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Karl Rove to Testify Again in CIA Leak Case; New Orleans Declared Dry; Jazz Musician Looks For Father After Katrina

Aired October 07, 2005 - 14:30   ET

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

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Gearing up for a key summit, aides to Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas are busy today, laying the groundwork for next week's talks between the two leaders. It will be the first such meeting since Israel's pull-out from Gaza raised new hopes for getting peace talks back on track.
This year's Nobel Peace Prize goes to the U.N.'s chief nuclear watchdog Mohamed ElBaradei and the organization he heads, the International Atomic Energy Agency. The Nobel committee praised ElBaradei for tackling what it says is one of the greatest dangers facing the world, the spread of nukes.

Karl Rove is on the hot seat again. President Bush's closest political adviser is facing his fourth appearance before the grand jury investigating the leak of a CIA operative's name.

Our national correspondent Bob Franken joins us now from his hot seat, live in Washington. Hi, Bob.

BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Not as hot as Karl Rove's, apparently. He's not expected to appear today, in the next few days, in front of a grand jury that still has a few questions to ask.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FRANKEN (voice-over): Karl Rove, one of the central figures in this investigation, and a central figure in the political career of George W. Bush, will be testifying for at least the fourth time before this grand jury.

Special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald, according to sources, has not given Rove any assurance he will not face indictment as this probe continues into the public disclosure of Valerie Plame's identity. Plame, who was an undercover operative for the CIA, is the wife of Joseph Wilson, who had become a harsh critic about the administration's claims about Iraq and weapons of mass destruction.

After an uproar following the disclosure of Plame's identity in 2003, Fitzgerald began his investigation. Under pressure, including in one celebrated case jail time, several reporters testified. Some, including "TIME" magazine's Matthew Cooper, said they had discussed the matter with Rove.

Rove's lawyer repeatedly insisted his client did not identify Plame as a secret agent, did not know she was one. He also contends, Rove is appearing voluntary, that he's not received a so-called target letter, which would identify him as a person the grand jury was likely to indict.

Also named a source for reporters is the vice president's chief of staff, Lewis "Scooter" Libby.

As Fitzgerald's prolonged investigation seems to be entering its final phases, the president continues to dodge questions about whether he will remove anyone from his administration who might be indicted.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I'm not going to talk about it until the investigation is complete. And it's important that the investigation run its course.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FRANKEN: Rove's lawyer has assured, he tells us, that there have not been any charges planned yet, according to the prosecutor. Of course, Kyra, that also means that there have not -- no charges have not also been decided on.

PHILLIPS: All right. Bob Franken, thank you so much.

Well, I want to talk more about this. Joining me now with his take on the political ramifications of Karl Rove's grand jury testimony and other issues for the Republican congressman is CNN contributor Bob Barr.

Now, Bob, you were saying, it could be interest here. Is it obstruction of justice or is it the issue of leaking?

BOB BARR, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: I'd be really focusing if I were watching this as I am, and as you are, on the issue of obstruction of justice. I think pulling a witness back for four visits to the grand jury indicates to me that that really is more of a possible focus here than the underlying substantive offense of leaking information.

I suspect that there was something in regard to Ms. Miller's testimony that raised additional questions about Rove's prior testimony. And if I were a betting man, I'd be betting that they're looking at an obstruction charge at this point.

PHILLIPS: All right, let's continue and move forward, talking about the issue of leaking information. Allegedly, this marine, in Dick Cheney's office, Leandro Aragoncillo, allegedly giving these classified documents over to the Phillipines, now charged with conspiracy. Then you have former DOD analyst Larry Franklin that plead guilty to revealing military secrets to lobbyists that are pro- Israeli interest type groups. What's going on, Bob?

BARR: What's going on, we're seeing the most important aspect, at least from its own standpoint of the Bush administration, and that is, its fight against terrorism and its focus on national security crumbling right before our very eyes. All of these issues, the Plame case, the Phillipino case, the Franklin Israeli case, all -- and the Scooter Libby case -- all go to the heart of what the Bush administration has been touting itself as for the last five and a half years, and that is an administration that puts national security and secrecy first and foremost. And now it appears that the very foundation on which they've been making that claim is crumbling.

PHILLIPS: Well, does it make you a little nervous when you see all these allegations of leaking classified documents? I mean, let's look back to 9/11 and the issue of intelligence and the lack of coordination and information sharing and what happened. And now, you have one person, the DOD analyst, Larry Franklin, pleading guilty. But them these other allegations of other key officials in high- powered places, passing off classified information. I mean, does that worry you?

BARR: Well, it worries me a great deal. And what worries me even more, Kyra, is that all of this is happening as the administration is going to Congress and asking for additional powers to keep more information secret. That ought to be something that ought to scare the bejesus out of the American people, because it's going to make it even more difficult to ever find out what's really going on with these problems.

PHILLIPS: Well, speaking about what's going on and credible information, what happened in New York?

BARR: I think what happened in New York was one of those cases where the public officials got ahead of themselves and wanted to get some headlines, and really gave out information that turned out to be more of a problem than it was a help.

You know, to my way of thinking, if you have credible information about a specific threat, you don't go giving a news conference. All that does is invite panic, it invites copycat, it invites people from doing what apparently happened this morning, and that is, using the public attention that's been brought to bear here for a practical joke.

What you do is you give that information to the police and have them, very quietly and methodically and appropriately, tighten security. But you don't do it publicly.

PHILLIPS: Bob Barr, live from Washington today. Thank you so much.

BARR: Thank you, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Straight ahead, the city of New Orleans declared dry again. But what about the drinking water and how are the people who have returned to the city getting their mail? We'll get a live update from Susan Roesgen on recovery efforts, straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Well, there still may be some pockets of standing water in New Orleans. The city is essentially dry, that assessment from the commander of the Army Corps of Engineers. City officials have made an announcement their own involving the quality of the tap water there. For more on that, we turn to Susan Roesgen, reporter and anchor for our affiliate, WGNO, in New Orleans. So, Susie (ph), is it true? Is it really dry?

SUSAN ROESGEN, WGNO ANCHOR/REPORTER: Well, apparently so, Kyra, except for, as you mentioned, a few pockets of water in a few places. And that's encouraging news because many of us were told here in New Orleans in the very beginning right after the storm that it would probably be months before the city is dry.

But, you know, The general feeling here now to what the Corps of Engineers is saying is, okay, so we're dry. Now who is going to help us get rid of all the mold? And beyond that, Kyra, the corps of engineers says that it's going to rebuild the levee system, but only to be able to withstand a Category 3 hurricane, not a Category 5 like Katrina.

The corps says that's because they need congressional approval to build the levees stronger. And so, Kyra, it sounds like we're going to get more bureaucratic business as usual before the city gets the protection that it's going to need.

PHILLIPS: Yes, it's not surprising. I can just see part two, the "Times-Picayune" investigation, right, carrying over from years back. What about, can you drink the water at home? Can you take a shower without worrying about, you know, toxic water right now?

ROESGEN: Yes, both the state and the city say it's OK. It's probably not good news for all the bottled water companies. We were using bottled water for such long time, but apparently, it's now safe to drink the water, to shower in it, to cook with it, except, Kyra, in the Lower Ninth Ward and New Orleans east, the areas that got such heavy flooding. The water department says there are far too many breaks in the water lines and they have no idea when that might be repaired.

But something else, Kyra, that's starting to trickle in is the mail. We've got mail in some parts. Only two post offices in the city are open, and they're not taking outgoing mail, but I was able to go to the post office in my neighborhood. Kyra, after five weeks, this is it. Just these few pieces of mail, and I have to tell you, most of it is junk mail, but at least it's a start.

PHILLIPS: No bills and no cards from me?

ROESGEN: What I've got in here is like a credit card offering, you know, zero percent fixed APR. I did get a letter from my mom. I haven't opened it yet, and by the way, it was the only one that was dated before the hurricane, August 26th.

PHILLIPS: Wow.

ROESGEN: All of our mail in New Orleans was diverted to Houston. And so apparently it's just taken a long time for it to come back. The rest of these little pieces of junk mail are dated after September 20th. PHILLIPS: Wow. Well, what about people coming back? Give me a sense. I mean, just certain neighborhoods? Do you see a lot of people coming back? I mean, when I was leaving, I remember the freeway, it was backed up. But when you really try to put it in context, I mean, how many people are coming back and where are they coming back to?

ROESGEN: You know, it's so hard to tell, Kyra, and there hasn't been any official figure. We do see more traffic on the intestates, but only a third of the city has power. So in the areas that do have power, you see home owners starting to fix up their homes again. You see some small businesses starting to reopen.

But, the French Quarter, I don't know when you were here, Kyra, but you wouldn't recognize it now. The French Quarter, the first area of the city to get power back, it's just packed. The hotels are jammed with government workers and reporters. The bars are starting to open again.

Even the little tacky t-shirts are starting to open. Kyra, I think you know that the worst is over when you get one of these, the first "I survived Katrina" t-shirts, here it is. The first one I bought in the French Quarter yesterday. "August 29th, 2005, I survived Hurricane Katrina".

So perhaps it means that we are on the road to recovery. But, again, Kyra, so many people are obviously struggling and many people are still trying to reunite with people that they haven't seen since before the hurricane.

PHILLIPS: Well, I'll tell you what. We will definitely make an investment in those t-shirts. We'll buy a whole stack for our crew. Susie, thank you so much. Now, stay put because we're going to talk about some signs of normalcy as they return to the Gulf Coast.

We're reminded that some people are still searching for family members. Now, when we return, Susan is going to bring us the story of a New Orleans jazz musician still looking for his father. It's a very special story, you won't want to miss. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Well, we've all heard the heart-breaking stories of loss caused by Hurricane Katrina. But, even now, weeks after the storm hit and as the shelters empty, some people still don't know the fate of their loved ones. For more, let's turn to Susan Roesgen once again in New Orleans, she's, of course, with our affiliate WGNO. She put together a pretty amazing story for us -- Susie.

ROESGEN: Kyra, this is a story of Irvin Mayfield. Irvin Mayfield, a New Orleans jazz trumpeter, part of the new generation of jazz musicians here in New Orleans. He has been performing around the country. But he's not seen or heard from his own father in five weeks.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) ROESGEN (voice-over): This is the house on Music Street where Irvin Mayfield's father said he would ride out the storm.

IRVIN MAYFIELD, MUSICIAN: If you come here, you can see, you can look and take a see where the attic stairs are down.

ROESGEN: Apparently when the water started to rise, Mayfield's father moved up into the attic. That's where his son found a pillow, a blanket, his father's clothes, and an empty jar of peanut butter. Mayfield says his dad was stubborn and tough. When the rest of the family evacuated, Irvin Mayfield, Senior told his wife he would stay and stick it out.

MAYFIELD: She said look, you know how he is. I called him. I said you need to leave, and he said, you know, I was in Vietnam. I know how to swim, you know, 64-year-old guy. Beyond that, it's so weird putting together -- you know, walking in and putting together clues.

ROESGEN: The military left three different marks on the house. Three times they came looking for a body and found none. But no one knows where Mayfield's father went. He says his father didn't know any cell phone numbers and didn't know how to use the Internet, so he may be stuck somewhere with no way to reach his family.

But after five weeks, Mayfield says hope is a luxury that he can't afford. As one of the few New Orleans musicians still in the city, he's been raising money for the relief effort, performing at benefits with the trumpet his father taught him to play.

MAYFIELD: I remember, when I first got the trumpet, I had no idea he knew how to play, and I kept blowing through it, and when I blew through the trumpet the first time, all I got out of it was -- then he picked the horn up and he started to play. Life is never going to be the same. It's not the same. There's nothing we can do about it. And you've got to move on.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROESGEN: Mayfield has registered his father's name with the Red Cross, but so far there is no word on where he might be or even if he's still alive.

PHILLIPS: Well, promise to keep us posted and we promise to stay on, it, Susie, all right?

ROESGEN: You bet.

PHILLIPS: Susan Roesgen, thank you so much.

Straight ahead on LIVE FROM, what happened to all those flooded cars in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina? Could some of them be for sale at a dealer near you? We'll explain.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(STOCK MARKET UPDATE)

PHILLIPS: All right, J.J., thanks so much. Well, time now to check in with CNN's Wolf Blitzer. He's standing by in Washington to tell us what's coming up in THE SITUATION ROOM. Hi, Wolf.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Hi, Kyra, thanks very much.

Coming up at the top of the hour, a case against Bill Clinton. His former FBI director speaking out about scandals, rumored scandals, and terror in Saudi Arabia. See for yourself why Louis Freeh was no fan of the president.

Plus, bird flu vaccine. President Bush flexing some diplomatic muscle to try to get one. But will the world's doctors be able to make it in time?

Also, Karl Rove set to testify in the CIA leak investigation. Will someone from the White House be indicted? We'll take a closer look.

And football game lightning strike. A high school player is killed on the field, several others injured. But should they have even been out there to begin with?

That and much more coming up in THE SITUATION ROOM. In the meantime, back to Kyra -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Thanks, Wolf. Well, in the world of entertainment, the show must go on, and it did for the Rolling Stones, who finished a concert last night in Charlottesville, Virginia, after being pulled from the stage because of a bomb threat.

With more on that story, we turn to CNN entertainment correspondent Sibila Vargas -- Sibila.

SIBILA VARGAS, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kyra, you got to think it was quite a shock for the band and its fan, as the show was interrupted by police officers and bomb-sniffing dogs. About eight songs into the show, frontman Mick Jagger announced that the band had to clear the stage temporarily. The first 20 rows of the stadium were also cleared to accommodate authorities. But about 30 minutes later, the clear was given by police and the band was able to resume the show.

Well, what do you do in if you're "The West Wing" and you want to spice up your ratings? Well, how about a live debate. The NBC presidential drama will be airing a live episode of the West Wing, featuring a debate between its two presidential candidates. Jimmy Smith and Alan Alda, who play the candidates, will go head to head live November 6th. There will be two separate live versions, one for the East Coast and one for West. Just last week, "Will and Grace" aired a live version of their show in hopes of grabbing attention.

Well, always wanting to grab attention, Martha Stewart is once again in the spotlight. The domestic diva is said to race in a giant pumpkin in Canada. The annual Pumpkin Regata features politicians, local celebrities and others who paddle across a lake in -- get this -- hollowed out giant pumpkins. I'm not kidding. There was some question earlier as to whether Martha would be allowed to participate. American citizens with criminal records need to apply for a special permit, but no worries. Canadian immigration officials speeded things up to make sure that she was allowed into the country this weekend.

Well, one title Martha Stewart isn't holding is "Esquire" magazine's sexiest woman alive. That honor goes to another lady, Jessica Biel. The actress, who will be in the upcoming film "Elizabethtown," is, in "Esquire"'s opinion, an underground icon to the men who are coming of age now. The publication says Biel is talented and about to burst onto the scene. The 23-year-old star got her big break on the hit WB TV series "Seventh Heaven," and has appeared in such films as "Stealth" and "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre." "Elizabethtown" hits theaters October 14th.

She is 23 years old, Kyra, and the sexiest woman alive.

PHILLIPS: I thought you were the sexiest woman alive.

VARGAS: Well, you know, one day...

PHILLIPS: What happened to that?

VARGAS: No, I thought you were. You know, one of these days, we will get that anchor love that we deserve.

PHILLIPS: We'd have to be going back to 23, and that's a long ways back, Sibila Vargas.

VARGAS: No, no. Don't say that! No.

PHILLIPS: Have a great weekend.

VARGAS: You, too.

PHILLIPS: All right. That wraps up this Friday edition of LIVE FROM. I'm Kyra Phillips at the CNN Center in Atlanta. Now, Wolf Blitzer, live in "THE SITUATION ROOM."

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