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9/11 Trial Might Not Be in NYC; Scott Brown: New Senate Star; Women-Only Food Lines in Haiti; Toyota's P.R. Speed Bumps; Can Real Change Come to Iran?; New Orleans Needs a Win

Aired January 31, 2010 - 22:00   ET

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

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: This hour on CNN, the course against holding the 9/11 terror trial in New York City growing louder. Tonight, the White House admits it is considering other options.

Republicans in Washington still don't know what to make of the president's candor at their annual retreat. Did he go too far?

Plus, a Republican senator getting the star treatment at home and from the media. Tonight, the Scott Brown phenomenon.

And the first and last word on Sunday talk. CNN's "STATE OF THE UNION" gets a new leader, and boy, does she know her stuff. We're going to tell you who it is.

Good evening, everyone.

A stunning turn of events concerning the controversial 9/11 terrorist trial, supposed to be held in New York City, just feet from where the Twin Towers once stood.

Tonight, the leaders of New York have made it quite clear that they don't want the trial of 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four accomplices held there. The man who initially welcomed the trial now says it will be too expensive, perhaps costing a billion dollars over the years the trial is expected to last.

This is yet another instance where the Obama administration is finding themselves on the wrong side of public opinion and having to change course. So now what?

For answers, we turn to the best political team on television. But first, choice words from Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell from CNN's "STATE OF THE UNION." this morning.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. MITCH MCCONNELL (R), MINORITY LEADER: What we need to do is deny these people a show trial. We need to proceed to interrogate them, which you couldn't do obviously with the Christmas bomber. I mean, Larry King would have a more thorough interrogation of one of his witnesses than the Christmas bomber had by the justice department. This is really dangerous nonsense.

(END VIDEO CLIP) LEMON: With the administration now conceding it is looking at other options, senior presidential adviser David Axelrod took to the airwaves today to defend his president.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVID AXELROD, SENIOR WHITE HOUSE ADVISER: The president believes that we need to take into consideration what the local authorities are saying, but he also believes this. He believes that we ought to bring Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and all others who were involved in terrorist acts to justice, swift and sure, in the American justice system.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Well, the U.S. has been putting terrorists on trial in criminal courts since the Reagan administration. I spoke about that earlier tonight with former state department official and counterterrorism expert Larry Johnson.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

LARRY JOHNSON, BERG ASSOCIATES (via telephone): Whether to hold a trial in New York City, I think it's appropriate to have an argument over that. And I think -- you know, my own preference is I think it should have been a military tribunal on Guantanamo. That's my preference.

But the notion that we can't do a trial in the United States, that by doing so is, a, going to put us at risk; and, b, that we are somehow so weak and so cowardly that we can't stand against these terrible terrorists.

You know what? We can beat these guys. We have been beating them. And we should not surrender to them on the fear basis.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

LEMON: No date has been set for the trial.

Let's talk about the politics shadowing all of this now, that proposed terror trial. And our political editor Mark Preston joins us tonight from Washington. Lynn Sweet is in Chicago. She's with the "Chicago Sun-Times" and also a columnist for PoliticsDaily.com.

Lynn, Larry Johnson, the man you heard just before, said this was partisan politics; it was really Republicans criticizing the president when they should not be.

LYNN SWEET, WASHINGTON BUREAU CHIEF, "CHICAGO SUN-TIMES": No, it's not. It's having a local official having second thoughts about having the terrorist trial.

I would listen very carefully to what David Axelrod said because actually it sounds like they're beginning -- you know, they had said earlier in the week that they're going to reconsider it. It just got a new life today on the Sunday shows. It sounds like that the Obama administration realizes, Don, that if New York City now is having second thoughts about it, the trial just can't go on there.

The second issue is whether or not it should have been a military tribunal rather than a federal court. That is another issue. And that will be dealt with another day. But the location now seems to me about to be changed.

LEMON: Yes.

So, Mark, what was behind this decision? How did the attorney general come up with this decision? They're saying that they wanted people to -- the people who this affected most, the people of New York City, to be right near the trial, so that they could have some involvement in it.

So is that the only thing that went behind this?

MARK PRESTON, CNN POLITICAL EDITOR: Sure. I mean, there's symbolism there. Of course, to try him there, of course. Look, it's New York City. And it is equipped in many ways to be able to handle a trial like this.

But it will be -- it would cost an incredible amount of money. It would put a lot of people, you know, their lives would be disrupted, you know. And as we've seen Mayor Bloomberg say he doesn't want it there anymore.

And I think it's very hard to hold a trial now in New York City when you have local officials, even Democrats, saying this isn't the place for it.

LEMON: Well, Mark, I said at the top of the show this is another instance where the Obama administration is finding itself on the other side of public opinion here.

What is the concern are you hearing? What concern, if any, inside the administration about having to now reverse course?

PRESTON: Well, I mean, look, when it comes down to the politics of it, Don, the fact is they were very adamant about holding this trial in New York City, and of course they haven't totally moved off that yet. They said they're considering other options. They said that the justice department will be the one who finally makes the final decision.

But heading into a midterm election, having to reverse course, maybe step back from an earlier decision, that's not very palatable certainly when you look at politics.

Having said that, I think if they had moved forward on it, I think that congressional Democrats, you know, would be very angry at the White House and they would really try to get them to move back on it.

LEMON: And this isn't the last we've heard of that. Lynn, do we -- do you have any idea? Maybe you can answer this. When the White House or the administration or the attorney general will decide on exactly where they're going to hold this trial.

SWEET: I'm not sure how soon, Don, but just think, this is also coming as they're trying to decide how fast they can close down the Guantanamo military prison in Cuba. You're going to have the Congress considering whether to buy this Illinois prison to hold them.

So you have all these interrelated issues coming up now in an election year, and all that will serve to make the handling of Guantanamo a big election issue, something that the Obama White House thought would be off the plate pretty much by now, but it's not.

And the Detroit -- the accused Detroit bomber, having him tried in the federal court, will also be in the political part of this in the mix, too, for trying him in a federal court instead of a military tribunal.

All this will be sorted out politically, governmentally.

LEMON: Lynn Sweet, Mark Preston, stick around. Lots more politics to talk about, including this next story.

A political career on the rise. Incoming Senator Scott Brown gets the rock star treatment from the folks back home. We'll have an update from Massachusetts.

And Toyota's rough week. We'll go live to Tokyo for a look at how one automaker's troubles are spreading to an entire nation.

And look who's trying to take away a city slogan. New Orleans and the NFL head toward a Super Bowl showdown that could end up in a courtroom.

We want to know what's on your mind tonight. Make sure you log on to the social networking sites.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: He was a virtual unknown just a few short weeks ago. Now, Scott Brown is the toast of the Republican Party. The incoming Massachusetts senator spent the weekend in his home state, thanking voters for their support. Our Kate Bolduan is on the road with Brown today in Foxboro.

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Don, you can probably still see the flash bulbs going off behind me. The crowds have gathered here in Foxboro, Massachusetts, about a half hour outside of Boston, for the last stop to see Senator-elect Scott Brown on what's essentially been a thank you tour, a three-day victory lap, as he's crisscrossed the state, getting out to thank all of those people that helped him secure what has been widely seen as a surprise Republican victory in a solidly blue state, and turn out they have.

Now, these events, very light on any campaign speech, and also light on any policy talk. But we did have a chance to catch up with the senator-elect to talk with him very briefly about the very big job awaiting him in Washington.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN (on camera): Health care is going to be waiting for you when you get to Washington. Can you accept a more scaled-down version of the health care proposal?

SCOTT BROWN (R-MA), SENATOR-ELECT: I have to see what's there. I think they're going to go back to the drawing board. It was -- it was I think on its last legs before I got there because of the backroom deals and the lack of transparency.

So, I'm open to see what's going to be proposed. I'm not sure where it's going to stand in the pecking order, if it's going to -- if we're going to deal with the taxing and job creation issues or we're going to deal with health care first. I haven't been briefed.

BOLDUAN: Priority one for you?

BROWN: Priority one is to get a business card, an office, get my staff set, and then get a feel for what's going to be coming up. We have the appropriations bill that I need to focus on and make sure we can protect our interests in Massachusetts.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: So who is turning out to these events?

Well, family, friends, neighbors, as well as some of those independent voters that were absolutely critical to Scott Brown's win. Still, it's not entirely clear when the senator-elect will officially be seated.

He told a crowd last night he expects it to be February 11th, about a week and a half away, but state officials here in Massachusetts tell CNN the first step, certifying the election. They at least hope to have that, expect to have that done sometime this week -- Don.

LEMON: Kate, thank you very much.

Republican excitement about Scott Brown is really off the charts. He's even being talked about in some quarters as a potential presidential candidate. Earlier today, Brown told ABC's Barbara Walters that any chatter about a White house run is premature.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: I don't even have a business card. I haven't even been sworn in. I don't have any exploratory committee started. I don't have anything. It's overwhelming, and it's extremely humbling. I don't know what else to tell you.

(END VIDEO CLIP) LEMON: Let's talk now again to our political editor Mark Preston and also Lynn Sweet from "Chicago Sun-Times" and PoliticsDaily.com.

So, Mark and Lynn, you know that your star is on the rise when "Saturday Night Live" starts to spoof you. And they did that last night of Scott Brown. We'll take a listen to it a little bit, and then I'll talk to you guys about it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JON HAMM, ACTOR, AS SCOTT BROWN: Sorry. I was looking for the bathroom.

KRISTEN WIIG, ACTRESS, AS NANCY PELOSI: It's down the hall on the right.

HAMM: Thanks, Speaker Pelosi. And let me just say I'm looking forward to working closely with you.

WIIG: Closely?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK. Let's talk economy. With this new spending freeze, job creation is going to be harder than ever.

Hey, Nancy. You're the speaker of the House?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Here's my question, guys. You know, that's all tongue in cheek, and he's getting a lot of attention, but does this help, Mark, or hurt him as he prepares to go to Washington? Because everyone is watching this.

PRESTON: Sure. No, I think it helps him in the sense that it's always good to be in the limelight. I think he's very smart. When he was talking to Kate earlier about saying that he's going to focus on the appropriations bill and make sure that the interests of Massachusetts are being taken care of.

As far as him being a presidential candidate, I mean, I think that is a long, long, long, long shot. The fact of the matter is his Republican politics do not match up well with Republican primary voters when it comes to being a, you know, pro-choice or some other things.

LEMON: I do have to say this...

SWEET: Oh, come on. Now, wait a minute.

LEMON: Lynn Sweet, you've seen this story before, haven't you?

SWEET: I have been, Mark and Don, I've been here. I remember being at the swearing in of then Senator-elect Barack Obama. I remember him kind of shrugging off all the questions about if he wanted to be president, and he said no. I remember him saying he'll serve out his term. So, that is not any pro -- that past is not prologue for the future necessarily.

When you come in the Senate with a high profile, when you have what will probably be tremendous fund-raising ability for the Republicans that Scott Brown will have, I will bet you he'll be on the fundraising circuits to get a lot of chits with his colleagues. And you know, you don't waste that kind of momentum when you have it going in.

Yes, he has to learn the Senate. He'll keep his head down a little bit. He sounds like a smart guy. He has two big examples to look at, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama coming into the Senate as superstars. And then what happened a few years later? Ran for president.

By the way, Mitt Romney, Massachusetts governor, also ran for president, Mark. So you have some models out there he could be looking at.

PRESTON: Yes.

LEMON: Listen, let's move on, though, because we have a lot of topics to talk about.

Mark, I want to ask you about the GOP retreat last week and the president speaking in front of them and also answering questions, really taking a risk there. Republicans said that he -- that they want to work with him. Is this -- that he was extending an olive branch. And there are some Republicans who are now saying we don't want to be seen as a party of no; we want to work with him.

Do you think that's true? And politically, did this help the president?

PRESTON: Well, look, certainly he extended an olive branch to them. At the same time, he said I'm going to give you an olive branch, and when I offer you my proposals, I want you to come and support them.

The fact of the matter is President Obama and congressional Republicans have very little in common when it comes to how to cure the ills of the nation and, you know, you'll see them get together on a few proposals. But certainly in this election year, congressional Republicans don't have a whole lot in common with President Obama. Just let's look at health care for that matter.

So you know, look, he went there, he did speak at the retreat, he took some hard questions. The best thing I think we can hope to come out of this, Don, is that they can continue the dialogue. He said he'll continue meeting with them the rest of the year.

LEMON: Hey, Lynn, a final question here I want to ask you about -- don't ask, don't tell. Everyone's asking what happens next? Because the Joint Chiefs or Admiral Mike Mullen and also Defense Secretary Robert Gates meeting on Tuesday to try to I think to start the investigation of how to repeal "don't ask, don't tell." Beyond that we don't really know, do we?

SWEET: Well, finally, President Obama kick-started this in his State of the Union address. You know, the gay community in the United States was upset because he had not pushed this. Here's the thing to watch for, whether or not there will be any timeline or deadline for this repeal to take place.

That, I think, is the next thing to see. We'll see what Secretary Gates says in Congress this week. But I would be watching to see if there's any kind of a timetable out there.

LEMON: All right. Thank you, both. And I want to mention that the president taking questions from YouTube and social networking sites starting tomorrow.

Hey, thanks, guys. Have a good one, OK?

PRESTON: Thanks, Don.

SWEET: Thank you.

LEMON: Haiti's most critically injured quake victim gets a green light for treatment in the U.S. We'll tell you when the Medevac planes start flying again.

And tons of food now getting into Haiti, but only one group of Haitians are allowed to get it.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Let's turn now to the ongoing crisis in Haiti. Humanitarian flights of people critically hurt in the earthquake will resume tomorrow morning at 11:00 a.m. Eastern. The flights had been temporarily suspended out of concern that the sheer volume of injured Haitians would overwhelm U.S. facilities.

A White House spokesman now says the administration has been reassured there is adequate capacity in the U.S. health care system to accommodate the injured Haitians.

The suspension of the Medevac flights from Haiti was initially presented as a money problem. Specifically, Florida's governor wanted the federal government to reimburse the state for treating injured Haitians who have no health insurance. Well today, Governor Charlie Crist clarified the issue.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. CHARLIE CRIST (R), FLORIDA: The concern we had is that there was such an influx coming to Florida, but we wanted to make sure we continued to receive them in a humanitarian way, which we have done. In fact, nobody's brought in more of the Haitian repatriations than the "Sunshine State."

So, we're very proud of that. But if some of our federal friends could give us some assistance, it sure wouldn't hurt. (END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Well, the Haitians' need for immediate medical care is enormous. The White House says U.S. medical personnel have treated 23,000 Haitians in the country so far, and the Haitian government estimates 200,000 people were hurt in the quake.

Some aid workers in Haiti have come up with a plan to distribute food to the needy, but only women are allowed to line up. Our senior international correspondent John Vause tells us how it's going.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN VAUSE, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): At this food line in Port-au-Prince, no chaos, no pushing, no shoving -- and no men. After almost three weeks of increasingly unruly confrontations, aid groups on Sunday came up with a new plan. At almost a dozen distribution points across the city, women only.

U.S. soldiers provided security here, checking coupons which had been given out a day earlier, entitling each woman to a bag of rice, enough to feed a family for two weeks.

A moment to rejoice.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (singing): Hallelujah.

VAUSE: Not only for these women. But also for Master Sergeant Ranny Lewis, originally from the Caribbean island of Antigua.

MASTER SGT. RANNY LEWIS, U.S. ARMY: It was difficult to control my tears. You know, tears was coming up, but I have to control it. And it just -- it brings me back home, bring me back to my roots. And at that particular time, I was one with the people of Haiti.

VAUSE: What a difference to this.

Just a few days ago, when scuffles broke out, food distribution became a desperate grab with young men often overpowering everyone else. And this new arrangement didn't sit well with some men.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, I saw them. I saw them so, you know, rice is just -- damn. It's very bad.

VAUSE (on camera): Aid groups hope that as word spreads that a coupon means food, it will instill a sense of calm and order. But the women-only program is just temporary. They need to feed 2 million people over the next two weeks. It seems there is still no long-term plan beyond that.

John Vause, CNN, Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: All right, John.

And upcoming celebration in Iran could become a day of mass protest. Does the opposition have the momentum for real change?

And the weather's been awful in much of the country this weekend. Will the snow and ice blow over by the time you wake up and you're on your way to work or school tomorrow? We've got your forecast. There's Bonnie Schneider working on it.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Tomorrow morning's commute could be dicey in parts of the Southeast. Melting snow from a brutal winter storm will be refreezing overnight. A weekend storm dropped seven inches of snow across the mid-South and Middle Atlantic States.

This is the scene in Roxboro, North Carolina. At least four people were killed in snow-related incidents in North Carolina, and the governor declared a state of emergency in parts of that state.

Let's turn now to Bonnie Schneider, who has been watching all of this for us.

Bonnie, it's been a long weekend weather-wise. So, the commute, let our viewers know, good or bad?

(WEATHER REPORT)

LEMON: That was really cute. I like that. I like that a lot.

BONNIE SCHNEIDER, AMS METEOROLOGIST: I never thought of mixing snow with cocoa and crystal light.

LEMON: Even if I thought of it, I don't know if I'd have the time. But, hey, that is -- that's fun. What is it you said? It's Jeanine (ph)?

SCHNEIDER. Yes. Jeanine (ph) and their neighbors. This is like the house in front of it. You can see their neighbor's home. He's a pilot, and they say he's been stuck at Dulles Airport since the storm over the weekend.

So when he comes home, that's what he's going to see just outside his home.

LEMON: I think he'll like that welcoming him home. We love our iReporters. They're so cool, aren't they?

SCHNEIDER: They are. They're so creative, aren't they?

(WEATHER REPORT)

LEMON: I see two places on that map where I think I'm going to head tomorrow. Guess where?

SCHNEIDER: Miami?

LEMON: Miami and Phoenix. 71 and 72.

SCHNEIDER: Yes. Two warm spots. I don't blame you.

LEMON: Thank you, Bonnie.

SCHNEIDER: Sure.

LEMON: Jobs, you know, they're still scarce. Some good news out, though, out of Detroit.

And a sci-fi epic is break box office records. Here's Stephanie Elam with this week's "Getting Down to Business."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: President Obama vowed to get more Americans back to work in his State of the Union address last week. Many are hoping that help will come soon. We recently saw major companies like Wal-Mart and Verizon announce thousands of job cuts. Look for the latest information on the national unemployment rate this Friday.

Another big company with bad news last week, Toyota, which had to recall more than 5 million vehicles worldwide due to faulty gas pedals.

Meanwhile, for U.S. automakers, a different story. Ford just reported its first full-year profit since 2005 and said it would add 1,200 jobs later this year.

And GM unveiled its plan to be the first U.S. automaker to design and manufacture electric motor sports vehicles. Auto sales for January are due out later this week.

And finally, movie director James Cameron has done it again. His 3-D blockbuster "Avatar" surpassed his 1997 film "Titanic" to become the highest-grossing film in the world, with more than $1.8 billion in sales. But after adjusting for inflation, both movies still fall short of the 1939 Hollywood classic "Gone with the Wind."

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn.

ELAM: And that's this week's "Getting Down to Business."

Stephanie Elam, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: Toyota slams the brakes on sales because of a bad gas pedal. And the consequences extend far beyond the U.S. A live report from Tokyo, Toyota's home base, just moments away.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Time now for some of our top stories.

Pakistan is investigating reports a U.S. missile attack has killed the leader of the Taliban in that country -- Hakimullah Mehsud. His predecessor died in a similar strike six months ago. Mehsud has been linked to the suicide bomb attack in Afghanistan last month that killed seven CIA operatives.

Some consequences from a U.S. arms deal with Taiwan to tell you about. China is threatening sanctions on any U.S. company involved. It's also scrapping plans for visits between the Chinese and U.S. militaries. Washington plans to sell $6.4 billion in arms to Taiwan. The Chinese claim that Taiwan is part of their territory and it doesn't want the island to formally declare independence.

Police say as many as 15 gunmen stormed a house party in Juarez, Mexico earlier today and opened fire. Thirteen people were killed, another 13 injured. Witnesses say the gunmen arrived in several cars with tinted windows. The victims ranged in age from 14 to 19. Police found more than 100 AK-47 bullet casings at the crime scene.

Hey, did you happen to see the newspaper today? Well, Toyota took out this ad to apologize to customers for its massive recall. The company says it is working on a fix for millions of gas pedals. We hear the announcement could come as early as tomorrow. Dealers could have replacement parts this week.

The problems from this recall extend way beyond the company. They also spell trouble for the country Toyota calls home, and that is Japan.

Our Kyung Lah joins me now from Tokyo, where Toyota management has been on this for a while.

What are you hearing?

KYUNG LAH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Don, we haven't been hearing very much from management here in Tokyo, but certainly there are a lot of eyes in government watching this, because Japan is an export-driven economy and the biggest exporter is Toyota.

So there is concern here within Japan that if Toyota's reputation, which is bulletproof before all this, thinking about quality, that if Toyota takes a hit on its reputation, will that spill over into the other exporters, into the other made-in-Japan items?

So a lot of concern that this is going to have a spillover effect overall on Japan's economy -- Don.

LEMON: Well, you mentioned a spillover effect, yes. What is that, if at all? Do they know -- are they fearing -- I would imagine that they're fearing it, but do we know what the overall consequences could be on the economy?

LAH: So much of this economy, and especially the products that are made here in Japan. If you think about everything that's made in Japan -- Sony, Nintendo, Toyota, Honda, all of these are high-quality products that depend on the global consumer, especially in the U.S. The U.S. consumer is really what drives all of these products being made here in Japan. So, if that consumer starts to question the quality, there's another big Asian producer in this region called China making equivalent products that may not have the quality that Japan offers, but those products are made cheaper.

So there is definitely the concern. China is set to take over Japan as the world's second largest economy this year. And so this certainly is not going to help any matters -- Don.

LEMON: Yes. I'm wondering if this is going to impact the U.S. automakers, if this is good for them.

LAH: Well, we heard about what Ford is doing, and we have those incentives, those $1,000 incentives to get Toyota consumers to switch. And certainly when you talk about something that's so intimate as your gas pedal getting stuck and you losing control of your car, that's going to make consumers a little hedgy, a little worried about driving a Japanese vehicle, a Toyota vehicle.

So, you have these U.S. automakers now sort of eyeing the big fish there. This was the company that was known as Mr. T in the region. And now they're looking at perhaps this is a chipping away at the very core Toyota mantra, that being quality.

And if you can really break down a company for what it is known for, for what drives this particular company, then you can perhaps win over not just a few customers here, Don. We're talking about millions of customers around the world.

LEMON: All right. Kyung Lah in Tokyo. Thank you very much for that.

LEMON: You know, they have been beaten, jailed and killed in some cases, and yet Iran's opposition movement remains defiant. Can they really bring the regime down?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Stirring up Iranians against their own government. Two of the country's opposition leaders are calling for protests on February 11th. That's the anniversary of Iran's Islamic Revolution in 1979. One of those leaders is Mir Hossein Mousavi. Back in June, he lost Iran's disputed presidential election. Massive protests followed, but so did a violent crackdown by authorities.

Protests flared up again during the Islamic holiday of Ashura in December. And on Saturday, a trial began for 16 people who were arrested during those demonstrations. They're accused of trying to overthrow the government. Some could get the death penalty if they are convicted.

Iranian authorities have managed to stamp out these mass protests so far, but how much longer can they keep a lid on such powerful resentment?

Our Reza Sayah looks at whether the opposition could bring real change.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

REZA SAYAH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): They've been beaten, arrested and sentenced to death. Dozens have been killed. Yet Iran's opposition movement remains defiant, posing the biggest challenge ever to the Islamic republic in its 31-year history.

But questions remain. How widespread is this movement? Who exactly are its leaders? And does it have the power to bring political change to Iran?

It's impossible to say if the opposition movement represents Iran's majority. Iran's hard-line leaders say the movement is insignificant.

But their protests show they have strength in numbers, able to draw hundreds of thousands to the streets in cities throughout Iran. The demographics of the movement have expanded as well, analysts say. Men, women, rich, poor. Even religious conservatives now taking part in the call for change, says Iran expert Karim Sadjadpour.

KARIM SADJADPOUR, IRAN EXPERT, CARNEGIE ENDOWMENT FOR INTL. PEACE: What we've seen over the course of the last seven months is that with the passage of time, the legitimacy of the regime has only been further diluted and the ranks of those who sympathize with the opposition has only increased.

SAYAH: Analysts say the movement has carried on without a clear leader. Early on, defeated presidential candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi seemed to lead the charge.

But no longer is this a protest against the vote he lost. The movement now? A shapeless blend of different factions, with demands ranging from regime change to a freer, more open society.

Columbia University Professor Hamid Dabashi calls it a civil rights movement.

PROF. HAMID DABASHI, COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY: For the first time in modern history and not just in the history of Iran, we have a civil rights movement that people are its leaders. Of course, Mr. Mousavi, Karubi, et cetera, are also representative of this movement, but not its leaders.

SAYAH: Some experts say the absence of a clear leader is precisely why the regime can't crush the opposition movement. After all, who does the government go after when it's not even sure who's leading the charge?

So far, the movement hasn't been able to spark political change. But a recent television debate, where state-run media invited an opposition supporter to speak, is perhaps the regime's first acknowledgment -- this is a movement that cannot be ignored.

(END VIDEOTAPE) One of the most effective ways to gauge the opposition movement's momentum has been their ability to target major holidays and calendar days in Iran and essentially hijack government-sanctioned events to make their voices heard.

The next date they're targeting, February 11th, the anniversary of the Islamic Revolution.

Reza Sayah, CNN, Islamabad.

LEMON: All right, Reza.

We hear a lot about the left, the right, Republican, Democrats. Some say that political independents are shifting the political map in the country. Who are they? You're going to meet them coming up.

And "don't ask, don't tell" goes to the drawing board again next week. Should it be repealed? A former defense secretary weighs in.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: "Don't ask, don't tell." Since 1993, it has been the official U.S. policy toward gays serving in the military. On Tuesday, the top two military leaders in the Obama administration will tell Congress they want to revisit that policy, with the goal of lifting the ban altogether.

William Cohen dealt directly with "don't ask, don't tell" as defense secretary under President Clinton. Today, he is chairman and CEO of the Cohen Group, which represents defense contractors. I spoke with him about ending that ban.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WILLIAM COHEN, FMR. DEFENSE SECRETARY: They're risking their lives every day to serve this country. And that's something we have to come to grips with. This is why I think the president has said it's time after 17 years to review the policy and repeal it if it can be done.

So I think the time issue is not one that's really the dispositive case. We're having two wars. That's true. But when the policy was adopted, there were no two wars going on at that time. It was relatively calm in terms of the international scene as far as the United States.

And yet the issue has always been it's not time yet. I think the time has come to look at it and say that people should be able to serve honorably. The key issue should be capability. And the key issue should be conduct.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: The Obama administration may face an uphill battle in getting rid of the policy. There are still many people, both in Congress and the military, who strongly oppose lifting the ban. Independent voters are getting a lot of attention these days and credit for electing both President Obama and Republican Senate candidate Scott Brown in Massachusetts.

So, who are these independents? And what's fueling their political views?

Earlier, I got some answers from three very smart and passionate independents.

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OMAR ALI, AUTHOR, "IN THE BALANCE OF POWER": Basically, the independents are across the political spectrum. They identify in all kinds of ways -- fiscally conservative, socially liberal, whatever. But they're also of different categories, demographic groups, so young people tend to be much, much more independent than older people.

But one of the interesting things is how independent, actually the African-American electorate, really is. Right now, upwards of 30 percent of African-Americans identify themselves as independent.

That's something that's not talked about. And that's very important because how Barack Obama got elected was through an alliance of independent white voters and African-Americans.

JOE GANDELMAN, EDITOR, "THE MODERATE VOICE" BLOG: To political partisans, consensus is often a dirty word. But to political independents, consensus is extremely important, that people are working to try to find solutions to problems, not just simply win elections and score political points.

NICOLE KUROKAWA, SR. POLICY ANALYST, IND. WOMEN'S FORUM: Unfortunately, I think there are a lot of issues that appeal to women across the board that the president is not addressing, though. I think we could start talking about transparency. That's an issue that appeals to everybody. And it's just an issue that has been dropped, unfortunately.

I think people are absolutely sick of the partisan rancor. But women can be reached. Women need to be treated like every other voter. Women care about the economy. Women care about health care. Women don't just care about abortion.

So I think, you know, a concerted effort needs to be made by the White House to include us in all these negotiations.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Independents. They're growing political non-party. And we promise to follow that growing party on this program for you as it comes up to the mid-terms and also to the 2012 election.

Big news from the best political team on television, and it's very exciting. CNN has announced that our Candy Crowley will be taking over as host of "STATE OF THE UNION" every Sunday morning at 9:00 a.m. Eastern.

Candy succeeds John King, who, as you know -- as you may know -- will soon begin his duties as host of our new program every weeknight at 7:00 Eastern. Don't know the name yet. Haven't told us.

On today's show, Candy talked about how she will approach her new duties. Take a look.

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CANDY CROWLEY, NEW ANCHOR, CNN'S "STATE OF THE UNION": We're not here for our own sort of internal inside the beltway conversation. It's supposed to be relevant. And I think that people do tune in.

You're right. It's like not just an honor. It's sort of a heavy responsibility because you've got it to people have minimal amounts of time. You and I know that. And so to get them to devote an hour, we hope we can by saying here's why we care, here's where this is headed, here's how it relates to your life. And that's what all of these -- you know, your 50-state tour, it's been about.

Where is the connecting the dots? I swear we will not use that phrase. But it's really true. I mean, it has to be about how does what goes on here and what goes on in the world affect you and what do you need to know about that? And an hour sounds like, wow, that's, you know, that's a long time. But it's really not. And you've got to winnow down the relevance.

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LEMON: Candy Crowley, one of the most respected journalists I know. Watched her for years even before I came here. Candy Crowley, amazing. Congratulations to you.

Mardi Gras isn't the only reason to party in New Orleans this year. The city's coming alive with Saints fever and letting the good times roll. Of course, laissez les bon temps rouler.

And he is looking pretty good for his age. The last surviving U.S. veteran of World War celebrates his birthday tomorrow, and he is still fighting for a cause. You're going to meet him.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: They've already done more than any Saints team before them. And as New Orleans continues to struggle after Hurricane Katrina, its NFL team is fighting for a city that could really use a win.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON (voice over): Is this really New Orleans? We haven't seen it this way in years, if ever.

In case you didn't know, the New Orleans Saints, perpetually one of the worst teams in the NFL, going to the Super Bowl. PEOPLE: Yehey!

LEMON: And boy, New Orleans needs it. Hurricane Katrina nearly wiped the iconic city off the map, killing nearly 1,500 people and leaving many fighting for their lives inside a dark, dank and crumbling Superdome, the very place the Saints call home.

CHILDREN: We want help! We want help!

LEMON: Many survivors moved on to other cities. But the Saints didn't. Though the owner took heat from fans when he looked to move the team in the months following Katrina.

But one year after Katrina...

PEOPLE: Three, two, one! Yehey!

LEMON: The Saints were back in the Superdome. Now three-and-a- half years later, right at the time all eyes turn to a city famous for Mardi Gras, another reason to celebrate as only New Orleans can.

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LEMON: So earlier, we talked with some true fans of the black and gold. Clifton Harris is a blogger who covers New Orleans, and Terence Blanchard is a Grammy Award-winning musician and composer and native of the "Big Easy." Both have high hopes for when the Saints go marching into Miami next Sunday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: What does this mean for the city?

TERENCE BLANCHARD, MUSICIAN & COMPOSER: Oh, it's a God-sent to the city. I mean, after everything we've been going through, all of the trials and tribulations, I mean, the citizens are very resilient, but I mean, we still needed a pick-me-up.

And this has been a great ride from the beginning of the season all the way to this point. And to actually get to the culmination of it, to be in the Super Bowl, is just a miraculous thing.

You know, we were out on my porch. Man, I was playing "When the Saints Go Marching In." We were walking second line up and down St. Charles Avenue. Man, we had a great time at the end of the game.

LEMON: Clifton, I don't know if you've been second-lining, but you've certainly been blogging about this. Does it even matter at this point, Clifton, if the Saints win?

CLIFTON HARRIS, BLOGGER: It didn't matter at first, but the closer it gets to the game, it matters a lot now. I want the -- I would like to see us win the Super Bowl so we could prolong the feeling that we have right now a little further.

LEMON: And what I meant by that is, does it really make a difference when it comes to the city getting back to where it once was or even beyond where it was before Hurricane Katrina?

HARRIS: I don't think so. Because I personally think that the season we're having this year is just an outlet for us to show the pride that we already had even before Katrina and before any Saints seasons. You know, we have so many challenges in the city and so many issues that we're dealing with. And we never really have an outlet to just celebrate being on top of something.

So, that's what the winning streak and the playoff run and everything, I think, brought out in everybody. It was just a moment to just celebrate being from New Orleans and being good and knowing that, you know, the scoreboard don't lie and no one can take it away from us.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: All right. So you saw Terence there. He was joining us from the Grammys, where he won Best Improvised Jazz Solo. So, congratulations to him.

I want to take you now and let you hear some of him as we play a break. That's him playing the sax. Congratulations.

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LEMON: All right. Time now for some of your feedback. A lot of you have been tweeting me about who dat, which is really funny. Here's what Niecy59 says.

"@donlemon who dat initiated by black moms. When your friend came over unannounced during dinner and they'd yell from the kitchen, who dat?"

Someone tweeting about the "SNL" skit last night about Scott Brown. Says, "It was especially funny when he said he was going to filibuster out of his jeans."

So some light moments tonight with the tweets. I would imagine a lot of people are enjoying some programming, maybe in other places.

Let's see. Someone says of Scott Brown, "Had it been a woman in the nude pic, break out of the tar and feathers, but it isn't in the office much less done anything and the POTUS LMAC."

I have no idea what that person said. But they were basically saying, I guess, basically if a woman had posed in the nude like Scott Brown did, then she would not be elected to office. I think that's what they meant to say.

Anyway, let's talk now about the last U.S. veteran of World War I celebrating his 109th birthday tomorrow at his home in Charlestown, West Virginia.

This is a picture of Corporal Frank Buckles earlier in his military career. Here's a more recent photo of him. There, he is right there. Still just as handsome. Buckles has dedicated much of his free time to trying to get a national memorial for his World War I comrades in Washington.

So, I'm Don Lemon. We thank you for joining us. I'll see you back here next weekend. Back here next weekend. Make sure you have a great week and get out and enjoy it.

Also tomorrow, be safe. Our Bonnie Schneider tells us that the morning commute, especially in the Northeast, is going to be a bit treacherous, and you may want to get out early, get an early start so that you can get there safe.

Good night, everyone.