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Republican Presidential Hopefuls Gather At Faith and Freedom Coalition Conference; May Jobs Report Disappointing; New Study Links Cell Phone Use and Cancer; Anti-Government Demonstrations Continue in Yemen and Syria; Political Analysts Look at Potential 2012 Presidential Campaigns; Winnie Mandela Interviewed; Shaquille O'Neal Retires

Aired June 04, 2011 - 10:00   ET

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

T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning to you all. I'm T.J. Holmes here at the CNN headquarters here in Atlanta, Georgia.

We have a developing story this morning, a significant one about thinning the ranks of Al Qaeda. Just on the heels of last month's take down of Osama bin Laden, we're now getting word of a drone strike in Pakistan that killed Ilyas Kashmiri.

You might not know the name or face, but security officials know him and they know this could be a big get. CNN's Phil Black live for us in Pakistan.

They call him the military arm, the military brain behind Al Qaeda. Please, give our viewers a perspective on how big of a get this would be.

PHIL BLACK, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Sure, T.J. This is a local militant who has risen from very local origins. His early career was fought fighting in a local comfort in Kashmir indeed most of his military career has been involved in south Asia, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan.

In recent years he has relocated his operation to the Pakistan/Afghanistan border area, that tribal territory of north Waziristan and from there he developed close relationship with the Afghan Taliban and Al Qaeda. He has risen through the ranks of Al Qaeda quite dramatically in that time, rising to that position, as you say. Essentially the operational chief, the man whose job it was to implement Al Qaeda strategy. That is to decide on targets to dedicate resources and, ultimately, carry out these operations and take lives.

He has been essentially quite successful at doing it to the point where he has been talked about since the death of Osama bin Laden as a possible replacement as the leader of the whole global Al Qaeda network, T.J.

Phil, what do we know about these strikes, these drone strikes? We know they do take place, oftentimes, U.S. officials are very quiet about them, but Pakistani officials have been quiet about them, critical of them. As far as we can tell, have these continued? Indeed, they have. Indeed, they are a very controversial subject here in Pakistan where Pakistanis view them as an ongoing breach of their sovereignty. They have the same complaint of the operation that killed Osama bin Laden, they are particularly upset about these ongoing drone strikes.

But the U.S. has said they will continue, they have continued since the operation that killed Osama bin Laden and their job is to take out militant targets and they have been hunting over the skies over those tribal areas of Pakistan looking behind value targets and among them has been this man, Kashmiri.

There was another attack in South Waziristan overnight and there have been these growing reports since that one of those killed in this operation was this very high-value target Kashmiri. The confirmation has come from the local militant group that he, himself, was the head of. So far no official confirmation either from the United States that runs these drone states or from Pakistani officials whether the governments or the military.

And perhaps there's an important reason why this could be the case. It had been reported previously back in September 2009, both the United States and Pakistani officials had believed that Ilyas Kashmiri was killed in a drone strike at that time. That was not the case. We do not have official confirmation yet, but the local militant group on the ground that Kashmiri was said to be the head of was killed, T.J.

HOLMES: Phil Black, we appreciate you, thank you so much.

We'll turn back to this country now and some politics. Would you believe that just about every single Republican who has an eye on the White House is stopping by one particular place this weekend? Our deputy political director is in that spot.

Paul Steinhauser is joining me at the Faith and Freedom Coalition conference.

Paul, what is it about this place to pull in all the presidential hopefuls?

PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN DEPUTY POLITICAL EDITOR: How important and powerful social conservative voters are in the race for the nomination, T.J. Seven of them, Mitt Romney, Tim Pawlenty, Ron Paul, Michele Bachmann and today Rick Santorum speaks in a couple minutes, Herman Cain a little later. Newt Gingrich, not here, but will speak by video to this conference.

And T.J., listen, we've known in the past that social conservatives have played a large role. I think it will be that way, again. Very influential, especially in the early states like Iowa and South Carolina, two of the first states devoted in the primary and caucus calendar, T.J.

HOLMES: I've seen a number of articles now, people asking, is this country ready to elect a Mormon president. Romney is in and another one thinking about it with Huntsman. Will this be a factor?

STEINHAUSER: It could be a factor. A brand-new pew poll indicated that about a third of white evangelicals say they would be less likely to vote for a Mormon president than from other protestants or Catholics that were questioned.

Now Ralph Reid is the head of this Faith and Freedom Coalition and he spoke about this last night on CNN, take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STEINHAUSER: Is this an uncomfortable issue? Is it dicey? Do people feel uncomfortable talking about it? How does that play out?

RALPH REED, FOUNDER, FAITH AND FREEDOM COALITION: My sense is that it is going to be a lot less of an issue this go around and I certainly hope it isn't a major issue because in the end what we're electing is a CEO of the country and a president and I don't think there should be a litmus test based on one's denominational or religious affiliation for that job.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STEINHAUSER: You know, I think raffle Reid, T.J., another reason you see all these candidates here. He built up the Christian coalition into a powerful player in politics. It's only two years old and the second year having this conference, but look at that, just about every Republican presidential candidate is right here -- T.J.

HOLMES: That says a lot about the importance of it. We'll check in with that conference throughout the morning. Thanks so much.

New claims this morning, as well, from President Obama. He's touting the bailout of Chrysler and General Motors while offering cautious optimism about the economy as a whole.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We've got a ways to go. Even though our economy has created more than two million private sector jobs over the past 15 months and continues to grow, we're facing tough obstacles -- high gas prices, the earthquake in Japan, and unease about the European fiscal situation. That is going to happen from time to time. There are going to be bumps on the road to recovery.

We're people who don't give up, who do big things, who shape our own destiny and I'm absolutely confident if we hold on to that spirit our best days are still ahead of us.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Also this morning despite a job slowdown in May the president's approval rating has ticked up. The latest CNN opinion research corporation poll has his approval rating at 54 percent.

Let me bring in now CNN's Alison Kosik joining us on this CNN Saturday morning from New York talking about the jobless numbers.

And you did not bring good news with you. We got this news yesterday. Unemployment rate goes up and also the number of jobs goes down.

ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: That's right. You know, think of me as just the messenger here. You're right, T.J. The unemployment rate ticked up to 1.9 percent. While it's a small move, it's a move in the wrong direction. The thing here, job creation is moving in the right direction, but the problem is, it's slowing down. The number of jobs that are actually being added to the economy isn't enough to bring the unemployment rate down and really get the economy moving.

Now, of course, as you know jobs are huge factor in powering this economy forward. You know, it has a kind of spider effect. If I don't have@ a job, I don't have as much money to spend at your shop and that can affect your job and so on. That's why we really watch these numbers so closely because of that domino effect. Investors were watching it, too. We saw the fifth straight losing week on Wall Street -- T.J.

HOLMES: These numbers will get politicized. Even though we saw the president's approval ratings go up, highest since 2009 in the midst of all this economic news. How is this going to play in?

KOSIK: It is going to play in. President Obama, he just wasn't getting a boost after Osama bin Laden's death. But he also got some good kudos on signs that the economy was improving. In fact, until recently job creation had been strong and stocks had been on the rise, but now what's happening is this job's report could be a real problem for the president.

But one lousy report, you know, he could probably survive. But if this is the beginning of maybe another slide for the economy, that would make things tougher for President Obama. The election, of course, is still a long ways off. But if the job trend is lousy, voters will hold politicians' feet to the fire. They want to know what they plan to do about it. I'm talking about the Republican candidate and President Obama, they want to know from these politicians, especially as we get into an election year how they'll fix the economy, T.J.

HOLMES: Alison Kosik, good to see you here on a CNN Saturday morning. Thanks so much.

KOSIK: Sure.

HOLMES: We turn now to John Edwards he is saying, yes, in fact, he was wrong. But he also says he didn't break the law. The former democratic presidential candidate is now facing an indictment. Federal prosecutors accusing Edwards of using campaign money to hide an affair with a campaign worker Rielle Hunter. That's the same woman he fathered a child with.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) JOHN EDWARDS, (D) FORMER VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: There's no question that I've done wrong. And I take full responsibility for having done wrong. And I will regret for the rest of my life the pain and the harm that I've caused to others. But I did not break the law and I never, ever thought I was breaking the law.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Now, Edwards, who has been indicted now on six counts, including conspiracy, issuing false statements, and violating campaign contribution laws, could face up to 30 years in prison and a $1.5 million fine if convicted.

Well, what do we do now? Cell phones could cause cancer. "Could." That's the word we're getting from the world health organization, got that word this week. Kind of sent everybody into a frenzy. Why they're saying that and whether you should put that phone down.

Also, thousands of people fleeing the Dakotas as snow melt and spring rains fill the Missouri river to record levels. Reynolds Wolf with us when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Well, 12 minutes past the hour now on this CNN Saturday morning.

We turn to Germany now and Hamburg. The hunt is on to find the source what is behind a "super-toxic new strain of e. Coli." It's blamed now for the deaths of some 18 people. Another 2,000 people just about have gotten sick. Four Americans who recently returned from northern Germany showing symptoms and two U.S. service members stationed nearby may have also contracted the illness.

Food safety experts link the outbreak to raw produce, however, this is important, they say produce in the U.S. is safe. Right now this is only affecting Europe.

You may have heard this week, scientists that world health organization are warning cell phones might, they might cause cancer. Now, the group's not saying that you should not use the cell phone. They're just making you aware and saying, be careful. The new warning compares the dangers from the phones to cancer-causing hazards found in lead, engine exhaust, chloroform. The radiation is similar to a low powered microwave oven.

The wireless industry responding by saying the study is inconclusive and more research needs to be done. But Dr. Keith Black, author of the book "Brain Surgeon," says there's still a lot we don't know about the potential long-term effects of cell phone use.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. KEITH BLACK, AUTHOR, "BRAIN SURGEON": You need to think of those in similar terms that you would a microwave ovens. Those microwaves are essentially omitting microwave energy into the brain that vibrates to water molecules in the cells and overtime that could produce changes within those brain cells.

We don't know the long-term consequence. We don't know what happens after decades of using a cell phone with memory use, aging, cognitive ability. We also know that in the young brain the scalp is thinner and the radiation that goes in is much thinner. Could it have an effect on learning?

So you want to keep the cell phone away from the brain. The best way to do that is use hands-free blue tooth in the car and use speaker or use an ear piece so that it's not right adjacent to the skull.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: So there you go. That is the best advice they can give you right now. There is so much we just don't know. They say keep it away from your head the best you can. Use one of those ear pieces. You can find out more ways to protect yourself from cell phone radiation at CNN.com/health.

The Coast Guard decided to shut down the Missouri River because of high water levels and flooding. We're still talking about melting snow and torrential rains that have created a dangerous situation there in North and South Dakota. Commercial river traffic has voluntarily stopped operations and the coast guard now wanting recreational boaters to stay off the river, as well. There is so much water and debris that is coming down the river.

(WEATHER BREAK)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Well, 18 minutes past the hour now on this CNN Saturday morning and we turn to Yemen now where anti-government demonstrations have been playing out and a tribal leader's home has been hit by artillery. Ten people were killed and 35 others injured in attacks yesterday in the city of Sana'a. The strike came after Yemen's president was wounded after an attack at the presidential compound.

The prime minister was seriously wounded in that attack. Earlier today I asked our CNN correspondent Mohammed Jamjoom who has spent time working in Yemen why Americans should pay attention to the trouble there's.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MOHAMMED JAMJOOM, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The United States has been worried about Yemen for quite some time. Al Qaeda and the Arabian peninsula, which is the boldest branch of Al Qaeda right now, which is considered to be the biggest threat for Americans and westerners in the world. The most active wing of Al Qaeda, they have a hub in Yemen. They have been able over the past couple year to launch spectacular attacks. The nightmare scenario no has been for the U.S. that Al Qaeda kicks up in Yemen and tries to take advantage of the political unrest and tries to take over parts of that country. (END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: Anti-government demonstrations have been going on in Yemen for months now.

We turn to Libya now and the civil war there. For the first time, NATO is using attack helicopters on forces loyal to Moammar Gadhafi. The video on the left part of your screen is of those attack choppers taking off from a French ship earlier today. The chopper struck military vehicles. NATO is not saying exactly where those attacks took place.

Some people view this as a game changer and an escalator and the fact that they're using the attack choppers now which have different capabilities. NATO says these choppers give the mission additional flexibility to go after government troops in civilian areas.

Defense Secretary Robert gates is winding down his time as defense secretary and he is on the move, a goodbye tour some might call it. Gates arrived in Kabul, Afghanistan after wrapping up a summit in Singapore earlier today. General David Petraeus greeted him at the tarmac. They're sure to discuss the drawdown of U.S. troops in Afghanistan later this summer. Coinciding with the visit today, the Taliban taking credit for a roadside bomb that killed four NATO service members earlier in the day.

You might know her as a controversial political activist, maybe a divisive figure in South Africa. But do you know this side of Winnie Mandela?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WINNIE MANDELA: How do you differentiate to a little child that, in fact, I am proud of your father being in prison. Can you imagine what goes on in a little child's mind?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Winnie Mandela invited us into her home for an exclusive interview. She'll tell us what life was like with raising her children without the father.

Also Romney declares, Sarah Palin just rolling. We sort it all out, the big stories of the week in politics in our political roundtable. Lenny and Maria will join me.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: It's 24 minutes past the hour now. We turn to Syria where we are seeing bigger protests and we are seeing more casualties as anti-government demonstrators continue to build up the pressure on Bashar al Assad.

We turn to our Arwa Damon, who is keeping an eye on things has been reporting for us from Syria.

Arwa, hello to you, and tell us about the escalating situation there now.

ARWA DAMON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, T.J., more than 100,000 people turned out today for the funerals and dozens of protesters by security forces, that's according to activists and eyewitnesses. Most deaths happened during demonstrations on Friday. Friday traditionally a day of big demonstrations, and yesterday we saw widespread demonstrations.

Security forces it appears used the heaviest strength in terms of weaponry. At least six people have been killed. That's according to the observatory for human rights. We spoke with the director who also said the number is probably much higher. He believes it may exceed 80. Again, what we could see today is the pattern where Syrian security forces continue according to activists, eyewitnesses, videos emerging on YouTube to fire directly into the crowd of unarmed demonstrators. Chanting they want the regime to leave, T.J.

HOLMES: The only response -- the only response we're seeing is a violent one on the streets or are we hearing anything more lately from President Assad there about, I guess, any further concessions. Some would say he made some before, but those were pretty hollow. But is he saying anything else about these demonstrations?

DAMON: Well, T.J., the Syrian regime is continuously and still continues to maintain that they are quite simply targeting armed extremist and terrorist groups unsettling unrest and being fueled by outside powers. His agenda saw to somehow bring down the Syrian regime.

And, yes, as you point out there, we've seen confessions, alleged reforms being put into place by the president. Most recently he declared an amnesty for anyone who has committed any crime up until May 31st. That, however, ended up not really being an amnesty in the sense of a general pardon, although we did see hundreds of prisoners released. And the majority of them really only had their sentences reduced.

When it comes to the demonstration, the government continues to say that there are people that carry weapons and, yet, we have not seen any sort of concrete evidence of this. We cannot independently verify any accounts who think the government is still not allowing this from Syria and also yesterday's demonstrations, for example, were dubbed demonstrations for the freedom of children. They were in honor of the dozens of children that activists say have been killed, especially the case of 13-year-old who was horrifically mutilated and the images on YouTube came a battle cry for the opposition and that is evidence is the opposition says that they are not armed.

And there are children out there on the streets. The regime is independently even targeting children. And, so, you do have the regime saying that it's, but when it comes to the opposition, they don't believe this is a regime that is capable of reforming. And that's why they're calling for its removal.

HOLMES: Arwa Damon reporting for us, we appreciate you, as always. Thank you so much. As we get close to the bottom of the hour here now, this weekend marking the 30-year anniversary since doctors first diagnosed the disease that would become known as AIDS. Public attitudes, of course, towards the disease have come a long way in the past 30 years, especially for one infected woman, who had to educate herself before she could help others. And she is this week's CNN's hero.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PATRICIA SAWO, CNN HERO: Back in 1990s, I believed that AIDS was a punishment from god. When I personally tested HIV positive, oh, my god, how could this happen to me? I fasted and prayed for years hoping I would be healed. When I went public I lost my dot job, my husband lost his job. The landlord wanted us out of his house. I realized that I had been wrong.

My name is Patricia Sawo. My mission is to change people's attitudes about HIV.

All you need is accurate, correct information. HIV is not a model issue, it is a virus. I do a lot of counseling. When I'm helping somebody else who is HIV positive, I want them to know that you can rise above this. The 48 children, most of them saw their parents dying of AIDS. My HIV status brings some kind of a bond. To provide that motherly love and all their basic needs. HIV is making me a better person. We want to be there for people. So if we have it, we share it out. It's what I want to do because it's what I'm meant to do. So, for me, I'm healed.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: Sawo currently cares for dozens of children through her center and educates others in her community, as well. All of our CNN heroes come from your suggestions. Please, go to CNN.com and nominate your hero.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Well, the run for 2012 dominated the political news this week, or maybe the headline was the "I'm not running yet news." We're seeing a whole lot of Sarah Palin these days. She continues motoring up the east coast on a bus tour. We saw that all week. She's been greeted by big crowds even though at this point she says she's not a candidate.

Meanwhile, Mitt Romney officially joined the race this week announced in New Hampshire while he was announcing Palin was meeting in another part of the state. So, he was upstaged a bit by Sarah Palin in the state. He was even upstaged by Sarah Palin during this story. That is how it is going for some folks out there on the campaign trail.

Let's turn now to our guy and gal, Democratic strategy Maria Cardona and joining us from Washington Republican strategist Lenny McAllister this morning in his hometown of Pittsburgh.

Good to see you both. Don't even start. Good to see you.

Maria, you couldn't see that, he's putting up the terrible towel there in Pittsburgh. But, let's start, Maria, as we always do, Maria, what was your political headline of the week?

MARIA CARDONA, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: "Celebrity non-candidate candidate Sarah Palin trumps all GOP serious hopefuls."

HOLMES: All right, what was your, Lenny, headline of the week?

LENNY MCALLISTER, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: "Public enemy number one, don't believe the hype."

(LAUGHTER)

HOLMES: Don't believe the hype. Now, explain that one to me.

MCALLISTER: Well, it's on two sides. From the Republican standpoint don't believe the hype. Sarah Palin is not running for the presidency. She enjoys the camera. This is how she makes her money. How did somebody who quit their first term as governor in Alaska explain how they want to be America's next president for the next two terms? She is going to enjoy this run, make some money, and not run for the presidency.

From the Democratic side, don't believe the hype. Every time we keep hearing that the economy is getting better, the unemployment rate keeps going up. Again, 9.1 percent. This is not a good sign for the president. If there weren't a strong candidate on the Republican side, president Obama would actually be in trouble in 2012.

HOLMES: Let him guide the conversation. Maria, you picked up on that same point. Do you think she has no real intention of running, she's just doing her thing and also from the Democrats, as well, how do you keep saying things are getting better and indicators that the economy is getting better with 9.1 percent, 54,000 jobs added? That doesn't sound good.

CARDONA: So, on Sarah Palin I would say I'm not so sure that she's not going to run. I don't think she will. But she might very well look at the candidates right now the GOP side and say "I can do a lot better than everybody here."

The problem is, she might very well be able to win the GOP primary because she's such a darling of the conservatives. And she can raise a ton of money and we have seen, she can certainly get the media attention. There's no way, no way she can win the general election. I think that's why she has --

HOLMES: Why do you keep saying that, Maria? Why do people keep saying that?

CARDONA: Well, T.J., she has, I'll tell you two things, one anecdotal and one empirical. She has a 62 percent unfavorable rating personally. You cannot win a general election with that kind of rating. And, number two, you have to do a lot more than say "America" 30 times whenever you talk to voters or whenever you talk to the press. So, that is not, that is not going to take her anywhere.

HOLMES: Lenny, give me a yes or no so we can wrap the Sarah Palin talk. Can she win?

MCALLISTER: No.

HOLMES: All right, we will move on. Mitt Romney this week, let me turn to Mitt Romney. Was this pretty much a nonevent, because we've known literally for years he was going to run? It seemed like a nonevent. Does he have a little ways to go to get some excitement and some hype going about his candidacy?

MCALLISTER: He does have a way to go. He has to continuously explain to the Republican base why Romneycare is not Obamacare. You found out in Washington, D.C., over the weekend that the number one thing Republicans are talking about as far as that strong, conservative base are not the jobs, which is a mistake. That is what they should be talking about. Mitt Romney cannot go out there and raise money and gain momentum with voters if he has to continuously explain why Romneycare is not Obamacare and why he wouldn't do the same as president or why he had a change of heart. That flip-flopping sticks to him.

With that said, he has a lot of time to recover from that and over the course of the next 12 months move away from what happened in Massachusetts. But he will have to be very effective with this if he will stay in the forefront of people's minds and win that vote and thus the nomination.

HOLMES: Maria, will that be the issue maybe for a Huntsman and maybe a Romney, that might be a tough challenge to President Obama if they can get to the general election. Do you think that is the case? They would be tough opponents for president Obama, but they might have a tough time making it through some of those conservative voters.

CARDONA: I do think that they will have a very tough time making it through the GOP primary because of those conservative voters. Not just because Romney has not been able to focus and explain Romney care and all President Obama has to do is thank him every time that he talks about his health care plan because he based it on Romney's plan. And to all the conservatives that's a cardinal sin.

Romney has another problem. He's talking about jobs. I want to mention jobs in a second in terms of president Obama and his administration. When Romney was governor of Massachusetts, the state was ranked 47th, 47 out of 50 states in terms of job creation. He created a lot of jobs, thousands of jobs when he headed Bank Capital in Bangalore, India. Companies shut down plants here and destroyed American jobs. So he has no record to run on in terms of job creation.

On the job numbers that came out yesterday, yes, it is going it be tough. We just passed the 15th straight month of private sector job creation. We need to do more, but we've created 2.1 million new jobs from the standpoint of when President Obama came into office losing 800,000 jobs a month. That's a good direction to go in. HOLMES: Well, yes, but, again, a lot of disappointing numbers last month. We don't know if it will continue.

CARDONA: No question, need to do better.

HOLMES: It might continue through the summer. But it's a long way to go out on the campaign trail. Lenny, good to see you. You have some family there, say hello to them all while you're spending time in Pittsburgh. Maria, always good to see you, too.

CARDONA: Thank you, T.J.

MCALLISTER: God bless you all.

HOLMES: It's 20 to the top of the hour. I'm right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

JEFF FISCHEL, HLN SPORTS: After 19 seasons we've gotten used to this guy not only dominating the floor but entertaining us. Life just got a little more boring in the NBA. There are not too many guys like him and it is going to be hard for the league to replace a guy, 15 all-star appearances and three times an MVP in the finals. Man, he dominated and from people who didn't follow the NBA. They still followed Shaq. Yesterday he said, when I leave, not only am I going away, but I'm taking all my aliases with him.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHAQUILLE O'NEAL, RETIRING NBA PLAYER: In light of today I'm retiring all my nicknames, "The Big Aristotle," "Shaq-fu," "The Big Shaqrock, "The Big Cactus, "The Diesel," and, finally, the one and only, original, never to be duplicated or replicated, "Superman."

(APPLAUSE)

O'NEAL: So from now, so from now on you guys can call me "The Big AARP." I will miss you, but I do plan on entertaining you for the next 19 years whether it's TNT, ESPN, CNN, whoever wants to hire me. My office opens on Monday. Give me a call.

(LAUGHTER)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: No doubt his phone was ringing off the hook. He threw in that CNN at the end. He might show up covering the NBA finals here. He is going to have a career in entertainment.

FISCHEL: The only question is if you put him in, will he follow a script? The guy surprises everybody all the time. He's had such a great sense of humor which attracts people to him most. You think of this seven foot, 300-pound guy. He likes to joke around.

HOLMES: He used to do that Christmas thing where he would go to a store and buy Christmas gifts every year for kids. He has just been great for the NBA, great personality. Good to see you. Thanks so much quick break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: It's 12 till the top of the hour. Let's take a look at the stories making headlines.

The Faith and Freedom Coalition conference going on right now in Washington D.C. We just saw Rick Santorum step off that podium. He is one of three presidential hopefuls addressing the group today. Newt Gingrich there, as well, Eric Cantor and Minnesota representative Michele Bachmann both spoke at the gathering yesterday.

The Casey Anthony trial is resuming today in Florida. Yesterday jurors watched taped jailhouse conversations between the defendant and her parents, tapes that may damage Anthony's defense that her two- year-old daughter Caylee drowned in the family's pool almost three years ago.

And Yemen's embattled leader says gangsters were behind an attack on a mosque at his presidential compound. President Saleh was slightly injured when two projectiles were fired at the mosque yesterday. Four people were killed.

Quick break, I'm right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: As we get close to the top of the hour now, we have just confirmed here at CNN that former secretary of state Lawrence Eagleburger has died. Eagleburger held the top spot at the state department for just five months back in 1992 when James Baker resigned to run President George H.W. Bush's unsuccessful reelection bid. Again, former secretary of state, Lawrence Eagleburger dead at 80 years old.

Here we are now about seven minutes to the top of the hour bringing back in for our morning passport, Nadia Bilchik.

You had a chance to talk to someone who doesn't do a whole lot of sit down and talking, especially at her home in South Africa.

NADIA BILCHIK, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: No, but I sent her a video of our passport and she took one look at you and said --

HOLMES: She knows how to flatter me here.

BILCHIK: She said just tell that T.J. Holmes. Winnie Mandela, the fascinating Winnie Mandela. She's loved and hated. She has been condemned and criticized and people in South Africa call her mother of the nation because she still has this enormous grassroots support. She still lives in the township. People will knock at the door and she'll invite them in and she's very hospitable and truly loved and revered along with being criticized and hated.

So she becomes this mythical complex and historical character who was definitely an integral part of the struggle. She was under house arrest for nine and a half years, harassed relentlessly. I asked here, what was it like raising these two girls when their father is in prison. What do you tell them about your father being in jail? Here's what she said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WINNIE MANDELA: A little child that, in fact, it is, I'm proud of your father being in prison because he is fighting for the nation. Can you imagine what prison in on in a little child's mind when the man next door chose to be with his family and didn't go to prison. Why's that? So our children had a very, very difficult time. We, as parents, had a difficult time to explain to them the values of society.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BILCHIK: And the children adore her, T.J. by the way, the picture of the little girl in her home, that's the 13-year-old granddaughter who was killed during the world cup last year and Winnie actually had a panic attack and is still to this day, it's been a devastating loss for that family.

HOLMES: Interesting point there to hear her say it was a time when it was honorable to be in prison, to explain that to children that the dad is not home. During a commercial break, you were just talking to me about it. When you told people you were going it be inert viewing her and you had the one question most had for her.

BILCHIK: Here it is.

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BILCHIK: What is Mrs. Mandela's beauty regime?

WINNIE MANDELA: The days of struggle when we were fighting on all fronts with the enemy, they then circulated a rumor that I had done, what do you call this thing?

BILCHIK: Not Botox, facelift.

WINNIE MANDELA: I don't even know how that started. God designs us with a full knowledge that the life of this particular individual will be directed in a certain direction and that my genes were meant for the struggle.

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HOLMES: Remind us, how old is she?

BILCHIK: She's 74. I said to her in that moment, hardly you had a stress-free life. Her husband is 20 years older than her, about 18 years older.

HOLMES: He looks great, too.

BILCHIK: I should say her former husband. HOLMES: "Design for the struggle and god designs us," the way she said it, great stuff. We appreciate you sharing it. I think we have more tomorrow.

BILCHIK: We'll hear from her granddaughter tomorrow, both her grandparents. and what it is like to have the icons who dismantled.

HOLMES: Nadia, thank you so much. Quick break, folks. We'll reset here, getting close to the top of the hour. We'll be right back.

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