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New Jersey Wildfire; Soldiers Ambushed; Iraq War & Politics; Gerri's Top Tips

Aired May 16, 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. Stay informed in the CNN NEWSROOM. Here's what's on the rundown this hour.

The working assumption, they're alive. Thousands of U.S. troops combing dangerous Iraqi real estate for three missing solders. Here at home, a nail biting wait.

COLLINS: President Bush putting a war manager on the payroll. A three star general with a West Wing office and orders to bust the bureaucracy that's slowing the fight for Iraq. This hour, our CNN military analyst weighs in.

HARRIS: First Florida, now New Jersey, both under attack by fire. Thousands out of their homes this Wednesday, May 16th. You are in the CNN NEWSROOM.

COLLINS: A full scale attack underway this hour. The target, another big wildfire. New Jersey the latest state dealing with an out-of-control blaze. CNN's senior correspondent Allan Chernoff is in Warren Grove, New Jersey, with the very latest.

Good morning to you, Allan.

ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Heidi.

And you can see some of the smoke right behind me rising into the sky over there. We've seen smoke all morning, in fact, since before the sun came up. Part of the smoke you're seeing right now, I believe, is from a containment fire. What the firefighters are doing is they're actually burning some of the brush here in order to prevent the fire from spreading. They're actually trying to get rid of all the fuel that could spread the fire.

And this is certainly a situation where you can have the fire spreading very rapidly. Why? Well, just look at how dry it is over here. A lot of the brush just lights up immediately. And over here as well, you can see the ground is extremely, extremely dry. When rain comes down, it just flows right through over there.

So far the firefighters have been at it since yesterday afternoon. More than 1,000 people fighting this. But so far, only 10 percent of the fire is contained.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHIEF WARDEN MARIS GABLICKS, NEW JERSEY FOREST FIRE SERVICE: There's been several thousand people already threatened and there's always a potential to threaten more. So we are definitely working on containing the fire to minimize additional threatened properties and additional threat to people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHERNOFF: What exactly did cause this fire? Well, the New Jersey Air National Guard says that it believes it was the cause. What happened yesterday, just after 2:00 Eastern Time, they were flying jets over here. This is actually a firing range. They drop bombs here all the time. What they dropped yesterday were some flares. One of the flares, instead of burning out in the air, actually hit the ground and they believe that it did ignite the fire.

How do they know that? Well, they have observation towers all over here. And from the observation towers, they could see what was happening. So that's the explanation they're giving right now. They're going to, of course, conduct a full investigation. But the New Jersey Air National Guard believes that one of its pilots was, in fact, behind this fire.

COLLINS: Such a bummer. All right. Well, Allan Chernoff live for us this morning from New Jersey.

Allan, thanks for that.

HARRIS: And as we check in with Chad Myers this morning, Chad, as I recall last hour, you were telling us that perhaps there's some help for New Jersey and maybe even Florida today. Certainly tomorrow.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HARRIS: Grief and uncertainty at home. A desperate search in Iraq. The hunt intensifies this morning for three U.S. soldiers missing in Iraq. They were snatched following an ambush that killed four soldiers. Hugh Riminton joins us live from Baghdad.

Hugh, where does the search stand now?

HUGH RIMINTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the search remains an at enormous (ph) to cross an area. It is starting to bear some fruit. We are getting information through that they have taken two people into custody who have admitted that they were part of the attack.

Now, just over four days ago, part of the attack, which led to the death of five men, including an Iraqi army soldier, and this capture of three other men. The two men say they're not part of al Qaeda. It appears the U.S. army believes they were simply paid for their role in the attack. The precise role has not been revealed.

But it is showing that their efforts to gain intelligence is starting to bear fruit. They've brought in more than 600 people for questioning. They're still detaining quite a number, including a few they say are high value detainees.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAJ. GEN. WILLIAM CALDWELL, MULTI-NATIONAL FORCE-IRAQ: To all the families and loved ones associated with anybody who is a part of that element that night, you know, obviously our prayers and our condolences go out to them. This is a difficult time, especially for those families who don't know the fate of their loved ones are going through right now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

RIMINTON: And part of the questions that are having to be answered by the U.S. military at the moment is precisely, how did these two units -- how were they allowed to be in such a vulnerable place, allowing al Qaeda to plot, to plan, to set up an ambush and to take advantage of a group of men that they plainly perceived as being vulnerable. If they were seen as being vulnerable by al Qaeda, how come those venerabilities weren't read in advance by their commanders on the ground. General Caldwell there saying, all of this will be examined closely. The immediate priority, though, is still finding those three men.

HARRIS: Sure.

Hugh, has the military learned anything from these two detainees who admit to being a part of the attack that might help the military better target the search?

RIMINTON: It may well be that they have. It may well be that they're not willing to make that public information. Because, plainly, if they're getting any sorts of leads at all, not just in location, but even as to who precisely was involved, who were the teams, where did they come from. Are they foreign fighters. Are they local fighters. Are they likely to have close roots in the ground or might they be foreigners who are trying to get these three further afield, move them further away from the scene where the ambush took place. All these sorts of questions will be asked. The answers may not be public just at the moment.

HARRIS: Yes. CNN's Hugh Riminton for us in Baghdad.

Hugh, thank you.

COLLINS: And on the heels of Hugh's reporting there, we now go straight to Barbara Starr. This information just coming in to us now, Barbara, from the Pentagon. New information to share with us about the search for the three missing U.S. soldiers.

BARBARA STARR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Heidi.

I've just finished a lengthy conversation with a U.S. military official who has very direct knowledge of the ongoing search and some of the latest details. What we can now tell you is that the military coalition in Iraq -- and let's be clear, we're really talking the United States military -- is now offering a $200,000 reward for any information leading to those responsible for this attack, or the return of the U.S. troops. A $200,000 reward.

They are also now confirming there were some very grim details we can share with you about what they found when they got to the attack site, what the reaction troop -- the quick reaction troops, the rescue forces found. When they got to the site of this attack, they found multiple blood trails, they tell us. Indications that bodies were dragged away.

One of these multiple blood trails led them to a building about 50 meters away and they found there one of the U.S. soldiers deceased. They are not going to, obviously, say the name of that U.S. soldier. They are very concerned about family sensitivities. But they found blood trails.

What they also found at the site, Heidi, was these were two humvees essentially surrounded by concertina wire for their protection. They found that the attackers had breached the concertina wire. Somehow they made their way past that and got into very close range to attack the U.S. troops.

There is evidence of a fire fight. There is evidence that the eight U.S. troops did fire back. That they tried to defend themselves. But, of course, when this was all over, we had four dead and three missing.

The attack came from multiple directions, they tell us, by these insurgent forces. They used fragmentation grenades against the U.S. troops. These are highly incendiary, highly destructive grenades that may account for some of the damage that the U.S. found at the scene. There was also small arms involved.

What all of this leads to and why this is so vital is, it leads to the notion that this was a very pre-planned, well thought out attack coming from multiple directions by perhaps 10 or more attackers. This was not just something that was done on the fly, if you will, at 4:00 in the morning. Somebody thought this out and planned out their attack against the U.S. troops.

Also, there are now about 150,000 leaflets being dropped by U.S. military helicopters in the region, urging people to call a tip line, urging Iraqis in this area to call in with any information they have. And that $200,000 reward is out there now.

Heidi.

COLLINS: All right, Barbara, stick with me for just a moment. I want to clarify a couple of things. Reminding everybody, as you just said, the $200,000 reward is new. The leaflets coming down, trying to get more information hopefully from the civilians of Iraq. And also you mentioned a blood trail that was leading to one of the deceased soldiers. Just I want to clarify. Is this a new body that has been found or is this one of the four that we already know about?

STARR: Yes, please, pardon me. Let me explain. We are going back and getting details about what happened when the quick reaction force, the rescue troops, got to the site. What they found on site. And this all is -- there's no new body here. This is what they found when they got there.

These blood trails, indications that bodies had been dragged. And of the four U.S. troops that we know were killed in action there, they found one of the U.S. soldiers deceased following one of these blood trails into a building about 50 meters away.

COLLINS: All right. Understood. Thank you so much. Barbara Starr coming to us from the Pentagon with new information about these three missing soldiers and the search for them.

Barbara, thank you.

STARR: Sure.

HARRIS: Tragedy often provided the stage and Yolanda King shined in the spotlight. Today the tributes are reserved for her, the oldest child of civil rights legend Martin Luther King Jr. She died late last night at the age of 51. Yolanda King carried on the family mission. She was a high-profile advocate for peace and non-violence.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There's just no words. There are no words, you know. Apparently her mission and her time was up. And whatever it is that she was born to do in the world, she fulfilled her purpose big time in such a profound way.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I needed to come down and just pay my respects to the King family and what they mean to me and my family, and to everybody's family. You know, I'm shocked. I'm just stunned at the news this morning.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: Her death comes 15 months after the death of her mother Coretta Scott King. Yolanda King died in California, where she worked as an actor, producer and speaker. The King family says the cause of death is unknown, but it may have been a heart problem.

COLLINS: A management job few might want. Overseeing the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The man, the mission, the many questions in the NEWSROOM.

HARRIS: Round two. The GOP president contenders duke it out. And this fight had more punches thrown than round one. Highlights in the NEWSROOM.

DANA BASH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Dana Bash on Capitol Hill, where the Senate is about to hold a series of Iraq votes. One of those could show significant growing frustration among Republicans when it comes to the war. More on that in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Hey, good morning. Welcome back, everyone. You are in the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Tony Harris. Kids? Oh, kids? Time to come in. Hello. Lightning strike way too close for comfort, in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Want to take a moment to show you. If you look very, very closely at these pictures here. And I actually am having a terrible time seeing.

HARRIS: I can't find . . .

COLLINS: Well, there's a shadow there. Can you see it? There's two humpback whales and they believe -- yes, we're seeing them a little closer now, that this is a mother and a calf. But the problem here is that they are kind of out of their element. They're in the shipping channel south of Sacramento now. Not a good place for them to be. Two miles south of the Port of Sacramento, if you happen to know, obviously, the area there where it is.

But marine experts are saying that the larger whale, which again they believe to be the mother, is entangled in fishing gear. So there are going to be some experts -- there you go -- going out to kind of determine what is wrong and if there's an object that may need to be removed. And, of course, how to lure them back into the ocean, which would be the obvious issue there.

So we're going to continue to follow this. At least they're not beached, so hopefully they'll be able to get them back where they belong.

HARRIS: The Senate votes today on challenges to President Bush's Iraq policy. And one amendment is from members of his own party. Under a proposal by Senators John Warner and Susan Collins, the president would have to certify progress by the Iraqis. Congressional correspondent Dana Bash joins us now.

Dana, good morning to you.

Why are these votes important, especially for Republicans?

BASH: Well, you know, it's a good question because they really are symbolic votes. None is expected to pass. But they are important and significant, as one Republican aide put it, because they are ways to release the pressure that both sides are feeling and a way for them to express their frustration on the war. And that is why what you just mentioned, this Republican measure, is perhaps the most interesting.

What we're going to see today is Republicans, led by Senator John Warner, offering a measure that would essentially say that Iraqis have to meet certain benchmarks. But if they don't, then the president would be forced to come to Congress and say how he's going to revise his strategy.

Now, again, it's worth repeating, these are Republicans offering this, not Democrats as we've seen before. And this is really an indication, Tony, of Republican frustration. Now Democrats are not going to vote for this. They say it doesn't go far enough.

But Republicans say, look, this is important. It is important for us to finally to show that we are going to conduct some oversight. That we are going to try to at least steer the way the war is going. And I can also tell you, just in talking to these Republicans and watching some body language between White House officials who were here late yesterday afternoon and Republicans like John Warner, the White House is not happy about this at all.

HARRIS: So, Dana, put this in a bit broader context if you would, please. How do these votes play into the 2008 presidential election?

BASH: That's going to be another fascinating thing to watch in these votes. Because, as I mentioned, there are a series of votes. One of the votes is a Democratic measure. And that is sponsored by Senator Russ Feingold of Wisconsin. And it essentially calls back the troops by March of 2008 and also cuts off funding for the war.

This has been a very tough thing for Democrats who are running for president, particularly Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. They had to say how they're going to vote on this. They have been trying to avoid this very tough question about whether or not they would advocate cutting off funding to stop the war.

What they have now said is, they will vote yes for this. And it was not easy to try to get an answer from them or from their staff. We, and others, were hounding them since we knew this vote was going to be taken because we knew it was going to be tough.

They have been trying very hard to appeal to the staunchly anti- war base of their party. Those who are going to be Democratic primary voters. And they said, first of all, Barack Obama came out yesterday afternoon and said he doesn't really love this idea but he's going to do it as a way to show the president that they're unified here, the Democrats are unified. And Hillary Clinton, a couple of hours later, said the same thing.

HARRIS: Votes end up as campaign fodder. We see it all the time.

BASH: We sure do.

HARRIS: Congressional correspondent Dana Bash for us.

Dana, thank you.

BASH: Thank you.

COLLINS: Adding up the evidence. You won't believe why this daycare center is shut down this morning. We'll tell you all about it coming up in the NEWSROOM.

GERRI WILLIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Gerri Willis.

Gas prices hit yet another high today. What you can do to save some fuel next on "Top Tips" in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Gas prices at record highs and the summer driving season isn't even here yet. A good time to save -- for gas saving tips, I should say. And a good time to save too. Joining us now from New York, CNN personal finance editor Gerri Willis.

So, Gerri.

WILLIS: Hey, Heidi.

COLLINS: Hi there.

WILLIS: Yes, this is not a good news story necessarily.

COLLINS: No, it's not. You know, I was telling the group this morning, I filled up yesterday. It was by far the most painful thing I've done in a long time. I tried to go for a long time without filling it up and then made the situation worse, obviously.

WILLIS: Even worse.

COLLINS: Yes.

WILLIS: Well, $3.10 a gallon. I mean, that's the average right now. It's crazy.

COLLINS: Yes.

WILLIS: Lots of money.

COLLINS: It's pretty expensive.

What's being done, though, in Washington? Let's start with that.

WILLIS: Well, the lawmakers are trying to raise vehicle efficiency standards. Last week, a Senate committee approved a bill that would raise the standard to 35 miles per gallon by 2020. That's a long time in the future.

Even more recently, President Bush has been talking about raising gas mileage. Keep in mind, these fuel economy rules have been basically untouched for 20 years, at the current rate of 27.5 miles per gallon. So that was a long time ago. Looks like we could do better.

COLLINS: Yes, I guess so.

What can the consumer do, though? I mean surely there are things that we can do. Buy a better car.

WILLIS: Absolutely. Buy a better car. Look, high gas prices could be here to stay. In fact, households are spending about $1,000 more a year for gas than they were just five years ago according to a new study. If you really want to insulate yourself from rising prices, take a look at some of the most fuel efficient cars out there.

You probably know the first one, Toyota Prius. That car gets 60 miles gallon city driving and 51 on the highway. There's also the Honda Civic Hybrid, the Toyota Camry Hybrid and a new category here, the Toyota Yaris and the Honda Fit. Mini cars really. They get great gas mileage. To get more rankings, check out edmunds.com.

COLLINS: OK. And what about the aerodynamics. I mean maybe you're not ready to buy a new car yet.

WILLIS: Well, if you're not in the market for a new car, maybe even help cut the wind drag on your own car so you can improve gas mileage. For starters, take off that roof rack and the rear spoiler. And make sure you roll up the windows and turn on, turn on, the air conditioner if you're going more than 35 miles per hour because the windows down, lots of drag. And you use lots of gas as a consequence.

COLLINS: Yes, I just keep picturing that movie "Family Vacation" with Chevy Chase and the big car top carrier on the top. Yes, definitely get rid of that.

What about parking? Is there something we can do with the way we park our car?

WILLIS: Well, you know, it's obvious you want to park your car in the shade whenever possible, but you may not know why. The same sun that is steaming up your steering wheel and the seats is also stealing fuel from your gas tank. It's called evaporative emissions. And it's common in cars that are older than five years. Plus, as you know, keeping your car in the shade helps maintain the car's temperature so you don't have to crank up that air conditioning when you're getting ready to leave.

COLLINS: And what's this, don't give in to the munchies, which I'm pretty guilty of all the time.

WILLIS: Well, you know, most of the gas stations you see, they're not just gas stations, they're also convenience stores that sell branded gas, right? Well, these retailers make much more profit on that cup of coffee or bag of chips. So to do yourself a favor, pass up the candy aisle. I guess it's a couple of favors to you, right, (INAUDIBLE) candy.

COLLINS: Yes.

WILLIS: But it's a ton of a mark-up, so you don't want to buy, you know, the coffee and the doughnut and everything else there.

If you have a question about gas or anything else or a tip, send it to us at toptips@cnn.com. We answer them right here every Friday. And we love to hear from you.

COLLINS: Yes, we do.

Have gummy bears will travel. There you go.

All right, Gerri Willis, thank you.

WILLIS: Thank you, Heidi.

HARRIS: Gluten-free. Gluten-free.

COLLINS: Yes, they are.

HARRIS: All right.

Still to come in the NEWSROOM this morning, a management job few might want. Overseeing the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The man, the mission, the many questions in the NEWSROOM.

COLLINS: Al Qaeda's capital now a town in transition.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Every time I come down here this market gets better and better. It's really a good sight to see.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: Ramadi reduc (ph). A story in progress in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Bottom of the hour, welcome back. Good morning, everyone. You're in the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Tony Harris.

COLLINS: And I'm Heidi Collins.

New developments want to get straight to this hour in the intense search for three missing U.S. soldiers in Iraq. A military official tells CNN a $200,000 reward is being offered for information leading to the soldiers or their captors. New details also emerging about the scene of the ambush where the soldiers went missing. The official says it indicates a well-planned attack, and there is evidence the soldiers fought back. The spokesman for U.S. forces in Iraq says the focus is on finding the missing soldiers.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAJ. GEN. WILLIAM CALDWELL, MULTI-NATIONAL FORCE-IRAQ: I cannot promise you the results that we're all praying for. But I can promise you that we and our Iraqi counterparts are doing absolutely everything we can to find our soldiers.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: And as we mentioned, the $200,000 reward, this is a look now at the leaflets that are being dropped. I'm going to read it to you quickly, I'm not sure if you can see it. But it says, "Reward up to 252 million AQD. It's your turn to lend a helping hand to those who have worked so hard for you. Help us return these kidnapped coalition force soldiers safely to their families. Report any information." And there's a phone number there. "And you may be rewarded for your safety, you may remain anonymous." We'll continue to follow that story of course.

HARRIS: One man, two wars, lots of questions. President Bush has chosen Lieutenant General Douglas Lute to oversee the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. His mission, make sure the commanders in the war zones get what they need. It is a tough job with many challenges and complications.

Joining us to sort it all out, retired Brigadier General James Marks, he now serves as a CNN military analyst. Spider, great to see you, thanks for your time today (ph).

BRIG. GEN. DAVID GRANGE, U.S. ARMY (RET.): Hi, Tony.

HARRIS: Let me challenge that job description I just read a moment ago. Are we to believe, do you believe that General Lute is being brought in to be another bureaucrat to cut through red tape and paperwork?

GRANGE: Well, Tony, you know the nature of bureaucracies is they are defined by inertia and by definition, Doug's job is going to be -- to be an inertia buster. I just made that up. But he's going to have to work his way through that bureaucracy. So sure, he'll be a part of the bureaucracy. He's going to have to work within it, but he's really going to work the inner agency to ensure that problems that are identified can be drawn to a real quick conclusion and a real quick turn. That's what Doug's mission is.

HARRIS: OK, let's -- let's drill down on that a little bit. I think -- because I think you're right on it here. I read somewhere that the general's job will be to coordinate policy for Iraq and Afghanistan. Tell us what that means practically speaking.

GRANGE: You know, I can't challenge the definition, I think it's extremely important how they do define Doug's role. I think Doug is going to -- Lieutenant General Lute, is going to have to be able to coordinate the requirements from the field, Ambassador Crocker, General Dave Petraeus, Admiral Fallon, very specifically, and in their efforts of what's going on on the ground both in Afghanistan and Iraq. And then be the, I would say the uber-action officer, to ensure that these requirements are articulated very precisely in an inter-agency role.

Now, bear in mind that when you look at what's taking place in theater today, you've got DOD, and I would say the CIA really engaged and focused like lasers. Everyone else has got to kind of start they're -- they're ambling forward to try to make an effort. Doug Lute's job is going to be to able to pick up -- will be to pick up the pace and ensure that the requirements from the ground are articulated very, very precisely, and he can draw then to a conclusion.

HARRIS: Why is that not the defense secretary's job? And I guess I'm asking by extension, do you really need this position?

GRANGE: Well, I would say that you know, frankly, I don't think you need the position. What you have is an advisor reporting directly to the president, so that's very powerful. He will also work in the National Security Council, so he'll be a co-equal of Mr. Hadley. You know, there are really two ways that you get attention in this town. It's -- you hit somebody in the face with a shovel or you have budget authority. And Doug might have a shovel, but he won't have budget authority, so that's going to be the rub that makes it difficult.

HARRIS: Right. So, who reports to General Lute? Does the four- star general, David Petraeus, report to the three-star general?

GRANGEL: No, no that's -- Tony, true, I mean, we could argue that for quite sometime and say no, that doesn't work that way. And Doug's a soldier, David Petraeus is a soldier, Admiral Fallon. They understand the deal and also Doug has not given up his stars. Doug is simply is going to be an interlocator between the president, Mr. Hadley and those combatant commanders to ensure that they get what they need.

So, nobody's going to be reporting to anybody. He's simply a facilitator to try to make it better.

HARRIS: Got you. Let me ask something that might be a little more pertinent here. I've heard him described as the person who will be tasked with the responsibility of developing the end game for pulling U.S. troops out of Iraq. Do you buy that?

GRANGE: Well, I would buy that he will help articulate what the end state needs to look like, whether that includes a withdrawal of U.S. forces, that's yet to be determined, Tony. So, let's be fair with each other.

HARRIS: Yes.

GRANGE: But he'll be very much a part of that. So I think that's the policy role because nobody's more topical on the issue than the guys on the ground and Doug Lute. I mean, Doug was the chief ops guy at CENTCOM working for John Abizaid. He's now the director of ops on the joint staff. I mean, he knows where the planes, trains, automobiles, the troops are moving every minute of the day. He now has got a responsibility to focus like a laser and bound that in the CENTCOM region.

HARRIS: And Spider, one last question. Where does he rank on the candor scale? Is he the person who will in a very straight forward way tell the president what he thinks based on the information that he's getting from the field commanders?

GRANGE: Tony, I've known Doug Lute. We went to West Point together, we were in ranger school together, I've known this guy in good times and bad. He is exceptionally candid. He will tell it like it is.

HARRIS: All right, we trust your judgment. Spider, great to see you. Thanks for your time.

GRANGE: Thanks, Tony. COLLINS: Changing the message, the political legacy of the Reverend Jerry Falwell. A closer look coming up in the NEWSROOM.

SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Susan Lisovicz at the New York Stock Exchange. We all complain about the pain at the pump. Today in Washington, two consumer groups are going to talk to the folks there about it. You're watching CNN, the most trusted name in news.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: The Reverend Jerry Falwell's biggest impact may be on American politics.

CNN's Senior Political Analyst Bill Schneider takes a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST (voice-over): A key part of Reverend Jerry Falwell's legacy was to blur the line between religion and politics.

CHARMAINE YOEST, FAMILY RESEARCH COUNCIL: Well, the Moral Majority really laid the ground work for the pro-family movement, and coalescing, and establishing the legitimacy of having pastors speak out in the public square.

SCHNEIDER: When he started the Moral Majority in 1979, here's how Falwell described the situation to CNN's Christiane Amanpour.

JERRY FALWELL, PASTOR: When we started Moral Majority, we were novices. You could have gotten most of our preachers who were interested in public policy in a phone booth at the time.

SCHNEIDER: They got involved in politics because they felt threatened by court rulings and laws on issues like abortion, school prayer, gay rights, sex education, evolution, pornography, the public display of religion, and tax breaks for religious schools.

FALWELL: We were simply driven into the process by Roe v. Wade and earlier than that, the expulsion of God from the public square. Prayer in schools, et cetera.

SCHNEIDER: At the same time, Ronald Reagan reached out to religious conservatives by endorsing their positions and arguing as he did in 1984, that, "Religion and politics are necessarily related," and that liberals were, "Intolerant of religion."

As a result, Christian conservatives have become the new base of the Republican party, and religion has become a stronger and stronger influence in American politics. In the midterm election last November, voters who go to church every week voted 55 percent Republican for Congress. Among those who do not go to church regularly, Republican support was nearly 20 points lower. But mixing religion and politics carries a risk. YOEST: Part of Dr. Falwell's legacy is helping to raise awareness of how best to be involved in politics and there's a price to be paid in terms of political activism. Sometimes you win, and sometimes you lose.

SCHNEIDER (on camera): Right now, the frontrunners for the Republican presidential nomination are Rudy Giuliani, John McCain, and Mitt Romney. 2008 could be the first presidential election in nearly 30 years when Republicans nominate a candidate whose views are not wholly in line either now or in the past, with those of Reverend Falwell.

Bill Schneider, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: And tonight, Larry King remembers Jerry Falwell. His guest, "Hustler" publisher Larry Flynt, once bitter enemies in a notorious battle -- what does Flynt have to say about Falwell now. That's "LARRY KING LIVE, tonight 9:00 p.m. Eastern.

HARRIS: Gas prices are at record levels and they're showing no signs of letting up. That is prompting a lot of complaints from drivers, but not much else.

Let's get the latest from Susan Lisovicz at the New York Stock Exchange. Susan, good morning.

(BUSINESS HEADLINES)

COLLINS: Want to quickly take a moment now to bring this new information to you regarding the missing three U.S. soldiers in Baghdad. CNN's Arwa Damon is joining us now. She was just embedded with the troops who are looking for those soldiers.

Arwa, what can you tell us?

VOICE OF ARWA DAMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Heidi, I can tell you that this unit, the second brigade of the tenth mountain division is absolutely determined to get its men back. To update you in terms of information that we have received, so far they have detained at least two individuals who have said that they were involved in the attacks. They said that they received payment from another party. They are not believed to be a part of the organization, the group that organized this attack. The military has also now said that they recovered some equipment that they believe belongs to the soldiers.

Now, we were out earlier with one of the platoons that literally has been combing the fields and farmlands, and every single farmhouse in this area. They are not only searching these locations once but twice, three times, four times, as many times as is absolutely necessary. They are following all leads that they are able to get to try to find their missing men.

And I have to tell you, Heidi, the men are exhausted, both physically and mentally, but absolutely determined to keep going. The issue here is not motivation. They have plenty of motivation to try to get out the front door but it is the fatigue that is setting in. And that is why the (INAUDIBLE) right now is very grateful for the reinforcements that are being sent down to this area. Some 4,000 U.S. troops, Heidi, but the effort really here very intense and is very tough going, this is a very dangerous area as we all know.

COLLINS: That's right, and an important thing to remind everyone, too, arwa, before we let you go, about this $200,000 reward that has now been offered leading to the soldiers' recovery. Also, wonder what that means and if it's possible to know from where you were, about that civilian cooperation. Are troops hearing anything from Iraqis by way of new information in a new direction it may lead them?

DAMON: Heidi, I don't know if you can still hear me. But if you can, I believe you're asking about cooperation from residents in the area. Now what we saw when we were on the ground was that residents seem to be fairly forthcoming in the sense that there wasn't really a hostile attitude toward the troops. Many of them saying that if they had any information they would disclose it immediately. And some of them even taking advantage of the ongoing presence of U.S. forces to ask for help, mainly medical help.

This is also aiding in building up the relationship between the units that operate here and the local citizens. But the military has told us that they are receiving numerous tips from residents. There is a $200,000 reward out there for anyone that can bring forth information regarding the whereabouts of these missing soldiers should it lead to their location. The U.S. military is also reemphasizing to us the efforts of their sister Iraqi army brigade. They also remember, lost a soldier in that utterly devastating attack that took place Saturday morning.

So really, the image that we're getting here is that this is a very coordinated search effort, it is a very intense one, it is a very exhausting, again, everyone is determined to bring these men back home. We heard from the brigade commander who vowed to the families that he would find their loved ones, Heidi.

COLLINS: All right, CNN's Arwa Damon coming to us live from Baghdad after being embedded with the troops, the specific troops looking who are for those three missing U.S. soldiers. We will continue to stay on top of the story.

HARRIS: Take a look at these pictures, commuters gone wild. Riders unleash their rage on late trains. So, what are they using to get around today? You've got to see these pictures, coming up in the NEWSROOM.

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COLLINS: Door-to-door, U.S. forces fan out by the thousands, trying to find three of their own. Now they've got an incentive for Iraqis, a big reward, in the NEWSROOM. HARRIS: A bolt from the blue -- lightning comes dangerously close to two children. Man! We've got the amazing video for you in the NEWSROOM.

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