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Senator Ted Stevens Addresses Senate; Auto Workers on Bailout Battle; Filling the Cabinet

Aired November 20, 2008 - 11:00   ET

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

HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Quickly back to Washington, D.C., now, where we listen in to Senator Ted Stevens on his final moments to address the Senate.
Let's listen.

(JOINED IN PROGRESS)

SEN. TED STEVENS (R), ALASKA: I dearly love each member of my family.

Forty years. It's hard to believe that so much time could pass so quickly, but it has. And I want everyone listening to know that I treasure every moment I spent here representing Alaska and Alaskans, the land and the people that I love.

As a member of this body now, I've served as whip from 1976 to 1984; as chair of the Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee; as chair of the Arms Control Observer Group; as chair of the Ethics Committee; chair of the Rules Committee, chair of the Government Affairs Committee; chair of the Appropriations Committee; and chair of the Commerce Committee; and also had functions as the ranking member as the political change took place back and forth across this aisle. Now, I have really a difficult time today articulating my feelings, and I hope if I puddle up a little bit, as an old friend used to say, I'll be excused.

But when I came to the Senate, Alaska had been a state for less than a decade. We were then more of an impoverished territory than a full-fledged state. The commitments made by the federal government on our state were unfulfilled, and at present some are still unfulfilled.

Alaska had not received the land and resources it had been promised. Poverty and illness reigned supreme in regions of our state. And I remember so well when Senator Kennedy and I went to the Arctic and examined some of those villages. It was a disaster.

Our fisheries were in peril, primarily from the intrusion of foreign vessels that were anchored just a few miles offshore 12 months out of the year. Many people doubted whether Alaska had what it took to be a successful state. And they asked whether Alaska was still Seward's Folly.

Mr. President, we proved that those doubters were wrong. Working with one another as Alaskans and with great friends here in the Senate, Alaskans took control of our own destiny. In 1958, as legislative counsel for the Department of Interior, I worked at Alaska Statehood Act. Section 4 of that act committed Congress to settle the Alaskan native land claims.

In 1971, Congress did enact the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, settling aboriginal claims in our state. Native corporations established at my request to manage $1 billion paid by our state and federal government, and the 44 million-acre land settlement are now driving forces in the Alaskan economy.

In 1973, after a dramatic tie-breaking vote by the vice president in this chamber, an amendment which closed the courts of this country to further delay by extreme environmentalists, the president signed into law the Trans-Alaska Pipeline Authorization Act. That act dramatically improved America's energy security and secured the economic future of Alaska.

In 1976, Congress passed what became known as the Magnuson Stevens Act to fight foreign fishing fleets which endangered America's fisheries. Because of that act, America's fisheries today are the most productive and the best managed in the world.

Working within the framework of these basic laws, Alaskans have labored in the appropriations and administrative process to make statehood a reality. Where there was nothing but tundra and forest, today there are now airports, roads, ports, water and sewer systems, hospitals, clinics, communications networks, research labs and much, much more.

Mr. President, Alaska was not Steward's Folly, and is no longer an impoverished territory. Alaska is a great state, an essential contributor to our nation's energy security and national defense. I'm proud I've had a role in this transformation. Working to help Alaska achieve its potential has been and will continue to be my life's work.

My motto has been here, to hell with politics, just do what's right for Alaska. And I have tried every day to live up to those words.

I take great pride in the work of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, the leadership of which I have shared for almost three decades with my brother, Senator Dan Inouye. And I thank him for being here. He's a great American, patriot, and a true friend. Together, we've worked to rebuild our armed forces, to provide the support and training needed by our war fighters to meet the challenges of a rapidly changing world.

Now, Mr. President, I don't have time today to recount the highlights of 40 years of work in this body. That will take a lot of time. I will take time, however, for me to acknowledge the friendships I've enjoyed with so many of my colleagues and Senate staffers. I really am grateful to every member of the Senate for their friendship, and I bear no ill will towards any member of this body.

I am most grateful for the support and counsel of my colleagues in the Alaska congressional delegation, my old friend in the House, Congressman Don Young, who has done so much for our state, and my steadfast partner in the Senate, Senator Lisa Murkowski, to whom I owe so much and admire so much. She's really been a true friend and a true partner, and I really wish her well in the future here.

I also acknowledge the tremendous contribution made by hundreds of young Alaskans who have come to Washington to serve on my staff. And particularly, let me express my gratitude to my current staff, all of whom have worked hard for Alaska during the toughest of times. I know all will go on to do great things for Alaska and for our country.

Mr. President, I feel blessed by God to have had the opportunity to serve in this body. I deeply appreciate the trust that Alaskans have reposed in me for 40 years. When Alaska needed a strong voice to speak up for its interests, I did my part to the best of my ability. When an administration submitted legislation or a budget that ignored Alaska's legislative concerns, I urged Congress to exercise its constitutional power to redress the balance. When an Alaskan, any Alaskan, or any Alaskan entity needed help, my office was ready and did help to the maximum extent possible.

I feel the same way now that I did in 1968. I really must pinch myself to fully understand that I am privileged to speak on the floor of the United States Senate. Coming from the point (ph) that I had, I could never even have dreamed to have been here today.

And home is where the heart is, Mr. President. If that is so, I have two homes. One is right here in this chamber, and the other is my beloved state of Alaska. I must leave one to return to the other.

And as I leave the Senate and the work that has given me so much happiness and satisfaction over the years, I know that Senator Murkowski, Congressman Young will continue to be strong voices for our 49th state.. This is the last frontier. And I also pray for my successor's success as he joins in that effort.

My mission in life is not completed. I believe God will give me more opportunities to be of service to Alaska and to our nation. And I look forward with a glad heart and with confidence in its justice and mercy.

I told members of the press yesterday, I don't have a rearview mirror. I look only forward. And I still see the day when I can remove the cloud that currently surrounds me.

That's it, Mr. President. Forty years distilled into a few minutes.

I close by saying and asking that God bless Alaska and our governor. God bless the United States of America and our president. And God bless the Senate and every member of this body.

I yield the floor for the last time.

TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: And there you have it, Senator Ted Stevens -- let's do that. That makes all the sense in the world. Thank you.

(APPLAUSE)

HARRIS: Well, how about that? A good call from our producer, our executive producer, to let that moment breathe a bit and take in that standing ovation for Ted Stevens, Senator Ted Stevens, the longest-serving Republican Senator in history, giving -- let's go back to that live shot, if we could -- giving that last speech, the last speech of his career on the Senate floor. The Senate leader now, Harry Reid, probably with some words.

Maybe it's -- let's listen in a second here.

(JOINED IN PROGRESS)

SEN. HARRY REID (D-NV), MAJORITY LEADER: ... then came to Washington, D.C., for the first time to work for President Eisenhower. His career in electoral office started in 1964 with his election to the Alaska House of Representatives. He became a majority leader in his second term.

Appointed to the United States Senate in 1968, Ted Stevens was returned by the voters of Alaska six times, and last year became the longest-serving Republican United States Senator in our nation's history. But his career has been more than about longevity.

He's been an advocate for his state, and that's an understatement. He has served as president pro tempore of the Senate and now emeritus. He's been a senior member of the Commerce, Science, Transportation committees. He's been heavily involved, as I know, in the Appropriations Committee, Homeland Security Committee, and Rules Committee.

Mr. President, that's where I have become so well acquainted with Ted Stevens, is in the Appropriations Committee. And I have the good fortune of helping on the floor in a number of appropriation bills. And I still have considered a mark of distinction and something I'll always remember as my hope (ph) tie that Senator Stevens gave me. I don't know of anyone else he gave one to, but it was his way of saying, thanks for helping us get that appropriations bill done, I like the way you worked to get it done.

Events that have transpired in Senator Stevens' life these past two years are deeply unfortunate, and I have had a number of conversations about what was going on. I wish nothing but the best for Ted, Catherine and his daughter who I've known since she was a little girl, now, of course, a distinguished lawyer, Lily.

I've said in the past that though Senator Stevens flew in World War II with the Flying Tigers, on the Senate floor he will always be remembered as a lion.

Two final stories.

I was a brand new senator, and my friend Alan Bible died. Alan Bible served the state of Nevada with distinction for 20 years. And a military aircraft was provided to take those that wished to go to Nevada for the funeral.

There were two people on that airplane, Harry Reid and Ted Stevens. Think about that. We flew to Reno, Nevada, for a funeral, we went out and back in one day. It takes five hours to go out that way and five hours to come back.

I said -- and I was a new senator -- Senator Stevens, why are you on the airplane? I framed it a little differently than that. He said, "I have a long memory." The Alaska Pipeline Bill would not have passed but for Alan Bible. It was very hard for him to make up his mind when he wanted to do, and when he did he was the culminating vote that allowed that to pass. And he said, "I had to go to Reno to honor what Alan Bible did for me."

And finally, Mr. President, everyone knows I have a unique relationship with Dan Inouye. When he ran for leader I supported him, above all else, above anyone else. I did it because he had been so good to me personally, and what I felt good to the Senate. And, of course, I admired this man as to what he had done for our country, not only in the House of Representatives and the Senate, but as a soldier in Italy, where he was badly wounded.

Now, it doesn't take much of -- it doesn't take much intelligence to understand that the most secure, lasting friendship in the Senate and one that -- a friendship that I have never seen before is one with Senator Stevens and Senator Inouye. The term's thrown around a lot, "He's my brother." But Dan Inouye and Ted Stevens, they are brothers. The bible tells us, the Old Testament, two are better than one because they have a good reward for their labor.

HARRIS: And there you have it, the public service resume of Senator Ted Stevens from Senate Leader Harry Reid, the resume and more.

And Senator Robert Byrd, did you see Senator Robert Byrd wiping away tears just over the Senate leader's shoulders? Just a sad scene there. The final sad tableau for Senator Stevens, you'll recall, last month. Stevens was convicted on corruption charges.

For more, let's go to CNN Congressional Correspondent Dana Bash, who joins us live from Capitol Hill.

And Dana, so much to talk to you about this morning. First, your thoughts on this final speech from Ted Stevens from the well of the Senate.

DANA BASH, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It's the end of an era. And it's the end of a very, very long era.

You heard him mention a couple of times that he has been in the United States Senate for 40 years. I mean, if you sort of think about that, it's in many ways hard to wrap your mind around.

He was here when President Johnson was down the street in the White House. And it's not just that. I mean, he has been so tremendously powerful here in the United States Congress. You heard him talk a lot about Alaska. Obviously the fact that he was very eager to bring home the bacon for Alaska. It, in part, is what helped get him into the trouble that he is in right now in terms of criminal convictions. But it's also -- I think what we saw there with Ted Stevens, surrounded by about a quarter of the Senate, I think, was in there, about 17 Republicans, according to our congressional producer, Ted Barrett, about six or seven Democrats.

But the Senate is a club. And yes, he is in trouble. Yes, he has hurt the reputation of this institution in a big way. At least he has contributed to that. But he is standing there with people who he has served with for years and years and years.

And I thought the other kind of interesting moment there was Ted Stevens going over to Robert C. Byrd. Robert C. Byrd is a Democrat. He was crossing the aisle there. But those are two very similar creatures in terms of the way they see their roles here in United States Senate, and that is to keep their home states in mind, and that is it. The both of them have had powerful positions on the Appropriations Committee.

And, you know, let's just stick with Senator Stevens for a second.

He boasts that he has brought home since 2001, $5 billion for the state of Alaska. So it is something that in a day and age where "earmarks" is a dirty word, and it is definitely something that is seen as negative, Ted Stevens is somebody who wore that extremely proudly. So it is absolutely the end of an era.

And the other thing I thought was interesting, Tony, is the not- so-subtle reference to the fact that he's going to go home and battle -- continue to battle in court to try to appeal...

HARRIS: That's right.

BASH: ... what is going on, which is seven convictions. He said that he still can see a time where the cloud that hangs above him lifts. So -- yet, it's not the end of the road for him in terms of that.

HARRIS: That's right.

Dana, let's do a couple of turns here if we've got the time. Some breaking news.

Many of us would have assumed that there would be no turnover of committee chairs in the next Congress, but I understand there has been at least one successful challenge to a chairmanship.

BASH: That's right. And that is in a very, very powerful committee. That is the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

Henry Waxman, a Democrat from California, successfully unseated the dean of the House -- and that is John Dingell -- for the chairmanship of that committee. And this was a really battle of the Titans in many ways, Tony.

John Dingell has been in that role for nearly 30 years. But it really is -- was an ideological battle within the Democratic Party. It was a very wrenching battle, but Henry Waxman did succeed in toppling Congressman Dingell.

Now, it certainly is interesting for those of us who cover the personalities up here, but I think it's important to note again why it's important to our viewers.

HARRIS: Please, yes.

BASH: Because this is a very important committee in terms of the issues that affect everybody. Health care goes through this committee, energy goes through this committee, climate change, Medicaid, and consumer protection. These are all issues that this committee deals with.

So looking forward to President Obama and his administration, and the things that he says he wants to get done that are at the top of his agenda, this is the committee that will decide whether or not he'll be able to do it.

HARRIS: Got you.

BASH: And the person who holds that position, now Henry Waxman, is somebody who is a self-described liberal on many of these issues.

HARRIS: Yes.

BASH: And John Dingell simply -- obviously the Democrat, but simply is not -- he is somebody who has protected auto industry very forcefully, and somebody who many Democrats thought was a hindrance on the issue of climate change. So it is a very big difference even though they're both Democrats.

HARRIS: Got you. And Dana, one more point here. What is happening with legislation on some kind of assistance to the big three automakers?

BASH: In a word, nothing. Nothing.

The Senate is basically at a standstill. Senator Harry Reid, the majority leader, last night made clear that he reversed his original plan to try to push some vote today.

There is a possibility, a very, very remote possibility, that these senators who are working on a compromise could come up with something that maybe could come up for a vote at some point today or tomorrow in the Senate. But here's the reality.

The reality is that, in order to do that, there would basically have to be kind of a precooked agreement with the Senate and the House on doing that. And with the kind of thing they're talking about, basically taking money from a preexisting pot that is right now for fuel efficiency standards, House Democrats say, you know, that's a non starter.

So basically the headline here is that we should not look for anything after a very long week of a lot of debate and a lot of pleading from the big three auto executives. It's very difficult to see anything actually passing at the end of this week.

HARRIS: Our Congressional Correspondent Dana Bash for us.

A lot on your plate, Dana. Appreciate it. Thank you.

BASH: Thank you.

HARRIS: And while the fight goes on in Washington, all quiet now, over some help for the automakers, the real front lines of the bailout battle are the assembly lines at the big three auto companies.

Brooke Baldwin is at a restaurant near the General Motors Technical Center in Warren, Michigan, where she's been talking with autoworkers.

And Brooke, I know those workers have been watching the Washington debate very closely -- jobs, health care, pensions, all potentially on the line here.

BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A lot is on the line. I think not only are their careers, Tony, but their livelihood.

These guys and gals have put in decades upon decades of service. This is certainly no news flash -- they're nervous. But I thought this headline here of the "Detroit Free Press" really summed up the sentiment here in these auto towns: "Anxiety is the New Normal."

We are inside one of so many restaurants, local watering holes, where both blue collar, white collar workers commingle. This is Bamboozle's' here in Warren, where you can see a lot of these guys, yes, they're watching the news out of Washington, watching to see if the auto industry can get Congress to give the industry some sort of cash injection, some sort of loan so the industry cannot only -- not necessarily thrive, but survive.

And Tony, we caught up with a number of workers coming and going from one of the Chrysler truck plants. And I asked some of these gentleman what's at stake for them. Let's take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: You have a wife, you have kids?

DONZELL COATS, CHRYSLER EMPLOYEE: Yes. I mean, everything, to be honest with you. You know, it's not just for myself. Like I said, it's for the retirees, and it's also for the economy as a whole.

You know, we don't want to go back to another depression. I wasn't here for the first one, and I don't see to the resurgence of another. FRANK REYNOLDS, CHRYSLER EMPLOYEE: We put our all into this economy. And, you know, all we keep seeing is cuts, cuts, slash, slash, and job losses. So hopefully we can see something a little better than that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Back here live in Bamboozle's, the community support is huge. Everyone is effected by what's happening on the Hill.

You can see the sign here at the mirror, Bamboozle's supports the big three." There's a huge sign out front that says, "We support you, GM."

Want to let you know we are also waiting for a press conference that's going to happen today at noon. Ron Gettelfinger -- he is the president of the UAW -- he's been on Capitol Hill this week, along with the big head honchos of the big three, talking to members of both the House and the Senate. Now we will hear from him here in Detroit noontime, because, Tony, one of the frustrations we have heard from some of these workers is that they are not getting great communication from the top as to what's going on.

So you can bet a lot of these workers will be watching and waiting to see what Ron Gettelfinger has to say at noon. We'll bring you that sound as soon as we get it.

HARRIS: No, no, no. We'll do better than that. We'll take that live. Brooke, we will take that live.

BALDWIN: Better.

HARRIS: Thanks for the heads up. Yes, yes, yes. Yes, you just programmed the noon hour for us.

BALDWIN: Sure.

HARRIS: Appreciate it. Thank you.

Brooke Baldwin in Warren, Michigan.

Autoworkers and the high cost of health care as the companies struggle to survive. Can they keep their promises to retirees? That story coming up in just a couple of minutes.

Millions of families rely on the American auto industry, and many of our iReporters are telling us what you think about the bailout.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: A new administration taking shape. We are learning about more of President-elect Barack Obama's cabinet choices, including his possible pick to head the Department of Homeland Security.

Ed Henry live from Chicago with details for us. Good to see you, Ed.

Now, I don't want to steal your thunder here, but who are we talking about as perhaps the next leader of the Department of Homeland Security? And then I've got a couple of follow-ups for you, as you know.

ED HENRY, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: All right. I'll be quick then.

Democratic sources, Tony, tell us Janet Napolitano, the governor of Arizona, is somebody who essentially is Barack Obama's selection to be homeland security chief. And then she has indicated that she'll take the job. They're just going through the final vetting process, a similar process we've seen for Tom Daschle and other selections as well. The official announcement will be coming soon.

I think it does suggest that Barack Obama is laying out some priorities with these picks. We saw yesterday with Tom Daschle, a real power player on health care. That suggests that Barack Obama wants to make that one of his key domestic priorities.

Border control, obviously it's a very thorny issue. It has not been dealt with in the last couple of years. That sort of comprehensive immigration reform proposal fell apart, as you know.

So selecting a governor from a border state, Arizona to Mexico, obviously suggests that maybe he wants to make that a top priority. But also, broadly speaking, homeland security still critical to keeping the entire U.S. homeland safe, not just keeping the borders secure -- Tony.

HARRIS: So, Ed, the quick pivot here, let's talk about Senator Clinton. So what gives here? What is holding up the announcement of the Hillary Clinton pick to State?

HENRY: Well, the first thing that was -- I don't want to say a hitch, but was delaying a little was just the vetting process.

HARRIS: Yes.

HENRY: And that happens with every selection. But in this one, a special case because of former President Bill Clinton, his charitable work, his speaking engagements. All of that, it seems for the most part, to have been dealt with in large part.

Yesterday, the former president himself saying he'll do anything and everything to make this happen if that's what the president-elect wants. Number one. And number two, Democratic sources suggesting that a lot of these questions have been addressed, at least in private, in these confidential meetings between representatives for the Clintons and the Obamas.

But now with that maybe almost completely out of the way, you still have the bottom line of the president-elect having in his gut to decide whether Hillary Clinton is going to be the person that he officially offers the job to. We do not -- we're not aware of it being offered just yet.

And then of course, Hillary Clinton has to decide whether or not she wants to take it. There are conflicting signals on that. Some people in her inner circle suggesting this is a perfect kind of thing for her to be on the international stage.

But then, as you know, we've now been hearing this morning some Democrats buzzing about the possibility of her having some sort of special role created by the Senate leadership, if she decides to stay in the Senate. Maybe be a point person on health care, which is something she cares a lot about. So that suggests, well, maybe even if offered it she wouldn't take it.

So I think there are so many conflicting signals right now. That's delaying the process. But I think the bottom line is that during the campaign Barack Obama was known as no Drama Obama. I think this whole episode -- starting to be a little bit of a drama.

HARRIS: It feels like drama.

HENRY: They're going to have to get it sort of behind them -- they're going to have to get it behind them if they want to move on to some of these other picks.

HARRIS: Ed Henry in Chicago for us.

Good job. Thanks, Ed. Appreciate it.

HENRY: Thank you.

HARRIS: Bailing out the Big Three auto companies, is it worth it? I-Reporters are speaking out.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARBARA RADEMACHER, IREPORTER: They're making a product that's bad for life on earth. They've brainwashed us into thinking we want gas-guzzling trucks and SUVs. And now it's like their karma is hitting them in the face.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Efforts to bail out the auto industry hit a roadblock on Capitol Hill. The companies say they're in desperate shape, in part because of health care costs, and they may not be able to keep their promises to retirees.

The story now from CNN's Jill Dougherty.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Joseph Stocker spent 31 years of his life working for General Motors. One of the greatest benefits, its generous health care coverage. JOSEPH STOCKER, GENERAL MOTORS RETIREE: For what I've had, my son, my wife, everything has been covered, everything has been great.

DOUGHERTY: But at the end of this year, GM will eliminate coverage for Stocker and 100,000 other white collar retirees.

STOCKER: They've been cutting costs for years and years, but this is badly drafted.

DOUGHERTY: General Motors says retiree health care coverage is a key reason the company is in trouble. Take the cars they produce, for example. Each one coming off the assembly line needs to be approximately $1,500 more expensive in order to pay for workers' health care costs. And the economists say two-thirds of that $1,000, goes towards health care for retirees.

LEN NICHOLS, NEW AMERICA FOUNDATION: When they promised retiree health a long time ago they had a 70 percent market share nationwide. It appeared they were always going to grow. It appeared they were always going to have more workers than they do retirees. Today, there are twice as many retirees in their health care plan as there are workers. That is a fundamental problem.

DOUGHERTY: In 1970, GM had 400,000 union workers. Now, there are only 73,000.

Another reason U.S. automakers are in trouble on health care, economists say, is that they have to deal with the inefficient and expensive U.S. health care system. GM has bargained hard with the United Autoworkers Union on health care.

RICK WAGONER, GENERAL MOTORS CEO: ... Negotiated a landmark agreement last year which will enable us to virtually erase the competitiveness and cost gap. We've addressed pension and health care retiree cost in the U.S. We spent over $103 billion on those expenses over the last 15 years.

DOUGHERTY: In that deal, GM shifted management of future retiree health benefits from the company to a trust managed by the union. That trust is scheduled to go into effect in 2010. But without a bailout, will GM still be around in two years?

RICHARD KIRSCH, HEALTH CARE FOR AMERICA NOW!: If there's no bailout for the auto companies, you can really see a lot of unionized autoworkers losing -- early retirees losing their coverage. You already have the big auto companies dropping health care coverage for their white collar workers who don't have any contracts.

DOUGHERTY: In the auto industry, health care was part of the bargain between workers and employers, a promise that companies say they can no longer keep.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: Jill Dougherty joining us live now from Washington.

Jill, good to see you.

You know, Ron Gettelfinger, who heads up the UAW, is holding a news conference next hour. And we'll of course take that live. This would be a pretty good question for him, but I'll ask you until I can ask him. Can anyone guarantee that retiree health care would be protected in a possible bankruptcy court proceeding?

DOUGHERTY: You know, if you talk to the experts that we talked with, it would appear that nobody can really guarantee that. And that is one of the major problems here. There are a lot of repercussions of this that are huge.

And here's another one, Tony, that I came upon. These retirees get very, very good health care. In fact, as you heard, they get almost everything paid, very little deductible, et cetera, et cetera. And a case could be made for average taxpayers who, if there were a bailout, would have to cough up the money to bail out these companies, is it right to have them bail out a company that provides much better health care for their employees than these taxpayers get? So it's very complex.

HARRIS: It really is. All right. Jill Dougherty for us from Washington.

Jill, good to see you. Thank you.

The Big Three bailout and six myths of the auto industry. You're telling us what you think.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: A columnist for the "Detroit Free Press" tries to set the record straight when it comes to the Big Three. Mark Phelan writes about the six myths of the American automobile industry. Myths such as, nobody buys their vehicles and the vehicles they make are unreliable.

Veronica De La Cruz has been gauging reaction to the article, as well as this whole idea of a Big Three bailout on our Facebook group. And she joins us now with more.

And you know what, Veronica? We directed folks to this article because we thought it was good perspective. It looks like folks took up a bit of a discussion here.

VERONICA DE LA CRUZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, a very, very spirited discussion at that.

And just to give you a little bit more insight into what this article was about. The columnist here wanting to set the record straight, writing that the Big Three outsold Japanese cars last year and that consumer reports say that quality is actually on par with Japanese vehicles. But nevertheless, like you were just saying, Tony, reaction from our Facebook group has been mixed.

John Gordon writes, "Not a lot of folks know about these myths. I work in the auto industry as a consultant. All of these are true. If we allow the Big Three to go into bankruptcy, then they will end up killing their supplier base."

And that was John Gordon Hudson.

James Hamley says, "The auto industry doesn't need a bailout. The Big Three should look at Delta as a model -- they need to do a retrospective on themselves as to where they went wrong and correct. And if that fails, they should file for bankruptcy credit protection and do a dramatic reorganization."

Wes Lyons supports the bailout. He says, "Either we pay now to save the Big Three, or we pay for the funeral later on. That won't only include Detroit but it will spread across United States to parts suppliers, assembly plants and dealerships."

And then Larry Smith writes, "As someone who lived in Detroit for 26 years, and who now works in Dearborn, home of Ford Motor Company, I'm absolutely terrified of what might happen if this package is not approved. The failure of the Big Three would essentially be like setting off a 9.0 earthquake. The damage would be worst at the epicenter and radiate gradually outwards. It seems to me that people outside of the sphere of 'shockwaves' are very cavalier about allowing these companies to collapse."

And of course we are inviting you to join into the discussion. You can logon to our Facebook group. Just search Veronica De La Cruz in the CNN NEWSROOM with Tony Harris. You can also follow me on Twitter at twitter.com/veronicadlcruz.

And a very spirited debate, Tony, happening right now on the Facebook group.

HARRIS: You mean we actually found a picture where I had hair?

DE LA CRUZ: I know. What are those pictures?

HARRIS: What is that, like four years ago or something?

DE LA CRUZ: At least. I think mine is like five years old.

HARRIS: Will you direct someone to go to the Web site and grab my picture from the Web site so it's slightly more updated than that?

DE LA CRUZ: Talk to Eddie Williams (ph).

HARRIS: You look at me now and you look at me then, I look like a member of the Jackson Five. That's ridiculous.

DE LA CRUZ: Get over yourself, Tony.

I do want to say though --

(CROSSTALK)

HARRIS: All right, Veronica. I'm getting the bum's rush. DE LA CRUZ: Hang on, hang on. I know. At 12:00 we're talking about E-harmony launching same-sex matching services. That is also happening on our Facebook. Go ahead and discuss that issue. We're going to be talking about it in the 12:00 Eastern hour.

And if you've got a picture of Tony Harris, post it and maybe we'll use it. Make him happy.

HARRIS: No, no, no. All right, Veronica, thank you.

Will he do all he can? Bill Clinton promises to follow the rules if his wife gets a cabinet position.

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HARRIS: You know ever since Hillary Clinton's name came up as a possible secretary of state nominee, her husband's foundation has suddenly been all over the news. But what is the Clinton foundation? Do you know? What does it do? And how does it operate? For that we turn to CNN's Josh Levs.

You've got the answers here, Josh?

JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Tony. All of a sudden it's all over the news, just like you're saying. The Clinton foundation, the initiative. We just want to break it down for you, get you some basics.

This is the Web site right here, it's clintonfoundation.org. Now this goes into a lot of detail. But what I've done is I got some graphics for you that will boil down some basics.

Let's start off with this. It's a global non-governmental organization. It has more than 800 staff and volunteers. It directs money to its own programs. It's not one of those foundations that funds outside projects. Now, former President Clinton created it to focus on what he calls health security, economic empowerment, leadership development and reconciliation programs in the areas of conflict.

Let's zoom in on the board here. This is pretty cool. They show you at the Web site a series of different projects that the foundation runs. One of them is this, the Alliance for a Healthier Generation. And here I'll show you what President Clinton said last year about that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WILLIAM JEFFERSON CLINTON, FMR. PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We're trying to stop the rise of childhood obesity by 2010 and turn it around. And we need your help to do it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEVS: So his foundation in general has a lot of very clear goals like that. California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is working with him on that specific one.

Another of the foundation's projects is this right here, the Clinton Global Initiative, which is another term you're hearing a lot about lately. Now I think we have some video of one of their latest meetings. What they do is they bring together word leaders for these gathering about the biggest challenges: poverty, hunger, the environment. They set plans to work on those issues and then they gauge their progress, Tony.

HARRIS: Got you.

So, Josh do, we have any idea how much money the foundation has raised?

LEVS: We do now. I actually just found out from the foundation. They told me $563 million. And that's part of what we're hearing is now part of this vetting process, the sources of those contributions, Tony.

HARRIS: And one more thing. The Clinton presidential library. What do we know about it?

LEVS: Yes, yet another thing we keep hearing about in the news.

The presidential library is actually a part of the foundation, technically. And I think we have some -- there you go -- some video of that one. Now, there is the thing called the Clinton Presidential Center in Little Rock. And part of that center is also the School of Public Service, which is now part of the University of Arkansas as well. That's all at that center there.

Now former President Clinton, I'll tell you, look, he is a controversial figure in U.S. politics, but when it comes to what we know about what these programs do, he's really been praised in general by world leaders and U.S. lawmakers from both parties, Tony.

HARRIS: All right, Josh, appreciate it. Thank you, sir.

LEVS: You got it, thanks.

HARRIS: Rob Marciano is tracking your fall forecast. We will check with him, that's next.

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HARRIS: That's what I'm talking about. Project Runway, expansions taking place at some of the nation's busiest airports just in time for holiday travel. Our Jeanne Meserve reports from Washington's Dulles Airport.

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JEANNE MESERVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Concrete and lots of it. New runways at three of the nation's busier airports. Seattle Tacoma, Chicago O'Hare and Washington Dulles. Mary Peters, the Secretary of Transportation says travelers will benefit. MARY PETERS, SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION: Jeanne, it is going to make a difference. It will allow us to do conduct more operations, meaning more takeoffs and landings per hour at these airport. And will help move passengers efficiently.

MESERVE: Want proof? Hartsfield Airport in Atlanta, where a new runway opened in 2006. Airport officials say capacity has increased, wait times have decreased, saving airlines $10 million each week.

A similar payoff is expected in Seattle, although saving salmon spawning grounds increased the price tag of the new runway. At O'Hare, the nation's second busiest airport, the new runway is also expected to be a big plus. But air traffic controllers at Dulles doubt the new runway there will increase capacity. There is only one taxiway between the terminal and the runway. Controllers say it's a bottleneck.

KIERON HEFLIN, NATIONAL AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS ASSN.: You're left with kind of a white elephant in the interim, until the taxiways can be completed.

MESERVE (on camera): Is that what you're calling this? Is this a white elephant?

HEFLIN: In the short term, yes. I don't believe it will be as useful as it could have been.

MESERVE (voice-over): One aviations expert says runway are not being built where they're needed most.

DARRYL JENKINS, AVIATION CONSULTANT: If we had at the nation's most congested airports, if we had even one new runway at each of them, it would do an enormous amount to relieve congestion throughout the entire nation.

MESERVE (on camera): And those airports would be --

JENKINS: LaGuardia, Newark and JFK.

MESERVE: And is that going to happen?

JENKINS: doubt it.

MESERVE (voice-over): The problem -- little land and a lot of community opposition.

(on camera): The goal of opening the runways this week was to ease holiday travel. But experts say their forecasts remain the same. If the weather is bad, flying will be bad, new runways or not.

Jeanne Meserve, CNN, Dulles International Airport.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(WEATHER REPORT) HARRIS: On the financial bailout. We've been talking about it for, what, about six weeks or so, We will see what's really being done in the next hour of CNN NEWSROOM.

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