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Travel Delays; Democrats List Deadline; Bush's Rescue Plan; Shoe Intifada; After Deep Throat
Aired December 20, 2008 - 12:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN NEWS ANCHOR: A lot of folks spending this weekend trying to dash through the snow or at least trying to. It's a winter wonderland across a huge chunk of America, today. But as most of us try to get around in cars or planes instead of sleighs, well, it's making holiday travel a real headache. From the Northeast to the Midwest to the Pacific Northwest, snow, ice, freezing rain and all of that all causing huge problems.
Some worried travelers are already asking, will I get home for Christmas, actually? Well, the AAA Motor Club says almost 64 million Americans are planning holiday road trips. The early birds are facing some dangerous conditions, as well. Heavy snow began falling on Connecticut, yesterday. Trucks jackknifed and there were also a lot of accidents. Sections of major highways had to actually be closed. Just take a look at that.
And then get a load of what happened in Seattle. Two charger busses slid through a guardrail and ended up teetering above Interstate 5. About eight passengers had to be rescued, 11 had to be taken to the hospital to be treated for minor injuries. Close calls there, pretty scary.
Well, airline passengers are having trouble, as well. Bill Spencer of CNN affiliate, WXYZ, is at the Detroit airport.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BILL SPENCER, WXYZ REPORTER (voice-over): Over 100 pieces of heavy duty snow-clearing equipment, that's what officials at Metro Airport deployed to help keep the planes flying. You'd think it would be enough.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm headed to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and my flight has been delayed about an hour.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My flight was cancelled.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We've been waiting about five hours.
SPENCER: But, up against a snow-drenching storm, blowing it's way across the Midwest, headed for the Northeast corridor, more than 60 flights at Metropolitan Airport his to be cancelled and dozens more were delayed. And because of heavy snow on the roadways, many people like 22-year-old Cara Daly (ph) missed their flights altogether. Cara was headed to Cancun, Mexico.
CARA DALY, TRAVELER: It took about three and a half hours to get here and it usually takes us about an hour and 15 minutes.
SPENCER (on camera): Three and a half hours to get here from Romeo.
DALY: Right. And we went to get on the flight they told us that we couldn't get on, we were too late, that they had to shut the doors and that we'd to try and find another flight.
SPENCER: And this was your college present. This was your graduation present, a trip to Cancun.
DALY: Yeah, with my parents.
SPENCER: I'm so sorry.
DALY: It's OK. It happens, I guess.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: I guess now she's going to have to stick at home with the family.
All right, well, hundreds of flights have been cancelled in New York, as well. CNN's Susan Candiotti is at LaGuardia Airport.
And never any fun when you're stuck at the airport and especially LaGuardia, because they don't have good food service on the outside.
SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NEWS CORRESPONDENT: That's right. Well, but so far so good. Not so bad today. Here in the New York metropolitan area they're reporting delays of only about 15 minutes or so and in fact, system-wide as an example. American Airlines canceled 16 flights throughout the country, today, because of bad weather conditions. This compares to about 800 flights in the New York metropolitan area that includes JFK, Newark, as well as, LaGuardia Airport.
So conditions much, much better today, but they're not perfect and here's an example of it. Look who we ran into. These ladies all work, they're flight attendants for a number of different airlines. Who's represented, here?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Delta Connection.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: American.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Delta.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: American.
CANDIOTTI: And you didn't know each other before, right?
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, actually...
CANDIOTTI: You couldn't get out today, right? Because you're all flying standby. What happened?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They were oversold and there was weight and balance issues, so we just get rolled over to the next flight.
CANDIOTTI: So what did you all decide to do?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Rent a car and we've been to every rental car at JFK from one to one to one and the wonderful people at of Avis helped us out.
CANDIOTTI: So if you can't fly out, you're going drive out.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Exactly. We're going get home today.
CANDIOTTI: Where are you all headed?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Cleveland, Canton. We're going to drop her off at Cleveland.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Michigan Falls, Ohio and then Canton.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Canton, Ohio.
CANDIOTTI: It's not exactly your original game plan, but you'll get home a little bit later.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We checked flights at Pittsburgh, Columbus, Atlanta, Canton-Akron, Cincinnati -- I mean, you name it, we checked every airline, every flight and everything.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: AmTrak, Greyhound (INAUDIBLE), huh?
CANDIOTTI: So, you're getting there on your own. So, as they say, where there's a will there's a way, so if you can't fly out you try and you can get together with some strangers, some people know each other, and they're on their way -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: And now they're fast friends.
CANDIOTTI: Exactly.
WHITFIELD: All right, Susan Candiotti, thanks so much, LaGuardia Airport. Let's check in with Reynolds Wolf. He's got the big picture weather-wise.
OK, that is not a good sign, Reynolds, when the flight attendants say not even I am waiting for the plane. That really sends a message to the rest of the passengers. I guess they're going to have to rent cars or get a bus, as well.
REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Is that a shot across the bough or what? Unbelievable. You know, if they're going to forego the flight and try for the rental counter and go get the car than that tells you a whole lot, right there.
Take a look behind me, Fred. Hey, if you're in Boston, you have a delay at Logan International. Got a surprise in Newark, you've got a delay of about an hour or so, an hour and 40 minutes to be exact. And Minneapolis you have a 50-minute delay. I am thinking that may extend a bit. The reason why is because we do see the snow moving through parts of the Midwest. In Minneapolis you may have whiteout conditions to be dealing with after awhile.
Right now, the heavy snowfall forming out to the Midwest, but still in the Northeast we're still seeing some of it come down. Up towards Boston, southward from Bangor into New York. New York, just a few scattered snow flurries, nothing too heavy, yet that may come later on, could see three to five inches in parts of New York.
For Michigan, in the Boyne (ph) area, out where they have the ski resorts, they do have skiing in Michigan, fine skiing at that, anywhere from four to eight inches of snowfall. Up to 16 inches of snow, right up in parts of the Arrowhead of Minnesota. Same story for the Twin Cities. I'd say less than a foot, maybe anywhere from eight inches or so, but when you go to the southwestern corner of the state, then into Sioux Falls, that's where it gets interesting.
You don't have much in terms of the amount of snowfall. Only about one to two inches, expected. But we have wind gusts topping 40 to 50 miles-an-hour. You've got whiteout conditions there and that's why we have the blizzard warning. And I'll tell you, at this point we do see the scattered snow showers, some bands moving right along parts of I-94 and into I-35 into Minneapolis.
Sioux Falls, you're going to get a little bit of a break in the action. Notice a lot of that snowfall beginning to move just to your east. A lot of dry air vecting (ph) in from the west and that will be kind of a deceiving thing because with the snow on the ground, one or two inches and the strong winds you'll have a lot of blowing snow moving across that area.
Out West we go, believe it or not, more blizzard warnings in effect especially for parts of -- north of Seattle, near Bellingham. Yeah, you're going to be dealing with some heavy snow. The highest peaks getting from eight to 16 inches of snowfall in the Cascades.
Now, we were talking about in parts of the central plains, your wind gusts topping say 50 to 60 miles-an-hour. In this area, you could see winds going to 75 miles-an-hour. It's all coming off the pacific, it's compressing right in these ridges, those mountain passes, that's going to be brutal. Southward you go from Olympia to Longview, snowy conditions, whiteout conditions possible along parts of I-5, take it easy, anywhere from three to six inches in the lower valleys, but Fredericka as always, high spots you're going to get the worst weather.
WHITFIELD: Oh, my gosh, brr, big brr. That is brutal.
WOLF: It's going to be -- for planes, trains and automobiles, it's going to be a rough time.
WHITFIELD: Yeah. I'd say, just stay inside with the family and that's what the holidays are about, anyway. Right? Just don't hit the road. Hopefully everyone is in one place.
All right, thanks a lot, Reynolds. Appreciate it.
President-elect Barack Obama is working with congressional Democrats to get the economy moving again. They've set Christmas as the unofficial deadline to come up with a list of spending projects. Here's CNN congressional correspondent, Brianna Keilar.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN NEWS CORRESPONDENT: President-elect Obama is headed to Hawaii for some R&R over the holidays, but it's Vice President-elect Joe Biden who is making news today on the economy. He said in a taped interview that will air tomorrow on "ABC News'" "This Week" that the economy is in much worse shape than anyone thought. He said it's going to take some real significant investment, meaning government spending, and he said it's going to be in an amount that is much bigger than anyone could have fathomed a year ago.
He actually put out there the possibility of 600 to $700 billion. And the idea being spelled out by Barack Obama, as he did yesterday at his press conference, is to eventual eventually rein in spending, but to initially, in the short run, concentrate on spending on infrastructure, some massive spending on infrastructure and some other things.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA (D), UNITED STATES PRESIDENT-ELECT: If we do this right, and it's not easy, then what we can do is grow the economy, get it back on track over the first couple of years and then we'll be in a position to make some tough choices, but we will have also laid the groundwork for long-term economic growth by transforming our energy economy, starting to make a down payment in terms of making the healthcare system more efficient, investing in our young people through the schools. That's going to be the approach that we take.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KEILAR: Some have wondered if this spending package could go as high as $1 trillion, but Obama aides say no, the number is more in the ballpark of $850 billion.
Brianna Keilar, CNN, Chicago.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: Not so fast. That's the response from the United Auto Workers to President Bush's bailout loan plan for U.S. automakers. The union says the deal is too hard on its members. It vows to appeal to President-elect Obama over what it calls strings attached to the plan.
In return for the loans, Mr. Bush is demanding tough concessions from both GM and Chrysler. Obama warns both GM and Chrysler to make good use of the loans because in his words, "people's patience is running out."
Ford says it doesn't need federal cash, right now.
So, just what are the nuts and bolts of President Bush's rescue plan? CNN's senior congressional correspondent, Dana Bash, has the details.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DANA BASH, CNN SR. CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The beleaguered president said had he no choice but to spend billions in taxpayer dollars to rescue U.S. auto companies from bankruptcy, because that would crush the already bad economy.
GEORGE W BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: But these are not ordinary circumstances. In the midst of a final crisis and a recession, allowing the U.S. auto industry to collapse is not a responsible course of action.
BASH: The Bush administration will immediately give $13.4 billion in loans to two auto companies on the brink of ruin -- $4 billion to Chrysler and $9.4 billion to General Motors. In return, they must drastically restructure to prove financial viability. If Chrysler and GM can't show by March 31 they can be profitable for the long run, they would have to pay back their government loans and then face certain collapse.
In Detroit, the relieved CEO of GM expressed confidence he can meet the government's deadlines.
RICK WAGONER, CEO, GENERAL MOTORS: We are more energized than ever now that we have the funding support we need to do the rest of our plan.
BASH: The president is bailing out Detroit with funds already approved for Wall Street, money he did not want to use, but had no choice after fellow Republicans in Congress blocked his auto rescue plan last week. Those Republicans are now furious he went around them, issuing an avalanche of blistering statements.
REP TOM PRICE (R), GEORGIA: All we're doing with this now is kicking the can down the road another three months with no prospect for a solution at that point.
BASH: Congressional Republicans are most concerned there is no hard guarantee auto companies will adequately restructure. The Bush plan does lay out conditions like slashing wages and benefits by next December and limiting executive compensation, but it will be Barack Obama's administration that will decide whether automakers meet enough conditions to keep government loans.
BASH (on camera): Obama applauded the president's decision to help the auto companies and warned executives not to squander their chance at reform.
Now, throughout the weeks of intense debate on this, Obama has refused to spend political capital, intentionally staying on the sidelines, but this now falls squarely in Obama's lap. He will decide whether or not to choke Detroit's lifeline.
Dana Bash, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: All right, one other note in our troubled economy. California is no Golden State, these days. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is taking emergency action to keep the state government from running out of cash. He's imposed a hiring freeze, he's ordered agencies to reduce payrolls by 10 percent and starting in February, state workers will have to take two days off each month without pay. California is running a $42 billion deficit.
Federal regulators have OKed sweeping changes in credit card rules. Throughout the afternoon, we're going to be taking a closer look at what this means for you. Here now is Josh Levs with a preview of what to expect and how do we get it all straight.
JOSH LEVS, CNN NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, it's interesting, you know, I mean, the credit crisis one of the biggest things that Americans are struggling with these days when it comes to issue No. 1, of course. Our folks at MONEY have been talking about this and they just reported this, "Fed OKs Credit Card Crackdown", talking about what the new rules are. They're really interesting, Fred and we'll be telling people more about them later this afternoon, including you can no -- the credit card companies will no longer be able to average out how much you owe across two bills, stuff like that.
We want you to send your questions right now to weekends@CNN.com, anything about your credit, your situation, what you want to understand about how credit cards and the whole credit life in the U.S. could change especially when the new rules take effect in mid- 2010. Weekends@CNN.com.
Here's how it works -- you send us your questions, we will have some of them on the air and we will get you your responses right there and then in the 4:00 hour -- Fred.
WHITFIELD: Yeah, we're looking forward to that and we always get a lot of good e-mails, lots of incredible, probing questions and we welcome them again today and we'll have an expert to have a lot of them, as well. Thanks a lot, Josh.
All right, well, this weekend, get a guide on how to recover from the financial crisis in other ways. Ali Velshi shows you ways to take control of your finances and grow your money. Don't miss "Gimme My Money Back," tonight and Sunday night 8:00 p.m. Eastern.
The Iraqi journalist who threw his shoes at President Bush, one cleric is calling it the "Shoe Intifada," demands are growing for the man's release, now.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) WHITFIELD: All right, 25 Iraqi military and security officers are out of jail. They were accused of conspiring with former Saddam Hussein supporters to overthrow the Iraqi government. Iraq's interior ministry tells CNN that the arrests were politically motivated. He says it's hard politicking ahead of next month's provincial election. Well, now the interior ministry is promising to go after whoever made the charges and ordered those arrests.
And then in Jordan today, hundreds of people demonstrated. They're demanding the release of the Iraqi journalist who threw his shoes at President Bush in Baghdad. The journalist is awaiting trial, but demands are growing for his release. CNN's Jill Dougherty reports from Baghdad.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN FOREIGN AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: DOUGHERTY (voice-over): The incident has become so famous in Iraq that people now refer to it simply as "what Muntathar did." Muntathar being the first name of the Iraqi journalist who threw his shoes as U.S. president, George Bush.
As a journalist remains in Iraqi custody, accused of assaulting a foreign head of state, the political significance of the shoe throwing grows -- a kind of popular referendum on the Iraq War, on the American president and on Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki, who was at the news conference with President Bush.
(on camera): Right from the start, the journalist's brother has maintained that al-Zaidi was beaten while in custody and today he, his family, friends and colleagues of al-Zaidi held a rally in his support.
(voice-over): The journalist's brother, a television cameraman, claims his brother was beaten by the Iraqi prime minister's security staff and that security for President Bush tried to stop them.
DHIRGHAM AL-ZAIDI, JOURNALIST'S BROTHER (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): A friend from inside the Green Zone -- I can't tell you his name because he will be killed -- said that Muntathar has a broken hand, his rib is broken and he also has bruises on his faced and leg.
DOUGHERTY: Colleagues of Muntathar al-Zaidi turned out for an all day demonstration Friday in a Baghdad park. The television station al-Zaidi works for has been broadcasting non-stop reports on his arrest, demanding he be freed.
Another supporter of the journalist, a member of parliament, says the shoe throwing is now a major political issue.
ZAINAB AL-KINANI, PARLIAMENT MEMBER (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): I hope the prime minister will treat him like a son. With the elections coming and people waiting to see who will represent them, is he going to be merciful?
DOUGHERTY: Emotions on this case are raw. This woman calls al- Zaidi a patriot and the American president a criminal. "He is a patriot," she says, "because he saw the killing of children and young men. He was expressing what I feel, what this child feels."
Feelings aside, it's the court that must decide.
Jill Dougherty, CNN, Baghdad.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
Well, in this country, he changed forever the way news is covered. A look at Deep Throat's lasting impact on journalism.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: He was called a hero and also a traitor during the Watergate scandal. The man known as Deep Throat died this week. Mark Felt had a tremendous impact on the way news is covered in this country. Howard Kurtz shows us why.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HOWARD KURTZ, CNN NEWS CORRESPONDENT: He was a 95-year-old man who became a footnote in history, but Mark Felt changed the nature of politics and journalism.
It was three years ago that we learned the former FBI official had spilled the Watergate secrets that helped sink the Nixon presidency.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The money is the key to whatever this is.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Says who?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Deep Throat.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Who?
KURTZ: In scenes immortalized by the film, "All the President's Men," Felt confirmed information for a young "Washington Post" reporter named Bob Woodward, helping Woodward and his partner, Carl Bernstein crack the scandal.
BOB WOODWARD, WASHINGTON POST: We were -- Carl and I and Ben Bradley and the "Washington Post" were and are committed to protecting confidential sources, they're our lifeline so we can get to a better version of the truth.
KURTZ: Bernstein talked about Felt's death on Friday.
CARL BERNSTEIN, WASHINGTON POST: I think he had mixed feelings about his identity being revealed. You know, he had mixed feelings about what he did, but he knew it was the right thing.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Bernstein got another source. The guy, just as confirmed. KURTZ: The portrayal, by Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman, sent a generation of starry-eyed students to journalism school. Scandal reporting we in, the press became more adversarial, perhaps too prosecutorial (ph), some critics say.
Minor allegations became a "gate," "Travelgate" and "Filegate," during the Clinton administration, government officials and political operatives realized they could shape the news by leaking. One adviser to President Bush called John Edwards a "Breck Girl" and the "New York Times" published it.
But protecting anonymous sources carried a price, as "Times" reporter Judith Miller learned when she was jailed for 85 days, refusing to reveal that White House aide Scooter Libby had told her about undercover CIA operative, Valerie Plame. Miller wound up testifying, anyway.
National security leaks remained the most controversial. Bush denounced the ties revealing the administration's secret eavesdropping program. Former Justice Department official, Thomas Tam told "Newsweek," this week, that he was the secret source.
Mark Felt was in poor health when "Vanity Fair" outed him as "Throat," three years ago, but he defended himself against those who questioned his motive.
FELT: I'm prouder that Deep Throat did. Yes, I like being related to him.
KURTZ (on camera): Unnamed sources, who have their own agendas, often overused by the media these days, but sometimes there's no other way to get a story than by meeting someone in a parking garage.
Howard Kurtz, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: The Rod Blagojevich case, well it just gets curiouser and curiouser, as they say. Our legal guys are on deck and you can bet they have plenty to say about the Illinois governor's troubles.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: All right, happening right now, Canada is pledging almost $3.5 billion in aid to Canadian subsidiaries of the Big Three automakers. The Canadian government has promised to give 20 percent of any U.S. auto aid.
A coast-to-coast deep freeze, a brutal winter storm that hit the West earlier this week is now paralyzing the Midwest and the Northeast. Tens of thousands of people are without power and hundreds of flights have been canceled or delayed. The Pacific Northwest is bracing for another severe storm later on today.
Let's check in with Reynolds Wolf. And which side do we begin on? I mean, it's nasty on both coasts. WOLF: You could really just throw a dart at the map and you're going to find something to talk about weather-wise, today. It's just one of those kind of days and if you look at the travel map, behind me, you'll notice that there's really two places that are being affected for the time being in terms of your delays, mainly the northeast and then one would be in the Midwest.
The first three: Boston, Newark and Teterboro, all in the Northeast. You have the worst of them all, it would be Newark where you have an hour and 40 minute wait, Teterboro, about an hour even, Minneapolis starting to build up, about 50 minutes, so getting close to an hour there.
Enjoy the time and certainly just be patient. It's going to a rough time. A lot of people -- millions of Americans trying to get their way around the country. It's going to be very difficult.
The snowfall has really had a stranglehold in parts of the country. Not so much now for New York, things are improving there, but in Boston, there's the potential of anywhere from three to eight inches of snowfall in Boston. However, the outlining areas, you could get a bit more in the suburbs.
If you look towards upstate New York, six to 10 inches a possibility for western Michigan, four to eight inches, up to 16 inches of snowfall for the Arrowhead of Minnesota. But a blizzard warning remains in effect for southwestern Minnesota. You could have wind gusts topping say 40, 50 miles an hour. One to two inches expected there.
Also, blizzard warning in effect for the Pacific Northwest, especially in the highest elevations, you're going to be dealing with that. You notice the snow you have toward Minneapolis, see how it's just kind of moving in waves? Well, you can expect the same thing over towards Seattle, in towards Puget Sound. We have that blizzard warning, it will be in effect, but the winds here potentially up to 70 miles an hour, really accelerating through those high mountain passes.
I would say anyone who happens to be traveling along parts of I- 80 or rather I-90 who's been back towards Spokane. You remember the heavy snowfall you had just yesterday, well, when this system cranks up over parts of the Gulf of Alaska and starts moving onshore near Seattle, that's eventually going to come to Spokane. So Spokane, get ready, brace yourself. That second shot of winter like weather is going to come from this system that we're talking about.
Meanwhile, for Sunday as we fast forward, that storm system across parts of the Twin Cities will move into the Eastern half of the Great Lakes bringing a secondary shot of winter weather to New England. But take a look at the Southeast, if you happen to be in Atlanta, maybe Nashville, Birmingham, you've had really mild conditions over the past week or so. All that's coming to a screeching halt because a lot of that frigid air is going to pull its way into the Deep South, certainly going to feel like winter.
OK. WHITFIELD: Wow.
WOLF: That's the latest we've got for you. Let's send it back to you, Fred.
WHITFIELD: All right, I'd say if you're in the Northeast or maybe in the Pacific West Coast, then maybe Monday is the travel day once the snowplows have rolled through. Right now, forget it.
WOLF: That is a very fair assessment. Yes.
WHITFIELD: That's my guess, my recommendation for this weekend.
WOLF: You bet.
WHITFIELD: All right, thanks a lot, Reynolds.
All right, well, the tables are turning in that hotly contested U.S. Senate race in Minnesota, but it doesn't look like the contest between Democrat Al Franken and Republican Norm Coleman will be settled any time soon.
CNN's Mary Snow reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's a nail biter in slow motion. Former "Saturday Night Live" comedian Al Franken now leads Republican senator Norm Coleman in an unofficial count in the Minnesota Senate race. But one month after a recount began in a contest that was too close to call, the maze of legal battles continues. The latest turn, the Coleman campaign wants the Minnesota Supreme Court to weigh into the recount, saying there are ballots being double counted.
TONY TRIMBLE, COLEMAN CAMPAIGN ATTORNEY: We now have a situation in perhaps a dozen precincts where we have significant numbers of votes that are going to be counted twice.
SNOW: The Franken team disputes that.
MARC ELIAS, FRANKEN CAMPAIGN ATTORNEY: There is a systematic effort by the Coleman campaign to prevent all the votes from being counted for one reason and one reason only, which is that they know that they're behind and that if all the votes are counted, they will lose this election.
SNOW: But there are wild cards. Roughly 4,000 ballots were in a pile of challenges, but now they've been withdrawn and then, there's still a fight over roughly 1,600 rejected absentee ballots. One political observer says the race is far from over.
LARRY JACOBS, UNIV. OF MINNESOTA: I think there's a chance the cherry blossoms in Washington will be blooming before we have a senator out of Minnesota. SNOW: Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty says he's looking into the possibility of appointing a temporary senator if the race isn't resolved by the start of the new Senate session in January. Pawlenty says he doesn't think it'll come to that, but political observer Larry Jacobs expects legal fights to stretch out the contests.
JACOBS: Lots of twists and turns in Minnesota. It's quite possible that Senator Coleman will move back on the lead, so stay tuned. Get your bucket of popcorn and get comfortable.
SNOW (on camera): Officials will be working throughout the weekend, but the Minnesota Secretary of State cautions that the process is nowhere close to being finalized.
Mary Snow, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: And of course, for all the latest news and notes from the world of politics, be sure to check out CNN.com. Just logon to the -- for, rather, the news and analysis from the best political team on television, CNN.com.
All right, well, the embattled governor of Illinois says he's done nothing wrong and plans on keeping his job. CNN's Susan Roesgen reports on the governor's first public statement since being accused of trying to sell Barack Obama's vacant Senate seat.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SUSAN ROESGEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Critics demanded that he speak and at last he did.
GOV. ROD BLAGOJEVICH (D), ILLINOIS: I'm here to tell you right off the bat that I am not guilty of any criminal wrongdoing, that I intend to stay on the job and I will fight this thing every step of the way.
ROESGEN: This is not the chipper, smiling governor we saw jogging a few days ago.
BLAGOJEVICH: I'm going to loosen up.
ROESGEN: This is a guy the Feds are trying to nail on corruption charges, and he's fighting back.
BLAGOJEVICH: I will fight, I will fight, I will fight until I take my last breath.
MATT MURPHY (R), ILLINOIS STATE SENATOR: I think I can speak on behalf of the vast majority of the people of the state Illinois who were hoping to hear rather than fight, fight, fight, resign, resign, resign. Unfortunately, that's not what we heard.
ROESGEN: Even before his arrest, the governor's approval rating among Illinois voters was just 13 percent. Next week, state lawmakers will resume considering whether to impeach him, but the governor, though he may be unloved, is still in charge.
BLAGOJEVICH: It's kind of lonely right now, but I have on my side the most powerful ally there is, and it's the truth.
ROESGEN: The truth of that statement may be decided in court.
Susan Roesgen, CNN, Chicago.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: All right, so our legal guys have a lot to say about this one. Avery Friedman is a civil rights attorney and law professor. Good to see you.
AVERY FRIEDMAN, CIVIL RIGHTS ATTORNEY: Hi, Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: And Richard Herman is a New York criminal defense attorney and law professor. Good to see you as well.
RICHARD HERMAN, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Hey, Fred.
WHITFIELD: OK, gentlemen, Blagojevich very adamant, he is innocent and he will fight, fight, fight. So Avery, does ...
FRIEDMAN: Yes.
WHITFIELD: ...this mean that this is fueled by something other than the case against him is weak?
FRIEDMAN: I don't know what it was. Actually, the interesting thing was he said I am just dying -- those are his words.
WHITFIELD: Yes, I am dying to tell you.
FRIEDMAN: To tell you that -- I'm dying to tell you and all the journalists were excited, but he never told us.
WHITFIELD: Right, I can't tell you.
FRIEDMAN: He never told us. In fact, one journalist was ready to throw his shoe, I think, but the truth is that there are three fronts going on. There are the Feds, which I think is the serious front. Lisa Madigan, who's the attorney general, went to the Illinois Supreme Court this week on the theory that the governor -- they used the comatose statute that he's comatose. That went nowhere as we expected it would. And then finally, you've got the Senate looking into it.
WHITFIELD: Yes, that he's physically or mentally unable ...
FRIEDMAN: Yes.
WHITFIELD: ...or has been disabled to carry on, but come to find out that's just the wrong -- that was the wrong legal approach in which to take.
FRIEDMAN: No evidence, no evidence.
HERMAN: Completely misguided on that, Fred.
WHITFIELD: OK, so then, Richard, where are we going with this? I mean, you know, there is taped evidence, is there not? There's -- at least there's audiotape of his conversation that in some way implicates him, hence these federal charges or I guess ...
HERMAN: Look ...
WHITFIELD: ...pending charges, but is this a strong case?
HERMAN: I don't know. They're claiming the tapes are illegal. They may be suppressed. We're hearing snippets of these tapes, there's a federal rule of completeness where we got to hear the whole tape, not little pieces of it.
But you know, watching him speak there, Fred, I thought the music was going to come on and we were going to see his head go into the side, don't hurt me, you know, "Night at the Roxbury." I mean, that's what I thought I was going to hear.
I mean, the point is this. They are in a standstill in Illinois right now. They've never impeached a governor in Illinois. Never been done before. They don't even know what the rules are for impeachment there, a federal -- a white collar federal prosecution takes a long time. The shot to try to have him disabled was misguided. He's going to be there, he pardoned 22 people the other day. He's not going anywhere right now.
WHITFIELD: OK, so the U.S. -- I mean the Supreme Court, State Supreme Court couldn't go anywhere with this. The attorney general couldn't go anywhere with this, but now the legislature might have a hand at this, but which takes longer?
FRIEDMAN: Right.
WHITFIELD: These federal charges to become an indictment, to actually go to trial or the legislature weighing in?
FRIEDMAN: The legislature is going to take a minimum of 60 days and when they come up with the legislation, it goes back to the governor. The fact is that just like the Supreme Court, we're not going to see an impeachment. Richard's right. There's never been an impeachment because every governor that's been convicted has been convicted before the legislature ever gets to it. So, it's not that realistic.
HERMAN: Interesting point, Fred. Interesting point. This prosecutor has prosecuted over 20 corruption cases in Illinois, got convictions in each one of them.
FRIEDMAN: Right.
HERMAN: But like the predecessor presidents before him, when the new president-elect takes over, all the U.S. attorneys get fired. WHITFIELD: Wow.
HERMAN: So, it's going to be interesting to see if President Obama fires Fitzgerald and appoints a new one.
FRIEDMAN: No way, no way.
WHITFIELD: OK.
FRIEDMAN: No way.
WHITFIELD: Well, we're going to have a lot of time to talk more about Blagojevich. And then, I understand you guys are going to be sticking around. We're going to talk about another case. And Richard, I just want to see the head thing one more time.
HERMAN: It's like this, you know, "Night at the Roxbury." Don't hurt me. Don't hurt me. Don't hurt me.
WHITFIELD: OK, well, don't hurt us on this next topic either. We're going to talk about the search for Caylee Anthony, how it ends tragically. It is a little bit as people expected the outcome might be, but what happens next? Avery and Richard will be sticking around to give us their thoughts on that.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: Well sadly, it's confirmed. Remains found in a swampy Florida woods belongs to missing toddler Caylee Anthony.
Jessica D'Onofrio of affiliate WKMG has the latest developments from Orlando.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DR. JAN GARAVAGLIA, ORANGE COUNTY MEDICAL EXAMINER: With regret, I'm here to inform you that the skeletal remains found on December 11th are those of the missing toddler Caylee Anthony.
JESSICA D'ONOFRIO, WKMG REPORTER (voice-over): The confirmation is chilling to hear. Little Caylee Anthony never made it to her third birthday she would have celebrated back in August.
GARAVAGLIA: This identification was made by nuclear DNA taken from a portion of the remains and compared to a known profile of Caylee Anthony.
D'ONOFRIO: Her little bones have been mostly recovered according to medical examiner Dr. Jan Garavaglia. She's ruled the child's death a homicide by undetermined means.
GARAVAGLIA: Toxicology testing is still to be completed on the bone and hair. While this analysis may prove to be informative, it will be difficult to interpret levels from these specimens and thus, will not be definitive in helping determine the cause of death. D'ONOFRIO: A forensic expert tells Local 6 that it would have only taken two weeks for a child's body to completely skeletonize during a typical Florida summer. So, even if the body would have been discovered back in August, it's likely a cause of death would still be hard to determine, especially since investigators believe the child's mother Casey dumped the body back in June.
STEVE IBISON, FBI SPECIAL AGENT: It's a tough thing for these -- for even the most seasoned investigator to deal with.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: Oh, this is so sad. So, let's get back to our legal guys, Avery and Richard. This is kind of the inevitable. There was a presumption because there were charges already imposed against the mother of murder that the body would be found. But now there is a body, but apparently so badly decomposed it's going to be difficult to determine the cause of death.
Avery, how does that change the makeup of prosecuting the mother, Casey Anthony?
FRIEDMAN: I think it doesn't change things. I think there is a premeditation issue here because of where the body is -- what's significant here in particular is that it is an area that Casey, the mother, was familiar with. It's an area in which she grew up. I think it focuses in on the critical premeditation issue here.
There may be some disagreement on this, but I think it actually helps the prosecution. I wish that it had been found earlier, but as we heard in the package, the fact is that this decomposition would have occurred in August, we're now in December.
WHITFIELD: So, Richard, you know, might there be other charges, other people involved in this or do you still believe that investigators feel like it's only one person you need to go after and that would be the mother?
HERMAN: Oh, they have tunnel vision for the mother and it was a mistake to indict her for first-degree premeditated murder before they even found the body. You know, they were doing it on the theory that she researched on her computer neck breaking. Well, of course, we know these bones had no trauma.
FRIEDMAN: Right.
HERMAN: Maybe because she researched chloroform. The toxicology -- you just heard the medical examiner say they're not going to be able to determine toxicology elements. Look ...
WHITFIELD: So, is that a big risk that they took? I mean, why would they do that, why would they potentially I guess jeopardize the case by imposing these charges before they knew anything about the body or the whereabouts of this child?
HERMAN: Public pressure, Fred. These are political people who run for office, the pressure from the public was to go after someone. And this woman is just a -- you know, she's perfect. I mean, those first 30 days, that's going to be the insurmountable mountain for her. The experts will ...
FRIEDMAN: Absolutely right.
HERMAN: ...battling for (ph), the experts will go back and forth, but those first 30 days, will she ever be able to overcome her conduct then? I don't think so.
FRIEDMAN: Yes.
WHITFIELD: Do you see, Richard, that there might be other people who would be implicated? I mean ...
HERMAN: I know where you're going.
WHITFIELD: ...Casey Anthony's mother, you know -- but I guess her behavior was very much protective of her daughter. And that there's no way in heck her daughter would be responsible for her granddaughter's death. So, does the scope of things change at all?
HERMAN: Protecting a daughter and obstructing justice are two different things.
FRIEDMAN: Yes.
HERMAN: And if the prosecutors feel that they intentionally misled them and lied to them and gave them hair samples that were not accurate on purpose, I mean these parents, they've retained counsel, they're seeking immunity, so they know something we don't know.
FRIEDMAN: Yes, I -- you're not going to see it. Also, I heard the ridiculous theory of trying to focus in on the meter man, believe it or not, that found the body. The fact is, the focus, Fredricka, is going to be on Casey Anthony. She's a dumb criminal. She's a bad criminal. Obviously, she's accused, presumed innocent. But that's where the focus is.
WHITFIELD: So, is it just me? Because I look at the pictures of this little girl, she looks awfully happy ...
FRIEDMAN: Yes.
WHITFIELD: ...which would to me say the family structure is very happy, it's reflecting on, you know, on a kid. So, it's hard to believe that a family member, namely the mother would be responsible for her death and not, say, a stranger because she just looks so dag- gone happy.
HERMAN: Right, and Fred, right now, we don't know who did it, when it was done, where it was done, how it was done.
FRIEDMAN: Well, we know who did it. We know who did it.
HERMAN: But we don't know that. FRIEDMAN: The question is can the prosecution make the case by proving it beyond a reasonable doubt?
HERMAN: Right.
FRIEDMAN: And I think if we use a common sense standard, we know who did it.
HERMAN: No. Right now, we know the investigators are investigating the investigators. We know the body was reported three times in August, a bag there (ph), and dogs -- cadaver dogs went and did not alert. That means the body was placed there in the time she was in prison. That's a big issue for the defense.
FRIEDMAN: I don't agree.
WHITFIELD: Wow. I know we can exhaust a lot more on this because it is so fascinating and sad.
HERMAN: Very sad.
WHITFIELD: But we're out of time, guys.
FRIEDMAN: Right.
WHITFIELD: Richard and Avery, thanks so much. Appreciate it.
FRIEDMAN: Hey, merry Christmas, Fredricka. We're not going to see you 'til after.
WHITFIELD: Merry Christmas and happy holidays to you all too, thank you.
HERMAN: Happy holidays.
FRIEDMAN: All the best.
HERMAN: You too, Avery.
WHITFIELD: Thank you so much.
FRIEDMAN: Take care, you too.
WHITFIELD: And I guess see you guys in the new year, right?
HERMAN: Absolutely.
FRIEDMAN: Right.
WHITFIELD: Gosh! 2009, all right, right around the corner. Thanks so much, have a good weekend.
HERMAN: Don't let your son hit santa anymore, Fred, come on.
WHITFIELD: I know. He's going to be good this year.
HERMAN: OK.
WHITFIELD: Naughty last year, good this year.
All right. Thanks a lot.
All right, well, what a juxtaposition. Let's talk about fashion. Top designers clamoring to make Michelle Obama's inaugural gown.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: All right, playing by the rules, you'll have to if you're going to Barack Obama's presidential inauguration next month and you might not like this, but for security reasons, strollers will not be allowed near the U.S. Capital. No tents on the National Mall, chairs, big no-no along the parade routes.
Also, leave thermoses, coolers and backpacks at home. They won't be allowed at the Capital or along the parade route. And between 1 and 3 million people are expected to attend and you can only bring yourself and what you're wearing, no extras.
All right, well, all eyes will be focused squarely on President- Elect Obama on Inauguration Day, of course, but that night, well, much of the attention will be shifting to Michelle Obama. What will she be wearing? Who will she be wearing? Many people fascinated with her fashion choices are speculating about her inaugural gown now.
CNN's Brianna Keilar reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Fashion insiders are buzzing about Michelle Obama.
MARY ALICE STEPHENSON, STYLE EXPERT: I think she will be the biggest fashion icon in recent history in the White House. You know, there's Jacqueline Kennedy, but up until, you know, since then, really we haven't seen a fashion-forward First Lady.
KEILAR: The comparison is rampant as you can see on Mrs. O., a blog that chronicles Obama's every outfit. Michelle Obama's fashion choices can cause controversy or send a message in a troubled economy.
STEPHENSON: She has to be recession chic all the way and she's been very smart in doing so in the last year by mixing her fashion choices. Yes, sometimes she splurges and picks clothes that are expensive, but we also see her in H&M and Target wearing clothes that don't break the bank, but are just as fresh and just as feminine as designer clothes.
KEILAR: With January 20th quickly approaching, top designers submitted sketch after sketch, clamoring for the opportunity to make the gown Obama will wear on inauguration night.
In the fashion world, bets are on the designer from the Obama's hometown of Chicago. MARIA PINTO, FASHION DESIGNER: I'm very attracted to color because I think it really lifts our spirit and it flatters a woman.
KEILAR: Maria Pinto is responsible for most of the clothes Obama has worn at historic events, when her husband announced his candidacy and clinched the nomination, at the Democratic Convention and on this historic visit to the White House. But asked if she's designing the dress, she plays coy.
PINTO: We have many clients that'll be wearing Maria Pinto, and -- including myself.
KEILAR (on camera): Whoever designs it, it's a huge honor because the inaugural gown goes on permanent display in the Smithsonian's First Ladies Collection.
Brianna Keilar, CNN, Chicago.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: And tomorrow in the CNN NEWSROOM at 4:00 Eastern, we're going to share some of your best and worst pictures, not of fashion, but of your kids with Santa. It can be one of you, perhaps, from years ago. Look at that one right there. That's a pretty classic image. Or maybe it's of your kids or some kids that you know who either love Santa or didn't.
We want to send a shout out to Santa by way of a reminder of what to expect this holiday season. A lot of kids not so happy about St. Nick. Sometimes they love him, however. So, ireport.com is the place you need to send those images and we'll get them on the air tomorrow beginning at 4:00 Eastern. Always great images, jolly images.
All right, well, they serve in the hot sands of Iraq and Afghanistan. Not just talking about the men and women, but those with four paws as well. And a Maryland woman is doing what she can to help out the canines.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: Aw. Well, the dust fan and the heat of the desert can certainly take a serious toll on troops and their canine companions. For our "Focus on Giving" holiday series, photojournalist Jeremy Moorehead introduces us to a Maryland woman sending care packages for these life-saving dogs.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
AMY NICHOLS, DOGTOPIA: Tables were full. Today, we are packing up care packages to send overseas. A little decorative.
We're sending four boxes to Iraq and four to Afghanistan.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Somebody want to do forms?
NICHOLS: I'm Amy Nichols. I'm the founder and CEO of Dogtopia. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Everybody loves the dogs.
NICHOLS: A canine care package. It's a little bit of everything. Rope toys are very popular.
NICHOLS: Just give them a little more comfort in their daily life. Their pads can get very raw, which is why one of the reasons we include the pad balm.
Another popular item are the doggles. This is Asha, she's a female German Shepherd. She's riding in a vehicle that's open, so there's a chance of debris and sand getting in her eyes.
Most of our donations that we receive, the physical donations are dog related. So, people really enjoy going out and purchasing items for the dogs.
SARAH PANZER, K9 CARE SUPPORTER: This is some dog treats that I'm going to send as well.
I have one dog. I love animals, and so, I knew I wanted to do something to help.
(INAUDIBLE) becoming a bat mitzvah at my temple is to participate in a community service or (INAUDIBLE) project. I have chosen to support military working dogs and their handlers who are fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan.
They're working in harsh temperatures and harsh conditions. I received enough supplies to send out four boxes and I also raised over $800.
NICHOLS: They're real heavy.
PANZER: Basically, what I wanted to do was not only give them what they needed to be comfortable, but also give them toys so that they could have fun at the same time.
NICHOLS: I like this toy. What a cool idea.
These handlers ask for things for their dogs. It's a heavy duty rubber. Plus, we think they're kind of funny. Can you send me some rope bones and some chew toys?
We spoil dogs.
These are real popular, they're actually fire hoses. So, wherever the military dogs are, we want to make sure we can support them.
This is a teeny, tiny gesture we can do to make the holiday season a little more pleasant.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: Aw, I love that. All right, well, the 3:00 p.m. Eastern hour of the CNN NEWSROOM, meet a couple who quit their jobs to care for more than 120 animals in their home. And for more of our "Focus on Giving" series, visit our Web site, CNN.com/giving.
And stay with CNN all day for the latest news. "YOUR MONEY" is coming up next. Have a good day.
