Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Newsroom
Illinois Governor Accused of Corruption; Window Factory Workers Continue Sit-In; Congress Nears Deal for Automakers; Workers Retrain for Available Jobs; Obama Meets with Gore to Talk Energy
Aired December 09, 2008 - 13:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, HOST: Thanks, Tony.
All right. We are going to begin this hour with the breaking news from Chicago right where Tony left off, where early this morning the FBI came knocking on the door of the Illinois governor. All things quickly went downhill from there.
The feds are accusing Rod Blagojevich of a staggering web of corruption, up to and including trying to sell the U.S. Senate seat of President-elect Barack Obama. If you were with us last hour you heard the U.S. attorney outline the charges.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PATRICK FITZGERALD, U.S. ATTORNEY: This is a sad day for government. It's a very sad day for Illinois government. Governor Blagojevich has taken us to a truly new low.
Governor Blagojevich has been arrested in the middle of what we can only describe as a political corruption crime spree. We acted to stop that crime spree.
The most appalling conduct Governor Blagojevich engaged in, according to the complaint filed today, or unsealed today, is that he attempted to sell the Senate seat. The Senate seat he had the sole right under Illinois to appoint to replace President-elect Obama.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: Well, earlier we heard from Chicago Mayor Richard Daley. Here's what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAYOR RICHARD DALEY, CHICAGO: Just like you, I just found out this morning, and it's a sad day. and you have to wait for the press conference to find out the information that -- why he was arrested. No one knows. It's all speculation so far.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: Now, Blagojevich has been on the feds' radar for a long time, but the case really picked up speed in the past month. We're going to talk to "Chicago Sun-Times" Chris Fusco in just a second. He's going to fill in the blanks for us. But let's go ahead and get to Jeffrey Toobin with the legal aspects here. Jeffrey, it's a made-for-TV movie. It's like Watergate times, what, ten?
OK. Jeffrey Toobin, we're going to try and get linked up. Can you hear me, Jeffrey?
OK. All right. We're going to -- we're going to hopefully get to Jeffrey Toobin on the legal aspects in just a second. Also, we're also trying to connect with Chris Fusco with the "Chicago Sun-Times."
Meanwhile, while we wait for those two, it takes a lot to shock.
We do have Chris? Chris Fusco. OK. Apologize for this, ladies and gentlemen. Chris Fusco on the line with us now from the "Chicago Sun-Times."
Chris, can you hear me OK?
CHRIS FUSCO, CHICAGO SUN-TIMES: I can hear you. Hoping you can hear me.
PHILLIPS: I can hear you perfectly. Thanks, Chris. Now, you know, things are happening by the second here. I'm sure you're just as busy as we are. But you have been investigating the governor for a while now. Why don't you sort of give me the background on what the smoking gun was and how it got to this point today.
FUSCO: I guess we're not surprised at all that the governor's indicted, but I guess what we are surprised by is that it's happened so quickly. I mean, these allegations focused on, basically, the U.S. Senate seat once being held by President-elect Barack Obama, effectively being for sale, us what the feds are alleging. Also alleging a shakedown of the Tribune company and "Chicago Tribune" over the sale of Wrigley Field.
PHILLIPS: And so at what point did you get on to the investigative trail? Have you -- just to get a little background on you, Chris -- have you always been involved following the governor? Or was it specifically this case that you were assigned to?
FUSCO: No, no. Sure. We'd been investigating Rod Blagojevich since 2003, since we had some questions raised about the involvement of his chief fundraisers in a casino deal in the state.
And since then we've documented numerous situations where state jobs and contracts have been awarded, you know, seemingly in exchange for campaign contributions to the governor. This has been swirling for several years. And finally today, we're seeing this activity being codified in a federal court document.
PHILLIPS: So he's far from being squeaky clean?
FUSCO: I think that's what the allegations are saying. I know that the U.S. -- U.S. attorney confirmed that suspicion. But no. We've been reporting, I mean, numerous contracts. And a lot of the things that we're seeing, there was a lot of talk this summer about a Barack Obama fund-raiser named Tony Rezko. And Tony Rezko went on trial this summer. And Tony Rezko was much more heavily involved with Rod Blagojevich in corruption than he was with Barack Obama in corruption. You know.
But obviously, the U.S. attorney today said there's no implication of the president-elect doing anything wrong. But that raised the profile on Blagojevich, and his name was mentioned repeatedly during Rezko's trial.
PHILLIPS: And so, you know, how far does this battle go back between the "Chicago Tribune" and the governor? Because the "Chicago Tribune," obviously, has not played very favorable towards the governor. It's a Republican-leaning newspaper. Is this something that's sort of been inside politics there in Chicago for a while?
FUSCO: No. I think -- I think the -- I think the mood over at the "Tribune," you know, without being in their newsroom, both papers had written editorials lambasting the governor for these pay-to-play activities. And I guess it's some of the parts that really got the ball rolling in this.
We did an analysis back in early '04 that basically showed that several, you know, major state contractors doing millions of dollars in business and contributing tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of dollars to Governor Blagojevich.
The Tribune chairman, Sam Zell, actually contributed, I believe, a six-figure -- a six-figure sum or somewhere in the neighborhood thereabouts to Governor Blagojevich before he became head of the Tribune company.
PHILLIPS: Chris Fusco with the "Chicago Sun-Times." Chris, stay on the beat. We'll look forward to talking to you again as you get more developments as you investigate this ongoing case. Thanks, Chris.
Now, it takes a lot to shock our senior legal analyst, Jeffrey Toobin, but I think that the Blagojevich case comes pretty close. Am I right, Jeff?
JEFFREY TOOBIN, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: You are totally right. This is amazing.
If this had simply been the arrest of Blagojevich in this long- running investigation for pay-to-play -- the so-called Rezko scandal was a part of it -- that would have been disheartening, but not all that surprising.
But what makes this so incredible are the allegations that the governor tried to use Illinois's financial resources in the Wrigley Field deal to get these editorial writers fired. And then even more incredible, that he would essentially try to sell Barack Obama's seat in the United States Senate. Well, it's just totally incredible and, frankly, very surprising to me. PHILLIPS: Well, it's interesting. You know, you look at that end of things and think, whew. Louisiana politics. We go back to the days of Huey Long. Right? And then I also think, "Hmm. Watergate of 2008" because of all the secret recordings.
PHILLIPS: Well, I guess you're -- you're more cynical than I am. I didn't think things were that -- this bad. I really didn't.
PHILLIPS: It's not -- it's not that bad.
TOOBIN: I mean, this is just -- the quotes from the wiretaps. You know, the most cynical interpretation of politics is completely justified, based on how Governor Blagojevich appears to have run his office.
And the idea that Blagojevich would appoint someone because they might be a good senator seems never to have crossed his mind. It is all about how he could get more money, how he could get money for his wife, how he could advance his political career, how he could set himself up to run for president in 2016, an option that I think is probably not going to be available to him, is just breathtaking.
PHILLIPS: And I'm trying to find, and I don't know if you have it with you. I'm kind of going through all the wires right now. Now do you by chance have any of the quotes from the tapes?
TOOBIN: I have -- I have one quote here...
PHILLIPS: OK.
TOOBIN: ... that I am sure the office of the president-elect is going to focus on a great deal, because fortunately for Obama, Blagojevich is quoted several times, complaining about Obama's lack of responsiveness to him, complaining that Obama's not really on the team.
And there's one quote here, which I'm sure you'll be seeing a lot, where he says, "Obama's people, they're not willing to give me anything except appreciation." Then he uses a colorful word to say "them."
That, I'm sure, no one has ever been happier to be insulted by someone than Barack Obama is by Blagojevich.
PHILLIPS: He's probably relieved.
TOOBIN: Very relieved. So Obama is fortunate in his enemies today.
PHILLIPS: Well, and just want to make the point, too, that the U.S. attorney is quoted as saying, "We make no allegations that Obama was aware of any alleged scheming by arrested Illinois governor."
Real quickly, Jeffrey, who's going to pick the Senate seat? Will it be the lieutenant governor? TOOBIN: Well, it certainly looks that way. Although as I understand it, and as I heard in the press conference, there is no provision at the moment for an acting governor. So as I get it now, Blagojevich is still the governor of Illinois.
Certainly, the U.S. Senate would not seat anyone. The U.S. Senate has control over its own membership. They would not seek anyone whom Blagojevich purported to appoint. So I don't think that's going to happen any time soon.
But the issue of who's governor of Illinois, that's going to be sorted out on a moment to moment basis.
PHILLIPS: All right. We'll keep talking. Jeffrey Toobin, thanks so much.
TOOBIN: OK.
PHILLIPS: All right. You won't be shocked to learn that the Illinois GOP is demanding Blagojevich quit or be impeached now. The state Republican chairman acknowledged the governor, like anybody else, is presumed innocent until proven guilty but he said, and we quote, "The people's work should be placed ahead of Governor Blagojevich's legal troubles."
Well, the governor denies wrongdoing.
And one of the governor's last public meetings before his arrest was with laid-off workers staging a sit-in at a factory. It closed suddenly last week, you may remember. And the governor supports those workers. They vow to keep sitting there until they get severance and vacation pay.
CNN's Susan Roesgen is there.
It's pretty interesting, Susan. The governor was really taking the side of the people, saying he was going to boycott any work with Bank of America. He was looking like quite a hero. And then, boom, today happened. You've got to wonder if he knew what was coming. And that's why he was doing what he was doing.
SUSAN ROESGEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I don't know. The audacity of what he said here yesterday would be -- pretty high, then, if that's the case, Kyra.
I've got to tell you, workers here are still focused on their own futures more than the governor's, but yesterday, there was such excitement, when they knew that he was coming, that the governor was going to support them. He came, he did support them. And then reporters asked him about the allegations of corruption in his administration, and he was so defiant, Kyra. He dared reporters and investigators to tape his conversations.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. ROD BLAGOJEVICH (D), ILLINOIS: If anybody wants to tape my conversations, go right ahead. Feel free to do it. I appreciate anybody who wants to tape me openly and notoriously. And those who feel like they want to sneakily and wear, you know, taping devices, I would remind them that it kind of smells like Nixon in Watergate. But I don't care whether you tape me privately or publicly. I can tell you that whatever I say is always lawful.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROESGEN: Wow. Can you believe that? That's what he said here yesterday after supporting the workers at this window factory.
By the way, the sit-in, this peaceful operation continues today. In less than on hour now, Kyra, they're going to have some more negotiations with Bank of America. So we may have a resolution later today.
Certainly, that's what the workers here want, even though they know that the attention, the national attention now, is not with them. It is with what's happening with our governor here in Illinois -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Well, we will definitely stay on top of that story, as well. It's important to follow what's happening there at the factory, especially in the state of the economy. Susan Roesgen, thank you so much.
And this time yesterday, a $15 billion rescue plan for the Big Three U.S. automakers was almost in the bag. Today, a $15 billion rescue plan for the Big Three U.S. automakers is almost in the bag. We think, maybe.
Congress and the White House still going back and forth, chiefly over worst-case scenarios. Republicans want to be able to take drastic measures if the companies don't meet the government's terms for restructuring.
And speaking of restructuring, well, Sony is the latest household name to cut jobs. The electronics giant is trimming its worldwide workforce by 4 percent or 8,000 positions.
And remember life before the economic meltdown? Well, it turns out those weren't the good old days. A new batch of census data shows from 2005 to 2007, household income fell in small towns and big cities alike, and the poverty rate jumped.
Well, following the action today with CNN's Kate Bolduan on Capitol Hill and Allan Chernoff in New York and pointing out the growth sectors in the shrinking economy.
Well, the Big Three holding their big breath, waiting on the green light for their financial aid package. That's assuming they get one of them. Let's start with Kate Bolduan.
Hey, Kate.
KATE BOLDUAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, there, Kyra. Well, you summed it up pretty well. They almost had it in the bag yesterday. They almost have it again in the bag today. These are incremental developments, behind-closed-doors meetings. They're working together. Congressional Democrats, they're trying to get Republicans on board as well as working with the White House, trying to negotiate, continuing discussions.
Congressional Democratic aides tell CNN that again today congressional staffers are meeting with, have met with, White House staffers, trying to work out the differences between their draft proposals.
Now, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid saying that there really were only a couple unresolved issues that he said he hoped would be wrapped up and figured out by today. Well, it just looks like they do still have some work to do.
Listen here to both of the Senate leaders.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. HARRY REID (D-NV), MAJORITY LEADER: The American people want us to try to resolve this issue. But my friend is right. It can't -- it can't be an issue. As strongly connected as I am to organized labor, it can't be a one-sided proposal that is brought before the Senate.
SEN. MITCH MCCONNELL (R-KY), MINORITY LEADER: There are times when help is need. But one thing most people expect when they're asked for help is that the one asking makes a commitment to change. This proposal does not go nearly far enough. It holds neither management nor labor truly accountable.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BOLDUAN: There you're hearing from the Senate Republican leader, Mitch McConnell, laying out some of the concerns that he and some Senate Republicans share in terms of what they've seen in it draft proposal.
It's important to note that support from Senate Republicans is key, is crucial, at least enough support to get past that 60-vote threshold that we talk about, Kyra.
Now, we do hear from both sides that the talks are ongoing. Congressman Barney Frank, one of the lead negotiators in this deal, in this ongoing discussions with the White House, told reporters from leaving an economic forum this morning that he is absolutely sure there will be an agreement today. So there's at least one vote of confidence from one member of Congress this afternoon.
PHILLIPS: All right. Kate Bolduan on the Hill. Kate, thanks so much.
Now, with all the news about massive job cuts, are any companies actually hiring? The answer, yes. You've just got to know where to look.
CNN's Allan Chernoff reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MARIA TESSINARI, NURSE: Hi.
ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Maria Tessinari changed careers to become a nurse, knowing that in her new profession, she'd be marketable, no matter how bad the economy.
TESSINARI: I knew that I would graduate and have a job, and all my friends who I graduated nursing school with all have jobs.
CHERNOFF: Even during the worst recession in decades, health care professions added 34,000 positions last month, while the economy was losing more than half a million jobs, an important reasons more Americans are following Maria's example.
MARY MUNDINGER, DEAN, COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF NURSING: Columbia has a program specifically designed for career changers, and we've seen that program become more competitive every year. This year it was a huge increase. In November, over November, applications were up 50 percent.
CHERNOFF: To meet demand for nursing education, Columbia is hiring instructors. Many other universities are hiring, in spite of the recession, because in tough economic times, many people go back to school to boost their skills.
In fact, some for-profit schools are thriving. The stock of education company Apollo Group has climbed 60 percent in the past six months, while the Dow Industrial Average was plummeting.
Beyond education, other fields are still seeing job growth: computer systems design, management and technology consulting, oil and gas drilling, and logging. Accounting and financial analysis also remain in demand.
DAWN FAY, ROBERT HALF INTERNATIONAL: It will almost create more opportunity in the analysis, budgeting, and forecasting area when times are tougher, because people are watching every dollar that much more closely. So there's certainly opportunity that does get created.
TESSINARI: And if it doesn't, promise you'll let me know?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK.
TESSINARI: OK. You're very welcome. Call down next to you (ph).
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: Allan joins us now in New York.
Allan, for some people it's obviously tougher than for others. So let's say you work in an industry that really is seriously downsizing, like auto manufacturing. What can an auto company employee facing layoff do?
CHERNOFF: Well, of course, it depends what you do for the auto company. If you're a manager, if you're in promotions, advertising, you can pretty easily transfer your skills, perhaps move over to another consumer products type of company.
But if you're on the line, if you're an actual assembly worker, well, obviously, there are not going to be that many new jobs coming going forward. A lot of job cutting. So those sorts of people, it's a good time to be retraining, get new skills.
There are auto workers who have become nurses. I know of one who's an economist. Another I learned of this morning who's actually studying for her Ph.D. to become a psychiatrist. So you never know what somebody can accomplish.
Now, if the auto worker wants to continue using his or her hands, well, obviously, there is, there are other areas to be working. Utility companies have been hiring. So perhaps working up on the poles, on the electricity wires, that sort of thing. Or perhaps even oil rigs. That is an area where there is a lot of growth, a lot of demand over there.
PHILLIPS: Wow. Well, that's good news to hear about the various areas that do have jobs.
It's also the holidays. A lot of folks might think this is, you know, not a time to be job hunting. And that no one's in the office or paying attention. Is that true? Should they wait until after New Year's?
CHERNOFF: Well, here we are. We're working. Other people are working, as well.
PHILLIPS: That's a good point.
CHERNOFF: In fact, some recruiters say this is an especially good time to be doing informational interviews, to be networking. Perhaps the offices are a little bit slower. People are still in the offices so they have the time to meet with you to do an interview. So by all means, recruiters say this is a very good time to get your name out there.
PHILLIPS: All right. Allan Chernoff, thanks.
We want to help you find a job. That's our focus today. So e- mail us with your questions about today's job market. CNNnewsroom@CNN.com. We'll get to work on it, and we're going to have some answers for you later in the hour.
Jacqui Jeras, what's this possible tornado in Louisiana?
JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes. We've been tracking this one for a little while now, Kyra. And we could be seeing one, maybe two tornadoes on the ground with this.
This is from LaSalle and Caldwell parishes in Louisiana, and it does have a history of producing damage as it moves through the Alexandria area. The Red Cross is reporting that two possible tornados touching down here and caused some damage to buildings and homes, and that there are several power outages in the area, as well.
Here's the storm itself right now. And we're going to give you a 3-D perspective on this thing. Thing is an incredibly intense storm. The cloud tops on this thing extend up about 50,000 feet into the atmosphere. The reflectivity, we call it. These bright purple bandings that you see there, indicating some extremely large hail, as well.
Here's the town of Jena. I know you're familiar with that one, Kyra. And the vortex signature is just to the north and the west of that area. So a tornado may be on the ground at this time.
We'll continue to track the situation. Watches also in effect across much of central and northern Louisiana into Mississippi until five o'clock tonight -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: OK. We'll keep checking in. Thanks, Jacqui.
Political tongues are wagging as Barack Obama sits down with Al Gore in Chicago. Could this mean the former VP might be eying a job in the Obama administration? We'll have a live report.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Well, with the arrest of the governor of Illinois, a lot of people are wondering who now will appoint the senator to replace President-elect Barack Obama? A lot of speculation over that now, of how that's going to happen.
Senator Dick Durbin now coming forward with an idea. How about a special election? He spoke just a few minutes ago.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. DICK DURBIN (D), ILLINOIS: This is a sad day for my state of Illinois. Our system of justice giving anyone accused of a crime the right to defend himself in court, and Governor Blagojevich will have that opportunity.
But if the allegations -- and I read them this morning -- in the criminal complaint against Governor Blagojevich are proven true, he has clearly abused the public trust. I think the Illinois General Assembly should enact a law as quickly as possible calling for a special election to fill the Senate vacancy of Barack Obama. No appointment by this governor under these circumstances could produce a credible replacement.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: Well, we'll follow it and, of course, see what happens.
Meanwhile, political speculation in overdrive this hour as President-elect Barack Obama and former vice president, Al Gore, meet face to face. The two men, along with Vice President-elect Joe Biden, apparently are talking about energy and climate change, but is there more going on here?
CNN's Elaine Quijano joins us now live from Chicago.
Elaine, you're in the hot spot in Chicago today.
QUIJANO: Yes, that's absolutely right. As far as this meeting goes, which is scheduled to be taking place at this hour, here in Chicago, at President-elect Obama's transition headquarters.
Democratic officials are insisting, Kyra, that the president- elect is not -- is not -- looking to tap the former vice president as some kind of cabinet-level position or for some other job inside the Obama administration. In fact, they say this is really a meeting that's going to be focused on talking about energy and climate change issues.
Certainly not a surprise. Al Gore, of course, won the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts in trying to raise awareness about global warming. His documentary, of course, "An Inconvenient Truth," garnered a couple of Oscar awards.
But it remains a fact that the president-elect has yet to name his pick for energy secretary, for EPA administrator. And so I asked a spokeswoman for the former vice president, is the vice -- is the former vice president interested in serving in an Obama administration?
And what she said was that the vice president feels now his calling, really, is to educate Americans about the climate crisis. She said he already feels he's sort of doing that right now in his role at the Alliance for Climate Protection.
But she didn't -- she didn't close the door completely, Kyra. I said point blank, "So he is not interested then?"
And she said, "Well, I didn't say that, but he certainly feels very fulfilled in the roles that he's doing now." He understands very much the importance of public service, but he really feels his calling right now is to educate the public -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: It could be a position that he could completely rework in a time that a lot of people are going to be focusing on what that individual does.
Meanwhile, Elaine, I'm just curious if Obama has come forward and made any comments yet about the governor and the arrest today?
QUIJANO: We haven't heard anything. And I can tell you, the cameras are supposed to be allowed into that meeting that is taking place at this hour. We have not heard of any kind of update out of that yet, but certainly, we're waiting to see if perhaps reporters toss a question to the president-elect about this. They're certainly aware of this, but right now there is just no comment from any of the transition aides on this story.
PHILLIPS: All right. Elaine Quijano, thanks so much.
A big majority of Americans appear to be very happy with the way the president-elect is managing things as he gets ready to run the country. In a new CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll, 79 percent approved of the way Obama is handling the presidential transition. Eighteen percent disapprove.
At this time eight years ago, 65 percent approved of the way that President Bush was handling the transition. In 1992, Bill Clinton had a 62 percent approval rating.
Job pointers from an expert. Hillary Clinton has dinner with Condoleezza Rice after some briefings at the State Department. We're going to tell you how things turned out.
Snow season in the upper Midwest, and the region is getting a lot of it today. Plus, there's the threat of tornadoes in the southeast. We're going to check out the busy weather map with Jacqui Jeras.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: One twenty-nine Eastern Time. Here are the stories that we're working on in the CNN NEWSROOM.
Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich and his chief of staff under arrest, both charged with conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, and solicitation of bribery. The FBI claims the governor tried to sell President-elect Obama's Senate seat.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid says a vote on a $15 billion loan package for the Big Three automakers could come as early as today. The core of the deal would provide emergency loans to GM and Chrysler. Ford says it doesn't need an immediate cash transfusion.
Officials in San Diego are searching now for a child missing at the site of a military jet crash. The plane crashed yesterday in a residential area, killing three people.
(WEATHER REPORT)
PHILLIPS: MBA for hire? Where you headed? A New York cabbie's unique and unusual way of looking for a job.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BUSINESS HEADLINES)
PHILLIPS: And that recession Susan talks about, has hit a lot of people hard, like James Williamson. But he does have a job as a New York cabby, and he's got an MBA from La Salle University. He pounded the streets for four months searching for a job in his field, nothing. So, he got his taxi license and he posted his resume in the back of the cab, he says, as a last resort.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JAMES WILLIAMSON, NYC CABBIE WITH MBA DEGREE: The job market was tough. I'm basically looking for something in my field, marketing, you know? And my undergraduate is electronics. And I was trying to do, maybe technical sales, or something where I could use both degrees. And it got to a point, where I said, I'll just take anything, customer service. And I couldn't even get that. So, anything right now. I took my MBA off the resume a couple times.
JOHN ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: So, technical jobs, marketing job, just nothing was panning out.
WILLIAMSON: Nothing, no.
ROBERTS: So, what made you decide to get your HAC license here and start driving the streets of New York?
WILLIAMSON: Well, I always like driving. And I figured, a HAC license, I'd always have guaranteed work. You know, if I get laid off, or something happens later on, I can always get up at 4:00 a.m. and drive. It's fun. You meet different people. It's a fun job.
ROBERTS: So, the cab costs you what? You're saying about $108 a day minus gas. How much money are you taking home every night?
WILLIAMSON: Anywhere from about $130 to $180 on the days. Sometimes $200 on a Saturday, if it's good. It's all a luck game. It depends on where the people are. Being at the right place at the right time.
ROBERTS: Yes. May not be MBA money, but it's better than nothing.
WILLIAMSON: It's paying the bills, yes. Right now, yes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: Well, James says that some passengers have offered supportive comments and business cards. But so far, no job offers.
Next hour we're going to focus on people like James, who are facing hard times in this recession. We may have some ideas for you as well, on what kind of jobs are out there.
And job training for Hillary Clinton. The likely new secretary of state, visited the State Department for briefings yesterday and then dinner with the woman who now holds the job. Condoleezza Rice. Zain Verjee joins us now from Washington.
So Zain, were you there?
(LAUGHTER)
ZAIN VERJEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall, Kyra. Unfortunately. Would you believe it?
PHILLIPS: No! I can't believe you weren't invited. Hello! The you're the State Department correspondent. What's up with that?
VERJEE: The audacity. The audacity. Oh, my goodness.
Well, what I can tell you is that they have dinner for a couple of hours. It was a one-on-one only at Secretary Rice's apartment in D.C. On the menu last night, Kyra, America's crises and how to handle them. State Department spokesman Sean McCormack wouldn't really get into specifics, but here;s what he said just a short while ago.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEAN MCCORMACK, STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN: It's the first of several of these meetings. And they kind of just very generally about policy. The challenges. The opportunities. Talked a little bit about the job of secretary of state. Talked about, you know, the quote, un-quote building here, managing a big operation.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VERJEE: McCormack went on to say that the two have a good and easy relationship, Kyra. They have in fact, met before. He said, they met back in the '90's, when Senator Clinton brought her daughter Chelsea for a visit to Stanford University when Rice was there. And they've had a pretty friendly relationship since then. And as you know, Rice has said before that Hillary Clinton would do a great job as the next top diploma -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: So, what would the State Department do to help Hillary Clinton set up her new gigs?
VERJEE: Well, what they're doing right now is really trying to make the transition as smooth as possible. They've given the team office space. Support staff to help with any questions. Multiple transition papers, a briefing book. And what they've also done is to tell ambassadors around the world to write a status report of their countries to make it a smooth as possible transition.
PHILLIPS: So, what was the menu?
VERJEE: Well, that's the key question, really.
(LAUGHTER)
PHILLIPS: The first key question was, why in the hell weren't you invited? The second key questions is, what did they eat and was it healthy?
VERJEE: Well, I don't think you would approve, Kyra. Because it was pretty healthy. There was mushroom soup, there was sea bass, wild rice. There was fruit for dessert. Secretary Rice though, Kyra, did not actually cook, although I've heard she make as pretty mean fried chicken.
PHILLIPS: Well, you come over to my house. I'll make you whatever you want.
VERJEE: You a good cook?
PHILLIPS: Oh, not bad. All right. See you later.
Well, a case of mistaken symptoms. Police thought he was drunk. But, he was really in shock. We're going to tell you what happened, next.
Also, something smells in Springfield. That's what the FBI is claiming. We're all over the arrest of Illinois' governor.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Important cancer news today. International health experts are reporting a troubling trend. In another year, cancer could surpass heart disease as the world's No. 1 killer and the news gets more grim. Scientists believe by 2030, actually, there will be 27 million new cancer cases worldwide. 17 million deaths due to cancer, and 75 million people will be living with cancer five years after diagnosis.
Compare that now to 2007, there were e 12 million new cancer cases, and 7.6 million cancer deaths. One major culprit, tobacco. 1.3 billion around the world smoke. That makes tobacco the No. 1 avoidable cause of death and disease.
And a new study suggests that when it comes to surviving a heart attack, gender matters. Researchers say that women are more likely to die than men if suffering a severe heart attack. ANd that's because female heart attack victims are less likely to get timely treatment or recommended medicines than men. The study examined treatment for more than 78,000 heart attack victims nationwide. Experts say that women's heart attack symptoms are still not taking seriously. The study is in The American Heart Association's journal circulation.
Well, an Oklahoma man's in diabetic shock gets tasered and handcuffed by police. It happened last month in El Reno, Oklahoma. And it was all caught on the police cruiser's dashboard camera.
Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHIEF KEN BROWN, EL RENO POLICE: It's unfortunately (INAUDIBLE) felt extremely bad after they learned that in fact it was a medical need and not someone who was under the influence of an intoxicant drug, or alcohol.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: Well, Chief Brown says that his officers are trained to spot the difference between someone being under the influence and a diabetic patient. Obviously that didn't happen here. They apparently missed some of the signals. Once they realized the man needed help, he was rushed to the hospital. Most of America got to know him at Captain Kirk from Star Trek. Now America William Shatner on "Boston Legal." What's the next enterprise for the captain? He's revealing that and all his other secrets, coming up in the CNN NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Well, he's played Captain James C. Kirk, Sergeant T.J. Hooker, the freaked out guy on the plane in the "Twilight Zone." And now actor William Shatner is finishing up his run as quirky and womanizing lawyer, Denny Crane, on ABC's "Boston Legal." And let me tell you what, what a finale, a wedding between Denny and fellow lawyer and best friend, Alan.
Don't they know that Prop 8 got voted down? What's up?
And while one show ends, for Shatner another one begins. He's got a new talk show, a new book and we've got all kinds of pictures designed to enlighten you and embarrass him.
William Shatner joining me live from New York.
Great to see you, Bill.
WILLIAM SHATNER, ACTOR/TALK SHOW HOST: Great to see you.
PHILLIPS: I knew you and Alan had something going on. I knew it!
SHATNER: Yes, but, it was all a financial guise, as you learned to your dismay. There was nothing sexual about our marriage. It was all designed to bequeath my fortune to him as I got ready to die.
PHILLIPS: Oh, OK, Bill. Then how do you explain this picture? You got a -- there you go. You want to explain that, big guy?
SHATNER: What -- I'm looking at the monitor, I don't see the picture yet.
PHILLIPS: Oh, we don't have the monitor set up.
SHATNER: Oh there, that picture.
PHILLIPS: You see it?
SHATNER: I'm kissing James Spader with what looks like an open mouth, doesn't it? Well, if Madonna can do it, I ask you, is nothing sacred?
PHILLIPS: I don't know. James Spader, Britney Spears --
SHATNER: And his hand is caressing my ear, you notice?
PHILLIPS: I know, it's like so adoring.
SHATNER: Where did you guys get this picture? PHILLIPS: I have paparazzi following you all the time because I am a huge fan. I'm kind of a stalker.
All right, but seriously --
SHATNER: More like a celery stalker, I think.
PHILLIPS: That is pretty funny.
The show --
SHATNER: Don't be surprised. That could happen.
PHILLIPS: Believe me, I'm not surprised. I know your wit and I'm not even going to try and match you, I'm just going to try and do a good interview and hopefully you will laugh.
"Boston Legal," a brilliant show, the writing, your famous wit, the cast. You must have had a blast doing this show.
SHATNER: We laughed our way through five years of great joy, great entertainment. And we got some wonderful awards during the years. And the beauty of it all was that when we came in this season, we knew we were going to do 13 shows and be out. So the writing reflected the fact that we knew we were ending and it wrapped the whole show up. And that was last night. Of course, it will be repeated, so I hope people will tune in on those last two hours.
It was a great story telling, and it wrapped the five years up, like you'd like it to happen.
PHILLIPS: Well, everyone knows, that watches that show or watched that show, that you were quite a perv and such a womanizer, which leads me perfectly into your new talk show.
Scotty, roll the clip.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JIMMY KIMMEL, TALK SHOW HOST: When people come on, and they are, you know, I get a nice whiff of alcohol, I know that I'm in for a lot of work. Because they don't -- well, they respond like a drunk person and they don't answer your question.
SHATNER: Well, have you ever made love to somebody who was drunk?
KIMMEL: Oh, yes. Yes.
SHATNER: And their sense of feel and their whole sensibility is different.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: Bill, would you like to expand on that?
SHATNER: Expand is not the word I would like to use with me on a wide screen. I'm expansive enough.
But, no, I think you should watch the show, which is on Biography channel, Tuesdays at 10:00 here in the New York area, and 7:00 or 11:00, something like that, on the West Coast. And in between, you guys are going to have to look it up. But Jimmy Kimmel is on tonight. And --
PHILLIPS: And he gets on your raw nerve. The title of your show, "Shatner's Raw Nerve."
SHATNER: Right. And Jenna Jameson is on --
PHILLIPS: Oh, lord.
SHATNER: -- "Shatner's Raw Nerve." Jenna Jameson is on.
PHILLIPS: I cannot -- you have a porn queen on your talk show?
SHATNER: She is -- we like to call her an adult film star.
PHILLIPS: Oh, Bill!
SHATNER: And she turns out -- well listen to me -- she turns out to be highly sensitive, vulnerable, verbal, very verbal. She was able to -- don't laugh -- this is a remarkable interview --
PHILLIPS: I am sure it is.
SHATNER: -- of a woman who is terribly vulnerable, and expresses it.
And it was so good, we are doing a two-parter. Now, how that fits into adult film, two-parter, I don't know, all I can tell you is it is a sensational moment in that woman's life that she reveals to us, as does Jimmy Kimmel. It makes for two half hours. It is quite incredible.
PHILLIPS: And I'm not quite sure how seriously I can take you right now, but it does move perfectly into these pictures I found of you just a couple of years back. I will tell you what, you were a hunk, as we look at these pictures. And you're on a little bit of a delay, so it's going to take you a minute to see these pictures. But oh my gosh. I thought you were hot in "Star Trek," but take a look at these pictures.
Who was your favorite leading lady?
SHATNER: They go down in the hoary mists of history. The effects of age is they all meld into one, and it looks like my wife. So --
PHILLIPS: So all of the women you have loved before look like your beautiful wife now, all wrapped into one?
SHATNER: That is exactly right. They have all amalgamated into Elizabeth. How is that for being political?
PHILLIPS: That's pretty good.
SHATNER: You think that guy in Illinois could have done that, but no.
PHILLIPS: No. You know, and that is how I was able to save this segment. I have to be honest with you. They wanted to kill you, Bill. And I said, there is no way. I have been waiting for this for weeks.
SHATNER: Any man who thinks in this day and age that he can get away with corruption -- that is why you've got to believe his protestations of innocence, because nobody could be that stupid.
PHILLIPS: But he is recorded. He's on tape.
SHATNER: One faints in disbelief that somebody would do something like that in this day and age.
PHILLIPS: Yes, it is amazing. Well we are following that, as well as your new show, your new book.
I'm curious, you reveal a lot in your book, a lot of humor as well. But who would you say your ultimate mentor has been through -- your theater or your live (ph) theater, your television, your movies? I mean, you have done so much.
SHATNER: I -- I thought about that over the years. And it comes up that I don't have anybody that ever mentored me, ever was particularly interested in furthering my career, and that I had to do it stumbling around trying to do it, as most people do, themselves.
PHILLIPS: Well, you know what? You have done it well and that proves true, because you are like no other.
William Shatner -- hopefully the folks will see the grand finale if they missed it last night -- it will be repeated -- of "Boston Legal."
You are out with your new book, "Up Till Now." Watch the new talk show, "William Shatner's Raw Nerve."
Great to see you, Bill.
SHATNER: I am tired just listening.
PHILLIPS: I'm pooped out, too. We could have gone on for hours.
Great to see you.
SHATNER: Thank you.
PHILLIPS: All right.
Well, a fancy new lieu is open for business so you can do your business and answer nature's call while protecting the environment. Wait until you hear the price tag.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Well, officials in Portland, Oregon, are just flushed with excitement over the city's new solar powered public toilet. It was unveiled yesterday and it comes with a pretty hefty price tag, 140,000 bucks. The fancy new lieu is a prototype, and city commissioner Randy Leonard helped design it and is patenting it. The environmentally friendly lieu has a heater to keep the water lines from freezing and a skylight and raised wall around the bottom to discourage the vandalism, or illegal behavior inside.
The next hour of CNN NEWSROOM starts right now.
Workers at an Illinois window factory plant continue their sit-in; Congress is reportedly nearing a deal for the Big Three automakers; Workers are retaining for available jobs; Barack Obama meets with Al Gore to talk about issues relating to energy.>
