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CNN Sunday Morning
Red-Flag Warning in California; Cain Suspends Campaign; Red- Flag Warning in Southern California; Interview with Shaquille O'Neal
Aired December 04, 2011 - 06:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: Well, good Sunday morning to you all on this December 4th. I'm T.J. Holmes. Welcome to you all. And a special hello to our military men and women watching us right now on the American Forces Network. Thank you for being here, and thank you for what you do.
Let's get you started now on what was another night of evictions for "Occupy" protesters. We'll tell you the latest spot where authorities are clearing out a park full of demonstrators.
Also, those high winds in southern California still causing all kinds of problems. All this damage creating a fire threat as well this morning. Reynolds Wolf, of course, standing by. He'll be here with me in just a moment with the latest from there and all over the country.
And, Herman Cain is out. So who's in the best position to take Iowa and maybe even take some of his supporters? We've got new poll numbers out. Going to give us some clues.
ANNOUNCER: From CNN's world headquarters, brining you news and analysis from across the nation and around the globe, live from Studio 7, this is CNN SUNDAY MORNING with T.J. Holmes.
HOLMES: All right, let's zip through some of the morning's headlines now.
Police in riot gear swept into a Portland park kicking out "Occupy" protesters overnight. A number of them were arrested. They had set up camps there after being kicked out of another park by police a few weeks ago. After police cleared the park, city workers came through, tore down all the tent. And while they were doing that, the "Occupy" protesters roamed the streets looking for a new place to set up.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HERMAN CAIN (R), FORMER PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: One of the reasons that I ran for president of the United States was such that I could change Washington, D.C., from the inside. Plan b is that we are going to have to change it from the outside.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Yes, he moved on to plan b, because plan a didn't work out so well, that is becoming president. Herman Cain is now out, announcing that he's suspending his presidential campaign. That means he can still raise money and do some campaigning out there. But essentially he is out of the race. Said he's going to make an announcement pretty soon about who he's going to be endorsing. He says that decision will be made in the next couple of days.
Well, meanwhile, Mitt Romney has a new endorsement. It comes from the "Sioux City Journal" newspaper in Iowa. They're the first major paper in Iowa to pick a candidate. The paper says Romney is the candidate who's best prepared to lead the country.
Newt Gingrich. Well, who cares about an endorsement of a newspaper when you've got these numbers. Brand new "Des Moines Register" poll, Gingrich is out front with 25 percent. Ron Paul coming in second. Mitt Romney there at third at 16 percent. This new poll comes with the Iowa caucus just about a month away.
Also, voters across Russia going to the polls today to vote in parliamentary elections. This is seen as a key test for the prime minister, Vladimir Putin, and his United Russia Party. He's planning on running for president again next year. But if his party loses these local races, it could complicate some of his plans.
Well, three minutes past the hour now. And uncomfortable to watch? That's what an attorney for one of Jerry Sandusky's alleged victims is saying about the former Penn State coach's lengthy interview with "The New York Times." We showed this to you first yesterday. Take a look and a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JERRY SANDUSKY, FORMER PENN STATE COACH: If I say, no, I'm not attracted to boys, that's not the truth because I'm attracted to young people, boys, girls.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, but not sexually. You're attracted because you feel (INAUDIBLE).
SANDUSKY: Right, I enjoy -- that's what I was trying to say.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE).
SANDUSKY: I enjoy spending time with young people. I enjoy spending time with people. I mean my two favorite groups are the elderly and the young.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: You heard a voice there in the background off camera. That was Sandusky's lawyer. He was trying to prompt his client, helping him answer the question. Listen to the reaction to that from attorneys for two of the alleged victims.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARCI HAMILTON, ATTORNEY FOR ALLEGED VICTIMS: Any argument that these men now are making any of this up is really weak.
HOWARD JANET, ATTORNEY FOR ALLEGED VICTIM: His answer was really no different, frankly, than the answer that he gave before. And the sad part from his perspective, if we want to look at it from that perspective, that his lawyer had to intervene and give him some advice as to how to answer the question. He won't have that luxury in a courtroom.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Now, Sandusky is accused of molesting at least eight boys. He's free on $100,000 bail right now.
Well, thousands of homes out in southern California are still without electricity after the area took a pounding from this weekend's Santa Ana winds. People are being warned to look out for fires now. Fire alert for the area. It's in effect until later this morning. Authorities say those gusting Santa Ana winds could spread fires pretty quickly. Workers are still trying to clear up debris, still trying to get the power back on in a number of places.
Let's turn to Reynolds Wolf now at five past the hour.
You were telling me they had to deal with them at least through the day yesterday. Are these winds dying down a bit then?
REYNOLDS WOLF, AMS METEOROLOGIST: They may drop a bit, maybe late Sunday. But for the most part, a good part of the day today, it's going to be pretty much a big force. But then, get this, it's going to be back again as we make our way into Monday and to Tuesday.
Take a look at what we had yesterday in terms of your strong winds. In Chilao, California, 64 mile-per-hour gusts. We had some gusts in Camp Mine (ph) and Tambark (ph). Even in Warm Springs (ph) there were from 40 to 50 miles an hour. We're talking tropical storm- force winds. And we're going to see those again for today. In the afternoon, they may drop just a little bit in intensity and then pop right back up once again as we get into Monday and into Tuesday.
In fact, as you take a look at the forecast, here's what we have for you. All that wind coming in from parts of the four corners. And what's interesting is, if you had more of a prevailing wind that was coming in say from Catalina Island and rolling back in the opposite direction, say towards Palos Verde, what you would have is you'd have the influence of that cold, nice California current and a lot of that nice moist air, too. So you'd have higher humidity.
It's not the case this time. Everything's going to be coming from the dry regions and sweeping right through. So the humidity's going to be very, very low. If you ever spent any time in California, southern California especially, and you happen to walk through Hollywood, you look up in the hills, you see the sign, you're also going to see -- the hills are kind of like a brownish color. Well, you have a lot of vegetation up there. A lot of that dry shaparel (ph), a lot of grasses. A lot of that stuff, if you have any kind of fire, it could spread very, very quickly. It's perfect tinder. And that -- I'm telling you, that could be a major issue right into the San Gabriels.
Wind gusts we forecast today, anywhere again from 40 to 60 miles an hour. Again, dropping a little bit in the afternoon and then popping right back up as we get into say Monday and Tuesday. Downed trees and power lines, again, could be your major problem.
That's not the only weather problem we're dealing with, though. Snow is still going to be an issue for parts of the Rockies. The most intense stuff is now driving its way towards the east. And with warmer air ahead of it, you're not going to have an issue with snow in parts of the southeast. But in T.J. Homes' home state of Arkansas, rain could be a real problem. And see this frontal boundary that extends for over 1,000 miles, that thing is going to be just crawling through parts of central Arkansas, which means when you have the heavy rain that's coming down in a lot of the low-lying areas and spots where you have poor drainage, it's going to pond up. That water's going to pile up. And with it, flash flooding is going to be an issue.
As we wrap things up, well, you can also expect temperatures to be fairly mild for the eastern seaboard. Washington, D.C., with 58 degrees, 55 in New York. Boston, love the Red Sox, with 54 degrees, 40 in Kansas City, 23 in Denver, 25 in Billings, 63 in San Francisco, and 39 in Albuquerque.
All right, T.J., you're up to speed. Let's send it right back to you.
HOLMES: All right, Reynolds, you know these stories just -- they freak me out a little bit about stuff falling from space.
WOLF: There's a good reason, though.
HOLMES: Yes.
WOLF: I mean you're totally warranted to be freaked out by large metal objects falling from space.
HOLMES: OK. And you always tell me, though, that the chances of getting hit are just so small.
WOLF: Very small.
HOLMES: Very small. But, still, debris from space maybe comes through this man's roof in Massachusetts. We have pictures of this. The guy thought it may have fallen from a passing airplane. Turns out that's not really the case. So he thought maybe higher up into space. But a Texas man who saw the story on TV says he may have solved the mystery. Says a similar object fell through his roof after breaking off a piece of construction equipment. Where is this coming from? Where is this stuff just fall -- come on, Reynolds, where's the stuff (ph)?
WOLF: Well, I mean, you have to remember that up in space you've got all kinds of stuff that's been shot up there for ages. And when I say ages, I'm talking about some -- well, you had Sputnik back in the '50s and, of course, we had Pioneer that we sent up and there and that NASA sent up there. And a lot of other countries have sent a lot of things up into space. They eventually fall out of orbit.
I have to give you a little bit of inside baseball, and I promise you, although I am cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs, what I'm going to tell you is not cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs. I was actually on a story with Alisha Eakon (ph), our producer, and Leon Job (ph), one of our photo journalists.
HOLMES: Yes.
WOLF: On Thursday night we're driving through parts of the Carolinas on a story and, there enough, sure enough, about the time this thing fell, we saw a streak across the sky --
HOLMES: Stop, Reynolds.
WOLF: I am not kidding you. I am not kidding you. You know how you see like the falling stars that just zoop, pop through. This thing was up there for at least a good on one 1,000, two 1,000, three 1,000 before fading.
HOLMES: Reynolds --
WOLF: I'm just telling you.
HOLMES: You're saying you saw it?
WOLF: You know, I'm not talk about a falling star. I'm not talking about alien invasion. I'm not talking about close encounters of the third kind. I'm telling you, this -- it was something weird. It was a great meteorite that went across the sky. I'm just saying, it happened at the same time. You never know.
HOLMES: OK. And you had -- the meteorologist just happened to be there to see it.
WOLF: That's right. That's right.
HOLMES: OK, Cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs, as you say.
WOLF: That's right, cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs.
HOLMES: Reynolds, thank you. We'll see Reynolds plenty throughout the morning.
Of course, we're about 10 minutes past the hour and Herman Cain -- a lot of people said he was down and now we can say he's out. Suspending the campaign. It was a heck of a ride for the former pizza company CEO. A check of his greatest hits. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Good morning, Atlanta, Georgia, at 11 minutes past the hour. That's the town where it all started for Herman Cain. And, yes, today it looks like this is where it all ended for Herman Cain. Yes, you remember he started out as Herman who, then became the Republican front-runner. Been a heck of a roller coaster ride for Herman Cain, who's now bowing out of the race. Our Jim Acosta takes a look at just how we got here.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HERMAN CAIN (R), FORMER PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I came here to declare my candidacy for the Republican nomination for president of the United States of America!
JIM ACOSTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): As he launched his campaign for president, Herman Cain was the little-known businessman stepping on to a big stage.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN: You've never been elected to any office.
CAIN: No.
BLITZER: So what qualifies you to become president of the United States?
CAIN: Business skills.
ACOSTA: As a former conservative talk show host and ex-CEO of Godfather's Pizza, he was also capable of serving up controversy.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Would you be comfortable appointing a Muslim either in your cabinet or as a federal judge?
CAIN: No. I will not. And here's why. There is this creeping attempt -- there is this attempt to gradually ease Sharia law and the Muslim faith into our government.
ACOSTA: But Cain pressed on and started impressing GOP voters in Republican debates. Soon enough, his candidacy added up to 9-9-9.
CAIN: I'm offering to fix this economy starting with, as you know, my 9-9-9 plan.
ACOSTA: His plan for a 9 percent income, corporate and sales tax was both criticized for its simplicity and hailed as a campaign marketing coup. All of a sudden, conservatives were jump aboard the Cain train. Cain then shocked the political establishment, pulling off a stunning upset win in a straw poll in Florida.
CAIN: Well, the showing here in Florida was absolutely critical in terms of getting more people to take a look at Herman Cain and my campaign and to become believers that this long shot could indeed become a short shot.
ACOSTA: Before long, polls were showing the man supporters called the Hermanator was smoking, and so was his campaign manager in this viral video.
CAIN: The reason that I'm rising in the polls is because I'm connecting with the people. I am offering more specific, clear solutions than anybody else.
ACOSTA: Then, a crisis. CAIN: About two people that you won't tell me who they are?
ACOSTA: The news site Politico reported unnamed sources said Cain had been accused of sexual harassment during his time as head of the National Restaurant Association. One of his accusers stepped forward.
SHARON BIALEK, ACCUSES HERMAN CAIN OF HARASSMENT: Mr. Cain said, "you want a job, right?" I asked him to stop, and he did.
ACOSTA: Cain denied the accusations and kept fighting. He predicted more allegations would follow, and they did. Ginger White told an Atlanta TV station she had a 13-year affair with Cain. A claim he also denied.
GINGER WHITE, CLAIMS AFFAIR WITH HERMAN CAIN: I'm not proud. I didn't want to come out with this. I did not.
ACOSTA: Suddenly the man behind 9-9-9 was 50/50 on staying in the race.
ACOSTA (on camera): Are you vowing to stay in this race? Is that your message to --
CAIN: We are reassessing and re-evaluating.
ACOSTA (voice-over): Until his final answer.
CAIN: We are re-evaluating and reassessing.
As of today, with a lot of prayer and soul searching, I am suspending my presidential campaign.
ACOSTA (on camera): Without question, Herman Cain had an impact on this race. For months, 9-9-9 placed tax reform front and center in this campaign. Now it's arguably an issue without a godfather.
Jim Acosta, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOMES: All right, Herman Cain is out. The jokes not going to stop, though. "Saturday Night Live" was all over this one last night. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE, ACTOR, "SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE": Tonight, what I want everyone to know is, I love my wife. We are close to each other as any couple that I have ever known. So four days after these allegations came out, I scheduled an appointment to talk to her.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE, ACTOR, "SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE": And that's when you told her about the affair?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No one said nothing about an affair. Come on! I am innocent until proven guilty. That's what this country is all about. And if I can't have that, I may as well go on and move to Labibia (ph).
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you mean Libya?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, I think I mean Labibia. You know, the Momo Kodofi place.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, that's definitely Libya.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hold on. Hold on, now. Slow down.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So (INAUDIBLE) Seth Meyers. Let me just figure this out in my head a little bit.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: We will have more on the serious side of Herman Cain's decision in just a bit. We have our political players, Lenny and Maria. Lenny McAlister, Maria Cardona, actually in Atlanta with us. Be here in studio in just a few minutes. Stick around for them.
Also, at 16 past the hour now, if you get unemployment benefits, should you give something in return? One lawmaker says, yes, you should give your time. We'll explain. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Well, 18 minutes past the hour now.
A lot of people out looking for a job. And if you are, should you be required to volunteer in exchange for getting unemployment benefits? Well, one Georgia Republican state senator says absolutely. He's sponsoring a bill that would require jobless people to volunteer at least 24 hours a week. That's kind of like three workdays. And critics say that's not fair. It doesn't give the unemployed enough time to search for a permanent job. He stopped by here to talk to me about this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN ALBERS (R), GEORGIA STATE SENATE: When folks lose their job, it can be very depressing and defeating. And I helped do this through my church and our job network ministry. Getting motivated, getting out in the morning, learning new things, meeting new people, serving folks, getting new stuff on your resume is only positive. And when you're helping our citizens serve other people and our charities, only good can come of it.
HOLMES: What -- but, still, it's a state sanctioned motivation. Shouldn't people have their own right and make that decision for themselves what they want to get out and do?
ALBERS: Well, that may be true. But, unfortunately, we're in at unprecedented times. We need to get people back into the workforce. As you know, there's a record number of people who have actually given up on looking for work right now and we need to get folks back in there. And we, as a government, want to do the best we can to provide that environment.
HOLMES: Now what makes you think this would pass the legal test that you could require this? People pay in, or employers here in this state at least, pay into the unemployment insurance that goes out for folks. But what makes you think you can legally attach this condition?
ALBERS: Well, I think if you look back in history, the WPA and other things that were done back during the time of the Great Depression, we can put those same practices during the Great Recession. So I believe there is some legal precedence to do that and I think we have to challenge the status quo. We have to do things differently. We have to do them better.
HOLMES: OK. A lot of people say well, wait a minute -- and your requiring -- how did you come up with 24 hours? I haven't said that yet. It's 24 hours a week that would be required to volunteer. That is a huge chunk of time for someone trying to find a job. How did you settle on that amount of hours?
ALBERS: Well, I -- three days a week is a really good amount of time. But you think about this. Most people find work when they're already working. So we already know that you can work a full-time job and find new work. To give back what would be three days a week worth of business time, not total time but business time, I think is more than reasonable.
HOLMES: That business time, a lot of people will argue, I could be using that time to find another job. And we all know, certainly in these times, and Georgia has had a higher unemployment rate than the nation for quite some time now -- it's a full-time job to find a job.
ALBERS: But, T.J., what a better way to find a job than to be working, have something on your resume, new skills and meeting new people.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: It's 20 minutes past the hour now. A lot of people, you may be one of them, have just a horrific TSA story. Not always the most pleasant experience for some people. But now an 84-year-old grandmother says she was actually strip searched by the TSA. She was trying to get to Florida. Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LENORE ZIMMERMAN, GRANDMOTHER: Do look like a terrorist? I'm going to be 85 years old and I weigh 103 pounds.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Now, that's her side. The TSA is telling a very different story. We want your reaction to this. Also maybe some of your own screening horror stories.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Twenty-four minutes past the hour now on this CNN SUNDAY MORNING. Give you a look at some of the stories making news across country. And we start in southern California.
Five high-ranking members of the Afghan military and its security forces are at the Marines' Camp Pendleton base. They're getting up to date on Marine training techniques. The U.S. military is set to pull out of Afghanistan in 2014. The Afghan brass is expected to be at Camp Pendleton for another week.
Soldiers gets a rousing welcome from family and friends at Ft. Hood in Texas. And when you've been gone for month at a time in a war zone, one kiss from your daughter just isn't enough.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Can I have kiss? Give me one more kiss. One more. One more. Oh, thank you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: And in a Denver shopping mall --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Have you been good this year?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: A special Santa with the ability to speak in sign language. The way he learned how to do it, a bit special.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Last year there was two little boys asked me how I learned sign language. I told them that Santa had two elves that were deaf and they showed Santa. And you should have seen the look on their faces that there's deaf elves. And it was like, that was my favorite moment.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: And that also has to be our special cross country moment, as well.
All right, at 25 minutes past the hour, let's turn to the story now of an 84-year-old woman who says she was hurt and humiliated by the TSA. And she now plans to sue. Lenore Zimmerman says security screeners at JFK took her into a private room and performed a strip search Tuesday after she requested a pat-down. The TSA confirms it did a private screening, but the agency said it did not do a strip search.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LENORE ZIMMERMAN, GRANDMOTHER: I have a defibrillator -- UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Uh-huh.
ZIMMERMAN: So I don't go through the machines. I asked them to pat me down.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Uh-huh.
ZIMMERMAN: Or use the wand. Do I look like a terrorist? I'm going to be 85 years old and I weigh 103 pounds.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Uh-huh.
ZIMMERMAN: And they strip searched me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Now, the TSA did put out a response say, and I quote, "while we regret that the passenger feels she had an unpleasant screening experience, the TSA does not include strip searches as part of our security protocols and one was not conducted in this case," end quote. Zimmerman told "The New York Daily News" the TSA is lying about the strip search in order to protect itself.
What do you think about this case? Do you think she was strip searched? Do you have your own screening stories? I want to hear them this morning. You know where we are. We have the blog, cnn.com/tj. I'm already having conversations with some of you this morning on Twitter. It stays up right here next to me at the desk. I'm @tjholmes. Also you know where to find us on FaceBook. Please, would like to know what you think about this story and we know you've got some TSA stories and Lord knows I have a few as well.
Well, as we get close to the bottom of the hour, occupy the office? Protesters are now moving inside in an effort to get more organized. We'll check that out.
Also, the fallout from Herman Cain's decision. Our friends Maria Cardona and Lenny McAllister, oh, they're not just standing by somewhere in camera in some studio. Oh, no, no, no. they are right here. Look at them trying to do a little TV, fake like they're having a real conversation. Look at that. They're doing a good job. Good job, guys. Good to have you in studio. We'll talk to them here in just a second.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: At just past the bottom of the hour on this CNN SUNDAY MORNING, welcome back. Let me get you caught up on some of the stories making headlines.
A third victim has been identified in the alleged Craigslist killings in Ohio. Police say 56-year-old man by the name of Ralph Geiger was found in a shallow grave. One of three men police believe killed after answering an ad for a job that was posted on Craigslist. A 16-year-old high school sophomore is facing murder charges in this case. Also, five World War II vets from Colorado, returning to where it all began for Americans. Pearl Harbor. More than 16 million Americans served in the war. The Department of Veterans Affairs estimated earlier this year that about two million still living. For many of these Americans, Pearl Harbor, the site of the Japanese attack on December 7, is sacred ground.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's hard to put it into words.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's quite an experience.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I didn't want to talk about it for a long time, but some of these saved the freedom that they have today.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: All right.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, yes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I can't tell you exactly how I feel. Kind of overwhelming to be able to make this trip that I kind of feel like I won the lottery.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I get very emotional when I read the names and think about these 19 and 20-year-olds that are buried there.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's moving.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Well, the Greatest Generations Organization is sponsoring the trip for these veterans. Wednesday is the 70th anniversary of the attack.
Well, Donald Trump getting the thumbs down from two Republican presidential candidates. Ron Paul has released a statement calling the late December debate being moderated by Trump a distraction and says he will not attend. Paul's campaign chairman says Trump's participation will, quote, " contribute to an unwanted circus-like atmosphere." A spokesman for Ron -- for Jon Huntsman says he's not taking part in the debate either.
We turn now some of the other presidential candidates. Mitt Romney picked up a key endorsement from the "Sioux City Journal" Saturday, while an Iowa poll placed Newt Gingrich and Ron Paul on top. Twenty-five percent of those polled in the Des Moines Register threw their support behind Gingrich, as you see there. Two percentage points separate Ron Paul and Mitt Romney. The other four candidates, didn't make it in to double digits.
Now back in August, look at this, another Iowa poll. Just look how far we've come. Michele Bachmann won the Ames Straw Poll there. You may remember Ron Paul came in second there and former GOP presidential candidate Tim Pawlenty, remember him, he placed third. Now, a lot of changes in just a few months. And we saw another big change yesterday with Herman Cain getting out. We have our good friends, CNN political contributor, Democratic strategist Maria Cardona, and Republican strategist Lenny McAllister, making a trip down to Atlanta for the weekend. Good to see you guys.
MARIA CARDONA, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Good to see you, T.J.
LENNY MCALLISTER, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: Good to see you.
HOLMES: What changed yesterday? We've got one guy out of the race. But how did the race actually change? Was he enough of a factor that -- maybe we're just at the same place we were yesterday anyway?
CARDONA: I think what is going to change, and the only way that Herman Cain is going to continue to be relevant is the announcement of who he's going to endorse. Because we have to admit, he does have supporters. And who he throws his support behind, I think, is going to tell his supporters who they think that Herman Cain wants them to support. And it could be Rick Perry. It could be Newt Gingrich.
HOLMES: Does he have enough supporters to sway or to help a candidate really rise in this race?
MCALLISTER: He did. But that was before Newt Gingrich got this way. So a lot of the Cain supporters started jumping off the Cain train, if you will, when the allegations first came out. Now we'll see what the 8 percent does. The 8 percent's enough to differentiate in time for Iowa. Is it enough to really give a big bump all the way through 2012, maybe not. But it may be enough for the January caucus at the beginning to set the stage for what we're going to look like going into New Hampshire and going into South Carolina.
HOLMES: And I will stand corrected here. With you guys, I will say it, no problem, because I was saying yesterday, there's no way --
CARDONA: That's right.
HOLMES: You have a grand opening and a grand closing on the same day. And that's exactly what we saw.
CARDONA: That's exactly right.
HOLMES: You all give me -- I know what you were saying, that he would do this and then a couple days later get out. But tell me you all's honest reaction when you heard that come out of his mouth yesterday.
MCALLISTER: I wasn't surprised. What else could he possibly do? He had no moral authority. He has no momentum. And he hasn't been able to be clear with anything over the last month to six weeks. So this was -- there was nothing else he could do other than try to suspend with grace and try to sunset this with grace. That's what he's going to try to do now. Can I gracefully get out of this, make this seem like this was a triumphant ending? And that's what he did with the speech. That's why people couldn't figure out, is he getting out, is he staying in, because he sat there and built up his bio through two- thirds of the speech and then said he was suspending the campaign. HOLMES: Honest reaction (INAUDIBLE).
CARDONA: Yes. No, I agree. I was not surprised because, and we talked about this yesterday, Herman Cain lives in his own political bizarre-o world. None of the rules apply to him. And I think that goes for his staff, as well. They didn't know and don't know how to run a presidential campaign. I think it was a good decision on his part, clearly great for his family, for him to just suspend his campaign. He just needs to say who he's going to support, who he's going to endorse, and then just go away.
HOLMES: We talk about this bizarre-o world. You keep using that phrase sometimes with this. And we just did the story about the debate that Donald Trump is supposed to moderate. Both of you are kind of shaking your heads there about that. Like -- what -- is that just a show?
MCALLISTER: This is what encourages Democrats such as Maria Cardona.
HOLMES: OK, yes.
MCALLISTER: Because they say every time we want --
CARDONA: Can you blame us?
MCALLISTER: Every time we want to take the Republican Party seriously --
CARDONA: Come on.
MCALLISTER: Here's Donald Trump. Here's somebody else that --
HOLMES: Well, as a Republican, what do you think about it?
MCALLISTER: It challenges their credibility.
HOLMES: Yes.
MCALLISTER: Because here you are having these serious debates about serious issues. You have candidates dropping off. First it was Pawlenty, who had a lot of momentum until Iowa. And now you have Cain, who was on top. He's out. And now, in the midst of all this, you have Donald Trump coming in, kind of in a Sarah Palin kind of way, let me show my importance, you know, you're fired, let's try to have this on another network and see if we can do it on primetime, et cetera. People look at this and they say, how can you take these folks seriously, which is why Ron Paul and Jon Huntsman have said, you know what, you can have a circus. I'll go someplace else until the circus leaves town.
CARDONA: It's like a bad political reality show. And the fact that Donald Trump is the --
MCALLISTER: Probably a good description right there. CARDONA: Exactly. And the fact that Donald Trump is now moderating a debate just adds to that. And I have to say, I give kudos to Ron Paul and to Jon Huntsman. My respect for them has now risen, as I'm sure the respect from other independent voters and other Republicans, as well, because I -- you know, this is an opportunity for them, for Ron Paul and for Jon Huntsman. As we know, we don't know what's going to happen. This political season has been one that no one can predict. And so who knows what can happen. Jon Huntsman can rise, Ron Paul can rise, who knows?
MCALLISTER: And the challenge to it is, there's enough people within the conservative base, not necessarily Republicans, but conservative base that hasn't been there for a while that came on with the Tea Party that take this seriously. So if you're a candidate, you may be able to cast it off. But then if you're in the middle of the pack, if you're a Michele Bachman, if you're Gingrich, who just solidified a lead, can you really blow off this debate? Now you're sitting there saying, will enough people take this seriously? Can I really take a position and not do this? So that's why you see a Bachmann that's still going to go. You see a Gingrich that's still going to go. And Romney is going to go.
HOLMES: How much is this -- how much is this, they feel like they need to almost show up and kiss the ring of Donald Trump? I don't know why he's seen as such an authority.
MCALLISTER: It's not his ring. It's not his ring that they're kissing.
HOLMES: I hear that, but --
MCALLISTER: It's the people that are going to be following it. The people that are in the pop politics aspects of this that weren't on board four years ago, that are on board now and paying attention now. You can't disengage them. Because if they don't come out, Obama wins a second term.
CARDONA: I disagree. I completely think that it is the Donald Trump ring and that's how Donald Trump wants it and that's how he likes it. And I don't understand why these Republican candidates think that they go -- that they need to go and kiss the ring of Donald Trump.
MCALLISTER: It's the people that listen to Donald Trump.
CARDONA: Voters -- the majority of voters, I don't think, listen to Donald Trump, from a political standpoint. Business standpoint, yes, maybe. Clearly he's a brilliant businessman. From a political standpoint, he has zero credibility.
MCALLISTER: But he's going to draw people to this debate. People are going to pay attention to the debate. It's going to pack the house and people will watch it. And that's the reason why they have to make sure that they're paying attention to this.
CARDONA: And this is why President Obama's going to get re- elected.
MCALLISTER: It's confusion that it does -- it does help the president, absolutely.
HOLMES: All right, so Lenny McAllister, Maria Cardona, they are sticking with us the rest of this CNN SUNDAY MORNING. So good to have you all here on the weekend with us.
CARDONA: Great to be here, T.J.
MCALLISTER: Great to be here, T.J.
HOLMES: Thanks so much. But you'll hear from them again this morning.
We're about 40 minutes past the hour. Getting back to the weather here in a second. We'll check back in with Reynolds Wolf. Look at this. Would you believe this is in, yes, Arizona? It's not done yet. Part of the state bracing for another round of snow.
Also, a Christmas surprise that wasn't dropped off by Santa. A family finds a snake just hanging out in the Christmas tree. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Good morning. Ah. Memphis, Tennessee. Got a little Elvis going for you this morning. But good morning to you in Memphis and all over the south. The mid south.
(CROSS TALK)
REYNOLDS WOLF, AMS METEOROLOGIST: People don't realize what an Elvis fan you are.
HOLMES: I'm a huge Elvis fan.
WOLF: Well, you -- he -- America, he's got two cats named Elvis and Priscilla.
HOLMES: He does not lie, folks.
WOLF: It's true. (INAUDIBLE)
HOLMES: Reynolds is not lying with that story right there. Reynolds never lies anyway.
Good morning to you once again. We're 43 minutes past the hour. We're talking snow in Arizona. Those two things don't seem to mix for the most part, but they get some snow out there.
WOLF: Absolutely. I mean the perception is, when you think about Arizona, most people think about the Scottsdale --
HOLMES: Yes. WOLF: Or you think about the cactus, you think about the sand everywhere, you think about the mountains, but you don't think about the snow. Well, believe it or not, Arizona has a lot of snow, especially up towards Flagstaff. They really do. It's one of the snowiest spots in North America.
HOLMES: Wow.
WOLF: Yesterday they had plenty of snow. You see the trucks out there really getting their -- well, you know what, I've got to tell you what, this -- in many ways it's a good thing for those road crews because it gets them ready for a long winter ahead. And this is certainly the first wintry blast they've had.
HOMES: This is a good thing? Just practice?
WOLF: You have to. You've got to go ahead and you have to get ready. You've got to -- you have to grease the skids because it is going to be a very, very long winter for a lot of people in the Rockies, especially in parts of Arizona where you have, of course, the higher elevations up near Flagstaff. You've got to get your rep in. You've got to get ready.
HOLMES: That's a good way of looking to it. Yes, that's a good way of looking at it.
WOLF: It gets down to a science. That's the way you've got to look at it. I mean it's unavoidable. We're going to have a long winter.
I will tell you, there is some better news for Arizona today, T.J., and that is that the snow is going to begin to fade a little bit. We still see some snow that is now popping up in a few places like big sky country and back up into the northern Rockies, ski country. Those guys are just going to be ecstatic. It's been just great for them.
But we're now going to see the focus of that precipitation actually move a little bit more toward the east. In fact, you take a look at this frontal boundary. I'm always blown away by just how expansive these things happen to be. Take a look at this nice little thing we have here. Let's go all the way from about Detroit, clear down to Houston, Texas, 1,280 miles. That is the distance that you have to follow this from one end to another in terms of the size of this system, the storm. And if you look right here in a few pockets, like right near Oklahoma City, you're going to see a lot of that precipitation pop up. And anywhere where you happen to see the yellows, the greens, even some of the orange spots, that's the heaviest stuff.
And, guess what, it has got a bead right over parts of Arkansas. So Arkansas is going to see a lot of rain. It's going to be falling for about 36 hours. And with that potential, what you could have certainly is some flash flooding. So keep that in mind to our friends in Arkansas. Here's the rainmaker. Here it is, the frontal boundary. Just a slow crawl. Not an issue for much of the eastern seaboard. A mix of sunshine and clouds. Beautiful day for you in Atlanta. The wind is going to be surging around this area of high pressure. And with that, that southerly (INAUDIBLE) pressure is going to be building in. Snow, of course, for the central Rockies and the Great Basin, high pressure is building in.
As we wrap things up, a very quick shot at your temperatures nationwide. Forty degrees the high in Kansas City, (INAUDIBLE), 25 in Billings, big sky country, how beautiful you are, 63 in San Francisco. 39 in Albuquerque, 56 in New York, 76 in New Orleans, you're beautiful, too, and 80 degrees in Tampa.
All right, T.J., after professing my love for the big sky country in Montana and, of course, your love for Elvis Presley, let's pitch it right back over to you, my friend.
HOLMES: A lot of love this morning.
WOLF: Absolutely.
HOLMES: Reynolds, thank you. You got your tree up yet? Christmas tree?
WOLF: It is up.
HOLMES: Really?
WOLF: It looks good. It's kind of like a controlled disaster. We saw the girls put it up last night.
HOLMES: OK.
WOLF: Ornaments all kind of heavy on one side.
HOLMES: OK. Well, nothing strange in the tree, I assume, just yet? Nothing like what this family found in their tree. Take a look at this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We have an issue. And this is the issue. A snake in our Christmas tree. Don't let it touch me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: A snake in the Christmas tree. The -- you all should see Reynolds' face right now. You see that? Yes, we appreciate this from one of our i-Reporters. They found a little something in the tree. You know, I thought surprises were supposed to be under the tree. But this is in North Carolina. This was just a few days ago they found a tree -- they didn't believe the little girl. She came upstairs to say, hey, mom, dad, we've got an issue down here. They didn't believe it. But then mom went down and shook the tree. It moved around. And, sure enough, there it is. Says it's been in their garage all year. The snake is named Tinsel.
WOLF: In this world we're all different. There are some people who do prefer garlands on trees. Some do like the silver tinsel. Others go for the multicolored lights. This family -- snakes.
HOLMES: To each his and her own.
WOLF: Yes.
HOLMES: Reynolds, thank you, buddy.
We'll see Reynolds plenty throughout the morning.
We're about quarter of the top of the hour. And is this a good deal? Eight years of marriage and at the end you get $154 million. This young woman and her huge divorce settlement have been the story in Hong Kong all week. You have got to hear this one.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: OK, Nadia Bilchik's got me worked up this morning. We're at ten off the top of the hour. We've got a "Morning Passport" for you. Eight years of marriage. You leave it with $154 million. Do explain.
NADIA BILCHIK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. So Mr. Lee (ph) --
HOLMES: OK.
BILCHIK: He was born in Hong Kong and was very fortunate to be born to Mr. Tuck Lee (ph), a very, very wealthy father. Inherited most of the money.
HOLMES: OK.
BILCHIK: His wife, Miss Tang (ph), got a divorce settlement, as you said, of $154 million. Which, by the way, is only one fifth of what he's worth.
HOLMES: OK.
BILCHIK: And less than 55 percent of what she asked for.
HOLMES: OK.
BILCHIK: And there she is. Quite pleased. She herself is actually a former attorney.
HOLMES: OK. Why that number? Why did she -- I shouldn't use the word "deserve." Why was she entitled? How about that?
BILCHIK: Well, the marriage began to implode about four years ago when she got pregnant.
HOLMES: OK. BILCHIK: And he wanted her to have an abortion. And she said, no, I am not having an abortion. And she gave birth to a little girl who is now three years old.
HOLMES: OK.
BILCHIK: And Mr. Lee has only seen the child twice. I think that's grounds for divorce.
HOLMES: Wait. They were still married and living together --
BILCHIK: They were still married. What happened was, she got pregnant. He didn't want her to be pregnant. Now we're not sure if he was furious that it was a little girl and not a boy. But, either way, he wanted her to have an abortion. She refuses to have an abortion, gives birth to this perfect, beautiful little girl, who's now a very rich little girl. And, in the end, he alienates her, has an affair, which she finds out about. So to say she deserves the $154 million, yes, I say she does.
Now, let's look at how it's broken down.
HOLMES: OK.
BILCHIK: One of the properties in Hong Kong is worth about $33 million. In London, about $4 million. But just memberships to the clubs in Hong Kong and London are about $6 million. And she's got a yacht of about $6 million. A very eligible lady, you might say.
HOLMES: What club are you a part of to cost you $6 million?
BILCHIK: Well, various clubs. You know the entrance fee is very expensive. And the lawyer said she must carry on living in the manner to which she has become accustomed. But look at the family. Mr. Lee's father is Mr. Tuck Lee. And earlier of this year, Mr. Tuck Lee, the man who is the head of Prudential Enterprises in Hong Kong and London, he had to grant his mistress multimillion dollars because he said she was his secretary and she proved she was his sexual partner. So this is a story that has unfolded. But at the end of the day, she gets her $154 million, her daughter will be well set. And, quite frankly, whether the daughter never sees Mr. Lee again, she'll be just fine.
HOLMES: She's going to be all right.
Quickly, how are they reacting in Hong Kong? This has been in the news?
BILCHIK: Oh, well, Hong Kong is considered the divorce capital of the world. But it's a lot of money. And also families like to keep their money in the family. So the fact that Miss Tang has got this amount of money is quite a coup. But think about this. This is hardly the most amount of money anybody's got in a divorce. Rupert Murdoch's wife, after 32 years, got $1.7 billion.
HOLMES: Oh, this number. That number. BILCHIK: And then, of course, 17 days later he married Wendi Deng. Remember that one. And Michael Jordan, about $150 million -- $160 million he had to settle. And Tiger Woods, only $100 million.
HOLMES: Only. Wow.
BILCHIK: So, yes, put it this way, Miss Tang is in a good mood today.
HOLMES: We're at seven minutes to the top of the hour. Nadia Bilchik, I knew this was going to be a good one. Thank you so much.
Well, they've been kicked out and now they're looking for a place to protest. "Occupy" demonstrators in Portland. They have now left a park there. They have their tents pulled down, thrown out. Their story and where they might be going after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Good morning. New York City in the background. Central Park. You're seeing Columbus Circle there. New York City. Good morning to you. Good morning, everybody.
And good morning, Portland, Oregon. They saw a pretty interesting evening with the "Occupy" movement there. They're looking for a new spot to demonstrate today. Police in riot gear swept into the park where they had been set up and ordered them to get out. Several "Occupy" activists were arrested. They had set up camps there after being kicked out of another park by police a few weeks ago. After police cleared the park, city workers came through, tore down all the tents. And while they were doing that, the "Occupy" protesters were essentially roaming the streets trying to find another place to conduct their protests.
And despite evictions and arrests across the country, "Occupy" protesters say they are not giving up, and they are here to stay. They've moved from parks into offices. And we've got a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
POPPY HARLOW, CNNMONEY.COM: Zuccotti Park is nearly all cleared out. But "Occupy" has moved to places that you probably wouldn't expect, including an office right off of Wall Street.
When you walk in, you get a name tag like this.
Is this "Occupy" headquarters?
MEGAN HAYES, OCCUPIER: Not at all. This is one of our offices. Because we don't have Zuccotti Park --
HARLOW: Yes.
HAYES: We are spreading out our resources so we can have people join us, working groups can continue to work and continue to plan.
HARLOW: All right, show us around.
HAYES: This is some of our working spaces. You can see lots of occupiers working here. We have some offices, our info hub to help people who were staying in the park who are now homeless.
HARLOW: You've got your copy machine, fax.
HAYES: Yes. As every office needs, we have our copy machine.
HARLOW: Look, rent in Manhattan isn't cheap. How are you guys paying for this?
HAYES: We are not. It's donations. Our office furniture was donated. Our food is still donated. Our water's donated.
HARLOW: So this really stands out to me -- when we walk in here -- what print media is saying about the movement today. So they're posting all the stuff that we, the media, are putting out there. You're keeping an eye on us.
HAYES: Of course.
HARLOW: Is it a more professional movement now? You've got an office. Is it different now?
HAYWOOD CAREY, OCCUPIER: No, I don't think so. One of the things that we're trying to reconcile here is that we're trying to show the world a different way of doing things. And though we may be in an office space, we want to stay true to exactly who we are.
HARLOW: So there's no boss on this office floor?
CAREY: Absolutely not.
HARLOW: Who --
CAREY: We are a movement without leadership. People oftentimes say, well, a bunch of anarchists can't run anything. They'll just do whatever they want. Nothing could be further from the truth in Occupy Wall Street. We have layer upon layer upon layer upon layer of structure, regulations, guidelines. The difference is, is that we, as a people, came up with those.
HARLOW: Here, right next to the New York Stock Exchange, in the Trump building, is another public meeting area for Occupy Wall Street, where a lot of them have gone since Zuccotti Pak got evicted.
CAREY: It's a little bit ironic. This is actually the lobby of a bank. But that actually makes it so much more important to us.
HARLOW: Is this base as important as your office is that we were in earlier?
CAREY: This space is much more important than the office.
HARLOW: Why? CAREY: Because what you're seeing right here is decision making. I can't tell you what we're going to look like in a year. But what I can say is what you see around here is what's going to determine what we look like.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: Now people are asking the question today, where will Herman Cain's supporters go? The other candidates are hoping the wind blows their way. We'll see who could be the big winner in the Cain stakes. Stay with me.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Well, good Sunday morning to you all on this December 4. I'm T.J. Holmes. Thank you for spending part of your weekend here with us.
And last night, another night of evictions for Occupy protesters. The latest spot where authorities are clearing out parks and also arresting demonstrators.
Also, Herman Cain is out of the race. The question now: who's in the best position to take his supporters, and also the best position to take Iowa? Voting starting in just about a month. We have some new poll numbers that will give us some clues.
Also, Shaq, Superman, Shaq diesel. What do you want to call them? The big shamrock. A lot of nicknames, but he is talking to me. And he's got a new book talking about the feud, yes, with Kobe. He said it was all manufactured. We'll get to that in just a second.
Here are some of the headlines, though, you need to hear about. Police in riot gear sweeping through a Portland, Oregon, park, taking out those occupy protesters. This happened overnight. A number of people were arrested. They had set up camps there after being kicked out of another park by police a few weeks ago.
After police cleared the park, city workers came through, tore down all the tents. While they were doing that, the occupy protesters roamed the streets trying to find another place to set up.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HERMAN CAIN (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: One of the reasons that I ran for president of the United States was such that I could change Washington, D.C, from the inside. Plan B is that we are going to have to change it from the outside.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Plan B is now in effect for Herman Cain. Plan A didn't work out so much, which was trying to be president. He announced yesterday that he is suspending his presidential campaign. His next big announcement will be about who he's endorsing. He says that decision will be made in the next couple of weeks. Meanwhile, Mitt Romney, he has a new endorsement. This comes from the "Sioux City Journal" newspaper in Iowa, the first major paper in Iowa to pick a candidate. The paper says Romney is the candidate who's best prepared to lead the country. But the people may differ with what the paper thinks.
Newt Gingrich, he's got something to be smile being this morning. Take a look at a brand new "Des Moines Register" poll. It shows Gingrich out front with 25 percent. Ron Paul in second, Mitt Romney comes in third. This new poll comes with the Iowa caucuses just a month away.
Also, uncomfortable to watch? That is what an attorney for one of Jerry Sandusky's alleged victims is saying about the former Penn State coach's lengthy interview with "The New York Times." We showed you this yesterday.
You take a look and listen for yourself.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JERRY SANDUSKY, ACCUSED OF MOLESTING BOYS: If I say no, I'm not attracted to young boys, that's not the truth because I'm attracted to young people, boys, girls --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, but not sexually. You're attracted because you enjoy spending time --
SANDUSKY: Right. I enjoy -- that's what I was trying to say -- I enjoy spending time with young people. I enjoy spending time with people. I mean, my two favorite groups are the elderly and the young.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: You heard the voice in the background there, not seen on camera. It was his attorney jumping in, trying to essentially save his client at that moment.
We had reaction to this from attorneys for two of the alleged victims. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARCI HAMILTON, ATTORNEY FOR ALLEGED VICTIM: Any argument that these men now are making any of this up is really weak.
HOWARD JANET, ATTORNEY FOR ALLEGED VICTIM: His answer was really no different, frankly, than the answer that he gave before. And the sad part from his perspective, if we want to look at it from that perspective, that his lawyer had to intervene and give him some advice as how to answer that question. He won't have that luxury in a courtroom.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Well, Jerry Sandusky is accused of molesting at least eight young boys. He's now free on $100,000 bail.
(MUSIC)
HOLMES: All right. Herman Cain is out, but we have not heard the last from this now former candidate.
Let me bring in, though, Shannon Travis, who has been covering all things Herman Cain for quite some time. Kind of a surreal moment out there yesterday, wasn't it?
SHANNON TRAVIS, CNN POLITICAL REPORTER: It was a bit of a surreal moment. I mean, I have been covering Herman Cain for like the past year. I've never seen him like that. I mean, he was pretty fired up and pretty defiant, but also contrite in acknowledging the level of pain that this has caused him, for his family. And he said for the entire country.
HOLMES: Let me stop you right this. This video is up here.
TRAVIS: OK.
HOLMES: What was this moment like? Everybody was watching this, and we saw him step off hand in hand with his wife.
TRAVIS: People erupted. The question in the crowd, in the press, too, was is Gloria Cain going to show up? Is she going to do -- is she going to do like a stand by my man kind of moment, as we've seen from so many of these political wives before?
Clearly, this was a show of support. He said, "My wife is at peace with me, I am at peace with God." And clearly, this was symbolic of that.
So, the crowd erupted. You probably can hear in that video that people were chanting, "Gloria! Gloria!" as a show of support for her. Clearly the moment that they met the night before in this private meeting, the first face to face they had since the Ginger White allegations happened was a potentially painful moment for them. But apparently, it looks like they resolved whatever they needed to resolve. And she came out with a show of support.
HOLMES: Plan A to be president. Plan B, start a Web site, that seems --
TRAVIS: Plan B to start a Web site. The Cain solution, he says he's still going to be pushing his 9-9-9 plan. He's still going to push economic freedom -- greater economic freedom; still going to push energy independence.
Will he have as big a voice with the Web site as he had the megaphone with the presidential race? Probably not. But his supporters out there were yesterday saying, "We're with you every step of the way." We've talked to supporters in Iowa and New Hampshire. They're like, "We're with him every step of the way."
So, his supporters will probably take a little while to figure out how they want to coalesce around them. But, eventually, T.J., they'll have to go and support someone else for president.
HOLMES: OK. Even though his support has been dropping in the past few weeks, he still has enough supporters that it already looked like yesterday, some of the candidates were jockeying for him.
TRAVIS: It's going to be the presidential primary sweepstakes for who wins Herman Cain's loyal, like, rabid supporters. Already we know that there have been overtures, nice, friendly overtures from the Perry campaign. From the Gingrich campaign, saying nice things about Herman Cain.
But get this -- I talked with the Bachmann campaign yesterday. They said that not only have the Bachmann and Cain campaigns spoken, but that a number of Herman Cain's supporters have told the Bachmann campaign that they would now be supporting her. That's according to the campaign.
So it's going to be a really interesting thing to see who actually wins the supporters. He says that within the next few days, he'll be making an announcement.
HOLMES: All right. Shannon Travis, it's been a busy few months for you really, chasing this guy around. And it's not over yet.
Shannon, good to have you here in Atlanta. Thanks so much, my man.
All right. Herman Cain is out. Not stopping the jokes. "Saturday Night Live" jumped all over this last night. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What I want everyone to know is I love my wife. We are close to each other as any couple that I've ever known. So, four days after these allegations came out, I scheduled an appointment to talk to her.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And that's when you talk good the affair?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No one said anything about an affair. Come on! I am innocent until proven guilty. That's what this country is all about. If I can't have that, I might as well move to Labibya.
(LAUGHTER)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you mean Libya?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, I -- I think I mean Labibya. You know, the momokadofi place.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, that's definitely Libya.
UNIDENTIFED MALE: Hold on, hold on now. Slow down.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Slow the road, Seth Meyer. Let me figure this out in my head a little bit.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: You know what, Reynolds, we've been there. Sometimes you just have to collect your thoughts.
REYNOLDS WOLF, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Absolutely. Yes. Certainly.
And you know, I wish there was some way we could correct the situation we have in parts of southern California. I mean, you saw people out this, thousands without power at this time, T.J. It looks like the winds will continue again today.
There's a chance that winds could get up to 40, 50, even 60 miles per hour. Nice and loud winds. And I'll tell you what, we're also going to see some heavy snow in parts of the country, too. We'll have more coming up in just a few minutes, T.J.
HOLMES: All right. Reynolds, what's going on in there? Everything OK?
WOLF: It's party -- crazy. Get the hot tub going on, got a couple of kegs coming through the door in a few minutes. It's a good time.
HOLMES: Reynolds, thank you. We'll see you sober here shortly.
Also, coming up after the break, we're talking scotch. Yes, the industry is doing really, really well, and it's kind of a bad thing. We'll explain.
Stay with us on this CNN SUNDAY MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Ten minutes past the hour.
Look at what the Santa Ana winds have been doing out in southern California. Reynolds has been telling me the past couple of days now, these things are not done just yet. And now, we've got a fire threat associated with some of these winds now.
WOLF: Yes. You got two things. You've got not only the strong winds, but you have the really low humidity. We're talking humidity that's going to be less than 10 percent. And the wind, T.J., is just basically a means of moving the fire along from tree to tree, from point to point. That is if a fire happens to be set.
And this is the smallest thing, could just be a spark from, say, a lawnmower, any small thing. Some of those dry grasses out there, and it just goes up. I mean, it's certainly rough. They've had fires in southern California, in that area, for millions of years. I mean, it's part of the landscape. The trees there, the bristles, where you have the pinecones open up, they're heat resistant.
So, you got a land out there that is actually -- even plants that are used to dealing with the conditions. They're not used to dealing with the strong wind, especially people out there, when you have the wind roaring through, it causes tree damage. The damage at the gas station, look at that.
And, of course, you got widespread power outages, as you mentioned. Now, when we're talking about the wind, it doesn't mean it's going to be an absolute constant. There will be a break in the action, especially into the afternoon. Then it will ramp up into Monday, possibly Tuesday, maybe portions of Wednesday.
So, it's what you have to deal with when you're in California.
HOLMES: All right. The rest of the country, though, what, midsection of the country, you got an issue.
WOLF: Rain, big rainmaker. The snow is going to die down in the four corners.
Let's hop over here and we'll show you the story.
The rain is actually going to move to parts of the nation's midsection into the Southeast. It's going to give you all kinds of flooding possibilities into parts of Arkansas. But when you get to California again, just dry. It's just -- dry as can be.
Humidity, we're talking single digits, the wind coming right from the desert southwest, roaring through. So, we have the critical fire danger, Monday and Tuesday. You might want to fold Wednesday in there, too.
But I'm thinking by Wednesday, we're going to see a sea breeze that's going to develop. By Wednesday afternoon, humidity comes up. The winds should die down. That's good news.
We got 30 seconds or so to show what else is happening around the country. Remember we were talking about Arkansas, the chance of flooding there? There's the reason why. Take a look. Frontal boundary making its way right through.
And it's not going to be a quick mover. It's going to crawl across the state of Arkansas which means you're going to have rain that's going to pile up.
Some places could see from three, maybe four inch of rainfall. In poor drainage spots, you could have issues with ponding on roadways. With that, there's also the potential of flash flooding in many places, Memphis, west Memphis, you might have problems, too. Just keep an eye out for that.
All right. That's the latest update on your forecast. We have a lot more to share throughout the morning. But, now, T.J., back to you.
HOLMES: Reynolds, hold on for this next one.
Thirteen minutes past the hour. We are running out of scotch. We have a shortage of scotch going on -- yes, we're talking about whiskey here, Reynolds. The industry -- this is the good news -- the industry is doing really well. That sounds great, right?
But it may be doing too well because exports of the stuff up so high to Asia and South America, that the rest of us may suffer for it here in the U.S. And you know you can't just go make more of this stuff. It takes at least 10 years if you want to age a good scotch. So, you got to wait on the stuff.
So we have a shortage of scotch. I don't want to cause a panic here, folks. Just trying to give you the news.
At 14 minutes past the hour, you remember that whole Shaq versus Kobe thing? It was all made up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Eighteen minutes past the hour.
When you think about one of the best basketball duos of all time, no doubt Shaq and Kobe will come to mind. After the way they parted company in L.A., people think it's safe to say they're not fond of each other.
Well, don't believe everything you hear, at least says Shaq. He's coming clean about the relationship they had in a book. It's called "Shaq Uncut." I talked to about his book and the situation between him and Kobe that he says wasn't really a situation at all.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: You understand why people are fascinated or just love the topic of you and Kobe?
SHAQUILLE O'NEAL, FORMER NBA PLAYER: Of course.
HOLMES: Why? Why do you think they do?
O'NEAL: Because I knew what I was doing when I created the whole thing.
HOLMES: What were you doing?
O'NEAL: Just getting people to tune in.
HOLMES: He's still a friend of yours?
O'NEAL: He'd stay stuff, I'd stay stuff. Again I don't have personal quarrels because the task was accomplished. We won three out of four. When you talk about Laker great greats, you will hear those names, period, nothing to talk about. It doesn't matter whether we like each other.
You know, a lot of guys, a lot of people who work together don't really get along. The Beatles, for example. Beatles didn't get along, but the greatest group ever. That's all we want, the greatest duo ever. And that's all that matters.
HOLMES: You have earned it. You have it now, greatest duo ever?
O'NEAL: I think so. You know, a lot of people say Magic and Kareem. But we can play them two on two any time they want.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: Love to see that match-up.
That's just a tease. The conversation did not end there. I asked why he chose to come clean and was he surprised by the controversy stirred up by his book because of some of the people he went after.
The conversation continues after the break. You stay with me.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: About 23 minutes past the hour now. And we'll continue our conversation now with Shaquille O'Neal. Sat down with him a short time ago about his new book called "Shaq Uncut."
He went after a few people in this book. And I asked him, what exactly he hoped to accomplish by writing it, and if he'd ever think he could ever just retire and go away quietly.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: What was your number-one goal in getting this book out and getting your voice out? What was the one thing you wanted out?
O'NEAL: Just to give people the proper information because like I said, a lot of stuff has been documented, but it's been documented by them. So, now, it's being documented by me. This is what happened, and this is how it happened.
And "Shaq Uncut" didn't hold nothing back. And this is my last and final book. Then I'll go off and do something else.
HOLMES: What do you think you cleared up? Do you think you cleared something up?
O'NEAL: I don't know. I talk about my childhood. I talk about why I am the way I am. I talk about why I'm so hard. Talk about why I'm so humble.
So, you know, you may see me, you may see certain thing, and you may think that you know me. Now I'm giving more insight.
HOLMES: Anything surprise you or maybe disappoint you in some of maybe the criticism that has come out? Because, oh, he said this about this person, oh, Shaq seems like she's going to take care of Shaq. Shaq makes sure he takes parting shots. I mean, is anything that did come out, did it bother you at all?
O'NEAL: No. No. Criticism doesn't -- that doesn't bother me, especially like if you -- like if you have never done it. And in this world we live in, everybody has a voice. And people have more of a voice now with the Twitter and Facebook.
And -- you know, Einstein once said things that you can't control you should never worry about.
If I tried to go after everybody that said something, I would have to open up an FBI building of workers. It probably be 50 floors of -- OK, a guy in Oklahoma said that, go after him.
I can't control it. Everyone has an opinion. I know what who I am and what I represent.
HOLMES: Can you ever see yourself going quietly into that good night and retiring? Kind of just going and chilling and not being in the spotlight?
O'NEAL: If I have to just sit back and relax and just say, I used to do that, I could do that. I'm an educated man. I own businesses. I have a lot to fall back on. And then you just have to have other people, let them have their time.
Now I have my time, I remember -- I remember like Michael Jordan and his game, putting his hand on my shoulder and saying, you know, when I leave, it's going to be your league. And I was -- you know, like a great thing. I've said that to LeBron, said it to D. Wade, said it to Carmelo and a lot of players. New I'm gone, it's your league, carry it.
HOLMES: Appreciate it, good to see you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: I want to remind you here, something we have coming up on CNN. A "CNN PRESENTS," a Larry King special -- "Dinner with the Kings" airs tonight, 8:00, right here on CNN.
Well, Donald Trump is back in the political spotlight. No, he's not running. Said he's planning his own presidential debates.
But not everyone is on board for this one. We'll tell you who is telling the Donald, no thanks.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: As we get to the bottom of the hour, some of the stories making headlines.
Mitt Romney has a new endorsement. It comes from the "Sioux City Journal" newspaper in Iowa, the first major paper in Iowa to pick a candidate. The paper says Romney is the candidate best prepared to lead the country. Also, Newt Gingrich, well, he's got something to smile about, as well. Brand new polls from "The Des Moines Register," Gingrich out front with 25 percent, Ron Paul in second, Mitt Romney in third. This poll comes with the Iowa caucus just a month away.
Also, millionaire Donald Trump getting a thumps thumbs down from two presidential candidates. Ron Paul has released a statement calling the late December debate being moderated by Trump a distraction and saying that he will not attend. Paul's campaign chairman says Trump's participation will, quote, "contribute to an unwanted circus-like atmosphere." A spokesperson for Jon Huntsman says he won't be taking part in this debate either.
Well, I'll be back at the top of the hour with you with more live news as CNN SUNDAY MORNING continues. Right now, time for the good doctor.
