Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

Roland Burris Turned Away at Senate Door; Spy Chief Choice; 11th Deadly Day in Gaza; Populations in Harm's Way; Heating Bill Help; Motorcade Makeover

Aired January 06, 2009 - 12:00   ET

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

TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: And hello again, everyone. I'm Tony Harris in the CNN NEWSROOM.
Here are the headlines from CNN for this Tuesday, the 6th day of January, 2009.

Senate showdown. The man appointed to replace Barack Obama in the Senate tries to claim the seat.

Where's the resume? Barack Obama's reported choice for CIA director comes under fire for his lack of intelligence experience.

Israeli troops surround Gaza City. The Red Cross says it has a full-blown humanitarian crisis on its hands.

Well, stay with me here. There is a lot to get to.

It is high noon in Washington. The 111th Congress convenes this hour, facing a country in crisis and a media circus.

Former Illinois attorney general Roland Burris arrived to a crush of reporters on Capitol Hill. He was not allowed to take the Illinois Senate seat vacated by Barack Obama.

Democrat Al Franken will not be sworn in this hour either. Minnesota's election board has certified him the winner, but the governor has not signed off on it. Republican incumbent Norm Coleman plans a court challenge.

Vice President-elect Joe Biden will take the Senate oath today. Delaware's governor has named a replacement, but Biden can keep the Senate job another two weeks, if he wants.

Senator Hillary Clinton is taking her seat today. The president- elect has nominated Clinton for secretary of state, but New York's governor has yet to name a replacement for her.

CNN's Brianna Keilar is with me live now from Capitol Hill, where senators are about to take the oath of office.

And Brianna, the Burris event this morning showed you to be pretty good at play-by-play. What are we going to see out of the next, oh, five to 10 minutes or so?

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, what we're going to be seeing, obviously, is the 111th Congress being sworn in. And, of course, who is missing? We've got a couple people missing -- the senator from Minnesota, or the senator-elect from Minnesota, as well as whoever is supposed to be taking Barack Obama's place.

Roland Burris says it is him, that it is his legal appointment. And basically, what happened was he came to the Hill, you can see in these pictures here, amid just a pack of reporters. This was the headline today here on Capitol Hill. And he was supposed to be greeted outside by the sergeant at arms, as well as a representative from Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's office.

And honestly, it was so difficult to see if that could happen just because of how much activity there was around Mr. Burris. I sidled up right next to him, asked him what he thought the expectation was, and he was not responding to questions.

At this point, Burris went inside of the Capitol and went up to the third floor, the secretary of the Senate's office, to present his credentials in person, which is interesting, because they had already been rejected yesterday when Mr. Burris, you know, not obviously in his presence. And the secretary of the Senate had rejected his certificate of appointment on the basis that the secretary of state of Illinois had not signed it.

Obviously, Burris trying to make a statement that he's going to persist with his attempts to try to be seated as the junior senator from Illinois. Following this whole event, and all of these events inside of the Capitol building, he came outside and gave a short statement at a press conference. Let's listen to what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROLAND BURRIS (D), ILLINOIS SENATE APPOINTEE: Members of the media, my name is Roland Burris, the junior senator from the state of Illinois.

I presented my credentials to the secretary of the Senate and advised that my credentials were not in order, and I would not be accepted, and I would not be seated, and I would not be permitted on the floor. And therefore, I am not seeking to have any type of confrontation. I will now consult with my attorneys, and we will determine what our next step will be.

Thank you all very much, and God bless each and every one of you. Thank you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: So he will consult with his attorneys and then he will determine the next step. The question is, is the next step what people presume it to be, that he will seek legal action so that he can be seated?

And I have to tell you, Tony, one of the things that stood out to me was a familiar face behind Roland Burris when he was there at that press conference, and it was the face of William Jeffress. This is a defense attorney who was part of the defense counsel for Scooter Libby when he was tried in Washington, D.C., and obviously convicted in relation to that CIA leak case. Obviously, this is someone who can practice law in D.C.

HARRIS: Yes.

KEILAR: So the presumption is, even though we didn't hear Burris say it, that he will file suit. Where is he going to file suit? Would it be here at the U.S. District Court in D.C., would it be in Chicago? Well, he certainly has someone.

And Jeffress himself told me he just came on board in the last few days here. Obviously, he could represent Burris here in D.C. District Court, if that's where Burris chooses to take this fight next.

HARRIS: And then perhaps it gets settled during a meeting tomorrow between Burris's team and Democratic Senate leadership, perhaps.

And Brianna Keilar will be certainly watching that for us.

Brianna, appreciate it. Thank you.

I spoke with Timothy Wright last hour. He is an attorney for Roland Burris.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TIMOTHY WRIGHT, ATTORNEY FOR ROLAND BURRIS: The outcome that we'll be looking for is that Senator Roland Burris will be standing on the floor of the Senate, conducting his responsibilities as a junior senator from the state of Illinois. I think if that does not occur, then I think that we will take the necessary actions to get the highest court of the land to adjust whether that's correct or not.

All right. So the highest court in the land is the U.S. Supreme Court. You see...

WRIGHT: Well...

HARRIS: You see a pathway wherein a scenario in which this ends up at the U.S. Supreme Court?

WRIGHT: Well, I think everything as a consequence may end up there. I believe that the law is clear. I believe that any judge in a district court will rule accordingly. We just have to wait and see, Tony.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: All right. A live picture now. Let's go back to the Senate chambers.

The Senate swearing-in ceremony is under way, as you can see. Maybe -- is this an opportunity for us to hear just a little bit of it?

(JOINED IN PROGRESS)

RICHARD CHENEY, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: ... against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that you will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that you take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that you will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which you are about to enter; so help you God?

UNIDENTIFIED GROUP: I do.

CHENEY: Congratulations.

HARRIS: Vice President Cheney swearing in the 111th Senate. The Senate chambers there. And quite a moment. It absolutely is quite a moment. The new Senate now.

Let's do this by the numbers. Seats still in question are not included in this tally. There are 55 Democrats, 41 Republicans, two Independents. Seventeen senators are women, three are Latino, two are Asian-Americans. There are no African-American.

Fifty-seven have a law degree. There are three medical doctors in the Senate. One has no education beyond high school.

President-elect Barack Obama pushing the new Congress to move quickly on an economic stimulus plan. He is proposing a massive plan that includes about $300 billion in tax cuts.

Kate Bolduan covering the Obama transition live from Washington, D.C.

And Kate, what is the president-elect doing to make this proposal a reality?

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, I'll tell you, Tony, the president-elect and his economic team, they've pretty much started a full-court press on the economy, meeting with congressional leaders yesterday. Obama has another meeting with his economic team today. And they're pushing, as you mentioned, a significant -- that's almost an understatement -- recovery package, one that could cost in the neighborhood of $775 billion. And Obama wants it soon, making clear yesterday that the economy is priority one.

Listen here.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT-ELECT OF THE UNITED STATES: Right now, the most important task for us is to stabilize the patient. The economy is badly damaged. It is very sick. And so we have to take whatever steps are required to make sure that it's stabilized. But we also have to recognize if we're going to grow this economy over the long term, if we're going to create a better future for our children and our grandchildren, then we can't be fiscally irresponsible about how we do it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: Now congressionally, they (ph) were inside the bipartisan meeting of lawmakers with the president-elect yesterday. He tells CNN the president-elect made very clear he wants a stimulus bill on his desk by mid-February. Now, that does miss the goal originally set of having a bill to him by the inauguration, by day one, but Democratic leaders have started to say, probably I think since this weekend, that that goal would now be very, very difficult.

HARRIS: Yes. Also, Kate, also making headlines, Obama's pick for CIA director. What is going on with that?

BOLDUAN: Well, let's just say, Tony, that the president-elect's pick for the intelligence post isn't receiving such a very warm welcome from some key Democrats on Capitol Hill. The incoming chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Senator Dianne Feinstein, voicing strong concern over Panetta's lack of intelligence experience. Other Democrats have come out to share that view, but some lawmakers are praising the pick, saying pretty much that Panetta can bring a fresh perspective to an agency that needs change at this time.

HARRIS: OK, Kate. Good to see you. Appreciate it. Thank you.

BOLDUAN: Of course.

HARRIS: Is Leon Panetta a smart choice to lead the Central Intelligence Agency, or could this be a misstep by the incoming Obama administration?

Frances Townsend is with us, and she is a CNN national security contributor and former homeland security adviser in the Bush administration. She is with us from Washington.

Frances, good to see you.

FRANCES TOWNSEND, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CONTRIBUTOR: Good to see you, Tony.

HARRIS: We sought you out today. I'm glad that you could be with us.

What is your reaction to the choice of Leon Panetta to head the CIA?

TOWNSEND: Well, I think I share the concerns of Senator Feinstein. Look, Tony, the single-most important tool in preventing an attack in this country is intelligence collection, foreign in the case of the CIA, domestic in the case of FBI. We can't afford somebody to do on-the-job training, if you will.

Leon Panetta, I have tremendous respect for his political experience, for his management experience. I mean, he comes highly recommended in many respects. But his experience in the intelligence community is virtually nonexistent. In his job as the chief of staff, he would have sat in on intelligence briefings, although we know President Clinton did it -- he read the book. He didn't take briefings. And so even his exposure will be somewhat limited. He's going to have to prove his own credibility inside the intelligence community, not to mention up on the Hill for confirmation hearings.

HARRIS: OK. Great.

So, this is a smart team. What we've seen so far from the Obama team is that they gather smart people. So what does this choice signal to you about the direction of the CIA moving forward in an Obama administration.

TOWNSEND: Well, you're quite right, Tony. Look, Janet Napolitano at DHS and Eric Holder at Justice, some really smart people and good picks.

I think what you're seeing here is, you know, we heard early on that the lead pick for CIA was a guy by the name of John Brennan who had run the National Counterterrorism Center. Very experienced, career-long intelligence officer.

He got sort of sidetracked because of some blogs that went against him and was taken out of contention. And I think that they were scrambling around for the right pick.

You know, we heard Denny Blair's name several weeks ago, and it was clear that the transition team decided not to come out and announce Blair until they had a CIA director. And they were back on their heels. So they've gone to an out-of-the-box choice, but I think what they're seeing is, you go to an out-of-the-box choice and you're in for some heavy, heavy seas and lots of criticism.

HARRIS: OK. Let me pivot on that point. Is it possible that Leon Panetta could be a caretaker in this role with a mission: help us get Guantanamo closed in the -- Frances, hang on just a second. We want to take everyone back to the Senate chambers for the swearing-in ceremony as it continues.

Senator Ted Kennedy.

(JOINED IN PROGRESS)

SEN. EDWARD KENNEDY (D), MASSACHUSETTS: I do.

CHENEY: Congratulations.

(APPLAUSE)

HARRIS: All right. Frances, we're back with you.

And I was leading you down this road, that perhaps this is -- perhaps this could be just a caretaker position for Leon Panetta, go in and get a couple of things done for us, help us close Guantanamo, end the rendition program, rewrite the CIA directives on torture, take any political hit for those actions, and then walk away.

What do you think of that?

TOWNSEND: I hope that's not the case, Tony. The intelligence community deserves more than a caretaker. They deserve an advocate.

I mean, if Leon Panetta really wants to help the intelligence community, what he needs to do is be their advocate and protect them from political influence, not go in there and be an agent of political influence. The fact is, he needs to get himself educated on the effectiveness, the legality of enhanced interrogation techniques -- rendition, by the way, which was also a part of the policy of the Clinton administration.

And so before he goes in there with a mission to undo things, he's going to have to educate himself. There is good career staff. Steve Kappes, who's the deputy CIA director, is a career professional. He needs to hold onto him and help him get over this learning curve.

HARRIS: And one more quick question. Is it a fair question to ask with this appointment whether or not this appointment, in and of itself, makes us safer or makes us less safe? Is that a fair question?

TOWNSEND: I think it's hard to answer that. Leon Panetta's going to have to prove himself in this position, but he doesn't have a lot of time. And so I think it's a very difficult time to put somebody in there who doesn't have experience and know the intelligence community. It potentially could make us less safe, but I think we have to reserve judgment on that right now.

HARRIS: OK, Frances. Great to see you. Thanks for your time. Thanks for your insights on this.

TOWNSEND: Sure.

HARRIS: Once again, the box to the right of your picture there, the swearing-in continues in the Senate chambers right now. We will keep an eye on that, obviously, for you.

And as we move forward, the fighting goes on in Gaza. We will bring you up to date on the latest efforts to end it. That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: And just moments ago, Vice President-elect Joe Biden being sworn in.

All right. The signing in going on there. As you know, the vice president-elect gets to maintain his Delaware Senate seat for another two weeks.

We will keep an eye on these pictures for you.

"Everyone in Gaza is terrorized and traumatized." That is a direct quote from the top U.N. official in the embattled territory. On this 11th day of Israel's blistering offensive, more Israeli shells are pounding the region. Its troops and tanks now surrounding heavily populated Gaza City. U.N. officials say Israeli airstrikes today hit near two United Nations schools. Palestinian medical sources say 44 people were killed in one strike, three in the other. The Israeli military is checking that report.

Some 555 Palestinians have been killed so far, including at least 100 women and children. More than 2,700 wounded. Israel reports eight killed, including three soldiers who died in a friendly fire incident.

Hamas militants still launching rocket attacks. One today going farther than ever into southern Israel, hitting a town about 23 miles from the border.

Let's get the latest on the developments now. Our Paula Hancocks watching developments from the Israel/Gaza border -- Paula.

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Tony.

Well, it is the second U.N. school in Gaza that has been affected in two days. We just spoke to John Ging, the head of the United Nations Rights and Works Agency in Gaza, and he believes that the casualties could be around 40, but that is not determined at this point.

Now, it was mainly the casualties who were outside that building, and certainly inside the building there were hundreds of people, about 350, according to the U.N., who were trying to shelter from the Israeli onslaught. Some of them just too scared to stay at home, others having been moved on by the Israeli military trying to clear different areas. So the Israeli Defense Forces, as you say, still checking that report.

But according to the Israeli military, they believe that they have killed around 130 Hamas operatives since the ground operation began, but they have also lost six Israeli soldiers since Saturday. But the death toll is really rising for civilians.

There is a fear that the deeper the Israeli military move into Gaza, and the closer they get to the densely-populated areas, then that civilian death toll could rise. And we're hearing from all the aid agencies that the hospitals are on the brink of collapsing.

They simply cannot cope. They don't have enough doctors. They don't have enough medical supplies. And they have the most basic equipment in these hospitals.

And we just heard from Oxfam also saying that many doctors have actually been killed in the violence. So it really is a very dire situation.

Calls for an immediate cease-fire. EU diplomats are in town trying to sort out an immediate cease-fire, but certainly it hasn't happened yet. HARRIS: And Paula, just very quickly, just a quick question. Our understanding is that Gaza City is essentially surrounded. Any indication that sort of a full-scale neighborhood-by-neighborhood urban battle is in the immediate offing?

HANCOCKS: At this point, no. We know that they are on the outskirts of Gaza City. Certainly, it would be an incredibly difficult and dangerous job for the Israeli military to go house by house.

This is what Hamas would like. They know the terrain better. They would have the advantage if the Israeli military went into the towns. But, of course, the Israeli military is saying that Hamas operatives are firing some of these rockets from back yards of houses. So if they wanted to find every single rocket, then they would have to go in.

HARRIS: OK. Paula Hancocks for us.

Paula, appreciate it. Thank you.

The more civilians killed and wounded, the louder the international calls for a cease-fire. Still, Israel is moving forward with its air and ground assault on Gaza.

CNN Chief International Correspondent Christiane Amanpour discussed Israel's resolve with international Mideast envoy Tony Blair.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The civilian casualties in Gaza are obviously going to put a big pressure on Israel. How long can Israel withstand this pressure?

TONY BLAIR, FMR. BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: Well, I think Israel would like to see a halt to this quickly, but I think it is prepared to go on. And, you know, there are a lot of parallels drawn with Lebanon, but Gaza isn't Lebanon. Gaza is -- as you know, it's a strip of 20 miles or so by four miles, and Hamas aren't Hezbollah.

So I think Israel is prepared to go on. The question is, can we find a basis for bringing this to a halt immediately?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: The latest interviews, information and images from the Middle East are just a click away. Just log on to CNN.com for complete coverage on Gaza.

Trying to rebuild while facing a huge budget deficit. Lawmakers in cash-strapped Iowa are trying to come up with enough money to restore places like Cedar Rapids. Flooding there caused more than $5.5 billion in damage last year. The problem, the state's budget is already in the red as much as $600 million.

(WEATHER REPORT)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: The swearing in, the signing in of senators in the Senate chambers continues right now. A live picture coming up for you any moment now.

And if you would like to see more of the swearing in being led there by Vice President Cheney, we encourage to you go to CNN.com/live.

President-elect Obama says Congress needs to act quickly to break the momentum of the recession.

Joining us to talk more about the Obama economic stimulus plan -- we love him -- CNN Chief Business Correspondent Ali Velshi, New York City.

ALI VELSHI, CNN CHIEF BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: You made me put my jacket on.

HARRIS: Why?

VELSHI: I wanted people to know which one was Tony and which one was Ali.

HARRIS: I'm doing the tribute vest for you, doctor.

VELSHI: I like it. You look like a million bucks.

HARRIS: Because of the big occasion here and the book. We'll get to that in a second.

VELSHI: Sure.

HARRIS: Ali, let's do this -- let's rewind a few hours ago. Here you are talking about the tax relief portion of the Obama stimulus package on "LARRY KING LIVE."

VELSHI: Yes.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VELSHI: Fundamentally, if you're an American in need because you're losing your house or you're losing or have lost your job, the $500 isn't going to help you. And if you're not an American in desperate need, while $500 is helpful, it's not going to do anything for you either. So, fundamentally, this business of spreading these tax cuts around seems more political than sensible right now. We need targeted help for homeowners and for people losing their jobs.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: What would be, in your view, Ali, a more targeted, a more effective approach to this huge package which now includes this huge chunk for infrastructure, and also now this tax relief program? VELSHI: Right. Well, I like the targeted parts of it. So, in fact, I like the business part of it, believe it or not, not for the reasons you might think.

It's because of the fact that there are reductions in taxes for businesses that will hire people or that will reverse some of the layoffs. I like the idea of the rest of the stimulus package, not the tax cut part, that will create jobs through infrastructure rebuilding.

This business of giving people cash didn't work last spring. If it had worked, we wouldn't be in a recession. So that's my concern, that if you are losing your job or you are, like I said to Larry, if you're losing your job or you've got a problem in your house, the $500 is not going to be something you're going to go out and buy a TV set with or something like that. Tax cuts really need to be across the board, they need to be based on the percentage of tax you buy.

HARRIS: Yes.

VELSHI: And that's why I don't like the stimulus spending thing. It might work in some environments; it's not the right environment for you right now.

HARRIS: But some will say, and then you will have to respond to this, of course, that you sound as though you are in favor of a tax cut for businesses, but not for middle class and working people.

VELSHI: Right. Yes, it's not -- I'll be specific. What I'm in favor of is tax cuts, that for whoever they are, specifically result in an investment in jobs or buying things that will actually stimulate the economy.

This is not a tied tax cut. If you give people $500, you're not telling them, take the $500 and do this with it. People are in desperate need in terms of credit and their money. They may not spend it. I think it's the wrong way to allocate that money. It's not a business versus individual thing. It's a come up with individual targeted reasons that this economy is going to improve.

HARRIS: Politically, how smart was it to create something in this package that represents an opportunity for a buy-in from more Republicans and the business community?

VELSHI: Sure. Look, small businesses, by the way, create more jobs than large businesses in this country.

HARRIS: Yes.

VELSHI: So we do actually have to -- a lot of these small businesses are really suffering. So I think the buy-in politically does actually make some sense. Obviously Barack Obama has smarter advisers than I do. And so his people are telling him, they know it might have limited effect, but it might have very good political effects. And at this point, he needs to continue to have everybody, as many people as he can, on side to try and get this economy fixed. So I get it from that perspective. HARRIS: Talk to us about this book. First of all, I love it. "Gimme My Money Back."

VELSHI: Gimme -- that's what people say.

HARRIS: Yes. Tell me why you wrote it.

VELSHI: Well, I wrote it, first of all, because we've been getting phone calls and e-mails from several months from people who did everything that they thought they should do correctly. These aren't people who lost their money because they bought a couple of Internet stocks in the '90s. These were people who diversified their 401(k)s and their IRAs and they still got wiped out. Everybody got hurt in 2008 and people want to know how to get their money back.

This book tells you how to start right now. How to invest, how to take advantage of a market that is low and how to understand yourself and how to invest for you so that you don't end up losing sleep at night tracking these markets. Leave that to me. Leave that to people who do that for a living. You need to invest in a way that doesn't cause you to be up at night thinking, oh, my God, the Dow dropped 4 percent. What do I do.

HARRIS: Got you. When I opened your book, this will come as no surprise to you, I went right to the chapter, "putting your house in order." And I love this section. And let me have you talk about good and bad debt for a moment. And I pulled up just this one line from your book that I really love. "If I could give you just six words of advice, they would be, pay off your credit card debt, followed by, if I could add one more word, it would be now." Expand on this thinking here.

VELSHI: All right. So in my book I give you tests that you can take and worksheets and then I give you portfolios. Now if you look at the best portfolio in there, the high-risk portfolio, somebody like me would take, you can get about 11.5 percent return on that. If you have debt that's 10 percent or more, there's no risk to that. Paying that debt off gives you a 10 percent or more return with no worries. You never have to look at the Dow. So pay the debt first. That's free investment.

Then you put some money aside in case you run into difficulty, because people do run into difficulty. We're losing jobs now. Once you've done that, you go and you start investing. The rules are so easy, Tony. That's the thing. People are running away from the markets right now.

There is good debt and bad debt, as you said. Good debt gets you somewhere, debt like your mortgage, even though that's problematic, and your car, things that maybe help you get to work. Bad debt is just stuff you accumulate that you can't pay for. Just make a rule now. If you can't pay for it and you don't actually need it and it doesn't improve your life, it doesn't put a roof over your head, doesn't get you to work, don't buy it.

HARRIS: Yes. Love it. All right, here's the book again, "Gimme My Money Back." Just, Ali, just gimme my money back.

VELSHI: I'm not giving your money back.

HARRIS: "Your Guide to Beating the Financial Crisis."

I hope you sell a lot of books. Thank you.

VELSHI: Thank you, my friend.

HARRIS: And, as always, great to see you.

VELSHI: Are we done? Can I take my jacket off?

HARRIS: Yes, yes, yes, go ahead. There it is. The tribute vest. The real vest. There you go.

VELSHI: Look at that, the vests even look like we got a two-for- one.

HARRIS: That's what I'm talking about.

VELSHI: I'm being frugal (INAUDIBLE).

HARRIS: That's how we work in the NEWSROOM. Good to see you.

VELSHI: See you.

HARRIS: Take care.

We're going to take a quick break. When we come back, the former mayor of Baltimore, Kurt Schmoke, who is also on the Roland Burris legal team, will be joining us live.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Very quickly now, just after three hours into the trading day, let's take a look at the New York Stock Exchange and the big board up for us. The Dow, as you can see, up 61, 62 points. Still over 9,000. A good number. We'd like to see that much higher, obviously. And the Nasdaq, we understand, is up 22 points. We will keep an eye on the markets for you throughout the day right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.

Last hour you saw it unfold live on CNN, the man who would be the junior senator from Illinois, turned away from the Senate on opening day. Former Illinois Attorney General Roland Burris, appointed by Illinois's embattled governor, Rod Blagojevich, to fill the Senate seat vacated by Barack Obama.

But this morning he was informed by the secretary of the U.S. Senate that his credentials were "not in order to be seated." Joining me now is the dean of Howard University's Law School, who accompanied Mr. Burris to the Senate today, my former mayor when I was growing up living there in Baltimore, Mayor Kurt Schmoke.

KURT SCHMOKE, DEAN, HOWARD UNIVERSITY LAW SCHOOL: And we're still proud of you, Tony.

HARRIS: Yes. Mr. Mayor, good to see you.

SCHMOKE: Good to see you.

HARRIS: Thanks for your time.

OK, first of all, let me just -- a little housekeeping here. Are you a part of the legal team?

SCHMOKE: I am. It's important to note, I'm doing this not representing the university but in private capacity. Senator- designate Burris pulled together a team of lawyers from private law firms and from academia, myself, Charles Ogletree (ph) and others, to look at the legal issues here, not the political questions, but the legal issues. And we concluded that the law is definitely on his side and we provided him with some options that he can consider and he is considering those now.

But today he, in a very dignified way, presented himself for -- to be seated. The Constitution -- he meets all the requirements of the U.S. Constitution and the Illinois constitution. He was rejected today based on a rule of the Senate regarding the signature of the secretary of state of Illinois. So we have to provide him with some options, which we have. He's going to consider it. But I think he would like to have this resolved short of any kind of court action. That's not his style.

HARRIS: Do you think that will happen?

SCHMOKE: Yes.

HARRIS: I mean, honestly, I know that there are all kinds of options. And maybe we'll get into a couple of those in just a moment.

SCHMOKE: Well, but I hope --

HARRIS: Doesn't it seem as though that -- the real -- the real practical thing to do here is for these teams to get together tomorrow and to work out some kind of an accommodation?

SCHMOKE: Well, as I said, the law is definitely on Mr. Burris's side here. He is the properly designated senator. And so tomorrow, I believe, he does have a meeting scheduled with Senate leaders, which I think is a very positive step.

What we are doing, as his legal team, however, is, we have to plan for the worst. You know, hope for the best, but plan for the worst. And the bottom line is that we think a court considering this issue would come down on the side of Senator-designate Burris. But it, you know, as I said, the options -- we have to present the options to him. He's got to decide. And it is really his hope, I know, that this matter is resolved without interference of the courts.

SCHMOKE: OK. One of the attorneys working with you on the Burris team, as you know, is Timothy Wright. We spoke with him last hour. And here he is talking about what he expects to be the outcome on this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TIMOTHY WRIGHT, ATTORNEY FOR ROLAND BURRIS: The outcome that we'll be looking for is that Senator Roland Burris will be standing on the floor of the Senate, conducting his responsibilities as the junior senator from the state of Illinois. I think if that does not occur, then I think that we will take the necessary action to get the highest court in the land, to a judge, whether that's correct or not.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: All right. And, Kurt, if you would, is that a real option? Is it something that the legal team has presented to Roland Burris, that if this doesn't turn out the way he wants it to, which is that he is sworn in and seated with full Senate privileges, that this ultimately could go to the U.S. Supreme Court? And what legal steps are there short of that?

SCHMOKE: Well, first of all, as you probably know, there is action going on in the Illinois state court also. We're very hopeful that the Illinois Supreme Court would consider this question of whether the secretary of state has the right to refuse to sign -- it's just a very ministerial act -- refuse to sign the certificate. As you know, he has signed the certificate of many other actions that Governor Blagojevich has taken over the past few weeks.

So for him to say that the governor can't fill the Senate vacancy, yet he can take other action, signing bills, including starting the process to fill the vacancy of Congressman Rahm Emanuel. So it seems quite arbitrary, the action that the secretary of state has taken. So that's one side. Again, we can do some state action.

But then there are also, as Mr. Wright explained, a number of federal court options that could lead all the way to the Supreme Court. But, you know, I know -- you've watched Senator-designate Burris, the way he's conducted himself. He doesn't want confrontation. He'd like to work this thing out. He just wants to serve the citizens of Illinois, serve in the United States Senate, do the best job he can, and hopefully something can be resolved in his meeting with the leaders.

HARRIS: Well, Kurt, I just -- I wish I had more time with you because you know the politics of this as well. I just don't have time to get into that with you because there are some real political questions here as well. But it's great to see you.

SCHMOKE: But the law is on his side.

HARRIS: But the law is on -- good to see you, Kurt.

SCHMOKE: Thank you very much.

HARRIS: Thanks for your time.

We have seen the fighting. What about the big picture in Gaza? (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Seeking a cease-fire, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas heads to the United Nations. He is expected to address the Security Council this afternoon. Abbas plans to present a resolution drafted by the Arab league. It calls on Israel to stop its offensive in Gaza and for Hamas to stop firing rockets at the Jewish state. Also in the resolution, a demand for Israel to open border crossings to allow a steady flow of humanitarian aid.

You know, every day brings a whole new string of developments. Josh Levs is joining me now to give us the big picture literally here. And, Josh, if you would, show us some of the key locations to know about today in particular.

JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's what we're going to do. We're starting off in America, but we're zooming right over to Gaza. Let me just show you some of the key places, as you were just saying.

Now the focus of so much of what we've been seeing lately has been about Gaza City, which is in the northern section of this Gaza Strip here. We're going to zoom in on that now. What Israeli troops have been wanting to do is cut off this section in northern Gaza because that's where so many Hamas militants have been shooting their rockets from. What they want to do is prevent this area from getting new supplies of rockets in the south.

And we have some video here that we'll show you. One of them -- the latest pieces of video we've got that shows some of what's been going on over Gaza City. We're seeing smoke and we're seeing some various attacks there. Given what (ph) in that area, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians live there.

But the fighting is not limited to there. Let's come back to the screen. I want to shoot you south now to an area called Khan Younis (ph), which is also very heavily populated. Eyewitnesses today are reporting that tanks have been going in there. Also, Israel has been carrying out air strikes in this area as well of Khan Younis. Here's some video of that as well. Some people who were wounded, we're told, in an air strike in that area were taken to hospitals in Khan Younis.

So, Tony, those are two of the major places inside Gaza to know about today.

HARRIS: OK. And we also understand that Hamas is continuing to fire rockets into southern Israel.

LEVS: That's right.

HARRIS: Can you show us some of those locations.

LEVS: Yes, let's go to two of those major locations. We're going to zoom north from Khan Younis. So we're going to go way up past the Gaza Strip -- way. Just a few miles. We're going up here to Ashdod. That's about 60 miles north of Gaza. That is one place where we heard the other day a kindergarten was hit. But what's new today, and this is pretty big, we're going to go to one more city called Gedera. And we're told that this is the farthest a Hamas rocket has ever managed to reach out of Gaza. All the way up to here. This is, I believe, 25 miles north of Gaza. So in that Israeli city.

Now we're pulling out a little bit because I want to show you one more thing. You've got all of Gaza down here. Ashdod, Gedera. Keep in mind, you're getting closer and closer to major areas like Tel Aviv, which is up here, Jerusalem which is over here. The farther these Hamas rockets go, the more Israeli civilians are potentially in harm's way. That is one thing Israel keeps pointing out.

HARRIS: Yes, OK. Appreciate it. And glad that you pointed it out as well. Josh Levs for us.

Josh, thank you.

LEVS: Thanks a lot.

HARRIS: Venezuela's leaders are cutting off oil shipments that had been helping some Americans in need. Find out what's happening in today's "Energy Fix."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Let's see a live picture now of the Senate chambers as the swearing-in ceremony continues. We're going to keep an eye on this scene because we understand in just a few minutes Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is going to make some comments. And if that happens in the next couple of minutes, we will, of course, bring it to you live. If it happens after the 1:00 p.m. Eastern hour, those comments will be brought to you in the CNN NEWSROOM with Kyra Phillips.

People struggling to pay their heating bills this winter have one less place to turn. Cnnmoney.com's Poppy Harlow has our "Energy Fix" from New York.

Hi, Poppy.

POPPY HARLOW, CNNMONEY.COM: Hey there, Tony.

Well, here's what's going on. Oil giant Citgo has now suspended its free heating oil program for some low-income residents. They really cite falling oil prices and the global economic crisis for this. Back in 2007, that's when Citgo donated $100 million worth of heating oil to some 200,000 households in more than 20 states. Now families who were counting on the help this winter say they're not sure what to do.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PATRICIA CONWAY, FUEL ASSISTANCE RECIPIENT: My mind was turning, trying to figure out where we could get the money, you know, because we are on a fixed income. We live from Social Security check to check. RICHARD CONWAY, FUEL ASSISTANCE RECIPIENT: Right now we were feeling pretty good that were getting by with the help -- the assistance we were getting, it was helping a lot.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: And the free oil program started in 2005. It was in partnership with a nonprofit group called Citizens Energy. That group says it will continue to run other programs for heating assistance. If you're someone out there who needs help, you want to look out at the Web site, citizensenergy.com. Take a look at that map there as well. You can click on the links to heating assistance and energy efficiency resources in states that are involved in the program.

Also want to mention the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program. That is a federal program. It's implemented at the state level. Check out all that information there for you on how you can contact them.

Now we really should mention this free oil program, Tony, has been really controversial. Citgo is owned by the Venezuelan government. Critics say its president, Hugo Chavez, you see him right there, was just using the program as propaganda of sorts in his battle with the U.S. and with President Bush. Former congressman here in the U.S., Joe Kennedy, who founded Citizens Energy, that non-profit, says he was forced to turn to other countries for help. Take a listen to what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOSEPH KENNEDY, CHAIRMAN, CITIZENS ENERGY: I mean, what about U.S. oil companies? How come I can't get one barrel of oil from one U.S. oil company? Not one provides us with a gallon. I mean what are they doing with all this money?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: (INAUDIBLE) after a year of record profits, four major oil companies, likes Exxon Mobil. We did put a call in to the American Petroleum Institute for a response. It had no comment for us.

We'll keep you updated on this story. More on our Web site, cnnmoney.com.

Tony.

HARRIS: OK, Poppy, appreciate it. Thank you.

You know, when Barack Obama becomes president, he will be cruising in a fancy new ride. We will check out the option package just ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: President-elect Barack Obama's getting a new ride for inauguration day -- a caddy -- tricked out -- that's tougher than ever. CNN's Jeanne Meserve has the details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MESERVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice-over): Secret service agents call the presidential limousine "the beast." And if spy photos are any indication, President Obama's new ride lives up to the name.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's a rolling tank with windows.

MESERVE: At the turn of the last century, when President McKinley was inaugurated, he relied on an entirely different kind of horsepower. President Harding's inaugural parade in 1920 was the first to use a car. President Franklin Roosevelt used the first bullet-proof ride. One seized from mobster Al Capone. President Johnson's limo was armored and enclosed, a byproduct of the Kennedy assassination. Ken Lucci owns a limousine used by president's Ford and Carter and another that carried President Reagan.

KEN LUCCI, AMBASSADOR LIMO: This is a 1975.

MESERVE: Though its doors and undercarriage are armored, it seems quaint next to the high-tech limousine President Obama will use.

I like this. No campaign. No election. Instant president.

Lucci notes the new limo's windows are smaller to make it less vulnerable. Some of the body appears to be built of a different material. He speculates it's a tougher composite. Lucci says rubber gaskets could protect against chemical weapons and he guesses the holes in the door are for a mechanism to lock it like a bank vault.

LUCCI: That door probably weighs as much as a 757's aircraft door. And the inside of that cab is as sealed as a jet plane.

MESERVE: And that may surprise Obama, says Joe Funk, a former secret service agent who drove President Clinton's limo.

JOE FUNK, U.S. SECRET SERVICE (RET.): It's a cocoon. And the every-day noises will be gone. And he will be totally isolated in this protective envelope.

MESERVE: When Ken Lucci bought this limousine, he removed the bullet-proof glass. Here's a piece of it. You can see it's about 1.5 inches to 2 inches thick. A number of pieces of safety glass sandwiched together and it is very heavy. Lucci says just taking out this glass reduced the weight of this vehicle by about 6,000 pounds.

Jeanne Meserve, CNN, Clearwater, Florida.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: Yes. Let me tell you this. Kyra Phillips is up next with the CNN NEWSROOM. Talk about a big show. Stay tuned. Don't go anywhere. Stay tuned for that. CNN NEWSROOM with this lady, Kyra Phillips. That starts right now.