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Andy Card Resigns as Chief of Staff; Heated Immigration Debate Heads to Senate; Thousands Protest Youth Labor Laws in France

Aired March 28, 2006 - 10:00   ET

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

DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Whispering about this for days. Today the president put one card on the table you might say. Andy Card, that is, is out as chief of staff. Let's go ahead and bring in White House Correspondent Ed Henry with more on that.
So, Ed, is this the shake-up they've been talking about?

ED HENRY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It may not be the end. It may just be the beginning. You're right, Andy Card out now as White House chief of staff. In is Josh Bolten, formerly the White House budget chief. He officially takes the reins on April 14th. The president making that announcement just over an hour or so in the Oval Office. We're expecting the president to talk again in a little as well in the Rose Garden.

Now Andy Card has been at the president's side from day one of this administration. He served as well in the first Bush administration for the president's father as transportation secretary. Deep ties to this president and his family. You'll remember on 9/11 it was Andy Card who whispered in the president's ear that America was under attack. This White House chief of staff job a back breaking pace. The average tenure, two years for a White House chief of staff. Andy Card, though, has been on the job for five and a half years.

That helped spark some of this buzz in recent weeks. Republican critics saying that when you put that together with some of the missteps, with the declining poll numbers of the president, that it was time for some sort of a shake-up, some fresh blood, some new faces. But this may not quiet some of the Republican critics, because when you look at it, Josh Bolten has also been at this president's side from day one. He was a deputy to Andy Card. Then he became the budget chief. Here's the president on the credentials of Josh Bolten.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: No person is better prepared for this important position and I'm honored that Josh has agreed to serve. The next three years will demand much of those who serve our country. We have a global war to fight and win. We have great opportunities to expand the prosperity and compassion of America. We've come far as a nation, yet there's a lot on the road ahead. I'm honored to have served with Andrew Card. I've got great confidence in my next chief of staff.

Congratulations, Josh.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HENRY: But Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer immediately reacted, along with other Democrats, with Schumer saying that this is basically, in his view, like rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic, not really a major shake-up. Not wholesale changes. And that's why we may hear some more calls from Republicans to bring in more new faces and newer faces, frankly, than Josh Bolten, since he has been at this president's side, as well, since day one of the Bush administration.

We heard talk about a gray beard coming in. Maybe an unofficial ambassador to Capitol Hill to try to repair some of those frayed relations between the president and some top Republicans in the wake of the Dubai ports fiasco. Some names like former Senator Fred Thompson has popped up as a possibility. We have to wait and hear from the president whether there will be more changes. I can tell you, one senior official here at the White House told me a short while ago that that decision about whether there will be more changes will be up to two people, the president and his new chief of staff.

Daryn.

KAGAN: So we've already heard from the president once today but we will hear from him again. Tell me about the event that's coming up in the Rose Garden, Ed.

HENRY: Well, that's right. The president after announcing this personnel change in the Oval Office, went into the cabinet room for a meeting with his cabinet. That focus is on Iraq. He's talking to cabinet secretaries about how they can get their departments here in the United States to coordinate, to help get the new Iraqi government on its feet. And so he's expected to then come to the Rose Garden when the cabinet meeting breaks up, talk a little bit about Iraq and that coordination effort here by the administration. But you can bet if he opens it to questions, there's going to be a lot of questions about the buzz here this morning, which is all about the shake-up.

Daryn.

KAGAN: It's an event that's set to begin very soon at the White House. You'll see it live right here on CNN.

Ed Henry at the White House, thank you.

Question. Should millions of illegal immigrants be allowed to stay here in the U.S.? That is exactly what could happen under a sweeping immigration bill that the Senate is debating today. The Senate Judiciary Committee approved the measure on Monday. It would let illegal immigrants already in the U.S. apply for citizenship after working for six years.

First, they would have to pay a total of $2,000 in fines and they'd also have to pass a background check. The Senate bill is not nearly as tough as a House measure passed back in December. That measure would make crossing the border without permission a felony. The House bill also requires a 700 mile long fence to be built along the boarder with Mexico.

Someone who has been tracking this hot button topic for years is our own Lou Dobbs and we've tracked him down to talk to him this morning about this.

Lou, good morning.

LOU DOBBS, CNN'S "LOU DOBBS TONIGHT": Good morning, Daryn. How are you?

KAGAN: I'm doing great.

But I'll tell you, you need a scorecard to keep up with all these different proposals that are floating through Congress.

DOBBS: You do.

KAGAN: So I just wanted to go down a few of them with you.

DOBBS: Sure.

KAGAN: First of all, this one that goes through the Senate Judiciary Committee yesterday that the full Senate now looks at. This idea, basically call it amnesty. You've been here, you follow some more rules, you're in as a citizen. What do you think of that?

DOBBS: I think you're talking in straight-forward language, which is what the American people need to hear more of. Unfortunately, we're not hearing it out of Washington, D.C. You're exactly right.

What the Senate Judiciary has passed is nothing more than amnesty out of committee. They have also bought into the ag jobs bill. And there is absolutely -- this is just a travesty what we're witnessing right now in Washington, D.C., because they're talking about a guest worker program, as the president has, using his political capital here. One can argue how much he has left. But he is twisting the arms of the Judiciary Committee and, with an amnesty program, without the ability to secure our borders, Daryn, this is going to be again another horrible joke perpetrated on working men and women in this country.

You know, interestingly, Daryn, the Pew Hispanic Center a year and a half ago release a study showing that 2 million illegal immigrants take the jobs of 2 million Hispanic workers who are already in this country. It is . . .

KAGAN: Lou, the president says these are jobs that Americans don't want to do.

DOBBS: Well, I think he's exactly right. These are jobs that Americans don't want to do for exploitive wages. We are witnessing the Senate Judiciary Committee basically roll over for corporate America, illegal employers and say it is fine to exploit and deny the basic American dignity of a working man and woman and allow them to be exploited. Americans would gladly take nearly all of these jobs if they paid a reasonable amount of money. A decent, decent wage. But the truth . . .

KAGAN: Let me take that a step farther, Lou.

DOBBS: Sure.

KAGAN: Then but to the American consumer, what the American consumer, did they really want to pay the kind of prices for these services that it would cost if those people were paid more money?

DOBBS: Daryn, think about this, because this is part of the myth making nonsense emanating from Washington. We haven't raised the minimum wage in this country for nine years. States are raising their own minimum wages, 10 of them. A recent study shows if you raise the minimum wage, you not only give dignity and the opportunity for a man and his wife to raise a family, you also lift the entire economy. People would gladly, gladly pay more if they were earning more.

It is not a complicated economic concept. This is the stuff of corporate America, it's dominance over our political system, and, frankly, Daryn, both political parties and working men and women in this country, our middle class, have got to awaken to the fact there is a war being waged right now on them. And by both parties.

KAGAN: If you want to talk tough, let's talk the tougher bill, the House bill. This 700 mile fence plus you are an illegal immigrant, you are a felon.

DOBBS: Right.

KAGAN: What do you think of that idea?

DOBBS: I think making it a felon may be going too far. A felon.

KAGAN: A felony.

DOBBS: A felony. But the fact is, we -- it's a very simple proposition here. If we want to truly reform immigration, and what you're watching again, I say, in the Senate Judiciary Committee, is nothing more than a sham. But the American people should be used to shams now because we're not controlling our borders.

If you want to reform, Daryn, immigration in this country, what's the first thing you have to do? You have to be able to control immigration. And you can't control immigration unless you control and secure your own border.

Let's say the number is 11 million, although some studies put the number as high as 20 million illegal aliens in this country. That not only amounts to a shift of six to 10 congressional seats among the states based on the population of illegal immigration, the fact is those illegal aliens are costing our economy $200 billion in depressed wages for working Americans. It is costing $50 billion a year in social and medical costs. And it's costing us, no one knows precisely how much to incarcerate what is about a third of our prison population who are illegal aliens.

KAGAN: OK, Lou, let me ask you this. What do you . . .

DOBBS: This is mindless.

KAGAN: What do you make of these . . .

DOBBS: I mean this guest worker program, which by the way has worked in no country anywhere in the world. The fact is, we already have a program. If you want guest workers, you can apply for visas. The Congress is perfectly capable of raising the limit on those visas. And illegal employers, illegal employers then would have to pay taxes. They would have to pay reasonable wages. Those who are working here then would be paid for by the employers.

But that isn't what they want. They want you and me and every other American citizen to pay for their healthcare, their social benefits. Daryn, right now an illegal alien in this country is entitled to better healthcare, better social services than working men and women who are American citizens. And that's a shame and a disgrace (ph).

KAGAN: Let me ask you this. What do you make of these pictures that we've been seeing popping up in protests all across the country? Los Angeles, a half million people. We saw kids walk out of school in L.A. yesterday. We saw Detroit. What do you make out of these people who are coming out and these voices?

DOBBS: Well, I think it's interesting the pictures you're showing with a Mexican flag flying. It's appropriate because Vincente Fox, the president of Mexico, is setting the immigration policy of the United States right now. He's determining that 10 percent of his population will move to the United States. That tax paying American citizens will pay for their social care, their healthcare, their medical care, also their incarceration.

These are, for the most part, good, hardworking people. But there are millions of good, hardworking people in this country who are American citizens. And if you did create this so called guest worker program, this amnesty program, how in the world would you keep another 11 million or 20 million from crossing the border and doing precisely the same thing? It's an utter, utter sham.

KAGAN: You are heading to Mexico, to Cancun, to this summit. President Bush will be there, President Fox and also leaders of Canada. What are you looking for to come out of this?

DOBBS: I think it's going to be interesting to see what the three leaders come up with, if they can come up with anything. You know, there's this preposterous proposal -- now, mind you, 3 million illegal aliens are estimated to cross our border each year. We cannot screen our own ports for radioactive material for dirty bombs. Less than 1 percent of that cargo is being screened. Less than 6 percent is being inspected at all.

And these three leaders of the NAFTA countries are talking about expanding to a perimeter that encompasses all three countries. It is utterly mindless. But this is the kind of leadership that we've grown to expect from Washington, from both parties, and it's got to stop for the well-being of the American people.

KAGAN: Lou Dobbs on his way to Mexico. I hope they're ready for you, Lou.

DOBBS: Well, I'm certainly ready for them and I know they're more than ready for me.

KAGAN: El Hefa (ph) the boss headed down. All right, Lou, you have a safe trip. Thanks for spending some time with us before you south.

DOBBS: Thank you, Daryn. Good to be with you.

KAGAN: And it is just one more day before Lou Dobbs heads to Mexico. The summit, as we mentioned, between the U.S., Mexico and Canada. Three leaders and Lou live from Mexico. That's this week. It starts tomorrow at 6:00 p.m. Eastern right here on CNN.

Well, talk about a big job. We've been focusing on illegal immigrants coming into the U.S., but it's up to the U.S. border patrol to try to keep them out. We're going to take a look at how the patrol is carrying out that job.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The U.S. border patrol got its start in the early 1900s. For a handful of agents on horseback, the job involved patrolling desolate, often rugged areas along the borders with Mexico and Canada. More than 11,000 men and women continue during that work today, patrolling nearly 6,000 miles of border area, as well as some 2,000 miles of coastal waters and the island of the U.S. territory of Porto Rico.

While horses are still used, the border patrol covers deserts, canyons and mountains in SUV, all terrain motorcycle, snowmobiles, bicycles and planes. A recent addition is their equipment, unmanned aerial vehicles.

While charged with stopping the flow of illegal immigrants, another crucial job is trying to ensure terrorists and weapons of mass destruction don't get into the U.S. The patrol says that last year over 1 million people were arrested for illegally entering the country. Agents also play a role in the war on drugs. With help from sniffer dogs, agents seized more than 12,000 pounds of cocaine and over a million pounds of marijuana last year.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: We've been watching the pictures. A lot of people taking to the streets. We've seen the crowds in cities all over the U.S. The immigration debate heating up. Ahead here on CNN LIVE TODAY, find out about the grass roots efforts to get the people into the streets. President Bush, no doubt, will take questions about immigration policy. Ahead, he's holding a question and answer session with reporters in the Rose Garden of the White House. You'll see that live here on CNN. Right now a quick break for us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Markets have been open about 47 minutes. Not a lot of time for a lot of movement. You can see the Dow is down a little bit. It is down six points. And the Nasdaq is barely moving. It is up but barely even a point.

It is all about power. Does the president have the authority to try a terror suspect in the military court or does the Geneva Convention trump the tribunal? The Supreme Court will hear both sides of the argument this morning. The important case centers around Salim Akmed Hamdan. He is who the government says is a terrorist. But he admits that he chauffeured Osama bin Laden around Afghanistan. But only, he says, to make a living, not to take part in plots. Hamdan doesn't want a military trial at Guantanamo. He says he wants justice in a civilian court.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LT. CMDR. CHARLES SWIFT, HAMDAN'S ATTORNEY: In this particular conflict, the president has asserted that he has basically a blank check to do whatever he deems necessary and we disagree with that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: Chief Justice John Roberts has recused himself from this case. He previously heard the case back when he was an appeals court judge.

Dirty bombs and poor boarders. An undercover investigation shows just how easy it is to smuggle nuclear material into the U.S. The Senate subcommittee this hour is reviewing how the weak links in the systems were exposed. Radiation detectors did sniff out the deadly cargo, but the undercover agents were still able to get it through by using bogus documents. Officials say they waved through enough material, in fact, to make two dirty bombs. The undercover test targeted Texas' boarder with Mexico and Washington state's boarder with Canada. The Bush administration says that within 45 days border agents will have the tools to verify potentially bogus documents.

The case of a minister killed and his wife under arrest, it has captured the attention of the country. But, in a lot of ways, the story isn't unique. A look at that ahead on CNN LIVE TODAY.

We'll get to that. But first we want to go live to the White House. President Bush with his cabinet on either side of him. He has just had a cabinet meeting, coming out into the Rose Garden. And as we zero in, you can see the top left of your screen, Andy Card, the now outgoing chief of staff. Our Ed Henry is standing by as we wait for the president to come into the Rose Garden.

Ed, talk about the changes that we're seeing.

HENRY: Good morning, Daryn.

That's right, I'm in the Rose Garden waiting for the president to come out. Obviously he's here to talk about Iraq. That's why you see General Peter Pace, the Joint Chief's chairman, as well as the cabinet, the vice president, Defense Secretary Rumsfeld right in the front. But all the buzz here this morning obviously about the staff shake-up. Could be the first of more. Obviously a lot of talk about whether this is just the beginning or the end of changes. There's been a lot of pressure on this president with his declining poll numbers.

And here's the president now coming out of the Oval Office heading in. Let's go right to him.

KAGAN: The president walking up to the podium, taking questions and answer from the national media. Let's listen in.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Good morning.

We've just finished our third cabinet meeting of this year. I want to thank my cabinet members for joining us. We talked about the war on terror. We talked about a war on terror that requires all of us involved in government to respond and to protect America and help spread freedom. My cabinet officials, obviously, have got many responsibilities in their agencies. But we talked about their need to assume additional responsibilities, to make sure that we're using every element of national power to win the war on terror and to secure the peace.

This morning we had briefings from General Abizaid, Ambassador Khalilzad and General Casey. We heard from the ambassador about work toward a unity government. Pleased to hear from Zal that the Iraqis are now back at the table discussing the formation of a government, the process by which they will conduct a government once the unity government is formed, as well as, obviously, beginning to continue -- or continuing to discuss who will fill the key slots in the government.

We also heard from General Abizaid who's -- as well as General Casey. They reported on their ongoing efforts to win this war on terror, to defeat the enemy all around General Abizaid's theater of responsibility, as well as defeat the enemy in the central front of the war on terror, which is Iraq.

I appreciate very much General Pace joining us today as well. These leaders, folks on the ground, who know the condition on the ground, recognize this is hard work, but they also report on steady progress that we're making toward meeting our important goals. And important goal is to make sure Iraq is a democracy that can sustain herself, defend herself and is not a safe haven for the terrorists.

Tomorrow I'm going to deliver a third series of speeches about the situation in Iraq. During Saddam Hussein's brutal rule, he exploited the ethnic and religious diversity of Iraq by setting communities against one another and now the terrorists and former regime elements are doing the same. They're trying to set off a civil war through acts of sectarian violence.

The United States and our Iraqi forces cannot be defeated militarily. The only thing the Iraqi insurgents, as well as terrorists, can possibly do is to cause us to lose our nerve and retreat, to withdraw. I'm going to discuss how the Iraqi people and our coalition continue to work together to build a stable and free and prosperous Iraq. I will remind the people we're not going to lose our nerve. The stakes are high. We will complete this mission.

Our strategy for rebuilding Iraq is comprehensive and it includes a commitment from all parts of the federal government. Secretary Rice encouraged our cabinet members to build relationships with their counterparts in Iraq once the new Iraqi government is formed. And I expect them to follow through on their commitments. See, by making a broad commitment from the federal government, we'll help the Iraqis establish a democracy, we'll help them build the institutions necessary for a stable society, and we'll help defeat the terrorists.

Today was the -- today two members of my cabinet, we had a chance to honor two members of my cabinet who won't be with us much longer. Secretary of the Interior Gale Norton and Chief of Staff Andy Card. These two folks have served our country with distinction and honor. I'm proud to work side by side with them and I'm proud to call them friend. Thank you all very much.

KAGAN: Well, that was different than we thought it was going to be. We thought it was going to be a question and answer session. No, it was just the president's chance to come out and make some statements on morning news coming out of the White House, a change in his chief of staff.

Ed, why don't you take it from here, Ed Henry, our White House correspondent.

HENRY: Well, you could hear the president did not answer the question that was shouted about whether or not he will be making more staff changes. Clearly, there are a lot of questions about whether this is the beginning or the end of a shake-up. There's been a lot of pressure from Capitol Hill to bring in some fresh faces, some new blood.

And there were some questions, obviously, as to whether Josh Bolten is really a fresh face. He's someone, who, like Andy Card, has been at this president's side since the beginning of the Bush administration in different roles. First as a deputy chief of staff to Card, then as the White House budget chief.

This is the only change we know about right now, but there have been rumblings about the possibility of bringing in maybe an unofficial ambassador to Capitol Hill. Someone that former Senator Fred Thompson, former Senator Dan Cots (ph). Someone who can try to help repair some of the frayed relations this president is having with some of his usually reliable Republican allies on The Hill, specifically in the wake of the Dubai ports fiasco. Daryn.

KAGAN: Ed Henry at the White House. Ed, thank you.

A lot more news ahead, including the preacher killed by his own wife. He is laid to rest today. We'll go live to Tennessee for details on that after this break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Those aren't lonely people. Those are -- that's my wonderful team. But we are talking about loneliness. Turns out it can physically break your heart in more ways than you might think. Scientists have found that lonely people over the age of 50 run a greater risk of high blood pressure. The older and lonelier, the higher the risk it seems. People in the study who considered themselves extremely isolated had blood pressure readings as much as 30 points higher than social folks. The study's lead research at the University of Chicago calls these findings quite stunning. So do your heart a favor, go make a friend.

All right, admit it, a lot of you nodded off when you were in social studies class. Experts are taking a closer look at the problem of sleepy teenagers. They found that staying up late and starting school early really do take a toll. Really? You think so? Only one in five adolescents are getting the recommended nine hours of shut eye on school nights. More than one in four falls asleep in class. I don't think those two are falling asleep. And more than half of teens say they have driven while drowsy and have done that recently.

A close knit community says good-bye to a slain minister. A funeral for Matthew Winkler will be held at the Tennessee church where he preached. Just a short distance away, his wife sits in jail charged with killing him. Our Rusty Dornin has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): She planned it and then she shot her husband in the back. At least that's what police say Mary Winkler told them. Eyes downcast as she shuffled into the courtroom, Mary Winkler looked up only to speak to the judge.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you have any questions?

MARY WINKLER, ACCUSED OF KILLING HUSBAND: No, sir.

DORNIN: No plea and no answers as to why a woman known to be the loving wife of the local minister would do something so out of character. Pam Killingsworth doesn't have any answers. A teacher at the same school where Winkler is a substitute, she went to jail to see her.

PAM KILLINGSWORTH, FAMILY FRIEND: She waved at the window and she smiled at me and I smiled at her.

DORNIN: Visiting with her fellow church member through the bulletproof glass, she says Winkler begged her to write a note to the congregation and the community.

KILLINGSWORTH: "Tell them that I'm so sorry for everything that I've done," and to "Tell them to pray for me, and I am asking for forgiveness for everything that I've done."

DORNIN: Several of her fellow church members were in court to let Mary Winkler know they care.

Her attorneys say Winkler will plead not guilty. But what about the confession?

LESLIE BALLIN, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Whether or not when a person tells their side of what happened, it amounts to a confession, that is an admission of guilt, that's something else.

DORNIN (on camera): Your you're questioning that? You're questioning that?

BALLIN: I'm questioning whether or not it's a confession. It may be a statement of what happened, but I don't know what is contained in that statement.

DORNIN (voice-over): Her attorneys say we may learn that the public face of the Winkler family was very different from the private one. But just what did go on behind closed doors at the Winkler home?

(on camera): Police have pretty much ruled out infidelity, but they won't comment on domestic abuse. Did you ever see any signs in school with those children of domestic abuse?

KILLINGSWORTH: I never saw any signs of domestic abuse. Mary never -- she never said anything. And as much as I was with the children, nothing was ever said. There were no actions.

Usually there will be telltale signs. A child will act a certain way. Their body language -- there was never any of that with either one of those children.

DORNIN (voice-over): While most who knew the Winklers describe them in glowing terms, one neighbor says she saw a different side of Matthew Winkler.

SHARYN EVERITT, NEIGHBOR: It was totally not what I expected from a preacher.

DORNIN: Sharyn Everitt says Winkler was angry about her dog's running loose in the yard and frightened her children.

EVERITT: And then he said, "If that dog comes over to my yard I'll shoot it."

DORNIN: He says he repeated the warning to her husband six months later. An isolated incident, perhaps, but Everett wonders.

EVERITT: He wasn't perfect. He absolutely -- I mean, if we're going to elevate him to sainthood, let's wait until after the court and let's see what really did happen.

DORNIN: At the preliminary hearing on Thursday police will likely use Mary Winkler's own words to say what happened. Her husband's funeral will be held at the same church where he preached for the last year.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: And Rusty Dornin is live in Selmer, Alabama. Rusty, is today's funeral service expected to draw a big crowd?

DORNIN: There were big crowds last night at the visitation that went on for three hours, Daryn. About 200 or 300 people came to that. This is a very popular minister. He'd only been here for a year, but he was drawing a lot of people into the congregation. The congregation had grown.

He also comes from a family of ministers. His father and his grandfather were all ministers in the Church of Christ. They have written books, that sort of thing. So people are expected to come from all turnover region, and of course from Nashville, which is where he was a youth minister.

KAGAN: And you talked a little bit about what the prosecution is expected to do. Is there a defense that's already developing here?

DORNIN: Well, you know, they say they haven't even seen the confession yet, and that police are not sharing with them what Mary Winkler said about why she killed her husband. So they're -- they say that they're just formulating their defense at this point.

They're going to going to look into whether she's going to go under a psychological evaluation. Of course, it keeps being brought up some sort of postpartum depression. That's going to be looked at. They said they're going -- they're still formulating their strategy for this defense.

KAGAN: Rusty Dornin, live from Selmer, Alabama. Thank you. On those questions and grief in Tennessee as this case unfolds, in a lot of ways, this story is actually sadly familiar.

Our Randi Kaye now with a report first seen on CNN's "ANDERSON COOPER."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The pictures rarely hint at the violence that's to come. And when it strikes, disbelief.

SHARON ROCHA, LACI PETERSON'S MOTHER: We feel Scott has nothing to do with it, with the disappearance of Laci.

KAYE: A young man kills his pregnant wife. A woman murders her ex-husband and his new wife. A husband confesses to dumping his beloved's body in the trash. It happens too often. According to the Justice Department, nearly one in 10 of all murders in 2004 were committed by spouses or lovers. More than 1,300 people. Perhaps more than any other kind of violence this kind is hardest to accept.

ROBI LUDWIG, PSYCHOTHERAPIST: There is this notion with marriage that you have found your partner for life. This is the person that you should feel most safe with. So to think that somehow you could marry your killer is a quite bizarre thought.

KAYE: Women are more often the victims. One-third of women who are murdered die at the hands of their husbands or boyfriends. Fewer than 3 percent of men who are murdered are killed by their wives or girlfriends.

The case of Mary Winkler, the preacher's wife now charged with murder, has stunned the family's community, and that sense of shock is familiar to those who study such crimes.

B. J. BERNSTEIN, FMR. PROSECUTOR: What is common is to find that it's shocking to everyone in the outside world that anything is going on wrong at home, particularly in a situation like this, where she's married to a minister.

LUDWIG: We hear that a lot, that there's this presentation of the perfect couple, the perfect family, and it just strikes a chord that no one or nothing is as perfect as they seem.

JOE FLAHERTY, RACHEL ENTWISTLE'S FAMILY SPOKESMAN: Neil was a trusted husband and father, and it is incomprehensible how that love and trust betrayed -- was betrayed in the ultimate act of violence.

KAYE: Today, Neil Entwistle is facing trial for the murders of his wife and infant daughter. He's pleaded not guilty. Those who knew the family said they seemed happy.

Behind all these smiling faces, clearly there was more going on than met the eye. Or perhaps those who knew them just didn't allow themselves to see what else was there.

LUDWIG: I think that there are always warning signs, but they're easier to see in hindsight. It very rarely happens just like that. I just don't buy it.

KAYE: Somewhere between the vows that are taken and the crime scene tape, something goes wrong. The motives are many: revenge, control, self-defense, money.

LUDWIG: The fact of the matter is, we treat people who we love almost worse than anybody else. It's a little bit scary because it's hard to predict who could go this route.

KAYE: Sometimes it turns out to be those who seem the happiest.

Randi Kaye, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: And you'll see more stories like this on "ANDERSON COOPER 360." Join "AC 360" weeknights at 10:00 p.m. Eastern.

Coming up, a tense time in Texas.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I heard some strange noises and I concentrated. I thought she sounds a little funny coming out of that bathroom. And then I heard a sudden abrupt noise or two and she didn't -- and all of a sudden, she called Jim, Jim, Jim! And I said, uh oh.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: Uh oh, indeed. How quick thinking, a couple of baby monitors, as well, helped that blind man become a hero. His hero story is just ahead.

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KAGAN: Looking at live pictures coming in. This is Paris, France. And young people have been upset there for sometime. They're talking the economy and jobs, and police are trying to control nationwide protests against a labor law. Now, this law would make it easier for employers to fire young workers. Looks like there's some movement there. Thousands have taken to the streets, and unions launched a strike that slowed planes, subway and bus services across the country. Protesters want the politicians to withdraw the law. We'll have more on that live from Paris just ahead.

Right now, though, really if you only listen to a single story all day, this is going to be the story, trust me, that sticks with you. It's the story of a true Texas hero. You see this wall of flame? No match for a blind man, armed only with courage and a couple of baby monitors. The man saved his 84-year-old neighbor from this burning house late last night, and that's not all.

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JIM SHERMAN, RESCUED NEIGHBOR: I live in the R.V. next door and I just had told Miss Smith goodnight and about ten minutes after I got over to my R.V., I turned the baby monitor on. I had that baby monitor on because of Miss Smith's age. I can tell if she's had a fall or any other emergency.

And probably ten minutes after I got in the -- I listened to the radio. I turned the radio off and started concentrating on the baby monitor. Then I heard some strange noises. She'd gone and -- Miss Smith had gone into the bathroom to check on some newborn kittens. And I heard some strange noises and I concentrated. I thought she' sounds a little funny coming out of that bathroom.

And then I heard a sudden abrupt noise or two and she didn't -- all of a sudden, she called Jim, Jim, Jim! And I said uh-oh. And I thought something had happened. She said the house is on fire. And I jumped out and ran down and followed the fence around to the front, opened the door, which you're not supposed to do really when there's a fire, but it was closed.

I opened it and she was in -- Miss Smith was in the kitchen. I grabbed on to Miss Smith's hand and led her out on to the porch, and proceeded to call the emergency service.

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KAGAN: Well, good for you, Jim Sherman. We can tell you Miss Smith is OK, so are these kittens, the three kittens she was caring for. They were just hours old when the fire broke out. All three were rescued and given oxygen. Fire officials say they are doing well and Jim Sherman is a hero today.

We're going to go back live now to Paris. We've been looking at live pictures. Young people upset about new labor laws that basically make it easier for employers in France to fire them after ten months. The government had put it in place, trying to actually encourage employment of young people.

Our Ann Cox (sic) is on the phone with us from Paris, explaining more about what we're seeing -- Ann (sic)?

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Daryn, yes, you can see there's tens of thousands of protesters on the streets of Paris at the moment. They've all congregated into one area, which is just in the center east of the city, in the Place de la Republique. And you can see that they are standing off a little bit against the police that are there. We think about all thousand riot police are on call for today; however many of actually in the square themselves. They're trying to contain the protesters. They're trying to make sure that any violent elements of those protesters, of which there are some, are going to be contained and arrested early on.

Now, basically what these students and what these union members are on the streets for is that they're saying that an -- that an employment law that the prime minister is putting through should not go through. It says that anyone under the age of 26 can have a contract where they can be fired without any reason and with very little notice.

Now, what the prime minister is saying is, well, this will make the labor market more flexible. This will actually increase employment. But, of course, what the students and what the unions are saying is this could lead them to be exploited. They will have no job security and they won't have the security that their parents and their grandparents had in the labor market.

So the police were hoping that this wasn't going to turn violent as it has done in the past couple of days. And last Thursday, there was a very violent protest. But inevitably, not just the protesters turn up to these kind of gatherings. Across the world, it always happens that always a violent element that tries to hijack the day. Some of the people that could be involved in taunting the police, in throwing things at the police, could actually be nothing to do with this cause at all. And many protesters say they're angry that a violent element can hijack this particular protest.

KAGAN: And as we're watching these live pictures, Paula, we can see kind of an ebb and flow. All it takes is one little disturbance and the crowd gets stirred up. Now, the seeds of this story go back to last year. Well -- as we look at these live -- last year we saw the violent burning night across Paris and across much of France, does it not?

HANCOCKS: Well, this is right, yes. I mean, it's kind of the same story, really. Back in November, you remember, in the suburbs of Paris. This is right slap bang in the center, but back in November, in the suburbs of Paris, you saw a lot of violence. You saw burning cars. It was a nightly thing. It lasted about five weeks in all.

And this was people -- the poorer people in these poor suburbs who, in high immigration areas, who were saying we don't have opportunities. We don't have the labor opportunities. We don't have the money we see other people do. And they were feeling that they were being neglected by the government. And that is how they manifested their protests.

And this is a similar thing today. It's not necessarily exactly the same people, though there should be elements of the same people. But they're saying they don't agree with the labor laws. They don't think that they will be given opportunities that they feel they should be given. And this is their way of showing the Mr. de Villepin, the prime minister, saying to him this employment law is wrong as far as we're concerned.

And thousands of them have come on to the streets. Not just students and union members, but also transport members. And a lot of people have actually gone on strike nationwide today to help them with this protest.

KAGAN: So this has affected transportation all across France today?

HANCOCKS: This has, yes. I'd say about a third of all planes have been canceled, probably about a half of the trains have been canceled. It hasn't crippled France, but it's certainly made travel a lot more difficult.

KAGAN: And you were saying geographically, in November when we were watching those protests -- as we were saying, at night and more in the suburbs -- but this is right in the middle of Paris?

HANCOCKS: Yes, this is very central, Place de la Republique. It's just edging towards the east of the city, but very central. And it's a real tourist spot. This is somewhere that many people go to when they come to Paris. So it's definitely brought the protest right on to the main street. This is a very large square, it has cafes all around. So it's a very public area.

It's not like what we saw in November, which was the poorer areas, the high immigration areas, the suburbs of Paris, that were being hit. This is really in the center. And it's also happening all across France. This isn't just Paris. There's probably about 75 cities, we're estimating, that are going to have some sort of protests today.

KAGAN: How does word of the protest spread?

HANCOCKS: I'm sorry, can you say that once more?

KAGAN: Yes. How does word encouraging people to come out and protest spread? Is it the Internet? Is it radio?

HANCOCKS: It's all of those things. The unions are very well organized over here, and they're very strong and very respected by the workers over here. They have a very strong base. If they call for their workers to come and strike for the majority, they will actually come and strike. And also, the fact that the unions have asked transport workers to stop what they're doing today and not go to work. About half of them have answered that call. So it's not just the students themselves. They really do have a very strong base here.

KAGAN: So how likely is the government to give in and make a change?

HANCOCKS: Well, the Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin has said there's absolutely no chance that he's going to cancel this law. He has said he wants to negotiate. Although to be fair, for the last few days, they have been trying to negotiate and that has failed miserably.

On Monday evening, he actually asked the unions to sit down at the negotiating table and try and figure out a solution. But the unions have said they won't sit down at a negotiating table until he actually announces the law will not go ahead in its current form and he cancels it. There's a real stalemate between the two sides at the moment.

KAGAN: And again, the way the prime minister sees it, he see this law as encouraging employment of younger people.

HANCOCKS: Well, exactly. He understands that the law, in its current shape and form, is very rigid. The labor market is very rigid, there's no flexibility in the labor market. And the problem the government has is the youth unemployment in France is a lot higher than the average unemployment. Average unemployment, just under 10 percent, which is about 2.5 million people. It's high.

But then when you consider those under 25, the age of 25, there's about 23 percent of them unemployed. And then, of course, when you go to the areas that we saw the cars burning last November, almost 50 percent, sometimes you see, unemployment with the youth there. So it's not so much trying to help employment. He's trying to spark the interest in employers actually employing young people. They're employing the older people, but they're not employing the young people because they are worried if it doesn't work out and they want to fire them, as the law stands, they won't be able to. KAGAN: Paula Hancocks is live on the phone from France. We've been watching the protests, as they -- don't look very well-organized. Young people upset about new labor laws that allow employers to fire young people under the age of 26 without any cause within ten months of their employment. We'll have more from Paris in a little bit.

Meanwhile, we're going to look at jobs right here in the U.S. General Motors telling thousands of employees show up at work today whether you're on vacation or not, and bring the company car, because you might not be driving home in it. More layoffs for GM just ahead.

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KAGAN: Breaking into the American work force. They're also breaking the law. Illegal immigrants in America. This isn't just a political debate, it's personal. That's just ahead. We're back with more of LIVE TODAY after a quick break.

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