but I was watching all the other kids open up their Barbies and stuff and I'm thinking, what do I do with this? I'm an adult and I still don't know what to do with a rolling pin.
HOLMES: It's the thought, the giving, the season, the whole thing?
DE LA CRUZ: Is that it? Well tell that to Betty then because --
NGUYEN: Electronics. All right folks.
DE LA CRUZ: T.J., I told you earlier, it's very important.
NGUYEN: Very important. Hey, you know what else is important? CNN NEWSROOM is continuing with Fredricka Whitfield right after this short break. Have a wonderful Saturday.
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GERRI WILLIS, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): Ever wonder what records to keep and which ones to trash? Go through your bills once a year. December is a good time to do that. Hold on to bills from big items, for proof of their value in the event of loss or damage.
Keep original receipts until you get your monthly statements, then shred the receipts if the two match up, and keep those statements for seven years if tax-related expenses are documented. Retirement and savings plan records, hold on to them permanently. Keep quarterly statements until you receive the annual one. Again, if everything matches up, you can get rid of the old ones. Oh, and the absolute golden rule, shred any and all documents with personal information.
(on camera): I'm Gerri Willis, and that's your tip of the day. For more, watch "OPEN HOUSE" every Saturday, 9:30 a.m. eastern, right here on CNN.
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