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Army's Top Doctor Steps Down; Security a Concern for President's Latin America Trip; Chuck Hagel Delays Decision to Run for President; Fire Near L.A. Mostly Contained; Kidnapped Baby Returned Safe

Aired March 12, 2007 - 13:00   ET

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

DON LEMON, CO-HOST: Hello, everyone. I'm Don Lemon live in CNN world headquarters in Atlanta.
KIRAN CHETRY, CO-HOST: Hi, I'm Kiran Chetry, in for Kyra Phillips, who's on assignment.

Happening now, another casualty in the Walter Reed scandal. A top general fired amid the deplorable conditions facing many wounded soldiers.

LEMON: Will fire in California threaten more homes? Firefighters are trying to contain a 2,000-acre blaze near Los Angeles. We'll talk with one of the men on the front line.

CHETRY: And a baby kidnapped from a hospital nursery back safe in her mother's arms today. We're going to hear from the little girl's relieved family, coming up this hour.

You're live in the NEWSROOM.

LEMON: And we start with a developing story. The Walter Reed Army hospital scandal claims another major casualty. CNN has learned Lieutenant General Kevin Kiley, the Army's top doctor, has been fired.

We are all over this developing story right here in the NEWSROOM. Let's get straight to our senior Pentagon correspondent, Jamie McIntyre.

Jamie, what do you know?

JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Don, the Army's top medical officer, Lieutenant General Kevin Kiley, is the latest to be forced out in the scandal over the treatment of wounded soldiers at the outpatient facilities at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.

Kiley had been under fire from members of Congress and others who felt that he should have known about the problems at the now notorious Building 18, located right across the street from where he lived at Walter Reed, and that some people thought he should have known about the problems that might have started to develop when he was a former commander at Walter Reed in 2004.

Over the weekend, he submitted his resignation to acting Army Secretary Pete Geren, who told employees at Walter Reed Army Medical Center about it this morning.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PETE GEREN, ACTING ARMY SECRETARY: Lieutenant General Kevin Kiley submitted his request for retirement. General Kiley is a dedicated physician, and our nation is grateful for his service to our country.

Major General Gale Pollack, the deputy surgeon general, has assumed his duties as the surgeon general and commanding general U.S. Army medical command. I've directed that the...

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MCINTYRE: Now, in a statement, General Kiley said he submitted his resignation because he felt it was in the best interest of the Army. He said, quote, "It wouldn't be and isn't about one doctor."

A senior Pentagon official confirms to CNN that Secretary Geren actually asked Kiley to step down, a move that was approved by Secretary of Defense Gates. However, it may have been Kiley's decision to ask for immediate retirement instead of remaining in the Army at his post.

His job will now be filled by his deputy, Gale Pollack, Major General Gale Pollack, who will fill in until a new surgeon general is picked. That's a post, by the way, that has to be approved by President Bush and confirmed by the Senate -- Don.

LEMON: Jamie, so to clarify he was asked to step down and they had known about this for a while even when he was in charge in 2004 at Walter Reed. Then why did it take so long for Kiley to be fired?

MCINTYRE; Well, you know, there was a real feeling that Kiley had a lot of the skills that might be needed to help improve things at Walter Reed. And there was a feeling initially that perhaps he should be given a period of time, perhaps a month, month and a half, to see if he could produce some immediate results.

But you know, the momentum began to build. The criticism on Capitol Hill was overwhelming. And it really came to a point where, as Kiley said, it was becoming about him personally. And that's the point where he decided and Army leadership decided it was best for him to step aside.

LEMON: The benefit of the doubt hoping he would come up with some new answers. Thank you so much for that, Jamie McIntyre.

CHETRY: Calmer winds and cooler temperatures, a welcome sight in Southern California, where firefighters battling these flames just 35 miles south of Los Angeles are hoping that the cooler temperatures and calmer winds do hold.

The wild fire raced through the ANAHEIM Hills yesterday, fanned by the Santa Ana winds. The winds have died down a lot, though, allowing firefighters to gain some ground. The fire is now 80 percent contained, and most of the people who were forced out are back home. But they say they know that they're not out of the woods yet.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JUSTIN DIGNAM, LIVES NEAR FIRE SCENE: It stinks much more. The wind has really died down, which is a good sign. But what it's done is it's kept all of the smoke and it's very, very heavy, eye-stinging smoke. You can't be outside for literally more than a couple seconds before you have a real problem.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHETRY: They think right now it was a stolen car that someone set on fire that caused this blaze which has burned more than 2,000 acres.

And intense heat out west, stormy skies in the south. Rob Marciano has an eye on all of that in our weather center.

Hi, Rob.

(WEATHER REPORT)

CHETRY: That's good news. Rob, thanks so much.

Warm temperatures and scorching flames. Fighting those fires certainly no easy task. We're going to be speaking with one of the captains on the front lines in Southern California in just a few minutes right here in the NEWSROOM.

LEMON: Venezuela's president once called him the devil. Now he's being treated like one by some priests in Guatemala. President Bush visits an ancient Mayan site today, the next to last stop on his five-nation swing through Latin America.

It's billed as a good will trip. But Mayan leaders say it's bad mojo, and they're ready for exorcism.

Our White House correspondent Ed Henry is traveling with the president in Guatemala City.

What is going on, Ed?

ED HENRY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, that's right. Good afternoon, Don.

After President Bush visits these Mayan ruins this afternoon, some activists here locally in Guatemala are going to be what they call spiritually cleansing these ancient sites.

It gives you an idea really, the point being that the disconnect on the ground in Latin America between what the U.S. president, the message he's trying to send and the way it's received on the ground here.

As the clock winds down on his presidency, the president is really looking for some legacy items. He sees cutting global poverty as one of those items. But there's deep skepticism really here on the ground that when the U.S. president says, "Look, America cares. U.S. aid programs can help. Freed trade can also help. People on the ground are not really feeling that.

There's also been some grumbling that it took the president a long time -- it's year seven of his presidency, basically -- before he took this seven-day tour. He's been here previously but not for such a long visit.

And because of that skepticism, some of that anger, that's why you're seeing Venezuela president Hugo Chavez, as you mentioned, trying to capitalize on that and beat up on the U.S. president, try to hurl these insults: "Gringo go home," et cetera. We've been hearing that for days now.

But keep in perspective the protests have not been overshadowing the whole trip. Some of them have been quite small. There have been larger ones that Chavez led in Argentina, though.

But I think the bottom line is that a lot of people here on the ground don't really feel like the U.S. aid programs have been enough. They don't feel like it's helped them end poverty. W

And you know, when we personally check into our hotels here anywhere around the world, traveling with the president, the U.S. State Department gives us advisories. And the one they gave us here was basically don't go out alone, don't bring your laptop out, even in the daylight where it's visible. There's a lot of violent crime on the streets. And that obviously is a result of the poverty.

And their advisory said, quote, "If confronted do not resist. Surrender your valuables. Your life is more important." I mean, those are sobering words. And it gives you an idea of here on the ground in Latin America. A lot of people are not really feeling that the U.S. has helped that much. And that's why you see this disconnect, Don.

LEMON: You're talking about security, Ed. Let's stick with that. Because the president has been greeted, as you've been reporting, by protesters at every turn during this trip.

Now I understand some unusual security measures were taken at his last stop in Columbia. Tell us about that.

HENRY: That's right. Well, first of all, because of not just protests but more because of narco terrorists on the ground there in Bogota, the Secret Service would not let the U.S. president sleep overnight in Columbia.

Instead, we spent only about six or seven hours on the ground there. And when the president first arrived in Columbia, very interesting. There was a second motorcade. There was one motorcade with the president obviously, but a second sort of motorcade that was a fake one to try to throw off potential terrorists trying to harm the U.S. president. Just is a glaring example of how, even though there were some 21,000 Columbian troops on the ground, trying to protect the U.S. president in addition to the Secret Service, there were some 7,000 Columbian police officers on the ground, they still had to take these very serious measures to keep him safe. It gives you an idea really of how difficult it is on the ground in Columbia -- Don.

LEMON: All right. Ed Henry in Guatemala, thank you so much for that report.

HENRY: Thank you.

LEMON: And it is a little too much heat for former President Bush. He's out of a southern California hospital today after being treated for dehydration. His spokeswoman says he's 100 percent and plans to keep a speaking date tonight in Los Angeles. She says the former president had a fainting spell yesterday while playing golf in 90-degree heat.

CHETRY: For a while it looked as though the crowded presidential field of hopefuls might grow again today but this prominent Republican -- you see him right there, Chuck Hagel -- he isn't quite ready to do what many expected. The senator did talk about his plans today, though, in Omaha, Nebraska.

CNN congressional correspondent Dana Bash is there with more on the announcement, I guess, that wasn't.

Hi, Dana.

DANA BASH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Right, Kiran. He talked about his plans but we still don't know what those plans are.

This had the trappings of a media strategy that was about a presidential announcement or at least more of a toe in the water in the presidential waters than it turned out to be.

Late last week Senator Hagel's office issued an advisory which huge font, saying that he's going to announce his, quote, "future plans." And that was obviously part of a buzz generating strategy for him to come here to his home state, make a speech. We thought it was going to be an announcement. Turns out it wasn't exactly.

Let's listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. CHUCK HAGEL (R), NEBRASKA: I'm here today to announce that my family and I will make a decision on my political future later this year.

In making this announcement I believe there will still be political options open to me at a later date. But that will again on the people of Nebraska and this country. I cannot control that. And I do not worry about it.

(END VIDEO CLIPS)

BASH: So what you just heard was kind of the political version of kick the can. The senator making clear that he's not ruling it out. He is going to attend a forum for presidential candidates later this week in Washington. He said he's going to travel the country, talk to people to see if, in fact, this is a possibility.

He's not opening a presidential exploratory committee. That's something that we have seen several of the candidates on both sides of the aisle do. Primarily, his aides say because he's actually running for Senate in 2008 and, technically, the rules allow him to raise money for that and then, if he decides to run for president, he can transfer the money over.

But this is -- quite an interesting day here in Omaha. Not necessarily what was expected. What Senator Hagel said is that he made a promise to announce his future plans after the first of the year. He said it's before St. Patrick's Day now. When asked when he's going to make a final decision on whether he'll run for president, he said before next St. Patrick's Day, Kiran.

CHETRY: All right. At least he's giving us a time table.

There's a new CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll, Dana, showing that only 10 percent of Americans view Senator Hagel favorably. More than three quarters of them don't seem to really know who he is. So seems like he has a lot of work ahead of him.

CHETRY: A lot of work ahead of him. You're right. I think it was almost 80 percent. So one in eight Americans really aren't sure what to make of Chuck Hagel.

And that is obviously the big issue, the potential problem for him in kicking the can down the road so to speak on making an announcement, because what Americans probably do know about him and certainly what many Republicans, you know, vehemently pro-Republican, pro-president, pro-Bush Republicans know him about, is the fact that he is so vocally opposed to the president's war strategy in Iraq. And that is what he has been out there talking about.

He said today that he is going to continue to push for an end to the war and he doesn't want to be bogged down with politics with 2008. But he also said, Kiran, that he's not an anti-war candidate. That's going to be kind of an interesting thing for him to explain, that he's not an anti-war candidate but he is very much against the Iraq war. Or at least way the president is executing it -- Kiran.

CHETRY: Dana Bash, great to see you today. Thanks so much.

And of course, all the day's political news available any time, day or night, at CNN.com/Ticker.

LEMON: Warm temperatures and scorching flames. Fighting those fires is no easy task. We'll speak with one of the captains on the front line in southern California in just a few minutes, right here in the CNN NEWSROOM. CHETRY: And only five days old, she's already had quite an adventure. A kidnapped baby back home safe. The case and the happy reunion ahead in the NEWSROOM.

LEMON: And Kiran, we're not even near the peak driving season, so why are gas prices climbing? You know you're shelling out more at the pump these days. And we'll tell you why. Don't go away. Right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHETRY: Seventeen past the hour. A few of the stories we're working on in the CNN NEWSROOM right now.

The Army's top doctor sacked. CNN has learned that Army Surgeon General Kevin Kiley has been fired amid the scandal at the Walter Reed Hospital, some of the deplorable conditions there. Kiley is the third top Army official to lose his job over the scandal at Walter Reed, where wounded troops say they were treated poorly.

Is President Bush bringing bad spirits to Guatemala? Well, Mayan leaders say he is, and they want to, quote, "spiritually cleanse" an ancient site the president is visiting today on his Latin American trip.

And you can see the smoke for miles. A freight train carrying propane derailed today in upstate New York, sparked a huge blast. People within a one-mile radius have been evacuated.

LEMON: This is story we followed throughout the weekend and also earlier here in the NEWSROOM. Walls of flames, racing through the Anaheim Hills, 900 California firefighters on the front lines battling conditions, as well as that fire.

On the phone now with us is Captain Stephen Miller of the Orange County Fire Authority.

Now last check, Captain, we saw 80 percent possibly contained?

CAPT. STEPHEN MILLER, ORANGE COUNTY FIRE AUTHORITY: Yes. That's correct. We're not expecting full containment until about 6 a.m. tomorrow morning.

LEMON: It was just amazing because I understand out of all of this, of all the acres and things that burned, was it only really two homes that were engulfed by flames?

MILLER: Actually, they weren't engulfed. They were moderately damaged. So the only structures that we actually lost were what were called out buildings. Not sure exactly what they were used for, but basically like a shed or corral type building.

LEMON: Yes, and the conditions there really just sort of peak for these type of conditions. Why do you think this time you were able to get such a handle on it, as opposed to other fires that we've -- we've been watching here in California? MILLER: Well, I mean, initially we were chasing the fire, but we definitely got resources in to the appropriate areas to make sure we were protecting homes. That was our No. 1 goal, along with protecting life.

But things very -- changed very quickly here with the weather conditions. Local weather conditions have been in our favor. And in spite of the fact there's a red flag warning extended through today, our local conditions are here such that they're in our favor other than the high temperatures. We have local offshore winds, including winds and not the Santa Ana influence that we could be expecting.

LEMON: How are the ladies and gents doing from the fire department there who are fighting this fire?

MILLER: Well, they're doing good. Of course, some of them are tired. We do have some bedded down and we're rotating crews, that kind of thing. But you know, I think we feel good in the aspect we didn't lose structures and nobody seriously injured or lives lost.

LEMON: Yes. No structures and no lives, more importantly. Hey, Captain Stephen Miller, thank you so much for joining us today. Good luck. OK?

MILLER: Thank you. Bye.

CHETRY: It was brief but terrifying. Every new mom's nightmare, really, the kidnapping of a newborn baby girl in Texas. Grief as well, but heartfelt in the news conference by the girl's relieved and very grateful family.

Live in Lubbock Texas with more, CNN's Keith Oppenheim.

Hi, Keith.

KEITH OPPENHEIM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Kiran.

And it was just yesterday that the parents of this newborn girl, Mychael Dawodu, got the baby back in their arms. And today we had a chance to see the family reunited.

The parents came into this room where I'm at, at the Covenant Medical Center in Lubbock, Texas, along with other relatives. And we were hoping we would have some opportunities to talk to them about their difficult experience, but they really decided to keep their privacy.

However, we did hear a little bit from the maternal grandfather, Darrell Darthard. He expressed his thanks.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DARRELL DARTHARD, MYCHAEL'S GRANDFATHER: We're just happy to have her back, and it's not that we're not grateful. We just want some privacy with the family and spend some time with her.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

OPPENHEIM: Meanwhile, there has been court action going on in New Mexico. Keep in mind that it was early Sunday morning that the suspect in this case, 21-year-old Rayshaun Parson, was found along with the baby in Clovis, New Mexico, about 100 miles away from Lubbock, Texas.

And in the last hour and a half there was an extradition hearing in New Mexico. We learned from the D.A. in that county that the suspect, Rayshaun Parson, has decided not to fight extradition.

So, the question, Kiran, is when she might be brought back here to Lubbock. The D.A. says it might happen in the next ten days, but it's possible it could happen much earlier than that, even possibly today -- Kiran.

CHETRY: Did they find out any more details, Keith, on why she did it and exactly how, logistically, she was able to get that baby out of the hospital?

OPPENHEIM: Well, some of that is still up in the air, but the general picture painted by the D.A. is that this is a woman who wanted to get a baby and was desperate enough to go 100 miles from where she lived to come to this hospital to do so.

In terms of how she was able to get through security here, we don't exactly know. Although it's the hospital's sense that, even though she was not a former employee or a current employee, that she was someone who had some sophistication as to how the security in a hospital like this works. She knew to take off the security bandage around the baby's wrist before the baby was taken out of the hospital.

CHETRY: All right. Keith Oppenheim, thanks so much.

LEMON: It really is just a fascinating story.

CHETRY: And I have a little -- I have a 1-year-old, so it really does make you think. Could it happen to me? But boy, thank God it was a happy ending.

LEMON: Yes, thank God.

We're going to talk about this, too, Kyra. Running for president or not. Both of the guys you just saw, possible candidates, are keeping us guessing. Our Bill Schneider steps into the NEWSROOM to sort it all out, coming up.

CHETRY: Also, we're not even near the peak driving season yet. Why are gas prices climbing already? You know you're shelling out more at the pump these days. And we're going to talk about why and if there's any relief in sight in time for the summer. Ahead in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHETRY: Halliburton is moving its headquarters, and the new location is sparking, certainly, some talk and even a little bit of controversy.

Susan Lisovicz is at the New York Stock Exchange with details for us.

Hi, Susan.

SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Kiran. It's a pleasure to meet you.

CHETRY: You, too.

LISOVICZ: Hopefully, some day in person, as well.

Well, the big news about Halliburton is that it's moving its headquarters and its CEO out of Houston, out of the U.S., and to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.

The oil services firm is also planning to list on the Middle East stock exchange.

Senator Patrick Leahy, the Democrat from Vermont, says the move is an insult to soldiers and taxpayers who paid the tab for the company's no bid contracts.

But Halliburton is hoping to ease some concern, saying it's not abandoning Houston, its current home base. It's just doing a strategic move, Kiran, to get in the middle of where all of the action is.

CHETRY: So why Dubai? Explain why that's such a hot spot.

LISOVICZ: Well, Halliburton's chief executive says there are greater growth opportunities in the Middle East. After all, it's an oil services firm. A lot of oil in that region of the world.

Last year the company generated nearly 40 percent of its oil services revenue in the eastern hemisphere, but its subsidiary, KBR, has been the target of several investigations into the company's billing practices.

It's also faced complaints from some U.S. lawmakers about its close relations with the Bush administration. The former chairman of Halliburton is Vice President Dick Cheney.

(STOCK REPORT)

LISOVICZ: Coming up, trading has been halted in a stock that lost nearly 80 percent of its market value last week. I'll tell you why it could have an impact on the whole economy next hour.

You're watching CNN, the most trusted name in news.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHETRY: The summer driving season a few months away but most of us are paying summer-like prices at the pump right now. We don't need to tell you that gas prices have shot up around the country, but we would and should tell you why.

Here is CNN's Allan Chernoff.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): New Jersey has some of the cheapest gas in the nation. Yet, even here drivers are frustrated watching prices at the pump shoot higher.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You think it's a little strange prices are going up in the middle of February.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Why does the price keep going up? I don't understand this. It just keeps going up. When is it going to stop?

CHERNOFF: Station owner Yefim Blitshteyn says he doesn't understand why the price he pays keeps jumping.

What's going on?

YEFIM BLITSHTEYN, GAS STATION OWNER: I don't know what's going on. Maybe somebody making money.

CHERNOFF: So we spoke to Yefim's supplier. Michael Passankofski (ph) is just as frustrated. He says the whole sale price at which he buys is up 44 cents a gallon since the beginning of last month. He's heard news reports of a supply shortage but says that's not true.

BLITSHTEYN: I didn't see no shortages. We still have the same amount of product and I can buy product wherever I want to, and the product is always there.

CHERNOFF: Michael is right, there is no shortage. In fact, the nation's supply of gasoline is a bit higher than usual for this time of year. But there is a reason gas prices are climbing.

Some refineries are closing facilities for maintenance and repairs. That drop in production has energy traders pushing prices higher.

CHRIS MATRONI, ENERGY TRADER: When you hear a refinery has problems, goes down, gets shut down, explosion, you are going to get a spike in prices.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHERNOFF (on camera): As we get closer to summertime, more of those refineries are going to be shutting down temporarily to make the switch to start producing summertime blends of gasoline which are more expensive, so it's certainly possible by peak driving season some of us will be paying $3 a gallon.

However, it's not going to be a straight shot up. As a matter of fact, just a few minutes ago at this station they lowered the price from mid grade and premium by 4 cents a gallon. The price is down in the futures markets today. CHETRY: All right. I got you. Now, what about the demand side? Are people driving more right now?

CHERNOFF: People actually have been driving quite a bit. The demand for gasoline is significantly higher right now than it usually is this time of year. It's a little bit mystifying. But maybe that's because the price adjusted quite a bit from those $3 per gallon that we had a few months ago. So maybe people said hey, you know, not all that bad, let me get back on the road. Put that hybrid in the garage and enjoy the SUV.

CHETRY: I got you. All right. They are without the bigger trucks, they have the SUVs back again. Thanks so much, it was great to see you, Allan. And we'll check in with you a little later.

Meanwhile, let's go over to Don.

LEMON: Let's talk about March Madness. But it's really not all about basketball.

If the field of Republican presidential hopefuls isn't crowded enough already, an actor turned senator turned actor, you got it right, might soon jump in. But another possible contender is putting off his decision.

CNN's political analyst Bill Schneider joins me now to talk about the state of the race. And Bill, before we get started with today's announcement right, by Senator Hagel, let's talk about the big picture for a moment.

You have a new poll about Republican's top choice for president, is that right?

BILL SCHNEIDER, CNN SR. POLITICAL ANALYST: That's right. These are registered Republicans around the country and their top choice is Rudy Giuliani as he has been for the last few month. 34 percent of Republicans say they would pick Rudy Giuliani, 18 percent for McCain, that's the lowest we've seen McCain in months. He has been sliding now for about six months.

Giuliani's now the frontrunner in the field. Newt Gingrich if he decides to run would get 9 percent right now and Mitt Romney also 9 percent.

And that McCain people have been saying for some time that he's not uncomfortable in that position of being the underdog. He runs better as an underdog because he would rather be the insurgent campaign rather than the frontrunner. That's may be a spin, but that's the way they're talking about it.

LEMON: Yes, and back to Hagel I didn't see him on your poll anywhere there.

SCHNEIDER: Less than 1 percent. He's not a top choice for Republicans. He is actually very low in the Republican rankings. Americans overall about 80 percent have never heard of Chuck Hagel. And about three quarters of Republicans don't know anything about him and among the Republicans who do have an opinion it tends to be slightly more negative than positive because of course he has been a critic of the Iraq war.

Take a look, 15 percent unfavorable, only 8 percent favorable and 77 percent of Republicans don't know a thing about Chuck Hagel. So it's not like they were eagerly anticipating some announcement from him.

LEMON: Yes, and his announcement today which was really a non- announcement. Let's take a listen to that real quick, OK.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. CHUCK HAGEL, (R) NEBRASKA: I have based my entire political life on what I have thought was the party that I shared most of my political philosophy with, that's been the Republican party. I am concerned and have been disappointed in my party over the last few years. I think we have come loose of our moorings.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: What is his disillusion? Loose of our moorings, what does that mean?

SCHNEIDER: Iraq, Iraq, Iraq. He's been -- become a critic of the Iraq war, he initially voted to support it but he's become a fierce critic of that war, arguing it's the worst policy blunder that the United States has made since the Vietnam War.

So clearly he is disillusioned with his party. The problem is if he decides to run for president as a Republican then he's going to have to get the Republican nomination and saying he's disillusioned with the party it's not clear how many Republicans share that sense of disillusionment or his criticism of the war or of President Bush.

LEMON: Yes, and you know, it's kind of really early on to make statements like that, but you know, he is outspoken.

Let's move on now to -- we talked about this possible White House contender who is an actor turned senator, and then turned actor again. Fred Thompson. Could he be a serious choice in this whole game for president or what have you? This state of the game I should say.

SCHNEIDER: Look, you have about ten Republicans running for the presidency. He is as serious as any. He has been a United States senator from Tennessee, who is a very influential senator, he is a conservative. A lot of conservatives are unhappy with the field. It's wide open, come on in.

Of course he has been an actor in the past but who ever heard of an actor becoming president of the United States?

LEMON: Ronald Reagan.

SCHNEIDER: Oh yes, him.

LEMON: Yes, that guy, one of the most popular presidents in history. I know you don't have a crystal ball but you are a political analyst so to speak, right. What do you see when it comes -- who do you think will get nomination if it's Republican? Do you think it will be Giuliani or do you think it will be Romney?

SCHNEIDER: Well, it is as I said, wide open. I'm simply impressed --

LEMON: And the reason I ask you that is because you know this whole big thing this weekend was all over the "New York Times" and other papers about Giuliani and his divorces and being estranged from his son and what have you. It's still really early in the game.

SCHNEIDER: I can think of another president whose children were estranged from him for some period of time, his name was Ronald Reagan.

So these are problems that can be gotten over. Impossible to make a confident prediction of anything. All I can tell you is that I was at the conservative conference, I was there to cover it last week. And I was impressed at how many conservatives say they like Rudy Giuliani, that his image as a leader in 9/11 is kind of a transcendent issue even though they disagree with him on issues like abortion, gay rights, gun control. They came forward, they walked up to me to tell me they supported Giuliani as a strong leader. He appears to have some real appeal, serious appeal to Republicans.

LEMON: Yes, and the 9/11 factor I think sort of trumps all with that.

Thank you very much, Bill Schneider. Always a pleasure to have you.

CHETRY: Well, if you are visiting someone in the hospital and you want to yak on your cell phone you know you have to go outside.

Cell phones have long been off limits in hospitals. Well now on top of authority and medicine raises questions about whether or not that's really necessary. We'll explain ahead in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHETRY: Teen angst, hey, we all had it. Well, it turns out that mice may be able to explain why teenagers can be so moody. Scientists are studying the hormone THP in female mice. Our bodies produce it when we're stressed. Researchers in New York state say that the hormone calms adults and even younger children but it actually increases anxiety in adolescents.

Well, hospitals are one of the last holdouts where cell phones are still off-limits. Enjoy it for now. There is new research at the Mayo Clinic showing that cell phones do not interfere with hospital equipment after all. They did 300 tests over five months and they didn't uncover a single problem. Researchers did find, though, that portable CD players can cause machines to go haywire and those anti- theft devices in the doors of some stores can actually mess up pacemakers.

LEMON: This is a very interesting story that's going to come. We're going to see it tonight on "AC 360." It's about a priest, a troubled boy, and dark crimes of long ago.

And a SPECIAL REPORT Thomas Roberts of CNN "Headline News" shares a painful secret with CNN's Anderson Cooper. It's part of our special programming tonight that's called "Sins of the Father."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: In the fall of 1986, Thomas Roberts started his freshman year at the prestigious Calvert Hall. He adjusted quickly to the new school but the strain of his parents' divorce was a constant source of struggle.

THOMAS ROBERTS, HEADLINE NEWS ANCHOR: My relationship with my parents through that time and with my mom going back to work and all of these changes, I pulled back. I kind of disconnected from my family environment.

COOPER: By Thomas's sophomore year his mom Michelle realized the emotional and financial difficulties at home were too much for her son to deal with alone. Struggling herself just to make ends meet, she looked to a familiar face to help mentor her son, someone she felt she could trust.

She turned to the man who had already helped Thomas get into the school, Father Jeff Tewey (ph).

MICHELLE ROBERTS, MOTHER: I thought he needed a male influence, and who better than the Catholic priest who is charming and kind and wonderful, you know. I wanted Thomas to be just like him.

COOPER: Who better.

M. ROBERTS: Yes.

T. ROBERTS: That night I remember getting dropped off at Father Jeff's house and we began a conversation in his den where he just started to ask what's going on with you. And so he took a kind ear, you know, and listened to me. I remember it was a conversation that I cried. I let Father Jeff know that my relationship with my parents wasn't where it should be.

From this conversation forward, he pretty much knew that I was a kid without anybody you know, to talk to.

COOPER: No one to talk to except of course Father Jeff. After that first conversation, Thomas believed he finally had someone he could confide in. He trusted Father Jeff, and continued to return to the priest's house on Cottage Lane.

When you see that house what do you think? T. ROBERTS: I wish I had never seen it. I wish I had never seen this house. Never.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: Well, just a short time ago Thomas talked with our fellow NEWSROOM anchor Heidi Collins about what he's gone through in the years since.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: Did you ever think back then when this was all going on that, you know, I've got to tell somebody about this? I've got to make sure that people know that this has happened to me and that I have been abused?

ROBERTS: No, I couldn't. I mean, the situation was my parents were divorcing, I was upset by that. I get sent to Father Jeff. He got me into this high school. I was afraid I would be expelled. I had nobody to turn to. I didn't think anybody would believe me and I figured I would just crush my parents to know that their failure at marriage set me up for the type of abuse that then happened from my counseling. So there was nowhere to turn. The only thing that I could do as a kid was just to remain quiet and pretend like everything's fine, everything's normal.

COLLINS: And I'm sure there are so many kids who had that same exact feeling when going through something like this. How did you get strong enough to tell now? And then go through this incredible court case?

ROBERTS: It's taken years of actually being able to talk about this in therapy, you know, started in therapy. That really helped. They explained to me, it's like your hand in front of your face so close you don't realize it's a hand. When you start to pull the hand back you can recognize what that is, what this abuse is, how this is a crime.

And for me, that's what happened through talking about this and finally being able to cry it out, basically. And understand that this was a crime committed against a kid and I should tell, I should tell and scream it from the hilltops until everybody hears.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: You can see more of Thomas Roberts' heart-wrenching story tonight. Don't miss this unforgettable hour, "Sins of the Father." It's at 10:00 p.m. Eastern on AC360, only here on CNN.

CHETRY: All right, we're going to take a live look right now at some pictures just coming in to us from kakow (ph) in Orange County, California. There you see some wild fires burning there. We found out that things were getting better actually today.

Eighty percent contained. About 2,000-plus acres burned. They think it was possibly because of a stolen car set on fire that they are having some luck, the winds at least are on their side for the firefighters as well as the weather. So we'll show you more of those pictures in a couple minutes here on NEWSROOM.

Meantime, targeting those who can't fight back.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SOLANGE ELIZEE, MUGGING VICTIM: I'm closing my door, and he pushed me. Close the door. Begun to beat me on my face, hit me, oh. And then he say I get you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHETRY: There's the unbelievable surveillance video of this mugger. Well, he's become public enemy No. 1, still on the loose, actually. Ahead in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Two men, two friends, united in grief. They came to America in search of a better life. That dream was destroyed last week when fire raced through the house the two families shared in the Bronx. One man lost his wife and four children, the other lost five children. Can you imagine?

At this hour, relatives, neighbors, and strangers are gathered at the Islamic Cultural Center to remember the victims. One man plans to bury his children in New Jersey, the other wants to take his wife and children back to their native Mali.

CHETRY: Explosions and evacuations in the heart of New York state. A freight train derailed this morning in Oneida, just east of Syracuse. At least six of the tanker cars caught fire t. Their cargo -- propane gas.

People living closest to the site have been ordered out, schools and businesses in the area are closed. Firefighters are hosing down other tankers that are not burning and still keeping a close eye on those that are.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DEP. CHIEF MIKE WHIPPLE, ONEIDA FIRE DEPARTMENT: If you can't shut it off, you got to let it burn. That's basically it. If you can shut off the vapor or the leak, then you can attempt to it. You know. Put it out. But if you can't, you got to let it burn so the fuel's gone.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHETRY: So far, no reports of injuries, and no known cause yet for that derailment.

LEMON: You better catch him before we do. You can understand why. Among the hundreds of phone tips that have flooded the NYPD, that's what they are saying. And it was a bit of advice regarding the mugger who beat and robbed two elderly women a week ago. And I mean elderly. The younger victim is 85, the older is 101. CNN's Jim Acosta is in our New York bureau.

JIM ACOSTA, CNN ANCHOR: It's not every day a local crime story in New York gains national attention. The attacker who mugged those elderly women has been dubbed Public Enemy No. 1 by one city paper.

New York's Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said we want to stop him before he strikes again. So police have beefed up their presence in the Queen's neighborhood where 101-year-old Rose Morat was mugged in the entry to her apartment building.

The brutal attack left Morat with a fractured cheek bone while the mugger walked away with $33. But that was just his first of two attacks on elderly women. Eighty-five-year-old Solange Elizee says she was also beaten and robbed by the same man. Elizee says her assailant walked away with $45 and of all things, her wedding ring.

ELIZEE: I'm closing my door, and he pushed me. Close the door. Begun to beat me on my face. And then he say I get you.

ACOSTA: Elizee has been so terrified by the mugging she now wants to move out of her apartment. New Yorkers who are accustomed to hearing about big city crime are understandably outraged but people in the city are also praising both of the victims for their courage. Neighbors describe 101-year-old Morat as spry and feisty.

JENEEN FRASER, NEIGHBOR: She is a sweet lady, she's very spry for her age. She walks, exercises all the time. She is such a lovely lady. I just felt bad that happened to her.

ACOSTA: And New York police are asking people in the city to be on the lookout for the man in the security camera image. And if they have information, they are urged to, as they say in this town, call the cops.

Jim Acosta, CNN, New York.

CHETRY: And again, that quote, you better catch him before we do.

Well, still ahead, smoky skies, blackened hills, walls of flames just outside of Los Angeles.

We have the latest on the firefight in the Anaheim Hills next in the NEWSROOM.

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