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Jordan Boiling Over in Protests; Emerging Power of Muslim Women; Protesters Return to Cairo; Debate Over Arming Rebels; Talk Back Question; Lawmaker Against DUI Laws

Aired April 01, 2011 - 12:00   ET

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

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN ANCHOR: Top of the hour. I'm Suzanne Malveaux. I want to get you up to speed.

Retreating Libyan rebels return to Ajdabiya today, just as both sides in the civil war are signaling possible concessions. Sources tell CNN that the Libyan regime is floating a political solution, one that ends with Moammar Gadhafi stepping aside. At the same time, rebel leaders across the country in Benghazi are offering a cease-fire with conditions.

Protests and new violence erupt in the Middle East, throughout the Middle East today. Government opponents flooded the streets in Yemen, Jordan, Syria and Egypt after Friday prayers. Police opened fire in Syria. In Jordan, police had to separate pro-and-anti- government protesters.

A brutal attack on a United Nations aid center in northeastern Afghanistan, in the town of Mazar-e-Sharif. A U.N. spokesman says that 12 people were killed. Eight of them U.N. staffers, four were Afghans.

Japan is conducting new tests on beef, pork, poultry. All of that happening today. The concern comes after radiation levels in a single cow were above safe limits. Now, Japan has already barred the sale of produce from the Fukushima region because of radiation contamination.

Grief still permeating Japan as the country mourns 11,620 known dead. Such an overwhelming number has led officials to bury unidentified bodies in mass graves. The notion has shocked the Japanese, who customarily cremate remains.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KYUNG LAH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): "I feel so sorry for the victims," says Fusako Asada, who lives in this Tokyo neighborhood. "I just have to do something. This breaks my heart."

(on camera): Why do you feel something so strongly for people you don't know?

(voice-over): "What if this happened to me?" says Kusama Toshiye (ph). "I would want this sort of kindness."

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: The unemployment picture, it brightened in March. The Labor Department says the economy created 216,000 new jobs. That is more than the experts even predicted. That pushed the national unemployment down just a notch, to 8.8 percent.

We're going to monitor a speech from President Obama this hour. He is expected to touch on the unemployment rate. He's going to be at a UPS facility in Landover, Maryland, to announce the Clean Fleets Program. What it does, it encourages companies to switch to electric or alternative energy vehicles. The president is expected to announce UPS, FedEx, Pepsi and Verizon will be the first participants.

The jobs report impressed investors on Wall Street today. Dow Jones stocks moving up. Right now, Dow Jones up about 90 points or so.

Just hours after Muslim prayers, Friday prayers, Jordan is boiling over in protests. As many as 1,000 police officers have been deployed now to the capital, and they're trying to keep the peace between pro-and-anti-government demonstrators.

Our Stan Grant, he is live out of Amman.

And Stan, tell us, what is the situation on the ground right now where you are?

STAN GRANT, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Suzanne, you can hear the call to prayer behind me now. This is for evening prayers. And after lunchtime prayers today, protesters gathered at this square. You can see behind me, they've now dispersed.

These were the pro-reformers. They are looking for political change. They want democratic reform, electoral reform, relaxing of some media restrictions, and more free expression.

There's another group of protesters as well who we can call the loyalists. These were people who were carrying pictures of King Abdullah, chanting, "Long live King Abdullah!" And in between them, about 1,000 police at any one time trying to separate these protesters. Some of the police in full riot gear.

This was to avoid the violence that broke out here a week ago during similar demonstrations. Today, the police were able to keep the two groups apart. In fact, the protesters who were here were thanking the police for that.

But the issues still remain, Suzanne, the issues that divide these people. And many are now pointing at these divisions and saying, aren't we seeing a split between Jordanians and Palestinians? Palestinians make up more than half the population of this country, and they're complaining that some in the regime are trying to fan those flames, trying to create those divisions to separate the people and potentially lead to more civil conflict. Happily, today, they were able to avert that -- Suzanne. MALVEAUX: Stan, I'm curious. During the call to prayer, is that a time -- obviously many Muslims praying. Do they stop the protests? Do they put -- if they have weapons, do they put them down?

GRANT: Yes, and we saw that here today. In fact, there were prayers mid-afternoon, when the demonstration came to a stop, and this square behind me was full of people who were bowing, who were praying, and this went on for a good five or 10 minutes.

We saw it earlier today as well with the lunchtime prayers. The moment the prayers stopped, then the protests began again, as you can hear behind me here just a moment ago, the call for evening prayer. And the streets here are very quiet. People will go and pray.

But as I say, the issues still remain. And the big criticism here is that while King Abdullah has talked about reform, he set up a committee to try to look into electoral changes and constitutional changes, people are not going to be happy until they actually see the change come to fruition. They've had enough of the talk. They really want to see action now -- Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: All right.

Stan Grant, out of Amman, Jordan.

We appreciate your report. Thank you, Stan.

Just one week to go. Either come up with a budget deal, or the federal government is actually going to have to shut down. Now, all sides are feeling the pressure now. They're debating it right now on the House floor.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. JIM MCGOVERN (D), MASSACHUSETTS: Because of your intransigence, because of your insistence on cutting everything from Pell grants to the National Institutes of Health, this is in your hands. This is in your hands.

But if you want to avert a government shutdown, I have an idea. Pick up the phone. Send a note. Or, better yet, engage in meaningful negotiations with the Senate and the White House.

Enough pontificating. Enough polarization. Do your job.

REP. ROB WOODALL (R), GEORGIA: Here's the work product of the Senate, Madam Speaker. It's right here. As my colleague asks, pleads, in fact, that we negotiate with the Senate, here's what the Senate has offered.

How do you negotiate with that, Madam Speaker? How do you negotiate with that?

This is what we learned about. This is what our students are studying across the nation. This is what the Senate has given us to work with. Now, you tell me, as a freshman, what is it that I'm supposed to do?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: Carol, I don't know.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's good comedy, isn't it?

MALVEAUX: I mean, people are laughing. I mean, is this effective, the theatrics here? Do you think people are paying attention to this?

This is very serious, but it feels like Groundhog Day. You know, we keep doing this over and over and over. When is this going to get done?

COSTELLO: I don't know. But, Suzanne, oh, the budget battle, it is messier than ever.

It turns out reports on a deal that had been reached between Republicans and Democrats was premature. House Speaker John Boehner is trying to be the voice of reason now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. JOHN BOEHNER (R-OH), HOUSE SPEAKER: We control one-half of one-third of the government here in Washington. We can't impose our will on another body. We can't impose our will on the Senate.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: That's right. The Democratically-controlled Senate. The House Speaker is under intense pressure from those conservative Republican freshmen, many of them Tea Partiers who were elected to slash the budget. A Tea Party activist wants Boehner to man up.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KATHY DIRR, TEA PARTY ACTIVIST: I say to the Republican leadership, take of your lace panties, stop being noodle-backed (ph), take a strong, bold, unwavering stand for and with the American people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Never mind that reported $73 billion budget compromise. Fiscal conservatives want $100 billion in cuts to things like "Obamacare, Planned Parenthood, and NPR," all things the president would likely veto. What's lost in all of this is reality.

After passing six stop-gap measures to keep the government going, lawmakers are arguing over a budget that started last year. Now Senate Republicans have a kind of new idea to try to force compromise. They want to add an amendment to the Constitution that requires Congress to pass a balanced budget every year. We haven't amended the Constitution since 1992.

So, "Talk Back" today: Would adding a constitutional amendment force lawmakers to compromise on the budget?

Write to me at Facebook.com/CarolCNN, and I will gladly read your responses later this hour.

MALVEAUX: Not an easy thing to do, to amend the Constitution.

COSTELLO: No, it's a tough thing. And not many people like to mess with the Constitution. But it's an idea that's floating out there.

MALVEAUX: All right.

COSTELLO: A dozen of Republicans are behind it. Who knows?

MALVEAUX: We'll see.

All right. Thanks, Carol. Appreciate.

COSTELLO: Sure.

MALVEAUX: Here's a look at what's ahead "On the Rundown."

She has been hailed a hero by women in the Middle East. But will Eman Obeidy's message echo across the region?

Also, it's deja vu in Egypt, why protesters are gathering in Tahrir Square again.

And the million-dollar mystery in Libya. Who are the rebels? Should we even trust them?

Plus, a price hike for Toyota. We're going to tell you why.

And finally, is the U.S. prepared for a nuclear disaster?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN SR. CORRESPONDENT: Rush hour in New York. Heaven forbid there's a nuclear accident anywhere near here. There is no one everyone is evacuating quickly. It would be nuclear gridlock.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: Four "New York Times" journalists captured and held in Libya say they felt certain that they would be killed. Libyan authorities released them after holding them for about a week.

In an interview on CNN's "AC 360," the journalists talked about their ordeal. The only woman described an especially chilling incident when she was in the back of a vehicle with her hands bound.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LYNSEY ADDARIO, "NEW YORK TIMES" PHOTOGRAPHER: I was sitting like this, and a guy reached over from the front seat and started to caressing my hair like either a mother would a son or a daughter. And then he started touching my face, very sort of gently, and saying this phrase over and over.

And I sort of tried to put my head down, and he picked it up and just kept caressing me in this weird, sort of tender way. And he was saying this phrase over and over.

And I said to Anthony, "What's mort (ph)?" Right? Yes, I said, "What is he saying?" And Anthony said, "He's telling you you're going to die tonight."

And I just -- I mean, what can you say?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: Unbelievable. Addario says that she was constantly afraid of being separated from the group and being raped.

Well, a Libyan woman who says that she was raped by Gadhafi loyalists is supposed to meet with journalists tomorrow. That is according to the Libyan government.

Officials say that Eman Obeidy will hopefully be visited by two or three female reporters. Al-Obeidy captured the world's attention when she burst into a hotel to tell her story to international journalists. The way she spoke out is highly unusual in Muslim society. Her mother also made headlines by blasting Moammar Gadhafi, as we heard in a report from our CNN's Reza Sayah.

Where are you taking her to?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Where are you going with her?

REZA SAYAH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Moammar Gadhafi's loyalists manhandling Eman al-Obeidy, forcibly taking her away despite her cries for help. The images have sparked a mother's rage.

AISHA AHMAD, AL-OBEIDY'S MOTHER (through translator): I'm not afraid of Gadhafi. If I were to see his face, I would strangle him.

SAYAH: Like much of the world, Aisha Ahmad saw the pictures on television, but this was her daughter.

AHMAD: I couldn't stop crying. I couldn't eat. I couldn't sleep.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: We want to go beyond the headlines now for a closer look at women in Muslim society and some of the unprecedented events unfolding in the Middle East and North Africa.

Mona Eltahawy is an Egyptian journalist, an award-winning columnist who writes about Arab and Muslim issues. And she joins us from New York.

Mona, you've been fighting the good fight for quite some time here. I want to start off first, when you see this story about this Libyan woman, Eman al-Obeidy, who says she was raped by Gadhafi soldiers, how significant is it now that the world knows about this woman, that she has come forward, and that there are journalists waiting to see and hear from her as early as tomorrow?

MONA ELTAHAWY, COLUMNIST ON ARAB AND MUSLIM ISSUES: Right. Well, first of all, I'll believe it when I see it. And I hope those journalists are independent journalists and not Libyan state television journalists, because what Eman al-Obeidy has done is incredibly courageous.

And to put it into context, it's important to remember that in Libya, there are so-called social rehabilitation centers where girls and women who are survivors of rape are kept essentially as prisoners until either someone comes and claims to want to marry them, or a male relative takes them away. Because if they press charges for rape, they themselves face charges, as we have seen with Eman al-Obeidy, who now faces charges from the men she's accused of raping her.

So her courage and outspokenness is incredible. But it's important to remember that there are probably unfortunately many other women who have suffered what she suffered.

And I got just kind of the tip of the iceberg in 1996, when I was in Libya, when, during a news conference, one of Gadhafi's mail bodyguards holding an AK-47 twisted my nipple in the middle of a news conference because they were trying to kick me out of the conference because I was considered a troublemaker. So this is a regime that has long practiced silencing women through shame, through sexual violence, and practices a very casual kind of violence that they try to brush off by smearing, basically, the survivor of this violence as we've seen with Eman al-Obeidy

MALVEAUX: And Mona, I want to ask you about your own experience because you mentioned that. Did you try to seek help, or did you feel that there was anything that you could do, or it was just a lost cause when that happened to you?

ELTAHAWY: Well, I think the reason that it happened to me is because two days before, I tried to get out of the hotel where they were keeping us, the way they're keeping the international journalists in Tripoli. And you can't leave the hotel in Libya without a minder from the Ministry of Information.

And I was trying to leave because I wanted to speak to Louis Farrakhan. Minister Louis Farrakhan was in Tripoli to get an award from Gadhafi, and so I wanted to go to his hotel. They wouldn't let me leave.

So, during the news conference, they were trying to push me out, and I fought back. And that's when the guard twisted my nipple.

And I yelled out to Moammar Gadhafi -- in Egypt we call him (SPEAKING ARABIC), which means brother, colonel, his rank. And he looked at me, and we made eye contact for about five seconds. So he was aware of what was happening, but he did absolutely nothing.

And after the end of the news conference, a journalist came up and told me that he heard them say, "Just shoot her." So, again, it's this kind of very casual violence that they brush off as if nothing has happened.

MALVEAUX: And Mona, tell me, the idea of honor, we have heard that there was an engagement party in Al-Obeidy's -- in her absence, that her family actually came forward with this kind of ceremony.

Why did that occur?

ELTAHAWY: I think it's very important to put the idea of honor in the context -- the greater context. It's not just limited to Islamic societies.

The idea of honor is usually connected to paternity, patriarchy and ownership of land or tribal ties. So you'll see this idea of honor where it's very hard (ph) to know who the father of a baby is, et cetera. And a lot of silencing of women, especially when it comes to sexual violence, has to do with this idea of honor.

So I think it's very important in Eman Al-Obeidy's context to appreciate how outspoken her family has been in her support. It's usually when a woman is attacked.

MALVEAUX: Sure. Finish your thought.

ELTAHAWY: When a woman is attacked, she's usually supposed to remain silent so that she doesn't destroy the honor of her family. So the fact that her family has spoken out in her support, and is showing that someone is willing to marry her, is a way of trying to surmount this obstacle of, she's now damaged goods and no one wants her.

MALVEAUX: And really quickly here, in Egypt we see protesters again on the streets. We know that women played a pivotal role in the revolution there.

Do we expect changes in the way women are treated in that society as well?

ELTAHAWY: Absolutely. Egyptian women, since 2005, when the Mubarak regime began to employ sexual violence to intimidate women, journalists and activists have been speaking out.

You see them speaking out in Tahrir Square today. You see them speaking out through organizations such as (INAUDIBLE) and feminist movements such as Nazra (ph), which means vision. And I recently saw an Egyptian film called "Cairo 678," made by an Egyptian director called Mohammed Diab, where he speaks out against sexual violence against women. MALVEAUX: OK.

ELTAHAWY: So the fact that men and women are speaking out is very important.

MALVEAUX: All right. Mona Eltahawy, we appreciate your perspective. Thank you, Mona.

ELTAHAWY: Thank you.

MALVEAUX: Protesters in Egypt are doing all they can today to preserve the movement that ousted a dictator. Thousands have gathered again in Tahrir Square.

Ivan Watson is in Cairo with what some are calling the Friday to save the revolution.

Egypt and Tunisia are credited with igniting other rebellions across the Arab world, but there still seems to be a sense of revolution in the air.

Ivan, what are you feeling?

IVAN WATSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, certainly what we're seeing here is the revolutionaries who helped topple a dictator during 18 historic days, Suzanne, trying to capture that energy again, trying to re-inject themselves into a political process that they feel that they are increasingly being marginalized from.

If you can see over my shoulder, there is the now world famous Tahrir Square, where you have thousands of people, probably more than 10,000 people, gathered right now. Many of them criticizing the current ruling Egyptian Military Council that is basically running the show right now and has been entrusted with managing what is supposed to be a transition to democracy.

And the demonstrators here are worried that some of the decisions taken by this ruling military council are not in line with what they imagined the future of Egypt should be. There's a carnival atmosphere down there despite a violence crackdown on previous protests throughout the month of March, where torture was used by soldiers against demonstrators. So far, this has been peaceful.

And it's even become a place for some smart Egyptians to make a quick buck. This has become a tourist attraction, Suzanne. Look at the T-shirts now for sale.

January 25th was the first day of the demonstrations. You see T- shirts for sale now, bumper stickers from dozens of dozens of people that go out on sale there. And then, just to show you of the Pan-Arab quality of this, the flag of the opposition, the rebels of neighboring Libya, for sale and being waved by some of the demonstrators there showing that this is truly an international phenomenon -- Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: All right.

Ivan Watson, with the very latest out of Tahrir Square.

Thank you, Ivan. Appreciate it.

Well, making the right moves, it's important in chess and in life. Find out how one man is using the game to teach life lessons.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: A Georgia man is inspiring inner-city students across the country through chess. It's teaching them to make the right moves in life.

Our Randi Kaye has the story in this "What Matters" segment.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ORRIN HUDSON, CHESS TEACHER: I am --

UNIDENTIFIED GROUP: I am --

HUDSON: -- somebody.

UNIDENTIFIED GROUP: -- somebody.

HUDSON: I am --

UNIDENTIFIED GROUP: I am --

HUDSON: -- a champion.

UNIDENTIFIED GROUP: -- a champion.

RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): After seeing a news report of several people being shot in a store robbery for just $2,000, Orrin Hudson, a former state trooper, was compelled to action.

HUDSON: I said to myself, our young people are going out for the wrong cash, that we need to teach young people cash with a "K." "K" for Knowledge, "A" for Attitude, "S" for Skills, and "H" for Habit.

KAYE: So he founded "Be Someone," an organization that teaches kids how to succeed in life through the game of chess.

HUDSON: Chess is like life because there's no blame in the game. I'm responsible. I will win or lose based on the decisions that I make, and if I make the wrong move, I get the wrong result. And I can make one move and never recover. So, you want to think things through before you move, because one move could cost you the game.

HUDSON (RAPPING): We got to get in the game, get in the game, say it.

KAYE: But in an era where technology is king, Hudson knows this board game might not stack up with the latest video game, so he offers a fun challenge that always gets their attention: cold, hard cash. HUDSON: Oftentimes, I put a thousand dollars on the table, and I say, "Hey, look, anybody beats me, they get a thousand dollars." And I got their attention. I whip out the thousand dollars and I show them, and they're like, "OK, I'm in!"

KAYE: He knows the kids won't win, but that's OK as long as they learn that every move has a consequence, just like in life.

HUDSON: That's how I learn.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's how I learn.

HUDSON: I succeed --.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I succeed --

HUDSON: -- by learning.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: -- by learning.

HUDSON: Make it OK --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Make it OK --

HUDSON: -- to fail.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: -- to fail.

KAYE: And after losing time and again, the money doesn't seem to matter, because chess teaches kids to focus, think on their feet, plan ahead, and look at things from the other person's perspective. But there is one more move Hudson wants every kid to learn.

HUDSON: It's less about chess. It's more about making good decisions; it's more about creating value; it's more about never take. The good you do comes back to you. The bad you do will be sad for you. Every move you make has consequences, and if you make the right move, you will get the right results.

KAYE: Decisions that will hopefully change the world one move at a time.

Randi Kaye , CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MALVEAUX: Japan's nuclear disaster has many wondering if the United States is prepared for a crisis of its own. Hear what the evacuation plans are at the Indian Point power plant that is close to New York City.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEUAX: Now for the latest developments in Japan's nuclear crisis. Radiation was found in beef near the damaged nuclear plant in northern Japan. Officials say cows, chickens, pigs, may have eaten grass or feed that was contaminated. A Japanese official says it may be many months before the people who live in the nuclear plant evacuation zone actually get a chance to go home. Tens of thousands of people have been living in shelters and temporary housing since the quake and tsunami three weeks ago.

Japan's nuclear disaster has many Americans wondering, what if it happens here? Our CNN's Alan Chernoff looked at disaster plans the Indian Point nuclear plant near New York City.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In the event of an accident at the Indian Point nuclear power plant, some nearby residents fear they'd be stuck, unable to flee.

MIKE CRAWFORD, PEEKSKILL, NY RESIDENT: I don't think that we would be able to evacuate sufficiently.

CHERNOFF: By law, Indian Point is required to have an emergency planning zone, a 10-mile radius from the plant. Westchester County where the plant is located would try to evacuate residents gradually.

ANTHONY SUTTON, COMMISSIONER, WESTCHESTER COUNTY EMERGENCY SERVICES: The evacuation may initially be for the people living in a two-mile ring and a five-mile downwind span.

CHERNOFF (on camera): The direction of the wind could determine who needs to evacuate. Since Indian Point is located right on the Hudson River in a valley between these hills, the wind tends to blow downstream towards Manhattan.

(voice-over): In Japan, U.S. authorities are urging Americans within 50 miles of the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant to evacuate. For Indian Point, that radius would encompass New York City, which is just 25 miles away.

(on camera): Rush hour in New York, heaven forbid there's a nuclear accident near here. There is no way everyone is evacuating quickly. It would be nuclear gridlock.

Practically speaking, we couldn't really evacuate New York City.

JOSEPH POLLOCK, VP OPERATIONS, INDIAN POINT ENERGY CENTER: Well, there's not a scenario we have where the dose rates or the radiation that would go out would require an evacuation of New York City. That's been at least identified up until this point.

CHERNOFF (voice-over): The county's chief executive says they're well prepared for a 10-mile evacuation, but if a 50-mile evacuation were ordered --

BOB ASTORINO, WESTCHESTER COUNTY EXECUTIVE: It's a complete game changer. We would have to go back to the drawing board tomorrow and work day and night with multiple agencies, multiple jurisdictions.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MALVEAUX: Let's go now to President Obama. He's speaking at a U.P.S. plant in Landover, Maryland.

(JOINED IN PROGRESS)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: There they are over there.

We're here today for a simple reason. Ray wasn't home when they tried to deliver a package yesterday so -

(APPLASUE)

OBAMA: -- we thought we would just grab it and be on our way. I've been working them too hard. In addition to Steve and Ray, we also have the attorney general of Maryland, Doug Gansler is here.

(APPLAUSE)

OBAMA: And we've got one of the finest senators in the United States Senate from Maryland, Ben Cardin in the house.

(APPLAUSE)

OBAMA: We actually didn't come here to grab a package. We're actually here to announce an exciting (AUDIO GAP) between federal government and (AUDIO GAP) that will help reduce our dependence on oil that will protect our planet and will spur economic growth.

I gave a speech about this earlier this week. And I laid out a blueprint that will put America towards a clean energy future. Prices lately, whether you're filling up your tank or you're running a business like U.P.S. And usually, it's times like these when everybody starts saying, we should do something about our dependence on oil and when prices go back down, we forget about it and we move on until crisis hits.

The point I made earlier this week is that we can't keep on doing that. That's not how we should conduct our energy policy in this country. We can't go from shock to trance, rushing to propose action when gas prices go up to hitting snooze button when they go back down. We have to have a steady, sustained, smart strategy.

And at a time when we're addressing instability overseas, we know this is a national security issue. And it's a huge economic issue. Nearly two years after one of worst recessions in our history, certainly the worst one in our lifetimes, our economy is showing signs of real strength. Today we learned that we added 230,000 private sector jobs last month -- and that's good news.

(APPLAUSE)

OBAMA: That means more packages.

(LAUGHTER AND APPLAUSE) OBAMA: Right? That makes 1.8 million private sector jobs created in the last 13 months. And the unemployment rate has now fallen a full point in the last four months. The last time that happened was during the recovery in 1984, where we saw such a significant drop in the unemployment rate.

Now, despite that good news, everybody here knows we've got a lot more work to do. There are millions of Americans out there looking for a job that pays the bills. I know there's a lot going on in the world right now and so the news has been captured by the images of the Middle East and what's happening, the tragedy to our friends in Japan.

And I'm focused on those issues. But you should know keeping the economy going and making sure jobs are available is the first thing I think about when I wake up in the morning and last thing I think about when I go to bed at night. I won't be satisfied to everyone American who wants a good job can find one and every American gets a shot at the American dream. That's what we're focused on. That's what we're fighting for.

(APPLAUSE)

OBAMA: So, although we've got good news today, we have to keep the momentum going. And making the transition to a clean energy economy will help us do that in two very important ways. First, it reduces --

MALVEAUX: You're listening to President Obama talking about the latest numbers on jobs, obviously saying it's a piece of good news that people can take heart in. The U.S. Labor Department reporting 216,000 jobs were created just -- just last month. And that there are more -- the unemployment rate, knocking the unemployment rate down a notch to 8.8 percent. That's the lowest it's been in two years.

Want to bring in our Alison Kosik, who joins us from the New York Stock Exchange. Alison, it's a little bit of good news. U.S. stocks seem to be responding pretty positively to the report.

ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: They are. In fact, you know, what, Suzanne, stocks popped after this report came out because it was better than expected. And if you don't count the job gains we got last year from the census, that 216,000 job gain in March, it really is the strongest that we've seen in four years. So, that's why we're seeing the general consensus is that the job market, it's expected to continue improving this year.

Of course, we still have a lot of issues to worry about in the Mideast. We have the high oil prices that could weigh on the economic recovery as a whole with oil prices sitting at about $107 a barrel. But analysts say, you know what? The economy is resilient and can handle the shocks at this point.

One good thing about this jobs report is we saw a lot of job gains in the private sector. That's really what we want to see. Where we saw employers really hesitant to hire in the past during the recession and after, we're seeing them be a little more confident and that's a good sign for job growth. Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: Well, a little piece of good news, Alison. We like that. Thanks. Have a good weekend.

KOSIK: Sure.

MALVEAUX: We'll have more after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CARMEN WONG ULRICH, PERSONAL FINANCE EXPERT: It is time now for the "Help Desk, where we get answers to your financial questions. And joining me this hour, Donna Resato, senior editor at "Money" magazine. And John Ultzheimer is president of consumer education at SmartCredit.com.

Now, first question up here is from Robert. Robert says, "I have no real debt except for rent and bills and I don't use credit cards. But I find it hard to save money. So, where do I start?" Donna, what's your word for him?

DONNA ROSATA, SENIOR EDITOR, "MONEY" MAGAZINE: Well, first of all, I would say Robert's in a great position to start saving because he doesn't have any debt. But what I recommend is starting with an emergency savings funds. That's where you really want to save and put away six months' of savings to cover any expenses that you have, things you're not sure you might -- if you lose your job or have an unexpected repair come up. It's great if he has a 401(k) in his job. That's the last place you can get free money for you investment. Any contributions would be matched.

But as he said, it can be really difficult to save. So, my advice there is make it automatic, like the 401(k) is. Try to take the savings out of your paycheck before you hit it. Then you'll be much more successful.

ULRICH: Yes. Automated savings is a great, great advice. And here's our second question. Brent in Missouri, he says, "My current job pays in cash. Now, how much can I deposit before those taxes start coming out?" John?

JOHN ULZHEIMER, PRESIDENT OF CONSUMER EDUCATION, SMARTCREDIT.COM: Old fashioned job, pays in cash. Well, the answer to that question is he can deposit as much as he wants before taxes start coming out, but that is not a good idea. Why? Because the IRS will penalize you for not making your quarterly estimated tax payments.

He needs to go to irs.gov and download form 1040-ES. And of course, it's a very complicated form. But essentially, what he's going to want to do is set aside about a third of every dollar he receives in payment because that's the amount of money he'll start paying to the IRS every quarter. And not coincidentally, the first payment is going to be due April 15th of this year.

ULRICH: And he better do it because they can come after him. Thank you so much, guys. Do you have a question you want answered? Send us an e-mail anytime at the CNNHelpDesk@CNN.com.

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MALVEAUX: A brutal attack on a United Nations aid center in northeastern Afghanistan in the town of Mazar-i-Sharif. A U.N. spokesman says that 12 people were killed. Eight of them were U.N. staffers, four were Afghans. But witnesses say the attack took place when a mob of angry people with knives broke off from a protest. The protest was against an alleged Koran burning at the United States last week. It is clear that while U.N. sanction air strikes may have knocked Moammar Gadhafi on his heels now, it is not stopping his rampage in Libya. So what more should the U.S. be doing? Should we be arming the rebels? The Obama administration seems to be trying to answer the question and it doesn't sound like everyone is on the same page.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I'm not ruling it out, but I'm also not ruling it in.

HILLARY CLINTON, SECRETARY OF STATE: All of us have to continue the pressure on and deepen the isolation of the Gadhafi regime.

ROBERT GATES, SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: The president has no additional military moves in mind beyond what he has already authorized.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: Our Kate Bolduan, she is in Washington for today's White House press briefing.

Kate, I know it's going to happen very shortly. We're keeping a close eye on that. We are essentially looking for one message from the administration. Why has that been such a challenge?

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the White House will tell you, Suzanne, that they are speaking -- that the administration is speaking with one voice. That they have all along and that they continue to say that the United States has now moved into this supporting role with regard to the no-fly zone, that they have no intention and they don't have any intention continually to put any military personnel on the ground in Libya, and that they're still debating whether or not arming the rebels is a good idea.

But why that continues to kind of be the open-ended question as this progresses, is that there seems to be a lot of questions remaining on who these rebels are and where their allegiance really lies.

Jay Carney was asked, the spokesman for the White House, was asked specifically about what the White House is learning, what they know about these rebels and kind of what that means for the end game in this conflict. Let's listen here.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAY CARNEY, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: What's important to remember is that this is a broad and diverse opposition. And I mean that in the sense that, as we saw in other countries, these are lawyers, doctors, merchants, you know, agricultural workers, mothers and fathers and sons and daughters. This is not -- this is not a single segment of society or slice of society that represents only a small constituency. The opposition to Gadhafi is widespread and broad in Libya.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: And, Suzanne, Defense Secretary Robert Gates, he did acknowledge yesterday while on The Hill that they -- the administration has very little visibility into these groups. That they have varying agendas and that they remain very disparate groups.

At the same time, we also know that, from government officials, that the CIA is on the ground and part of their job on ground is trying to get at some of these lingering questions to get more information that is lacking about who these groups are and that will, obviously, contribute to what the next step forward is for this administration. But a lot of questions remaining centering around who these rebels are.

Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: All right, Kate, we're going to be watching very closely. Obviously you'll be in the briefing. Questions about the U.S. role in Libya sure to come up in today's White House briefing. And I know that Kate's going to go ahead and really press a bit on that point, who these rebels are and whether or not the administration knows and should be more involved in supporting them. Scheduled to get underway at the top of the hour. That is at 1:00 p.m. Eastern. Live coverage here on CNN.

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MALVEAUX: The clock is ticking for a budget deal. If Congress can't come up with a plan by next Friday, the government is going to shut down. Our Carol Costello joining us with the "Talk Back."

A lot of people weighing in on this, Carol.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely. Our "Talk Back" question today, would a constitutional amendment force lawmakers to compromise on budget?

This from Michael. "If we have to force them to do their jobs and not play partisan games with the seats they hold, then so be it. Whatever gets business moving through a gridlocked Congress."

This from Randolph. "Even if the Constitution were amend, it isn't likely they'd abide by the amendment. It's a crying shame that there is even talk of an amendment."

This from Brian. "Maybe I'm jaded, but it sounds to me like an excuse to force the cuts to program that's Democrats won't budge on. I'd rather have an unbalanced budget than a government with no eyes on the future."

And this from Jewelwriter. "They should be locked in a room, given paper, pens, white out and a day of no outside influence to make this budget or lost their jobs."

Facebook.com/carolcnn.

MALVEAUX: Told them. All right, thank you, Carol.

COSTELLO: Sure.

MALVEAUX: You told us what story you wanted to see. "Choose The News" winner straight ahead.

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MALVEAUX: Here's the story you wanted to see. A Montana lawmaker speaks out against drunk driving laws. Here's CNN's Jeanne Moos.

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JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): If there's one thing you can drink to, is that nobody is going to defend drunk driving, right? So it felt a little like watching a car wreck when Montana State Representative Alan Hale rose to speak against all DUI laws.

ALAN HALE (R), MONTANA STATE HOUSE: These DUI laws are not doing our small businesses in our state any good at all. They're destroying them. They're destroying a way of life that has been in Montana for years and years.

LAURA DEAN-MOONEY, MADD NATIONAL PRESIDENT: That's insulting.

MOOS: The president of Mothers Against Drunk Driving was just getting warmed up.

DEAN-MOONEY: It's scary. It's alarming. It's ridiculous.

HALE: These taverns and bars in these smaller communities connect people together. They're the center of the communities.

MOOS: They sure connected folks in classics like "Hang Em High," when riding drunk was a lot less lethal than driving drunk from a bar.

HALE: There's only two ways to get there, either you hitchhike or you drive. And I promise you that they're not going to hitchhike.

MOOS: In arguing against DUI laws, this Republican, Tea Party friendly Montana legislature stirred up a hornet's nest.

DEAN-MOONEY: His comments are just mind-boggling that someone would still think that way.

MOOS: Laura Dean-Mooney lost her husband Mike to a drunk driver going the wrong way. We called Representative Hale several times for comment but got no reply. Montana is a wide open state, as someone named Dan posted, "to be fair, this is Montana, where you could drive across half the state drunk and pass maybe two drivers the whole time." There was someone named Dave responded, "and endanger both of them for perfectly selfish reasons. Awesome."

MOOS (on camera): Representative Hale and his wife know a lot about bars. They operate one called the Silver Saddle.

MOOS (voice-over): Despite Hale's 35 second speech against DUI laws, a tougher DUI law was passed. And after critics got done railing about his speech, they went on to attack his neck wear, comparing him to Colonel Sanders. At least they didn't "Hang Em High" by his own tie.

Jeanne Moos, CNN.

HALE: They're destroying a way of life.

MOOS: New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)