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CNN Sunday Morning
New Pictures of Rep. Giffords Released; Dem Leadership Demand Weiner's Resignation
Aired June 12, 2011 - 08:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: Well, hello there, everybody. From the CNN Center in Atlanta, Georgia, this is your CNN SUNDAY MORNING for this June 12th. I'm T.J. Holmes. Thank you for being here.
Just in this morning -- what a sight to see -- the first photo of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords' face since she was shot by a gunman at the beginning of this year. We will share this photo and the details, again, photos just coming out this morning and we'll be sharing them with you.
Also, we have really stirred the pot on this one, folks. A lot of you all chiming in on Facebook and Twitter about stories in the Bible, things you think are in there, but actually are not. Jonah actually wasn't swallowed by the whale. And baby Jesus wasn't actually visited by three wise men.
This is not coming from me, folks. We've got a biblical scholar in to go through some of the things you think are in the Bible but are not really there. That's in our "Faces of Faith" this morning.
But let's start now. Let's get right to those new pictures of Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. There she is. They are the first up-close photos of Giffords since that shooting in Tucson in January.
Two pictures have been posted on her Facebook page, but they were actually taken on May 17th by a photojournalist by the name of P.K. Weis.
You see this second photo here. This one shows her smiling, shorter hair there, of course. Different color, darker hair. But still, it's remarkable. That woman was shot in the head at the beginning of this year. She continues to recover.
And this is one photo here. The other one you saw a moment ago, that's her with her mom.
They were actually taken the day after the launch of Endeavour and before she had surgery on her skull.
Now, the photographer issued a statement. Let me read it to you, in part.
It says, quote, "Any photographer in the country would have loved the opportunity to take these photos and I was delighted to be asked. I've known Gabby for more than a decade and her staff asked me to do it because she wanted someone who was not a stranger, someone she would be comfortable around. The photos were taken in her room and in an area outside the hospital."
The photographer goes on to say, "It was very inspiring to see how much she had recovered in 4 1/2 months. I was excited to see her and to see her smile. She was glad to see me, was in a good mood, smiling and laughing and seemed to enjoy the experience. I certainly did, too," end quote.
Meanwhile, we're also getting this this morning. A report that says Giffords will leave a Houston, Texas, rehab facility this month. The Arizona congresswoman's spokesman telling the "Houston Chronicle" that Giffords will become an out-patient.
Let's turn to some politics here now and let's turn to the scandal that's really rocked Washington for the past couple of weeks now.
Congressman Anthony Weiner -- he's announced that he is taking a temporary break from the Capitol Hill. But the power brokers in his own party want that break to be a permanent one.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES (voice-over): Weiner has admitted sending lewd pictures of himself to women he met online. One of the girls he contacted is just 17 years old, though, he says he had no inappropriate contact with her.
Yesterday, he said he needed a leave of absence to become a better husband, but still isn't ready to resign.
JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You've been reaching out to a number of people. Can you tell me what about advise? Have you spoken to the Clintons? How are they advising you with this?
REP. ANTHONY WEINER (D), NEW YORK: I'm having conversations with people, you know, friends, neighbors, members of the family. You know, look, I made some serious mistakes here and I have -- I have to redeem myself and I'm going to try to get back to work.
But these were personal failings, so I'm trying not to let them get in the way of my professional work.
HOLMES: Not get in the way of work. That doesn't seem like a possibility anymore. A source is telling CNN that Democratic leaders set a deadline of Saturday morning for Weiner to step down on his own. When he didn't, they let him have it.
This from Debbie Wasserman Schultz, the head of the Democratic National Committee.
REP. DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ, DNC CHAIRMAN: It's become an unacceptable distraction for Representative Weiner, his family, his constituents and the House. And for the good of all, he should step aside.
HOLMES: Then there's this: "Anthony's inappropriate behavior has become an insurmountable distraction to the House." That's from Steve Israel, his fellow New York congressman and head of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.
Finally, House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, who had already called for an ethics investigation, says, "I urge Congressman Weiner to seek that help without the pressures of being a member of Congress."
Here's the response from Weiner's office: "Congressman Weiner takes the views of his colleagues very seriously and has determined that he needs this time to get healthy and make the decision possible for himself, his family and his constituents."
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: And last hour, I spoke with our congressional senior congressional correspondent Dana Bash about how rare these resignation calls are and whether Congressman Weiner can be forced out.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DANA BASH, CNN SENIOR CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT (via telephone): This doesn't happen with members of Congress in their own party very much at all. Nancy Pelosi, for example, has never, ever called for somebody in her own party to resign. So, yes, the public pressure is real.
But you're absolutely right, there's really -- just by evidence of the fact that with all of this pressure, he's still not going. He's saying that he is seeking treatment. He's apparently at the treatment center, according to his staff. He is taking a leave of absence.
I'm told that what he said in these types of conversations is that he wants to wait for his wife to return to the country. His wife is a top aide to Hillary Clinton. They've been traveling abroad as part of their official duties. She's supposed to get back midweek this week, that he will make a final decision then.
But it's very hard for them. They make life very difficult for him in the Congress, but it is -- it is very hard for them to actually officially kick him out.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: So, can Congressman Weiner save his reputation? Can he save his job? In a few minutes, we're talking with an image consultant about what steps, if any, he can take to maybe turn things around.
The U.S. military now saying five U.S. soldiers killed last week in Baghdad were likely targeted by Shiite militias attempting to claim credit for driving U.S. forces out of Iraq. The Americans died when several rockets slammed into a Shia neighborhood.
Also, a group of U.S. congressmen have apparently worn out their welcome in Iraq. The government there saying it's time for them to go. Comments about possible war crimes and repayment for the war didn't sit too well with Iraq's leaders.
California Republican Dana Rohrabacher who was with Iraq's prime minister in this picture you're seeing here, Rohrabacher reportedly floated the idea that Iraq's government should repay the U.S. for the invasion and continued support operations in the country.
Here's what AFP is reporting he said -- and I'm quoting -- "Once Iraq becomes a very rich and prosperous country, we would hope that some consideration be given to repaying the United States some of the mega-dollars that we have spent here in the last eight years."
CNN yet to independently confirm that quote. The U.S. embassy was quick to distance themselves from the delegation saying the congressmen were not speaking for the U.S. administration.
Here we are now six weeks after Osama bin Laden was killed, and now, another top al Qaeda operative is dead in East Africa. Kenyan and U.S. officials tell CNN that Fazul Abdullah Mohammed was killed at a Somali checkpoint in Mogadishu.
American officials believe Mohammed was behind the 1998 bombings of U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. He was on the FBI's most wanted terrorist list with a $5 million bounty on his head.
Now, twin bombings in Pakistan killed 34 people in the northwestern city of Peshawar, 94 others wound. The first blast went off in a bathroom at a restaurant. And as rescue workers responded to that explosion, a suicide bomber detonated another bomb. We have yet to here a claim of responsibility.
Meanwhile in neighboring Afghanistan, the United Nations called the month of May the deadliest for Afghan civilians since 2007. Three hundred sixty-eight people killed.
Last month was also the deadliest for international troops this year. By our count, 57 ISAF soldiers were killed in May, 20 have been killed so far this month.
Turn back to the U.S. now.
And the cities of Oakland and Los Angeles are bracing for protests for tomorrow's scheduled release of Johannes Mehserle from the L.A. County jail. He is the Bay Area Rapid Transit police officer who was convicted of the New Year's Day killing of Oscar Grant in 2009.
Oscar Grant was an unarmed black passenger. The incident, you're seeing it play out here. This was caught on cell phone video. It inflamed racial tensions at the time.
The victim's family says Mehserle's early release after just a year behind bars is simply a travesty.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIPS)
CEPHUS JOHNSON, OSCAR GRANT'S UNCLE: It was painful to us as a family. There was no accountability. There was no justice in that courtroom.
JUBILEE SHINE, L.A. COALITION -- JUSTICE FOR OSCAR GRANT: He did less than half of the time that Michael Vick served for abusing some animals. So, it's a perversion of justice.
(END VIDEO CLIPS)
HOLMES: Police in Oakland and Los Angeles say they are prepared for these planned protests.
Also, take a look, volcano in Chile is now causing air travel problems thousands of miles away in Australia as well as New Zealand. This thick black cloud is drifting west. The eruptions keep spitting this ash into the air. Qantas Airlines has canceled more than 20 flights because of the dangerous conditions. Other airlines changing routes as well and flying at lower altitudes to try to avoid the ash cloud.
Well, the folks in eastern Arizona and western New Mexico should be able to relate to that massive wildfire. It just keeps burning and spreading.
Reynolds Wolf keeping an eye, keeping a close eye on the weather conditions out there which have not been that helpful.
REYNOLDS WOLF, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Really haven't. And what they need, T.J., is they need the kind of conditions they normally has, say, from November through April. We're talking about a monsoon type season but unfortunately we've got a ways to go before we get to that time of year.
It's very dry. It's very breezy. The wind is expected to increase later on today.
Current conditions are as follows. We got to the weather computer pretty quickly. Take a look, we see some rainfall forming way up towards Salt Lake City and into parts of Nevada and Utah. Also some into the central plains but nothing to be said for much the four corners. It's going to remain very dry and much of the fire may continue to spread.
Also another big issue we have is those winds very strong coming out of the Southwest is going to spread, a lot of the smoke to places like Albuquerque, perhaps over towards El Paso before the day is out. So, a lot of people who have respiratory issues and smoke certainly will not help, T.J.
HOLMES: Reynolds, we appreciate you. We'll be checking in with you again. Well, folks, we're going to take to you church this morning. And a lot of people are chiming in already. But do you know how many wise men visited baby Jesus? You'll probably say three. And my guess says you would be wrong.
Also, Jonah was swallowed by a whale. Everybody knows that story, right? Wrong again. There seems there's a bit of difference in what we think the scripture says and what is actually written.
You need to stick around for our "Faces of Faith" this morning.
Also coming up next, Congressman Anthony Weiner is facing a P.R. crisis. Is there really anything he can do to save his reputation?
One minute away from asking a branding expert what the congressman needs to do to turn things around.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Well, at 12 minutes past the hour on this CNN SUNDAY MORNING.
Congressman Anthony Weiner says he wants to be a better husband, so he's taking a temporary break from Congress to seek professional help. He is still refusing right now to resign his seat.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIPS)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He can stay, but he needs to be careful of what he does, you know? I mean, people are watching you. You really have to be careful.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think it would be kind of hard for him to gain people's trust after something like this. So, you know, that's probably his decision. But I definitely wouldn't trust him after something like this.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't know if he should resign. It's, you know, he's a human being. He made a mistake. But I think he's a pervert, yes, for sure.
(END VIDEO CLIPS)
HOLMES: All right. Well, is there anything the congressman can really do right now to try to turn things around?
Peter Shankman is a branding and social media consultant. He's also the author of "Can We Do That? Outrageous P.R. Stunts that Work." He joins me now from New York.
Good morning to you, kind sir.
I guess two different things here. It's one thing he maybe can save his reputation down the road and rebuild it. But do you think he can do something to save his job right now? PETER SHANKMAN, BRANDING & SOCIAL MEDIA CONSULTANT: It's a really tough situation he's in and he's not making it any easier on his self. Who does a leave of absence in the House? Who does that?
That's not -- you know, everything he's been asked to do he's figuring out ways around it and different ways to do it. And what he's doing is prolonging the scandal.
If he was smart, he would -- if I were advising him I would say, look, you have to go away. Take -- you know, resign the seat, take a few years, let people forget about you. Then you can come back, rebuild your image.
We love nothing more in this country after ripping people down and then bringing them back up. But he has to take that first step.
HOLMES: So, Peter --
SHANKMAN: As long as it's still a major story --
HOLMES: It sounds like, Peter, at this point, you're saying he should just give up on trying to save the job.
SHANKMAN: He really should. I mean, the biggest mistake he made was lying to begin with. Had he come clean when it first happened, yes, I did this, I screwed up -- it would have been an eight-hour story. But everything he's done against that, it wasn't me, it was a hack job, it was this, it was that, you know, it continues to grow.
And, you know, the fact is, he is taking attention away from actual issues in Congress that people are dealing with. No one knows -- no one remembers this week that Democrats went crazy on the Republicans' Medicare terms. And all these things are happening and we're focusing on this only.
HOLMES: And, Peter, was this a bad idea yesterday to go run errands? I don't know if he was caught off guard by reporters outside, surely he had to know. But he said he was going to the ATM. He stopped to pick up some dry cleaning. Was this a bad move?
SHANKMAN: You know, he's carrying a bunch of shirts. He's carrying a bunch of shirts and he's asking questions, did he think the media was just going to give him the weekend off? It doesn't work like that. I got to wonder who's coaching him.
HOLMES: Wonder who's coaching him.
How does this play into it as well when you -- I guess everybody's heart goes out to him. It's been the toughest part of this story, his wife who's just apparently a very likable and popular person within the circles in Washington, D.C. and Democratic circles. How does she play into this and his -- I guess his resurgence or maybe redoing his image down the road?
SHANKMAN: Yes. Unfortunately, I mean, that's one of the big problems that he has. I mean, this woman, from all accounts, is a lovely, lovely woman who's been dragged into this. And you have to think also she's pregnant now. So, what does that mean? That means if he tries to keep his job in six or seven months when she does give birth, this whole story's going to resurface again.
I mean, literally, the best thing he can do, if he steps down, you know, he goes and maybe they move somewhere and she has the kid, everything stays private. You know? And there's nothing to follow through. And then in a couple of years, he comes back.
It's happened to senators. It's happened to governors of New York. This is nothing new. But he needs to go away for a while for it to happen, the healing to start.
HOLMES: OK. Peter, last thing here, you said your advice would be to go away literally for years. OK. But what if he insists on staying in the job? What is your advice then?
SHANKMAN: Well, the question becomes can he do his job effectively when essentially all of his co-workers don't want him there. So, the question becomes, can he make any real change in politics? Can he make legislation? Can he do anything when he has a co-worker situation where no one really wants him there?
And if he believes he can and he tries and he can -- you know, maybe there's some hope for him. But what we're seeing yesterday, multiple calls for him to step down, it doesn't seem like that's possible right now.
Things can change, of course. But right now, that doesn't seem like it's possible.
HOLMES: All right. And no more interviews, right?
SHANKMAN: Oh, God, no.
HOLMES: All right. Peter Shankman -- Peter, we appreciate you spending some time with us on this CNN SUNDAY MORNING. Good to see you. Enjoy the rest of your weekend.
SHANKMAN: You, too.
HOLMES: All right. We're at 17 minutes past the hour.
This was happening at one of the most prestigious and exhausting car races in France, two frightening crashes. You won't believe them when you see them and you certainly won't believe that the drivers walk out of there.
Also, a little later, she is one of the most popular members of the Obama administration. What does the future hold now for Hillary Clinton?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WOLF BLITZER, HOST, "SITUATION ROOM": If the president is reelected, do you want to serve a second term as secretary of state? HILLARY CLINTON, SECRETARY OF STATE: No.
BLITZER: Would you like to serve as secretary of defense?
CLINTON: No.
BLITZER: Would you like to be vice president of the United States?
CLINTON: No.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Here now with our friend Joe Carter from HLN Sports.
Always good to have you here and it's always fascinating to see these crashes and the guys just walk out of these race cars.
JOE CARTER, HLN SPORTS: Yesterday's crash was the type of video that essentially stopped me in my tracks. No pun intended. I mean, I was literally walking by the TV and I saw it happen and thought -- holy cow.
Now, this happened at the 24-hour Le Mans. This is driver Alan McNish. He clips another car which sends him into the barrier. His car is shredded.
Now, the look on the face of his crew says it all. They look mortified. Again, no one -- no one -- not even a spectator was hurt in this race.
HOLMES: Wow.
CARTER: As you see Allan McNish walking away from his car there. But incredible that nobody was even caught by a piece of debris.
HOLMES: And this -- yes, the debris, that's a good point to make as well. They -- I mean, they go out of their way these races, these different circuits to make sure you protect the driver and you protect the audience. They've learned some lessons over the years. And it looked like this stuff is working.
CARTER: All right. So, horse racing yesterday, Belmont Stakes.
HOLMES: Oh, yes. We only get three times a year to be racing.
CARTER: We're talking about horseracing. So, we'll wait until next year, you know?
HOLMES: Yes. It's been now 33 years since we're going to see a Triple Crown winner. But, yes, long shot wins yesterday, 24 to 1 long shot, and the race was predicted to be a duel between derby winner Animal Kingdom and Preakness winner Shackleford. That was actually Animal Kingdom's jockey John Velazquez, he nearly fell off this horse coming out of the gate there.
But Ruler on Ice, the 24 to 1 long shot, didn't run in the previous two races, showed up to the track 24 hours before the race, pulled off the huge upset. A $2 bet paid out $51.50 -- eighth highest payout in Belmont history.
HOLMES: Wow.
CARTER: As for the favorite, Shackleford finished fifth, Animal Kingdom finished sixth.
HOLMES: All right. And right quick for me -- this battle between Dwyane Wade, LeBron James and Dirk Nowitzki is not just on the court. They're going at it with the microphones, too, now.
CARTER: All right. So, Dwyane Wade and LeBron James deny making fun of or mocking Dirk Nowitzki for being sick. As a matter of fact, Dwyane Wade gone as far as to say that they staged the whole thing, that it was all scripted so that the media would take the bait.
But here's Dirk Nowitzki's response to Dwyane Wade and LeBron James making fun of him.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DIRK NOWITZKI, DALLAS MAVERICKS: I just thought it was a little childish, a little ignorant. You know, I've been in this league for 13 years and I never faked an injury or an illness before. But, you know, that's just -- it happened, it's over to me. It's not going to add anything extra to me. This is the NBA Finals. If you need an extra motivation, you have a problem.
(END VIDEO CLIP)\
CARTER: All right. So, now, that that's out of the way. We can get to game six, which is tonight, 8:00 Eastern Time in Miami. Of course, if Dallas wins, it's over. If Miami wins, we get the two sexiest words in sports -- game seven.
HOLMES: Game seven.
CARTER: That's right, baby, game seven.
HOLMES: Good to see you, man. Thanks so much, as always. Joe Carter from HLN Sports.
Well, stay with us, folks. We're about 24 minutes past the hour.
After three major disasters, we could be seeing some big changes in the Japanese dress code. Every day is now casual Friday. We're going back to the disaster zone. That's next in our "Passport."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: All right. Twenty-five minutes past the hour.
Nadia Bilchik is joining us with this morning's "Passport."
And the government somewhere is actually telling people to ditch what I'm wearing, show up in shorts to work.
NADIA BILCHIK, CNN EDITORIAL PRODUCER: Absolutely, because with the destruction of the Fukushima Daiichi plant, there is a big problem with energy and the government is mandating that air conditioning can be only 82 degrees.
HOLMES: Wow.
BILCHIK: So imagine that. We've had a hot summer already here in Atlanta.
So, they're saying let's embark on something called a super cool biz campaign. And, actually, it was originated in 2005 to combat global warming, but they've reinstated it. And you're looking at the various aloha shirts and polo shirts. Also wearing loafers -- and just a much more casual, much cooler look.
But it's quite interesting if you think about it. Your suit gives you three things, SPF, structure, proportion and fit.
HOLMES: OK.
BILCHIK: So, think about now having much more casual clothes, how do you do that and especially with the Japanese who are very formal? So it really is hard for some of the Japanese to be doing this -- but absolutely necessary because it is 82 degrees in sweltering summer. Yes.
HOLMES: Is there much resistance to this from the people?
BILCHIK: There's been very interesting and mixed response. Some people still want to wear their suits because that's what they're used to and that's what they're comfortable in.
Think of you right now, you'd look so different if you weren't wearing a suit. It would give you much less authority because the shoulders give you structure, proportion, fit. So, some people are finding it difficult. And a lot of people have just embraced it and said, look, this is the way and there's been a huge sale in the aloha shirts -- what we think of as Hawaiian shirts.
HOLMES: So, you can you still show up in your suit if you want to, but you are going to burn up.
BILCHIK: No. There's a great suggestion and there's a huge drive by actually the environmental ministry to say wear more casual clothes. So, there's a drive. There's actually a drive.
Now, there's certain other things in Japan as well, like vending machines. So a vending machine that gives you your ice cold drink?
HOLMES: Yes? BILCHIK: They're saying, please, we no longer want air conditioning in vending machines. Think about that. We are trying to curb all energy by 15 percent.
The other thing that Japanese are well known for are --
HOLMES: Cars.
BILCHIK: Yes -- and heated toilet seats.
HOLMES: Well, you got me on that one.
BILCHIK: Even in public places, they often have heated toilet seats. So I don't think you're going to be getting heated toilet seats in Japan.
So, no longer marijuana in Amsterdam and no longer heated toilet seats in Japan.
HOLMES: Where will I go for vacation now?
And, is this something they're going to push temporarily while they get over this whole crisis or would they like to implement this long term?
BILCHIK: Well, it is going to be temporary to get over it. I mean, this is years long. Remember they embarked on this in 2005 really. Over the last year, there's been a huge drive and a major push. That's the destruction of the Fukushima Daiichi plant and the impact that it's having.
But certainly they say necessity is the mother of invention. And what people are having to do to deal with the circumstances they dealt with.
HOLMES: All right. Interesting stuff, change is coming to Japan and certainly they are necessary right now.
Nadia Bilchik with our "Morning Passport" -- thank you so much.
You know this story, the wise men in the Bible? How many wise men were there in the Bible?
BILCHIK: I always thought there were three.
HOLMES: That's not right. I just found this out this morning. Did you know, folks, there were not three wise men and they didn't show up to bring something to baby Jesus.
All right, don't take my word for this. I have a scholar here who is going to explain that what you think is in the Bible is not really there. That is in our "Faces of Faith" and that is coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Well, it's 32 minutes past the hour. Look at that, folks. You recognize that lady? That is Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. New pictures of the Arizona Congresswoman, this morning we are just getting. These are the first up-close photos of Giffords that we are seeing since that shooting in Tucson in January.
The two photos appear on Facebook on her page and were taken May 17th by a photographer by the name of P.K. Weis who has worked as a photo journalist for about four decades.
Now, one of the pictures shows the Congresswoman with her mother. They were taken the day after the launch of "Endeavour" and the day before she had surgery on her skull.
The photographer issued a statement saying, quote, "Any photographer in the country would have loved the opportunity to take these pictures and I was delighted to be asked. I've known Gabby for more than a decade and her staff asked me to do it because she wanted someone who is not a stranger, someone she would be comfortable around. And the photos were taken in her room and in an area outside the hospital."
The photographer goes on to say that "It was a very inspiring moment to see how much she had reformed" -- or recovered -- I should say, "in four and a half months. I was excited to see her and to see her smile. She was glad to see me, was in a good mood, smiling and laughing and seemed to enjoy the experience. I certainly did, too.
Also listen to this, news we're getting this morning that she could possibly -- Gabrielle Giffords be leaving the Houston, Texas rehab facility soon. CNN has now confirmed reports that the Arizona Congresswoman will leave the rehab center before the end of this month. She will remain in Texas to continue therapy as an outpatient.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MIKE DITKA, FORMER NFL COACH: Scripture tells you that all things shall pass. This, too, shall pass.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Scripture doesn't tell you that. That was Mike Ditka quoting the Bible, supposedly, one day after he was fired as the head coach of the Chicago Bears back in 1993. Now he thought he was quoting the Bible. You may have as well. The quote he mentions, "This, too, shall pass", it's not in the Bible.
Neither are a lot of other things we say or have heard over the years. That's according to an article that's called "Actually that's not in the Bible." It's on CNN.com.
And here to help me sort all this out, Dr. Brent Strawn, a friend of our show here, he's an Old Testament professor at Emory University, and an ordained minister as well. Where did that one come from? "This, too, shall pass?" BRENT STRAWN, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF OLD TESTAMENT: Evidently from a kind of common recurring verbal form that's used in the King James Version where it's said -- and "It came to pass that -- " And it just occurs so many times that evidently it's kind of common into common parlance that "This, too, shall pass."
HOLMES: OK, there are several like this.
Let me put up the first one and I'm going to have you walk me through just a tad on each of them, "God helps those who help themselves." You're telling me that's not in the Bible either?
STRAWN: No, Benjamin Franklin said that in Poor Richard's Almanac but actually it goes back before Benjamin Franklin all the way back to Aesop's fables.
HOLMES: OK, but people think it's in the Bible.
STRAWN: They think it's in the Bible.
HOLMES: Here's another one, "God works in mysterious ways." I know I've heard my pastor say this one.
STRAWN: Yes.
HOLMES: Where did that one come from?
STRAWN: Not in the Bible.
HOLMES: Not in the Bible.
STRAWN: Technically some -- some verses that seem to sort of support the idea but it comes really from a 19th century hymn "God moves in mysterious ways."
HOLMES: Oh, all right, and we had the next one, and it looks like we put it up already. We jumped the gun a little bit, "Cleanliness is next to Godliness."
STRAWN: Yes.
HOLMES: Where does this one come from?
STRAWN: John Westly in the 18th century and Frances Bacon before him. Again some passages seem to support the idea but nothing quite like that. And the cleanliness the Bible talks about is more like ritual purity, not whether your fingernails are clean.
HOLMES: OK, now here is the one and I got a lot of reactions to this morning. On Facebook and Twitter, I put this out, "Spare the rod; spoil the child."
STRAWN: Right.
HOLMES: Now it's kind of, sort of, in the Bible but it's not really -- (CROSSTALK)
STRAWN: Right.
HOLMES: -- verbatim like this.
STRAWN: That's right. There's something sort of like this in Proverbs 13 and a few other passages that talk about disciplining children but it doesn't have anything to do with spoiling the child but rather that discipline is part of parental instruction and love.
HOLMES: OK, how -- how do we get to this point? Is this just that -- I don't know, we kind -- we kind of adapt some of the things that are in the Bible to put them in a form that's more consumer friendly, if you will?
STRAWN: Yes, partly. I think partly paraphrased, partly just making it accessible, memorizing it or getting it into a short memorable form.
HOLMES: OK, now here are several. And now we're really about to stir the pot here. We got several we're going to put up here but the idea of Three Wise Men bringing gifts to baby Jesus.
STRAWN: Right.
HOLMES: This one messed me up this morning. When I was told there actually weren't necessarily Three Wise Men and Jesus wasn't necessarily a baby. Can we put up Luke 2:7 here, it says, "And she brought forth her first born son, wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger because there was no room for them in the inn."
Now that was earlier in the Bible when Jesus was actually a baby. But Matthew 2:1 says now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem. Where do we get the three, it never mentions three.
STRAWN: Right, the three seem to come from the number of gifts they bring, gold, frankincense and myrrh. Three gifts must have been three kings. But the text isn't clear about that.
HOLMES: OK, also, baby Jesus.
STRAWN: Right.
HOLMES: We've seen all these nativity scenes.
STRAWN: Right, right.
HOLMES: I've been to plenty of church plays. And I see Three Wise Men bringing this little baby gifts.
STRAWN: Right.
HOLMES: Jesus wasn't really a baby at the time. STRAWN: Well, the Luke version Jesus is a baby but in the Matthew version it may be later, they're in a house now instead of at the manger.
HOLMES: Yes.
STRAWN: And there's this discussion about Herod killing all the children two years and under. So he may have been up to two years old.
HOLMES: And this is the other one you talking about here, and when they were coming to the house they saw the young child with Mary, his mother.
All right, let's move on and try to get these last two in here. This was about Eve. Everybody knows Eve was in the Garden of Eden -- or actually, this is the one about Jonah. Let me go ahead and use this one, guys, you have it up. It says "The Lord has prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah". Everybody assumes it was a whale.
STRAWN: Right.
HOLMES: Why?
STRAWN: Right. It's not clear. I mean, the text itself says big fish and sometimes just fish. So what big fish could possibly swallow a person? I suppose it would be a whale. I guess that's where that comes from that common deduction.
HOLMES: But it could have been jaws for all we know -- we have no idea.
OK, and the last one here, I'm not sure we have it but everyone assumed Eve ate what off the tree? We assume it was an apple.
STRAWN: Right.
HOLMES: Ok, but the text says, "The woman saw the tree was good for food and she took of the fruit and did eat."
STRAWN: Right.
HOLMES: Why did we assume it was an apple? Where does that come from?
STRAWN: I'm not sure where that one comes from. Who knows exactly? But even more of issue in that same story is that the serpent isn't really Satan. It never says that that snake is the devil.
HOLMES: See you've messed me up this morning. And you wouldn't believe the conversations we've had. This is interesting stuff and it's just a matter of -- interpretation necessarily or people just not taking the time to read closely enough? Or everybody has their, I mean, what is it really? STRAWN: Well, it's several things. I mean, in terms of misquotation, it's been said there are more unread copies of the Bible than any other book in the world.
HOLMES: Wow.
STRAWN: In terms of paraphrasing, it's something we do when we interpret. We like something, we tell someone about it, we put it in our own words and that's part of the -- of the natural process of interpretation.
But as you know, good interpretation depends on precision and accuracy. Right? I mean otherwise you end up quoting Ben Franklin.
HOLMES: Good point.
STRAWN: Not bad but it is not the Bible.
HOLMES: Dr. Brent Strawn, it is so good to have you back with us and to break some of this stuff down. People thought I was crazy when I said there weren't Three Wise Men necessarily but the explanation here from the expert. Thanks so much, it's good to have you again.
STRAWN: My pleasure.
HOLMES: And John Blake's article that's called "Actually, That's not in the Bible," that is the name of the article. It was a big hit on CNN.com. You can check it out on our belief blog at CNN.com/belief.
I'm going to turn back to politics here in a moment. Newt Gingrich stunned by staffers jumping ship but he says he'll carry on anyway. We'll tell you where he is headed now. That's coming up in our "Political Ticker".
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Oh some of the stories that are making headlines out there in the world of politics right now we're keeping an eye on.
Full day of campaigning on tap, Herman Cain in New Hampshire today scheduled to speak at a Flag Day celebration.
Former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty is supposed to be at that same event. He made several stops across the Grand Estate over the past few days. Also Texas Governor Rick Perry isn't a candidate yet anyway but he's going to be in California today speaking at a Hispanic Right to Life event. We told you yesterday that Perry was considering a run. He has yet to commit.
Also, there is Newt Gingrich, he gets back on the trail in Beverly Hills tonight; it's his first appearance since more than a dozen key staffers left his campaign. Gingrich says he's pushing ahead, will be back in New Hampshire in time for tomorrow's CNN Debate. They want to be president, don't they? They're getting serious about it, prominent Republicans with White House ambitions. They will all be there in New Hampshire and you know who will be there to greet them -- our Candy Crowley. After the break, it's always a good time for little Candy on a Sunday morning, she joins me right after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: All right. Twelve minutes to the top of the hour, always a good time to have a little Candy on a Sunday morning. Candy Crowley, host of "STATE OF THE UNION" coming up in just a few minutes in New Hampshire today because that is where the big CNN debate -- Republican debate is happening. But you're going to be focusing, coming up, on one guy who is not going to be in the debate.
CANDY CROWLEY, HOST, "STATE OF THE UNION": Jon Huntsman, former governor of Utah, former ambassador to China under President Obama who has been back in the country since resigning as ambassador to President Obama in China and kind of out here, more, by the way, than any other candidate, more events in New Hampshire than any other official candidate.
He's going to get in and so we were with him yesterday, follow him around to a couple of events also on Friday. So I wanted to sit down and say like what are your intentions. Hard man to get to sit down but we did catch up with him on the campaign trail.
But we are going to talk all things New Hampshire and all things political. We also have Senator Kelly Ayotte and Congressman Charlie Bass, both New Hampshirites to talk about the scene here as well as the scene back in Washington.
So the Sununu family -- John Sununu, the father, former governor here; John Sununu, the son, former Senator from Hampshire; and we're going to wrap it all up and tell you exactly what's going on with two journalists, Neil King of the "The Wall Street Journal" and Philip Rucker of the "Washington Post". You'll know everything by the end of the hour.
HOLMES: Well, we usually do. Just one hour is all you need with Candy Crowley. But Candy, and I know we're under direct orders from our managers to just sell this debate that's coming up on Monday. All right.
It is a big deal, we know it is. You can see it right here on CNN. But really, help me understand here how much is really at stake for these candidates this early on. Can you do something and really mess up your chances moving down the road or can you propel yourself to a higher status in the race by doing well in the debate that's this early?
CROWLEY: See, 100 years ago you'd probably mess up in a debate and people would forget about it. But see now we have this thing where it can replay over and over and over again, every day, on YouTube it is available or we play it on CNN -- whatever it happens to be. It does matter. But it is -- look. This is kind of a scene setter. It is the first time Mitt Romney has been in the debate. He's the front-runner here. How will they all react to him? How are they going to stand up? We've got seven people up there, who stands out?
But does this one debate -- let's just say nobody makes a huge gaffe -- does this one debate matter? It does because it sets the scene but it's the totality of the debates from the beginning to the end where the country really gets to see, over time, how the candidates develop and what they seem to be like, at least as far as they come across on the television screen. So it's important to start it off. I mean New Hampshire, come on, it's important.
HOLMES: All right. I got to run. Give me two names, just two names you're going to be watching closely who have a lot at stake.
CROWLEY: Well, Mitt Romney because he's the front-runner so he's the big old target. I'll be watching to see how they go after him. And Tim Pawlenty who I think may be the not-Romney candidate.
HOLMES: All right. Candy Crowley, always good to see you. Thank you so much. And you can see Candy in just about 8 minutes and 30 seconds. Keep it here for "STATE OF THE UNION" with Candy Crowley coming your way 9:00 eastern time, 6:00 Pacific right here on CNN.
And again, that debate starts 8:00 Eastern Monday night right here on CNN.
Rumors are swirling out there about Hillary Clinton's Future. Though she's making some things pretty clear, I think.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST, "THE SITUATION ROOM": If the President is re-elected do you want to serve a second term as secretary of state?
HILLARY CLINTON, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: No.
BLITZER: Would you like to serve as secretary of defense?
CLINTON: No.
BLITZER: Would you like to be vice president of the United States?
CLINTON: No.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: And Candy Crowley, anchoring a special edition of "STATE OF THE UNION" top of the hour. She's live in Manchester, New Hampshire, the site of tomorrow night's Republican presidential debate. Again, that's coming your way in just about five minutes. Right now, I need to hand it over to Reynolds Wolf keeping an eye on what's today weather-wise?
REYNOLDS WOLF, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Listen, she's terrific, Candy. I love Candy Crowley.
(CROSSTALK)
WOLF: She's one of the coolest people.
HOLMES: She actually is.
WOLF: Great, great lady; wonderful lady.
We got some wonderful weather for you out to the West Coast. Everything looks pretty good from Portland southward to San Diego, just pure bliss; beautiful day, highs in the 60s.
But then when you get back into the Four Corners it's going to be dry, it's going to be breezy then storms possibly from the Northern Plains back across the Central Plains and into portions of the Midwest. And then when you go from Maine southward to the Keys you can expect a chance of showers, better chance the farther north you go and also chance of strong storms into the Carolinas by late into the afternoon.
What about your temperatures? We always mention the West Coast. Out there you can expect those 60s but 88 in Denver, 79 in Kansas City, 99 in Dallas, 95 in Houston, 94 in New Orleans, 89 in Washington, D.C. You can get a shower or two it may cool you down into the afternoon. Boston, 60 degrees down by Fenway Park, 75 in New York, 68 in Chicago and again, Atlanta, 93 degrees. Great evening, of course, weather-wise for staying inside and watching some good basketball -- T.J.
HOLMES: Yes, good basketball tonight, game six. We'll see what happens.
Reynolds, appreciate you as always this morning buddy. Thanks so much.
Some of the stories making headlines; first look we're getting at Arizona congresswoman, Gabrielle Giffords -- there she is. First time we're seeing up-close and personal picture of her since that January 8th shooting that nearly took her life; these images taken nearly a month ago by a long time friend of the congresswoman. We can now confirm that Giffords will leave the rehab facility in Houston by the end of the month and begin outpatient therapy.
Meanwhile, according to Congressman Anthony Weiner's staff, he is now at an undisclosed treatment center. His spokeswoman says he wants to focus on becoming a better husband and healthier person. Meanwhile, more Democrats are now calling for his resignation.
And Hillary Clinton is ready to move on. She said she only wanted one term as secretary of state. But what is she moving on to? CNN's foreign affairs correspondent Jill Dougherty takes a look at the options.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CLINTON: How are you?
JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN FOREIGN AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Hillary Clinton's aides have been in a tizzy trying to slap down yet another rumor about the secretary of state's future job plans; the latest one that she's angling to be head of the World Bank.
Clinton traveling in Africa finally had to drive a stake in it herself telling reporters, "I've had no discussions with anyone. I have evidenced no interest to anyone and I am not pursuing that position."
Last summer, another wrong rumor had it Clinton wanted to replace outgoing Defense Secretary Robert Gates.
CLINTON: Attacks against civilians must stop, Gadhafi must go.
DOUGHERTY: Clinton says she loves her diplomatic day job, but in March she told CNN's Wolf Blitzer one term is enough.
BLITZER: If the President is re-elected do you want to serve a second term as secretary of state?
CLINTON: No.
BLITZER: Would you like to serve as secretary of defense?
CLINTON: No.
BLITZER: Would you like to be vice president of the United States?
CLINTON: No.
BLITZER: Would you like to be president of the United States?
CLINTON: No.
DOUGHERTY: But what does she want?
Clinton says when she steps down, she wants to go back to private life; to read, write, teach and travel.
CLINTON: I think I'll serve as secretary of state as my last public position and then probably go back to advocacy work particularly on behalf of women and children.
DOUGHERTY: Bill Clinton tells reporters his wife won't be happy until she's a grandmother. And now that Chelsea is married, he says she wants that more than she wanted to be president. She told us her daughter shares her devotion to women's empowerment.
CLINTON: She has seen in her own life, because of the experiences she's had and the travels she's been able to do, how fortunate we are in America and how, in a sense, we're called to try to provide more opportunities for women everywhere.
DOUGHERTY: Secretary Clinton actually has been pretty up front publicly about what she wants to do next, but it still hasn't stopped the rumors. And some diehard Hillary fans want her to run again for president, either in 2012 or in 2016.
Jill Dougherty, CNN, the State Department.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: And I want to thank all of you for spending some time with us here on CNN SUNDAY MORNING. I thank all of you for your comments about our Faces of Faith segment today. I was reading them all on Facebook and Twitter.
Right now, I'll hand it over to Candy Crowley and "STATE OF THE UNION".
