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David Axelrod: 'Don't Expect Changes to Tax Deal; Metrodome Roof Collapses Under Snow; Interview With Comedian/Author Steve Harvey;
Aired December 12, 2010 - 14:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN ANCHOR: The New York Giants sidelined by a fierce winter storm on their way to Minneapolis. And then the roof of the Metrodome collapses. The story straight ahead.
Saying farewell to a CNN legend. It's Larry King's last week on air. This hour, Larry's executive producer joins us with fascinating behind-the-scene details of past guests and this week's all-star lineup.
Then, at 4:00 p.m. Eastern, those festive holiday drinks, well, they're often loaded with a lot of calories. Find out which ones are the worst for your waistline.
And if you feel like you've got too much work but not enough time -- who haven't been there? -- we have tips to lighten your overloaded schedule. That's coming up at 5:00.
You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.
I'm Deborah Feyerick, in for Fredricka Whitfield.
Right now we are going to go to Jacqui Jeras. A record blizzard pummeling the Midwest.
(WEATHER REPORT)
FEYERICK: And one of the things affected by the storm, the Metrodome. The roof there, it's a Teflon roof. Well, it collapsed. Look at these dramatic pictures that we're going to be showing.
What happened, so much snow, that the roof simply began to cave in. The weight was simply too great.
Right now the Vikings and the Giants, they are going to be playing in Detroit. That was the option. They figured both teams could probably travel there, at least with some ease. But take a look at that. Boy, that is going to take some time to repair.
They had thought about maybe having the game at a university in Michigan, but instead what they decided to do was simply route the two teams elsewhere. But, boy, that's going to be a lot of cleaning up for the grounds crews, I can tell you that much. The Giants -- I don't know if you saw those pictures -- earlier, they got stuck in Kansas City. Talk about a layover.
So we will continue to monitor that story for you.
Now, a troubled cruise boat to tell you about. This one on a lake in Missouri.
Passengers and crew members were stuck overnight on stranded on a showboat. Earlier today, they were helped off the boat, but each of them, more than 600 on board, had to walk a 30-foot plank to safety. That took a couple of hours.
They were cruising on the boat when it ran aground last night on a lake during high winds. The lake is near the tourist town of Branson, Missouri.
Even though the compromised tax deal is leaving a bad taste in the mouths of many Democrats and some Republicans, the president's senior adviser expects the plan to win approval from Congress without any major changes.
Let's bring in our Sandra Endo in Washington.
Sandra, time is running out for any kind of new negotiations. Is it possible?
SANDRA ENDO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, that's definitely the case, Deborah. They are up against the clock.
A major vote on the president's tax deal happening in the Senate tomorrow. And today, on the morning political talk shows, the players threw their political punches. From the administration, the president's top adviser says he doesn't think the tax deal is going to change much, if at all, with lawmakers up against the clock.
Now, the proposal hashed out between the president and Senate Republicans would extend the Bush-era tax cuts for all Americans, including the wealthiest. The plan would also extend unemployment benefits and revise the estate tax.
Now, on CNN's "STATE OF THE UNION" this morning, the president's senior adviser said there are real consequences if this deal gets caught up in politics.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAVID AXELROD, SR. ADVISER TO PRESIDENT OBAMA: If we don't do that, then we get back into the kind of gridlock that enrages the American people and retards our ability to deal with our problems.
BOB SCHIEFFER, "FACE THE NATION": Well, I say is it about politics or policy, because already, last week, we heard people begin to say, you know, Democrats are so mad, that the president may wind up with an opponent in some of the early primaries in 2012. Do you worry that President Obama might wind up being a one-term president?
AXELROD: No, I don't worry about that at all, Bob, because I think he's done good things for the country.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ENDO: That was actually from CBS' "Face the Nation" earlier this morning.
But on the other side, House Democrats vow to continue their fight, and the main sticking point is the estate tax proposal which would lower the rate to 35 percent for anything over $5 million.
House Democrats say that's too generous. They want a 45-percent tax on estates over $3.5 million.
Listen to their stance today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. CHRIS VAN HOLLEN (D), MARYLAND: At the end of the day, the House will be able to work its will on this piece of legislation, that exactly what form the bill comes to the floor in is something that's under discussion and debate.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ENDO: Now, despite the tough talk though on areas of disagreement, House Democratic leaders did indicate they would not hold up the vote altogether.
Now, keep in mind, Deborah, all these tax changes would take effect January 1st. So there's really not a lot of time left for this political feud -- Deborah.
FEYERICK: All right. Sandra Endo in Washington, D.C. Thanks so much. We'll see if the votes are there.
Moving on, video games and electronic gadgets, they are definitely not the cheapest holiday gift, but some are actually worth the higher price tag.
Plus, Fredricka Whitfield's "Face to Face," a not-to-miss interview with comedian and author Steve Harvey. That continues up next. Why do men cheat?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
FEYERICK: Well, right now a record blizzard is pummeling the Midwest. The Metrodome roof has collapsed. Snow is moving east. The bitter cold, south. Travel is a nightmare -- airports, bus terminals, truck stops packed with people who simply can't go anywhere.
A state of emergency just declared in much of Wisconsin, where a blinding snow and biting winds have shut down part of I-94. The Metrodome roof, well, it is down. And we have somebody there on the scene. It collapsed under the weight of all that snow.
CNN all-platform journalist Chris Welch is there. I guess you drew the short straw this weekend, Chris. How is it out there?
CHRIS WELCH, CNN ALL-PLATFORM JOURNALIST: Well, it's cold. I'll tell you that, for one.
But, you know, there's supposed to be a football game happening behind me right now in the Metrodome, or what is typically the Metrodome. It's not really a dome right now.
It has collapsed. And we've been under these blizzard conditions for the past few days. Minneapolis residents and St. Paul residents waking up this morning, hearing news that the Metrodome roof has collapsed.
Well, all morning long there was talk of press conferences, discussion over what to do with this game between the Minnesota Vikings and the New York Giants. The New York Giants were supposed to even fly in yesterday. So this game has been plagued from the get-go.
They were supposed to fly in yesterday. They couldn't get to the airport because the airport was closed. Now this is happening.
And what they've done is rescheduled the game for tomorrow night. The New York Giants and the Minnesota Vikings are going to be playing in Detroit. So that game is going to be happening tomorrow night.
Now, as for the Metrodome, we have no word as to how long this kind of thing takes, but this has happened before. This is not the first time the dome has collapsed. So I imagine they will try to repair it.
But, you know, here's another factor, Deb. The Metrodome is something that the Minnesota Vikings have been trying to get out of for a while. So I imagine they will use this latest deflation of the dome in their argument for a new stadium.
FEYERICK: Yes, I can see how that would work in their favor.
When we saw those pictures of the roof caving it, it almost seemed like there was water, snow and water pouring in. So, presumably, that's all going to freeze. It's going to be a nightmare to clean up there.
WELCH: It does kind of seem like it would be a nightmare. That footage is kind of unbelievable to watch.
You watch it cave in. I imagine it's warmer inside there, obviously, because they were going to have a game today. So that's probably what some of that water is, melting snow as it comes down. But, boy, it's just got to be a disaster. It looks pretty remarkable, to watch that footage.
FEYERICK: And watching just from a personal perspective -- you're there in the cold, I'm not good in the cold. But what is it like? We're hearing frigid temperatures, below zero. What are you feeling out there? WELCH: Well, yes, it's definitely cold. I wouldn't even call it cold, as much as dangerous, frankly.
Yesterday, last night, just wind-chills gusting. Nobody was outside. Cars were nowhere. Restaurants were shut down. You couldn't even find a grocery store that was open.
Everybody was inside if they were smart, basically. The city was warning people to stay inside if they could. So it's been pretty bad.
FEYERICK: Exactly. And just quickly, you took a picture off the roof of your own balcony I hear.
WELCH: That's right. I actually took a picture of the skyline earlier this summer. And I thought, you know what? We should try and compare this with what it looked like today.
I don't know if you can see it right now or not, but you can see the dome. It's sort of an iron logo in front of it of another building, and then another shot from today that I just took a couple hours ago. You can see there's no dome. So it's changed the skyline a bit.
FEYERICK: Absolutely. A little bit sad there. A little bit deflated.
Well, listen, Chris Welch, out there, thank you so much. We appreciate it. Great reporting there. Great thinking in taking those pictures.
OK. Well, plenty of oohs and ahs over Britain's royal couple today. The official engagement photos of Prince William and Kate Middleton show the couple getting cozy.
The photos were taken by famed photographer Mario Testino last month at St. James Palace in London. He said the pair were "brimming with happiness" when he snapped the shots.
William and Kate's nuptials will take place at the end of April, in London's historic Westminster Abbey. That is the same abbey where Princess Diana's funeral was held.
Figuring out the ins and outs of romantic relationships. Comedian Steve Harvey says he's done that. CNN's Fredricka Whitfield discovered his views on infidelity in a revealing "Face to Face" conversation.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: He's become a household name, not just from being a king of comedy, a former host of The Apollo, currently the host of TV's "Family Feud," and on radio with "The Steve Harvey Morning Show," but add couples counselor, sort of, to the list.
From Detroit to Dubai, Harvey's first book called "Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man" enjoyed gigantic success with nearly 2.5 million copies sold. Now, in his latest, "Straight Talk, No Chaser," Harvey reveals his philosophy on that persistent question so many women ask: Why do men cheat?
STEVE HARVEY, COMEDIAN AND AUTHOR: It's been the biggest surprise. It has shocked me that I've reached a point in my life where I didn't need to keep this stuff a secret anymore because I wasn't out there using it. And I finally found -- Barry White has a song out that says, "I found what the world is searching for right here, my dear. I don't have to look no more. In all my days, I've hoped and I prayed for someone just like you to make me feel the way you do."
That was a song by Barry White. I love that song. That's what I found.
I found this woman that does it for me. And what God did was, he said, OK, this is what I'm going to do for you because you're stupid. You've made some picks in the past and you're an idiot. So I'm going to pick this one for you.
I'm going to put exactly what you like in your house so you don't got to go out on the street looking for it. I'm going to put it in your house. And I'm going to give you a house that's full of peace, and you're going to love coming here. Don't do nothing stupid to mess this up.
WHITFIELD: There are so many people who could say they have that same equation, but somebody still might mess it up.
HARVEY: You know something? That's one of the biggest questions asked, why do men cheat? And I know that's what we always get to in these interviews.
(LAUGHTER)
HARVEY: And I used to have this little cute answer that said, "Men cheat because there are so many women out there willing to cheat with them," which is a true statement.
WHITFIELD: That's a terrible answer.
HARVEY: Yes. But, you know, it's the truth. But the real deal of it is, a man has to get to this point in his life where he's got to understand that the value of what he has cannot be risked at any cost. Nothing -- you can't even take the chance.
Women always find out because you have this thing. Your body tingles. Your heart changes. You look different. You squint.
You figure it out. I don't know why we get so stupid at times when you think she'll never know, because to a guy, it doesn't mean a thing. The cheating, someone else, 95 percent of the time they mean nothing. It's just something to do, it was available, it was an opportunity, I could cash in, no one will ever know, and they think like that, man. We just do.
If she doesn't know, no harm, no foul. What has to happen, a guy has to get to this point in his life where, what I have over here is so valuable, I cannot risk it. That's the safeguard that you have for it.
And a lot of men are like that. Women don't believe it, because they hear so many stories about guys cheating, but there are a lot of men who realize what I have, man, this family, these kids, this wife, this union, this little group that operates, and everybody has my last name, and we've got this house together, this is cool.
WHITFIELD: Is it an age bracket? Is it 20s, 30s, 40s, or is it just simply a moment where they assess what they have and then value it?
HARVEY: You have got to let him to discover the who he is, the what he does, and how much he makes first before you ask him to totally commit to you. Because if a guy don't have those three things together, he's not going to be everything you need him to be, because he ain't figured himself out yet.
Once a guy gets past that level with who he is, what he does, and how much he makes, then you've got a guy that is starting to look around going, wow, it's time for me to settle down. I would love to have a family. And then that's the guy that has the greater chance.
WHITFIELD: Steve Harvey had even more to say "Face to Face" about how he's trying to teach his two sons to be gentlemen.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FEYERICK: Thanks, Fredricka.
Well, expensive electronic games and gadgets, they can put a big dent in your holiday budget. So it's critical to get the most bang for your buck.
And here to show us which products do that, syndicated technology writer Marc Saltzman, who we usually speak to out of Toronto by Skype.
MARC SALTZMAN, SYNDICATED TECHNOLOGY WRITER: That's right.
FEYERICK: That's how cool you are when it comes to gadgets.
SALTZMAN: That's right.
FEYERICK: So we are just pleased to have you here.
SALTZMAN: Thanks.
FEYERICK: But let's talk -- these are some excellent gifts. I Googled them. This is the i90.
SALTZMAN: That's right, the iP90 from iHome. So if you're shopping for an iPhone lover or an iPod owner, then this is essential for your bedside companion.
And it's one of these clock docks, as we call it. So it lets you listen to your music, your audio books, your podcasts. And this a redesigned product, so it's the same iP90 as before, but with a bigger screen, better quality audio, easier to use controls, but the same price, so under 100 bucks for the clock dock.
It also has this really handy time sync button, where you just press one button and it synchronizes with your time on your iPhone. So you don't have to do that manually, because I'm the worst. As much of a tech guy I am, I cannot set clock radios in hotels and stuff.
FEYERICK: You know it's missing that faux wood veneer that the old clocks -- you know, your college clocks used to have.
SALTZMAN: True.
FEYERICK: OK. The new Kindle -- I just took my old Kindle out of the box for the first time, and I love it. It's really easy to read. Very surprising. I was shocked.
SALTZMAN: Yes. If you are buying for a book lover, yes, ebooks are the way to go for sure. And the Kindle is the top of my list because -- well, the new price is $139 for Wi-Fi, $189 with 3G and Wi-Fi, which means you can download books and other content anywhere wirelessly.
But this is much thinner. It's much lighter. It's faster. It's got a better screen to read outdoors. It's got an anti-glare screen.
(CROSSTALK)
FEYERICK: It's interesting. It really is. And I think online, when you look at it, the thickness is really just the thickness of a pencil, which is pretty remarkable.
SALTZMAN: Yes. Here, I'll show you here. It's thinner than most magazines, but it can store about 3,500 books.
They're cheaper to download. You know, they're about 10 bucks for a "New York Times" bestseller. There's -- you know, you can shop 24/7. You can adjust the font.
The Kindle even has a neat feature that will read a book back to you. If you're fatigued, you're flying on a plane, for example, as I was today, you can close your eyes and have a book read to you.
FEYERICK: So, instead of books on tape, it's books on Kindle.
SALTZMAN: That's it. You got it.
FEYERICK: Very interesting.
OK. Now, we have over here the uDraw GameTablet. And this is phenomenal. This is so creative.
SALTZMAN: Yes. This is a really hot buy this year. And kind of hard to find as well.
It's for Nintendo Wii. It's a wireless tablet and pen that, whatever you draw on it, on your lap, shows up on the TV in real time.
And there's different brush sizes and colors and things to choose from. Here's what it looks like, by the way.
And get this -- when you're done your creation, you can save it to the memory card that's inside the Wii. You know, you can pop in --
FEYERICK: So you never lose your work.
SALTZMAN: Right. And then you can bring it to a PC and you can upload it to Facebook, you can e-mail it to friends, print it off. These are examples of some of the things you can draw on the uDraw GameTablet.
FEYERICK: Very creative.
SALTZMAN: Then it comes with games -- it comes with the uDraw, I should say, $69.99. But you can buy games for under $30, like Pictionary, which is great for the family.
FEYERICK: Much more interactive. That's wonderful.
Now, this, the Disney Epic Mickey, I like this. It's sort of like a little mission thing that you are going and doing with Mickey.
SALTZMAN: Yes, it is. And you do star as Mickey Mouse. And you're zapped into this alternate world where you sort of get to play through and interact with more than 80 years of Disney characters and long lost favorites including Oswald the Lucky Rabbit.
Not a lot of people know about Disney history there, but theme park rides and storylines. So, you get to control how the game plays out.
You have paint brush and paint thinner, so you can either add to the world or remove from it in order to accomplish the many goals. And it's great for our kids and kids at heart, and that's under 50 bucks.
FEYERICK: So a lots more Disney.
Now this, this is sort of like a flip, the flip video cameras, but a little bit different.
SALTZMAN: That's right.
FEYERICK: What is that?
SALTZMAN: Sure. So this is the Kodak Play Touch, and it is one -- we call these collectively flip cams or pocket cams.
This is an HD camcorder for under $200, so it shoots the highest quality, 1080p video. But it's got a touch screen. And you can even do some editing right on the device itself.
This is something my 8-year-old daughter shot, by the way. It's real easy to use. And you're right, it does have that flip-out -- oh, it on this side here.
FEYERICK: So you can plug it in.
SALTZMAN: Yes, that's right. It flips out to a computer, a PC or a Mac. Plus, it has HDMI with the cable in the box.
FEYERICK: And how much?
SALTZMAN: And this is under $200.
FEYERICK: OK. Very good.
Well, Marc Saltzman, so good to see you here in person.
SALTZMAN: Thank you.
FEYERICK: Next time you come back, you'll meet Fredricka.
SALTZMAN: That sounds good.
FEYERICK: But you do it every Sunday, and we're glad you do. Thank you so much.
SALTZMAN: Thank you.
FEYERICK: Well, now meet the woman who helped make Larry the king of talk. As "LARRY KING LIVE" begins its final week, she is ready to take us behind the scenes.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
FEYERICK: Well, this is a big week here at CNN, the last week of "LARRY KING LIVE." Larry's retiring from CNN after 25 years. He kicks off his last week tomorrow night with Conan O'Brien.
Let's take a look at this clip.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CONAN O'BRIEN, TALK SHOW HOST: And I have good people in my life. I mean, my producer, Jeff Ross (ph), who is also one of my best friends, we've been together for 17 years through the "Late Night" show and through "The Tonight Show." And so a lot of people in my life, I don't have any "yes" men or "yes" people in my life.
I would kill -- Garry Shandling said to me once, "Do you have a lot of 'yes' men in your life?" And I said I would kill for one. I don't have anybody who tells me what I want to hear. I have people who tell me the truth.
LARRY KING, HOST, "LARRY KING LIVE": I have people. My producer is not a "yes" person, also 17 years.
O'BRIEN: I asked her if she was a "yes" person, and she said yes.
(LAUGHTER)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FEYERICK: Well, the producer who said yes to Conan is Wendy Walker, Larry's longtime executive producer. She's even written a book about her experience, "Producer: Lessons Shared From 30 Years in Television."
She joins us here from San Diego.
Wendy, boy, what an historic time. Larry King, he has done 7,000 interviews. You were there for the majority of them.
What was your thinking putting this final week of shows together? It had to be bittersweet.
WENDY WALKER, SR. EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, "LARRY KING LIVE": I know. It really is.
I mean, it's actually, to me, a real celebration of the history that he's given all of us. But it's been interesting, just putting it together for the last week.
A lot of people have volunteered. I mean, Putin called us. You know, a lot of people wanted to come on one more time. But we were actually excited to get Conan for tomorrow night.
FEYERICK: And the mix of people, though, I mean, it's amazing. And that's sort of a toss-away comment, that Putin called you, which is amazing. That's the scope, that's the reach you have had with people all around the world. They know Larry King. And they can call you up and say, can we come on?
So what did you want to convey the last week?
WALKER: I just wanted to convey -- I think that's the thing, that it's international, and he's an international iconic interviewer. And that this show has been on -- he's actually in "The Guinness Book of World Records" for being the longest interview show at the same time slot with the same person. And that's 25 years.
So, it's just 25 years that we're just used to turning him on and seeing some interesting character. And when I was going through the list of people that he's had on and we think it's about 7,000 for the 25 years he's been on CNN, it's really not who he's had on, but who he hasn't. That list is much shorter than the list that --
FEYERICK: I would think almost nonexistent and you got a - after 17 years of trying, but comedians are your weak point. Jon Stewart was recently on. He almost missed his segment and that has to be a tough one. You've had to fly by the seat of your pants sometimes. What happened there?
WALKER: Yes. That was really funny, but he was on a live show. We just happened to be taping the whole cast of "Modern Family." If you've seen that show, it's terrific. The cast is great. Well, Jon Stewart wasn't there. So I asked a bunch of the "Modern Family" guys, some of the kids and others if they would start the show for us.
And so they were really excited, but then we rushed Jon in. I mean, I think literally I think he had about a minute to get on the set. Then we had to get the other guys off and put him on, but you know what live television is like.
I mean, that part of it doesn't really bother me. I think it's exciting because, you know, people like to go behind the scenes and you can say they're not here. So what do you do? That was really fun. It has happened before. Al gore was late one time and we had to put Larry's kids on.
FEYERICK: He was stuck in traffic and who doesn't remember Larry's kids. I remember it very well. All of these experiences you sum up in your book "Producer" and this is just - you know, I picked up this book because I thought I know Wendy has something to teach the world. Certainly teach aspiring journalists and it such a good book. Russell Brand, he obviously another comedian and he just had a great moment with your book.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LARRY KING, HOST, "LARRY KING LIVE": Our senior executive producer, Wendy Walker, author of the book "Producer" of which you have a copy.
RUSSELL BRAND, COMEDIAN: What a fine book it is by Wendy and what a looker.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FEYERICK: I love it. I think at one point he opens the book as if it is a center fold. That also was hilarious. You know, it's interesting. You have a lot of --
WALKER: That wouldn't sell books by the way if I did that.
FEYERICK: Don't be so sure about that. Now, what's fascinating is you have been a part of history. You have brought history to people, but you also in your book sum you have life lessons learned. That's really important. Think bigger. Work harder. Be grateful for every day of your life. Those are things -- did that come together at the end as you were sort of mulling your career?
WALKER: Well, it was something that I was trying to give to the readers was because since I'm not famous. I'm behind the scenes. I wanted to show them what I learned behind the scenes and giving these lessons between all of the little stories that I had.
It just seemed to kind of come together. Think bigger than big. That's Ted Turner. I was there at the beginning. I've been there at CNN for the 30 years. I remember when we all went to this guy who was going to put on international and national news 24 hours a day.
It was huge. That's thinking bigger than big. If you set -- if you're that high, you'll be able to achieve what you want if you put your mind to it I think.
FEYERICK: Wendy, like every great producer there's always so much more to say and there are always time constraints, but we're so pleased that you joined us for this. And we just wish you good luck moving forward. This really should be required reading for anybody who wants to get into journalism or anybody who was in journalism right now and wants a little bit of inspiration. So thank you so much for joining us. We'll be watching this final week with Larry King and knowing you are the man behind him.
So thank you so much. You knew there's a saying for every successful man, there's a surprise woman. Anyway, thank you so much. Really appreciate it.
WALKER: Thank you.
FEYERICK: OK. Well, moving on, explosions in Sweden. Sensitive documents leaked over the internet and ongoing battle for Afghanistan. We'll update you on all of that with help from an intelligence expert.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
FEYERICK: A pair of explosions in Stockholm, Swedish police calling it an act of terrorism. Lieutenant Colonel Anthony Shaffer is a former Defense Intelligence Officer who revealed failings that led to 9/11.
He's joining from Washington and Lieutenant Colonel, I want to talk to you first of all about what's going on in Stockholm and in Sweden.
What are your intelligence sources telling you?
LT. COL. ANTHONY SHAFFER, ARMY INTELLIGENCE OFFICER: Well, first of, I think it was a very effective attempt to do a terrorist act by the fact you had two bombs. It looked like they were set to go in such a way that you would maximize the casualties.
Unfortunately, I think the time of day and some other things went in their direction, but there is no doubt in my mind that this is clearly a terrorist act plus they are a bit reluctant to link - I believed they received some e-mails, which indicated the attack was legitimate. I think they are being very cautious.
This whole area, Stockholm is not used to having this level of attack. This has taken them quite by surprise. I think this will make them look very hard at how they're handling their immigration issues regarding Muslim coming in the country.
FEYERICK: And yet they do have people serving in Afghanistan. They also had somebody who one of their artist had drawn a cartoon. Again, this sort of smacks of lone wolf, but also the terror group (inaudible) so is there anything linking them to that yet or is that the thread that intelligence officers are following?
SHAFFER: Well, the one most clear indicator that there is a terrorist -- organized terrorist behind this is Anwar Al-Alwaki has stated that the cartoonist you mentioned is on essentially a list to be killed.
I think we'll probably see over the next few days, I believe I'm going to predict here that I think we're going to probably see a legitimate link between the terrorist groups who actually planned this out.
FEYERICK: Now, I want to segue over to Afghanistan and that is the White House is expected to release its policy on Afghanistan and Pakistan really in the coming days and what do you expect to come out of that especially what we're starting to learn about Hamid Karzai and about the fact that he's not so stable. What are your sources telling you is likely to come out?
SHAFFER: Well, it's going to be the best of both worlds in a way that we have indeed made progress and Deb, I'm not trying to be factitious. We have wherever we're physically at militarily there's been progress no doubt, however, with that said there is a recent reports and my sources are telling me same thing.
The real progress is not going to be sustainable by the fact that safe havens in Pakistan the very source, which I talked about my book "Operation Dark Heart" knew about back as far 2003 have not been dealt with.
And therefore, as long as Taliban can regenerate there's no hope of stabilizing and keep in mind we're talking about, you know, the whole idea of seizing, holding and building. We're able to seize and we're able to do a few things to hold, but the hold has to be done by the Afghan government, by the Karzai government and they've proven to not be able to do that so far.
FEYERICK: And very quickly, you talk about also the fact that with the U.S. dealt with it as if you can handle Afghanistan as if there's a central government when in fact there are so many different tribes. It's virtually impossible. It's like trying to hold onto sand.
SHAFFER: Absolutely. The Taliban themselves are a tapestry. You are talking about the Hekani (ph) network. You're talking about the Kedashura (ph) in the south. There's no one belly button to push. You add on top of that these tribes go back a thousand years. We're talking 22,000 (INAUDIBLE), Deb. So there's no way we can bring them to the table to make them work together in a central government. There's just no interest there.
FEYERICK: OK. Well, Lieutenant Colonel Anthony Shaffer, so much more to talk about. Unfortunately, we don't have the time. I know you were the one to urge the U.S. to go into Pakistan and you say, you told me earlier you though that would be a game changer.
Thank you so much. We're going to have you on again soon.
SHAFFER: Thank you.
FEYERICK: OK, so moving to something a little bit lighter, comedian Steve Harvey gets serious when it comes to relationships. Find out what advice he's giving his own sons when CNN's Fredricka Whitfield comes face to face with the entertainer after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
FEYERICK: Face to face with funny man Steve Harvey just moments from now, but first, our top stories.
A dangerous blizzard is slamming parts of the Midwest. It has dumped heavy snow on Minnesota's twin cities collapsing the roof of the Metrodome's Sports Arena. The storm is moving east and even parts of the Deep South are getting snow and brutal temperatures.
Voters in Kosovo are electing their first new government since the region declared independence from Serbia two years ago. The independence declaration is not recognized by Serbia or Kosovo's Serbian minority. Kosovo is officially administered by the United Nations.
Auburn quarterback Cam Newton has joined a prestigious line-up of college's football's best players. He's the 2010 Heisman Trophy winner. Newton's father is under investigation in an alleged pay for play scheme, but the NCAA says there's no evidence Cam Newton did anything wrong.
And comedian, author and host of a highly successful radio show Steve Harvey is used to wearing a lot of hats, but he also has a busy personal life. He opened up in a revealing face to face interview with CNN's Fredricka Whitfield.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Funny man Steve Harvey is very serious when he quotes a Barry White song saying I found what the world is searching for. He has love, marriage, four children and a career spanning decades. Among his life's missions to make sure his teenage sons don't blow it. Steve Harvey, face to face.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STEVE HARVEY, ENTERTAINER/AUTHOR: So what I've decided to do is what my father didn't do was I'm actually in the process of my 19 and 18- year-old son talking to them about the cut-off point. OK, you're in college now. You're dating this girl, but I know you're looking around.
But listen to me, son. I'm teaching them hone in to what you want to do, who you want to be and how much you want to make. Get that together and then once you discover that, let's start looking around. Let's lock it down. Let's get Mrs. Right. Let's get this going.
WHITFIELD: What do they say about that? Are they comfortable with that kind of conversation?
HARVEY: Well, you know, it's a little far-fetched for them right now because they have no idea what they're going to do.
WHITFIELD: They're 18 and 19.
HARVEY: They picked majors. They will probably change them. They don't know what they're going to be and they aren't making any money. So right now this lock it down, but at least I'm putting it in their heads to say, hey, man, I got this little college life you live and these girls.
Once you get yourself together and you get your head on straight, it's time to shut that down. Let's stop this so we don't lay to the wayside another six or seven girls before you figure it out. That's the best I can do. I can only do that with my sons. It didn't happen to me. Nobody told me the cut-off point so I kind of drug it out a little bit.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: More life lessons with Steve Harvey face to face. Where does he find the time for it at all? TV, radio, standup, books, public speaking, and several philanthropic ventures including a Dallas, Texas, camp to help the next generation of young men. That's next today face to face with Steve Harvey.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FEYERICK: Thanks, Fredricka.
Well, some people might call it the good old days when there were no cell phones, no computers, and no television either. We'll check on a group trying to unplug.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
FEYERICK: Well, when many people hear estate tax cuts, they think it's a perk for the super-rich, but a surprising number of middle class families are affected by this also including some who are struggling to save the family farm.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SUSAN ENDO, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For Susie Wells, farming runs deep in her roots.
SUSIE WELLS, FARM OWNER: This was my family farm and my dad had no boys so I took over the farm when I came home from college.
ENDO: She's the eighth generation to own this scenic 320-acre waterfront farmland, but perception may be deceiving.
WELLS: We're land rich and cash poor. All our value is tied up in our land and our land is what our business is based on.
ENDO: Wells is already planning on passing the farm to our 22-year- old son and that is where most of her worries begin. Under the current estate tax law next year estates worth more than $1 million would be taxed at 55 percent.
WELLS: We would not have the cash money to pay the tax. We would either have to mortgage the property or we would have to take a bank loan, which would work against us in borrowing money for production on the farm.
ENDO: But under the new tax plan the president hashed out with congressional Republicans individuals would be able to pass on $5 million in assets tax free. Anything over that would be taxed at 35 percent.
House Democrats say that's too generous and favor a 45 percent tax rate for estates worth more than $3.5 million. The difference in revenue between the two plans is only roughly $7 billion.
BENJAMIN HARRIS, BROOKINGS INSTITUTE: I think that the fight is largely symbolic even in revenue terms is pretty small as proportion of the overall bill. The estate tax falls mostly on wealthy people and that means that estate tax cuts benefit the richest Americans.
ENDO: Wells says her mid-size farm would be exempt under the president's plan, but would be hit under the Democrat's proposal and she says don't call her wealthy.
(on camera): So what kind of figures are we talking about?
WELLS: Well, we can make as much as 300,000 gross here, but we probably take home closer to between 80,000 and 100,000 and that's my husband and I both working together.
ENDO (voice-over): But she says keeping this is worth all the headaches.
WELLS: It's just such a stress reliever to be able to look out on everything and enjoy nature and you know, it is hard to make a living, but the tradeoffs are there.
ENDO (on camera): If this new tax deal passes, it would give farms like this one clarity for the next two years. But the big unknown is if the tax rate will change once again after that. Sandra Endo, CNN, Prince Frederick, Maryland.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FEYERICK: Well, celebrating the holiday South Florida style. We'll check out the annual Winter Fest Boat Parade in Ft. Lauderdale.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
FEYERICK: Well, we knew you've thought about it. How long could you go without your cell phone? A day? Maybe two. What about e-mail? What about Facebook? Radio? Television?
Well, Carl Azuz, anchor of CNN's Student News is here. Some people who are unplugging completely the big question is why?
CARL AZUZ, ANCHOR, STUDENT NEWS: Why in the world would you want to do that?
FEYERICK: I saw you check your iPhone just before you went on actually.
AZUZ: I'm busted, pretty busted, but you know, this was the idea of a journalism teacher. She echoes what a lot of parents that I have talked to said recently. They're afraid because students are so plugged in today between texting and e-mail and everything else on Facebook and all that stuff, they are afraid the students' social skills are going to suffer.
They're going to lose the ability to effectively interact with each other in person. The journalism teacher who came up with this idea at a North Carolina high school felt the same way and she had another concern about them. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KATHY SUMNER, JOURNALISM TEACHER, WHEATMORE HIGH SCHOOL: If you tell any child to write a letter they would not know how to put together a letter. We have to now teach them to write a letter. They know how to text and that's it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
AZUZ: So that's part of the argument. Social skills being the other part. We'll have to see how it works out.
FEYERICK: Now the students opted in to go without electronics as an experiment. What ultimately happened?
AZUZ: Well, there were some students that said no right off the top. There were four students who said we don't want to do this. It was voluntarily. Not for a grade so nothing to be penalized for.
There's one girl who tried it and she lasted about day and then she said I'm done. I give up. I surrender, but there was a student who was able to stuck it out for a couple days. He says sometimes it was even a little awkward.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KYLE MOSLEY, STUDENT, WHEATMORE HIGH SCHOOL: So far it's been hard. The texting part I've gotten used to, but the no radio in the car on the drive up here, very quiet with my mother.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
AZUZ: I guess it's tough when you really have to talk to mom.
FEYERICK: And that's the whole point. The whole point is they are losing the ability to communicate. So many ways to do it between Blackberry or e-mail or phone or texting that in fact when it comes to just basic how are you doing, mom, how was your day at work, it's much more difficult for them to be able to do that. But the withdrawal I have to imagine has to be almost phantom device.
AZUZ: Sure, it would be tough for us too with our Blackberries, but there was a student who wrote into us at our blog named Eric and Erick talked to us about this saying, this would be easier if everybody did it at once.
He doesn't want to be out of the loop as he says. If you're the only one unplugged you are you're in trouble. A comment from Emily who says, you know, look, this is something that people need to do. Students need to go outside. That's what they used to do before cell phones.
FEYERICK: Carl, thank you so much. Really appreciate your joining us. Some days I wish that would happen.
AZUZ: Thank you, Deb.
FEYERICK: Well, there's no snow involved, but a holiday tradition in Florida. Boats decked out for the season. The Annual Winter Fest Boat Parade set sail yesterday in Ft. Lauderdale. The parade is in its 39th year.
And as the year end, it's time to look back and remember everything that you've seen and accomplished. CNN I-Report is taking a look back at 2010. They need your help. You know what that means. Send them in. CNN I-Report is asking you questions like this. The best thing I bought was --
For me 2010 was -- I totally cringed this year when - so logon and start uploading and send us your stuff. This is all good stuff. These are things that we want to know what you're thinking and really I guess it will give you a chance to look back and take a breath and see what you did last year and what you hope to do this coming year.
And so we'll see where that goes. I'm trying to think of some of the things that maybe I should have done differently this particular year. Isn't that always the case?
I'm Deborah Feyerick in the CNN NEWSROOM. Straight ahead "YOUR MONEY" and an in depth look at the tax deal. At 4:00 p.m. Eastern, "Time" magazine's top ten viral videos and you're definitely not going to want to miss that. We have some really, really good ones. Stay with us. We'll be back.
