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Gingrich Takes Lead In New Iowa Poll; Dems Offer Payroll Tax Cut Plan As Deadline Nears; S&P Threatens Eurozone Downgrade; Blagojevich Sentencing Hearing; BP: Halliburton Destroyed Evidence; Justice for Lt. Vincent; FAMU Death: The Parents Speak
Aired December 06, 2011 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: It seems like just yesterday that Newt Gingrich's campaign was in serious trouble. This morning he's on top in the latest Iowa poll. But his success has made him quite a target of Republican rivals and a top House Democrat.
CNN's deputy political deputy director, Paul Steinhauser covering all the angles for us. So Paul why don't you go ahead and start with the news out of Iowa.
PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN DEPUTY POLITICAL DEPUTY DIRECTOR: Let's start with these brand-new numbers. And remember today, four weeks until those Iowa caucuses.
That's right. Four weeks from today, January 3rd, Iowa kicks off the primary caucus calendar. Let's look at this brand new numbers. This is an ABC News/Washington Post poll of people likely to take part in those Iowa caucuses and look who is on the top, the former house speaker. As you said, his campaign was almost left for dead back in June. But 33 percent, a third of the likely caucus goers say he's their choice for the nomination way ahead of Mitt Romney, the former Massachusetts governor and Ron Paul, the Congressman from Texas. Two other polls in Iowa showing the same thing over the last couple of days.
Let's go to South Carolina as well. Brand-new numbers out of there this morning. South Carolina votes third in the calendar. It's the first southern state.
Here is a poll and there's Newt Gingrich again. This poll indicating the frontrunner, 15 points ahead of Romney with Perry at 9 percent, the Texas governor there.
This is among people likely to vote in the South Carolina primary. Kyra, the big thing for Gingrich now, he has to take these surging poll numbers and translate it into get out the vote efforts with just four weeks to go until the first votes.
PHILLIPS: All right, now, last hour we talked about Nancy Pelosi saying she has 1,000 pages of stuff on Gingrich. Let's explain.
STEINHAUSER: Yes, this dates back to the late 1990s when Gingrich was the House speaker. Nancy Pelosi, part of the Democratic leadership at the time. And there were a bunch of ethics investigations against Gingrich, 84 to be exact.
This is what Nancy Pelosi said yesterday, I know a lot about him. I served on the investigative committee that investigated him. Four of us locked in a room in an undisclosed location for a year, a thousand pages of his stuff.
So maybe Nancy Pelosi is threatening to unearth some of this stuff. Well, here is what Newt Gingrich told our Jim Acosta yesterday afternoon in response to Pelosi's words. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NEWT GINGRICH (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I want to thank Speaker Pelosi for what I regard as an early Christmas gift.
JIM ACOSTA, CNN POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Are you concerned about that information re-emerging?
GINGRICH: We turned over more than a million pages of material. We had a huge report. The total -- 83 charges were repudiated as false. The one mistake we made was a letter written by a lawyer that I didn't read carefully enough.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
STEINHAUSER: You know, Kyra, it was only three years ago that Gingrich and Nancy Pelosi teamed up for a commercial against global warming. It seems that relationship is not so chummy anymore. Stay tuned. This is story far from over.
PHILLIPS: Yes, and we'll follow it. Paul, thanks so much.
President Obama is heading to Kansas today. He's talking about your paycheck. He's putting pressure on Republicans to extend the payroll tax cut that expires at the end of the year.
Without it the White House says the typical American family will pay about $1,000 in extra taxes next year and the president is pressing his case.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: Not only is extending the payroll tax cut important for the economy as a whole, it's obviously important for individual families.
It's important insurance for them against the unexpected. It will help families pay their bills. It will spur spending. It will spur hiring and it's the right thing to do.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: Congressional correspondent Kate Bolduan is on the Hill. So Kate, Senate Democrats offered up a new proposal to extend the payroll tax holiday. Let's talk about that. KATE BOLDUAN, CNN CONGRESSION CORRESPONDENT: Well, this proposal, this latest proposal from Senate Democrats, Kyra, here are the major components that we should probably point out.
As with their original offer that failed in the Senate last week, this proposal would extend and expand the existing payroll tax cut extension for employees cutting it from the current rate of 4.2 percent down to a rate of 3.1 percent.
This would be in part paid for through a scaled down version of the so-called millionaire surtax. Democrats say that it is a concession to Republicans. They say they are going to cut that back so it's only about a tax of a little under 2 percent of tax on income over a million dollars.
They are also making that tax temporary rather than permanent and say this is in response to Republican opposition to, in their view, imposing a permanent tax to pay for a temporary economic stimulus measure.
But I should quickly say this is not likely, this measure, this proposal, to go very far because Republicans remain very much against this millionaire surtax as they think it is a tax hike on job creators.
Small businesses -- Republican aid calling it a poison pill to me and so they think that Democrats are really just playing politics here as this millionaire surtax has really doomed previous Democratic efforts for jobs ventures in the past -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: And the president, as we mentioned, heading to Kansas in just a few hours to make another push for this. So what are Republicans hoping to hear?
BOLDUAN: It's hard to believe there's anything that the president will probably be discussing that will be able to persuade Republicans to join on this latest proposal from Senate Democrats.
I mean, Republicans would like to see, if it is going to be extended and there are real divisions among Republicans not only how this extension should be paid for, but if it should be extended at all because some Republicans don't think that it is good economic policy.
They don't think it's helped the economy enough. But if Republicans are looking for possibly something of only spending cuts to pay for this tax extension, tax cut extension, the president made clear yesterday in his remarks in the briefing room that he was not going to support that.
So it's not likely that the president is going to be able to persuade many Republicans in his remarks today, but it doesn't seem that's probably the point since Democrats see a real opening in this political fight here and they're jumping on the opportunity to push their message -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Kate, thanks. We're going to have live coverage of the president's speech. Join Wolf Blitzer and contributor, Gloria Borger, the best political team on television. We'll have that speech for you 2:05 p.m. Eastern right here on CNN.
Wall Street investors keeping a close eye on the European financial crisis. Let's take a look at our numbers right now. The Dow industrials up 25 points.
Standard & Poor's is warning it may down grade its credit rating for 15 of the 17 euro zone nations. Now just a short time ago, I had a chance to talk with CNN chief business correspondent Ali Velshi and the host of CNN's "YOUR BOTTOM LINE," Christine Romans. Here is what they had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: What's happening in Europe really matters here. We've said it over and over again, but it is the biggest destination for U.S. goods.
So if there's a recession or worse in Europe and it doesn't get its mess together, Kyra, that means American factories will close. So that's why it's so important.
The S&P is saying they're worried about recession. They're also worried about political will in this area to get things fixed there. It's going to mean treaties and a lot of compromise by people right now who don't agree on that.
PHILLIPS: The last thing we want to hear are American companies closing.
ALI VELSHI, CNN CHIEF BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: These are people who buy what few goods and services we put out. The S&P warning, I will tell you that, anybody who has been reading a paper or watching the news for the last several months, will know that there are problems in Europe.
So the fact that S&P says it's going to down grade some people, I would be surprised if the market reaction is so exaggerated to that.
ROMANS: It doesn't change anything today. The S&P putting into writing what we all know, and that is that Europe is in a big mess and it doesn't have a lot of time to come up with some cohesion about how to fix it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: Well, our Zain Verjee has reaction to the latest development in the European financial crisis. She joins us again from London. So, Zain, is there much hope for a solution?
ZAIN VERJEE, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: Well, everyone is keeping their fingers, their eyes and toes crossed, Kyra. Let me just give you an idea of what the newspaper headlines are saying here. The "Scotsman" has this, kiss of life for Europe. It goes on to say implementing treaty changes could take months, but a commitment to tighter coordination could open the way for further emergency aid from the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund or some combination of the two.
"The Wall Street Journal," the Europe edition, what Berlin and Paris wrought. It says as the new proposal heads to the European Council for its consideration, we'll get a good look at whether the continent's two largest economies have truly found common ground or if they have merely diluted their principles into meaninglessness.
And then "Le Figaro," says this, Kyra. The headline, the scenario of a multispeed Europe. And under pressure Sarkozy cannot allow his partners from the euro zone a choice on what to do about the single currency.
He wants to set them on a forced march to save the common currency. So they have to get it done by Friday many is saying is the real deadline or they'd have to kiss the euro good-bye. It's unlikely that will happen. So they're really going to make sure that it doesn't go downhill -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: All right, Zain Verjee in London. Zain, thanks.
Rod Blagojevich back in court this hour for a sentencing hearing on federal corruption charges. He's making his way actually to the courthouse right now.
Among other things, the former Illinois governor was convicted of trying to sell President Obama's old Senate seat. His lawyers are going to argue for minimal or even no prison time. Prosecutors, well, they want slightly more.
Our Ted Rowlands will be in court to hear it all. He's joining us on the line from Chicago. All right, Ted, it's going to be interesting to see what happens today.
TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (via telephone): Yes, absolutely, Kyra. The prosecution, like you mentioned, wants considerably more. They're asking the judge to sentence Blagojevich 15 to 20 years, much different than the three years or probation as you mentioned that Blagojevich's lawyers want.
This judge is going to do this over a two-day period. Today, Blagojevich is going to address the court and plead for leniency. And then tomorrow the judge will actually hand down the sentence so he's going to sleep on it, the judge. He'll hear arguments for both sides and hear from Blagojevich and make his decision on the actual sentence tomorrow.
PHILLIPS: Now, Ted, you know, we both know Blagojevich has been pretty defiant from the start, never apologizing for anything. What do you think he'll be like today as he stands up and faces the judge?
ROWLANDS: Well, that's a big question. Does he come in and does he have some remorse here which we haven't seen at all, or does he keep this mantra of I'm innocent? Most legal experts say if you do that during a sentencing, you're going to lose out.
Federal sentencing guidelines dictate if there is no remorse shown that the extension should be given in terms of time. So it's a tough position for him because if you do go in and you say I admitted I did it and I'm sorry, that kills your appeal. So he's in a tight situation. It will be very interesting to see what he does.
PHILLIPS: And Tony Rascal, we talked about this last hour, Blago's top adviser got 10 and a half years for his part in all of this. So what do you think? What can we take away from his punishment as we look towards what's going to happen to Blago?
ROWLANDS: Yes, well, in the Blago trial, the connection wasn't really established. You know, it's tough to say if that would factor in at all what this takes (inaudible) will do to Blagojevich.
You know, most folks are looking at this that he'll come down the middle. Come in around 10 years. The prosecution is asking for 20. Blagojevich is asking for three. Most people wouldn't be surprised if it comes in around seven to ten years.
One interesting thing is because Blagojevich will likely not be taken away right after sentencing. Normally you go to a sentencing, the judge delivers the sentence and the defendant walks away in handcuffs.
In this case, Blagojevich may be allowed to report to the Bureau of Prisons. That's what the former governor of Illinois got. So he may be able to spend time with his family over the holidays and report at some time in the next year but that, too, is up to the judge. We'll have to see what he says.
PHILLIPS: All right. We'll be watching. Ted Rowlands for us there out of Chicago. Ted, thanks.
Does the economy have you pinching pennies? You're not the only ones. Just ahead, what you and Queen Elizabeth have in common.
Plus, who says you have to go out into the woods to see a tree snake? Sometimes all you have to do is look behind the branches of your own Christmas tree.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: A quick look at news from cross country now. BP has filed a lawsuit against the drilling partner, Halliburton. This is related to the oil rig explosion last year in the Gulf of Mexico.
BP claims that Halliburton destroyed evidence of problems with cement in the well. The explosion killed 11 people and set off that huge oil leak.
Now take a look at what people in New Mexico are dealing with. An icy, snowy storm hit the state yesterday. It's been so bad that parts of Interstate 10 and 25 are closed. There's a winter storm warning in effect until late this morning and some places could get more than a foot of snow.
And if you have a Christmas tree, you'd better check for snakes. A family in Idaho found one slithering around the branches and had to call the fire department to get it out.
It's not exactly the royal treatment with Britain in the austerity mode. The government is actually freezing Queen Elizabeth's pay.
Max Foster of CNN International joining us from London. Max, so what's the deal? The queen is going to have to tighten the royal belt.
MAX FOSTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: They've agreed to a new funding deal. Basically, she used to get lots of different government grants and now one grant linked to all the property that's owned by the crown.
What it effectively means until 2015 is she'll be on a pay freeze and she has been on a pay freeze for the last few years, actually, cutting back every year and one of the costs to all of this is that the maintenance budgets on the palaces are actually put on hold.
And if you go behind the scenes at Buckingham Palace, for example, there's certainly lots of work that needs to be done. That will not be restarted though until 2015, it seems.
The other cost is that the Duchess of Cambridge, they will not have a budget for their court any longer either, their team of people that help them with their official work. Prince Charles' dad will have to pay. So they're relying on the parents for now.
PHILLIPS: Boy, relying on the parents. Sometimes, you know, it just continues. Now is it true that the royals are going to be renting rooms in St. James Palace, also, to make a little extra cash?
FOSTER: Yes, well, absolutely. During the Olympics if you're a company you can hire those rooms, glorious wood paneled rooms right in the center of London.
Currently where Prince William and Harry are based, where they're going to be moving up to Kensington Palace at some point. I don't think they've been rented out before and if you're into beach volleyball, a good place to be based just around the corner.
Not unheard of. Other palaces have been rented out in the past and in fact, Kensington Palace, William and Katherine will be moving into the flat, you can rent two at the moment until it's done up. This is a way of getting extra cash. Austerity sets in.
PHILLIPS: Apparently, you've been working some scoop on Kate's hairstylist. What's going on here?
FOSTER: Terrible, isn't it?
PHILLIPS: It's always, what, her hair, her makeup, her dresses.
FOSTER: Exactly. Well, she has a very, very small entourage. A private secretary that she shares with William, but as far as Katherine is concerned. She only travels with her hairdresser and a secretary.
The hairdresser works closely with her. Recently walked out of his salon to some controversy here in London, it has to be said. He's gone solo. He will be focusing just on working with the duchess, we understand it.
But he's also announced on his Facebook page he is actually going to be doing an American tour, which I'm not sure what the palace thinks of that.
Anyway, you can have appointments to learn how to do Katherine's hair. It's quite a complex process. I interviewed him after the wedding, Kyra and it's very complex. A French name he invented, but if you're interested. You can have an appointment with him. I'm sure he'll be popping into Atlanta.
PHILLIPS: Fabulous. Thank you so much. Let me know how much that will cost, OK? We're all tightening our belts as well. Max, thanks.
Well, coming up, the latest on the Florida A&M situation. Our Jason Carroll is talking to the parents of the drum major who died apparently after hazing by his band mates.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Two weeks after their son died on the Florida A&M marching band's bus, Robert Champion's parents are talking about the tragedy and the hazing controversy that followed. CNN's Jason Carroll reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JASON CARROLL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Robert Champion was living his dream -- a dream that started when he was 5 years old, being a drum major. His parents say the last time they spoke to him was just before Thanksgiving.
PAM CHAMPION, ROBERT CHAMPION'S MOTHER: We had talked to him and he was saying how he couldn't wait to come home.
CARROLL: Robert Champion was a member of Florida A&M University's prestigious marching band, the Marching 100. On November 19th, after Champion had performed at a football game in Orlando, his parents got another call, this time from his sister.
ROBERT CHAMPION SR., ROBERT CHAMPION'S FATHER: She called us and saying someone had called her and saying that Robert had problems breathing. And I think one of the band members said he wasn't breathing.
PAM CHAMPION: When you get that kind of news, you think, not my Robert, you know what I mean? Maybe they made a mistake. So I guess, I kind of still had that in my mind, that it wasn't my son, you know? You know, this is a bad joke, you know?
ROBERT CHAMPION SR.: A bad dream.
CARROLL: But this was all too real. Listen to the 911 call made by a band member.
911: Are you with the person right now?
UNIDENTIFIED CALLER: Well, I'm outside the bus so I can hear you.
911: OK. So he's inside the bus?
UNIDENTIFIED CALLER: Yes, he's inside the bus.
911: OK. How old is he?
UNIDENTIFIED CALLER: He is 25.
911: OK. Is he awake?
UNIDENTIFIED CALLER: He's not even -- he wasn't responding. We thought he was breathing he was making noises, but I don't even know if he's breathing now.
911: Is he awake? Do you know?
UNIDENTIFIED CALLER: His eyes are open. His eyes are open. He's not responding.
911: OK, but is he breathing?
UNIDENTIFIED CALLER: I have no idea. I cannot tell you that.
CARROLL: The 911 call too painful for his parents to hear. It wasn't until Robert's body was brought home to suburban Atlanta that the shock of his death really began to register.
PAM CHAMPION: He kind of looked like he was still at school and he just had come home. But to have him come home that way, that's the hardest thing for anybody.
CARROLL: But why did he die? Investigators suspect hazing. Band members we spoke to say it may have been the result of a rite of passage called crossing bus C. That's the bus Robert was on after the November 19th game. One band member, who did not want to be identified, told me what happened.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You have to walk from the front to the back of the bus backwards and while the bus is full with other band members. And you get beat until you get to the back.
CARROLL (on camera): And the point of it is what?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: For respect.
CARROLL (voice-over): And the beating can involve something he referred to as thunder and lightning.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thunder is when you get like a straight hit to the chest.
CARROLL (on camera): Straight hit to the chest.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And lightning is when you get kind of like a slap to the shoulders.
CARROLL (voice-over): He says he himself has never been hazed, but that the beatings usually happened for one of two reasons, a mistake during a performance or as a way for the band member to gain respect.
In some ways, the Marching 100 is bigger than the games where they play. Their high stepping choreography has earned them a worldwide reputation performing spots at Super Bowls and the president's inauguration.
(on camera): But allegations of hazing have followed the band for years. Back in 2001, a student was paddled so badly he had to be hospitalized for kidney failure.
And just weeks before Champion's death, the band's director, Julian White, had to suspend 26 of the band members for hazing. White says he tried for years to end the practice, but says no one listened.
(voice-over): The university fired White following Champion's death and suspended band performances indefinitely. The school's president James Ammons spoke at Champion's funeral and vowed his death would not be in vain.
Ammons declined repeated requests to be interviewed. Champion's parents say the school must be held accountable.
PAM CHAMPION: Whatever it takes to clean up whether it is from top to the bottom, clean house.
CARROLL: They say justice will come healing for them will take much longer.
PAM CHAMPION: The thing is that I'm just going to miss his smile, his big hugs. There's nothing in the world that can prepare you for that. Nothing. Gosh, I'm crying. Nothing can prepare you for that, nothing.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CARROLL: And, Kyra, I did ask Robert's parents if he had ever mentioned anything at all in the past about being hazed and his father says he did not.
In fact, his father says when he asked him about how everything was going within the band, Robert simply said, dad, everything is fine -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Jason Carroll reporting for us.
When it comes to Newt Gingrich's past infidelity, are voters willing to forgive and forget? "Political Buzz" right after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) PHILLIPS: Checking top stories. Nearly 60 people are dead after two suicide bombings in Afghanistan. They come on the Shiite holy day. One blast was at a Shiite shrine in Kabul. A Taliban spokesperson condemns the attacks.
All the alleged victims in the grand jury report on former Penn State football coach Jerry Sandusky reportedly will testify against him in court. That's what ABC News is reporting. The hearing begins next week.
The "Occupy" movement members are taking their protests to Capitol Hill today. The group plans to march to the capitol with representatives and occupy congressional offices for the day.
OK, "Political Buzz," your rapid fire look at the best political topics of the day. Three questions, 30 seconds on the clock.
Playing today Democratic National Committee member, Robert Zimmerman, founder and editor of Citizen Jane Politics, Patricia Murphy and Georgetown University Professor Chris Metzler.
All right, guys, first question. Hello, hello, President Obama channels Teddy Roosevelt today, guys, making his case for the jobs bill. Is that the right ex-president to be channelling? -- Patricia.
PATRICIA MURPHY, FOUNDER AND EDITOR, CITIZEN JANE POLITICS: I think if you look historically at the similarities between what Teddy Roosevelt was trying to talk about and what Obama is trying to talk about, it's actually right on.
Roosevelt was talking about getting rid of income equality, having a much more active federal government, a federal government protecting people, and having a more even distribution of wealth.
That is exactly what Obama is talking about. The only problem for Obama is that Roosevelt, of course, lost his next election. So he doesn't want it to be too historically accurate if you're in Obama shoes right now.
PHILLIPS: Chris?
CHRIS METZLER, PROFESSOR, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY: No, actually I think that's wrong. If you look at FDR, there are three reasons why it's not appropriate. First of all in 1912 there was no federal income tax. And so the issue of income equality really just doesn't jive historically.
Secondly, if you look at the government intervention in the market, well, there's not as -- there's a lot more now than there was then.
And then finally when you look at kind of FDR, he moved away from the progressives. And, as Patricia accurately said, if you want to be the President who not only loses but loses badly, be my guest.
PHILLIPS: Robert?
ROBERT ZIMMERMAN, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Well, let me just settle this. I'm sorry, Chris, Patricia is correct.
MURPHY: Yay.
ZIMMERMAN: Only the issue is not about economic equality. It's about economic opportunity. That's why this speech is so historically important because in many ways, not just the challenges but many of the solutions that President Obama is putting forward are comparable to solutions that President -- President Roosevelt put forward about old proper oversight and regulation.
But it also is another -- but also it reflects how far the Republican Party has drifted to the extreme right away from Teddy Roosevelt. Today -- today Teddy Roosevelt would be ostracized by the Republican Party because of the principles of economic opportunity and oversight.
PHILLIPS: All right, Dan Quayle is set to endorse Mitt Romney. Does that do anything for Romney? Chris?
METZLER: No. Actually I think in terms of doing that -- is he going to be able to spell "endorsement" right?
PHILLIPS: Ooh.
METZLER: No, I'm not sure. And I think Dan Quayle's endorsement of Romney will have about as much effect as oh, I don't know my endorsement or, better yet, Robert Zimmerman's endorsement. So I don't think it's going to matter.
PHILLIPS: All right. Zim, I'm going to let you take it. We'll let Patricia -- yes we'll let Patricia wrap this one.
ZIMMERMAN: I think my endorsement might produce more excitement than Dan Quayle's endorsement. But the point simply is I can report to you and to the panel that initially -- that initially former Vice President Quayle was going to endorse Herman Cain. It was easier to spell.
Now Romney, obviously, is easier to spell thank Gingrich. And just a political note worth observing, if this is a long, protracted battle for the nomination, because delegates are chosen proportionately, Arizona might be in play. That's why Dan Quayle and his son as sitting Congressman might be relevant to a long-term strategy.
PHILLIPS: Patricia?
MURPHY: Well, I think that we should hope that it doesn't have too much of an effect on that. I don't think that a Dan Quayle endorsement is going to do a whole lot for Romney although I do think that for Newt Gingrich we do see a really unusual situation here.
Very few people who served with Gingrich in the House including Dan Quayle have endorsed Gingrich. He is trying to run as an outsider and this way it does look like he's an outsider but we've had heard from people who served with Gingrich when he was leading. They did not like his leadership style. They thought he was erratic, they felt he was a bully. So I think this is going to be a bigger story going forward and why don't people who served with him like him anymore.
PHILLIPS: All right, quickly, everybody spell "potato". I hope everybody got that.
MURPHY: It's too much pressure.
METZLER: Yes.
PHILLIPS: Just you know your Dan Quayle history. All right, "Buzzer Beater", I'll let you guys all off the hook. 20 seconds.
ZIMMERMAN: But nobody spell, I'll spell. P-o-t-a-t-o.
PHILLIPS: Anybody want to argue?
MURPHY: No.
METZLER: No.
PHILLIPS: How smart our panel is.
All right 20 seconds each on this one, guys. Jimmy Fallon took a jab at Newt Gingrich last night. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JIMMY FALLON, TALK SHOW HOST: Everybody is talking about the presidential election, and this is big. Two days after stepping down there are rumors that Herman Cain is endorsing his former rival, Newt Gingrich. Not to be president, to be his new wing man. That's it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: All right, first we were thinking about wing man like "Top Gun" hear the danger zone, right. But maybe it's more like the wing man in "Swingers". Are voters willing to forgive and forget Newt's affairs -- Robert?
ZIMMERMAN: "Top Gun"? I'm thinking of a tackier version if possible, an older burned out tackier version of Pauly D and "The Situation" if you have Herman Cain and Newt Gingrich. The reality is that even Pauly D and "The Situation" will have better excuses for their conduct.
Remember Newt Gingrich said he cheated on his wife because of love of country. The country -- our country will not forget or forgive that type of rationale.
PHILLIPS: Chris?
METZLER: No actually, I think that they will. We already know the deal. This is nothing new. It's kind of old news. I think as it relates to Newt, there are three things that he's doing correctly here; the three kind of staple of American politics.
And number one, of course, is money. He's garnering a lot of money. The second one is muscle from an organizational standpoint. And then I think the final thing is annihilate your opponents with kindness, which is what he's doing which is why he'll get the Cain endorsement.
PHILLIPS: Patricia?
MURPHY: I'm going to agree with Chris, even though he disagreed with me earlier. I really don't think this is going to have an effect. We see conservative voters have much more significant problems with Mitt Romney's positions and he's flip-flops on positions than with Newt Gingrich. They obviously don't care anymore. This is old news. And ironically there is no other candidate who puts his wife front and center more than Newt Gingrich does now. So if you don't mind -- I just don't think Republicans care anymore.
PHILLIPS: It's great to see you, guys. Thanks for the fun today.
METZLER: Thank you.
MURPHY: Thank you.
ZIMMERMAN: Take care.
PHILLIPS: You bet.
Well, last year's payroll tax cut is set to expire at the end of this month. And if that happens well it means less money in your pocket.
Alison Kosik is breaking it down from the New York Stock Exchange. So Alison, does this -- what does it mean for people's pay checks?
ALISON KOSIK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It certainly does not mean small potatoes, keeping with the potato theme you have going there. You know, if you're the average worker with this payroll tax cut in place, it means an extra $1,000 a year in your pocket.
Now if Congress does not extend the payroll tax cut on Social Security, it's going to go back to the normal level of 6.2 percent that would happen in January. Right now we're paying 4.2 percent so obviously Americans -- working Americans are paying less.
Now Congress, first of all, voted to cut -- cut the amount that American workers put into Social Security last year to help stimulate the economy because the thinking is the more money people have in their pockets, the more they're going to spend. But if this payroll tax cut is not extended, take a look at what this means for you, what that two-point increase means. Now if you make it extra, now if you make $35,000, let's say, an extra $700 will be taken out of your pay next year.
If you earned $50,000, an extra $1,000 will be taken out. If you make more than $2,000 -- if you make rather $110,000 a year, more than $2,000 would be taken out of your paycheck. It's certainly noticeable when you get your paycheck. It's definitely nothing to sneeze at, this extra sort of nice little bonus you get every month -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: All right. Alison thanks.
Well, Johnny Depp's featured in a new Christmas song called "Jesus Stag Night" but the lyrics aren't inspiring a lot of holiday spirit among some religious groups. We have the details in "Showbiz".
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PHILLIPS: Well, if you didn't get a chance to see the "LARRY KING SPECIAL: Dinner with the Kings" you missed some pretty interesting conversation including the host actually shocking his guests by telling all of them that he wants to be frozen after he dies, of course. One of King's guests couldn't wait to talk about it either.
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CONAN O'BRIEN, TALK SHOW HOST: In a new interview Larry King says he wants to be cryogenically frozen when he dies. Yes. When asked why, Larry said, I really miss the ice age.
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PHILLIPS: Imagine having dinner with Conan? That would be pretty fun. "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT" host, A.J. Hammer, joining me from New York with more on Larry King's comments. Was he serious, A.J.?
A.J. HAMMER, HLN HOST "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT": Would you be surprised, Kyra?
PHILLIPS: No, I wouldn't be surprised.
HAMMER: Listen -- no. And I've been told he's actually talked about this before. The reason behind this he says his hope is if he freezes himself, doctors can fix whatever killed him and then they can bring him back to life. So, Kyra, I can see it now, Larry is going to be interviewing heads of states in other galaxies far, far away 300 years from now.
I keep wanting, Kyra, to make a joke about a kingsicle (ph) but I admire and respect the guy just too much, so I won't go down that road.
PHILLIPS: You know, it's not surprising; I mean we never thought he was going to retire. That was a shock, you know. We thought he'd keep going and going and going. So what the heck? I guess this is no surprise.
HAMMER: That's right.
PHILLIPS: All right. Johnny Depp apparently has this Christmas song. I haven't heard it yet. But Christians are not too happy about it.
HAMMER: No, and it's not too hard to figure out why a song called "Jesus Stag Nightclub" would rub some people the wrong way any time of the year. But considering the song could actually be the number one single in the United Kingdom on Christmas Day, it's even more infuriating to the Christian groups.
Now the lyrics are all about a drunken bachelor party with Jesus and include lyrics about hanging naked off a church spire, a beaten Jesus lying in the street. The "Daily Mail" quotes a local leader of Christians Coalitions as saying this, "One day Johnny Depp and his cronies will face the judgment of our Lord and they will burn in hell for this filth." I should point out, Depp was playing guitar on this track. He didn't write it. He didn't sing on the track. The song is actually performed by the British band Baby Bird.
Kyra, of course, we've reached out to Depp for a comment; haven't heard back on that just yet. But yes, you can understand why people might be upset by the nature of that song.
PHILLIPS: Stay tuned. Thanks, A.J. You want information on everything breaking in the entertainment world, A.J. has it every night, "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT" at 11:00 Eastern on HLN.
Amanda Knox might be getting ready to write her story. She has actually hired an attorney who is going to help broker a possible book deal. Details coming up.
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PHILLIPS: Checking stories making news cross country, Amanda Knox one step closer to telling the world about her ordeal inside the Italian justice system. She has hired attorney Robert Barnett to represent her in a possible book deal now.
The state of Vermont is standing by an artist in his struggle with Chick-Fill-A. The fast food giant says his "Eat more Kale" T-shirt violate its trademark slogan "Eat More Chicken". Vermont's governor helped set up a fund-raising campaign to help that artist with legal costs.
And survivors of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor are gathering in Hawaii to mark a milestone. Tomorrow is the 70th anniversary of the date that will live in infamy.
All this week CNN goes in-depth on the Iraq war winding down after nine years.
When a young U.S. Army officer was shot and killed last month in northern Iraq his squadron went after his suspected killer using a new and different tactic. Many think its success could help determine the success of the wider war in Iraq. A warning, though, parts of this report are pretty disturbing. Here is our Martin Savidge.
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MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Like many American service members in Iraq, these soldiers of the First Armor Division are ready to go home. But before they can go, there's one more thing they have to do. Armed and in full body armor, they head toward a building in Kirkuk and cnn WAS there as the soldiers went after the man suspected of killing one of their open.
25-year-old First Lieutenant Dustin Vincent of Mesquite, Texas, always wanted to be a soldier, a dream that tore at his mother's heart. MARTY VINCENT, LIEUTENANT VINCENT'S MOTHER: So I told my son, I don't agree with it but I'm here to support you.
SAVIDGE: Iraq was Vincent's first tour of duty but a sniper's bullet ended the mission in early November and shattered the life of his high school sweetheart who Vincent married just two days before he deployed. Insurgents posted this video online claiming it showed the attack. Set to music and recorded over a long distance, it shows a military convoy stopped on the street. There's a gunshot and a soldier drops from view.
There's no way to know if this video is the actual killing of Lt. Vincent.
Meanwhile, word has reached the men of Vincent's squad that the alleged gunman has been captured. They come to the courthouse in Kirkuk not for revenge but justice. You see, Lt. Vincent's death is being handled as a homicide.
MAJOR FRANKLIN D. ROSENBLATT, ATTORNEY: There was a crime committed and because of that crime a lieutenant was killed, and so everyone wants to see justice done.
SAVIDGE (on camera): Time was an attack on American forces would have resulted in an air strike or a firefight. Instead, the lieutenant's death has triggered a trial in an Iraqi court.
(voice-over): The soldiers meet with the prosecutor to testify about what happened. They go over the evidence including the video. It's a sign of just how much things have changed and U.S. officials say the Iraqis are delivering real results.
ROSENBLATT: They have been willing to take on the cases of the terrorists who have attacked the U.S. troops, and I think that's a really good sign.
SAVIDGE: Outside Kirkuk at the base where he was stationed, Lt. Vincent has been added to the wall dedicated to fallen U.S. service members; each name a painful reminder of the sacrifice that has taken this part of Iraq from the rule of the dictator and, in this case, to the rule of law.
Martin Savidge, CNN, Baghdad.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: One Obama adviser has some choice words for Republican Newt Gingrich. Coming up, why David Axelrod called Gingrich, the godfather of gridlock.
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PHILLIPS: David Beckham and the L.A. Galaxy had a match in Australia today and it could be Beckham's last game with the team. Don Riddell is in London. Don, say it isn't so. Then again, when they took him, didn't he have an injury like the first week that he started? DON RIDDELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, that's right. And he did ok, didn't he. He spent five years there and in his last meaningful game, he helped the L.A. Galaxy win the MLS Cup. They were just kind of finishing their end of season business in Australia today.
They're playing their last friendly of their postseason tour of Australia. He played for almost the entire game against the Melbourne Victory. He had a few chances, Kyra. He won them a crucial penalty which helped them to a win against the Melbourne Victory on penalties.
And this could well be the last time you see him in a Galaxy shirt. He still hasn't said what's going to happen next but many people feel if he was going to stay, he would have said so by now and having spent five years in L.A., it seems as though his next team could be Paris but we'll have to wait and see.
PHILLIPS: He sure made some serious cash going to the Galaxy. Now you have to show us some love for some American soccer players.
RIDDELL: I'd love to do so. You ask that almost as if I'm going to be disingenuous if I talk about American soccer players. You guys have got some good ones.
Clint Dempsey made a name for himself in the Premier League last night. He plays for a London team called Fulham and he scored the winning goal against Liverpool just five minutes from time which means he is now America's top scorer in the Premier League. That was his 37th goal for Fulham, the 37th goal scored by an American in the Premier League.
And he's had a great career. He was raised in Texas. He went to Furman University. He played for New England before being sold to Fulham four years ago for a price tag of $4 million which remains the most that the Premier League has ever paid for an American player and he's doing pretty well for himself there.
I also have to mention to you Abby Wambach, she's the female player for the Americans women's soccer team this year. She made it all the way to the World Cup Finals. She has been short-listed as one of three players that could win FIFA's world female player of the year award this year and, of course, having helped her team get to the finals she has a great chance of winning that honor.
PHILLIPS: Yes. She's a heck of a ballplayer, that's for sure. Thanks, Don.
Well, if you want to get to know someone quickly, take a whiff, seriously. A new study finds that you can make accurate judgments apparently about someone's personality based on his or her odor. Researchers had so-called odor donors wear a t-shirt for three consecutive nights. Sniff testers were then asked to rate the personality. Extroversion and neuroticism, well, they were the easiest traits to spot and smell.
Coming up in the newsroom with Suzanne Malveaux, Occupy Wall Street kicking of new movements today -- Occupy foreclosed homes. We're going to talk with one of the organizers about what they're hoping to accomplish.
Plus, meet the high school student who won $100,000 for her cancer research. A judge in the competition called her invention the Swiss Army Knife of cancer treatment. That's next in the NEWSROOM with Suzanne Malveaux.
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PHILLIPS: Well, I'll tell you what; Newt Gingrich may have flown below the radar when his poll numbers were low. And those days are gone, I guess we could say. Kate Bolduan on Capitol Hill reporting on a new democratic attack -- hey, Kate.
KATE BOLDUAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey there. They're up. They're down. Gone for at least the moment, right Kyra.
KYRA: Right. Exactly. You never know in this election so far.
BOLDUAN: Absolutely not. Well, the former top adviser to the White House and now current top chief strategist for President Obama is going after GOP presidential candidate Newt Gingrich.
David Axelrod speaking to our Piers Morgan. He really slammed Gingrich pointing to his years here on Capitol Hill, years here in congress, accusing him really of being the epitome, if you will, of gridlock in the partisan bickering that voters have become so frustrated with. Listen here to David Axelrod.
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DAVID AXELROD: He's really the godfather of gridlock. He was the one who really created an environment in which people started treating each other as enemies and not as opponents here in Washington.
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BOLDUAN: Gingrich, as you well know, has taken the lead in a third straight poll of likely Republican voters in Iowa and so clearly, as you said, Kyra, the higher you rise in the polls, the more attention you're going to get from the other side. He's clearly grabbing the attention of President Obama's re-election campaign at this moment.
PHILLIPS: I guess we could have expected that. All right. The occupy protesters, Kate, you heard we were talking about they are moving their demonstration to Capitol Hill today. So what's the deal? Are they going to actually camp out in the halls of congress?
BOLDUAN: To be honest it's a little unclear. There's a lot of talk about this, that there could be an Occupy Congress movement today and we're definitely keeping our eye 0 out for it. We have producers and cameras walking with them.
What we're told is there are protesters that are linked to the Occupy Movement as well as other community groups if you will and some union groups that are planning this event to come to Capitol Hill to take their message to lawmakers which while they all have very different, possibly, different causes, it seems generally that they want more opportunities for struggling Americans.
So far it's been quiet but Capitol Hill is big, Kyra. We'll be taking a look to see how things develop throughout the day.
PHILLIPS: All right. We'll stay in touch. Kate thanks. That does it for us. We'll be back here bright and early tomorrow morning at 9:00 a.m. Suzanne Malveaux here in Studio 7 ready to kick things off.
