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Bargain Seekers & Economy; Airport Security Reality Check; Chipping Away at Debt; Hot Off The Political Ticker; Trending On The Internet; New Info On JFK Assassination

Aired November 22, 2010 - 12:00   ET

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

TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Will bargain shoppers give the economy a big enough boost this year? We're digging a little deeper on that.

Assassination anniversary. The Secret Service agents on duty the day John F. Kennedy was shot reveal just how raw nerves were that fateful day.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: How close did you come to shooting him?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, my finger was on the trigger. I had nightmares about this for months afterwards.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: Man.

And you're online right now, and we are, too. One of the top stories you're following, the paralyzed bride. A horrible accident delays her wedding, but doesn't dampen her thankful spirit.

Let's get started with our lead story now. Just four days to go. Holiday shoppers always ready to go and excited about Black Friday, doorbuster deals. Things can get a little crazy, as you know. Americans have to laugh at themselves.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE")

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is the shortest, craziest sale in retail history. You have just 12 minutes to rush in and grab all the deals you can carry. It's going to be a savings stampede.

(END VIDEO CLIP, "SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE")

HARRIS: With the recovery lukewarm, at best, a brand new survey today says Americans will spend a tiny bit more on holiday gifts this year.

CNNMoney.com's Poppy Harlow in New York.

Poppy, good to see you. POPPY HARLOW, CNNMONEY.COM: Good to see you.

HARRIS: An increase is an increase, and we're happy for that. But this one just barely registers, Poppy.

HARLOW: It does. I mean, we'll take what we can get.

This survey just came out this morning from the Consumer Federation of America. What they're saying is that 23 percent of the people they surveyed said their financial situation this year is indeed better than last year. Ten percent say, yes, OK, I'm going to increase my holiday spending this year. We'll get to why that is so important in just a minute.

But here is the key. Forty-one percent say they're going to spend less than they did last year. And overall, the numbers are OK. But overall, the takeaway here is they are all better than they were last year. So we are improving just a little bit, and we'll take that.

What the survey also found that's interesting is that people are managing their debt better than they were before. They're saving more.

It also shows though, Tony -- and we could all guess this -- people are still very concerned about the overall economy, the impact it has on their own economy, their personal finances. And that's really key, because how you feel when you go to the store and pull out your credit card, that's going to determine how much you're going to spend.

The major economic implications are evident. Two-thirds of our GDP, that number we get every three months, that is all made up of consumer spending, two-thirds of it. So that's really key here.

We have been seeing some favorable trends, I'll tell you that. Four months in a row now we have seen consumer spending tick up. That is a sign the consumer may be coming back. But the results of the survey show us just a little bit.

HARRIS: Yes. You're right, we'll take it.

Are the stores doing anything differently? Are they working harder to lure us in?

HARLOW: Of course they are. It seems like every year they come up with some new tricks and traps to get us in the door, especially on Black Friday. That's what makes Black Friday so popular. I mean, take a look at the numbers. It's astonishing.

What the National Retail Federation is saying is that 138 million Americans are going to hit the stores the day after Thanksgiving. That's a three percent increase from last year.

Some stores aren't waiting until then. For the first time, what we're seeing this year is Sears, Toys "R" Us, they are opening their stores nationwide on Thanksgiving.

Wasn't that sacred? I mean, weren't stores supposed to be closed on Thanksgiving? I guess not.

And also what we're seeing is a lot of online promotions. Wal- Mart, Target, Best Buy, they're offering free shipping on tens of thousands of things.

But if you're someone out looking for a deal, there are some things that you need to be aware of, some little tricks and secrets about Black Friday. Those doorbuster deals, Tony, you're waiting in line around the block for them. Generally, what we have seen is that the big-ticket items like plasma televisions, washers and dryers, they have a very limited supply, four or six per store.

So, if you're 20 in line and you're waiting for that, I don't think you should wait. You need to know about that.

A lot of secrets, also some tips for Black Friday, right here on CNNMoney.com.

And Tony, I'll be awake at about 3:00 in the morning on Friday to be at Macy's here in New York to cover Black Friday.

HARRIS: You will not. You will not.

I'll tell you one thing they absolutely did, is they started this season way too early. I'm out the week before.

HARLOW: Way too early.

HARRIS: I'm out the week before Halloween, and a lot of these stores already have their Christmas displays. This thing is ridiculous.

HARLOW: That's true.

HARRIS: We'll be talking about Christmas when the leaves are changing in September.

HARLOW: I know.

HARRIS: Poppy, good to see you. Thank you.

HARLOW: You too.

HARRIS: You will not be up.

The Thanksgiving travel rush is on, and new incidents are fueling the backlash against those enhanced body scans and more intense pat- downs.

There is this video of a little boy with no shirt on receiving a pat-down search. Now, just to clarify this, officials say the father removed the boy's shirt to speed up the screening after he set off a metal detector. A Michigan man says he was absolutely humiliated. Thomas Sawyer is a bladder cancer survivor and he wears a bag attached to his kidneys. He says he warned the TSA screener to be very careful.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

THOMAS SAWYER, HUMILIATED BY TSA SCREENING: And I said at that point, "You need to go slower and you need to softer or you're going to pull my urostomy bag off." And he said, "What's that?" And I said, "It doesn't matter, just go softer."

And lo and behold, he got down to where the urostomy bag was -- I happen to have one of the bags here to show you -- and pulled the seal kind of half off it. And once that happened, it was kind of like pulling the seal half off a bottle of orange juice and tipping it upside down.

The urine started coming out of my bag and onto my shirt and down my pants. And it was embarrassing, very embarrassing.

It's been three years for me, so I'm used to my urostomy now. But it's not something I like to show the world. I think one of the biggest fears for all ostomy patients is that we'll have a leak in public, let alone an airport.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: Oh man.

TSA officials say they are trying to balance security and privacy concerns and make the process minimally invasive.

CNN's Kate Bolduan has a reality check on what you can expect during your holiday travel.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Kyle Whitney could hop on a plane and be home for the holidays in just one hour, but this season he's opting for what he considers the hassle- free option, a seven-hour train ride to avoid new airport security measures.

KYLE WHITNEY, PASSENGER: I don't like the practices that I have seen, and it's just one more reason not to go through with the ordeal of flying.

BOLDUAN: The new measures from the Transportation Security Administration have set off a wave of criticism and frustration among passengers. Shown here in photos from denverpost.com are the pat- downs some call extreme and there's also the revealing full-body scanner machines. So what can air travelers expect this holiday season?

Most will walk through metal detectors. Only 69 airports in the country, about 12 percent, have full-body scanners. For those who do go through full-body scanners, the TSA says they're safe. The exposure to radiation is less than you'd receive in two minutes of flight, and passengers will only receive the enhanced pat-down if they refuse the full-body scanner, set off the scanners alarm, set off the metal detectors' alarm or are randomly selected.

The TSA says children under 12, who required extra screening will receive a "modified" pat-down. TSA administrator John Pistole told CNN's Candy Crowley, the challenge is finding a balance between passenger's privacy and doing their job to keep those passengers safe.

JOHN PISTOLE, TSA ADMINISTRATOR: Clearly, if we are to detect terrorists who have, again, proven innovative and creative in their design and implementation of bombs that are going to blow up airplanes and kill people then we have to do something that prevents that.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: OK. Kate Bolduan is here.

And it's good to see you.

BOLDUAN: Thank you.

HARRIS: With all the criticism TSA is taking, the pushback and everything else on this, is the TSA in any way responding to this, maybe modifying some things, doing things slightly differently?

BOLDUAN: It seems they're trying to walk a delicate line. At least for now, Administrator Pistole has said that they are not changing the procedures, but they're looking at ways of evolving the technology. That clearly doesn't mean anything for the short term for Thanksgiving travelers, obviously. I mean, it seems like we may be entering a new reality of air travel.

HARRIS: So -- and maybe you reevaluate after the holidays and see how things went. Right? I mean, maybe. Maybe.

BOLDUAN: I mean, I traveled this morning.

HARRIS: How was it?

BOLDUAN: I went through the good old-fashioned metal detector.

HARRIS: Right.

BOLDUAN: And that's the thing that -- we're hearing very extreme and disturbing cases, but, still, there's only these --

HARRIS: It's a small number of people who --

BOLDUAN: A small number of people.

HARRIS: -- who end up being subjected to the more enhanced searches.

BOLDUAN: The enhanced pat-down. And a small number of people going through the revealing body scanners.

HARRIS: Because we don't have that many in the country.

BOLDUAN: They're only in 12 percent of the airports.

HARRIS: Yes.

BOLDUAN: The bigger airports, of course.

HARRIS: Well, there was an announcement of a bit of a modification, right, with respect to kids? But we don't know the details of it.

BOLDUAN: Right. I think, they're obviously not -- and they say they're not -- they also don't say what exactly is involved in the enhanced pat-down. It's all for security purposes. They don't want to tell potential terrorists exactly where they're going to be patting.

HARRIS: Right. Right.

BOLDUAN: But for children under 12, there is a modified pat- down. What that means, we don't know.

HARRIS: Kate, one more quick one. If you have to go through this enhanced pat-down, the more invasive pat-down, can you request a private area, or do you have to do it with everyone in the open space there?

BOLDUAN: You can let it happen in the open space, probably the fastest way. But you can request a private area to have this pat-down happen.

But, of course, you're just trying to get to your plane, so you have to balance it yourself as a passenger. Do I go to this room or do I just put up with it and get on my flight?

HARRIS: Right. And get your flight.

Kate Bolduan is here, anchoring CNN NEWSROOM.

You're coming up at the top of the hour. You're sitting in for Ali Velshi, right?

BOLDUAN: Yes. If everything goes OK I will be.

HARRIS: It will go fine. It will go fine. Good to see you. Thank you.

BOLDUAN: Thanks.

HARRIS: Good to see you.

We are standing by awaiting a verdict in the Chandra Levy murder case. We understand that the jury has reached a verdict. And now at this point what happens, as you know, is that everyone has to be assembled back into the courtroom. The jurors have to be brought back in, and then we will have a reading of the verdict.

Boy, this is a murder that took place almost a decade ago. We won't talk about closure for the family at this point. That seems a little silly. But Ingmar Guandique is the man, as you know, charged with murder.

We will get that information on the verdict to you, announce it to you, as soon as we get it right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.

Right now a break. We're back in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Wow. Look at these live pictures. That is San Francisco.

OK. If you are traveling out there over the holidays, first of all, lucky you. But expect to shell out some cash for gas.

The latest Lundberg Survey shows gas prices are up 23 cents nationwide over a year ago. And San Francisco getting pummeled right now, $3.20 a gallon on average.

So where is the cheapest gas? Try the Mile High City, $2.63 a gallon in Denver.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HARRIS: Let's do this -- let's get caught up on top stories now.

A new security threat in Germany. Police think terrorists may be planning an attack on the parliament building in Berlin, so its top is now closed to the public.

Haiti's government says that the cholera epidemic has killed at least 1,344 people and sickened almost 57,000 others. U.N. officials are holding a briefing this hour. We will monitor that for you. The World Health Organization tells CNN the scale of the epidemic is expected it to exceed initial estimates of 200,000 over coming months.

Can you believe it?

And Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah is en route to the United States for medical treatment. State media says he has a herniated spinal disk and a blood clot that is causing him some pain.

So, start chipping away at your credit card debt. Our Christine Romans will tell you how.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Advice now for many of you who are deep in debt. Our Christine Romans talks to a nonprofit credit counselor about tackling credit card bills.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: You're on the ropes, right? You've got rent or mortgage. You've got a car loan. You've got groceries.

DAVID FLORES, COUNSELOR, GREENPATH DEBT SOLUTIONS: Yes.

ROMANS: You've got a student loan. And you can't -- you just lost a job.

How do you prioritize the basics even?

FLORES: Well --

ROMANS: Student loan, you get a deferment.

FLORES: Yes. I was going to say, you want to take a look at this and say, OK, well, where is there assistance?

ROMANS: Right.

FLORES: Student loan companies typically will help with hardships, forbearance --

ROMANS: They usually have lower interest rates, too, right?

FLORES: They do. They usually do.

But, yes, so putting these into deferment or forbearance can help. So you're eliminating this, even if it's temporary.

ROMANS: You've got to get tough on the groceries and tighten up.

FLORES: You've got to get tough on the groceries.

On the renter or the mortgage, long term, is your situation going to -- do you see it changing?

ROMANS: You might need to downsize.

FLORES: Yes. And this is the hardest part. And a lot of times when it comes to rent, downsizing an apartment, people don't want to do that. But sometimes it needs to be done if their situation is a long-term situation, not a short term.

ROMANS: I mean, I think, bottom line, $13,000 of credit card bills, credit card debt, at 29 percent interest, if you paid only the minimum, it would take 35 years to pay it off.

FLORES: Thirty-five years.

ROMANS: Most people don't know that.

FLORES: They don't. They don't.

ROMANS: They just don't know it. That is a long time. That's a lifetime. FLORES: Right. And so that's why, you know, if you can afford to make the minimum payment, where you can pay off your debt sooner, great. But if you can't afford to pay the minimum payment, that interest rate, 30 percent, that's a lot.

Seeking credit counseling will help to try and get those payments manageable, get that interest rate down to maybe a 10 percent interest rate, a six percent interest rate, something manageable so you can pay off that debt without shelling out, you know, a ton of extra money.

ROMANS: David Flores says one of the toughest parts of digging out of debt is getting started, realizing what that number, the balance, is. He says once you come to terms with it, start paying down your debt in manageable chunks, little by little. After all, little by little is how most people get themselves in debt to begin with.

Christine Romans, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: Me, more, now. Forget those three words. The financial game has certainly changed. Christine Roman's new book -- there it is -- entitled "Smart is the New Rich."

Another big weekend in pro-football, and more hard hits. Former NFL quarterback Kurt Warner talked candidly about the concussions he took and he suffered during his years on the field with our Sanjay Gupta.

We're back in a moment. You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: And once again, we are awaiting the latest on the verdict in the Chandra Levy murder case. We understand that the jury has in fact reached a verdict. We're expecting word on that verdict shortly.

This, of course, deliberations, entering a fourth day today. And we get word of a verdict in the trial of the man accused in the slaying almost a decade ago now. The accused, Ingmar Guandique, will learn his fate soon. He is charged with murder in the death of Chandra Levy.

When we get word of that verdict we will, of course, bring it to you live, right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.

Got to tell you, week after week, hard hit after hard hit on the NFL football field, now there is real concern mounting over what many see as a concussion crisis in pro football.

Our chief medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, is taking a closer look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Tony, there's no question that these players will acknowledge there's an interesting paradox. People watch the game of football in part because they want to see these big hits, but they also cringe because of them.

Case in point, last night -- you may have seen this, Tony -- the Eagles, they carried Ellis Hobbs there running the ball. And he actually takes a helmet-to-helmet hit. Tremendous hit. He is on the field for ten minutes.

But this is part of what we're talking about. You see hits like this all the time, and what's unsettling is what's happening inside the brain. We know more about this than ever before. We also know that a second concussion is more likely after a big hit like that. It is also unsettling that there is a persisting ignorance about exactly what concussion is and how best to treat it.

I spoke to former NFL quarterback and Superbowl MVP Kurt Warner about this issue, something he does knows about both personally and professionally. Here is what he told me.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Warner steps up.

GUPTA: It's a chilling moment in football.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Kurt Warner is hurt. Warner is down.

GUPTA: A player is hit and does not get up.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Kurt Warner who is on his back.

GUPTA: January 16, 2010, former NFL quarterback Kurt Warner was that player.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Trainers race out.

GUPTA: He got up and later he returned to the game.

GUPTA (on camera): Do you feel like now in retrospect you stayed in the game or sort of you know, pushed to stay in the game when you shouldn't have?

KURT WARNER, FORMER NFL QUARTERBACK: Yes. There is no question that's happened. A lot of guys when they get those hits or those concussions, they think OK, I'm just going to play through it here for the short-term and it's going to get better.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He was just lifted up --

GUPTA (voice-over): Playing through it is part of football, says Warner, a big part.

WARNER: Probably 100 percent of the guys that played my sport in the NFL have been there. I think for a long time it was felt like, well, if you didn't get up dizzy or with no memory, then you really didn't suffer a concussion.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What does a concussion feel like?

WARNER: It's like a mental fogginess. Where you almost seem like you're separated from the situation. You're in it but you're kind of looking at it from the outside looking in.

GUPTA: According to the NFL, there are more than 100 documented concussions every season. After a big hit, doctors on the sidelines test players for signs of concussion -- memory problems, confusion, dizziness. But there is no definitive answer to the most important question -- who should continue playing and who should come out of the game?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How many of you have, by a show of hands, had a concussion?

GUPTA: Kevin Duckiwitz (ph), formerly a Pittsburgh Steelers trainer, studies concussions' impact on the brain in high school players.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This shows moderate levels of atrophy.

GUPTA: And retired NFL athletes. In his study, players who had three or more concussions get MRIs and memory tests.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm going to say three words. Apple, penny, table. You say those.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Apple, penny, table.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Good. What were those three words I asked you to remember earlier?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't remember. Penny. That's all I remember.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK.

GUPTA: Memory problems are not the only thing they are finding.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The brain has shrunk.

GUPTA: Concussions may be shrinking memory and learning centers in the brain, thwarting its ability to transmit signals.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Did you retire because of concussions?

WARNER: No. Not because of concussions but there is no question you know, as I contemplated the big picture and thought about life after football, do I want to put myself at risk for another concussion, or for a worse concussion?

GUPTA: Many players, of course, decide to play through it.

(APPLAUSE) (END VIDEOTAPE)

GUPTA: As I mentioned. Kurt Warner knows a lot about this. He had at least five documented concussions himself.

He says really there is a two-pronged issue here. First of all, a lot of players want to minimize their symptoms so they can continue to play. Second issue is that teams want to win. He explicitly said look, I was never told that I had to play despite my symptoms. But he worries about the culture overall as he described.

We did talk to the NFL incidentally about this as well. They released a statement to us. What they say is, "If anything, we are going in the other direction where people sit out until they are totally symptom-free. There are many protocols now. If a guy gets pulled out in a game, he cannot go back until he's cleared by the team doctor."

Also, Tony, in case you are curious, Ellis Hobbs after being on the field for 10 minutes, did get up in a stretcher, wheeled off, giving the thumbs up sign. So, good news there. X-rays of his neck were also -- didn't show any evidence of fracture.

Tony, tomorrow we will be talking about high school football. Three million players, still developing brains. Lots of hard hits. Max Conrat (ph) will show us what can happen with what's known as second impact syndrome. Tony, back to you.

HARRIS: OK, Sanjay, appreciate it. Thank you.

Top story straight ahead. First, our news quiz. Smart phones are taking over our lives. Even in the bedroom. How many of you answer your phone during sex? What's disturbing here is that a minimum of 12 percent of you will take a call during sex.

How does that work? What do you say? The answer when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: OK. You just can't believe this. How many of you watching us from wherever you are -- you're in an airport right now -- many of you put sex on hold to answer your phones? Look around at the people next to you. Ask the question.

A British phone company surveyed its customers and found 25 percent -- 25 percent -- of people paused sex to take a call! Men, by far, are the worst offenders. Why am I not surprised by that?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: So the fans have spoken. One thing is clear, Bieber fever rules. And of course I am talking about the American Music Awards. "Showbiz Tonight" host A.J. Hammer joining us now from New York. A.J., good to see you.

OK, so I know the team was all over this story this weekend. Did you guys get an opportunity to catch up with Bieber backstage?

A.J. HAMMER, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT CO-HOST: Of course we did, Tony It was a Bieberific night at the American Music Awards. Of course we're going to be hanging with the Bieb. Now, Justin Bieber was having his first ever American Music Awards last night. And boy, did he clean up! He also got a --

HARRIS: A.J., A.J., I apologize. We have got -- I apologize.

We have got a verdict in the Chandra Levy case, and we promised that as soon as we got the verdict, we would get the information to you. We understand the defendant has been found guilty, Ingmar Guandique has been found guilty of both counts in this case. That would be -- the important one here is first-degree murder. So, again, Ingmar Guandique found guilty. Both charges he faced in this case. The most important of which, obviously, first-degree murder in the death of Washington intern Chandra Levy.

And our senior legal analyst, Jeffrey Toobin on the phone. About what you expected, Jeff, as you took a look at this case and have been following it over the years here?

JEFFREY TOOBIN, CNN SENIOR LEGAL ANALYST (via phone): Yes, this court - this jury has had a tough time with this case. They've been out since Wednesday. They deliberated through the weekend.

And it's not easy. It's a circumstantial case. It's based on a jailhouse confession in part, which is notoriously unreliable form of evidence. It's based in its most powerful part attacked two women in alsmot the same place in almost the same way that Chandra Levy was attacked.

But there's no eyewitness. There's no DNA evidence. And juries have hard times with cases like that.

HARRIS: Yes. And the twists and turns in this case - you were talking to us at the top of this hour about this case. Reminding us of the twists and turns in this case over the course of what, nearly a decade now. When initially a lot of the attention focused on then- congressman Gary Condit.

TOOBIN: That's right. And he testified in the trial. He lost his race for reelection, largely because of his involvement in this case. In court, it came out that on the underwear of Chandra Levy when she was found that there was DNA that was tied to Gary Condit, which certainly seems to vindicate the long-time suspicion that the two of them had had an affair. He didn't really address that. He refused to really talk about that on the witness stand.

But he long ago was cleared by the police as a suspect in the murder, even though there were a lot of insinuations about him. So it wasn't surprising that he testified and tried to explain what his relationship was with her.

HARRIS: You know, Jeffrey, you mentioned that the jury in this case took some time and probably struggled a bit coming to this decision. Maybe remind us what the defense was here. I'm looking at a note. And it says the defense lawyers say that the Salvadoran immigrant became a bit of a scapegoat for what was largely criticize as being a botched investigation.

TOOBIN: Well, certainly this investigation was deeply, deeply botched by the D.C. police.

Just to refresh people's memory, Chandra Levy disappeared in Rock Creek Park in 2001. And it was more than a year until she was found -- her body was found. For those of us who know Washington, Rock Creek Park, particularly the area where she was found is not an enormous park. It is not a place where a body in a notorious murder case should have gone undiscovered for a year. But it was. And in fact not by the police, by a passing dog walker.

So, that was a big part of the defense. The defense here was really a classic reasonable doubt defense. Which was, there is just not enough evidence connecting this defendant to the crime. And I don't know if the jury will agree to it. But it's not an implausible defense here.

HARRIS: Yes. All right. Jeffrey Toobin with us. Jeffrey, appreciate it. Thank you.

And again, the jury has come back with a conviction, a guilty verdict for Ingmar Guandique in connection with the death, the murder of Chandra Levy.

We are back in a moment. You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: And, once again, we have a verdict in the Chandra Levy murder case. Ingmar Guandique, the suspect in the case, the accused in the case, the defendant in the case, has been found guilty on two counts of first degree murder in the 2001 death of Washington intern Chandra Levy. He now faces life in prison without the possibility of parole. An amazing investigation and a sensational murder case when it broke in 2001. And now all these years later, we have a verdict, a conviction in this case. Ingmar Guandique now facing life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Top brass fall in line in efforts to change the policy on gays in the military. Dana Bash, part of "The Best Political Team on Television," joining us live from Capitol Hill.

Dana, what are you following on this story?

DANA BASH, CNN SENIOR CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, Tony.

Well, a very interesting comment that the chairman of the Joint Chiefs, Mike Mullen, made to Candy Crowley yesterday, and that is about the Marine Corps. It is no secret that the commandant of the Marine Corps has been very openly opposed to repealing the "don't ask, don't tell" policy. But Mullen told Candy there's no question that the Marines will go forward if -- and comply if the policy is repealed. And I can tell you just on Capitol Hill, it's very interesting that the Pentagon announced late last night that they were going to move up the report that they're going release. This much anticipated report, a year long review of this. And some senators who support the repeal say that they hope that just that one day will help them in their push to get some of those undecided senators off the fence and at least vote to start debate on the defense bill, which includes the repeal.

Second up on the political ticker. Now it's early, Tony. It is very early. But Quinnipiac University has a poll out that shows what would happen in a matchup between Sarah Palin and Barack Obama.

HARRIS: Oh, my goodness.

BASH: And President Obama does lead by eight points. That is certainly something that just is interesting to look at. But another number that really did fascinate me was about President Obama himself and it showed nearly half of the people who responded said that they did not think he deserves a second term. And part of the reason is because of those independents. A majority of independents said that that was the case. And, you know, it is in keeping with what we saw in this month's election, which is that independents really drove away from the Democrats.

HARRIS: Yes. Yes. They didn't walk, they ran in some cases.

BASH: Right.

HARRIS: Dana, speaking of 2012, and it is early, there is another expected GOP contender talking debate conditions. What is this all about?

BASH: You've got to love Newt Gingrich, Tony. You really do. You really do. Newt Gingrich said that if he were a contender, that he would not participate in any debate that involved MSNBC hosts Chris Matthews or Keith Olbermann. Now this is not necessarily that hypothetical because NBC is going to have the first Republican debate at the Reagan Library. But Newt Gingrich, who has not formally jumped in, he says he'll do that in February, says he won't participate in that. So already Newt Gingrich is setting ground rules on something that he isn't formally a part of.

HARRIS: It just -- it boggles the mind.

BASH: Maybe it's a hint. Maybe it's a hint as to where his thinking is?

HARRIS: Yes, I think it's definitely that.

All right, Dana, good to see you. Appreciate it. Thank you.

BASH: You too.

HARRIS: And, of course, your next political update coming up in an hour. For the latest political news, you know where to go, at cnnpolitics.com. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: To the Internet now and Sandra Endo from Washington. Where is Sandy? There she is. OK.

What is trending right now, Sandy? Good to see you.

SANDRA ENDO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: All right, Tony.

Well, this story always seems to be trending. You know, Charlie Sheen is in trouble again.

HARRIS: Oh, yes.

ENDO: Yes. The porn star he was with the night he allegedly trashed his room at the Plaza Hotel says now she's pressing charges against the actor. In an interview with ABC's "Good Morning America," Capri Anderson says she was paid $3,500 to be Sheen's escort to a dinner that night and claims the actor was heavily drinking and using a white powdery substance. It was after that when she claims the actor became violent and put his hands around her neck. And, of course, Sheen's lawyer denies all of those claims.

And also, Tony, trending on cnn.com right now, a heartbreaking but inspiring story of a bride to be who was paralyzed after her best friend jokingly pushed her into a swimming pool during her bachelorette party. Now the pool only had a few feet of water in it and that's when Rachelle Friedman said she heard a snap, yes, and then she became paralyzed from the chest down. It's been six months, though, since the accident and she's in a wheelchair, but the 27-year- old has a totally good outlook on life. She's playing sports, clod (ph) rugby and still plans to get married. They just delayed the date a little bit to work out some medical insurance issues and she's definitely being touted as quite an inspiration.

HARRIS: Yes, that's for sure.

ENDO: And that's what's trending on cnn.com.

HARRIS: OK. Sandy, appreciate it. Good to see you. Thank you, lady.

What was it like to be a Secret Service agent the day John F. Kennedy was assassinated? Never before told details from that fateful day 47 years ago in Dallas.

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HARRIS: Forty-seven years ago today, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas. The Secret Service agents who were protecting him have said very little since then. CNN's Brian Todd reports they are talking now and telling some extraordinary details.

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BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): They're a pair of stoic 78-year-old grandfathers. Gerald Blaine and Clint Hill (ph) still carry themselves in that upright tradition. Still have that bond that only Secret Service agents know. And still have vivid memories of that clear, crisp day in November nearly half a century ago.

GERALD BLAINE, FORMER SECRET SERVICE AGENT: We couldn't help, but we feel like -- felt like we failed. We all had the same mission and it was a terrible feeling.

TODD: Blaine gives riveting new accounts of that period in his just released book, "The Kennedy Detail." He reveals how, less than 24 hours after John Kennedy's assassination, he almost caused another unspeakable tragedy. Blaine stood guard outside Lyndon Johnson's house in the early morning darkness, exhausted, on edge. He heard approaching footsteps and readied his sub machine gun.

BLAINE: Put it to my shoulder and steadied my feet and around the house I recognized right away it was President Johnson by his profile.

TODD: Johnson had just come out to get some air.

TODD (on camera): How close did you come to shooting him?

BLAINE: Well, my finger was on the trigger. I had nightmares about this for months afterwards.

TODD (voice-over): Johnson, he says, turned white, said nothing and went back in the house. I spoke with Blaine and Clint Hill just a few feet from John Kennedy's grave. Hill wrote the forward to Blaine's book but has rarely spoken about that day.

TODD (on camera): You had a tough time there in those years after the assassination, after your resignation. Can you talk about what you went through?

CLINT HILL, FORMER SECRET SERVICE AGENT: I suffered from nightmares and it seemed like every time I turned around there was something that reminded me of what had happened. And so I just clammed up and went in my basement with some alcohol and some cigarettes and stayed there for a few years.

TODD (voice-over): Clint Hill was the first Secret Service agent to get to Kennedy's car in Dallas. He broke into a sprint after the initial shot was fired. He says if he could relive those moments, if he could jump on the back maybe two seconds earlier --

HILL: Without a question, I'd be taking a bullet for the president and be dead.

TODD (on camera): And would be -- you think that would be a happier ending if you weren't here to talk to us?

HILL: It would be a happier ending for the country and for everybody.

TODD: How do you feel about that? I mean that's a tough thing to live with for a number of years. HILL: Well, it's just one of those things you do live with it. You have to accept the fact that you had a certain responsibility and you failed in that responsibility. So, you just have to accept it and live with it the best you can.

TODD: Hill says he still goes through periods where he's almost unable to talk about the assassination. He brushes it off when people call him a hero. Heroes, he says, are people who are able to do extraordinary things, and, quote, "unfortunately, I was unable to do that."

Brian Todd CNN, Arlington, Virginia.

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