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CNN Saturday Morning News
Bush to Discuss Border Security Monday Night; Indonesia on High Alert for Volcano Eruption; Contradictions in Reports of New Orleans' Hurricane Preparation Plans
Aired May 13, 2006 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: Well, it is crunch time for the White House as President Bush considers deploying more National Guard troops to help patrol the U.S.-Mexico borders. We're going to talk about this today, as well as many other very important topics, including Medicare and signing up. The deadline is on Monday.
But today is Saturday, May 13th. Good morning, everybody. From the CNN Center right here in Atlanta, I'm Betty Nguyen.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Hey, good morning, everyone. I'm Tony Harris. Thank you for starting your day with us. We'll have more on the latest developments in the immigration debate in a moment, but first a check of the day's other top stories "Now in the News."
Zacarias Moussaoui has been transported from a detention center in Virginia to a maximum security prison in Colorado. The convicted al Qaeda terrorist was sentenced last week to life in prison without the possibility of release.
There's fear a volcanic eruption could happen any time now in Indonesia. Authorities ordered thousands off the slopes of Mount Merapi. Now red-hot lava is flowing from the crater. A live report in just about six minutes.
A typhoon created a mess in parts of the Philippines. Wind knocked out power, snapped trees. Reports say nearly two dozen people were killed. Thousands evacuated. Others are stranded at major ports.
NGUYEN: Well, that's not all. Massive floodgates, which were designed to better protect New Orleans from storm surges, may not be installed until July. According to the Army Corps of Engineers, that is a month after hurricane season starts.
Verizon faces a lawsuit for allegedly handing over customers' phone records to the National Security Agency. Two New Jersey public interest lawyers claim the phone carrier violated privacy laws. They are suing Verizon for $5 billion. Verizon won't confirm or deny any dealings with the NSA.
HARRIS: And right now, let's take you to Lynchburg, Virginia, where Arizona Senator John McCain is offering the commencement address at Liberty University. That is Jerry Falwell's university. Let's listen in for a moment. SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), ARIZONA: Thousands of commencement addresses are given every year, many by people with greater eloquence and more original minds than I possess. And it's difficult on such occasions to avoid resorting to cliches. So let me just say they wish you all well. This is a wonderful time to be young. Life will offer you ways to use your education, industry and intelligence to achieve personal success in your chosen professions. And it will also offer you chances to enjoy a far more sublime happiness by serving something greater than your self-interest. I hope you make the most of all your opportunities.
HARRIS: Which -- pretty standard fare, wouldn't you say, Betty, for a commencement address? John McCain giving the commencement address at Jerry Falwell's Liberty University. That's in Lynchburg, Virginia. Now, this is clearly a big turnaround for Senator McCain and clearly -- actually for both men.
NGUYEN: True.
HARRIS: Particularly after McCain called Falwell -- you remember this? -- an agent of intolerance during McCain's run for president. Both men say they have put their differences behind them, and McCain says he no longer believes Falwell is an agent of intolerance. And there you have it. John McCain in Lynchburg, Virginia, offering a commencement address at Jerry Falwell's Liberty University.
NGUYEN: Well, this morning, we want to talk about some big questions, dealing with the possibility of more National Guard troops being deployed along the U.S./Mexico border. It could be one of the items on the agenda when President Bush addresses the nation Monday night.
Senior Pentagon correspondent Jamie McIntyre has the details.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SR. PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice over): The Pentagon has been asked to draw up options for the military to help beef up security along the U.S.-Mexico border. And Pentagon sources tell CNN one idea under consideration is to have the federal government pick up the tab for several thousand additional National Guard troops to be activated in the border states of Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California.
Under that option, the guard troops would remain under the control of state governors as they were during Hurricane Katrina and would be limited to a supporting role, providing logistics, intelligence and surveillance help to civilian authorities.
That's already being done on a small scale by several hundred guard troops. But the numbers could jump to several thousand.
FRANK GAFFNEY, CENTER FOR SECURITY POLICY: This is a job that we can train our forces to perform. We can utilize the panoply of sensors and detection devices and monitoring equipment and military hardware to ensure that we do not continue to be subjected to what amounts to an onslaught every single day.
MCINTYRE: Still, don't expect to see U.S. troops on the front lines patrolling the border, officials say. But with helicopters, unmanned spy planes, and sophisticated computers and communications, the guard could be one the Pentagon calls a force multiplier for the overburdened U.S. Border Patrol and local law enforcement.
Active duty U.S. troops are barred from domestic law enforcement by a Civil War era law known as Posse Comitatus. But National Guard troops under state control can perform some law enforcement functions, such as crowd control.
Still, the Pentagon is anxious to avoid the sort of controversy that erupted back in 1997, when a U.S. marine supporting counter-drug agents shot and killed a goat herder along the Mexican border.
(on camera): The Pentagon says, in theory, it can sustain a force of up to 10,000 guard troops along the Mexican border without affecting its other operations. But officials say it's way too early to say how many troops might be deployed, and they insist any additional military assistance will be temporary, until the U.S. Customs and Border protection agency can hire additional, permanent personnel.
Jamie McIntyre, CNN, the Pentagon.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: And across town from the Pentagon, the Minuteman project took their mission, its mission, to the steps of Capitol Hill. They drove across the country to drive home their stance on illegal immigration, and they weren't the only ones taking to the streets to get the message out.
CNN's Tom Foreman has that story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Through a crowd of angry protesters and fresh from a tour of the country, the Minuteman Project arrived at the Capitol with a message for lawmakers: Enforce immigration law, or else.
STEPHEN EICHLER, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, MINUTEMAN PROJECT: If you will not protect our liberties, then you will be booted out of office!
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
EICHLER: And you will be sent to the unemployment line! And we will find a patriot who loves America to take your place!
FOREMAN: Whether this group can deliver on such threats is not clear, but they have seized the spotlight, patrolling illegal border crossings, reporting employers who hire illegals, and relentlessly demanding that America's boundaries be secured.
PATTY PEEBLES, MINUTEMEN SUPPORTER: We want it done the right way. And that's all we're asking.
FOREMAN: David and Michelle Beasley say they have never been involved in politics before, but drove nine hours from South Carolina to say they're worried about the effect of illegal immigrants on national security, American culture, and the economy.
MICHELLE BEASLEY, MINUTEMEN SUPPORTER: We see people getting paid under the table.
FOREMAN (on camera): Day workers.
BEASLEY: Day workers. They're lined up on the streets down from where we live.
FOREMAN: And what do you think that does to work American workers and American wages?
DAVID BEASLEY, MINUTEMEN SUPPORTER: They cannot compete. They cannot compete.
UNIDENTIFIED PROTESTERS: Bigots in suits and ties, we don't want your racist lies!
FOREMAN (voice-over): Protesters who want amnesty for illegal immigrants call the Minutemen racist, Klansmen, Nazis.
AMADA JAUREGUI, PROTESTER: But I'm here to tell them that we are opposed to them, and there are many people who just disagree wholeheartedly with what their opinion is.
FOREMAN (on camera): The Minutemen have caught on because a lot of Americans are growing concerned about immigration and fearing that their government is not doing enough.
WILLIAM ABERCROMBIE, TRUCK DRIVER: They're -- they're just not listening to the people. And, so...
FOREMAN: Why would they do that?
ABERCROMBIE: Honestly, I think it's because of the -- the influence that the lobbyists and corporate America has, and they want the cheap labor in this country.
FOREMAN (voice-over): Immigration rights activists have filled the streets, but the Minuteman Project aims to fill elected offices with people who can make tough immigration laws and make them stick.
UNIDENTIFIED PROTESTERS (singing): ... of the brave.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
FOREMAN: Tom Foreman, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: Our in-depth coverage of the president's speech gets started with a special edition of "THE SITUATION ROOM" Monday night at 7:00 Eastern. After the speech, you can join a special "LOU DOBBS TONIGHT." You know it's going to be a good one. He's going to be fired up. And following Lou is "LARRY KING LIVE." Then a very special edition of "ANDERSON COOPER 360." You've got a lot going on that day. It's all right here on CNN, so please tune in.
Well, parts of Indonesia are on high alert today, sparked by fears of volcanic eruption is imminent. Mount Merapi is spewing clouds of ash and fiery lava. You can take a picture -- or take a look at the pictures of it right now. And that has forced thousands to evacuate.
CNN's Kathy Quiano joins us on the phone from Jakarta with the latest. We're looking at pictures of the smoke, of the lava. What's the latest with this volcano, Kathy?
KATHY QUIANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Betty, scientists are still closely watching the lava flows that are coming out. They've said that, over the past few hours, there's been increased activity, a mixture of lava, rock and ash continues -- continued to flow from the mountains.
Now, they're also watching the new lava dome that started forming near its peak at the end of last -- the end of April. And volcanologists say that the eruption may be worse than earlier predicted. This volcano is one of the most active of the 129 volcanos in Indonesia. It's been rumbling...
NGUYEN: We've apparently lost Kathy Quiano out of Jakarta today, but you've got some pictures right here of people evacuating. Some 22,000 people will need to be evacuated as they prepare for the volcano to erupt. And they say it is imminent.
Now, just to give you a little bit of perspective, in 1994, an eruption of this very same volcano killed 66. And back in 1930, it killed 1,300. This is Indonesia's most dangerous and active volcano. And of course, we're going to keep an eye on it and bring you the latest as soon as we get more information in. But the point you need to know right now, it is on the verge of eruption and we are going to follow it.
HARRIS: The other big story that we're following all weekend long, in fact, is the deadline, fast approaching, to sign up -- for seniors who are eligible to sign up for the new Medicare program. What we've been doing all morning is asking for your e-mails, and you've been terrific in sending in...
NGUYEN: Lots of e-mails. People have so many questions about this program...
HARRIS: Yes.
NGUYEN: ... from the confusion to trying to get in the system and making sure you're enrolled.
HARRIS: And to get a human voice on the other end of the phone when you call for information. So what we've done is we put our executive producer this morning, Eddie Williams (ph), to the task of calling the 1-800-medicare number, 1-800-633-4227. 1-800-633-4227. So, Eddie, do you have a call? And he's dialing now. OK. He's dialing the number now and what we understand is to be prompted along.
NGUYEN: Right. You're not going have someone physically answer it. It's one of those recordings where you're prompted along. And what we're going to do is go through the system...
HARRIS: Exactly.
NGUYEN: ... and really see how long it takes to actually get someone on the line, because a lot of times, those prompts can be confusing. People don't know exactly the right way to answer them to get the coverage that they're looking for. So sometimes it really does take someone on the other end to help them sort through the system and get the answers.
HARRIS: And our sense is, with the clock running, the deadline looming, you would like a sense of how long it might take you to get through the system to call the Medicare number, and to ultimately work the prompts and to get someone, a human voice on the other end of the phone.
NGUYEN: Well, can we hear it? I know that the call's being made. OK, we're working it right now. Once we get someone actually through to the system -- there's the prompt.
RECORDED FEMALE VOICE (via telephone): To protect the privacy of your...
HARRIS: All right. So this is it, OK. What we're going to do is we're going to time this. We're going to time this process for you so we can give you at least an indication of 10:12 Eastern time in the morning on Saturday, how long it might take you if you...
NGUYEN: Because this is what someone would here right now if they were calling.
HARRIS: So we'll take a break and come back and sort of monitor this situation. You're watching CNN SATURDAY MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VERONICA DE LA CRUZ, CNN.COM CORRESPONDENT: Well, good morning to you. I'm Veronica de la Cruz at the dot-com desk. What are people clicking on at CNN.com? Well, we're taking a look on our dot-com countdown.
Starting with number ten. Federal agents searched the office and home of Kyle "Dusty" Foggo. The former number three CIA official was forced to resign this week. Foggo is the target of a widening criminal investigation into corruption and bribery allegations.
And number nine. More death in Somalia as the fighting between transitional government forces and Islamic fighters continues. Number eight, an attorney for a Duke University lacrosse player says the results of new DNA tests show no conclusive match between the team members and an alleged rape.
And for number seven, we go to Britain where a dental group asked what Brits use to get food from between their teeth. Well, these answers may surprise you. Two-thirds said they use things like screwdrivers, scissors, earrings, needles, paper clips and even knives. Ouch!
We'll have numbers six, five and four when CNN SATURDAY MORNING returns. I'm Veronica de la Cruz for the dot-com desk.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Let's check our top stories right now. Lawyers representing Duke University lacrosse players in a rape case say a second round of DNA tests shows no conclusive match to any member of the lacrosse team. Two team players have been charged with raping a woman in this house.
Doctors say there is a 90 to 95 percent chance twins who were once conjoined at the chest and abdomen will survive. This is quite an amazing surgery. Surgeons at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota spent the day separating the 5-month-old girls yesterday.
And administration sources say President Bush is considering a plan to deploy thousand of National Guard troops along the U.S. boarder with Mexico. President Bush may outline the plan when he makes an address to the nation. That is on Monday night.
CNN's in-depth coverage begins with a special edition of "THE SITUATION ROOM" at 7:00 Eastern Monday night. After the speech, you can join us for a special "LOU DOBBS TONIGHT." You know that's going to be good.
HARRIS: On fire!
NGUYEN: He is going to be on fire. Followed by "LARRY KING LIVE" and then a special edition of "ANDERSON COOPER 360." We have all of the bases covered, and it's all right here on CNN.
HARRIS: Three weeks to go to hurricane season. New Orleans Mayor Nagin says the city's new evacuation plan is ready to roll, but that's not what the people in agencies he's depending on say.
CNN Gulf Coast correspondent Susan Roesgen is keeping them honest for "ANDERSON COOPER 360."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SUSAN ROESGEN, CNN GULF COAST CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): We know what went wrong in the New Orleans evacuation during Katrina, just about everything. People who had a car got out. Those who didn't were on their own. Longtime resident Ben Hunter paddled out in a canoe. This year, the city is promoting a new evacuation plan. City buses would round up people who don't have cars, and then the state would bus them to shelters away from the city. Amtrak trains would evacuate the sick and elderly. And the airlines would keep their planes at the New Orleans Airport, until all the tourists got out.
When I asked the mayor how firm the plan is, he said, everything is good to go.
RAY NAGIN (D), MAYOR OF NEW ORLEANS: The fundamentals of this plan is basically to get as many people out as possible pre-event and right after the event.
ROESGEN: But we found out that the plan isn't so solid, after all.
Amtrak says it hasn't actually signed on the dotted line. It's not a done deal. And, even if there is a deal, state officials tell me there aren't enough doctors to put on the trains to care for the sick and elderly being evacuated.
As far as the airlines evacuating tourists, that's not a done deal, either. The Transportation Security Administration says it's still just being talked about. But how about the buses to get people out? The city estimates that 10,000 people will need help getting out, but New Orleans has fewer than 100 city buses. And the city is still negotiating with the bus drivers, who haven't agreed to stay.
Finally, shelters -- less than three week before the start of hurricane season, city officials admit not a single out-of-town shelter has been lined up. We asked the New Orleans emergency management chief, Terry Ebbert, the architect of the mayor's plan, if it's really ready to go.
He says, the city is counting on the state and federal government to make it work.
TERRY EBBERT, NEW ORLEANS HOMELAND SECURITY CHIEF: The plan is land-based transportation out of the city on buses. That's the plan. These other -- other areas are improvements to the plan, which I believe that the federal government will make good on.
ROESGEN: Will that happen, or will people like Ben Hunter have to paddle out of his neighborhood in a canoe again?
BEN HUNTER, HURRICANE EVACUEE: We have been through Katrina, you know? I mean, you -- it's like, we are from Missouri. Now you have got to show me. You know, we -- I don't have the faith.
ROESGEN: Hunter says, this year, he won't wait around for the city's help. He will leave before a hurricane even gets close.
Susan Roesgen, CNN, New Orleans.
(END VIDEOTAPE) HARRIS: Susan Roesgen is part of the team "Keeping Them Honest" on "ANDERSON COOPER 360." Join "AC 360" weeknights at 10:00 Eastern.
NGUYEN: Well, still ahead, Senator John McCain and Reverend Jerry Falwell decide they like each other after all. We're going to explain what is behind this decision to mend their fences.
HARRIS: Also coming up, the worst pinch may be at the pump, but the pain goes deeper than you think. We will bring you a closer look on oil's ripple effect on daily spending.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
RECORDED FEMALE VOICE (via telephone): Beginning January 1, 2006, new Medicare prescription drug plans will be available to people with Medicare.
NGUYEN: This is what you would be hearing if you're calling the Medicare weekend hotline, trying to sign up for the new Medicare prescription drug program. You know that deadline is on Monday, so we're walking you through some of the things that people trying to enroll in that program are dealing with today when they're having questions. They need someone to walk them through the system.
We want to tell you a little bit of a side bar to this. This is what you're hearing right now. Now, we tried calling a little bit earlier, at the beginning of the show.
HARRIS: What happened?
NGUYEN: We were on for about five minutes. When we first got to the prompt, the very first prompt that you get to, the call dropped. So we're calling once again, going through the same motions you would be going through if you were at home trying to call and get questions answered.
HARRIS: So you're saying our first attempt, the call was dropped.
NGUYEN: It was dropped after five minutes.
HARRIS: A GAO report, Government Accounting Office, that was released -- what, a week or so, ago? The hotline fails -- get this -- one-third of the time.
NGUYEN: Really? Well, we experienced it this morning, but we're not going give up because we want to show you how long it actually takes to get someone on the line. Because sometimes those prompts, you don't know how to get to the next stage. You don't know what the right answer is to get the coverage that you want, and you need to speak to someone. So that's what we're trying to do this morning.
(WEATHER REPORT)
NGUYEN: There is still much more ahead right here on CNN SATURDAY MORNING. The man President Bush wants to head the Central Intelligence Agency already has a lot of explaining to do about his tenure at National Security Agency. We have a live report from the White House coming up.
HARRIS: And later, the price of oil affects a lot more than gasoline. Like that famous line from "The Graduate," we can sum it up in one word, plastics.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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