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Super Committee Warns of Failure; Obama Signs Veterans Jobs Bill; Bipartisan Congressional Super Committee Admits Defeat; Penn State Hired Former FBI Director for Investigation of Sex Abuse Scandal; Newt Gingrich Rises in Polls, Uses New Web Site Against Attacks on His Past; GOP Candidate Jon Huntsman Appear on SNL; Egyptians Protest in Tahrir Square for Civilian Rule
Aired November 21, 2011 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JIM ACOSTA, CNN ANCHOR: Nice to see you in person. This doesn't happen very much, but it's good to see you.
HALA GORANI, CNN ANCHOR: Not very often at all. Good to see you.
ACOSTA: All right. Thanks, Hala. Appreciate it.
Live from Studio 7, I'm Jim Acosta.
Let's get you up to speed for this Monday, November 21st.
And where else to begin but the super committee. After months of talks, this congressional super committee is expected to announce today it simply cannot agree on a debt reduction package. Now, everybody is pointing fingers on what caused the mess. We will tell you what's at stake in a live report from Capitol Hill in about 10 minutes.
And speaking of the super committee, already, markets are reacting badly to fears that the debt committee won't reach a deal. U.S. stocks opened sharply lower today. Right now, the Dow is down over 300 points. This follows last week's losses on Wall Street, the worse in two months.
Former FBI director, Louis Freeh, will lead Penn State's internal investigation into the child sex abuse scandal at that school. Longtime assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky is charged with molesting eight boys, some on campus. Freeh pledged a thorough and independent investigation.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LOUIS FREEH, FORMER FBI DIRECTOR: I am committed to ensuring that our independent investigation be conducted in a thorough, fair, comprehensive manner, leaving no stone unturned and without any fear or favor.
We will examine all of the relevant evidence, records, information and circumstances. We will attempt to interview all necessary and appropriate witnesses.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ACOSTA: Former NASA astronaut Guy Bluford, a Penn State grad, will join the panel as well.
The power of a pipe bomb on vivid display. Explosive experts at the New York Police Department made that one right there. It's a copy, they say, of a bomb being built by terror suspect Jose Pimentel.
Investigators say Pimentel planned to target returning U.S. troops, NYPD cruisers cars and post offices. They say he's an al Qaeda sympathizer who acted alone.
The number of demonstrators killed in Egypt is rising.
(VIDEO CLIP PLAYS)
ACOSTA: Thousands of protesters clashed with security forces in Tahrir Square today. Authorities say 22 people have been killed, another 1,700 wounded in violence that started over the weekend. The protesters are demanding a civilian government, just as they did back in January when they overthrew long-time president Hosni Mubarak.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice- over): "Nothing has changed," she responds. "We've gone backwards. The military council is garbage. Mubarak is still alive and well and people are dying."
Shouts this man, "Mubarak is running the military council and the whole country from prison -- Mubarak and all the corrupt businessmen around him."
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ACOSTA: The Obama administration plans to announce new sanctions against Iran today. American companies are already prohibited from doing business there under the new sanctions. The U.S. will not be doing business with foreign companies that deal with Iran's petrochemical industry. It's in response to a U.N. report detailing evidence that Tehran is trying to build nuclear weapons.
To the American Music Awards now.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Taylor Swift!
(APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ACOSTA: We all know who Taylor Swift is. She was the queen of the night. The 21-year-old singer won multiple awards, including artist of the year.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TAYLOR SWIFT, SINGER: And to get three awards in one night, I'm just -- I can't even like -- I don't have a smile big enough to smile like this big, you know, it's just crazy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ACOSTA: And this is swift's second artist of the year award.
Now for a rundown of the stories ahead:
First, CNN in-depth. The so-called supercommittee signals it will come up empty on debt reduction. We will get you answers from Washington.
Plus --
(VIDEO CLIP PLAYS)
ACOSTA: The Arab Spring made Egypt a beacon in the Middle East, but now we're seeing images that look more like this. We're live in Tahrir Square with details.
Then, a new chapter in Libya. Books banned by Moammar Gadhafi now open to the public.
Also, how friends and neighbors are taking the news of Joe Paterno's lung cancer diagnosis.
And a preemptive web strike from Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich. We will explain the logic behind this new Web site.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ACOSTA: You're looking live at the White House right now where any minute the president is expected to come out and speak. He's getting ready to sign legislation aimed at helping U.S. veterans find jobs.
The bill gives $5,600 in tax credits to businesses that hire unemployed veterans. There's even a bigger tax credit, $9,600, for hiring unemployed disabled veterans. So far, this bill is only part of President Obama's jobs package to pass Congress.
And speaking of Congress, just one more reminder of the bitter divided Washington -- after months of meeting, the 12-member super -- congressional super committee is signaling that it will not be able to agree on ways to cut more than $1 trillion in debt. That may call it -- and they may call it quits today, ahead of their Wednesday deadline. You might recall it was set for Wednesday, the 23rd.
Let's go to our Kate Bolduan on Capitol with the latest.
Kate, we were expecting Wednesday, the 23rd, and they may be throwing in the towel now. Why?
KATE BOLDUAN, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Today specifically, I guess you could call it a preliminary deadline. The committee today, Jim, is required to post legislation with an official deficit reduction estimate two days before the final deadline, which would put us here today. So, that's why today is a very important day regardless of the hard deadline of November 23rd.
And it does appear that, barring an unforeseen breakthrough, that this committee is headed towards failure and that we could possibly hear -- many expect -- a formal announcement of that later today.
But I want you to listen to the Democratic co-chair of the committee, Senator Patty Murray. As she was entering her office today, she seemed to leave a little bit of a window or some wiggle room for possibly trying to figure this all out in the very little time that's left.
Listen here.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. PATTY MURRAY (D), WASHINGTON: We're still talking and we'll see what happens today. But the hours are short.
REPORTER: So, you would not call it a failure yet, would you?
MURRAY: No, not yet.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BOLDUAN: So, you heard there that she said, no, not yet. She's not calling it a failure quite yet.
But I will tell you that the thing that is really kind of holding up the talks is -- the thing that has held up the talks to this point, they have just not been able to bridge the divide, bridge the gap between Democrats and Republicans on the issue of taxes.
Democrats, Jim, this really will be no surprise to anyone that's been watching Congress work over the past year -- Democrats in this committee, they insist that revenue, tax increases need to be part of any final deal to reduce the deficit, to be part of a, quote-unquote, "balanced approach" to debt reduction.
Republicans, though, disagree. They are strongly against tax increases, unless it's part of a broader tax reform effort that would bring down overall rates.
And so, that being the major sticking point, Jim, and with such little time left, it appears barring a -- we want to call it a miracle, that this committee is headed to announce later that they have not been able to pull it off -- Jim.
ACOSTA: And, Kate, what is your indication as to -- you know, whether all of this is sort of a face-saving exercise. Because earlier today on "AMERICAN MORNING," Senator Jon Kyl said, well, we may have an announcement later today, one way or another. And, you know, there was all that talk over the weekend that, you know, that this is expected to fail. And now, we're hearing, oh, they may be running back in behind closed doors to talk about this.
How much of this is face-saving, do you think?
BOLDUAN: I think it's probably a little bit or a lot of both, to be quite honest. I think until they are hard up against the deadline, be at midnight tonight to post this legislation, I think many members want to leave open the possibility of trying to reach a deal. But the fact that they haven't been able to really get close since talks really broke down last week on this issue of taxes, it just doesn't seem likely that they will be able to pull it off.
And as you saw over the weekend, the tone among super committee members is markedly shifted from, we're trying and pushing for a deal to now who should be to blame if all of this falls apart. And that really seems to be the focus of what their messaging is when they get on television. And so, that, I think, in and of itself, is an indicator, Jim.
ACOSTA: All right. Kate Bolduan, live on Capitol Hill -- thanks, Kate.
And, you know, another reason why they are at least talking about working through the day on some kind of compromise, you can just look at what's happening on Wall Street. The Dow is down almost 300 points right now and that is obviously going to be a big factor in all of this, is how investors are going to respond to what happens on Capitol Hill.
And here's your chance to talk back on one of the big stories of the day.
Our Carol Costello is going to be talking to us about the super committee and its congressional rescue. Carol joins us live from New York.
And, Carol, you can just get on Twitter right now and search under the hashtag super fail. This is a big time -- this is a big time letdown, I think, for a lot of Americans. They were really expecting Congress to do something about this.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, you are right. Remember that old Bonnie Tyler song, Jim, "I need a hero, and it' it's got to be soon and larger than life"? Yes? Do you know someone like that, someone who can rise to the super committee's rescue, who could put partisanship, philosophical differences and tax pledges aside?
I know who that person isn't. He or she does not sit on the super committee. The committee of six Republicans and six Democrats who were supposed to save our economy, supposed to trim $1.2 trillion from the deficit, but alas.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIPS)
SEN. JON KYL (R), ARIZONA: We went into this exercise in order to try to reduce federal government spending. And what we get from the other side is, no, we're not going to make any more cuts unless you raise taxes.
SEN. JOHN KERRY (D), MASSACHUSETTS: This thing about the Bush tax cuts and the pledge to Grover Norquist keeps coming up. Grover Norquist has been the 13th member of this committee without being there. I can't tell you how many times we hear about the pledge, the pledge.
(END VIDEO CLIPS)
COSTELLO: Ah, the pledge.
Norquist is a lobbyist who runs Americans for Tax Reform. In case you didn't know, all six Republicans on the super committee signed Norquist's no tax pledge.
Of course, we could debate whether that or anything made any difference. But at this point, who cares? The super committee is on the brink of failure.
And you're not surprised, I know. But surely there is a hero out there somewhere. President Obama, Mitt Romney, Hillary Clinton, Rush Limbaugh?
So, the talk-back question today: Who should come to this super committee's rescue?
Facebook.com/CarolCNN, Facebook.com/CarolCNN. I read your comments at the end of this hour.
ACOSTA: All right. Carol, I think there's a lot of political kryptonite up on Capitol Hill right now. That might explain why they can't get a deal on the super committee.
COSTELLO: I wish.
ACOSTA: Perhaps. Thanks, Carol.
Moving on to Egypt, dozens are dead and wounded in that country. The violence that is raging between protesters and security forces is reminiscent of the uprising that forced Hosni Mubarak out of office.
So, what do the demonstrators want now? We will take to you Cairo for some answers.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ACOSTA: All right. Let's go back to the White House where you can see the first lady, Michelle Obama, speaking at an event where the president is expected to talk in just a few moments. It's about a veterans jobs bill that the president is going to sign into law.
It is basically the only piece of the president's jobs package that has been able to get through the Congress. And primarily that's because it deals with taking care of the troops, which is always a popular item.
This jobs bill for veterans is going to -- if it's fully enacted and implemented -- provide tax credits to employers who give jobs to who hire unemployed veterans or unemployed disabled veterans. So, we're going to see the president there speaking in just a few moments.
And why don't we go ahead and dip in now and listen to the first lady there, Michelle Obama?
(JOINED IN PROGRESS)
MICHELLE OBAMA, FIRST LADY OF THE UNITED STATES: He has been standing up for veterans since before he was president. And since he took office, he's been working hard to strengthen our nation's sacred trust with our veterans, not just with words, but with action.
He's helped send more than half a million veterans and military family members to college through the post-9/11 G.I. Bill. He's building a 21st century V.A. to fully support our veterans throughout their lives. He's taken unprecedented steps to improve mental health care and expand care for our women veterans and wounded warriors. And he's working to put an end once and for all to the outrage of veterans' homelessness.
Today, with this bill, that story continues.
So, I am truly proud to introduce you to the man who is the favorite man in my life, our president, Barack Obama.
(APPLAUSE)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Thank you. It is wonderful to see all of you. Thank you for being here.
Thank you, Mish -- who is a pretty good speaker, so I try not to follow her. But given the incredible work that she and Jill Biden have done in advocating for our veterans, I could not be more honored to be with them, and I know Joe shares my feeling. We could not be prouder of their efforts on this front.
Over the past three years, they have visited so many of our troops. They have thanked them for their service, they have comforted their spouses, they have given voice to their struggles and they challenged all of us at national, state and local level to do more for our veterans.
Joe Biden has been a champion for veterans for decades now. It is his birthday, so we speak in terms of decades.
(LAUGHTER)
OBAMA: Actually, yesterday was his birthday. I won't say the number. You can ask Jill if you want.
But for a man who cares as deeply about our troops as Joe does, this bill, I imagine, was a pretty good birthday gift.
Secretary Shinseki is here. Where is Ric? There he is. Ric has been doing an outstanding job leading our Department of Veterans Affairs.
And I'm also proud to say that we are joined by some of the nation's leading veterans service organizations and members of Congress who helped make this bill possible.
I have always said that the most humbling job serving as commander-in-chief to the world's finest military. Not a day goes by when I'm not awed by our troops, by their strength of their character and by the depth of their commitment, and the incredible sacrifices that they and their families make on behalf of our nation's freedom and security.
The men and women of our military don't just fight for each other. They don't just fight for their units or for their commanders. They fight for every single American. For the millions of fellow citizens who they have never met and they will likely never know.
And just as they fight for us on the battlefield, it's up to us to fight for our troops and their families when they come home. And that's today is such a wonderful today, because today, a deeply grateful is doing right by our military and paying back just a little bit of what we owe to our veterans.
Today, the message is simple: For businesses out there, if you are hiring, hire a veteran. It's the right thing to do for you, it's the right thing to do for them, and it's the right thing to do for our economy.
While we've added more than 350,000 private sector jobs over the last three months, we've got 850,000 veterans who can't find work. And even though the overall unemployment rate came down just a little bit last month, unemployment for veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan continue to rise. And that isn't right.
These men and women are the best that America has to offer. They are some of the most highly-trained, highly-educated, highly- skilled workers that we have.
If they can save lives on the battlefield, then they can save a life in an ambulance. If they can manage convoys moving tons of equipment over dangerous terrain, they can manage a company supply chain. They can track millions of dollars of assets in Iraq. They can balance the books of any company here in the United States.
Our country has benefited enormously from our veterans' services overseas. And we will benefit just the same from their service here at home. And that's why under my direction, the federal government has already hired more than 120,000 veterans.
Thanks to the work that Jill and Michelle mentioned, some of our most patriotic businesses have pledged to hire 135,000 more veterans and military spouses. And today, we're giving those businesses just one more reason to give veterans a job.
Now, back in September, I sent Congress a jobs bill. And in it, I proposed a tax credit for any business that hires a veteran who's been unemployed for at least four weeks. I proposed an even bigger tax break if a business hires a veteran who's been unemployed for at least six months. And if a business hires an unemployed veteran with a disability related to their service, I proposed doubling the tax break that we already have in place.
Today, because Democrats and Republicans came together, I am proud to sign those proposals into law. And I urge every business owner out there who is hiring to hire a vet right away.
Now, over the past decade, nearly 3 million service members have transitioned back to civilian life, joining millions who have served through the decades. And as we end the war in Iraq and we wind down the war in Afghanistan, over a million more will join them over the next five years.
This bill is an important step towards helping those veterans transition into the workforce. And beyond the tax break that I mentioned, it also contains a number of other reforms, from education and training to career counseling to job search assistant. We're still going to need to do more. That's why I've also announced a series of executive actions to help our veterans back to work.
We've set up a veteran gold card. There is a card that post- 9/11 veterans can download today and it gives you access to a suite of career services, including six months of personalized counseling at the roughly 3,000 one-stop career centers located across the country.
We've launched an easy to use online tool called "My Next Move" that allows veterans to enter the skills they've acquired during their service and then matches that information with the civilian careers that will best put that unique experience to use.
And we've created a new online service called veterans job bank, a partnership with leading search engines that directly connects unemployed veterans to job openings. So, all of these initiatives are up and running right now and you can find them at WhiteHouse.gov/vets. That's WhiteHouse.gov/vets.
So, to our veterans, know that we will stand with you as long as it takes for you to find a job.
And to our businesses, let me say again, if you are hiring, hire a veteran. Hire a veteran today. They will make you proud, just as they've made this nation proud.
Now, I'm pleased that both parties came together to make this happen. So once again, I want to thank all members of Congress who are involved.
It is important to note that in addition to our veterans, there are millions of other Americans who are still looking for work right now. They deserve the same kind of bold bipartisan action that we've seen here today. That's what people have sent us here to do.
So, my message to every member of Congress is keep going. Keep working. Keep finding more ways to put partisanship aside and put more Americans back to work.
Tomorrow, I'm heading to New Hampshire to talk about another proposal in the American Jobs Act, and that's a tax cut for nearly every worker and small business owner in America. Democrats and Republicans have traditionally supported these kinds of tax cuts. Independent economists from across the political spectrum have said this proposal is one of the best ways to boost our economy and spur hiring. It's going to be easier for us to hire our vets if the overall economy is going strong.
So, there is no reason not to vote for these tax cuts. And if Congress doesn't act by the end of the year, then the typical family's taxes is going to go up by roughly $1,000. That's the last thing our middle class and our economy needs right now. It is the last thing that our veterans need right now.
So, let's keep at it. No politics, no delays, no excuses. Let's keep doing everything we can to get America back to work.
And on that note, it is my great pleasure to do my job and sign this bill into law. Thank you.
(APPLAUSE)
ACOSTA: There you se the president getting ready to sign this bill into law.
And it might be worth noting -- on screen there, you can see Senator Patty Murray from Washington. She is obviously the leading Democrat on the super committee that is supposed to be looking at ways to reduce the deficit right now. Obviously, she's gotten away from that business up on Capitol Hill to attend this bill signing. So it's interesting to note that.
And the president said in his remarks that if you're hiring, hire a veteran, pointing out that there are about 850,000 veterans out there looking for work right now. And as we mentioned earlier, this is the only portion of the president's jobs package that he is able to sign into law that is also a sign as to how dysfunctional things are getting up on Capitol Hill.
So, there's the president signing that bill into law aimed at putting unemployed veterans back to work.
And don't forget, there are other Republicans running for the president's job right now. They're going to be squaring of in Washington tomorrow night. The Republican hopefuls are meeting for a CNN presidential debate on national security and the economy. You can bet that the super committee will be coming up as well.
Your moderator is our very own Wolf Blitzer. And that's 8:00 p.m. Eastern, right here on CNN. That's tomorrow night.
And we'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ACOSTA: It is a titanic failure of bipartisanship in Washington. After years of bruising budget battles and months of go-nowhere talks by the congressional super committee, Republicans and Democrats are expected to announce they simply cannot agree on how to reduce debt. So what happens now? Plan "B" is not pretty. It could mean automatic spending cuts across the board. Critics say the national defense budget and entitlement programs will suffer, and now everybody is pointing fingers.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOHN KYL, (R-AZ), MINORITY WHIP: Our Democratic friends said, we won't cut one dollar more without raising taxes. And I think that tells you a lot about the ethos here in Washington. We went into this exercise in order to try to reduce federal government spending. And what we get from the other side is, no, we're not going to make any more cuts unless you raise taxes.
SEN. JOHN KERRY, (D), MASSACHUSETTS: They want the Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans extended. So the whole deal is really being held hostage to this idea that the wealthiest people in America ought to get a bigger tax cut while everybody else chips in. I don't think anybody in America thinks that's fair.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ACOSTA: Regardless of who is right and who is wrong, the fallout could be severe. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta says automatic cuts would amount to doomsday for the military. And stocks are falling fast over fears the super committee won't reach agreement.
Alison Kosik joins us live from the New York Stock Exchange.
Alison, what's happening up there? It doesn't look pretty.
ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: No, it's definitely not pretty. The Dow is sinking about 307 points. What you seeing is sort of a mentality from investors, they're going to sell first and ask questions later. And once the announcement has come that the super committee has possibly failed, you could see another selloff.
What's interesting, the market has already had low expectations that the super committee would actually get anything accomplished, but clearly investors were holding out some hope.
Also, we have more weighing on the markets today. Moody's is warning that France's outlook is weakening. A Chinese official in addition came out and announced that economies are in for an extended global recession. What we've got here today, Jim are just too many negative headlines piling up one on top of the other -- Jim?
ACOSTA: You're right about that. And we're hearing about the budget cut triggers that will go into effect in 2013. The Congress didn't want to go with any triggers that would take effect before next year's election, but these go in effect if the super committee can't agree on $1.2 trillion in debt reduction. How will this work?
KOSIK: OK, exactly. These would go into effect in 2013. At this point, we only know the big picture as to what areas would be hit. It's really up to the Appropriations Committee that would really decide what gets cut and by how much.
Look at this. Here's what we know. The light blue line we're going to pull up for you here is really the area that would be hit the hardest. These are cuts to defense spending and these cuts would soar. I'm talking about the military. The dark blue line that you see shooting upward there is non-defense discretionary spending. That would be hit just as hard as military. That non-defense spending is really interesting because it's that big open question mark. It covers so many areas -- education, highways, national parks, the federal courts. So it can really run the gambit there. And that red line you see across the screen, that is for Medicare. Those cuts will actually be capped at 2 percent -- Jim?
ACOSTA: Alison, a big question also is what happens to the U.S. credit rating? There are already some rumblings that that might get hit again.
KOSIK: Oh, yes. You remember back in August, Standard & Poor's, that's the credit rating agency, it fired this really loud warning shot back in August that it would go ahead and could downgrade the U.S. credit rating once again if the super committee doesn't reach a deal. And then, of course, Moody's and Fitch, the other credit ratings, they chimed in as well. But the difference between this month, what's happening, and August, there are a few things that are differences, especially with the economy.
Some recent reports show the U.S. economy is improving. And as bad as things are here, it's even worse in Europe. So the interesting with everything going on is investors could really wind up seeing U.S. investments more as a safer bet. So the market could end up holding onto its own, at least in the long term, because the comparison is, would you rather put your money into bonds in Italy where yields are just soaring -- Jim?
ACOSTA: That's right. Nobody wants to pay their bills but eventually we all have to pay the price.
KOSIK: Yes.
ACOSTA: Alison Kosik on the New York Stock Exchange.
Alison, thanks so much.
And don't forget, tomorrow night, the Republican hopefuls face- off in Washington. CNN hosts this presidential debate on national security and the economy. And they're pretty interconnected right now. You're moderator, our own Wolf Blitzer. That's 8:00 p.m. eastern right here on CNN.
Penn State is bringing in an outsider with some serious street cred. Former FBI director, Louis Freeh, talks about the school's investigation into the sex abuse scandal.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ACOSTA: Welcome back. Penn State moved today to put some muscle into its internal investigation of the child sex abuse scandal.
CNN's Jason Carroll joins me from New York.
Jason, the committee put a well-known crime fighter in charge of this investigation today.
JASON CARROLL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Jim. And Penn State is promising that no one will be above scrutiny. They put together this special committee, this investigative committee. Heading it up will be former FBI director -- you see him there -- Louis Freeh. Freeh basically saying he will conduct a thorough investigation. Part of what he'll be doing is bringing in former prosecutors, former FBI investigators to help with this investigation. He says, among other things, he's going to be looking for potential gaps in how allegations of sexual assault are reported at Penn State. In addition to that, he also says he would be looking at whether administrators acted appropriately.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LOUIS FREEH, FORMER FBI DIRECTOR & PENN STATE LEAD INVESTIGATOR: During the course of this independent investigation, we will immediately report any evidence of criminality to the appropriate law enforcement authorities. If our investigation identifies any additional victims of sexual crimes against or exploitation of children, we will immediately report this to law enforcement authorities.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CARROLL: OK, so nine members on this special committee, six of them board of trustee members. Also on this special committee, former astronaut and Penn State alum, Guion Bluford. There is a grad student on this special committee also, Jim.
Freeh was asked how long this investigation would take. He wasn't willing to put a time frame on it, but he also recognized the urgency of getting the recommendations out as soon as possible -- Jim?
ACOSTA: And, Jason, this addition of Louis Freeh to the investigation, it really goes to that criticism that's been out there since all this started --
CARROLL: Oh, yes. ACOSTA: -- that Penn State has really been incapable of policing itself. So perhaps -- don't you think this has something to do with it, that this is trying to go to that criticism of how they handled this investigation?
CARROLL: I would think so. And if you look at the special committee, six of those who are on the committee are actually Penn State board of trustee members. And so by bringing someone from the outside, it becomes apparent that some of those at Penn State might be able to deflect that criticism that it's too inside, that they need people from the outside. So that's why they're bringing in someone like Louis Freeh, who is an outsider, coming in, and he'll be bringing his own investigators to look at this. And what they're promising is total independence in terms of how this investigation will take place -- Jim?
ACOSTA: Jason Carroll live in New York. Thanks so much. Appreciate it.
Newt Gingrich is surging in the polls, and the seasoned politician is doing all he can to shoot down potential lines of attack on his past with a new Web site. We'll take a look in the CNN "Political Ticker."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ACOSTA: Newt Gingrich is seeing a remarkable leap in his poll numbers lately, but the presidential candidate is also coming under fire with parts of his past.
Joe Johns has our "Political Ticker" update.
Joe, Gingrich is doing all he can to get out ahead of his critics, which isn't a bad idea.
JOE JOHNS, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: No, that's for sure, Jim. You might call it Gingrich 2.0, so much is coming out about the former speakers baggage, if you will, which is another way of saying he's had a long political career. He's gotten into some scrapes, loss some fights. And as far as the personal life goes, he's engaged in behavior that he now regrets.
How do you handle a record like Newt Gingrich has when you're running for president? One thing, you certainly do it on line because that's where so much of the chatter circulates. He's got a campaign web site called Answering the Attacks. It takes on something like 16 different issue areas, if you will, that could potentially cause problems for Gingrich in the eyes of some voters, particularly conservative voters.
There's a little bit of everything in there, addressing the messy divorces, the fact that he admitted to having an extramarital affair during the impeachment of Clinton, the government shutdown that occurred in the '90s while Gingrich was speaker. Even the fact more recently that he talked about having -- and making a lot of money from Fannie Mae, but he says he didn't lobby for them. The campaign thinks he needs to take this stuff head on, especially since he's a top-tier candidate now -- Jim?
ACOSTA: Right. Joe, you covered the speaker for a very long time, so you know this. A lot of campaigns have been doing this lately. You type in the name of the candidate plus one of these scandals into a Google search, and sometimes it will direct you to these very web sites --
JOHNS: Absolutely.
ACOSTA: -- that the speaker has up right now, so not a bad idea.
Now, another candidate who will basically do anything at this point for some extra publicity is Jon Huntsman.
(LAUGHTER)
ACOSTA: He was on "Saturday Night Live" over the weekend. That wasn't too bad of an idea for the former Utah governor.
JOHNS: No, it really wasn't. It's funny, too, he was just here in the building probably 15 minutes ago. I shared an elevator ride with him, and we talked about it. He said he really enjoyed it. "Saturday Night Live," as you know, is a required stop if you're a serious candidate for president. And it looks like Huntsman really did make the most of it. The writers certainly poking fun at him because of his weakness in the polls, but he definitely showed himself to be a good sport, also playing along when they started pointing out how his campaign appears to be sort of betting everything, if you will, on the New Hampshire primary.
Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: You seem to be putting all of your eggs in one basket in New Hampshire. Are you worried you might alienate the rest of the country?
JON HUNTSMAN, (R), FORMER UTAH GOVERNOR & PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Seth, I love all of America, from Dallas, Texas, to Manchester, New Hampshire, from the majestic Rocky Mountains, to New Hampshire's scenic Lake Winnipesaukee --
(LAUGHTER)
-- from the innovation of Silicon Valley to the affordable outlet malls in North Conway, New Hampshire.
(LAUGHTER)
You know a lot about New Hampshire, Seth.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: I'm from New Hampshire.
HUNTSMAN: Well, that makes sense because you're kind and good looking, classic New Hampshire. (LAUGHTER)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JOHNS: Good sense of humor, right? You could certainly tell it was scripted, not spontaneous.
(LAUGHTER)
Usually everything on "Saturday Night Live" is like that, but Huntsman showed he could read a teleprompter as well as anybody -- Jim?
ACOSTA: That's right. Always looking off at the cue cards when they're doing these skits.
JOHNS: Yes.
ACOSTA: Where would we be without these teleprompter?
JOHNS: Yes.
ACOSTA: Joe, thanks so much. Appreciate it. That was very funny.
JOHNS: All right.
(LAUGHTER)
ACOSTA: Good stuff.
Don't forget, tomorrow night, the Republican hopefuls face-off in Washington. CNN hosts the presidential debate on national security and the economy. Your moderator, our very own Wolf Blitzer. That's 8:00 eastern tomorrow night, right here on CNN.
A lot of you are frustrated with the failure of the congressional super committee to reach a deal to reduce America's debt and you're weighing in on our "Talk Back" question today: Who should come to that committee's rescue? Can anyone come to that committee's rescue? Your responses are moments away.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ACOSTA: Welcome back. You've been sounding off on our "Talk Back" question: Who should come to the super committee's rescue? It looks as if efforts to reach a deal to cut the national debt are not panning out.
Carol Costello joins me live from New York.
Carol, the super committee needs a super man or super woman, is that it?
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Oh, you better believe it.
(LAUGHTER)
That is the "Talk Back" question today: Who should rise to the super committee's rescue?
This from Lincoln, "No one. Let them fail and be punished by voters. They've got to learn that partisan politics when a nation is falling apart is the wrong thing at the wrong time."
This from Andrew, "There isn't going to be anyone riding in on a white horse to save the day. The only thing that will help in the long run is if American voters demand results by ousting anyone who fails as horribly at the 1 m as the 12 members of the super committee did."
This from Mike, "We, the people, should come to the super committee's rescue. How, you ask? By going to the polls next November and removing the incompetence we have seen on a daily basis in Congress."
Of course, Jim, we did get some names. If you want specifics, who should ride to the rescue of the super committee?
ACOSTA: OK, here we go.
COSTELLO: We got -- you ready?
ACOSTA: Yes, I'm ready.
COSTELLO: Chuck Norris.
ACOSTA: Yes, that's a great idea.
COSTELLO: Bill Maher.
(LAUGHTER)
ACOSTA: Well, maybe not.
COSTELLO: Bill Maher. And the first -- and I'm serious about that. Warren Buffett was another suggestion.
ACOSTA: OK, nice guy.
COSTELLO: And, of course, Morgan Freeman who -- Morgan Freeman, who has played both God and the president in movies.
ACOSTA: That's right. Just put both of those together and we just might fix Congress, I suppose.
(LAUGHTER)
(CROSSTALK)
COSTELLO: -- and the president. No, I'm not -- yes.
ACOSTA: I do like the idea of Chuck Norris. I remember those -- remember those commercials that Mike Huckabee used to put out and they had Chuck Norris in there, and I think he punched the TV screen or something like that? I can't remember. But se could use some Chuck Norris right now.
COSTELLO: Though I think is he a little partisan these days, but who knows.
ACOSTA: That's true. He is on the conservative side.
COSTELLO: Facebook --
(CROSSTALK)
COSTELLO: Facebook.com/carolCNN. I'll be back with you in 20 minutes.
ACOSTA: All right, thanks, Carol. Appreciate it.
Moving to Egypt now, clashes between protesters and security forces. Take a look at this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(GUNFIRE)
(SHOUTING)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ACOSTA: It's a reminder of the uprising that forced Hosni Mubarak out of office. We'll go live to Tahrir Square to see what protesters want now.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(SHOUTING)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ACOSTA: Egyptians are again fighting for change. Thousands of protesters clashed with security forces for a third straight day. The video on your left shows Tahrir Square back in January during the uprising that led to the overthrow of long-time president, Hosni Mubarak. On the right is the square earlier today. Doesn't look that much different. Once again protesters are demanding civilian rule.
Our Ben Wedeman has been in the thick of it, then and now. He's live in Cairo right now.
Ben, what is the situation? It looks like things are deteriorating.
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT: What's interesting actually is, yes, we've had these clashes going on for more than 48 hours in side streets off of Tahrir between protesters and security forces. But what seems more significant at the moment is the sheer number of people who are coming to Tahrir to express their growing frustration and anger with the supreme council of the armed forces which took over from Hosni Mubarak last February. I think yet again Egypt's rulers may have fatally misread the people yesterday.
At this time, there were flames in Tahrir behind me and police and the -- and security forces tried to clear out the square to get rid of the demonstrators. But in fact, if anything, they've come back with greater force now. and I think it is going to be very difficult for them to clear them out again. I think the people are voting with their feet, saying that they want an end to military rule here in Egypt. Many of them saying -- telling us that they want to finish the revolution and send the generals back to the barracks -- Jim?
ACOSTA: And this is come as a surprise to a lot of Americans to see this. Clearly, these demonstrators are putting their lives on the line there. Ben, we appreciate that perspective very much. Just very quickly, do you think there's any hope that things will get better in the short term?
WEDEMAN: Well, I think we have a period of instability ahead of us regardless of what happens. Not only do we have what looks like a growing countrywide insurrection against the military, in one week Egypt go to the polls. Its first democratic elections that any -- most Egyptians can ever remember. The worry is that there's so much competition for power now in Egypt that those elections themselves could be fighting (ph) -- Jim?
ACOSTA: All right, Ben Wedeman live in Tahrir Square there in Egypt, where things are unfolding dramatically there -- Ben, thanks so much.
