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Obama Arrives in DC to Prepare to Take Office; Bill Richardson Out; Israel's Ground Attack; Burris Tapped by Embattled Illinois Gov. Blagojevich; Minnesota Board to Name Al Franken Winner of Senate Race; Israel Military Continues Air Assault on Gaza; Travolta Family Tragedy
Aired January 04, 2009 - 22:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Tonight, Gaza explodes. The death toll climbs on both sides as Israeli troops move deeper into the territory.
Good evening, everyone, I'm Don Lemon. Breaking news overseas and here at home. A political stunner. The big-time player in the Obama transition team drops out. All this as President-elect Barack Obama arrives in his new hometown, Washington, D.C.
And Mr. Burris goes to Washington. The man who could replace Mr. Obama in the Senate tells us as far as his concern, it's already his job, no matter what the Senate says. The news starts right now.
UNIDENTIFIED ANNOUNCER: Live in the CNN NEWSROOM, Don Lemon.
LEMON: We have a lot of ground to cover tonight, and the best news team on television is here to do it for you. Ed Henry is traveling with the Obama team. Our political editor, Mark Preston is also with us. Nic Robertson is on the Gaza border, and military analyst Ken Robinson will join us. Plus, our regular panel of commentators and contributors.
Let's begin in Washington, where President-elect Obama, that is his new home. He is there tonight. And his arrival was symbolic. The image of the first African-American president stepping off of an official presidential plane. But so much for symbolism, because a little more than two weeks from today, he will be confronted with some of the most serious and urgent issues any president has ever faced on his very first day in office.
Our Ed Henry was with Mr. Obama on that historic flight from Chicago. He joins us now.
Ed, what was that like?
ED HENRY, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Don, it's one of those days where we pinch yourself as a reporter saying you are really lucky to cover this history. As you just noted the first African- American to ever become president. He's not there yet, but he's getting closer, because when I stepped on the tarmac at midway airport in Chicago, you will know this from being in Chicago a long time, it was bitter cold.
I felt like my nose, my fingers, literally, were going to come off. But I looked up and I saw this giant Air Force jet, and realized for the first time, Barack Obama would be flying an Air Force jet. Not commercial, not a charter jet, but he is that close to becoming president. That now he is flying that jet. You see right there. It's not called Air Force One yet, because it's only when it's carrying the sitting president, but just over two weeks from now, it will carry him. He arrived. The giant motorcade you could see. I shot that picture underneath the nose of the Air Force jet.
He arrived, and he got out of his motorcade, and he appeared to be lingering. He was hugging and shaking hands with people from Chicago. He seemed like he didn't want to leave. He finally went up those steps. He looked back at us in the Press Corps and said "See you in D.C." So we thought we wouldn't hear from him again.
But when we got back on the plane and he got on the plane, he came to the back and started talking to us and saying he got very emotional today, because, you know, his wife and his two daughters are already here in D.C. So he was home in Chicago alone, took one last walk through that home in Hyde Park, and he said that literally choked up as he got there, and there was a scrapbook that one of his daughter -- daughters' friends basically left at the home, some memories for him. Here is how he put it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA (D), PRESIDENT-ELECT: Well, you know, what happened was Malia's friend had dropped off an album. The two of them together. They're friends since preschool, and I just (INAUDIBLE).
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: What about when they left yesterday?
OBAMA: Well, they are -- they are just -- they are having fun.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Are you looking forward to going to Washington?
OBAMA: Yes, although living in a hotel for two weeks, we kind of did that for two years.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Did they have a plane like this? Did they fly you on Air Force?
OBAMA: I don't know -- I don't think that they flew on military, but I'm not sure.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: And this is your first time, right, on a plane -- on one of these?
OBAMA: Well, no, because (INAUDIBLE). All right, guys.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Thank you, sir.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HENRY: So you see a little bit of the personal side there, talking about this transition of power from that side, but the political not far away. Today, he had to deal with the fact that Bill Richardson is now pulling out as a designate to be commerce secretary because of this grand jury investigation back in New Mexico.
A great fear among people in the Obama team, I'm told that this was going to really overshadow the Richardson confirmation hearing, and on top of the Blagojevich scandal, it's just another ethics matter that the Obama team did not want to deal with. So he is stepping aside, not going to be commerce secretary.
Meanwhile, tomorrow, the president-elect, here in Washington, jumping right into the fray. He's going to have a series of meetings with congressional leaders to deal with the financial crisis. He's also still getting daily intelligence briefings on the crisis in Gaza. He doesn't want to comment because he doesn't want to step on President Bush's toes.
But it's a fresh reminder, Don, that as much as he's sort of soaking in this transfer of power, these interesting symbolic moments, he very rapidly has to get up to speed on both the financial crises and these national security crises we are seeing playing out all around the world -- Don.
LEMON: Our senior White House correspondent Ed Henry. Ed, stick around, because I want to talk to you about this Bill Richardson thing. Thank you very much, sir.
Meantime, losing Bill Richardson is a serious setback for the incoming administration. The new president wanted to come in with a strong team, ready to tackle an ailing domestic economy and a deadly Mid-East crisis. Now he'll have to do it without a key player. And for Bill Richardson, though, bowing out now was just one more setback in a roller coaster year.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON (voice-over): Some political observers felt that for New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, commerce secretary in the Obama administration was a consolation prize. What he really wanted was to be secretary of state. Of course, his ultimate goal was to become the first Hispanic president of the United States. But after barely making a dent in early primaries and caucus contests, he dropped out of the race a year ago.
GOV. BILL RICHARDSON (D), NEW MEXICO: I have the best job in the world, and I just got to run for president of the United States.
LEMON: The months since have not always been easy for Richardson. In a stunning move, months after dropping out of the race himself, he broke ranks with his former boss, Bill Clinton, and endorsed Barack Obama instead of Hillary Clinton.
RICHARDSON: Barack Obama will be a great and historic president.
LEMON: Clinton loyalist James Carville compared Richardson to Judas.
JAMES CARVILLE, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: My view is -- is that this was a particularly disloyal thing to do.
LEMON: In the face of such criticism, Richardson said he felt compelled to defend himself before facing fellow Democrats at their upcoming convention.
RICHARDSON: My reason for endorsing Obama was that I felt that we Democrats can't continue this bloodletting until the Democratic convention that we have to come together.
LEMON: Ironically, Richardson was passed over, not only for the vice presidency, but for the job he was believe to have so coveted, when Obama picked Hillary Clinton for secretary of state. But by the time the Obama transition team had publicly shown interest in Richardson for commerce secretary, a federal grand jury investigation of a company that has done business with New Mexico state government was looming. Richardson has denied any wrongdoing. But now, he says, he is withdrawing because the investigation would become a distraction.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: And the Obama team thought it had its cabinet all lined up, having to scramble now to replace Bill Richardson isn't what they wanted to deal with while trying to get ready for the inauguration.
CNN political editor Mark Preston is here, and Washington bureau chief for the "Chicago Sun-Times," Lynn Sweet, as well as our senior White House correspondent Ed Henry. He joins us again.
Mark, I'll start with you. What's your take on this development? Probably better now than later?
MARK PRESTON, CNN POLITICAL EDITOR: Yes, better now than later, Don. The Obama team decided to pull the plug as quickly as they could when they realized that this investigation was certainly going to gum up the works during these confirmation hearings. The Obama team really has had this honeymoon period, this seamless transition as it seems, and they certainly didn't want a scandal such as this or potential scandal such as this, you know, just two weeks before Barack Obama sworn. They pulled the plug.
LEMON: Lynn Sweet, this investigation really is ongoing, and I spoke to a reporter tonight that said it really was going on since about 2003. If he believes nothing is going to come of this, why then bow out right now?
LYNN SWEET, CHICAGO SUN-TIMES: The unfortunate thing for Governor Richardson is that the confirmation hearings are starting very soon. People who are listening might not know this, but the confirmation hearings can and will be starting before Obama is sworn in on January 20th, because new Congress is sworn in on Tuesday.
Now, the Obama administration wanted to have a cabinet in place, plans made and ability to start governing on the 20th. Therefore, if they had this investigation looming over Governor Richardson, a date for his hearing had not been set, it was just easier to move on. Obama said in his statement today he hoped that Richardson was on his scope to be picked for a future position at a future time and at certain point, they just had to move on.
LEMON: Ed Henry, you heard Lynn Sweet say a future position at a future time. You were traveling with the president today. Did he speak at all about this Bill Richardson controversy?
HENRY: No, the president-elect did not. His staff, Robert Gibbs, his incoming White House press secretary said on the plane that, you know, basically, they feel the grand scheme of things that this is a very strong cabinet and that when you look at it in totality as Robert Gibbs put it, that moving forward, they think it's going to be very strong.
There's no doubt that this is a blow to the incoming administration because they had been credited by even some Republicans running a relatively flawless transition to power here. They have made very few if any mistakes. And you have to wonder about the vetting process here. There is a grand jury investigation going on. Did they not know about it, or they just not know enough about it, and let this sort of blow up in their face, to have to pull out this late when the commerce secretary was supposed to be an important part of the economic team, which as they said a moment ago.
Tomorrow, Barack Obama wants to hit the ground running into crafting that economic stimulus plan. So in the great scheme of things, they are going to move on. They're going to find somebody else. But you do have to wonder why didn't they catch this sooner, Don.
LEMON: Mark Preston, you heard Ed Henry talk about the economic stimulus plan. But so far, the president-elect has not really said much about the situation happening in Gaza. He has spoken out about the economy and other issues, why not this issue?
PRESTON: Yes, very careful, Don, because this is a very volatile issue. And certainly, you don't want to have many voices coming out of Washington at a time when you have Israel heading into Gaza. Barack Obama will have plenty of time to come out and talk about this issue when he is sworn in on the 20th of January. But I think he is very smart in saying there is only one president at a time, and he is letting President Bush, at least publicly, really address this issue.
LEMON: All right. Mark Preston, Lynn Sweet and also Ed Henry, thank you very much. We will see Mark and Lynn in just a little bit. We're going to have live coverage ahead on the growing crisis in the Middle East.
Gaza locked down. No one allowed in. No one allowed out. But CNN's Nic Robertson is as close as anyone can get. We will take you there live to the border.
Also tonight, we want to know what's on your mind. Make sure you logon to Twitter, to Facebook, to MySpace or ireport.com. Tell us what you're thinking. We will get your responses on the air.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) LEMON: And let's turn now to the Middle East, and Israel's ground attack in Gaza. Palestinian security sources say Israeli troops now control parts of northern Gaza. Thousands of Israeli troops are advancing into the territory with support from airstrikes against Hamas targets. Hamas sources say three senior members of their military wing were killed today in two separate attacks.
More than 500 people have been killed since Israel launched its first airstrikes last week. That's according to Palestinian sources. And the Israeli military says at least one Israeli soldier has been killed. A European Union delegation trying to reach a ceasefire is expected to arrive in Israel and Palestinian territories on Monday.
A quick check now on the crisis in the Middle East. Let's check now on an update from the border between Israel and Gaza. Our senior international correspondent Nic Robertson is standing by there.
Nic, a couple of hours ago, we saw some strikes going on over Gaza. What are you seeing now?
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Still the same situation, Don. You know in about an hour's time, perhaps a little less, it's going to be -- we'll start getting some daylight here, and we will be able to see perhaps what some of the damage has been, perhaps what some of the plumes of smoke from the explosion have been going on. What we would really like to see down there and were not allowed into -- into the Gaza strip at the moment by the Israeli government.
What we would really like to see is to get a closer analysis of these gun battles that we have been hearing going on persistently through the night. I think it's the gun battles that make tonight different from the opening phase of the ground offensive last night.
We've heard far more of the exchanges of gunfire. And according to one source there, there seems to be some very intense conflicts going on, confrontations going on between Hamas and the Israeli defense forces. Israeli defense force won't comment and characterize on the way the battle is going, but when I spoke earlier with Israel's deputy defense minister, he said he was happy with the way that its both the military campaign is progressing so far.
That's another big explosion coming from a little further south in the Gaza strip. That's how the battle is going here tonight, Don. A little slower than last night. But those gun battles really gives the impression and perhaps the confirmation about these reports that there is some pretty intense close-combat going on there.
Don?
LEMON: All right. One of just a few reporters in the area, our senior international correspondent Nic Robertson. Nic, we appreciate that.
Israel versus Hamas. We know the fighters in this battle, but what about the thousands of Israeli and Palestinian civilians caught in the middle of all of this? We will hear their stories.
And Roland Burris is going to Washington even though Washington doesn't want him. Tonight, Rod Blagojevich's Senate pick speaks out and he is not backing down.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: We have a major new development tonight in the drawn-out U.S. Senate race in Minnesota. The state's top election official tells CNN, a special board will announce Democrat Al Franken as the winner tomorrow, defeating Republican incumbent Norm Coleman.
After a final recount, secretary of state Mark Ritchie says Franken won by 225 votes. The Coleman campaign has indicated they will go to court to challenge the results. And the Senate says it won't officially seat the winner until all the legal -- legal wrangling is done.
It's got to be the hottest seat in the Senate, the one being vacated by Barack Obama. And as you know, Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich is accused of trying to peddle the seat to the highest bidder. In the ensuing controversy, conventional wisdom was that Blagojevich would not be able to appoint anyone.
So much for conventional wisdom, though, because Blagojevich defied almost everyone and tapped his long-time friend and confidant Roland Burris to fill that seat. Roland Burris spoke to us by phone tonight about the cloud hanging over his appointment.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROLAND BURRIS, FMR. U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL: Don, I am the duly appointed -- legally appointed United States senator from the state of Illinois, and I certainly expect that the senators will recognize that and do not deny Illinois its equal representation as we get under way in this 111th Congress. It is my hope and prayer that they will certainly have gotten the message that what the governor has done regardless of his problems, they're not my problems, there's no taint on me, he has carried out his constitutional duty and found a person who was qualified to fill that vacancy, and that's what he's done.
I've spent 20 years in the Illinois government. I know this state, I know the people and I know the problems. I am ready, willing and able to learn by process in the Senate, to certainly hit the ground running in representing the 13 million people of this great state.
LEMON (on camera): Well, you know, living in Chicago and Illinois, I know your track record. And as a political player and a major political force not only in Chicago, but in Illinois. Now, you are aware of Illinois politics. And oftentimes there is guilt by association. You know that. And you don't think that by the governor appointing you, that there would be some guilt or some taint on you simply because of the controversy that he has found himself in?
BURRIS: Don, is there such thing as taint in the law? I am a former attorney general. I have never read anywhere in the statute that if a governor is having some type of serious legal problems that he cannot carry out his constitutional duties. When someone shows me that, then I would be convinced that there might be something that would impact my ability to serve and to be effective for the people of Illinois. I don't think that that's possible.
LEMON: When I spoke with -- when this news broke, you were going to -- that he was going to appoint you, I spoke with president of Illinois Senate Emil Jones. And he said he had a conversation with you earlier, I believe it was earlier in December, and you expressed interest in this job, and then you called him that day and said that you were going to -- that in fact, the governor was going to appoint you.
He supports you. There are many Illinoisans who support you, but you've also found yourself in a position where there are people, many of them African-American as well, political leaders, who are not supporting you. Do you understand their positions?
BURRIS: Well, I respect their positions but I don't agree with them. What is there to understand? I will ask anyone if the governor of this state has the legal authority to make the appointment. And the answer to that is yes. Secondly, am I qualified? Do I meet the constitutional requirements to serve in the United States Senate? I do. There is no such other criteria other than people got their own private agendas that they may be, in turn, seeking to foster or bring forth.
LEMON: Mm-hmm. You know the law very well. Very well, sir. How far do you plan to take this, and do you see any -- is there any point or anywhere in the law that you see that you cannot be appointed? Do you plan to take this to the very end, and do you see that this is legally possible for you to, in fact, become the senator of Illinois?
BURRIS: Don, I am the senator. I am the senator.
LEMON: OK.
BURRIS: And the next step is for the United States Senate to do its constitutional duty and not disenfranchise the 13 million people of Illinois and have us be shorthanded with all these crises that are coming down around our state and around our nation, and Illinois would not be fully represented in the Senate. That's the reason why I took this seat is because I wanted our people in this state to have a voice there, speaking on their behalf as we try to tackle some of the major crises that are confronting Illinois and America.
LEMON: So you're up for the challenge?
BURRIS: I am definitely -- can you hear in my voice, Don? I don't want to get too emotional here, but I'm ready. You know, I'm ready.
LEMON: OK. And one last question because I have to run here, Mr. Burris.
BURRIS: Sure.
LEMON: What kind of reception do you think you're going to get?
BURRIS: In terms of -- well, we'll determine if I'm not seated, then we'll have to take the next step.
LEMON: OK. Roland Burris, thank you very much, sir.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: And there you have it, two quickly developing political dramas and they are both far from over.
Standing by live to talk about them, our political editor Mark Preston, also Lynn Sweet from "The Chicago Sun-Times."
Plus, we want to know what's on your mind tonight. We want to pose some of these questions maybe to these guys, but we want to get your questions on the air -- Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, ireport.com. Send them in to us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: You know, well, two U.S. -- two important U.S. Senate seats remain open tonight. The move to put Roland Burris in Barack Obama's seat is clouded by scandal in the Illinois governor's office. And the race in Minnesota between Al Franken and Norm Coleman remains razor- thin. Though CNN has learned a state elections board plans to declare Franken the winner come tomorrow.
Mark Preston and Lynn Sweet, they both join me now. What do you think of these developments? Lynn, I'll start with you. Roland Burris, very respected in Chicago, a political figure there. Do you think that he will be seated?
SWEET: I think things might fall in his way, but he is not the senator yet. If I respectfully same, he calls himself the senator. He still has several hurdles to go through. It is by no means a done situation. I think, you know, it might be that Senate Democrats are open to a deal. Today on "Meet the Press," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said, "I'm always willing to negotiate."
Well, negotiation means that there's handling back and forth. Burris has to recognize that he might not get everything he wants, but there might be a way of working this out to his favor. But one of the things that is not helpful if he goes and wants everything. By that, I mean, if he thinks he could say I want the Senate seat. I want the opportunity to run in the future. I want, you know, kind of unlimited support for whatever political future I might want.
I think if he has more realistic discussions, maybe he could get some place because right now there's just a lot on the plate of the Senate Democrats, including, as you mentioned, Don, the Franken situation.
LEMON: Yes, we're going to get to that. But real quickly, Lynn, I want to go over because I was taking some notes when this first broke that he might be appointed. I started calling around sources in Chicago and they said, Roland Burris would be a good candidate because he is from central Illinois, he can hang on to the seat come two years when they are up for re-election. They say he ran for governor at one time. He's a smart guy. He is ambitious and on and on and on from people, including the president of the Illinois Senate, Emil Jones. So, without this controversy, Lynn, he might be a qualified candidate.
SWEET: No, no. Qualified by on the resume is different than being a political realist, if I may say.
LEMON: OK.
SWEET: He ran, and I'm just looking at a note here. He ran for contest for governor in 1994, 1998 and 2002. He made an anemic run for Chicago mayor in '95. So this is -- would be for a 2010 race. It is a world in Illinois politics that he's not a part of anyone now. There are a lot of people that never heard of him. There is a generation that has never even heard of him.
LEMON: OK.
SWEET: So, you know, there is a lot to think about. Yes, he is qualified, good resume, very different from being politically up to the challenge.
LEMON: All right. Let's move on to Mark Preston now. Mark, let's talk about when he is in Washington on Tuesday and the reception. You heard Lynn say he has got some hurdles to cross before he is in fact senator. He says he is. That's what he told me tonight.
PRESTON: Yes. Well, Don, I will tell you, usually when someone is elected senator, they come to Washington with much fanfare. There are receptions. And really, they are negotiating what committees they are going to get on. Now, Burris is going to come here to Washington, D.C. And he's going to try to negotiate even, you know, a key to try to get into the door. I will tell you, I think that Senate Democrats right now, Don, are really in a box.
Even Harry Reid said today that he doesn't know anything that would necessarily disqualify Mr. Burris. He thinks he's a nice guy or he said he is a nice guy. But Senate Democrats are certainly within a box, and Harry Reid did leave a little wiggle room today to say that Mr. Burris could be seated or potentially could be seated.
We do know this Monday, Harry Reid will meet with the Republican leader, tomorrow night, and they will discuss the situation. And on Wednesday, Burris will meet with Dick Durbin, who is the senior senator from Illinois, and Harry Reid, they will discuss the situation.
LEMON: Hey, Mark, I want to talk real quickly. Lynn brought it up. In Minnesota, Al Franken, Norm Coleman. Al Franken is ready to declare victory, but Norm Coleman is saying not so fast. They're going to contest it.
PRESTON: Yes. And today, Chuck Schumer, who was in charge of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, he declared victory today for Al Franken, and said, basically, that Al Franken should come to Washington and should be sat in the chamber conditionally while any potential legal challenges are played out.
I will tell you, I talked to a senior Democratic aide, you know, just about an hour ago, asked him if that's possible. This aide told me that they don't think that that is possible because Republicans can make an objection to that. They could filibuster it. We already do know that John Cornyn, he's a Texas Republican. He is taking over the National Republican Senatorial Committee. He has already threatened to filibuster.
So even though they might make a declaration tomorrow in favor of Al Franken, don't expect him in Washington just yet.
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: OK. Thank you very much. Lynn, I wish I could offer you one more question, but we're running out of time here. So, we're going to have to run. Thank you, both. I hope you had a happy New Year -- happy New Year's Eve. And I wish you a happy New Year for 2009. Thank you.
PRESTON: Thanks, Don.
LYNN SWEET, CHICAGO SUN-TIMES: Thank you
LEMON: We're keeping a close eye on the ever-growing crisis in Gaza. Take a look now, live pictures from Ramattan of this embattled region. And we're covering it from all angles, from the military strategy to the humanitarian aid.
Plus, you know the Mid-East is going to be a real talker on the radio come tomorrow, as well as some other issues, probably Norm Coleman and I'm sure Roland Burris. They're going to be talking about it. Our radio gurus, every week there's a new name for you guys -- god, goddess, gurus, experts. Warren Ballentine, Martha Zoller, always an interesting time with you guys. They're ready to rumble, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Palestinian security sources say Israeli troops have pushed deeper into Gaza and they have effectively cut the territory in two. More than 500 people have been killed since Israel launched its first air strikes last week. That's according to Palestinian sources. And the Israeli military says at least one Israeli soldier has been killed. A European Union delegation trying to reach a ceasefire is expected to arrive in Israel and Palestinian territories on Monday.
We've gotten only limited reports out of Gaza since Israel's ground operations began, but the descriptions we are hearing, so far, paint a vivid and a painful picture of fear among the civilians.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): It is a terrible life, terrible. And the house is broken and we can't sleep in it. And the kids left and the men and women left. UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): There is fear. All night there is boom-boom sound, one after the other, one after the other. The child puts his head in his father's or mother's lap from the fear and says to her, "hide me and cover my face." It is fear.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): The kids had just woken up. He was going to get dressed for school. They both got dressed and he was going to school with his brother. He hasn't even gone a meter and the strike began. The younger brother got away. The other tried to get away. We looked for him and we couldn't find him. God bless his soul. God bless his soul.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: So what exactly is Israel trying to accomplish with this ground assault and is this something everyone, including Hamas, should have expected?
Let's bring in now Ken Robinson. He is a former U.S. military intelligence and special operations officer. He joins us now from Los Angeles.
Mr. Robinson, first of all, thank you for joining us tonight. But Hamas should have known, if indeed they were firing rockets into Israel, as has been reported -- shouldn't they have known that Israel would retaliate?
KEN ROBINSON, U.S. ARMY (RET.): Don, I believe they expected Israel to retaliate and they wanted the retaliation. Specifically, they studied very carefully what happened when Hezbollah kidnapped some IDF soldiers in 2006 and then there was a war where the IDF crossed the Litani River and invaded Lebanon.
At the end of that invasion, the Hezbollah, the Party of God, was left stronger and more legitimate in the eyes of the people of Lebanon and in the international community than it had been prior.
And Hamas is hoping for the same tactic. They hope to draw Israel in, to deliver to them kind of a death of a thousand cuts and to legitimize the concern that they have which is the siege which they believe their people are under. And it's really important when you discuss this to talk -- differentiate between Hamas and the people of Palestine.
LEMON: Right, right. So -- and speaking of that, you bring up a good point. So, you're saying that because this is a strategy on Hamas' part, even though they knew the consequences that innocent Palestinians would be killed, this is part of their war strategy? For what?
ROBINSON: They have a long-term strategy. Part of it is they deny Israel's right to exist. They believe that the only path toward the Palestinian people reaching any accommodation is to constantly confront Israel. And part of the thing that they fight is something that really is oppressing and that is the containment, the siege that the Gaza Strip has been under. You know, 80 percent of the people in Gaza are unemployed. They're on food assistance. Imagine right now how those people are going to be cared for during this crisis. There's a huge humanitarian crisis coming up. And the issue is that the response was predictable and the response is disproportionate to the attacks.
Now, yes, 300 or so rockets have been fired into Israel, but the planned attack -- Israel took about 200 rockets before they retaliated, because they had a plan of retaliation themselves, because both sides knew that the peace process was going to end, that the -- that the bargain that they had made for a ceasefire was ending and each wanted to deliver a death blow to the other, because right now, there are nation-states...
LEMON: Right.
ROBINSON: ...which are supporting Hamas and allowing them to bring in these missiles and these rockets, which are being used against the Israelis. So both sides cannot be accommodated.
LEMON: All right. Ken Robinson, we appreciate that. Thank you, sir.
ROBINSON: Thank you, Don.
LEMON: New violence in Iraq tonight. A female suicide bomber blew herself up in Baghdad, killing at least 40 people and wounding 70, many of them women. The victims include Iranians who were taking part in a Muslim pilgrimage. The bombing is the most recent in a series of deadly attacks. They come as the U.S. tries to transfer security responsibilities to Iraqi forces.
There's been a lot of political drama today and you know it's going to be all over talk radio tomorrow, all over the stations. And we're giving you a preview tonight as two of our favorite talk radio hosts go head-to-head. Get ready to rumble.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Big political news tonight. President-elect Barack Obama is now in Washington. The Air Force 757 that brought Mr. Obama is part of the official presidential fleet. It is the first time the president-elect has flown in one of those planes. One new piece of business waiting for him, though, finding another choice for a commerce secretary. New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson bowed out today, citing a federal probe into his ties to a company that's done business with his state.
And the Democrats will soon have a new party leader. The Senate has confirmed tonight that Virginia Governor Tim Kaine will soon take over for outgoing Democratic Party Chairman Howard Dean. Kaine is expected to serve part-time until 2010 when his term as governor expires.
Lots of political news to chew on tonight. Let's bring in our regular panel to kick these developments around. And I'm talking about radio hosts, Martha Zoller and Warren Ballentine. Hello, guys.
MARTHA ZOLLER, HOST, "THE MARTHA ZOLLER SHOW": Hey, there. Happy New Year.
WARREN BALLENTINE, HOST, "THE WARREN BALLENTINE SHOW": Hi, Don.
LEMON: Happy New Year to you. I hope you guys had a good New Year's Eve and 2009 will be fantastic for you. OK.
BALLENTINE: I was watching Don Lemon.
LEMON: Cold, right? OK. So, listen, let's talk business here. Martha, so, tomorrow, are people going to be talking about Gaza? Gaza is playing very big now in the news, at least television and on the radio as far as news reports. But will that play into your audience?
ZOLLER: Well, I think certainly we'll bring it up. We'll talk about it some. But it's pocketbook issues. We'll be talking about the trillion dollar bailout. We'll be talking about Barack Obama arriving in Washington. We'll be talking about Bill Richardson, and is the culture of corruption shifting back over to the Democrats' side? So, they'll be those things that they'll be talking about.
LEMON: This is so important, though, when it comes to stability. I mean not only in the Middle East, but for the world. I wonder why it doesn't garner a lot of attention from some listeners.
Warren?
BALLENTINE: Well, you know, Don, I happen to have a friend that's in Gaza who's a lawyer, and I had him on my show. He's from Palestine. And honestly, my listeners really took to it. In fact, they are mounting a humanitarian effort to try to help the people of Gaza because there's going to be a need there to help these people out when all is said and done.
I was listening to your earlier guest, Mr. Robinson. I think he was right on point when you have to distinguish the people of Palestine from Hamas. Hamas and what they're doing right now is actually a brilliant move because it is giving them legitimacy to the rest of the world with what they're doing with these attacks. So, we will be talking about it.
ZOLLER: But the real problem when Hamas goes, you know, and uses women and children, they hide in houses, they use -- they -- it is a new kind of warfare. I mean, you won't find Israeli soldiers or American soldiers, for that matter, where we fight using women and children as shields.
LEMON: Right.
BALLENTINE: You're right.
ZOLLER: And this is a real problem for democracy. LEMON: Yes. So, maybe it's bringing them attention. I'm not sure about legitimacy. But I want to move on now to Roland Burris. I spoke to him tonight, Warren. I said, do you think that, you know, are there any legal obstacles preventing you from becoming senator? He said, Don, I am the senator of Illinois and that's all there is.
BALLENTINE: You know, Don, I'm going to say this. This could all be resolved very quickly, very simply. All Governor Blagojevich has to do is step down for two weeks, let Lieutenant Governor Pat Quinn come in and let him make the appointment. If he makes the appointment, Secretary of State Jesse White signs off on it. There's no legal problem, there's no problem at all, but Blagojevich is doing this to stick it to people.
We all know that he hasn't been indicted. He hasn't had any criminal complaint outside of the complaint that Fitzgerald filed on him. But there's no proof that he's done anything wrong yet that has been introduced to the public. But he's doing this to stick it to people. Let Pat Quinn make the appointment and all will be resolved.
LEMON: Martha, Republicans, your listeners, are they just laughing going, what in the world is going on?
ZOLLER: I'm telling you what. And Burris ought to be seated. I mean, we didn't take the power away from Bill Clinton when he was in the middle of his scandal. There have been plenty of governors who have been in as much trouble as Rod Blagojevich is in right now and his rights were not taken away, their powers were not taken away. Burris should be seated because the Senate has a lot more important things to deal with than this.
LEMON: Yes. What were you talking about when you did mention Bill Clinton? You're talking about breaking laws. He's accused and under indictment for breaking laws. Bill Clinton, his was an infraction.
ZOLLER: Yes, but he --
(CROSSTALK)
BALLENTINE: No, it's not an indictment. It's not an indictment. It's not an indictment.
LEMON: Lying to investigations.
ZOLLER: But he hasn't been indicted yet.
LEMON: Yes, he hasn't been indicted. So...
BALLENTINE: It's not an indictment yet.
ZOLLER: Right.
BALLENTINE: And Don, Don, understand this, the Democrats will cut a deal here. And I will tell you why. They don't want a special election in Illinois because if they have a special election, they could lose that seat to the Republicans. Also, I've been hearing a lot about race. Race should not be an issue here. Roland Burris is qualified. He may not be able to run in 2010, because, as Lynn Sweet said earlier in the show, there's a generation that doesn't know him...
LEMON: Right.
BALLENTINE: ...but he's qualified to have the seat constitutionally.
ZOLLER: But Warren, you know, race shouldn't be an issue, but if the Democrats are seen denying this seat to an African-American man, it hurts them.
LEMON: All right. Martha Zoller...
BALLENTINE: I agree.
LEMON: Martha gets the -- oh, she almost got the last word. Martha, say something. Let Martha get the last word.
ZOLLER: No, it's good. Happy New Year.
BALLENTINE: Happy New Year, guys.
LEMON: OK. Thank you to both of you as well.
Now, you've seen the explosions and you heard the politicians and all the pundits. Now, we want to talk to the people who are really affected by this crisis. Straight ahead, a Palestinian journalist joins us from North Carolina. Her dad joins us from Gaza. Both join us via Web cam.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: We're following breaking news here in the CNN NEWSROOM. This one is from Louisiana. Eight people are dead after the helicopter they were in crashed in southern Louisiana. Nine people were on board the chopper when it went down this afternoon in Terrebonne Parish. It's about 100 miles west of Baton Rouge.
You're looking at pictures from our affiliate WDSU. The lone survivor has been taken to the hospital. There's no word yet on what caused this crash. I want to tell you the helicopter was apparently owned by PHI, which is a civilian chopper company.
We have some severe weather happening across the country, plus it is a very busy travel weekend. Powerful storms hitting the northwest. CNN's Jacqui Jeras joins us now from the weather center.
Tell us about tonight and what your commute is going to be like tomorrow, Jacqui.
JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes. Not looking so good especially in parts of the west and then also into the southeast. You know, kind of the last hurrah of the holidays for a lot of people. And we've had a lot of delays at the airports. And then the roadways, also some big trouble.
Biggest problem right now is this storm in the Pacific Northwest. The snow level is very low here. We've been getting some snow in Seattle over the last couple of hours, but we'll watch the levels lift a little bit as we got some warmer air pushing in with this system. Unfortunately, this is really going to aggravate the flooding situation and increase the avalanche danger once again. We're looking at maybe another 10 to 18 inches of snow in the next 24 hours above 7500 feet.
Now, we've got a little snow going on across parts of Arizona and New Mexico as well. Rain into the Phoenix area and that has been causing some delays at the airport. There you can see about 30-minute arrival delays and about 45 minutes in Los Angeles. We expect more delays there for tomorrow.
We're also real concerned about that moisture that moves in with some cold air across parts of Texas. Icy conditions expected here tomorrow morning. That includes you in DFW -- Don.
LEMON: All right, Jacqui Jeras, thank you very much.
You know, he's one of the most famous actors in the world, but tonight, John Travolta is a grieving father. We're hearing from Travolta and his family on the loss of his son.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Here's the latest for you now on the tragic death of Jett Travolta, the teenaged son of actors John Travolta and Kelly Preston. An autopsy could happen as soon as tomorrow on the 16-year-old who was found dead at his family's vacation home in the Bahamas. A police official says the teen was found unconscious in a bathroom Friday morning. He was later pronounced dead at a Freeport hospital.
John Travolta and Kelly Preston have released a statement and it reads, in part, "Jett was the most wonderful son that two parents could ever ask for and lit up the lives of everyone he encountered. We are heartbroken that our time with him was so brief. We will cherish the time we have had with him for the rest of our lives." Sad loss there.
Israeli troops in Gaza digging in for a very long haul. As dawn is breaking in the Palestinian territory, you're looking at live pictures there. The damage and the death toll both get worse. We'll talk with some people who are really affected by this crisis. That is coming up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: OK, guys, I want you to pay close attention to this, because, you know, there's been a media blackout in Gaza. No media allowed in, no media allowed out. And the internet, though, now makes it possible for ordinary people to communicate with the entire world at the speed of light, even from the middle of a war zone. Laila El-Haddad is a Palestinian journalist. She writes a blog. It's called "A Mother From Gaza." She joins us via web cam from Reilly, North Carolina. And her father, Dr. Moussa El-Haddad also joins us via internet from Gaza. Thank you both for joining us.
LAILA EL-HADDAD, A-MOTHER-FROM-GAZA.BLOGSPOT.COM: Thank you.
LEMON: How are you doing, Mr. El-Haddad?
DR. MOUSSA EL-HADDAD, GAZA RESIDENT: Can you hear me well?
LEMON: Yes, I can hear you. Can you hear us?
M. EL-HADDAD: Yes, I can hear you.
LEMON: You're live on CNN. We're wondering how you're doing in the middle of a war zone.
M. EL-HADDAD: Well, what can I tell you? It's horrible. It's very sad. Explosions all the time. Just now when I was on the line, there were two huge explosions outside. I don't know where they are, but they sound very close. Last night was -- it was quiet but initially, the walls shook at that refugee camp on the beach. Then there was a family of five that was killed -- father, mother and three girls. The oldest of them was 7. And there were reports of anything between 50 and 100 injured, some of them are severe.
LEMON: Mr. El-Haddad, I have to ask you. Is there a difference in -- we got the first daylight pictures yesterday. This is starting going into the second day. I'm wondering if you have seen a difference in the fighting or tactics in daylight hours and night time hours.
M. EL-HADDAD: Not -- not this night. Of course, now it's 5:00 in the morning here -- 6:00 in the morning. Last night was a horrible night. There was fired bombing all through the night. We have had no sleep at all. Tonight, I could manage to sleep like three hours, but every now and then there are bombings and explosions and...
LEMON: And Laila, I want to ask you, you're here in the United States and you're safe. Watching your father, seeing him this way in the middle of a war zone, how has this been affecting you?
L. EL-HADDAD: It's -- as my father mentioned, it's horrible, they're in the dark, knowing that they're in the dark, literally and figuratively, as mentioned there's a media blackout in Gaza. Israel has cut off electricity completely to all of Gaza City to about 80 percent of the entire Gaza Strip. 13,000 people now have become displaced refugees inside the Gaza Strip, something like a third of them are without water.
I mean, people are lacking their basic necessities and that includes my family. And they're calling me to find out what's happening around them, because the electricity is out. They have no access to information. There are a few foreign journalists there. So, my father will often call me and tell me, tell me, what was that, I heard a large explosion. You know, I want to make sure they're OK and they want to make sure that the people around them are OK and they're not in harm's way.
LEMON: Mr. El-Haddad, I have really only 10 seconds here, is there anything you want to say to your daughter while we have you up?
M. EL-HADDAD: Well, I love you my daughter. I love you very much. I hope (INAUDIBLE) and I miss you all and I just hope that we live and meet again (INAUDIBLE).
LEMON: Laila, I have really -- what do you want to say to your dad, five seconds?
L. EL-HADDAD: Stay safe. Be as safe as you can and continue to be -- to speak to the world about what's happening.
LEMON: I'm sorry to rush both of you, but we have to get off the air tonight. We are coming up at the top of the hour. Thank you both. Stay safe, Mr. El-Haddad. Make sure you stay tune with CNN for continuing coverage of the Middle East crisis. "AMERICAN MORNING" begins at 6:00 a.m. Eastern and Anderson Cooper will be live from the region tomorrow night, 10 p.m. Eastern.
I'm Don Lemon. Have a great week ahead and have a good night.
