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U.S. Chopper Crash in Baghdad; Clinton, Brownback Announce Candidacies for President; Winter Wallop Hits Oklahoma; Cancer Deaths Down For Second Year; Case Against Michael Devlin Continues To Be Built; Linney, Hoffman Discuss New Film

Aired January 20, 2007 - 14:00   ET

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

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: "Now in the News," presidential politics. Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton went on the Web today to confirm that she's running for president. In a statement on her Web site, the New York Democrat said, "I'm in, and I'm in to win."
There's also a new Republican presidential candidate. Kansas senator Sam Brownback announced his candidacy in Topeka today. Brownback called himself a proud conservative and warned that nations embrace decline when they walk away from god.

A U.S. military helicopter has crashed in Diyala province, northeast of Baghdad, killing all 13 crew members and passengers. There is no word yet on the cause. Earlier today U.S. officials reported the deaths of two soldiers and one Marine in separate incidents.

President Bush is getting ready for Tuesday's State of the Union Address. He met with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Defense Secretary Robert Gates at the White House. He and Mrs. Bush will be spending the rest of the weekend at Camp David, along with Rice and other advisers.

Confirming the buzz. Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton takes the first official step toward running for president. Does she have a shot at winning?

Snow and ice adding insult to injury. Another winter blast is crippling parts of the country. We are tracking it from our severe weather center.

And charged in two kidnappings now, a potential suspect in two more. Police in Missouri look at other missing boy cases with Michael Devlin in mind.

You're in the CNN NEWSROOM. The news unfolds live this Saturday, the 20th day of January.

I'm Fredricka Whitfield.

You're in the NEWSROOM.

We begin with breaking news in the fight for Iraq. The U.S. -- a U.S. military helicopter has crashed near Baghdad, killing all 13 on board. Let's get right to CNN's Arwa Damon, live in the Iraqi capital.

What do we believe brought this chopper down?

ARWA DAMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fredricka, at this point we actually are not sure. The U.S. military is not releasing any details other than to say the helicopter crash, did happen northeast of the capital, Baghdad, and that all 13 people on board, passengers and crew members, were killed in that incident.

They have repeatedly said when we tried to contact them that the incident's currently under investigation. So at this point really no confirmation as to whether or not it was just a case of some sort of malfunction, bad weather, or enemy gunfire.

The U.S. military saying that they are withholding the identities of those who were on board that aircraft until they can notify their next of kin. So really at this point -- and we have seen this quite often times in the past when incidences like this do take place. It takes a while for the U.S. military to put out a statement. They, too, wanting to confirm all of the details -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: And how about the location of where this chopper went down? What can you tell us about the Diyala province?

DAMON: Well, it's a very volatile province. It has been that way for quite some time now. In some ways it's been identified as being sort of a microcosm of the entire country -- Sunni, Shia and Kurdish mixes happening there.

The area where a security official in Diyala province tells us that the chopper went down is just south of the provincial capital Baquba. And this is an area that is known as being a predominantly Sunni -- it's something of a Sunni insurgent stronghold, and it has been a thorn in the side of both U.S. and Iraqi forces for quite some time. But again, just to reemphasize, the U.S. is not releasing the cause of that crash -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Arwa Damon, thanks so much, from Baghdad.

With Inauguration Day exactly two years way, the 2008 presidential race just got more crowded. Republican Sam Brownback announced his candidacy at a news conference in his home state, and Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton took a less conventional route. She declared her candidacy on her Web site.

CNN Senior Political Correspondent Candy Crowley joins us live from Topeka, Kansas, where Brownback just tossed his hat into the ring.

And so, Candy, why did Senator Brownback do it this way and Senator Clinton did it on the Web? And how much of her announcement maybe stole his thunder today?

CANDY CROWLEY, CNN SR. POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, certainly it overshadowed Senator Brownback. His was an actual announcement, like, "I'm announcing for president, I'm off and running." Hers was the exploratory committee announcement. And while most people can't tell the difference and there really isn't much difference, generally when you announce for president, you have something like Senator Brownback had, which was, you know, a crowd here and the posters -- and everything but the balloons apparently in this particular one.

Senator Clinton sort of followed the pattern of Barack Obama, who also announced on the Web. This is becoming sort of the new age way to do it, because what you have is a lot of supporters listening to you. You can put out an e-mail, you can do a video stream, you can announce it in print, which is what Hillary Clinton did, using all three mediums.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON (D), NEW YORK: 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)

CROWLEY: Now, Senator Clinton, at least her camp says, that the timing of this had nothing to do with the fact that over the past week or so, Barack Obama has gotten his fair share of headlines. Nonetheless, this all does seem designed to get a maximum amount of exposure. Certainly the Sunday papers will be all over the Hillary Clinton announcement. Certainly it will keep the Sunday talk shows talking.

So a lot of good limelight for Hillary Clinton following the week or so of Barack-O-Bamia.

Back to you, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right, Candy. And clearly the differences between the two senators making their announcements today, one very well known, the other one lesser known. And so you know a lot of people are asking, especially for Senator Brownback, why run when you are lesser known? Are you in it to win, as senator Clinton says, or is there some other motivation for getting into the race?

CROWLEY: Well, look, everyone will tell when you they get into the race they are in it to win. What Senator Brownback says is, I know she's the marquee name, but we have got a year and about nine months to go before the election. So that's plenty of time for me to get my name known. This is a battle of ideas, that sort of thing, which generally people say when they are a lesser-known name.

He points out Howard Dean. He points out Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, all of whom were not well known or household names at this point in the cycle.

So, nonetheless, having a name that is less well known does hurt in the fund-raising department, which at this point is everything. You have to have the money to run.

Senator Brownback is sort of filling a niche in the Republican Party, and that is the conservative niche of the Republican Party. But he can be surprising.

He was over in Iraq recently, he came back just after the president announced that he was going to put more troops into Iraq. And Sam Brownback came out against that, one of a handful of Republicans that has. He alluded to that briefly today in his announcement speech.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. SAM BROWNBACK (R-KS), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Let us resolve so move forward together, to have a bipartisan strategy for the war. We need unity here to win over there.

(APPLAUSE)

We need to have that. The war is not a partisan issue for any side, and it's time for all partisanship to leave. Lives and our future is at stake.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CROWLEY: While there are a number of people who are now sort of officially in the race on the Democratic side, we should note that Senator Brownback is the first Republican to officially announce his candidacy. Plenty of others with exploratory committees. We will be hearing their official announcements, I suspect, some time coming up in the spring -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right. Candy Crowley, thanks so much from Topeka.

The war in Iraq is sure to be a top issue in the presidential campaign. In a recent interview with CNN's John Roberts, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton criticized Iraq's prime minister.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN ROBERTS, CNN SR. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: 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)

WHITFIELD: And you can see John Roberts' full interview with Senator Clinton tonight. Tune into "THIS WEEK AT WAR" at 7:00 Eastern and again tomorrow afternoon at 1:00 Eastern.

So, by entering the race today, Senator Clinton got a jump on another possible Democratic presidential candidate, Senator Barack Obama. Obama plans to announce his decision on running February 10th.

In a statement issued today, Obama called Clinton a good friend and colleague he respects. Obama went on to say, "I welcome her and all the candidates not as competitors, but as allies in the work of getting our country back on track."

Those words from Senator Obama.

Well, more presidential candidates are on the way. Tomorrow, New Mexico governor Bill Richardson is expected to announce plans to form a presidential exploratory committee for himself. Richardson is a former congressman, United Nations ambassador, and Energy Department secretary.

So talk about a cast of thousands. If you are having trouble keeping track of all of the official and non-official presidential candidates, well, there are lots of possibilities. You're not alone.

We asked CNN national correspondent Bob Franken to help sort it all out.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D), ILLINOIS: I'll be filing papers today to create a presidential exploratory committee.

BOB FRANKEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): He may be considered inexperienced, but Barack Obama has already learned how to milk publicity.

OBAMA: On February 10th, at the end of these discussions in my home state of Illinois, I'll share my plans with my friends, neighbors and fellow Americans.

FRANKEN: The nation waits.

In the meantime, Republican Sam Brownback Will be diving in from the right on Saturday. His campaign slogan, I'm not John McCain. Take the addition of more troops to Iraq. Not the answer, says Brownback. The answer, argues McCain.

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), ARIZONA: I believe it's necessary, and I hope we can move forward.

FRANKEN: McCain has not officially moved forward with his presidential candidacy. But there are few surer things in this life. That's probably true on the Democratic side of Hillary Rodham Clinton's plans. Clinton aides are complaining that John Edwards, who's already in the ballgame, has been throwing some hardballs at her, departing from his, we're all in this together mantra.

JOHN EDWARDS (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We're going to have to do it, all of us together.

FRANKEN: The presidential candidate landscape is already cluttered. Among Democrats, Congressman Dennis Kucinich, Senator Christopher Dodd, former Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack, who at least doesn't have to travel far.

Among the big-name Republicans in the hunt, there's Giuliani and Romney. The small names include Duncan Hunter and now GOP Congressman Tom Tancredo, who is hoping his restrictive immigration leadership produces a groundswell on this side of the border. And in both parties, there are literally dozens threatening to run.

RHODES COOK, POL. ANALYST: This is the time to realize the American dream. You know, if you're brought up to believe that anybody can be president, this is the type of election cycle to realize that.

FRANKEN (on camera): If we don't need a scorecard, we probably do need an inventory. If you're wondering if someone is running, the answer is probably yes.

Bob Franken, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: And we have much more on the presidential race.

Coming up this hour in the NEWSROOM, in just 26 minutes, we will get the story behind today's developments from CNN senior political analyst Bill Schneider.

And this programming note. The first presidential debate will be in April right here on CNN. The best political team in television is teaming up with New Hampshire's leading news organizations to host the first presidential debates of the campaign season.

The back-to-back debates are sponsored by CNN, the "New Hampshire Union-Leader" and WMUR Television. And you can see them right here on CNN, your election 2008 campaign headquarters.

Well, winter may have much of the U.S. in an icy grip, bit ski slopes around the world, well, they are on a slippery slope this year. And not because of snow -- lack of it.

Is the ski industry going downhill?

And two more candidates are exploring a run for the Oval Office. Our own Bill Schneider, part of the bill political team in television, will breakdown the presidential race later on in the NEWSROOM.

And prosecutors in Missouri are building their case against accused kidnapper Michael Devlin. Our legal team will analyze the latest moves.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: It just doesn't seem to end. The region battered by snow and ice gets slammed again.

Another winter storm is spreading misery across parts of Oklahoma and Texas as the region tried to dig out from this past week's storm. Forecasters are predicting up to a foot of new snow in some areas.

Across Oklahoma and Missouri, roads are still treacherous and more than 100,000 people are still without power. Parts of the desert Southwest all feeling the storm's impact. This was the scene in New Mexico as the storm moved through last night.

Jacqui Jeras is in the severe weather center.

(WEATHER REPORT)

WHITFIELD: Well, Oklahoma just can't seem to great a break from these winter storms. Tens of thousands of people still without power, more than two dozen deaths in the state are blamed on this kind of weather. And there's more to come, as you heard from Jacqui.

CNN's Reggie Aqui is joining us now from McAlester, Oklahoma.

REGGIE AQUI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Fredricka.

And so far, as you heard Jacqui mention, because we've had warmer temperatures throughout the day, it is just rain. But that could change, because it's starting to get colder.

Let me show you what's going on today. This house still doesn't have power, partially because of what happened with this tree.

The homeowner tells me this is a 90-year-old post oak. As you can see, it fell down in the middle of the yard and right on top of the roof. And so what they had to do was put a blue tarp over that roof so it covered up the big holes in it.

Believe it or not, this family is still staying in this home right now, even though they don't have electricity. What they do have is a generator, so that is helping them out this afternoon.

We were up early this morning going along with a FEMA crew. They are now in town, they're actually in four counties here in Oklahoma, knocking on doors. In fact, they knocked on this gentleman's door this afternoon as well. And what they are trying to do is assess the damage.

They are trying to figure out exactly what they are dealing with here. And a lot of this has to do with whether or not Oklahoma is going to be declared a major disaster.

Right now it's considered at an emergency level. That means that folks here are getting some emergency generators from FEMA and some other supplies to run shelters, to run hospitals, to run water treatment plants. But they are not getting that huge amount of manpower that we saw after something like Hurricane Katrina. That is going to be up to the federal government, and it's going to be up to, in large part, what these FEMA teams see as they go around the state today.

This should last most of today, this knocking on the doors, this reporting. We don't yet know what the turnaround time is. We talked to one of these FEMA representative and he explained to us exactly what he's doing.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GARY GRAYBOL, FEMA: Most of the homeowners have minimum damage, but they're uninhabitable, even though, just like him, he shouldn't be living there but he has no place to go.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

AQUI: Now, technically, these people could go to a shelter to keep warm, to get some food if they want to, but, Fredricka, a lot of people are choosing just to stay in their homes, to run off of generators, or to go to neighbors' houses or even hotels so they can have some time with their families, stay warm, and hopefully not get any more snow or ice for the rest of the day.

WHITFIELD: Yes. I now there's a lot of neighbor helping neighbor, and that's always very nice.

Reggie Aqui, thanks so much. Also, straight ahead, while many are coping with ice, a lot of ski resorts, well, they wish they had at least some snow. That story straight ahead.

Also, beat cancer by early detection. Straight ahead, Dr. Sanjay Gupta shows us another great strategy for saving your life.

And what caused all this smoke and dust?

That's coming up in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: While parts of the American Heartland get battered by snow and ice, it's unusually warm and dry in other parts of the world. And that's having a huge impact on a major business, the ski industry.

In this week's look at "Our Planet," CNN's Rob Marciano takes a closer look at the problem and what ski resorts are doing about it.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST (voice-over): It may be winter, but it looks more like spring on many mountains. And whether it's global warming or El Nino, one thing is certain -- the climate is changing and many ski resorts around the world are hurting.

EDUARDO ROLDAN, CANDANCHU SPAIN, SKI RESORT: We are in trouble.

MARCIANO: Brown spots instead of snow in the Pyrenees. In the Alps, World Cup ski races canceled. And in the eastern United States, the story is the same, more green than white. And what Mother Nature can't give man must make.

Manmade snow is simply water mixed with compressed air and then sprayed into subfreezing temperatures. It's been around for a while, but it isn't cheap.

These high-efficiency tower guns cost over $3,000 each. And Vermont mountains like Okemo can have as many as 1,300 of these guns to help cover the slopes. That's nearly $4 million. Plus, a system can cost thousands of dollars to operate every hour.

In the West, higher altitude helps in the snow-making department, but even here ski operators are forced to make snow.

LANCE MILES, MANAGER, STEAMBOAT SNOWMAKING: We're like snow farmers. And we've got to plan really well. So we watch our temperatures. We maximize our opportunities. We map where the snow is being used or wearing off and where we need to put it.

MARCIANO: Helping on the science is Dr. Gannet Hallar. She and her team of researchers at the Storm Peak Lab high atop Mount Warner analyze the chemistry of global warming and its affects on snowfall.

GANNET HALLAR, DIRECTOR, STORM PEAK LABORATORY: We've seen an increase in temperature, and also we're seeing an increase in sulfate pollution which comes from power plants. And we have shown that that reduces snowfall by about 15 percent.

MARCIANO: And that reduction is natural snowfall is expected to accelerate.

JIM WHITE, CLIMATOLOGIST: Unfortunately, the models seem to be in agreement that the amount of snow is going to go down. Some models, as much as 50 percent by the year 2050 or so. And I really hope that, you know, that these predictions are wrong. I think ski resorts are in trouble. I think -- and I think ski resorts know that.

MARCIANO: A problem ski operators can only hope to dig their way out of.

Rob Marciano, CNN, Steamboat Springs, Colorado.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: With Senator Hillary Clinton announcing on her Web site, "I'm in it to win" and forming an exploratory committee for the '08 presidential race, they are already talking in New Hampshire, a key primary state.

Our Bob Franken is in Dover, New Hampshire.

And thankfully, Bob, they are talking to you.

What are they saying?

FRANKEN: Well, it's interesting. They are singularly unimpressed with the fact that she may her announcement today. The candidate du jour, the Democratic candidate who's in the state right now, is Senator Christopher Dodd. And the people who have come out to see him say they are interested in all of the candidates, they will become excited about one -- this is the consensus point of view -- they will become excited about one after each of them had the chance for one-on-one meetings with them.

That is what is so clear about New Hampshire. It's a state that engages in what is widely called retail politics, where personal meetings are what each of the people here values.

In any case, they are saying, welcome, Hillary, come on up. Hillary Rodham Clinton says she will be doing that within the next short period of her time. One of her first stops is going to be Iowa.

Of course, she's been here before, going back to 1992, when she was the wife of the presidential candidate, Bill Clinton, and got caught right in the middle of all kinds of controversies, not the least of which was the charge that candidate Bill Clinton had had a longstanding relationship with somebody in Arkansas, Gennifer flowers.

This is a different dynamic. She is now her own candidate for president. And the people are saying, come on up and let's have our personal meetings to see if you measure up -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right. And we will all be watching. As we know, not just Senator Clinton, but everyone else who cast their hat into the race will make their way to New Hampshire and many of the other important primary states.

Thanks so much.

Bob Franken from Dover, New Hampshire.

Onto health now -- cancer deaths are down two years in a row. Great news. Very encouraging news this week from the American Cancer Society. Early detection, a key to saving your life.

Our chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hello?

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN SR. MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Grace Miller and Jane Stoutenborough (ph) are foot soldiers in the war against cancer.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Have you had a pap smear lately?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, I've never had that.

GUPTA: Every week, Jane and Grace drive the dusty and desolate back roads of Baker County in southwest Georgia. Cotton, peanuts and poverty have long defined this region, which has one of the highest cancer rates in the United States.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you have health insurance?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No.

GUPTA: Jane and Grace's message is simple: A cancer screening could save your life. Fear, financial limitations and a growing obesity problem contribute to the cancer crisis in southwest Georgia.

Colon cancer is of particular concern. It was almost too late for Sally Hammond. She lives just up the road in Terrell County, which has the highest mortality rate for colon cancer in the country. Since she was over 60, Sally's doctor insisted she get screened for colon cancer.

SALLY HAMMOND, COLON CANCER SURVIVOR: I was against having this colonoscopy.

GUPTA: But doctors found cancer, dangerously close to spreading.

HAMMOND: I really thought I was going to die.

GUPTA: After taking chemotherapy and radiation, Sally is now cancer tree. The American Cancer Society says nine in 10 colon cancer patients survive, if the cancer caught early. But early diagnosis happens less than 40 percent of the time. The survival rate for most cancers increases dramatically if they are detected early.

DR. JIM HOTZ, RURAL HEALTH CARE EXPERT: If you look at the greatest populations at risk and who gets screened the least, it's poor people.

GUPTA: Dr. Jim Hotz has practiced medicine for nearly 30 years. He's considered one of the leading experts on rural healthcare in the country.

HOTZ: People shouldn't die from cancer if there's a way of screening for it and picking it up early.

GUPTA: Picking it up early, to increase the odds of surviving into old age.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, reporting.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: And Dr. Gupta will have more stories about saving your life at the top of the hour in a one-hour special report.

Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton says she's in the race for president. You may be surprised to find out she once supported a conservative Republican for the job. That and other facts about Senator Clinton straight ahead.

Also, a complete look at the winter storm forecast.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Long expected and now it's official. New York Democratic Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton announced on her Web site today that she is running for president.

(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 are all going to be part of the solution.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: And here are some facts about Senator Clinton that you may not know. She is the first, first lady to be elected to public office.

Clinton was born into a middle class family in Chicago of 1947. She is a graduate of the all-women's Wellesley College and Yale Law School. She met Bill Clinton in the Yale Law library.

As a teenager, she worked for Republican president candidate Barry Goldwater and before becoming the nation's first lady, Mrs. Clinton was a practicing attorney and professor at the University of Arkansas Law School.

The Republican field is also getting more crowded. Senator Sam Brownback of Kansas announced in the last hour he's making a run for the White House in 2008.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. SAM BROWNBACK (R), KANSAS: Today my family and I are taking the first steps on the yellow brick road to the White House. It's a great journey. I'm declaring today my candidacy for president of the United States.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Brownback is a fierce opponent of abortion, stem cell research and same-sex marriage.

Well, even before today, the field of those lining up for a presidential bid was very clouded. Joining us now to sort it all out, senior political analyst Bill Schneider.

Good to see you again.

WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, CNN SR. POLITICAL ANALYST: Hi, Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right, so Senator Brownback makes it official, saying that he declares his candidacy. Senator Clinton says I'm in it to win but is forming an exploratory committee. Why would she, the more widely known potential candidate, need to even form an exploratory committee? Why not just say I'm in it?

SCHNEIDER: A number of candidates have already done that, including Brownback, as we just saw. Many of them are still exploring and that enables them to raise money, to test the waters, so to speak. I don't think she needs to do a lot of testing. She is probably the best-known candidate of all of the 24 potential candidates likely to run in -- 26, actually, in 2008.

But they can raise money right now. They don't have to report the sources or the spending of the money until they become a candidate for president, in which case they have to go back and report it. It's just an intermediate step. The candidates fall into three categories: those who are running, those who are exploring and those who are just thinking about it. She's exploring, Brownback is running.

WHITFIELD: OK, and we have got all of that right now in the cast of thousands. So there are a lot of people who claim that Senator Clinton is polarizing but she does have more money in the bank, so to speak, in terms of preparedness for this kind of campaign. So if campaigning for the White House does indeed hinge on how much money you have, it would seem that her chances look pretty good.

SCHNEIDER: They do. She is one of the -- she dominates the field. She is soaking up a lot of the money. The conventional view is that you need to be able to raise about $100 million to run for president, maybe more. She might be able to do that. It looks like she has the best possibility of doing that.

There's a lot of talk about John Edwards, the former vice presidential nominee, Barack Obama, who is a bit of a sensation. There are a lot of other candidates out there.

On the Republican side, of course, McCain, Giuliani, Mitt Romney all running very strong campaigns, but she is probably the champion fundraiser, because of her husband's experience and his connections, of anybody in this race.

WHITFIELD: So other candidates knew that this was coming. You know, Republicans and Democrats knew that it's that likely Senator Clinton would be throwing her hat into the ring. And so this would happen on the same day Senator Brownback, you know, would be hoping to steal the spotlight.

Instead he's having to share the spotlight. So I wonder if it is going to get very competitive in terms of trying to win that spotlight, and if that's an indicator how dirty all of this campaigning just might get.

SCHNEIDER: Well, they will do anything to get into that spotlight. Look, you have got 14 Republican potential candidates, 12 Democrats. We're going to have a debate that CNN is co-sponsoring in April. That's a very crowded stage.

You can see here that Giuliani and McCain are at the top of the list for Republicans. Gingrich, who's, of course, very well known -- he is one of those who is thinking about it -- is in double digits. Mitt Romney at six. They're all going to try to grab the spotlight.

Clinton, as you see here, is clearly on top of the Democratic field. She's the best known. Her husband, of course, was president. And he's an advantage, too. She has got the best political advisor that money can't buy. That is her husband.

WHITFIELD: Bill Schneider, thanks so much. Part of the best political team on television.

Well, take a look at this -- Warrior One, one of the vehicles CNN used to cover the war in Iraq. After a complete makeover, compliments of the TLC program "Overhaulin'," Warrior One will be auctioned off tonight. The proceeds go to the Fisher House Foundation which provides homes for families of wounded troops so that they can be near their loved ones during treatment.

And you can find out more information on Warrior One at CNN.com. Just go to CNN.com/warriorone.

And next, our legal team enters the NEWSROOM to talk about the case against suspected Missouri kidnapper Michael Devlin.

And later, you will hear from two of the stars making news at this year's Sundance Film Festival. (WEATHER REPORT)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: The legal proceedings have started against Michael Devlin, accused of abducting two Missouri boys. But police are already looking into the possibility that he could be connected with some other cases. Our legal experts will be here in a moment.

But first, CNN's Jonathan Freed brings us up to date.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JONATHAN FREED, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Scott Kleeschulte was 9 years old when he disappeared in St. Charles, Missouri, a St. Louis suburb.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I have never been able to put his picture out yet. And that -- it's just -- that would be too hard.

FREED: Scott's family has been searching for him, for any answers at all, for 19 years.

The hardest part?

RICHARD KLEESCHULTE, SCOTT KLEESCHULTE'S FATHER: Not knowing, is he still out there, or if he's not, what did happen? We would like to have a closure, one way or the other.

FREED: St. Charles police haven't stopped working on that. And that's why they are going interview Michael Devlin, the man accused of kidnapping 13-year-old Ben Ownby last week, and 15-year-old Shawn Hornbeck. The two boys were found at Devlin's apartment last Friday in nearby Kirkwood.

At his arraignment in the Ownby case today, Devlin pleaded not guilty. However, the prosecutor in the case said Devlin confessed to kidnapping the boy.

ROBERT PARKS, FRANKLIN COUNTY PROSECUTOR: When Mr. Devlin was taken into custody, he did confess that he had kidnapped Ben Ownby from Franklin County.

FREED: Devlin's attorneys did not comment on that, or about investigations into whether Devlin is linked to other cases of missing children, and they have not returned calls seeking comment. They did say intense media attention to the case would make it hard for Devlin to get a fair trial.

The judge said Devlin would face 30 years to life if convicted in the Ownby case alone. St. Charles police say Devlin has been living too close to their community to ignore him as a possible suspect.

CAPT. GERRY POLLARD, ST. CHARLES POLICE: We're going do everything we can. We're going to cross our Ts and dot our Is to get to the bottom of if Devlin is involved or not with our case. FREED: St. Charles is the latest police department to look for possible links between Devlin and unsolved missing children cases.

Up the road, in Lincoln County, investigators say the details of Shawn Hornbeck's disappearance resemble the Arlin Henderson case.

DEBORAH HENDERSON-GRIFFITH, ARLIN HENDERSON'S MOTHER: Please let him go. He's all I have got.

FREED: Like Hornbeck, Henderson was 11 years old when he vanished in 1991. And the two boys were both slight with close- cropped hair.

(on camera): Arlin Henderson was last known to be on this stretch of Chantilly (ph) Road in Lincoln County. He was just riding his bike, and he disappeared. They found his bike a couple of months later about two miles away.

(voice-over): Shawn Hornbeck was also last seen riding a bike on a rural road.

LT. RICK HARRELL, LINCOLN COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT: Well, I think it's common sense. And it's good law enforcement. If they develop a suspect in the region that fits a certain profile of a case that we have had since 1991, then, we are going to look back into our archives.

Scott Kleeschulte's family doesn't even know what Scott looks like today, if this age-progression image even comes close. But they refuse to give up looking for him, and say, if Shawn Hornbeck could eventually come home...

KLEESCHULTE: Down deep, I think there is hope. I mean, this just proves you can't give up. And I have just got a gut feeling that something might come out of this.

FREED: Jonathan Freed, CNN, St. Charles, Missouri.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: So our legal experts are here to talk about the Michael Devlin case. Avery Friedman is a civil rights attorney and law professor.

AVERY FRIEDMAN, CIVIL RIGHTS ATTORNEY: Hi, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: How are you? Good to see you. And Richard Herman is a New York criminal defense attorney.

Good to see you as well, Richard.

RICHARD HERMAN, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Hi, Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right. So we have seen interviews with Shawn Hornbeck, his parents, and the Ownby parents all week. But none of them have said very much about exactly what happened. So, Richard, what kind of evidence are law enforcement or prosecutors trying to get to help build this case?

HERMAN: Well, Fred, they're handling these boys with kid gloves and they're going to have to debrief them and interview them and get a full intake to find out how far they can go with the charges in this case. Everyone has to step back right now.

You know, if we have not learned anything from Richard Jewel in the Atlanta Olympic bombing case or the recent disaster, debacle, down in Durham, North Carolina, we have to step back. Let's let this unfold. Let's see where the evidence goes. But these kids are going to have to be debriefed and tell authorities everything that happened.

WHITFIELD: And so, Avery, we are seeing that even by admission of the families involved, that they have not tried to probe the kids. They have not been questioned by law enforcement yet either. They are giving them time. But at the same time, you have got a man being held on one charge of kidnapping right now.

FRIEDMAN: Right.

WHITFIELD: What about the urgency to try to build this case, to try to get whatever information they can so if there are other charges, they can go ahead and put them into action?

FRIEDMAN: Well, it is true that law enforcement has to be very careful. Actually, what was troubling to me is the parents going on national television...

HERMAN: That was horrible.

FRIEDMAN: ... and talking about the idea that they think maybe the son -- one of the children had been molested but they had not asked him. I mean, these are not...

WHITFIELD: That kind of plants the seed and it may spoil, you know, any kind of jury pool, too.

FRIEDMAN: Yes. Well, beyond that, it's just really kind of a dumb thing to do. I don't know if the family has legal advisors or any kind of advisors. This is not the way you want to do. Richard is right. You have to be careful.

But the other thing that's also important, we now have, as of this week, a task force made up of FBI, of local sheriff's departments, of local prosecutors because I am betting that Michael Devlin is going to be involved in some of these other cases.

So unless it's carefully put together and both boys are being triaged right now by psychologists, by doctors, by appropriate professionals who are going to very carefully unravel this case, and if somebody makes a misstep, it is true. They're going to blow this prosecution unless great care is taken.

WHITFIELD: And so, Richard, while trying to gather that sting, if you will, it also means not just searching his home and obviously asking people lots of questions, but it also means getting into his computer, and what kind of dialogue he may have had with people. Explain how these things just could potentially link him to other cases that he hasn't been linked to as of yet but we know investigators are looking.

HERMAN: Well, Fred, they're going to go through his computer piece by piece, all of the e-mails, any instant messages, all of the accounts he's been communicating with over the years to see if he's communicating with any of these other kids or if there's any discussions about him knowing these kids.

But Avery is 100 percent right. It was irresponsible for the parents and the district attorney to allow them to go on the interview circuit, on Oprah Winfrey. It's going to hurt the case.

And don't forget, this kid was going around for four years calling himself Shawn Devlin. I mean, Shawn Hornbeck was missing and the police didn't -- couldn't put it together. Devlin was never married, never had kids, and he was friendly with the police and they couldn't put it together.

WHITFIELD: It's a confusing case and very complex all the way around. I know we have lots of questions but we have got to go, guys. Sorry, this is a short segment today.

HERMAN: All right.

FRIEDMAN: We'll see you soon.

WHITFIELD: But I will see you next weekend. Thanks a lot, Richard and Avery.

FRIEDMAN: OK, see you later.

HERMAN: Have a good weekend.

WHITFIELD: All right. Well, coming up next, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Laura Linney talk about their new film "The Savages," from the Sundance Film Festival.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: He never cared much for his kids. He even abused them. But the worm has turned, and now the man depends on those neglected children for his care. The movie is called "The Savages" and it's playing at the Sundance Film Festival in Utah.

Our Brooke Anderson is there.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BROOKE ANDERSON, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: I'm here in picturesque Park City, Utah, for the Sundance Film Festival, which Robert Redford founded more than 20 years ago. And right now I'm thrilled to be joined by two very respected actors whose film, "The Savages," is premiering here. You know these guys, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Laura Linney.

Hi, guys.

LAURA LINNEY, ACTRESS: Hello.

PHILIP SEYMOUR HOFFMAN, ACTOR: How are you doing?

ANDERSON: Now, you two are Sundance veterans, right? How many times has each of you been here?

LINNEY: I'm actually not. People think I am, but I'm not.

HOFFMAN: People think I am too, too.

You been here before?

LINNEY: Once before but only for 12 hours. So this is the first time I have actually been able to spend the night here.

HOFFMAN: Yes, I've been here twice before.

ANDERSON: OK, for some that would mean you've been here, you're veterans.

HOFFMAN: Veterans.

LINNEY: Veterans.

ANDERSON: And that film you were here for, "You Can Count On Me" -- correct, in 2000 -- earned you your first Oscar nomination. So, you know, from your perspective, tell us how important this festival is not only for films but for individual actors?

LINNEY: Well, you know, all of these festivals have really taken on a whole other, you know, purpose, as the past 10 years have gone on, Sundance in particular. And movies are sort of launched here. There's no question it does sort of have a whole other cliche about it. And it's fun to watch and see what happens. I think everyone is always curious every year, like which movie are going to pop, yes.

ANDERSON: Is going to emerge as the next big hit. Well, you two never disappoint, and that is certainly the case with your new film "The Savages."

HOFFMAN: Oh, that's not true. You want to correct that.

ANDERSON: Well, in "The Savages," you two play siblings brought together from your individual lives to care for your ailing father. Now, you think a lot of people could probably relate to this?

HOFFMAN: Yes, yes. I mean, that theme, but I think the family, the roles each character takes in this family I think are very specific and kind of -- they are -- it's rich.

ANDERSON: When can see it in theaters? I know it already has a distributor. LINNEY: I don't know.

HOFFMAN: I don't know either.

LINNEY: I think they are trying to figure that out.

HOFFMAN: Yes, they always say that.

ANDERSON: Well, we look forward to it.

Congratulations...

HOFFMAN: Thanks.

LINNEY: Thank you so much.

ANDERSON: ... on another trip here to Sundance, Laura Linney and Philip Seymour Hoffman.

HOFFMAN: Thanks.

ANDERSON: Thank you so much.

Reporting from Park City, Utah, at the Sundance Film Festival, I'm Brooke Anderson.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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