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Huge Spending Bill Passes; Accenture Drops Tiger Woods Ad; Weapons Seized on Plane from North Korea; Italian Prime Minister Hit in Face; Photographers Give Gift of Free Photos to Those Less Fortunate

Aired December 13, 2009 - 18:00   ET

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

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Breaking news: A big-time sponsor is getting out of the Tiger Woods business. It could be a sign of things to come. We're on top of this for you.

Think you spent a lot of money for the holidays? Congress is spending a lot more. Today, it was $1 trillion. The next stop: the president's desk.

From mudslides to snow to freezing rain and flooding, the weather is wreaking havoc on the country. Bad news for some hikers lost on a snowy mountain. One of them has been found dead. We'll update you on that story/

An emotional reunion for Jews who tried to flee Hitler's terror, only to be sent back to die. Those who managed to survive speak to CNN on the anniversary of a freedom voyage denied.

Hello, everyone. I'm Don Lemon. Thanks for joining us.

We begin with a bombshell in the sports world. Accenture, the company behind this well-known TV ad today, dropped Tiger Woods.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, ACCENTURE AD/YOUTUBE)

NARRATOR: Go on. Be a Tiger.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: The question now: is Accenture just the first of many companies and corporations who have lost faith in the world's premier golfer? There have been hints for days that sponsors may begin quietly dropping Woods after revelations of infidelity emerged over the Thanksgiving holiday.

But Accenture's announcement today is nothing less than a public repudiation of Woods' personal life. The company releases blunt statement on its Web site and they did just a short time ago.

So, listen to this. This is what they said, "For the past six years, Accenture and Tiger Woods have had a very successful sponsorship agreement -- or arrangement and his achievements on the golf course have been a powerful metaphor for business success in Accenture's advertising. However, given the circumstances of the last two weeks, after careful consideration and analysis, the company has determined that he is no longer the representative for its advertising. Accenture said that it wishes only the best for Tiger Woods and his family."

So, is this a sign of things for things to come for Tiger whose many sponsorships have enabled him to become sports' first billion- dollar man?

There you see you him. Let's ask our resident sports guru, Rick Horrow.

So, Rick, what do you think of this? It says, "He no longer represents the kind of image that we want to have."

RICK HORROW, CNN SPORTS BUSINESS ANALYST: You and I before the show talked about this statement. The right questions to focus on, the right language, he is no longer the right representative for the company. Gillette talked about a hiatus, wished him well. The PGA Tour, hiatus wished him well. Other companies like AT&T reevaluating.

This is the first time a corporation has come and slapped right between the eyes. And it's a bottom line where you may think that it's a deal that might cascade to the $93 million a year that he already has in sponsorships. This spells some trouble.

LEMON: Yes, OK. So, we've -- and we have been talking about this before, about all of the sponsors. And if you look at them, there they are up there on your screen. Nike, Accenture -- Accenture no longer. You can put a red mark to that one. AT&T, TAG Heuer, E.A. Sports, Gatorade, Gillette, "Golf Digest," Net Jets, TLC Laser Eye Centers, Upper Deck, P.J., and on and on and on. So, we're talking about close to what, $100 million in sponsorships here?

HORROW: Close to $100 million. But also, let's remember that the spokesman industry for athletes, $12 billion a year, corporate America, corporate world, Patrick can talk about that, is spending for spokesman. Before this deal, there was this contracts being shorter, smaller, and easier to terminate. That's fair.

But this is a fundamental sea change in the sports industry, in the sponsorship industry, and how corporate America treats this period.

LEMON: And we're going to -- real quickly, I just want to said, let me just tell everyone who is here, because this happened just a short time ago. So, we got Patrick Snell who is here, from CNN International. He's a sports guy. And we also have David Cornwell, who is a very prominent sports attorney, celebrity and sports attorney, and is very knowledgeable of this.

We're going to break this all down for you and get to the bottom of this and where this story is going. International interest in this story, correct?

PATRICK SNELL, CNN SPORTS: Yes. This is big.

LEMON: Let me finish with him. A sign of things to come, you think? This is the first of many?

HORROW: Well, it might be first of many. There are companies that are going to react to exactly how people react to this today. If it's a hiatus with a small "h," if he stays out a little longer, companies may wait. It's a large "H," if he stays out for a while, rest assured his landscape fundamentally changes.

LEMON: OK. Let's turn now -- standby. We're going to now to Patrick Snell.

Talk about the other half of this equation, his decision to leave indefinitely to sports and to take a leave, and he says, to get his family healthy again -- bad for the PGA? Good for Tiger maybe?

SNELL: You know, I think the jury is still out on that. We've got to see when he -- when is he coming back. I mean, I know internationally, Don, the golfing community is waiting with bated breath to see when he'll actually play.

We saw his appearance in Down Under, recently in Australia, the Melbourne Masters, the Ozzie Masters. The attraction that he has at these events is huge. It's second to none. It's unparallel. It's a huge blow to the U.S. PGA Tour, but to all the tours worldwide.

And the impact he had in Australia, I mean, the Victorian government Down Under was willing to pay him a fee of $3 million alone just to get him there. And they came under fire to a degree about that. But they said, "Well, look, OK, we're paying him $3 million just to be here, but he's generating around $20 million to the local economy." That's the impact Woods has worldwide.

But we know when he was out last year, Don, he took several months away from the game to have more knee surgery, and the U.S. PGA Tour suffered greatly during his absence. TV viewing figures go down dramatically, and people just kind of lose interest.

LEMON: Well, the interesting thing is, as people just kind of lose interest, I don't think they'll lose interest when Tiger decides to come back. I think the ratings are going to probably be higher than, you know, almost any sporting event in history.

SNELL: Yes.

LEMON: I'm willing to go out on a limb for that one.

SNELL: And we saw that when he came back after his knee surgery. It was an event we covered internationally and domestically. In Tucson, Arizona, he came back, and the media presence of that event in Arizona was just incredible. It was hailed as the biggest story of the year then.

LEMON: You said $3 million Australia was willing to pay him, but he generated how much?

SNELL: The local government in Victoria, Australia, was saying, "Yes, his fee is $3 million, but we estimate," they've said, "that he's going to bring in around $20 million to the local economy."

LEMON: Let's talk about that, David Cornwell, because if anyone aligns themselves with a celebrity, and I spoke and you said, they're paying for a pop of advertising that they couldn't afford, that they couldn't get anywhere else.

DAVID CORNWELL, DNK CORNWELL SPORTS LAW FIRM: Absolutely. The image of Tiger pumping his fist after hitting a putt or winning a tournament right above the Nike logo, you can't put a price on that. So, it's been valuable to Nike and his other sponsors up until this point.

But now that his image has been tarnished, Accenture made the decision today that "we don't want to align our products or our services with him at this time." But I think an important distinction to make here: they are not terminating the agreement. They are terminating the relationship. The agreement was entered into in 2003, six-year agreement. What they're saying is we're not going to renew.

So, that kind of operates in Tiger's benefit. I don't think that his conduct has violated any of the morals clauses in any of the agreements. So as they come up for renewal, and it's not all lockstep, it will be, you know, staggered in time. It will depend on where he is in rebuilding his image.

So, by stepping out of the public eye, focusing on the personal issues, but also giving the public and the sponsors a chance to catch their breath, this may not be the watershed of an end. It all depends on what happens next.

LEMON: This is going to be an -- correct me if I'm wrong -- any time you do something like this, when you have to do a mea culpa and you're in business with someone, the best thing is to have face-time with that person and say, you know, "I'm sorry, I screwed up."

Is he going to have to go to each one of those sponsors and do that?

CORNWELL: I will tell you, when I've been in situations like this with athletes, primarily high-profile athletes, the work that we do publicly is paled -- pales in comparison to the work that we do behind the scenes, getting on the phone, giving them a heads-up. You know, we've dealt with E.A., the same companies that Tiger has been sponsored by. You let them know what's going to happen before it happens.

And I would be absolutely shocked if there weren't discussions with the sponsors who agreed that taking this time off might be better for both sides.

LEMON: I have so many questions for you. And I asked Rick this question yesterday and I want to ask you this now. Because, you said the morals clause right there exercising whatever.

CORNWELL: Yes. LEMON: But these are iron-clad contracts, right, that they are. So he's pretty well-locked into these contracts, even with the morals clause? Because he didn't do anything illegal.

CORNWELL: He didn't do anything illegal, but there are -- there is generally a clause that says that -- engage in conduct that is so offensive that it shocks the minds of the consciousness of the public, that we can terminate.

LEMON: Does this rise to that level?

CORNWELL: Well, you know, I don't mean to be crass, but -- we're here to inform your viewers. The standard on the morals clause, generally, as it comes to sex or a man is a live boy or a dead girl.

LEMON: Yes, I heard that.

CORNWELL: And that hasn't happened. So he hasn't risen to the level where they can terminate on that clause, I don't think.

(CROSSTALK)

LEMON: I'm sorry. Go ahead.

HORROW: The other comment I was going to make, David, was ask you the question about you can terminate, but the language that Accenture used, no longer the right representative, you could terminate and make the language a little more vanilla. They chose not to do that.

CORNWELL: That's right. Well, terminate the relationship, terminate the agreement. They could terminate the agreement and continue to pay him...

HORROW: Right.

CORNWELL: ... and just not use him. But let's hold our -- keep our powders dry for a minute and see what happens next.

LEMON: Let's stand by real quick, Patrick. I know you want to get in here.

But here's the question I'm asking. OK. So, it's a morals clause and you said he didn't do anything illegal and the language that you used, "not wanting to be crass."

But here's the question: if he's saying, I'm taking an extended leave from sports and golf, these people, these companies, sponsors signed on to him because of what he did on the golf course. If he's no longer on that golf course, is that contract then legitimate? Is he in breach? Can they get out of those contracts?

CORNWELL: Generally, there is a provision in the termination clause that relates to disability or death. But concept is, if you are unavailable for a continuous period of time, 90, 180 days or maybe more, then they have the right to either terminate or suspend the contract for the period that you're unavailable.

Here in these discussions behind the scenes that I was talking about, it's entirely possible that they've agreed to suspend the contracts for the period that he's not playing. We just don't know.

LEMON: All right. Stand by -- stand by real quick.

Patrick, I want to ask you this. Sometimes, you can have a different perception from people who are overseas than here in the United States. Is this -- did it have the same gravity overseas that it has here? People look and going, oh, he is you know, or they're saying, he's a man, he's a cad? But sometimes that does happen.

SNELL: No, I think they're shock as well. In my native U.K., for example, there is definite shock. I mean, you're always going to get people who have that attitude that you just expressed. But he is -- at the end of the day, he is the world's number one golfer. He's unique.

And all golf lovers worldwide -- this transcends golfer lovers. He's a brand worldwide. There is nowhere he can where he is incognito. Everybody knows Tiger Woods. Therefore, people are always going to judge. I mean, it's the nature of the game. He's all about winning Majors.

But, you know, when certain things happen, when certain allegations are made, people are always going to have an opinion. And the U.K. is the home of golf. And those Brits, they like to have their say.

LEMON: Are people really not going buy watches or insurance or whatever because Tiger Woods is associated with them?

HORROW: Very perplexing question. We know that lawyers and marketers are going to be paid a lot money to determine that. But internationally as well, Patrick is right about his home country. Twenty million golfers predicted in China by 2020. And, of course, the Olympics in Beijing, it credited to Tiger getting there in Shanghai and saying we're going to expand golf.

So, it's well more than watches. This is an international phenomenon that now is discredited with an uncertain end. Last year, when he had his knee surgery, we all knew when he was coming back roughly. And that was an entirely different circumstance. So, the half reduction in television ratings, we knew that was going to rebound. Now, we don't know when the rebound happens.

LEMON: All right. Hang on. Hey, guys, I know we -- Tom, you're telling me to wrap it up. One more question that I want to get here and I think it's a very important question. I've been asked by the viewers.

What's next? What does he do? Does he go on? Does he do an "Oprah"? Does he do a sit-down with a Barbara Walters? What happens with Tiger Woods next?

CORNWELL: He avoids the cliche and he does the authentic.

LEMON: What's the cliche?

CORNWELL: Cliche maybe Oprah or Barbara Walters.

LEMON: Why avoid that?

CORNWELL: Because so many people do it that way. Tiger has to regain what he was before, which was authentic, strong character, unique. Maybe he sits down with you, Don, in his backyard. Maybe he comes on "LARRY KING" and just asks questions.

But what he doesn't do is kind of check the boxes that crisis managers put in front of you, because he's not going get back to where he was if he does.

LEMON: Because if he sits down with another celebrity, he is sort of capitalizing on the equity of that celebrity?

CORNWELL: Exactly. He borrows on Oprah's equity...

LEMON: Yes.

CORNWELL: ... by sitting with her. He may -- who knows what it is, but it has to be authentic, and it cannot be a cliche.

HORROW: And remember -- he may have started already, because two weeks ago, he used this word "transgression." Nobody knew what it was. Now, look at his statement, disappointed, infidelity, profoundly sorrow, ask for forgiveness, better husband, father, person -- those are pretty strong words. So, he may have started this already.

LEMON: Last word.

SNELL: And one thing that -- another thing he cannot do is put out another of those online personal Web site kind of statements that have become synonymous throughout this whole thing.

LEMON: Right. Thanks to all three of you. More next hour. I could talk about this all day, and I wish we could do a segment with just viewer feedback and you guys answering it. Maybe we'll do that. Maybe we'll reach and do a show to do that because I think it's an interesting conversation and I think people are watching and they want to know.

Thank you, David, Patrick, and as always Rick Horrow. But, again, we'll talk to you guys next hour. Appreciate it.

You know, it is another Sunday work day in Washington. Senators are on the clock and spending big money, really big money. We'll tell you where the billions are going.

And a man goes after Italy's prime minister. Police arrest his attacker. We'll update Silvio Berlusconi's condition.

Also, taking your questions. Twitter, Facebook, MySpace or send us an iReport.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: We're back on the job today in Washington for the second Sunday in a row. Senators passed a $1.1 trillion spending deal by a vote of 57 to 35. The bill features $650 billion in mandatory spending for federal benefit programs such as Medicare and Social Security.

It also includes more than 5,000 earmarks, those questionable pet projects for the folks back home that always send spending critics like Senator John McCain over the edge.

Look at this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), ARIZONA: And if you want to vote for it, fine. But isn't it a little hard with a straight face to go back and tell your constituents that you really are against elimination of this waste and pork barrel and corrupting spending?

It corrupts, my friends. It's a gateway drug to corruption. We have former members of Congress in federal prison because of this.

Since it's going to be passed, I urge the president of the United States -- and I don't urge -- I demand the president of the United States, keep his word when he signed another pork barrel-laden bill last March to veto this bill. And I urge my colleagues -- I urge my colleagues, let's stand up against this for once, a bill that has $3.7 billion in earmarks.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Critics are already combing through the spending bill as it heads for the president's desk. And we're already hearings things like a farmer's market and a theater renovation are tucked deep inside this bill.

Tom Schatz is the president of the Citizens Against Government Waste. He joins us from Washington.

Thank you.

Listen, we were watching this and talking about this with our folks in Washington, and John McCain, you know, he goes on the floor and he goes off sometimes, frequently people say. But this one, people are saying, it is warranted because they think that this is outrageous.

Do you agree with this?

TOM SCHATZ, PRES., CITIZENS AGAINST GOVERNMENT WASTE: We're in the middle of a recession, or the end of a recession. There is a big health care bill coming up. The president, when he signed that spending bill in March said, oh, this is earmarks from the other administration. It doesn't really count. But in the future I'll do more to stop all this wasteful spending.

So, many of the members that voted for this, and not a single Republican did, say, "Let's have a commission so someone can tell us to stop spending money." They're saying, "Can you please take away my credit card because I'm overspending? I'm addicted and I need help." Well, they could have helped themselves by not adding all of these earmarks and by not increasing spending in all of these agencies by 10 percent to 12 percent over last year.

LEMON: So, Tom, the next stop is the president's desk. And as you heard John McCain, he says, "I'm not urging the president, I'm demanding that he veto it." What's going to happen here -- a veto, or will this legislation go through? Will he sign it?

SCHATZ: I think the taxpayers express their outrage over this increase and say, "Look, we're struggling to get by. We can barely buy Christmas presents. We can barely make ends meet. Let's reduce the spending in Washington. Let's at least freeze it, not increase it by 12 percent." Maybe that will have an impact on the president's decision.

LEMON: All right. So, let's go through some of this. And some of these, I guess, have been in the works a long time. More than 1,000-page package here. It was one of the last essential chores for Congress this year. So -- and as we said, passed 57 to 35, combine six of the 12 annual appropriation bills for 2010 budget year that began in October 1 and includes things for the FBI, and you also heard something about a farmer's market and what have you.

How do people find out obviously reading, but not everyone is going to read this bill. So, finding out exactly what's in there. Do you think once people find out exactly what's in there, there is going to be more outrage and people expressing their concern to the administration and to their leaders?

SCHATZ: We have just one pork alert on our Web site right now. It's CAGW.org. We'll have more information tomorrow as we try to get through this bill. Of course, no member read the whole bill before they voted on it.

LEMON: Have you gone through this bill? Have you had a chance to go through it?

SCHATZ: We're just starting to go through it.

LEMON: What have you found?

SCHATZ: We found $1 million for the Portsmouth Music Hall in New Hampshire. Senator Gregg, a Republican put that in; $194,000 for a Slater Mill in Pawtucket in Rhode Island, that was Senator Whitehouse of Rhode Island. So, you see a Republican and a Democrat. And that's one of the problems with this type of spending is they all add all of these projects and then they vote for the bill, even though it's got a large increase.

LEMON: It certainly gives more fuel to the fire when people say, you know, we're spending money -- meaning the country, our leaders, are like drunken sailors.

SCHATZ: Well, they talked about the stimulus bill creating jobs. Of course, Recovery.gov, the Web site can't really describe exactly what's happening there. They admitted they don't know exactly how many jobs are being created.

And here, in the middle of all this, the stimulus bill is a lot of money for many of the programs that are in this spending bill for the current fiscal year. So, the question is, when do they stop? What makes them stop?

And really, I think people are outraged these days. We've seen the tea parties. We've seen the objections. And people who are losing jobs or can't make ends meet should be objecting to this legislation.

And next week, or, I guess, really later this week, they're going to have the Defense Appropriations bill with possibly a $1.9 trillion increase in the national debt. And there's even more room for more spending.

LEMON: Well, listen, Mr. Schatz, there are some people who agreed with the spending, saying this is the only way out of the recession, this is the only way that the country keeps afloat. That's the other side.

SCHATZ: Sure.

LEMON: And there are people who legitimately believe that.

SCHATZ: Well, when you're digging a hole with a $12 trillion debt, you don't keep digging. The president did say we're going to spend our way out of it. I've never really seen that been successful, especially when you're talking about the government.

And if you certainly saw within the last week, let's give more money to small businesses and create these jobs through the private sector. They should have done that six months ago, instead of looking back and saying, "We're creating too many jobs in the government sector; let's do it where they really do create jobs, which is small businesses."

LEMON: Some of the things that went through like Veterans Health Administration, what-have-you, these -- some of these are legitimate projects that do need money.

SCHATZ: Well, they do need money, but they don't need a 10 percent to 12 percent increase. Overall, the appropriations part of these bills, not the entitlement part, Medicare and Medicaid, the appropriation part has increased by 8 percent each year over the last three years. That's both the Republican administration and the Democratic administration.

LEMON: All right.

SCHATZ: So, there has been a massive increase way above the rate of inflation. A lot of people aren't getting raises; a lot of people are freezing their spending, they're cutting jobs just to get by. But they're taking other people's money and giving it to these federal agencies and not demanding accountability and not really consolidating or cutting anything.

LEMON: Tom Schatz, president of the Citizens Against Government Waste in Washington -- thank you.

SCHATZ: Thank you.

LEMON: And again, this is one side -- one side of the story here. We'll continue to dig into the story. As we said -- as I said, there are people who support the spending and the money that went through, or that the president is about to sign, this legislation. And we'll talk to them on CNN later on today.

Driving range translates to driving danger. A California hillside collapses, sending rocks tumbling on to a very busy highway. When will skies clear up?

And down on their luck, but ready for their Christmas close up. How free portraits are lifting holiday spirits in a flash.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Rocky road really is an understatement for southern California commuters. Heavy rains -- look at that -- it sent hillsides sliding this weekend. Ninety cars were trapped for hours just north of Los Angeles yesterday when mud, boulders, and chunks of debris came tumbling down on to Angeles Crest Highway. No one was hurt. That's the fortunate part of it.

And today, pounding rains have turned into drizzle, and skies are finally, finally clearing up. So, firefighters say it is safe for dozens of evacuated residents to begin heading home. Wow!

(WEATHER REPORT)

LEMON: A busy day. It's time now for the top stories. Not a total surprise, but shocking all the same, long-time sponsor Accenture today dropped Tiger Woods. This is YouTube video of one of its well- known ads with the golfer. Accenture is the first company to end its endorsement outright. A statement on the company's web site directly tied its decision to Woods' infidelity scandal.

I want to tell you, coming up at 7:00 p.m. eastern here on CNN, we're going to have a completely interactive show. We're going to talk about Tiger Woods. I'm going to take your comments and your questions for our panel. We have a sports attorney, very well respected. We have our international sports correspondent and also Rick Harrow, our sports business analyst. They can answer absolutely every question you want to know about Tiger Woods and the impact not only on sports, but on the economy as well.

$1.1 trillion spending bill is headed for President Obama's desk. It is a massive year-end measure covering about half of all federal programs. It includes billions of dollars in earmarks, but it's not essential products that critics like to call pork barrel spending, designed to win votes from the voters back home.

A race against time on Oregon's treacherous Mount Hood. One climber has been found dead, two others still missing, believed to be stranded by heavy snow and high winds. Now avalanche concerns have rescuers holding off on a foot search, opting to use a helicopter instead. The two missing hikers are said to be experienced and well equipped, but they do not have a GPS device with them and their cell phone is off.

35 tons of weaponry, including rocket-propelled grenades, missile components and more, found on this plane after it left North Korea. Destination? Uncertain. Our reporter on the ground has the very latest.

Plus, politics can be a contact sport. An Italian prime minister -- there he is -- bashed in the face and bloodied. He is now hospitalized and under observation. We'll tell you what happened.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Missiles, grenades, rockets and more, 35 tons of war weapons have been seized from a plane that took off from North Korea. The flight was apparently headed for Sri Lanka. But its final destination, unknown. Investigators hopped on board during a fuel stop in Thailand.

And our Dan Rivers is there with the latest for you.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAN RIVERS, CNN NEWS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): There is considerable mystery surrounding the plane on the tarmac behind me in Enusian (ph) aisle 76 cargo plane that came from North Korea. Security officials here were astonished when they opened the hold to find a massive consignment of illegal weapons in contravention of a U.N. arms embargo against North Korea. It included about 35 to 40 tons of arms, including 50 or so cases of shoulder-launched missiles, large quantities of rocket-propelled grenades, and large amount ammunition for small arms such as AK-47s.

I'm told by one source they think this plane had been in Bangkok several times before, perhaps as recently as the 10th of December, and that it had been under surveillance for some time by several difference intelligence agencies. They decided to swoop on this occasion. The plane's manifest had it going next after refueling here on to Colombo for another refueling stop. But the final destination is still unclear, possibly somewhere in the middle east, although that's not yet confirmed.

The cargo has now been off-loaded and taken to a military base for further investigation. Meanwhile, the crew of this Georgia- registered plane, including four Kazaks and one man, the pilot, from Belarus, they will appear in court here in Bangkok on Monday morning with charges relating to illegal weapons smuggling into Thailand.

Dan River, CNN, at Dongwang (ph) Airport, Bangkok.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: All right, Dan.

Our terms, not yours -- Iran's apparent message to the International Atomic Energy Agency when it comes to its controversial nuclear program. At a regional security conference in Bahrain, the Iranian foreign minister said his country is ready to exchange some enriched uranium for fuel that would power a nuclear reactor used in cancer research. But a senior U.S. State Department official tells CNN that Iran's proposal does not appear to be consistent with an IAEA draft agreement. Iran wants to send smaller batches of uranium abroad. The U.N. proposal calls for roughly triple the amount Iran wants to send.

In Afghanistan, a different kind of sleep over. British Prime Minister Gordon Brown bunked with British troops last night at the Kandahar Air Base. Brown says he wanted to find out firsthand the conditions troops experience. And by the way, his sleepover in a combat zone was the first for a British prime minister since World War II.

Italy's prime minister, Silvio Berlusconi, hospitalized under the watchful eye of doctors tonight. He was hit in the face today by a man with an alleged history of mental illness. Some news reports have Berlusconi suffering a couple of cracked teeth and a possible broken nose.

CNN's Mohammad Jan June (ph) has the details for you.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MOHAMMAD JAN JUNE (ph), CNN NEWS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): At a political rally in Iran, Silvio Berlusconi, shaking hands and talking to reporters. Then out of the blue, a punch that left Prime Minister Berlusconi bloodied and his country in shock. His upper lip bleeding profusely, Berlusconi was then put into a car by his aides. While police tried to restore order, the prime minister emerged briefly, visibly stunned.

He was rushed from the scene and taken to a local hospital, where he underwent a CT scan. He'll stay there overnight for medical observation. Much confusion surrounds the exact nature of the attack, but the man who hit Berlusconi was taken away by police.

Berlusconi's spokesman, Paulo Buenouti (ph), placed some blame for the attack on the prime minister's critics, telling CNN there has been a buildup of hatred toward the premier, and he wasn't surprised by what happened.

The conservative media mogul has seen his fortunes take a considerable turn for the worse in recent months. He has been dogged by allegations of corruption and is in the middle of a messy divorce from his second wife.

Politically, the three-term prime minister is facing trial on tax fraud charges after Italy's top court struck down an immunity law that shielded him from prosecution. Berlusconi has denied the charges, calling them politically motivated.

Personally, Berlusconi's wife of 19 years filed for divorce in May after allegations of inappropriate relationships. Berlusconi has denied those charges as well.

Despite his setbacks, the always colorful Berlusconi remains popular among the Italian public, with his approval ratings remaining well above 50 percent. What is yet to be determined is whether this incident will leave Berlusconi with political bruises to match his physical ones.

Mohammad Jan June (ph), CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: The prime minister's bloody face comes on the eve of the one-year anniversary of the famous Iraqi shoe-throwing incident. And you just knew we would roll that video from last year, right? There it is. An Iraqi journalist chucked a couple of pieces of footwear at then-President George Bush during a joint news conference with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. And Mr. Bush ducked both shoes and was unhurt by that, thankfully. The journalist spent nine months in jail. And by the way, he had a shoe thrown at him just a few weeks ago in Paris. Glad the former president didn't get hurt in that one.

A few photographers want to get a picture-perfect Christmas for a few less fortunate families. It's a story you have to see.

And 70 years after the SS St. Louis docked on U.S. soil, survivors meet again. We were there too.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: President Obama has a high-profile meeting tomorrow with the leaders of some of the nation's biggest banks. The president wants the banks to lend more money to help get the economy moving again. The banks argue they're already doing everything they can.

And our Kate Baldwin is following the story in Washington -- Kate?

KATE BALDWIN, CNN NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Don, ahead of President Obama's meeting with bank executives Monday, his top economic advisers are laying out a strong message for Wall Street.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They don't get, in some cases, that they wouldn't be where they are today and they certainly wouldn't be paying the bonuses they're paying today if their government hadn't taken extraordinary actions. For firms that have benefitted from taxpayers' support to be complaining about the government burdening them, is frankly a bit rich.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There is just a fundamental disconnect, right? We now -- the American people had to take extraordinary actions to back up Wall Street. It was the right thing to do because we are all linked to that. But, you know, now Wall Street is doing a whole lot better, and Main Street is still suffering.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: And you can expect that will be part of the president's message tomorrow. Mr. Obama is scheduled to host chief executives from some of the country's biggest banks to discuss ways to increase lending, particularly to small businesses.

But the banks say it's not as easy as the White House is making it out to be. They argue they're being told to lend more but, at the same time, being told to be much more careful at a time Congress is considering sweeping change to the financial regulatory system.

Other items on the agenda for tomorrow, according to White House advisers, financial regulatory reform, preventing more foreclosures and compensation practices. The Obama administration has taken steps recently to clamp down on big bonuses and pay for some Wall Street executives -- Don?

LEMON: All right, Kate, thank you very much.

You know, we're a dozen days from Christmas. Is that it? Wow. But already celebrating Hanukkah. We'll tell you about the historical significance of today's lighting ceremony on the national menorah.

And a special cell phone for the blind. We'll tell you how it can help in this week's "Edge of Discovery."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Family photos during the holidays, they make you feel good. But if you're down on your luck, taking one is probably a very low priority for you. One young man from Nashville wants to help change that. He got hundreds of photographers to gift their talent.

Here is CNN's Susan Candiotti.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEREMY COWART, PHOTOGRAPHER: Two, one, awesome!

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NEWS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): They are moms and dads trying hard to make ends meet.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Give me a little smile.

CANDIOTTI: They are mother and son, trying to get a troubled life back on track.

COWART: All right, guys, here we go!

CANDIOTTI: They're a family worrying whether their son will live to sit for another portrait.

COWART: Everybody smile!

CANDIOTTI: Bringing them all together on a single day is national Jeremy Cowart. He calls it Help Portrait.

COWART: Take one more step forward.

We want to show people that they are beautiful and that they are valued and it's really, really happening so far.

CANDIOTTI: And it was happening for Amanda, who is disabled and raising three kids alone. Volunteers did her hair and makeup for the shoot.

AMANDA, POSES FOR PHOTO: I always wanted professional makeup.

CANDIOTTI (on camera): What was it like?

AMANDA: It's like being queen for a day.

COWART: It's great.

AMANDA: Oh, my gosh. That me.

COWART: That's fun.

CANDIOTTI: Jeremy Cowart came up with the idea over the summer. Before you know it, words spread, mainly over the Internet, to more than 50 countries.

(voice-over): Including the Netherlands and Italy. More than 6,000 pros volunteering their time and talent, and in nearly every state, photos, first-class photos...

CROWD: Cheese.

CANDIOTTI: ... taken and printed for free.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is just something special for them, and that makes me happy when I can give something as simple as smiling and a picture to someone else.

CANDIOTTI: In Tennessee, the Carter family wanted a portrait to include Barrett, who's recovering from cancer.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're thankful for each picture we have taken. You never know when it's going to be the last.

CANDIOTTI: In New York, 18-year-old Hansel Morratta (ph) on probation for drug charges is in a rehab program. He's trying to change his life around and wants his mom to have a photo to show her he means it.

HANSEL MORRATTA (ph), POSES FOR PHOTO: It's going to make me feel positive, you know, looking at myself smiling, and my mother's smiling. I haven't seen her smile like that in a long time.

CANDIOTTI: Nor these young people in a program battling low self-esteem.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's really awesome to see them smile, some of the girls who don't really like smiling anyway.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: All right. Look at that.

COWART: It's a reminder to me that photography is a very special gift. It's not something we should take for granted.

CANDIOTTI: From the looks of it, no one this day took it for granted in about 30,000 portraits and at least that many smiles.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you so much.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You're welcome.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I appreciate it.

CANDIOTTI: Susan Candiotti, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: Very nice story.

Hey, I'm checking your feedback right now on Twitter and Facebook and, man, you guys are really weighing in on the Tiger Woods story. Everything from "he gets what he deserves" to "he asked for privacy. Why can't the media leave him alone?"

Yes. OK. So anyway, Twitter Facebook, MySpace, iReport.com, taking your comments.

And at 7:00, an interactive show, taking your comments about Tiger Woods to our panel of experts. Weigh in now if you want to get on the air. We'll read as many as possible.

We're back in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Flipping through the newspaper or reading a menu seems like a simple task, right? For the vision impaired, it's not quite that simple, until now.

CNN's Gary Tuchman has a story of a cell phone that goes far beyond Braille on this week's "Edge of Discovery."

(EDGE OF DISCOVERY)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: I want to tell you now about some history in front of the White House late this afternoon as the White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel took part in a special ceremony, the lighting of the national Hanukkah menorah, at the memorial there. The eight-day Jewish festival began Friday. Today marked the 30th anniversary of the ceremonial lighting in our nation's capital. It's a beautiful ceremony and a really nice speech by the chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel.

Hey, I'm taking some your comments right now on Twitter, Facebook, MySpace. We're about to have a completely interactive hour. You saw some of the panelists sitting there.

Here, this says, "Wow, perfect role model." This is from BronsonFord. "Woods finally getting busted for something. Never expected him to get busted for something like this."

But we have questions.

"Sorry, I don't get it. Woods was the only one, it would be one thing -- if he was the only one. But according to his former wife, most PGA, guilty."

"Don, how about Tiger go to rehab for sexual addiction? That is what a lot of people do." That's Betty from Georgia. Thanks, Betty.

"When Tiger returns he'll probably be bigger than he was. Why wouldn't these sponsors want to stay with him now, Don?"

All right.

"He was released, not breaking his word to be faithful to his wife, but we're becoming a national laughing stock. Bad investment for sponsors."

"The media and people need to attend to news, their own lives, leaving Tiger and Elin alone. It is a private matter."

OK, we'll talk about that one. I want to talk about that one with our panel. Let's see here.

"Can't we be done with Tiger? He asks for privacy. Why can't we give it to him and his family? Why?"

Probably because $97 million at stake here. Tiger, one of the most famous people in the world. But, again, we'll answer some of these coming up in just a little bit right here on CNN.

So I wanted to tell you that, again, we're having a completely, completely interactive hour. We're reporting on other things. CNN, a worldwide network. Get news all over, CNN international and here.