Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Saturday Morning News
Police Cracking Down On WTO Protesters; Bush Makes Shocking Admissions; Inside the NSA; Who Could Be Next Iraqi Prime Minister; Tulane University Will Reopening; Robb Report Out With 21 Ultimate Gifts
Aired December 17, 2005 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: This hour, President Bush comes clean, admitting he OKed spying on people in the U.S. He's not happy the secret program isn't so secret anymore. He is also taking on the Senate's decision to reject renewing the Patriot Act. The president's fired up this morning. It is Saturday, December 17th. Good morning, everyone. From the CNN Center in Atlanta, I'm Tony Harris.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Fredricka Whitfield in for Betty Nguyen. More on the president's tough talk straight ahead. But first, other stories now in the news.
A developing story, in Hong Kong, riot police are cracking down on protesters at the World Trade Organization talks. South Korean farmers are desperate to their view against globalization and imports heard at the WTO meeting.
We're keeping a very close eye on developments there.
A fugitive suspected of posing as a New York City firefighter and allegedly sexually assaulting a woman for 12 hours has been captured in Tennessee. Police say fashion writer Peter Braunstein stabbed himself in the neck as authorities approached him on the University of Memphis campus.
Talks to avert a transit strike in New York are to resume this morning. Subways and buses are still running after negotiations stalled yesterday. But the union says if no deal is reached, phase one of a strike will begin after midnight on Monday. A strike would cripple the New York's region -- the economy there, all at Christmas time.
HARRIS: Boy.
Our top story this morning, a defiant President Bush makes startling admissions and strong accusations in a live TV appearance.
Less than an hour ago, the president admitted he has personally authorized eavesdropping on people in the United States without warrants. And he lashed out at those who exposed the secret program. President Bush also had choice words for senators who have blocked the renewal of the Patriot Act, calling the move irresponsible.
Let's go live now to the White House and our Kathleen Koch -- where do you want to start, Kathleen? KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Tony, this was a very stunning and out of character admission from the president, who only yesterday insisted that he would not talk about ongoing intelligence operations.
This morning in his radio address stating flat out that, yes, in the months following 9/11, he personally had, indeed, given the National Security Agency authorization to intercept international communications from Americans.
But the president in his radio address this morning insisted that those people had known links to al Qaeda and other terrorist organizations.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: This is a highly classified program that is crucial to our national security. Its purpose is to detect and prevent terrorist attacks against the United States, our friends and allies.
Yesterday, the existence of this secret program was revealed in media reports after being improperly provided to news organizations. As a result, our enemies have learned information they should not have and the unauthorized disclosure of this effort damages our national security and puts our citizens at risk.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KOCH: President Bush said that top Justice Department and NSA legal officials had reviewed the program's activities, approved them, found them to be legal and he said that he personally had re- authorized the program more than 30 times since 9/11, and that he would continue to do so, saying that it is a vital tool in our war against the terrorists.
Now, there are numerous critics, obviously, of the president's actions, many of them Democrats, one of them Senator Russ Feingold, who said this revelation is shocking and evidence that the president has put himself above the law.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. RUSS FEINGOLD (D), WISCONSIN: It doesn't matter how many times he talks to members of Congress, how many times the Justice Department tells him it's OK, if it's not within the law, if we haven't passed a law allowing it, he can't do it. What he's doing is illegal.
He talked about the revelation of this being illegal, that may be. But what he's doing, I believe, is illegal, and it's really quite a shocking moment in the history of our country.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KOCH: Already senators, including Republicans like Senator Arlen Specter, who is the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, they are promising hearings to probe the program's legality.
And the president, in making this stunning personal admission this morning, overshadowed what the White House had said was the original focus of his radio address, and that was pressing Congress to repeal the Patriot Act -- Tony.
HARRIS: Boy, man, what a morning it's been. That was quite a statement last hour.
Kathleen Koch at the White House. Thank you, Kathleen.
KOCH: You bet.
WHITFIELD: Well, now that the president has admitted personally authorizing secret eavesdropping on Americans without getting court approval, many will be wondering just how that's done.
Our Tom Foreman take a look at how the National Security Agency spies.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Privacy advocates say the door opened wide for domestic electronic surveillance a dozen years ago when fear of international terrorism and crime prompted a new law. Phone companies, Internet providers and others had to give police ready access to their networks, which handle virtually every call and e-mail in America. And while members of the intelligence community say once those domestic communications were considered off limits to them, times have changed.
STANSFIELD TURNER, FORMER CIA DIRECTOR: Today, the emphasis is more on getting the information because we're so determined, of course, to defeat the terrorists.
FOREMAN: So how does tapping into a phone or a computer work?
Very well, says a former NSA employee and author of the book, "Spies Among Us," Ira Winkler.
IRA WINKLER, AUTHOR: Depending upon the method going in and the specific communication provider, it can be a very, very quick thing.
FOREMAN: Winkler, while admitting he has no specific knowledge of what is allegedly going on at the NSA right now, says it could work like this.
Imagine a terrorist captured overseas has a cell phone and a laptop showing suspicious communications with someone in the U.S. With the right authorization, Winkler says an NSA employee could simply type a command into a computer, which would link to the networks handling the calls and e-mails from that targeted address.
Then, the NSA computer would begin watching that phone number and that computer, digitally recording everything that happens, on the way, perhaps targeting other phones and other computers within America for the same treatment.
WINKLER: Technologically, this is simple. It's fast. It happens automatically. There doesn't necessarily have to be a man in the loop.
FOREMAN: Analysts would later decide which communications should be examined more closely.
(on camera): The technical ability of police or intelligence officers to read e-mails or listen to phone calls is, of course, never supposed to be activated without the proper authorization.
(voice-over): And it is always highly sensitive work. The NSA and the White House will not talk about any particular methods that may or may not be in use right now.
SCOTT MCCLELLAN, WHITE HOUSE SPOKESMAN: Because they're classified, I'm not able to get into discussing those issues from this podium.
FOREMAN: But there will certainly be more talk in days to come about when spying for Americans means spying on them.
Tom Foreman, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: Well, it is a busy weekend for lawmakers on Capitol Hill. Normally, they're long gone for the holiday by now, Fred. But the House and the Senate will be back this afternoon. Among the items on the agenda are the massive $453 billion defense spending bill and the $600 billion domestic appropriations bill for the Departments of Labor, Education and Health and Human Services.
Vice President Dick Cheney is traveling to Asia and the Middle East next week. The first stop on Mr. Cheney's trip, Afghanistan. He'll attend the first session of the country's new democratically elected parliament on Monday. Later in the week, the vice president will visit Pakistan, Oman, Saudi Arabia and Egypt, all U.S. allies in the war against terrorism.
WHITFIELD: And this is a rare sight -- Sunnis celebrating the Iraqi elections. The group had mostly boycotted previous elections, but now a politician who heads a Sunni Arab bloc expects to gain power in Iraq's next parliament. Today, he reaffirmed his party's commitment to making alliances with any group willing to work toward unity regardless of religion or ethnicity. And he thanked insurgent groups for not launching attacks during this week's historic election.
HARRIS: Well, the ink has dried and the vote counting is underway in Iraq.
The next question to be answered in the post-Saddam era is who will lead the new government?
CNN's Aneesh Raman looks at who could be Iraq's new prime minister and where he will likely lead the country.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANEESH RAMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The two leading candidates for prime minister are sharply divided over religion and politics.
Ayad Allawi, a familiar face, the former interim prime minister, thought to be hand-picked by the U.S. and seen as one of America's closest friends in the Iraqi leadership. A year ago September, Allawi addressed Congress to thank the U.S. for its support.
In the post-Saddam transitional government, though, Allawi fell out of power and has since been planning a comeback.
He is fiercely secular, a moderate Shiite who enjoys support among both the minority Kurdish and Sunni communities because of his opposition to allowing Shia religious leaders into politics.
AYAD ALLAWI, FORMER INTERIM PRIME MINISTER: We project ourselves as Iraqis, secular Iraqis. We would like to see non-interference or not getting political parties to use the religious names of religious scholars and their campaigns.
RAMAN: With so much turmoil, for many, his forceful, no-nonsense approach sounds good. In fact, a rumor he actually killed jailed insurgents in the days before he became prime minister only added to his appeal. Allawi denies the rumor.
The other frontrunner is this man, Adel Abdul Mehdi. He's also Shiite, but he represents the alliance of Shia religious parties. He is the interim vice president and looks and talks like a national leader.
ADEL ABDUL MEHDI, INTERIM VICE PRESIDENT: I feel very confident, very optimistic about those elections. This people will vote not only for the slates they think represent them, but also against terrorism, against terrorism and insurgency.
RAMAN: As prime minister, Mehdi would be the political face of a religious party led by Muslim clerics. He lived in Iran as the party's representative from 1992 to '96, and would no doubt push for better relations between Baghdad and Tehran. In his government, clerics could play a significant, maybe even dominant role, with religious rules controlling daily life, and that religious hard line could be difficult for not only the U.S. but also Sunnis.
SALAH AL-MUTLAG, LEADING SUNNI: If the sectarian part of the political process is going to govern the country again, I think it will worsen the situation and the insurgency will grow.
RAMAN: These two men, classmates back in high school, now vying to lead post-Saddam Iraq.
(on camera): One promising a secular democracy, the other democratically elected, but guided by clerics. Aneesh Raman, CNN, Baghdad.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: Iraq will be the topic tomorrow night when President Bush addresses the nation from the Oval Office. CNN's prime time coverage begins at 7:00 Eastern with "Time" magazine's Person of the Year.
Then at 8:00 Eastern, join Wolf Blitzer in "THE SITUATION ROOM" for a preview of the president's speech.
Then at 9:00, watch the presidential address and a special edition of "LARRY KING LIVE."
That's tomorrow night here on CNN.
WHITFIELD: In Hong Kong today, protesters at the WTO meeting have been clashing violently with police. We've been looking at live pictures all morning. We'll get an update from the scene.
HARRIS: After having to take last semester off, Tulane University resumes classes in January. So why aren't all their students happy about this development? We'll talk to the university's president.
WHITFIELD: And living in the lap of luxury. Who doesn't like that?
HARRIS: I know.
WHITFIELD: The gift to give that person who has everything.
(CROSSTALK)
WHITFIELD: You won't want to miss our alternate lineup, ahead this hour on CNN SATURDAY MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: And checking our top stories, President Bush has personally acknowledged he authorized NSA wiretaps about 30 different times since 9/11. In at live address about an hour ago, Mr. Bush said his actions are fully consistent with his constitutional authority. He added, the highly classified program authorizes the National Security Agency to intercept international communications of people linked to al Qaeda and other related organizations.
Congress is preparing for a special Saturday session this afternoon. Lawmakers are normally home for the holidays by now. They'll try to complete work on a massive defense spending bill and a large domestic spending bill, as well.
And hundreds of protesters clashed with riot police outside the World Trade Organization meeting in Hong Kong. Police used tear gas, water hoses and pepper spray against the demonstrators, who tried to break through a designated protest zone.
Some of the protesters are South Korean farmers who want their views heard at the international trade talks.
WHITFIELD: Day by day, inch by inch, some would say, New Orleans is returning to life as usual, or at least some sense of normalcy is being returned.
Next month, the city will take a big step forward when Tulane University reopens. Hurricane Katrina forced the cancellation of the school's fall semester. But after massive cleanup and restructuring efforts, classes will resume there now on January 17th.
University President Scott Cowen joins us now to discuss Tulane's grand reopening and the many challenges ahead.
Good to see you, Mr. President.
And I have to wonder how excited you are or how trepidatious are you about this reopening?
SCOTT COWEN, PRESIDENT, TULANE UNIVERSITY: I'm very excited about the reopening. I really have missed our students for the last five months.
A university is defined by its students and its faculty. Without them here, you don't have the spirit and sense of a university.
So we're all really looking forward to their return in January.
WHITFIELD: So I know it's been really ghostly on campus, as, you know, throughout much of the City of New Orleans, traditionally an incredibly beautiful campus you have there. But now we're also learning that not all of the students who were there during the last spring semester are going to be able to return, for various reasons. Something like 86 percent of the students will be returning.
Is that disappointing to you?
COWEN: No. Just the opposite, quite honestly, when this storm occurred...
WHITFIELD: Really?
COWEN: ... we thought, yes, we'd be lucky to get 60 or 65 percent of the students back. The fact that it looks like it's going to be mid to high 80s is extraordinary. And nobody would have predicted that around the country.
You have to understand, even under normal circumstances, you'd only have about 92 or 93 percent of the students come back, because there's always some attrition. So the fact that we are right now predicting 86 or 87 percent is phenomenal.
WHITFIELD: Now, for different reasons the number is at 86 percent, while you're saying it's also very encouraging that the number is that high and not in the around 60 percent range you thought it might be. Part of the reason why you're seeing the 86 percent return is because there -- some of the schools, some of the faculty, some of the curriculum that is being eliminated, isn't that right?
COWEN: There are some of the programs at the university that we phased out as part of our renewal plan for the university in the future. Of course, we feel very bad for those particular students, but we have really tried to be sensitive to their needs. And those programs will be phased out over the next year-and-a-half.
WHITFIELD: Well, are you also...
COWEN: So the vast majority of those students...
WHITFIELD: Are you also blaming directly hurricane Katrina and the devastation that it brought to your campus as to why something like 233 faculty members are being eliminated from the 14 doctoral programs and five undergrad majors eliminated, as well as eight athletic teams?
COWEN: Absolutely. It is all Katrina related. If hurricane Katrina had not happened, we would not have had to do this reinvention. But the reality is hurricane Katrina did happen and the most positive thing we could do for Tulane University and to ensure the recovery of New Orleans is to be realistic about that and reinvent ourselves so we can secure the future academically and financially for the institution. And in that way, also help New Orleans.
But it was all related to hurricane Katrina.
WHITFIELD: So did you see in any way that some of those things eliminated, and people, programs eliminated, might one day be brought back? And, if so, what kind of timetable are you looking at?
COWEN: The programs that we're phasing out will not be brought back. We are clearly going to retain a presence in engineering. As a matter of fact, we're creating a new science and engineering school...
WHITFIELD: OK.
COWEN: ... which we're very excited about for the future. So there's going to be an excellent academic platform in the years ahead to continue to build our science programs and our engineering programs.
WHITFIELD: And Mr. Cowen...
COWEN: I doubt they'll come back into...
WHITFIELD: I'm sorry to interrupt you, because I know we're up against a break and we're going to run out of some time.
COWEN: Sure thing.
WHITFIELD: But before I let you go, I'd like to know if, you know, if you think this university is going to be equally prestigious. Its reputation has been so upstanding, considered a prestigious university all of this time.
With the elimination of so much, will you be able to maintain that kind of stature?
COWEN: I think in the long run our reputation is going to be enhanced as a result of all this. Our university has gotten a lot of respect around the country for how it's handled itself. We've been a sort of a beacon of hope, really, in New Orleans...
WHITFIELD: OK.
COWEN: ... and for others. And I think in the long run we will enhance our reputation, not diminish it.
WHITFIELD: All right, President Scott Cowen of Tulane University.
Thanks so much and good luck to you in all your academic endeavors there at Tulane University campus.
COWEN: Good. Thank you very much. Nice being with you.
WHITFIELD: Thanks.
HARRIS: Giving the gift of luxury. Forget about diamonds.
WHITFIELD: Oh, boy.
HARRIS: Please. We'll tell you why you need to give a clipper ship to the one you love -- good morning, Brad.
(WEATHER REPORT)
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): As the world kicked off 2005, memories of a massive tsunami still lingered in our minds, memories swept away by additional epic natural disasters. From hurricanes to earthquakes, Mother Nature made us recognize her power. And for this, we recognize her as a candidate for "Time" magazine's Person of the Year.
NANCY GIBBS, EDITOR-AT-LARGE, "TIME": In the first weeks of the year, our attention was still completely riveted to this astonishing, unfolding story of loss and shock and aid and rescue. And that certainly was the defining story at the beginning of the year. Then the hurricane season here that was like none other we'd ever had. And then finally the earthquakes in Pakistan.
From beginning to end, the year seemed to be a year of disaster.
JAN SIMPSON, ASSISTANT MANAGING EDITOR, "TIME": Well, I think a lot of people have said that because of the way Mother Nature has affected the year, people have stepped back and reflected on what's important. I think it's given us, all of us, a lot to think about in how we're living in this world. (END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: It could be early next week before power is restored to all of North Carolina. Duke Power says 180,000 customers in the western part of the Tar Heel State still without electricity last night. A company spokesman says Thursday and Friday's ice storm caused extreme structural damage to the power delivery system in the Carolinas.
HARRIS: And here's the thing, Fred, it's like the perfect storm if you're trying to heat your home this winter in the Northeast. You've got an early onset of winter and now you've got these natural gas prices, oil prices that are higher than normal.
WHITFIELD: Yes.
HARRIS: And it's -- it just ends up being a real mess if you're trying to keep your home heated and warm.
WHITFIELD: I think we were all warned...
HARRIS: And we were.
WHITFIELD: ... to expect your power bills to be more than 50 percent higher.
HARRIS: Yes, yes -- and, Brad, help me here. Winter officially begins, is it next week?
BRAD HUFFINES, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Right. It begins around the 20th, 21st, usually, and that's what we're seeing now. However, what we're also seeing is the winter weather already beginning, which isn't unusual. But we still have forecasts for about an average winter, temperature wise, but still average in the U.S. is still pretty cold.
(WEATHER REPORT)
HARRIS: Brad, thank you.
HUFFINES: Certainly.
HARRIS: Police and protesters face off today at the WTO meeting in Hong Kong. Take a look at these pictures live now. Some of the riots actually were a bit violent this morning. And we will update the situation when CNN SATURDAY MORNING returns.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: This hour, riot police facing off against angry protesters at the World Trade Organization meeting today. It is Saturday, December 17th. Good morning, everyone. From the CNN center in Atlanta, I'm Fredricka Whitfield in for Betty Nguyen.
HARRIS: I'm Tony Harris. Thank you for being with us. A report from Hong Kong is coming up, but first some other stories now in the news.
In a live appearance last hour, President Bush said he has authorized NSA wire taps over about 30 times since 9/11. A secret order signed by the president in 2002 allows the National Security Agency to intercept international communications of people in the U.S. allegedly linked to al Qaeda and other related organizations. The president also criticized the media for revealing the spy program.
Many in Iraq's Sunni majority are celebrating their participation in this week's historic elections after having boycotted previous ones. A prominent Sunni politician today vowed to make alliances with any group willing to work toward unity. That's raising U.S. hopes that peaceful politics will pave the way for U.S. troops to come home soon.
Talks to avoid a transit strike in New York are set to resume today. Subways and buses are still running after negotiations stalled yesterday. The union says if no deal is reached, phase one of a strike will begin after midnight Monday, but the transit authorities says yesterday's rejected offer was its best.
And in other international news, the weekend is off to a peaceful start on Sydney's embattled beaches.
WHITFIELD: For more on that and other global headlines, we turn to Shanon Cook at the international desk. Shanon.
SHANON COOK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Thanks, Fredricka. It's quite an odd scene in Australia. It's summer in the country and on the weekend you'd normally expect the beaches in Sydney say to be packed with people. But today police actually outnumber swimmers.
Police are maintaining a strong presence at some popular beaches to prevent a repeat of the racial violence between white mobs and Arab residents that hit a Sydney beach last Sunday and that led to racial violence across the city's southern suburbs during the week. So far, though, there are no reports of unrest this weekend.
Now to China, where the city of Yuan Kai (ph) in the eastern part of China has been all but buried with snow. For the past 12 days, snow's been falling, more than three feet of snow has accumulated. It's blocking roads and it's even caused some houses to collapse under the weight of the snow. Local officials have put the city under an emergency plans while residents brace for even more snow.
Elsewhere in China, rescuers have found the bodies of 39 coal miners in a flooded mine. Three others are still missing at the privately owned mine in central Hunan province. Seventy six miners with underground at the time of the disaster, about 34 escaped. State media says the mine's managers have been detained and will be punished. Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: All right, Shanon Cook at the international desk, thank so much.
We want to get back to one of our top international stories and that is these clashes taking place in Hong Kong between protesters at the WTO, World Trade Organization meetings and police there. You're seeing the standoff. Our Asia correspondent Mike Chinoy is in the thick of it all. He's on the telephone with us now. Mike, what's taking place now?
MIKE CHINOY, CNN SENIOR ASIA CORRESPONDENT: Hello Fredricka. Well, at the moment a large group of police have penned in several hundred militant South Korean farmers, those farmers being at the forefront of violent protests that have blocked the center of Hong Kong for the past six or seven hours.
At this point the Koreans are banging drums, blowing whistles, waving banners and parading around in what is normally a main east/west road in Hong Kong. They've been occupying that road for several hours. Police have warned people in this area to get out.
It's widely thought at some point they'll move in and try and break this up and arrest the protesters. Police have been very hard- pressed. They're not used to this kind of rowdy protest in Hong Kong. This is a city where people stop at traffic lights for demonstrations, very well-mannered and orderly.
But ever since the demonstration began earlier in the day, the south Koreans have been trying to push their way into that convention center, where the WTO meeting is under way. Police were forced to use hoses, pepper spray and on a couple of occasions to fire tear gas to break up the crowds. Crowds at one point got within about 150 yards of the entrance of the convention center.
Now it's the middle of the night here in Hong Kong. This whole normally busy area full of nightclubs, shops would still be bustling at this hour, it's deserted, sealed off by the police, except for this big group of several hundred noisy Koreans marching around in a gesture of defiance, making it clear that they're not going to disperse anytime soon. Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: All right. Mike Chinoy, thanks so much from Hong Kong. Of course, we're going to keep you updated here on CNN throughout the day as things continue to progressively get rather tenuous there in Hong Kong.
HARRIS: It's the ultimate dilemma. What do you give the person who has everything? How about a trip to the moon. To the moon, Alice!
WHITFIELD: And you mean that, literally.
HARRIS: Yes, we do literally. Boy, we've got the ultimate...
WHITFIELD: ... outer space.
HARRIS: Yes. We're going to raise that for you, the ultimate gift in the ultimate gift guide. That's still ahead on CNN SATURDAY MORNING. We will be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) WHITFIELD: First a look at our top stories. President Bush admits he authorized the National Security Agency to eavesdrop on people in the U.S. without a court approval. And he calls such authorization quote fully consistent with his constitutional responsibilities and this authority. A Saturday session for Congress, lawmakers would normally be home for the holidays by now, but they'll be back to work this afternoon trying to reach agreements on military spending and the largest of the government's domestic appropriations bills.
And tear gas, fire hoses and pepper spray all turned on protesters at the World Trade Organization talks in Hong Kong. Demonstrators opposed to opening up global markets tried to storm the meeting place.
HARRIS: Having trouble finding a Christmas gift for that special person who has everything, I mean everything?
WHITFIELD: That's always a challenge.
HARRIS: Well, if you have an unlimited budget, which I do for this segment, check this out.
WHITFIELD: This is like monopoly money.
HARRIS: Yes, it really is. The Robb report is out with its annual 21 ultimate gifts. The magazine's editor, Larry Bean joins us live from Boston. Larry, good to talk to you.
LARRY BEAN, EDITOR, ROBB REPORT: Great to be here, thank you.
HARRIS: We've got a wish list here for you. Some of the stuff I can't even pronounce, no wonder I don't have it. This is great because what it does is it gives us an insight - it's stuff that you want, it gives us an insight, to what people who have the means are interested in having. Is that close to the facts here?
BEAN: Yes, I think so. What it demonstrates is what is possible with a lot of imagination and a lot of money.
HARRIS: OK, so let's get to it. What is this, Fred?
WHITFIELD: Bugatti.
HARRIS: Bugatti. This car - we're going to show pictures of this car and then we've got some pictures of it on the move. Talk to us about this vehicle Larry.
BEAN: This is the Bugatti Baron (ph) super car. It's very fast. It goes about 250 miles per hour, has 987 horsepower which will get you from 0 to 60 in about 2.5 seconds.
WHITFIELD: So in other words, you really have to live in Germany, you have to be able, to have access to the autobahn, but when do you get to open it up?
BEAN: Or the desert, make if you live out in the Mojave desert in California.
WHITFIELD: It is pretty.
HARRIS: What's the price on that? Did you mention that earlier?
BEAN: $1.2 million.
HARRIS: $1.2 million.
WHITFIELD: That's all.
HARRIS: $1.2 million, but look at it, it's beautiful. And then we have Wally yachts if you have some spare change. And you know what, I recall seeing this in the movie was it "The Island" or something? I remember seeing a yacht that looked close to that, but talk to us about this.
BEAN: This is actually a package involving six yachts, but kind of the crown jewel is the Wally power, which is 118-foot yacht, but it can achieve speeds of close to 80 miles per hour and a really futuristic-looking machine.
WHITFIELD: It's got a little James Bond effect to it.
BEAN: It really does, yes.
WHITFIELD: Wow. That's really something, but yes in its futuristic kind of way.
HARRIS: Right, yes, it is. The Caribbean golf package. I wanted to see this golf package. Boy, talk us through this.
BEAN: This is for the golfer on your list. What it is is a private golf resort, private island golf resort. And it begins by, you purchase a private island in the Caribbean and then we will build you an 18-hole course on that island.
WHITFIELD: Oh my goodness, very personalized. And you know, a lot of this stuff sounds so outlandish, but you put them in this magazine because you really do have an audience. You do have a purchasing audience who is interested in these ideas. This is not completely unachievable and unattainable is it?
BEAN: Well, it's interesting. We were just talking about the golf course. The day this magazine arrived at subscribers' homes, there was a call, someone was interested in looking into the possibilities of building one of these.
HARRIS: At what price tag are we talking about? I want to do it. I want to do it. I'm unlimited in my resources for this segment. I want to do this.
WHITFIELD: Unlimited?
HARRIS: Unlimited for this segment at least. What do I pay for this ultimate golf package? BEANS: Well, it's going to vary depending on the island you purchase. But we looked at an island that was going for $20 million. And so the course itself, building the course, building a club house, building a landing strip, because you have to have a place to land your jet to get there, cost about $62 million.
WHITFIELD: Wow. And so, Larry, the person who wants the Bowmore single malt distillery trip, who wants that? I'm really asking what the perk is, I'm not being facetious, but I'm just wondering, what's the perk to making that visit? Why is it so unique and so personalized?
BEAN: What's kind of cool about this is you actually go there and you work in the distillery.
WHITFIELD: All this money and you want to go work?
BEAN: It's hard work. It's not easy work, either. You work up quite a sweat, but you get to create a Scotch that is -- you get scotch that you actually make.
WHITFIELD: And then perhaps get to put your name on it.
BEAN: Absolutely.
WHITFIELD: That alone is pretty special and remarkable.
BEAN: And drink it.
WHITFIELD: Well of course.
HARRIS: Just for giggles, I have an unlimited income right now, what is that trip? I want to get this for Fred. What is that going to cost so that Fred, her husband and baby boy can travel and do this? What is that going to cost me?
BEAN: I think that's about $1 million.
HARRIS: $1 million, just a million --
BEAN: Well, you have to bring, I think five or six friends with you.
WHITFIELD: Not that I'm being ungrateful, but if you're going to treat me, my hubby and baby to something, I think I like that Argentina polo escape. That to me is kind of fun.
HARRIS: Talk to us about this Larry.
BEAN: Well, what you get to do is you get to go and play with some of the best polo players in the world. You also get, part of the package is you get six horses that some of the top players will help you pick out.
WHITFIELD: Now that's an adventure. BEAN: You actually get to play in a match against these people, too and with some on them on your team and that will be, that match will be broadcast by a competing network.
WHITFIELD: And what's the price tag on that one?
BEAN: That one is, well, off the top of my head I can't recall.
WHITFIELD: It's a lot. It's a lot I know.
BEAN: If you have to ask, yes --
HARRIS: If you have to ask ...
WHITFIELD: You're right.
HARRIS; And finally, the clipper ships?
BEAN: Yes. This is a tall ship.
HARRIS: Look at that.
BEAN: Now this gift comes with a little bit of a commitment because if you have one of these built, this is about a 450-foot boat, you're going to have to afford a staff of about 100 to run it. So there is a bit of an obligation involved with this gift.
WHITFIELD: It was fun to dream. I enjoyed this.
HARRIS: That was good. That was good. Here it is, 21 ultimate gifts, the "Robb Report." There's the magazine. Larry, good to see you. Thanks for taking the time to talk to us and I'll bell putting a couple -- the bubble on my ultimate budget just burst. So here we go, Larry, good to see you.
BEAN: Great to be here. Thank you.
WHITFIELD: And if anything, if you can't afford the ideas inside, at least springing for the book alone just to dream on that is a lot of fun.
HARRIS: I like that.
WHITFIELD: And that's a little bit more attainable and sometimes you just want to look. You don't want to necessarily purchase. You just want to look, just fantasize a little bit. That was a lot of fun.
HARRIS: Still to come, getting physical. Why this four-legged friend prefers to do his walking inside. That story when CNN SATURDAY MORNING returns.
WHITFIELD: And watching CNN while doing that.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) WHITFIELD: I know it's a question everybody always wonders when they wake up in the morning, how do I watch the news and walk the dog at the same time?
VERONICA DE LA CRUZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: How do I get it all done, right?
HARRIS: There ought to be a good answer for that. It's about time.
DE LA CRUZ: There is and you know what Fredricka, I would say that women are supposedly better at multitasking than men are, wouldn't you say?
HARRIS: Oh, here we go.
DE LA CRUZ: I have proof guys, check this out.
WHITFIELD: I don't know, because sometimes I got problems with my multitasking skills.
HARRIS: Thank you, Fred.
DE LA CRUZ: I love doing it. I love juggling as many things as I can. This woman, she actually, she's got it going on for me. Let's check her out. She lives in Florida. She has a four-year-old Jack Russell terrier named Toby and she has figured out a way to get the workout in, to watch the headlines and walk the dog, all at the same time, talk about multitasking. Like I said, she's got it going on. And we're not talking any dog here. This is Toby, meet Toby. Not only does he walk on the treadmill. He also playing tennis you guys and he does pushups.
HARRIS: Oh come on.
WHITFIELD: I like it.
DE LA CRUZ: All right. Another story out of the Florida, from a subdivision called Hunters Creek.
(CROSSTALK)
DE LA CRUZ: Yes it really is. Neighbors are outraged over this holiday light display. The display features Rudolph the Red-Nosed reindeer hanging upside down from a tree, gutted. He laughs. This is not funny.
HARRIS: I can't help it.
DE LA CRUZ: There's a trail of red lights that end up in a puddle representing a pool of blood. The man apparently is a deer hunter. Now the neighbors don't think it's good for the children to see.
WHITFIELD: Of course it's not.
DE LA CRUZ: And they want the display taking down.
HARRIS: It's not, no. I acknowledge that.
DE LA CRUZ: But Tony over there keeps laughing.
HARRIS: It's a warped mind ...
DE LA CRUZ: Exactly, into his warped mind.
WHITFIELD: What you're saying is you can relate. Is that what's going on here?
HARRIS: It's just so abstract.
WHITFIELD: It's grotesquely creative.
DE LA CRUZ: Yes, thank you, Fredricka. Finally from reindeer games guys, check this out. This smoothie shop got an unexpected visitor and he wasn't looking for a smoothie. Customers in the store were caught off guard when a white-tailed deer came crashing through the glass door. Glass went flying everywhere. The force of the crash was so strong, it broke one of the deer's antlers.
WHITFIELD: That happens a lot because of the mating season. They see their reflection in the glass.
DE LA CRUZ: And the deer survived the crash with one minor injuries and nobody in the store was hurt, but can you imagine sitting in a smoothie shop and --
WHITFIELD: No.
DE LA CRUZ: Can you imagine?
WHITFIELD: I know. I'm glad it was just the antlers that were broken.
DE LA CRUZ: He's still thinking about that light display.
HARRIS: I just want to get to Brad Huffines at the CNN weather and move on before I get myself in more trouble.
(WEATHER REPORT)
HARRIS: Brad, thank you. Thank you for watching this morning. Be sure to join us back here tomorrow morning. One of the stories you'll see, outrage over Christmas services, why some churches are closing their doors this holiday. That's on "CNN Sunday Morning," 7:00 a.m. Eastern.
WHITFIELD: CNN LIVE SATURDAY is up next right after this break. And here's Gerri Willis. Hi, Gerri.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
