Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

Bombings, Mortars Kill & Wound Dozens in Baghdad; Worship Service Held at church Destroyed by Tornado; President Bush: Can Balance Budget in Five Years With no Tax Hikes

Aired February 05, 2007 - 11:00   ET

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

TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning, everyone. You're with CNN. You're informed.
I'm Tony Harris.

HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Heidi Collins.

Developments keep coming in to the NEWSROOM on this Monday, the 5th of February.

Here's what's on the rundown.

The Senate setting up a vote on President Bush's new war strategy. Risky politics, especially for senators up for reelection next year.

HARRIS: Life among the ruins. Florida's tornado victims look for pieces of the past and plan for an uncertain future.

COLLINS: We open the door on those revealing Super Bowl commercials. Some well developed, some just fall flat. Our ad expert this hour in the NEWSROOM.

Bullets, bombs and mortars. Violence in Iraq explodes by the hour. A quick timeline this morning.

7:30: a roadside bomb.

7:45: another roadside bomb.

8:00 a.m.: a mortar attack.

8:30: another mortar strike. And 8:30: a car bombing.

Dozens dead and wounded. The violence continuing unabated.

CNN's Arwa Damon has the latest now from the capital.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ARWA DAMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: In the span of just five hours in the capital of Baghdad, more than two dozen Iraqis were killed, more than a hundred wounded in a number of attacks ranging from car bombs placed outside of automobile repair shops, car bombs, once again, on busy commercial streets, and disturbingly, even a car bomb placed near a children's hospital. Mortar attacks, small arms fire and drive-by shootings.

In an effort to curb the violence, the Iraqi government, alongside with the U.S. military and its own security forces, is increasing the pressure on militias and insurgent groups by pushing forward with its new Baghdad security plan, really more of a modification of an old Baghdad security plan that was known as Operation Together Forward, launched in the fall and largely unsuccessful. It's main premise, clear, hold and rebuild.

Reviewing that operation, what U.S. and Iraqi commanders found was there were simply not enough U.S. troops and enough capable Iraqi security forces to ensure that the hold phase of that separation succeeded. Now we are seeing at least one brigade from the U.S. military already in place. Their main mission is to ensure that in the neighborhoods that they are assigned to, that hold space does succeed.

We are also seeing a re-digging of the Iraqi command structure. Their command and control having been pinpointed as one of the main weaknesses.

We are, however, hearing criticisms from the Iraqi streets with regards to the implementation of this plan, saying that it is not happening fast enough. We have also even heard from Iraqi vice president Tariq al-Hashimi, criticizing the U.S. administration for not sending more troops to the capital even faster.

Arwa Damon, CNN, Baghdad.

HARRIS: And now the looming budget battle in Washington. Congress getting a look at the president's budget proposal for 2008 today. Here's how it breaks down.

The money for Iraq and Afghanistan make up a major chunk of that spending, as you would expect -- $100 billion more for this year. That is on top of the $70 billion already allocated. Add to that nearly $6 billion tied to the president's recent call for 20,000 moore troops to Iraq. President Bush also seeking $145 billion to pay for Iraq and Afghanistan in 2008.

Lawmakers have promised close scrutiny for the new spending.

Meanwhile, Medicare and Medicaid get less, to the tune of around $80 billion over the next five years.

COLLINS: Devastating tornadoes ripped through central Florida. Among the casualties was Lady Lake church of God. But the storms could not shake the spirit of the congregation.

CNN's Susan Roesgen has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(SINGING)

SUSAN ROESGEN, CNN GULF COAST CORRESPONDENT (voice over): As the choir praised the rock of Christ, Pastor Larry Lynn stood in the rubble of his church, the first service here since Friday's tornado.

PASTOR LARRY LYNN, CHURCH OF GOD: We look not at the things that are seen, but we look at the things that are not seen. The things that are seen are temporal, are temporary, but the things that are not seen are eternal.

ROSENTHAL: In the past, Lady Lake Church of God had been a storm shelter built to withstand 150-mile-an-hour winds. Now the faithful see a deeper meaning in its destruction.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We don't need the building to have church. You know?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Amen.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We've got Jesus. When we've got Jesus, we don't need the building.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Amen. We just proved it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I felt compelled to come back and just support the church -- that this is where I got saved, right here.

YOLANDA PETERS, WORSHIPER: We just have to thank the lord that we made it through. And we will pick up from this. And we will go on.

ROSENTHAL: Out of respect for the 20 people killed by the tornado, Florida Governor Charlie Crist joined the congregation and canceled his trip to the Super Bowl.

GOV. CHARLIE CRIST (R), FLORIDA: That's why we'll be here and we'll worship today for them. They are in a better place.

ROSENTHAL: Pastor Lynn says the church will be rebuilt, even though he says it's not the physical building that makes a church, it's the people.

Susan Roesgen, CNN, Lady Lake, Florida.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: And he just took office last month. Now Florida governor Charlie Crist is confronting one of the worst tornado disasters in his state's history. Crist spent the weekend touring the damage and trying to reassure storm victims.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. CHARLIE CRIST (R), FLORIDA: Well, recovery operations are going well. In fact, we couldn't be more pleased.

We already set up two recovery stations in the affected area, one in The Villages, one already in Lady Lake. It's a record, as I am told from our emergency people in terms of how quickly they've been able to get set up. But that's what we need to do, we need to get comfort and aid to the people in the affected area.

I've been down there the past three days, and I can't tell you the amount of volunteerism that really has turned out to help the people in central Florida. And we are enormously grateful, both to FEMA, the local officials who have turned out incredibly quickly. They're the first responders, the firefighters, the local law enforcement officials. And their response, their turnout, was A-plus all the way.

And we're so grateful for their help.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: And our meteorologist Rob Marciano will be joining us from Lady Lake, the scene of so much devastation, in just a couple of minutes.

COLLINS: And now the fight for Iraq. Pardon me, we're going to get to that in just a moment. But first we remind you about a story that we just announced here on CNN.

CNN now confirming a settlement in those events that happened last week in Boston. You remember this, 38 different devices placed all across the city. It was all to promote a show on Cartoon Network, the "Aqua Teen Hunger Force."

Now, the attorney general, Martha Coakley, of Boston is announcing a $2 million settlement with Turner Broadcasting and Interference Inc, of course the parent company there of the Cartoon Network. This is what she said.

"Last week's events caused a major disruption in the greater Boston area on many levels. Public transportation, serious traffic problems negatively affecting local businesses. And perhaps most significantly, causing Boston and surrounding communities thousands of dollars."

So, once again, a $2 million settlement. And you are looking at two of the folks who were charged of placing the hoax devices. And that's Peter Berdovsky and Sean Stevens.

So we'll continue to follow this one for you if anything else should happen.

HARRIS: Well, and in just the moments before we get to the president, who's holding a cabinet meeting this morning, wondering now, one of the questions lingering in this whole Boston settlement mess, debacle, is what happens to those -- those two young men who were responsible for planting many of those devices? We still have no resolution on that issue.

COLLINS: They paid (ph) by the advertising agency.

HARRIS: Out of New York City.

COLLINS: And the hired by Turner Broadcasting. So it will be interesting to see what happens with them.

HARRIS: So here they are. They were arraigned last week, as you'll recall. And then they came out of the courtroom and...

COLLINS: Talked about hair.

HARRIS: ... and talked about hair, 1970s hair.

COLLINS: Yes, but pretty in line, I think, with the whole theme of the show.

HARRIS: Yes.

COLLINS: Kind of anti-establishment and so forth. So...

HARRIS: Yes. So we will continue to follow those developments and bring you the very latest on that.

As we mentioned just a moment ago, a cabinet meeting this morning for the president and his department secretaries. The president, we understand, taking a few questions, a couple of questions. One on the president's new budget proposals, as we've been outlining this morning. More money for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and less money for Medicare and Medicaid. And the president also taking questions -- and we'll have the answer for you in just a moment -- on the war in Iraq.

So let's take to you the tape now of the president and his cabinet secretaries.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: And today we submit a budget to the United States Congress that shows we can balance the budget in five years without raising taxes. Our economy is strong because of good policy and because the entrepreneurs' spirit is strong. By keeping taxes down we actually generate strong revenues to the Treasury.

And I appreciate Director Portman helping us devise a plan that sets priorities, and at the same time emphasizes fiscal restraint.

Our priority is to protect the American people. And our priority is to make sure our troops have what it takes to do their jobs.

We also have got priorities in national parks, in education, and healthcare. But we have proven, and I strongly believe Congress needs to listen to, a budget which says no tax increase, and a budget, because of fiscal discipline, that can be balanced in five years.

Secondly, I strongly believe that Congress needs to do something on earmarks. In order to make sure that we're fiscally responsible with the people's money, Congress needs to make sure that when they spend the people's money, there's transparency and an up-and-down vote for each item. As well, I believe the president needs to have the line item veto. It's one thing to get the size of the budget pie right. It's another thing to make sure that the slices in that pie meet national priorities. And so the budget that Director Portman is going to be talking about is realistic, achievable, and it's got good reforms in it.

So thank you very much.

Looking forward to working with the Congress to get this budget passed.

I'll answer a couple of questions.

QUESTION: Mr. President, thank you -- Ben.

You proposed setting timelines for troop withdrawal in Iraq. (OFF-MIKE). Are you, in effect, sir, setting a timeline for the end of the war?

BUSH: Ben, we've had years of projections in the past. In other words, we've said to the Congress, here's what our anticipated expenditure is in the short term. And we've been able to manage our budgets with five years of war behind us. And we'll manage the budget in the out years.

But there will be no timetable set. And the reason is, is because we don't want to send mixed signals to an enemy, or to a struggling democracy, or to our troops -- Toby (ph).

QUESTION: Mr. President, how do you respond to some criticism from the Iraqis that the reason for the recent escalation of violence in Iraq is because the United States has been too slow to implement its new strategy?

BUSH: Well, General Petraeus is heading to Iraq this week, early this -- tomorrow. And my message is, is that both of us, the Iraqis and the U.S., and coalition forces, have got to get this plan in place as quickly as possible.

Of course, we want the plan to work. And we want to make sure that the strategy we've implemented -- or the strategy we've outlined is implemented properly.

I appreciate the fact that the Iraqi government is anxious to get security inside the capital of their country. It's a good sign. It's a good sign that there's a sense of concern and anxiety.

It means that the government understands they have a responsibility to protect their people. And we want to help them.

What we're trying to do with this reinforcement of our troops is to provide enough space so that the Iraqi government can meet certain benchmarks or certain requirements for a unity government to survive and for the country to be strong. You know, I had to make a decision as to whether or not we were going to, you know, allow the status quo to continue. And the status quo wasn't acceptable.

I listened to a lot of people in Congress as to whether or not we ought to slowly withdraw and redeploy troops. My worry about that was that the capital would -- would get worse, and out of that chaos would come grave danger to the United States.

And so I listened to a lot of other folks, including our military, who said, look, we have got to take care and help these Iraqis take care of the violence inside of Baghdad. That's why I made the decision I made, and we're in the process of implementing that plan.

We'd like to do it as quickly as possible. The success of that plan is going to depend upon the capacity and willingness of the Iraqis to do hard work. And we want to help them do that work.

And the fact that government officials are now saying that it's time to start implementing the plan is a good sign. It shows that they understand that now is the time to do the things necessary to protect their people.

Thank you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: President Bush taking some questions there after meeting with his cabinet today. Certainly happening at the same time as he sent along his $2.9 trillion budget. You heard him say that that money and the way he will spend it is hopefully going to balance the budget within five years.

That being said, we want to get out to Ed Henry, standing outside the White House this morning to talk more about that.

All right. So here's what he says.

The federal deficit is going to fall for the next four years, and then a $61 billion surplus will be created, and all of this will depend on continued strong economic growth. Democrats are saying that's way too optimistic.

What's being said at the White House?

ED HENRY, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, obviously there are always assumptions in budgeting, and what you heard the president stress there at the beginning is no new tax increases. He does not want to see taxes go up.

Instead, he wants to see the tax cuts that he's already implemented extended onward. And he says he still can balance the budget by 2012.

The challenge for his budget director, Rob Portman, is going to get all these numbers to add up, because also, when you look at how taxpayers' money is going to be spent, this is where the priorities are set by an administration. And on Iraq and Afghanistan specifically, when you look at the details, the president is asking for about $481 billion for the Pentagon in 2008, he's asking for another $100 billion for Iraq and Afghanistan just about for this year, on top of what's already being spent, and then he wants another $140 billion for Iraq and Afghanistan in 2008 specifically.

That's over $700 billion in defense spending, Iraq, Afghanistan. That money adding up. And Democrats, where you're going to see the fight, is they're going to say, how can you pay for this when you're pouring all this money into defense, to Iraq, Afghanistan, and at the same time cutting taxes?

That's where the assumptions about growth in the economy will come into play. But there is going to be a big, healthy debate over that, because this is the first budget the president has presented to a Congress run by Democrats. So you're going to see a lot more battles we didn't see before -- Heidi.

COLLINS: All right. Ed Henry, thanks for that, live from the White House this morning.

HENRY: Thank you.

HARRIS: Let's turn our attention now to the political battle over Iraq in the Senate. At issue, a non-binding resolution opposing the president's plan to increase troops in Iraq.

Dana Bash, our congressional correspondent, joins us this morning.

Dana, great to see you.

First of all, the Senate showdown over Iraq, will it actually happen today?

DANA BASH, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: You know, that is the big question. And the way things are looking right now, Tony, Democrats did want to formally start debate later today. But the way things are looking right now, it may not happen.

What's going on is that Republican senators, even thoes who don't agree with the president's plan to send more troops to Iraq, are uniting to block a vote to formally start debate later today. Why? Because they say they want Democrats to agree to two votes on some of their resolutions. One of them actually makes clear that the Congress will not cut off funding for troops in Iraq.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. DIANNE FEINSTEIN (D), CALIFORNIA: It's obstructionism. And I would really urge the Republicans to reconsider. I think it's a terrible mistake to prevent this debate.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) SEN. RICHARD LUGAR (R), INDIANA: Action on the Senate floor on the non-binding resolution means that you are simply having a debate for the sake of it. Now, some may find that edifying, but it seems to me that we probably ought to proceed on to the budget.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BASH: So, as you just heard, the Republicans and Democrats are deadlocked at this point. They do have between now and 5:30 to try to somehow come to a meeting of the minds on the process and procedure which guides this vote. But right now, they don't have one -- Tony.

HARRIS: Our congressional correspondent Dana Bash for us.

Dana, thank you.

COLLINS: Picking the pieces a daunting task in central Florida. Cleaning up after severe storms, in the NEWSROOM.

HARRIS: Super Bowl ads, the hits and the crash. Eighty-five grand a second. Pricey air time in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Tough times in central Florida. Hundreds of people across four counties now trying to put storm-shattered lives back together. The toll from Friday's outbreak of severe weather, 20 people killed, at least 1,500 homes -- 1,500 homes -- churches and businesses damaged or destroyed.

CNN's Rob Marciano with us now from Lady Lake, Florida.

Rob, you've covered a lot of storms. You've seen a lot of the aftermath of those storms. Anything really surprise you, jump out at you as you look at the aftermath of this storm?

ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Well, this looks like storm damage you'd see in the Midwest or the Plains, where, you know, tornadoes in the springtime, especially, are a little bit more prevalent. So -- and when I spoke with the National Weather Service storm surveyor, the guy -- kind of a forensic meteorologist who I walked around with yesterday -- he had similar kind of comments.

This is a super cell thunderstorm that produced a long track, strong EF-3, maybe even an EF-4 tornado. And we have damage like -- you know, like you see behind me. And this is -- this is widespread.

It's just all over the place, from the western part of Lake County, up through the eastern part, even into Volusia County, Seminole County and Marion County. This area has just been hit hard. Not by one, not by two, but officially by three tornadoes, two of which were up in the EF scale, 150, 160-mile-an-hour winds. Maybe even higher. And you can see what those kind of winds can do.

But it's more than just the strong winds. You know, when you think about a hurricane, a major hurricane, or a Category 5 hurricane could have winds over 155 miles an hour, but those are more gusty. They're not all in one place.

These are sustained winds in one spot. And it's really like a blender just coming through this area, or a drill press is the way one meteorologist described it to me. And you can see what that sort of thing does to us.

Up the road in DeLand, it's even worse up there. And I walked around with the storm surveyor and he said because those buildings were not quite as strong as what he'd like to see, he really couldn't tell if it was even stronger than an EF-3.

So, long story short, three tornadoes, two of which were EF-3s, big, big, strong tornadoes with winds at least 160 miles an hour. There are two recovery centers, disaster recovery centers set up right now to help people take the next steps, maybe get their FEMA aid. And on a good note, the schools here in Lady Lake are all open today.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HARRIS: All right, Rob. Appreciate it.

Rob Marciano for us in Lady Lake, Florida.

Of those pricey Super Bowl ads, did they give you a super headache?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's fair. On three?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One, two, three.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: Commercials that knocked us over. We're talking to a marketing expert, coming up in the NEWSROOM.

And caught by surprise. Not quite what they expected. So what's next for this caged cat?

We'll let you know, fill you in, in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Crabby in traffic. Nothing new, right? Well, take a look at this -- boxes and boxes of king crab legs stopped traffic in Denver.

A truck hauling the crab crashed and rolled over yesterday, spilling the crustaceans on the highway. What a waste.

Crews had to shut down the ramp from Interstate 25 to clean up. Officials for the trucking company say all 38,000 pounds of the crab legs are heading to the dump without the drawn butter. An unexpected catch and the end to the mystery of the missing chickens and ducks. The story now from Chris Nagus of CNN affiliate KMBC.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRIS NAGUS, REPORTER, KMBC (voice over): This is no kitty cat.

ERNEST EDWARDS, CAPTURED BOBCAT: Wow. He just showed his teeth. I mean, his front teeth are about that long.

NAGUS: Ernest Edwards know firsthand. He and a buddy...

EDWARDS: Yes, that's Billy's truck. Yes, that's Billy's. It's all Billy's fault.

NAGUS: OK. You won't meet Billy, but both men brought this trapped bobcat to Wyandotte County park rangers knowing they would know what to do. Getting the animal to them was anything but easy.

EDWARDS: He was hissing and pawing at us. It was scary.

I've seen bobcats, yes, but not this close, no.

NAGUS: Park rangers say bobcats are not uncommon in Kansas, but catching this one came as a shock.

EDWARDS: The cage wasn't set specifically for a bobcat, because we didn't know there were bobcats even in the area.

NAGUS: And although the cat scares Edwards, he doesn't want to see it hurt.

EDWARDS: No. I mean, the right thing to do would be to try to find somebody that knew what to do with it.

NAGUS: In order to do anything, a conservation would need to calm the animal down. A tranquilizer did the trick, making the bobcat easy to moved to a more remote area, where it will be released back into the wild. Edwards hopes it doesn't wander back.

EDWARDS: And I'm terrified and scared, yes. We just want it out of the way.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANNOUNCER: Live in the CNN NEWSROOM, Tony Harris and Heidi Collins.

COLLINS: Hundreds of billions of dollars spent on the Iraq war. Where else could it have been used? We'll show you the money, coming up in the NEWSROOM.

And he spoke out and refused to ship out to Iraq. Now an Army officer is at the center of a legal fight. Details ahead in the NEWSROOM. Blows to the brain. The impact of a hard-hit can last a lifetime. Our Dr. Sanjay Gupta looks at concussion concerns in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Baghdad, the hours tick by, the body count grows. Ten attacks erupted across the capital this morning in less than six hour's time. Car bombs, mortars and a deadly attack by gunmen. Dozens of people dead and wounded. It all comes as U.S. and Iraqi forces finalize plans for a major security crackdown. Many see it as a last-ditch effort to ramp down sectarian violence. The U.S. military says it raided several targets linked to al Qaeda in Iraq. The count, they say, three suspected terrorists killed, 26 others detained.

An Army officer on trial -- the court-martial of First Lieutenant Aaron Watada (ph) begins today in Fort Lewis, in Washington State. Watada spoke out against the war in Iraq, and refused to ship out with his unit. He says the war is illegal. The Army says Watada betrayed his fellow soldiers. If convicted of the charges, he faces up to four years in prison.

War costs rising. President Bush asking the Congress for another 2.45 billion dollars to fund the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

CNN's Joshua Levs puts it into perspective.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOSHUA LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Fighting, responding to terrorism, rebuilding. It's added up to about $400 billion so far. Some studies say the price tag could ultimately top a trillion.

SEN. JIM WEBB, (D) VIRGINIA: The war costs to our nations have been staggering.

LEVS: The costs aren't just financial, but let's look at the money and where it's not being spent. Every year the president vows to push alternative energy sources.

BUSH: To make our air significantly cleaner and our country much less dependent on foreign sources of energy.

LEVS: But funding requests for renewable energy programs have remained the same, at about $1.2 billion each year. How about --

BUSH: Reforming our health care system.

LEVS: Forty-four million Americans are uninsured. A major study found covering them would take $48 billion in additional medical spending each year. Let's hit one more topic, the nation's public schools. The administration gives grants to help improve them. The total in 2006, about $30 billion. President Bush says all of these domestic priorities are well-funded and that progress is being made. As for Iraq, he says imagine the costs if Saddam Hussein had let terrorists use Iraq as a base to plot attacks on U.S. soil. He says the funds he's requesting are needed.

BUSH: And my number one priority is to protect this country. We're going to make sure our troops have all the equipment they need to do the job we sent them to do.

LEVS: It's also important to keep in mind that not all the money simply stops in Iraq. For example, people who get paid to create the war machinery spend their money here in the United States and pay taxes. That's a fact.

However, no one is putting a smiley face on all the money that has been spent in Iraq. And as we've reported in recent days, the government's inspector general for Iraq has found that tens of millions of dollars were wasted and tens of millions of dollars in equipment now can't be found.

Joshua Levs, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: And word this morning, a $2 million settlement in that Boston bomb scare incident. Massachusetts attorney general revealed the settlement with Turner Broadcasting Systems and Interference Inc. That's an advertising company. Boston scrambled its bomb squads last week after reports of a blinking electronic device in a subway station and on bridges. The signs were part of a publicity campaign for a Cartoon Network program. The scare led to traffic problems across the city. The settlement calls for $1 million to reimburse several agencies that responded to the scare. The other million will to go for Homeland Security and other programs. Turner Broadcasting the parent company of CNN.

It is sure to be water cooler talk around your office today, not just the Super Bowl game, but the Super Bowl ads.

Karl Carter, the cofounder of GTM Marketing is here to talk about the best of the best and some of them that weren't so good.

Karl, good to see you.

KARL CARTER, COFOUNDER, GTM INC. MARKETING: Good to see you, too.

HARRIS: Hey, first of all, you're watching the game last night, this is your Super Bowl as well.

CARTER: Right.

HARRIS: What did you think overall at the end of the night of the ads?

CARTER: Taking into totality, I wasn't blown away.

HARRIS: No? Why not? CARTER: well, I don't know, you really expect a lot out of Super Bowl ads. I think when you talk about some companies, this may be their biggest play of the year. So I think there's a lot of pressure, and sometimes brands try to overdeliver upon that.

HARRIS: We heard words like unmemorable, not bold, unimaginative.

CARTER: Yes.

HARRIS: Did that ring true for you?

CARTER: I think you just have such a high bar, that what would be usually a good spot doesn't necessarily cut it for a Super Bowl spot.

HARRIS: Gotcha.

CARTER: So I think that's some of the challenge, really high expectations.

HARRIS: And yet there were still some spots that seemed to cut through for a lot of folks, right?

CARTER: Absolutely.

HARRIS: So the "USA Today" has a ranking, and at the top of their list, I guess, Budweiser performed pretty well.

Hey, let's look at this Budweiser spot, crabs worship the ice chest.

OK. Now this is a spot that a lot of folks really liked. Tell us why you think folks responded to this ad.

CARTER: I think Bud really, man, when you talk about how they use animals, it's cute. You know what I mean? So I think, you know, it's clever in that respect, and so a lot of people -- you know, and it sort of pays off at the very end.

HARRIS: Of all the king crabs, this ice chest with the two Bud bottles, the king of the king crabs, the king of beer, and that makes sense, right?

CARTER: Yes. Yes. Well, you know beer and crabs is summer.

HARRIS: That's right.

CARTER: So there's a definite connection there.

HARRIS: So another spot here for Budweiser. This is Bud Light, and this is rock, paper, scissors. Let's take a look.

CARTER: Yes, I like this one.

HARRIS: Now tell me why you like this one. CARTER: It was just funny, man. You know, you expect them to do -- we'll let it do its thing. But you know, it's unexpected.

HARRIS: Right, right.

OK, and the guy falls out.

CARTER: And that's a good ad. Thirty seconds, you have to say a lot and you have to end strong, and I thought it ended really strongly.

HARRIS: Did it pay off the brand? Now you see the beer at the end. But did it pay off the brand for you?

CARTER: Yes, absolutely. I thought that was a fresh one.

HARRIS: All right now, Karl, this one I really enjoyed. I think this might have been my favorite. This is the ad for Doritos. Take a look at this one.

CARTER: What's great about this one, is that this one was part of -- help me with this one. This was an ad that was actually submitted by folks as part of a contest. This was an ad that was submitted by folks at home, correct?

CARTER: This is a user-generated ad, so this is UGC. And you know what's interesting, man, this ad really -- I liked it because it was strategic and it was funny.

HARRIS: What do you mean when say strategic?

CARTER: Well, you see how they keep paying off -- bold, smooth, cheesy, and so they're able to bring out, you know, sort of the brand qualities in this particular piece.

HARRIS: So the Madison Avenue people could actually learn something from some of the folks at home.

CARTER: Absolutely. Absolutely.

HARRIS: As to what they would like to see in their ads and how they would like the products that they enjoy showcased.

CARTER: Sometimes it's a simple idea executed well. And this was a really simple idea. Once you saw the first one, you understood how it was going to pay off. And it was a just a funny series of events there.

HARRIS: A couple that weren't received so well. How about this one for godaddy.com, which has made quite a name for itself with its Super Bowl ads. So this is a little crazy. We've got this long walk and talk coming down the aisle here, and then the ultimate payoff for all of the go daddy spots is what, Karl?

CARTER: The marketing department, yes, exactly.

HARRIS: So the payoff is what, Karl?

CARTER: Yes. I mean, I saw this today -- I wasn't really crazy about it. And you know...

HARRIS: But the payoff is what, Karl?

CARTER: There is no payoff.

HARRIS: There is no payoff.

CARTER: If you're in marketing, like we are, it looks like a party, but you know, that's not how it always is.

HARRIS: And then this one didn't score as well with folks either. This is a spot for Flomax. Let's take a look at this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Guys who want to spend more time having fun and less time in the men's room. To guys who want to go less at night and...

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: So Help with your prostate, in the super bowl.

CARTER: Yes, I just don't know if I'd have done it in a Super Bowl.

HARRIS: But does it not target a demographic that you expect to be watching the Super Bowl?

CARTER: It does, but you know, again, when you're putting your spot up against some of these other spots, I mean, this is generally a good spot, in general. But I don't think it's good enough for the Super Bowl.

HARRIS: OK, you did a little research for us, a little homework, and you found that, oh, sure, there was the ranking in "USA Today," but you did a little research and found a different ranking with YouTube.

CARTER: YouTube has a totally different ranking. You know, one thing that's similar, like the No. 3 spot, which is the Doritos UGC spot, is actually No. 1 on YouTube, in the rankings, so that was interesting. I think it was a big day for user-generated advertising.

HARRIS: All right, last question. You're in the room, you've produced one of these spots, one of these high-profile spots for the Super Bowl, what is the next day like for you? Are you sitting by the phone, because you know the call is going to come? Or are you in the office with the folks that have cut you a big check to do this spot? What is this day like?

CARTER: I think, in general, you're on pins and needles. You know, you're waiting to see the reviews. I mean, you know, we're doing this, they're a million other networks, and Web sites and blogs, all talking about the advertising and critiquing it. I like the YouTube ranking, because I think it gives a taste of what the public is feeling. And so It was very interesting, the spots that they have on there.

HARRIS: Karl, great to see you.

CARTER: Great to see you, too.

HARRIS: A quick take on the settlement?

CARTER: Yes.

HARRIS: What did you think?

CARTER: Big. It was bigger than I anticipated. It was definitely bigger than I anticipated. I thought that it might be somewhere between 750 and a mil. They came in at two million. I think they're trying to send a big message, and with a million going to Homeland Security, I think that's the government definitely weighing in saying, we're not feeling this level.

HARRIS: Karl, great to see you.

CARTER: Great to see you, too.

HARRIS: Karl Carter, all right, thank you.

COLLINS: Blows to the brain, the impact of a hard hit can last a lifetime. Our Dr. Sanjay Gupta looks at concussion concerns in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Concussions, jarring head injuries can end a football player's career or worse.

CNN's chief medical correspondent and neurosurgeon, Dr. Sanjay Gupta reports.

It's part one his series, "Mysteries of the Brain."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Brute force can lead to concussions, an injury most often caused by a blow to the head, where the brain violently rocks back and forth inside the skull. Symptoms include dizziness, severe headache, vomiting, confusion, memory loss. Multiple concussions can be devastating.

DR. GERARD GIOIA, NEUROPSYCHOLOGIST: If they're in short succession and if they're poorly managed, the long-term consequences can be pretty significant. They can actually have structural damage to the brain. GUPTA: Pro football players are especially susceptible. The University of North Carolina studied nearly 1,800 retired NFL players. The 200 who had five or more concussions were three times as likely to suffer from depression than players who had none.

Forty-four-year-old Andre Waters, a former player, suffered numerous concussions during his NFL career. Reportedly depressed, Waters committed suicide last November. Dr. Bennet Omalu examined Waters' brain tissue. He said Waters had the brain of an 58-year-old man, and that brain damage from his concussions contributed significantly to his suicide.

DR. BENNET OMALU, NEUROPATHOLOGIST: There were significant loss of brain cells. There were accumulation of abnormal -- large accumulations of abnormal proteins that kill off the brain cells.

GUPTA: Chris Nowinski played college football and was a professional wrestler. He has had at least six serious concussions that he can remember. His last was the most damaging.

CHRIS NOWINSKI, FMR. FOOTBALL PLAYER/WRESTLER: I got kicked in the chin, and my head snapped back, and by the time I hit the ground, I had a terrible headache, and I didn't know really where I was or what I was doing.

GUPTA: He has written a book to educate other athletes about the dangers. It's been three-and-a-half years since his last match. He still has severe migraines, problems with memory, sleeping, and says he'll probably be on medication for the rest of his life.

NOWINSKI: I lost a lot of my ability to think straight and accomplish anything or, you know, be productive. I lost that.

GUPTA: A fate he hopes other young athletes can be spared.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, reporting.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: To get your daily dose of health news online, logon to our Web site. You'll find the latest medical news, a health library and information on diet and fitness. That address, CNN.com/health.

HARRIS: "YOUR WORLD TODAY" coming up at the top of the hour. Jim Clancy standing by now with a preview.

Good morning, Jim.

JIM CLANCY, CNN ANCHOR: Hi, Tony. Hi there, Heidi.

Well, get a daily dose of international news. We're going to be looking at the Senate examines a nonbinding vote on Iraq. What are the Iraqis doing? They're voting with their feet. Nobody agrees on the numbers. But well over a million Iraqis have fled their homes. New reports saying they're still heading for the exits. We're going to have a closer look at new waves of Iraqi exiles. Plus, international diplomacy to make Washington wonder, why is China sidling up to a long list of anti-U.S. leaders. What it means for the future?

Plus, from South Africa, Femi Oke is going to joins us to talk about a deadly strain of tuberculosis, so deadly doctors say they may have no alternative but to lock up those who succumb to this strain of tuberculosis.

All the news with an international perspective coming up at noon on "YOUR WORLD TODAY".

Back to you.

COLLINS: All right, Jim. We look forward to it. Thank you.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BUSINESS HEADLINES)

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: What's going on with her voice? Is she OK.

HARRIS: Super Bowl, cheering -- a lot of cheering.

LEMON: Oh, maybe that was it.

HARRIS: For her victorious Colts, I'm guessing.

LEMON: We'll have to talk to her at 1:00. Maybe her team won.

HARRIS: That's right.

LEMON: How are you guys doing today? Did you have a good weekend?

COLLINS: Yes.

LEMON: Good, had a great weekend.

A lot coming up today on the afternoon edition of the CNN NEWSROOM.

You see massive piles of debris, but investigators see the trail of a killer. Well you can call it CSI tornado. We'll take you to a lab at Texas Tech that studies twister forensics, and how 150 bucks could help your home weather a tornado. That's not much.

Also this, it's been more than 25 years since the kidnapping and killing of Adam Walsh. You guys have been reporting on this. But could the notorious serial killer be Jeffrey Dahmer? Could he have done it? Well, newly revealed information sparked calls for a new look. We will talk to a criminal profiler about the evidence. Very interesting stuff. We spoke to him before this interview, and we'll talk to him live. Very interesting. All of this coming up at 1:00 Eastern today. Make sure you join us.

COLLINS: Yes, we will. All right, thanks, Don.

LEMON: Good to see you.

COLLINS: And CNN NEWSROOM does continue one hour from now.

HARRIS: "YOUR WORLD TODAY" is next with news happening across the globe and here at home. I'm Tony Harris.

And I'm Heidi Collins. Have a good day, everybody.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.voxant.com