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New War Plan in Afghanistan; Airline Security Breach; Selling the Afghanistan Strategy; Severe Weather Across Much of U.S.; Madoff's Victims Want More Financial Protections in Place; The Cost of War; Dive in Values of Homes Smaller Than Last Year's Decline

Aired December 09, 2009 - 10:00   ET

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

BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: Here are some of the stories we are watching for you right now. The recount in Atlanta's mayoral race getting underway this morning; former state Senator Kasim Reed held a 715 vote after the runoff election last week. The results of the recount should be known a little later today.

A panel looking into the possible impeachment for South Carolina's governor here meeting today for what may be the very last time. They're looking into the details of Mark Sanford's trip to Buenos Aires where he says he started that affair with his mistress. They're trying to determine if Sanford misused state funds.

The new war strategy in Afghanistan, live pictures from Capitol Hill right now, front and center again this hour for the second straight day. The U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan, that being Karl Eikenberry, planning to defend the plan to lawmakers.

The Senate Foreign Relations committee will also hear from General David Petraeus, the top U.S. commander for the greater middle east. The focus again today, how this additional 30,000 U.S. troops will be used and more debate as to the timetable here when they should be brought home.

In about 10 minutes you will definitely want to stick around for this, we'll be talking to two congressmen who bring a unique view to the war plan in Afghanistan. They both actually served there and they had some questions yesterday. Do they think this new strategy in Afghanistan will work? We'll ask them.

Now another big story brewing on Capitol Hill. Health care reform. After months of squabbling and sparring there may finally be a breakthrough at hand. Now the White House is praising it, but on Capitol Hill will Democrats support their party leaders? A lot of ground to cover here. Congressional correspondent Brianna Keilar is here to break it all down.

Brianna, let's just first talk about this breakthrough agreement. What kind of specifics can you offer?

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, so officially, Brooke, we don't have the specifics from Democratic leaders. They won't say, look, this is exactly what our plan is. But we have been staking out the room where these moderate and liberal Democrats were working on this plan for days now. So we know generally the direction that they were going. And basically they found an alternative to that government-run insurance plan, that so- called public option.

And this is what we understand it to look like. It would be not- for-profit private insurance plans and they would be run by the office of personal management. This is the same federal agency that oversees the benefits for millions of federal employees. And then also another important part of this would be that some folks would be able to buy into Medicare.

You know, right now you have to be 65 to get Medicare. For people between 55 and 64, they would be able to buy into Medicare. That is a big deal. If it doesn't affect you, certainly you know maybe one of your parents, it affects them, maybe a co-worker, that's something that would affect them. So overall, Brooke, this is a tentative deal among 10 senators. And it's very tentative because it's contingent on exactly how much this is going to cost.

The numbers haven't been crunched and that non-partisan Congressional Budget Office that does all of these estimates to figure out what the price tag is, they have to figure out what that is before even these 10 senators are going to say, yes, I will definitely back this. And then there's the process of selling this to all of the Democrats, maybe a Republican or two, if Democrats find that they need that support as well.

So Senate majority leader Harry Reid saying yesterday, I guess, yes, hoping that the end is near. But one possible roadblock, you know, Brianna, I know you were covering this public option debate, also covering abortion. Because I know, yesterday there was this vote on toughening these abortion restrictions, you know, funding here in the health care bill. We know that proposal didn't pass but how might that complicate things for these different Democrat leaders who have been sparring a little bit here, who want to pass this thing before Christmas?

KEILAR: This does complicate things certainly for Democratic leaders because it was a Democrat, a moderate Democrat, Ben Nelson of Nebraska, who proposed that amendment yesterday that failed. It would have said there's going to be no abortion coverage in any insurance plan that gets federal dollars. He really wanted that language. He had indicated that this would be a deal breaker for him if he didn't get this toughened-up language. He may not vote for the health care bill.

So it's a little unclear exactly where he stands at this point. If that's certainly a line in the sand but if it is for him, then Democrats are going to have to look elsewhere for some support. They'd have to look for Republican so that would be really a heavy lift for them.

BALDWIN: Well, as soon as you hear anything back, maybe from your producers staking out that panel of 10, let us know. I'm curious to know what happens there.

KEILAR: Will do. BALDWIN: Brianna Keilar for us there in Washington.

Now, President Obama unveiling a new plan to stimulate the economy. It would include tax breaks to small businesses for hiring new employees and investing in themselves. And we've been talking about this cash for caulkers program. Big rebates for home efficiency improvements. The ultimate goal here, putting Americans back to work.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Our work is far from done. For even though we have reduced the deluge of job losses to a relative trickle, we are not yet creating jobs at a pace to help all those families who have been swept up in the flood. There are more than seven million fewer Americans with jobs today than when this recession began. That's a staggering figure, and one that reflects not only the depths of the hole from which we must ascend but also a continuing human tragedy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: The president wants to find his new ideas with leftover bailout money from the Troubled Asset Relief Program. You know it as TARP. Republicans though they'd rather use it to pay down the federal deficit. President Obama will be making even more remarks today on the economy after meeting with a bipartisan group of lawmakers. And that should be happening this morning, right around 11:50 Eastern. We will bring you that, to you live and possibly some of this talk of job creation might be helping some of the numbers on Wall Street.

Let's take a quick peek and see how things are going on the big board. Possibly some of the progress with the health care bill. It looks like it's down just a little bit, sitting at 10,272 points there, the Dow today at the moment here.

Another big story we're keeping our eye on, this. If you are traveling anywhere in the upper midwest today be prepared for some tough, tough going. Imagine driving through this, a vicious snowstorm. Really socked much of that midwest region. Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa. They are seeing near whiteout conditions. Temperatures well below freezing, we're hearing, and at least five deaths are blamed on the storm. It is now barreling into New England, which could see as much as a foot of snow by this afternoon. Quite a dangerous system, Rob Marciano.

ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yes, it is. And this thing, unlike a lot of storms that come into the West Coast, they'll typically weaken a little bit when they go over the Rockies. This thing maintained strength and then strengthened even more and is still strengthening right now as it heads over the Great Lakes.

17 inches so far is the grand total there. Des Moines, Iowa, 12.7. Madison right now, almost at a foot and a half. Rockport, Missouri, seeing 12.5. Freeport seeing 11 and Cedar Rapids, Iowa, seeing 10 inches there. All right, here it is on the radar scope. A huge storm as far as the amount of real estate it's covering. The back side of this is certainly the most dangerous, at least right now, because not only do you have winds but you have dangerously cold air and you got blowing snow reducing visibility. So blizzard warnings have been posted for a number of these states.

At last check, parts of nine states under a blizzard warning still at this hour. 18 degrees right now in Rochester or thereabouts. Temperatures dropping right around freezing, so Chicago really hasn't seen much in the way of snow. They did and kind of change over to rain but now it's going to change back over to snow. And then parts of Wisconsin seeing winds sustained 25, 30 miles an hour and that's certainly approaching blizzard-like conditions.

All right. Across the south, here's some good news is that these tornado watches have been allowed to expire or have been flat-out cancelled, so the threat for severe weather as the tail end of this front moves off the coastline is beginning to diminish, so we'll certainly take that.

But temperatures will drop dramatically behind this system as cold air infiltrates much of the eastern - much of the country really. We're seeing temperatures right now that are in the teens across the Pacific northwest, record-breaking cold in places like Portland and Seattle. Temperatures below zero right now in places like Denver, Colorado. So all of this cold air will be infiltrating the East Coast. So temps that are right now in the 40s across New York where they're seeing rain will drop below freezing tonight and probably stay there tomorrow. But we'll take a bit of a break for a day or so, Brooke, as far as storms go.

BALDWIN: Is there any part of the country that isn't affected by something?

MARCIANO: I think you really got to get into South Florida.

BALDWIN: South Florida.

MARCIANO: The Keys. Go to Key West and you know, have yourself a nice drink with an umbrella and that will take your mind off it for sure.

BALDWIN: I like that. I like that. Good morning to those people. We're jealous. Rob Marciano, thank you.

MARCIANO: You bet.

BALDWIN: An American accused of being part of last year's deadly attacks in Mumbai, India, due in federal court next hour. David Coleman Headley is being arraigned on a charge of conspiracy to bomb public places in India resulting in death. Prosecutors say Headley attended terrorist training camps in Pakistan and helped plan those Mumbai attacks last year killing 160 people. He was arrested in October. And the Transportation Safety Administration is facing some pretty tough questions this morning. Top government officials want to know how the agency accidentally posted this airport screening manual online, all 93 pages of it, that included potentially dangerous secrets like real limitations of x-ray screening.

Senator Joseph Lieberman, chairman of the Senate Homeland Security Committee called it, "an embarrassing mistake that calls into question the judgment of agency managers." He goes to know to say "A security manual, redacted or not, is not the type of document we want to share with the world."

Earlier I spoke with former Homeland Security inspector General Clark Kent Ervin about the severity of the specific breach.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CLARK KENT ERVIN, FMR. INSPECTOR GEN., OFFICE OF HOMELAND SECURITY: Yes, this really is a road map for terrorists and god knows the number of people to whom this manual was exposed. As you say, it points out weaknesses in procedures that can be exploited, people who are subjected to less scrutiny than others.

And so it's absolutely imperative that TSA immediately, I hope it did it as soon as this story broke yesterday, tighten all the procedures that are identified in that report, that are relaxed, that people who were subjected to less scrutiny here after be subjected to the same scrutiny as everybody else otherwise there's no question but the terrorists will eventually exploit these vulnerabilities.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BADLWIN: So if you're hearing this story for the first time, think about it. What do you think about this? We want to hear from you on our blog. We want to hear your thoughts on this security mistake as he told me an egregious security mistake at TSA. How concerned are you about your flying safety and what do you think should be done to protect air passengers? Here's all you need to do, just go to cnn.com/heidi. That's our blog and I will read some of your responses live a little later on the show.

They are both congressmen and veterans of the war in Afghanistan. Find out what they think about the president's new strategy.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: Happening right now on Capitol Hill, the U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan, Karl Eikenberry, and General David Petraeus, the top U.S. commander for really the greater Middle East, defending the Afghanistan war plan. I want to take you live inside. You're looking at the chair of this committee, chair of the Senate Foreign Relations committee, John Kerry, giving his opening statements.

The hearing, obviously, just getting underway. General Stanley McChrystal, top U.S. commander in Afghanistan, testified before a House committee yesterday where he gave a strong statement of his support for President Obama's strategy.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEN. STANLEY MCCHRYSTAL, CMDR., U.S. FORCES, AFGHANISTAN: The president's decision rapidly resources our strategy, recognizing that the next 18 months will likely be decisive and ultimately enable success. I fully support the president's decision. The president also reiterated how this decision supports our national interests. Rolling back the Taliban is a prerequisite to the ultimate defeat of Al Qaeda. The mission is not only important, it is also achievable. We can and will accomplish this mission.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: And now our next guests were both part of that House Armed Forces Committee hearing yesterday and they are both veterans of the U.S. Armed Services. Congressman Joe Sestak, a Democrat from Pennsylvania. He is running for Senate and Congressman Duncan Hunter, Republican from California. Gentlemen, good morning. Thank you for joining us.

Congressman Sestak, I want to start with you. You know, you asked this one question about General Stanley McChrystal talking in part about Pakistan, which I hear is one issue that some of the senators will be drilling on today, but you also asked about benchmarks. What was your reaction to the general's response and were you satisfied?

REP. JOE SESTAK (D), PENNSYLVANIA: It was a good response. For me, and I think for many of us, the real objective here is the destruction of the safe haven of Al Qaeda in Pakistan, which needs the cooperation of the Pakistani Army. I asked if we had benchmarks to measure our progress or our failures towards achieving that with the Pakistani Army for an exit strategy or to evolve to a different type strategy.

He said they did have criteria and benchmarks, not completely formed, that helped him assess the amount of troops that he needed that had to do something with the Taliban maybe crossing the border. We had a very classified briefing in the afternoon focused with the three-star military officer who is there in the area around Pakistan that specifically had to do with that.

And so I am content that they are developing these benchmarks and General McChrystal promised us to have it in a classified hearing in the imminent future.

BALDWIN: OK. So you got your answer, you're saying you're fairly satisfied with that. Congressman Hunter, I know I read the transcript, you got this question in basically asking about these enabling, the support personnel when compared to combat troops. Before I get your response, your question, explain to me who are these enabling and support personnel and why that was so important to ask.

REP. DUNCAN HUNTER (R), CALIFORNIA: Well, everything from intelligence, you know, drones flying around, hangars, aircraft runways, support helicopters, Medevac helicopters, a lot of stuff that we're short on right now in Afghanistan. The whole source of it was if we're going to send over 30,000 more people over there and we're short now, how do we expect to enable them because we're actually short now.

So how many of these 30,000 people are going to be actual combat troops, actually out there in the cities and these urban centers and how many of them are going to be people who we need now to make things even, because we're short on everything now. IEDs account for 85 percent of American casualties in Afghanistan. We're losing the IED war now.

What are we going to do when we have 30,000 more people driving around Afghanistan? We want to make sure that we have the capability, the enablers to protect those front-line guys, provide support for them so we can be successful.

BALDWIN: So congressman will we have enough?

HUNTER: He seemed confident.

BALDWIN: He did.

HUNTER: He seemed confident that he could break that down because he's able to micromanage which troops go where. He can actually say to this Marine battalion, I'm going to give you 300 of these guys and I want you to have 25 engineers along with you, even though it isn't the usual makeup. He can micromanager that. He can tell them what he wants. He can shape the force now. He was confident in that and that makes me confident that he feels good about it.

BALDWIN: OK. I want to ask both of you the same question. First we'll start with Congressman Sestak. And I know, when I was talking to Jill Dougherty earlier she said, you know, this idea of "winning" is a bit nebulous. So I guess they were abating using the word (INAUDIBLE). But do you think that the U.S. will be successful in its mission in Afghanistan?

SESTAK: That is the right question, will we be successful? I do believe that this strategy that we are taking advantage of in a closing window of opportunity will be successful. And by that, I mean that we will leave behind an Afghanistan that is inhospitable to Al Qaeda returning. A large probability will be in hospital. The key here is Pakistan and that's why these benchmarks are so important.

I do not believe this should be an open-ended commitment. Cost that sometimes becomes larger in any strategy that's not being successful than the benefits, so we need those benchmarks we talked before so we have the proper successful exit strategy or an exit strategy to a different alternative means. But no, I think success has to be defined as the eradication of Al Qaeda that threatens us in Pakistan and inhospitable to Al Qaeda in Afghanistan.

And yes, listening to both generals, Ambassador Eikenberry, was the general who asked for more troops three years ago and didn't get them. That this is an opportunity for America's security we cannot forsake.

BALDWIN: Right. And then he wanted to take a closer look at what he considers perhaps a corrupt government and then determine additional troop levels. Congressman Hunter, what about you, do you think Pakistan is essential here? Do you think that we'll accomplish our mission?

HUNTER: Oh, absolutely on both counts. Pakistan is essential, that's where the bad guys are going to be hiding for the next three months. They're going to be moving out of Afghanistan to Pakistan, storing up weapons and ammo and getting ready to have a spring offensive next year. You've got to make Afghanistan inhospitable is a fantastic word for that.

You've got to make it inhospitable to them. You got to make sure that the bad guys can't destabilize Pakistan. That's one more reason to make sure that Afghanistan is inhospitable for the bad guys. Pakistan does have nukes, got to make sure that's stable. That's what makes America safe and that's what the men and women in the military are over there doing. They're making us safer by being in Afghanistan. That's the ultimate goal, to not have another 9/11 and that's what we're over there ultimately to do.

BALDWIN: OK. Congressman Hunter, I want to stay with you but move away from Afghanistan for a moment here. You know the story, the three Navy Seals who have been charged with abusing this Iraqi detainee. And then you sent this letter to Secretary of Defense Robert Gates asking him essentially to review the case.

One, what are you asking for specifically from him and have you gotten any response?

HUNTER: Specifically now because there weren't any actual charges out there when I sent that letter. The Navy Seals were arraigned on the 7th. What I want him to do is just look at this case closely because this has an actual personal bent for me. When I was in the Marine Corps, I went into Fallujah in April of 2004. because of this incident with those Blackwater contractors getting hung up. So these three Navy Seals caught this, you know, this terrorist mastermind who caused those Blackwater deaths, made the Marines go in, that was me.

So this has some personal aspect to it, a personal bent. To hear that a Navy Seal allegedly punched a terrorist mastermind in the stomach doesn't upset me, you know, to any great extent and I think that the Navy is overreacting in this case with charging them.

BALDWIN: Real quickly, though, yes or no, have you heard back from the secretary?

HUNTER: No. I have not.

BALDWIN: No, you have not. OK. Congressman Sestak, I know you're running for Senate. You picked up a pretty decent endorsement this week with Congressman Barney Franks. Some people surprised by that. Arlen Specter, your opponent, already has the president's endorsement. So let's talk strategy. Where do you go from here?

HUNTER: Well, I have great respect for President Obama, I'm supporting his strategy as Arlen Specter is not here in Afghanistan, because I believe it has to do with our security. But as Barney Franks said, he said, look, a deal was cut and we don't begrudge the president having to deal for a political calculation of his 60th vote but we weren't part of that deal.

And Barney Franks says he thinks it was mistaken. We, Pennsylvanians have to understand that we have had a senator who has actually switched parties so he could save his job. He couldn't beat the Republican opponent. He has flipped on public option. He has flipped on Defense of Marriage Act. He has flipped on card check. So the question is - is he standing for his position in Afghanistan out of merit or is he standing for it because of political convenience to win?

The issue I think that both Duncan and I stand for is what you just brought up in your question to him. We both stand for accountability. We both stand that we believe that there has to be a new political leadership where we are accountable.

We can differ, but if there's anything the public most is upset about in Washington, D.C. is politicians are in for themselves, not for what's good for them. And that is why I'm running and ultimately as you have seen, the polls change dramatically, we will win in Pennsylvania. But thanks for the question. I have great respect for President Obama.

BALDWIN: Sure thing. Congressman Duncan Hunter, Congressman Joe Sestak. Gentlemen, thank you so much for chatting.

General Stanley McChrystal says he knows how to gain success in Afghanistan. We were just talking about mission so he will be sitting down with our own Christiane Amanpour just to really lay out the specifics of his plan and you can watch that entire interview today, 4:00 p.m. Eastern in "The Situation Room."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: Checking our top stories now.

Two candidates left in the race to take over for the late Senator Ted Kennedy, Massachusetts attorney general Martha Coakley beat out three other Democrats in yesterday's primary and state Senator Scott Brown, beat out one other challenger in the Republican primary. So Coakley and Brown will both be facing each other in the general election in January and then the winner will serve the last two years of Kennedy's six-year Senate term.

It is going to get a little bit harder to find medical marijuana in Los Angeles. The city council voted to close most of the clinics that sell it. Right now an estimated 1,000 clinics are in business there. The council wants to get that number down to 70 eventually.

The Food and Drug Administration taking a little heat over this Vioxx scandal. Experts told the FDA to change its the safety measures after Vioxx was pulled from the market back in 2004. But the "Associated Press" says that still hasn't happened, according to this Government Accountability Office report. The FDA is defending itself saying staffers need more experience and resources before it can restructure.

And one year ago Bernie Madoff's house of cards started falling. Many of his victims figured they had kissed their money goodbye, but now better hopes of getting it at least some of it back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: Could it be a breakthrough on some of this health care reform? Yes, that is possibly what we're hearing here on Capitol Hill. Senate Democrats say there might be a breakthrough.

Right now, there's this tentative deal to drop the so-called public option of a government-run insurance option. Instead, the health care bill may offer nonprofit health plans similar to the ones available for federal workers. Or another possibility, offering Medicare to uninsured Americans beginning at the age of 55. That's a change.

Later today, senators will consider another way to possibly hold down consumer costs. That amendment would allow prescription drugs to be imported from Canada and several other countries where identical drugs are much cheaper.

Taking a look at the weather picture out there, it is a mess. Blizzard conditions in the north, and then just a lot of rain. Fierce winds in the South. A powerful storm responsible for both of these; at least five deaths are blamed on the extreme weather. Thousands of travelers out there. Not fun, stranded at airports. Some schools, businesses, even sections of interstate really just closed down because of the snow or the rain.

And Rob Marciano has been watching this all morning long. Rob, I know the National Weather Service officially calling this a monster storm. It is a monster.

ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yes, it is. That's aptly described.

(WEATHER REPORT)

BALDWIN: Kind of eerily warm in the Southeast, but at least you said tornado warnings not an issue anymore, right?

MARCIANO: Yes, it will be eerily chilly come tomorrow morning.

BALDWIN: Before too long. All right, Rob Marciano, thank you.

And to a different kind of storm, a financial storm. A locked-up Bernie Madoff tossed away the key, but some of the investors he burned, they want more. Specifically, more government protection from financial scams. Madoff victims testifying now before this House subcommittee. Right now, that's what you're looking at. They're in D.C. Now, that panel is considering changes to the Securities Investor Protection Act, and Madoff was arrested just about one year ago -- one year ago, I believe it's this Friday. Many of his victims still trying to pick up their financial pieces, but perhaps this damage inflicted upon them won't quite be as bad as feared.

Our Christine Romans is back. She is joining us live from New York. I guess this anniversary, this one-year anniversary, not something people are celebrating.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: No, not celebrating at all.

A year ago he issued all of these client statements to people, November 2008, saying there was $65 billion in their accounts and now, of course, we know that that was a lie. And Bernie Madoff is in jail for the rest of his life for that scam that he perpetrated.

Here's the deal. Some of his investors, some of them the financial damage won't be as bad as had been originally thought. Why? A combination of tax breaks. Also some payouts, $500,000 in payouts from something called the Securities Investor Protection Corporation. And the trustee has been tracking down this money. Overall, $19 billion in total losses is what the trustee has found. $1.4 billion has been recovered. $4.7 billion in claims from victims have been allowed. And $534 million has been returned to victims.

Some victims, Brooke, are getting up to 40 percent of their money back, depending on what kind of investor they were.

Now, here's the problem ,and you're going to hear this from some of those people at the panel at the House Financial Services Committee. Some people invested through feeder funds. They aren't covered under the Securities Investor Protection Corporation guidelines. They won't get any money back there, and they are having a harder time getting some of their money back. Nobody is going to get all of their money back.

Also, you've got some investors who took out more money over the course of their relationship with Mr. Madoff than they ever put in. And so for those people, they're very upset because they feel as though they thought there was more money. They were relying on what Bernie Madoff told them, and they may be completely out of luck.

So, still a year later, Brooke, we are trying to unravel all of the lies of Bernie Madoff, and a third hearing there where you're hearing from investors who still want more protections to make sure this doesn't happen again.

BALDWIN: Well, at least they're fighting for some of your money back. Like you said, they won't get it all, but something is better than nothing, right, Christine?

ROMANS: That's right.

BALDWIN: All right. Christine Romans for us in New York. Thank you.

They are a way to make a living while doing your part to protect the planet, but where are all the green jobs? We will get you started on your green job search.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: Time to check some of the top stories we're watching for you this morning.

First, the alleged White House party crashers do not want to testify. The House Homeland Security Committee considering whether to issue subpoenas today for the Salahis. They skipped that hearing last week, but the couple's lawyer says they will invoke the Fifth Amendment if called to testify.

Inside secrets for airline screeners, like how much does an X-ray machine really see? That's one of the details accidentally posted on the Internet from a 93-page TSA manual. That manual, by the way, with screening procedures for diplomats, marshals, even prisoners.

The TSA released a statement saying the information was outdated and never actually implemented. The agency promising a full review.

So, that is bringing us to today's blog question. We're asking you a couple questions. You know, a, how concerned are you really about this breach? Some saying is egregious, it's massive. We're also asking what do you think should happen to make sure we're all protected, all of us who hop on flights? So, we're hearing some of you. I want to read some of your blogs here.

First we're hearing from Mehi. Mehi writes, "The security training manual should have been posted online from day one. The vulnerabilities need to be fixed, not hidden. Security through obscurity never works as intended." So, she's pushing for more transparency.

Joe writes, "Seriously? This is absolutely incredible. Perhaps the person who allowed this breach to happen needs to be replaced with one or more of the millions of people who are unemployed."

And Fred writes in and says, "I highly doubt that there is any" quote, unquote, "'new' or useful information in this that any attentive individual wouldn't have already learned. However lackadaisical, I don't fear any repercussion from this."

Thank you, all of you, for writing in. It's a conversation we want to continue. We always want to hear from you. All you have to do is log on to CNN.com/heidi, that's our blog. Again, thanks for writing in.

Moving along here. For some, coping with climate change, you know what? It's just a matter of money. Today, day three in Copenhagen at that climate summit. A minister from Bangladesh said his country deserves at least 15 percent of what the rich nations might give poorer nations. Bangladesh, which is off the Bay of Bengal, is especially vulnerable to rising sea levels and cyclones.

Nearly 100 different world leaders will be at that summit. Former vice president Al Gore points to their participation in Copenhagen as evidence that changes can be made. One of those changes is the addition of green jobs. He spoke about the opportunities earlier today on CNN's "AMERICAN MORNING."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AL GORE, FMR. U.S. VICE PRESIDENT: One of the best ways to create millions of good, new jobs and stimulate the economy is by investing in green infrastructure. China will overtake the United States in wind next year, soon thereafter in solar. They're building the largest smart grid or supergrid in the world. We have an opportunity to take these new jobs that are going to be created and plant them in local communities here in the United States and create millions of them. They can't be outsourced.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Former vice president Al Gore also spoke about all those hacked e-mails and documents that skeptics say or using, basically here, as evidence to prove some of these climate scientists have manipulated or hidden some of their climate data just to exaggerate this threat of global warming. And Mr. Gore said they were taken out of context, they were cherry picked and blown up into something they just simply are not.

So, over the next two weeks, CNN is basically covering this Copenhagen climate summit completely. We're talking about why it matters, what it means to you. Stay with CNN to find out, and make sure you watch tonight. Campbell Brown all over this. She's taking an in-depth look at the e-mail controversy that threatens to overshadow the summit. You can watch that 8:00 p.m. Eastern only on CNN.

We talk a lot about green jobs, you know -- they're everywhere apparently these days. Last hour, we got to the bottom of what these jobs actually are and now, we want to talk about where you can actually go out and find them.

Personal finance editor Gerri Willis joining me once again. So Gerri, are there specific parts within the United States where there seems to be bigger, greater growth in the green jobs sector?

GERRI WILLIS, CNN PERSONAL FINANCE EDITOR: You bet, Brooke. There are a lot of top states for top green job growth. But you might be surprised.

Take a look at this list from 1998 through 2007. Who was the leader? Idaho had the most number of clean or green jobs, up 126 percent. Over that time, you see Nebraska up 109 percent. South Dakota up 93 percent. Wyoming, 56. New Mexico, 50 percent. So, some surprises there, but of course, this is growth off of a very low base. The total number of jobs created, for example, in Idaho was, let's see, about 4,500.

So, let's take a look at the biggest green economy in the country. It's California. This is where you really see a lot of jobs clustered together. Take a look at these details. 125,000 green jobs there. They are the biggest clean energy economy. The green jobs there are growing faster than the broader jobs market.

And the -- part of the reason that this is happening is they have got a lot of venture capital money out there that are growing these jobs. The government itself there has made a decision that buildings have to be green. So that's really helping to propel this growth. Brooke.

BALDWIN: So Idaho -- you mentioned, my guess would have been in California, but it looks like there are green jobs all over the place. Do some regions maybe, Gerri, specialize in specific green industries?

WILLIS: You betcha. Texas, for example, generates more electricity from wind than any other state with more than 55,000 green jobs. Tennessee has a concentration in recycling, waste treatment, water management. Green jobs there have grown 18 percent in the decade, ended in 2007. Colorado, no surprise here, leads in renewable energy, especially solar and wind power.

And the good news is that green opportunities are just about everywhere. The key is tracking them, which is what we'll be talking more about tomorrow.

BALDWIN: All right, Gerri Willis in New York on the green jobs beat. Thank you so much, Gerri.

The president has been talking about green jobs. President also focusing specifically on the economy, on employment today. He is set to meet with top lawmakers from both parties in both Houses of Congress to talk about job creation programs.

But tonight, the president has a little trip to take, leaving Washington for Oslo, Norway, tomorrow. He will be accepting the Nobel Peace Prize. And CNN, you can believe, we will be there live next week when President Obama accepts that award. Our coverage starts with a special edition of "AMERICAN MRONING" Thursday, starting bright and early 6:00 a.m. Eastern.

The war in Afghanistan and the monetary costs at home. The price tag? Staggering. The long-term cost? Jarring.

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BALDWIN: We are keeping an eye on what's happening right now on Capitol Hill. Lawmakers focusing on the new war strategy in Afghanistan. For the second straight day, the U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan, Karl Eikenberry, he is defending the president's plan to send these 30,000 more troops. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee is also hearing from -- here is is -- this very decorated general, David Petraeus, the top U.S. commander for the greater Middle East. The focus today, this additional troop surge of 30,000 more troops that will be used, and possibly more debate over the timetable when they should be brought home.

Even as General Petraeus and the Ambassador Eikenberry answer some tough questions presumably from some of these lawmakers about the strategy in Afghanistan, questions are still swirling about the cost. Why is it so expensive to send our troops over there? CNNmoney's Poppy Harlow got some answers.

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POPPY HARLOW, CNNMONEY.COM (voice-over): Thirty thousand more U.S. troops headed for Afghanistan. The White House's estimated price tag, $1 million per soldier per year.

The overall Pentagon budget for fiscal 2010 is some $660 billion. Many, though, estimate the intensified war in Afghanistan will drive costs even higher. Former assistant defense secretary Lawrence Korb notes thousands of extra troops were deployed to Afghanistan earlier this year.

LAWRENCE KORB, SENIOR FELLOW, CENTER FOR AMERICAN PROGRESS: So, this is another 30,000. Neither of those were anticipated. Defense spending for fiscal year 2010 will be close to $750 billion, which is about the same size as the stimulus package.

HARLOW: But will all that spending stimulate the economy? Korb doesn't think so.

KORB: Most of this money is not going to have an impact on the United States because you're using equipment you've already bought. Defense spending is the least efficient way to stimulate the economy among all other government spending.

HARLOW: Much of the increased price tag of war in Afghanistan boils down to geography.

DOV ZAKHEIM, FORMER DEFENSE DEPT. COMPTROLLER: If you've been to Afghanistan or seen films, you know this is a very mountainous country with roads that when they actually do work are often blown up by the Taliban and their allies. And so you can't move around the country very well. And so you're dependent on aircraft, and that drives the costs up. The cost of fuel has skyrocketed in the last few years. That drives the cost up. And of course, the intensity of operations has increase dramatically.

HARLOW: Dov Zakehim is the Defense Department's former comptroller. He estimates that in 2004, before the troop surges in Iraq or Afghanistan, the DOD was spending one-seventh what it now on those wars.

ZAKHEIM: There's no way you can do it on the cheek. But if we want to surge the troops and we want to train the Afghans and we want to develop the country, we have to pay the money for it.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BALDWIN: Poppy Harlow joining me now from New York. We all know we need to the foot this bill. But when will we find out how much we'll be paying? Because we're hearing this $30 billion figure, but that's just an estimate, correct?

HARLOW: Exactly right. That is just a rough estimate from the White House. The Obama administration says, listen, the Pentagon is working on a formal request for the money. Then the White House is going to, Brooke, decide how to best approach Congress to get approval for that funding.

It could, I should note, be part of a supplemental request to fund the increased war in Iraq. That, though, would be contradictory to President Obama's pledge to stop using these supplementals to fund the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. So, we'll be watching that very closely.

But we want to know what all of you out there think, so we posed this question to you on Twitter right now. Do you think that increased defense spending in Afghanistan is money well spent? Let us know, and we'll bring your answers to air later today. Let us know at twitter.com/CNNmoney. Brooke?

BALDWIN: Poppy Harlow in New York, thank you.

We just mentioned, he went from a Senate hot seat to our hot seat. General Stanley McChrystal says he knows how to gain success in Afghanistan. The commander of U.S. forces there sits down with our own Christiane Amanpour to really lay out his plan. Catch that entire interview today at 4:00 p.m. Eastern time on "THE SITUATION ROOM."

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BALDWIN: You own a home that lose (sic) value this year? Well, it happened to a number of Americans. But some cities did see some gains and losses that were a bit smaller than they were just a year ago. Felicia Taylor at the New York Stock Exchange with the results of this new home value survey. Felicia.

FELICIA TAYLOR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Brooke. As a homeowner myself, I find this a little depressing. By the end of the year, U.S. homeowners will have lost about $500 billion in value on their homes. That's according to a real estate Web site Zillo.com (ph), and that tracks home values in over 150 metro areas.

That sounds like a lot, but that's actually the good news. It's nothing compared to what we saw last year, which were over $3.5 trillion in lost value. Zillo's Cheap Economist says home values stabilized, though, significantly in the second half of the year, thanks to historically low mortgage rates and that government tax credit for new home buyers.

Not out of the woods, as you well know. Homes in most cities are losing value, and Zillo says values could fall again in the first part of 2010 as mortgage rates creep higher and there are still a great deal of foreclosed homes on the market. Brooke?

BALDWIN: Sorry to end on that note, Felicia, but got to go. Felicia Taylor for us covering Wall Street. Thank you.

Again, I am Brooke Baldwin. Thanks for sticking around with me. CNN NEWSROOM continues right now with Tony Harris.