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American Morning
Rape Victim Pardoned by Saudi Arabia King Abdullah; McCain Endorsement from Lieberman; Shots for Tots: Should the Shots be Mandatory; Jon Corzine to Sign a Bill Abolishing the Death Penalty
Aired December 17, 2007 - 07:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR: -- this morning.
ROB MARCIANO, CNN CO-ANCHOR: That was the same old story.
CHETRY: Yes.
MARCIANO: It is Monday, December 17th. John Roberts is off. I'm Rob Marciano.
CHETRY: It's good to see you this morning, by the way, and I'm Kiran Chetry.
We begin with a home stretch in Iowa, just 17 days in fact, until the first votes for president are cast. And this morning, John McCain picks up another endorsement with the help of an old friend. Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman will publicly back McCain in New Hampshire. He announced it this morning. McCain also got endorsed by "The Boston Globe" and "Des Moines Register" over the weekend.
Mary Snow is live in New Hampshire, where McCain and Lieberman are going to be hosting a town meeting. Good morning, Mary. It's interesting to see what you think and what others are saying think about how key this endorsement is, a Democrat turned Independent endorsing a Republican.
MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Kiran. And certainly, it's getting a lot of attention. You probably see behind me, it's being set up here for an announcement just about an hour from now. And as you mentioned, this is so interesting because Senator Lieberman is a Democrat turned Independent, how will this help John McCain?
And Joe Lieberman, by the way, was the 2000 vice presidential candidate running with Democrat Al Gore and the switch being noticed, but the McCain camp is hoping that this will resonate with independent voters here, who'll be voting in the primary on January 8th here in New Hampshire. John McCain won the primary in 2000 here in New Hampshire, largely because of independents backing him, and the campaign is hoping that this endorsement will fuel that momentum -- Kiran.
CHETRY: Mary Snow live for us this morning in New Hampshire, thank you.
Also, Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards will pick up an endorsement today. The first lady of Iowa, Mary Culver will give Edwards her support, and they will stop at a homeless shelter this morning.
Hillary Clinton picked up the endorsement of "The Des Moines Register" this weekend and today hits the roads and the skies for a helicopter barnstorming tour of Iowa. Senator Clinton will talk about her fight for Iowa when she joins us live in just 30 minutes, 7:30 Eastern time, right here on AMERICAN MORNING.
MARCIANO: A wintry storm pounds communities from the Great Lakes to the northeast this weekend. Our Reynolds Wolf has been all over it from Connecticut to upstate New York. Right now, he is live in Syracuse, New York. Still snowing there, Reynolds?
REYNOLD WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, it certainly is, and we may see another inch or two before the day is out. What we're dealing with right now is just a little bit of a breeze. It's picking up. This is more a lake effect activity right now, Rob. And I'll tell you, although the snow is not quite as heavy, that breeze makes a lot of difference with how it feels out here. It is awfully chilly, that's an understatement.
I'll tell you what, what we dealt here within Syracuse, the 17 inches of snowfall that we've had since the storm system came on through is just a tiny microcosm of a bigger, bigger storm system, that affected millions of people.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WOLF (voice-over): The fiery storm blew from Michigan to Maine. Ten inches of snow in Michigan, up to 18 inches expected in New England. Hundreds of flights canceled in Chicago and over 100,000 without power in Pennsylvania. A roof of a drugstore in Boston collapsed into the weight of the snow.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I saw the exterior wall start to buckle, and then everything was just like a domino coming down.
WOLF: In Cleveland, the Browns battle the Buffalo Bills in the middle of a blizzard, while snowplows were out in full force in Vermont. At least three traffic deaths were blamed on the storm and in some places, visibility was so bad you couldn't see the car in front of you. You couldn't see many Christmas shoppers either. Earlier reports suggest that blizzard dealt holiday sales a heavy blow. But fans of teen singer Hannah Montana were not disappointed. The concert in Rochester, New York, went on as planned.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We would go through a snowstorm to see her.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WOLF: Well, I'll tell you, Rob, one way that people are going to be affected today is going to be just by delays, not just on the roads but, of course, the skies above. In fact, take a look at this map that shows you some of the expected delays that we're going to be having in many parts of the northeast, and no surprise, I'm sure, many of the usual suspects.
Many, in fact, all the New York airports, you're going to have at least some waiting. There's no doubt about that. As we make our way back to the Midwest, places like Chicago, not quite so bad, same story in Memphis. Back to Atlanta, it looks like we could see up to an hour. And back out to the pacific northwest, although San Francisco does not look that bad at the time being. Seattle, you will have a slight delay and I'm sure more will be in the mix as we make your way through the midday and afternoon hours.
That's what always happens whenever you have one of these big storm systems affecting much of the country. Plus, we've got another storm system we're going to talk about fairly soon that's going to be affecting parts of the pacific northwest, and it's going to be a doozy of a storm. Let's send it back to you.
MARCIANO: Job security, my friend. Reynolds Wolf live in New York.
WOLF: It sure is.
MARCIANO: Thanks, Reynolds.
WOLF: You bet.
CHETRY: Time now to check in with our Alina Cho for some other stories new this morning.
Good to see you, Alina.
ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey there, Kiran. Rob, good morning to you, and good morning, everybody.
Breaking news out of Saudi Arabia. A pardon for the woman who was sentenced to 200 lashes and six months in prison after she was raped. After weeks of international outrage, word overnight Saudi King Abdullah overruled her conviction in the "interests of the people." She was convicted for being alone with a man who was not a relative. The seven men who attacked her received sentences of up to five years.
Also new this morning, Russia announcing it has made its first shipment of nuclear fuel to Iran. Iran insists its nuclear power plant is for peaceful purposes, and the latest U.S. intelligence says Iran put its nuclear weapons program on hold back in 2003, but Israeli intelligence disputes that. In fact, a team of Israeli intelligence officers is in the U.S. right now trying to convince officials that Iran has indeed begun a new nuclear weapons program.
A top U.S. general in Iraq says violence is at its lowest level since the first year of the American invasion. Lieutenant General Ray Odierno says he believes that means the Iraqi government can move forward to settle political differences among rival sects, but he also conceded the first six months of the year were probably the most violent since the 2003 invasion. A new Al Qaeda video on the Web today from Osama bin Laden's second in command, Ayman al Zawahiri, says the U.S. is defeated and looking for a way out of Iraq. He also threatened Sunnis cooperating with U.S. forces that they will be killed when the U.S. leaves the country.
Pressure on the CIA coming from a Republican congressman, Peter Hoekstra says the intelligence committee won't be backing off and will investigate the destruction of CIA interrogation tapes and he's not buying the story that the tapes were destroyed to protect the identities of the interrogators.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. PETER HOEKSTRA (R), INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE: It appears these tapes existed for at least three years before they were destroyed, so I find the rationale for when they were destroyed and the reasons given for that, and the reasons for that timing not to be very convincing at all.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHO: The justice department is fighting the congressional investigation and is asking intelligence officials not to cooperate. Hoekstra says the committee may be forced to issue subpoenas.
Today, President Bush will say the economy is still going strong, despite worries about a recession. That will be the focus of a speech later today, in Fredericksburg, Virginia. The president will talk about what small businesses are doing to stay afloat and will also address the mortgage crisis.
And those worries about the economy may be partly to blame for slow online sales this past weekend. However, in-store sales were also sluggish and that could be due to that winter storm that blanketed the northeast. I know I stayed at home. Many stores say they're waiting for those last minute shoppers, and there will be many of those.
Senator Barack Obama's campaign has been dogged with false rumors, among them, that Osama is a Muslim, Obama rather. But yesterday, Obama attended Sunday services at a United Church of Christ in Mason City, Iowa. Obama didn't address the rumors, but he did speak about his experiences with the church and said he regularly attends church while on the campaign trail.
Investigators are on their way to Rhode Island today, where a plane remains stuck after skidding off the runway. The U.S. Airways Express jet slid off the runway at TF Green Airport near Providence around 5:00 yesterday afternoon. All 31 passengers and three crew members thankfully got off the plane safely. Now, weather may have been a factor. A record 7.6 inches of snow fell at the airport on the very same day. And as I mentioned, I stayed at home. I went out to dinner briefly.
CHETRY: I was wondering whether or not more people will just say there's nothing else to do because it's so bad out, let's go to the mall...
MARCIANO: Yes.
CHETRY: ... or whether they stay home.
CHO: You don't have that choice in New York City. You know that.
CHETRY: Well, there is one mall. We have a mall here.
MARCIANO: It's called Manhattan.
CHETRY: We actually work in a mall.
CHO: Yes, that's true. That is true.
MARCIANO: Thanks Alina.
CHO: All right. You bet.
MARCIANO: All right. Well, the death penalty in New Jersey tops our "Quick Hits."
Governor Jon Corzine will sign a bill today to abolish capital punishment and replace it with life in prison without parole. New Jersey will be the first state in 40 years to ban the death penalty.
And the water wars are back on. Governors of Georgia and Florida and Alabama expected to meet today. Florida and Alabama are fighting for a greater share of Lake Lanier, Atlanta's main water supply. The U.S. interior secretary is trying to help them work out a compromise.
And making flu shots mandatory for preschoolers. Is it smart medicine? Medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen will tell us all about that.
And Hillary Clinton takes to the skies hoping to lift her campaign. First though, she's going to join us live, right here, one on one. That's coming up on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHETRY: Welcome back to AMERICAN MORNING. Some of the best shots in our "Quick Hits" now.
A swimming Santa Claus, this in Nice, France. There you see old St. Nick hopping in the water. Behind him other people, about 250 swimmers took part in this annual event. The water, by the way, oh, more power to them, 59 degrees.
A brawl in South Korea's parliament, all of it was over the investigation of a leading presidential candidate who is accused of corruption. The lawmakers tried to block access to the podium using sofas, metal bars and chains. At least one member was apparently knocked unconscious. Now, this is the second time in a week that the South Korean parliament has erupted in violence. And Celine Dion saying goodbye, walking off stage to a standing ovation. She ended her nearly five-year run at Caesar's palace in Las Vegas with a farewell concert last night. Since March of 2003, her show at Caesar's was seen by nearly 3 million fans, took in more than $400 million. She plans to take a couple of months off before embarking on a world tour -- Rob.
MARCIANO: Kiran, flu shots, they've been recommended for years for preschoolers. Now, New Jersey is the first state to require them. Medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen is at the medical update desk with more on this situation. Elizabeth, is this a good thing?
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Rob, it really depends who you talk to. Health authorities say this is a very good thing. They say that preschoolers are really terrific at giving each other the flu, and so this shot will help stop the spread of that disease. But a lot of parents say they worry about vaccines and unlike in many other states, it's going to be really hard to get out of these shots.
Let's take a look at what New Jersey is going to start requiring. Kids who are entering day care or preschool will have to have a flu shot and a pneumonia shot. Sixth graders, this is sort of another piece to this, sixth graders will also be required to have meningitis shots and also boosters for tetanus, pertussis and diphtheria. Again, this is met with protests from parents who worry about safety, but the only way that they're going to be able to get out of this is if their doctor signs a document saying that there's a really medical reason the child should not get a vaccine or if they have bona fide religious objections -- Rob.
MARCIANO: Talk about safety, I mean, I read somewhere -- do flu shots have mercury? I know that's the big crazy word that all parents freak out about. Is mercury in flu shots?
COHEN: You know, if mercury is in some flu shots and it's very unusual, mercury has come out of most childhood vaccines. And so when you go to your doctor, if this is something you're concerned about, you can ask which kind of flu shots do you use, the kind with mercury or the kind without?
MARCIANO: All right, fair enough. Ask those questions and demand the answers for your children. Elizabeth Cohen, live for us. Thanks, Elizabeth.
CHETRY: Well, the Pats still perfect, your "Quick Hits" now.
The New England Patriots beating the New York Jets Sunday, 20-10. New England is now 14-0, two more games to go to be only the second team in NFL history to have an undefeated season.
Will Smith's "I am Legend" topping the weekend box office, taking in $76.5 million in its weekend debut. It's actually the biggest December opening ever. "Alvin and the Chipmunks" finishing a strong second with $45 million. Countdown to Iowa. Hillary Clinton picks up one endorsement but loses another. She's going to join us live one on one in just a few moments.
Also, the train from Baghdad to Basra now ready and boarding. How it got back on track and what it means in the fight for Iraq, ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MARCIANO: Welcome back to the most news in the morning. "Quick Hits" now. Did the U.S. give Turkey the green light to bomb northern Iraq?
Well, the Turkish military launched its largest aerial attack inside Iraq since the U.S. invaded Iraq. Turkey says it was going after Kurdish separatists. Iraqi officials say several villages were hit, and one person was killed.
Iran's president is in Mecca with another million people or so, pilgrims in fact, the start of the Hajj. He'll be the first Iranian leader ever to take part. The ritual begins in Mecca, birth place of Islam and Muhammad, and is a spiritual journey to cleanse the soul.
And trains are running again between Baghdad and Basra. Service resumes Sunday, the same day Iraqi forces took over for British troops in Basra province. The service was halted nearly four years ago because of insurgent attacks, but the Iraqis say security has improved enough to allow the trains to run again.
CHETRY: All right. Good news for sure.
MARCIANO: Right.
CHETRY: Nineteen minutes past the hour. Ali Velshi "Minding Your Business" and are we thinking ahead? Could we find a way to avoid ever ending up in this mortgage meltdown sometime in the future?
ALI VELSHI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. There are very clear lessons to learn from the mess we got into. The Federal Reserve, which, by the way, sort of regulates the nation's financial institutions, is announcing hopefully tomorrow some rules that will probably be implemented in 2008. It's not likely to help a lot of people in the mess right now. It's designed so that people don't get into this mess again.
Now, part of it is prepayment protection, so they're coming into ways where you can pay ahead. You can pay down your loan or pre-pay it without the penalties that are imposed upon people right now. The other one is mandatory tax and insurance payment accounts, those escrow accounts that a lot of people have. Well, a lot of subprime lenders for whatever reason didn't have that money taken out. So in addition to not being able to make your mortgage payments, you don't know or haven't had that money put aside for tax or insurance.
There'll be restrictions on these no income verification loans, fewer of those allowed and some better sense of how people should qualify for those and a better disclosure of the terms and conditions of a mortgage, which I think is one of those things most people think would be the biggest advance instead of that 500 pile, 500-page pile of paper, about everything that happens. How about a few simple sheets that say this is what your loan is, this is what it could be if the rate goes up, a quarter of a percentage point or half of a percentage point.
So again, good move that they're deciding on this now. It will probably help people further on, but it will clean up some of these exotic and unusual loans that have been out there that have contributed to the problem that we're in right now.
MARCIANO: Maybe they can just make these rules at their own --
VELSHI: Well, if they don't, Congress is already moving on this sort of thing so there's a sense that it would be better that the fed did it and the banks sort of approved it voluntarily than we had to go through Congress and get legislation. So good point. They can't necessarily, but hopefully this will go in and everybody will agree it will clean up the system.
MARCIANO: All right. Solve the problem.
CHETRY: You know the other big thing we're talking about with Ali today was that...
MARCIANO: Yes.
CHETRY: ... that is today is expected to be the busiest day of the year for the post office.
VELSHI: For the post office, for Fedex, and for DHL. Wednesday will be the busiest day for UPS, but it's a big shipping day today.
MARCIANO: Also disturbing news from Ali is that he doesn't send any Christmas cards. And neither do I, I'm just kidding.
CHETRY: Is that a shocker?
VELSHI: But Kiran covers all of us. She sends over 100.
CHETRY: I think I'm not alone. Double check the "Quick Vote." I think that more have moved into my column.
MARCIANO: All right. Are we doing that now?
CHETRY: Yes.
MARCIANO: Are we going to check the quick vote?
CHETRY: I think so.
MARCIANO: If you are just joining us, we are highlighting the fact that today is the busiest holiday season day for the U.S. postal service to get your Christmas cards out. They're expected to handle about 275 million letters today. Don't procrastinate any longer with those cards because time is running out. If you want to get them there by Christmas, Thursday is the deadline to get them there before the big holiday.
So that brings us to our "Quick Vote." The question today, how many holiday cards did you or didn't you send out this year? Cast your vote at CNN.com.
Here are the current results. Right now, 32 percent say more than 25. Forty-four percent, that number has come down, say 0 to 25. No, that number has come up. And 24 percent say none at all. We'll continue to monitor this all-important unscientific poll and see who's a scrooge and who is not.
CHETRY: It's just nice. I mean, this may sound cheesy, but every time you filling out the address, think about the person for a minute. You think about some of the memories. I don't know why you don't keep in touch all year, but --
VELSHI: Every time I type in an e-mail address I think about the person.
MARCIANO: I do too. I think that's fine.
CHETRY: That's right and you don't have to lick as many stamps as I do. So maybe you guys are on to something.
MARCIANO: Licking stamps is not a big past time of mine. Thank you for covering that.
CHETRY: I knew it. Now I know what to get you for Christmas. I just knew that.
His supporters are passionate. They're also generous. Ron Paul's gets a new one-day record for online donations. We're going to tell you how many millions the presidential hopeful reeled in, in just one day on the Internet. That's coming up in just a bit.
Also Hillary Clinton goes one on one. The tone in the senator's campaign may be about to change. Will it set her up to be the new comeback kid? We're going to have that plus today's headlines when AMERICAN MORNING comes right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MARCIANO: Still dark in Denver but good morning nonetheless. Happy Monday there, KUSA our affiliate out that way. Twenty-seven degrees, a little bit cloudy. It'll get above the freezing mark, can't say that for folks who live east of the mile high city. We're looking forward to sunrise there.
Good morning, everybody. It's Monday, December 17th. I'm Rob Marciano, filling in today for John Roberts.
CHETRY: Good to have you with us this morning.
MARCIANO: Thanks.
CHETRY: I'm Kiran Chetry.
And we start with breaking news overnight out of Saudi Arabia. King Abdullah pardoning the rape victim who was sentenced to 200 lashes and six months in prison after weeks of international outrage. Her conviction is being overruled in the interests of the people, he said. The 19-year-old was convicted for being alone with a man who was not a male relative in a car. The seven men who attacked her received sentences of up to five years.
MARCIANO: The husband of Stacy Peterson is scheduled to be in court this morning. The question, will he get back the items that were seized just after his wife vanished? Drew Peterson's lawyer says prosecutors are relying on innuendo to explain Stacy's disappearance, but those prosecutors insist it's too early to give Peterson back his guns, two vehicles and a computer. They say the probe is still ongoing. The Chicago area ex-cop is a suspect but has not been charged with anything. His wife has been missing since October 28th.
And the Reverend Al Sharpton is saying a new videotape that shows him making a deal for campaign money was legal. He says it's because he's not a public official. "The Philadelphia Inquirer" obtained a tape of a 2003 FBI sting investigation corruption in Philadelphia's city hall. The paper says the tape shows Sharpton offering to help a man win a business deal if he helped raise money for his presidential bid.
The tape touched off a separate investigation into Sharpton's civil rights group and 2004 presidential campaign. As a part of the case, Sharpton's aides were subpoenaed last week.
And fans are remembering singer Dan Fogelberg today. Fogelberg died yesterday at his home in Maine. He's best known for songs like "Leader of the Band" and "Same Old Lang Syne." Fogelberg died of prostate cancer. He was 56 years old.
CHETRY: He'll be missed.
MARCIANO: Yes.
CHETRY: Twenty-seven minutes past the hour now. Our Reynolds Wolf tracking extreme weather for us. He's actually standing in the snow in Syracuse, New York. And Reynolds, we are hearing that the weather this morning is making for a bit of a tangle at some area airports.
WOLF: No question about it. We'll definitely going to see some flight delays. No usual suspects, I would say. For all your airports in New York back up to Logan in Boston, and all southward into the D.C. area, both at Reagan and Dulles, you're going to have all kinds of issues today all because of this big storm system, which granted is beginning to move out, but we still have a lot of wind to deal with and that's going to keep many of these planes grounded.
Now coming up during the next big weather update, we're going to give you more detail on exactly what you can anticipate in terms of time on the roads, as well as the delays in the skies above. We're going to have every bit of that for you.
The story here in Syracuse is still that we are getting some snowfall. But much of what you see around you, at least felt falling from the skies above is really lake effect activity. Some of this was very deep in a few spots. You'll see some of this obviously piled up by the plows that have been coming through and those piles we're doing a bang-up job. But the overall official total that we have for the Syracuse area, 17 inches of snow. Seventeen inches of snowfall that really came in.
A lot of that, obviously, accentuated by that moisture coming in from the lake but man, but that cold air at the surface, that covering (ph) moisture, what a difference it really made and much of this came down at a pretty quick rate. Some places up to three inches an hour and we're still seeing it. It is been I'm sure for many people a pain yesterday but one thing that was fortunate for people in Syracuse is that we, being a Sunday, you don't have the rush hour to deal with. Sure, there were some people that had to go see relatives. Some people who had to go visit some neighbors and maybe go to the store, but thankfully, you didn't have that rush hour. They're going to have that issue today, though.
The roads are still, although they're doing a good job cleaning them, you still have packs of ice. You still have some slippery spots and with a lot of people hurrying and being impatient trying to get to work, it's not really a good combination. So no question, they are expecting some issues on the roads today. That is a look of what's happening here in Syracuse. Again, we're going to have the travel update for you around the nation coming up in mere moments. Let's send back it back to you in New York.
CHETRY: Reynolds Wolf, thank you. We'll check in with you throughout the morning.
ROB MARCIANO, CNN, ANCHOR: John McCain wants to build momentum towards New Hampshire and he's hoping an endorsement today will help. Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman will put his weight behind republican McCain at a town hall meeting this morning. Lieberman is a democrat, turned independent but he says McCain would be America's best defender against Islamic terrorism.
Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul says he raised $6 million in just 24 hours. It's a record for the Texas congressman. The donations were part of an online fund-raiser, his campaign called a "Money Bomb." His previous one-day record was $4.2 million. The spokesman says the average donation was about 50 bucks.
CHETRY: Well, Senator Hillary Clinton believes the sky's the limit for her campaign and she's proving it today. She took a whirlwind helicopter tour of Iowa. But it hasn't been a cakewalk lately. In fact, poll numbers are down three points in Iowa since last month. While fellow democrat Barack Obama's numbers are up by eight. Now, in New Hampshire, she's down five points since November and Obama's numbers up by eight in that state. Senator Clinton joins us live this morning from Des Moines. Great to have you with us, Senator.
SEN. HILLARY CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Well, it's great to be here. I'm in the Drake Diner in Des Moines. We're having a great time this early morning.
CHETRY: Good place to get some steak and eggs for your rounds on national television this morning.
CLINTON: That's right. Well, you know, my 99 county blitz, we got to be reinforced to make it.
CHETRY: well, you know, you said you're pumped up after receiving the endorsement. It's a big one in that state from "The Des Moines Register." What happens if that doesn't translate into a win in Iowa?
CLINTON: Well, you know, I'm pumped up and I'm very excited, because the editorial board of the "Des Moines Register" put all of the candidates through a very grueling process, asking a lot of tough questions, evaluating us, doing independent research, and their editorial makes the case for my candidacy, that I'm ready to lead. I've got a proven track record of making positive change in people's lives, and that's what I'm seeing reflected as I travel around Iowa, New Hampshire, and elsewhere in the country. There's a lot of excitement and energy in my campaign, and I'm very confident that we're going to do well, but you know, obviously, this is a very abbreviated, intense process. It starts on January 3rd, in the Iowa caucuses and I guess it ends sometime late on February 5th, after California on the west coast vote. So I'm in it for this entire month and I am very confident and optimistic about the outcome.
CHETRY: You did pick up that big endorsement, as we said from "The Des Moines Register." At the same time though "The Boston Globe" endorsed Senator Obama, saying about you in fact "her approach is needlessly defensive, a backward glance at the bruising political battles of the 1990s." Is "The Globe's" statement fair?
CLINTON: Well, I really don't know what they're talking about. You know, the battles of the 1990s produced the best economy in decades. It took on a lot of tough issues, ending up with a balanced budget and a surplus, reforms, welfare. You know, it made a lot of positive change. Actually here in Iowa, the typical Iowa family had an increase of $7,000 of their income during the 90s. Now the average American family is down $1,000. You know, some fights are worth taking on, and you know, when everybody talks about change, like we do in the campaign on the democratic side, you know, some people think you bring change by demanding it, and some people think you bring change by hoping for it. I think you bring change by working hard and sometimes that means finding common ground and sometimes that means standing your ground, and I feel very, you know, very good about how people are looking at my campaign, because they know that we need a president, day one, to start making these changes.
CHETRY: One more question about the polls and then we'll get on to some of the issues. Three months ago you had about a 20-point lead I think over Barack Obama in New Hampshire. Now, according to some of our polling, you're virtually tied. What happened in that state? CLINTON: You know, I just don't pay attention to those snapshots. I know the press does and I guess that's a tool that you try to use, but that's not how I judge how we're doing. I judge how we're doing by the level of supporters and volunteers that we have, by the people who say they're going to caucus or vote for me. I've done this a very long time and I never believe that any election is at all predictable, let alone inevitable. So I feel very good about where I am, how my campaign is. I'm very confident about my team in Iowa, New Hampshire and elsewhere, and I think that we're going to do just fine, when people actually start expressing their opinions.
CHETRY: One of the big buzz, political buzz topic this morning is that Senator Joe Lieberman, who was your party's nominee for vice president back in 2000, is actually endorsing Senator John McCain, a republican for president. What's your reaction to that news?
CLINTON: Well, I congratulate Senator McCain. I was very pleased yesterday to be endorsed by former Senator Bob Kerry, who most recently has served on the 9/11 Commission, trying to figure out how to keep America safe, and it was, you know, very exciting for my campaign for him to come to western Iowa to endorse me and put forth all the reasons why he believes that I would be the best president and the best commander in chief.
CHETRY: Yesterday former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan said that he fears we're heading toward a recession specifically. What's the first thing that you would do as president specifically to prevent a recession if we, indeed are heading in that direction, from happening?
CLINTON: Well, we need President Bush to be acting now, and this is the critical period to deal with the housing crisis, more vigorously than what they're planning to do, to deal with our fiscal irresponsibility caused in large measure because of his tax cuts for the rich and a war he won't pay for. So there's a lot that should be done right now. But I think this underscores my point. During the 1990s, which I know some people would rather forget, although it was a very successful two-term democratic administration, we took on a deficit-ridden economy. We made the tough economic decisions. I come out of that same school. We have to get our fiscal house in order. I was there, seeing how it was done, part of the, you know, Clinton team that was in the White House, and when I'm president we're going to get back to fiscal responsibility and good economic stewardship to try to navigate our country's economy through some very choppy waters.
CHETRY: Candidates certainly have a lot going on. You're under the glare of the spotlight and meeting with a lot of people. In fact, we saw Mitt Romney tear up on one of the other networks the other day. What makes you tear up, if anything?
CLINTON: Well, I'll tell you what, when I got up at 4:00 this morning to be on these shows, I teared up. I think it's a hard job you all have. I don't know how you do it every morning.
CHETRY: See, so go easy on us. We do it every single day.
CLINTON: I do. I cut you a lot of slack.
CHETRY: Thanks for being with us this morning.
MARCIANO: Nice to get a little sympathy there.
CHETRY: And some coffee, sure.
MARCIANO: Lights out for the light bulb, that's our "Quick Hits" or tops it right now. Congress is on the verge of passing an energy bill that includes a provision to phase out incandescent bulbs for more energy-efficient ones. President Bush says if the bill reaches his desk he will sign it into law.
And a New York City councilman says a big apple tradition is inhumane to horses. He has introduced a bill to ban horse-drawn carriage rides. In September, a horse died after some street musicians spooked the animal and it bolted through Central Park. The Horse and Carriage Association of New York says cases like that are pretty rare.
Are the trailers provided by the government for displaced Katrina victims dangerous? Federal health inspectors want to know if hazardous levels of formaldehyde are putting lives at risk and what is the legal fallout for this potentially? AMERICAN MORNING legal analyst Sunny Hostin joins us live next.
And what are Americans searching for on the internet these days? It's a surprising answer ahead on AMERICAN MORNING. Veronica de la Cruz tells us what search is most popular after the break.
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CHETRY: Welcome back to the most news in the morning. We have some of the best winter weather i-reports to show you in our "Quick Hits" now. One of them is an iceberg, or sort of an iceberg. How about that? This one is from Edward Vick in old Greenwich, Connecticut. He says his street often floods but the nor'easter actually created ice flows, like a mini ocean there rolling through his town.
Well, Max in Boston shot this video through his apartment window, snow stranded the driver. Well, one of them got out to push and then the helper gets left behind there. You see the van pulls away, and the guy that was helping push the car out sort of left. He gave up. He was running in the earlier part of the video. There he is, seems to be running again. Maybe he'll catch up with him.
How about this one? A tree falls in Kansas, and someone was around to photograph it. It was sent in by Susan Gervais of St. John, Kansas. She says that the home owners were actually trying to cut the tree so it wouldn't fall on the house. They ended up cutting it the wrong way and there you see the aftereffects of what happened. I actually feel for them, bad time of year especially for that to happen.
MARCIANO: Always best to hire a professional for cutting down a large tree near your home.
Well, this week the government is planning to test trailers used by FEMA after Hurricane Katrina. There's concern that some trailers contain formaldehyde. People who live in the trailers now say they've developed some health problems. Well, if true, could they sue?
AMERICAN MORNING's legal contributor Sunny Hostin joins us live to talk more about this. The test is going to take a couple of weeks but I guess they come out and yes, these trailers have formaldehyde, with people living in them. These were given to them pretty much.
SUNNY HOSTIN, AMERICAN MORNING, LEGAL CONTRIBUTOR: And they've been living in them for a long time. They weren't supposed to be living in them for so long, it was supposed to be a temporary fix. And we know that all the Katrina-related problems and we're going to see some lawsuits, there's just no question. If you look at the government fact sheet, it says formaldehyde can cause cancer, may cause cancer. It has found to be causing cancer in lab animals and I think that we are going to see several lawsuits arising from this, no question.
MARCIANO: You think there will be a class action? Can they do a class action?
HOSTIN: They can do a class action because we know, I think that statistics right now, there are 90,000 people still living in these trailers. So in my view, there's no question we're going to see lawsuits against the federal government. We're going to see lawsuits also likely against the manufacturer of the trailer. We're going to see it over and over again. It's interesting, because they're also saying there are some mold lawsuits possible. We know that mold sort of is the new asbestos for our era. They hit a high in 2002. I think people remember Bianca Jagger suing about mold in her apartment. Now, we have a combination of formaldehyde. We also have molds. There's just no question, and when does it end for the Katrina survivors?
MARCIANO: Well, that's my question. At what point, though? It's been two years now. At what point is the government no longer responsible and saying, hey we have given you these trailers and now we're out.
HOSTIN: They're not out. They're still responsible and I think that you know, let's give the government some credit. At this point they are going in and they are testing and that's the first step. We're hearing reports of children being affected by this, a lot of health problems, children, mothers. The government has to do something. They've taken the first step and let's hope they continue to do something, and I think these people are going to have to be moved, hopefully they will be moved and they will be compensated for whatever health issues that come.
MARCIANO: We'll see what these tests provide in the coming weeks. If they test positive, I can hear the lawyers dialing right now.
HOSTIN: That's right, that's right, my friendly neighborhood lawyers. MARCIANO: You're not all bad. Sunny Hostin, thank you very much.
HOSTIN: Thanks, Rob.
MARCIANO: Kiran.
CHETRY: Well, the passing of a political pioneer in your "Quick Hits" now. Democratic congressional representative Julia Carson died of lung cancer Saturday. She rose from poverty and segregation to become Indianapolis's first black congresswoman. Julia Carson was 69 years old.
Questions about who paid for Bill Clinton's presidential library. There's a new report that the library raised more than 10 percent from foreign investors. The Saudi Royal family of Saudi Arabia contributed $10 million. That's about the same amount it donated to the library of former President George Bush.
Just a couple of months after his divorce, the president of France is seen with a new girlfriend. We'll tell you who she is coming up.
Also, what are Americans searching for on the internet these days? Apparently each other and themselves. That's ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
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MARCIANO: If you're just joining us, here's a look at what's happening right now. Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah has pardoned the woman who was sent to 200 lashes and six months in prison after she was raped. The case sparked international outrage. The seven men who had attacked her received sentences of up to five years.
A live picture right now from Hillsborough, New Hampshire. We're awaiting in the announcement that Senator Joe Lieberman is endorsing his friend John McCain for president. Lieberman is a democrat turned independent but he says McCain would be America's best defender against terrorism. That we're told is just minutes away. Stay tuned.
Winter weather still causing trouble from the Great Lakes to the northeast. We'll have a live report from snowy Syracuse, New York. That is coming up.
And earlier reports show retail sales were dismal this past weekend. Part of that due to the winter storm. Many stores say they're waiting for last minute shoppers to save them. Online sales also slumped.
CHETRY: Speaking of online, it seems that more and more Americans are looking themselves up online. Our Veronica de la Cruz has this and some other tech stories today. I just googled you, by the way.
VERONICA DE LA CRUZ, CNN, INTERNET CORRESPONDENT: Oh, no. CHETRY: 255,000 hits.
DE LA CRUZ: I did one on Rob and I'm not going to tell him what I found but I googled you and found a great picture of you as Lara Croft.
CHETRY: Oh, goodness.
DE LA CRUZ: For Halloween I think, I'm hoping it was a Halloween picture.
MARCIANO: Yes, pass that along.
CHETRY: See that what happens in your view. If you dress up once for Halloween it lives with you forever. People should be thinking about this stuff applying for jobs, the young kid with the myspace and the drunken photos.
DE LA CRUZ: Yes, you're right about that. Nearly half of all internet users these days are heading to the web to google not only themselves, but also their friends, their co-workers and also the people they're dating. Now, according to the Pew Internet and American Life Project that number has doubled from five years ago. More than half of those surveyed admit to looking up info on someone else, using some kind of search engine, not including celebrities. And about 67 percent say they are not worried about the extent of information about themselves available online, except for Kiran. Reasons for the searches range from finding someone they lost touch to gathering info on friends, relatives or neighbors.
CHETRY: Or just being nosy, right?
DE LA CRUZ: Yes. Also, some news out of the U.K. this morning. Apparently, the fear of fraud is keeping those over the age of 50 from going online. According to the BBC, a survey conducted by the Post Office there found 41 percent of so called silver surfers have skipped the web all together, and that's because of the fear their personal information will be breached. 31 percent said they don't surf because they find the online jargon confusing. 27 percent cited the technicalities of using the internet as a barrier and more than half of silver surfers say that they prefer direct contact with someone instead. You know, I can attest to all of these because I have to tell you guys I tried to teach my mother how to use the computer. And the first thing she did, she got out the mouse, and she put it on its back and she was rolling the ball and she goes, it's not working. It's not working. I don't understand. I'm like, you know what. forget it. I will just look stuff up for you, mom. Sorry, mom.
CHETRY: I don't think of them as silver. Really, I don't think of them as silver.
DE LA CRUZ: Well, it's over the age of 50. My mom is a silver but I love you.
MARCIANO: Oh.
DE LA CRUZ: I'm sorry.
MARCIANO: My dad would have done the same thing.
CHETRY: I love my mom but I hate the fact the she won't on line shop either because she believes that if you put your credit card number in there the whole world can get it.
DE LA CRUZ: And that's what we were just talking about, but it's a generation gap.
CHETRY: But I love you too, mom. Rob.
MARCIANO: It's a big lovefest. Hi, Mom. I love you.
DE LA CRUZ: And your mom uses the internet, I take it.
MARCIANO: Yes, she's pretty savvy. Dad, not so much.
A warning about the war in Afghanistan tops your "Quick Hits" right now. Australia's new defense minister says a change in tactics is required otherwise the U.S. and NATO will lose the Afghan war. Joe Fitzgibbon says more needs to be done to win the hearts and minds there. New Prime Minister Kevin Rudd says he'll keep Australia's troop commitment to Afghanistan.
And another warning, this one about Al Qaeda's influence. A former security and intelligence adviser for British Prime Minister Gordon Brown says Britain is in danger of exaggerating all Al Qaeda threats. He says the U.K. should be paying just as much attention to emerging rogue states and climate change in a flu outbreak.
And a new report from one of America's top commanders in Iraq, and wait until you hear what he has to say about violence in the country.
And time is running out to have your holiday cards and packages make it there on time. Ali Velshi breaks down the deadlines for us, that's coming up on AMERICAN MORNING. Stay with us.
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MARCIANO: Welcome back. It is 7:56 a.m. Eastern time. French President Nicholas Sarkozy showing off his new girlfriend this weekend in Paris. French media reports were all abuzz over Sarkozy visiting Disneyland Paris with Supermodel Carla Bruni. In October, Sarkozy was divorced from his previous wife, Cecilia. Bruni was a supermodel before becoming a singer-songwriter. She is 13 years younger than Sarkozy. Kiran.
CHETRY: Well, it is 56 minutes past the hour. Ali Velshi here "Minding your Business" this morning and boy, we're talking about a lot, but today is supposed to be the busiest day for...
ALI VELSHI, CNN, BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: It's supposed to be the busiest day for the United States Postal Service, for Fedex, for DHL. Take a look at the number of parcels they're going to move today. U.S.P.S., the United States Postal Service, 1 billion parcels of which about 274, 275 are mails and cards and things like that. Fedex 11.3 million, DHL 14.5 million. That's a worldwide number. Obviously, DHL..
CHETRY: Do you know how many goes to Santa. Well, how many in the U.S.?
VELSHI: Well, the U.S. Postal Service... I don't have the breakdown but a lot of it is letters to Santa actually and UPS will be on Wednesday. That will be their peak day with 22 million parcels being shipped. Do continue to check from the places that you buy things from, when their deadline is, because they do tend to get pushed further and further down. I mean, at this point, get with it. Get with the program. If you got something to buy and sell, I can't really help you out. People are always asking, what is the absolute last minute? I don't know. Christmas is December 25th. Work it out. I think I saw a best buy...
CHETRY: Are people offended if they don't get their present exactly, I mean, you know, might be nice.
VELSHI: Well, let me tell you. You know, the Wii, the Nintendo Wii, which you can't get your hands on. Gamestop is saying if you come on the 20th or 21st to buy your Wii and you're not going to get it because you're not. They'll give you a little voucher and you can get it after Christmas.
CHETRY: That will make the kiddies happy to open up a little voucher. I owe you, one week.
VELSHI: Exactly, it just emphasizes that it's about the spirit of giving, not just the Wii.
CHETRY: Right. I saw Rob writing out his little list to Santa this morning.
MARCIANO: I was.
VELSHI: Is that the standard stamp to the north pole?
MARCIANO: Just standard stamp. Yes.
VELSHI: Santa Claus North Pole, ho-ho.
CHETRY: He wanted a backyard lightning machine.
MARCIANO: A lightning machine. Come on.
What's our quick vote question.
CHETRY: Our quick vote question has to do with all the cards that had been going out. As Ali said, 1 billion going to the post office today alone. How many are you sending out this year? Well, we ask whether it's more than 25, between none and 25 and none and 30 percent of you, about a third of you say none.
VELSHI: The none is growing. You see this.
CHETRY: The none is growing.
VELSHI: Because some of those people are e-mailers. Just so you know, those of us in the none, some of us do actually send greetings. We just do it by e-mail.
CHETRY: I got you. You know and some people feel like, you know, just, it's just too much to do. Some people like me get started half way and...
MARCIANO: And you can't stop.
CHETRY: Too much.
MARCIANO: All right, guys. We'll check back with you in a little bit.
VELSHI: All right.
MARCIANO: At some point, you're supposed to talk about the stock market.
VELSHI: Maybe.
MARCIANO: Well, he gave us songs like "Run for the Roses," and "leader of the Band." Singer-songwriter Dan Fogelberg died of prostate cancer. He was only 56 years old.
And there's new report for cancer just out this morning. Elizabeth Cohen has that for us when the next hour of AMERICAN MORNING starts right now.
CHETRY: Speaking out, claims of rape and a corporate cover-up from a contractor in Iraq. This morning, she tells her story, live.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
Home stretch, endorsements pile up as candidates go all out in Iowa. Again, the frontrunners keep their leads alive.
CLINTON: I feel very good about where I am and where my campaign in.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: Plus, help for the hungry.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KEVIN BACON, ACTOR: You do what little things that you can.
CHETRY: We ride along with the stars to deliver holiday cheer to needy families on this AMERICAN MORNING.
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