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Rumsfeld Faces Tough Questions at Atlanta Event; Insurance Tips For The Upcoming Hurricane Season; School Bus Accident in New Hampshire

Aired May 04, 2006 - 15:30   ET

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

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Southern hospitality. Well, it's not for Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. His speech at the Southern Center for International Studies here in Atlanta was interrupted by protesters and followed by some pretty pointed questions.
CNN's Brianna Keilar is there to tell us how it all went down. We saw the live pictures and sort of showed a little bit here and there, but I know you were there for the entire thing, Brianna.

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right. There were some I guess you could say unfriendly people in the crowd, but also a lot of friendly people, as well. Rumsfeld was here at the Atlanta History Center, talking about international partnerships between the U.S. and other countries. And he did receive two standing ovations, a lot of supportive clapping.

But as you saw there, he did also have to contend with a number of protesters. That included three who disrupted his talk by yelling and also holding up banners against the war in Iraq, calling Rumsfeld a war criminal, calling for him to be impeached and for President Bush to be impeached. Also there was one protester who stood -- just stood in the middle of the auditorium with his back towards Rumsfeld. And that protester actually was not escorted from the auditorium.

In addition, the talk that Rumsfeld gave was accompanied afterwards by a question and answer session. And a lot of the questions were friendly or just inquisitive. But he was confronted by one man who obviously was not very happy with Rumsfeld or the Bush administration. That was Ray McGovern. He is a 27-year veteran of the CIA, now retired, and he had this to ask Rumsfeld.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RAY MCGOVERN, CIA VETERAN: Why did you lie to get us into a war that was not necessary and that has caused these kinds of casualties? Why?

DONALD RUMSFELD, SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: Well, first of all, I haven't lied. I did not lie then. Colin Powell didn't lie. He spent weeks and weeks with the Central Intelligence Agency people, and prepared a presentation that I know he believed was accurate. And he presented that to the United Nations. The president spent weeks and weeks with the central intelligence people, and he went to the American people and made a presentation. I'm not in the intelligence business. They gave the world their honest opinion. It appears that there were not weapons of mass destruction there.

MCGOVERN: You said you knew where they were.

RUMSFELD: I did not. I said I knew where suspect sites were, and we were just...

MCGOVERN: You said you knew where they were, "near Tikrit, near Baghdad, and northeast, south and west of there." Those are your words.

RUMSFELD: My words were that --- no, no, no, wait a minute, wait a minute! Let him stay one second. Just a second. This is America, huh? You're getting plenty of play, sir.

MCGOVERN: I'd just like an honest answer.

RUMSFELD: I'm giving it to you.

MCGOVERN: We're talking about lies, and your -- your allegation that there was bulletproof evidence of ties between al Qaeda and Iraq. Was that a lie or were you misled?

RUMSFELD: Zarqawi was in Baghdad during the pre-war period. That is a fact.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: Audience members also asked Secretary Rumsfeld about other things, particularly Iraqi oil -- could Iraqi oil money help to alleviate the cost of the Iraq war on American taxpayers? Rumsfeld said that is possible. He said Iraq is exporting some oil, and that the hope is that that can increase, and that would be the situation. But he wouldn't put out a timeline on that.

He was also asked about the situation in Sudan, if the U.S. was going to be doing more there. And he said -- he started to say that the president -- then he paused and said I won't speak for the president, and he said, quote, "some people in Washington think that the U.N. should take a harsher stance on Sudan." So really a lot going on here today -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Brianna Keilar here in Atlanta, Georgia, thanks so much.

Well Happy Cuatro de Mayo. As you may have seen live in our previous hour, President Bush got an early start on Cinco de Mayo celebrations today at the White House. He took the opportunity to promote his immigration reform plan, saying it protects the dignity of immigrants. But he added new arrivals have a responsibility to adapt to their new home.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BUSH: Those who come here to start new lives in our country have responsibility to understand what America is about, and the responsibility for learn the English language so they can better understand our national character and participate fully in American life. That's what we want. Making this effort is also key to unlocking the opportunities of America, allowing new folks to rise in society and realize the American dream.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: The White House says it celebrated a day early because of a potential scheduling conflict tomorrow.

Oh, say can you sing? You bring President Bush -- you being President Bush, and the song being "The Star Spangled Banner" in Spanish. A White House spokesperson says that he doubts a published report that Mr. Bush would occasionally sing the national anthem en Espanol in the 2000 campaign. Well, last week, you'll remember the president said the anthem should be sung only in English. Spokesman Scott McClellan says the claim that's being gleefully spread by Democrats is absurd. Mr. Bush is, in McClellan's words, "not that good with his Spanish."

So what you need to know about your insurance policy before a hurricane hits. The news keeps coming. We'll keep bringing it to you. More LIVE FROM next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Nobody looks forward to the start of hurricane season 28 days from today, especially people who still have insurance issues from last season. Carolyn Gorman of the Insurance Information Institute is here with some insight on hurricane insurance.

Carolyn, it's good to see you again. You came on our show awhile back and took e-mails, and so we wanted to do it again because we've been getting a lot of questions as hurricane season approaches. We sure appreciate you joining us again.

CAROLYN GORMAN, INSURANCE INFORMATION INSTITUTE: Thank you.

PHILLIPS: First of all, let me ask you before I get to these e- mails, any changes that you've made since we last talked? It was right in the heart of Katrina. Everybody -- a lot of people were having just a nightmare with their insurance issues. Any big changes you've made?

GORMAN: Well, no, there really haven't been any changes but since the last time I was here, the claims process has begun to return to normal, so things are going along the way they should be. As I know you remember, right after Hurricane Katrina it was just a nightmare.

There were so many problems with the claims process simply because the insurers couldn't get in. So, at this point, we have about 90 percent of the claims settled. We will have paid out $58 billion last year in insured losses for the catastrophes that happened last year. PHILLIPS: All right, let's get right to the e-mails. This one, of course, coming from New Orleans. Barbara said, "Where can I get homeowners insurance for my home in Orleans Parish?"

GORMAN: Well, it's a very competitive market. However, I don't know which companies are insuring homes in Orleans Parish. Frankly, I don't know the geography well enough to know if that is one of the areas that is so very, very close to the water.

There is a state-run insurance pool in operation down in New Orleans, and I think that's probably the best place you should turn if there isn't a private insurer in your area that's willing to ensure you.

PHILLIPS: Janet from Ft. Myers, Florida says, "My roof blew off. I could not get a contractor for six months. Mold destroyed the inside of my house. The insurance company refuses to pay for the mold damage because they say I should have controlled it. What's with this?"

GORMAN: Well, I am -- it's an individual claim, and I really can't discuss with you the circumstances of it because I really don't know what they are.

PHILLIPS: So many people had mold damage, though. Remember, I mean, we showed the pictures of it. Almost every single home had mold damage. And that was one of the big complaints is that insurance companies wouldn't cover the cost for that. Overall is that just something that insurance doesn't cover, mold?

GORMAN: Well, mold isn't covered unless it's the result -- the direct result of a covered peril. So if your roof blew off, it would certainly appear that it would be. However, as I say, I don't know the specific circumstances of your situation.

I do hope that you had blue tarps or some other kind of barrier on your roof over the course of this period of time, and that you have created enough ventilation so that this wouldn't occur. If you hadn't done that, I can certainly see how mold would have grown and it would be a problem with your insurance company.

PHILLIPS: All right. Steven from Florida says, "I own a small business in south Florida. I have business interruption insurance for loss of income, but they will not cover loss due to the electrical outage. I cannot open my business without power. My insurance company has denied all of my claims so far."

GORMAN: Well, he is right that business interruption insurance does not cover such things as utility outages. That's because it's simply not under the control of the insurance company. Now, if it had been that the local officials had drawn a cordon around his area and said no one can go in here, then that's the sort of thing that would be covered, but electrical outages is not one of them.

PHILLIPS: All right. And final e-mail coming from Sunset Beach, North Carolina: "Insurance companies located in North Carolina will not insure east of I-95. If clients file a claim due to a hurricane, their insurance will be canceled. What can people do who live in this area?"

GORMAN: Well, that's a situation where you need to be buying your windstorm coverage or -- from a windstorm pool which is, once again, operated by the state, although it is backed by insurance companies. So you should speak to your agent and find out how to get a policy through the windstorm pool that is probably in existence there.

PHILLIPS: Carolyn Gorman, vice president of the Insurance Information Institute. Thanks so much for your time, Carolyn, and I'm going to leave our viewers with two Web sites that Carolyn actually suggested that you can log onto if you have more questions.

Here they are. It's www.FloodSmart.gov. Carolyn was saying that homeowners can go to this Web site, type in their address and the site will tell them what their flood risk is.

Also the other one that Carolyn suggested, www.III.org. Homeowners can go here to find out about regular homeowners insurance. Carolyn Gorman, thanks so much.

Well, CNN is your hurricane headquarters, and our meteorologist Reynolds Wolf joins us now with your "Hurricane 101" -- Reynolds.

REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: That's right. And at this point, we're going to talk about wind, we're going to talk about heavy rain, we're going to talk about soggy soil, and how it all plays in together.

But first, we want you to take a look at this video that we have for you, some of the images that we have seen over the past season showing you all the devastation we have had from these enormous storms, the largest storms on the planet.

And the video that we're going to show you, of course, is going to show you some of these trees that have been toppled down, usually one of the first casualties of these storms when they come onshore.

Now, one problem that we have, first and foremost, right along the immediate coastline, is the water that comes in from the storm surge which can be anywhere from a few feet up to 18 feet. That comes onshore. That saturates the soil.

Then on top of it, of course, you have the heavy rainfall which can fall in inches or even up to feet as the storm makes its way onshore. That makes the soil, as you can imagine, very, very weak.

Then you have the strong winds with these hurricanes, of course, in excess of 74 miles per hour which is just above -- that is a Category 1 which can be, obviously, much stronger, especially in cases of say a Hugo, an Andrew or, of course, a Katrina.

And when you have these shallow root systems, these tall trees, the weakened soil, it all just goes together. It's all the recipe, if you will, that creates the problems that we have with those trees, especially along the shoreline but also in places inland.

And it's going to be something we're going to be dealing with, again, as we look at these hurricanes, not just the ones in the past but the ones we're going to see, of course, in the future. Back to you.

PHILLIPS: Thanks, Reynolds.

WOLF: You betcha.

PHILLIPS: A Connecticut suburb rattled after a series of vicious attacks, but hundreds of supporters are lining up behind the culprit. Can they save Lewis from lethal injection? LIVE FROM goes straight to the litter box for the latest.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Every kid needs an education right? Welcome to the school of hard knocks. The single-minded goat rammed the glass door at a school in Plano, Texas, dozens of times before it finally shattered. An animal expert thinks he was attacking his reflection in the glass, butting heads he believed with another male goat.

Not able to testify in his own defense, sentenced by a judge to die for his crimes against humanity, who will speak for Lewis? Turns out, there's a lot of people with a soft spot for a killer kitty and not just on the LIVE FROM team. Darren Duarte was the story from Fairfield, Connecticut and our affiliate WTNH.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DARREN DUARTE, WTNH CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Louis is the infamous Fairfield cat under house arrest for terrorizing a neighborhood. His victims have provided proof they were attacked by the 10-pound feline.

His owner has been defending Lewis in court ever since. Now she is getting help through MySpace.com.

ERIN REEVES, SUPPORTS LEWIS: We made this site as a comic, a joke between some of our friends.

DUARTE: A joke that turned into a fan club.

REEVES: It has just spread.

DUARTE: Erin Reeves created a profile for Lewis on MySpace.

REEVES: It started that I didn't want to see this poor woman lose her cat.

DUARTE: The response has been overwhelming.

REEVES: I think we've almost hit 600 friends on this MySpace and the profile has been looked at, I think thousands of times.

DUARTE: Reeves says most of the comments posted are supportive like this one.

REEVES: Hi, Lewis, we are all pulling for you. I'm a veterinarian and I know you are well loved in our circle.

DUARTE: The Fairfield University grad student went to see Lewis to talk to his owner about how she could help clear his name. Last week they decided to sell T-shirts, all kinds for all ages at 20 bucks a pop.

REEVES: So far I checked this afternoon and I think its raised about $600 so far.

DUARTE: The money comes in just in time to help Ruth Cisero, who faces reckless endangerment charges and mounting legal fees.

REEVES: I think it has gotten to be a mess. I don't really know what to think of it. I'm just hoping it turns out OK in the end for her.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Late breaking Lewis news. His fate will be decided at a jury trial. Lewis' owner, Ruth Cisero decided to plead not guilty to a charge of second degree reckless endangerment. So she and Lewis will take their chances in court. That case has been continued until May 23rd. Count on LIVE FROM for complete coverage. I wonder if Nancy Grace knows about this. We're going to have to let her know.

Ali Velshi has the closing bell next. The news keeps coming, we'll keep bringing it to you. More LIVE FROM next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Carol Lin working some information on a school bus crash. Carol?

CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: Kyra, this is the situation as we know. It's in Conway, New Hampshire and students are being treated on the scene of a school bus crash.

We can tell you that the local affiliate out there in New Hampshire is reporting that they are middle school student -- yes ages 7 through 12, perhaps, and that police and rescue are on the scene right now.

You're looking at a map where we can kind of give you an idea of where it happened. It's on route 16, it's between the interstates of 93 and 295 near the main border. A difficult place to get to at this point.

And that there are a number of injuries. There are students who are being transported to the hospital. But Kyra, this is what we know at this point right now parents going to the scene. It's on a school bus route there that has been shut down as a result of the accident.

PHILLIPS: All right Carol, keeping us up to date. Thank you very much.

A triple threat, twice over. Triplets Elyssa, Evan and Eric are the newest additions to a New Jersey family. And babies make six as they join their two-year-old siblings Danielle, David and Dylan. Both sets of triplets were conceived with the help of fertility drugs. But mother Sharon Fontana says she was surprised by the crowd.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHARON FONTANA, MOTHER: I went to the doctors when I found out I was pregnant and I was only supposed to have one. And then when I went back to the doctor for another ultrasound, they told me it was twins.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: So we put the numbers together. In their full house, the Fontanas will go through an estimated 40 diapers and three dozen bottles a day.

Different kind of natal number making news across the pond. Patricia Rashbrook will be 63-years-old when her baby is born in a couple of months. Not that it is any kind of big business, but Rashbrook has two grown children from an earlier marriage but underwent fertility treatments to have this child with her new husband.

And rounding out our trifecta of tot tidbits, welcome to Olivia who arrived in the world weighing 14 -- yes, I said 14 pounds. But here's the real jaw dropper. She was a premmie born a month before her due date. Doctors say if she had gone full term, she could have tipped the scales or tipped the scales over at 16 pounds.

Ali Velshi, that was a little baby block just for you.

ALI VELSHI, CNN ANCHOR: What are you doing to me? What am I supposed to do? You've got 16 cute little babies on T.V.

PHILLIPS: Well, you can tell our viewers -- well maybe you have found the perfect woman. I guess I shouldn't speak out of tongue.

VELSHI: Where are you going with this?

PHILLIPS: Let's get back to the karaoke. Do you like that little segue?

VELSHI: You know what, I was thinking about it.

PHILLIPS: No, a viewer wrote it. They've got a song for you.

VELSHI: What's that?

PHILLIPS: Kyra -- this comes from SAS (ph). I wish I knew the full name to give this person full credit. "Get Ali to sing Jim Dandy to the Rescue, Black Oak Arkansas style. Remember the guys from the '70s, Jim Dandy Mangrum and his painted on Spandex pants and no shirt, who strutted about and played a wash board." What do you think?

VELSHI: No. But thanks for calling in. You see, it's people who listen to advice like that who don't get discovered. That's a career-ending move.

PHILLIPS: I love you, Ali. We've got to get to the closing bell. I'll see you tomorrow.

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

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