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American Morning
Discussion with Bob Kerrey
Aired November 24, 2004 - 08:00 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.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Turkey tomorrow, galoshes today. This year's big holiday travel rush expected to turn into a wet and nasty one.
At the airport, security pat downs that some women say go way too far.
Can the defense secretary get intelligence reform moving again in Congress? Donald Rumsfeld is now part of the debate.
And video games...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT)
UNIDENTIFIED CHILD: There's this cop next to me who sees what I did. He's got body armor so I can't shoot him, so I throw gasoline on him.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
O'BRIEN: That sounds pretty awful.
So many video games, so much violence. What should parents say to their kids, on this AMERICAN MORNING.
ANNOUNCER: From the CNN broadcast center in New York, this is AMERICAN MORNING with Soledad O'Brien and Bill Hemmer.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: All right, the nation's largest commute begins today.
Good morning, everybody.
Holiday travel is going to take off later today. In fact, some people probably en route already, huh?
What's it going to look like for you when you hit the road or take to the skies? A check of the weather today. Chad's coming up and the forecast, especially in the southern part and the central part of the country, there is some severe weather to talk about already. So we'll get a check on that and the airports.
O'BRIEN: But it will be a relief to see that some of the early pictures we're getting don't look horrible already, which...
HEMMER: We can take that.
O'BRIEN: Chad has a little hope for the rest of the day.
HEMMER: Yes.
O'BRIEN: Also this morning, we'll hear from 9/11 Commission report Bob Kerrey about the legislation stalled in Congress to reform U.S. intelligence. What does he really think is holding this up and what's needed to get it moving once again?
HEMMER: All right, Jack Cafferty, also -- good morning, Jack.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning.
Coming up in the "Cafferty File," it's Wednesday, we'll take a look at "Things People Say," including some chauvinistic comments about women in the United States Senate made by a man in the United States Senate -- idiot; and which actor is having a difficult time dealing with the fact that he was not selected as the sexist man alive. Life is full of hardships, you know what I'm saying?
HEMMER: I'm telling you. Call Hollywood.
CAFFERTY: There you go.
HEMMER: Thanks, Jack.
Heidi Collins back with us today with the headlines -- Heidi, good morning to you and welcome back.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning to you guys.
And thanks, Bill.
And good morning to you, everybody.
A major new offensive underway in Iraq. About 5,000 U.S. Marines, British troops and Iraqi forces taking part in what's being called Operation Plymouth Rock in the Babil Province of south Baghdad. A Marine spokesman says it's a "focused mission" involving precision raids and house to house searches. It is the third large scale military offensive this month aimed at securing the region ahead of January elections.
Final election results in the Ukraine could be made known in the next hour. Tens of thousands of protesters have brought the city to a stop in a show of support for opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko. Preliminary results show Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych in the lead. The military and police are standing by in anticipation of the official announcement.
Here in the United States, a Florida judge is backing the living will of an ailing man. The man's wife had fought to keep him connected to life support machines, saying she was given the power of attorney over his life. A court ruled yesterday against the document.
And the media giant Viacom paying a record $3.5 million to settle FCC investigations into charges of indecent programming. One of the claims involves shock jock Howard Stern. The settlement calls for Viacom to put in place audio delay equipment at radio stations that air live programming. Broadcasters and employees will also be trained in indecency laws.
This sounds like a very good idea.
O'BRIEN: Well, it continues, yes. I think so, too.
HEMMER: Another press conference from Howard Stern coming to a city near you very soon.
O'BRIEN: Exactly. You can say that again.
COLLINS: A lot of delay on it, but...
(CROSSTALK)
HEMMER: I'm telling you.
O'BRIEN: All right, Heidi, thanks.
Millions of Americans are already on their way to their turkey dinner. AAA expects more than 37 million travelers this weekend. Long lines were seen even yesterday at Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C. In Atlanta, the lines are the planes that are stacked up for takeoff at Hartsfield Airport there.
You're looking at a live picture courtesy of our affiliate WGCL.
All morning we're going to bring you live reporters and live reports from across the country. I'm being told actually that's our affiliate WAGA providing those pictures, so a big thank you to them for that.
Let's check in with Chad Myers.
He's at the CNN Weather Center for us this morning -- hello, Chad.
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, Soledad.
Those airplanes look like they're moving in an hour and a half. They're all going to be stopped. A huge line of severe weather is rolling through Alabama, right toward the Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson Airport, the busiest airport forecast for today. And that is going to put a ground stop on Atlanta. And then things go downhill from there.
A lot of busy airports are going to go downhill, as well, this morning. Things are going to start to slow down all the way from Chicago right through Cleveland, into Cincinnati. And the East Coast still looking pretty good. I-95 dry this morning, but then turning wet this afternoon. If you're traveling from Boston anywhere down to Florida, you need to go now and don't wait for that rain to get here.
St. Louis and Kansas City, the snow is already coming down from Columbia westward, all the way out to Kansas City this morning. And it's going to get worse before it gets better.
Your holiday travel, the I-95 in good shape. I-75 wet. I-70, 80, 8090, all the way through Chicago, the Loop going to get ugly with that snow. The snow going to be coming in this afternoon. And there's that line of storms. It's going to run right through Atlanta. And that airport is actually going to come to a complete stop. It's -- there's not going to be a plane in or out of there for an hour, maybe even an hour or two. And as that happens, all the planes are going to get backed up from wherever they're coming from as that line of very severe weather, Bill -- we had 10 tornado warnings for a while now. Now there are just three. But Montgomery, Alabama, you are under the gun for some very strong weather here in the next five to 10 minutes. So take cover there -- Bill.
HEMMER: I think I was watching at 5:00 this morning. That was exactly the message you were putting out.
MYERS: Yes.
HEMMER: Places like New Orleans in the South.
Chad, thanks.
Back in touch with you many times this morning.
Millions of travelers, in fact, more than 80 percent, will get around by car this holiday weekend. By the rest, it'll be the rail or the air.
Chris Lawrence is live in suburban Chicago near O'Hare Airport -- Chris, good morning.
How are things so far?
CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Bill, we're here at the O'Hare Oasis, one of the many rest stops that people will be stopping at over the next few days. Obviously, you can see it changed a lot over the years. They're bigger, they're cleaner and they're even putting up some holiday decorations to get everybody in the holiday spirit.
Outside, the morning rush is just getting started, mixed in with people trying to get a jump on some of their holiday travel. They say misery loves company, and there will be a little bit of both on the roads over the next few days. Thirty million of us will be driving to our Thanksgiving destinations. That's roughly 13 percent of everyone in the country. AAA says that they have not seen traffic volume like this on a Thanksgiving since September 11.
Now, where the traffic starts up depends on where you live in the country. AAA says nearly nine million of those drivers will be coming from the Southeast, followed by the West Coast, the Midwest and here in the Great Lakes region, all about equal.
They expect the Northeast travel to be the lightest, at least in terms of people driving more than 50 miles. Ironically, we'll be doing all this driving while paying more for gas than at any time in the past. We'll talk about what you can expect to see at the pump when we come back here in about an hour. And we'll also go outside and we'll get you updated as those more and more people start to hit the roads, trying to get a jump on that holiday travel -- Bill.
HEMMER: All right, Chris, thanks for that.
Chris Lawrence in Chicago.
Now to one of the busiest airports on the East Coast. Live pictures from LaGuardia Airport in New York City. Not too crowded. This is the perfect time to be at LaGuardia, right now, in fact. Nationwide, AAA expects about 51,000 flights today. Let the rush begin -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: The intelligence reform bill now stalled in Congress is based on recommendations from the 9/11 Commission.
Bob Kerrey was a member of that commission and I spoke with him earlier this morning about why General Richard Myers, the joint chiefs of staff chairman, is concerned that the legislation will take critical power away from the Pentagon.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
BOB KERREY, FORMER 9/11 COMMISSIONER: There's no complaint from the military that that, about...
O'BRIEN: So what do you think his motivation is?
KERREY: I don't -- I just think he's concerned about giving up a little bit of authority.
O'BRIEN: It's a power grab?
KERREY: No, I don't think it's power. I think it's legitimate. I'm sympathetic to it. I don't understand it because the facts demonstrate otherwise. The military is the number one customer for intelligence. Everybody knows that. No national intelligence director, working for any president, is going to do anything to put our troops at risk. No intelligence director would survive one day if there was a public story written about them not providing the troops with the adequate intelligence support that they need to fight a war.
We want battlefield control today and our intelligence people are providing that battlefield control. They did it in Afghanistan. They did it in Iraq. There is no complaint.
O'BRIEN: The secretary of defense...
KERREY: And I don't quite understand that. I mean I'm sympathetic to it, but I don't think it's a very good argument.
O'BRIEN: The secretary of defense says he's not the one, despite reports, he's not the one who's standing in the way, who's trying to scuttle this legislation.
Do you believe that? I mean it seems that there's a sense that he actually is very strongly behind it.
KERREY: I don't know. I mean I think this -- both, the man I'm most sympathetic to and listen to the most is Duncan Hunter. He served in Vietnam himself. His son serves in the Marines in Iraq. I mean this is a guy who...
O'BRIEN: He, too, says the troops are at risk.
KERREY: I know. But I disagree with him. I very respectfully, but very strongly disagree with him. The evidence says otherwise. Intelligence agencies right now, the DCI, the director of Central Intelligence, controls the satellites. And they go and they talk to the Department of Defense constantly and ask what their needs are. And as I said before, the entire development of the satellite system as a use for tactical war fighting occurred in the 1990s in response to the Department of Defense saying we've discovered in Desert Storm I that it can be enormously useful, help us develop it even further.
This will strengthen our capacity. Moreover, everybody in the service will tell you that one of the worst things is to have to go fight a war as a consequence of some national customer of intelligence, some civilian getting bad intelligence and making a mistake. The war fighters are the ones that are at risk if we don't pass legislation to put the authority with the individual that has the responsibility for managing our intelligence agencies.
Every military person will tell you that if you have a situation where somebody has the responsibility to get something done but they lack the authority to do it, you've got dysfunction. And you've got a situation where you're not going to be able to do what everybody wants to do, which is to keep the country safe.
O'BRIEN: Let's talk about authority, then. The president says he's behind the legislation. The secretary of defense says he's behind the legislation.
KERREY: Right.
O'BRIEN: Do you think that the White House is really putting up a half-hearted effort? Or don't you think they're dissembling or being dishonest about the efforts they're putting in?
KERREY: I don't think they're dissembling. I don't think they're being dishonest. I think they're really trying to get a piece of legislation. This is tough. Look, Duncan Hunter is a very smart individual who, he's chairman of the Armed Services Committee. Sensenbrenner is the chairman of the Judiciary Committee. These are powerful individuals. And in a conference committee, even if you're junior and you're on the conference committee and you don't want to sign the reports, you can tie this thing up.
This is a -- the conference is a very difficult legislative process. As we've discovered with the Appropriations Committee, all sorts of things get stuck in there. It's very difficult to manage it.
So I, no, I don't think the president and the secretary of defense are trying to deep six this thing.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
O'BRIEN: Former Senator and former 9/11 Commissioner Bob Kerrey.
HEMMER: Let's get a break here.
In a moment, if you're thinking about buying some video games for a holiday gift, our next guest has a warning for you and a list, as well.
O'BRIEN: And new guidelines have increased pat down searches at airports. But do they step over the line? One woman's outrage. We have her story, coming up.
HEMMER: Also, the story of Dan Rather leaving the anchor chair. Is he going on his own or did an election year fumble force his hand now? We'll debate that.
Still to come here on AMERICAN MORNING, right after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: We are expecting to hear later today from the families of two of the victims in the deadly hunter shootings in Wisconsin. Meanwhile, some opposing views on just who fired the first shot Sunday. The suspect in the shootings, Chai Vang, told investigators that the group of hunters fired at him first and made racial slurs. But a survivor of the shooting is disputing that claim. Six deer hunters were killed.
HEMMER: Sixteen minutes past the hour now.
This holiday season, video games again will be at the top of many gift lists this year. Among the likely big sellers, though, is Grand Theft Auto. You may have heard of it in the past, a game with a story line full of images of sex and drugs and violence.
How does a parent, then, know what they should or perhaps should not be getting for their kids?
Let's talk about it. The National Institute on Media and the Family is out with its annual report card on video violence.
And the group's president is David Walsh.
He's in Minneapolis, Minnesota telling us about its ratings systems, about the best and the worst choices they have put together.
And thank you for your time, Mr. Walsh.
Good morning to you.
DAVID WALSH, NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON MEDIA AND THE FAMILY: It's nice to be with you.
HEMMER: I want to run some video from the latest version of Halo II, which essentially is on your list of top five for games that you think are the most offensive. As we roll the videotape, tell us what is so offensive about these games that you find.
WALSH: Well, yes, you know, when we play these ultra violent games, when -- and our concern, of course, Bill, is kids. You know, we're not saying that these games aren't appropriate for adults. What adults do with their entertainment time is their business. But with kids, you know, you're basically in the role of directing the action, making all of the choices. And when a game -- when the entire theme of the game is kill or gang warfare, as in Grand Theft Auto or things like that, those aren't the connections we want our kids to be making while they're literally forming their attitudes about life.
HEMMER: I mentioned the list on the screen. Let's put it up there. Doom 3, Grand Theft Auto, San Andreas. That's about the third or the fourth version of that game, is that right?
WALSH: Yes, it's -- the Grand Theft Auto franchise is very successful, which is partly the reason why we're getting a lot of first person shooters.
HEMMER: Yes, but part of the reason why these games are so successful, they make money, don't they?
WALSH: Oh, they make a tremendous amount of money. And they're big sellers and so when a game is a big seller, there will be more like it. And our message to parents is, is that these aren't games for kids. And that's not just our opinion. Actually, the industry itself agrees with that.
All of the games that we're talking about, Bill, right now, are rated M. And that's the industry's way of saying these games are not for kids.
HEMMER: As a public service announcement, too, listen to a short clip from one. I believe this is about a 9-year-old boy talking about the game that he has.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED CHILD: There's this cop next to me who sees what I did. He's got body armor so I can't shoot him, so I throw gasoline on him.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HEMMER: That's a long way since Atari, isn't it?
WALSH: It sure is. And that, you know, that public service announcement, we launched that yesterday because what we're trying to do is break through the double messages that parents get. You know, on the one hand, parents are told to pay attention to the ratings. On the other hand, the industry claims that these games don't affect kids.
We know that they do. And so the public service announcement that we launched yesterday is we're hoping to direct parents to mediawise.org. That's our Web site, where parents can learn a lot more about these games and their effect on kids.
HEMMER: Well, here's a heck of a juxtaposition for you. Back on the screen we'll show you five games that you actually recommend.
WALSH: Yes.
HEMMER: You can tell from the titles on here the difference in the tone -- ESPN NFL; what, Sly 2; Band of Thieves; Karaoke Revolution and Madden NFL 2005.
WALSH: Yes. Right. Yes, I mean there are good games for kids and there's good games for teens, as well. And so the message to parents is, you know, this holiday season, when you're picking the game to put in your son or daughter's stocking, make sure it's a game that's appropriate for them where they can enjoy, but they're not going to be rewarded for, you know, gang warfare or killing people or hiring prostitutes.
HEMMER: One more thing here.
WALSH: Yes?
HEMMER: One of the stories that got headlines this past week from a British company that recreated the assassination of John F. Kennedy.
WALSH: Yes?
HEMMER: And we understand the president of the company sent Senator Kennedy, Ed Kennedy, a letter saying no harm intended, no offense, please don't take it that way.
What do you, as an organization, how do you respond when you hear stories like this out of Britain?
WALSH: I played the game, Bill, just so I knew what it was like. It's chilling. And it kind of brings this first person shooter to a new low. You know, to take one of the most tragic events in our nation's history and to literally reward players for doing the most accurate job of killing the president of the United States, I don't -- I can't imagine something that would be more disrespectful.
HEMMER: I hear your point. Your point is the children, not so much adults. They can make up their own minds. But thanks for sharing today.
WALSH: Thank you.
HEMMER: David Walsh in Minneapolis -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Still to come this morning, what's hot and what is not this Thanksgiving. We've got the results. And they're all within the margin of error.
That's ahead.
But first, Chad Myers, with a look at the latest travel weather.
MYERS: The latest travel now, a big line of storms, Soledad, all the way here from north of Birmingham down to Montgomery, headed to the busiest airport in the nation. We can zoom in. We can even see some spinning areas here. Those are where the tornado warnings are, all sliding to the east, obviously Atlanta doesn't need that. And if you're flying today, you don't need that, either.
The forecast coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: Hey, Jack.
O'BRIEN: Hi, Jack.
CAFFERTY: Hi, Bill.
HEMMER: How you doing, buddy?
CAFFERTY: Hmm?
HEMMER: How are you?
CAFFERTY: I'm all right. And yourself?
HEMMER: Terrific.
CAFFERTY: I'm off, actually, the next two days, so...
HEMMER: Hey, me, too.
CAFFERTY: So life is looking up.
HEMMER: All right.
O'BRIEN: Hey!
CAFFERTY: Excuse us while we just exchange pleasantries here.
O'BRIEN: A little male bonding.
OK, go ahead.
CAFFERTY: Are you here tomorrow?
O'BRIEN: I'm working tomorrow.
CAFFERTY: That's too bad.
HEMMER: Oh.
O'BRIEN: Don't worry about me.
CAFFERTY: I won't.
The CBS Evening News with Dan Rather has been in third place for a long time and at the end of the day in this business, it's about the ratings, kids. The scandal over that allegedly forged document simply provided a convenient excuse to make the change. Nevertheless, without Rather in the anchor chair, the Evening News at CBS will be in uncharted waters, at least for a time.
Does Dan Rather's resignation hurt or help CBS?
Tom in Sarasota writes: "I'm a Vietnam veteran and I never forgot the garbage he put out back then. Because of Dan Rather, I have not watched CBS in a very long time. I will continue to get my news from CNN, as you have no competition."
We'll put a little something in your Christmas stocking, Tom, for that.
HEMMER: Yes, we will.
CAFFERTY: Bill in North Bay, Ontario: "Whether Dan's resignation hurts or helps CBS really doesn't matter. We'll all just have to get used to the idea because that's the way it is."
That was Walter who used to sign of that way, I believe, right? That's the way it is.
HEMMER: Right.
O'BRIEN: Yes.
HEMMER: Yes (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
CAFFERTY: Steve in Toronto: "Rather's departure is the result of poor reporting and follow-up investigation. It's a shame a great career will be remembered for the last big story that never was."
O'BRIEN: That is so true.
CAFFERTY: It's true.
And John in Madison writes: "Dan Rather resigns. Is this the end of an era? Rather now claims his resignation is a forgery."
HEMMER: That's cruel.
O'BRIEN: Yes.
CAFFERTY: But it's funny.
O'BRIEN: A little bit.
CAFFERTY: Well, I thought it was funny.
O'BRIEN: But more cruel.
CAFFERTY: Hmm?
O'BRIEN: But more cruel.
CAFFERTY: Well, you know, I -- those are the best kind, that are funny and they're cruel at the same time.
O'BRIEN: You see, you scare me, Jack.
CAFFERTY: I lay awake nights looking for those kind. Those are my favorites.
O'BRIEN: It's a little scary.
CAFFERTY: Are you working tomorrow?
O'BRIEN: I am.
CAFFERTY: I'm not. Bill's not.
O'BRIEN: That's cruel.
CAFFERTY: Yes.
O'BRIEN: Still to come this morning, who's holding up intelligence reform? Kamber and May join the debate no holds barred.
That's ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: Live from Chicago, it's 7:30 local time there in the Windy City and it's crowded already. That's a pretty typical scene, though, for Chicago, don't you think?
O'BRIEN: Yes, at this time, sure.
HEMMER: It's going to be compounded by the holiday travel getting started today.
O'BRIEN: It's going to get busier as we go throughout the day.
HEMMER: So welcome back.
O'BRIEN: Welcome back, everybody.
And, in fact, on this busy travel day, we're going to look at one aspect of the trip if you're flying -- the security check. Some women say that the screeners are getting a little too familiar as they're trying to do their jobs. We're going to talk about security pat downs with a woman who says she's ready to sue over what happened to her.
HEMMER: And she is not happy, huh? O'BRIEN: No.
HEMMER: Also, we had not heard much from Donald Rumsfeld about the stalemate over 9/11 reforms until now. Now the defense secretary says he supports the White House and will not block this and hasn't made any effort to do that.
Well, Kamber and May tackle that in a moment. We'll let you know what goes down on that debate, coming up.
O'BRIEN: The headlines first.
Heidi Collins is with us this morning -- good morning.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning.
And an early Happy Thanksgiving to you and to everybody out there, even if you are traveling, because it is already kind of ugly we're hearing.
HEMMER: And to you.
COLLINS: The holiday travel rush is on. The FAA says there will be more flights nationwide today than any other day this year.
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 November 24, 2004 - 08:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Turkey tomorrow, galoshes today. This year's big holiday travel rush expected to turn into a wet and nasty one.
At the airport, security pat downs that some women say go way too far.
Can the defense secretary get intelligence reform moving again in Congress? Donald Rumsfeld is now part of the debate.
And video games...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT)
UNIDENTIFIED CHILD: There's this cop next to me who sees what I did. He's got body armor so I can't shoot him, so I throw gasoline on him.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
O'BRIEN: That sounds pretty awful.
So many video games, so much violence. What should parents say to their kids, on this AMERICAN MORNING.
ANNOUNCER: From the CNN broadcast center in New York, this is AMERICAN MORNING with Soledad O'Brien and Bill Hemmer.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: All right, the nation's largest commute begins today.
Good morning, everybody.
Holiday travel is going to take off later today. In fact, some people probably en route already, huh?
What's it going to look like for you when you hit the road or take to the skies? A check of the weather today. Chad's coming up and the forecast, especially in the southern part and the central part of the country, there is some severe weather to talk about already. So we'll get a check on that and the airports.
O'BRIEN: But it will be a relief to see that some of the early pictures we're getting don't look horrible already, which...
HEMMER: We can take that.
O'BRIEN: Chad has a little hope for the rest of the day.
HEMMER: Yes.
O'BRIEN: Also this morning, we'll hear from 9/11 Commission report Bob Kerrey about the legislation stalled in Congress to reform U.S. intelligence. What does he really think is holding this up and what's needed to get it moving once again?
HEMMER: All right, Jack Cafferty, also -- good morning, Jack.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning.
Coming up in the "Cafferty File," it's Wednesday, we'll take a look at "Things People Say," including some chauvinistic comments about women in the United States Senate made by a man in the United States Senate -- idiot; and which actor is having a difficult time dealing with the fact that he was not selected as the sexist man alive. Life is full of hardships, you know what I'm saying?
HEMMER: I'm telling you. Call Hollywood.
CAFFERTY: There you go.
HEMMER: Thanks, Jack.
Heidi Collins back with us today with the headlines -- Heidi, good morning to you and welcome back.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning to you guys.
And thanks, Bill.
And good morning to you, everybody.
A major new offensive underway in Iraq. About 5,000 U.S. Marines, British troops and Iraqi forces taking part in what's being called Operation Plymouth Rock in the Babil Province of south Baghdad. A Marine spokesman says it's a "focused mission" involving precision raids and house to house searches. It is the third large scale military offensive this month aimed at securing the region ahead of January elections.
Final election results in the Ukraine could be made known in the next hour. Tens of thousands of protesters have brought the city to a stop in a show of support for opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko. Preliminary results show Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych in the lead. The military and police are standing by in anticipation of the official announcement.
Here in the United States, a Florida judge is backing the living will of an ailing man. The man's wife had fought to keep him connected to life support machines, saying she was given the power of attorney over his life. A court ruled yesterday against the document.
And the media giant Viacom paying a record $3.5 million to settle FCC investigations into charges of indecent programming. One of the claims involves shock jock Howard Stern. The settlement calls for Viacom to put in place audio delay equipment at radio stations that air live programming. Broadcasters and employees will also be trained in indecency laws.
This sounds like a very good idea.
O'BRIEN: Well, it continues, yes. I think so, too.
HEMMER: Another press conference from Howard Stern coming to a city near you very soon.
O'BRIEN: Exactly. You can say that again.
COLLINS: A lot of delay on it, but...
(CROSSTALK)
HEMMER: I'm telling you.
O'BRIEN: All right, Heidi, thanks.
Millions of Americans are already on their way to their turkey dinner. AAA expects more than 37 million travelers this weekend. Long lines were seen even yesterday at Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C. In Atlanta, the lines are the planes that are stacked up for takeoff at Hartsfield Airport there.
You're looking at a live picture courtesy of our affiliate WGCL.
All morning we're going to bring you live reporters and live reports from across the country. I'm being told actually that's our affiliate WAGA providing those pictures, so a big thank you to them for that.
Let's check in with Chad Myers.
He's at the CNN Weather Center for us this morning -- hello, Chad.
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, Soledad.
Those airplanes look like they're moving in an hour and a half. They're all going to be stopped. A huge line of severe weather is rolling through Alabama, right toward the Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson Airport, the busiest airport forecast for today. And that is going to put a ground stop on Atlanta. And then things go downhill from there.
A lot of busy airports are going to go downhill, as well, this morning. Things are going to start to slow down all the way from Chicago right through Cleveland, into Cincinnati. And the East Coast still looking pretty good. I-95 dry this morning, but then turning wet this afternoon. If you're traveling from Boston anywhere down to Florida, you need to go now and don't wait for that rain to get here.
St. Louis and Kansas City, the snow is already coming down from Columbia westward, all the way out to Kansas City this morning. And it's going to get worse before it gets better.
Your holiday travel, the I-95 in good shape. I-75 wet. I-70, 80, 8090, all the way through Chicago, the Loop going to get ugly with that snow. The snow going to be coming in this afternoon. And there's that line of storms. It's going to run right through Atlanta. And that airport is actually going to come to a complete stop. It's -- there's not going to be a plane in or out of there for an hour, maybe even an hour or two. And as that happens, all the planes are going to get backed up from wherever they're coming from as that line of very severe weather, Bill -- we had 10 tornado warnings for a while now. Now there are just three. But Montgomery, Alabama, you are under the gun for some very strong weather here in the next five to 10 minutes. So take cover there -- Bill.
HEMMER: I think I was watching at 5:00 this morning. That was exactly the message you were putting out.
MYERS: Yes.
HEMMER: Places like New Orleans in the South.
Chad, thanks.
Back in touch with you many times this morning.
Millions of travelers, in fact, more than 80 percent, will get around by car this holiday weekend. By the rest, it'll be the rail or the air.
Chris Lawrence is live in suburban Chicago near O'Hare Airport -- Chris, good morning.
How are things so far?
CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Bill, we're here at the O'Hare Oasis, one of the many rest stops that people will be stopping at over the next few days. Obviously, you can see it changed a lot over the years. They're bigger, they're cleaner and they're even putting up some holiday decorations to get everybody in the holiday spirit.
Outside, the morning rush is just getting started, mixed in with people trying to get a jump on some of their holiday travel. They say misery loves company, and there will be a little bit of both on the roads over the next few days. Thirty million of us will be driving to our Thanksgiving destinations. That's roughly 13 percent of everyone in the country. AAA says that they have not seen traffic volume like this on a Thanksgiving since September 11.
Now, where the traffic starts up depends on where you live in the country. AAA says nearly nine million of those drivers will be coming from the Southeast, followed by the West Coast, the Midwest and here in the Great Lakes region, all about equal.
They expect the Northeast travel to be the lightest, at least in terms of people driving more than 50 miles. Ironically, we'll be doing all this driving while paying more for gas than at any time in the past. We'll talk about what you can expect to see at the pump when we come back here in about an hour. And we'll also go outside and we'll get you updated as those more and more people start to hit the roads, trying to get a jump on that holiday travel -- Bill.
HEMMER: All right, Chris, thanks for that.
Chris Lawrence in Chicago.
Now to one of the busiest airports on the East Coast. Live pictures from LaGuardia Airport in New York City. Not too crowded. This is the perfect time to be at LaGuardia, right now, in fact. Nationwide, AAA expects about 51,000 flights today. Let the rush begin -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: The intelligence reform bill now stalled in Congress is based on recommendations from the 9/11 Commission.
Bob Kerrey was a member of that commission and I spoke with him earlier this morning about why General Richard Myers, the joint chiefs of staff chairman, is concerned that the legislation will take critical power away from the Pentagon.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
BOB KERREY, FORMER 9/11 COMMISSIONER: There's no complaint from the military that that, about...
O'BRIEN: So what do you think his motivation is?
KERREY: I don't -- I just think he's concerned about giving up a little bit of authority.
O'BRIEN: It's a power grab?
KERREY: No, I don't think it's power. I think it's legitimate. I'm sympathetic to it. I don't understand it because the facts demonstrate otherwise. The military is the number one customer for intelligence. Everybody knows that. No national intelligence director, working for any president, is going to do anything to put our troops at risk. No intelligence director would survive one day if there was a public story written about them not providing the troops with the adequate intelligence support that they need to fight a war.
We want battlefield control today and our intelligence people are providing that battlefield control. They did it in Afghanistan. They did it in Iraq. There is no complaint.
O'BRIEN: The secretary of defense...
KERREY: And I don't quite understand that. I mean I'm sympathetic to it, but I don't think it's a very good argument.
O'BRIEN: The secretary of defense says he's not the one, despite reports, he's not the one who's standing in the way, who's trying to scuttle this legislation.
Do you believe that? I mean it seems that there's a sense that he actually is very strongly behind it.
KERREY: I don't know. I mean I think this -- both, the man I'm most sympathetic to and listen to the most is Duncan Hunter. He served in Vietnam himself. His son serves in the Marines in Iraq. I mean this is a guy who...
O'BRIEN: He, too, says the troops are at risk.
KERREY: I know. But I disagree with him. I very respectfully, but very strongly disagree with him. The evidence says otherwise. Intelligence agencies right now, the DCI, the director of Central Intelligence, controls the satellites. And they go and they talk to the Department of Defense constantly and ask what their needs are. And as I said before, the entire development of the satellite system as a use for tactical war fighting occurred in the 1990s in response to the Department of Defense saying we've discovered in Desert Storm I that it can be enormously useful, help us develop it even further.
This will strengthen our capacity. Moreover, everybody in the service will tell you that one of the worst things is to have to go fight a war as a consequence of some national customer of intelligence, some civilian getting bad intelligence and making a mistake. The war fighters are the ones that are at risk if we don't pass legislation to put the authority with the individual that has the responsibility for managing our intelligence agencies.
Every military person will tell you that if you have a situation where somebody has the responsibility to get something done but they lack the authority to do it, you've got dysfunction. And you've got a situation where you're not going to be able to do what everybody wants to do, which is to keep the country safe.
O'BRIEN: Let's talk about authority, then. The president says he's behind the legislation. The secretary of defense says he's behind the legislation.
KERREY: Right.
O'BRIEN: Do you think that the White House is really putting up a half-hearted effort? Or don't you think they're dissembling or being dishonest about the efforts they're putting in?
KERREY: I don't think they're dissembling. I don't think they're being dishonest. I think they're really trying to get a piece of legislation. This is tough. Look, Duncan Hunter is a very smart individual who, he's chairman of the Armed Services Committee. Sensenbrenner is the chairman of the Judiciary Committee. These are powerful individuals. And in a conference committee, even if you're junior and you're on the conference committee and you don't want to sign the reports, you can tie this thing up.
This is a -- the conference is a very difficult legislative process. As we've discovered with the Appropriations Committee, all sorts of things get stuck in there. It's very difficult to manage it.
So I, no, I don't think the president and the secretary of defense are trying to deep six this thing.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
O'BRIEN: Former Senator and former 9/11 Commissioner Bob Kerrey.
HEMMER: Let's get a break here.
In a moment, if you're thinking about buying some video games for a holiday gift, our next guest has a warning for you and a list, as well.
O'BRIEN: And new guidelines have increased pat down searches at airports. But do they step over the line? One woman's outrage. We have her story, coming up.
HEMMER: Also, the story of Dan Rather leaving the anchor chair. Is he going on his own or did an election year fumble force his hand now? We'll debate that.
Still to come here on AMERICAN MORNING, right after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: We are expecting to hear later today from the families of two of the victims in the deadly hunter shootings in Wisconsin. Meanwhile, some opposing views on just who fired the first shot Sunday. The suspect in the shootings, Chai Vang, told investigators that the group of hunters fired at him first and made racial slurs. But a survivor of the shooting is disputing that claim. Six deer hunters were killed.
HEMMER: Sixteen minutes past the hour now.
This holiday season, video games again will be at the top of many gift lists this year. Among the likely big sellers, though, is Grand Theft Auto. You may have heard of it in the past, a game with a story line full of images of sex and drugs and violence.
How does a parent, then, know what they should or perhaps should not be getting for their kids?
Let's talk about it. The National Institute on Media and the Family is out with its annual report card on video violence.
And the group's president is David Walsh.
He's in Minneapolis, Minnesota telling us about its ratings systems, about the best and the worst choices they have put together.
And thank you for your time, Mr. Walsh.
Good morning to you.
DAVID WALSH, NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON MEDIA AND THE FAMILY: It's nice to be with you.
HEMMER: I want to run some video from the latest version of Halo II, which essentially is on your list of top five for games that you think are the most offensive. As we roll the videotape, tell us what is so offensive about these games that you find.
WALSH: Well, yes, you know, when we play these ultra violent games, when -- and our concern, of course, Bill, is kids. You know, we're not saying that these games aren't appropriate for adults. What adults do with their entertainment time is their business. But with kids, you know, you're basically in the role of directing the action, making all of the choices. And when a game -- when the entire theme of the game is kill or gang warfare, as in Grand Theft Auto or things like that, those aren't the connections we want our kids to be making while they're literally forming their attitudes about life.
HEMMER: I mentioned the list on the screen. Let's put it up there. Doom 3, Grand Theft Auto, San Andreas. That's about the third or the fourth version of that game, is that right?
WALSH: Yes, it's -- the Grand Theft Auto franchise is very successful, which is partly the reason why we're getting a lot of first person shooters.
HEMMER: Yes, but part of the reason why these games are so successful, they make money, don't they?
WALSH: Oh, they make a tremendous amount of money. And they're big sellers and so when a game is a big seller, there will be more like it. And our message to parents is, is that these aren't games for kids. And that's not just our opinion. Actually, the industry itself agrees with that.
All of the games that we're talking about, Bill, right now, are rated M. And that's the industry's way of saying these games are not for kids.
HEMMER: As a public service announcement, too, listen to a short clip from one. I believe this is about a 9-year-old boy talking about the game that he has.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED CHILD: There's this cop next to me who sees what I did. He's got body armor so I can't shoot him, so I throw gasoline on him.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HEMMER: That's a long way since Atari, isn't it?
WALSH: It sure is. And that, you know, that public service announcement, we launched that yesterday because what we're trying to do is break through the double messages that parents get. You know, on the one hand, parents are told to pay attention to the ratings. On the other hand, the industry claims that these games don't affect kids.
We know that they do. And so the public service announcement that we launched yesterday is we're hoping to direct parents to mediawise.org. That's our Web site, where parents can learn a lot more about these games and their effect on kids.
HEMMER: Well, here's a heck of a juxtaposition for you. Back on the screen we'll show you five games that you actually recommend.
WALSH: Yes.
HEMMER: You can tell from the titles on here the difference in the tone -- ESPN NFL; what, Sly 2; Band of Thieves; Karaoke Revolution and Madden NFL 2005.
WALSH: Yes. Right. Yes, I mean there are good games for kids and there's good games for teens, as well. And so the message to parents is, you know, this holiday season, when you're picking the game to put in your son or daughter's stocking, make sure it's a game that's appropriate for them where they can enjoy, but they're not going to be rewarded for, you know, gang warfare or killing people or hiring prostitutes.
HEMMER: One more thing here.
WALSH: Yes?
HEMMER: One of the stories that got headlines this past week from a British company that recreated the assassination of John F. Kennedy.
WALSH: Yes?
HEMMER: And we understand the president of the company sent Senator Kennedy, Ed Kennedy, a letter saying no harm intended, no offense, please don't take it that way.
What do you, as an organization, how do you respond when you hear stories like this out of Britain?
WALSH: I played the game, Bill, just so I knew what it was like. It's chilling. And it kind of brings this first person shooter to a new low. You know, to take one of the most tragic events in our nation's history and to literally reward players for doing the most accurate job of killing the president of the United States, I don't -- I can't imagine something that would be more disrespectful.
HEMMER: I hear your point. Your point is the children, not so much adults. They can make up their own minds. But thanks for sharing today.
WALSH: Thank you.
HEMMER: David Walsh in Minneapolis -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Still to come this morning, what's hot and what is not this Thanksgiving. We've got the results. And they're all within the margin of error.
That's ahead.
But first, Chad Myers, with a look at the latest travel weather.
MYERS: The latest travel now, a big line of storms, Soledad, all the way here from north of Birmingham down to Montgomery, headed to the busiest airport in the nation. We can zoom in. We can even see some spinning areas here. Those are where the tornado warnings are, all sliding to the east, obviously Atlanta doesn't need that. And if you're flying today, you don't need that, either.
The forecast coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: Hey, Jack.
O'BRIEN: Hi, Jack.
CAFFERTY: Hi, Bill.
HEMMER: How you doing, buddy?
CAFFERTY: Hmm?
HEMMER: How are you?
CAFFERTY: I'm all right. And yourself?
HEMMER: Terrific.
CAFFERTY: I'm off, actually, the next two days, so...
HEMMER: Hey, me, too.
CAFFERTY: So life is looking up.
HEMMER: All right.
O'BRIEN: Hey!
CAFFERTY: Excuse us while we just exchange pleasantries here.
O'BRIEN: A little male bonding.
OK, go ahead.
CAFFERTY: Are you here tomorrow?
O'BRIEN: I'm working tomorrow.
CAFFERTY: That's too bad.
HEMMER: Oh.
O'BRIEN: Don't worry about me.
CAFFERTY: I won't.
The CBS Evening News with Dan Rather has been in third place for a long time and at the end of the day in this business, it's about the ratings, kids. The scandal over that allegedly forged document simply provided a convenient excuse to make the change. Nevertheless, without Rather in the anchor chair, the Evening News at CBS will be in uncharted waters, at least for a time.
Does Dan Rather's resignation hurt or help CBS?
Tom in Sarasota writes: "I'm a Vietnam veteran and I never forgot the garbage he put out back then. Because of Dan Rather, I have not watched CBS in a very long time. I will continue to get my news from CNN, as you have no competition."
We'll put a little something in your Christmas stocking, Tom, for that.
HEMMER: Yes, we will.
CAFFERTY: Bill in North Bay, Ontario: "Whether Dan's resignation hurts or helps CBS really doesn't matter. We'll all just have to get used to the idea because that's the way it is."
That was Walter who used to sign of that way, I believe, right? That's the way it is.
HEMMER: Right.
O'BRIEN: Yes.
HEMMER: Yes (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
CAFFERTY: Steve in Toronto: "Rather's departure is the result of poor reporting and follow-up investigation. It's a shame a great career will be remembered for the last big story that never was."
O'BRIEN: That is so true.
CAFFERTY: It's true.
And John in Madison writes: "Dan Rather resigns. Is this the end of an era? Rather now claims his resignation is a forgery."
HEMMER: That's cruel.
O'BRIEN: Yes.
CAFFERTY: But it's funny.
O'BRIEN: A little bit.
CAFFERTY: Well, I thought it was funny.
O'BRIEN: But more cruel.
CAFFERTY: Hmm?
O'BRIEN: But more cruel.
CAFFERTY: Well, you know, I -- those are the best kind, that are funny and they're cruel at the same time.
O'BRIEN: You see, you scare me, Jack.
CAFFERTY: I lay awake nights looking for those kind. Those are my favorites.
O'BRIEN: It's a little scary.
CAFFERTY: Are you working tomorrow?
O'BRIEN: I am.
CAFFERTY: I'm not. Bill's not.
O'BRIEN: That's cruel.
CAFFERTY: Yes.
O'BRIEN: Still to come this morning, who's holding up intelligence reform? Kamber and May join the debate no holds barred.
That's ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: Live from Chicago, it's 7:30 local time there in the Windy City and it's crowded already. That's a pretty typical scene, though, for Chicago, don't you think?
O'BRIEN: Yes, at this time, sure.
HEMMER: It's going to be compounded by the holiday travel getting started today.
O'BRIEN: It's going to get busier as we go throughout the day.
HEMMER: So welcome back.
O'BRIEN: Welcome back, everybody.
And, in fact, on this busy travel day, we're going to look at one aspect of the trip if you're flying -- the security check. Some women say that the screeners are getting a little too familiar as they're trying to do their jobs. We're going to talk about security pat downs with a woman who says she's ready to sue over what happened to her.
HEMMER: And she is not happy, huh? O'BRIEN: No.
HEMMER: Also, we had not heard much from Donald Rumsfeld about the stalemate over 9/11 reforms until now. Now the defense secretary says he supports the White House and will not block this and hasn't made any effort to do that.
Well, Kamber and May tackle that in a moment. We'll let you know what goes down on that debate, coming up.
O'BRIEN: The headlines first.
Heidi Collins is with us this morning -- good morning.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning.
And an early Happy Thanksgiving to you and to everybody out there, even if you are traveling, because it is already kind of ugly we're hearing.
HEMMER: And to you.
COLLINS: The holiday travel rush is on. The FAA says there will be more flights nationwide today than any other day this year.
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