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Reviving the Economy; Reporter's Notebook: Guantanamo Bay; The African-American Image
Aired January 24, 2009 - 14:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: A homecoming for one of the heroes on the Hudson. The pilot of the US Airways jet that splashed into the river comes home. The celebration begins live this hour.
The Obamas, a picture-perfect family. How will they inspire a nation with too many families torn apart? A discussion with the co-author of a book with Bill Cosby this hour.
I'm Fredricka Whitfield, and you're in the CNN NEWSROOM.
An unprecedented crisis that calls for unprecedented action. A sense of urgency from President Barack Obama, who continues to pitch his plan to stimulate the economy. A few hours ago, he huddled with his economic team, and earlier he laid out more pieces of his plan in his first weekly address since taking office.
It calls for 3,000 more miles of electrical lines, increasing security at 90 ports, and doubling the country's energy capacity in three years. Mr. Obama says bold and swift action is needed to keep things from becoming dramatically worse.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK H. OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Our economy could fall a trillion dollars short of its full capacity, which translates into more than $12,000 in lost income for a family of four. And we could lose a generation of potential as more young Americans are forced to forego college dreams or the chance to train for the jobs of the future.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: CNN's Elaine Quijano monitoring all the economic moves at the White House.
Elaine, what is the president saying about Republicans concerns over the size of his recovery plan?
ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, President Obama said, look, he understands skepticism about the $825 billion price tag on this economic plan, but he also says that this is going to be a very transparent process. In fact, he talked about the administration posting details of its spending programs on a new Web site called recovery.gov.
He is promising that this will be, again, a very transparent process, as this money gets spent. He's stressing, though, that this is really an urgent problem that needs to be dealt with now. He said that if the United States does not act boldly and swiftly, a bad situation could become dramatically worse -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: And so for all the talk of bipartisanship, the president played a little hardball yesterday during a meeting with lawmakers. Tell us what that one was all about.
QUIJANO: That's right. This was during yesterday's meeting with congressional leaders here at the White House.
At one point, there was a discussion about tax cuts, and President Obama basically told House Republican Eric Cantor of Virginia that, look, there are ideological differences that exist on these issues, but he added, "I won," meaning I won the election and, therefore, I trump you on this. So not exactly bipartisan, but at the same time, obviously basically stating facts.
He feels that he now has the American public on his side, that he was elected precisely because of what he plans to do on the economy. So what he was saying there is, look, I do believe that I have this mandate to act, and there are probably going to be some provisions that aren't going to be included in my economic plan, and you're just going to have to deal with it. So not exactly bipartisan in some people's opinions but, again, sort of a statement of fact as well -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: All right. Elaine Quijano at the White House.
Thanks so much.
Well, a lot of people are working to get the economy back on track. Republicans want less borrowing and spending. Well, today, House Minority Leader John Boehner talked about what the GOP has in mind.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
REP. JOHN BOEHNER (R), MINORITY LEADER: Our plan provides really for every single American taxpayer, cutting the lowest income tax rates. That's up to an extra $3,200 per family every year, money that can be saved, spent or invested in any way you see fit. And it includes incentives to encourage small businesses to invest more in new equipment and, more importantly, our new employees.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: The congressman was one of the lawmakers who met with the president at the White House yesterday. And he'll get another chance Tuesday, when Mr. Obama plans to go to Capitol Hill.
Promises made, promises being kept. Our Josh Levs is keeping track. He'll take a look at the Obama-meter in about 10 minutes from now.
And now to this developing story taking place in Spain, where a deadly roof collapse has taken the lives of four boys. It happened in a suburb of Barcelona. A group was playing baseball when hurricane-force winds forced them to take refuge inside a sports complex. The metal roof and part of the building's cement siding actually collapsed on the boys. Nine more people were injured. Wind-related accidents have killed six other people throughout Spain.
And Miami police are on a manhunt this morning for whoever opened fire on a crowd of people, shooting nine people and killing two. It happened in Miami's Liberty City neighborhood just last night. At last check, one of the victims is in critical condition. Police say it's not clear what the shooter's motive might have been.
And you may have heard a little bit about Liberty City. It's known for its severe poverty, where deadly riots did take place back in the '70s and even in the '80s.
Police are trying to figure out who shot and killed the son of a man who owns a famous recording studio. Police say 19-year-old Adair Freeman was shot in the chest outside of an Atlanta gas station close to the Hot Beats Studio last night. A Hot Beats Web page indicates that recording artists like Ludacris and Matchbox Twenty have worked with that studio. Officers believe the motive may have been robbery.
US Airways pilot Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger will be the guest of honor at a hero's homecoming this afternoon. Sully is the pilot who safely landed a crippled jetliner into New York's Hudson River. You probably remember that scene.
Well, his friends, neighbors and the mayor of Danville, California, his hometown of Danville, well, all of them are throwing a huge bash for him. Sully's actions saved all 155 passengers and crew on Flight 1549 when the plane's engines were believed to be disabled by a collision with a flock of birds.
Well, a live look -- let's take a look right now of Danville, California, right there. The stage is set for this hero's welcome in Captain Sullenberger's hometown. A celebration for him getting under way just less than an hour from now as he arrives back home. You'll see it all unfold, live, right here on CNN.
(WEATHER REPORT)
WHITFIELD: Well, we've heard a lot in the past few days about the impending closure of Guantanamo Bay, the detention center there. But for many of us, America's military prison perched on Cuba's eastern tip is the great unknown, actually.
CNN's Susan Candiotti just returned from the island and has this "Reporter's Notebook."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Typical beauty shots of Guantanamo are censored. Crashing waves are OK, and so are some carefully cropped tips of the coastline, but no government buildings are allowed to be seen. The military is happy to show you an open-air sample of homemade migrant boats intercepted at sea. But the only detainee camp we were allowed to revisit, Camp X-ray, that closed seven years ago after only four months of housing the first suspected enemy combatants. Fresh access to Camp Delta and other areas denied. File tape would have to do.
As always, the most interesting part of the visit was watching the now endangered military commissions in action. Sketched by Janet Hamlin (ph), she tries to capture a moment in time. From behind a glass partition, I'm fascinated by 9/11 defendants boldly bragging they're proud of the attacks. Khalid Sheikh Mohammed boasting he pulled off 9/11, not Osama bin Laden.
I watched the defendants talking with and passing notes to each other. But of course the big news -- and not unexpected -- came during the presidential balls. Word leaked that President Obama ordered the defense secretary to suspend the commissions at Guantanamo. And the next day, the order to shut down the detention camp within a year. All 245 cases will be reviewed.
Human rights groups, also on the troop, were cheering.
GABOR RONA, HUMAN RIGHTS FIRST: And here's the most important part. Where? And that could be and should be in a federal criminal court. That is the standard American judicial process.
CANDIOTTI: The prison camps have caused the U.S. unending worldwide criticism amid accusations of torture and unfair procedures. 9/11 victims' relatives there to witness what was an historic hearing -- it may be the last -- were beside themselves.
DONALD ARIAS, VICTIM'S BROTHER: So whatever process is speedy and expedient and efficient that's used to dispatch these people to hell is much more than they deserve.
CANDIOTTI: In the coming months, we'll find who's going where and whether, because of tainted evidence, some defendants, including the 9/11-accused plotters, can be tried at all.
Susan Candiotti, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: President Obama's move to close Gitmo draws support from his former rival for the White House, John McCain. But the senator from Arizona told CNN's Larry King this week that he's concerned about how the closure will be carried out.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LARRY KING, HOST, "LARRY KING LIVE": Guantanamo -- the president signed today they're going to close it within a year, change the way prisoners are treated. And I know you've been strong on torture. What do you make of the closing. SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), ARIZONA: I think that it's a wise move, but I also think that we should have addressed this whole issue completely, because it did not address the issue of those who we have in custody and can't and no country will take them back. We should have addressed the issue of those who we know would pose a threat to the United States, but we don't have sufficient evidence to move forward. We should have, in my view, continued these military commissions, which were finally, after years of delay and obfuscation, we were moving forward with the military commissions with some of these trials.
So the easy part, in all due respect, is to say we're going to close Guantanamo. Then when you, I think -- I would have said where they were going to be taken, because you're going to run into a nimbi problem in the United States of America that nobody doesn't want them in their state.
KING: But maybe he doesn't know.
MCCAIN: Well, I would have made those decisions...
KING: Already.
MCCAIN: ... and presented them, or waited and then made the decisions and presented them as an entire package.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: That was former presidential candidate John McCain speaking with CNN's Larry King on Wednesday.
All right. Image and the new first family.
All right. Quite striking, powerful images of the new first family that you're about to see. So how influential might they be?
Dr. Alvin Poussaint, you know his name. He'll be joining us a little bit later to talk about the Obamas and their influence.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: All right. Our news "Across America" begins with pink slips in south Georgia, where the shuttered peanut butter plant suspected as the source of a nationwide salmonella outbreak has laid off most of its 50 employees. Nearly 500 people have been sickened, and the CDC now says a seventh person actually has died.
Well, critics are shooting down New York Governor David Paterson's choice to replace Hillary Clinton as U.S. senator. At issue, Senate- designate Kirsten Gillibrand's strong supporter of gun owner's rights.
And taking issue with the embattled Illinois governor is his former lead attorney, Ed Genson, who says he's withdrawing as lead counsel in the criminal case against the governor. Blagojevich's impeachment trial begins actually Monday.
All right. Well, here now is an image to behold, the first couple's first dance, viewed by millions of people around the world.
(MUSIC)
Well, you recognize the voice as well. Beyonce serenading the first couple at an inaugural dance. The image of a real-life Cinderella dancing with her handsome Prince Charming. But does this image of this couple impact or even change the perception of couples, of families in all, and of African-American families?
We're going to talk about all of that with Dr. Alvin Poussaint. You recognize the man as well as the name. He is an author and Harvard University psychiatry professor, and an expert in race relations. His latest book shared with Bill Cosby, "Come on People."
Good to see you, Dr. Poussaint.
DR. ALVIN POUSSAINT, HARVARD PSYCHIATRY PROFESSOR: Good to see you, Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: All right. Well, pretty extraordinary images that we've seen all week. And really, frankly, along the campaign trail. But this image of this first family has elicited a lot of conversations in households across the country.
Are you seeing how this family is inspiring a lot of families across the country? And in what way?
POUSSAINT: I think it probably is, because they are a couple who seem to be in love with each other. They seem to love their children. And they're very concerned about being good parents.
So it's the ideal American image, the nuclear family that we've talked so much about. But we have to remember that in the black community, two-thirds of the families are single-parent families headed by women. And so we have to be concerned about all the different types of families and support them, and not just the ideal, which a lot of people cannot obtain.
So we have to support families of single mothers. We have to support blended families.
Remember, a lot of couples that start off looking quite solid end up getting divorced. We have to be concerned about them. Foster children who have parents but not that type of family, we have gay couples who have children, and then we have a lot of single mothers who decide to be mothers because they want a child. And we have single people who adopt children.
So we have many different types of families. And people shouldn't feel deficient if they don't have the Obama model, which is a good one and inspiring and makes us feel confident about how children will be raised.
So we all have to be concerned. The key thing is good parenting, whether you're a single parent, foster parent. Good parenting. WHITFIELD: And we heard that even from Michelle Obama on the campaign trail. She said that she wanted to make it a top priority to help send the message of, you know, how do you balance family and work and simply life? And it is one of her top priorities, to make sure that her two daughters assimilate just fine, feel acclimated but, at the same time, not lose the kind of perspective of life that they had before the White House.
This is a huge undertaking by this first family, isn't it?
POUSSAINT: Right. It is, but I think it will influence a lot of people.
He has the bully pulpit, and he can help shape the values that people live by. And I think already people are taking cues from him, particularly his discussions about the importance of fathers being connected to their children and involved with their children, whether divorced fathers or unwed fathers, that being involved with their children is important. And of course, he was raised by a single mother.
WHITFIELD: Yes, and he's reminded people about that over and over again.
POUSSAINT: Yes.
WHITFIELD: So do you see that Barack Obama, Michelle Obama need to verbalize their message or their actions? You know, we just saw the picture right there of Mr. Obama embracing his youngest daughter. Is it the images of this family that is going to send the loudest, clearest message over anything that either one of the parents could actually say, verbalize?
POUSSAINT: The images are very important. When people see them on television and see their loving attitude toward their children, their involvement with the children, and their involvement with each other, that's going to be very important. But I think it's also important what Obama and Michelle say as well, because there are a lot of issues about parenting that people are not paying enough attention to, that need to be discussed and brought up, and even have a focus on parenting in terms of national conferences or summits all around the country to get people refocused on children, that children come first, and that parenting is key.
We have a lot of problems and stresses on families, particularly with the downturn in the economy. And that's another reason why parents during this time have to be strong and attentive to the stress that their children are also under.
WHITFIELD: And you bring up a great point there. In fact, we're going to concentrate in our 4:00 Eastern hour on that very notion right there. We talk about families and the economy, what it's doing to young people, and how a lot of kids are feeling pretty unnerved and afraid because they're seeing their parents lose their jobs, and in many cases they're losing their homes. You know, how do you present that kind of stability for your homes? POUSSAINT: That's right.
WHITFIELD: Dr. Alvin Poussaint, thanks so much for your perspective. We appreciate it. The book you co-authored with Bill Cosby, "Come on People," there it is right there -- "On the Path From Victims to Victors."
Alvin Poussaint, thanks very much for your time. Appreciate it.
POUSSAINT: Good. Thank you.
WHITFIELD: All right. Promises; promises. How many will President Obama be able to keep? Our Josh Levs will show us how to keep track of it all.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: OK. So the pope, well, he's hip to new technology. Benedict XVI unveiling his own channel on YouTube yesterday with high- def videos to get his message across. The Vatican says the site is for everyone from devout Catholics to the casual Web surfers. You'll find it at youtube.com/vatican.
So how many promises did Barack Obama actually make on the campaign trail? Apparently it was more than 500, because someone out there is actually counting. Well, now the big question, how many will he actually keep?
Josh Levs has his eye on that, of course. A natural follow-up to the truth squad, right?
JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, I think it was a natural follow-up to the truth squad.
You know the deal. Throughout the election, we were keeping a close eye on the promises. We were also taking a look at some of the great Web sites that do fact-checking out there.
One of them is PolitiFact, which is now back at it. It's so cool.
I want to show you what they do, but first, I just want to celebrate what they're doing, a little bit of the PolitiFact song. Take a look.
(MUSIC)
LEVS: "Gimme the Truth." I love this song, Fred. It's such a good theme song.
So let me tell you what they're doing now. This is really cool.
They have created what they're calling the "Obameter," and they have gone through all the things that Barack Obama said during the campaign.
WHITFIELD: Oh boy.
LEVS: And they're calling them -- all these promises, they total more than 500. In fact, check it out on the board behind me.
They're creating this list that they're going to keep following every step of the way. The Obameter, promises kept, compromised, whether it's broken. Obviously it's just been a few days, so not that much to show you yet.
WHITFIELD: Oh my God.
LEVS: But let's go straight to one of them that they're talking about here.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Will there be Republicans in the cabinet?
OBAMA: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: More than one?
OBAMA: You're not getting any more out of me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEVS: Now, they say that that is a promise kept, but not for the reason that a lot of people think. Obama did ask Robert Gates to continue as secretary of defense. Gates considers himself Republican but he's not registered with a party. But Obama chose Ray LaHood for secretary of transportation. So PolitiFact says that promise, Fred, was kept.
WHITFIELD: Interesting.
LEVS: Yes.
WHITFIELD: So no promises broken so far? I mean, after all, it's, what, four days? Come on.
LEVS: Yes, exactly. I know. Give him time. Maybe he will, maybe not. But obviously, we're going to keep our eye on all these different things, whether he keeps them or not, and throughout the coming years, Fred. We'll bring it to you no matter what it is here at CNN, and also the good stuff from PolitiFact.
WHITFIELD: All right. Thanks so much, Josh. Appreciate it.
LEVS: Thanks, Fred.
WHITFIELD: Glad that you were on the ball there and bringing us new music from that group. Interesting.
All right. So, how about the recession? It's affecting everybody, right? Well, how about your kids?
That's the focus of a special hour of the CNN NEWSROOM today starting at 4:00 p.m. Eastern, right here on CNN, everything from public schools to foreclosures, how that's impacting children. And of course trying to get financial aid in these days.
All right. Well, you've seen his heroic work, safely setting down a damaged jetliner right on the Hudson River. This guy, right here. Now a new outpouring of gratitude is coming for the US Airways pilot who kept his head in the face of enormous odds.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: All right. Happening right now, breaking down President Barack Obama's plan to jump-start the nation's sputtering economy by going green, environmentally and financially, the new president stating his case today in his first weekly address as commander-in- chief.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: To accelerate the creation of a clean energy economy, we will double our capacity to generate alternative sources of energy like wind, solar, and biofuels over the next three years.
We'll begin to build a new electricity grid that lay down more than 3,000 miles of transmission lines to convey this new energy from coast to coast. We'll save taxpayers $2 billion a year by making 75 percent of federal buildings more energy efficient, and save the average working family $350 on their energy bills by weatherizing 2.5 million homes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: President Obama reiterated to Congress urgent action is needed on his stimulus plan. He warns that things could get much worse.
Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger, you've gotten to know the game, well, he has shunned the spotlight since he safely landed a crippled jet on New York's Hudson River, saving everybody on board. So today may be quite a stretch for him. The U.S. Airways pilot is a guest of honor at a hero's homecoming. Dan Simon is in Danville, California.
So what's the latest on Sully? Any Sully sightings?
DAN SIMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: No Sully sightings yet, but he will be here in a short period of time. And really just a feeling of excitement here in his hometown of Danville, California. I think this sign behind me really says it all, "Danville welcomes our hometown hero."
And we should note that Captain Sullenberger only agreed to this celebration if were sort of a muted celebration. Originally the town wanted to put together a parade in his honor. He nixed that idea, said he would only come here if it was sort of toned down a bit. So that's what he's going to be getting today.
Nonetheless, several thousand people in the community expected to attend. And the mayor said there are really 155 reasons to celebrate Captain Sullenberger. And of course, he's referring to the number of people who were on that plane.
I want you to hear from the mayor, who I spoke to just a short time ago.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAYOR NEWELL ARNERICH, DANVILLE, CALIFORNIA: Here is a man, a crew, who did absolutely extraordinary things. It has never happened. Nobody has ever really survived an event like that and nobody has ever done it so perfectly. So when you define what the word hero is, I don't know what those words are.
He's a hero because he did extraordinary things. And I think the least that we can do and on behalf of our community, the nation, the calls we've been getting from all over the world, to really just thank him and then hopefully let him express his words, I'm sure, of gratitude, but just an acknowledgement, he says, I'm doing my job.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SIMON: So Captain Sullenberger set to be honored in his hometown in about an hour-and-a-half from now. Of course, there is going to be a lot going on here. There is going to be a military band and the police chief and the fire chief. They're both going to be honoring him.
And so this is really the most famous pilot in America, Fred. No less than two dozen fan pages devoted to him on Facebook. Back to you.
WHITFIELD: Wow. And everybody wants to fly on his plane, the plane piloted by him next time they board a plane. Dan Simon, thanks so much. I'm seeing a lot of people with rain jackets back there. Hopefully no rain in the forecast as of yet. Thanks so much.
All right. Well, trying to get back to normal in Gaza. Some school buildings are now piles of rubble, yet school bells are ringing again after three weeks of war. Children gathered today to laugh and to cry and talk about what they've been through.
International aid groups are calling again for all border crossings to be reopened so that they can bring in some relief supplies. And CNN has been told that George Mitchell, President Obama's special envoy to the Middle East, may head to that region next week.
It was called an oasis for learning. Well, now you can call it collateral damage. We're talking about the American International School of Gaza post-Israeli aerial strikes. CNN's Ben Wedeman takes us to the campus that used to be.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALIYA ABUARAIBAN, SCHOOL LIBRARIAN: Ten thousands books that could take kids out of (INAUDIBLE), they just threw us back right in, just threw us back right in. Oh, God, what I would do.
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Librarian Aliya no longer has a library. It and the rest of the American International School of Gaza are no more. Israeli aircraft bombed the school at 2:00 in the morning on the 3rd of January, destroying it.
ABUARAIBAN: I'm not angry. I am beyond -- let me tell you something, I am beyond -- eight years. This is a school that has been up here for eight years, making a difference. You know what it means to make a difference?
People tell you, you can't, but you know, one person is more than enough. And that's what you learn and that's what you teach. One kid getting out, making something. Well, I've got 20 kids out and I could have had more.
And this is what they do. Why? Give me one good reason why this happened.
WEDEMAN: Israeli officials say they're looking into the circumstances of the school's destruction. In the past, Palestinian militants have fired rockets at Israel from around the school and we don't know whether Hamas fighters occupied the school after the Israeli offensive began.
But school director, Ribhi Salem, an American citizen, insists rockets have never been fired from inside the grounds.
RIBHI SALEM, AMERICAN INTL. SCHOOL OF GAZA: I challenge them to give me one piece of evidence, one single piece of evidence that this school has ever been used to launch rockets. No.
WEDEMAN: The U.S. consulate in Jerusalem told CNN, quote: "We're very upset and very sorry to hear about the destruction of the American School in Gaza," end quote. No protests, however, was filed with the Israeli government.
I visited the school a year ago. Like Gaza, it has seen its fair share of problems. Staff kidnapped, militants had fired grenades into classrooms at night. But it was a lively, happy place. Its student body, a mix of children from well-off families and others on scholarships, including from the U.S. government.
It was the only school in Gaza to use a strictly American curriculum and was partially funded by U.S. tax dollars. And now, staff and students are asking why their school was destroyed.
SALEM: To be honest with you, I have no other explanation than this. The Israelis do not want anything good in Gaza. They don't want anything excellent, anything bright in Gaza. They want Gaza to live in the Middle Ages.
WEDEMAN: School records are now scattered in the rubble. Past transgressions don't seem so important anymore.
SALEM: What is this -- a warning, suspension?
WEDEMAN: Senior Abeer Obaid's dreams now on hold. ABEER OBAID, 12TH GRADE STUDENT: I've missed two deadlines for the three universities I wanted to apply to because of this war. And I don't know if I'm going to even get my diploma this year.
MUHAMMED AL-KHUDDARI, 11TH GRADE STUDENT: It's not just a school. It's our house, our future, our hopes, and our hearts.
WEDEMAN: And now, their school and everything else is shattered into a million pieces.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: And after the school was destroyed, the Israeli Defense Forces said it had been used as a launching base for rockets and was a legitimate target. In a statement to CNN, the IDF says the incident is still being investigated and as, quote: "For 22 days, the IDF fought an enemy in Gaza that did not hesitate to hide behind civilians and fire from schools, mosques, and humanitarian aid facilities."
All right. Well, they may be two of the most famous young girls in the world now. And two former first daughters have some advice for them on surviving the White House years.
And, yes, that's me trying my hand at a little videotaping there. And that's our vantage point at the Inauguration. I was along with the Tuskegee airmen, who, for the first time since war 60 years ago, were personally invited to be special guests of the president.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(MUSIC PLAYING)
WHITFIELD: Remember that, will.i.am, Herbie Hancock, and then over there on the left, that's Sheryl Crow? OK. Let's talk about will.i.am because, you know, he has hologrammed with us before, well, now he's reliving history with us as well. Sunday, don't miss the world premiere of will.i.am's short film "Diary of the Inauguration."
Well, that debut is going to take place in the "STATE OF THE UNION." And we're talking about our own John King's "STATE OF THE UNION," that's tomorrow Sunday at 9:00 a.m. Eastern. Don't want to miss that, very, very fun.
All right. So very few people know exactly what it's like -- I didn't write this, but I'm going to go with it -- to have a dad who is also a pretty powerful man on the planet, only because he has done a lot of things, but as have a lot of guys of his generation. He was a Tuskegee airman. He was an Olympian of '48 and '52. I'm Talking about Mal Whitfield. And he was also an American diplomat.
So because he was a Tuskegee airman, he was among up to 300 Tuskegee airmen who were invited by special invitation to be at the swearing-in of the president. And so he was there, and I got a chance to tag along.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): They're arguably the most famous children in the world now living in America's most famous house, a fishbowl few understand. Jenna and Barbara Bush do, and they want to give Sasha and Malia Obama some advice.
"Surround yourself with loyal friends, cherish your animals. When your dad throws out the first pitch for the Yankees, go to the game."
ANNE SCHROEDER MULLINS, POLITICO.COM: How great is this letter? How nice of Jenna and Barbara.
CHO: The letter, titled "Playing House in the White House" and published in The Wall Street Journal, is a survival guide of sorts, the life inside 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. After all, the Bush twins' relationship to the highest office in the land goes back 20 years, to when their grandfather was elected.
Among the tidbits: "If you ever need a hug, go find Ramsey. If you want to talk football, look for Buddy. And if you just need a smile, look for 'Smiley,' the White House usher.
SCHROEDER: They are the White House butlers who, you know, the girls will see every day. And that will be people that they will probably grow pretty close to.
CHO: Not since John-John and Caroline Kennedy has America been so seemingly fascinated by first children.
DOUG WEAD, PRESIDENTIAL HISTORIAN: The White House is a blur. It is very fast. It's a short part of their life. And it's the best part of their life.
CHO: Why Jenna and Barbara Bush are advising young Sasha and Malia to go to anything and everything you possibly can. The Bush twins know all the highs and lows of life in the spotlight. They were once known for partying and ditching the Secret Service.
SCHROEDER: When you get caught sort of doing things and the press sort of attacks you for it, they learned. And who better to get advice from, from people who have lived through it, gone through it and learned and realized, OK, maybe we shouldn't do that.
CHO: Which brings Jenna and Barbara Bush to this: "Our dad, like yours, is a man of great integrity and love. Not a sketch in a paper or part of a skit on TV. So here is our most important piece of advice, remember who your dad really is."
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: All right. The Bush twins went on to say that "many people" -- quoting here, "many people will think that they know him, but they have no idea how he felt the day you were born, the pride he felt on your first day of school, or how much you both love being his daughters." This was the letter sent to Malia and Sasha.
Presidential historians say the letter is actually unprecedented and it could become part of historical record and should become a tradition. What a beautiful tradition that would be.
JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Absolutely.
WHITFIELD: Yes.
JERAS: Now speaking of dads...
WHITFIELD: Jacqui Jeras here with me now. And chat a little bit more, because we just confused everybody...
JERAS: We did.
WHITFIELD: ... talking about dads and presidents and all of that good stuff.
JERAS: We got a little ahead of ourselves.
WHITFIELD: Inauguration.
JERAS: I know, well...
(CROSSTALK)
(LAUGHTER)
JERAS: ... the great thing with her dad at the Inauguration, all the Tuskegee airmen. We thought we were starting there. But it was first the White House dads thing that we were talking about, but now we're going to go on and talk about that Fred's dad and what a year you guys have had.
And there are so many stories coming out of this Inauguration that are just so heartwarming. It's so amazing how much it has meant to so many people. Tell us a little bit about your dad.
WHITFIELD: Yes, well, it was really special for the Tuskegee airmen, about 300 across the country received personal invitations from the president to be a part of the swearing-in. And here you are seeing my masterful videotaping work here. I'm shooting my dad, Mal Whitfield, there.
He's a Tuskegee airman. And you see him, he's in the wheelchair, and so they're kind of wheeling him into the bus there. Ten busses filled with Tuskegee airmen and their family members all made their way to the steps of the Capitol for the swearing-in.
While he looks uncomfortable, he really tells me he was snug as a bug. He felt good. We wrapped him up really good.
(CROSSTALK)
JERAS: It was like 8 degrees wind chill, Fredricka. So I mean...
WHITFIELD: It was freezing cold. And you know what, armed services all the way around, every branch of the military was represented there. You saw that the one man in fatigues there. But they were just fantastic. They just made sure that these men were honored and they were comfortable there just at the steps of the swearing-in.
We were only about 100 feet away from all the activity there. But it really was very meaningful for these Tuskegee guys.
JERAS: What did your dad say? What did he say...
(CROSSTALK)
JERAS: ... that this meant to him, to be able to witness this?
WHITFIELD: Yes, he said that, you know, this was a remarkable experience. It was unlike any other. And, you know, they are used to -- have made a lot of history. And it was another thing to be part of witnessing history. And he felt so honored to be invited to be there. He said he had never thought he'd live to see this day happening.
You know, they've never been invited to a swearing-in. The Tuskegee airmen were a part of the Inaugural parade during the Truman years. There's dad and I at the breakfast before the activity took place. But you want to hear what a lot of the other Tuskegee guys had to say about this very...
JERAS: Absolutely. Because...
(CROSSTALK)
JERAS: ... to go through all of this to be there...
WHITFIELD: Exactly.
JERAS: ... in freezing cold temperatures, people who, you know, aren't in the best of health and need some help, that's a big deal, to get your...
WHITFIELD: I know, and I asked him that...
(CROSSTALK)
WHITFIELD: ... question, exactly. I asked him that question when we boarded the bus after the swearing-in, after the entire ceremony. And this is what many of them said.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: All right, anybody, one word to describe your experience.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Awesome.
WHITFIELD: Awesome? What else do we have? Magnificent?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE).
WHITFIELD: Unbelievable. All right.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Exhilarating.
WHITFIELD: One word to describe your experience.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Incredible.
WHITFIELD: It's sleepy back here.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: I'm laughing because it's my dad and my husband there. But it was exhausting. The entire adventure was about 12 hours long. That was from starting out at 2:30 in the morning to make sure that we're all in the right place, the breakfast, the ceremony, and then, you know, we couldn't leave -- the busses couldn't leave until the Inaugural parade was over.
So it was a long day. But I think they all felt very reinvigorated and very renewed from the experience. I'm talking about the Tuskegee airmen for being recognized like that.
JERAS: Absolutely. And something you'll always remember I'm sure as well.
WHITFIELD: I will, indeed. It was my honor to be along. Yes. Thanks, Jacqui. Appreciate it.
JERAS: Thanks for sharing that. Lovely.
WHITFIELD: Yes, absolutely. We're going to have much more on other Inaugural experiences in the next hour as well as the 4:00 p.m. hour as well.
All right. So Hollywood gearing up for another awards show. I'm losing track of how many awards shows there are. But is an internal struggle actually for the actors that could threaten some of your favorite shows?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: All right. There's a bit of apprehension around tomorrow's Screen Actors Guild Awards. Long touted as the only award show where actors vote for the winners, it's another SAG vote that could have far greater consequences. Will Hollywood's actors go on strike? The actors this time, not the writers.
Here's our Kareen Wynter.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KAREEN WYNTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It was just months ago Screen Actors Guild President Allen Rosenberg made this defiant pledge to the membership.
ALLEN ROSENBERG, PRESIDENT, SCREEN ACTORS GUILD: The Screen Actors Guild is still standing and it will not be defeated.
WYNTER: But now, on the heels of their annual star-studded awards show, comes marked division within the leadership. What Rosenberg called a heated internal debate among union heads regarding contract negotiations, with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers.
ROSENBERG: It's our responsibility in these hard economic times to increase our protection of our members. We don't want to strike, we want to bargain.
WYNTER: Actors have been working without a new contract for nearly seven months. While union leaders battle with the studios and networks, union members' internal bickering has turned heated with the rank and file choosing sides on strike talk in a down economy.
GREGG KILDAY, FILM EDITOR, THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER: There's real division within the guild, and it's an enormous, very large guild, about whether the actors should even consider calling a strike.
WYNTER: Stars like Kevin Spacey, George Clooney, and Sally Field oppose a strike right now. Mel Gibson, Blair Underwood, and Anne Hathaway reportedly say they would support the union if it votes to strike. SAG members have yet to vote on a strike authorization, since mediations with the studios have stalled.
One thing that hasn't hit a snag? Sunday's glamour event that will bring out Hollywood's brightest. As for the nominees at this year's Screen Actors Guild Awards, Gregg Kilday of The Hollywood Reporter says all bets are on Heath Ledger, posthumously winning in the supporting actor category for his performance as the Joker in "The Dark Knight."
HEATH LEDGER, "THE JOKER": Here's my card.
WYNTER: The late actor just won a Golden Globe for his role.
KILDAY: This is an opportunity for Hollywood to acknowledge his work. And I think Hollywood does view this as an opportunity to give him a farewell sendoff.
WYNTER: In the male acting category, Kilday says it will come down to Sean Penn's moving performance as a gay politician in "Milk," and Mickey Rourke's riveting portrayal in "The Wrestler."
KATE WINSLET, ACTOR: And I really do feel like this is a dream.
WYNTER: Kate Winslet just clinched two Golden Globe Awards for best supporting actress in the holocaust film "The Reader," and best actress drama for "Revolutionary Road." Will she steal the show again Sunday with her double nomination?
KILDAY: It's possible that she'll repeat here. But I think it's really tricky. The odds are against her.
WYNTER: In Hollywood, I'm Kareen Wynter.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: And of course, you can see all of the glitz and glamour of the 15th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards on our sister networks TNT and TBS. The show starts tomorrow night, 8:00 Eastern time.
All right. Children sending a heartfelt message to President Obama. Their words next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If I were president, I will help people take care of our planet.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I will give money to the poor.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If I were president, I would be really happy and jump around.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: The "If I Were President," those four words that many kids have thought, if not spoken. And if these first graders in New Orleans are any indicator of kids nationally, the history-making Obama presidency is inspiring a whole new generation to reach for the sky.
Hello again. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. And you're in the CNN NEWSROOM. A hero's welcome for the man many have come to know as "Sully." The pilot who safely landed a jetliner in the Hudson River, Chesley Sullenberger, is returning home to Danville, California. Our Dan Simon is there.
So, Dan, celebrations about to get under way shortly?
SIMON: Yes, Fred. And as you noted just a little while ago, it looked a little bit rainy here. But we've looked up and the skies are opening up. So it looks like we'll have good weather when things get under way here at 4:00 Eastern time, 1:00 local time.
As you can see, people starting to show up here. Hard to really think of a better way to spend a Saturday afternoon if you live in the community than come here and honor truly a local hero.
You can see the stage is set behind. You can see the sign. It says "Danville welcomes our hometown hero." Danville of course where Chesley Sullenberger lives. Originally, the pilot did not want to participate in this celebration. The town wanted to throw a parade for him but he said he would only participate if it were muted a little bit. You can see a lot of people coming out to celebrate Captain Sullenberger. We are really going to be hearing from him for the very first time since he ditched his jetliner in the icy Hudson River. Not really expected to talk about the crash but really to thank people for the outpouring of support. We talked to the mayor a short time ago. This is what he had to say. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAYOR NEWELL ARNERICH, DANVILLE, CALIFORNIA: I expect him to be able to say probably thank you, to acknowledge people. I think that humbleness is going to come out. We'd all kind of like to hear what his thoughts are. I think those will come later. I think we'll be sitting on the edge of our seats to listen to those words.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SIMON: So, Fred, Danville prepared to honor their hometown hero. You see all these people showing up. All of them have their cameras with them really to capture the moment. This is the official program. Incredibly well organized here in Danville. Among the things that you're going to be seeing, you're going to be hearing from a military band and there are going to be presentations from the local congressman, the congressman who represents this area. And of course the mayor will be here as well as the local police chief and fire chief. So really a great event on tap here about to start in one hour.
Fred.
WHITFIELD: All right, Dan thanks so much. We'll be checking back with you. Just to refresh a few people's memories, even if Sully did want to speak publicly sooner, he really couldn't because of the NTSB, the National Transportation Safety Board investigation. Now he's freed up to speak and now we finally just might hear that in Danville, California. Thanks a lot, Dan.
