Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Newsroom
Economic Team Meets; Controversial Executive Order; Closing Gitmo; Discount Chains Respected; High Tech President
Aired January 24, 2009 - 12:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN NEWS ANCHOR: We know another ballplayer, the new president -- however, not hard at work this weekend on the hard court, instead, he's tackling a jam-packed inbox. Just four full days in office now and he has already put a stamp on a number of top issues.
Up first, pitching his plan to revive the economy. President Barack Obama meeting last hour with his economic team, let's get to the White House and we find there CNN's Elaine Quijano.
Any headlines from that meeting as of yet?
ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN WHITE HOUSE NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, Fredrick, they're actually not letting reporters into that meeting or any part of it. But, we're waiting to find out what if anything the president's aides might have to say coming out of that meeting. So far, nothing just yet, but the president is meeting with members of his economic team, of course, in the midst of the financial crisis to talk about the budget, but also the economic stimulus plan.
Now, as you know, this is a meeting that is taking place on the heels of that meeting yesterday to talk about the economy with Congressional leaders, here at the White House. Now, it's also coming just days before President Obama, himself, is set to head to Capitol Hill to try to convince skeptical lawmakers, in particular, Republicans, that his plan is going to be effective in jump-starting the economy -- Fredericka.
WHITFIELD: He also addressed the economy in his weekly radio address. Something tells me he's going to be doing a lot of that. What did he say this time?
QUIJANO: Well, that's right. The president is stressing urgency in his weekly radio address. He said if the United States doesn't act quickly and boldly, the bad situation could become dramatically worse, but he also acknowledged that some are skeptical of the $825 billion price tag.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA (D), UNITED STATES PRESIDENT: I understand that skepticism which is why this recovery plan must and will include unprecedented measures that will allow the American people to hold my administration accountable for these results.
We won't just throw money in our problems, we'll invest in what works. Instead of politicians doling out money behind a veil of secrecy, decisions about where we invest will be made public and informed by independent experts whenever possible.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
QUIJANO: Now still, on the other side of the debate, Republicans continue to question the size of the package and whether or not the spending contained in it will actually be effective in stimulating the economy. Here is House Republican leader John Boehner.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP JOHN BOEHNER (R), OHIO: Unfortunately, the spending plan authored by congressional Democrats is chock full of government programs and projects, most of which won't provide immediate relief to our ailing economy, according to the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
QUIJANO: Now, the White House insists that the economic plan will either create or save up to four million jobs over the next few years and, Fredricka, that's exactly the argument President Obama will be taking with him, again, when he heads to Capitol Hill in just a few days.
WHITFIELD: All right, Elaine Quijano, thanks so much from the White House. Appreciate that.
All right, well, President Obama has signed an executive order ending a ban on funding for international groups that promote abortion. But as CNN's senior political analyst, Bill Schneider reports, despite the action, the president has been careful to keep both sides of the abortion issue at bay.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BILL SCHNEIDER, CNN SR POLITICAL ANALYST: President Obama is up front about his support of abortion rights.
OBAMA: Am prochoice. I believe in Roe versus Wade...
SCHNEIDER: But he deals with the issue, as his press secretary has said in a different matter.
ROBERT GIBBS WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: Out of an abundance of caution.
SCHNEIDER: In 1984, President Reagan issued a ban on government funding for international family planning groups that promote abortion. One of Bill Clinton's first acts was to lift the ban. President George W. Bush's first executive order was to reinstate it on January 22, 2001, the anniversary of Roe V. Wade. President Obama is lifting the ban once again, but Mr. Obama waited until after the anniversary of Roe v. Wade when abortion opponents were marching on Washington. He tries to treat value differences with respect. OBAMA: If you believe that life begins at conception then -- and you are consistent in that belief, then I can't argue with you on that, because that is a core issue of faith for you.
SCHNEIDER: He says he wants to find common ground.
OBAMA: Surely, we can agree on reducing the number of unwanted pregnancies in this country.
SCHNEIDER: Will President Obama also reverse President Bush's ban on embryonic stem-cell research?
OBAMA: I usually prefer a legislative process because those are the people's representatives.
SCHNEIDER: Why such caution? Because President Obama saw what happened when his two predecessors acted boldly on social issues, the country became bitterly divided. Obama wants to turn the page.
OBAMA: The stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long, no longer apply.
SCHNEIDER: Bill Schneider, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: All right, one prison closing, another re-opening. First to Iraq -- the deputy justice minister (AUDIO GAP) is getting a facelift and a new name. It's now Baghdad's Central Prison. Abu Ghraib came to symbolize torture under Saddam Hussein and then later, mistreatment by U.S. troops. The prich was shut down three years ago. It is set to re-open next month.
All right, will closing Gitmo open a Pandora's Box for America's war on terror? Critics of president Obama, his first executive orders worry some prisoners freed from Guantanamo could ultimately end up back on the battlefield. Here now is CNN's Brian Todd.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRIAN TODD, CNN NEWS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A key debate in the president's decision to close Guantanamo Bay just got hotter, the controversy over tracking detainees who were set free. A U.S. counterterrorism unofficial tells CNN this man, Said (ph) Shiri, released from Guantanamo in 2007 is now believed to be a key leader in al Qaeda's operations in Yemen. The official says Shiri may have been involved in a car bombing outside the U.S. embassy in Yemen last year that killed nearly a dozen people. Analysts aren't surprised if he's there.
STEVE COLL, NEW AMERICA FOUNDATION: The fact that he's in Yemen reflects where Allah is regrouping on the Arabian Peninsula.
TODD: But, between Guantanamo and Yemen, Shiri, a Saudi national was in Saudi custody in the government rehabilitation program. A Saudi source tells CNN he escaped from that facility even though experts say the Saudi reeducation programs are the best.
Terrorism analyst, Ken Ballen (ph) has been to one, interviewed dozens of men who have gone through. Ballen and other experts say at these centers, Saudi officials help young jihadists re-integrate into society giving them and their families financial help, finding jobs, even finding wives for some.
Ballen says they also bring in religious scholars to hit home one important message.
KEN BALLEN, TERROR FREE TOMORROW: That Jihad, holy war, is defensive, it's not to try to convert other religions and other people, it's only if Muslims are attacked, therefore, what al Qaeda does is not really a legitimate Jihad in the minds of learned Islamic scholars.
TODD (on camera): But, Ballen and other experts tell us they're not all that they're not all that surprised that the program didn't work with Said Shiri. They say not everyone can be deradicalized and Ballen says only about five percent of the young men from the Saudi rehab centers go back to the battlefield, much less for the recidivism for criminals in the U.S.
Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: Former presidential candidate, John McCain, who was a prisoner of war in Vietnam is critical of President Obama's timing on closing Gitmo. The Republican senator from Arizona spoke Thursday night with our Larry King.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN JOHN MCCAIN (R), ARIZONA: The easy part, in all due respect, i to say we're going to close Guantanamo, then I think what I would have said where they were going to be taken. Because you're going to run into a nimby problem here in the United States of America that nobody doesn't want them in their state.
LARRY KING, LARRY KING LIVE: But, maybe he doesn't know.
MCCAIN: Well, I would have made those decisions and presented them or waited and then made the decisions and presented them as an entire package.
KING: So, he didn't have to announce it today is what you're saying?
MCCAIN: I don't think so, because the questions now that are unanswered, those that I just articulated to you, are going to have to be answered and he has imposed a timeframe here that these are going to be very difficult. We'll work with him, We'll work with him.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: All right, Guantanamo is one of today's topics in our "Legal Briefs." Attorneys Richard Herman and Avery Friedman debate the pros and cons of it all, that's in about a half hour from now right here in the NEWSROOM.
All right, strong winds leading to disaster in Spain this morning. Four boys between the ages of nine and 12 were killed when a roof clpsed at a sports complex near Barcelona. CNN's Al Goodman reports that some of the boys had run into the building seeking shelter from hurricane-force winds. Fifteen other people were injured. The devastating winds are being blamed for five other deaths across the country.
And the suspect in yesterday's horrific stabbing rampage in Dendermonde, Belgium, has been charged with three counts of murder. Two babies and one adult were killed in the nursery school attack, a dozen other people, mostly kids, were injured. Police say the suspect's backpack included a cache of weapons and addresses of three other nurseries.
When he was captured, the man was wearing a bulletproof vest under his clothing. He allegedly carried a knife, an axe and a fake gun.
Surving the recession, some stores are faring well during the downturn, after all, well, showing their value to customers. Plus witnessing history again. stories from the inauguration from some of the famed Tuskegee airmen.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: All right, discount chains don't often get the respect that they deserve, but in this recession, consumers have a newfound sense of frugality. Wal-Mart stores and McDonald's restaurants are actually doing pretty well. Here now is our Alina Cho.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALINA CHO, CNN NEWS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Wal-Mart, Campbell Soup, McDonald's. The Dow may be down, but these household names are up, way up.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Pretty cheap. You can get a lot of food for five bucks here.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's hard out here. We're in a recession. Everybody's hoping it gets better, but who knows?
CHO: With unemployment up, spending is down, and everyone these days is looking for a deal and that means Wal-Mart and McDonald's, often the butt of jokes, have the last laugh. They're the only two companies in the Dow whose share prices rose in 2008. In the third quarter, McDonald's profits were up 11 percent.
DANA TELSEY, CHIEF RESEARCH OFFICER, TELSEY ADVISORY GROUP: The companies that are doing well in this environment are companies whose brand names are well-recognized, who offer good value for the money.
CHO: Take Campbell Soup.
ANTHONY SANZIO, CAMPBELL SOUP COMPANY: In tough economic times, you know, people do turn to the familiar.
CHO: Like chicken noodle and tomato. Sales of condensed soup are up 14 percent.
SANZIO: We're seeing a return, in a certain sense, to comfort foods. Casseroles are huge. The No. 1 search term on our Web site right now is "crock pot."
CHO: Campbell is using the downturn in the economy as a marketing opportunity, taking a cue from McDonald's, calling its soup selection "the original dollar menu." And it's not just soup. Spam is surging and so is Kraft Food's Mac and Cheese, Jell-O and Kool-Aid. Frugal chic.
TELSEY: Part of what drives consumers spending is the "feel good" factor. And if everyone's friends and neighbors don't have the same level of dollars to spend this year as they did last year, it doesn't make anyone feel good to be that different from someone else.
CHO: And the outlook is good. Analysts say comfort companies should do well in 2009 because bargain shopping is not just in, it may be here to stay.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: As with everybody, we're waiting for those big sales and checking out the clearance racks and taking our time.
CHO: One analyst said it's the worst of times for restaurants, but the best of times for McDonald's. The company's sales have actually increased for 55 straight months.
And in Campbell's case, all you have to do is look at the stock. The company's shares are down by about eight percent over last year. but if you compare it to the Dow is down around 30 percent. So, McDonald's shares are outperforming the Dow.
Alina Cho, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: All right, well how is the recession impacting your kids from public school budgets to foreclosures to financial aid for college? All of that is the focus of a special hour of CNN NEWSROOM today, it starts at 4 p.m. Eastern, right here on CNN. You don't want to miss that.
Well, for thousands of U.S. soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan, Super Bowl Sunday may feel a little bit more like being at home thanks to Lou Malnati's Pizzeria. They're sending out some 2,000 pies so the troops will be able to chow down on some authentic Chicago-style pizza and a Chicago area beer distributor is sending cases of Schlitz to Iraq.
Normally that would be grounds for a court martial, but earlier this month, a U.S. commander in Iraq, General Raymond Odierno, issued a waiver giving the troops a break from the rules against alcohol for Super Bowl. Wow! That is some break. That's something enough to celebrate, I'm sure, for a lot of the U.S. troops. What do you think -- Reynolds.
REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: I'm thinking Chicago-style pizza and Schlitz beer sounds fantastic. You know what else I'm thinking. I'm thinking that I love the idea of it going overseas, but if they wanted spread the love and bring it here to the Weather Center or the newsroom.
WHITFIELD: I think you're all right.
WOLF: Hey, just testing it out. You know, it's quality control, that's all it is. Got to make sure it's good before we give it to...
WHITFIELD: Yeah, well, they're going to remember the Schlitz and the pizza and they're probably never remember the final score of the game or who's even playing for that matter.
WOLF: Very, very true.
(WEATHER REPORT)
WOLF: Oh, got this video, take a look. This was actually in Nashville earlier today.
WHITFIELD: What am I looking at?
WOLF: A little bit of rain, a little bit of sleet. Thankfully it's moving out, but the cold air is going to stay locked in place. That's not going away anytime soon.
WHITFIELD: I don't know. Is it just me, but Nashville, the last couple of winters has had it pretty tough.
WOLF: Yeah, you know, I mean, you have to remember I know it seems like Nashville, certainly still to the South, certainly have your Southern culture, there, but still, you get a big blast of cold air every now and again, a little bit of overrunning moisture and, sure, you can get some snow. No question about it. And some ice and sleet and they certainly have their share.
WHITFIELD: Yeah, just a reminder, it is indeed winter there, too.
WOLF: Absolutely.
WHITFIELD: All right, thanks a lot, Reynolds. Appreciate it, I'll see you a little bit later.
All right, the pilot who skillfully landed a crippled jetliner on New York's Hudson River, you remember him. Well, he's getting a hero's homecoming this afternoon. That guy right there, U.S. Airways pilot, Chesley"Sully" Sullenberger's hometown of Danville, California is throwing a celebration for him. He returned this week from the inauguration. The mayor will greet the Sullenberger family on the town green with music. There are members of his family, his wife and two daughters, there. There will be an honor guard and other presentations taking place during the celebrations, today. Sullenberger's actions, you'll remember, saved all 155 passengers and crew. CNN will carry the pilot's homecoming celebration, live this afternoon beginning at the 4 p.m. Eastern hour. Don't want to miss that.
And new video of what happened just seconds after the plane splashed, right there, into the river. You see the steam sort of rising. Well now, watch the left side of the screen, right there. The emergency hatch opening up and people started to crawl on to the wings of the plane.
Well, the video was captured on surveillance camera by a gas and electric company of Con Edison. You see there, those kind of grainy image, but you can make out pretty clearly what's taking place and we all know what was running through the minds of a lot of those passengers. But thankfully, all is well and again, the pilot, Sully, he will be celebrated today as will all of the crew members be acknowledged during celebrations. We'll carry that live at 4:00 Eastern Hour.
All right, President Barack Obama getting his way, keeping the PDA, but his model comes with some pretty sweet upgrades.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: All right, chock up a personal victory for President Obama. After much internal debate, he's keeping a handheld device to check e-mail, surf the net and make a few phone calls. CNN's Brian Todd explains.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TODD (voice-over): It's official. The new president won't have to kick his tech habit.
ROBERT GIBBS, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECY: The president has a BlackBerry through a compromise that allows him to stay in touch with senior staff and a small group of personal friends.
TODD: A group that White House officials indicate will be very limited. Published reports say the president's new device could be the Sectera Edge, made by General Dynamics. It's not available to the public. And the company says the $3,300 portable has to be approved by the National Security Agency before government officials can use it. Why?
A General Dynamics official took us through the capabilities of this personal digital assistant, or PDA.
MICHAEL GUZELIAN, GENERAL DYNAMICS: It's an unclassified PDA that can go out to a Web site, like Weather.com, or check flights. And, then, with one push of a button, you switch over to a classified PDA, which would allow you to access secret e-mail or secret Web sites.
TODD: Phone calls are made by pressing that telephone button, but hit the button for the red background, and it's a top-secret phone call.
(on camera): We e-mailed the NSA, asking whether it approved the Sectera Edge for Mr. Obama's use. The agency referred us to the White House, which wouldn't say which specific device the president has.
(voice-over): But Press Secretary Robert Gibbs did talk about why president feels he should have a portable device.
GIBBS: He believes it's a way of keeping in touch with -- with -- with folks, a way of doing it outside of getting stuck in a bubble.
TODD: But security is still a concern. Some Internet security experts have told us no device is hack proof. The General Dynamics official wouldn't say that this device is a veritable Fort Knox, but he said the NDA wouldn't certify technology that is easily hacked.
Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: And our legal guys are going be delving into that matter because the debate over whether the president should actually have a PDA is still up for debate.
All right, Barack Obama is not the first president to be a technological trendsetter. In 1929 Herbert Hoover became the first president to have a telephone installed on his desk and then 1954 marked the first telecast of a cabinet meeting in the West Wing. 1969 President Richard Nixon spoke from the Oval Office by radio telephone to Apollo 11 commander, Neil Armstrong lunar module pilot Edwin "buzz" Aldrin.
And a few U.S. Presidents have used the Web, but not like this. Our Josh Levs is here to show us just how far the White House Web site has come and how President Obama is already using the Internet as a political strength of his presidency. We have seen how he used it as a strength when he was a candidate, but now what?
JOSH LEVS, CNN NEWS CORRESPONDENT: He's carrying it right over. It's kind of amazing. You know, I'm going to dig into this news site, which is so cool, I really like it, from the White House.
But before we do, you've got to see this video, Fred. I found this in our system, it is so great. This comes from 1998. Look, this is what WhiteHouse.com looked like back in 1998. Cute little Web site. There were four or five little links you could click on back then.
How do you like that, Fred? Look how far we've come. Huh? That was probably pretty advanced for the time.
WHITFIELD: Oh, it definitely was. But isn't that funny. You're like, "way back in 1998."
LEVS: Way back in 1998, which you know, in techno terms.
WHITFIELD: Eleven years ago. LEVS: Seriously, I mean, for the Internet, like, that's eons. That's way beyond dog years.
So, that's what it looked like way back when and this is what it looked like about a week ago before the inauguration. You can see that a lot of bloggers have posted this online as well, and obviously had a lot in it, but it was much stayed and much more traditional, and I'm going to go to Barack Obama's Web site here, and I'm going to stay out of the way and let us zoom in.
Check out how this is designed. First of all, it's the scheme of his Web site. Also, people who design Web sites -- oh, his campaign Web site, rather. People who design these things, know things like colors, tones, where your eye is meant to be drawn in right away, the kind of statement.
This is straight-up branding and this, right here, is a big statement. He has his family doing their public service on King day and what we're seeing on this is pretty much what Barack Obama was talking about a lot in his inauguration speech, which is it's going to take everyone digging in and working in order to make any of these things happen.
Now, one other thing I want to show you. You can watch his, what used to be radio addresses, as we know, you can now see them in video in the latest one, which he saw today, he mentions a brand new Web site. Let's take a look at the sound bite.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA (D), UNITED STATES PRESIDENT: And every American will be able to see how and where we spend taxpayer dollars by going to a new Web site called Recovery.gov.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEVS: There it is. This is it. Recovery.gov. it's nothing much yet, it just says check back here in a little while and we're going to show you some of the things that as we make these decisions you'll be able to see the kinds of places that U.S. taxpayer money is going.
But Fred, I wanted to show you this, too. You know, we've been reporting a lot on his executive orders. Given the way it's designed right now, you can just go to his Web site, click on it and read it for yourself and see when you think about it.
WHITFIELD: Yes, if you want a little bit more clarity on exactly what's transpired because so much has already happened in just his four days of office now and that's an incredible tool that one can use.
LEVS: Dig right in, yeah.
WHITFIELD: So, we understand that he'll also be using this technology to help push legislation -- in what way? LEVS: Yes, it helps push his legislation. Zoom back in really quickly, I want to show you one more thing. There's a contact form on here, which is not brand new. Ii mean, contacts happen, a lot of places do this, but what he has here. you fill out your name and address, your e-mail, you can type up to 500 characters, here. This goes both ways, not only are you weighing in on what you think. You are also giving the White House your contact information. Next time he needs to tell you, call your lawmakers, tell them to push through my legislation, boom, one e-mail he can reach -- we'll see, tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands of people who sign up, right there. Political power.
WHITFIELD: Oh, that is fantastic. Well Josh, you know how you brought up that picture and it showed the Obama family as a unit and what they were doing for community service?
LEVS: Sure.
WHITFIELD: Well, what's interesting about that is the Obama family is really being studied in large part and their influence that they're already having on American families as a whole. We're going to be joined a little bit later on in the hour by author, Alvin Poussaint who also co-authored with Bill Crosby, "Come on People," we're going to be talking with him exactly about the family unit and how the Obama's just really have become kind of a model for everyone. One big love fest we're having here. All right, Josh, thanks so much.
All right, well addition by subtraction. Companies actually adding staff to help others who are laid off. What does that mean? An unfortunate growth industry for some.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: Happening right now, President Barack Obama is meeting with his economic team this morning. Early in his weekly radio address, the president underscored the dire straits of America's financial health, he continued to urge Congress to act on his $825 billion stimulus package.
And few details in a deadly shooting in Miami's Liberty City neighborhood where nine people were hit by gun fire last night, two of whom are dead. Police say besides searching for the gunmen, they want to talk to those who escaped the hail of bullets.
And in Spain, four young boys have been killed and nine other people hurt in a roof collapse at a sports center in Barcelona. Strong winds clocked close to 100 miles an hour. That's been reported there and six other people have been killed across Spain from wind- related accidents.
Embattled Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich has lost one of his key supporters, his lead attorney. Ed Genson says he intends to resign as defense attorney in the corruption case against the governor.
Here's why. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ED GENSON, BLAGOJEVICH ATTORNEY: I never require a client to do what I say, but I do require them to at least listen to what I say. I believe in this case, it would be better off and I intend to withdraw as counsel in this case. I wish the governor good luck and God speed.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: All right, well, meanwhile, Blagojevich is still talking about what he calls an unfair process in the case against him.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. ROD BLAGOJEVICH (D), ILLINOIS: There was an old saying in the Old West. There was a cowboy who was charged with stealing a horse in town and some of the other cowboys, especially the guy whose horse was stolen, were very unhappy with that guy. One of the cowboys said, let's hang him and the other cowboys said hold on, before we hang him, let's first give him a fair trial, then we'll hang him.
Under these rules, I'm not even getting a fair trial. They're just hanging me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Well, you can hear the governor's side of the story right here on CNN. He'll be talking to Larry King and taking your calls on "LARRY KING LIVE" 9:00 p.m. Eastern. That's Monday.
All right, once sworn in, President Obama promised to hit the ground running, and he has, getting the economy back on track is job No. 1 for him. A lot of people are working on it. Democrats on the Senate Finance Committee want $275 billion in tax cuts. Hundreds of billions more in spending and it's very similar to a House version.
Both include tax credits for workers and parents and more help for the unemployed. The biggest difference, the Senate Panel wants to give a $300 bonus to Social Security recipients. Expect more debate on Tuesday.
Another round of layoffs hitting American workers. Just this week, we heard about Microsoft's plans to cut 5,000 tech jobs over the next 18 months. Well, Washington state will be the hardest hit. In Minnesota, recreation vehicle maker Polaris announced that it's laying off 460 people. Assembly line jobs will be lost in Minnesota, Iowa and Wisconsin. And Thursday, Vermont called for trimming 600 state jobs. That's in addition to 60 state workers already cut.
So, one man's job loss is another's opportunity, perhaps? Well, companies that help people find work have so much business these days that they're actually adding staff.
Bill Ayers has been running such a company since 1975. Have you ever experienced anything quite like this before? WILLIAM AYERS, CAREER CONSULTANT: Fredricka, good day. No, to be honest with you. This is probably the tip of the iceberg in terms of what's been happening since December of '07. We're at an unemployment rate right now of 7.2 percent and we didn't reach that before until 1982. Did you know that?
WHITFIELD: No. But you know what's really perplexing about this? I mean, that figure in addition to with so many jobs being lost, it would seem that if I'm looking for a job, I'm going to have to think that there are very few jobs out there because a lot of jobs have been lost because they've been eliminated.
So, it really seems like an oxymoron to me that your company and companies like you would be beefing up because there are so many great opportunities to place people into new jobs. How does this work?
AYERS: Fredricka, we're a career transition organization. We have been around for over 20 years and the goal when a crisis happens like this, the word crisis. You know that crisis creates change and change creates opportunity.
WHITFIELD: Yes.
AYERS: And we have the opportunity here to look at cross-sector opportunities. You've got grain industries, education, energy, government, not for profit, and we're finding a lot of that in terms of movement.
WHITFIELD: So, if I'm somebody who's looking for a job and I happen to be working in a sector that is seeing, you know, great loss in opportunities, how do I prepare myself? How do you coach or guide a lot of folks who are coming to you to say -- so that they can land one of these green jobs or jobs in education or a job in these not for profits, as you mentioned, when they don't have any experience in any of these fields?
AYERS: Fredricka, the talented individuals have created functional skills that are transferable from one industry to another. They can be taught the technical skills, and you take, for an example ...
WHITFIELD: You've got to somehow convince an employer to do that, don't you?
AYERS: Well, it depends on the functional skills that they're talented with. Take for an instance the financial sector today. They can move to the government sector. They can move to risk. They can move to compliance. They can move into regulatory and people are clamoring for that in the government today.
WHITFIELD: All right. So, where are you finding the most opportunities? I mean, successful landing of positions because you're seeing, as you mentioned, the largest number that you've seen in years of people who desperately need some guidance on finding a job. Where are they getting lucky? AYERS: Well, one of the trends right now is toward self- employment. Today, did you know that 26 percent of our population is self-employed?
WHITFIELD: That's a pretty remarkable number, I think.
AYERS: In '06, that number was 19 percent.
WHITFIELD: Wow, so huge growth.
AYERS: Yes. State, federal and local government ...
WHITFIELD: But it costs money to run your own business and we're hearing, you know, I mean, pretty dire situations. You lose your job. You're short on cash. You may be losing your home or getting close to it. Now, where do I muster up the resources to start my own business and be self-employed?
AYERS: Well, you can be a contractor. You can be a freelancer. You can even work for an organization like Kelly Services. Did you know Kelly Services not only employs administrative and support people, but they also hire individuals that do information technology, energy, chemical, finance and they do temporary staffing.
WHITFIELD: All right. Well, so there are a lot of resources out there. Your company is another. Where do folks find you and your company?
AYERS: Well, we're part of an organization called the Ayers Group, a division of Kelly Services. We have a network of organizations worldwide that cover over 200 spaces and each one of them from a cultural perspective has got their finger on the pulse of what's going on in that culture today.
WHITFIELD: All right, good. I have a feeling you're going to get a lot of phone calls or inquiries from a lot of people.
Bill Ayers, thanks so much. Appreciate your time and your expertise and a lot of guidance that people need right now.
AYERS: Thank you very much.
WHITFIELD: All right, thanks so much.
AYERS: Good day.
WHITFIELD: All right, detainees and due process. Legal tangles are sure to follow the executive order closing down Guantanamo Bay.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: All right, President Barack Obama this week ordered a halt to prosecutions of Guantanamo Bay prisoners, followed by an order to close the detention facility and ban torture. And while some applaud the move, others wonder if he was a bit too hasty in setting a timetable. Can Gitmo close in a year? Here now is CNN Pentagon correspondent Chris Lawrence.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The clock is ticking on the Guantanamo Bay Detention Center and there's still no clear idea where these prisoners will go.
REP. DUNCAN HUNTER JR. (R), CALIFORNIA: I don't think that they ought to be put on American soil.
LAWRENCE: California Representative Duncan Hunter, Jr., introduced legislation that would make it illegal to transfer terrorists to San Diego's Camp Pendleton, but Defense Secretary Robert Gates says since the inauguration, more European countries may be willing to accept prisoners.
ROBERT GATES, DEFENSE SECRETARY: But they are willing to consider taking these and we've not heard from those people before.
LAWRENCE: President Obama has ordered a review group to examine each case at Guantanamo and divide prisoners into groups: those that can be released to other countries, those tried here in the U.S. and those who can't be tried in American courts, but are too dangerous to let go.
SARAH E. MENDELSON, CENTER FOR STRATEGIC AND INTL. STUDIES: It's very important that President Obama urges the review panel to do everything they can possibly to put them into the two categories, release or prosecute.
LAWRENCE: Analyst Sarah Mendelson says if too many prisoners end up in that third group, Secretary Gates will find those European countries much less willing to help.
MENDELSON: They'll think of it as moving Guantanamo rather than closing it.
LAWRENCE: Another executive order requires all interrogations follow the Army Field Manual. That limits interrogators to less than 20 approved techniques, all of which involve psychological methods. It does not allow any physical contact with prisoners.
Secretary Gates says that's OK because they know a lot more about al Qaeda than they did immediately following September 11th.
GATES: The need for measures that go outside the Army Field Manual is dramatically less than it was several years ago.
LAWRENCE (on camera): Some critics of this plan say certain techniques should not be unilaterally ruled out, but decided on a case by case basis and some intelligence officials say if their techniques are made public, terrorists could be trying to resist questioning.
Chris Lawrence, CNN, the Pentagon.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: All right, let's talk more about Gitmo, what happens once it's closed, if it's closed, et cetera. Our legal guys are here. Avery Friedman is a civil rights attorney and law professor. Good to see you.
AVERY FRIEDMAN, CIVIL RIGHTS ATTORNEY: Hi, Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: And Richard Herman is a New York criminal defense attorney and law professor. Good to see you as well.
RICHARD HERMAN, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Hi, Fred.
WHITFIELD: All right, Richard, let me begin with you because it seems with Gitmo potentially closing, there are a whole lot of other issues that need to be figured out. The obvious: what do you do with these enemy combatants. What happens to their right to a trial and all of that because there were Supreme Court decisions that would ensure that they were treated under a U.S. legal laws. So now what?
HERMAN: Yes. Well -- you know, in an attempt to comply with his campaign promise to close Gitmo, President Obama has directed it to be closed within a year. That six-month report that he's going to get from the Secretary of Defense is going to be critical, advising him how to handle it.
But Fred, we've got a major problem. Some of these people there, the evidence against them was obtained through torture or through surveillance that we don't want disclosed to the world. How can these people be tried? They can't be. It's a major, major problem.
WHITFIELD: And then, what about the whole legal representation, Avery? Is that something to consider?
FRIEDMAN: Well, legal representation is absolutely fundamental, Fredricka. That's going to happen, but remember, in Chris Lawrence's report, you have three categories. The first category is people of the 245, we don't want them, we'll get rid of them. The second set will be those who we have evidence against who we can try in our courts.
But then, that third category are, as Richard mentioned, those people who we got evidence from that would violate the Constitution. We don't know what to do with them and the question about legal representation, nobody even knows.
WHITFIELD: OK ...
HERMAN: And you know, Fred ...
WHITFIELD: Oh, yes, go ahead.
HERMAN: ...this week alone, we hear though, someone that was released last year is now fighting in Yemen with al Qaeda against us.
FRIEDMAN: Yes. WHITFIELD: Right.
HERMAN: So, I mean, this is going to -- could gain tremendous publicity and, you know, just -- there's not a perfect answer for this. Very, very difficult.
WHITFIELD: Yes, and we actually have a piece that'll air later on in this hour that kind of explains some of ...
FRIEDMAN: Absolutely.
WHITFIELD: ...what happened to some of the detainees that were released. But you know, back to this issue real quick before we shift gears a little bit. Can either one of you resolve to me, so are we considering Gitmo U.S. soil or a place that is directed and must adhere to U.S. rules or not because, yes, it's on the island of Cuba, but my understanding is the U.S. Navy Base takes up all of Guantanamo which would mean U.S. law, right?
FRIEDMAN: And the Supreme Court said that is ours, that is U.S. soil. I think we can indict and scatter the people we're trying to various cities to try them.
HERMAN: They're still going to be military tribunals. We're not going to get rid of them.
WHITFIELD: OK, Rod Blagojevich, you all's favorite.
FRIEDMAN: Yes.
WHITFIELD: So now, he says, you know what, this trial, this whole thing, a sham. His attorney Ed Gerson says, you know what? I'm out. What happened, Avery?
FRIEDMAN: Hey, he's right. It's a sham. The fact is he can't call witnesses. The prosecutor -- the case starts on Monday, is going to be calling 13 witnesses and guess who they are? They're members of the Illinois House of Representatives who have no personal knowledge. Believe it or not, this wacky governor is absolutely right. It's a sham.
HERMAN: Well, he ...
WHITFIELD: So, if he can't get a fair trial and if he can't be treated, you know, with fair gloves here, then, Richard, does the whole thing just get thrown out? I mean, what's the recourse?
HERMAN: Well, he's going to be on "LARRY KING" Monday night.
WHITFIELD: Yes.
HERMAN: He's going on "The View" next week. He's going to boycott his impeachment. That means he's going to be impeached and there's nothing he can do about it.
FRIEDMAN: Right. HERMAN: He's going to be impeached, over and out. He better be worried about the federal case against him.
FRIEDMAN: That's right.
HERMAN: That's the more important thing because that brings prison time. He better wake up and worry about that.
WHITFIELD: And he says he has no intention of representing himself, but without his lead attorney, would there be an attorney who says you know what, I want to have my hands on this because I really do see that there are some loopholes.
FRIEDMAN: Well, wait a minute. Wait, wait! But an attorney's going to show up. Let's say, you know, Blagojevich hires somebody else. Fredricka, the lawyer's going to be there without a client, he's not showing up. He's talking on "The View" and he's talking to Larry on Monday.
WHITFIELD: He's too busy.
HERMAN: You know, Fred, Fred, there was a -- he had an obligation to file a witness list. He blew the deadline for that. He's not taking this thing seriously. But you know, this whole Illinois politics is insane because the attorney general who brought the petition to have him deemed insane or whatever. Her father runs the House of Representatives who's prosecuting Blagojevich.
FRIEDMAN: He's not deeming him insane.
HERMAN: Pretty much.
FRIEDMAN: He's acting insane.
WHITFIELD: OK, well, let's shift gears quite a bit and let's talk about, you know, the personal devices that President Obama says he loves. He doesn't want to let go of his PDA, so now there's this great -- I guess kind of contraption that will allow him to continue his business, be in touch with friends, family, et cetera. But then wait! As the president, all of your communications has to be on record.
FRIEDMAN: Yes.
WHITFIELD: So, is this a real legal tangle, then, perhaps for Obama and his administration? Can he really have a PDA?
HERMAN: I don't think he should have a PDA, Fred. I know you have a PDA right there though because I've written to you on it. But yes, it's a problem. I mean, all these records are kept. You know, look it, we saw Frost/Nixon last week. I mean, the tapes are there. You know, he doesn't want this. He doesn't want -- he does not want ever to see this stuff published to the world. These are private communications.
FRIEDMAN: Well, there's another part of it and that is -- and we saw in Josh Levs' report earlier ...
WHITFIELD: Yes.
FRIEDMAN: ...you know, once you get everybody's e-mail address, then what's going to happen here? All it takes is one person letting that out ...
WHITFIELD: Yes, you can't police it, right.
FRIEDMAN: He is going to be overloaded. I think you need immediate communication and this is not the way to go.
WHITFIELD: Yes, and I think, Richard, you made a good point. I mean, does the president actually want that, you know, come what -- 10 years after office or whatever the timeline is, I think it's something like that, that all of the records become public. Does he really want everybody knowing what he's saying to his friends?
FRIEDMAN: Yes, including the Obama girl, including the Obama girl. That is not what he needs.
HERMAN: No, but he does not -- Fred, you're right, he does not want that and the Democratic Party doesn't want that and it's not good politics to have that.
WHITFIELD: Interesting. All right, Avery, Richard, thanks so much. Always good to see you guys.
FRIEDMAN: Always good to see you, too, Fred. Take care.
WHITFIELD: Thanks so much, all right.
All right, a front row seat to history with my dad at my side, President Barack Obama taking the oath and we, of course, were with all of the Tuskegee men who were part of the special guests invited to the inauguration, an event that many of these guys will never forget.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: I think this week, Reynolds, was probably one of those weeks where people will always remember and ask kind of, where were you on January 20th because clearly it was historic on a lot of levels. Where were you?
REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Where was I?
WHITFIELD: Were you here? Were you working, or were you ...
WOLF: I was at home -- I was watching ...
WHITFIELD: ...watching?
WOLF: I was watching history unfold on TV. And I know you had the opportunity to be up close and personal with history with your dad. WHITFIELD: I did and that's only because my dad was, you know, one of about 300 or so Tuskegee airmen who were invited to be special guests of President Obama during the swearing in. That's my dad right there, Mal Whitfield. He's an American diplomat, a career diplomat, but before all of that and he was an Olympian in 1948 and '52.
Before that, he was a Tuskegee airman with the Air Force. And there he is. That kind of gives you a perspective of how close he and the other special guests were to the swearing-in podium, just about a hundred feet away. And he looks like he's mummified there or cacooned, but that's my fault because I really wanted to make sure that he wasn't going to, you know, get a chill out there.
WOLF: Absolutely.
WHITFIELD: So, we had him bundled up pretty good. We had him bundled up in a down sleeping bag, so you can only see his face there, but he was perfectly happy and it allowed him to kind of play and really live in the moment and be comfortable. And, you know, it was an extraordinary moment for these guys because they all had a great breakfast that morning together at an air force base and then they made their way.
WOLF: You have to tell me, your dad comes from a different generation. He's old school, you know. He's a ...
WHITFIELD: Yes.
WOLF: ...really -- he's a man's man, tough guy. Did he get emotional?
WHITFIELD: He did.
WOLF: Wow.
WHITFIELD: He did get emotional and that's at the breakfast there with the other Tuskegee guys. Yes, he did get emotional and really because, you know, and I think it's difficult for anyone to put it in words. It's even difficult for the Tuskegee guys to put it in words.
But here it is kind of in a nutshell. They did so much just 60 years ago and in all in between and they felt like here they are in their 80s and 90s. My dad's 84, that all that took place was so long ago and here they're being recognized, you know, for all the sacrifices that they made and then being felt -- or being made to feel very special with the special invitation and to be up close and personal on this historic day.
So, here they're so used to making history and I don't mean to be cavalier about it, but now they got a chance to witness history and they felt like it was a real big full circle experience. So, he did get a little misty-eyed as did a lot of the other Tuskegee guys.
And you know, it was amazing how misty-eyed a lot of people got by seeing them. As I was pushing his wheelchair, my husband John was pushing the wheelchair as well.
WOLF: Sure.
WHITFIELD: I mean, everybody else was just so misty-eyed to see them and congratulate them and thank them for their service, so it was sweet. And this was the seating, the ticket.
WOLF: I'm not touching it.
WHITFIELD: I know.
WOLF: I'm going to smudge it. I'll do something bad to it.
WHITFIELD: This is my dad's souvenir here for his seating there, the pass at the inaugural festivities, so it was pretty great.
WOLF: Wow.
WHITFIELD: But really made special because these guys have done so much and it was nice that they were recognized.
WOLF: And something that we are all thankful for ...
WHITFIELD: Yes.
WOLF: ...for your dad's great service to the country and how incredible that you ...
WHITFIELD: Yes.
WOLF: ...his daughter, mom (ph), a great dad ...
WHITFIELD: Yes.
WOLF: ...a great dad and daughter moment.
WHITFIELD: It was nice that he allowed me to be the fly on the wall, be part of the experience.
But we're going to have much more on the journey of the Tuskegee airmen to the inaugural festivities later on at 3:00 Eastern hour, so you don't want to miss that.
WOLF: Good deal.
WHITFIELD: Thanks, Reynolds.
WOLF: You bet.
WHITFIELD: Appreciate it.
WOLF: Thanks for sharing.
WHITFIELD: Thanks for letting me share with you.
WOLF: You bet. WHITFIELD: Thanks so much.
All right, well, does the Obama family in the White House change the perhaps the perception of the African-American family or just simply the American family? I'll talk with an expert in race relations and co-author of a book with Bill Cosby one hour from now in the CNN NEWSROOM.
Meantime, "YOUR MONEY" begins right after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
