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Violent Protests in Yemen; Obama Unveils 2012 Budget

Aired February 14, 2011 - 10:00   ET

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

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: It's about 10:00 on the button, 7:00 a.m. in Bakersfield. How do you trim $1 trillion and change? We're going to find out in just a few minutes. President Obama giving us detail on the massive budget cuts that he's planning.

We begin this hour though in Egypt, and what had been the epicenter of the uprising. Today the crowds have mostly disappeared from Tahrir Square but the challenges of forming a democracy loomed overhead. In fact, just three days after toppling the President Hosni Mubarak, some protesters gather today say that democracy is jus taking too long. Elections are still six months away.

Egypt's military now running the country, the constitution is dissolved and parliament is disbanded. After a weekend of strikes, closed banks, and paralyzed businesses, the military says it will ban all work stoppages. And remembering the human cost of the revolution, Egyptians are gathering at a makeshift memorial on the square. At least 100 people died in that violence but some anti-government leaders say that toll is likely much higher.

Now the successful protests have sent a new energy through similar movement in other Arab states. In Yemen, protests turned pretty violent today when an anti-government rally was squashed by supporters of the long-time president. The two sides first threw rocks at each other, and then things turned pretty ugly. Daggers being thrown into the mix. Witnesses say it was the pro-government demonstrators who had the weapons.

Yemen's growing instability is of particular concern to Washington because they fear if the U.S.-backed president is toppled, terrorists can build on the foothold that they already have there.

As we watch the world changing events overseas, naturally, we wonder how do those events ripple across the Atlantic, over here. CNN national security contributor Fran Townsend joins us now from Washington. You know, there are so many concerns right now with regard to the impact on national security. Right now, Fran, what are your sources telling you inside the White House? Is it the Muslim Brotherhood that is the main concern? It's the most organized organization right now in Egypt.

FRAN TOWNSEND, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CONTRIBUTOR: That's right, Kyra. By the way, Happy Valentine's day to you. You know, the concern here is while the Muslim Brotherhood is very week politically right now in Egypt, the fact is that the neighbors of Egypt have extremist groups that could act to flood resources, arms, weapons, expertise to the Muslim Brotherhood and have them revert to a more extremist organization, which is their heritage and their history.

Now I will tell you, Kyra, I have tremendous confidence - the Egyptian military is a very professional organization. They understand the threat and it's in their own Egyptian self interest to make sure that doesn't happen. I expect that the military to military relationship both with the United States and Egypt's allies will remain very strong, and the Egyptian military will be very sensitive to making sure that while they're dealing with the opposition and they're dealing with the protesters to bring democracy to Egypt, that they're careful to prevent extremists from infiltrating and taking advantage of the current chaos.

PHILLIPS: Well, and then you've got this controversy over the time line of when elections should be held. You know, they're supposed to be in six months, but Mohammed Elbaradei is saying you need at least a year to have fair and free elections. What's your take? I mean, how soon can it happen in a fair manner?

TOWNSEND: Well, the problem here is when we think about having free and fair elections, I think there's a natural passion, if you will, to say, why not do it right away? What people need to appreciate, and we saw this in Iraq, where there is not a history and a tradition of political parties, voter rolls and registration, in order to ensure free and fair elections, there's a lot of work that has to be done. You know, bureaucratically to be able to make sure that happens as you say in a free and fair way. So, frankly, I think September is about as good as you can hope for, and Mr. Elbaradei may be correct, it may take longer than that.

PHILLIPS: Fran Townsend, we're going to keep watching it every single day. That's for sure. Thanks for weighing in.

TOWNSEND: Sure.

PHILLIPS: Right now, the U.S. national debt is $14.1 trillion, and today President Obama submits his 2012 budget to Congress. It includes a five-year freeze on non-security discretionary spending. The White House says that will save about $400 billion over 10 years. But non-security domestic spending only makes up about 10 percent of all federal spending and some critics say that we are not really attacking the budget problem as we should.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm waiting for the politician to get up and say there's only one way to do this. You dig into the big four, Medicare, Medicaid, social security and defense, and anybody giving you anything different than that, you want to walk out the door, stick your finger down your throat and give them the green wienie.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: OK. So if we were to follow Allan Simpson's advice, that's a lot of green wienies to dole out, I should say. And now today is just the first step in a convoluted process. Next up, at least 30 congressional committees weigh in, 24 sub committees too and there's the countless hearings and of course, the floor votes in the House and the Senate. The plan is to have a formal federal budget in place by October 1st, the start of the 2012 fiscal year.

And by the way, that was the plan last year, and Congress never passed a budget for fiscal year 2011. At the moment, it is running on an emergency budget that expires on March 4th.

The middle part of the country in for a warming trend apparently but other sections are watching for damaging winds. Rob Marciano is all over it.

ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Got a couple pieces of video that we want to start you off with. Because it's been so cold across much of the country, and at one point there was some snow in Florida, probably not this much though. I want to take you to west Palm Beach where they trucked in 70 tons of man-made snow to do the Red Bull Buttercup, a competitor's game from as far north as North Carolina (INAUDIBLE) and tear it up.

All right. In the obligatory polar bear plunge in a more Arctic like place, Portland, Oregon, over the weekend. This is probably the (INAUDIBLE) where it is pretty chilly this time of the year, no doubt about it. The air temperatures went to 40. They all did that to raise money for the Special Olympics.

All right. Talk about wind, parts of Washington saw some wind damage over the weekend, and high wind warnings posted for Washington, Oregon coastline with this system that is pretty strong that's heading into northern California and parts of southern Oregon as well. From sailing into Seattle, we are looking at some rainfall here. Some of them heavy at times and also some snow across parts of the mountains.

And we have high wind advisories out for parts of the northeast with winds that are gusting well over 10 miles an hour, and in some cases over 30 miles an hour over parts of upstate New York. Could see winds in this area gust up to 50 miles an hour. So it's going to lead to some travel delays. We are already seeing some delays at the New York City airports.

Mention this, as far as the warm-up in the central part of the country. Check out some of these daytime highs yesterday, records in Nebraska, the warm-up in the central part of the country. Check out some of these daytime highs yesterday for our records in Nebraska Imperial seeing 72, Kearney, Nebraska 71, Colorado Springs 71, and even international Falls, we like to call it the icebox of the country. They had a record high as well of 46 degrees.

Chicago has shed almost half of its snow pack that they saw from just last week. So these temperatures will continue to uphold. Some spots that were minus 30 last week, 70 this week, a 100-degree swing. So it's been quite a warm-up. Kyra, back over to you.

PHILLIPS: OK. Thanks, Rob

And talk about an action packed Grammys. Big winners, big upsets. And Lady Gaga hatching from an egg. We got all the buzz from the awards show.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: All right. Some good news for screen legend Elizabeth Taylor. Her reps say she's in stable condition and expected to make a full recovery. Taylor checked into Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in L.A. last week after having symptoms of congestive heart failure. No word yet on when she may be released. Taylor has a long list of medical problems. She actually underwent heart surgery in 2009. She's 78 years old.

The Grammy Awards packed with show-stopping moments, bizarre costumes and big upsets, oh, yes, and a roving egg. "Showbiz Tonight" host A.J. Hammer is standing by. So Justin Bieber didn't win, Lady Gaga pops out of an egg. It was a bit of a wild night?

A.J. HAMMER, HOST "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT": It was wild night. And I thought it was a great show. It was great Grammys spirit last night. The whole show kicked of by showing a whole lot of respect as an all- star group of divas paid a great tribute to maybe the greatest diva of all time, the queen of soul herself, Aretha Franklin. Let's listen to a bit of that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(MUSIC PLAYING)

HAMMER: Yes, sisters and ladies were definitely getting it done. Country trio Lady Antebellum had a huge night. They won five trophies including record of the year and song of the year for their huge hit "Need You Now." Another lady, Gaga picked up here own trio of trophies after yes, arriving on the red carpet inside an egg, of course, and then belting out her long awaited new song, "Born This Way." Now the song has really sent the blogosphere ablaze with a lot of people claiming it sounded a whole lot like Madonna's huge hit "Express Yourself" from 1989. And curiously, Madonna's 1989 performance of "Express Yourself" from the MTV Music Awards happened to be uploaded to the pop legend's official Youtube page this weekend.

And even Madonna's brother Christopher told radaronline "all I can say is what the (expletive). It sounds just like "Express Yourself." I can't believe it to tell you the truth. Listen to Gaga's song for yourself and decide.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(MUSIC PLAYING)

HAMMER: Yes, maybe a little. Well, there's a little something for everyone throughout the show. Bob Dylan appeared. He growled out his tune "Ain't Going to Work on Maggie's Farm No More." Barbra Streisand proved her voice still "Evergreen." She sang that classic and even Mick Jagger got up on the Grammy stage for the very first time, which means and this is even strange to say he and Justin Bieber now have something in common. Because the "Biebs" also made his Grammy debut but the big Bieber shocker of the night. The 16-year-old superstar left the Grammy Awards empty handed and an even bigger surprise to a lot of people, Canadian rockers Arcade Fire winning the coveted album of the year award, even they couldn't believe it. The first thing out of frontman Butler's mouth, well, listen for yourself to what he said.

HAMMER: Well, he basically said, what the expletive. And as predicted by one of our all-star panelist on our "Showbiz Tonight Pre- Grammy Special" here on CNN, the Montreal based indy band did beat out the huge frontrunner Eminem. That's who everybody was gunning for. He came into the show with a leading 10 nominations. Combine that with jazz bassist singer Esperanza Spalding's surprise win in the best new artist category and yes, all I can say is this was an amazing year for underdogs. And like I said, Kyra, I love the show. It was all about the performances last night.

PHILLIPS: It was performances and costumes. We didn't mention the Muppets.

HAMMER: We didn't mention the Muppets. Cee Lo Green with special appearance by Gwyneth Paltrow in amazing costumes, that to me was getting a lot of play on both sides.

PHILLIPS: It is hot.

HAMMER: That to me was the highlight of the night. I love that.

PHILLIPS: I agree. I thought it was totally hot. They were great together.

This surprised me, the Canadians, they got a great music scene out there. But Justin Bieber, he's Canadian, too. But he's got many years ahead to win plenty of Grammys, wouldn't you say?

HAMMER: I think "the Biebs" is just going to do just fine. I think the best new artist thing was a bit of an upset just because of his level of popularity. But Spalding Esperanza, wow. Now, immediately, by the way, I should point out 2,500 people signed up to follow her on Twitter, instantly the moment she won. A lot of people didn't even know her name before.

PHILLIPS: Yes. It doesn't surprise me. Thanks, A.J..

HAMMER: You got it.

PHILLIPS: Well, the president officially releases his budget in the next few minutes. And with all the turmoil overseas, what will happen to the money used to protect Americans.

Our Barbara Starr is going to break that down for us. And talk about with the new budget will have on the U.S. defense.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: All right. The president's 2012 budget hot off the printer, and he is expected to talk about this spending plan of his in just a few minutes at this school in Maryland. There's some painful cuts tucked away in those blueprints. About half of all government agencies would actually see their funding reduced from last year's levels.

Airports, heat subsidies, education grant, all of these could take a hit, and also defense spending, and that's where Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr comes into play. She is standing by to watch this as well. And Barbara, this is going to take place at the Parkville Middle School and Center of Technology here in Parkville, Maryland. And as we wait for the president to come out and speak, let's talk about how this will impact spending on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, Kyra, here at the Pentagon, still plenty of spending, plenty of big-dollar figures. The 2012 budget looks like it's going to shape up this way. About $553 billion in spending to be requested. Now, that's actually about a five percent or so increase in spending over last year, accordingly to some experts' calculations. That's the highest budget ever at the Pentagon, and that doesn't even begin to account for the $100 billion or so still being spent to fight the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, another $30 billion on top of that from actually the Department of Energy to help run the nation's nuclear weapons facilities and capabilities.

So where's the budget cut around here? Well, they are talking about a cut of $78 billion over the next five years, but those cuts are coming in some of these weapons programs way down the road when Defense secretary Robert Gates is expected to be long gone from office. He's already dealing, of course, with a Republican majority in the House, so there's going to be plenty of political friction for him to get the budget cuts that he wants in some of these big weapons spending programs.

Let me tell you - how sensitive is all of this around here right now? Well, the idea today is that the only message the Pentagon wants to put out is about the budget. We in the press corps just got this e-mail from the press secretary here at the Pentagon saying when the secretary of Defense comes out at 2:00 for a press conference, we are only allowed to ask him about the budget, and we can't ask him any other topic, says Geoff Morrell, the press secretary. That mean, don't ask him about Egypt. We will see at 2:00 what the press corps decides to ask the secretary. Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Yes. We'll definitely be interested and of course, we're going to take it live. Well, can I ask you about military health care? This is something we cover a on the program, and how it could be impacted, Barbara.

STARR: Right. You have talked about this so much, Kyra, and that is one of the programs, in fact, that everybody is watching. The Defense Department spends billions every year on - think of it as routine health care for the military troops. This is not for the wounded or the injured in the war. These are active duty military personnel, their families, their dependents. This health care costs by any measure, the Pentagon says, have been skyrocketing out of control. What they want to do is raise the co-pay that military members have to pay for their families to get this health care. That is going to be another political buzz saw for Defense secretary Robert Gates. There's a lot of opposition on Capitol Hill. The military lobby is very strong. That's going to be another test case in his final six months or so in office. Can Bob Gates, who so far has gotten almost everything he wants from Congress - can he get this, too, before he goes? Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right. Well, Barbara, we're going to monitor it right here along with you. Waiting for the president once again to step up and speak on his budget-related talk there in Maryland at the Parkville Middle School and Center of Technology, going to talk about key priorities in 2012 when it comes to his budget and the cuts that he plans to make.

All right. It's all the rage during this year's fashion week. But we are not talking about hemlines or couture. It's the designers behind the collections. Asian-American fashionistas taking over.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: All right. We're talking the president's budget. He is live now at the Parkville Middle School and Center of Technology in Parkville, Maryland. Listen in.

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: ... I am here at Parkville Middle School and Center of Technology, outside of Baltimore, with Secretary Arne Duncan and budget director Jack Lew. And I just came to Parkville on a day we are unveiling our budget, and I'm doing so for a reason, but before I do that, I just want to thank Principal Buddy Parker, who is showing us around as well as Susan Yoder, the eighth grade science teacher who we just visited with in her classroom.

Over the last few weeks, I've traveled the country talking about what we need do to win the future. Talked about the need to invest in innovation so that the next big idea is discovered here in the United States of America. We talked about the need to invest in high speed rail and high speed internet so that companies can move goods and information faster than ever and this week I'll be talking about the need to invest in education in places like Parkville so that every American is equipped to compete with any worker anywhere in the world. These investments are an essential part of the budget my administration is sending to Congress because I'm convinced that if we out build, out innovate and out educate as well as out hustle the rest of the world, the jobs and industries of our time will take root here in the Unites States, our people will prosper and our country will succeed.

But I'm also convinced that the only way we can make these investments in our future is if our government stars living within its means, if we start taking responsibility for our deficits, and that's why when I was sworn in as president, I pledged to cut the deficit in half by the end of my first term. The budget I'm proposing today meets that pledge and puts us on a path to pay for what we spend by the middle of the decade. We do this in part by eliminating waste and cutting whatever spending we can do without.

As I start - as a start, I called for a freeze on annual domestic spending over the next five years. This freeze would cut the deficit by more than $400 billion over the next decade, bringing this kind of spending, domestic discretionary spending, to its lowest share of our economy since Dwight Eisenhower was our president.

Let me repeat that. Because of our budget, this share of spending will be at its lowest level since Dwight Eisenhower was president. That level of spending is lower than it was under the last three administrations, and it will be lower than it was under Ronald Reagan. Now, some of the savings will come through less waste and more efficiency. To take just one example. By getting rid of 14,000 office buildings, lots and government owned properties we no longer need, we can save taxpayers billions of dollars.

When it comes to programs we do need, we are making them work better by demanding accountability. Instead of spending first and asking questions later, we are rewarding folks inside and outside government who deliver results and to make sure that special interests are lining (ph) up legislation with pet projects that I have pledged to veto any bill that contains earmarks.

Still, even as we cut waste and inefficiency, this budget freeze will require some tough choices. It will mean cutting things that I care deeply about. For example, community action programs in low income neighborhoods and towns, and community development block grants that so many of our cities and states rely on. But, if we're going to walk the walk when it comes to fiscal discipline, these kinds of cuts will be necessary.

I'm also looking forward to working with members of both parties to take steps beyond this budget freeze because cutting annual domestic spending won't be enough to meet our long-term fiscal challenges. As the bipartisanship fiscal commission concluded, the only way to truly tackle our deficit is to cut excessive spending wherever we find it. Domestic spending, defense spending, health care spending, and spending through tax breaks and loopholes.

So what we have done here is make a down payment. But there's going to be more work that needs to be done, and it's going to require Democrats and Republicans coming together to make it happen. We have begun to do some of this with $78 billion in cuts in the Defense Department's budget plan. By adding tax breaks for oil and gas companies, and through billions of dollars of savings from wasteful health spending. Savings we'll use to make sure doctors don't see their reimbursements slashed and that they stay in the system seeing patients.

But here's the thing. While it's absolutely essential to live within our means, while we are absolutely committed to working with Democrats and Republicans to find further savings, and to look at the whole range of budget issues, we can't sacrifice our future in the process. Even as we cut out things that we can afford to do without, we have a responsibility to invest in those areas that will have the biggest impact in our future. And that's especially true when it comes to education. Right now, this school, Parkville, is preparing our kids for the jobs and careers of the 21st century. It's a school that nurtures what students are passionate about and prepares them for success. Students in the magnet program here start out by taking courses in each of four subjects, from applied engineering to environmental science, gradually focusing their studies on one subject over the next couple of years.

I'm told the most popular subject at this school is engineering, and that's important because today the most common educational background for America's top business leaders isn't economics. It's not finance. It's not even business. It's engineering. Engineering and math. Critical thinking, problem solving. This are the kinds of subjects and skills that our kids need to achieve success in the 21st century.

That's why we're spearheading a drive to prepare more than 10,000 new math and science teachers over the next five years and train over 100,000 more current teachers in those fields. That's why we're pushing forward on a race to the top in our schools that has led over 40 states to raise their standards for teaching and learning for less than one percent of what we spend on education each year. That's why we're protecting the more than $800 increase that we added to the most widely used federal scholarships and making the tough choices to put them on a firm footing for years to come. That's why we're on track to meet the goal that I set when I took office. By 2020, America will once again have the highest proportion of college graduates in the world.

I know the American people understand why this is so important. And I think that those of us who are working in Washington need to understand why these investments in the future are so important as well. I mentioned in my weekly radio address, a letter that I recently got from a woman named Brenda Breese. Brenda's a mom and a special ed teacher in Missouri, and her husband David lost his job when the local Chrysler plant shut down. So, money's been tight for the family, and they've had to sacrifice the little things that they can do without.

One thing that Brenda knows she can't afford to sacrifice is her daughter Rachel's education, and that's why she's looking as we speak for a second job to help put Rachel through college and ensure, as she told me, that the money is there to help Rachel with her future.

What's true for Brenda's family is true for the larger American family. Education is an investment that we need to win the future. Just like innovation is an investment that we need to win the future. Just like infrastructure is an investment that we need to win the future.

And to make sure that we can afford these investments, we're going to have to get serious about cutting back on those things that would be nice to have but we can do without. That's what families across the country do every day. They live within their means, and they invest in their families' futures. It's time we did the same thing as a country. That's how we're going to get our fiscal house in order. That's how we'll grow our economy and attract new jobs to our shores. And that's how we'll win the future in the 21st century. Thanks very much, everybody.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Checking stories that have us talking today. Just a few minutes ago, you saw President Obama here on CNN officially releasing his 2012 budget. He says it reflects deep and widespread cuts that will shave hundreds of billions of dollars from the deficit. But Republicans are already ripping into it. They say his proposed spending will actually add more than $7 trillion to the deficit over the next decade.

And looking ahead at 2012, Republicans Ron Paul wins early backing from conservatives. The Texas congressman won the presidential straw poll at this weekend's CPAC gathering. The Conservative Political Action Conference chose Mitt Romney as the runner up.

And we now know the wedding party for Britain's Prince William. His younger brother, Prince Harry, will be the best man. And the bride-to-be, Kate Middleton, has named her sister as maid of honor.

New update on Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and her long recovery back from last month's gunshot wound to the head. She's been relearning how to speak by lip-syncing children's songs, such as "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star." She also talked to her brother-in-law by phone from the international space station.

Egypt, a nation reborn. A democracy only a few days old, and what can be more democratic than this? Some protesters have already returned to Tahrir Square. Their beef? Well, just three days after overthrowing a dictator, they say democracy is already taking too long. Elections still six months away.

Until then, Egypt's military is running the country. The constitution is dissolved, the parliament disbanded, and the military has also said it will no longer allow strikes and is running out of patience with the continued protests.

Egypt is not the first domino to fall, however. It began with Tunisia, where weeks of protests there overthrew the president. Now, there are protests in Yemen and Algeria. In Yemen, protesters gathered over the weekend, calling for political reform. There are reports that police actually beat back demonstrators with sticks and daggers.

Then in Algeria, hundreds of people took to the streets, vowing to demonstrate every weekend until the government is changed. Today, Algeria's foreign minister says the 19-year-old state of emergency will end within days.

Well, stock market opening bell rang just about an hour ago. Checking the numbers right now. Dow Industrials down 20 points.

More and more of you buying flowers, cards for Valentine's Day. Spending it actually up from last year, according to our business news correspondent Stephanie Elam. So, OK. Love is still in the air. That's good. Everybody's happy. Everybody's sharing that love.

STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: You know, Kyra, think about it. The last couple of years have been rough on Americans. The economy was just not where we would have liked it to have been. Things are feeling better this year, and so people feel like they can spend a little bit more.

In fact, according to Ivis (ph) World Research, $18.6 billion -- that's how much Americans will spend on loved ones this Valentine's Day. If you break that down, that is nearly six percent more than last year, and if you break it down by average person, the National Retail federation says that is over 116 bucks we're spending, and that's up nearly 13 percent from last year. So everyone's feeling a little bit differently now.

We talked about it a little bit with Rob last hour, but when it comes down to how things split between men and women, the men totally spend more money than the women do. I don't know if that's a total surprise at all, actually. But the average man spends, oh, close to $159 while the average woman spends just close to $76. This is again coming from the National Retail Federation.

But you look at all the things that you can get out there. You have the cards, you've got candy, you've got romantic getaways, flowers, jewelry. All of those things, yes, they make up a lot. But do you know what most people spend their money on? Do you have any guesses on what most people spend their money on?

PHILLIPS: Do you mean during Valentine's Day?

ELAM: Yes. What it is, the most expensive thing --

PHILLIPS: Got to be chocolate or flowers, right?

ELAM: Most people -- it's actually dining out. Think about all the restaurants that people are trying to book for reservations.

PHILLIPS: Hot dates!

ELAM: Yes, all the hot dates, right? You have to go out to dinner so you can - you got to woo them so, you know, you can have a good evening, right? Well, dinner is really what it is. And according to some of the research we have here, $8.8 billion will be spent on just dinner tonight across America. So, people looking to eat out there.

People also spending on their pets, and let's keep in mind Valentine's Day is on a Monday this year, so people are also spending on their co-workers, classmates and teachers, and also on their friends. About five bucks on average is what they are spending there, Kyra. Friends and love.

PHILLIPS: And what about your hubby? What has he done, or what is he going to do? ELAM: I love it because he is probably watching this now. We have a sick baby, so we are both just watching her and seeing if she's OK. So, I don't expect anything at all. I got a great guy, I got a great baby. I'm happy.

PHILLIPS: There you go. All right, Steph, thanks so much. Very good. You have everything in perspective.

All right, every bride has a wedding checklist, right? The dress, the cake, the groom. Well, not necessary in this situation. Meet the woman who actually planned her walk down the aisle without meeting Mr. Right. We'll talk to her next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: So a would-be bride planned the perfect wedding, worth $55,000. She had the dress, she set the date: February 15th, 2011. The only thing missing from Lisa Linehan's big day, well, the groom. Lisa started planning her trip down the aisle a year ago in hopes that she would find her perfect guy by her wedding day. All of it part of Project Husband. And she documented her quest, even gaining some fans along the way.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LISA LINEHAN, BRIDE WITHOUT A FIANCE: Hi, Tiffany, nice to meet you. You guys actually already have your grooms, right?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

(LAUGHTER)

LINEHAN: I'm still looking for my man.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Well, she went on dozens of dates, but Lisa still didn't find a man who was husband material. So, now she's giving away her dream wedding, sponsored by various businesses who loved her man mission.

Lisa Lyon joining us now live from Dallas. So, Lisa, this is a pretty unconventional way to try to land a husband. I'm curious. How did you come up with his idea?

LINEHAN: Well, I was at a good friend's wedding at New York City about a year ago, and it struck me that if I planned my wed a year in advance, then I'd get married, too. And it was as simple as that thought. But it became something with legs and it became much bigger than myself. And it's been a fantastic journey.

PHILLIPS: OK, now, how did men respond? Did you tell them and explain to them what you were doing? Did they feel pressure? Did they think you were crazy, or did they love it?

LINEHAN: All of the above, really. I had some who approached me initially and said I want the same exact things you want. I think you're amazing. Let's get to know each other. I had others say I thought this was crazy, but I still wanted to meet you, and actually, you're pretty normal and you're pretty cool. Let's hang out. So, it really was across the board as far as reactions go, but mainly just a lot of fun.

PHILLIPS: OK, so I want to know why didn't you land the perfect guy then? What happened?

LINEHAN: I think that part of what happened is that you truly can't hurry love, and that it occurs on some other time line and certainly not mine. I was hoping I could plan a project to have this perfect wedding and find my soul mate. And I think love is just something that can't be measured or forced, and it takes time. And I just didn't meet the right person.

PHILLIPS: And you said you learned a lot about men, women and commitment during this process. What did you learn?

LINEHAN: Well, I learned first and foremost that women approach the idea of a wedding much differently than men do. Women fall in love with the wedding from the time they are little girls, and men have to be inspired to get married by the right woman. And so, men and women, we have some differences. But I think ultimately we do want the same things, and we have to be honest with each other and honest with ourselves.

PHILLIPS: And what - now, explain what exactly you what you are giving away, and how do you win this wedding you have been working on for so long?

LINEHAN: Well, the wedding contest is live right now on projecthusband.com, and the Dallas Bridal Show has lined up a ton of vendors to support truly a dream wedding. Anything that the bride and groom could want is at their fingertips. I've got a horse-drawn carriage, photo booth, professional photographer, makeup services, bridal gown from Brides by Dimitrio's. The venue at Piazza in the Village. Bliss Bridal is providing the bridesmaid's dresses. I've got bridal jewelry. I've got venues for the reception, for bridal lunch. And truly, it is the whole package. My favorite part, really, is the cake from Delicious Cakes. So, I'm looking forward to helping the bride and groom plan the dream wedding.

PHILLIPS: All right. Let's just be totally honest here. You actually do have some time left, OK? You are giving yourself until tomorrow.

All right, so, we want to try and kind of help here, just make an announcement. You're on CNN. We have a national audience, all right?

So, gentlemen, if you are interested in this beautiful, bright, tenacious young woman, you can actually e-mail her at projecthusband@gmail.com. And while you take note of that e-mail, projecthusband@gmail.com, go ahead, Leese. Give the last plea before tomorrow. You just never know. LINEHAN: I truly am looking for my soulmate, and I know he's out there. And I know I will find him. I think that everyone has hope in love, and I know it exists, and I'm looking for it. And I can't wait to find it.

PHILLIPS: There you go. Projecthusband@gmail.com. My gut feeling is you will find it. And it's not going to take long. Lisa, what a fun idea, and I bet it was a blast putting it all together. Thanks for joining us on this Valentine's Day and lots of love to you.

LINEHAN: Thank you so much!

PHILLIPS: You bet.

Well, it's a new trend for babies who aren't even conceived yet. Hopeful parents want their future children to have the luckiest birthday ever, and so they are starting to plan it now. But there's a deadline. We'll explain.

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PHILLIPS: Well, it's the latest trend in baby-dom and the mommy blogs. Call it superstition, a fun talker, every birthday, maybe just an obsession with good luck. But fertility docs are telling us they're getting flooded with visits because moms-to-be want their future baby to have the birthday November 11, 2011. That's right, 11- 11-11. And the perfect day to conceive an 11-11-11 baby, February 18th. So, you better get busy. So, cozy couples, light those candles, turn on some Marvin Gaye, and let's go.

Well, you heard the president, probably about ten minutes ago, plenty of cuts to the budget. One that's drawing a lot of criticism, cuts for home heating assistance for older Americans. Caught our attention.

Senior political editor Mark Preston is talking about it in Washington. So, what do you think, Mark?

MARK PRESTON, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL EDITOR: Hey, Kyra. Sure. You know, a lot of criticism about the president's budget, early criticism from Republicans saying he is not cutting enough. But you know, he is not only catching criticism from the right, he's catching it from the left. In fact, let's take a look at one of the really prominent progressive groups had to say this morning about the president's budget.

Said "every cut to necessary programs like Medicare, education and heating for low-income seniors needs to be judged in the context of the unnecessary tax cuts for Wall Street millionaire natures that passed at the end of last year."

So, what we're hearing from liberals right now, Kyra, is look, you agreed, Mr. President, to these extensions of the Bush-era tax cuts in December, and now you want to cut programs that are very important to us. Of course, we will hear more and more over the coming weeks and coming months about these budget battles, but President Obama seems to be not only taking it not only from the right but also from the left.

But where Democrats are united in their opposition to Republicans. And in fact, what we have seen this morning from the Democratic National Committee is it a new Web video. What they have done is they've taken splices from speeches from over the past three days here in Washington, D.C. where conservatives got together for the Conservative Political Action Conference, taking little snippets of Rand Paul calling for the abolition of the Department of Education, Newt Gingrich saying he wants to replace the EPA, Tim Pawlenty saying he wants to repeal Obamacare. Well, they have spliced all these speeches together, and then Democrats have added their own little snippets to the end where they have Democrats are talking about the future and how they are better positioned to take the country in the right direction.

So, we're certainly heading into election season, Kyra, and it's only 2011.

PHILLIPS: Well, the two former governors, Mitt Romney, John Huntsman, considering whether to run for the president. And they're not the only ones looking at a White House run, but are they being - well, actually - no, you talked about that. But there's a poll that's out, right? And it's looking pretty good with Mitt Romney.

PRESTON: Yes. It looks pretty good. And in fact, you are absolutely right. When you take Jon Huntsman, who is now the ambassador to China in the Obama administration. But he's a Republican, he's a former Utah governor. Mitt Romney the former Massachusetts governor. But why are we pairing these two together? Well, because they both have very strong ties to Utah.

In fact, let's look at that poll on the screen. Utahans' choice in a GOP presidential primary. Mitt Romney, 56 percent, Jon Huntsman 26 percent. Now, Mitt Romney went to BYU, which of course is in Utah. He headed up the successful 2002 Games out there in Utah. And also, him and Huntsman have the kinship that they are both members of the Church of Latter-Day Saints.

So, whenever you hear political types like myself talking about Mitt Romney and Jon Huntsman and why we are pairing them together, because they are both Mormons, and that's the big discussion. Now, neither of them, Kyra, have said they will run for president yet. But we expect they will. Kyra?

PHILLIPS: Got it. We'll track it. Mark, thanks.

And your next political update in just about an hour. You can also get all of our political news on our Web site, 24/7, CNNpolitics.com.

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PHILLIPS: Taking a quick look ahead at what's making news later today.

Two-time Emmy award winning actor Alec Baldwin getting a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame later today. Baldwin is currently on NBC's hit comedy "30 Rock."

And this afternoon, defense secretary Bob Gates set to discuss his scaled-back budget for the Pentagon next year. It is set to come in at five percent less than last year's budget with a repose cost savings of $78 billion.

And a half hour later, Republicans set to respond to the budget laid out by President Obama. First impressions from the GOP House members are that the budget cuts just don't go deep enough.

That does it for us. Hope you have a happy Valentine's Day. We'll see you back here tomorrow at 9:00 AM Eastern. Now over to Suzanne Malveaux.