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New Fallout From Petraeus' Affair; Senior Citizen Living Without Power

Aired November 11, 2012 - 16:00   ET

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

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, everyone. Thanks for joining us in the CNN "Newsroom." I'm Fredricka Whitfield.

Harassing e-mails to whistleblower and the discovery that CIA Director David Petraeus was having an extramarital affair. It's all part of the FBI investigation that led Petraeus to resign but top lawmakers, both Republicans and Democrats, are demanding to know whether they were informed about that investigation in a timely fashion. CNN's Athena Jones has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ATHENA JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): As more facts emerge about the circumstances that cost CIA Director David Petraeus his job, so do the questions.

REP. PETER KING (R), NEW YORK: I have questions about the whole matter.

JONES: Like who knew what, when about the FBI's investigation into an investigation that his biographer, Paula Broadwell, sent harassing e-mails to a woman close to Petraeus. According to a U.S. official, it was that probe that revealed an affair between Broadwell and Petraeus. Director of National Intelligence James Clapper learned of the investigation in a phone call from the FBI on election night. Clapper told the White House on Wednesday, according to a senior U.S. intelligence official. But it's unclear when the FBI probe began.

KING: The FBI director had the obligation to tell the president or the National Security Council at the earliest date. So it seems it has been going on for several months and yet now it appears that they are saying that the FBI didn't realize it until election day that General Petraeus was involved. It just doesn't add up.

JONES: Among other questions, why weren't key lawmakers told sooner? The House and Senate Intelligence Committees weren't informed until Friday.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you going to investigate why the FBI didn't notify you before?

REP. DIANNE FEINSTEIN (D), CALIFORNIA: Yes, absolutely. I mean, this is something that could have had an effect on national security. I think we should have been told. JONES: Not everyone on the hill was totally in the dark. House Majority Leader Eric Cantor said an FBI employee told him about Petraeus' affair and a possible security breach in October after the investigation had begun.

A U.S. official says the general's communications were never compromised and he was never the target of the investigation. Another issue, Petraeus stepped down days before he was supposed to testify before a Senate committee about the attack on the U.S. consulate in Libya. Acting CIA director Michael Morell will testify instead but some Republicans aren't pleased.

SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R), SOUTH CAROLINA: At the end of the day, the one thing that has to happen in my view is we need to get to the bottom of Benghazi. I don't see how in the world you can find out what happened in Benghazi before, during, and after the attack if General Petraeus doesn't testify.

JONES: CNN has not been able to reach Broadwell for comment.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

JONES: Now, the woman who aversely received those harassing e-mails from Broadwell has not been identified publicly and, of course questions still remain over just what those e-mails contain, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: OK. Athena, what more can you tell us about this Paula Broadwell and how she met General Petraeus.

JONES: Well, we know that Paula Broadwell is a married mother of two. She lives in Charlotte, North Carolina and she met General Petraeus back in 2006 when he came to speak at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government. That's where Broadwell was a graduate student. She met him and of course, she started researching this dissertation that later turned into a book. She contacted him and interviewed him over e-mail and of course, in person and that's where it all began. Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right. Athena Jones, thanks for that update from Washington.

JONES: Thanks.

WHITFIELD: So General Petraeus was originally scheduled to testify this week to Congress in a hearing on the attack in Benghazi, Libya. You heard Athena reporting on that. He won't, though lawmakers may still compel him to at some point instead Acting Director Michael Morrell will take over. Bush administration CIA chief Michael Hayden explains why.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GENERAL MICHAEL HAYDEN, FORMER CIA DIRECTOR: I know some people are saying that they were hopeful that General Petraeus personally would testify but, frankly, you want the agency to testify. You want someone who is knowledgeable about the event, what the agency knew, what the agency did. And Mike Morell is fully qualified to do that.

Now, at some later date they may want General Petraeus to come back in and give his personal impressions. I understand that. But the hearings go on and CIA will be there telling what it knew about that event.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: And Michael Morell is filling in as CIA director until President Obama chooses a permanent replacement.

Israel fired a warning shot into Syria today after a stray mortar shell came across the border. The shell hit an Israeli military post in the Golan Heights area. No one was injured. But Jerusalem has filed a complaint with U.N. forces operating in the area.

Meantime, Syria's opposition groups have agreed to form a new inclusive body that could transition into a new government.

And closer to home now, in New York City, thousands came out to honor vets for the Veterans Day parade but Sandy survivors, that super storm, were not forgotten. Donations were collected for them during this time. The storm is now to blame for 43 deaths in New York City. More than 38,000 residents there are still in the dark.

CNN national correspondent Susan Candiotti introduces us to an elderly woman struggling to survive without power, heat and running water.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): All bundled up. Albina Williams manages to smile before the 70-year-old - yes, 70, makes a twice daily climb up six flights, dragging four gallons of water in a grocery cart and a bucket to her apartment.

(on camera): Is it OK if I help you?

ALBINA WILLIAMS, FAR ROCKAWAY RESIDENT: Yes.

CANDIOTTI: You're using this for what?

WILLIAMS: Flush the toilet.

CANDIOTTI: I can't imagine how you carry that and this. This is the third floor, right? Do you need to rest?

WILLIAMS: Yes.

CANDIOTTI: Catch your breath.

You're going all the way up to the 16th floor?

WILLIAMS: Every day. Want to see my gallons. Look?

CANDIOTTI: Albina, I'm going to try to hold this lady's bag up to there, too. Watch the bucket. I don't know how you ladies do it. OK. This is floor five. Up we go. Up we go.

OK. We made it. This is the sixth floor. All right. Albina, how is your breathing right now?

WILLIAMS: Tired and -

CANDIOTTI: You're OK?

WILLIAMS: I'm tired. I'm tired. It's really rough.

CANDIOTTI: What is it like at night? What are the sounds that you hear? What goes through your mind?

WILLIAMS: I just try to (INAUDIBLE) my mind and just focus on god.

CANDIOTTI: What was it like the night of the storm?

WILLIAMS: The light, television go out, just like that.

CANDIOTTI: And then what?

WILLIAMS: Darkness. No light. No water.

CANDIOTTI: Albina, I have to tell you, I'm feeling your hands right now, your hands right now are frozen.

WILLIAMS: Yes.

CANDIOTTI: They are so cold. And this is during the daytime when there's light in here.

WILLIAMS: I put this on and - this is this top. And then I put this over it. And then I put pants under and I put this over it. And then this comforter -

CANDIOTTI: After putting on all of those layers, underneath all of the comforters and blankets, is it enough?

WILLIAMS: I keep warm.

CANDIOTTI: You manage to keep warm. Well, I'm glad it's working but how long do you think you can go on like this?

WILLIAMS: I have no idea.

That's for the bathrooms.

CANDIOTTI: When you're asking them how long will it take for the power, what do they say?

WILLIAMS: They are not saying anything. They don't know. Maintenance say they don't know. I'm not hearing nothing.

CANDIOTTI: Albina, what is going through all of this?

WILLIAMS: God is strengthening me. Giving me strength. CANDIOTTI: He is giving you strength?

WILLIAMS: Yes, God is giving me strength. The only god giving me the strength, because if it wasn't him, I couldn't go through this. God is good.

CANDIOTTI: Albina, I wish you a lot of luck and I hope the power comes back soon.

WILLIAMS: Thank you.

CANDIOTTI: All right. Take care.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Susan Candiotti is joining us live now.

So Susan, how is Miss Williams doing right now? Any sign of when power comes on, running water, any of those things?

CANDIOTTI: Well, they have some running water, a little bit anyway. But the good news, Fred, is this.

WHITFIELD: What?

CANDIOTTI: They have electricity back again. They do have light. We are still waiting for word as to whether they have the heat yet. Yes, late last night the power came back on and they are now able to run at least one freight elevator in each of the four buildings in that complex which largely houses senior citizens. So that's a big help right now and they are very grateful for that.

Still again waiting for word as to when they will get the heat turned back on.

WHITFIELD: Oh, yes.

CANDIOTTI: But it took them, Fred, at least three certification letters to prove to the utility company that it was all right to switch the power back on and we have no explanation yet from the utility company about why it took so long to make all that happen. We're still waiting to find that out.

WHITFIELD: So now what about the rest of the neighborhood? What about her neighbors?

CANDIOTTI: Well, some buildings do have power but others do not. It is still a mess here in the Rockaways, where we are reporting to you now. For example, on this street there is no power. You can see the sand piles because the ocean is right in front of me and it's a mess. However, the good news is this. We have seen this day and this weekend a ton of volunteers out here from all kinds of groups that have sprung up from organizations to others to people coming together to help these people as far away today we met from Philadelphia. We've seen the National Guard here on the streets delivering more food and water to the people here. And we have seen the American Cross around delivering food as well. So help appears to be on the way but they really need that power back on.

WHITFIELD: They do, indeed. It is still very cold. Thanks so much, Susan Candiotti, for joining us from the Rockaways. We'll get back to you in about an hour. Thank you so much.

Monday morning quarterbacking? A lot of Republicans are doing just that as they struggle to figure out why Mitt Romney lost the election. One well known political voice says finger pointing hides a bigger truth about the GOP.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: The blame game. It's being played right now by Republicans upset about the outcome of the presidential election. Some blame Mitt Romney. Others are pointing the finger at the GOP overall claiming the party should have doubled down on ideology and gotten more aggressive.

My next guest has a very different theory. CNN contributor David Frum has just released an e book, called "Why Romney Lost and what the GOP can do about it." He's joining us now from Washington. David, good to see you.

DAVID FRUM, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: All right. So you say that all of that fingerpointing hides a bigger truth, that Republicans have become estranged from a moderate America. Elaborate on that.

FRUM: Well, let's compare and contrast two periods in American history. The first period, the one we just lived through. In the past six presidential elections, the Republicans have won a majority of the vote just one time in 2004 and then barely. In the previous six presidential elections, from 1968 through 1988, the Republicans won five times and in those five - and if you look at all six, including the ones they lost - or the one they lost, they averaged 52.5 percent of the vote. So from '68 to '88, we have a majority party and from '88 forward we have a minority party. That's the core of the problem. It's bigger than the problem (INAUDIBLE) get out the vote. It's bigger a problem with any one candidate and it's getting worse and worse over time.

WHITFIELD: Well, you say don't call this a close election. Instead, it's more so a challenger throwing away a sure thing, not necessarily an incumbent kind of hitting the nail on the head and reaching the electorate and convincing them that he's been doing the right thing?

FRUM: Well, President Obama did not talk a great deal about his record and he did not talk a great deal about his plans. He ran a campaign that was very powerfully and effectively negative against the Republican challenger that he painted the Republicans as frightening, unacceptable. And unfortunately, he had a lot of cooperation from the Republicans in making that case.

You know, this is still a middle class country and yet the big majority of the American people said the Republican party was not in touch with the middle class. And you have to ask, what did the Republicans do to show middle class America that that was the mistake? The Republican platform is a not a middle class-oriented platform. It hasn't been one for a while. So why Romney lost, I go through the reasons that people were put off from the Republican Party and I say this is a deeper problem and we need to make a deeper connection and this involves a much more economically inclusive message, a more culturally modern message. And it means a message that takes into account the environment, which is an issue of rising consciousness for younger voters.

WHITFIELD: So culturally more modern message being more inclusive of social issues because the GOP was hitting the message home that this election is based on enomics. It is economics driven. Are you saying a big mistake is that, you know, a kind of a more modern approach would be to more conscientious of the social issues that people want to hear about, want their leaders to touch on?

FRUM: The GOP, although it used - it talked about debt deficit, it didn't really have an economic message. The economic message was to divide the country between people who were worthy Americans, the 53 percent, and people who were unworthy Americans, the 47 percent. And to say - the message was, look, what is happening here is the worthy Americans are being taxed to support the unworthy Americans and we want to put a stop to that. The problem is, of course, this is not a true picture of American life.

That, in fact, the biggest group of people who are supported by government are older people. That's where most of the money goes and older people through Medicare and social security, they get about - from the federal government, about seven times as much money per person as people under 19 do. And you understand why that's so. Those are the Republican voters. The model - the attempt to create a cultural war over who gets what from the federal government, that's what was obsolete.

An economic message would be to say, here are our ideas for accelerating economic growth, here are our ideas to ensure that middle class incomes go up, here are our ideas for putting people back to work and that was part of the message that was really missing. In another book that I wrote actually during the last cycle, I offered some very concrete, detailed solutions as to how you might do those things.

But the message of this book is that the party has to get away from the past and it has to stop blaming large parts of the country. Now, my joke is, the first step to recovery is stop insulting quite so many people.

WHITFIELD: Didn't the party try to do that after 2008, especially with the incorporation or the more of an incorporation of the Tea Party movement, just in tome for the 2010 election?

FRUM: Well, the Tea Party movement was a movement of older Americans defending what they get from government by demanding that everybody else gets less. That's the essence of the Ryan plan. The Ryan plan said everybody over 55 keeps what they have. All of the costs of deficit adjustment will be borne by everybody under 55. Republicans of course do much better with voters over 55 than they do with voters under 55 and we justify this by saying older voters are worthy Americans and younger voters are unworthy.

That's not how you do inclusion. Inclusion begins by saying, we're not going to get everybody's vote but we embrace everybody's experience. I think what I was struck by and I've written a lot about this, was you have to draw a distinction. Talk Radio is not the Republican Party. But the Republican Party is desperately afraid of Talk Radio.

When one of your talkers goes on TV, goes on the air and talks about Sandra Fluke, the law student who testified in Congress in the way that Rush Limbaugh talked about her. You have to understand that every woman in America who uses birth control when hears herself being called terrible names that Rush Limbaugh called that woman and when the Republican Party is afraid to stand up to him, remember, this is something that took place -

WHITFIELD: Because some people interpret that is as being, they are one in the same. Conservative talk radio is one and the same, shares the same principles as the Republican Party and that's what brings us, in large part, maybe to this juncture?

FRUM: The Republican Party is afraid of talk radio. It's not the same. Talk radio is - Mitt Romney got tens and tens of millions of votes.

WHITFIELD: Yes.

FRUM: There are probably a million people who listen to talk radio. One is much bigger than the other and yet it's afraid.

WHITFIELD: All right. David Frum, thanks so much, always good to hear from you.

FRUM: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: Just releasing your e-book called "Why Romney Lost and What the GOP can do about it." People can read even more about your thoughts behind that premise. Thanks so much. Good to see you.

FRUM: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: All right. They have risked their lives and sacrificed and they've come back with lessons for us. Coming up, wisdom from U.S. Veterans.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: President Barack Obama honored the nation's military this Veterans Day. He later laid a wreath at the tomb of the unknowns in Arlington National Cemetery. He then said in his speech this was the first veterans day in 10 years that no Americans are serving in Iraq. The president also said U.S. troops who served abroad in Iraq and Afghanistan should always be able to rely on support from the U.S. government.

So what have we learned from the veterans in your life? That's what we've been asking and our Josh Levs is here with a few answers for us now.

JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: So interesting. I mean look we talked about their service. Yes, we talked about all that they have given. One way is to pay tribute to them is to really stop and pay attention to some of the major life lessons that these people who have sacrificed and who have gone into this situation for our country have brought back.

So here's what we did at CNN I-report we reached out to you, people all over the country. We said what are the biggest life lessons that you have learned from the veterans in your lives and I want to show you some of the wonderful answers we got right here.

Let's start with this "Never take life too seriously, laugh often, speak your mind unapologetically and vote." That's from Brooke Villarreal, a daughter of Dickie Sykes, an Army specialist who served in the Vietnam War. Next one, "Appreciate the time you have with people you love," from Amy Hagerman, girlfriend of Lance Corporal Mark A. Garland who served in Afghanistan.

Next, "No matter how much something hurts, you can survive." Now this one, folks, this one from Donna Douglas. She gave us this picture with her husband, Michael Douglas, who was an army sergeant in Germany in the '70s. Donna's oldest son Army Sergeant William (INAUDIBLE) was killed in the Iraq war in 2008. A couple more.

"You can always find the good in someone or something." That's from Michael Cavanaugh, husband of Claudia (INAUDIBLE) Cavanaugh. They are both serving right now, and talking about what they learn from veterans.

And finally, "don't waste time worrying" from Kim McConnell, wife of Sgt. Jonathan McConnell who served in the Iraq war. We'll have some more of them for you in the next hour. I tell you Fred, it's become a really nice and beautiful discussion people are having online and my Facebook and Twitter and on ireport about what they have learned if they wouldn't have otherwise known from people, maybe not known so deeply from the people who made the sacrifice.

WHITFIELD: So often people keep those thoughts to themselves or they are sharing that with just the immediate family or friends and this is a great forum in which they can share with so many people.

LEVS: A lot of people don't know about veterans. We're going to have that next hour too about what do you don't know about our veterans.

WHITFIELD: Excellent. We look forward to that. Thank so much, Josh. Appreciate that.

All right. voters have sent the same balance of power back to Washington. Does that mean more gridlock between Congress and the president? Former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell is with us in the "Newsroom" on how the sides can work together.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right. These stories are trending online right now.

Defense company Lockheed Martin fired its incoming CEO after he admitted to an affair with a subordinate employee. It confirmed that 51-year-old Christopher Kubasik had a close personal relationship with the employee that violates the company's code of ethics and business conduct.

On the top ten cities where smart phones are either lost or stolen, Philadelphia tops the list. Number one, Seattle and Oakland follow at number two and three. Researchers say about 113 phones go missing each minute between the times of 9:00 p.m. and 2:00 a.m.

And Texas A&M and the family of quarterback Johnny Manziel are working to trademark his nick name Johnny Football. The star quarter back led the Aggies to a huge win over number one Alabama yesterday. Neither the school nor Manziel's family can sell products with the name Johnny Football in any way until someone scores the trademark name.

And this week, President Barack Obama is to meet with Democratic and Republican leaders of Congress. They want to avert the year-end fiscal cliff that they've heard so much about. Well after voters returned a gridlock Congress to Capitol Hill and Mr. Obama to the White House, both the president and house speaker John Boehner vowed to find some common ground.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. JOHN BOEHNER, (R) HOUSE SPEAKER: Well, clearly the deficit is a drag in our economy and we can't continue to spend money that we don't have. I don't want to box myself in. I don't want to box anybody else in. I think it's important for us to come to an agreement with the president but this is his opportunity to lead.

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I want to be clear; I'm not wedded to every detail of my plan. I'm open to compromise. I'm open to new ideas. I'm committed to solving our fiscal challenges. But I refuse to accept any approach that isn't balanced.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Joining us now is a man who knows all about bipartisanship and compromise. Former Senator George Mitchell of Maine. Good to see you Senator.

FORMER SEN. GEORGE MITCHELL, D-MAINE: Thanks Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Thank you. You were majority leader from 1989 to '95 during a time when senators and house members were actually friends. I mean those on opposite sides of the party. So do you think the president and the house speaker's words this go around really will lead to some compromise or has a new page been turned here? Are you encouraged? MITCHELL: I'm hopeful about it. The day I was elected majority leader, the first person I called was Bob Dole, a Republican leader and I went to see him and suggested to him that these are tough jobs and we ought to work together as best we can. We're going to disagree but I told him I won't surprise you. I won't criticize you personally in public or in private. And for six years, while we disagreed almost every day on a variety of issues, never once did a harsh word pass between us in public or in private. We got to know each other better.

So making it personal makes a difference. You know, you tend in any area of human activity to work better with people you know, like, and respect. I think a little more of that would be helpful. Secondly, I think they ought to do it in a manageable way. The most important thing is working together is not to set unrealistic goals. Don't suggest to the American people and the press you're going to solve it all in one fell-swoop because that can't be done. That will only set you up for failure if you don't achieve that. This can be done in a deliberate way that takes one step at a time.

And finally, of course, we have to recognize this is a very large diverse country, divided in the middle. Nobody can have their way 100 percent of the time. I've heard members of congress get up and say, well I won't compromise on anything compromise is bad. But that's not realistic with a country this size and diversity. Both people need to realize that you have to give something to get something and the national interest comes first.

WHITFIELD: And what do you suppose could be given or could be received in this latest round of exchanges? We know that top Republican and Democratic leaders are meeting with the White House, meeting with the president this week. Where is the give and take? Where might that be?

MITCHELL: Well, I think it's obviously, as the president said, from the Democratic standpoint, a balanced proposal that includes increases in taxes for those at the very top of the income scale, the top 1 or 2 percent, along with reductions in spending that are needed to bring the budget in the direction towards balance and hopefully balance soon.

From the Republican standpoint, they are very much opposed to any tax increases and so they will have to be some give on that but they want some spending cuts and there ought to be some spending cuts. So I think there's plenty of room if there is good faith and a genuine intention to do it. I think one of the difficulties is frankly that Speaker Boehner is in a tough spot. He's got about a third of his caucus that ran either as a Tea Party candidates or Tea Party supported and part of their agenda was no compromise. Well you're finding out that you can't govern that way and so he's got to figure out a way to bring them along as he deals with the president on the other side. But I think it can be done. There is good faith and goodwill that make it possible even when there is strong disagreement.

WHITFIELD: So then as it pertains to Boehner, do you feel like he is receiving greater pressure from the caucuses, as you just described, or greater pressure from the electorate? Because in Boehner's message on Friday, he did say, quote, the American people re-elected a Republican majority but at the same time, I guess you can't have it both ways because we are looking at electorate, a popular vote, an electorate that voted this president back in, so clearly people are saying they want the gridlock to end they want these two sides to work together.

MITCHELL: Well I think the election probably helps him in terms of his caucus, that is to say, it's a pretty sobering realization that the program that the advance was not accepted on a national basis and I think there's a reasonable argument that can be made that the activities of those involved with the Tea Party helped the Democrats retain control of the senate by knocking off Republican incumbents in the primaries and nominating candidates in this and the previous election who really just couldn't gain broad popular support.

I think in that respect it's strengthened but truth is before knows the president now and hopefully there will be even more personal contact between them and I think if both sides keep in mind the fundamental principle that the country comes first, the party comes second, then I think they can get it done.

WHITFIELD: Former Senator George Mitchell thanks so much for your time. Thanks for joining us from New York today. Appreciate it.

MITCHELL: Thanks Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Many on the Christian Right supported Mitt Romney in this presidential race and opposed same-sex marriage initiatives in their states. Well, they lost on all counts. How has the Christian Right lost it is ability to influence future elections?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Leaders of the Christian Right are still trying to determine what happened election night. Barack Obama was re-elected president in part due to his support of reproductive right and his push for health of insurance companies to provide contraceptive coverage. Valid issues supporting same sex marriage were passed in Maine, Maryland, and the state of Washington. In Minnisota voters rejected a measure that would have banned same sex marriage.CNN.com's religion editor Dan Gilgoff joining me now from Washington. So Dan good to see you. What do these results tell us about the Christian Right ability to influence elections moving forward?

DAN GILGOFF, CNN.COM RELIGION EDITOR: Well I think it really does raise major questions about the Christian Rights influence in our national politics. Mostly when it pertains to gay marriage. I mean, if you could remember where we were eight years ago this week in the 2004 election, the Christian Right had helped usher George W. Bush back into a second term partly by passing 11 ballot initiatives banning gay marriage. Many other states since then have adopted gay marriage bans amending their constitutions and this week we saw the undoing or at least maybe a changing of the tide in that with three states for the first time adopting gay marriage legalization through voters going to the polls. And so what we saw this week was a lot of Christian Right leaders, some serious Evangelical heavyweights saying very publicly that maybe the tide has changed and through worrying about a path forward for the movement.

WHITFIELD: So President Obama, when you look at some of the numbers and we've seen a big break of the electorates, 51 percent of the Catholic vote he captured despite his position on abortion rights and post-game kind of analysis, what may have most influenced Catholics and Christian conservatives?

GILGOFF: It seems like Catholics were influenced as much by the economy as any other issue, just like any other Americans. But, again, this raises questions about the influence of conservative religious forces on the electorate here. You've got to remember that during this election, over the course of the last year, the American Catholic church staged this very vigorous anti-Obama administration campaign around religious liberty issues and it seems like rank and file Catholics weren't listening to their own leaders as much as they were listening to Obama's message, the message of the economy and how they wanted to attempt to turn the economy around. And so it seems like a disregarded message of their own leadership again called into question the influence of conservative religious leaders in this country moving forward.

WHITFIELD: So is it fair to say that the Christian conservative movement has kind of lost steam?

GILGOFF: It may have but I think what is going to be really interesting is to watch these next couple of years as the Republican Party regroups. I think what you're going to see is the Christian Right make a very serious case of the Republican Party that it could help the party solve its problems with reaching minority voters, especially Latinos. Most Latinos in this country are Catholic or Evangelical, very serious about their families and the anti abortion. The Christian Right could help them connect with those voters potentially.

WHITFIELD: OK. All right. Dan Gilgoff thanks so much.

GILGOFF: Thanks Fred.

WHITFIELD: More of Dan's story on our "Belief Blog," at CNN.com/belief.

All right. Two of the top golfers in the world, their names Woods, McIlroy always butting heads on the course but you'd be surprised what they say about their friendship in an exclusive interview with CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy are two of the biggest names in golf today. But far from being bitter rivals, they actually have in Tiger's own words have become really good friends. For the first time the two sat down for an exclusive joint interview with Shane O'Donoghue host of CNN's "Living Golf."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHANE O'DONOGHUE, HOST, CNN "LIVING GOLF:" It's great to see you both together. I think this may be something of a first and the relationship we're seeing a lot more of it in the press as well. Can you describe the nature of this relationship between yourselves?

RORY MCILROY, GOLFER: Yes, it's great. Tiger and I have gotten to know one another a little better over the past sort of 12 months. You know, I think we have a lot of things in common. We are both huge sports fans and have a lot of things to talk about and I think just from there, you know, our relationship has evolved.

TIGER WOODS, GOLFER: Kind of battled each other a few times but I think as Rory was alluding to, we have a lot in common. Granted, there is an age difference but still a relationship will certainly grow over the years but also our competitiveness, I don't think that's going to change.

MCCILROY: Tiger was a huge hero of mine growing up. You know, from watching him win his U.S. Amateurs back in the '90s to the first Master's win in '97 and then getting a chance to know him and getting the chance to compete against him is something that I always dreamed of.

O'DONOGHUE: When you look at someone like Rory now who has come on in the last five years, what do you see, in particular, that impresses you?

WOODS: His athleticism, the confidence, it's going out there and hitting shot for shot. It's fun to play against somebody like that who has a lot of belief in their own ability and goes out there and does it and, you know, as he said, doing it at all levels and this is no different. Last time I checked, lowest score still wins. This new generation of guys who are training, who are athletic, who can play other sports, who grew up playing other sports now coming into golf and, you know, that's what is neat about watching the next generation of guys come out and play and Rory is certainly in that mold.

O'DONOGHUE: How desperate are you to get that next Major?

WOODS: It would be nice. Certainly it's been four years now since I've won a championship and I've been there with chances over the last four years but I'd like to get another one, no doubt.

O'DONOGHUE: The whole emphasis on 18, it's a question that is asked every time but you still see it as a realistic goal to surpass 18?

WOODS: Absolutely. Don't forget it took him to 46. Of course. Staying and eating properly and staying in shape, I can play for a very long time. I'm looking forward to that opportunity.

O'DONOGHUE: And Rory, you've spoken about not really targeting 14 or 18, what's most important? Getting the open championship in the Masters and having your own career? Would that be a logical next goal for you?

MCILROY: Yes, I guess you could say that. I'm halfway there to the career grand slam. I've won two and I just want to try and get my third and when I get my third, I'll want to try to get my fourth. Not many players have done it in the past and it would be great to have my name to that list.

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WHITFIELD: And here's one more for Rory today. The world's number one golfer moved to the top of the European NPGA Tour money list.

All right. Becoming the next Mark Zuckerberg. The sister of the facebook CEO dishes on her new reality show and the drama behind tech startups.

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WHITFIELD: All right. When you hear the name Zuckerberg, you usually think of facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg. Well, his sister Randi Zuckerberg is now stepping out of the shadow after leaving the company as the marketing director. Our CNN money tech reporter Laurie Segall reports on Zuckerberg's new reality show on Bravo.

LAURIE SEGALL, CNN MONEY: Hey Fredricka. Well I recently caught up with Randi Zuckerberg. Her name sound familiar she's facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg's sister and she played a very important role at the company before leaving for a new project. Her latest, a reality television show and it's all about the drama behind tech startups. Fredricka I caught up with her and I asked why she decided to create a show about entrepreneurs. Listen to what she had to say.

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SEGALL (voice over): What's changed in the last couple of years that startups are so in fashion right now?

RANDI ZUCKERBERG, FOUNDER AND CEO, ZUCKERBERG MEDIA: I think we've just seen so many really cool success stories of young people who came to the Silicon Valley with a dream and hit it really big. I think we're also in a very interesting economic time in this country and people are more open to taking risks and trying something new.

SEGALL: Tell us a little bit about the show. I mean what's the premise of this show?

ZUCKERBERG: We'll be following six internet entrepreneurs as they try to make it in Silicon Valley as they represent a wide skilled set. We have engineers, tech reporters, business folks, the whole gamut.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I never thought I'd ever get here but I'm here now and I'm going to make an impact.

UNIDENTIFED FEMALE: I always knew I wanted to devote my entire life to technology.

SEGALL: What is it about this intersection between technology and entertainment? Why is that happening right now?

ZUCKERBERG: I think we're just seeing the convergence; technology is such a part of pop culture. It's a part of all of our lives, it is a part of how we parent our children, and it's a part of how we get jobs. It's a part of how we find love. It's really inherent in almost every aspect. Most people are within an arm's length of their mobile phone like 99 percent of the day.

SEGALL: Another cast member said, if you gave me all of the money in the world I would not want to be the next Mark Zuckerberg.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If you gave me all of the money in the world I would not want to be the next Mark Zuckerberg. I want to forge my own path.

SEGALL: I think that really speaks to the egos of Silicon Valley. Like everyone has this thought of disruption. No one wants to copy someone who came before them. That name has so much weight in Silicon Valley. Between you, your brother, your sister who the company was acquired by Google, are you guys -- were you always entrepreneurs? Is this something kind of you were raised to do?

ZUCKERBERG: My dad was always the dentist. He was the first in the industry to have like the newest, like new dental technology and he was always a great entrepreneur himself. So I guess it rubbed off a little.

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SEGALL: It certainly seems to have rubbed off a little bit. But Fredricka the show aired for the first time this week you can catch it Monday's on Bravo. We'll see if geeks actually make for good TV and even if they do make for good TV Fredricka whether any of them come close to inventing a tech company as big as facebook.

Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Thank you Laurie.

All right. A soon to be viral video combines extreme athletes with extreme mechanics. We will show you how this six minute video of science work. A video that you won't want to miss.

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