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Big 3 Automakers Could Catch a Break; Obama's Economic Strategy Unveiled Today; O.J. Simpson Sentenced; 'Take Back the Land'; Where are the Jobs?; Voting in New Orleans
Aired December 06, 2008 - 10:01 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: Tough business decisions could soon equal taxpayer money for the struggling auto industry. That is the latest from the White House this morning.
RICHARD LUI, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, the numbers are tough to stomach. Half a million jobs lost in one month alone. The question is, what's next? Everyone is looking to the president-elect and his team.
NGUYEN: And this is sure to be a talker. Take a look at that picture. The president-elect's chief speechwriter caught on camera in a compromising position.
LUI: Shall we say.
NGUYEN: Yes. We'll get to the bottom of that story in a little bit.
But first, hello, everybody. From the CNN Center, this is CNN NEWSROOM. It is Saturday, December 6th.
Good morning. I'm Betty Nguyen.
LUI: Yes, good weekend to you. I'm Richard Lui, in for T.J. Holmes. He's off this weekend.
NGUYEN: Good to have you.
LUI: That's right. Thanks for having me. And it's what, about 10:00 a.m. this morning right here in Atlanta and 7:00 a.m. on the West Coast. If you're getting up, good morning to you as well.
Let's get you caught up on the big stories of the day.
First off for you, the nation's big three automakers could be catching a break. A senior congressional sources tells CNN aides are working this weekend on bailout loan legislation. This comes after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi softened her opposition to using $25 billion from a specific research program to develop fuel-efficient cars.
The CEOs of General Motors, Chrysler and Ford pleaded with a House committee yesterday for $34 billion in loans.
CNN's Dana Bash has more on all of this.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DANA BASH, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Auto executives returned minutes after news broke of the worst unemployment report in three decades. And the committee chairman called it evidence why Washington cannot let Detroit fail.
REP. BARNEY FRANK (D), FINANCIAL SERVICES COMMITTEE: In the midst of the worst economic situation since the Great Depression, it would be an unmitigated disaster.
BASH: Skepticism still dominated about whether $34 billion taxpayer dollars can really put struggling auto companies on the road to profitability.
REP. DONALD MANZULLO (R), ILLINOIS: We need to encourage Americans to start buying cars again, and that is not an end (ph) to the plant.
BASH: Yet, concern that an estimated three million more jobs could be lost if the big three collapse yielded signs lawmakers may finally be ready to seriously look for compromise.
REP. PETER KING (R), NEW YORK: But the fact is I think the time for posturing is gone, the time for partisanship is gone. We have to address this very, very seriously.
BASH: One idea gaining traction among Democrats, condition any loan on the government restructuring the auto companies by either an oversight board or individual appointed by the president.
But leading Republicans say they'd only go for that if auto unions gave concessions on wages and benefits, and the United Auto Workers opened the door to that.
RON GETTELFINGER, UAW PRESIDENT: Yes, sir, we are willing to go back to the bargaining table, providing everybody else comes to the table, as well.
BASH: But it could be near impossible for deeply divided lawmakers to quickly agree on major restructuring in Detroit. So one veteran Democrat suggested a short-term bridge loan to GM and Chrysler to avoid collapse. But along with his idea, a lecture.
REP. PAUL KANJORSKI (D), PENNSYLVANIA: It almost looks to me like you hope that with that target coming down on us, you're going to get us to do something and just throw the money out there and say, go ahead, do with it as you will.
BASH (on camera): And there is now a significant development that could open the door to compromise on an auto bailout. Two congressional sources tell CNN House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has backed down on her opposition to rescuing the auto industry by using money intended to make cars environmentally sound, which President Bush and congressional Republicans support. One official said that she reversed herself because the devastating job loss report changed everything and Washington simply cannot let Detroit collapse. Dana Bash, CNN, Capitol Hill.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: So, are you looking for a silver lining in all the gloomy economic news? Well, crude oil trading below $41 a barrel. How's that for you?
LUI: Wow.
NGUYEN: The CEO of Gulf Oil says we could be looking at $1 a gallon by early next year. That's still, though, little consolation to all the people who have lost their jobs, some 533,000 of them so far this month, though more than 43,000 people got the pink slip.
And in Chicago, 200 union workers at the Republic Windows & Doors company are refusing to leave. They are upset that they are not getting severance or vacation pay.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MELVIN MACLIN, LAID-OFF WORKER: We feel mistreated here. You know? And for no apparent reason, because we don't make business decisions. We only make windows. But yet, because of bad decisions, we suffer. Our families suffer.
RAUL FLORES, LAID-OFF WORKER: Well, it's really, really hard for everybody, and not just because we are losing our jobs. It is because we are losing our insurance too.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LUI: Got it.
NGUYEN: While working on the economy, Barack Obama unveiling a five-point plan this morning.
LUI: That's right. The president-elect saying we need to look past Friday's troubling numbers.
CNN Senior Political Correspondent Candy Crowley joins us live from Chicago this morning.
But Candy, before we get to that, you just sent us an e-mail and the development of perhaps another announcement there for the Obama cabinet there.
CANDY CROWLEY, CNN SR. POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes. We expect tomorrow, according to a transition source, that Barack Obama will unveil who he wants to head the Veterans Administration. This is in keeping with the whole theme of that news conference.
It is taking place on Pearl Harbor Day, the anniversary of Pearl Harbor. And the president-elect wanted to use the time to salute those who have sacrificed in the service of the U.S. military. So we are told that at that same news conference, he is going to bring forward his V.A. nominee.
LUI: All right. Great. That to us from Candy in the last five minutes.
Also, this morning, Candy, there's that new five-point plan that we began with. What's in that?
CROWLEY: Well, it's really interesting, because there has been this whole push on Capitol Hill to try to get Barack Obama to come out a little further on some of the more immediate problems, like the auto bailout, things that need to be done right now. But even as that was going on, the Obama economic team has been working on a lot of different things that fall under the umbrella of an economic recovery plan.
So Obama is starting to talk about -- indeed, talk about that in his radio address today, saying here are some of the elements. And it's not the sort of thing that you would immediately think about when you think economic recovery or job creation.
For instance, he says the U.S. government spends more on energy than any other entity on earth. So he wants to make public buildings more energy efficient, as easy as changing light bulbs, as complicated and expensive as updating the heating systems. He says this would save taxpayers billions of dollars and create jobs.
He has some other more traditional ways that he believes will put people back into jobs. In particular, construction.
LUI: And Candy, as more of this economic...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D-IL), PRESIDENT-ELECT: We will create millions of jobs by making the single largest new investment in our national infrastructure since the creation of the federal highway system in the 1950s. We'll invest your precious tax dollars in new and smarter ways, and we'll set a simple rule: use it or lose it. If a state doesn't act quickly to invest in roads and bridges in their communities, they will lose the money.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CROWLEY: He is also talking about modernizing the nation's schools, putting computers in those schools. He is talking about an upgrade for the whole Internet system, saying the U.S. runs 15th in broadband access, and he thinks that's unacceptable. Also wants to modernize and computerize hospital records.
So those are some of the points in his plan, lots of things he has talked about over the course of his campaign. But it's now coming together into one big plan which we will hear more about in the days to come.
LUI: Now Candy, with all this economic data coming out lately, will you expect then more to be coming out of the Obama transition team there than they might have said otherwise?
CROWLEY: They've been -- you know, the fact of the matter is, while he hasn't been out there saying, I want this plan, I think this is how we should bail out the auto industry, he has sort of set broad things. He said, listen, the auto industry cannot be allowed to fail. He talked about using that $25 billion pot that had been set aside to help cars become more fuel efficient as a source to help the auto industry. But he stayed away from the details, but that doesn't mean there aren't fingerprints around.
A lot of Obama people have been talking on the Hill, including Barack Obama, himself, to the leadership on Capitol Hill, and the topic of conversation has been that bailout. At this point, Obama has seemed satisfied when it comes to these immediate problems to back off a bit and let the administration and Capitol Hill take care of it.
LUI: Senior Political Correspondent Candy Crowley.
Thank you so much.
There in Chicago for us, watching what's happening there for us.
Also want to remind you we have some live coverage for you of President-elect Barack Obama. That starts at 2:00 p.m. Eastern. Stay with us for that as he will be announcing, we think, we believe, the Veterans Affairs secretary.
All right. The struggling economy is issue #1 for most Americans. So we're asking, how are you affected by the news of record job losses last month?
E-mail us at weekends@cnn.com. We'll read some of your responses later this morning.
NGUYEN: Expanding the investigation by looking a little closer to home, Indian authorities have arrested two people for selling cell phone information on the black market. And police believe it may give them insight into how the Mumbai attackers got their phones. It's part of the growing investigation that is now taking a look at a possible homegrown terror link. Police originally thought the attacks were carried out only by people from outside their borders; most likely Pakistan.
We'll continue to follow that story.
Also this -- O.J. Simpson will be calling prison home for a long time ahead. He's going to be 70...
LUI: Wow.
NGUYEN: ... before he's even eligible for parole.
LUI: That's right.
And matching empty homes with people who desperately need them, but it's illegal. NGUYEN: Plus, First Lady Laura Bush, arrives at Red Cross offices in Washington. We have a live picture right now.
Where's the first lady? There she is.
The Red Cross is collecting cards to send to American troops, and she is helping out today. Offices across the country are collecting those cards. But just remember, there is only a couple more days left if you want to take part in this important program.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LUI: It could be a long stretch for former football running great O.J. Simpson. A Nevada judge sentenced him to 33 years in prison for his part in a sports memorabilia heist in a Vegas hotel room.
CNN's David Mattingly has the story for us.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): With the cameras fixed on the fallen icon, father and sister of Ronald Goldman sitting just feet away, O.J. Simpson sounded emotional and confused.
O.J. SIMPSON, CONVICTED OF HEIST: In no way did I mean to hurt anybody, to steal anything from anyone.
MATTINGLY: But a jury said he did. And the judge couldn't hold back her scorn.
GLASS: Earlier in this case, at a bail hearing, I asked -- I said to Mr. Simpson, I didn't know if he was arrogant or ignorant or both. And, during the trial, and through this proceeding, I got the answer. And it was both.
MATTINGLY: From star athlete and movie star to tabloid pariah, for many, it was a seemingly endless tragedy that began with a low- speed chase and crashed to a halt with a nonstop trip to prison.
(on camera): O.J.'s spiraling decline is epic. Who could forget how he smiled as a jury acquitted him on charges he killed his ex- wife, Nicole, and her friend Ron Goldman? But, for the next 13 years, he continued to cross paths with the law, sparking allegations of behavior, from the violent to the absurd.
(voice-over): 2001, Simpson was cleared of charges in an alleged case of Florida road rage -- 2002, he was fined for speeding his boat through a Florida manatee zone.
In 2003, police came to his house after his 17-year-old daughter called 911, crying and asking for help after an argument. No charges were filed -- 2004, he's ordered to pay nearly $60,000 in federal fines and fees for pirating satellite TV.
In 2005, police are called again. This time, a neighbor claims he was attacked by O.J.'s girlfriend. No charges were filed. Then, in 2007, Simpson and three other men are charged in an armed robbery at a cheap Las Vegas hotel room. It was the end of O.J.'s long- debated freedom.
(on camera): It was also the end of a long and frustrating pursuit by the family of Ron Goldman, who relentlessly went after O.J.'s money. They won a $25 million judgment in damages from a wrongful death suit, but winning proved to be a lot easier for the Goldmans than collecting.
(voice-over): When the 1997 judgment was handed down, he gave up all kinds of assets, including his golf clubs and his Heisman Trophy.
But O.J. moved to Florida and found ways to legally protect millions in personal wealth. But, in 2006, the Goldmans managed to tap 90 percent of O.J.'s publishing rights to his book, "If I Did It." And, at the time of his arrest in 2007, many speculated O.J. was after his old memorabilia because he needed the money, an idea that brings Ron Goldman's father a sense of satisfaction.
FRED GOLDMAN, FATHER OF RONALD GOLDMAN: If our efforts for all these years of pushing him drove him to commit burglary, armed burglary, armed robbery in Vegas, if that pushed him over the edge, great. Put him where he belongs.
MATTINGLY: Conspiracy, robbery, burglary, kidnapping and assault with a deadly weapon, it could all add up to a 33-year sentence, with Simpson not eligible for parole until 2017.
David Mattingly, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: Well, your chance to send a holiday greeting overseas. And the Red Cross is looking for your help.
In fact, we have some live pictures. That is the first lady right there helping out as they get those cards ready to ship off. You know, there are cards that are piling up right now, but you still have some time if you want to take part. We'll show you how.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LUI: Well, some would say it's clever, resourceful and totally illegal. A group called Take Back the Land is matching up homeless people with empty homes in Miami. Now, these houses, they belong to someone else and are in foreclosure. So the homeless families, they cannot stay. Still, they are happy to have a roof over their heads, even if it's temporary.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They are going to love this space. And it's big. It has a nice yard. You know, beyond being spacious, they will all each have a room for the first time.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LUI: All right. The city of Miami is hands off here, saying it's up to the property owners to take action against the trespassers.
Well, now to one of the men breaking the locks of homes left empty because of foreclosure and helping homeless families move into them. So far, city officials, they haven't done much to intervene, as was mentioned.
Now, Max Rameau joins us live now from Miami, Take Back the Land.
Good morning to you, first of all, Max.
MAX RAMEAU, ACTIVIST, TAKE BACK THE LAND: Good morning, Richard.
LUI: You know, let's talk from the perspective of the landowners going, wait, what are you doing? I got kicked out of my own home. I don't have a place to stay. Why should you be putting somebody else in?
RAMEAU: Well, we only move families into government-owned homes or bank-owned foreclosures, not into places that are owned by individuals. So these are banks.
And looking at it from the taxpayers point of view, these banks are getting billions of dollars, literally billions of dollars in bailout money, and yet while they are getting those billions of dollars, they are allowed to keep these assets, these homes, and they are keeping them vacant. So I don't think it makes much sense for the government to give billions of dollars to these banks in grants and loans and other things while these homes are allowed to remain vacant and there are people homeless on the street. Either don't take the money, or give up the houses so people can -- human beings can benefit from them, not corporations who are going to be able to cash in later on.
LUI: Max, what has been the response from local officials and authorities, as well as those who are in the police department?
RAMEAU: Well, we have been pretty open about this since we started it in October of 2007. And we really haven't had any response to speak of.
LUI: OK. Let's take a look at this.
I was reading a local report here, and it says that Florida has the nation's second highest foreclosure rate. So you are taking advantage of that, perhaps. A hundred and seventy-eight homes in default at the moment. How much need is there out there and how much supplies are out there for all of these homeless families?
RAMEAU: Well, there's a lot of supplies. The supplies somewhat compromised by the fact that these homes are left vacant for incredibly long periods of time where no one is living in them, and that at some point, others get into them and they steal copper wiring or plumbing or things like that. So the other benefit of having these families there is they have an interest in maintaining the home in which they are staying, and the condition of the home is much better than if these places were left open and vacant. So families get a decent place to stay, and actually the property is maintained a lot better than if they weren't there.
LUI: OK. You have seen all the reports coming out lately. We had the jobless rate yesterday. Over a half a million in November.
The concern is, how many people can you help? I understand that you have helped at least six families. You got almost 10 people on a waiting list for what you are doing at Take Back the Land. Who are these people?
RAMEAU: Well, they are people who are really hurt by this crisis. A good number of families who we have helped have been evicted themselves, either foreclosures -- we've had several who have been foreclosed on and several who are renting and evicted. And they are trying to make ends meet.
And the pricing of housing still hasn't come down enough so that a good number of people can afford them. And these are just people who ran out of options. So they would go there, save a little money, and then when they move on to the next location, they would have saved enough money to pay rent.
I think the demand is there and the supply is clearly there, where you have all these vacant homes. And it's not benefiting the bank any at all right now. They are getting the money from these houses from these billions of dollars of bailouts.
So I think it's immoral to have vacant, empty homes on one side of the street and homeless families living in parks and sleeping in bushes on the other side of the street. It makes perfect sense to match these vacant homes, these peopleless (ph) homes with homeless homes.
LUI: So Max, you have no misgivings about what you are doing at all, it sounds like what you're saying. And in fact, you have taken it very personally. You have actually helped some of these people by driving them to homes, haven't you?
RAMEAU: Yes. Well, that's part of the deal. You know, if people are homeless and are struggling, oftentimes they need help moving their belongings and moving their things. So we do help them move in, we help them clean up.
We do require the residents participate in the cleanup. The residents are required to get electricity in the house. And if the electricity doesn't work because the cables have been cut or something like that, we do provide solar panels so that they have electricity in the house.
So we are interested in improving the standard of living from the street, even if it's not as improved as it could be. LUI: Max Rameau, Take Back the Land, there in Miami, trying to escape that fuzzy line between having homes as well as the issue of homeless people.
Thank you so much.
RAMEAU: Thank you.
LUI: Back to you, Betty.
NGUYEN: So you have survived a big round of layoffs? You have guilt, a lot of extra work on your hands? What do you do if you are left behind in an increasingly shrinking workplace?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LUI: And thanks for joining us.
From CNN SATURDAY MORNING, I'm Richard Lui, in for T.J. Holmes.
NGUYEN: Hello, everybody. And good morning. I'm Betty Nguyen.
All right. Well, the Labor Department reports 533,000 jobs lost in November. That is the most in a single month since 1974.
The nation's jobless rate now up 6.7 percent. That is up from October, which was 6.5 percent. 1.9 million Americans, they were put out of work this year, 1.3 in the past three months alone.
And the top four categories for job losses, take a look. Retail and manufacturing, down 91,000 and 85,000 respectively. Construction dropped 82,000 jobs, while the hotel and restaurant industry lost 54,000.
So let's give you a little bit of a bright spot, shall we? We all need it. That being health care. It gained 34,000 jobs in November and 369,000 for the year.
All right. So unemployment is up. We know this. And faith in the job market, that is down. But there are still industries that offer hope to thousands of job seekers. The health care industry, as we mentioned, is one of them, and CNN's Christine Romans says there are more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The forecasts are abysmal.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're having a heart attack in our economy.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I see that employment rate going all the way to over nine percent.
ROMANS: That job loss is well under way. Month after month, American jobs disappear. Tig Gilliam is CEO of employment services company ADECCO. His job is finding people jobs.
TIG GILLIAM, CEO, ADECCO: It's definitely going to be a tough 2009.
ROMANS: With a few exceptions.
GILLIAM: It's I.T., it's engineering, it's health care, it's finance and accounting. Those sorts of skill sets are still in strong demand and will be going forward.
ROMANS: For example, health care has added 348,000 jobs this year. Aging baby boomers and new technology mean jobs.
GILLIAM: So health care growth, it's not just nurses and doctors. It's I.T. experts. It's finance and accounting experts.
ROMANS: Consider more training, more education. The unemployment rate for college educated workers is half what it is for the population as a whole. If you can, consider moving.
GILLIAM: We find candidates who would be willing to move, but they're in a situation where they're having difficulty selling their house.
ROMANS: If you can't move, be patient. It may take months to find a new job, and don't automatically reject an offer to keep your job for less pay.
GILLIAM: I think if all other things about your employment situation are good for you, you like the industry you're in, you like the company you work for, you enjoy your job, then this is a short- term situation.
ROMANS: The goal is to keep that gap on your resume as short as possible. Good advice for the 1.9 million people who have now lost their jobs this year.
Christine Romans, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: OK. So it is a harsh reality for workers in all types of businesses. Companies forcing employees to do more with less.
So how do you minimize stress and avoid burnout in all of this? Well, career expert and author of the book "Never Check E-mail in the Morning" -- I kind of like that -- Julie Morgenstern joins us live from New York.
We'll get to that in just a minute. But first of all, a lot of people taking on some extra workload. Is there anything that they can do to really get through these tough times and not lose their jobs because they are stressed out?
JULIE MORGENSTERN, AUTHOR, "NEVER CHECK E-MAIL IN THE MORNING": Yes, absolutely. I mean, fear is one of the biggest obstacles when the workplace is shifting so dramatically. So managers, for sure, have to address the fear in their remaining employees and provide really clear guidance in where everybody should spend their time in order to ensure the most security they can possibility drum up. And focus is a very important thing.
I think managers have to define the revenue line for each and every one of their employees. Where do I want you spending your time on if nothing else gets done? So, if you give your employees and yourself very clear priorities, it quells the fear and gives everybody something to truly focus on.
NGUYEN: All right. So that's good for managers, but I'm an employee. My colleague just got fired. I'm having to do his job and my job. What do I need to do to get through it?
MORGENSTERN: You need to plan daily. You need to really develop this sort of perspective that at the end of every day, you have to look at your workload for tomorrow, plus two days beyond that, and filter it down to just what is most critical, if nothing else gets done. I have this technique called the Four Ds.
NGUYEN: Yes. I want to get to that, because number one in that technique is delete. I kind of like that, but I'm afraid that I delete too much.
So what should we delete?
MORGENSTERN: Well, you should delete anything that really, when push comes to shove, nobody is going to get hurt if it doesn't get done. We can't afford to spend time on anything that is not really critical to the revenue line of the business.
NGUYEN: So, like, all those e-mails in my mailbox that, you know, it really doesn't pertain to me, I'm just on that big list and I'm getting one -- just delete all that?
MORGENSTERN: Yes, delete that. You want to delete that. You want to delete anything that's not the best use of your time right now. And you can also, if you have a really daunting workload for the day, delay anything that can be done better at another time, when you have more information and can get it done more quickly.
NGUYEN: Yes. And there is a big difference between that and procrastination.
Another one is to delegate, right?
MORGENSTERN: Yes.
NGUYEN: So make sure that you are not taking it all on yourself when someone else can be helping you.
MORGENSTERN: Right. And when you have a smaller work team, you should really get together as a group and talk about what everybody's strengths are, because you have to re-divide the workload. And you should do it according to strength, because some people are quicker at certain tasks than others. And that's a way for a team to get through this crisis.
NGUYEN: And the last one is diminish. What do you mean by that?
MORGENSTERN: Well, diminish is really about doing whatever you need to do in a less perfectionistic way.
NGUYEN: That's hard.
MORGENSTERN: It is very hard.
NGUYEN: Especially when you're trying to keep your job and you want to show your boss that I can tackle all this, I can handle the extra workload, and I can do it to perfection.
MORGENSTERN: Yes. Well, perfection is important. You want selective perfectionism.
You want to be perfect when it comes to delivering to your clients, to your customers. But, you know, the internal memo doesn't have to be perfect anymore. And you have to be able to turn the perfectionism on and off appropriately.
NGUYEN: All right. Julie Morgenstern, thanks so much for your time today. I do appreciate it.
MORGENSTERN: Thanks for having me.
NGUYEN: And so with that, Richard, I am going to delegate and you can have the rest of this block.
LUI: All right. Very good. I was deleting e-mails, is what I was doing.
Thank you, Betty.
For those of you on the go, hitting the road in Washington, D.C., for the historic inauguration, officials say huge events like these are a magnet for scammers. So keep your eyes open. And there are still great deals out there, too.
CNN's Melissa Long has some money-saving tips.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
OBAMA: Because of what we did on this day, in this election, at this defining moment, change has come to America.
MELISSA LONG, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Millions of people are expected to be in Washington for President-elect Barack Obama's inauguration. And tickets are in high demand.
But don't get burned paying big money. The tickets are free, and you can get them by contacting your senator or representative. Be careful getting them from an unofficial source.
STEPHANIE OSWALD, TRAVELGIRLINC.COM: There are going to be scammers out there. Do your homework. Get on line. There is an official inauguration Web site, and that is inaugural.senate.gov. If a certain company or a certain type of ticket is out there that looks like a scam, it's a good idea to go there first.
LONG: Check out washington.org to help plan your trip. You can also follow destinationdc on Twitter or Washington's Facebook page.
The best way to get to the ceremony is D.C.'s Metrorail system. You might want to pay extra for the commemorative Smart Trip cards.
Getting a hotel room in D.C. may be tricky. Some are raising their rates and require a four-to-five-night stay.
OSWALD: There are always last-minute deals. Once you get closer to the actual date, there are going to be cancellations.
LONG: But don't count on it. Hotel rooms may be cheaper outside the city.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: Good to know.
Well, a candidate who wants to be Louisiana's first Vietnamese- American congressman going up against an indicted incumbent.
LUI: Yes. And Betty, this is no ordinary election.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LUI: New York Governor David Paterson says Caroline Kennedy, has shown an interest in filling Hillary Clinton's Senate seat if she becomes the next secretary of state. Paterson will not say who he is considering for that job.
And then there is a new report filed by the Republican National Committee that shows keeping Sarah Palin and her family looking good during the campaign cost even more than previously thought, close to $30,000 more on accessories, as well as spa and salon treatments. That brings the total bill to around $180,000.
NGUYEN: Really? All right.
Well, we put this one, and you might, too, in the, I don't know, bad taste file. Take a close look.
Maybe if you zoom out you get a better idea of this picture.
That is Barack Obama's chief speechwriter on the left there. And if you look at the bottom of the screen -- you're about to lose it because of the politics sign there -- his hand is on a certain part of the cutout of -- there it goes -- of Hillary Clinton.
Now, someone asked me, where is his other hand? I can't answer that, folks. This picture surfaced on Facebook for a couple of hours this week. Obama's transition team says John Favreau has offered an apology to Mrs. Clinton, but there is still no word on her response.
And, you know, call me crazy, pictures, you know, probably like this are why there are questionnaires by, say, the Obama transition team...
LUI: That's right.
NGUYEN: ... and a couple questions in particular, number 58 and 63. Let's start with 58, shall we?
LUI: All right. Let's do that.
NGUYEN: It says, "Please provide the URL address of any Web sites that feature you in either a personal or professional capacity."
This may be one of those.
LUI: That's right. You've got to be careful.
So then there is question 63, which asks about other possible sources of embarrassment. And those possible source can be many. They might be an embarrassment to you, your family, or, most importantly, the president-elect.
And again, these questions, not easy to answer.
NGUYEN: No, not at all.
LUI: If you've got secrets, forget about it.
NGUYEN: And keep in mind, this is his chief speechwriter.
LUI: Right. Right.
NGUYEN: So having a good time. Obviously it ended up on the Internet, not where he would like for it to be. It was on Facebook for a few hours then pulled down. But of course, now we all have it.
All right. Well, some voters in Louisiana still aren't finished with the 2008 elections, though they do wrap up today. Democratic Representative William Jefferson faces Republican Joseph Cao for the district that includes New Orleans. And this race, we're watching it closely, because it could result in a first.
Here is CNN's Sean Callebs.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SEAN CALLEBS, CNN NEWS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Louisiana will either be remembered for electing the first Vietnamese-American to Congress, Joseph Cao, or returning his opponent, indictment Congressman, William Jefferson to the seat he has held since 1991. Cao says couple this race with the recent election of Bobby Jindal as the first en Indian-American governor in the nation and it sends a strange message.
JOSEPH CAO (R), LOUISIANA CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATE: We can get away from the image of David Duke and some of the other politicians that have given Louisiana a bad name.
CALLEBS: Jefferson is under indictment on bribery charges. After $90,000 of federally marked money was found in his freezer back in 2005. His trial is slated to start soon. We tried to talk to Jefferson about the race, but calls weren't returned. Analysts say Jefferson's troubles are Cao's platform.
SILAS LEE, POLLSTER; I am not William Jefferson, I will not embarrass this district.
CALLEBS: Jefferson has been popular among African-Americans in the past, helping Katrina victims and the elderly. The indictment has hurt his popularity and earned the local nickname of "Dollar Bill." It's expected to be a tight race. Cao says if he's going to win in this mostly black, mostly Democratic district, he needs African- American support.
CAO: Jefferson still has his strong core of supporters who will vote for him no matter what.
CALLEBS: And experts say turnout will be key.
LEE: I don't think we will have a 10 percent turnout, if that much. A few thousand votes can determine who will win this election.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Vote for Joe!
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: December 6.
CALLEBS: Cao, an immigration attorney, has widespread support in New Orleans' vibrant and growing Vietnamese community. He calls himself a moderate Republican, agreeing with John McCain on the issue of immigration, saying it's unrealistic to deport an estimated 12 million illegal aliens. So, Cao wants to find a way to make them productive citizens in the U.S.
CAO: I know the struggles that families who are separated go through, so I believe that with my own personal experience and with my knowledge of our immigration system, I can contribute tremendously to that issue in the Congress.
CALLEBS (on camera): When Cao talks about his personal experience, he came to the U.S. just before the fall of Saigon. However, he was not reunited with his parents until 1991, 16 years later. We can't show you photos of that reunion because those, along with many other personal mementos, were washed away when Hurricane Katrina flooded his New Orleans' east home.
Sean Callebs, CNN, in New Orleans. (END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: What a story. Either way it shakes out, it's an incredible story.
LUI: Everybody is going to be watching that one.
Also, there's Hollywood stars that are about to light up the nation's capital during President-elect Barack Obama's historic inauguration.
NGUYEN: And we're going to tell you who headlines.
Plus, she is back. Yes, Britney's new album, that is next in our entertainment wrap.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Gathering holiday wishes for the troops, the Red Cross is trying to get a million cards together to send overseas, but time is running out.
Our Kate Bolduan is at the Red Cross offices in Washington, D.C.
And the first lady paid a visit there as well.
KATE BOLDUAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, it's been a very big morning here in Washington, D.C. I feel like I am in Santa's workshop right now, Betty.
You can see all the people working around me. This is the -- I guess the epicenter of Holiday Mail for Heroes, the second year of this effort that actually came to the Red Cross from Walter Reed Medical Center.
They are doing a very simple but a very big job. They are gathering, screening and sorting holiday mail, basically holiday cards, to send around the world, as well as in the United States, to service members, active as well as veterans, across the country. And as you mentioned, there is one very special volunteer that stopped by this morning, First Lady Laura Bush.
Listen here.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LAURA BUSH, FIRST LADY: So thank you all for coming out. Happy holidays.
And I want to thank all the volunteers who are here behind me for volunteering. It was very sweet to sort and read these cards and see what Americans have written to our troops.
So thanks, everybody.
(END VIDEO CLIP) BOLDUAN: So, First Lady Laura Bush stopped by this morning to help sort some cards. There are about 150, maybe a little more, volunteers here today. And Lauren Richards is one of them.
Lauren, what are you guys doing here? How does this process work?
LAUREN RICHARDS, VOLUNTEER: We are sorting the cards to be sure that the messages contained in them are appropriate and nothing that you wouldn't want someone serving overseas or even a veteran to read and possibly be offended. Most of the cards are perfectly fine, and people have taken a lot of time to write really nice messages. So it's nice to see.
BOLDUAN: What brought you out here today? I mean, it's Saturday. Many people are out holiday shopping rather than here at the Red Cross. Why did you come out today?
RICHARDS: Well, I heard about the opportunity to do this through work, but the real reason I am here is because I know what it's like to have a family member who is serving during the holiday season.
My brother was in the Marines for five years. And we went through a couple of Thanksgivings and Christmases without him. Luckily, he is safe, but it's nice to give back.
BOLDUAN: Thank you so much, Lauren.
See, I guess that really shows it, Betty. A simple thing, just sending a holiday card. But as you can see from Lauren, it really does mean a lot for someone who is spending many holidays away from their family members.
Now, I should remind you that, as you said, time is running out. They have been trying to gather these cards since November. The deadline has to be postmarked by December 10th. And the best way to find where to send these holiday cards is just to go to redcross.org, and you can kind of navigate the Web site from there.
(CROSSTALK)
NGUYEN: Yes, we have it up for you.
BOLDUAN: Oh, perfect.
NGUYEN: So for folks who are wanting to send them, again, make sure that they are the holiday cards that are absolutely appropriate. Because if they are not, they are going to screen for it. You know, usually, looking at other people's mail is a federal offence. Not in these case, folks. They want to make sure these are legitimate.
All right. Thank you, Kate.
LUI: They've got to make sure they are right.
NGUYEN: Yes. LUI: All right. We have been hearing from all of you, our viewers, this morning, with your concerns about this troubling job market.
NGUYEN: We have asked how you have been affected by the record job losses that were announced this week. And our Josh Levs has been going through your e-mails. This is totally legal too.
Josh, what are you finding?
JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: After that great stuff from Kate. But what can you do? This is what people are telling us. And unfortunately, these are your stories.
Let's just zoom right into the screen. We're grabbing them off the e-mail, throwing them right up here, showing you what you've got.
"I'm a seventh grade history teacher. My wife's employer outsourced her job to India. She has been in the travel industry for over 20 years. I'm extremely depressed."
That's from Joe Delgardo.
Let's go down a little bit here.
"I have been unemployed for 10 months actively looking for another position in insurance. I have expanded my search to over 800 miles from my home. It has not only changed my life, but those of my family and friends. It's a gut-wrenching situation with little hope for the future."
You know what? Let's go to the slightly happier one, just to tie it up with this.
"Dear Betty and Company, In light of this week's jobs report, I feel so thankful that I found a job. I was unemployed for four months. My new salary is $30,000 less though than my last one."
That's coming to us at weekends@cnn.com. You can also send us an iReport here, ireport.com.
Have you lost your job? Let us know your stories. We're going to keep sharing them here on this program both today, tomorrow, and in future weeks -- guys.
NGUYEN: All right. Thank you, Josh.
Well, the kids want the toy, right? Toys from the toys store, all of it, all those things that they can find, you want it as a kid.
LUI: Yes.
NGUYEN: But Santa is on a fiscal diet, as we like to call it these days. So how are parents actually breaking the news?
LUI: That's right. And special delivery from Detroit's newspaper. We will tell you about the urgent message being hand-delivered to members of Congress, and what the city thinks about a massive auto loan too.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(MUSIC)
NGUYEN: That one just gets stuck in your head.
LUI: Yes. It makes you want to stand up on a Saturday morning and go, hey, right? Get moving.
That was pop princess, obviously, Britney Spears, who is on a hot comeback, Britney Spears is at the moment.
Celebrities are already locking in their party plans for inauguration. Right?
NGUYEN: Plus, we also have an update on singing sensation Jennifer Hudson and her family tragedy.
So I went straight to the source for the latest, and that being, of course, Ken Baker from the E! Entertainment Channel.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KEN BAKER, E! ENTERTAINMENT: This week, we just found out that William Balfour, who is the estranged husband of Jennifer's sister, was arrested. That wasn't a surprise to anyone. And the police have come out and said that their possible motive was that he was jealous about a lover that she had had and there were some issues there.
But Jennifer has really been -- taken herself out of the limelight. She has been holed up with her family. She has been appearing in a Gap ad through this entire thing, and Gap said, well, they really couldn't pull the ad and Jennifer supported it. It was a little bit awkward.
She is supposed to be back on tour doing some promotion. And in fact, back in October when the murders happened, she was set to be on a plane to Japan to promote her album. She never got to do that, and we're told that after the holidays, she is going to reassess everything and try to get back out there and start working.
NGUYEN: Hollywood is going to be descending on D.C. for the big inauguration, the balls and the parties, the concerts and whatnot. Who is on tap? I mean, who is going to be a part of this?
BAKER: Basically, entire the Hollywood celebrity industrial complex is going to be moving to D.C. for that week. It's really shaping up that way.
Let's just get it out of the way. Everyone wants to know, Oprah, what is she going to be doing?
NGUYEN: Right.
BAKER: Of course, she is going to be there. She is going to be hosting a private party, but she's also going to be doing a live version of "The Oprah Winfrey Show" the day before the inauguration, on that Monday, from D.C.
The details are sketchy. We do know it's going to be at the Kennedy Center Opera House. It's going to be a big to-do. Expect a lot of celebrities to be there.
NGUYEN: And last but not least, she is back. I mean, this is a woman whose new album, what, called "Circus"? And it's pretty fitting, because her life has been a circus over these past months.
BAKER: Yes, Britney is definitely back. And this was a really big week for her.
On Tuesday, she turned 27. And it was the same day that her album came out. And we expect her to really sell well.
She will, my sources say, open up at number one. We'll find out Tuesday what the results are, but it will be about a half a million copies.
Now, she also announced that she is going to be going on tour. She is going to be in March and April, in 27 cities, starting off in New Orleans, ending in Chicago. And whether or not she is actually going to sell out that concert tour is really up in the air. She hasn't been on tour for over four years.
NGUYEN: Yes. And aren't they asking like $50 a pop for those tickets?
BAKER: Yes, ,it starts at about $40 or $50 and goes up to $700.
NGUYEN: You're kidding? Get out of here.
BAKER: Oh, come on. You know you already bought your tickets. Please. Don't pretend here.
NGUYEN: Well, I don't know if I could throw $700 on line. I mean, Britney Spears, her music's fine, but that is steep for a concert.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LUI: And good morning to you. You are in the CNN NEWSROOM. The news is unfolding live on this Saturday, the 6th day of December.
I'm Richard Lui, in for T.J. Holmes. He is off this weekend.
Good morning to you.
NGUYEN: Well, thanks for being with us today.
Hello, everybody. I'm Betty Nguyen.
