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Nightmare Cruise Finally Ends; Which Voters Abandoned Democrats?; America's Financial Hole; President Obama Honors U.S. Troops Overseas; Debt Commission Chairs Release Draft of First Proposal; Pentagon Holding Unclaimed Money For Tens of Thousands of Soldiers
Aired November 11, 2010 - 15:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: Good to see you all. Hello there. I am T.J. It's 3:00 here Eastern time.
And, boy, oh, boy, can you imagine? You're supposed to be out on a seven-day tour. It turns into a four-day tour. But you were hoping it could be even shorter than that. Dry land never looked so good for the thousands of folks who are aboard this Carnival cruise ship.
Splendor is the name, but it was anything but. It docked in San Diego. These are the pictures you're seeing just a couple of hours ago, passengers finally starting to get off this thing, after enduring three days of just some deplorable -- and that's a quote from one of the passengers -- deplorable conditions.
We're talking about smelly toilets they couldn't flush for a couple of days. They had long, long lines they were waiting in for hours to get what? Cold Spam, Pop Tarts. They didn't have lights. They didn't have air conditioning.
This big cruise liner lost power. This was on Monday they lost power, after just being out for one day, because of an engine fire. It was one day in what was supposed to be a beautiful seven-day cruise to the Mexican Riviera. That ain't happening.
Paul Vercammen is at the dock in San Diego.
You've been talking to folks getting off. And what is the first thing out of their mouth when they come talk to you?
PAUL VERCAMMEN, CNN SENIOR PRODUCER: They are so glad to see the Port of San Diego, believe me, because a lot of them said that they felt like they were kept in the dark about what was going on and were never really told that there was a full-fledged engine fire.
We're now going to talk to, T.J., two of the youngest guests aboard the ship. This is 8-year-old Caitlyn and 11-year-old Ryan Harlan.
And, Caitlyn, for you, what was the worst part of it?
CAITLYN HARLAN, 8 YEARS OLD: We had no electricity. That was the worst part. VERCAMMEN: And that meant walking around in the dark with no elevator and all that, right?
RYAN HARLAN, 11 YEARS OLD: Yes.
(CROSSTALK)
C. HARLAN: And we had we had to go downstairs many, many times with our luggages.
VERCAMMEN: And how about for you, Ryan? What was the worst part for you?
R. HARLAN: Probably waiting in line for gross food. The food was gross.
VERCAMMEN: Well, what were you eating?
R. HARLAN: We were eating -- like, for example, I one time had a sandwich with just cheese or a sandwich with jelly and butter.
VERCAMMEN: And how about for you? What did you eat, Caitlyn?
C. HARLAN: I only ate a salad. I did not like the rest of the food.
VERCAMMEN: So, you avoided the food.
What about what people have to do every day, shower and brush your teeth, and, of course, use the toilet? How you did you get around some of that stuff, Caitlyn?
C. HARLAN: Well, I didn't take a shower, but I brushed my teeth and went to the bathroom.
VERCAMMEN: And how about for you?
R. HARLAN: I didn't go to the shower, but the toilet didn't work for the couple of days. Then it started -- then they announced that it worked. And, before that, we had to just go to the bathroom and it will be in the toilet.
(CROSSTALK)
VERCAMMEN: Can you describe for me if it smelled or just what...
R. HARLAN: It smelled -- I didn't really smell it. I...
VERCAMMEN: How about you?
C. HARLAN: I smelled it. It smelled terrible.
VERCAMMEN: Well, I have a question for you. Let's just say -- and they're out of school. Let's just say someone said to you, would you like to go on a Carnival cruise down to Mexico. What would your answer be? C. HARLAN: Yes.
R. HARLAN: Yes.
VERCAMMEN: So, you guys had a good time. Or you think you would have had a great time. It's just that things changed.
C. HARLAN: Yes.
VERCAMMEN: Now, what was it like for you to be on board for so long? Were you just itching to get off? Can you describe that for us?
C. HARLAN: Yes. I was because -- because it kept moving back and forth and it kept going up and down. I kind of got a little dizzy.
VERCAMMEN: And they said they tried to provide some entertainment or music to keep you guys busy. How did you occupy your time? I mean, it's pretty easy to get bored anywhere.
R. HARLAN: They had a kids club that we would go to, that we would go to every day.
VERCAMMEN: What did you do in there?
R. HARLAN: We played board games, and we were just messing with the girls and tell -- talking.
VERCAMMEN: I got you, Ryan.
Thank you so much, Ryan and Caitlyn.
Well, there you hear it. They were playing board games and I guess, Ryan said, messing with the girls, anything to get through the final days, as tugboats brought the Splendor here into port in San Diego -- T.J.
HOLMES: And, Paul, one more thing to you. I know you have talked to a lot of folks as they did get off. We were kind of surprised, because we had been following this in the press here so much, seemed like we had so much information about what was going on, on that ship.
But they did not. Were some of them even surprised to hear what was actually happening on the ship? And were they, frankly, offended or upset that they didn't have more information, more information wasn't coming to them, being on that ship?
VERCAMMEN: Yes, that's absolutely true.
And, in fact, some of the people we talked to said that they felt that they wanted to hear more from the ship. And they said that they -- what they thought was absurd was that one young man said they heard that there was a non-flammable fire. And he said, what is a non- flammable fire? And they also got information about they might be going to Ensenada. Now, that was changed because, here in San Diego, they had more hotels to accommodate people. Of course, they can fly people directly out of San Diego to other parts of the United States. So, that's basically what went on there, T.J.
HOLMES: All right, Paul Vercammen, I will have to continue to work on that non-flammable-fire part myself.
Paul, we appreciate you. Thanks so much. We will continue to check in with you.
But, again, this has been a drama that's been playing out really for the past several days. And, finally, these folks are home. They need showers. They need -- they need warm showers, even. They need hot food. But they have made it.
I talked to a couple of people, a couple of passengers on this ship a little earlier today, as they were just starting to pull in. One of them is Lenora Chavez. This was actually her first cruise. This wasn't exactly the trip, as you can imagine, that she was hoping for. But, at the same time, she was able to put this experience in perspective.
Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: Tell me what the moment was like when you all finally were starting to be able to see the Port of San Diego.
LENORA CHAVEZ, PASSENGER: Oh, my gosh, what a relief.
(LAUGHTER)
CHAVEZ: What a relief. I said, oh, my gosh, there is land, and we're home, and we can get off of here.
I don't -- I don't know that many of us could tolerate another day on here, and especially with the food. No.
(CROSSTALK)
CHAVEZ: We're hungry, and our legs and tired, and we hurt, and we need hot water. And, you know, we want to take -- we want to bathe.
(LAUGHTER)
HOLMES: But now that you have made it through it, how -- how are you walking away? What are your thoughts walking away now?
CHAVEZ: I -- it will be very, very memorable, something, you know, very unforgettable. And I just thank God that we're all safe. And I know people out there have had worse experiences, you know, in events around the world. So, I feel we're OK, and maybe we weren't meant to go to Mexico for some reason. I don't know. I'm trying to look at it in a positive way.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: Some perspective there from Lenora Chavez, who, again, was on her first cruise. This was her first experience doing that.
She says she is not giving up on it just yet. She says she does want to take a cruise once again. But, again, we're talking about some 3,300 paying passengers who are aboard this thing, another 1,100- plus of the crew who have finally made it back. This could have been a much bigger incident, a disaster of some sorts, you could even argue, but not the case. They all made it back. Good to have them back. I know they're glad to be back.
Also want to tell you what else we have on tap for you this hour.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES (voice-over): On this Veterans Day, some families are angry. Will the coffins carrying their loved ones be moved to make room for an airport runway?
And how does the U.S. get itself out of a huge financial hole? The military, Medicare, Social Security, are they all on the chopping block? Oh, and how about your mortgage tax deduction?
Plus, police say the eye of Google Street View caught drug dealers in the act. Good news, right? But wait a minute. What about privacy? Is your face on Street View, too?
That's ahead.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Well, welcome back, folks.
Americans at home and around the world paused today. Hope you did as well -- people pausing to pay tribute to American veterans and to honor their ongoing military service around the world.
The president, President Obama, in South Korea, he marked the day with a visit to a U.S. Army base. He renewed a U.S. commitment to take care of veterans after their service is over.
Meanwhile, the vice president, Joe Biden, he participated in a wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOSEPH BIDEN, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Collectively, the generation of soldiers, sailors and airmen and Marines who have served and sacrificed for us are the heart and soul, the very spine of this nation.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: And, of course, assuredly, you noticed a lot of the Veterans Day parades and ceremonies taking place all around the country today.
Meanwhile, on the political front, is there a deal on tax cuts? According to The Huffington Post, White House senior adviser David Axelrod says the White House might negotiate with Republicans on a temporary extension of all the Bush-era tax cuts, but today the White House is stepping back from that story. Axelrod stated the White House position remains the same, that it sees a need to extend just the middle-class tax cuts.
Also, take you to Karachi. You're seeing the pictures here, at least 15 people killed, dozens injured, in a suicide car bombing outside a police facility in Karachi, Pakistan. The Taliban has said it was behind the attack, which targeted a building that houses a criminal investigation department. The blast happened in a high- security area near government buildings, the U.S. Consulate and major hotels. A Pakistani official said the bombing happened after gunmen fired on a security checkpoint.
Also, taking a picture here out of Florida. This is Fort Myers in familiar. You see this here. This is a gas line, apparently a gas line that ruptured. Apparently, two people have been injured here. This was the result of construction in the area. So, it appears, possibly, some of that work hit a gas line.
One person had to be transported to the hospital with burns over 50 percent of his body. Officials do tell us right now, though, that there's no threat of an explosion or anything going any further than what you're seeing in this picture, which essentially is just gas being burned off right now, but utility crews working right now to try to get this turned off -- but, again, two people injured in Fort Myers, Florida. We will keep a close eye on what's happening there.
And, as you know, you have been hearing a whole lot about one of America's biggest problems, our growing debt. How are we supposed to fix this? President Obama appointed a group to come up with some ideas to tackle the debt. And we're starting for the first time now to hear some of those ideas. How could those ideas affect your wallet? You need to hear what we have to tell you about that coming up.
Also, many voters who came out for the president back in 2008 didn't exactly show up at the polls this time around in the midterms and do what he was asking them to do. Who exactly are these voters we're talking about?
Jessica, hi. Hadn't seen you in a while. Good to see you. Looking forward to talking to you after the break and hearing your breakdown.
Stay with us, folks. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: All right, returning to some politics now, and it seems like, since last week's midterm elections, we have heard everybody out there trying to break down, try to talk about, try to figure out exactly what happened for Democrats, why things didn't go so well.
Well, today, we got real numbers, some hard facts we can point to, some brand-new stuff. And it doesn't really paint a pretty picture for the president or his party. Take a look at this. In the election last week, Democrats lost among independent voters, lost the women's vote, lost the white voters who never went to college, lost the senior vote.
Jessica Yellin, did Democrats at least win the Democratic vote, right? It seems like they lost a lot.
(LAUGHTER)
JESSICA YELLIN, CNN NATIONAL POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: They did, but they even got fewer Democrats than usually turn out.
These are painful realities, T.J., for the Democratic Party, because, obviously, they're losing support from key constituencies, and that raises concern for them in future elections.
So, I wanted to break down and look at two essential categories here, independents and women. Remember that, back in 2008, President Obama won in part on the strength of his appeal to swing voters, independents. Well, back then, he picked up 52 percent of the independent vote. This year, midterms, Democrats got only 37 percent of that vote.
That means Democrats lost this group by 27 points, a huge swing.
OK, and then women -- in House races, 49 percent of women voted for Republicans, vs. 48 percent who voted for Democrats. Now, that might strike you as not a huge difference, but what is meaningful is, it's the first time since exit polling began when more women went Republican than Democratic in House races. So, there's a shift.
I do want to point out, finally, one interesting area where Democrats did not do as poorly as has generally been reported. And that's with the youth vote. You know, conventional wisdom has been that President Obama won largely on the strength of all these new young voters he turned out. And there was a lot of concern those Obama voters wouldn't vote this time.
Truth is, young people voted in this midterm race at about the same rate they usually vote in midterms, so there actually wasn't a big change. He didn't get a surge of them, but not a big change -- T.J.
HOLMES: OK, not a change. And there was so much talk before the midterms about this enthusiasm gap, about Republicans who are really fired up and coming up, Democrats not so much. Any way to prove or disprove that one way or another?
YELLIN: Yes, definitely. There is a big enthusiasm gap. This year, we saw the greatest number of conservatives turn out to vote in a midterm election since exit polling began.
So, let's take a look at that number. This year -- well, let me start, usually, conservative voters turn out in a midterm between 31 and 34 percent. This year, it was 42 percent -- 42 percent. Amazing, right? That is a huge enthusiasm gap.
And only 35 percent of voters who self-identify as Democrats turned out. That's the lowest rate since 1986, a big change, and bad news again for the Democrats -- T.J.
HOLMES: So, maybe that did play out the way a lot of people thought it would.
YELLIN: Yes.
HOLMES: Did anybody out there try to spin these numbers? And I'm saying anybody. I mean Democrats and maybe the White House, try to spin these numbers in such a way, once they see them, to say maybe they're not so bad, or is everybody in agreement here that this was not a -- a good go for the Democrats?
YELLIN: Yes, it was not a good go for the Democrats.
The one thing to keep in mind is that, in midterm elections, there's always, always fewer voters than there are in a presidential election, and the dynamic could shift significantly for 2012.
What is meaningful is that there were fewer voters this time, but the falloff was greater among President Obama's voters in 2008 than it was among McCain voters in 2008. So, more McCain voters turned out, as a percentage, than did Obama voters.
Remember, President Obama said he was building a new coalition. And, based on these midterm results, it does not look like that coalition is holding. But, again, final point, it could change before 2012, and you have got to be sure that the White House will be working on that -- T.J.
HOLMES: Yes, but doesn't this, at the same time, have so much to do with the fact that his name, this man, Obama, was not on that ballot? It's one thing for him to try to get out and get people to vote, I mean, for his candidates or for his message. But, at the same time, a lot of people back in '08 were voting because of this man.
YELLIN: Definitely.
HOLMES: And that's why they didn't turn out.
YELLIN: Definitely. And that's why we say that the midterm vote is always lower than the presidential vote, because presidential candidates have much bigger coattails. There's much more enthusiasm. That's especially true with President Obama.
And, so, the expectation is that he could have a big following again in 2012 if he can restart that campaign enthusiasm. Or, if the economy stays where it is, maybe he will lose some of that, and maybe this coalition will turn over to the Republicans, and it will -- or at least it will be shaken up. That's -- that's the big unknown for the next race. And that's why we're all going to be covering it with a lot of excitement.
HOLMES: All right, Jessica, you ever going back to D.C.? I have seen you in Vegas and L.A. a lot.
YELLIN: Yes, I promise.
HOLMES: You going back?
YELLIN: I'm doing the Bill Maher show tomorrow night, so I'm out here getting ready.
HOLMES: We will tune in for that.
(LAUGHTER)
(CROSSTALK)
YELLIN: Good.
HOLMES: Oh, good luck to you, dear lady. My goodness.
All right.
(LAUGHTER)
HOLMES: Jessica, good to see you, as always. Thanks so much.
And, of course, it goes without saying, really, soldiers earn every single cent they get paid. But some soldiers are owed a few more cents -- dollars and cents. And they may not even know it. We're talking about millions, millions of dollars out there not being claimed, and the debt line is coming. We will explain that.
Also, the president taking time from his economic tour of Asia to honor troops serving overseas -- his Veterans Day tribute coming up next .
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Well, welcome back.
President Obama is in South Korea for an economic summit, but he took time out to deliver a Veterans Day message.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
(MUSIC)
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
(MUSIC)
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Hello, Yongsan!
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Yongsan, South Korea, where the president addressed American troops at a U.S. Army garrison there. Let's take a listen now to the message he had for the troops.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OBAMA: We recall acts of uncommon bravery and selflessness. But we also remember that honoring those who've served is about more than the words we say on Veterans Day or Memorial Day. It's about how we treat our veterans every single day of the year. It's about making sure they have the care they need and the benefits that they have earned when they come home. It's about serving all of you as well as you've served the United States of America.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: And, also today, the president took part in a wreath- laying ceremony at Yongsan War Memorial. The U.S. still has more than 28,000 troops in South Korea.
In his comments to U.S. troops today, the president made a promise that the country would always honor their service.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OBAMA: Now, on this day, we honor every man and woman who has ever worn the uniform of the United States of America. We salute fallen heroes, and keep in our prayers those who are still in harm's way -- like the men and women serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.
So I want all of you to know when you come home your country is going to be there for you. That is the commitment I make to you as commander in chief. That is the sacred trust between the United States of America and all who defend its ideals.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: It's been 60 years since the Korean War. That conflict claimed 37,000 American lives. The president told troops serving in South Korea today they continue still to make a difference.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) OBAMA: Now, real change comes slowly. Many people don't live to see the difference they have made in the lives of others. But for the men and women who have served on this peninsula, all you have to do is look around. Whether you're a veteran who landed in 1950 or one of the Yongsan troops today, the security you've provided has made possible one of the great success stories of our time.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Now, the president also had a message for North Korea, saying that the U.S. commitment to South Korea is unwavering.
The president is also, meantime, talking about the economy on this trip, and also talking about the economy back here in the U.S., and that there is -- are tough -- there are very tough decisions ahead when it comes to solving the debt crisis. Who exactly is going to make these decisions, and just how fiery is this debate now going to get?
That's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: We've got a problem in this country -- debt. At some point, our bill is going to come due. We as a nation are staring at a huge heck of a payment plan we'll have to get worked out.
The president's debt commission is to make recommendations next month, the first of the month. But we are starting to see some of the ideas at least the leaders of that debt commission are laying out.
Now, we saw these for the first time yesterday, and it got some response that was probably what you would expect from the left and from the right. But how would you feel if maybe your favorite tax break was taken away? Enjoy it while you can because you just might lose it. We're talking about the mortgage interest deduction.
What about the child tax credit? What about your retirement? It might not happen when you had planned. Also, your benefits might be a little less. Gasoline tax might go up. Pentagon could see some serious cuts.
These are not necessarily options according to some. Take a listen now, the words of the debt commissioners themselves. They say there is no easy way out.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ERSKINE BOWLES, (D) CO-CHAIR, DEBT COMMISSION: We're clearly on an unsustainable path. We can't grow our way out of this problem. We can't tax our way out of it. We can't cut our way out of it. We've tried to put a balanced approach out there that takes $4 trillion out of a budget so we cut the deficit by $4 trillion over the next ten years. ALAN SIMPSON, (R) CO-CHAIR, DEBT COMMISSION: It's all there. I just say to people, read it. Before you get -- before you get nailed with emotion, fear, guilt and racism and all the things that go with any kind of heavy work, read it. And I ask the American people take a look at it. It's a very interesting document.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Interesting document, huh? Gloria Borger is joining me now, our senior political analyst. Is this a good starting point to start the conversation at least?
GLORIA BORGER, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Any starting point at this point is a good starting point.
One of the reasons -- it's kind of interesting to look at the way Washington works. Here you have these two co-chairmen. They put everything out on the table. And it was very clear to them that they probably weren't going to get some agreement inside the commission unless they kind of forced the issue. And they still may not get any agreement.
So they decided to release it all quite early so the American public could start digesting it. And so they're playing a little bit of an outside game here, because, as you point out, none of this is popular, T.J. And if it were easy, we would have done it years ago, right? But there's not a lot of political will.
HOLMES: Is this good for us not just up there on Capitol Hill, but for all of us to understand that this is the truth that maybe we have been in denial about for some time.
BORGER: You think?
HOLMES: We're not going to grow ourselves out of this position.
BORGER: We want everything, OK? We want to be able to balance the budget. We're concerned about the deficit. But you know what, don't take away by tax benefits, d\Don't scale back my Medicare or my Social Security. Don't scale back my favorite domestic spending program.
And you know, the interesting thing in this draft document, which I have here, they talk about their guiding principles and values, T.J. And this is what they say -- "The problem is real, the solution is painful, there's no easy way out, everything must be on the table, and Washington must lead." How is that for something odd? Washington must lead, right?
HOLMES: Yes.
BORGER: They're begging for it, but honestly, right now if you look at the political situation, it doesn't look like they're going to do much in this lame duck session, T.J.
HOLMES: OK, I was going to get to that question. Who has a better chance or who should deal with this, the lame duck session or the new crop that's coming in in January? Should this be something they get a chance to take up?
BORGER: It's interesting. What does it tell you about Washington, that the best hope for something may be with members that have lost their bids for reelection so the political stakes for them are not as high, right?
I think that there's probably not going to be 14 out of 18 commission members who support a lot of things in this document together. And according to what -- to the way this commission was formed, you need 14 of 18 to agree in order to get it to Congress as a proposal by December 1.
So what I would have to believe is that parts of this are going to be picked apart, but you've got a lot of deficit reducers who have been elected to Congress. So this is their first serious challenge to put up here.
And that's why I think we saw the Republicans being kind of quiet about this at first. You know, the Democrats came out and said, no, no, don't touch Social Security. They lost all those seniors in the election, remember. But the Republicans were a little bit more circumspect about it and that may really be a good sign. We just have to see.
HOLMES: OK, last thing here, Gloria -- you have to sell this to the American people.
BORGER: Yes.
HOLMES: Because these guys have to get reelected and they're not going to be up there voting for anything that's not popular. Is the whole point here now not even to go up on Capitol Hill and negotiate and do their back-and-forth. It's up to us, isn't it incumbent upon us as Americans to get it and to understand it and to realize, folks, we don't have any options here?
BORGER: Right. You know, everything as we say in life is a trade-off.
And, for example, if you lose your home mortgage deduction, what they're saying in this document, and it's -- you know, it's not written in stone, but what they suggest is if you lose a deduction, then the top tax rates and your tax rates, my tax rates, anybody else's will come down. So you'll pay less in overall income tax, but you'll lose some of your goodies here, right?
And we all have to take a look at the document and say, OK, can we raise the retirement age a couple of months over the next decade and finally raise it to the age of, you know, 67, 68, 69? Will we be able to swallow that so we as a nation can pay our bills?
Maybe we will. But, you know, we all say we care about the deficit. Now we have to take a look at things and say, OK, what are we willing to give up something to get this done? HOLMES: And it's worth mentioning again to our viewers, everybody out there, this is just a draft from the actual chairman of this commission. It's a long way to go before any of this stuff is actually implemented. But at least this starts us on the conversation. Gloria, always appreciate the conversation.
BORGER: Good to talk to you.
HOLMES: I'll talk to you again soon.
BORGER: Yep.
HOLMES: What is the expansion of Chicago's O'Hare airport? A veteran's cemetery. Sacred ground versus an extended runway? A court is now weighing in. We've got the details for you.
Also, thousands of veterans, most of whom extended their tours of duty during wartime, still waiting to get paid, but can they get their money before the December deadline? That's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: All right. Want to give you an update on the story a lot of people were fascinated by, ended well, thank goodness. The Carnival cruise ship Splendor, actually it's back now and its 3,300 passengers, 1,100 crew. Of course this is the ship that took off on Sunday, supposed to be going to the Mexican Riviera for a beautiful seven-day beautiful cruise, but got cut short because one day after the cruise got started they had a fire in one of the engine rooms, they lost power.
Folks on that ship have been actually eating Spam, eating other cold foods. The toilets weren't working for awhile. It was just nasty for a while. But you're seeing a live picture there. It has made it back.
I want to share with you now a tweet that the Carnival cruise line sent out, giving us an update, saying 2,500 guests have disembarked the Carnival Splendor more than 20 buses have departed. They've arranged transportation for these passengers, also hotel rooms for these passengers as well. They're starting to get off, kind of a long process to get these 3,300 off.
But this could have ended a lot differently, but thank goodness everybody is OK. Got some stories to tell, of course, but everybody is OK. We'll continue to keep an eye on that cruise ship.
All right, got something in important to tell a lot of veterans out there. Also, if you know somebody, a veteran who served extra time in Iraq or Afghanistan, need to hear this. And you're running out of time.
The U.S. government may be holding on to money for you right now. I know, a lot of us used to hearing it, the government, free money? This ain't exactly free, but the government has money out there. It's not a gimmick or a trick, but it's money for veterans that needs to be claimed in a hurry.
Our CNN Pentagon correspondent Chris Lawrence explains this for us.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: It's like a winning lotto ticket that's rubout to expire. The government has got half a billion dollars to give away but can't find enough troops to claim it.
IAN SMITH, SERVED MULTIPLE TOURS IN IRAQ: I was immediately suspicious about it. It seemed like another scam that a lot of people prey on soldiers with.
LAWRENCE: But it's not. Ian Smith earned that money. So did other soldiers and marines. When their enlistment was up, the Pentagon forced them to stay in.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You have orders to report to the first brigade.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Not me. I'm getting out today.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You leave on the 22nd, shipping back to Iraq.
LAWRENCE: Like the fictional soldier in "Stop Loss," Ian Smith finished his enlistment, including a brutal tour in Iraq.
SMITH: I could not bring myself to acknowledge all the horrors. We had daily memorial services for people that were dying in atrocious ways.
LAWRENCE: Ian works at a veteran outreach center in St. Louis, but still remembers when the army told him you're going back to Iraq.
LAWRENCE (on camera): And they weren't just saying stay another month or 60 days.
SMITH: Right. It's going to be a surge tour. It's going to be 15 months instead of 12. It was probably the worst news that I could have heard at the time.
LAWRENCE (voice-over): Troops like Ian put off school and new jobs, some lost relationships. So Congress authorized $500 for any month for any month they were held over. In Ian's case it was nearly $7,000. But thousands of veterans forgot to fill out paperwork or just thought it was too good to be true.
BARACK OBAMA, (D) PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: As your commander in chief, I'm here to tell you this is no gimmick or trick.
LAWRENCE: Even after the president implored vets to get their money, there's still nearly $300 million unclaimed, and vets must apply by December 3rd.
LAWRENCE (on camera): Did you ever think it would be this hard to give away money?
LERNES HEBERT, SENIOR PENTAGON PERSONNEL OFFICIAL: If you can imagine someone coming to you and telling you without any strings attached that they're going to pay you thousands of dollars.
LAWRENCE (voice-over): The Pentagon's Lernes Hebert says the VA did direct mailings and the Pentagon advertised it on every website is could. Even with all that outreach, veteran Mike Pereira is rushing to finish his paperwork in time.
MIKE PEREIRA, THE MISSION CONTINUES: I hope that I don't miss out on the opportunity, especially had I known sooner that I would have been able to prep a little better.
LAWRENCE: In just a few weeks, it will be too late.
HEBERT: If anybody even suspects they're eligible for this payment, we want them to apply.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: And, Chris, we'll bring you in now. A point you had in that piece, trying to hurry and fill out the paperwork to get this done. Do they have enough time with this December 3rd deadline coming?
LAWRENCE: Yes. It's coming up. T.J., all they've got to do is go on defense.gov and get the application filed by December 3rd. You know, they've got a ton of people out there who will be al too happy to work out all the kinks with documentation and paperwork and all that stuff after the deadline. They can continue to work the applications after December 3rd. But you've got to get the application in by that date.
HOLMES: OK, all you have to do is just have it in, and you can work out the details afterwards. But even so, I mean, how many are we talking about out there that could be left out and how much money are we talking about could be left on the table?
LAWRENCE: Yes, we did some digging on this. We found out that the Pentagon has paid out about 67,000 claims so far. It sounds like a lot until you realize that there is another potential 70,000 to 80,000 people out there who could get paid as well.
I talked to the Pentagon about this, saying this really is not a lottery ticket. These folks earned this money. I know Congress is already pushing the date back from October to this December 3rd, but what if you've got 50,000, 60,000 people out there when December 3rd hits?
They said that Congress is right now monitoring how this goes. So this could possibly be a decision for that lame duck Congress, whether to perhaps extend it a little bit more. But in today's climate of cutting budgets and watching every dollar, you've got to think while you've got the chance, you need to get in and get this money. HOLMES: Yes, and that's a very good point to make as well. We talk about this is some lottery ticket, but these guys earned this money. They deserve this money. And it sounds like the folks you talk to, the Pentagon, are they just desperate literally to get this money out and give -- not give it away, but are they desperate really to get this money out of the door and get it into these guys' hands?
LAWRENCE: You're right, it's given away. They're telling people even if you think it's only a one percent chance that you might be eligible, still fill out an application. We'll look it over. We'll process it. We'll figure out if you're eligible or not. But don't let the chance slip by. If you think at all you might get some money coming to you, do it.
HOLMES: All right. Chris, this is a good -- a good announcement. But I have it right, defense.gov. All they have to do is go on there and fill out the application, right?
LAWRENCE: Yep.
HOLMES: That's it. All right, Chris, appreciate you as always.
Coming up, wild turkey anybody? How about a few wild turkeys in the last place maybe you'd expect to see them. That's coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Nine days after Congressman John Boehner won the right to become speaker of the House, he is making a promise to Americans. He says he will forego something in particular when he takes the gavel. But is this a promise he is going to be able to keep? That's ahead.
Plus, some video we got to show you. A smokestack comes crashing down, not exactly though how it is supposed to. That is next. We will explain.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: All right, Thanksgiving just around the corner. We have got less than two weeks to maybe candy those yams and pick out that bird. Here are some turkeys, though. They're not going to end up on anybody's table.
These birds, these turkeys in New York, they didn't get the memo. Look at this. Yes. What is going on? Not exactly attacking people, but this could be some kind of Thanksgiving version of the movie "The Birds." Y'all remember that movie? Birds are crazy in that movie. Turkeys are crazy, too.
Native turkeys on Staten Island ruffled a few feathers in the neighborhood. The folks in the neighborhood say they slow down traffic, stop traffic. They make a mess, if you will, on a lot of the cars. They have seen at least 100-plus of these birds to out there at this crossing. They might ends up on somebody's table if they upset people enough. Also, a big rivalry games in Ohio. Bowling Green University is taking on mighty Miami of Ohio. This was a must-see game. The problem is you couldn't really see it. You see the fog there, folks? People had a hard time watching this thing as the fog, the dense fog, rolled in. It made it hard to see.
The athletes didn't have too much of a problem down there on the field though. It turned out to be a competitive game. Miami of Ohio won it with a field goal, won the game 24-21.
Also, they say music soothes the savage beast. Bob Marley soothes the angry baby. Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So, this demon child, as you can see, can only be soothed with one thing. Is it the power of Jesus? No. It's the power of reggae
(MUSIC)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(LAUGHTER)
HOLMES: Oh, man. He didn't have to call the child a "demon child," though, did he? Kids love their music. Bob Marley. I don't know what to say about the kid because Bob Marley already is music of choice. We'll see how that kid turns out in a few years.
Well, we got another day and another new problem for space shuttle Discovery. First, got the weather that kept the shuttle grounded, then we had mechanical issues that kept it from launching. What is it now? That's ahead.
Also, Wolf Blitzer is standing by for us with brand new information just in from the world of politics. The Political Ticker coming your way. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: CNN's got all the latest political news with "The Best Political Team on Television." Of course, CNN = Politics." And when we talk politics, we're talking Wolf Blitzer at the CNNpolitics.com desk. Wolf, always, always good to see you.
We're talking so much about these cuts and whatnot coming down the road with this debt commission. But we still have this issue of these Bush tax cuts on the table this Congress has to deal with.
WOLF BLITZER, HOST, "THE SITUATION ROOM": That is the priority, the top priority next week when the lame duck session of the House and Senate begins. What are they going to do with the Bush tax cuts? If they do nothing, then the tax rates increase they go back to where they were during the Clinton administration, and the White House says that's not acceptable for 98 percent of Americans, the middle class. But now they are going one step further, David Axelrod telling the "Huffington Post" that in order to keep the tax rates for the middle class at the same level, they may have to do what they have previously rejected, accept the continuation of the current tax cuts for even the wealthy, those making more than $250,000 a year.
The White House deputy communications director, Jen Saki, saying the president has been clear that extending tax cuts for middle class families is his top priority and he is open to compromise to get it done. That may be the compromise Axelrod is signaling.
The spokesman for the incoming house speaker, John Boehner, issued a statement saying "Republican made a pledge to America to permanently stop all the tax hikes scheduled for January 1st. We are glad to see the president's most trusted adviser now agrees with this course of action. I hope he and the president will show leadership by convincing Speaker Pelosi to stop these tax hikes permanently in the upcoming lame duck session."
Pelosi, as you know, is against allowing the tax rates to stay the same for richer Americans.
By the way, there's a new poll out now that shows Americans generally in significant numbers want the Democrats and Republicans, the president and the Republican leadership incoming in the House and the new expanded Republican minority in the Senate to cooperate.
A new CBS survey says 72 percent of Americans say Congressional Republicans should make tradeoffs in order to get things done. They don't want to just see the Republicans stand by and refuse to negotiate, refuse to compromise, including on some of their key principles.
Finally, the first lady, Michelle Obama, on this Veterans Day, she surprised a lot of U.S. troops in Ramstein, the air base in Germany. She was there and she was serving them a meal. She surprised them, she spoke to the troops.
