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Was The War Worth It?; America's Drinking Problem; Political Panel Discusses Obama's Plans To Change NSA's Surveillance Programs; The Politics Of Voting For Baseball Hall Of Famers
Aired January 12, 2014 - 17:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: You are still in the CNN NEWSROOM and I'm Kyra Phillips.
Well, there's been test after test but still no safe water for 300,000 frustrated West Virginia residents.
Happening right now the West Virginia governor is holding a news conference to give new details about the investigation and update all the people about when they're going to be able to have their water again.
Officials meet this morning to discuss the results of those water tests. After the 7500 gallons of a chemical used to clean coal leaked and was discovered in the water supply. Well, now residents are being warned out to watch for symptoms like nausea, skin irritation, wheezing.
CNN's Alina Machado actually talked to residents of one of the areas that's been impacted right there in Charleston, West Virginia.
ALINA MACHADO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, the governor's office tells us chemical levels in the water are going down. That's obviously very good news. But they are also saying that it will likely take several days before they can actually lift this water ban.
Residents here are very anxious, they're eager for things to go back to normal and we got a sense of that normalcy this afternoon when we went inside a Chili's restaurant in downtown Charleston. We want to show you some of that video of the restaurant opened its doors for the first time since Thursday today and it was very, very busy.
We did talk to a woman who lives here in Charleston about her concerns once this water ban is lifted. Take a listen at what she had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHELE ROSE, RESIDENT: I think that it's going to take some time, but I would probably wait, test myself. I could still smell it before I would trust that I could use it.
MACHADO: So even if they were to lift the ban in a few days, you would wait.
ROSE: I would probably wait about -- I don't know, maybe a few days, maybe to a week to actually consume it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MACHADO: So as you just heard it will likely take several days for many of these residents to feel comfortable enough to drink this water once the ban is lifted -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Alina, thanks so much.
Well, some Republicans are defending New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and how he's handling the bridge scandal. More links are emerging between key Christie aides and an alleged plot to snarl that traffic on the George Washington Bridge.
Here's former New York City mayor, Rudy Giuliani.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RUDY GIULIANI, FORMER NEW YORK MAYOR: Things happen in an administration, things happen when you're running for re-election. After the fact it seems like how didn't they know? But the reality is, you miss a lot of things when you're running a government that's as complicated as New Jersey, New York or the United States.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: So the New Jersey Democratic legislator leading the investigators says he believes that laws were broken in that bridge scandal. Documents that have been released have not shown any link between Christie and the alleged plot.
New Jersey's assembly will hold a special session on Thursday to vote on an extension of subpoena power. Fired aide Bridget Anne Kelly could get a subpoena this week as well.
85-mile-per-hour winds, thousands of people without power and above normal temperatures just days after the deep freeze that hit two thirds of the country. It's a week and the pretty wild weather. And CNN meteorologist Jennifer Gray shows us all the must-see video.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, no. Look at that.
JENNIFER GRAY, CNN METEOROLOGIST: High winds blow down this condo under construction in North Carolina, leaving behind a pile of rubble during a day of wild weather across the U.S.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I saw my neighbor's patio furniture flying across the parking lot. So then I went down into the garage and waited.
GRAY: In the Raleigh-Durham area, wind gusts reached 85 miles per hour, knocking down trees and power lines. Along with that wind, heavy rain, tornado watches and flood warnings across the region. In Georgia, firefighters successfully rescued a teenager from a mobile home after she was trapped by a fallen tree. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They actually used an airbag placed underneath the tree to pick it up with air so we could get her out.
GRAY: High winds were a big problem in the West, too. Here is a report from Montana.
MIKE ROLLINS, KRTV METEOROLOGIST: You can see how strong they are, they're blowing around the light posts here in Browning, and of course, causing damage across the area. It is so windy, it is hard to stand up.
GRAY: Check out some of the damage KRTV meteorologist Mike Rollins was talking about. Trucks blown all over Interstate 15. Meanwhile, some welcome relief for parts of the Midwest with temperatures higher than normal. In St. Louis, all they needed was sweat shirts for a visit to the zoo.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Last week I had to wear bib overalls, and hats, gloves, face shield, scarf, all sorts of stuff to keep bundles so quite the difference.
GRAY: Meteorologist Jennifer Gray, CNN, Atlanta.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: Pope Francis sets himself apart from his predecessors once again today. Baptizing a child of a couple married in a civil service not recognized by the Catholic Church. The baby was among 32 children who received the holy sacrament through the Baptism of the Lord Mass at the Vatican. That ceremony commemorates Christ's baptism by John the Baptist.
The Pope then named his first batch of cardinals. There are 19 total, 16 under age 80 and therefore eligible to help elect the next pope.
For now for a look at the top earners at the box office this weekend. A big win for "Lone Survivor". The true life story of a Navy SEAL mission gone bad. It's expected to take in nearly $39 million. Disney's musical animation "Frozen" comes in number two with $15 million. The "Wolf of Wall Street" is next earning an expected $9 million. Tied for fourth, "American Hustle" and the "Legend of Hercules" each bringing in 8.6 million bucks.
Well, moments ago you heard former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani defend Chris Christie saying that the New Jersey governor probably didn't know his staffers had closed parts of the George Washington Bridge for political reasons. Well, that's next.
Also ahead, the fight for Fallujah has been described as the Marine Corps' most iconic battle since Vietnam. So how do our men feel about the black insurgent flag that waves their now? Appalled. Two Iraq war vets who helped take down that city in 2004 join me live next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Three hours and counting before tonight's long-awaited Golden Globe Awards ceremony and news is already spilling from the red carpet. Literally. A water pipe burst at the Beverly Hilton, spewing water all over the famed walkway.
I hope Nischelle Turner is at a platform. She's there live.
Well, you're close to the red carpet.
NISCHELLE TURNER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: Yes, my mama didn't raise no fool, Kyra. I am on a platform. Not on this soggy red carpet.
(LAUGHTER)
Down here is where the water main break happened. Actually if you can look just a little bit down this way and around the corner, that's where the bulk of the water was. But you see folks are walking in and out now. So it looks like crisis averted. The red carpet will be opening in just a couple of minutes and the celebrities will all be billowing in here for the 71st -- for 71st Annual Golden Globe Awards.
But I will say there may be some soggy trains, hopefully the ladies have platforms on their heels so they won't be stepping and squishing.
Don't you hate that sound when it squishes?
PHILLIPS: Yes.
(CROSSTALK)
TURNER: Because that may happen a little bit on the red carpet tonight. But --
PHILLIPS: And then when the heels gets stuck -- you know, right there in the middle.
TURNER: Exactly. Exactly. But let me tell you. A little water is not stopping this show and that's for real. There's a lot of things to look forward to for tonight's Golden Globe Award.
First of all the hosts, Tina Fey and Amy Poehler are hosting for the second year in a row. They killed it last year so the Hollywood Foreign Press said we want you back and we want you back often. So they're back for two more years. This year and next already.
I talked to Amy Poehler just a couple of weeks ago and I asked her, are you excited, are you ready, she said very excited, not ready at all. We're just kind of going to wing it and see what happens. I doubt that they're winging it but I'm sure it's going to be very funny.
Also, Kyra, I would say, watch out for a couple of really fun categories. First of all we're seeing a couple of movies emerge that may be precursors for what we'll see at the Oscars this year. The nominations are in four days for the Oscars so "American Hustle" and "12 Years a Slave" both have seven nominations. They both lead the pack. "American Hustle" is cleaning up in the acting nominations. All of their principal actors were nominated for awards tonight. I'm talking about Jennifer Lawrence, Bradley Cooper, Christian Bale and Amy Adams. This is a really good movie. It's becoming a darling for the critics and also for the viewing audience. The viewing audience is loving this movie as well.
"12 Years a Slave" is way on the other side of the spectrum. Very intense, very dramatic, hard to watch but a very important film and people love it, especially they're loving Chiwetel Ejiofor who is nominated for Best Actor. And in many circles people feel like he is the man to beat tonight.
But watch out for a first-time Golden Globe nominee. And when I tell you who this is, you're going to say, are you kidding me? I'm talking about Robert Redford. Never nominated for an acting award, for a Golden Globe before until tonight. He is nominated for "All is Lost" and he has three lines in this movie.
I watched the movie and I came out saying, is this brilliant or is it crazy? And I think that is really the brilliance of this film because you asked so many questions and he literally is the only one in the movie along with a bunch of water. He'll be at home here tonight with the water main break. And he's got three lines in the movie. So watch out, those are a couple of things to look forward to tonight.
PHILLIPS: Well, we all look forward to it. For sure.
Nischelle, we're going to be checking in with you all night. We will see you in a few.
TURNER: I'm going to have my dress up like this. I'm going to be --
(LAUGHTER)
PHILLIPS: I know you've got your tennis shoes on. I know how you roll. You don't put the heels on until you absolutely have to.
TURNER: No, honey. I got fancy for you. I put the heels on for you.
(LAUGHTER)
I got fancy for Miss Kyra Phillips.
PHILLIPS: A fancy Nischelle Turner, working that red, soggy wet carpet.
We'll be back in just a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: So President Obama is going to deliver a big speech on Friday outlining his plans to balance anti-terror surveillance with Americans' privacy rights. He's going to unveil his suggested reforms to the National Security Agency's surveillance program. A commission that he appointed to review the programs delivered to its findings to him in December.
Well, the secrets revealed by former contractor Edward Snowden put new pressure on the president to take action.
And Vice President Joe Biden will be in Israel tomorrow morning leading a delegation of Americans paying respects to that country's former prime minister.
This is just outside the plaza -- of Israel's parliament, rather. People lined up all day to pass close to the coffins of Ariel Sharon. Ariel Sharon who died this weekend at the age of 85. He's been in a coma since 2006. Sharon never recovered from that stroke that he suffered during his second term as prime minister. Ariel Sharon will be buried on his family's property after tomorrow' state funeral service.
And parts of Iraq this weekend are as violent and unstable as they were during the darkest days of the war. Just today at least 22 people were killed, more than 80 wounded in several car bombings and shootings. In Baghdad, Mosul, Ramadi and Fallujah. Militants believed to be linked to al Qaeda attacked crowded residential areas, a bus station and army base.
The spike in fighting that suddenly sprang up in early December.
And CNN's Michael Holmes is in Baghdad with more -- Michael.
MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, Anbar Province has been the focus of the tension of course, especially Ramadi and Fallujah. But other places in Iraq were very much in the news today.
Right here in Baghdad two car bombings this morning. One at a bus station that was targeting army recruits, headed home after signing up. And there was another bomb a few hours later in a Shia neighborhood. The combined death toll seven, two dozen wounded.
Other bombings also in Mosul and another town north of Baghdad as well, causing death and injuries. And two journalists were attacked. That's becoming more common. This was happening in Mosul. One of them was killed, the other horribly maimed, lost his legs in a bombing.
Now in the place where this latest bloodshed all began back to Anbar Province, we're told it's been relatively quiet in Ramadi and Fallujah. Some sporadic incidents but there is an area between those two cities, two small towns sort of clustered together where we're told that militants from that al Qaeda-linked group have been pretty much surrounded by the Iraqi military.
And there was some fierce clashes today. No clue on what the military is planning to do there. Pretty much hasn't surrounded.
Now when it comes to Fallujah, the focus of much of the attention, the Iraqi military is staying out for now. We are told that some of those al Qaeda-linked militants are indeed in the city. The tribal leaders say they are in charge and have warned the army to keep out or risk a battle that will spread well beyond Fallujah.
It's a very complex scenario, not all tribes agree with each other. Some favor working with the government, to clear Anbar of the extremists. Others kind of see them as allies of convenience against the Shia-dominated government of Nouri al-Maliki. He has always painted this as a fight against al Qaeda. The Sunni tribes say much of this rebellion, though, is the result of a simmering long fermenting anger at the government for failing to follow through on promises of inclusion and power sharing and empowerment for Sunnis.
Now everybody is hoping of course a compromise can be reached to defuse all of this. But a lot of Iraqis are fearing that the deeper the sectarian divide gets, the greater the anger, the bitterness and the mistrust between Shia and Sunni, the less likely a meaningful compromise becomes.
Back to you, Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Michael Holmes in Baghdad for us. Michael, thanks.
Up next, Ryan Sparks on the far right in the picture you're about to see was a platoon commander in Fallujah. Adam Banotai was a Marine Corps squad leader. They took down the terrorists who rules Fallujah and took control of that city. So how do they feel about the insurgent flag that has risen again?
These Iraq war heroes join me live next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Well, I'll tell you what. It's a pretty startling statistic. The U.N. now reports that more than 8,000 people were killed in Iraq just last year. But it's the violence in and around the city of Fallujah and reports that black al Qaeda flags are flying there once again that has Americans especially veterans who fought there on edge.
Nearly a decade after U.S. troops fought one of the deadliest battles in history, violence is growing in Iraq again.
So is it Washington's fault? Or is it simply something that's just part of the region's history?
Joining me now, former U.S. Marine Captain Ryan Sparks and former Marine sergeant Adam Banotai.
Both of you were in Fallujah fighting that battle.
Adam, I want to start with you. You were just 21 years old during that 2004 invasion. My guess is that battle took you to a whole new level as a man and a Marine. Take me back to the most memorable moment for you.
ADAM BANOTAI, FORMER U.S. MARINE CORPS SERGEANT: Sure. Thank you very much for having me. And it did take things to a whole new level for me. I have two distinct memories. The first, when my (INAUDIBLE) ramp dropped into the streets of Fallujah for the first time and I stepped foot out there and knew that I was in the belly of the beast and that from that moment forward, my life would be forever changed.
And the second distinct moment was after we took the government center and moved south into what would be famously known as the candy shop. We were under immense fire. Putting heavy casualties on the enemies but a friend of mine, one of my Marines, Matthew Brown, ended up getting shot in the femur artery and was bleeding out.
And as we were (INAUDIBLE) him out, he looked up at me at 19 years old, and he apologized to me. He said, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I can't continue to fight with you and tell my family I loved them. And that just showed to me what kind of character, what kind of courage the brave men that I was fighting beside had.
PHILLIPS: God, 19 years old. You were 21. And I remember when all you guys were going over there, and it was the -- just young men, it was, you know, hardly any life experience yet and Ryan, you were a bit more seasoned.
Take me back to that time and what was your moment that you will never forget.
RYAN SPARKS, FORMER U.S. MARINE CORPS CAPTAIN: Sure, Kyra. My moment was towards the end of the battle in December. And it was after one of my Marines was killed. looking through my scope into the building, and an insurgent shot the scope off my rifle. And so that memory is pretty much seared into my memory, but beyond that, for the six weeks that I was there, it was just watching guys like Adam every day, doing the stories he just described. They were amazing to watch.
PHILLIPS: So now when you guys see that black insurgent flag waving within the city, what are your thoughts? Adam?
BANOTAI: It was gut-wrenching, like a sucker punch to the stomach. And I want to be clear that even back then during the battle, we thought to ourselves, and we talked out loud, we knew Fallujah, downtown Fallujah was never going to be main street America, a tourist attraction or a picture of democracy. But we definitely never thought it would fall to al Qaeda backed jihadists. And certainly not so quickly and certainly not so easy after we fought house by house, inch by inch and spilled so much blood to take the city.
PHILLIPS: And, you know, you mentioned the picture and downtown. I will never forget the day that picture that I want to show now that was on the front page of the "New York Times," that's when Fallujah became real for all of us back home. Two of our men torched and hanging from that Fallujah bridge.
That horrific scene, I mean, Ryan, as you think about that, and that moment, and everything you went through, and all those lives lost and now you see that that insurgents have taken over again, how does that hit you in the gut?
SPARKS: Well, it does hurt, Kyra, but more importantly Marines live a simpler life than that. While we saw that, that was in April prior to us going over, and so that was the fuel that we had prior to our deployment. That the Marines that I was serving with, they were the patriots that joined immediately after 9/11.
However, they served for each other and they fight for each other and getting through the battle and supporting each other is victory for them. And I think success for us as a Marine Corps was getting the Anbar East to the awakening to 2007. And from that point this is just the beginning of their internal struggle. So while it's gut-wrenching I think that they're still going to eventually write their course and we set a foundation for them that they continue to grow on.
PHILLIPS: You know I --
SPARKS: But make no mistake it still hurts to see.
PHILLIPS: Sure, I mean, I -- you know, I know you don't like to get political, you know, the military likes to stay away from that, but you guys are vets and I'm just curious. I mean, you can be -- I'm hoping you'll be as transparent as other vets have been about harboring anger or resentment toward Obama for pulling troops out of Iraq or even Bush for taking you into a war that so many Americans now say should have never happened? Adam?
BANOTAI: I do strongly disagree with the president's decision to withdraw troops from Iraq. I disagreed because of what I think the motivations were. I don't think it was because of mission accomplishment or because of military victory on the ground in Iraq.
I think it was motivated by political pressure, by a campaign promise, and the fact that President Obama was more concerned with going down as the man who ended the war in Iraq and brought the troops home. And ended what was becoming an unpopular war than he was actually accomplishing the mission.
PHILLIPS: How about you, Ryan?
SPARKS: Personally I agree with Adam, however, I'm kind of a student of government and then that we -- President Bush was elected -- re- elected five days before the battle of Fallujah started and Obama was elected based on the promise of getting us out, and so finally the responsibility rests with we the people. And so it's -- while it's hard for me to deal with that, that's the number one premise of the way our America is set up.
And so still it hurts to see that maybe the mission wasn't accomplished the way that I personally would have done it but still in the end that's part of serving in the military and what you have to accept.
PHILLIPS: There is one successful thing that I got to witness when I was in the country and I was interviewing the tribesmen that actually turned against the jihadists which was huge. And they fought side by side with American troops. I mean, that was a real turning point in this war. So I want to ask you both -- Adam, I'll start with you, what happened to that? BANOTAI: I don't know what happened? But I distinctly remember it happening. I remember a friend of mine, an Iraqi Security Forces warrant officer. We encountered some insurgent fighters in a house and the decision was made my squad was going to go in and clear them out and he said no, this is my country, this is my fight, this is my responsibility, I'm going to go in and do it.
And he did. And a week later he did it again when we encountered more insurgents and two of his Iraqi Security Force men were wounded. He went in, was mortally wounded but pulled them both out. And as I held his hand while he was dying, I thought this guy, Jasam (ph), he's dying for his country just the way the Marines are dying for ours and it was sad but powerful feeling.
PHILLIPS: Wow. Ryan?
SPARKS: Kyra, I don't know. I think much the same way that Adam just described that finally they realized that this was something that they're going to have to do themselves. And I think that that's what we're seeing right now also.
The al Qaeda that's fighting in Fallujah right now, I don't think this is the same al Qaeda we were fighting ten years ago. This is more of a local, nationalist party that is fueled by the Sunnis and not the foreign fighter -- fueled al Qaeda that we fought in 2004. And so I think we are seeing almost a continuation of what happened in 2007.
PHILLIPS: I have to ask you too, what do you say to the moms and the dads who say gosh, I thought my son was dying for a reason? They are flipping on the television, and they are seeing what is happening in Fallujah. It's like going back in time to the way it was more than a decade ago. What do you say to those parents? I mean, Adam and Ryan, you both lost brothers. Adam? BONNATAI: I would say to them, their sons did die for something. They died for the Marine to the left and they died for the Marine to the right. And nothing can change that, nothing can take that away. And their sons are going to go down in history as heroes.
PHILLIPS: Ryan:
SPARKS: I couldn't say it better than Adam just did.
PHILLIPS: Former U.S. Marine captain Ryan Sparks; former Marine sergeant Adam Bonnatai. I respect both of you so much, and it has been great to talk to you all these years later. Thank you so much for being with me.
BONNATAI: Thanks, Kyra.
SPARKS: Thanks very much, Kyra.
PHILLIPS: You bet. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Former teen heartthrob David Cassidy is out on bail after he was arrested again on a drunk driving charge. The 63-year-old Cassidy, who started in the TV series "The Partridge Family," was pulled over for making an illegal turn in Los Angeles on Friday night. Authorities say he blew a .19 on the Breathalyzer test, more than twice the legal limit. He is shown here following a DUI arrest in New York State just five months ago.
So, do we drink too much? A new government report actually suggests that this country may have a serious drinking problem. And it recommends that doctors and health workers get more aggressive with you and me to get us back on a better track.
Earlier I had a chance to speak with one of our favorite docs to get her thoughts on this new study.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: Dr. Jennifer Caudle joining me from Philadelphia. So, drinking is so engrained in the American experience as we know, right? We drink to celebrate, tailgate, it's engrained in many of our holidays. It seems simple, but how does someone know, Doc, that they are overdoing it?
DR. JENNIFER CAUDLE, ROWAN UNIVERSITY: It might be surprising to find out, but 38 million adults over do it and overdo it quite often. Overdoing it, according to the CDC, is when men have more than 15 or more drinks per week, and women have more than eight or more drinks per week. And that's really what we define as overdoing it.
I wouldn't contrast this with what we consider moderate alcohol intake, which is okay to drink moderately. Moderate alcohol intake for women it is no more than one drink per day and for men no more than two drinks per day. So I think it is really important to be aware of exactly what the numbers mean and how much exactly is too much.
PHILLIPS: The study says that only one in six people actually talk to their doctor about drinking. Think about when you have to fill out on the paperwork - we were talking about this in the newsroom -- how many drinks do you have a day. People go one or two, but it is actually a lot more than that. So, what does the CDC think that doctors can do about the fact that they don't want to talk about it and also that they're not always honest?
CAUDLE: Right. I think this is actually a two-way street. You are right. Only one in six people talk with their doctor about their alcohol use. Something I have to say, actually: you talk about filling out the paper in the waiting room. And in medical school, one of the things we're taught is whatever a patient tells you in terms of how much they drink, you need to multiply that because chances are it's higher.
The issue goes both ways. Patients, you need to talk to your doctors about your drinking. But as physicians, we need to start asking the questions. And one of the reasons why is that the CDC has found that when doctors and health care professionals screen and counsel patients on alcohol use, it can actually decrease the alcohol use by 25 percent on a single occasion. So that really is quite dramatic and really can help.
And don't forget, alcohol overuse is going to be harmful. We are talking about fetal alcohol problems in terms of children, motor vehicle accidents, drinking too much can lead to heart disease. So, there are many reasons why this should be discussed between patients and physicians.
PHILLIPS: As you mentioned, 38 million Americans drink too much. That costs the American economy about a quarter of a trillion dollars when you crunch the numbers. So how well do these treatment programs work with heavy drinkers?
CAUDLE: They can work quite well. They really do. They can work quite well. There are a lot of variables that go into how well a treatment program is going to work for a patient when we're talking about things like alcohol abuse. A lot of it has to do with a patient. Are they ready to change their ways to quit drinking, to cut back? What type of support and resources are there? Of course, the types of programs that are there.
But really the most important thing is to talk with your doctor or health care provider about what your habits are. Physicians, I encourage all of us to start asking our patients and having an honest conversation. There are real risks to drinking too much. There are real problems. But this can be effected positively if we have open and honest conversations about it.
So there are many treatment programs out there, and I really want to encourage anyone out there who thinks they might need help to get help.
PHILLIPS: Dr. Jennifer Caudle, thank you for the insight.
CAUDLE: Thanks so much.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: And if you are someone who care about appears to have a problem with alcohol, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services actually has a toll free number. It's 1-800-662-HELP. It is a confidential call. And you can speak to someone who can help you out.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: So President Obama is going to deliver a big speech on Friday outlining his plans to balance anti-terrorist surveillance with Americans' privacy rights. He's going to unveil suggested reform to the National Security Agency's surveillance program, a commission that he appointed to review the programs to deliver its findings to him back in December. While the secrets revealed by former contractor Edward Snowden put new pressure on the president to take action.
Just one subject I want to bring in on our political panel. Political commentator LZ Granderson joining us out of Grand Rapids, Michigan. Amy Holmes, conservative journalist and anchor of "The List" on Blaze.com, joining us out of New York. So guys, let's start with what you want the president to say about the NSA. LZ, why don't we start with you?
LZ GRADERSON, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Sure. First of all, I'm in Chicago. I have to give Chicago it's proper due.
PHILLIPS: Oh, and I guess I should know as I turn and see the proper background. Hello! LZ live from Chicago! OK.
GRANDERSON: Not a problem.
PHILLIPS: You know, there are a lot of things I would like to hear from the president, and I know I would probably not hear those things. But I think three things that would really help his case and really speaks to his base. When I see his base - I mean, the liberals who have been quite upset with him for some time not just because of NSA but forcefully closing Guantanamo Bay and things of that nature.
Number one, he needs to remind the American people of the history behind the NSA and Homeland Security and why we were in such a panic and why we had a nation of fear that was surveilling and spying basically on other Americans. He needs to talk about that entire context. And that remember, this isn't a brand-new program. This is something that for many Americans they embraced because we were in a time of fear after the 9/11 attacks. That's number one, give that history.
Number two, I would like to hear him talk about Eric (sic) Snowden. If he's not going to offer some sort of fig leaf to him, then he needs to explain to the American people why. Because if he's making changes based upon something that Eric (sic) Snowden did, then he needs to also address why he's not looking ant Snowden in a different light.
And then number three, I would like him to talk about why he changed his stance. I mentioned earlier that he's angered a lot of people in his base. That's because campaigned on transparency. He campaigned and criticized the Bush administration for things like spying on Americans, saying that it wasn't part of our civil liberties. And so he needs to explain why in office he didn't follow through on the promises that he made when he was running for office. Those are the three things that I would like to hear from him that I doubt if I do.
PHILLIPS: Amy? What do you want to hear from the president with regard to the NSA?
AMY HOLMES, HOST, THEBLAZE.COM: Well, the president is in a tough spot because he has also been on the record defending this NSA program and saying that it is absolutely essential to our national security. So anything he says on December 17 could contract his very claims.
But what I would like to hear him say he is performing the metadata program where the NSA is collecting bulk information about Americans' telephone calls. We are perfectly innocent Americans calling one another. It does not seem to me that it is a constitutional - even a district court judge in Washington D.C. said it's almost certainly unconstitutional to be collecting this metadata.
Secondly, I would like to hear the president talk about appointing a civil liberties lawyer to the FISA court to review those decisions so that you have a representative of the people, representative of our privacy and civil liberties in (INAUDIBLE).
And thirdly, I'd like to see these FISA court decisions, at least the reasoning behind them, be made public so that we can examine what is being decided in secret and why and how and whether or not it comports with our understanding of our Constitution. Right now, all these FISA court decisions are completely in the dark and behind closed doors.
PHILLIPS: I tell you what I want to hear. I want to hear the president say I'll like to sit down with LZ and Amy and talk about what I should say about the NSA!
(LAUGHTER)
PHILLIPS: I mean, really outstanding points -
GRANDERSON: He has my number because of the NSA.
PHILLIPS: That is true. He is actually listening in to everything right now, FYI. And seeing what we text.
LZ, guys, we go to talk about Chris Christie and this bridge scandal, OK? What do you think? Is this going to haunt him in 2016? LZ?
GRANDERSON: Absolutely. And I think any conversation to try to suggest that whoever ends up running against him in the primaries or in the general election is not going to use footage from that press conference to nail him for either lying to the American people or being ignorant.
Now there are more reports coming out over the 2,000 pages that are being scanned by news agencies right now that there have been plenty of conversations having with more top officials in his administration about concerns about these bridges being closed and actually talking about the legality of it, hoping that people didn't die because of these closures.
So now we are looking at a situation where we know that the administration was aware that there was dissention within its ranks. And that two - I mean, there was one resident who emailed the director, saying my husband just got a new job after years of not having employment and was 40 minutes late because of these lane closures.
So there's no way this is going away for a two-hour press conference.
PHILLIPS: All right, Amy, bring us home.
HOLMES: Well, I'm calling this controversy the political equivalent of lap band surgery. Bringing his governor down to size.
(LAUGHTER)
HOLMES: And I think that's been the real effect for Governor Christie. Let's remember that he won re-election - LZ, you like that? PHILLIPS: I think we all liked that.
GRANDERSON: I did!
HOLMES: He won re-election in a huge landslide; he was far out in front of his GOP competitors when it comes to the 2016 race. Now I think that we are seeing, you know -- I'm sure Scott Walker, Paul Ryan, and Marco Rubio are secretly smiling that Chris Christie is not such a large competitor.
PHILLIPS: LZ, Amy, always good to talk to you guys.
GRANDERSON: You did it twice.
(LAUGHTER)
PHILLIPS: Stay tuned. The Amy LZ Show coming up again. Same time, same place next weekend. Guys, thank you so much.
HOLMES: Thank you, Kyra.
PHILLIPS: One of my other favorites, I've nicknamed him Mr. T. Terrence is in the house to talk sports. Hall of Fame in particular. What do you think? Should baseball players who take steroids or been linked to steroids be the Hall of Fame? Wait til you hear what Terrence said. And someone else who completely disagrees with him! We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Well, the show will go on tonight at the Golden Globes despite a mini disaster at the star-studded awards show. Check this out. Water actually spewed all over the red carpet just before the big arrivals started. The Beverly Hilton says, sorry, it was a sprinkler malfunction, but we've got everything under control.
Nischelle Turner is there with her snorkel gear, her fins. She's been waving her way through. She still looks dashing.
NISCHELLE TURNER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: My flippers and webbed feet, yes, exactly. They did try to make a little bit of a joke out of it, Kyra. We thought the red carpet needed a good washing one last time. This could have been a big disaster. Thankfully, they did get it all cleared up.
The red carpet is open and the 71st annual Golden Globes will go on as planned. A couple of little notes for you. I'm hearing Ms. Tina Fey is going to be decked in Carolina Herrera tonight. Now, if you know Carolina Herrera's dresses, you know she definitely knows how to fit a woman's body. I'm sure she's going to look dashing.
I've also being told we may have some really special visitors here at the CNN platform tonight. Think of one Kevin Spacey, maybe. We'll be hearing from him, hopefully.
And you know, I will be very busy because I'll be talking to all the stars walking this red carpet here tonight, Kyra. I'm going to be asking every lady here, do you have a train? How did you get down the red carpet? Did you make it unscathed? And pretty dry. Relatively dry.
PHILLIPS: It's going to be a fun night. You're going to lose your voice I'm predicting within two-and-a-half hours. We're still going to make you stay up and give us all goods. You look beautiful, Nischelle.
TURNER: I can't wait. This is my Super Bowl, baby. I'm ready!
(LAUGHTER)
PHILLIPS: I know!
Well, I'm going to stay on that sports theme if you don't mind. I'm going to talk baseball now, OK, and its hall of fame. Is it all about the stats and the character when it comes to hall of fame? That's what we think, right? Oh, no, no, no. Behind the scenes it has been described as vicious, political.
Now, my friend Terrance here is a hall of fame voter. He's actually going to defend the process. Tell us that, you know, it keeps steroid abusers out, you know, of the hall of fame while other baseball journos like Bob Nightengale - good friend, by the way, say, oh, no, I vote for steroid players. We're going to debate, champion versus cheater, and who really deserves what.
TERRENCE MOORE, BASEBALL HALL OF FAME VOTER: Are we going to do all that?
PHILLIPS: Oh, yes, we are.
MOORE: I'm out of here.
(LAUGHTER)
PHILLIPS: I'm putting you on the spot, my friend. See, Terrance doesn't hold back. And neither does his buddy Nightengale. So here we go.
All right, so we got pitchers like Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, slugger Frank Thomas. No link to roids. They're all hall of famers. Then you go the big names like Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, they are still not in. So, Terrance Moore, who by the way is also sports contributor to CNN.com, columnist for mlb.com, we have to get it all in there. So it seems like the hall of fame process is keeping the questionable players out of the hall.
MOORE: Well, they're never going to get in the hall of fame. The way I look at it -- let's start with this. Being a baseball hall of fame voter is very similar to being a Supreme Court justice. Now see, you look at me kind of funny there. But just ask the U.S. Constitution, a simple document -- the same with the rules, the voting rules for the baseball hall of fame. So --
PHILLIPS: So, a little loose, a little strict? Is that where you're going?
MOORE: That's right. The loose constructions like my friend Bob Nightengale, believes you should only go with the numbers. The strict constructions look at rule number five, which says you also must consider integrity and character. And juicing does not qualify when it comes to integrity and character. At the moment, there are more strict constructionists than loose constructionists.
PHILLIPS: I got to say I'm with you. Because if Bob's going to say, hey, the numbers are the numbers. But no, they're not. Because if they're juicing, how do we know -- I mean, they didn't get those numbers on real talents.
MOORE: That's exactly right. That brings us -- my head's going to explode if I hear this one more time. People say, well, remember, now, Mickey Mantle was a drunk. Then they'll point out that Ty Cobb allegedly killed a person and Babe Ruth, God knows what he did in the 1920s.
You know what? I wasn't voting back then. I'm only voting right now. As long as they have rule number five that says integrity and character, that's all I can go by. That's all we all should go by.
PHILLIPS; Those guys never got in with all pro votes. Weren't there people that were voting against them?
MOORE: Well, there were. But they still got in, obviously.
PHILLIPS: Right.
MOORE: But remember, that was a different time. Sports writing editors were sort of buddy-buddy with these guys, so they kind of looked the other way when it came to these types of things. We don't look the other way nowadays. At least some of us don't.
PHILLIPS: All right. So then what do you say to your buddy, Bob Nightengale, who says, quote, "We have absolutely no idea who is clean and who is dirty, and anyone who tells you they know for sure are lying to your face."
MOORE: Well, that's why I go back to the Supreme Court justice kind of thing. There's nothing that's absolute. You've got to use somewhat of a feel type thing here.
Let me add this. We are being assaulted -- we being baseball writers -- where people want to change the system. To what? Okay. We talked about this yesterday. This is still the best voting system out of all the major sports. Do you go to the fans? Do you go to the coaches? Do you go to the managers? Do you go to the players themselves? We already have that when it comes to all-star voting and also when it comes to gold glove voting. And guess what? That's more political and more controversial than anything the hall of fame voters have done over the last few years or forever.
PHILLIPS: All right. We're going to move on to another subject. Since I have you here, all right, I got two words for you. Russell Wilson. He's the quarterback that everyone overlooked in the 2012 draft. Correct?
MOORE: That's exactly right.
PHILLIPS: Okay. Well, our Rachel Nichols actually met with him. He's got a pretty amazing story to tell.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RACHEL NICHOLS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): He has a Colgate smile, stars in national commercials alongside his beautiful wife. And oh, yes, he's the starting quarterback for the top seeded Seattle Seahawks, a favorite to reach next month's Super Bowl. But Russell Wilson is aware, according to the experts, he wasn't supposed to be sitting here.
(on camera): If I had asked outsiders in Vegas what the odds were that you would be in this position right now, what do you think they would have given me, one in 10,000 more? I mean --
WILSON: Yes, probably something like that. Being a 5'11" quarterback, not too many people think you can play in the National Football League.
NICHOLS (voice-over): Wilson comes from a family of high achievers. His grandfather was a university president. His grandmother earned a doctorate on her way to becoming a college dean. And then there was his father, Harrison, an Ivy League graduate, president of his law school class, And a two-sport star who attended training camp with the San Diego Chargers.
Harrison raised Russell in his image.
(on camera): Your dad, I hear also, prepped you for moments like these.
WILSON: He's also always asked, Russell Wilson, you just got -- won the Super Bowl, you're playing in the Super Bowl, what's next, what are you thinking? Those type of questions all the time.
NICHOLS (voice-over): Wilson enrolled in North Carolina State after the school promised to allow him to play both football and baseball.
WILSON: I've just always been motivated to do something different, something unique. You know? And so, I want to be uncommon in that fashion.
NICHOLS (voice-over): There was only one problem -- his father, Harrison, was sick.
WILSON: My dad had diabetes his whole life pretty much. So fast forward to my junior year in college. He had a breathing mask on, he wasn't doing well at the time. I ended up getting drafted by the Colorado Rockies on June 8, 2010 and the next day, my dad passed away, in June 9, 2010.
So I'm at the biggest high of my life on June 8, 2010. And the next day, June 9th, he's gone.
My dad always thought I would play shortstop for the New York Yankees or something crazy like that. But at the same time, I knew I had this passion, this fire to play the quarterback position. My dad loved football so much. Now he gets the best seat in the house. He gets to see every game. It's a special thing for.
NICHOLS: Wilson fell he had his father's blessing to return to football. In 2011, he transferred to the University of Wisconsin for his final season of college eligibility, taking the Badgers to the Rose Bowl. After being drafted in Seattle, he shocked the pundits by taking the Seahawks to the playoffs in his rookie season.
WILSON: It was just the right team, right place, amazing fans, the (INAUDIBLE) fans. It was something that was really in tune.
NICHOLS: If your dad got to hear those words somewhere that Russell Wilson, Super Bowl-winning quarterback. If you win the Super Bowl, are you going to save that first interview in your head for your dad?
WILSON: Oh, yeah, definitely. I will be answering him just like I did in the car, in the BMW when I was 14 years old.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: You got to love him. How was he overlooked, Terrance?
MOORE: Well, she was short. And let me tell you this real quick story here. Seattle played in Atlanta here earlier this season. I'm walking down a back hallway of the Georgia Dome. I see this unassuming guy who was short, leaning against the wall talking to somebody. I thought maybe some fan had snuck past a security guard. I was looking around for help. You guessed it: it was Russell Wilson.
PHILLIPS: Poor guy.
MOORE: Who is one victory away from the Super Bowl, by the way.
(LAUGHTER)
PHILLIPS: Well, we've got our eyes on him now. No matter what his height is. There you go, Terrance. Thanks so much.
MOORE: Thank you.
PHILLIPS: Great to have you.
