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Targeting Al Qaeda; State Of The Union; President's Healthcare Plan; Ethics Charges Against D.A.; President's Energy Plan

Aired January 24, 2007 - 10:00   ET

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

HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, everybody. I'm Heidi Collins.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Tony Harris. Spend a second hour in the NEWSROOM this morning and stay informed. Here's what's on the rundown.

Out of the House and into the cold, real world. President Bush selling his State of the Union energy plan this morning. We talk live with a former EPA administrator, Christine Whitman. COLLINS: The district attorney who brought rape charges against Duke lacrosse players hit today with new ethic charges.

HARRIS: Road kill. That's what you risk becoming when you get on China's mean streets. Crazy crashes on this Wednesday, January 24th. You are in the NEWSROOM.

COLLINS: The prosecutor in the Duke rape case is facing more legal trouble of his own. North Carolina's state bar has added ethics charges to the complaint already filed against Durham County District Attorney Mike Nifong. The new charges accuse Nifong of withholding DNA evidence and making misleading statements to the court. Those charges could lead to him being disbarred. Nifong brought rape charges against three Duke lacrosse players, later dropped them but refused to drop sexual assault and kidnapping charges. The state attorney general is reviewing what is left of the case.

HARRIS: Targeting al Qaeda. We're just getting word of a second round of U.S. air strikes in Somalia. Let's get straight to CNN Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr.

Barbara, good morning.

BARBARA STARR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Tony.

U.S. military officials now confirming earlier this week there was a second U.S. military air strike in southern Somalia. Again, suspected al Qaeda targets. This, of course, now the second U.S. air strike in that African country this month.

The strike happening in the southern part of the country along Somalia's border with Kenya against what the U.S. is describing as a mid-level al Qaeda operative. They say they were not going after high-value targets in this air strike. That there was no indication at the time that any of the operatives wanted for the 1998 embassy bombings in Kenya and Tanzania, those people weren't there. They weren't on the ground.

But they did use this AC-130 gunship against a mid-level al Qaeda operative. All indications are at this point, our source are telling us, is the man was not killed in the strike, but instead was taken into custody by Ethiopian military forces in the area who have been operating in that country, of course, for several weeks since they threw the Islamic militia out of power.

Very interesting wrinkle to this, Tony. Sources saying there was a U.S. team of personnel on the ground in Somalia in the hours after the attack to look at the site, to try and determine what had happened. That, of course, is also what happened in the first strike. So a second case now, not just of an air strike, but U.S. personnel on the ground in Somalia.

Tony.

HARRIS: And, Barbara, to what extent is al Qaeda a real factor in Somalia? I know you spent some time in Kenya very close recently and what is the military saying with respect to camps and al Qaeda personnel?

STARR: Well, the concern in the horn of Africa is that Somalia has become a safe haven for al Qaeda. That's a country that seem so much violence over the last 15 or 16 years, essentially has not had a central government. And there is significant intelligence evidence that al Qaeda simply moved into Somalia and it became a safe haven, especially in the months recently when that Islamic militia was in power.

So there had been a lot of indications of money, weapons, training, all of that flowing into Somalia. That had been a big concern. Now that the Islamic militia is essentially out of power and on the run, the U.S. mission is to try and chase these people down. That's the job that they're trying to do. As long as they're on the run, trying to chase them down and basically go after them and keep them from moving into Kenya, in particular.

From our time out there, what we learned is there is a good deal of concern, Kenya, right next door, not a country with extremely secure borders and a lot of concern that al Qaeda might move back into Kenya and that, of course, would be a significant worry for the United States.

HARRIS: Our CNN Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr.

Barbara, thank you.

COLLINS: The State of the Union. The call for a unified front. With hearty handshakes and a humbled approach, President Bush issues the call for cooperation on Capitol Hill. He asked the Democrat- controlled Congress for patience both in Iraq and in tackling domestic challenges. This hour we take a look at the initiatives he unveiled. They include healthcare, energy and the environment. As we gauge the response he's received from both the public and the politicians. Democrats spoke up even before the applause faded. Making health insurance more affordable. Would President Bush's plan really work? And what would it cost you? Some answers in the NEWSROOM.

HARRIS: President Bush unable to avoid Iraq in the State of the Union. He called for patience as he moves forward with his new war strategy. CNN's Sean Callebs has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SEAN CALLEBS, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): President Bush's plans for 21,000 more troops in Iraq, a surge in forces there, is being met with congressional skepticism. And some leaders vowing to block efforts to bolster troops. No longer addressing a GOP majority, Mr. Bush told members on both sides of the aisle that he needs their help.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Our country is pursuing a new strategy in Iraq and I ask for you to give it a chance to work. And I ask you to support our troops in the field and those on their way.

BRIG. GEN. JAMES MARKS, (RET.), CNN MILITARY ANALYST: The president was very wise to stick his hubris aside and very humbly reach out to Congress and say, look, this is our fight. Irrespective of how we got here, this is where we are today. I need your help.

CALLEBS: Critics say, while Congress may not be ready to sign off on Iraq, it's not ready to accept failure there either.

STEPHEN BIDDLE, COUNCIL ON FOREIGN RELATIONS: The president is taking a real long-shot gamble on Iraq and this policy and it's a long shot gamble that the public and the Congress don't want to take.

CALLEBS: The president acknowledged the fight in Iraq has morphed, from battling Saddam Hussein, to a violent, sectarian battle between Sunni and Shia loyalist. What many call a civil war.

BUSH: This is not the fight we entered in Iraq, but it is the fight we are in. Every one of us wishes this war were over and won.

CALLEBS: CNN military analyst, Retired General James "Spider" Marks, said the president detailed how Iraq plunged into what he calls hellish chaos.

MARKS: The president, I think, has done an admirable job raising his hand and saying, I've made some mistakes, we've made some mistakes and I take ownership of those mistakes. What really has to happen at this point is, what is the best way to accommodate and get through these mistakes.

CALLEBS: But, critics charge, there is always this risk.

BIDDLE: We could end up at the end of the day with a muddled compromise outcome that ends up neither giving us any prospect of meaningful scale of succeeding in Iraq, nor of enabling us to cut our losses.

CALLEBS: An argument the president rejects.

BUSH: It is still within our power to shape the outcome of this battle. Let us find our resolve and turn events toward victory.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: President Bush's Iraq strategy under fire on Capitol Hill. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee voting on a resolution today. It says sending more troops to the war is not in the national interest. It's expected to pass. But remember, it is not binding. This resolution sponsored by Democrats Joe Biden and Carl Levin and Republicans, Chuck Hagel, who you just saw, and Olympia Snowe. Alternative measure is opposing the president's plan still in the works at the Capitol.

HARRIS: Building by building, street by street, U.S. and Iraqi forces battling militants. Security operations underway in three central Baghdad neighborhoods. One is Haifa Street. The scene of fierce fighting just a week ago. Normally busy streets empty today, echoing explosions, machine gunfire and the sound of helicopters overhead. At least two suspected insurgents have been killed, several detained. CNN will keep you posted on this developing story throughout the day.

COLLINS: In the heart of the Iraqi insurgency, fighting claims the lives of two more U.S. troops. The military announcing this morning two Marines have been killed by enemy action. They served in the volatile Anbar province.

HARRIS: President Bush's healthcare plan. It would change the nation's tax code to encourage Americans without insurance to get a plan. But what would it mean to your wallet and to the nation's healthcare industry? CNN medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen with me now to explain.

Good morning, Elizabeth.

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning.

Now we all know that it is a huge problem in this country, too many people don't have health insurance. Huge problem. Forty-seven million Americans are going without health insurance. The Bush plan would help three million of them.

Now, how would it help three million people? Well, when the government wanted to encourage people to purchase a home, what did they do? They gave a tax deduction.

Same thing here, give a tax deduction to encourage people to buy their own health insurance because they're not getting it through their employer. Specifically, a $15,000 deduction for a family, a $7,500 for an individual. That's a good chunk of change there and certainly will save some people money. Let's take a look at our imaginary family. Let's say a family of four who's earning $60,000, what would they save? Well, under the Bush plan, according to the White House, this family, if they went out and bought their own health insurance, again, because they're not getting it through their employer, the average tax savings would be $4,500 a year.

Now I do have to say that we ran these numbers by some tax experts and they said that that didn't sound right to them. They felt that number was way too big and that that family really would not save that amount. But, still, they certainly would save something. So Bush is getting a lot of praise this morning for that.

Now, let's take a look at an imaginary individual. We invented an individual who makes $32,000 a year. The average tax savings there would be $1,125. Now, the big question is, if that individual has to buy his or her own insurance policy, that could cost, let's say, $5,000, $6,000, $7,000, maybe even $10,000 a year. Are they going to fork over that money for an $11,000 savings?

HARRIS: That's a good point. Yes.

COHEN: Don't know.

HARRIS: Don't know.

So the plan is geared toward folks who are having a difficult time affording health insurance on their own. What about folks who, most of us, who have their healthcare insurance provided by their employer? Any changes there?

COHEN: Right, 160 million Americas are very lucky. People like you and me who get their health insurance through our employers. Now, for most of us, that's not going to change. It's really -- the Bush plan really doesn't make a difference. It's kind of a wash.

However, one out of five health plans, the employees would pay more. Why? Because all of a sudden, if this plan passes, their benefits, their health insurance would be considered taxable income. Right now you don't pay taxes on the insurance that your employer gives you. But under the Bush plan, one out of five health plans you would. So once you open your W-2 is earnings and you'd have to pay taxes on it.

HARRIS: I think I'm starting to figure this out. But let me ask the question, who wouldn't this plan help?

COHEN: There is a set of very, very poor Americans who it would not help. There are some working Americans who are earning such a low income, such a low wage that they don't even pay taxes. If you don't pay taxes, a tax deduction doesn't help you. So certainly for millions of Americans, this is not going to help them.

HARRIS: Other big criticisms of the plan so far?

COHEN: The big criticism that we're hearing today is that Bush should have done what Arnold Schwarzenegger is doing. He should have done what governors of California, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania are doing, which is just figuring out a way to bring down the price of these plans. These plans can cost $5,000 to $10,000 a year. So your family, you may have to fork over $10,000 a year for health insurance. That is just too much for some people. So some critics are saying, just get these prices down. Do something to get these prices down instead of offering a tax deduction.

HARRIS: Yes. Elizabeth, that was great.

COHEN: Thanks.

HARRIS: Imaginary families, that really help illustrate it for us. Thank you.

COHEN: Good. Thanks.

COLLINS: We want to go ahead and get you back to the developing story that we have been bringing you about Durham County D.A. Michael Nifong. He is there on the screen sitting down at a preliminary conference before the North Carolina State Bar. We have confirmed here at CNN that there are new ethics charges being added to the complaints already filed against him that include withholding DNA evidence and making misleading statements to the court. These new charges could actually lead to him being disbarred.

So we want to go ahead and bring in B.J. Bernstein. She has been helping us with this case, as a former prosecutor herself, to break it down for us.

B.J., what does all of this mean with these new added charges today?

B.J. BERNSTEIN, ATTORNEY: Things have gotten much more serious for Mike Nifong. You know, the initial allegations against him were dealing more with his comments in the media. But now the bar is looking at fundamental things that are required by every lawyer, which is being honest with the court and being honest with your opponents about what the evidence is. And so this is very serious now for Nifong.

COLLINS: Make a distinction, if you would, B.J., between what those charges were prior to today.

BERNSTEIN: Well, before today, mainly the complaints were he just talked on and on to the press and, therefore, could prejudice any potential jury that is eventually picked in this case. And certainly that's serious. But now, not telling a defendant that the DNA evidence possibly makes them not guilty, that there was none of those three boys' DNA present, and then telling the court, you know, judge, we've given the defense everything that we have, know that there were test results that had not been turned over. So that's why today this amended complaint becomes more serious. And, you know, before I thought perhaps he would only get a reprimand. Now he is in her serious jeopardy of a suspension or a disbarment and not being allowed to practice law. COLLINS: Well, it seems the North Carolina State Bar would have to come down pretty hard, if for no other reason than because there has been so much press on this case. That basically he was the one who generated in the very beginning.

BERNSTEIN: Exactly. And they're going to look at that. But, you know, realistically, that happens around the country far too often. And if you've noticed in the Missouri case now with Shawn Hornbeck, they've been much more careful about not releasing all the information about the case. And I think part of that has happened because of what happened in Nifong's case.

You know, this is the rule with regard to dealing with media in almost every state in our country and yet the prosecutors sometimes have forgotten that. But again, going back to -- going into court and saying, I don't have a piece of evidence and then turning out you do? Now you're in serious territory, whether the world is watching you or not.

COLLINS: What does this mean, though, B.J., for the three Duke lacrosse players? We know that the rape charges have been dropped, but they still have the sexual assault charges and the kidnapping charges out there. If D.A. Nifong is disbarred, will that have any bearing on those charges that still remain?

BERNSTEIN: Well, remember now that Nifong has now turned the investigation over to the North Carolina attorney general. And as much as we are outraged by potentially what these contacts -- you know, what Nifong has done, this attorney general is going to have to make his decision looking at the evidence. If he doesn't do that, then we're back to square one, which is both sides of the board, whether you're the defendants or the alleged victim, deserve someone to objectively look at what the facts and evidence are. So although this will affect to it a certain extent, if the attorney general was now doing his job, he's going to look at this carefully and decide whether there's enough evidence to go forward on its own without looking at what Nifong has done or not done.

COLLINS: Really quickly. He gets disbarred. He no longer is the district attorney, which we had stated the last time you and I spoke. He's got, what was it, four years left?

BERNSTEIN: He just got re-elected. So he has, you know, over, you know, a little less than four years to go on that term. But, you know, disbarment is a very serious sanction because it means you can't practice law in any form whatsoever.

COLLINS: You can't be a D.A. and not practice law, right?

BERNSTEIN: Right, you have to be a district attorney, you've got to be an attorney.

COLLINS: All right. Understood. B.J. Bernstein, thanks for helping us with this one. We'll continue to watch it for our viewers and bring you any new developments your way if they should happen. HARRIS: President Bush on message and on the road hours after his State of the Union speech. He's taking one domestic initiative to the people. Details in the NEWSROOM.

COLLINS: Can ethanol cure America's so-called oil addiction? President Bush says yes. We discuss his energy proposals with the former head of the EPA coming up in the NEWSROOM.

HARRIS: A missing family found. A father under arrest. Details on the search and what comes next, in the NEWSROOM.

COLLINS: Deadly roads. It's no accident. China has the worst traffic record in the world. Find out why straight ahead in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: The president suffering from a political power drain hoping for a jolt from his domestic initiatives, including a new energy plan. Today he is on the road to promote his plan, to reduce U.S. dependence on imported oil. A key element? Alternative fuels. Here with the details, CNN national correspondent Bob Franken. He is in Wilmington, Delaware.

And, Bob, tell us why the president chose Wilmington. We do know it's DuPont country.

BOB FRANKEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It is DuPont country and because of what you just said, alternative fuels. DuPont has one of the leading centers that is doing research in various biodegradable fuels. We, of course, know a lot about ethanol, but there are several other possibilities, wood chips, corn husks and the like. And this is a state of the art facility that the president is going to tour before he comes here and speaks about his energy policies. As he says, that as he develops a plan to have less dependence on foreign oil, that will mean more dependence on alternative fuels.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It's in our vital interest to diversify America's energy supply. The way forward is through technology. We must continue changing the way America generates electric power, by even greater use of clean coal technology, solar and wind energy, and clean, safe, nuclear power.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FRANKEN: Many of the people who were listening to his remarks say that one of the biggest problems with what the president was saying is that what he talks about is easier said than done.

Heidi.

COLLINS: It might be. We'll have to see on that one for sure.

CNN's Bob Franken. Bob, thank you.

HARRIS: Let's drill a little deeper into the president's energy proposal. Former New Jersey governor and former EPA administrator Christine Todd Whitman joins us from New York, as she is currently co- chair of Casenergy Coalition, a group that promotes nuclear energy.

Great to see, Governor.

CHRISTINE TODD WHITMAN, CO-CHAIR, CASENERGY COALITION: It's good to see you.

HARRIS: Hey, if you were maker of bio fuels, ethanol, you're pretty happy this morning, aren't you?

WHITMAN: Oh, yes, you're very excited. You were excited the last time around because in the energy bill you got a lot more incentive to continue to produce your product. But now you really have an incentive to move forward. And hopefully to look at other types of bio fuel beyond just corn because there are some concerns with that. And while it has filled a gap, certainly, it does require a lot of energy to produce.

HARRIS: Yes. What other alternatives?

WHITMAN: Well, you've got all kinds of different bio fuels. And, of course, nuclear. You've got to look at where all this is coming from ultimately, where the power's coming from. What it takes to make it, which is one of the concerns about corn base. But you've got sugar cane. You have got byproducts that they're now using from corn, not the corn itself.

HARRIS: Yes.

WHITMAN: There are grasses. It's amazing what American ingenuity can come up with when they have some incentive. So the good part about this is providing the incentive to get industry to do the kind of research that will take us forward.

HARRIS: With the emphasis last night in the speech from the president on ethanol, it leads to the question, can ethanol really be an alternative, can it be part of the answer, how big of an answer to what the president called last year an addiction to oil?

WHITMAN: Well, ethanol and bio fuels can be certainly a part of the answer. There's no question about that. Hydrogen, still, we're putting a lot of money in hydrogen. Looking at that ultimately as being the long-term cleanest. Again, talking about for on road emissions for cars. When you look at power generation overall, we're going to continue to have a mix and that's where the nuclear comes in as one that does not emit greenhouse gases or any of the regulated air emissions about which we're so concerned for air quality and health.

HARRIS: Yes.

The president is also calling for fuel efficiency standards by about one mile per gallon starting in 2010 for cars and 2012 for trucks. Is that achievable?

WHITMAN: Yes. And I wish we had done that a long time ago. Really what will happen is, you'll see the industry move ahead. They'll get it down further faster because they're not going to want to do and change their models every year to do a gallon a year. They're going to want to get the big -- do a five gallon, let's say, improvement. And we have the hybrids now, which make an enormous difference. I love my Pris and I love looking down and seeing I'm getting 50 miles to the gallon in the summertime. It's pretty nice.

HARRIS: Why, was it political will, was it something else, fears about a possible impact on the economy, why didn't we move in this direction sooner?

WHITMAN: I think it was those who had the fear that this would somehow stop our growth, our economic growth and yet you saw the day before yesterday 10 major companies, including DuPont, which I gather the president is visiting today, come forward and say, we need a cap in trade program on carbon. We need a cap on carbon. We can do this. It's important. It's going to be the future. And we need to deal with the issue of climate change.

HARRIS: You just mentioned those two words. The president mentioned those two words, perhaps for the first time, last night in his speech. Let's listen to the president.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: America's on the verge of technological breakthroughs that will enable us to live our lives less dependent on oil. And these technologies will help us be better stewards of the environment and they will help us to confront the serious challenge of global climate change.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: Well, what do you think of this? Is this a -- well, what's your reaction to the fact that the president is finally using the terminology?

WHITMAN: It's a big step for him. You have not heard him say that, even though he has admitted in the past that climate change is an important issue and called for an 18 percent reduction in greenhouse gas intensity by 2012. So it's not new to him, but he's never mentioned it in this kind of a context, which acknowledges the importance of the issue and de facto acknowledges that human behaviors having an impact on climate change. And that's really the significant change here.

HARRIS: Governor, why won't the president call for a cap on carbon emissions? He was in favor of it when he was Texas governor and when he was running for president.

WHITMAN: I think he's still persuaded by some that this would cause such a disruption in an industry that is already over 50 percent dependent on coal, that it would, in fact, really hamper economic growth. I don't agree with that. We've seen in the past that cap in trade can work. We did it in the Clean Air Act amendments of 1990 on acid rain and it worked extraordinarily well. And you have these 10 major corporations that have come forward and say it's going to happen and want it to happen. It's happening around the world. It's a question of getting those few last ones who seem to be able to have a lot of influence to understand that they can do it and stay competitive.

HARRIS: Christine Todd Whitman with us this morning.

Governor, great to see you. Thanks for you time.

WHITMAN: A pleasure. Good to see you.

COLLINS: The president's healthcare reform's, just the prescription your wallet needs or would his changes be bad medicine? A closer look in the NEWSROOM.

HARRIS: A range of ideas from President Bush, but was it enough to get Iraq out of the political spotlight? That story ahead in the NEWSROOM.

COLLINS: Dodging and weaving. Survival skills in China's fast lane. Steering clear of trouble in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(MARKET REPORT)

COLLINS: President Bush pledging cooperation, appealing for patience. Just hours after his State of the Union speech the president is on the road today. He is heading to Delaware to promote his plan to increase alternative fuels like ethanol, cutting America's gas consumption was one of the major themes of the president's address. He also called for tax breaks and expanding health insurance coverage.

On the war in Iraq, the president urged Congress to give his new strategy a chance. He conceded the war being waged now, quote, "Is not the fight we entered." But he again warned of dire consequences if the U.S. fails in Iraq.

HARRIS: And for many Americans there's really one key issue to address.

CNN's Tom Foreman has that.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Anyone anywhere anytime in Washington can tell you what George Bush has to address these days.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Iraq.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Iraq. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Iraq.

FOREMAN: And that simple fact, according to many political analysts, is cutting the legs out from under every other legislative idea the president likes, no matter how vigorously he launches them.

TONY SNOW, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: George W. Bush as a president is not somebody who is going to cease to be bold because there has been -- because right now people are concerned about the progress of the war.

FOREMAN: So, sure, the president is talking about energy consumption.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: For too long our nation has been dependent on foreign oil.

FOREMAN: But the polls say:

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The war in Iraq.

FOREMAN: Yes, he's engaging immigration.

BUSH: Extending hope and opportunity in our country requires an immigration system worthy of America.

FOREMAN: But the opposition says:

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The war of Iraq.

FOREMAN: Absolutely. The White House wants to move forward on healthcare, Social Security and other issues of national importance, but...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Iraq.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Iraq.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Iraq.

FOREMAN: Even Republicans say they fear public dissatisfaction with the war is stripping their president of all his political muscle.

BAY BUCHANAN, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: The concern in the conservative grassroots of this country is that the president is moving in a direction where he wishes to embrace the Democrats in order to accomplish something. He is going to destroy this Republican Party if he continues to move in this direction.

FOREMAN: The White House continues to argue that it is not abandoning its political base and the war can and will move toward a successful end. President Bush still has two years in office, during which he hopes to have enormous influence on the state of the union. Maybe he's got nothing to lose with that approach. DAN MCGROARTY, FMR. PRESIDENTIAL SPEECHWRITER: President Bush's ratings have dropped so low that in some respects he may as well go with something big.

FOREMAN: Everyone in Washington knows it can be lonely at the top. Just like anyone, anytime, anywhere can tell you what is making it especially lonely now.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: War in Iraq.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The Iraq strategy.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The Iraq war.

FOREMAN: Tom Foreman, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: Battle lines over Iraq, deepening on the home front. A Senate panel taking up the first of what will likely be several measures opposing President Bush's new war strategies. Live pictures there.

CNN congressional correspondent Andrea Koppel joining us now live, as well.

Andrea, what are the senators saying this morning about the resolution?

ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: There are some really heated words, Heidi. And what's really significant is that the opposition to the president's plan isn't just coming from Democrats, as we've heard over the last year or so since the president's last State of the Union.

But what we're seeing this morning is the divide that is growing within the president's own party. The resolution that they're debating right now -- and this is a non-binding, mostly symbolic resolution expressing opposition to the president's plan on the send more troops to Iraq. What we're seeing is not just the sponsors being Democrats, but also Republicans: Chuck Hagel and Olympia Snowe.

And we're seeing some senior Republicans, like the top Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Dick Lugar of Indiana, who is not known as somebody who has criticized the Bush administration, saying that he, too, doesn't think that this plan will succeed. He doesn't think this resolution is the right way to go forward. And just listen to the response that he gets from Chuck Hagel, one of this resolution's co-sponsors.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. RICHARD LUGAR, (R) INDIANA: Usually, non-binding resolutions are designed to show unity on an issue or to highlight an issue that few members know about. In this case, we are laying open our disunity without the prospect that the vehicle will achieve meaningful changes in our policy. This vote will force nothing on the president, but it will confirm to our friends and allies that we are divided and in disarray.

SEN. CHUCK HAGEL, (R) NEBRASKA: This is not a defeatist resolution. This is not a "cut and run" resolution. We are not talking about cutting off funds, not supporting the troops. This is a very real, responsible addressing of the most divisive issue in this country since Vietnam.

Sure, it's tough. Absolutely. And I think all 100 senators ought to be on the line on this. What do you believe? What are you willing to support? What do you think? Why are you elected?

If you want a safe job, go sell shoes.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KOPPEL: And keep in mind, Heidi, that this is just one resolution that has been offered, bipartisan resolution. Earlier we saw -- last week or on Monday, rather, we saw one of the most respected voices in the Congress on national security issues, John Warner, who was the chairman of the Armed Services Committee, offer his own resolution. He felt this one was a little too strong and a little too broad. And he offered one that is opposing the president's plan to send more troops. And he was joined by a couple of other Republicans as well -- Heidi.

COLLINS: Andrea, as we listen to Chuck Hagel and the words that he just shared, I wonder you can put in perspective for us quickly, is the Republican Party breaking with the president as a whole?

KOPPEL: You could say that the majority of the Republican Party at this point is still standing with the president. And certainly we'll see when this resolution goes to a vote next week on the floor of the Senate. Republican leaders in both the Senate and House are sticking with the president.

What we are seeing now is some fraying at technologies. Just yesterday I interviewed the House Minority Leader John Boehner, who was also known as being in lock step with the White House. He is under tremendous pressure, Heidi, from the rank and file, who saw what happened in November and are worried because they're all up in two years, in '08. They are worried about what's going to happen to their political futures if they do not show that they have listened to the American people.

And John Boehner said that they are going to be basically telling the president they want a written report every month on the status of these benchmarks that he's going to be laying out. And he also told me, Heidi, that he would expect to know within the next two to three months if the president's plan is going to succeed or not.

COLLINS: Andrea Koppel on Capitol Hill for us today.

Andrea, thank you. HARRIS: The prosecutor in the Duke rape case is facing more legal problems of his own. North Carolina's State Bar has added ethics charges to the complaint already filed against Durham County District Attorney Mike Nifong. The new charges accuse Nifong of withholding DNA evidence and making misleading statements to the court. Those charges could lead him to being disbarred. Nifong brought rape charges against three Duke lacrosse players, later dropped them but refused to drop sexual assault and kidnapping charges. The state attorney general is reviewing what's left of the case.

COLLINS: A missing family found, a father under arrest. Details on the search and what comes next in the NEWSROOM.

HARRIS: The president's healthcare reforms, just the prescription your wallet needs? Or would his changes be bad medicine? A closer look in the NEWSROOM.

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HARRIS: Health care, one topic covered last night by President Bush. How would his proposed changes impact you, your health and your wallet? a closer look now with CNN personal finance editor Gerri Willis.

GERRI WILLIS, CNN PERSONAL FINANCE EDITOR: In his State of the Union Address last night, the president proposed a major new tax initiative to make health insurance coverage affordable to everyone. The value of your employer-paid health insurance will become subject to income taxes. Uncle Sam will see this as part of your income, even though you didn't get a pay raise. On top of that, you'll get a big fat tax deduction which could cover part or all of it for now.

The good news is for people who don't have health insurance coverage. They'll get a deduction for buying their own insurance. Now, the details are far more complicated, but this is the heart of the proposal. If this proposal goes through the people who will pay most out of pocket will living in high-cost areas of the country where premiums are higher. People who work in larger firms that have a larger population of older people won't benefit as much either. While this proposal is aimed to help low-income families afford health care coverage, it's estimated that 43 percent of people who are uninsured, well, they don't have any tax liability anyway. So tax incentives may not motivate them to shop for coverage.

While this proposal sounds reasonable, experts we talked to said it likely that in a few short years this large tax deduction will whittle away. Here's why -- the deductions are tied to inflation, but health insurance premiums have been rising at three to four times the inflation rate. So over time the value of these deductions will be lower. What's more, experts tell us this could mean the end of employer-sponsored health care. That's because it removes the burden from employers to provide health care insurance since there are tax breaks for people who buy their own.

Now as we've been talking about states are taking on more and more responsibility when it comes to health care coverage. The president also talked about giving states more flexibility to use federal funds for the poor and for people who are chronically ill. Now experts we talked to said it's unlikely the proposal will get passed, but this could put more pressure on Congress to pursue serious health form reform. Of course we'll continue to bring you the latest news on this front.

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COLLINS: A family in Indiana is safe this morning. Police credit the Amber Alert system and an alert pizza delivery driver for helping her find Kimberly Walker and her four children. They were allegedly kidnapped by the children's father last Saturday. They were found at a motel just a few miles from where the family lived. They're all said to be fine. Police say they arrested the children's father as he tried to escape.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DET. SGT. BILL WARGO, ELKHART, INDIANA POLICE: I see a young man who was identified as Jalen (ph) poked his head around the corner of what we found out to be the bathroom. I said, Jalen, it's the police. He cracked a big smile on his face and came running towards us. And right behind him came the next two, and looked like a row of ducks right in a row as they came running out.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: Aww.

White faces attempted murder and confinement charges.

(BUSINESS HEADLINES)

(MARKET REPORT)

COLLINS: Dodging and weaving: survival skills in China's fast lane. Steering clear of trouble in the NEWSROOM.

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COLLINS: Dangerous driving, too many vehicles and not enough experienced motorists: a deadly mix in China. For some of you this video may be disturbing.

CNN's John Vause reports.

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JOHN VAUSE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): To drive in China is to risk some of the deadliest roads on earth. Each day a staggering 600 people are killed in traffic accidents, according to the World Health Organization, more than 200,000 killed every year. China accounts for two percent of cars worldwide, but -- get this -- 15 percent of all global road fatalities. And the government says most are caused by incompetent drivers. Little wonder that, for new drivers like 42-year-old Sun Yuxia, heading into the real world is just terrifying.

SUN YUXIA, DRIVING STUDENT: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

VAUSE: "There are accidents all over the road," she says. "But when I get more training, I'm sure I'll be fine."

Across China five million new drivers graduate each year after 58 hours at purpose-built driving schools. Many learners are older, in their 50s and 60s, who have never driven before.

WEN HUIYAN, DRIVING SCHOOL HEADMASTER: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

VAUSE: "The most difficult student is the one over 50," says the school's headmaster. "Their coordination is a little slow and they take much more time."

Here they slowly maneuver around a crowded track, never getting into top gear.

(on camera): And that's part of the problem. Once the student finishes the course, they take a test at a driving school just like this one. And if they pass, they get a license without ever having driven on a highway or a real city street.

(voice-over): Come April, municipal authorities in Beijing will change all that, sending students into this, China's heavily congested capitol where a thousand new cars are registered each and every day, competing with millions of others with mostly new drivers behind the wheel because private car ownership here took off just six years ago when prices began to fall.

So in this bumper to bumper traffic, most have the driving experience of a teenager. And we all know what that means.

John Vause, CNN, Beijing.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: Tanks in the streets, smoke in the air. American and Iraqi troops cracking down today on insurgents. Baghdad battles ahead in the NEWSROOM.

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