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Remembering Former President Gerald Ford

Aired December 27, 2006 - 09:00   ET

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

HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: You are in the CNN NEWSROOM.
I'm Heidi Collins.

RICK SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Rick Sanchez, sitting in today for Tony Harris.

COLLINS: For the next three hours, watch events happen live on this Wednesday, the 27th day of December.

Here now is what is on the rundown.

Tributes pour in for Gerald Ford, the president who closed the era of Watergate and Vietnam dies at 93. This hour, his legacy from Alexander Haig.

SANCHEZ: They've barely dug out -- today, Denver is gearing up for yet another big blizzard this week and this one could be even bigger, Heidi.

COLLINS: His death sentence upheld. Now, Iraq's ousted dictator waits for the hangman. We look at what may be Saddam Hussein's final days in THE NEWSROOM.

He led America out of the long national nightmare of Watergate. He went on to become the country's longest living president. This morning, the life and legacy of Gerald R. Ford. The nation's 38th president died last night at his home in California at the age of 93.

Within the past hour, President Bush spoke about the death of Gerald Ford from his ranch in Crawford, Texas.

White House correspondent Elaine Quijano was there and joins us now live -- good morning to you, Elaine.

ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Heidi.

President Bush had high praise for former President Ford. Speaking from his ranch in Crawford, the president noted that Gerald Ford took power at a time of great division and turmoil in this country. Mr. Bush also expressed condolences to the Ford family and called Gerald Ford a great man.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: For a nation that needed healing and for an office that needed a calm and steady hand, Gerald Ford came along when we needed him most. During his time in office, the American people came to question President Ford as a man of complete integrity who led our country with common sense and kind instincts.

Americans will always admire Gerald Ford's unflinching performance of duty and the honorable conduct of his administration and the great rectitude of the man himself.

We mourn the loss of such a leader.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

QUIJANO: President Bush reflecting on the life and service of former President Gerald Ford, speaking from his ranch in Crawford, Texas, specifically, at the Marine One hangar.

President Bush had a National Security Council meeting scheduled for tomorrow. As far as we know, that still is on. But we don't know what this might do for the rest of the president's time here in Crawford. We hope to learn more in off-camera briefing, Heidi, later this morning -- Heidi.

COLLINS: Elaine, tell us a little bit, if you could, about how the president learned of former President Ford's death.

QUIJANO: Sure. It was late last night, shortly before 11:00, that President Bush, at his ranch, received a call from his chief of staff, Josh Bolten. Josh Bolten himself was not here in Crawford, but he had been in contact with the chief of staff of President Ford. And we understand that about an hour or so after President Bush did, in fact, receive word of Gerald Ford's passing is when he reached out to Betty Ford in a phone call, expressing his personal condolences -- Heidi.

COLLINS: And what about Vice President Dick Cheney?

QUIJANO: We don't have specific details on how and when exactly he was informed. But we know that he is in Wyoming. His office this morning saying that he is -- he is in Wyoming, that he is still scheduled to attend this National Security Council meeting on Iraq tomorrow here in Crawford. And he did, in fact, issue a statement last night. Of course, the vice president was a chief of staff for Gerald Ford.

And in that statement, the vice president expressed his sadness, of course, and also said, though, that he was very proud to have served Gerald Ford as his chief of staff. And he said President Ford led an honorable life -- Heidi.

COLLINS: Elaine Quijano coming to us live from Crawford, Texas this morning.

Elaine, thank you.

SANCHEZ: We are remembering Gerald Ford on this morning after his death. History has been kind to his most famous presidential act. It was an important one. Voters at the time were not kind.

It was his pardon of Richard Nixon. Perhaps it was what cost him the 1976 election, as well, the presidential election. Yet, in a 1999 interview with CNN's Larry King, Ford said it was a decision he never regretted.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM LARRY KING LIVE)

FORMER PRESIDENT GERALD FORD: If I had not granted the pardon, there would have been an indictment, there would have been a trial, there probably, without a question of a doubt, a conviction, and then you would have had one, two, three or four years of appeal.

It would have been a traumatic incident in the country for three to five years.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: President Nixon a master politician. His successor remembered today for being an exceptional person.

Our next guest says that made Gerald Ford the perfect leader for such troubled times.

Alexander Haig served both men as their chief of staff.

He is joining us now this morning from Washington.

Mr. Secretary, thanks for being with us.

I would like you to comment, if you would, on that very position that you held. You were chief of staff to President Nixon, then chief of staff for President Ford.

How difficult was the transition for President Ford coming from the vice presidency?

ALEXANDER HAIG, FORD'S CHIEF OF STAFF: Well, the transition went very smoothly and it was not a difficult procedure at all. I think both men knew beforehand it was going to happen. I know because I conveyed that to President-To-Be-Ford and he was prepared in every sense of the word to take over the very important position he took over.

And I think the two men respected one another, at least as professional Republican leaders, if not as persons. And I think President Ford was exactly right. It was a very lonely decision he made when he pardoned President Nixon, but he did it for the good of the country and I think events since that time have affirmed that it was, indeed, the right thing to do and to spare the company another year or more of agony of the kind we were going through.

And let me tell you, they were not pleasant hours and days in that White House...

COLLINS: I'm sure. HAIG: ... because I spent 18 months in the middle of it.

COLLINS: I'm sure.

Can you talk a little bit about that decision?

There has been quite a bit of discussion in years gone by and now on this day, when we have lost this former president, about what he will be remembered for.

It seemed that when you look back at history, the country got behind him. He was seen as a breath of fresh air. And then shortly after that, the pardon came and some of those opinions changed dramatically.

HAIG: Well, I don't think they did, really. I think there's a lot of sentiment of those who hated Nixon to the degree they did -- and there was a lot of hatred, in addition to justified outrage at some of those things that went on in Watergate.

But there was also hatred. And that made a very different situation for President Ford when he undertook the correct decision that he did. And it was a lonely one, because all of his staff unanimously were opposed to it. And I was in the meeting and absented myself from the meeting when the row started.

But the president held to his gun-and did the right thing and he was right from the day one that he did it.

COLLINS: Talk a little bit, if you would, about the differences between the two men, between Nixon and Ford, because there are some who would say that he was the anti-Nixon. And then we saw the pardon come, so it would be hard to understand that he would be so anti.

Your thoughts on that.

HAIG: Yes, no, I don't think President Ford was a hater in any sense of the word. He was an unusual human being with very strong human characteristics -- loyalty and respect for authority and the man who preceded him and enjoyed that position. He didn't do anything that was petty or mean with respect to President Nixon and he might have.

So those around President Ford were in that camp. Some of them were outrageously so.

COLLINS: Right.

HAIG: But that's understandable because the country was politicized from day one by a combination of Vietnam, anti- communism...

COLLINS: Right.

HAIG: ... which was the Nixon way, and Watergate. COLLINS: His political career is just absolutely fascinating and something we've been talking about here, of course, not being elected as either vice president or president.

Do you think that that affected the way that he held office in a way?

HAIG: Well, I think it probably did. You know, after he lost the election I was in NATO and he called me and asked me to come back and just have a chat. And I did. I came back. And he put his arm around me and he said, "Al," he said, "you know, I never wanted this job. And once I realized that I could do it, it was too late."

And I don't question what he meant by being too late. I don't think he thought the pardon was the culprit in the event. Maybe Vietnam had more to do with it than the pardon.

COLLINS: Mr. Secretary, what will you miss most about President Gerald Ford?

HAIG: I remember most of all this thoughtfulness. He knew that loyalty is a two way street. Some presidents I've worked for only wanted to question what did you do for me today, young fellow?

That was not President Ford's way. He always asked how's your family? I question this is a tough job and you're going through a tough period and I'm grateful. That's the kind of person he was. And he never forgot those who worked for him and sacrificed for him.

COLLINS: Al Haig, it is a pleasure talking with you on this day.

We appreciate your insights as we mourn and talk about the loss of former President Gerald R. Ford.

Thank you, again, sir.

And we also want to remind everyone, there is a special edition of "LARRY KING LIVE" coming on tonight on the life and career of Gerald Ford. Ford's chief of staff, Alexander Haig, will be joining Larry. You can see that at 9:00 Eastern only on CNN, your most trusted name in news.

SANCHEZ: We're treating this as a developing story because there are statements that are coming in from leaders and former presidents that we're going to be sharing with you.

In fact, moments ago, we received this one. This is from former President Bill Clinton.

I'll read to you and we'll put up on the screen what the statement is from the former president.

He says: "Gerald Ford brought Americans together during a difficult chapter in our history with strength, integrity and humility. All Americans should be grateful for his life of service. He served our nation well." That, of course, from President Clinton.

We also have another one that came in moments ago, as well. This is from former President Carter, former President Jimmy Carter, who defeated Gerald Ford, as you may recall, in the 1976 election, many saying it was partly because of the pardon that Gerald Ford had, indeed, enacted.

I think we have that one, as well, that we could possibly put up for you. And it reads: "Roslyn and I join the nation in mourning the loss of President Gerald Ford. President Ford is one of the most admirable public servants and human beings I have ever known."

So there you have it, two comments from two former presidents.

"A man of highest integrity. His lifelong dedication to helping others touched the lives of countless people. An outstanding statesman who wisely chose the path of healing during a deeply divisive time in our nation's history. He frequently rose above politics by emphasizing the need for bipartisanship and seeking common ground on issues critical to our nation. I will always cherish the personal friendship that we shared. Roslyn and I extend our heartfelt sympathy to Betty and the entire Ford family during this time of grief."

COLLINS: Denver, get ready. Another blizzard could be on its way. A week after the city got socked by a major snowstorm, forecasters are predicting yet another round of heavy snow in the Rockies. Parts of the region could get up to two feet, in fact.

But as we see, that's just what Denver doesn't need right now. Man, some city streets still a frozen mess. Lots of people shoveling out, as you can hear.

The big chill also making its way across other parts of the U.S. Snow fell in North Carolina mountains overnight. Good news for the region's ski resorts. Warm weather earlier this month really put a damper on business there.

The same story in Vermont. Ski resort operators there now full of holiday cheer as snow finally falls. Parts of Vermont got up to three inches in the last couple of days.

We'll go ahead and bring in Chad Myers now with more on all of this -- man, I'm looking at your map there. It's just a big whitewash, isn't it?

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: It's one moving away over here that brought the snow yesterday, Heidi, and another one that's just coming on shore.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COLLINS: Remembering President Gerald Ford -- an unprecedented rise to power with an eye toward healing America. A look at his time at the White House ahead in THE NEWSROOM. SANCHEZ: His statue toppled with a rope during the fall of Baghdad. Now, Saddam Hussein awaits a similar fate. His date with the gallows could come at any time. We watch for developments from THE NEWSROOM.

COLLINS: And heartburn drugs and your health -- there are some new concerns this morning. We'll find out if there's real reason to worry. Our Dr. Sanjay Gupta joins us in THE NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FORD: There were some tough times, challenging times. But I enjoyed every minute, good or bad. It's a beautiful, beautiful residence and the people there make it so comfortable and if you enjoy the challenges, I don't think you ever really feel lonesome.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: Words from the 38th president, Gerald R. Ford.

We will have continuing coverage all day long here on CNN of the passing of the 38th president. Also, we want to let you know that if you are interested in a special section put together about President Ford, you can go to cnn.com for that. And, also, "LARRY KING LIVE" will be having a special hour tonight. You will see former secretary of state and the chief of staff for President Ford, Al Haig, on that program, coming your way at 9:00 Eastern tonight.

SANCHEZ: This is another big story that we're going to be following for you throughout the day -- details of a death. The Iraqi government is literally working it out. A day after Saddam Hussein's death sentence was upheld by an appellate court.

CNN's Arwa Damon is following the story and she's joining us now with more.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

ARWA DAMON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Soon, this will be the fate of Saddam Hussein and two of his co-defendants. This video, recorded and distributed by the Iraqi government, the final moments of 13 men convicted of murder and kidnapping, and sentenced to death by hanging.

Since the Iraqi government reinstated the death penalty in August of 2004, dozens of Iraqi prisoners have been sentenced to death. Now, it's the turn of Iraq's former dictator, whose very image was enough to instill fear. He will now face a fate like many ordinary criminals in Iraq. The decision is final. The trial court sentence upheld by the appellate chamber.

JUDGE AREF SHAHEEN, IRAQI HIGH TRIBUNAL (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): The appeals court has decided to uphold the guilty verdict and sentence against the accused, Saddam Hussein, Barzan Ibrahim al-Hassan and Awad al-Bandar, by hanging them to death for committing crimes against humanity.

DAMON: It was often a chaotic trial. Regular outbursts from the defendants, who even appeared in their pajamas; accusations of government interference.

Human Rights Watch called the trial "fundamentally flawed."

Predictably, Saddam's lawyers said that upholding the sentence was a crazy ruling. But they were in a small minority.

(on camera): As the judge read out the final decision to execute Saddam Hussein, Iraq's former dictator, we saw members of the Iraqi media here giving each other the thumbs up and smiles on nearly everyone's faces, including representatives of the Iraqi government and members of the Iraqi High Tribunal.

(voice-over): And as one government official put it, "It's now game over for Saddam."

MITHAL ALOOSI, MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT: This is our Iraq today. And as asked the government to close the file as soon as possible. We are not ready to hear anybody saying to us there's still Saddam alive and he will come back.

He will never come back.

DAMON: According to Iraqi law, Saddam's execution will be witnessed by members of the Iraqi judicial system, members of the government and medical experts.

BASSEM RIDHA, IRAQI PRIME MINISTER ADVISER: Finally, we are seeing an end to this and hopefully the executive branch of the government will take command and in charge of this and will deliver the execution verdict just like it's been certified by the appeals chamber.

DAMON: The Iraqi government is discussing the execution details -- who will be invited to witnesses the execution and whether it will be broadcast on television.

The clock for Saddam and two of his co-defendants is ticking. The sentence must be carried out by January 27th.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

SANCHEZ: So, I think, as Darwa Damon -- or Arwa Damon joins us now live, the questions that I think are on most people's minds, Arwa, is the following.

How soon will it happen? Is there a handle on that yet? And is there an expectation, especially among the Iraqi people, some of the ones who feel put upon by this man, the Shiites in particular, that this should be a public execution of some form?

DAMON: Well, Rick, in terms of the specific timing, that is now up to the Iraqi government. There are conflicted reports as to when it is going to take place. Really, all that we can say for certain right now is that it will happen some time before January 27th.

The Iraqi government is trying to iron out details like, as you just mentioned, should this be an execution that is going to be broadcast on television?

On one hand, some members within the Iraqi government and some Iraqis themselves definitely feel that it should be broadcast on national television. They want to see for themselves their former leader brought to justice. They also want to verify that, in fact, Saddam Hussein is dead. That is one of the concerns that the Iraqi government has, that the Iraqi people will not believe that Saddam Hussein is actually dead.

On the other hand, there are concerns, though, that if this execution is broadcast, especially if it's broadcast live or if it's taped afterward and the hanging is actually portrayed, that this current Iraqi regime will also be viewed as brutal -- Rick.

SANCHEZ: Well, that's an interesting point, because I can't help but wonder, as I listen to you talk, about the Sunnis and what their reaction might be and what it's been so far.

We expect that the Kurds and the Shias are going to have, you know, an antagonistic response to Saddam Hussein all the way through.

But how about the Sunnis? How have they reacted to this death sentence?

DAMON: Well, Rick, as you can expect, most of the people here, most of Iraq's Sunni population do not view this as being a fair trial, obviously do not want to see Saddam Hussein executed.

However, when you do speak to a large number of them, they did feel that if Saddam Hussein was going to be standing trial, then it should have been done in a fair and just manner. They believe that this courtroom was flawed, that Saddam Hussein was not brought to justice in a way that will actually be legitimate.

That being said, of course, the Sunni insurgency here -- we are hearing some reports -- and there are some concerns, that the execution of Saddam Hussein will further inflame the Sunni insurgency, that it might hamper efforts between the United States and negotiations between some of the resistance elements here, some of the former regime elements that the United States and the Iraqi government are trying to fold into the political process.

For example, we saw a letter posted on a Baathist Web site that was signed by the Baath Party in Iraq. We are unable to verify its authenticity, but it is threatening that if Saddam Hussein is executed, that this is a red line that the United States does not want to cross -- Rick.

SANCHEZ: Arwa Damon following that story for us from Baghdad.

We thank you -- Heidi, over to you.

COLLINS: A bit of a scare for Tony Blair. Off the runway in Miami.

But the big question -- was the British prime minister flying coach?

Hmmm. We'll talk about that ahead in THE NEWSROOM.

And heartburn drugs and your health -- there are some new concerns this morning. We'll find out if there's real reason to worry. Our Dr. Sanjay Gupta up in just a moment in THE NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Across the nation, flags are being lowered to half staff to honor former President Gerald Ford. He died yesterday at his California home at the age of 93. Today, he is praised for the dignity and integrity he brought to the Oval Office after Richard Nixon resigned in disgrace.

In fact, Ford likely sacrificed his own election hopes by pardoning Nixon and declaring: "Out long national nightmare is over."

Ford always maintained he never regretted that decision.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GERALD FORD, LATE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It was a decision where I had to sign my name, and I was a sole person that had to make that decision. But when you look back at the alternatives that I had, it was the right decision, and I have --

LARRY KING, CNN ANCHOR, LARRY KING LIVE: No doubt about that either?

FORD: I have no question that it was the right thing to do then, and I am more certain today.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR, CNN NEWSROOM: We want to go straight to Wall Street now. The opening bell just moments ago. And a moment of silence for former President Gerald Ford.

RICK SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR, CNN NEWSROOM: Normally there would be a lot of clanging and a lot of applause at this time on Wall Street, the Big Board, but not today. We are remembering Gerald Ford, as well. Let's check in with CNN's Senior Political Analyst Bill Schneider. He's joining us from our Washington bureau.

Good morning, Bill.

WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, CNN SR. POLITICAL ANALYST: Good morning. Actually, I'm in Los Angeles.

SANCHEZ: Oh, well, thanks for joining us from either city. Let's start with this. I don't think anyone would doubt the fact the most important priority for the Ford administration was somehow ending the malaise of Watergate. Most people would say he was able to do that. How was he able to do that?

SCHNEIDER: Well, of course, one of the first decisions he made after a month in office as president, was to give an unconditional pardon to Richard Nixon. Now in his view that did end the Watergate story. And it did, at least, as an episode because there was no long criminal trial of a former president.

And he acted -- he believed to spare the country, the bitterness and division that that kind of a trial would have created. But of course, there was a lot of anger, acrimony. Much of it targeted at Mr. Ford. A lot of people think that cost him his election in 1976.

But he decided that it was the best interest of the country not to experience that kind of protracted crisis that a trial would have occasioned.

SANCHEZ: Most people listening to you who maybe aren't as old as you and I are would think that maybe he didn't do a smart thing for himself, politically, though it may have been good for the nation. Is there any possibility -- people would wonder -- that there was any kind of agreement between him and Nixon, that he would do this, and that this was, in essence, part of the reason he was named, or chosen as vice president by Nixon?

SCHNEIDER: That was widely suspected at the time. People smelled a deal. They thought that he had made some kind of agreement, exactly as you described it. Because Nixon, of course, named him as his vice president after Spiro Agnew resigned office. But all I can tell you is, as far as I've ever read, no one has ever come up with any evidence that there was a deal.

SANCHEZ: He's denied it, obviously, whenever he's been asked that question.

SCHNEIDER: Yes, absolutely.

SANCHEZ: That there were no secret promises.

There was also a time when there was almost, Bill, a co- presidency in this country. That's when Ronald Reagan was going to choose the former president as his potential running mate. I understand Dick Cheney may have even have been part of those negotiations. Talk about that if you would just a little bit.

SCHNEIDER: I was at that convention in Detroit in 1980. It was a kind of dramatic turning point. Ronald Reagan was the Republican nominee. Remember he had challenged Gerald Ford in 1976, and very nearly upset the incumbent president at that convention.

Then in 1980, the convention nominated Ronald Reagan, and there was an effort by some people in the Reagan campaign, and some people around Gerald Ford to negotiate a deal where Gerald Ford would go on the Reagan ticket as Reagan's running mate. It was phenomenal. It was just a sensational story coming out of that Detroit convention.

Well, it didn't work because the deal couldn't be made and there's a prevailing view now that neither Reagan nor Ford wanted the deal particularly. Some people on their staffs were talking about it. But Ford put on some conditions that made it very difficult for Reagan to put him on the ticket. If Ford had gone on the ticket with Ronald Reagan, history would have been remarkably different.

There wouldn't have been no Bushes likely because Bush wouldn't have been Reagan's vice president and probably wouldn't have run in 1988, to succeed Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush might never have become president.

SANCHEZ: Was the fact he was never really elected, either as vice president or president, which is really an interesting scenario, make him somewhat incomplete? I mean, from what you've read of him after his presidency, is that perhaps part of the reason that as a post-president he wasn't Carter-esque, or like so many other presidents with their libraries?

SCHNEIDER: I'm not sure he really -- he did have a library. It's in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

SANCHEZ: Right.

SCHNEIDER: But he was never activist president, particularly. He faced a difficult presidency with a Democratic Congress with an aggressive reform agenda. I think it weakened him in office because he had no popular mandate. He was never elected vice president. He was never elected president. He came in at a time when there was a big push to curb the powers of the imperial presidency.

As I said, he faced a heavy democratic majority after the 1974 election in Congress. The economy faltered. And the fact that he was never elected meant he didn't have the kind of popular support that an elected president would expect to have.

SANCHEZ: Bill Schneider, good stuff. Thanks for joining us. Hope to talk to you again.

SCHNEIDER: Pleasure.

COLLINS: New health concerns today about popular heartburn drugs. CNN's Chief Medical Correspondent Doctor Sanjay Gupta here to tell us more.

As we are eating these holiday foods, like many of us are pretty guilty of, a lot of people popping antacids, if you will. But that isn't really the correct term. These are called -- ?

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT, CNN NEWSROOM: These are called proton pump inhibitors. The term is not that important. These are for the most severe cases of heartburn.

What's interesting to me is researchers for some time thought there may be a correlation, get this, between these medications and hip fractures. Something that's totally an unexpected side effect, but in fact, it turns out that it probably is true based on some new research coming out. Talking about these medications, you have heard of them. They are Nexium, they are Prilosec, they are Prevacid, Protonix, you can see the list there. These are very popular medications. Only statens are sold more in this country than these medications. You've seen the ads. About $12 billion, just to give you a scale of reference, in a year.

COLLINS: What does that say about our diets?

GUPTA: We have a lot of heartburn.

COLLINS: That's a different story.

GUPTA: A lot of severe heartburn going on.

What these researchers decided to do is put this to the test and find out, in fact, if taking these medications, the pump inhibitors, would actually increase your risk of hip fracture. And the found out the answer is yes, in fact, very much so. In fact, people who take these for about a year, taking a pill a day, increase their chance of a hip fracture by 44 percent. Pretty remarkable. A lot of people take more than that, though. They take two pills a day for more than a year; 260 percent higher risk of a hip fracture.

COLLINS: Oh, my goodness. Now, physiologically, tell me how that happens.

GUPTA: That was the first question I had as well, when we were talking to some of the researchers. What they believe is the same mechanism that prevents the acid from being formed in your stomach in the first place is also keeping calcium from getting into your bones. And that makes your bones more brittle. Your pelvis is a big bone, more likely to fracture as a result of that.

COLLINS: So it blocks everything that -- the good stuff, too?

GUPTA: Yes, it blocks the calcium from actually getting in. That's obviously a problem.

COLLINS: Now, as you look at that list, I didn't see Zantec on there. That's also a popular medicine, but works differently?

GUPTA: It does. In fact, there are three classes of medications. First, you take things like the Tums, which sort of absorb acid. Then there are the medications like Zantec, which you no longer need a prescription for. That blocks acid.

What this does, these proton pump inhibitors stop the acid from ever being formed in the first place. You are supposed to take them in sort of order, take the lower medications first, then work your way up. A lot of people start at the Nexium or Prilosec or one of the other medications.

COLLINS: Now, we should be careful here, too, I guess, because as we look at those statistics and the possibility of hip fracture, you shouldn't just stop taking this stuff. You can run into trouble there. GUPTA: Yes, a really important point. This heartburn and reflux is still a serious disease and needs to be treated. You should not stop the medications. There are other things you might want to consider, though, you may want to increase your calcium intake, for example. Possibly lower the dosage. If you are taking two pills a day and can get by on one, that may be an option for you.

And make sure you do the lifestyle changes. You and I have, Heidi, have talked about this. Don't eat too close to bedtime. Try not to drink alcohol or smoke close to bedtime. If you can take one of the other classes of medications, try those first.

COLLINS: Good information, certainly. Dr. Sanjay Gupta, our chief medical correspondent. Thank you.

GUPTA: Thank you.

SANCHEZ: Just when folks in Colorado thought they couldn't take anymore. Look out. Another wintry blast appears to be headed their way. The latest on the big chill coming up.

Also, millions of fans around the world loved his music. Now people are coming together to say good-bye to James Brown; the farewell tributes to the legendary soul singer. That's ahead, in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: Time to check on some severe weather in the form of, what, a lot of snow. Is that what's going on?

(WEATHER REPORT)

COLLINS: A runway mishap in Miami. British Prime Minister Tony Blair presumably on the edge of his seat. The British Airways flight from London rolled off the end of the runway after landing. None of the 443 passengers was hurt, neither was the plane.

Mr. Blair, and his family, in Miami to spend some time at the home of Bee Gee, Robin Gibb. Just in case you were wondering, "The Miami Herald" says the Blair family was flying first class. We were all very curious about that.

Airline passengers ever wonder where your lost luggage goes? Well, everybody knows, behind a pet store, of course.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANTHONY SANDER, FOUND LUGGAGE: We showed up here around 9:30 and we just noticed there was a bunch of luggage. There was one laying on the ground. We started looking and we got up in the dumpster and it was full.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: Dude, that's right. A dumpster full of luggage found about a mile from Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, almost 70 bags in all, with tags from places like London and the United Arab Emirates. Continental Airlines is now trying to sort it all out and get the bags it their rightful, and probably pretty frustrated owners.

SANCHEZ: Speaking of dudes, we're "Minding Your Business". And here he is the dude himself, Ali Velshi, he's got a preview for us. There you go.

ALI VELSHI, CNN FINANCIAL CORRESPONDENT, CNN NEWSROOM: That's very kind of you, sir.

We're going to take a look at rumors swirling around. A possible deal between Ford and Toyota. We'll tell you what we found out about it if you stick around, in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANNOUNCER: Breaking news, revealing developments, see for yourself in the CNN NEWSROOM.

SANCHEZ: Welcome back to the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Rick Sanchez. The heads of Ford and Toyota got together. What did they talk about? Ali Velshi is "Minding Your Business".

It gets curiouser, and curiouser, doesn't it?

VELSHI: Yes. They aren't actually even admitting they got together. There are reports that they got together. That Allan Mulally, the CEO of Ford went over to Tokyo and met with the chairman of Toyota.

And that leads one to speculate as to what they might be talking about because you got Ford, which is sort of trying to emerge from being in a bit of a mess, and Toyota, which is about to become the world's biggest carmaker. That's a title that GM has held since 1931. So you got to wonder, does that mean there's some kind of alliance in the works?

We spoke to some people who follow this very closely who said, why would there be an alliance? Why would Toyota need anything from Ford? It would be like an albatross. Toyota is this nimble, efficient car making company, that's profitable and then you've got Ford.

The last year, Rick, has been really tough for U.S. automakers. GM and Ford have laid off tens of thousands of people. They've offered buyouts to tens of thousands more. And it's about a year since those massive layoffs started. So we're kind of expecting something from Ford and GM to see what the next act is.

You know, GM and Nissan had been talking earlier this year about a potential alliance. That fell through. So, you know, one wonders, what would Ford possibly bring to the table that would make a deal attractive to Toyota? But they're talking.

SANCHEZ: It reminds me of the US Air/Delta thing we've been talking about. That also doesn't like it doesn't make sense. Let's try and see if we can make it make sense. We know it would be pretty good for Ford, right?

VELSHI: It would be fantastic for Ford.

SANCHEZ: What would Toyota get out of this?

VELSHI: Well, you see, here's the thing. I was talking to one of my colleagues here. He was sort of suggesting that what Ford has is a lot of stuff that's probably cheap because they aren't selling as many cars as they'd like to. What they have is a very expensive workforce. In the United States, Toyota, Nissan, Honda, they have non- unionized workforces.

The albatross the American automakers carry is what they call legacy costs, the health care and pensions of current workers and former workers. General Motors says, for instance, that the legacy costs add $1500 to the price of the average car. If you take a GM -- we know we're talking about Ford -- but if you take a GM and you compare it to a Honda or Toyota, that GM costs 1500 bucks more to make. That is 1500 bucks that is not profit. It's not better fabrics. It's not a better car.

So, I don't know. What would Toyota want from Ford? Good, you know, that will be something we'll be watching to see if there's any interest at all.

SANCHEZ: Just to clear up, though, we don't know that they are talking about, A, a partnership, or B, an alliance, right?

VELSHI: No, in fact, Ford's comment to us was that we meet with other automakers all the time, we talk about interesting things. We're not telling you whether we met with them, and we're not telling you what we talked about.

Keeps us employed, I suppose.

SANCHEZ: That sounds clear. Ali Velshi, we thank you.

VELSHI: Good to see you.

SANCHEZ: Heidi.

COLLINS: The threat of military action; a deterrent for Iran, or is it time for diplomacy? Ahead in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Iran's nuclear program in the spotlight again. A vote today by the parliament urges the government to revise its level of cooperation with the United Nations nuclear agency. The move comes just days after the U.N. Security Council imposed sanctions on Iran, for it's nuclear program.

The U.S. thinks Iran is trying to build a nuclear bomb. Iran denies it, saying its program is strictly for generating electricity from nuclear fuel. A question of will versus might. With the U.S. military stretched thin is diplomacy the only option? CNN's Pentagon Correspondent Barbara Starr takes a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT, CNN NEWSROOM (voice over): Iran is just one of several countries where U.S. diplomatic efforts may be reaching the end of the line, and tensions could erupt. But with the U.S. stretched thin in Iraq, and with few allies around the world, military solutions don't appear on the horizon. Analysts say Iran is a case in point.

STEPHEN BIDDLE, COUNCIL ON FOREIGN RELATIONS: I think at the end of the day, we may very well end up deciding we'd rather live with a nuclear Iran and deter them from using the things once they get them. Than do the things we have to do to prevent them from getting them.

STARR: The limits of diplomacy appear to be growing. Six-party talks with North Korea about their nuclear program have disbanded. China and South Korea making clear there is a limit to their participation in sanctions to punish North Korea. But there is no thought of attacking either Iran or North Korea.

KARIM SADJADPOUR, INTERNATIONAL CRISIS GROUP: Autocratic regimes are not fearful of the United States the way they might have been in 2002, before the Iraq war was prosecuted. North Korea, Sudan, especially Iran will look at the United States, and say we don't take these military threats as seriously. You are bogged down in a Vietnam- style conundrum in Iraq.

STAR: And this week, open warfare between and Islamic militia in Somalia and Ethiopia; 1800 U.S. troops, in the Horn of Africa, are doing humanitarian relief work. They hope they can stay out of it, but they boosted their security measures in the last few days. It is another war that may spread. But one, American forces want to avoid. Experts say diplomacy is still the answer from a Bush administration now exhausted by Iraq.

MICHAEL O'HANLON, BROOKINGS INSTITUTION: When I've talked to former American leaders, and asked the general question, what's the main constraint on America's effectiveness abroad during multiple crises? Is it our military, is it our economic power? They say, no, it's the time and focus of top decision makers, starting with the president and, of course the secretary of State and Defense and Treasury.

STARR (on camera): The U.S. military likes to say no option is off the table. But in most hot spots today, the plan mainly appears to be to stay out of the way. Barbara Starr, CNN, the Pentagon.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: And, of course, the big story today, a president remembered. He was the country's shepherd, through really one of the toughest times in our nation's history. A look back at the life of President Ford in the NEWSROOM.

Also, a search for two missing American mountain climbers, new clues, new questions. CNN is there. That's ahead as well. Stay with us.

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COLLINS: Good morning, everybody. I'm Heidi Collins.

SANCHEZ: And I'm Rick Sanchez, sitting in for Tony Harris.

COLLINS: Spend a second hour in the NEWSROOM, this morning, and stay informed. Here's what's on the run down.

SANCHEZ: The nation remembers Gerald Ford. The 38th president dies at age 93. This hour we talk to a close friend from his days in Congress, former Senator Allan Simpson will join us.

COLLINS: They're still shoveling out from the last one. Look at this. Now, Denver gets ready for a blizzard sequel.

SANCHEZ: Saddam Hussein's execution could go forward at any time. Iraqis, waiting and watching, on this Wednesday, December 27. You are in the CNN NEWSROOM.

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

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