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Interview With Senator James Inhofe; Clinton Confirmation Hearing; Bitter Cold Grips Midwest; Top Bushisms; Best Job in the World
Aired January 13, 2009 - 12:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: And hello again, everyone. I'm Tony Harris in the CNN NEWSROOM.
And here are the headlines from CNN for Tuesday, the 13th day of January, 2009.
The president-elect on Capitol Hill this hour. Exactly one week before his inauguration, he and lawmakers try to work out a spending plan for the remaining bailout billions.
Forty years after his death, what would Martin Luther King, Jr. think about the first African-American president? I will ask his daughter, live.
Hang out at the beach all day, swimming and blogging while raking in six figures. It is possibly the best job in the world -- in the NEWSROOM.
Bailout billions and what to do with the money. Developments unfolding in the debate over the remaining $350 billion.
This hour, President-elect Barack Obama meets with Senate Democrats to make his case for spending it. About two hours from now, the House Financial Services Committee holds a hearing on the bailout. Chairman Barney Frank is calling for tighter restrictions. President Bush has sent a request on the behalf of the Obama administration for Congress to officially release the remaining money.
You know, there are lots of critics who have big concerns about giving out the rest of the TARP money. One of them is the senior senator from Oklahoma, James Inhofe. And the senator joins us.
Senator, thanks for your time. We appreciate it.
SEN. JAMES INHOFE (R), OKLAHOMA: Well, nice to be with you, Tony.
HARRIS: Well, let's have a listen to a bit of your floor speech, and then let's talk about it. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
INHOFE: Now, if you're a reasonable person and were to assume that a major event in the financial world has prompted the negotiations that led to the decision to release the second $350 billion, you would be wrong. The true reason Congress may be asked to release the second $350 billion, it's just politics. And it's a hot potato, and nobody wants it, but they all want the money. And that's what we're faced with now.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: A political hot potato and everybody want the money.
All right, Senator. Why do you believe the request for the second half of the TARP funding is political?
INHOFE: Well, first of all, until last night, I was touting my -- it was a bill, S-64, that would have stopped this process and would have forced any administration, the Bush or the Obama administration, to come forth and let us look at and vote up or down on a package. Now, the way the law was written, which I bitterly oppose, that $700 billion bailout last October, that put us in a position where we don't have those choices now.
HARRIS: Yes.
INHOFE: All we can do is what we're doing today, and that is introducing a resolution of disapproval. It's the process more than anything else.
You can't just hand out $700 billion, as they did, to Paulson, an unelected bureaucrat, and expect anything good to happen. So, right now, we're limited to a resolution of disapproval. It's going to pass, you know, because it takes both houses to block it. And Harry Reid...
HARRIS: But can I stop you there? You mention that it's going to pass. But my question is, because of something you just said, is, should it pass?
Here is the question -- how can -- Senator, how do you release the second $350 billion when you don't know exactly what happened with the first $350 billion? You know where it went, but you don't know how it's been spent.
INHOFE: See, that's the whole point.
HARRIS: Yes.
INHOFE: That was all dumped on, on Hank Paulson, and we took his word for it. He's got to go down in history as the greatest salesman I have ever seen.
Seventy-five members of the United States Senate voted to give him $700 billion. That's the problem.
We don't know. We so much went to each different bank. We don't know what the banks did with it.
In fact, I have firsthand evidence, judging from someone from Oklahoma, that one of the banks that received $20 billion never did relax in any way their credit. So I don't think -- in fact, you're going to hear from an economist going all the way back to the Reagan administration, which I heard five days ago, saying that the first $350 billion didn't do anything.
And these guys are pretty smart. So why should we then jump into this thing for the second $350 billion? These amounts -- this is unprecedented in American history, this much money.
HARRIS: Well, Senator, what are you going to do? I mean, you just -- are your hands tied? Can you at least force folks to really give you a serious thought, a thought-out plan for spending this money?
INHOFE: Well, our budget process would allow that to take place. Let them make a formal request, let us have meetings, let us look at it, let us determine how or whether or not we approve of this.
As it is now, I don't care what's in this package. It's something that the procedure should demand that it not be accepted. But I think it's a fait accompli.
You know, if Harry Reid decides to let his people off the hook and not have to get on record with a vote, he can do it, because 15 days will expire and it's automatic. It's bad. It shouldn't happen. And it is an unbelievable amount of money we're talking about.
HARRIS: OK, Senator. We appreciate your time. Thank you.
INHOFE: Thank you.
HARRIS: We trust that you'll do whatever you can to at least shine some light on it.
We appreciate your time. Thanks.
So let's bring in our correspondents to drill down on today's developments with the bailout. Christine Romans of our money team is in New York. Congressional Correspondent Brianna Keilar joining us from Capitol Hill in just a moment. And White House Correspondent Suzanne Malveaux on Barack Obama's strategy.
Christine, let's start with you.
And I suppose the first question is, what happens next? Really, we've got another $350 billion that is, by all accounts, about to be allocated at some point here. What happens next?
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: And I'll remind you, Tony, that those dollars, each of those dollar bills, they don't have a fingerprint. You can't track them through the whole system. So a lot of this is going to be on faith, and it's going to mean -- it's going to really rely on what these lawmakers put in terms of strings on this.
I think there's going to be a real reluctance to give a lot more money to the banks, a real reluctance, because people are concerned about that first $350 billion and what it's been used for, and how we just don't know what the banks are doing with it. I think you'll see a big push for homeowner help, for other programs that they might want to use this money for.
Remember, the $700 billion bailout was a financial industry bailout that's been used for insurance companies, it's been used for the auto industry, it's been used for consumer lending, and some other things as well. So I think you're going to see people pushed to use it for other things that they feel like the Treasury Department didn't sufficiently address in the beginning.
At the same time, Ben Bernanke, Tony, the Fed chief, earlier today, he kind of issued a little bit of a warning in a speech in London saying that the fiscal stimulus that plan we're talking about, these economic plans we're talking about, they are unlikely to promote a lasting recovery...
HARRIS: Yes.
ROMANS: ... unless they're accompanied by strong measures to further stabilize the strength of the financial system. And he said more bailouts might be needed, more recapitalization of the banking sector might be needed.
Neel Kashkari, the -- sort of the TARP czar, as they call him, he says so far, $189 billion -- he reported today about $189 billion has gone to the banks so far. About $60 billion of that has not actually been deployed yet -- Tony.
HARRIS: Yes.
And let's bring in our congressional correspondent, Brianna Keilar.
And Brianna, you just heard Senator Inhofe. He's talking about that there's not much that can be done at this point to stop the train that is moving down the tracks, but there does seem to be -- the conversation, at least, seems to be heating up. Folks are really taking a good look at the plan for spending the next $350 billion.
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Senator Inhofe pretty convinced that Congress will ultimately approve this second $350 billion. But if you talk with Dick Durbin, number two Democrat in the Senate -- and it's really the Senate that Barack Obama is looking towards, Democrats there to come through for him -- Durbin says he's worried, he's not sure if he has the votes. And basically, this is a moment of truth, Tony, where you get to see who is with the president-elect, who is against the president-elect on making these funds available.
And what you have is Democrats, in addition to Republicans, feeling very burned about how this money was spent, feeling that there was no accounting for it. Democrats saying that homeowners were left in the lurch. Republicans saying they are so mad that some of it was broken off to be given to the auto industry. So it is a little bit up in the air. But if anyone is going to be coming through for the president-elect on releasing these funds, it's going to be Senate Democrats. The sense being that it's not going to be the House when they do have these votes on whether or not to release these funds.
HARRIS: And who votes on this? Is this a House and a Senate vote, or just a House vote?
KEILAR: It is -- both would have to -- both would have to vote to block it in order to block it. So, for instance, the Senate is expected to go first Thursday or Friday, then the House will follow.
If the Senate votes to release this money, then the House vote, which is likely to be to not release the money, is basically a moot point, Tony, because you would need both the Senate and the House to block it. Now, however, if both the Senate and the House vote to block this money, then you've got this really potentially awkward showdown where President-elect Obama, as his first task, one of his first tasks in office as president, could be then to veto a bill that came from a Democratic-led Congress.
That is obviously what he's trying to avoid doing. That's why he's here at a lunch today. That's why he's been working the phones. You can see how that would be so awkward.
HARRIS: Yes. OK.
Our Congressional Correspondent Brianna Keilar for us.
And let's bring in our White House correspondent, Suzanne Malveaux now.
And Suzanne, let's pick up on Brianna's point there. Let's talk about the selling of this package by the president-elect.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Tony, you know, Barack Obama knows that he's got a sales job here. And that is why he's on Capitol Hill.
Anybody who sits across from him and been on the other side when he is trying to convince them of something knows that he is somebody who is very passionate, he's very convincing. And this is all about, you know, that personal attention, that one-on-one face time with some of those lawmakers, to sit down with them, look them face to face in the eye and say, look, you know, this is money that we believe is going to be helpful and useful, even if there are a lot of question marks. And one of the things that he's doing, the sales points that he's making, is you just take a look at Larry Summers' letter that he sent to Senate Democrats and others.
Larry Summers, his top economic guy who -- he sat down with Democratic lawmakers on Sunday. He makes the point. He says there is going to be more accountability. There is going to be a certain portion of that money to make sure that people stay in their home. We are going to report to members of Congress on a regular basis in terms of tracking these dollars, where all this money is going.
So those are the kinds of things that he's going to be talking about today, and it's important to do that in a very personable way, because as Brianna had said, yes, the last thing that Barack Obama wants is to be faced with that messy political situation of having to veto any kind of block from Congress. So that is the strategy right now, but they know that they have got a lot of work ahead -- Tony.
HARRIS: Our White House Correspondent Suzanne Malveaux for us.
Suzanne, good to see you. Thank you.
If he had lived to see the day, what would Martin Luther King, Jr. have to say about the Obama election? We will follow the dream in Memphis.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: The presidential inauguration holds special meaning next week, coming on the heels of the Martin Luther King holiday. We invite you to join CNN's Soledad O'Brien and Anderson Cooper as they look at changes in America "From MLK to Today," beginning Monday morning at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time.
Just what would Dr. King have to say about the election of America's first black president?
Our John Zarrella is in Memphis, Tennessee -- John.
JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Tony, you know, the road to the White House brings us to Memphis, Tennessee, and the National Civil Rights Museum, and the Lorraine Motel. This is the balcony where Dr. King stood when he was assassinated.
If he were still with us, what might he say about the Obama presidency?
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ZARRELLA (voice-over): Memphis, the Lorraine Motel. In the parking lot below room 306, two vintage Cadillacs, history detail preserved. This is where Martin Luther King, Jr. died, 1968.
GWEN HARMON, NATIONAL CIVIL RIGHTS MUSEUM: It's not so important that Martin Luther King, Jr. died here, it's that he lived here and he changed Memphis. He changed America, and he did change the world.
ZARRELLA: Gwen Harmon is a director at the National Civil Rights Museum of which the Lorraine is a part. Since Barack Obama's victory, Harmon has sensed a change in those who come here.
HARMON: So we see curiosity, we see pride. We see a sense of hope now. The groups are younger, they're bigger. We also see more diversity.
ZARRELLA: And all this would have pleased Dr. King. CLARENCE JONES, FRIEND OF MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.: He had great faith in the fairness and decency of the American people.
ZARRELLA: Clarence Jones. For eight years until King died, Jones was his confidante, speechwriter, attorney.
About an African-American president?
JONES: What he would say, however long it takes, in some reasonable period of time, not an eternity, but in some reasonable period of time, there will be -- I'm sure he would have said that.
ZARRELLA: And more.
HARMON: He would say still so much to do. As long as a child goes to bed hungry, we have work to do.
ZARRELLA: The museum tells the story of those who paved the way in civil and human rights. There's a bus from the 1955 Montgomery boycotts.
(on camera): We leave the bus, and we come to the next period of time.
HARMON: 1960. This is actually my favorite exhibit. This shows the power of networking as far as a movement.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So is everybody ready?
UNIDENTIFIED GROUP: Yes!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right.
ZARRELLA (voice-over): Today, students from Arlington Elementary are here.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I told him that Dr. King, he'd probably feel very proud.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think that he would feel good because he would know that he helped change.
ZARRELLA: Change that might not have taken place, Harmon and Jones say, if not for those like Dr. King, who paved the way with their blood and tears.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ZARRELLA: Many of those who were part of the civil rights movement say that what Barack Obama has accomplished is not dissimilar to what Dr. King did. Both men built a movement, in no small part based on substantial support from white America -- Tony.
HARRIS: Absolutely.
All right. John Zarrella for us. John, appreciate it so much.
You know, as Washington prepares for a massive influx of visitors on Inauguration Day, it brings to mind how Dr. King drew thousands to the capital for the march in Washington in 1963.
Check out these historic pictures. King's historic march drew an estimated 250,000 people to the nation's capital. King gave his famous "I have a dream" speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.
President-elect Obama will give his inauguration speech on the western steps of the U.S. Capitol.
King's youngest daughter, Bernice King joins me now, CNN world headquarters here in Atlanta.
Bernice, good to see you again.
REV. BERNICE KING, MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.'S DAUGHTER: Good to see you, too, Tony.
HARRIS: Let's roll these pictures, November 4th. I was most struck not by the speech that night. I was most struck by Barack Obama -- do we have your mike on? Do we have it?
There's an open question here. OK, great.
I was most struck by the pictures -- here it is -- of this wonderful family on this stage. And I remember seeing Jesse Jackson, as everyone else saw that night, Jesse Jackson. There were several pictures of him in the crowd that night in Chicago tearful, crying, very emotional at this sight. And we know of the relationship between the Reverend Jesse Jackson and your father.
I'm just sort of curious as to your reaction as you were watching this night unfold from one of our local Atlanta television stations, one of our affiliates.
KING: Yes, I was actually live, had just done an interview there. And sat down in the chair. And when they made the announcement at 11:00, I was overwhelmed with tears myself.
I was overwhelmed with tears because I thought of all the struggle and sacrifice that our parents made and thousands of people who chose to leave college and get involved with the movement, the people who risked their lives. They got jailed, billy clubbed. I mean, I just thought about the host of people who made this all possible.
HARRIS: Yes.
KING: And the one thing that came to me is, wow, you are connected to the bloodline of the person and really the couple that led this movement. And what an honor it is to be a part of this significant milestone.
HARRIS: That was so beautiful. OK, the interview is over. No, a couple more questions for you, Bernice.
Did your father, through his sermons, through his writings, did he see this day as even being possible, an African-American president of the United States of America? Did he see this as possible, as likely?
KING: Because I believe my father was a prophet -- and when I look at the last words out of his mouth, when he said God allowed him to go up to the mountaintop, and he looked over and saw the promised land, he said, "I may not get there with you, but we as a people will get there." I think he was speaking at that point to the African- American community, the black community, the Negro community at that time. And I think this was one of the things he saw coming down the pipeline. Perhaps not knowing when, but saw it.
My mother saw it, though, in 2004, when Senator Obama delivered his speech at the convention. She called me the next day asked me, did I see it? Unfortunately I had missed it, and she said, "I think we've got somebody."
Now, she didn't -- I didn't pursue it with her, but I sensed, because there's always this excitement in her when she foresees something, and I sensed that she saw this day coming.
HARRIS: Wow. I'm just sort of curious -- let me follow up on that line of thought here.
How would your father have viewed what has happened in this country since the civil rights movement? I'm just sort of curious what it is that happened in this country that this day is possible.
We're looking at the inauguration of the first African-American president on Tuesday. What has happened in this country? This is not a day that I foresaw. What have many of us maybe missed that was going on in this country that perhaps you saw, your father even prophesized, and that Barack Obama tapped into?
KING: Well, I think there has been a groundswell for a little while of a crying out for change, and especially from a younger generation. We saw that in Jena, we saw that when the whole Don Imus thing unfolded.
HARRIS: Yes.
KING: I think there was -- the groundwork was being laid. I think with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, all of that was laying the groundwork for this day.
But it also is because you have -- biblically, 40 is the number of generations. So there's a change that always occurs around the number 40 in terms of generations. And because daddy died literally 40 years ago. The same year that Obama was elected in 2008, 40 years ago, in '68, daddy was assassinated. Here you have 40 years later this leader emerging, kind of in a sense saying, we as a people can get there, and here is Obama responding back, "Yes, we can."
HARRIS: All right. That's too heavy for me.
OK. I've got to go.
Where are you going to be on Tuesday? You going to be in Atlanta, you going to be in Washington?
KING: I'm going to be right there at the inauguration celebrating it. It's a joyous day in America, but we've got a lot of work to do to deal with these social and economic ills.
HARRIS: Bernice King.
Boy, as always, great to talk to you. Thanks for your time.
KING: Thank you very much.
HARRIS: That was heavy.
All right. An update on the situation in Gaza when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Israeli tanks rolling go Gaza City from two directions, 18 days into its assault on the Palestinian territory. Israel's military reporting several clashes between its troops and Hamas fighters.
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon calling on both sides to just stop the fighting. The U.N. chief is heading to the region for a series of talks that start tomorrow.
Latest numbers from Palestinian medical sources say more than 970 people have been killed, almost half of them women and children. Another 4,400 wounded.
Israeli media now reporting Israel's deadly strike on a U.N. safe haven in Gaza was a mistake. Palestinian medical officials say at least 40 civilians were killed, dozens more wounded in that attack last week. It happened at a U.N. school.
Israel's government has not issued an official state on its investigation into the attack. They were quick to accuse Hamas of striking from within the school compound.
Here is how a government spokesman explained the incident to me here in the NEWSROOM.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARK REGEV, ISRAELI GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN: Some media was reporting that there was an Israeli version and a Hamas version. Hamas accusing us of all sorts of terrible crimes.
I'm happy to say that when the media has reported this and gone to the place and asked questions, both "The New York Times" and AP reported that our version was correct. There was hostile fire from this U.N. educational facility. Our forces were targeted; our forces were only returning fire.
And then the blame has to be seriously and squarely placed on Hamas. Why did they turn a U.N. facility which is supposed to be outside the conflict into a base for their military operations? And why did they use those poor refugees as human shields?
Unfortunately, I have to remind you that this is not an aberration. Hamas has unfortunately done this in the past. It's almost part of their standard operating procedure, to use innocent civilians as human shields and to exploit U.N. facilities when they can.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Well, the U.N. says Israeli military officers have admitted no militants fired at Israeli troops from the school, but again, Israel's government has not issued an official statement to that effect.
President-elect Barack Obama on Capitol Hill. We are expecting his arrival any moment now.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: OK. Three hours into the trading day. What do you say we take a look at the big board, New York Stock Exchange. That's flat. Not much happening there. Let's call it flat. And the Nasdaq, we understand, is up 12. So a mixed day so far. S&P up 6. So a mixed day on Wall Street. We will follow the numbers throughout the day for you right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.
And keeping an eye on the gas gauge. Prices holding steady overnight. AAA says you're paying an average $1.79 a gallon. Oil prices sliding for the sixth straight day, now under $38 a barrel.
Some (ph) with the economy mired in recession, the last thing you want to hear about is a tax increase, but a big energy tax hike might be what's needed to get us off of fossil fuels once and for all. Let's weigh this with Stephanie Elam. She has our "Energy Fix" from New York.
Good to see you, Stephanie.
STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good to see you, too, Tony.
Yes, a big, new tax on oil and coal probably won't be popular with most Americans. No surprise there. But supporters say making fossil fuels more expensive is the best way to move the country to cleaner alternatives and energy independence. A so-called carbon tax would be levied on oil, natural gas and coal producers, but you can bet they would definitely pass it on to us.
And we're not talking about some small change here. The Carbon Tax Center estimates when fully phased in over 10 years, the tax could add $1 to every gallon of gas and $70 to the average home monthly electric bill. So that's kind of hefty. HARRIS: Ouch.
ELAM: Yes.
HARRIS: Yes, that's a lot of money. But, come on, now. How likely is it that we will see this kind of an energy tax? Come on.
ELAM: All right. If we are super honest with you, the idea of a carbon tax . . .
HARRIS: Yes.
ELAM: Of course I'm always going to be super honest. But a carbon tax has never really been politically popular. And in a recession, that's probably even more true. There's a much better chance that we'll see a different proposal passed called a cap and trade system.
Democrats in Congress and President-elect Barack Obama have been leaning that way. It would set limits on company's greenhouse gas emissions. Companies that go over basically will have to buy permits to pollute. Of course, critics say this approach will also lead to higher energy prices, just in a more indirect way. Others say cap and trade will turn into a bureaucratic nightmare with permit agencies and emissions inspectors.
And, you know, get this, Tony, believe it or not, even the head of Exxon Mobil agrees with that last point. Last week the oil CEO surprised a lot of people when he urged Congress to consider a carbon tax, calling it a more direct, transparent and effective approach than cap and trade. So, obviously, we'll hear more discussions on that one.
And, of course, if you need another energy fix, you can always go to cnnmoney.com, Tony.
HARRIS: Outstanding. Thanks, Stephanie.
ELAM: Sure.
HARRIS: Roland Burris is getting ready to take his seat as Illinois new senator. Senate leaders have now accepted his revised credentials. They say Burris should be sworn in this week. Burris talked today with our John Roberts on "American Morning."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN ROBERTS, CNN'S "AMERICAN MORNING": What was the turning point?
ROLAND BURRIS, U.S. ILLINOIS SENATOR-DESIGNATE: I think the turning point came when people began to see my credentials and they, you know, saw me and my desire to serve. I think that that's when public opinion -- and, by the way, there are a lot of persons who, you know, think that I was wrong by not doing that, but we've gotten, you know, just hundreds and hundreds of calls from all over the country, you know, encouraging me to, you know, just stick to my principles and to, you know, continue to seek to be seated. So I got a lot of encouragement from friends and family. And, of course, when my wife encourages me to do that, I know what I'm doing is right.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Well, Senate leaders initially balked at Burris's appointment. That's because it was made by Governor Rod Blagojevich. The governor is accused of trying to sell the Senate seat. He has been impeached by the Illinois house and faces a senate trial.
Hillary Clinton is in front of her Senate colleagues right now asking them to confirm her as Barack Obama's secretary of state. She was quick to acknowledge one of the incoming administration's toughest challenges, Iran.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. HILLARY CLINTON (D), SECRETARY OF STATE NOMINEE: Our goal will be to do everything we can pursue through diplomacy, through the use of sanctions, through creating better coalitions with countries that we believe also have a big stake in preventing Iran from becoming a nuclear weapon power, to try to prevent this from occurring. We are not taking any option off the table at all.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: CNN foreign affairs correspondent Jill Dougherty is on Capitol Hill.
And, Jill, how is it going so far for Senator Clinton.
JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Three hours and she seems to be holding up quite well. You know, it is something that she prepared very carefully for. Ten advisers who were, of course, going through all of the issues. And she really did in her opening comments, go through a litany of all the hot areas in the world, and there are many as we know, outlining what U.S. policy would be under the Obama administration.
And then she got into some other areas kind of formulate the approach, the overall approach that the Obama administration will take in foreign policy. And what they are -- the phrase that they're using is smart power. And essentially that's the leading edge would be diplomacy. And you just heard that in that bite. Diplomacy first and then using the other tools. Military being only one of the tools that would be used. So military would not be primary.
She also got into women's issues, as you might expect, something close to her heart. And one thing that she got into, which is what she's been involved in for many, many years, and that's micro finance. That is small loans to women around the world -- very small -- that help women start businesses. And she mentioned the mother of Barack Obama, who was involved in that before she died. Let's listen to what she said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CLINTON: Unfortunately, she was very ill and couldn't travel and sadly passed away a few months later. But I think it's fair to say that her work in international development, the care and concern she showed for women and for poor people around the world, mattered greatly to her son, our president-elect. And I believe that it has certainly informed his views and his vision. We will be honored to carry on Ann Dunham's work in the years ahead.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DOUGHERTY: And, Tony, you might ask where Bill Clinton is. He is in D.C. He's not here at the hearing. But he is there listening and watching with Hillary Clinton's mother. Chelsea, however, is here.
HARRIS: All right. Our foreign affairs correspondent Jill Dougherty with us.
Jill, thank you.
How about this? Making history. Moments ago, some 20 students from Atlanta's Ron Clark Academy found out they're going to Washington next week. Oh, the joy.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RON CLARK, RON CLARK ACADEMY: We're going to the inauguration.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: All right. Ron Clark getting a little teary eyed there. The students have been invited to sing their song," Dear Obama," at several inaugural events. You might remember the student's earned national attention with their YouTube hit, "You Can Vote However You Like." Fame smiling on this school that recently received a $350,000 donation from none other than Oprah Winfrey.
All right. One Midwestern blizzard winds down this afternoon. A second storm is on its way. Not a whole lot of snow but winds gusting to 40 miles an hour whipping up whiteout conditions in places. Chicago's O'Hare and Midway Airports grounded several hundred flights. Now things get serious in the Midwest. And, Chad Myers, we're talking about some serious cold moving in.
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Cold.
HARRIS: Yes.
MYERS: Not so much for snow. When it gets this cold, Tony, you can't get a lot of moisture in the air, so you can't get a lot of snow. But I just checked Orbits because, you know, I have a lot of time on my hand.
HARRIS: OK.
MYERS: To leave at 4:00 from Minneapolis at 11 below zero, and arrive two-and-a-half hours later in Miami only cost you $325.
HARRIS: I'm loving that.
MYERS: And 92 degrees later, that my be the best $300 you ever spent.
HARRIS: Loving that.
MYERS: Except you have to protect your house because it is so cold up there in Minneapolis. Temperatures are cold. Wind chills are very cold. There are what the temperatures feel like outside. Not much wind in Minneapolis right now, so it stayed the same. But Duluth, it feels like 32 degrees below zero.
And now let's look at Chicago. This morning it was ugly. Now here's a live shot and it's gorgeous. Well, it's cold, but it's gorgeous. The sun is out. Not making any -- too much better. If you're gripping that steering wheel, you really want to have gloves on today. It is a cold one for sure. And it's going to be another cold one tonight as the temperatures go down well, well below zero. I mean that's already probably 40 degrees below freezing, below 32. Right to freezing in Atlanta tomorrow. These are the high temperatures. Twenty-five in Nashville.
The only airport delay I have right now is LaGuardia and it's not very long. A couple of late snow showers in the air here across parts of the Northeast.
It's raining across most of northern Florida. Some heavy rainfall. I don't see that ending. Kind of an ugly gray day across northern Florida. Not much for golf across northern Florida, at least right now. But hey, you know what, it's probably better than 14 degrees below zero.
And look at the record highs across the west yesterday.
HARRIS: Look at that.
MYERS: L.A., 88.
Tony.
HARRIS: You just have to be able get a flight out of there.
MYERS: I know.
HARRIS: Get out of Chicago. Boy, there's some decent destinations, huh.
MYERS: There you go.
HARRIS: And some nice tips.
All right, Chad. Thank you, sir.
MYERS: You got it. HARRIS: Being obese. A growing problem across the country. Our senior medical correspondent, Elizabeth Cohen, joining me with alarming fat facts coming up in the NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Many, many, many, many of you are vowing to lose weight and get fit this new year. Our Larry King talked to some of NBC's biggest losers and their trainers about the obstacles. Here they focus on fat as a family problem.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LARRY KING, "LARRY KING LIVE": Coleen, did your father's overweight have anything to do with your being overweight?
COLEEN SKEABECK, CONTESTANT: I think that my dad's obesity had a lot to do with me being overweight. I mean, I learned my eating habits from my dad. And I remember being a kid and him bringing home fast-food and always having a quick fix meal because, with his job as a police officer, he was always on the go. And, you know, into my adult life, I've moved out and always looked for a quick fix for a meal and the pounds just packed on. And, you know, all from not planning in advance.
KING: Is it tough, Bob, to work with relatives?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, no, I actually enjoy working with relatives because you can get really to the bottom of things. You can find out where the child learned their traits. What they learned from their parents. And being able to fix that. Because parents really need to come together and help their children much more than what's happening right now.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: OK. What's happening right now is the obesity epidemic is growing in this country. And that's according to new government figures. CNN's senior medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen is here to help us sort through the details on this story.
And what you have reminded us repeatedly is that obesity carries with it some very serious health risks.
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, many of them.
HARRIS: Yes.
COHEN: All the biggies. Pretty much, you name it, it's worse to be obese. So obesity can lead to heart disease. It's a risk factor for cancer, for high blood pressure, for diabetes. You name it, there are so many reasons to lose weight. And that is why this newest report from the CDC is so sad. We have made a sad new record in this country. And that is that the number of obese people is now larger than the number of people who are just overweight. Take a look at this. Thirty-two percent of Americans are overweight. Thirty-four percent of Americans are obese. So for the first time, that obese number is bigger than that overweight number. Six percent are extremely obese.
Now you might wonder, well, what exactly does it mean to be overweight versus being obese. Let's take an example of some who is 5'5," this could be a man or a woman. Someone who is that height is considered overweight when they tip the scales at 150 pounds. They are considered obese when they are 180 pounds. If you want to put in your height to see what those numbers are for you, go to cnn.com/health. We have a BMI calculator. You put in how tall you are and you'll get those numbers for you.
HARRIS: Were there any differences in groups in the United States? I'm thinking whites, blacks, Hispanics.
COHEN: Yes, there definitely were. Obesity is a much bigger problem among blacks and Hispanics in this country. And public health folks have been trying for a really long time to target people in their communities, go to the community centers that they go to, go to the churches that they go to. It just isn't working the way that they want it to.
HARRIS: All right. Let's try to stay on that.
COHEN: That's right.
HARRIS: And give folks good tip, advice for healthy eating, healthy living.
COHEN: That's right. All of that.
HARRIS: Yes. Elizabeth, good to see you. Thank you.
COHEN: Thanks.
HARRIS: You know, some people have had a field day counting them up. Even the president himself had to laugh about them.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Is our children learning?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Yes. OK. The decider, the Googler, remember that one? We will tell you the number one so-called "Bushism."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Take a look at this scene. Capitol Hill. The halls of Capitol Hill. The rotunda right now. And I think that's Chuck Schumer, OK, in the middle of that being interviewed right now. We are waiting for the president-elect to appear on Capitol Hill for his lunch with Senate Democrats right now.
Certainly a lot on the plate. There will certainly be some conversations about the massive economic stimulus package that is still being outlined and detailed. But probably more immediate today for the discussion is what will happen, what is the plan moving forward for the second half of the $700 billion TARP funding. We will certainly keep you posted and show you those pictures of the President-elect on Capitol Hill when he arrives.
President Bush will say good-bye to the nation in a farewell speech Thursday night. The White House says Mr. Bush will reflect on his eight years in office and welcome President-elect Barack Obama. We will carry that address live beginning at 8:00 Eastern.
Subliminable (ph). What that all right, Josh? The Internet. OK. Over the years, President Bush has had some trouble getting out certain words. It happens to all of us. And he's even on occasion, made up some words of his own. Now there is a list of the top Bushism. And Josh Levs is here to tell us about that, in flawless English.
JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm going to do my best there.
HARRIS: Yes, OK.
LEVS: Have you got any favorites? You got any favorites?
HARRIS: Well, there was one that wasn't really a Bushism. I thought it was strategery (ph) and that's not really a . . .
LEVS: Apparently that's a Will Ferrell Bushism.
HARRIS: Yes, he made that one up in a skit for "Saturday Night Lives."
LEVS: But because there was so many real ones, this one (ph), as you can see, he had some problem with that. So now, after all this time, for the end of the presidency days left, we have learned which one is the number one Bushism of all time.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LEVS, (voice over): There are plenty to choose from. Whether on his job description . . .
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I'm the decider.
LEVS: Or his computer savvy.
BUSH: I hear there's rumors on the Internets.
And one of the things that I've used on the Google is to pull up maps.
LEVS: Or his thoughts on education.
BUSH: Rarely is the question asked, is our children learning?
LEVS: That was President Bush making fun of one of his own unique turns of phrase. Of all the so-called Bushisms, which is number one.
The Global Language Monitor, which studies trends in the English language, tracked how often some different quotes showed up in the media and on blogs. At number three, a remark about a man widely blamed for part of the government's failure during Hurricane Katrina.
BUSH: And, Brownie, you're doing a heck of a job.
LEVS: Number two is something the president didn't actually say, the "mission accomplished" banner that flew behind him when he was declaring the end of major combat in Iraq. The president recently told CNN he regrets it.
BUSH: Some had said, well, Bush thinks the war in Iraq is over, when I didn't think that.
LEVS: The most quoted Bushism of all time, misunderestimate, which the president tried to stop saying.
BUSH: Those who think that they can say, we're only going to have a stimulus package, but let's forget tax relief, misunderestimate, excuse me, underestimate.
LEVS: Not everything made The Global Language Monitor's list. There are other gems, including peeance freeance, a cult favorite online.
BUSH: A free and secure and peaceful Iraq. A peeance, freeance, secure Iraq.
LEVS: While he's taken ribbing and criticism for his linguistic gaffes, the president has joked about them, by comparing himself to California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.
BUSH: We both have trouble with the English language.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEVS: So he has, indeed, laughed at himself.
Now you can see more of the top Bushisms ever. We have a second. Let's zoom in really quickly on the screen behind me. This is from languagemonitor.com. "I know the human being and fish can coexist peacefully." Apparently a lot of people liked that one. And one with this one. "You work three jobs? Uniquely American, isn't it? I mean, that is fantastic that you're doing that." Some things people picked up on, showing up a lot in the media and on blogs. So, Tony, you can see, through all this time, the decided, misunderestimate, numero uno.
HARRIS: Well, I like the one, just thought of one. What's the one where he was talking about, you can fool me once it's shame on you -- fool me once, shame on your. LEVS: I'm going to (INAUDIBLE) that one.
HARRIS: Fool me twice . . .
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Shame on me.
HARRIS: We're going to figure it out.
PHILLIPS: That's it.
HARRIS: All right, Josh, thank you.
LEVS: Thanks, guys.
HARRIS: $100,000 pay, work 12 hours a month and live on a tropical island. It is called the best job in the world.
PHILLIPS: I'll take that.
HARRIS: All right.
PHILLIPS: Let's go.
HARRIS: There you go. Done.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Help wanted. Caretaker of Hamilton Island, Australia. Qualifications, swimming, blogging, pay $100,000 bones and a free home on the beach. Is it the best job in the world? CNN's Atika Shubert takes a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ATIKA SHUBERT, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): Wanted, one island caretaker of Australia's Great Barrier Reef. Pay, $100,000 U.S. dollars for six months of watching whales, feeding turtles or whatever else you'd like to do on a tropical island.
Oh, you might have to clean the pool at the beachfront, three- bedroom luxury house that comes with this package. And all you have to do is write a weekly blog for the tourism board of Queensland about your island experience.
So is it a job too good to be true?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You get a three bedroom luxury apartment with a swimming pool an 73,000 pounds a year.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That can't be right. There's got to be a catch somewhere.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Sounds like a good job, yes. I should go bikini hunting straight away.
SHUBERT: Tourism Queensland insists there's no catch, just, "the best job in the world." Others might call it a publicity stunt for Australian tourism, but one that just might work.
JANE NICHOLSON, REGIONAL MANAGER, TOURISM QUEENSLAND: Word of mouth is really important now. You need to hear from fellow travelers what a destination is really like. So what better way than to create a job to allow someone to do that. They have to be over 18. They have to be able to swim. And apart from that, it's open to anybody.
SHUBERT: The land down under has been hit hard by the credit crunch. Tourism Research Australia says tourist numbers could fall by 4 percent this year, especially from mainstay markets like the U.K. So will the best job in the world spark new interest?
Well, so far so good. On opening day, the Web site has been flooded with 33 hits per second. All applicants have to do is submit a 60 second video to this Web site, islandreefjob.com, explaining why they are the perfect candidate to be island caretaker. It's very tempting.
Eleven lucky finalists will be flown to Australia for a final round of interviews before an island caretaker is chosen. Twenty-six- year-old Louise Cryan (ph) saw it in the paper on Monday and immediately called up, one of the first to apply.
LOUISE CRYAN, JOB APPLICANT: It's actually a real job, so that's amazing. And just thought what a great place to go and spend six months, look out the window at such a gray and miserable day, and so, you wouldn't want to go.
SHUBERT: So, rainy London versus sunny Australia in the middle of a credit crunch? What would you choose?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: For me, with everything that is going on in my life, it couldn't come at a better time.
SHUBERT: You better get your applications in. The deadline for the best job in the world is February 22nd.
Atika Shubert, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
