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Israel Calls Up More Reserve Troops; Nation's Capital Prepares For Inauguration

Aired January 11, 2009 - 18:00   ET

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

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, everyone. I'm Don Lemon. Thanks for joining us. It is the top of the hour. We have a developing story from Washington tonight to start with. We want to give you some live pictures now from the nation's Capitol. You see it there, son is setting on the Capitol. That's where Congress just wrapped up a rare session -- a rare session a short time ago. They have been caucusing, talking issues, talking land issues.
But the economy came up and also Roland Burris. Illinois senator, will he be? That also came up. President-Elect Obama's aides were also there monitoring the situation. What's interesting about this is this is an early showdown for the new Congress. And it's a test really on how the Senate will work with the Obama administration. We'll update you on that in just seconds.

Also, today, a full dress rehearsal at the capital for next week's historic inauguration ceremony. All the pomp and circumstances; we'll take you through all of tit. Our Kate Bolduan and Elaine Quijano both standing by in Washington. Kate has the inaugural preview, and Elaine is tracking all of the events on the Hill and talking the economy with the president.

That's where we start. We'll start with Elaine Quijano. Elaine, I started by saying it was a rare Sunday meeting. Fill us in on that, and what the president-elect has been saying about his economic plans.

ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Don, with just over a week until inauguration, President-Elect Barack Obama is trying to keep a handle on expectations.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

QUIJANO (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, PRESIDENT ELECT OF THE UNITED STATES: 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 dollars 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-CA), HOUSE SPEAKER: The backbone of our democracy, we've gotten really the royal shaft in the past eight years. Instead of catering to those who make 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 peoples' throats. Here's what we know though, that the sooner a recovery and reinvestment 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 dollars.

REP. JOHN BOEHNER (R), HOUSE MINORITY LEADER: Most Americans are skeptical about government spending. So why couldn't we tax less and spend less as we put this package together?

(END VIDEOTAPE)

QUIJANO: Now, the president-elect is also getting push back from some fellow Democrats. They question whether the planned tax breaks for businesses will actually create jobs. So far, though, those concerns are not expected to derail the bill. Don?

LEMON: Elaine, Sunday -- meeting in Washington on Sunday, that is rare. They have been caucusing as well. What came out of this Democratic meeting today?

QUIJANO: We don't have any kind of breakthrough announcements on the stimulus plan. But you're absolutely right, the fact that President-Elect Barack Obama's advisers wanted to have this rare Sunday meeting with key Senate Democrats to talk about this really is a sign that they are all very eager, Don, to hammer out the details of this economic stimulus plan. Again, no breakthrough announcements.

DEMON: Elaine Quijano, thank you very much. If something happens, please get back to us.

The U.S. Capitol does not have a back. It has two fronts, an east front and a west front. The west front, the one facing the Washington Monument is where Barack Obama will be sworn in on January 20th. Look at that, that's a rehearsal today. Today was the inaugural rehearsal. Look, there are the stand-ins. Did you see the Barack Obama and the Joe Biden stand in?

Our Kate Bolduan is here to explain what's going on. Do we know anything about those stand ins? That's an honor. KATE BOLDUAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It is quite an honor. I was close to them today. I felt like I was right there by the president, I'm kidding.

No, those stand-ins are chose because, as you probably saw, they have a similar build, a similar height as the real thing, as the president-elect and the vice president-elect. That's why they were chosen.

You said it. This was a dress rehearsal. Before any big show must first come a dress rehearsal. That's what started very early this morning, right in the 6:00 hour. The inaugural committee running through the program, a full run through, the swearing in of the president-elect and the vice president-elect, as well as introduction, down to the little details of where people will stand, their positioning, when they stand up, when they sit down.

As you hear it there, the pomp and circumstance going through some of the music that will be played and when. They also ran through the inaugural parade. Some very lucky bystanders were able to catch a preview of what they'll be seeing in a little more than a week from now.

Don, this is not only an historic swearing in. This is possibly a historic event in and of itself, simply because of the sheer number. There are 240,000 ticketed guests that are set to come to the swearing in. Get this, D.C. officials are planning for up to two million people, potentially a record-breaking number, to show up here to try to get a glimpse. They're going to have jumbo-trons on the national mall to try to accommodate this whole group of people.

That, of course, calls for a massive security operation; 58 law enforcement agencies, state, local, federal, all coming together to try to make sure this runs as smoothly and possible, and that Running flawlessly and smoothly, that all started today with the dress rehearsal. Don?

LEMON: I'm willing to make a little wager with you. I thing it's going to be more people than that. I think people are going to show up even without tickets, just to be.

BOLDUAN: I'm going to hold that to you now. We will see.

LEMON: OK, we'll do it, dinner or something like that. Kate, we appreciate that.

BOLDUAN: Sounds great.

LEMON: Thank you very much. You know what, this has been a very interesting time, because people have been trying to, you know, jump on the bandwagon, participate in this event. A lot of people have fared really well. We told you about some kids who made a song for Barack Obama, and Oprah Winfrey sent them some money.

One of the participates in the inaugural parade is a high school band from suburban Atlanta. CNN's Brooke Baldwin discovered what we're calling a real Cinderella story when she visited their school recently.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We start our program. Here we go.

BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Just a few years ago, the South Cobb High School Blue Eagle marching Band was admittedly not too impressive, only 30 members and leadership hard to find. Then came Zach Cogdill, a young man with a vision, a dream, and drive.

ZACH COGDILL, BAND DIRECTOR: Horns down.

KAMERON CRUTCHER, SENIOR BAND MEMBER: We used to get bad reviews all the tile. Since Mr. Cogdill's been here and we've grown so much, the school has actually responded to us.

COGDILL: This was our second competition.

BALDWIN: The band has more than 70 members. This year, they hit some high notes, winning trophies everywhere they went.

COGDILL: You know, we're proud to have these here, but for me these are memories about what our kids do.

BALDWIN: But Cogdill and his ensemble had some obstacles to overcome as well.

COGDILL: In some cases, I've had students that had to live with another band parent. I know that some of my students, they have their utilities cut off for weeks at a time. But at the end of the day, that student, that parent comes in here and they -- we work to afford them the same opportunity that they're going to have at any other school, and they start to see hope.

BALDWIN: The Georgia high school football season is over. But band season marches on. Next appearance? The nation's capital, Washington, D.C. Their musical talents have them marching toward a prestigious performance, the historic 56th Presidential Inaugural Parade.

COGDILL: There will not be yard lines on Pennsylvania Avenue.

DANA SHERER, SENIOR DRUM MAJOR: He's the only one that believed in us from the beginning and now he's here. I think we all owe it to him.

BALDWIN: But can they afford this rendezvous with history? The road trip and hotel stay won't be cheap. According to the school's principle, the cost, 1,000 bucks per band member. Grand total, 70,000 dollars.

COGDILL: The very next morning, a band kid walked past me as she was on her way to first period class. And I grabbed her and hugged her and said, aren't you excited? She looked at me and her expression on her face didn't change one bit and she said, I'm not going. I said, why? She said, I can't afford it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They hit the Lottery. They just hit the Lottery.

BALDWIN: Thanks to a fund-raising effort by local media, she and her band-mates can now afford it. Donations quickly started flowing in from local businesses, other schools, even celebrities. Within days, the community raised 110,000 dollars, more than enough to participate in the presidential parade.

COGDILL: The story of our band is not just about the D.C. Trip. The story of our band is the way in which they've grown. Now, the story of our band is the way in which they give back.

BALDWIN (on camera): It seems to me you're above and beyond teaching music. You are teaching life.

COGDILL: Yes. We're teaching life every day.

BALDWIN: By instilling hope in his students, whose lives outside this band room may have seemed hopeless.

Brooke Baldwin, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: Oh, man, congratulations to them.

Think you've had a bad drive? Check out this massive snowy pileup. It's near Dairy, New Hampshire today. Nearly 60 vehicles were involved. It shut down parts of Interstate 93 for five hours. Fortunately, though, no one was killed. That's good news. None of the injuries appear life threatening. But it was really, really scary.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I watched him hit my car. Then I see this big 18 wheeler coming at me, sliding. I literally jumped over the guard rail and just bolted down the hill like this for cover. It was -- then it was just, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom. Guys trying to get the guy out of that car. He's pinned in there. They're trying to, you know -- before these guys even got here, trying to use the wood to get them out. I've never seen anything like this.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Is it terrifying?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, I can say I'm going to have the image of an 18 wheeler coming at me full speed out of control for the rest of my life burnt into my mind.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Vehicles were so packed, packed so tight, many people had to crawl out through those windows. Of course, all of this is due to a lot of bad weather that is hitting the country. (WEATHER REPORT)

LEMON: A multi-million dollar ransom paid to Somali pirates. Now much of the money is lost at sea. We'll tell you about that.

Also tonight --

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Fast forward to this past November.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I voted for Obama.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: This is an interesting story that you really don't want to miss. It's about three or four generations of African-Americans and Caucasians here in the U.S. and their connection. This man grew up picking cotton in rural Mississippi. He was the grandson of slaves. Now, he'll stand as a witness to history. You'll meet James "Little Man" Presley. It's a meeting you won't soon forget.

As always, we want to know what's on your mind tonight. We want you to be part of our conversation. Make sure you log on to any of those platforms right there, Twitter, Facebook, Myspace or iReport, and tell us what you are thinking.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: There are conflicting signals from Israel today over the future of its military offensive in Gaza. Israel's deputy defense minister said his forces could be reaching the end of the operation. But Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said that while Israel is nearing its goal, further patience is needing.

Israeli aircraft, meantime, kept up their assaults on Hamas targets. And ground troops advanced on Gaza City from both the north and the south.

Also, huge crowds turned out for more anti-Israel protests in major world cities today. As many as 100,000 people marched through Madrid. Demonstrations were also held in Brussels, Beirut, Manila, and Karach, Pakistan.

There were also marches today in support of Israel. Speakers in Washington and New York described the Israeli military action as an act of self-defense.

Thousands more Israeli reservists are reporting for duty there and preparing for the possibility of a new phase of Israel's assault into Gaza. Our senior international correspondent, Nic Robertson, has the latest from the Israeli/Gaza border.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice- over): Outside an Israeli army base, an emotional good-bye. "I'm worried he may be sent to Gaza," Mia tells me. "I want peace. I don't want suffering on either side."

Her husband, a reservist, says good-bye to his six week old daughter. He is not alone. Thousands of reservists are reporting for duty, ready should Israel escalate the war in Gaza.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think of the things I need to do. I think of the things I need to take with me.

ROBERTSON: Yeroham Lofsky, a telecom salesman, tells me he was preparing to go to India when he got the call.

YEROHAM LOFSKY, ARMY RESERVIST: I have an 8.5-year-old daughter. She cries. She asks questions. You're going to Gaza? When are you going to Gaza?

ROBERTSON: The army selected Lofsky to talk to us. He tells me what we hear from many soldiers. They must fight to stop Hamas firing rockets into Israel. I ask about the high Palestinian civilian casualties.

LOFSKY: We practice for this. We know how to try to avoid the civilian casualties. It costs us many times injuries on our side. And we do the best we can to be as much as human as we can.

ROBERTSON: In Gaza, where Israel and Egypt prevent going to report independently, the perception emerging among civilians is the opposite. Increasingly, they feel they are the victims.

"They were all family members," she says, talking about the dead she has just seen. "Little kids, children. I didn't see anyone with weapons. It's just families being hit."

Hamas leaders are calling the civilian deaths genocide, but give the impression they're not worried Israel could escalate attacks.

KHALED MESHAAL, HAMAS LEADER (through translator): They failed tremendously. They didn't accomplish anything. They say they don't want resistance in Gaza. But I assure you the resistance is good.

ROBERTSON: Along the border with Egypt, Israel gave the strongest warning yet it was ready to widen the fight, dropping leaflets, warning civilians to move away, as Israel may ratchet up the fight with Hamas. The strike will be, quote, exceptionally painful.

(on camera): If Israel goes for a big military push, many tens of thousands of reservists put on stand-by, could find themselves in the fight in Gaza. Maintaining popular support at home could be critical for the government.

(voice-over): Which may explain why we're allowed to film troops preparing for war, but not on the battlefield.

Nic Robertson, CNN, on the Israel/Gaza border.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: This just into CNN. It's developing right now. We're hearing -- let me get to this first, after this story. I'm going to go to this one first, talk about this pirate that has capsized. You might be tempted to chalk this up to karma. You'll recall these images. Take a look at this. A few days ago, from the US Navy; it shows Somali pirates receiving a three million dollar ransom dropped into their small boat by aircraft. The pirates then set free a Saudi tanker they had been holding hostage.

But when heading back to shore in their get-away boat, the pirates hit rough seas and capsized along with their booty. Five of the eight pirates are believed to have drowned. Today, some of the bodies washed up on the Somali shore. He had more than 150,000 dollars on him.

Now I want to get to that developing story. Just checking some facts here. It involves Roland Burris. This is coming to us from Washington. Of course, also from Illinois. We told you at the top of the hour that there were meetings on Capitol Hill tonight, and Burris was part of the discussion. We're hearing that his fate could be decided as soon as tomorrow, as soon as Monday.

CNN is confirming that. It's the fate of Senate Appointee Roland Burris could be decided as soon as Monday. According to Democratic sources, the Senate's parliamentarian worked over the weekend, which includes those discussions today, deciphering Senate rules to determine if Burris has met the requirements for admittance. We're going to get much, much more on this story if we get it in this broadcast. We'll bring it to you. Make sure you tune in tonight, CNN, 10:00 p.m. Eastern, 10:00 p.m. Eastern, to "THE NEWSROOM." We'll have the very latest on the Burris situation, as well as the very latest on Capitol Hill, what's going on with the economy and the inauguration.

Do you know how tough times are? I'm sure you do. When colleges start cutting football programs and they're not the only ones feeling the pinch, we're going to talk with our Rick Harrow. He's in the house. He is taking a closer look at how big-league sports are in for some very big hurting.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Everybody's all excited about the big bowl games. My EP is a Florida Gater. She's all excited, everybody. Wow. Not for me, LSU Tiger; we didn't do so well. The reason I say that is because there's no more college football for Western Washington University. And the school has decided to axe its program. And they're doing it to save money, saying that right now it's too expensive to field a team there.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LYNDA GOODRICH, ATHLETIC DIRECTOR, W WASH. U: They took it well and they handled it well. I think they're very disappointed and very emotional. I think they're unsure of what the future holds for them. EILEEN COUGHLIN, VP OF STUDENT AFFAIRS: This was a very tough call for us. The reality is we had a combination of fiscal issues that came together and really indicated for us to keep quality overall, we needed to make a tough decision.

(END VIDEO

LEMON: That is a tough decision. Sports business analyst Rick Harrow joins me tonight with some perspective on this story. Rick, when I saw this, we sent it to you, because I'm wondering if this is going to start some sort of trend. Could this happen at other schools as well?

RICK HARROW, CNN SPORTS BUSINESS ANALYST: You know, Don, it's important for school spirit, alumni donations, comraderie, enrollment, whether its Division One, Two, or Three. Western Washington, in the lower end of the spectrum. They measure their programs in millions of dollars, not hundreds of millions of dollar. So they cut costs. They limit travel expenses. They limit the number of players. That's all in the future. For this school, that wasn't enough.

LEMON: Obviously it wasn't enough. Let's talk about the other side of the spectrum here. Before I go to that, you know, it's disheartening when you hear this, because you think that, you know, sports usually make people well rounded. You can be well rounded -- you can do well in academics, but then if you do well in sports as well, that also helps you, too. So this is unnerving that this is happening.

HARROW: It makes people well rounded. In the case of football, it makes the rest of the athletic department well healed. Ohio State University, 150 million dollars in money. Your LSU is number nine. It goes from that -- even the top ten schools, by the way, they're all about 75 million bucks.

What about our EP's favorite, Florida, the one that won the national championship?

LEMON: Don't bring it up anymore.

HARROW: You know you have to. Tim Tebow, the quarterback, he is coming back. It's a triple increase in dollars and investment. The coach, his bonus was more than teams' entire coaching staffs. It's the haves and the have nots.

LEMON: Let's talk about pro-sports, Rick. The economic impact, especially on the NFL playoffs. That's going be -- they're taking a hit as well.

HARROW: Well, they're reducing their playoff prices 10 percent. When you look at the teams that are in there, Arizona, Baltimore, the Philadelphia Eagles -- the fourth one will be decided in an hour. The teams are playing right now. The franchises are worth, Don, one billion dollars a piece. The ratings are fine. Attendance is OK. The mega events like the Super Bowls, they'll be doing fine. We'll get to that later on as we get closer to the Super Bowl. LEMON: No bailout just yet for pro-sports.

HARROW: No bailout yet for pro-sports.

LEMON: Thank you very much, Rick Harrow, always a pleasure seeing you.

We want to know what's on your mind tonight. Make sure you tell us what you're thinking about on this story and other stories in our broadcasts. Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, iReport, that's where you can get us.

Also, it's supposed to be Detroit's time to shine right now. But with two of its automakers on the brink of bankruptcy and the entire industry on the ropes, the shine is warn off. We're live from the Detroit Auto Show, plus, we'll have this for you.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If those hands could speak, what would they say?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh -- they would be crying.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: His names is James "Little Man" Presley. He's the grandson of slaves and he's a witness to history. For him, the past and the present mingle. You want to meet this man.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

DON LEMON, CNN HOST: We've been telling you this since the top of broadcast. It is a rare, rare, working Sunday on Capitol Hill. The Senate voted on a bill to protect wilderness areas. But there were also signs of the big changes on the way to Washington, DC. Barack Obama's economic aides were on the Hill for talks with Democrats. There were also discussions about how and possibly when to seat Illinois Senate appointee, Roland Burris. We've learned his fate could be decided as soon as tomorrow. That's a developing story we just found out moments ago.

Also tonight we have a sign of the times for you. Houses that cost less than a used car. Some of these listings might have you reaching for your checkbook. Just check out www.realtor.com. Most are less than $2,000. One three bedroom bungalow in Detroit is going for 500 bucks. Wow. And that's not the down payment. You own it. After 500 bucks. It just shows how desperate banks are to unload some of there foreclosures. And we're also hearing tonight as well, homes are getting smaller. Those McMansions out of fashion.

The more people you talk to, the more you realize virtually everyone knows someone who has been laid off. Maybe that person is you, unfortunately. Well, many are left feeling lonely, depressed and disconnected from the working world. But one new concept is changing that. Jobless support groups are popping up everywhere. And our Deb Feyerick has the story for us.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DEB FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's not the kind of conversation you'd normally have at lunch with almost total strangers.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Since July I've been laid out.

FEYERICK: P.R. specialist Adam Brill (ph) says he's sent out dozens of resumes trying to find work.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The challenge is waiting for a callback. That's the hardest part, not getting feedback.

FEYERICK: But everyone at this table understands. Because they're all casualties of the recession.

(on camera): By a show of hands, how many of you? You never thought it would take this long?

(voice-over): These white collar professionals meet once a month at the Bedford Street Diner in Stamford, Connecticut. To eat lunch, talk strategy ...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Who doesn't have a marketing ...

FEYERICK: Network, and commiserate.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You become very depressed. You become very depressed. So you need to get out, you need the social interaction.

FEYERICK: With more and more Americans out of work, there's been an explosion of people connecting online and many like this group meeting offline face to face.

SHEILA WALL, EXEC. COACH LOOKING FOR WORK: It kind of takes the shame out of it. I think, a computer, you still are sitting there in isolation.

FEYERICK: This group is run by a career coach, Donna Swiedan, whose best advice is ...

DONNA SWEIDAN, CAREER COUNSELOR: Network, network, network right now and be connecting in person as well as on the Internet.

FEYERICK: When you came to this meeting this morning, did you have a sense of what it is you wanted to accomplish?

DARCY MCDONALD, IT SPECIALIST LOOKING FOR WORK: I did, actually, to get out and talk to other people in different fields to get a sense of what was working for them.

CHRIS KWONG, FINANCIAL CONSULTANT LOOKING FOR WORK: It's the only way you can survive. The more people you know. The more people you are right by. It's like swapping commodities constantly. Bits of information back and forth.

NICOLE CAMPBELL, PROJECT MANAGER LOOKING FOR WORK: A group like this keeps you motivated and gets you out there speaking with other people in the same boat as you are.

FEYERICK: Deborah Feyerick, CNN, Stamford, Connecticut.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: Use all the support we can get.

And we have another sign of the times for you. Lottery sales are up in many states. We're not talking about the big money games like MegaMillions and PowerBall, but cheap games like scratch off tickets. Analysts say in tough economic times more people are willing to put a few bucks on low-stakes games for a chance to win small jackpots. A few dollars here, a few dollars here. They say it eventually adds up. Financial experts say, though, it would be wiser to just save your money.

LEMON: When CNN's chief business correspondent speaks, chances are you're going to learn something new from him. Now, Ali Velshi has taken that wisdom and put it right at your finger tips. His book, it's called "Gimme My Money Back" and it takes a user friendly look at how you can get your financial house in order.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ALI VELSHI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We're addicted to debt in this country. It's gotten us into some of the mess we're in. People may have been confused about mortgages but no one actually had a gun to their heads to take on out. So we have to understand what good is and bad debt is. Good debt gets you somewhere. It might be a mortgage because it gets you a roof over your head. It might be a car loan, it's student debt, things that actually you accomplish something with. Consumer debt, if you can't control it, is bad debt. You can't become an investor and take risk to get 10 or 12 percent return to get investment in the markets if you're carrying debt that's 10 or 12 or 15 or more percent.

So before you start investing, pay your high-interest debt off, you start to accumulate a little money so you've got an emergency fund in case you lose your job or something bad happens to you. Then you start investing and you use your 401(k) and the company match and the IRA. But you can get that done, but put a little discipline to it and you're well on your way.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Hmm. OK. Well, Ali Velshi's, "Gimme My Money Back, Your Guide to Beating the Financial Crisis", is on sale right now in stores. Ali was talking about investments there. And most people will tell you buying a car really not an investment. Sales numbers are down. They are lousy. But you know what? The show must go on.

The North American International Auto Show underway right now in Detroit. And this year, you can expect fewer flashy concept cars. And think about this. Electric. Electric. Lauren Fix is a car expert. And she joins us now from Detroit. Lauren, the glitz and glamour and the freebies. I want to know if they are all gone this year.

LAUREN FIX, AUTOMOTIVE ANALYST: They're pretty much all gone. We used to have parties and food and lunches. There was nothing. I brought bars with me to eat for lunch. It is really changing. It used to be an event all the time, champagne ...

LEMON: Catered and yeah ...

FIX: It's pretty much all gone. Even some of the gismos and gadgets, we just called swag, is pretty much gone as well. They're all taking their money and putting it into their cars and showing they're putting an effort in. And I think that's really important. With 11 production cars, hybrids, which means plug in electric or actually gas and electric, they're showing they can compete with Toyota and Ford. That's Ford, GM and Chrysler, they are really putting their effort in.

LEMON: Let me talk to you about electric. Offering electric cars, I mean, before, that was a no, no, that was taboo, don't talk about electric cars. Remember that documentary, "Who Killed the Electric Car?" But they're making a comeback this year. Is that the big fuel economy feature this year, an electric car?

FIX: It is and the thing is, the problem is, they brought the GM Volt in and that was great. And the fact is it's going to do about 40 miles before it needs to be recharged. Now we're being told last night Mercedes says that they claims to have a battery coming out sometime in 2010 that's going to be good for 125 miles. And Ford came out and said we're going to do one that's 250, and Chrysler claims they have one for the same range. The problem is, battery technology has not caught up with what our wants and needs are. Right now, today, you can't get one.

LEMON: Let me ask you this one real quick. Is this a turning point where we're going to start changing, move away as much as we can from fuel-based cars, gasoline-based cars, Lauren?

FIX: Yeah, actually, combustion engines will never disappear. You're always going to see gasoline powered as well as turbodiesel which is a very hot subject here. But what you're going to see more people looking at electric. Whether they're going to buy these cars? We don't know if the consumer really wants them. We're doing them because we believe that's what the consumer wants. Will they be able to pay that extra money?

Right the hybrid Fusion, for example, is claiming 41 miles to the gallon where the gas powered is 34. So they are both biggest in their segment, the best in their segment but does that mean peal are people going to spend the extra money to buy that hybrid car?

LEMON: I get upset when my Blackberry battery runs out. So you know if it's your car battery, you're in trouble. FIX: And actually it was funny because one of the GM execs said when he was out testing he was 12 miles from his house and the battery died. So now he understands that battery anxiety a lot of consumers have. And I honestly don't believe we're going to see good stuff until 2012. Right now you'll see things for urban - you live in the big cities, it makes a lot of sense.

LEMON: Very good point. Thank you so much, Lauren, in Detroit.

FIX: All right.

LEMON: Deep in the Mississippi Delta, renewed hope for a better future.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What's it going to be like on January 20th when Obama is officially sworn in as the president?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, that's going to be nice. I believe we're going to have a good time.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: This story really -- I can't say it changed my life, but it really made a big difference. Had an impact. The grandson of former slaves, well, he looks forward to the new administration. You really want to watch this next story.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: We're going to take you back in history and then bring you to the present. This is a story, whatever you're doing, just sit down or pay attention to it. It's about the grandson of slaves. His names James "Little Man" Presley, he is one of the few men left in American who is so closely tied to its slaves -- our slave past. He is still farming cotton on the same land as his ancestors and he's been in the fields since he was six years old. He also has a tie, a very interesting tie, to someone who works right here at CNN. Take a look at his story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JAMES PRESLEY, GRANDSON OF SLAVES: My name is James Presley. And I'm 78 years old and I'm from Slave Mississippi. They called me "Little Man." My dad died when I was five. And I started working when I was about six years old.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How much money was your first paycheck?

PRESLEY: Oh, I made 50 cents a day. Fifty cents a day from sun up to sun down, 50 cents. That was $3.00, $3.00 a week.

(MUSIC)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How hard has it been? PRESLEY: Well, it's been pretty hard. You know, you've got to work hard. You've got to -- I don't know, (inaudible) like I apply for a job, you apply for one, if I was more qualified than you, if you wanted it, they would put me back and give you the job. You know, about you being white. I went in places that I would go in with a white guy, I mean, they would put me out. I had to go around and come in the back door.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So then fast forward to this past November.

PRESLEY: I voted for Obama. I was proud to vote for -- that was the first name -- Obama, he come up like me. He come up working for a living. And all the rest of them looked like they were already rich when they got to be president. They didn't know how I come up as a poor man.

A lot of people probably vote for a black man. Nothing like that ever had it happen before. I never had a chance to vote for a black man before. I got a chance. I'd be too glad to vote for him.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What's it going to be like on January 20th when Obama is officially sworn in as the president?

PRESLEY: Oh, man, that's going to be nice. I believe we're going to have a good time.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If those hands could speak, what would they say?

PRESLEY: Oh, man, I don't know what they would say. They would be crying after what they've been through.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They'd be crying? Those are some worn leathery tough hands.

PRESLEY: Those hands have did some - they've been frozen -- they've been, I don't know. You see, they've been through something.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: Leaves you with a lump in your throat, doesn't it? Robert Johnson is a photojournalist who shot those pictures, the video and the still pictures. And Wayne Drash is a cnn.com producer, and Wayne has a connection with Mr. Plesley. Are you OK?

WAYNE DRASH, CNN.COM PRODUCER: Yes. I'm doing good.

LEMON: Yeah. You considered this man part of your family because your great grandfather hired him, what, 72 years ago?

DRASH: Seventy-two years ago. 1936.

LEMON: Yeah. 1936. Why do you feel like he's part of your family? It's all right.

DRASH: Seventy-two years. LEMON: Yeah.

DRASH: You'd never find a more loyal person to your family, as disturbing as it is, as my great granddaddy who hired him as a six- year-old. His name, Little Man, because he had to step up when his father died at the age of five and be the little man of his house.

LEMON: And I was talking to you about this story a little bit earlier. And you said, this man really personifies the American dream and the American experience and also he takes the stigma off of what people think. You said black men, the stereotypical black men were or are now.

DRASH: When you think about what he faced as a black man in Mississippi, he was constantly told a black man's not a hard worker, is lazy, doesn't stay with his wife, and doesn't -- is not a family man. He's been married 57 years now to his wife, Eva Mae (ph). He raised 13 children, 6 grandchildren, two of his children died along the way, one in her youth, one in adulthood.

LEMON: Yeah. You said he is the unsung civil rights hero.

DRASH: Yes.

LEMON: The people you don't hear about. Why do you say that?

DRASH: Absolutely. Because he's just one of these guys who stayed behind. The money to escape, go up north. He stuck through thick and thin. He talked about what it was like. We just had a complete honest conversation.

I jokingly say, I crossed the railroad tracks to sit down and talk with my black kin, who ask them what it was like to get called the N word to your face all the time. Did you ever see anybody get lynched? And he turned around and he said, up there that bluff, when I was five years old, there was a black man that was hung -- hung from a tree.

LEMON: You -- you thought it was important to bring Robert on the set with you, because he changed your experience in Mississippi. And the experience that you both had when you were there changed both of your lives. Why is that?

ROBERT JOHNSON, CNN PHOTOJOURNALIST: I think to Mississippi I brought a lot of misconceptions and kind of prejudice of my own. I was a little weary when Wayne said we're going to Mississippi. But when I walked away, I was just blown away by the artfulness, the friendliness of the people and the courage of this man who worked so hard. Because when you see African Americans might be portrayed -- males are portrayed in a different light. But you see this man who worked through 72 years of hard labor in the field, it was really touching.

LEMON: It is tough to talk about. And you know we're all on the verge of tears up here. It's tough to talk about, but it's something that we really need, because we are more connected and closer than we think we are.

DRASH: Yes.

LEMON: And we have more things in common than we have ...

DRASH: And it's always been like that.

LEMON: Yeah.

DRASH: You know, at least -- the white side of the railroad tracks, never really talked about this, the interconnectedness and symbiotic relationship, and it was hard times, black people definitely got the wrong end of the deal.

LEMON: And this was hired, he hired him 1936 during the Great Depression to pick cotton. Your great grandfather hired him, but your grandfather also picked cotton alongside of him. And I want to tell you, this is work is online, cnn.com. Look for Wayne Drash and Robert Johnson's work there. Inspired, we do have to say everything is connected. This was inspired by the story we did on Ann Nixon Cooper. And Robert shot the photos for cnn.com. Inspired by that story. And you went back to visit and came up with this amazing story. So it's all connected. We appreciate it. Thank you.

DRASH: Thank you very much.

LEMON: Thank you, man. Thanks.

DRASH: All right. We're going to have more. Ann Nixon Cooper, by the way, turned 107 on Thursday. I went to her birthday party today, as well as some other dignitaries, Ambassador Young. And we'll tell but that tonight at 10:00, 10:00 p.m. Eastern right here on CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: OK. You know, last year there were no Golden Globes. They are back. This are usually sort of a precursor to who is going to be nominated for an Oscar. Kareen Wynter, our very own star on the red carpet, always looking fantastic. Better than ever this year, Kareen.

KAREEN WYNTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, Don. And I can sense the excitement in your voice. I wish you were here. The countdown is on. We're a little over an hour to the big show. And if you can't see it, you can perhaps all the way where you are, Don, feel the excitement building all around me. Because last year there was no ceremony due to the writers' strike, so this year people are ready to celebrate, they're out in full force. And some of the big names, the big faces that people are eagerly anticipating, none other than the power couple, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, they're expected to make their way down this red carpet a little bit later.

And also in the TV world, Tina Fey. She has become so famous, especially after her impersonation of Sarah Palin, she has become quite the TV darling. So, again, anticipation building. It's really reached a fever pitch here, and people just can't wait. Don? LEMON: All right, Kareen Wynter. Hey, listen, what's the buzz going on for the supporting actor category this year?

KAREEN WYNTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's two-fold. You know, Tom Cruise has been nominated for his amazing zany performance in "Tropic Thunder" as this crazy executive, but really, all eyes are going to be on whether or not Heath Ledger, the late Heath Ledger takes home that award, not just because his performance was quite frankly incredible as the Joker, but also it's believed the Hollywood foreign press will in some way pay tribute to his performance, to his whole legacy, in some way, if not with that award, some sort of tribute. So it will be a special night in that category, as well.

LEMON: Our, beautiful, beautiful, shining star, Kareen Wynter. You look fabulous. Thank you.

Ann Nixon Cooper, Barack Obama, president-elect mentioned her in his acceptance speech on election night. She was 106, voted for him. Now she is 107. And look. It is her birthday.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: We told you this story first, right here on this broadcast. Look at that lovely lady with the big smile in the red right there, that is Ann Nixon Cooper, President-Elect Obama saw her story on the air and mentioned her during his acceptance speech. Her 107th birthday party was today. You saw Ambassador Andrew Young there, me, and other dignitaries. Happy birthday, Mrs. Cooper. See you at 10:00 tonight.