Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Sunday Morning
Gingrich the Target in GOP Debate; Protests in Russia; U.S. Base Now a Ghost Town; 500 Lashes for Blasphemy; Wreaths for the Fallen
Aired December 11, 2011 - 06:00 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, good Sunday morning to you all. It's me, T.J. Holmes on this December 11th. Welcome to you all. And a special welcome to our military men and women watching is right now on the American Forces Network. Thank you for being here, and thank you for what you do.
Now, to some of our viewers, tell you what you may have missed last night. Yes, there was another Republican presidential debate. But, once again, this one did not disappoint. Newt Gingrich learning what it's like to be the front-runner. He was the subject of a lot of attacks. We'll explain.
Also, another black eye for Major League Baseball. One of its biggest, young stars may have to sit out 50 games for breaking the rules. Yes, the National League MVP now facing allegations of substance abuse in baseball.
Also, thousands in the streets in Russia protesting against the government.
ANNOUNCER: From CNN's world headquarters, bringing you news and analysis from across the nation and around the globe, live from Studio 7, this is CNN SUNDAY MORNING with T.J. Holmes.
HOLMES: Well, here at the top of the hour, let's start this morning. Some of the headlines of the Republican presidential debate in Iowa. The new front-runner, Newt Gingrich, was the target of much of the night. His rivals really lining up to take shots at him. Mitt Romney called him a career politician. Rick Perry called him out for marital infidelity. Almost all of them criticized his recent comments when he called the Palestinians a, quote, "invented people." We'll have much more on this debate in just a moment.
Also, American forces have left an air base in Pakistan and taken their drone planes with them. Pakistan told the U.S. to leave the base after a NATO air strike killed two dozen Pakistani soldiers last month. Today was the deadline Pakistan gave for all 51 Americans on that base to leave.
Also, Manuel Noriega is on his way back to Panama as we speak. The former Panamanian leader is being sent back by the French government to possibly face a trial for the killing of one of his political opponents. Noriega was removed from power by the U.S. some 22 years ago. He spent two decades in a U.S. prison before heading to France.
Also, the Amateur Athletic Union, the AAU as it's known, says it's now working with police to investigate allegations of sexual abuse against former director Robert "Bobby" Dodd. Two men say Dodd molested them when they played on one of his basketball teams back in the 1980s. The 63-year-old Dodd left the AAU last month. He's undergoing treatment for colon cancer. The AAU says Dodd denied the allegations when they first surfaced last month.
And National League MVP Ryan Braun could miss the first 50 games of last year because he's tested positive for a banned substance. ESPN reporting that synthetic testosterone was found in Braun's system when he was tested in October. He is appealing that test and a spokesperson for Braun says there were highly unusual circumstances surrounding this case and that the Milwaukee Brewers all-star will be cleared.
Also another sports story. This is a nasty one. Look at this mess. This is this cross town rival in Cincinnati. It became an all- out brawl. This is the end of the game between Xavier University and their rival, University of Cincinnati. This started shortly after Xavier's point guard taunted players and coaches on the Cincinnati bench. There will no doubt be suspensions after officials review this game. Again, this happened just with about 10 seconds left on the clock. So the very end of the game. Xavier won.
And I want you to stick around a little later. We're going to hear a couple of the players react in a post-game interview. You will not believe the foolishness that came out of these players' mouths. Stick around for that. It will upset you even more than some of that video.
Let's get back to last night's Republican presidential debate. Our deputy political director, Paul Steinhauser, was there, has all the fireworks for you this morning.
PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN DEPUTY POLITICAL DIRECTOR: As expected, the new front-runner in the race, Newt Gingrich, was in the line of fire, from questions over his conservative credentials, to his controversial comments over the Palestinian people, to his acknowledged of marital fidelity. Newt Gingrich came under attack from his rivals for the Republican presidential nomination. Here's how it played out.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MITT ROMNEY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We have differences of viewpoint on some issues. But the real difference, I believe, is our backgrounds. I spent my life in the private sector. I understand how the economy works.
NEWT GINGRICH (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Let's be candid. The only reason you didn't become a career politician is you lost to Teddy Kennedy in 1994.
ROMNEY: Now -- now, wait a second.
We're going to tell the truth, but we're not going to throw incendiary words into a place which is a boiling pot when our friends, the Israelis, would probably say, "what in the world are you doing?"
GINGRICH: I think sometimes it is helpful to have a president of the United States with the courage to tell the truth, just as it was Ronald Reagan, who went around his entire national security apparatus to call the Soviet Union an evil empire.
GOV. RICK PERRY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: If you will cheat on your wife, if you will cheat on your spouse, then why wouldn't you cheat on your business partner, or why wouldn't you cheat on anybody for that matter?
GINGRICH: I've made mistakes at times. I've had to go to God for forgiveness. I've had to seek reconciliation. But I'm also a 68-year- old grandfather. And I think people have to measure who I am now and whether I'm a person they can trust.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
STEINHAUSER: Call this round one. The Republican presidential candidates team up again on Thursday night for another debate right here in Iowa.
And on Tuesday, that marks just three weeks until the Iowa caucuses. The first contest in the presidential primary caucus calendar. For these candidates, the clock is definitely clicking.
T.J.
HOLMES: Well, coming up, the Chicago Police Department, you know what, sometimes these police officers, police officers, they are just right on time with the crime-fighting. A newlywed couple got the dress in time thanks to the cops. We'll explain on this CNN SUNDAY MORNING. Just six minutes past the hour. You better stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Well, seven minutes past the hour now. I'm going to turn back the clock now here to the end of the iron curtain and the fall of communism in Russia. We're seeing massive protests in Moscow. Something we haven't seen there in two decades. And as our Phil Black reports for us, people are upset with the recent election results, but they aren't quite ready for revolution.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PHIL BLACK, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It became obvious very quickly, this was going to be a big crowd. People crossed the Moscow River and poured into Bolotnaya Square. There were tens of thousands, many wearing ribbons, some carrying flowers. They were loud. But they only showed their frustration through words.
BLACK (on camera): Why are you here today?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, actually, it's not only myself here, as you can see, it's --
BLACK: No, it's not. It's tens of thousands of people.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Absolutely. I just want to -- I want to say it's most educative. A most responsible part of Russian society joined together to deliver a single message, that the current government is not legal.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm a little bit -- of course I can be a little bit angry because they told me, give us free time hear our positions and so on and then give us your free time to come and vote. And then I see that my vote is not really -- my country does not really need my vote.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I feel that my vote, that I kept for so long, was stolen. I decided to try and influence the destiny of my country. I came to the polling station. I cussed about the ballots. And it's stolen.
BLACK (voice-over): Few of these people describe themselves as political, but they all felt strongly enough to join this protest.
BLACK (on camera): This is a sight that hasn't been seen in the Russian capital for around two decades. Tens of thousands of people, only one place, calling for political change. For many of the people here, they're determined to make one point, and that is that they do not want a revolution.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Listen to the nation.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Us.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, just listen to us. And we just want free elections. It's -- that's all. We don't want revolution. We just want free elections.
BLACK: Is this a revolution? What we see here today, all these people, is this a revolution?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't think so. It's just to show that we are people, we are not population.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: People don't want revolution. They just want to -- for honest -- for honest vote. They want to vote again.
BLACK (voice-over): Protesters say this has brought them hope, but they know it will take more than one rally to achieve their goals.
Phil Black, CNN, Moscow.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: Well, we're nine minutes past the hour now. Stick with us. Bonnie Schneider is here with us this weekend. She's coming up next. Got a couple of trouble spots in the country weatherwise. It could cause you some problems. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) HOLMES: All right, 11 minutes past the hour. And some of you all on the East Coast, at least, didn't get the greatest view of this thing, but the West Coast folks, I was blessed to see this, the lunar eclipse. Let me show you this. A lot of our i-Reporters got to see this. Bob Chronk (ph) has given us some of these pictures here.
You see this? This was, Bonnie, as I bring you in here, how rare do we see these things? A full lunar eclipse. It went almost an hour long.
BONNIE SCHNEIDER, AMS METEOROLOGIST: It is rare. In fact, the next time we'll see a total eclipse will be April 15, 2014.
HOLMES: Wow.
SCHNEIDER: So we have a few years. There will be a partial one coming up in June. But to see something like this, we'll have to wait a few years. And, it's funny, you got to such a great view because you were on the West Coast, so it was still dark there. For us here on the East, the sun was already out, so we didn't get to see it.
HOLMES: It was 5:00 in the morning. I was heading to the airport. I forgot all about it and looked up and I thought, oh, that's cool.
SCHNEIDER: Yes. Yes, no, it's definitely beautiful, I mean to see that red hue.
So nothing is exciting out there this morning except for some cold temperatures making it feel very much like December. Look at this. We've got 25 degrees right now in Green Bay. The temperatures are cold out there. They will be warming up, though, as we go through the afternoon a little bit more. We'll be watching for more pleasant conditions, more bearable conditions. But so far, if you're up early on Sunday morning in Nashville, it is only 23 degrees. That's even colder than it was this time yesterday.
Let's take a look at what's going on down in Texas. It's nice to see the rain down there. It's always beneficial after the worst drought ever this past season. So we're getting rain working it ways to the Dallas area. St. Angelo and Houston getting some wet weather right along the Gulf Coast. San Antonio certainly could use the rain, as well as Austin, because it's definitely been incredibly dry there. So this will all be beneficial.
But further to the north, we're monitoring fog out there. For those of you that are driving, maybe trying to catch some early sales or head out to the airport, a lot of people are flying. We're looking at some dense fog popping up in the West, as well as a light glaze of ice. Visibility less than a quarter of a mile. We saw this yesterday. So it's not quite as widespread today, but it's something to keep in mind in west Texas because the freezing fog. That's really when you have fog and it freezes because the temperature's so cold.
Overall, lots of sunshine across much of the nation today. Colder temperatures in the northeast, but not really that cold. We'll be looking for a high today, for example, in Boston of 40. And I can tell you that a lot of residents there, I used to live there, and they're all saying, hey, we want it to get colder. It's New England. It's been mild so far in the northeast, T.J. I know it's been cold in the south. But in the northeast, it hasn't really been that cold or seen a blast of snow yet.
HOLMES: Bonnie, they're actually saying they want it to get colder?
SCHNEIDER: Those hearty New Englanders like they cold. And they want it cold in December.
HOLMES: What is wrong -- I swear.
All right, Bonnie Schneider, always good to have you with us. Thank you so much.
You're about 14 minutes past the hour now. And a newlywed couple, they had the Chicago Police to thank for making their big day -- yes, their wedding day -- happen the right way. You're seeing O.K. and his fiance. The thing is, they had their car stolen Thursday. The wedding dress was in the trunk. So, Friday, a couple of cops saw the car, stopped the car. The wedding dress was still in it. The officers got the car and, yes, the dress back to the couple just hours before the wedding. The couple now certainly thankful to the Chicago Police Department for their timely crime fighting that allowed the day to happen.
Well, coming up, a letter of apology and two $100 bills. A shoplifter in Michigan who's paying up some 30 years later. Stay with me for this one.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Well, we're 18 minutes past the hour now. Give you a check of some stories making news cross country. And we start in Providence, Rhode Island, with the familiar chant.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CROWD: We are the 99 percent!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: The "Occupy" movement takes its message to the state house. The "Occupy" demonstrators were joined by people advocating for affordable housing. Rhode Island is one of only nine states that does not have ongoing funding for low-income housing.
Check out this holiday pub crawl in San Francisco. Several hundred people dressed as Santas, elves, even reindeer out on the streets and in the bars for what's known as Santa Con. One popular bar had 400 Santas in house at one point. The website for Santa Con advised those taking part to pay with cash and tip their bar staff well. You can imagine, they did.
Also in Howell, Michigan, northwest of Detroit, a shoplifter with a change of heart 30 years later. The owner of Country Squire Fireplace and Lighting opened a letter and two crisp bills fell out.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The money fell out first. Two crisp $100.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm sorry to say that I took that glass door and left.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: The letter writer signed it "remorseful." The store's owner says the money will go to charity.
OK. The shoplifter got the payback idea after hearing a story about a man in Seattle. He recently repaid money he'd stolen from a Sears cash register 60 years ago. So finally a clear conscience for both of those folks.
But I want your confession this morning. Send it to me on Twitter @tjholmes. You know you can post it on our FaceBook page or our blog as well. But given those two stories of people who are now paying up for stealing something some 30 years ago or 60 years ago, what would you like to confess this morning? It doesn't have to be a theft, but what would you like to confess and just finally make amends? Something you want to get off your chest. Maybe I'll have one for you this morning as well.
So, 20 minutes past the hour now. Who is your favorite CNN Hero? Our all-star tribute is tonight, 8:00 Eastern Time. One outstanding nominee is Bruno Serato. He's a California chef who's been handing out free pasta dinners to underprivileged kids every single day since 2005. Check him out.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRUNO SERATO: I came to this country 30 years ago. I love to cook. But to be in the restaurant business, you must love the people.
How's your lunch, ladies?
In 2005, my mom was here on vacation from Italy. I said, mom, let's go to the Boys & Girls Club. And this little boy, five years old, eating potato chips for his dinner. He was a motel kid. I find that a poor family who has nothing else, you live in a motel. The motel environment is extremely bad. Drug, prostitution, alcoholics. It's horrible.
When they go back after school, there's no dinner. There's no money. Mom said, Bruno, you must feed them the pasta.
I'm Bruno Serato. I listen to my mama. Now my mission is feeding hungry children. Six years ago we start feeding the kids. When the recession came, customers dropped and the children doubled. I don't give the kids leftovers. I prepare fresh pasta.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And Bruno brings a tray in and all the kids start getting excited.
SERATO: Are you hungry? Are you hungry?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE).
SERATO: Right now we are between 150 to 200 kids seven days a week.
Who likes the pasta?
KIDS: Me.
SERATO: My mom, she made me start. Now, I could never stop.
I see you soon, huh?
They're our customer. My favorite customers.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: You can see the top 10 CNN Hero nominees and their causes by tuning in to CNN live tonight, 8:00 Eastern. "CNN Heroes: An All- Star Tribute."
Well, we're 22 minutes past the hour now. In a city famous for fantasy, a real-life drama unfolding on Hollywood's Sunset Boulevard. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: We're at 25 minutes past the hour now. Welcome back to this CNN SUNDAY MORNING. We start with politics and some stuff you may have missed last night. You know there's just over three weeks left until the Iowa caucuses and there was another Republican presidential debate last night in Iowa. I know what you're thinking, not another one. But we get something out of each and every one of these things. And, no doubt, Newt Gingrich was the focus. Patricia Murphy, a dear friend of our show here on CNN SATURDAY AND SUNDAY MORNING, founder of Citizen Jane Politics.
Good morning to you.
PATRICIA MURPHY, FOUNDER AND EDITOR, CITIZEN JANE POLITICS: Good morning.
HOLMES: Another debate. These things are always interesting.
MURPHY: They're always interesting. I have gone 12 for 12. I've seen every single one.
HOLMES: Every single one.
MURPHY: Yes.
HOLMES: This one last night was different because we have a new front-runner, Newt Gingrich.
MURPHY: Yes.
HOLMES: Clearly everyone coming after him. Let's start -- everybody wants to pick winners and losers.
MURPHY: Yes.
HOLMES: Did you see some last night?
MURPHY: I did see some last night. And I will put Newt Gingrich at the top of that list. He came out and he was very confident, very assertive. And whenever anybody attacked him -- and he was attacked by everybody frequently -- he went point for point for point, rebutting every single one. And even when he disagreed with the person, and maybe they even had the better argument, he said, I'm going to stuck with my position. I'm going to stand by what I said before. That's Newt Gingrich putting himself out there on his issues, but then also contrasting himself with Mitt Romney and saying, I'm sticking by what I believe in.
HOLMES: And nobody -- you know sometimes they try to -- they get at you so much that finally you see someone lose their cool. He kept his cool last night.
MURPHY: Yes, he kept his cool last night.
Who didn't keep his cool last night? Mitt Romney. He lost it a little bit.
HOLMES: Yes.
MURPHY: I would say this is the first debate that Mitt Romney really got way back on his heels and made an unbelievable blunder at a moment when he offered to bet his friend Rick Perry $10,000.
HOLMES: Ten grand.
MURPHY: I bet you're wrong, $10,000. And could you do anything to make yourself less relatable to the American people?
HOLMES: There's no way in the world that they planned that. They knew these attacks were coming. Do you think that he just had a bad moment that came out, or you think maybe they saw some political advantage and talked about it ahead of time, his camp?
MURPHY: I think they told him, go back against these people coming after you, look strong, look tough. I do not think any consultant in America would tell you to bet $10,000 --
HOLMES: To tell you that.
MURPHY: Especially if you're Mitt Romney and you're trying to convince people that you can relate to them and they can relate to you, especially during these tough times. HOLMES: A $10,000 bet. All right, let's -- I'm going to roll a clip here of Rick Perry last night. He was trying -- he's still trying to find his footing and get back to that top tier.
MURPHY: Yes.
HOLMES: But he went after Newt Gingrich on one thing last night that a lot of people might not be surprised about. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. RICK PERRY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Individuals who have been -- infidelity with their spouse, I think that sends a very powerful message. If you will cheated on your wife, if you will cheat on your spouse, then why wouldn't you cheat on your business partner?: Or why wouldn't you cheat on anybody for that matter?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: And you see that look there that Gingrich is giving him as he's talking about infidelity. We know this about Newt Gingrich. He's addressed it plenty of times. Even though he wasn't directly talking to him, does it do them some kind of advantage? Will they gain an advantage at least to keep it on people's minds to remind -- you remember, this was the guy who's got three wives and he cheated on --
MURPHY: Yes, I think it helps these other candidates a lot, actually, especially going into states like Iowa and South Carolina. You have a huge evangelical population. And many of them are still bothered by -- by Newt Gingrich's history -- you know, marital history. Particularly the fact that there was infidelity, including with his third wife on his second wife. That's something a lot of Christian conservatives just don't feel great about. Now, they may end up voting for him. In the meantime, but I think it's very smart and I think that Rick Perry actually handled it very well and he went directly after him without going too directly after him. So I think it made sense.
HOLMES: Is it still fair game, though, even though he's answered and said I've made mistakes and I've had to reach out to God.
MURPHY: Yes.
HOLMES: Is it still fair game?
MURPHY: I think it's fair game, especially in a Republican primary where you do have these value voters. Now to his credit, I do think that Newt Gingrich responded very effectively and said that I have asked for forgiveness and I have been given, you know, by my family, by my -- by my church. And so I think that it was actually a good moment for both of them. If you were pulling for Rick Perry, you felt he had a good moment. And if you were sort of in Newt Gingrich's corner already, he really did answer that very effectively, if you're open to that line of argument.
HOLMES: I asked winners, losers of the top. You said clear winner, Newt Gingrich, how he handled himself last night. Who were the losers?
MURPHY: Well, I do think that Mitt Romney had a really bad night. I think that Rick Santorum was not nearly as strong as he needed to be to break out at this point. Michele Bachmann, incredibly strong. Did herself a lot of favors. And let's just say Jon Huntsman, not on the stage at all. A total afterthought. He did not -- he's not pulling high enough in Iowa to even get invited to this debate. So he was not mentioned at all, had nothing to do last night. But I don't know what he did.
HOLMES: Oh, wow.
MURPHY: Probably (ph) had pizza at home.
HOLMES: All right. Patricia Murphy, always good to see you.
MURPHY: Yes. Always a pleasure.
HOLMES: Thank you so much.
MURPHY: Thank you.
HOLMES: We will see you again.
Well, Newt Gingrich, he's riding high as we know with this latest controversial comment that you might have heard about the Palestinians. But with the surge in the polls comes a renewed focus, yes, on his past.
Our Tom Foreman reporting for us now, Gingrich's personal life is now about to be a part of the discussion.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Newt Gingrich!
TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Newt Gingrich's private life has long been seen as an Achilles heel for the Republican firebrand. Strongly associated with the conservative base, he clearly relished that role when President Bill Clinton was caught having an affair with White House intern Monica Lewinsky and trying to hide it from investigators. Gingrich called Mr. Clinton's actions -
NEWT GINGRICH (R), FORMER HOUSE SPEAKER: The most systematic, deliberate obstruction of justice, cover-up, an effort to avoid the truth we have ever seen in American history.
FOREMAN: Later, however, Gingrich's own personal issues came to light. Married three times, he was famously in the process of divorcing his first wife Jackie while she was recovering from cancer. The couple had two daughters, the split reportedly bitter and contentious.
He was married to his second wife, Mary Ann, for close to 19 years. They separated at one point, reconciled, but in the end that ended badly, too, with the revelation that Gingrich was having an affair with an aide who was some 20 years younger.
Moreover, that relationship was secretly underway even as he pushed for the president's impeachment in relation to the Lewinsky affair. He later suggested to the Christian Broadcasting Network this and other affairs were the outgrowth of overwork.
GINGRICH: There's no question that at times in my life, partially driven by - by how passionately I felt about this country, that I worked far too hard and that things happened in my life that were not appropriate.
FOREMAN: He eventually married that former aide, his third and current wife, Calista. They've been before together for 11 years now and he has made some seemingly large accommodations to keep the union strong. He was raised Lutheran, was Baptist for years, but became a Catholic for her.
(voice-over): The question is, has his troubled personal past been converted into the kind of history that conservative voters can forget or forgive?
Tom Foreman, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: Just past the bottom of the hour now. You see that shaking chandelier there? This is from Mexico City. This was just one of the things, an indicator of a 6.5-magnitude earthquake. It happened about 100 miles southwest of the capital. The state-run news agency reports at least two deaths in Guerrero State. No major damage reported in Mexico City, however, but the mayor tweeted that several areas have lost power.
Also in Hollywood, a 26-year-old man goes on a shooting rampage on Sunset Boulevard, firing at passing cars and causing drivers to swerve to avoid the shots. Police say three people were wounded. The gunman was shot and killed when he pointed his gun at a police officer. The man's ex-girlfriend telling KTLA that a recent breakup could have triggered the shooting spree.
Also in Pakistan, the U.S. Military has completed its pull-out from Pakistan's airbase there, the Shamsi Airbase. Islamabad set a December 11th deadline in retaliation for NATO air strike last month that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers in the country's northwest area near the Afghan border. The base was one of two used by U.S. troops supporting the war in Afghanistan.
Also, the head of U.S. Special Forces wants to triple the number of armed Afghans being paid by NATO to protect the villages. This plan to beef up security has been described as a, quote, "Community Watch with AK-47s."
Our Nick Paton Walsh joining us now from Kabul to tell us about this. Nick, were some people surprised to hear about this new plan?
NICK PATON WALSH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, no. I mean, this is something that the U.S. Special Forces headed by Admiral William McRaven has been an advocate of for quite some time. The question is really, will they receive support from the afghan government? There had been talk when this plan was first initiated, it took a little bit of persuading to come around to the idea.
But there are some definite advantages that the Admiral McRaven was keen to point out. First of all is the cost, this force of 30,000 will cost about $170 million a year, which sounds like a lot to you and me. But in terms of Afghan security, it's pretty cheap.
Also, Admiral McRaven in a very rare interview, he rarely talks in the media, talked about how this particular force will also be advantageous because it's local men looking after their own communities.
Now, of course, there are questions about this. Human Rights Watch has accused these groups, already 9,800 of the guys in the country, that could grow to 3,000 under this plan if it goes ahead. Human Rights Watch had accused them of abuses. Something Admiral McRaven was keen to deny but certainly a potential problem as we move forward - T.J.
HOLMES: how rare is this, to get this kind of information, to get this kind of access frankly and get - and get McRaven talking to reporters?
PATON WALSH: He doesn't talk to the media very much, to be honest. I mean, we were called to a compound here and were surprised that actually he was the person we were called to speak to remarkable access. A very frank and open discussion I think in many ways. Part of the Special Forces community, I think a bit to try and open up slightly more.
Certainly the key thing everybody wants to talk to Admiral McRaven about was the Osama Bin Laden raid, which he was the key architect of. But at the end of that, that's not something he's ever discussed on record or ever will.
He was, though, keen to defend another controversial part of America's strategy here in Afghanistan and that's night raids. Disliked by Afghans because they're seen as intrusive into Afghan homes and because they have at some times killed civilians in the crossfire. Now, he said they're valuable if they're trying to find somebody who's trying to hide, I quote.
And pointed out that in the last year there have been 2,800 raids of various descriptions. And in those of the people killed, only one percent were civilians killed in error. Now, there was a bid to trump the Afghan commandos before U.S. Special Forces, when these raids happen, to remove that sense of foreigners invading Afghan homes that Afghans like - dislike quite so much.
But there's still really is clear daylight between his position advocating these raids and what President Karzai wants, which is for them to stop - T.J.
HOLMES: All right. Our Nick Paton Walsh for us in Kabul. Thank you so much.
Well, 2011 has been a year of nonstop breaking news. CNN, of course, has covered it all. You can go to CNN.com/TopStories to cast your vote for the top 10 stories of 2011. And join us on December 30th to find out whether your picks made the final cut as "NEWSROOM" and CNN.com unveil the Top 10 Stories of the Year.
Well, we've got 14 days and counting until Christmas morning. But we've got a massive, massive Santa sighting in San Francisco to tell you about. Stay with us on this CNN SUNDAY MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Forty minutes past the hour. Say good morning once again to Bonnie Schneider.
I'm still trying to get over what you told me earlier that people in the northeast want it to be colder.
BONNIE SCHNEIDER, AMS METEOROLOGIST: I put it on Facebook to see if I could get some controversy going. Not everybody does. Not everybody does.
HOLMES: OK.
SCHNEIDER: But it's just been so warm, actually. So a record- breaking for the northeast, but it wouldn't last. It will get cold soon enough. It always does.
And we'll be looking at some very chilly temperatures because right now the temperatures are cold in the Midwest. And all that cold air will come to the east soon enough. We've got a brisk one in Green Bay. It's 25 degrees. Good morning. Nineteen in Detroit, even colder there. Also in the 20s in the south; Charlotte, North Carolina, at 28 degrees this hour; Valdosta, Georgia, milder, at 50 and 57 in Jacksonville.
Some wet weather that's beneficial for Texas, and it's really going to help things because the drought is still very severe there. So we're seeing rain working its way across areas into Dallas later this morning and Houston, too.
This may impact your travel. Here's a look at some of the air travel delays we're looking at for today. We're anticipating some out west due to fog, San Diego, Seattle facing showers once again, and L.A., your weather will actually get worse later today and for Monday, as well. So look for some afternoon showers.
Windy weather in Chicago and rain intermittently across much of Florida. Also some rip currents, too.
Hazardous driving conditions with low visibility. If you're doing your holiday shopping, you'll be finding that across the areas of the Mountains West. We're also looking at a light glaze of ice with visibility less than a quarter mile in West Texas this morning. That's due to freezing fog limiting your visibility. So unstable with a stationary front lingering in areas of South Florida. It will be cold up into the Great Lakes Region.
Unsettled out west, but sunny pretty much everywhere else. The weather really looks nice as you can see, T.J., across much of the country. We're looking at temperatures into the 50s across most places. And then we'll be looking at a milder weather as we go into tomorrow, as well.
So I think overall this weekend has been nice and calm for holiday shoppers. It is really busy out there. If you've been out and about, T.J., on the roads, it's been - a lot of people are trying to get their shopping done early. I think because I'll tell you there's been a lot of traffic going on.
HOLMES: Yes. I just had a little wake-up call. We just did a story a second ago, we're saying we're two weeks away from Christmas. I didn't -
SCHNEIDER: That is soon.
HOLMES: Yes. That's coming up. I've got some work to do.
SCHNEIDER: You do.
HOLMES: Bonnie Schneider, thank you so much.
All right. Yes, exactly two weeks away from Christmas. So why were their hundreds of Santa sightings reported yesterday in San Francisco? Well, it's the annual SantaCon. Brought out hundreds of these Santas, yes, red suits included. There were elves out there, reindeer, whatever you call them, the usual North Pole entourage there.
This was the Fifth Annual SantaCon. Bars like the business and say the holiday patrons are usually well behaved for the most part. The gift list thing probably has something to do with that. But, yes, it's kind of just a big pub crawl.
Well, 42 minutes past the hour now. It was once a huge U.S. base in Iraq. Now it's a ghost town. CNN going in depth for the final days of the war in Iraq.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Forty-three minutes past the hour.
And congratulations to Baylor University. Their first-ever Heisman Trophy winner. They've got one now. The junior quarterback, Robert Griffin III, selected as 77th Heisman Trophy winner. This happened last night. He beat out Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck. He's a runner up for the second consecutive year. Luck is going to be the number one overall draft pick in the NFL draft. He's supposed to be the man. But he was only the second best quarterback last night.
Griffin - listen to the season he had. About 4,000 yards, 36 touchdowns, six interceptions. He's the 32nd quarterback to win the Heisman. This is the second year that we have seen a quarterback win the (INAUDIBLE). Of course, it was Cam Newton last year and this is one popular guy in Waco right about now. Congratulations to him.
Well, no need to tell our loyal viewers here that serving in the U.S. Military - serving in the U.S. Military that the annual Army/Navy football game is in the books. You know that, the folks watching us on the American Forces Network right now. And it was fitting that the Commander In Chief, he was there. He handled the coin toss. Check this out.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: President Obama, would you do us the honor and flip the coin? Let it hit the ground. Tails is the call. It is tails.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Yes. Army won the coin toss. Not much else. Navy's 10th consecutive win over the Black Knights in the rivalry game that dates back to the 1890s.
Also this week, President Obama and the First Lady will thank U.S. troops for their service in Iraq. They're going to head to Ft. Bragg in North Carolina Wednesday to speak directly to the troops there and to members of the Armed Forces and their families everywhere. Ft. Bragg is home to several airborne units and Special Forces.
Also, all this week, CNN goes in depth to the final days of the war in Iraq. Camp Adder was once a major U.S. base in Southern Iraq. Now it's just a ghost town. And in some cases, it looks like troops just got up and left everything behind.
Our Martin Savidge reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): These days, Camp Adder in Southern Iraq looks like some Mad Max truck stop where convoys departing for Kuwait carry away the war.
STAFF SGT. ADAM AKENS, U.S. AIR FORCE: We're bringing cargo from the northern bases, taking it south due to the drawdown of Iraq.
SAVIDGE: But like all the remaining U.S. bases here, its days are numbered, and it shows. Away from the truck lots, lies a ghost camp. Checkpoints sit abandoned. Sand bags slowly returned to the desert. The housing trailers sit silent with only reminders someone once lived there. Something still does - a rabbit, someone's pet. Nobody gets left behind in the military, but bunnies apparently do.
More than 14,000 troops once lived here. For security reasons, I can't tell you how many remain. Let's just say a lot less. The last hot meal was served before Thanksgiving. Laundry service ends today.
(on camera): So this is interesting. This appears to be a very substantial battle first aid kit. You can see you got there airway trauma kit here, tourniquet, even splints. And it's all been abandoned right here, left out in the open. Apparently you can take whatever you need, right by the emergency sign.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is where the P.X. used to be over here on the left. It's closed down about a month and a half ago. Over here, by these T walls right here, that used to be the barber shop.
SAVIDGE (voice-over): For those still here, there's less and less to do. The satellite TV and Internet are all gone. Fast food just an afterthought. What's left will either be handed over to the Iraqis or the dumpster.
(on camera): There's plenty here, I mean, if you need an old refrigerator, a couple of office chairs, satellite dish. It's like they should have had a good garage sale.
(voice-over): We found the doctor still in.
COL. TIM COUNIHAN, U.S. ARMY: This is like an emergency room back home. Id someone gets injured or is sick, they would come here.
SAVIDGE: The medical team will stay until the very end. But others are leaving every day. As more and more at Camp Adder, the war is becoming just a memory.
Martin Savidge, CNN, Camp Adder, Iraq.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: And all this week, CNN we'll have in-depth coverage of the U.S. troops pull-out from Iraq. You can watch that coverage throughout the week for the final hour and days of the war in Iraq.
Over 48 minutes past the hour now. Five hundred lashes and then a year in jail? Could you handle it? Well, an Australian citizen may have to. We'll tell you what this person is accused of, where they're being accused, and why his family says it will kill him.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: We're about nine minutes off the top of the hour.
Good morning to Nadia Bilchik -
NADIA BILCHIK, CNN EDITORIAL PRODUCER: Good morning.
HOLMES: -- with our "Morning Passport."
I'm smiling at you here, but the story will kind of put frowns in people's faces.
BILCHIK: Nothing to smile about.
HOLMES: Yes. Five hundred lashes and jail, what did this guy do and where did he do it? BILCHIK: Mr. Almaribe went to Saudi Arabia. He actually went to Medina. He went to on a pilgrimage to Medina. There he was accused of blasphemy. He was arrested in mid-November. And on Wednesday this week, he was sentenced to first two years - it was reduced to one - and 500 lashes for blasphemy.
Apparently, according to authorities, he said something bad about the Prophet Muhammad and his family, which in itself I find it ironic because he went to Medina to pay homage to Muhammad. But anyway -
HOLMES: What he's accused of saying? What did he say?
BILCHIK: We don't know exactly because the Saudi Arabian authorities have been very quiet about this. Obviously it's caused this huge international reaction. The people who are responding are the Australian officials saying this is absolutely preposterous, and his family are saying the man has diabetes, he has back problems. He will never survive 500 lashes.
HOLMES: Now, when it's supposed to be carried out? He was just sentenced.
BILCHIK: Well, it remains to be seen. Now we need to remember that in Saudi Arabia, they practice a very puritanical strain of Islam known as Wahhabism. And lashing as a sentence is not unusual.
Remember you and I earlier this year did the story of a woman for driving who was sentenced to 10 lashes, and then it was rescinded by King Abdullah. And there was the whole concept that Abdullah is becoming much more of a reformer.
But this sentence at this point has not been revoked. So it does remain to be seen. One would think with all of this international attention, with the Australian officials at the highest levels weighing in, that this will not happen. So let's see if, in fact, he ever does get his 500 lashes or his year in prison and let's hope not.
But interestingly enough, in Thailand, another story about freedom of speech. A Thai-born American has just got 2-1/2 years in Thailand for what they call "lese majeste," which is an insult to the monarchy. What he did was he took the illegal - well, the banned biography of King Bhumibol Adulyadej, remember, the King of Thailand, and he translated it into English.
Now this is the unauthorized biography. So what he got when he went back to Thailand for doing that, just an unauthorized biography, not totally complimentary to the royal family in Thailand, 2-1/2 years.
HOLMES: Wait. Did I hear you right? He didn't write it, he actually just translated it.
BILCHIK: He just translated it into English. And for doing that, 2 1/2 years.
So what do these two stories tell us again? It's just how we value freedom of speech here in this country. Something we take for granted.
So there in Saudi Arabia, Mr. Almaribe, 500 lashes and a year for so-called blasphemy and then Joe Gordon in Thailand, 2-1/2 years simply for lese majeste, for speaking out against the King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who by the way is 84 and the longest reigning monarch in the world.
HOLMES: You know what? That's a very good point. You can say anything about anybody in this country almost and get away with. Unfortunately, some people don't need to be talking, it seems. But still, you have the right to say what you want to say.
BILCHIK: And that's what these two stories really make us realize and just appreciate what we have. Please don't say anything you feel like, especially not today. HOLMES: All right. Nadia Bilchik with our "Morning Passport." Always a pleasure. We'll see you again here shortly.
We're getting close to the top of the hour. And a shoplifter confessing and returning the money 30 years after the crime. We asked you to weigh in this morning on some of your confessions. Right here, it's a Sunday. Go head, confess to T.J.
Well, SharkyBradshaw saying, quote, "I'd like to confess that I think I have a little crush on Gary Tuchman!?!" Join the crowd.
More of your responses after the break. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Look at that gorgeous shot of Washington, D.C. It really belies some of the back and forth that happens at the Capitol. But still, a gorgeous picture. Good morning to you, Washington, D.C.
Washington, you got anything you want to confess to me this morning?
Earlier, we were telling you about a person in Michigan who had a change of heart, a shoplifter who sent a store $200, 30 years after stealing a glass fireplace door.
Well, we asked you for your responses. Asking you, hey, go ahead, let it out, get it off your chest here this morning on CNN SUNDAY MORNING. Confess to whatever you'd like.
Here are the few we've got.
One from Dougie saying, "I'd like to confess that I once found a wallet in a Yellow Cab. I returned the wallet however, after taking the money out!" Thief! I swear.
Also, another saying here, "I stole the affections of a boy - from a friend." That's just awful.
Also, another here saying, "There is no way I'm giving money back after 30 years. Sorry." Now, we're coming up on the top of the hour on this CNN SUNDAY MORNING. Hello to you all once again on this December 11. I'm T.J. Holmes.
Newt Gingrich, he was the target of last night's GOP Presidential Debate in Iowa. Yes, another debate. And once again, fireworks, and once again, we learned something new. How exactly did the new front- runner handle the attacks?
Also, another black eye for Major League Baseball because one of its young stars, Ryan Braun, may be forced to sit out for 50 games next year for breaking the rules. Yes. This is the face of the Brewers and a National League MVP. We'll tell you what he's accused of doing.
We'll start with some of the headlines for you this morning. Get you caught up on some stuff you may have missed overnight including that Republican Presidential Debate in Iowa.
The new front-runner, Newt Gingrich, he was the target of much of the night. His rivals really coming at him from all angles. Mitt Romney called him a career politician. Rick Perry even brought up marital infidelity. Almost all of them criticized his recent comments when he called the Palestinians "invented people."
We'll have more on this debate coming your way in just a moment.
Also, American forces have left an air base in Pakistan and taken their drone planes with them. Pakistan told the U.S. to leave the base after a NATO air strike killed two dozen Pakistani soldiers last month. Today was the deadline Pakistan gave for all 51 Americans to leave that base.
Also, Manuel Noriega is on his way back to Panama. The former leader is being sent back by the French government to possibly face a trial for the killing of one of his political rivals. Noriega was removed from power by U.S. forces 22 years ago. He spent two decades in a U.S. prison before heading to France.
And the Amateur Athletic Union also known as the AAU says it's now working with police to investigate allegations of sexual abuse against former director Robert "Bobby" Dodd. Two men say Dodd molested them when they played on one of his basketball teams back in the 1980s. The 63-year-old Dodd left the AAU last month. He was undergoing treatment for colon cancer. The AAU says Dodd denied the allegations when they first surfaced last month.
And the National League MVP, Ryan Braun, could miss the first 50 games of next year because he has now tested positive for a banned substance. ESPN is reporting that synthetic testosterone was found in Braun's system when he was tested during the playoffs in October. Braun is now appealing the test. A spokesperson for Braun says there were highly unusual circumstances surrounding the case and that the Milwaukee Brewers all-star never intentionally violated policy.
Also another sports story that's ugly, literally ugly. Look at these pictures. This is in Cincinnati. The cross town shoot-out that became a brawl. This is at the end of the a basketball game between Xavier and the University of Cincinnati.
This started after one of Xavier's players started taunting players and coaches on the Cincinnati bench. Now, a lot of folks you're seeing in some of this video are going to end up suspended no doubt after officials review the tape.
Also in the post-game comment, it might have been uglier, and actually this scene, because some of the players from Xavier said, hey, we've got gangsters in our locker room, not thugs but gangsters. We're still trying to figure out what in the world this kid was talking about. We'll have more on this story a little later.
Also, I want to get back to last night's Republican presidential debate. Our deputy political director Paul Steinhauser was there. He has all the fireworks, and there were plenty. Some of you may have missed this one.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN DEPUTY POLITICAL DIRECTOR: As expected, the new front-runner of the race, Newt Gingrich, was in the line of fire -- from questions over his conservative credentials, to his controversial comments over the Palestinian people, to his acknowledgment of marital infidelity, Newt Gingrich came under attack from his rivals for the Republican presidential nomination. Here's how it played out.
MITT ROMNEY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We have differences of viewpoint on some issues. But the real difference I believe is our backgrounds. I spent my life in the private sector. I understand how the economy works.
NEWT GINGRICH (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Let's be candid, the only reason you didn't become a career politician is because you lost to Teddy Kennedy in 1994.
ROMNEY: Wait a second. We're going to tell the truth, but we're not going to throw incendiary words into a place which is a boiling pot when our friends, the Israelis, would probably say, what in the world are you doing?
GINGRICH: I think sometimes it is helpful to have a president of the United States with the courage to tell the truth as it was Ronald Reagan who went around his entire national security apparatus to call the Soviet Union an evil empire.
GOV. RICK PERRY (R-TX), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: If you will cheat on your wife, if you will cheat on your spouse, then why wouldn't you cheat on your business partner? Or why wouldn't you cheat on anybody for that matter?
GINGRICH: I have made mistakes at times. I've had to go to God for forgiveness. I've had to seek reconciliation. But I'm also a 68- year-old grandfather. And I think people have to measure who I am now and whether I'm a person they can trust.
STEINHAUSER: Call this round one. The Republican presidential candidates team up again on Thursday night for another debate right here in Iowa. And on Tuesday, that marks just three weeks until the Iowa caucuses, the first contest in the presidential primary and caucus calendar. For these candidates, the clock is definitely ticking -- T.J.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: Thanks to our Paul Steinhauser.
Just four minutes past the hour.
And stargazers got a treat about this time yesterday -- something amazing, a total lunar eclipse. Bob Cronk, we thank one of our iReporters, for this video.
As I about to check in for the weather with Bonnie Schneider -- let me bring you in here, Bonnie. You were telling me this is pretty rare. We got a treat last night.
BONNIE SCHNEIDER, AMS METEOROLOGIST: We really did, especially people on the West Coast. T.J., you got the chance to see that bright red hue over the moon, just beautiful colors. A lot of pictures coming in from San Francisco and the Pacific Northwest where we saw some terrific colors.
The problem for the East Coasters is the sun came up, and we missed it. So, we have to wait again to a partial eclipse that will occur in June. And then the next total lunar eclipse will be April 15. A day we all know, the deadline, right?
HOLMES: Tax Day --
SCHNEIDER: Not until 2014. I know, that's funny. We'll never forget the date.
So, we missed it, but it's definitely going to be back again.
HOLMES: Amazing how the guys can plan it out. They know exactly when the next will happen.
SCHNEIDER: It is.
HOLMES: But meanwhile, back to weather --
SCHNEIDER: Back to earth.
HOLMES: I'm still dealing with this comment you made earlier, that people in the northeast want it to be colder.
SCHNEIDER: Some people do.
HOLMES: Some. You said all --
SCHNEIDER: Did I say all?
HOLMES: No, you didn't.
SCHNEIDER: I didn't mean to. No. I think some people in New England have been commenting that it's been record -- record warm temperatures, for example, in Boston. It's been incredibly mild so far for November and December. Obviously, it's not going to last. We will see the cold weather.
We're seeing it now a little further to the West, in the Midwest. That's where temperatures are really chilly out there this morning. It is 27 in Milwaukee. And 20 in Detroit, went up by one degree. It's also cold down south for sure -- 22 in Nashville at this hour. And it's just above freezing in Atlanta, Georgia.
Let's take you live outside our studios and show you what it looks like in Atlanta. Centennial Park, the lights are on. There's a little traffic. Well, there was a car earlier. There it is. There's another one.
But it's early here. It's 34 degrees. It's been pretty chilly in the overnight period. So, we'll see a nice warm up to about low 50s.
Wet weather in Texas. I'll tell you, that's beneficial. The rain that's moving in there is so needed. We'll take what we can get because the deficit has been pretty high. It's the ninth driest period on record for San Antonio, and the third driest ever for Austin.
So, unfortunately, it's going to take a while to catch up with the wet weather. We're also looking at freezing fog in Texas. That's going to lower visibility. Be careful of a little glaze on the roads, as well.
Most of the country, though, faring nicely for this Sunday in December. Some scattered showers on the east coast of Florida, also watch out for rip currents because it's going to be unsettled due to the end of the stationary front. But nothing we're watching very closely is the storm system developing in California.
Now, this is important because as it works east over the next few days, it will be a storm-maker for areas in the center of the country by the time we get to Wednesday. But right now, our concern is for clouds and fog to develop over California. You can see it gets more intense for Monday. So if you're heading to L.A. or San Diego on Monday or you're flying out of there, that's where I anticipate airport delays to start off the week.
It also becomes quite unsettled through the South. And that includes Atlanta. So we have more rain in the forecast this week. We could use the rain, too. It's definitely going to be a little cold out there.
We're -- we're coming into our cold period now, officially, in December. HOLMES: Right. Bonnie Schneider, always good to have you with us. Thank you so much. We'll see you again here shortly.
It's about seven minutes past the hour. That time of year, you're starting to think of that perfect gift, something really special for that important somebody in your life. How about this -- let them play G.I. Joe.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I felt like a real life-sized G.I. Joe. Perfect thing for the mid-life crisis.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What do you give a man who has everything but a tank?
(LAUGHTER)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: You heard that right. Get him a tank. (INAUDIBLE)
Eight minutes past the hour. Stay here.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Coming up on 12 minutes past the hour. Give you a look at stories making news across the country.
We start in Providence, Rhode Island, with a familiar chant.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PROTESTER: We are the 99 percent!
HOLMES (voice-over): The Occupy movement takes its message to the state house. The Occupy demonstrators were joined by people advocating for affordable housing. Rhode Island is one of only nine states that does not have ongoing funding for low-income housing.
Check out this holiday pub crawl in San Francisco. Several hundred people dressed as Santas, elves, even rain deer-- even reindeers, out on the streets and in the bars for what's known as Santacon. One popular bar has 400 Santas in house at one point. The Web site for Santacon advised those taking part to pay with cash and tip their bar staff well, you can imagine they did.
Also in Howell, Michigan, northeast of Detroit, a shoplifter with a change of heart 30 years later. The owner of Country Squire Fireplace and Lighting opened a letter, and two crisp bills fell out.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The money fell out first. Two crisp $100 bills.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: "Sorry to say that I took that glass door and left." HOLMES: The letter writer signed it "Remorseful." The storeowner says the money will go to charity.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: Well, the shoplifter in the story got the payback idea after hearing a story about a man in Seattle. That man recently repaid money he had stolen from a Sears cash register 60 years ago. Finally a clear conscience for both of those two people.
But what about you? Continue to send in your comments -- I'm reading them now, I'm on Twitter, @TJHolmes. Keep that up right here to me on set. I'm reading a lot of your comments. Some of you ought to be ashamed of yourselves.
You can post it on the Facebook page and on the blog at CNN.com/TJ. Continue to send them in. What would you like to confess this morning? We'll read some more here in just a moment.
Also, if you're looking for something for the adventurous man or woman who has everything -- then perhaps you can find your way up to Minnesota. It requires this to be a bit of a destructive streak in the person you're shopping for.
CNN's Poppy Harlow found it in a Drive a Tank near her hometown.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
POPPY HARLOW, CNNMONEY.COM (voice-over): Meet Larry. A 120,000- pound Chieftain battle tank.
That's destroyed.
Here you can drive it and crush almost anything you want.
I found Larry about an hour south of my hometown.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We are in the drive a tank world headquarters in Kasota, Minnesota.
HARLOW (on camera): Don't you know.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Sure, you betcha!
HARLOW (voice-over): Marie Borglum and her son, Tony, own seven tanks. And for 500 bucks a pop, people get the ride of their life.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We imported them in pairs. So, we got two, and then, we got two more and two more.
TONY BORGLUM, DRIVE A TANK: We had an investment banker from Saudi Arabia stop by. I've had a group of engineers come there from all around the world. There's one from India, China.
HARLOW: These puppies are all Brits, 60 grand to 80 grand a pop. Turns out you can't buy American tanks. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You got to be a thinker to have these. I mean, it's not like just anybody can go out and buy them and make them run and keep them running.
HARLOW: And you've got to take a safety class before getting behind the wheel.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You're here to drive tanks and shoot some guns. Do we have any questions, so far?
HARLOW (on-camera): OK. So, this is where we're going to drive them. Take a look. We're in the middle of the woods.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Drive a tank army. We can get it together. Ooyah!
HARLOW: Meet Rick. Driving instructor -- of sorts.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Boo-yah!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Boo-yah!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I felt like a real life-sized G.I. Joe. Perfect thing for the mid-life crisis.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What do you give a man that has everything, but a tank.
(LAUGHTER)
HARLOW: But don't even think of trying to shoot it. These guns won't fire.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Spectacular.
(LAUGHTER)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Disneyland for an Army retiree.
HARLOW: Now my turn.
(on camera): Down in hatch. Watch your feet. How do you brake? Here we go!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Slow down just a little bit. Pull right. Pull right. Pull right. Good job. Perfect.
OK. We'll stop now.
HARLOW: I only hit one tree.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Go down. There you go.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You nicked a couple but got one pretty good. HARLOW (voice-over): It turns out half the folks that drive them are women.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Women love to be in charge, have power. A tank is about as cool as it gets.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We had one gal that came in a camel skirt and flip-flops.
HARLOW: And at the end of the day, you get to do this.
(GUNFIRE)
HARLOW: In Kasota, Minnesota, Poppy Harlow, CNN Money.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: To each his or her own.
We're 16 minutes past the hour. We'll take a quick break here on CNN SUNDAY MORNING and we will be right back. Stay with me.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Twenty minutes past the hour on this CNN SUNDAY MORNING.
I'm making that face as I've been reading some of y'all's comments on Twitter about making confessions this morning. A lot of you going a little too far. But we appreciate you participating in the show.
But let's move on to a sight we see every single year. Just a special tribute at Arlington National Cemetery. It will be there over the next several days. I'm talking about 90,000 wreaths, each with a single red bow. They grace every single grave, every single headstone.
Our Athena Jones was there as thousands of volunteers took part in this Wreaths Across America.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ATHENA JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: T.J., thousands of people fanned out across the grounds of the Arlington National Cemetery on Saturday, laying wreaths on the graves of fallen service members as part of Wreaths Across America Day.
(APPLAUSE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Bless and protect our men and women --
JONES (voice-over): A tribute to our nation's fallen.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's my way of paying respect.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Definitely a beautiful thing to see how many have come.
JONES: It's a tradition that began in 1992 when a couple from Maine donated 5,000 wreaths their company had left over near the end of the holiday season to be laid on headstones here at Arlington National Cemetery.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We have the freedoms that we have because of those who serve and those who have served and lost their lives.
JONES: Twenty years later, the organization has expanded with volunteers, veterans, and loved ones of fallen service members laying wreaths at more than 740 ceremonies all over the country, and some 25 locations overseas this year.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's awesome to be here and to see -- to see the patriotic people out here volunteering, giving their time, giving their weekend.
JONES: At Arlington, more than 10,000 people laid some 90,000 holiday wreaths on headstones as part of the group's mission to remember, honor, and teach. It was an emotional time for some. Joan Gatyur's (ph) son Josh was killed in Iraq. Wreaths Across America flew her up from Florida.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is the first time I've seen my son's headstone. This is my first trip back since we buried him almost five years ago.
JONES: Dina Hernandez (ph) was deployed with Josh and says she owes her life to him for defending her military convoy from enemy fire.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I felt a personal debt to him. We were in a convoy, and I was a driver and came under fire. And he was the gunner on my truck that killed some of the enemy combatants and pretty much directly saved our truck and the rest of our convoy.
JONES: Early Saturday, a different kind of convoy arrived at Arlington. Volunteers lined up for wreaths, and in a matter of hours the cemetery was transformed.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's beautiful when you look at it after the wreaths are placed on the gravesites. Very emotional. I'm a very emotional guy anyhow. But this brings back a lot of memories to me. Not that I did anything near what these people have done.
JONES (on camera): A special and important day at Arlington and at cemeteries across the country. As one volunteer who told me in explaining his decision to take part, they've done so much, and I've done so little -- T.J.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: All right, thanks to our Athena Jones there.
At 23 minutes past the hour -- we're going to turn to the front lines in Afghanistan.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(GUNFIRE)
U.S. MARINE: Get down!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: New video from some U.S. marines showing what it's really like to be in a firefight. More of this incredible video, plus you'll hear from those Marines.
Stay with me.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Now, earlier, we were telling you about a shoplifter in Michigan with a change of heart. He or she had stolen $200 some 30 years ago after stealing a glass fireplace, sent the money in 30 years later.
We asked for your responses. And we really wanted you to confess something. We got a ton of responses. We had to sanitize a bunch of them. A lot of you talking about boyfriends and friends' boyfriends, and stuff like that we can't even use.
But here's one we got from someone you may know. Of "Basketball Wives L.A." fame Jackie Christie. Not what you would expect from a woman known as a villain on the show. But she says, "I would like to confess that in grade school, I would sneak candy in my backpack and eat it when I wasn't supposed to." That's not so bad, right?
Another, from Dougie said, "I'd like to confess I once found a wallet. I returned the wallet, however after taking the money out."
Thank you all for your responses. We'll keep that conversation going this morning.
But we want to turn now to a story from our Barbara Starr -- a rare look at a war that's gone on for a decade. U.S. Marines released their own personal footage of a firefight in Afghanistan.
Look at this.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(GUNFIRE)
U.S. MARINE: Reloading!
U.S. MARINE: It gets out of nowhere. I'm in a sleeping bag still. So, all of a sudden you hear the flare going off and RPG and fire started going off.
(EXPLOSIONS) U.S. MARINE: Just to the northwest of us, across the Helmand River, there is a ridge line up there. There are caves in the ridge line that they'll crawl into and they engage us from there.
(GUNFIRE)
U.S. MARINE: They're using ammo. By the time after a couple hours, we're really probably had 100 left and that was it. It got really bad real quick.
(GUNFIRE)
U.S. MARINE: I had 30 millimeter grenades hit inside the compound, getting close, real close. I mean, we took a casualty -- took a couple casualties. You hear about people being battle-tested. This one tested the boys.
U.S. MARINE: We have to get him on the bird as fast as possible.
U.S. MARINE: One hell of a day. I mean, you're thinking, yes, regular patrol. Any other day. It ain't happening that way. I mean, our people are like everyone has to be ready from now on. You never know what's going to happen from now on.
We lost one person, injuries. I mean, who knows what's going to happen next.
U.S. MARINE: Another day, man. Another day.
U.S. MARINE: Hopefully whoever sees this will know this is actually happening. At the end of the day, we're the ones out here.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: Well, I'll be back with more live news at the top of the hour. Right now, the good doctor.
