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Martha Stewart Released from Prison; Bush On Tour Pushing Social Security Reform
Aired March 04, 2005 - 10:00 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.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN CO-ANCHOR: Let's go ahead and get started on this Friday with a look at what's happening now in the news.
Homemaking guru Martha Stewart is back home this morning. She's beginning the second phase of her sentence for lying about stock sales. Stewart was released from a West Virginia prison just after midnight. Her five-month prison term will now be followed by five months under house arrest in Bedford, New York. She's been seen outside walk around her home within the last hour.
Syria plans a partial pullout of troops from Lebanon. An announcement could come tomorrow from Syrian President Bashir al Assad. Reports suggest some troops would be withdrawn from Lebanon and others be deployed near the border. Pressure on Syria to remove its troops has intensified since last month's assassination of former Lebanese leader Rafik Hariri.
President Bush is on the road today. He makes campaign-style appearances in New Jersey and Indiana, pushing his Social Security reform plans. The president will talk about Social Security's funding problems and the importance of personal accounts.
And just over an hour ago, President Bush nominated Stephen Johnson to head the EPA. Johnson has been with the agency for 24 years. He became acting head chief after former EPA chief Michael Leavitt was named Health and Human Services. If he's confirmed by the Senate, Johnson would become the first professional scientist to head the agency.
RICK SANCHEZ, CNN CO-ANCHOR: And hello again, everyone. I'm Rick Sanchez.
KAGAN: And good morning, I'm Daryn Kagan.
Martha Stewart is home, but not what you would say home free.
SANCHEZ: Mm-hmm. Just after midnight, Martha Stewart left the West Virginia prison where she spent the last five months. She then got on a private jet and flew to her new confine, the luxurious New York estate where she will spend another five months under house arrest.
We have two correspondents on this story. CNN's Deborah Feyerick will be joining us from the airport in Lewisburg West Virginia. Also Allan Chernoff is outside Stewart's home in Bedford New York.
Deborah, we begin with you.
DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Rick. Well, every detail of Martha Stewart's departure was orchestrated right down to the last dotting of the "I," crossing of the "T." Everything from the bodyguard to the positioning of the SUV, near enough to the cockpit so that she would have a little bit of a walk along the runway up the stairs. Orchestrated or not, however, what a picture.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FEYERICK (voice-over): Her first photo op was not at the prison but on the runway at Green Briar Valley Airport. Martha Stewart smiled and waved, and looked relaxed, wearing jeans, boots and a gray- knit shawl.
Her daughter Alexis was at her side as dozens of cameras captured a slimmer, seemingly happier Martha. She boarded the private jet with a small box of personal belongings. It was 1:00 Friday morning, 30 minutes after she left Alderson Prison in an SUV with tinted windows.
A statement posted on her company Web site also around 1:00 in the morning read in part, "The experience of the last five months in Alderson, West Virginia, has been life altering and life affirming. You can be sure that I will never forget the friends that met I here, all that they have done to help me over these five months. Their children and the stories they have told me. Right now, as you can imagine, I'm thrilled to be returning to my more familiar life. My heart is filled with joy at the prospect of the warm embraces of my family, friends and colleagues. Certainly, there is no place like home."
And that's where she headed as her plane lifted off in the frigid night air for an hour-long flight back home.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FEYERICK: Stewart vowed not to forget the friends she met in Alderson Prison, calling some of the people there "extraordinary." How that ultimately fits into her image, that has yet to be seen -- Rick.
SANCHEZ: Thanks a lot, Deborah Feyerick following that story.
By the way, we've just been told that we have some interviews coming in, that Martha Stewart had spoken with some reporters. I think we can turn that around for you. Let's go ahead and take that if we can.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you really going to bring coffee and doughnuts to us?
MARTHA STEWART, No. I think you should go and have some.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I can bring you some. STEWART: I'm fine. Anyway, thanks for the (UNINTELLIGIBLE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How are the animals?
STEWART: They're great. Did you see how pretty the horses are?
Did they miss you?
STEWART: Yes. I think they did.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Did you miss them?
STEWART: He missed me a lot.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: it's always tough to hear someone when there's a helicopter flying over their house. But there was some business about coffee and doughnuts, and a promise that she had apparently made. I don't know what else was discussed. We'll follow the story for you throughout the course of the day at Martha's estate.
KAGAN: We will do that. We want to get a look right now ahead at Martha Stewart's future. You might be surprised that when she walked out of prison she was wealthier and potentially busier than when she walked in.
Our senior correspondent Allan Chernoff is near the Stewart estate in Bedford, New York.
Good morning.
ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNNFN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Daryn. And one of the things that Martha Stewart was saying is that she'd like to once again have a cup of cappuccino. One of the things that she certainly was missing in prison.
This morning, she is getting reacquainted with her home. And in fact, spent time outside with her horses as well as her dogs. She arrived here in Bedford New York at 2:30 in the morning and went right to bed. But obviously has been up pretty early this morning.
Now, while in prison, her stock actually doubled in price. So Martha Stewart sitting in prison actually increased her net wealth on paper by about $500 million. Yes, once again, she is a billionaire.
Now, Martha Stewart, as you mentioned, will be confined to her home primarily. She'll be able to leave for about 48 hours during every single week. And she will be permitted to do some work. And there is plenty of work to be done.
The new chief executive officer of her company, Susan Lyne has told us that Martha Stewart Living Omni Media plans a vast expansion. And so Martha Stewart will be weighing in on a variety of projects. They include how to videos, also the company is planning to move into the home improvement business. This will all take some time. But Martha Stewart certainly will be involved in all that.
In addition, she will resume writing a column for her magazine "Martha Stewart Living." She will also plan two television programs. Her version of "The Apprentice" and a syndicated program, as well, that will debut in the fall. She has a baking book coming out. And friends of Martha Stewart tell us that she has also made notes for a personal book. So there's certainly the possibility that may be coming out as well.
So Daryn, certainly we have not heard the last of Martha Stewart. Much more to come.
KAGAN: Oh, no, just beginning to. My question is about this home confinement. Everything I read this morning said home confinement means in the home. She's not suppose to be out and about on the grounds. And yet there she was first thing this morning petting the horses and surveying the grounds. How does that work?
CHERNOFF: Very good question. Martha Stewart has until Sunday night to actually check in with her probation officer. Once she checks in with the probation officer, she'll receive an ankle bracelet, which will be a transmitter. That will allow the Probation Department to actually check on when Martha Stewart is in the house and when she steps out of the house. So the truth is, once she has that bracelet on, she will not be permitted to roam around her 153- acre estate.
However, it could be included as part of that 48 hours for work. Keep in mind, of course, Martha Stewart has plenty of gardening, et cetera. And it is possible that could count as work. But right now, as far as we know she doesn't have that bracelet on just yet. She'll have to meet with the Probation Department.
KAGAN: Allan Chernoff live from Bedford, New York. Thank you.
SANCHEZ: It's funny, but you look at the coverage and you look at many of the pictures that we're showing you, and it almost looks like a promo for "Martha Stewart Living." So you do ask yourself what the public reaction is and will be to Martha Stewart's legal troubles. We've got a sense of it at least.
Here's a recent CNN/"USA Today"/Gallup poll we conducted. Four out of 10 people believe that her lying to investigators about a stock trade was illegal and seriously wrong. But a majority say that she did something illegal just not seriously wrong. So while illegal, not seriously wrong. Seven percent said it wasn't even illegal.
Same polls showed -- look at this. A statistical tie between those sympathetic to Stewart and those with no sympathy for her.
Program note for you now. Catch "Martha's Makeover" on CNN's "PEOPLE IN THE NEWS" with Paula Zahn. That's tonight at 8:00 Eastern, 5 p.m. Pacific.
KAGAN: On to politics now, the Bush White House launching a campaign style blitz today. It is for Social Security reforms, a central issue of the second term. The president, vice president and other administration officials plan 60 stops in 60 day. Mr. Bush is due within the hour in Westfield, New Jersey. This afternoon he stumps on the Notre Dame campus in Indiana.
Our White House correspondent Dana Bash joins us from his first stop. Good morning, Dana.
DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Daryn. And this is the president's first trip to sell Social Security since the White House announced this week that they were going to redouble their efforts to do so. But it's important to note the president has been to nine states so far, trying to make his sales pitch. That has been since the State of the Union when he really formally put out his plan.
And instead of gaining support through his travels, several national polls show that the more people see and hear, the less they like the president's or are confident in the president's ability to reform Social Security. And the less they like the central tenant of Mr. Bush's plan. And that is, of course, to carve out some private accounts within Social Security for younger workers.
Now, yesterday the president made a trip to the Central Intelligence Agency. And there he admitted that he has his work cut out for him.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BUSH: I've got a lot more work to do. Now, I do believe we're making progress on the first stage of getting anything complicated and difficult done in Washington. And that is to explain the problem. And the surveys I have seen, at least, say that the American people understand we have a problem.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BASH: Now, the president's mantra is that virtually everything is on the table when it comes to finding a compromise for Social Security reform. Now, Bush officials over the last several days have even signaled that perhaps central tenant, private accounts, could be worth a compromise. That they could talk perhaps eventually about doing that outside of Social Security, not taking it out from within.
And several Senate Democrats are trying to flex their political muscle. They, with the leadership of Senate minority leader Harry Reid, sent the president a letter saying that 42 Democrats say that they want the president to categorically say that he will not push for those private accounts. Because they say it is essentially a nonstarter and there will be no way to get a bipartisan compromise if Mr. Bush doesn't drop that.
Now, don't expect, Daryn, the president to do that today. But certainly the president is saying over and over that it is still very early in the process. And at least they say at the White House, that Democrats are saying now that there is a problem. So they say that's at least a first step to finding a solution, although they admit it is very hard.
KAGAN: Dana Bash live on the road with the president. Thank you.
SANCHEZ: Police have been looking into the story we've been telling you about. One particular man in this Chicago murder case we've been following throughout the week. But he says the focus is on the wrong place. Still to come, white supremacist Matthew Hale's own defense.
KAGAN: And what set them off? California chimps go on attack and cause some serious injuries.
SANCHEZ: And then later, it wasn't his intention. But police officer goes for a wild ride in the back of a pickup truck. Wow. We'll explain.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: To Chicago now. A white supremacist leader says he had nothing to do with the killing of a Chicago judge's husband and mother. Matthew Hale is awaiting sentencing for trying to have that judge, Joan Lefkow, killed. Lefkow had ordered Hale's group to stop using the name of another religious group.
In statement from jail, first reported by "Time" magazine, Hale condemned the killing saying, quote, "I want the perpetrator caught and prosecuted. Only an idiot would think that I would do this." Hale faces up to 40 years in prison when he's sentence in April.
On to what is on the docket today in our "Legal Brief."
SANCHEZ: Yes. We start with Robert Blake's attorney. He's going to wrap up his closing arguments when the actor's murder trial resumes in two hours. Jurors are going to get the case after the prosecution's rebuttal. If convicted of killing his wife, the 71- year-old actor could be sentenced to life in prison.
KAGAN: Jurors in New York are deliberating against a former WorldCom chief Bernie Ebbers. In closing arguments, the defense blamed WorldCom's former chief financial officer for the company's massive accounting fraud. Prosecutors said that money, power and pressure led Ebbers to commit the fraud.
SANCHEZ: Also, the Michael Jackson child molestation trial is back in session next hour. Prosecutors are going to continue questioning the accuser's sister. The girl testified yesterday that she saw Jackson and her brothers drinking at the Neverland ranch. Jackson has denied serving the accuser alcohol.
KAGAN: Did Martha Stewart give Camp Cupcake a makeover?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They serve rolls with dinner. So she came up with the idea of making cucumber sandwiches. And so we all tried it and it was very tasty.
(LAUGHTER)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: Cucumber sandwiches. Still to come, a look at how Stewart was treated on the inside and some of the changes she made there as well.
KAGAN: And Gerri Willis is taking a look at Martha's new ankle bracelet.
GERRI WILLIS, CNN-FN PERSONAL FINANCE EDITOR: We're not talking jewelry here, Daryn. It is more like an electronic leash. We'll have more details when CNN LIVE TODAY continues.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SANCHEZ: Now out of prison. Martha Stewart faces five months of home confinement. What is it really like to have to wear an ankle bracelet 24/7, or get a call from your probation officer at any time?
CNN's Gerri Willis, she spoke to one white-collar criminal about his particular experience while he had to go through this.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WILLIS (voice-over): Former white-collar criminal Walt Pavlo spent three months under house arrest in is Savannah, Georgia. The memory of that experience remains fresh in his mind. The two-year anniversary of his release is tomorrow.
(on camera): So Walt, we're sitting in an apartment here in New York City that's about 450 square feet of space. It is pretty tiny.
WALT PAVLO, LIVED UNDER HOUSE ARREST. Right.
WILLIS: When you were under house arrest, were you in a house the size of this or far bigger?
Well, incidentally, I was in a little larger condominium. It was about 1500 square feet. But it's still very small. It's not a lot of room that you can roam while you're under home confinement.
WILLIS (voice-over): Pavlo, 42, was convicted of money laundering and wire fraud, as he says, basically cooking the books of MCI Telecom. He went to prison in March 2001 for two years. Afterwards, he went home but remained under confinement.
(on camera): Let's talk about that ankle bracelet. What leg did you have it on? Show me.
PAVLO: It was on my left ankle. And what it does is it's like about the size of, I guess, an iPod. And it kind of has a band that goes on. And it's tethered to you 24/7. It never leaves you.
WILLIS: Even when you're in the shower?
PAVLO: Even when you're in the shower, even when you go to sleep. You have to learn to kind of sleep with a big bulge on the inside of your leg. And you can't tamper with it too much, too. Because that tends to set off alarms.
WILLIS: Now, is it made out of plastic or metal? And I would think that it would chafe. I would think that after a while you'd have enough of that.
PAVLO: It definitely does. I mean it wears on you. And the more that you try to just make yourself comfortable with it, sometimes the tighter that it gets or rubs against you in a certain way. But you have to learn to kind of ignore it.
It is like when you were a kid if you have a cast and you wanted to scratch and you couldn't get to it because you don't want to be messing with it for risk of setting it off. So you just try to avoid touching it at all costs. Which is hard.
WILLIS (voice-over): Even worse says Walt...
PAVLO: You're ashamed of it. Another feeling of shame that you carry around with you. So it's difficult. So the only people I really invited in were the ones who were understanding. That didn't mind the phone call that might come from your probation officer.
WILLIS (on camera): You told me a lot about how it has really influenced your life and how you are trying to come back from that. And you feel like you're paying your debts.
PAVLO: Right.
WILLIS: It's almost as if that bracelet sort of doesn't go away. Do you know what I mean?
PAVLO: That's true. It's true. The whole stigma for a white collar felon, and not looking for any sympathy or anything, but people need to understand that it indeed in the social circle that most white collar felons come from, it's a life sentence. People look at you much differently than they ever did before.
You are in a position of trust. You were in a position of authority. And you abuse that. And there's no way to really identify what it was that made you do that. And that's frightening to a lot of people.
WILLIS: The day that you got this ankle bracelet off...
PAVLO: Right.
WILLIS: What was that like?
PAVLO: It was an unbelievable feeling. It was truly the first feeling of freedom that I had to be able to not care where I was. And when I lived in Savannah, I can tell you exactly what I did. I drove to the beach because it was as far away from anybody. I didn't want to be near anyone. For just a moment, I wanted someone not to know where I was. And just for a minute experience what a little bit of freedom tasted like.
And I didn't stay very long because I had to get back to work. But I did take my time. And it was a quick feeling to say it's over with, it's done. That part of that confinement is over with for me.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WILLIS: So as soon as Martha checks in with her probation officer, she'll be learning the limits of her own freedom. We'll be talking more about Martha, Saturday morning at 9:30 to talk about her real estate holdings. She actually is a real estate maven holding some $40 million worth of property.
We'll also talk about selling your house on your own, the best way to do it. Getting the money to invest in real estate, if you're excited about getting started investing. And our weekend project is going to be cleaning up your cluttered closet -- Rick.
SANCHEZ: That's interesting. Your show is called "OPEN HOUSE." And I guess, Martha is right now; because of her probation is kind of a closed house, isn't it?
WILLIS: Well, you could say that. Yes, Rick.
SANCHEZ: I just did.
(LAUGHTER)
SANCHEZ: Gerri Willis, thank you for that.
WILLIS: You're welcome.
KAGAN: We'll talk about traveling just ahead. One of the busiest airports in the world right here in Atlanta, but are the screeners getting the training they need to keep you safe in the sky? Your security is coming up.
SANCHEZ: And then later, they savage Mo's birthday party and left his visitors severely...
KAGAN: Hmm.
SANCHEZ: ... severely injured. Chimps go wild. It happened. It's a serious attack and we're going to talk about it.
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 March 4, 2005 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN CO-ANCHOR: Let's go ahead and get started on this Friday with a look at what's happening now in the news.
Homemaking guru Martha Stewart is back home this morning. She's beginning the second phase of her sentence for lying about stock sales. Stewart was released from a West Virginia prison just after midnight. Her five-month prison term will now be followed by five months under house arrest in Bedford, New York. She's been seen outside walk around her home within the last hour.
Syria plans a partial pullout of troops from Lebanon. An announcement could come tomorrow from Syrian President Bashir al Assad. Reports suggest some troops would be withdrawn from Lebanon and others be deployed near the border. Pressure on Syria to remove its troops has intensified since last month's assassination of former Lebanese leader Rafik Hariri.
President Bush is on the road today. He makes campaign-style appearances in New Jersey and Indiana, pushing his Social Security reform plans. The president will talk about Social Security's funding problems and the importance of personal accounts.
And just over an hour ago, President Bush nominated Stephen Johnson to head the EPA. Johnson has been with the agency for 24 years. He became acting head chief after former EPA chief Michael Leavitt was named Health and Human Services. If he's confirmed by the Senate, Johnson would become the first professional scientist to head the agency.
RICK SANCHEZ, CNN CO-ANCHOR: And hello again, everyone. I'm Rick Sanchez.
KAGAN: And good morning, I'm Daryn Kagan.
Martha Stewart is home, but not what you would say home free.
SANCHEZ: Mm-hmm. Just after midnight, Martha Stewart left the West Virginia prison where she spent the last five months. She then got on a private jet and flew to her new confine, the luxurious New York estate where she will spend another five months under house arrest.
We have two correspondents on this story. CNN's Deborah Feyerick will be joining us from the airport in Lewisburg West Virginia. Also Allan Chernoff is outside Stewart's home in Bedford New York.
Deborah, we begin with you.
DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Rick. Well, every detail of Martha Stewart's departure was orchestrated right down to the last dotting of the "I," crossing of the "T." Everything from the bodyguard to the positioning of the SUV, near enough to the cockpit so that she would have a little bit of a walk along the runway up the stairs. Orchestrated or not, however, what a picture.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FEYERICK (voice-over): Her first photo op was not at the prison but on the runway at Green Briar Valley Airport. Martha Stewart smiled and waved, and looked relaxed, wearing jeans, boots and a gray- knit shawl.
Her daughter Alexis was at her side as dozens of cameras captured a slimmer, seemingly happier Martha. She boarded the private jet with a small box of personal belongings. It was 1:00 Friday morning, 30 minutes after she left Alderson Prison in an SUV with tinted windows.
A statement posted on her company Web site also around 1:00 in the morning read in part, "The experience of the last five months in Alderson, West Virginia, has been life altering and life affirming. You can be sure that I will never forget the friends that met I here, all that they have done to help me over these five months. Their children and the stories they have told me. Right now, as you can imagine, I'm thrilled to be returning to my more familiar life. My heart is filled with joy at the prospect of the warm embraces of my family, friends and colleagues. Certainly, there is no place like home."
And that's where she headed as her plane lifted off in the frigid night air for an hour-long flight back home.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FEYERICK: Stewart vowed not to forget the friends she met in Alderson Prison, calling some of the people there "extraordinary." How that ultimately fits into her image, that has yet to be seen -- Rick.
SANCHEZ: Thanks a lot, Deborah Feyerick following that story.
By the way, we've just been told that we have some interviews coming in, that Martha Stewart had spoken with some reporters. I think we can turn that around for you. Let's go ahead and take that if we can.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you really going to bring coffee and doughnuts to us?
MARTHA STEWART, No. I think you should go and have some.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I can bring you some. STEWART: I'm fine. Anyway, thanks for the (UNINTELLIGIBLE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How are the animals?
STEWART: They're great. Did you see how pretty the horses are?
Did they miss you?
STEWART: Yes. I think they did.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Did you miss them?
STEWART: He missed me a lot.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: it's always tough to hear someone when there's a helicopter flying over their house. But there was some business about coffee and doughnuts, and a promise that she had apparently made. I don't know what else was discussed. We'll follow the story for you throughout the course of the day at Martha's estate.
KAGAN: We will do that. We want to get a look right now ahead at Martha Stewart's future. You might be surprised that when she walked out of prison she was wealthier and potentially busier than when she walked in.
Our senior correspondent Allan Chernoff is near the Stewart estate in Bedford, New York.
Good morning.
ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNNFN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Daryn. And one of the things that Martha Stewart was saying is that she'd like to once again have a cup of cappuccino. One of the things that she certainly was missing in prison.
This morning, she is getting reacquainted with her home. And in fact, spent time outside with her horses as well as her dogs. She arrived here in Bedford New York at 2:30 in the morning and went right to bed. But obviously has been up pretty early this morning.
Now, while in prison, her stock actually doubled in price. So Martha Stewart sitting in prison actually increased her net wealth on paper by about $500 million. Yes, once again, she is a billionaire.
Now, Martha Stewart, as you mentioned, will be confined to her home primarily. She'll be able to leave for about 48 hours during every single week. And she will be permitted to do some work. And there is plenty of work to be done.
The new chief executive officer of her company, Susan Lyne has told us that Martha Stewart Living Omni Media plans a vast expansion. And so Martha Stewart will be weighing in on a variety of projects. They include how to videos, also the company is planning to move into the home improvement business. This will all take some time. But Martha Stewart certainly will be involved in all that.
In addition, she will resume writing a column for her magazine "Martha Stewart Living." She will also plan two television programs. Her version of "The Apprentice" and a syndicated program, as well, that will debut in the fall. She has a baking book coming out. And friends of Martha Stewart tell us that she has also made notes for a personal book. So there's certainly the possibility that may be coming out as well.
So Daryn, certainly we have not heard the last of Martha Stewart. Much more to come.
KAGAN: Oh, no, just beginning to. My question is about this home confinement. Everything I read this morning said home confinement means in the home. She's not suppose to be out and about on the grounds. And yet there she was first thing this morning petting the horses and surveying the grounds. How does that work?
CHERNOFF: Very good question. Martha Stewart has until Sunday night to actually check in with her probation officer. Once she checks in with the probation officer, she'll receive an ankle bracelet, which will be a transmitter. That will allow the Probation Department to actually check on when Martha Stewart is in the house and when she steps out of the house. So the truth is, once she has that bracelet on, she will not be permitted to roam around her 153- acre estate.
However, it could be included as part of that 48 hours for work. Keep in mind, of course, Martha Stewart has plenty of gardening, et cetera. And it is possible that could count as work. But right now, as far as we know she doesn't have that bracelet on just yet. She'll have to meet with the Probation Department.
KAGAN: Allan Chernoff live from Bedford, New York. Thank you.
SANCHEZ: It's funny, but you look at the coverage and you look at many of the pictures that we're showing you, and it almost looks like a promo for "Martha Stewart Living." So you do ask yourself what the public reaction is and will be to Martha Stewart's legal troubles. We've got a sense of it at least.
Here's a recent CNN/"USA Today"/Gallup poll we conducted. Four out of 10 people believe that her lying to investigators about a stock trade was illegal and seriously wrong. But a majority say that she did something illegal just not seriously wrong. So while illegal, not seriously wrong. Seven percent said it wasn't even illegal.
Same polls showed -- look at this. A statistical tie between those sympathetic to Stewart and those with no sympathy for her.
Program note for you now. Catch "Martha's Makeover" on CNN's "PEOPLE IN THE NEWS" with Paula Zahn. That's tonight at 8:00 Eastern, 5 p.m. Pacific.
KAGAN: On to politics now, the Bush White House launching a campaign style blitz today. It is for Social Security reforms, a central issue of the second term. The president, vice president and other administration officials plan 60 stops in 60 day. Mr. Bush is due within the hour in Westfield, New Jersey. This afternoon he stumps on the Notre Dame campus in Indiana.
Our White House correspondent Dana Bash joins us from his first stop. Good morning, Dana.
DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Daryn. And this is the president's first trip to sell Social Security since the White House announced this week that they were going to redouble their efforts to do so. But it's important to note the president has been to nine states so far, trying to make his sales pitch. That has been since the State of the Union when he really formally put out his plan.
And instead of gaining support through his travels, several national polls show that the more people see and hear, the less they like the president's or are confident in the president's ability to reform Social Security. And the less they like the central tenant of Mr. Bush's plan. And that is, of course, to carve out some private accounts within Social Security for younger workers.
Now, yesterday the president made a trip to the Central Intelligence Agency. And there he admitted that he has his work cut out for him.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BUSH: I've got a lot more work to do. Now, I do believe we're making progress on the first stage of getting anything complicated and difficult done in Washington. And that is to explain the problem. And the surveys I have seen, at least, say that the American people understand we have a problem.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BASH: Now, the president's mantra is that virtually everything is on the table when it comes to finding a compromise for Social Security reform. Now, Bush officials over the last several days have even signaled that perhaps central tenant, private accounts, could be worth a compromise. That they could talk perhaps eventually about doing that outside of Social Security, not taking it out from within.
And several Senate Democrats are trying to flex their political muscle. They, with the leadership of Senate minority leader Harry Reid, sent the president a letter saying that 42 Democrats say that they want the president to categorically say that he will not push for those private accounts. Because they say it is essentially a nonstarter and there will be no way to get a bipartisan compromise if Mr. Bush doesn't drop that.
Now, don't expect, Daryn, the president to do that today. But certainly the president is saying over and over that it is still very early in the process. And at least they say at the White House, that Democrats are saying now that there is a problem. So they say that's at least a first step to finding a solution, although they admit it is very hard.
KAGAN: Dana Bash live on the road with the president. Thank you.
SANCHEZ: Police have been looking into the story we've been telling you about. One particular man in this Chicago murder case we've been following throughout the week. But he says the focus is on the wrong place. Still to come, white supremacist Matthew Hale's own defense.
KAGAN: And what set them off? California chimps go on attack and cause some serious injuries.
SANCHEZ: And then later, it wasn't his intention. But police officer goes for a wild ride in the back of a pickup truck. Wow. We'll explain.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: To Chicago now. A white supremacist leader says he had nothing to do with the killing of a Chicago judge's husband and mother. Matthew Hale is awaiting sentencing for trying to have that judge, Joan Lefkow, killed. Lefkow had ordered Hale's group to stop using the name of another religious group.
In statement from jail, first reported by "Time" magazine, Hale condemned the killing saying, quote, "I want the perpetrator caught and prosecuted. Only an idiot would think that I would do this." Hale faces up to 40 years in prison when he's sentence in April.
On to what is on the docket today in our "Legal Brief."
SANCHEZ: Yes. We start with Robert Blake's attorney. He's going to wrap up his closing arguments when the actor's murder trial resumes in two hours. Jurors are going to get the case after the prosecution's rebuttal. If convicted of killing his wife, the 71- year-old actor could be sentenced to life in prison.
KAGAN: Jurors in New York are deliberating against a former WorldCom chief Bernie Ebbers. In closing arguments, the defense blamed WorldCom's former chief financial officer for the company's massive accounting fraud. Prosecutors said that money, power and pressure led Ebbers to commit the fraud.
SANCHEZ: Also, the Michael Jackson child molestation trial is back in session next hour. Prosecutors are going to continue questioning the accuser's sister. The girl testified yesterday that she saw Jackson and her brothers drinking at the Neverland ranch. Jackson has denied serving the accuser alcohol.
KAGAN: Did Martha Stewart give Camp Cupcake a makeover?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They serve rolls with dinner. So she came up with the idea of making cucumber sandwiches. And so we all tried it and it was very tasty.
(LAUGHTER)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: Cucumber sandwiches. Still to come, a look at how Stewart was treated on the inside and some of the changes she made there as well.
KAGAN: And Gerri Willis is taking a look at Martha's new ankle bracelet.
GERRI WILLIS, CNN-FN PERSONAL FINANCE EDITOR: We're not talking jewelry here, Daryn. It is more like an electronic leash. We'll have more details when CNN LIVE TODAY continues.
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SANCHEZ: Now out of prison. Martha Stewart faces five months of home confinement. What is it really like to have to wear an ankle bracelet 24/7, or get a call from your probation officer at any time?
CNN's Gerri Willis, she spoke to one white-collar criminal about his particular experience while he had to go through this.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WILLIS (voice-over): Former white-collar criminal Walt Pavlo spent three months under house arrest in is Savannah, Georgia. The memory of that experience remains fresh in his mind. The two-year anniversary of his release is tomorrow.
(on camera): So Walt, we're sitting in an apartment here in New York City that's about 450 square feet of space. It is pretty tiny.
WALT PAVLO, LIVED UNDER HOUSE ARREST. Right.
WILLIS: When you were under house arrest, were you in a house the size of this or far bigger?
Well, incidentally, I was in a little larger condominium. It was about 1500 square feet. But it's still very small. It's not a lot of room that you can roam while you're under home confinement.
WILLIS (voice-over): Pavlo, 42, was convicted of money laundering and wire fraud, as he says, basically cooking the books of MCI Telecom. He went to prison in March 2001 for two years. Afterwards, he went home but remained under confinement.
(on camera): Let's talk about that ankle bracelet. What leg did you have it on? Show me.
PAVLO: It was on my left ankle. And what it does is it's like about the size of, I guess, an iPod. And it kind of has a band that goes on. And it's tethered to you 24/7. It never leaves you.
WILLIS: Even when you're in the shower?
PAVLO: Even when you're in the shower, even when you go to sleep. You have to learn to kind of sleep with a big bulge on the inside of your leg. And you can't tamper with it too much, too. Because that tends to set off alarms.
WILLIS: Now, is it made out of plastic or metal? And I would think that it would chafe. I would think that after a while you'd have enough of that.
PAVLO: It definitely does. I mean it wears on you. And the more that you try to just make yourself comfortable with it, sometimes the tighter that it gets or rubs against you in a certain way. But you have to learn to kind of ignore it.
It is like when you were a kid if you have a cast and you wanted to scratch and you couldn't get to it because you don't want to be messing with it for risk of setting it off. So you just try to avoid touching it at all costs. Which is hard.
WILLIS (voice-over): Even worse says Walt...
PAVLO: You're ashamed of it. Another feeling of shame that you carry around with you. So it's difficult. So the only people I really invited in were the ones who were understanding. That didn't mind the phone call that might come from your probation officer.
WILLIS (on camera): You told me a lot about how it has really influenced your life and how you are trying to come back from that. And you feel like you're paying your debts.
PAVLO: Right.
WILLIS: It's almost as if that bracelet sort of doesn't go away. Do you know what I mean?
PAVLO: That's true. It's true. The whole stigma for a white collar felon, and not looking for any sympathy or anything, but people need to understand that it indeed in the social circle that most white collar felons come from, it's a life sentence. People look at you much differently than they ever did before.
You are in a position of trust. You were in a position of authority. And you abuse that. And there's no way to really identify what it was that made you do that. And that's frightening to a lot of people.
WILLIS: The day that you got this ankle bracelet off...
PAVLO: Right.
WILLIS: What was that like?
PAVLO: It was an unbelievable feeling. It was truly the first feeling of freedom that I had to be able to not care where I was. And when I lived in Savannah, I can tell you exactly what I did. I drove to the beach because it was as far away from anybody. I didn't want to be near anyone. For just a moment, I wanted someone not to know where I was. And just for a minute experience what a little bit of freedom tasted like.
And I didn't stay very long because I had to get back to work. But I did take my time. And it was a quick feeling to say it's over with, it's done. That part of that confinement is over with for me.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WILLIS: So as soon as Martha checks in with her probation officer, she'll be learning the limits of her own freedom. We'll be talking more about Martha, Saturday morning at 9:30 to talk about her real estate holdings. She actually is a real estate maven holding some $40 million worth of property.
We'll also talk about selling your house on your own, the best way to do it. Getting the money to invest in real estate, if you're excited about getting started investing. And our weekend project is going to be cleaning up your cluttered closet -- Rick.
SANCHEZ: That's interesting. Your show is called "OPEN HOUSE." And I guess, Martha is right now; because of her probation is kind of a closed house, isn't it?
WILLIS: Well, you could say that. Yes, Rick.
SANCHEZ: I just did.
(LAUGHTER)
SANCHEZ: Gerri Willis, thank you for that.
WILLIS: You're welcome.
KAGAN: We'll talk about traveling just ahead. One of the busiest airports in the world right here in Atlanta, but are the screeners getting the training they need to keep you safe in the sky? Your security is coming up.
SANCHEZ: And then later, they savage Mo's birthday party and left his visitors severely...
KAGAN: Hmm.
SANCHEZ: ... severely injured. Chimps go wild. It happened. It's a serious attack and we're going to talk about it.
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