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Flooding Continues in the Midwest; Passport Breach Controversy; Marking the Fifth Year Anniversary of the Iraq War

Aired March 22, 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 we're watching wicked weather across the Midwest. A spring storm dumps heavy snow in Chicago causing flight delays and cancellations for thousands of travelers this Easter weekend. Snow also blanketed Wisconsin and Minnesota, but the worst situation, right now, is flood-ravaged Missouri.
Let's get straight to it and CNN meteorologist Jacqui Jeras who is in hard-hit Pacific, Missouri.

We know you could not stay away from this part of the country, which is your home, at least close.

JACQUI JERAS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Absolutely. You know, and it's hard to be able to see this, actually, Fredricka. It is very dishearten ending, because there is so much water everywhere you go from the airplane ride that I took here, from the skies you could see it, to the drive from Saint Louis, about 20 plus miles, southwest of there, here to Pacific.

Now, the encouraging news is that the Meramec River has crested. And see all this space between me and where the shot is, this entire area was still covered in water when we arrived earlier this morning. So, we are starting to see some gradual improvements in this area.

However, it's going to take days for the river to start to recede and look at all those homes and businesses behind me which are still going to be waist deep in the first level of these homes. It doesn't provide them much comfort. Can't see it very well from here, but we were luck to get a behind-the-scenes tour.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JERAS (voice-over): Boating is the only mode of transportation, here in the downtown Pacific. We caught a ride with Coast Guard patrolling the flood zone, encouraging residents to get out. The Meramec River is filling the streets and engulfing homes.

JOSH LAKER, U.S. COAST GUARD: Besides Katrina, this is the biggest one that I've seen around here.

JERAS (on camera): Most of the people have left this area, about 500 have voluntarily evacuated, though there is one man that's holding out.

(voice-over): Above the murky water comes the smell of barbeque. (on camera): What are you cooking?

JAMES DANCE, HOMEOWNER: Barbequed ribs.

JERAS (voice-over): James Dance's (ph) home is the only one in the area built after the record flood of 1982. He's confident he will stay dry.

DANCE: Life goes on, flood or not, I guess.

JERAS: While rescue workers want them out, legally, they can't make them leave.

LAKER: We're out there trying to help people and if they want to stay, then that's their right, they can stay.

JERAS: Down the street and around the corner in the business district, Dave McHugh is pumping water out of the sub floor of his Great Pacific Coffee Company. The historic building was constructed by his great grandfather 100 years ago.

DAVE MCHUGH, BUSINESS OWNER: You've got just people coming in from all over to help out. It's awe-inspiring when you see that kind of a township come together.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

JERAS: And what a tremendous community effort it has been, here. Another success story, more than 100 people came to fill up 10,000 plus sandbags to try and protect the help the Osage Realty Company. They worked through the night pumping water out of here and thus far, not a drop in that building,

Now, this scene that you see here in Pacific, certainly not isolated in this part of the country. There is extensive flooding. The town of Eureka and also Valley Park, which is downstream where the river is expecting to crest.

And if you are trying to travel, Fredricka, just forget about it all together. There are just dozens and dozens of roads like this one that lead to nothing but water. Highway 144, a big thoroughfare through Fenton, is closed down at Interstate 44 and the water is creeping up close to I-44. We'll have to wait and see if that, too, needs to be shut down -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Wow, what a mess. And that's certainly an understatement. Thanks so much, Jacqui.

Well, let's check in with Reynolds Wolf who is in the Weather Center. And so, how long do folks have to endure this before the big dry out were to begin?

REYNOLDS WOLF, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Huh, that's a great question. Well, you know, I think they are going to be seeing incredible improvement within -- hour-by-hour, things are going to get better, but I think it is really going to be between, I'd say, between now and maybe Tuesday and Wednesday before things start really getting back to normal, but even then, all it's going to do is the water will recede and they get to see the damage everywhere that has to be fixed.

But, we do have some good news. Good news in a couple of places. One, good news for the Show-Me state of Missouri. We're not expecting significant accumulation of precipitation there, today. Second bit of good news is for parts of Milwaukee. Where, Milwaukee earlier today, the airport was closed due to heavy snow and also ice.

Take a look at this video. This kind of gives you an idea of what's happening. This has been the situation from Racine, Wisconsin back over to Milwaukee, even as far south as parts of Chicago, they've been dealing with all the winter elements. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I know and you know it is officially spring but, still, not like anyone has told Mother Nature just yet. We're going to have to put in the phone call and let her know what's happening and maybe we can switch gears on this weather.

As we go back to the weather computer, these are the latest delays that we have. In Chicago, we've got them for you at O'Hare, 30-minute delays; 30-minute delay at JFK, also at Newark, same story, you're going to have about 30 minutes to 25 minutes or so, but then you will be off and running, you'll be able to enjoy your holiday weekend.

So, where has all the snow gone? Well much of it is now moving well to the south of Chicago and some points east, south of Detroit, we're seeing some right along parts of I-75, Toledo is getting in on the action, so is Mansfield and then we're seeing it move also in parts of the northeast from Baltimore northward to Philadelphia, even in New York, a wintry mix for today.

That's a look at your forecast. Let's send it back to you -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right, spring not quite here for everybody.

WOLF: Not quite.

WHITFIELD: It's coming. All right, thanks a lot, Reynolds.

All right, well four missing cavers have been found alive in Tennessee. The two men and two teenagers had been exploring a cave in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Rescuers found them cold and wet, but not injured. Officials say the four were not properly trained or equipped for their overnight adventure. They huddled together to stay warm in a cave.

And now, to the race for president. Fresh from meetings in London, presumptive Republican nominee, John McCain is now in France. He's wrapping up a congressional trip to Europe and the Middle East.

Democratic hopeful, Hillary Clinton, is taking a break from the campaign trail. She's at home in New York today.

And rival Barack Obama is stumping in Oregon, right now. He is preparing for a rally in Medford. We will take you there live at the bottom of the hour when that begins.

Well, with the candidates largely off the campaign trail, today, much of the talk centers on their passport files. We now no the passport records of all three presidential candidates have been eyeballed by unauthorized people.

Our State Department correspondent, Zain Verjee, reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ZAIN VERJEE, CNN STATE DEPARTMENT CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The "I'm sorries" just keep coming. First, to Senator Barack Obama, after the revelation that State Department contractors had sneaked a look into his passport file three times this year.

CONDOLEEZZA RICE, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: Told him that I was sorry and I told him that I myself would be very disturbed if I learned that somebody had looked into my passport file.

SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D-IL), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: She called me and offered her apologies, which I appreciated, but I also indicated that this is something that has to be investigated diligently and openly.

VERJEE: Then word that the trainee, a State Department employee, got into Senator Hillary Clinton's file last summer. Rice called the senator, again offering apologies.

Next victim, on the Republican side, Senator John McCain, he reacted to the Obama breach.

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R-AZ), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: If anyone's privacy is breached, then they deserve an apology and a full investigation...

VERJEE: That was John McCain before he found out he was also on the list. One of the same people who clicked into Obama's file surfed his, as well. Rice telephoned him in Paris. A top State Department official was dispatched to the Hill to brief all three Senators' staff. Obama and others are demanding Congressional investigations.

Big questions remain. What exactly is in a candidate's passport file? Why would anyone want to see it? And was all this politically motivated?

SEAN MCCORMACK, STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN: It is still our initial take that this -- I referred to it as imprudent curiosity, but we are not dismissive of any other possibility.

VERJEE: We've been down this road before -- an unauthorized leak of the passport files of then presidential candidate Bill Clinton in 1992. The probe cost $2.2 million and no laws broken. The count so far,- two contractors fired, one disciplined for the two violations and a State Department trainee still on the job.

(on camera): The State Department, says the computers flagged the breaches immediately. The problem was that lower-level supervisors failed to report up to senior management. The State Department is also revealing the identities of the two contractors involved in all of this. They are Stanley Inc. and the Analysis Corporation.

Zain Verjee, CNN at the State Department.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: And remember, CNN "BALLOT BOWL" is your chance to hear the candidates unfiltered. "BALLOT BOWL" kicks off today 2:00 p.m. Eastern.

Well, it's dangerous and it's illegal, but it's driving economies around the world. An inside look at Iraqi oil smugglers, here in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: First, we saw the flashes, then we heard the roar, that's how the war in Iraq began five years ago. For much of the next hour, we will take a closer look at the sacrifices, the progress and the setbacks.

Well, if a war must be quantified as done with numbers of dead and wounded and the number of U.S. casualties, fatalities, rather since March 18, 2003, that's 3,996. Many times that number of American men and women bear the scars, literally, of the fighting -- 29,000 plus are wounded. The numbers represent lives and both are changing again, today.

CNN's Kyra Phillips is in Baghdad with the very latest -- Kyra.

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Well Fred, you know I have been covering these stories for the past six weeks or so. I don't know if you can even hear the gunfire behind me. The threat has obviously not left Baghdad or throughout Iraq. And we talk about the numbers with regard to deaths, I mean, those are down. The number of attacks on U.S. troops, those are down. But, just this week, just since Monday, 96 people have lost their lives.

Now, on the fifth anniversary of this war, which happened just last week, I had a chance to talk to the man in charge of all military operations here Iraq, General David Petraeus, and I put that question to him.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Talk to me about the danger factor and why it is still here. You talk about deaths being down, attacks on U.S. troops being down, even the president mentioned that in his speech, but still, the streets are so dangerous.

Iraqis tell me every day, yes, I'm trying to go to work, I'm trying to the grocery store, I'm trying to get to school, but I am afraid of the explosions, I am afraid that I am going to be killed when I am leaving my house and going to my destination.

GEN. DAVID PETRAEUS, U.S. ARMY: Well, interestingly, the week through last Friday actually saw a reduction in the overall level of attacks throughout Iraq. But clearly, there have been, also, in recent weeks, some of these headline grabbing attacks, sensational attacks, if you will, the tragic one, in particular, is the suicide vest attack in Karbala.

Again, al Qaeda is intent on reigniting sectarian violence, they have tried to do this all along. We're not sure exactly why. It may be they are trying to relieve the measure on Mosul where there is quite an intense effort to deal with one of the remaining areas in which al Qaeda still does still have quite a grip in certain neighborhoods of that city, at one point, seven million people.

Some people, have even -- Prime Minister Maliki, even, thinks that maybe that the testimony in April that's coming up, that again, they're trying to show that they still can carry out attacks. They have paid a price for that. In Baghdad in the last two weeks, there have been significant kills or catches of the remaining car bomb and suicide networks.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: And something the general said to me, Fred, that will never leave my mind, he said, "well, Kyra, I'm still not standing in the end zone doing a victory dance."

Now, something else that we talked about, just as much as the problem in addition to the terrorism, and that's corruption. And one part of that corruption is the oil situation, the oil smuggling, $5 billion a month. That's what comes into this country. That's the oil revenue just monthly. I had a chance to talk with an oil smuggler and show you just one part of the corporation the general has been talking about.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS (voice-over): Basam Ali (ph) has been a smuggler all his life. We're protecting his true identity for his safety. And he has it down to a science. He's showing where he hides oil and fuel and how he siphons it out to buyers. It's all stolen from Iraq's pile lines.

"I have 12 people to feed and I can make up to $300 a day. I'll work from 4:00 a.m. to midnight. It's worth every bit of money."

It's quite an orchestrated operation and Basam says his most lucrative client is Iran.

"The Iranian coast guard intercepts us, we pay the $100 to $200 and they let us go. Our boss calls the buyer, usually UAE and Iranian barge owners, then we let them know that we're one kilometer away. We call the captain of the ship, pull over by him and unload the products." Iraqi police are trying to take down these smugglers, but as you can see, it is hard to keep up with them. What looks like homes on the outside are really warehouses to store barrels of smuggled oil, gasoline and other oil products and underneath the barrels, buried tanks of petroleum products, deep underground. And Iraqi coast guard commander's say they just don't have the means to fight them.

"The smugglers are just more powerful. They have heavier fire power and their ships are armored, 30-millimeters thick. We shoot at them, but we can't catch them."

I sat down with Iraq's minister of oil.

(on camera): So you know there is a problem, that the Iraqi coast guard needs help. Then need weapons, the need manpower?

HUSSEIN AL-SHAHRISTANI, IRAQI OIL MINISTER: Absolutely. No, we know that because our pipelines keep attacked all the time.

PHILLIPS: What are you doing to support the Iraqi coast guard, now?

AL-SHAHRISTANI: There is still work to be done, particularly in aerial surveillance and with aerial equipment not only to detect, but to be able to attack and stop the smugglers. I've always (INAUDIBLE), if you can sink a couple of those boats, this will be the best message to the smuggles that they cannot do it anymore.

PHILLIPS (voice-over): But these smugglers have a message, too. Show me the money.

(on camera): He said: look, we are poor. I need this money. I make runs from 4:00 a.m. to midnight. I make hundreds of dollars a day. This is all I know. This is how I'm going to make money.

AL-SHAHRISTANI: This is the argument that an opium grower will also up, because he is a poor farmer and he needs money. I do understand that. As a matter of fact, (INAUDIBLE) we have tried to include their young men into our oil protection forces from attacking the pipeline, come and defend the pipeline and we will pay you.

PHILLIPS (voice over): And incentive, smugglers like Basam Ali say is still just not enough.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: And Fred, that's what is interesting about what the minister of oil had to say about these oil protection forces. They have actually been recruiting men that have been involved in this smuggling operation to instead help protect the pipelines and thereby they'll get paid more from the government.

So, a lot of them don't even believe in the cause, but if they're going to make more money doing it than the legitimate job, well, they're going to smuggle. So, they're trying to reverse the mentality, pay them more to do something good versus something bad. WHITFIELD: Yeah. Well, it just seems so hard believe that the government doesn't know that this is taking place given you showed the pictures of just how elaborate this operation is. You know, it's just perplexing.

But meantime, what have you been able to witness in terms of how the Iraqi government is kind of taking the lead or willing, able to stand independently?

PHILLIPS: Well, there is one very impressive part that I was able to witness. And last year, I really wanted to do something on the Iraqi air force and just within the past year, Fred, they have actually developed a school to train young men to become pilots. Because, as you know, as you saw from five years ago, how much air assets contribute to protecting a country.

You saw what happened with the beginning of the war and the air campaign off the carriers. And so, the Iraqis want to eventually have an air force that has strike fighters and all kinds of aircraft to do intelligence and also to protect troops on the ground, if indeed they get involved in some sort of conflict.

So, we will go inside the Iraqi top gun, as we call it, and you will meet one pilot coming up who says he is the next maverick, influenced by the movie "Top Gun." It's incredible to see the American influence on a lot of these young men -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: Oh, that is neat. Well, that seems like a very positive story. Has it been difficult to uncover, find all the positive things that are taking place in a country that is so tattered and worn down?

PHILLIPS: I'll tell you what, they are definitely here. I mean, the Iraqi people are some of the most faithful and beautiful people that I have ever met. And everyone you will talk to, they admit that life is tough and they talk about the explosions and the deaths and what is happening to their neighborhoods and families, but they always seem to have some sort of glimmer of hope.

And I was particularly inspired when I went to the school for the blind and met all these children and these teachers. I mean, just imagine, being blind is tough enough, but being blind in a war zone is even tougher. So, also coming up in the next half hour, Fred, we are going to show you how they are remaining faithful and strong and still getting an education no matter what their circumstances.

WHITFIELD: Oh good, we look forward to that. Thank you so much, Kyra.

And of course, as we mark the fifth anniversary of the war in Iraq this week, we're also taking time to remember some of the fallen heroes.

Today, friends and family of Army Specialist Donald A. Wesley Burkett will gather for his funeral. The 24-year-old from Texas was killed when his vehicle was killed by an improvised explosive device in Iraq.

Sergeant Lorando Brown of Popularville, Mississippi, got married a month before he deployed to Iraq. His wife Candice says his death has left a hole in her heart. Brown died of a gunshot wound in Balad, Iraq last week.

And 24-year-old Staff Sergeant Christopher Frost was killed when his helicopter crashed during a sandstorm in Iraq. The Waukesha, Wisconsin native had a 5-year-old daughter and a 2-year-old son.

These are just three of the 3,996 men and women in the U.S. armed forces who have been killed while serving in Iraq.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: As the Iraq war enters its 6th year, the job for some American military pilots is to train their Iraqi counterparts. More now from Kyra Phillips.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS (voice-over): Colonel Ali was 16 when he joined the Iraqi Air Force.

COL. ALI, IRAQI AIR FORCE: I never forget the smell of the cockpit. Very loud sounds and I feel the kick and more thrust.

PHILLIPS (on camera): The thrust from the after burner?

ALI: Yes. It's unforgettable.

PHILLIPS (voice-over): When Saddam's military was destroyed in 2003, so too, was Ali's dream. He could no longer fly his MiG.

ALI: It's hard for me. Actually, that time I missed it. Same as somebody missing his love.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In-flight checks.

PHILLIPS: Lieutenant Majid is picking up where Colonel Ali left off.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Two, one.

PHILLIPS: However, these brave pilots won't be defending a dictator. They'll be taking down terrorists. The old Iraqi Air Force flew its first sortie in 1939.

LT. MAJID, IRAQI AIR FORCE: Before you start to take off, hold the brakes. Check your instrument before you take off, 100, so, OK. Make the flaps turning. Left the nose down a little bit.

PHILLIPS (on camera): Nose down a little bit. OK.

MAJID: Fifty-five knots.

PHILLIPS (voice-over): Now, in 2008, it's like starting over again.

(on camera): Put me in a tough situation.

MAJID: A tough situation?

PHILLIPS: Yeah. Give me a tough situation. OK.

MAJID: More, more, more.

PHILLIPS: More?

MAJID: Push.

PHILLIPS: OK. OK. Come back up. Come back up. Pull.

(voice-over): Majid is teaching me how he learned to fly.

MAJID: We must (INAUDIBLE).

PHILLIPS (on camera): Treat him like a woman.

(voice-over): An engineering grad from Baghdad University, this 25-year-old officer is Iraq's future.

(on camera): So, why do you want to be a pilot?

MAJID: I have three answers. First, this is my dream. And the second, I want to serve my country. And, actually, "Top Gun."

PHILLIPS: "Top Gun." The movie "Top Gun?"

MAJID: I saw this movie three times. So he motivated me to be a pilot.

PHILLIPS: So, you're Maverick and I'm Goose?

MAJID: We are.

PHILLIPS: Do you ever get nervous?

MAJID: The first time, yes. In the beginning, all of us get nervous. We left our family and this is dangerous for them.

PHILLIPS: What does it feel like to be flying a plane, being at the controls?

MAJID: Ten thousand feet above the ground, you feel like a bird. Just fly and it's wonderful.

PHILLIPS: We're now airborne with Majid. It's his first formation.

LT. COL. MARK BENNETT, 52ND EXPEDITIONARY FTS: We have to not only train them to be pilots and have the skill to operate the aircraft, but we're also training them to be warriors. Majid is highly educated, a very motivated individual and the Coalition Air Force Training Team is partnering with the Iraqis to build an air force that can protect the sovereignty of the nation and they just have to be dedicated to the cause.

PHILLIPS (voice-over): Majid, without a doubt, knows his cause.

(on camera): Why does Iraq need the air force?

MAJID: Every country needs the air force. Especially in Iraq, because we have insurgents, we have terrorists, a lot of terrorist. So we must fight them.

PHILLIPS: Kyra Phillips, CNN, Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: And they are young and blind in a war zone, but seeing hope for the future, thanks to a special school in Baghdad. Kyra Phillips shows us the center that is changing lives.

And on the campaign trail, live in Medford, Oregon, oh yeah, you see it right there. The Obama supporters there, they are lining up, they are gathering at places ordinarily one for performing artists and concerts. Well, some have called Senator Barack Obama sort of a rock star, at least he has rock star status so far on the campaign trail. We are going to take you live to Medford, Oregon, coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: We focused a lot of attention this week on the 5th anniversary of the war in Iraq. And there are still so many stories to tell.

Kyra Phillips visited the only school for the blind in Baghdad where some very special kids are learning to read and speak English as war wages around them.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS (voice-over): As his delicate hands move across the braille, seven-year-old Saad (ph) learns how to read.

This is the Alnor (ph) Institute, Baghdad's only school for the blind. Its resources are scarce, but its impact is tremendous.

Ammar Ali was born blind. He graduated from here 11 years ago, got a bachelor's degree in English at Baghdad University and came back.

(on camera): How does that make you feel, I mean, you were a student here, now you teach here?

AMMAR ALI, TEACHER: Oh, it's a kind of feeling that cannot be described, really. It's a kind of happiness that cannot be described.

PHILLIPS: Are you sharing that happiness with these children?

ALI: Yes, yes, I feel myself with them.

My mother is Mrs. Brown.

STUDENTS: My mother is Mrs. Brown.

PHILLIPS (voice-over): And these kids feel themselves in Ammar.

I think 11-year-old Murtada is next. He tells me he wants to graduate college, too, and become a translator. If you have any doubts, well, just listen to his mic check before our interview.

MURTADA, STUDENT: One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, 10 ...

(LAUGHTER, CHEERING)

MURTADA: ...11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27.

PHILLIPS: Murtada may have been born blind but to him, his gifts are quite clear.

(on camera): Why are you so special?

(voice-over): "God gives me things and takes things away," Murtada tells me. "Even though I'm blind, God gave me cleverness. The lowest grade I ever received is 85 and thanks be to God, I succeed every semester."

These students have quite a course load. They're learning braille, Arabic, and English. As for history, they're living it.

(on camera): How do these kids imagine the war through sound?

ALI: Imagining things by sound, they also can feel the things as they hear it.

PHILLIPS: So, how do they feel the war? How does it make them feel?

ALI: The blind people, from the very beginning, they have a great deal of difficulties. So, the war adds problems upon their problems.

PHILLIPS: So, how are you helping them not only deal with being blind but also being blind in a war zone?

ALI: I put all my experiences at their hands. I always tell them about how to behave well, how to be normal people.

PHILLIPS: And they love you?

ALI: Yes, as I love them all.

PHILLIPS (voice-over): And because of that love, all these kids see is possibility.

Kyra Phillips, CNN, Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: And now, 36 minutes after the hour. Here's what's happening around the world. Tensions between Beijing and Taipei may start to ease following today's presidential election in Taiwan. Voters chose opposition party candidate Ma Ying-jeou, who's promising closer economic ties with China.

And travel delays are heavy -- are pretty heavy after heavy snowstorms in the Midwest. Not only is driving dangerous, but hundreds of flights have been canceled in Chicago, Detroit, Milwaukee and Madison, Wisconsin.

And people who live in Alamosa, Colorado won't be able to drink water straight from the tap for about the next three weeks. A salmonella outbreak has been traced to the county's water system. Colorado's governor has declared an emergency there.

And the state's primary is about two months away, but Democratic hopeful Barack Obama is in Medford, Oregon right now. Rival Hillary Clinton is spending the Easter weekend at her home in New York.

Well, he wanted to be the nation's first Hispanic president. Now, New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson is throwing his support behind Barack Obama. Richardson says this is a once in a lifetime opportunity for the nation to elect a once in a lifetime leader.

CNN's Jessica Yellin reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JESSICA YELLIN, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The one-time rival now sounds giddy as a school girl.

GOV. BILL RICHARDSON (D), NEW MEXICO: You are a once in a lifetime leader.

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERING)

RICHARDSON: You will make every American proud to be an American. Barack Obama will be a great and a historic president who can bring us the change we so desperately need.

YELLIN: It wasn't always this way. Hamlet, that's the name one Clinton staffer gave Richardson because he couldn't decide which candidate to back, even after his former boss parachuted in to join him for Super Bowl.

SEN. HILLARY CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Do not get between Bill Clinton and Bill Richardson and the TV set when the Super Bowl is on. So ...

YELLIN: Some say the Clintons made Bill Richardson's career, U.N. Ambassador, Secretary of Energy. He joked about becoming Hillary's vice-president. As recently as last Friday, both Clintons called him to ask for his endorsement. He called Senator Clinton back last night with bad news.

DAVID GERGEN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: I think this was an act that took a lot of bravery because he had -- he was close to the Clintons. They were wooing him. If Hillary Clinton won the nomination, he might well be the vice presidential nominee. That chance has gone poof. He's not out there, he's taken himself off that list. That's an act of some bravery.

YELLIN: The governor says he grew fond of Obama during all those Democratic debates.

RICHARDSON: I noticed Scott (ph) mentioned everybody else in the poll, he didn't mention me. But that's OK.

SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Did that hurt your feelings, too?

RICHARDSON: Well, a little bit.

YELLIN: He saw him as a uniquely inspiring figure and decided it was time to pull the trigger.

RICHARDSON: It's time, however, for Democrats to stop fighting amongst ourselves and prepare

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERING)

RICHARDSON: ...for the tough fight we will have against John McCain in the fall.

YELLIN: The timing could not be better for Barack Obama, changing the story after a run of bad news, including damaging stories about his pastor and an indicted former donor, missteps on NAFTA and losses in Texas and Ohio's primaries.

So far, there's no sign this will cause a stampede to Obama's camp. Aids to superdelegates Al Gore, Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi and Joe Biden say don't expect any imminent moves.

John Edwards is playing coy.

JOHN EDWARDS (D), FMR. PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I think both -- either of them, I think would be a great candidate and I think either one would be a great president.

YELLIN: But it doesn't hurt to have such an outspoken cheerleader on the team.

RICHARDSON: There's something special about this guy and I want to be a part of it.

YELLIN: Jessica Yellin, CNN, Indianapolis.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: All right, experience the political campaign from the perspective of voters. Tune in to CNN's "BALLOT BOWL" today, 2:00 p.m. Eastern.

And tables are turning for a gossip Web site. Why so many consumers are fired up about the Web site which targets college coeds.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Airlines are making passengers pay the price for the high cost of jet fuel.

STEPHANIE OSWALD, EDITOR, TRAVELGIRL: This is all in a response to the fact that it's costing them more money to operate. They're trying to pass that on to the traveler. And this is everything from charging for seat options to charging for excess baggage.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Tacking on fees lets the airlines make more money while their advertised fares can still look low.

OSWALD: Some airlines have announced that you're only going to be allowed one bag to check on the plane. You'll be charged for the second bag.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And don't be surprised if you're asked to pay for curbside baggage check-in. Also, have that credit card handy if you plan to make changes to your frequent flyer ticket.

OSWALD: If you decide you're not going to take the trip, now, it's $50 to $100 for you to redeposit those miles.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oswalds says the best way to avoid these fees is to look before you book. Reading the fine print could save you money.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right, several hot topics in our legal briefs this hour, beginning with possible trouble for the college gossip Web site called juicycampus.com. New Jersey may be going after the Web site where college students post anonymous, uncensored gossip about classmates. It's really ugly.

Joining me live, our legal experts, civil rights attorney and law professor, Avery Friedman in Cleveland, Ohio. Good to see you.

AVERY FRIEDMAN, CIVIL RIGHTS ATTORNEY: Hi, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: And criminal defense attorney and law professor, Richard Herman in New York. Good to see you as well.

RICHARD HERMAN, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Hi, Fred. WHITFIELD: All right, Avery, let me begin with you. We talked about this case last week, First Amendment issue, and the conclusion was it's really tough to go after libel or smear, you know, in the law. But New Jersey has something up its sleeve. Explain.

FRIEDMAN: Yes, actually, it's brilliant, Fredricka. Anne Milgram, who's the attorney general of New Jersey is going to use a consumer protection law and her argument is real simple. They post something. If you object to it, they have to take it off except the Web site can't. That means there's a chance of prevailing. However, bottom line, they'll probably pull out of New Jersey and go someplace else.

WHITFIELD: Interesting, Richard, has this been tested before?

HERMAN: Not been tested, Fred. Until the legislatures act on this, this creative approach is what we're going to see. The issue is, is the posting offensive? Well, who's going to decide if it's offensive? That's like obscenity going to the Supreme Court, you know it when you see it. This opens up a quagmire of litigation, Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right.

HERMAN: But, you know, the legislature's going to have to step in.

WHITFIELD: All right, now speaking of the U.S. Supreme Court, now we're talking about the 2nd amendment.

FRIEDMAN: Right.

WHITFIELD: In D.C., folks want to know, can I keep guns in my home? How tested is this 2nd amendment going to be or is this an issue of reapplying the 2nd amendment, Richard?

HERMAN: Well, Fred, I think that clearly, based on the argument that went 22 minutes over the time limits there, the justices are absolutely going to say, people have a right to own handguns. But they are also going to say that each state in the District of Columbia has the right to regulate ...

FRIEDMAN: Right.

HERMAN: ...that possession of that gun. That's how it's going to go down. You know, D.C. is the wild, wild west. You can't help then but fear -- you know, get handguns off the streets, regulate, keep them -- keep them away from people. But they went too far.

FRIEDMAN: The semantic words ...

HERMAN: Supreme Court must step in.

WHITFIELD: Yes.

FRIEDMAN: The magic words were, we're going to start afresh. That's what the chief justice said. That's exactly what's going to happen. We'll see the decision in June, 5 to 4.

WHITFIELD: Interesting, but when we're talking about D.C., it's a D.C. case but whatever takes place in the U.S. Supreme Court means that, really, it could be precedent setting for other jurisdictions as well, Avery.

FRIEDMAN: Well, but understand that this was a case not about gun control, like the Brady Bill 15 years ago. This is a case of an absolute gun ban. And you have to give credit to the lobby that backs up the gun owners. They're thinking, what a great case to test it. Well, the trigger happy guys, Fredricka, are not going to be happy with the results. Chief Justice Roberts told us, it's going to be a narrow decision. But Richard's right, it's going to protect the individual rights of gun owners to own a gun.

WHITFIELD: All right, Avery, Richard, thank you so much.

FRIEDMAN: Sure.

WHITFIELD: So succinct.

FRIEDMAN: Yes.

WHITFIELD: And these first and second amendments, Constitutional issues so complicated.

FRIEDMAN: They are.

WHITFIELD: But you break it down for us.

FRIEDMAN: Thanks.

WHITFIELD: We can count on you for that.

HERMAN: Fred, I know you wanted to get back on Spitzer today, too. Maybe next week.

WHITFIELD: Oh, I know you wanted to for sure.

FRIEDMAN: We'll skip that for the future, right.

WHITFIELD: We'll do it again, it ain't over.

FRIEDMAN: Right.

HERMAN: Ain't over.

WHITFIELD: All right. Thanks so much, guys.

HERMAN: See you soon.

FRIEDMAN: Take care.

WHITFIELD: Good to see you.

All right, well everybody knows this. Times are really tough and guess what? Gold prices, they're high. What do the two have in common? Well, now it's time to sell your gold, if you have it. We'll tell you why you may not want to settle for that first offer, either.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WOLF: I'm Reynold Wolf. And this, this is your Cold and Flu Report.

Take a look at the nation, if you will. You see a lot of red, a spot of white, a little bit of gray in there. Very patriotic looking, but what it stands for is very important. Any state where you happen to see the color red indicates widespread case of the cold and flu.

Now blue, that stands for something entirely different. You only have regional cases to report, like parts of the Great Lakes into the Central and Southern Plains, even, shoot, parts of the four corners.

However, where you happen to see states shaded in gray, and today, we have one, that would be Nevada, you have no cases to report. Good deal.

That's a look at today's Cold and Flu Season Report.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: As if we needed another sign that the economy is slumping, more people are actually selling their gold jewelry in order to make ends meet.

Ines Ferre talked to one woman who's trying to sell her bling to the highest bidder.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

INES FERRE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Ana Marin says it's the first time she's gone out looking for the highest bidder for her jewelry.

ANA MARIN, JEWELRY SELLER: Weird, I mean, it's I guess it's because the economy, because I wouldn't do it if I didn't have to.

FERRE: With bills stacking up and the price of gold glittering, she doesn't mind parting ways with the 18 carat gold and diamond bracelet she got years ago as a gift. So far, the highest offer has been $1,500.

(on camera): And you don't think it's enough?

MARIN: No.

FERRE: What's the price that you will sell it at?

MARIN: No less than $3,000.

FERRE (voice-over): Dealers in New York's Diamond District say business is bustling with people rushing to cash in their gold.

MICHAEL RUBINOFF, GOLD BUYER AND SELLER: People are selling tremendously and we are buying.

FERRE: Much of it, their own jewels, anything that can be melted down.

FRANK RIVERA, JEWELER: Every thing of kind of gold. Many people have chains, bracelets, rings.

FERRE: Each piece can be tested with acid to determine its' quality and carats. This one past the acid test as genuine 18 carat gold.

(on camera): So, I brought my grandmother's 18 carat gold bracelet just to see how much I could get for it here. It weighs 9.9 penny weights. At $33.66 per penny weight, that would be $333.23 for my grandmother's bracelet. I'm not going to give it up.

(voice-over): Of course, the price fluctuates depending on the day, who you sell it to and how much they're willing to pay.

MARTIN CARTAGENA, PAWN SHOP OWNER: Since the market's been fluctuating so much, it's been going up and down, it depends on what date. We got to constantly be aware of the market and what's happening on the market in order for us to determine.

FERRE: Whether you're buying or selling, it's all in the timing.

Ines Ferre, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: The economy is "ISSUE #1" and we've got all the financial news you need next week, 12:00 p.m. Eastern, Monday through Friday only here on CNN.

In saving the economy and maybe one day your wallet and making quite a splash.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: The SeaWorld Adventure Park is all about water. But SeaWorld workers are doing something about the air as well.

Here's CNN's chief technology and environment correspondent Miles O'Brien.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN CHIEF TECHNOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENT CORRESPONDENT: When Dawn Brancheau is at work, she has a very low carbon thin print. And now, her trip to and from Shamu's crib at SeaWorld is a little easier on the environment as well.

DAWN BRANCHEAU, SEAWORLD ANIMAL TRAINER: It's one small, but really big way that we're trying to make an impact.

O'BRIEN: She rides on an employee shuttle bus that's a real gas: it runs on hydrogen instead of diesel.

KELLY BERNISH, SEAWORLD ENVIRONMENTAL DIRECTOR: We hope to expand that program and look at other types of hydrogen-fueled vehicles as well.

O'BRIEN: Ford and Chevron mashed up to create the buses to get people talking about hydrogen. They've also been in circulation at the Orlando Airport for about a year now. The hydrogen is made from gas, methane, right at the filling station.

PUNEET VERMA, CHEVRON TECHNOLOGY VENTURES: It's a technical success. It's not necessarily an economical success yet.

O'BRIEN: For one thing, these buses do not run on the ultimate hydrogen power plant, fuel cells that drive electric motors. In this case, the hydrogen powers plain old internal combustion engines, much less efficient.

VERMA: We see them as a really, as a valid potential transition technology.

O'BRIEN: But it's not nearly as clean as you may think. The process to make hydrogen from methane emits greenhouse gases. When you figure that in, the hydrogen buses reduce emissions by only about 12 percent compared to gasoline. Still, riders are impressed.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It was a wonderful ride. We're looking forward to the day when we don't have to put gasoline in the car.

O'BRIEN: Now that's a whale of a worthy goal.

Miles O'Brien, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: A look at the stop stories in a moment. "YOUR MONEY" is next. Here's a preview.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALI VELSHI, CNN HOST: Thanks. Coming up on "YOUR MONEY," the economy is issue No. 1 for Americans. We'll talk to one economist who says these tough times could have been avoided, but he's got some idea about where things are going.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN HOST: Also ahead, saving your home. We'll tell you why it's more difficult than you might think to hold on to that house if you get behind in your mortgage payments.

VELSHI: And timing the stock market, why doing that might be mistake No. 1.

ROMANS: And issue No. 1 is the economy. All that and more after a quick check of the headlines.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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