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Martin Luther King Jr. Remembered; Florida, South Carolina Next Stop For Presidential Candidates
Aired January 21, 2008 - 15:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Politicians, preachers and everyday people all honoring a King. Martin Luther King's legacy lives on four decades after his death.
MELISSA LONG, CNN ANCHOR: We have a deep freeze, deep snow, and deep trouble, especially for this guy or gal. I can't tell, they are so bundled up. Definitely not the only person who is chilly.
(LAUGHTER)
LONG: Hello. I'm Melissa Long at the CNN world headquarters in Atlanta. Kyra is on assignment today.
LEMON: And I'm Don Lemon. You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.
Two Southern states are in the political spotlight on this day honoring Martin Luther King Jr. South Carolina and Florida are the next stops on the road to the White House. Democrats in South Carolina hold their primary on Saturday. Three days later, the focus will be on Florida's Republican primary. A Democratic primary also will be held in Florida, but no delegates are at stake.
The Democratic front-runners are boycotting the contest because Florida moved its primary up, violating the rules.
For Republicans in Florida, a lot of questions will be answered in the state's primary a week from tomorrow.
And CNN's Mary Snow is on the campaign trail in Orlando. She joins us now live.
And it looks like it's very mild temperatures where you are, Mary.
MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Finally, Don. I'm always in the cold weather, right
LEMON: Yes.
(LAUGHTER)
SNOW: But -- and just as it's heating up here temperature-wise, it's also heating up in the race, ahead of January 29's primary.
And, as you mentioned, some answers could come since three different candidates have won different primaries and early contests. Ad in to the mix Rudy Giuliani, so, a very crucial battle here in Florida.
We're here in Orlando. Mitt Romney just finished speaking to supporters here. One of the themes that he really has been harping on is the economy. He is trying to make the case that he's a former businessman who can help turn around the economy in difficult times.
Now, Rudy Giuliani has been campaigning here the most of all the Republican rivals. He's really staking his claim here. His message has been really focusing on the economy of late. And he's trying to say that he's the most fiscally conservative candidate of the whole pack. Senator John McCain, of course, is hoping that the momentum that he will have from South Carolina will give him a victory here.
Now, besides the economy, this is also a state with a big military population, and Senator John McCain, of course, who was in Vietnam, is touting his military experience, also stressing national security.
Governor Mike Huckabee, the former governor of Arkansas, started his day in Atlanta. He went to attend services honoring Martin Luther King. He is saying, though, that heading back to Florida, he feels recharged, even though he lost in South Carolina and he says he feels he was hurt by Fred Thompson, who took away conservative votes from him.
Fred Thompson, of course, the big question mark, he really had been staking his claim on South Carolina, did not win there. His next move, of course, is being awaited -- Don.
LEMON: Yes. And, you know, it is a holiday, right? And I'm sure these candidates are commemorating Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. What are they doing today from your vantage point, Mary, to commemorate?
SNOW: Yes, well, as we said, Mike Huckabee went to the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta today for services honoring Martin Luther King, saying that he felt that that was really where he needed to be today and not campaigning as much.
Mitt Romney, we ran into -- up with him in Jacksonville. He attended the start of a parade there. He didn't march in the parade, but he did stop by. I asked him what does he think he would do as president to break down racial barriers that exist today. And he said that he felt that the civil rights issue of our time is really getting education for inner-city kids -- Don.
LEMON: All right, Mary Snow, thank you very much.
We want to tell our viewers -- and we appreciate your report. We're glad it's mild where you are, and you're not freezing.
We are going to have a live report coming up from Ebenezer Baptist, where they are celebrating the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. today.
Topping our Political Ticker today: South Carolina's leading African-American politician is weighing in on the dust-up between the Clinton and Obama campaigns over civil rights issues. Congressman James Clyburn, the House majority whip, says it's time to move beyond the controversy. And he's offering this advice to the former President Bill Clinton.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. JAMES CLYBURN (D), SOUTH CAROLINA: I think he really, as they would say in Gullah-Geechee country, he needs to chill a little bit. And I hope he understands what that means.
You get excited in these campaigns. I can understand him wanting to defend his wife's honor and his own record. And that is to be expected. But you can do that in a way that won't engender the kind of feelings that seem to be bubbling up as a result of it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Well, former President Clinton helped ignite the controversy earlier this month when he called Obama's claims about his Iraq war opposition a fairy tale.
A close encounter of the political kind to tell you about, an encounter between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama camps. Chelsea Clinton, Michelle Obama attended the same church service yesterday in Columbia, South Carolina. The former first daughter and the potential first lady received warm welcomes from worshipers and they had cordial greetings for each other.
Senator John McCain taking a hit over his race. Take a listen to this. Actor Chuck Norris raised the issue on the campaign trail over the weekend. Norris, who supports McCain's Republican rival Mike Huckabee, he believes serving as president speeds up the aging process 3-1. And he suggested the 71-year-old McCain might not even last a single term.
Well, Huckabee didn't offer his opinion on whether McCain's age is an issue, joking, only John McCain and his hairdresser know that for sure.
If you would like to watch any of the candidates today, just go to CNN.com/live to watch their rallies and their events. It is streamed live all for you right there.
And, tonight, it will be South Carolina. The Democratic candidates will take part in the Congressional Black Caucus in Myrtle Beach. See it live only here on CNN, 8:00 p.m., CNN, of course, your home for politics.
LONG: You can see the debates from South Carolina also online at CNN.com/live.
(WEATHER UPDATE)
LEMON: All right, let's move on and talk about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., his name, his words, his legacy still as vibrant today as they were decades ago. The president is praising him. Presidential candidates have been arguing over him. And the nation honors him on this national holiday.
Let's turn now to our T.J. Holmes. He's at Dr. King's former church, Ebenezer Baptist, right here in Atlanta.
Festivities still going on, T.J., huh?
T.J. HOLMES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, still going on down here, actually.
What you see behind me are people still gathering after a march took place. People gathered here. The march came down Auburn Avenue, right past Ebenezer Baptist Church, and have ended down here to my right, where they are listening to speakers and so on and so forth.
But it was really a full day almost we have had of commemorations. We saw a ceremony, really called a spiritual hallmark of the entire King observance weekend, where we did see former President Bill Clinton. We saw Republican candidates for president Governor Mike Huckabee of Arkansas also attended that ceremony.
But Bill Clinton today, it wasn't a day of politics, but still he said that really what we're seeing this political season and the candidates we're seeing this political season are really reflective of the message and the work that Dr. King did. The message of tolerance, of justice, is really reflected in the types of candidates and the things we're seeing during this political season. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BILL CLINTON, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: There may be people -- Governor Huckabee may be getting some votes because he's a Baptist preacher, but I can tell he's not losing any.
In Nevada, Governor Romney probably won because he was a Mormon, but near as I can tell, he hasn't been eliminated because he's a Mormon. And Hillary and Senator Obama and all these others, they may be getting votes because of race or gender, but, near as I can tell, they are not losing any. This is a great thing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: As he says it's a great thing that was really so much of it put in motion and made possible because of the work that Dr. Martin Luther King did back in his day to promote tolerance of each other and acceptance of each other.
Now, of course, you heard the mention of Governor Huckabee. Yes, he was here at invitation of one of the members of the King family. But he came in. And I asked him about why we don't see more Republicans in the black churches so often. Of course, the black voters for so many years recent history have been a dependable voting bloc for Democrats.
So, I asked him about that. Why is it that Republicans have not been able to make inroads, why we don't see more Republicans in black churches and events like this. Here's what he told me.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MIKE HUCKABEE (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Well, I think America owes a lot to Dr. King. The fact is, when politicians were brought basically dragging and kicking to the whole civil rights movement, it was Dr. King that really led this country to recognize the worth and value of every human being.
And had it not been for his courage and his moral clarity on this issue, you know, I shudder to think where this country would be.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: So, again, here the theme of the day, really, by the King Center that was put out is, it's a day to remember, to celebrate, and to act. It's a day on and not a day off.
Unfortunately, that's what many people take this as, a day off. They get a three-day weekend. But, judging by some of the crowds we see down here, Don, it turned out to be a nice day. A lot of people have come out. So, people have taken that advice and taken that theme to heart, that they have used this day as a day to act and a day to serve -- Don.
LEMON: And, T.J., it shows you just how much it means, because it's chilly in Atlanta today, and you got all those folks out there behind you that we can see.
HOLMES: Absolutely. It turned out to be a nice day, a little colder a little earlier. But, as you got the sun has come out, a really nice day now. You can't see from this vantage point. You can get an idea from behind me, but there are people really lining the streets down here still participating, families and everyone out.
And it's turned into a nice festive day and really people are down here celebrating and commemorating the legacy of Dr. Martin King.
LEMON: All right. T.J., we appreciate it. Thank you very much.
LONG: More details are emerging about a man caught with an arsenal, an arsenal of weapons in his New York City apartment. Ivaylo Ivanov is scheduled to be arraigned a little today later in Brooklyn criminal court.
Police found several pipe bombs, guns and a crossbow in his home on Sunday. In addition, he's accused of spray-painting anti-Semitic messages in synagogues, homes, and on cars in his Brooklyn Heights neighborhood. The Bulgaria native faces numerous charges, including criminal possession of a weapon, reporting a false incident, and criminal mischief as a hate crime.
LEMON: The Bill Clinton factor. We just heard him at Ebenezer. How will it play leading up to Saturday's Democratic primary in South Carolina? We will ask our Bill Schneider about that and tonight's Democratic debate in Myrtle Beach. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Three sixteen, creeping up on 3:17 here in the East.
Three of the stories we're working on for you right here in the CNN NEWSROOM: Parades, rallies and prayers on the streets and in the churches. People are paying tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on this national holiday. Four decades after his death, a new CNN poll finds more Americans than ever before believe the country is ready for a black president.
You can scrape your car, but, first, you got to dig it out. You got to find it, right? Heavy snow in the Northeast adding more misery to bone-chilling temperatures across the nation.
And the bomb squad is scouring a New York City apartment where police allegedly found homemade bombs and other weapons. The man who lives there is facing a court appearance tonight on weapons charges. He's also accused of spray-painting anti-Semitic messages around his Brooklyn Heights neighbor.
LONG: Bin Laden, not a name you would associate with a peacenik. But the son of the terrorist mastermind says he's nothing like his dad.
Our Aneesh Raman speaks with Omar bin Laden.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LONG: In the race for the White House, South Carolina is the first key Southern test for the Democratic candidates. The state's Democratic primary just five days away now, and then just hours from now the candidates face off in a debate sponsored by the Congressional Black Caucus.
Senior political analyst Bill Schneider joins us now live from Myrtle Beach.
And, Bill, first, let's talk to us about the Nevada entrance polls from over the weekend. What can we learn from them going forward in South Carolina?
WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, there was evidence of a clear racial division, a split among Democrats in the Nevada entrance poll, even though Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama really do not differ much, if at all, really, on civil rights.
Take a look at African-American Democrats who voted Saturday in the Nevada caucuses. They favored Obama over Clinton by nearly 6-1. That's been a big shift in the African-American vote nationally. We're seeing the same thing happen in the polls nationwide. A few months ago, they were supporting Hillary Clinton, but after the Iowa caucuses which Obama won in a heavily white, almost entirely white electorate, a lot of blacks said this man can be elected president and they came over to support him. Most white Democrats in Nevada favored Hillary Clinton, clearly a racial division there. And Latino voters had a voice in the Nevada caucuses. They voted nearly 3-1 for Clinton. If there's not a big racial division between Clinton and Obama, the candidates, what explains this?
Well, a lot of African-Americans are supporting Obama for the same reason a lot of women are supporting Hillary Clinton, pride, not prejudice -- Melissa.
LONG: Let's talk about Bill Clinton and his role in this campaign and in the race. Barack Obama has been critical of what the former president has been saying about him.
And then earlier, earlier today, we heard from Congressman Jim Clyburn from South Carolina. He had this to say about President Clinton.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CLYBURN: I think he really, as they would say in Gullah-Geechee country, he needs to chill a little bit. And I hope he understands what that means.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LONG: Now, that was a conversation that Jim Clyburn had with CNN's John Roberts earlier today.
So, how is this now going to play out among the voters in South Carolina?
SCHNEIDER: Well, Bill Clinton is playing two very different roles in this race.
He is, of course, a former president who is the elder statesman of the Democratic Party, actually not so elder, and he's also the husband of a candidate who is clearly an advocate for his wife. Now, among African-Americans, Bill Clinton has always been deeply respected and admired. He's trying clearly to sway those voters who are very important here in South Carolina -- they make up half the Democratic electorate next week -- he's trying to sway a lot of those voters to vote for his wife, which they were doing over -- even a few months ago, before Obama won Iowa.
But, at the same time, his remarks could be creating resentment among black voters. And that was what Congressman Clyburn was addressing, the resentment that might be building up. We will see exactly which way this is going. We really won't know until the primary next week here in South Carolina.
LONG: Bill Schneider from South Carolina -- thank you for your insight, Bill.
And a programming reminder: Tonight, South Carolina, the Democratic candidates will take place in the Congressional Black Caucus debate. That's in Myrtle Beach. You can see it live on CNN television 8:00 p.m., also on CNN.com/live, if you happen to be away from the television.
(BUSINESS REPORT)
LONG: I love this next story.
The gentleman you're about to meet amassed a fortune working for $11 an hour. But what this 78-year-old did with his money may surprise you.
This is -- CNN's Christine Romans is "Right on Your Money."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PAUL NAVONE, DONATED MILLIONS ON $11 AN HOUR: My motto all along was, work for the money, and then I want that money to work for me.
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Paul Navone stands in stark contrast to a culture of consumerism that has left many Americans swamped with debt. What advice does he have for hourly workers looking to scrape together a few million of their own?
NAVONE: Number one, wisely invest it. Some people make the mistake, I think, a lot of people do, thinking that they will get into the market and make a killing, you know. That's the wrong attitude from the get-go. If you have been there with a solid common sense approach to it, you know, you will come out ahead.
ROMANS: Instead of living in luxury, the retired mill worker chose to give away millions. $1 million to a college near his home and another million to a local private high school.
NAVONE: I never denied myself anything. But, at the same time, I was frugal and I didn't waste my money.
ROMANS: What Navone chooses not to do makes him even more fascinating. He says he does not own a phone, has never read a book and buys all his clothes from thrift shops. The last time he watched television?
NAVONE: Was Neil Armstrong making the moon landing.
ROMANS: Christine Romans, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: OK.
Where would the U.S. be in Iraq if not for General David Petraeus? A report published today suggests we may soon find out.
LONG: And eight months, and still no word about where Madeleine McCann could be. Her parents hope one man in particular can tell them.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Well, one of Osama bin Laden's 19 children is speaking out about his infamous dad. Omar Osama bin Laden doesn't agree with his father's tactics or shedding the blood of innocent civilians but he also doesn't think his father is a terrorist.
Our Aneesh Raman sat down with him in Cairo, Egypt.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANEESH RAMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): At first glance, 26-year-old Omar seems the image of a modern Middle East -- he drives a jeep, has dread locks and his wife is a British national. You'd never guess this is Osama Bin Laden's son.
(on camera): At what age did you start training with al Qaeda?
OMAR OSAMA BIN LADEN, BIN LADEN'S SON: I started training maybe in 14.
RAMAN (voice-over): As a child, Omar was a soldier in his father's army, training in Afghanistan, like so many others. But by 2000, Omar felt al Qaeda was heading for a fight he didn't want any part of.
O. BIN LADEN: After a few years, they started the war. The fight came on bigger and bigger. And I see a lot of things are being bigger and my eyes was open on a lot of things. And I think it's better if I go outside and see how the life outside.
RAMAN: It was a decision, Omar says, his father accepted.
O. BIN LADEN: He tell me if this is your -- your what?
ZAINA AL SABAH-BIN LADEN, BIN LADEN'S DAUGHTER-IN-LAW: Your choice. Your decision.
O. BIN LADEN: Your decision, what I can tell you?
I'd like you to be with me, but if you -- this is your decision.
RAMAN: So father and son went their separate ways. But for Omar, there was no running from the Bin Laden name -- not after September 11, 2001.
(on camera): Where were you when 9/11 happened?
How did you first learn about it?
O. BIN LADEN: I am in Saudi Arabia.
RAMAN: Did you immediately think your father was behind it when you saw the news?
O. BIN LADEN: Yes, maybe.
RAMAN: And what went through your mind?
O. BIN LADEN: At that time (INAUDIBLE) I didn't know -- how I have to feel.
Z. BIN LADEN: He was only 18 or 19 years old.
O. BIN LADEN: Sure, when I see somebody killed, I feel sad.
RAMAN (voice-over): Seven years later, his father is now the world's most wanted man.
(on camera): Are you in touch with your father at all, right now?
O. BIN LADEN: Sure not.
RAMAN: Do you have any idea where he is?
O. BIN LADEN: No.
RAMAN: Do you think that he will ever get caught?
O. BIN LADEN: I don't think so.
RAMAN (voice-over): The reason?
Omar says wherever Osama is, the people around him will never turn.
O. BIN LADEN: The people there are different from here. The people there is -- has freedom between them and their God. They can do anything by God's permission. They didn't care about government.
RAMAN: As for Omar, he's stuck -- at one level still defending his dad.
(on camera): Do you think that your father is a terrorist?
O. BIN LADEN: No, I don't think my father is a terrorist.
RAMAN (voice-over): I asked how he could say that. Because, Omar says, Osama bin Laden believes he is doing God's will and no religious figure around the al Qaeda leader is telling him what his son is saying now.
O. BIN LADEN: I would like to say to my father, try to find another way to help to find your goal. And this is born -- or this is (INAUDIBLE)...
Z. BIN LADEN: Weapons.
O. BIN LADEN: ...weapons. It is not good to use it for anybody.
RAMAN: To make the point, Omar and his wife Zaina are organizing a horse race later this year, hoping to cross North Africa with a message of peace. But finding sponsors is difficult when your last name is bin Laden. Z. BIN LADEN: It would probably have been easier to do a race without having Omar's name. But then the race would be just a race. It wouldn't be a race for peace.
RAMAN: It is a big unknown -- can this son rebrand a name his father has made synonymous with terror?
Aneesh Raman, CNN, Cairo.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
LONG: And an unconfirmed report says the Pentagon may remove General David Petraeus from the war in Iraq. The "New York Times" reports Petraeus is being considered for the top job at NATO and the that move could happen this year. With Iraq still in the balance, some question the idea of tinkering with the progress that Petraeus has engineered.
Now, as commander -- excuse me -- as commander of NATO, he would be thrust into the war in Afghanistan, while also keeping tabs on Russia.
Fuel, food and medicine will be flowing into Gaza once again, actually starting tomorrow. Those items have been in short supply since Israel closed the borders on Friday, after days of rocket attacks in Southern Israel. Aid agencies report some hospitals have been forced to switch off their heating systems in order to save energy. They call on Israel to end the blockade to avert a humanitarian disaster.
And take a good look. If you happen to recognize that man -- the parents of Madeleine McCann say he might be linked to their daughter's disappearance. The McCanns released this sketch and private investigators they've hired say a British tourist saw that man hanging around the resort in Portugal where the family was vacationing last May. The McCanns say the sketch is similar to an earlier drawing of a man who was seen carrying a child the night Madeleine was reported missing. She was days from her fourth birthday when she vanished.
LEMON: Well, another story about a child. Unfortunately, this one is dead. A child's body found off the Louisiana Coast yesterday. Authorities believe the child is this man's -- a native of Vietnam. Police say he initially confessed to throwing his four children off a bridge in Mobile, Alabama almost two weeks ago. The bodies of the other three children already have been recovered. Medical examiners are now trying to identify the child found yesterday.
The search is on for the people responsible for a Border Patrol Agent's death. It happened over the weekend in Southeast California. Luis Aguilar was hit and killed by a Hummer that was fleeing agents just about a mile from the Mexican border. He was laying down a spike strip when he was hit. Well, the Border Patrol says the possible drug smugglers fled into Mexico. The Mexican military is helping in that search.
And something new from our friends at CNN.com and truTV. They have teamed up to bring you the best crime coverage on the Web. Go behind the police tape and into the courtroom like never before at CNN.com/crime.
LONG: And now a story from the you can't be serious file.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, it tastes...
KARA FINNSTROM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: How does it taste?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It tastes like distilled water.
FINNSTROM: How long ago was that sewage?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Probably about two days ago.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LONG: Apparently, everything flushed is fresh again. It is one community's answer to a water shortage.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Breaking news in to the CNN NEWSROOM.
This fire that you're looking at, this is in Newark, New Jersey. Man and it is cold. Firefighters definitely have their work cut out for them. Now we're being told by our affiliate, WABC -- we appreciate their choppers giving us these pictures. These pictures courtesy of WABC.
We're being told that this is a three alarm fire. It's burning on Wright Street in Newark, New Jersey. There is a report -- and, again, I stress this is according to our affiliates, that several buildings may be involved in this. But we're going to check that with our affiliates to make sure.
But you can see these flames are going there and also the smoke here. Firefighters working this fire in Newark, New Jersey. Again, this information and these pictures coming to us courtesy of our affiliate in New York City, WABC. But, again, today, a very cold day. Not a day that firefighters want to be fighting a fire -- 26 degrees in New York City.
And just in case you're in the area, just so you know, Wright Street -- very near Pennsylvania Avenue in Newark and Broad Street borders that on those two sides.
So, again, this is breaking news coming into the CNN NEWSROOM. We're going to get some updated information for you. If we have it before the 4:00 start of "THE SITUATION ROOM," we'll bring it to you here in THE NEWSROOM.
LONG: Well, we continue to follow that story.
Now a different kind of story.
How about a refreshing bottle of ice cold toilet water?
Yeww (ph). Treated, of course, but still yeww (ph). It is what will be flowing from the tap soon in Orange County, California.
Here's CNN's Kara Finnstrom.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KARA FINNSTROM, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Clean, clear water. It is in short supply here in Orange County. So any new source -- like this one -- is warmly welcomed -- that is, if you can get past where this water comes from.
(voice over): That's right -- what's now destined to become Orange County's drinking water started out as sewer water -- brown wastewater from toilets, dishwashers, bathtubs, you name it.
PHIL ANTHONY, ORANGE COUNTY WATER DISTRICT: We've explained from the beginning, this is actually sewer water that's been treated by the sanitation district and then purified even more by us until it's really almost distilled water.
FINNSTROM: To do that, Orange County launched a first of its kind facility -- a nearly half billion dollar reclamation plant that can turn 70 million gallons of treated sewage into drinking water every day.
ANTHONY: It's going to become a model for the entire world. Singapore has already built a smaller version of our exact plant and there are several others around the United States that are being planned.
FINNSTROM: The plant runs sewage that would have been discharged to the sea through a three-step purification process. First, it heads through micro-filters to sift out solid matter.
MICHAEL MARCUS, ORANGE COUNTY WATER DISTRICT: Any solid particle larger than 1/300th the size of a human hair would remain on the outside.
FINNSTROM: Then it runs through another filter to remove any viruses or pharmaceuticals. And, finally, the water gets a purging bake in high intensity light -- breaking down anything that's left.
The result?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, it tastes.
FINNSTROM (on camera): How does it taste?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It tastes like distilled water.
FINNSTROM: How long ago was that sewage?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Probably about two days ago.
FINNSTROM (voice over): Soon, water officials won't be the only ones tasting it. This water will now mix with groundwater and should run out of Orange County taps in as little as six months. The water must meet safety standards. One environmental group has reservations about what they call the limits of such tests.
RENEE SHARP, ENVIRONMENTAL WORKING GROUP: It brings up concerns of what are we looking for, what we are not looking for and what do we don't know.
FINNSTROM: While there is no doubt Southern California needs more water, some say this is a little hard to swallow.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Even though I know that they've filtered it three times, it just -- it's kind of is creepy.
FINNSTROM: But many say the benefits just may outweigh the creepiness.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think it's about time we recycled everything.
FINNSTROM: That's due, in part, to a massive campaign touting the benefits of less discharge to the sea and more water for a thirsty Orange County.
Kara Finnstrom for CNN, Orange County.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: And the flames seem to be building in this breaking news story that we've been telling you about from Newark, New Jersey. Again, the address here, 129 Wright Street in Newark, New Jersey. A three alarm at last check with our affiliate there, WABC. A three alarm fire burning. Twenty-six degrees in the New York City/Newark area today. And as before when we came -- before when we came to these pictures, it was just smoke. And now you can see the fire and the flames billowing from the roof here. Firefighters working in extreme temperatures. We'll continue to update you.
LONG: Now, a story of high altitude high jinks. As press planes get airborne, we're going to show you how some of the candidates and the reporters covering them have a little bit of fun.
And looking for a pierced pelican. Time may be running out for that bird with an arrow straight through its beak.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: OK. These pictures really tell the story here. This is our breaking news here in the CNN NEWSROOM this afternoon. This is a fire -- at least three alarms at last check -- at the last check of our Northeast Desk here at CNN. A three alarm fire in Newark, New Jersey. The address is 129 Wright Street. Each time we bring you these pictures, it appears that the flames seem to be getting worse. The firefighters are battling it from the ground. You see them putting water there -- and really fighting some intense elements there -- 27 degrees. Pretty cold there in Newark, New Jersey; seven mile an hour winds. We'll continue to follow this story and we'll bring you the very latest updates.
LONG: Now some of the stories that are considered some of the most watched on CNN.com right now. A media circus over mysterious sightings in the Lone Star State. Several dozen people in the small town of Stephenville, including a pilot, a constable and business owners, say they've seen it -- a large, silent, unidentified object with bright lights flying low and flying fast.
Hundreds of matador wannabes take up the cape during Colombia's annual bull fighting festival. Most of it out of that bull ring in one piece. Most of the people out of that bull ring in one piece.
And in Renton, Washington, a woman's wedding ring rolls across the parking lot...
LEMON: Oh my gosh.
LONG: ...into that sewer drain. A desperate husband goes above -- or should we say below and beyond -- to retrieve it.
Check out these stories and so many more online at CNN.com.
LEMON: He is out of the doghouse now, huh?
All right, two Southern states are in the political spotlight on this date honoring Martin Luther King Jr. South Carolina and Florida are the next stops on the road to the White House. Democrats in South Carolina hold their primary on Saturday. Three days later, the focus will be on Florida's Republican primary. A Democratic primary also will be held in Florida, but no delegates -- no delegates are at stake. The Democratic frontrunners are boycotting the contest because Florida moved its primary up and they say that violates the party rules.
Candidates and the reporters who cover them have a tradition of cutting up on campaign planes.
We're going to show you some of it soon.
So what's up in '08?
Well, CNN's Jeanne Moos has our mile high report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Don't try this on a commercial flight.
(VIDEO CLIP)
MOOS: But on a campaign plane, where the candidates let their hair down, it's no surprise to see a wannabe president playing flight attendant.
SEN. HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Once we've reached cruising altitude, we'll be offering in-flight entertainment -- my stump speech.
MOOS: But Hillary wasn't first. Candidate George Bush did it eight-and-a-half years ago.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM JUNE 12, 1999)
GEORGE BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Please stow your expectations securely in your overhead bins, as they may shift during the trip and could fall and hurt someone -- especially me.
(END VIDEO CLIP) MOOS: Back then, the press plane could get pretty wild.
(VIDEO CLIP)
MOOS: As documented in the film ""Journeys with George,"" when the campaign went airborne, paper plates could serve as TelePrompTers and the "fasten seat belt" sign didn't always apply while landing.
(VIDEO CLIP)
MOOS: And the candidate himself served cookies, demonstrated his cheerleading skills and even roamed the aisle wearing sleeping blinders.
(VIDEO CLIP, COURTESY HBO)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Are you OK, Governor?
BUSH: What?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Are you OK?
BUSH: I can't hear you because I can't see.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MOOS: We could have used some blinders to avoid seeing President Reagan in his sweatpants. He could golf at 35,000 feet. But the favorite airborne sport seems to be rolling oranges. On Mike Huckabee's plane, it's called Huck-A-Ball (ph).
(VIDEO CLIP)
MOOS: After takeoff, while the plane's nose is pointed up, press people in back try to roll oranges up the aisle in the direction of the Huckabees, who seem to enjoy rolling them back to the media.
Even prim Nancy Reagan was known to participate.
(on camera): In addition to bowling with oranges, some members of the press occasionally do something known as aisle surfing. Even buttoned down Al Gore reportedly aisle surfed on his vice presidential campaign plane.
(voice-over): We couldn't find any pictures of aisle surfing on a campaign plane. But this YouTube video shows a fine example of a guy on a chartered plane using laminated safety instructions as skis to surf down the aisle on takeoff.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM YOUTUBE.COM)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There they go. And he's off! Keep your heads out of the runway, folks.
How about it?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MOOS: And though the candidates may express the bipartisan desire to cross the aisle, it's hard to imagine them surfing it.
(VIDEO CLIP FROM YOUTUBE.COM)
MOOS: Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
LONG: I never had that much fun while flying, have you?
LEMON: I know. And, you know, our Wolf Blitzer has been on many a campaign plane. I wonder if he's done aisle surfing.
What do you think?
LONG: I don't know -- Wolf, have you?
I don't know.
WOLF BLITZER, HOST, "THE SITUATION ROOM": No, but I've been on a lot of press charter planes, on a lot of press planes and seen a lot of that activity going on.
LEMON: I'll bet.
BLITZER: I never participated myself. But it's a lot of fun.
LONG: Yes.
BLITZER: All right, let me tell you what's coming up at the top of the hour.
LONG: OK.
BLITZER: Barack Obama has some strong words for Bill Clinton -- and he's not alone. Coming up, some leaders of the Democratic Party are telling the former president to tone it down, Congressman James Clyburn among them. He joins us live right here in South Carolina.
And this is John Edwards' home state. Will he be able to recharge his campaign?
We'll ask the experts what all the candidates need to do to come out strong in tonight's Democratic presidential debate.
And Rudy Giuliani has been ignore the other primaries, by and large, so far, and concentrating on Florida.
But can he pull off a win?
Will it be enough?
Those stories and a lot more when "THE SITUATION ROOM" comes to you live from South Carolina. All that at the top of the hour -- Melissa and Don, back to you.
LEMON: We'll look forward to that.
LONG: Thank you, Wolf.
LEMON: Thank you very much, Wolf.
LONG: And now the story of star and stage and screen. She won even more fans as Bob Newhart's TV wife. We'll look back at the career and the life of Suzanne Pleshette.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Beautiful, sexy, confident and that unmistakable voice. Suzanne Pleshette was A total package over a long stage and screen career. She's probably best known as the witty sardonic wife of Bob Newhart's show in the '70s. Pleshette died of respiratory failure on Saturday, just days shy of her 71st birthday.
Here's a look back.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON (voice-over): Her smoky voice and stunning good looks.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SUZANNE PLESHETTE, ACTRESS: I try and be here whenever they need me.
LEMON: Those are the two distinctive qualities people always mention when talking Suzanne Pleshette -- and for good reason. They drove a career that spanned Broadway, the silver screen and television. She already had a string of roles under her belt when she landed the one of Emily Hartley, the sassy yet loving wife of the '70s sitcom "The Bob Newhart Show".
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "THE BOB NEWHART SHOW," COURTESY CBS)
PLESHETTE: Bob, every since you took that I.Q., test you've been sitting around acting petulant. BOB NEWHART, ACTOR: What do you mean by that?
PLESHETTE: Petulant. It means suddenly irritated by the trivial.
NEWHART: Emily, I know what petulant means. I mean you don't have to talk down to me just because I'm not as intelligent as you are.
(LAUGHTER)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: "The Bob Newhart Show" ran for six seasons and brought Pleshette her greatest recognition, as well as two of her four Emmy nominations. Before "Newhart," there was numerous Hollywood films -- some pretty good, some really bad.
A native of New York, she made her film debut in the 1958 Jerry Lewis comedy, "The Geisha Boy." Around the same time, Pleshette began her prolific TV career in such series as "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" and "Ben Casey."
She gained a wide following among teenagers in her second movie, "Rome Adventure," opposite Troy Donahue. They married three years later, but it lasted only eight months. Hitchcock fans probably know Pleshette best for her role as a small town teacher who is pecked to death in "The Birds."
Off-camera, Pleshette was known, as "TV Guide" put it, "for conversations sprinkled with anecdotes, salty opinions and X-rated expletives."
Pleshette married her second husband, wealthy businessman Tom Gallagher, in 1968. They were together until his death in 2000.
The next year, she married TV comedian Tom Poston, who she first met and dated when they appeared together in a 1959 Broadway comedy. Poston died last April.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
LEMON: Suzanne Pleshette. She will be missed.
LONG: Let's go now live to "THE SITUATION ROOM" and Wolf Blitzer in South Carolina.
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