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Dick Cheney Hospitalized; Toyota, Time to Talk; The Long Slog of Afghanistan; Brown the Big Bully?; Terrorist's Plea Deal; Back to the Mall; $1 Million Comic Book; Broken Management, Broken Trust
Aired February 23, 2010 - 09:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JOHN ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: All right, the news continues on CNN with Kyra Phillips in the CNN NEWSROOM.
Good morning, Kyra.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, guys. And welcome to Tuesday. Lots to tell you about.
If you've got a child -- heck, even if you don't -- this story will send chills up your spine. At least 100 little ones sexually abused allegedly. The suspect? Someone parents trusted with their children's lives.
Plus, Gordon Brown, more like "Bad Boy Leroy Brown." A book claims the British PM isn't exactly a sweetheart to work for.
And government that just hasn't gotten it done. Broken. We'll visit a couple of towns that aren't crying about it. They're trying to fix it.
And we're also checking in with Dr. Sanjay Gupta. He is talking about the former vice president's latest heart episode.
Brianna Keilar is on Capitol Hill. Toyota will be parked there today with a lot of explaining to do.
And Barbara Starr talks about a milestone in the Afghan war. A milestone we might not have imagined in 2001.
Well, right now, the doctors are monitoring Dick Cheney in a Washington hospital. The former vice president experienced chest pains and is undergoing more tests this morning.
As you may know, he has a long history of heart problems. Four heart attacks with the first striking in 1978 when he was only 37. Then his second heart attack happened in 1984. The third, in 1988, before having quadruple bypass surgery to unblock his arteries. Then his fourth heart attack came in November of 2000 after he was elected vice president.
So, Dr. Gupta, considering all this history, you know, is this normal to have this sort of repeat in the condition? I mean I think with my father's had a number of heart attacks and it's because it's hard to fight his cholesterol.
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, I mean, he clearly had -- has coronary artery disease, heart disease, and he had it at a very young age, the former vice president. So this is not surprising.
I think one thing that he's been getting world class care, I think, medical care for some time so doctors -- his entire health care team really trying to stay on top of this. But this is sort of the -- the progression of heart disease.
Right now, Kyra, we're still not exactly sure what causes chest pains, and there's a couple of big questions that doctors are going to be figuring out. First of all if it is his heart, and it most likely is. Was this a heart attack, meaning the heart muscle actually died?
Or was this -- what's called angina where, you know, the heart's not getting enough blood flow and that's causing pain.
As part o the work-up by the doctors, they're also going to -- you know, make sure it's not his lungs, it's not his esophagus that can also sometimes mimic this type of pain. But you're absolutely right. This is a natural -- I mean just take a look at his medical history there. It is all laid out including problems of his heart rhythm most recently over the last several years.
PHILLIPS: And, obviously, like you said, he's had the best care. I mean he was the vice president of the United States.
GUPTA: Yes.
PHILLIPS: Not everybody is so lucky to have such good health care nowadays. But you come into the hospital -- I mean, you're a doctor. You come in the emergency room, I mean, the first thing they do, obviously, is they look at the history.
GUPTA: That's right.
PHILLIPS: And you know, how -- what happens first?
GUPTA: You know, they're trying to put the best guess as to what's causing this. And the heart is obviously going to be at the very top of the list and the first several slots on the list. But after that it's a very logical consistent sequence of events, Kyra.
Anybody that comes in with chest pain and you're worried about the heart, you're given aspirin, because you want to take care of any blood clots that might be on those blood vessels. You give them medication known as nitroglycerin, which can open up the blood vessels, allowing more blood flow to the heart. That can help with the pain.
But then you can take a look at the tests there. There is a standard sequence of tests. Is this the heart? Was there a heart attack? What other things can we do to try and figure out how to correct the problem? So that's probably what's happening now and over the next couple of hours as well.
PHILLIPS: You know, you've been doing this fit nation for the unfit people around the world. But no, really, you're dedicated to it. I mean, my guess is, and I know that you have stayed up on his history, he's got to be on some type of program, right?
When you do have a heart condition like this, I mean, you're lectured constantly about what to eat, how to exercise. Do we have any idea if he's been a good boy?
(LAUGHTER)
GUPTA: It's a great question. And you know there's really two points here. One is that, they say he's made some lifestyle changes. You know I don't know how --
PHILLIPS: He has lost weight.
GUPTA: He's lost some weight.
PHILLIPS: Yes.
GUPTA: I'm not sure how drastic they've been or what an impact they've had. But you know, what's interesting as well, we're doing a story on hypertension, for example, this morning. But 86 percent of people who have uncontrolled hypertension or high blood pressure have insurance and see their doctor regularly.
So, you know, it is more than simply going in and seeing the doc. You really have to instill a lot of these lifestyle changes in yourself and take a lot of personal responsibility. I mean nothing can substitute for that.
PHILLIPS: Well, let's not forget stress either. And he's been in the news quite a bit the past couple of weeks, raising some waves among other --
GUPTA: Even after leaving office. That's right.
PHILLIPS: Exactly.
GUPTA: It hasn't stopped for him.
PHILLIPS: Start meditation. All right, Sanjay, we'll follow his condition with you.
GUPTA: OK.
PHILLIPS: Thanks so much.
GUPTA: Thanks, Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Well, Bob Dole is also in the hospital this morning. He says he's doing just fine.
The former senator is actually recovering from pneumonia at Walter Reed. He says he's looking forward to getting back in just a few weeks. Dole is also still in physical therapy after having knee surgery late last year. By the way, he's is pushing 90 years old right now.
Enough with the recalls and apologies. How about an explanation? Toyota bigwigs are in Capitol Hill to answer questions about those acceleration problems that you might have heard about. There should be lots of questions, too.
A congressional panel also gets to hear what it was like to be driving one of those faulty mobiles -- or vehicles rather. Like the east Tennessee woman whose Lexus zoomed up to 100 miles per hour on the interstate against her will.
Take a listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RHONDA SMITH, LEXUS OWNER: I looked down at the speedometer, and it gotten to about 70. And I didn't have my feet on the accelerator. At about 75 the cruise light came on by itself, and so I thought well, maybe that's why it's starting to speed up. So I took my hand and I disengaged the cruise.
I had my feet right like this. I guess I said it out loud, I can't believe this is happening.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: Her Lexus finally slowed down.
Our congressional correspondent Brianna Keilar got inside the hearing room.
So, Brianna, what questions are lawmakers going to ask?
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, we know they're going to be asking some tough questions, Kyra, and they're going to be coming from this direction, from Bart Stupak, who is the chair of the subcommittee that's having the hearing, and also from Henry Waxman of California. He is the chair of the full Energy and Commerce Committee in the House.
What they want to know from Toyota, specifically, and they laid this out in letters -- very long letters that they sent yesterday to Toyota -- is why was Toyota saying publicly that the cars were safe when behind the scenes clearly they were looking into some problems.
And also they're going to press Toyota on some pretty widespread concerns that lawmakers have, that this isn't just an issues of the gas pedal or the breaks. That these are issues of the electronic throttle control, of actually the computer inside of these Toyota vehicles.
This is the table where all the witnesses are going to be sitting, Kyra. The secretary of transportation, Ray LaHood, will be here, and the questions that these members will have for him, in short, are how did federal transportation regulators miss all of these red flags?
And you just heard from Rhonda Smith, Kyra. She will be sitting at this table as well. We're going to be getting that firsthand account before this whole hearing room -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: All right, well, Brianna, this is definitely a one-two punch. We're going to see more of this circus show, shall we say, tomorrow?
KEILAR: Yes. And I think this hearing today is really going to be build to tomorrow's because what you're seeing today is the head of Toyota U.S., James Lentz. Tomorrow you will actually be hearing from Akio Toyoda, the head of Toyota Global. He'll be coming from Japan for this.
And just take a look at how much attention this is getting. These are seats, Kyra, that are reserved for the Japanese media. You've got major Japanese papers, TV Asahi, you know, major television outlets in Japan. They are paying very close attention to it.
I suspect we're going to see many more seats saved for them at tomorrow's hearing when Mr. Toyoda is here.
PHILLIPS: Oh yes, we'll be paying close attention. Brianna, thanks so much.
And you can watch parts of the hearing live right here on CNN. Really looking forward to hearing more from the drivers. And if you're still wondering, is my Toyota part of this recall? What should I do? Just go to CNN.com/Toyota, all the information that you need to see is right there.
A heartfelt apology and an updated timeline in the fight for Afghanistan.
CNN Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr live in Washington.
So what's latest on the Marjah offensive that we've been covering so intensely, Barbara?
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kyra, you know, as we've talked about, another incident in which civilians were killed, General Stanley McChrystal apologizing for this accidental killing of up to 27 Afghan civilians in a statement broadcast on Afghan television and radio.
But the offensive itself, growing indications, Kyra, that it's going a little slower than anybody expected, that the Taliban are putting up resistance. Just a couple of days ago top commanders said it could be another 25 or 30 days.
I want you to listen to what Admiral Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, had to say about it just yesterday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ADM. MIKE MULLEN, CHAIRMAN, JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF: As you've all been seeing, we're making steady, but perhaps a bit slower than anticipated progress.
By all accounts the Taliban's resistance has been at best disjointed, but we have experienced difficulties in some places. The enemy fights harder than expected. The IEDs he has planted along the roads and at intersections, though crude, are still deadly.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
STARR: So a bit slower than expected. The Taliban perhaps not quite on the run that the U.S. anticipated. And in Afghanistan, a sad note to take. The U.S. death toll in Afghanistan now very close to approaching 1,000 service members killed in the war -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Barbara Starr, live from the Pentagon. Barbara, thanks.
Bully, bully. That's from Teddy Roosevelt. But now it's being used to describe Gordon Brown. The British prime minister facing heat for the way he talks to his co-workers.
ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: And I'm Rob Marciano in the CNN Severe Weather Center. Buffalo has had less snow for the month of February than Dallas, Texas, and Dallas is getting the snow today.
That forecast is coming up after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Gordon Brown, you big bully. The Britain's prime minister is actually being put on the spot accused of having a pretty hot temper and a short fuse.
CNN's Max Foster joining us live from London.
Max, we've been seeing this circulating all across the Internet. What's going on?
MAX FOSTER, CNN ANCHOR: Well, Kyra, it is hearsay, but the thing is, it comes from quite legitimate sources, so that's why it's getting so much coverage. And which is why everyone in this country seems to be talking about it right now.
Let's get through the allegations. First of all, we have claims in a book by Andrew Rawnsley. He's a well-regarded political commentator here. In that book there are allegations that a top government official had to go to Gordon Brown and have a word in his ear saying, you need to cool your temper, you need to cool down your abusive and physical -- physically abusive relationship with some of your staff in meetings. This really has to stop.
Then after that, we heard from the "National Bullying" that's actually there to receive some calls from staff at 10 Downing Street. Let's just have a listen to what the founder told CNN.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHRISTINE PRATT, NATIONAL BULLYING HOTLINE: You have to help with the calls through the hotline confidentially. What we were concerned about this weekend was a denial from an employer that we would have hoped and expected would know better.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FOSTER: There you are, a legitimate help line, very well used, very well regarded, coming up with allegations about 10 Downing Street. Not personally against Gordon Brown but against the office in which he has control -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: So what can happen then as this sort of moves forward? And is it being taken seriously? Are their investigations going on on a deeper level? Could something happen to the prime minister to be held accountable?
FOSTER: Well, it will surprise that the opposition party has called for an investigation in the run-up to the general election in the spring. But Downing Street is saying there won't be an investigation because Gordon Brown denies anything happened.
Actually the top government official I was referring to, Sir Gus O'Donnell, said in a series of statements that actually there isn't as much truth to this as is portrayed in the book.
So 10 Downing Street very much say this isn't an issue, even though everyone is still speculating about it. Until we have some evidence we don't know what actually happened in those meetings. But at the moment no, it's not going to go anywhere else, but it certainly does show how the political temperatures are rising as we head towards general election -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Max Foster out of London. Max, thanks so much.
And this morning, we were wondering and want to know if you've been bullied by your boss. It's the big question on our blog this morning. CNN.com/Kyra. E-mail me a short version, if you will, about your bully boss, and I'll read some of your responses in the next hour.
The Texans are getting bullied a bit. A bit of a fun ride into work this morning, right, Rob Marciano?
(WEATHER REPORT)
PHILLIPS: Sounds good. Thank you, Rob.
MARCIANO: All right, see you.
PHILLIPS: Well, allegations that will make your skin crawl. A pediatrician in custody, accused of taking advantage of kids in his care, over and over and over again. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Turn off the spying software. That's the order from a Pennsylvania judge. It's aimed at the Lower Marion School District. They are being sued by a student who says he was captured on his Web cam while in his room.
The school says the peeping is a security measure for stolen laptops, and that the student wasn't allowed to take it home. The FBI and Justice Department are also looking into this case.
He is supposed to care for children. In Delaware, a pediatrician is accused of doing just the opposite for the past 10 years. Prosecutors say that Dr. Earl Bradley molested patients in his care and videotaped it all. The (INAUDIBLE) say he abused at least 103 kids. He now faces 471 felony counts including rape and assault.
We'll have much more on this story next hour.
Don't rule out New York for the 9/11 terror trials. That's from Attorney General Eric Holder. Earlier the White House admitted that the trial of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and other accused conspirators could be moved away from Manhattan. But Holder says no decision has been made.
We're told the extra security could cost $200 million a year.
A break dancer busted, charged with breaking the law. Wait a minute? Dancers are still breaking? Pull up your acid wash jeans and fire up that Walkman because the '80s are coming back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Prosecutors say that Najibullah Zazi wanted to be a suicide bomber and unleash devastation on New York subway systems. Instead he's become a valuable witness about al Qaeda and its some serious plots to kill Americans.
More details now from CNN homeland security correspondent Jeanne Meserve.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN HOMELAND SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: In a New York City courtroom, Najibullah Zazi admitted he was a suicide bomber. Trained and equipped to blow up that city's subways. Ready to martyr himself to draw attention to civilian deaths in Afghanistan, his native country.
ERIC HOLDER, ATTORNEY GENERAL: This attempted attack on our homeland was real. It was in motion. And it would have been deadly.
MESERVE: Zazi told the court he went to Pakistan in 2008 intending to join the Taliban but was recruited by al Qaeda and received explosives training. This video purportedly shows him purchasing chemical components at a beauty supply stores in Denver last summer. Prosecutor say he used them to make TATP, the same explosive used by shoe bomber, Richard Reid.
Zazi traveled to New York in September intending to strike the subways, but when he realized he was under surveillance, he threw away the chemicals and returned to Denver where he was arrested.
Now he has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction and commit murder in a foreign country, and to providing material support to a terrorist organization al Qaeda.
A former federal prosecutor called it a homerun for the Justice Department.
ANDREW MCBRIDE, FORMER FEDERAL PROSECUTOR: It shows that a civilian court and the threat of life without parole can induce a plea and cooperation.
MESERVE: Since the decision to Mirandize the alleged Christmas day bomber, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the attorney general has been under siege by critics arguing terror suspects should only be prosecuted in military commissions.
The attorney general used the Zazi plea deal to defend criminal prosecutions.
HOLDER: To take this tool out of our hands, to denigrate the use of this tool, flies in the face of the facts, flies in the face of the history of the use of this tool and is more about politics than it is about facts.
MESERVE (on camera): The plea agreement was sealed at the request of the government, but a government source says it would not be incorrect to say a threat of legal action against Zazi's family and associated persuaded him to cooperate.
Jeanne Meserve, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: "Broken Government." It's part of our weeklong focus and we have a question for you. Could some solutions lie in the hands of a long-time lawmaker and convicted felon?
He's a former congressman out of prison but he's getting ready for another run for office, and he's going to tell you why.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANNOUNCER: Live in the CNN NEWSROOM, Kyra Phillips.
PHILLIPS: On Wall Street, stocks snapped a four-day winning streak yesterday. The losses are expected to continue this morning unfortunately. Stephanie Elam, kind of a special day there in Wall Street. National Pancake Day? Did you have a good breakfast?
(LAUGHTER)
STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: I did. It did not include pancakes, however, Kyra. But yes, you can see that you got IHOP ringing the opening bill. And I've been there when IHOP is at the Stock Exchange. It's not a bad thing.
Today is National Pancake Day and IHOP will be celebrating that throughout the day. The restaurant is also giving away a free short stack to every customer today. So after you get off the air, Kyra, go ahead and hit up IHOP.
(LAUGHTER)
ELAM: As for investors, they're turning their attention to consumer spending because some big names are reporting results. Starting off is Home Depot. It says it's swung to a quarterly profit. It plans to boost its dividends for the first time since 2006.
Macy's swung to a profit as well, and Sears Holding, they posted its best quarterly profits in three years. All of this shows Americans willing to spend a little bit more money these days. That's a good sign. That will give the economy a boost. Still, there are some retailers that are scaling back. Sears plans on shutting down 21 stores in addition to the 35 closures that were already announced.
As we get going here, like you said Kyra, we are expecting a weaker start to the day and that's what we got. Checking the numbers, investors seem to be brushing off a housing report showing prices are still falling but at a much slower pace, so the Dow off 11 points, 10,371; NASDAQ off 4 at 2,237 in the early going. And Kyra before we go, would you pay $1 million for a comic book? Small chum changed to you, I know.
PHILLIPS: I'm sorry I was lacking because it's your turn about the numbers we were looking at video right here, one of the traders pounding in the pancakes, and --
ELAM: It's good grub down there.
PHILLIPS: It's kind of gross. All right, back to the comic book.
ELAM: That's why they tell you never to eat on television.
PHILLIPS: Exactly. No matter what, it doesn't look good.
ELAM: It doesn't look good.
PHILLIPS: I read comic books, you know, as a kid. I don't know how much I would pay for it.
ELAM: How about this? A copy of the first Superman comic book sold for over a million dollars yesterday. It was a record high.
PHILLIPS: Really?
ELAM: The comic book was from 1938, and it was in very, very good condition, so that's one who probably a very good pack rat. (INAUDIBLE) But now they have a nice comfortable $1 million, you know, cushion as they can leave off of now.
PHILLIPS: A million bucks? So what do you do with the $1 million comic book?
ELAM: You stare at it.
(LAUGHING)
PHILLIPS: All right.
ELAM: You look at all the pretty pictures and drawings, I guess.
PHILLIPS: Outstanding. All right. Stephanie Elam, we'll talk again. Appreciate it.
Now, broken government and broken trust. Today's hall of shame. The decision makers and opinion shapers convicted of corruption. First up, California Congressman Duke Cunningham in more than $2 million in bribes.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DUKE CUNNINGHAM, FMR. U.S. REPRESENTATIVE: I was not strong enough to face the truth, so I misled my family, friends, staff, colleagues, the public, and even myself. For all of this, I am deeply sorry.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: And there was super lobbyist, Jack Abramoff. His connections ridged all the way to the White House, but he was silent on Capitol Hill.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JACK ABRAMOFF, FORMER WASHINGTON LOBBYIST: I have no choice but to serve my various constitutional privileges against having to testify.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: That fifth amendment added up to four years in prison.
Last up, Ohio Congressman, James Traficant, he was booted from office and sent to prison for seven years.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JAMES TRAFICANT, FORMER U.S. CONGRESSMAN: Am I scared to death? No. I will go to jail before I resign and admit to something I didn't do.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: But now James Traficant is out of prison and still in the public eye. Matter of fact, he has a strong following in northeastern Ohio where he is now a radio talk show host. In fact, he is considering another run for office.
He joins us to discuss his future. Congressman, good to see you.
TRAFICANT: Don't call me names, Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Don't call you -- OK. I will try to behave myself.
(CROSSTALK)
TRAFICANT: Glad to be on CNN. You are about the only money I have, to get on television, and it would be your interview. So thank you for interviewing me.
PHILLIPS: Well, I will make it perfectly clear that we didn't pay you a cent to do the interview. But I do have a number of very --
TRAFICANT: No, you don't.
PHILLIPS: -- important questions for you. I have an important question for you, Congressman. In light of the series we are doing this week, talking about broken government. For you, specifically, you want to get into office. Do you think people will be able to look beyond your conviction and remember the man they elected to Congress nine different times?
TRAFICANT: Well, let me tell you something. Before my ordeal is over, the prosecutor will probably be in prison, and a bunch of other people for (INAUDIBLE) perjury. I could have had a pardon my very first year, and I would not take it because I would not admit to something that I did not do.
I think the people now around here are realizing with some of the revelations coming down that Jim Traficant really did not commit any crimes. I was the number one target of the Justice Department since 1983, and the number one target of the very powerful (INAUDIBLE) Israeli Republic Affairs committee. Having brought John Demeni (ph) back from Germany and that ordeal.
And when you have these times of opponents, and they cannot beat you at the polls, sometimes you end up in prison, Kyra. And that's one of the problems in America. And quite frankly, I have had it like a lot of people, and I am not going to take it. I will fight and do what I can to try and survive and make my message, which I think is an important message, back to the American people.
PHILLIPS: All right. I want to get inside your head and talk about that message and stay on that message. I want to stay focused and look at the fact you are trying to get back in government. Let's point out, once again, you were found guilty of bribery and racketeering. You spent seven years in prison, but you are out. You did your time, and you are out. Now you want to get back into the system.
I am curious. You were elected nine times. You were a popular politician. You also have spent time in prison. What is it that you can offer with regard to fixing broken government? Because, as you well know, there have been many politicians caught with their hand in the cookie jar for many different reasons. What is it you bring to a broken government that can make a difference?
TRAFICANT: Number one, you are assuming I was caught with my hands in the cookie jar, and I take offense to that. I think before this is all over, there will be an awful revelation that will come out in northeast Ohio. And I predict some government people are going to prison. And I just can't wait, if you want to know the truth.
Second of all, I think our government - both these parties are so much alike, they're tinkering with the same mechanisms that have failed. And we continue on with the progressive income tax, founded by Karl Marx, a communist program, which rewards dependency, subsidizes illegitimacy, destroys jobs and investment, and we will implode just like the Soviet Union. I don't care what Geithner said and all these people. They're saying things to Rosie (ph). They said five years ago the banks were solid.
I think we have to throw out, repeal the 16th Amendment, and get rid of this progressive income tax, and come with a fair tax or consumption tax, where everybody pays. You throw out capital gains tax, corporation taxes, debt taxes, and you move towards a system where people are rewarded for work.
You can't just change, and they are tinkering with the mechanics of government. There must be replacements, some serious, innovative ideas to be brought forward. Neither party is doing it. They are controlled by lobbyists, powerful lobbyists, and I sit back and I shudder.
I have a company here with 250 employees that ask for a $3 million loan -- loan -- from the $800 billion stimulus plan, and couldn't get a $3 million loan to retrofit their company that makes tires, (INAUDIBLE) tire, so they can bid against the Chinese company for a military contract.
Kyra, enough is enough --
PHILLIPS: So, let me ask you about that --
TRAFICANT: I think these are some of the issues.
PHILLIPS: Do you know what you want to run for? Have you decided what you want to run for?
TRAFICANT: I will be running for Congress.
PHILLIPS: You will run for Congress -- as an independent?
TRAFICANT: As an independent. Absolutely.
PHILLIPS: Why as an independent?
TRAFICANT: I have been a Democrat all my life, and quite frankly I am disgusted with both parties. I hate to say this. My father is rolling over in his grave, a truck driver.
But the truth of the matter is, I am the fellow that changed the burden of proof in the civil tax case. And I could not get the Democrats to hold a hearing in 12 years. Now, I see the Democrats are completely controlled by foreign interests and by big lobbying money. The Republicans are too, but the Democrats even more so. And I just hypocritically cannot accept that. Cannot be a hypocrite and join them.
PHILLIPS: Well let me ask you about that --
TRAFICANT: Go ahead. Go ahead.
PHILLIPS: You talk about this control factor, and you mention banking. We saw how many politicians were popped for corrupt behavior within our financial system. What are the temptations, when you get into politics and you get the power, when you get into this position of leadership, what are the temptations?
TRAFICANT: Kyra, it's all about re-elections. It's all about maintaining the majority. Most of the Congressman, their allegiance is to their party to try and maintain a majority. And I think the only allegiance there should be to a member of Congress is to the American people.
Now, I'm going to cite an example. Both parties are actively -- actively -- courting this growing Hispanic population in America. They're about to make about 12.5 illegal immigrants probably legal. You have illegal immigrants in Florida making more money than Social Security recipients in Florida. And the problem is, that's a big growing minority vote, and both parties are trying to solicit that vote.
I think it should be very simple. I passed a law in the House that never passed through the Senate that would require troops on our borders could keep illegal immigrants out. I think we should throw illegal immigrants out. Not make them eligible for health care and Social Security and other benefits and welfare.
Our country is bankrupt. We are bankrupt with foreign wars that we have no need to be involved in, our kids are coming back in body bags and nobody is talking about the issues in the country. Especially the Democrats. I have been a Democrat, and I am disgusted they have not addressed the issues.
PHILLIPS: All right. So, you say you learned a lot in your years as a Congressman, and I am assuming while in prison, your attitudes possibly changed about American politics? Did you have revelations? Did you start thinking once or twice more possibly about your actions within leadership?
TRAFICANT: I think specifically the words of Nelson Mandela ring true. He said, if you want to know the truth about a nation, have you to go through their prisons. But I think most importantly, I start thinking about the bill that I was bringing forth with Billy Tozan of Louisiana and Dan Shaffer, Colorado. A bill that said let's get away from this communist income tax, this progressive income tax. And let's come with the consumption tax.
I think this. If President Bush -- our last George W. -- would have named Bill Archer from Texas, who was the chairman of the Ways and Means committee, if he would have named him Secretary of Treasury, America would not be in the fix we are in. Because Bill Archer as chairman said look, I think this is the way we have to go. We have to start rewarding work.
Right now, look at it. If a family dies, they have to sell everything to pay their death taxes. They make an income, they have to pay taxes on the savings. Why save? I think it's time to throw out withholding and throw out April 15th, throw out filing deadlines.
Look at this case down in Austin, Texas. I think it dramatizes -- I don't condone what happened there, but it dramatizes that people are fed up. And one of things this man said that ring true in America. He said, "I'm an engineer, and I don't understand the tax code. Let's throw it the hell out. Let's give Americans some freedom."
PHILLIPS: James Traficant --
TRAFICANT: That's it.
PHILLIPS: -- you are definitely an interesting character. You were elected nine times. You spent your time in prison and are ready to go at it again. We will definitely be following your race to see if you are re-elected again, and see if you can make changes to a broken government that we have been talking about all week.
James Traficant, I appreciate your time.
TRAFICANT: I am sure as hell going to try.
PHILLIPS: You always do. Thank you, sir.
Broken government, the right the left and everyone in between agree on one thing, the government is broken. And all this week, CNN continues to dig deep into the mess to find out what could be done to clean it up. No more politics. It's time for some answers. Broken government all this week right here on CNN.
Talking about making a grand entrance. At a pro wrestler event, The Undertaker gets burned in a pyrotechnics stunt, but it wasn't supposed to go down like this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) PHILLIPS: The FBI wants this bad guy caught and caught now. He is called the so-called grand dad bandit. He is suspected of holding up 18 banks in 12 states. Investigators think he is in his 50s, about 6 feet tall, around 210 pounds. They're using an electronic billboard to try and find it.
And this is not the way you want to make a grand entrance. The pro-wrestler, the "Undertaker" came a little too close to death with this stunt. He was burned during a pyrotechnics accident at Sunday night's WWE event. His coat and his hat actually caught fire, threw them away from the stage. He ran, and the show went on, with many in the audience not even aware of the accident, believe it or not.
And former NBA player, Jason Williams, learns his fate this morning. This is a live picture from the courtroom right now. Williams pleaded guilty last month to aggravated assault in the 2002 shooting death of his Limo driver. Williams could face up to five years in prison. We are back in just a moment.
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PHILLIPS: The temperatures barely escaping the freezing mark, is that right?
MARCIANO: In many spots, yes. In spots you wouldn't expect to see that, places like Dallas, Texas. Yes, they are right around the freezing mark and they are getting some snow. At least in Central, in places like Arlington, in places like Grapevine (ph) and places like Dallas, the Fort Worth area now sneaking into Dallas.
Winter weather advisories is up for the DFW proper area, but winter storm warnings is up for just south of Lubbock across the I-35 and 45 Interstates and over towards State College Station and even sneaking across the border of Louisiana.
So interesting weather no doubt for Texas, it continues to be -- almost a record-breaking year. Certainly February has been unbelievably cold and snowy.
All right, let's talk about the northeast. Rain-snow line here, pretty much I-95 and crossing the DW and then you go due west of there, that's where the rain-snow line is. Mostly snow north of that and mostly rain for the south.
How much snow do we expect to see out of this? Well, up north, we could see six to 12 inches of it. So that's pretty impressive. Especially say from about Albany (INAUDIBLE) over to Pittsfield, Mass and up towards, say Mount Snell (ph), Vermont. That's where the snows are going to pile up. So all ski resorts from the East Coast to the West Coast getting into a prima weather pattern to see some late season snow and now they are digging it.
Not a whole lot of hills into Texas, with the exception of the Hill Country which are getting some snow today. Unusual weather for sure from Dallas to Austin; that's where we're seeing -- starting to see it pileup here. I mentioned earlier in the broadcast, that this is the fifth day that we've seen measurable snowfall at DFW. And usually they see one or two of that a year. So we may very well break a record. If we get two more inches of snowfall across Dallas today, that would break an all-time seasonal snowfall record.
And guess what, there's another storm heading into the West Coast and all of this is going to team up to make for some interesting weather I think towards the weekend for the northeast.
Speaking of the northeast, Philadelphia, your rainfall is increasing delays there to an hour and 35 minutes. Baltimore, seeing a 30 minute delays and Houston right now seeing 30 minute delays and interestingly enough Dallas, right now, not reporting any delays.
All right, let's talk about these next few days, as this Texas energy kind of gets into the Gulf of Mexico it'll transfer over some energy along the Atlantic. Meanwhile, cold air is going to dive down from Canada. And all of this kind of runs into a roadblock that's setting up shop out in the Atlantic Ocean.
It means that this low, wherever it may be positioned Thursday, Friday or Saturday, probably isn't going to stoop real quick out to the ocean. So we could see a rain-snow-wind event in -- you know, some of these -- some of the computer models are really winding this thing up to be an epic storm. But nonetheless it's going to be interesting here come Thursday, Friday and Saturday Kyra, as we get to -- towards the weekend in this part of the world.
And the cold air all the way down to the south, once again, continues to be the case right on through the end of this month. Back over to you.
PHILLIPS: Thanks, Rob.
MARCIANO: Ok.
PHILLIPS: Breaking news. People are still breaking and breaking badly. One teen dancing like its 1984 and now he's in some pretty big trouble.
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PHILLIPS: This story brought to you by the '80s. Nice to know that break dancing is still alive. Well, and a bit edgy. This brought back memories of the movie "Breakin'" and its unforgettable sequel, "Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo." An 18-year-old boy near Buffalo, that's the problem; breaking the law allegedly with his moves. Police say he crashed a house party, started breaking or possibly busting a move on a hardwood floor. You should have done it in the driveway, pal.
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CHIEF MICHAEL PLISZKA, ERIE COUNTY, NEW YORK, SHERIFF'S OFFICE: Was doing these maneuvers with some very sharp belts, buckle of some kind which created a significant amount of damage to these very nice floorings that are in that residence.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: Busted for a buckle. Yes, that will leave a mark. Dancing did about three grand in damage to the hardwoods. Now the young breaker is charged with criminal mischief and trespassing.
Michael Vick, will he do it? Now, "Playgirl" reportedly has offered the planet's most infamous ex-dogfighter a million dollars to pose nude. Not naked, nude, because that's classier. "Playgirl" would give the money to People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, you know, PETA. A "Playgirl" person tells "Life and Style" magazine, "This way Vick could pay his debt to the animals now that he's already paid it to society. All he has to do is take off his under armor and just stand there." Still waiting on Vick's answer.
What's the world coming to when you have to watch your back at Chuck E. Cheese; fun, games, pizza and a little purse snatching. Check out this security video. You see a woman actually telling a little girl something. Seconds later the kid snatches a purse out of the booth and boom they're off. Nice role model. Indianapolis police still looking for the woman.
Hypocrisy and the Hippocratic Oath, Texas-sized winter weather and the president of Toyota on Capitol Hill's hot seat; just some of the stories our team of correspondents are following for you this hour such as Brianna Keilar -- Brianna.
KEILAR: Kyra, for the first time Toyota is on the hot seat before Congress answering for millions of recalled vehicles and I'll take you inside the hearing room.
MARCIANO: And Dallas on the hot seat for more snow or the cold seat, I guess you'd say. Might break a record for seasonal snowfall today and another storm brewing for the northeast for this weekend; details at the top of the hour.
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: I'm Elizabeth Cohen in Atlanta. A pediatrician accused of molesting his patients. How could this happen? I'll have that at the top of the hour.
PHILLIPS: That's right, plus the disgusting back story out of Delaware that's prompting parents to take a renewed look at their children's medical providers. That's ahead in our next hour.
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PHILLIPS: One American medalist missing from these Olympics. No, it's nothing sinister, he's just retired. Speed skating's golden boy now using his fleeting Olympic fame to make a more permanent statement. CNN's Mark McKay has more.
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JOEY CHEEK, 3-TIME OLYMPIC MEDALIST: The work that I'm doing now, the things that I'm learning now, all of it still relates to that donation in Torino.
MARK MCKAY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Joey Cheek's journey has landed him on the campus of Princeton University. The latest stop on a 4- year odyssey actually formulated eight years ago in Salt Lake City.
CHEEK: In 2002 I won a medal and had this really brief, bright experience with the media but I realized that your time is just fleeting where people actually care about what an Olympian has to say.
MCKAY: So when he won the 500-meter speed skating gold in Torino in 2006, he would have his voice heard by donating his $40,000 U.S. Olympic bonus money to "Right to Play", a charity helping refugee children.
CHEEK: Being able to make that donation gave me a chance to try to do something constructive with this sport that I'd spent my whole year -- my whole life focusing on.
ANGELA RUGGIERO, WOMEN'S U.S. HOCKEY TEAM: When I heard that Joey had donated his money, I thought it was phenomenal. The fact that he could really kind of take a step outside of himself and say this money will benefit all the kids in "Right to Play" more than it would me.
MCKAY: Cheek didn't just put his money where his mouth was but his time as well, traveling to Zambia with "Right to Play" and Chad with the Red Cross where he realized he wanted to do still more.
CHEEK: As soon as you make the transition from I'm just trying to help to, hey, we should stop these people from being slaughtered, now you're making a political statement. Now you're becoming an activist.
MCKAY: He helped form Team Darfur and began lobbying in Washington and China for an end to the genocide in that African country.
CHEEK: There's nowhere else for them to go. And if aid doesn't come from us, people starve to death.
MCKAY: His mission has brought him around the world and back to the Olympic movement. The president of which, Jacques Rogge, he criticizes for failing to hold China to their human rights promises during the 2008 Beijing Games.
CHEEK: He's always fond of saying that, you know, individual freedoms are implicit in the Olympic charter, which I think is just sort of code for meaning if we write them down we don't have to actually enforce anything we say. So I've unquestionably thought that the IOC has been failing in their responsibility. I don't think you can get the benefit of the ideals without living up to them.
MCKAY: The IOC responded to the criticism of Rogge by saying the IOC is simply not the appropriate organization to tackle broader issues that are not games or sports related. Cheek is actually majoring in Chinese at Princeton but has become a global student. He's a skater, after all. He's used to going in circles.
CHEEK: I've gotten to be an activist on the world stage. I've gotten to be sort of a hero and sort of a villain and I've got to be a student at one of the best schools in the world. So I feel like I've gotten to live a lifetime of experiences in the last four years.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: Mark McKay, what a humble guy. You've got to love him.
MCKAY: Yes. We met him four years ago, Kyra, in Torino. When you did meet him you did notice how humble he was. He certainly breaks out of that dumb jock mode. This is a cerebral now former Olympian, setting quite the example for other Olympians, like the ones right here in Vancouver, to follow.
PHILLIPS: OK, Mark. Thanks so much. Sorry about that. I lost you there for a second. Chit chat in my ear. But you're right, he's one of those prize young men. It would be awesome to have a son like that. Thanks, Mark.
