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Gingrich, Romney Sharpen Attacks; Obama Seeks To Raise In Debt Ceiling; Grand Funeral For Kim Jong-il; Observers In Syria For Second Day; Texas Woman, Daughters Killed In Mexico; Embers Likely Caused Deadly Fire; Slow Start For Stocks; Same-Sex Couples Pay More Tax; New Details Of Indiana Murder; Iran Calls American-Born Man A Spy

Aired December 28, 2011 - 10:00   ET

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

HALA GORANI, CNN ANCHOR: And if you're just joining us, everyone, this hour we begin in Iowa where only six days remain before the presidential caucuses. Well, time is getting shorter, and sometimes tempers, I should say, are getting shorter as well.

Joe Johns is in Des Moines with more on what to expect. Now both Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich sharpened their attacks. We heard from Romney. We heard from Gingrich. What are the two men saying about each other only six days before the caucuses -- Joe.

JOE JOHNS, CNN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT: It's getting a little ugly, especially on Newt's side. But look, Mitt Romney spent a lot of money on ads attacking Newt Gingrich.

He's also had the benefit of ads produced by a super political action committee that's producing, you know, ads for Mitt Romney and even though they're not supposed to be coordinating, the fact remains the same.

Meanwhile, the former speaker hasn't had the kind of money to fight back in the air wars and he's been doing the only thing he really could do up until now, and that is using interviews, public appearances, what have you to fight back.

Let's listen to what the former speaker of the House, Newt Gingrich, has said about Mitt Romney.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NEWT GINGRICH (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Herman Cain was willing to debate one on one, Jon Huntsman has debated one on one, Rick Santorum has debated one on one.

Mitt Romney is the guy running the most ads attacking me and he's doing it through this disingenuous, gee, I don't control all of my former staff and all of my millionaire friends.

It's baloney. If he wants to defend his negativity, show up in Iowa 90 minutes face to face and let the people decide whether or not in fact he'll back what he's been saying.

Let him back up his moderate record, not conservative record, as governor. I don't think he'll do it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JOHNS: Funny, Hala, you know and I know that Newt Gingrich actually said he wasn't going to go negative. He was going to try to keep this campaign positive. He wasn't going to attack Republican challengers in the field, but you heard his words right there. They sound pretty harsh, quite frankly.

GORANI: Yes, well, let's talk about Mitt Romney and what he said about Gingrich who, of course, has not made it onto the Virginia ballot. Mitt Romney is taking jabs at Gingrich over that.

JOHNS: Yes. Well, that's one of those administrative things. That's a little difficult to explain, especially since Newt Gingrich actually lives in the state of Virginia for all intents and purposes, but he wasn't able to get on the ballot. This is something some of the other candidates have gone after him about, including Mitt Romney. Let's listen to him.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MITT ROMNEY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: You know, I think you compare that to Pearl Harbor. I think it's more like Lucille Ball at the Chocolate Factory. You've got to get it organized.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JOHNS: Yikes, Lucille Ball at the Chocolate Factory. You can't say that's an attack, but it certainly is ridicule, if nothing else, isn't it, Hala?

GORANI: Yes, it is. I remember that episode. It was hilarious. Thanks, Joe Johns.

Gingrich is also jabbing Ron Paul, the other candidate locked in the three-way tie in Iowa. Gingrich says he could not support Ron Paul, the Texas congressman, if he were to win the Republican nomination. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GINGRICH: I mean, I think it's very difficult to see how you would engage in dealing with Ron Paul as a nominee.

WOLF BLITZER, HOST, CNN'S "THE SITUATION ROOM": Let's just get precise.

GINGRICH: Given the newsletters, which he has not yet disowned.

BLITZER: You could not vote for Ron Paul.

GINGRICH: He would have to go a long way to have him explain himself. I think it would be very difficult to see today Ron Paul as the Republican nominee.

BLITZER: What would you do if the choice were Ron Paul or Barack Obama?

GINGRICH: I think you'd have a very hard choice.

BLITZER: What would you do?

GINGRICH: I don't know, but I think Barack Obama is very destructive to the future of the United States. I think Ron Paul's views are totally outside the mainstream of virtually every decent American.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GORANI: And Newt Gingrich there. Will his sharp words cost him points with the party faithful? Earlier, he had vowed not to turn negative against fellow Republicans because it would only strengthen Barack Obama.

So we'll see in the latest polling whether or not the strategy is working for Newt Gingrich, the former speaker of the House.

And do stay with CNN for extensive coverage from the campaign trail. Tune in to "THE SITUATION ROOM" today. After Newt Gingrich, Wolf Blitzer sits down with Mitt Romney. And you can see that interview at 4:00 Eastern and again at 5:00.

This reminder, tune in Tuesday night for the country's first true test for GOP candidates. America's Choice 2012, the live coverage of the caucuses in Iowa begins Tuesday night, January 3rd, 7:00 p.m.

Expect Washington to end 2011 with more finger-pointing over the national debt. This week President Obama plans to ask Congress to raise the debt limit by $1.2 trillion to fund the government through most of next year.

Now this was all approved in that deal struck over the summer, so it's expected to pass, but it's still an increase. It's a big number. It could give the Republican candidates some fresh talking points on the campaign trail.

Let's turn our attention to international news and this morning in North Korea the pageantry of a public funeral for Kim Jong-il on full display.

It was a three-hour event dominated state run television. It featured a tearful Kim Jong-un, the youngest son now known as the great successor. CNN's Paula Hancocks reports from Seoul, South Korea.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Walking alongside his father's coffin, the message could not be more clear, Kim Jong-un, the supreme leader, leading the funeral procession for his father, Kim Jong-il, the dear leader.

Key military and political leaders surround him showing publicly at least Kim Jong-il's wish for a smooth succession has been granted. The coffin proceeded by a giant portrait of a smiling Kim Jong-il was then driven through the snow laden streets of Pyongyang. Tens, possibly hundreds of thousands of mourners lined the streets.

Tens possibly hundreds of thousands of mourners lined the streets. Soldiers bowed their heads, their caps in hand. Men and women wailed and beat their chests as the coffin passed them by.

At one point, rushing forward to get closer to the procession. A well choreographed event filled with pomp and ceremony, adverse weather only adding to the occasion.

KCNA news agency saying it reminds the North Korean people of a snowy day the leader was born. A thunderous military salute to send off the leader who rules his people with an iron fist for 17 years. A man who developed a regime based on a cult of personality and terror.

(on camera): As Kim Jong-un watched the final military parades of the day, the question being asked around the world is how closely will he follow in his father's footsteps. Paula Hancocks, CNN, Seoul.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GORANI: Let's try to answer that question and others that now hangover the secretive nuclear power. Victor Cha, a former advisor to the National Security Council. He's now senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

How closely, Victor, will Kim Jong-un follow in his father's footsteps, Kim Jong-il, do you think?

VICTOR CHA, CSIS SENIOR ADVISER: I think fairly closely in terms of the ideology. What we've heard thus far is he's going to follow something called Sung Gun politics, which means military first politics.

Where the military is a privileged decision making body. That was the case under Kim Jong-il and it looks to be the case under Kim Jong-un as well.

GORANI: Let's look at these images once again of this funeral carefully choreographed and staged with public mourning. Hundreds of thousands of North Koreans out mourning their dear leader. When you study these images of the funeral, what do you think?

CHA: Well, like your package said, I think it's very well choreographed. They have done this once before in the sense in July of 1994 the first leader of North Korea suddenly died so I think it's even the same cars that they're using as the ones they used in 1994.

So, you know, this is a society in which pictures and images that are well choreographed as a form of nationalism is very well practiced. So it's not a surprise to me that they've carried this off very well.

The real question is whether they'll be able to carry off the politics of the transition in the future.

GORANI: Well, we didn't see the two elder brothers, for instance, when you look at the images, at least in what state TV ran. We didn't see the two elder brothers of Kim Jong-il. What does that tell us as far as the succession is concerned?

CHA: Well, I think it tells us for certain right now that this youngest son, the one who is walking alongside the hearse, is the key guy. He's the one that's going to be leading the country.

But the absence of these two is really interesting. A lot of palace politics here. You know, in an Asian system, it's usually the eldest son who inherits the business.

It's clearly not the case this time. So we'll have to watch and see whether factions will develop within the country, whether there will be divides between the party and military. They will try very hard to hold everything together.

GORANI: And it all boiled down to Victor Cha, the nuclear ambitions and the nuclear development program of that country. That's what the U.S. is worried about. It's a nuclear power, and it's secretive, and we don't know how it's going to go and how the succession will go and who will be in charge?

CHA: That's exactly right. I mean, for 25 years our main concern with regard to North Korea was denuclearizing them. I was involved in negotiations, as well as others, to try to do that.

The additional problem we have now is if this leadership transition does not go well and there's a leadership vacuum, we have a whole different problem now, which is who has control of the nuclear weapons. That could be an even more daunting problem than trying to denuclearize them.

GORANI: Right. If North Korea weren't a nuclear power, I doubt it would be in the headlines as often as it is. Thanks very much. Victor Cha joining us from right here in Washington.

Monitors from the Arab League are in Syria for a second day as the government followed through on promises to stop its crackdown on its own citizens. We'll find out in a live report.

The mayor of Stamford, Connecticut says this fire represented a terrible, terrible day for his city. When you hear what happened and how it happened, including the 911 calls, you'll know why. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GORANI: Human rights group is claiming Syrian authorities have moved hundreds of detainees to secret military sights to hide them from outside observers. Arab League monitors are in Syria for a second day to see if the government is ending its bloody crackdown. But look at these images, water cannons at protesters in Homs Tuesday, but CNN can't independently confirm if it's authentic.

Protests and violence have erupted ahead of the Arab League's visits and during the Arab League visits. Mohammed Jamjoom is following developments from Cairo.

Let's talk about these Arab League monitors. They've been to Homs. This has emerged as the flash point, the sort of capital of the anti-Assad protest movement in Syria.

But we've heard from them today saying they haven't seen anything, quote, "frightening."

MOHAMMED JAMJOOM, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Hala. This was quoted by Reuters News Agency earlier today. They spoke to General Mohammed Aldabi (ph). He heads up this observers mission that is in Homs right now.

He was quoted as saying that he hadn't seen anything frightening and that what he had seen, the situation was reassuring. Now we asked members of the Arab League, we spoke to a member of the advanced team that was there last week, about this.

And we were told that he doubted that the general made these remarks because the team members there are down to confidentiality agreements and also that daily situation reports are written as to what the monitors are seeing there.

But this is really only -- these quotes are really only causing more concerns for activists and opposition figures in Syria. They're already concerned by the fact that they believe that these monitors aren't really being given free access that they need to be given.

They believe that the Syrian government is only taking them to the places they will allow them to see. Now with these quotes it's just really increasing the concerns about the level of credibility of these monitors.

Many people in Syria, many activists and human rights groups in Syria have been for a while now been calling into question the credibility of the Arab League, of these monitors in particular and also saying that you're only going to have about ten monitors to each flash point city that they visit.

How effective is this kind of small group going to be in trying to deal with such a huge problem and such a growing and increasing crackdown that's been going on?

GORANI: Well, as you know, the Arab League has never been viewed as anything more than a toothless, in some cases pointless organization protecting its own members and the head of this Arab League delegation in Syria is himself a Sudanese general who worked in the administration of Omar Bashir, the president of Sudan. He has a warrant out for his arrest by the International Criminal Court. So people are saying who is he to tell anyone whether or not crimes are being committed.

JAMJOOM: That's right. This has been a growing chorus that we're hearing from opposition activist groups inside Syria and outside Syria. They especially have been levelling criticism at the choice to head this delegation.

The general, somebody who is a Sudanese military man and they've been saying that somebody who is in the military in Sudan because of the situation in Darfor has no business being on a team that is supposed to go in and investigate whether war crimes have been going on in Syria as the allegations have been coming out from these groups in Syria.

So again, it's just one more thing that's calling into question how credible these people are. Now these teams are also made up of medics. They're also made up of legal and military experts. But most of the people we speak with in Syria really doubt the credibility and effectiveness of these teams and this growing chorus of condemnation is just continuing -- Hala.

GORANI: Thanks, Mohammed Jamjoom in Cairo.

Turning to politics next, Ron Paul taking jabs from every direction. But will it sway his die hard supporters? Our "Political Buzz" panel weighs in.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GORANI: A relative warned Maria Hartsell of Texas not to go to Mexico with her daughters, but they went anyway to spend Christmas with relatives. Well, they never got there. A group of armed men attacked their bus in the state of Veracruz and murdered all three.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARGARET SCHNEIDER, VICTIM'S MOTHER-IN-LAW: I told her not to go to Mexico. I told not to go to Mexico. I just kept repeating it. Senseless. It's just senseless.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GORANI: The bandits are said to be members of a violent drug cartel. They killed seven people that same day. Mexican police have now increased security on highways in Veracruz.

We're now hearing the 911 calls as fire raced through a home in Connecticut on Christmas morning. That fire killed five people, three children and their grandparents, and all while a frantic mother tried to save them. Here's Deborah Feyerick.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): As fire raced through the Victorian Home just before dawn Christmas morning, neighbors frantically called 911.

UNIDENTIFIED OPERATOR: Stamford, 911. What's the address?

UNIDENTIFIED CALLER: There's a huge fire at the house next door to us. The whole house is on fire.

UNIDENTIFIED OPERATOR: What is the address, ma'am?

UNIDENTIFIED CALLER: We're at 22-41 Shippan Avenue. It's the house next door. There's a fire and three kids and a woman.

FEYERICK: Trapped inside the Stamford, Connecticut home, grandparents, Lomer and Pauline Johnson and their three granddaughters, 10-year-old Lily and 7-year-old twins, Grace and Sarah.

UNIDENTIFIED CALLER: I was calling about a major, major fire with people in the house.

UNIDENTIFIED OPERATOR: We have the fire department on the way, ma'am.

UNIDENTIFIED CALLER: Please, come quickly.

FEYERICK: The house was under renovation. It appears fireplace embers placed in an outdoor trash enclosure near the home ignited the blaze.

Mom, Madonna Badger, managed to climb out on to scaffolding. Frantically directing fire fighters to the third floor where she said her children were sleeping.

ANTONIO CONTE, ACTING CHIEF, STAMFORD FIRE DEPARTMENT: The crew who pushed through two rooms unable to find the children. They were pushed back by the intense heat and flames.

FEYERICK: Grabbing two of the frightened girls, a family friend Michael Borcina, seen here on his Facebook page, reached the second floor.

CONTE: The heat drove them to get separated. It looks like one went back upstairs and another one was found with the grandmother.

FEYERICK: Grandfather Lomer Johnson had spent Christmas Eve playing Santa at Manhattan's Saks Fifth Avenue. He managed to lead one of his granddaughters to the back of the house, and climb on to the roof, and then died before he could pull her to safety.

CONTE: Just inside the window that he came out of, we found one of the young children. I guess there were a pile of books. It looks like she was placed on the books.

FEYERICK: The mother, a successful marketing executive, is said to be in shock. She was taken from the scene sobbing, "My whole life is in that house."

CONTE: When you don't make that rescue that you failed, and I don't think anybody wants to fail.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FEYERICK: Investigators continue to search for answers, but it appears that the home did not have smoke detectors or a fire alarm system. Deborah Feyerick, CNN, New York.

GORANI: Three more trading days for Wall Street this year. Alison Kosik is at the New York Stock Exchange with more on today's action. We've been open for almost an hour, and it's a down day it looks like, Alison, why?

ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: It is a down day. You know, it doesn't take many trades to leave the overall trading sort of one direction or another.

You know, overall it's just one of those quiet trading days on Wall Street. Stocks are, believe it or not, pretty much in a holding pattern at this point as far as in the red goes.

The S&P 500 entered today up just 0.6 percent for the year. We're going to be watching to see if it can end the year on the plus side. Not too much to write home about though. Big a improvement from where it was a few months ago after S&P downgraded its U.S. debt rating -- Hala.

GORANI: Let's talk about same sex couples. They had a lot to celebrate in 2011. New York, for instance, legalized same-sex marriage, but the couples are going to be -- are in for a rude awakening come tax time, right? Explain that.

KOSIK: Yes, you're right about that. Hala, that's because the federal government still doesn't recognize same-sex marriage so let's say couples in New York, for example, or Massachusetts or Iowa, they can get the benefits of filing jointly on their state tax returns.

But they have to file federal taxes as individuals, and when they do that, they're going to owe Uncle Sam more money than a straight couple. CNN Money actually had H and R block crunch the numbers.

So let's say a typical same-sex couple filing separately with the primary income earner filing as what's known as head of household owes $15,199 in federal taxes. That's about $4,500 more than a straight married couple would who is filing a joint tax return.

Now same-sex couples, they also face other disadvantages when they file tax returns this way, so for one a head of household can end up in a higher tax bracket and be entitled to lower standard deductions.

And when it comes to kids, the child tax credit phases out sooner for individual filers. Finally, if you're a same sex couple you're saddled with extra paperwork.

Couples filing state taxes jointly and federal taxes separately, they still have to show the state what their federal taxes would look like if they could file jointly.

So sure, it's great news if you're in the tax prep industry. Not so good for same-sex couples who have to jump through all these paperwork as well -- Hala.

GORANI: All right, interesting. Thanks, Alison. Mitt Romney says Newt Gingrich's campaign is like something out of "I Love Lucy." That's not a compliment. Our "Political Buzz" panel points out some other sitcom similarities in the 2012 race right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GORANI: Checking our top stories now. New and grizzly details are emerging about the murder of a nine-year-old girl in Fort Wayne, Indiana. She was beaten to death with a brick. There's a picture of the little girl. She was dismembered, stuffed in a freezer. Police will formally charge a neighbor and family friend with murder. They still don't have a motive.

An American-born man and former Marine says he was on a mission to deliver information to Iranian intelligence. Iran says (INAUDIBLE) is a spy and that he works for the CIA trying to get details about Iran's involvement with terrorism. His family says Iran forced a confession. (INAUDIBLE) was arrested while visiting his grandmother in Iran back in August.>

Guess what a hot seller was this Christmas season? Guns. Americans bought a record number of them according to the FBI. It reported more than 1.5 million background checks in December.

That's a new one-month record. Now keep in mind that the actual number of guns sold could be higher than that because people often buy more than one gun at a time.

"Political Buzz" is your rapid fire look at the best political topics of the day. Three questions, 30 seconds on the clock. Playing today with us, Democratic strategist and CNN contributor, Maria Cardona. Sirius XM political talk show host and comedian, Pete Dominick, and Georgetown University professor, Chris Metzler.

Hello, everyone. First question, Ron Paul's GOP rivals are on the attack. Rick Santorum says that Paul is left of Obama on national security. Bachmann says Paul is, quote, "confused about same-sex marriage." And Gingrich unleashed on the Texas congressman to our Wolf Blitzer. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GINGRICH: You look at Ron Paul's total record of systemic avoidance of reality, and you look at his newsletters and then you look at his ads, his ads are about as accurate as his newsletters.

WOLF BLITZER, HOST, CNN'S "THE SITUATION ROOM": Now if he were to get the Republican nomination.

GINGRICH: He won't. BLITZER: Let's say he would. Could you vote for him?

GINGRICH: No.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GORANI: Will Ron Paul supporters be swayed by these shots from the GOP field? Let's start with you, Maria.

MARIA CARDONA, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: No, I don't think that they will, Hala, especially his hard-core supporters who are some of the most passionate, some of the most loyal supporters that there are in politics today. What I think what will happen with them is that these kinds of attacks will actually make them dig in because they feel that it's either a conspiracy by their rivals or a conspiracy by the media to try to knock Ron Paul off now especially that he's one of the front-runners.

But I do think if he does win Iowa, coming out of Iowa he's going to have to aggressively explain himself especially on the newsletter stuff if he's going to become a viable candidate from there on out.

GORANI: Ok Chris what do you think?

CHRIS METZLER, PROFESSOR, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY: No. I don't think he does have -- Ron Paul has ardent supporters. And they're going to continue to support him, but there's a two-prong strategy here from the front-runner standpoint.

Number one, there's such an anti-government sentiment right now, what's happening is that the other front-runners, so Romney and Gingrich, are trying to really tamp down support for Paul. The second aspect of it is the best thing actually that can happen for the front- runners is that Ron Paul wins Iowa because if he wins Iowa then everyone throws their hands up in the air and says, see, I told you. Iowa doesn't matter.

GORANI: Ok. Pete?

PETE DOMINICK, RADIO TALK SHOW HOST, SIRIUS XM: Well, first of all, Rick -- Rick Santorum is right again. President Obama -- Ron Paul is to the left of President Obama on foreign policy, as are a lot of Americans. I mean, President Obama is a lot -- in many ways continuing George Bush's foreign policy.

But will Ron Paul supporters be swayed? No. They won't be swayed by the facts on anything. It's interesting, no matter where you are on the political spectrum, you probably agree with something that Ron Paul has professed. But I don't think Newt Gingrich should be talking about anybody's past. This guy could make million dollars selling the skeletons that he has in his own closet. I think he should keep that closed before he mentions anybody else's past.

GORANI: Mitt Romney picks up an endorsement from the "Boston Herald". The paper says he's a standout in a Republican clown car field. Six days to Iowa. Make your best bet. Who is the next candidate to drop out of this crowded race? Let's start with Chris.

METZLER: Well, first of all, I think it's interesting that Romney gets an -- an endorsement from "Boston Herald" when he's running in Iowa, very interesting.

GORANI: Yes.

METZLER: But I think in terms of dropping out, if anyone is going to drop out, I think it probably is going to be Santorum, however, I don't think that anyone's going to drop out at this point. I think for somebody like Perry, for example, he's not going to drop out because he's got money.

The problem for Santorum is Iowa is possibly the only state he can win. He certainly can't win New Hampshire.

GORANI: Maria?

CARDONA: First of all, can we talk about this endorsement? What kind of endorsement is that? I would not be touting this endorsement if I were Mitt Romney. It's like saying oh this is the least clownish of this group.

METZLER: Yes.

CARDONA: But in terms of who's going to have leave Iowa, I think if anybody finishes under Jon Huntsman, they should pack up their bags and leave because he's the only candidate who is not competing there. If Michele Bachmann finishes last of the conservatives, she should pack up and leave, too, because the person who won the Iowa straw poll back in August, if she now comes last of the conservatives, it's time for her to go.

GORANI: Pete. And frankly, I think least clownish is kind of a compliment. Who do you think is going to drop out?

CARDONA: That's what's so sad.

GORANI: I'll take it as a compliment.

DOMINICK: I've been called at least clownish myself. It doesn't hurt that much. The clown car -- the clown car image is hilarious. I mean, have this idea of like Herman Cain driving it into a ditch and then Donald Trump jumping in and out of it, Sarah Palin circling the clown car trying to see if there's a window open.

But who's going to drop out after Iowa? I'm sorry to not risky. But I think it's going to be Rick Santorum. He's going to -- he's going to leave professional politics and join some organization with the word family in it so he can control women's bodies and make sure gay people don't have quality in America and manipulating Christ teachings for political gain.

GORANI: Ok your "Buzzer Beater" everyone. 20 seconds each Mitt Romney cracks a joke at Gingrich's expense. Here he is talking about Newt's failure to qualify for the Virginia ballot. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MITT ROMNEY, (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I think you compare that to Pearl Harbor. I think it's more like Lucille Ball at the chocolate factory. So I mean, you know you've got to get organized.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GORANI: If you could compare the Republican race as a whole with a sitcom, what would it be? Maria?

CARDONA: It's got to be the Simpsons. They love to portray Republicans like heartless millionaires, like Montgomery Burns or pathetic clowns. Going back to the clown analogy like side show Bob who actually ran as a Republican by saying you may want to vote for a Democrat but deep down inside you want a heartless Republican who is going to brutalized criminals and rule you like a king.

GORANI: Well, it's certainly more amusing than using a major attack during World War II as an analogy. Chris, what sitcom would it be?

METZLER: Well, I'm the typical conservative here. I can't make up my mind. First of all Mitt Romney cracked a joke? What, did he get, oh I don't know, a swag transplant? So that's first of all.

But second of all, I think if I had to choose, it would probably be, oh I don't know, Sponge Bob Square Pants perhaps. So Sponge Bob might work. I don't know, what was the Michael -- Spin City -- it could be Spin City; that could be the other one.

GORANI: Ok. The Michael J. Fox sitcom. Pete? What do you think? What sitcom would the Republican race be right now?

PETE DOMINICK: I don't know if there is one. I think it would have to be a reality show. Mitt Romney clearly focused on that youth vote with an "I Love Lucy" reference. Well done, sir. It's a -- I don't know maybe Addams Family. The Monsters. Maybe more of a reality show, Hala, like the desperate -- "The Real Housewives of Texas, Utah, Bethlehem, and Newt Gingrich". How about that?

GORANI: All right. Well, after World War II, ok, in the early '40s, now we're in the '50s with "I Love Lucy." Possibly there will be a progression.

DOMINICK: Yes.

GORANI: And the next analogy will come to us from the '60s. We'll see, thanks to all three of you. Maria, Chris and Pete for joining us.

CARDONA: Thanks Hala.

DOMINICK: Thanks Hala.

METZLER: Take care. GORANI: This morning. How's this for a vacation itinerary? Retrace the doomed voyage of the "Titanic" on the 100th anniversary of the disaster. A pair of memorial cruises is almost sold out. Coming up we're talking to the cruise's managing director about who is signing up.

And next, Sinead O'Connor's latest marriage lasted barely two weeks. But believe it or not, that's not the headline here. "Showbiz Headlines" next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GORANI: All right. Denis Leary is at it again. His popularity is based on some not so politically correct humor. This time a parody of the classic, "A Charlie Brown Christmas" has a few Islamic activist groups claiming he's gone too far. And some people have been offended by the content this year.

Entertainment correspondent Nischelle Turner joins us now with on what Denis Leary -- on how he used "A Charlie Brown Christmas" to poke fun, I guess, at Muslims? Right.

NISCHELLE TURNER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: Yes. You know, he did. It's really not hard to see Hala, why Muslims are upset by this cartoon. Although it's taken a little while to get noticed. Leary actually tweeted out the links to the cartoon before Christmas. But it didn't go viral until multiple sites linked to it this week.

Now he twists the "Charlie Brown Christmas" story into a three- minute parody where Charlie Brown converts to Islam and preaches jihad against America. Now, you remember the classic scene in the "Charlie Brown Christmas" special where the gang saves a little Christmas tree. Well, in this film Charlie Brown brings a defective bomb to the stage and the gang turns it into a bigger bomb that sends Charlie Brown and Linus to hell.

Leary does like to provoke. He's taken shots at pretty much every taboo out there from Christianity to the disabled. There's also some digs at commercialism of Christmas in this video but you know, Hala, I'm really not even sure what his point is here.

GORANI: Right. I think it's not that it's offensive, although some people were offended. It's just tired. I mean how often are we going to see the bearded Muslim with the bomb thing, you know? It's just not funny.

TURNER: It's tired, weird and offensive.

GORANI: The 72-day Kim Kardashian marriage, nobody thought that anyone could beat it. But someone has. Tell us more.

TURNER: Yes. Sinead O'Connor says anything you can do, I can do better, right, Kim? She was married for just over two weeks. This is the fourth time that O'Connor tied the knot. She says, you know, the trouble started pretty quickly. She posted news on her blog explaining within three hours of the ceremony being over the marriage was kyboshed by the behavior of certain people in my husband's life and also by a bit of a wild ride I took us on looking for a bit of a smoke of weed for me wedding night as I don't drink.

Now considering the man O'Connor married, Barry Herridge, is reportedly a youth substance abuse counselor, I can see why his friends and family might not approve of this match, but then again considering the couple actually reportedly met when Herridge reached out to O'Connor after she publicly announced that she was desperate for sex, she blogged she wanted to meet a sweet, sex-starved man, and well, he responded.

I'm not sure he didn't know what he was getting into. For her part, Sinead O'Connor said the pair split amicably.

GORANI: All right. Well, that's good, you know, two weeks of fun.

TURNER: Yes, why not. Those first eight days, boy, those were some special days.

GORANI: The new list of films, Nischelle, to be preserved by the Library of Congress is out this morning. Tell us about the movies on the list this time around.

TURENER: Oh, there's some really good ones. But who would have thought Hannibal Lecter would end up in the Library of Congress. He is, though, right next to Bambi and Forrest Gump. The Library of Congress actually announced on Wednesday the name of 25 new films that will be added to the National Film Registry.

Some of the movies to be preserved included "Silence of the Lamb", "Bambi", "El Mariachi", "Forrest Gump", "The Kid", "Norma Rae" and "Porgy and Bess" just to name a few and some of my favorites are definitely on that list -- Hala..

GORANI: Nischelle turner, thanks very much. Want information on everything breaking in the entertainment world? Catch it on showbiz tonight 11 p.m. on HLN.

Retracing the path of the Titanic 100 years after it hit an iceberg and sank. This trip is not for research, it's for a vacation. Would you shell out $5,000 or more to book a trip on the memorial cruise? We're talking to the managing cruise director coming up.

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Gorani: Here's a vacation idea that may not be for everyone. Boarding a cruise ship and retracing the Titanic voyage 100 years after it hit an iceberg and sank. Now some say it's tempting fate, some say it's a story best left for the big screen, not mimicked in real life.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Iceberg, right ahead.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I have been robbed.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Is this it?

LEONARDO DICAPRIO, ACTOR: UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Don't you believe it, Rose.

KATE WINSLET, ACTRESS: Don't you understand. The water is freezing and there aren't enough boats. People on the ship are going to die.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GORANI: Guess what, the anniversary crews are almost sold out. The cheapest tickets still available, $5,000.

Miles Morgan is the managing director of Titanic Memorial Cruises. He's joining us live via Skype from Bristol, in England.

Miles Morgan, thanks for joining us. Are these voyages going to retrace exactly the Titanic voyage, the doomed Titanic voyage?

MILES MORGAN, MANAGING DIRECTOR, TITANIC MEMORIAL CRUISES: We've got two cruises. The first one that's sailing from the U.K. now is completely full, starts from Southampton and does follow the original voyage. The journey that we've got now going from New York is actually going to go to Halifax, Nova Scotia where the graves are for those that perished on that night. And then to the site for a memorial service and then back into New York. So they're slight different journeys.

GORANI: Are you surprised that the tickets sold out on one of the voyages and that the cheapest ticket left on the other one is $5,000? This has been popular.

MORGAN: Yes. It has been popular. I have been slightly surprised. I always had confidence and thought there would be a strong demand for the cruises. But to be honest, it's even exceeded my expectations. And demand is certainly there and we expect the New York one hopefully to be full in the next few weeks.

GORANI: And whose idea was it to do this in the first place?

MORGAN: I've actually got some travel agencies in the U.K. A gentleman came in and was talking about it five years ago and that didn't go anywhere. And I just thought the idea had merit. I spoke to the Titanic experts and I spoke to people who had descendants that perished on that frightful night. They all thought it was a great way to commemorate their loved ones. Because of that I put the voyages on 4.5 years ago now.

GORANI: Did you get any pushback though from survivors or descendants -- shouldn't say survivors -- but descendants of those who perished? MORGAN: No. We've had some negative publicity, but most of that has been from general customers if you like. The descendants actually most of them are saying they can't think of any better way to commemorate their loved ones than to actually go to the site a hundred years on.

GORANI: Well, let me -- what about on the ship itself, will you have, I don't know, sort of the same types of meals or will you try to replicate some of the decor? Will it be a historic voyage in that sense for people who are interested in the story itself or is it just a regular cruise ship?

MORGAN: No, we have a number of things we're adding to the crews. One of them will be lectures. We have the world's best lecturers remembers on both ships. They'll give lectures every day. We're actually going to have a Titanic option on every coarse of the menus on board as well. And the final thing on one special occasion we're going to recreate one of the Titanic meals so we'll have all of the things they served on one of those menus.

GORANI: Miles Morgan, the managing director of Titanic Memorial Cruises. Thanks for joining us from Bristol in England with more on this, well, unusual vacation, but it's been very popular. One of the cruises already sold out. Thank you very much.

MORGAN: Thanks very much.

GORANI: Presidential candidate Rick Santorum, he went hunting for quail on Monday and new quarry today. We'll tell you about his latest television ads.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GORANI: Presidential candidate Rick Santorum continues to struggle in the polls but he's got that "never say die" attitude going into Tuesday's Iowa caucuses. In fact, as CNN political editor Paul Steinhauser tells us, Santorum is releasing new ads today. Paul, tell us more.

PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN POLITICAL EDITOR: Good morning, Hala. He absolutely is. We're talking about the former senator from Pennsylvania. He's one of three candidates out here really making a pitch for social conservative voters. They're very, very influential on the Republican side here in the Iowa caucuses six days to go.

This radio ad from Santorum talks about that. He talks about some of these big endorsements he's gotten from social conservative voters out here and leaders out here. He also talks about the praise he's gotten from Sarah Palin, who's pretty influential on the conservative side as well as Rush Limbaugh.

So here you go, Rick Santorum making that pitch telling social conservative voters support me. We'll see if it makes a difference when the vote comes on January 3rd.

Let's talk about Ron Paul, the congressman from Texas. Of course he's making his third bid for the White House. Take a listen to this brand new ad out this morning on Iowa TV.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Washington machine. He's strangling our economy. Politicians who supported bailouts and mandates, serial hypocrites and flip-floppers can't clean up the mess. One man stands alone. A real plan --

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STEINHAUSER: Kind of a dig there, right, at Mitt Romney the former Massachusetts governor and at Newt Gingrich the former House Speaker. Listen all three of these guys, Paul, Gingrich, Romney, according to the latest polls they're at the top of the heap right now in this battle for the caucus. But anything can happen.

Let's talk about Rick Perry this morning. Already on the campaign trail. Our political reporter, Peter Hamby, was covering him. And Perry was talking this morning some tough language directed, firing at President Obama saying that when it comes to the troops, the President maybe cares more about politics than the soldiers. Remember, Perry was in the air force and he's trying to tout his military credentials and his tough hard line stance when it comes to foreign policy and national security issues. Also last night maybe Perry moving a little further to the right when it comes to abortion. Take a listen to what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RICK PERRY (R-TX), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: That transformation was after watching the DVD "Gift of Life". A lady who's in the DVD was looking me in the eye saying you need to really think this through. She said, "I am the product of a rape." She said, "My life is worth it." It was a powerful moment for me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STEINHAUSER: Again, Perry now saying he opposes abortion, in all cases, even in incidents of rape or incest. Hala abortion , not a huge topic nationwide but here in Iowa again with these social conservative voters who predominate, it is an important issue.

Hala -- back to you.

GORANI: Know your audience. Paul Steinhauser, thanks very much. We'll talk to you a little bit later today.

And this reminder of course to tune in to next Tuesday for the country's first real votes. This is a true test for the GOP candidates. I should say the first true test. America's choice 2012 live coverage of the Iowa caucuses Tuesday night, January 3rd at 7:00 eastern.

More than 40 years after man first set foot on the moon there are still questions. Soon we may get some answers. NASA has launched two probes that will start orbiting the moon this weekend. Ahead in CNN NEWSROOM we'll show you what scientists hope to learn from this newest lunar mission. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(AUDIO GAP)

GORANI: Two probes were launched back in September and they will begin orbiting the moon this Saturday. Scientists are hoping to get a better understanding of how our solar system was formed.

Then at noon today GOP presidential candidate Gary Johnson not having much luck as a Republican so he's switching to the libertarian party.

And tonight at 10:00 the official mourning period for North Korea's Kim Jong-il begins. That's going to do it for me here in Washington D.C. Thank you all for watching. Natalie Allen is next with more CNN NEWSROOM at the CNN Center. Hi Natalie.

NATALIE ALLEN, CNN ANCHOR: Hi there Hala, thanks so much.