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Weather Causes Highway Pileup; Scaled-Down Detroit Auto Show; Capsized Ferry Leaves Scores Dead in Indonesia; Inauguration Approaches
Aired January 11, 2009 - 17:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: A packed passenger ferry capsizes in a severe storm. More than 200 people are feared dead.
Ice and snow blamed for massive pile-up in the Northeast.
And, hard times, bad times. Forget about the glitz and headline grabbing stunts of years past. We're live from a scaled-down Detroit auto show.
I'm Fredricka Whitfield and at the CNN Center in Atlanta, and you're in the CNN NEWSROOM.
Sound systems, security, and swearing-in -- all given a run- through earlier this morning in the nation's capital with just nine days to go until the inauguration of the 44th president. The dress rehearsal of the January 20th event got under way earlier this morning. Our Kate Bolduan was in Washington.
So, Kate, was it all smooth sailing?
KATE BOLDUAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It seems like there were some tweaks here and there. But, as you mentioned, Fredricka, before any big show, what has to happen first? Well, of course, a dress rehearsal. And that's what happened here.
It started very early this morning. About 7:00 o'clock, even before that, it's when they really got under way, running through the entire program complete with Obama and Biden stand-ins wearing placards on their chests. They went through this swearing swearing-in ceremony, the introduction, some of the speeches, when to stand and when to sit down, where to stand and when; including, of course, the pomp and a circumstance, and also, a running through the inaugural parade which offered a chance for some lucky bystanders to get just a glimpse, a little bit of a preview of what they can expect in just about a little over a week from now, and the real thing happens.
Now, all of this, of course, is happening today in the hope of working out any kinks, any problems, any little technical glitches that they need to in order to make the inauguration run as flawlessly as possible. Now, this is not only a historic swearing in, this is also possibly a historic inauguration, a historic event simply because of its sheer size.
Listen to this: 240,000 ticketed guests will be -- are set to be here to watch the swearing in. But get this -- up to 2 million people could be coming here. That's what D.C. officials are planning for, in order to watch this historic swearing in. And what does that mean? Well, a massive security operation. Fifty-eight law enforcement agencies are coming together in order to make this thing as safe and secure as possible.
And what does that mean for anyone that's coming here? Well, get here early. Everyone who's coming here to the swearing in needs to go through a security check, go through security, to make sure everything -- just to make sure everything is as safe as possible.
And also, there are some items that they're putting out saying you cannot bring. Some very obvious things, of course. No firearm, no ammunition, also, no mace, no pepper spray. But also some things you might not think of but you need to be aware of -- no packages, backpacks, large duffel bags, even including thermoses, coolers, baby strollers and umbrellas. Even if there's inclement rainy weather, don't bring the umbrella.
So, they're telling everyone to plan ahead. But today, before we get to all that, Fredricka, today was all about practice, practice, practice.
WHITFIELD: Wow. And it looks like the general public, a lot of passers-by seemed to really get into it, as well. I saw in some of that videos, some folks even saluting as the military parades were going by. So, anyone who happened to be in the area was open to witness it all?
BOLDUAN: Yes. I mean, they weren't calling for people to come in and to watch the whole dress rehearsal happen. It really was a technical thing. They run through it several times to get it right.
But anyone that had read about, kind of leading who have heard (ph), or just was simply here, they definitely took notice, because we were talking about it earlier, Fredricka. They have been there calling out the names over the loud speaker which are very loud.
WHITFIELD: Yes.
BOLDUAN: You can hear it from everywhere, calling out Obama, calling out Biden and it definitely caught some people's attention when they heard the names going out over the loud speakers.
WHITFIELD: All right. If anything, it was just fun as a dry run, if you just happened to be passing-by.
All right. Kate Bolduan, thanks so much. Appreciate it.
BOLDUAN: Exactly.
WHITFIELD: All right. Well, no sign of the President-elect Obama, the real thing, at the staging area, but if you happened to be at the Lincoln Memorial last night, you got an early glimpse of the real thing, Obama and his family paid an unannounced visit to the shrine of his political hero. The soon-to-be first family also visited the Lincoln Museum, and despite the chilly temperatures, they spent a few quiet moments at the reflecting pool right there at the Lincoln Memorial. It's expected to be a far different scene next Sunday at the Lincoln Memorial, when up to a half million people, including celebrities, are expected to welcome the Obamas to town.
All right. First official order of business for the president- elect after his swearing-in: the economy. Can he fix it? A live report from CNN's Elaine Quijano is coming up in less than 20 minutes from now.
A new report says Israel wanted U.S. help for a planned air strike on Iran last year but didn't get it. The "New York Times" says the Israelis hope to cripple Iran's nuclear capabilities by bombing its main uranium enrichment plan. According to that report, Israel wanted U.S. bunker buster bombs and permission to fly over Iraq. Well, the newspaper says the Bush administration deflected and denied the request because it was afraid Iraq might respond by expelling U.S. troops.
On the seventh anniversary of the opening of the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, anti-torture activists took to the streets of Washington today calling for the facility to be closed. Their hope is that President-elect Obama will deliver on his campaign promise to do just that. Some activists say they're fasting until Inauguration Day to demonstrate how poorly they say the detainees at Gitmo are being treated.
In Indonesia, a search is under way for passengers of a ferry that capsized in a severe storm. More than 200 people are missing and feared dead. As CNN's Atika Shubert reports, hope for finding survivors is fading.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ATIKA SHUBERT, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Fishermen found only a handful of survivors clinging to life rafts. Surviving passengers have gathered here at a temporary shelter. They describe a terrifying scene as passengers scrambled to abandon the ship.
"This is all about the waves," the survivor said. "We saw waves that were very high, around three to four meters. Many are still looking for friends and family."
The Teratai Prima ferry sank off the coast of Sulawesi Island with more than 250 passengers onboard. Its last communication was a distress signal of an approaching storm.
Ferries are an essential mode of transportation for Indonesia's archipelago of more than 17,000 islands. But the ships are often dangerously overloaded and accidents are frequent. Still, this is one of the country's deadliest maritime disasters. Hopes of finding more survivors are fading fast.
Atika Shubert, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANNOUNCER: You're watching CNN: Your severe weather headquarters.
WHITFIELD: And in this country, heavy snow is making travel pretty difficult and quite dangerous in the Northeast and the Midwest. Snow started falling in New England last night. Pile-up on a know j stretch of Interstate 93 in New Hampshire involved more than 50 vehicles, including a bus carrying boy scouts and another bus carrying the University of Massachusetts women's hockey team. There were a dozen or so injuries. None, thankfully, is life-threatening.
Nearly a foot of snow fell in some parts of the Midwest as well. A National Weather Service meteorologist in Cleveland called it the biggest storm of the season. Let's check in with Jacqui Jeras who's used to a lot of that snow.
But, whoa, can anyone get used to any of that?
JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: You know, I hate to admit it, but I miss it a little bit.
WHITFIELD: Do you?
JERAS: Yes, a little bit.
WHITFIELD: You're a snow bunny.
(CROSSTALK)
JERAS: That's, you know, one thing you can say about it. But it had to happen, you know, over the weekend when most people, you know, have the capability to stay at home and stay hunkered down, so to speak. The good news is, as most of this is out of here, we've got some lingering snowshowers across parts of the Northeast.
But many of the roadways, especially the secondary roads, you know, it's going to take a little to clean up from that. We also have a little disturbance going through the Midwest that will bring you some occasional light snowshowers. We're seeing that across Indianapolis, up towards Grand Rapids, Michigan, and just around the South Bend area tonight as well.
So, travel on the roadways a little hazardous. We still have some problems in the airways but not too terrible for you in Boston, less than an hour anyway. But we've got over an hour and a half for you if you're trying to get into Newark.
Now, I want to show you some of the latest iReports from this latest storm. And really, I want to thank our reporters for getting out and getting us some great video. Talk about tricky travel, yes, roads so bad but even the snowplow went off the street. Pete Donahue from South Windsor, Connecticut, sent this to us from about 8:45 this morning on his way to work, he said only about four inches the snow, but very icy on those roadways.
The next one, from Rochester, New York, says the crews were working all night, cleaning up the roadways. He also got about four inches of snow just today. Rochester, New York, by the way, you had 30 inches more than you should have for this time of the year. So, if you feel like complaining, you certainly have the right to do that today.
All right. More complaining for you folks in the upper Midwest. It doesn't look like much on the radar right now. In fact, the snowfall accumulations with this next system are going to be relatively light, but the winds are very strong that blizzard conditions are going to be possible from North Dakota right through Iowa.
And followed by that blast of snow and wind, we're going to see extreme temperatures this week, Fredricka. Subzero on the thermometer, and you add in those strong winds, we're talking wind- chill indices between about 30 and 55 degrees below zero. So, very dangerous.
WHITFIELD: Oh, that's brutal.
JERAS: Yes.
WHITFIELD: Very dangerous, very cruel.
JERAS: That I can live without.
WHITFIELD: Yes, me, too.
JERAS: By the way, if you're asking.
(LAUGHTER)
WHITFIELD: I'm staying far away from that. All right, thanks a lot, Jacqui. Appreciate that.
A world-class venue devastated by Hurricane Katrina is now reopening its doors. The story is coming up at the half hour.
And, civilians caught in the crossfire in Gaza. Questions arise after a building housing Palestinian evacuees is shelled by Israelis. And live to Detroit where U.S. automakers are singing the blues at that auto show.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(CROWD CHANTING)
WHITFIELD: The scene this morning in Ramallah on the West Bank, headquarters of the Palestinian Authority. The rally, one of many organized worldwide today, to protest Israel's military action in Gaza. Many demonstrators held bloody dolls, as you just saw, representing the children Gaza killed in the conflict.
A massive show of support for Palestinians in Spain. More than 100,000 people took part in a protest in Madrid. And in a rare move, the Israeli embassy there made a statement critical of the demonstration. Closer to home, in front of CNN's world headquarters here in Atlanta, a counterdemonstration with supporters of Israel rallying on behalf of the Jewish state. Similar pro-Israeli rallies were held around the country as well as in Britain, France, and Germany.
Well, as for what was happening today in the Middle East, there was another three-hour lull in hostilities to allow for humanitarian aid shipments into Gaza. That was followed by multiple Israeli air strikes. Israeli officials suggest their 16-day-old military operation may be drawing to an end. That, as Palestinian medical sources say just under 900 people have been killed since the start of the fighting. Israeli says 13 Israelis have been killed including 10 soldiers.
An incident in a Gaza City suburb is drawing a lot of attention to the plight of civilians caught in the fighting. The U.N. is backing up claims by the International Red Cross that Palestinian civilians were evacuated to a house that was subsequently shelled.
CNN's Ben Wedeman reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The wounded arrived at a Gaza hospital, rushed in ambulances and private cars from the outskirts of Zeitun, a suburb in Gaza City now under Israeli control. They're survivors of an incident international relief workers say raises serious concerns about the conduct of Israeli operations, that the Israeli military failed to care for and evacuate the wounded.
KATRINA RITZ, INTERNATIONAL RED CROSS: What we were finding are people alive next to dead bodies, without assistance, without water, without food, wounded, no medical treatment, nobody way to be -- or nobody attended to them.
WEDEMAN: Medics from the Red Cross and the Palestinian Red Crescent Society were finally able to enter the area Wednesday, January 7th, where for days, residents, most of them from the extended Samouni family, had been calling urgently for help. In one house, according to the Red Cross, four children too weak to stand were found huddled under a blanket next to their dead mothers.
"He was three days next to the dead," says Wali Samouni, a father of one of the children. "Nobody could go near them." He says two of his children and his mother were also killed.
Nineteen-year-old Maysa Samouni explains that she and her family and other families were ordered by Israeli soldiers to move from one house to another, until dozens were crammed into one building which then came under fire. "Monday when the shelling happened," she recalls, "the first bomb wounded three and killed one. We called for ambulances. Then another bomb hit and lots of people, at least 30 were killed, including my husband, my mother-in-law, and my uncle."
Eyewitnesses say Israeli soldiers were in the area and it wasn't until the following day medics say they were allowed in. (on camera): An Israeli army spokesman tells me they're trying to piece together exactly what happened in Zeitun. He denied soldiers forced a large group of people into a building and said, the military did not specifically target any buildings in the neighborhood. The whole picture won't become clear until the fighting ends.
Ben Wedeman, CNN, Jerusalem.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: And Israel says it has no intention of harming civilians and alleges Hamas often uses civilians as cover in densely- populated areas.
Remember the name -- and the title, Joe the Plumber? Well, he has landed in Israel. Here he is examining the remains of Hamas rockets. Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher is the Ohio plumber who became a media sensation after questioning Barack Obama on the campaign trail just last fall. Well, he recently became a Middle East war correspondent for a conservative Web site.
Hard times versus campaign promises. Some tough decisions for the incoming administration. And live to Detroit, new ideas and fingers crossed, automakers show their vision for the future amid questions about their future.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: You're in the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Fredricka Whitfield.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PRES. GEORGE W. BUSH, UNITED STATES: Misunderestimate -- excuse me, underestimate.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Oh, boy, double negatives, verbs askew, blabs and blunders. A look back at the so-called Bushisms.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: All right. Aides to President-elect Barack Obama continue to talk with Senate Democrats about what should and should not be in the economic stimulus bill. The faltering economy has the president-elect adjusting the timetable for some of his campaign promises
CNN's Elaine Quijano reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): As a candidate, he made some big promises, but now, President-elect Barack Obama says the severely weakened economy has changed the equation. BARACK OBAMA, (D) PRESIDENT-ELECT: I want to be realistic here. Not everything that we talked about during the campaign are we going to be able to do on the pace that we had hoped.
QUIJANO: One promise candidate Obama made: repeal what he called the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy.
OBAMA: I think it's time for folks like me who make more than $250,000 a year to pay a little bit more.
QUIJANO: But Obama and his advisers have signaled that promise is possibly on hold, putting him at odds with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. She told CNN's Wolf Blitzer, repealing those tax cuts for higher-income Americans cannot wait.
REP. NANCY PELOSI, (D) HOUSE SPEAKER: The backbone of our democracy has gotten really the royal shaft in the past eight years, instead of catering to those in the high end, we should be focusing on the middle-class.
QUIJANO: For now, the president-elect and his team are focused on pushing through a massive economic stimulus plan.
OBAMA: We're not trying to jam anything down people's throats. Here's what we know, though -- that the sooner a recovery and investment package is in place, the sooner we can start turning the economy around.
QUIJANO: But some Republicans are concerned about the mammoth estimated cost, nearly $800 billion.
REP. JOHN BOEHNER, (R) MINORITY LEADER: Most Americans are really skeptical about government spending. And so, why couldn't we tax less and spend less as we put this package together?
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: And Elaine Quijano is joining us live now from Washington.
So, Elaine, we know that Obama's transition team or members of the economy team, actually, were on the Hill meeting with congressional senators. What came from the meeting? What was discussed?
QUIJANO: You know, it was just breaking up, actually, Fredricka. I was getting on set here. So, we don't have a sort of readout yet. I can tell you that there appear to be any kind of breakthrough news on the stimulus plan. We'll wait to see. We'll certainly pass along any information we get, Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: All right. Elaine Quijano, thanks so much from Washington. We appreciate it.
All right. Well, President-elect Obama says he'll encourage American automakers to build more fuel-efficient vehicles. Well, this comes as 2008 ended with the worst U.S. auto sales in more than 15 years.
Just take a look at the numbers. General Motors, the sales of General Motors fell by 23 percent; Ford, 21 percent. Even Toyota's U.S. sales tumbled for the second straight year. They fell 15 percent. And Chrysler sales declined 30 percent.
So, despite the bad numbers, the show must go on. The North American International Auto Show is what I'm talking about. And that's under way in Detroit. This year, experts say expect fewer flashy concept cars since the auto show is all about survival, especially for the U.S. automakers.
Car expert Lauren Fix is there.
So, Lauren, yes, it's looking a little empty behind you, but, you know, the wonder and the worry is, too. You've got G.M. and Chrysler. They're there, maybe not in as big a way as they had been in the past, but they just got a big bailout from the Feds. So, what is it that they hope to accomplish at this auto show?
LAUREN FIX, AUTOMOTIVE EXPERT: Well, General Motors had a big launch today. Actually, they showcased all their vehicles in one day.
What was interesting, and I don't think anyone has covered this -- so, you'll get it first. Six hundred of their employees came down on their own expense to rally with this sign and say "We're here to stay." They did this on their own expense to show their unification. And in fact, they're going to build quality cars. They want to be electrifying, which I thought it was pretty cool but they did that to showcase what their talents are and what they want to do.
But the truth is, is they've got 11 brand a new high production hybrid cars because we have to show change. The Big Three have to show that they can compete with Toyota and Honda by the end of March. Also, I guess, the big question we still don't know is, is the public willing to buy these cars? We still have no clue.
As you can see, we're looking at the new Ford Taurus. That was something that was completely redesigned. That was showcased today. Ford brought a lot of vehicles. They are going to bringing in hybrid cars, plug-in cars.
Same thing Chrysler is talking about. I think Chrysler is saying 2010. I think they might be a little bit aggressive. I'm thinking we probably won't see it until 2012, in my personal opinion that we'll sure is seeing full electric vehicles.
Also, what we're seeing is all the manufacturers are bringing out vehicles. Even Audi is here, claiming they have an increase in sales. Only VW and Audi can say that, 4 percent, which seems like quite a bit. They claim it's because of their turbo diesel line for VW and Audi says that they're making some major changes here and there's even more product to come. They're saying nine products to be launched in 2010, which is pretty aggressive.
WHITFIELD: Well, that's really interesting because, Lauren, when you talk about, you know, Chrysler or even Ford and the electric car, it's down the line. Whether it's, you know, 2011 or even beyond that ...
FIX: Right.
WHITFIELD: ... when you look at Toyota, and they're rolling out their new Prius -- they've already had it out on the market for quite a while -- you know, there's a lot of competition still from the foreign automakers who are still light years ahead when it comes down to the fuel efficiency which is what people want if they can afford to buy a car.
FIX: Right. But the thing is, that's what's interesting, is they don't make money. Toyota doesn't make money on their Priuses. And the other thing is Honda and Nissan don't even have a presentation here at the Detroit auto show. So, it is very light for journalist. It is light. There's no parties, there's no glitz, there's no glam. We're all getting thumb drives ...
WHITFIELD: So, who's there?
FIX: ... and these huge grandiose (ph) press gifts.
So, who's here? The journalists that really want to get the message out. There's lot of us here. You know, the major papers, I won't even mention all the names. You know them all, we all read them all. But, of course, the TV crews are getting the message out.
The thing is, what it's really coming down to is, do people really want to buy hybrid cars or do we want our American cars that have big V-8 power? Because the Shelby is here, you got the Challenger, you got the Corvette, you still got the Cadillac. There's a lot -- you know, those vehicles are all V-8.
And you know, they brought a gorgeous Aston Martin here and the Ferraris, that we always talk about. So, those cars are still being sold. And according to the Aston Martin, they have a waiting list on their DBS. So, somebody is buying those cars.
WHITFIELD: Wow, and Ford rolling out kind of a throw-back to what, you know, I guess the sporty muscular a Mustang used to look like.
FIX: Yes.
WHITFIELD: You know, I guess that's always going to be an appeal.
FIX: That's the Shelby.
WHITFIELD: Yes, the Shelby, which is -- the Shelby GT500.
FIX: Right, you know, it's interesting.
WHITFIELD: Yes.
FIX: Right. And the Camaro has a back order already a pre-order of 10,000 cars.
WHITFIELD: Really?
FIX: That's huge. That tells you -- that's what General Motors told me and that tells me that people that are car collectors are going to do whatever they can to get one of those cars in their garage before they're all gone.
WHITFIELD: All right. Interesting stuff, and apparently, that international show is opening up to the public on the 17th. Lauren Fix, you're getting a preview of all the interesting gizmos there, interesting and even the non-interesting ones. But we know that you're going to be joining us again next hour here in the NEWSROOM with more on what to expect from the auto industry.
FIX: Lots of good stuff.
WHITFIELD: All right. Thank you so much, Lauren. Appreciate it.
FIX: Absolutely. Thank you, Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: All right. On Capitol Hill now, the tide may be changing. Could Roland Burris actually get that Senate seat after all? And this ...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BUSH: Is our children learning?
(LAUGHTER)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Oh, he was joking there. A look back at the curious and the humorous language that we like to call Bushisms.
Also, who are you wearing? That is the question you're being asked. You're looking at the red carpet right there at the Golden Globes. And all the stars are starting to line up on the red carpet. We'll be going there live momentarily.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN NEWS ANCHOR: A peanut butter distributor is recalling two brands after an open container of its product tested positive for salmonella bacteria. King Nut Company says it's asking stores to stop distributing all peanut butter under its King Nut and Parnell's Pride brand with a lot number beginning with 8. In a statement, the company's president apologized to customers saying, quote, "The health and safety of those who use our product is always our highest priority." The peanut butter was distributed through food service providers in nine states. It is not sold directly to consumers.
All right. A powerful Senate leader says his resistance to seating Roland Burris in the U.S. Senate is easing. Democratic Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois says he wants to be fair to Burris.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. DICK DURBIN, (D), ILLINOIS: I started off obviously skeptical as all of the Democrats did. As time as gone on, we looked closely. We want to be fair to Roland Burris. If he has the proper certification and papers, then we're going to take one look at the process and move forward there. But I won't presume what the Senate is going to finally decide. I will just tell you we'll do it fairly and on a timely basis.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Burris was appointed by disgraced Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich to fill the seat vacated by Barack Obama. Federal prosecutors have charged the governor with trying to sell the seat to the highest bidder. The Illinois House this past week impeached the governor on corruption charges. Burris denied any wrongdoing.
Sources close to Senator George Voinovich say he'll announce tomorrow that he's actually retiring. Resources say the Ohio Republican plans to serve out his current term. Voinovich be the fourth Senator who has announced he's not running for re-election in 2010.
Caroline Kennedy takes another step in her quest to be New York's next Senator. Kennedy met with New York Governor David Paterson yesterday. The meeting took place at Paterson's Manhattan office. Neither the governor nor Kennedy would reveal what they actually talked about. The governor has been meeting with several candidates for the seats vacated by Hillary Clinton. He says he won't announce Clinton's replacement until Clinton is confirmed as secretary of state. Clinton's confirmation hearings begin Tuesday.
Another round of royal apologies from Britain's Prince Harry for behaviors considered less than regal. Video has surfaced of Britain's prince using offensive language on taped. The U.K.'s third in line to the throne is heard using a term considered derisive of Pakistani people. It's not the first time the prince has tendered a public apology. Back in 2005, Harry offered a similar mea culpa after he was photographed wearing a Nazi uniform.
All right. The King's English and President Bush, have the two actually met? I did not write that. The exiting commander in chief, among other things, will also be remembered for his quotable linguistic, a legacy best described as word mangler in chief. I didn't right that either.
JOSH LEVS, CNN NEWS CORRESPONDENT: That's a good line.
WHITFIELD: The ever eloquent Josh Levs however -- I wish I could take credit for that too. But it's what I think of you.
LEVS: I didn't write that.
WHITFIELD: Yeah. You've got more of these Bushisms. Hilarious. LEVS: You got any favorites, Fred? Do you have any favorites?
WHITFIELD: I'm a decider.
LEVS: Did you like that?
WHITFIELD: It's not a mangler. But I liked it.
LEVS: We're proud of that one here at CNN. Our Ed Henry brought that one about.
Here's the thing. We all know President Bush has had plenty of his own slips of the tongue, call them what you will. Now we know which one is the number one of all time.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I hear the voices.
LEVS: There are plenty to choose from, whether on his job description...
BUSH: I'm the decider.
LEVS: ... or his computer-savvy...
BUSH: I hear there's rumors of the Internets.
One of the things I used on the Google is to can pull up maps.
LEVS: Or his thoughts on education.
BUSH: Rarely is the question asked, is our children learning.
LEVS: That was President Bush making fun of one of his own unique terms of phrase. Of all the so-called Bushisms, which is number one? The Global Language Monitor, which studies trends in the English language, tracks how often different quotes showed up in the media and on blogs.
At number three, a remark from a man widely blamed for the government's failure during Hurricane Katrina.
BUSH: And, Brownie, you're doing a heck of a job.
Levs: One is something the president didn't actually say -- the "mission accomplished" banner that flew behind him when he was declaring the end of major combat in Iraq. The president recently told CNN he regrets it.
BUSH: The summit said, well, Bush thinks the war in Iraq thinks the war is over. Well, I didn't say that.
LEVS: The most quoted Bushism of all time? Misunderestimate, which the president tried to stop saying. BUSH: Those who think we're saying we're only going to have a stimulus package, but let's forget tax relief -- misunderstand estimate -- excuse me, underestimate.
LEVS: Not everything made the Global Monitor's list. There are other gems, including preeance freeance, a cult favorite on line.
BUSH: A free and secure and peaceful Iraq. A peeance freeance, secure Iraq...
LEVS: While he's taken ribbing and criticisms for his linguistic gaffs, the president has joked about them, like comparing himself to California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.
BUSH: We both have trouble with the English language.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEVS: And, Fred, even though he will remain a public figure in America, this group, the Global Language Monitor, says now it's time to officially declare an end to what they are calling the era of Bushisms.
WHITFIELD: But there are still so many on the list of favorites, aren't there? Like what?
LEVS: Yeah, there you are. There are. Hey.
WHITFIELD: Hi.
LEVS: There's a ton of them. Let me zoom in real quickly. There are a few more they said could be on the top. "I know human beings and fish can co-exist peacefully." I really like that one. "You work three jobs, uniquely American, isn't it? I mean that's fantastic that you're doing that." Something he said February 4, 2005.
You can see more at languagemonitor.com.
And obviously, Fred, it's getting a lot of traffic right now. People like it a lot.
WHITFIELD: Having so much fun at the president's expense. It's a good thing he has a sense of humor. And we've seen it in so many ways. He's really self-deprecating about it all, so that's so nice.
LEVS: Yeah, he makes his jokes too.
WHITFIELD: All right. Thanks a lot, Josh. Appreciate that.
LEVS: Any time.
WHITFIELD: Let's talk about Park City. Everyone loves to go to Park City, Utah. Apparently, it's gearing up for lots of visitors. The annual Sundance Film Festival kicks off this week. And recession could mean that smaller crowds are there this year, but that might not make getting around that much easier.
Our Richelle Carey gives you tips on today's "On the Go."
(ON THE GO)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: All right. A bit earlier we had a little bit of fun talking with Josh about Bushisms.
Josh, I brought you back. How about Obama mania. Do you have a watch? Do you need one?
LEVS: No. Oh, that looks like a nice watch. I want one of those.
WHITFIELD: Yeah, this is all the fun stuff that folks are going to find in Washington as they make their way -- take a look right here at my little Vanna White display.
(LAUGHTER)
WHITFIELD: As they make their way to the Washington, D.C., for the inauguration. We're going to be telling you about one of the official sites where you can get all the goodies. Guess what? Lots of other vendors. I'm going to be talking to one live who's going to be selling all this kinds of stuff. Flying off the shelves. People are going crazy about Obama mania.
LEVS: A little piece of history.
WHITFIELD: Uh-huh.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: All right, the red carpet aflutter with celebrities and cameras. It's the second biggest night in Hollywood. Live from the Golden Globes straight ahead.
All right. Perhaps you're planning to go to the presidential inauguration. Here's your own personal chance to help President-elect Barack Obama stimulate the economy. The Presidential Inaugural Committee has opened a few blocks away from the National Mall. clothing, artwork, pins, buttons -- all of it for sale. A few door busters have already started their shopping.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm going to pick up a few buttons and pins for my family and friends.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I have a nephew and a godson and I want to get them some cute little gifts so they can have a little part of memory.
(END VIDEO CLIP) WHITFIELD: OK. Well, that store will be open seven day as week from now until the day after the inauguration.
But wait. If you've been to Washington, D.C., lately, you know that Obama mania memorabilia has been super hot with independent vendors selling them. Among those items, mouse pads, cups, shiny watches, fancy tote bags. There's some of the fancy is watches. This time I have it right side up.
Mark Spence is one of the vendors and sporting some of his wares. He's joining us from Washington.
Good to see you, Mark. So how popular have you been?
MARK SPENCE, VENDOR: It's been so popular.
WHITFIELD: In what way? People are stopping you apparently trying to buy what you're wearing.
SPENCE: People are stopping me at the gas stations, the bank, also at the gym. I've created a sweat suit in our lifetime with Obama that I have on today. I have caps. I have watches. And the most popular item is him getting out of the Secret Service van with his shades on.
WHITFIELD: Oh, my gosh. In fact, I think...
SPENCE: To my right.
WHTI: Yeah, I see that. We have the light switch cover somewhere around there. There he is getting out of the van. You -- in some ways you crafted some of this, like you designed the sweat suit you're wearing. I understand you have some layers of Obama stuff on.
And in other respects, there have been other designers, but you're a vendor in Maryland. You've been able to sell all of these wares.
SPENCE: Correct. Correct. From caps to -- I also have a clock -- see the clock here with Obama. And also there's puzzles.
WHITFIELD: It's almost time.
SPENCE: It's unbelievable.
WHITFIELD: What are you wearing right now? I think you have a glittery shirt on is Obama mania stuff.
SPENCE: I have a shirt on with him and Michelle that says "Barack and Michelle, first family, first couple."
WHITFIELD: Have you ever seen anything look this? You're a native Washingtonian. You have lived through and lived through, witnessed so many inaugurations before but this has been taken to a new level. SPENCE: This is unbelievable. I was born and raised in D.C. There's nothing can resemble this at all. Everybody is excited. They have to have something with Barack on it. It's sort of when I grew up, every household had a picture of Jesus and Martin Luther King in the '60s. And now everyone has to have something of Barack in their household.
WHITFIELD: At the same time, do you feel like you're giving a little shot in the arm to economy? This isn't your bread and butter main job but something you're doing on the side, and even a surprise to you that it's taken off like this.
SPENCE: Actually, I purchased a watch and a gentleman wanted to buy the watch really bad and so I sold it to him. I bought two more and they went really fast. The next thing you know I was off to the races. It's just unbelievable. Everybody is excited about Barack being, being the first African-American president. He's really going to make a difference in America.
WHITFIELD: There's Don now.
(LAUGHTER)
WHITFIELD: And Mark Spence, it's just the beginning. Nine days until the inauguration.
And Don will be there sporting one of these, if not the hat, or maybe the scarf, then maybe at least the watch.
Mark Spence, so great. Thanks for having a great sense of humor and congrats on your business taking off.
SPENCE: Thank you.
DON LEMON, CNN NEWS ANCHOR: I feel like one of those shopping channel...
WHITFIELD: That's right. A little QVC on CNN.
LEMON: All for $9.95.
WHITFIELD: That's right.
LEMON: Get it before they're all sold out. Look, a nice mouse pad with the Obamas on front.
WHITFIELD: A mouse pad. You did that very well. You've got a second job coming.
LEMON: You know I actually auditioned to be one of those folks?
WHITFIELD: Oh, really? Well, we're glad it didn't work out.
LEMON: Yeah. I decided against it.
WHITFIELD: We're glad you're here. How's that? LEMON: I never told anybody that. Oh, this is cool. Check that out.
WHITFIELD: Really. You know we need you. They had a little fun with that.
What have you got coming up in the "NEWSROOM" coming up next?
LEMON: Rock stars.
Hey, I've got a lot coming up in the CNN "NEWSROOM." Serious business to take care of and then we'll get to fun stuff. Obama's aides are on Capitol Hill today and there's a rare, rare day today with Senators.
It is a real showdown of what it's going to be like working with the Obama administration, whether or not the Republicans are going to be cooperative. This is a first test. They're talking about the economy, we hear, and also talking some other issues, as well as Roland Burris. We'll talk about that coming up at the top of the hour.
Also, we want you to meet the grandson of slaves. His name is James "Little Man" Presley, Fred. He has picked cotton since he was 6 years old. He raised 13 children, six grand children in his house. We're going to have his thoughts on the Obama election, his personal connection with someone who works here at CNN. I'm going to give it away a little bit. The person here at CNN is white. Obviously, he is black. And the family owned or hired at least someone years ago to pick cotton. So it's a very interesting story you don't want to work.
Ann Nixon Cooper, remember her, 106 years oil?
WHITFIELD: Yes.
LEMON: 106 years old, mentioned in Barack Obama's acceptance speech? 107th birthday today. We have some special pictures. We're going to take you inside the big birthday bash.
WHITFIELD: Oh, fantastic. We look forward to that. Thanks, Don.
LEMON: All right, thanks.
WHITFIELD: Happy birthday, Miss Cooper.
Exciting moments everywhere, including New Orleans. The Mahalia Jackson Theater hard hit by the hurricane in 2005 is finally reopening its doors. Many see it as another symbolic step forward for the city's recovery process. Now that the multi-million renovation is complete, the city hopes to lure in top performers.
Here now is Sean Callebs.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) SEAN CALLEBS, CNN NEWS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A shiny moment for a city mired in a slow and painful recovery. Performing arts are back in New Orleans with the reopening of the Mahalia Jackson Theater.
Shuttered and shelved for three years after Katrina, allowed 14 feet of water to swamp the great hall, and helping usher in its rebirth renowned violinist, Itzhak Perlman.
ITZHAK PERLMAN, VIOLINIST: A city like this, with Katrina, and with the economy that goes on these days, and then you have this opening, it's like a ray of sunshine. It's wonderful. It's been great.
CALLEBS: It was costly. $22 million and a long three years.
BABS MOLLIERE, LOUISIANA PHILOHARMONIC ORCHESTRA: There were times when we were so tired that we wondered how we could go the next thing.
CALLEBS: Mayor Ray Nagin has been harshly criticized for the pace of rebuilding in New Orleans.
RAY NAGIN, MAYOR OF NEW ORLEANS: This is my old neighborhood.
CALLEBS: Nagin says he'll take his lumps. Just remember how far the city has come since August of '05.
NAGIN: Back then, the rhythm of the city was changed. It changed so dramatically. It was helicopters, troops, police sirens. We had lost our cultural identity.
CALLEBS: For a city that prides itself on tourism and throwing a good party...
NAGIN: Clubs are back, live music is back. We have international performances here. It feels closer to the New Orleans we had pre-Katrina.
CALLEBS: Mexico City native, Carlos Miguel Prieto, is the musical director for the Louisiana Philharmonic. He signed his contract just one week before Katrina hit. Basically, the past three years have been a prolonged dress rehearsal.
CARLOS MIGUEL PRIETO, LOUISIANA PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA: Those of us who love New Orleans felt an added commitment and added love for the city with Katrina. and we are trying our best to make this one of the highlights of the season. An orchestra is an essential part of any city.
CALLEBS: The Louisiana Philharmonic played in 22 different venues last year. Now it's home. And there is no question that this is a city starved for positive news.
PERLMAN: As far as I'm concerned, whenever something special happens in the arts, and I'm involved in it, then I'm helping a little bit. It's always nice to know that you're helping.
CALLEBS: Sean Callebs, CNN, New Orleans.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: Even Hollywood is abuzz -- the movies, glamour, the outfits. Life from the red carpet coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: Let's call can G.G. -- glitz and glamour of the 66th Annual Golden Globes. Some of Hollywood's biggest and brightest stars are arriving on the red carpet in Beverly Hills right now.
Our Kareen Wynter is in the thick of things.
Hi, Kareen.
KAREEN WYNTER, CNN NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Hi, there. In the thick of things. The countdown is definitely on. The show, kicking off in just a couple hours from now. We're on the red carpet at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, the home to this year's Golden Globe awards.
And, Fred, it would be an understatement to say the excitement is definitely building. Things have reached a fever pitch. That's because last year, there was no Golden Globes ceremony, because of the writer's strike that put a mix on things. We had basically journalist announcing the big winners.
This year the traditional ceremony is back, all the glitz and glamour. You'll have the celebs here honoring the best and brightest in Hollywood.
You know, this is truly one of the few awards shows that honor TV and film. You'll see megastars like Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. And in the TV world, of course, Tina Fey, who certainly turned into a TV darling since her impersonation of Sarah Palin. So people are definitely eagerly awaiting her arrival.
Finally, while we are, of course, on the red carpet, of course, we don't know who the big winners are. But we know who one major winner will be tonight, and that's non other than nationally known conductor and producer, Steven Spielberg, honored with the Cecil B. DeMille Lifetime Achievement Award. We're hearing, Fred, Martin Scorsese is actually going to be bestowing that honor on him.
So, again, a lot to look forward to as the countdown continues
WHITFIELD: We look forward to that and look forward to your coverage all evening long. Kareen Wynter, thanks so much, dazzling there in Beverly Hills on the red carpet.
Much more straight ahead in the "NEWSROOM" with Don Lemon.
I'm Fredricka Whitfield. See you back here next weekend. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
DON LEMON, CNN NEWS ANCHOR: All right, everyone, it is the top of the hour. We're going to talk about rehearsing in Washington for a historic transition to power. and they're meeting today on the sagging economy. We are live.
Far from over. Air strikes heat up in Gaza with Israel calling up more reservists.
Here at home, and around the globe, hundreds, thousands, rally on both sides. We will take you there.
American history in the making. A grandson of slaves. You don't want to miss this story. He comes to grips with the past by living in the present.
Also, another piece of history. She was the centerpiece of President-elect's Barack Obama victory speech. Today, Ann Nixon Cooper reaches another milestone.
You'll meet two witnesses this hour to history.
