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A Turkish Treat for Allen Iverson; Homebuilder Helps Wounded War Vets; Sources: Compromise May Extend Bush Tax Cuts; Obama Praises Pelosi; Conservative Radio Talk Host Bows Out of Hill Job; "Kill Castro" Plot in Video Game; War Veterans: Get Your Money!
Aired November 12, 2010 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Live from Studio 7 at CNN world headquarters, the news and information you need for Friday, the 12th of November.
Their ship comes in and, boy, are they glad. Cruise passengers safe on shore today and telling horror stories about their vacation to purgatory.
The U.S. military begs war vets, take our money, please. Millions and millions of dollars sit unclaimed. Soldiers too suspicious to cash in.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was immediately suspicious about it. It seemed like another scam that a lot of people prey on soldiers with.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Good morning, everyone. I'm Tony Harris.
A big automotive recall, Garfield, the cat bombs. And golf, a contact sport?
All of those stories and your comments right here, right now in the CNN NEWSROOM.
Look, these are not the kind of vacation memories they expected. Passengers from the crippled Carnival cruise ship are back on dry land this morning and sharing their stories of a misadventure at sea, I'd say.
Panama is leading the investigation into the fire that caused the Carnival Splendor to lose power. The Coast Guard is also involved. Passengers spent three days stranded without hot water, hot food, or air conditioner.
For some, it was an adventure. For others, it was a nightmare.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KEN KING, CARNIVAL CRUISE SHIP PASSENGER: Just now they actually told us there was a fire on the boat. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You did not know there was a fire on the boat until now?
KING: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So what did they tell you, why that the boat suddenly stopped, you know, on your excursion?
KING: They never told us what the issue was. All they told us was is there was smoke. There's lots of smoke.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was absolutely deplorable. My expectations were completely -- fell through the floor. I expected a really nice time, and it was like "Gilligan's Island" or something. I felt, like, marooned on a prison ship, if you can call it that, because I was in the dark, and I had mayo sandwiches and backed-up toilets.
And it was just bad It was really bad all the way around.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Carnival was wonderful. The crew and everybody on it were just friendly and encouraging, and big smiles and helpful all of the time. They were great.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They did keep us informed of how long it was going to take us to get back to shore. We were surprised today when we heard that it was a fire. They kept telling us it was just flameless smoke to keep us calm.
I mean, I understand now why they were saying that, just to keep everybody calm. I think they handled the situation really well, but it is a shock to kind of learn that there was a big fire.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was an adventure, I'll tell you that. I mean, from everything from the military, to cold water showers, to Spam, to salads every day. But, I mean, Carnival -- they did a great job, you know, with just the resources they had. So I can't say enough. You know, the crew was great.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A lot of things went wrong, but it was really fun. We went to the kids camp. I met a couple of friends. And it was just really fun.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's so exciting to see the land!
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: Let's get to a couple of other big stories we're following for you on this Friday.
(NEWSBREAK)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Congress having to make tough decisions about reducing our national debt. Before the break, I told you 20 percent of our federal budget goes to national defense and security, 20 percent goes to Social Security. Can you guess how much goes to education?
The answer is -- take a look here -- yes, just three percent. Three percent! Most of the rest of our budget goes to Medicare, Medicaid, and other safety net programs, as well as interest on our debt.
As promised, we are keeping up our focus on reducing the nation's crushing debt. It is one of the most important debates we are likely to have over the next few years.
Most of you have had to make some difficult decision about your own personal debt and finances. Now it's the country's turn.
And as this debate unfolds, we are going to follow it in some real detail here. How big is the debt, and how did we get here? Who owns the debt, and why does that matter to you? What cuts are being proposed, and what would you cut?
So, a draft plan to begin reducing the country's debt calls for deep spending cuts and higher taxes. The one big question is whether lawmakers will have the political will to do any of that.
On CNN's "THE SITUATION ROOM," a rising star in the Republican Party was asked about the proposal.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAVID GERGEN, CNN SR. POLITICAL ANALYST: Congressman, just yesterday, the co-chairs of the president's Deficit Commission came out and said, look, "As we come out of this recovery a couple of years from now, the 800-pound gorilla is the debt. And we've got to come up with a plan to do that." And they proposed that we cut $2 in spending for every $1 in tax increases.
And the question for Republicans is, are you willing to have any tax increases as part of a deficit reduction program long term, after we get back on the road to recovery?
REP. AARON SCHOCK (R), ILLINOIS: Well, David, I would say this -- I think it's early to start to speculate on what we're going to do in two years, first of all, who the Congress will be, who the president will be in two years. What I will tell you today is --
GERGEN: Well, these would be votes in this next Congress.
SCHOCK: Republicans today are committed to ensuring that no American receive a tax increase now. I think we're going to have bipartisan support to ensure that. And the more important thing is, what are we going to do to start reining in the deficits?
And you can argue that we need to raise taxes. I would argue that job one is to find cuts.
I'm encouraged by the Deficit Commission's recommendations, although many of the members on that Deficit Commission have not had the opportunity to weigh in, guys like Dave Camp, who are going to be the chairman of the Ways and Means Committee. The Tax-Writing Committee has yet to be able to weight in.
This is really a proposal brought forward by the Republican and Democrat chairmen. And for any of that proposal to make it to the House floor, 14 of the 18 members have to support it.
And I haven't heard any one of the 18 other than the Republican and Democratic chairmen endorse this proposal. So, when they talk about rolling back domestic spending to 2010 levels, House Republicans said, look, we want to roll back domestic spending to 2008 levels, which will save over $1 trillion.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: OK. So, next hour, we will speak with Jeanne Sahadi of the CNN Money team about what debt reduction could mean for your taxes. That's next hour, right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.
It is a big issue creating a lot of buzz, obviously. Here's what you're saying about slashing the deficit by $4 trillion.
We asked, "What you would cut?"
Here's a post from Robin on our Facebook page, and it reads, "Cut out all of the rich fat cats." But Aaron says, "If we continue hating rich people and insist on taxing them, they will take their corporations and businesses elsewhere, along with job opportunities. I would cut military."
And Glen from West Hollywood suggests cutting executive bonuses, campaign funding, and lobbying.
A number of you had similar comments to Gary, who says, " -- cut in salaries for all senators and congressmen, plus rollbacks and higher co-pays for their Cadillac health care."
OK. Who is this man, and why is turkey going crazy over him? The answer after this in "The Big Play."
We're back in a moment. Rafer in the NEWSROOM for a Friday. It's going to be a good morning.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Oh, OK. So we're back. OK. We're having this conversation, and we need to have it on air.
Allen Iverson -- how about this, Rafer? He's treated like a rock star in Turkey, a huge welcome for the former NBA star who recently signed, what, a two-year deal --
RAFER WEIGEL, SPORTS ANCHOR, HLN'S "MORNING EXPRESS": A two-year deal --
HARRIS: -- to go play in Turkey?
WEIGEL: -- with Besiktas in Istanbul. And it's kind of a sad story, because you're talking about one of the best --
HARRIS: A first ballot Hall of Famer, would you agree?
WEIGEL: Absolutely. A guy who -- even without winning a championship. A guy who crossed over Michael Jordan in his rookie year.
HARRIS: Right. Right. Right.
WEIGEL: Not one team called for this guy, so now he's going to end his career in Turkey. There's a certain kind of sadness about this. But you know what? Look at how well he is getting received over there.
HARRIS: Look at him.
WEIGEL: This is really, really good for him. Let's listen to some of the chants.
Now, A.I. has never gotten chants like that in the NBA.
HARRIS: He's never gotten that. No, no. Certainly not in Philly, where he was kind of a beloved figure. But he didn't get that in Philly.
WEIGEL: But, now, here's the dichotomy. This is what makes the story interesting, because by most accounts, this man is in Europe here because he refused to accept a lesser role and come off of the bench.
HARRIS: Do you buy that? Do you think it was that? Yes, I saw those reports as well.
WEIGEL: Then that's the last we ever heard of him. But for 30 teams to totally not touch this guy, that is a little bit shocking.
HARRIS: Couldn't the Miami Heat use him? I'm just asking.
WEIGEL: No, but I was actually thinking the same thing. He wants to get that ring.
HARRIS: Yes.
WEIGEL: There's a good chance. But would he agree to come off the bench?
HARRIS: Right. Right. Right.
WEIGEL: Some columnists say he would, some say he wouldn't.
HARRIS: OK. So we have got something out of Australia. The Australian Masters is going on right now. Tiger is playing in this event. Is he even in contention?
WEIGEL: He is no longer in contention.
HARRIS: He is not in contention.
WEIGEL: No.
HARRIS: After a good opening round.
WEIGEL: A great opening round. This is a sad story as well, because Tiger is nine shots back.
HARRIS: Yes.
WEIGEL: This was supposed to be where he rewrites the script, the scene of the crime.
HARRIS: Yes, commending his title there. And it's not going to happen.
WEIGEL: And it's not going to happen. He's nine shots back behind a guy named Adam Bland (ph), who hasn't even qualified for the PGA Tour. So he is basically playing against lower-tier talent -- no offense to our friends from Australia.
HARRIS: Right.
WEIGEL: But there's one moment that happened that's also sad for this poor guy in the gallery, Robert Allenby, who's playing with Tiger.
HARRIS: Right.
WEIGEL: The gallery is so big because Tiger is playing with Allenby. And look at this shot. He hooks it to the left, and unfortunately hits a poor guy right, square on the head.
HARRIS: Knocks this guy out.
WEIGEL: Down right there.
HARRIS: Look at him. He goes right down.
WEIGEL: Right down. You know, that's why you yell, "Fore!" And this poor guy gets taken out on a stretcher. Allenby comes over and signs a ball for him.
HARRIS: Yes. Thanks a lot, buddy.
WEIGEL: Thanks a lot.
HARRIS: He could have hit the drive straight. All right?
WEIGEL: And then the guy gives a wave and seems to be OK, but definitely going to have a headache.
HARRIS: So this is the Australian Masters, and Allenby is Australian. So this is an Australian-on-Australian crime. That's what we have here. That's basically --
(LAUGHTER)
HARRIS: And finally, did you stay up for that game last night?
WEIGEL: I got up early. On my shift on "Morning Express," we don't stay up late. We get up early.
(CROSSTALK)
WEIGEL: We get up early, at midnight, and watched the end of this incredibly exciting game.
HARRIS: OK. So walk us through this, because it looks like the Falcons have this in the bag, and then we get this.
WEIGEL: Right, exactly. The Ravens were down by 10 points at the half. And with a minute left, they come back and they take the lead. So you're looking at 25 seconds left.
HARRIS: Wow.
WEIGEL: Roddy White --
HARRIS: How did he get this wide open?
WEIGEL: Well, there's some controversy --
HARRIS: There is?
WEIGEL: -- because Ravens fans -- he pushed off of Josh Wilson, the cornerback.
HARRIS: Does the replay indicate he pushed off?
WEIGEL: The replay does show it. Nothing was called, but is it incidental conduct? So, you've got people complaining about this. In Baltimore, they're celebrating. In Atlanta -- and now Atlanta looks like a Super Bowl caliber team.
HARRIS: What are they 7-2 and now?
WEIGEL: Are they 7-2? Yes, exactly. No, they're 6-2.
HARRIS: No, they're 7-2. God, you need to know that.
WEIGEL: I'll be right back.
HARRIS: OK.
There he is -- Rafer.
Have a great weekend.
WEIGEL: All right, buddy. Thanks, man.
HARRIS: 7-2. I'm not supposed to know that. You are.
WEIGEL: I know. That's why I'm leaving.
HARRIS: Have a great weekend.
WEIGEL: I enjoyed my last time here on the show, man.
HARRIS: We'll see you on Monday -- maybe.
WEIGEL: All right.
HARRIS: Sign of the times. After 77 years of publishing "Newsweek" magazine, which has been struggling financially big time, it's making a very bold move.
We will tell you what it is next in the CNN NEWSROOM.
Rafer, come on back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: It is survival of the fittest in journalism. Old school institutions forced to evolve to survive. We're talking about "Newsweek" magazine.
It's been around for 77 years. It just announced here it is merging with what popular blog? It's "The Daily Beast."
Tina Brown, The Beast's chief, will now be the new editor-in- chief for the new entity. It will be called the Newsweek Daily Beast Company.
OK. Nissan recalling more than 600,000 cars, trucks and SUVs today. Nissan saying corrosion could cause the steering column to crack on Frontiers and Xterras, leading a driver to lose control. That's 2002 to 2004 models only. 2010 Sentras have a bad battery cable problem that can make it difficult to start the vehicle.
'Tis the season to buy video games. Forty percent of all video games sold each year are purchased in November and December. And according to one video game maker, the November and December period is already breaking records.
(BUSINESS REPORT)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: The Midwest is bracing for a strong winter storm to sweep in here. Here is a bird's eye view in Minneapolis.
Not bad now, huh? Pretty good, actually. But a winter storm watch in place for Saturday morning. The twin cities are preparing for their first snow of the season.
But New York, New York, big city of dreams, wow. What a way to upstage the winter weather. You are looking at Central Park, where it is bright and beautiful. What a nice sunny day.
CNN reveals the 2010 Hero of the Year Thanksgiving night. Here is one of our Top Ten honorees.
Olympic skater Evan Lysacek introduces a homebuilder who is helping wounded war vets rebuild their lives.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
EVAN LYSACEK, OLYMPIC SKATER: Hi. I'm Evan Lysacek.
As a champion of HELP USA, which aids the homeless and those in need, I'm committed to breaking the cycle of homelessness and poverty in our country. And I see just how much the world needs heroes.
Now I'm thrilled to help CNN introduce one of this year's Top Ten honorees.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Baghdad ended up being a hell of a ride. I sustained a very severe blast injury. My life just came to a complete halt.
DAN WALRATH, CNN HERO: How are you doing? How is everything? You look sharp today.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you.
WALRATH: I've been building custom homes for 30 years.
One of the most important things for a family is a home. I want you to read the sign for me.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Future home of Sergeant Alexander Reyes, United States Army.
WALRATH: Congratulations.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Giving these folks a new home, it means the world.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, my goodness. Thank you. That's all I can say.
WALRATH: My name is Dan Walrath. We build homes for returning heroes from Iraq and Afghanistan. The houses are mortgage free. It changes the whole family's life.
Welcome home.
It gives them just a new start so that they can move forward. These young men and women are doing this for you and me. How can I not help them?
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: Wow.
Vote for your CNN Hero right now at CNNHeroes.com, and watch Thanksgiving night, when we reveal the winner for 2010. "CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute," hosted by Anderson Cooper, November 25th.
He is a terrific standup comic, always has been. Now Jerry Seinfeld takes on Broadway and our Richard Roth. Oh my.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS (voice-over): Pictures, information, insight you won't find anywhere else -- CNN NEWSROOM with Tony Harris. Anything can happen.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: So how about this? Jerry Seinfeld hits Broadway. He is working with fellow comedian Colin Quinn -- and he's pretty funny, too -- on an incisive commentary on civilization.
CNN's Richard Roth sits down with the director and star of "Long Story Short."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So, when you come off the step --
RICHARD ROTH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Jerry Seinfeld's show was about nothing. But in his directorial debut on Broadway, he helps comedian Colin Quinn tackle the world.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thanks! You betrayed me.
ROTH: What is it you're trying to show about the history of the world.
JERRY SEINFELD, DIRECTOR, "LONG STORY SHORT": There's an element in the decline of every great empire that you see in America right now. And that countries, like individuals, have a tendency to keep doing what they do, even after it stops working.
ROTH: Empires may have failed, but not the partnership of Seinfeld and Quinn.
SEINFELD: What would you like me to say? That line?
COLIN QUINN, WRITER/ACTOR, "LONG STORY SHORT": Did you ever try to cheer up a Russian? How are you? What would you like me to say?
ROTH: The one-man show pulls no punches.
QUINN: Everywhere the Jews go, they get chased out immediately. That's why shalom means hello and good-bye and peace because that's their story. "We're here, we're leaving, don't hit us. Shalom!" ROTH: England is portrayed as a condescending colonial guest.
QUINN: People have insecurities and low self-esteem. They would show up with polished swords, pressed uniforms. "Really, this is where you live?"
(LAUGHTER)
ROTH: Based upon your 75-minute plus examination of history, where are we going in civilization?
QUINN: I feel we're not going anywhere differently. I feel like now China is going to be the big empire. See what happens with them. I feel it keeps going, you know? Which is better than the apocalypse.
ROTH: The show isn't a disaster. Critics love it. But don't expect the director to get nostalgic.
In your comedy show, you waited a long time in your Chinese restaurant. Here, Colin point out that the work ethic of the Chinese - you don't have to wait long for your menu, your food, and that work ethic has gotten them somewhere and they scoff at Americans having lunch.
SEINFELD: Right. That's right. That's the worst possible way to tell the joke, but you definitely hit the subjects involved.
ROTH: Well, in TV, you have to leave a little for the guest to get out here and jump in.
SEINFELD: You didn't do that either. You took all of the good parts, threw them in a blender and the dumped them on my head. That's what you did.
ROTH: Richard Roth, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: Oh! Okay. You guys said that would be good. And if you want that, the best seats in the house to see Colin Quinn, in "Long Story Short," wow! Look at this! Be prepared to shell out some bucks here, big bucks. It takes a little more than $100.
What a waste! It is sure to make a chocaholic cry. Have a look! A messy, sloppy, gooey, chocolate pie fight. But it's for a good cause. You'll see when we run some of the best videos of the day.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: No, no, no. He looks great.
REYNOLDS WOLF, AMS METEOROLOGIST: He does! He looks incredible.
HARRIS: I saw the first game that TNT broadcast -
WOLD: Right. Right. HARRIS: That was the Celtics and the Heat game.
WOLF: That's right.
HARRIS: And Charles -- we're talking about Charles. He looked like he lost almost a person.
WOLF: He's a good looking man.
HARRIS: What is it? Did he lose about 40 pounds?
WOLF: I don't know. I got to ask him what's going on -
HARRIS: Well, T.J. -
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: So, if you dropped in on our conversation just a moment ago -- an Auburn man, so we were talking about Charles Barkley, who looks great. He looks absolutely great. He lost a lot of weight. He looks fantastic.
I was going to ask you about Cam Newton, but we'll do that another time.
WOLF: If you want to make me cry right here, that's the way to make it happen. But it's not done yet. We don't know all the pieces yet. There's a lot of uncertainty, a lot of unknowns.
Feels like a lot of hay (ph) going on, too.
But as we turn to weather, boy, that's a pretty significant system it looks like the Midwest there, and you were telling me a story about Amarillo?
(WEATHER REPORT)
HARRIS: And you have a big game this weekend, Auburn and the Athens, right?
WOLF: It's Georgia.
HARRIS: It's Georgia, right?
WOLF: Yes.
HARRIS: Yes, yes. Good luck with that one. We'll talk about it on Monday. All right, Reynolds, thank you.
Let's do this before we take a break. Let's share a couple of the best videos of the day.
First, the fog bowl. Miami of Ohio and Bowling Green tried to play football in this. It's soup. The fog rolled in during the second quarter and got worse by the fourth. Miami, we understand, won the game 44-21 after an end-of-game field goal that we think went through the uprights.
All right. Got to show you this. The pies -- sky high at a New Jersey prep school. Organizers say they had 600 pie throwers and 1,500 chocolate custard pies. That would be a new world record if confirmed by Guinness. I guess it takes a couple of weeks to do that.
Best of all, this raised about ten grand for a soup kitchen. We're back in a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Let's get you caught up on the top stories now. A Nobel prize winner who spent most of the 20 years under house arrest in Myanmar may be released soon. Political activist Aung San Suu Kyi has become the world's most recognizable political prisoner.
Other top stories now. The death toll in Haiti's cholera's outbreak rose to 796 today. Another 12,000 have fallen ill with the intestinal infection. Scientists predict the outbreak could last for months, and the entire nation is at risk because they have no immunity to cholera.
And San Francisco's mayor is expected to veto the city's ban on most McDonald's happy meals with toys. But the veto will be meaningless because the board approved the ordinance 8-3; that's a veto-proof margin.
What started as a soccer league for boys from war-torn countries has quickly become a stepping stone to a better of life. CNN chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta has more on this one-of-a-kind school near Atlanta, Georgia.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: At first glance, they just look like a bunch of kids playing soccer. But take another look. A closer one. This is the Fugees family.
Anybody who wants to be a part of this family can be?
LUMA MUFLEH, EDUCATOR/"FUGEES" COACH: Any refugee that wants to be a part of this family can be.
GUPTA: And that is what binds them together. They are all refugees, 86 children and teen from more than 28 countries.
MUFLEH: Any country that's had a war in the past 20, 30 years, we have kids from those countries.
GUPTA: What started as a casual soccer team six years ago is now a school full of students, most of who have never been in a classroom before.
Robin Decorri (ph), sharply dressed in the school's uniform blue sweater and tie, is an 8th grader at the Fugees Academy, something that would have been almost impossible in his native Sudan. Right after you moved to the United States, and someone said, Robin, what are you going to do with your life, what would you have said?
ROBIN DECORRI (ph), "FUGEES" ACADEMY ATTENDEE: I really didn't know what to say during that time. But now, when I look at myself, I want to be someone like very good and make my people proud.
GUPTA: Life in America has not always been good tore robin.
When you're an outsider from Sudan, living in the United States, what is that like? What happens to you?
DECORRI: It's very hard, like -- everyone is picking on you, treating you different, like you don't belong here.
GUPTA: What did do you?
DECORRI: I used to fight a lot. Nowadays, I don't really get into fights. I try to resolve them and not make people fight.
GUPTA: While there are refugees living all around the United States, the Fugees family is the only group combing soccer with the hope for a better future.
Are there other organizations like this around the country?
MUFLEH: No.
GUPTA: So, this is it.
MUFLEH: This is it. And we get e-mails every week from around the country and the world. When are you bringing the "Fugees" to us?
GUPTA: Wow.
How many more years?
DECORRI: About four years because I'm in eighth grade right now.
GUPTA: Four more years and then?
DECORRI: Another four years.
GUPTA: Of?
DECORRI: College.
GUPTA: Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, Clarkston, Georgia.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: So, you can learn more about the "Fugees" family this weekend on Dr. Sanjay Gupta M.D. That's Saturday and Sunday, 7:30 a.m. Eastern. Right here on CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: So, is there any give and take on tax cuts? Dana Bash, part of the Best Political Team on Television joining us live from Capitol Hill right now. Compromise, Dana, is there room for compromise?
DANA BASH, CNN SENIOR CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, there could be. Look, the talks have not started in earnest at all. I should tell you that off the bat. But in talking to Democratic and Republican sources, what I'm hearing more and more is the most likely compromise at this point, and it is early, at this point, could be to simply extend all of the Bush-Era tax cuts for all income levels temporarily for two or three years.
Now, what we had been hearing more about before is well, they all agree on extending middle class tax cuts, so-called middle- class tax cuts permanently, but what they disagreed on was the tax cuts for the wealthiest American so why they do everything temporarily?
What I'm hearing more and more from Republican sources is, well, they don't want to separate the two because politically it would be a lot of harder for them to fight just on extending tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans.
It is early, and Democrats and Republicans are still publicly standing their ground, but this might be some kind of middle ground to do everything temporarily and come back in two or three years after the presidential election when the economy hopefully will be better.
But, you know, as for President Obama, he was actually in Seoul giving a press conference saying nothing changed in his position, but did say he hopes there is some kind of middle ground they can work out.
But he also did something very interesting with regard to Nancy Pelosi. That's our second item on the Ticker. He seemed to give a tacit endorsement to Pelosi as being the next House minority leader. You know, she is not running.
There is nobody opposing her right now, but still there are Conservatives right off the bat before she announced that they don't think this is a right idea even some liberals too.
But the president said that she is an outstanding partner for me on a palace inquiry going on there because part of what we're hearing that she is making the case that, you know, she is somebody who could be a counterbalance to President Obama who seemed more mistrusted here even among fellow Democrats here in Congress.
HARRIS: Dana, I think I saw this item on the Ticker. I want to ask you about it. There was supposed to be a conservative talk show host who is, I understand, going to be a staffer for, I believe a newly elected congressman. What happened with that?
BASH: Not anymore. You're exactly right. Her name is Joyce Kaufman. She is conservative talk radio show host in Florida and she was going to come here to Congress and be the chief of staff to Allen West who is one of those newly elected Republican lawmakers as you said.
But she said that she's not going to do that now in part because of the some really controversial things she has said at rallies and on her radio show, for example, the "New York Times" reported that at a really she talked about illegal immigrants saying that they reproduce at a rate three times than American citizens do.
She said that's not bigotry, that's a fact, and in her radio show, Tony, she effectively called Nancy Pelosi garbage, so she's not coming here.
HARRIS: Man, it's coarse. It's harsh. OK. Dana, good to see you. Thank you. And your next political update in an hour, and for the latest political news, you know where to go at CNNPolitics.com.
Here are some of the stories we're working on for the next hour of CNN NEWSROOM. When attempts to cut the federal deficit start to get personal, we will explain how the proposed cuts could affect your wallet.
And Sarah Palin's "Alaska" debuts this weekend. The documentary series, the former Alaska governor shows off her state from salmon fishing to hiking a glacier. We're back in a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Now to Cuba where the American video game "Kill Castro" is under fire. Cuba warns it will turn children into sociopaths. It is the latest exchange in a long history of strained U.S./Cuba ties. More now from CNN Shasta Darlington.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SHASTA DARLINGTON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A new American video game literally takes aim at Cuba's Fidel Castro. One of the first missions in "Call of Duty Black Ops" is to rub out the young leader of the Cuban revolution. Unlike in real life, players appear to do just that, in disturbingly gory details.
(on camera): No official reaction from the government here in Havana, but this state-run web site denounced the game for glorifying assassination and inciting America's youth to behave like violent sociopaths.
(voice-over): The Cuban government site also ridicules the CIA. What the United States couldn't accomplish in more than 50 years, they're now trying to do virtually, it says. In real life, Castro survived scores of assassination attempts and outlasted 10 U.S. administrations.
Illness forced him to step down in 2006, but after four years of seclusion, Fidel Castro is back in action. He's not in power, but he's got his trademark fatigues on and tours Havana delivering endless speeches about the risk of nuclear war.
Cuba has taken a different path when it comes to keeping the cold war alive for its use. The attempts on Castro have been re- enacted in a big budget TV series. In one episode, the CIA has scientists develop a poisonous cigar for Castro's visit to the U.N. in New York.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Any of these cigars is enough to kill him.
DARLINGTON: The plot is foiled when New York's police chief refuses to deliver them.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You are dead. We killed you. You killed a double. You think we didn't know?
DARLINGTON: Even in "Call of Duty" Castro proves immortal at the end.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Here's my gift to you in honor of our new relationship.
DARLINGTON: Shasta Darlington, CNN, Havana.
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HARRIS: Have a look at this as we go to break. The Department of Defense set asides $534 millions. You'll never get how much money is waiting to be handed out.
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HARRIS: So the Defense Department put aside $534 million for stop-loss. Now how much is still in the pot? $324 million remains. The deadline to file a claim for that money is exactly three weeks away. Our Pentagon correspondent, Chris Lawrence explains the problem.
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CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's like a winning lotto ticket that's about to expire. The government's got half a billion to give away, but can't find enough troops to claim it.
IAN SMITH, THE MISSION CONTINUES: 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're leave on the 22nd, going back to Iraq you've been stop-loss, stop-loss.
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.
(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 that time.
LAWRENCE: Troops like Ian put off schools and new jobs. Some lost relationships, so Congress authorized $500 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, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: As your commander in chief, I'm here to tell you that 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 that's must apply by December 3rd.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Did you ever think it would be this hard to give away money?
LERNES HERBERT, SENIOR PENTAGON PERSONNEL OFFICIAL: Well, 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: The Pentagon's Lernes Herbert says the VA did direct mailings, and the Pentagon advertised it on every web site it could. Even with all that outreach, veteran Mike Pereira is rushing to finish his paperwork in time.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I hope I don't miss out on any opportunity. Especially had I known sooner, I would have been able to prep a little better.
LAWRENCE: In just a few weeks, it might be too late.
HERBERT: If anybody even suspects they might be eligible for this payment, we want them to apply.
(END VIDEOTAPE) LAWRENCE: The thing is, all someone has to do is file the application by December 3rd. After that, there's a ton of folks available who can work out the kinks with documentation and paperwork and all that.
Remember, Congress authorized $530 million for this program, more than half of it is still sitting out there. Chris Lawrence, CNN, Washington.
