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President Bush in Bahrain; Charred Remains Might Be of Missing Pregnant Marine; On the Campaign Trail

Aired January 12, 2008 - 12:00   ET

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

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: All right, well straight ahead, the latest stop for President Bush on his Middle East tour, Bahrain, where you saw him dancing a bit there with T.J. and Betty. We'll get right there this morning. The top issues, however, on a serious note, U.S. troop levels in Iraq and what Mr. Bush sees as a serious threat posed by Iran.
CNN White House correspondent Ed Henry is traveling with the president.

All right, obviously we are having some problems with that tape. But, Ed Henry will be joining us live right now from Bahrain.

So, how about it Ed, maybe you can give us a little wrap-up there of his stop there to Bahrain. We know he also had a moment or two to show a little personality. Well, let's get to this serious stuff first.

ED HENRY, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: That's right. As you mentioned, this is the first visit for U.S. president, here in Bahrain. And earlier in the trip, the president, obviously, spent three days in Israel, was talking a lot about Mideast peace, Israeli/Palestinian peace, not he's shifting a bit. He's still talking about Israeli/Palestinian, peace but he's also talking a lot about Iraq and Iran. Specifically, that was -- Iraq was what he was talking about Iraq in Kuwait earlier today, before he came to Bahrain.

And he was basically talking about how there have been security gains on the ground in Iraq, but said he's not certain yet whether that will mean speeding up the timetable for bringing home U.S. troops. He said at this point after getting a briefing today with General David Petraeus, the U.S. is still on target to bring home about 30,000 U.S. troops by July. But that would still keep a footprint of 130,000 U.S. troops on the ground -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right, well, while there are some improvements in the security realm, how about for the political situation?

HENRY: Well, obviously, this is a difficult situation, because the intended goals of the U.S. military surge last January, a year ago, when the president was dealing with trying to find a new strategy, one goal was to increase security on the ground, the second was for political reconciliation. The first part has worked a bit, the second not necessarily. The president acknowledged today that more needs to be done on the political reconciliation front. But he did insist that officials are making some progress in Iraq and, as if on cue, today, the Iraqi parliament actually met one of the key U.S. benchmarks. They passed legislation to get former Ba'ath party officials reinstated into key government posts. The president, just in the last half hour or so, has already lauded that as a good step forward -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right, Ed Henry, thanks so much. Traveling with the president, there, from Bahrain.

In the meantime, let's bring it close to home now out of North Carolina, you know about this gruesome investigation that is underway in search for this pregnant Marine and we understand as of this morning we've heard details about remains now being found in the backyard of the primary suspect in her disappearance and her death.

Let's go now to Ed Lavandera who is in Jacksonville, North Carolina with the latest -- Ed.

ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Fredricka.

Well, a short while ago the medical examiner, here in Jacksonville, North Carolina, confirming that human remains that were in some places charred and a little bit charred had indeed been found in the backyard of the suspect in the murder investigation into the death of Maria Lauterbach.

The medical examiner saying that they have been digging up in a very tedious and a very slow fashion, here this morning, in a grave that is about six inches to one foot deep. They hadn't gotten to the bottom of it yet, but indeed, at this point, the investigation was still ongoing out there. But, they are able to confirm that they do have human remains there at that site.

Of course, this does not mean they have positively identified these remains as the body of Maria Lauterbach. They say dental records at the least will be needed. I think we can hear a little bit from what the medical examiner told us here, just a short while ago.

Sorry, that sound we don't have that. So, the senses are they will continue working there for several hours here, throughout the day and, of course, on the other front is the search for the main suspect in this case, Cesar Laurean and he is -- is from the home state of Nevada, but he is believed to have left the Jacksonville area sometime around 4:00 a.m. Friday morning.

Authorities here, still hoping that somewhere out there someone will spot him and call in, here to the sheriff's office and give them a tip as the where this Marine corporal might be. But as of now, there have been no tips, no leads as to where this Marine corporal is hiding. And of course, all eyes are on him. The sheriff's deputies, here -- and investigators here in Jacksonville say that he is the person they believe murdered Maria Lauterbach -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right, horrible story and developments. Ed Lavandera thanks so much from Jacksonville, North Carolina. We'll continue to check back with you, and of course other sources on the ground as information becomes available.

Well now, to the campaign trail. Rudy Giuliani's Republican presidential campaign may be feeling the pinch. About a dozen senior staffers are working without pay this month. The former New York mayor said the team volunteered it in order to stretch the budget. His manager denies the campaign is strapped and says money continues to come in and that several fund-raisers are scheduled in Florida in the coming days.

Meanwhile, Democrats will roll the dice in Nevada a week from today. Sparks already are flying from a spat over gambling between senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. Our Jim Acosta is part of the best political team on television.

And you got the table, so to speak, in Vegas.

JIM ACOSTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Fredricka. We are at the Sheet Metal Workers Union in Las Vegas where Hillary Clinton will be addressing supporters in just a little while from now. And you can tell just by looking over my shoulder we are not in New Hampshire anymore.

If you read the sign behind me it says, "Juntos con Hillary" "We're together with Hillary," "Una vida mejor," "a better life." You don't see signs up like that up in New Hampshire. It's a slightly different demographic up there. But that really -- this really goes to show you what the big enchilada is in the upcoming Nevada caucus coming up next Saturday.

And that is the Hispanic vote and that's why we are going to see the former first lady standing up here with a group of Hispanic leaders from across the country, the former Housing and Urban Development secretary Henry Cisneros is supposed to be here, is just one of many notable Hispanic leaders appearing with Hillary Clinton.

And this sort of follows, really, a campaign theme for her for the last several days. She was in California yesterday addressing supporters and during that event, she was asked about a comment that she made recently about undocumented workers in this country and she was asked about that comment. Hillary Clinton recently saying that there's no such thing as an illegal woman.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

QUESTION: Yesterday you said there is no illegal woman. What did you mean by that?

SEN. HILLARY CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: What I meant was that at an event in Las Vegas, a man asked me about what I was going to do to help his family because his wife was undocumented. And He said, "my wife, she is an illegal woman." I said, "there I are no illegal women, there are only people" and I want to have comprehensive immigration reform that will help these...

(END VIDEO CLIP) ACOSTA: And now yesterday, Barack Obama was in Las Vegas. He is trying to come behind after losing that very surprised loss to Hillary Clinton in New Hampshire. Hillary is definitely holding the better cards, right now.

But, Barack Obama was in town yesterday trying to recover from that loss, picking up the endorsement of an influential union here, the Culinary Union Workers Union, which represents a lot of casino workers in this town and also a lot of Hispanic workers in this town. And yesterday, he repeated the old slogan of the old United Farm Workers leader, Caesar Chavez, who used to say, "si, se puede," "yes, we can."

And so, Obama was introducing that language into his campaign speech, yesterday. So, both Hillary and Obama are doing some you know, habla espanol out here on the campaign trail. And you know, this is definitely something that both of these candidates are going to be focusing on over the coming days as this Nevada caucus approaches next Saturday -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right, (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE). All right, Jim Acosta, thank you so much.

And remember the CNN "BALLOT BOWL" is back again this weekend. In fact, we'll keep doing it through Super Tuesday. It's your chance to see the candidates unfiltered on the campaign trail. Tune in today, 2:00 p.m. Eastern for that.

And another programming note for you, check out the last Democratic debate before the South Carolina primary, the Congressional Black Caucus Institute hosts the Democrats in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, that's January 21, mark your calendar. You can see it right here on CNN starting at 8:00 p.m. Eastern.

And too many of those who have served in the U.S. military are homeless today. I'll speak with the secretary of Veteran's Affairs about what's being done to help.

And now that O.J. Simpson is back behind bars, what does that mean for his legal defense. Our legal experts will be joining us in the noon hour. Usually, you see them at 2:00 Eastern, well this time, we are seeing them early. They'll be giving us their take.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Well earlier, we tried to bring you Ed Henry's taped report on President Bush's tour of the Middle East. We had some technical problems, but we've got it together now, so we want to bring to you now, Ed Henry's report on the president's visit to Bahrain.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HENRY (voice-over): Visiting U.S. troops in Kuwait with general David Petraeus, President Bush touted security gains in Iraq, but said he's not sure whether that will speed up cuts in forces.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Do not take the achievement of 2007 for granted.

HENRY: In a rare admission, the president said when he consulted with Petraeus about troop levels, last January, the U.S. was, "failing in Iraq." The president ultimately decided to implement the surge and he now wants to ensure that progress is not lost by bringing troops home too fast.

BUSH: I wanted to assure him that any decision he recommends needs to be based upon success. That's what happened last time around, when we were failing, I said, what's it take -- what, what do you need to win, not lose?

HENRY: Mr. Bush said the U.S. remains on track to bring home up to 30,000 troops by July, leaving about 130,000 troops in Iraq. But, the president added he told Petraeus it's OK if the troop cuts are not as quick.

BUSH: My attitude is, if he didn't want to continue the drawdown, that's fine with me, in order to make sure we succeed. See, I said to the general, if you want to slow 'er down, fine. It's up to you.

HENRY: That decision is likely to be made in March when Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker return to Capitol Hill for another progress report. Talking up progress in Iraq is also key to the president's visit to Arab allies, including Bahrain on Saturday.

BUSH: To our alliance we share the burdens and risks of maintaining security, as well as, defending freedom throughout the region.

HENRY: Mr. Bush is also stressing the U.S. commitment to Mideast stability by working to prevent Iran from restarting its nuclear program. Meanwhile, General Petraeus told reporters Iran is believed to be responsible for a sharp increase, this month, in bombs targeting U.S. troops in Iraq. A sign that even without nuclear weapons, Tehran is still a threat and the games on the ground in Iraq may be tentative.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: And more on that report of the in Iranian link to attacks against U.S. troops in Iraq. Apparently now on the rise after several months of decline, that word, today, from General David Petraeus, as Ed Henry was just reporting. He's the top U.S. commander in Iraq.

Our Arwa Damon is in Baghdad with more on that report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ARWA DAMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's really not surprising that general Petraeus would be making those comments. The U.S. has always maintained that Iran medals in Iraqi affairs whether it is politics or providing financial to certain elements of the insurgency. However, recent U.S. military intelligence reports do indicate that Iran is shifting its tactics when it comes to trying to influence events in Iraq.

These reports say that in the past, Iran used to run fairly sizeable train camps within Iraq's borders. These camps have now shifted to within Iran's borders where Iraqi operatives can travel, receive training and then come back to Iraq.

We also have to realize that the area where Iranian influence is most concentrated is in the country's Shia heartland, the southern part of Iraq, where there is very little coalition presence. If you remember, the British forces have handed over a number of Iraqi provinces that area and don't really have a sustained presence in any of these streets, pretty much allowing Iran to do what it wants. As the U.S. military calls it, there is nobody with eyes on Iranian activity in these areas.

What is very concern together U.S. military, though, is the technology and weapons that come across from Iran, those explosively formed penetrators, the EFPs that are basically sophisticated roadside bombs with it's ability to penetrate any form of U.S. military armor and the U.S. military and other coalition troops have suffered a number of casualties because of these of these EFPs.

They can blow straight through the Humvees, through the Bradley's, through the tanks. So, the U.S. has been trying to engage Iran on a number of these fronts, having meetings over the past year, focusing really just on security in Iraq. But, as we are seeing, Iranian influence here, although it might not be all that evident on the surface, does remain very strong and a great concern.

Arwa Damon, CNN, Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: And U.S. military at the center of that concern. And now, at the center of this very grim statistic, the nonpartisan National Alliance to End Homelessness says one in every four homeless people in the U.S. is a veteran.

And according to "New York Times," it's not just the older vets from long-ago wars that have no home. Of the vets returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, 400 are living on the streets. It's a terrible reality faced by the new secretary of Veterans Affairs, Dr. James Peake. He took over that job just weeks ago and this is his first broadcast interview.

Congratulations on the new post and welcome, as well.

DR. JAMES PEAKE, SECY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS: Thank you very much. It's good to be with you, today.

WHITFIELD: Well, Dr. Peake, you really do have your hands full here and I wonder if this is a proud or perhaps shameful moment that we have come to this, whereas this country needs of the backdrop of what you have there, a job and a health fair for our military veterans? PEAKE: Well, I tell you, I'm very proud of what's going on here today, because we're reaching out to deal with a real issue that the whole nation needs to face and we're facing it head on and it's not just the first time. We've been doing this at this medical center 14 times, 14 years.

In 2006, there were 125 of these stand downs that reached out to bring people in, to give them the opportunity to socialize, to access their benefits, to get camaraderie and a sense of be longing. So, this is a very good thing, here today.

WHITFIELD: OK, what could do you suppose is at the root of the real disconnect as to why 400 Afghanistan/Iraq war military vets would be homeless or perhaps be, I guess, either unaware or unable to take advantage of the resources that you just spelled out for military vets?

PEAKE: Well, we are working really hard to reach out to that group, as well as all of the different segments of the veteran's population. You know, there's 26 million veterans in this country. So, we are reaching out to all of them to deal with this issue of homelessness. It's a complicated issue and so you have people from HUD, people from Department of Labor and all the social services that need to come together to work on this.

WHITFIELD: It is a complicated issue and really underscored by so many military vets of recent wars who talk about that while they got all these wonderful treatment and therapies available to them at places like Walter Reed, once they went back to their small hometowns, they didn't have the same kind of support system in place, health-wise and certainly not on the job front.

How is this administration, how is the Veterans Affairs Administration able to help meet the needs of so many who are not privy to places like Washington, D.C., like the backdrop you have right there?

PEAKE: As I say, we did this -- 125 of these in 2006, as an example. I think there were 23,000 people, homeless vets, that were touched over that period of time. You know, there's 15,000 folks that get compensated work therapy.

As an example of one of the programs, just down stairs, I met with our Vocational Rehab and Education folks who are registering people who come in and to get the opportunity to get the kind of training they need, the counseling they need to move forward with their lives. You know, 68 percent of the folks have substance -- complicated medical issues, another group have substance abuse issues, another have mental health issues, and many of them have multiple diagnoses.

So, what we want to do is bring them in. They may come here for the hair cut or the clothes, but then they get a chance to see what's really available to them and get the counseling they need to access the many benefits that are available through this wonderful V.A. that actually reaches out all across this United States. WHITFIELD: And you're hopeful it really is turning around some of the lives of people in need?

PEAKE: Well, the number of homeless veterans -- oh, I'm sorry, the number of homeless veterans is slowly coming down and we want to drive it all the way on down. You know, that's our objective is to eliminate it and we're going to work really hard to do that.

WHITFIELD: Well, all right, as you said, it's a complicated issue that certainly is going to take some time in which to fix. Dr. James Peake, thanks so much for your time, secretary of Veterans Affairs. And congratulations on the new post, as well.

PEAKE: Thank you very much.

WHITFIELD: Well, how about this? This is a real complicated scenario as well, a father, a strip club and a little boy locked in a van. A lot wrong here, right? We'll tell you much more straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Well, we know that the presidential campaign can be a bumpy ride, but we understand Democratic candidate Barack Obama's was literally that early this morning, his private plane, the Gulf Stream Two, apparently it was coming in for a landing in Chicago's Midway Airport when it reportedly clipped a parked, empty Cessna plain right there on the runway.

We understand that 12 people, co-passengers were onboard Obama's plane. None were injured. We understand there to be no serious incidents to be taking place there at Midway Airport. We just wanted to pass it along, though, to you. Early this morning about 2:45 a.m. at Midway Airport, there in Chicago, this mishap involving those two planes. But again, all are OK, no reports of injuries.

Meantime, some residents in the middle of the country are cleaning up in the aftermath of deadly powerful storms. In Kentucky, heavy rain and a possible tornado destroyed one home and damaged another one in Park City. And Indiana governor, Mitch Daniel says he'll seek federal disaster aide for a wide area ravaged by flooding in the northern part of the state. Three people, including three children, died in the Indiana storms this week. A horrible situation weather-wise.

Boy, this has been a rough way of starting this New Year. Bonny Schneider is in the Weather Center.

Just terrible weather all the way around from coast to coast.

BONNIE SCHNEIDER, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Absolutely and it's been a very active month for tornadoes. We had numerous tornadoes reported in some of the more northern states of the U.S. that's because we some record high temperatures and just a really volatile weather pattern.

(WEATHER REPORT) WHITFIELD: That's right, I know you've already informed your family members there in New York, Long Island to get ready for that nor'easter.

SCHNEIDER: Oh, they're ready.

WHITFIELD: You wish you were there, don't you?

SCHNEIDER: No. Not shoveling out, no. That I don't miss.

WHITFIELD: I know, no one misses that. All right Bonnie, thanks so much.

All right, we'll check out the headlines now from "Across America," this Saturday. A 10-year-old Oakland boy may face permanent paralysis, he was hit by a stray bullet during his piano lesson. Gunfire erupted during an attempted robbery at a gas station, the bullet traveled across the street and then right into the music school.

Prosecutors in Wisconsin say a Minnesota man left his toddler in his cold van while he had a hot time inside a strip club. The child had frostbite. The man says he's an alcoholic, but not a bad father.

And in Texas, a mom dropped her eight and 10-year-old kids off at the fire department and then she drives off. She says, they were misbehaving. The family has since been reunited and the mother, she actually won't face charges. The state's Baby Moses law allows parents to leave kids at fire houses, though it was intended to cover mostly newborns, not necessarily 10-year-olds.

Well, just a short time ago, Iraq was about all we heard about on the political scene. Well, now the political scene has kind of taken front seat, so what happened. Why is Iraq on the back burner?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right, a quick update of our top stories right now. Authorities say they have found human remains in a fire pit outside the home of Marine Corporal Armando Lauren. Lauren is a suspect in the disappearance of Lance Corporal Maria Lauterbach who is presumed dead.

O.J. Simpson is back in a Las Vegas jail. He is awaiting trial for armed robbery and authorities say he violated the terms of his bail by trying to communicate with a co-defendant.

And President Bush is getting a warm welcome in Bahrain, the latest stop on his Middle East tour.

Well, Pakistan's President Musharraf has a warning for America: stay out. Many experts believe top terrorists, including Osama bin Laden, are hiding out in Pakistan. There are reports that U.S. officials are considering covert action against terrorist faces in Pakistani tribal areas. In a newly published interview, President Musharraf rejects that idea. He says, if U.S. troops enter Pakistan, they will be treated as invaders.

And so, remember, the War in Iraq, we haven't heard a whole lot about it on the presidential campaign trail. CNN's Tom Foreman takes a look at why.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A few months ago, the war was all the rage on the campaign trail.

SEN. HILLARY CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: To end the war ...

RUDY GIULIANI (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We don't desire war.

SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: To oppose the war ...

MITT ROMNEY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We already have a civil war ...

JOHN EDWARDS (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: End this war ...

FOREMAN: Now, the war talk is a whisper of its old self. And in this Sunday's "New York Times" magazine, Harvard professor Noah Feldman has an idea why.

NOAH FELDMAN, HARVARD UNIVERSITY: Politicians very much want us to have warm associations with them, and talking about the war is a bit of a downer. There's nothing terribly optimistic. And I think that's probably the first issue.

FOREMAN: More issues: the war remains enormously unpopular with voters, who largely blame President Bush. So Republicans are not eager to bring it up. That makes Ron Paul and John McCain rarities as they keep hammering on it.

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: If we'd have done what the Democrats wanted to do six months ago, al Qaeda would be trumpeting to the world that they beat us. I'll never let that happen. We'll never surrender.

FOREMAN: Funny thing is McCain's war stance may have helped propel him to victory in New Hampshire.

(on camera): And he's pointing out the reason most Democratic contenders are keeping quiet. One year after the president announced the troop surge which Democrats said could not work, it is working.

(voice-over): Fatalities for troops and civilians are way down. Iraqi neighborhoods, shops, even the symphony is back in full swing. Dems do not want to talk about that, but political analysts say they should.

JIM VANDEHEI, POLITICO.COM: The next president will have a hundred thousand plus troops on the ground. They should deal with this, they should articulate exactly what they would do as president.

FOREMAN: One last cause for the roaring silence: both sides are beginning to agree.

FELDMAN: With the moderate to dovish people saying, we should leave as soon as we can and the hawkish people saying we should leave as soon as we're able, it's just hard to distinguish themselves. And that's what they need to do.

FOREMAN: Don't hold your breath. The raw politics: candidates of all stripes hate betting their careers on outcomes they can't predict, even if other Americans are betting their lives.

Tom Foreman, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: More now on the campaign trail. Republicans are barn storming Michigan today. And the heat is on for Tuesday's primary battle. Our Mary Snow, part of the best political team on television is following events in Southfield.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: With three days to go before the Michigan primary, Republican presidential hopeful Senator John McCain and former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, are concentrating heavily on Michigan.

Senator John McCain is hoping to use his New Hampshire victory to win here. Mitt Romney has a lot at stake. This is the state where he grew up. His father was governor here. And after losing in both Iowa and New Hampshire, he is hoping to score a victory here.

Both of the candidates have been focusing largely on the economy, with Michigan's unemployment rate at 7.4 percent, the national average is five percent.

Democrats won't be here, that's because Michigan moved up it's primary, and the Democratic National Committee then stripped it of its delegates. The Democratic candidates have been avoiding the state.

Mary Snow, CNN, Southfield, Michigan.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: And we know you can't get enough of the presidential race. So, remember the CNN "BALLOT BOWL" is back again this weekend. In fact, we'll keep doing it through Super Tuesday. It's your chance to see the candidates unfiltered on the campaign trail. Tune in today 2:00 p.m. Eastern for that.

And then Monday, on "LARRY KING LIVE," Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney sits down with Larry. What's his strategy now? Find out Monday night 9:00 Eastern. O.J. Simpson back behind bars. Our legal experts Avery Friedman and Richard Herman will join us to talk about that. We usually see you guys in the 2:00 Eastern hour, but we couldn't wait. So we've got you here in the noon hour. Talk to you right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right, O.J. Simpson back in jail. Las Vegas prosecutors say he violated parole and contacted one of the co- defendants in that sports memorabilia robbery case in Las Vegas.

Our legal experts are here. Avery Friedman is a civil rights attorney and law professor. Good to see you. Happy New Year.

AVERY FRIEDMAN, CIVIL RIGHTS ATTORNEY: Hi, Fredricka. Happy New year to you.

WHITFIELD: And Richard Herman is a New York criminal defense attorney and law professor. Good to see you as well. Happy New year, guys.

RICHARD HERMAN, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Happy New Year, Fred. We missed you.

WHITFIELD: I missed you guys, too.

FRIEDMAN: Sure did. Glad we're back together.

WHITFIELD: But I'm so glad we're back together.

FRIEDMAN: Yes.

WHITFIELD: All right, well, let's talk about this O.J. Simpson. He's actually being held in Florida because of this violation of the parole agreement. So wait a minute, he tried to reach one of the co- defendants, Richard, but by way of a bail bondsman. So, is this being blown out of proportion?

HERMAN: I'll tell you, Fred, it's very rare in a bail condition package that a judge precludes the defendants from communicating with each other because you could have a joint defense. And this judge initially says no contact. And he says to O.J. at the time no e-mail, telephone, mail or passenger pigeon. He made a joke of it.

Now, he's going to ask O.J. this week, do you recall me saying even passenger pigeon? Let me tell you, Fred, I think O.J.'s in a heap of trouble. I think this judge wants to put him in prison.

WHITFIELD: Wow, OK, I misspoke. He's in a Nevada jail. But you know, he was living in Florida, and so ...

FRIEDMAN: Right.

WHITFIELD: ...that's where it gets complicated. Sorry about that. So, Avery, I mean, OK, so the judge or somebody really has it out for him maybe to hold him. How long can they hold him because of this violation?

FRIEDMAN: Well, again, we have a situation where you have to try to think like O.J. It's impossible, you can't do it.

WHITFIELD: I was going to say, how do you do that?

FRIEDMAN: So, the trial starts, Fredricka ...

WHITFIELD: Yes.

FRIEDMAN: ...on the 7th of April. There is some likelihood, unless somehow O.J. can explain this away -- I don't know how he can -- that he may spend from next week all the way to the 7th of April in the hoo's cow (ph) before the trial starts.

A lot of people are thinking well, isn't that going to effect the trial? And really, this is a violation, it's a privilege to be out. It's really not parole, it's a privilege to be released. He may have blown it. We're going to find out this coming week.

WHITFIELD: And so, you do have to wonder, Richard, whether this could impact the case, the jury pool when they kind of see him on TV. i mean, nobody else would get this kind of coverage except for an O.J. Simpson. So, others who violate parole, maybe the same kind of circumstances, the potential jurors never hear about it.

HERMAN: Hey Fred, this jury pool is already corrupted in Las Vegas. Come on, you think he can really get a fair trial there? He's in the paper every single day, and he's on every news station today, yesterday. He'll be on this whole week. I mean, they know what's going on with him.

And you know, look, he played it fast and loose here. And this judge is going to hear a tape. There's a tape, it's not someone testifying, hearsay. It's a tape. And the judge is going to reasonably interpret that tape. And if it looks like O.J. is looking to reach out to one of these co-defendants ...

WHITFIELD: Yes.

HERMAN: ...I think this judge is going to put him in prison.

WHITFIELD: Well, OK ...

FRIEDMAN: And Richard also said, I think, he still thinks O.J. is going to be acquitted. I don't know.

HERMAN: Absolutely, going to be acquitted.

WHITFIELD: All right.

FRIEDMAN: Not going to happen.

WHITFIELD: Yes, well, we'll be talking about it for a while.

All right, let's move on to the case in North Carolina. So sad. Lance Corporal Maria Frances Lauterbach missing, eight months pregnant. And now, investigators say some charred remains being found in the backyard of the prime suspect. The suspect, still somewhere out there.

So Avery, you know, beyond these charred remains, what other kind of evidence do they need in order to kind of put this prime suspect and this victim together?

FRIEDMAN: Yes, they have actually overwhelming evidence, Fredricka. They actually have a note from the suspect's wife in which he said she committed suicide, I buried the body. I mean, this is crazy. Plus, there's paint trying to cover things up.

On a larger scale, though, I think what's important to note is that the "Washington Post" did a study and said, the largest, main cause of pregnant American women dying is because of homicide.

WHITFIELD: Oh, my gosh.

FRIEDMAN: 1,300 American women, pregnant and lose their lives in situations like this. So, we have a long way to go, but the evidence right now appears to be overwhelming.

WHITFIELD: Oh, my gosh -- yes?

HERMAN: Hey Fred, this suspect -- this suspect allegedly raped her.

WHITFIELD: Yes.

HERMAN: There were charges pending in the Marine Corp. She was going to testify against him ...

FRIEDMAN: Right.

HERMAN: ...about this incident. Now, he produced a note to his wife saying that she committed suicide, he buried her. Meanwhile, they did luminol testing in the house to check if there's any traces of blood ...

WHITFIELD: Oh.

HERMAN: ...or any evidence of a cleanup ...

FRIEDMAN: And they got it (ph).

HERMAN: ...and they found blood ...

WHITFIELD: Horrible.

HERMAN: ...spatter on the ceiling, Fred. That doesn't look like a simple suicide.

WHITFIELD: Yes, this is nasty.

FRIEDMAN: And he's gone. He took off.

WHITFIELD: Oh, this is nasty. And of course, I know we're going to be talking about this case a while because I do want to talk to you one of these days about the whole civilian verses military investigation.

FRIEDMAN: Jurisdiction.

WHITFIELD: You know, who has jurisdiction over this.

FRIEDMAN: Right.

WHITFIELD: But since we do have one other case we wanted to get to ...

FRIEDMAN: A big one.

WHITFIELD: Yes, this one about Katrina. Of course, a lot of folks said they want to sue the government because of those levees breaking. But now, you have the case of someone who says -- what -- three quadrillion million dollars they want to sue the government against.

All right Avery, is this to be taken seriously?

FRIEDMAN: Love this case.

WHITFIELD: You do?

FRIEDMAN: This case is going to beat the D.C. judge pants case. It's some lady living in Baker, Louisiana, which is about 90 miles away. Maybe, I think she's going to get another double-wide. She's living in a mobile home right now. It's going nowhere.

HERMAN: Fred ...

WHITFIELD: Yes?

HERMAN: ...it's tragic, it's tragic what happened. These people are so frustrated. They're looking for reinteration (ph), they're looking for something. You can't just sue the federal government. There's immunity, there's the Federal ...

WHITFIELD: Yes.

HERMAN: ...Court Claims Act which specifies how you can do it ...

FRIEDMAN: Right.

HERMAN: ...why you can do it, and what the limitations are. I mean, but it just shows a level of frustration of what's going on in New Orleans.

WHITFIELD: Oh yes, so much frustration.

Avery, Richard, thanks so much. Richard, you sound like you've got a little bug, maybe the same kind of bug I had, which kicks but.

HERMAN: Un poquito.

WHITFIELD: Un poquito. OK, so, a lot of hot water and lemon ...

FRIEDMAN: There it is.

HERMAN: Absolutely.

WHITFIELD: ...you know, kind of worked for me -- and honey.

HERMAN: Yes.

WHITFIELD: All right, you all take care.

HERMAN: Tack care, Fred.

FRIEDMAN: Take care, see you next week.

WHITFIELD: All right, let's talk about something overseas when we come back. Kenya may seem a world away for most of us. But the recent trouble there -- well, it hits pretty close to home for our reporter Zain Verjee.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: So, he claimed to be a man of the cloth, but it didn't help him pull off a caper in the Netherlands. Police stopped a priest at an Amsterdam airport during -- part of a routine search that we all seem to go through. However, the priest refused the search, claiming that as a religious person, that kind of thing was not allowed. Well, the police insisted. And under the man's vestments, police discovered packs containing 6.5 pounds of cocaine strapped to his legs. The man claimed he was carrying holy sand.

Well, when violence erupted recently in Kenya, the news struck close to our home for our Zain Verjee. She is Kenyan, and her family still lives there. Verjee rushed home to check on them, and to cover a country in conflict.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ZAIN VERJEE, CNN STATE DEPARTMENT CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It was not the way I wanted to come home.

(on camera): I've arrived in Nairobi. Usually, I'm so excited to be here because my parents are out waiting and it's always a holiday. But this is for work because of the situation that's erupted here in Kenya. And I am returning home with a bit of a heavy heart.

(voice-over): I've come to one of the places here in Kenya that have been completely burned to the ground after the riots. A bar, a butchery and a newspaper stand raised to the ground, ethnic cleansing we never thought would happen in my country.

(on camera): It's really upsetting to see this kind of scene in Nairobi.

Kenya is filled with open-air markets like this. They're all over the country. They're usually jam-packed with people here buying and selling their goods: apples, oranges, bananas, shoes, clothes, anything under the sun, literally. But as you can see, for the large part, there's nobody here. They're too afraid to come and sell their goods.

Mama, (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

VERJEE: They're just touching and going. I'll buy one today, so at least I'll be good for business.

(voice-over): This is Oholu (ph) Park, or Freedom Park. Political rallies are held here, but it's mainly a place where Kenyans come to relax.

(on camera): It's really strange for me to be here and see Ohulo Park with military forces, paramilitary forces like this here. I've never seen it before in my life. But to have them around the city like this opposite major hotels, this is a major thoroughfare leading into the central business district of Nairobi, is a really strange sight and a real indication of how tense the situation is here.

(voice-over): And Kenyans are scrounging, or begging for food as prices skyrocket. Children often go hungry. It's not only children who are suffering. We spoke to Kenyans at the coast who are struggling to survive.

(on camera): This was going to be a really great year. But because of the election violence and the images that have been portrayed around the world, the violence in Kenya, the tourists have just packed up and left. One thing that many people here on the beach are telling us, that it's all about departure, no arrivals.

People around the world are looking at Kenya now, and they're wondering is Kenya going to collapse into civil war? Is it in danger of becoming a failed state? I don't think so. I've talked to many Kenyans. I know Kenyans and I am Kenyan. And I think that Kenyans want unity and they want peace and they want their leaders to get together and compromise and work things out so that ordinary people can just get on with their lives. The attitude here today is (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE), let's wait and see.

Zain Verjee, CNN, Nairobi.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: And with next week's Golden Globes being a celebrity no-show -- so who does care anyway? Coming up, how the writers strike is taking the bling out of Hollywood . (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Oh, so much buzz around the sold-out Hannah Montana concert in New York. Seems Hannah, who is just 15-years-old and a singing star by the name of Miley Cyrus, briefly used a body double during the show. A video posted on YouTube shows the entertainer performing on stage as Hannah.

Well, during one song, she's ushered off stage through a trapped door. Another girl dressed like Hannah runs on set and performs 'til the end of that song. Hannah's P.R. firm admits a double is used briefly to allow Miley to change costumes so she can reappear as herself.

All right, no stars, no red carpet and no gala. The writers strike reducing tomorrow's Golden Globe ceremony to a brassy imitation. Our Kareen Wynter reporting it's bad for entertainment and pretty bad for business.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KAREEN WYNTER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Movie and television stars all walking the red carpet together. The winners overjoyed back stage just moments after getting their statues.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Was surprise in itself.

WYNTER: And celebrities partying hard all night long. Well, expect something different, really different, this year.

STEVEN GAYDOS, EXEC. EDITOR OF FEATURES, VARIETY: There'll be no actors at the Golden Globes.

WYNTER: Instead, what you will see is an hour-long announcement of the nominees and winners by the Hollywood Foreign Press. You can credit the striking Writers Guild of America that has refused to allow their members to work on the show.

In solidarity, most actors in Hollywood would not have crossed picket lines to attend award shows, much to the disappointment of those who spent the last year prepping, like designers, caterers and party planners.

MICHAEL O'CONNOR, JEWELRY AND STYLE EXPERT: A year's worth of work down the drain, not only for Platinum Guild International, but also for the platinum designers and manufacturers because many of them actually create platinum and diamond pieces specifically to be shown at the celebrities suites and specifically to be shown to celebrities to wear.

LAUREN MESKELL, MANAGER, FRIAR TUX SHOP: Rentals range from $70 to $170. And we don't know how many people would come through, but it is a hit, and we wish we had that business.

PETER BART, EDITOR IN CHIEF, VARIETY: Think about the party planners who have to put millions of dollars on the table, all the ballrooms standing empty, all the caterers. Hollywood is a nervous place now.

WYNTER: If you think the cancellation of the Golden Globe Awards only effects Hollywood, you're wrong. According to the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation, the local economy is taking as much as an $80 million hit.

JACK KYSER, L.A. COUNTY ECON. DEVELOPMENT CORP.: This is just rippling out. A lot of collateral damage in the Southern California economy, a lot of small businesses. People think it's the big studios, that's the industry, no. About 85 percent of the firms in the entertainment industry are small companies.

WYNTER: But, there's a silver lining to this dark cloud. One celebrity style lounge is switching gears by changing an event that usually caters solely to celebs to now helping out those impacted by the strike with a fundraiser.

KARI FEINSTEIN, FEINSTEIN-MCGINNIS PUBLIC RELATIONS: We're going to still have talent come down and press come down and cover the event like they would if it was a Golden Globes event, although it's not a Golden Globes event. Now, it's -- we're calling it the Winter Style Lounge and it's benefiting the Writers Guild.

WYNTER: A union that has single-handedly shaken up the Hollywood industry and managed to make history in the process.

Kareen Wynter, CNN, Hollywood.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: All right, a look at the top stories in a moment. "YOUR MONEY" is next. Here now's a preview.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALI VELSHI, CNN HOST: Thanks.

Coming up on "YOUR MONEY," how to figure out whether all the lousy economic news actually adds up to a recession.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN HOST: Plus, what the presidential candidates want to do with your money if they get into office.

VELSHI: And later, Bank of America has agreed to buy mortgage lender Countrywide Financial. What does that mean to your wallet whether or not you own a home?

ROMANS: All that and a lot more after a quick check of the headlines.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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