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Bhutto Assassination: Who is Responsible?; Primary Season: Duncan Hunter on the Issues

Aired December 28, 2007 - 14:00   ET

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

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, everyone. Live from the CNN world headquarters in Atlanta, I'm Don Lemon.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Betty Nguyen, sitting in for Kyra Phillips.

You are in the CNN NEWSROOM.

LEMON: And we have highlight of that dramatic video of Benazir Bhutto's final moments to show you what appears to be a gun firing three shots, and you can hear it also in this video that we got. Now, keep in mind, we don't know whether this is the same gun that reportedly fired shots at Bhutto seconds before a suicide bomber attacked her -- attacked her motorcade.

And as we've reported, a spokesman for the Pakistani Interior Ministry says Bhutto did not die of gunshot wounds or bomb fragments. The government instead blames a fractured skull apparently suffered when Bhutto ducked or fell back into her SUV.

NGUYEN: Well, so far, at least, U.S. and Pakistani officials appear to agree on who is likely to blame for Bhutto's killing. Both countries are looking hard at a Taliban leader from Afghanistan, a man one U.S. official calls a known bad actor.

CNN Pentagon Correspondent Barbara Starr joins us now with details on this person.

What do you know, Barbara?

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, Betty, let's try to sort some of this out for our viewers.

What's rapidly emerging today, clearly for the Bush administration, is a lot of information from the Pakistani government. We've seen these videos, we've seen these explanations for how Mrs. Bhutto died. The challenge for Washington now is how to determine independently from the Pakistani government what really happened, because the shifting explanations from Islamabad certainly are troubling, to say the least.

Now, besides the shifting explanations on the cause of Mrs. Bhutto's -- the precise cause of her death, the question of who is responsible. Pakistani officials are now blaming a man named Batula Massoud (ph). They are calling him an Afghan Taliban leader. In the past they have called him a Pakistani. U.S. officials are very well aware of this. They are also looking at Batula Massoud (ph) as a possible leading suspect. They believe, however, he is a Pakistani with very strong ties to al Qaeda, senior al Qaeda leaders, and that he was a very severe opponent of Mrs. Bhutto's efforts to return Pakistan to democracy.

So he is certainly a leading suspect floating to the top of the list, if you will, of the U.S. intelligence community and the Bush administration, but they are not ruling out, still looking at other people, still looking at al Qaeda suspects, people who are sympathizers to al Qaeda. Still very murky, trying to sort it out, but what is emerging for the U.S., Betty, is finding as much information as possible that they can verify separate from the Pakistani government -- Betty.

NGUYEN: All right.

CNN's Barbara Starr on top of it for us.

Thank you, Barbara.

LEMON: One American with a front row seat to events in Pakistan is Bob Yuna. He is from Buffalo, New York, and right now he's in Lahore, where he's working on the launch of a television station there. And he joins us now by phone.

Thank you very much for joining us, Mr. Yuna.

I was just sort of reading your e-mail here. You sort of wrote an account just about how eerie it is to be there, to be an American and to be in that country at this moment.

BOB YUNA, AMERICAN JOURNALIST, TIV INC.: Yes. "Eerie" is a good word, and also nothing like simple.

If you spend any time here, one thing you learn is that nothing is what it seems to be. Also, depending on where you are, things can be quiet or they can be chaotic. The streets were just deserted earlier today in Lahore. It's a city of about nine million people, the second biggest city in the country. It looked like an episode out of "The Twilight Zone," some neighborhoods, where they were totally deserted.

LEMON: And you also...

YUNA: Usually the streets...

LEMON: You talked to us -- or you wrote about -- you said there were big black spots in the middle of a road where buses had been burned. What other -- what other situations are you witnessing there as far as violence goes or maybe rioting?

YUNA: Well, it's been very, very spotty. As we were driving around today, there were some burned-out marks on the road where a couple of buses were torched last night. The police say maybe five people were shot to death last night. But all things considered, the way things have been going, that's (AUDIO GAP).

On the other hand, if you go down to Sindh Province, which is the home of the Bhutto family near Karachi, the government says at least 23 people dead, dozens of fires. They've activated the regular army.

So in Karachi, at least, things are very hot tonight. It's the same way up in Islamabad.

You know, this country is like one of those Russian eggs where you have an egg inside an egg inside an egg.

LEMON: Right.

YUNA: It's like -- I travel a lot with a company called (AUDIO GAP) channels, and we travel everywhere.

LEMON: And Mr. Yuna, we're having a little bit of problem with your phone. I don't know if you can get near a window or what have you so that we can get a clear reception, but I want to stop you right there and talk to you -- tell our viewers exactly what you're doing there.

You're starting an independent television station there, a private television station, which was unheard of until recently until Geo TV became the first television station. You're training young Pakistani journalists with all of this. So tell me how -- is there some sort of concern about the perception of Pakistan and other parts of the world, especially by those young journalists?

YUNA: (INAUDIBLE) told me today that not only were they were concerned, slightly embarrassed, they were really worried about the perception that Pakistan has in the rest of the world. They have the same journalism values as people do back home, and they are also incredibly friendly. I've never met more people who are more hospitable, who have more friendliness.

Many people here would give you the shirt off their back. On the other hand, politics here is often a (INAUDIBLE), as we find out If you look at the Bhutto family, gee, Mrs. Bhutto's family was executed.

LEMON: Right.

YUNA: Mrs. Bhutto herself was removed from power before she was executed. One of her brothers was poisoned in the south of France under suspicious circumstances. And another brother of hers was shot to death in front of his house in Karachi.

LEMON: Yes.

YUNA: Very often politics here is a blood sport.

LEMON: Right.

So, Bob Yuna, I want to thank for joining us today. You know, you're there teaching these young journalists and starting up an independent television station. Very interesting to learn the goings on, especially there from an American perspective, someone who is not a journalist who we depend on go to a lot here, so we appreciate your perspective.

Thank you.

NGUYEN: Well, Benazir Bhutto's family is receiving expressions of sympathy and support from all around the world, and just a short time ago, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice traveled to Pakistan's embassy in Washington to sign a book of condolences. You see it right there.

Also, former secretary of state Colin Powell has this to say about Bhutto's death: "I am deeply disturbed by this tragedy. I knew her as a dedicated servant of her people and the cause of peace and reconciliation. I hope calm will prevail in the difficult days ahead. I extend condolences to her family and the people of Pakistan."

(WEATHER REPORT)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Well, it is 14 after the hour. Three of the stories we're working on for you right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.

Three hostages held by Colombian rebels, we will get that story to you in just a little bit. But obviously we're going to get to something else. We want to get to this person just before he has to run out.

We're going to get to Duncan Hunter.

Thank you for joining us. Had a little bit of an issue here in the CNN NEWSROOM, but I want to thank you for joining us now. And I want to talk to you a little bit about the campaign and also about Benazir Bhutto.

The death of the former prime minister obviously is very sad for folks in that reason, and it is possible a volatile situation for the U.S. and the rest of the world. I want to know your feelings about that and your stance on stability when it comes to U.S. relations between Pakistan.

REP. DUNCAN HUNTER (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Sure. Well, you know, obviously, the United States had high hopes for Benazir Bhutto's return to Pakistan, and we had hoped that she would inject in the political process a degree of stability that we thought was very important. And those hopes are dashed now, and I think what we have to do now is look to the future.

The parliamentary elections are coming up in January. It's important that the United States keep a strong military-to-military contact in connection right now with the Pakistan military for a couple of reasons.

Number one, they are the stewards of the nuclear weapons systems that -- nuclear weapons which are located at sites in Pakistan. And I've had the recent briefings on that. They're fairly secure at this point.

The second is that they are very closely connected. The Pakistan government is very closely connected to our success in Afghanistan because al Qaeda and the Taliban are in the borderlands area, the high mountain area, very rugged, very difficult to work, and there are now about 100,000 Pakistan troops and frontier corps working the Pakistan side of the border.

So we are very interested. America's interests are very strong in that part of the world.

LEMON: Yes.

HUNTER: And so I think we look to these upcoming elections looking to who the party, Ms. Bhutto's party, puts up after they regroup from this tragedy, and that's going to be obvious in the next several weeks. We should be vigilant. We should maintain strong military-to-military contact and communications, and we should support these elections.

LEMON: And, you know, I want to talk to you about this, because there's been responses from every -- it appears every single person who is in this race for president. And there's also been -- I've been reading some criticism that some folks may be using this as a political platform instead of just offering their condolences and moving on.

Your response to that?

HUNTER: Well, I think have you to offer more than your condolences, and that is your view of the world, because the national security, the mention of being president of the United States, is very important and is more vital than ever in these very difficult and perilous times. So I think all of us are expected to comment on -- and to have our own position and our own observations on this tragedy.

LEMON: There's been a lot of discussion among candidates as well, especially between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, when experience comes into play, saying experience counts. How...

HUNTER: Well, you know, I think on that point -- let me just take them on a little bit here. Of all the candidates, Democrat or Republican, I'm the only person who has actually chaired a major security committee in the United States Congress. I've been the chairman of the Armed Services Committee for the last four years. None of the rest of them have those credentials

LEMON: OK. You answered my question before I could even ask it

HUNTER: Good.

LEMON: Yes. Before I could even ask it.

HUNTER: See how good I am?

LEMON: Very good. Let me ask you this though. How long are you going to stay into this -- in this race? And the question that we ask every single presidential candidate who comes on, how long do you plan to stay with it? If you don't do as well as you thought you might do or think you might do in the caucuses, would you consider a vice presidential section on the ticket?

HUNTER: You know, I've been in politics now 27 years. I started with a very underdog race in California in 1980 when I came in with Ronald Reagan. I've never been successful by contemplating defeat, and I'm moving ahead strongly right now.

I have -- although I don't have near the resources, obviously outspent 100 to 1 by guys like Mr. Romney, I'm putting -- right now starting up radio and television in New Hampshire, doing some direct mail there, not working Iowa heavy. I think Iowa is a two-man race.

I think that's Mr. Huckabee's race, with Governor Romney putting in a ton of money to try to stop him. But I think it's a two-man race, and I'm concentrating on New Hampshire right now.

I'm in Nevada with General Chuck Yeager of "The Right Stuff." We're campaigning in Nevada because that's an early western state. And then, of course, South Carolina. Michigan, of course, an important state coming up at mid-month.

But I'm just now starting my advertising, and I think we've got a great opportunity with strong national defense, more important than ever, secure borders. And I built the border fence in California and wrote the law that takes it across the Southwest.

Lastly, bringing back high-paying manufacturing jobs to America that we're pushing offshore. And the jobs issue has been missed by most candidates on both sides, and I think I've got a good message there.

LEMON: And sir -- and before you go on, I want to talk to you about this, and apparently this is a part of the conversation I'm sure that you'll like.

Your son is serving in Iraq, or has served in Iraq. And talk to me about your son and the sacrifices here, because you offer a different perspective. If you've had someone -- if you've served and you have someone who served over there, then you may have a different perspective, especially as a presidential candidate.

What does this offer to you as far as experience and insight on the war, what's happening in Afghanistan and Iraq?

HUNTER: Well, you know, my son Duncan walked in and quit his job the day after 9/11 and joined the U.S. Marines and did two tours in Iraq. The second one in Falluja, and was in the Battle of Falluja. In fact, called me up and cussed me as chairman of the Armed Services Committee when the politicians pulled the Marines out of Falluja in the first battle, and that cost us casualties later on. So he's a tough guy and a spirited guy, and he did two tours in Iraq, came back, was helping me in the presidential campaign. He was pulled back in out of -- back to active service, and he just finished serving a tour in Afghanistan. And he walked into the house on Thanksgiving Day and came back.

He's now running for Congress in California, so you've got a lot of Hunters out there running for office

LEMON: So what does this offer to you though as far as experience?

HUNTER: You know, it gives me -- it gives me insights into what's happening and into which weapons systems work and don't work right from my son's comments on satellite cell phone. And I think that's -- I think that's important to have -- I think it's also important to have some shared sacrifice.

That makes you -- makes you spend a little extra time working these issues because it's flesh and blood. And, you know, even if -- any of the candidates, even the candidates who don't have sons serving, must feel great pride and a little bit of -- and a great sense of trust if they should aspire to this office with those 2.5 million Americans who wear the uniform. So, in a way they are all our kids, but I think it -- I think it gives you a little extra insight if you've got members of your family serving in the battle zone

LEMON: Representative Hunter, thank you. We'll have to leave it at that

Thank you very much.

HUNTER: Hey, thank you.

LEMON: And we want to tell you, between now and the caucuses on Thursday, we're trying to speak to as many of the candidates as possible and get their information. And we're going to be -- they're going to be joining us, whether they finish strongly or not, after those caucuses.

And also, you hear another candidate's comments on the assassination of Bhutto. Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton with CNN's Wolf Blitzer. She's going to be on "THE SITUATION ROOM" beginning at 4:00 Eastern, right here on CNN

NGUYEN: Well, it is 22 past the hour, and here are some of the other stories that we're working on here in the CNN NEWSROOM.

Three hostages held by a Colombian rebels -- or by some Colombian rebels for four years could be freed soon. The rebels have agreed to release the hostages in a deal arranged by Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez.

A Seattle area woman and her boyfriend have been charged with aggravated first-degree murder. Court documents say they have confessed to the Christmas Eve killings of the woman's parents and four other family members.

The father of the teen who was mauled to death at the San Francisco Zoo says his son was a hero. Carlos Sousa, Sr. says his son deliberately distracted the tiger in order to save his companions.

LEMON: Shock, sadness, outrage -- an emotional time for Pakistani-Americans as Benazir Bhutto is laid to rest.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BUSINESS REPORT)

LEMON: You know what it reminds me of, do you remember this? Did it remind you of anything?

NGUYEN: Oh, yeah, the El Camino.

SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I think it still lives, you know, in certain parts of the country.

NGUYEN: It's a solar powered El Camino.

LEMON: Kind of cool, actually, I like it. All right.

LISOVICZ: Well, I don't know if you have room at this point in your garage or driveway. Your neighbors are probably already a little bit concerned.

LEMON: Room in the wallet and insurance and you've got to buy it, too.

LISOVICZ: Well, it's a fun car, and, you know, we'll all pile in.

LEMON: And got to put the solar panels in it and make sure it's parked in the sun. So much stuff, everything is work

LISOVICZ: Yeah. You'll be the first kid on your block.

LEMON: So much stuff.

NGUYEN: All right, Susan. We'll see you again shortly.

LISOVICZ: See you in an hour.

LEMON: All right. Thanks. A teen called a hero and a zoo called into question, the wall separating people with a wall that was about four feet shorter than it should have been. Was that the difference between life and death at the San Francisco Zoo?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: Hello, everybody. I'm Betty Nguyen in for Kyra Phillips live at the CNN world headquarters right here in Atlanta

LEMON: That's right. And I'm Don Lemon. You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.

Let's take a look at this dramatic video again. We've highlighted it so you can see Benazir Bhutto's final moments at what appears to be and what appears to be a gun firing three shots.

Now, keep in mind we don't know whether this is the same gun that reportedly fired shots at Bhutto seconds before the suicide bomber attacked her motorcade and as we've reported, a spokesman for the Pakistani Interior Ministry said Bhutto did not die of gunshot wounds or bomb fragments. The government instead blames a fractured skull apparently suffered when Bhutto ducked or fell back into her SUV.

NGUYEN: Benazir Bhutto's burial sparked an outpouring of grief and anger and CNN's John Vause was there.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN VAUSE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A simple coffin draped in the flag of Benazir Bhutto's political party made its way slowly through tens of thousands of mourners. Each trying to catch one last glimpse of the best hope for their nation.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): This is a tragedy for Pakistan and for Islam. I ask all Pakistanis to share in our grief.

VAUSE: Their grief was palpable, some beating themselves on their head and men were in tears. By her coffin's side Bhutto's husband and three young children coming from Dubai after hearing of the murder of their wife and mother. The coffin slowly approached the Bhutto family's mausoleum in their ancestral home.

Also buried there are her father, he, too, a former prime minister and her two brothers, victims of all violent death. Bhutto was laid to rest next the father she loved and followed into politics. He was overthrown and hanged from the military not far from the park where his daughter was killed. Following Bhutto's murder, there were violent explosions of grief and anger throughout the country, buildings and buses burned.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): We all very sad about Benazir's death. May God grant her a place in heaven, but her supporters should not burn cars.

VAUSE: The turbulent night gave way to eerily empty streets in the morning. An i-Reporter sent us these pictures of the shells of cars, buses and buildings after the sun rose, grim and bleak like the outlook many here now feel about their country's future.

John Vause, CNN, Karachi, Pakistan.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN: Benazir Bhutto has supporters and admirers all over the world. Among Pakistanis in the U.S. her death has sparked both shock and outrage.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm very sad that a moderate voice has been silenced and for the time being the terror has prevailed in Pakistan.

INAM MOHAMMED, PAKISTANI IN U.S.: I hear from these friends and family that people are not going outside the houses and streets are absolutely empty. People are afraid, and there was news of violence and killings

AMBREEN HASNAT, PAKISTANI IN U.S.: I'm all shook up with this, and, I mean, there's not much that you can do. I mean, you really feel helpless

ZAHIDA SARWAR, BHUTTO FRIEND: This is a really bad day for us. We have gone back again, and I don't know how we're going to restore this democracy.

RAJA ZAHID KHANZADA, PAKISTAN PEOPLE'S PARTY: I'm very distraught today, and I'm trying to control myself but I cannot. I cannot control myself

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's not going to be peace for a long time in Pakistan because people are very angry.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: People are fed up with these fanatic people. People are fed up and sick and tired of it.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN: The 2000 census showed more than 155,000 Pakistanis living in the United States.

LEMON: The teenager who died in the tiger attack at the San Francisco Zoo Tuesday is being called a hero. Carlo Sousa Jr. was killed but two companions, they survived with bite and claw wounds. Sousa's father says Sousa deliberately distracted the tiger to save his friends and paid with his own life. Still in question is how the 350-pound tiger managed to escape.

CNN's Dan Simon has the latest on the investigation.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAN SIMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Zoo officials making a significant correction. It turns out the wall that protects the public from the tigers is only 12.5 feet tall. According to the Associated Press the Association of Zoos and Aquariums says it should be at least 16 feet tall. The lower wall might make a jump by the Siberian tiger out of the enclosure seem more plausible, but the zoo's director is still stunned that the animal apparently made that leap.

MANUEL MOLLINEDO, DIRECTOR, SAN FRANCISCO ZOO: I think that the tiger, if she grabbed on to something it could have been a ledge. She had to have jumped. How she was able to jump that high is amazing to me but, you know, it's an exotic animal.

SIMON: The father of Carlos Sousa Jr., the 17 year old who died, questioned the zoo safeguards.

CARLOS SOUSA, FATHER OF TIGER ATTACK VICTIM: I think that lady from what I heard, she got her arm torn off. I think that they need some improvements. They didn't do enough for the public because I think the zoo should be protected on both sides, protected for the people and protected for the animals.

SIMON: Meanwhile, police and zoo personnel distanced themselves from a "San Francisco Chronicle" report that the three young men may have taunted the tiger. The newspaper report that a victim's shoe and blood were discovered inside the enclosure. If true, it would suggest at least one of the victims hopped a fence to get closer to the tiger and attract her attention, but San Francisco's police chief says no such evidence was found.

CHIEF HEATHER FONG, SAN FRANCISCO POLICE: We have no information as of this time from the investigation and tells us that someone's leg was leaning against or leaning over the railing or slung over the rail at this time.

SIMON: Police say they did discover a shoeprint on the fence that separates the patrons from the tigers but it's not known at this point if it's from any of the victims.

FONG: We have obtained photographs of that shoeprint and we also have all three pairs of shoes from the victim and our forensics analysis will allow us to determine if any of those shoes match the print that's on there.

SIMON (on camera): As for why that wall is only 12.5 feet, the director says the zoo regularly gets visits from the AZA, the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, and he says the wall has never been cited for being too short.

Dan Simon, CNN, San Francisco.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: So here's what people may be wondering. Is your zoo safe? We'll talk to a zoo expert on wild animal in the next hour right here in the CNN NEWSROOM. And if you'd like to learn more about the type of tiger that attacked and track its deadly path in the zoo, check out cnn.com and you can also read about other recent animal attacks. That's at cnn.com.

NGUYEN: All right, so this story might sound familiar. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is trying to track down more than 40 people in 16 states who flew across the ocean with a TB patient.

The CDC says a California woman with a dangerous form. Disease got on an American Airlines flight in New Delhi, India, December 13th. That stopped over in Chicago and then landed in San Francisco. She's isolated now and being treated with a drug resistant form of TB. The CDC is looking for people who sat within two rows of her on that longer flight. LEMON: Betty, this next story is just incredible video. You have to take a look at it.

Imagine you're sitting at work minding your own business just like this gentleman here and then all of a sudden, this, my goodness. A firm in Jacksonville, Florida, released several angles of security footage taken during an explosion that ripped through the chemical plant next door.

That blast last week, it killed four workers at T2 Laboratories. Remember, we were doing the breaking news live on the air, that's right next to Wilkinson Steel where we showed you the tape was shot. More than a week later eight Wilkinson Workers are still recovering from this.

NGUYEN: Well, this other story, the assassination of Benazir Bhutto, how a tragedy on the world stage takes center stage in U.S. presidential politics. We're going to have much more on this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Some live pictures now from the Pakistani Embassy in Washington, DC where a number of dignitaries have been dropping by today to sign a condolence book and pay their respects to the former prime minister, Benazir Bhutto, who was assassinated yesterday in Rawalpindi. Also, not just dignitaries, but citizens from all over. Ordinary citizens going in to sign the condolence book.

The secretary of state signed it just a couple minutes ago, paid her condolences and also spoke to the people in Pakistan offering condolences and her respects as well. We'll continue to follow this.

NGUYEN: Well, this time Wednesday foreign policy expertise wasn't necessarily the first thing that a presidential candidate would brag about, but after what has happened in Pakistan, it's talking point number one and CNN's senior political analyst Bill Schneider weighs the impact of Benazir Bhutto's killing on the race for U.S. president.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BILL SCHNEIDER, CNN SR. POLITICAL ANALYST (voice-over): Outsiders are in. It's the economy, stupid. They were becoming the conventional wisdom about the 2008 campaign. The news of Benazir Bhutto's assassination suddenly adds a new dimension to the campaign. Candidates are touting their foreign policy credentials.

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: That I'm the one with the experience and the knowledge and the judgment so perhaps it may serve to enhance those credentials or make people understand that I've been to Waziristan, I know Musharraf.

SCHNEIDER: The crisis gave Rudy Giuliani an opportunity to call attention to his signature issue, 9/11.

RUDY GIULIANI, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: America feels a strong sense connection, I think, to this because of what happened to us.

SCHNEIDER: Populist candidates and outsiders seem to be gaining momentum in this campaign, Democrat Barack Obama, Republican Mike Huckabee but the international crisis gives their opponents an opening. Suddenly experience matters.

SEN. HILLARY CLINTON, (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Our next president will be sworn in on January 20th, 2009 at noon. Waiting on that president's desk in the Oval Office will be problems that are incredibly difficult, that present challenges to our leadership in the world.

SCHNEIDER: Sure, other candidates will challenge their experience, as Obama did recently.

SEN. BARACK OBAMA, (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: If you are saying that this is your relevant experience, we should know what decisions were you involved in in the White House.

SCHNEIDER: But experience and knowledge of the world may now loom larger in this campaign as Senator Biden alluded to last month.

SEN. JOE BIDEN, (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I believe people have a sense of or will increasingly get a sense of who is grown up and responsible that is ready to actually sit behind that desk and make decisions.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN: And a reminder, the Iowa caucuses are only six days away. Also before the caucus on New Year's Day catch the game that really matters, the battle of the presidential candidates. It's all the contenders talking about the most important issues, the economy, the war, immigration, in their own words.

We call it the "Ballot Bowl" and whether you're a Republican, Democrat or an Independent, if you're an American it's the game you can't miss, CNN's "Ballot Bowl" beginning 9:00 a.m. Eastern New Year's Day right here in the NEWSROOM.

BROOKE ANDERSON, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: I'm Brooke Anderson in Hollywood.

Well, they have been part of Hollywood royalty for years. You will not believe which A-list couple is splitting up. I'll have that and more when the NEWSROOM continues. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: OK. He's an Academy Award winning actor and director and she's an A-list star and she's a Hollywood beauty, but what they are not, at least anymore, is a couple, right Brooke Anderson?

ANDERSON: That's right.

LEMON: She joins us now from Hollywood with the very latest. All right. So fill in the blanks with the names. I told you about them but who are they?

ANDERSON: Well, it's actor Sean Penn and Robin Wright Penn, Don. They are calling it quits, and they were once thought of as the epitome of a successful Hollywood marriage. Another one bites dust, unfortunately. Now CNN has confirmed that after 11 years of marriage and two teenaged kids the famous couple is divorcing. It was the second marriage for both stars. Penn was married to Madonna for four years and Wright to actor Dane Witherspoon for two.

Over the years the couple has shared the big screen several times including in the films "State of Grace," "She's So Lovely" and "Hurly Burly" and ironically the couple are both set to appear in the upcoming Barry Levinson film titled "What Just Happened?" And I'm sure that's a question many, possibly those two, are asking themselves right now. What just happened?

LEMON: What did just happen? Someone got divorced in Hollywood, I'm actually really shocked by that.

ANDERSON: Right. It's a terrible surprise. Never happens.

LEMON: We're being snarky. But it's actually not a good thing when folks ...

ANDERSON: No, it's not. It's unfortunate.

LEMON: Sometimes it is good. I digress.

ANDERSON: All right.

Moving on to greener pastures and better things in life and if it wasn't for the best, you know, maybe this is.

LEMON: It's really not me, it's really not you, it's me, is that how we say it?

ANDERSON: It is, that's right. I'm going to stop there.

LEMON: Have you used that one before? Let's talk. Have you used that one before?

ANDERSON: Sure.

LEMON: Sure?

ANDERSON: I have.

LEMON: I'm putting you ...

ANDERSON: I know you have.

LEMON: Never.

ANDERSON: Betty, what are you doing.

NGUYEN: Trying to help you out over here. LEMON: She's actually egging me on over here. She's like oh.

NGUYEN: It's not me, it's you.

ANDERSON: Exactly.

NGUYEN: It's not me, it's him.

ANDERSON: That's right.

LEMON: OK. It's been a long week.

When one door closes, as they say, another one opens, somebody else is getting married, Brooke.

ANDERSON: That's right and I'm glad that you can breathe a sigh of relief during the entertainment segment and get a little break from the other news for a minute. I'm glad I can provide that for you, Don, yes let's move on.

We're talking about an actress who is in the ensemble cast of "Sin City," she was one-quarter of the fantastic four and now screen siren Jessica Alba is set to be half of a brand new Hollywood marriage, one divorce and now we're talking about one marriage.

The 26-year-old actress and boyfriend Cash Warren have announced they are engaged. The couple who met on the set of the original "Fantastic Four" film in 2004 recently made headlines with news that Alba is pregnant with their first child.

While no exact date has been set for the nuptials this will be the both marriage for both. Alba's current film "Awake" is in theaters now and her next project, "The Eye" hit's he big screen February 1st.

Don, she's a busy lady.

LEMON: I'll say, they're both very busy apparently.

ANDERSON: Yes.

LEMON: Did we flip sides here?

ANDERSON: I think we did.

LEMON: It's like magic.

ANDERSON: Oh. With the split screen.

LEMON: Yeah.

The director goes you had to tell them.

ANDERSON: Anything can happen during the entertainment segment. You never know.

LEMON: Absolutely.

Hey, we have some serious stuff, though, because a lot of people are concerned about their TV shows. I know I miss a lot of my shows I'm used to TiVoing or watching, what have you. So what's the latest on the writers' strike? Do you have an update for us, Brooke?

ANDERSON: Well, it's been eight weeks, Don, since the Writers' Guild of America put their pencils down in a fight for the new media pie from the Producers' Alliance. At this point there is no end in sight. Not only have talks between the two sides stopped, no new negotiations are scheduled at this time and listen to this, the estimated economic impact from the strike has reached a staggering $1 billion.

LEMON: Wow.

ANDERSON: All right. Late night funny men like David Letterman are hoping to return to the small screen with new shows very soon, no date scheduled for Letterman's return, but Jay Leno, Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert are all scheduled to be back in the new year. Now, most of the hosts are members of the Writers' Guild so they will have strict restrictions on what they can and can't do.

For example, anything a writer would have created for the show such as an opening monologue or a skit would be off limits. Some peel that this is a recipe for a train wreck for these guys while others are excited to see the stage set for more improv.

I guess we're going to see in the new year how the funny men of late night fare without their writing staff but these are very bright, very funny men so it could be terrific or it could be lame. We'll know soon.

LEMON: Absolutely. And you know what show is still on? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, right?

ANDERSON: It is.

LEMON: And what happened to your slogan? Do you still say the most provocative entertainment show ...

ANDERSON: Of course we do, every day. And it's coming on tonight and we're going to be featuring change stars, why celebrities are so obsessed with everything from plastic surgery to losing and gaining weight. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT investigates the body image madness really on TV's most provocative entertainment news show, 11:00 p.m. Eastern and Pacific. You don't want to miss it

LEMON: Absolutely not. I never miss it. I'll TiVo or I'll just watch it whenever I ...

ANDERSON: Or I'll fill you in on what we did.

LEMON: Absolutely. Hey, listen, I won't be here next week. So Happy New Year to you.

ANDERSON: Happy New Year to you, too.

LEMON: It's been a pleasure working with you the entire year.

ANDERSON: Likewise.

NGUYEN: So much love in the house.

All right.

An American teenager, though, helps builds a school half a world away and she gives all of us a lesson in how to make a difference.

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