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President Bush Names Homeland Security Nominee; Interview With Senator Joseph Lieberman

Aired January 11, 2005 - 15:00   ET

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

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


MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Now in the news, a new case of mad cow disease. Canadian officials have confirmed it, but they say no part of the animal has entered the human food system or infected animal feed.
The insurgency strikes again and again in Tikrit, at least six Iraqi police officers killed in a car bombing. In Baghdad, gunmen opened fire on a minibus, eight killed there, three survivors kidnapped. And a U.S. soldier is wounded by yet another roadside bomb.

Seeking the Democrats' top spot, former presidential candidate Howard Dean officially launches a bid for the party chairmanship. He says the post is not a stepping stone to another presidential campaign. For more, watch "INSIDE POLITICS" about 30 minutes from now.

Private Social Security accounts. Americans meeting with President Bush today say they like his idea of letting younger workers invest some of their Social Security payments. The president says it could be one way to save the ailing program.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: So if you're 20 years old, in your mid-20s, and you're beginning to work, I want you to think about a Social Security system that will be flat bust, bankrupt, unless the United States Congress has got the willingness to act now. And that's what we're here to talk about.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BETTY NGUYEN, CO-HOST: Up first this hour, Chertoff for the defense of the whole country. He is former prosecutor, former Justice Department go-getter, former appellate Judge Michael Chertoff and he's President Bush's second choice for second-term secretary of homeland security.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAEL CHERTOFF, HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY NOMINEE: If confirmed as secretary, I will be proud to stand again with the men and women who form our front line against terror. Their job is law enforcement and much more. They secure our ports and our airways, our borders and our buildings, our computers and our public utilities. They respond to natural and manmade disasters in our hours of greatest need.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NGUYEN: Now, you may remember, Mr. Bush's first choice to succeed Tom Ridge, former New York Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik, was forced to back out over nanny immigration issues. Eluding to that embarrassment, Mr. Bush notes that, in various capacities, Chertoff has been vetted and confirmed by the Senate three times.

From 1990 to '94, he was U.S. attorney general in Newark, New Jersey. He personally prosecuted electronics retailer Crazy Eddie Antar for stock fraud. From '94 to '96, he was special counsel to Republicans on the Senate committee investigating Whitewater. From 2001 to 2003, including 9/11, he led the criminal division of the Justice Department. He played a key role in 9/11 legal issues, among them, a bid by alleged conspirator Zacarias Moussaoui to interview other al Qaeda suspects in U.S. custody.

Chertoff opposed it and a circuit court agreed. Well, Chertoff's future, assuming he's confirmed, again, holds a lot of late nights and long meetings. The newest department in the executive branch includes 180,000 employees and controls more than 40 billion taxpayer dollars. Its 20-plus component departments include Emergency Preparedness and Response, Border and Transportation Security, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration, the U.S. Coast Guard, and the Secret Service.

O'BRIEN: In Washington, it's the first presidential inauguration since the 9/11 attacks. Security for President Bush's second swearing-in will be unprecedented, with more than 6,000 law enforcement personnel on hand.

Earlier, Homeland Security chief Tom Ridge, outgoing, described the preparations.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TOM RIDGE, HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: Our goal is that any attempt on the part of anyone or any group to disrupt the inaugural will be repelled by multiple layers of security. More work will continue over the remaining days. I can tell you that the security will be at the highest levels that they've ever been for any inauguration.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'BRIEN: Along with that, the FAA announced it will expand that no-fly zone around Washington. The current no-fly zone is a radius of 15 and three quarters mile surrounding the Washington Monument. The inauguration no-fly zone will be a 23-mile radius centered around Reagan National, Dulles, and Baltimore Washington International airports.

Now to some staggering images of nature deconstructing itself, not in Asia, but here in the U.S. Rescue crews looking for survivors after yesterday's massive mudslide in La Conchita, California. At least three people are dead, a dozen others missing, floodwaters in San Juan Capistrano, washing out roads there and forcing some mobile home residents to flee.

Authorities say creeks in the area are getting dangerously high, as you can see.

And an eight-week-old baby safe today after a daring rescue from rushing floodwaters. Five days of heavy rain are taking a toll.

Jacqui Jeras in the Weather Center, she has been watching all this for us -- Jacqui.

JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Well, Miles, less than 24 hours to go now until California finally begins to dry up, but we certainly have a different type of active weather here for today, a different frontal system moving on through, instead of that subtropical moisture, which has been pushing into the region.

Most of the rain up into the valley areas across northern and central California, but we'll zoom into the Los Angeles area, which has been dry throughout much of the day, and now you can see some isolated showers are beginning to develop. We may even see some thunderstorms as we head into the afternoon, and you get additional daytime heating.

General rain amounts today in Southern California will be quite light, maybe only a quarter of an inch, but some locally heavier amounts will be possible, as the isolated thunderstorms move through. But even if there's not a single more drop of rain into the L.A. basin, it's already one for the record books. You get on up into the hills and we're talking about feet of rain. These are some numbers since Thursday, 28 inches in Opids Camp. And take a look a little farther to the south in San Marcos Pass, about 24 inches since this all started.

You get down to the hills, 11 inches around Beverly Hills. And Oxnard, you had about seven inches there, downtown L.A., six inches. And L.A. has now had the wettest 15-day streak in recorded history. That rain will continue to come down for tonight and the additional threat of mudslides and rock slides will be possible.

We're going to go now live to Kimberly Osias, who is at the scene of the mudslides with the rescue efforts in La Conchita.

KIMBERLY OSIAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Jacqui.

Well, as you well know, this low pressure system very, very sluggish and highly atypical, moving from north Alaska really all the way down to California that has gotten stuck in this pattern, but we are seeing a respite, still sunny skies here in La Conchita, but very, very different tenor of the townspeople and of rescue workers.

We had some hopeful news early this morning that there were some signs of life where they are focusing their efforts on a home behind me where there was a mother and several children. They now say those were false positive readings. They believe that it may have been wind, in fact, that led them to believe that it breathing or coughing. They have excavated all the way down to street level, removing an enormous amount of debris and trees. However, rescue workers are still remaining hopeful.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, I am not. It's coming down.

OSIAS (voice-over): This flood of mud looked like a scene from South Asia's tsunami.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's just too much. I don't know. I just hope everyone's OK. We're just all praying they're all right.

OSIAS: But this was Southern California, the small coastal town of La Conchita, 70 miles northwest of Los Angeles. Emergency crews continue to comb the thick debris. Many people are still unaccounted for, reported missing by family or friends.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And he was over there helping the boy to get his stuff out of there, and they didn't make it. They didn't make it.

OSIAS: About 100 residents evacuated before the landslide crashed down, but 18 refused to get out.

Neighbors and rescue workers remain hopeful.

BOB BROOKS, VENTURA COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT: We have sound sensors placed in the debris, and that's been what's led us to the people we've recovered from that debris field. There wasn't -- there was a cessation of sound for awhile after we made initial recoveries. About 12: 30 this morning, they were able to detect the sound again.

OSIAS: Mudslides are causing problems in other part of Southern California, too. Chunks of this road washed away this morning in San Juan Capistrano, a couple hours south of La Conchita.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

OSIAS: Rescue workers say they have seen other bodies. However, they are not giving any kind of official numbers until those bodies are pulled out and identified -- Jacqui.

JERAS: Kimberly, what are authorities saying about safety in the area right now? Even though the rain has stopped, is it possible that more mud and rock could come down the hill?

OSIAS: Well, of course, that's always possible, Jacqui, and they are certainly keeping a very close eye on things.

However, I'm told everything looks somewhat stable. And, again, a huge, huge relief that there is sun still here and it is dry. As you know, it's been, of course, five straight days. We are in day six, so hopefully it will continue to hold out.

JERAS: Yes, it looks good for the next couple of days. Thanks, Kimberly Osias, from La Conchita, California.

OSIAS: Absolutely. JERAS: Storm system will be pulling out of the Southwest by tomorrow and that will then take aim to the nation's mid-section and may be bringing some severe weather across the south for Wednesday afternoon -- Miles, back to you.

O'BRIEN: All right, we'll have to leave it on that down note. Thank you very much, Jacqui Jeras. Appreciate it.

Here's a great picture -- great I guess is a relative term -- that comes to us from weather-worn California. Sort of get a -- you can see the scale there by looking at the vehicles. Rain caused this massive boulder, about 25 feet high to fall, into the road in Topanga Canyon, which is near Malibu. If you're driving on the road and you rounded the curve and saw that, I would slow down.

All right, he's President Bush's second choice to head the Department of Homeland Security, but just who is Michael Chertoff? We'll get some insight from Senator Joe Lieberman about the man who would lead the newest federal department after the break.

NGUYEN: Also, there's cold and then there is cold. A village in Alaska in the middle of winter just lost its power. We'll talk to a resident, no doubt through the chattering of teeth, to find out what they're doing to stay warm.

O'BRIEN: And advertising is everywhere these days. Now this guy wants to put your logo front and center on his forehead. Everybody has their price, I guess.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: A U.S. appeals court judge who served as Republican counsel in the Whitewater investigation is President Bush's nominee for homeland security secretary. Mr. Bush today announced his pick of Judge Michael Chertoff to replace Tom Ridge, who is bowing out.

Democratic Senator Joe Lieberman helped write legislation creating the Homeland Security Department. He is the senior Democrat on the committee that oversees that department. He joins us from Hartford, Connecticut.

Good to have you with us, Senator.

SEN. JOSEPH LIEBERMAN (D), CONNECTICUT: Good to be with you, Miles. Thank you.

O'BRIEN: A surprising choice, wasn't it?

LIEBERMAN: It was surprising in the most literal sense that nobody mentioned Judge Chertoff as a possibility, so I was surprised. I know him somewhat. I respect him. He's very widely respected as a lawyer, law enforcer and now for a short time as a judge.

And I think what the committee will want to judge is his suitability to manage a department of this size, because he hasn't had a lot of administrative experience in his past that I know of, but that doesn't mean he's not very qualified for this job.

O'BRIEN: Well, sometimes resumes can be misleading in some ways. And there could be talents that don't show up there, but you're right. It's not like when you get a governor, somebody who has been a chief executive of something as difficult to manage as a large state. It's a little different than being a sharp legal mind. His resume almost reads like somebody who could be an attorney general or a Supreme Court justice.

LIEBERMAN: Yes, it does.

I will say, though, in fairness two things. One is that being the assistant attorney general of the criminal division involves significant administrative responsibility over all of the U.S. attorneys and others that serve under him.

Secondly, the Mike Chertoff I know is not only very smart; he's very tough. And this department, which I was proud to play a part in helping to create, has been gotten up and running under Tom Ridge, and he's begun to bring it together. But I think Tom Ridge would be the first to say it still has significant management challenges ahead. And Mike Chertoff is going to have to take over and continue the unification of these diverse agencies, fight for enough money to fund the programs, and just do a good job at protecting the American people from terrorism here at home.

O'BRIEN: Yes, I think it would be very hard to weave together a coherent management style for this cobbled-together patchwork.

He said today -- this is Judge Chertoff -- said: "Tom Ridge leaves some very big shoes to fill. If confirmed, I pledge to devote all my energy to promoting homeland security and all our fundamental liberties." We'll take that at face value for now, but that's a tightrope to walk, isn't it?

LIEBERMAN: It is, but that's been the American way. Throughout our history, there's been, at times of war particularly, a tension between security and liberty, but ultimately America is about liberty. That's what defines us. And I appreciate that Judge Chertoff said that in coming in to this office.

This office is really about raising our guard and developing a homeland security strategy. There are still areas of our infrastructure that we just haven't had the time, the department hasn't, to adequately protect the telecommunications, our ports, some of the nonaviation transportation sectors. And I hope that he'll really focus on that, because, unfortunately, we're up against an enemy that will strike at the vulnerable.

And, in an open society, there's a lot that's vulnerable.

O'BRIEN: Final thought here. Do you expect he'll run into much trouble as he faces confirmation on the Hill? He does have a link to the Whitewater investigation, of course, and there's probably some lingering aftertaste among some Democrats about that. LIEBERMAN: I'm sure that's true, but I will say on his behalf that he's been through three Senate confirmations, I believe all three of them since then, one as a U.S. attorney, another as the assistant attorney general of the criminal division, and then third as a circuit Judge.

So, I think any of the lingering concern about how he conducted himself in the Whitewater investigation, frankly, has been dealt with. And people are going to move on and I think focus on his suitability for this particular position. The Congress, the Senate, as part of its advice-and-consent authority, I think usually defers to the president and gives the nominee the benefit of the doubt.

So, I think we'll ask some tough questions, but my guess is that this nominee is off to a successful confirmation. And then I look forward, as everybody will, I'm sure, to working with him to improve our homeland security.

O'BRIEN: Senator Joe Lieberman, Democrat of Connecticut, good to have you with us today.

LIEBERMAN: Thank you Miles. Good to be with you.

O'BRIEN: You're welcome.

LIEBERMAN: Have a good day.

O'BRIEN: Betty.

NGUYEN: Well, the trading day is drawing to a close. We'll get a final check of the markets right after this break.

Then, you would think people living in Alaska can handle the cold weather, but this may be too much for anyone. It's well below zero and one village just lost its own source of power. That story is coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: News across America for you now.

In Jackson, Tennessee, three are dead, two wounded, after a shooting this morning. It happened around 11:30 at a garage for the Tennessee Department of Transportation. Police say they have a suspect in custody and that the shooting apparently stemmed from a domestic dispute.

In Spotsylvania, Virginia, news that some Americans probably won't want to stand for. The local school board has voted to allow students to remain seated during the Pledge of Allegiance. A seventh grader raised the issue, saying he disagrees with many government policies and didn't want to stand up during the pledge.

And, hey, guess desperate times call for desperate measures, an Omaha man auctioning off his forehead on eBay. He says he'll do the high bidder's bidding and temporarily tattoo on their company message or logo for 30 days. Now, if the price is right, he'll shave his head, offer up a little extra ad space. By the way, news of the auction has spawned a number of eBay copycats. Imagine that.

NGUYEN: But of course. Now, don't you get any ideas.

O'BRIEN: I think a big CNN logo right here would be good.

NGUYEN: You can do the shaved head.

O'BRIEN: Is the boss watching? They might like that.

(CROSSTALK)

O'BRIEN: Homeland security starts on America's streets. So, we thought you would like to see the work of a local counterterror team in Florida.

NGUYEN: Their average age is 80, but their energy is high and so is their enthusiasm, as CNN's John Zarrella reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For Charlie Goldberg and Dale McDairos this is about doing what's right, about being what so many of us are not: involved.

DALE MCDAIROS, HOMEFRONT SECURITY VOLUNTEER: They cleaned up a lot of the paint.

CHARLIE GOLDBERG, HOMEFRONT SECURITY VOLUNTEER: Thank goodness for that. That paint can cause a lot of problems.

ZARRELLA: Charlie and Dale are members of Delray Beach, Florida's homefront security unit, a unique counter terrorism team started by the police in the wake of 9/11. It's made up entirely of volunteer senior citizens.

GOLDBERG: It's all locked up, right, Dale?

ZARRELLA: In all, there are 14 of them on patrol five days a week. Charlie and Dale are working the 9 to noon shift today.

At city hall...

GOLDBERG: Hey, good morning.

ZARRELLA: ... they check every room, every cubicle. Their job: simply to keep an eye out. If anything or anyone looks suspicious, report it.

At the city tennis center, they inspect under the bleachers.

GOLDBERG: Yes, we are doing a great service for everybody, being the eyes and ears of the police department.

ZARRELLA: This is one of four stops they'll make this morning. MCDAIROS: I get to see people, talk to people. And they're so appreciative of us being out here, especially at our age.

ZARRELLA: What do you mean at your age? You guys are young!

GOLDBERG: I don't know why you mentioned that.

ZARRELLA: Charlie is 82. Dale will turn 78 in March. Each took a bioterrorism course before going on patrol.

There's nothing frivolous about what they do or that they are constant reminders.

For reasons that have never been fully explained, perhaps believing they could keep a low profile here, nine of the September 11 hijackers lived in Delray Beach. Ask Officer Skip Brown about the value of the patrols.

OFFICER SKIP BROWN, DELRAY, FLORIDA, POLICE: Every time I call, every time I ask, they're there. Extra eyes and ears, that's what we're looking for. Do they make a difference? I feel that they do. I don't think that they will ever know what they deterred out there or what could have been. Do we have any more in this city? I don't know.

ZARRELLA: Both Charlie Goldberg and Dale McDairos plan to be on the beat for a long time.

MCDAIROS: As long as I can walk, talk and tell the truth.

ZARRELLA: After all, it's all about doing what's right.

John Zarrella, CNN, Delray Beach, Florida.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN: Shifting gears now, we're supposed to hit the upper 60s today here in Atlanta. That is 60 above zero. So we cannot even begin to relate to the situation facing the people of Kaktovik, Alaska, where it is 60 below zero today.

Now, you might expect such temperatures if you're living 600 miles northeast of Anchorage. This is a look at the situation now during the dead of the arctic winter, but you might not have -- what you might not have planned on is a total power outage. And that is what they are experiencing there.

We were supposed to speak with Arthur Smith (ph), who is a filmmaker there. He's staying at a hotel which he has taken over because the owners have left town and he's watching that for them. But, unfortunately, the phone lines are a little messed up at this time. And we hopefully will be able to speak with him tomorrow on LIVE FROM, so he can give us an update on what's going on, how they're holding up, and when they expect that electricity to be turned back on. So, when we get him, we'll bring it to you.

(FINANCIAL UPDATE)

O'BRIEN: That wraps up the Tuesday edition of LIVE FROM.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com


Aired January 11, 2005 - 15:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Now in the news, a new case of mad cow disease. Canadian officials have confirmed it, but they say no part of the animal has entered the human food system or infected animal feed.
The insurgency strikes again and again in Tikrit, at least six Iraqi police officers killed in a car bombing. In Baghdad, gunmen opened fire on a minibus, eight killed there, three survivors kidnapped. And a U.S. soldier is wounded by yet another roadside bomb.

Seeking the Democrats' top spot, former presidential candidate Howard Dean officially launches a bid for the party chairmanship. He says the post is not a stepping stone to another presidential campaign. For more, watch "INSIDE POLITICS" about 30 minutes from now.

Private Social Security accounts. Americans meeting with President Bush today say they like his idea of letting younger workers invest some of their Social Security payments. The president says it could be one way to save the ailing program.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: So if you're 20 years old, in your mid-20s, and you're beginning to work, I want you to think about a Social Security system that will be flat bust, bankrupt, unless the United States Congress has got the willingness to act now. And that's what we're here to talk about.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BETTY NGUYEN, CO-HOST: Up first this hour, Chertoff for the defense of the whole country. He is former prosecutor, former Justice Department go-getter, former appellate Judge Michael Chertoff and he's President Bush's second choice for second-term secretary of homeland security.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAEL CHERTOFF, HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY NOMINEE: If confirmed as secretary, I will be proud to stand again with the men and women who form our front line against terror. Their job is law enforcement and much more. They secure our ports and our airways, our borders and our buildings, our computers and our public utilities. They respond to natural and manmade disasters in our hours of greatest need.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NGUYEN: Now, you may remember, Mr. Bush's first choice to succeed Tom Ridge, former New York Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik, was forced to back out over nanny immigration issues. Eluding to that embarrassment, Mr. Bush notes that, in various capacities, Chertoff has been vetted and confirmed by the Senate three times.

From 1990 to '94, he was U.S. attorney general in Newark, New Jersey. He personally prosecuted electronics retailer Crazy Eddie Antar for stock fraud. From '94 to '96, he was special counsel to Republicans on the Senate committee investigating Whitewater. From 2001 to 2003, including 9/11, he led the criminal division of the Justice Department. He played a key role in 9/11 legal issues, among them, a bid by alleged conspirator Zacarias Moussaoui to interview other al Qaeda suspects in U.S. custody.

Chertoff opposed it and a circuit court agreed. Well, Chertoff's future, assuming he's confirmed, again, holds a lot of late nights and long meetings. The newest department in the executive branch includes 180,000 employees and controls more than 40 billion taxpayer dollars. Its 20-plus component departments include Emergency Preparedness and Response, Border and Transportation Security, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration, the U.S. Coast Guard, and the Secret Service.

O'BRIEN: In Washington, it's the first presidential inauguration since the 9/11 attacks. Security for President Bush's second swearing-in will be unprecedented, with more than 6,000 law enforcement personnel on hand.

Earlier, Homeland Security chief Tom Ridge, outgoing, described the preparations.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TOM RIDGE, HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: Our goal is that any attempt on the part of anyone or any group to disrupt the inaugural will be repelled by multiple layers of security. More work will continue over the remaining days. I can tell you that the security will be at the highest levels that they've ever been for any inauguration.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'BRIEN: Along with that, the FAA announced it will expand that no-fly zone around Washington. The current no-fly zone is a radius of 15 and three quarters mile surrounding the Washington Monument. The inauguration no-fly zone will be a 23-mile radius centered around Reagan National, Dulles, and Baltimore Washington International airports.

Now to some staggering images of nature deconstructing itself, not in Asia, but here in the U.S. Rescue crews looking for survivors after yesterday's massive mudslide in La Conchita, California. At least three people are dead, a dozen others missing, floodwaters in San Juan Capistrano, washing out roads there and forcing some mobile home residents to flee.

Authorities say creeks in the area are getting dangerously high, as you can see.

And an eight-week-old baby safe today after a daring rescue from rushing floodwaters. Five days of heavy rain are taking a toll.

Jacqui Jeras in the Weather Center, she has been watching all this for us -- Jacqui.

JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Well, Miles, less than 24 hours to go now until California finally begins to dry up, but we certainly have a different type of active weather here for today, a different frontal system moving on through, instead of that subtropical moisture, which has been pushing into the region.

Most of the rain up into the valley areas across northern and central California, but we'll zoom into the Los Angeles area, which has been dry throughout much of the day, and now you can see some isolated showers are beginning to develop. We may even see some thunderstorms as we head into the afternoon, and you get additional daytime heating.

General rain amounts today in Southern California will be quite light, maybe only a quarter of an inch, but some locally heavier amounts will be possible, as the isolated thunderstorms move through. But even if there's not a single more drop of rain into the L.A. basin, it's already one for the record books. You get on up into the hills and we're talking about feet of rain. These are some numbers since Thursday, 28 inches in Opids Camp. And take a look a little farther to the south in San Marcos Pass, about 24 inches since this all started.

You get down to the hills, 11 inches around Beverly Hills. And Oxnard, you had about seven inches there, downtown L.A., six inches. And L.A. has now had the wettest 15-day streak in recorded history. That rain will continue to come down for tonight and the additional threat of mudslides and rock slides will be possible.

We're going to go now live to Kimberly Osias, who is at the scene of the mudslides with the rescue efforts in La Conchita.

KIMBERLY OSIAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Jacqui.

Well, as you well know, this low pressure system very, very sluggish and highly atypical, moving from north Alaska really all the way down to California that has gotten stuck in this pattern, but we are seeing a respite, still sunny skies here in La Conchita, but very, very different tenor of the townspeople and of rescue workers.

We had some hopeful news early this morning that there were some signs of life where they are focusing their efforts on a home behind me where there was a mother and several children. They now say those were false positive readings. They believe that it may have been wind, in fact, that led them to believe that it breathing or coughing. They have excavated all the way down to street level, removing an enormous amount of debris and trees. However, rescue workers are still remaining hopeful.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, I am not. It's coming down.

OSIAS (voice-over): This flood of mud looked like a scene from South Asia's tsunami.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's just too much. I don't know. I just hope everyone's OK. We're just all praying they're all right.

OSIAS: But this was Southern California, the small coastal town of La Conchita, 70 miles northwest of Los Angeles. Emergency crews continue to comb the thick debris. Many people are still unaccounted for, reported missing by family or friends.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And he was over there helping the boy to get his stuff out of there, and they didn't make it. They didn't make it.

OSIAS: About 100 residents evacuated before the landslide crashed down, but 18 refused to get out.

Neighbors and rescue workers remain hopeful.

BOB BROOKS, VENTURA COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT: We have sound sensors placed in the debris, and that's been what's led us to the people we've recovered from that debris field. There wasn't -- there was a cessation of sound for awhile after we made initial recoveries. About 12: 30 this morning, they were able to detect the sound again.

OSIAS: Mudslides are causing problems in other part of Southern California, too. Chunks of this road washed away this morning in San Juan Capistrano, a couple hours south of La Conchita.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

OSIAS: Rescue workers say they have seen other bodies. However, they are not giving any kind of official numbers until those bodies are pulled out and identified -- Jacqui.

JERAS: Kimberly, what are authorities saying about safety in the area right now? Even though the rain has stopped, is it possible that more mud and rock could come down the hill?

OSIAS: Well, of course, that's always possible, Jacqui, and they are certainly keeping a very close eye on things.

However, I'm told everything looks somewhat stable. And, again, a huge, huge relief that there is sun still here and it is dry. As you know, it's been, of course, five straight days. We are in day six, so hopefully it will continue to hold out.

JERAS: Yes, it looks good for the next couple of days. Thanks, Kimberly Osias, from La Conchita, California.

OSIAS: Absolutely. JERAS: Storm system will be pulling out of the Southwest by tomorrow and that will then take aim to the nation's mid-section and may be bringing some severe weather across the south for Wednesday afternoon -- Miles, back to you.

O'BRIEN: All right, we'll have to leave it on that down note. Thank you very much, Jacqui Jeras. Appreciate it.

Here's a great picture -- great I guess is a relative term -- that comes to us from weather-worn California. Sort of get a -- you can see the scale there by looking at the vehicles. Rain caused this massive boulder, about 25 feet high to fall, into the road in Topanga Canyon, which is near Malibu. If you're driving on the road and you rounded the curve and saw that, I would slow down.

All right, he's President Bush's second choice to head the Department of Homeland Security, but just who is Michael Chertoff? We'll get some insight from Senator Joe Lieberman about the man who would lead the newest federal department after the break.

NGUYEN: Also, there's cold and then there is cold. A village in Alaska in the middle of winter just lost its power. We'll talk to a resident, no doubt through the chattering of teeth, to find out what they're doing to stay warm.

O'BRIEN: And advertising is everywhere these days. Now this guy wants to put your logo front and center on his forehead. Everybody has their price, I guess.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: A U.S. appeals court judge who served as Republican counsel in the Whitewater investigation is President Bush's nominee for homeland security secretary. Mr. Bush today announced his pick of Judge Michael Chertoff to replace Tom Ridge, who is bowing out.

Democratic Senator Joe Lieberman helped write legislation creating the Homeland Security Department. He is the senior Democrat on the committee that oversees that department. He joins us from Hartford, Connecticut.

Good to have you with us, Senator.

SEN. JOSEPH LIEBERMAN (D), CONNECTICUT: Good to be with you, Miles. Thank you.

O'BRIEN: A surprising choice, wasn't it?

LIEBERMAN: It was surprising in the most literal sense that nobody mentioned Judge Chertoff as a possibility, so I was surprised. I know him somewhat. I respect him. He's very widely respected as a lawyer, law enforcer and now for a short time as a judge.

And I think what the committee will want to judge is his suitability to manage a department of this size, because he hasn't had a lot of administrative experience in his past that I know of, but that doesn't mean he's not very qualified for this job.

O'BRIEN: Well, sometimes resumes can be misleading in some ways. And there could be talents that don't show up there, but you're right. It's not like when you get a governor, somebody who has been a chief executive of something as difficult to manage as a large state. It's a little different than being a sharp legal mind. His resume almost reads like somebody who could be an attorney general or a Supreme Court justice.

LIEBERMAN: Yes, it does.

I will say, though, in fairness two things. One is that being the assistant attorney general of the criminal division involves significant administrative responsibility over all of the U.S. attorneys and others that serve under him.

Secondly, the Mike Chertoff I know is not only very smart; he's very tough. And this department, which I was proud to play a part in helping to create, has been gotten up and running under Tom Ridge, and he's begun to bring it together. But I think Tom Ridge would be the first to say it still has significant management challenges ahead. And Mike Chertoff is going to have to take over and continue the unification of these diverse agencies, fight for enough money to fund the programs, and just do a good job at protecting the American people from terrorism here at home.

O'BRIEN: Yes, I think it would be very hard to weave together a coherent management style for this cobbled-together patchwork.

He said today -- this is Judge Chertoff -- said: "Tom Ridge leaves some very big shoes to fill. If confirmed, I pledge to devote all my energy to promoting homeland security and all our fundamental liberties." We'll take that at face value for now, but that's a tightrope to walk, isn't it?

LIEBERMAN: It is, but that's been the American way. Throughout our history, there's been, at times of war particularly, a tension between security and liberty, but ultimately America is about liberty. That's what defines us. And I appreciate that Judge Chertoff said that in coming in to this office.

This office is really about raising our guard and developing a homeland security strategy. There are still areas of our infrastructure that we just haven't had the time, the department hasn't, to adequately protect the telecommunications, our ports, some of the nonaviation transportation sectors. And I hope that he'll really focus on that, because, unfortunately, we're up against an enemy that will strike at the vulnerable.

And, in an open society, there's a lot that's vulnerable.

O'BRIEN: Final thought here. Do you expect he'll run into much trouble as he faces confirmation on the Hill? He does have a link to the Whitewater investigation, of course, and there's probably some lingering aftertaste among some Democrats about that. LIEBERMAN: I'm sure that's true, but I will say on his behalf that he's been through three Senate confirmations, I believe all three of them since then, one as a U.S. attorney, another as the assistant attorney general of the criminal division, and then third as a circuit Judge.

So, I think any of the lingering concern about how he conducted himself in the Whitewater investigation, frankly, has been dealt with. And people are going to move on and I think focus on his suitability for this particular position. The Congress, the Senate, as part of its advice-and-consent authority, I think usually defers to the president and gives the nominee the benefit of the doubt.

So, I think we'll ask some tough questions, but my guess is that this nominee is off to a successful confirmation. And then I look forward, as everybody will, I'm sure, to working with him to improve our homeland security.

O'BRIEN: Senator Joe Lieberman, Democrat of Connecticut, good to have you with us today.

LIEBERMAN: Thank you Miles. Good to be with you.

O'BRIEN: You're welcome.

LIEBERMAN: Have a good day.

O'BRIEN: Betty.

NGUYEN: Well, the trading day is drawing to a close. We'll get a final check of the markets right after this break.

Then, you would think people living in Alaska can handle the cold weather, but this may be too much for anyone. It's well below zero and one village just lost its own source of power. That story is coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: News across America for you now.

In Jackson, Tennessee, three are dead, two wounded, after a shooting this morning. It happened around 11:30 at a garage for the Tennessee Department of Transportation. Police say they have a suspect in custody and that the shooting apparently stemmed from a domestic dispute.

In Spotsylvania, Virginia, news that some Americans probably won't want to stand for. The local school board has voted to allow students to remain seated during the Pledge of Allegiance. A seventh grader raised the issue, saying he disagrees with many government policies and didn't want to stand up during the pledge.

And, hey, guess desperate times call for desperate measures, an Omaha man auctioning off his forehead on eBay. He says he'll do the high bidder's bidding and temporarily tattoo on their company message or logo for 30 days. Now, if the price is right, he'll shave his head, offer up a little extra ad space. By the way, news of the auction has spawned a number of eBay copycats. Imagine that.

NGUYEN: But of course. Now, don't you get any ideas.

O'BRIEN: I think a big CNN logo right here would be good.

NGUYEN: You can do the shaved head.

O'BRIEN: Is the boss watching? They might like that.

(CROSSTALK)

O'BRIEN: Homeland security starts on America's streets. So, we thought you would like to see the work of a local counterterror team in Florida.

NGUYEN: Their average age is 80, but their energy is high and so is their enthusiasm, as CNN's John Zarrella reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For Charlie Goldberg and Dale McDairos this is about doing what's right, about being what so many of us are not: involved.

DALE MCDAIROS, HOMEFRONT SECURITY VOLUNTEER: They cleaned up a lot of the paint.

CHARLIE GOLDBERG, HOMEFRONT SECURITY VOLUNTEER: Thank goodness for that. That paint can cause a lot of problems.

ZARRELLA: Charlie and Dale are members of Delray Beach, Florida's homefront security unit, a unique counter terrorism team started by the police in the wake of 9/11. It's made up entirely of volunteer senior citizens.

GOLDBERG: It's all locked up, right, Dale?

ZARRELLA: In all, there are 14 of them on patrol five days a week. Charlie and Dale are working the 9 to noon shift today.

At city hall...

GOLDBERG: Hey, good morning.

ZARRELLA: ... they check every room, every cubicle. Their job: simply to keep an eye out. If anything or anyone looks suspicious, report it.

At the city tennis center, they inspect under the bleachers.

GOLDBERG: Yes, we are doing a great service for everybody, being the eyes and ears of the police department.

ZARRELLA: This is one of four stops they'll make this morning. MCDAIROS: I get to see people, talk to people. And they're so appreciative of us being out here, especially at our age.

ZARRELLA: What do you mean at your age? You guys are young!

GOLDBERG: I don't know why you mentioned that.

ZARRELLA: Charlie is 82. Dale will turn 78 in March. Each took a bioterrorism course before going on patrol.

There's nothing frivolous about what they do or that they are constant reminders.

For reasons that have never been fully explained, perhaps believing they could keep a low profile here, nine of the September 11 hijackers lived in Delray Beach. Ask Officer Skip Brown about the value of the patrols.

OFFICER SKIP BROWN, DELRAY, FLORIDA, POLICE: Every time I call, every time I ask, they're there. Extra eyes and ears, that's what we're looking for. Do they make a difference? I feel that they do. I don't think that they will ever know what they deterred out there or what could have been. Do we have any more in this city? I don't know.

ZARRELLA: Both Charlie Goldberg and Dale McDairos plan to be on the beat for a long time.

MCDAIROS: As long as I can walk, talk and tell the truth.

ZARRELLA: After all, it's all about doing what's right.

John Zarrella, CNN, Delray Beach, Florida.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN: Shifting gears now, we're supposed to hit the upper 60s today here in Atlanta. That is 60 above zero. So we cannot even begin to relate to the situation facing the people of Kaktovik, Alaska, where it is 60 below zero today.

Now, you might expect such temperatures if you're living 600 miles northeast of Anchorage. This is a look at the situation now during the dead of the arctic winter, but you might not have -- what you might not have planned on is a total power outage. And that is what they are experiencing there.

We were supposed to speak with Arthur Smith (ph), who is a filmmaker there. He's staying at a hotel which he has taken over because the owners have left town and he's watching that for them. But, unfortunately, the phone lines are a little messed up at this time. And we hopefully will be able to speak with him tomorrow on LIVE FROM, so he can give us an update on what's going on, how they're holding up, and when they expect that electricity to be turned back on. So, when we get him, we'll bring it to you.

(FINANCIAL UPDATE)

O'BRIEN: That wraps up the Tuesday edition of LIVE FROM.

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