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Coverage of Funeral For Elizabeth Edwards; Remembering Elizabeth's Words and Voice; Mark Madoff Found Dead After Apparent Suicide; Richard Holbrooke In Critical Condition After Doctors Repair Aorta; Cate Edwards Eulogy For Her Mother, Elizabeth; Pakistani Ambassador to U.S. Husain Haqqani on Richard Holbrooke

Aired December 11, 2010 - 13:00   ET

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

DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN ANCHOR: You're looking at live pictures of the Edenton Street United Methodist Church in Raleigh, North Carolina. Hundreds of people have come to pay their respects to Elizabeth Edwards, political wife, mother of four, a lawyer and an inspiration to many. She battled cancer for six long years.

Today, the service was open to the public. That's exactly the way she would have wanted it.

Martin Savidge is outside the church in Raleigh. Marty, we understand campaign staffers are coming, John Kerry, Senator John Kerry is there, who else have you seen?

MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: About 100 campaign staffers, Deborah and you're right, there are a lot of politicians or those connected to the world of politics that are here because, of course, the connection to her husband, John Edwards.

But there are a lot of people who are absolute strangers who are as well, have nothing to do with politics, nothing to do with campaigns for the presidency. Instead they are here because of the strength, the determination and the openness, in the way that she handled both disease and disappointment in their life. To many, many people she's an inspiration, she is a hero.

There are people who you will see that have been gathering here and walking around with signs in pink that say in very large words "Hero," because they have been inspired by the way that she under the scorching, searing eye of the spotlight was able to carry on with her life despite the fact that one, she lost her son in a terrible automobile accident.

She had to deal with her husband's infidelity and then on top of that dealing with disease of cancer, all the while being very opened and being very honest and very candid. That's why you have so many people in so many walks of lives that have shown up for her service that is taking place today.

The graveside ceremony will be private and she will be laid to rest next to her son Wade who was killed in 1996 -- Debra. FEYERICK: Well, you know, Marty, it's interesting. I guess her husband, John Edwards, will -- although, he was there in the home when she passed -- will not be speaking.

It is interesting, as you say, she was an inspiration. She was an inspiration to moms and dads who lost children, she was an inspiration to cancer survivors who were sort of rooting her on saying you can beat this. She really believed that she was going to die from cancer.

The folks you're seeing, when they come out, are they able to talk to anyone, do they sort of talk about why this woman on the campaign trail so public, she really reached people in very unique ways. No?

SAVIDGE: She did. Just seeing more signs that go by here, people carrying signs that say love, or signs that say hope. This is how she influenced lives. You know one interesting thing is you saw John Edwards when he made his second attempt to run for president in 2007-2008, Elizabeth went out on the campaign trail and was very effective campaigning for her husband. She was a very close political adviser to her husband.

But many times those crowds showed up because of her. Not necessarily because of him, not necessarily because of his political persuasion but because of the fact that they wanted to see her. They wanted to hear her. In many cases they wanted to speak to her because cancer survivors feel a very strong connection.

They certainly feel it to her because of the way she handled herself. She was never quiet about the disease in which she suffered. She was diagnosed after Election Day of 2004. She's treated, goes into remission, but then the disease comes back with a vengeance in 2007. Then, eventually, it was that same disease that killed her earlier this week.

But even during the week, she posted on Facebook and told all of your supporters exactly what was going on. So it's why so many people, even those that didn't know her personally feel tremendous strength and tremendous connection and the reason why they want to be here today.

FEYERICK: Certainly a very real and honest woman. Marty, thank you so much. We're going to check back in with you a little while later.

Now, as family and friends prepare to pay tribute to Elizabeth Edwards today, our Jessica Yellin looked at her legacy, she joins us from Washington. She really was a real woman. I mean people connected with her because she wasn't perfect. She admitted she wasn't perfect.

JESSICA YELLIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's true. She would frequently talk about -- first of all, she openly talked about her struggle with weight, which endeared her to so many people who have gone through the same struggle. It's unusual to hear that from anyone in that kind of political spotlight, especially a political spouse.

I attended so many of their campaign events. And she was, as Marty said, I wrote somewhere, he was the candidate, often she was the star. She would come out and joked, my husband looks the same as he does today when I met him, and look at me, I don't look that way.

She was self-deprecating in that way. And I also think she was the nation's most public survivor. She suffered hardship but taught all of us how you can do it without being a victim, with finding your own strength, maintaining your own voice and being a proud, strong person through it all. Whether you liked their politics or not, people just admired her grits.

FEYERICK: There was a move after the whole affair became very public obviously, there was a move to kind of demonize her, to say, oh well she was controlling, it was her fault. But what did you sense when you were following her?

YELLIN: Well, I'll tell you, she was a strong person, and a strong personality. There are no doubt no shortage of clashes inside the campaign that you hear about between a very forceful advisers and staff who also wanted to have a say. That's sort of standard inside campaigns. Some of that started to come out towards the end after the 2008 campaign.

But she was just a woman who would say on the campaign trail, we have to do a better job. If you're not with us already we have to do a better job of convincing you. So she' was very much, it wasn't my husband's have to, we have to. So she was part of the campaign package in her way and she redefined to some extent what a political wife is. A much more modern idea of a political wife.

Deb, if I could add something. I've been in touch with some of the family friends who are there are today and I just wanted to say one of the things I was told, there's a lot of obviously peace that she was able to come to terms with by the end but sort of shocked sadness that she went much more quickly than they thought. Some of them have been saying that they really did think they would have a little more time to say good bye and pay their respects. Even though she had the six-year struggle with cancer at the end they are saying it just was so sudden.

FEYERICK: Absolutely. We all heard that she was taken off medication and then 24 hours she passed. That certainly came as a surprise to everybody. She was married to John Edwards for 30 years, whether so whether she was strong, certainly you have to sense that it was out of love to her husband and certainly responsibility to the country as well.

Jessica Yellin thank you so very much.

Well moving on to a different story, emergency surgery on America's top diplomat to Afghanistan. An update ahead on Richard Holbrooke's condition. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) FEYERICK: America's top diplomat to Afghanistan and Pakistan is in critical condition in a Washington hospital. Richard Holbrooke fell ill yesterday during a meeting with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Doctors this morning completed surgery to repair a torn aorta.

CNN's Jill Dougherty joins us on the phone. Jill what's the latest?

JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN FOREIGN AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT (via telephone): Well the latest is Deb that Mr. Holbrook is in critical condition and his family is there with him at George Washington University Hospital. That hospital is located very close to the State Department. In fact our CNN crew that was over there did get a picture of Secretary Clinton leaving the hospital and we're checking to see why she was there. Presumably that would be to see Mr. Holbrook.

So it is a serious condition and it comes at a time, Deb, where there is a lot of activity with Afghanistan and Pakistan and certainly Ambassador Holbrooke is a key person who was involved in that. He's been working on the policy review which will be released next week.

In a personal sense, he's the person that a lot of our viewers and followers on the web know as the person who brokered the Peace Agreement in Bosnia, that led to the signing of the Dayton Peace Accords and he is really is a powerhouse diplomatically in the diplomatic community.

Very influential politically and also as a diplomat. So of course everyone is hoping that he will be OK. But it's a difficult time now precisely because of all of the pressure putting together that report. He's been traveling, Deb, as you can imagine for literally two years, sometimes so very remote places in Afghanistan and Pakistan checking up on the policy. Really, he was and is the architect of that policy.

FEYERICK: He's 70 years old. That kind of schedule just has to be grueling going to Afghanistan, going to Pakistan. Certainly he has tremendous energy. I remember him when he was the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations and he brokered the deal to get the U.S. to, you know, pay not exactly what they owed but certainly more than they were going to pay.

But do you get the sense -- had he shown signs of slowing down at all? Was he still going at that breakneck speed?

DOUGHERTY: Yes, well, Deb I believe he's actually 69, not quite 70, but close enough. He's up until just I guess an hour or so before he fell ill at the State Department he was walking around in the State Department, so he is very active. He's a very vigorous man. He did have some problems with his heart we know that. You have to say even just looking at him physically he's a very imposing person with a very imposing personality. That's one thing that his fellow diplomats and people who know him say about him. He's a very intense persistent person. That is why when the Obama administration came in, why President Obama and Hillary Clinton wanted him in that position as a special adviser on Afghanistan and Pakistan. He is the man who could go in there and really do the deals. That's very much a part of diplomacy. So that intensity is there. You can imagine Secretary Clinton would be concerned because it is a critical time on a personal level and also with policy.

FEYERICK: And just very quickly, Jill, do you expect this to delay the White House releasing the Afghan/Afghanistan Pakistan policy review? Do you think this will hinder that in any way?

DOUGHERTY: No, I don't think so. Because after all there are a lot of people involved in this, really the White House as you can imagine is very, very important, so is the Department of Defense, because they are assessing the surge.

The other side of that would be the civilian side, as it's referred to, State Department, USAID and others and that is where Ambassador Holbrooke comes in in many senses, but especially in that.

FEYERICK: Great. Jill Dougherty, that's so much. We're going to check in with you a little later as well. Thanks again so much.

Breaking news from New York at this hour. Convicted swindler Bernie Madoff's son, Mark, he has been found hanged in his Manhattan apartment. Hit death, an apparent suicide.

Our Susan Candiotti is with us live from New York. Susan, so his father-in-law found him. What can you tell us?

I think we're having trouble getting Susan. We're going to go back to that story in just a little while.

What we do know is that in fact he did apparently kill himself. He was the subject of a lawsuit filed just this week. And he really never got over the disgrace that his father had brought upon the family. So, we're going to get Susan live momentarily.

Now moving on, remembering a life of struggle and sacrifice, a woman of courage. Elizabeth Edwards is being laid to rest today four days after losing her long battle with cancer. We'll see you on the other side.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FEYERICK: And breaking news from New York this hour, convicted swindler Bernie Madoff, the man who orchestrated one of the biggest Ponzi schemes of the century, his son, Mark, has been found hanged in his apartment in Manhattan. His death an apparent suicide.

Our Susan Candiotti is with us live from New York. Susan, apparently it was his father-in-law who found him.

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That is right, what a stunning development in this case that has been going on for such a long time.

I would like to point out to you, first of all, Deborah, that we're standing in front of the apartment building where Mark Madoff's body was found, 45 years old. You can see there is a police van located here, but if you look up, count up to the fourth floor apartment, his apartment takes up that entire floor and that, in fact, is where his father-in-law discovered his body.

According to police, these are the circumstances. The discovery was made about 7:30 in the morning, Saturday morning, this morning, when the father-in-law came here and found Mark Madoff hanging from a pipe in the living room, a black dog's leash was hanging around his neck. It belonged to the family pet, according to police.

And what happened they say is this, that sometime before Mark Madoff's death, he, police say, sent an e-mail to his wife who was not home at the time. She was in Florida. In this message, in the e- mail, Mark Madoff, according to police, said, someone should check on our son. Their 2-year-old son was asleep in his bedroom at the time. That's when Mrs. Madoff called her father.

He came over to the apartment, and made the discovery, found the body fully clothed hanging from the ceiling. Of course, police responded right away.

The father-in-law called the authorities, they came over, conducted a crime scene investigation to help determine the circumstances surrounding the death and the medical examiner will be performing an autopsy to confirm the cause of death of an apparent suicide sometime on Sunday, tomorrow.

At this time we don't know whether any kind of suicide message or note was left. Police say they are still looking into that.

We can certainly tell you this, he has had some rough times, Mark Madoff has, along, of, course with other family members. Certainly, his father was serving a life sentence in prison.

Back in 2009, August of 2009 a trustee who has been trying to recover funds -- October of that year, rather, that he filed a lawsuit against Mark Madoff as part of the attempt to recover money that had been lost in this biggest Ponzi scheme in U.S. history.

We don't yet know whether Bernie Madoff has been notified in prison. We're trying to find that out as well as get reaction from his mother and his brother who lives in New York -- Deborah.

FEYERICK: Susan, this family was so respected in New York City financial and social circles. It was such a huge fall from grace. You wonder whether, in fact, it is a coincidence that Mark Madoff chose to take his own life two years to the day that his father told everyone that in fact this major, $50 billion business that he had was, in fact, nothing more than a sham. So interesting about that suicide note, but also, e-mailing his wife to let her know that the son, their 2-year-old son needed to be checked in on. Certainly, an interesting twists as well, Susan. CANDIOTTI: Exactly. A lot of curious circumstances surrounding that, a lot of open questions. You point them out quite rightly.

Was this more than a coincidence that he apparently decided to hang himself on the second anniversary of the arrest of his father? Was this preplanned? All things that police want to know and certainly will be talking about for some time to come as they try to get to the bottom of this.

FEYERICK: OK. Susan, thanks.

CANDIOTTI: We also have for you, Deborah, a statement that was released, if you have time for it, a statement from the attorney representing Mark Madoff.

Here is what he said, quote, "Mark Madoff took his own life today. This is a terrible and unnecessary tragedy. He said Mark was an innocent victim of his father's monstrous crime who succumbed to two years of unrelenting pressure from false accusations and innuendo. We're all deeply saddened by this shocking turn of events."

And that is how the statement ends.

You'll recall that Mark Madoff has never been criminally charged in this case, though, of course, he was the subject of many civil lawsuits. Of course, there are many people who believe that it would be nearly impossible that he and his brother did not know about what was going on. But as we say, as of now, he had never been criminally charged in the case.

FEYERICK: OK. Susan, thanks so much for that great reporting. Clearly, what a tremendous fall from grace. OK, we'll check back in with you a little bit later.

In this hour, Elizabeth Edwards funeral. Friends and family are gathering. You see her there being eulogized. They are going to remember the remarkable life of Elizabeth Edwards, the wife of the former Senator and presidential candidate John Edwards.

She died Tuesday after a six-year battle with cancer. Her daughter, Cate, is expected to speak about her mom and the love that she had for her family. Three children left behind. We'll be with you on that later.

Also, Josh Levs joining us now. Josh, those closest to Elizabeth Edwards, obviously, honoring her life today. Many viewers are responding as well. She had a very interesting connection with them, and really used the Internet to reach out to many people. Moms and dads who lost someone, but also people who are suffering with cancer as well.

JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That is right. So many people with so much to say and I've been reaching out all morning online. We are hearing from a lot of people. Let's start off with an iReport, a video someone sent us remembering Elizabeth Edwards.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OMEKONGO DIBINGA, CNN IREPORTER: Let's focus on the strong women she was, let's focus on what she did to fight for health care, let's focus on what she did to raise awareness for breast cancer and research. This was a hero in her own right.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEVS: Getting a lot of that.

Now, I also have here what a lot are writing us on Facebook and Twitter. Let's go to Facebook here.

"Classy beyond words. The epitome of dignity and grace in the face of devastating tragedy." That is from Fred Julien.

Here is another one, "I believe she was an inspiration to those she knew and met as well as to all that she touched in life. Rip, rest in peace Elizabeth Edwards." That is from Chad Forsgen.

Let's get a couple more of your messages here. "She looked like Jackie, she held her head high. First class and then some," from Saletta Coleman.

"Elizabeth was an intelligent, powerful and beautiful woman. She did not slip into the shadows despite all she was facing but kept herself in public view to try to help as many people as possible. She was amazing."" That is from Nicole Daniels.

One more here. "Her first priority was being a mother and that she was," from Penelope Harmon.

I'm going to get in one tweet before we go. From Kevin Arpree (ph), "Elizabeth Edwards was a fighter. I wish her family well."

Here is how you can join in. I'll show you my page here, Facebook, Twitter, blog.

I also want to end giving you a quote from Elizabeth Edwards, something a lot of people have talked about and a lot of people posted online. We have that for you there on another screen. This is one of her amazing quotes. She said, "Resilience is accepting your new reality, even if it's less good than the one you had before. You can fight it. You can do nothing but scream about what you've lost or you can accept that and try to put together something that's good."

A lot of people remember her words, her wisdom today. I know we'll continue to hear from you all day, Deb.

FEYERICK: Absolutely. Josh, I tried to get a copy of her book. The bookstores were sold out. Amazon.com said it would take three months to get it. I borrowed somebody's Kindle and downloaded this. She said, there's no such thing as perfection. We have a choice about how we integrate the imperfect in our lives. Certainly a realist.

We are going to be watching as friends and family gather to remember the legacy of Elizabeth Edwards. That is happening now. Her daughter Cate expected to remember her mom, what she meant not only to her growing up but to her younger siblings and Emma Claire and Jack as well as the family at large.

We'll be back with you soon.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FEYERICK: You are looking at live pictures of Elizabeth Edwards's funeral. Taking place right now in Raleigh, North Carolina. There you see the man who is a long time friend from law school.

Now, Elizabeth Edwards, wife of former presidential candidate John Edwards died Tuesday after a long battle with breast cancer. More than 1,200 people are there to pay their respects.

Martin Savidge is outside the church where the service is taking place. Marty, there was expected to be some protests. Not specifically related to Elizabeth Edwards, but sort of to politics in general.

Are you seeing any of that, or was that sort of hyped?

SAVIDGE: Well, that was the Westboro Baptist Church group. They are notorious for showing up at military funerals of American military personal that have been killed in Iraq and Afghanistan and they were scheduled to show up and did show up today. There are only about five of them.

They did file with the city to get a permit to protest, they had a specific area that was set aside, it was two blocks away. It was far enough away from anybody who was really gathering here after the funeral service.

In fact, the counterdemonstrators greatly outnumbered them; there were about 200 of those. So it was apparently lopsided when it came to who own the shouting match down there.

As for the funeral service that is under way as you pointed out and we saw the casket as it was taken into the service and then we saw John Edwards following closely afterwards. John Edwards as he followed closely there after walking in the church. John Edwards was holding the hands of his three children.

It's going to fall upon Cate Edwards, that is the oldest daughter, who is going to be one of those that will speak on behalf of their mother. What's very powerful, what is very moving about that is that it was Cate who in 1996 after the death of her brother who was killed in an automobile accident at this very same church delivered his eulogy. So you can imagine the emotions that are doing through her mind today as now she must do something very similar for her own mother.

It's not just politicians that are in there, and there are a large gathering of those, but there are lots of other people who were inspired by Elizabeth, not so much because of the fact that she was connected with politics but how she dealt with diversity in her life. We talked about all ready the loss of a child, which is about the worst thing that any parent would ever endure in their life, and then on top of that coping with the disease that she struggled with for a number of years and doing all of that in the public spotlight. To many, many people that made her a tremendous source of strength, which is why they wanted to be here today to say fair well.

FEYERICK: Absolutely. Clearly, not a coincidence. Very relevant, in fact, that the name of her book was "Resilience." She had so many things to deal with, certainly more than the average human being. Elizabeth Edwards's public battle against breast cancer will leave a lasting legacy.

More from Jessica Yellin in Washington.

Jess, this has got to be so difficult, not only did she bury her son, but knowing that she was dying leaving her three children behind. It's heartbreaking.

YELLIN: It's heartbreaking. When you think about everything she endured in the last three years, it's all the more upsetting to think -- to imagine what she must have been going through.

But when you talked to the people who were close to her and to the family, they say that she really sort of focused in the last stretch on her children and on preparing them to live without her. One of the points that her close friends says is you know they didn't really prepare the kids for her death, but for their life beyond this.

One of the other pieces she would always say is, you know, you don't stop parenting a child when that child dies. Even Wade was in her thoughts as she prepared to die and move onto the next phase. She will be buried next to him.

One of the reasons they also say that John Edwards was in the house and there with her in her final days was because he would be there for the kids in the future and the kids would need him. So her main focus was on preparing her children to go on.

You know she and John Edwards, obviously they were married for 30 years. There were a lot of good times that they went through, a lot of hard times. I know I read, apparently after her son died, for six months the two of them were inseparable. Certainly, you never forget something like that.

The pallbearers, it's interesting, because a couple of them are actually friends of her son Wade's. They are the age that Wade would have been had he not been tragically killed in a car crash.

YELLIN: Childhood friends of Wade would be among the pallbearers, plus Cate, the oldest daughter's fiancee, and again another way to make sure Wade is part of the Edwards family in their minds.

One thing I point out is I'm told that these were not Elizabeth's plans. She did not, you know some people when they know they are dying map out here is who I want to speak, here is who I want to carry my casket. All of it she didn't do that. The family and family friends made a lot of these decisions based on what they think Elizabeth would have wanted.

For example she always wanted her personal campaign events open to the public all of them, so they decided well she would probably also want this open to the public. But she never explicitly told them it must be which is interesting, because she was a very detail oriented person in her life. This was clearly something she decided she didn't need to be involved in the planning of. You know all these people it was with great care they laid out who would be speaking.

FEYERICK: Absolutely. You know after a while, no matter how much control you think you have over things, it's nice to simply let go and say I've done my job, it's time for you to step up. So Jess thanks so much. We're going to check back with you as the hour progresses. Thanks a million.

Well if you're in the Midwest, the east or the south this weekend, you'll probably just want to stay indoors or see some of the latest movies. We'll get the latest on a big winter storm that is packing snow and brutally cold temperatures throughout the country.

Stay tuned.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FEYERICK: Well, checking our top stories, the elder son of convicted swindler Bernie Madoff has been found dead after apparently committing suicide. Police say the body of Mark Madoff was found hanging this morning in his Manhattan apartment. His attorney calls the death a terrible and unnecessary tragedy. It comes on the second anniversary of Bernard Madoff's arrest.

U.S. Richard Holbrooke is in critical condition in a Washington, D.C. hospital after emergency heart surgery. Holbrooke fell ill yesterday and was rushed to George Washington Hospital by ambulance. Surgeons operated on Holbrooke this morning to repair a tear in his aorta. Holbrooke is the Obama administration's special envoy for Pakistan and Afghanistan.

And a monster snow storm is pounding Minnesota and Wisconsin. Take a look at those pictures. This is a tower cam shot from the Minneapolis Safe Hall area. The storm is causing whiteout conditions in many areas. Officials are warning motorists to stay off the roads if possible.

And following the storm even more discomfort the temperature is expected to plunge as low as 20 degrees below -- below zero.

Emergency room doctors may soon be able to virtually hitch a ride in an ambulance and bring critical care to patients even before they reach the hospital. Gary Tuchman has the story in this week's "Edge of Discovery."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) GARY TUCHMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Headed for Cincinnati's Children's Hospital is an ambulance loaded with high-def video conference technology, so that what you see here inside the vehicle is what doctors see in the hospital's critical care unit, like in this practice run, part of a pilot program this technology is currently used in the transport of premature infants in incubators.

DR. HAMILTON SCHWARTZ, CINCINNATI CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL: For the first time physicians can see what they need to see with their own eyes and trust their own judgment that the care that they are directing is right for that patient.

TUCHMAN: A transport AV computer is mounted onto the patient's stretcher.

SCHWARTZ: It has two cameras attached to it. It has a camera that sort of hovers over above on that swing arm. That is a high- definition, rotating, 360-degree camera that has tremendous zoom capabilities. The other camera is on a retractable penlight.

TUCHMAN: A digital stethoscope on board, along with noise canceling headphones allows the hospital staff to hear breath and heart sounds clearly.

SCHWARTZ: Myself and my team believes that this transport AV system will save lives with its ability to speed up critical care that we're able to provide for these patients.

TUCHMAN: Gary Tuchman, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FEYERICK: Cate Edwards at the podium now eulogizing her mom. Let's listen.

(JOINED IN PROGRESS)

CATE EDWARDS, ELIZABETH EDWARDS' DAUGHTER: Back then, the shape of our family changed tremendously and it's changed again now.

But one thing remains true and will never change, which is that is we're still a family. That Wade and mom are still a part of this family and always will be. The biggest difference between being here now and being here back then is of course that we don't have my mom to help us get through this.

She was always a source of strength, a source of wisdom, a source of grace; she could bring out the brave in anyone. She brought it out in all of us. Even in her last days she was comforting us, her family. When she could barely speak anymore, my dad and I sat at her bedside and held each of her hands and she just kept looking at us back and forth saying, I'm OK. I'm OK. She was way more worried about us than we were about her. There was one more afternoon after she couldn't speak anymore at all and I found myself at her bedside crying and trying to comfort her that we would be OK. Of course, she ended up comforting me. She reached over and held my hand, because that's who she was and that's what she did. She comforted us always right up to the end of her life but comfort was only a fraction of what my mom was to our family and who she was.

As everyone has mentioned, she had an incredible sense of humor. I don't think anyone could doubt that who met her. She was feisty and she was witty. She always had the ability to make fun of herself and laugh at herself. She was smart as a whip but tried to never hold that over anyone. Well, unless she was right and they were wrong.

Generosity and consideration for others was engrained in every fiber of who she was. It never left her. It was instinctive to her and natural. During her cancer treatment, even during the last week of her life, she always, always called her nurses and all of her caregivers by their first names. I asked her, "How do you remember all of them, mom." She said, "Cate, what else am I going to call them? They are here taking care of me. They see strangers every day. It's so important that they know that I know who they are."

She was a consistent source of wisdom from things big and small. From you almost always regret wearing prints, but you will never regret wearing solids to never marry the first boy you date without dating someone else because he would never buy the first pair of shoes you tried on.

Over the last few days I've heard my mother described as full of life. I think that's true. But it's an enormous understatement. Every single thing she did, she did to the fullest possible extent. I can think of 100 examples and I'm sure everyone here can, too.

But the best example is her devotion to us, her children. She would do anything in the world to protect all of us, no matter what her personal cost was to her. I know there were so many sacrifices that she made for us that we'll never know about.

That's why I was lucky to call her my mom. I am who I am today and I'll become whoever is that I will become in large part because she was my mom. The same is true for Jack and Emma Claire. She has been a lighthouse to all of us. The point of guidance, when we feel lost and we aren't sure what the right thing to do is, she'll always be that source of light to us I know pointing in the right direction.

Every lesson that she has taught us has become part of our ethic. All the grace and strength that she showed during her own life will hold us up in the hard days we face in our own lives. Every smile and every hug she gave us will pass onto her own children. My greatest hope and the greatest ambition that I can think of, is that we will each honor her by being the people that she taught us to be, and that by doing that, she'll live on in each of us.

As you can imagine and as Glen mentioned, it was really hard to think of what to say today, because she is usually the one who that tells me what to say. Also, there aren't words that are good enough. I thought about what she said want to do and what she would want and as always, I knew that she would want to be the one comforting us.

I know that some of you know that but for many years my mom has been writing to her children a letter with words of wisdom for us when she passes away and we live on. I hope she doesn't mind, but I'm going to read some of that to you. I know that she wrote it for us, her children, but I believe everyone here and beyond she considered part of her family. I think this part at least applies to all of you. I'm going to try to get through this so bear with me.

These are her words she wrote. "I've loved you in the best ways I have known how. I lament my short comings more than you know for when I was less than I could have been, should have been, you did not get all that you deserved from me.

"For all I've said about life, I want you to know that all I ever really needed was you, your love, your presence to make my life complete. You are a complete joy to me. I hope you will always know that wherever I am wherever you are. I have my arms wrapped around you."

Some of you may know Emma, Jack and I ended every conversation with our mom by saying I love you more. And she always responded, no, I love you more. As you can imagine, none of us ever won that battle. But today I have the honor of being the last to say, mom, I really, really love you more.

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FEYERICK: U.S. Ambassador Richard Holbrook is in critical condition after emergency heart surgery to repair a torn aorta. He felt ill yesterday and was rushed by ambulance to a Washington, D.C., hospital.

Joining me by phone is Pakistan's ambassador to the U.S., Husain Haqqani, he had breakfast with Mr. Holbrook on the day he took ill and has spoken to the family.

Mr. Ambassador first of all what is the family telling you about Mr. Holbrook's condition?

HUSAIN HAQQANI, PAKISTAN'S AMBASSADOR TO THE U.S. (via telephone): We are looking forward to Ambassador Holbrooke's full and early recovery. He's in critical condition. He's been operated upon, and we just have to wait for doctors to declare him in a stable condition.

FEYERICK: OK. Now, you, sir, had breakfast with him on Friday, yesterday, the day he took ill. Were there any signs or symptoms? Did he complain that he wasn't feeling well? Anything like that?

HAQQANI: No and we had breakfast, we had a full discussion on Pakistan/U.S. relations. And we discussed things that were coming up in the future. We, of course, have grown very fond of Ambassador Holbrooke. The president of Pakistan just called me asking after his health. It's one of those things that took us all by surprise. We are all praying for him. And we hope that he will have an early and full recovery.

He's a man of tremendous energy. He's given a lot to the United States and to the world in terms of his role as a diplomat. And so he's somebody for whom I'm sure that there are hundreds of thousands of people praying in different parts of the world.

FEYERICK: Now as you mentioned, you were trying to set up a meeting between Ambassador Holbrooke and the Pakistani prime minister. His skills as a negotiator, his energy that he brings what makes him so respected in the community?

HAQQANI: Well for one thing Ambassador Holbrooke of course is an extremely intelligent and brilliant man. He's an American patriot. But at the same time he understands the difficulties of other nations. He does not take a view of international relations. He does not think that everybody in the world should do what they're told. He listens to people, and then tries to match American interests with the interest of America's allies and occasionally with countries with whom America has a difficult relationship. He's a tough negotiator but he is also a man who makes you feel very comfortable talking to him.

And you can feel that, and he keeps confidences. He never promises something he cannot deliver. And he never fails to deliver what he has promised. So all of those qualities, all of them in very good stead, in very difficult and complex negotiations and he has delivered in many cases in the past, and we were looking forward and continue to look forward to work with him in trying to stabilize Afghanistan and bring a resolution to conflict in our region.

FEYERICK: Now the White House is expected to come out with its annual review of Afghanistan, Pakistan Policy. What did you want Ambassador Holbrooke to communicate both to the Secretary of State, but also to the White House about some of the challenges that are before the United States and your country?

HAQQANI: Well, I think that Pakistan and the United States have already worked out a lot of challenges. We are much closer today than we were say two years ago. Pakistan understands America's concern about stabilizing Afghanistan as soon as possible. And we share that concern. We've been work together on trying to strengthen Pakistan's military capability, Pakistan's own economy and Pakistan's fledgling democracy and on all of those issues; Ambassador Holbrooke has shown understanding of the buck.

At the same time, Pakistan has some concerns about Afghanistan and not becoming a center of instability for Pakistan in the future, if and when American and NATO troops leave that country. All in all, those concerns we have on a regular basis have shared with Ambassador Holbrooke. And he and I spoke to each other regularly, and I look forward to doing the same in the future.

People have health conditions. And one has to recognize that. But I don't think that we should all start worrying about the politics of it right now. I think at this moment, what we are concerned about is Ambassador Holbrooke's health. We hope that his wife and children, everybody will find satisfaction in his early and quick recovery and full recovery.

FEYERICK: Certainly important to have stability. Not only with Ambassador Holbrooke, but in the country as well. Thank you so much, Ambassador Haqqani, for joining us today.

We are going to move on together. If you haven't stepped outside lately. Well it's cold outside today.

BONNIE SCHNEIDER, AMS METEOROLOGIST: We're looking at unfortunately a travel nightmare for folks in Minnesota and South Dakota. So bad and so snowy that there's been road closures and even the snow plows have had some trouble getting through.

I want to show you an iReport from Rochester, Minnesota where we have at least seven or eight inches on the ground in Rochester. He woke up to a mess, 6 or 7 inches. I bet there's a lot more on the ground now. They cancelled their son's birthday party unfortunately because of the weather, and he said it's really coming down strong.

As I mentioned, the snow continues for Minnesota. We're actually under a winter storm warning and blizzard warnings for a good portion of that state. Iowa is actually almost completely covered with blizzard warnings due to blustery winds that will reduce visibility.

You won't see anything when we're in the peak of the blizzard conditions which will occur later today and into tonight. Although, we are getting some reports of road closures right here through parts of Minnesota right across to the South Dakota border.

Notice the conditions, the temperature at 6 and the winds, the winds at 27 miles per hour that is sustained winds. Gusts are even more intense than that. Well unfortunately the storm system is going to get a whole lot worse before it gets better.

As the storm system drops down from the Plain states. Dips down to the south and then comes back up to the north. It will actually set up as a twofold. One bringing us snow all the way to the Great Lakes where we'll have lake effect snow.

And then, a big blast of arctic air and Deb, those temperatures will drop down to incredible numbers. Dangerous wind chills in the Midwest, and then it will be really cold as far south as Florida.

FEYERICK: Bonnie, thanks so much. And if that little boy has an ice cream cake all he has to do is put it outside and at least it will keep until next weekend.

Thank you so much.

Well that is it for this hour of CNN NEWSROOM. "YOUR $$$$$" is next.

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