Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

President Bush to Unveil New Iraq War Strategy; Democrats Push For Minimum Wage Increase; Donald-Rosie Feud Nearing an End?; Deval Patrick Interview

Aired January 10, 2007 - 15:00   ET

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

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Hello once again. I'm Kyra Phillips, live at the CNN World Headquarters in Atlanta.
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Don Lemon.

Brother, can you spare a dime? Workers want it, but employers say they can't afford it. Wonder what Lou Dobbs has to say about raising the minimum wage. He will join us live.

PHILLIPS: We will also talk live with Deval Patrick, making history in Massachusetts.

LEMON: And can you say flaky? A snow shortage in Connecticut drove this dad to the Internet to fulfill a frozen fantasy. You won't believe this one.

You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.

Well, the plan is ambitious, a gamble, enormous, and the stakes have never been higher -- just hours to go until President Bush takes the wraps off his new war plan for Iraq.

Let's go straight to the White House and CNN's Elaine Quijano -- Elaine.

ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good afternoon to you, Don.

Well, four -- nearly four years into the Iraq war, President Bush tonight will lay out his plan, a new plan, the White House says, for Iraq. The president will say, according to his advisers, that the situation in Iraq now is not acceptable, not only to him, but also to the American people.

Now, his advisers also say the president will acknowledge that, while there were, in fact, hopes for political progress in late 2005 in Iraq, that, last year, sectarian violence simply overtook U.S. and Iraqi forces.

Now, in order to quell that violence, the president plans to send at least 21,000 additional U.S. troops to Iraq, most of them focused on Baghdad, but roughly 4,000, as well, to fight al Qaeda in the Anbar Province in western Iraq.

Now, the administration's hope is that the Iraqis can step up and take over security for their country by November. Senior advisers acknowledge, there is a great deal of skepticism, though, about Iraq's prime minister, Nouri al-Maliki, and whether or not he can deliver. They say President Bush tonight will talk about previous security operations in Iraq that have failed.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "AMERICAN MORNING")

DAN BARTLETT, COUNSELOR TO PRESIDENT BUSH: There will be two clear differences. We brought troops to Baghdad, but the Iraqis did not bring troops. Secondly, and just as importantly, the rules of engagement, where they could go, where they couldn't go, more importantly, was severely restricting the type of operations that make it effective.

What -- and, frankly, what you had happen was, you had little safe havens in different enclaves in Baghdad where the troops couldn't go. That's going to change.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

QUIJANO: White House counselor Dan Bartlett there, talking about the ability of Iraqi forces to go after members of the militias, in particular, the militia under Muqtada al-Sadr, the radical Shiite cleric.

Now, tomorrow, after the speech, the president will begin a campaign to try to build public support for his policy. He will be heading to Fort Benning, Georgia, to talk to troops there. And starting Friday, his secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice, will be visiting a number of capitals in the Middle East and in Europe, in order to garner support on the international front -- Don.

LEMON: Elaine Quijano, at the White House, thank you.

QUIJANO: Yes.

PHILLIPS: It may be a surge to you, or escalation, or some other euphemism, but, for thousands of American families, the president's new plan for Iraq means more separate, more anxiety, and, surely for some, more grief.

All of those things are way too familiar at Fort Stewart, Georgia, where we find CNN national correspondent Bob Franken.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This marks the third time many of these soldiers have had to ready their gear for heavy combat. The 3rd Infantry has the distinction of being the only division so far to be deployed to Iraq three times.

LESLIE DALTON, FAMILY READINESS GROUP: They are great use for the kids. The kids can see where daddy is.

FRANKEN: The maps are courtesy of FRG, the Family Readiness Group, for those left behind. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is our third time. So, I'm very proud of my husband. Let me say that first and foremost. I'm very proud of him. And, if he had to do anything in the world, it would be to protect us. And I love him for it. But it's very frustrating, after a while , when you have to say goodbye every other year.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's really sad. We just got married, so, it's going to be like a -- time apart.

FRANKEN: And now there are questions about whether the president's plan for sending more troops to Iraq will be even more time apart.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't know. I have got mixed emotions, as far as -- I hope, if -- if that's what we do, then I hope that's -- the problem is over.

FRANKEN: In the next couple of weeks, about 4,000 from this brigade will be headed to intensely dangerous Ramadi, about 50 miles west of Baghdad. Some of the advance unit went out last week. Not everyone will return. That's also part of the plan.

CAPTAIN JACOB DALTON, TROOP COMMANDER: It's not something that we like to dwell on. It's not something we like to think about, but, when it comes down to it, in the event it happens, you need to know that there is a process set, so that people can be notified appropriately and correctly, so that people get taken care of the way they need to.

FRANKEN: A process their families can only hope will never include them.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is a new one. And I'm really scared about it. There's hot spots over there. I don't know where he's going. So, it's just difficult.

FRANKEN (on camera): And, as they embark on their third deployment, the troops here, their families and the rest of the nation hope that the plan by President Bush means they won't have to go a fourth time.

Bob Franken, CNN, Fort Stewart, Georgia.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: And, tonight, make sure you stay with CNN for the best political team on television. Beginning at 7:00 Eastern, Wolf Blitzer and Paula Zahn host a special two-hour "SITUATION ROOM," before President Bush unveils his revised Iraq strategy.

Then, it's after the president finishes Larry King and his guests will break down the speech and get immediate reaction. Then, at 10:00 Eastern, Anderson Cooper is live from D.C. with worldwide reaction and what happens next -- complete coverage right here, on the most trusted name in news. PHILLIPS: And a reminder: House Democrats are on the clock. The first 100 hours, in which the new congressional majority hopes to pass key legislation, kicked off at 1:00 p.m. Eastern yesterday. You might notice is the little clock -- count-up clock on the bottom of the right-hand -- or right-hand of your screen.

Keep track of the Democrats' first 100 hours right here on CNN.

Now, when lawmakers talk about money, it's usually in the millions, billions, even trillions. Today, they're all about $2.10. The White House has scheduled a vote this afternoon on a hike in the minimum wage, the first federal hike in a decade. It's expected to pass. And, if the Senate agrees, the lowest legal wage would climb from $5.15 an hour to $7.25 over the next two years. We will bring you the results as soon as the votes are counted.

Lou Dobbs will also weigh in on the issue. He joins me live in just a few minutes.

LEMON: It is a deadly new year for New Orleans. In the past, in the first 10 days of 2007, nine people have been killed. The city's top cop says he still doesn't have enough officers.

In Washington, Louisiana Senator Mary Landrieu offered a 10-point plan to deal with the violence.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. MARY LANDRIEU (D), LOUISIANA: This city and region and the Gulf Coast have experienced devastation unprecedented in our nation's history. The normal deterrents for crime, i.e., neighbors that can organize a neighborhood watch, aren't in neighborhoods.

Taxicab drivers, public transportation, that are normally up and down the street, with watchful eyes, are not up and down the streets in neighborhoods that are vacant, causing a haven for criminal activity.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Landrieu causes for more federal and state help for the still beleaguered city.

PHILLIPS: U.S. airstrikes, al Qaeda targets, terror operatives dead -- it's not Iraq, not Afghanistan. It's the Horn of Africa, always on the war on terror radar.

And today's news includes a name familiar to those fighting that war.

The latest now from CNN's Barbara Starr.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BARBARA STARR, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A senior U.S. military official tells CNN that the naval armada here will stay off the coast of Somalia for some time to come, chasing down what he calls al Qaeda targets of opportunity, al Qaeda operatives on the run from Somalia.

There are expected to be more U.S. military operations. There are also expected to be more efforts to cooperate with African intelligence services. An aircraft carrier and four U.S. naval warships will, in fact, remain in the region, the official says -- all of this raising questions about how involved the United States military suddenly is here in the Horn of Africa in operations against al Qaeda in Somalia.

Sources say that the military is convinced it did not kill any Somali civilians in that airstrike in southern Somalia -- that raising the question, how would the U.S. military know that, for example, unless there are already a small number of U.S. commandos on the ground in southern Somalia?

There are, in fact, 1,800 U.S. troops here in the Horn of Africa, as part of an antiterrorism task force. As President Bush speaks to the American people about the war in Iraq, there are questions now about whether, here, in the Horn of Africa, there is a new war for the United States military.

Barbara Starr, Nairobi, Kenya.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: And, if Fazul Abdullah Mohammed's death is real, it's one case closed for the Bush administration. Mohammed is believed to have orchestrated the 1998 bombings of U.S. embassies in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam.

Now, he's said to be from the Comoros Islands of East Africa. He's cyber-smart, and has owned a place on the FBI's most-wanted list since October of 2001.

John Hancock, Calvin Coolidge, and Michael Dukakis have worn the seat. Now it belongs to this man, Deval Patrick. Up next, we're live with the newest governor of Massachusetts.

PHILLIPS: Minimum wage, maximum arguing -- as Democrats vow to push through an increase, Republicans gripe that they're being shut out of amendments -- politics and paychecks ahead in the NEWSROOM.

Oh, yes, and Lou Dobbs joins us live.

(LAUGHTER)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: We're going to take you to the White House now, where leaders from both sides just finished meeting with the president to talk about tonight's speech.

Here's Nancy Pelosi talking now.

(JOINED IN PROGRESS)

REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA), SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: ... once again called for a change in mission -- this has been about our fourth or fifth letter to that effect this year -- over the past year -- expressing our opposition to the escalation, but, also, once again, renewing our call for a change in mission in Iraq.

We said it had to be changed from a combat mission to a training mission, to one of logistics, of force protection, of antiterrorism. We called for the responsible redeployment of our troops. And we talked about diplomacy and political solutions to help our military in Iraq.

The military has performed excellently. We want the best for them. They certainly have not gotten that.

I told the president.

The president said, you will be considering one resolution or another.

I told them that, in the House, we will take up the president's policy for a vote. The American people have lost confidence in the president's policy. We're hopeful that, tonight, he will restore that confidence. We will give his proposal a fair hearing. And, in our hearings, we will establish the ground truth of what is happening in Iraq. And, then, we will vote on the president's proposal.

But it's just really unfortunate that we cannot have real consultation between the legislative and the executive branch when it comes to protecting the American people.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think the speaker and the leader speak for us.

LEMON: All right.

Well, that was newly elected Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi -- leaders from both sides, Democrats and Republicans, meeting today with the president to talk about his speech, wanting to get ahead of the speech tonight -- Nancy Pelosi saying that they're asking for a change in the mission in Iraq, from a combat mission to a training mission.

And she says that she wanted a responsible redeployment of the troops.

The president speaking tonight -- of course, all of that carried live -- and, as you heard Senator Edward Kennedy yesterday on CNN, saying that he was going to bring it for a vote in front of the House, as to if more troops should be redeployed, and how much money exactly should we be spending in Iraq -- so, leaders meeting with the president just a short time ago, holding a press conference there -- and, of course, complete coverage of the president's speech tonight, right here on CNN.

PHILLIPS: Well, it hasn't happened in 10 years, but it will probably happen today.

Within the next hour or so, the House of Representatives is expected to pass an increase in the federal minimum wage. If the Senate and President Bush go along, the wage will climb from $5.15 an hour to $7.25 over the next two years; $5.15 works out to an annual salary of just under $11,000 a year; $7.25 would bring it to roughly $15,000.

CNN's Lou Dobbs, not surprisingly, has strong opinions about the wage, the work force. He's in Washington -- or -- and Washington, rather.

(LAUGHTER)

PHILLIPS: The culture in Washington, shall we say. And he joins me live from New York.

Lou, you and I were just talking a few minutes ago.

And that is what is -- just amazes me. Who can live on $11,000 a year?

LOU DOBBS, CNN ANCHOR: Well, obviously, with -- that would -- it's below the poverty line.

And, really, the issue for me, Kyra, is, the Democrats charged in the campaign last year, focusing on the culture of corruption in Washington, D.C. -- by the way, it is entirely fair to say that some of those Democrats participated in that culture of corruption.

It is time -- and one hopes that this is that time -- Washington to become a culture of conscience, and to begin to look to the well- being of American men and women, who are working hard and trying to sustain themselves and their families.

And for this -- for the United States to have permitted eight pay increases for our Congress over a decade in which we denied an increase in the minimum wage is entirely the wrong thing to have done, both in real terms and the impact it's had on the lives of millions of working Americans.

It is also the wrong symbol to put forward to the American people, and, indeed, the world. Hopefully, today's vote in the House means that that is all about to change.

PHILLIPS: Well, and what's interesting is, Lou, I think, for the average American, they have no idea that Congress could give itself a pay raise, and eight pay raises within the past decade.

DOBBS: Right.

PHILLIPS: It seems absolutely absurd, when you have people that are working hard every day, 40-hours plus, and can't even bring in 11 grand a year.

DOBBS: Well, it also seems, I'm sure, to those very same people, whether they describe themselves as Democrats, Republicans, independents, or simply not involved, it seems a little burdensome for them to have to work eight, 10, 12 hours a day for basically sustenance, while the United States Congress takes a day off to watch an NCAA football game.

It is time for our so-called political elite to begin to understand that their actions are just as -- are far more important than their words. You know, the Democrats claiming this first step is important. And they are to be credited.

But let's remember that 28 states, so disgusted with the United States Congress over that decade, 28 states went ahead and raised the minimum wage within their states above the federal levels, as did Washington, D.C., six states...

PHILLIPS: And how has that worked?

DOBBS: ... in the midterm elections...

PHILLIPS: Has it...

DOBBS: ... through referendum by the people of those states in nearly every instance.

And Washington is following. It is not leading. It is not setting an example, nor a standard, but too often repairing to -- to just failed values and an indifference to the well-being and an indifference to the common good.

PHILLIPS: Well, you know...

DOBBS: Hopefully, that's changing.

PHILLIPS: Well, you know there's been resistance to this. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has said that it's a job killer. You raise the wage, you lose jobs. Give me your reaction to that.

And, then, talk to me about those 28, 29 states that took it upon themselves to -- to raise the minimum wage. And how did it affect those states? I mean, can we pick one out specifically?

DOBBS: Well, let me give you first a reaction...

PHILLIPS: Oregon...

(CROSSTALK)

DOBBS: ... to the Chamber of Commerce.

PHILLIPS: OK.

DOBBS: The Chamber of Commerce is the largest lobbying organization for U.S. multinationals and big business in this country. They purport to represent small business as well. That is a joke.

Small business creates 80 percent of the jobs created in this country. And they are the focal point -- they should be the focal point of what the Chamber of Commerce represents. They are not.

In point of fact, the Chamber of Commerce is nothing more than another lobbying organization, spending over $2 billion lobbying our 435 congressmen, 100 senators, and the president and his staff. They are the kind of people that need to be pushed back in Washington. And, hopefully, this Congress will do it.

And the results, by the way, have been, in every state that has raised the minimum wage, they have got a booming economy. And all of that claptrap and nonsense about, it's a business killer is utterly that, pure nonsense, pure claptrap. And it's time to call out the Chamber of Commerce and every one of the toadies on Capitol Hill who wants to listen to that nonsense.

PHILLIPS: Lou Dobbs, never a dull moment.

I don't want to leave you, but we have got to get to the Hill.

You don't want to miss Lou Dobbs' show, 6:00 p.m. Eastern time.

But we have got to get to the White House. I'm being told, as you...

DOBBS: Go get them.

PHILLIPS: OK.

(LAUGHTER)

PHILLIPS: We have been talking about Democrats, Republicans meeting with the president about the big speech tonight.

Let's listen in to John Boehner.

(JOINED IN PROGRESS)

REP. JOHN BOEHNER (R-OH), HOUSE MAJORITY LEADER: ... at victory in Iraq. And I think that's what the American people want and expect.

SEN. MITCH MCCONNELL (R-KY), MINORITY LEADER: I told the president I thought what he's decided to do is both courageous and correct. The goal in Iraq is to win. And the definition of winning is to have a stable -- a relatively stable country, by Middle Eastern standards, and an ally in the war on terror.

The president and all of us know that what we have been doing has not succeeded. So, it clearly argues for a change in direction. That change in direction he will outline tonight.

The other side, as Leader Boehner has indicated, has no alternative, other than to withdraw. And, as Senator McCain has said on a number of occasions, as a veteran of Vietnam, he said, when we left Vietnam, they wouldn't follow us here.

We know that the war on terror is different. We leave Iraq without finishing the job, they will be back here in the streets of the United States.

So, the fundamental decision to stay on offense and to finish the job, I think, is correct. And we believe the president's heading in the right direction and intend to support him.

BOEHNER: Any questions? Thank you.

PHILLIPS: You have been hearing from Democrats and Republicans, just now from John Boehner, Mitch McConnell, as both parties, representatives from both parties, have been meeting with the president, as he prepares to give his -- give his speech tonight, 9:00 p.m. Eastern time.

Of course, CNN will start special coverage at 7:00 p.m. Eastern time.

If you want to continue to listen to reaction right now from the Republicans, you can go to CNN.com/Pipeline.

We're going to take a quick break -- more from the CNN NEWSROOM straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: New developments concerning military action in Somalia.

Let's head straight to the Pentagon now and Jamie McIntyre.

Jamie, what do you know?

JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SENIOR PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, Don, we have been reporting this week that the U.S. is actively looking for targets in Somalia, following that strike on Sunday night, Monday morning, by a U.S. AC-130 gunship.

CNN has learned that a second strike was ordered yesterday. But the mission was aborted when the targets were lost track of on the ground in Somalia. But this demonstrates the continuing effort that the United States is having in hunting al Qaeda suspects in southern Somalia, around the southern tip of the country.

In addition, a Pentagon official tells CNN that, in the Sunday- Monday strike, eight individuals were killed, according to USS intelligence. And several managed to get away, although some of those are believed to have been badly wounded. Nobody at the Pentagon or in the U.S. government, at this point, is able to confirm the identities of those killed in the strike, although a Pentagon official says that it is believed none of them were -- quote -- "innocent civilians."

Again, the people that were targeted, including several of the people believed to have been connected the 1998 embassy bombings of the U.S. embassy in both Kenya and Tanzania -- but, again, a second strike was apparently ordered yesterday, but then called off when the targets managed to get away -- Don.

LEMON: And, Jamie, correct me if I'm wrong. I think three -- they were looking for three leaders of al Qaeda. They believe that this Fazul Abdullah Mohammed was one of those killed in the first round of attacks.

MCINTYRE: Well, the -- various officials in Somalia have indicated that Mohammed was killed in that first attack. He's the one who is on the FBI's most-wanted list for the embassy bombings.

But U.S. officials have been careful to say that they don't know that's the case. They have not been able to confirm that yet. And, so, they are not saying.

And, of course, they're looking for more than just those three people. They believe that there are many al Qaeda operatives, including some fairly high-level, including the ones you mentioned.

LEMON: All right, Jamie McIntyre at the Pentagon with new information -- thank you, Jamie.

PHILLIPS: Minimum wage, maximum arguing -- as Democrats vow to push through an increase, Republicans gripe that they're being shut out of amendments.

We're expecting a vote this hour -- live coverage in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: When is this story going to end? One more view...

(LAUGHTER)

LEMON: ... oh, no -- of a battle royal, the latest on Rosie, Donald and Barbara. Man, "The View"'s ratings should be really up after all this publicity.

PHILLIPS: Hope they are.

(LAUGHTER)

LEMON: We hope they are.

Plus, we got a new dressing-down from one of the guys who tells us about the worst and best dressed.

Hey, how you doing, A.J.?

A.J. HAMMER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: I'm all right, Don.

And it has seemed like the public feud that was never going to go away. But I'm hopeful. This could, in fact, be the final chapter in the saga of Rosie O'Donnell, Barbara Walters, and Donald Trump.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "THE VIEW")

ROSIE O'DONNELL, CO-HOST: Well, he's at it again. (LAUGHTER)

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

O'DONNELL: How about that, Barbara? You OK, Barbara?

BARBARA WALTERS, CO-HOST: I'm OK, darling. You OK?

O'DONNELL: I'm OK, too.

We're both OK?

WALTERS: OK.

You know...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK.

(LAUGHTER)

O'DONNELL: What can you say about that guy?

WALTERS: That poor, pathetic man.

O'DONNELL: Yes!

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: Yes, that's Barbara and Rosie on "The View" this morning responding to an open letter to Rosie released by Trump yesterday.

In that letter, Trump detailed, one more time, his allegations that Barbara Walters doesn't like Rosie, doesn't want her on "The View." Well, this show of unity this morning also comes after reports of a rift between the two "View" co-hosts over how Barbara has responded to Trump in the past.

Both Barbara and Rosie said that they are moving on. Hopefully, this time, they mean it.

But, Trump, of course, has already responded to today's show with a statement, calling Walters a liar, and saying, "Barbara has become a figurehead dominated by a third-rate comedian."

However, Don, I believe their conviction this morning, when they said, "We're moving on," I believe, by that, they actually did mean it.

LEMON: Oh, well, we will see.

Oh, I'm getting an e-mail from Donald Trump here and Barbara. "Thanks for the publicity," they said.

HAMMER: Yes. LEMON: Yes.

HAMMER: Yes.

LEMON: Yes, right.

(LAUGHTER)

LEMON: All right, well, let's move on from this.

HAMMER: Please, let us move on.

LEMON: If they are going to move on, we will move on.

I hear Mr. Blackwell has come up with his list of the worst and best dressed?

HAMMER: Yes.

This is the 47th year in a row this guy is doing it. Of course, he was the '60s fashion designer known as Mr. Blackwell. And he has snarkily told us throughout the years which celebrities are poorly dressed.

Surprise this year for the worst-place finisher? I don't think so. It's a tie between Britney Spears and Paris Hilton. Blackwell dubbed the two "Screamgirls." He said that they're -- quote -- "two peas in an overexposed pod."

I will give you some others who made it into his acid-tongued hall of shame, Christina Aguilera, Mariah Carey on the list, Lindsay Lohan, Sharon Stone, Tori Spelling, Paula Abdul, and Sandra Oh as well.

Now, for some reason, his best-dressed list never really gets a lot of attention. But I will tell you that his collection of 10 fabulous fashion independents this year range from Angelina Jolie to -- a very timely move here -- Nancy Pelosi -- Don.

LEMON: Oh, very interesting. OK. So do you -- you're not on the list. You're best dressed. I don't know why he didn't do that.

HAMMER: I don't make the list. I don't make the best dressed, the worst dressed list. I'm happy about that.

LEMON: All right. It is awards season right in Hollywood. So I hear we may have our first indicators as to who might be the favorites when it comes to best pictures. I want to know this.

HAMMER: Yes, that's right because yesterday the Directors Guild released their nominations for their achievement in directing award. And this really has become one of the most reliable Oscar indicators going.

The winner of this award has won the Academy Award for best director 52 times out of the last 58 years. And this guy is headlining the field, Martin Scorsese for "The Departed." Now he, very famously has never won an Oscar, but a lot of insiders are saying this could be Martin's year.

And another thing to keep in mind is that around two-thirds of the time the Oscar for best director is given to the person who directs the best picture winner.

Now coming up on "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT," we'll have the stars on Spears. Some of Hollywood's biggest stars telling "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT" what they think Britney Spears has got to do to get her act together and make a comeback. I assure you, they are pulling no punches.

You won't want to miss it on TV's most provocative entertainment news show -- it's "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT." We'll see you at 11:00 p.m. Eastern and Pacific on Headline Prime.

LEMON: All right. I'll watch only if you promise one thing.

HAMMER: Yes, what is that Don?

LEMON: No more Rosie and Donald Trump stories.

HAMMER I'm guessing we're going to be dealing with it tonight. I'm hoping tomorrow night. maybe not.

LEMON: All right. I'll watch anyway. Thanks, A.J.

HAMMER: All right.

PHILLIPS: Thanks for staying with us. I'm Kyra Phillips live at the CNN World Headquarters in Atlanta.

LEMON: I'm Don Lemon. From the Southside of Chicago to the governor's mansion in Massachusetts. The compelling journey of Deval Patrick. We'll let him tell the story right here live in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(BUSINESS HEADLINES)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Get this, in the bluest of states, Republicans sat in the governor's chair for 16 straight years, but then Massachusetts elected Deval Patrick.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: Deval L. Patrick, admit the governor.

LEMON (voice-over): This short walk down the steps of the Massachusetts State House is a defining moment, not only for the state, but for the man who will run it, Democrat Deval L. Patrick, the first African American governor of Massachusetts.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I.

GOV. DEVAL PATRICK (D), MASSACHUSETTS: I.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Deval L. Patrick.

PATRICK: Deval L. Patrick

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do solemnly swear.

PATRICK: Do solemnly swear.

LEMON: He made those promises on a Bible given to a founding father John Quincy Adams by African slaves brought over on the Amistad who Adams had helped to free.

PATRICK: The Amistad was not just a black man's journey. It was an American journey. This commonwealth and the nation modeled on it, is at its best when we show that we understand a faith in what's possible and a willingness to work for it.

LEMON: Working for it appears to be Patrick's strong suit. He grew up poor on the Southside of Chicago, sharing a single bedroom with his mother and sister. He says his life changed after his mother dragged him to hear Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at a city park.

PATRICK: I have been supported and loved and lifted up, and I thank the family, the mentors, the teachers, every one of whom is here today in body or in spirit.

LEMON: With the guidance of a strong mother and mentors, Patrick went on to make grades good enough to earn a scholarship that took him to a Massachusetts-based academy and then on to Harvard where he graduated with honors and now to governor.

PATRICK: For every one of God's children who calls Massachusetts home, let's rebuild this city on the hill and make it shine again. God bless our work and God bless you all. Thank you so much.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: And Deval Patrick's inaugural speech spoke of American ideals and Massachusetts' role in shaping them. Now the governor joins us to discuss his role in shaping the state in the years to come.

Got to ask you this question. Did you ever think growing up poor on the Southside of Chicago sharing a room with your mom and sister that you would ever become the governor of any state?

PATRICK: You know, I was very, I was very blessed to grow up in a family where they never trimmed our sails. They never clipped our wings. I remember talking about wanting to go to college. No one in my family had ever gone to college.

In fact, my sister, who is a year older, was the first one in the family to finish high school. But no one ever discouraged us and said that that was beyond our capacity, as my grandmother used to say, to hope for and to work for. LEMON: Yes, and you what? There was -- saying that, it reminded me. There was just a recent study that said that education helps more than racism when it comes to survival, that if you're educated, then you can easily overcome or at least have more of a chance to overcome racism and other obstacles.

PATRICK: Well, I think education has certainly transformed my life. It's one of the reasons why I want to make it a centerpiece of our government initiatives here in Massachusetts.

But, you know, one of the things that I think is so key beyond what governments can do to support excellent education and consistently so in every neighborhood, which is so key, is at home in families having high expectations of kids, as well. That counts too.

LEMON: Let's talk about what this means for African-Americans. Let's talk about what it means for the country, because we all know the history of the country. Bill Clinton has spoken very highly of you. Barack Obama has campaigned for you. And even yesterday, in his speech talking about Iraq, Senator Edward Kennedy talked about you and some of the trials you went through with campaign ads similar to Harold Ford.

Let's take a listen and we'll talk about it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. EDWARD KENNEDY (D), MASSACHUSETTS: In my state of Massachusetts, we have an absolutely spectacular governor with Deval Patrick. And he was subjected to the most vicious, racist campaign. Not only did Deval Patrick handle this with enormous dignity and restraint and patience, which defied all -- any, I think, normal politician's ability to do so, but the state rejected it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Now, let's talk about that. You got Representative James Clyburn, who is now the majority whip.

PATRICK: Yes.

LEMON: You've got Georgia Representative John Lewis -- a number of men -- and then you have the surge of Barack Obama. A number of African-American men this year, or at least last year, making their mark in politics. What do you think this means for the country and maybe as far as tolerance when it comes to America?

PATRICK: Well, you know what? I think above everything and all else, all over the country, certainly here in Massachusetts, people are hungry for leadership. They are -- and they're willing to take a chance on leadership that lifts them up, that is more hopeful, that is about a more positive vision of our future and isn't about trying to build yourself up by tearing other people down.

And I think if you're willing to bring that kind of message forward, as we did here in Massachusetts, people will look past all kinds of differences. You know, Don, if I can just make this point, we ran a very grassroots campaign. It was about asking people who had checked out to check back in.

LEMON: Yes.

PATRICK: And they did in scores and they did it because of a positive message and we weren't going to break faith with that.

LEMON: We're going to talk to you about that, because, you know, you're kind of in a honeymoon period. But I want to say, you know, Senator Barack Obama, the "New York Times" ran an editorial -- not an editorial, an article a short time ago about Senator Barack Obama and the perfection factor.

And there was one man who wrote from Tufts University, Jeffrey Berry, who said, "I've never seen a governor who has had such high expectations of him as Deval Patrick. Democrats regard him as something of a demigod. They expect him to be able to leap tall buildings in a single bound and pay for social services."

Can you live up to this? Can anyone live up to this sort of belief? Democrats think you're a demigod.

PATRICK: You know what? I will tell you it's -- the hyperbole aside, I don't think that's exactly what the experience has been in Massachusetts. What I ask people to do is not so much raise their expectations of me as a candidate or as their governor, but to raise their expectations of themselves.

LEMON: Yes.

PATRICK: And that's what people responded to. You know, people appreciate that the challenges we're facing took a long time to develop into the kinds of challenges they are and they will take awhile to solve and to respond to.

LEMON: All right.

PATRICK: Not instant solutions or gimmicks and slogans. But we know the direction we're heading.

LEMON: I want to make sure I get to this, because, you know, as soon as you take off, this honeymoon is over. You inherited a $1 billion budget deficit. You're battling to put into effect your state's complicated health insurance program.

PATRICK: Yes.

LEMON: But, yet, you restored $383 million in emergency budget cuts imposed by the former governor, Mitt Romney. And then you got criticized for your inauguration, $1 million plus on that. Your response?

PATRICK: Well, first of all, the inauguration was paid for privately by companies and individuals who wanted us to be able to do something different, which was to bring the inauguration out of the State House and out to people and let people who participated in this extraordinary and historic grassroots campaign participate in the formal transfer of power. And it was a very positive thing.

LEMON: Yes.

PATRICK: We did restore those budget cuts because we believe we have the revenues to meet those obligations this year. But when I did, I was very cautious in letting people know we may not be able to sustain these going forward.

We've got a structural problem here that has been put off for a long time that we have inherited and we need to deal with this in administration, and I intend to.

LEMON: OK, we're running out of time, and I just want to know, yes or no. Are you still open to the possibility of casino gambling in Massachusetts?

PATRICK: It's a tough one, but what I've said is I will take my time and listen to both sides. I've spent more time, frankly, with the opponents than I have the proponents, and I owe them a hearing and to do my homework. And then I'll make the best judgment in the best interests of all the people of Massachusetts.

LEMON: Deval Patrick, the first African-American governor elected since Reconstruction here in the United States. Thank you so much for joining us in the NEWSROOM.

PATRICK: Don, thank you so much for having me.

PHILLIPS: Jacqui Jeras has a check of the forecast and explains why some of us had such a warm 2006. That's coming up next here in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Well, for some of us, this has been a pretty mild winter so far. Not surprising after the past year, right, Jacqui?

(WEATHER REPORT)

LEMON: When we come right back, special honors for the First Lady of Song. Don't go anywhere. You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(MUSIC)

PHILLIPS: Good choice, Otis. The First Lady of Song graces the first new postage stamp of 2007. Ella Fitzgerald is the 30th face of the Black Heritage Commemorative Series. Her stamp was unveiled in a ceremony at the New York Lincoln Center and goes on sale today nationwide.

The image is based on a 1956 photo that the Postal Service says captures the joy and excitement that Fitzgerald brought to music. LEMON: She's good. I could listen to her all day.

The closing bell and the wrap of the action on Wall Street straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Time now to check in with CNN's Wolf Blitzer.

PHILLIPS: Standing by in the sit room to tell us what's coming up at the top of the hour.

Hey, Wolf.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Hi, guys.

Thanks very much.

Tonight the president will tell the American people that the current Iraq war strategy is simply not working. That's what a senior administration official told me and other news anchors during a briefing over at the White House earlier today.

Coming up, we'll have more details in advance of the president's speech.

Also, the families of many American troops will be listening closely to what the president says. We'll introduce to you one parent whose son died in Iraq. He has some very strong opinions on sending more American troops into harm's way.

Also having strong thoughts on the president's plan are many military commanders. Our Jamie McIntyre is gauging just how much Pentagon officials are on board.

And former counselor to Vice President Dick Cheney Mary Matalin, she's is another person who will be closely watching and listening. I'll speak with Mary Matalin about whether or not President Bush has a credibility problem when it comes to Iraq.

All that, guys, coming up in the "SITUATION ROOM".

PHILLIPS: Thanks, Wolf.

Well, the closing bell is about to ring on Wall Street.

LEMON: Susan Lisovicz with a final look at the trading day.

(MARKET REPORT)

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