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Unrest in Egypt; Republican Candidates Prepare for D.C. Debate

Aired November 22, 2011 - 12:00   ET

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

JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN PRODUCER: Seventeen-year-old Ziad Eldebri is interested in history books, especially his own country's.

ZIAD ELDEBRI, LIBYAN STUDENT: He didn't even let us know anything about the Libyan history, because he didn't want us to know the Libyan -- the personalities, the famous personalities, because he wants always to be like a god or something. He wants us to worship him.

KARADSHEH: Organizers hope their small exhibition will be the start of a new era, turning the page on decades of indoctrination.

Jomana Karadsheh, CNN, Tripoli.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

JIM ACOSTA, CNN ANCHOR: It's the top of hour. I'm Jim Acosta. Let's get you up to speed.

Darkness has fallen on Egypt's million man sit-in. But the protesters aren't going anywhere. You're looking at live pictures from Tahrir Square right now. Away from the square, violence rules the streets for a fourth straight day. Security forces have been using tear gas and rubber bullets against protesters armed with rocks and Molotov cocktails.

At least 29 people have been killed and almost 1,800 injured. Protesters who overthrew President Hosni Mubarak nine months ago have a new demand, this time aimed at Egypt's military leader.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

IVAN WATSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The crowd here angry, young, furious at the loss of life here over the course of the past three days, demanding that the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, Marshal Tantawi, step down.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: Our Ivan Watson on the scene there. Stocks have not recovered from yesterday's brutal sell-off over the failed debt deal. The Dow is still falling. Right now, it's down -- look at that -- 63 points, not as bad as yesterday but still not good. Investors are also disappointed by revised numbers showing weaker-than-expected growth in the fourth quarter. Check out what happened in South Korea's Parliament, first a shouting match over a free trade agreement with the United States. Then a lawmaker sets off a tear gas bomb -- yes, a tear gas bomb -- in an effort to stop the vote. It did not work. The agreement passed. The U.S. ratified it last month so it takes effect early next year.

A California teen now says he killed a gay classmate and he's getting 21 years in prison for it. Brandon McInerney pleaded guilty months after a jury failed to decide his case. McInerney shot Lawrence King in the back of the head three years ago while in school.

Jerry Sandusky's lawyers predicts prosecutors will filed more charges as other come forward to claim they were molested by the longtime Penn State assistant coach. On ABC's "Good Morning America," Joe Amendola says Sandusky could not have committed the repeated sexual assaults because he says he was always surrounded by people.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE AMENDOLA, ATTORNEY FOR JERRY SANDUSKY: This house was like a hotel, particularly on football weekends.

QUESTION: But, Joe, a lot of people have sex at hotels.

AMENDOLA: You're right they have sex in hotels, but this was a house and the house was filled with people. And Jerry, by the way, had six adopted kids and three foster kids.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: Sandusky is charged with molesting eight boys over a 15- year time frame, some of them at Penn State's athletic facilities.

President Obama is in New Hampshire right now. He's at Manchester Central High School, where he will once again push Congress to approve his plan to create jobs. Also, watch for additional comments on the deficit super committee's failure to reach a deal. We will have a portion of the president's remarks live for you when he speaks there in a few minutes.

New Hampshire obviously an important state for Republicans, also an important battleground state in the general election.

And the Republican contenders gather at Constitution Hall in Washington tonight for CNN's national security debate. Our Wolf Blitzer will be asking the questions.

But, first, we have got a few for him.

Wolf, Newt Gingrich is on the top of the latest CNN/ORC presidential poll. Do you expect he will get more of the spotlight tonight, and perhaps more of the attention from his rivals?

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: People will be paying a lot more attention to Newt Gingrich now that he's in the top tier, not only top tier, he might be the front-runner, at least in our poll, our national poll. And he's doing really well in Iowa and doing well South Carolina and even in New Hampshire, which Mitt Romney as you well know does really well in, he almost lives there.

Newt Gingrich is doing well. There will be a lot of focus on his words. As all of us who have covered Newt Gingrich over the year knows, he's highly intelligent and he has got views on everything and he's not shy about stating those views.

So we will see. One of things we will be anxious to see is how far he's willing to go on some of these national security and foreign policy issues, some of the economic issues. And we will also see what some of his challengers -- there are seven other Republicans who will be up on the stage, including Mitt Romney of course. We will see how far they want to go.

What we're trying to do, as you know, Jim, is clarify the positions of these candidates on these really important national security, foreign policy issues because one of these individuals wants to be the next president of the United States, the next commander in chief. And the American public has a right to know where they stand and what they would do.

ACOSTA: And it's going to be interesting to watch, Wolf, because Newt Gingrich has studiously made a point in these last debates of not picking on his other rivals, even though he has at times done it out on the campaign trail. It will be interesting to see how tempting it will be for his other rivals to go after him.

BLITZER: And if they go after him, we will see how he responds. I have no idea.

That's one of beauties about this kind of a debate. You have eight individuals, all of whom want to get the Republican nomination. They have a lot at stake. This is going to be critical. There's not going to be another debate for a while. This is going to be the real first -- this us the first major debate since Newt Gingrich really did emerge.

As all of us know, only a few months ago we thought his campaign wasn't going anywhere after the Tiffany's uproar when he had that line of credit at Tiffany's, when he went on vacation to the Eastern Mediterranean a few weeks after announcing he was running for the Republican nomination. Most of his staff in New Hampshire quit.

It looked like his campaign wasn't going anywhere. Lo and behold it's gone a long, long way and he's doing really well right now. We will see if he can sustain that. Tonight will be important in underscoring that.

ACOSTA: Wolf, I don't want to tip your hand on your questions for tonight's debate. But we know the subject is national security. One might think that Egypt would come up, given the unrest that's unfolding in Tahrir Square right now. But also Herman Cain has had his stumbles on the subject of national security and on foreign policy. I would assume all of that is fair game. BLITZER: Look, we're asking questions, and our co-sponsors for the debate here at Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C. -- and we're only literally steps away from the White House, our co-sponsors, the American Enterprise Institute, the Heritage Foundation, they have experts from their respective think tanks and they will be asking questions as well.

I think most of the major national security issues facing the United States right now will being on the agenda. Let's not forget as the retired chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mullen said not that long ago, probably the number one national security issue facing the United States right now is the economy, because if the U.S. has a weak economy, if America's allies in Europe, if their economic situation is deteriorating, that undermines national security big time.

So that will I'm sure come up as well.

ACOSTA: Well, Wolf, I'm going to try to get back there as soon as I can to join you tonight. And can't wait to see what you ask. And we will be looking forward to tonight's debate. Thanks very much, Wolf. Appreciate it.

BLITZER: Thanks, Jim.

ACOSTA: Be sure to tune in to see exactly what Wolf asks the GOP candidates as he moderates the debate live from Constitution Hall in Washington. That's at 8:00 Eastern right here on CNN.

Here's a rundown of some of the stories we're covering right now. First, tear gas and rubber bullets and Molotov cocktails, protests firing up in Egypt once again. We're live in Cairo.

And locking up the Capitol? I will talk with a pundit who says the solution to political gridlock is a big padlock and no key for the Congress.

Then, a first-of-its-kind test for professional athletes in the United States, a new blood screening coming soon for Major League Baseball players.

And inside NASA's search for life on other planets -- what they have found so far.

And, finally, what a young rape victim in Afghanistan feels must do to save her own life. It's an unbelievable story that we will be sharing in moments from now.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ACOSTA: Egypt's million man sit-in has gone from day to night, with no signs of easing, but there's violence nearby.

You can see that video right there coming in, tear gas in the streets as pitched battles erupt between protesters and security forces going on for four straight days now. Still, it's not preventing demonstrators from turning out by the thousands in Tahrir Square.

And our Ben Wedeman is in the square right now and joins us live.

And, Ben, you are better than just about anybody at looking at this situation and how it's unfolding there. I suppose the pictures might tempt us to say, oh, boy, this is really getting out of control. What is really happening there and how unstable is that situation?

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, Jim, we have been focusing a lot on these classes that are taking place in the streets the east to Tahrir Square.

But I think the real important development is what's going on right behind me now. A million man march has been called by opposition parties for people that come to Tahrir. And I would say it's probably about as close to one million as we have seen since the revolution. I can see just below me more and more people coming.

And they are sending a very clear message to the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, the council that took over from Hosni Mubarak back in February. They want them to step down. We see that this people power is really putting unprecedented pressure on the military rulers. They have already basically accepted the resignation or almost -- reportedly accepted the resignation of the government and are coming out -- we're getting unconfirmed reports that they are calling for a government of national unity.

Clearly, the numbers in the streets, the number of protesters in Tahrir Square has pushed them against the wall and they are starting, it appears, to step back and make some compromises -- Jim.

ACOSTA: And, Ben, what is the potential that we could see a military crackdown on that march that you're showing us that would be beamed out all over the world? I would imagine that the military rulers have that in mind as something they probably don't want to do because of how it would look.

WEDEMAN: No, it's already -- already, it's backfired against them. On Sunday, they tried to do that. They tried to clear the square. And what happened was more people came in.

And what we have seen walking around this square today, it's a real cross-section of Egyptian society, secular people, Islamists, women, men, children, professionals, workers, farmers. It would be a catastrophe for the military to try to crack down on these numbers.

As I said, I don't think I have seen this number of people in Tahrir Square since the revolution back in January and February. It would be an utter disaster for the military to do that. And I think they realize that. They realize that they are really on the defense and they have got to make compromises -- Jim.

ACOSTA: Our Ben Wedeman in Tahrir Square -- Ben, thanks so much for keeping an eye on things. We appreciate it.

Let's take a step back and look at how Egypt returned to this point. The pro-democracy demonstrators are risking their lives because they say the Military Council has gone back on some key promises. The military has not lifted emergency law. Protesters say military leaders still deny freedom of the press. Plus, Egyptians accuse the military of torturing civilians.

In addition, the Supreme Court Military Council has yet to set a date for presidential elections. And the protesters are concerned about a plan to shield the military's government budget from scrutiny by civilian leaders.

Let's go to New Hampshire now, where President Obama is about to discuss his proposal to create jobs. Specifically, he's expected to push Congress to extend the payroll tax cut. That expires at the end of the year. And a lot of Americans would see their taxes go up if that payroll tax cut is not extended. He is getting ready to speak at Manchester High School, Manchester Central High School, there in New Hampshire.

This is not only an important state for the Republican candidates. Obviously, we have seen them spending a lot of time up there in New Hampshire. This is also an important battleground state in the upcoming general election. It is a state that President Obama probably has to win in order to win reelection.

And so we're keeping an eye on that event. And, of course, when the president starts speaking, we will bring that to you.

But, a reminder, the CNN national security debate is tonight. The stage is set for the Republican presidential candidates at Constitution Hall in Washington. Our Wolf Blitzer moderates tonight at 8:00 p.m. Eastern right here on CNN.

We should also point out that online after the debate, I will be hosting a spin room special live from the spin room, where all of those strategists and some of the candidates sometimes go into after the debate is over to talk about where they stand in the GOP race. And I will be hosting that event and taking your questions online and on Twitter. So that should be fun as well. Check that out if you have the time. Thanks so much.

And, meanwhile, moving on to searching for life beyond planet Earth, check this out.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The indication from data that we have in hand is that small planets are common, that the galaxy makes them efficiently, so they are going to be abundant.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: And you will be amazed just how abundant. That's coming up.

But, first, they say money can't buy happiness, but a new study says, yes, it can. And they have even come up with an exact dollar amount. Is it $40,000 a year? That's A. B., $75,000, or is it, C., $100,000? The answer in just a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ACOSTA: All right, back to our pop quiz. How big of a salary do you think it would make -- to take to make you happy, I should say, $40,000 is A., B., $75,000, or, C., $100,000?

A new study found that the magic number is $75,000. Those households making less than $75,000 a year had lower levels of emotional well-being and satisfaction with their state in life, according to that study. Interesting.

So, are we alone in the universe, another big question? It's also the question at heart of space exploration.

Our John Zarrella reports on a growing body of evidence that shows there is life beyond Earth.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN MIAMI BUREAU CHIEF (voice-over): Probes to mars. Telescopes searching for other earths. Listening for life out there.

There's no proof yet, but the body of evidence is growing. We are not alone.

SETH SHOSTAK, SETI INSTITUTE SENIOR ASTRONOMER: But one thing that strikes you is every time we learn something new about the universe, what we learn is that our situation doesn't seem to be all that special. And that suggests that life is not all that special either.

ZARRELLA: But it is still just that, a guess, based in part on astronomy in overload. Findings from telescopes like Hubble, Spitzer, Chandra, new discoveries at a breathtaking rate revealing the sheer mind-blowing grandeur of the universe. Consider these heavenly numbers just for a minute: perhaps 1 trillion, with a T. -- that's right -- trillion galaxies in the universe.

Stars, you ask? OK. How about 300 sextillion? That's three followed by 23 zeros.

So, where does that leave us with planets? More specifically, planets like our own?

WILLIAM BORUCKI, KEPLER PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: We're learning that the fundamental importance to mankind. How frequent are earth around other stars?

ZARRELLA: Bill Borucki is the principal investigator for NASA's Kepler telescope. Its mission: find planets similar in size to the earth orbiting their suns. So far, it has been successful beyond expectations. Of the 1,200 planet candidates, Kepler has found nearly 70 are earth-sized. NATALIE BATALHA, KEPLER CO-INVESTIGATOR: The indication from data we have in hand is that small planets are common, that the galaxy makes them efficiently. So, they're going to be abundant.

BORUCKI: The number is large enough. So, there must be many billions of such planets in our galaxy. So, that's been a very happy surprise.

ZARRELLA: How many are orbiting at just the right distance from the sun to support life? More than 50 candidates found so far where life might be possible.

What Kepler can't do is detect life. So, for now, that will remain just a guess.

John Zarrella, CNN, at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ACOSTA: Turning from science fiction to political reality, President Obama getting ready to address the crowd up in Manchester, New Hampshire. This is a trip that the president is going to use to pitch his jobs package that he would like to see get through Congress. It's been stalled so far.

And we might also hear the president make some comments on the super fail by the super committee yesterday in the Congress. And it looks like the president is getting a pretty good welcome from the crowd there. Let's listen to what the president has to say.

(JOINED IN PROGRESS)

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I want to thank also somebody who is doing outstanding work each and every day, was doing it up here as a wonderful governor, is now one of your most outstanding senators in the country. Jeanne Shaheen is in the House.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

OBAMA: So, before I came to school today, I had -- I had coffee.

(SHOUTING)

UNIDENTIFIED PROTESTER: Mr. President.

UNIDENTIFIED PROTESTERS: Mr. President!

UNIDENTIFIED PROTESTER: Over 4,000 peaceful protesters...

UNIDENTIFIED PROTESTERS: Over 4,000 peaceful protesters...

UNIDENTIFIED PROTESTER: Have been arrested...

UNIDENTIFIED PROTESTERS: Have been arrested... CROWD: Fired up! Ready to go!

(SHOUTING)

OBAMA: No, no, no, it's OK. It's OK. All right. OK, guys.

(SHOUTING)

OBAMA: It's OK.

(SHOUTING)

OBAMA: OK. It's OK. That's all right.

Listen, the -- I'm going to be talking about a whole range of things today, and I appreciate you guys making your point. Let me go ahead and make mine, all right? And then I will listen to you. You listen to me, all right?

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

OBAMA: Now, what I was saying was, I was having some coffee with some of your neighbors.

And one of them was the Corkerys (ph). You may know, as Mr. Corkery just said, that he's a math teacher here at Central High. And even though a visit from me tends to disrupt things a little bit, he did want me to remind all his students that you still have homework to do.

(LAUGHTER)

OBAMA: But, as Chris said, he's also a colonel, recently retired after 26 years in the military, tours of duty in Iraq, in Kuwait, in Haiti.

And I couldn't thank him enough for his service, because, obviously, we know our service members, our veterans, they are the ones who keep us safe. They're the ones who are preserving our freedom...

(APPLAUSE)

OBAMA: ... at enormous sacrifice to themselves and their families.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

OBAMA: And, in fact, this holiday season is going to be a season of homecomings for folks all across America, because, by the end of next month, all of our troops will be out of Iraq.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

OBAMA: Now, over coffee, we were joined by Chris' wife of 16 years, Kathy (ph), who owns part of a local business. And they have got two sons. They are trying to save for their sons' college education. And like millions of families all across the country, they are doing the best that they can in some tough times. And families like the Corkerys, families like yours, young people like the ones here today, including the ones who were just chanting at me, you're the reason I ran for office in the first place, because...

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

OBAMA: ... it's folks like you who are why I spent so much time up here in the dead of winter four years ago, because, even then, we were going through a difficult decade for the middle class.

There were more good jobs and manufacturing that was leaving our shores. More of our prosperity was built on risky financial deals and homes that weren't properly financed. And families watched their incomes fall and wages flatline, and the cost of everything from college to health care kept on going up.

And then the financial crisis hit in the closing weeks of the campaign, and that made things even tougher. Today, many Americans have spent months looking for work. And others are doing the best they can to get by.

There are a lot of folks out there giving nights up -- nights out. They just can't do that anymore because they have got to save on gas or make the mortgage. There are families who are putting of retirement to make sure their kids can go to college. And then there are young people who have gone to college, gotten a whole bunch of debt, and find themselves unable to find opportunity.

So a lot of the folks who have been down in New York and all across the country in the Occupy movement, there is a profound sense of frustration.

(APPLAUSE)

OBAMA: There's a profound sense of frustration about the fact that the essence of American dream, which is, if you work hard, if you stick to it, that you can make it, feels like that's slipping away. And that's not the way things are supposed to be, not here, not in America.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

OBAMA: This is a place -- this is a place where your hard work and your responsibility is supposed to pay off, supposed to be a big compassionate country where everybody who works hard should have a chance to get ahead, not just the person who owns the factory, but the men and women who work on the factory floor.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

OBAMA: This is a place that's always prospered most when we stay fundamental -- we stay true to a fundamental idea, the idea that we're all in this together. That's what we're fighting for. That's what is at stake right now. So we have been weathering some hard years. We have been taking some tough punches, but one thing I know about folks in Manchester and folks in New Hampshire and folks all across the country is, we're tough. We're fighting back. We are moving forward. And we are going to get this right, so that every single American has opportunity in this country.

We are not going to let...

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

OBAMA: We are not going to have an America in which only a sliver of folks have opportunity. We're going to have an America where everybody has opportunity.

And that -- and that's going to take some time, because our economic problems weren't caused overnight, and they won't be solved overnight. It's going to take time to rebuild an economy where hard work is valued and responsibility is rewarded.

ACOSTA: And there's the president in Manchester, New Hampshire. If you just joined us a few moments ago, we should mention that some Occupy Wall Street protesters -- or protesters who sounded like Occupy Wall Street demonstrators -- interrupted the president's remarks.

And we want to turn around sound for you very quickly just to give you a sense as to what happened just a few moments ago at the president's speech in New Hampshire.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(CHANTING)

OBAMA: OK. It's OK. That's all right.

Listen, the -- I'm going to be talking about a whole range of things today, and I appreciate you guys making your point. Let me go ahead and make mine, all right? And then I will listen to you. You listen to me, all right?

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: And so you heard the president supporters there chanting in his favor. That was just after some Occupy Wall Street protesters apparently interrupted the president's event there in Manchester, New Hampshire.

We will be following those developments throughout the day here on CNN, but the president there in Manchester making his pitch for his jobs bill, saying that it's needed to get the economy started, and that the economy should not just be working for the benefits of wealthy, well-off Americans, in his words, but for Americans who are struggling right now. So that was the president there in New Hampshire.

A reminder: The CNN national security debate is tonight. The stage is set for the Republican presidential candidates at Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C. Our very own Wolf Blitzer moderates the debate tonight at 8:00 p.m. Eastern right here on CNN.

And just a quick note. I will be hosting the postgame action online. Just go to CNN politics.com. You can even send me a message via Twitter at CNN -- or I should mention my Twitter handled, though, there. It's JimAcostaCNN. And then just add the hashtag CNNpostgame and we will look at your comments after tonight's debate.

We will be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ACOSTA: Back to the super fail. Now that the debt super committee has failed to reach a deal, here's where we stand.

Automatic budget cuts are set to begin in January 2013. They include reductions in defense and domestic programs, including Medicare. But Social Security and Medicaid and food stamps and also veterans benefits will be spared.

The president is pledging to veto any attempt to prevent the cuts from going into effect. But he says it's not too late to work out a deal. He's calling on Congress to come up with a plan to trim deficits by the required $1.2 trillion before the triggered cuts take effect.

Even Congress knew failure wasn't an option, or did they?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. MITCH MCCONNELL (R), MINORITY LEADER: Let me say this about the joint committee. Failure is not an option.

REP. XAVIER BECERRA (D), CALIFORNIA: We must live and breathe believing that failure is not an option.

SEN. LAMAR ALEXANDER (R), TENNESSEE: Failure is not an option. Failure is absolutely not an option.

SEN. MARK WARNER (D), VIRGINIA: Failure can't be an option.

REP. STENY HOYER (D), MINORITY WHIP: Failure's not an option.

MCCONNELL: Failure is not an option.

SEN. HARRY REID (D), MAJORITY LEADER: Failure is not an option.

SEN. JOE MANCHIN (D), WEST VIRGINIA: Failure should not be an option.

MCCONNELL: My view is that failure is not an option.

ALEXANDER: Failure is not an option.

MANCHIN: Failure cannot be -- cannot be accepted.

MCCONNELL: The American people need an outcome, they expect an outcome, they deserve an outcome. And I expect to get one.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: Apparently, failure was an option. So, what does this say about the politicians who were supposed to strike a deal? A lot of Americans think it means Congress is failing the people they are supposed to represent.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm thinking that Congress is failing all the way around. But, in my opinion, it's a setup. They never were going to reach an agreement.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If they can't come to an agreement on how to balance the budget, then what's the point of having them? I mean, that's -- they can't get along. They can't seem to agree on anything.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Who is worried about the American people? This super committee is just a part of the big failure of Congress.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: Big failure.

Comedian Dean Obeidallah agrees. And he says it's time for action. In an article he wrote for CNN.com, he says it's time for an NBA-style lockout on Capitol Hill.

And Dean joins me from New York right now.

Dean, appreciate it.

So, what exactly are you proposing here, an actual lockout, padlocks on the Capitol?

DEAN OBEIDALLAH, COMEDIAN: If that's what it takes.

At this point, honestly, look at the people. People are angry. They want results from our Congress. They are giving us nothing, frankly. The approval rating of Congress is down to 9 percent. I think bedbugs are now more popular. There are STDs more popular than our United States Congress at this point, and for good reason.

Let's be honest with you. They are not fulfilling their obligation. The reason we send them to Congress is to make our lives better, to make the economy work. They are doing nothing. It is failure. Failure is not an option? This is failure.

So let's lock them out. There's locksmiths in D.C. They promise, 15 minutes, they can change the locks. Let's do it. Let's make Congress work out of a YMCA or a Holiday Inn Express, like other Americans. Let's see them struggle a little bit. Maybe we cut their health benefits in time. We need results.

(CROSSTALK)

ACOSTA: Yes. And, Dean, like the NBA lockout, many of these politicians are making as much as NBA players.

So perhaps you're on to something here. Who would you lock out? Is this aimed at the Democrats, the Republicans? Does one side deserve to be locked out more than the other?

OBEIDALLAH: No. I think, at this point, frankly, both sides have earned it. They have earned the right to be locked out, to work out in the street.

It's not one party or the other. There's political posturing on both sides. Everyone, we all see it. It's almost a game. It's a charade to us. We need results. We need a job plan. We need deficit reduction. We need our economy moving again, so the 14 million unemployed people and 25 million underemployed and unemployed have jobs, have a way to support their family. That's what we need. It's that clear. Everyone knows it.

ACOSTA: Yes.

What about the White House? Should there be a lockout over at the White House? Because Republicans will say, hey, the president could have gotten more involved in this process with the super committee, but it was apparently hands-off over at the White House.

OBEIDALLAH: To me, the president, we have really a built-in mechanism. We have term limits. We have that for the president under the 22nd Amendment.

I think that's why I'm proposing -- and I'm not the only one -- proposing term limits for the House and Senate. In the 1990s, they debated that. In the House, it passed, but not by the two-thirds it needed. It never got out of the Senate.

I think if there was ever a time for term limits now, the federal government, we should amend our Constitution, like 15 states have for state legislators, to have a limit on the terms. It just...

(CROSSTALK)

ACOSTA: Yes, but then that wouldn't get through the Congress.

(LAUGHTER)

OBEIDALLAH: I'm sorry?

(CROSSTALK)

OBEIDALLAH: Yes, exactly.

ACOSTA: But then that wouldn't get through the Congress.

(CROSSTALK)

OBEIDALLAH: You need Congress to vote two-thirds approval of the resolution before it goes to state legislatures.

ACOSTA: Yes.

OBEIDALLAH: Congressmen are making $175,000, $178,000. Of course they are not going to vote themselves out.

But you have to hope that maybe through the Occupy movement and the Tea Party, maybe different ends of the political spectrum, but the same idea going on. They want to engage. We want to be engaged in politics.

We don't want our elected officials to do nothing. We want to lead. It's about time we the people take the leadership position in our own country. So, locking them out, it might be an extreme example, but let's do something to make things change here.

ACOSTA: And you use the word occupy there. We should note that there's something -- there's an e-mail going around right now that a lot of people are seeing in their in-boxes. It's out on Twitter handles everywhere. An un-occupy the Capitol movement is getting started.

And there's a picture of it right. Un-occupy the Congress in 2012. I should say, covering Washington and politics, that is a very difficult task, to un-occupy the entire Capitol, but perhaps it's an idea that is going to catch on.

OBEIDALLAH: And that was sent to me by John Manley (ph) from Virginia.

I will be honest. I write CNN op-eds a few times a month. Usually, I get e-mails saying, you're an idiot. You don't know what you're talking about. And that comes from friends and family.

ACOSTA: Oh, goodness.

OBEIDALLAH: This is the first time I have ever written an article where every e-mail I have received -- and I'm being sincere -- has been supportive.

People are angry. We want results from our Congress. Unemployment is not going down. The president cannot change unemployment on his own. He can't pass a jobs bill on his own. We need Congress to work together to do. It's that simple. It's for the good of America.

ACOSTA: Yes.

Well, Dean, it's safe to say, over this Thanksgiving, there is going to be a pretty healthy debate over who the turkey is in Washington this time of year. OBEIDALLAH: Yes.

ACOSTA: But, Dean Obeidallah, thanks very much for that perspective...

OBEIDALLAH: Thanks.

ACOSTA: ... and a very funny idea to perhaps lock out those players in Washington. Thanks so much, Dean. Appreciate it.

OBEIDALLAH: Thanks.

ACOSTA: A reminder: The CNN national security debate is tonight. The Republican presidential candidates meet at Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C. Wolf Blitzer moderates at 8:00 p.m. Eastern right here on CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ACOSTA: It is injustice at its worse. An Afghan teenager was raped, then jailed for being raped. And now she must either marry her rapist or risk being killed. It sounds unbelievable, but it is true.

Our Nick Paton Walsh has the details of this young woman's horrific detail.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Gulnaz remembers clearly the smell of her rapist's clothes.

GULNAZ, RAPE VICTIM (through translator): He had filthy clothes on, as he does metal and construction work. When my mother went out, he came into my house, and he closed the doors and windows. I started screaming, but he shut me up by putting his hand on my mouth.

WALSH: Her rapist was the husband of her cousin, but in Afghanistan's draconian society, this 19-year-old was also blamed. Her rape, sex with a married man, was seen as adultery by the courts, and she was sentenced to 12 years in jail.

To her, there's only one way out, a dreadful choice.

GULNAZ (through translator): I was asked if I wanted to start a new life by getting released, by marrying this man. My answer was that one man dishonored me, and I want to stay with that man.

WALSH: Inside the prison walls, she agreed to be interviewed with her face hidden. Here, she can't escape her attacker. Her daughter is the child of the rape.

GULNAZ (through translator): My daughter is a little innocent child. Who knew I would have a child in this way? A lot of people told me that, after your daughter is born, give it to someone else. But my aunt told me to keep her as proof of my innocence. WALSH (on camera): In Afghanistan, a rape victim's ordeal often simply begins with the physical attack. Then there's isolation from society, in Gulnaz's case, the possibility she may have to marry her attacker, and then the risk she could be killed because of the shame of her ordeal.

(voice-over): We spoke to her convicted rapist in jail who didn't want to be shown on camera and denied raping her. She would Gulnaz would definitely be killed on release, but by her own family out of shame.

(on camera): Because of how Afghan injustice has treated Gulnaz, she's taken the extraordinary step of speaking out about her attack. But even that has brought her problems.

(voice-over): She spoke openly, her face uncovered, in a documentary about women's rights paid for by the European Union. But the E.U. blocked its release, saying it would endanger her. Yet, the documentary makers say the E.U. blocked it also because they don't want to make the Afghan justice system look bad.

The E.U. ambassador said it was his call.

VYGAUDAS USACKAS, EUROPEAN UNION AMBASSADOR TO AFGHANISTAN: What I'm concerned about the situation with the woman, about the security and well-being. That's of paramount importance. That's a key criteria according to which I, as a representative of the European Union, will judge.

WALSH: But now rape victim Gulnaz has been judged an adulterer, her only possible escape, marriage to her rapist, something she says she will accept, so her child can continue to have a mother.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ACOSTA: And our Nick Paton Walsh is live from Kabul.

Nick, what happens next with this young woman?

WALSH: As it stands, she has to serve out her sentence with her child in that jail, frankly, as it stands at the moment, the safest place for her. As you heard, she does suffer potential significant threat on release.

She has, in our interview, appealed directly to Afghan President Hamid Karzai to release her. And, of course, after that, asylum would be the safest thing. But as it currently stands, her ordeal continues every day inside that jail with a child born of her attack, who she clearly has great affection for.

I think, also, this story does play an awful lot to explain where Afghanistan is in many parts of its society after a decade of NATO's presence here, America talking about how fast it can begin its drawdown and take troops away from here, but stories like this showing how far women's rights in many parts of the country where the campaign has yet to reach, how women's rights still has an awful long distance to go -- Jim.

ACOSTA: It's a reminder that there may be some tough times ahead for Afghanistan.

Nick Paton Walsh in Kabul, thanks so much for that story. Appreciate it.

We want to report now some updated news on what's happening in Egypt. We can report now that the ruling Military Council has confirmed that it has accepted the resignation of the government there. The announcement also -- coming into CNN also says that a caretaker government will be put in place until a new government is elected, also that presidential elections will be held before June of 2012, also that parliamentary elections in Egypt will be held on time, next Monday, November 28.

So, this is apparently an effort by the ruling Military Council there to perhaps put an end to much of this unrest that we have seen unfold over the last several days in Egypt. And we will keep you posted on all of those developments as they come into us.

And we want to also let you know, in just a few moments, we are going to be hearing from the sister of an American who was arrested during those protests. You're going to want to hear what she has to say. That's coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ACOSTA: As you know, Egypt is erupting begin, and three Americans are caught in the uprising.

Authorities in Egypt say three American college students on Monday have been accused of throwing Molotov cocktails during a rally in Tahrir Square.

Nicole Sweeney, the sister of one of those Americans, joins me now over the phone.

And, Nicole, can you tell us what happened to your brother and what was he doing over there in the first place?

NICOLE SWEENEY, SISTER OF AMERICAN ARRESTED IN EGYPT: Well, I -- he's there on a semester abroad.

He is an Arabic and psychology double major at Georgetown. So that's why he was in Cairo. He went -- he joined a bunch of friends from his program kind of going out to Tahrir Square to sort of see what was going on. And that's really the extent of what we know, actually.

ACOSTA: Wow.

And do you know -- I mean, do you know how long he's going to be held? Is this going to be indefinite? What do you know?

SWEENEY: We know very little. At this point, we -- I mean, we have been in contact with the State Department. And they have been as helpful as they can be, can of just telling us they will let us know when they know more sort of thing. But all we know at this point is that he's being held at a courthouse, which I guess we are taking to be a somewhat optimistic thing, as it's not a prison. But that's really the extent of what we know at this point.

ACOSTA: And, Nicole, is this something that your brother would do, going into a protest situation like the one that is unfolding in Tahrir Square and throw Molotov cocktails, as the government appears to be alleging here?

SWEENEY: I absolutely cannot comprehend him doing this. I mean, he has always been an incredibly pacifistic person, so, no, I can't see that happening.

ACOSTA: And what would you say to Egyptian officials who may watch this interview, who may listen to the words that you have to say about your brother? What would you say?

SWEENEY: Oh, God, I mean, I would say that he chose to go to Egypt because he was interested in actually experiencing Egyptian culture and living in that country, and that is -- tries to be very open-minded and learn things about the world, and that this -- this -- whatever this image that they are trying to portray is not -- it's not him, and that I -- we really just hope that he can come home soon.

ACOSTA: And, Nicole, I hope you can see on your TV screen there our newscast. We'd like to show a picture of the three Americans who have been detained. Can you tell which one is your brother?

SWEENEY: Oh, I actually -- I'm not stateside, so I can't watch CNN.

ACOSTA: OK.

If you can take a look at that picture at some point and get back to us as to which one...

SWEENEY: If it's the picture from the video?

ACOSTA: Yes, exactly, that's it, the one...

(CROSSTALK)

SWEENEY: He's on the right-hand side, the taller of the three.

ACOSTA: He's on the right-hand side, sort of wearing a plaid -- a blue plaid shirt there?

SWEENEY: Yes.

ACOSTA: All right.

Well, Nicole, we appreciate your time very much and are very sorry about the situation that your brother is going through over there, and hope for the best. Thanks for your time. Thanks sharing that story with us. Appreciate it.

And we will be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(WEATHER UPDATE)

ACOSTA: Don't get in between me and -- and that turkey...

(LAUGHTER)

ACOSTA: ... coming up on Thanksgiving.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes.

ACOSTA: Happy Thanksgiving, everybody. That's it for my time here. I have the distinct honor and pleasure to toss things over to Natalie Allen who is here on the CNN NEWSROOM. It is great to see you, Natalie.

NATALIE ALLEN, CNN ANCHOR: Thank you so much, Jim, I really appreciate that and to be here.