Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Newsroom
Recounting the Legacy of Edward Kennedy; Ripple Effects of Long-Term Vacancy of Kennedy's Senate Seat; Swine Flu Fears
Aired August 26, 2009 - 12:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Flags on Capitol Hill are flying at half-staff and newspaper headlines herald the end of an era. The death of Senator Edward Kennedy, the patriarch of one of America's most prominent political families. The liberal lion of the Senate died late last night after a 15-month battle with brain cancer. President Obama says the country has lost a great leader.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK H. OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The outpouring of love, gratitude and fond memories to which we've all borne witness is a testament to the way this singular figure in American history touched so many lives. His ideas and ideals are stamped on scores of laws and reflected in millions of lives in seniors who know new dignity, in families that know new opportunity, in children who know education's promise, and in all who can pursue their dream in an America that is more equal and more just, including myself.
The Kennedy name is synonymous with the Democratic Party, and at times Ted was the target of partisan campaign attacks. But in the United States Senate, I can think of no one who engendered greater respect or affection for members of both sides of the aisle.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: For more on Senator Kennedy's life and legacy, to Washington now and our Wolf Blitzer -- Wolf.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: All right, Tony. Thanks very much.
We're just getting word in now on the burial of Senator Kennedy, where it will be taking place. We're learning it will be taking place at Arlington National Cemetery, near the plots of his two brothers, President John F. Kennedy and the former attorney general, Bobby Kennedy. That's where Senator Kennedy will be buried.
Our Pentagon Correspondent Barbara Starr has been getting details of the burial at Arlington National Cemetery here in Washington, D.C. Only appropriate that Senator Kennedy should be buried alongside his two brothers at Arlington National Cemetery, across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C.
Barbara is joining us now live.
Barbara, tell us exactly what you're learning. BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, we have just confirmed with a senior U.S. military official that, yes, Senator Kennedy will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery. His final resting place will be very close to that of his brothers, Robert Kennedy and the late President John Kennedy.
Arlington officials have received this final word from the Kennedy family, and the arrangements are being made. What we are told is no date and time has yet been finalized, but there now is the arrangement that Senator Kennedy will be buried at Arlington.
We know some more details. Very sensitive to discuss all of this, because, of course, this is a matter for the Kennedy family to discuss.
But what we have confirmed is that the final resting place will be about 95 feet away from the grave site of the late Senator Robert Kennedy. For people who have been to Arlington, there currently are basically two Kennedy grave site areas, that of the late president, and a few feet away from him, Senator Robert Kennedy. And now, about 90 feet away from Senator Robert Kennedy's final resting place, will be Senator Edward Kennedy.
A couple of weeks ago, Arlington and Army officials met with members of Senator Kennedy's staff. They outlined the area at Arlington that they had identified. They certainly showed it to them. They went through all of it and presented this plan to them.
That plan was taken to the Kennedy family, and, of course, we know now this was at a time when Senator Kennedy's health was failing, but it was presented to the Kennedy family. And now all of this essentially accepted. He will be buried at Arlington, and he will be just a few feet from his brothers -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Off the top of your head, do you know, Barbara, the requirements that are necessary to allow someone to be buried at Arlington National Cemetery?
STARR: Well, Wolf, Senator Kennedy would have been eligible, we are told, for burial at Arlington on the basis of two criteria that will be apparent to people. One, of course, he passed away as a serving member of the United States Congress.
Also, what people may not recall is as a young man, Senator Kennedy served in the U.S. Army from about 1951 to 1953. Served overseas during the Korean War, but served in Europe, and served honorably. And when you honorably serve in the U.S. Army, you are potentially eligible for burial at Arlington. And certainly, let's be very clear, with the situation of his brothers being buried there and his family tragically having this long history at Arlington, this had been something, we are told, that was in the works for a long time, for these types of arrangements to be made.
The U.S. military already potentially getting ready for this. There are a number of ceremonial military units here in Washington. They are watching developments very carefully. We've spoken to some of their representatives. They know they may be called upon to render honors. There are very specific honors rendered for a congressional funeral.
All of this, we must emphasize, will depend on the wishes of the Kennedy family. There will be discussions with them. Whatever they want is what the U.S. government and the U.S. military, of course, would do.
But there are procedures, rituals, if you will, for a congressional funeral. That could include military pallbearers, a firing salute at the grave site, a bugler, all of that. The kinds of things that would be rendered even today to America's young fallen from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Senator Kennedy was a veteran -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Barbara Starr with the news that Senator Kennedy will be buried not far away from his two brothers, Bobby Kennedy, John F. Kennedy, at Arlington National Cemetery. No date yet announced for that burial.
Thank you, Barbara, very much.
Senator Kennedy was the last surviving brother of an American political dynasty. He was diagnosed with brain cancer in May of last year.
The family issued this statement after he lost his battle with the disease: Edward M. Kennedy, the husband, father, grandfather, brother, and uncle we loved so deeply, died late Tuesday night at home in Hyannis Port. We've lost the irreplaceable center of our family."
CNN's Deborah Feyerick is at Hyannis Port, joining us now with more.
Deb, the mood there must be somber even as people celebrate his life.
DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, it really is. And we've seen a lot of people come by, a number of children on bicycles, people walking to the beach, and they're all saddened by this loss.
About half an hour ago, we did see the senator's son, Patrick Kennedy, who is a congressman from Rhode Island, returning to his father's home. He had spent the majority of yesterday there by his father's bedside, along with other family members, praying with his dad, almost all day. That's according to a reverend who was there.
Now, about the same time, a champagne-colored van believed to be from the funeral home also arrived, just going down the street to the third -- the fourth house there. And again, that's believed to be from the funeral home. That was traveling with two other cars. Family members, extended family members, relatives, friends have been going to both that home and the home of Ethel Kennedy, which is just next door. But, again, there's so many members of the media here, and they're really just quietly and very serenely going down to the homes without stopping, without chatting to anyone.
Now, we did speak earlier to the Reverend Patrick Tarrant. He was with Kennedy when he died.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REV. PATRICK TARRANT, OUR LADY OF VICTORY PARISH: I was there last night when he died, and the whole family were praying. They'd been praying all day.
And it was a wonderful experience for me. I don't see it that often. You know? I'm very impressed.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How would you describe it? It must have been very sad to be there, but I wonder if, aside from that, faith carried people through.
TARRANT: Well, the truth is, he had expressed to his family that he did want to go -- did want to go to heaven. He did want to die, and he did want to go. He was ready to go.
And there was a certain amount of peace. There was a lot of peace, actually, you know, in the family, getting together last night.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FEYERICK: And what was really moving were comments made by the senator's son, Patrick Kennedy, who's quoted in a local paper saying, you know, this last year, knowing that Ted Kennedy was sick, it really gave the entire family a chance to bond, a chance to share stories, be together, and tell one another just how much they loved each other.
So, though he's passed and though it is sad, at least they had a chance to be there with him at the end -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Deborah Feyerick joining us from Hyannis Port, where the Kennedy family spent so many wonderful days.
Appreciate it, Deborah, very much.
This important reminder to our viewers. Tonight at 7:00 p.m. Eastern, CNN will air HBO's acclaimed documentary, "Teddy: In His Own Words." It chronicles Senator Kennedy's life from his childhood, through his speech at the 2008 Democratic Convention. It also includes rarely seen archival footage.
That's HBO's "Teddy: In His Own Words," tonight, 7:000 p.m. Eastern, right here on CNN.
Let's go back to Tony Harris for more -- Tony.
HARRIS: Wolf, appreciate it. And got to tell you, Wolf, our viewers here in the NEWSROOM certainly sharing their thoughts on the senator's life, his legacy, on our blog page.
Want to give you a bit of a sampling here. This comes from Donna.
"This is a sad day for me and millions of Americans. Ted was our voice. Even with his wealth, he knew the suffering of millions and he didn't turn a blind eye like so many others do."
Karl writes, "The nation has lost a statesman and an outstanding voice for our labor force. Ted Kennedy seemed to understand the needs of working men and women sometimes better than they did."
And from "Sad" in Minnesota, "I shall remember Senator Kennedy for his unflinching iron will in the face of so many devastating personal tragedies."
You can share your views of the senator, his life and his long years of service in the U.S. Senate at our blog, CNN.com/Tony. We would love to hear from you.
About a thousand firefighters are on the scene right now of a 750-acre fire in the Angeles National Forest. Fire officials say the fire is less than 10 percent contained.
(WEATHER REPORT)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Welcome back.
We're remembering Senator Ted Kennedy, who died overnight.
The Senate seat left empty by the death of Senator Kennedy will not be filled right away. That's because Massachusetts law does not allow a gubernatorial appointee. Instead, a special election will be held within five months. The law says no sooner than 145 days and no later than 160 days after a vacancy occurs.
The winner of that election serves the remainder of the senator's unexpired term, which in this case would be until January, 2013.
A letter from Kennedy just released last week, by the way, asked stated lawmakers to change the law to give the governor the ability to appoint a replacement until the special election. Senator Kennedy was clearly concerned about the effects of a long-term vacancy of the Senate seat because it deprives the Democrats of the 60-vote super majority at this critical point in the health care debate.
Let's talk about this and more with our Senior Congressional Correspondent Dana Bash and our Senior Political Analyst Gloria Borger.
It's ironic. The Democrats wanted this law in the first place, but now they regret it.
DANA BASH, CNN SENIOR CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Right. I mean, some regret it. At least Senator Kennedy clearly regretted it, because that's why he wrote that letter.
But, you know, the reaction to his request -- and the request specifically was not to change the law for a special election, but to provide for an interim replacement, somebody who -- what Kennedy wanted was somebody who promised no to run. The law does not allow for that now.
But the reaction among Massachusetts lawmakers, even Democrats, at the time was lukewarm. We'll see what happens now.
Republicans were pretty vocal about the fact that they were opposed to it for the reason you just said. They said, wait a minute, this was a law that was changed just in 2004, and it was changed in order to protect the seat, to keep it in Democratic hands, if the other senator, John Kerry, would have won the White House against George Bush, which obviously didn't happen.
BLITZER: It's one less critical seat, critical vote, that the president of the United States would have had, at least in the short term, on health care reform.
GLORIA BORGER, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Yes, absolutely. I mean, the White House is worried about getting 60 votes. Ted Kennedy was very important in many ways to health care reform, not the least of which was his vote, which they'd like to have obviously.
BLITZER: So, let's take a look at the historic nature, the end of the Kennedys, at least the Kennedy brothers, that all of us are so familiar with. The fourth of the Kennedy brothers.
There was Joe Kennedy, who died in a plane crash during World War II. The eldest brother, the president, John F. Kennedy, and Bobby Kennedy, the senator, both of whom were assassinated. And now Senator Kennedy dies of natural causes.
BORGER: You know, this is the closest thing we have to a political dynasty, I think, in this country. And I think in many ways, when you look at that family, as I think Senator McCain said to you earlier, Wolf, you think about public service.
And when you think of Senator Ted Kennedy, I think the question many people ask is, how did he endure through all of these tragedies that he lived through in his life? And I did ask him about that once in an interview, and he said, you know, "You try to live with the upside. You live with the joyous aspects." And he said, "I try to muffle the sadness of it." And then he said -- at one point he said, "You know, I don't do as well as others in trying to talk about my inner feeling," but he does have them.
When you talk to people in the Senate about it, Dana, they always say, as Joe Biden said earlier, Ted Kennedy -- when there's a tragedy in your family, Ted Kennedy was the first person to write a note, to pick up the telephone. But when they went to embrace him, when he suffered tragedy, he couldn't really talk about it, and he always turned it to business.
BASH: Right, because he suffered so much. And I think you just pointed this out, and it's worth noting, that there were four Kennedy brothers, and he is the only one that didn't die tragically and young.
The eldest brother, who their father, Joe Kennedy, really thought he was going to be the president -- that's Joe Kennedy, Jr. -- he was killed in World War II, and obviously the other two were assassinated. So, this is the only one that actually lived a relatively long life and died of natural causes.
But the thing that always struck me, Gloria, about Senator Kennedy, is -- I guess it's hard not to be, but how self-aware he was. He understood the impact of a hand on a back, of a laugh, of a handshake in a certain way. The impact that he would have on a person he would meet, whether it was a tourist or a constituent, but, more importantly, in terms of getting things done.
BLITZER: I think both of you will agree -- and I want to just wrap this up -- that he would have loved if Caroline Kennedy, his niece...
BORGER: Sure.
BLITZER: ... would have been the U.S. senator from New York State, but that wasn't going to happen.
BORGER: No. I think that was, in fact, one of the reasons why she gave it such serious consideration. She's not a natural politician, has never had an inclination towards it, but it was very clear that it was something that Senator Kennedy would have liked to have seen.
BLITZER: Yes, he would have loved to continue this Kennedy presence in the United States Senate.
BASH: Also in Congress.
BLITZER: Yes, Patrick Kennedy from Rhode Island, who's in the House of Representatives. But that's not the Senate.
BASH: That is not the Senate.
BLITZER: As far as Senator Kennedy was concerned -- we have a lot more to talk about.
I want to go back to Tony right now for some other important stories we're following -- Tony.
HARRIS: Important distinction, Wolf. All right. Thank you.
Top stories right now.
New numbers out today show new home sales surged almost 10 percent in July. It is the fourth straight monthly increase and the strongest month for new home sales since last September.
The Taliban are denying any involvement in a bombing that killed 43 people in Kandahar, Afghanistan, yesterday. The Associated Press says it received the denial in a text message from the militant group's spokesman.
Iraqi Shiites are mourning one of their top leaders. Abdul Aziz al-Hakim died today in neighboring Iran, where he was undergoing lung cancer treatment. Al-Hakim had been an ally of both the United States and Iran.
We will get another check of our top stories in 20 minutes.
Swine flu is turning up on America's college campuses. We will show you how students and school officious are responding.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: With students back in class, an uptick of suspected cases of swine flu at colleges around the nation.
Here's WSB reporter George Howell on the Georgia Tech campus here in Atlanta.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GEORGE HOWELL, REPORTER, WSB (voice-over): With all of the concerns about swine flu on the Georgia Tech campus, Zach Smith (ph) felt it best to get checked out.
ZACH ROSS, GEORGIA TECH STUDENT: They want you to come in case you have any flu-like symptoms, and I figured I usually wouldn't come in like this, but all the hype about H1N1, I might as well.
HOWELL: School officials are urging people who feel sick to stay home and immediately set up an appointment with health services on campus. Officials say the strategy is to approach every single case of flu as if it were swine flu.
KATHY ALLAN, INTERIM MEDICAL DIRECTOR, GEORGIA TECH: We're not testing all patients. If they have the right symptoms, we're treating them for suspected influenza or H1N1, because that's the main influenza that's floating around.
HOWELL: So far, about 100 cases of suspected flu have been reported at Georgia Tech. At smaller schools, like Georgia Highlands College, one reported case of the flu has sparked heightened awareness.
DANA DAVIS, GEORGIA HIGHLANDS COLLEGE: We've sent out lists of preventive measures, coughing in your elbow, wiping off surfaces that are commonly used by many people with disinfectant wipes.
HOWELL: Officials even passed out hand sanitizers to students and staff, a bottle that Cory Biggers (ph) says he will use, especially since he's feeling under the weather. CORY BIGGERS (ph), STUDENT: I cough into my hands rather than my elbow, like you're supposed to, and I guess that could spread it. I hadn't thought about it. Fortunately, I got some free sanitizer, so I can use that now.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: No, that should do it.
All right. Senior medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen is here with us now.
And Elizabeth, Georgia Tech isn't the only college campus that is reporting suspected cases of swine flu, correct?
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: No. I mean, every day we're hearing about more colleges and universities where they've got cases of the flu that may or may not be H1N1. Here's two that we've heard about.
At the University of Kansas, 118 cases of students with what they're calling flu-like symptoms. They don't know exactly what it is. The University of Georgia, 58 confirmed cases of Influenza A.
Now, what's important to reiterate here is that it's so unusual to see flu in August.
HARRIS: Right. Right. Yes.
COHEN: I mean, this is strange. And it's not just on college campuses, but to have this much flu in August is very odd.
HARRIS: Elizabeth, give us a vaccine status update. Where are we?
COHEN: They're still doing clinical trials, they're still studying to make sure it works and that it's safe. There's expected to be some vaccine in the middle of October, but there may not be enough for everyone that wants it. There will be more vaccine coming out November and December.
HARRIS: Would we even know if we have the virus, H1N1?
COHEN: No. I got an e-mail from a friend of mine, Tony, that said, "I feel awful. I have a fear -- could I have swine flu?" And I said I don't know, because the symptoms can be anything.
And you know what? She doesn't know either. And likely, her doctor doesn't either. Swine flu looks and feels like any other kind of flu, so you don't know.
HARRIS: Well, will the doctor check you?
COHEN: I bet they won't.
HARRIS: Really? COHEN: I bet they won't, because they sort of stopped checking everybody. There are so many people. And in a way, it doesn't really matter what kind of flu you have. So, likely, you won't get a test. It's a little bit of a "Take two aspirin and call me in the morning" situation.
HARRIS: Brother.
OK. Elizabeth, appreciate it. Thank you.
COHEN: Thanks.
HARRIS: A Republican senator facing heated questions and an emotional plea in this make-or-break month for health care reform. But the senator, who is also a doctor, says the current proposals are the wrong prescription.
Here's CNN's Jim Acosta.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JIM ACOSTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): At this Oklahoma city megachurch, Republican Senator Tom Coburn was preaching to a conservative choir on health care reform.
SEN. TOM COBURN (R), OKLAHOMA: I think most of us here would like to see you and Sarah Palin in the White House.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, that isn't going to happen.
ACOSTA: But when one woman didn't like Coburn's response to her question on prescription drugs...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm not a dumb person.
COBURN: I didn't...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I am a minority in Oklahoma. I'm a Democrat.
ACOSTA: ... some in the crowd started shouting, and they weren't saying "Amen."
COBURN: Wait a minute, guys. Wait a minute. I want to make a point here. One of the things that's wrong with our country is we don't allow real, legitimate debate.
ACOSTA: Coburn, who is also a practicing physician, took questions only a doctor could answer. At a town hall earlier this week, a woman pleaded for his help. Coburn told us his office is getting her help in her community, as it should be.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My husband has traumatic brain injury, and his health insurance will not cover him to eat and drink. And what I need to know is, are you going to help him?
COBURN: First of all, yes, we'll help. The first thing we'll do is see what we can do individually to help you.
ACOSTA: Coburn told us his office is getting her help in her community, as it should be, he says.
COBURN: We've had several people call us and say they're willing to help her -- citizens. And so, you know, the question is...
ACOSTA (on camera): Can you do that with millions of uninsured people in this country who are in the same boat?
COBURN: Well, yes. No, they're not in the same boat. Don't exaggerate. Most people...
ACOSTA: There aren't millions of people...
COBURN: You're going to ask me a question. Let me answer it.
ACOSTA: And when you hear those personal stories, does it at all change your position on this issue?
COBURN: No.
ACOSTA (voice-over): Coburn says he, too, is sick of the insurance companies.
COBURN: As a practicing physician who has experienced the discrimination of insurance companies based not on medical facts, never putting their hand on a patient, telling me what I can and cannot do to a patient, there's something wrong with that.
ACOSTA: But the doctor's a firm believer a government insurance program, or public option, is the wrong medicine.
(on camera): If the president drops the public option, could you support him?
COBURN: Well, it depends on what's in it.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: If you'd like to find more on what you've been seeing here on CNN, check out CNN.com/healthcare. You can even find out about the closest town hall meetings to you, the key players in the debate, the different plans, and, of course, the controversial sticking points to the plans.
Do we have Senator Chris Dodd? Let's go to Senator Chris Dodd, who is offering his reflections on his friend, Senator Ted Kennedy.
SEN. CHRISTOPHER DODD, (D) CONNECTICUT: Like I say, normally I'd take the trip up to Hartford, so I really appreciate you coming down here. Let me get you all in. Just let me know when you're ready is all.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Sorry, senator.
DODD: Yeah. You all set, you guys?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: All set.
DODD: This will be very brief. I don't have a long statement to make.
Well, look, the country lost a great advocate. There are millions of people who counted on this guy every day to stand up for them. And for decades to come, history will talk about his legislative accomplishments and the difference he made in public policy.
For me, I lost my best friend in the Senate. Just a great friend. Was here many occasions, right here in this river. And so it's been a long year. A year and three months. But he died peacefully about 11:30. I talked to Mrs. Kennedy a little while ago. And he fought like a lion this last year to stay alive and to be around. She talked about him. We got the mental health parity bill done. We got the tobacco bill done. We got the national service bill done. We marked up the health committee bill on July 15th. Sorry we didn't get the bill done yet, but we will, in time.
And so his presence over the last year has had great value. His spirit has been there during all of these debates. And while he wasn't there to cast votes, believe me, his presence was felt during these discussions, as they will be in the coming days. So, for me, it's just a great loss of a great friend. And a great, great advocate for people. So I'm saddened by it deeply. It's like losing a brother. Lost my sister about a month ago and I feel this pain almost as much.
So, thank you, all. I'll take some questions if you got them. Any questions?
QUESTION: Any details about funeral arrangements? There was a report about Ted being bury at Arlington.
DODD: Yes, I'll let the Kennedy family respond to those. I'm aware of some plans, but I'd rather have them speak for the family rather than me trying to do that.
QUESTION: Senator, how are you feeling?
DODD: Well, look, I'm doing better every day. And two weeks ago had the surgery. And got a great health care advocate standing next to me and a couple more. This morning we dropped Grace off at her day camp. And after that I decided, what could I do that -- we talk about being alive. So Jackie and I took our four-year-old picking berries at about 8:00 this morning and all I could think of was Teddy would approve.
Life is not a dress rehearsal. You take every day and live it to the fullest and maximize your time here on earth. That's what he did. That's what I intend to do as well.
QUESTION: (INAUDIBLE) each other in the Senate, but how exactly did you meet Senator Kennedy?
DODD: I don't even know. I can't remember. I don't remember not knowing him. I guess, you know, it goes back a long way. He had the burden of serving with my father and me in the Senate. And served with my dad from 1962 to 1971, January. I was elected to the House in '74. So we became -- I knew about him. We met each other, had known each other.
Though a great friendship developed 30 years ago when I arrived in the Senate, 1980, and it just -- just been a great friendship. On every single level. I don't know of another friend -- I have a lot of good friends. I don't know of another friend who was as empathetic as Teddy has been to his friends.
When our daughter, Grace, was born, the first call I got was from Teddy. When my sister passed away a month ago, one of the first calls I got was Teddy, even though he's sicker than anything, obviously brain cancer.
Two weeks ago, I came out of surgery, first call, Teddy, saying, "welcome to the club with cancer," and some choice comments which I can't refer to in public about having prostate surgery and what catheters mean to people. I mean just the humor of the guy even in tough moments. That's the kind of friend he could be. He could make you laugh at the moment you thought you could least tolerate it and would be there at the moment you need him the most.
QUESTION: Will the Senate see another senator like Kennedy was . . .
DODD: No, no, no, they haven't up until now. You know, certainly, as I say, the history books will, I think, pay him the kind of due, in time. I think certainly initially, but even in time. He'll wear will historically. And as I said, there will be plenty written about his accomplishments over the year.
But they're not apt to get as much as the personal stuff. And that's -- that's -- that's what I feel today. You know, look, I'm going to miss him substantively. We had a great time, substantively, together. Sat next to each other on the health committee for years. And so I miss his good counsel and advice on how to get a bill through. But what I'm really going to miss is that personal friendship. That's the hardest thing.
QUESTION: Can you give us the story about the -- about your friendship and what you remember -- what's going to sticks in your mind about him? I''m sure . . .
DODD: Not in so many -- but just -- Jackie and I were just going back and Jackie's known him as well for the last 20 years. And gone times here -- spending just here in East Hattam (ph). I remember once driving with him from Old Lime (ph) up here. And we came up Joshua Town Road (ph) in the fall. I'll never forget, he said, this is the prettiest road in America. That road, if all you are around the area here, know the area is a beautiful road over here, Joshua Town Road. Just in the middle of a conversation about something else, he would just come out with things like that.
Sailing with him. Endless sailing trips. We'd be out in the middle of the ocean. I'd be his only audience. He'd been banging his fist on the side of that boat about health care, about mental health, about what was happening with people unemployed. And I said, you know, I'm the only audience. You don't have to scream at me about this. But his passion about these issues was so deeply felt they it wasn't for show.
I know there are those who maybe sometimes do that. Never once did I ever see a false or phoney bone in his body when it came to caring about people. And so I -- my love for him went beyond . . .
HARRIS: That's a good moment to jump in on. Senator Chris Dodd choking back his emotions as he remarks on the passing of what he called his best friend in the Senate, Senator Edward Kennedy. The loss of Senator Kennedy, a great loss of a great friend. Senator Dodd went on to say, it's like losing a brother.
And Senator Dodd, as you know, was diagnosed recently with prostate cancer. He said he had undergone surgery two weeks ago. And when he came out of that prostate surgery, he said the first call he received was from Senator Kennedy, who welcomed him to the cancer club.
Senator Chris Dodd, remembering his great friend, Senator Edward Kennedy.
We're back in a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Possible swine flu outbreaks are being reported on some college campuses. Officials at Georgia Tech University here in Atlanta say about 100 students have complained of flu-like symptoms since Friday. The school is treating them for the H1N1 virus, even though an outbreak has not been confirmed.
The Taliban are denying any involvement in a bombing that killed 43 people in Kandahar, Afghanistan, yesterday. The Associated Press says it received the denial in a text message from the militant group's spokesman.
A wildfire raging in the Angeles National Forest near Aexcua (ph), California. About 1,000 firefighters are battling the 750 acre fire. Fire officials say it is less than 10 percent contained.
Economists tell us the recession is coming to an end. But where are the jobs? We are breaking down some of the areas where job prospects should -- should -- improve first.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Got to tell you, we've been getting a lot of positive signs on the economy lately. And even though analysts say the labor market will be the last area to rebound, it will eventually. Here's the question -- will you be ready when it does? Poppy Harlow from cnnmoney.com has a look at where the jobs are likely to be when businesses start hiring again. It's today's "Breakdown."
What do you have for us, Poppy? We're paying a close attention to this.
POPPY HARLOW, CNNMONEY.COM: Well, Tony, when is the ever-present question. We're expecting that weekly jobs report tomorrow. About 500,000 people expected to file for those first-time jobless benefits. That would actually be, believe it or not, an improvement from where we stood the previous week.
Now, there are a lot of companies that are talking more and more about laying that groundwork for growth. There's a new report that we went to tell you about. The first one comes from Robert Haas International and they partnered up with careerbuilder.com. They say about half or more of the managers they surveyed are planning to hire, bring on new workers in the next 12 months. That is good news.
A separate survey also reaffirming that. That survey comes from the American Staffing Association, showing demand for temporary and contract workers, Tony, expected to pick up. That's a good indication because we see employers hire freelancers, contractors before they bring them on as full-time employees. So that's a positive sign.
So when will the jobs become available? What will they be? Here's what the report found. Technology. We know technology stocks and technology companies overall haven't been hit as hard as others in this recession, say, compared to banks. You're going to see some of those tech jobs come back online.
Customer service jobs. These are customer-facing roles. They are indispensable to a company at a good time or at a bad time. They're critical to a company's success, so we should see some hiring there.
And then also in sales, because often times you've got those sales positions that are paid mainly through commission, Tony, so the companies don't take as big a hit if you're not selling. So that's one thing to keep in mind. So some strong areas there hopefully.
HARRIS: Right. Any suggestions on how people can sort of ready themselves to get these jobs?
HARLOW: Absolutely. There's a whole series on cnnmoney.com called "Hired." And they go through a lot of these tips.
One of the strongest ones is, be selective when you are applying. Employers say their biggest challenge is finding qualified applicants. Believe it or not, they say about 44 percent of the resumes that they get, even now, are for unqualified candidates. So think quality, not necessarily quantity, when you're applying.
And think about taking the time to tailor your resume to the specific position. I've spoken to people that have done that and they've gotten hired on the spot as a result. And also negotiate. Sixty percent of managers said they're willing to negotiate higher pay for qualified candidates, even people that are already still at the company. You can negotiate higher, or at least try. And 40 percent of managers said they'll give raises to their current employees to try to retain them when the economy rebounds. So you can start talking about it.
HARRIS: Yes, I like -- I like the sound of a lot of this.
One more area here. Do we know whether or not companies are started to rehire laid-off workers?
HARLOW: That's a great question. They are. We saw it with General Motors bringing back 1,300 workers a few weeks ago. Ford is doing the same. Dell, the computer giant, A.K. Steel, some other companies bringing back laid-off workers. The reason for that, they don't need to retrain them. Overall, it's cheaper for the companies to do that.
Check it out when you have a sec. We'll pull it up for you, cnnmoney.com/hired. And you can check out some tips there.
Bu one thing before you jump back on board, if you've been laid- off, and this is the story, make sure your company has legs. If it's really questionable about where your company stands, there is nothing standing in the way from them laying you off again, Tony.
So some more tips right there on the site.
HARRIS: Good stuff. Yes, good stuff. Encouraging signs. Love it. Green shoots.
HARLOW: We hope so. We hope so.
HARRIS: We hope so.
All right, Poppy, thank you.
HARLOW: Sure.
HARRIS: One family facing a health crisis credits Senator Ted Kennedy with saving a life.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: We are hearing countless stories of how Senator Ted Kennedy touched or changed people's lives. Now the story of how the senator saved a life. Our senior medical correspondent, Elizabeth Cohen, reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
COHEN (voice-over): In 1978, Jessica Katz lay dying in a Moscow hospital.
BORIS KATZ, JESSICA'S FATHER, FORMER REFUSNIK: She was getting weaker and weaker by the day, and we were so scared.
COHEN: Jessica had a nutritional deficiency and had stopped growing. The Soviet doctors couldn't save her. Jessica's parents, Boris and Natalia (ph), knew she would only survive if he could get to a doctor outside the iron curtain. But the brutal Soviet regime refused to let them or other Jewish families leave the country. The KGB was a constant threat.
B. KATZ: They created sort of crowd of angry mob that started beating us up and telling us, you know, Hitler didn't, you know, kill enough of you.
COHEN: Just when the Katz's thought no one could save their child, hope arrived in the form of a mysterious phone call. The caller invited Boris to a midnight meeting with an unnamed guest. Boris didn't dare ask who.
B. KATZ: You know in the Soviet Union not to ask too many questions over the phone.
COHEN: Boris arrived at the meeting and, much to his shock, in walked Senator Edward Kennedy. Unbeknownst to the Katzs', Kennedy had just met with Leonid Brezhnev. Kennedy asked the Soviet leader to allow the Katz' to come to Boston where they could get the care Jessica needed so badly.
B. KATZ: And he said that they said yes.
COHEN: With 13-month-old Jessica and her baby sister in tow, the Katzs' arrived in America, the senator by their side.
B. KATZ: I thank especially to Senator Kennedy. It was he who I can say now saved our lives.
COHEN: Kennedy personally found a job for Boris at a computer software company. He now teaches at M.I.T. And even though it's been 30 years, Katz still thinks of Kennedy as a member of the family.
B. KATZ: You know, when we have dinner, in the sense, there is a chair at the dinner table for Senator Kennedy, just because this is -- this is what he did. He saved us.
JESSICA KATZ, "THE LITTEST REFUSNIK": He saved my life.
COHEN: Today, Jessica Katz is 31 years old and recently married.
COHEN (on camera): The senator didn't have to help you.
J. KATZ: He could have spent his whole life playing tennis on Cape Cod if he wanted to. He could have -- I mean, he's like a rich guy from a fancy family.
COHEN (voice-over): But he did help her.
J. KATZ: There's millions of sick babies in the world, and he picked me. COHEN: Inspired by Kennedy's life of public service, Jessica chose to work finding housing for the homeless in New York City, honoring the man who traveled halfway around the world to save her life.
Elizabeth Cohen, CNN, Cambridge, Massachusetts.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: I have to tell you, Senator Edward Kennedy is just the latest passing in what has been a real year of loss.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Ted Kennedy was the last of the four Kennedy brothers and the only one who didn't die a violent death. The senator's eulogy for his brother, Robert, in 1968, was one of his most eloquent moments on the public stage.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. EDWARD KENNEDY, (D) MASSACHUSETTS: Beyond what he was in life, to be remembered simply as a good and decent man, who saw wrong and tried to right it, saw suffering and tried to heal it, saw war and tried to stop it. Those of us who loved him and who take him to his rest today pray that what he was to us, what he wished for others, will someday come to pass for all the world.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Senator Kennedy speaking June 8, 1968, at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York.
We have lost many well-known personalities in recent weeks. Legendary news anchor Walter Cronkite was known as the most trusted man in America. He died July 17th at his home in New York. He was 92. Columnist Robert Novak, one of Washington's most well-known political commentators, died after a battle with brain cancer last week. He was 78. The death of Michael Jackson shocked the world. He died two months ago on June 25th. And Jackson's death from a prescription drug overdose has been ruled a homicide. He was 50. Another legendary artist, Les Paul, died two weeks ago. The father of the electric guitar was 94. Eunice Kennedy Shriver, the sister of Ted Kennedy, also died two weeks ago at the age of 88. She is remembered as a champion of the disabled who founded the Special Olympics.
And as we bring in my colleague, Kyra Phillips, we can't forget to remember our troops.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Our troops. Right on.
And as you were reading that, you were just saying something and I was thinking the same thing, we're losing our men and women overseas in Iraq and Afghanistan every single day.
HARRIS: Absolutely. PHILLIPS: So these are, you know, tremendous leaders in our country. But, boy, we've got some real leaders overseas fighting for our freedom every day and dying for us as well.
HARRIS: The next two hours are yours, lady. We're pushing forward now with the next hour of CNN NEWSROOM with this lady, Kyra Phillips.
