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Obama Calls for Blagojevich to Resign; Republicans Delay Vote on Auto Industry Loan; Laura Bush Speaks on Restoring Human Rights Worldwide
Aired December 10, 2008 - 14:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Could this story get anymore bizarre? Coming up, the governor, the prosecutor, and the conversations that will make your jaw drop. Was this guy channeling his inner Richard Nixon?
Among all of the other promises, the president-elect promises not to get his puff on inside of the White House, but if you are a smoker, you know that is a tough promise to keep.
And human rights in the spotlight. It is something close to the first lady's heart, and we are going to talk to her about it.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: Hello, everyone. I'm Kyra Phillips live in New York. And you are live in the CNN NEWSROOM.
From President-elect Barack Obama, a call for the governor of his home state to resign. The Illinois chief executive, Rod Blagojevich is accused of conspiring to sell or trade Obama's Senate seat to the highest bidder, among other charges. CNN's Elaine Quijano joins us from Chicago with the latest.
We didn't hear from the president-elect yesterday, Elaine, and now he's coming forward with some strong words.
ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: That is right. Joining the call from other politicians in Illinois, saying that the effectiveness of the Illinois governor certainly called into question with the developments, and his arrest on the federal corruption charges. Calling on him to step down.
Now, as you noted the president-elect didn't make any mention of this yesterday during that meeting he had with the former Vice President Al Gore. He was sitting down the talk about climate-change issues. However, at that time, the president-elect did take a reporter's question about whether he had any contact with, or was aware at all of what was happening with his Senate seat. Here is how the president-elect responded.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA (D), PRESIDENT-ELECT: I had no contact with the governor or his office. And so we were not, I was not aware of what was happening. As I said, it is a sad day for Illinois. Beyond, that I don't think it is appropriate to comment.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
QUIJANO: Now, what he said there contradicts something that the senior adviser, David Axelrod, said to a couple of weeks ago to a local reporter, here in Chicago, that Obama had had a conversation with Governor Blagojevich about his Senate seat. But late yesterday David Axelrod released a written statement saying, quote, "I was mistaken when I told an interviewer last month that the president- elect had spoke to directly to Governor Blagojevich about the Senate vacancy. They did not then, or at any time, discuss the subject.
Now, it is not clear yet, though, who on the Obama team may have actually had conversations with either the governor or people within the governor's office. And on that point the chairman of the Republican National Committee issued a statement today saying, quote "The president-elect should immediately disclose any and all communications his transition team has had with the governor's office. Obama's promise of transparency to the American people is now being tested."
Now, we should make very clear here, Kyra, that the U.S. attorney in this case, Patrick Fitzgerald has said point blank, there is absolutely no allegation against President-elect Obama contained within the federal complaint that was released yesterday.
Now, we should also note one more thing that we just learned a short time ago, Senator Dick Durbin is now joining the call, telling the Illinois governor in a letter that he should step down. I will just read you a little bit of this letter that we just got a short time ago. He asked the governor to quote, "Search your heart and summon the strength to put your state and your nation above any personal considerations." That is again from U.S. Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: All right. Elaine Quijano, thanks.
The federal affidavit reveals some profanity laced comments from Blagojevich when he's talking about appointing a Senate replacement for Barack Obama. Those comments are actually from the federal wiretaps and according to the affidavit in one instance the governor says that consultants were telling him he has to quote -- "suck it up" ... for two years and do nothing and give this -- quote -- (EXPLETIVE DELETED) his senator -- quote -- (EXPLETIVE DELETED) for nothing? (EXPLETIVE DELETED)
There is more locker room talk by the way. He refers to putting another person in the Senate, quote, "Before I just give (EXPLETIVE DELETED) so and so a (EXPLETIVE DELETED) Senate seat and I don't get anything?"
It is going to get better, believe me.
Well, the Illinois governor is out on bond now, and back at work, believe it or not. And this is his 52nd birthday, but it is unclear how long he will remain on the job. CNN's Susan Roesgen joins us now from Chicago.
So, Susan, what do people there actually believe it was power or greed that led to these charges?
SUSAN ROESGEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, what I am hearing today, Kyra, is that perhaps a little bit of both if these charges are true, perhaps it is a little bit of both. We are here in the neighborhood, right in front of his house, and I have noticed, Kyra, in the last 10 or 15 minutes, that they have drawn all of the curtains and all the blinds. They were open earlier, but now they have all gone down.
When you talk about the possibility of power, the governor has made no secret that he would very much like to be president of the United States. That he was planning for this. It was part of his future plans, part of his game plan. And it is interesting, because local reporters here know this guy, know the governor as a congenial person, very friendly. He would sit down and talk with them before events and he always had a pop quiz. And the pop quiz was, who is the 22nd president of the United States? And who was the 39th president of the United States? And he always knew the answers. He is like a presidential scholar.
And again, this is apparently, because he wanted to be president. He had a fascination with presidents. And his career was going to take him there. So perhaps it was power. And the other possible suggestion as you mentioned, Kyra, is greed. This is a man who comes from a very humble background, very working-class roots, a second-generation of Serbian American who shined shoes, washed dishes, worked in a meat packing plant, and he needed money. It is expensive to run for governor and it is very expensive to run for president, certainly. And so we have some of these quotes in the wiretaps, where he allegedly talked about needing money.
Here is one of them that doesn't have a whole lot of blanking, so it is pretty clear what he was saying here. He was saying, I want to make money. If they are not going to offer anything of value, then I might just take it. Now, what the feds say the governor was talking about there, Kyra, was that Senate seat. That he would just go ahead and appoint himself if he could not get enough money, and if he was indeed trying to sell the seat, Obama's seat, then he would just go ahead to take it himself, which is something that he could still do legally right now.
He is the acting governor. He is at his office, we understand. Have not had the call-back from the governor's office; I have been calling to try to find out what the schedule is today. But he is there, he's working, and until the legislature changes Illinois state law, he could, Kyra, just appoint himself to that seat.
PHILLIPS: And who knows. Anything could happen at this point. And, I have to tell you, Susan, you mentioned the blankety-blanks. I have never had such a hard time reworking scripts with so many cuss words, to try and get the point across and fill in all the blanks, if you know what I mean. But anyway, I understand there is some sort of connection between the governor and Elvis?
ROESGEN: Yes, here is one that you might not have heard, Kyra. You know, the governor turns his collars up. I remember seeing his upturned collar. He wears a lot of dark colors, kind of an Elvis thing. He is an Elvis fan, big-time. In fact, and this is where it really gets ironic, at one of his recent events the song that was playing was an Elvis song called "A Little Less Conversation." And isn't that what he perhaps should have been doing?
And, Kyra, not only that, but the same reporters who are always getting this pop quiz from the governor now are saying things like, what is the governor's favorite song? It is "Jailhouse Rock" or "Heartbreak Hotel" So the reporters are giving back now to the governor.
PHILLIPS: And let's not forget about the hair. That fits right in with a certain time of the Elvis era.
ROESGEN: Kyra, that is one of the sad things actually, again, this man has not been convicted of anything. These are federal charges, in a federal complaint, but because his personality is in so many ways -- I won't say what Drew Griffin said yesterday -- but he thinks well of himself apparently. And now these sorts of personality traits are coming back to haunt him in regards to these different comments.
PHILLIPS: Oh, we will definitely follow all of the drama. Susan Roesgen, thanks so much.
Well, she is a woman who knows a lot about Chicago politics. "Sun-Times" columnist Carol Marine joins us at the bottom of the hour to talk about Governor Blagojevich and the man who unveiled the charges against him, U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald.
The deal is done, but can it pass? The White House and Democrats on Capitol Hill have wrapped up work on a $14 billion plan to save GM and Chrysler from bankruptcy, but congressional Republicans say nobody asked them, so the measure may still hit a brick wall.
CNN's Kathleen Koch has the latest now from the White House -- Kathleen.
KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Kyra.
There is a long and bumpy road ahead for this legislation. Again, Democratic leaders on the Hill say they have got a piece of legislation the White House will support it. The White House is still looking at the final wording. But basically what it would do would be to give these automakers access to up to $14 billion in emergency bridge loans. They would have to submit hard and fast restructuring plans to a car czar by March 31st, a czar appointed by the president.
The czar would decided if these plans went far enough, or if they didn't he or she would come up with their own plans. One of them could include Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Now, according to the White House, this puts a lot of pressure on the automakers.
But a number of conservative senators on Capitol Hill says it just delays the inevitable failure of companies, and they will block it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOEL KAPLAN, W.H. DEPUTY CHIEF OF STAFF: It was very important to us that there be -- that this president's designee have sticks, leverage to make sure that all of these stakeholders, who are participating in the process of negotiations, have a very strong incentive to make the deep and meaningful concessions that will be necessary for these companies to become viable over the long term.
SEN. JOHN ENSIGN, (R-NV) FINANCE CMTE.: I think this is pretty obvious when GM, Ford, Chrysler -- their management teams have not been able to run their companies obviously very well. How does anybody expect some car czar, or some politician, to be able to make the decisions that are right from a business standpoint for these car companies?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KOCH: Well, just about an hour ago, Vice President Dick Cheney and White House Chief of Staff Josh Bolten and also Ed Lazear, chairman of the Economic Advisers gathered on Capitol Hill to try to persuade the Republicans to support this measure. As far as we know, they are still behind closed doors doing some persuading, twisting some arms. What we are hearing is there is a possibility still of a vote possible in the House today, but again because of this very firm Senate opposition, it is looking less and less likely that there will be a Senate vote today.
PHILLIPS: All right. We'll follow it. Kathleen, thanks.
KOCH: You bet.
PHILLIPS: From Kodak, comes another snap shot of the economic strain. The film and camera company says it is suspending its matching contributions to employee 401(k) plans. It is also freezing executive pay. The photo pioneer is just the latest in a string of major companies to issue a profit warning. And today some big names are slashing jobs as well. Susan Lisovicz at the New York Stock Exchange with the latest companies planning to hand out pink slips.
Susan, more bad news?
SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Kyra.
It's the times we live in. We are in the throes of a recession, and now you are starting to see its affect on corporate America; and office supply giant and two well-known tech companies the latest to swing the ax. Roughly 2,200 employees will be out of a job when Office Depot closes more than 100 underperforming stores in North America over the next few months. An additional dozen stores will shuttered when their leases expire next year.
Meanwhile, Electronic Arts, the popular game company behind Madden NFL and The Rock Band series announced an unspecified amount of staff reductions. That was announced before the opening bell this morning. It also cut its earnings guidance for next year.
Yahoo! began handing out pink slips today. The Internet giant following up on previously announced plans to cut about 1,400 employees or 10 percent of its workforce. Finally, Rio Tinto will cut 1,400 jobs, that's worldwide, to cope with the global recession, the miner witnessing weakened demand for its iron ore and other metals. Its shares, by the way, are soaring 23 percent here at the NYSE, although we are seeing some weakness for some others of those stocks. Yahoo! shares are up, and but Eastman Kodak shares are down sharply.
And the broader market is just hanging on right now. You know, Kyra, I told you that GM and Ford's shares dropped like stones when the congressional Republicans came out with their opposition to this emergency bridge loan. Well, the broader market really has weakened since then as well. The Dow industrials dipped into negative territory just up a few points right now. The Nasdaq is up four points or about a third of a percent.
Kyra, back to you.
PHILLIPS: All right. Susan, thanks.
The presidential dilemma to build or not build more nuclear weapons. It is a decision Barack Obama might have to make when he takes office. And when he does move to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue next month, he will be the first American (sic) to live in the White House, a house that slaves help build.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Well, the National Archives is showing off some presidential history today; the handwritten notes of George Washington on the presidential oath of office. The National Archives also houses the list of carpenters who helped to build the White House. On that list is evidence of a little-known fact, slaves played a large role.
Susan Roesgen has the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROESGEN (voice over): Our national symbol of democracy and freedom, but behind the proud history of the White House are the black hands of hundreds of slaves.
DOUG BRINKLEY, PRESIDENTIAL HISTORIAN: It is the slaves that did a lot of the building of the White House. They also worked there, and did his service jobs, were the people that would tend the horses, or clean the dishes, prepare the meals.
ROESGEN: That is the history that the future first family inherits. And the Obama's own history is one of slavery, too. Michelle Obama learned just this year that her great, great grandfather worked on a rice plantation in South Carolina. She says finding that part of her past uncovered both shame and pride, what she calls the tangled history of this country.
BRINKLEY: I think that Michelle should celebrate the fact that her ancestors had come through the ordeal of slavery. Her children are sleeping in the room of presidents, and it is a very great and hopeful sign.
ROESGEN: It is hard to know what the Obamas were thinking as they toured the White House after the election. Twelve American presidents owned slaves and eight presidents owned slaves while they were in office. For instance, Andrew Jackson called slaves unfortunate creatures, but he owned more than 160. And Zachary Taylor said that owning slaving was a constitutional right, worth going to war to keep. This year, November 4th was a new beginning.
OBAMA: If there is anyone out there, who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible, tonight is your answer.
ROESGEN: Susan Roesgen, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: And with all of the problems facing the incoming president, could one of Barack Obama's biggest worries be lighting up? After all the White House is a no-smoking zone.
And he is certainly making the headlines, but who is Rod Blagojevich? We are going to take a closer look at the Illinois governor who is accused of corruption.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Well, a nervous watch in parts of the Southeast as a big storm system makes its way through the region. These scenes in Alexandria, Louisiana, where at least three tornadoes have touched down. No serious injuries were reported there. Storm damage is also reported in parts of Mississippi and Alabama.
Jacqui Jeras, you have a busy time on your hands right now.
JACQUI JERAS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Absolutely. Still dealing with the severe weather threat, but some of the locations that recently saw the severe weather could be seeing a little wintry weather behind that system. So you know when you are talking winter behind it, and summer spring-like conditions ahead of it, you have the clash of the warm and the cold air masses and that is when the severe weather tends to happen.
There you can see the threat area for this afternoon including the Florida panhandle on up into the Carolinas. We have an active watch still ongoing. There you can see the little sliver of it just left. We will have to watch the atmospheric conditions out here, Jacksonville, up towards Savannah and Charleston and Columbia in case we get a new watch issued in the upcoming hours.
We haven't had too many warnings thus far today. Hopefully we will keep that down. We had 11 reports of tornadoes yesterday by the way.
Check it out the 60s and the 70s out ahead, 77 in Jacksonville and while it is 36 in Dallas and Little Rock. So yes, that is a big difference. We have low pressure here across the Southeast. And this is going to be riding up toward the Northeast, so we still have a couple of days to go. And with that cold air catching up, yes, we could see some wintry weather. We are particularly watching parts of Mississippi. The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm watch with the potential of some snow here. So we will have to watch that. That would happen tomorrow.
The Northeast has a little bit of snow right now. Syracuse on up to Burlington, and ahead of it, it is plenty warm enough. So we are not worrying about that in the big cities, but when you get the rain, you get the snow, you get the clouds, you have a lot of airport delays. And it is kind of an ugly mess out there. Still have a ground stop in effect for Newark. And we're looking at three hours in Philadelphia. Hope you are enjoying the show on CNN today.
PHILLIPS: There you go. Good plug.
Thank you, Jacqui.
JERAS: Sure.
PHILLIPS: Well, the Blagojevich bombshell. We know all know the headlines, but the back story has tantalized Chicago reporters for years. One of the best tells all on the scandalized governor and the prosecutor who doesn't back down.
And on this Human Rights Day, this question, is there any hope for the oppressed of the world? We speak with First Lady Laura Bush in an exclusive interview.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST (voice over): Typical store coolers and freezers in the United States use a refrigerant that is a powerful greenhouse gas, 1,400 times as potent as carbon dioxide, according to the EPA. So Ben & Jerry's is testing freezers that keep their cool with an eco-friendlier fuel.
SEAN GREENWOOD, BEN & JERRY'S: The fuel in the freezers is liquid propane just like would you use on your grill at home, your barbecue. So the difference is this only has about three cigarette lighters full of fuel, where at home, on your grill on the back deck, you have 20 pounds of liquid propane, with a sparker two or three feet away.
MARCIANO: The EPA is reviewing the safety of so-called cleaner, greener freezers; 300 million freezers and refrigerators around the world already use similar technology.
DRUSILLA HUFFORD, EPA: Well, we are really excited about the possibilities for future refrigerants that are even more environmentally protective than what we are relying on now, but we also want to make sure they are safe for consumers and for service technicians.
GREENWOOD: The ice cream that is in there is still solid as a rock.
MARCIANO: Another benefit of propane, it is 10 percent more efficient than the current refrigerant. If it is approved and its use spreads stores bottom lines will benefit because of lower energy costs.
ROBERT TILLMAN, STORE OWNER: We have 11 or 12 different coolers, of varying sizes, that all use electricity 24 hours a day. If every single one of those was decreased by 10 or 15 percent, that is huge.
MARCIANO: The EPA is evaluating not only Ben & Jerry's freezers, but proposals to use propane and similar chemicals in home refrigerators and car air conditioners as well.
GREENWOOD: We are really hoping it is the start of something great.
MARCIANO: Rob Marciano, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Right now, 2:29 Eastern Time. Here are some of the stories we are working on in the CNN NEWSROOM.
The husband and father whose family was killed in a fighter jet crash says he doesn't blame the pilot. His wife, two young children and mother-in-law all died when the malfunctioning jet slammed into their California house. The pilot survived.
In Greece, running street battles between police and protesters continue. Rioters hurl firebombs, police fight back with tear gas. The fatal shooting of a teenager triggered this crisis. Two policemen are under arrest. One charged with murder.
It is day six of a sit-in by laid off workers of a Chicago factory. They're demanding severance and vacation pay. Republic Windows and Doors closed the plant after a sudden loss of credit from Bank of America. Yesterday, the bank agreed to limited new loans, but it's not a done deal. And talks should resume this afternoon.
Even after his shocking arrest by the FBI, Rod Blagojevich is hardly a household name. But here's what's surprising. After six years as Illinois governor, he is a mystery to those who ought to know him best.
Here's CNN's Gary Tuchman.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GARY TUCHMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): On the day before he was arrested, Rod Blagojevich was supporting laid off Chicago factory workers. And playing tough guy toward authorities who have been investigating him for years.
GOV. ROD BLAGOJEVICH (D), ILLINOIS: I don't care whether you tape me privately or publicly, I can just tell you that whatever I say is always lawful.
TUCHMAN: But the authorities feel, oh, so differently.
PATRICK FITZGERALD, U.S. ATTORNEY: Governor Blagojevich has taken to us a truly new low. Governor Blagojevich has been arrested in the middle of what we can only describe as a political corruption crime spree.
TUCHMAN: The first Democrat to be elected governor of Illinois in three decades was taped all right. The allegations against him stun even reporters steeped in Illinois's sorry history of corrupt politics.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It just defies explanation.
TUCHMAN: Rick Pearson has been a political reporter with the "Chicago Tribune" for 20 years. He says in the first year of Blagojevich's first term, he made an effort to be a reasonable governor.
BLAGOJEVICH: I support the governor's decision on the moratorium.
TUCHMAN: Blagojevich backed a moratorium on the death penalty supported by previous Republican Governor George Ryan, in prison now because for his own political troubles. But after Blagojevich's first year he started making a lot of enemies, not just Republicans, but his but Democrats.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's a very difficult person to try to figure out. People were always asking about, will Blagojevich X or do Y? And somehow he'd end up doing Z.
TUCHMAN: A "Chicago Tribune" poll in October, showed the governor's approval rating at 13 percent. But even recently, the governor, who used to be a state representative and congressman, characterized himself as a popular guy when talking about who he would pick to fill Barack Obama's Senate seat.
BLAGOJEVICH: I've never had more friends than I do today. And when I finish, I won't have as many as I do today.
TUCHMAN: Blagojevich made some politicians so mad, that one Democratic state senator said he would have kicked his tail end if the argument they had was in a tavern. Some have questioned whether Blagojevich is stable. In a Chicago magazine article, Democratic state representative Joe Lyons told reporters the governor was quote, "insane." And another Democrat, Representative Jack Frank says he is quote "delusions of grandeur."
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A lot of people have raised a number of questions, including fellow Democrats, including I believe the spokesman for the House -- Democratic House speaker, you know, wondering if there isn't some kind of psychological imbalance going on.
TUCHMAN: Only hours before the arrest, a smiling governor declared --
BLAGOJEVICH: I don't believe there's any cloud that hangs over me. I think there's nothing but sunshine hanging over me.
TUCHMAN: It should be noted, when he was taken into custody, there was no sun to be seen in Chicago's gloomy sky.
Gary Tuchman, CNN, Chicago.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: Well, Carol Marin is a columnist for the "Chicago Sun- Times." She's been covering windy city politics, including the governor, for a year.
Carol, good to see you.
CAROL MARIN, "CHICAGO SUN-TIMES" COLUMNIST: Hello, Kyra. Good to see you, too.
PHILLIPS: I'll tell you what. I want to start right here, because we came across something today that we though, OK. Carol's going to love this one. Let's go back to when he was running for governor in 2002.
Scotty, let's go ahead and toll the ad.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BLAGOJEVICH: Illinois is a land of opportunity, family, community, patriotism are the values that make us strong. But, over the last several years, our state has been adrift. Corruption has replaced leadership. I'm running for governor because I believe Illinois can do better. Let's roll up our sleeves. Let's focus on doing what's right. Creating jobs, improving schools --
PHILLIPS: To keep a straight face when you hear him talk about corruption. What the heck happened to this guy?
MARIN: It's a very good question. And he is somewhat inscrutable. You know, Rod Blagojevich had a rapid assent from state representative to Congressman to governor. He's the first Democratic governor in this state in 25 years. So a lot of accomplishment, a good retail politician. But when he walked into Springfield in the state capital, things pretty quickly began to dissolve.
PHILLIPS: So, Carol, was he always sort of sketchy from the very beginning? Or is this someone that kind of got struck by the curse of Illinois corruption?
MARIN: He was never, what was considered policy wonker, a guy who would spend a lot of time on a single issue.
One of the things that was argued when he became the governor was that he would much rather come to talk to CNN, for instance, on a big national issue than spend a lot of time on some of the local issue. Because he was already running for president.
He's not a stupid man. He's got a brain. And he has some real ability to connect with people. But in terms of dealing with a legislature and passing genuine meaningful policy, it was a hard pull.
Well, something interesting, too. You know, that his wife, Patricia. We're now hearing more about her, because we're hearing her voice on some of these tapes and we're reading it in the transcript. Some now, comparing her to the modern day, Lady Macbeth, who plotted against her husband's perceived enemies.
On one transcript, she doesn't come across as like quite the girl scout, either. We were reading her comments and she was talking about not selling Wrigley Field, And she says, quote: "Hold up that blank cubs blank, blank them. So it sounds like, they had common personality traits.
MARIN: Well, the quote that you're dealing was one is which the question was, whether Blagojevich could manage to persuade the "Chicago Tribune" to its editorial board if it wanted to make a deal that would be financially beneficial with the state to sell the cubs.
And it is a pretty tough eviscerating tirade. On the other hand, Patricia Blagojevich is not a classic first lady. She didn't do a lot of interviews, she didn't hold a lot of teas. She was a businesswoman, she was in real estate. And some of those dealings have brought the scrutiny of the U.S. government, meanwhile.
But she's fiercely protective of her kids. And in that sound bite that the government captured, she may also simply be operating on what is the highest level of Chicago politics. It's loyalty to your own and her husband was under attack at the time.
PHILLIPS: Interesting point.
U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald. Boy, this guy does not mess around. If you look at his background, Carol, whether it's Scooter Libby, Karl Rove, associates of Governor Ryan, you know, he goes -- he puts the fear of God in these big time leaders. And he just doesn't mess around. He goes right for it.
MARIN: He does. But it was an interesting news conference yesterday, Kyra, because we saw a side of Pat Fitzgerald we don't very often see. There was more emotion and there was more anguish. He said that the reason he basically stopped this investigation where it was and outed it was because he didn't want any of the alleged wrongdoing to go forward.
He worried about a "Chicago Tribune" editorial writer who might have lost his jobs in one of these extortion jobs. He worried about a children's hospital whose funding was being held up as the CEO of the hospital was being asked for more campaign contributions. And so Fitzgerald was perceptibly angry and disturbed by what he was recounting to the public.
PHILLIPS: Carol Marin, with the "Chicago Sun-Times."
You do great work, Carol. It's always a pleasure to talk to you.
MARIN: Pleasure to be there. Thanks, so much, Kyra.
PHILLIPS: You bet.
We're also getting word that Representative Jesse Jackson, Jr., is apparently going to hold a news conference, about 4:15 p.m. today. This is video of him, right now, arriving at his office in Washington, D.C. As soon as he holds that presser -- there is he, right there. He's saying, be patient. We're hoping to do something at 4:15.
We'll take you live when it happens.
And speaking to the First Lady. In our exclusive interview, Laura Bush talks about an issue close to her heart, human rights.
And he promised to quit. But, he confesses that he still sneaks a puff or two. Like many Americans, Barack Obama trying to break the habit. We're going to share the advice from those who did.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Well, just imagine you are a dirt poor farmer in a developing country making $1 or less a day and the only thing you get from your government is abuse. The U.N. is warning that things could get much worse as the global financial crisis unfolds and it comes on the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Our Betty Nguyen, in an exclusive interview, spoke to First Lady Laura Bush about this important day and her post-White House future.
Betty joins us now.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Kyra.
You know that scenario that you just spoke about is what First Lady Laura Bush is working to help eliminate in places like Afghanistan and Myanmar, which is also called Burma.
And just because she is moving out of the White House, don't expect her to back down on efforts to restore human rights and democracy around the world. In fact, it is a priority once she settles back into her home state of Texas.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: Talk to us about moving back to Dallas and what is going to be your new normal, something that you refer to as the "afterlife."
LAURA BUSH, FIRST LADY: Well, we're going to have a normal life, a normal house and everything. But the president is going to build his presidential library and archives in Dallas at Southern Methodist University. And then with it, he is going to build a Freedom Institute. And that's -- with this Freedom Institute I hope that I'm going to have the chance to continue to work with women in Afghanistan and to work on all the issues that have to do with Burma and the transition to democracy in Burma.
But it has been a wonderful privilege for me. I have been very, very honored to have the chance to represent the people of the United States since I have traveled around the world, and to get to live in the White House and represent the people of the U.S. And now, President Bush and I are looking forward to moving on to the next part of our life, and that will be a normal life back at our home in Dallas where we lived 14 years ago when we moved to the Texas governor's mansion.
NGUYEN: Which doesn't have a cabana, as it has been reported?
BUSH: Yes, exactly. There is no cabana or servants' quarters or those other things I read about.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: All right. She says she is going to have a normal life. Now I don't think life will ever be normal for the Bushes.
NGUYEN: Absolutely not.
And she is also reflecting on these past eight years, looking at legacy. While she is looking forward to that future and the house that doesn't have a cabana mind you, she is also very full aware of how history will judge the Bush legacy. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: As this presidency began we faced 9/11. Now it is ending with a financial crisis that has led us into a recession. How have you dealt with this adversity? And how do you want your legacy to be written?
BUSH: Well, it has been very difficult for everyone in the United States. We face unbelievable challenges, including, obviously, September 11th and then all the things that came along with the war in Afghanistan and Iraq, and now the economy. I know -- the one thing that I think kept me encouraged for those eight years was being very aware of what our history is and what the American people are like. And I got to see it everywhere I went in our country. And so I'm encouraged to know that even in an economic downturn that better times will come, just like they have every other time we have had a downturn in the economy. And, that the American people are so resilient and so strong and such great workers.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: And we all know it is going to take a lot of hard work to help us rise from this current financial crisis, but this is something really interesting that she said, talking about hard work. There has been some debate over whether the first lady's role should be a paid post, given the fact that in recent decades first ladies have become increasingly active in initiatives to solve problems both nationally and globally.
So, Kyra, when I asked her about that, she says absolutely not, because the first lady, or first gentleman, is there because their husband was elected. And it was their husband, or wife, in the future -- the one who got them there. So it should not be a paid post.
PHILLIPS: Oh, that's tough.
Michelle Obama probably makes -- what -- a couple hundred thousand dollars being an attorney?
NGUYEN: 300-plus.
PHILLIPS: Yes, it is kind of hard to give that up to sort of -- that's tough as working women.
(CROSSTALK)
PHILLIPS: Yes, exactly. It's like --
NGUYEN: That extra income.
PHILLIPS: -- I'd have to think about that one.
All right. Thanks, Betty.
Well, we hear a lot about them, but are hybrids and electric cars really the answer for what ails America's auto industry?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Well, it seems even the bandwagon comes in a hybrid version these days. As Congress and the White House drive toward a bailout loan deal, automakers are promising more hybrids and electric cars. But are they really the answer to the industry's problems?
I hope that was a laugh I heard coming from CNNMoney.com's Poppy Harlow.
POPPY HARLOW, CNNMONEY.COM: A little bit, Kyra. You know why? Because it is not a quick fix at all. It is energy fix here, but this is not a quick fix. There is so much buzz about green cars. The heads of G.M., Chrysler, and Ford talking about them. The truth is, they are not going to save Detroit any time soon. They are high-tech, they are zero-emission cars, that means they cost millions upon millions of dollars to develop at a time when cash is running out, or at least running short.
Case in point, what you see right there -- the G.M. electric plug-in, the Chevy Volt, set to hit the market in 2010. But even G.M. says it won't be profitable for at least a decade. That is mainly because the battery costs so much to make.
Take a look there at hybrid sales. When you look at November, just last month, they fell 50 percent from a year ago, now to the 2005 levels. That is a big, big concern as gas prices keep falling.
And, Kyra, they are expensive, not a good thing for anything to be during a recession -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: All right. Well, what about the long-term view? Aren't energy efficient cars the key to Detroit's survival?
HARLOW: That is what the heads of the companies are saying, that's what auto experts are saying. They say even though they don't help our bottom line right away, closing the door on them puts Detroit, again, back behind the curve.
Some lawmakers agree. Listen to one.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. EDWARD MARKEY (D), MASSACHUSETTS: A business model premised on bigger cars, wider highways and more oil is a failed equation. Any recovery of these companies will require more than just fresh cash. It will require a change of culture.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARLOW: That change, though, Kyra, could be pretty hard to come by. It might take a while. A provision in that bailout legislation just this afternoon was knocked off that would have blocked the automakers from suing states that have higher emission standards than the federal government. But again, that's been now taken out of the current draft -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: All right. Poppy Harlow, thanks so much.
And you may have noticed something different on the bottom of your screen. The CNN logo has turned green. No need to call the TV repair guy, promise. It is not you, it's us. And it is our way to mark the second installment of CNN's award winning series, "Planet in Peril." It debuts tomorrow at 9:00 p.m. Eastern time.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: A nuclear North Korea rogue states are terrorists armed with dirty nukes. The nuke issue will be one of the pressing dangerous issues facing Barack Obama when he takes the oath next month. CNN's senior Pentagon correspondent Jamie McIntyre reports in this memo no the president.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SR. PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Mr. President, so you say you're committed to ridding our planet of its deadliest WMDs.
OBAMA: It's time to send a clear message to the world. America seeks a world with no nuclear weapons.
MCINTYRE: But your hold over Defense Secretary, famous for his pragmatism, has a different view.
ROBERT GATES, DEFENSE SECRETARY: Try as we might and hope as we will, the power of nuclear weapons and their strategic impact is a genie that cannot be put back into the bottle. At least for a very long time.
MCINTYRE: Robert Gates sees the world with the guilded eye of the old spy master he is. And argued forcefully, America not only needs its atomic arsenal, but needs new, improved bombs to strike fear in future foes.
GATES: Let me be clear. The program we propose is not about new capabilities, suitcase bombs or bunker busters or tactical nukes. It is about safety, security and reliability.
MCINTYRE: The U.S. hasn't tested its nukes for 16 years. It's one reason Secretary Gates is anxious to replace America's aging nukes with new smaller arsenal of modern warheads.
Even without testing, the newer nukes would be far more reliable, he argues and they could be outfitted with hi-tech safeguards to prevent their use if they ever fell into the wrong hands.
So, Mr. President, you want no nukes and Gates wants new nukes. Good thing you've given yourself plenty of wiggle room.
OBAMA: As long as nuclear weapons exist we'll retain a strong deterrent. But we will make the goal of eliminating all nuclear weapons and central element in our nuclear policy.
MCINTYRE: So what exactly do you have to decide? One is whether to build the so-called reliable replacement warhead, a multi-billion dollar program to replace aging weapons. Congress so far has rejected money for that.
(on camera): And the other issue, Mr. President, is whether the U.S. should join other countries in agreeing never to test nukes again. By, ratifying an international treaty. The answers will determine whether your pledge to eliminate nuclear weapons remains an elusive goal or becomes a solid promise.
Jamie McIntyre, CNN, the Pentagon.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: And here's another memo to the president. From acupuncture, to nicotine gum ex-smokers have plenty of thoughts about kicking the habit. But, will they work for the President-elect? After all, Oval Office is no place for a drag.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: The recession, the ailing auto industry, the war in Iraq -- just some of the pressures facing President-elect Barack Obama when he takes office. And he promises to deal with them without lighting up. But what if he slips up?
Lola Ogunnaike gets some advice for the incoming president.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is really, really hard. This is the hardest thing that a person can give up.
LOLA OGUNNAKIE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): How many times have you tried to quit in the past?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Once I had a heart attack. So that was incentive, but then I just picked it up again.
OGUNNAIKE: President-elect Obama is a smoker as well. What advice would you give to him?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Is he trying to quit?
OGUNNAIKE: Can't you just have a little puff? Just a little puff? Puff, puff.
DR. MARY O'SULLIVAN, ST. LUKE'S-ROOSEVELT CENTER: The idea of addiction is that there are people who could do that and not relapse. But a person who has addiction can't do that.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I've never tried to quit. Even when I've been sick and it hurts you to smoke, I would still go out and smoke.
OGUNNAIKE: So, if someone comes to you and they say, I want to quit smoking. You say, show me your ears.
JUHI SINGH, ACUPUNCTURIST: The ear has been used for centuries to calm addiction. The needles are inserted at specific points that release chemicals in the brain.
RICK WELLMAN, PATRICK MELVILLE SALON AND SPA: I like this because it's a lot more tailored towards my needs. Because I feel it a little more customized instead of running out and getting a patch.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I tried cold turkey, the patches, the gum, nothing works. I think it's all in here.
JEFFREY ROSE, CLINICAL HYPNOTIST: All trance or hypnosis is, is just a noun as the (INAUDIBLE). And a focus and absorption in one thing where you're not distracted. I help them to be able to do that and to be resourceful enough to reject that, to associate so much pain with cigarettes and so much pleasure when not smoking.
OGUNNAIKE: If you had to give President Barack Obama advice about smoking, or not smoking, what would you say?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I would just say, don't do it. Don't. When I have kids, I'm going to tell them what my parents should have told me. Like, I'm going to beat you. You shouldn't smoke. It's terrible.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He's setting a bad example for kids.
OGUNNAIKE: So do you think this is impossible for President Obama, or do you think that he can actually pull this off?
O'SULLIVAN: I know he can do it, absolutely.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He should stop smoking and so should I.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: So, Lola, have you ever done a little puff, puff, puff, puff?
OGUNNAIKE: I tried a little puff puff in college. I got halfway through the cigarette, coughed the entire time, missed a hot party and thought I had emphysema for the next year. So, (INAUDIBLE) cigarettes did, freshman year in college. That was it for me.
PHILLIPS: Well, I'll tell you what. If Michelle Obama says, I'm going to beat you up if you don't stop smoking, I think I would listen to her.
OGUNNAIKE: I think he'll listen, too.
PHILLIPS: Lola, thanks. That was fun.
OGUNNAIKE: Thank you.
PHILLIPS: All right. Well, the smoking Rick Sanchez takes it from here.
