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American Morning
Gillian Gibbons Pardoned; Huckabee Leads Iowa
Aired December 03, 2007 - 07:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JOHN ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: Back from Iraq. Is he changing his tune?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. JACK MURTHA (D), PENNSYLVANIA: Certainly, some progress has been made.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: One of the most outspoken war critics speaks out. One on one with Congressman Jack Murtha.
Waking up to an icy, snowy, sleety mess.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Fallen people out of ditches, off curbs, out of snow banks.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: Almost a dozen dead on the roads. Hundreds delayed in the skies.
Rolling time bomb.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm flipping.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: Tires that were recalled still on the road. What you need to know before you take the wheel on this AMERICAN MORNING.
A whole lot to talk about and tell you about this morning, so let's get right to it. It's Monday, the 3rd of December. I'm John Robert.
ALINA CHO, CO-ANCHOR: And I'm Alina Cho. Kiran has the morning off. Good to be here, John.
ROBERTS: Good to see you. It's always good to see you, Alina.
CHO: Thank you. ROBERTS: Parts of the northeast expected to get hammered today with snow, ice and rain after the season's first wintry storm made its way across the country over the weekend. The slippery mess is being blamed for at least 11 traffic deaths in the Midwest. Forecasters say a foot of snow, foot of snow, could blanket parts of the northeast with as many as 20 inches possible in some parts of New England.
Hundreds of flights have already been delayed, and it's not looking much better for frustrated flyers this morning. Rob Marciano is off today. Jacqui Jeras at our weather update desk tracking the extreme weather. How bad is it going to be, Jacqui?
JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Well, it's going to pretty brutal, especially the farther north you go, and the snowfall accumulations, like you said, 12 to 20 inches, so really extreme. Our other big concern is going to be the freezing rain and ice, and that's really focusing right now along the Massachusetts turnpike, where we could see as much as maybe a quarter of an inch or so of ice beginning to accumulate.
Behind the storm system, look at those winds beginning to plow in. So even when we get our front out of here and start to clear things out a little bit, those winds are going to pick up to face 50 miles per hour for your gusts, and that is going to cause a lot of issues throughout the afternoon. There, you can see all the pink in Springfield and Worcester, as where we are getting the worst reports right now. The freezing rain and drizzle and even Portland is coming down with some very heavy snow and poor visibility.
New York City, Philadelphia on southward, you're in the warm sector of this storm now. So that's some good news that you're just going to be seeing the rain before those winds arrive. And there you can see some of those winds trying to pop up there. These are sustained wind, not to mention the gusts, and those advisories extend from the northeast all the way down into the deep south.
Now, talk about extreme winds, guys. The last couple of hours have just been incredibly brutal for the pacific northwest that we just got in a wind gust report from Bay City, right about there in Oregon, of 129-mile-per-hour wind gusts. That's the equivalent of a category 3 hurricane. What an incredible storm out west. Of course, we'll talk more about that a little bit later on -- John.
ROBERTS: A very important story this morning, Jacqui. We'll keep coming back to you.
JERAS: Yes.
ROBERTS: Right now, though, let's go over to Alina.
CHO: John, thank you. We have breaking news this morning from Sudan. A pardon overnight for a British school teacher jailed for allowing her students to name a teddy bear Muhammad. Just getting word in the past couple of minutes that Gillian Gibbons has just been released after serving a 15-day sentence for insulting Islam. Two British Muslim lawmakers secured the pardon in a meeting with the Sudanese president. In a statement, Gibbons apologized for causing distress and says she has great respect for Islam. She is expected to be released, as she just was just a moment ago. She's going to be flown back to Britain.
Also new this morning, a major defeat announced overnight for one of America's biggest critics, Venezuela's president, Hugo Chavez. Venezuelans voted down a referendum that would have changed the constitution and allowed Chavez to run for president indefinitely. CNN's Harris Whitbeck is in Caracas.
HARRIS WHITBECK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Members of the opposition in Venezuela were still out on the streets early Monday morning, chanting, waving flags, celebrating the fact that they had defeated Hugo Chavez's attempts to radically change the Venezuelan constitution in a referendum. Shortly after those referendum results were announced very early Monday morning, President Chavez addressed the press, addressed the nation. He said that he accepted those results, and the fact that he accepted those results was proof that he was committed to democracy in Venezuela.
The opposition now says this is an opportunity to look for unity in the country after society had been polarized over the discussion on difficult constitutional amendments. President Chavez also said that this is a time to look for unity, and he urged his supporters to go home peacefully and to accept the loss at the polls. Harris Whitbeck, CNN, Caracas.
CHO: Harris, thank you.
In Russia overnight, a different story. President Vladimir Putin's United Russia party won big in parliamentary elections, taking nearly two-thirds of the vote. Putin's term ends in 2008, but this strong showing could help him stay in power. CNN's senior international correspondent Matthew Chance is in Moscow.
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: A landslide election victory for the party backed by the Russian President Vladimir Putin. It's likely to consolidate his grip on power in Russian politics and also give a boost to his bid to retain power after he leaves the Kremlin when his second and final presidential term ends early next year.
It's not been without criticism though. Election monitors from the European Union say that the vote was neither free nor fair. They say the involvement of the Russian president in parliamentary politics itself skewered the results. They also say that the Russian media clearly favored the ruling party. That they've said that small parties taking part didn't enjoy equal conditions, and they criticized the authorities for giving the opposition such a hard time in the campaign.
They've been complaining of being harassed by the police. So even though this is a big landslide, a big victory for Vladimir Putin, for critics of Russian democracy, there are questions marks hanging over this election victory. Matthew Chance, CNN, Moscow.
ROBERTS: Six minutes after the hour, and other headlines new this morning.
Thousands of people are expected at the funeral of football star Sean Taylor in Miami today. The Washington Redskins paid tribute to Taylor on Sunday with a special video and a moment of silence preceding the game. And other Redskins' first defensive play, only ten men were on the field. One man short, in Taylor's honor. CNN will carry the Taylor funeral live from Florida International University at 11:00 a.m. Eastern.
A court hearing today. New details emerging about the man accused of taking hostages in Senator Clinton's New Hampshire campaign headquarters on Friday. Police arrested 46-year-old Leeland Eisenberg on Friday after a five-hour standoff. Eisenberg had filed a civil suit back in 2002, claiming that he was sexually abused by a priest in the Boston archdiocese. He faces kidnapping and other charges in a court appearance today.
And investigators now say the Amtrak train that crashed and injured dozens of people in Chicago on Friday was speeding. The train's engineer admits he was going through a 15-mile-an-hour zone at 40 miles an hour when he slammed into a freight train. More than 70 people suffered mostly minor injuries -- Alina.
CHO: Thanks, John.
Also new this morning, Idaho Senator Larry Craig facing new allegations about his past sexual behavior. Sunday's Idaho statesman newspaper identifies four gay men who claim they either had sex with Craig or were the subject of his sexual advances. The men describe their encounters to the paper in detail. The paper offers no physical evidence to back up its report, describing the claims as "he said, he said" allegations.
In a statement, Senator Craig calls the claims "completely false." In his words "It is unfortunate that the Idaho statesman has chosen to continue to lower itself to the standards of what can best be described as tabloid journalism." Senator Craig, you may remember, was arrested last June in a sex sting at a Minneapolis Airport bathroom. He pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct, but he tried to withdraw his plea after his arrest became public.
Senator Craig has also backed away from plans to resign his Senate seat, instead choosing to stay until his term expires in January 2009. He will not run for reelection -- John.
ROBERTS: Hillary Clinton is going negative as her lead slips away in Iowa. The latest Des Moines register poll now has Senator Barack Obama leading Senator Clinton in Iowa for the first time. Clinton questioned Obama's ethics, character and courage yesterday, complaining his political action committee is contributing money to candidates in early primary states. Obama says everything that he has done is in accordance with the law. Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney will deliver a major speech this week about his Mormon faith. The speech is called "Faith in America." The Romney campaign has gone back and forth for months on whether to address the issue of religion. Romney is set to give that speech on Thursday at the George Bush Presidential Library in College Station, Texas.
Governor Romney has been overtaken in Iowa by Mike Huckabee. The Des Moines register poll shows Huckabee now in the lead. Huckabee has scored well in the debates and has proven to be a popular campaigner. But now, there is an intensifying focus on Huckabee's record as governor of Arkansas. CNN's Dana Bash is in Des Moines for us covering this story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DANA BASH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Standing room only, New Hampshire House Party for Mike Huckabee.
MIKE HUCKABEE (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The first time I came, everybody that came could sit right here.
BASH: With these crowds and surging poll numbers, the Arkansas governor's record is under fresh criticism, from immigration --
MITT ROMNEY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Governor Huckabee fought in favor of giving in-state tuition breaks to illegal aliens.
BASH: To taxes.
HUCKABEE: Others have suggested a surcharge on the income tax. That's acceptable.
BASH: This 2003 speech to the Arkansas legislature is being used in two ads against Huckabee.
HUCKABEE: Let me tell you some of the things you're going to hear. One of the things is Huckabee was a tax spender in Arkansas.
BASH: Huckabee is trying to preempt those strikes. So what is his record? On taxes, he says he signed --
HUCKABEE: The First governor in a 160-year history of my state to sign the first-ever broad based tax cuts and signed 94 different tax cuts.
BASH: That's true, but he also raised taxes 21 times, including 16 percent more in gas taxes and a 103 percent hike in cigarette taxes. In fact, he left office with an overall tax increase of $505 million. Huckabee says the money went to Arkansas schools and roads and tells CNN he has no regret.
HUCKABEE: There are times when that's necessary. Ronald Reagan raised taxes when he was governor of California. He raised taxes when he was president. BASH: On immigration, Huckabee backed college tuition breaks for children of illegal immigrants. He also fought legislation to require proof of citizenship for state services. Again on both, no regrets.
HUCKABEE: If you want national security handled by people at an entry level of state government, that's what you get, but I don't think anybody thinks that's a good idea.
BASH: But Huckabee's biggest controversy as governor is the Wayne DuMond case. A convicted rapist sentenced to life in prison, a punishment Huckabee, among others, called too tough. DuMond was released on Huckabee's watch, but then raped another woman and killed her.
HUCKABEE: It's horrible, and there's nothing any of us can ever do. None of us could have predicted what he would have done when he got out.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BASH: Now, Huckabee says the process that led to DuMond's release started with his predecessors in Arkansas, Democrats including Bill Clinton. But even he concedes that as he does better and better in the polls here in Iowa and perhaps elsewhere, it is much more likely that that salacious case becomes an issue for him and he is likely right privately his rival campaigns are already talking about this as a potential campaign issue attacking him -- John.
ROBERTS: Other big news in the campaign trail this week. Dana, Mitt Romney is going to give this long-anticipated speech about faith, particularly the Mormon religion this coming Thursday. Is that purely a function of the fact that Huckabee is now giving him such a problem there in Iowa, or is there a bigger picture here that he's looking at?
BASH: That, of course, is the first question now that is put to the campaign because of the situation here in Iowa. They insist that the answer is no, that this is something that he has been talking about with his campaign advisers probably for about a year almost since Mitt Romney first announced. Look, the bottom line, though, is he isn't doing as well as he was here, and part of the reason is because social conservatives are, at this point, flocking towards Mike Huckabee.
And the reality is, John, that Mitt Romney gets questions at town halls. He gets questions in private about his religion, about Mormonism and he realizes that this is something he's going to have to do. He's going to have to address this. There was a debate, an intense debate back and forth in this campaign for a long time about this.
We are that he actually made the decision, John, last week after he got enough drafts of the speech that he finally felt comfortable with. The way that they decided to give this speech. It's going to be called "Faith in America," not necessarily Mormonism 101, but an explanation of his faith and how he intends to use his faith or not use his faith if he would be elected president -- John. ROBERTS: And it's significant about that decision-making process, too, because we asked him about it last Thursday and he didn't seem to give any indication that he thought it was urgent. Dana Bash for us this morning there in Des Moines, Iowa, where it's pretty obvious, Dana, by looking at that picture that winter has arrived in Iowa.
BASH: Oh, yes.
ROBERTS: All right. Dana, thanks. We'll hear from you a little bit later on -- Alina.
CHO: All right, John, thank you.
Time is money. A new warning about the price we pay for airline delays. Why they could soon cost you, even if you've never stepped foot in a terminal.
And a leading Democratic war critic may have a different take on Iraq since returning from a visit with U.S. troops. John's interview with Pennsylvania Congressman John Murtha ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHO: Breaking news this morning from Sudan. A British school teacher pardoned overnight for allowing her students to name a teddy bear Muhammad has just been freed from a Sudanese jail. Gillian gibbons, you recall, was serving a 15-day sentence for insulting Islam. Two British Muslim lawmakers secured the pardon in a meeting with the Sudanese president. She is at the British embassy right now, awaiting a flight back to Britain -- John.
ROBERTS: Seventeen minutes after the hour. After years of rising U.S. troop deaths in Iraq, there has been a stunning decline in the death toll. Thirty-seven soldiers and marines were killed in November, the lowest monthly total in more than a year. The number of Iraqi civilian deaths also plummeted.
November, in fact, was the third straight month that civilian deaths declined. The U.S. military says fewer insurgent fighters entered Iraq last month from Syria and Iran. So is there a light at the end of the tunnel in Iraq? Pennsylvania Congressman John Murtha, one of the most vocal Democratic war critics just returned from Iraq, and he has made some interesting comments about whether the troop increased the so-called "surge" is working. We're going to have more on that just a little bit later.
But it also brings us along to our "Quick Vote" question. Do you think the U.S. troop increase, the so-called "surge" in Iraq is working? Cast your vote at CNN.com/AM. Right now, 46 percent of you say yes. Fifty-four percent say no.
We'll continue to update the votes throughout the morning -- Alina.
CHO: Help for subprime mortgage holders tops our "Quick Hits" now. Senator Hillary Clinton is calling for a 90-day moratorium on home foreclosures and a five-year freeze on interest rates and adjustable rate mortgages. Clinton is presenting her proposal to Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson. Martin Scorsese was there. So where the Beach Boys. And Brian Wilson all honored by the Kennedy Center. We'll show you who else was in the spotlight. That's ahead on AMERICAN MORNING. We're coming right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: Twenty minutes after the hour. Welcome back to the most news in the morning. Your "Quick Hits" now. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers will be center stage at the Super Bowl to headline this year's half time show. The Super Bowl will be played February 3rd in Arizona.
The Magical weekend at the box office for the fairy tale romance "Enchanted," it stars Amy Adams and Patrick Dempsey, came in in the top spot for the second straight weekend bringing in $17 million, followed by "This Christmas," "Beowulf," "Awake," and "Hitman."
And she's 31 years old, an Academy Award winner and she's Hollywood's highest paid actress. Who is she? Reese Witherspoon. She commands $15 million to $20 million per movie. According to the Hollywood reporters annual list, Angelina Jolie was second, followed by Cameron Diaz, who gets about $15 million per picture.
CHO: Ha, not bad.
ROBERTS: $15 million to $20 million.
CHO: Julia Roberts used to be the golden girl. Remember that?
ROBERTS: Yes.
CHO: 20 million bucks. I think that's a lot.
ROBERTS: I would not have picked Reese Witherspoon.
ALI VELSHI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I get $15, $20 every time I do a report.
ROBERTS: This is great for any American.
ALI VELSHI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. I'm trying to negotiate to going back to Canadian.
But, listen. Let's talk a little about money. We are a week and a day away from the next Federal Reserve meeting. They meet about every six weeks, and expectations are that they will cut rates again, maybe a quarter of a percentage point, maybe half a percentage point. But we want to look at this week because there is so much going on in the markets.
First of all, I've already told you that oil prices, they're basically giving oil away. It's around $87.5 a barrel today. Remember when we were looking at a hundred? Look at what stock markets did last week.
From a percentage perspective, it was very, very strong. The Dow last week gaining 2.9 percent. The Nasdaq up 2.4 percent, and the S&P up 2.7. Now, the numbers you're looking up on the screen are a little bit different because that is the year-to-date gain on the stock market.
John, a little bit over a week ago, we were talking about the fact that most people's gains, other than on the Nasdaq, were gone for the year, totally erased for the year, within one week. Now, for most of you investors out there, you're probably not looking for gains that moved that much over the course of a week. But between that and what we hear this week, we must have a dozen economic reports coming out.
The big one -- the data watch is going to be Friday. That's the economic -- that's the jobs number, the unemployment report for the month of November. That will be key in helping the fed decide whether it's cutting interest rates again next week.
CHO: What about the markets? The U.S. markets are opening in about two hours? So what are we...
(CROSSTALK)
VELSHI: Up and down. They were -- the futures were down and then we saw more oil price drops this morning. And as a result, they were up, and now they're kind of hovering around break even. You know, it's been a busy week last week, so I think people are waiting for these reports. When there are a lot of economic reports out, traders tend to hold on, wait to see what they say, and then make a choice.
ROBERTS: I think, too, a lot people are wondering, is this whole subprime mortgage mess worked through the market?
VELSHI: Right. And you know, there's this big meeting going on in Washington right now, where they're discussing it, and we are thinking that there may be an announcement this week about that freezing of mortgage rates that Chris Lawrence has been talking about.
ROBERTS: That would really --
VELSHI: That will make a big difference. So we'll follow all of that. It is going to be a busy week. Keep an eye on your investments all week.
ROBERTS: All right. I know how much you love doing this.
VELSHI: Apparently.
ROBERTS: So I'll count on you. Right.
VELSHI: For more than just $15 a report.
ROBERTS: Thanks, Ali. Breaking news this morning from Sudan. A British school teacher has now been freed from a Sudanese jail. She was pardoned overnight for allowing her students to name a teddy bear Muhammad. Gillian Gibbons was serving a 15-day sentence for insulting Islam.
Emily Chang is live in London for us with the latest. Emily, some very good news for this woman because some protesters in Sudan, not to say that the government would ever entertain this, but we're actually calling for her to be executed over this whole thing.
EMILY CHANG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right. After this verdict, hundreds of protesters took to the streets. They were very angry. They wanted a harsher sentence. Some of them calling for her execution, but indeed, she was released from police custody just minutes ago. And right now, she is at the British Embassy.
The president of the Sudan granted her a full presidential pardon this morning. This decision came out of a meeting with two members of British parliament. They've been negotiating all weekend, these British leaders also Muslim themselves. So, Gillian Gibbons has served eight days of that 15-day sentence for insulting Islam. She had asked her students to name a class teddy bear. They picked the name Muhammad. But that was the name of the most popular boy in the class, but it also happens to be the name of Islam's prophet.
So many people took offense to this. Now, though, she is at the British Embassy. She's awaiting a flight back to the U.K. It looks like the earliest she'll be able to fly back is tomorrow morning. This morning, we heard from her son, John, speaking from their home in Liverpool, England.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN GIBBONS, GILLIAN GIBBONS'S SON: I called and phoned this morning. She's very happy this morning. Obviously, we're very pleased. We're saving God from these excitements until she's on the plane. I hope you understand that. Obviously, it's been very good news this morning. Yes, it's been good news this morning, but the family obviously 100 percent thrilled until she's on the plane, on the way home.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHANG: And that is the first time we've heard from any member of Gillian Gibbons's family. They've been very careful not to talk. They didn't want to make this situation any worse. But of course now, they are very relieved. Gillian Gibbons herself also released a statement saying "I have great respect for the Islamic religion and would not knowingly offend anyone." She also said that she enjoyed her time in the Sudan immensely and that she's very sorry she won't be able to go back -- John.
ROBERTS: Just an extraordinary case. Emily Chang for us with the latest from London. Emily, thanks -- Alina.
CHO: John, thanks. Hundreds of thousands of tires that were recalled amazingly still on the road. Find out why and what you need to know before you get behind the wheel.
And a new look at the evidence in the case of the pepper spray beauty pageant. Remember this one? What police are saying now. We'll have that story and all the days' top news when AMERICAN MORNING comes right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHO: Welcome back to AMERICAN MORNING. It's Monday, December 3rd. I'm Alina Cho. Kiran has the morning off.
ROBERTS: Alina, good to have you in this morning.
CHO: It's nice to be on the floor.
ROBERTS: It's always good to see you. I'm John Roberts.
Parts of the northeast expected to get hammered today with snow, ice and rain after the season's first wintry storm made its way across the country over the weekend. The slippery mess is being blamed for at least 11 traffic deaths in the Midwest.
Hurricane-force wind gusts ravaging parts of Oregon this morning. High surf, heavy snow and rain, and power outages reported. Also, concerns about swollen rivers and streams. Just look, look at the way that the wind is blowing there. Three tropical typhoons and cold air from Alaska being blamed for the unusually strong storm.
It cost you valuable time. Now, New York City could pay financially for growing airports delay. The city comptroller says delays in the area are getting worse much quicker than they are across the rest of the United States. His warning could hurt the Big Apple's ability to compete globally if the FAA does not hire more air traffic controllers and get more planes in and out of La Guardia, JFK and Newark Airport more quickly.
ALINA CHO, CNN, ANCHOR: Thousands of mourners are expected today at the funeral of football star Sean Taylor in Miami. On Sunday, Taylor's team, the Washington Redskins played its first game since the shooting. The team took time before kick-off for a video tribute and a moment of silence. Teammates wore Taylor's number 21 on their jerseys. Also, on Sunday, hearing for one of the four suspects charged in that murder. He was denied bail as were three others who appeared in court Saturday and now, there's word that police may be looking for a fifth suspect.
Lawyers for one of the Jena 6 teens are figuring out a plea deal that would avoid a trial in a Louisiana juvenile court. The deal would drop the conspiracy charge against 17-year-old Michael Bell. And in return, he would plead guilty to battery. It stems from the beating of a white student last December, which followed months of racial tensions when students hung nooses from a school tree. And the pageant pepper spray mystery gets stranger and stranger. Listen to this one - police are now investigating whether the new Miss Puerto Rico Ingrid Marie Rivera lied to police. Puerto Rico's Forensic Science Institute tested the gown and make-up brush that Rivera claims were laced with pepper spray but guess what they found no pepper spray. Rivera said she broke out in hives and had to ice down her face and body during the contest. Oh, boy. John.
ROBERTS: Awfully strange. 32 minutes after the hour.
After years of rising U.S. troop deaths in Iraq, there has been a startling decline in the death toll. 37 soldiers and marines were killed during the month of November. That is the lowest total in more than a year. The number of Iraqi civilian deaths also plummeted. November, in fact, the third straight month that civilian deaths declined. The U.S. military also says fewer insurgent fighters entered Iraq last month from Syria and Iran. So, is there light at the end of the tunnel in Iraq? Pennsylvania Congressman John Martha, one of the most vocal democratic war critics, just returned from Iraq and has made some interesting comments about whether the troop increase, the so-called surge, is working. I spoke with him earlier this morning from Washington's Reagan National Airport.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: Congressman, good to see you again. Right off the top here, the surge, clarify this for us. The so-called surge, is it working or is it not working?
REP. JOHN MURTHA (D), PENNSYLVANIA: John, I think you have to be careful if you just say a simple question like the surge. There's a lot more elements to it. As I've said over and over again, there has to be a diplomatic effort. The Iraqis have to make substantial changes in legislation and the parliament. They've got 17 seats that are vacant in the cabinet post. But there's certainly some progress that's been made.
ROBERTS: Back on July 31st, we asked you about this editorial written by Ken Pawlick and Michael Hamlin, two foreign policy experts, in which they said there was some early indication that in fact this so-called troop increase was having some success. Here is what you said in response to that editorial.
MURTHA: Not getting better. It's rhetorical is what's getting better. It's over optimistic. It's an illusion.
ROBERTS: And now back in April, you also said that the surge has failed, no possibility that it was going to work. In those two statements back in April and July 31st, were you prematuring your assessment?
MURTHA: Let me say this, John. It's still, the surge is just a window of opportunity. The military, there's no question, if you put enough military in there from the very start, we would have had a much different scenario than we have right now. The difference is that the Iraqis have started to take part. And one of the things I visited, one of the reasons I went to Iraq this last time, I visited prisons. They're doing an entirely different situation. They're beginning to educate people. They're beginning to give them skills when they go out. These are young kids that are setting IEDs. So, there's a substantial change in direction.
ROBERTS: Now, the White House is displeased with the level of engagement of the central government, as is the U.S. military. The question here, congressman, is if you are seeing some success on the ground in terms of this increase, this troop increase, the so-called surge, why is it prudent to be talking about taking American troops out at this point? Because if you did that, would you not risk everything going back to the way it was?
MURTHA: John, I think it's the opposite. When it was bad, they didn't want to take troops out. Now it's going well, they don't want to take troops out. I think there's a time to give the Iraqis the incentive. They have to understand, the United States is spending $14 billion a month. There's a staggering price that we pay. We borrowed the money for this thing. We just passed a bill, $459 billion for the war, or for the Defense Department. We passed a $50 billion bill which would take care of the war and we say to them, look give them an incentive. Let's say that no torture and that's a real incentive. Let's say that they've got to have fully equipped, fully trained and let's have a reasonable goal to get out of there. So, there's much more to this. There has to be a big diplomatic effort. I think all of us are saying the same thing.
ROBERTS: This idea of this compromise, this conversation that you had with General Lu, who has taken to be the White House war czar, which puts you squarely at odds with Nancy Pelosi, speaker of the House, who rejected this idea of this compromise in terms that you were talking about in terms of no torture and the other items you put on the table. Are they being unreasonable here in insisting that there be a timetable for withdrawal attached to this $50 billion funding request?
MURTHA: Well, I don't think you're going to get the Iraqis and the central government to move. You know, we're protecting them in the green zone. We've done it for five years that we've been involved in this war.
ROBERTS: Is the democratic leadership being unreasonable in sticking with this demand for a timetable as opposed to going with your compromise that you say that you're working out with General Lu?
MURTHA: Well, the compromise already is in place, I think because we're talking about a goal rather than a timetable. I think what the democratic leadership was worried about is the goal. And they don't want to go any longer. What I found out was we can get the troops out within a year, but couldn't get the equipment out within a year. So, you know, I'm sure we can work something out. And the democratic leadership is ready to compromise, just like everybody else. They may say they're not but let me tell you something. We want this war to end. We want our troops out of there. They've done a magnificent job. I'm so proud of the troops but the Iraqis have to step up.
ROBERTS: Congressman, is Nancy Pelosi angry at you for the statements you've made?
MURTHA: Well, you know, I say what I believe. And I always say what I think. I look on the ground and I saw what's happening. And I think it's time to get our troops redeployed. And I think we have to come to some agreement with the White House about when to get them out of there.
ROBERTS: Congressman, always good to talk to you. Thanks very much for joining us this morning.
MURTHA: Nice talking to you, John.
ROBERTS: We'll see you again soon.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: Which brings us to this morning's quick vote question. Do you think the U.S. troop increase (the so-called "surge") in Iraq is working? Cast your vote this morning at cnn.com/am. Right, really close. 49 percent of you say yes, it is working. 51 percent say no. We'll continue to update the votes throughout the morning.
CHO: Right down the middle, split.
A diverse group of entertainers honored in last night in Washington during the annual Kennedy Center honors. The Beach Boys' Brian Wilson, Director Martin Scorsese, comedian Steve Martin, singer Diana Ross and pianist Ian Flesher - all received the prestigious awards for excellence in the performing art. The entire event will air later this month on CBS.
New details on Oprah Winfrey's campaign tour with Barack Obama. That's topping your "Quick Hits" this morning. The first stop is Saturday when Winfrey and Obama hit Des Moines and Cedar Rapids, Iowa. On Sunday, they'll be in Columbia, South Carolina, before jetting up to Manchester, New Hampshire. Boy, they'll be busy. Winfrey announced she was endorsing Obama last month. We'll have to see whether it translates into votes.
The holiday shopping season in full force and so are would-be identity thief. Our internet correspondent Veronica De La Cruz takes a look at who is more likely to steal your information and how.
And you could be driving on recalled tires and don't even know it. The risks to you and your family and what you need to know before you hit the road. That's ahead on AMERICAN MORNING. We're coming right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: It's coming now to 18 minutes to the top of the hour. Welcome back to the most news in the morning here on CNN. Winter weather in our "Quick Hits" now. Six to eight inches of snow fell in the twin cities. And a snow emergency was declared there. Grand Marais on the shore of Lake Superior got 20 inches. These pictures of Toronto's first storm of the year sent to us by i-reporter Janet Pierre. She took them Sunday morning on Bather Street, one of Toronto's busiest streets. Toronto got about three to four inches. Montreal could get nearly a foot by the time it's all over. Hey, it's Canada. It snows.
And a slippery drive in South Dakota. Snow and ice fell across most of the state on Saturday, causing major problems for drivers. Alina, welcome to winter.
CHO: That's right. Three days into December.
Well, there's a chance you could be riding on recalled tires, putting you and your family at serious risk. In fact, only a fraction of them have been pulled from the road. AMERICAN MORNING's Ed Lavandera live at a tire shop in Dallas with this. Hey, Ed, good morning.
ED LAVANDERA, CNN, CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Alina. Well, even the federal government agency that's in charge of overseeing tire recall says that there are too many recall tires still on the roads and more needs to be done to get them off the road. Chances are if you're driving on one, you might not even know it.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LAVANDERA (voice-over): Carolyn Thorne says she had no idea she was driving a rolling time bomb when a tire on her SUV suddenly ripped apart, triggering a roll over at 65 miles per hour.
CAROLYN THORNE, DROVE A RECALLED TIRE: All I heard was a popping sound and next thing I knew, I'm flipping.
LAVANDERA: The accident left Thorne partially paralyzed. She won multi-million dollar legal settlements with the tire maker and dealers that cared for the car. Thorne's story highlights a disturbing reality, the tire that blew out on her car should not have been on the road at all. It had been recalled two years before the rollover. Millions of recalled tires just like it have not been returned and are still on the road today.
It's very easy to have recalled tires on a vehicle and not know it.
LAVANDERA: Shawn Cane works as an auto safety consultant who has studied the tire recall process and was also an unpaid consultant on Thorne's case. He says only 20 percent of all recalled tires are actually found and that even tire professionals have trouble determining which tires are recalled.
SHAWN CANE, AUTO SAFETY CONSULTANT: The reason we don't know where they are is because there's no tracking mechanism. There's no identification system that works. The recall system is just clearly broken.
The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration is the federal agency that oversees tire recalls. A spokesman says the agency agree that tire return rates are too low and that more needs to be done to get recalled tires off the road. But did not say what should be done.
CANE: You can see the D.O.T. number here.
LAVANDERA: Cane says finding recalled tracking numbers on tires is difficult and that retailers don't have a database to make sure people are driving on safe tires. That was a shock to Carolyn Thorne, who believed tire mechanics would spot the danger.
THORNE: I trusted my life in the hands of so-called experts to make sure that nothing like this would happen to me. But it did. The system failed.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LAVANDERA: So, you bring your car to a tire shop like this. You pull out the spare and the number that you're looking for is on the inside. Not even on the front of the tire. This is where, this would go outside. And on most cars, most tires, that number you're looking for is going to be right in here. Let's say you bring it to a tire shop like this, they're not going to be able to help you. Because this place doesn't have a database to tell you whether or not this particular tire had been recalled. So the best advice we have at this point is to contact the manufacturer of the tire and go through the phone process to try to figure out if this tire that you're asking about has been recalled. Alina.
CHO: That's exactly what they should do because you never know. All right. Ed Lavandera live for us in Dallas. Ed, thank you very much. John.
ROBERTS: Some relief for laid-off staffers on the "Tonight Show" tops your "Quick Hits." Host Jay Leno says he will pay the salaries of about 80 workers who were let go because of the writers' strike. On Friday, the workers were told there were no guarantees that they'll be rehired when the strike ends. David Letterman and Conan O'Brien have also promised to pay laid off staffers.
Actor Brad Pitt is promising $5 million and new design ideas to help rebuild the ninth ward, the lower ninth ward in New Orleans. Pitt has commissioned architects to design new homes for his project called "Make It Right." 150 affordable homes will be built in the next two years. And Brad will be talking with our Larry King about the project "Make It Right." He joins Larry for the entire hour Wednesday on a special "Larry King Live." That's at 9:00 p.m. Eastern.
Who is more likely to steal your personal financial information and how? Our Veronica De La Cruz has been looking at ways you can protect yourself next on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHO: 49 minutes after the hour. If you're just joining us, here's a look at what's making headlines this morning. Breaking news from Sudan. Within the past hour, a British school teacher has been freed from a Sudanese jail. Jillian Gibbons served eight days of a 15-day sentence for insulting Islam, for allowing her students to name a teddy bear, Muhammad. She's now at the British embassy, waiting a flight back to the U.K..
Venezuelan voters celebrating after saying no overnight to President Hugo Chavez's attempt to increase his power. They narrowly defeated a constitutional change that would have allowed Chavez to run for president indefinitely and expanded his economic power. Chavez this morning says his proposal may have been a bit too ambitious.
In Russia overnight, supporters of President Vladimir Putin are celebrating. Their United Russia Party won big in parliamentary elections, taking nearly two-thirds of the vote. But European election monitors are saying the vote wasn't fair. Putin saying this morning that it's a vote of confidence in his leadership. His term ends in 2008 but this strong showing could help him stay in power perhaps as prime minister.
That winter storm that's blamed for killing 11 on the roads in the Midwest is slamming the northeast this morning. There could be a foot of snow in New England. Take a look at those pictures. A coating of ice in the New York City area. There are freezing rain and high wind advisories that are causing some school closures and one rough commute, at least. Probably several more. Nasty weather is also having a ripple effect at airports across the U.S.. Hundreds of flights canceled yesterday. Stay tuned for more today.
Fans will be saying goodbye today at the funeral of Washington Redskins star Sean Taylor. The funeral is in Miami at the 6,000-seat arena at Florida International University. The entire Redskins team and many players from other NFL teams are expected to attend. Stay tuned to CNN for live coverage of the Taylor funeral. We'll also have a live report in the next 40 minutes.
And the man accused of taking hostages at Senator Hillary Clinton's New Hampshire campaign headquarters will be in court today. Police arrested 46-year-old Leeland Eisenberg was arrested Friday after a five-hour hostage standoff. All the hostages, including a small child, got out OK.
Well, the holidays are prime time for identity theft.
ROBERTS: Our Veronica De La Cruz is here. And she explains why it's up to individuals to protect their information. You can't rely on somebody else. You got to take this responsibility.
VERONICA DE LA CRUZ, CNN, INTERNET CORRESPONDENT: Really, we got some interesting statistics to share with you now. A new report out by the FCC says 66 percent of all people who become victims of I.D. theft discover on their own. That despite dozens of states who have laws, or are working on laws that would require companies to alert customers if there is a breech. The study also found out that more than 8 million people became victims of I.D. theft in 2005. Experts say it's hard to get a handle on the situation because a lot of people don't even know that they are victims when they're surveyed. Also, I thought this was interesting. 16 percent of the victims said that they knew the person who stole their identity. 6 percent of the time it was a relative. 2 percent of the time, hacking or phishing was to blame. And 7 percent of the time, a person's identity is compromised shopping whether online or in stores.
CHO: So, Veronica, so many people are shopping online right now, around the holidays.
DE LA CRUZ: Yes, a lot.
CHO: What can you do to protect yourself.
DE LA CRUZ: Well, Alina, here's the problem, a lot of people are rushed. You know, the holidays are kind of crazy so they become careless. So, you got to keep tabs on your receipts. You want to shred all pertinent information instead of throwing it away in the trash. And if you apply for an in-store credit card, be aware of who is around you, just take a look for a second. Also, use your credit card instead of your debt card, which takes money directly from your account and then, if you are shopping online, check the web site. Make sure it's encrypted, and then only make purchases from reputable companies. And when you're traveling, you want to keep tabs on all your boarding passes. Of course, anything else with your name on it. Don't ever carry your social security card with you if you can avoid. And here's a really, really easy one. Just keep an eye on your wallet. I've had my wallet stolen while checking out.
CHO: Quick question - why credit card instead of debit card? I use my debit card all the time.
ROBERTS: Protection.
DE LA CRUZ: Instant protection. Exactly. Instead of money taken out directly of your account.
ROBERTS: How do you make sure that the website is encrypted?
DE LA CRUZ: You look for a seal on that website. There should be some kind of a seal on that web site that tells you that is a website that you can shop from and you can get your funds back if for some reason...
CHO: Is there a logo or something?
DE LA CRUZ: There is a logo. Look at the bottom of the web site and you should be able to find something. It will have a little check mark on it.
ROBERTS: Good tips. Veronica, thanks.
Investigators now say the engineer in Friday's Amtrak crash in Chicago made a major mistake. We'll tell you what he admits he did, coming up on AMERICAN MORNING.
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CHO: 56 minutes after the hour. Ali Velshi "Minding your business." You're talking truffles. It's truffle season. ALI VELSHI, CNN, BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: It's truffle season. If you go to a restaurant, you know, fine restaurant in New York, you'll have your entrees at normally $30, $40 and then the truffle special. They managed to print up that there's a truffle special, but they don't manage to ever tell you the price. And if you are (inaudible) you'll find out that the truffles is actually $150 or $200. Actually, this happened to me the other day.
CHO: They get you.
VELSHI: They totally get you, because they don't think you're going to ask. Or they come around and as you were saying...
CHO: At the last minute, would you like some truffles?
VELSHI: Truffles are like gold. Now, a truffle sold this weekend at auction, did you know they get sold at auction? A truffle sold at auction this weekend for $330,000. That's the truffle that you're looking at. When I heard about this, I thought it would take three farm hands to lift it on to the back of the truck. It's 3.3 lb. Which is the biggest truffle on record, at the moment. Until now, it was 2 point something pounds. It was found in Tuscany by a truffle hunter and his dog, Rocko. Truffles are typically between 1 and 3 ounces a piece. And you shave them, and you make oil from them and you put them on your food. So, I don't quite understand why a 3.3 pound truffle is worth more than 30, you know, small truffles.
ROBERTS: Well, you also said truffles are like gold.
CHO: It's like diamonds.
VELSHI: Yes.
ROBERTS: A 3 lb truffle, $330,000. How much would three pounds of gold be worth?
VELSHI: Three pounds of gold? It would be a lot. I mean $800 an ounce.
ROBERTS: It wouldn't be $300,000.
VELSHI: You're right. Truffles are better deal than gold. Don't shave off the gold and put it on your food. That's the problem. I don't get...
ROBERTS: All though, remember that dessert with shaved gold on it.
VELSHI: That's true. This is Stanley Ho, by the way, the billionaire who owns hotels. He owns all sorts of things. But his hotel is one of the three places that this is auction was going on simultaneously. So, he bought it and the money goes to charity. So, I'll give him that. So, it's food, man. What are you paying $330,000 for it?
CHO: Plus it's tiny bit. VELSHI: Yes, I know. So there you go, it's the truffles. So if anybody is worried about the economy, don't worry, it's all OK. People are spending a lot of money.
ROBERTS: I'll quickly make the calculation and tell you how much in gold that would be worth.
Well, the gloves are off. Hillary Clinton says she's tired of being attacked. Now, she's fighting back with some harsh words for one of her biggest critics. We'll have that.
And breaking news out of Sudan. The British school teacher who allowed her students to name a teddy bear, Muhammad. We'll hear from a man who helped to win her freedom. The next hour of American morning starts right now.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Through the roof, where did you get that extra point.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I have to work as much over time as I can.
ROBERTS: Sky rocketing mortgage rates. In a new plan, say homeowners and their American dream.
Football's loss. Fans and teammates say their goodbyes today to Sean Taylor.
Plus, the weather outside frightful. Storm warnings, travel delays and deadly driving conditions on this AMERICAN MORNING.
Good morning. Thanks very much for joining us. It's Monday, December 3rd. I'm John Roberts.
CHO: And I'm Alina Cho. Kiran has the morning off.
ROBERTS: So, I did the calculation.
CHO: All right.
ROBERTS: For the same amount of weight as that truffle in gold, $40,000. So, the truffle is worth almost ten times.
CHO: Gold is a better deal. There you go.
ROBERTS: On to our top story this morning. A deadly dose of winter. The first of the season. Parts of the northeast expected to get hammered today with snow, ice and rain.
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