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Hillary Rodham Clinton in 2008; Senator Clinton's Plan for Iraq Would Cap Troop Levels; Severe Weather in Oklahoma; President Bush Met With Two Top Deputies About Iraq

Aired January 20, 2007 - 10:00   ET

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

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON (D), NEW YORK: After six years of George Bush, it is time to renew the promise of America.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: Well, you thought it was interesting before. It is really getting interesting now.

Senator Hillary Clinton, the presumed favorite for the Democratic presidential nomination, is making it official this morning that she is, in fact, in it to win it, as she says.

From the CNN Center this is the CNN NEWSROOM.

It is Saturday, January 20th. It is 10:00 a.m. here in Atlanta.

Good morning to you all.

I'm T.J. Holmes.

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Brianna Keilar, in for Betty.

Now, CNN has the best political team in television. And live reports are straight ahead from Candy Crowley and John Roberts.

But first, a check of some other headlines.

"Now in the News," the center of the country is bracing for more severe weather today. Winter weather advisories and watches in place already in the Midwest and the Southwest. We'll get a closer look at what to expect in just a few minutes.

Fidel Castro is "fighting for his life." That's how Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez is now describing the health of his friend. Chavez says he spoke to the Cuban leader on the phone just a few days ago. He says Castro is in a difficult situation and is progressing slowly

Four alleged drug kingpins in Mexico are now in the U.S. to face federal charges. They were 15 suspected hard-core criminals extradited yesterday from Mexico. The U.S. ambassador to Mexico called the extradition a monumental movement. HOLMES: And a Republican in the race. Maybe some tough timing here for Kansas senator Sam Brownback. He's expected to announce his candidacy for president today.

The self-professed Ronald Reagan conservative will become the first Republican to officially enter the 2008 presidential race. It just happens to be the same day that Hillary Clinton announcing her intentions.

Also, South Dakota senator Tim Johnson moving closer to a return to the Senate. Johnson has been sidelined since suffering a brain hemorrhage last month. He's now undergoing speech and physical therapy but still could be a few months away from a return to Washington.

KEILAR: An early-morning implosion in New Haven, Connecticut. The shell of the 35-year-old Veterans Memorial Coliseum, no more, coming down in a cloud of dust to make room for other downtown projects. Demolition crews used about 2,000 pounds of explosives to do the job.

HOLMES: But we are going to start with breaking news this morning.

Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton is officially joining the list of Democratic presidential hopefuls. Just a short time ago, a message posted on the front page of her Web site said, "I'm in." The next step is, of course, the formation of an exploratory committee.

KEILAR: Senator Clinton's presidential ambitions are spelled out in a brief campaign video posted on her Web site, hillaryclinton.com. And in case you're just waking up this morning, here it is again in its entirety.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CLINTON: I announced today that I'm forming a presidential exploratory committee. I'm not just starting a campaign, though. I'm beginning a conversation with you, with America, because we all need to be part of the discussion if we're all going to be part of the solution. And all of us have to be part of the solution.

Let's talk about how to bring the right end to the war in Iraq and to restore respect for America around the world, how to make us energy independent and free of foreign oil, how to end the deficits that threaten Social Security and Medicare. And let's definitely talk about how every American can have quality affordable healthcare.

You know, after six years of George Bush, it is time to renew the promise of America, our basic bargain that no matter who you are or where you live, if you work hard and play by the rules you can build a good life for yourself and your family. I grew up in a middle class family in the middle of America, and we believed in that promise.

I still do. I've spent my entire life trying to make good on it, whether it was fighting for women's basic rights or children's basic healthcare, protecting our Social Security or protecting our soldiers. It's a kind of basic bargain, and we've got to keep up our end.

So let's talk. Let's chat. Let's start a dialogue about your ideas and mine, because the conversation in Washington has been just a little one-sided lately, don't you think? And we can all see how well that works.

And while I can't visit everyone's living room, I can try, and with a little help from modern technology I'll be holding live online video chats this week starting Monday. So let the conversation begin. I have a feeling it's going to be very interesting.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: It is going to be interesting. And those three know it. Joining us now to talk about this major development, CNN Senior Political Correspondent Candy Crowley, Senior National correspondent John Roberts, and CNN's Mary Snow, who is in New York, where, of course, the senator from New York resides and represents.

We will start with you Candy, if we can.

Tell me, does this really shake it up that much? Because this is so highly anticipated that she would get in. OK, she'll get a lot of press, a lot of news out of it, but people already have kind of had it in their minds, other people who were thinking about this campaign.

So does this come as a surprise to anybody and shake anything up?

CANDY CROWLEY, CNN SR. POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: It really doesn't, but, you know, there's always that little anticipation. You know, will she get in, will she not get in?

Every sign has told us for months that she was going to get in, so this doesn't come as a surprise to anybody. And, again, this is a very careful politician.

She maps this out completely within order. She has a campaign that doesn't leak much, so it sort of went to the -- went to sort of secretiveness of it.

But you're absolutely right. What this does is get her press and a lot of buzz, and that's what they need at this point.

HOLMES: And John, we're talking about the press and the buzz. Did she have to do this now? There was -- everybody else is getting press and getting a lot of publicity lately. Was she forced to move this announcement up?

JOHN ROBERTS, CNN SR. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I would anticipate and expect that she did. Let me, first of all, just tell you where I am, T.J.

I'm at the Barrett-Jackson Auction House in Phoenix, where we're about to auction off our CNN Warrior One Hummer. So that's why I'm standing in front of a Hummer this morning. But it would seem as though Obama getting in, and particularly the idea that he put this final date on when he's going to make a decision, February 10, may have caused the Clinton folks to jump ahead a little bit. But we had always heard that she was going to make the decision by the end of the month.

As recently as Thursday, I asked her if she was going to declare. She was very coy about it, playing her cards close to her vest. I did an interview with her about her recent trip to Iraq.

They knew obviously then that they were going to do this. They couldn't wink or nod at me. But it looks like things were moved up because, you know, Obama was really sucking a lot of the oxygen out of the room. He was the one who was getting the headlines. He was the one who was getting the press.

And with Bill Richardson saying that he may jump in the race as well, it was beginning to get very crowded at the top there. So I don't think they had any choice but to come out this weekend and say they were going to launch this exploratory committee.

They did it the way it gets them all of the attention on the Sunday shows and keeps them away a little bit from the president's State of the Union Address on Tuesday. If they had announced on Monday, obviously it would have gotten a lot of press with all the evening news and everybody else covering them, but they could have opened themselves up to some criticism that they were trying to steal the limelight away from President Bush.

So the announcement today seems to work from that standpoint.

HOLMES: All right.

And Mary Snow, in New York, not -- this is real new. I'm sure reaction will be coming in fast and furious here in a little bit.

But remind us. Her first Senate campaign she told people that she would serve the full six years. She was just reelected. How did she handle it, I guess, this last Senate campaign? Everyone has been saying from the jump that she was using New York as a springboard to get back to the White House. Well, how does she kind of handle those questions in her second campaign that she just got done with?

MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, T.J., as John just said, you know, she keeps everything so close to the vest. But she had to confront this in this latest campaign, and she did confront it in a debate in late October in saying, if people are concerned about that, that is something they should take into consideration when they're voting for her for the Senate race.

It was obviously the biggest open secret that she was considering running for president, and many New Yorkers knew that. So she told them to take that into -- I mean she did not admit that out as frankly as I just said it, but it was around admission that people should take it into consideration going forward.

COLLINS: All right.

And Candy Crowley, again, in Kansas for us today. And I guess we need to explain for us why we're in Kansas. And, oh, poor Sam Brownback. I mean, Senator Brownback, poor guy. He wanted to let everybody know he's running for president, and lo and behold, look what happened.

CROWLEY: ... presidential candidates when some big news gets along, and they kind of get squished out of the headlines. But Sam Brownback, senator from Kansas, is announcing his candidacy today for the Republican nomination.

This is a man who is going to fill that kind of conservative slot that is always within the Republican Party. So he is the conservative voice that may move the dialogue. He may have some competition for that slot from Mitt Romney, who's also expected -- the former governor of Massachusetts, who is also expected to run.

So this was his big day. He'll obviously get a lot of local press. He's a hometown boy.

We're talking about it. So this juncture, however, you've got to give it to Hillary Clinton. She's the 500-pound gorilla and has been for some time.

HOLMES: All right. And one more here to you, John.

Democrats just took back Congress. They're trying to show some solidarity, some togetherness, not want to be bickering amongst themselves.

Boy, you've got some big names that are going to be vying for this Democratic nomination. They don't have a choice now but to go after each other.

Are they starting to do that already?

ROBERTS: Oh yes. They've been doing it for a couple of weeks now.

You might remember John Edwards, when he was speaking at that church in New York a little more than a week ago, took a shot at Hillary Clinton. Hillary Clinton's people took a shot back at him.

Barack Obama, on Wednesday afternoon, after Hillary Clinton announced that she had a plan to cap the number of troops in Iraq, announced his own plan for that, and then also added a little bit of a line. He was talking about the terrible effects of this decision in Congress that gave broad authority to President Bush to wage war in Iraq.

I mean, that really can't be seen as anything but a direct shot at Hillary Clinton because she voted for the war. She has not recanted her vote for the war. She has not said it was a mistake. She has not said she was sorry for it. I asked her about that on Thursday. She said, look, if we knew then what we know now, we wouldn't be in Iraq, but she still refuses to recant that vote, saying, look, she doesn't get a do-over in life, she's going to take responsibility for the votes she has made in the past.

What she's going to try to do is work in the future to try to make things better. And at the moment, that really sounded like a presidential statement when I heard it coming out of her mouth. And now obviously it was.

HOLMES: All right.

CNN's John Roberts for us today in Arizona, Mary Snow for us in New York.

And Candy Crowley, we'll try to get to you inside on the next live shot. Some cold weather going through Kansas there, but I thank you for hanging with us as well.

Presidential politics, I know you all are loving it. Thank you so much for the conversation.

KEILAR: A crucial and maybe even decisive issue for any candidate, of course, is Iraq, and Senator Hillary Clinton is just back from there.

CNN's Brian Todd reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Just back from the combat zone, the likely Democratic front-runner for the White House counterattacks the president's new plan for Iraq.

CLINTON: The president's team is pursuing a failed strategy in Iraq.

TODD: Senator Hillary Clinton is introducing new legislation on Iraq, clearly signally her belief that the 21,000 more troops the president wants to deploy won't secure the peace.

Her plan?

CLINTON: It will cap the number of troops in Iraq at the levels they existed on January 1st and will require the administration to seek congressional authorization for any additional troops.

TODD: Is capping the troops at the current level of about 135,000 a strategy worthy of a possible president? Not according to the current occupants of the White House.

TONY SNOW, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: It binds the hands of the commander in chief and also the generals. And frankly, also the troops on the ground. TODD: A retired U.S. Army general who once had his troop levels capped in a combat zone tells CNN he agrees, saying a prudent president would understand that conditions on the ground are always changing, and limiting troops means limiting flexibility.

Senator Clinton also wants to get tougher on the government of Iraqi prime minister Nuri al-Maliki, essentially threatening to cut off funding for his armed forces if he doesn't do more to crack down on violence, if he doesn't root out sectarian sympathizers in his Army, and if he doesn't make political accommodations with his Sunni rivals. That gets higher marks from military analysts who say it is presidential to set tough benchmarks for a government that's dragging its feet.

But political analysts say Mrs. Clinton is walking a tightrope for the next presidential cycle.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If Hillary Clinton is trying to have a moderate plan to appeal to centrists in November, 2008, that does make sense. But there is a nomination to be won first.

TODD (on camera): That means she may not have the support of core Democrats who want troop levels reduced sooner, a view shared by some of Hillary Clinton's likely rivals for the Democratic presidential nomination.

Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KEILAR: Senior National Correspondent John Roberts sat down with Senator Hillary Clinton after her trip to Iraq. The senator was very critical of the Iraqi prime minister.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERTS: Nuri al-Maliki, the prime minister, do you have any faith that he is the guy who can -- who can bring Iraq back to a state of security?

CLINTON: I don't have any faith.

ROBERTS: No faith in al-Maliki?

CLINTON: Whether there's a gap between his intentions and his will and capacity is the real problem, or whether he's doing what he intends to do to sort of mark time and further the -- you know, the dominance of his sectarian supporters, it's hard to tell.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: You can see John Roberts' interview with Senator Hillary Clinton in its entirety tonight. Just tune in to "THIS WEEK AT WAR" at 7:00 Eastern and again tomorrow afternoon at 1:00 Eastern.

HOLMES: And as we've been seeing this morning already, certainly shaping up to be a crowded field for the first presidential debate of the election season. The best political team in television is teaming up with New Hampshire's leading news organizations to host the first presidential debates.

The back-to-back debates are sponsored by CNN, the "New Hampshire Union-Leader" and WMUR Television.

You can see them right here on CNN, your election 2008 campaign headquarters.

KEILAR: And politics not the only story making headlines this morning. The Midwest is waking up to another winter storm.

Is there no break for these people? More snow's falling now on ice and snow from those earlier storms.

HOLMES: And meteorologist Bonnie Schneider is keeping a close eye on the forecast. She will have the latest. There she is working hard.

She is in the NEWSROOM, so are you.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Wow. These are I-Report pictures coming to us from Dean in Springfield, Missouri. You can see here last week's storms still having some lingering effects there.

More than 100,000 people still without power in Missouri and Oklahoma. We could even see more dangerous weather today.

Winter weather advisories are in effect for much of the reason. Also, in Texas, some National Guard troops have been activated to help with the expected weather emergencies.

KEILAR: So how are people in Oklahoma coping? For that we're going to check in with Stacy Cameron with affiliate KWTV. She's (sic) in Clinton, Oklahoma.

Stacy, how's it going there?

STACEY CAMERON, REPORTER, KWTV: Brianna, I'm doing well.

You know, you just mentioned people in Oklahoma coping with the snow. Last week it was ice storms, ice storms that knocked out power in a big part of the state. And actually, south and east of here, there are still about 50,000 people in Muskogee and McAlester without power.

Here, in Clinton, Oklahoma, which is in the western part of the state, about 70 miles west of Oklahoma City, we're seeing four inches of snow on the ground right now. It started coming down about 4:00 this morning in a steady snow. Since then, about five hours into this, not a lot of wind. And in this part of the state, that's a really good thing, because when you start to get four and five inches of snow and the heavy winds pick up in Oklahoma, you start to have problems with drifting.

So people are dealing with it. They've been preparing for this storm for the past three or four days. Things like snow shovels, rock salt, generators hard to find, but much needed items, especially in the southern part of the state.

This is the second winter storm, as you mentioned, that we've had in as many weeks. It's the third winter storm that we've seen in Oklahoma since January. In the panhandle, they're still digging out, still trying to find and cattle there. And the southern part of the state dealing with the power outages.

This is going to be a winter storm that's going to be felt in Oklahoma economically for some time to come.

KEILAR: All right. Stacey Cameron for us from KWTV in Clinton, Oklahoma.

Thanks for hanging in there with us. And sorry for calling you a "she" there, Stacey. My apologies.

CAMERON: It happens all the time. Don't worry about it. Don't worry about it.

HOLMES: Well, I hope it doesn't happen that often, Stacey.

Well, we're going to -- we are -- coming up next here, we're going to have a look ahead this morning in the NEWSROOM -- of course, talking about the big story, Hillary Clinton, today. You think you know her. But do you really know Hillary Clinton?

Coming up, a profile from the best political team in television.

KEILAR: And cancer, poverty, and high fashion? An unusual combination, but it's saving lives in Harlem.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta with more ahead here in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KEILAR: Cancer deaths have dropped in this country for a second straight year. Treatment, detection, prevention, they're all working better than ever. But -- of course there's always a "but" -- African- American women will likely die of breast this year in greater numbers than white women, even though twice the number of white women will get it.

Why is this?

CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta investigates in his special series, "Saving Your Life."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): There's something in the eyes of a woman with breast cancer. Harlem surgeon Harold Freeman knows the look. Freeman set out to understand why black women are less likely than white women to get breast cancer, but twice as likely to die from it. His research found that poverty is the real problem. The lack of access, education, and resources.

DR. HAROLD FREEMAN, RALPH LAUREN CANCER CENTER: It is not acceptable that people that are poor should die because they are poor.

GUPTA: Then, in 2000, a turning point. Targeting breast cancer was en vogue, as Ralph Lauren launched his pink pony campaign and Freeman had found himself an ally to build a cancer center in Harlem.

FREEMAN: People were dying at a higher rate because they were poor and black. Mr. Lauren stood up and dressed immaculately, of course, and he simply said, Dr. Freeman, I will help you.

GUPTA: Jerona Smith is a single mom who now comes to the Ralph Lauren Cancer Center for care. Since being diagnosed with aggressive stage one breast cancer at age 29, it's been one shock after another.

JERONA SMITH, BREAST CANCER PATIENT: It's a lot to bear. I'm not working at this point in time because of chemotherapy. And it's a bit hard, but I got the help here.

GUPTA: And that's one of Dr. Freeman's other innovations, the patient navigation program. Navigators are familiar with the health- care system and help women with everything from insurance to medications, makeup, and wigs.

FREEMAN: The five years survival rate in breast cancer at Harlem Hospital, which was initially 39 percent, before the navigation and screening, is now in the range of 70 percent.

GUPTA: Jerona knows the chemo and radiation ahead will tax her energy, but the fact is, she and women like her now have a better chance at beating breast cancer.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, reporting.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KEILAR: You, too, can take charge of your health, and you can start by visiting our Web site. Go to CNN.com/savingyourlife and click on "Web Extras."

You're going to find there a link to a cancer screening map. And we've got all 50 states with information on free or low-cost breast cancer and cervical cancer screening.

CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta teams up with cycling great Lance Armstrong for "Saving Your Life" today at 3:00 p.m. Eastern and Sunday at 2:00 p.m. Eastern right here on CNN. HOLMES: Well, she's in, and she says she's in it to win it. If you have not been with us this morning, just waking up, just tuning in, Senator Hillary Clinton announces she is exploring a run for the presidency.

Well, what do we know about Clinton: A profile by the best political team is ahead here in the NEWSROOM.

KEILAR: And once was bad, twice terrible. Another winter storm threatens America's midsection. How big and bad will this one be?

Answers ahead in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Breaking news in the 2008 presidential race. Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton says she's in, and she's in to win. Within the last hour Clinton announced on her Web site that she's forming an exploratory committee to run for president. We'll have extensive coverage throughout the morning and throughout the day here on CNN.

Expect some severe winter across the nation's midsection today. Same old story, same old song. It's take two in many areas still struggling with the effect of last week's major winter storms. We'll have much more on the winter weather advisories. That's coming up in just a few minutes.

Also some weather to tell you about here in Europe, Berlin, Germany and other parts of Europe got slammed with hurricane force winds, winds blowing at 124 miles per hour, knocked out power, flattened homes and disrupted ground, rail and air travel. At least 27 deaths are blamed on the storm across Europe.

KEILAR: More U.S. casualties in Iraq. The military says two U.S. soldiers and one Marine were killed in separate incidents yesterday and today. So far there have been 27 military deaths in Iraq this month.

Meanwhile, a suspected terrorist leader in the Philippines reportedly was killed in a battle with government forces several months ago. The Associated Press say DNA tests in the U.S. now confirm he was the leader of the Abu Sayyaf terror group which is affiliated with al Qaeda.

HOLMES: More now on the breaking political news story this morning. Senator Hillary Clinton and the 2008 presidential race. Her web announcement this morning that she's forming an exploratory committee puts an end to months and months of speculation. Clinton plans a series of web chats as well next week to discuss campaign issues. She says she wants to have a conversation about the future of the country.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CLINTON: I announce today that I'm forming a presidential exploratory committee. I'm not just starting a campaign though. I'm beginning a conversation with you, with America, because we all need to be part of the discussion if we're all going to be part of the solution. And all of us have to be part of the solution.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: And joining us now to take a closer look at Senator Hillary Clinton's background and experience, CNN Joshua Levs.

JOSHUA LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey there. A lot of people -- she's obviously very well known and a lot of people know a lot about Hillary Clinton, but there are also some things that you may not know. So what we're going to do now is trace you through her background. She's 59 years old. She was born in Chicago, grew up Methodist.

She went to Wellesley and Yale law. Then here's something you might not know. As a teen, she worked in the campaign of Republican Barry Goldwater. It was during college that she campaigned for Democrat Gene McCarthy and then she stuck with the Democrats after that.

In 1970, she worked as an attorney for the Children's Defense Fund and that kicked off her legal career. Throughout her career, she focused a lot on children and on the under privileged. Then 1978 when her husband Bill became governor of Arkansas, Hillary Clinton became the first, first lady of that state to continue her own career while being first lady. I think you're following me there. All right.

Let's jump ahead to 1991. Hillary Clinton was named one of the 100 most influential U.S. lawyers by the "National Law Journal." And then you know what happened next. Next year, Bill Clinton elected president. Now you may recall in 1993 he named her to lead a task force on health care. President Clinton's health care reform package was ultimately defeated by Congress and Hillary Clinton to this day talks about the fact that she learned lessons from that difficult political experience.

All right, end of his presidency, 2000. She was elected to the U.S. Senate from New York with 56 percent of the vote in 2003. Remember she released her memoir, remember that from living history (ph)? And then this past November, of course, she won reelection to the Senate. Now one last thing here we're going to tell you. She's in the Senate.

Let's tell you about the committee she's on. Her Web site says she's the first New Yorker ever to serve on the Senate Armed Services Committee. She's also on a series of other committee including the environmental and the committee on aging and education, labor, and pensions. Of course, now, on top of all that you have one more thing to add to her roster. She is now a bona fide presidential hopeful. Did you get all that?

KEILAR: I got all that, and a Goldwater girl to boot, huh?

LEVS: It's amazing to look back to see how that all started, but then she developed along the way, 30 years later, look where she is.

KEILAR: All right. Thanks, Josh.

LEVS: Thanks a lot.

HOLMES: A huddle at the White House on the president's new Iraq war plan. President Bush met last hour with two top deputies. Both of them have just returned from the Middle East. White House correspondent Elaine Quijano joining us now live from the White House.

Good morning to you, Elaine.

ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you T.J..

Well, first of all, no comment from the White House on this news from Senator Clinton today, but, of course, the Bush administration watches political developments very closely, even if they are Democratic political developments and we spotted, in fact, Karl Rove, president Bush's top political advisor heading into the White House earlier this morning.

Now, White House press secretary Tony Snow talked briefly with a CNN producer today, said he would not comment on these developments by Senator Clinton but he was talking just before a speech that he made before members of the Republican National Committee.

He gave some remarks and then he also took some questions from the friendly audience there, the party faithful. But one of the questions had to do with how will the White House work with a Democratic Congress. Here is in part how Snow answered.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TONY SNOW, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: When you have the kind of challenges that we face, you cannot address it with a satchel full of sound bytes and a roll call full of resentments. What you have to have instead is the ability to step forward and say OK, we're going to leave (ph). We're going to work with you. The president will be offering opportunities for both parties to work together.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

QUIJANO: And what Tony Snow was referring to there really was the recent sharp exchanges really going on between this end of Pennsylvania Avenue and in particular House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, some comments that she made in an interview. But essentially what Snow's message was is that there are issues that they can certainly work with Democrats on, but one issue in which there has been a great deal of division, is, of course, Iraq.

That is an issue that the president focused on this morning in a meeting with his Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice as well as his new Defense Secretary Robert Gates, the two just back from a trip to the Middle East region and aides say that this is a chance for them to update the president on how those meetings went.

But even abroad, Secretary Rice, in particular, encountering skepticism certainly as she tries to round up support from Arab allies. At the same time all of that being on the table, the president just a few minutes ago leaving for Camp David where we believe he's putting on the finishing touches for his State of the Union Address. Now aides say that Iraq will not be the sole focus of that State of the Union Address and perhaps part of the reason why is because it's a different dynamic now on Capitol Hill for President Bush.

He's going to be delivering that address before the nation but in particular before a Democratic Congress now and so aides say that the president will focus on areas of common ground, immigration, energy, education policy. So those are the kinds of things that we understand we'll be hearing from the president, not a laundry list, aides say, but areas where the president can come together with Democrats. T.J..

HOLMES: All right. We will hear next week. Elaine Quijano for us from the White House. Thank you so much, ma'am.

KEILAR: The weather also a major story again today, a second round of severe storms bearing down on the southwest and on parts of the Midwest. Many people in those areas are still without power. More than 100,000, in fact, still feeling the effects of last week's severe storms in Texas where ice was a major problem most of the week. People have already activated -- pardon me. Some National Guard troops have already been activated to help with the unexpected weather emergencies. So let's head on over now to the Weather Center.

(WEATHER REPORT)

KEILAR: Oh, yes. Fabulous. Thanks, Bonnie.

HOLMES: We appreciate you monitoring all of that stuff, a lot to talk about in the weather department.

Now I want to talk about a standup guy. None of this rain we're talking about, none of this sleet nor snow or even a winning lottery ticket can keep him from the job. We'll tell you all about it coming up in the water cooler.

KEILAR: But first from Baghdad to your driveway, CNN's Warrior One could be yours today. We'll tell you how up next in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: We got some other headlines making news across America. One of the founding members of the Mamas and the Papas has died. Denny Doherty was 66 years old. His family says he died Friday at his home in Toronto after a short illness. Actress Michelle Phillips is the only original member of the '60s group that's still alive. Also take a listen at this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ART BUCHWALD: Hi. I'm Art Buchwald and I just died.

(END VIDEO CLIP) HOLMES: Art Buchwald, best known for poking fun at Washington politicians and his interesting sense of humor. He has died as you just heard. He left his family and friends this video obituary announcing the obvious. The popular humorist was 81 years old.

Also from POW to m-o-m, mom, Jessica Lynch gave birth to a girl Friday. Lynch was seriously wounded you may remember and taken prisoner early in the Iraq war in 2003. She was eventually freed by U.S. forces in a dramatic nighttime rescue.

KEILAR: A forgotten piece of history rediscovered. It's Georgia's original copy of the declaration of independence. A researcher at the state archives found it. Historians say the handwritten document is the state's official recording of the declaration. It was thought to have been lost during the revolutionary war.

HOLMES: From the front lines of the war in Iraq to an overhaul on national television. Tonight's CNN's Warrior One hit the auction block all for a good cause. Our John Roberts joins us again live this time from Scottsdale, Arizona. We've been tapping into your knowledge about the Hillary Clinton situation today. But this time you're going to tell us about the Warrior One that's up for grabs today. Good morning to you, again, sir.

JOHN ROBERTS, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: We're talking about all different kinds of things this morning T.J. We're at the Barrett Jackson auction house in Scottsdale, Arizona. This is the home of the custom classic car auction. There are acres and acres and acres of incredible vehicles here and the showcase in today's auction is going to be our CNN's Warrior One Hummer.

This is a Hummer that saw action during the Iraq war in March of 2003, went into Kuwait with the first battalion, the 7th Marines all the way into Baghdad where it saw some heavy action in a fire fight around the Baghdad university.

Now it didn't quite look like this when it went into Iraq. What's happened since is, CNN was trying to decide what to do with this vehicle and the folks who drove into Iraq on it said, hey, why don't we put it in one of those custom car shows, the ones on television where they sort of pimp out your ride if you will.

So this was given to the "Overhaulin'" folks at the Learning Channel back in the summer of last year in November of 2006. They ran the program after Chip Foose, who is the designer and the "Overhaulin'" folks had their way with it and it doesn't look anything now like a Hummer used to.

It's got a 7500-watt stereo system inside it, six LCD screens, fabulous leather interior. The outside is all customized now. You've even got airbrushed scenes from the Iraq war here, custom wheels designed by Chip Foose. These are one-offs. You're not going to find these anywhere else on 37-inch wheels and come on around the back here. Let me show you what it looks like inside here. We've got two 250-watt sub woofers that are really cranking out a lot of power, four LCD screens here in the back.

Now what's so special about this Hummer other than the fact that it's really an amazing machine is that it's being auctioned off today with all of the proceeds going to Fisher House. Now if you don't know what Fisher House is, it's an organization that has built 36 homes in the United States and two in Europe at which service members and their families who are going to hospitals at military bases or the VA can stay. You probably heard of Ronald McDonald house. It's the very same as that only it's for service members or veterans who require medical care.

They've got a number of them on military bases. They've got some of them near VA hospitals. The way that it works is Fisher House builds the home. They take donations. They build the home and then they turn it over to the military for the military to run.

And it's just been a godsend for a lot of these families who have had to have a place to stay, come in an emergency situation and stay very close to their loved one who's seeking medical treatment, particularly now with all of the injuries that we've seen in Iraq, more than 22,000 of those and some 50 percent of those people who have had life-changing injuries.

So it's really a terrific charity. They're hoping to get an awful lot of money for this, upwards of $100,000. We'll be following it throughout the day. At about 7:00 tonight Eastern time is when the auction is going to be held T.J. so we'll keep checking back with you. We'll talk to some of the celebrities who are coming today and we'll keep an eye on how this is progressing.

HOLMES: I certainly hope they get as much money as they can for you, the Fisher House, a wonderful organization and John we'll try to get back to you maybe, a third or fourth story you can do for us today. But thank you so much.

ROBERTS: All right.

KEILAR: And for more on Warrior One and the Fisher House let's head to the dot com desk for our Veronica de la Cruz who's standing by to tell us what's online.

VERONICA DE LA CRUZ, CNN.COM: Hey there Brianna, good morning. As you just saw from John Roberts, Warrior One underwent an amazing transformation. It's now on the auction block and will be auctioned tonight at 7:00 Eastern. All proceeds will go to the Fisher House Foundation. I wanted to tell you a bit more about this organization.

The Fisher House provides temporary housing to families of patients being treated in military hospitals and Veteran Administration centers. Now for less than $10 a day, military families can be with their loved ones as they undergo medical treatment. Since it started in 1990, the Fisher House program has served more than 8500 families a year and has saved those families an estimated $60 million in medical costs.

Let's take a look at the Web site, fisherhouse.org. That's where you can make a direct contribution. You can also read more about the troops who have been injured fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan and don't forget to check out CNN pipeline today at 1:00 p.m. Eastern. We're going to have much more. Again the Web site you're looking at fisherhouse.org. You can also visit our Web site. That is CNN.com/warriorone, lots of information Brianna.

KEILAR: A very good cause there, thanks Veronica. One scratch- off lottery ticket, $20, winning the jackpot, a quarter of a million dollars, but doing the right thing, priceless.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When I knew what was going on out west with people without electricity, there was no hesitation. I didn't do it for myself. I didn't do it for the money. I did it to get 10 people back in shape so they can get back to normal.

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HOLMES: Even a good chunk of change, a lottery win, could not keep one Nebraska man from his day job. That's coming up next for you in the water cooler.

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KEILAR: New York police could soon be getting crime fighting help from millions of other New Yorkers. The city is teaming up its 911 system with the Web site YouTube. CNN's Abbi Tatton in our tech site.

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ABBI TATTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Mayor Michael Bloomberg calls it a revolutionary innovation in crime fighting, 9/11 meeting YouTube.

MAYOR MICHAEL BLOOMBERG, NEW YORK: Equipping 9/11 call centers to receive digital images and videos New Yorkers send pictures from their cell phones and computers, something no other city in the world is doing.

TATTON: New York officials hope sending in images will quickly become standard practice. Though this plan may be a first, police in many cities have been expanding their use of the Internet. Last December in Hamilton, Ontario, a man was arrested after police investigating a murder posted surveillance video on YouTube. A video recently posted online of a beating by school girls led to attempted assault charges. And in New York City, police used photos of this subway flasher posted on the Internet to make an arrest.

But when it comes to reporting incidents as they happen, until now it's mainly been news organizations soliciting eyewitness images. When Yankee pitcher Cory Lidle's plane crashed into a Manhattan building last fall, New Yorkers instantly sent images from the crash site to CNN.

Now New York City police are hoping to tap into the same technology to help 9/11 operators prioritize emergencies.

(on camera): New York City officials don't think the program will be too costly as the technology is already in place. New Yorkers should be able to start using program in the next two years.

Abbi Tatton, CNN Washington.

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HOLMES: All that means we're in the water cooler time when we catch you up on some of the unusual items, news items that you might have missed, a little too good for us to pass up.

KEILAR: So first up, what would you do if you won the lottery? T.J. already told me I'd be sitting here alone if he won and most people actually say they would quit their jobs.

HOLMES: But not Dean Schultz. He recently won $250,000. Not one of those multi million dollar ones, but still. He went right back to work after he won it.

KEILAR: And that's because a terrible ice storm had knocked out electricity across the Midwest and Schultz's job is important to making those repairs.

HOLMES: Schultz said he couldn't abandon his post during an emergency, so good for him.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I played with all sorts of chess pieces before, wood, plastic, human beings.

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KEILAR: How about large frozen chess pieces? The outdoor match was played simultaneously the other day in London and Moscow. A satellite video link connected the two teams.

HOLMES: And chilly weather kept the game moving at a brisk pace if you will. It ended after an hour and it ended in a draw. That's no good.

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GORDON SHILLINGLAW, EAGLE SCOUT: It feels very good. I feel very honored. I feel very beholden to all the people who have been -- who discovered that this thing had happened.

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HOLMES: Well, what had happened is that Gordon Shillinglaw missed a ceremony to become an Eagle Scout. World War II kind of got in the way. That can happen. A Boy Scout troop in New York recently discovered the oversight and in the true spirit of scouting, they set out to do the right thing.

KEILAR: They tracked down Shillinglaw at a Florida retirement home and officially honored him as an Eagle Scout. Belated congratulations have been pouring in, even from the White House.

HOLMES: Congratulations to him and please for you, stay right here on CNN for the best political coverage in the country.

KEILAR: And CNN's crack political team is following Senator Clinton's announcement. What she says. What this means, answers right here in the NEWSROOM.

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