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Health Care Bill Likely to Restrict Abortion; Obama to Meet with Chinese Officials; Rural Prison Under Consideration for Gitmo Prisoners

Aired November 16, 2009 - 13:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Tony, thanks so much.

Church, state, and the state of your health care. Catholic bishops helped write abortion out of the reform bill in the House, but before the Senate weighs in, pro-choice believers want to be heard.

Freedom of speech, in China? A presidential town hall tests the limits. And our Ed Henry hits a great wall of government interference.

Her poll numbers may be sub-freezing, but Sarah Palin's book is red hot. And everybody's got an opinion, so tweet me with yours. I know you'll have one. I'll read a bunch of them coming up in the next two hours.

We begin now, when it comes to fixing the health care, almost nothing is certain, but it's a pretty safe bet that any bill that goes to the president's desk will have significant restrictions on abortion. That's certainly true of the House bill, due in large part to the clout of the Catholic Church.

The House bill bans abortion coverage in the so-called public option, funded by government dollars. But also in any private plans purchased with government subsidies. It allows abortion coverage only in supplemental policies paid for entirely out of pocket.

Now the battle moves to the Senate, and an interfaith group of abortions rights supporters is weighing in. Jonathan Allen is listening. He covers Congress for Politico.com, and he joins me live from Washington.

Jonathan, is there abortion language, actually abortion language, that would satisfy the religious coalition for reproductive choice? And if so, how would that language read?

JONATHAN ALLEN, POLITICO.COM: It doesn't appear that there's a way to really bridge the gap between the two sides here. And the reason, I think, is that you're talking about is sort of a whole new health-care system that's being developed. And either side believes that it's losing ground if it gives into the other side. So they think there's a lot at stake here.

From the abortion rights folks' views, who believe that abortion rights are being encroached on now, they see this as sort of the first step in a long campaign to really get rid of, at least functionally get rid of abortion rights, because they believe that, ultimately, that this public option may expand to become the whole of our health- care system.

And in addition to that, some of the arguments that are made by Stupak supporters, if they were applied to the current health-care market, not this new exchange, but what people currently have now, you might also see that people who currently have abortion coverage not being able to pay for it through federal tax breaks.

PHILLIPS: Well, here's what a lot of people are asking, Jonathan. Health care is supposed to be made available to everyone, right? So no matter what your beliefs are, abortion is a medical procedure. So whether -- you know, let's take your beliefs out of the system completely. So looking at it just as medical procedure, why are religious groups being allowed to influence this decision in such a large way?

ALLEN: Well, abortion is a health-care procedure, but -- but here's the thing about that. The pro-life groups believe that it should be treated differently than other medical and health procedures because of what it is, because of what it constitutes. And so that's where a lot of this disagreement comes from.

As far as religious leaders getting involved, it's not unusual to have religious leaders involved in public policies. Certainly no one would have argued in the 1960s that Martin Luther King shouldn't have been able to petition the government for redress of grievances, to meet with the White House officials, to meet with members of Congress on Capitol Hill to push civil rights and voting rights.

And there are any other number of religious leaders who have been on Capitol Hill at times. Billy Graham would be another good example.

So the question is whether they're doing too much; whether they're getting into electoral politics, which they're not allowed to do. But if they're involved in legislative politics, you do not, as a member of the clergy, lose your rights as an American citizen to talk to your members of Congress.

PHILLIPS: That's understandable, but even talking about Billy Graham, I mean, let's not forget, when he prayed on the White House lawn, you know, he caught a lot of heat for that. And although he loved politics, he was very careful how he got involved with politics and how vocal he was.

So if you look at this issue that's being discussed, I mean, we're talking about a right to medical care versus religious beliefs. So what happened to the separation between church and state here?

ALLEN: That's a very, very good question. I think it's one of the ones that the members of Congress are trying to resolve. And if they're not careful in resolving it, ultimately, courts will resolve it.

In fact, there's a lot of belief that, no matter what gets into this bill in terms of restricting abortions, you're going to end up with a long court battle over it and that the Supreme Court will get involved on that end of it, if not getting involved in matters of separation of church and state.

PHILLIPS: Jonathan Allen, thanks for the input today.

ALLEN: Take care, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: You bet.

It's just after 2 a.m. Tuesday in Beijing, where President Obama is tending to one of this country's most complicated and critical relationships. He flew in Monday from Shanghai, where he found the town hall translated well to Chinese. More on that in just a minute.

But first, CNN's John Vause looks ahead to a busy day of business in the Chinese capital.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN VAUSE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Next comes the hard part: U.S. President Barack Obama face to face with the three most powerful communists in China, President Hu, parliamentary leader Woo, and Premiere Wen.

Most analysts believe U.S./China relations are good but have shifted in the last 12 months, with global issues taking center stage, the economic crisis, climate change, nuclear proliferation.

KENNETH LIEBERTHAL, BROOKINGS INSTITUTION: So it isn't a matter of there being a lot of friction over them at this point. The issue is, we're figuring out whether we can work together on that. And there's a lot riding on that.

VAUSE: With the U.S. government continuing to run huge budget deficits, mostly financed by China, in a way, President Obama will be meeting with his bankers and will need to convince the Chinese government that their huge holdings of U.S. dollars and debt are both safe, while the U.S. wants China to allow its currency to gain in value, believing right now it's deliberately undervalued to give Chinese exporters an unfair competitive edge.

But there is no support for that at a weekend economic summit of 21 Asian leaders in Singapore.

And then there is the issue of human rights.

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: And the United States will never waver in speaking up for the fundamental values that we hold dear.

VAUSE: U.S. officials say it will be raised, even though Mr. Obama did not meet with the Dalai Lama in Washington last month to avoid a backlash while visiting Beijing.

MIKE CHINOY, CHINA ANALYST: Obama has sought to put to the side a number of issues that were major irritants over the years, particularly human rights, Tibet, and so on. The calculation, I think, in Washington is that the previous approaches to these issues have been counterproductive.

VAUSE (on camera): And with both leaders dealing with such a long and complicated agenda, analysts say don't expect any hard outcomes from these few days. Instead, they say, this is more of an ongoing conversation.

John Vause, CNN, Beijing.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Back now to the Shanghai Science and Technology Museum. Far while today, its centerpiece was a well-traveled U.S. export, the political town hall. President Obama took questions from Chinese students and Internet users. And at one point, speaking up for the free flow of info.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Should we be able to use twitter freely?

OBAMA: I think that the more freely information flows, the stronger the society becomes. I've always been a strong supporter of open Internet use. I'm a big supporter of non-censorship.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Before the president arrived, CNN's Ed Henry worked the crowd, or tried to. So much for free speech.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ED HENRY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: He was just telling me about what question he wanted to ask President Obama. OK, but he was just telling us about...

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Well, don't worry. Ed does get the final word, and you can read it for yourself. Check out his blog at CNN.com/politics.

Time to move on, but we'll come back to China in just a few minutes. To the factory that may have made the shirt that you're wearing right now, no matter what the label says.

Terror suspects getting a hearty Midwest welcome. An Illinois prison could be the next Gitmo, and new neighbors might mean new jobs.

And are you ready for Palin-palooza?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: You know who the government's counting on to jump- start the economy? You. That's right, you. They want you to buy, buy, buy. But are you ready to spend, spend, spend? And are you ready for Palin-a-palooza? With her book coming out tomorrow, you're going to see a lot of her this week. We asked if you're Palined out or can't get enough of her.

TVMario tells us, "I think she must stay. People need a person like her. She's different, and she's the kind of person we all need in politics."

On the flip side, I'm thinking, BeeCharmer88 won't be buying a copy of the book: "I cannot believe Sarah Palin is getting any attention at all. She is trailer park trash. What values does she have? None."

More tweets, plus a trip to Wasilla this hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Could be Gitmo 2.0, a big prison in the tiny town of Thomson, Illinois. Under two hours from now, higher ups from the departments of defense, justice, and homeland security will be walking the halls and asking, "Will these bars hold the world's most notorious terror suspects?"

Meantime, Thomson residents are rolling out the welcome mat and fine-tuning their resumes.

Our Gary Tuchman paid a visit.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GARY TUCHMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's a tiny farming community best known for its healthy crops of melons and corn and soybeans, but it soon may be known as the Guantanamo of the north. This is the facility, the Thomson Correctional Center, a huge maximum security prison built eight years ago, but there's almost nobody in it. It's considered a white elephant, but it might soon begin filling up.

The proposal in place: to bring roughly half of the Guantanamo prisoners to this facility in this small town in Illinois. Now, there are about 600 people who live in this town. Literally, the population would increase almost 20 percent if 100 -- and that's the number that's being talked about -- 100 inmates come here.

Federal officials from the Department of Justice, from the departments of defense and homeland security, will be coming on a tour and see if this is a suitable facility. My guess: they will find it's very suitable. It's huge. It's modern. It's big. And this is a very barren area, and it has the enthusiastic support of the Democratic governor of Illinois.

GOV. PAT QUINN (D), ILLINOIS: This is something that is very good for our state. It's good for our economy. It's good for our public safety. We believe in America and making sure that safety comes first. And in our state of Illinois, when we have a prison, we make sure that it has the kind of security that protects the civilian population. At the same time, we understand, when there is wrong doing, there must be punishment. There must be incarceration. And that's why we have built this prison. Almost a decade ago, it was completed, and it is there for the use by our federal government.

TUCHMAN: Now, my guess is, if I talked to all of you in a room at once, most of you would say that you would not want Guantanamo prisoners living near you, but here it's very counterintuitive. Here in Thomson, almost everybody is for it. It's very difficult to find anyone who's against it. The main reason: this has been here for all these years. No jobs have been created by it because they haven't put any prisoners in there. The estimate is about 3,000 jobs will be created. So for economic reasons, most people are very much in support of it. And even people who have some problems with it see some good with it.

ROSIE ROJAS, LOCAL WAITRESS: This is a small town, you know. It's not like the terrorists, you know, want to do something to Thomson, you know? I mean, Thomson is a great community and, you know, farm town. So I think it should help.

JUDY AURAND, LOCAL RESIDENT: I think the positives, with jobs and bringing more people into the community. And using that facility to its fullest, because it has been vacant and not used to its high potential.

Then again, I think of the high security people coming in. That is also scary, thinking terrorists coming to our area. And we have a nuclear facility not too far away from here, just south in the Quad Cities. And that concerns me also. So I see both positive and negatives about that.

TUCHMAN: Now, there certainly are many national politicians, primarily Republicans, who don't want Guantanamo prisoners brought to the mainland United States. As a matter of fact, one congressman here in Illinois reminds everybody that 150 miles to the east of us is the tallest building in the United States, the Willis Tower, known by us purists, us old-fashioned people, as the Sears Tower. It had its name changed. But that's what he says.

Nevertheless, the Obama administration has made it clear it wants to close Guantanamo. It set a deadline of January 2010. It's unlikely that will be met. But this will be the first concrete steps to closing down Guantanamo: bringing the Guantanamo prisoners here to this tiny little town in Illinois.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Again now, that's our Gary Tuchman.

It's an outpouring of faith, the pilgrimage of a lifetime. And this year, it might be a breeding grown for swine flu. So can we protect the pious?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) PHILLIPS: Go ahead and check out the big board right now. Dow Industrials up about 134 points. Investors really buying into -- buying into the mood today, I guess. It's -- a big reason why it is that every day Americans doing a bit more buying.

Also, a new report actually showing that retail sales rebounded last month.

Stephanie Elam at the New York Stock Exchange with those details.

Stephanie, unemployment is in the double digits, right? So what kind of things are people spending their money on right now?

STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, you might be surprised to hear this one, but apparently, people are buying cars.

PHILLIPS: Really?

ELAM: No joke about it. I know; it's surprising. But auto sales jumped 7.4 percent last month. That's not a big number in general, but any increase in the beleaguered auto industry is a good sign, since it shows that the sector is stabilizing.

Also, the increase is important because it comes after -- after cash for clunkers expires. That means people are going out and buying cars on their own. They're not worrying about stimulus money or getting anything back in return other than the car, for the reason of going out and making the purchase.

Now remember, consumer spending is the big driver of economic growth in the U.S. So if the consumer is not spending, Kyra, that could have a bad impact on the markets overall.

PHILLIPS: I guess we could see, right, because it's so negotiable to buy a car, and people are pretty desperate to make the sale. But everybody's not going to be buying each other cars for the holidays; not everyone can afford that. So, you know, does this parlay over into the holiday shopping season, and, you know, could it make an impact somehow?

ELAM: Yes, you know, we'd all be very lucky if we had friends who were all buying us cars.

PHILLIPS: Exactly.

ELAM: But in general, doesn't really work that way. So yes, actually, we'll probably see a lot of discounts still this holiday season. While auto sales have rebounded, there's still a lot of weakness in other sectors. Areas like furniture and electronics and appliances, sporting goods, even department stores have having a rough time right now.

But unemployment is rising, and consumer confidence is falling. And that means stores are working extra hard to get shoppers to spend. Experts say some of the best deals this holiday season will be on HDTVs, of all things. Some smaller 32-inch TVs are priced under 400 bucks. And then retailers like Wal-Mart, Amazon, Target they've got into a price war, basically, over books and DVDs, and also, some retailers are offering free shipping.

But the main tip this season, Kyra: experts say when you see a deal, buy it. Stores are anticipating fewer shoppers this year, so they're stocking fewer items in their stores. So what you want could be sold out pretty quickly. So basically, Kyra, if there's something you have your eye on, after the show wraps, you need to go out and get it.

PHILLIPS: OK, thank you. I will tell that to the accountant. I can spend as much as money...

ELAM: Right.

PHILLIPS: ... according to Stephanie Elam, as I want.

ELAM: Right after the show. And including cars.

PHILLIPS: Fabulous. Tell me what you want. I'm out there.

ELAM: Great. I'll e-mail you. Bye.

PHILLIPS: OK.

Other top stories we're following right now.

We're closely watching reports out of Chicago. A body found in the Chicago River is believed to be school board president Michael Scott. We're told an autopsy is now underway. Scott's car was found nearby. We're going to keep you posted and also push forward on that story.

New worries over Iran's nuclear ambitions, this time coming from the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency. A senior official with the IAEA believes that Iran plans to start enriching uranium at a previously secret facility in 2011. Tehran revealed the facility in September, sending off global shock waves.

Remember those big government bailouts -- bailouts, rather, for Detroit? Well, of course you do; it's your money. Well, General Motors is ready to start paying off the debt. Next month, GM makes its first payment on a nearly $7 billion loan, but keep in mind the carmaker has lost more than $1 billion since it came out of bankruptcy.

Well, we've been talking about President Obama's trip to China, a country that he says is not predestined to be America's adversary and vice versa. The U.S. and China are bound in many ways. Chief among them, economically. We buy what China makes, and China lends money back to the U.S. Treasury. That's the big picture.

Here's a snapshot from CNN's Eunice Yoon.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) EUNICE YOON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): You've probably never heard of Roger Lee, but chances are you've worn won of his shirts.

ROGER LEE, TAL APPAREL: Brooks Brothers, L.L. Bean, Nordstrom's, Dillard's, JCPenney. We also make J. Crew, Banana Republic.

YOON: Lee's company, TAL Apparel, makes clothes for a dizzying number of brands. In fact, one out of every six dress shirts sold to Americans comes off one of these assembly lines.

So when Americans change their buying habits, this Hong Kong businessman feels the pain.

(on camera) How did you know that U.S. consumers were starting to tighten their belts?

LEE: Americans were buying more basic shirts. We find that typically during a downturn, our basic items like plain, white shirts, people continue to buy that, because it's what they need to wear to interviews, looking for new jobs.

YOON: And it's not just shirts. This past year has been unprecedented. The slump in demand for everything -- from shoes to toys to DVD players -- forced thousands of factories here in southern China to shut down. Millions lost their jobs.

Lee says his workers went from making over 200 shirts a minute to 160, but few people were laid off.

(on camera) Close to 5,000 people work in this factory alone. They sit on these assembly lines for about ten hours a day to stitch together shirts for American shoppers.

(voice-over) Lee fears recent trade disputes between Washington and Beijing could escalate and possibly lead to higher prices at U.S. stores.

LEE: Label them before.

YOON: But with Christmas coming, lee is encouraged by the increase in orders. Manufacturers here are hiring rather than firing, a sign Lee hopes that the U.S. consumer can make a comeback in 2010.

LEE: We will see a great Christmas season. And if we see that, then I think it will be good for everyone. For us as manufacturers, for the retailers, for the whole economy.

YOON: After all, U.S. shoppers may not be as invincible as they once were, but they still make the global economy go around.

Eunice Yoon, CNN, Dongguan, China.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: OK. We've got storms in the Pacific Northwest, snow in the Plains, damage on the Jersey shore, and plenty to keep track of in the CNN weather center, right, Chad?

CHAD MYERS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yes, about a dozen stories today. Just trying to shuffle them through my weather shows.

Let's get right to some of the pictures out of New Jersey that maybe you've slept through the weekend or just watched football. Seaside, New Jersey, Seaside Heights, just -- Point Pleasant really got hammered by some wind and some waves and some flooding. There you see it there.

And in fact, Governor Corzine has asked for federal assistance. He's -- as he said, a state of emergency, basically, in six of the counties. And that basically opens up the possibility of that.

There's from News 12, New Jersey. And that all happened as the storm rolled out to sea. That was the old Ida, although it wasn't much of a hurricane by the time it got there. It was a high pressure to the north of it. The -- Ida just a little bit of a low just to the south of it, and it funneled all of that wind in.

Seeing some snow in Kansas, snow in Chicago right now -- although rain in Chicago, although it's not that bad. You get up here into the higher elevations, we do get snow here through the Cascades and then a little bit farther to the inland empire, where we'll see some rain and snow, depending on where you are here from Oak Harbor to Astoria. Look at those winds: 30, 40 miles per hour.

And we've been watching a couple other things, Kyra, including the possibility of the space shuttle.

PHILLIPS: Yes. You've actually been tracking that all throughout the morning and afternoon. How does the weather look for the Shuttle Atlantis launch?

MYERS: I'm not maybe as impressed as some of the other meteorologists. I'm seeing a lot of low clouds. I'm seeing gray clouds. And I'm seeing the cirrus deck above that.

But we're still watching. If you want to go on to CNN.com/live, there it is. Hey, look at that. Thanks for switching that shot for me. That was NASA TV. They're not even listening, but that's OK.

You may be able to see the cloud deck here. And you would like to be able to see that that is all blue so that they can watch this thing a long time, as it runs up through space. Not necessarily enough to cancel the launch right now, but I think they're hoping for something a little bit better here in the next -- what do we have? -- about an hour and ten minutes or so, maybe a little bit less.

PHILLIPS: Keep talking about it then. And hopefully, we'll be taking that live.

MYERS: We'll be right here.

PHILLIPS: That's right.

MYERS: Right.

PHILLIPS: Thanks, Chad.

MYERS: Sure.

PHILLIPS: They're supposed to knock down your cholesterol, but the cholesterol drugs you're taking right now might be packing a weak punch. We're going to tell you what to do.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: A lot of sick people out there. Check out the latest swine flu numbers in the U.S. Some 8 million kids have the H1N1 virus and about 12 million adults. Thirty-nine hundred people have died during the first six months of the outbreak, but that number will likely climb as more cases are confirmed; 540 of those deaths were children. Vaccine production is still behind schedule, but 114 million doses are expected to be distributed by the end of the year.

A holy journey or a health nightmare? New fears that the pilgrimage of Muslims to Mecca could spawn a breeding ground for H1N1.

Our Jill Dougherty takes a look at it.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN FOREIGN AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): for many Muslims, it's the journey of a lifetime -- making the Hajj pilgrimage. Almost 3 million faithful together in the city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, one of the largest gatherings in the world. But this year, also a potential incubator for the H1N1 virus.

At a Muslim community center in Duluth, Georgia, American Muslims pray and prepare for the Hajj.

LATEEFA KHAN, PILGRIM: It's very exciting. An amazing experience, you know? I'm just looking forward to worshiping, you know, focusing all my time, you know, on worshiping.

DOUGHERTY: But this year, part of their preparations is being inoculated against the H1N1 virus.

DR. ASIF SABERI, COMMUNITY LEADER: Health issues affecting the Hajj.

DOUGHERTY: Dr. Asif Saberi answers their questions. If Muslims believe in the pilgrimage men should not wear any stitched items or touch alcohol, does that mean no protective masks or hand sanitizers?

SABERI: One of the basically principles on which sharia is based is the protection of the health. Therefore, wearing a mask is important, using the sanitizers which prevents this disease from spreading to others is important.

DOUGHERTY: Saudi Arabia won't turn anyone away who wants to come to the Hajj, but it's urging other countries not to let children under 12, people over 65, or pregnant women make the pilgrimage.

The Saudi health minister and his daughter get their flu shots on TV, part of a public campaign designed to alleviate fears about any harmful effects of the shot. The Kingdom also is using sophisticated technology, thermal screening equipment at entry points and mobile devices to document suspected cases of the flu.

DR. ZIAD MEMISH, SAUDI DEPUTY HEALTH MINISTER: We have relied on a collaborative program with the center for disease control, where they are helping us in setting up a system that was used in Hurricane Katrina disaster. And I think the system has already been tested and it's working perfectly well.

DOUGHERTY: In Washington, epidemiologist Louise Gresham and her staff at the nuclear threat initiative, which also deals with biological threats, track the spread of H1N1 in the Middle East.

LOUISE GRESHAM, NUCLEAR THREAT INITIATIVE: Picture, if you can, that 1 million people will come together in a single mosque at any given time during the Hajj. And picture that crowding over an extended period of time. And that's a test. It's a test not just for each individual pilgrim, but it's a real test for disease detection and control.

DOUGHERTY: NTI supports a groundbreaking infectious disease surveillance system in the region. Started seven years ago, ironically, during the highlight of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict.

GRESHAM: They started writing plans for not only food-borne disease outbreaks, but they started a pandemic preparedness plan. Now, when H1N1 came along, this put them in the perfect position, because they were practiced, they were rehearsed, and they had built great, great trust.

DOUGHERTY: Palestinians on their way to the Hajj. As part of this cooperation, Israel is supplying Gaza and the West Bank with H1N1 vaccinations for those who want to make this religious journey. Their fear, no match for their faith.

FAYZAH ABU AYADAH, PILGRIM (through translator): Even if we die there, it is not important. The important thing is to go for the Hajj.

DOUGHERTY: Jill Dougherty, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Well, they're two of the most popular cholesterol- fighting drugs on the market and they might be in your medicine chest right now, but are they doing you any good? A new study is actually raising some questions and our senior medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen, hopefully, has some answers for us.

What's the deal?

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, this gets a little confusing, so I'm going to try to break it down here.

When people have high cholesterol, they often take a statin like a Lipitor or a Zocor, but sometimes that's not enough so doctors want to do something in addition. So there are a couple of different ways the doctors can go. One of them it to prescribe a drug called Zetia, which is kind of a sister drug to another drug called Vytorin; and millions of people take those drugs. Another option is to take a vitamin called Niacin.

So doctors wanted to know, gee, which is better? Which is going to help people better? So what they did is they actually took 300 people, approximately, split them in half and said, half of you are going to take Niacin, have of you are going to take the drug Zetia. Let's take a look at what they found, because it's really pretty stunning.

When folks took Niacin, it actually -- the plaque became less thick. They can do ultrasounds of an artery and they could actually see that the plaque was reversing, was decreasing. With Zetia, they did not see a change in plaque. So that's the answer for you right there.

I should note that this study was funded by a company that makes a prescription form of Niacin.

PHILLIPS: So did people on Niacin have fewer heart attacks?

COHEN: They actually did. In the Niacin group, they had fewer heart attacks than the folks who were in the Zetia groups. But because it was a relatively small study, I mean, 280 people isn't that big, there's some question as to how important that is, but it was statistically significant. They did see a difference in the number of heart attacks.

PHILLIPS: What's Merck's response?

COHEN: Well, Merck has says, look, we have shown over and over again that Zetia and Vytorin really do decrease LDL cholesterol. LDL cholesterol is the bad cholesterol, the kind you want to see go down. So they say Zetia and Vytorin are effective in reducing LDL cholesterol. Now, some people would say, well, OK, fine, but if you're not seeing those cholesterol, those plaques get smaller in the arteries, why does it matter that on paper it lowers cholesterol?

PHILLIPS: Interesting. Thanks, Elizabeth.

COHEN: Thanks.

PHILLIPS: Well, it's about the time to turn the page in the Sarah Palin story. About 432 pages, actually. You ready to read some "Rogue"?

And more of your thoughts on her book.

1BlondWonder says, "I can't wait to hear what Sarah has to say." And Joanna lyn says, "Unfortunately, Palin has the same freedom of speech as everyone else. Sad we have to hear it all the time, though."

Heading to Wasilla in a second.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Top stories now.

Pumped up to visit our troops. That's what it says on California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's Twitter pages. He arrived in Baghdad this morning on a goodwill tour to meet U.S. troops. Yesterday, he was in Jerusalem taking part in a Mideast peace conference.

China is all atwitter after President Obama criticized Internet censorship there. At today's town hall meeting in Shanghai, the president was asked, should we be able to use Twitter freely? He responded that he's a big supporter of non-censorship. But go figure, the statement got no coverage on China's official newscast.

Six Atlantis astronauts ready to blast off in less than an hour, but gathering clouds over Cape Canaveral could keep them grounded, delaying the 11-day shuttle mission to the International Space Station. Blastoff is scheduled for 2:28 Eastern time. We'll bring it to you live if it gets a go.

If Sarah Palin wants to win a presidential race, she's got to win some hearts, minds, and confidence first. A new CNN opinion research poll suggests that seven out of ten Americans don't think she's qualified to be president. But don't write her off just yet, her story's not over. In fact, it's just the beginning. Her book, coming to a shelf near you tomorrow.

It's time for a trip to Wasilla. CNN's chief national correspondent, John King, takes us there.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN KING, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Wasilla's famous resident lives across this shimmering lake. Her image, still a smiling life-sized calling card at the local chamber of commerce.

It's mostly back to normal a year after the big election, but to visit Pandemonium Booksellers is to be reminded that Wasilla, like the rest of America, is preparing for the next installment of the Sarah Palin debate.

SHANNON CULLIP, OWNER, PANDEMONIUM BOOKSELLERS & CAFE: I think it will stir it up a little bit.

KING: Owner Shannon Cullip says presales of Palin's "Going Rogue" are shattering store records and reigniting the Palin political divide.. CULLIP: It's either one extreme or the other, I would say. People either completely, completely have her on a pedestal or don't like her. It's not too much in the middle. You'll have just some people just, oh, she's just such an amazing woman, I can't believe what she's accomplished and that sort of thing.

KING (on camera): And the flip side? Those who...

CULLIP: The flip side, I can't stand her.

KING (voice-over): Palin's fast political rise has been good for business here. Books on her governor tenure on the Alaska section. "Another Political Title" sell more now too.

CULLIP: I have a little bit of everything. I have "The Audacity of Hope." We have -- and during the election, you'd find that people bought both. You know, they were comparing.

KING: Palin calendars are a big seller at the moment and post- election political sales tend to reflect Wasilla's more conservative leanings.

(on camera): Glenn Beck outsells President Obama at the moment?

CULLIP: Oh, yes.

KING: Oh, yes?

CULLIP: Big-time.

KING (voice-over): This was Governor Palin's Anchorage office, until she abruptly resigned in July. As new Governor Sean Parnell tries to make his own mark, he, like everyone else in Alaska, is waiting for the next chapter.

GOV. SEAN PARNELL (R), ALASKA: I can really say nothing except that I wish her the best, because she treated me and her fellow Alaskans so well and looked out for us well.

KING (on camera): Do you, as governor, pick up the phone at all as well and say, you know, this is a tough one, let me seek her advice? Or have you both sort of moved on?

PARNELL: We keep on touch just on a personal basis. I haven't -- we haven't had the policy consults or anything, but we do keep in touch.

KING: You going to read the book?

PARNELL: Of course, I'm going to read the book.

KING (voice-over): Not everyone here is a Palin fan, of course. Democratic Senator Mark Begich among those who choose their words carefully.

SEN. MARK BEGICH (D), ALASKA: I don't know what her future's going to be. I'll let the public make that decision.

KING (on camera): Are you going to read the book?

BEGICH: I don't know. You know, I've got so many other -- I've got a health care bill to read.

KING (voice-over): Fireside Books is in Palmer, a short drive from Wasilla. It will be open three hours early on Tuesday.

DAVID CHEEZEM, OWNER, FIRESIDE BOOKS: I expect people will be lining up and knocking on the door.

Sarah Palin fans are not the most patient people in the world. They want it now.

KING: Owner David Cheezem is a democrat and thought he had a chance at winning a race for the state house last year.

CHEEZEM: The thought was, well, you know, the republicans aren't that excited about John McCain. I might be able to get some votes here, where otherwise I wouldn't. And then she came in and ran for vice president and at that point, there's just no way. And I lost dramatically.

KING (on camera): You don't seem to hold it against her too much?

CHEEZEM: No, no. Not if she sells a bunch of books here.

KING (voice-over): Proof that all politics is local, even as the debate about Sarah Palin's national ambitions opens its next chapter.

John King, CNN, Palmer, Alaska.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: And next hour, our Candy Crowley will join me to talk about Sarah Palin's book, her past, present, and future.

A decorated Korean War hero earned his place at Arlington National Cemetery with his fallen comrades. Nothing could come between them. Well, except for a petty thief.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: You know the story, right? The guy in Cleveland accused of having all those bodies at his house. Those alleged victims obviously can't speak, can't tell their stories. But others can, and should, if they could overcome their fears.

And a son comes forward and talks about a small town's dark secret and denies his father had anything to do with it.

Arlington National Cemetery, where Army Colonel Norbert Schmidt wanted to rest in peace, reunited with his comrades, the ones who died around him in Korea more than half a century ago. Well, Schmidt died three months ago. He was 83. The Arlington ceremony had "Taps," the flag presentation, the somber and proper sendoff for a West Point man honored in life with a bronze star and a couple of purple hearts. Just one thing was missing, and it was kind of important.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CAROL SCHMIDT, DAUGHTER: You don't go to a funeral and like go, oops, there's no body. You don't do that. Yes, it's the big difference. If we were just having a memorial to honor him, that would be one thing. But this was supposed to be the burial.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Yes. Can you believe that? Here's what happened. Some loser or losers broke into the family's rented van and stole a bag that had the colonel's ashes. The thief probably doesn't even realize what he or she has.

Meanwhile, here's a family torn apart all over again.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SCHMIDT: It means nothing to them and they've got the jewelry, they've got the computer, they've got the GPS. Those are things. We need my dad's ashes back.

We lost him three months ago. We went through all that. And as my sister put it, it's like we just lost him all over again. It just feels like he died yesterday again.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Now, if ever there were a time for a shred of honor among thieves, this is it. Your crime isn't as petty as you think. You know, Colonel Schmidt got shot up for your freedom, not your freedom to steal. You saw the daughter, you saw her tears, heard her voice shake. So come on, do what's right and just take the colonel's ashes to the cemetery or a church. Give this family some peace and our Korean vet the burial he so richly deserves.

Low tech, high yield. The Taliban's deadliest weapon getting deadlier by the day. What can our troops do to keep from getting blown apart? We're going to take you straight to the frontlines.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Fertilizer, diesel fuel, a heavy dose of deception, the Taliban's painfully simple roadside bomb strategy in Afghanistan is working. And last month was the deadliest so far for American troops, namely due to roadside explosives.

But as CNN's Chris Lawrence shows us, a new battle plan is in the works against the Taliban's weapon of choice.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In Afghanistan, it's man versus bomb. Soldiers are getting frustrated, finding an enemy they can't touch.

LT. CHARLIE DROLSHAGEN, U.S. ARMY: It feels like sometimes there's nobody for you to blame.

LAWRENCE: Lieutenant Charlie Drolshagen is with the Fourth Engineer Battalion. They go looking for bombs to clear the routes for other NATO soldiers and Marines. They're also the only unit to deploy to Iraq this year and then moved directly to Afghanistan.

(on camera): In Iraq, they'd see one person or one team plant a fully assembled bomb, but the tactics are completely different here.

(voice-over): One man gets paid to dig a hole.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He doesn't know what the hole is for. He just knows he's getting paid $20 U.S. to go dig it.

LAWRENCE: That hole could sit for days until a second man is hired to string a wire.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And then someone else will come along and might have a different role in it.

LAWRENCE: It may take a month, but a killer bomb is being assembled even as patrols pass by it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And unless you start putting the puzzle pieces together, you don't realize that that's exactly what they're doing.

LAWRENCE: Lieutenant Metvitzgiven (ph) calls the militants are called ingenious. Another officer in Kandahar told us, they've learned how to place warnings that only Afghan civilians are likely to see.

MAJ. SCOTT BRANNAN, U.S. ARMY: They'll put out word of mouth or mark the area so the locals know not to go in that area.

LAWRENCE (on camera): Compared to the more sophisticated devices that exploded in Iraq, the military has a much tougher time tracking the bomb-making materials here.

(voice-over): Officials say they're so simple you could find them in anyone's backyard.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The devices they're building out of bicycle seat springs and all kind of odds and ends things; cigarette packages and tinfoil and batteries.

LAWRENCE: The road clearance team has lost 11 soldiers, including four last month to a devastating 1,000-pound bomb.

SGT. LOUIS ROJAS, U.S. ARMY: The vehicle got blown out about 20, 30 meters away from the road.

LAWRENCE: Sergeant Louis Rojas tried to comfort the driver.

ROJAS: I was actually caressing his head at the time, talking to him, telling him to stay with us.

LAWRENCE: Rojas, whose got a wife and daughter, has seen so many friends die he thinks IEDs are inevitable.

ROJAS: It'll be my day today that we're leaving or you know tomorrow that we're (INAUDIBLE) clearing the roads.

LAWRENCE: On the battalion's memorial wall, they've left room for more names. With three months left in their tour, the unit has dozens of routes to clear before they see their families.

DROLSHAGEN: It's nice to get sympathy and understanding from home, mostly because it reminds us that there's a normal world out there without roadside bombs.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Chris joins us live from Kabul.

Chris, seems like they are constantly adapting. Are they watching the troops as much as troops are looking for them?

LAWRENCE: Yes, sometimes even more so. Some of the soldiers there told me they thought some of the IEDs there were placed weren't necessary designed to blow up a vehicle or cause casualty, but it was a test. And they watched how the soldiers would deploy out of their vehicles after an explosion and then the insurgents started setting anti-personnel mines around those areas to catch them when they were out of their vehicles. So it's a constant thing of trying to adapt and readapt out there.

PHILLIPS: So the U.S. Army's Fourth Engineer Battalion out of Fort Carson, Colorado, do they see the difference in the way Afghan and Iraqi militants target the vehicles and the convoys?

LAWRENCE: They told me, in Iraq, they saw more -- in fact, they told me they saw more IEDs in the first two weeks here in Afghanistan than the unit that they replaced saw in an entire year in Iraq. That was stunning to me to hear that.

And they say there is no rhyme or reason. Sometimes it's the first truck in the convoy, sometimes it's the last, sometimes it's the middle. They say the insurgents really don't have a pattern. They choose what vehicle they want to target and that's what they go for.

PHILLIPS: Chris Lawrence, great reporting from Kabul. Appreciate it.