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Is the U.S. About to Bring Back the Draft?
Aired December 23, 2006 - 22:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
RICK SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: Different wording, but same concept.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So I wouldn't call it a draft because a draft is set up to the armed forces. I would call it national service.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: Call it what you want, but is it headed back? A draft in disguise.
Plus...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE).
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Roll him on his side.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Roll on your side.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Roll him on his side and clean it out.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: A job gets a little too personal. A 911 dispatcher just a phone call away from saving her own son's life.
Also, he's given out millions to strangers. But this year, Santa's sleigh took a detour.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I got down here and they said that I had four weeks to live without treatment.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: This not so Secret Santa is beating the odds. And he joins us live in the CNN NEWSROOM.
This is where we connect you to the world, the Web, and what's happening right now. Hello again, everybody. I'm Rick Sanchez. The news starts now. And we're going to begin with the headlines. Two months of talks end today with a unanimous vote at the United Nations. 15 Security Council members are now united and ready to impose anti-nuclear sanctions against Iran.
The Bush administration is guarded, saying tougher measures may be needed, a sentiment other countries are echoing as well.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In sum, Iran has simply thumbed its nose at the Council and defied international law.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: Important note - we're going to have complete reaction from this in Iran. That's coming up about 14 after.
Meanwhile, frozen money - thawed. The Israeli Prime Minister and Palestinian president make an announcement after a secret meeting. Israel will transfer $100 million to the Palestinians for humanitarian aid. There is a catch. The money can't go to the Hamas led government. More on that, 16 minutes after the hour.
Four years ago, he slipped through the clutches of U.S. forces in Afghanistan. But tonight, Mullah Ashtah Mohammed Osmani is dead. He was a top general in the Taliban army. U.S. troops say Osmani was killed in a coalition air strike near the Pakistani border.
BONNIE SCHNEIDER, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Reports that severe weather across south Texas tonight, but this storm is just getting started. Later on this evening and tomorrow, we'll face the threat of not only drenching rain, but damaging wind as well. I'll have more on that plus a look at your national forecast for Christmas Eve in just a bit. Rick?
SANCHEZ: We'll be checking back with you.
Meanwhile, dethroned and demoralized. This is Miss Nevada. Katie Rees told to turn in her crown. Some of raunchy photos that she made a few years ago have surfaced online. Rees says it was an isolated incident and is asking for a second chance just like Miss USA.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KATIE REES, FMR. MS. NEVADA: Simply put, these images were from an isolated incident during my teenage years, long before my consideration to compete in the Miss USA program. While I take full responsibility for the photographs, I just want everyone to know the truth. This incident does not reflect who I am or who I plan to be.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: We're going to have more on that controversy. Meanwhile, this seismograph's been seeing a lot of action lately. Three earthquakes in four days. The San Francisco Bay area rumbled once again this morning. This one registered 3.5 much like the one Friday.
Tonight, just hours before the arrival of Christmas Eve, the U.S. strategy in Iraq looks headed for some major changes. President Bush met today with his new Defense Secretary, who's just back from Baghdad. A new plan, we are told, is in the work.
There's also some talk of a potential increase in U.S. forces, even rumblings of a draft coming from some corners. And already, so many are spending this holiday so far away from home. How many? About 152,000 Americans are serving in Iraq. And by one estimate, that means 700,000 children have at least one parent right now that's serving overseas in the U.S. military this holiday.
We're going to talk more about the draft idea in just a minute. But first, the latest on today's discussions at Camp David and the potential changes in U.S. policy as well.
CNN White House correspondent Elaine Quijano is going to begin our coverage.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Fresh off a three day-trip to Iraq, Defense Secretary Robert Gates briefed President Bush for an hour Saturday morning at the presidential retreat at Camp David, Maryland. The president is spending the long holiday weekend there.
(voice-over): Also at Camp David was the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, General Peter Pace, as well as National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
Now their meeting came as the president considers his Iraq options, including a potential short term temporary surge of tens of thousands of U.S. forces to stabilize Baghdad. The White House did not comment on Saturday's briefing, but a spokesman simply saying the president is pleased with the progress being made in Iraq.
Secretary Gates while visiting the country a few days ago heard a range of opinions on troop levels from junior officers, as well as commanders. He's been on the job less than a week.
(on camera): Meantime, President Bush will head to his ranch in Crawford, Texas after the Christmas holiday. And on Thursday, he will meet with the National Security Council to discuss Iraq options.
Now aides say no decisions will be made, instead describing the meeting as further consultations. The president is expected to announce any changes to his Iraq policy in a speech early next year.
Elaine Quijano, CNN, the White House.
(END VIDEOTAPE) SANCHEZ: Questions a lot of questions. Is the president, for example, soft selling his plans for Iraq by saying we need more troops in general? And does this mean the reinstatement of the draft is somewhere down the road? We take this up now with our CNN military analyst and Brigadier General David Grange.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRIG. GEN. DAVID GRANGE, CNN MILITARY ANALYST: We don't have many brigades left that have not been there in recent year or two.
SANCHEZ: And that's a problem, right, because the last thing you want to do is tell the guys, guess what? You're going back when they just got back.
GRANGE: Well, that's true. But there's sending them back a little bit longer. The problem is, are they refitted? Have they --- is their equipment fixed? Do they have the sergeants and the officers back in the ranks to fill out the units?
See, a lot of these units when they come back, they lose about 50 percent of their force. There's equipment that's broken or missing or just destroyed.
And so, that has to be done. But there's enough around where you can send, say, three brigades. That's about 3,000 to 5,000 men and women a piece over there at least for a short period of time, even if it's just four months or six months. Just to get us over this hump.
SANCHEZ: Well, you know, there's something else floating out there this week, and that's a selected service saying that they're going to test their draft procedure, which has a got of people thinking that maybe we're heading in that direction. Let me just ask you point blank. Should we be heading in that direction? Do we need a draft in this country?
GRANGE: You know, I really don't think we need a draft, because I think the challenge in this country is a -- is it's a national problem that involves more than a military.
You know, when we mobilize National Guard and Reserve forces, as an example, we pull out a lot of homeland and local security forces like police officers, emergency medical technicians, firefighters, etcetera. When they're pulled out to join the armed forces to go to war, it leaves those communities open. It leaves them unsafe in many ways.
I think that we have a homeland security national service issue that must be taken on with some type of national service, where you have a payback of educational benefits, but everyone serves but not necessarily in the armed forces.
SANCHEZ: You wouldn't call it a draft though? What would you call it then?
GRANGE: Well, I wouldn't call it a draft because the draft is set up for the armed forces. I would call it national service, so you can do even civic type service and now would have the flexibility...
SANCHEZ: But it wouldn't be - are you saying it would not be voluntary?
GRANGE: Well, I'd say it would not be voluntary, that's correct.
SANCHEZ: Yes.
GRANGE: That's exactly right because I think the nation itself needs this kind of service to survive. The national health index just released. And it shows that the civic health challenges the nation has right now after 30-year look. And so I think it would be healthy for the country to do something like this, but with a lot of choice and with a lot of flexibility, which is the only way it would work in the United States right now.
SANCHEZ: You know, there are congressmen who say if you want to end the war in Iraq, just start the draft. And you'll see how Americans will suddenly be doing the same things that they did in Vietnam. Do you think that would be the result of something list this?
GRANGE: Just -- I just can't see the draft going forward politically. And really, that's a lot of people to train.
SANCHEZ: Yes.
GRANGE: I don't think we have the institutional training base to train that many draftees. So the volunteer army is a good army. And I just think that you could get more people in the ranks through the national service means.
But if you can't get the military as large as it needs to be in the future, and I'm talking the army alone, another 80,000, 100,000 people, then you may have to go to some type of a selective service situation.
SANCHEZ: Brigadier General David Grange, sir, thanks so much for being with us today.
GRANGE: My pleasure.
SANCHEZ: Look, we certainly know that this is a topic that gets a lot of us thinking and how it could affect us. Our children, our grandchildren, other family members. That's why we'd really like to know what you think about this. We'll talk of more troops in Iraq and about the military being stretched too thin. Is a draft at some point inevitable? Give us a call at 1-800-807-2620. That's 1-800-807-2620. We'll have a conversation about this.
From Iraq to Iran now, new sanctions against an old enemy.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The early message from Tehran is that the Islamic republic will not stop its nuclear program, will not suspend uranium enrichment.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: CNN will bring you coverage from Iran like few can, because we are there inside.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DISPATCHER: Talk to Jesus.
VICTIM: Huh?
DISPATCHER: Talk to Jesus.
VICTIM: I am.
DISPATCHER: Ask Him to save you and do it.
VICTIM: I am.
DISPATCHER: And just believe it, OK?
VICTIM: All right.
DISPATCHER: You hear me?
VICTIM: All right, I love you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: This is a remarkable story. A dispatcher trained to save lives must now save someone very close to her. It's a story of faith and family that even left many of us here in the CNN NEWSROOM a little choked up.
Now it is your turn to choose the news. Is there a particular story that you want to hear more about? You can e-mail us at weekends@ CNN.com or send us your video or web-cam suggestions at CNN.com/exchange. And we'll get you the answer hopefully within the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SANCHEZ: Here's what you've been checking out on CNN.com tonight. He's remembered as a mentor who touched the lives of millions. Former Senator Robert Stafford died today at the age of 93. His name is familiar to countless college students who qualified for low interest Stafford loans.
Bono, Irish rock star, activist, and now a knight. The U-2 front man has been awarded an honorary British knighthood for his "services to the music industry and for his humanitarian work." Don't call him sir, though. Doesn't like it. And title only goes to British or Commonwealth nationals, anyway.
Also, you've heard of cats stuck in trees. Well, here's a holiday edition. This kitten got stuck in some Christmas trees and was shipped literally to Oregon, or should I say from Oregon to Florida. Her tail was broken, but otherwise she's okay. Visit CNN.com for more on these and other stories.
The NEWSROOM back in just a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JEAN-MARC DE LA SABLIERE, FRENCH U.N. AMBASSADOR: Iran has now a very clear cut choice to make. Cooperate with international community or being more and more isolated. And we hope that Iran will make the right choice, the choice of dialogue.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: That is Iran being put on notice again. This time, the United Nations Security Council voted unanimously to impose sanctions on Tehran over its nuclear program. The resolution bans all countries from trading with Iran, any materials or technology to help it build a bomb. It also freezes Iranian assets of ten key companies and a dozen people.
The U.N. gave Iran until the end of the August to stop enriching uranium, but Tehran ignored the deadline. The Council threatens more sanctions if Iran keeps refusing to comply.
The acting U.S. ambassador to the U.N. calls the vote a first step. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice quickly gave her reaction. She says, "This resolution is a strong signal to the government of Iran that it should accept its international obligations, suspend its sensitive nuclear activities, and accept the negotiations path that the U.S. and its Security Council partners offered six months ago."
So what's the reaction from Iran? In a word, defiance.
CNN is one of few Western news agencies uniquely positioned to bring you reaction directly from inside Iran. Reporting now from Tehran, here's CNN's Aneesh Raman.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANEESH RAMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The early message from Tehran is that the Islamic republic will not stop its nuclear program, will not suspend uranium enrichment despite an U.N. resolution that now imposes sanctions.
A spokesman for Iran's foreign ministry says it will push ahead with the construction of some 3,000 centrifuges at a nuclear site in the city of Natanz, as Iran moves ever closer to self sufficiency on the nuclear front. The spokesman also said these sanctions were "illegal and part of a broader strategy to curb Iranian influence in the Middle East."
Iran has from the start said it is pursuing peaceful, civilian nuclear energy, despite concerns from the international community that it is, in fact, pursuing a nuclear weapon.
Earlier in the week we heard from Iran's president, who said that if sanctions were imposed, it would be seen by Iran as a sign of hostility and that Iran could respond in kind.
Now earlier in the year, we had heard suggestions that if sanctions came, Iran could kick out IAEA inspectors that are here and pursue its nuclear ambitions in secret. So far, that doesn't seem to be the case. The spokesman for the foreign ministry saying Iran will continue to work with inspectors that are on the ground in essence, despite these sanctions. Nothing changes from the Iranian point of view.
Now what we're waiting to hear is from Iran's president, as well as the country's supreme leader. They really are the architects of foreign policy. Both have been increasingly defiant over the past year on Iran's nuclear front.
(on camera): Both have said suspending for the sake of negotiations has proven in the past ineffective and that Iran will simply continue to pursue its right of peaceful, civilian nuclear energy despite U.N. deadlines, despite U.N. sanctions. As we head into next year, it seems by all indications they will continue that defiance.
Aneesh Raman, CNN, Tehran.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SANCHEZ: Also in the Middle East, the first Israeli-Palestinian summit in almost two years. It's raising some new hopes of reviving the stalled peace process. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas met for two hours in Jerusalem. Olmert told Abbas he would unfreeze millions of dollars in Palestinian funds and ease West Bank travel restrictions, as well.
But the men failed to agree on one key issue. And that's the prisoner swap some expected. Israel says there won't be any releases until militants free an Israeli soldier kidnapped back in June.
It's heard to think of Gaza as a winter wonderland, what with all the troubles and reports that we bring you from there seemingly daily. But Christmas celebrations are underway in that region. And this year, there's not a lot to be merry about.
CNN's senior international correspondent Matthew Chance tells us why.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Christmas in Gaza and even Santa is greeted with a toy gun. At least the real ones are left outside.
And Gaza's only Father Christmas knows how important is his job. A few simple gifts make a huge difference, he says, to children normally surrounded by poverty and violence.
"They ask for toys, like other children," he told me. "And we give them what we can. But what they should have is freedom and security." They won't be getting much of that this year.
(on camera): Already, this Gaza Christmas has been marred by increased pressure on ordinary people. Factional fighting between Palestinian groups has made these streets feel even more unsafe than usual. International sanctions on the Hamas-led government means that wages aren't even being paid. And of course, Israel keeps tight control over whoever goes in and out.
(voice-over): Off duty, Gaza's Santa Claus says his family lives with all these problems like everyone else. But this Christmas is particularly hard.
"There's no happiness for us," says his mother. If it's not the Israeli incursions, it's Fatah and Hamas doing all the shooting. "That's why it's important for me to be Santa," he says. "It brings us all a little brightness."
And so, these festivities and this Santa are a welcome seasonal relief for Gaza's children and for everyone else.
Matthew Chance, CNN, Gaza.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SANCHEZ: Hundreds of you are still hoping for a chance to get home for the holidays.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Pretty much just found some boxes. And we just put them on the ground and put them -- kind of made a fort area and put -- found blankets and just used our clothes to make it a little more comfortable and a little more homey, I guess.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: Coming up, an update on travel delays and a Christmas Eve storm that could be headed your way, depending on where you are, of course.
Also, don't forget tonight's last call. This is a question that we'd like you to possibly answer for us. Is the draft inevitable given what's been doing on? We're going to air many of your comments in the next half hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SANCHEZ: Oh, the weather outside been a bit frightful for tens of thousands of air travelers in London, but they're finally heading home for the holidays after three days of chaos caused by fog. It's lifting and many flights are resuming.
Things appear to be moving smoothly here at home as people move through some of the busiest airports.
Now let's show you a couple of pictures. This is seen at New York's Laguardia. No delays reported there. Same story at Chicago's O'Hare. But a lot of people have been stuck there after a blizzard at Denver Airport backed up traffic nationwide. It's like a tumultuous effect. It starts in one place and then it affects other places as well.
The airport was operating close to capacity today, but it's dealing with a huge backlog of passengers as well.
Now you may be dreaming of a white Christmas or you may be hoping it won't disrupt your travel plans. Our meteorologist Bonnie Schneider is looking now at some of the weekend weather. And we have this thing.
SCHNEIDER: Yes.
SANCHEZ: A lot of planes. You've shown us that in the past, but I'm seeing red planes.
SCHNEIDER: Yes. Those are the...
SANCHEZ: Anything to do with Santa as in...?
SCHNEIDER: Yes. You know, it's funny. You look at these, it looks like the flights that are delayed. But this one, for example, this is going from Baltimore to Birmingham. And the red planes indicate cargo planes. So Christmas gifts on board these planes.
SANCHEZ: Exactly.
SCHNEIDER: They got to get where they're going.
SANCHEZ: Take it away.
SCHNEIDER: All right. So looking at Flight Explorer, now what we're really checking out is a lot of traffic in the air. Over 3394 planes out there. So so far, so good. As Rick mentioned, we don't have travel delays right now.
But starting off as we work our way towards tomorrow, we're going to be looking at some big changes. Unfortunately, some nasty weather is ahead for parts of south Texas.
You're looking at a wind threat, a wind advisory in place for tonight. But later on tomorrow, that advisory is likely to get increased to a wind warning, because we could see winds as strong as 40 to 50, maybe even 60 miles per hour.
So looking at south Texas, we're looking at heavy rain across much of the region right now. But we are actually watching for the storm to get worse.
Let's take a walk over to the board now and we'll show you exactly what's happening. What you'll find is we have this area of low pressure that's working its way across Texas into the Gulf of Mexico. This is going to get things cranking for tomorrow so we'll be seeing some heavy rain in this part of the country and south Texas. And then to the north, high pressure will bring clear conditions. So that's some good news for tomorrow, but not completely scot-free. We also have stormy weather up towards the Dakotas, northern plains. And it looks like the Northeast is going to be doing a little bit better, which is some good news.
Colder temperatures though are on the forecast for Sunday. Look at this. Denver, only up to 32 degrees. That's colder tomorrow than it was today. Not the best news for people that are shoveling out.
And we have some great "I" reports to show you of what it looks like. Actually, these pictures were taken just a couple of days ago, but I'm sure it doesn't look much better than this.
This is from Bill Reddig. And he reports that in Littleton, Colorado, a yardstick shows 24 inches of snow. If you don't believe him, there's two feet on of snow on the ground there.
Laura Rusin in Fort Collins, Colorado took some pictures in her neighborhood. And she says three-foot snow drifts. Wow, that's a lot of snow.
And finally, we have a picture from Divide, Colorado. This is from Andrea Schultz. And if you look in the distance, kind of in the center, he kind of blends in. There's a young buck, a little deer there. And the snow is chest high. Wow. That's an amazing picture because you have to really look at it to see the animal right in the center.
Well, now is your chance to say "I report for CNN." Send us your pictures or video of breaking news or just cool stories you'd like us to see. Go to CNN.com and click on "I" report to find out how to become a part of the most trusted name in news. Great pictures there, Rick.
SANCHEZ: Young buck? That was a big buck.
SCHNEIDER: He looked young with all the snow up to here.
SANCHEZ: That was -- I didn't know, I didn't count them. A many pointer. You know?
SCHNEIDER: Hmm.
SANCHEZ: Thanks a lot, Bonnie.
SCHNEIDER: Sure.
SANCHEZ: She's a mother and a dispatcher. And she walked that thin line between maternal and professional.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If he dies, I want to talk to him before he dies. Put him on the phone.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: This is amazing. Her son is shot. She tries to help. We're going to bring it to you next.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Not counting this year, about 1.3 million.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: We're also going to be bringing you this story. It's a Secret Santa, doesn't spend, he gives. Gives a lot. He's now encouraging and inspiring others. He joins us live to talk about this in the next 30 minutes.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JAY LENO, "THE TONIGHT SHOW": Miss Nevada, well, it's a good thing to take the title away from her. Last thing Nevada is an image problem like that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: And a late night laughs don't stop yet another beauty pageant winner in the hot seat.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SANCHEZ: Welcome back to the CNN NEWSROOM with your headlines. Iran is rejecting the U.N. Security Council's unanimous vote to impose sanctions over its nuclear program. The resolution bans the sale of materials and technology used to enrich uranium. Iran insists its nuclear program is for electricity, not weaponry.
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has agreed to release $100 million in aid to the Palestinians, but only if the money bypasses the Hamas-led Palestinian government. Olmert met today with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. It was the first Israeli-Palestinian summit in 22 months.
New Defense Secretary Robert Gates is just back from Iraq. He met today with President Bush at Camp David. Among the policy changes they are considering, a temporary increase in U.S. troop levels in Iraq.
If you've been putting it off, there is not much time left. Last-minute shoppers have just hours left to get those last few gifts. A lot of retailers are marking down prices in a last-ditch effort to boost the bottom line.
You bet it's time to pop those corks. This is a celebration. Big celebration in Spain as in big money. Almost 2,000 people in the small town of Almazan (ph) pulled winning tickets in the national lottery. They will divide the grand prize estimated at about $515 million. They would say Almazan, by the way.
Saudi Arabia is easily one of the world's richest countries. Yet last week, its U.S. ambassador packed up and went home to Riyadh, leaving millions of dollars in unpaid bills.
But here's the royal rub. There's not a thing that anybody in the U.S. can do about this. Why? Here's CNN's Gary Nurenberg.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GARY NURENBERG, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): "The Washington Post" reports former Saudi Ambassador Prince Turki Al Faisal spent months on the road in the United States, attending events all over the country designed to increase understanding of Saudi Arabia.
Some of the hired consultants, event planners, and even high profile lobbyists in Washington now say they haven't been paid for their work.
Michael Petruzzello of Qorvis Communications, which helps manage the Saudi government image, tells CNN the company is owed about $8 million, but adds, "Every government I've every worked with has been late with their payments, including the United States."
Petruzzello says it is not unusual at all, adding, "Last year we got paid. The check came in on December 31."
(on camera): We called the Saudi embassy for reaction, but a representative of the press office here says he is unable to respond to CNN inquiries.
Former ambassador Edward Walker says he saw late payment issues when he was deputy chief of mission in Saudi Arabia in the '80s. And he says it is not unique to Saudi Arabia.
EDWARD WALKER, FORMER U.S. AMBASSADOR: This is a long standing problem with so many different countries in this country because they have sovereign immunity. You can't take them to court. So parking tickets don't get paid. And contractors don't get paid. And it's a constant battle. It's just something you have to live with in the diplomatic community.
NURENBERG: Ambassador Walker says Saudi Arabia has a history of eventually paying and that contractors will get their money. But for now, one of the richest countries on the planet isn't paying up.
Gary Nuremberg, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SANCHEZ: And this story. A Florida congresswoman says she favors the assassination of any leader who is practicing oppression. Republican Ileana Ros-Lehtinen made the comments during the taping of a documentary and in response to a question about Cuban leader Fidel Castro.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN (R), FLORIDA: I welcome the opportunity of having anyone assassinate Fidel Castro and any leader who is oppressing the people.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: Ros-Lehtinen, we should add, is a Cuban-American. The congresswoman first denied making those comments about Castro. She now says she doesn't recall the exact words, but that she would, "welcome Castro's passing."
Let's check on some of the stories from across America now. Little Rock, Arkansas, that's where we begin. It's a cold, blooded killer who enters a bank, shoots and kills a teller. And then he turns to another employee and demands all the cash. As he exits the bank, he tells everyone to have a Merry Christmas. Police still haven't found him.
In Minneapolis, the nation's first openly lesbian fire chief is demoted, but not fired. Five lawsuits accuse Bonnie Blushencheck (ph) of sexual harassment and inappropriate behavior. City officials opted to avoid an expensive court battle and let her stay on. Instead of making $112,000 a year, she'll now make $74,000.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAYOR R.T. RYBAK, MINNEAPOLIS This is the only way to guarantee that she will not supervise in the city again. And I believe it's important to, as quickly as possible, release as much information as we can to the public.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: And across the country, two styles of Sean John jackets, a product of Diddy himself, are getting pulled from Macy's stories. Apparently what was advertised as faux fur is really that of a dog. Type of dog. Combs says she didn't know it and is halting all further production.
Tonight, the story of a 911 operator who ended up taking the call of a lifetime. She takes emergency calls all the time. It's her job.
This one was different, though. The teen who was shot who needed help so he wouldn't bleed to death was her son. Mandy Gaither of WCSC in Charleston, South Carolina, has this story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DIANNE LAMB (ph), 911 OPERATOR: Charleston County Emergency Services, Operator 29.
The location of your emergency?
CAITLIN: Dianne?
D. LAMB: Yes.
CAITLIN: This is Caitlin.
D. LAMB: Yes?
CAITLIN: Bruce just got shot. Bruce is...
D. LAMB: Are you serious? Where?
CAITLIN: Yes, I'm serious. Bruce just got shot.
D. LAMB: Where?
CAITLIN: In the side.
MANDY GAITHER, WCSC REPORTER (voice-over): On any other day, a 911 call about a shooting is nothing unusual for dispatchers in Charleston County. But on December 6th, Dianne Lamb's job turned personal.
CAITLIN: Hey, your mom is the operator. Your mom is the operator.
D. LAMB: Don't hang up. GAITHER: Her son Bruce, seen here, had been shot.
D. LAMB: This is Charleston County EMS.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes?
D. LAMB: I need you to send an ambulance to my house at 130 (NAME DELETED) Street.
GAITHER: After getting medics on the way, she let himself be a mother for just a moment.
D. LAMB: If he dies, I want to talk to him before he dies.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Bruce, talk to momma.
D. LAMB: Put him on the phone.
BRUCE: Hello.
D. LAMB: Bruce?
BRUCE: Yes.
D. LAMB: Baby, I love you.
Now, listen. OK. Jesus is going to take care of you, OK? You'll be safe. You just need to calm down and just focus on that, OK?
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SANCHEZ: As you can hear in those words and that conversation, Diane Lamb is really living every parent's worst nightmare. She's obviously upset, but still somehow she's remarkably calm. We're going the show you what she does next on the other side of this break.
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SANCHEZ: That is the CNN NEWSROOM. We welcome you back. I'm Rick Sanchez. Before the break, we showed you the story of Diane Lamb. She's a 911 operator who answered the emergency call when her son was shot, wounded, and possibly bleeding to death. We pick up the story now with Mandy Gaither of our affiliate WCSC in Charleston.
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GAITHER: Somehow, Dianne was able to stay calm and tell her son's friends how to control the bleeding.
D. LAMB: Press down on that wound, OK? OK, honey, take a breath. Take a breath, OK? You can do this.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It was all three of us.
D. LAMB: You can do this, OK?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's puking, momma. He's puking.
D. LAMB: Roll him on his side.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Roll on your side.
D. LAMB: Roll him on his side and clean it out.
GAITHER: After a terrifying 12-minute call, Dianne talked to her son one more time before he was rushed to the hospital.
D. LAMB: Bruce?
BRUCE: Yes?
D. LAMB: I love you, baby. BRUCE: I love you.
D. LAMB: Listen to me. Talk to Jesus.
BRUCE: Mom...
D. LAMB: Talk to Jesus.
BRUCE: I am.
D. LAMB: Ask him to save you and do it...
BRUCE: I am.
D. LAMB: ... and just believe it, OK?
BRUCE: All right.
D. LAMB: Do you hear me?
BRUCE: Mom, I love you.
GAITHER: Eight inches of Bruce's small intestine were removed, along with his appendix. While the bullet is still lodged close to his vertebrae, Dianne believes it was a miracle she got the call that saved her son's life.
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SANCHEZ: What a story. That was reporter Mandy Gaither of SCS in Charleston, South Carolina.
Bruce Lamb, by the way, continues his recovery. And in his words "he's just trying to move on now" with the help of his mom, of course.
Up next, it's been a long week for beauty queens, drinks, drugs, photos galore.
Also, one visit to the Dixie diner in Kansas City changed this man's life forever. Now he wants to change yours. We're back in just one minute.
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KATIE REES, FMR. MS. NEVADA: Don't let your guard down when it comes to being photographed. No matter how close you are with someone, how much you trust that person.
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SANCHEZ: That is advice that she now wishes that someone would have shared with her. Because what she did is coming back to haunt her in a very, very public way. Yes, there is another beauty queen controversy, folks.
This one involves racy photos that Donald Trump is calling disgusting. His word and they have resulted in yet another tarnished tiara for the Miss USA franchise. Tonight, Katie Rees is no longer Miss Nevada. She's lost her title after apparently losing some of her clothing and posing for pictures. Pictures so risque, we can't show you most of them. Here's CNN's John Lawrence.
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KATIE REES, FMR. MISS NEVADA USA: I deeply regret that we are gathered here today.
JOHN LAWRENCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Former Miss Nevada USA Katie Rees addressed losing her title this week after a series of racy photos showing Rees surfaced on the Internet.
The 22-year-old says she was a teenager when the pictures were taken and chalks it all up to an isolated case of bad judgment.
This week, Donald Trump, co-owner of the Miss USA pageant defended the reigning Miss USA Tara Conner after she admitted being out drinking in New York bars before she turned 21. Trump said Conner could keep her title, but would be entering rehab.
But Rees apparently won't be getting a second chance. She did have a message for all young women interested in the limelight.
REES: Please don't let your guard down when it comes to being photographed. No matter how close you are with someone, no matter how much you trust that person, do not let anyone make you vulnerable.
LAWRENCE: Rees' lawyer says they hope to negotiate her reinstatement, but if not, may consider taking legal action. They appear to have a tough fight ahead of them. Trump spoke with CNN's Larry King Thursday night, saying the two beauty queen situations were different.
DONALD TRUMP: When that was a much different thing, Larry. I mean, Tara was having a problem and we're taking care of the problem. And I think it is going to work out great.
But Miss Nevada was a disaster. The pictures were disgusting. They brought them up to my office today. I viewed them. And, you know, I've seen pictures before. You fully understand that, Larry, but these pictures were pretty far out there. And that is not representative of Miss USA. And it's not representative of Miss Nevada. We had no choice but to terminate her.
LAWRENCE: In another headache for the Miss USA pageant on Wednesday, Mothers Against Drunk Driving announced it was cutting all ties with Miss Teen USA Katie Blair after reports she was spotted partying with Conner in New York night spots.
But a pageant spokesperson says her title is safe. John Lawrence, CNN, Atlanta.
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SANCHEZ: Meanwhile, it's that time of the year. We all wish we had a little extra something, right?
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What's that? One, two, three -- four, five. There's some more. Six.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
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SANCHEZ: Up next, meet the man who provided that wish to thousands of people with millions of his own dollars. Where was this guy, huh? We'll be talking to him in just a bit. You look good.
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(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't know who he is, nothing. Hell of a nice guy though.
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SANCHEZ: Imagine this. You're just walking down the street and some guy just hands you a $10, a $20, or even $100. You bet he's a hell of a nice guy, right?
Welcome back. He's been giving away his fortune now for 26 years. True story. He's known as the Secret Santa handing big bills to unsuspecting people on the streets of Kansas City, Missouri and other parts of the country at Christmas time.
To date, the Kansas City businessman has given out more than $1.3 million of his money. And now the man behind the beard is revealed.
See, he never really wanted anybody to know who he was. He wanted to do this anonymously, but he's facing tough times of his own now.
Larry Stewart was diagnosed with cancer of the esophagus earlier this year. And he's been receiving chemotherapy for months. That has not, by the way, in case you're wondering stopped his giving.
This is a special guy. He's joining us now. This not so secret Santa. His name is Larry Stewart. He's good enough to join us.
And I guess the first question, because after you tell that story, people are probably concerned about you, is how are you doing, Mr. Stewart? Are you okay?
LARRY STEWART, SECRET SANTA: Yes, I'm doing great. We had a long week, but I tell you what, we've had a blast this week because this year we had $175,000 to give away. We had four Secret Santas.
SANCHEZ: You see, but let me interrupt you. There you go again, talking about other people. My question was referring to you. How are you doing? What are the doctors say? I mean, you've got a pretty serious situation.
STEWART: Yes, yes, I was diagnosed in April. And they gave me four weeks to live. And what's today? December 22nd?
SANCHEZ: Yes.
STEWART: Well, guess what? Or 23rd. I'm still here and I'm still planning to be here.
SANCHEZ: Did they really live give you four weeks to live?
STEWART: Yes, yes. Four weeks to live without any treatment at all. And I was fortunate enough to be able to qualify for a clinical trial at Indy Anderson, which I think's the greatest treatment center in the entire world.
SANCHEZ: Right, yes.
STEWART: In Houston, Texas. And...
SANCHEZ: So you're coming along well. And you're hoping that you'll be able to get through that and that you can defy all the odds with the Lord's blessing, right?
STEWART: Oh, absolutely. I start my second round in January. And so, I'm excited about it. I truly am.
SANCHEZ: That's great. So you've given away $1.3 million -- first of all, where did you get $1.3 million?
STEWART: Well, I started my own business in 1980 after failing in 1975. I guess I was a glutton for punishment, so I started it again in 1980. And then by the end of the 1982, we had earned our first $1 million.
SANCHEZ: So you're a wealthy guy? I mean, you've done pretty well for yourself, right?
STEWART: Well, I tell you what. God has blessed me beyond my wildest dreams. You know, if you're a poor kid growing up in Mississippi, you can't even dream this big. You dream about getting out of town. That's about it.
SANCHEZ: But a lot of people have a lot of money, but not everybody decides to go around giving it away to people and to do it anonymously the way you have done it for so many years. What makes you different, sir?
STEWART: Well, you know what? There's a lot of other people out there that are -- who do a lot of similar things. This is different because I was helped out in 1971 when I was a homeless guy. And...
SANCHEZ: You were homeless?
STEWART: And a clerk in a little diner, dropped a $20 on me said, son, you must have dropped this. And that changed my whole life.
SANCHEZ: You -- I don't mean to interrupt you, but some of the things that you're saying are just, I imagine, so awe inspiring to a lot of people like they are to me. You said prior to being a wealthy man as we've now established, you were homeless.
STEWART: Yes, in 1971. I was a door to door salesman in a little town called Houston, Mississippi. The company that I was working for up north, they went out of business. They just forgot to tell me.
SANCHEZ: And here you are, and you end up at a restaurant and somebody does something really nice for you.
STEWART: Yes. I ordered a breakfast I had no intention of paying for, because I didn't have any money. SANCHEZ: Yes.
STEWART: And so, I pretended to lose my wallet. And the cook came from behind the counter and reached down on the floor and says to pick something up. I saw this hand come up and it was a $20 bill. And I said, thank you, Lord. And then I thought, well, I better get out of here before the person that really dropped it comes in.
SANCHEZ: And that's where you got started. And then you've been sharing with people ever since.
STEWART: I didn't get started until 1979.
SANCHEZ: Wow. Well, I tell you, you're an inspiration. We thank you so much. You've a website, as well. And we should -- go ahead, mention it. What is it, Secret Santa?
STEWART: Hey, Rick?
SANCHEZ: Yes.
STEWART: We've got over 3,000 new Secret Santas that are going to the website. And anybody can become one. It doesn't take money. Any random act of kindness. Bake some cookies for the lady across the street. It's of course, www.secretsantausa.com.
SANCHEZ: If you want to do what Larry Stewart has done, we thank you, Mr. Stewart. God bless you, sir. Appreciate it.
STEWART: God bless you all and merry Christmas to everybody listening.
SANCHEZ: All right. A check of the hour's headlines is after the break.
But first, your responses to our last call question. Is the draft inevitable? Well, here's what you had to say.
CALLER: Yes, my name is Lieutenant Commander Jerry Smith. I'm retired. I fought in Vietnam and the first Gulf War. We do need a draft, because we need a representative segment of our society from the rich to poor to fight the big sandwich.
CALLER: This is Tom from North, New Jersey. It is not inevitable. If the war is brought to a close because then they won't need such a large amount of soldiers and military.
CALLER: Robin Madison, (INAUDIBLE), Georgia. No, I don't think we should draft. And if we do, it should be 21-year-olds, not 18-year olds. I think if they're old enough not to drink in this American country, they shouldn't be drafted until they're 21.
CALLER: I think the draft is most likely inevitable if the Iraqi war continues down the path it's going. And besides the draft is not such a bad thing.
CALLER: This is what I have to say about this draft thing. I think it's unethical.
CALLER: We believe we should have national service for every 18- year-old across the country.
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