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Pope Benedict XVI Visits America; Sky-High Merger; Texas Child Protective Services Reports on Kids Removed From Polygamist Compound
Aired April 15, 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: Hello, everyone. I'm Don Lemon, live at the CNN World Headquarters in Atlanta.
You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.
Well, I'm in Atlanta. Kyra's in Washington -- Kyra.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Yes. It's been more than nine years, Don, since a pope set out for America.
But Benedict XVI is on his way. It's a beautiful day here in Washington, blue skies. The leader of the world's billion-plus Catholics is due to land at Andrews Air Force Base just outside Washington in about 45 minutes from now. And President Bush, he will be there to meet him. That's a first for any president hosting any VIP.
Benedict visits the White House tomorrow, which happens to be his 81st birthday. I wonder what they will do for the celebration. And then, before he goes home last Sunday, he's going to meet with Catholic educators, celebrate mass at Nationals Park in Washington and Yankee Stadium in New York.
He's going to visit Ground Zero in Lower Manhattan and address the U.N.
Well, it's been a busy six days. That's for sure. And it all begins, as I said, on a tarmac that's seen so many comings and goings of the world's movers and shakers. Our Brian Todd is actually there.
And, Brian, you were saying the security was absolutely intense. Was it hard to even get there to the tarmac?
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It sure was, Kyra.
We had to start out at about 10:30 this morning in downtown Washington, be shuttled out here by bus with an escort. It took several hours to get us in here, kept us swept. I'm going to ask our cameraman, Eddie Gross (ph), to sweep camera left here. You can see kind of the crush of media. With all this camera equipment and everything that needed to be set up, it took quite a while.
You have got about 800 people here, guests of the White House, of the Catholic Church, and also just other invited guests here. You have got a high school band playing. The Air Force Band is playing there. This is a real event here starting in about 45 minutes, when the pope lands.
Now, as you mentioned in the intro here, this is kind of a visit of firsts. It's Pope Benedict's first visit to the U.S. since becoming pope three years ago. It is the first visit by a pope to the U.S. since the mid-1990s and as you mentioned, Kyra, the first time that President Bush has actually come out here to Andrew's Air Force Base to greet a visiting dignitary.
White House Press Secretary Dana Perino spoke about this earlier today, talking what the president would say to him when he lands.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DANA PERINO, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: The president will say to the Holy Father that millions of Americans have been praying for his visit. He will also say to the Holy Father that the nation he will visit is a nation of prayer that welcomes the faithful.
He will tell him that the hearts of the American people are open to the Holy Father's message of hope. And he will hear from the president that America and the world need to hear his message that God is loved, that human life is sacred, that we all must be guided by common moral law, and that we have responsibilities to care for our brothers and sisters in need at home and across the world.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TODD: And, of course, Pope Benedict will meet at the White House with the president tomorrow morning at about 10:30. He's got a very ambitious agenda here in Washington and in New York.
He addresses two outdoor masses. He's going to hold two outdoor masses in major stadiums. He's going to address the Conference of Catholic Bishops. He's going to meet with Catholic educators. He is expected to address in some form the sex abuse scandal that rocked the American Catholic Church throughout this decade.
Now, it's not clear what forum in which he will do that, but he's expected to address that. So, very ambitious agenda for Pope Benedict XVI begins in about 45 minutes -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Well, and, Brian, earlier, interview Raymond Arroyo. He's the news director for EWTN. And he actually sat down with the president to talk to him about what he would discuss with the pope. And he made the comment about, well, Mr. President, you talk about when you look into the eyes of the pope and what you see. And he said, yes, that's right, Ray. I see God.
And that was it. He didn't say anything else. This seems to be a president that is very much in awe of this religious leader. What else do we know about their relationship?
TODD: Well, we know that the president has connected with major Catholic leaders since the pope has assumed his office there and has connected to the church. And it is -- he has expressed a real solidarity with their religious message. He is very proud of the fact that he is a religious man. It's been noted by observers it's very interesting that a Protestant president has connected so well with the Catholic Church and Catholic leaders. This is really going to be his first chance to meet here in Washington and here in United States face to face with the pope.
And the pope is going to be addressing kind of a situation here in the United States where the Catholic Church, the face of the Catholic Church here in the U.S. is changing quite a bit with the influx of Hispanic immigrants. The church is growing here and yet they face a crisis with the priesthood. They have a shortage of priests. Some parishes are being closed. There are real issues that this pope has to address when he's here.
He will start out by talking about some of that with the president, no doubt, but this is a president who has made a real connection with the church's message on the issues of abortion and several other issues -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Well, in talking about making that connection, we think about John Paul, and, wow, did he make a connection with this world. He was such a popular pope.
And this pope, Pope Benedict, he's a little more rough around the edges.
TODD: Right.
PHILLIPS: He's called the Catholic rottweiler. Yet the turnout has been unbelievable. Apparently, 7,000 people turned out to see Queen Elizabeth at the White House. Now they're saying the numbers are almost up to 12,000 to see the pope at the White House.
TODD: That's right. As a matter of fact, President Bush is actually driving here this afternoon. He could not fly here because, if he did that, he would have to take off from the South Lawn of the White House. They're very busy preparing that venue for the pope's visit tomorrow, as you mentioned, thousands of people there.
It's forced the president to change his mode of transportation. He's going to drive here instead.
So, that's one adjustment they're going to make. And there are going to be throngs of people all over Washington, D.C., and New York for the next several days. Traffic is going to be a nightmare in both cities. So, we are going to be traffic reporters here for a little bit, warning people in advance.
(LAUGHTER)
PHILLIPS: There you go, warning about the traffic, but any type of spiritual talk right now at this point is fantastic for our country.
Brian Todd, we will be waiting for the official arrival. Thanks so much.
TODD: Thank you.
PHILLIPS: And while we wait for shepherd one, we are going to learn the finer points of a presidential welcome for a visiting pope. You won't see this on "Oprah," by the way. And after that, the Catholic vote in the '08 election. Is there really a Catholic vote? And will the pope take a side? We have got all the sights covered right here in the CNN NEWSROOM -- Don.
LEMON: Shepherd one, I love that name. I love the name shepherd one.
All right, Kyra, we are going to check back with you. Thank you so much for that.
Let's talk now about the biggest airline on the planet. That is what a planned merger between Delta and Northwest would create. And, if approved, it could set the stage for other struggling airlines to join forces, too.
Record fuel costs and a slowing economy are prompting the proposed merger. So, don't expect to see rising airfares go down anytime soon. But Delta and Northwest say merging will make them more effective. So, are passengers on board with this mega-merger?
Our Rusty Dornin has been talking to them. She is at Hartsfield- Jackson International Airport right here in Atlanta.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: For many of the passengers that we have spoken to, it's fuel prices more than the merger, they say, that's going to end up driving up the cost of fares, although they say that there's going to be some consolidation of the routes between Delta and Northwest. That could have an impact and drive the prices up.
Some Northwest passengers are concerned about the everyday things like frequent flyer miles. Other we spoke to are ecstatic about the possibility.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It gives us more options. Since we travel on business, we can stay on one airline now.
DORNIN: How about the fares, though? Are you worried that the consolidation of routes and that sort of thing is going to drive the prices of the fares up?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, I think the fares will go up because of just the natural state of the economy, the fuel. Just the cost of doing business are going to go up naturally.
DORNIN: So you don't think the consolidation on other routes and that sort of thing with Northwest could make all the fares go up? UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's possible, but there's also some influence in the airlines based on the AirTrans and your low-cost airlines that fly into major cities. So, I don't think it's going to be a major impact, but it remains to be seen.
DORNIN: For many people, it's sort of a wait-and-see. They realize it's going to be months before the deal is hammered out and whether or not government regulators approve it.
Locally, city officials here are very happy about the possibility of a jumbo airline. They say it could be a big shot in the arm for the city of Atlanta and the area, because you're going to be opening up so many international gates into this area.
Northwest alone has 200 flights from the United States to Asia. Delta officials say, if the merger is approved, the airline would be serving some 67 countries and it would mean Delta would be making truly a global imprint.
Rusty Dornin, CNN, Atlanta.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: All right, Rusty, thank you for that.
And we want to let you know airline officials are holding a news conference in Atlanta. They're doing it at this hour. CNN is monitoring that press conference and we will bring you any details if they become available out of that press conference.
Out of the cockpit and on to the protest line. American Airlines pilots are protesting in Boston and other major cities today, upset over the way their carrier is being run. Just last week, American canceled more than 3,000 flights for safety checks. The union says the protests won't disrupt flights.
A DC-9 jet crashed in a neighborhood in the city of Goma in the Democratic Republic of Congo today, killing at least 75 people. But we're hearing that 15 passengers and crew survived, including four members of an American family. The jet reportedly never got off the ground and slammed into a busy marketplace at the end of the runway. There are a lot of people in that area, but not a lot of basic rescue equipment.
One witness tells us he saw women with buckets of water trying to putt the flames out. The death toll on the ground is still unclear.
Want to get you now to Texas, where we're awaiting a press conference about that polygamist compound and the children who are now wards of the state -- that press conference expected to start at any minute. And we will bring you the very latest from that right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.
In the meantime, let's take you inside the compound. You're about to see -- there you go -- what many people outside rarely ever see, the women of the FLDS polygamist sect at their compound in Eldorado, Texas. Many of them have returned to the ranch without their children, and the state is keeping them in San Angelo. And that's why these secretive women are letting us get a closer look.
And that's why they're breaking their silence. They want their kids back, and they want them back now.
And here's what one angry mother of five -- her name is Kathleen. Here's what she told our Anderson Cooper just last night.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "ANDERSON COOPER 360")
KATHLEEN, FUNDAMENTALIST CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER DAY SAINTS MEMBER: I want you to understand that we have been put in a compound, the Concho Forts over there, brick walls, 170 women and children in a building that was 100 feet by 40 feet with two bathrooms, OK? Do you understand that?
So, we need the public to know that an injustice has been done against us. In the land of the free, in the home of the brave, we are being treated like the Jews were when they were escorted to the German Nazi camps.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: That press conference we told you about in San Angelo, Texas, just getting under way now from Texas Child Protective Services.
Marleigh Meisner speaking. Let's listen in.
(JOINED IN PROGRESS)
MARLEIGH MEISNER, SPOKESWOMAN, TEXAS CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES: Or excuse me -- clean that Coliseum and get it to where it could adequately house these people in a really comfortable setting.
The move went remarkably well, with very little issues at all. We were very, very pleased. A decision was also made at that time with much input from the attorneys for the children, therapists, who have a great deal of experience in issues such as these, and with Child Protective Services.
All of that input led us to believe that it would be in the children's best interest for those mothers who have children age 5 and older to be separated from their children. That's a difficult thing to do. Children like to be with their parents. And parents like to be with their children.
And we were very sensitive to the issues involved with this. I think, considering the circumstances, again, this went remarkably well. There was some sadness among the children. There were some tears. We did have staff available, as well as therapists available, to talk this through with the children. We were able to explain as best we could.
Remember -- these were older children -- what we were doing. We assured them that they had attorneys that would be meeting with them the following day, which is Tuesday. They had guardians with CASA, who would be coming Tuesday to meet with them as well. We explained to the children that we really believe that families should be together, if at all possible. But, unfortunately, sometimes, that's not possible.
And when we go to court on Thursday, we will be talking to a judge, and as is typical with all the cases that we're involved with, with Child Protective Services, we will be talking to that judge about possible supervision with family members. And the children understand this.
I can tell you that, today, the children at the shelter are doing well. They're happy. They're smiling. They're playing. They're interacting with staff.
I just interrupted a game of kickball between the troopers and some of the boys. There's an indoor play area for the children, a huge area. There's also an outdoor play area. I think that it would really be described as running very smoothly. There's not any chaos at all. Meals are being served three times a day.
And then there's always food that's left out at any time that, if anyone is hungry, just like in your own home, that they certainly can go and get food. Washers and driers have been brought in. We have volunteers who are taking the clothing of the guests. And, as they become dirty, they put them in bags and the volunteers wash their clothes, dry the clothes, fold the clothes, and then return them back to the guests.
We're really trying to be as aware as we possibly can be and as sensitive as we possibly can be to these people. We know that their environment is certainly different than ours. And we're trying to make certain that they feel as comfortable as they can under these difficult circumstances.
They are worshipping there at the Coliseum. An organ has been brought in. And, oftentimes, you hear their music, particularly at night. Oftentimes, during the day, they sing and they worship freely. And we certainly are very respectful of that.
Today, we brought some other people that hopefully can share some insight. I have a physician, because I know a lot of you have some questions regarding medical issues.
We have Dr. Adolfo Valadez. Dr. Valadez is an assistant commissioner with the Department of State Health Services. And he is on board at the facility. He has been at Fort Concho. He is here now. And he has a lot of information regarding how these children are being cared for medically.
We also have State Representative Drew Darby. And we have Senator Robert Duncan. And these gentlemen are really here to talk about and to discuss the cooperation from all of the entities involved while we're trying to deal with this incident. So, I'm going to start with Dr. Valadez. He will make a brief statement. And then I think he would be happy to take some questions from you.
Dr. Valadez?
DR. ADOLFO VALADEZ, TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF STATE HEALTH SERVICES: Thank you. Good afternoon.
QUESTION: Could you spell your name?
VALADEZ: Certainly. Good afternoon.
My name is Adolfo Valadez. That's A-D-O-L-F-O V-A-L-A-D-E-Z. And I'm the assistant commissioner for prevention and preparedness for the Department of State Health Services.
I want to just provide you a brief overview of the type of activities we're doing to ensure the health and safety of the children, which is and always has been our top priority for this operation.
I also just want to let you know, because I am involved in those operations, I can only be here a while. And I will take a few questions, but then I do need to return.
Just to give you an overview, these operations, as you can imagine, are very complicated, but we do everything we can to plan and prepare and respond in a timely and effective manner to assure the health and safety of these children.
Some of the activities that we do to -- to assure their health and safety include providing medical care and coordinating the medical care for these children. We also want to assure the public health needs of these children are met.
On the medical care side, we are providing and have been providing 24-hour/seven-day-a-week medical coverage in mini mobile clinics and on site as well.
That care has been provided through licensed physicians, mid- level provider and nursing staff. In addition to that, when we're ever in a shelter environment, we're always concerned about spread of disease. So, we have very stringent environmental health policies and procedures in place to try to minimize that.
On the environmental health side, for example, we work very, very closely with registered sanitarians within our department to assure the safety of the building and the cleanliness and that all aspects of that operation are within our health and safety codes. In addition to that, we always monitor very closely disease surveillance for any types of activities within that shelter.
And we have very strict and stringent infection control policies and procedures in place run by our epidemiologists and public health staff. This is also something that we do very routinely in the operation of these shelters during hurricane season and whatnot. We have very much experience in doing this.
Certainly, in addition to the environmental health, food safety is always critical. And, again, our registered sanitarians routinely, regularly monitor food safety and preparation for not only the children, but also our staff.
We also monitor the health and safety of our work force. We don't want work force to suffer from any untoward effects, in terms of responding. And they also are being monitored, because, if they're ill, we certainly don't want them to spread any illness to our children. Again, our priority, health and safety of these children.
So, we have all of these strict policies, procedures in place that we are working very effectively with, with our sister agency and other agencies to assure the health and safety of these children.
LEMON: Dr. Adolfo Valadez, the assistant commissioner for the Department of State Health Services in Texas, along with Mrs. Meisner, Marleigh Meisner. We have been hearing a lot of her from the Texas Child Protective Services.
Well, they were talking about the 400 or so children who were taken the Coliseum, the one who are than five-years-old, and then the mothers were sent back to the ranch. They're talking about how they're caring for them, taken to the Coliseum. They said they're in a comfortable setting, that the attorneys for the children and also therapists, Child Protective Services, everyone weighed in on this, and they know it's tough to keep children from their families, but they figured it was in the best interests of the children until they get to the bottom of exactly what is going on with this.
They said, medically, the children are doing well, and they get 24-hour attention, as well as food and some of the comforts of home. So, they're holding a press conference. We are going to continue to monitor this right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.
It's probably -- usually, when we have events like this, it may be up on our live Web site at CNN.com, our live Web site. You can check there for it as well. But if any news breaks from this, we will bring it to you right here on CNN.
If you commit a faux pas when you meet the pope, well, you know he will forgive you, right? But who wants to mess up a once-in-a- lifetime experience? We will took a very proper look at papal protocol.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: As world leaders go, the pope is unique in lots of ways, as we know. But they all have some things in common. They can't go anywhere without all kinds of planning, all kinds of security, and all kinds of protocol.
And that brings me back to Andrews Air Force Base, where Pope Benedict XVI is due to land just minutes from now. And on hand for an unprecedented tarmac welcome by President Bush is Anita McBride, the first lady's chief of staff and an expert on VIP visits.
And, Anita, I know the president is on his way. He got into the car with the first lady. He will be arriving there soon.
ANITA MCBRIDE, CHIEF OF STAFF TO LAURA BUSH: Right.
PHILLIPS: Tell me why you decided to meet him on the tarmac.
MCBRIDE: Well, I think the president and Mrs. Bush asked that we, of course, pay attention to the history and tradition of a visit of a Holy Father to the United States, and it is customary for a president and/or first lady to greet the Holy Father at point of arrival.
It happens to be that it's Andrews Air Force Base at this visit. So, President and Mrs. Bush wanted to show respect for that tradition, as well as their respect and love and sign of friendship for the Holy Father to greet him here. It's the first visit they have made to Andrews to welcome a head of state. So, we're delighted to be able to do that for him.
PHILLIPS: How will they greet the pope? What will they call him? Give me the exact protocol here.
MCBRIDE: The Holy Father will be addressed as Your Holiness. They will greet him warmly, as they always have in their previous visits with him. And we know that he will feel the welcome and love of the United States and of Americans on this arrival, and then over his five days here in the United States, visiting two of our great cities, Washington and New York, with large public events at the two masses, Yankee Stadium and Nationals Stadium, in addition to a beautiful South Lawn arrival ceremony tomorrow that President and Mrs. Bush have been very involved in the planning, and particularly Mrs. Bush in some of the details of the program.
PHILLIPS: Well, let's talk about some of these details.
And, by the way, I understand the Mets are very upset. So, we will get back to that in just a second.
MCBRIDE: Uh-oh.
PHILLIPS: Yes, exactly.
MCBRIDE: Uh-oh. Everyone's welcome.
(LAUGHTER)
PHILLIPS: Of course.
Talk to me about some of the things that you did differently.
MCBRIDE: Sure.
PHILLIPS: For example, the yellow tulips. MCBRIDE: Yes. Yes. Isn't that nice? Mrs. Bush pays so much attention to every detail. And she felt it would be lovely to have yellow tulips and the flower boxes, of course, against the backdrop of the White House, yellow and white being the colors of the papal flag.
The program for tomorrow's arrival ceremony will differ somewhat. We have added a few elements, a beautiful hymn, "The Lord's Prayer," to be sung by Kathleen Battle, and then a concluding song of "Battle Hymn of the Republic" sung by the Army Chorus, which shows, appropriately, a patriotic, yet spiritual song, uniquely American, that we know the Holy Father will enjoy.
PHILLIPS: Anything that you are particularly concerned about? Is there something on your mind where you're just keeping your fingers crossed, thinking, OK, I hope that they do this right?
MCBRIDE: Well, the one thing, of course, we're always worried about for an outdoor ceremony is weather. And the -- the weather is perfect and will be -- we couldn't have prayed for better weather for tomorrow. So, that is one thing we don't need to worry about. And, of course, security is always a concern, but all kinds of steps have been taken with local law enforcement, Secret Service.
PHILLIPS: We have seen that, definitely.
MCBRIDE: Yes.
PHILLIPS: Now, Anita, I'm curious, who's going to say grace?
MCBRIDE: You know, at -- well, Who will say a prayer? Well, we won't have grace said, because there won't be a social component to this visit, so there isn't a meal where the Holy Father will be.
But the spiritual side, the hymn, "The Lord's Prayer," will be sung by Kathleen Battle. So, that will be an appropriate reflection of having the leader of one of the world's great religions here at the White House in America on his birthday, also a significant sign of the love and friendship. Everybody wants to be with family and friends on their birthday. So, we hope he feels welcome.
PHILLIPS: And you have about 11,000 people on the White House lawn waiting so sing "Happy Birthday." It will be interesting to see how you celebrate that and how the trip will go.
Anita McBride, thank you so much.
MCBRIDE: Thank you.
PHILLIPS: Right-hand woman to the first lady there, dealt with protocol on how to greet the pope, as he gets ready to arrive, the president now on his way to Andrews Air Force Base with the first lady. We will be monitoring all parts of this visit -- Don.
(CROSSTALK)
MCBRIDE: Thank you, Kyra. LEMON: Oh, thank you.
Hey, Kyra, I couldn't hear all of what you said. I can hear people laughing in the background at the little thing.
But, if I'm not mistaken, doesn't the pope usually -- I remember John Paul, he would kiss the ground when he got off the plane. I didn't know if you talked about that because I missed part of your conversation.
PHILLIPS: That's right.
Is Anita still with us?
LEMON: I'm not sure if she can hear us.
PHILLIPS: Anita, can you still hear us?
No, she's gone. OK. That's a good question.
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: I'm going to check back with you. So, see if you can get the information. But I wonder if this pope will do the same thing when he gets off the plane in a little bit.
PHILLIPS: Well, and, as you know, he's very different from John Paul. John Paul had a different style than this pope. So, it will be interesting to watch his mannerisms and how he is. And I know in particular, too, Don, everybody's watching what he's wearing.
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: The red Prada shoes?
PHILLIPS: Exactly. They want to see if he's going to be wearing the red Prada shoes. So, maybe he will bring a pair for the president.
LEMON: You know what? Maybe he can do a line and then donate the money to charity and the needy, right?
PHILLIPS: There we go. We have got some good ideas for him.
LEMON: There we go. All right. Kyra, we will check back with you.
PHILLIPS: OK.
LEMON: See if you can find out, though.
All right. If security cameras could talk, they would say something like, you won't believe what I saw in the store. We will explain what is going on here.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) LEMON: We're working on several stories here for you today in the CNN NEWSROOM.
A transit mess in Chicago is now cleared up. A major train route was shut down today between downtown and O'Hare Airport. Up to 100 people had to evacuate a subway after the train stalled. But, the railine is now up and running again.
Mothers of children taken by the busload from that polygamist ranch in Texas -- they are speaking out. One of them tells CNN they feel persecuted and they want their children back. The children are now in state custody.
At least 75 people are confirmed dead after a DC-9 passenger plane crashed in Congo. The plane plunged into a neighborhood shortly after taking off. Officials blame engine failure.
Well, now that Delta and Northwest have announced their plan to merge, what's next? Our Susan Lisovicz is at the New York Stock Exchange with some of the other major carriers.
Susan, is there word they might do it, as well?
SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Oh, I think there's been speculation for some time and it's just -- it's just that all the talk has just increased given what we heard today, the official announcement. And then you have the price of oil -- to know what's fuelling all this merger talk, quite literally. Oil prices climbed $2 today, to just below $114 per barrel, which is a new record.
The airline analysts I spoke to said the most likely combo would pair up United and Continental. And Continental executives sent a letter to employees saying they are considering strategic alternatives. United's CEO, meanwhile, sent an e-mail to employees saying he favors consolidation and will consider a deal if it provides the right benefits. He says the industry has changed dramatically and that the current fuel and economic environment are only accelerating the need for a different approach.
Airline stocks -- well, a lot of times you see them rise on merger activity, but they have been taking a beating today.
(STOCK MARKET REPORT)
LEMON: Twenty-five minutes. And maybe if the pope gets here, he can bless the economy and do some good. We should all pray.
LISOVICZ: We need some intervention.
LEMON: Yes, absolutely. OK, Susan. We'll check back in 25 minutes before we see you again.
You can follow your fortunes at CNNMoney.com. We've got all the day's market news and the numbers, expert analysis and, of course, much, much more. Popes may be elected, but not the way presidents are. We'll look at the huge impact of the so-called Catholic vote in U.S. elections. And among our many experiences while in Baghdad recently, our Kyra Phillips had the chance to see how Saddam Hussein lived his final days.
That's ahead in THE NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Well, we're seeing a spike in violence across Iraq. And so far today -- look at this -- at least 60 people have been killed in a string of bombings. In Baquba, a car bomb detonated outside a crowded restaurant, killing 40 people and wounding 75 others. Roadside bombs in several Baghdad neighborhoods killed five civilians. And in Ramadi, a suicide bomber killed at least 15 people in a restaurant.
Kyra Phillips is just back from eight weeks in Baghdad.
And, Kyra, you saw how the people there are coping amid all the violence. But you also had a chance to see things few other people have had a chance to see.
PHILLIPS: Well, I was pretty lucky. That's where relationships pay off, Don, as you know, doing so many military stories throughout the years.
And being there in Iraq, I was able to see things and do things that not a lot of journalists were able to do. And the one story that I really wanted to tackle was seeing where Saddam Hussein spent the last few weeks of his life -- how did he live, how was he treated, what were his interests, what did he talk about. And I learned a lot of interesting things. For example, the guards, they called him Vic.
Why did they call him Vic? Because he was referred to as a Very Important Criminal. And he liked that. They didn't want to call him Mr. President. They didn't want to call him Mr. Hussein or Saddam. So they came to an agreement that that's what his name would be. And, sure enough, he took a lot of pride in that.
You're looking at here his garden. Who knew that Saddam Hussein attempted to build and grow a garden when he sat in this chair -- a chair that he complained was very uncomfortable for his arms? So they built this tape and this for him so he could sit and write in his journal.
So learning all these little tidbits about him in the last days of his life was pretty fascinating. And this is how General Doug Stone, the head of detention operations, described what it was like to be in that cell. And then, we also went through his journal. You're going to hear a little bit about what Saddam wrote in his final days.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: What did the guard write about his final minutes before he went to the gallows? MAJ. GEN. DOUGLAS STONE, U.S. MARINE CORPS: Yes, well, it was just in the last 10 minutes while he was waiting, he asked the guard, he said, I want to give you all my belongings. Please give those to the lawyer and please tell my daughter that he is going to meet God with a clear conscience and that he is going as a soldier, sacrificing himself for Iraq and for his people.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: He writes this one poem talking about Baghdad. He says: "The nights are darker after the sunset, but the smoke and the burning overwhelms the city. You will feel suffocated under its skies. My days are now nights -- no stars, no moon, but lots of screams."
He was writing about something he couldn't see.
LEMON: Yes. It's fascinating.
PHILLIPS: Excuse me?
Sorry, the producer was just talking to me.
Are we going to talk about the oil smuggling?
No. OK. I apologize for that. I had a moment there, Don, to talk with the Gen. More in-depth -- a more in-depth conversation about the poetry. And I said to him, don't you think that's bizarre that Saddam Hussein sat there and wrote poems and liked to write poetry?
And he said not really, if you think about it, because Arab leaders and the Prophet's descendants from years back liked to write poetry to document history, many a times even getting old famous poets to write poems about them, because they wanted to be looked at as sort of these intellectual and poetic type of leaders.
So it was an interesting part of history that I -- that I learned about.
LEMON: Yes, and it was -- it was very interesting to watch it. I have so many questions to ask you, but I'll ask you in person when you get back here. And you may want to stick with us. And they were trying to tell you that the president's motorcade is arriving.
PHILLIPS: OK.
LEMON: Can we take a look at that?
And I don't know if you can see the pictures here, but the president's motorcade is arriving at Andrews, where he is going to meet Pope Benedict in just a short time. I think it's supposed to happen right at 4:00. And, you know, Shepherd One usually is on time, as well as the president. He is often early. So that's -- we're going to talk about that in a little bit and we're going to go back to Kyra Phillips in Washington.
But you're looking at the ceremony getting underway there and the pope's arrival...
PHILLIPS: And, Don, you know, this is...
LEMON: Oh, there you go.
Go ahead.
PHILLIPS: Yes. Actually, the president arriving with the first lady. And here's another little tidbit, too, that I was learning. Cokie Roberts, you know, one of our colleagues. She still works for ABC and NPR, a very well-known journalist. Her mom, Lindy Boggs, was the ambassador to the Vatican. So Cokie Roberts is actually a part of this motorcade, as well, Don, getting ready to come meet the pope.
And we talked earlier with Anita McBride. She's the right hand woman to the first lady and she has been coaching the president and the first lady for days about the protocol, about how they're going to greet the Holy Father, what exactly do you do, do you -- how do you address him and even adding little elements, for example, yellow tulips at the White House, the color of the flag -- the Vatican flag. So they've been putting a lot of effort to not only prepare for him and have these in depth discussions about the Catholic Church,, but also just to respect him on a spiritual and social level, as well.
LEMON: Absolutely. And you can see the anticipation is building. And at any moment now, we are going to see Shepherd One come into Andrews. And, of course, we'll bring that right to you right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.
Kyra, don't go away. We're going to come back to you. We're going to get a break in, because we don't want to miss any of this coverage. So a quick break and then we're back with the pope's arrival in the U.S., right after a break.
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PHILLIPS: Live pictures now, as you can see. A brilliant blue sky over Andrews Air Force Base right near Washington, the starting point for Benedict XVI's first papal visit, what the Vatican calls a journey to America. Over the next five days, the pope will try to get to know American Catholics -- their hopes, fears and grievances. And now, he's lucky to win some hearts and minds. And if that sounds familiar, well, the candidates for president have been doing the same for months.
CNN's Ed Henry joins me now with a look at the Catholic vote and why that's so important as we wait for the pope to actually touch down.
I think we're actually getting a visual, Ed, of his aircraft. The president and the first lady already there. The aircraft, that we have affectionately named Shepherd One heading into the air force base there, Andrews. An estimated 70 million Catholics -- here we are in an election year. The Catholic vote will make a big impact.
ED HENRY, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely. And all the candidates are looking for the papal blessing, if you will. The Catholics are a huge part of the electorate, about 20 percent. So everyone is trying to woo Catholic voters. And they turn out. They actually do vote. They're very motivated.
But, also, they have a knack for picking a winner. In eight of the nine of the last nine elections, a majority of Catholics have been with the eventual winner, Democrats or Republicans. And that's --
PHILLIPS: So who are they picking?
HENRY: Well, that's the fascinating part. No one really knows for sure, because there's a wide assumption that Catholics, because of the pope's vehement opposition to abortion rights, that Catholic voters are going to naturally gravitate to Republicans. And that's not necessarily true. There was a recent poll by Pew Research that basically found that 51 percent of American Catholics actually think abortion should be legal in most or all cases. So it's almost a 50/50 split among American Catholics on abortion.
So they're not naturally going to just go to Republicans. There are other issues like the war in Iraq. That could cut against John McCain. The Vatican has been opposed to the war in Iraq.
On the other hand, the pope very recently has sort of warned about a quick pullout out of Iraq, because the Vatican is very worried about a humanitarian crisis -- more refugees, more slaughter.
And so none of these issues are clear cut. I think the bottom line, from talking to strategists in both parties, Democrats and Republicans think that John McCain could have a slight edge among Catholic voters if he does two things -- if he talks about social issues like abortion,, but also if he wears his religion on his sleeve a bit more.
But, as you know, John McCain has never been comfortable with that. He's never really stressed social issues. He's never talked about his faith that much, that extensively.
So he's going to have to do some work on these issues and talk a bit more about his faith. We saw the Democrat candidates in the CNN forum on Sunday night talk very openly about their faith. They could make some inroads this time.
PHILLIPS: So is there -- and I don't mean to put you on the spot -- but I'm thinking about Hillary Clinton.
HENRY: That's what you do best.
PHILLIPS: Yes, that's true. That's what I do best. OK, so I'm going to go for it. Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, John McCain -- have any one of those candidates actually sat down with this pope and had a discussion with him, made a visit, made a phone call?
HENRY: I don't think that they have, in fact, and it's obviously very hard, very rare to get a one-on-one audience, especially with the Holy Father. But you can bet that what you're going to see over the next couple of days is all of the candidates trying to read into the words of the pope at these various masses here at Nationals Park in D.C., at Yankee Stadium in New York. And when he starts talking about abortion, when he talks about what he calls a culture of life, you're going to have John McCain surrogates saying see, you know, Catholics are going to gravitate to McCain.
Then when he talks about the peace and justice agenda, things like Iraq,, but also a broader peace and justice agenda, you're going to have surrogates for Clinton and Obama say see, it's not just about abortion, it's about a wider agenda. So the bottom line is that these candidates are going to be trying to twist his words every which way to help them.
You see Shepherd One. It looks like it's coming in now. And this is so highly anticipated here in the Washington area, I can tell you, in recent weeks.
PHILLIPS: Well, and we've seen the numbers of people turn out at the White House, as well. I've been saying this all afternoon, that about 7,000 people turned out to see Queen Elizabeth.
HENRY: Yes.
PHILLIPS: It's already up to about 12,000 at the White House to see the pope.
HENRY: Yes. White House aides have been telling us that they were planning for 6,000 people to be on the South Lawn -- a little less than Queen Elizabeth -- when the pope comes to the South Lawn tomorrow. But every --
PHILLIPS: Why would they say that? Why would they underestimate?
HENRY: Well, they just thought it was going to be that amount. That's what they were planning for. And I've heard various stories about every Catholic -- every politically connected Catholic in America, basically, has been burning up the White House phone lines, saying get me a ticket. And now it's anywhere from 9,000 to 12,000 people who will be on the South Lawn tomorrow. That's a lot of people on the South Lawn.
PHILLIPS: And we're not just talking Catholics.
HENRY: No.
PHILLIPS: We're talking a diversity of people, a diversity of faiths, which really says something, I think, Ed, about our country and what people are talking about, to see that many people show up -- probably a number of people not even very religious, just wanting to have that meet and greet with the pope.
HENRY: Absolutely. You have a president of the United States who is not Catholic, very religious, does talk about his faith very extensively, is in concert with the pontiff on issues like abortion, but then is not in concert with the Holy Father on issues like the death penalty. And, as I mentioned, the Vatican was against the invasion of Iraq. So it's very complicated, the politics of all of this. But you're right, a lot of people in both parties put that aside, whether they're Catholic or not, and they want to see the Holy Father. And, obviously, you saw the charisma that Pope John Paul II had and the crowds
PHILLIPS: And a lot of people have said, OK, this pope...
HENRY: That's right.
PHILLIPS: ...he's the Catholic Rottweiler.
HENRY: Right.
PHILLIPS: He's much more conservative and quiet and tough and kind of...
HENRY: The German Shepherd, some people have said, as well.
PHILLIPS: Exactly. Right.
HENRY: And that's another goal here for the Vatican and for the pope himself. But the officials have been telling us in recent weeks, they really want to show another side of him. They think that that image is not exactly who he is, that because he comes from a scholarly background, he's more distant, not a man of the people or not seen or viewed as a man of the people, the way Pope John Paul II was. But they say that you're going to get to know him a little better. He plays piano, for example. I think he really loves Mozart, is the one I've heard.
You know, he's somebody who, at these big dinners, he doesn't drink wine, even though he's been in Rome for many years. He doesn't drink wine very often. Instead, he favors Fanta, the orange soda. And so they put these little tidbits --
PHILLIPS: Oh, my gosh. That's taking us back a long way.
HENRY: Yes. But they put those tidbits out there to show, you know, that maybe he's more human than you think and that he's not so distant. And so far in his papacy, there have been some moves he's made that have shown him not to be sort of as brusque and rough as some people thought.
PHILLIPS: Well, let's think about, to his speech in 2006, though, when he made those comments about the Muslim religion. That created quite a controversy. And then things sort of tamed down for a little bit. And as a number of our analysts have said, this is a pope that really hasn't broken through like John Paul had broken through to the world. So this is -- this could be a huge visit not only for him, but also Catholic and non-Catholic and how they view him.
HENRY: Absolutely. He's --
PHILLIPS: And the way the church is going.
HENRY: It gives him a chance to change his own image, but also deal with the church's image. I mean, let's face it, the sex abuse scandal on Catholic -- it's something that has really scarred the church. Individual very Catholics frustrated and embarrassed by the scandal. It's also hurt a lot of parishes here in America. They've had to close. Catholic schools are going through a crisis right now.
A lot of parishes across the country, here in the United States, have faced lawsuits. They've been bleeding money because of the sex abuse scandal. This is the first chance for this pope to come on U.S. soil and talk about and address the abuse scandal. That's very big.
But, also, in addition to trying to change his own image, perhaps, change the image of the church here in the United States, there's another issue with the fact that, you know, a lot of the older Catholics are dying here in the United States, obviously. And the real growth here in the United States is among Hispanics. There are communities or cities like Dallas, which 10 years ago, didn't have very many Catholics at all, all of a sudden have hundreds of thousands of Catholics because of the Hispanic influx into the United States.
And so there are a whole host of issues out there and a chance for the pope to change not only his image, but the church's image here in the United States and around the world.
PHILLIPS: If you're just tuning in now, right now, you're listening to White House correspondent, Ed Henry. And, also, you are seeing the pope now just arriving at Andrews Air Force Base. The first trip to America for this pope, Pope Benedict XVI.
The president and the first lady already there, getting ready to greet him. They have been coached on their protocol, how they will greet him, talk to him in private and lead him through this trip, not only in D.C. . But he's also, of course, getting ready to head to New York.
Don Lemon also monitoring this trip from Atlanta right now. And I know, Don, you're waiting to see if he does that famous moment like John Paul where he kisses the soil.
LEMON: Yes. And this is unprecedented, because it's the first time, actually, that the president and the first lady will meet a pope at his arrival, so that this is unprecedented.
But, you know, I want to get back to one thing that Ed was talking about when he talked about the sex abuse scandal, which will come up, I'm sure, over the next couple of days. As I understand, on Shepherd One this morning, he talked about that with reporters and actually said he was sorry about that -- Ed.
HENRY: Yes. And, certainly, that's what a lot of Catholics here in the United States are going to be looking for. They're going to want to hear the pope use words like that, that direct and bluntly that he's sorry, that the church is sorry. There's still, though, a lot of chatter here in the United States about the fact that a lot of people wanted the pope to go to Boston.
The archdiocese of Boston wanted him there and he's going to New York and Washington. He's not going to Boston. Boston, obviously, was at the center of the sex abuse scandal.
So there's a fine line here, where some critics of the church are saying, look, he's not really expected to fully address head-on the scandal, that he's going to do it in a limited way. So everyone is going to be watching his words very closely to see exactly how he does address it -- Don.
LEMON: And real quick, both you and Kyra. This all looks like it's running smoothly. But, Kyra, you spoke with Jeanne Meserve just about all the preparations. I mean there are lots of things that are closed in these areas...
PHILLIPS: Oh, the security is so intense.
LEMON: And, of course, air traffic, I mean, that's a no-no.
PHILLIPS: Well, and a lot of things we can't talk about, obviously, with regard to security. But as Jeanne Meserve was telling us, the security is intense -- from snipers on rooftops to bomb sniffing dogs to various law enforcement entities all across Washington, D.C. and, of course, here at Andrews Air Force Base.
Now, you can just imagine, the last thing they would ever do or ever want is for anything to go wrong when the pope makes his first visit here. And it's moments away. He will step off that plane and he will greet the president of the United States and he will be off and running on an historic trip -- Don.
LEMON: Historic. And it's going to be amazing.
Hey, Kyra and Ed Henry, thank you very much.
Our time is done here. We're going to toss it over to the very capable hands of Mr. Wolf Blitzer in "THE SITUATION ROOM" to pick up our coverage from there.
Take it away -- Wolf.
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