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Obama's Green Agenda; The $825 Billion Answer?; Home Depot Cuts Jobs; Get a Better Job; Solar City; Blagojevich Impeachment Trial; Dumped at Sea?
Aired January 26, 2009 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: It is Monday, january 26th, and here are the top stories we're following for you this hour in the CNN NEWSROOM. another u-turn on Bush policy, President Obama moves toward tougher standards on tail pipe pollution.
A day of job cuts. A slew of big companies announce they will fire thousands upon thousands of workers.
And the CNN exclusive -- refugees looking for safety and shelter. But did their host dump them at sea?
Good morning, everyone. I'm Tony Harris, and you are in the CNN NEWSROOM.
Giving states more power to curb auto missions and pushing automakers to produce more fuel-efficient cars, executive order signed by Barack Obama just moments ago. The president got his daily economic briefing before turning attention to the environment and fuel efficiency standards.
White House Correspondent Suzanne Malveaux live with more on the president's green agenda.
And Suzanne, good to see you.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good to see you, Tony.
HARRIS: You know, during the campaign, the president promised measures to make the nation less dependent on foreign oil. He views today's executive orders, I'm imagining, as a step in that direction.
MALVEAUX: It certainly is a first step, Tony. One of the things that he said he wanted to do was -- Congress had passed looking at fuel efficiency standards -- to actually increase that 35 miles per gallon, as opposed to 27.5 miles per hour that you get to the gallon -- miles to the gallon, that is. And he wants that to happen right away, at least by 2011. Congress says by 2020, so that's one of the things that he's pushing.
Another thing that is he pushing here is that you may recall it was California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, he, along with several other states, had wanted to go ahead and set up an emissions standard that was actually tougher than federal law required to clean the air, to make sure that the air environment was taken care of. They asked for a waiver from the Environmental Protection Agency to do that.
Now, President Bush denied that, saying it would be too confusing, it would not be enforceable to have different rules for different states. But President Obama reversing that, saying let's take another look at that, have the EPA take a look at that waiver, perhaps allow those states that want to go even further than federal law requires to actually control auto emissions in their states.
I want to you to take a listen at how President Obama linked this to what he said would create green jobs.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK H. OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We have the resources to change. Our scientists, businesses, and workers have the capacity to move us forward. It falls on us to choose whether to risk the peril that comes with our current course or to seize the promise of energy independence. And for the sake of our security, our economy, and our planet, we must have the courage and commitment to change.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: So, Tony, it's interesting what he's doing here. He's actually making the argument here, the case that looking at energy, renewable energy, finding various sources, alternative sources of energy, is linked to the economy, that he is trying to create these green jobs. He initially talked about those terrible job losses, the numbers that came out today for Home Depot, Caterpillar, and some other companies, saying that he believes this economic stimulus package that he is trying to push through Congress is the way to go, and that part of that economic stimulus package is creating those kinds of green jobs that he was mentioning -- Tony.
HARRIS: All right. Suzanne Malveaux at the White House for us.
Suzanne, great to see you.
The president's order could have a profound impact on the car business.
Our Sean Callebs is at the Automobile Dealers Association Convention in New Orleans.
And Sean, great to see you.
What are the owners of all of those car dealerships saying to you today?
SEAN CALLEBS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, without question. If you walk through this giant exhibit hall behind me, there's a lot of walking space. There's not a whole lot of buyers in there. That's certainly a great deal of frustration.
But last quarter of the year, simply brutal for the industry. And they're suffering like virtually everybody else in the U.S. Gone are the evenings of the lavish cocktail parties. Much more subdued this year. However, the dealers did find a certain degree of money to bring in a handful of very high-priced speakers.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CALLEBS (voice-over): There's a lot of standing and talking, but not much else.
BRADY SCHMIDT, PRESIDENT, NATIONAL BUSINESS BROKERS: It's definitely been slower. The foot traffic is down from last year, maybe by about 40 percent, 40 to 50 percent, I would say.
CALLEBS: But this company shelled out about $500,000 for the annual National Automobile Dealers Association Convention, and say they'll do about 30 percent of the business they did last year.
It's no huge surprise. The big three went hat in hand to Congress to stay afloat at least through March. And about 900 of the nation's 20,000 dealerships closed this past year. A gloomy backdrop to what's supposed to be a high-energy event.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's tough on them. I think -- I don't know if we've seen the bottom yet.
CALLEBS: Auto industry CEOs faced furious public criticism when they flew corporation jets to D.C. to ask for bailout funding. Here, the auto dealers are paying for big-name speakers, including former Presidents George Bush and Bill Clinton. The organization won't tell us how much, but the two can command $150,000 a speech.
No apologies. The head of the Dealers Association says it's money well spent.
ANNETTE SYKORA, CHAIRWOMAN, NATIONAL AUTOMOBILE DEALERS ASSOC.: ... for our dealers, for our vendors, for our manufacturers as a way to come together, as a way to help inspire them. I think having the presidents come, the messages that they can give to the auto industry I think are very important at this time.
CALLEBS: Any inspiration is important right now, according to some here. They argue, the CEOs of the big three may have actually dragged the market down even more for dealers.
SCHMIDT: If you're a consumer and you want to go out and buy a car from a company that says it may not be in a business in four or five months, I think that that was a little bit of a collateral damage from the hearings.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CALLEBS: Yes, and we're hearing that from a lot of the dealers, those days that the CEOs of the big three testified on Capitol Hill. Certainly a hangover effect for the dealers.
And to talk about next year, well, a lot of these folks expect as many as 2,000 more dealerships could go under in the next year, Tony. And in terms of the people inside, they predict as many as 30 to even 40 percent of the booths in there could be shut down by next year's convention -- Tony.
HARRIS: And if we're talking about losing dealerships, we're also talking about losing jobs.
All right. Sean Callebs for us.
Sean, good to see you. Thank you.
An already struggling industry. Will the new presidential orders on emissions and efficiency push automakers into the future or over the edge? Automotive analyst Lauren Fix joins us live at the half-hour to talk about that.
Wall Street off to a better start than you might expect. Right now, as you can see, the Dow is up 114 points.
A dozen Dow-listed companies are releasing their earnings reports this week. Mostly grim news is expected, but a couple of surprising reports are helping blue chips really rally today. The Index of Leading Indicators which forecast economic activity three to six months down the road rose by a modest .3 of a percent in December.
And a sign low mortgage rates are breathing new life into the housing market. The National Association of Realtors reports existing home sales in December rose 6.5 percent.
Is it the $825 billion answer to the country's financial meltdown? President Obama's economic recovery plan encountering resistance from Republicans who say it is the wrong answer. The president is pushing Congress to pass his $825 billion stimulus plan. It would cut taxes by $275 billion, and it sets a goal of creating up to four million jobs.
Live now to Capitol Hill and Congressional Correspondent Brianna Keilar.
Brianna, update us, if you would, on where things stand.
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Tony, Republicans still not on board, especially Republicans in the House, where there is expected to be a vote on this economic stimulus package on Wednesday. This plan is $825 billion, one-third for tax cuts, about two-thirds for spending on infrastructure and other projects.
And like I said, House Republicans not on board, but also, Senate Republicans, we're hearing some voices of people who are opposed to the legislation as it stands now, where unlike in the House, you know, the Senate, they must win over more than just a simple majority. Democrats are going to have to win over at least a couple Republican votes.
A key voice of opposition here, Senator John McCain.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), ARIZONA: I think there's been an outreach to Republicans by the president, and obviously we always like to see more of that. I just want to say that I'm very concerned about the stimulus package. There's so much unnecessary spending that will not stimulate the economy.
The tax cuts -- we need to cut the payroll tax and we need to cut business taxes. And we need to have a permanent moratorium on new taxes. And we also need to provide -- not spend money on programs that will not have an immediate effect on our economy. And it's filled...
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KEILAR: Republicans, though, being careful about how they frame their opposition to this economic stimulus package. John McCain is doing it, as well. We're hearing leaders, House Republican leaders.
They're aware that President Obama is popular, and so instead of attacking him, they are really aiming more at congressional Democrats, saying that congressional Democrats haven't allowed them to really add their ideas to the mix. Democrats saying that's not true, they've given them a forum to express their ideas. But Tony, Democrats are the majority in the House, and the Senate, as well, and they are acting like it.
House Republicans, though, making it clear they're not going to jump on board unless they get some major changes. And we really don't know what changes Democrats would accept at this point, two days out from a vote.
HARRIS: That's right.
OK. Brianna Keilar on Capitol Hill for us.
Brianna, thank you.
Thousands more Americans will be looking for government assistance this month. Your job, your home, your life, it is our issue #1.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(WEATHER REPORT)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: So a laundry list of new job cuts to tell you about today. Let's start with something I was just handed just moments ago.
General Motors is announcing that it is introducing additional down weeks in its production schedule for at least one -- the first and the second quarter of the year at 14 plants. Also a plant in Canada. The downtime will vary at length at each plant, and this will mean employees of the plants will be temporarily laid off. In addition, GM is planning to cut one shift at its two plants, cutting approximately 2,000 jobs.
Let me sort through this a little bit more. But the job cuts will affect the plants in Lansing, Michigan, at least one of the locations.
I'll sort through this a bit more and bring a little bit more clarity to what GM is reporting this morning. But again, being more layoffs being announced.
Dutch financial giant ING is giving pink slips to 7,000 workers. Philips Electronics will cut 6,000.
Sprint Nextel is slashing 8,000 positions by the end of this quarter. The wireless provider will also suspend its company's 401(k) match.
Heavy equipment maker Caterpillar is cutting an additional 5,000 positions. That's on top of 15,000 announced at the end of 2008.
And John Deere will shed 700 workers. Most of those jobs are overseas, but 190 are located in Davenport, Iowa.
The bad news just keeps oncoming on the jobs front. Home Depot also revealing cuts this morning, 7,000 jobs. Most of them at its EXPO Design Centers.
Our Brooke Baldwin is at one suburban Atlanta EXPO store.
Brooke, good to see you this morning.
My understanding is that this is a niche business for Home Depot that has never really performed well. Nonetheless, people are losing their jobs.
Is anyone talking?
BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Tony, we just, unfortunately, broke the news to an employee that just passed us. So you can tell the story is very fresh.
HARRIS: Yes.
BALDWIN: This news happening this morning, so a lot of these employees don't even know they're going to lose their jobs. But this Home Depot EXPO Designs store, like a niche higher design store where you would, say, buy your Viking stoves and your high-end granite countertops, this is one of the 34 stores to be closing. And some of the employees finding out this morning, some just finding out now.
This all coming down, according to the world's largest home improvement retailer, closing these stores and a couple of other niche design stores. So in total, Tony, numbers-wise, we're talking 5,000 employees, plus 2,000 others. So that comes to a reduction of 2 percent of the company's total workforce.
Why is this happening? Well, you guessed it, the credit crunch, the housing market crisis, issue #1, the economy. And you said it, that these types of high-end design stores, according to the company's CEO, who was just speaking on a conference call moments ago, said they hadn't been performing well financially.
I want to read you part of a statement that Home Depot released just this morning.
It says, "Even during the recent housing boom, it was not a strong business. It has weakened significantly as a demand for big-ticket design, and decor projects has declined in the current economic environment."
So they also said on the conference call that they are reducing the workforce of 10 percent of the company's officers, they're freezing the officers' salaries. One, perhaps, silver lining, Tony, is the fact that of the employees who will remain with the company, they're saying they will continue to match the 401(k)s, the bonuses. But still, clearly this shows no one is immune to the crisis here, even the world's largest home improvement retailer.
HARRIS: Boy, OK, Brooke. Appreciate it.
Brooke Baldwin for us this morning.
Let me bring a little more clarity to the numbers of job cuts announced just moments ago by GM. GM planning to cut one shift at two plants. Cutting approximately 2,000 jobs. We're talking about 1,200 people to be laid off at Delta Township, a plant there at Lansing, Michigan. And another 800 workers at a Lordstown, Ohio, plant. The layoffs respectively to take place in March and in early April.
Your job obviously your focus. Personal Finance Editor Gerri Willis shows us how to find a better job in her "Top Tips."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: So you've got a job, but maybe it's not the position you want. Do you try to find a better job during a recession?
Personal Finance Editor Gerri Willis says sure, why not?
Gerri, good to see you. Where do we start here?
GERRI WILLIS, CNN PERSONAL FINANCE EDITOR: Good to see you, Tony.
Well, I think there are a lot of people out there who are underemployed. Maybe they only have a part-time job, they want a full-time one. Maybe they're in a job that has nothing to do with their real skill set.
So the first thing you do is get your name out. You need to use your current job. Just showcase what you do. And small things here make a difference.
Make sure your superiors know of your hidden talents, tweak the signature on your outbound e-mail so that it lists your critical skills and backgrounds. It doesn't hurt to have that material out in the workplace. And if you have a specific interest or skill, think about starting a blog. Check out sites like wordpress.org or livejournal.com to get started.
HARRIS: Wow. Man, a blog?
WILLIS: Yes.
HARRIS: Well, it's good advice right now.
Why is it important, Gerri? You tell us to get out of the office.
WILLIS: Well, you've got to raise your profile outside of your normal gig. Get out and speak to alumni groups, industry or trade groups. You can take a leadership role in one of these organizations. Volunteer with community groups or church groups, executing the role you want. Look, if you're an aspiring CFO, it sure wouldn't hurt to be on the church's finance committee.
HARRIS: Yes. If you're not making enough money, say, in your current job, you're underemployed, you'd like to find that full-time job, what then?
WILLIS: Well, you may just need a way to make the bills each month, and that's where part-time work can come in.
First, visit the Web sites of companies that you would really like to work for. Some of these companies have online applications. Make sure you have a good handle on your schedule since you may be asked what days and hours you're available to work. And if it's a smaller company that you're interested in, remember, help wanted ads in the local newspaper or "Penny Saver," because these smaller companies, they're usually not on the big career Web sites that you're so familiar with.
HARRIS: And Gerri, what about working from home?
WILLIS: Be careful. With unemployment rates going up, more folks are into those quick cash promises from the work from home companies.
HARRIS: Right.
WILLIS: If you're interested, you should always check out these companies with the Better Business Bureau. Legitimate work at home sponsors should tell you in writing what's involved in their programs.
Find out if you will be paid a salary or by commission. Get the total cost of the work at home program, including supplies, equipment, membership fees. This can really add up, and it may not be legitimate at all. You've got to check it out.
HARRIS: Right.
WILLIS: Here are some places to check if you want to work from home, find people who are actually doing it the right way. The Virtual Assistance Association, IVAA.org, Alpine Access at AlpineAccess.com.
And don't forget to tune into "YOUR BOTTOM LINE" this Saturday at 9:30 a.m. Eastern on CNN. We'll be answering all your questions about the big headlines of the week and what it means to your pocketbook.
HARRIS: Well, nice, strong debut this past weekend. Good stuff, Gerri.
WILLIS: Thank you.
HARRIS: Yes. Sensational. Can't wait to see this week's show.
Thank you, Gerri.
WILLIS: Always a pleasure.
HARRIS: As the most serious credit crisis in decades rocks your finances, CNNMoney.com has some advice and answers. Just check out our special report, "America's Money Crisis." Again, that's at CNNMoney.com.
Going green is becoming big on an international scale. In about seven minutes, we'll show you a new city blooming in the desert of the world's first zero carbon, zero waste city. Ninety percent of its power coming from the sun.
(BUSINESS REPORT)
HARRIS: You know, President Obama signs orders on the environment that could reshape the auto industry. One directive would allow states to set their own standards for auto emissions. Another pushes carmakers to increase fuel efficiency.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OBAMA: As we move forward, we will fully take into account the unique challenges facing the American auto industry and the taxpayer dollars that now support it. And let me be clear, our goal is not to further burden an already struggling industry. It is to help America's automakers prepare for the future.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: But will greener autos mean more red ink for the industry?
Lauren Fix is an automotive analyst and author of "Lauren Fix's Guide to Loving Your Car."
We love Lauren Fix, love having her on the program. And she joins us from Rochester, New York.
Lauren, great to see you.
First question out of the box here, these orders, it seems to me, will come with a cost. The cars will be more expensive, correct?
LAUREN FIX, AUTOMOTIVE ANALYST: Absolutely. And when you think about it, who is going to pay for all of this admissions testing to have this done? Now, I guess it's a give and take. Yes, it would be great to have less greenhouse gases, better fuel economy for everyone. On the other hand, who is going to pay for all of this?
First off, you're going to have to hire people for each state. We're talking 17 different states are going to have all their own rules. So someone's got to pay for that. The taxpayers are going to pay for that, and we as consumers will all pay more for our vehicles because somebody's going to have to pay for all of this technology, some of which is developed and some which hasn't. And mind you, this technology has weight to it.
So if you weight down the car with more technology and more safety features, it's going to get less fuel economy. So it's sort of a catch-22.
HARRIS: Yes. Can the big three, the Detroit automakers, slam the administration over these orders, particularly when they're likely to need even more financial help from Washington?
FIX: Well, it's absolutely a burden on them. And the auto industry as a whole is always trying to put a stop to this. And they were very supportive of President Bush when he did put a stop to Governor Schwarzenegger's bill.
But now we're in a situation where, of course, you know, Barbara Boxer and everyone is saying please do this for us. And if they do, we're going to end up with a situation where everyone's going to be paying for more their cars. And we're already in a situation where we can't sell cars. We're selling less cars, and the auto industry as a whole around the world is already in a burdensome situation.
HARRIS: But can the auto execs -- can they push back through their lobbyists?
FIX: Well, they do. Absolutely. There have been lawsuits and everything.
This has been going on for quite a while. This didn't just come up this week. However, the only good news is that Obama's staff said they're going to take at least a little bit of time to review it. And hopefully when they make their decisions, they'll actually ask someone from the auto industry and not just a bunch of environmentalists or a bunch of politicians what they think.
They really need to find out from the automotive industry side what the true facts are, what's involved, because if it's going to cost consumers more money, how much money are we willing to pay? I mean, we all want hybrid cars. We went out and produced all these hybrid cars, and sales are down 9.9 percent for 2008. So now have we've got a bunch of hybrid cars out there that nobody wants.
HARRIS: Right. Right. Right.
FIX: So we have to decide, you know, is this what we want? Do we want more cars to get better fuel efficiency? And the funny thing about it all, what produces the most emissions is cows that pass gas. So are we going to stop eating beef?
(LAUGHTER)
HARRIS: You are insane. All right.
So if I am an auto executive with these executive orders, I'm sort of curious, am I being pushed closer to extinction, or am I really being shoved into the future faster?
FIX: I think they're trying to shove us, which is great as the auto industry as a whole. I mean, I definitely want the environment to be cleaner for my children and my grandchildren, but at what cost? I mean, yes, we want to have better fuel efficiency, and that is a big call, to say that by 2011, we will make cars that are more fuel- efficient.
We can do that, but technology has to catch up. And that's part of the other part of it, is, who is going to pay for that technology? Yes, we've got our bridge loans and, yes, we have all our TARP money coming, but again, we have to keep ourselves in business. And we're looking at companies like Chrysler, who are already struggling.
HARRIS: Perfect. Perfect. I've got a question for you.
You know we're all worried about jobs. And I'm curious, again, are the automakers going to need more than, what, the $17.4 billion in rescue funds already allocated to Chrysler and GM? And I'm wondering, will they, at the end of the day, need even more than the $34 billion they were initially asking Congress for?
FIX: Well, I think General Motors seems to be getting their arms around things. They're -- from what I've been told, it looks like they've got a potential buyer. No real numbers, no real people for Hummer. They're going to have to do something with Saturn and Pontiac. But I think General Motors is going to come out doing OK.
Ford is not looking for any money. Chrysler is working on this deal with Fiat. And this is going to be very interesting, because Fiat is going to start bringing in some of their cars and, unfortunately, the name of Fiat in this country doesn't have the same credibility as it does in Europe.
HARRIS: Right.
FIX: And so they're going to have to build a whole new marketing structure, although they're smart enough to use our dealer network. They may be able to pull it off. It's going to require a little bit of magic, I think.
HARRIS: Yes. Lauren, awesome, as always.
FIX: Thank you.
HARRIS: Lauren Fix with us again this morning.
Thanks, Lauren. FIX: Thank you, Tony. Thanks, Tony.
HARRIS: While the U.S. is finding all kinds of clever new ways to go green, the United Arab Emirates is taking it to a whole new level. The first-ever solar-powered city being built right now.
Our Stan Grant has a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
STAN GRANT, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In the desert of the United Arab Emirates, a new city is blooming. They call it Masdar, or "The Source" in Arabic. On the outskirts of Abu Dhabi, Masdar City is a construction site right now, but here they think big.
KHALED AWAD, DIRECTOR, MASDAR CITY: You're talking about 90,000 people, 50,000 living (ph), 45,000 commuting that will be hosted in a city of six (ph) square kilometers.
GRANT: Clean and green, that's the catch cry. The world's first zero-carbon, zero-waste city, 90 percent of the development's power from the sun.
(on camera): Here is the engine room, a solar panel farm in the desert. Ultimately, there'll be nearly 90,000 panels here, enough to power phase one of the city and the construction of the rest.
(voice-over): Solar remains much more expensive than gas, which currently powers Abu Dhabi. But Masdar's director says he has the answer.
(on camera): Costs more, use less.
AWAD: Exactly. Automatically use less because of the design and the planning of the city. Narrow streets all shaded, buildings shading over each other (INAUDIBLE).
GRANT: Cars will be banned at Masdar. Everyone will be transported by specially designed, clean, space-age style people movers.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The plan is somewhere around 2,000 to 3,000 of these vehicles.
GRANT: Abu Dhabi, a powerhouse of oil production, 10 percent of world supply, wants to leave the world in finding alternative sources of power. Fifteen thousand delegates at this world future energy summit, displays from oil companies, wind power operators, and car manufacturers.
This car prototype promises to be the most fuel-efficient in the world.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Where do I put my children?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's only a prototype.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's no room for the family.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No. Our car is a prototype, and the driver fits only one meter 60 (ph).
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I can't fit in this car.
GRANT: Masdar, though, is the show stealer. The Abu Dhabi government has pumped $15 billion into the venture. In September this year, it turns from dream to reality. The first residents move in. The source will become the future.
Stan Grant, CNN, Abu Dhabi.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: Amazing stuff, huh?
OK. The full Senate is expected to confirm Timothy Geithner as treasury secretary late today. His nomination hit a speed bump -- Geithner's failure to pay payroll taxes when they were due. But senators appear ready to give Geithner a pass given the serverty of the economic crisis and his expertise.
More than two months after the elections, the fight for Minnesota's Senate seat rages on, now in the hands of the courts. A three-judge panel will start hearing the case brought by incumbent Republican Norm Coleman in just a few hours. He is challenging the win over Democrat Al Franken. Coleman argues that ballot irregularities and improperly rejected absentee votes are the reasons Franken holds a narrow lead.
The impeachment trial for Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich starts in about 90 minutes or so from now, but Blagojevich himself will be a no- show. He is nowhere near the Illinois State Senate, where the proceedings will be held.
Our Susan Roesgen is there, though. She joins us live from Springfield.
And Susan, the governor is defending himself on the radio, on television. I believe he's on "The View" right now, everywhere except in Springfield today.
Has he explained why he is going to be a no-show at his state Senate impeachment trial?
SUSAN ROESGEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, he has, Tony. But wouldn't you rather be in some warm talk show green room right now instead of in 12-degree Springfield, Illinois?
HARRIS: Well, you make a good point, but I'd like to save my job, I think.
ROESGEN: Yes, that's what he's trying to do. Certainly that's what he's trying to do.
He has said, Tony, that he believes this is a sham what's happening today. He believes that it is a foregone conclusion, and most people here do believe that, as well, that the state Senate will vote to kick him out of office.
Now, he says the reason it's a sham is he says he's not able to call witnesses. But the truth is, he can call witnesses, just not the ones that might affect the criminal case against him.
And state senators have the same rule there. They can call some witnesses. But again, none that would in any way possibly effect the upcoming criminal trial, Tony. So he says he's not going to be here, he's going to be in the Big Apple.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. ROD BLAGOJEVICH (D), ILLINOIS: I'm here in New York because I can't get a fair hearing in Illinois, in the state Senate in Illinois. They've decided with rules that are fixed that don't allow me as a governor the right to be able to bring witnesses in to prove that I've done nothing wrong.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROESGEN: Once again, Tony, the witnesses that he can't call are only the ones that the federal prosecutor, the U.S. attorney here in Illinois, believe might affect the criminal case.
Once again, he's not been formally charged with anything yet. The indictments haven't even come back. In fact, the federal prosecutor asked for an extension to April to get those indictments.
But what the state Senate is looking at is not only the criminal complaint against the governor, but also years of what they say were shady dealings, some unethical dealings, and also things that cost the state a lot of money, like one time he ordered flu vaccine from Europe. Not only was that an illegal move, but it cost the state a lot of money and nobody got to use the flu vaccine. So the state legislature has been angry with Governor Rod Blagojevich for a few years now, and I think the criminal complaint was just the last straw.
HARRIS: Susan, how long will all of this take?
ROESGEN: You know, it could take just a couple of days. Because the governor's not putting up any kind of defense, this could be pretty quick. They need 40 out of the 59 senators to vote yes, and then that would kick him out of office.
The other thing, Tony, is they might also vote for what they call the political death penalty. Have you heard of that?
HARRIS: No.
ROESGEN: Well, that means that they could vote to make sure that he can never run for any office in the future.
HARRIS: Oh.
ROESGEN: They might do that, as well.
HARRIS: OK. Susan Roesgen following all of this for us in Springfield, Illinois. What a drama unfolding before us.
All right, Susan. Appreciate it. Thank you.
Pick your words carefully, Tony.
You can hear directly from Governor Blagojevich. He will be on "LARRY KING LIVE" tonight, 9:00 Eastern, right here on CNN.
You could be get freezing rain tonight or tomorrow. Rob Marciano -- there he is -- is tracking some severe winter weather, and he's back in just a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: How about this? The stars are out in force with the Screen Actors Guild Awards last night on our sister network, TBS. Very funny.
"Slumdog Millionaire" won the SAG's top movie prize, outstanding performance by a cast. Sean Penn chosen as best leading male actor for "Milk," and Meryl Streep accepted for best leading actress in a movie. And Gary Oldman accepted the best supporting award for the late Heath Ledger for his role in "The Dark Knight."
We knew where our iReporters could report. It turns out they can also act. Really.
Let's take a trip now to CNN.com's iReport Desk and check in "Tyson's Corner." Let's turn on the lights, let's dress the set.
"Tyson's Corner." There he is, Tyson Wheatley.
Tyson, good to see you. What do you have for us?
TYSON WHEATLEY, CNN.COM PRODUCER: We're going to have a lot of fun today, Tony.
You know, this weekend, we gave our iReport community kind of a fun assignment in honor of all these movie award seasons. And we just asked people to deliver their favorite movie line, and we got a great response.
And you know what? We thought we would do something fun. We thought we would quiz you.
So I'm going to play some movie lines, and you're going to tell me what movie they come from.
HARRIS: OK. Let's try it.
WHEATLEY: Let's start with an easy one from Adam Minott of upstate New York.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ADAM MINOTT, IREPORTER: "You've got to ask yourself one question: 'Do I feel lucky?' Well, do ya, punk?"
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Well, that's Clint Eastwood. It's got to be from one of the "Dirty Harry" movies, but, I mean, what, there were like 18 of them; right?
WHEATLEY: Yes, that's right. It's from "Dirty Harry," 1971.
HARRIS: All right.
WHEATLEY: So, all right, I'll give you that one.
HARRIS: Ding, ding, ding. All right.
WHEATLEY: All right. This next one is from Nick Barnard from Ontario. This one's easy too.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NICK BARNARD, IREPORTER: "Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in."
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Oh, that's Al Pacino from "The Godfather Part III."
WHEATLEY: Yes! Good job.
HARRIS: You seem so surprised, Tyson. Come on, now.
WHEATLEY: Well, clearly, I didn't know who I was dealing with.
HARRIS: There you go. There you go.
WHEATLEY: OK. This next one is from Richard Ziegelmann from Los Angeles.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RICHARD ZIEGELMANN, IREPORTER: "This is a very simple game. You throw the ball, you catch the ball, you hit the ball. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, sometimes it rains."
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Oh, boy. Oh, boy. You may have me on this one.
WHEATLEY: OK. OK.
HARRIS: I'm thinking...
WHEATLEY: Baseball, Kevin Costner. HARRIS: Yes, I'm thinking either "Bull Durham" or "A League of Their Own."
WHEATLEY: "Bull Durham," 1988. Good job. All right. That's great. That was your first thought.
So I'm going to leave -- this next one's going to be the hardest one. OK?
HARRIS: All right. Let's do it.
WHEATLEY: All right. This is from Maggie Kortchmar of Hartford, Connecticut.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAGGIE KORTCHMAR, IREPORTER: "You do know how to whistle, don't you, Steve? You just put your lips together and blow."
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: You know what? Can I tell you something? The line is so great. I don't even remember the movie, but I remember that that is Lauren Bacall.
WHEATLEY: Yes.
HARRIS: All day, all night, Lauren Bacall.
WHEATLEY: Yes. You know, I'm really...
HARRIS: What's the movie, though?
WHEATLEY: I'm really impressed. That's from "To Have and Have Not," 1944. Humphrey Bogart also in that film. So...
HARRIS: Yes. Forget about Bogart. That was all about Lauren Bacall.
WHEATLEY: Clearly.
HARRIS: That is terrific. All right. That's very good.
Do we have an assignment today?
WHEATLEY: You know what? We do actually have an assignment.
We're asking people for an opinion on breast-feeding.
HARRIS: Yes.
WHEATLEY: Of course, the story big in the news with Facebook. And, of course, public breast-feeding is something we're asking the community to weigh in right now.
HARRIS: Terrific.
WHEATLEY: So you can do that, too. Go to ireport.com/desk.
HARRIS: Winner, winner. Tony Harris gets a chicken dinner.
All right, Tyson. Good to see you. Thank you.
WHEATLEY: Take care.
HARRIS: Let's get a check of weather now.
(WEATHER REPORT)
HARRIS: Hundreds of refugees coming ashore. Countless questions remain about their treatment and their faith.
Dan Rivers with the story you may not want to believe.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: They fled one of the most repressive governments on earth, but hundreds of Myanmar refugees found no sanctuary in Thailand. A CNN investigation has uncovered evidence that they faced only abuse and abandonment at the hands of the Thai government.
CNN's Dan Rivers has their story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAN RIVERS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): They look like logs, but these are people, dozens of Burmese refugees detained on a Thai beach. These photos were provided to CNN last week, as three different tourists voiced concern about the way the Thai authorities were treating these migrants.
ANDREW CATTON, TOURIST: Whenever someone raised their head or sat up, they'd strike them with a whip.
RIVERS: So we traveled to a remote stretch of the Thai coast four hours' drive north of the holiday island of Phuket, keen to investigate local reports the Thai military had been secretly detaing Burmese Rohingya refugees here before towing them back far out to see and leaving them to drift.
Koh Sae Daeng is uninhabited, part of the national park. But there was plenty of evidence that large numbers of people had been detained here. This man helped the army guard the refugees for one night on the island.
"We treated them well," he says. "We gave them food and whatever they asked for."
(on camera): There seems a lot of evidence that a large number of Rohingya refugees were indeed camped out here at Koh Sae Daeng. All around there are discarded shoes and clothes. There's several campfires that look fairly fresh here, as well as food wrapping as well.
But the big question is, how did the Rohingya leave? Did they leave voluntarily or were they towed out to sea by the military?
(voice-over): On a nearby island, we find one of the distinctive Rohingya boats on the shore. The Rohingya are a persecuted Muslim minority who have been fleeing Myanmar in rickety boats like these for years looking for a better life. This proves how they arrived but not how they left.
We travel to another island where villagers told us about some Rohingya refugees who had escaped and were living in the jungle. We were keen to talk to the refugees to hear their story. We didn't have to wait long.
That night, a local army-trained village defense force took us on patrol. We hurried to a hamlet after reports they caught one of the migrants. This is what we found -- villagers had captured a Rohingya man who they think had been living in the jungle for days.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Please, brother.
RIVERS: He was clearly distressed.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Please!
RIVERS: Over the next three hours we tried to piece together his story.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All men?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Dead.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Dead.
RIVERS: He was taken back to the port where he continued to try and communicate with us.
Through a combination of broken English, sign language and drawings, he told his name was Ichbal Hussein (ph) and he was on one of six refugee boats which arrived in December. He said they were towed back out to see sea in January, but five of the six boats sank. His, he said, made it back to shore.
But this is the final piece of evidence. Photos were given to CNN by someone involved in what he said was an ongoing Thai operation to tow refugees out to sea.
They show refugees being processed on the Koh Sae Daeng, the same camp that we visited. And incredibly, this shows the Thai army towing a boatload of some 190 refugees far out to see.
The source who gave us these photos says they provided them with food and water. Another source in the military confirmed they have been towing refugees out to sea, again stressing they gave them supplies. Neither would appear on camera for fear of repercussions.
We asked the Thai government about our findings and it says it is investigating. A sign of how embarrassing these photos may be considered, it says the prime minister will receive a full report this week.
These are the last images of the refugee boat as it disappears over the horizon. Neither this boat, nor the refugees aboard it have been seen since.
Dan Rivers, CNN, on Koh Sae Daeng, Thailand.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: Major companies announce thousands of layoffs.
Your job, your money, our issue #1, right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.
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