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American Morning
New Year of 2009; Israel continues air assault on the Gaza Strip.
Aired January 01, 2009 - 06:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): 2009: As one countdown ends -- another begins.
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT-ELECT: Yes, we can. Yes, we can.
CHETRY: Nineteen days until a new American president takes office. Today, a look at promises and challenges ahead.
And, a major milestone in a war zone as the seat of government goes back to Iraq.
On this AMERICAN MORNING.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHETRY: And welcome. It's Thursday. It's January 1st, 2009. Happy New Year! Here's a toast. We can't have any champagne but we can toast a Red Bull.
JOE JOHNS, CNN ANCHOR: A Red Bull is good to go.
CHETRY: It's also (ph) bubbly.
(LAUGHTER)
JOHNS: Six o'clock in the morning, folks.
CHETRY: Exactly, and what a wonderful way to start 2009. Joe Johns is filling in for John Roberts. John Roberts is getting a well- deserved break.
And welcome. It's good to see you.
JOHNS: Thank you and very glad to be here, once again.
CHETRY: Yes. He's going to tell us his tale. He had a night in a hotel, of course, because he's in town filling in this week. And when you're sitting in a hotel in the middle of Times Square, you're not getting much sleep for New Year's Eve.
JOHNS: Absolutely, certainly not at midnight. There was a big explosion. I jumped all the way out of bed almost.
CHETRY: Well, we're glad you're with us this morning. We're glad that he jumped all the way here to the set.
We have a lot going on, the start of a brand new year on this AMERICAN MORNING. We want to show you a live look at Times Square. This is what it looks now. And it's always a sight to see. I was out there last year for the New Year's Eve celebration covering it on the Anderson show. And the amazing thing is that six hours later, it looks like nothing happened.
JOHNS: Yes, it's incredible the job they do, and so quickly.
CHETRY: Yes, hats off to them for the clean up. But it was a far different scene last night. Let's check it out.
Thousands braved the bitter cold to ring in 2009. Get a room -- just kidding.
(LAUGHTER)
CHETRY: The wind chill made it feel like it was one degree outside. And throughout the morning, we'll bring you the sights and sounds as the world rang in the New Year.
JOHNS: All right. We begin in the news this morning with the man picked to replace Barack Obama's in the Senate. He's asking the Illinois Supreme Court to force certification of his appointment. Roland Burris is facing a number of road blocks on his way to Capitol Hill. He was thrown into the middle of the Rod Blagojevich circus when the governor appointed him to the empty Illinois Senate seat. Blagojevich is facing corruption charges for trying to allegedly sell that very same seat.
One smoke-free city is seeing a dramatic drop in heart attacks. A government study says, hospitalizations dropped 41 percent in the three years following a smoking ban in Pueblo, Colorado. Doctor says it's a stunning glimpse into the effects of second-hand smoke -- something responsible for 46,000 heart disease deaths each year nationwide according to the CDC.
Today, new smoking bans take effect for bars in Oregon and North Carolina. State employees can no longer light up in inside state- owned vehicles.
Governor Sarah Palin is saying her daughter and future son-in-law are working their butts off as new parents. She told "People," they are also finishing school and working at the same time. Palin's 18- year-old daughter, Bristol, gave birth over the weekend. She also told the "Associated Press" that Bristol and the father, Levi Johnston, are not high school dropouts despite what some media outlets are reporting.
CHETRY: Well, the New Year bringing with it a new administration. President-elect Barack Obama is heading to Chicago today to prepare for the transition which is now just 19 days away. And one of the early tests of the incoming administration will be the handling of Iraq. Now, just a few hours ago, Iraqis took control of the heavily- fortified Green Zone. It's the area that's surrounded by massive concrete walls and razor wire. It houses the Iraqi government, the international coalition, and most embassies including the U.S. embassy. A handover of the four square miles in the heart of Baghdad is a huge milestone for Iraq regaining full sovereignty.
CNN's Jill Dougherty is live in Baghdad.
Tell us about the significance of this. But then, also, the security implications, especially for Americans that are still working there.
JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, Kiran, we just came back from that location where they had the handover ceremony. And a lot of security, I can guarantee. But the big switch, the big thing, is that now, the Iraqi security forces are in control of all of the checkpoints around the Green Zone and, in fact, in charge of security in the Green Zone. And that's what the ceremony today was about -- the official handing over of authority to the Iraqis for security.
And this is really the first step in that Status of Force Agreement that was signed between the United States and Iraq back in November. And that defines now, beginning today, January 1st, it's a new ball game. It defines how the U.S. troops are going to be functioning, what their responsibilities are, what they will do, and how they will do it. In fact, one of the generals said basically, it's we will do only what the Iraqis ask us to do -- Kiran?
CHETRY: So, Jill, is this the beginning, then, of the Americans pulling out, if you will, of Iraq? I mean, handing over the Green Zone which was really seen as the central location for the foreign occupation, if you will, of Iraq?
DOUGHERTY: Right. It's the beginning of, of course, a very long process because U.S. troops officially, according to that agreement, won't be out until the end of 2011. So, that's three years from now. But it's a gradual process.
And, you know, just in terms of the security over there at the Green Zone, they will be looking at it once again in three months. It's not like the United States suddenly disappears from the picture. The Iraqis are in charge. The Americans are there to help, should they need help, should they need some advice, and increasing, continuing training. And then in three months, they reevaluate to see where they stand, and more and more will be handed over to the Iraqis.
CHETRY: Well, so, not just a calendar date but really, a New Year in Iraq as well for many other reasons. Jill Dougherty, thanks so much.
JOHNS: Kiran, and along with the war in Iraq, President-elect Barack Obama will have to deal with renewed violence in the Middle East when he takes office. Right now, the situation is showing no sign of letting up. Israeli air strikes are tearing to the skies over Gaza for a sixth straight day now, and Hamas is refusing to back down. Surveillance video capturing one of the rocket attacks deep inside Israel. Palestinian medical sources say nearly 400 Palestinians have been killed.
CNN's Paula Hancocks is live at an ambulance center in the Israeli town of Sderot.
And, Paula, Hamas rockets are still being launched. Is the Israeli mission falling apart?
PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, hello, John. Certainly, those rockets are still coming and they are getting further than they've ever been before. This is quite an interesting development we're seeing now.
I'm here in the middle of Sderot. This is a couple of miles, probably, one mile north of Gaza. This really is ground zero for where the rockets are falling, has been for the past seven to eight years. But recently, over the past 24 hours, we've seen these Hamas militants trying to reach these further targets, Beersheba, which is 25 miles away, showing that they have the capability to hit further into the state of Israel and there hasn't been an attack in Sderot itself since last night. So, certainly, that's different.
Obviously (ph), these Hamas militants are risking a lot by coming out into the open and launching the rockets because there is a constant traffic up in the air with the Israeli air force trying to target these rocket launchers.
So, at this point, Israel doesn't want a ceasefire. They know they have not done enough to stop these rockets.
JOHNS: So, Paula, for the second straight day now, I ask you essentially the same question: Are diplomatic talks having any real impact?
HANCOCKS: Not really.
We know that the Israeli foreign minister, Tzipi Livni is in France today. She's going to meet with President Sarkozy. They'll be talking about this option of a 48-hour truce that the French wanted to see in place, the international community wanted to see in place, to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza.
Israel said no to that at this point. It says they're not talking about a ceasefire. It's not the time for a ceasefire. It's a time to stop these rockets. And no matter what is going on behind- the-scenes, on the ground, things are continuing. And we're still waiting for a possible ground operation.
JOHNS: Paula Hancocks, thanks so much for that -- Kiran?
CHETRY: Well, new this morning, NBA Hall of Famer, Charles Barkley, busted on suspicion of drunk driving. Police in Scottsdale, Arizona, said that he refused a breath test after they pulled him over when he ran a stop sign. But a blood test back at the station showed probable cause to arrest him.
Barkley is a basketball commentator for our sister station, TNT. He released a statement through Turner Sports saying, quote, "I'm disappointed that I put myself in that situation. The Scottsdale police were fantastic. I will not comment further as it is a legal matter."
Well, this morning, his rescue is being called a miracle. A 21- year-old snowboarder is found alive after spending at least three days trapped in the Vancouver mountains in extreme weather conditions. James Martin was airlifted to safety yesterday and rushed to the hospital where he's reportedly being treated for frostbite. Martin's cousin says he used his snowboard to keep moving and to stay warm and actually tried to flag down a helicopter Tuesday, but rescuers didn't see him at that time. Martin reportedly had no food with him during his 72 hours in the frigid cold.
And Oprah Winfrey is giving the gift of education this New Year. She sent the Ron Clark Academy in one of Atlanta's poorest neighborhoods a check for $365,000. Winfrey called the school's founder a role model who's making a profound difference. Clark says the donation will likely go to scholarships for students. Clark and his students became overnight stars during the presidential election when a video of the students performing a political rap they wrote appeared on YouTube.
JOHNS: The 2008 nightmare on Wall Street comes to a close. So, just how much of your money was lost and what can we expect for the New Year? We're "Minding Your Business."
Joe Biden said Barack Obama will be tested within his first six months in office. Do the American people think he is ready? We'll tell you what they are saying.
But first, some of the sights and sounds of New Year's Eve in Times Square. It's nine minutes after the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(MUSIC PLAYING)
JOHNS: Wall Street ending a down year on a positive note, closing up more than 100 points, but still suffering historic losses for the year. Nearly 33 percent of the Dow's value -- gone. That's $6.9 trillion, that ranging (ph) from stock portfolios and 401(k)s. It's the Dow's worst showing since 1931 when the country was in the midst of the Great Depression.
Do you believe we're saying this? So now, all eyes turn to 2009 with optimists hoping stocks have nowhere to go but up. Christine Romans is here with quite a set up.
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I can tell you that -- you know, do you believe we're saying this? All year, I've been saying I can't believe these words are coming out of my mouth.
JOHNS: Yes.
ROMANS: I mean, every day, it was another catastrophe and calamity.
CHETRY: I have a little -- what -- silver lining, please, can we?
ROMANS: Yes.
JOHNS: Yes.
CHETRY: Or it's something if I'm wrong.
If you ...
JOHNS: Please.
(CROSSTALK)
CHETRY: If you jumped in to the market six years ago, are you exactly where you where?
ROMANS: Sure, I think you're about exactly where you were. There you go.
JOHNS: Really?
CHETRY: OK. So, you see that?
ROMANS: Also ...
JOHNS: Wait, when you came in to the market just six years (ph), that's not good.
(LAUGHTER)
CHETRY: What I'm saying is we keep saying it's the worst since 1933.
JOHNS: Right.
CHETRY: If you as the investor ...
(CROSSTALK)
CHETRY: Look, (INAUDIBLE) of my 401(k), it's not pretty. But I think, in six years, we'll be back.
JOHNS: Right. You're right.
CHETRY: We'll be back.
ROMANS: I hope.
JOHNS: Yes, but that's six years.
ROMANS: But look, the other thing too is if you properly -- (INAUDIBLE) six years, you're the optimist, I'm a pessimist and the realist -- the fact is, if you also have your 401(k) balanced properly, it wasn't, for example, look at the damage report. You got the S&P down 38.5 percent. Well, your whole 401(k) wasn't in the S&P -- we hope. We hope it was at...
JOHNS: Yes.
ROMANS: Except if you're Kiran, the optimist -- OK, Kiran, we're going to talk after the show. NASDAQ down 40 percent. It wasn't all in the NASDAQ. You probably have some bonds in there. You have a little capital reservation, unless you're Kiran. And the Dow down, what do we say, 33.8 percent. Look at G.M. on the Dow, down 87 percent this year, Citigroup down 77 percent. Even a couple of years ago, you couldn't go wrong buying financial stocks.
JOHNS: Sure.
CHETRY: But wasn't every single company on the Dow with the exception of McDonald's and Wal-Mart down at least 10 percent or more?
ROMANS: Yes, sure. I mean, it was just a really ugly year. But it doesn't matter. I mean, last year doesn't matter. That already happened.
JOHNS: Yes.
ROMANS: What's going to happen this year? Well, I never make predictions about the stock market because it will just get you in trouble. But I can predict today, I'm going to make my first prediction. The stock market will not go down today.
CHETRY: Right, it's down (ph).
JOHNS: Yes, because they are not doing anything.
(CROSSTALK)
(LAUGHTER)
ROMANS: And then I can't tell you what will happen after that. But I can also tell you that this year it's so important -- don't just put your head in the sand. You got to look at the 401(k) now. Your money this year is still going to be a very important subject.
You need to know how much money you have on hand for, in case, losing your job, for example, you need to keep very close eye on how you're doing at work and what you're doing at work, and what your company is doing and where you are positioned in your job because you cannot be taking risks in 2009 with your job or money. Just like in 2008. But we know what the landscape is like.
And what I want to know is what you all think we're going to call what happen in 2008. Will it be the great crash, will it be the great recession? What do we think it's going to be called? We'll never know these things in hindsight. But I'd actually like you to email us.
JOHNS: Yes.
ROMANS: Because I would like to come back and see what you, guys, think we should call this. Email us at AM@CNN.com. I want to know, is it the "Great Recession," is it the "Crash of '08," is it -- do you have something clever and printable, please, for a family morning audience, what we can call what happened here last year.
JOHNS: The teeny-weeny depression? No, I ...
ROMANS: The teeny-weeny -- that's a financial technical term, right? The teeny-weeny. I think so, Joe.
All right. So, hey, you know, I'm telling you today stocks aren't going to go down and that's my -- I'm putting money on it.
JOHNS: You got it.
CHETRY: Brighter days lie ahead.
JOHNS: All right.
(LAUGHTER)
CHETRY: Well, is President-elect Barack Obama tough enough for the job? The American people think he is ready when it comes to foreign affairs. We're going to get a look at that story.
Also, a New Year and new promises for 2009. Everyone says, "I'm going to lose weight," "I'm going to get healthy," "I'm going to quit smoking," "I'm going to workout more" -- but how do you defy the odds and actually keep that New Year's resolution?
Sixteen and a half minutes after the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(MUSIC PLAYING)
CHETRY: Welcome back to the "Most News in the Morning."
The Obamas are getting set to make a big move. The president- elect is moving out of Chicago. He and his family will be wrapping up their Hawaiian vacation today. And, while they are not heading straight to the White House, they are going to D.C. But for about two weeks, they'll be residing in the luxurious Hay-Adams Hotel. And then, while 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue is being prepped for the family, they'll also be staying there for a while.
And then, of course, the move comes just in time for the first daughters, Sasha and Malia Obama, to start school at Sidwell Friends, which is, by the way, Chelsea Clinton's alma mater, on Monday. Well, you'll remember Vice President-elect Joe Biden's now famous sound bite. He said that President-elect Obama would be tested within his first six months in office. Well, with the inauguration now just 19 days away, does the American public think Obama is tough enough to handle the big challenges?
CNN's Bill Schneider takes a look -- Bill?
WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Kiran, Joe, the quality that Americans most admire about President-elect Obama may come as a surprise -- toughness.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SCHNEIDER (voice-over): Barack Obama's the three Cs: casual, cool, connected. But is he a tough guy?
JOE BIDEN, VICE PRESIDENT-ELECT: It will not be six months before the world tests Barack Obama like they did John Kennedy.
SCHNEIDER: The American public is confident Obama will pass that test. Three-quarters believe the president-elect is a strong and decisive leader. That's much higher than the number who thought George W. Bush was strong and decisive when he first took office; higher than Bill Clinton at the beginning of his presidency. In fact, on strength and decisiveness, Obama is seen as about the same as Ronald Reagan was in 1981. That's pretty tough.
Obama gets his highest marks on measure of strength, inspires confidence, tough enough for the job, strong and decisive. In fact, Obama scores higher than President Bush did in the months following 9/11 when Bush's image as a leader was soaring.
What convinced Americans Obama is such a strong leader? He beat two very tough opponents, John McCain, a war hero.
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN, (R) ARIZONA: Fight for what's right for our country.
SCHNEIDER: And Hillary Clinton, who proved to be tough, relentless fighter. She never gave up. And neither did Obama, even after he lost the New Hampshire primary.
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT-ELECT: Yes, we can. Yes, we can.
SCHNEIDER: Yes, he did.
SEN. HILLARY CLINTON, (D) NEW YORK: Let's declare together in one voice, right here, right now, that Barack Obama is our candidate and he will be our president.
SCHNEIDER: And now, she's on President Obama's team.
CLINTON: Mr. President-elect, thank you for this honor.
(END VIDEOTAPE) SCHNEIDER: For decades, Democrats have been looking for a tough liberal, like JFK, the hero of the Cuban missile crisis, or Harry Truman who fired General Douglas MacArthur, or LBJ, who was a force to be contended with. Obama seems to have that image. But he's going to have to face more tests soon -- Kiran, Joe?
JOHNS: And, as the nation rings in a New Year, the sun is beginning to set on the nation's "Western White House."
Coming up: An inside look at Crawford, Texas, a quiet town for nearly a decade has been a political hot spot. And, if you raise your glass to a new beginning, we've got some tips you can't afford to miss on how to make keeping your resolutions easier.
It's 22 minutes after the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
JOHNS: Welcome back to the Most News in the Morning.
We've given you numbers five through two, counting down the biggest stories of 2008 on CNN.com. And today, it's number one. And there's absolutely no doubt what that is -- the election of Barack Obama as America's first black president.
The election dominated the headlines for months. Through the primaries, the Republican contenders slowly withdrew, leaving John McCain as the nominee. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton continued an epic primary battle, all leading to a solid Electoral College win for Obama in the general election in November.
And you can see a full retrospective of 2008 online at CNN.com/yearinreview. There's top videos, a look back at the best entertainment news, even the year's best mugshots. Again, that's CNN.com/yearinreview.
And as President-elect Obama prepares for life in the White House, the small rural town known as the "Western White House" prepares for life outside the limelight. After eight years, Crawford, Texas, is finally returning to its quiet country rhythms.
Here's CNN's Elaine Quijano.
ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Joe and Kiran, the next time George W. Bush returns here to Crawford, it will be as a former president.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
QUIJANO (voice-over): After eight years, the sun is setting on the "Western White House": Crawford, Texas, population just over 700, with its most famous resident, President George W. Bush leaving office.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: All in all, it's been a good thing. QUIJANO: Longtime resident, Marilyn Judy (ph), remembers how President Bush visited Crawford's coffee shop restaurant, and its schools, sometimes, with world leaders in tow. In 2001 ...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The Putin conference. You know, those kids were a part of history. And you can -- no other kids in America were going to be a part of history like that.
QUIJANO (on camera): Students also learned another lesson that year, about the pressure of being home to the president of the United States.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We were probably the only school in America that evacuated too because we thought the plane was coming here to the ranch.
QUIJANO (voice-over): In 2005, Cindy Sheehan arrived, protesting her son Casey's death in Iraq and demanding unsuccessfully to see President Bush at his ranch.
CINDY SHEEHAN, PROTESTER: He never has had the courage to meet with me.
QUIJANO: Bill Johnson watched the crowds from his souvenir shops, the Yellow Rose.
BILL JOHNSON, STORE OWNER: There's been 10, 15, 20 cameras out here, (INAUDIBLE) on some afternoon.
QUIJANO: A self-described cowboy ...
JOHNSON: We realize we're not in the mainstream. And don't want to be.
QUIJANO: Johnson says the national media has mostly given Crawford a fair shake -- mostly.
JOHNSON: I think, overall, Crawford has been in many ways given a good shot in some ways it has, because those that come looking for a (INAUDIBLE).
QUIJANO: And while President Bush is keeping his ranch, residents know the spotlight is fading fast on their one-traffic light town. But they say Crawford is better, it's residents closer for having the "Western White House."
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We banded together and tried to put on a good show, or a good face for the media, and I think that's made us all better.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
QUIJANO: On January 20th, Mr. and Mrs. Bush will return here to Texas, and a new house in Dallas. Aides say they'll likely continue spending time at their Crawford ranch -- Joe, Kiran?
CHETRY: All right. Well, it's just about 30 minutes after the hour right now.
Here's a check on the top stories. Hamas vowing to fight into the last breath as Israel's air offensive continues over the skies of Gaza. Overnight, air strikes levelled the Palestinian parliament building. And this morning, Hamas rockets continue to land inside Israel.
The human cost of the six-day war is rising. Palestinian medical sources are saying that 400 people have been killed and another 2,000 wounded. Meanwhile, Israel says four Israelis have been killed and another 65 wounded by Palestinian rocket fire according to police and military officials.
Well, a sour note from the music industry as a jump in downloads didn't make up for a steep slide in physical album sales. For the eighth consecutive year, those CD sales dipped, according to researchers. Sales of downloads, though, topped 1 billion last year. Digital tracks now account for 32 percent of all music purchases.
And, the bitter cold couldn't hold back the revelers at the crossroads of world. A blizzard of confetti rained down on those kissing in the New Year, as hundreds of thousands bundled up in Times Square. But by the time the ball fell, the mercury had plunged to about 18 degrees. The windchill made it feel like zero at times.
Well, as millions raise their glasses to the New Year, many toasted to new beginnings like healthier eating, spending less money or putting down the cigarette. Now comes the hard, though, and that's following through on all of these resolutions.
So how can you make good on your personal promises?
Well, Jeff Gardere is a clinical psychologist. He's here in New York and he joins us now.
I have one foolproof way, don't make any resolutions.
JEFF GARDERE, CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST: Well, if you're not , if you're not serious enough, if you're not focused enough to do it, you better leave it alone, because a lot of people have a lot of resolutions and the problem is that they don't make them because they don't focus on that specific one they really need to work on.
JOHNS: Yes, well.
(LAUGHTER)
JOHNS: I have about 15. This is the first time I've had a whole bunch of resolutions and I'm just certain that I'm going to follow through on every one of them.
GARDERE: Well, it's good that you make the effort and your intentions, I know, will be excellent on that.
JOHNS: Right.
GARDERE: But you're better off narrowing down on maybe two or three that you know that you can do.
CHETRY: All right, so, step one is to be realistic, right?
GARDERE: You have to be specific. You have to be realistic. A lot of people talk about they want to lose weight. Don't say I want to lose weight. Be specific as to how much weight you want to lose. Be realistic whether your body can lose that weight.
And the most important thing is you have to make a plan, something that you can refer to each and every day that can help you through.
JOHNS: Well, so just why is the planning part so important? I mean it seems like you should be able to just do it and freelance as you go along.
GARDERE: Sure. Sure.
JOHNS: Or -- I mean intuitively you ought to be able to flexible, right?
GARDERE: Well, the -- the problem is that a lot of folks are cockeyed optimists and they go into it, and because they are not organized they tend to lose their focus. So if you have the plan, you write it down, you put your goals perhaps up on the fridge.
It's a reminder as to what you have to do. But you have to look at the incremental, step by step on how to do it and that will keep you organized and that's the most important thing in getting those resolutions taken care of.
CHETRY: Something else pretty is interesting, actually, is, you know, a private decision almost, right, for you. Personally I want to do this.
But you say that if you actually bring family and friends into the fold, let them know what you're doing you have a better chance of success. Why is that?
GARDERE: Yes, absolutely. Because most family and friends, I would think, care about us, therefore they'll push us towards that goal.
JOHNS: Right.
GARDERE: They'll support us. And a very important part of that is you can have a buddy system. You find other family and friends, perhaps, who have some of the same resolutions and you can do them together.
JOHNS: And you write them down?
GARDERE: And you write them down.
JOHNS: Diary. GARDERE: Like a diary. And it's important to chart the success, because you have to look at each successive -- good thing that you do because it gives you more incentive to keep moving forward. We call that the incremental success. Great positive reinforcement.
CHETRY: It's true. I mean, you stand on the scale, you see things are working or you see that, you know, your body fat is going down and you feel good about it. You feel good when you quit smoking. And so you hopefully will keep doing it.
One of the things that was -- sometimes you slip. Nobody can be perfect (INAUDIBLE) in 365 days. And oftentimes that's when people give it up. You know?
GARDERE: That's one...
CHETRY: One big chicken wing meal and Coke.
GARDERE: Yes, yes, exactly.
JOHNS: Right.
GARDERE: But, look, we're all humans. We're not perfect. And as part of getting through the resolution, we are going to slip, we are going to fall off the wagon, we might have that drink, we might have that smoke.
It doesn't mean that you give. It doesn't mean that you're a bad person. It just means that you're human and that there will be times that you slip.
What you do is you go back to that plan that you wrote down. Tweak it a little bit more. See where you failed and come back like a lion. Come back stronger and you can make it happen. But it is about the tenacity and that's important.
JOHNS: You know, you should be a motivational speaker or something.
(LAUGHTER)
GARDERE: Hey, listen, you know...
JOHNS: You got me into this. Right, I know.
(LAUGHTER)
GARDERE: The bottom line is if you talk the talk, you better walk the walk.
JOHNS: Right.
GARDERE: And I know I've made resolutions and I keep them but it is about the energy. And it's about getting the support from other people. But you've got to believe in yourself. That's one of the resolutions, perhaps, you should make. CHETRY: Good call.
JOHNS: All right. I've got my adrenaline flowing right now.
(CROSSTALK)
GARDERE: All right. That Red Bull helped a little bit, too. Can you tell?
JOHNS: Yes, you got it. We got some more coming in.
GARDERE: All right.
CHETRY: Thanks so much.
JOHNS: Thanks a lot. See you again soon.
GARDERE: Thank you. All right.
JOHNS: This morning new moves to stop the embattled Illinois governor's appointee from taking office. Find out where the fight is heading now.
And House Speaker Nancy Pelosi putting a cork on the Democrats New Year's celebrations. Find out why she's being called a party popper.
34 minutes past the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHETRY: Welcome back to the most news in the morning. Time to fast forward to some of the stories you'll be hearing about today.
Lawmakers in California putting the brakes on text message while driving. And that new law starts today. If you're caught, you get 20 bucks to pay for your first ticket. After that the fine jumps up to $50.
I said you get 20, no, you have to give 20.
Well, Democrats in Congress have been put on alert to get ready to work. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi warning her colleagues that they've got a lot on their plate when they return next week. Already on schedule work on an economic stimulus package.
And the man named to replace Barack Obama in the Senate may be heading into war with some of the nation's most powerful Democrats. Roland Burris has vowed to appear on Capitol Hill Tuesday to try to take the oath of office for Obama's old seat. But Democrats who promised not to seat Burris have some plans of their own.
Here's CNN's Brianna Keilar.
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kiran and Joe, Senate Democrats are scrambling and we're learning new ways they are planning to block Burris's appointment. He said he's planning to show up on Capitol Hill anyway.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KEILAR (voice over): If Roland Burris comes to Washington for the opening day of Congress Tuesday Senate Democrats who oppose his appointment will give him the cold shoulder. There will be no office waiting for him. He won't be allowed on the Senate floor.
ROLAND BURRIS (D), FMR. ILLINOIS ATTORNEY GENERAL: We're certainly going to make contacts with the leadership of the Senate to let them know that the governor of Illinois has made a legal appointment and that I am currently the junior senator from the state of Illinois.
KEILAR: Many experts say Democrats aren't abiding by the constitution if they carry out their threat not to seat Burris.
ABNER GREENE, FORDHAM LAW PROFESSOR: The fact that there's this background taint involving what we've already read about in terms of the phone taps maybe that's a reason to convict Blagojevich, maybe it's a reason to impeach him, but it wouldn't necessarily be a reason to kick Burris out.
KEILAR: Senates Democrats citing internal rules that say Senate shall keep a record of appointments signed by a state secretary plan to hold up Burris's appointment if the Illinois secretary of state, as expected, refuses to sign the appointment document.
If that fails Democrats will refer Burris's appointment to the Senate rules committee to keep him out of the Senate pending an investigation which could take weeks, even months.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KEILAR: The plan, according to a Democratic leadership aide and another aide familiar with these discussions of Burris's appointment is to drag out the process long enough for the Illinois legislature to impeach Blagojevich and for his successor to appoint a Democrat, that Senate Democrats would quickly seat. Kiran and Joe?
CHETRY: All right. Well, the plot thickens, for sure.
Brianna Keilar for us. Thanks so much.
Well, by the way, Roland Burris, if you want to know, you know, what his accomplishments are, you can check it out right there. He has his resume chiseled in stone, literally.
He's erected a granite mausoleum at a Chicago cemetery listing his qualifications and achievement. Among them the first African- American attorney general, as well as the state's first African- American comptroller and there appears to be enough room in the stone, there you see, to add U.S. senator if everything ends up in his favor.
JOHNS: Well, I -- guess you could say safely that this appointment is not dead yet. So... CHETRY: Gosh.
(LAUGHTER)
CHETRY: You really had...
JOHNS: I had to go there.
CHETRY: This is 2009.
JOHNS: Had to go.
(LAUGHTER)
JOHNS: I know.
CHETRY: We're going to take a quick break. It's 40 minutes after the hour.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHETRY (voice over): California gold rush.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have a celebrity president. There is a lot of electricity in the air on Washington.
CHETRY: The inauguration VIP list. A look at which celebs are dropping 50 grand for the red carpet treatment.
You're watching the most news in the morning.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
JOHNS: Frozen Times Square ringing in the New Year. Hundreds of thousands bundled up in blankets, coats, scarfs to celebrate the end of the year and what a year it was. An economic meltdown. Wall Street's collapse. Massive job losses. And last night was one of the coldest Times Square ceremonies ever, perhaps fittingly, as wind chill temperatures plunged to near zero.
Rob Marciano is off today. Reynolds Wolf is at the weather center in Atlanta.
Good morning.
REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, Joe.
(WEATHER REPORT)
JOHNS: Reynolds Wolf, thanks so much.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Happy New Year. CHETRY (voice over): Crazy countdown.
JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And if you don't speak the language, watch the sign language.
CHETRY: Midnight madness. Jeanne Moos counts down the most unusual countdowns of the night.
You're watching the most news in the morning.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHETRY: Wow. Beautiful sight there. A shot of London ringing in the new year with one impressive fireworks show.
Fireworks just one way people around the world ushered in 2009. Here's Jeanne Moos with a whirlwind tour of all of the celebration.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MOOS (voice over): It's the one thing you can count on on New Year's Eve. Countless countdowns from Hong Kong to Thailand, to Australia.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Eight, seven, six, five...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Happy New Year.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Happy New Year.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Happy New Year.
MOOS: And if you don't speak the language, watch the sign language. It seemed the festivities worldwide were presided over by overexcited hosts worked up over the fireworks.
Fireworks were first rate. Australia's Sidney Harbor Bridge or in Taiwan. Style seemed more like towering inferno. In New Zealand the fireworks were accompanied by horns. Some literally rang in the New Year. And some chose not to leave home.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The president will spend a quiet New Year's Eve on the ranch.
MOOS: While others were about as far away as you could get.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We'd like to wish everyone on beautiful planet earth a happy new year.
MOOS: Yes, it looks beautiful from out there, but in deference to the bloody situation in Gaza, countries like Egypt and Dubai cancelled celebrations.
Sounds and sights of fireworks don't seem to work as well when there's real smoke in the air somewhere.
Back on the streets of New York we asked for one word description of the past year.
(On camera): 2008.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Turbulence.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Catastrophic.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Dreadful.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Expensive.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Extremely difficult. I know that's two words.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Tons of fun.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Trouble.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It was good for me.
MOOS (voice over): From the Kremlin to Acropolis to the Ukraine.
(On camera): Most frequently heard word in every language.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Wow.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Whoa.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Wow.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Happy New Year.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Happy New Year.
MOOS: Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHETRY (voice over): Inspired by the president's near miss, who would you throw a shoe at and what kind? A Croc, a clog or maybe one without a sole?
Plus real time.
JOHN ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: I simply grabbed my mug of water and threw it at...
CHETRY: The highs...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Nice melons.
CHETRY: And lows.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He almost got me in my pajamas.
ROBERTS: That would have been fine.
CHETRY: Of a history making year on the most news in the morning.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
JOHNS: Welcome back to the most news in the morning.
It was one of the top political videos of the year and we just can't seem to get enough of it. President Bush ducking, not one but two incoming shoes thrown by an enraged Iraqi journalist.
And while the president successfully managed to duck, it inspired the DailyBeast.com to create their own list of people we'd like to throw a shoe at. I mean you could start an award almost.
Joining me right now is Bryan Curtis, "The Daily Beast" senior editor.
Thank you so much for coming in here on a New Year's Day.
BRYAN CURTIS, SENIOR EDITOR, THE DAILY BEAST: Thank you very much.
JOHNS: And Happy New Year to you.
CURTIS: Happy New Year to you, too.
JOHNS: All right, so, another one of these stories that we talked about so much this year is those CEOs.
CURTIS: Those big three CEOs, yes.
JOHNS: Precisely. And you guys have actually decided that you're going to give them a lot of expensive pumps.
CURTIS: A lot of expensive pumps.
JOHNS: According to this list.
CURTIS: Exactly. You know you remember the scene of them sort of coming to the federal government, hat in hand, but then flying in on a private plane to do so, which sort of called in question whether they're actually going to cut cost and whether fuel efficiency was actually going to be on the docket this year.
JOHNS: Right.
CURTIS: If we're going to throw a shoe, some very expensive pumps at the CEOs. (LAUGHTER)
JOHNS: That's very nice. Yes, and -- certainly it sort of applies.
The next one is Bernie Madoff?
CURTIS: Bernie Madoff.
JOHNS: Right.
(LAUGHTER)
CURTIS: I think 50-billion shoes for Bernie Madoff.
JOHNS: Right. Yes.
CURTIS: Don't you think?
JOHNS: Yes, but you got to wonder, I mean, just one shoe for this guy.
CURTIS: Oh I know.
JOHNS: It seems like he'd get a whole shoe store or something.
CURTIS: Well, I would think so, too. You know, his alleged Ponzi scheme was so amazing because it covered both the super rich on the one hand, and then also, you know, charities, Jewish charities on the other hand, so the very bottom.
So we thought for Bernie, if we have to throw a shoe, it's one with no sole, I think...
(LAUGHTER)
JOHNS: No.
CURTIS: Yes.
JOHNS: OK. Now, RNC chairman candidate Chip Saltsman also gets the shoe with no tongue. Now this is for his little, his little mailing off of the -- how do we put it on TV, the CD featuring the derogatory parody song about Barack...
CURTIS: Derogatory parody. Let's call this way off message, right? Not change we can believe in in the New Year. Yes, for Chip, a shoe with no tongue, I think, is the right way to go. You know, sort of, you know, just -- cool it at least until the RNC elections are over.
JOHNS: Right. I mean, I'm serious. This could be like the shoe leather awards every year, couldn't it?
CURTIS: Absolutely.
JOHNS: Right.
CURTIS: Why let an Iraqi journalist have all the fun?
JOHNS: Now...
(LAUGHTER)
JOHNS: Everybody's favorite plumber.
CURTIS: Everybody's favorite plumber, slightly annoying, I think, during the campaign, if I may say so. After the campaign even more annoying. We had Joe the memoir, as -- you know, he became Joe the Country Music Singer.
JOHNS: Yes.
CURTIS: Even Joe the turn coat. He threw McCain out of the bus, under the Straight Talk Express.
JOHNS: Joe of all trades.
CURTIS: Joe of all trades, so, you know, what kind of shoe do you throw at a plumber? Well, a clog seems to be appropriate, I think, you know, to...
(LAUGHTER)
JOHNS: Right.
CURTIS: To hurl at Mr. Wurzelbacher.
JOHNS: Got you. And now Rick Warren, another man's shoes, what...
(LAUGHTER)
CURTIS: Yes, indeed. The left would love to throw a shoe at Rick Warren. I mean, you know, there was -- he, of course, supported Proposition 8 in California that was to ban gay marriage and said some controversial things from the pulpit.
So yes, I think if -- if the left was going to hurl a shoe at the inauguration, I mean...
JOHNS: Right.
CURTIS: ... metaphorically, of course, not actually, we don't want any shoes being thrown anywhere in Washington, D.C. on January 20th.
JOHNS: Of course not.
CURTIS: Of course not, needless to say. Yes, another man's shoes, I think, would be perfect in keeping with the biblical theme.
JOHNS: Yes, we definitely do not want shoes thrown. CURTIS: No, no, no.
JOHNS: Yes, no shoes.
CURTIS: Not endorse that at all.
(LAUGHTER)
JOHNS: OK. Good stuff.
Well, Bryan Curtis, and maybe we can make this an annual thing. You can come in and give us your shoe award.
CURTIS: Absolutely.
JOHNS: Just a thought.
CURTIS: Just a thought. Let's do a pair every year.
JOHNS: All right. Great. Thanks.
CURTIS: Thank you.
CHETRY: Well, if you're watching us right now maybe you missed the clock ticking down. Actually maybe not because it's 7:00 by now. So you probably had a chance to get a little bit of sleep and still ring in the New Year.
Our Anderson Cooper and comedian Kathy Griffin rang in the New Year in New York City's Times Square.
Griffin, as always, unpredictable, hilarious, taking a look at the some of the most memorable moments. Let's check it out.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Anderson Cooper.
KATHY GRIFFIN, COMEDIAN: This is it.
COOPER: I'm here with the lovely and talented Kathy Griffin.
GRIFFIN: It's a big night, folks.
COOPER: Kathy, where are you from?
GRIFFIN: Oak Park, Illinois. Whoa!
COOPER: That's...
GRIFFIN: Anderson, where are you from?
COOPER: New York City. Whoa!
GRIFFIN: You're part of the best political team on television. Who's like the third string? COOPER: Who's...
GRIFFIN: Yes, who do you call when everybody else is sick? It's like, Donna Brazile is sick today, let's call...
COOPER: No, there's no one as there is no third string.
GRIFFIN: You won't admit it? All right. Fine.
COOPER: Everyone is a, is a team player here.
GRIFFIN: But you make (INAUDIBLE) fall asleep sometimes? Have you ever caught David Gergen like nodding off a little bit?
(LAUGHTER)
GRIFFIN: A little bit -- come on. At lunch?
COOPER: No.
(LAUGHTER)
GRIFFIN: And Jack Cafferty ever gotten so mad he literally just punches Wolf in the face? Because sometimes he looks he's going to punch Wolf in the face.
Let's threw stuff at the Jonas Brothers. You're a fraud. I didn't...
COOPER: You can't do that. You just threw something to the Jonas Brothers.
(LAUGHTER)
GRIFFIN: Yes, I did.
COOPER: You're huge now.
GRIFFIN: Get the Emmys. Tom, get the Emmys.
COOPER: No. Not the Emmys again.
GRIFFIN: I can show the Emmys.
(CROSSTALK)
COOPER: No. I know you want to.
GRIFFIN: I barely even mention them.
COOPER: Kathy, thank you.
GRIFFIN: Happy New Year. Thank you.
COOPER: Great job.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: Kathy Griffin loves to brag about the Emmys. She said she was going to wear them as earrings but they were a little too heavy.
JOHNS: She was out of control. That's so hilarious. You know...
CHETRY: They were a funny team, don't you think?
JOHNS: I know. You want Red Bull.
(LAUGHTER)
CHETRY: You swing, and other things.
