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American Morning

Bush Defends New Iraq Strategy; Democrats Oppose Sending More Troops Into Battle

Aired January 11, 2007 - 07:00   ET

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

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR, AMERICAN MORNING: And Bob Franken, who is reporting for us from Fort Benning, Georgia. Andrea Koppel is on Capitol Hill. And Kathleen Koch is at the Pentagon. Let's begin with Elaine.
Good morning.

ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT, AMERICAN MORNING: Good morning to you, Soledad.

Well, President Bush certainly has unveiled new Iraq strategies before. But last night while acknowledging Americans are running out of patience, the president tried making his case for why he believes this plan will be different.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

QUIJANO (voice over): Just months after insisting that the U.S. was winning in Iraq, President Bush conceded sectarian violence has overwhelmed Iraq's political progress. And admitted his strategy must change.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The situation in Iraq is unacceptable to the American people. And it is unacceptable to me. Where mistakes have been made, the responsibility rests with me.

QUIJANO: Nearly four years into the war, the president offered a candid assessment of some mistakes, noting what he believes went wrong in previous failed efforts to pacify Baghdad.

BUSH: There were not enough Iraqi and American troops to secure neighborhoods that had been cleared of terrorist and insurgents and too many restrictions on the troops we did have.

QUIJANO: But the president said those mistakes have been addressed and said Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki promised not to tolerate sectarian or political interference. As expected, President Bush announced he will send more than 20,000 additional U.S. troops to Iraq, with a goal of Iraqi forces taking over security for their country by November.

BUSH: Our troops will have a well-defined mission to help Iraqis clear and secure neighborhoods, to protect the local population and to help ensure the Iraqi forces left behind are capable of providing the security Baghdad needs. QUIJANO: The president sought to cast this latest plan as an Iraqi initiative that includes meeting political and security benchmarks. Mr. Bush said he made clear to the Maliki government that America's commitment is not open ended, but set no timetables.

BUSH: If the Iraqi government does not follow through on its promises, it will lose the support of the American people.

QUIJANO: After years of appealing to Americans for patience, the president said there would be no quick end to the bloodshed.

BUSH: Even if our new strategy works exactly as planned, deadly acts of violence will continue, and we must expect more Iraqi and American casualties.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

QUIJANO: And President Bush will now try building public support for the plan. Later today he will head to Fort Benning, Georgia -- Soledad.

S. O'BRIEN: Elaine Quijano at the White House for us this morning. Thanks, Elaine.

Miles.

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR, AMERICAN MORNING: Democrats on the Hill began their opposition to the president's plan even before he revealed it. Today they will get to grill key members of the administration. CNN's Andrea Koppel live on Capitol Hill with a preview.

Hello, Andrea.

ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT, AMERICAN MORNING: Hi there, Miles.

Just one week after taking over control of the gavel, Democrats sought to present a united front, and told President Bush that they would not support his new plan on Iraq.

SEN. DICK DURBIN, (D) MAJORITY WHIP: Troops are not enough to end this civil war in Iraq. And there are too many lives to put at risk. He didn't address that particular issue. I don't think very many people dispute the fact that this is a civil war, one that finds its roots in 14th centuries of sectarian strife.

KOPPEL: Later today in the House and in the Senate, Democrats will kick off the first of a series of hearings they expect to hold on Iraq. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and the new Secretary of Defense Bob Gates will be up on the witness stand, basically, giving their testimony.

They can expect to get much more of a grilling than they had a short time ago. We know for a fact in a joint statement House and Senate Democratic leaders said that, quote, "Escalating our military involvement in Iraq sends precisely the wrong message and we oppose it. We will demand answers to the tough questions that have not been asked, or answered to date. The American people want a change of course in Iraq. We intend to keep pressuring President Bush to provide it."

Now, of course, the biggest difference now versus just a few months ago, Miles, is even though you have Republican leaders who are standing side by side with President Bush, you have increasingly more Republican rank-and-file who are not just opposing the president, but who are also basically remaining noncommittal about what he is doing in Iraq now, Miles.

M. O'BRIEN: Andrea Koppel on the Hill. Thank you.

So, what will Democrats in Congress do now that the Bush plan is out in the open? We will talk live at the bottom of the hour with Senator Carl Levin, chairman of the Armed Services Committee.

S. O'BRIEN: Jury selection begins today in the trial of Brian Nichols. You'll remember he is accused of killing four people, including a judge, during a courthouse rampage, in Atlanta, back in March of 2005. CNN's Thomas Roberts is live for us this morning at Fulton Courthouse with more.

Good morning.

THOMAS ROBERTS, CNN CORRESPONDENT, AMERICAN MORNING: Soledad, good morning to you.

It is forecast to it be a long process to seat the 12 jurors and the six alternates; 3500 people have been summoned to come here today. The first of several hundred are expected to fill out the questionnaires on their knowledge of this case. If they lived in Atlanta in the past two years, it will be hard not to know the story of Brian Nichols.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ROBERTS (voice over): On the morning of March 11, 2005, Brian Nichols was in custody in Atlanta for retrial on rape charges. But on his way to the courtroom he broke free and allegedly went on a killing spree that lasted 26 traumatic hours.

Nichols was being moved from a holding room when police say he overpowered a sheriff's deputy and took her gun. Police say Nichols then burst into a crowded courtroom opening fire killing a judge and a court reporter. While trying to get away, police say Nichols shot and killed a sheriff's deputy Hoyt Teasley (ph).

Later that day, a U.S. Immigration and Customs agent was shot and killed and his truck stolen. That night, Nichols managed to hide out in a house belonging to Ashley Smith. Police say that Nichols approached her in her parking lot and took her hostage. During the next several hours, the pair formed an unlikely bond. Smith said she was able to gain the trust of Nichols by talking about religion and family. ASHLEY SMITH, ALLEGED HOSTAGE: He said he thought I was an angel sent from God, and that I was his sister, he was my brother in Christ. And that he was lost and God led him right to me.

ROBERTS: The next morning Nichols allowed Smith to leave the apartment and she called 911. Authorities arrived at the house a short time later and Nichols surrendered by waving a white towel.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROBERTS: It's important to point out this is a death penalty case. Many people have said that it's going to be hard to find people that don't have some sort of opinion about his guilt, but most importantly they want to try and find people who don't have a solid opinion about the death penalty.

Soledad, this morning things are expected to start at the courthouse. We've been warned not to show any of the people walking in because the judge is putting down some strict rules surrounding this case.

S. O'BRIEN: I would imagine, Thomas, they are also putting down some very strict rules about security. What's changed this time around?

ROBERTS: That's a great point. There had been hearings, that we should point out, that have taken place over the last several months, where Brian Nichols has been in court. They have gone through this. They are pretty well versed. Security has changed significantly. Only one security person was with Nichols that morning when all of this started. So, of course, they have updated that.

Also important to point out, Soledad, this case forecast to cost about $2 million to the taxpayers of Fulton County for Brian Nichols defense.

S. O'BRIEN: Thomas Roberts for us this morning. Thanks for the update.

Miles.

M. O'BRIEN: A new report out this morning giving some hope for people with kidney cancer. Two new drugs showing some promise. Researchers found Suttan (ph) and Nexavar (ph) delay the growth of kidney cancer by three to six months. And 30,000 Americans are diagnosed with the disease every year. The report in the "New England Journal of Medicine".

And cancer survivor and cycling god Lance Armstrong is blasting politicians for not doing enough to fight the nation's number two killer. In a column he penned for CNN.com, Armstrong wrote in part, "Our candidates did not mention the decrease in funding for programs that provide information and screening to people who need these services. I think this is unwise, but it's what our government has done this past year." Lance Armstrong is part of a special that's Sanjay Gupta is working on. He's here to tell us about the amazing reaction to that Armstrong column.

Good morning, Sanjay.

SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT, AMERICAN MORNING: Good morning, Miles.

Yes, we have been working with Lance for some time for this cancer special called "Saving Your Life." We invited him to pen a column, as you mentioned, for CNN.com.

Really had no idea how much of a response we would get, over 1 million responses. Thousands of people writing in; a lot of people sending in I-Reports as well. Just remarkable. But I think it speaks volumes about the fact it's tapping into something that a lot of people care a great deal about.

Now he's talked about the fact that we have to hold our political leaders accountable. There are a lot of leaders have an intimate relationship with cancer because they have had cancer, or their family members have had cancer. We know several of these people. Rudy Giuliani, John Kerry are both survivors of prostate cancer; Sam Brownback, John McCain both survivors of skin cancer.

Also, you have Senator Barack Obama's mother died of uterine cancer. Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack lost his adopted mother to cancer. John Edwards and Mike Huckabee's also have relatives with cancer. John Edwards wife came out and spoke very publicly about her breast cancer.

So a lot of people talking about breast cancer, yet all kinds of cancer, and yet the funding for cancer has gone down. Between 2005 and 2006, Lance talks about this, it actually dropped $40 million, in terms of overall cancer funding. It is expected to drop again, about that much between 2006 and 2007.

While we're on the subject of numbers, what stuns me is that you actually look at how much money we can save overall as a country if you look at preventive screening. Colon cancer, if caught early, the testing and the early treatment costs about $2,000. If it is caught late, it costs about $250,000. That's per patient.

And that does not speak anything about the fact that you have to go through aggressive treatments that can be debilitating to someone as well. So there's the money factor, there's the obvious treatment factor. There's a lot of factors that people are talking about. So, you know, Lance talks about this one when we put this together. Here's how he put it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LANCE ARMSTRONG, CANCER SURVIVOR, ATHLETE: 2008 is a very interesting year, politically speaking. And if I could just sum it up in one phrase, I would just say make cancer a national priority. Engage the leaders of this country, both the ones we have in place now and also the future leaders. Just remind them if it's me saying it or if it's all the way down to a local level, grassroots level, people saying I care about this disease, a disease that's quickly becoming the number one killer in this country.

We have to focus on it, we have to refocus. And, of course, 35, 36 years later after Nixon declares war people become complacent, but we have to, again, reenergize, refocus, and restart the war.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GUPTA: Obviously it's a question of personal responsibility to a great deal. But we also have to hold our leaders accountable when it comes to this, in terms of fighting this war, that claims so many hundreds of thousands of lives every year, Miles.

M. O'BRIEN: All right, Sanjay. Thank you very much. We look forward to seeing that report. Lance Armstrong will join Sanjay this special report this weekend, "Saving Your Life", Saturday and Sunday night, 8 Eastern. Right here on CNN -- Soledad.

S. O'BRIEN: Ahead this morning, the Siberian express. Arctic air heading south. Severe Weather Expert Chad Myer has the forecast straight ahead.

And is this the future of the U.S. Military? A robotics competition that could save U.S. lives. A look, straight ahead on AMERICAN MORNING, the most news in the morning is right here on CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

S. O'BRIEN: Top headlines this morning: Reports of U.S. troops on the ground in Somalia. American and Somali officials say a small team of special forces is there hunting Al Qaeda suspects.

An Afghanistan NATO is reporting that forces there's killed 150 insurgents. Coming up, on a quarter past the hour, a time for a check of the "Travelers Forecast" from Chad.

(WEATHER REPORT)

M. O'BRIEN: With all this talk about troop escalation in Iraq, perhaps what we need are a few good robots. Here's Jacki Schechner to tell us about the DARPA Grand Challenge.

Hello, Jacki.

JACKI SCHECHNER, CNN CORRESPONDENT, AMERICAN MORNING: Yes, hello.

The Department of Defense has its research and development arm, called DARPA. And what they are trying to find out is whether or not they can find some technology that will get vehicles that can drive on their own. No driver or remote control, they use sensors to feel their way around. The idea would be that maybe you could save lives with the IED, or the improvised explosive device, being the insurgents' weapon of choice, maybe you could send a convoy into a dangerous area and not have to risk the lives of a driver. So one of the ways that they're doing this, is they have this DARPA Grand Challenge. They did the first one in 2004. They had 15 vehicles that tried to go 142 miles in the desert, none of them made it.

M. O'BRIEN: Yes, they didn't do so well. I remember that one.

SCHECHNER: They did it again in 2005. They had a little more success; they had four that actually made the 132-mile trek in the desert, and they finished in under 10 hours. It was a vehicle called Stanley from Stanford. And this isn't cheap. They won $2 million for that.

M. O'BRIEN: Not bad.

SCHECHNER: So, they're doing it again, now in November of 2007. What they are doing is they're changing this from a desert course to an urban course. They figured they have now proved they can get across the desert, but convoys will most likely start and end in an urban environment. So they will have to traverse some 60 miles worth of track, so to speak, not necessarily laid out, but 60 miles total, in less than six hours.

M. O'BRIEN: You know, it's really a complicated problem. It's not like somebody with a joy stick is driving these things. These robots have to think on their own and know when to make the right turn and to avoid somebody that might be in the way.

SCHECHNER: They have to do all of this in navigation. This is technology that then, the government has the nonexclusive rights to. They can implement it. They said that some of this past technology has been used in Kosovo, in Bosnia, in Afghanistan, and in Iraq.

M. O'BRIEN: But probably a while before we see this on the front lines?

SCHECHNER: Oh, absolutely. But there is a congressional mandate that says that they have to have one-third of ground combat vehicles unmanned by 2015. So they are actively working to get these technologies in place.

M. O'BRIEN: All right, thank you, Jacki.

SCHECHNER: Any time.

M. O'BRIEN: Jacki Schechner.

Coming up, minimum wage earners may soon get a $2-an-hour raise, thanks to Congress. But what's being done to help small businesses with the pay hike? We're "Minding Your Business".

Plus she's the pride of Australia. We catch up with little Bindi Irwin, eight-year-old daughter of the Crocodile Hunter, is coming to America. Stay with us for more AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

M. O'BRIEN: In Atlanta, prospective jurors report to the Fulton County Courthouse today for the murder trial of Brian Nichols. Turns out that is the scene of the crime. Nichols is accused of a wild escape, deadly shootout and police chase all ending in a hostage situation, in 2005, which began in that courthouse.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice testifies about the new plan for Iraq on Capitol Hill today. We will hear from her in a news conference in the 8:00 Eastern hour of AMERICAN MORNING -- Soledad.

S. O'BRIEN: The daughter of Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin is carrying on the legacy of her late father. Eight-year-old Bindi Irwin is touring the U.S. this week, promoting her new TV show. AMERICAN MORNING's Chris Lawrence has a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT, AMERICAN MORNING (voice over): The daughter of Australia's Crocodile Hunter is taking her first steps in her father's shoes. Eight-year-old Bindi Irwin became instantly recognizable after delivering a brave eulogy at her father Steve Irwin's memorial service, televised around the world.

BINDI IRWIN, DAUGHTER OF CROCODILE HUNTER STEVE IRWIN: I don't want Daddy's passion to ever end. I want to help endangered wildlife just like he did.

LAWRENCE: Now Bindi and her mother, Terry, are launching a 10- day tour of America. They will be appearing on television talk shows and give speeches all over the country.

KAREN STERNHEIMER, SOCIOLOGIST: It's a lot of pressure, I think, especially coming off the death of her father, very sudden and tragic. It's a lot of expectations for someone very young.

LAWRENCE: Steve Irwin took great risk to get close to and learn more about animals.

STEVE IRWIN, LATE CROCODILE HUNTER: It's an alligator, Larry.

LARRY KING, CNN ANCHOR, LARRY KING LIVE: What's the difference?

IRWIN: Big difference, mate. You know what, but you're in no danger because he's not in the S position.

LAWRENCE: Bindi's tour coincides with the release of the ocean documentary her father was filming in September, when a stingray barb pierced his heart and killed him. Bindi wants to pick up where her father left off.

(on camera): But experts say it's important for the adults around her to let Bindi develop her own style, not try to bring Steve Irwin back to life. B. IRWIN: This is Humphrey. He's a bison. Did you know that bison are one of the biggest land animals in America?

LAWRENCE: By informing and entertaining others, Bindi Irwin may be healing from her father's death while carrying on his life's work. Chris Lawrence, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

S. O'BRIEN: Bindi, and her mom Terry Irwin, are going to join Larry King tonight. Be sure to watch that tonight at 9:00 p.m. Eastern Time -- Miles.

M. O'BRIEN: The Senate is ready to consider a bill that would increase the minimum wage, but what does it mean for small businesses? It is now 25 minutes past the hour. Stephanie Elam, "Minding Your Business"

Good morning, Stephanie.

STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN FINANCIAL CORRESPONDENT, AMERICAN MORNING: Hi, Miles.

This is definitely what we're looking at. The House has already overwhelmingly past their version that would lift the minimum wage by $2.10, lifting it up to $7.25 an hour, over 26 months. Obviously, this is one of the main topics that the Congress wants to look at when it comes to this.

Now, it would affect 6 million workers, and about 4 percent of the work force. But the House version does not include tax breaks that will ease the strain that this will add on small businesses. The White House has said they will support raising the minimum wage, as long as it does include some tax breaks for small businesses.

This could directly affect certain businesses, such as restaurants, would actually definitely be affected by this. And also look to find tax breaks that actually hire low-income workers. So those companies that do that, these tax breaks could really help them out there.

The Senate Democrats also say they want to add small business tax packages to close some of those loopholes. They are looking at finding a way to give some breaks of about $8 to $10 billion to that would take affect over 10 years to help out these businesses that do, do this.

The final minimum wage package will actually be worked out in negotiations between both sides of Congress. So the House and Senate will come together on that.

In the next hit, we will take a look at how that is going to directly affect Wal-Mart and the restaurant industry. Miles, back to you.

M. O'BRIEN: All right, thank you very much, Stephanie. Soledad.

S. O'BRIEN: Top stories of the morning are coming up including a vaccine debate. Should all girls be vaccinated to prevent cervical cancer? Surprising answers in different states, this morning.

And weighing in on obesity. What companies are doing to fight a costly epidemic. You are watching AMERICAN MORNING, the most news in the morning is right here.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

S. O'BRIEN: More troops, more money, President Bush laying out his plan to send more than 20,000 additional troops to Iraq. Democratic leaders of Congress are already firing back.

M. O'BRIEN: From the front lines, we hear from troops who will be making the sacrifices. Emotional reaction to the president's plan.

S. O'BRIEN: And we'll tell you why your employer might be taking an active interest in your health. It's all about the bottom line, yours and theirs, on this AMERICAN MORNING.

M. O'BRIEN: Good morning to you. Thursday, January 11th. I'm Miles O'Brien.

S. O'BRIEN: And I'm Soledad O'Brien. Thanks for being with us.

M. O'BRIEN: Happening this morning: The White House planning a full-court press today to buttress the president's speech. At 8:45 Eastern, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Defense Secretary Robert Gates and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Peter Pace will field questions from reporters. We'll have it for you here on AMERICAN MORNING live, of course.

Later, they'll face more questions from lawmakers on Capitol Hill. You will see that as well on CNN.

The race to succeed President Bush getting a little more crowded today. Senator Chris Dodd has dropped his hat in the ring. The Connecticut Democrat made the announcement this morning. Will you hear from Dodd, himself, this afternoon on CNN's "The Situation Room" with Wolf Blitzer.

And the results are in from Briny Breezes, Florida. Drum roll, please. Folks who live in that trailer park by the sea, have voted overwhelmingly to take the cash and run. Developers offered them a half billion dollars for the land. Residents will look for a new place to live with about a million bucks burning a hole in their pockets.

(NEWSBREAK)

S. O'BRIEN: Inside the military, there's lots of debate over the president's plan to send 20,000 more troops into Iraq. Whether that will work and whether that's enough troops.

CNN's Kathleen Koch is at the Pentagon for us this morning.

Good morning, Kathleen.

KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Soledad.

Everyone here certainly knows this won't be easy. One Pentagon source describing the mood saying it's like taking a deep breath before you take that roller coaster ride. But their job here is to follow orders, and that's what they're going to do.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KOCH: The bottom line, 21,500 more U.S. troops will be serving in Iraq. Five brigades will be sent to Baghdad with the first to arrive within a week.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRES. OF THE UNITED STATES: These troop also work alongside Iraqi units, and be embedded in their formations.

KOCH: Four-thousand Marines will be sent to Anbar province. Some of the increases will be new deployments. Other forces will see their tours of duty extended. Iraqis forces are expected to up their force levels as well, three new Iraqi brigades, or just over 10,000 troops, are due to be deployed in Baghdad. One in place by February 1st, the other two by the middle of the month.

There will also be a shift in responsibilities. Iraqi will take the lead. U.S. troops, under U.S. command, will support them. In Baghdad specifically there will be an overall Iraqi commander with two deputies and a commander for each of the nine districts in the city. A U.S. Army battalion of 400 to 600 troop also work closely with the Iraqi forces in each district. The U.S. forces will live in the neighborhoods they help to protect, and no area will be off limits. In other words, no safe havens for insurgents or those carrying out sectarian violence.

BUSH: In earlier operations, political and sectarian interference prevented Iraqi and American forces going into neighborhoods that are home to those fueling the sectarian violence. This time, Iraqi and American force also have a green light to enter those neighborhoods.

KOCH: The expectation that Baghdad will be stable by summer. U.S. troops would then pull back to areas outside the Capitol with Iraqis in control of security in all 18 provinces by November.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KOCH: The first to be in will be the 82nd Airborne already in Kuwait, then the 4th Brigade of the 1st Infantry Division coming from Fort Riley, Kansas. There'll be going in two weeks earlier than planned. Soledad, just the first of many tough change force service members and their families.

S. O'BRIEN: Kathleen Koch at the Pentagon for us this morning. Thanks, Kathleen. And in fact, President Bush is hitting the road to start selling his new plan for Iraq. He's going to meet today with troops and their families at Ft. Benning in Georgia. Some of the additional troops going to Iraq will be from that base.

AMERICAN MORNING's Bob Franken is there this morning.

Good morning, Bob.

BOB FRANKEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning.

And we're being told, by the way, that there should be some deployments to Iraq in April from here, part of the same group that was going from Ft. Stewart, Georgia and others, particularly with the president's announcement. The president is coming here. He's going to be meeting with families of some of those who suffered losses in Iraq.

It's important to remember that although there's been a lot of attention on opposition to the war in Iraq recently, the president still has supporters, strong supporters, including among those who have the most important personal investment.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BUSH: Now is the time to act.

FRANKEN (voice-over): They are avid supporters of the president, so David and Debra Tainsh's reaction to his speech last night was no surprise.

DAVID TAINSH, FATHER OF FALLEN SOLDIER: I support him 100 percent on what he said tonight, I supported him 100 percent when he sent my son to war, and I still support him 100 percent even though my son died over there.

FRANKEN (on camera): And those are his medals, right?

(voice-over): Their son, 33-year-old Army sergeant Patrick Tainsh, was killed by a roadside bomb near the Baghdad Airport almost three years ago.

TAINSH: Not a day goes by that I don't think about him.

FRANKEN: But unlike many who share their indescribable pain, they say their loss has strengthened their support for the war, and the president. Unlike many others who now believe their loved ones lives were lost in a war that's a folly.

DEBORAH TAINSH, MOTHER OF FALLEN SOLDIER: It was not a folly, and we have to have stabilization in that part of the country now. And even if it were a folly, we are there now. We can't keep looking to the past. We've got to look at where we are now.

FRANKEN: Later today, David and Debra Tainsh will come to Ft. Benning, and drive past the young soldiers who are in training now, many of whom will soon go to combat in Iraq. They'll be among those having a private meeting with President Bush.

DAVID TAINSH: I'm going to tell him that I support him 100 percent, that I will back him in any way possible that I can.

DEBORAH TAINSH: And I'm going to say, Mr. President, we by no means blame you for the death of our son.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FRANKEN: And it's well documented that many who have had losses to the war in Iraq do blame President Bush. It is a very, very bitter controversy among those, and it is one among people who are trying to make sense of their grief -- Soledad.

S. O'BRIEN: Bob Franken for us this morning. Thank you, Bob.

Ahead, we will talk to Senator Carl Levin. He is of course the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee. And if you smoke, if you're overweight, we'll you what your company wants to do to help you.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta will join us with an explanation of how healthy employees can save businesses a bundle.

Plus, words that changed a nation, more of my special report, special series, on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

This morning, his Nobel acceptance speech in his own handwriting.

You're watching AMERICAN MORNING. The most news in the morning is right here on CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

M. O'BRIEN: Well, the president has spoken, and his plan for escalating the war in Iraq is out there for the world to see, and for Democrats in Congress to pick apart. So how will they respond?

The chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Carl Levin, joining us now from Washington, senator from Michigan.

Good to have you back with us on the program, senator.

SEN. CARL LEVIN (D), MICHIGAN: Good to be with you, Miles.

M. O'BRIEN: I want to share with you a brief excerpt of the speech. Let's listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BUSH: To step back now would force a collapse of the Iraqi government, tear the country apart, and result in mass killings on an unimaginable scale.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

M. O'BRIEN: The president saying if troops were to come home now, bad things would happen. What do you say to that?

LEVIN: Well, first of all, he's increasing the number of troops. It's not a matter of withdrawing now, it's a matter of he wants to plunge us deeper into this quagmire.

M. O'BRIEN: But the alternative...

LEVIN: But all of the events that he's talking about there in terms of bloodshed is what's going on now. We are seeing huge violence in Iraq there, greater and greater violence, and that's the course that he's been on, which is looking for a military solution to what is a political problem. That's the big flaw in his policy.

M. O'BRIEN: But if troops were to start coming home, couldn't that make matters much worse in Iraq, and perhaps cause the entire what amounts to a civil war there, to broaden into something much more ominous, much more regional?

LEVIN: Well, the problem is that unless you tell the Iraqis that this commitment of ours is not open ended and mean it, not just say, finally, as the president did after all these years, that it's not an open-ended commitment, but to act that way, which means to force the Iraqis to take responsibility for their own future. And the only way they're going to do this and solve the political problems, is if we tell them the commitment is not open-ended, and mean it, and mean it by saying, folks, we are going to begin to withdraw some troops -- not all our troops, but some troops -- beginning in four to six months. Now that's what we proposed last June.

But that's not the issue now. The issue now, Miles, is whether we're going to increase troops and put them right in the middle of a civil war. That's what the president is proposing. There's very little support for that in the public. And I believe the majority of Congress opposes adding more troops and putting them right in the middle of a civil war.

M. O'BRIEN: Let's -- I want to share with you a comment from Joe Lieberman, Democrat/independent, who said this: "It's a dangerous illusion to believe that we can depart Iraq and the inevitable killing fields and terrorist violence will not follow us in retreat -- even to our own shores."

In other words, the point is, it would make us unsafe if we were to leave Iraq.

LEVIN: It's unsafe now and getting more unsafe on the course that we're on, which is the president's course, which is that there is somehow or other is a military solution in Iraq, putting more military forces in, bringing on more of the terrorists to attack us. This is the course we're on now. We're either going to change course or get in deeper. It's one or the other. The American people voted to change course. They don't want to get us in deeper.

The president, instead of telling the Iraqis that they've got to adopt milestones, but mean it, by putting some oomph behind it, some pressure behind it, by telling the Iraqis, folks, this is your country, you're going to decide whether or not you're going to reach a political settlement, we can not do that for you, and after three-and- a-half years plus, we're going to have to begin in a reasonable period of time, such as four to six months down the road, to reduce our presence here to force you to do what only you can do.

The present course is a disastrous course, getting in deeper is a greater disastrous course. Everybody wants to succeed in Iraq, obviously. The president's course is not the road to success.

M. O'BRIEN: Let's talk about some specifics about what might happen in Congress. We have been hear being are nonbinding resolutions. And "The Wall Street Journal" took you specifically to task on this notion this morning. I'm sure you've seen this. We'll share it with our viewers. Senator Levin "threatening a legislative cap on the number of troops in Iraq if Mr. Bush doesn't start a significant drawdown of U.S. forces in Iraq later this year. We'll bet Mr. Levin never has the political nerve to follow through on anything, but TV soundbite criticism."

Will there truly be some teeth put into this Democratic opposition?

LEVIN: First of all, it's not just a Democratic opposition. Republicans are speaking out against the president's proposal here that we increase troops. I know that some of the people who support the president want to make this into a Democratic opposition. This is the people's opposition to the president's course. And a number of Republicans, I believe, will vote against this course.

I have not read "The Wall Street Journal" editorial. I don't, because I know what they will say in advance about any proposal that disagrees with their particular ideology.

However, I believe if the president -- we can get a majority of people in the Senate, in the House to say that we disagree with adding troops to Iraq, to making the situation even worse than it is now, by putting them right in the middle of Baghdad in the middle of a civil war, if we can get 51 percent of the Congress to at least say that at this point as step one.

And if nothing happens, I, for instance, not only have favored capping the troops, I have voted that way. I have introduced the resolution with Jack Reed (ph), which said that the president should tell the Iraqis that we will begin to reduce troops starting in four to six months.

So I have voted my beliefs, I just hope that all the members of Congress will vote their beliefs as well. Because if they do, I think they're going to reflect last November's voting returns.

M. O'BRIEN: Senator Carl Levin, thanks for your time.

LEVIN: Good to be with you, Miles.

(WEATHER REPORT) S. O'BRIEN: Ahead this morning, do you smoke? Do you carry a few extra pounds? Your company might have something to say about that and want to help.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta will tell us why, and how to.

And then later, words that changed a nation. Dr. Martin Luther King's Nobel acceptance speech in his own handwriting. That's ahead on AMERICAN MORNING. The most news in the morning is right here on CNN.

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S. O'BRIEN: A healthy lifestyle, of course, can help you live longer. It's also cost-effective for your employer. Some companies are going the extra mile to promote a healthy workplace.

Chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta is at the CNN Center in Atlanta with his latest report, "Fit Nation."

Good morning, Sanjay.

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN SR. MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Soledad.

It is a good trend. You're starting to see a lot more of these wellness programs in workplaces. What employers are realizing, Soledad, is that making a little bit of an investment now can save them some money as far as their employees health goes later.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GUPTA (voice-over): Most women get screened for breast cancer in a medical clinic. But Virginia O'Neil, 40 and healthy, kept putting it off.

VIRGINIA O'NEILL, BREAST CANCER SURVIVOR: There was an advertisement on top of the water cooler for getting mammograms at work.

GUPTA: It was so convenient O'Neil booked it. The test found a tumor in her left breast. It was caught early, so her prognosis is early.

Her employer, Pitney Bowes, is one of a growing number of companies worried about the health of its employees, and the exploding cost of health care. A study by the partnership for prevention shows reducing risk factors like smoking, obesity and high blood pressure can save a company about $153 a year in medical cost per employee. And prevention programs pay off in other ways as well.

MICHAEL CRITTELLI, CEO, PITNEY BOWES: Healthy workers are better because they come to work more, they don't take as much time off, they are more focused when working, they don't make mistakes that are caused by being tired or sluggish. GUPTA: Ralph Alberti took frequent smoke breaks at work to support his pack-and-a-half day a habit. When he decided to quit, nurses at Pitney Bowes gave him free medicine to make it easier.

RALPH ALBERTI, FMR. SMOKER: They actually were my moral support. I would come in in the morning, and there would be a message on my answering machine reminding me to stop smoking.

GUPTA: And Pitney Bowes isn't alone.

GARRY LINDSAY, PARTNERSHIP FOR PREVENTION: Dow Chemical company, Caterpillar, IBM, all -- probably most of the Fortune 500 companies, Fortune 100 companies have outstanding programs.

GUPTA: The government hopes by 2010 75 percent of all companies will be offering similar programs to help employees become healthier.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GUPTA: And that is really amazing, to set those sort of governmental objectives, three out of every four companies having these sort of wellness programs to try to stave off some of these diseases, Soledad, before it actually manifests itself.

S. O'BRIEN: It's got to cost the company some money, probably some big money. But how much money are they saving, do they think?

GUPTA: Well, they think with all the prevention programs, and things like you heard about with the smoking campaign, and stuff like that, about $350 per employee per year. But that doesn't even count the degrees of absenteeism, for example, that might go down, and workman's comp cases that might get filed in lower numbers. So it could add up over the long-term.

What about diseases like the epidemic of obesity or diabetes, things like that? I mean, those have to be big additions to the bottom line.

It's remarkable. And it's hard to quantify that a little bit. Soledad. We did some investigating. Because obesity is linked to just about every chronic disease out there, it's hard to quantify obesity specifically. They estimate about $13 billion for the country per year and about 39 million lost workdays as a result of obesity and obesity-related diseases.

So you start to add that up, obviously it's different numbers for different companies, but it really adds up over a while.

S. O'BRIEN: Sanjay Gupta for us this morning. Thanks, Sanjay -- Miles.

GUPTA: Thank you .

M. O'BRIEN: Speaking of obesity, what would a fit nation be without a fit walrus? I want you to meet Sea Hook, the walrus, Sea World's new star attraction in San Diego. Drop and give me 20 there Sea Hook. Along with his trainers, Sea Hook's been sweating to the oldies with a regimen of push-ups and sit-ups.

S. O'BRIEN: He has quite a ways to go.

M. O'BRIEN: He's got a ways to go. His six pack, like mine, has a protective cover.

Other animals at Sea World have gotten into the act, even the park's pigs are now pigging out less, less fatty foods. They're eating watermelon. Do they spit out the seeds?

S. O'BRIEN: No, they do not. We used to have pigs when I was growing up. They do not. They eat the whole thing, and the rind, too.

M. O'BRIEN: Coming up in the program, a vaccine to prevent the sexually transmitted virus that causes cervical cancer. One state offering it for free. Another city might make it mandatory. Is it up to them or is it up to the parents? We're talking about giving it to young girls.

The debate is ahead.

And finally, starting to look and feel like winter on the East Coast. Chad Myers has your forecast ahead on AMERICAN MORNING. The most news of the morning right here.

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