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Iraq Strategy Shift; Military Moves; Can Democrats Deliver on Campaign Promises in First 100 Hours?

Aired January 05, 2007 - 11:00   ET

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

TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning again, everyone. You're with CNN. You're informed.
I'm Tony Harris.

HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Heidi Collins.

Developments keep coming in to the NEWSROOM on this Friday, January 5th.

Here's what's on the rundown.

The commander in chief set to reveal his new Iraq strategy within days. But how does he sell a possible troop surge to Americans? Our guests help us out.

HARRIS: Spring-like storms menacing the South. Tornadoes threatens to strike again today. Louisiana already cleaning up from twisters.

COLLINS: Killed by a gunshot in a small town. Suicide or racial killing? Death of a mayor-elect in the NEWSROOM.

Severe weather coming our way here in the Atlanta area. Chad Myers standing by now with some of the very latest happening there and the rest of what's happening across the country.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HARRIS: Shifting strategy, but first shifting personnel. Just a short time ago, President Bush announcing changes in his diplomatic team while putting the finishing touches on his Iraq plan.

Live to the White House now and our correspondent, Suzanne Malveaux.

And Suzanne, President Bush picked a trusted, familiar face to take on some tough, diplomatic duties just a short time ago.

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes. And what you're seeing, Tony, is really a sense of urgency, if you will. The president trying to put this new team in place before he announces what he is calling, at least, a new strategy regarding Iraq.

We saw this morning in the Roosevelt Room his National Intelligence director, John Negroponte, who's moving from his post to become the deputy to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. And then the president, of course, nominating Mike McConnell to replace him. He is a former director of the National Security Agency.

We are told the president reached directly, personally to both of these men to fill these posts as quickly as possible. This was President Bush just moments ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: For nearly two years, John has done a superb job as America's first director of National Intelligence. John Negroponte's broad experience, sound judgment and expertise on Iraq and on the war on terror make him a superb choice as deputy secretary of state. And I look forward to working with him in this new post.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: So, Tony, the whole idea about this kind of musical chairs, if you will, is that White House officials say that Negroponte really is suited for this job, that he has experience, was integral when it comes to Iraq policy, being the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, U.S. ambassador to Iraq. That that was a very important position to fill before launching this new strategy, if you will.

Mike McConnell, in the intelligence position, he has a lot of experience in that area. But also, he has a previous relationship with the secretary of defense, Bob Gates. Both of them used to work together for some time. So, of course, he signed off on it, supports him. And the president, we're told, respects the fact that he's an intelligence guy, but he also worked in the private sector as well -- Tony.

HARRIS: So let's sort of -- Suzanne, let's sort of take a moment and recap here. So, it appears as though the president has floated all -- or the White House as floated all of the trial balloons it will float on this idea of a military surge. And with Ambassador Negroponte in place, maybe we get a sense of the diplomatic surge to come as well.

So when might we get this plan from the president?

MALVEAUX: Well, today what's going to happen is that there are more consultations with Democrats here at the White House. The president will be involved in that.

We're given guidance to expect next week that will continue with members of Congress. And then Wednesday, look for Wednesday as the likely day when President Bush is going to unveil this plan to the American people in a primetime address.

But there's still a lot in flux here, Tony. From day to day, they're talking about, once again, meeting with various people. And we have been told the president not yet signing any kind of order for a U.S. troop surge, but it is very likely that that will happen.

HARRIS: Our White House correspondent, Suzanne Malveaux.

Suzanne, thank you.

COLLINS: Military moves. Sources say President Bush plans to change the top brass in Iraq.

Kathleen Koch joining us now live from the Pentagon.

Kathleen, what can you tell us about all of these changes that we have been talking about here on CNN?

KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Heidi, what we're hearing is certainly that the president is lining up a new team to help implement his new strategy in Iraq. And certainly, a new team, we're also hearing, that does not have objections as some current commanders do to increasing the number of U.S. forces in Iraq.

Now, first of all, top change is General John Abizaid. The top commander in the Middle East is going to be replaced by Admiral William Fallon.

Now, certainly, Fallon, a Navy man, a surprise choice. He's currently the top American military officer in the Pacific. He'll be the first Navy officer to serve as head of the Central Command.

Second switch, General George Casey, currently the commander of U.S. and coalition forces in Iraq, will be out. And in will be Army Lieutenant General David Petraeus. Petraeus has served two tours of duty in Iraq, headed the effort to train Iraqi security force. Also helped oversee the drafting of the U.S. military's new counterinsurgency manual.

So major shakeups. And Heidi, we're hearing that they're going to be announced here at the Pentagon within a matter of hours.

Back to you.

COLLINS: I had an opportunity, Kathleen, to meet the admiral during Fleet Week this year. Just overall, as we look at the major changes in the head of the military, there has been some analysis that said this absolutely has to be the case, even though they are coming from similar backgrounds, if you will.

How does this look to the rest of the world when we have these two particular people coming in to this situation?

KOCH: Well, Heidi, let me give you some clues as to what the thinking is, at least here at the Pentagon, and how this is being received.

Initially with Admiral Fallon, there was some scratching of the heads. Why him? Why a Navy man? But he is very, very well respected.

He's gotten quite high marks for his command in the Pacific. His work dealing with very tough situations, complex situations, China, Taiwan, North Korea. And over the years he's been seen very much as a troubleshooter who gets thrust into difficult positions, but he always pulls it through, he always excels. He can always be counted on.

He also comes to the position, Admiral Fallon, with a clean slate. No ties to the current Iraq war, no preconceived notions.

But interestingly, a senior military official told me earlier -- this is very important -- that "He's known for his unvarnished advice." And we're told that that is precisely what he's going to be giving to the president.

Briefly, on Petraeus, also very, very well respected. We hear within the Pentagon a brilliant man, Oxford graduate. But also a very tough warrior.

He led the 101st Airborne into Iraq in 2003 during the early days of the war. Also oversaw their command of the Mosul region. And their ability to restore order there very quickly and maintain it when other parts of the country were in chaos.

COLLINS: Right.

KOCH: So also someone very, very highly regarded. Very hands- on.

COLLINS: All right. Kathleen Koch breaking it all down for us. Lots of changes in store.

Appreciate it.

KOCH: You bet.

HARRIS: New Congress, new business. The Democratically- controlled House flexing muscle this morning, focusing on pocketbook items and ethics. This, as new House speaker Nancy Pelosi weighs in on word the president may send thousands more troops into Iraq.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Madame Speaker, congratulations.

REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA), HOUSE SPEAKER: Hi. Thank you.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you support a surge in U.S. troops in Iraq?

PELOSI: No.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: Democrats have been pushing to get troops out of Iraq. The new leadership says any plan to send more U.S. troops to Iraq would receive a cool reception. The president is putting the finishing touches on his plan. He'll announce his new strategy next week.

Next week, House Democrats start the clock ticking. One hundred hours to deliver on campaign promises. Can they do it?

CNN's Tom Foreman takes a closer look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PELOSI: The House will come to order.

TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): One hundred hours to introduce, discuss and pass legislation, 100 hours to get Washington moving. Like school kids back from break, the Democrats have sharpened their pencils and say they are ready to work. Is 100 hours enough time?

Maybe, according to longtime capital watcher Norm Ornstein.

NORMAN ORNSTEIN, AMERICAN ENTERPRISE INSTITUTE: What the Democrats have done is to set out a number that sounds like it's going to be a rush of time, but what actually is a fairly long time to process and pass six narrowly-defined bills, with no amendments.

FOREMAN: Count a strict 100 hours from the drop of the gavel, and you run out of time by Monday evening. But this is Washington. Nothing here works like that here. The Democrats are launching their 100-hour push on Tuesday, and counting only the hours that Congress is in session.

Those hours have dwindled dramatically in recent years, as politicians have abandoned the halls of Congress to spend more time raising money and campaigning for reelection. Longtime politicians don't like it.

TOM DASCHLE (D), FORMER SENATE MINORITY LEADER: Senator Lott and I used to joke that, if we really wanted everybody here for every important vote, the only time we could actually schedule it was Wednesday afternoon.

FOREMAN (on camera): This new Congress is promising to get back to something more like a full work week. But can they make that or anything else stick?

(voice-over): The Republican president has a veto pen, and the Democratic edge over Republicans in the Senate is much smaller.

SEN. HARRY REID (D-NV), MAJORITY LEADER: We know, from experience, that majorities come and they go. Majorities are very fragile. And majorities must work with minorities to make that lasting change.

ORNSTEIN: The fact is, the House wants to act now. The Senate wants to act some time in the future.

FOREMAN: So, even without engaging Iraq right away, the Democrats have their work cut out, 100 hours to show if Washington is seeing real change or just a shift change.

Tom Foreman, CNN, Washington. (END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: Still to come, the president planning to speak to the nation about his new strategy on Iraq. What might he say? A speechwriter for the first President Bush has some thoughts.

That's ahead in the NEWSROOM.

COLLINS: One high school student shot to death, another accused of pulling the trigger. But why? Hear what the suspect said coming up in the NEWSROOM.

HARRIS: Stranded in a water world for days, now this American gets help.

High-seas rescue in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Want to get immediately over to Chad Myers in the weather center now, following this severe weather -- Chad.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Severe weather now just kind of rolling through the Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson airport.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HARRIS: President Bush is expected to unveil his new Iraq strategy next week. What must the president say to win back support for the increasingly unpopular war?

Joining us now from Washington, a man who knows how to put words in a president's mouth. Dan McGroarty was senior speechwriter for the first President Bush.

Dan, good to see you. Thanks for your time.

DANIEL MCGROARTY, FMR. WHITE HOUSE SPEECHWRITER: Thanks, Tony. Happy to be with you.

HARRIS: The toughest speech you had to hand in shaping (ph) for the first President Bush?

Tony, for me that would be the Gulf War speech, Desert Storm, working with the president to make sure that the message was -- matched the magnitude of that particular opportunity to talk directly to the American people and to the world about what was about to begin. That was a very important moment and one -- one that I'll remember.

HARRIS: Was that -- was that -- was that an offensive -- offensive, forward-leaning speech, as you remember it?

MCGROARTY: I remember it -- Tony, I remember thinking that -- to try to bring to the speech as much clarity as possible and simplicity, in some respects, to make sure that the message was absolutely unmistakable in that particular speech, and more focused on those lines in terms of whether -- whether -- I guess a war speech is inherently aggressive. You don't have to worry about that so much.

HARRIS: Yes. Yes.

Whatever the president decides to do, how difficult will this speech that the president will deliver next week, how difficult will it be?

MCGROARTY: I think it's difficult enough, I don't think that's any surprise. And I think the recent weeks, the president, in some respects, has increased the pressure on himself in the speech that he's about to give. It's been...

HARRIS: Expectations?

MCGROARTY: Expectations have been building, and the White House has been allowing them. In fact, I think assisting in the building of those expectations.

We've been talking about the speech being pushed out and canceled from a couple of days from -- after the release of the Iraq Study Group report. Now we're at a point where we're almost two weeks away from the State of the Union.

Whether this speech would have been easier to give two or three weeks ago, or whether it would be equally a better opportunity to simply wait for the State of the Union as a speech platform, those are both open questions in my mind.

HARRIS: Well, what do you think? Close the circle here.

MCGROARTY: Close the circle here?

HARRIS: Yes.

MCGROARTY: I would think -- at this point, I would have preferred to wait until the State of the Union and treat this. I think that's a great platform for a commander in chief and a great opportunity visually to underscore that there is one commander in chief, there are not 535 commanders in chief sitting in any way that could make sensible and strong decisions on these matters.

HARRIS: Yes.

MCGROARTY: That would, I think, at this point, I would have preferred to wait until the state of the union. I think that's a great platform for a commander in chief and a great opportunity visually to underscore there is one commander in chief, there are not 535 commanders in chief sitting in anyway that can make us sensible and strong decisions on these matters.

That would have been the third week in January. We're now heading toward the middle of January. My argument would have been to hold for the State of the Union.

HARRIS: Which makes me think, is the location, the place where the president delivers this address, how important is that, in your mind?

MCGROARTY: It is important. I mea, audience is important, but also the venue and the way that you wrap the trappings of the presidency around the words that you use, whether the president speaks from the Oval Office, as is the tradition in a war speech or crises speeches, whether the president seeks to go out and deliver a speech like this at the War College or an some outside venue, or whether he takes advantage of the State of the Union and the calendar coming up, which is really quite an august setting for any president.

HARRIS: Yes.

Dan, here's what I really want to get to. Let's focus on this for a minute, the words, the words that the president will use, the message, how he will write this narrative.

The speechwriters who will work on this speech, where do they go to find the nuggets of inspiration that set them on their path?

MCGROARTY: Right. Well, we talked a little bit about this earlier, Tony.

HARRIS: Yes.

MCGROARTY: And one thing I wouldn't do, I mean, you want to have a body of famous speeches, kind of that -- kind of in your head when you walk in and take a job speechwriting at the White House. But you don't want to consult them at the moment too often. I find that kind of thing to be a handcuff as much as anything else.

I think in circumstances like this, it isn't even American. It would probably be Winston Churchill, a master of the English language, with the simplicity that he brought to these very, very important subjects: simple, strong language itself.

HARRIS: Give us -- give us -- give us an example.

MCGROARTY: Well, I was thinking about the wartime speeches that Churchill delivered to the British people when they were at their worst moments. Things -- the way he would almost talk directly to Hitler and say, "Go ahead and do your worst, and we shall do our best."

Very, very simple language, plain language. A leader isn't hiding behind anything when they use simple phrasing like that.

HARRIS: An inspirational speech? Does it have to be that in some respects?

MCGROARTY: It helps if it can be that in some respects. And to go back to the point we were discussing earlier, that's an issue of whether you've given yourself a setting where it can be inspirational.

It can be hard to have a lot of emotional range in an Oval Office speech. It may be easier to achieve that in the State of the Union, where you have people in the gallery and the balcony that you can bring in as devices in your speech.

HARRIS: Let me squeeze one more in here.

MCGROARTY: Sure.

HARRIS: Do you expect we will hear words like "victory," "winning"?

MCGROARTY: You will -- whether those words -- they'll be used carefully, if they are, what would be defined forward-looking as victory. If they're absent from the speech, all the commentators after the speech is over will comment on the words that were not used.

HARRIS: Dan, that was great. Thanks for your time this morning.

MCGROARTY: Thanks, Tony.

HARRIS: Appreciate it.

MCGROARTY: A pleasure.

COLLINS: We want to go ahead and get back to our severe weather that we've been telling you about here in the Southeast, particularly at Hartsfield-Jackson airport. We showed you some pictures a little bit earlier with that rain really moving in.

We want to go ahead and speak with someone at Hartsfield-Jackson airport. We have Sterling Payne on the line.

Sterling, can you tell us what you are seeing at the airport now?

STERLING PAYNE, HARTSFIELD-JACKSON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT: Well, at this point we are monitoring the situation in the National Weather Services, alerts that have come out. We have also taken the necessary precautions here, putting personnel in place, as well as putting alerts out to our passengers and staff to make them aware of the precautions that are in place.

The airlines themselves are also taking their precautions as they're used to dealing with these situations. In addition, we have an evacuation plan that's in place if we would need to implement it.

COLLINS: And what exactly are you talking about? Are you saying that we have seen some tornadic activity there, or are you considering canceling flights? Or what's the very latest by way of flights taking off and landing there?

PAYNE: Heidi, it would be up to the individual airlines to make a decision on whether or not they're canceling a flight.

COLLINS: Right.

PAYNE: Possibly, the FAA can put their different procedures in place as well. The last report I got is the airfare was still operating. So we've not seen a total ground stoppage or anything of that nature. That's the report I got five minutes ago. So, I think the last report we got is there was not tornadic activity in the area, but there was an alert for our area. So we are monitoring that.

COLLINS: OK.

Of course, as always, we want to go ahead and bring in our meteorologist, Chad Myers, to update us on what he is seeing for the area around here in Atlanta as well -- Chad.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HARRIS: Let's talk to Denis O'Hayre. He's a reporter here locally in Atlanta with WXIA, one of our affiliate stations. He's at Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.

Denis, set the scene for us at Hartsfield.

DENIS O'HAYRE, REPORTER, WXIA: Hi, Tony.

I'm in a passenger loading area at one of the concourses at Hartsfield-Jackson. A storm came through very quickly within the last half-hour.

About a half-hour ago, there were planes landing and taking off with just a dark line in the distance. And all of a sudden, it just blew in, sheets of rain, heavy wind.

A lot of planes just stayed on the ground. It came through as quickly as it arrived. And right now, they're starting to board flights again. Flight delays, but at the world's busiest airport they don't like to delay very long.

Yes.

O'HAYRE: They did, however, tell people to move away from the windows in the passenger concourses at one point. And a lot of travelers that I saw, very blase about it, might have inched back just a bit, but stayed right where they were.

HARRIS: Any sense on what kind of travel delays we're talking about here? As we know, living in this area, I mean, these storms do come in. They tend to move quickly.

They pop. They really explode, in some cases. And then they move out just as quickly.

What kind of delays are we talking about now?

O'HAYRE: I looked at the departure board just a moment ago, Tony, and it just seemed that fairly minor delays at this point. At least that's what they're reporting. More of a bottleneck at this point than anything else.

A lot of the on-time indicators. I went to a sign that said "At gate," but it didn't say, you know, "Big delay" or "New time" or anything like that.

HARRIS: Yes.

O'HAYRE: They're trying to get them through and out of here as fast as they can. And flights that are coming in are being landed as quickly as possible.

HARRIS: Well, that was my next question. Any indication from the officials there at Hartsfield that planes were actually diverted around this storm?

O'HAYRE: Haven't had a chance to talk to the officials here at Hartsfield.

HARRIS: OK.

O'HAYRE: But it appears that they were getting a lot of folks in, particularly flights that were coming in as the storm was moving. They may have held them up just a bit.

HARRIS: Yes.

O'HAYRE: There were planes taxiing just as the storm passed through.

HARRIS: And Denis, it sounds like people there at the gates understand that this is a storm, it happens all the time. And, you know, you just sort of take it in stride.

O'HAYRE: You take it in stride, you wait, and then you hurry out.

HARRIS: And then you hurry out.

All right. Denis O'Hayre for us from WXIA, one of our affiliate stations here in Atlanta.

Denis, appreciate it. Thank you.

O'HAYRE: Thank you, Tony.

COLLINS: A new sitcom with a twist. Take a look at this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What's the charge, flying while Muslim?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: "Little Mosque on the Prairie," a real show that could really touch a nerve.

Tune in, in the NEWSROOM.

HARRIS: Troops with trinkets. A look at what U.S. soldiers bring along on their missions in the NEWSROOM. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: All right, once again, just keeping an eye on the situation now, as Chad Myers has been telling and we heard just a couple of moments ago from Dennis O'Hare, a reporter with one of our affiliate stations here in Atlanta, WXIA. The storms here that we started tracking through the south this morning when we joined you in the NEWSROOM working their way through Alabama, obviously now in Georgia. That's a live shot there from WSB, another one of our affiliates here in Atlanta, of Hartsfield Jackson International Airport. The storms apparently, according to Dennis O'Hare's reporting, the storms have moved through the airport right now, passed over the airport and have moved on. And we understand just sort of minor delays now, some ground stops as well.

We watch this situation because we understand what happens at an airport the size of Hartsfield Jackson International can create a domino effect of delays all throughout the system. So we are just going to follow the path of these storms and report on any damage. We understand three tornado warnings in Georgia counties still in effect right now. So we will continue to track it, monitor it. Chad is watching it for us.

COLLINS: Putting the finishing touches on a new Iraq strategy. President Bush meeting with key senators today to discuss his Iraq plans. Sources say he may order another 20,000 to 40,000 U.S. troops to Iraq. The president saying he's weighing his options, but he's just days away from unveiling his new strategy.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRES. OF THE UNITED STATES: I'll be ready to outline a strategy that will help the Iraqis achieve the objective of a country that can govern, sustain and defend itself sometime next week. I've still got consultations to go through. Whatever decision I make, though, will be all aimed at achieving our objectives.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: The president held the nearly two-hour video conference yesterday with Iraq's prime minister. He, again, expressed confidence in his leadership.

Changes at the top before he unveils his Iraq plan. President Bush is shaking up the military leadership in the region. According to a hive-ranking military source, the top-ranking U.S. commander in the Middle East, General John Abizaid, would be replaced by Admiral William Fallon. Fallon oversees U.S. forces in the Pacific. And according to senior military officials, Lieutenant General David Petraeus would replace General George Casey as top commander on the ground in Iraq.

HARRIS: A gun, a tool of the trade for a soldier, but many troops carry other things with them, things crucial to their mission.

CNN's Cal Perry takes a look. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CAL PERRY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): I asked Lieutenant Colonel Ross Brown if he'd ever read the Vietnam war novel "The Things They Carried," which referred to the little things soldiers carry with them to make them feel safer. He hadn't. But he was intrigued. And he began asking his men.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you carry anything special with you on missions to help protect you?

PERRY: For the U.S. soldier patrolling unknown terrain, it's the small things that carry you through the day, The small trinkets given by family or picked up in the field.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Does this protect you?

You carry anything special with you on missions to help you out?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I carry my wedding ring, a bracelet my wife sent me.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A Bible. Psalms 91, prayer to St. Raphael.

PERRY: Psalm 91: "Thou shalt not be afraid by the terror by night, nor for the arrow that flieth by day."

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's nice. You carry it over your heart.

PERRY: And, of course, the ever present banter of a sergeant major.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You know me, sir. Nothing. I'm good. My weapon is the only thing that I need, I think.

PERRY: For the Iraqi army soldier trying to rebuild his country and the Iraqi civilian trying to survive, it's the things they carry that make the small mental difference.

(on camera): The Iraqi army is under strict orders not to speak with the press, not to tell us anything, whether it is what they carry for luck, how they go about their jobs or what it is that gets them through their day.

(voice-over): So we came out to this Baghdad street, about a quarter mile away from the relatively protected green zone. Because in many respects, Iraq today is more dangerous for its civilians than for its soldiers. Civilians, too, carry with them mementos they hope will bring them safety.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So before they go out, they read a phrase of the Koran.

PERRY: Material possessions aside, all those fighting this war and all those who cover it, we will always carry with us demons, the memories we wish would simply go away. And here, at CNN, only one small part of a much larger puzzle, the list is growing slowly larger.

CNN producer Duraid, driver, Yasser, and our stringer, Abbas, all killed since the start of the war. Guy Barattieri, security guard and a friend, dead at age 36, leaving behind a 3-month-old daughter.

(on camera): All of us here in Iraq carry with us something, something personal, something that reminds us of the unrelenting violence, the statistics that never seem to end.

I, for one, was presented this coin by a combat medic here in Baghdad, and not a day goes by that I don't remember the Iraqi and American soldiers that sacrificed their lives in this war.

Cal Perry, CNN, Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: Stranded in a water world for days. Now, this American gets help. High seas rescue in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: 15-minute delays now, man that's great, at Hartsfield Jackson International Airport here in Atlanta. Operations have resumed there at the airport after a strong line of storms. Several tornado warnings were posted in the immediate area.

Because of this line of storms that we've been following for most of the morning. I want to get a sense of what the scene is like on the ground. A better picture of it anyway from WGCL reporter, one of the affiliate stations here in Atlanta. Here's reporter Carrie Champion.

CARRIE CHAMPION, WGCL REPORTER: I spoke with neighbors here who told me, that they believe a tornado hit and hit about 45 minutes or so. And they said you could see nothing but damage from all around. There's some traffic on this road. That is because emergency crews are out here trying to chop down these trees and get everything in order.

The area, take a look behind me, more trees down. I have had no reports of anyone injured. But we do know that there's been damage to homes. As far as we can tell, again, it lasted as far as what neighbors are telling me, for about a minute or so.

They heard heavy winds, then some rain and then loud noises. This is all they were telling me they heard. And when they walked outside of their homes, they saw nothing but damage.

And again as you can see, this is pretty much a residential neighborhood. Down to my left is a welding company. And there are no reports of damage there. Again, just power outages. And some trees down. Joining me now however to give us a little more ... HARRIS: OK, the reporting there from Carrie Champion from our CBS affiliate here in town WGCL. She was reporting from Coweta County, Georgia, which is south and west along 85, south and west of Atlanta.

COLLINS: More questions than answers in south Louisiana where investigators are taking a second look at the mysterious death of a small town's new mayor. The story coming up in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(WEATHER REPORT)

COLLINS: State police in Louisiana are investigating the mysterious death of a man who just had been elected the first black mayor of a small, mostly white town.

HARRIS: While that death was ruled a suicide, not everyone is satisfied with that explanation.

CNN's Sean Callebs reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GERALD WASHINGTON, MAYOR OF WESTLAKE, LOUISIANA: Great feeling to be mayor of the town where you live.

CALLEBS (voice-over): Gerald Washington seemed to be top of the world with everything to live for. He had just been sworn in as the first black mayor of Westlake, Louisiana -- then a shocking call from the sheriff that his family members still don't believe.

The 6'6', 58-year-old Washington had committed suicide by shooting himself in the chest.

GERMAINE BROUSSARD, DAUGHTER OF MAYOR GERALD WASHINGTON: I was in shock. I was upset. I was angry. I was -- just said, there's no way that this was a self-inflicted wound.

CALLEBS: Their father's body was found in a remote area of Westlake. Germaine Broussard and her brother, Jeraski (ph), don't believe the coroner's report that Washington put a revolver to his chest and pulled the trigger. They say the sheriff's investigation was sloppy, and wonder why it apparently took just over four hours to pour over the crime scene, then clean and return his truck to the family, instead of impounding it as evidence.

Coroner Terry Welke says it is difficult for families to accept suicide, but that is where all the evidence points.

TERRY WELKE, CALCASIEU PARISH, LOUISIANA, CORONER: If it was a homicide, there would be more injuries. In other words, he would have fought off. Someone would have tied his hands behind his back, hit him on the back of the head, something of that sort. And the autopsy showed absolutely none of that. CALLEBS: The sheriff's office isn't talking about the case. After twice meeting with the family, the sheriff handed over all evidence to the Louisiana State Police, which has taken over the investigation.

BROUSSARD: They have shown the -- the sense of urgency that the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff's Office should have shown.

CALLEBS: The state is now performing a second autopsy, something the coroner says is almost unheard of.

And there is something else that is difficult for the family to address. As the first black mayor in an overwhelmingly white community, Washington's children believe he could have been targeted by someone out to get him.

BROUSSARD: And -- and I'm sure that race did have a -- a good deal to do with it. But...

CALLEBS: The state NAACP has asked the U.S. Justice Department to look into Washington's death, but says it was told that the federal agency will wait until the state police investigation has wrapped up, before deciding whether to weigh in.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: Our Sean Callebs reporting on that story. And now we have Kyra Phillips sitting next to us. Going to talk a little bit about the show coming up in about an hour.

(CROSSTALK)

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Pop tarts actually saved his life. OK, having a satellite phone helped, too. But, a stranded sailor plucked from the stormy seas off Chile. Well, if you think that he's relieved, you ought to hear what his family has to say.

Plus this, remember the bitter protest at Gallaudet University in October? Students at the school for the deaf erupted when a new president was appointed, but calm has returned now that Dr. Robert Devilla is on the job. Devilla is a renowned leader in the deaf community who came out of retirement to take the helm at Gallaudet. He's going to join us live in the NEWSROOM with more on the challenges ahead.

HARRIS: Great story.

COLLINS: Yes, I remember that very well. All right. Kyra Phillips and Don Lemon coming up in a little more than an hour.

PHILLIPS: Thank you.

HARRIS: And still to come, a sitcom with a twist.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What's the charge?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Flying while Muslim?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: "Little Mosque on the Prairie." You heard of it, right? A real show that could really touch a nerve. Tune in in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: How about this? The catch of a life, just in time. A couple of quick thinking New York men caught a 3-year-old falling from a fourth floor fire escape in the Bronx.

Julio Gonzalez and Pedro Navarez say they saw the little boy dangling and rushed underneath as the todder let go. Gonzalez explained the final moments on CNN's "AMERICAN MORNING."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JULIO GONZALEZ, SAVED THREE-YEAR-OLD BOY: I was thinking the baby was small (INAUDIBLE). He was coming down. My friend says Julio, this baby is not small. This is a big baby. I said, you better grab that kid, you better help me grab that kid. Don't let that kid hit that floor. We going to grab him, we going to grab him.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: Catch the big baby. The toddler suffered only minor cuts on his head and face.

COLLINS: Muslims living in a small town. Sound like the makings of a sitcom to you? Well, apparently it does to some people.

CNN's Brooke Anderson has the details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BROOKE ANDERSON, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: For North Americans, who have come to view Muslims with suspicion, this sitcom provides a glimpse into a world that will feel both very familiar and very strange.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I've been planning this for months. It's not like I've dropped a bomb on him. If dad thinks it's suicide, so be it. This is Allah's plan for me.

I'm not throwing my life away, I'm moving to the prairies. To run a mosque.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Step away from the bag. You're not going to paradise today.

ANDERSON: It turns out the passenger isn't a terrorist, but an imam on his way to a remote Muslim community. The show finds humor in the all-too-common misunderstandings that come when you take Islam at a rural Canadian location, and mix in universal themes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What's the charge, flying while Muslim?

ZARQA NAWAZ, CREATOR, "LITTLE MOSQUE ON THE PRAIRIE": No one has ever done this before. This is the first time anyone combined comedy with the North American Muslim life experience.

ANDERSON: Zarqa Nawaz, a Canadian of Pakistani origin, created "Little Mosque on the Prairie," drawing from her own experience of being Muslim in a small town.

NAWAZ: It created a lot of fodder for comedy and I thought, wow, you know, why not use this material for a sitcom.

ANDERSON: The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation picked up eight episodes, hoping that the series' comedic look at Muslim life will resonate with viewers in a post-9/11 era.

ANDREW WALLENSTEIN, "THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER": And there is a lot of curiosity about the Muslim community and how it interacts with the world at large.

ANDERSON: Andrew Wallenstein with "The Hollywood Reporter" thinks it just might gain footing.

WALLENSTEIN: I think a great comedy is a kind of comedy that tips sacred cows. And there's probably no more sacred cow right now than stereotypes in the Muslim community. So it's got a great chance.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you part of a sleeper cell?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Don't answer that.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What is your connection to al Qaeda?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What is your connection to journalism?

ANDERSON: But the show's creator emphasizes the themes in "Little Mosque" aren't specifically Muslim.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Please tell me, I'm adopted.

NAWAZ: The show deals with relationships between people, between husbands and wives and their kids, between non-Muslims and Muslims. It does a lot of things on a lot of different levels.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's the privilege of living in a country with freedom.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Freedom? To do what, fan the flames of hatred?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Isn't it Muslim preachers like yourself who do that, eh? I got news for you, Johnny Jihad!

ANDERSON: Nawaz hopes her efforts will not only entertain, but educate.

NAWAZ: Laughter is the best medicine when it comes to bridging the gaps between people.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was joking. Muslims around the world are known for their sense of humor.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I did not know that.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That was another joke.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, oh. What is that? Some kind of signal?

ANDERSON: The show's creators have taken into account Islamic religious sensibilities, and believe they have struck enough of a balance to avoid offense.

Brooke Anderson, CNN, Hollywood.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: There you have it. There were funny moments.

HARRIS: You test it, right? You put it on the market and see if folks watch. There were funny moments in there.

COLLINS: That's what they did to us, right? CNN NEWSROOM continues one hour from now.

HARRIS: Waiting for the early reviews to come in. "YOUR WORLD TODAY" is next with news happening across the globe and here at home, I'm Tony Harris.

COLLINS: Have a great weekend eveybody.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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