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President Obama's Momentum; A Mother's Christmas Wish
Aired December 23, 2010 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: ... I know he does.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Well, what bowl game are you going to be watching? Have you decided.
COSTELLO: I will probably watch the Sugar Bowl because Ohio state is playing Arkansas in the Sugar Bowl.
PHILLIPS: I knew you're going to say that.
COSTELLO: You know and as I think about Ohio state it is lost money playing in the bowls. It is a huge university not as much as say Virginia Tech is but Ohio state has actually lost money by playing in the Sugar Bowl. It's mind boggling. You would think that schools would be reaping rewards other than increased admissions in these bowl games but they're not.
PHILLIPS: Yes, and it is part of the holiday tradition. We've always got those ball games. You're always behind your state, the great state of Ohio.
Carol, thanks. There you go.
10:00 a.m. on the East Coast, 7:00 a.m. out west. Breaking news out of Rome. Mail bombs exploding in two different embassies. The first explosion wounding a worker at the Swiss ambassador's home. The second blast shortly after at the Chilean embassy. One person was hurt there also.
And a week long storm finally slogging out of California but it's leaving widespread damage. Flash floods, mudslides chasing thousands of people from their homes in Southern California. A state of emergency blankets six counties.
And remember this attempt to disarm a gunman? Well, the Florida school board member who wielded the purse has sold it on ebay. The auction raised more than $13,000 and it's all going to charity.
Well, President Obama is in Hawaii this morning but he's still flying high from some key congressional victories in recent days. Just one month after his self-described shellacking in the midterm elections, the president may have recaptured momentum. Here are some of his big scores.
Extending the Bush era tax cuts, winning the congressional repeal of the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy, adoption of the S.T.A.R.T. nuclear arms pact with Russia. That's awaiting the president's signature and then the 9/11 health care bill. It will provide free medical treatment to workers exposed to the toxic changers of Ground Zero.
Big scores on Capitol Hill may signal remarkable reversal of fortunes for the president. Let's talk more about that with our CNN's senior political adviser, David Gergen. You know, you were an advisor to four presidents and it was interesting reading in your article you actually said, as a matter of fact, let must pull the quote here "that even Bill Clinton did not bounce back from his midterm defeat so quickly."
DAVID GERGEN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: He did not. And Bill Clinton is one of the most adept and the most agile presidents we have had. And he did eventually get back on top but Barack Obama, I think has surprised all of us. He and his team, I think have played this shirt tail session of Congress, a lame duck as it's called anything but lame has it been. Remarkably well.
You know, the president is known as a clutch player. He likes to score in the fourth quarter when he is behind and that's what he did here. A lot of Republicans are wondering today, you know, we thought we won the election back in November. But at the end of the year, the president goes out with the wind at his back. He has got a tough, tough year ahead. But I think he has demonstrated, Kyra, some new ways of governing, a different approach to governing that served him well.
PHILLIPS: And then explain. What was the different approach? I mean, you mentioned that he actually played a lot of these fights more effectively from the background instead of getting out in front and just going live to the podium every single day.
GERGEN: Well, you know, there is - Nelson Mandela once made that distinction between leading from behind and leading from in front. I think the president did lead a little bit more from behind, a little bit more behind the scenes in this case. And that is the big, big difference is not only that he didn't go to the podium as much. We didn't see it as much. I think it was a good thing. In fact, he got most of the work done quietly but the other thing was prior to the elections, the White House relied almost exclusively on the caucus and the Democratic party in each chamber to get bills passed.
They didn't reach out for Republicans, they relied heavily on Democrats. Now that they have had this stinging defeat in November and the voters sent a clear message they wanted something different, the president and his team this time around during the lame duck built coalitions first on the tax bill. They built coalitions with the Republicans, with Mitch McConnell and others that helped to persuade the public that this was a good thing and also got the votes.
Then on S.T.A.R.T., they built a coalition with former secretaries of state, especially Republicans but also Madeleine Albright, Henry Kissinger, Kim Baker and the like. And that helped to persuade. On the "don't ask, don't tell," Bob Gates who is one of the most respected defense chiefs in our history along with the head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff testified as well as they had polls to show that the troops would accept this. That, too, created a sense in the public this is fine. Let's do it. And that also then brought votes.
I think this is a different approach to governing that I think the president and his team could well adopt for the future because one of the things that happens and I don't want to extend this too long but when you go to Democrats only or Republicans only to pass a bill, voters on the other party and a lot of the independent voters think there must be something wrong with this if only one party supports this. And they have doubts about it.
As with the health care bill, which had no Republican support virtually, the public, you know, split heavily against the health care bill and it's still unpopular today. This - the president on the short tail of Congress is getting very high approval marks from the public.
PHILLIPS: Well, it was interesting to see the faith kind of drop in President Obama's ability to lead. We're talking so much about these polls and now, from what we saw yesterday at how you have put the thoughts together in your article, I mean, no doubt there is going to be tough fights ahead but he has sort of discovered a new approach to governing as you point out, yes?
GERGEN: Well, I think that's right. And this piece is on the CNN blog site and I appreciate you having the chance to speak there. The critical thing is I think we should - the president instead of being down on his back as he was after the elections is back up on his feet, now. And he goes into this next year, I think in a much stronger position. It does not erase the elections. It is important for the White House and Republicans to know this. There is also a wind blowing behind the Republicans. They after all got a huge vote this fall from a public that said not only do we want more cooperation but we want to put the brakes on spending. We want to put the breaks on more big government.
So both sides come into the new year renewed and invigorated. There are big, big fights ahead. Well, I hope is, for the country's sake that on these deficits it is so important for us all that there can be this new spirit of cooperation we've seen in the last few weeks. And that the two parties can work together. It would be really important for us.
PHILLIPS: Yes, we all want to feel that. David Gergen, thank you so much. Appreciate your time.
GERGEN: Thank you.
PHILLIPS: You bet.
GERGEN: Take care.
PHILLIPS: Parts of California caked with mud. Take a look at what it looks like. This hillside actually came sliding down. It's neighborhoods in the city of Highland punished after a number of storms. Now there is a little bit of a breather and they can survey the damage. Now, throughout the southwest, boy, it was a deluge in Utah. Roads and bridges proved to be no match for the drenching rain there.
Then in Arizona you had water logged homes breaking apart and just simply washing away. Several hundred homes actually evacuated in the foothills near Los Angeles for days, rescue crews have been on the ready, keeping an eye on the La Canada Flintridge area, concern, mudslides.
Kirk Hawkins from our CNN affiliate, KCBS, is live in that area. So Kirk, how is it looking right now?
KIRK HAWKINS, REPORTER, KCBS: Well, Kyra, right now we can tell you that mandatory evacuation orders have been lifted for about 232 homes here in La Canada, Flintridge and the neighborhood in La Carcena (ph). But there was a minor mudslide here last night. So right now firefighters and even police officers are on alert. They are worried about the possibility of more mudslides.
The L.A. County crews are telling us that there still is the possibility for more mudslides because in the storm, the storm essentially exposed boulders, rocks and debris that just could give way at any moment and come rushing down the hillside. So while they did dodge a bullet here yesterday, they are really not yet in the clear.
COSTELLO: What about the county surrounding Los Angeles, Kirk, like Orange County to the south, San Bernardino County in the east. We have seen a lot of damage there and bringing in pictures all through the night.
HAWKINS: Well, Kyra, Orange County really had the brunt of damage associated with this storm. The downtown area of Laguna Beach, which is a very trendy seaside area has a number of shops that were damaged. We're talking tens of thousands of dollars. So today they're looking at the possibility of cleaning up. Lots of businesses trying to dig out from roughly four feet of mud in some places and then the streets still need to be cleaned there.
In other areas though of Orange County, there were five homes. They were red tagged, road closed are still in place and even evacuation orders that still have not been lifted there. Now as we go to San Bernardino, you were talking about Highland. 200 evacuation orders for 200 homes are still in place and many of those residents really don't know when they are going to be able to go home just yet. It could be at least just another couple of days.
San Bernardino County officials are telling us that they need to get water moving in a natural direction and get the mud out of these neighborhoods where it was causing so much of a problem. So a busy day ahead for many homeowners there. But at least in the L.A. area we're finally seeing some sunshine.
PHILLIPS: Kirk Hawkins from our affiliate, KCBS. Kirk, always great to see you. Thanks so much.
Rob Marciano tracking the storm system for us too. What do you think? Where is it headed next.
ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Not to mention New Mexico, places in Arizona, and Utah, and Nevada that also got hit with this thing. Tremendous amount of rainfall inundating the entire southwest corner of the U.S. but finally as mentioned we're starting to see a bit of a drying trend. A couple leftover showers, really it's just (INAUDIBLE) I think we're mostly dry across parts of SoCal. And this thing finally starting to accelerate over the four corners region where we are seeing some rain mix with snow at the higher elevation.
Speaking of snow, we're giving you some of these numbers. Here are some updated totals. Mammoth Mountain, 191 inches. I mean, come on. Crested Butte, Heavenly and Deer Valley, Avalanche control work is certainly underway and will continue to be as we go through really the next day or two. Another one to two feet of potentially fresh powder across parts of western Colorado and then we will turn off the spigot, at least briefly.
But that is a huge start to the ski season. Almost too much of a good thing. Some of the snow is getting up into parts of the upper midwest. The storm is going to do a couple of things. It will pretty split its way across the U.S. . Here's what's tomorrow's forecast that looks like if you are traveling basically you go north of St. Louis and you're going to run into some snow. We don't expect a ton of accumulation here but anywhere from an inch to five or six inches in spots from Chicago back through Des Moines and up through parts of Minnesota.
And then this thing takes a southern track and things get a little bit interesting. Watch this. As we put the map into motion, the low goes into the Gulf of Mexico. Nashville up through Kentucky area will probably see a little bit of snow out of this. The backside of this we'll see some snow and right up the eastern seaboard. If it gets close enough to the I-95 corridor, we're talking about a ton of snow that could happen here. Right now, we're not willing to make that call with any sort of certainty. Could see a white day after Christmas for folks who live in the north east. That's possible. Kyra.
PHILLIPS: OK. Thanks, Rob.
MARCIANO: You bet.
PHILLIPS: Now we're following breaking news overseas. Mail bombs rocked two different embassies in Rome. Italian police now saying two people have been wounded and more attacks possible. Let's get the latest. CNN's senior international correspondent Dan Rivers joining us now from London. Dan, what do we know?
DAN RIVERS, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, we know that there are two possible bombs confirmed, one at the Swiss embassy that has severely injured the postal worker that opened it. Another, the Chilean embassy, a third suspect package at the Ukrainian embassy in Rome has now been declared as a false alarm.
It's difficult to kind of work out why particularly the Swiss and Chilean embassies would be targeted. There is initial suspicion that this may have been the work of sort if anarchist groups in Rome angry at the detention of Swiss anarchists in Italian jails and Italian anarchists in Swiss jails but the Chilean embassy, it's completely random. So there is now concern there may be other devices out there that simply have not been discovered because of the Christmas break. So they are now, the Italian police trying to get around to all of the embassies to do checks but obviously, with a lot of the embassies shutting for the Christmas break that is pretty difficult.
PHILLIPS: All right. We'll keep tracking it with you, Dan Rivers. Thank you so much.
Well, Katie Perry just tied the knot a couple of months ago but she is already talking kids. The California girl is saying about the possibility of a growing family.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JIMMY FALLON, HOST "LATE NIGHT WITH JIMMY FALLON": This week another actor was injured during production of the new "Spiderman" musical. After he fell 30 feet into the orchestra pit. At this point they're not going to fix anything they're just going to change the name to Jackass 4.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: Well, all jokes aside, the show must go on for Broadway "Spiderman" musicale. Evening and matinee performances were cancelled after an actor fell during the stunt on Monday but tonight's performance is scheduled to happen.
Pop culture expert Ralphie Aversa joining us live via Skype from Niagara Falls, New York. So Ralphie, what are show producers doing to make sure these actors are safe?
RALPHIE AVERSA, POP CULTURE EXPERT: Kyra, good morning. On Tuesday, show producers Met with a number of different agencies in New York, including the New York State Department of Labor to figure out what exactly happened to 31-year-old Christopher Tierney. They decided it was human error. They are not specifying on the exact error. But measures have been taken as you mentioned. Preview performances continue tonight. The official show open though has been pushed back from mid January to early February.
PHILLIPS: Got you. Yes, everybody has been sort of wondering what was going to be put into place since this, I guess show, has been jinxed on many levels when it comes to the danger factor.
All right. Let's move into something more light hearted. Katy Perry just tied the knot and now she's talking family.
AVERSA: Yes, it's something else, usually an album alone is enough for somebody in a year. But Katy Perry has had a jam-packed 2010 and looking forward to 2011. She told an Italian (INAUDIBLE) wants to have lots of kids with husband, Russell Brand. "Teenage Dream," by the way, her album spawning a number of hits. An album of the year Grammy nomination as well. So it has been a pretty good year for Katy Perry. Lots of children sounds kind of interesting though, especially with Russell Brand and his past. She insists that he is a changed man and he has really charmed her.
PHILLIPS: Well, it will be interesting to see how many kids they have and how funny they will be considering the husband's sense of humor. All right. An iconic voice. The announcer for the Lone Ranger silenced. A lot of us were talking about that famous opening that we all remember so well, many years ago, shall we say.
AVERSA: Yes, Kyra. Well before my generation. Nonetheless, passing away yesterday in Massachusetts of natural causes at the age of 89. You know, in radio we are taught theater of the mind and no one exhibited that more maybe than Fred Foy, the voice of "The Lone Ranger" and then man that really transitioned "The Lone Ranger" from radio to television.
PHILLIPS: Ralphie, thanks so much. You know what, let's go ahead and lift him up. Let's listen to Fred Foy doing what he did best. If you were a kid in the 50s, this ought to bring back some pretty fond memories.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The Lone Ranger. The Lone Range .
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Well, as a kid we look to Santa to get us the things that we really wanted if the parents couldn't deliver or wouldn't deliver. Santa had the hook up. One woman in North Carolina, she's 44 and she's got three kids. She has got a home but what she doesn't have is employment so she did what any grown up would do. She wrote to Santa.
And according to our WRAL's Adam Owens, she told St. Nick for Christmas, all she wants is a job.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ADAM OWENS, REPORTER, WRAL (voice-over): The letter starts in a familiar way.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Dear Santa.
OWENS: Sadly the rest is also familiar.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: All I want for Christmas is a job.
OWENS: Ten months ago Melinda Pfeiffer lost her job as a web editor. She has been on nearly a dozen interviews for new jobs and sat through some silent nights. PFEIFFER: You don't ever get a phone call. You just drop off the face of the earth. It has been a tough season and you know, I have, just break down in tears and I'm going to probably cry right now.
OWENS: This Christmas season she wrote a letter addressed to a man who grants wishes, Santa Claus. It was received by the editor of the newspaper and printed, a Christmas list one item long.
PFEIFFER: You know, I got to get a job. I'm not alone though. I know I'm not alone.
OWENS: Pfeiffer still has a roof over her head and her home is more. There's less under the tree for her three children.
PFEIFFER: Maybe they won't notice.
OWENS: But she knows she has it better than many others. And so in the Christmas spirit, he letter also asks that others out of work get what they want, too.
PFEIFFER: And not just for me but for all of the millions of others in my predicament. And Santa, I still believe in you. Thank you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: So some tried monster.com, some hire headhunters. As you saw there, Melinda Pfeiffer went right to the top and asked Santa. To hedge your bet we brought her on today for a 30-second pitch. All right. Melinda, if Santa can't deliver let's get your story out there. First, what gave you the idea to actually reach out to old St. Nick?
PFEIFFER: Well, I told my 12-year-old son, Allister (ph), I said desperate times call for desperate measures sometimes. I believe in the magic of Christmas and the magic of Santa. And I thought why not, write a letter to Santa and see what happens.
PHILLIPS: So I'm curious, have you heard back?
PFEIFFER: You know, I have.
PHILLIPS: You have?
PFEIFFER: From you, from other people.
PHILLIPS: OK.
PFEIFFER: The magic of Christmas is really here.
PHILLIPS: There you go. Santa lives through all of us, right Melinda?
All right. Let's talk about - well, let's talk more about that response because you have gotten a lot of news coverage. I'm not surprised, you're a writer, you know exactly how to do it. Has it filled your heart? Has it inspired you? Has it led to any possible jobs?
PFEIFFER: It really has. It has filled my heart, just touched me. Apparently, my story, a lot of people can relate to it, unfortunately. And I have gotten letters from Italy. I've gotten cards in the mail. I've gotten - my neighbor brought over a sack of sweet potatoes for me yesterday. It's been very, very heartwarming. And I've had offers of childcare, health assistance.
PHILLIPS: Oh, my gosh.
PFEIFFER: Interviews.
PHILLIPS: What did you kid say, by the way - when you told your kids you were writing Santa, what did they say to you?
PFEIFFER: I didn't tell them. I didn't want them to be embarrassed for me. But they know now and they're thrilled. They're thrilled. And I think they are believing more in the magic of Santa and Christmas. But I have heard from some potential employers. So and then next thing you know, yesterday, I get a phone call from CNN and so here I am.
PHILLIPS: I love it. All right. Let's get to it. Melinda Pfeiffer, you ready for your 30-second pitch?
PFEIFFER: I am, thank you.
PHILLIPS: Start the clock. Take it away, Melinda.
PFEIFFER: Hi. I'm Melinda Pfeiffer. I am in Raleigh, North Carolina and I am a web content specialist. Ever since 1994, I have been working with the internet which is a year before the world wide web but I knew then that the internet was going to be my passion and it was going to be where I wanted to spend my career. I've been a webmaster, web marketer, web writer, web editor. Most recently I am a web content specialist. I write, publish, and edit content for web sites.
The last job I had was with developer works. IBM Developer works, an online site for developers. Now, I also am a photographer. I have two web sites. Pfeiffer photos.com and angel for me.com, which is -
PHILLIPS: You have gone past your 30 seconds. That's the first double bell in our 30-second pitch. I'm very impressed. I love it. Santa must be telling you to keep going, Melinda.
PFEIFFER: Yes, I didn't know what those bells were.
PHILLIPS: Now she knows. Well, your 37 seconds are up. And I tell you what, we're going to get your e-mail, all your information on our blog. Melinda, best of luck to you. Merry Christmas.
PFEIFFER: Merry Christmas. PHILLIPS: No doubt it's going to be a special holiday for you. You let us know what happens. All right.
PFEIFFER: Thank you very much.
PHILLIPS: You bet. And if you are out of work and you want to sell yourself to perspective employers, you can write a letter to Santa or you can just let us know let us know, send your resume and letter to 30-second pitch at CNN.com. Also if you want to hire a 30- second pitchers, like I said, just go to my blog, CNN.com/kyra. All their information and their e-mails like Melinda's will be right there.
Well, most assistant principals stand on the sidelines on the football field, cheering on the team and getting involved in the school spirit. But this assistant principal hovers above it in his Black Hawk helicopter. Why a 53-year-old school administrator in Georgia decided it was time to answer the call of duty. His story isn't just about education, it's about inspiration and we're talking to him, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: All right. Number of top stories developing right now. Let's get right to it.
Two embassies in Rome hit by bombs. The first explosion, a package bomb inside the mail room at the Swiss embassy. Second bomb later detonated at the Chilean embassy. Two people injured there. At this point, police checking all the embassies. A suspicious package was reported at the Ukrainian embassy. Luckily, that was ruled safe. No one has claimed responsibility for these bombings.
And after a week, this is the scene across parts of California. Can't really tell by all this, but believe it or not, those strong storms are moving east. And it's a good thing. Flash floods submerged a lot of homes and businesses. Streets are still under a thick blanket of mud and water. Some of those areas got more than 20 inches of rain.
And a big victory for Rahm Emanuel. After a three-day hearing, a Chicago elections board just ruled that the former chief of staff is in fact eligible to run for mayor. That means that Emanuel will appear on the ballot in February. This comes after rivals claimed Emaunel was technically not a Chicago resident and did not meet election requirements. But the board says the evidence shows otherwise.
All right. When you think of school administrators, you probably think of coats, ties and detention slips. But if you are in Alexander High School in Douglasville, Georgia you might think along the lines of fatigues and black hawk helicopters. This is how assistant principal George Chip makes an entrance and an exit.
(VIDEO CLIP) PHILLIPS: He is actually answering his other call of duty, signing up with the Georgia National Guard and volunteering to head to Iraq. Chief warrant officer George Chip now joining me live.
All right. You are 53 years old. You have got this great job. The kids love you. What's the deal? Why take this risk?
GEORGE CHIP, ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL, ALEXANDER HIGH SCHOOL: Well, I'm a solider. I started off in active duty years ago, then I joined the Army National Guard. And then after I saw the war on TV after having been out for ten years, I decided I should get back in and see what I could do to help my state and help my country.
After working as a human resource officer, the next thing I knew, they said we need some pilots. So, I thought, well, after all these years, 20 years later, I will give it a try. So far so good.
(LAUGHTER)
PHILLIPS: That's just amazing. Now, what do you think is tougher? Be honest with me. Dealing with teenagers in high school or fighting a war? Come on now.
CHIP: Well, the honest answer is, they are both challenging. And I love both jobs equally.
PHILLIPS: And what is it about serving? I mean, when you compare your two jobs - because you're right. You have a lot of challenges on both ends. It's obvious what you love, you know, within the high school. And your student rave about you.
But what is it about the military that, you know, wanted to pull you a different direction?
CHIP: Well, my father served in the Marine corps for 33 years. So, I grew up in a military family. So, as a result, eventually in life, I joined the Army. Much to his chagrin, because he was a Marine --
PHILLIPS: Of course. Oh, boy, those Marines are tough on those Army guys.
CHIP: Yes ma'am, they are.
But nonetheless, the idea that I could serve my country in the bigger area and arena is what excites me. When you work in your own school system, you can affect the lives of 1,900 kids. But when you work in the Army, you can affect the nation. So, it's a great challenge for me to serve.
PHILLIPS: Now, you have an ROTC program at your high school. How are those kids?
CHIP: They're terrific. They are wonderful children. They are so dedicated to their program. They have great instructors. We have a colonel and first sergeant. They're wonderful. We couldn't have better people.
PHILLIPS: Yes, I know. I have met a number of them this morning.
CHIP: Oh, wow!
PHILLIPS: We've got a little surprise for you, George!
CHIP: That's terrific! Good to see you, fellows! Hey, hey, what's happening?
PHILLIPS: So, guys - ladies and gentlemen -- what do you think about your vice principal here taking off to serve in Iraq? Does it make your nervous? Are you going to miss him around school?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes ma'am. I believe our ROTC unit and our whole school has missed Mr. Chip a lot, but I know he is doing what the nation called him to do.
PHILLIPS: When he landed in that field and that helicopter, how cool was that? Ashton, how did everybody respond, react? I mean, you guys are ROTC so you probably like, "Ooh, yeah. I love the black hawk." But how did it inspire the school and all of you?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That was amazing. We got out of second period to see that. It was amazing to get to sit in it just to see everything that he gets to do on a daily basis now.
PHILLIPS: What else, guys, and feel free to speak up. I know we've got Drew, Ashton, Colin, Tomas, Terrence, and also, did we get Antonio? Did you get - yes! Antonio, join the group. Good, I didn't see you early on. I know some have mikes and some have a stick mike, right?
Just throw it out whoever wants to respond. What has inspired all of you the most here? I mean, obviously, you see him at school. But military-wise what is it about him that is wanting you to participate in ROTC and want to be a part of the military?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I believe it's the way that Mr. Chip carries himself and the military stature. He has been like my mentor throughout my admissions process to West Point. So, I really appreciate Mr. Chip a lot for what he did.
PHILLIPS: Ooh, West Point! Terrence! All right, guys. Are we all headed to West Point? That's actually a pretty good goal.
Now, be honest. Has anyone been in detention here? Anybody been in the principal's office?
CHIP: Not this bunch.
PHILLIPS: You sure?
I didn't see yeses over here.
(LAUGHTER)
PHILLIPS: And so, tell me, Tomas - or Thomas. I always want to say Tomas because I speak Spanish. What was it like to have the black hawk land there at school, and how did it inspire the school? Not just ROTC, but everybody when that happened?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The landing was really good. He landed and everybody was really surprised. Everybody was like, oh, yes, a black hawk. Everybody was wanting to go on it, and everybody wants to touch everything. It was really cool.
I think a lot of people really look up to him now. I mean, they looked up to him before. But now that they know he is a soldier and he is defending our country, they really look up to him.
PHILLIPS: Interesting. It's a whole different perspective.
So, George, what do you tell - aww, he is getting teary eyed! The tough guy is getting teary eyed! I love it! What do you tell your young men and women as they stand around here in uniform? They are not just high schoolers and teens trying to pass their final exams. I mean, they really look to you as a role model. I mean, this is their future. They want to fight for our country. What do you tell them?
CHIP: Follow their dreams. Understand their country is a very special place that a lot of people worked very hard to build as strong as it is. And I expect them to stand up and do their part. And I am trying to at least lead them by example.
PHILLIPS: Colin, is he leading you by example?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Very much so.
PHILLIPS: How?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just the fact that he puts God and country before anything else. And how much he sacrifices for our country and his students.
PHILLIPS: It doesn't get much better than that, does it?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It really doesn't.
PHILLIPS: Terrence, I understand you put together something special for your leader here.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes ma'am.
On behalf of Lieutenant Colonel Sharon Franklin, first sergeant Arnold and the Alexander High School ROTC crew battalion, we would like to present to you, Mr. Chip, this award as a token of our appreciation for what you do in our country. Which read, "Presented to an American patriot for support of our soldiers in the Army National Guard who are defending freedom at home and around the world. The American flag in this case is a replica of those worn by Army National Guard soldiers. The flag insignia is reversed to suggest that the flag is flying in the breeze as the soldier moves forward."
And I would just like to say thank you, Mr. Chip, for all you do.
CHIP I appreciate this a lot. And I know all of Alpha company will appreciate this, too.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, sir.
PHILLIPS: Drew? Final thoughts as you send off your principal and your military leader.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One thought I have is good luck, Mr. Chip. And have a Merry Christmas and a happy new year.
CHIP: I plan to.
PHILLIPS: And come back safely. We know we all want you to come back safely. Congratulations, George. What an inspiration you are. Boy, I wish I had someone like you when I was in high school. It is pretty awesome, huh?
(CROSSTALK)
PHILLIPS: There you go! You taught them well. All right. Thanks so much. I hope you have a great holiday. Hope you enjoyed your surprise.
CHIP: Oh, I did.
PHILLIPS: OK, good. Keep in touch with us.
CHIP: I will.
PHILLIPS: All right.
Well the plastic is going spastic in the United Kingdom. Brits might be about to shatter shopping records. Looks like it's going be a pretty happy Christmas. Not just for George chip and the ROTC here, but retailers overseas. We're going to take you to Oxford Strait in just a few minutes.
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PHILLIPS: Here is a Christmas light display that would make Clark Griswald blush. But it's not just a display, it's a production set to music. It's in Perth, Australia. And the homeowner uses about 65,000 lights, more than four miles of cable to pull this off. Visitors are asked to donate money for a children's charity. You can probably see it from space, actually.
You think you are running out of shopping time? Those folks in Perth have 13 fewer hours than New Yorkers. Let's see how well retailers are doing outside the U.S., starting with CNN International's Anna Coren in Hong Kong. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANNA COREN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I'm Anna Coren in Causeway Bay, one of Hong Kong's busiest shopping centers. And just days away from Christmas, this place is absolutely packed. Now, the Chinese don't traditionally celebrate Christmas, but considering Hong Kong is a former British colony, this holiday is certainly on the calendar. As you can tell from the lavish Christmas decorations and displays. Some shopping malls spending millions in U.S. dollars.
Now, more and more mainland Chinese are actually coming here to Hong Kong to shop where luxury goods are significantly cheaper, thanks to the absence in sales taxes. In fact, the Hong Kong tourism board says the number of visitors from the mainland is up almost 30 percent, which means retailers can expect a bump for Christmas.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: And let's bring it back to this hemisphere, shall we, and see what it looks like in Cuba.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PATRICK OPPMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Patrick Oppmann in Havana, where for decades, Christmas was not celebrated officially. The government has since restored Christmas as a holiday here. But around the capital, you see few Christmas trees or decorations.
People are out on the street behind me doing some Christmas shopping, but economic tough times means in Cuba, you don't see too many packed malls or stores. What people do do though, is noche bueno, a traditional Christmas Eve gathering with their families and loved ones.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: And in our next stop, it's the United Kingdom. Nothing subdued about the shoppping season there. Brits keeping retailers busier than ever. Let's check in with CNN's Jim Boulden. He's in London. Hey, Jim.
JIM BOULDEN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi. Well you remember, of course, on Saturday we had this massive snowstorm here in the UK, and a lot of people couldn't get out to the shops. That would have been the busiest day. So, some people are predicting that today, Thursday, is going to be the busiest shopping day.
We're here at (INAUDIBLE) in central London. Of course, an American created shop many, many years ago. And the store is packed. They're not sure whether today or tomorrow, which would be the last shopping day, will be busiest.
But we've displayed some of the things that have been shopped very well, including this oak bag. $1,400. I'm told oak is the new black. I don't know. $80 headsets. Even Hershey bars. If you want to spend six dollars on this Hershey bar. So, some American products are doing pretty well.
The question is, some -- Visa actually thinks this could be the biggest shopping day in the history of the UK. We had the recession last year, and next year will be the austerity measures and a lot of public sector workers are going to lose their jobs. So the thought is that maybe a lot of people will shop this week, because this could be the last of the good times for awhile anyway.
PHILLIPS: All right, Jim. Are you going to get a little business done while you're there? You might as well.
BOULDEN: Absolutely. I have already done three bits and have a bit more to do before the shops close tonight.
PHILLIPS: There you go. Jim Boulden, thanks.
The coach of the New York jets wants to be answering questions about the Chicago game coming up this week. Instead he is answering questions about a video posted online. Something to do with a foot fetish.
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PHILLIPS: This is a crazy story. The coach of the New York Jets probably wants to be dealing with the game coming up this weekend in Chicago. Instead, he has been fielding questions about videos like these.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Okay. You don't have to put your feet in. You can leave them out.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Are you sure?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, oh, yes. In fact, you have really beautiful feet.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you. You know --
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: According to the Web site Deadspin, who actually broke the story, that is the voice of coach Rex Ryan talking to his wife. These are, according to Deadspin, foot fetish videos. What a perfect way to introduce a new friend to our show. NPR sports pro Mike Pesca.
Mike, I got to tell you, I am a little creeped out here. Tell me if I should be or not. We'll talk about the coach's uncomfortable news conference in just a moment. But first of all hat's going on here?
MIKE PESCA, NPR SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: I cannot begin to plum the depths of Rex Ryan's personal taste. But journalistically, what is going on, is Deadspin, which you just mentioned, behaves by a couple of rules that most journalistic organizations don't. First of all, they don't really have standards. If it's something salacious, they put it up. And second of all, they pay for information. I don't think -- I don't know, but I don't think in this case that that footage was bought. Although it was Deadspin that broke the story about Brett Favre texting a Jets employee. And that stuff was broke (ph).
So, Deadspin decides it's a story, and tabloids can't get enough of this stuff. But no one has really made the case that this is in any way a legitimate story. It's not illegal. It's not immoral. The man is married and so --
(PHONE RINGS)
PHILLIPS: He is calling you right now!
(LAUGHTER)
PESCA: Yes.
PHILLIPS: Mike Pesca, what the hell are you doing?
PESCA: Yes, he's calling to say why is the media going crazy about this.
(LAUGHTER)
PESCA: "Why are you guys talking about this so much?" And the answer is it's not sports reporters who packed the Jets' press conference. It's entertainment and tabloid reporters. And people are asking, are you going to be distracted? And distractions are what you make of them.
So, Rex Ryan sort of bandied about six questions. Just said no comment, and it probably will go away and probably won't affect the Jets performance on Sunday.
PHILLIPS: All right. Let's get to the press conference. We have got a clip of Coach Ryan. He's trying to talk about the upcoming game. Let's listen in.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REX RYAN, COACH, NEW YORK JETS: This is a personal matter. And I'm not going discuss it.
You know, and I understand, you know, I'm going to get this asked this question front ways, sideways and all this. It is a personal matter.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: Okay. So, clearly he doesn't want to talk about it. But do you think at some point, he's going to have to? PESCA: No, I probably don't. There is an easy way to handle this, which is to not handle it. Or if someone above him in the organization, if the owner, Woody Johnson, if Mike Tanenbaum, the GM of the Jets, were to come out and forcibly say, you know, this is ridiculous to harp on, and it's his wife. If nothing else, the guy is guilty of having excessive love for his wife. What's so wrong about that?
And people are having a laugh at this and making a lot of fun of it. I see that CNN uses the word footage in quotes in its labeling. And that's fine and that's fun. But I don't think that anyone is really thinking that this is something that Rex Ryan has to answer for.
Rex Ryan loves getting media attention. He's brash. He loves putting himself out there, so you could argue that he brought it on himself. But in many ways, it is unfair to call into question his football judgment when you are talking about foot videos!
PHILLIPS: There are a number of videos out there whether he leaked them, she leaked them. I mean, you know - you have seen them.
PESCA: I don't think they leaked them.
PHILLIPS: You don't think they did?
PESCA: No, I don't think they did.
PHILLIPS: You don't now how Deadspin got these, but what do we know about his wife and her background and you know, the foot fetish thing?
PESCA: Her name is Michelle, she's 47. Rex -- the one thing of substance he said in the press conference, Coach Ryan did was she is beautiful and he loves her. My theory on who leaked them? I think it was the punter for the Giants because he wanted the media off his neck after his terrible performance last week.
But people say this falls within the context of the Jets constantly creating distractions for themselves. There are some things the Jets have done over the course of the year that you have to blame the Jets for. They - I don't want to use the term sexual harassment, that's a legal term - they at least behaved ungentlemanly towards a female reporter in the locker room.
They had an assistant coach trip another player. And that is a case of horrible sportsmanship. And they had a player who was accused and arrested for a DUI. Those are all things that could be distractions. And the Jets - I think their record is they have won twice and lost once after those incidents. This really is a media creation, and I don't see it really being the kind of distraction that an assistant coach doing something unprecedented and unsportsmanlike - that's a real distraction.
PHILLIPS: I bet a lot of people will be watching Sunday's game. NPR's Mike Pesca. I appreciate you having a little fun with us. Thanks, Mike.
PESCA: You are welcome.
PHILLIPS: Tis the season for cheesy holiday photos. If you thought your family was bad, well, we will show you the best of the worst.
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PHILLIPS: That was the wrong music. Here we go. Let's get in the mood.
Well, every day at this time, we honor the men and women in uniform who have given their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan for all of us. And we call it "Home and Away."
Today, we are lifting up captain Robert Yllescas from Lincoln, Nebraska. He died from wounds suffered in a roadside bomb attack in Afghanistan. His wife, Deena, wrote into us and said, "When Rob came home from work his uniform and boots came off. He focused all of his attention on playing with his two little girls and spending quality time with the three of us. The loss of Rob has made a huge hole in our hearts and lives, but fortunately, we are blessed with supportive friends and family. Rob believed in serving his country. He understood the risks, and if we did not have soldiers like my husband and all the others, it is scary to know where our country would be."
Well, if you have a loved one that you would like us to honor, here's all you have to do. Go to CNN.com/homeandaway, type in your service member's name in the upper right hand search field, pull up the profile. Send us your thoughts, your pictures. We promise keep the memory of your hero alive.
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PHILLIPS: Anyone who ever posed for holiday photos will appreciate the annual awkward photo contest where you can be a winner by looking like a loser. Here's our Jeanne Moos.
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JEANNE MOOS, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): 'Tis the season of photo opportunities, posing and poking.
(SINGING) jingle bells, jingle bells
MOOS: Poking and placing. And if it doesn't always feel jolly in the moment --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just take a damn picture!
MOOS: Maybe it will become jolly with age which is why a website called awkwardfamilyphotos holds an annual holiday contest.
DOUG CHERNACK, CO-CREATOR, AWKWARDFAMILYPHOTOS.COM: The holidays are the most awkward times of the year.
MOOS: Folks send in photos featuring awkward-looking outfits, people posing in awkward positions, a kid tight up in Christmas lights and other chewing on a cord.
CHERNACK: That cause a little bit of a firestorm on the site.
MOOS (on-camera): But we've been assured no babies were harmed in the taking of these photos. The kid chewing the cord is alive and well, all grown up now.
MOOS (voice-over): The winner of the awkward holiday photo contest might seem ordinary at first glance, until you notice that little Calvin Muser (ph) is flipping the bird. Now, it's come home to roost almost four decades later.
When did your parents realize that you were flipping them off?
(LAUGHTER)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK. So, when my parents were recently digetizing their old slides a couple of years ago, they found it. And they had never noticed it before.
MOOS (on-camera): But Calvin's parents didn't think the photo was so funny, they threw it out. He actually had to rescue it from the trash.
MOOS (voice-over): From garbage can to first place winner, it's entitled Bernie. White Christmas came in second. The white part is a guy named Scott.
SCOTT BURCKHARD, GUY WHO SENT PHOTOS: Scott Burckhard.
MOOS: Scott, are you dressed?
BURCKHARD: For the most part, yes.
MOOS: Same goes for the photo, Scott is wearing gym shorts and some say, what's with dad, creepy. The family sent this out as their Christmas card. Some were riveted by Scott's toes.
What exactly is with the red toenail polish?
BURCKHARD: It's not red toenail polish.
MOOS: Scott says he dropped the wood stove on his foot.
BURCKHARD: I've got (INAUDIBLE) my phone, I can send you a current photo right now and you can see that they're definitely a brownish/blue shade and not red.
MOOS: From toes to fingers. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't remember why I did it, but I remember doing it. And I remember getting away with it until now.
MOOS: Jeanne Moos, CNN --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just take the damn picture!
MOOS: New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: Tony, I don't even know how to segue you from that.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Kyra, it wasn't the discoloration of the toes. It wasn't the red toenail polish. It was the --
PHILLIPS: Or the hairy legs or the bare chest or the man boobs?
HARRIS: It was the jam between the toes.
PHILLIPS: Oh, gosh! Tony!
HARRIS: I just did that for you.
And for you.
Have a great day, Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Yes. Happy Holidays, pal. No awkward moments with us.
HARRIS: See you tomorrow.
