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Gadhafi Intensifies Attacks; Replacing Charlie Sheen's Character; Obama Nominates Gary Locke as New Ambassador to China

Aired March 09, 2011 - 10:00   ET

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

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: Back to the big story. In Libya, Moammar Gadhafi goes on the attack. Today his troops are unleashing ferocious attacks on rebel strongholds. Today his troops -- as I said -- are releasing -- are unleashing ferocious attacks on those strongholds and this morning his warplanes are again pounding the eastern town of Ras Lanuf, it's a vital hub of Libya's oil industry, and both the government and the opposition desperately want to control it. Right now, it appears government troops are closing in on the city.

In Zawiya, the claims are horrific, one doctor tells CNN that Gadhafi's soldiers publicly executed two other physicians then turned their guns on wounded civilians. Crushing the uprising in this city on the doorstep of the capital It could be a potential turning point for Gadhafi staying in power.

(VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: Meanwhile, Gadhafi is also stepping up his propaganda. He's telling Libyans that the country's young people have been drugged and brainwashed by Al Qaeda, and he says the U.S. and France are bent on seizing Libya's oil.

CNN crews are in place in Libya and following these shifting front lines of this war as they change almost by the minute. Joining me now I believe we have Ben Wedeman on the phone from Ras Lanuf City, under siege. Ben, are you there?

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (ON THE PHONE): Yes, I'm here. Yes, it is definitely a city, not necessarily under siege, but under intense bombardment by Libyan artillery and rockets. What we saw is that one of the oil storage facilities at a town called Fiza, which is just outside of Ras Lanuf, was hit by something, we don't know what, but those are sending dark, black clouds of smoke into the sky. There's still a lot - they're still burning. We can see the flames.

Now, I'm at the hospital in Ras Lanuf where in the last 15 minutes we've seen at least 10 ambulances drive up with men who have been wounded at the front lines, where they've been taking a pounding from artillery, from rockets, from mortars, from the Libyan army side. It appears that if the opposition forces were advancing, that advance has come to a screeching halt, and at best, they'll be trying to defend this city, if the Libyan forces actually begin to move forward, Kate? BOLDUAN: Remind our viewers as they watch, as this changes almost minute by minute, remind our viewers why this city is so important.

WEDEMAN: Ras Lanuf is one of the cities on the eastern coast that has a very large refinery. It has oil export facilities. There's a large petrochemical plant as well. This is one of the main export facilities of - for Libya, for exporting oil to the rest of the world, so whoever controls this town has their - really, you know, a stranglehold on Libya's oil exports.

Of course, now you can hear another ambulance driving up, more wounded from the front lines, Kate?

BOLDUAN: Well, Ben, thank you so much. Great work. You've been doing great work throughout this. Please stay safe and keep us updated.

In about 30 minutes, leaders from the Council on American Islamic Relations or C.A.R.E. as they're often known will tell us what they think about the hearings that we've talked so much about on radical Islam in America. Congressman Peter King of New York will lead those hearings tomorrow. He pretty much slammed C.A.R.E. earlier on CNN.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. PETER KING (R), NEW YORK: I want them to realize the extent to which Al Qaeda is attempting to radicalize within the Muslim- American community. I want them to determine the extent to which the radicalization is taking place, the extent to which Muslim leaders are cooperating and trying to stop that radicalization. And I also want to encourage people in the Muslim community to be more aggressive in choosing their leaders. I don't think the leadership right now, groups such as C.A.R.E. are doing an adequate job, in some ways are doing a very poor job of representing the Muslim-American community.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: Hearings amount to a witch hunt against Muslims. A Harvard survey suggests that mosques actually make Muslims good Americans by engaging them in the political process. We spoke to a person that headed up that survey, and he says he absolutely refutes what Congressman Peter King says. We'll follow that, much more.

Later this afternoon in Tucson, accused assassin Jared Lee Loughner will be around on the 49 criminal charges he faces. He is accused of killing six people, shooting 13 others and critically wounding Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords.

And there's apparent movement today in the standoff over a budget bill in Wisconsin. The governor may be - may be - willing to compromise on a key collective bargaining measure.

Let's bring in CNN's Ed Lavandera. He's been following this story from Madison. What is this all about? We haven't heard much about the possibility of movement for days and weeks. ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Kate. Well, a fresh round of snow here in Madison and a fresh round of kind of new, interesting things to talk about when it comes to this stalemate here in Wisconsin. Yesterday we got our hands on some e-mails that had been released, that involved some negotiations that had been going on for the last week between the governor's office and a couple of those senators that are - had fled to Illinois.

In those e-mails, they kind of highlight some of the - some changes to the bill that the governor's office was considering. This was all very preliminary according to the people we've talked to, that these weren't any ideas that were necessarily set in stone, but that there had been some talks. Remember, Governor Walker, Scott Walker, here in Wisconsin had been saying for weeks that he was unwilling to budge, that this bill needed to pass as-is, so it's interesting to kind of get a glimpse of the behind-the-scenes talks that have been going on, but as you might imagine, as with everything else in this story, these e-mails have essentially kind of sparked a new round of controversy.

Many of the union supporters who had been out here protesting on the capitol grounds reading that story and reading through some of those e-mails kind of found the concessions to be barely any kind of in changes that they would be willing to accept and those Democratic senators were a little bit taken aback that these e-mails had become public, saying that it was the governor not bargaining in good faith, Kate?

BOLDUAN: And, of course, you know, the idea to remind viewers is that if the governor could give some concessions, I think they only need two or three of the democrats that are out of the state, they can get them back and move this forward, because they need a certain number of legislators there to even do anything with this in the Senate.

And this, of course, as we know, Ed, is not the only - Wisconsin is not the only state dealing with a collective bargaining dispute right now. It's been pretty amazing to watch all these unfold. Give us an update on what else is going on.

LAVANDERA: Well in the state of Indiana a couple of years ago, they went through some of this. But right now you have states like Iowa, Ohio, and Idaho that are going through these collective bargaining issues as well, and they're all different, in very many ways in terms of the specifics of what's being done in those states.

You're also seeing some union disputes there in the state of Florida as well where they have a new Republican governor. So, this has been really something that has ramped up in many corners of this country.

BOLDUAN: All right. Thanks, Ed. Stay warm, and stay on the story. We'll talk to you later.

Also making history, 220 miles above earth, you can probably guess it, was the last wake-up call for the crew of space shuttle "Discovery."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Good morning, "Discovery." Your wake-up music this morning was "Coming Home" sung by Gwyneth Paltrow. It's for the entire crew and it was picked by your isis flight control team.

(MUSIC PLAYING)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: A pretty good gig, Gwyneth Paltrow (INAUDIBLE) singing and she gets up there, up into space. In less than two hours, the shuttle comes home for one last time before decommissioning. Join us live for our coverage of the "Discovery's" historic homecoming. Touchdown is set for just before noon Eastern. If they can't do it then, the second availability to land is just after 1:30 Eastern. Either way, we'll be covering it, so you'll want to be with us.

Tornado warnings and watches in the deep south. Meteorologist Rob Marciano is tracking all these developments. Rob, how have things changed since we saw you last?

ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Everything is moving east and it's to the populated areas. So tornado watch for much of the Florida panhandle until noontime, and now another one just issued, that includes Tallahassee and parts of Panama City. But the main one - I hope this is in play. Regardless, I tell you what, let's get back to this.

The main one is into parts of - of southeast Mississippi and through Alabama, and now we've got a tornado warning that's been posted for - that includes Mobile proper, so Mobile and Baldwin counties you could be under the gun as far as not only possible tornado, but this bow echo right here, that indicates strong wind. So we've had wind damage across New Orleans, wind gusted earlier today of 77 miles an hour. At least 15,000 people without power there. WE have one tornado touched down, just north of i-12 in southeast Louisiana. This is all part of the same complex that's moving into this area.

So, if you live in Mobile, you're feeling it right now, so just take cover and wait this thing out until it goes through. Next stop is going to be Pensacola and points off east. Any other issue with this, Kate, is going to be the tremendous amount of rain with this. Flash flood watches are posted for a good chunk of the eastern third of the country including the major cities across the northeast which will start to see the rainfall move in there beginning tonight and then increased throughout the day tomorrow.

BOLDUAN: A good reminder, as you said earlier, it is March, it gets a little weird right around now.

MARCIANO: It does, that's for sure.

BOLDUAN: All right. Thanks, Rob.

MARCIANO: You bet.

BOLDUAN: The CEO of NPR resigns effectively immediately, that news comes after another executive was caught on tape trashing the Tea Party.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They are - they will be determined by Middle America, gun-toting, I mean, it's scary. They're seriously racist people -

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: NPR punked by the same guy who went after A.C.O.R.N., more on that next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BOLDUAN: Big news brewing over at National Public Radio, CEO Vivian Schiller has resigned effective immediately. We just learned about that in the last hour. Board chairman Dave Edwards said in a statement, "I recognize the magnitude of this news and that it comes on top of what has been a traumatic period for NPR and the larger public radio community."

Schiller's resignation comes after another top NPR executive was caught on hidden camera making some pretty controversial remarks. As CNN's Brian Todd shows us, the conservative activist behind the video, no stranger to controversy either.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hi, there.

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): You're looking at a sting operation, a setup by people who know how to do it. NPR Foundation executive Ron Schiller thinks he's meeting with a potential donor, but he's actually being punked.

Here are clips of what he's caught saying about Republicans and the Tea Party.

RON SCHILLER, NPR FOUNDATION PRESIDENT: The current Republican party particularly the Tea Party is fanatically involved in people's personal lives and very fundamental Christian and I wouldn't even call it Christian. It's weird angelical.

TODD: In the edited video, an actor posing as a Muslim foundation executive is heard prompting Schiller for his views.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Radical, radical tea party people.

Really, I mean, basically, they are - they are - they believe the church, white middle America, gun-toting, it's scary. TODD: This meeting was set up by a group headed by conservative activist and filmmaker James O'Keefe. I spoke with O'Keefe via Skype. Why NPR?

JAMES O'KEEFE, CONSERVATIVE FILMMAKER: My colleague, Sean (INAUDIBLE) who post this wants the members of the Muslim brother, pretty offended with what happened with Juan Williams and he suggested looking in to NPR after that incident back in the fall. My other colleague Simon Templar came up with the idea to have sort of a Muslim angle since Juan Williams was fired due to his comments.

TODD: I spoke to NPR president Vivian Schiller who is not related to Ron Schiller over the phone.

VIVIAN SCHILLER, NPR PRESIDENT (ON THE PHONE): The comments made by Ron Schiller are an affront to this organization and contrary to everything we stand for as a news organization. We stand for diversity of opinion and tolerance and open-mindedness, and his comments do not reflect those values.

TODD: As head of the NPR fund-raising arm, Ron Schiller is not involved in NPR's news operations and his views are not aired on NPR. Schiller had announced last week he was leaving NPR for a new job. Schiller did not flinch when the supposed Muslim Foundation leader said that Jews control the media and that the fictitious Muslim group was founded by members of the Muslim Brotherhood.

But NPR said they rejected a $5 million check they offered. Critics have long lambasted NPR, a slanting liberal. Last year NPR was criticized by conservatives for taking a grant of more than $1 million from George Soros, the billionaire who supported left-leaning causes and for firing analyst Juan Williams after he confessed on Fox News that he's uncomfortable when he sees Muslim-garbed passengers on a plane.

The House Republican budget passed last month would eliminate funding the corporation for public broadcasting by 2013. For O'Keefe, NPR is not his first target, past undercover sting videos of his embarrassed liberal groups like Planned Parenthood and A.C.O.R.N., he's accused of creatively editing out parts of his videos. But O'Keefe says the unedited NPR video was posted no his website.

O'Keefe pleaded guilty last year after being caught trying to access the phone system of Democratic Senator Mary Landrieu. Last summer, he even tried to embarrass a former CNN correspondent on a boat set up with sex toys and hidden cameras according to a 13-page planning document. A former O'Keefe associate warned CNN at the last minute.

Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BOLDUAN: And to reiterate former CEO Vivian Schiller and Ron Schiller are not related in any way, just to reiterate that point. Let's talk more about this stunt with Howard Kurtz, he's with "Daily Beast" and, of course, host of CNN's "Reliable Sources." Hey, there, Howie.

HOWARD KURTZ, WASHINGTON BUREAU CHIEF, "THE DAILY BEAST": Hi.

BOLDUAN: What does it mean for NPR at this point?

KURTZ: Well, this latest embarrassment comes at the worst possible time for NPR because as Brian Todd mentioned in his set-up piece, the House Republicans have already zeroed out the money for both PBS and NPR and now that goes to the Senate and one of the things that wasn't played there, I mean, one of the less embarrassing comments by Ron Schiller, this NPR fund-raiser, clearly, you know, was trying to suck up to some rich people and get some money. Was it he said that NPR would be better off in the long run not taking for federal funding which accounts for about 15 percent of its budget to remove it from the political crossfire.

BOLDUAN: Do you think NPR is handling this well? This is often, you know, how a company or an organization handles itself in a time of crisis kind of sets the path for how they get out of it. Do you think they're handling this well?

KURTZ: You know, in marked contrast to the Juan Williams debacle which Vivian Schiller acknowledged that she mishandled the way he was summarily fired over the phone without giving him a chance to explain himself, NPR actually was moving to handle this well even though Ron Schiller had already accepted another job, they immediately, you know, suspended him and Schiller came out with the very strong comments that we heard saying this was unacceptable and saying this is not what NPR stood for.

The fact is though, Vivian Schiller had no margin for error left. In other words, even though this isn't her fault, she had no way of knowing what this guy was saying in the videotaped scam. She is taking the heat. She is taking the fall because of these other incidents, particularly the Juan Williams' situation, where it just seems that NPR is, again, couldn't shoot straight lately when it comes to its public image.

BOLDUAN: Absolutely. Let's talk about this filmmaker James O'Keefe, I remember you talked about this on our program, "Reliable Sources," you know, this is not the first time this guy has been involved in these stunts and these kind of gotcha, if you want to call it gotcha journalism in trying to put people in these compromising positions, but as he continued to do this and his stunts make headlines, is he gaining some form of credibility here?

KURTZ: Well, you know, let's not lose sight of the fact that James O'Keefe is able to get this footage through lying and deception, and, you know, there are people -

BOLDUAN: Right.

KURTZ: - on the left who have played that game as well, the guy - the blogger who made that prank call to Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, for example, got him to say some embarrassing things. What happens is if your side does it, you focus on the content, the revelations of somebody who doesn't realize they're being audiotaped or videotaped. The other side does it, you attack the messenger.

So I don't want to lose sight of the fact that, you know, O'Keefe is a very controversial guy. I would not call him a journalist. He obviously is out to embarrass people. It's fair game if people are going to say something stupid, but you can't be in a position as he was or as his people were at that -- at that very chic restaurant in Georgetown where Ron Schiller made those comments without lying or having your people lie about who they are, and that to me is contrary to the basic ethics of journalism.

BOLDUAN: Absolutely. Of course, it depends on the lens that you look at it through as, of course, you mentioned.

KURTZ: Good point.

BOLDUAN: Howard Kurtz, thank you so much.

So, she's managed to make it through the doors of the White House. But she was stopped from entering the doors of celebrity rehab. The accused White House party crasher, I'm still talking about her, booted off her reality show because she's not an addict.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BOLDUAN: Alleged White House party crasher Michaele Salahi in the wrong place again. She's no longer wanted on the reality show "Celebrity Rehab," it turns out she has no addiction, which many people would say was a good thing.

"Showbiz Tonight's" Brooke Anderson is here with all the juicy details and everything else going on in entertainment news. If today is anything like yesterday, I can't wait to hear.

BROOKE ANDERSON, "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT" CO-HOST: It's going to be juicy, Kate, I promise that. Yes, and Michaele, you know, she may not be on the show now, but this woman I think is addicted to attention or fame or something. Why else try to get on "Celebrity Rehab," if you don't have a real issue? But, yes, VH-1 confirmed to "showbiz Tonight" that Michaele Salahi has been disinvited to appear on the show where HLN's own Dr. Drew Pinsky tries to guide celebrities through a drug and alcohol rehabilitation program.

VH-1 showed "Showbiz Tonight," "the treatment program that "Celebrity Rehab" documents is intended for individuals with serious substance abuse and addiction issues. Prior to the taping of the current season, producers were advised that Michaele Salahi met the criteria to be treated in this setting, however professional assessments spanning from that time to the present found that she did not meet such criteria.

OK. The Salahi response has been that Michaele wanted to get therapy on the show to deal with all of her issues, her manager told "Showbiz Tonight" that VH-1 knew what they were getting when they cast her, and by the way, Kate, Michaele's husband, Tareq, just told us that his wife was fired due to her health condition and that that is a clear violation of the American Disabilities Act. Michaele has multiple sclerosis. So watch out, as we know those two never go down without a fight.

BOLDUAN: Or without grabbing headlines. I mean, there's clearly no one incident in this, but my goodness, shouldn't you be happy that you don't need therapy? Anyway, speaking of somewhat else addicted to fame and maybe other things, what's the latest with Mr. Charlie Sheen?

ANDERSON: Yes, definitely addicted to attention, I think. Charlie is now wrapping up his web series "Sheen's Korner," Kate, and hallelujah for that, because it was awful, and just made the guy look even worse. Charlie took to the internet one more time, said it was the last installment. In it he lashed out at the people who fired him from "Two and A Half Men," He named an unwanted list, and included certain executives, CBS, Warner Brothers television, and, of course, the series co-creator Chuck Lorre. I want to give you a warning, though, it was a rant that is definitely not safe to watch at work, because he's using a whole lot of profanity, Kate, he calls his firing illegal, but to everybody else, it seems to make a whole lot of sense.

BOLDUAN: But logic, when does that actually ever set in? We're going to talk much more about this -

ANDERSON: That's not playing into the situation here.

BOLDUAN: No, it's not allowed apparently. Anyway, Brooke Anderson, host of "Showbiz Tonight," you will want to watch it. Brooke, thanks so much.

ANDERSON: Good to see you.

BOLDUAN: Good to see you, too.

And by now, you've probably heard the joke about one and a half men becoming the name of sheen's former sitcom. CBS has not yet made a decision about how or if "Two and A Half Men" will go on. But can a show survive without its star?

Ed Bark is a former TV critic for "The Dallas Morning News," he wrote a piece for CNN.com saying the show should go on. Hey there, Ed. What would the comedy look like without Sheen? He was the leading man, one of the leading men.

ED BARK, FORMER TV CRITIC: Obviously, he's a very central character, but I think they're going to make an effort certainly to go on without him, especially since Charlie Sheen has kind of goaded them into making that effort. How would it go on? I think you don't kill the Charlie Harper character that Charlie Sheen played, because of his own problems in his personal life. That would be quite unseemly. But he could go on an extended vacation. Perhaps a long- lost brother turns up. They did that all the time on the old serial soaps like "Dallas." there are many ways to do this. I don't think you bring in another guy and say, here's Charlie Harper. I think it's going to have to be a new character.

But with Chuck Lorre there and he obviously knows how to do these comedies, he's got two other hits on CBS, so I think they are going to give it a shot. And stranger things have happened, so we'll see.

BOLDUAN: Well, and I want to talk to you about who could possibly succeed him as the new lead. I know - and we can actually possibly throw up the full screens, I think we have some graphics, of other sitcoms and other programs that have actually worked, I think you would agree with, after the big guy, the main lead, has left. Take a look, "American Idol" out, Simon Cowell in. "American Idol," Simon Cowell's out, Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler in, I should say. "CSI," William Petersen out and Lawrence Fishburne in, and then of course, this is an example that you used in your piece "Spin City" Michael J. Fox left and Charlie Sheen himself came in. So do you think these are samples to show that the show can go on and even succeed and not just, you know, kind of flub out?

BARK: Yes, they can go on definitely. Can they go on long term? I don't know, I mean, "CSI" has been on about two and a half seasons now without William Petersen. Everybody thinks and I've thrown these names out from the scarf that either Rob Low or John Stamos would be the most logical replacements. They've shown. They do can do comedy or drama. They always seem to be willing to move on to another show, particularly Rob Lowe.

Tim Daly is another guy, but he's otherwise occupied on ABC's "Private Practice" but another guy who has shown a facility for just stepping in and doing either comedy or drama. So I think any of those three, but it seems as though it's centering right now on Rob Lowe or John Stamos. They're both very familiar to the TV audience, and I think both of them, you know, could make a go of it.

BOLDUAN: All right. We will see. Ed Bark, thank you so much, and a reminder you can catch Ed's piece for CNN on cnn.com. Don't want to miss it.

One of the big stories we've been following, I would say all week now, hearings on radical Islam in America, begin tomorrow. The lawmaker leading those hearings says the Muslim community isn't helping police like it should. We'll find out from a sheriff if that's true.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BOLDUAN: It's now just after half past the hour. Checking top stories right now.

In central Pennsylvania, seven children have died after their farmhouse caught fire. The parents survived, along with their three- year-old daughter, who went running for help.

And dangerous storms threaten much of the country. Tornado warnings have been in effect south of New Orleans, and tornado watches are in effect in Alabama. Dangerous stuff there today. And the debate over a hearing on the radicalization of American Muslims heats up. This hour, the Council on American-Islamic Relations will challenge what they call misinformation on the topic.

And as we said in just about 24 hours, the House will open those hearings that we've been talking about on radical Islam in America. The congressman leading the hearing says the Muslim community is not helping police root out radicals like it should. Many Muslims deny that, and the accusation is a big part of the controversy. Here's what the sheriff of Los Angeles said about it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHERIFF LEROY BACA, LOS ANGELES COUNTY, CA: I think that we're getting a tremendous amount of cooperation internationally and nationally, and I believe that we're more mature and better as a nation because of the Homeland Security Department's also being a big supportive part of the outreach program. The FBI as well is doing a lot of things in Los Angeles with our various local law enforcement officials.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: The sheriff will be one of the witnesses at the hearing. Let's bring in our Jeanne Meserve. She's our homeland security correspondent, joining us from Washington. Hey there, Jeanne. Is that what you're hearing about -- is that what you're hearing as well?

JEANNE MESERVE, CNN HOMELAND SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, federal law enforcement isn't weighing in on this. But when you talk to law enforcement agencies around the country, you get a very mixed picture. Frankly, whether they get enough cooperation or not varies from community to community, almost from mosque to mosque.

There was a recent study done by some researchers in North Carolina. They said that in 120 recent terror cases involving Muslim Americans, in 48 cases, the tips to law enforcement had come from within the Muslim community. Now, I've spoken to the people who quibble with those statistics who say that the researchers might not have had all the cases at their fingertips. But there's no denying if you go through all the indictments that, yes, in many cases, the tips have indeed come from within the Muslim community.

One of the big questions about this hearing, though, is how this could potentially impact the level of cooperation. I visited a mosque in northern Virginia last night, and here's what one young woman had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

YASMIN SAHFIG, MUSLIM AMERICAN: I can certainly see Muslims becoming more introverted. And you definitely don't want introversion when it comes to issues of radicalization. You want people to be communicative and open and receptive to opinions and ideas.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MESERVE: And a lot of counterterrorism experts are expressing the same concern. They say that the hearings could potentially play into the narrative that the west is at war with Islam and could make the situation worse, not better. A lot is going to ride on the tone and substance of what's said tomorrow, Kate.

BOLDUAN: Absolutely. All right, Jeanne Meserve, in Washington, thanks so much.

As a reminder to our viewers, we're waiting for a press conference to happen coming from the Council on American-Islamic Relations, as well. We'll keep an eye on the hearings as they come up tomorrow.

And coming up later today on CNN, Brooke Baldwin talks with Congressman King -- one of Congressman King's star witnesses, a Muslim American who pretty much agrees on everything that Congressman King is saying. That's today at 3:00 Eastern. Don't want to miss that.

The White House says it's still weighing all of its options in Libya, including a possible no-fly zone. Rebels are fighting government troops in cities and towns along much of the coast, and supporters of a no-fly zone say it could prevent a slaughter of civilians by Gadhafi's warplanes. But one former defense secretary who was an architect of the Iraq war says he would not even consider military involvement at this time.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD RUMSFELD, FORMER DEFENSE SECRETARY: No, I wouldn't. I think that it -- it would not necessarily be a way to stop that.

In the last analysis, the people of those countries have to make their own choices. I see all kinds of discussion about a no-fly zone right now. And I think Secretary Gates is correct, that that's a complicated thing to do. We had no-fly zones with the British and the French in Iraq for years, and our planes were shot at. Over 2,000 times.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOULDUAN: And former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld went on to say that the civil war in Libya is very different from the circumstances that led to the invasion of Iraq.

So, you've seen stories before about how to reignite that lost passion in a marriage many times before. Well, this is not one of them. Coming up, how the seven-year itch may now be the three-year glitch.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BOLDUAN: So, let's uncover what's happening under the covers. Or maybe what's not happening under the covers. It's the point in the marriage when the passion cools and partners think about straying. For years there's been a name for that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I've been married for seven years. And I'm afraid I'm coming down what you Dr. Stifel call the seven-year itch. What am I going to do?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If something itches, my dear, sir, the natural tendency is to scratch.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I scratched last night.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: He's not the only one. The seven-year itch, it seems, the Kinsey Institute's Web site cites infidelity as the top cause for divorce in over 150 cultures. And recent Census Bureau data says from marriage to divorce, the U.S. average is about eight years for men and women.

So, let's get to the real study. The UK's "Daily Mail," suggesting that couples, frankly, are getting tired of each other in half the time that it used to take. So, is the seven-year itch now the three-year glitch? Let's bring in the broads to join the show from "Broad Minded."

Now, you guys cover this stuff all the time -- thank you for joining me, by the way -- on your satellite radio show. Are we losing the romance faster than before?

CHRISTINE EADS, BROADMINDED CO-HOST: Apparently so, and, you're right, people are getting sick of each other. And in this study, one thing that shocked me is people are only spending 14 hours together a week. What are you so upset about, and how can they be so annoying in just 14 hours? I mean, we spend way more time together and we put up with a lot. So, I was surprised by that, but also I'm not that surprised that it's three years --

BOLDUAN: Really?

EADS: -- Because people are getting married -- no, I'm really not. People are getting married later on in life. So, I think it's now a combo of they're having a midlife crisis and the three-year glitch.

BOLDUAN: Midlife crisis -- that's a bad combo, I think. Go on, go on, go on.

EADS: It's a terrible combo.

MOLLY DEDHAM, BROADMINDED CO-HOST: I actually called my male friends last night and I interviewed them for this article, and they both said the same thing. And they use technology as an example. That our feelings are being compressed. In other words, you date someone for two weeks. And now, it's just ten texts in one day. And so, there's so much access and there's so many choices that why work on the relationship when you can just find somebody better?

So, I think we're losing a lot of real human interaction because of technology. And they both pointed that out, which I thought was interesting, and they're both single. Same age, and they didn't know each other.

BOLDUAN: Single and very good at texting, apparently.

(LAUGHTER)

DEDHAM: Yes.

BOLDUAN: That is actually really interesting.

Let's go -- one other thing that was interesting is the study listed some passion killers, if you will. Let's list them, and we'll talk about them. I was surprised about how pointed they were. One being a partner's weight gain. Another being lack of money. There's also anti-social working hours. The lack of personal hygiene, they even noted specifically stray nail clippings, snoring and lack of sexy underwear. And too much exposure to the in-laws. Ladies, what do you think of those?

EADS: That could be a killer. I'm actually not that surprised. But the men are always on the ladies for the weight gain. Hey, guys out there. Baldy, you know, let's be a little more understanding that we gain a few pounds because we're letting you go with the bald head. But I do kind of get the nail clippings, too, though.

DEDHAM: This question made me laugh, because as soon as I hear weight gain, I just laugh. Because everybody gains weight. But I asked the guys, what happens if your girlfriend or someone you're dating gains weight? And he said how much? That was the first guy --

BOLDUAN: Oh, no.

DEDHAM: The second guy said it depends on who she is. If I have a connection and she gains weight, I don't care. If I'm not really attracted to her, then the weight gain actually bothers him. So, again, it comes back to the connection you have with the person and what you're willing to put up with.

EADS: Are you really in love? Because come on, I mean, I have, like, a six-month thing. And I broke up with one guy because he blew his nose in the shower. So, I clearly wasn't in love with the guy, because things shouldn't annoy you.

BOLDUAN: You're not (INAUDIBLE) as well. Either of you, I'm guessing.

EADS: Oh, no.

BOLDUAN: I also - yes. We're one team (ph) for better or for worse -- anyway I'm probably not the right one to talk about this.

All right, ladies, we have to leave it there. Christine Eads, Molly Dedham. You guys are hilarious and have great insight. Thank you so much.

EADS: Thanks!

DEDHAM: Thanks!

BOLDUAN: So, we're keeping an eye on the White House this morning. President Obama is expected to hold a news conference on a personnel announcement at any moment now. You're seeing as the room is getting set up there as we speak. We're going to bring you that live.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BOLDUAN: Time now to travel "Cross Country" to check on what our affiliates are covering today. First stop, Polk County, Florida, where a millionaire dentist was arrested for allegedly trying to buy pizza with a stolen credit card. Police say Richard Ludwig had $250 cash in his pocket when he used a student's stolen credit card to order $40 worth in pizza. The student, who is also a veteran, had dropped the card in a grocery store parking lot.

In Georgia, truck drivers are feeling the pinch as gas prices rise. One independent driver who pays -- now pays more than $500 a day to fill up.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAVIER MORENO, GEORGIA TRUCKER: About 500 bucks tomorrow, about another 600 bucks, and it's still going to be bad, you know?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You're not making it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You're not making it at all.

LUCAS STEVENS, GEORGIA TRUCKER: You're already getting squeezed in the tight economy, and the fuel prices will completely cut out any kind of profits.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: Ouch.

Finally, to Hollywood Beach, Florida where a man returned a $20,000 diamond ring he found on the golf course. It took Michael LeFluer (ph) and the people at the resort two days to track down the ring owner, Annette Berry. She was understandably delighted.

The Senate votes today on partisan spending bills with the threat of a government shutdown if lawmakers can't compromise. Sounds like I'm saying the same story over and over again. Our deputy political director Paul Steinhauser is joining us with a look at how Americans feel about the budget dispute. Hey there.

PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN DEPUTY POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Hey, Kate, the clock is ticking because if there's no compromise, if there's no agreement next Friday, a week from Friday, the government could shut down because funding would run out for the federal government.

But, you know, let's talk about those polls. Check this out. A new poll from Bloomberg, a national survey. And it shows what recent surveys have shown, Americans want compromise. Check this out: 77 percent say they want Democrats and Republicans to compromise to prevent a government shutdown. Only about one in five say you know what? Lawmakers should stick to their guns about cutting the deficit even if that means the government is shut down.

Check out this number, this is fascinating! Look: jobs, still the top issue with Americans. But the percentage people who say it's the most important issue is dropping. And look at that, the budget and deficit and the spending -- deficit, that is rising and maybe it's because it's been in the news so much lately, Kate.

BOLDUAN: It is really interesting, because we've seen jobs and unemployment on the top of the list for so long now, Paul. But talk to me about a new birther bill?

STEINHAUSER: Yes, this is in New Hampshire. Remember, about 10 states right now have these so-called birther bills or are contemplating birther bills. But New Hampshire is really interesting because, of course, New Hampshire's primary is the first in the nation and it's such a high-profile state in the battle for the White House.

So, here's what's going on today in the state house up there. They will be considering a birther bill which would mandate that if you're running for president and filing in New Hampshire, you got to show your birth certificate. But the Republicans who are proposing this bill say, do you know what? It's not about Barack Obama, it has nothing to do with the president, they say. Because they say their bill would take effect in 2013, after the next presidential election, Kate.

We'll keep on top of that story. Back to you.

BOLDUAN: All right, our deputy political director, Paul Steinhauser. Thanks, Paul.

And another reminder, we'll have your next political update in one hour. And for all the latest political news, go to our Web site, CNNpolitics.com.

We are also keeping an eye on the White House this morning. President Obama is expected to hold a news conference, or at least a personnel announcement, at any moment. We're going to bring that to you live.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BOLDUAN: Taking a live look there, a picture from the White House. I believe that's the diplomatic room where we're expecting President Obama to come out and make a personnel announcement at any moment. You can be sure it's normally an important one when the president comes out to cameras to make that announcement. We're keeping an eye out on that, and we'll bring you his remarks as soon as they happen.

Checking some other top stories making news today. About an hour from now, the space shuttle Discovery is scheduled to make its final landing at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. We're carrying the historic homecoming live. You don't want to miss it right here on CNN.

And later next hour in Rome, Pope Benedict XVI presides over Ash Wednesday mass, marking the start of Lent.

And later this afternoon in Tucson, Arizona, Jared Lee Loughner will be arraigned on the 49 federal charges he faces. He's accused of killing six people and shooting 13 others, including the critically wounded Arizona congresswoman Gabriella Giffords.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BOLDUAN: Let's get you quickly to President Obama. He's in the middle of his personnel announcement.

(JOINED IN PROGRESS)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: -- for 235,000 American jobs. As commerce secretary, Gary oversaw a census process that ended on time and under budget, returning $2 billion to American taxpayers. He's earned the trust of business leaders across America by listening to their concerns, making it easier for them to export their goods abroad and dramatically reducing the time it takes to get a patent.

When he's in Beijing, I know that American companies will be able to count on him to represent their interests in front of China's top leaders. As one of the world's fastest-growing economies, our relationship with China is one of the most critical of the 21st century. Over the last two years, we worked hard to build a relationship that serves our national interests, addressing global security issues and expanding opportunities for American companies and American workers. Continued cooperation between our countries will be good for America, it will be good for China, and it will be good for the world.

As the grandson of a Chinese immigrant who went on to live the American dream, Gary's the right person to continue this cooperation, and I know he'll bring the same skills and experience that he brought to commerce secretary to this new position that he's about to embark on. I want to thank him, and I also want to thank his gorgeous and extraordinary family, who's standing here. Mona, Emily, Dillon, and Matty. It's always tough to move families. Matty just turned 14 today, so I was commiserating --

GARY LOCKE, NOMINATED AS U.S. AMBASSADOR TO CHINA: Emily.

OBAMA: Emily just turned 14 today, so I was commiserating with her, as somebody who moved around a lot when I was a kid as well. I assured her it would be great ten years from now. Right now, it's probably a drag. But I'm absolutely confident that this is -- we could not have better representation of the United States of America in this critical relationship than we're going to get from the Locke family, and Gary, I wish you all the best of luck in Beijing. Thank you so much.

LOCKE: Thank you, Mr. President.

OBAMA: Thank you.

LOCKE: Thank you. Thank you. Well, thank you very much, Mr. President, and I'm deeply humbled and honored to be chosen as your next ambassador to China.

It was a little over a century ago that my grandfather first came to America to work as a house boy for a family in the state of Washington in exchange for English lessons. And he went back to China, had a family, so my father was also born in china and came over as a teenager a few years later. He then enlisted in the United States Army just before the outbreak of World War ii, became part of that greatest generation and saw action on the beaches of Normandy and on the march to Berlin and then came back to Seattle to raise a family and start a small business.

My father never imagined that one of his children could ever serve as secretary of Commerce in the United States of America. And he was beaming with pride --

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN ANCHOR: You have been watching President Obama's announcement there that Commerce Secretary Gary Locke now being nominated as the new U.S. ambassador to China. That announcement being made just moments ago by President Obama, not a surprise, not an unexpected announcement there at the White House.