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Deadly day for American Troops in Iraq; Senator Clinton Heads to Iowa Next Weekend to Begin Campaigning; Winter's Wallop; America Votes 2008: Capital Punishment: Justice Served or Denied?; New Orleans: Tale of Two Cities

Aired January 21, 2007 - 17:00   ET

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

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. BILL RICHARDSON (D), NEW MEXICO: Today I'm announcing the formation of a presidential exploratory committee.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Choosing your next president. You really have your work cut out for you. The latest contender in an already crowded ring.

You've seen him, you know what he's accused of. And now kidnapping suspect Michael Devlin, the man who grabbed national headlines, is talking.

And whoa, take a look at that -- snow, ice and bumper cars on the East Coast, while in Oklahoma seven days still no power, no heat, and the temperatures just keep dropping. We're going to get some answers for you.

I'm Fredricka Whitfield at the CNN headquarters in Atlanta.

You're in the NEWSROOM.

Yesterday's death toll for the U.S. military one of the highest yet in Iraq. Twenty-five American troops killed in several incidents. The latest from Baghdad straight ahead.

A dozen of the American lives lost yesterday were in that Black Hawk helicopter crash in the Diyala Province. The cause is still under investigation, but a senior military official tells CNN it looks like it might have been hostile fire.

The governor of New Mexico set his sights on the presidency. Bill Richardson used his Web site to announce he's setting up a presidential exploratory committee. During the Clinton administration, Richardson was energy secretary and U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.

An Amber Alert in Indiana. Jerry White is suspected of kidnapping his four children and their mother. White is also suspected of critically shooting another man. The children are between the ages of 1 and 9 years old. One suffers from severe asthma, needing treatment every few hours. First this hour, one of the deadliest days yet for American troops in a long and intensifying war.

From Baghdad, here's CNN's Arwa Damon.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ARWA DAMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Over two dozen U.S. servicemen died in Iraq on Saturday. The deadliest incident, a helicopter crash happening northeast of the capital, Baghdad. All 12 troops on board died in that incident. Eight of them were passengers, four of them crewmembers.

A senior military official telling CNN that initial indications are that the helicopter crashed due to enemy gunfire. The investigation is, however, still ongoing. The area where the crash took place, just south of the provincial capital of Baquba, is known to be a Sunni insurgent stronghold.

And in the southern city of Karbala, five U.S. soldiers died during a firefight at the provincial joint coordination center. They were meeting there with Iraqi security forces and Iraqi officials to discuss security for the upcoming religious holiday when the compound came under attack with indirect fire, grenades and small arms fire.

And in the volatile Al Anbar Province, just west of the capital, Baghdad, four U.S. soldiers and one Marine died, according to the U.S. military, for wounds sustained due to enemy gunfire.

In the capital, Baghdad, some developments on the political front. The political bloc loyal to radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr announcing that it will be ending its nearly two-month-long boycott of the government. The Iraqi government trying to deal with Muqtada al- Sadr politically, also trying to deal with the issue of his Mehdi militia, blamed for much of the sectarian violence here.

Meanwhile, troops from the 82nd Airborne have begun to arrive. Their main mission will be to hold areas of the capital that have already been cleared, an effort to bring down the sectarian violence which saw in 24 hours 29 unidentified bodies throughout the capital.

Arwa Damon, CNN, Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: CNN's Kathleen Koch is live at the White House for more on how the situation in Iraq is playing on Capitol Hill and the White House -- Kathleen.

KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fredricka, there have been many doubts raised over President Bush's new Iraq strategy since he unveiled it nearly two weeks ago. Well, the violence this weekend in Iraq certainly hasn't helped matters.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) KOCH (voice over): Weekends of the war, the surge in U.S. military deaths fueling concerns in Congress that Iraq is not a war U.S. troops can win.

SEN. EDWARD KENNEDY (D), MASSACHUSETTS: Their highest loss in the whole struggle with Iraq, just reaffirms, confirms that Americans are fighting and dying in a -- in a civil war.

KOCH: Wednesday, the Senate will begin to consider one of six non- binding resolutions opposing the president's troop increase.

SEN. JOSEPH BIDEN (D), DELAWARE: The quickest thing we can do is make it clear to the president he doesn't have any support.

SEN. CARL LEVIN (D), MICHIGAN: But the worst thing we can do is to vote on something which is critical of the current policy and lose it. Because if we lose that vote, the president will use the defeat of a resolution as support for his policy.

KOCH: One Republican co-author refutes claim such a resolution would embolden the enemy and disurage troops in the field.

SEN. CHUCK HAGEL (R), NEBRASKA: I think it shows the support of the Congress of our troops and the concern the Congress has about assuring that those that we are asking to fight and die have a policy worthy of their sacrifices. My goodness, we are a democracy.

KOCH: More headaches for President Bush could come in confirmation hearings for the military brass he's tapped to carry out his new plan. A top GOP senator voiced doubts about putting the outgoing U.S. commander in Iraq, General George Casey, in charge of the Army.

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), ARIZONA: I'm concerned about failed leadership, the message that sends to the rest of the military. I have hard questions to ask him.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KOCH: It is expected that the president's new commanders, however, will be approved. Still, the confirmation hearings that begin Tuesday will certainly give opponents a stage from which to attack the president's Iraq policy, past and present -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: And Kathleen, how prominently will Iraq be playing in the president's State of the Union Address on Tuesday?

KOCH: Well, the president will certainly mention it, but he will focus, aides say, more broadly on the war on terror. He won't be going point by point describing his new policy as he did a couple of weeks ago.

On the domestic side, we are told the president will talk about energy, immigration, education policies, a shorter speech than normal. Not a lot of new initiatives expected. However, the president will talk about this new healthcare tax deduction, sources say, some $7,500 for individuals, $15,000 for families, Fredricka. And that's to encourage people who don't have it to go ahead and buy their own healthcare insurance.

WHITFIELD: All right. Kathleen Koch, from the White House.

Thanks so much.

KOCH: You bet.

WHITFIELD: Another day, another candidate. New Mexico governor Bill Richardson has joined the race for the White House. Richardson announced on his Web site today that he is setting up a presidential exploratory committee.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RICHARDSON: I know I'm not the favorite in this race. As an underdog and governor of a small western state, I will not have the money that other candidates will have.

However, I believe these serious times demand serious people who have real world experience in solving the challenges we face. I humbly believe I'm the best equipped candidate to meet these challenges.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: And here's where Bill Richardson stands on the issues.

He supports abortion rights and opposes same-sex marriage. But Richardson does back legal rights and benefits for same-sex partners.

He's against President Bush's plan to increase U.S. troop levels in Iraq. In fact, he wants to withdraw all U.S. troops from Iraq by the end of the year, redeploying them to Afghanistan and other international hotspots.

He supports comprehensive immigration reform but opposes building the 700-mile-long fence along the U.S. border with Mexico. He also opposes giving state troopers the authority to detain illegal immigrants.

Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton heads to Iowa next weekend to begin campaigning in earnest. Today the New York senator made her first public appearance since yesterday's big presidential announcement.

CNN's Mary Snow is live in New York with more on that -- Mary.

MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, Fredricka. And that announcement, of course, was made online.

The senator today attended an event here in New York that was kind of billed as just another event for the New York senator, but it was anything but. There were reporters from around the world packed at this press conference, and this had been a focus on healthcare legislation. But, of course, all the questions were focused on Senator Clinton's presidential bid.

And after months of shying away from questions about whether or not she would run for president, today she was forced to answer some of those questions. One of them being, "Why do you want to be president?"

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON (D), NEW YORK: I really love my country. I feel very fortunate to have been given all of the opportunities and blessings that I inherited and that my family inherited because of all the people who went before. And I am worried about the future of our country. and I want to help put it back on the right course.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SNOW: And Senator Clinton was asked the role her husband and daughter would play in her campaign. She called them her greatest support system and advisers, and that they would continue to do that -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: And Mary, meantime, she was at that event to really talk about healthcare and children, but no doubt she expected that the majority of the questions were going to be about her presidential bid.

SNOW: Absolutely. And, you know, she went through this event for about 40 minutes and no one mentioned, not a word, about her race for the White House. This was all about healthcare legislation, and then after that event she took just a few questions. But this is really the most she's ever opened up about seeking the White House bid, because she has been so quiet, and she's very disciplined, keeps things close to the vest.

So this was the most that we heard from her about the race.

WHITFIELD: And we know it's just the beginning.

Mary Snow, thanks so much, from New York.

SNOW: Sure.

WHITFIELD: So what do all these new additions mean for the 2008 race? CNN's "AMERICAN MORNING," with Soledad O'Brien and Miles O'Brien, takes a look beginning at 6:00 Eastern tomorrow.

And this note: The first presidential debates will be April 4th and 5th right here on CNN, your election 2008 campaign headquarters.

So many contenders, so many long resumes. But are some White House wannabes short on support? In 20 minutes, we will take you to a key political battleground to find out.

REGGIE AQUI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The ice is gone, but for a lot of people in Oklahoma, so is the money.

I'm Reggie Aqui. A live report straight ahead.

WHITFIELD: They are shivering in the dark, and they're desperate for some answers and help. After the break we will turn up the heat on the people who are supposed to keep them warm.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Severe weather continues its icy grip on much of the country. Snow still on the ground in parts of Texas. This is Amarillo.

And in West Virginia, more than a quarter of an inch of ice is expected in some parts of the state. Freezing rain in other areas.

And they are expecting up to 10 inches of snow today and tomorrow in New Mexico.

Officials say they are ready to open shelters if necessary in Oklahoma. It's still cold, and they are watching out for even more snow. And thousands of people are still without electricity.

Reggie Aqui joins us now from McAlester, Oklahoma, one of the hardest- hit towns -- Reggie.

AQUI: Fredricka, these power workers have been putting in 14-hour days to try and get everybody back up. And so far it seems to be working pretty well. Most of Oklahoma is now seeing their lights back on.

So we sort of thought that the hard work, well, that the hard work was over. But as we met some people today, we found that it may just only be the beginning.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

AQUI (voice over): When the lights finally came back on today in southeast Oklahoma...

WENDY SINGLETON, MCALESTER RESIDENT: You want any more creamer?

AQUI: ... Wendy Singleton couldn't get back to work soon enough. For 10 day this waitress waited.

SINGLETON: No power, no water. No work.

AQUI: Like most of McAlester, the Denny's restaurant where she works didn't have dependable power because of last week's huge ice storm. Today the ice is gone. And in many cases, so is the money.

SINGLETON: It means we're really broke and the car payment and everything is way behind.

AQUI: She laughs, but there's nothing funny about what this mother of three now faces at home. Her savings, depleted.

SINGLETON: Right now, what I've made today, which is about $30.

AQUI (on camera): That's it?

SINGLETON: That's it. AQUI (voice over): As Wendy Singleton works for her kids, David Robinson works for an extended family. The business owner bought 15 generators for people still without power. Today he delivers gasoline to keep those houses warm.

DAVID ROBINSON, MCALESTER BUSINESS OWNER: It is a time of need, I'll say that, because we have really been devastated. I think you can drive around this entire town and see there's not a treetop left.

SINGLETON: Nora (ph), do you want me to take this out?

AQUI: Back at the restaurant, Wendy Singleton welcomes the breakfast crowd.

SINGLETON: I'm happy today because I'm at work, but, you know, still a little sad because, you know, we need things that we can't buy. And it's going to take a while to make enough money to catch it back up.

AQUI: Now that the cold snap is over, she's working to unfreeze her assets.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

AQUI: And you can see right now they are trying to install a new power pole and get some of these other customers back up and running.

You know, so far, we know a couple of thousand people are still without power. Some of those folks, Fredricka, are going to have to get an electrician to come to their house because the trees that fell down, it busted off their power boxes. So it's going to require a little more work.

WHITFIELD: So they are going to have to help themselves?

AQUI: It sounds like it. And, you know, a lot of the folks are wondering, are we going to get any reimbursement? And we did talk to FEMA yesterday. We went around to parts of the state that were really hard hit by the storm.

And FEMA tells us they are going to make their reports, send it to the government over in Washington, and see what comes of it. They're going to have to declare this a major disaster to get any more funds and more help out here.

WHITFIELD: OK. Reggie Aqui, thanks so much, from McAlester.

Well, let's find out a little bit more about the kind of assistance being offered to folks in Oklahoma.

We've got David Spears on the line from McAlester. He's the public information officer of the Pittsburg County Emergency Management Agency.

All right. Well, thanks so much for being with us, Mr. Spears .

So what kind of assistance will you be able to give these many thousands who are still without power, without any means of getting warm in their homes?

DAVID SPEARS, PITTSBURG COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT: Well, I talked to the public service company a while ago and they said that they would be -- there's approximately 2,500 people out of service right now, and they projected that they would have everybody that could receive service be up by tomorrow evening. But those people that have lines that are down going to their house, their weather heads (ph), they'll have to make arrangements to get electricians and things like that to have those fixed.

WHITFIELD: So I guess 2,500 isn't so bad considering you had so many more thousands of folks who are without power. But 2,500, that's a lot of people still.

Are there door-to-door checks on people to see how they are doing? Especially the more vulnerable citizens there who might need a lot of help, especially dealing without power and heat?

SPEARS: Absolutely. We have had a lot of volunteers and a lot of good people, the Choctaw Nation and all the volunteer fire departments, the state emergency management, they're going house to house, checking on people. And we've had a lot of help, and we think that they have all done a real good job making sure that people are safe out in the rural areas and they're getting supplies.

WHITFIELD: So what is the emergency status in your state? Is it strictly up to the state to try to help out these folks in an emergency capacity, or will there be some federal help?

SPEARS: Well, at that time I can't answer that question because they are not completing -- complete with their evaluations of all the damages. So at this time it's the state's responsibility and the county's.

WHITFIELD: Who are the citizens you're most concerned about given that the weather is not expected to let up any time soon?

SPEARS: Well, to be honest, the weather has improved here. We have got a seven-day forecast that's looking up -- partly cloudy, and then, actually, the front that came through, actually, we didn't have any freezing temperatures. It rained a couple of inches and it melted the ice off the lines and it actually improved the working conditions for the electric companies out there and the volunteer workers.

WHITFIELD: All right. So you are seeing a lot of optimism here.

SPEARS: Absolutely. We feel very optimistic that everything is looking up and all the good people of Oklahoma are going to survive this thing.

WHITFIELD: All right.

David Spears, a public information officer for Pittsburg County Emergency Management.

Thank you so much for your time. SPEARS: Well, thank you.

WHITFIELD: And best of luck in your efforts there.

Jacqui Jeras is in the severe weather center.

And so, Jacqui, he's very optimistic, saying there is a break in the weather. That's why we are seeing Reggie no longer wearing a hat, for one, and that thick parka. But it's still pretty cold and miserable when you don't have power.

JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes. Overall, the lower 48 still feeling very cold. Many places warming up, but a few new places getting some winter weather.

Find out what your workweek forecast holds. That's coming up in just a minute.

WHITFIELD: And snatched from home, their whereabouts unknown. The search for these children grows more desperate by the minute.

We'll have a report with the latest.

Plus, his thoughts, his fears, his life. There's so much we don't know about Michael Devlin. Now the double kidnapping suspect has some answers. His words, right after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: In news "Across America," Hollywood mourns the loss of veteran comic actor Ron Carey. Carey appeared in numerous films but was best known for his role as Barney Miller in the 1970s sitcom bearing that character's name.

Carey died of a stroke in Los Angeles. He was 71 years old.

An awful incident on a Continental Airlines flight headed from Houston to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. The pilot became seriously ill after takeoff and the co-pilot had to make an emergency landing at a nearby airport.

Shortly after, the pilot was pronounced dead. Continental says he apparently died of natural causes.

In Minneapolis, a man loses his balance and then crashes through the 17th floor window of a high-rise hotel. He plummets 16 floors, lands on a roof overhang. And get this -- he survives. Police say the man suffered some internal injuries and broken bones, but considering the fall, officers call him one lucky guy.

Another perplexing encounter between police and Shawn Hornbeck. About a year after the Missouri boy disappeared, police say Hornbeck reported his bike stolen in 2003 but didn't identify himself to the officer who questioned him about it. The police report says the officer also interviewed kidnapping suspect Michael Devlin, who allegedly described himself as Hornbeck's father. For the first time since he was accused of kidnapping Hornbeck and 13- year-old Ben Ownby, Michael Devlin is speaking out. During a jail cell interview with "The New York Post," Devlin admits he hasn't talked to his parents yet, saying, "It's much easier talking to a stranger about these things than your own parents."

Devlin also tells "The Post" reporter that he became lonely and withdrawn in 2002 after being diagnosed with diabetes. When talking about the past four years, the period Shawn Hornbeck was missing, Devlin says, "I guess I was relatively happy." But he refused to talk about anything directly related to the case against him.

Devlin has pleaded not guilty to one charge of felony kidnapping and he's expected to be arraigned on additional kidnapping charges later.

Let's check in with Jacqui Jeras, where the weather is severe in some parts of the country.

(WEATHER REPORT)

WHITFIELD: Well, it's getting to be a multiple choice test. A pretty tough one, too. Another White House wannabe wants your vote. We'll tell you if he and his rivals make the grade.

Plus, is there new life for some death row inmates? The eyes of the Supreme Court are on Texas.

You're watching CNN, the most trusted name in news.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Another day, another candidate using the Internet to pronounce their presidential aspirations.

Today, New Mexico governor Bill Richardson announced he's forming an exploratory committee. Richardson joining an already crowded of seven Democratic candidates.

In Iraq, reinforcements on the way. The U.S. military says about 3,200 additional U.S. troops are being deployed to Baghdad in the coming weeks. Their mission, to help Iraqi forces secure the capital. Their deployment is the first part of President Bush's plan to boost troop numbers in Iraq.

And yesterday proved to be the third deadliest day for the U.S. military in Iraq. Twenty-five service members were killed. Five of those deaths reported in Iraq's Anbar Province. A dozen more died in a chopper accident in Diyala.

More on that in a moment.

And in Karbala, five U.S. soldiers died trying to propel a militia grenade attack on a security coordination center.

The military is continuing to investigate yesterday's deadly chopper crash north of Baghdad, but a senior military official says early indications suggest it may have been shot down. All 12 people on board the helicopter were killed.

Four children are the subject of an Amber Alert in Indiana. Police are searching for the children and their mother.

Jerry White is suspected of kidnapping his four children and their mother several hours after breaking into her house, allegedly. He's also suspected of critically wounding a man in the house. The children are between the ages of 9 the years and 16 months old.

Well, they are keeping an eye out for more snow in Texas. Amarillo got more than eight inches last night, keeping state and city crews working around the clock to help clear the roads there.

And so now to the race for the White House. The swelling ranks of Democratic hopefuls expanded again today.

To tell us about the latest scramble into the race, CNN's Bob Franken in Manchester, New Hampshire, where some form exploratory committees and others don't.

BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, eventually just about all of them do. It becomes the pre-announcement announcement that an exploratory committee is going to be formed. And right now you are probably asking yourself, so what is an exploratory committee?

You were, weren't you?

WHITFIELD: Yes. You read my mind.

FRANKEN: Yes. The exploratory committee is to do just that, to explore -- at least theoretically -- to explore the potential for a presidential candidacy. But what it also is, is it's a fund-raising mechanism.

So you decide whether the exploratory committee is actually to explore or to raise money. But it becomes the precursor to a presidential candidacy. However, it does not bind the person to run, as evidenced by the fact that Evan Bayh pulled out -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: But they do have to use that money perhaps maybe if they decide not to be a presidential candidate. They do have to use it for some other kind of campaign, right?

FRANKEN: Right. There are those kinds of restrictions. They can't just pocket the money. But, of course, the politician who intends to stay in politics always needs the mother's milk of money. If the candidate does decide to run, then the money raised for the exploratory committee can be turned over to the campaign.

WHITFIELD: All right. Well, let's talk about one of the latest candidates, Governor Bill Richardson.

What an incredible resume. I mean, this man has incredible world diplomacy experience. He's also got domestic policy experience. But at the same time, he's competing with a few other candidates who are popular for other reasons. Namely, because they are simply popular and they have got the name recognition.

What's he up against?

FRANKEN: Well, name recognition, of course, is massively important. But the thing to remember is that it is a full year -- in fact, almost to the day -- a full year before the primary here. And there is an awful lot of time for the name recognition to work for or against the candidate. There is an awful lot of time for some candidate somehow who is not as well known to capture the imagination of voters.

So name recognition is important now. But it is not the be all, end all at this point in the campaign.

WHITFIELD: All right. Bob Fraken, thanks so much, from Manchester, New Hampshire.

Well, as Bob was mentioning, tomorrow is exactly one year to the New Hampshire primary, and CNN's "AMERICAN MORNING" team is counting down the days as well. You can catch more of Bob Franken's reporting and everyone else's from New Hampshire tomorrow starting at 6:00 a.m. Eastern.

And this note: The first presidential debates will be April 4th and 5th right here on CNN, your election 2008 campaign headquarters.

Justice served or denied? Texas leads the nation when it comes to capital punishment. And now the U.S. Supreme Court is looking into whether the Lone Star State went by the book in getting those convictions and carrying out those executions.

Here's CNN's Gary Nurenberg.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GARY NURENBERG, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Back when tacos cost 59 cents, January, 1991, 19-year-old fast-food manager Jennifer Soto opened the locked doors of this restaurant and greeted a former co- worker with a hug. When she refused to give him money, LaRoyce Smith shot her in the back. As she screamed, "Please God, don't let me die!" he stabbed her repeatedly, eventually slashing her throat.

A jury convicted Smith and sentenced him to death.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Their sentence of guilt and their sentence of death was fully justified by the evidence.

NURENBERG: In 2004, the Supreme Court ruled Texas didn't give the jury an adequate opportunity to review mitigating information about Smith -- his alleged abuse as a child and his mental problems. This week, Smith's lawyers were back in Washington arguing Texas didn't follow the Supreme Court's instructions when Smith was once again sentenced to death.

(on camera): The Supreme Court is hearing more than half a dozen cases examining how the death penalty is implemented. Four from Texas. Of the 53 executions in the United States last year, 24 took place in that state.

EDWARD LAZARUS, CONSTITUTIONAL SCHOLAR: Texas really is the focal point of legal action for the death penalty.

RICHARD DIETER, DEATH PENALTY INFO. CENTER: The Supreme Court doesn't decide guilt or innocence, but they do control the process. And that is, I think, what they are after.

NURENBERG (voice over): Chief Justice John Roberts was among several conservative justices voicing concern about new restrictions which Texas argues can be difficult for state courts to implement.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Because of the fact that the standards have changed over two decades, the state lower courts have struggled trying to understand.

NURENBERG: Florida governor Jeb Bush last month suspended executions after it took an inmate more than half an hour to die. Executions are also on hold in more than half a dozen other states. But the final word on the death penalty will come from a Supreme Court very interested in how executions are administered.

LAZARUS: And the court has so many death penalty cases again this year, it's extraordinary.

NURENBERG: Gary Nurenberg, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Now to New Orleans. Most of the city still a ghost town. And efforts to rebuild are often put on hold. But that is just one side of the story.

This is the other side. It's a tale of two cities.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: There's a real sense of pride here at CNN today. Last night we auctioned off a Hummer used by CNN to cover the war in Iraq. We call it Warrior One. The auction raised over $1 million for the Fisher House to benefit military families.

CNN's John Roberts shows what happened when Warrior One hit the auction block.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One hundred percent of the proceeds to a wonderful cause is up for sale.

Who will start the bidding?

JOHN ROBERTS, CNN SR. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): It had be a record sale price for a Hummer, particularly one beaten and battered in war. But CNN's Warrior One reached an astonishing price of $1 million, plus another $250,000 in a straight donation before the gavel came down.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm going to total the bid and say sold at $1 million plus $250,000. We raised $1,250,000 for the Fisher House.

ROBERTS: The Hummer was CNN's platform during the invasion of Iraq, carrying a crew of four from Kuwait to Baghdad, coming under fire in a battle near Baghdad University.

Cameraman Scott McWhinnie remembers it well.

SCOTT MCWHINNIE, CNN CAMERAMAN: And all of a sudden we heard the "ting-tings" of bullets coming off our -- and we were being fired at from a boat on the Tigris River.

ROBERTS: And on the way to the stage, one more battle, when the massive V8 engine flooded and caught fire. High octane and anxiety, but it turned out to be nothing serious, particularly after the action it saw in Iraq. War and auctions, it seems, are hell.

It was the crew who called the Hummer home during the invasion who came up with the idea to rebuild it from the ground up on the "Overhaulin" television show and donate the proceeds to charity. The beneficiary? Fisher House, which has built 38 homes on military basis and near V.A. hospitals to accommodate the families of servicemen and women needing medical care.

KEN FISHER, PRESIDENT, FISHER HOUSE: The need is growing every day. And with our programs as such, we're going to be building 21 houses in the next four years. So something like this is just going to be very, very important to the program and to the ongoing commitment that we've made to these families.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's so unique because it's one of a kind.

ROBERTS: For Dave Liniger, who started RE/MAX Realty and heads up his own organization serving veterans, the whole concept was irresistible.

DAVE LINIGER, HUMMER AUCTION WINNER: The cause was fabulous, obviously. The vehicle is so much prettier in person than it looks on TV or looked in the catalogue.

ROBERTS (on camera): How high are you willing to go?

LINIGER: I'm not going to tell you that, but we'll definitely bid on it.

ROBERTS (voice over): And bid he did, though it looked like he was about to swoon at one point, all the way up to a cool million. Liniger says he plans to tour the Hummer across the nation, raising more money for veterans. For this old war horse, retirement is a long way off.

John Roberts, CNN, Scottsdale, Arizona

(END VIDEOTAPE) WHITFIELD: And it's a tale of two cities. For New Orleans Saints fans, it's the best of times, with Super Bowl dreams on the line today in Chicago. But for many other people in New Orleans, it's still the worst of times.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There are so many people around here that are, you know, living in tents, inside, you know, gutted houses because they just don't have the means.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: So much of the city is still a ghost town. Rebuilding efforts are going nowhere fast in some corners. Crime is through the roof, and businesses are struggling to survive.

So the Saints are battling the Bears right now in Chicago. And many Saints fans have gathered in downtown New Orleans to watch the game on big screens.

And that's where we find our Susan Roesgen, right there in the middle of it all.

So it's a party already, isn't it?

SUSAN ROESGEN, CNN GULF COAST CORRESPONDENT: Hey, for Saints fans, Fredricka, the motto is, you've got to have faith. Even when the score is -- I hate to say it here in New Orleans for New Orleans fans -- 32-14, Chicago, at the moment. But, you know, the Saints thrive on pressure and the fans are behind them 100 percent.

This is a city that has been knocked to its knees by the hurricane. But at last, something to cheer about. And even if -- even if the Saints do not win tonight, this is still the first time in a 40-year history for the franchise that the team has made it all the way to the NFC divisional title championship.

So, a lot of fans, young and old, black and white, are watching this game. It has really united the city. There are big screen TVs all over the city -- one behind me here in downtown New Orleans, one this morning at a senior citizens center where I went to have brunch this morning.

Everybody is talking about this game. They are rooting for the Saints. And, you know, some people here in New Orleans, Fredricka, I have to tell you, say when the Saints whipped Dallas -- do you remember that game -- the Saints became America's team. And now, if they go to Miami, they will be God's team.

We are pulling for the Saints down here. I have to say I am, too. I've got my black and gold on.

And Fredricka, we are just hoping for the best. They could come back. There's still time. They have done it before. And a lot of people are pulling for the Saints. Really, I think, just because this town has seen so much. And with so many people still not in their homes, so much of the city still wiped out, you've got to have something.

So, again, the Saints say you've got to have faith. And that's what we've got today.

WHITFIELD: All right. Susan Roesgen, I am convinced. And folks, you know, all over the country are rooting for the Saints simply because of the story of New Orleans and what it has been through.

Rick Sanchez here looking ahead.

What's up in the NEWSROOM?

RICK SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: A little bit of a Super Bowl theme as well, because there are some Super Bowl ads that are being done now. These are actually being done by people just like you and me. And they were asked by one of the big companies to put the spots together -- there's one of them.

I think we're able to show you another one as well. They are actually quite good.

And, you know, there are some major deals. Millions and millions -- millions of dollars.

WHITFIELD: I know.

SANCHEZ: So imagine turning this over to somebody. You know, to Joe or Tom.

WHITFIELD: Because, you know what? When people watch the Super Bowl and they watch the commercials, sometimes they're like, "I can come up with something better than that or funnier than that."

SANCHEZ: Yes.

WHITFIELD: Or, "I should be in one."

SANCHEZ: Well, these guys may have. They just may have.

WHITFIELD: Yes.

SANCHEZ: And then there's another amazing story we're following. You've heard of this. You probably talked about it a little bit.

This is taking place in Buffalo, New York. Apparently, there is a Buffalo bike path rapist that they've had out there for a long time. Well, they think they now have the guy. So says the police and so says the district attorney's office.

And this is somebody you never would have thought of. Coached a basketball team, little league basketball. Coached his son's team. Model citizen. Held fund-raisers at his church. Model husband. Great dad, according to all his neighbors. Had barbecues in his house and all the neighbors would come over.

I mean, it starts to make you feel like, could I know somebody who was doing something like this?

WHITFIELD: Yes, but he's the suspect.

SANCHEZ: At this point.

WHITFIELD: Right.

SANCHEZ: That's all. And, of course, his lawyers will tell you they have got the wrong guy.

WHITFIELD: Right.

SANCHEZ: Just want to make that very clear.

WHITFIELD: Yes. It's a fascinating story. It really is. And remarkable that this man is the suspect.

SANCHEZ: You never know who is out there.

WHITFIELD: People who knew him...

SANCHEZ: Just like Michael Devlin.

WHITFIELD: ... yes -- are saying, what?

SANCHEZ: Same thing. One day he's making pizzas, the next thing he's got a 15-year-old boy living in his house.

WHITFIELD: A strange case.

SANCHEZ: All right. Thanks.

WHITFIELD: All right. Thank you.

SANCHEZ: We'll talk about it.

WHITFIELD: Yes, we will. All right.

Well, life after death. How about that as something to talk about? Art Buchwald sends a message from the grave. How you can, too, if you are interested.

You're watching CNN, the most trusted name in news.

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WHITFIELD: Some news from around the world now.

A magnitude 7.3 earthquake struck off Indonesia, raising fears of a tsunami. But there was no sign of a big wave and authorities say the danger has passed. A Turkish team reportedly has confessed to the murder of a Turkish- Armenian editor. The journalist, shot dead Friday, had often accused Turks of genocide for the brutal campaigns against Ottoman-era Armenians.

And in Serbia, a choice between Western-style Democrats and a nationalist party whose predecessors plunged the former Yugoslavia into war. Reports say the nationalists appear to be leading. They have threatened to fight again for Kosovo. The breakaway Muslim province under U.N. protection since 1999.

Well, they are voices from beyond, well-known figures and their lasting words.

Here's CNN's Jeanne Moos.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Even a grave can't stop humorist Art Buchwald from popping up postmortem.

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

MOOS: Buchwald may have died this week, but his "I just died" video obit just keeps on loading.

TIM WEINER, NEW YORK TIMES REPORTER: I think that his opening line is one of the great leads in the history of journalism.

MOOS: Now, the printed obituary hasn't met its own death. But "The New York Times" Web site is putting a new face on it. They call it...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The last word.

MOOS: In Buchwald's last word, he says he became a...

BUCHWALD: Celebrity through death.

MOOS: Because so many journalists wrote about how he outlived expectations of his imminent demise.

Most voices of the dead tend to be chilling -- taped messages left behind by suicide bombers, for instance.

MOHAMMAD SIDIQUE KHAN, LONDON SUBWAY BOMBER: Our words are dead until we give them life with our blood.

MOOS: Or the recorded ramblings of the Heaven's Gate cult leader who committed mass suicide with 38 followers.

MARSHALL APPLEWHITE, HEAVEN'S GATE LEADER: This is a very exciting time for us. Who is us? I'm Doe, for starters.

MOOS: Or messages intended to save folks from making the same mistake. Yul Brynner was smoker, on screen and off, and after he died of cancer, he left this. YUL BRYNNER, ACTOR: I'll tell you, don't smoke. Whatever you do, just don't smoke.

MOOS: But Art Buchwald was cheery, even as he taped his last word six months before his death for a "New York Times" reporter who dreamed up the idea of video obits.

(on camera): It must kind of be weird to ask people if you can do their video obit.

WEINER: Jeanne, what is the most fascinating story in the world?

MOOS: Your own.

(voice-over): Tim Weiner says people leap at the chance to talk about their own lives. So far, the "Times" has 10 last word interviews in the can. They won't name names, but they range from a former president to a famous scientist. All shot, for heaven's sake, in high-def.

Now, maybe you would like to send that special someone an e-mail after you're dead. Well, there are Web sites that allow you to do that. Web sites like mylastemail.com. Or Apreslamort -- after death.

But if you get one of those after death e-mails, don't bother to click reply.

Art Buchwald would see the humor in such encrypted messages from the crypt. After all, he's now a dead man talking.

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

MOOS: Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Still much more ahead on CNN.

Next, "LOU DOBBS TONIGHT." Outrage over the president's failure to grant a pardon to two Border Patrol agents.

I'm Fredricka Whitfield.

The latest on today's top stories next.

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