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Dems Tax Plan Fails in Votes; Trade Deal with Korea Reached

Aired December 04, 2010 - 15:59   ET

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

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: The Senate held a rare Saturday session today to address tax cuts, by is that the issue Americans want their leaders to be working on right now? CNN Deputy Political Director Paul Steinhauser breaks it down.

PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN DEPUTY POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Hey, Fred so some troubling news here on unemployment, jobs report that came out yesterday. So what does this mean in the world of politics? Well, it means a lot.

Listen, the economy by far issue number one with Americans. You don't believe me? Take a look at this, our most recent CNN Opinion Research Corporation national poll. What's at the top? As it's always been the economy, the most important issue.

You see right there, 52 percent say the most important issue facing the country. It's been that way for three years. Now break it down a little more. What is the most important economic issue from that exact same poll?

Look at that, right at the top, unemployment, the top economic issue on the minds of Americans, Fred. It was that way in the midterm elections. It was the crucial, crucial issue in the midterm elections and if the economic or the unemployment rate stays the way it is over the next year or two, it is going to be a huge factor in the next battle for the White House. Fred.

WHITFIELD: Let's talk about weather now. Some pretty nasty snowstorms taking place, especially in the midwest, and it's impacting commuters, air travelers in particular, because Chicago O'Hare Airport, there are lots of delays already.

Our Jacqui Jeras has got her finger on the pulse there.

JACQUI JERAS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yes.

WHITFIELD: You know, you like the snow especially at this time of year, but not when you're trying to get from point a to point b.

JERAS: Yes.

WHITFIELD: Some interference right now.

JERAS: It is. I know. What are we looking at? That's Minneapolis. It looks really cold. They had the big snow yesterday, and today they're now winding down from that a little bit and looking at highs only in the teens tomorrow. Yes, the big problem is in Chicago. You mentioned the delays. We also had cancellations, more than 300 cancellations at Chicago O'Hare.

WHITFIELD: A nightmare for a lot of folks.

JERAS: A lot of people trying to get around. And there's Chicago, yes, Michigan Avenue. People want to shop, right? That's good.

WHITFIELD: Yes, that's good.

JERAS: Yes, that's good. So they're clearing things off a little bit.

WHITFIELD: Just don't try to fly in and out of Chicago, that's the problem.

JERAS: And then we're looking at, is this Indianapolis or is this Cincy? Who can tell me?

WHITFIELD: Indianapolis.

JERAS: We're just looking at the buildings. You can see the snow flying. Winter weather advisory in effect here, maybe two to four inches and that's pretty much the same story that we're seeing here in Cincinnati. So, you know, it's not a major storm.

WHITFIELD: Yes.

JERAS: And thankfully it's on the weekend. Exactly. So that helps.

WHITFIELD: (INAUDIBLE)

JERAS: Absolutely.

WHITFIELD: All right.

JERAS: But two to four inches, your first snow of the year, it makes it certainly challenging. Let's go over the data wall here and we'll talk a little bit more about this system and what we're dealing with overall. It's a pretty fast-moving system. So that's some good news. I want to talk a little bit more specifically about what's going on in the Chicago area. Because we do have some changes now. For the most part, the accumulating snow is done. Take a look at what's going on right now.

See this little line here that moved down through Milwaukee down to Kenosha now and then Chicago. This is lake-effect snow. And that's because those winds are coming in from this direction right now. So we could pick up another quick inch or two as that band moves through that area. And our winds over the next couple of hours are going to start to change even more and come in northwesterly.

So those of you that got off pretty easy, like Elkhart down towards Ft. Wayne, look out, lake-effect snow warnings are in effect. We could be talking about least two hands to count the number of inches of snowfall we're going to get by tonight and into the hours on Monday probably when this all begins to wind down just a little bit. We'll take you down into the Cincinnati area, Indianapolis, maybe another inch or two on top of what you already have.

And then we head down towards the Carolinas where, yes, temperatures are cold enough here that we've been talking about a little bit of snow into Raleigh-Durham, over towards Winston Salem. And so we're going to have some rough travel into parts of the southeast as a result of this system, as well.

The airport delay, Chicago, you're the only that's officially reporting delays, not to mention those cancellations. It's going down a little bit, down to 45 minutes, so that's a little bit of good news for you. And what about tomorrow? Well, winds will be a huge issue, wrapping around behind that area of low pressure there. And what's going to happen there is that low is going to move offshore very quickly. So that's some good news.

But we got this lingering low up here in Canada. So the energy of these two storms is going to kind of merge together. That combined with the differences and pressure over here from our high pressure system is going to create these blustery winds and bring in lake- effect snows but a slightly different orientation than what we were dealing with for the middle of the week.

You know, Buffalo got hit so hard and -

WHITFIELD: Already.

JERAS: And we think this is going to be south of there in Cleveland will likely get on the lake effect snows late tonight and through the rest of the weekend.

WHITFIELD: They will appreciate the warning. Jacqui, thanks so much.

All right. Let's go to Washington now where senators came in for a rare Saturday session. They failed to pass two Democratic proposals that would have extended Bush era tax cuts.

CNN's senior congressional correspondent Dana Bash has more on the wrangling over your taxes.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DANA BASH, CNN SENIOR CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT (on camera): If Congress doesn't act by the end of the year, we're talking less than four weeks from now, every American at all income level will see a tax increase. But the Senate coming in on a Saturday didn't get Congress or the country any closer to resolving that issue. We're talking about are Bush era tax cuts that are expiring and Democrats, who control the Senate, put forward two votes, both of them failed to break what was effectively a Republican filibuster.

One was to extend tax cuts just for those making $250,000 or less. The other would have raised that to a million dollars or less. Now, democrats say look, it's just not right, especially in these times, for the wealthiest Americans to have lower taxes. They believe that their taxes should go up. Republicans say just the opposite. They say now is especially not the time for anybody to see a tax increase, even wealthy Americans. Listen to some of the debate.

SEN. RICHARD DURBIN (D), ILLINOIS: To give a tax break to the some of the wealthiest people in America at this point in history is foolish and reckless, yet that is the position of the Republican Party and a definition of their values.

SEN. CHUCK GRASSLEY (R), IOWA: This debate is not about cutting taxes. This debate is whether or not we ought to increase taxes on anybody during a recession, and we feel you should not raise taxes on anybody during a recession.

BASH: Now to be clear, Democrats in the Senate came in on this Saturday to take those votes, knowing that they would fail but saying that they wanted the Senate to be on the record. So what happens now? Well, negotiations toward a compromise, which already have been going on, are going to accelerate. And that's something that President Obama himself acknowledged when he spoke after the votes.

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We need to redouble our efforts to resolve this impasse in the next few days to give the American people the peace of mind that their taxes will not go up on January 1st. It will require some compromise, but I'm confident we can get it done.

BASH: Democratic and Republican sources tell us that the most likely compromise is to extend all Bush era tax cuts for all income levels temporarily, probably for two years. What is unresolved though is what are Democrats going to get in return for such a compromise? They have behind closed doors been trying to press Republicans to give on things that they didn't want to give on, things like extending unemployment benefits for a pretty lengthy period of time, and other tax credits that Democrats have pushed, like college tuition, which are expiring at the end of the year. Now sources in both parties say that they hope that this will be resolved by early next week.

Dana Bash, CNN, Capitol Hill.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: President Barack Obama called a new trade agreement with South Korea a landmark deal, and a win-win for both nations. If lawmakers in both countries pass the deal, it would eliminate tariffs on most goods within five years.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OBAMA: I'm interested in agreements that increase jobs and exports for the American people, and it also helped our partners grow their economies. So I told Ron and our team to take the time to get this right and get the best deal for America. And that is what they have done. The agreement we're announcing today includes several important improvements and achieves what I believe trade deals must do. It's a win-win for both our countries. (END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: The first version of the trade agreement was negotiated back in 2007 by the Bush administration, but it floundered in Congress.

So being a teenager, everyone knows it's not easy for anyone, but when you're a member of a famous, powerful family, it can get really complicated. Face-to-face with Katherine Schwarzenegger after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Schwarzenegger. Shriver. Kennedy. Famous family names whose members are known for being powerful and confident. So it's hard to imagine anyone from that lineage having self-esteem issues. But Katherine Schwarzenegger says she did. She's the daughter of California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and journalist Maria Shriver, and the granddaughter of the late Eunice Kennedy Shriver.

In her new book, "Rock What You've Got," Katherine Schwarzenegger reveals she had a lot of insecurities while growing up, especially when it came to her weight. The 20-year-old author told me face to face, body image is something she openly discussed with both her mother and her grandmother.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD (on camera): Did you talk about how peer pressure relates and how it related to you when you were in middle school and high school versus perhaps the peer pressure that your mom may have felt or even your grandmother?

KATHERINE SCHWARZENEGGER, AUTHOR: There's a whole new level of bullying. I mean now you have cyber bullying, as well, and that's not anything that my mom or my grandmother dealt with. So you know, I think the bullying is definitely a huge issue as we see in the media everywhere.

And I think especially with Facebook and MySpace and Twitter, you can really say anything you want about anybody, and it will come up to them and it will really hurt their feeling. So I think it's just up to parents talking to their kids about what, you know, what is acceptable and what is not acceptable and what they expect some are now.

WHITFIELD: What is your advice to young people, whether it's middle school, high school, even in college who are dealing with this whole new element of bullying, cyber bullying, and they feel like they can't get away from it, because as soon as they get to their dorm rooms or their rooms at home. They logon or they get a text message, it's there. It follows them home.

SCHWARZENEGGER: Well, I know that when I was in high school, it was kind of my first experience with Facebook. It was when it came onto the scene. I noticed when I was always on Facebook that I would always get in arguments with people and if there was a picture posted where I had my arm around someone, another person would get mad. So I got rid of Facebook when I was in high school, and I realized it wasn't really worth all the fights I was getting in.

WHITFIELD: So you cut it off?

SCHWARZENEGGER: Even if -

(CROSSTALK)

SCHWARZENEGGER: I just cut it off, even though everyone had it.

(CROSSTALK)

SCHWARZENEGGER: Even if I was some sort of a weird alien and that I didn't have Facebook.

WHITFIELD: And that didn't make you -

SCHWARZENEGGER: No, because I realized that I wasn't getting in as many fights, and arguments with people as when I did when I had Facebook. And I think that it was just really, you know, a total weight off my shoulders. I don't have to pay attention to this. You know, people can say what they want and I don't need to deal with it. But when I got to college, I realized it was, you know, everyone had Facebook as a means of communication and meeting each other. So that's kind of when I had to start picking it up again. But it was more to meet people.

WHITFIELD: And you've been hearing now a lot of feedback from people face to face as they come to get their book signed by you or get questions answered by you.

SCHWARZENEGGER: I think the most interesting thing that I've learned on the way is that, you know, I hear from a lot of guys who come to book signings that they're dealing with the exact same things. And I think that's really interesting because as women, we look at guys and think that they're so carefree about everything and that they don't have any concerns.

WHITFIELD: So what's next for you now?

SCHWARZENEGGER: I don't know. I'm trying to, you know, be present with this and you know, enjoy this while I can and obviously focus on school. I'm a junior, so I want to finish that, obviously. I think my entire family is really passionate about living in the now. I mean, even my dad. I'll come home and ask him what are you going to do next?

WHITFIELD: So even just a few more weeks left that, you know, that your dad is no longer governor, mom is no longer first lady, at least to the state of California but always governor and first lady and the rest of the family, do you have very frank family conversations about, you know, what mom wants to do next, what dad wants to do, what the family feels like will be suitable?

SCHWARZENEGGER: We have a lot of conversations about how sad we're going to be when my dad is not governor anymore, mainly because we've become so close with the California Highway Patrol. It's just really that we've developed such strong relationships and friendships with them. And in the beginning, it was so annoying having to go to school on eight grade and having a police officer with me all the time. It was, you know, hard, especially in high school and you wanted to go to parties and you were out past your curfew. But you know, we've really developed an amazing bond with them, and they're so much fun. So I think that's going to be the hardest part and the biggest change for us as kids.

WHITFIELD: Maybe that's your next book?

SCHWARZENEGGER: I know.

WHITFIELD: What that experience has been like because that too is intriguing.

SCHWARZENEGGER: I know. I'll dedicate it to them.

(LAUGHTER)

WHITFIELD: How about you, do you think about a life in entertainment or acting or even journalism? This is close to journalism right here.

SCHWARZENEGGER: I mean, I'm a communications major. So I'm kind of interested in I guess communicating and TV and stuff, I think I'm interested in. But, again, I'm kind of going to take things as they come and be able to make decisions when they come to me.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Katherine Schwarzenegger, "Rock What you Got," that's her new book. Next week, more "Face to Face." This time with Steve Harvey, a man wearing so many hats. He's a successful comedian, actor, author, radio and television host. But did you know that he's also written two popular books on relationships? We'll find out how that happened and what advice he's giving out. His latest book "Straight Talk, no Chaser," face to face with Steve Harvey, next weekend.

Natalie Portman, she takes us to the dark side of dance in her latest movie, released but does "Black Swan" make the grade? Should you see it this weekend?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) WHITFIELD: "Black Swan" that new movie released with Oscar buzz already. Should you see it?

First, a look at today's headlines. Two suspects are in custody in Israel. Police are questioning them in connection with a raging wildfire. The fire killed 41 people, 17 others were injured. The blaze, which is the worst in Israel's history, has charred more than 10,000 acres. Police suspect negligence was the cause, not arson.

Eight bus crash victims are recovering at home today. They were treated and released from a Vermont hospital after their tour bus flipped over on the highway last night. The driver and eight others are being treated for minor injuries. The bus was one of eight taking college students on a ski trip to Canada.

And one of the most infamous homes in the movies is up for sale. You might recognize this as the Corleone family's sprawling estate from the 1972 mob epic "The Godfather." In reality, this mansion is an eight bedroom property in New York Staten Island, the asking price, $2.9 million.

So if you like suspense, get ready, because murder and mystery are coming to a theater near you this weekend. Candice Frederick, a blogger who reviews movies on her web site, Realtalk, is joining us right now from New York for today's movie reviews. Good to see you.

CANDICE FREDERICK, BLOGGER, REALTALK: Good to see you. How are you?

WHITFIELD: All right. I'm doing pretty good.

Let's start with "All Good Things," a movie inspired by one of the most notorious unsolved murder cases in New York history. Let's take a quick peek at the movie.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She's certainly a very enthusiastic young woman.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Where did you find it?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: 53rd street. She had a leaky faucet.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ah, yes, the famous leaky faucet at 53rd street. Aren't you sorry you gave up a promising career in real estate?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You're ignoring a very hard fact of life, David.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What's that?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She's never going to be one of us.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: OK. (INAUDIBLE) Kirsten Dunst and Ryan Gosling, what did you think? What is your review on this one?

FREDERICK: You know, it's a decent film with better performances. I thought it was really slow. It picks up at the last act, but by then, I'm just really disinterested in all the characters at that point.

WHITFIELD: You're bored by that movie?

FREDERICK: I am. I think, I thought the story could have been stronger and could have been more compelling. I know it's based on actual facts and I know that they were, you know, fictionalizing some of it. But it just wasn't juicy enough. The performances were good, but, you know, the story didn't really grab me.

WHITFIELD: OK. So you're not looking for action when you go to this flick?

FREDERICK: No. You might be looking to go to sleep.

WHITFIELD: Just dialogue. So OK, what is your grade?

FREDERICK: C plus.

WHITFIELD: All right. Well, that's not too. C plus, I mean, there's potential.

(CROSSTALK)

FREDERICK: No, it could be worse.

WHITFIELD: All right. Let's talk about "The Warrior's Way." Kate Bosworth, Geoffrey Rush, Jang Gong-gun. This is about the world's greatest assassin, forced to hide in a small town in the American badlands after refusing a mission. His two worlds collide when his warrior clan comes looking for him. It sounds awfully complex. Give me an idea what you liked about this one, or didn't like.

FREDERICK: Yes, I didn't really like anything.

WHITFIELD: Oh, no.

FREDERICK: The martial arts sequences were good. You know, it kept your attention and everything. But it was a hot mess this movie, it was just all over the place. The plot line was weak, the performances were weak. It was just bad for business.

WHITFIELD: OK. So that means it's going to get less than that C plus -

FREDERICK: I give it a D.

WHITFIELD: - that you gave the previous movie.

What are you giving it?

FREDERICK: Yes. A D.

WHITFIELD: Harsh. Ouch.

FREDERICK: Yes. I mean it.

WHITFIELD: It looks like fancy in the headroom. Still not convincing enough for you.

FREDERICK: Oh, yes. Yes, I guess so.

WHITFIELD: OK. Totally unenthusiastic about that. Let's move on to something maybe, maybe, maybe you liked the "Black Swan." Getting lots of buzz. Natalie Portman talked about having to lose a whole lot of weight in order to be very convincing with this movie.

Let's take a quick peek at what it takes to be a prima ballerina in "The Black Swan."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Can you talk about it?

We're playing a little too rough for you?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I mean, he's perfect sure but it's not like he's all warm and fuzzy.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, you don't know him.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Is someone's hot for teacher?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: So Mila Kunis as well as Wynona Ryder in this movie. Give me your best shot. Positive on this one?

FREDERICK: Yes, really, really positive. I can't really think of anything negative to say. It was terrifyingly good. It was dark, it was twisted. It was like no other "Swan Lake" story that you've ever seen before. Great performances. The director Darren Aronofsky did a fantastic job with this movie. You know, it will grip you from the beginning to the end. Definitely see it. I give it a strong A.

WHITFIELD: What was that grade again?

FREDERICK: An "a."

WHITFIELD: I heard an "A" in there?

Oh, good. Well, very convincing. I hear that Natalie Portman and Mila were so convincing, I mean just physique wise. I mean they went through extensive training, weight training and dancing on a regular basis to be able to pull it off. So they convinced you, and you are a tough act. A tough one to sell.

FREDERICK: Very strong, strong performances of all of the cast. Not just the two of them. They were fantastic, very, very engaging, very believable as competing prima ballerinas. So definitely see it.

WHITFIELD: All right. Candice Frederick. So glad you liked one out of the three. I was really feeling for the actors and directors and producers of these movies. All right, Candice -

FREDERICK: Yes, yes. Well -

WHITFIELD: Thanks so much. Calling it like you see it.

FREDERICK: That's what a movie critic does.

WHITFIELD: All right. Appreciate that. Thanks for you time. Appreciate it. Have a great rest of the weekend as well.

FREDERICK: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: All right. Pulled away from a certain death. Coming up, we'll show you the heroics by one undercover policeman putting his own life in danger to help another.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) WHITFIELD: A near death call at a subway station in Madrid, Spain. We're going to show you some videos. Pretty alarming stuff. Just take a look at the top left of your screen and see right there as a man kind of loses his balance, he falls into the tracks as you saw right there and then while people on the other side of the platform are watching, look there, a man, a police officer apparently jumps down in there to try to grab him, just in the nick of time before that train would have certainly caused some major harm if not even death. It was an off-duty police officer that came to his rescue.

All right. "Making the Grade," a CNN special education make over is next. I'm Fredericka Whitfield.