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Short-Term Extension of Tax Cut Passed; Powerful Bloc Quits Iraqi Parliament; Chicago Bears Drop Sam Hurd; Battle of the Wives in the GOP Campaign

Aired December 17, 2011 - 16:00   ET

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

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back to the NEWSROOM.

A tropical storm slammed the island nation of the Philippines. At least 436 people are dead. Hundreds more are still missing. The storm dumped as much as eight inches of rain in just 24 hours. Journalist Maria Ressa told us a short time ago that the focus is now on search and rescue.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARIA RESSA, JOURNALIST (via phone): The storm is supposed to exit this evening, but it's no longer really the storm itself but its aftermath.

We're turning to the aid and rescue workers, who are looking for the hundreds missing. They are trying to supply drinking water. They're asking for volunteers to try to get food and clothes.

Friday night the floodwaters rose alarmingly fast, reaching roof level while residents were sleeping.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: The government estimates some 100,000 people have been displaced by that storm.

And a second day of hearings for the Army private accused of being behind the biggest intelligence leak in U.S. histories. A technical glitch delayed an Army investigator's attempt to testify by phone from Hawaii.

Bradley Manning is accused of providing classified government documents to WikiLeaks, which then made them public. Supporters for Manning held a rally today outside the main gate at Fort Meade in Maryland.

The Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity has officially been closed at the University of Vermont campus. The chapter was shut down after this online survey surfaced, asking members who they would rape. School officials are trying to figure out who created that survey.

And now to New York, where Wall Street is being reoccupied. Today's demonstration marks three months since the movement began. The protesters were cleared out of this area of New York last month, and now live pictures. You're seeing people have collected there once again, but they're not allowed to actually sleep there. The church that owns this property says it supports the movement but warrants warns a reoccupation could result in, quote, "legal and police action."

On to Washington now. A busy Saturday for lawmakers. With the clock ticking to the holiday break, the U.S. Senate passed a key spending plan, and a two-month extension of the middle-class tax cut. After the vote President Obama sent this message to Congress.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I'm very pleased to see the work that the Senate has done. While this agreement is for two months, it is my expectation, in fact, it would be inexcusable, for Congress not to further extend this middle-class tax cut for the rest of the year. It should be a formality, and hopefully, it's done with as little drama as possible when they get back in January.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: The tax-cut extension now goes to the U.S. House, where passage is not certain. The Senate has now adjourned until Wednesday.

CNN's Kate Bolduan looks at the work the Senate finished today.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: In a rare Saturday session the Senate wrapped up its business for the year with two big votes. A vote on a massive spending bill to fund the government through September.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The conference reports accompanying HR-2055 is agreed to.

BOLDUAN: And a vote to extend the payroll tax cut and extend Unemployment assistance, as well as other measures but only for two months. And that's because congressional leaders could not reach agreement around the more comprehensive deal to extend these measures that they wanted to accomplish and that they were negotiating, to extend the measures for up to a year.

This short-term extension also includes the Keystone Pipeline provision that Republicans had been insisting be part of any final deal, but then many Democrats and the president had stood opposed, too.

The house still needs to vote on this short-term tax cut extension and could come in as early as Monday. But with these final votes, senators headed out of town to begin their holiday break, only to return into the new year to almost certainly pick back up with this battle over the payroll tax cut as soon as they get back in town.

Kate Bolduan, CNN, Capitol hill. (END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: In Iran just a few days remain until the last American combat troops are scheduled to depart. It will be the final action of the U.S. war there. That deadline is arriving at a time when the Iraqi government is in very real danger of falling apart.

Here's CNN's Arwa Damon.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ARWA DAMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The so-called national unity Iraqi government appears to be falling apart even before the last U.S. soldier has departed Iraqi soil.

The Iraqiya bloc, the largest bloc in parliament, headed by former Prime Minister Ayad Alawi, announced on Saturday that it would be suspending its membership from parliament, because the bloc says, the Iraqi prime minister, Nuri al-Maliki, has absolutely no intention of ever implementing the power-sharing agreement that was established between Iraqiya and al-Maliki State of Law Coalition.

Iraqiya lawmakers have been accusing Iraqi prime minister Nuri al- Maliki of consolidating power. He does still maintain full control over the security portfolio, which of course, includes the ministries of defense and interior.

Now, Iraq's deputy prime minister, Saleh al-Mutlaq, who is also a member of Iraqiya, had some pretty harsh criticism during an interview with CNN that took place just a few days ago. He simply calls al- Maliki a dictator and said that al-Maliki was playing both the U.S. and Iran and that one day America would grow to realize this and regret its decision to back al-Maliki.

Meanwhile, there have been other concerning signs when it comes to the so-called democracy in Iraq, which is why so many Iraqis are concerned about their future. When we talk about freedom of speech, one of the main cornerstones of democracy, it most certainly seems as if this Iraq government is either unwilling or unable to safeguard it.

A CNN cameraman on Friday was beaten up following an anti-government demonstration, ripped from his vehicle, taken down an alleyway by pistol-wielding, pro-government thugs. The Iraq Army that was present, all of this happening with their sights, did not do anything to stop this.

And this is not an isolated incident. Human Rights Watch, since the end of February, has catalogued numerous violations by the Iraqi security forces against not only journalists but activists and bloggers, as well.

Many Iraqis, of course, growing increasingly concerned that, as the U.S. continues to leave, their country could descend into chaos.

Arwa Damon, CNN, Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Former Iraq War POW Jessica Lynch now has a college degree. She graduating from the university of West Virginia at Parkersburg yesterday with a bachelor's degree in elementary education. Lynch made headlines back in 2003 when she was captured and tortured by Iraqi soldiers and was later rescued by U.S. forces.

And nearly all American troops will be out of Iraq within days, leaving a country that is fragile and people who are struggling. Their hopes of recovery, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right. Checking headlines overseas now.

A state of emergency declared in Kazakhstan. That's after violent clashes between striking oil workers and riot police left ten people dead. The unrest reportedly broke out when police tried to clear protesters from a main town square.

And one year ago today, the event that triggered the so-called Arab Spring. It happened in Tunisia when a street vendor set himself on fire in an anti-government protest. Demonstrations that followed spread throughout the Arab world.

And the president of Afghanistan personally freed a woman from prison this week. She had been sentenced to 12 years after claiming she had been raped. She called -- he, rather, Hamid Karzai, called the women's case a, quote, "misjudgment." President Karzai talks about the case on "FAREED ZAKARIA GPS," and you'll see it tomorrow right here on CNN.

The Iraq war is over, but for many, the physical wounds will last a lifetime. CNN's Michael Holmes talked with wounded Iraqis about the challenges ahead.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In a Baghdad rehabilitation facility, victims of nearly nine years of war try to rebuild shattered bodies. They're not soldiers. Not insurgents. They're regular everyday people.

(on camera) More than 30,000 U.S. troops were wounded during this war. How do we know? Well, of course, every one of them was counted. How many Iraqi civilians were maimed by the bombs and bullets over the years? Nobody knows for sure. Best guess, hundreds of thousands. But, of course, all of those numbers have a name.

(voice-over) Aman Mosen (ph), aged 30, caught in a marketplace bombing. Paraplegic.

Qatta Abbas (ph), age 34, shot in sectarian violence. Paraplegic.

Kareem Tasha (ph), 26, truck driver, shot at random while driving. Paraplegic.

Yousef Abed (ph), taxi driver, lost his leg after being shot in a market.

DR. ALI MOHAMMAD ABBASS: This war destroyed their hopes in the future in this Iraq. They will be in this country after this war. They are very worried about the future.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): It destroyed our lives. He's my only son. It crushed our morale at home.

HOLMES: Sabah Ahmed is a broken man. His son, Haida (ph), was 12 when a roadside bomb went off as he walked home from school in 2006. He hasn't walked since.

SABAH AHMED, SON INJURED BY ROADSIDE BOMB (through translator): Life at home is like hell now. His psychological state is not like that of other children who can go out. It's painful for him to see these other children.

HOLMES: Those who think the war is over because the Americans are going, aren't living in today's Iraq. Nearly 200 Iraqis died last month. More than 300 wounded in horrific ways. Most of them innocents: in the wrong place at the wrong time, as bombs went off or gunfire erupted.

Uday Naji (ph) a humble driver for the education ministry, set off for work one morning last month. Minutes later, a bomb stacked on the bottom of his vehicle exploded. The father of a 3-month-old child lost his leg, victim, it appears, of one of a series of such bombings of government workers. Not high-profile people. Anyone who works for the government.

" I really don't know who did it or why," he tells me, bewildered. "I'm not an important person."

We leave Uday to visit a particularly heartbreaking case. The 29- year-old was her impoverished family's sole income earner, selling tea outside their home on a sidewalk last month outside their home when a bomb, planted seemingly at random, blew one leg off and damaged the other.

It was one of three bombs on that street that day. Killed seven, wounded 28. It's difficult to watch her physical and emotional agony.

MUNA ADNAN, WOUNDED IRAQI VICTIM: (through translator): I don't know. I don't know anything. I just want my leg back. I don't want anything else.

"What did this girl do to deserve this?" Muna's father asks. "Her whole future is gone. What can we do? Put her on a cart and take her out to beg?

Michael Holmes, CNN, Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Heartbreak. And then something to think about, career-wise. Would you ever say no to a promotion at work? Give risky career moves that actually could pay off big in the new year coming up in "Reclaiming your Career."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right. A look at the top stories straight ahead, including drug charges leveled against Chicago Bears wide receiver Sam Hurd. We'll be speaking live with a reporter who has followed the case from the very beginning.

All right. Every week we focus on ways to get a jump-start in the workforce, and in today's "Reclaim your Career," we're talking about five risky career moves that actually could pay off.

Valerie Burton is the author of "Where Will You Go from Here"? So Valerie, there's a catch, though. These five career moves are not for everyone. So you've got to be kind of calculating about this?

VALERIE BURTON, AUTHOR, "WHERE WILL YOU GO FROM HERE": You do. Because you know what? The most resilient people, the most successful people take risks, but they do it in a really smart way. So there are the kind of mistakes that people make when they try to take these career moves.

WHITFIELD: OK. One big risk sometimes is leaving your comfort zone. Leaving the career, the job that you have, to go out on the limb and try something new and different?

BURTON: Yes. So many people want to do that.

WHITFIELD: I guessed that.

BURTON: You know what? You've got to assess it very carefully. I've done it myself. And it has definitely paid off.

But you want to make sure when you look at the career you're in, sometimes it's that maybe you're in an industry that's going down. Maybe there aren't opportunities for growth, or you're not using your strengths.

So you know, when you leverage your strengths, you tend to move ahead more quickly. So if you're in a career path and it's just a struggle for you, and there's something else where you could use your strengths, you want to start planning that move.

WHITFIELD: So you almost need to have a little check list?

BURTON: Yes. Absolutely. And you want to plan it. You have a transition into that new career. It's not necessarily that, you know, next week you're going to quit your job.

WHITFIELD: And then say you're being offered a promotion. Actually, I have a very good friend who is in this situation. And she is being offered this promotion. She's not quite sure if it's the one for her. She wants to say, no, but then when is that too risky to do? BURTON: Well, you know what? For a lot of people, they already feel overwhelmed or maybe you have some other goals. Personal or family related goals.

Or that career move isn't going to give you the skills that you need to really get to what your overall long-term vision is. So you want to make sure when you say yes to a promotion, that it's going to move you closer to your vision.

WHITFIELD: OK. And then becoming your own boss. A lot of folks want to become their own boss, but then, you know, it means taking a risk. Leaving, you know, your regular gig or leaving a solid paycheck. How do you assess this one?

BURTON: Well, you know what? That -- it's a big risk, but these days, a lot of jobs are a big risk, as well. So I've been in business for myself for 15 year. So I really look at it as, you know, sometimes you're following your passion. Sometimes you feel more in control.

So it's really important, when you're going to make that career move that you prepare financially. That maybe you ease into full-time entrepreneurship. So a lot of people do their business on the side part time, and over time they know when they get to a certain number that they're ready to make that move. So plan it and then do it.

WHITFIELD: Yes. And this joblessness rate has also meant that a lot of people are thinking should, I go back to school? Should I get a degree?

BURTON: Yes.

WHITFIELD: This is one of those times.

BURTON: That one can be risky, and people a lot of times think, going back to school is always good. Sometimes it's not. You know, can you afford it?

WHITFIELD: That's a really important question.

BURTON: Yes. If you do it, how is your income going to increase? How are you going to pay back the loans, if you take those loans out? And is that degree directly going to impact your ability to move up in your career? And that's a really big one.

So ask people who are already where you want to go.

WHITFIELD: Yes.

BURTON: You know, do I need to go back to school or is there another way to get the experience and education that I need?

WHITFIELD: Sometimes people feel a little burnt out. They want some time off or maybe they just want to take some time off to re-assess. But that, too, can be risky.

BURTON: Yes. Taking time off. Doesn't that sound good? Take a hiatus.

WHITFIELD: Want to be sure that when you go back there's something there. Right?

BURTON: Really important. You know, this is one that a lot of people want to do. Sometimes it's just about taking a break. Other times, it's about, you know, going home, staying home as a parent.

But what you want to make sure is that you stay plugged in to your industry. That you stay plugged into people you know so that when you are ready to go back...

WHITFIELD: Don't forget me!

BURTON: That's right. You've got the connections. And also, maybe you can do a little consulting on the side to kind of keep your skills fresh so that you're able to make that leap back into the workplace when you're ready.

WHITFIELD: All right. New outlook, just in time for the new year and some possible new risks in which to take. All right, Valerie. Always good to see you.

BURTON: Good to be with you.

BURTON: Thanks much.

WHITFIELD: All right. Dr. Sanjay Gupta. Well, he has launched a new program. Some wouldn't say that he's taking a huge risk. This is just something that he does. It's called "The Next List." Each week it profiles innovators from all walks of life and all fields of endeavor.

Well, this week he talks with app developer Scott Snibble.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SCOTT SNIBBLE, APP DEVELOPER: So an app album is a brand-new thing. The idea is to create a complete, fully immersive interactive experience that involves visuals, music and interactivity.

You used to take an album home, and you'd have to play it on a record player. I think there's something kind of like reverential, you know, almost like spiritual, the way you would bond with an album. So the app has the potential to bring that back. And the way it does it is by commanding all of your senses at once.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: All right. Tune in Sundays to watch "The Next List" or set your DVR, 2 p.m. Eastern Time. And then tomorrow, 2:30 Eastern, the new modern family. More Americans saying "I don't" to marriage. So why the change of heart?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) WHITFIELD: All right. More viral stuff. This has nothing to do with, like, the Christmas tradition. But maybe, maybe, maybe, you'll get one of these under your tree.

JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, right? When you're, like, 8 years old.

WHITFIELD: We're talking about pogo sticks. I could never get it right. It's not easy.

JERAS: I had no success with this. Ever. These guys make it look easy. Don't they?

WHITFIELD: Oh, my gosh. Easy?

JERAS: This is extreme pogoing.

WHITFIELD: Oh, my gosh. They do this in such an artful kind of way.

JERAS: Call themselves the Pogo Dudes.

WHITFIELD: Did you see that?

JERAS: That's not fair.

WHITFIELD: He just flipped. Obviously, they have some cameras on the pogo sticks.

JERAS: That's amazing.

WHITFIELD: Well...

JERAS: OK. I'm envious.

WHITFIELD: This is a world-record team. Put it in perspective.

JERAS: Don't try that at home.

WHITFIELD: No, don't. Do they have helmets on? Oh, I'm so glad to see that. Very good. Some kid's going to want to try it, and nice to see that they're wearing helmets. Protecting themselves.

JERAS: If these guys seem familiar, by the way, perhaps you might recognize them if you watch the show "America's Got Talent." They've also been on Letterman, on Leno, on "Ellen."

WHITFIELD: Thirty-three thousand views. And of course, you can tell they attached a video camera onto the sticks there to get a very cool view.

JERAS: I love that.

WHITFIELD: Oh, my.

JERAS Fred just wants to get, like, ten in a row.

WHITFIELD: Ten? I just want to get one successful jump.

JERAS: Oh, everybody can do one.

WHITFIELD: Not me. Never got there.

JERAS You can do one jump.

WHITFIELD: All right. Well, I'm glad that you have hope for me. All right. Thanks so much, Jacqui.

JERAS: OK.

WHITFIELD: Pogo stick our way out.

JERAS: Go right ahead.

WHITFIELD: OK. Here we go -- you know what? By the way, you're going to be back to talk about the Santa Ana winds.

JERAS: Yes. Real tough. They're on the way.

WHITFIELD: OK. Cool.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Checking our top stories.

The Senate passed two big pieces of legislation today. One keeps the government running through September. The other extends the payroll tax cut for two months. The extension now goes to the House, where it faces strong opposition. The Senate is now adjourned until Wednesday.

In the Philippines, Tropical Storm Washi leaving more than 400 people dead and more than 100,000 displaced. Hundreds more are still missing. There are reports an entire village was swept away. Government officials say 20,000 people are staying in evacuation centers throughout the region.

And homerun king Barry Bonds gets 30 days of House arrest and two years' probation. He was convicted of obstruction of justice in a federal probe of illegal steroid use in professional baseball.

And the Chicago Bears have dropped wide receiver Sam Hurd. This follows his arrest Wednesday on federal charges of conspiring to possess and distribute cocaine.

Investigators say Hurd was trying to set up a drug distribution network in Chicago. Hurd is a former Dallas Cowboys' wide receiver.

Joining us live from Dallas in Selwin Crawford, a staff writer with "The Dallas Morning News."

All right. Glad you could join us. This is pretty extensive. Investigators are saying he was trying to buy giant amounts, 5 to 10 kilograms of cocaine and 1,000 pounds of marijuana? SELWIN CRAWFORD, STAFF WRITER, "THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS": Yes, up to, I think, we reported actually up to a half ton of marijuana and up to 22 pounds of cocaine per week. And he was going to pay $25,000 for the cocaine and then, I believe, $450 a pound for the marijuana.

WHITFIELD: So had he been under surveillance for a long time?

CRAWFORD: He had been -- they kept up with him since July. This actually came through tip that authorities here from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Agency got, a tip back in the summer about him and what was going on. And they hooked up with someone who claimed to be a mechanic. As in court papers for him for Mr. Hurd, and mentioned that they wanted to get some drugs. Mr. Hurd wanted some drugs. And so from that point forward, federal agents started really investigating.

WHITFIELD: So the Bears wasted no time dropping him. Didn't wait for a conviction. Instead, severe charges. Why do you suppose that is?

CRAWFORD: Can't really say, except for what the general manager said on yesterday, which was, you know, they -- they like to take action. They found something that in their belief was wrong, and they took swift action to waive Sam Hurd and just move on.

WHITFIELD: So what had been said about him in, you know, circles in Dallas, before becoming a Bear? A Chicago Bear? Had it been talked about or suspected that he was involved in, you know, drug distribution? That he was -- suspected of being a drug dealer while in Dallas?

CRAWFORD: Not at all, Fredricka. In fact, quite the contrary. Most people around here, they knew Sam Hurd real well expressed total surprise. This is a guy that you know, I'm told had bible scriptures tattooed on parts of his body often sang gospel songs, talked a lot about, you know, his faith and Christianity.

In fact, Darren Woodson knew. All the time Dallas Cowboys great last night in the television interviewed say that Sam Hurd would not only be the last person on the cowboys but the last in the entire NFL that he would suspect of drug dealing. So it's kind of a surprise, a shock to those who know him around here.

WHITFIELD: Wow. So really perplexing! Do people feel like this is a terrible mistake then? Those who knew him?

CRAWFORD: I think most people -- I think that the folks who know him are kind of waiting. I mean, in these days and times, not much is really kind of, you know, shocking people completely. But for Sam Hurd, at least from what they know of him, it seems to be totally out of character, and I think most people are really hoping for the best for him and for his family.

WHITFIELD: Yes. Sad and disappointing on so many levels. Selwyn Crawford thanks so much for your time. Appreciate it.

CRAWFORD: Thanks for having me, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right.

Let's talk some pretty fierce weather. Out west, fierce Santa Ana winds again, toppling trees, and power lines at one point. In this case, 2,000 homes without power. The national weather service issued a high wind warning for parts of L.A. County through this afternoon.

Jacqui Jeras with us now. Well, this is the season. The Santa Ana winds have been very severe this year.

JACQUI JERAS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yes. It's been a brutal month, really that dealing with this in Southern California. The good news, this time around, even though they've been on the fierce side again, it's going to be a little more short live. So, we're looking at this calming down by this evening and a better Sunday for you.

But in the meantime, we've seen wind gusts reaching hurricane strength, 76 miles per hour. Lockwood Valley and we had about 45 miles per hour there in Burbank. Now, we have what's called an upper level storm system here, and you can kind of see that swirl off the California coast. And this is the big feature that we are going to be dealing with, and this is going to take a similar track as a storm we saw last weekend. So, Arizona, New Mexico into the panhandle of Texas and Oklahoma, we'll all feel impacts of this storm in the next couple of days.

So, here's a forecast outlook for you, looking for heavy rain especially as we get down towards the Mexico border. You could see thunderstorms associated with this. As it gets into western parts of Texas, we'll see that snow beginning to accumulate in the northern parts of New Mexico especially Monday. And then into Tuesday, and we've got winter storm watches, which have already been posted here for parts of Kansas and into those panhandles of Texas and Oklahoma. So, we could see somewhere between, maybe six to 12 inches of snowfall for you here in western Kansas, four to eight inches, so, significant system that you will be dealing with nonetheless.

In the meantime, it is going to be pleasant ahead of that system. The plains look great for tomorrow. So, enjoy that when you start thinking about snow in the forecast. But we're seeing plenty of snow speaking of which, over parts of the great lakes. Relatively light. We have got the cold there in place there. So, just light snow showers.

WHITFIELD: OK. I think people can handle that.

JERAS: Yes.

WHITFIELD: Light. All right. Good. Thanks, Jacqui.

Alright, a battle at the box office this weekend with two big movies hitting theaters.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What is he?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Everything.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Jacqui, check that out, a little Sherlock Holmes?

JERAS: I love Robert Downey Jr.

WHITFIELD: Me, I know, I do too. Well, you are going to find out whether - actually he says, it is worth with your bucks as well as, he is going to review "Mission Impossible." It's in your list too, right?

JERAS: Right.

(MOVIE CLIP PLAYING)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: So, if you're planning to go to the movies this weekend perhaps, made a couple flicks that you might want to see. Movie critic Matt Atchity with rotten tomatoes.com, joining us from Los Angeles. Good to see you. Happy holidays.

MATT ATCHITY, EDITOR IN CHIEF, ROTTENTOMATOES.COM: Thank you. You, too.

WHITFIELD: OK. Let's begin with "Sherlock Holmes" game of shadows. Set it up for me and then we'll watch a little clip.

ATCHITY: It's the return of Robert Downey Jr. As Sherlock Holmes. This time facing of his arch nemesis, Professor James Moriarty.

WHITFIELD: And that's Jude Law, right?

ATCHITY: No. That's played By Jared Harris. Jude law plays Watson, his long-suffering sidekick.

WHITFIELD: OK. Have you notice I'd haven't seen the series yet. OK, let's take a peek. Let's look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: By the way, they're not pursuing me. They're escorting me, instead of three there seems to be -- four.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Steady hands with that.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't think it's my hands you have to worry about. Now, be careful with the face, boys. We do have a dinner date tonight. Don't fill up on bread.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: OK. So, what do you think? Is it witty and charming as I guess the previous one was said to be?

ATCHITY: Yes. I really enjoyed this movie. It's a lot of fun. Now, I have to say, those people he don't like what director Guy Ritchie has done with the Sherlock Holmes. You know, a lot of people don't like they've turned him into an action hero. I for one think that it's a great idea. I really liked the first movie. I really like this one.

Now, if you liked the first movie, chances are, you are going to like this one because it's basically the same film as the first one that Guy Ritchie had done. But I think that's a good thing. There's a lot of laughs here. The actions are pretty good. You know, the style gets in the way a little bit. There's a lot of super slow-mo type stuff. There's a lot of CGI and almost gets overwhelming. But, it's really fun and very witty and the face-offs that happen between Sherlock Holmes and Moriarty are really, really intense. They really crackle with a certain amount of energy and it's really great to watch.

WHITFIELD: And Robert Downey. I mean, he is so great. His expressions, I mean, just in the trail are you can see he just brings his character to life. Doesn't he?

ATCHITY: Yes. He really does. He's fantastic here. You know, and he, for the ladies that really like him, he spends a good amount of time with his shirt off and he's in good shape.

WHITFIELD: Good for him.

ATCHITY: I give this one a "b." It's not perfect but a lot of fun.

WHITFIELD: OK. "Mission: Impossible" talk about somebody who is take the shirt off every now and then and people like that. "Mission Impossible goes protocol," I'm talking about Tom Cruise. So, set this up for me. And we know it's set in Dubai. He does his own stunts, too, right?

ATCHITY: Among other places. Yes. Yes. We see some great stunts work here. Tom Cruise returns as agent Ethan Hunt. He and his team are falsely accused of flowing of the Kremlin. They are completely disavowed. In fact, the whole system that they're part of, the IMF, the Impossible Mission Force, not the international monetary fund, IMF gets shut down and it's up to Ethan and his small band to clear think names and save the world.

WHITFIELD: OK. Yes, no Dominique Straus-like cameos or anything like that.

ATCHITY: No, no, no.

WHITFIELD: OK. Let's look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK. So we enter the party separately at guests. Quarterbacks while Gene gets the codes. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I switch, you jump in to the computer and I'll catch. You plug in the transmittal and Ethan feeds me the codes which I then use to pinpoint hundreds of location.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You breezed over something I think really important, the computer array part? Where I just -- jump?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And I catch you.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. I don't --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Why is that so hard to grasp.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Alright, and Jeremy Leonard there. Nice to see him in these kinds of movie as well. Alright, so, your thoughts on this one?

ATCHITY: This is a fantastic movie. In fact, I would say that this is the best one of the whole franchise. Director Brad Bird, who is most famous for the "Incredibles "and Ratatouille "and "the Iron Giant," he comes from an animation background. This first feature and he's done a fantastic job here.

The movie is super exciting. He gets great performances out of Tom Cruise and you saw Simon Pegg and that's newcomer Jeremy Leonard who does a great job. There's talked that we may see him in the future in this franchise. The action sequences are second to none. That stuff that you see in Dubai is fantastic. I saw it in IMAX. In fact, it's only showing in IMAX this weekend. But definitely go so see it in IMAX. Because you really feel you're going to fall right off that tower in Dubai.

So, the set is exciting. It gets a little confusing, you know, they go bouncing all over the world. And you don't really know why, except it gets -- let's them go to exotic locations. Like an old James Bond movie but a great movie and I give it a b. It's a lot of fun. Definitely goes to you.

WHITFIELD: A little Washington, D.C. as well. Alright. That is going to be fun. I'm looking forward to that one. You know, everybody wants a really good movie, Christmas day kind of flick. This one definitely looks like that.

ATCHITY: Yes. This is a great one. Just a great one to see.

WHITFIELD: All right. Matt Atchity, thanks so much, or maybe not Christmas day. Be kind, you know, wrong to leave the family on Christmas day but, how about the day after?

ATCHITY: I'm come wig you.

CRAWFORD: OK. My family won't be mad. Alright Matt thanks. Have a great holiday.

ATCHITY: You, too. WHITFIELD: We loved those reviews from Matt.

Alright, the GOP presidential race is starting to become a family affair. Find out who you will be hearing a lot more from in the weeks ahead, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Time for a CNN equals politics update. We are keeping an eye on the latest headlines at the CNNpolitics.com desk. And here what's crossing right now.

Harsh words on the GOP campaign trail. Let's begin with Ron Paul. He says his rival for the GOP presidential nomination, Michele Bachmann, hates Muslims. Paul made the comments on last night's "the Tonight Show" with Jay Leno and added, "She wants to go get them." Paul's comments follow a heated exchange with Bachmann over Iran's nuclear program during this week's debate.

And now, the South Carolina where Mitt Romney is trailing Newt Gingrich by a country mile when Romney was asked if Gingrich's work with Freddie Mac should be considering lobbying, Romney said he's let the lawyers decide. But he added, "When it walks like a duck and it quacks like a duck, typically it's a duck."

So, Iowa may be farm country, but Rick Perry is now suggesting Iowa may be ripe for a natural gas drilling. Who knows, Perry told the crowd, he point to a shale formation that runs from New York to Appalachia that scientists recently discovered holds large amounts of gas. Perry's point, he is accused the president of blocking domestic energy exploration.

And for the latest political news, you know exactly where to go, CNNpolitics.com.

And here's a look at how the Iowa race is shaping up. This American research group poll has Newt Gingrich out in front by five points, but his lead actually has shrunk by a few points. Ron Paul and Mitt Romney are tied for second now.

So, Iowa is the place to be today, unless air apparently you are leading this race. Rick Santorum, Rick Perry and Michele Bachmann are all in Iowa today. But Mitt Romney is in South Carolina while Newt Gingrich is in Virginia. And he's there to attend a book signing, by the way, for his wife's new children's book.

And with Newt Gingrich rising in the poll, the Mitt Romney camp has unleashed a secret weapon. His wife and Joe Johns explains why we'll see even more of the GOP candidates' wives on the campaign trail.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

JOE JOHNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): What usually doesn't work well in a presidential campaign is for some guy to interrupt an event and start shouting embarrassing questions about a candidate's personal life. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Seems like you have been cheating on your wife --

NEWT GINGRICH (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: How would you know? Other than personal hostility --

JOHNS: But as the velvet glove approach that's harder to deal with. For example, the wife of contender Mitt Romney in a living room in Iowa with a few dozen supporters.

ANN ROMNEY, MITT ROMNEY'S WIFE: I look back and think of how my husband has been the kinds of guy you can count on, and that's the personal side of him that people don't know about.

JOHNS: How long has Mitt Romney been married to the same woman? By the time this is over you might eventually have it memorized.

MITT ROMNEY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I've been married for the same woman for 25 -- excuse me. I'll get in trouble. For 42 years.

JOHNS: Presidential candidates love to think of their spouses as secret weapons. Ann Romney is on the trail now to humanize her husband to try to make him more appealing. But her appearances are also a bid for values voters, women voters. And voters for whom trust, is a big issue.

ANN ROMNEY: And that he is a strong family values and that's what matters him. And that's where his world is.

JOHNS: Contrasting Romney with Gingrich, who's had a much more complicated personal life.

PETER HAMBY, CNN POLITICAL REPORTER: The Romney campaign is almost certainly putting Ann Romney out there to highlight the couple's 42- year marriage and her children and Romney as a family man as oppose to Newt Gingrich who is right now on his third marriage.

JOHNS: Not only married three times, but Gingrich admitted adultery. Asked God for forgiveness and converted to Catholicism which is the faith of his wife, Callista. She too, has seen on the campaign trail but heard nearly as much.

CALLISTA GINGRICH, NEWT GINGRICH'S WIFE: Newt and I are determined to run a positive issue-oriented and solutions based campaign.

JOHNS: Republican political veteran Mary Matalin says some values voters might want to know more about the Gingrich personal story, but for many, it's news that's a decade old.

MARY MATALIN, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: People have discounted, already knew about Newt's marriage history and they've, they discarded that as a concern about him.

JOHNS: For her part, Ann Romney says she's not trying to compare and contrast her husband's personal life with Newt Gingrich, but campaign insiders have said they think the former speaker's past personal life is one of his liabilities. Joe Johns, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Alright, anything can happen. Still kind of, you know, early in the race even though we're under a year away. But you know how it is going to happens. Hi, Don.

DON LEMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: In your living room.

WHITFIELD: I know. We pulled out the chairs for you today. The sofas you know -- getting tucked away. You know, getting ready for our political coverage, all that good stuff.

LEMON: Really loud screaming at myself in your ear.

WHITFIELD: Don't do that.

LEMON: OK.

WHITFIELD: Don't scream.

LEMON: I can hear myself, one second later -- whoa! Where's the couch?

WHITFIELD: How you doing? We got to change things up a little bit.

LEMON: Yes. Look goods. I like the new living room.

WHITFIELD: Chairs instead.

LEMON: It's a little more start, very mid-century modern.

WHITFIELD: Tell me what's going on?

LEMON: We have a lot going on coming up in just a few minutes right here on CNN. I'm going to talk about the Florida A&M hazing scandal, Fred. One person is dead. Others are coming forward with this. One student is giving up her scholarship and leaving school after allegedly getting beaten. I'm going to talk to her attorney B.J. Bernstein about the case.

And then also, have you noticed your friends' profiles look a lot different in the past few days?

WHITFIELD: Are you hugging the wall?

LEMON: I am. That's the facebook wall, went to visit in New York. So, now maybe thousands and thousands of people are looking at your new site now and turning to the site. Facebook now has a new timeline feature. I was one of the features journalist, me and Ann Curry, Nicholas Kristoff.

WHITFIELD: Nate.

LEMON: So, you can see all the pictures of me if they scroll down. There some of me in the '80s. And I have as kid right here.

WHITFIELD: Goodness. You're kidding. The boxy cut. Now, that's what I want to see right now.

LEMON: I had the boxy cut. Why not? People want to know more.

WHITFIELD: That's cute.

LEMON: It's confused a lot of people. We are going to explain it. We will break it down with our tech guru. Look at me hugging the facebook wall. The facebook wall liked me.

WHITFIELD: Yes. That's sweet. Everybody likes you. Very nice. All right. Lots ahead.

LEMON: Lots ahead.

WHITFIELD: OK. We'll look forward.

LEMON: You look gorgeous as usual.

WHITFIELD: You're so nice. Thanks, Don.

All right. We've got a few other items before Don Lemon is here in the studio. We haven't talk about this. This is the pink bible. And for a long time it was very popular, people snatching it up. Well now, it's being discouraged by some. They don't want it to be that popular and made available anymore. We'll explain why, after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Here's a look at other stories making news now. The breast cancer awareness bible also known as the Pink bible is being pulled from stores. Its publisher which is owned Southern Baptist convention ordered the recall. The group says the bible helped raise money for a foundation that contributes to Planned Parenthood.

Alright, would you ask your boss's wife out on a date? Would it matter if her husband happens to be the president of the United States? That's exactly what happened yesterday at a toys-for-tots event in Washington. 20-year-old Marine Lance Corporate Aaron Leaks asked first lady Michelle Obama to accompany him to the Marine Corps ball next November. Mrs. Obama said she's love to, if it's OK with her husband, the commander in chief. Leaks is leaving for Afghanistan next month.

All right. Cody Jackson is just eight years old but is doing something very patriotic. Two or three time as month, he goes Atlanta's Hartsfield Jackson International airport. And what did he do? He thanks returning service men and women for protecting the country.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CODY JACKSON, 8-YEARS-OLD: Thank you for protecting us.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You're very welcome.

KELLY JACKSON, CODY JACKSON'S MOTHER: There was a joke going around that Cody would go up to the USO and ask to join. They said, no. You're too young. Wait. Come back when you're 18. And the joke was, well, he doesn't need the USO. He's doing it on his own. He's a one- boy USO.

KEN JACKSON, CODY JACKSON'S FATHER: It's really wonderful what he's doing and his grandfather was in the military and he is already been in the military offices and recruiting offices asking when he can sign up.

CODY JACKSON: Thank for protecting us.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you.

CODY JACKSON: I asked my mom, how come it's so hard to get on an airplane? I mean, because she told me about 9/11.

KEN JACKSON: Got so upset and wanted to thank these people for putting their life on the line for him. So he comes to the airport, and now he meets the soldiers. He thanks them for protecting him and hands them a little piece of candy and salutes them and wishes them well.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thanks.

KEN JACKSON: As Cody has met a lot of these soldiers a lot are touched by what he's doing at such an early age and some have been taking pens and coins out of their pockets and giving it to them and he doesn't want to take any of them, but a lot are so touched by what he's doing, they're giving up some of their awards and medals to him.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You hang on that that.

KEN JACKSON: I think it means a great deal to the servicemen and women had he goes up to them and thanks them. What you see, this big, strong man or woman come through and they look like, not somebody you want to approach and Cody goes up to them and starts to talk to them and you see them just light up. And even big, grown men wiping tears away from their eyes talking to him a few minutes. So it's very touching.

CORPORAL CURT TEMPLETON, U.S. ARMY: I don't know the words to describe it honestly. To see a little kid like this, to come in here and do what he's doing, thanking of us, when you see a lot of people that don't. Somebody that small, it really tugs at your heart. It makes everything that we're doing worth it.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: So sweet, inspiring so many.

Alright, that's going to do for me. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. My colleague, Don Lemon, an inspiration, here he is -- off the phone, Don Lemon, off the phone. LEMON: Alright, Fred.

WHITFIELD: It's your turn. Come on over. Much more NEWSROOM straight ahead when he gets off the phone.

LEMON: Yes, dear!

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)