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Pro Wrestler Chris Benoit & Family Found Dead; Wildfires Destroy Homes in Lake Tahoe; Senate Votes over Immigration Bill Debate

Aired June 26, 2007 - 11:00   ET

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

TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning, everyone. You're with CNN, you're informed. I'm Tony Harris.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Hi, everybody. I'm Heidi Collins. Developments keep coming into the CNN NEWSROOM on Tuesday, June 26th. Here's what's on the rundown.

Their homes are gone, their lives turned upside down. Lake Tahoe residents sift through the ashes for pieces of the past after the big wildfire.

HARRIS: A battle over the border, who gets in, who doesn't? This hour, the Senate takes a critical vote on a revived immigration bill.

COLLINS: Autopsies today on the bodies of pro wrestler Chris Benoit and his wife and son. Suburban Atlanta authorities say it looks like murder-suicide. The investigation in the CNN NEWSROOM.

HARRIS: Unfolding this hour, popular pro wrestler Chris Benoit found dead along with his wife and young son. The district attorney says the details of the case will prove to be "a little bizarre." CNN's Rusty Dornin is outside the Benoit home in suburban Atlanta.

Rusty, update us, if you would, on the investigation.

RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Heidi, investigators are still inside the home, which is about 30 miles south of Atlanta, and outside Fayetteville. They've been in there all day. They expect to be there all day, just combing through the scene. As you said, they're expecting it to turn out to be a double murder-suicide. But the events leading up to it were rather strange.

Now Benoit was supposed to appear in Houston over the weekend for WWE in a wrestling match, pay per view called "Vengeance." He apparently called and said he had a family emergency. And then on Sunday his friends called the WWE and said that they had gotten very strange text messages from him.

On Monday, the WWE called the Fayette County Sheriff's Department and said, we really think that you need to go over to the house, which they did. They went inside, apparently, they had to ask a neighbor to let them in because he had two large German shepherds that they had trouble with. And they found the bodies of Chris Benoit, his wife Nancy, and his son Daniel. Now just hours after the bodies were found, WWE decided, with the USA Network, to stage a three-hour tribute for Benoit. The chairman, Vince McMahon had this to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VINCE MCMAHON, CHAIRMAN, WWE: In reality, WWE superstar Chris Benoit, his wife Nancy, and their son Daniel, are dead. Their bodies were discovered this afternoon in their new suburban Atlanta home. The authorities are undergoing an investigation. We here in the WWE can only offer our condolences to the extended family of Chris Benoit.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DORNIN: The crazy thing about all this timing is that Vince McMahon, who you heard from, WWE was planning -- they had staged his death, they had claimed a limo he was riding in had blown up and they were going to air something last night talking about -- it was sort of a whodunit with Vince McMahon. So when this came on, of course, fans were stunned around the world.

The autopsy -- preliminary autopsy report is scheduled to be released sometime this afternoon. And there will be a toxicology report as well. But that won't be released at least for another two weeks -- Heidi.

COLLINS: Rusty, any idea what direction the authorities will go in next on all of this?

DORNIN: Not really, because if it's -- they say it's a self- contained scene. They say there were no outside intruders. And from what we understand, there were no gunshot wounds to any of the victims. We do understand also that they think -- they believe that the wife and son were killed over the weekend and then he killed himself sometime yesterday.

So when they start releasing these details we'll have a better idea of the story. And of course, the preliminary autopsy may also give us a few clues.

COLLINS: All right. CNN's Rusty Dornin for us today, live from Fayetteville, Georgia. Rusty, thank you.

HARRIS: From Los Angeles, Paris Hilton a free woman this morning and enjoying swankier digs at her family's estate. Check it out. Hilton looked thrilled as she walked out of the Los Angeles County Jail just after midnight. There to greet her, about a zillion reporters and photographers. And she ran right straight into the arms of her mom who was waiting in an SUV.

The hotel heiress spent three weeks in jail for violating her probation on a reckless driving conviction. She is on probation until March of 2009. Hilton is giving her first post-jail interview to CNN's Larry King. Catch that tomorrow night at 9:00 Eastern.

And still out West, progress on the front lines, but the battle is far from over. Firefighters hard at work right now just south of Lake Tahoe, California. A big wildfire has destroyed at least 275 buildings and threatens 1,000 more. Full containment still days away. CNN's Kara Finnstrom is with us from Meyers, California.

And, Kara, good to see you. Firefighters are now, we understand, in a critical window of opportunity for getting the upper hand on this fire.

KARA FINNSTROM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: They are. The winds have died down here. So they have got about 48 hours during which they think they can really get an upper hand on this and hopefully contain it. It's now burning in an area away from home. So they are hoping this will be a great opportunity to keep it there.

But I want to give you an idea of just how intense this wildfire was. Take a look at the shell of this car, you can see that it actually just incinerated the tires there. And at the front of the car, I have never seen this. This is actually melted chrome, this actually just flowed off the front of the car and kind of reformed there.

If we take a look over here, this is a snapshot of what we're seeing in a number of communities here, homes just completely burnt to the ground. And there are hot spots. We saw some flames just a few moments ago actually popping out of here. But you can see the smoke still smoldering. The remains of a microwave here and of the chimney. But everything here, just completely lost for this family.

We do have a member of our local police department joining us this morning, Martin Hale. And we appreciate you coming out. You did speak with some folks from the fire department early this morning. What is the latest on the efforts here?

MARTIN HALE, SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, CALIF., POLICE: The latest information we have is still like 2,500 acres burned, 40 percent containment and we have at least 1,500-plus firefighters in the area combating this fire.

FINNSTROM: A lot of people want to obviously come back and see their homes. What are you telling the families at this point?

HALE: Currently, as we speak, El Dorado Sheriff's Department is working with families who have lost so much in this area. They are meeting at the Lake Tahoe Community College to orchestrate a time when it's safe to come in to escort some of the families so they could kind of take a look at either whether they still have their home or what they have lost. But they won't get permission to come in here until the fire department deems it safe.

FINNSTROM: And we were speaking just a few moments ago. You've been with the department for about 20 years. What is it like seeing this community like this?

HALE: Well, it's awful. Like I said, I've been in the command post for most of the time. And just the words that were used to describe the devastation and destruction, you can't even begin to describe. I mean, it's tragic. It's awful. And my heart goes out to those families who have lost so much.

FINNSTROM: All right. We appreciate you joining us for a few moments here this morning. Tony, they also have put on the sheriff's department Web site now a listing of some of the homes so that families can actually go on the sheriff's department Web site and see -- get kind of an idea of what the damage is to their home.

HARRIS: CNN's Kara Finnstrom for us this morning. Devastating scene behind you. Kara, thank you.

COLLINS: To Capitol Hill now, a call for change in Iraq. It comes from one of President Bush's supporters. Senator Richard Lugar of Indiana says the U.S. should downsize its forces in Iraq. He wants the remaining troops redeployed to what he calls "more sustainable positions" in and around Iraq. Lugar says the current buildup strategy isn't working.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. RICHARD LUGAR (R), INDIANA: American strategy must adjust to the reality that sectarian factionalism will not abate any time soon and probably cannot be controlled from the top.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: Lugar is the ranking Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

HARRIS: If you drive a light truck or van, there's a tire recall you need to know about. Federal officials have ordered Foreign Tire Sales of New Jersey to recall about 450,000 light truck tires, saying the radials could suffer tread separation. The company says the tires were sold under at least four brand names, Westlake, Telluride, Compass, and YKS. Foreign Tire Sales is being sued by the families of two men killed when a van they were riding in crashed. The New Jersey importer bought the tires from a Chinese manufacturer.

COLLINS: Still ahead, lessons from Vietnam playing out in Iraq. One U.S. Army officer lives through both. The first as a child, now as a soldier.

HARRIS: Also, homes still in shambles, crime on the rise. Checking in on New Orleans, almost two years after Hurricane Katrina.

DANA BASH, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I'm Dana Bash on Capitol Hill where senators are about to cast a pivotal vote to determine whether or not the immigration debate will return to the senate floor. More on that coming in the NEWSROOM.

COLLINS: And take a look at this, dramatic new video released, and very upsetting. A police officer's last moments. Shot in the back during a traffic stop.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: And welcome back, everyone, to the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Tony Harris. Going home can break your heart. Lake Tahoe residents return to find their belongings in ashes. The wildfire still menacing other homes. That story coming up for you in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: A new milestone this morning in the debate over immigration reform. This hour, the bill faces a critical test on Capitol Hill. The Senate vote could shelf the issue and drive a deeper wedge between President Bush and his fellow Republicans.

CNN congressional correspondent Dana Bash explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BASH (voice-over): Just across the Potomac River, the U.S. Capitol and the target of Roy Beck's grassroots campaign to block the Senate immigration bill.

ROY BECK, EXEC. DIR., NUMBERS USA: This is our nerve center for our members.

BASH: Call it virtual lobbying. From this small war room, Beck's group, Numbers USA, keeps in constant touch with its 400,000- plus members, channeling anger into action with rapid fire e-mail alerts and an interactive Web site.

BECK: We tell them exactly who is wavering, who will likely vote no against amnesty. Who we have got to move as wanting to vote yes. We're trying to move our people to make phone calls, send faxes, to get their opinion heard on the Hill.

BASH: The result, a flood of calls and petitions to key Senate offices, bolstered by TV ads like this one, running against the Senate Republican leader.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Why is Senator Mitch McConnell selling out Kentucky in favor of illegal aliens? He has joined with Ted Kennedy in strong-arming senators to support amnesty for millions of illegals.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BASH: Tactics like this are working. Georgia's two Republican senators initially backed the immigration compromise but after getting bombarded by opposition, both plan to oppose a crucial vote to revive the bill. But other leading Republicans under fire say the immigration system is in crisis and improvements in the bill outweigh its shortfalls.

SEN. TRENT LOTT (R-MS), MINORITY WHIP: If we don't get it down in the Senate now, it will not be done in the Senate this year or next year and not before some time in 2009 when who knows who will be president?

(END VIDEOTAPE) COLLINS: Dana Bash joining us now live from Capitol Hill. Dana, the first crucial test of this legislation comes in just a few minutes. We know that they need 60 votes. What are we expecting to happen here?

BASH: We expect it to be very close, a nail biter, Heidi. But Republicans, and this really is sort of contingent on Republican votes, they tell us that they do believe the 60 votes are there to clear this first procedural hurdle, just to get immigration on the Senate floor for debate. But that is just test one. This is really still an uphill climb for supporters of this immigration compromise.

They are going to have a few days now -- actually the rest of this week where they're going to have about two dozen amendments or chances for opponents of this measure to change the bill. So it is very unclear at the end of the day when there will be a couple of final votes, probably Thursday and Friday, maybe even into the weekend whether or not this will survive.

Because even some senators, like, for example, the Republican leader, Mitch McConnell, he says he's voting yes on this procedural vote that we will see just in a short while, but he may not vote for a final passage because opposition, as you saw in that piece, as you're hearing, as you're seeing in polls, is still overwhelming. And they're hearing that loud and clear here on Capitol Hill.

COLLINS: Yes. And a lot of it too, I think, Dana, is because people aren't really understanding now what exactly the bill is about. I know we have got something like two dozen amendments, a few minutes ago we spoke with Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff. We talked about understanding the bill with him for a while.

When we look at that poll you were talking about, it does show about 47 percent of Americans oppose the bill, but how are those numbers then ultimately really affecting the debate?

BASH: Well, you know, it's interesting, you mention the fact that people say that they -- especially supporters say that opponents really don't understand the bill. And that has absolutely been the argument that we have heard since day one of this roller coaster ride of this bill.

But what you're hearing even more in the past 24, 48 hours, you know, we used to hear a lot about amnesty, that this really unfairly gives amnesty, the opponents say, to illegal immigrants. Now what you're hearing is a lot more about border security and fear among many constituents or even opponents that, yes, this bill promises to secure the border but people don't really trust that the government is actually going to follow through on that.

And that is what you're seeing now among the many amendments that we're going to see debated and voted on in the next couple of days. Attempts by authors, especially Republican authors of this bill to beef up the border security to prove to those opponents, to prove to Republican constituents mostly that they really mean it when they say this is going to secure the border first. That's the talking point you heard from the homeland security secretary. And it's what we're going to hear for the next couple of days for sure.

COLLINS: CNN's Dana Bash trying to keep it all straight for us. From Capitol Hill today, Dana, thanks.

BASH: Thanks, Heidi.

HARRIS: Rebuilding and red tape. Almost two years after Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans is still struggling to get back on its feet. So how far has it come? And what's ahead for that? I am joined by Oliver Thomas, vice president of the New Orleans City Council.

Big man. Good to see you.

OLIVER THOMAS, NEW ORLEANS CITY COUNCIL: Good to see you, Tony, man. I always appreciate you and your show.

HARRIS: It's good to see you. Good to have you here on set in studio in Atlanta.

THOMAS: Finally in set.

HARRIS: All right. Hey, I've got to -- and last time you were here, I gave you a bit of a hard time. I was pressing you for the outrage over the fact that we have got this major American city -- hello, major American city, this is not Baghdad. This is America we're talking about.

THOMAS: New Orleans, Louisiana.

HARRIS: Hello, still struggling to recover two years, almost, August 29th, two years after the storm. But let me ask you, what's new? A bit of good news you were sharing with me a while ago.

THOMAS: Oh, well, we're here with the Fleur-de-lis Ambassador Program, which has really given a lot of credence and credit to our civic participation and citizen recovery. But the $117 million that was approved...

HARRIS: Hang on, hang on. Drum roll. What now?

THOMAS: Finally -- look, I'm finally here talking about major dollars that have actually come to New Orleans to get to the people, $117 million that was finally approved by the Louisiana Recovery Authority which is going to allow us to access another $320 million to repair vital infrastructure. Some of the stuff we talked about...

HARRIS: So you had to get to this level to get the kick-in. And now...

THOMAS: Right, right. All of our plans were rolled into one. Our recovery plan was accepted. So finally you are going to start to see some real dollars start to take shape and help to repair New Orleans and give the citizens the type of infrastructure they need not only to come back but to stay.

HARRIS: Yes. What do we mean when we say infrastructure?

THOMAS: Oh, streets, buildings, parks, playgrounds, schools, roads, pipes, sewer, water, all those things modern day people need to survive.

HARRIS: Yes. The Road Home Program is something we talked about the last time we had an opportunity to speak. And I know there has been a big shift of federal block grant money...

THOMAS: Yes.

HARRIS: ... to try to make that Road Home Program more sustainable. Is it going to help?

THOMAS: We hope that it helps. You know, senators Vitter and Landrieu ...

(CROSSTALK)

HARRIS: Because there's still the shortfall there.

THOMAS: Senators Vitter and Landrieu, everybody balked when they talked about the real number that would be needed for the recovery of the region, the $250 billion, well, guess what, they're looking like profits right now. Those numbers are real. You can't have the largest, worst disaster in the history of the United States and figure just a couple hundred million or just a couple billion will solve that problem.

We appreciate everything we've gotten from the American citizens. As a matter of fact, our hearts go out to our friends in Lake Tahoe in Northern California. But we need -- we're supposed to be made whole. You can't make the citizens of our region and the citizens of our city whole with half.

HARRIS: Well, let's talk about making folks whole. We're talking about, what, 58,000 people who have done everything they should. They have applied, they have gone through the proper channels, and been bogged down a bit by red tape. Are we talking about a Road Home Program now that can actually pay claimants?

THOMAS: Not -- we don't think the shortfall, unless -- we had about 140,000 people that actually applied. We have had maybe 20,000 or 30,000, 40,000...

HARRIS: And you have settled some of them, yes.

THOMAS: That have gotten their checks. We still don't know, based on the claim. You can't talk about -- you'd have to talk about damages. If my damages are such that I'm going to exceed what has been allocated, then it's not enough. So that type of science has not been -- and that type of study has not been attached to the claims yet. And that has been part of the problem. There should have been a federal effort or state or local effort to make sure that we at least had an idea of the damages before we started talking about awarding or allocating funds. But we're already there. So now you can't have people come into the pipeline, say, I need this to correct my light, to get my house back in order, and then not have money for them. That would be worse than Katrina.

HARRIS: We have got to run, but maybe we need to make a little trip down to New Orleans and talk about this. And you can walk us around...

THOMAS: Tony, we've been waiting for you. The city is -- look, we're coming back, whatever you need, we got you, man. Like we say in New Orleans, we got you.

HARRIS: Oliver, good to see you.

THOMAS: Good to see you.

HARRIS: Thanks for your time. Good to see you in Atlanta.

COLLINS: Progress on the front lines. But a lot of work left to be done. Firefighters keep up the battle against a raging wildfire near Lake Tahoe. That's what it left behind. Recovering it, right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: To health news now, almost one in five Americans in their peak working years do not have health insurance. That's according to a new CDC survey that provides a snapshot of who is and who is not insured. The CDC estimates 43.6 million Americans did not have health insurance last year. That's a slight increase from 2005. It represents about 14.8 percent of the population. Of those 18 to 64 years old, working age, 19.8 percent were uninsured.

Some experts say with health costs rising, many employers are dropping coverage and people can't afford to buy it themselves. To get your "Daily Dose" of health news online, logon to our Web site. You'll find the latest medical news, our health library, and information on diet and fitness. That address is cnn.com/heroes -- excuse me, /health.

HARRIS: And all this year, CNN is bringing you the stories of some remarkable people dedicating their lives to improving the lives of others. We call them "CNN Heroes." And we found our latest hero in a country where crime and poverty are rampant, South Africa. His name is Bob Nameng. He is helping to make a promise of freedom, equality, and economic prosperity a reality for the children in place -- in this place called Kliptown.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BOB NAMENG, "CHAMPIONING CHILDREN": When I look at children, I see them like flowers. Flowers have got the right to blossom. These kids don't deserve these conditions that they find themselves in Kliptown. No proper infrastructure, no good sanitation, no school, no facilities around.

We come from very difficult times. Apartheid time, 3,000 people came together in 1955 in Kliptown which led now to the adoption of the Freedom Charter, which forms the constitution of South Africa.

For me, it's a contradiction because all those things that are written there, I don't see any of them happening in our community. Young people are bored, hanging around doing nothing. Nobody is talking to these kids. Nobody's telling them how special they are. Nobody is trying to say to them, let your little light shine.

My name is Bob Nameng and I'm the founder of Soweto Kliptown Youth Foundation. There's a feeding program where we give our kids meals, three meals a day. There's educational programs where kids are being given access to computer, library, where kids are learning.

This will improve (INAUDIBLE) vocabulary (INAUDIBLE). So that is good.

What we're doing is community work to help and make a difference in our own community. I'm a ghetto child. I know life in the ghetto. Children live what they see. So if we live a positive life, then we're setting a good example to our children.

If people can know that they own this community, lots of things can start moving in a positive way. I believe one day things are going to be OK because after darkness, there's light.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: And there is more about Bob Nameng and his work on our Web site. And while you're there, you can also nominate your hero for special recognition. All the details are at cnn.com/heroes.

ANNOUNCER: Live in the CNN NEWSROOM, Heidi Collins and Tony Harris.

HARRIS: And coming up on the bottom of the hour, welcome back, everyone, to the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Tony Harris.

COLLINS: And I'm Heidi Collins. Well, it's due to happen just minutes from now, a make or break vote on immigration reform. The White House pushing for the measure but facing stiff opposition from fellow Republicans. Supporters need 60 Senate votes to keep the bill alive.

Earlier, Homeland Security chief Michael Chertoff joined us in the NEWSROOM.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAEL CHERTOFF, HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARTY: It creates a temporary worker program so that as we enforce the border, we can offer employers a legal way to satisfy their labor needs, which they have up until now been satisfying using illegal workers. And finally, it does address the 12 million undocumented workers by giving them a path that requires them to pay a penalty, acknowledge their wrongdoing, get on probation but then allows them, if they satisfy all those requirements, to continue to work in this country.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: So far, the measure has failed to stir strong support among the public. According to a CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll conducted a few days ago, only 30 percent of Americans favor the Senate immigration bill. Nearly half oppose it, 19 percent of those polled say they simply do not know enough to have an opinion.

HARRIS: A dam on the verge of collapse, a major highway shut down. Homes and businesses under water, torrential rains are causing all sorts of problems in England and Wales. The situation extremely serious in South Yorkshire, about 170 miles north of London, at least three storm-related deaths are reported there, in the town of Sheffield. This month has been the rainiest since record-keeping started 125 years ago. Parts of Southern Europe, in the grips of a killer heat wave, more than two dozen deaths reported in the last week or so, four of them just yesterday in Greece and Cyprus. Almost 30 other people died from the heat last week in Romania, Albania and Serbia. The temperature in one city in southern Italy reached 113 degrees on Monday.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: And a bunch of rain headed to the central plains for us, guys. This could be a significant situation. I know we have fires going on in south Lake Tahoe area but flooding could be all the way from Kansas City through Wichita and the south from there. Details coming up, right after this break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: All the memories are gone. Sad words from a California man. He's lost everything in the big wildfire just south of Lake Tahoe. He and his wife and their two young children now homeless. While the situation is still dangerous, firefighters are making some progress. The blaze is about 40 percent contained. Full containment expected by Sunday. As it stands right now, the fire has scorched about 2,500 acres and destroyed at least 275 homes and other buildings. About 1,000 people have had to evacuate.

HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR, NEWSROOM: Just incredible, those pictures that we keep getting in here. Chad Myers standing by now to tell us more about the situation there and across the rest of the country. Hi there, Chad. I know you're focusing a little bit on the Midwest, too. Flooding there, fires in the west. Boy.

MYERS: We really have the best weather possible for those fires right now. There's no question about it. The winds are calm. The air is not too hot. It's not too dry out there, but the amount of rain that's going to fall from Kansas through Oklahoma and Texas will take over as being the lead story by Wednesday and Thursday if they do get that fire knocked down. Now, if they don't, the winds are going to come back and that may be the top story again. But from Oklahoma City through Dallas, this is the next 40 to 48 hours. And you see this blow up of rain east of Oklahoma City and Wichita down there Dallas, and into the hill country as well. In the hill country, it floods there, it floods quickly because the water runs off and it runs off fast. But notice this around Wichita, Kansas. This is an area of white in our forecast map. This is what the computer believes will happen in the next 48 hours. Everywhere that you see white, that's 10 inches of rain. There's 100 square miles in there at least with the forecast being somewhere around 10 inches of rainfall and that rain is going to have to go somewhere. It's going to run off and there is going to be flooding.

If this occurs, there's going to be significant flood and it even stretches up, it almost gets to (INAUDIBLE) but it tries to get to Kansas City from the southwest and that will be later on during the day on Thursday when the heavy, heavy rain continues in Kansas City as well. East coast, a couple of showers possible, even in Atlanta we could get a shower or two. The big focus will be out west, KCTV, our affiliate Kansas City, Missouri. You can begin to see the clouds. You can feel the air. You can feel the humidity in the air, maybe a little bit of breeze bring up more air from the south. When you get air that blows in from the Gulf of Mexico and goes across Oklahoma and Texas, it fills up your atmosphere with perceptible water what we call it. And the more w ter is in the air, the more it could rain and there are inches and inches of it up there so you guys need to be careful all the way from Kansas City right on back down to Wichita and Oklahoma City as well. Tony, Heidi?

COLLINS: All right, Chad, thank you.

MYERS: You're welcome.

COLLINS: Dramatic new dash cam video released by police in New Hampshire. It's very upsetting. It shows a traffic stop last month ending in an officer's death. You can see Corporal Bruce McKay using pepper spray on the driver. As he turns his back, the driver Michael Kenny (ph) fires seven shots killing McKay. A passing motorist saw the attack. He grabbed the officer's gun and killed Kenny. No charges were filed.

HARRIS: A unique perspective, one U.S. Army officer using personal lessons from Vietnam to fight insurgents in Iraq. CNN's Karl Penhaul takes a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KARL PENHAUL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): As an American paratrooper in Iraq, Lt. Colonel Viet Luong knows well (INAUDIBLE) war. As a boy it was another war that scarred him, in Vietnam. He was 2 1/2 during the Vietcong's 1968 Tet offensive.

LT. COL. VIET LUONG, U.S. ARMY: People running everywhere, dead bodies on the street, gunfire throughout the city. My house burning down, my mom trying to get all eight kids out of the house.

PENHAUL: The date that really sticks in his mind, April 29th, 1975, the day before the fall of Saigon.

LUONG: Extreme fear and I see chaos going all around me. I was very convinced that we weren't going to make it.

PENHAUL: His father was a colonel in the South Vietnamese marines, trying to save himself, his wife and children as communist insurgents overran Saigon.

LUONG: You never know whether you're going to make it out or not. You can hear the bad guys all around the airport shooting, Army units fighting and dying. U.S. Marines shooting back securing the airport.

PENHAUL: As the family left almost every possession behind, Viet got an order from his father he'll never forget.

LUONG: We had one brown Samsonite suitcase (INAUDIBLE). He said, look, son, I'm entrust you with the family documents. You're it. You got to protect this with all your life.

PENHAUL: Viet recalls his father helped clear bomb debris from the runway at Saigon airport, then salvation.

It was a magnificent view of a fleet of CH-53 helicopters. That was the coming of the angels in the air. They come and get us.

PENHAUL: The helicopter lifted off.

LUONG: The tracers coming back up at us but it didn't matter. The door gunner was shooting back. We're like, hey, we're going to make it.

PENHAUL: More than three decades later, 12 months into his tour in Iraq, this battle hardened colonel has a unique view as to whether this is America's new Vietnam.

LUONG: We didn't lose the war from my perspective. People would argue that we're losing the war here. We're not losing the war here. If you ask me as a military man, did we lose the war? Absolutely not. And you know, out of the 53,000 U.S. soldiers that lost their lives there, I'm not going to disrespect them by saying we lost the war because we didn't. OK? But at the same time, we lost the conflict because of other factors that we can't control, you know. The will of the U.S. people, the will of the government.

PENHAUL: Waning support for the Iraq war effort is not the only echo of Vietnam. Luong's uncles (INAUDIBLE) from north and south Vietnam, send messages to the battle front, warning of parallels between Iraq insurgents and the Vietcong.

LUONG: Some of my uncles are like in their 60s right now. They're still writing mail in Vietnamese and saying these are the things you need to look for. They're using some very similar tactics and techniques, the safe havens, going to places such as churches and mosques to prevent you from targeting them, getting close to the population so you can't use your firepower. PENHAUL: As a battalion commander, Luong has lost 16 of his your soldiers in combat around Samarra. The insurgents may be poorly trained he says, but they are as strongly motivated as the Communist Vietcong guerrillas were.

LUONG: Nationalism is something you cannot underestimate, the will of people, the will of somebody to fight and die.

PENHAUL: American leaders believe the key to winning in Iraq is getting the Iraqi security forces and government to take the lead. Here, they call it setting benchmarks. In Vietnam, they called it Vietnamization.

LUONG: The south Vietnamese leadership as a whole, you can say we're not entirely competent, you know, I mean, just like Iraq. If you pick the right people in the right position and the right leadership, to run the course of their country, make a big difference.

PENHAUL: It's hard to stay optimistic because the body count rises steadily. But a distant memory drives Luong. His father's voice, the day before the fall of Saigon.

LUONG: He says, guys, you know, we're going to make it. I'm going to make sure we make it through this and this is a monumental moment in our history and you shouldn't be could cowering. You should be observing everything that goes around you, because you're part of history.

PENHAUL: History that one day will judge whether Iraq has become America's new Vietnam. Karl Penhaul, CNN, Samarra, Iraq.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Susan Lisovicz at the New York Stock Exchange. When NEWSROOM returns, I'll tell you what an iPhone will really cost you. The numbers connected to the iPhone service plans, next. You're watching CNN, the most trusted name in news.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Some news just in to us here regarding outgoing British Prime Minister Tony Blair. We are learning here through out State Department producer at CNN that he will become an envoy for the Mideast quartet. That is compromised of the United States, Russia, Europe Union and United Nations. An announcement is expected on this appointment tomorrow. We know that President Bush and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice have endorsed it. Mainly his efforts, we understand, will include helping to support the institutional development of Palestinian authority institutions. That is what he'll be working on initially anyway. So once again, outgoing British Prime Minister Tony Blair who you see there will become an envoy for the Mideast quartet. We will hear, I believe an official announcement, coming our way tomorrow.

HARRIS: His last day as prime minister is tomorrow as well. You'll be hearing more on this story at the top of the hour when we join "Your World Today." Rosemary Church standing by with a preview. Rosemary.

ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello to you both. That news just in on British Prime Minister Tony Blair. There had been speculation a lot of speculation as to whether he would take that job, looks like it's going ahead. We're going to get the latest now on that confirmation from London. That will be at the top of our show. Then of course weather out of control across the globe. A cyclone in south Asia, flash floods in England and dry weather sparking wildfires in California. We'll find out what's going on.

Also, our special eye on Russia coverage continues with Jim Clancy in Moscow, focusing on the young people of Russia today. Critics are comparing its youth movement to Nazi Germany's Hitler youth. We'll have a story on that.

And killing time in jail, murders and robbers in Italy offer fine dining to those who dare. Believe it or not, there's actually a waiting list. Those stories and more coming up at the top of the hour on "Your World Today" here on CNN.

COLLINS: Look forward to it. Thanks, Rosemary.

CHURCH: Thank you.

HARRIS: To business news now. We know that Apple's new iPhone will cost up to $600. Wow! That's before you even make your first call. Susan Lisovicz is at the New York Stock Exchange with the 411 on rates. Hi Susan.

LISOVICZ: Hi Tony, allow us to do the math for you.

HARRIS: OK.

LISOVICZ: Apple and AT&T have released the service plans available with the iPhone, just a few days before it goes on sale. And like all cell phones you'll need a minutes plan. The three iPhone plans range from $60 to 100 bucks a month. All the plans include 200 text messages, unlimited data transfer, unlimited minutes mobile to mobile. Add it all up, the first year of iPhone ownership will run you from $1200 for the cheapest phone with the cheapest plan to $1800 for the most expensive phone and plan. That doesn't include taxes, fees, overages and accessories and accessories. Tony.

HARRIS: Accessories.

LISOVICZ: If you really want to make a statement with your cell phone, you got to have the accessories. They don't come cheap.

HARRIS: Of course, of course. They don't come cheap and people are going to pay for it, aren't they?

LISOVICZ: Yes. There is that certain contingent of the population that has to have it first. We saw it with the Playstation 3, the Microsoft Xbox, all that. There's no doubt that the die-hard Apple fans will cough it up. There's talk, Tony of people about sleeping outside of stores ahead of the Friday afternoon.

HARRIS: I can see that happening. I can actually see it.

LISOVICZ: At least it's the summer right. The rest of the market isn't as clear. Since Steve Jobs unveiled plans for the phone's six long months ago, the hype machine has been in overdrive. Most of us, however, are used to getting cell phones for free or at a low cost with the service plan. It will really be a test but probably not for your teenage son, Tony.

HARRIS: You better believe that. You had better believe that.

LISOVICZ: The old man is going to be coughing it up, Tony.

HARRIS: That's right, all right.

LISOVICZ: Better start doing overtime. Anyway, let's quickly get to the markets. No ringing endorsement from the bulls today although the three major averages are close to session highs. Advancers and decliners are pretty closely spaced. So, you know, we'll see if that rally holds unlike yesterday. The housing market continues to be a source of volatility. New home sales fell in May according to a government report. Wall Street had expected better. The nation's number one home builder, Lennar reported an unexpected quarterly loss, warned of another loss this quarter. Its shares are down 2 percent. The Dow is up, right now up 76 or half a percent. The Nasdaq is up a third of a percent. We'll see if this rally makes it to the closing bell unlike yesterday. Heidi and Tony, have a great day. Talk to you tomorrow.

HARRIS: You, too, Susan. Take care.

COLLINS: Singing politicians move over. Ted Kennedy is here. The senator's Spanish serenade. Stick around for more.

HARRIS: Is that like taxi, taxi to Guadalajara? What is that?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: So he is a vocal critic of the Bush administration. Now he's getting criticized for his own vocals. CNN's Jeanne Moos on Senator Kennedy's serenade.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): You've heard him speak in that cultivated Kennedy way. Wait until you hear his Spanish serenade.

SEN. EDWARD KENNEDY (D) MASSACHUSETTS: I sing my song to you now. Shall I sing my song?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, why not.

MOOS: His amnesty lullaby. Ted Kennedy sings en espanol. That can't possibly be real, someone posted. Want a bet? VOICE OF EDUARDO SOTELO, KSCA RADIO: He was feeling so good on the show that he decided to sing.

MOOS: Eduardo Sotelo is the star of America's top rated radio show geared toward the huge Latino audience. After a glowing intro, the senator broke into a song celebrating the Mexican state that's home to the city of Guadalajara. And with that performance, Senator Kennedy joined the ranks of singing politicos like former Attorney General John Ashcroft.

MOOS: OK, so not every singing politician soars, some bomb, literally.

SEN. JOHN McCAIN (R) ARIZONA: That old beach boy sing, bomb Iran.

MOOS: Senator Kennedy's performance didn't quite reach the seared into your memory forever status of Karl Rove's or even Colin Powell doing the YMCA spoof for fellow diplomats. With backup singers dressed up like the Village People. No, Senator Kennedy didn't go that far. Hey, at least he knew the words in Spanish. Former House Speaker Dennis Hastert was unsure of these words in English.

No good song goes unpunished if it's a politician singing it. Of course, if the singing is done in the name of comedy, even politicians get a pass.

McCAIN: For over 20 years I've had Barbra Streisand trying to do my job. So I decided to try my hand at her job.

MOOS: At least Ted Kennedy confined himself to the radio so he was heard, not seen. Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: That is priceless. Debate, to debate or not to debate. That's the question in the senate this hour. Another stab at immigration reform. We'll wrap it up for you, coming up.

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