Return to Transcripts main page

American Morning

Senate Hearing Investigates Lobbyist Spending; Mexico's Border Crossing Maps Draw Fire; Looking Into School Safety

Aired January 25, 2006 - 09:30   ET

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

(NEWSBREAK)
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Let's get the latest now on Lobbygate. Today we should get some details of all the free lunches and trips lobbyists doled out to lawmakers. A Senate hearing just started. Senator John McCain, of course, he's very outspoken on this issue, one of the lead witnesses. There you see a live picture from Capitol Hill.

Andrea Koppel is not far away. Andrea, good morning.

ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Miles. And you can expect that this is going to be the first of many such hearings here on the Hill as some Democrats, and mostly Republicans, rush to repair their image in the wake of the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KOPPEL (voice-over): A stone's throw from Capitol Hill, lobbyists and lawmakers have been fixtures at some Washington's finer restaurants. But now in the wake of the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal, with lawmakers calling for reforms, the power lunch seems not so appetizing.

Vicki Taylor, a former administrative assistant at BellSouth's Washington office, knows all about the wining and dining.

VICKI TAYLOR, FMR. BELLSOUTH EMPLOYEE: I felt like I was paying party bills. It was party time. It looked like party time to me. Furthermore, it's unethical.

KOPPEL: Taylor, who is now on administrative leave with pay, had worked at BellSouth since 1991 and was responsible for processing the lobbyist receipts from some of Washington's most expensive restaurants.

TAYLOR: I had to look at these receipts every day and I had to create vouchers and put this information in, knowing that this is not ethical.

KOPPEL: Taylor claims these documents prove that BellSouth lobbyists knowingly violated House and Senate gift rules, which forbid lawmakers and their staff from accepting meals over $50, or a total of $100 a year. In some cases, it appears a single meal could run over $100 a person.

(on camera): How common was it that they passed those limits?

TAYLOR: Well, you see all the yellow highlighting. They passed the limits a lot.

KOPPEL (voice-over): But a spokesman for the telecom giant told CNN that "BellSouth respects the rules that officials impose on themselves" and called these documents raw data and meaningless, because they don't take into account whether lawmakers picked up part of the tab.

Still, congressional watchdogs say lobbyists footing the bill for meals and trips is peanuts compared to the millions raised in campaign contributions. A recent study concluded 80 members of Congress have used corporate lobbyists to head their fundraising committees.

MELANIE SLOAN, CITIZENS FOR RESPONSIBILITY AND ETHICS: And if they're pulling in those dollars, then members of Congress are listening to those lobbyists with an ear which they may not be listening to everybody else.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KOPPEL: Banning lawmakers from hiring lobbyists to work as either treasurers or to head up their campaign committees is one of the proposals that's being floated by Senator John McCain. As you mentioned, Miles, one of a number of senators, other lobbyists, that will be testifying this morning. But when you talk to watchdog groups, they say a lot of these bans are already on books, they're just not being enforced -- Miles.

M. O'BRIEN: Ah, yes, the enforcement is the important detail. Andrea Koppel on Capitol Hill, thank you.

Soledad.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: The Mexican Human Rights Commission plans to hand out maps to potential illegal immigrants to show the dangers and show them how to avoid those dangers crossing the U.S. border.

Craig Smith of CNN affiliate KGUN has more on what that group has in mind and also what the border patrol thinks of it.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CRAIG SMITH, KGUN REPORTER (voice-over): Humane Borders is best known for creating a system of well-marked water stations in the desert so immigrants can find the water they need to stay alive. Now the group is teaming with Mexico's Human Rights Commission to distribute maps that show roads, how far immigrants may have to walk, and where people died. The group calls it informed consent, making sure potential crossers consider the dangers they'll face before they commit to a walk across the desert.

PAUL FUSCHINI, HUMANE BORDERS: Well, we show rescue beacons from the border patrol. You know, we show water stations, but there's -- that's not enough. And if someone is not in good condition and carrying enough water, it's almost impossible.

SMITH: Border patrol has its own special rescue units and says it supports humanitarian efforts to keep border crossers alive. But the patrol says as a life-saving effort, the maps will backfire.

JOSE GARZA, U.S. BORDER PATROL: We know for a fact that the smugglers are using this map to give a sense of false pretense to the illegal aliens, saying that there is water out there, bring only one gallon of water to do a four-day trek. Especially during our summer months, where unfortunately we deal with a lot of deaths in the desert because of the elements.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

S. O'BRIEN: That was Craig Smith of CNN affiliate KGUN reporting for us.

Miles.

M. O'BRIEN: Police say that 8-year-old boy who shot a 7-year-old girl yesterday at a daycare center outside D.C. had easy access to guns at home. The .38 caliber revolver belonged to his father, a convicted felon. The boy apparently threatened to rob the girl and then shot her in the arm. We're told she'll be just fine, but it is a reminder, again, of the dangers faced when kids get ahold of guns.

Bob Stuber is a renowned safety expert and a frequent guest on this program. He joins us from Sacramento. Bob, good to have you with us.

BOB STUBER, FAMILY SAFETY EXPERT: Thank you. Good morning.

M. O'BRIEN: Clearly, this is a problem in this case and in many cases that begins at home. Parents have guns, they don't secure them.

STUBER: You're absolutely right. I think that's probably half of the battle right there. In this particular case, you know, it was an illegal gun anyway because the dad was -- or is an ex-felon. Shouldn't even be having a gun. But the fact is, we do have guns. Guns are in our society. And we have to take this into account. We can't keep dodging it and hiding from it.

You know, this is one of the things I was talking about recently with a group that -- one of the questions schools should ask on registration forms is, does the family have guns at home? Because if they do, then you know to pay a little extra attention to that particular situation. It's information we need.

M. O'BRIEN: Yes. It's interesting, I wonder -- parents might feel as if that's kind of an intrusion of their privacy, but it certainly would be an important thing. Which brings us to the school, or in this case, the daycare facility. You know, these days some schools, in some parts of the country, post-Columbine and all, can look like an armed fortress.

STUBER: Yes. M. O'BRIEN: Is that really the answer?

STUBER: No, it's not the answer. And it's unfortunate. You know, if we take that track, we're really going to end up in big trouble, because it's not dealing with the situation. I was reading recently about the school that's now going to the eye scanning, the iris scanning, to...

M. O'BRIEN: Yes, it starts today in New Jersey. We have some pictures of it. It starts -- iris scanning for kids. What's that all about?

STUBER: Yes. I think it's ridiculous! I mean, look, you know, the biggest danger posed to children at school are from the other children. And the iris scanning is not going to keep them out. It seems to me like it was one of those deals where there was some money found because of a grant so let's spend it and let's go this route with it. It's not going to keep them safer. We're going to build the schools into fortresses and we're not dealing with the issue. It's an educational issue we have to deal with it that way.

M. O'BRIEN: All right, sorry we don't have those pictures ready. But let's talk about technology here. It's a typical American response to something like this, which is, as you say, a parental issue, a supervisory issue, really that begins at the home before it ever gets to school.

We tend to think of, oh, come on, let's put in iris detection systems, metal detectors and build a perimeter around the school. Typical American response. But it really doesn't answer the problem, does it?

STUBER: No, it doesn't answer it at all. It doesn't even address the problem.

You know, all of -- when it really comes to hardcore criminals, if that's what they're trying to deal with, they see technology as a challenge. That's all. And they will find a way to override it. Even kids will find a way to get past this iris-detection thing.

The issue is so much simpler than that if we would just get back to it. For instance, searching a child's backpack. Now if parents would start looking in their kids' backpacks, they might be really surprised what they find. Guns are in the schools, and lots of kids, thousands and thousands of kids, take guns to school every day, hiding them in their backpacks.

The parents can find those. The school can't, because the school can't search the backpacks. That's low-tech. It's not attractive, I realize that, but it works. And those are the kind of simple things we can get back to that can make a huge difference.

M. O'BRIEN: That is so sobering to hear that, when you say that literally thousands of kids are going to school with guns. That's just staggering to think about that. Why shouldn't kids be searched in school? I mean, why can't a principal have the right to check a backpack?

STUBER: Well, they should. They really should. And I don't know why it's gone the other direction, like locker searches and searching backpacks. You know, in the real world, when you get out into the real world, you go to a football game, they're going to search your backpack, your purse, if you're going to get on an airplane. That's just part of the society we live in now. So kids should not expect any more or any less. That's what the world is about. They should have these things searched, too. That's where you're going to find these.

One school district I worked with in Texas one time, they had over 200 guns from one high school that had been collected by the police department. And the reason kids have these weapons is because they're afraid of other kids. It's the kids that are afraid of each other. That's the reason they're carrying the weapons. The problem is deep.

M. O'BRIEN: It is deep. It's way beyond the scope of the time we have, Bob Stuber. Bob I'll just leave with you this point. Parents, if you have a gun at home, secure it, by all means, lock it up. Keep track of the darn thing.

Bob Stuber with us, and talks, addresses these issues for us frequently.

Thanks, as always, for dropping by.

STUBER: Thank you.

(WEATHER REPORT)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(MARKET REPORT)

S. O'BRIEN: Let's check in with, Daryn, look at what she's got coming up this morning.

Hey, Daryn.

DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, Soledad.

It's quite a bit coming up. The question is, are American troops stretched too thin? A new report on military readiness is set to come out in the next hour. We will have the findings for you.

And a daughter's desperate search to find her mother. Missing since Hurricane Katrina, that search may finally be over. And you might know him as the drummer of the group The Police, but now Stuart Copeland is making his mark in the film industry. He'll join us live to talk about his film based on the band's early days. He ran around with a super eight camera. And he dug them out of his closet and has now made a film.

S. O'BRIEN: Cool. That is awesome. That's going to be really cool. Well, good, looking forward to that.

(CROSSTALK)

S. O'BRIEN: All right, Daryn, thank you.

M. O'BRIEN: They should bring back super eight. That was a great technology, super eight.

S. O'BRIEN: I had a little super eight.

M. O'BRIEN: Yes?

S. O'BRIEN: Yes, we'd shoot the family, do little movies.

SERWER: They should bring back The Police.

M. O'BRIEN: I would like that, too

Coming up on the program, remember this scene you're about to see here? Yes, that's a British member of parliament. We wondered what might be next from this eccentric politician. Well, now we have an answer, and it ain't pretty. We'll have it for you quick as you can say Danskin. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

M. O'BRIEN: In the UK, they are seeing red when they look at George Galloway, a little too much red, if you please. Galloway is the man you saw lapping up milk like a kitten or perhaps more than like a fat cat with the help of an actress. It's part of a reality show involving D-list celebrities. But now we hear he make get kicked off the island, as they say.

Jim Boulden joining us live from London with the latest chapter in the odd tale of George Galloway. Hello, Jim.

JIM BOULDEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Miles. Well, it ain't been pretty, as you said. We've been watching George Galloway run around in a leotard along with Dennis Rodman, believe it or not, and a transvestite singer. And this comes after we saw this after we saw him purr-tending to be a cat and drinking milk out of an actress' hand. But maybe, just maybe, tonight British viewers will finally be put out of their misery.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BOULDEN (voice over): They call him "Gorgeous George." So maybe George Galloway has revealed a little too much of himself this time.

The rebel member of the British parliament wore a red leotard and danced around London's "Celebrity Big Brother" house this weekend with a pop singer transvestite. They didn't even win the dancing contest.

On an earlier show, it was George the cat on all fours, lapping up milk from the hands of recently-evicted actress Rula Lenska. Even his friend and spokesman, Ron McKay, thinks Galloway's time on "Big Brother" has been a disaster.

RON MCKAY, GALLOWAY SPOKESMAN: He knew there would be several indignities to go through, and he decided that it was worth it. Had he known the extent of it, perhaps, he would have reconsidered it.

BOULDEN: Galloway is one of three people up for eviction from the house tonight. Basketball star Dennis Rodman is on the list as well. Two will go.

Many of Galloway's East London constituents are hoping he is one of them. Some have a Web site showing George has earned more than $5,000 of his government salary while inside the house.

Not that Galloway is afraid of controversy. He lambasted members of the U.S. Senate in hearings last May when he was accused of profiting from the Iraq oil for food scandal, something he strongly denies.

And Galloway has already said his six-figure fee for appearing in the "Big Brother" house will go to a London-based Palestinian charity called Interpal, a charity Washington says funnels money to terrorists. The British government says so far there is no proof of that.

Galloway went into the house 21 days ago hoping to espouse his anti-war stance. Frankly, most of the other members haven't bothered to listen, and most admitted on live TV they don't know he is in real life.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BOULDEN: And this isn't the only reason why George Galloway is in the news. Let me show you, Miles, what's in "The Sun" today, a picture of George Galloway and Uday Hussein, of course the long dead son of Saddam Hussein. Mr. Galloway went there in 1999 and shook his hand and smiled. And some video released also today. Just another reason why the controversial George Galloway is making news here in Britain -- Miles.

M. O'BRIEN: All right, Jim Boulden, that's an image I'm sure he'd like to forget, along with maybe some of these other images we're seeing. Thank you very much.

S. O'BRIEN: We know we would.

M. O'BRIEN: Yes. Yes. Back with more in a moment. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

S. O'BRIEN: Coming up tomorrow on AMERICAN MORNING, has the Sundance Film Festival lost its soul? Earlier we told you about all the swag celebrities get to take home. Some folks think the commercialization of the festival really is its downfall. Has Sundance become a victim of its own success? We'll look at that tomorrow, right here on AMERICAN MORNING.

That's all we have time for. Another show successfully completed as we hand off to Daryn Kagan.

M. O'BRIEN: Daryn, take it away. Good to see you.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com