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Campbell Brown
President Bush Pledges Rescue of Automakers; Bill Clinton's List
Aired December 18, 2008 - 20:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAMPBELL BROWN, CNN ANCHOR: Hi, everybody.
News tonight, after weeks in a holding pattern, President Bush promised a rescue for the automakers, and the pledge comes not a moment too soon.
Bullet point number one tonight -- quote -- "We are very close" -- end quote. That is what the White House says about a possible deal to bail out Detroit. The message from President Bush, failure is not an option and he refuses to leave the problem in Barack Obama's lap.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I believe that good policy is not to dump him a major catastrophe in his first day of office.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: And, right now, Ford and Chrysler workers are showing up for some of their final shifts of the year at plants all over the country. Many of them wonder if those factories will actually reopen in a few weeks as promised. We are going to bring you a report from the front lines.
And bullet point number two tonight, Obama stands tough on a decision that upset many of his own supporters. Since we first told you last night that Pastor Rick Warren will give the opening prayer at the inauguration next month, there has been a firestorm of complaints from gay rights groups, groups who dislike that Warren opposes gay marriage.
Well, minutes ago powerful Democratic Congressman Barney Frank, who is openly gay, said he is very disappointed with the president- elect. Obama says he wants diverse opinions and not just on January 20.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D-IL), PRESIDENT-ELECT: That's the spirit in which, you know, we have put together what I think will be a terrific inauguration. And that's, hopefully, going to be a spirit that carries over into my administration.
(END VIDEO CLIP) BROWN: And just within the last few minutes, Warren himself is speaking up. We're going to tell you what he is saying and bring in our NO BIAS, NO BULL panel coming up.
Bullet point number three, changes for your credit cards. We're going to show what you the government did today to stop credit card companies from sneaking more money away from you. Our Special Investigation Unit here to explain it.
And bullet point number four, Bill Clinton's list. He did a lot to help his wife get nomination for secretary of state. That includes revealing the names of everyone who gave money to his Clinton Foundation, something he had to this point refused to do. Well, the list is astonishing. There is no better word for it. And we will check it out in our "Political Daily Briefing" tonight.
First, though as always, we're "Cutting Through The Bull," except that this evening, to be entirely honest about this, this is kind of murky. We're not completely clear ourselves on where exactly the bull is on this story. See what you think.
We're going to be telling you the story tonight of a baby girl born in this country to parents on visitors visas from China, a little baby girl who became the center of a very, very, very long court case.
Now, things might have been better if the American legal system hadn't taken years to act on the question of who ought to have the baby we're talking about, her birth mother and father or the American couple that had been caring for her?
Indeed, the court system took so long that baby became a toddler, that toddler became a little girl. And that little girl is now not so far from adolescence. As for where she is now and with whom, well, the whole story is still to come in the show. And maybe the bull we're trying to cut through at the moment is the notion that every story is about good and evil, that every story has a hero and a villain, and that right and wrong are always easy to tell apart.
Stay tuned. We think you will agree that this isn't always so and that when it isn't the case, it often breaks your heart.
And when you see the story, if you have any thoughts, we would love it if you would share them with us. Go to CNN.com/Campbell. Click on the link to send to send us your questions and comments. And we will share some with you a little bit later in the show.
But we go back now to our top story, the latest on the Big Three auto bailout. You heard what President Bush said today. He won't leave an auto catastrophe for president-elect Barack Obama. But with the clock ticking, dozens of plants closing for an extra long holiday break tomorrow, some Chrysler workers worry they're not going to have jobs come January.
Ali Velshi here with me tonight. We have also got Gary Tuchman, who is outside the Chrysler plant in Fenton, Missouri, right near Saint Louis.
But, Ali, let me first start with you here. Some signs of hope today, I guess, in terms of what the president said. What does this really mean?
ALI VELSHI, CNN CHIEF BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Well, we need hope, but we need leadership on this issue. We can't sort of have it flailing around between senatorial hearings and what's going on in Detroit.
The bottom line is there is a game of brinkmanship going on. Do we actually believe that General Motors and Chrysler are in such dire straits that they will disappear? And if they disappear, will they send a ripple effect through the industry, where parts companies might fail and that might then send the other remaining automakers into bankruptcy?
And if so, will we lose millions of jobs? The issue here is the automakers would really like Washington to do something about this. And, as you know, on this show, we have had a lot of people very opposed to any intervention.
BROWN: Right.
VELSHI: Until now, we have -- the White House has really been reluctant to deal with this. They left it to Congress. And they got handed that, you know, pile of junk back on their doorstep. And they didn't do anything about it.
So, all this week, we have been waiting to hear from now. Now the administration is saying they're working on something. It could be a controlled bankruptcy or it could be a bailout. We don't know what that range is just yet. But they say they're going to do something before the end of the year.
BROWN: Now, time is of the essence, though. Can he get anything done?
(CROSSTALK)
VELSHI: Yes.
(CROSSTALK)
BROWN: Unilaterally, I guess, because that is what he's trying to do here.
VELSHI: The issue is, if you think these car companies are going to fail, you don't buy cars from them and people won't loan them money, meaning people won't loan the car companies money if they're trying to restructure.
If there is some sense that government is involved in this and they will back it up, there are studies that show people will buy those cars, a new study this week. And they're likely to have more luck with the banks, say, don't pull the plug on us just yet. We have got a lifeline. They need a lifeline. They need someone to say, we're on the case. And, finally, the White House sounds like they're stepping up.
BROWN: It sounds like they may have gotten one today.
OK, Ali, stand by for a second.
I want to bring in Gary.
And, Gary, I know you spent the whole day meeting with some of these workers today. How are they feeling about these plants shutting down?
GARY TUCHMAN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, they have been making Chrysler vehicles at this plant in Missouri for 42 years. They are hoping it gets to 43.
We're outside this factory. At 2:18 p.m. today, I say that time because that is the exact time that most of 1,000 employees get down for the day. The only times the little streets around here are when they come in the morning, when they go out in the morning. Tomorrow will be the last mini rush hour before they go on their four-and-a- half week vacation.
They're very proud to make Dodge Ram trucks here. But there is a lot of concern that maybe tomorrow could be the last time they make a Dodge Ram truck here.
We did talk to some people. We had a little problem with that tape. But, basically, what They told us, that there is a lot of concern that when they go home and they celebrate Christmas at home that they will later find out that, January 19, the day they're expected to come back to work, may be indefinitely postponed, and perhaps if they don't get the bailout, if they don't get the loan, they like to call it a loan, that perhaps they will never come back to work.
So, there is a lot of concern about that. They had a union meeting today about a mile away from this factory. They asked their union leaders, please, tell us more information. Are we definitely going to come back to work? And it was a tough situation for the president of the union, because he doesn't know the answer either.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TUCHMAN: What's the main concern you're hearing from your members right now?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What's going on, Jerry (ph)? What's going to happen? That's the concern of everybody.
TUCHMAN: And what do you say?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I say, guys, right now, I hate to say it. We're dependent upon George Bush to get us these loans.
(END VIDEO CLIP) TUCHMAN: So, that's the situation. They are hoping the White House comes through for them. But no one is taking it for granted, Campbell, that they're going to come back to work here in Missouri.
BROWN: All right, Gary -- Gary Tuchman for us from Missouri tonight.
Gary, thanks.
And, Ali, just give me your thoughts on what he just said. These workers say we're going to take this break. We hope we're coming back when the break is over. What do you think?
VELSHI: I have spoken to all of the three major automakers in the last 12 hours. And what we have heard from them is that this is part of the contingency plan. They're doing this to preserve cash. All three automakers are making decisions to extend those normal two- week Christmas holidays.
They say for now they're taking every day as it comes. But they're hoping that there will be a resolution. And Gary is right. The automakers are referring to it as a loan, a bridge loan. They feel that the bailout word may have put a little more pressure on Congress not to act in their favor.
BROWN: All right, Ali will keep tracking it for us, as always.
VELSHI: Yes. We will be on top of this one.
BROWN: All right.
And, when we come back, Barack Obama says America is diverse, noisy, opinionated. His reply to critics of Pastor Rick Warren, chosen by Obama to say a prayer at his inauguration. Just moments ago, we heard from Rick Warren himself, who salutes Obama for picking him, obviously.
We also heard from Barney Frank, the most powerful openly gay member of Congress, who said he is -- quote -- "very disappointed." Naturally, we are going to have our NO BIAS, NO BULL look at why this turned into a huge controversy.
And, then, later, an update on the Iraqi journalist who took aim at President Bush. He has written a letter from jail. We have got the details on that later.
Also, a shocking exclusive report all the way from China. This girl taken from her American guardians, taken away for what was supposed to be a letter life, well, tonight she says she is miserable. This is a story about accountability. We will explain when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) OBAMA: We're not going to agree on every single issue, but what we have to do is to be able to create an atmosphere when we -- where we can disagree without being disagreeable and then focus on those things that we hold in common as Americans.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: Breaking news on this story tonight -- you just heard there Barack Obama pushing back against critics of his decision to have Pastor Rick Warren deliver the invocation at the inauguration. Warren, of course, is a popular and powerful evangelical leader, the author of the mega-bestseller "The Purpose Driven Life." He and Obama have a friendly relationship, but they also have big differences on issues like abortion, gay rights.
Gay activists especially are furious about Obama's invitation because Warren was a strong supporter of Proposition 8, which banned same-sex marriage in California.
Obama's transition team and the president-elect himself are scrambling now to damp down this firestorm.
Jessica Yellin has been following the Obama transition in Chicago tonight. And there is a lot of new information coming out at the moment.
Jessica, Obama had to have known, first of all, that he would be angering some of his supporters by picking Rick Warren, right?
JESSICA YELLIN, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Sure.
They were aware that this would anger some gay and lesbian constituents. But they had no way of anticipating this kind of firestorm, Campbell. All the gay groups, almost, the leading ones that backed Obama, are calling this an open slap in the face.
There is enormous rage. And now arguably the most powerful out man in Washington has issued a statement. Barney Frank, the openly gay congressman, has said that he is very disappointed by president- elect Barack Obama's decision to honor Reverend Rick Warren with a prominent role in his inauguration. Congressman Frank argues that he is most offended by the degrading terms that Reverend Warren has used with regard to same-sex marriage.
Now, Frank is a strong supporter of Barack Obama's. So, that's quite a rebuke. And, you know, Campbell, they're very upset also because there are no openly gay Cabinet members. They think that Barack Obama is just not honoring the promises he made to them during the campaign.
BROWN: And, Jessica, though, on this issue, despite all this criticism, president-elect Obama not backing down in any way, is he?
YELLIN: No. In fact, this is what he says he's going to do throughout his administration is welcome people from different points of view in, even if it angers some of his base supporters. And Rick Warren has issued a statement now saying that he commends president-elect Barack Obama for what he calls his "courage to willingly take enormous heat by inviting someone like me, with whom he doesn't agree on every issue, to offer the invocation at his historical inaugural ceremony."
Now, part of this, Campbell, is a political decision. Barack Obama wants to expand the Democratic Party by reaching evangelicals. And he's willing to risk angering some of his gay and lesbian supporters right now to do it -- Campbell.
BROWN: All right, Jessica Yellin for us tonight from Chicago -- Jessica, thanks.
Coming up, Rick Warren in his own words comparing gay marriage to incest and bigamy. You will hear what has a lot of people very riled up about this. And then we will talk to our top political observers about whether this controversy could have lasting damage on president- elect Barack Obama. Stay with us on that one.
Then, later, Bill Clinton's nearly 3,000-page list of donors, more than $10 million from the Saudis and from others which will no doubt raise a lot of questions. How much trouble could this cause for the next secretary of state, his wife?
And if you think your credit card interest rates are ridiculously high now, just wait until you see how your bank is trying to make you bleed even more.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BROWN: Breaking news tonight -- again, he is one of the most popular pastors on the planet, but tonight Rick Warren is at the heart of a political firestorm. Leaders in the gay community are outraged that Barack Obama picked Warren to say a prayer at the inauguration, at issue, Warren's opposition to same-sex marriage and his vocal support of California's Proposition 8, which bans these unions.
Listen to what Warren said -- this was just a few days ago -- in an interview with BeliefNet.com.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PASTOR RICK WARREN, AUTHOR, "THE PURPOSE DRIVEN LIFE": I'm opposed to the redefinition of a 5,000-year definition of marriage. I'm opposed to having a brother and sister be together, and call that marriage. I'm opposed to an older guy marrying a child and calling that a marriage. I'm opposed to one guy having multiple wives and calling that a marriage.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You think those are equivalent to gays getting married?
WARREN: Oh, I do.
(END VIDEO CLIP) BROWN: So let's bring in our political panel now to talk about this. Tonight, we have got CNN contributor David Brody, senior national correspondent for the Christian Broadcasting Network, Joe Solmonese, president of the Human Rights Campaign, the nation's largest civil rights organization for gays and lesbians, and CNN political analyst Roland Martin, who has written a book about faith in everyday life.
Roland, let me start with you.
You just heard there Pastor Warren comparing gay marriage to incest and bigamy. How do you think gay Americans are going to feel when they watch him say this prayer at the inauguration?
ROLAND MARTIN, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Well, obviously, they have already expressed their view in terms of they don't like him actually speaking there. So, I don't think we have to wonder in terms of what they're going to say.
What I also heard, though, is what he talked about is in terms of what he is against, in terms of how you define marriage. What is also interesting here, I have been getting all kind of blog items on this on my Facebook page and on CNN.com.
What is interesting, Campbell, is that Obama himself believes in marriage is defined as between a man and a woman. And it's amazing how many gays and lesbians are ignoring that fact. So, the question is, is it those comments there or is it his actual opposition to gay marriage?
BROWN: Joe, you wrote that the president-elect -- or here's what you wrote.
Let me just quote you directly, that, "By inviting Rick Warren to your inauguration, you have tarnished the view that gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Americans have a place at your table."
But shouldn't the millions of people who consider Pastor Warren a spiritual leader have their voices heard as well? Just a moment ago, you heard Obama saying that there is plenty of room at the table for a variety of voices and opinions here.
JOE SOLMONESE, PRESIDENT, HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGN TO END DISCRIMINATION AGAINST GAYS: Campbell, I admire what president-elect Barack Obama has said. And I have admired for a long time his decision to reach out to people like Rick Warren.
But this moment, this moment of his inaugural, when we're going from eight years of one of the most divisive presidencies in modern history to a new age and a new era of a united America, to make the decision to ask a man who said the things that you just heard Rick Warren say, open up that process, to me is insensitive and politically shortsighted.
I agree with Roland. Neither Barack Obama, nor Rick Warren supports marriage. That is not what we -- what is at issue here. It is that he was one of the generals in the passage of Proposition 8, which Senator -- which president-elect Barack Obama opposed, and that he uses the kind of rhetoric that you just played, which is, you know, what century are we living in when we -- when anyone equates same-sex marriages with polygamy, incest, or anything like that?
I mean, it's troubling, to say the least.
BROWN: David, there is a certain irony here, though, to this, because Pastor Warren has a very complicated relationship with many people in the evangelical community, doesn't he?
DAVID BRODY, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Oh, there's no doubt about it.
As a matter of fact, he gets targeted all the time by pro-life conservatives, who are actually very frustrated with him because he's doing this in the first place, this inauguration invocation. But, beyond that, you know, Rick Warren has really had problems with the James Dobsons and others of the world because he doesn't speak out enough on the traditional marriage issue and the life issue.
Campbell, what this is really about at the end of the day is an authenticity issue as it relates for Barack Obama. Barack Obama has said time and time again that he wants to reach across the aisle, the ideological spectrum and all of that. That's exactly what he's done. He has Joseph Lowery and he has got Rick Warren. And, my goodness, if that's not a split -- that's a split right there, Campbell.
He has said it. He did it with Franklin Graham, what Franklin Graham was in a religious conservative meeting during the campaign. And you can expect this, Campbell, throughout his administration.
MARTIN: And, Campbell, also, Reverend Joseph Lowery actually supports civil unions. He doesn't support gay marriage. I actually got a call from him today clarifying that, if I made a mistake on "A.C. 360" last night.
But here is also what is interesting. You talk about in terms of Rick Warren supporting Proposition 8, he is a minister. He is a moral leader. So, we say that Rick Warren cannot take a position...
(CROSSTALK)
BROWN: Go ahead.
SOLMONESE: I'm saying that there are thousands of religious leaders across this country who came out in opposition to Proposition 8.
I'm just saying, in this moment, a symbolically important moment, when the eyes of the world are on this country and on this transitional moment, it would seem to me that there would be someone that president-elect Obama could pick to usher in a new day in America.
BRODY: I think Joe has a great point there. I think, though, going beyond that, it's exactly for that reason that Barack Obama did this, that the eyes of the world will be on that stage. And that's what Barack Obama probably at the end of the day wanted.
Look, this has Rodney King from the L.A. riots written all over it. Can't we all just get along? And that's what's going on here. Barack Obama wants to bring a new sort of dynamic to Washington. This is the biggest stage, and he's doing it.
BROWN: Let me read you, Roland, one thing that was written. This is in "The Huffington Post."
Jeffrey Feldman writes -- quote -- "If this were Lincoln's inauguration, Rick Warren would have been the equivalent of a pro- slavery pastor giving the invocation."
What do you make of that comparison?
MARTIN: How so?
BROWN: This is what -- you clearly know what he is implying here, Roland.
(CROSSTALK)
MARTIN: No, no, I know what he's implying. But to make that kind of determination, I'm sorry. It's a stretch. And I would ask him, what does he actually mean by it?
Rick Warren has a position on this issue. What is also interesting, Campbell, as David talked about, Rick Warren also is taking off the right for being there, because Obama is pro-choice.
BRODY: That's right.
MARTIN: And, so, he has the -- Rick Warren has the left and the right both mad at him, because he is giving the inauguration prayer.
BRODY: That's right. You have got Obama getting it from the left flank and Rick Warren getting it from the right. And it's like Hatfields and McCoys, and there's Obama and Warren in the middle.
And really -- but I don't expect Obama to back down at all on this. I mean, clearly, the invitation is out there. You don't rescind it now.
BROWN: David, do you agree?
BRODY: Oh, do I -- well...
BROWN: I'm sorry.
Joe, do you agree?
SOLMONESE: No, I don't expect that Senator Obama -- that president-elect Barack Obama will back down at all.
And I agree with what Jessica Yellin said at the beginning, that I suspect that they either make this determination, understood that it was going to cause the uproar that it did, and did it anyways, or they gave no thought to it.
And, unfortunately, I don't know which is the case, because, you know, as everyone on here knows, you know, politics 101 would suggest that, if you were going to do something like this, you might reach out to the constituency that was going to be impacted and at least raise the question. And, unfortunately, that didn't happen. So, I don't know the answer.
BROWN: All right, guys, we have got to end it there.
(CROSSTALK)
BROWN: David, Joe, and Roland, appreciate your time. Thanks very much, guys.
(CROSSTALK)
BROWN: We're going to turn next to Caroline Kennedy. She had reporters begging for a comment yesterday, but a new day today, when she made herself very public and very available. It's all in our "Political Daily Briefing."
Also ahead, Anna Mae, you will recall, after years of legal fighting, the young girl was taken home to China. Now we learn she hates it there. This heart-wrenching journey of Anna Mae, our exclusive look -- coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BROWN: Check it out. There is Caroline Kennedy, Al Sharpton. No, you're not seeing things there. Mobbed by reporters today, they were, together at last.
Our "Political Daily Briefing" is famous for bringing together big names. And I never expected to hear those two, frankly, in the same sentence. They kick off our "PDB" tonight.
Erica Hill is here with more on that.
Welcome to you.
ERICA HILL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Oh, yes.
BROWN: So, she goes to Harlem today, part of her push to prove, of course, she's the best replacement for Hillary Clinton.
HILL: Right. Right, and back here in New York, New York City, after that, a tour upstate yesterday. Maybe going a little better here in New York City for her, meeting with the civil rights leader the Reverend Al Sharpton. And not only that, but they were in Harlem to eat at the very famous soul food restaurant Sylvia's. This is a place where a lot of people go not only to eat, but also they get seen there. Lunch, by the way, not only at the same restaurant, but they also had lunch at the same table as Reverend Sharpton and president-elect Barack Obama earlier this year.
Now, she didn't just sit down to talk to Sharpton. As you can see here, the microphones are ready. So was Caroline Kennedy. Also had a few words for the media today, coming out and telling us a little bit more about why exactly she would like to fill Senator Clinton's Senate seat.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CAROLINE KENNEDY, DAUGHTER OF PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY: I come at this as a mother, as a lawyer, as an author, as an education advocate, and, you know, from a family that really has spent generations in public service.
And I feel this commitment. This is a time when nobody can afford to sit out. And I hope that I have something to offer. And I plan to work hard on the issues that affect New York, if I were to be chosen.
There are many qualified candidates in this race. And it is up to the governor. I feel like I'm a, you know, a Kennedy Democrat, a Clinton Democrat. Chuck Schumer, Barack Obama, I mean, these are all leaders whose values I share. And I feel like those are the kinds of values that I would bring to the...
(CROSSTALK)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HILL: So, a little bit more for everybody on why she wants the job, what she feels she has to offer. But, of course, it doesn't matter so much what she tells the media or even the people of New York, Campbell. The decision, as she even mentioned, is up to one person only, Governor David Paterson.
BROWN: Yes, a constituency of one for this big campaign.
Other topic, the mystery is over. We now know who has donated to Bill Clinton's charitable foundation, the former president finally releasing that list of donors, after a long time, and some big news there.
HILL: Some very big news, and some big numbers, too. We're talking about more -- about 200 -- a little bit over 200 names here.
They are people, organizations, also some governments on that list. Now, when it comes to the numbers, the majority of them actually fairly small. We're talking maybe under $250. But there were some rather significant donations on there, two of $25 million each, both of those coming from charities. There was also -- there were 11 donors in this $10 million to $25 million range. You can see there the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation, real estate giant Stephen Bing, also the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. And that's not the only government or country on the list. Also on that list as having donated to the foundation, Kuwait, Qatar and Norway which, of course, could be fairly significant if there's a chance that your spouse is going to be secretary of state.
Also, Campbell, I just want to let you know this, CNN today actually just learned -- we obtained this five-page document which lays out an agreement between the Obama-Biden transition team and the foundation. Among the agreements here, former President Clinton will not seek any money himself for the Clinton Global Initiative.
CAMPBELL BROWN, CNN ANCHOR: Right.
HILL: And they're also going to separate that from the foundation itself.
BROWN: As they try to deal with this very sort of sticky issue, if you will.
HILL: Yes, rather sensitive.
BROWN: And finally, Erica, the now infamous Iraqi shoe-thrower has apparently apologized to the Iraqi prime minister.
HILL: Yes, he apologized to the Iraqi prime minister.
BROWN: Not the one he threw the shoe at.
HILL: Not to the man he threw the shoe at, President Bush. He has a handwritten letter calling what he did "the great ugly act I perpetrated." He has asked for leniency from the Iraqi government. He's likely facing charges of assaulting a foreign head of state. Btu the shoe thrower's brother has said he's not convinced that his brother is actually sorry for what he did or he wouldn't have done it. I imagine the next family gathering, maybe a little tension there.
BROWN: I know. We shall see about that.
Erica Hill for us. Thanks, Erica.
Coming up, the feds target what they call unfair credit card practices. Will their new rules actually save you any money?
And then a little bit later, a little girl at the center of a tug of love. Two families wanting to raise her. So how did she end up so unhappy? Our exclusive look at what happened to Anna Mae when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PATRICIA FOLUKE WANDES, 4TH GRADER: Congratulations, President- elect Obama. I watched the campaign and listened to your speeches. I noticed that you are very smart and brave.
History shows you had never got in trouble and you take good care of your family. And that makes me believe that you'll be a good president and that you will cut taxes, help teachers, provide good health care assistance and also provide jobs and make the United States a better place to live.
America will surely be united too for the first time. God bless America. Obama, yes he can. I am Patricia Foluke Wandes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: Nine year old Patricia is one of our i-Reporters. She's in fourth grade at Trip (ph) Elementary School in Grayson, Georgia. And, Patricia, we hear you and your family are big fans of CNN. Thank you so much.
All over the country kids writing letters to President-elect Obama. We love it when you share them with us. So send us your letter to the next president. Look for the i-Report link on our Web site, CNN.com/campbell.
And coming up, the fee you may never have known you were paying on your credit card bill. It's called rate jacking. Some compare it to loan-sharking, and tonight the government says it's being brought under control, or is it? That is coming up.
But first, Joe Johns has tonight's "Briefing."
Hey, Joe.
JOE JOHNS, CNN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT: Campbell, late developments tonight on those remains that could be missing toddler Caylee Anthony. More bones have been found at the Orlando, Florida, site where the child's skull was discovered last week by a utility worker. And now sheriff's deputies say the same worker called them three times in August to report something suspicious at the site. He's not considered a suspect.
New violence in Greece tonight. Thousands of demonstrators took on Athens police, throwing bombs filled with gas and paint. The protests have been going on for 12 days after police killed a 15-year- old boy.
The space shuttle could be moving to a town near you. NASA has sent letters asking museums, schools, and other facilities if they'd take a look at the three orbiters after they retired in 2010. The new home must have experience with out-of-this-world exhibits and cost $42 million.
And take a look at this. A Minnesota man and a deer stuck out on a frozen lake. At first he tries to grab the doe with his hands, no luck. So then he uses a rope to tow her across the ice and back on to the land. It took her a minute to get up on all four feet. But in the end, she was back prancing again.
BROWN: Oh.
JOHNS: What a shot.
BROWN: That is. A nice, sweet, happy ending story. Joe, thanks very much.
And still to come, everybody, a fair question for the credit card companies. If banks can borrow money at close to zero percent, why do you charge people like us double-digit interest rates?
And another good question, what is in a name, especially for this guy? You won't believe it. Don't miss tonight's "Bull's-Eye."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BROWN: Now to the outrage over a different kind of credit crunch. The credit card companies crunching you with surprise interest rate hikes even when you pay your bills on time. It's called rate jacking. And one of the big banks behind it just got $45 billion of your tax dollars as part of the financial bailout.
Today, the Federal Reserve began to fight back. But it may not have a whole lot of punch as we're finding out. Drew Griffin of our special investigations unit has been reading the fine print on this story. He's joining us now.
So, Drew, these new rules that came out today, they're supposed to protect all of us who have credit cards. Do they?
DREW GRIFFIN, CNN SPECIAL INVESTIGATIVE UNIT CORRESPONDENT: Somewhat. Here are the new rules that they came up with in a nutshell. There's going to be no rate jacking for the first year of your card. So if you have a new card, they have to at least honor that interest rate you signed up for a year. And then if they do jack your rates, Campbell, they can't go back and put it back on the balance that you rung up in that first year.
That is a biggie. Full disclosure of all interest rate hikes up front and 45 days to opt out if you don't like the new interest rate. That will give you time to shop around. And then they're going to standardize the billing cycle, not to be able to shorten those billing cycles to try to catch you in a late fee. And there's going to be a limit on some of those fees. Those are all pretty good pro-consumer rules.
BROWN: But I guess like anything to do with credit cards, you have to look at the fine print and this new rules don't take effect apparently from what I'm reading here until July of 2010. I mean, Congress seemingly has had plenty of time to look into this. Nothing can be done to help people out sooner?
GRIFFIN: You know, I'm going to try to put on my reporter hat but that's a complete joke. The fed has been reviewing this for four years, reviewing the legislation and the rules on this for four years. And today, they come up with this? Nineteen months from now there's going to be a change? For most Americans that is 19 credit card bills from now there's going to be a change. Are there actions in Congress going on? Plenty. Plenty of bills in Congress. Tough bills.
One of them passed the House, the credit card holders bill of rights. It went right to the Senate Banking Committee where it sat, where a lot of these bills sit.
The Senate Banking Committee, Campbell, is like the black hole of credit card bills. They don't move out of there, including the bill by the chairman of that, Senator Chris Dodd. He has a pretty tough bill, but it's not going anywhere. We tried to ask him about that. And we got a statement.
But look at the pressure he is under and the money he gets. $4 million, more than $4 million from security and investment firms? There's a lot of pressure, a lot of lobbying and a lot of money coming from Wall Street to keep these credit card rules out.
The senator, he did have a bill and he sent us a statement saying, you know, I do have this tough legislation that I'm trying to get through. "But the legislation has been met with stiff opposition by the credit card industry." It has not yet successfully passed. That's from the chairman of the Senate Banking Committee, Campbell.
BROWN: Yes. It's pretty hard to believe. And we should just mention because we teased this earlier, Citigroup in particular, is one of the banks, of course, that is doing a lot of the so-called rate jacking. And, of course, they're getting $45 billion from the bailout money, taxpayer bailout money. So a whole other angle to the story as well.
Drew Griffin with us tonight on all of this. Drew, thanks very much for your time. Appreciate it.
GRIFFIN: Thanks, Campbell.
BROWN: Coming up, the heartbreaking story of Anna Mae He. Two families fought to raise her. No one expected her life today to be so sad. Our exclusive report from China.
And if you're named Abe Lincoln, you ought to be pretty honest. But this guy went above and beyond. Wait until you hear what he did to earn our "Bull's-Eye."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BROWN: Tonight's "Bull's-Eye" goes to Abe Lincoln. Really?
This Abe Lincoln lives in northern New York State. He recently found a wallet containing nearly $3,000 in cash and made sure it all got back to the rightful owner. Now this Abe Lincoln looks frankly more like Santa Claus. But a reporter for CNN affiliate WPTZ guessed what both Lincolns have in common, the same nickname.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, it's "Honest Abe," isn't it?
ABE LINCOLN, RETURNED WALLET WITH $2835: It usually comes out.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So are you -- are you "Honest Abe"?
LINCOLN: Well, yes. If I wasn't, you and I as well (INAUDIBLE). I'm glad we did it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: And we're glad, too. For his honesty, Abe Lincoln gets tonight's "Bull's-Eye."
Time for a peek at what's ahead on "LARRY KING LIVE" top of the hour. It's all exclusive tonight.
Larry, what are you working on this evening?
LARRY KING, HOST, "LARRY KING LIVE": Well, we've got breaking news on the Caylee Anthony case. Some shocking claims have just surfaced.
Plus, the face transplant surgery that all of America is talking about. We've got the prime time exclusive with the surgeon who performed the operation.
And then, four White House staffers past and present will rate the Bush presidency. They saw it all up close and behind the scenes. We'll get their take. It should be fascinating.
It's all next on "LARRY KING LIVE" Thursday -- Campbell.
BROWN: Thanks, Larry. We'll be watching.
Up next, a "NO BIAS, NO BULL" exclusive. Twist and turns in the fight for a little girl. Stakes are high, nothing less than the future of this little girl. Her former legal guardians will join me live for an exclusive interview.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BROWN: Many nights we spend our time here talking about people who knew or should have known that what they were doing was wrong. And this is not that kind of story and that's what makes it so moving.
It was about a year ago that we last saw this little girl, Anna Mae, who found herself caught between four people who clearly love her -- the couple from Memphis she had lived with since she was a month old and her Chinese birth parents who wanted her back. Here's the wrenching thing. It's pretty clear they all want to do the right thing by this little girl. But what is the right thing?
Well now that is -- that Anna Mae is in China, it may be even a more complicated question. John Vause has the exclusive story for us tonight. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN VAUSE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The battle over Anna Mae raged in public and in the courts for six years until finally the Tennessee Supreme Court told Jerry and Louise Baker they had to give her up. This is that last day Anna Mae was 8 and the Bakers had lost her.
LOUISE BAKER, ANNA HE'S FORMER GUARDIAN: Mommy loves you very much.
VAUSE: Soon after that, Anna Mae and her Chinese mom and dad returned to China, a place Anna Mae had never been. Her new home is here in the sprawling mega city of Chongqing (ph) in Central China on the banks of the Yangtze River.
(on camera): Compared with Memphis, Chongqing (ph) is a different world. The locals say during winter, the sun rarely breaks through this polluted fog. And the entire population of this one city, including the outlying areas, more than 32 million people.
(voice-over): Today Anna Mae is 9. She does not yet speak Chinese and she's having some big problems.
ANNA MAE HE, CHILD IN CUSTODY BATTLE: Oh, I hate being in China. It's one of the worst places I've ever been. When I first came here in the big city, there's too many pollution.
VAUSE: A little girl loved so much by her two families, so what happened to Anna Mae? Her parents were immigrants working in Tennessee.
Nine years ago, just weeks after Anna Mae was born, they fell into hard times and couldn't care for her. Jerry and Louise Baker agreed to temporarily take care of the baby. Over time, the little girl would learn to love Chuck E. Cheese and Halloween, and the Bakers came to love her as their own.
The battle centered on what was best for the little girl. It was a story with angry, racist cultural arguments for and against both sets of parents. Then the case was appealed to the Tennessee Supreme Court. Bruce Boyer filed a brief on behalf of Anna Mae's Chinese parents, Casey and Jack He.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You're looking at the fitness of a parent. I don't think that it's ever appropriate to measure a parent's fitness based on how much money they have, or based on what country they come from, or based on the cultural background that a parent brings to the job of raising the child.
VAUSE: And the court agreed. In a 20-page opinion, the chief justice wrote, "Any evidence that Anna Mae would be harmed by a change in custody because she had grown attached to the Bakers would not constitute sufficient substantial harm to prevent the Hes from regaining custody." Soon after Jack and Casey returned to China with Anna Mae, the pressure of it all finally took its toll. The couple separated. Casey He refuses to say why she left her husband, Jack.
CASEY HE, ANNA MAE'S MOTHER: Right now, I don't want to talk to him, about him. I just want to take my kids. I want to try my best to take care of my kids. Raise a life.
VAUSE (on camera): But Jack who did speak to us by phone saying the marriage is over and they're divorced. As for why, he says there was a difference over how to raise all their children. He lives in another city almost 500 miles from here but insists he still wants to support his family.
So do you miss him?
A. HE: No.
VAUSE: Really? Why is that?
A. HE: Because I don't know. It just has a feeling in me.
VAUSE: Anna Mae, her mom, brother and sister live in a small two bedroom apartment.
(on camera): That's her sister.
C. HE: Yes.
VAUSE (voice-over): All three kids attend boarding school during the week. This is Anna Mae's school. Casey says it's best. Anna was a straight A student in the U.S. but now struggles because she can't speak Chinese.
C. HE: I know that many American people say, oh, I'm bad. But in China, this -- the Chinese people don't think so. They go to school, study very hard.
VAUSE: When her father left, Anna Mae's mother relented allowing her to speak to Jerry and Louise Baker once a week.
A. HE: School is not fun.
VAUSE: But Casey insists Anna Mae is better off in China with her than living with the Bakers.
C. HE: I love my kids. It's a mother's love from my heart. I can take care of the kids. Give them a better life.
VAUSE: But Anna is not so sure.
A. HE: I cannot pick any one. I would die if I pick one.
VAUSE: Really? Why is that?
A. HE: Because I just don't know which one to pick. VAUSE: So how does Anna Mae feel? Did the legal system protect her? Of course, she's too young to have an answer. What is clear is that no one ever expected any of this would happen.
John Vause, CNN, Chongqing (ph), China.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BROWN: And we're joined right now by Jerry and Louis Baker of Memphis, who raised Anna Mae for the first eight years of her life. They watched as she was returned to her birth parents half the world away in China.
And welcome to you both. Appreciate you joining us tonight.
LOUISE BAKER, ANNA HE'S FORMER GUARDIAN: Thank you.
BROWN: I know that you have been speaking to Anna about once a week over the last few months. Tell us, give us a sense what these conversations are like? What does she tell you about her life now?
L. BAKER: We start out with Amy, our youngest one talking to her. And then it goes through the whole family with everyone getting to talk. We talk to her about her week, how was her week like, and what her weekend is going to be. Just about all different kind of things, you know, what she's doing right now.
BROWN: And, Louise, you know, Anna really obviously after 8 years became a part of your family. You've got four biological children of your own who consider her a sister. How have they been handling this?
L. BAKER: They're all handling it pretty good right now. It helps a lot that we get to talk to her. That makes it a lot bearable. Our daughter, Amy, has had the hardest time adjusting, which is a year -- they're a year apart.
BROWN: I can imagine. Jerry and Louise, stay with us. We're going to be right back. We have to take a quick break.
JERRY BAKER, ANNA HE'S FORMER GUARDIAN: OK.
BROWN: We'll talk more about this in a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BROWN: You can see the pictures there of Anna Mae. And let's go back now to Jerry and Louise Baker who raised Anna Mae for the first eight years of her life, then watched as she was returned to her birth parents half a world away in China.
And we know that you all have been trying to raise money to perhaps have Anna visit you in Memphis or even for you to go to China. I mean, how important is it for you to be able to see for yourself how she's doing? J.BAKER: Well, the opportunity to see this video in itself is then just a real encouragement. First time we've seen Anna for a long time.
We are trying to raise dollars in order to get the Hes here to come for a visit. We're trying to get help for Casey He on immigration. And then most of all, we're trying to get help for an international school for Anna that there's a good school right there in their city that we would love for her to have an opportunity to attend.
BROWN: So she can speak the language and understand what's going on around her, obviously.
J. BAKER: Yes. That would be just great.
BROWN: You know, what is it -- I mean you don't have custody of her. She's living a world away with her birth mother. What do you hope to achieve by maintaining this relationship with her?
J. BAKER: Well, the decision by the courts is past. So what we hope to gain from this is the opportunity to stay a part of Anna's life and for her to always know that we love her and she'll be always a part of our family.
BROWN: And I know you have a message. You have something you want convey to her. What would you like to say to her tonight?
J. BAKER: Well, Louise is here with me and so is Amy. And we wanted to just wish Casey and Andy and Alita (ph) and Anna a merry Christmas. And we just want Anna to know that we love her.
L. BAKER: We miss her. We love her with all of our hearts. Merry Christmas, Anna.
J. BAKER: And there's a stocking on the fireplace with her name. And there will always be a stocking on there for her.
BROWN: This case has taken up so much of the last 10 years of your life. Do you have any regrets at all?
L. BAKER: No. We'd do it all over again. She's part of our family and always will be.
BROWN: Go ahead.
J. BAKER: I just want to say that, you know, we share -- we're 3,000 miles -- or a lot of thousands of miles away but we still share the same sun and the same moon, the same stars, and the same savior. So we're just thankful for this opportunity to send a message to Anna about our love.
L. BAKER: And our hearts are grateful to Casey for allowing us to be a part in her seeing that it's best for her to have both families a part of her life. BROWN: I know that you all have been so incredibly generous. You have taken in other foster children since you lost custody of Anna. Did your experience in any way change your view of being a foster parent?
L. BAKER: Actually, our foster -- we haven't had any foster children since Anna. We had ten previous to Anna.
BROWN: And, again, would you -- do you want to continue that now given what you've been through?
J. BAKER: We've got two grandchildren that will be in our family here in the next 30 days. So I think we'll concentrate on them.
BROWN: Yes. Sounds like you got your hands full.
Well, thank you very much for your time tonight. We really appreciate you coming on and sharing your story with us. And we wish you all the best of luck.
J.BAKER: Thank you. Merry Christmas, Anna.
BROWN: And that's it for us tonight.
"LARRY KING LIVE" starts right now.
