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Blagojevich Says He'll Name Former Illinois Attorney General To Obama's Senate Seat, Throwing More Fuel On The Controversy

Aired December 30, 2008 - 14:00   ET

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

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, everyone. I'm Kyra Phillips live in the CNN World Headquarters in Atlanta. And you are live in the CNN NEWSROOM.
He is defiant and he is not going down without a fight. Embattled Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich is expected to name someone to fill Barack Obama's U.S. Senate seat next hour. Illinois senate president Emil Jones says that the pick is former Illinois Attorney General Roland Burris.

Blagojevich was arrested earlier this month on charges that he tried to sell or trade Obama's seat to the highest bidder. He denies any wrong doing. Democratic leaders in the U.S. Senate say they will block the appointment. Blagojevich's news conference is expected in about one hour.

But first, let's check in with Carol Marin, she's a political columnist for "The Chicago Sun-Times" and a political editor for NBC 5 in Chicago. She joins us on the phone.

Carol, a lot of people are saying this is Rod Blagojevich just kind of giving every politician the, you know, the -- I should just say the middle finger.

CAROL MARIN, POLITICAL COLUMNIST, "CHICAGO SUN-TIMES": Well, that is right. You know, Rod Blagojevich, Kyra, bragged about having testicular virility. And this may be an example of that.

PHILLIPS: Well, it is fascinating to watch. I mean, even from his news conference coming forward, and making these quotes from great historians. And saying that he is not guilty - or that he is innocent until proven guilty. It is just line one more step in the sort of this dramatic twist and turns of a guy that is caught on audio tape. There was a probe into his role here as governor. And now he is coming forward saying, hey, I will appoint someone to the seat.

MARIN: But you know, Kyra, you can't discount this piece of it. That Rod Blagojevich is and has been an excellent retail politician. Roland Burris is a big vote getter in Illinois; made history in Illinois as the first statewide black officeholder. Ran against Rod Blagojevich for governor in the primary in 2002, and as recently as June gave Rod Blagojevich $1,000 campaign contribution, believing, arguably that he is still a governor who got things done.

So, you know, this is a complicated scenario. And add to the complication the following. We don't know what Dick Durbin, the senior senator from the state of Illinois, along with Harry Reid, is going to decide about seating Roland Burris, even though they have known him a long time. We don't know what the impeachment committee in Illinois is going to do about whether they subpoena Roland Burris. To sit down and say, talk to us about whether you also had conversations with Rod Blagojevich. This is a story that -- not only does not end, it has only just begun.

PHILLIPS: Sure, there's that part of, is he in any way shape or form, if he has continued this relationship with the governor, would he come up on any of those audiotapes? Or is he completely not a part of that at all? I mean, this is someone who served as vice chair on the governor's transition team. But yet -so, you sort of wonder what the motives are here. Is Rod Blagojevich picking somebody that he thinks everybody, for most part, would respect and like and for anybody to say no this guy is tainted, he is tied to Rod Blagojevich. You know, it would be a wrong move. Or you kind of wonder what the motives are, I guess, behind this pick. What are your sources telling you?

MARIN: His motives may be simply this, Kyra, that he is still governor of the state of Illinois, who has been found guilty of no crime to this moment. And in his view, may never be. The fact that he is willing to face down his opponents and pick U.S. Senate candidate, wait for help to react. And the fact that he continues to protest that he is innocent, not guilty, means this is a governor who is still going to fight from this day through, and probably the next day.

PHILLIPS: Now, you know, the names that were out there, Tammy Duckworth, you know the veteran, who lost her legs as a helicopter pilot --

MARIN: Who is the veterans affairs administrator of Illinois, yes.

PHILLIPS: Exactly. That we've heard that name. We've also heard Jesse Jackson, Junior. But we have never heard this name. You're from the area. You have covered this beat, are you surprised to hear this name. Did this kind of come out of nowhere?

MARIN: No, Roland Burris has said quite plainly and quite openly he wants it. And he thinks he should be a candidate for it. Roland Burris has run governor. He has run for U.S. senator. He was a long- time serving attorney general, and comptroller of Illinois. He is a lobbyist now. And so he put his hat in the ring. There are a lot of questions for him to answer. But let me tell you, I went to Wikipedia, instantly after we heard - "The Sun Times" originally broke this story. Dave Kinney our Springfield bureau chief put it on the web. Within seconds I flip onto Google, to Wikipedia, and it is already there that Roland Burris is expecting to be appointed by Rod Blagojevich.

So, I don't think anyone inside Illinois political circles would necessarily be surprised by this. And I don't think we should have the capacity any longer to be surprised by the governor.

PHILLIPS: Well, he has quite the back and it will be interesting to see what happens. How are you going to follow up on this story? What are you looking toward? How are you going to press it further?

MARIN: Among the many things that we are doing at "The Sun Times" and at NBC in Chicago is calling the Republicans, because it is a great day for the Republicans. This is another example for them of why the Democrats have completely twisted the state of Illinois, even though, remember, they have a Republican governor in prison right now, George Ryan. But it is a political moment of opportunity. The Republicans are in a minority in the Blagojevich impeachment panel, and they do not have subpoena power, but the Democrats do. The Republicans are going to subpoena Roland Burris to that committee. Chances are that the Democrats could block it. This is maybe a strategic moment for the next election in the state of Illinois.

PHILLIPS: Carol Marin, political editor there at NBC 5 Chicago. Sure appreciate you calling in Carol. Always great talking to you.

MARIN: Happy new year, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Same to you.

And only in American politics, the Blagojevich controversy may never have erupted were it not for Barack Obama's election as president. CNN's Ed Henry is in Hawaii where Obama is on vacation. And I'm taking it he hasn't said anything yet, Ed.

ED HENRY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: He has not as you know, Kyra, has been refraining from comment on really most anything during this vacation. Continuing the mantra of one president at a time. And I have gotten an official "no comment" from his staff.

But it is worth noting that he has previously called on the governor to resign. And has also said that he thinks state leaders should come up with some sort of procedure to name his replacement in the U.S. Senate. So clearly, Barack Obama, based on what he said previously would be opposed to these actions.

More importantly, CNN has learned from Democratic officials that Senate Democratic leaders, from Harry Reid, to Dick Durbin, as you just heard that reporter reporting on the number two official in the Senate, are going to block this appointment by Governor Blagojevich. Specifically, they are privately saying these Democratic officials that they have no knock on Roland Burris, a respected African-American leader, the former state attorney general, but that they think anyone that Governor Blagojevich will appoint will be a tainted pick. They have said that before. They have warned him not to name anyone. And one official said to me, quote, "Anyone appointed by Governor Blagojevich cannot be an effective representative of Illinois and will not be seated by the Democratic caucus."

Now, as you know the constitution gives the Senate the right to seat or not seat whomever it likes based on the qualifications, et cetera. And so the bottom line is that Senate Democratic leaders are now coming out and saying they will block this appointment by the governor. It is going to set up a major clash within the party. Clearly, as you just heard this Blagojevich scandal is not going away, Kyra. PHILLIPS: All right. Thank you, Ed Henry. Appreciate it. Definitely not. It always adds to an interesting story for us as it continues.

Well, speaking of guys named Roland, CNN contributor Roland Martin knows Roland Burris as well. Roland Martin joins me now from Houston.

So, Roland, what do you think? Are you surprised? Is this an interesting pick? What is your sense of everything that has happened today?

ROLAND MARTIN, CNN POLITICAL CONTRIBUTOR: Well, Kyra, there is no doubt it is surprising that Blagojevich has decided to go forward and nominate someone for this position. What is interesting is that the pick obviously Roland Burris, not necessarily on the radar of lots of folks. Here is somebody who served 16 years statewide in Illinois as controller, but also as attorney general. And also ran against Blagojevich for governor in the Democratic primary.

Now, I just heard what Ed had to say, but here is the battle now. Because Blagojevich has appointed an African-American, like Roland Burris, to the position, now you are going to set up a situation where you have African-Americans, a powerful constituency in Illinois, who may say, wait a minute, why is Burris somehow tainted because of Blagojevich?

Because he has impeccable credentials, liked on both sides of the aisle, and so his nomination, this particular pick could lead to a major battle. And look, you have Mike Madigan, who is the speaker of the house of Illinois, his daughter is the attorney general, Lisa Madigan, she wants to run for governor in 2010. And the last thing he wants to do is to tick off African-Americans in Cook County, in Chicago, because, look, African-Americans are 1.2 million in Chicago, the second-largest collections of black folks outside of the continent of Africa. They need those votes in order to win anything in Illinois.

PHILLIPS: But if you want to talk about race, you had Jesse Jackson, Jr., and his name had been thrown out there. You have the decorated war vet, Tammy Duckworth. And you know, so -- so why would this -- explain more about how you think this could be a tactic?

MARTIN: Well, first and foremost, here is somebody who has served with millions of people who are going to be voting on the impeachment issue. Who have served on the Illinois panel. He is an attorney out of Chicago, controller and major vote-getter and major force in Democratic politics there in Illinois. So, this is not somebody who can easily split apart the party. He is well liked. And so, you add on the fact that he is also African-American.

Blagojevich is basically saying to those Democrats in Illinois. Fine, you don't want to seat Roland Burris, you have to go against one of your own. You are going to have to go against a guy who has been there for many of you, campaigned for you, and raised money for you. And more importantly, you are going to be rejecting an African- American for the Senate to replace Obama. And so in many ways, he is going to force Senate Democrats to go at one another. And I'm sure Illinois Republicans are sitting back and saying, man, this is just great for us.

PHILLIPS: What do you think of Rod Blagojevich's bravado? Just the fact that here he is once again coming forward to just kind of doing his own thing.

MARTIN: Well, over the course of a couple of days ago, you had the Lieutenant Governor Pat Quinn, who came out and said, look, Blagojevich is going to be gone by February. This is Blagojevich coming back and is still in the headlines; and again, forcing the general assembly into a showdown. I can tell you right now, my old radio station WBON, and I know that the phone lines are blowing up. And trust me, this is a chess move. African-Americans are a major voting block there in Illinois, and so if all of the sudden if you have ministers, politicians and others who come out to say, sure, Blagojevich, you are tainted, but we like the Burris pick. That is going to make it very difficult for Senate Democrats to reject Roland Burris. In some ways Blagojevich is saying, you are not rejecting me, you are rejecting Roland Burris. That is a whole different conversation, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Yes, it is going to be interesting to watch for sure. Roland Martin, appreciate it.

MARTIN: Good time to come to Chicago.

(LAUGHTER)

PHILLIPS: Right, exactly. Time to converge on Chicago.

Well, again, we are expecting a Rod Blagojevich news conference at 3:00 p.m. Eastern. The Illinois governor is expected to step up and name former Illinois Attorney General Roland Burris, there, to replace President-Elect Barack Obama in the U.S. Senate seat. We will of course take it live when it happens.

Now our other top story a possible break in the fighting between Israel and Hamas. CNN has learned that Israel's defense minister is considering a truce proposal. It would mean at least a temporary stop to military strikes so humanitarian aide can get into the Gaza. And for now, Israeli air strikes are in their fourth day. Tanks are at the border with Gaza waiting on the order to actually move in. About 375 Palestinians have been killed, some civilians reportedly among the casualties. Hamas fired fewer rockets today, but they are hitting deep into Israel. At least six Israelis are reported killed in four days of that conflict.

And the coastal city Ashkelon, Israel is just a few miles north of Gaza. People there have heard the alarm sirens today. CNN's Wedeman joins us live from Ashkelon with more - Ben.

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kyra, before we get to that, some news we have just got. Apparently, according to the Israeli police two rockets, at least two rockets, have hit the Israeli city of Viershava (ph), which is 25 miles from Gaza. That is by far the farthest rockets have reached inside of Israel since rockets began being fired from Gaza seven years ago. We don't have any information at this point regarding casualties or damage from those rocket strikes.

Now, here in Ashkelon it has been certainly quieter today than it was yesterday. As night fell, we did hear the siren alerting people to incoming rockets going off. We heard a distant thud and more thuds, actually, but apparently those rockets did not cause any casualties or damage.

Now, Israel is continuing its air operations over Gaza, hitting several compounds within Gaza City. We heard of several militant's homes in northern Gaza being hit, in addition to tunnel complex between Gaza and Egypt, also, being targeted.

But of course, the next step in this operation, according to Israeli officials could be this long-awaited ground offensive. But we did hear a spokesman from the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigade, which is the military wing of the Hamas movement, warning the Israeli army that if they enter Gaza, quote, "The ground under their feet will turn into fire and volcanoes," Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Ben Wedeman, thanks for that report. We will continue to follow the situation, of course, in the Mideast. In the next half hour we will talk to an expert who says that the whole mess could have actually been avoided.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: I-Reporters sharing their images of the damage from this weekend's powerful windstorm in Michigan. These pictures are from Michelle Rosen, of Southfield, taken Sunday. They show downed trees, damaged roofs, most were taken around the corner from her home. Rosen says that her family, like hundreds of thousands in that area, actually lost power. And she drove around their neighborhood with her father after the winds, which she says reached 60 miles an hour, then they finally died down.

Well, the streets flooded, but homes saved near the river in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The water is receding, but the flood threat along rivers across the Midwest is far from over.

More record-setting snowfall in Spokane, Washington; almost five feet has fallen this month, more is on the way.

And a Minnesota government employee on the thin ice at work, and in the field after his snow plow fell into a river. Officials say that he was supposed to be clearing parking lots, but he cleared an area near the ice fishing house instead.

Jacqui Jeras in the CNN Weather Center.

JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: I love that story.

PHILLIPS: Yes, I know. Every year, we at least hear one of those stories. JERAS: My favorite story of the day. Can I just say, brings back memories, sister.

PHILLIPS: Yes, it does. Oh, Green Bay, Wisconsin, for me.

JERAS: Absolutely. Got to love the ice shanty.

Hey, speaking of which, you know what I thought, in light of that I would take one hot mitten - minute, excuse me, to talk about ice safety. Just so you know --

PHILLIPS: Oh, thanks, Mom.

JERAS: There is no criteria for pave loaders here, but if you are thinking about walking out on the ice, they say it should be at least four inches thick, and five inches for a snowmobiler or ATV, and 8 to 12 for a car or small pickup, and 12 to 15 inches for a medium truck. And that does come from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.

So, not good idea to do something like that, especially if you are getting paid to do something else. Somebody is in trouble today.

(WEATHER FORECAST)

PHILLIPS: Well, he was born without feet, without hands, but that doesn't slow him down. Kyle Maynard's newest venture will leave you without excuses the next time you think about skipping a workout.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Have you made your new year's resolutions, maybe a vow to shed some extra pounds, or have you already come up with all the excuses to stay out of the gym? Well, my next guest is not going to accept any of your lame excuses. Kyle Maynard was actually born with a as a congenital amputee, yet he can lift more than 400 pounds. He played football. He was on the high school wrestling team. He even types 50 words a minute. He has written a best-selling book. It has won national awards. And is now opening up his own gym called, of course, No Excuses Athletics. Kyle joins me now live to give us a little new year's inspiration. Great to have you with us.

KYLE MAYNARD, FOUNDER, NO EXCUSES ATHLETICS: Appreciate it. Thank you for the opportunity.

PHILLIPS: OK, so how young were you when your dad said, OK, we are going to start building your muscles. We're not going to look at you any differently. And he actually started strapping weights to your arms, right?

MAYNARD: He brought me into the weight room when I was in sixth grade. I was 11 years old, going in to play football. I had ropes around my arms originally. And then ended up getting stronger and stronger, by the time I was in high school I broke the ropes. And got chains after that, and got stronger. So it was actually 2.5 pounds that I used to start lifting with. What I try to teach people is that there is always a place to start. I was always kind of self-conscious with people looking at me in the weight room, with 2.5 pounds on my arms.

PHILLIPS: Right.

MAYNARD: I didn't know what they thought about it. Then all of a sudden, like you said, being able to lift over 400 pounds by the time I was 19 years old.

PHILLIPS: OK, interesting. You were self-conscious about a little weight, but not about your condition?

MAYNARD: No, yes, that's kind of - my parents always raised me to believe that I was normal. And they didn't have any type of disability. That is my, you know, career and passion has been in motivational speaking. When I speak I try to teach people that, you know, really we are all disabled in some way or another, we all make excuses. But it is just about our perspective and how we look at those things, how we can overcome them that really matters.

PHILLIPS: From what I understand, back when you were wrestling, that you were losing like every match, right?

MAYNARD: Right.

PHILLIPS: And then you thought forget this. I have to figure out a different technique and then you started winning all your matches. Tell me what happened.

MAYNARD: Well, it was just a turn around in confidence. When I was in sixth grade I lost every match I competed in. And my goal was to not be pinned. And I wasn't, so I stuck with it. My dad convinced me to come out, Mom and Dad, together. In seventh grade I came out and the same thing happened again. Halfway through the season I had not won a match. And it got until about halfway through that year, where I finally realized it was just the fear that was built up inside me that I had to let go.

PHILLIPS: How did the kids respond to you? Whether it was your classmates, or kids you are speaking to now? What do they come up and ask you? What is like the most common question?

MAYNARD: Well, probably the most common question I get from any group is just, you know, if I had the opportunity to go to meet God and change the way that I was made, would I? And I think that the honest answer is no.

PHILLIPS: Really?

MAYNARD: I feel like I have been blessed to be able to go and impact people that I have. After I released my book, "No Excuses "there are people e-mailing me telling me the story stopped them from committing suicide.

PHILLIPS: Wow. MAYNARD: And so now I kind of want to go and have the same impact that I have had, with the gym, now, you know, that have been led to with the, you know, the speaking and the past.

PHILLIPS: And it totally makes sense. Here we are in a horrible economy.

MAYNARD: Right.

PHILLIPS: People are losing jobs. They are afraid to even open up businesses, but that is so like you. So what if we have a bad economy, I'm going to open up a gym. And of course, it is called No Excuses Athletics. I love it. Why a gym? Why did you decided - and it is also in Suwannee, Georgia, by the way. So for all of you men and women who that want a personal trainer here. Why a gym?

MAYNARD: It is really, you know, -- well, my mission in life. What I feel like compelled to go and do. Is just to go and try to use my story to help others. I feel like in this way, I can go and touch people in a unique way, on a daily basis. And people that come and train with me can know that I care about them, and want them to succeed. And, frankly, you know, it kind of comes back to if I can do it, then anybody can. And it is that type of attitude. So, just, you know, the gym -- I love being in the gym all day, so why not start a business.

PHILLIPS: And influence everybody else. And you have been elected into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. That is just incredible, what was that like?

MAYNARD: Oh, it is a huge honor. Wrestling has been my passion. I love every second of it; being on the mat. I'm actually coaching at my old high school two days a week. I absolutely love what I am doing with that, and also now competing in the mixed martial arts and Brazilian jujitsu. I have my first MMA fight in a couple of months.

PHILLIPS: And you are such an underachiever. You really are so uninspiring.

MAYNARD: Right, I should do a little bit more.

PHILLIPS: Well, finally, I have to throw this in, this picture of you and Hugh Hefner. Everybody thought he was the ultimate stud, but no, it is obviously you and he made that very clear. You must be quite a man with the ladies.

(LAUGHTER)

PHILLIPS: If Hugh Hefner is coming to you for advice there, my friend?

MAYNARD: No, yes, he's a pretty cool guy. It was pretty fun hanging out. It was a pretty tame party at the mansion. It was for the ESPY Awards. From what I understand, but it is awesome. That is kind of back to what my parents raised me with, is just that even whether it is dating or, you know, relationships with friends, family, whatever, just to think of myself as normal. So I mean, as far as, you know, as far as that goes, well, I like the ladies, too, and what not and it is the same thing, right?

PHILLIPS: Are you single?

MAYNARD: Right now I am. I was in a relationship for a while, you know

PHILLIPS: That's OK.

MAYNARD: But that is -- I still care about her, but I don't know where it is at. It's a long story.

PHILLIPS: I bet it is. Well, hey, I want to encourage everybody to pick up your book. It is fantastic. Roll into 2009, Kyle Maynard, "No Excuses". You can learn all about him. And all the amazing things that he continues to do. And you are an inspiration to all of us. We are so glad that you are local.

MAYNARD: Oh, thank you.

PHILLIPS: Yes, we'll all be hitting the gym. I can promise you that.

MAYNARD: I appreciate it. No excuses. Thank you.

PHILLIPS: That is right.

Well, he is defiant and he's not going out without a fight. Embattled Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich is expected to actually name someone next hour to fill Barack Obama's U.S. Senate seat, and we will take that live.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: 2:31 Eastern time. Here are some of the stories we're working on in the CNN newsroom. Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich expected to name someone to Barack Obama's U.S. Senate seat next hour. The "Chicago Tribune" says that he'll appoint former Illinois Attorney General Roland Burris. Senate leaders say they will not seat anyone named by Blagojevich.

Israel's defense minister now considering a truce proposal. It could mean at least a temporary stop to military strikes so humanitarian aid can get into Gaza. Those strikes going on now for four days.

And NASA has just released a graphic report on the shuttle Columbia disaster. The agency says that the seat restraints, suits and helmets didn't work well, leading to lethal trauma as that shuttle broke apart. All seven astronauts died in that accident.

(INAUDIBLE) to Brianna Keilar now in Washington for more on the possible Blagojevich appointment? Brianna, how's this going to all go down? BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, and even before Governor Blagojevich comes out and makes this appointment official, Senate Democrats say they are planning to block this appointment of Roland Burris. In fact,they came out with a -- Senate Democratic leadership came out with a statement just minutes ago.

And just to refresh your memory, in early December, all of the Democrats in the Senate sent a letter to Governor Blagojevich saying, step aside and let your successor appoint someone to fill this seat. So, they're saying in this statement that just came out that this has nothing to do with Mr. Burris. It's no judgment on his quality as a candidate, but it says, "it is about the integrity of a governor accused of attempting to sell his United States Senate seat.

"Under these circumstances, anyone appointed by Governor Blagojevich cannot be an effective representative of the people of Illinois, and as we have said, will not be seated by the Democratic caucus."

In this statement, from Senator Harry Reid as well as other leaders in the Senate, they say it's regrettable that Governor Blagojevich went on to basically disregard this request that they put forth to him at the beginning of December, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Well, Senate Democrats want this position filled by appointment and not special election, right?

KEILAR: No, that's exactly right. And what you see in the statements and in the response coming from the Senate Democratic leadership is they say it's about having someone fill the Senate seat quickly, that there should be two seated senators from Illinois. But the other issue here of course, Kyra, is that if it's a special election, which the Illinois legislature could go that route, that opens it up to the possibility that a Republican could run and could win if, say, voters were just really disgusted with the Blagojevich situation and they decided to vote for a Republican instead.

Whereas, if Governor Blagojevich steps aside, if Lieutenant Governor Quinn becomes the governor, if he appoints someone, it would of course be a Democrats, and then Democrats would keep the seat in the Senate. That is of course what they want.

PHILLIPS: All right. Brianna, thanks.

Well, a lot of people are curious about Blagojevich's choice to fill the president-elect's Senate seat. Who is former Illinois Attorney General Roland Burris? Well, our Josh Levs has been digging into his background. What did you find out?

JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, it's interesting, because even if he doesn't automatically get the position right now, as a result of what the Democratic caucus is saying, he's still suddenly on the national stage. And this is a guy who is very well- known in Illinois and as our Roland Martin said earlier, he thinks he has impeccable credentials, but not really well-known on the national stage. So we went digging to get some facts for you. Let's start off with this. I've got a graphic. He's a little bit of a pioneer, Kyra, in Illinois. First African-American attorney general in that state. Also the first African-American who was ever elected to any statewide constitutional office in that state when he became the comptroller.

Also a few more of the positions as is listed on his bio, actually, online at his consulting firm, Burris Lebed. He was the former vice chair of Governor Blagojevich's transition team. He was also at one point the chairman of the civil rights committee of the National Association of Attorney Generals. And one more thing we're pointing out here, he served in this governor's cabinet when he was director of the Illinois Department of Central Management Services.

Now, as we know, the "Chicago Tribune" doing a lot of great reporting on this today. I pulled out one key quote that I want you all to take a look at because I think it says a lot about what happened here. They're saying that shortly after Obama's victory, Burris made known that he was interested, but was never seriously considered, according to Blagojevich insiders. But in the days following this arrest, Blagojevich's arrest, and despite questions over the taint of a Senate appointment, Burris stepped up his efforts to win the governor's support.

And it goes on to say that though he is 71, Burris has said that Obama's replacement should be able to win re-election. And he has noted that despite a string of primary losses and races ranging from Chicago mayor to governor and U.S. senator, he's never lost to a Republican.

The point of that, reason I'm showing it to you, even though he's 71, he's saying not only can he take this position, but when it's time for re-election, he could get that. You're talking six more years. And after that, he's saying at his age it's not a problem. He can handle that.

PHILLIPS: All right, Josh, thanks.

LEVS: You bet. Thanks a lot.

PHILLIPS: Well, a break in the fighting might be a bit closer now. Israel's defense minister considering a truce proposal so that humanitarian aid can get into Gaza. So, are we talking a real olive branch here?

Let's talk with Daniel Levy. He's a Middle East expert with the New America Foundation. You know, let me get to the ceasefire in just a second and see what you think about that, but what caught my attention this morning when I actually heard you on American morning, Daniel, you said -- the first thing out of your mouth, this whole thing could have been avoided. Could you expand on that?

DANIEL LEVY, NEW AMERICA FOUNDATION: Well, Kyra, we've had a six-month ceasefire that began on June 19th. When something has a deadline, you know what the deadline is. It was December the 19th. For six months, things weren't perfect. There was an ongoing blockade that was not sufficiently lifted in Gaza. There was occasional rocket fire. No Israeli fatalities in the period.

What was not done was to try and lock that in, extend that ceasefire and create the conditions for it to succeed. There weren't enough efforts either with Hamas or with the Israeli side. So what we are seeing now, which is a flurry of international activity -- everyone wants to be helpful, everyone wants to have their say -- we could have seen ten days ago and avoided all this loss of life, all this anger, all this rage and all these shattered and wrecked lives.

PHILLIPS: So, who bears the majority of the blame here?

LEVY: Well, obviously, we are in a period where the blame game is what most people are spending their time doing. I don't think that's necessarily the most constructive thing to do. Certainly, there were more Israel that could have done in terms of opening and easing the flow of materials into Gaza.

Clearly, the rocket fire should have stopped out of Gaza. But I'm saying that America, Arab states, the other international actors should all have been there in the mix saying, hey guys, don't walk up a ladder. Don't escalate. This will end badly for everyone, especially for the poor residents of Gaza and of southern Israel.

PHILLIPS: Well, and then you have the other volatile factor, just like we see in Iraq, and that is Iran. Are we ignoring Iran's influence in Gaza?

LEVY: Iran has an influence in Gaza, but we very significantly misframe this if we see Hamas as a proxy of Iran. Hamas is close to Iran. Hamas is looking for friends wherever they can get them right now. Hamas is not an Iranian proxy. Hamas is Sunni, not Shia. Hamas is Arab, not Persian. Hamas has other links. Iran, of course, can benefit from this, and if it can it will stir this up.

But there are many actors involved here, and I think you've got to look much more at the anger on the Israeli and Palestinian side, the domestic politics, Israel and elections, Palestine deeply divided between Hamas and the other party, Fatah, and on the fact that not enough international effort was done. And the other thing we can't forget on a day like this is the bigger picture. Bottom line, this is an unresolved conflict between Israelis and Palestinians. And I hope there is a truce, and I hope we de-escalate and get a ceasefire.

But then one has to get into the serious business of not trying to manage a conflict that has proven itself so incapable of being managed, keeps exploding in our faces, but of actually saying, OK, how do we solve it. That's the challenge for the Obama administration. Roll up its sleeves and say, how do we create the conditions where we can get a Palestinian state, where we can get a solution?

I would suggest that it's doable. We need some new thinking, some creative thinking, and some determination, because America pays a terrible price. People are angry that America's not stopping this. America's security is affected, and of course that of Israelis and Palestinians.

PHILLIPS: There's got to be support, though, from the Arabs, though, as well as the U.S.

LEVY: Absolutely.

PHILLIPS: Senior fellow and director of Middle East Policy Initiative, New America Foundation. I hope I got that all in there correctly.

LEVY: You got it.

PHILLIPS: Daniel, great. It's great to have you. Thanks so much.

LEVY: Thank you so much, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Well, the violence has sparked protests around the world. We're going to go live to Paris next.

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PHILLIPS: Demonstrators have been pouring into the streets here and in the U.S. -- here in the U.S., rather, and around the world protesting the air strikes in Gaza. France is no exception. CNN senior international correspondent Jim Bitterman is there. Jim, what's been going on in Paris?

JIM BITTERMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, like elsewhere around Europe and around the world, there have been protests -- noisy but small protests here in Paris tonight. About 300 or 400 demonstrators gathered and marched from one part of town to another calling on an end to the violence in Gaza. Basically, it was a pro-Palestinian demonstration by an anti-racist group here.

The protesters were carrying signs that said things like stop the violence in Gaza, stop the Palestinian genocide, and calling on President Sarkozy in his declining hours here as president of the European Union to do something to help stop the situation in Gaza. Kyra?

PHILLIPS: All right. We'll continue to follow it of course with you. Jim Bitterman, appreciate it so much.

Meanwhile, controversial accounts about why an Israeli warship hit a boat taking medical volunteers and supplies into Gaza. The Dignity limped into Lebanon this morning with heavy damage visible to the forward port side. Israel denies it struck the boat intentionally.

Its foreign minister says that the aid boat was trying to outmaneuver an Israeli blockade when the collision happened overnight. Our Karl Penhaul was aboard the Dignity at the time of the incident. He says he finds it very hard to believe that it was just an accident.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KARL PENHAUL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: There was no previous radio communication, according to the Dignity's captain. One of those Israeli patrol boats with no lights on rammed the front left side of the Dignity very hard. Now, that shattered the glass windows around the wheelhouse. It also caused part of the roof to peel back and punctured the hull.

At that stage, the captain sent out a mayday distress signal. Another crew member came back to the passenger area, issued us all with life jackets and said that we should be prepared in the next few minutes to take to the life rafts. The fear, the very real fear at that stage was that the vessel was going to sink.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: And on that relief boat, doctors, human rights workers and former Georgia Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney. She made no bones about what happened. Here's what she told John Roberts on CNN's AMERICAN MORNING.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN ROBERTS, CO-HOST, "AMERICAN MORNING": We had our Karl Penhaul saying that you were in international waters, clearly in international waters when accosted by and confronted by these Israeli patrol boats.

CYNTHIA MCKINNEY, FORMER U.S. CONGRESSWOMAN: Well, I wouldn't call it accosting. I would call it ramming. Let's just call it as it is. Our boat was rammed three times, twice in the front and one on the side.

But let me also state for the record that what we experienced earlier today pales in comparison to what the people of Gaza are experiencing right now as we do the interview. Our mission was a peaceful mission to deliver medical supplies. And our mission was thwarted by the Israelis, the aggressiveness of the Israeli military.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Now, Israel's foreign minister again denies the navy rammed that relief boat.

From love story to psychological drama. A month before the release of his memoir, a Holocaust survivor admits it's more fiction than fact. And we're monitoring this live from Chicago. Governor Rod Blagojevich not going down without a fight. He's expected to name someone next hour to fill Barack Obama's U.S. Senate seat, and we'll take it live.

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PHILLIPS: The legendary jazz man has passed away. Trumpet great Freddie Hubbard lost a long battle with heart disease, yesterday. The Grammy-winner's career spanned five decades. His publicist says that Hubbard was probably among the five greatest trumpet players ever. Freddie Hubbard was 70 years old.

And grim news out of Western Canada. Search crews in British Columbia's Elk Valley recovered the body of an eighth snowmobiler today, killed in the series of avalanches on Sunday. The bodies of seven other victims were found yesterday. Eleven men were originally trapped. Three managed to claw their way to safety. A church service tonight will honor the victims and the survivors.

Well, a story captivated romantics and survivors and publishers. But like too many things, it was too good to be true. Just as his memoir was about to be released, an author is forced to right a wrong.

Here is CNN's Randi Kaye.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's one of the most poignant love stories ever told. A boy in a Nazi concentration camp, a girl who tossed apples over the fence to help him survive. A chance meeting more than a decade later. A marriage that has lasted 50 years.

ROMA ROSENBLAT, HERMAN'S WIFE: It looked like, you know, they're hungry. I threw the apple over and I threw out a piece of bread.

HERMAN ROSENBLAT, HOLOCAUST SURVIVOR: She was my angel. She was the angel of my mother's (INAUDIBLE). Because my mother told me in my dream that I'm sending you an angel.

KAYE: When Herman and Roma Rosenblat's love story was first made public 13 years ago, Oprah featured them on her Valentine's Day show. She called it the single most greatest love story in 22 years of doing this show. Trouble is, it was just a story. It wasn't true. Oprah was duped just like she would be years later by James Frye in his memoir, "A Million Little Pieces."

But it wasn't just Oprah. Herman Rosenblat told his story on CBS and Lifetime. A children's book was written about it. And Penguin's Berkeley Books was set to release "The Angel at the Fence" in February. A movie was in the works. But now, Rosenblat's publisher has pulled the plug after receiving new information from his agent that the love story was made up.

Professor Kenneth Waltzer never bought Rosenblat's story.

PROF. KEN WALTZER, MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY: The idea of a prisoner being able autonomously to approach the fence not only once, but everyday at the same time. None of it seemed plausible. That fence was right next to the SS barracks. So, to go to the fence, which was also punishable by death, was to risk death.

KAYE: Waltzer says he warned Rosenblat's agent back in November. And says he told the editor the story is at best, embellished, and perhaps invented.

(on camera): There are some grains of truth. Professor Waltzer says Herman Rosenblat was in a concentration camp and did meet his wife on a blind date in New York City, in the 1950s. But the professor says, during the war, Rosenblat's wife Roma, was hiding with her family about 200 miles away from the camp, where Herman Rosenblat was imprisoned, behind the now famous fence.

So why would a Holocaust survivor make this love story up? In the 1990's, Herman Rosenblat was shot. In a statement released through his agent Rosenblat said that in a hospital he dreamt that his mother told him to tell his story. When he came out of the hospital, his business was gone and he begin to write.

Rosenblat wrote, "I wanted to bring happiness to people, to remind them not to hate but to love and tolerate all people. My motivation was to make good in this world. In my dreams, Roma will throw me a apple. But I now know it is only a dream." A dream for Rosenblat, a nightmare for his publisher, which refused to comment on his process for fact-checking memoirs.

Randi Kaye, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: All right, Rick Sanchez. What you working on for next hour as we monitor Rod Blagojevich's upcoming news conference?

RICK SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: This Blagojevich story is unbelievable. We just got a comment from Harry Reid. He says Democrats will not seat anybody who's appointed by Blagojevich. And he goes on to say, he doesn't think they'd be an effective representatives of the people of Illinois.

So, this is getting interesting. We've also have a quote now from somebody within the legislature there -- that might be him calling now. A lawmaker in Illinois saying that they are not going to back anything that he does in terms of appointing someone for the seat vacated by Barack Obama. We're going to bring this to you live, Kyra.

Then we've got Kendell Coffey. We've got Lynn Sweet from the "Chicago Sun-Times." We've got Rick Pearson from the "Trib." We've got Mark Sawyer, professor at UCLA who's a friend of Burris's. We've got John Fritchie (ph) who's a state lawmaker. We've got Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky and we've got Roland Martin.

They're going to take us through this news conference as it happens. You'll see it live, right here at 3:00. And it should be interesting. Talk about an act of defiance.

PHILLIPS: Bravado. Well, it's the ultimate up yours, is what it is.

SANCHEZ: Well, you know what it is, when you tell your children you can't do that and they look at you and say, I'm going to do it anyway.

PHILLIPS: Yes. That's exactly what he's doing. All right, Rick. Well, you're the perfect person to tackle this for the next 60 minutes. We'll see you in a second.

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PHILLIPS: I'll tell you. The story just gets more and more interesting. First he comes forward and said, hey, I haven't done anything wrong even though there are audio tapes that exist. We're talking of course about Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich.

Now he's stepping forward saying, hey, I'm going to name who I want to represent the U.S. Senate in the state of Illinois. Rick Sanchez, obviously, is following this along with us. That's what his entire hour is going to be about.

Rick, you and I were talking about, it's just amazing his sense of confidence, shall we say, or do we step over the line a little bit and say maybe cockiness?

SANCHEZ: Well, you know, there's a term you can use for this. It involves a male body part, it would be improper to use it on television. But an old football coach of mine would refer it to as intestinal fortitude.

PHILLIPS: Or, we could say in Spanish (INAUDIBLE).

SANCHEZ: Well, it's either a combination of bravado or guts or just plain --

PHILLIPS: Pompous.

SANCHEZ: Maybe not caring, maybe craziness. We don't know. I guess, what we need to do is listen to what the governor has to say, watch him make this really incredibly news-worthy announcement. It is almost like he's doing exactly what he's been told by his state lawmakers, by federal prosecutors and now by pardon me, federal lawmakers, as well, on the part of Harry Reid and the Democratic caucus. He's going to do exactly what they told him they don't want him to do.

PHILLIPS: But on the other side of things, you know, if Roland Burris -- everybody that seems to know him, this former Illinois Attorney General, he seems to have a great reputation, a great background. He's made huge inroads as an African-American leader. It's sort of a shame if indeed, he remains completely unscathed in all of this. That he's kind of being brought through the ringer here for Blagojevich to play these political games.