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President Obama in Indonesia; Rewarding the Tea Party; EBooks Taking Over the Publishing World; Video Gamers Worldwide Lining up for New 'Call of Duty' Game; Poking Fun at Obama's Dancing Moves; Federer Passes Sampras in Tourney Wins; Woods Looking for First Win of Year

Aired November 09, 2010 - 09:00   ET

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

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Hey guys. Good morning. It's 9:00 a.m. on the East Coast, 6:00 a.m. out West.

Here are some of the stories that had us talking this morning.

President Obama in Indonesia, the country where he spent some of his childhood years, but the visit may be cut short. We'll have a live report in just a moment.

For more than a generation, the McDonald's Happy Meal has been a staple of American childhood. But today it could become outlawed in one U.S. city. San Francisco's board of supervisors expected to vote on banning the fast food. Critics say, well, we're going to take the toy away and then they won't want it.

And chew on this. Junk food could be the secret weapon in your next diet. One college nutrition professor says he lost weight and improved his health with Twinkies, little Debbies (ph) and a lot of calorie counting.

So we begin with President Obama in Indonesia. The second stop of his Asian tour. This visit is much more than just a return to the president's boyhood home, though.

CNN's senior White House correspondent Ed Henry is traveling with the president. He joins us from Jakarta.

So, Ed, what's the president trying to accomplish in Indonesia?

ED HENRY, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, Kyra, the broader message -- he's planning a big speech at the University of Indonesia tomorrow and the message White House officials says he wants to send is that this is the most populist Muslim majority nation in the world.

And so the president wants to send a signal that look, there -- still a nation that trades with the U.S., other countries in the west, works together on issues like climate change and counterterrorism. So they're keeping the Muslim identity but still reaching out to the west.

You don't always see that in this region. The president wants to highlight that. And then, by the way, it's a democracy. Just as India, the last stop. The next stop, South Korea, democracy. Japan, the last stop, democracy.

Maybe a not-so-subtle signal to the China that the U.S. has other allies in this region it can trade with and it's not just completely dependent on China -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: We'll be talking about his meeting, obviously, with China's man in charge, as well. But he's also got a very special connection to Indonesia. Personal connection.

HENRY: Yes. He spent, as you noted, four years as a boy here and it's interesting because, you know, he wanted to spend some time at his old school, maybe even pop by the old place where he and his mom and stepdad stayed, where they had lived.

But this trip has sort of never gone as planned. The first time it was cancelled because of the health care debate. Second time cancelled because of the Gulf oil spill. The third time now, it's been shrunk down.

The president basically arrived in a driving rain. He looked kind of jet lagged at this news conference but it was interesting because he sort of brightened when a reporter asked him about growing up here. We saw his mood brightened and he noted, you know what, the perks of the job are not bad.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: When I first came here was in 1967, and people were on becak which, for those of who aren't familiar, is sort of a bicycle rickshaw thing. And if they weren't on becak they were on bemos which were -- they're sort of like little taxis but you stood in the back and it was very crowded.

And, you know, now as president I can't even see any traffic because they block off all the streets.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

(LAUGHTER)

PHILLIPS: It's what happens when you have a lot of high security. Now the trip might be cut short because of the volcanic ash, right?

HENRY: Yes. But that's what's interesting. You're right. He's talking about the perks of the job but meanwhile there are certain things even the president, the commander in chief, can't stop and this volcanic ash spewing out of the mountain here.

Bottom line is that a lot of experts say that that ash can wind up in the jet engine. White House officials nervous about what that means for Air Force One, the press charter, other planes that are part of this U.S. delegation. So the bottom line is it's looking more and more likely the president is going to leave town a little early as are we, Kyra.

So because basically folks are saying it's just won't be safe if we stay here too long. And we'll get stuck here. And he can't go on to South Korea and Japan. So it's sort of maybe a little bittersweet tour of where he once lived. He's not going to stay as long as expected -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Yes. No doubt. Bittersweet. Ed, thanks.

Well, one week ago today voters went to the polls and Democrats went down in flames. Tea Party candidates seized on taxpayer anger. Rand Paul ran his Senate or won his Senate race, rather, in Kentucky and fellow Republican Marco Rubio did the same this Florida.

In the House, Republicans seized control and a rising star of the Tea Party, Christie Noem of South Dakota will be part of the freshman class in January. Now the GOP is trying to figure out who will get leadership roles and if Tea Party candidates will be part of that group.

Congressional correspondent Brianna Keilar on Capitol Hill.

So, what's going on with this, Brianna?

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, you know during the election season, you heard Republican leaders here in Congress saying to Tea Party folks, we hear you and one of the ways sources tell us that they're talking about trying to make sure that voters know that they have been heard is by making sure that some of these new, incoming freshmen who were aligned with the Tea Party that they're going to have a voice.

And one of those ways is by actually putting one of them at the leadership table. This is kind of a big deal allowing them to sit there with the establishment Republicans and have input.

So who are we talking about? Well, sources say that Christie Noem of South Dakota is interested in this position and that Republican leaders are interested in having her. That said, the caveat here is that she would have to be endorsed and elected by her freshman class.

This creates potentially an area where Republicans can kind of check the box and say, hey, we have someone from the Tea Party at the table, but as you also know, Michele Bachmann is throwing her hat into the ring for another leadership position to be conference chairman.

And at this point she doesn't have as much support as Jeb Hensarling, her opponent, and so it's sort of making you wonder if Republican leaders can say, well look, we could have this person at the table or we can have a Tea Party person at the table.

Is it going to be Michele Bachmann? Perhaps not as all of this jockeying continues to go on -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Well, a lot of backroom deal-making going on with Democrats, too, now that they're going to be in the minority. Not enough leadership roles to go around, obviously.

KEILAR: Yes. As they move to the minority, they lose a leadership role. So right now, you've got the number two Democrat, Steny Hoyer, and Jim Clyburn, the number three Democrats, and they are vying for this role of minority whip. The number two position for Democrats once they go into the new Congress.

You've got Steny Hoyer who's aligned with a lot of moderates. Many of whom did lose seats during this -- during the midterm elections. And then Jim Clyburn is a very prominent African-American seen as more part of the liberal wing or representing liberals.

And every day, Kyra, we're just waiting to see exactly what is going to happen here. I have spoken with two senior Democratic aides who tell me that Hoyer and Clyburn met yesterday for half an hour. Playing it very close to the vest on exactly what they talked about r.

Are they possibly trying to work out an arrangement or is this just sort of a -- they're touching base with each other as we wait to see how all of this is going to play out.

PHILLIPS: All right. We'll definitely be following how it's all going to play.

Brianna, thanks so much.

Former President George W. Bush breaking his silence on key moments of his presidency. His long-awaited memoir is in bookstores today. Bush deals with some of the most controversial elements and among them his decision to use waterboarding on terror suspects in the wake of the 9/11 attacks.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, 43RD PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We believe America is going to be attacked again. There's all kinds of intelligence coming in. And one of the high valued al Qaeda operatives was Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, chief operating office of al Qaeda, ordered the attack on 9/11. And they say he's got information. I said find out what he knows. And so I said to our team, are the techniques legal? And a legal team says yes, they are. And I said, use them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Bush say that the low point of his administration came during the Hurricane Katrina disaster. He now admits that the government's response was too slow and he takes blame for not acting more decisively.

White House controversies, international crisis, and personal disappointments, former President George W. Bush talks about it all in his book. He actually sits down with our Candy Crowley for a special edition of "STATE OF THE UNION." That's this Sunday night 8:00 Eastern.

Children as young as 12 years of age forced into prostitution, and this morning, possible hope for dozens of them. A federal crackdown on child sex trafficking called "Operation Cross Country V" ended Sunday night and resulted in hundreds of arrests. Police recovered 69 kids, more than a dozen in Seattle. Eight hundred and eighty-four people were arrested in 40 cities. Among the arrests, pimps and gang members with connections to Somalia.

An assistant attorney general in Michigan is out of a job after targeting an openly-gay college student leader. The state attorney general says that Andy Shirvell, quote, "engaged in borderline stalking behavior." The AG says Shirvell also lied to investigators. He allegedly targeted university student body president Chris Armstrong online and in person.

Take a look. The slopes are covered in snow now. Time to strap on those skis and snowboards. Sugar Mountain in western North Carolina, hundreds of skiers on the mountain this past weekend after a dusting of the snow.

It's the second earliest opening, by the way, for Sugar Mountain in 34 years.

Rob Marciano, are you going to hit it?

ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: You know, I've never been up to Sugar Mountain.

PHILLIPS: It's actually a neat little place. It's not real challenging. You always like a challenge.

MARCIANO: Well, listen. If it's within striking distance --

PHILLIPS: But it's beautiful. Yes, exactly. You can take a little drive.

MARCIANO: Nice work. All right. I knew it was cold the past week or so, Kyra, but you know, to see snow on the mountains there in North Carolina, with even some fresh bout, we're not even into the middle of November, come on, that's awesome.

(WEATHER REPORT)

PHILLIPS: Yes. It really got a little bit of everything. Are you a snowboarder?

MARCIANO: I can do it. But my ego doesn't allow it. I'm horrible.

(LAUGHTER)

PHILLIPS: It is very challenging, isn't it?

MARCIANO: Yes. And when you fall, it's embarrassing.

PHILLIPS: Everybody's -- yes. So many people say, I can surf, I can wakeboard, I can snowboard.

MARCIANO: Yes.

PHILLIPS: Whole another -- whole another issue. Yes. You kind of have a lesson. All right, well, maybe we'll hit North Carolina.

MARCIANO: Let's do that. Perfect. I like it.

PHILLIPS: There we go. Road trip. Oh boy, that would be interesting, wouldn't it? We'll bring the cameras.

MARCIANO: Sounds good.

PHILLIPS: All right. Thanks, Rob.

MARCIANO: You bet.

PHILLIPS: All right, well, Elizabeth Smart made national headlines, you may remember, when she was kidnapped and she made them again when she was found alive. Now years later, she's finally on the stand being able to recount that nightmare and her testimony is today's talker. It's powerful. And we're going to talk about it straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Well, let's take a look at what's making news "Cross Country" right now.

Snowmass Village, Colorado. Long known as a hot sport for winter sports. Well, what evacuation or excavation crews found this weekend may change its reputation. Scientists actually dug up what they believe is the skull and horns of a gigantic bison from the Ice Age. It's so big that they thought it was a mastodon.

And our next stop, Palm Beach Garden, Florida, where some shoppers this past Sunday thought that they saw Lady Gaga with a personal security detail and everything. It turns out this lookalike was part of a training exercise for mall security. And as for the real Gaga, well, she had a gig in Italy.

I mean, there's nothing like a personalized thank you as these eighth graders that are at the Lady of Mercy School in Greenwich, Rhode Island found out. Ten Marines, fresh from Afghanistan, came to thank the class for the letters, poems and well wishes that they had all been mailing to the troops.

Well, Elizabeth Smart's very name is synonymous with kidnapping, missing and victim. She's the poster child for a parent's worst nightmare. She made national headlines back in 2002 when a man snatched her out of her bedroom, took her out in the middle of the nowhere in Utah, and raped her daily. She was 14 at the time.

Elizabeth emerged from this walking nightmare nine months later, alive. And now, she's testifying against her kidnapper. No one's denying the horrible things that Brian David Mitchell did to her. The issue is, was he insane when he did it? That's today's Talker.

Jean Casarez with "In Session," our sister network, TruTV has been following this trial in Salt Lake City and, Jean, after talking to you this morning, I can just imagine what it was like to sit in that courtroom and watch her testify for the first time in front of a jury.

JEAN CASAREZ, CORRESPONDENT, "IN SESSION," TRUTV: You know, Kyra, I sat there yesterday, her first day of testimony, and I said, "This is it. I'm sitting here watching Elizabeth Smart, a surviving victim, testify before a jury."

Well, she was very soft-spoken. She looked at the jury. It was like she was just telling them the story, step by step. She'd look at the federal prosecutor. She was thoughtful but deliberate. She never said, "I don't know." She always knew the answer.

I've got to show you this, Kyra. This is the headline of "The Salt Lake Tribune" today. "No matter what it took, I was going to survive. I would survive."

Kyra, she said that in the bedroom that night, that Brian David Mitchell came in with a knife to her from the very beginning and said, "If you say anything, you're going to be killed, and your family's going to be killed." She said he took her to her closet and said, "Get shoes. The sturdiest shoes you have."

She said she was led out of the home with a knife to her throat. She said that then they started walking up the mountains. And it took three to five hours to get to the camp where Wanda Barzee was, but every step of the way, he had that knife to her back and told her if she tried to get away, she would be killed.

She said that at the point where he started to sexual assault her, she said, "Look, I'm just a little girl," and she said it didn't matter. And that was the beginning of her nightmare.

PHILLIPS: My guess is, reporters covering this story, probably pretty much everybody that has been in that courtroom listening to this and has watched her do various interviews over the past number of months, are all sitting back, we're sitting back, and saying to ourselves, "This is an incredibly strong young woman." She was so strong as she had to endure such a -- just horrific treatment.

But just how she is, is talking about this so calmly and remembering everything in such a precise way, you tend to wonder where this strength came from and how long it's going to last.

CASAREZ: This is what I think. This is what I see in the courtroom. I see her testifying about an Elizabeth Smart that went through so many things eight years ago. She's not that person right now on the stand. She's describing what happened to that person.

So, I think she has separated herself from the actual events. It has been eight years. But she knows what she went through. She said it was "indescribable horror." That's how she described it. And she is reliving it to a point on that stand.

PHILLIPS: What do you think is going to happen to this man? Listening to the crimes that he committed, and then reading how he said that he had planned for months to make her his wife in a celestial plural marriage, and he was singing hymns in the courtroom. CASAREZ: Right. Well, there's two sides to every story. There's the insanity defense her. And I've already looked at the federal guidelines for insanity, and you know what? It is not over until it's over. Because the defense is saying that he is not to be criminally responsible because he didn't appreciate the criminality of the acts. God was asking him to do this.

He wanted plural marriage, he wanted to have a number of wives. He couldn't get them, so he decided he would have to kidnap a young girl in order to get one. But they're saying he didn't know that right from wrong.

PHILLIPS: Wow. She's an incredibly strong, young woman, and it's been pretty amazing to watch her testify. And I know it's touched you deeply. Jean Casarez, appreciate you joining us from Salt Lake this morning.

CASAREZ: You're welcome.

PHILLIPS: Be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Oh, we want to welcome Conan O'Brien to the Turner family and congratulate him, now that he gets a discount at the CNN store with the ID, full access to our diner, free parking, even barbecue on Wednesdays. Here's the big open of his debut last night on TBS, Conan showing us what life is like after he left NBC and before he fell into the loving arms of our basic cable.

(BEGIN VIDE CLIP)

CONAN O'BRIEN, HOST, "CONAN": We had amazing music guests. We had Pearl Jam.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't care who you were. I just asked for some extra sweet and sour sauce.

O'BRIEN: Oh.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's like seven forks. Not sweet and sour sauce.

(LAUGHTER)

O'BRIEN: First they said Obama's a socialist, then they say he's Muslim. Now they're saying he wasn't even born in this country. It's got me thinking, OK, the guy might not be qualified to be president, but I guess he is qualified to drive a cab in New York City.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Here's your money. Please go.

O'BRIEN: It's supposed to be $30 --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'll call the police.

O'BRIEN: You want me to move "The Tonight Show" to 12:05?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't care who you were.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Get a job.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'll call the police.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You're very good looking.

LARRY KING, HOST, "LARRY KING LIVE": Don't do it, Conan!

O'BRIEN: Larry King?

KING: I'm your guardian angel.

O'BRIEN: But you're not dead.

KING: Never mind that. I have two words for you. Basic cable.

O'BRIEN: Basic cable.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Conan, I think you'll find our terms very attractive.

TEXT: Less. Much less.

(LAUGHTER)

O'BRIEN: I think we have a deal.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: All right. Our Larry King proving you can wear angel wings with suspenders. Now, here's a lovely little snarky snippet from Conan's first official TBS monologue.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

O'BRIEN: People ask me why I named the show "Conan." I did it so I'd be harder to replace.

(LAUGHTER)

O'BRIEN: "He's out! Get another Conan!"

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Tom Hanks joins Conan tonight at 11:00 Eastern on our sister network TBS. We sure hope you'll watch.

In Texas, football is a blood sport, but it took ice water in the veins to pull off this trick play. We're actually going to talk to the middle school quarterback and his coach about this move that stunned the stadium and has gone viral on the web.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) (BUSINESS HEADLINES)

PHILLIPS: Half past the hour now. Time for other stories that had us talking this morning.

President Obama in Indonesia, the country where he spent some of his childhood years. He's reaching out to Muslims and the world's largest Muslim majority nation. It's the second stop of President Obama's 10- day tour of Asia.

And former President George W. Bush breaking his silence on key moments of his presidency. His long-awaited memoir in bookstores today. It deals with the controversial elements of the presidency and says the low point of the administration came during the hurricane Katrina disaster.

And from London to Laredo, video gamers lining up to by "Call of Duty: Black Ops." The military shooter game went on sale at midnight and is a follow-up to last year's record breaker. That "Call of Duty" game sold 4.7 million copies in just the first day.

Well, football at any level is all about sound and fury, bodies colliding, helmets smacking, wills being tested. And that's what makes this play so remarkable. If you didn't see it, here you go. The middle school quarterback takes the snap, casually saunters through the defensive line and then bolts for the end zone. The trick play is good for six points and nearly 2.5 million hits on YouTube.

John Roberts had a chance to talk with the coach who plotted the play and the player who pulled it off. He joins us with our AM Extra.

So, it was the coach's idea and what did the players think? Did they think they could pull it off?

JOHN ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR, "AMERICAN MORNING": It was actually the assistant coach's idea, John de los Santos. Jason Garza is the quarterback. De los Santos told us this morning, he says, this is something I did in the seventh grade, and that was a while ago, and it worked. So he pitched it to his team.

They were in the championship game in the fourth quarter. They're down by six points. All they need is a touchdown. And then two-point conversion gets you the lead to probably hang on to. So he says to the quarterback Jason Garza, draw them off side for a penalty, which is a five-yard penalty but I'm going to pretend it should be a ten- yard penalty and just before the snap, I'm going to tell you to add another five yards to the penalty.

So Jason Garza is there getting ready to take the snap and from the sidelines the coach says, Jason, move it up another five yards. So the center gives him a side arm, side snap. Jason picks it up and starts counting off five yards. Watch this, he's saying to the coach, I do what? OK, I'm going to walk it up five yards here and now that I've got the five yards, I'm going to go for the end zone.

The linesmen on his side were in on it, too, saying, Jason, what are you doing, where are you going here? I asked Jason and the coach what they were thinking when he was walking through the line and he saw he had open field in front of him.

Here's what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) JASON GARZA, QUARTERBACK, DRISCOLL MIDDLE SCHOOL: I don't know. It was just a rush of adrenaline. I think I said that right. And it was fun. I had a blast doing it. I didn't think I was going to get very far, but it turned out to be a touchdown.

ROBERTS: Yes, because you were thinking when you executed this play -- oh, my gosh, I'm going to walk right through the line with no protection, they're going to kill me.

GARZA: That's what I was thinking at first. That's what was running through my mind the whole time.

JOHN DE LOS SANTOS, ASSISTANT COACH, DRISCOLL MIDDLE SCHOOL: In practicing the play, we even said there's going to be two results of the play. Either Jason's going to get really hard by a linebacker or safety, or he's going to get a first down or touchdown. And for us, thank goodness it was the latter.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: All right. And apparently the other team was surprised that the play was even legal, right?

ROBERTS: Yes. Well, apparently it is. And going back, this is not the first time this has happened because I'm going to call on Pam Steffie (ph), there, your producer for the hour. Something I just found on the internet a couple of minutes ago. I don't know where it is. Apparently it's middle school. Lakeland vs. Heartland. Watch this. They line up for the snap. There's the quarterback. Watch. Now, the quarterback will get the handoff. Another side snap from the center and he goes --

PHILLIPS: Hi, how are you doing?

ROBERTS: Hey, coach. Something's wrong with the ball.

PHILLIPS: Then, boom.

ROBERTS: Yes, I go to ask you a question. He's walking here and everybody is kind of looking around. Watch this. Goes for the end zone.

PHILLIPS: OK. So you know what?

ROBERTS: This is not new.

PHILLIPS: It's not a new trick. But he had a different method there. That's great. We should find all the various trick plays.

ROBERTS: Some question over the legality of that play, was the quarterback communicating falsely with somebody on the sidelines to create a deception? That's in question. But apparently this other play, the one in Texas, because the instruction was coming from the sideline, that didn't constitute bad sportsmanship and as far as we know, that whole thing was all legal.

PHILLIPS: Oh, guys. Kids are so clever. These coaches. I love that he remembered it from his seventh grade year. That was amazing. That was fun.

Thanks, John.

Sales of eBooks reaches nearly $1 billion. So are books headed the way of the phone booth? Josh Levs joining me.

So josh, look at the Kindle and these other types of -- from our computers to Kindle to even our iPhones, there goes, you know, the old newspaper and the book.

JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes.

PHILLIPS: And what we're used to.

LEVS: And it's a huge change in a massive industry. One of the big questions is whether the United States is going to stay at the forefront on this, Worldwide.

Let me show you why everyone's talking about this right now. It's because this brand-new figure. Here it is, close to a billion dollars -- $966 million in eBook sales expected to take place this year. And take a look at where we're going by 2015 -- $3 billion in eBook sales by 2015. This is from a researcher named James McQuivey, who's at Forester Research, who wrote about this on a web site called paidcontent.org. And this could ultimately be a sign of the times.

And what he's saying is not only are we having the billions of dollars in sales, but it could be even faster than that as new types of eReaders develop. Right now, as you were saying, we've got the Kindle, which is very popular out of Amazon. There's also one from Barnes & Nobel that's called the nook. A lot of people are also using their iPads as eReaders.

And this analysis says, the book business may be soon the most digital of all the media that there are. In fact, digital could be the new default within just four or five years from now, which means publishers would start focusing on these far before they would even start thinking about publishing actually books. Good old books with supplement them.

There's also a question about what to use to teach our kids. Let me who you what's behind me right now. This is two more things that show what's going on. Right now, seven percent of online adults who read books, read eBooks. That doesn't seem like much. But, look at this. If you look at just the people out there who have eReaders -- and more and more people are getting them -- it's going to become a normal thing to get them -- 66 percent of the time they're choosing to read their books digitally instead of in the classic old American way, holding the books in the hands.

And especially as younger generation's grow up having learned to read digitally, good old books might be a thing of the past. Yes ,it's true. Kind of like what's happening with a lot of newspapers and magazines around the country. We're hearing from you on this. I've got conversations going on Facebook and Twitter @joshlevscnn.

And it's interesting, Kyra, what people are saying about what they'd miss about the current books and what is good about them, what is convenient about them and some ways environmental friendly. So, certainly look forward to hearing that. But the upshot for right now, is that this year -- if this analysis is right -- probably is -- we're looking at about a billion dollars in eBook sales, which shows you how fast that industry has exploded.

PHILLIPS: So the day of the library card and, you know, going with the buddies to go check out a few books, it's over.

LEVS: It might go the way of Blockbuster. I know. These days you can just press a few buttons and you get it faster.

PHILLIPS: Bummer. Where do we go to find peace and quiet and the really nice librarian that always helped you out?

LEVS: I know. We're going to need more like peace gardens around the country now.

PHILLIPS: There you go.

Thanks, Josh.

LEVS: You got it.

PHILLIPS: New Jersey voters say that they like Chris Christie as the governor. But when it comes to a run for the White House, they say forget about it.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAY LENO, HOST, "THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH JAY LENO": Actually, did you see the president and first lady dancing in India? They're having a wonderful time. And Michelle, you know, she is so great with kids. She loves children. Here she is. Take a look. Here she is. Got some moves there. Yes, looks good. Having fun.

But, you know, President Obama, you know, he is a very competitive guy. Did you see him a little later? Here, show him outside. Outside. One move. That one move. That's --

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: OK, Paul Steinhauser, let's see your move. Maybe we can key up a little music here. Give us your moves.

PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN DEPUTY POLITICAL DIRECTOR: (AUDIO GAP) You don't want to see me dancing. Just ask my wife.

PHILLIPS: No? we don't want to see your big moves?

STEINHAUSER: Nah. I'll talk about -- yes. I don't want you to lose any viewers over my dancing moves. So, let's talk about politics.

Let's talk about a guy who Republicans think has some moves and that is Chris Christie. This is my only move walking around here. Chris Christie, the governor of New Jersey. A lot of speculation of whether he'll run for the White House in 2012, Kyra. But he has been pushing back big time saying, no, not interested in doing it. And now, a new poll out this morning indicates that people in his home state agree with him. They say that they like him, they think he's doing a good in office. But they say they don't want him to run for governor so, I mean, for president, which is a much bigger thing than governor, obviously. So brand new on the CNN political ticker. Check it out.

Also, hey, Kyra, another person we're keeping our eyes on, maybe running for the White House. There's a huge list, it's getting bigger. Add George Pataki to that list. Former Republican governor of New York State. He thought about maybe running in 2008, he didn't do it. Now, comments he made yesterday to ABC News yesterday indicating well -- maybe, maybe he wants to run in 2012.

So we're going to keep an eye on all of these guys. Two years away. But boy, the time -- the clock is ticking -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: And you know, about how much money was spent to attack Nancy Pelosi during the midterms?

STEINHAUSER: A lot of money. A lot.

Let me give you some numbers. Brand-new numbers we've got from Campaign Media Analysis Group, they did an analysis of all the ads that went up from the beginning of this year through the midterm elections. And this is record breaking.

Are you ready for this? More than $65 million are spent on ads attacking the House Speaker, 161,000 ads ran.

The whole idea here by Republicans was to try to tie Democratic candidates to the House Speaker. Why? Because polls suggested Nancy Pelosi is not well liked by most Americans. In fact, our most recent numbers just before the election indicated that only about one in four people had a favorable opinion of her.

So that was a record breaking amount of money and a record breaking number of ads that were spent tying Democrats to Nancy Pelosi. I guess it was -- in a way successful because, of course, the Republicans as of right now picked up 60 House seats. It's a lot of seats -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: By the way, when did you pick up the new CNN Politics neon sign behind your head there? I feel like I'm at a pub.

STEINHAUSER: nice. Isn't that -- come on up. We're going to tap the keg a little later. Come on up we're going to have fun time.

PHILLIPS: You used to hang signs like that in your bedroom in like the eighth grade. Remember that? It looks pretty cool. Hips the place up. Thanks, Paul.

We're going to have our next political update in about an hour. You can also go to our Web site of course, 24/7, CNNPolitics.com.

Well, "Parker-Spitzer" is looking beyond the headlines for the news that affects you every night and last night Fareed Zakaria, of CNN's "Fareed Zakaria GPS" suggested of thinking outside the box when it comes to fixing the economy.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FAREED ZAKARIA, HOST, CNN'S "FAREED ZAKARIA GPS": With all these temporary measures, well, we're frankly trying to pump back up the economy in various ways to be more like it was in 2007, it's not going to work because the consumer is maxed out. Businesses are wary because they went through the worst credit bubble of -- since the 1930s.

ELLIOT SPITZER, CO-HOST, CNN'S "PARKER/SPITZER": Right.

ZAKARIA: And so there's a part of me that thinks really what we should be doing is accept that this is going to be a tough few years and try to build an economy for the long term and don't keep trying these gimmicks.

So as I say, at the end of the day I understand what the Fed is doing. I don't think it going to trigger inflation but the real answer is build a new economy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: "Parker/Spitzer" every night 8:00 p.m. Eastern.

Well, Rio de Janeiro may still have carnival but may no longer lay claim to the world's largest Jesus statue. The explanation and more in our "Morning Passport."

But first "Flashback", November 9th, 1962. You remember this song, right?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(MUSIC)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Smokey Robinson and the Miracles. "You Really Got a Hold on Me", Motown Records released that song 48 years ago today.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: All right, today's "Morning Passport" requires you to buckle down and brace yourself for one of a heck of a smash up. We begin in rural, eastern Poland where residents got a rude awakening by a massive explosion earlier today. Two freight trains loaded down with petroleum collide and go up in a flash. Incredibly the engineers of both trains survived with only minor injuries.

Next stop: the German village of Gorleben, the latest flashpoint of the protest of the German government's policy on accepting nuclear waste. As many as 4,000 demonstrators showed up to try to turn back the shipments with passive resistance, literally laying in the road or lying down in the road to block the trucks. The German police eventually arrested all those protesters.

Back to Poland now and if you don't think Jesus is big in the predominantly Catholic country. Well, this may change your mind. They just unveiled what locals call the largest Jesus statue in the world even bigger than Rio's likeness of Christ the Redeemer. The local priest says the memorial is a culmination of his life's work. It's set to be consecrated later this month.

We're following a lot of developments in the next hour of CNN NEWSROOM. Let's check in first with Stephanie Elam. Hey, Steph.

STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Hey Kyra, guess what? Thanksgiving is going on a diet. I'll tell you what Americans are giving up -- I'll have that in the next hour.

ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: That's not right.

I'm Rob Marciano in the CNN Severe Weather Center where it's not going to feel like Thanksgiving across the midsection of the country. Unusually warm but storms roll in the west and that storm in the eastern part of the New England just won't go away. The weather in the next hour.

PHILLIPS: Well, Steph, Rob, maybe you'll want this with your Thanksgiving. Chew on this all right?

Junk food could be the secret weapon in your next diet. One college nutrition professor says he lost weight eating Twinkies, Little Debby's and lots of calorie counting. Are you kidding me? He's joining us next hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: That's right. Give me the grand entrance. Give it to me, Tony. Give it to me. Tony Harris, ladies and gentlemen. Come on. Obama danced in India. You can give me a bust a move.

TONY HARRIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: But did you see that dance? That was barely a dance.

PHILLIPS: yes, I know. That was pretty bad, wasn't it?

HARRIS: Good morning Kyra. How are you?

PHILLIPS: Does it take you back to the like '80s? HARRIS: Yes. "Bust a move"? Yes.

(CROSSTALK)

HARRIS: Is that what's next.

PHILLIPS: Sugar Hill Gang, I told you I'm going to bring that back.

HARRIS: Hip hop.

Phillips: Hip hop. Don't stop rocking until they bang-bang.

(CROSSTALK)

HARRIS: You're good. How are you feeling?

PHILLIPS: Well, let's talk about this trickery in NFL. Forget the middle school trickery. Did any of you guys see this?

HARRIS: Yes.

PHILLIPS: Here we go, Steelers. Their receiver right?

HARRIS: Right.

PHILLIPS: Is it Antwaan Randel El.

HARRIS: Randel El?

PHILLIPS: Yes. Randel El, I never say his name right.

He takes his hand off, tosses a 39-yard touchdown pass and boom Pittsburgh goes on to beat Cincinnati. Were they watching the middle schoolers? Is that how they did it?

HARRIS: Yes. Yes, yes, yes, yes. Everybody's got a bushel basket full of trick plays. Right. I mean you have your own, right?

PHILLIPS: Oh, I have all kinds of tricks in my hat. You know it.

(CROSSTALK)

PHILLIPS: I'm like a magician pulling things out of the black hat.

HARRIS: Oh, man. You know Roethlisberger you have to say -- quarterback of the Steelers has handled himself pretty well on his return after a messy couple of months. Right.

PHILLIPS: Wild ride on a motorcycle among other things.

HARRIS: He needs to, and he's done a good job. You know what I wanted to bring you this morning?

PHILLIPS: you being the tennis fiend that you are.

HARRIS: You as well, lady. You rock.

PHILLIPS: But I played with you and you smoked me.

HARRIS: We played together and you're really, really good.

PHILLIPS: I try to keep up with you.

I was laid up for 48 hours after playing with you and the boys.

HARRIS: It's going to be a while before we play again?

PHILLIPS: Yes. My feet still ache.

HARRIS: So what I wanted to bring you was one of the classiest acts in all of sports. He's our guy -- he's a tennis guy.

PHILLIPS: We love Roger Federer.

HARRIS: It is Roger Federer.

PHILLIPS: He is.

HARRIS: Over the weekend, he won his 65th professional tennis tournament. That puts him ahead of Pete Sampras, an all-time great. There he is. He is and has been -- you know, tennis may not be the sport in the United States that it was in the days of McEnroe and Connors and Agassi and Sampras.

PHILLIPS: Sure.

HARRIS: But it is still a huge global sport, and he is the epitome of class and at 29 years old, he continues to beat these kids.

PHILLIPS: And that's what kills me. At 29, he's considered old.

HARRIS: Yes. In this game, he's considered old. He is a guy with a wife and twins. Hello.

PHILLIPS: We love those twins, yes, we do.

HARRIS: Anything, any news.

PHILLIPS: I know. I'm feeding the twins right now, five months in. There we go.

HARRIS: There you go.

PHILLIPS: Hopefully they'll be as good tennis players as Federer.

HARRIS: Yes. Well, they will do well if they're as good as you are.

We have one other piece here for you before I jet. Tiger Woods goes back to -- some would say to the scene of the crime.

PHILLIPS: Oh. I hope my twins don't turn out like Tiger Woods, although I would like them to be golfers; golfers and tennis players.

HARRIS: Right. That's it. Tennis is all for you.

Tiger's arriving there in Melbourne, Australia, the site of the Australian Masters. He won that event last year. But this was the location, Australia, where all of the seedy underbelly of Tiger's life began to become exposed.

PHILLIPS: All the drama.

HARRIS: You remember that?

PHILLIPS: Oh, yes.

HARRIS: It was Rachel Uchitel who was photographed in the hotel where Tiger was staying. Now, I don't recall ever seeing a photograph of them together in Australia. But they were both there at the time.

PHILLIPS: Apparently they had a nice little get away.

HARRIS: Well, there you go.

PHILLIPS: End of story.

HARRIS: And then later in the month, we know what happens, two irons, everything else, cars, accidents, everything else. But this is the --

PHILLIPS: But he's still getting paid millions of bucks to do like appearances here, right?

HARRIS: Yes, he really is. He is getting an appearance fee. It's a healthy one. And the other bit, folks have been warned, spectators have been warned if you heckle Tiger, you will be bounced from the event immediately.

PHILLIPS: Why? He deserves it.

HARRIS: Yes, so you know, maybe a better 2011 for Tiger. It's going to be a terrific 2011 for you.

PHILLIPS: maybe he ought to bust a move.

HARRIS: Pretty good 2011 for you, hot lady.

PHILLIPS: I'm working on it. Tony Harris, ladies and gentlemen.

HARRIS: All right. There you go. That's all I have.

PHILLIPS: There he is; he has the big play. Not a big player but he has the big play. Bust a move, T.

HARRIS: There you go. That's sports. PHILLIPS: What a way to roll in the 10:00 hour. 10:00 a.m. on the East Coast, 7:00 a.m. out west.