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CNN Sunday Morning
Veterans Day; Stacy Peterson Still Missing; Finland/Pennsylvania School Shooting Planners Linked?
Aired November 11, 2007 - 07:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
T.J. HOLMES, CNN HOST, CNN SUNDAY MORNING: Hey there, everybody, from the CNN Center in Atlanta, Georgia. It is November 11th, Veterans Day.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN HOST, CNN SUNDAY MORNING: Happy Veterans Day.
HOLMES: Happy Veterans Day to you all out there. I'm T.J. Holmes.
NGUYEN: Good morning, everybody. I'm Betty Nguyen. We want to thank you for starting your day with us.
HOLMES: We want to start with this video. Surely you will remember this store. All those weapons, including a rifle, 30 guns belong to a Pennsylvania teenager. He admitted plans for a Columbine style attack.
NGUYEN: This morning, a possible between that boy and this teenager who killed 8 people at a school in Finland. We have that story.
Plus, guarding the tomb of the Unknown Soldier, these men and woman this is not just a job, it's a way of life. We'll show you what it takes to guard America's most sacred shrine. We'll take a live picture of that sacred shine this morning. We will take you there on this CNN SUNDAY MORNING.
We are going to start first with another possible Internet connection to real life and crime. Police in Reno, Nevada now say that a man used a popular site, Craig's List to lure two teenage boys to his home. That is the man, the suspect there you are looking at now, and his name is Jason Hunter. He's accused of sexually assaulting at least one of those boys. Police say he posed as a 20-year-old woman on the site to get the 13-year-old and 15-year-old boys to his home.
NGUYEN: Well here is an update on that deadly school shooting in Finland last week and a possible connection to a boy near Philadelphia. You may recall this chilling scene as police laid out a stunning arsenal of fire power taken from his home. Well it is mind boggling that a middle schooler could mass such weaponry. Now investigators are looking into a possible link between that teenager and the boy in Finland who this week became his country's worst mass murder. CNN's Tony Harris has more.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TONY HARRIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Two troubled teens on two different continents, united by their admiration for the Columbine gunmen, their outcast status and the Internet. That's one of the theories being considered by the investigators digging into the background of Pecca Aaron Alwin. He's the 18-year-old finish student who shot and killed 6 classmates, his principle and the school nurse Wednesday before killing himself. According to the "Times" of London and ABC News Finish police believe it's possible that Alwin was in contact via the Internet with Pennsylvania teen Dillon Cozzi. He's the 14-year-old arrested last month, accused of planning a school massacre of his own near Philadelphia.
So where is the link? Finland's top investigator tells ABC News, quote, "We have received rumors and information that the two were in contact." He also said, "It is probable, but we cannot confirm it." The "Times" of London reports the common link could be two different Myspace groups, both dedicated to glorifying the Columbine gunmen. Fishin investigator are already looking into Alwin's postings and writings in chat rooms and other writings. His postings on Youtube included rants about revolution and this video of him taking target practice.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: Evidence can be found all over the Web of a vibrant subculture that really worships air terrorists and Dillon Clebold. For example the computer game "Super Columbine Massacre" which came out a couple of years ago, it allows players to pretend that they're terrorists.
HOLMES: Yes, the game itself created such content controversy that a movie has been made about it called "Playing Columbine."
NGUYEN: The game itself is no longer available for download from the guy who made it. Still, though, copies are being freely shared in chat rooms.
HOLMES: Well the search goes on for an Illinois police officer's missing wife. While prosecutors plan to dig up the body of his last wife. Volunteers were out again yesterday, searching for 23-year-old Stacey Peterson. She's not been seen since October 28th. Authorities say her husband, Drew Peterson, is now a suspect in his wife's disappearance and that she may have been killed. Also, prosecutors think Peterson's last wife, which was his third wife, that her death may have been staged as an accidental drowning. They are now exhuming her body.
NGUYEN: He is a Catholic priest accused of stalking comedian Conan O'Brien, this morning Reverend David Aganian is getting a psychological evaluation. He checked himself into the hospital after disappearing for hours yesterday. He was arrested last week while trying to sneak into a taping of "Late Night with Conan O'Brien." The priest allegedly began writing Conan letters last September. He's been charged with aggravated stalking and harassment. The judge found him fit to stand trial despite an alleged history of metal health problems.
HOLMES: A toy expected to be a holiday blockbuster, instead a bust. China has now confirmed that Aqua Dots have been a deadly bust. China says the factory sprayed the beads with a toxic chemical and if you swallow it, it turns into the so called date rape drug. So far 12 children have gotten sick; China says the toy no longer being exported.
NGUYEN: There are new developments this morning in Pakistan. President Pervez Musharraf now says elections will be held before January 9th. He would not say when he plans to list the state of emergency. But he says he had to impose it to save the country from chaos. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PRES. PERVEZ MUSHARRAF, PAKISTAN: Therefore, the decision. And whatever its cost, I bear responsibility. And I stand by it. I stand by it, because I think it was a national interest that it was not in the interest of anybody seeing it from abroad, but it was in Pakistan interest and I stand by it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: General Musharraf says Pakistan's parliament will resolve within days and he says he'll take office as a civilian president just as soon as legal challenges to his re-election are resolved.
CNN's international correspondent Karl Penhaul was at that press conference and joins us live from Islambad. Karl, this is the first time that Musharraf has spoke publicly since declaring that state of emergency. Has his message changed any?
KARL PENHAUL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Betty, the key issues there, as you pointed out, are, in fact, the decision by Musharraf to call general elections back to the parliament within the next 60 days maximum. Now, he says that those elections could, in fact, go ahead within 45 days. His preferred date, he said, January 9th.
But of course, the devil is in the detail here. Because while, yes, elections will go ahead by that date according to what he has told us today in the press conference, he gave us no date for when the state of emergency will be lifted. And that makes it very difficult for the political parties to begin campaigning because rights of assembly are being curtailed under these emergency powers.
He can't just go out on the street and start a large political gathering because those are banned. And so -- and also, of course, some of the key opposition figures are either under house arrest or their houses are surrounded by police and barbed wire. So it really begs the question how can you hold these political campaigns with the emergency rules still in place, Betty?
NGUYEN: Let me ask you this, at the news conference, Musharraf also says that the west doesn't understand what's going on in Pakistan. Exactly what does he want us to know?
PENHAUL: Well, again, General Musharraf is trying to play this card that he is the national savior of Pakistan that he declared in his words, this state of emergency to save Pakistan from terrorism. Leave to that pro-Taliban and pro al Qaeda elements. Which is very much on song with what President George Bush has said, signaling Musharraf as an ally in the war against terror. Remember, this man talking about saving democracy is the very same man in came to power in 1999 in a military coup, he's the very same man that in 2002 gained a want of referendum on his power in what was seen as a rigged election and just went to the Supreme Court last month was going to rule against him being re-elected as president and then he suspends the Supreme Court and declares this state of emergency.
So it is very difficult to understand. But he claims that the west doesn't understand it. One would suggest perhaps that these are just Alice in Wonderland moments here in Pakistan. Again, take the very press conference today. General Musharraf holding a press conference when he himself has banned most of the national media from broadcasting here in Pakistan, Betty.
NGUYEN: It is ironic. Carl Penhaul joining us live from Islamabad, thank you for breaking it down for us this morning. We do appreciate it.
HOLMES: No reaction yet from the White House this morning on developments in Pakistan. President Bush did talk about the crises when he met with reporters yesterday. He says President Musharraf should end the state of emergency, but he adds, there has been progress.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE U.S: I haven't spoken to President Musharraf since I did earlier this week. But he knows my position and he knows the position of the U.S. government. I do want to remind you that he has declared that he'll take office uniform and he has declared the re-elections.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: The crisis in Pakistan, one of the topics today on "Late Edition with Wolf Blitzer." Senator and Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden joins Wolf at 11:00 Eastern, 8:00 Pacific.
NGUYEN: Well the mouth that roared is now getting slapped down by another world leader. We are talking about Venezuela leader Hugo Chavez who had this exchange during a summit in Chili.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HUGO CHAVEZ, VENEZUELA LEADER: Tell him to respect Venezuela. Tell him the same.
(UNIDENTIFIED MALE): Why don't you shut up?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: Do you hear that? That was Spain's Wan Carlos (ph) telling Chavez to shut up. Chavez had earlier called a former Spanish prime minister a facist. It was Chavez who called President Bush the devil last year. While in Chile, Chavez is missing the street protests back home. Here is a picture of it. They're upset over proposed changes in the constitution that would allow Chavez to run for re-election indefinitely.
HOLMES: Well former President Bush, jumping out of the plane and you know what he found another reason to do it. You remember the first time he did it, it was to celebrate his 80th birthday, and this time around he is celebrating the reopening of his presidential museum.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(UNIDENTIFIED MALE): Let's have a round of applause for our 41st president.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: That's one way to make an entrance. That's the way I would go. Get someone in there who knows what they're doing. That is the safest way to jump out of a plane. Altogether, it is the sixth jump. That includes one during World War II. Pretty good for an 83-year-old.
HOLMES: This is, however, his first jump since hip replacement surgery about a year ago. President Bush has already said, yes, he wants to do it again in 2009 to celebrate his 85th birthday.
NGUYEN: The man is addicted.
HOLMES: We have to cut back on milestones. He would look for any excuse to jump out of a plane.
NGUYEN: What's going on in his life that makes him want to jump like that? You know? It makes you wonder. Forget about it, I'm going to go and jump out of a plane.
HOLMES: Congratulations to him. He's doing it well. All right. Well, they are both trying to beat the clock from Iraq.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(UNIDENTIFIED MALE): My heart stopped. I was like no, no. You've got to be kidding me. I'm so close. I'm so close.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: He didn't quite make it. But, you know, he's got a good reason to celebrate once he got home. Stay tuned for this one.
JOSH LEVS, CNN DOT COM DESK: Good morning. I'm Josh Levs. We have some pictures for you, live pictures from Arlington National Cemetery. We'll soon be showing you the tomb of the unknown. Straight ahead, live pictures through the morning. And coming up I'm going to tell you how Veterans Day this year is actually very different. Coming up Betty.
NGUYEN: Want you to check this out. Take a look at this picture right there. Not what you want, right? The driver says the truck was built Ford tough, but how in the world did that happen?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) HOLMES: Strike up the band. The historic line is reopening in New Orleans for the first time since hurricane Katrina. Only about half of the 13-mile line is up and running. But hey, that's a good start.
NGUYEN: Unfortunately, though, at least five people were injured when a bridge collapsed in Ontario, Canada. First responders say it is just amazing no one was killed in that accident. The bridge was under construction at the time. It gave way while workers were pouring concrete in place.
HOLMES: Also, Prince Harry reportedly split with his long-time girlfriend. The British tabloids say Chelsea cut it off because the 21 year prince's wild lifestyle and lack of commitment.
NGUYEN: But come on, he's just 21.
HOLMES: Prince or no prince, if you have a wild lifestyle, lack of commitment no woman is going to appreciate that.
NGUYEN: This is true but again, he is just 21 years, he is just getting started.
HOLMES: He should commit.
NGUYEN: At 21? Is he ready to commitment, a life-long commitment?
HOLMES: Apparently not. We can't do this all morning.
NGUYEN: We're going to move on to something much more serious. Let's move on to Arlington National Cemetery on this Veteran's Day. You're looking at the never ending vigil at the tomb of the unknown. You probably don't know the amazing story about these elite guards. We are going to tell you all about them a little bit later this hour.
Veteran Day parades are being held all across the country today. President and Mrs. Bush will participate in a ceremony this afternoon at an American Legion Post in Waco, Texas. And this is a live picture of the Vietnam Memorial Wall on the national mall. It's always so chilling to look at that. Every year, the wall will be a busy place today as Vietnam vets pay their respects to the fallen.
HOLMES: The troops from Iraq are coming home to now count on a big welcome home. Thanks to a group in Maine. Thousands of troops pass through Bangor, Maine, as their first stop in the United States and they're met there by the Maine troop greeters.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(UNIDENTIFIED MALE): It's heart warming and it is thrilling to come through and to be greeted in such a warm fashion. We've just finished up 15 months deployment in Iraq. And this is our first -- thank you. And this is our first stop back in the United States.
All the soldiers and armed forces know when they pass through Maine; we always know we can get a great welcome. This is my fifth time coming through here and it's always a pleasure that you're always greeted by these folks here.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: And the greeters say they have welcomed half a million troops back to American soil.
NGUYEN: You know gratitude for vets is one thing, but taking care of them is something else.
HOLMES: Josh Levs here now taking a closer look at long-term health care for veterans.
LEVS: Good morning to you guys. Veterans Day always comes into context. Two years ago, when the Iraq began and then Veterans Day was something different. This year, given what's happened in recent months, this year the holiday does have a different meaning.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LEVS (voice over): Veterans Day, each year it's about gratitude and patriotism. But this year, it's also about overcoming a national shame.
ANNETTE MCLEOD, WIFE OF CPL. WENDELL MCLEOD: This is how we treat our soldiers. We give them nothing.
LEVS: The congressional scandal over the horrible conditions at Walter Reid Army Medical Center put into new light what President Bush has often said in the past.
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE U.S: I can say to the loved ones in the military that their sons and daughters and husbands and wives get the very best medical care there is.
LEVS: The administration says it understands the problems and is fixing them.
BUSH: We have an outdated system. That can bog down some of those recovering in maize of bureaucracy.
LEVS: Speaking last week at a new medical facility in Texas, the president called for legislation needed to enact some changes and for a veterans affairs spending bill.
BUSH: Congress needs to take prompt action.
LEVS: The Associated Press notes that veterans groups have been thankful to this Congress for large budget increases engineered by Democrats. Still, the National Veterans Foundation points to a series of problems that need attention, like a backlog of claims for veterans benefits, struggles with posttraumatic stress disorder and substance abuse rates. There are also concerns over homelessness.
NAN ROMAN, NATL. ALLIANCE TO END HOMELESSNESS: While veterans make up 11 percent of the civilian population, 26 percent of homeless people are veterans. LEVS: The U.S. veteran population includes nearly 24 million people. About 250,000 are 100 percent disabled. And the U.S. military says more than 28,000 troops have been wounded in action in Iraq. And the veteran population is a very desirable political demographic. You often see all the presidential candidates citing their supporters when they're talking about their positions on the war. Veterans Day itself might be an exception when politics take a back seat to honoring them. We'll be watching out tomorrow how everyone handles the day.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: Thank you, Josh.
HOLMES: Guarding the tomb of the unknown soldiers.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(UNIDENTIFIED MALE): A lot of soldiers, they don't realize how much they have to sacrifice in order to make it through this training.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: And most don't make it through. Later this hour, you will hear from some of the men who guard the tomb of the Unknown Soldier and find out what it means to them and the families of the fallen.
HOLMES: Also, in honor of on Veterans Day, we thought we would share some photos with you from our CNN family of their loved ones who served in the military.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: All right. So this next story is best summed up with one word -- oops.
HOLMES: You'll see why.
NGUYEN: Check it out.
A Cincinnati man drove his pickup out of his second level parking space and did not stop until he hit the ground.
HOLMES: Nobody was hurt here. He says the floor mat was blocking the brake pedal and he couldn't stop. Here is how he described all this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ADAM TEUTSCH, PICKUP DRIVER: I remember hearing the engine revving and then I heard the crash that was going through the wall and then I was looking up at the brick wall. So that's really all I remember. The car wasn't tipping backwards, so I knew it was relatively level or propped up somehow. So I crawled out.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: I cannot believe he gave an interview. NGUYEN: And he seemed to be OK, almost smiling, kind of.
HOLMES: We see stories like this oftentimes and it's sometimes an elderly person who made a mistake or something. How old is that guy, the mid-20s?
NGUYEN: And it was the car mat.
HOLMES: Right, right. We can cut him some slack here, I guess. He did just fall out of a window. Who knows if he's thinking clearly?
NGUYEN: What do you say to your insurance adjuster on that one? It was the floor mat. I promise you, it was.
HOLMES: Right, sir, right. We'll look into that a little more. Also need to look into some weather. Bonnie Schneider here with us. Always a pleasure to see you and it's cold around a lot of places.
BONNIE SCHNEIDER, CNN METEOROLOGIST: That's right. It's cold here in Atlanta and especially cold in New York City. We have a frost advisory in place for another 30 minutes in Manhattan, Queens and Brooklyn.
And then in northern New Jersey and Burgeon (ph) County there is a freeze warning, the frost advisory extends all the way to northern Sussex County. No snow out there, certainly, but definitely some cold numbers. It is in the 20s in Montreal. In Canada, 21 degrees, 25 in Albany. Right at freezing in and around New York City. And much milder towards Detroit and Chicago.
But after this Alberta clipper system is finally starting to exit, what's happening is we're getting the winds coming in from the north, dry conditions. But that brisk wind coming from the north, you can see it's gusty. In fact, 20 miles per hour wind gusts in Province Town and that's on the edge of Cape Cod on the furthest eastern point. That's making it feel colder. It feels like it's in the teens across much of New England.
Elsewhere across the country, we're looking at wet conditions all the way down to southern California. Betty and T.J. the rain coming into this region will be beneficial. It will be short lived, but it will help a little bit because it will come over the burn areas in southern California. We'll talk about changes for Monday in just a bit.
NGUYEN: All right. Changes on the way. Thank you, Bonnie.
HOLMES: Well the race to the White House now we'll talk about. The race to keep up with the candidates that is pretty tough as well. The election express is on its way to Vegas.
NGUYEN: And the Democrats are in Iowa, breaching to the choir.
HOLMES: One of the many, many, many men chasing the GOP candidacy.
NGUYEN: I've lost count there are so many.
HOLMES: Who is this guy? What's he about? He's in the spotlight. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: All right. Let's talk some faith and politics this morning. Should presidential candidates be talking about their religion? Well, that issue is a little getting stickier for Republican hopeful Mitt Romney. New Hampshire voters asked Romney if he would be offering any details on his Mormon faith. And Romney says, although he's happy to answer questions, and even thought about doing a speech, his political advisers say uh-uh, it ain't happening. They think it would draw too much attention to that one issue. Polls show that some Republicans would be less likely to vote for a Mormon candidate.
NGUYEN: And you can count a lady named Roberta McCain in that bunch. Her son is running for president, and she is running her mouth. We just had to hit rewind on this one.
HOLMES: Yes, in an MSNBC interview, John McCain's 95-year-old mom -- yes, keep in mind, she's 95, she has earned the right to say...
NGUYEN: To say anything she wants.
HOLMES: Whatever she wants to say. She took a swipe at Mitt Romney's Mormon faith and linked Mormons to the scandals surrounding the Salt Lake City Olympics.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTA MCCAIN, JOHN MCCAIN'S MOTHER: As far as the Salt Lake City thing, he's a Mormons and the Mormons of Salt Lake City caused that scandal. And to clean that up, it's not even -- again, it's not a subject.
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R-AZ), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The views of my mother are not necessarily the views of mine.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: Did you see how his face lit up just as soon as it registered what she was saying? It was like, uh-oh, damage control.
HOLMES: You can't tell mom to shut up.
NGUYEN: No.
HOLMES: You can't do that. But McCain did later tell the AP that his mother misspoke. He said Romney's religion should not play a role in people's decision.
NGUYEN: Well, we will move on now to a chilly day in Philly, but a warm reception for Republican Ron Paul. About 1,500 supporters showed up at a rally for the veteran Texas lawmaker. The Ron Paul revolution is suddenly the talk of the GOP thanks to Paul's growing Internet momentum. Last week Paul's campaign said it raised $4.2 million in just 24 hours.
HOLMES: And as for the Democrats, it's all about Iowa and getting raucous before the caucus on January 3rd, the first test of the primary season. Barack Obama's supporters threw a parade through the streets of Des Moines, but the main event was an intimate dinner for 9,000 loyal Iowa Democrats. What exactly was the menu at that intimate dinner for -- can you have an intimate 9,000-people dinner?
NGUYEN: No, I don't think so. Nothing intimate about that.
HOLMES: Don't know what was on the menu exactly, but the six candidates who showed up served up plenty of political red meat in their speech.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN EDWARDS (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We need to make it clear that in November of 2008 the American people will have very clear choices. It is time for us as a party to stand up with some backbone and some strength for what we actually believe in and to not back down from this fight. There is too much at stake for Americans.
GOV. BILL RICHARDSON (D-NM), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: On how we end the war, the leading candidates are talking about keeping troops 'til 2013. Here is my position. I will bring troops back within one year and we will do it -- we will do it with a plan. We will do it with a political compromise, a reconciliation, with an all-Muslim peacekeeping force. We will do it with American diplomacy. We will do it with bringing Syria and Iran and the whole region in peace.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: Well, the 49ers went west for the gold, but Democrats want to mine the blue as in blue state potential next November. CNN's Paul Steinhauser looks at a changing political map.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN DEP. POLITCAL DIRECTOR (voice-over): The CNN Election Express on the road to Las Vegas. We're making our way through the Rocky Mountains. This was a region that was once reliably red but right now you could argue it could be up for grabs in next year's election.
Democrats have made significant political gains in this part of the country in recent years. They've won back three governorships, two Senate seats and four House seats over the past two elections. And they are hoping they can grab the big prize next year.
GOV. JANET NAPOLITANO (D), ARIZONA: There is a four-state area, Colorado, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico that truly are going to be up for grabs in the presidential election. And some others, as well, could be surprises.
STEINHAUSER: Republicans disagree. And they say if Hillary Clinton wins the nomination, the Rockies will stay in the Republican camp.
DICK WADHAMS, CHMN., COLORADO REPUBLICAN PARTY: They are going to adopt a liberal platform that I think will be out of the mainstream. STEINHAUSER: But an influx of transplants and retirees from the East and West coasts and an increase in the Latino population is changing this region.
(on camera): And that's one reason we're headed to Las Vegas for our presidential debate this Thursday. The Democrats moved up Nevada in the primary process because of its growing Latino population and because of its large union workforce.
Paul Steinhauser, for the CNN Election Express, in the Rocky Mountains.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: Well, what happens in Vegas is going to be broadcast on national TV on Thursday night.
NGUYEN: Yes, it's not staying there.
HOLMES: Yes. It's the CNN Democratic presidential debate in Vegas. Wolf Blitzer, John Roberts, Campbell Brown will take a break from the craps table long enough to ask a few questions for the candidates during the first hour. Then undecided registered voters will quiz the candidates. Tune in Thursday night, 8:00 Eastern for that debate. CNN, right here, the best political team on television.
NGUYEN: Sixteen people running for president, with so many candidates and so many important issues, can you get a little confused? Well, of course you can. So who stands out? That is what a lot of people are asking.
HOLMES: Is it just 16? It seems like it is more.
NGUYEN: A lot -- doesn't it? Seems like it's more like 1,600. There are so many out there.
HOLMES: For the next few weeks, we're profiling the candidates and what they stand for. Want to know who best shares your views, try this, go online to vajoe.com and fill out the candidate calculator.
NGUYEN: Let's say you don't support the No Child Left Behind Act, right? And you're against a ban on assault weapons, but you do support the Patriot Act and keeping the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, but you do not favor citizenship for illegals. And according to a calculator, T.J., this would make who your ideal candidate?
HOLMES: It would be Republican Congressman Tom Tancredo of Colorado.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES (voice-over): Most Republican candidates don't even mention President George W. Bush. Tom Tancredo takes a direct hit.
REP. TOM TANCREDO (R-CO), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I got a call from Karl Rove who told me that because of my criticism of the president, I should never darken the doorstep of the White House. I have been so disappointed in the president in so many ways, as president, I would have to tell George Bush exactly the same thing Karl Rove told me.
HOLMES: While Tancredo supported the president's move to invade Iraq, the Colorado representative he doesn't want to see an invasion in the U.S.
TANCREDO: I think that this crisis is not only an economic crisis, I think that it threatens the very idea of America. There is the great tradition to the melting pot in America, it's not working. The melting pot is cracked.
HOLMES: Immigration reform is Tancredo's signature issue. It puts many people with him and a lot of people against him. On a visit to Miami, Tancredo was scheduled to speak at this restaurant. When the owners heard the representatives take on illegal immigrants, the restaurant closed its doors.
Tancredo also wants to re-haul (sic) the nation's tax system to a national sales tax or flat tax. He supports young workers putting part of their Social Security into private retirement accounts. As a staunch conservative, he opposes abortion and same-sex marriage.
For now, Tancredo is waiting for more time in the spotlight.
TANCREDO: Do you think that we should way a few minutes to see if these other guys show up?
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: And Representative Tancredo will not seek a sixth term in Congress. In the next hour of CNN SUNDAY MORNING you will learn all about Democratic contender Christopher Dodd. Then at 9:00 Eastern, our own Bill Schneider will join us live to talk about the importance of the mountain region in next year's presidential election.
NGUYEN: Well, it's a moment no father would want to miss.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SGT. ROBERT HELSLEY, NEW FATHER: My heart stopped. I was like, no, no. You've got to be kidding me. I'm so close. I'm so close.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: Yes. But what a dad wants didn't matter much to this little one.
HOLMES: Yes. And also, Scientology with a Pentecostal twist? Believe it or not, there's a church in Florida that mixes the doctrines.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: All right.
NGUYEN: Talking about, this is a great story that is coming up.
HOLMES: Yes. A dad misses the birth of his first child. That sounds horrible, doesn't it?
NGUYEN: It does.
HOLMES: OK. But hey, this guy has a pretty good excuse. It wasn't really his fault. But he was oh, so close.
NGUYEN: This close. Robert Helsley wasn't on a business trip or the golf course when his wife went into labor. He had to rush home from a war zone. Jennifer Mobilia has the story from WSEE in Erie, Pennsylvania.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JENNIFER MOBILIA, WSEE REPORTER (voice-over): Military Police Sergeant Robert Helsley is serving his second tour in Iraq. Friday night, he arrived home on an 18-day leave. The father-to-be had hoped to make it home in time for the birth of his first child. But as fate would have it, he was 11 hours too late.
KATHERINE HELSLEY, NEW MOTHER: When he called me Wednesday night at midnight from Kuwait, I was having contractions, but it was nothing unusual. And then later on that night, I went into full-fledged labor. And he had no idea. He was on the flight from Kuwait to the States.
MOBILIA: It wasn't until Helsley landed in Atlanta, Georgia, he had learned Katherine had been in labor for 26 hours and their son, Robert Helsley Jr, had made his way into the world.
R. HELSLEY: My heart stopped. I was like, no, no. You've got to be kidding me. I'm so close. I'm so close. I thought I was going to make it, I really did, when I was leaving Kuwait, I really thought I was going to make it.
MOBILIA: Although Helsley didn't make it home in time for the birth of his child, he and his wife and their new son say they were going to cherish every second of the next 18 days.
K. HELSLEY: It was almost like he wasn't standing right there in front of me because I've wanted to see him for so long and I was like, is this just another one of my dreams or am I really actually seeing him? It was the most amazing thing in the world to be in the same room with my husband and our son at the same time.
MOBILIA: Jennifer Mobilia, WSEE Newswatch.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: Hey, he was almost there for it. I mean, he was there for the big part, and that's when the baby arrives.
HOLMES: Arrives. But man, he has got work ahead. He goes from active duty to diaper duty just like that. NGUYEN: Exactly, and then 18 days is it, then he's back out. So busy man.
HOLMES: Well, enjoy, yes.
NGUYEN: Tom Cruise, John Travolta probably wouldn't recognize the teachings of L. Ron Hubbard as interpreted by this Tampa church.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JIMIRRA KENNEDY, REVEREND KENNEDY'S DAUGHTER: We say this all the time, and I don't know if my father said it, but I will, Pentecostal Scientology, that's what we are.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: What?
HOLMES: Makes perfect sense.
NGUYEN: A Pentecostal Scientologist.
HOLMES: Yes.
NGUYEN: OK.
HOLMES: How one congregation finding its way with the book that's not the good book. We will explain.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: In today's "Faces of Faith," old-time religion meets a modern religion movement. Inner city churches preaching not only the good book, but books from the controversial founder of Scientology.
The story now from national correspondent Gary Tuchman.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GARY TUCHMAN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): At this church in Tampa, Florida, a Pentecostal congregation is celebrating the lord in a lively style. But the pastor here does something out of the ordinary for church.
(on camera): Have other preachers criticized you?
REV. CHARLES KENNEDY, GLORIOUS CHURCH OF GOD IN CHRIST: Much, much, much, much, much. Much, much, much.
TUCHMAN: I guess you're saying much.
C. KENNEDY: Much, much, much, much, much, much, much.
TUCHMAN (voice-over): Reverend Charles Kennedy sometimes uses a book that is not the good book.
C. KENNEDY: It will fit anybody if they would just take the time to read it.
TUCHMAN: The book is called "The Way to Happiness." It's written by L. Ron Hubbard, the founder of the Church of Scientology.
(on camera): Do you think what he says contradicts the religion of Jesus Christ?
C. KENNEDY: Sometimes, yes, sometimes, no.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The happiness or unhappiness of others you could name is important to you. Without too much trouble, using this book, you can help them survive and lead happier lives.
TUCHMAN: Reverend Kennedy says the book and many Scientology programs help solve real life problems for people at inner city churches like his.
C. KENNEDY: One thing that I took out of Scientology was an excellent spirit.
TUCHMAN: Reverend Kennedy's Glorious Church of God in Christ even operates an after school program for children using educational ideas derived from Scientology. The pastor's daughter is an instructor.
J. KENNEDY: We say this all the time, and I don't know if my father said it, but I will, Pentecostal Scientologists. That is what we are.
TUCHMAN: A Pentecostal Scientologist? That's not a term you'll hear every day. Scientologists provide free materials to Reverend Kennedy's church and others across the country.
(on camera): The international spiritual headquarters of the Church of Scientology are in this old hotel in nearby Clearwater, Florida. We wanted to ask the church top brass if they hope to recruit new members with these types of relationships. But church officials are often quite skittish about going on camera and this story is no exception.
(voice-over): So the church won't comment. But Rick Ross, who carefully tracks what he calls the cult of Scientology, did.
RICK ROSS, SCIENTOLOGY EXPERT: Their hope, that is the Scientologists', is that through these programs people will become more interested in L. Ron Hubbard and what else Mr. Hubbard had to offer. And this will lead them eventually to Scientology.
TUCHMAN: Scientology draws extra attention because of its celebrity members and its unusual precepts. Believers recognize a supreme being, but do not worship God, very difference from Christianity. The handful of churches that we found that are using Scientology techniques say they don't sacrifice their own religious ideas.
REV. JAMES MCLAUGHLIN, WAYMAN CHAPEL AME CHURCH: Getting people off drugs, I would say, a 70 to 80 percent success rate.
TUCHMAN: Reverend Jerry McLaughlin preaches at the Wayman Chapel AME Church in Houston. He uses one of L. Ron Hubbard's programs to help drug addicts.
MCLAUGHLIN: I am looking for the solutions. And the people that I help, they don't ask me who L. Ron Hubbard is. You know what they ask me? You know what they say? Thank God.
ROSS: L. Ron Hubbard was a science fiction writer. Some of these programs seem like fiction science to me.
TUCHMAN: These churches stress the Lord keeps top billing. But L. Ron Hubbard now gets an honorable mention.
Gary Tuchman, CNN, Tampa, Florida.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: All right. This next story, listen up all you bullies out there, because you had better beware. The next time you try giving someone a wedgie, that joke could be on you.
HOLMES: Yes, you could end up with handful of underwear. Two 8-year- olds come up with a permanent solution. They will demonstrate the wedgie-proof underwear. You do not want to miss this one.
NGUYEN: No.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: All right. Justin and Jared are 8-year-olds we like to call the wedgie kings. Here's why, OK? When their mom got tired of them tormenting each other with their wedgie pranks, they got a challenge: invent wedgie-proof underwear.
HOLMES: Yes. And now we have the Rip Away 1000. Look for them in your local stores. It's the ultimate bully-proof underwear. We had the twins on yesterday to show their invention. It's priceless. We had to show this again and again and again. Take a look-see.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: Yes, we need a demonstration. Can one of you give the other a wedgie for us?
JARED SEROVICH, CO-INVENTOR, RIP AWAY 1000: Sure.
NGUYEN: Proudly.
HOLMES: All right.
NGUYEN: Walk us through it. Wow. Oh, that was kind of violent there, Jared, you are the wedgie king. My goodness.
HOLMES: So wait a minute. Justin, you are underwear-less right now, is that right?
JUSTIN SEROVICH, CO-INVENTOR, RIP AWAY 1000: Yes.
HOLMES: How is that for you?
NGUYEN: And he is very proud of it. Is that a victory dance for losing your underpants? All right. So tell me, Jared, now that you've just ripped away his underwear, these things are Velcro, is that how they work?
JARED SEROVICH: Yes. Because we put the -- cut the bottom seam and the side seams and secured it back with Velcro. So when they pull up like this, it will just rip away.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: I kind of have a feeling that these two guys are doing even more wedgie pranks now that they've invented this wedgie-proof underwear just so they can just rip it out.
HOLMES: What are they going to come up with next? And yes, Justin -- we just love Justin and he loved being free, apparently, after the underwear were ripped away. But they were a blast.
NGUYEN: We got a little nervous there for a minute too because he was so free.
HOLMES: Yes. Live television, you never know what an 8-year-old is going to do without underwear on.
NGUYEN: You never know. Who knew?
HOLMES: Yes. All right. Well, we are going to move on here, talking about a story on this Veterans Day, their goal is aiming for perfection.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The ceremony that you're about to witness is the changing of the guard.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: You've probably seen them, but have you wondered exactly what it is that keeps them doing this day after day there at the Tomb of the Unknowns? We're going to give you a behind-the-scenes look. You don't want to miss this special and important story.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Veterans Day ceremonies are being held today on hallowed ground at Arlington National Cemetery. Soldiers guarding the Tomb of the Unknowns 24 hours a day, come rain, shine, heat or cold. Live look we're giving you here.
NGUYEN: Have you ever thought though about what it takes to do this job? Well, we went behind the scenes to find out.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) SGT. CHRISTOPHER PICACHE, RELIEF CMDR., TOMB OF THE UNKNOWN SOLDIER: Everything we do here is for the unknowns. So when we go out there and guard them, it's not about the public, it's not about the visitors, it's all about our job, our mission here for them.
SPC. MATTHEW PEROVICH, TOMB GUARD, 2004-PRESENT: We do it for families who don't know where their loved ones ended up, don't know what happened to them. And for all they know, it could be their brother and sister in those crypts.
PICACHE: You have your whole life, it revolves around these. It's a mentality, it's a lifestyle. It can take anywhere between six months to 14 months to complete training before you can earn the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier identification badge. A lot of soldiers, they don't actually realize how much they have to sacrifice in order to make it through this training.
On a day-to-day basis, it can take anywhere between four to 10 hours every day to get your uniforms squared away.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We had fellows that tailored their underwear so there wouldn't be a bulge in their uniform when they -- or a wrinkle in their uniform when they went out there.
PICACHE: To get shoes good enough to go outside takes about 20 to 40 hours, but to repair them on a day-to-day basis can take about six.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The seasons can be very hard on a guy. The winter can be brutal. I had incidents where I had icicles for my ears, ice packed in my head, hands soaking wet and just freezing and every time you hit that rifle, it was painful.
JIM CARDAMON, TOMB GUARD, 1957-1958: There was a huge snow storm in Washington, D.C., and the civilian guards had to work to keep the mat clear and the plaza clear so we could change the guard because you're doing it 24 hours a day, regardless of the weather.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And then you have the heat. The heat would get to you in a way that it would just literally weaken you physically and emotionally.
PEROVICH: It's really the greatest honor a soldier can have, being here and honoring those people who give them everything. They didn't just give their lives, they gave their identity. The work you put into this place, you work a 24-hour shift and then the time off, it's not just sleeping, eating and hanging out, you're fixing any deficiencies that you had the previous work day to raise the standard.
Our standard down here is line six of "The Sentinel's Creed," it is "my standard will remain perfection." And no one can really achieve true perfection, but we can -- and personally and professionally down here we try to do it, achieve that as best we can. And going out there every day, knowing you're putting your best food foot forward to honor the men and women who gave themselves for this country is pretty awesome.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: From the CNN Center in Atlanta, it's Sunday, November 11. Good morning everybody, I'm Betty Nguyen.
HOLMES: I'm T.J. Holmes. So glad you could start your day right here with us.
Show you a picture of this guy. You remember that guy. That John Wayne dude, hurricane Katrina. The Lt. General Russell Honore, he got the job done in New Orleans, now he is getting the job done elsewhere. Training young men and woman for war. He joins us live this hour as part of our special Veterans Day coverage.
NGUYEN: First up though, she has been missing for two weeks now and still no sign of an Illinois police officer's wife. Volunteers were out again yesterday searching for 23 year old Stacy Peterson, she hasn't been seen since October 28th and authorities fear that she may be dead. Her husband, Drew Peterson is a suspect in her disappearance. Family members just want answers and the men heading off the search tried to get answers from the husband.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(UNIDENTIFIED MALE): I would sure like to invite you to help us on this search. I'm concerned that you are not. He said you don't need to be searching anyway. And I said why not, and he said because my wife is not missing. She left with another man.
PAM BOSCO, FAMILY SPOKESWOMAN: Every day when we see people coming out and joining with the efforts, everyday it gives us another day to keep going. We really believe in the end as I always said that we will have an answer to this. We will find Stacy one way or another.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: Drew Peterson has not been charged in his wife's disappearance. Along with the search for Stacy Peterson, prosecutors do plan to dig up the body of Peterson's third wife. They say her death may have been staged as an accident.
HOLMES: Well the shooter in last weeks deadly school shooting in Finland may have had a connection to an American teenager who was allegedly planning a Columbine-style attack. As you may recall the 18 year old killed eight people and then himself making him the worst mass murderer in Finland history.
Investigators now think in the weeks leading up to the killing spree he may have been in communication with that American teen. That teen near Philadelphia was taken into custody last month after police found a chilling arsenal in his home. All of this you see laid out on the table belonged to a middle schooler. He was able to amass such an arsenal. Both boys apparently shared a fascination with the 1999 Columbine massacre. NGUYEN: There are new developments this morning in Pakistan. President Pervez Musharraf now says elections will be held before January 9th. He will not say when he plans to lift the state of emergency, but he does say that he had to impose it to save the country from chaos.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PRESIDENT PERVEZ MUSHARRAF, PAKISTAN: Therefore the decision and whatever its cost, I bear responsibility. I stand by it. I stand by it because I think it was in national interest. It was not in the interest of anybody from abroad, but it was in Pakistan's interest and I stand by it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: General Musharraf says Pakistan's parliament will dissolve within days and he says he will take office as a civilian president just as soon as legal challenges to his reelection are resolved.
HOLMES: No reaction just yet from the White House on this morning's development in Pakistan. President Bush did talk about the crises when he met with reporters yesterday, he says President Musharraf should end the state of emergency but he adds there has been progress.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I haven't spoken to President Musharraf since I did earlier this week and he knows my position and the position of the U.S. government. I do want to remind you that he has declared that he will take off his uniform and he declared the elections.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: The prices in Pakistan is one of the topics today on "Late Edition with Wolf Blitzer," senator and Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden joins Wolf at 11:00 a.m. Eastern, 8:00 Pacific.
NGUYEN: A bridge collapses, injuring six people and this morning two of those people are still in the hospital. Their injuries are said to be non life-threatening. That's the good news. It happened in Ontario. The bridge was under construction and it gave way just as crews poured the last layer of concrete.
HOLMES: We turn to Nevada now, and a possible sexual predator under arrest there. Police in Reno now say the man may have used Craig's List to lure two teen boys to his home. That is the suspect there, Jason Hunter; he is accused of sexually assaulting at least one of the boys. Police say he posed as a 20-year-old woman on the site to get the 13-year-old and 15-year-old boys to his home.
NGUYEN: Well the toy expected to be a holiday block buster is a bust. China confirming that Aqua Dots could be deadly. China says the factory sprayed the beads with a toxic chemical. If you swallow it, it turns into the so called date rape drug. At least 12 children have gotten sick. China says the toy is no longer being exported.
HOLMES: It is of course Veterans Day and there a host of ceremonies on tap as always.
NGUYEN: We want to give you a live picture now from Arlington National Cemetery. Looking at the never ending vigil at the Tomb of the Unknown. Veterans Day parades being held all across the country today. Former train in Commander General Russell Honore is leading one of those parades in Atlanta and he will join us live in 15 minutes.
HOLMES: He is in the studio. I feel like I need to shape up even just having him in the room.
NGUYEN: He will shape you up.
HOLMES: A live picture at the Vietnam Memorial Wall. President and Mrs. Bush will participate in a ceremony this afternoon at an American Legion Post in Waco, Texas.
Fresh eyes looking at oil spill in San Francisco. The NTSB now sending a team there to investigate a fuel tanker's collision with the bay bridge. Beaches and shorelines have been closed because of that spill, about 58,000 gallons of fuel spilled out of the tanker and right now the Coast Guard said the accident was caused by human error, but are not saying who exactly is at fault.
NGUYEN: I want you to take a look now, many towns in southern Mexico remained flooded or buried in mud. In one of those towns recovery crews found the bodies of a 7-year-old and a 10-year-old girl. British volunteers are helping in the search. The death toll from the severe flood and the mud slides that followed stands at 19, but there more than a dozen people still missing.
HOLMES: We turn to the weather now; we turn to Bonnie Schneider who is with us. Bonnie, it's winter, it appears. Feels like it.
SCHNEIDER: You're right. In and around New York City, a cold day yesterday. The frost and freeze warnings have expired; the temperatures are slowly but surely climbing above freezing, but barely. Look at upstate New York and into Canada it is in the 20s right now. And we have strong winds that came in behind this clipper system coming in from the north, pulling down that cold, cold air.
Currently the winds are gusty out on the Cape in Massachusetts. A little bit towards the east end of Long Island and not so bad further toward the upstate area into Albany and Syracuse. But the wind chill factor feels like it's in the teens there and it feels like its right at freezing in and around New York City and Philadelphia feeling like 31 degrees.
Now I am going to take you off to the west, we have rain coming in, which is good news for California. Right now it's just south of San Francisco. This system will actually drop to the south later on today and showers are in the forecast in and around southern California. Very beneficial for the fire areas. The problem is as we take a look at the system, it will bring rain by the time we get to tomorrow. High pressure will set up once again in the Great Basin and unfortunately that means brisk winds from the northeast. Critical to fire danger, something we will be watching on Monday for southern California. For good news, unfortunately bad news for Monday.
NGUYEN: Thanks for telling us on a Sunday. Maybe we will try to enjoy the rest of the weekend.
HOLMES: The price is oil is within striking distance of $100 a barrel. That is say big number. What does it mean for you and me? Even the more expensive gallon of milk and guess what there is no help in sight from Washington.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(UNIDENTIFIED MALE): They are not going to affect the price at the pump. Not going to happen and it may be a good thing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Not going to happen. It could be a good thing? Well explain that to us. The trouble with oil a special report, tonight at 10:30 Eastern.
NGUYEN: Well there are many things we remember about the days after hurricane Katrina when New Orleans was hit, but one of our favorites is this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(UNIDENTIFIED MALE): Hey, weapons down. Weapons down!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: That man knows how to bark out an order.
HOLMES: A lot of folks will remember that. Don't get stuck on stupid. Of course you do. That's the Lieutenant General Russell Honore coming in and taking control; he joins us for Veterans Day coverage. That is right after this.
NGUYEN: But first in honor of Veterans Day, a few photos of CNN family members who served in the armed forces.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: On this Veterans Day we honor the man who restored order to New Orleans after hurricane Katrina. Lt. Gen. Russell Honore.
HOLMES: Yes, you remember this guy. Mayor Ray Nagin called him that John Wayne dude who got the job done and he did.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
Lt. GEN. RUSSELL HONORE: We are not stuck on stupid. When you get here, you have to make stuff happen.
I need them to come here.
We might be in the halftime of this game, we might be losing, but I will focus this next half. We will win and get it done as quickly as we can. We need the big brains in America to find the solution and take care of the evacuees.
RAY NAGIN, NEW ORLEANS: I give the president some credit on this. He sent one John Wayne dude down here who can get stuff done. His name is General Honore and came off the doggone chopper and he started cussing and people started moving. He is getting stuff done.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: I don't know if he will be cussing this morning, but here with us, sir, good to have you. That John Wayne dude. Was that a compliment at the time? Did you appreciate someone saying that about you?
LT. GEN. RUSSELL HONORE: I think its more trivia to the American soldiers and marines and our National Guard troop who first responded and got the job done and I became the spokesman on the project. It is an honor to be here today and thank you for recognizing the service of our veterans.
HOLMES: Of course. Thank you for all you do. We have Veterans and Memorial Day, but the other 363 days of the year, do you see the soldiers and service men getting the attention and support they need from the fellow man, from communities, also from their federal government?
HONORE: Well, it appears to be if we are what we watch and when you watch, you sometimes see more attention to Hollywood starlets than we do to those who served or those who have served. We came out of World War II with about 16 million veterans and passing on at a rate of about 1,000 a day. There is still quite a few of them around.
It is an honor; I was with a couple of them yesterday to see because they are the champions to keep Veterans Day alive. America had a great debt of gratitude to its veterans. Not all of the time that is shown in public. Veterans Day is a big day and we will have parades, but that has to be turned into deeds in terms of the funding to our veterans hospital.
You know since the beginning of the war after 9/11, we generated 1,384,984 veterans who have served. On top of those veterans who meet terror today from the Veterans Administration from the Gulf War which was about 2.3 million and from the Korean War about five million and Vietnam about 8 million, we have a tremendous job in this nation to continue to take care of those who have served and who are in need.
HOLMES: Who is failing them? You mentioned more attention on starlets. Some of that falls us in the media. Also what the federal governments responsibility, the citizens responsibility, whose responsibility does this fall on?
HONORE: I think things happen in American when the American people want it to happen. We need resurgence in patriotism. Being a patriot shouldn't be something that talks about the bad quality and it should be praised. Those who served this nation and kept America free and kept the world free, we fought World War I for others. We fought World War II, Vietnam and Korea. In each case those countries have continued to flourish as a result of the freedom that's been paid for in the sweat and blood of our veterans.
HOLMES: Does it upset to see sometimes, when people are actually protesting at soldiers' funerals. That's not the overwhelming sentiment, but there are some out there who unfortunately express their political views and their problem with the war in Iraq and they lash out at the soldiers themselves, the soldiers who are actually doing their job. What do you think when you see that?
HONORE: I think they are shameful, but on the other hand it speaks to all of our American service men fight for and that is our constitution. Because at the end of the day, our constitution guarantees people the right of speech and the right to protest. At the same time it is disgusting and particularly when there is not an equal protest to give honor to those who have served and given their last measure to this great country.
HOLMES: Let's turn to Katrina for just a moment. You have a long military career. Where does that joint task force Katrina rank in terms of your service and what it meant to you and what you were able to accomplish on that mission?
HONORE: I have been in the military for 37 years. That obviously was the biggest operation I have ever been involved with.
HOLMES: It's amazing to you that it happened on U.S. soil?
HONORE: It is amazing, but it's a reminder that storms can come with devastating proportion that gives set back technology for 80 years which Katrina did. It overwhelms the capacity of local governments to handle devastation the size of Katrina. The first responders did a significant amount of work to save people and volunteers from all over the south of Louisiana and Mississippi to do rescue work and it was indeed an honor to be a part of task force Katrina.
HOLMES: Did you plan to be that John Wayne dude? I know you are who you are, but at the time New Orleans was a mess and people were not getting help and the federal government was failing people, there was no leadership there. You were exactly what New Orleans needed. I don't know what knew that, but the mayor said whoever sent you they knew what they were doing. Did you go in trying to be that guy, that leader or did you just be yourself and you were the perfect fit for that particular situation that the country and New Orleans needed at the time?
HONORE: I will leave that to others to judge. We tried to get the job done, we got a mission and the mission was to help rescue and evacuate the city of New Orleans and to try and reassure people by providing food and water and medical support. That was our mission and that was what we attempted to do with the National Guard reserve and the first responders. It was an honor to serve and hopefully it will never happen again.
We must remember the lessons of Katrina. That preparation is key and that I think we live in a new normal. America needs to invest itself locally and we need to invest the homes and create a culture of preparedness in America that help us through education, preparedness, collaboration of local and state levels. We will have disasters again in America.
HOLMES: Last couple of things here. I want to ask you about your son and what you will do after military service. Your son serves in the military as well, he has served in Iraq. You are already grinning with a sense of pride.
HONORE: We take great pride. He is at Fort Hood, Texas serving as a part of first army.
HOLMES: Where is this picture?
HONORE: That is at the National Training Center prior to his deployment. He left Fort Hood training troops after deployment to Iraq. We are very proud of him and thank you for asking.
HOLMES: What's next for you? Are you going to retire at any point any time soon? You have 30 something years.
HONORE: That word retire scares me. Maybe I will transition.
HOLMES: Into what?
HONORE: I would like to commit the rest of my life to follow-up on that culture of preparedness in America and patriotism and taking care of our veterans. We have a lot to do to continue to invest and take care of our veterans and to take care of our young soldiers, air men and marines and their families who served today unselfishly taking the fight to the enemy and doing our nation's work.
As they wear our nation's cloth, they are proud to be in the military and we must remind America that access to those who walk and serve in the military is still important to us through our ROTC program and access by recruiters to encourage the young people to join the military. Through each generation, there is a responsibility to keep America free. We cannot walk away from this. To each generation, they are owed that responsibility and we must encourage the young people to join the military. Otherwise we are going to be in a lot of trouble if we cannot defend America.
HOLMES: You say you want to continue with that struggle and with that fight. Any way you will continue through putting your name on a ballot and see you running for office possibly?
HONORE: I don't know. You see a lot of people running for office.
HOLMES: You could be one of them.
HONORE: I appreciate that compliment.
HOLMES: It's a slow news day for us. Go ahead.
HONORE: I have been a soldier for 37 years and that means I'm a poor man. I need to get out and make a few speeches and go out and talk to the people and continue to thank those who served and help take care of their families as they deployed and remind America that we need to take care of our veterans. Every day should be Veterans Day. We are a nation today because of the sacrifice of our veterans.
HOLMES: You say you are a poor man, but you are rich with knowledge and personality. Gen. Honore sir, pleasure to see you and come back when you are ready to announce.
HONORE: Thank you for recognizing our veterans.
HOLMES: Thank you sir for all you have done. Next hour, your salute to the troops, we are going to be talking about that. Our I-reporters busy sending us their story with a look at the men and women risking their lives for the future of this country.
NGUYEN: Like the General said preparation is key. We live in a new normal. Might see him on the ballot one day.
Well he says he the only candidate who gets mail from AARP and the diaper service. He is one of the presidential hopefuls. And we will tell you more about Christopher Dodd one of the many men chasing the Democratic nomination. It is just minutes away.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: So many issues, so many names. I'm not going to test you again.
NGUYEN: I would be here all day because there so many of them.
HOLMES: How do you narrow down a field of 16 candidates to your best presidential choice?
NGUYEN: We have an answer. Try this. Go to the candidate calculator. Find out which would best represent your views.
HOLMES: For example let's say you support No Child Left Behind and you also support federal stem cell research, but your are opposed to the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay and are in favor of granting citizenship to illegals and making same-sex marriage legal. Hit the button and your guy is Christopher Dodd. The profile of this candidate?
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CHRISTOHER DODD, RUN FOR THE WHITE HOUSE: I walked in here this evening and a fellow walked up and said Anderson Cooper, what's happened to you here? I realize I have gaining of ground to do. I'm counting on the American people in the coming months.
(END VIDEO CLIP) HOLMES: Democratic presidential hopeful Christopher Dodd stating the obvious at a New Hampshire debate in September as his campaign continues to stall at the bottom of the pack. The son of a Connecticut senator, Dobb went into the family business in 1974 when he was elected to Congress. In 1980 he became the second Senator Dodd. Before he began his government service, he was in public service as a member of the Peace Corp, an experience he said changed his life.
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DODD: I went over as a 22 year old to the Dominican Republic, I dropped out on a mountain village and I came out two years later a very different kid. I learned a foreign language and appreciated a culture and grew to love my country in ways I never imagined.
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HOLMES: He became a father in 2001 and often jokes he is the only candidate who gets mail from AARP and from diaper services. On the issues Dodd is generally liberal. He supports abortion rights and gay marriage and opposes the Bush tax cut, but he did vote with the White House on immigration reform. On the issue of the Iraq war, Senator Dodd voted for the use of force and said it was based on inaccurate information supplied by Congress. He is pushing for a U.S withdrawal from Iraq by March of next year.
NGUYEN: You don't want to miss this.
HOLMES: Democratic presidential debate in Las Vegas. We will take a look outside on the craps tables and we'll ask questions of the candidates during the first hour and then you the voters will quiz the candidates. Tune in Thursday night 8:00 Eastern, CNN the best political team on TV.
NGUYEN: And our own Bill Schneider will join us next hour live, he is on the CNN election express bus traveling towards Las Vegas. And he is going to tell us why Nevada is a key state for the 2008 vote.
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