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CNN Sunday Morning
Ice Storm Gripping Kentucky; Super Bowl Preview
Aired February 01, 2009 - 06:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, everybody, on this Super Bowl Sunday morning. You ready for some football? It is the first day of February.
T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: You sound like the game is about to start right now.
(CROSSTALK)
NGUYEN: It's only 6:00 a.m. here on the East Coast.
Good morning and welcome. I'm Betty Nguyen.
HOLMES: And I'm T.J. Holmes. It's 3:00 a.m. out in the West. Glad you could start your day here with us.
And we are trying to keep up, so we guess you are trying to keep up with all these rescue plans and all these billions of dollars being thrown around. Well, the Senate is working on one stimulus plan this week. The president has another rescue plan that he has in the works, but that one, we've gotten word, is going to be delayed a bit. We will explain to you why.
NGUYEN: Plus, she vows to spend little or no money for the entire month of February. Can it be done? Well, we're going to show you the lady known as the "Frugalista." And she's going to be here live.
Want you to take a look though at some of the stories that we've been working on overnight. Kentucky calls up the biggest National Guard force in state history to help with the blackout there. Hundreds of thousands of people still don't have power after several days. Troops are offering to go door-to-door with help.
Well, tens of thousands of oil refinery workers have put down their picket signs, at least for now. The workers were prepared to strike this morning after their contract ran out. But the union representing them has agreed to rolling 24-hour contract extensions until the agreement is reached for the unions - or the union terminates the contract.
Also, the second riot in two months breaks out at a West Texas prison. Authorities say as many as 2,000 prisoners took over the grounds for hours yesterday, even started some fires. No word on how that prison riot broke out, but three inmates were taken to the hospital. ANNOUNCER: You're watching CNN, your severe-weather headquarters.
HOLMES: Well, it's the biggest natural disaster ever to hit the state of Kentucky. That is how the governor there is describing the deadly ice and snowstorm that is still gripping his state.
This is in Kentucky. And just in Kentucky alone, hundreds of thousands of people are enduring another morning of freezing cold in homes that are without electricity. Many of them are without fresh water either. The governor told us actually here live yesterday morning that about 200,000 people were without fresh water. National Guard troops are going door-to-door looking for survivors and offering some help as utility crews work to get that power back on. But no word on exactly when it'll be back on.
The devastating winter storm is blamed in at least 42 deaths from Oklahoma to West Virginia. In the middle there, Ohio also getting back on track after the storm. Officials had to move a shelter that was inside a middle school in Logan because - well, classes have to start tomorrow. You see them packing up. The Red Cross there not going to be used as a shelter anymore because kids got to go to school. Officials say most people have their power restored there. But concerns still remain for thousands who live in rural areas, especially in Logan.
Community emergency-response teams are going door-to-door to check on the folks there.
So it sounds like some people - some things getting a little better, Reynolds, for our - for some folks.
And the storm you were telling us about yesterday, some good news about it. We'll take anything right now.
(CROSSTALK)
REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Very good news.
HOLMES: A new one that's coming.
WOLF: Absolutely. Does not look quite as intense as it did yesterday...
HOLMES: Sounds great.
WOLF: ...on our community models. However, I got to warn you though, there's always the possibility that later on today, it looks like the storm may move a little bit back. So we may be talking about it getting a little stronger in some places more than others.
HOLMES: So it might just be going - it's ebbing and flowing right now.
WOLF: It is.
You know, we get a little bit of different information all the time. But I will tell you right now, the best news we have in Louisville is the current temperature is 41 degrees.
HOLMES: All right.
WOLF: Freezing point right at 32. So it's a bit warmer. So...
(CROSSTALK)
HOLMES: They're a mess in Louisville right now.
WOLF: But if you happen to be a family - you know, and you're trying to stay warm. Well, let's - let's be honest, 41 degrees still pretty cool.
HOLMES: I know. Yes.
WOLF: Exactly. Exactly.
You know, we've been really focusing on parts of Kentucky, and that's certainly a good reason. But take a look at this I-Report, over in Arkansas, T.J.'s home state - Rogers, Arkansas. You'll see this shot of a gas-station collapse due to the weight of the ice earlier this week.
Now, you can see the damage. What a mess that is. It almost looks like tornado damage. Thankfully, no one was killed by this. But this is just part of the infrastructure that people are going to have to rebuild. I mean, it's almost like it's a war zone in many locations.
And as they slowly rebuild things, it's going to take some time for things to get back to normal. Every little bit matters, and right now, every little bit in those temperatures is going to make one bit of a difference, as temperatures right now in parts of Kentucky are above normal, a lot of that ice is going to begin to dissipate.
The problem is, within 24 to 48 hours, they're still going to see a big drop in those temperatures. And there is a chance we may be seeing some light snowfall in parts of Kentucky and the Ohio Valley as we get into late tomorrow night.
Right now, 39 degrees in Cleveland; 35 in Pittsburgh; 31 in Buffalo; 38 in Cincinnati. But I'll tell you, the snow not expected to be like the blizzard conditions we did anticipate. But still, let's be honest, snow is snow. Thirty-eight degrees in Cincinnati' currently, 41 in Roanoke. And Richmond, if you're waking up this morning, you currently have 30 degrees.
Now, your forecast highs today - all things considered, not bad at Nashville, 59 degrees; 70 in Dallas; 52 in D.C. What we're going to be seeing is this frontal boundary, still drifting its way to the east. Some scattered showers, possibly some strong storms in portions of Louisiana, Mississippi, even parts of Texas. Keep in mind, much of central and West Texas, including Austin and San Antonio, you're very dry. And at this time, we have a red-flag warning in effect. We've had some fires in parts of the Central Plains. There's a chance we could see some of that activity in parts of Texas. As we fast-forward from today into tomorrow, this is where it gets interesting. That frontal boundary getting close to the coast, when that moisture is going to interact with some of that cooler air, there's a chance we could still see some sleet and snow in the mountains of north Georgia, parts of the Carolinas, as far north as the nation's capital and then into New England. It's going to be this storm system you see right here developing over parts of the Great Lakes that could bring a shot of snowfall. Not heavy, heavy stuff, but still, a shot of snow to portions of the Ohio Valley.
So they're not out of the woods just yet, but you have to mention that things looked a little bit better than they did, say, 24 hours ago.
Let's send it back to you.
NGUYEN: Well, hey, we'll take that if it's better than it did. All right.
WOLF: There you go. There's the spirit.
HOLMES: All right.
WOLF: Good times.
HOLMES: Reynolds, thanks, buddy.
WOLF: You bet.
HOLMES: President Obama says, Eh, I'm going to need a minute on this one. They need a little more time before rolling out that new financial-rescue package. They expect it to be ready by the second week of February. They had initially said they wanted it to be ready this coming week.
The newly confirmed Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner is responsible for crafting this new financial-rescue plan. The plan is expected to focus heavily on the thawing of the frozen credit market and hopefully make loans more affordable for families and businesses. The plan also expected to require more transparency from companies, including some restrictions on executive pay.
You may remember, the president last week publicly scolded Wall Street after it was revealed companies handed out billions of dollars in bonuses last year. Well, at the same time, some of those same companies were petitioning the government for federal dollars.
Now this rescue package is separate from that $819 billion stimulus package you heard about last week. The House of Representatives passed it last week without a single Republican member voting for it.
Meanwhile, Republican Senator Judd Gregg from New Hampshire considered to be the leading candidate to become commerce secretary. Again, a Republican. Administration officials say a decision could come as early as tomorrow. Meanwhile, Eric Holder, he's also expected to be fully confirmed as attorney general tomorrow.
NGUYEN: Well, another of President Obama's Cabinet picks is having tax troubles. Former Senator Tom Daschle, the nominee for Health and Human Services secretary - CNN's Elaine Quijano takes a look at the latest distraction Mr. Obama's administration is dealing with.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Even as President Obama again pushed his massive economic stimulus plan...
BARACK H. OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Americans know that our economic recovery will take years, not months, but they will have little patience if we allow politics to get in the way of action.
QUIJANO: His administration was dealing with another distraction -- more tax troubles. This time for the president's pick for Health and Human Services secretary, former Senator Tom Daschle.
AMY HOLMES, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: So he's well-acquainted with a lot of these disclosure rules and Senate ethic rules. Tom Daschle knows better.
QUIJANO: The Senate Finance Committee says Daschle did not report income from the use of a car and driver and more than $80,000 for consulting work. The committee also found he deducted charitable donations to groups that didn't qualify as charities.
Daschle has since paid $150,000 in back taxes and interest.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: While it's an embarrassment, until we hear and unless we hear Democrats expressing concern about this, he will be confirmed.
QUIJANO: Both the White House and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid expressed confidence Daschle will be confirmed, but he's the second Obama Cabinet pick to be bogged down by tax problems, as Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner was before his confirmation.
The distraction comes as the president is trying to focus on pulling skeptical Republicans on board with his economic policies.
So far, no luck in the House, where the stimulus bill passed without a single Republican supporting it.
REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA), SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: The bill is passed.
QUIJANO: And Republicans in the Senate, which takes up the bill Monday, remain weary, accusing Democrats of wasting taxpayer dollars.
SEN. MITCH MCCONNELL (R), MINORITY LEADER: The bill they presented and which House Democrats approved this week along a party line vote, looks more like a trillion-dollar Christmas list.
QUIJANO: But Democrats could get a victory in the Senate.
An Obama administration official says Republican Senator Judd Gregg of New Hampshire is the leading candidate to become commerce secretary. If Gregg is picked and the Democratic governor picks a Democrat to replace him, that could potentially give Democrats the magic number, a 60-seat majority in the Senate, big enough to overcome a Republican filibuster.
(on camera): An administration official says a decision on the commerce-secretary post could come as early as Monday.
Elaine Quijano, CNN, the White House.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: Well, squatters in the homes that they used to own. Are they really squatters if they used to own it?
Well, a congresswoman tells them not to hand over the keys.
HOLMES: Yes, folks need to hear that story.
Also, there is a game today.
NGUYEN: Yes, a little one.
HOLMES: A little one. Everybody on the planet's going to be watching this one.
NGUYEN: Yes.
HOLMES: The Steelers and the Cardinals going at it. We'll be going at it a bit this morning, too. A lot to talk about with this game, including a lot of the security measures that have to be taken. Of course, everybody wants to talk about the commercials.
And then there's sista.
NGUYEN: Sista Jean.
HOLMES: Sista Jean that you had here last year. Yes, this nun who makes Super Bowl predictions.
NGUYEN: And she's pretty accurate. So we're going to see who she picks this time around.
HOLMES: Stay here.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NARAYANAN JAYARAMAN, GEORGIA TECH FINANCE PROFESSOR: My RX also goes back to TARP. I think the second TARP has to be put some on the house foreclosure and go to the concept of bad bank buying off the assets. That builds a lot of confidence in the marketplace.
In terms of the fiscal stimulus, I think the size is right. Anything about a trillion dollars would send a sticker shock to the population.
Now, between the mix, I'm more in the camp of not, again, focusing on tax cuts, because - it is good, we all feel good about tax cuts. But what is needed is money to be spent to create jobs and privately owned infrastructure jobs.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: All right. That's part of our series. We're tracking down the smartest people we can find to give their prescription for the economy. And that was a Georgia Tech economist giving his 90- second prescription.
NGUYEN: All right. So we know this - you don't need to be an economist to know that the economy is in dire straits right now and millions of Americans are losing their homes.
But listen to this: one congressman suggests that people just refuse to leave.
Drew Griffin has our "Special Investigations Unit" story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DREW GRIFFIN, CNN SPECIAL INVESTIGATION UNIT CORRESPONDENT (voice over): The notices came to her home in April. Andrea Guice's bank foreclosed on her, behind in payments, out of work, a husband sick, she had nowhere to go.
So she decided to follow the advice of her congresswoman, and go nowhere.
Guice is part of a new movement in the housing crisis: squatters.
(on camera) For lack of a better term, you're kind of squatting in this house, aren't you?
ANDREA GUICE, FORECLOSED HOMEOWNER: Basically, yes. Yes.
GRIFFIN: Last resort?
GUICE: Last resort, yes.
GRIFFIN (voice over): More than 4,000 properties were foreclosed on in Toledo's Lucas County last year. This year, it could be worse. There's a county clerk whose full-time job is typing up and sending out foreclosure notices.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Tomorrow morning this will be mailed out. GRIFFIN: Elected officials are saying Toledo is not in a recession, it is a depression. It is this bleak backdrop that inspired Toledo Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur to take the floor of the House earlier this month to tell her constituents to stay put.
REP. MARCY KAPTUR, (D) OHIO: So I say to the American people, you be squatters in your own homes; don't you leave.
GRIFFIN: Kaptur says she has had it with government bailouts for Wall Street banks, but nothing for homeowners. She is advocating for a legal revolution, a demand that not one of her constituents leaves their home without an attorney and a fight.
(on camera) Even if they've been foreclosed on, don't leave?
KAPTUR: If they've had no legal representation of a high quality, I tell them stay in their homes.
GRIFFIN (voice over): Kaptur is behind a strategy called "produce the note." Mortgages have been so divvied up on Wall Street that banks are having a hard time finding that original paperwork, adding a delay to foreclosures.
She is also pushing banks to rework loans, especially those banks getting bailouts and holding mortgages of folks getting tossed out.
KAPTUR: They're vultures. They prey on our property assets. And I guess the reason I'm so adamant on this is because I know property law and its power to protect the individual home owner. And I believe that 99.9 percent of our people have not had - have not had good legal representation in this.
GRIFFIN: Without a lawyer, Andrea Guice bought a $147,000 home with nearly $40,000 down.
GUICE: I should have had an attorney. I really should have had the attorney. I did not know.
GRIFFIN: She admits she didn't read the paperwork, didn't learn, until it was too late, she had a subprime loan. Her payments of $883 a month jumped in a year to more than $1,500. When it did, she stopped paying.
(on camera): So they foreclosed on you?
GUICE: They have foreclosed on me, yes.
GRIFFIN (voice over): The law firm representing the bank in Guice's foreclosure declined comment to CNN. Another one of the banks Guice believes holds her note, Wells Fargo, said it wouldn't comment on individual cases, but tries to work with homeowners.
Backed by her congresswoman, Guice simply is not budging.
Drew Griffin, Toledo, Ohio.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: All right. Here is a tough personal challenge. Just imagine trying to do away with almost all spending. Could you do it?
HOLMES: Could you do it?
NGUYEN: I don't know. That - that's difficult.
HOLMES: But you can spend money for food, I assume.
NGUYEN: Food and for gas.
HOLMES: For gas.
NGUYEN: And you got to continue to pay your bills.
HOLMES: The stuff you have, have to have.
(CROSSTALK)
HOLMES: But you can't buy new shoes and purses and stuff.
NGUYEN: You can't go out to eat. You can't buy, you know, Snickers bar when you go to the gas station. None of that stuff. It's done.
HOLMES: All right.
Well, one lady is going to give it a shot. She is trying to spend virtually nothing in the month of February. Again, no eating out, skipping the salon...
NGUYEN: Uh oh.
HOLMES: I can't wait to see her after a month if she's skipping the salon.
Also - you know, and all those little extras. Her name is Nellie McNeil (ph), and this is coming from the "Frugalista Files." Join us a little later this morning, 7:20 Eastern. She will be with us to tell us how she is going to do this exactly.
NGUYEN: She's got some money-saving tips there.
HOLMES: I guess you could do your own hair at home.
NGUYEN: Yes. I - I don't think you want to see me do my own hair.
Well, in the meantime, though, someone who doesn't have to worry about that too much, President Obama makes quite an impression overseas - in the classroom, in fact.
HOLMES: All right.
And also, a little something this morning - there's a new twist on an old game.
NGUYEN: Right.
HOLMES: All right. We all played finger football ....
NGUYEN: Sure we have.
HOLMES: ... in school. You know - you did. You didn't?
NGUYEN: I saw the guys doing it. I never really participated.
HOLMES: Well, for those of you who didn't, you throw the little football and you kick it through the...
NGUYEN: It's a paper football that you kick.
(CROSSTALK)
NGUYEN: And then I guess someone does this, makes it a little goal.
HOLMES: Yes.
No more. This is 2008 (sic).
NGUYEN: Look at this.
HOLMES: We - we're moving up. A new version of it is out.
NGUYEN: Organized.
HOLMES: Yes, and it's gorgeous and it stinks kind of.
NGUYEN: Smells like plastic.
HOLMES: Smells like plastic. But you got a football. We will give you the new twist on the old game this morning.
It's Super Bowl Sunday. We're having a little fun with the Super Bowl. Stick around.
(LAUGHTER)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Security at today's Super Bowl is tighter than ever.
Now, of course, there are metal detectors, bag checks, the pat downs. You know, kind of like the security at T.J.'s Super Bowl party.
But for the first time in sports history, TSA officers are using behavior detection as they observe fans entering the stadium and tagging any suspicious activity. The officers will also be at hotels and airports.
HOLMES: Yes, some characters try to sneak into my party sometimes.
NGUYEN: You think so?
HOLMES: Yes.
NGUYEN: Are you going to have security at the door?
HOLMES: I need security. Yes.
NGUYEN: We need wristbands and everything, right?
HOLMES: Yes, you will, actually, Betty. It's a great idea.
Well, another kind of football is taking center stage right about now. Of course, it's not as big as the big game.
NGUYEN: No.
HOLMES: But it's a remake of an old classic. I'm sure you did it in school.
NGUYEN: Yes, though the game is not as rough, the competition can be just as fierce. And all you have to do is life your little finger to play.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SPUD ALFORD. PRESIDENT, ZELOSPORT: I see these kids playing paper football on television, and I thought, everybody in this country knows that concept. Everybody's familiar with it. And it's just the ingenuity and the imagination of American kids came up with this thing so they can play football indoors.
So I pulled out this big old piece of paper like you see there and with a pencil and just started drawing. And here we are a number of years later with a full-fledged company.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Go! One thousand one. One thousand two. One thousand....
(CROSSTALK)
STEWART WEBB, FINGER FOOTBALL PLAYER: (INAUDIBLE). I had a chance to win it, last play to pick a - score a touchdown and kick it off the back of the - back of the board.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: All right. So you get...
HOLMES: Yes.
NGUYEN: ...six points awarded for...
HOLMES: For?
NGUYEN: ...every touchdown, all right? This is how this goes. The players...
HOLMES: That sounds standard.
NGUYEN: ...get a chance for an extra point trying to, you know, flick the ball through the other guy's finger goal posts.
So you ready? You ready to rumble?
WOLF: Well, see, that's just it. I mean, are we going to go old school, or are we going to play with the little foamy...
HOLMES: I don't know.
NGUYEN: Yes, because this is how I remember the game being played, with one of these...
(CROSSTALK)
WOLF: That's the way it's supposed to be.
HOLMES: And you get it caught on the edge, right?
(CROSSTALK)
WOLF: You get it caught on the edge, and it's touchdown. It's - it's (INAUDIBLE)
NGUYEN: All right. Well, let's try it the new way versus the old way and see...
HOLMES: OK. What's the new way. We don't - haven't figured this thing out.
(CROSSTALK)
HOLMES: We kick a field goal?
NGUYEN: It's football. I guess. I don't - I don't know what the dice are for, but go ahead.
WOLF: Go, you know, get a dream (ph).
NGUYEN: Oh my gosh.
WOLF: That was pretty nice.
HOLMES: That was a good one.
WOLF: That's what I'm talking about.
NGUYEN: And he did it!
(CROSSTALK)
NGUYEN: Six points to T.J.
HOLMES: But it was a new twist that we wanted to bring to you. It's - get something football-themed on this Sunday. What else we got?
WOLF: (INAUDIBLE) got to go right back at you, man. There you go.
NGUYEN: You want to see if you can do it?
WOLF: Yes. Let's see.
(CROSSTALK)
WOLF: Oh my goodness gracious.
NGUYEN: Oh, this is too easy.
(CROSSTALK)
WOLF: Now what is this thing supposed to be. This is like a - this is like a monocle we're trying (INAUDIBLE). We have no idea.
(CROSSTALK)
NGUYEN: I don't know. And there's this little thing, too.
(CROSSTALK)
WOLF: ...the pieces here.
NGUYEN: Yes. Anyway, finger football, folks. Super Bowl Sunday.
WOLF: Good times.
NGUYEN: That's the only explanation for this.
HOLMES: Yes.
NGUYEN: All right. In the meantime...
(LAUGHTER)
(CROSSTALK)
NGUYEN: You were having a good time (INAUDIBLE)
WOLF: Boom.
HOLMES: We swear there's...
(CROSSTALK)
NGUYEN: And he scores!
HOLMES: We're going to get back to some journalism here in just a second.
NGUYEN: Yes.
HOLMES: President Obama, his first 100 days - yes, with a new president, some things going on, I believe.
He's having a Super Bowl party as well. But...
NGUYEN: Yes.
HOLMES: ...he's going to keep his - his promise of having the party. But some are saying he broke another promise...
NGUYEN: Yes.
HOLMES: ...or two possibly.
Josh Levs with the reality check. He's got a lot of promises to keep. Somebody finally found one that he broke.
JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, I guess that's what happened.
You know, I'm trying to come up with a good transition here. Isn't there something like political footballs. I just - I don't (INAUDIBLE)
NGUYEN: Oh, Josh. Really.
LEVS: I got nothing. I got nothing.
(CROSSTALK)
NGUYEN: Neither do we.
(CROSSTALK)
LEVS: Well, at least he gave me applause.
All right. Here's the deal: As you might know, we love Politifact. They have tracked more than 500 promises that President Obama made while he was campaigning. And now they say, he has broken one.
We're about to tell you all about it.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Hello, everybody, and welcome back on this Super Bowl Sunday. I'm Betty Nguyen.
HOLMES: And hello to you all. I'm T.J. Holmes. A look now at some of the top stories we're taking a look at.
Authorities say four fires were deliberately set early yesterday in Coatesville, Pennsylvania. None of the homes were destroyed, however. Coatesville is about 40 miles west of Philadelphia. At least 30 fires have been set there, most of them over the last four weeks.
NGUYEN: Well, the second riot in two months breaks out at a West Texas prison. Look at this. Authorities say as many as 2,000 prisoners took over the grounds for hours yesterday, even set some fires. There's no word on how it started. Three inmates were taken to the hospital.
HOLMES: And President Obama's economic team needs an extra week before rolling out their new financial-rescue package. They expect it to be ready by the second week of February.
This financial-rescue package is separate from the $819-billion stimulus package that the House of Representatives passed earlier this week. The Senate is now taking up that plan.
NGUYEN: President Obama has officially broken his first promise since taking office. Well, that's according to the web site Politifact.com.
HOLMES: Don't take our word for it. The declaration made some people a bit upset. Josh Levs here to us about that broken promise.
Josh.
JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, there. You know, it's interesting. We love PolitiFact here. They are our brethren in reality checking. We keep a close eye on them.
And one thing that they have done, they have created a thing call "The Obameter". And they have it all listed over here. Obama's campaign promises. And you can see they have put together more than 500 promises that he made while he was campaigning. Well, something has just happened that is brand new, and that is, they are now saying the president has broken one of his promises. Here to tell us about that is Bill Adair of PolitiFact.com.
Bill, you with us?
BILL ADAIR, POLITIFACT.COM: Hello?
LEVS: Bill, can you hear me?
ADAIR: I can hear you.
LEVS: All right. Great. Thanks for being here.
So tell me about this. You guys are stating that President Obama has broken a campaign promise. What's that about?
ADAIR: Well, what we do on PolitiFact, with The Obameter, is keep track of all of his promises. We came up with 510. The first one that he broke was one where he said that he would post bills on the White House website and give a five-day comment period before signing them. But he didn't do that with his first bill. His first bill was, as I'm sure many of your viewers know, was the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act.
LEVS: We have some video of him signing that, the other day. So what this boils down to, basically, is when he signed this, right, he did not post it for five days in advance to allow public comment. You guys are pointing out he has said any non-emergency legislation he would post on the website for five days in advance.
ADAIR: Exactly. So, clearly this one did not meet the promise he made, so we rated it as our first comment broken on our Obameter.
LEVS: Did you contact the White House? Did you ask them about that?
ADAIR: We did. Boy, they have been busy there. They have not had e-mail for much of the first week and a half in office. So we have not actually heard any response from them. But we did hear from a lot of Obama supporters who were very unhappy with us.
LEVS: You did. I want to talk to you about that. Let's zoom back in on the board behind me. Look at the headline. This is one thing that really struck me. And one reason I want to talk to you. This is your headline right now: "Are you freaking serious?" at Politifact.com. And you pointed to some e-mails that you received from some viewers out there who were not happy that you are declaring this a broken promise. Why did you guys decide to lead with this and to post them online?
ADAIR: Well, we wanted to give our readers a voice on the site. And they had some very strong feelings about this. Some people felt that it was in one way or another an emergency, or that we should cut him some slack.
LEVS: Got it.
ADAIR: We thought that we would do that to have fun and give them a voice for the weekend.
LEVS: Understood. We will point out that overall you are giving him really good ratings so far, mostly promises kept. You only have one promise broken. We'll see where things go from here. Bill Adair, thank you so much for joining us today.
ADAIR: Thanks for having me.
LEVS: Betty and T.J., we are keeping a close eye on that Obameter. We'll keep you know when there are important developments in the future.
NGUYEN: All right. Thank you, Josh.
There is no doubt about it, President Obama has his own style, especially the way he speaks.
HOLMES: Yes, and it's translating overseas, in fact, as CNN's Kyung Lah learned. It's even inspiring some.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Haji memase.
KYUNG LAH, CNN INT'L. CORRESPONDENT (voice over): In this high school English class in suburban Tokyo, the teacher is relying on an outside voice.
BARACK OBAMA, (D) PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The world is watching what we do here.
LAH: You may have heard of him.
OBAMA: The world is paying attention.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The world is paying attention.
OBAMA: We say, we hope, we believe.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, we can!
LAH: Their textbook is an English language book and CD set featuring the speeches of Barack Obama. The students mimic his speaking style and take grammar quizzes from the president's election night victory in Chicago's Grant Park.
OBAMA (Grant Park): It belongs to you.
OBAMA: (in classroom): It belongs to you.
"The way he speaks is different from us, " says Asato Maejima.
Their teacher says that difference is inspiring them to learn English. The book is not just a hit in high schools.
OBAMA: With my words.
LAH: It's a bestseller across Japan. A nation that embraced guides on learning English with gusto, but never like this.
(On camera): This book has sold so well the publisher has followed it up with a sequel. This one featuring the inaugural address of Barack Obama. This is number one on Japan's version of Amazon. This one number two, based on book reservations alone.
OBAMA: Today I say to you, that the challenges we face are real.
"People wrote us letters saying they were moved and they cried," says the publisher. "Obama is giving Americans hope. And Japanese people feel it as well."
As far as a book on President Bush?
YAMAMOTO YUZO, DIRECTOR, ASAHI PRESS: Ni, dese.
"Not really bestselling potential," says the publisher.
And Japan's own lawmakers? Quite a bit more subdued than the American president.
Most readers don't understand all the words, but the publisher says the speeches still manage to capture the Japanese imagination.
OBAMA: Yes, we can.
"It's not just English," says this teacher. "It is communication, beyond language, and proving, beyond borders."
Kyung Lah, CNN, Tokyo.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: National Guard troops will be going door to door in Kentucky today. What they are doing is looking for survivors and offering help as the state endures its biggest natural disaster ever.
Hundreds and thousands of homes in Kentucky, and other states, remain without electricity after last week's crippling ice storm. Many are without water as well. Now utility crews are racing to get that power turned back on. Temperatures did warm yesterday, but just enough to maybe make things even worse.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHARLA YOUNG, KENTUCKY RESIDENT: Everybody thought that this sun would make it easy to clear this stuff up, but it's not making it too easy.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, what it's doing, melted on top, and tonight it freezes and then you have ice again.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: The storm is being blamed in at least 42 deaths in states stretching from Oklahoma to West Virginia. So let's get the latest on this weather system and what it is going.
They have a really good point, Reynolds. That once the weather starts to warm all the ice on the trees and on the roofs.
REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Right.
NGUYEN: It starts to drip down to the ground and then you are stepping outside and you are slipping and sliding in your front yard.
WOLF: Absolutely. You know, this is actually how potholes forms, you have something called the freeze and the thaw.
NGUYEN: Yes.
WOLF: You have the thawing conditions and then, overnight, you have the temperatures drop back and then all that water expands again. That's how it breaks up the pavement. Also we are having the issues, as you mention, with the ice.
Cleanup will continue. Temperatures though, thankfully are above freezing, Betty. This is great news for many people there.
(WEATHER FORECAST) NGUYEN: Yeah, it is going to be a tough one in some parts for "Super Bowl" Sunday. But I guess, hey, a good day to stay inside and watch the game.
WOLF: That's what it's all about. Sitting, eating, watching, some of us having more fun than others.
NGUYEN: We're going to have so much bad stuff to eat today, but it will taste so good. I can't wait.
WOLF: Stop it. Thank you.
NGUYEN: I'm going to indulge, yeah.
(LAUGHTER)
HOLMES: Sorry, Wolf.
NGUYEN: I can't wait.
HOLMES: You are excited about the "Super Bowl" today, aren't you?
NGUYEN: I am. Well, just the food and commercials, of course. The Cowboys are not playing, so I am not really invested in the game.
HOLMES: You might not want to admit that the Cowboys are your team.
NGUYEN: Oh! Don't - no, I'm a true fan.
HOLMES: They've got some things going on.
We talked yesterday to some of the troops over in Iraq. They are going to get to watch the game as well. That has been a tradition, year in and year out. But aside from that, parts of Iraq seeing big changes since their right to vote.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ARWA DAMON, CNN INT'L. CORRESPONDENT: It is something of a slightly festive atmosphere. The Iraqi security forces are playing their music. This is such a novelty for this area.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Yes, what prompted that festive, upbeat, and that dramatic change? We'll be talking about that.
NGUYEN: And the "Super Bowl" ads. They are all sold, but are they worth the money?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Well the streets could be getting safer in Baghdad. Officials say the number of civilians killed in Iraq, back in January, reached the lowest level since the U.S.-led invasion began in 2003. And according to Iraq's health and defense ministries, 138 civilians were killed in January, compared to 238 in December. Casualty rates there have been dropping steadily since the fall of 2007. The U.S. military attributes the decline to several factors, including the U.S.-led surge.
Because of that drop in violence, many Iraqis felt safer voting in yesterday's elections. Four years ago, fears of attacks kept a lot of people from going to the polls. And as CNN's International Correspondent Arwa Damon reports, attitudes are definitely changing.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAMON (voice over): Throughout his many years, Abdulla Hadad (ph) had a dream. Today he thanked God he lived this long.
"I used to dream of the day that Iraqis would freely elect their own leaders," he says.
Many view Iraq's provincial elections as a contest between hope and fear, testing the power of the ballot against violence. The most dramatic change from the 2005 election is here in Al Anbar Province.
(On camera): It is something of a slightly festive atmosphere. The Iraqi security forces are playing their music. This is such a novelty for this area.
(voice over): This was once a former Al Qaeda stronghold, where fear and a Sunni boycott kept just about everybody away from the polls, including Hibab (ph), an election volunteer. She says she arrived before sunrise and voted for the first time.
While the 2005 elections fueled Iraq's sectarian divisions, Sunni participation this time is key to reversing political imbalances.
STAFFAN DE MISTURA, U.N. ENVOY TO IRAQ: They felt they were being administered by people they didn't choose. And that was producing tension, tension produces violence.
DAMON: A different type of tension is playing out in Iraq's Shia south.
(On camera): What we have here Naja, and throughout the Shia south, is a battle for control amongst Shia parties. Control over some of Shia Islam's holiest sites and control over Iraq's oil-rich southern region. These votes will also literally be drawing the map of Iraq.
(On camera): Two main Shia parties are locked in a bitter battle. The prime minister's party wants control to stay with Baghdad. The Cleric Abdul Aziz Hakeem's (ph) party wants to establish control of the oil-rich south from the holy city of Naja.
But what matters to most Iraqis throughout the country is having clean water, electricity and a job to provide for their families.
MISTURA: These elections are particularly important because they are about real power. What is the real power? On the ground.
DAMON: Whether that power is handed over peacefully will determine Iraq's past a functioning democracy. As one Iraqi official put it, Iraq is not the type of country where the losers congratulate the winners.
Arwa Damon, CNN, Baghdad.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: President Obama is applauding the Iraqi elections. In a statement from the White House, Mr. Obama said, quote, "Millions of Iraqi citizens, from every ethnic and religious group went peacefully to the polls across the country to choose provincial councils. It is important that the councils get seated, select new governors, and begin work on behalf of the Iraqi people who elected them."
HOLMES: You have been hearing a whole lot about that $819- billion stimulus plan. There is another one in the works you need to know about that could make it easier for you to get a loan. We'll be breaking down both of those plans with our political director, coming up.
Also, the big game is today. Some people don't even want to see the big game, they want to see the big commercials, the big ads. We'll tell you why this year's ads are once again breaking records.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(MUSIC PLAYS)
NGUYEN: That will get you ready for today.
HOLMES: The name of the song is "Champion", and of course, we will have a champion by the end of the day. "Super Bowl", Pittsburgh and Arizona, we know who the president is pulling for, so I'm going to pull for Arizona.
NGUYEN: I am kind of pulling for Arizona, myself.
HOLMES: You got it. If the president is against you, you need help.
NGUYEN: Really? Is that what it is? I just, you know, this is the first time?
HOLMES: This is a first for them, yes.
NGUYEN: Possibly going to take the big game. Why not root for the underdog?
HOLMES: Nobody is picking them right now.
NGUYEN: I have my money on them.
HOLMES: Arizona, we are with you. NGUYEN: I have no money to put on the line, but there you go.
Some of the "Super Bowl" commercials from last year, we'll show you a little snippet.
(COMMERCIAL MONTAGE)
(LAUGHTER)
HOLMES: I like that one.
NGUYEN: Yeah, those are some pretty good ones. Although, after they play them so much during the commercial, and then afterwards, you are kind of tired of them.
HOLMES: Yes, when everybody is excited, that first half, that first quarter, second quarter, everybody is excited about seeing the commercials.
NGUYEN: Oh, no, not the GoDaddy. What are they doing this year? I'm almost afraid to ask.
HOLMES: You know what, GoDaddy has been doing a good job.
NGUYEN: I'm sure you would say that.
HOLMES: Well, this year's game is already a record breaker. NBC is making $206 million in ad sales, just from the commercials airing during the game.
NGUYEN: And we are in a recession?
HOLMES: NBC is not. All of the ad slots are, however, completely sold out, as well. So, if you are head of a couple million sitting around, you were trying to get a spot tonight, you are not going to get it.
NGUYEN: No chance.
So, do you watch the game for the actual game on the field?
HOLMES: Yes?
NGUYEN: Or the commercials? I watch or the commercials, but advertisers are plunking down some big money for just 30 seconds during the "Super Bowl".
HOLMES: So, is it worth of gamble? CNN's Sports Correspondent Larry Smith explains.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL MONTAGE)
LARRY SMITH, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT (voice over): The annual battle for commercial supremacy during Sunday's "Super Bowl" will come with a record price tag of $3 million for 30 seconds of ad time. In today's desperate economy, the real question may be, is it really worth it?
TY MONTAGUE, CHIEF CREATIVE OFFICER, JWT: It buys you access to an audience of 100 million people, or almost 100 million people. You know, the "Super Bowl" is still -- is one of the great shared experiences in our culture today.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It actually gives us an opportunity to talk to almost all of America at a time where they're actually paying attention to commercials, so it's not that they're just watching the game, they're also watching the commercials.
SMITH: Hyundai is in for the second year in a row, but as stock prices tumble and unemployment rises daily, some companies have decided they simply cannot justify the expense this year. General Motors bailed out under pressure from congressional hearings. While FedEx also decided to say on the sidelines, saying in a statement: "There is a time to justify such an ad spend and a time to step back. Being in the game simply sends the wrong message to both employees and other FedEx constituents."
NBC, which will broadcast the game, sold 85 percent of the ad space by mid September. But has been struggling since the economy tanked shortly thereafter, and is still a few spots from being sold out.
DICK EBERSOL, CHAIRMAN, NBC SPORTS: Companies began to get a little bit slower in making decisions. But now, in this last month, getting back to the fact that if you're in the "Super Bowl" it's an unrivalled way to get attention, and so people have come through.
SMITH: Many of those signed on feel it's worth it to be in the line up if only to show competitors and consumers alike that they can still afford to be.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have seen the companies that have actually pushed harder during recessions; they've actually come out better.
MONTAGUE: Certainly clients can use that environment and the price tag to make a statement about their stability, if you have the money to pay to be the in "Super Bowl", it does say something about your bullishness and your financial stability.
SMITH: And although the price tag is for 30 seconds, in this Internet age, a "Super Bowl" advertiser gets a lot more than half a minute of attention.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: People search the ads the next day, they comment on other people's opinions about the ads. They look at the polls to see who did better and who did worse, and they debate all that. And all of that is value.
SMITH: So while only one team can be crowned "Super Bowl" champion on Sunday, the advertisers are confident they'll all be winners, too. Larry Smith, CNN, Tampa. (END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: And yes, once again, all those ads have been sold out, according to the Associated Press, just posted, really, less than 24 hours ago, that the last two spots were sold. So, NBC was selling a lot of those ad spaces right up to the last minute, it sounds like. We will be checking in with Rick Horrow, our sports business analyst a little later on CNN SUNDAY MORNING, with more on the ads. Will they live up to all this hype that they always get.
NGUYEN: It's one of the worse winter storms in Kentucky's history. The state is under emergency and the National Guard has been called in.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAVID LETTERMAN, HOST, "THE LATE SHOW": The House of Representatives passed Obama's stimulus package.
(APPLAUSE)
And then I guess it goes through the Senate, and if that's passed then that $800 billion, just disappears.
(LAUGHTER)
Have no idea where it goes. Just, zip, good-bye.
(APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: That's how some people feel, though, you know.
HOLMES: That first plan, the first one that did pass, the money is being used currently. Nobody knows what's happened to it. Banks did not really say what they are doing to it, and legislation did not require.
NGUYEN: Yeah, and some people argue. I went to the bank and they are not giving loans out. So where is the money going?
HOLMES: They are hoarding that money, and the banks don't have to tell you. He is making a little light of it there.
Now, most of us, few can imagine $800 billion, plus.
NGUYEN: No, I can't.
HOLMES: But here are some numbers you can relate to in the stimulus bill that just cleared the House. Again, just cleared the House. Includes tax cuts that would add roughly $12 to $13 a week to the paychecks of workers earning less than $75,000 a year. NGUYEN: All right. Contrast the stimulus bill, you know, these billions, to this: If you don't have a job, it would add about -- well, we are going to get to that in a minute. To add to the stimulus, if you don't have a job, it would add about $25 a week to your unemployment benefits.
And if you are buying your first home, it could mean a whopping $7,500 credit on your income tax bill. Now, keep in mind all of these numbers are highly subject to change as the measure makes its way through the Senate and then back to the House.
From the CNN Center in Atlanta, this is CNN SUNDAY MORNING.
