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American Morning
British Couple Finally Freed by Pirates After a Year; Debt-Free in Three Years; GM Unveils New Hybrid
Aired November 15, 2010 - 07:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JOHN ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: Good Monday morning to you. It's the 15th of November, and thanks for joining us on AMERICAN MORNING. I'm John Roberts.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Carol Costello. Kiran has the day off. Happy Monday, everyone. Here are this morning's top stories.
Free at last. After more than a year in the hands of Somali pirates, a British couple is finally going home. We'll tell you how they got out alive, and what they're looking forward to now. A live report for you just ahead.
ROBERTS: Former president, George Bush, denying that he took his eye off the ball when we invaded Iraq. He's blaming some of our NATO allies for the long drone out conflict in Afghanistan, and he is defending the way he handled the economy when it collapsed. The one- on-one with CNNs Candy Crowley coming right up.
COSTELLO: A little help for you this Monday morning. Debt-free in three. Meet a family who was $88,000 in debt and got out of it in three years. We'll tell you how they did it. And break down how you can do it too.
ROBERTS: But first, it's getting ugly in America's airports. And the head of homeland security is pleading this morning with air travelers to be more patient. The latest incident, John Tyner's confrontation with TSA officials in San Diego over the weekend, all of it captured on his cell phone camera.
The 31-year-old software engineer from California was going on a hunting trip with his father-in-law on Saturday when he refused to submit to a body scan at San Diego's International Airport. With Tyner's cell phone recorder secretly rolling, TSA agents took him aside and attempted to pat him down.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you have anything in your pockets?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't think so. They had me take it out.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No belt, no nothing.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No belt, no nothing. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you have any external or internal implants I need to know of?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're going to be doing the standard pat down using my hands going like this. Also we're going to be doing a groin check. I'm going to place my hand on your hip, the other hand on your inner thigh and slowly go up and slide down. I'll do that two times in the front, two times in the back.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If you like a private screening, we can make that available for you, also.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We can do that out here, but if you touch my junk, I'm going to have you arrested.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Actually, we're going to have a supervisor here because of your statement.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: Things just escalated there. That's when screeners called in a higher-ranking officer to deal with Tyner, and here's what unfolded.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You're not comfortable with that, we can escort you back out and you don't have to fly today.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK, I don't understand how sexual assault being made --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is not considered a sexual assault.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It would be if you weren't the government.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is considered an administrative search, and we are authorized to do it. You have submitted yourself to it by coming through the checkpoint.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's fine, but I like only my wife and maybe my doctor to touch me there.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: At one point on the tape, a TSA agent tells Tyner, quote, "Upon buying the ticket you gave up a lot of your rights." Tyner never made it on the aircraft.
Meanwhile, Homeland Security Chief Janet Napolitano is stepping into the fray. She has written a piece in "USA Today" defending pat downs and scanners and asking air travelers to be more passionate and cooperative with screeners.
Tyner says he's told that he is facing a $10,000 fine and a civil suit for not completing the security check. At 8:10 eastern, we're going to talk with administrator of the TSA, John Pistole, about all this.
COSTELLO: They're caught in the middle.
ROBERTS: They're told what to do.
COSTELLO: And they're responsible for your safety in the air. I can understand Mr. Tyner's point, too.
More trouble for Qantas Airways this morning. A Qantas plane with 199 people onboard was headed to Sydney from Buenos Aries when an electrical problem forced the plane to return to Sydney. Engineers are inspecting the plane, a Boeing 747, spent about two hours in the air before landing safely in Sydney.
Earlier this month Qantas grounded its fleet of airbus A-380 super jumbo jets after part of the engine blew out in flight.
ROBERTS: Former president George W. Bush said his administration did not mishandle the war on terrorism by focusing on Iraq instead of Afghanistan. In an interview that aired last night on CNN, the former president went one-on-one "STATE OF THE UNION" host Candy Crowley. He claims he ordered U.S. troops to overthrow Saddam Hussein in Iraq assuming our allies would pick up the slack in Afghanistan, allies, he claims, who had no stomach for war.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: What happened in Afghanistan was that our NATO allies turned out -- some of them turned out not to be willing to fight. And therefore my -- our assumption that we had ample troops, U.S. and NATO troops turned out to be a not true assumption. And so we adjusted.
And I -- I completely disagree with the take eye off the ball. I found that to be empty political rhetoric.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: President Bush was also asked about his handling of the collapsing of the economy in his final year in the White House. "STATE OF THE UNION" host Candy Crowley joins us at 7:30 with that part of her interview with the former president.
COSTELLO: Guess whose back this morning. All of your favorite politicians. A new session of Congress begins this morning. And if you're hoping to see your elected officials rolling up their sleeves, don't hold your breath. This would be a lame-duck session, and a lot of lawmakers have their foot out the door.
Dana Bash live in Washington. OK, so maybe that was a little cynical.
(LAUGHTER) Enlighten us, Dana.
DANA BASH, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Cynicism -- you've been in Washington too long. Stay up in New York for a little while, Carol.
The lame duck Congress does include scores of people defeated in November. They have a very long to do list. In fact you can see the items on that list there in the graphics.
But Congressional sources in both parties say not a lot of that's going to get done. We do expect Congress to perform the basic function, which is to keep the government running. And of course, there'll be intense debate over whether there's a compromise on extending the Bush-era tax cuts. Those, of course, expire at the end of the year, Carol.
COSTELLO: We know that you're following incoming freshmen leaders. They won't take part in the fun until January. So what are they telling you about, you know, maybe a spirit of bipartisanship and how they're going to get things done in Washington, et cetera, et cetera?
BASH: Well, you know, it's a fascinating new class. About half of the newly elected members have never served in government before. They're doctors and businessmen and women, they're ranchers and farmers. One incoming freshman told me he feels like he's drinking from a fire hose trying to learn the nuts and bolts.
But everything they're trying to figure out, they're looking at ethics rules, how to follow them, how to cast a vote. But what they're really looking at is ahead to January and when they're sworn in and how they can deliver on promises that they made, especially Republicans that ran as Tea Party candidates. Listen to two of them I spoke with.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. TIM SCOTT, (R-ELECT) SOUTH CAROLINA: We have to make sure that we set the expectations for what we're going to be able to accomplish, realizing we have a bifurcated system where we have the Republicans controlling one House with the Democrats and the White House controlled by the other party.
REP. RAUL LABRADOR, (R-ELECT) IDAHO: At least in the House of Representatives I think we have to pass something that reduces the debt, reduces the deficit, and has lower spending. We have to keep those promises.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BASH: Now, these incoming Republican freshmen I talked to were keenly aware how quickly things changed just from two years ago when there's a huge Democratic majority. Now they know they can be thrown out as fast as they were brought in.
A lot of people I talked to, Carol, will really focus on health care. They say they know they don't have the votes for an appeal, but they are going to try to derail that law by cutting off funding to implement it.
BASH: We'll be watching. Dana Bash live in Washington this morning.
ROBERTS: Also new this morning, President Obama's chief political adviser has his new marching orders. David Axelrod says he'll be leaving the White House sometime early next year to begin organizing the president's reelection campaign. Axelrod ran the presidents' 2008 campaign.
COSTELLO: A deadly gas explosion at a popular tourist resort in Mexico. Six people were killed, and at least 15 others injured including two Americans in the blast at the Playa del Carmen hotel near Cancun. Authorities say it was likely due to a build-up of natural gas that somehow ignited.
ROBERTS: Fans lit up the sky with their cell phones during a 12- minute long blackout at the new Meadowland stadium last night. Officials aren't saying what caused the power outage during the Cowboys-Giants game. Dallas went on to get the upset win, by the way.
COSTELLO: U.S. customs authorities seizing more than three tons of marijuana near the Texas/Mexico border. The pot was discovered in a tanker trailer wrapped in about 500 bricks. Officials estimate the street value, $5.3 million.
ROBERTS: You won't be seeing Four Loko on New York store shelves for much longer. The company that makes the controversial malt liquor is stopping shipments to New York on Friday. Stores will have until the second week of December to clear out their shelves. That popular drink now banned in four states.
COSTELLO: And oh boy, that's a whole lot of snow. That's a lot of snow for even Minnesota at this time of the year. The storm that began late Friday dumped nearly a foot of snow this weekend in Minneapolis. It may not stick around long, though, thank goodness. Warmer temperatures are expected this week.
(WEATHER BREAK)
ROBERTS: Coming up, our first look at Sarah Palin's new reality TV show. Could it be a calling card for the 2012 presidential campaign?
COSTELLO: And free at last -- after more than a year held captive by Somali pirates, a retired British couple on their way home. We'll tell you how this came to be.
It's 10 minutes after the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: It's 14 minutes now after the hour.
And after being held for more than a year by Somali pirates, a British couple is making the long journey home. Paul and Rachel Chandler were kidnapped while sailing their yacht off the coast of Somalia in October of last year.
CHETRY: A $750,000 ransom was reportedly paid, although the family isn't really saying. The couple spent their first night of freedom at the British embassy in Nairobi, Kenya.
CNN's David McKenzie is following developments from Nairobi. And David, I want to start with the ransom, because if it was me or my family members, I'd do anything I could to pay it. But by paying these pirates, these kidnappers, $750,000, that's incentive for them to just keep doing it over and over, isn't it?
DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, that's right, Carol. The British government has said throughout this ordeal of 388 days that Paul and Rachel chandler were held captive by Somali pirates, saying they would not help with this situation. They would give support, but that is their policy and the long standing policy not to give any money to people who have kidnapped their citizens.
And certainly that is shared by many security analysts who say that any ransom paid is, in fact, just getting people to go out and kidnap more citizens off the waters of Africa. But if you're the family of Paul and Rachel chandler, this couple who were on their dream vacation, you'd probably do anything you could to get them here and they certainly did paying a lot of money, of their own money, mortgaging their houses to try to get Paul and Rachel Chandler back to freedom.
COSTELLO: I'm sorry, but not only that, because they initially paid what? More than $400,000, and then the kidnappers wanted more, which is why they kept this couple so long until they got more. And only when they were satisfied that there was no more money to get did they let the couple go.
MCKENZIE: Well, that's right. I mean, these things are very tricky. You're talking about an ordinary family living in England who are trying to deal with Somali pirates who are used to dealing with major shipping companies, with insurance wings and security analysts to help them out. This was just a family trying to get their family members free. And so there were a lot of false starts to this, Carol, when they tried to push the pirates to release Paul and Rachel Chandler. They sent in a few hundred thousand dollars as you mentioned. But then really, the pirates pulled a fast one on them it seems, and basically they didn't accept that amount and asked for more money.
It wasn't until really the clan, that clan of the pirates, the people who aren't pirates, just ordinary Somalis banded together and tried to get more money and put pressure. It wasn't just money, it was pressure and political pressure from the government and from ordinary Somalis living overseas in the U.S. and the U.K. to say this is an embarrassment. We need to let this couple go. They're innocent. They're not some big shipping company. And so now they're here at the high commissioner's residence waiting for their flight home to England.
COSTELLO: David McKenzie, thanks so much. We're going to talk much more about this with Kaj Larsen. That comes your way about 7:40 Eastern Time. And he's going to get into, you know, how the British government really did try to rescue this couple but couldn't. There were a lot of, in fact, embarrassing gaffes, which was the basic reason they couldn't rescue this couple. But it's a big problem, what do you do?
ROBERTS: There's a lot of shipping companies asking that same question this morning, too.
Well, still to come, a family goes from $88,000 in debt to debt-free in just three years. We'll tell you how they did it, plus their advice to families who are struggling to make ends meet.
COSTELLO: And they are redefining the grading system at one Virginia high school. Why administrators are making it much harder to actually fail a class. In fact, you can't fail at all.
It's 17 minutes past the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: It's 21 minutes after the hour now. And here are some of the stories that got us talking in the newsroom this morning. If you're addicted to chocolate, you better start saving your money. A British newspaper reports the price of cocoa is expected to skyrocket.
COSTELLO: Just in time for Christmas.
ROBERTS: No, it's a little beyond Christmas. This is kind of the next 20 years.
COSTELLO: Oh, got you.
ROBERTS: Maybe a little tiny incremental price rise before Christmas, but we're talking long-term here. And what kind of prices are we talking about? How about this? Your favorite chocolate candy bar could end up costing you by 2020 $11.
COSTELLO: Really?
ROBERTS: $11.
COSTELLO: $11.
ROBERTS: Yes.
COSTELLO: It'll keep you thinner.
It's one of those situations that's hard to even imagine. A 1,600- pound bull jumped into the crowd and started bucking and kicking at a rodeo in Canada. It's kind of payback time for the bull, don't you think so? This is a rodeo in Canada.
ROBERTS: It's an angry bronco (ph).
COSTELLO: It was very angry. One woman was taken to the hospital. We don't believe her injuries are that serious. Two other people were injured. Of course, as everything is, it was captured on amateur video, which is why we had these pictures to show you.
ROBERTS: In the original, Mike Tyson made a memorable appearance, but in "The Hangover," part 2," it's President Bill Clinton who's getting a chance to shine. President Clinton taped his cameo appearance on Saturday in Thailand. Mel Gibson was the one who was originally expected to steal the show. That plan was nixed, though, because of his attitude, I guess.
COSTELLO: His attitude.
ROBERTS: You can catch the former president's scene --
COSTELLO: His anger issues.
ROBERTS: Yes, that could be attitude issues. You can catch the president's scene when the film is released this spring. It's coming up.
COSTELLO: We were talking about this in the break. Would any politician actually turn down the chance to appear in a movie or a sitcom or appear in a reality TV show?
ROBERTS: I think there are some who would.
COSTELLO: Who?
ROBERTS: Oh, I told you. Mitch McConnell I think probably would. I think Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi probably would.
COSTELLO: Well, the question is would anybody ask them to be in a sitcom or reality TV show?
ROBERTS: Oh.
COSTELLO: No offense.
ROBERTS: That we don't know the answer to.
COSTELLO: Just curious.
A Veterans Day promotion is offering a free AK-47 assault rifle to anyone who buys a truck. A Florida truck dealer is hoping it will fire up sales. Get it? Fire up. The voucher is worth $400. The promotion runs through the end of the month in case you're interested. And if you don't want the AK-47 and do want the truck, you can get cash back instead.
ROBERTS: Listen to this. How about this? No students failed any classes at one Virginia high school this fall. West Potomac High is now using incompletes instead of F's to show that students are missing work. They can still get a failing grade, but that would only happen if they don't complete the assignments that they missed in the following months. So they're really giving them a nice little bit of leeway here.
COSTELLO: I just don't understand. I mean, I really would like to delve in more. What's that teaching them about life? Because you fail in life sometimes, you just fail. You get an "F" sometimes in life, even though it's not a grade. And so they're never going to be --
ROBERTS: But the trick is to learn from the failures. And maybe if they give them an opportunity to learn from their incompletes, that will serve them better going forward than an "F" would. Because, you know, you get an "F" in high school, you get an "F" in college, it stays with you for a long, long time.
COSTELLO: But it usually means you haven't studied or worked very hard. That's just me, though. Anyhow, we should talk about this on our blog, CNN.com/amFIX.
Coming up, Sarah Palin's reality. Her new cable TV show debuts on prime time. Some are calling it actually a giant political ad. A preview of 2012. Jim Acosta sat back with a beer and his big fuzzy slippers and watched it last night.
ROBERTS: And Candy Crowley goes one-on-one with former President George W. Bush on his handling of the economy and the war on terrorism. We've got that coming up for you. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: I feel like dancing. Don't you? That is the opening of "Sarah Palin's Alaska" where life is an adventure. The reality show featuring the entire Palin clan made its cable TV debut last night on TLC. Here's some more.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You always wanted to be a rock climber, Sarah.
SARAH PALIN (R), FORMER ALASKA GOVERNOR: Rock climber or rock star?
Alaska, America's last frontier. You can see Russia from here, almost.
See this gate is not just for Trig, it's for no boys go upstairs.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: She's pretty funny, you've got to admit. Some say, though, Palin is turning on the frontier charm just in time to get a leg up in the 2012 presidential campaign.
CNN's Jim Acosta live in Washington. And I know you were watching last night with your big fuzzy slippers and big mug of beer. What did you think?
JIM ACOSTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: What is this about the big fuzzy slippers, Carol?
COSTELLO: I've seen it.
ACOSTA: Did you catch me wearing them around the office? Is that what it is?
COSTELLO: I guess.
ACOSTA: In my bathrobe? No, let's move on.
COSTELLO: One has an elephant on it and the other one has a donkey head.
ACOSTA: That's exactly right. Very good point.
Well, you know, Carol, the big question is, you know, can Sarah Palin see 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue from her house? Because that's what a lot of people suspect is going on here with this reality show, which debuted, as you mentioned on TLC last night. You get to see the whole Palin family, clan there. Not just the former governor, but the first dude, as he's called, Todd Palin, the other kids. 9-year-old Piper turns out to be the big star of the first episode. There's not a whole lot for political junkies to sink their teeth into unless they also enjoy salmon fishing. There is a little bit about Joe McGinniss (ph), the journalist who moved in next door to the Palins over the summer and the Palins gripe about that. But mainly this is about the Palin family taking in the great outdoors, which includes a mama grizzly.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SARAH PALIN (R), FORMER ALASKA GOVERNOR: I love watching these mama bears. They've got a nature, yes, that human kind can learn from. She's trying to show her cubs nobody's going to do it for you. You get out there and do it yourself, guys.
PIPER PALIN, SARAH PALIN'S DAUGHTER: Roar.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ACOSTA: Yes, the roar of Piper there. A real life mama grizzly just like Sarah Palin likes to refer to herself as the mama grizzly. You get what's going on here. But the timing of all of this, Carol, is very conspicuous. That's because the show runs about eight weeks. That takes us into the middle of January. That's where we're going to start to see some of these top Republicans who are running for president throwing their hat into the ring. And what better way to roll out your presidential campaign than a reality TV show -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Well, we know she's a polarizing figure, right?
ACOSTA: Yes.
COSTELLO: So will this make, I guess independents like her?
ACOSTA: Well, you know, that -- yes, I mean, that might be the magic of the show. I mean, there are some recent poll numbers that show that she's still not very popular with the American people. Take a look at this latest "AP" poll that came out just recently.
Only 46 percent of Americans have a favorable view. 49 percent have an unfavorable view. Carol, there's another Gallup poll that shows a 52 percent unfavorable rating. So she certainly has some work cut out for her when it comes to convincing the American people she can be president.
But let's look at this other poll, which I think is just fascinating, and that is her favorability among Republicans, check this out, 79 percent view her favorably, 17 percent unfavorably. Those are dynamite numbers when you're thinking about running for president for a presidential nomination on the Republican side. Think about states like Iowa, South Carolina. And by the way, this is not the only time you're going to be hearing about Sarah Palin. She's got a book coming out very shortly and she's going on a book tour, Carol. Some of those appearances including Iowa and South Carolina. So stay tuned for that.
COSTELLO: Yes, can't wait. Thank you, Jim.
ACOSTA: You bet.
COSTELLO: It's 31 minutes past the hour, and that means it's time for a check of this morning's top stories. It is back to work for Congress. Two weeks after the election dramatically shifted the balance of power. Newly elected congressmen won't take their seats until next year. In the meantime, a major battle over tax cuts is expected as the lame duck session gets underway. Lawmakers also expected to take on spending cuts and the nuclear treaty with Russia.
ROBERTS: Just don't call it a hybrid. GM is unveiling a new fuel efficient version of the Buick Lacrosse. It qualifies as a hybrid. But General Motors is looking to avoid the sales problems it had with the Malibu hybrid. This one is going to be called the Lacrosse E- Assist and it is expected to get 37 miles to the gallon. Just like any hybrid would.
COSTELLO: It's not a hybrid.
ROBERTS: Not a hybrid. It's an e-assist.
COSTELLO: That's right.
A high profile pilot is joining the opposition to the new airport body scans. Yes, Sully Sullenberger because he thinks it is unnecessary for the flight crew to go through them and he thinks it poses some radiation risks. Passengers and pilot can opt out of the screening by submitting to an invasive pat down. You remember Sullenberger safely landed a passenger plane on the Hudson back in 2009.
ROBERTS: Now, that Sully has rung (ph) in, it's going to up the ante her a little bit.
COSTELLO: That's right.
ROBERTS: Well, George W. Bush admits he's no expert when it comes to economics, but he thinks that he kept America from sliding into a deeper depression. The former president appeared on CNN last night going one on one with Candy Crowley, our host of "State of the Union." Candy joins us this morning, live from Coral Gables, Florida.
Candy, great to see you this morning. Let's - let's start out here by playing a portion of your interview with the former president. As he responds to your questions about the economic bailout that he began.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, FMR. U.S. PRESIDENT: I'm want to be a very good economic prognosticator. I did know we were in deep trouble. There's a lot of people who said, well, the economy we wouldn't have seen a depression. The problem is when you're the president, you don't have the luxury of talking about the theoretical.
Look, I'm not trying to pass the blame on anybody. But I think it is very difficult for a president or an administration to see the size and scope of a downturn. I mean - economics is an inexact science. And we did see a problem coming.
My job at that point was to make a decision as to whether or not we're going to risk a complete economic collapse and I chose not to.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: So a lot of people, Candy, say that he overstepped. He went in too deep. And there are some who say well, maybe he should've gone even more hard at the problem.
CANDY CROWLEY, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Exactly. It's good not to be president, I think, sometimes. Because you do get blasted from both sides. And it was interesting to me that the critics he kind of implicitly responded to in what you just played were the Republican critics saying, "look, people say, oh, it wouldn't have been as bad but I didn't have the luxury because I had people telling me we were on the precipice. And so I went ahead and put the TARP money in. And as you know, he was the one responsible for setting up the bank bailout, as we call it. Even though President Obama's is the one that has gotten so much flak from Republicans about it.
So that conversation was about culpability about who is responsible. And I think most people sit out there and say, one day it seems like things were going just fine, the next day it was that we were on the precipice of a depression. Why didn't his economic advisers see it? And that's why you heard him say, "listen, you know, I'm not an economic prognosticator. They came to me, they said, here's what's going to happen." And it was a perfect storm, I believe, is what he called it that brought up this very near economic collapse.
ROBERTS: Well, we remember those conversations where his advisers told him, Mr. President, if we don't do something, we may not have an economy by the end of the weekend. There was also a light moment, we should say, that you spoke not only with the former president but his brother, Jeb. And there was a light moment when you asked them a question about their family legacy. Let's listen to that.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CROWLEY (on camera): So one question for you and one question for you. Who do you think was the better president? 41 or 43?
JEB BUSH, FMR. FLORIDA GOVERNOR: That's a 15-yard penalty -
GEORGE W. BUSH: Go with 41.
CROWLEY: You're always safe going with the dad. You know, that says something about your relationship.
JEB BUSH: Absolutely. (INAUDIBLE) with the mother.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERTS: So, you know, George W. Bush thinks that - there are other people who also believe, Ed Rollins among them, that Jeb Bush would make a great candidate for president in 2012. But he says he doesn't want any part of it?
CROWLEY: He doesn't want any part of it. He didn't rule out politics at some point. But he said, very honestly, first of all, he said "I don't know what I have to do to stop people from asking me that." I also asked him whether he would head up the RNC. A lot of people brought up Jeb's name because he's such a good fundraiser. He said, "no, listen, I have to make money here. I have to, you know, I have to have a job. And I had to be making some money. I wouldn't go to the RNC, you know, to make money.
So he kind of rules out politics for the moment. They do - I said "do you think if your name weren't Bush that you would do it?" And the two had a moment when George Bush said "well, if my name were George Jones," and his brother looked at him and said, you'd be a country western singer.
So there certainly the name holds him back, but I think there are other things right now that are keeping Jeb Bush from getting back into politics, but he certainly didn't rule out that some place down the line he might do so.
ROBERTS: All right. Candy Crowley for us this morning. Candy, thanks so much. Be sure to watch Candy Crowley in "State of the Union" 9:00 a.m. Eastern on Sunday mornings and then again at 1:00 p.m., right here on CNN.
And then Wednesday night at 9:00 Eastern, George Bush Senior and former first lady Barbara Bush join "Larry King Live" for a revealing hour. Wednesday night, 9:00 Eastern, right here on CNN.
COSTELLO: Coming up this morning, their long ordeal is finally over. A British couple held hostage for more than a freed by Somali pirates. We'll talk to CNN's Kaj Larsen about their release, the ransom they paid, and their captors.
ROBERTS: And who doesn't want to be debt-free? Meet the family that was $88,000 in debt and got out of it in three years. The valuable advice that you'll want to hear straight ahead.
37 minutes after the hour. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(MUSIC)
COSTELLO: Freed by Somali pirates after 388 days in captivity, a British couple is happy to be alive. Paul and Rachel Chandler were sailing the world in their yacht when pirates kidnapped them in the Indian Ocean and asked for a $7 million ransom.
A year later, after reportedly paying a $750,000 ransom, the Chandlers were released. CNN's Kaj Larsen has reported extensively on the pirate activity off the coast of Somalia. He joins us live from Los Angeles. And Kaj, I want to talk about this ransom that was paid because, you know, it's a difficult thing. Because by paying the ransom, that just encourages pirates to continue kidnapping people and holding them, doesn't it?
KAJ LARSEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, I mean, it's absolutely true, Carol, you don't want to incentivize this kind of activity, but in this case, there's such a precedent of paying ransoms for hostages in Somalia that it would have been almost impossible to get the Chandlers out without some kind of monetary compensation for the pirates.
You know, it's a great day, obviously, for Paul and Rachel Chandler and for their family. And we're very happy that they're released. But at the same time, I have the dubious honor of explaining that this $750,000 was not the first attempt to get the Chandlers out. In fact, there were several fumbled attempts along the way, that resulted in them being held in captivity for so long.
COSTELLO: Tell us about those bungled attempts. And I know the British government tried to get them out so that a ransom would not have to be paid, but they apparently couldn't do it.
LARSEN: Well, it was widely reported by the BBC and it is common knowledge on the ground in Somalia where I just returned from that there was a failed raid by the SBS. That's the Special Boat Service, the British equivalent of the Navy Seals. That they went in and they were not able to complete a direct action mission to extract the Chandlers. That, additionally, there were several sums of money that were paid along the way over the course of their 388-day captivity.
Some of the funds were diverted to the wrong groups. Some of the funds weren't sufficient to secure their release. And that's why you saw in this particular circumstance that they became the longest held captives by Somali pirates since the beginning of the uptick in the Somali piracy.
COSTELLO: Well, let me ask you this, if no ransom had been paid, what would've happened, do you think?
LARSEN: Well, part of the issue on the ground - and I spoke with the doctor who was treating the Chandlers while they were in captivity in Somalia. Part of the issue that accelerated their release is that the health of Paul and Rachel Chandler was starting to fail. And that made the Somali pirates who were holding them very, very nervous because they saw their asset. That's what they consider these captives. They saw the value of their asset diminishing and they were petrified that Paul or Rachel Chandler would actually die in captivity.
So it's not really clear what would happen if the ransom wasn't paid. There was extraordinary political pressure from local clan leaders for the Chandlers to be released. But that's just one of those unknowns. We're lucky that it worked out the way it did.
COSTELLO: Just to be clear, if one of the Chandlers had died in captivity, the Somali pirates would have been upset because that would have been bad for their cause? Or what would've been the line of reasoning for them?
LARSEN: No, it would have been bad for their investment. You have to understand, Carol, this is big business. There is a pirate stock exchange in Herdura (ph), where local Somalis can invest in one of 72 pirate companies. And then they get pretty much a good return on their buck. There's been hundreds of millions of dollars in ransom money paid.
And so they look at this as a business. There are very few commerce activities in Somalia. This is one of the most lucrative ones, though. They were scared of losing their investment.
COSTELLO: So sad. And you know, I mean, what do you do? You want to get your loved one out of captivity, you pay the ransom.
Kaj Larsen, live in Los Angeles, this morning. Thank you so much.
ROBERTS: Wow.
LARSEN: Thank you.
ROBERTS: A piracy stock market. I hadn't heard that one.
COSTELLO: It's frightening, isn't it? And nobody can do anything about it, apparently.
ROBERTS: Kaj knows a lot about these things. Former Navy Seal himself, travels the world, look into these hot spots. Good man to have onboard.
Coming up, more engine troubles for Qantas airlines. A 747 forced to turn back on a flight from Sydney because of a faulty electrical system. Comes less than two weeks after Qantas grounded its entire fleet of Airbus A-380 super jumbos.
It's 45 minutes after the hour.
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ROBERTS: Twelve minutes now to the top of the hour. Rob Marciano's at the Weather Center in Atlanta. Let's check in with him to get a quick look at the travel forecast.
Good morning, rob.
(WEATHER REPORT)
COSTELLO: OK. Your tax dollars at work this morning. Let's head to Washington, shall we? These are your tax dollars. See the police escort and the big, old bus? That's Congress going back into session, the lame-duck Congress.
ROBERTS: The police escort is for?
COSTELLO: Congress people going back to their offices and going into work to start, I don't know, debating tax cuts.
ROBERTS: There you go.
And have air travelers had enough? Wait until you hear the confrontation between TSA screeners and a San Diego man who refused to submit to a body scan and a thorough pat-down. We'll have that for you. It's 10 minutes to the top of the hour.
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COSTELLO: Getting yourself into debt isn't hard to do especially during the holiday season. And for some getting out of debt can be nearly impossible.
ROBERTS: We want to introduce you now to one family that went from $88,000 in debt to financial freedom in just three years.
Here's Christine Romans.
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CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT (on camera): There are more than a dozen accounts you had to close off.
(voice-over): Three years ago Carol and Don Carroll were $88,000 in debt. Today they're debt free.
DON CARROLL, PAID OF $88,000 DEBT: It's not like we went go buy a Maserati. All it takes is a one little hiccup to start this horrible, horrible snowball effect going downhill.
ROMANS: The Carroll's spent every penny and then some on credit cards, gas cards, and medical bills, even though they had health insurance. Then Don lost his job.
(on camera): You were literally near a nervous breakdown over these bills.
CAROL CARROLL, PAID OFF $88,000 DEBT: When you can't sleep it's just -- it gets to you. And that was the straw that broke the camel's back. I stopped sleeping.
ROMANS: They did not want to file for bankruptcy.
C. CARROLL: We made the debt. We should pay for it.
ROMANS: A nonprofit credit counselor put the Carrols on a five-year payment plan. They finished in just over three.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think if there is a silver lining to the recession it is that it has refocused people's attention on their own personal finances. I think they are ready to move back over into the driver's seat.
ROMANS: So how did the Carroll's do it?
D. CARROLL: You have to get organized. I don't know if you really call it having less. It's just not having it immediately. You learn to live with what you need, not what you want.
ROMANS (on camera): What is your message for people who might see your story and think wow, I have $40,000, $50,000, $60,000 in credit card debt. I will never get out from under this.
D. CARROLL: Never say never.
C. CARROLL: It's totally fixable. But you have to -- you have to take the steps to say I need help.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROMANS: And guess what? They've raised their credit scores so much that everyone's trying to get them to borrow money again. And they say they will not do it. They have perfect credit now because they paid off so much so quickly. The Carroll's couldn't do it alone.
They used a nonprofit credit counselor who helped with a payment plan, kept them on track. They used every single penny of their income to pay their debt. They cut out Broadway shows, they cut out dinner with friends, take-out food, anything that they thought not essential. The bottom line is for everyday items the Carroll's now only buy something if they absolutely need it and have the cash to pay for it.
Now for anybody watching this story thinking that sounding impossible, $88,000. They took every penny of their earnings and they put it toward this.
ROBERTS: How tight did they have to pull the belt?
ROMANS: Well, I asked them, did you really sacrifice your standard of living? He said, actually no. Not really. We had this mission, and we realized just how much extraneous stuff there was in our lives.
There are a lot of ways to do it depending on what your situation is. The first thing to do is you've got to know the number. And the number is how much you have to pay, how much you owe, and how long it'll take. You can start with your credit card bill right there on the upper right-hand corner, it tells you how much you have to pay every month to get it done in three years. You need to know how to become debt free in three.
COSTELLO: And you can still have fun without going to Broadway shows or out to dinner or -- I think we've forgotten that.
ROMANS: You got to pay for what you spend. They spent $88,000.
ROBERTS: You can have your own Broadway show in your living room.
All right.
COSTELLO: You could be the main character.
ROBERTS: Smart is the new rich.
ROMANS: Got a whole chapter on these strategies.
ROBERTS: Christine Romans this morning. Thanks so much.
We want to take a quick shot at Capitol Hill. It's the first day of Congress. For many of these people -- the freshmen -- their police escort. Your tax dollars at work got them to the Capitol on time.
Top stories coming your way after a quick break. Stay with us.
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