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Denver Blizzard II; Edwards In '08; The Fight For Iraq; Saddam Hussein Execution; Conflict In Somalia; Marijuana Drug Bust

Aired December 28, 2006 - 10:00   ET

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

HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, everybody, I'm Heidi Collins.
RICK SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Rick Sanchez. Hello to all. Tony Harris off this week.

COLLINS: Spend a second hour in the NEWSROOM this morning and stay informed. Here's what's on the rundown now.

SANCHEZ: The brewing blizzard taking aim at Denver. The mile high city still digging out from last week's storm. That forecast, a good chance of travel troubles.

COLLINS: Democrat John Edwards joining the party for 2008. He announces his presidential bid this morning in New Orleans.

SANCHEZ: And his last appearance at the famed Apollo Theater. The legendary James Brown honored in Harlem this Thursday, December 28th. You are now officially in the NEWSROOM.

Time to stock up on staples and maybe even a little fortitude. Denver still digging out from the last snow storm, bracing yet another big blow by mother nature coming its way. Our Jonathan Freed is bundled up at the Denver airport.

Not yet getting hit by snow but will be if he stays there long enough I understand, right, Jonathan?

JONATHAN FREED, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Rick.

And something tells me that we will be staying here long enough if I know CNN well, which is why we are here. The skies not that bad right now, but it's coming. Everybody here knows it's coming. And in the neighborhoods here in Denver, Rick, people are just scratching their heads looking down and seeing unplowed streets.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FREED, (voice over): A week after Denver was dumped on, on the side streets, it's families, not snow plows, doing the heavy lifting. Officials say main roads are always targeted for cleaning first, but admit the snow fell too fast for them to keep up in the neighborhoods, with drifts several feet deep in some places.

JOSH FIELDS, DENVER RESIDENT: So now we just had a storm and now another one's coming. I'm still trying to dig out of this first one because the plows didn't come.

FREED: This time, the mayor is calling in reinforcements. Public schools and the water department could help bring the total number of snow-clearing vehicles to 80, up from 50 last week.

MAYOR JOHN HICKENLOOPER, DENVER: And having a second snow like this, I think we need to marshal as many resources as we can and bring them together to put every ounce of activity on snow removal as we possibly can.

FREED: Those trucks can't get on the road fast enough for Jeff Pierce.

JEFF PIERCE, DENVER RESIDENT: Stranded in the house for three days and, as you can see, still getting stuck.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FREED: Now, Rick, considering how much snow got dumped on this place just a week ago, people here are saying, OK, if it does turn out to be only a foot of snow -- it's come to that, only a foot of snow -- they'll take it.

SANCHEZ: I guess the good news is, there's really not going to be that many people trying to get around. We are still in the holidays, right? It's not like there's going to be huge rush hour delays or anything. It's going to be a problem at the airport, though.

FREED: That is expected to help as far as getting around town goes. And one of the things that the airlines were telling me about this time period, because we're in the middle of the holiday season, they have a little bit more flexibility to offer in terms of extra seats. So anybody, they're saying, that might want to try to travel home ahead of the storm, your odds of trying to grab a seat -- and they waived a lot of the restrictions, Rick, to allow people to do that. So even if you think you have a restricted ticket, you can probably still grab an extra seat now. Next week, if this happens again, not so much.

SANCHEZ: That's the key, now is better than later. If you wait until the very end of the holidays, everyone's going to try to get home. If you do it now, you'll be beating the rush.

FREED: Exactly

SANCHEZ: Well said.

FREED: That's exactly it

SANCHEZ: All right. We appreciate you hanging in there and let us know when it starts to fall, OK.

FREED: We will.

SANCHEZ: Chad Myers is going to be, right, Heidi? COLLINS: Yes, Chad Myers is also watching the situation. He is at the severe weather center for us to talk more about the effects of, what is it, chapter two, the sequel, however we're going to look at it, huh?

(WEATHER REPORT)

SANCHEZ: He did it before and he's going to try and do it again. That's running for the presidency, that is. John Edwards is who we speak of. Made an announcement just as we were getting ready to bring you this newscast earlier this morning. Here it is again.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN EDWARDS, (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Good morning. I'm here in New Orleans to -- in the ninth ward of New Orleans to announce that I'm a candidate for the presidency of the United States in the election in 2008.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: Dana Bash standing by for us now. She's live in New Orleans.

I guess you were there when he came out wearing his jeans and his open collared shirt. A different look for a presidential candidate, isn't it?

DANA BASH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And definitely a different look. I was there. I'm actually still here. And it was, as you said, a very unconventional, political event. No pomp, no circumstance, no confetti, no music, nothing that we usually see when somebody comes out and says that he or maybe she wants to be president of the United States.

What Edwards did when he came out is said that he wanted to declare his candidacy in New Orleans because it best represents what he talked a lot about in his last run for president in 2004, the two Americas, the haves and the have notes. But he also said it is a part of what he hopes to build his 2008 campaign on, and that is action, citizen action, and responsibility that Americans should have to take part in things like rebuilding New Orleans.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

EDWARDS: It's great to see a problem and to understand it. It's more important to actually take action and do something about it. And I think that's why I'm in New Orleans, just to show what's possible when we, as Americans, instead of staying home and complaining about somebody else not doing what they're supposed to, we actually take responsibility. And we take action. And I don't mean we take action after the next election. I mean we take action now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BASH: Now on the issue of the day, Iraq, Senator Edwards repeated what he has said for some time now, and that is he wants troops to start coming home immediately. He specifically said to start with 40,000 troops and work from there. He also took aim at Republican proposals, specifically at what he called the McCain doctrine. That is an idea that has been floated for some time by potential Republican presidential candidate, Senator John McCain, to increase troops in Iraq. He says that could be an absolute mistake.

Now Edwards, on the political front, does have several advantages. First of all, he has what's known in politics as name I.D. He, of course, was not only his own candidate, ran for president on his own in 2004, but was John Kerry's running mate.

And he also has another advantage, and that is he is a senator, but he is a former senator. And that means he's not tethered to Washington and he has been traveling all around the country

Essentially he's been campaigning since he lost in 2004, going to important states like Iowa and New Hampshire, a couple of other states that are going to be at the beginning of the process in 2008 this year, Nevada and South Carolina. Those are all states that he is going to be hitting actually in this tour. He's actually doing quite well in some of the polls in those early states, especially Iowa. So those are some of the advantages he has, Rick.

He has some disadvantages as well. He was asked today about the issue that bogged him down in the last election and that is experience. He's a one-term senator. He said it's a fair question, but he also took aim at the Bush White House, saying they have some very experienced hands, Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, and they've had quite a mess, from his perspective, when it comes to national security.

Rick.

SANCHEZ: What's he going to say to the viewer who say, OK, last time you were the fresh face, but you've already been that. Can't be fresh face twice. What are you going to do for me this time different than your last go around?

BASH: Well I asked him that question. I talked to him yesterday and he said, look, you know, I've learned a lot from the last campaign. I've matured from the last campaign. And, you know, I talked to people who are kind of close to him, around him. They say that they actually think he's going to be a better candidate this time because he does have experience, more experience as a candidate.

But I can tell you talking to others who are close and big supporters of John Edwards, they say the been there, done that issue is going to be a bit of a problem. Having the baggage of being on a losing ticket could drag him down because people want to support a winner and John Edwards, last time, was on a losing ticket.

SANCHEZ: Dana Bash, we thank you for bringing us that story out of New Orleans. Appreciate it.

Heidi, over to you. COLLINS: Thank you.

The war in Iraq. The search for a new direction. President Bush meets with his advisors this morning at his ranch in Texas. They will discuss U.S. strategy in Iraq and changes that may need to be made. CNN White House Correspondent Elaine Quijano is in Crawford. She has the very latest.

Elaine, what can we expect to happen in this meeting?

ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Heidi.

Well, that meeting is set to get underway in about 30 minutes. The president will be huddling with his top advisors, as you noted, at his ranch here in Crawford, Texas. And they'll be discussing options on changes to the president's Iraq policy.

Now for several days, top Bush aides have been trying to downplay expectations of this meeting, essentially saying that it is going to be "non-decisional." That it's more a part of further consultation. But certainly it is a high-level meeting. In fact, the president will be meeting with top members of his national security team.

You saw there a graphic of some of those people who are going to be attending that meeting, and among them will be Defense Secretary Robert Gates, the new defense secretary, who just last week was in Iraq for three days. He spent some time there on the ground talking to troops, talking to generals, getting their input on various options. And he actually met with President Bush over the Christmas holiday weekend at Camp David to talk about what he had discovered. Now also attending this morning's meeting here in Crawford, the president's national security advisor, Stephen Hadley, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, as well as the vice president, of course, Dick Cheney.

Now after the meeting today, President Bush is expected to comment to reporters. And we know that one of the options certainly that the advisors have been looking at is the idea of a possible temporary troop surge of tens of thousands of U.S. forces possibly to help stabilize Baghdad. There's been a great deal of debate over that option and whether or not that would help or hurt the situation in Iraq. But as for the president's decision, aides continue to say that the president has not made any final decisions just yet and is expected to announce some sort of change to his Iraq policy early in the new year.

Heidi.

COLLINS: Well, Elaine, as we have been reporting here, of course, on the death of former President Gerald Ford, happened on Tuesday night. We also learned over the past day or so about some comments that he made in an interview with "Washington Post's" Bob Woodward. This was back in 2004. Comments about the Iraq War. Saying that President Bush and his chief advisors made a big mistake with their justifications for the war. Does the president have any reaction at this time to those comments made by the 38th president? QUIJANO: Well, officials with the White House are basically saying that right now the president and the Bush administration are, "focused on grieving" and keeping the family in their prayers. But what is interesting and significant is that, of course, this disagreement comes amid deep ties that exist between the Bush White House, the current Bush administration, as well as the Ford administration. In fact, Vice President Dick Cheney, the now former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld actually served in the Ford administration. And as you know, Heidi, word of this disagreement coming at a time when the Bush administration is already under intense political pressure to change course in Iraq.

Heidi.

COLLINS: All right. We know you'll be watching it and bring it to us should anything develop from there. From Crawford, Texas, Elaine Quijano, thank you.

SANCHEZ: From dictator to defendant, Saddam Hussein facing death by hanging, really any moment now. His allies warning the United States they'll pay for his execution. We're going to have details on this from the NEWSROOM.

COLLINS: Meat from cloned animals. Would you eat it? It may be coming to a restaurant or a supermarket near you. Food for thought, ahead in the NEWSROOM.

SANCHEZ: Also, a Harlem farewell for the godfather of soul. It's ahead in the NEWSROOM. James Brown in his final bow at the famed Apollo Theater. We will look back at his legendary career.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: There's been a tenuous situation now in Iraq. Death watch in Baghdad. A once brutal dictator awaits execution. That order could come at any time. Saddam Hussein loyalists are warning his execution will cost the U.S. Let's get the latest now from Baghdad and CNN's Arwa Damon.

Arwa, I imagine tensions are running very, very high where you are.

ARWA DAMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: They are, Heidi, especially as the nation is gearing up for what is going to be an end of an era in Iraqi history, the execution of Iraq's former dictator, Saddam Hussein, and it really could happen at any point now between right now as we speak, all the way to, according to the Iraqi high tribunal, January 27th. And it does appear on some levels that Saddam Hussein is, perhaps, accepting of his fate. We saw a poster on the Internet a letter that he drafted sometime after the verdict came out -- that was in early November -- saying that he accepts his fate to a certain degree, saying -- calling it his martyrdom, saying that this is a sacrifice that he is making for the Iraqi people.

He is also, in that letter, calling on the Iraqi people to put their sectarian divisions aside and to unite in the face of the occupation. But he also does say -- he states specifically, do not hate the people of the nations that invaded us. Now the Iraqi government is hoping that the death of Saddam Hussein will somehow bring down the levels of violence, that it will bring closure to those who suffered most under his regime and that it will prove to the Iraqi people that Saddam Hussein is dead. That their former dictator is not coming back.

But there are deep concerns here that his death will only further divide an already split country, split along sectarian lines. There are fears that the violence here will increase. In fact, we saw a posting on the Baathist website that is signed by the Iraqi Baath party that threatens just that. In that statement, the threat is that if Saddam Hussein is to be killed, that is a red line that the United States does not want to cross, and that his death will hamper any sort of negotiation effort that is going on between the coalition and between the former regime elements of the insurgency here.

Heidi.

COLLINS: And even as you say that and talk about violence, we know there were several bombings today in Baghdad. What can you tell us about that violence? Is it linked to this most recent tension?

DAMON: Well, Heidi, really the violence here, the violence that we saw today, five bombings, at least 20 Iraqis killed, dozens more wounded, really has tragically become just a part of daily life here. This is a regular occurrence. All of today's bombings were targeting civilians. All of them were roadside bombs.

We saw in the capital itself the deadliest attacks, twin bombings exploding in a busy marketplace. Another explosion followed shortly thereafter. That was at Ashad (ph) Stadium, a very popular location in the heart of the capital. And the violence here also targeting the U.S. military. They announced the death of yet another four U.S. servicemen who are here in Iraq. That makes this month the fifth deadliest month for U.S. forces here since the end of major combat, with 97 deaths.

Heidi.

COLLINS: CNN's Arwa Damon live to us this morning from Baghdad.

Arwa, thank you.

SANCHEZ: Meanwhile, a coalition raid netting a suspected al Qaeda leader. Military officials say that Iraqi forces, backed by U.S. advisors, nabbed a person in Yusufiya. That's just south of Baghdad. The man believed to be behind the kidnapping murders of two U.S. soldiers in June. Their bodies shown some signs of torture, by the way.

The U.S. death toll climbing yet again in Iraq. The U.S. military is saying that a pair of roadside bombs killed three American soldiers and wounded three others. Both attacks took place in Baghdad. Also a U.S. Marine died in combat in the volatile Anbar province. So far this month, 97 U.S. troops have been killed in Iraq. That makes December one of the deadliest months in this war.

COLLINS: Somalia under the gun. Government soldiers move against Islamist fighters. Emergency in Mogadishu, coming up in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: Welcome back to the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Rick Sanchez.

Looting and chaos in the capital of Somalia today. Islamist fighters abandoned Mogadishu ahead of advancing government troops. Now those troops, supported by a well-equipped Ethiopian army. For the very latest on this, we take you live now to the Ethiopian capital to Addis Ababa and CNN's Frederik Pleitgen who's following the story for us.

Frederick, what's going on right now?

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, right now that a looting still hasn't stopped, Rick. Really what the government forces, the Somalian government forces are trying to do is they're trying to get this violence to curb and they're trying to really incorporate the many warlords that are in Mogadishu, into this whole process, and trying to get something like a peace process going here to curb that looting, to really get these people to be part of this.

Now what they're saying is that the Islamists that have retreated from Mogadishu earlier this morning, is that they basically dissolved. Now we have to see what this Islamist militia looks like. Those were mostly Jihadist fighters. Most of them were foreign fighters. But it was also a lot of warlords that had joined this Islamist movement.

Now, apparently, many of these warlords are turning against the Islamists and are joining the interim Somali government. So really the popular support for these Islamists has waned. And right now the government troops can enter Mogadishu basically without having to fear any sort of violence.

SANCHEZ: Have they done so yet? Have the Ethiopian troops actually entered the city at this point?

PLEITGEN: The Ethiopian troops are not going to enter the city. What's happening is that there's a coalition of Ethiopian troops and Somali government troops. That's the interim government, interim Somali government that's fairly -- basically a very weak sort of government. They only have about 10,000 troops. Really the strong arm of that whole military movement was the Ethiopian army. But now that they've reached Mogadishu, what they're doing is the Ethiopian army is staying out of Mogadishu and these government troops are moving in.

And the thing behind that is, is that there's very hard feelings toward these Ethiopian troops within Somalia. There's been many conflicts between them and many Somalis don't like seeing Ethiopian troops in their country. So they're going to try and stay out of Mogadishu unless, of course, the situation does escalate. In that case, officials here in Addis Ababa are telling us that then Ethiopian troops will, indeed, enter Mogadishu.

SANCHEZ: I guess so. I guess it's about perception. They don't want to make it look like it's an occupation.

Frederik, thanks so much for bringing us up-to-date on that situation there. We'll check back with you when need be.

Heidi, over to you.

COLLINS: We are learning some information coming to us out of Texas and a huge drug bust there. Carol Lin is looking into it and has the very latest.

Carol.

CAROL LIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Heidi, huge probably doesn't even begin to describe the amount of marijuana that Harris County sheriffs found in a warehouse. This all started with a routine traffic stop because the driver wasn't using his headlights at night. Fifteen thousand pounds of marijuana -- that's more than 500 bales of marijuana -- found inside a warehouse after the narcotics unit there at the Harris County sheriffs got a tip that this guy, Louis Mendoza (ph), was in possession of drugs.

So inside that warehouse they also found a -- some kind of vehicle and an assault rifle. This man is going to be charged with possession of a controlled substance and possession of marijuana with the intent to distribute. That's like $25 million worth of marijuana.

Heidi.

COLLINS: Oh, $25 million.

LIN: $25 million. I don't think in all my career I have heard of a bust this big of marijuana.

COLLINS: No. All right. Well, we'll be watching that. I assume we'll probably be getting some pictures of it here pretty soon.

LIN: We're working on it.

COLLINS: All right, terrific. Carol, thank you.

SANCHEZ: Well, you better get used to it, Denver. The shovel is your friend. A second storm set to slam the mile high city today. Travelers, beware. We'll have that for you in the NEWSROOM.

COLLINS: I think we want to go ahead and bring in Chad Myers, don't we, to find out the very latest about what is happening in Denver, as we watch this system move closer and closer for sort of a take two, repeat, deja vu, we've been coming up with all kinds of terms for it. If anybody knows how to handle it, it is the people of Colorado.

(WEATHER REPORT) COLLINS: Meanwhile, also we want to bring you this today, live pictures now from Harlem, the farewell for the Godfather of Soul. The processional, James Brown, his final bow at the famed Apollo Theater. We'll look back at his legendary career.

SANCHEZ: Also, a love story spanning more than half a century. Gerald and Betty Ford, inseparable, in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: He felt good and lived his life in many ways as if he felt good, incredible entertainer, also had his impact on politics, talking about James Brown, of course. Died on Christmas Day, and since then, we have been following the story. The interesting story about how people have been preparing to honor this man. They're doing so, as a matter of fact, today, and there's the live picture as we prepare to see this procession that's going to be taking place through the streets of Harlem on the white horses and the white carriage. It's the kind of thing you would see for a very important dignitary which in many, many ways is exactly what James Brown was, more than just a musician. Christopher John Farley is a music critic for "The Wall Street Journal," he's good enough to join us now to talk a little bit about this. Why was James Brown bigger than just his music?

CHRISTOPHER JOHN FARLEY, "WALL STREET JOURNAL": Well you know it's almost appropriate that James Brown passed on the same week that Gerald Ford because in a way he was kind of a musical president, I mean he added almost his own slogans, you know, "Say it loud I'm black and I'm Proud", "I Feel Good," he's someone that set policies for people. When Martin Luther King passed, he's someone who went on TV and said, ok, calm down, don't take this out on your own community. He's someone that really uplifted the black community with his music, with his message, with his life.

SANCHEZ: Let me stop you there. When you said that, when Martin Luther King died and most of us recall that day, there was a fear in this country that there would be all types of difficult situation, perhaps disturbances. There were a few, but not that many. And people say to this day the reason there weren't was because of James Brown. Did he have that much clout, that much power to do that?

FARLEY: Yes, he did, because he was someone who was respected, just in the same way that Muhammad Ali was more than a boxer, because it was a message that went along with his punches. There was a message that went along with James Brown's routine that went along with his image, the showman. Even the nicknames he had, the hardest working man in show business, he's a guy that wanted to set an example with his life, with his stage act and that's why people are lined up outside the Apollo Theater to see him lie in state there, because of that message, because of the way they remember him. You play the Apollo -- I don't know if you've ever been to the Apollo on amateur night, it's a tough place to play. I mean you have to entertain early and often or they'll boo you off stage. And here was James Brown, 50 years after he appeared there, he's still getting the cheers, he's still getting the ovations because his act was that powerful, because his life was that meaningful. SANCHEZ: There's an interesting relationship between him and the Reverend Al Sharpton, to the point where he wasn't only the Godfather of Soul, the moniker that he has been given, but also the Godfather of Al Sharpton. Al Sharpton wore that haircut for so many years because of Brown. And today we learn that Al Sharpton is literally driving the van to get the body of James Brown there to this procession because apparently it missed the plane. What is your comment on that?

FARLEY: Well you know Al Sharpton wears the hairstyle that he does because of James Brown, so James Brown didn't just affect what was inside of Al Sharpton's head, he affected what was on top of his head as well. But, you know, James Brown's influence on politicians, the people who were concerned about civil rights went beyond Al Sharpton. I think the civil rights movement and James Brown kind of came of age at the same time. James Brown provided a soundtrack for the civil rights era, he provided the kind of music that fit the kind of messages the civil rights workers, the civil rights leaders wanted to get across and that was rare because it wasn't just --

SANCHEZ: Was it more honest? Did it deal with things from more of a reality based as opposed to other music of its time?

FARLEY: No, it's because of messages like "Say it Loud, I'm Black and I'm Proud." It's because of messages like that where he was going to say -- try to uplift the black community with his messages. He wasn't just there to get you onto the dance floor, he wasn't just there to show you a good time. He wanted you to do good as well and that was rare in a musician and it made sense for people who were concerned about civil rights to listen to somebody like James brown.

SANCHEZ: So it wasn't just music, they weren't just lyrics, they were statements, political statements.

FARLEY: It was more than music and it had a global impact because all around the world, musicians, people who were concerned about civil rights listened to James Brown, I mean even as far away in Jamaica, Bob Marley, who is another musician who's known for an uplifting message, he heard James Brown's music and he adapted some of those kinds of messages into his own music as well. So he had a worldwide global impact.

SANCHEZ: Christopher James Farley, music critic with the "Wall Street Journal." I have really enjoyed having this discussion with you. Interesting stuff to learn, we certainly appreciate it. Hope to talk to you again.

FARLEY: Thank you. I'm actually an editor at the journal, and my middle name is John, but thank you.

SANCHEZ: Did we get that wrong? Oh, I apologize, I'll make sure we fix that James to John. Thank you, sir.

FARLEY: Thank you.

SANCHEZ: All right. COLLINS: Meat from cloned animals, would you eat it? It may be coming to a restaurant or a supermarket near you. Food for thought, ahead in the NEWSROOM.

STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Stephanie Elam at the New York Stock Exchange. Coming up, how Asia's earthquake prevented millions from making money. You're watching CNN, the most trusted name in news.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Want to get straight over to Carol Lin in the NEWSROOM now, some more developments in the situation, the state of emergency that has been called in Mogadishu, Carol. What are you learning?

CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: Now, refugees are trying to flee the fighting in Somalia and hundreds of refugees boarding boats, heading for neighboring Yemen. Some of those boats were fired upon by Yemeni forces. Two boats capsized and now 140 people, actually more than that, according to the United Nations, are now missing. Some 357 survivors are being treated, getting food and medicine at a nearby U.N. camp for refugees in Yemen, but there is concern, according to the United Nations, that Yemeni forces are trying to turn back these refugees. Some 25,000 refugees have fled to Yemen to get away from the fighting, but now the search is on, a rescue mission is on to find more than 140 refugees whose boats were fired upon and capsized as they were fleeing the fighting in Somalia. Heidi?

COLLINS: We just heard some great concern coming from our reporter at the Pentagon, Barbara Starr, about this very issue as well. So we will stay on top of it. Carol, thank you.

SANCHEZ: You can count him in, former Senator John Edwards kicks off his run for the White House. Edwards made the announcement this morning against the backdrop of a home in New Orleans, a home that was devastated by hurricane Katrina.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN EDWARDS, (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I'm here in New Orleans to -- in the ninth ward of New Orleans to announce that I'm a candidate for the presidency of the United States in the election in 2008. The reason I'm here, actually the best explanation of the reason I'm announcing here in the ninth ward of New Orleans are these young people who are behind me right here. And who worked with me yesterday at this house just over to my right. New Orleans in so many ways shows the two Americas that I have talked about in the past and something that I feel very personally. And it also exemplifies something that I've learned since the last election, which is that it's great to see a problem and to understand it. It's more important to actually take action and do something about it.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: So, the race is on. Who's in the race? Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack and Ohio Congressman Dennis Kucinich are the two other Democrats who announced their candidacies thus far.

COLLINS: Two days ago, a 6.7 magnitude tremor hit the coast of Taiwan. The damage on the island wasn't too bad, but telecommunication services across Asia are still suffering today. Stephanie Elam is live at the New York Stock Exchange now with a look at all of the damage. Boy, this was pretty massive, Stephanie.

ELAM: Oh definitely, Heidi. It's one of those stories that really makes you think because it highlights just how fragile the system is that carries all of our international communications. The earthquake in southern Taiwan damaged seven undersea cables that transport vital internet and phone service across the globe. Now the cables are enclosed in protective shields but damage from sharks nibbling and ship anchors and more serious underwater quakes like Taiwan's can be disastrous. Hong Kong officials say it's unprecedented that all seven cables were damaged at the same time. And they're urging internet and phone users to steer clear of overseas connections for non-essential reasons. Of course now, service has been partially restored and Taiwanese officials say that nearly all of Asia's internet services will be back to normal later today, but the broken cables underline the vulnerability of the global communications system obviously there to stock traders, businesses, even travelers and people who are into online video gaming depend increasingly more on this technology that has an impact there, Heidi and Rick.

COLLINS: Yeah, no question about that. In fact, we've become dependent on the internet now for so many things, including trading stocks. How are stocks on Wall Street doing today? It was a record close yesterday.

ELAM: Record close yesterday, up above 12,500 yesterday, but it's been a sluggish start for the morning today. Yesterday was a record day and it was obviously good news to see that. But usually the day after doesn't come up with another record. That's generally how that goes. But a pair of positive economic reports is keeping the selling in check, sales of existing homes by far the largest part of the real estate market rose in November, oil prices fell. That piggy backs on the stronger than expected report on new home sales out yesterday. And a separate report said consumers were much more confident in December. The Conference Board Index rose to its highest level since April. Now taking a look at the actual numbers on Wall Street, the Dow right now is on the downside, by about 16-1/2 points at 12,494. The NASDAQ is also on the downside by about -- looks like 6 or 7 points there, so down modestly there, not a huge drop there, but obviously, it's following the suit of the Dow. That's the latest from Wall Street. Heidi and Rick, back to you.

COLLINS: All right, Stephanie, thank you.

ELAM: Sure.

SANCHEZ: Well, Donald Rumsfeld resigns, Democrats take control of Congress and it's a look back at some of the big stories and some of the wacky moments in politics this year as well. CNN contributor Bill Bennett is going to join us right here in the NEWSROOM.

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SANCHEZ: And we welcome you back. We are remembering former President Gerald Ford, a tribute that will span coast to coast over the next six days. Funeral events start tomorrow with a prayer service at the church the Fords attended in Palm Desert, California. Saturday, President Ford's body will be flown to Washington for a state funeral in the Capitol rotunda. Then he will lie in state and the public will get to pay its respects through Monday. A funeral service will be held at the National Cathedral Tuesday morning. The family will then accompany Mr. Ford's casket back to his home state of Michigan. Wednesday, the former president will be laid to rest on the hillside plot near his presidential museum in Grand Rapids.

If there was one constant in Gerald Ford's life, it was his wife, Betty. CNN's Randi Kaye looks at a love affair that lasted more than half a century.

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RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Politics was Gerald Ford's second love. His first was partner and friend of more than 50 years, his wife, Betty.

BETTY FORD, AUTHOR, "HEALING & HOPE": We just thank the good Lord for the days he's given us, and we just hope to keep going as Jerry says another 50.

CARL SFERRAZZA ANTHONY, AUTHOR, "FIRST LADIES": I think they enjoyed each other's company enormously.

KAYE: Carl Sferrazza Anthony has known the Ford family for a quarter century and has written about many first ladies. He saw first hand the love affair between Betty Ford and the former president.

ANTHONY: On that day he inherited the presidency when Nixon resigned, he immediately mentioned and thanked his wife in his speech. And that basically said he has no obligation to anyone except one person, his wife. And that was unprecedented.

KAYE: Gerald Ford first met Betty Bloomer back in 1947 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. They married the following year, two weeks before he was elected to his first term in Congress. Over the years, through four children, a host of health problems, and personal battles, their affections only grew

ANTHONY: He certainly was a man who had absolutely no reservations about kissing his wife in public. And I think as president that was really unprecedented.

KAYE: In 1974 when Betty Ford was diagnosed with breast cancer just a month after they moved into the White House, they battled it together. And when she went public with her prescription drug and alcohol dependency, it was Mr. Ford who stopped drinking.

ANTHONY: He decided that he would stop drinking. He would do that not because he thought he had any problem or she thought he had a problem, but simply because it would make it easier for her.

KAYE: Their love for one another was not lost on the public or the media. And the first lady handled questions about it with her hallmark frankness.

ANTHONY: She said, you know, I've been asked every possible personal question except how often I sleep with my husband, and the interviewer said, and if somebody asked you that? Well, I'd say I sleep with him as often as possible. You never heard a first lady before or since talking about sleeping with her husband.

KAYE: With her husband at her side, Betty Ford set a new standard for White House candor. She let the nation know she and the president would be sharing the same bedroom, a first at the White House.

ANTHONY: He was one of those men, I think atypical of his generation, who was not at all threatened by a strong, articulate woman.

KAYE: In the end, it was Betty Ford who released word of her husband's passing to the nation, not a family spokesperson or friend. With a love so deep, who would have expected less? Randi Kaye, CNN, New York.

(END OF VIDEOTAPE)

SANCHEZ: Upcoming, an error in judgment. Former President Ford and his remarks about the Iraq war. We're going to talk with a presidential historian about that and a whole lot more, it's coming up right here in the NEWSROOM.

Also a Harlem farewell to the Godfather of Soul. That's ahead in the NEWSROOM, soul singer James Brown and his final bow at the famed Apollo Theater and we have it covered for you from all the venues. Right there you see it, that's Harlem, live and we'll be taking you there. Stay with us. We're coming right back.

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SANCHEZ: You are with CNN where you will stay informed. I'm Rick Sanchez, I'm sitting in for Tony Harris.

COLLINS: And I'm Heidi Collins. Developments keep coming into the NEWSROOM for Thursday, December 28th.

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