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Fears Grow of Nukes in Iran; Search Continues For Missing Michigan Boys; Pentagon Releases "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" Report; Prepaid Kardashian Credit Card Attached To Comes With Many Fees; President Meets With New Republican House Leaders; Newly Leaked Documents Show Arab Countries Fearful of Nuclear Iran; New Sitcom Coming Out Based On Fran Drescher's Life

Aired November 30, 2010 - 15:00   ET

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

BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: We're following a couple of stories, a number of breaking stories here.

First, want to let you know we're standing by for a news conference. You see they're almost ready to go there. That is where police in Michigan should have a little bit more on that search. It has been under way for days now to find -- hopefully, to find alive -- these three missing boys.

Their father claimed he had dropped them off with a woman before -- that he had met online before he tried to commit suicide. So, we're keeping an eye -- our eye on that picture. As soon as we see police talking about that, those three little boys, we will bring it to you live here.

Also, you heard the defense secretary within the last hour and the Joint Chiefs chair announce it here on CNN. That survey of military personnel found that most men and women in uniform, those who were surveyed, have no problem working alongside openly gay service members.

In fact, DOD Secretary Robert Gates is encouraging the Senate to repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell."

Also this hour, here's something else we want to pass along to you. The Department of Homeland Security says it is now screening everybody, all airline passengers. If you're traveling within the United States, if you're traveling to the United States, all of you will be held up against this government terror watch list, your names.

That happens before you even get your boarding pass. I know maybe you're thinking, hang on a second, this wasn't already SOP, standard operating procedure? No, apparently not. But the 9/11 Commission had asked for this to be done by the end of this year. So, the new screening is apparently a month ahead of schedule.

Working all three of those stories.

I want to begin, though, this hour with some breaking news out of Wisconsin, where that 15-year-old boy walked out of his class, then returned carrying this duffel bag that was full of guns, taking 23 classmates and his teacher hostage.

Let me pull away from that story.

We want to take you back to Michigan, pertaining to those three missing boys.

Here's the police chief.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This afternoon, John Skelton was released from the mental health facility and immediately placed in custody by agents from the Toledo office of the FBI.

Warrants were issue for three counts of parental kidnapping. Currently, he's in custody of the agents of the Toledo office and will be ultimately lodged at the Lucas County Jail.

I don't have any further for you at this time. I'll take a couple of questions before I depart.

QUESTION: What is he telling you to -- this afternoon?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have not spoken to John today.

QUESTION: When is he going to be arraigned?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't have that information at this time, because, as the charges are here locally in Lenawee County in Michigan, and he is -- was arrested out of state, it will require an extradition hearing in Lucas County courts.

QUESTION: Did the search lead -- did today's search lead you to any new information, anything else?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't have any information to provide you at this time.

(CROSSTALK)

QUESTION: -- the search of the home today, we noticed investigators removing items from the Skelton home. Can you talk to us about whether they found anything to help with the investigation?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Again, I don't have any additional information on that to provide you.

QUESTION: Have the bodies of the boys been recovered?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Not that I'm aware of. I understand there's been some sort of media indication that bodies were recovered in -- near Holiday City. I have calls in to that right now waiting to hear back, but there is no confirmation of that at this time.

I was told secondhand that somebody posted something to a Facebook page that led to someone else to something else. And here we are. But we certainly will verify that as soon as we can. And, if they are recovered, you will see me back here. (CROSSTALK)

QUESTION: Have they -- have you brought him out to -- have you gone out with John Skelton, said, hey, he's -- he's lead -- led you to different places from the hospital room or wherever he's being housed? Have -- have you guys said, well, hey, why don't you come out with us and take us to a location where -- where you have taken these boys.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: As I have indicated before, we have had conversations with John. And -- and I'll leave it at that for now.

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank -- thank you. Thank you. I have no additional information for you, other than I do have additional fliers here, if you need them.

Thank you very much.

BALDWIN: That is the police chief out of a town in Michigan where they have been looking for these three little boys. They're Tanner, Alexander, and Andrew. I think their age ranges are about 5 to 11 years of age.

And it was the father, John Skelton -- and this is the bit of news that was just made -- that the police chief just arrested -- they have now officially said that the father, John Skelton, has been arrested. He was arrested in Ohio.

So, he will have to be extradited back home to Michigan. He was arrested for parental kidnapping, but that still does not answer this question as to where those three missing young brothers are.

Quickly, that -- the police chief alluded to some reports, some local media reports, that three bodies were found. We cannot confirm that. We're of course working the phones. We're talking to our affiliates. And, of course, you just heard him. He's working his sources as well.

And as soon as that's confirmed -- and, obviously, we're hoping it's not. But if that is the reality, we will pass it along to you live here on CNN.

Meantime, want to take you back to this story in Wisconsin, the 15-year-old boy who basically walked out of class, and then returned carrying that duffel bag. It was full of guns. And he took 23 classmates and his teacher hostage. He held them in that classroom for some six-and-a-half hours, talking with the other kids about, would you believe, movies and hunting and fishing, while parents, as you can imagine, waited tensely outside.

We are told the mood inside that classroom at times turned jovial. Five kids were eventually set free when they said, hey, can we go to the bathroom? They got out of there. And then something prompted the teen gunman to open fire. And that's when police took their cue. They moved in. And, as they broke into the classroom, that teenage boy shot himself in the head. And this just in. We have just been told that that young gunman has died.

The police chief -- this all happening in Marinette, Wisconsin -- he broke the news. Here he is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEFF SKORIK, MARINETTE, WISCONSIN, POLICE CHIEF: I come to you with some sad news at this point.

I spoke with the Marinette County coroner, George Smith, and he has confirmed that, at 10:44 a.m., the suspect was pronounced dead. The suspect is identified as Samuel O. Hengel. That's spelled H-E-N- G-E-L. He is 15 years old. His date of birth is June 27, 1995. He was a resident of Porterfield, Wisconsin. That's in Marinette County.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: So, still, though, the big question at this hour, police still don't know why Samuel Hengel got his guns, why he took his 23 classmates and that teacher hostage. Fortunately, no one else was shot. All the students were quickly -- you see some of the hugging there -- reunited their parents, who no doubt had a lot of questions they still want answered.

I want to bring in Austin Biehl. He was one of those students who was trapped inside that classroom. And Austin is joining me on the phone.

Austin, I'm glad you're OK.

If we can, I want you to take me back to around this time yesterday. You were in sixth period, Western civ. You guys were watching a movie. And the student -- we're now naming him -- Sam Hengel, comes back in with a duffel bag and a backpack. And then what happened next?

AUSTIN BIEHL, HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT HELD HOSTAGE AT SCHOOL: We were just sitting there and, he pointed the gun up towards the wall and shot.

BALDWIN: Pointed the gun towards the wall, shot the wall. And then what? What were you doing? What were you thinking in that moment?

BIEHL: Oh, I was scared. My legs were shaking. I was just -- I wasn't expecting this at all.

BALDWIN: He had you all as hostage for some six hours. Take me through that time period. What was he -- Sam Hengel, what was he saying? Was he threatening you all at all?

BIEHL: No, he wasn't threatening us. He -- one of our -- one of my classmates started talking to him about hunting and fishing. And then everyone just started talking with him about movies and just -- we just kept talking. And he didn't threaten anyone, none of that.

BALDWIN: At any point in time, did he appear agitated, angry?

BIEHL: No, not at all. He seemed -- he was laughing with us at some of the jokes and the funny movie scenes and stuff like that.

BALDWIN: But, obviously, you realized this whole situation wasn't funny at all. Did any of you try asking him why he was doing this?

BIEHL: No. I don't -- no one asked.

BALDWIN: No one asked why?

BIEHL: Yes, no one did.

BALDWIN: I understand, Austin, that, at some point, he asked you guys to hand over your cell phones. Is that right? Did he explain why?

BIEHL: No. His cell phone went off. And then I think that might have triggered something to tell everyone else to get their cell phones out.

BALDWIN: You say he wasn't acting threatening. He wasn't yelling. Was he at all -- you mentioned he -- he shot at the wall. Did he ever aim his gun at you or any other students or the teacher in the classroom?

BIEHL: No. He did not aim the gun at any of us, except the principal when he came in. Just, he wasn't expecting it and he aimed it at him. And then the principal backed off and went outside.

BALDWIN: Do you know why the principal came in? Had the principal somehow heard the original gunshot?

BIEHL: I think one of the students got let out beforehand in an announcement call and -- to the office, and he let her go to the office. So, maybe she told him, and they went down.

BALDWIN: What about the teacher? Is it Mrs. Byrd (ph)? What was she doing at that time? Was she still sitting at the front of the classroom? Was she sitting at you all? Was she talking to Sam?

BIEHL: Yes, she was talking to him, asking if she could do anything for him. And she was sitting at her desk to the side of him.

BALDWIN: What was -- if you can pinpoint it to one -- one -- one point in time in that six hours, what was the most frightening moment for you, Austin?

BIEHL: At the beginning, when he started shooting. He shot the projector. And that just -- I was -- couldn't -- I didn't know what to do.

BALDWIN: Did you know him? Did you know Sam? BIEHL: I was his friend in school. We didn't really hang out much after -- or out of school, except for bonfires and stuff like that. But, other than that, I don't really know him.

BALDWIN: You said he was a friend. So, was he fairly well- liked?

BIEHL: Yes. He was nice, smart, kind of quiet, but once he was around his friends, he spoke up.

BALDWIN: Was he ever bullied at all by anyone?

BIEHL: As of I know, he never got bullied. But I'm not sure.

BALDWIN: Does it surprise you he would do something like this?

BIEHL: Yes, it is, because he's really smart. I mean, he -- he has nice friends. I'm friends with him. It's just -- I don't know why.

BALDWIN: I guess, finally, Austin, before I let you go, when did you finally know -- describe that moment when you finally know you were -- you were safe? What happened then?

BIEHL: One of my friends was telling me that the gun only hold -- held about six bullets. And he shot three in the beginning and then shot three at the end. And, after he did that, I knew that he was out. And then the police came as soon as the -- the shots were fired. So, then I knew then, too.

BALDWIN: Frightening day for you and your classmates and your teacher.

Austin Biehl, hey, thank you for calling in. I appreciate it. I'm sure your parents are happy to have you home. Thanks.

You know, if it wasn't clear before, it's clear now there are many countries very worried Iran may soon have a nuke. And the WikiLeaks bombshell giving this behind-the-scenes look at how some governments are trying to deal with Tehran, and it sounds like the issue getting even more so urgent. That's ahead.

Plus, the man accused of kidnapping Elizabeth Smart had to be rushed out of the courtroom today. There he goes. The reason and the fallout is next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: All right, welcome back to the NEWSROOM.

A couple of stories developing right now.

Just about an hour ago, the Pentagon gave critics of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" even more arsenal in their efforts to repeal the law. Here's what we know. The new Pentagon report essentially gives us a look at what troops really think. And, apparently, a majority of U.S. service members, men and women, in fact, more than two-thirds, do not care if the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" is repealed.

That report ordered by Defense Secretary Robert Gates to examine the impact to military operations if that law -- if the law is changed.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERT GATES, U.S. SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: A strong majority of those who answered the survey, more than two-thirds, do not object to gays and lesbians serving -- serving openly in uniform.

The findings suggest that, for large segments of the military, repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," though potentially disruptive in the short term, would not be the wrenching, traumatic change that many have feared and predicted.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Now, a federal judge had ruled "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" was unconstitutional last month. But that ruling was suspended while the government appeals. Ultimately -- you know this -- it will be up to Congress as to whether or not they ditch or keep "Don't Ask, Don't Tell."

And we're just getting some word out of Missouri. CNN affiliate KMOV is reporting four people were shot at a Saint Louis funeral home. The shooting apparently took place at the Reliable Funeral Home.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Somebody came in the funeral shooting.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And just started shooting?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, about 10 gunshots.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: We are told one victim was shot in the face. That victim and two others were transported to nearby hospitals. Police, they are out there. They're trying to track down that fourth victim.

And the federal judge of Elizabeth Smart's alleged kidnapper is now on hold for at least a day. There he goes. Brian David Mitchell, who is charged with kidnapping Smart, suffered a seizure. That's what we're getting from our affiliate KSTU -- all of this as the judge ordered jurors to be brought in. Mitchell began to wail. He dropped to the floor. Paramedics, they were rushed in. And Mitchell was examined, later loaded on to an ambulance. The trial is supposed to resume tomorrow.

And a reported tornado being blamed for severe damage there in Louisiana. Take a look at this with me. But the threat of twisters apparently doesn't stop there. That is ahead.

Plus, whatever happened during President Obama's sit-down with Republican and Democratic leaders? Did anything get done? Gloria Borger has the scoop. She is standing by. She is next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: Well, they finally had that big meeting at the White House today, you know, the peace talks between the president and the Republicans.

And, in fact, take a look at this. Let's look at this together. These are the first pictures we're getting from inside the session, sitting around a nice roundtable, maybe sipping some tea. So, how did it go?

Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I thought it was a productive meeting. I thought that people came to it with a spirit of trying to work together. And I think it's a good start as we move forward.

REP. JOHN BOEHNER (R-OH), HOUSE MINORITY LEADER: We had a very nice meeting today. Of course, we have had a lot of very nice meetings. The question is, can we find the common ground the American people expect us to find?

REP. ERIC CANTOR (R-VA), HOUSE MINORITY WHIP: You know, the president, I think, put his best foot forward and said, we realize we have got to produce results.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Finding common ground.

Gloria Borger, senior political analyst there, joining me from D.C.

And, you know, it's kind of the way -- the way they make it sound, it's almost like they passed around the peace pipe around that roundtable, Gloria?

GLORIA BORGER, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Yes.

(LAUGHTER)

BALDWIN: I mean, would that be an accurate reflection of what went on, or not so much?

BORGER: Yes. I think -- I think they're trying. It's kind of like the first day of school, Brooke. Everyone is kind of on their best behavior.

BALDWIN: Ah.

BORGER: They heard the message from the American people, that we want you all to work together. And it's -- it's always interesting to try and report out one of these meetings, because when you talk to Democrats, you get one story. You talk to Republicans, you get another story.

And the Democrats said that the meeting was good, because the Republicans seemed more serious about actually working together than they had when they were purely an opposition party.

When I talked to Republicans, the Republicans said, you know, it was a good meeting, because the Democrats seemed less arrogant, because they no longer controlled both houses of Congress. The Republicans also said to me, a couple of them, we liked hearing from the president when he said that perhaps he hadn't been bipartisan enough.

When I talked to some Democrats about that, they said, gee, we didn't really hear that from the president.

BALDWIN: And --

BORGER: So, since I wasn't in the room --

(LAUGHTER)

BALDWIN: Right.

BORGER: -- it's kind of hard to say --

BALDWIN: If only we could have been a fly on the wall.

BORGER: -- exactly what he said.

(LAUGHTER)

BORGER: Well, this is -- this is our job as reporters, though. You know, we try and sort of figure it out --

BALDWIN: Read the tea leaves.

BORGER: -- and -- yes, well, and guess the -- get the best semblance of the reality of the session that we can.

So, I would have to say, overall, it was probably a much better session than we have seen any time in the last two years --

BALDWIN: But hang on, Gloria.

BORGER: -- to tell you the truth.

BALDWIN: I thought this wasn't supposed to be a photo-op. I thought that was the president's big, you know, message. This is not a photo-op.

Yet, we're seeing pictures. Why are we seeing pictures? Did someone change their mind?

BORGER: Well, we're seeing -- we're seeing pictures because people like us demand these pictures.

(LAUGHTER)

BORGER: And what was interesting, though, to me, Brooke -- and to give you some idea of the fact that it might be serious about certain things, like resolving the tax cut issue -- is that --

BALDWIN: Exactly.

BORGER: -- for 35 minutes -- for 35 minutes -- they threw out the staff.

And when they throw out the staff, and it's just the principals meeting, it's essentially a signal that, you know what, we actually have to get down to business here, and we don't want all of this leaking everywhere to people like me. So, they -- so, they threw out the staff for -- for a portion of the meeting. And the members still came out saying, you know, this is getting serious.

BALDWIN: Well, let's talk about the --

BORGER: So, that's good.

BALDWIN: Let's talk about the -- the tax cut dispute, because we know those talks will be led by Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner --

BORGER: Mm-hmm.

BALDWIN: -- Budget Director Jack Lew.

BORGER: Mm-hmm.

BALDWIN: But I thought this was, more or less, Gloria, a philosophical debate. This is not a numbers game. So, how -- how do these two guys --

BORGER: Well --

BALDWIN: -- solve this thing?

BORGER: Well, first of all, in -- in addition to those two fellows, you're going to have Democratic and Republican representatives working with them. So, you are going to have the political types working with them.

And I think this is really a signal that they all believe they have to find some resolution to this tax cut issue. And whether that means that they're going to temporarily extend all the tax cuts, rather than -- than doing it permanently -- the Democrats, as you know, don't want to extend them for the wealthy, but maybe they could buy a temporary extension.

BALDWIN: Right.

BORGER: It seems to me that they're really looking for some kind of way to resolve this, and perhaps combine it with some sort of, you know, deficit reduction at some point.

BALDWIN: Gloria Borger, thank you. And we're -- well, President Obama alluded perhaps they take those talks all the way to -- to Camp David. We will wait and see if that happens.

(LAUGHTER)

BALDWIN: Gloria, thank you.

(CROSSTALK)

BORGER: Yes. We will wait until we get the "save the date" on that one, huh?

BALDWIN: We will wait.

(LAUGHTER)

BALDWIN: We will wait for it.

Gloria, thanks.

(LAUGHTER)

BALDWIN: Now this:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He even apologized to us for -- for giving us a hard time and ruining our night.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Thirty years later, details from police who arrested John Lennon's killer. What did he say, and what was he reading when they came upon him on that New York street? Some fascinating details emerging.

Also, hurricane season may be officially winding down, but tornadoes very much so a reality still for the South. We are going to check out what some of the Gulf states -- here's a little preview -- what they're dealing with today.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: All right. Emergency crews, they are out and about checking out the damage in Central Mississippi today. Have you seen this? Folks in Louisiana also cleaning up after a tornado slammed this small town. And, here in Atlanta, apparently, we're under a tornado watch as well.

So, a lot of severe weather to talk about.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Mm-hmm.

BALDWIN: And, in terms of Mississippi, what am I hearing? Like, more than a dozen people hospitalized because of this?

MYERS: Correct. It was a pretty good tornado.

BALDWIN: Yes.

MYERS: We don't know the size yet, but there were five tornadoes last night. I don't think there will be that many tonight, but they will be east --

BALDWIN: Five?

MYERS: Five.

BALDWIN: Wow.

MYERS: Five separate ones in five different locations.

BALDWIN: OK.

MYERS: And some were on the ground for a lot longer than others.

You can see that some of these -- I saw one where it looked -- literally looked like a bowling bowl, a giant bowling bowl, went right through the neighborhood --

BALDWIN: Whew. Yes.

MYERS: -- and knocked everything down, took all the tops of all the trees off, and -- and just spit it out. So, if you want to go to CNN.com, go to click iReport --

BALDWIN: Check out some of the videos, awesome.

MYERS: -- you can click on those. Some of those pictures are pretty amazing.

But we have airplane problems, airport problems in Atlanta, Georgia, because --

BALDWIN: Uh-oh.

MYERS: -- of the thunderstorms that you may have heard a little bit on the -- on the rooftop here.

(LAUGHTER)

MYERS: That's what Atlanta looks like right now.

There should be the top of buildings there. When you can't see the tops of buildings there, airplanes don't like that, and so the FAA slows you down. One hundred and twenty-three planes still on the way. Stop there. Still on the way. Don't want to hit that one -- because there's an airport right there -- Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson Airport right there. There's Georgia, the state, right there.

But a bunch of planes circling there, circling here, and circling here. And I hate that, when they just send you around and around and around.

BALDWIN: You know something is up when you are going in circles.

MYERS: And there you go, around and around and around. Yes.

One hundred and twenty-three planes still trying to get on the ground here in Atlanta. So, no other planes across the country are allowed take off for a little bit because of that. They call that a ground stop. That doesn't mean that we're stopped here. That means that planes in other places that may have perfectly good weather are not allowed to take off to Atlanta just yet in order to get that volume of planes right there that we already have in the air out of there.

Here's the weather rolling through Atlanta. The tornado watch is now Eastern parts of the viewing area here in Atlanta, and also into upstate of South Carolina. There goes the weather right through Atlanta, Georgia. The traffic on the way home for Georgia will be quite tough. We expect that. Up in the Northeast, we are seeing some rain coming into New York City, Boston, Chicago, Washington -- and Washington, D.C.

Chicago, you will see some snow. Same area out here with Seattle, the snow in the mountains. And they're going to break records in parts of Idaho, in parts of Washington, and records on the ski slopes out West as well -- Brooke.

BALDWIN: Woo-hoo for the skiers.

MYERS: You bet.

BALDWIN: All right, Chad, thanks.

MYERS: You got it.

BALDWIN: So, just how close is Iran to building a nuclear bomb? Apparently close enough that several countries, several neighboring countries, are quite concerned, and those concerns are now very public because of WikiLeaks. That is ahead.

Also, December 8, 1980, a man shot and killed John Lennon. And now police are telling CNN what they found on the scene and what the singer's killer told them -- chilling details coming out now.

That is next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: Beatles fans, nearly 30 years ago now when this man waited for John Lennon outside his apartment, pulled out this gun, and killed the singer. Now we are hearing new accounts of what exactly happened that night. It's all part of this exciting new CNN documentary. I want you to listen to how police specifically describe the crime scene. John Roberts reports.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) PETE CULLEN, POLICE OFFICER 20TH PRECINCT: And I remember seeing red coming out of his mouth. He was face down on the rug.

JOHN ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR (on camera): You thought right then that he was gravely wounded?

CULLEN: Oh, yes. Yes.

HERB FREUNBERGER, POLICE OFFICER 20TH PRECINCT: At that point I looked to the left and I saw a man standing there reading a book, heavyset man. He was reading a book.

ROBERTS (voice-over): Tony Palma and Herb Frauenburger were the next officers on the scene.

ROBERTS (on camera): Did you look at the book?

FREUNBERGER: Yes, later on. It was "Catcher in the Rye."

ROBERTS (voice-over): With Chapman subdued, Palma and Frauenburger They rushed to Lennon's side.

FREUNBERGER: We just said we have to go. We can't wait for an ambulance. It could take 10, 15 minutes.

TONY PALMA, POLICE OFFICER, 20TH PRECINCT: We did the only thing we could do. We picked him up and carried him out.

ROBERTS: Chapman stood there watching.

FREUNBERGER: They drug Lennon to the car. While two squad cars raced to the hospital, one with Lennon and one with Ono inside, Chapman waited in another police vehicle for his fate to play out car.

MARK DAVID CHAPMAN: They left me alone in the car, in the back, which frightened the heck out of me. I thought, I kept thinking someone was going to shoot me, kill me.

CULLEN: At one point while we were driving from the scene into the station house, he even apologized to us for giving us a hard time and ruining our night. I said, you got to be kidding. I says you're apologizing for ruing -- you know, you just ruined your whole life.

And he said, well, he said, I have two people inside of me. I have a little person and a big person. And he said the big person won the battle the last few weeks. Tonight, the little person won the battle.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: He was reading "Catcher on the Rye," how about that? "Losing Lennon, Countdown to Murder." It airs Saturday and Sunday night, 8:00 eastern. Do not miss it.

No more prepaid plastic featuring these three ladies. Kim, Kourtney and Khloe. The next story leads you to wondering can the Kardashians read small print? Ouch.

And more important, that huge Internet leak of state secrets may reveal how much the rest of the world can't stand Iran. The question is, what are they willing to do about it?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: Welcome back to the newsroom. So who would know Iran had so few friends? This is one of the many big stories to come from this massive Internet leak of tens of thousands of State Department cable.

I want you to take a look at this map with you. This is what we've made for you. And by our count, at least nine Arab countries expressed fear, distaste or contempt toward Iran in meetings with U.S. diplomats. Did you hear me? Nine. Several urged Washington to go to war with Iran to eliminate its nuclear program. Again, these are Arab countries.

Now, the Arabs urging military action are said to include this man. This is Saudi Arabia's influential King Abdullah. Other leaked cables show Israel's Hosni Mubarak viewing Iran with visceral hatred.

Joining me now from Washington Trita Parsi, president of the national Iranian-American Council. Trita, Thanks for coming on.

TRITA PARSI, PRESIDENT, NATIONAL IRANIAN-AMERICAN COUNCIL: Thank you for having me.

I want to just ask essentially these behind the back comments from Iran's Arab nations and we cited four of these countries -- would this -- the leaked cables and all this information come as a surprise to Iran?

PARSI: Not at all. I think it's actually quite clear to the Iranians that they have very, very few friends from the region. And tensions between some of the Persian Arab Gulf states and Iran have been quite historical in nature. We should not forget some of the states, for instance Saudi Arabia, were some of the chief financiers for Saddam Hussein in the war with Iran that saw many get killed.

What I think perhaps is surprising if not new to see the actual conversation, to also see exactly who within these governments was making these type of statements, that in the case of Saudi Arabia was the king himself and not someone below him. Those things may have been somewhat new. But the fact that the Iranian government is not popular and doesn't have any friends in the region is quite known to the Iranian government itself.

BALDWIN: That we're hearing from King Abdullah and another example from someone high up in the parliament in Jordan saying the dialogue with Iran will go nowhere, adding "bomb Iran or live with a nuclear Iran." So a lot of these Arab leaders, Trita essentially saying sanctions, negotiations not working. Let's bomb Iran and get it over with. Would you agree that that's an accurate reading of what the U.S. is hearing from these Arab leaders? PARSI: Well, there's a couple of things here. We should keep in minds, for instance, that's it's going to be very difficult for the United States to have a successful diplomatic effort with Iran. I think the Obama administration has tried it but it's made much more difficult not only because of the actions of the Iranian government itself but because of so many of America's friends in the region are not only skeptical but outright opposing this and probably creating problems for that diplomacy.

And secondly, it's also noteworthy that many of these states are very vocal critics of America's war in Iraq and Afghanistan and publicly they're against war with Iran as well. But it then turns out that privately they're not only in favor of it but also we have seen more evidence now that these are the states in which some elements within them are financing Al Qaeda.

So it really raises some questions about who is it, in whose interest would it be to see a war between these two countries?

BALDWIN: Now, speaking of war, as one of the cables quotes an Arab leader -- I think this one specifically Qatar saying Iran's government telling him, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad telling him we beat the Americans in Iraq. The final battle will be in Iran. This is where we're headed a war in Iran.

PARSI: I don't think it's inevitable, but I think the leaks do show the situation is dire and the United States has some very stark decisions to make.

If we don't pursue robust, determined, and sustainable diplomacy, then it is quite likely that some sort of a confrontation will be the outcome of not choosing diplomacy. And I think the cables do make it clear while diplomacy was pursued it ended up becoming so compromised because of so much opposition to it from some of these other countries that it really could never amount to being an exhaustion of genuine diplomacy.

BALDWIN: Trita Parsi, I appreciate your perspective. Thank you.

PARSI: Thank you.

BALDWIN: You remember Fran Drescher? You remember her from "The Nanny," right? You could see a sitcom based upon her life, including her marriage to a gay guy. Those details are ahead.

Plus, the casting director of the new "Lord of the Rings" movie has been fired. Why? Because of who the director was looking to play the hobbits. You have to wait for it. It's trending. Brooke Anderson is all over it. Brooke and Brooke, next.

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BALDWIN: Welcome back. We're looking at what hot, what you're talking about. That means we're talking "trending." Brooke Anderson is joining me from Los Angeles with all the scoops. Brooke, Let's begin with the Kardashian gals and issues about reading the fine print of a pay as you go card.

BROOKE ANDERSON, HLN HOST, "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT": Yes, big issues here. You know the Kardashian sisters are accustomed to their business ventures achieving wild success, but not today. The prepaid debit card that they put their name and face on has completely back fired on them.

The "Kardashian card," as it was called, has been canceled. Kim, Khloe, and Kourtney have now terminated the deal after they were slammed for it. Connecticut's attorney general had announced that he would investigate the card because of its, quote, "predatory fees combined with its appeal to financially unsophisticated young adults."

Also personal finance expert Suze Orman had lashed out at Kim as she said "swindling impressionable kids." Suze wrote, "shame, shame, shame." So enough was enough. The Kardashians severed ties. And I think this was a wise move by the sisters. Hopefully in the future they or their advisers will look a little more closely at their fine print before signing on the dotted line. That's very important.

BALDWIN: Trending number two, Ms. Anderson. Hobbit movie casting, some sort of race issue.

ANDERSON: Yes, there's outrage over race and casting. I have to tell you, director Peter Jackson's movie adaptation of "The Hobbit" is two years away from being released, but it's already been plagued by problem after problem.

The movie has been delayed over and over. There's been director drama. There have been issues with the production in New Zealand. And now there's this. A casting agent working on the movie has reportedly been fired after the agent is said to have placed advertisements for extras with, quote, "light skin tones."

This person also reportedly told a woman at an audition that, hey, she was too dark to be in the movie.

BALDWIN: Really?

ANDERSON: A spokesman for "Wingnut Films, the production company owned by Peter Jackson, reportedly said no instructions were given to the company, so the agent in question got the axe. We reached out to New Line Cinema which is distributing the movie for comment. We're awaiting a response.

Brooke, maybe the woman didn't look like their hobbits, but this film is most likely to also have dragons, throw in some elves. It seems like there could be room for everybody.

BALDWIN: Yes, exactly. At least the guy got the axe. Trending number three, Fran Drescher, what a lovely would, kind of a gnarly voice. Needless to say she has a sitcom coming her way.

ANDERSON: Unmistakable voice. The actress who hit instant fame as the star of "The Nanny" is working on a new TV pilot for TV land that is based on her life, specifically her dating struggles after she finds out that her husband is gay. The show is called "Happily Divorced," and it gets even better." Guess who is co-writing and producing with Fran, Brooke?

BALDWIN: Who?

ANDERSON: Her ex-husband, Peter Mark Jacobson. They divorced in '99 after being married for 21 years. Obviously they're on great terms, not only friends but they're co-workers post divorce. That really is saying something. And TV Land tells "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT" that the people they cast will be actors, not people in Fran's real life.

BALDWIN: Got to be interesting.

ANDERSON: Fran herself has not been cast in the show but that could happen down the line.

BALDWIN: Got to be honest, sounds kind of interesting. Brooke Anderson, good to see you.

ANDERSON: You too.

BALDWIN: Have you heard about this? Reports indicate a well known figure has booked the entire wing of a major hospital in New York. Yep, I'm talking recovery rooms, treatment centers, the whole kit and caboodle. Who is this? Who has this kind of power? That is ahead.

Plus, we are days away from the military's top leaders testifying on the possible repeal of "don't ask, don't tell." But first, they're revealing what many members of the military think about it. And that is next.

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BALDWIN: All right, the Pentagon has been briefing the Senate Armed Services Committee on this much-anticipated "don't ask, don't tell" report. And what it does is it examines the impact of repealing this 17-year-old law that bans gays and lesbians from serving openly in the military.

Sources tell us that the Pentagon report finds some resistance to repealing the "don't ask, don't tell," but a low risk to military effectiveness. We are also told that the majority of service members surveyed do not care, don't care if the law is repealed, and only a very small number of troops think it will have negative results.

I want you to take a look at this with me. This is a CNN opinion research poll, and basically we asked if openly gay people should be allowed to serve in the military. You see the numbers -- 72 percent of respondents said yes, 23 percent were opposed.

Now, the Pentagon report on "don't ask, don't tell," was ordered by Secretary of Defense Robert Gates who supports repealing the law.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) ROBERT GATES, DEFENSE SECRETARY: The findings suggest that for large segments of the military repeal of "don't ask, don't tell," though potentially disruptive in the short term, would not be the wrenching, traumatic change that many have feared and predicted.

The data also shows that within the combat arms specialties and units, there is a higher level of discontent, of discomfort and resistance to changing the current policy. Those findings and the potential implications for America's fighting forces remain a source of concern to the service chiefs and to me.

In my view, the concerns of combat troops as expressed in the survey do not present an insurmountable barrier to successful repeal of "don't ask, don't tell." This can be done and should be done without posing a serious risk to military readiness.

However, these findings do lead me to conclude that an abundance of care and preparation is required if we are to avoid a disruptive and potentially dangerous impact on the performance of those serving at the tip of the spear in America's wars.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Looking ahead to later in the week, the nation's top military leaders are scheduled to testify this Thursday and this Friday about the Pentagon survey findings.

And art buffs, this is one of my favorite stories of the day. One man coming forward. He is claiming he has the lost art of Pablo Picasso. These are pieces people have never seen before. But now he's also being accused of stealing them. The mystery is unraveling. That is ahead.

Also ahead, Wolf Blitzer standing by with breaking news from the world of politics. Your CNN Political Ticker is next.

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BALDWIN: CNN has your latest political news with "The Best Political Team on Television." CNN = politics. Wolf Blitzer is at the CNNPolitics.com desk. And Wolf, let's talk about the president. He's coming out of the meeting with some of those top Republicans. He, I think the world was actually "failed" being bipartisan enough the last two years.

WOLF BLITZER, HOST, "THE SITUATION ROOM": You know, what was interesting is that both sides were expressing pleasure, saying the meeting was positive, fruitful, constructive. The president said he was happy that things are getting started. The dialogue is beginning.

But it was clear that they didn't reach agreement that at least on this day on some of the most contentious issues that have to be resolved in the coming days as far as this lame-duck session of Congress is concerned. They did not work out a deal yet on whether or not to extend all of the Bush tax cuts after January 1st, when they expire. They got a committee going. That's going to negotiate that. They did not reach a final agreement on ratifying -- the Senate ratifying the START nuclear arms treaty with Russia. They still have to work on that. They still have a lot of work to do on the government spending bills to keep the government going beyond the end of this year. They've got these unemployment benefits that expire tonight for some two million Americans unless legislation is passed, apparently didn't reach a deal on that.

I didn't see any deals that were reached emerging from the session today, although the words were nice. Everybody said it's productive. They're going to have another meeting down the road. They may even all go up to Camp David. But so far there was no breakthrough or anything like that. Maybe it was unrealistic to think that in one meeting they would have a breakthrough on some of these very contentious issues.

What is interesting though is that the White House already putting out the word, at least indirectly, that the president may be willing to delay his departure for his Christmas/New Year's vacation in Hawaii, went there last year, going to go again this year. Right now they were expecting the lame-duck session to end December 18th and everybody gets out of town. They go away for Christmas and New Year's. But the president may be willing to stay longer as he did last year in order to try to get some legislation through, especially working hard until even Christmas Eve if necessary. So that's going on.

I know a lot of the lame-duck members, a lot of members of the House and Senate, they want to get out as quickly as possible. They don't want to see their Christmas and New Year's vacations stuck.

One point that did happen today I think in terms of some positive news is that the Senate finally went ahead and passed this new Food and Drug Administration legislation expanding the powers to protect all of us when it comes to food.

The bill passed the Senate 73-25. Similar legislation passed the House almost a year ago. So, there is going to be some strengthening of the FDA, which will presumably help protect all of us down the road.

But other than that, I'm not seeing right now, Brooke, a lot of cooperation in a whole host of other areas. There's still an enormous amount of work to do over the next month.

BALDWIN: Quickly, Wolf, you mentioned President Obama possibly extending that invitation to some of Republicans to Camp David. If that were to happen, that would be pretty big news, wouldn't it?

BLITZER: Yes, it's always exciting for these members to go up to Camp David. It's unique -- it's a unique retreat in Catoctin Mountains of Maryland. Harry Reid said he's never been there, so he would like to go, and I assume the Republicans would like to go.

And maybe over a day of everyone having some enjoyable recreation, they can also come to some agreements on some of these very contentious issues. But it's a nice gesture on the president's part if he wants to do it. Let's see if he does.

BALDWIN: An entire day away, instead of 90 quick minutes in the White House. Wolf -- Wolf Blitzer, thank you.

We will get another political update for you in about 30 minutes. You can also get the latest political news. Hop online, CNNPolitics.com, Twitter at @PoliticalTicker.