Return to Transcripts main page
American Morning
President Barack Obama Suspends All Military Prosecutions at Guantanamo Bay; Bush Back in Texas; Obama Faces Daunting Money Challenges; A Tide of Celebration Sweeps Across the National Mall on Obama's Inauguration; Obama's Team Already on the Job This Morning; First Lady of Fashion
Aired January 21, 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)
JOHN ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): Obama, day two.
JOHN G. ROBERTS, CHIEF JUSTICE OF THE U.S. SUPREME COURTS: Congratulations, Mr. President.
ROBERTS: After dancing the night away.
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: That's what's called old school.
ROBERTS: President Obama rolls up his sleeves.
OBAMA: With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents.
ROBERTS: The horse and carriage turns into a pumpkin bursting with problems. The clock already ticking on President Obama's first 100 days.
OBAMA: Have a great night, guys. Love you.
ROBERTS: On this AMERICAN MORNING.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: And good morning. Thanks very much for being with us on this Wednesday. It's the 21st of January. I'm John Roberts in Washington, D.C. Good morning, Kiran.
KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR: Hey there, John.
Kiran Chetry here in New York.
You know, I was just thinking, I was looking at their schedule last night from 7:30 in the evening until 2:30 in the morning, they were due at all of these balls. They must be absolutely exhausted as Barack Obama and Michelle get ready for his first full day in office.
ROBERTS: Yes. My former colleague Kit Seelye (ph) from "The New York Times" was saying at some point they just looked like they were kind of leaning back and forth on each other. At one point, the new president stepped on his wife's dress. But hey, they made the rounds. They got it done.
And as Will.i.am is saying, "It's a New Day," but it's a new day in a very stark reality because all of the problems of this nation President Obama owns the ball and now it's his job to do something about them. And there's a lot of people who believe that this honeymoon is going to be very short-lived.
CHETRY: That's right. Certainly the party is over, and this morning America is waking up in a very different place. We all witnessed the historic transfer of power and one heck of a celebration.
Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama trading their coats and scarves for their tuxedo and ball gown, and they danced their way through, as we said, ten inaugural balls lasting until -- I think they wrapped up just about three or four hours ago.
The first stop was the Neighborhood Ball. At about 8:30 Eastern, the first couple glided through their first dance and then they were off making appearances at a ball hosted by his home state of Illinois and Hawaii, and then the Commander-in-Chief Ball, where the president paid tribute to the military and their families.
By 10:30 Eastern, the Obamas made it to the Youth Ball for people 18 to 35 to celebrate the young Americans who came in droves to elect the president.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OBAMA: The future will be in your hands if you are able to sustain the kind of energy and focus that you showed on this campaign. I promise you that America will get stronger and more united, more prosperous, more secure. You are going to make it happen.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: Well the party-hopping now history as President Obama gets down to work. It is his first full day as the nation's 44th president, and he's already making news in one of his first acts in office.
Mr. Obama has ordered the government to temporarily stop prosecuting detainees currently facing war crime charges at the military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The president's chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, also ordering all government agencies to stop implementing any new or proposed regulations issued by the Bush administration.
CNN's Suzanne Malveaux is live at the White House and the president is wasting no time so as we take a look at what his priorities will be, is this de rigeur, if you will, when a president takes office they sort of want to put their stamp on what they think is going to be, you know, their agenda moving forward and sort of in a way undo some of the things they didn't agree with in the prior administration? SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely, Kiran. And I don't think much of us got some sleep last night, but obviously President Obama now is hitting the ground running. And one of the things he's going to be doing is focusing on the economy.
This morning after a national prayer service, he is going to be meeting with his top economic team, obviously to try to push the $825 billion economic stimulus package. That is really a priority, but he's also going to be meeting with the military brass, top military brass, General Petraeus. He's going to be setting out a new mission for them. He said that all along on the campaign he said he wants the U.S. troops out of Iraq in 16 months, that there's a new mission and a focus turning to Afghanistan.
And he's also going to be issuing some executive orders. So we're going to see things like closing Guantanamo Bay detention center which in reality is going to take some time, but he's going to issue that executive order.
Also, ethics reform, things like this, banning torture. All of these things really you're going to see within hours, Kiran. So we're paying very close attention to what is happening here. And part of the reason they're doing this is expediency.
What they're trying to figure out is what can we do now? What can we put on hold and what needs to percolate a little bit? So that's what you're going to see happen in the hours to come, Kiran.
CHETRY: And give us a sense of what it's like there this morning? I mean, you know, the weight of the world on your shoulders for sure. How do you figure out what's urgent and what you're going to tackle first?
MALVEAUX: You know, one of the things that's interesting is just to get on rhythm, a feel for how different administrations work. With President Bush, it was up really, really early and then early to bed. With Clinton it was pretty much all hours at the White House were open.
Well, the press office initially the door was closed, I just went in, it is open. Nobody is here physically but they've got their name tags next to their desk. The office hasn't been painted.
Robert Gibbs, the press secretary, last night took a little tour through and said there's going to be a lot happening here today but he still doesn't quite know how to use the computer. He's still figuring out the computer, so we'll see how this White House goes.
Some people will answer your e-mails and calls at 4 in the morning, some at 5, 6, 7 and 8. So you'll be able to tell, Kiran, what we get early this morning based on how this White House is going to operate. It will take some time.
CHETRY: Hey, we're up early. It's a good thing they are, too.
Suzanne, thanks so much. Well, a quick programming reminder. Coming up at 7:30 Eastern, we're going to be speaking with former secretary of state Gen. Colin Powell about all of the hard work and daunting challenges now facing President Obama -- John.
ROBERTS: Thanks, Kiran. So President Obama has a full plate on his first full day in office. Let's bring in our political panel now. Live here in Washington, Democratic strategist Lisa Caputo and CNN contributor Tara Wall of "The Washington Times." Good morning to both of you.
TARA WALL, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Good morning.
ROBERTS: A little sleepy today.
WALL: No, just a little bit. You all keep us up late, you know.
ROBERTS: Well, we try hard.
WALL: Worn out.
ROBERTS: So you heard what Suzanne Malveaux was saying. You know, he's issued a couple of executive orders his first afternoon in power, suspending prosecutions at Guantanamo Bay for 120 days. Also halting all pending Bush regulations, the last-minute ones, until they're reviewed. Give us an indication of how this means he's going to govern.
LISA CAPUTO, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Well, I think it means he's hitting the ground running and knows that he doesn't have a honeymoon. And I think that as I understand it, yesterday his chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, put a hold on current regulations before the agency. So they began this process but now they're going in earnest, and a lot of the White House staff went to the White House yesterday, and started to begin the work. So he's got a lot to do. Tim Geithner is up with his hearing this week.
ROBERTS: And they didn't vote on Hillary Clinton either.
CAPUTO: They did not vote on Hillary Clinton. I expect that will happen soon, probably by the end of the week.
ROBERTS: Tara, do you agree with Lisa that the honeymoon is going to be short-lived here? And what about the spirit of bipartisanship if you start, you know, halting and reviewing regulations potentially rolling back some, like the abortion gag rule that President Bush signed early in 2001? Does that forge a spirit of bipartisanship here?
TARA WALL, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: I think it's telling. I think it's -- well, it's telling about what matters to President Obama and the things that are his priorities. And obviously, you know, a more liberal position on abortion as well as decisions about Guantanamo Bay are revealing about where he stands on these issues.
Look, executive orders, though, are -- I mean, these are things that presidents have the discretion to use, not to use, and to repeal when they leave office and when they come into office so, I mean, that's not a big surprise. But I think it is revealing to those of us who saw a campaign Obama, now a President Obama put things on his plate that are most important to him and I think that's revealing.
I think, well, there's nothing that Republicans, there's going to be an opportunity for Republicans and conservatives to come up against him on certain issues where they feel like they're going to be able to have a say. This is not one of them. That would be nit-picking at this point. I think there's going to be some other significant policy going forward.
ROBERTS: Well, certainly, he's getting some resistance on his economic stimulus plan. He's getting a lot from Democrats, the economy issue number one here. The Congressional Budget Office yesterday issued an analysis that said that the spending on infrastructure projects is not going to have an impact on jump- starting the economy for years.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Right.
ROBERTS: So will that come up in Congress in the next few days?
CAPUTO: Oh, I think it will. Absolutely it will. And I think, you know, remember, John, his speech yesterday was an absolute repudiation of the Bush years. He did it I thought quite deftly and very skillfully, but I think he sent a big message yesterday. And I think, yes, the CBO situation that was reported yesterday will come up. I think it will come around the stimulus package.
He has got a lot to do to move this package through the Congress. Remember, Republicans are liking those tax breaks and he's trying to find that middle ground.
ROBERTS: Hey, just one quick idea. Yesterday I remarked that, you know, when President Bush flew over at the Capitol building, flew away on Marine Special Air Mission, the old Marine One helicopter that it wasn't a salute, it was like a see you later, Bob? You thought that was rude?
WALL: I did think that was rude. I think, you know -- look, there was a time to have disagreement but there's also a time for civility. Yesterday was a day for civility for conservatives and Republicans welcoming the incoming president. I think it should also been a tone of civility for those, whether you agree or disagree with President Bush, to send him off on his way out. He is still and will always be a president, former president now, but he is president and I think that certainly that was a rude way to react to someone who was leaving office.
ROBERTS: Tara Wall, it's always great to see you. Lisa Caputo, thanks very much. I know you got a catch a train back to New York, so we'll let you go.
CAPUTO: Thanks.
ROBERTS: Thanks for coming in -- Kiran.
CHETRY: Thanks, John. Well, parting shots. White House photographers capture some of George Bush's final private moments as president, and we're going to see what he left for President Obama in the White House as well. It's 6:09.
Dancing, screaming and beaming, a mass of flags and jubilation.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm just so proud and just so happy for this country.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: The emotion of the moment, as Obama made history.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This man is going to bring us together.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: The best of what CNN captured in the crowd. You're watching the Most News in the Morning.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHETRY: Welcome back to the Most News in the Morning. Massachusetts Senator Ted Kennedy is expected to be released from a Washington hospital this morning. Yesterday, the senator suffered a seizure during the post-inauguration luncheon for President Obama at the Capitol. He was taken to an area hospital.
Doctors say the seizure was brought on by fatigue. The 76-year- old senator is battling brain cancer. He was kept at the hospital overnight for observation. And again, he is expected to be released this morning.
Well, George W. Bush is back home in Texas this morning. He's looking forward to life as a private citizen. The former president and Mrs. Bush got a Texas-sized welcome when they returned to Midland after the inauguration. And Mr. Bush told the crowd of well-wishers he's proud of his eight years in office.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I never took an opinion poll to tell me what to think. And I'm coming home with my head held high and a sense of accomplishment.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: Former President Bush also said that his new domestic agenda will include mowing the lawn and taking out the trash. Also, a stoic stare from the former president as he left Washington. The White House photo showing Mr. Bush on his final ride aboard a Marine helicopter headed to Andrews Air Force Base and the White House also releasing the picture of a folder addressed to 44. It was left by George Bush for President Obama and it sits on the desk in the Oval Office.
All right. Christine Romans is here "Minding Your Business." When we talk about what's being left for new President Obama, a lot of challenges.
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: That's right.
CHETRY: And we saw the market plunge yesterday on inauguration.
ROMANS: It was the worst inauguration day performance for stocks in history. You have to go back to Lyndon Johnson the last time he had such an ugly day. Yesterday, Kiran, the S&P was down five percent. It's because on Wall Street and on Main Street everyone knows that the situation has really worsened even since this president was elected.
The Dow yesterday down four percent, the Nasdaq six percent. The S&P 500 down five percent.
Take a look at the banks. This is all about the banks. In the past four or five days, we've gone from talking about what kind of stimulus will help the economy to talking about what does this president have to do immediately to shore up the banks again?
Since this nation elected Barack Obama to become president, Citigroup shares are down 81 percent. Bank of America down 79 percent. Wells Fargo down 59 percent. The banks have actually worsened, worsened since the beginning of November when president- elect, when the president was elected.
CHETRY: Well, and many economists say it's more than one person. It's more than, you know, one group of policies in a White House. Really it seems like a systemic challenge that we still don't really know the answers to.
ROMANS: And fact that we've gone back to the beginning, if you will, I won't say we're back at square one with the banks, but we're much closer to square one than we are where we're even a couple of weeks ago.
The stimulus can't work. What he wants to do to fix the economy can't work if the banks aren't healthy again and that's the real problem here. We're back to figuring out how to pour more money into the banks.
Pouring money in the banks is something that the American people are not happy about. Pouring money into the banks is something this administration might have to do again -- do again big. So it's a really tough situation that he's in at the moment. The S&P 500 down yesterday, down 20 percent since the election. This is the president number 44. The manila envelope I'm sure doesn't have stock prices in there, but I'm sure that his team has been counseling him that the banks are, you know, job one again.
CHETRY: We'll talk more about that a little bit later in the show.
ROMANS: Sure.
CHETRY: It's a lot to try to digest in just a couple of minutes but major, major challenge.
ROMANS: Yes.
CHETRY: Thanks, Christine -- John.
ROBERTS: Washington at least for a moment transformed from a hard-nosed political capital to a city of dreams, as more than a million people came together to hail the new commander in chief. We'll take a look at the celebrations.
And President Obama takes the first step toward shutting down the military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, ordering a halt to all military prosecutions. A live report from Gitmo coming up.
It's 16 minutes after the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
J.G. ROBERTS: And will to the best of my ability.
OBAMA: And will to the best of my ability.
J.G. ROBERTS: Preserve, protect and defend the constitution of the United States.
OBAMA: Preserve, protect and defend the constitution of the United States.
J.G. ROBERTS: So help you God?
OBAMA: So help me God.
J.G. ROBERTS: Congratulations, Mr. President.
(APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: An interesting perspective there, nine separate feeds coming in to us here yesterday at CNN at 12:00 noon on January the 20th. A look at people across the nation from the New York Stock Exchange to Times Square to many other places, watching as President Barack Obama took the oath of office.
Out on the Mall, the moment hard to see for many as the crowd stretched for nearly two miles from the steps of the Capitol all the way to the Lincoln Memorial down at the other end of the Mall. More than a million people standing shoulder to shoulder in many areas to celebrate an era of change.
CNN's Jim Acosta was live on the Mall out there in the thick of things. We're saying that they were standing shoulder to shoulder would actually be lowering the density of the number of people out there.
JIM ACOSTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes.
ROBERTS: He joins me now. What was that experience like?
ACOSTA: It's a good thing we were standing shoulder to shoulder because we were shivering out there, John. I would say at this point, estimates, some estimates. The crowd was big and it was happy. And you know what? It was great to be out there, John.
And as soon as Barack Obama was sworn in as president and was finished with his inaugural address, people across the National Mall started celebrating.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ACOSTA (voice-over): It was more than a speech.
OBAMA: So let us mark this day with remembrance of who we are and how far we have traveled.
ACOSTA: It was a moment. A moment that could only be expressed like this.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm just so proud and just so happy for this country.
ACOSTA: With a sea of American flags sparkling in the bright January sun, a tide of celebration swept across the National Mall. White and African-American faces alike, beamed with pride.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I wish my mama and my mother-in-law were here to see it.
ACOSTA: From a mixed race couple.
MARCY SAM, INAUGURAL WATCHER: We wouldn't have been able to get married even in the year that we were born, and now it's a different world and our children will know that. It's exciting.
ACOSTA: To children of the '60s.
BARBARA STRONG, INAUGURAL WATCHER: I was in the Vietnam War era, where we marched down the streets and there was division in the country. And this man's going to bring us together, and that's what I'm happy about.
ACOSTA: Emotions were running as high as the expectations for the new president.
KATRINA LANCASTER, INAUGURAL WATCHER: I knew it could happen, and now that it has, it's like, you know, the possibilities are just endless. Exactly.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What's next?
BOB WEINBERG, INAUGURAL WATCHER: It shows how far this country's come in 60 years, and I've been fortunate enough to live through those 60 years and more.
CORNEL WEST, PRINCETON UNIVERSITY PROFESSOR: One nation under groove. Ah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
ACOSTA: Civil-rights activist and scholar Cornel West says it's now up to President Obama to deliver.
WEST: We're going to work with him. We're going to help him. We're going to criticize, and we're going to keep him accountable but at the same time he's a president but he's also a servant.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ACOSTA: One nation under groove indeed. You know, mixed with all of that excitement was a measure of worry. Many of the inaugural watchers we met were filled with a different kind of hope that President Obama can somehow fix this economy and fix it fast, John.
ROBERTS: There are a lot of people who are pinning a lot of hopes on him, and sometimes those expectations are a little bit unrealistic, you know.
ACOSTA: Absolutely.
ROBERTS: What's the reality versus the hype, too?
ACOSTA: Yes. And you know, it was tempting to get sucked into some of that yesterday, but there was so much happiness and jubilation going on, on the Mall yesterday it was a sea of humanity and I was just trying to stay afloat, John.
ROBERTS: Well, the good thing about it was that if you got tired and you felt like you were going to fall down, a lot of people could press around you it would have kept you up.
ACOSTA: We could just lean on everybody else.
ROBERTS: It was an amazing scene yesterday. Jim, thanks for sharing that with us. Great job yesterday at the Mall.
ACOSTA: Thanks a lot.
ROBERTS: Yeoman duty. All right, thanks -- Kiran. CHETRY: You know the great thing is everything Jim was saying, he had a captive audience. They were all cheering him on as he was talking to us, so he certainly looked like he was enjoying himself.
ACOSTA: That's right.
CHETRY: Well, President Obama acting quickly and dramatically on his first day, suspending all military prosecutions at Guantanamo Bay. We're getting a live report from Gitmo just ahead.
It's 23 minutes after the hour.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): You may have seen it first on NBC's "Law and Order, SVU"
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The lasers are capturing every detail in 3- D.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FEYERICK: But this 3-D laser scanner is no Hollywood prop. At least not in the hands of law enforcement agencies like the California Highway Patrol.
LT. DAVE FOX, CALIFORNIA HIGHWAY PATROL: It has enabled us to do our job in a more efficient way. We're able to collect more data. It's helped us to open the roadways faster.
FEYERICK: In complex investigations like this tragic tunnel collision involving dozens of vehicles, no critical evidence is overlooked.
SGT. DON KAROL, CALIFORNIA HIGHWAY PATROL: The tunnel was full of molten metal and debris everywhere. The scanner allowed us to be able to collect accurately the positions of all the vehicles. We were able to establish diagrams and three-dimensional models that we wouldn't have been able to do without the scanner.
FEYERICK: That's because the scene is scanned with laser precision and line by line, millions of points of data measurements are recorded. In mere minutes a three-dimensional perspective emerges.
DEPUTY STEVE TILLMANN, L.A. COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPT.: Picking up things that you don't even think about, or that may have some bearing on the case down the road.
FEYERICK: And down the road in the courtroom, the ability to reconstruct and virtually revisit the scene of the crime may help jurors separate fact from fiction.
Deborah Feyerick, CNN. (END VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERTS: Twenty-seven and a half minutes after the hour. President Barack Obama moving fast to suspend war crimes trials for detainees at the military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba for at least 120 days. It's one of his first acts as president.
CNN's Susan Candiotti broke that story late last night. She joins us now live from Camp Delta in Guantanamo Bay.
Good morning to you, Susan.
SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, John. You know, it's been the buzz around here for several days not whether President Barack Obama would ask for a review but when he would do it. And in just a few hours from now, military commission judges will meet with prosecutors and defense attorneys to decide what to do next.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CANDIOTTI (voice-over): The specially created military commission courtrooms appear ready for mothballs. Critics say it's about time.
SARAH MENDELSON, CTR. FOR STRATEGIC AND INTL. STUDIES: If the United States goes down the path of detaining every (INAUDIBLE) foot soldier, every low-level foot soldier, we could have hundreds of Guantanamos and we will not be any safer.
CANDIOTTI (on camera): If Barack Obama keeps his promise to close the camps, what will happen to the detainees and who will take them?
(voice-over): Only 21 of the 245 detainees are charged. The rest would have to go to the United States or another country willing to take them. In one of the few cases that had been inching forward, accused 9/11 plotter Khalid Sheikh Mohammed mocked the proceedings boasting "I am the mastermind, not Osama bin Laden."
Victims' relatives flown to the base this week so they could attend that pretrial hearing said they faced evil.
JIM RICHES, VICTIM'S FATHER: And these people are standing there praising what they did on 9/11. It made me very angry. I'd like to go through the glass and get at him and tear his head off.
CANDIOTTI: If the Guantanamo camps are closed, victims' families worry how long it will take to decide how to proceed in the 9/11 prosecutions. For now, even comedians are taking notice. Gitmo's days appear numbered.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let's do it. Blindfolds, shackles!
MAJ. RON JACKSON, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: It's actually really sad that our country is the least our government is seen as having tortured individuals and that other countries and even our own press and our own comedians are making fun of that issue.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CANDIOTTI: Despite all the problems, military prosecutors have defended these hearings as fair. Now whether America's tarnished image can be repaired is a gamble President Barack Obama has said he's prepared to take and now he's doing it.
John, back to you.
ROBERTS: Susan Candiotti, breaking the story for us from Camp Delta at Guantanamo Bay. Susan, thanks so much.
CHETRY: And right now it's 30 minutes past the hour. The new paint in the White House is likely still drying, but President Barack Obama's team is already on the job.
This morning, Obama's going to be attending a national prayer service, and then the new president will meet with his top economic advisers. The urgency is punctuated by the Dow's 322-point plunge yesterday as Christine Romans told us the biggest plunge since Lyndon Johnson's inauguration.
He's also expected to meet with his military commanders, and the busy agenda is coming on the heels of last night's big celebrations, and a tough inaugural address meant for tough times. We're going to be breaking down that address and some of the things that were said in just a moment. But first a look back at some of the memorable lines and the reactions that people had, captured by you, our CNN iReporters.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this America: They will be met.
To all other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and we are ready to lead once more.
(APPLAUSE)
For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness.
We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus, and nonbelievers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth.
With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come; let it be said by our children's children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations.
Thank you. God bless you.
(APPLAUSE)
And God bless the United States of America.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: This is a sampling of some of President Obama's much- anticipated inaugural address. So did it live up to massive expectations? Joining me now from Washington is David Frum. He served as a speechwriter to President George W. Bush and is the founder of thenewmajority.com.
Good morning, David. Thanks for being with us.
Good morning.
So there were, as we said, huge expectations in his speech yesterday. How do you think he did?
DAVID FRUM, FMR. SPEECHWRITER FOR PRES. BUSH: Not well. I think it was not a successful inaugural address. And it's not a writing problem, it's a thinking problem. To make a good speech, there's really something very simple you have to do. You have to think through exactly what you want to say, and then you have to take away everything that doesn't that thought. And the great inaugurals like Lincoln's, like Roosevelt's, like Ronald Reagan's in 1980, these have been very compact and clear statements, not policy documents, but a clear path.
Now here, Barack Obama with his trademark tendency to move both ways to weave in all directions and to satisfy all, because his thoughts were actually vague, expressed vaguely, the speech lacked power.
CHETRY: Very interesting. Clearly the crowd felt differently. I mean there were raucous cheers for many, many different parts of that speech. Maybe, you know, as a speechwriter you're breaking down some of those parts. Do you think, though, it did serve to inspire the people who came out to see him yesterday?
FRUM: Well, look, the people came out to see him like him, and they would have liked just about anything. But I think one of the tests that you have -- first, is there anything about it that you remember. Now, I think we will remember not lines, but messages and shifts of direction. But he's clearly signaling a big change toward more activist government. He's signaling a big change toward a more regulatory government.
And he also is indicating that he regards the Muslim world as a unity. And that is to say not that there are Muslim citizens who may have many -- of the planet who may have different opinions but there is a coherent Muslim world. That indicates the path his foreign policy may follow. But those are clues, snapshots, not clearly developed thoughts.
CHETRY: All right. Well, he focused on putting pragmatism above ideology. He also did talk as you said, government is something that many presidents while taking offices have talked about in their speeches. Reagan, of course, famously saying government is not the solution to the problem. Clinton saying government is not the problem or the solution. Let's hear what Barack Obama said about government.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OBAMA: The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works. Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: In a way, you talk about the fact that, you know, he is going to be facing critics who say big government is not the answer, and what he said was, in places where it's not working, government programs are going to go away.
FRUM: Yes, but how many places does he think that is? I think not very many. What he also said, and I think this is the true clue to what is really going to happen, is that he thinks the ground is shifting. The big debate we've had over government over the past 30 years, he thinks is ending and the era is open to more government.
You described this as pragmatic. I don't think anybody when he speaks about energy says I'm going to look for energy from wind and solar power, which are the very most expensive sources of electricity. And emit nuclear power, which is the cheapest alternative to coal, can be called pragmatic.
There are a lot of ribs here, underneath and maybe our discussion is indicating the problem. Underneath the haziness, there are ribs of a strong ideology, but he never quite had the nerve to come out and directly say what he was going to do. And so that hesitation, that unwillingness to be clear, that's not just a barrier to writing a good speech, it's a barrier to leading a successful presidency.
CHETRY: Interesting perspective today from David Frum, the former presidential speechwriter of George W. Bush and the founder of newmajority.com. Thanks for joining us this morning.
FRUM: Thank you.
CHETRY: John?
ROBERTS: This morning, the fashion world working itself into a frenzy over Michelle Obama's inaugural gown. We'll tell you who designed it and how it was received. It looks beautiful from here.
And coming up in about 60 minutes' time, former Secretary of State Colin Powell joins us live to talk about the challenges ahead for President Obama and the hard work that begins today. It is 37 minutes after the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, this is just great. This is just great. I'm so overwhelmed right now. This is just a wonderful, wonderful day. It's a great day. Great day. And I don't do crowds. I don't do crowds, but look at here. Look at here! I am so happy to be here. Oh! Yeah! Come on now, yeah! Woo! I'm excited.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: Well, as everyone can see the excitement level in Washington was at a fever pitch yesterday and the whole world was watching. But because kids always tell it like it is, our Jason Carroll went to an elementary school in Harlem to see what the kids there thought of this history-making moment and our new president's big inaugural address.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JASON CARROLL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): They came by the busloads to Harlem, thousands of students, like 11-year- old Shaneece Williams (ph).
UNIDENTIFIED GIRL: I'm nervous.
CARROLL: You're nervous?
UNIDENTIFIED GIRL: Yes.
CARROLL: And 12-year-old Levon McQueen (ph).
UNIDENTIFIED BOY: I'm feeling kind of anxious.
CARROLL: Anxious because they came to witness history.
UNIDENTIFIED BOY: I'm hoping that Barack Obama will not just represent our black African-American, Hispanic, Latino, but all of America.
CARROLL: As President Barack Obama raised his right hand, overwhelming excitement.
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
CARROLL: When he spoke...
OBAMA: The challenges we face are real.
CARROLL: ... near silence, the children hanging on every word.
(on camera): Did everyone like the speech? UNIDENTIFIED GIRL: I felt like really strong inside and I felt powerful.
UNIDENTIFIED BOY: Part of the speech that I really, really liked was when he started talking about peace and not having to go over to Afghanistan and Iraq and fighting.
CARROLL: Do you really think that people your age recognize the importance of what just happened?
UNIDENTIFIED GIRL: I don't think so because other people, they weren't paying attention to what he was trying to say.
UNIDENTIFIED GIRL: They're just focused on the fact that Obama is black and not what he brings to us as a country.
CARROLL: Insightful words from someone so young, but even these children wanted to hear some familiar words from their new president.
UNIDENTIFIED BOY: I wanted him to hear him say the words, yes, we can.
UNIDENTIFIED GIRL: Sometimes he just has a different way of saying it, and he just said it like part of the speech, more than just saying, yes we can, outright, the way he normally does.
UNIDENTIFIED BOY: When he was saying, bless us, bless America, I wanted to have him to say bless the whole world.
CARROLL: Eleven-year-old Joshua Delaney (ph) already knows what he'll tell his children about the historic day.
UNIDENTIFIED BOY: Never let nobody judge you by your skin or tell you you can't do nothing. Like Barack Obama said he's trying to say that, we can do anything as long as we put our heads to it.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERTS: Interesting insight -- less about the color of the skin and more about what's inside. Jason Carroll reporting for us this morning. It's 42 minutes now after the hour.
CHETRY: First Lady of fashion. How do you pick a designer for the day your husband makes history?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I was so happy, really, really happy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: Wait until you hear how Michelle Obama's designer got the thrilling news.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The same feeling you felt, I was feeling at the same time.
ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Oh, no, you were feeling something different. I mean, she was wearing your design.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: You're watching the Most News in the Morning.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHETRY: How about that? President Barack Obama's nearly two- year quest for the White House is complete. That was Beyonce singing for the couple's first dance.
It was also the dramatic debut of the first lady's much anticipated gown. Turns out she chose a white-beaded one-shoulder dress by designer Jason Wu. For the day's historic inauguration, First Lady Michelle Obama went with a sparkling outfit. And our resident fashionista, Alina Cho, has been working on this story.
Good morning.
CHO: Oh, you flatter me.
CHETRY: Well, you are a fashionista. Come on. And, you know, we have talked about who she was going to pick, what style she was going to pick and ultimately there were a lot of people who said she'd probably go with a young American designer, and that's what she chose.
CHO: And that's exactly what she did, Kiran. I mean, listen, this is her fashion M.O. Some might say, just like her husband, Michelle Obama gives people opportunities who might not otherwise have them, right? And that's exactly what she did.
Let's talk about the gown first. You know, Jason Wu, he's a 26- year old designer. He's only been in the business for three years, Kiran. And he told us last night that he was on pins and needles all day long. He had no idea that Michelle Obama was going to wear his gown until she walked out last night and revealed it to the public.
Now, during the daytime, Michelle Obama wore that yellow matching coat and dress. Who could forget it? So who designed it? Once again, it was a relative unknown.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHO (voice-over): As millions waited to get a glimpse of now President Obama, the world was also watching the First Lady. When Michelle Obama emerged, the fashion world applauded, a nod to her love of color. She chose nontraditional yellow with wool lace by American designer Isabel Toledo, hardly a household name, until now.
ISABEL TOLEDO, DESIGNER: It was a dream come true for me. It really was. I was so happy, really, really happy.
CHO: Cuban-born Toledo has been designing clothes for 25 years. She was also briefly the creative director for Anne Klein. Michelle Obama is a fan. So Toledo sent sketches, made the dress and matching coat and then she waited, like the rest of us, until her mother-in-law called and said "turn on the TV."
(on-camera): You found out when we found out.
TOLEDO: You got it. I mean I got the same excitement -- the same feeling you felt, I was feeling at the same time.
CHO: Oh, no, I think you were feeling something different. I mean, she was wearing your design.
TOLEDO: And I was so happy to see how beautiful she looked.
CHO (voice-over): Not since Jacqueline Kennedy has there been so much excitement over a first lady's fashion choices.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We want to see what she's wearing and we want to follow her.
CHO: Fashion insiders say that's because Michelle Obama dresses like the rest of us.
JAY LENO, HOST, "THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH JAY LENO": My guess is about 60 grand? Sixty thousand, $70,000 for that outfit?
MICHELLE OBAMA, FIRST LADY: Actually, this is a J. Crew ensemble.
CHO: When she's not wearing J. Crew or the Gap, the first lady often chooses American designers who are not well-known, and there's nothing like a presidential seal of approval.
MARY ALICE STEPHENSON, CELEBRITY STYLIST: Everything that Michelle Obama puts on turns to gold for that brand.
CHO: For Toledo and her husband, Ruben, Mrs. Obama's endorsement doesn't mean fame and fortune. It means they can continue doing what they love -- designing clothes.
(on camera): If could you talk to Michelle Obama right now, what would you say to her?
RUBEN TOLEDO, ARTIST: I hope you were warm and I hope it was comfortable. And boy, did you look great.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHO: You know, we should tell you that the seamstresses who made that dress and coat, they actually tried it on to make sure that Michelle Obama would be warm. So hopefully, she was, Kiran.
Now, a little bit more about the outfit -- that yellow. Well, Toledo calls it lemongrass, and she says she chose it because it's a happy and optimistic color. Another tidbit, when she was asked to make the coat and dress, Toledo initially was not sure that she could finish in time. That wool lace that you see there was made in Switzerland. It had to be shipped and, of course, everything had to be measured, cut and stitched together. Of course, it was a real group effort but somehow, Kiran, they helped pull it together. After all, we are talking about the first lady and the most important day of his political life, Barack Obama's political life, of course.
But, you know what I thought was so wonderful was that she didn't tell anybody what she was wearing. And so, just as America and the world was able to sort of experience that moment of oh, my gosh, what's she going to wear, the designer had that moment, too. And what a wonderful thing for those designers, you know.
CHETRY: Oh, certainly so exciting. And she looked wonderful. She's a beautiful woman.
(CROSSTALK)
CHO: She did.
CHETRY: A dashing couple at the inaugural ball as well.
CHO: One fashion editor said she's a fashion do.
CHETRY: She sure is. Alina, thanks.
CHO: You bet.
CHETRY: John?
ROBERTS: A swearing-in worth swearing at. What exactly happened when Barack Obama was taking the oath of office? Jeanne Moos takes a look at who blew it. Let's put it this way: It wasn't this John Roberts. It's ten minutes to the top of the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: Well, you know, some people waited a lifetime to see yesterday's inauguration and the inaugural address. But when President Obama's big moment finally arrived, things did not go exactly as planned. Jeanne Moos was watching it all unfold.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MOOS, CNN NATIONAL NEWS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): I could solemnly swear that I heard President Obama jump the gun on the oath.
J.G. ROBERTS: I, Barack Hussein Obama...
OBAMA: I, Barack --
JUSTICE ROBERTS: Do solemnly swear.
OBAMA: I, Barack Hussein Obama --
MOOS: From there things really went downhill when Chief Justice John Roberts misplaced faithfully. See below what he should have said.
J.G. ROBERTS: That I will execute the office of president to the United States faithfully.
OBAMA: And I will execute --
J.G. ROBERTS: Faithfully the office of president of the United States.
OBAMA: The office of president of the United States faithfully.
MOOS: No wonder Michelle is smiling, reminds us of an old "Saturday Night Live" skit lampooning Dan Quayle.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTRESS: Do solemnly swear.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: Do solemn and swear.
MOOS: Shortly after the swearing in, Justice Roberts and President Obama exchanged words. No, not swear words. Justice Roberts appeared to say, "It was my fault." It could have been worse.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTRESS: Swear.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: Swear.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTRESS: To.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: To.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTRESS: Faith...
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: Faith...
UNIDENTIFIED ACTRESS: ...ful
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: ...ful.
MOOS (on camera): Or they could have mixed up their oaths.
J.G. ROBERTS: So help you God.
OBAMA: So help me God.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Until death do us part.
MOOS (voice-over): Jeanne Moos, CNN...
J.G. ROBERTS: Congratulations, Mr. President.
MOOS: ... New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERTS: President Obama's first full day on the job. Meeting with military commanders about Iraq already. General Colin Powell is here live for insight.
Plus, little boy reporter's plea to a president.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I want to be in Washington, D.C., for the entire week of your inauguration. I can interview you any time, any day of that week. Just have your people call my people.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: He got his chance to see the president. Now Damon Weaver reports in. You're watching the Most News in the Morning.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: Welcome back to the Most News in the Morning. Amid the history and such a momentous day, it's the new first daughters Sasha and Malia added a touch of reality and levity to things. All smiles and waves. Malia Obama was constantly with her camera in hand snapping pictures of her father's inauguration, even getting Vice President Biden for her from the very front row.
But for another 10-year-old, the inauguration was actually a hard day's work. We've been following YouTube sensation and kid reporter Damon Weaver on his quest to interview President Obama. Weaver is again turning to the Internet to get the word out for the president.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAMON WEAVER, 10-YEAR-OLD REPORTER: I want to be in Washington, D.C., for the entire week of your inauguration. I can interview you any time, any day of that week. Just have your people call my people.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: There's Damon. So has he had any luck yet? Damon joins me now.
I don't know. It was a very short night for you. You were up late last night, weren't you?
WEAVER: Yes.
ROBERTS: Do you have a lot of fun last night? Where did you go? What did you do?
WEAVER: I went to the B2 Ball. I went to B.E.T., and we, let's see -- and also we went to the inauguration yesterday.
ROBERTS: Excellent. You were up until about 1:00 in the morning so you've only had a few hours' sleep. So it's good that you were here. So what about this interview. You've been pitching the president for a long time, president-elect, now the president. Have you gotten your interview yet?
WEAVER: Nah. No.
ROBERTS: Not yet?
WEAVER: But I think you could help me with it.
ROBERTS: I will definitely try to help you with it. But listen, how much more help could I be? You've had two Miami Heat ballplayers helping you out, you hung a banner from an event that he did in Miami, asking him to do the interview with you. What else -- what else have you got in your pocket that maybe you can convince him to do this?
WEAVER: Umm -- maybe, nothing much for him now.
ROBERTS: Nothing. But I'll tell you, I sent an e-mail this morning to the new White House press secretary, asking if they had any thoughts of doing an interview. We can send out the message this morning. You got the bully pulpit here. You got the camera. You want to try to convince him?
WEAVER: Yes.
ROBERTS: So go ahead, what do you have to say?
WEAVER: Hello, everyone. I'm Damon Weaver, and I want to interview the president of the United States, which is Barack Obama.
ROBERTS: So you told us the last time you were on, Damon, the first question that you would ask the president would be what to do about violence in your hometown of Pokey, Florida. Are you still thinking that's your first question or you got something else in mind?
WEAVER: That's my first question, but I got two more.
ROBERTS: What are your other two questions?
WEAVER: Will you let Joe the Plumber fix the toilet in the White House bathroom.
ROBERTS: You know, I fixed the toilet in the White House bathroom once. Doesn't mean I'm Joe the Plumber.
What's your third question?
WEAVER: Would you be willing to play with Dwight Wayne (ph) in a one-on-one basketball game.
ROBERTS: Really? Nothing about the economy, nothing about foreign policy?
WEAVER: I can't do those.
ROBERTS: No, not yet. All right. Hey, you went to the Root Ball last night as well. You interviewed a bunch of people. Who did you talk to?
WEAVER: The Root Ball.
ROBERTS: Yes.
WEAVER: That was the night before that.
ROBERTS: Oh, was that the night before that. Who did you talk to there?
WEAVER: I talked to Samuel L. Jackson, T.D. Jakes, Chris Tucker.
ROBERTS: Wow.
WEAVER: Oprah, Spike Lee, and some other people.
ROBERTS: A lot of big people. Hey, one thing we should mention, you had a blue ticket to the inauguration yesterday.
WEAVER: Yes.
ROBERTS: A blue ticket would have got you right up near the front, but you didn't make it? What happened?
WEAVER: We -- the line wasn't moving because it was only two metal detectors working, so we stayed in line for like three hours and never went in.
ROBERTS: Oh, that's a shame. Well, listen, you still got a couple more days in Washington. You're here until the weekend, so maybe your appeal to the White House will pay off. If you get the interview, let us know, will you?
WEAVER: Yes, I got a question to ask you.
ROBERTS: Yes, real quick.
WEAVER: Why did you just start wearing ties?
ROBERTS: Why did I just start wearing ties? I've actually been wearing them for a long, long time, probably about 35 years but you know, sometimes I just get the itch to take my tie off. On occasion, it's appropriate. We'll see.
Damon, it's great to talk to you. Good luck, man.
WEAVER: You, too.
ROBERTS: All right. Stay in touch -- Kiran?
CHETRY: Turning the tables on you, John. All right.
