Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Saturday Morning News
Leader Of Al Qaeda In Iraq Releases New Audiotape Talking About Fallout From Tuesday's Midterm Election; Republicans Still Reeling From Democratic Takeover of Congress; LAPD Investigating Beating; Inside Combat Hospital in Baghdad; Let the Games Begin; Fisher House Extends Helping Hand To Troops And Their Families; Veterans Day Celebrations
Aired November 11, 2006 - 07:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: Now in the news, parades, patriotism and gratitude -- you're looking at a live picture of the memorial in Washington, D.C. You're looking at, of course, that familiar scene from Iwo Jima. This is the day, of course, Americans will pause to honor the service and sacrifice of the nation's veterans.
We'll have a run-down of events across the country today and we'll talk with secretary of Veterans Affairs. That's coming up in about 20 minutes.
So, former President Gerald Ford on the eve of a milestone. Tomorrow, Ford will surpass Ronald Reagan's record as the longest living president. Ford will be 93 years, 121 days old. He's the only person to serve as president and vice president who was never elected to either office.
Legalizing workers -- that's what California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is talking about with Mexico's incoming president. Schwarzenegger is in Mexico-on a two day trade mission. He says a guest worker program would be good for California and Mexico.
And remembering Rabin. In Tel Aviv today, thousands gathered in Rabin Square, marking the 11th anniversary of the assassination of former Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin. Rabin, who signed the Oslo peace deals with the Palestinians, was shot by an Israeli extremist.
SUSAN ROESGEN, CNN ANCHOR: Veteran actor Jack Palance has died. He was 87. Palance played the villain in a number of westerns in a 60-year career, but he won an Oscar for his role in the comedy "City Slickers." Before he got into acting, he was a heavyweight boxer and he served in the military. He died of natural causes at his home in California.
Now, let's go to Bonnie Schneider for a quick check of the weather -- Bonnie.
BONNIE SCHNEIDER, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Well, Susan, in Washington, D.C. temperatures are nice and mild, 54 degrees for this Veterans Day. It's also warm in New York. But colder air is on the way. Look at this. In Michigan right now, only in the 30s. Chicago at 35. So this colder air will be moving to the East. We'll get a nice weekend.
I'll have a look at the forecast coming up -- Susan.
ROESGEN: OK.
Thank you, Bonnie.
We run-down the top stories every 15 minutes here on CNN SATURDAY MORNING, with in-depth coverage all morning long. Your next check of the headlines is coming up at 7:15 Eastern.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SPECIALIST SALZMAN: Hello.
I am Specialist Salzman from Bravo Company two of the 135 Infantry out of Rochester, Minnesota.
I would like to take this opportunity to say hello to all my family and friends back home. We're doing fine over here in Camp Atter, Iraq.
This Veterans Day, we ask that you not only thank those of us who are currently deployed overseas, but those of us who have deployed in the past. There are a lot of veterans in the community who have given a lot of time and a lot of efforts so that we may live in the wonderful country we live in today. Please remember them this Veterans Day.
Thank you all and god bless.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: And a great message to start off with on this Saturday.
ROESGEN: It really is.
HOLMES: A lot of people can echo those sentiments, and we'll follow his instructions there, but on this Veterans Day.
So, from the CNN Center, this is CNN SATURDAY MORNING. And, of course, November 11th, Veterans Day.
I'm T.J. Holmes.
ROESGEN: And I'm Susan Roesgen filling in for Betty Nguyen.
Thanks for being with us this morning.
HOLMES: Up first this hour, a new tape, a taunting message -- the leader of al Qaeda in Iraq releases a new audiotape and he's talking about fallout from Tuesday's midterm election here in the U.S.
Here now, CNN's Michael Ware.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MICHAEL WARE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: In the wake of the shock of the resignation of U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, there has been a rising tide of triumphalism from insurgent groups operating in Iraq and militias. With al Qaeda in Iraq striking the latest rhetorical blow, saying that the date of victory for al Qaeda has come sooner than expected.
The group's leader, Abu Hamza al-Muhajer, released an audiotape on the Internet in which he threatened to attack the White House and pledged 12,000 al Qaeda foot soldiers to the Islamic state of Iraq.
ABU HAMZA AL-MUHAJER (through translator): I say to the lame duck, don't rush to run-away as your lame defense secretary ran away. We haven't had enough of your blood yet. Come down to the battlefield, you coward.
WARE: The Islamic state is an al Qaeda-driven construct from an alliance of insurgent groups, from which al Qaeda hopes to build its international caliphate based here in western Iraq.
The taunting by the group's leader over the political upheaval in Washington is something that is almost certain to become a regular feature of the insurgents' propaganda campaign.
Michael Ware, CNN, Baghdad.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROESGEN: Well, in Washington, Republicans are still reeling from the Democratic takeover of Congress. And critics say the timing of one big policy change could have saved the election for the Republicans.
CNN's Dana Bash reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It was a thumpin'.
DANA BASH, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Thumping, pounding, beating -- no Republican is trying to sugarcoat what happened to their grand old party on election night. And recriminations are everywhere.
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), ARIZONA: We've got to change our practices.
REP. TOM DELAY (R), FORMER HOUSE MAJORITY LEADER: We didn't stand on principle.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We had some incumbents who were caught unprepared.
BASH: Arizona's John Shadegg first came to Congress in 1994, part of the Republican wave that took the majority from Democrats. Like many conservatives, he blames his own party for losing its way. REP. JOHN SHADEGG (R), ARIZONA: We broke faith with the American people, and they sent us a clear message. Now, I don't know if my colleagues have understood that message yet. I think they are really kind of in shock, still, but they sent a clear message -- you promised to change the way Washington works and you didn't do it. And so it's time to give the other team a turn.
BASH: Republicans like Shadegg says it's easy to see what went wrong. The party let the deficit balloon with too much pork barrel spending; let the government get too big, with new entitlements, like prescription drugs for Medicare; and let themselves become corrupted by power.
SHADEGG: We had said we would be different; we would clean up Washington, and it would operate openly and above board, and no secret deals, and no smoke-room deals -- smoke-filled-room deals, and no back-room deals that are cut and no late-night deals. And the American people have now read that, in point of fact, none of that happened.
BASH (on camera): But you can't talk about GOP infighting without talking about Iraq.
Many Republican officials are furious at the White House for waiting so long to fire Donald Rumsfeld.
(voice-over): Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich told "The New York Times": "If the president had replaced Rumsfeld two weeks ago, the Republicans would still control the Senate, and they would probably have 10 more House members."
SEN. JOHN SUNUNU (R), NEW HAMPSHIRE: I don't know if there was a delay in the timing, once the decision was made, to when it was announced. Any delay in that timing was probably a mistake. But that's all hindsight.
BASH: Looking forward, as Republicans settle into the minority, they're searching for new direction and a path back to power.
Now John Shadegg is one of several rank and file Republicans now running to unseat their own GOP leaders. Like other Republicans, he argues voters did not reject GOP philosophy, but rather its behavior, and that must be resolved with new leadership and getting back to basics.
Dana Bash, CNN, Capitol Hill.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROESGEN: Well, if you watched our election coverage here on CNN, you were not alone. More viewers came to CNN than to any other cable news channel on election day. And CNN.com was the number one news site on election day.
So now, as the countdown begins to 2008, stay with CNN and the best political team on television. HOLMES: Across the country today, Americans are pausing to honor the service and sacrifice of the nation's veterans.
Here's a look at some of the events CNN will be covering.
This hour, the Muslim-American Veterans Association is holding a wreath laying ceremony at the Vietnam Memorial.
President Bush's weekly radio address is at 10:06 Eastern and will touch on Veterans Day.
So will the Democratic radio address at 11:06 Eastern.
The president lays a wreath at Arlington Cemetery at 11:00 a.m. He'll also make remarks during the ceremony there.
And like many other cities and towns, New York holds a Veterans Day parade. That begins at 11:00 Eastern in midtown Manhattan. And also during that hour, the Coast Guard christens its newest cutter at a ceremony in Pascagoula, Mississippi.
An annual Veterans Day ceremony takes place at the Vietnam Memorial at 1:00 p.m.
And the Navy's elite Blue Angels take to the skies over Pensacola, Florida at 3:00 Eastern.
And the Gulf Coast veterans parade takes place in Biloxi, Mississippi.
And there, CNN's Warrior 1 will be a part of that parade. It's one of the vehicles used to cover the Iraq war. And there's a shot of it there. This is a refurbished Hummer. It's going to be auctioned off in January. Proceeds are going to go to the Fisher House Foundation. Fisher House provides comfort homes for families of hospitalized military personnel.
Meanwhile, across Britain today, somber ceremonies to remember that country's war dead.
Queen Elizabeth helped unveil a memorial to New Zealand war dead at Hyde Park Corner in London. And Londoners also paused earlier in the day for two minutes of silence. The Armistice Day observance commemorates the end of World War I.
ROESGEN: And now this morning's e-mail question.
We want to know how do you plan to honor veterans today?
E-mail us at Weekends@CNN.com and we'll read some of those e- mails a little later in the newscast.
HOLMES: A violent scene caught on tape -- a police officer beating a suspect.
Acceptable force or police brutality? The Los Angeles Police Department is investigating and now so is the FBI.
CNN's Thelma Gutierrez reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
THELMA GUTIERREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It happened again -- an LAPD arrest caught on tape.
ARLIN PACHECO, AMATEUR PHOTOGRAPHER: The whole incident happened right in front of me. So, I just got a clear shot.
GUTIERREZ: A clear shot by amateur photographer Arlin Pacheco- right in front of her house.
WILLIAM CARDENAS, SUSPECT: I can't breathe.
GUTIERREZ: That's 23-year-old William Cardenas, who police say is a known gang member. He's on his back with two officers on top, one pressing his knee into the suspect's throat.
PACHECO: You can hear the neighbors screaming, "What are you doing?" Like, you don't need to do that, like what -- like, as soon as he starts punching, there's like an outcry of the neighbors.
GUTIERREZ (on camera): What did they say?
PACHECO: They were screaming like, "Stop. What are you doing? You know, you don't need to. You know, what are you hitting him for? What are you hitting him for?"
And it just it -- it -- it makes the stereotype of LAPD.
GUTIERREZ (voice-over): While Officer Alexander Schlegel sits on the man, Officer Patrick Farrell punches him one, two, three, four, five times in the face.
CHIEF WILLIAM BRATTON, LOS ANGELES POLICE: There's no denying that the -- the video is disturbing.
GUTIERREZ: The incident happened August 11th. The video runs 28 seconds and was uploaded to YouTube in mid-October. Since then, it has unleashed a wave of fury at a police department that has been plagued with a history of police brutality accusations and convictions.
In their own report, the officers admit one of them struck Cardenas. But they say he was wanted on a felony warrant, ran from them and resisted arrest.
LT. PAUL VERNON, LOS ANGELES POLICE: When officers make arrests or use force, they're reacting to the situation and the totality of the circumstances that they know. And a -- a short snippet of video film does not reveal that totality. And that's part of what our investigation is going to have to uncover. GUTIERREZ: Cardenas remains in jail awaiting trial. His attorney is outraged by the video.
B. KWAKU DUREN, CARDENAS' ATTORNEY: If you had a knee on your throat as you were laying on the ground, you would not be passively laying down. You would be attempting to grasp whatever to get whatever is causing you to not breathe.
GUTIERREZ: The police argue they used appropriate force. And a judge who saw the video called the officers' response "reasonable."
NAJEE ALI, PROJECT ISLAMIC H.O.P.E.: Here we go again. Here we go again. Once again, we've seen the LAPD attack and assault an unarmed suspect.
GUTIERREZ: The original felony charge against Cardenas that led to his arrest was dropped by the D.A.
Officer Schlegel had two complaints made against him in the past. Both were dropped. Both officers have been reassigned to desk duty while police and the FBI investigate.
Thelma Gutierrez, CNN, Los Angeles.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROESGEN: Well, still ahead, CNN goes beyond the headlines to show you the frantic fight to save the lives of wounded troops. We have an excerpt from our "CNN PRESENTS" special, "COMBAT HOSPITAL." A sneak peek in about 20 minutes.
HOLMES: Plus, millions of veterans and their families count on financial support and help from the Department of Veterans Affairs. I'll talk to Secretary of Veterans Affairs Jim Nicholson in just a few moments.
Stay here.
SCHNEIDER: I'm meteorologist Bonnie Schneider in the CNN Weather Center.
Much of the country will be enjoying nice weather for this Veterans Day, and that does include New York City.
Take a look now. We can show you Manhattan. You can see a couple of clouds in the distance, but overall, the weather will be nice today. Not so great for tomorrow.
Your full forecast is coming up next on CNN SATURDAY MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROESGEN: How toxic is the world we live in?
Stay tuned to find out what toxins you may be eating, breathing and even wearing. Dr. Sanjay Gupta hosts "HOUSE CALL" this morning at 8:30 Eastern, right here on CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROESGEN: Now in the news, parades, patriotism, flag waving and gratitude -- Americans pause today to honor the service and sacrifice of our veterans.
We'll have a run-down of the events all across the country today and in just a minute we'll talk to the secretary of Veterans Affairs.
A former president is about to make history. Tomorrow, Gerald Ford will become the oldest surviving U.S. president. At the age of 93 years and 121 days, Ford now surpasses Ronald Reagan for that record. Ford has had a number of health problems in recent years.
Back to back bombs explode in Baghdad. At least six people were killed, nearly three dozen injured. The police say the bombs were planted in an outdoor marketplace and exploded just five minutes apart.
HOLMES: Reward offered -- the U.S. military is now offering $50,000 to anyone who provides information that leads to finding an Army -- a U.S. Army translator who is of Iraqi descent. The soldier was kidnapped in Baghdad last month when he went to visit his wife.
And you might know him as Curly from "City Slickers." And if you're a little older, maybe, you remember Jack Palance as the bad guy in "Shane." But the one time understudy of Marlon Brando has died. Yes, he died yesterday at the age of 87.
And we do run-down the top stories for you every 15 minutes here on CNN SATURDAY MORNING, with in-depth coverage all morning long. Your next check of the headlines is coming up at 7:30 Eastern.
More than 23 million Americans are military veterans. And this fiscal year, $80 billion in tax dollars will be spent to help care for them and their families. Trusted with overseeing that money is being used wisely is the secretary of Veterans Affairs, Jim Nicholson.
The Vietnam veteran joins us live now from the White House lawn.
Mr. Secretary, good morning.
Thank you for being here and Happy Veterans Day to you.
JIM NICHOLSON, VETERANS AFFAIRS SECRETARY: Good morning.
Happy Veterans Day to you all.
HOLMES: Well, thank you, sir.
And tell me, I guess on this Veterans Day, how would you describe Veterans Day's feeling a little different in wartime. NICHOLSON: It is different at wartime. We have young men and women out there on the front, so to speak, in this asymmetric war, in danger every day. And it's a time for all of us in America to -- all 300 million of us -- to pause and reflect on the sacrifice and the service that so many have provided in our country to keep us free, to give us this way of life. And at the V.A. we say every day is Veterans Day, but today, for everyone in America, we hope it's Veterans Day and that they will find a veteran to say thank you to, to put their arm around, give a hug to.
We've asked all the veterans to wear their medals on Veterans Day so that people will know that they're a veteran. There are actually over 24 million living veterans today in America. And we want them to take pride in their service and we want all Americans to honor that service of theirs. And this is -- this is the day to do it.
HOLMES: And I see you have, of course, your medals and your ribbons on there. And that's a tradition you're trying to kind of get going here this year.
Do you feel that some veterans are maybe a little hesitant, reluctant to put their ribbons on? Maybe they think it's bragging or boasting?
NICHOLSON: Exactly right. In fact, a lady came up to me here in Washington recently and said, you know, I'm so glad you're doing this. My husband was awarded the Purple Heart but he would never wear it. He felt it was being boastful or showy. She said now you've legitimized it and he is going to wear that medal.
And that's what we want them to do, whether it's the Purple Heart or the Good Conduct Medal. It doesn't matter. They served. They took the oath of office. They went where asked. And we want everybody to know that about them, including other members of their family, their community, their church.
America has a great deal to be grateful for to its veterans. And most Americans know that. And by having our veterans show that, it shows the pride they should have in their own service and the honoring that we should for all of them.
HOLMES: And certainly something that can't, I guess, avoid being talked about and felt about on this day, is -- and, as you know, there's been a lot of criticism out there about the V.A. and the job that's been done and if veterans are getting what they need from anything from underestimating the cost of caring for a lot of these veterans coming back.
Instead of just answering directly those criticisms, why don't you just tell us how do you think the V.A. right now needs to do better in taking care of some of these veterans coming back from Iraq right now?
NICHOLSON: Well, I would say, first off, the V.A. is doing a fabulous job. These veterans coming back that are injured are uniquely injured. In other wars, many of them would have been killed. But in this war, due to the heroic evacuation on the battlefield and the body armor, they're coming back alive. And it's our job to reconstitute them and to give them the rehabilitation that they need to get as much of their ability back as they can.
And we're doing a great job with that. And we're well funded. The president is very supportive and the Congress is very supportive.
We've set up 23 of these, what we call poly trauma centers, where we've aggregated all the medical disciplines in one place and put them around the country, so they're closer to where these young veterans live. We bring the families in because they're an important part of the recovery and the rehabilitation process.
And in the beginning, I think there were a few glitches. But I would say right now we're doing an outstanding job in treating these people. They're our number one priority of our department and...
HOLMES: Do you think you all anticipated how great, great the need would be? And, of course, now the war has gone on maybe a little longer than some might have anticipated, as well, and that compounds some of those glitches and whatnot you're talking about.
You're -- maybe you just death toll anticipate how great the need would be to care for a lot of these young men and women?
NICHOLSON: I think that was the case in isolated examples in the early going, because the budget process here in the -- is sort of Byzantine, to say the least. And you do the budgets about two years in advance.
So the budget for '05 was done based on '02 data. There was no war in '02. So some of the projections were off.
We got that fixed. The Congress was very supportive and that was in 2005. We're in 2006 now, with -- it's an '07 budget. We have over $80 billion.
We are well resourced to do this job that we have and of those returnees from Iraq and Afghanistan, they make up about two percent of our patient base in the V.A. We see over a million patients a week at the V.A. and about two percent of those that we see are coming back from the combat zone. Every one of them is important and every -- and they are a real priority of ours, I will tell you that.
HOLMES: All right, well, we certainly hope so and we know so. And we certainly wish all those veterans the best and wish you the best in taking care of them.
Again, Secretary Nicholson, thank you so much for spending time with us.
NICHOLSON: Thank you.
HOLMES: And a Vietnam vet yourself. So, again, Happy Veterans Day to you.
NICHOLSON: Thank you very much.
ROESGEN: Well, T.J. while we are talking about the war wounded, we are going to show you the first line of serious medical care for our wounded troops. You're going to meet the doctors and nurses who do their best to save lives every day in a war zone. An excerpt of our riveting "CNN PRESENTS" special "COMBAT HOSPITAL." That excerpt is coming up in about 10 minutes.
HOLMES: Plus, on the lighter side and the stranger side, yes, it's not exactly trick or treating there. This is -- Halloween kind of went bad. This full story coming up in 20 minutes here on CNN SATURDAY MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LT. COL. RICH EDWARDS: Hi.
This is Lieutenant Colonel Rich Edwards from the 407th Civil Engineering Squadron here at Ali Air Base (ph) in Iraq, standing at the 9/11 Memorial.
I'd like to give a shout out to all the veterans back home and all our fellow New Yorkers for all your support.
Thanks.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROESGEN: And on this Veterans Day, it is actually a nightmare for commuters in Snoqualmie Pass, Washington. While most of the Southeast part of the country is still enjoying a mild fall season, the Northwest is preparing for what's shaping up to be a long winter.
Today, they got a double weather whammy -- both rain and snow coming down in that part of the country today.
So let's find out what else might be on the way.
HOLMES: Well, we hope it's nothing like that, Bonnie -- good morning.
You're filling in for Reynolds.
Good to see you this morning.
SCHNEIDER: Good to see you, as well.
HOLMES: But what can those folks expect?
(WEATHER REPORT)
HOLMES: Well, surgeries and intensive care on the front lines in the war in Iraq. We have an excerpt for you from our "CNN PRESENTS" special, "COMBAT HOSPITAL." An exclusive look coming up in about five minutes.
ROESGEN: Plus, a love letter unlocks a 40-year-old mystery. A military wife finally gets closure.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I now have somewhere to go to talk to my husband on a Saturday or a Sunday or just go up and just say put a flower there.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROESGEN: A sweet story on this Veterans Day in just a few minutes on CNN SATURDAY MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: "Now in the News," honoring the nation's veterans with parades, patriotism and gratitude. And you'll see a lot of people at memorials like this one.
You're watching a live picture there out of Arlington, Virginia, of the Iwo Jima Memorial. A lot of people are going to be collecting and gathering at memorials around the country today. Americans are going to pause on this memorial day and recognize the service and sacrifice of the country's veterans. And this morning President Bush will lay a wreath at the Arlington National Cemetery.
To Iraq now, where a reward is now being offered. The U.S. military offering $50,000 to anyone who provides information that leads to finding a U.S. Army translator who is of Iraqi descent. The soldier was kidnapped in Baghdad last month when he went to visit his wife.
Also in Iraq, two bombs planted in an outdoor market killed at least six people in Baghdad today. Nearly three dozen others were injured. Police say the bombs exploded five minutes apart.
ROESGEN: In Israel, remembering Yitzhak Rabin. In Tel Aviv today, thousands of people gathered in Rabin Square marking the 11th anniversary of the assassination of the former prime minister. Rabin signed the Oslo peace deal with the Palestinians and was later shot by an Israeli extremist.
Meanwhile, Palestinians are marking the second anniversary of Yasser Arafat's death. Thousands of people marching to the Ramallah compound that used to be his headquarters, where Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas laid a wreath on his grave. Arafat led the Palestinians four nearly decades, serving as Palestinian Authority president for the last eight years of his life.
Now to Bonnie Schneider again for a look at the weather -- Bonnie.
BONNIE SCHNEIDER, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, Susan.
(WEATHER REPORT)
ROESGEN: We run down the top stories every 15 minutes here on CNN SATURDAY MORNING, with in-depth coverage all morning long. You can really set your watch by it. Your next check of the headlines is coming up at 7:45 Eastern.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, hi, everybody. How you doing?
This is Second Lieutenant Stephen Hodgson (ph) from Ali Air Base in Iraq. I want to say hello to everybody in Dover, New Hampshire.
Hi, Mom. Hi, Dad. How is everybody doing?
I just want to thank all the veterans on Veterans Day. Really appreciate everything you've done for us. And thank you for everything.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROESGEN: I hope mom and dad are watching this morning. I'm sure they are.
HOLMES: Always got to thank mom and dad.
ROESGEN: Yes, of course.
HOLMES: That's so nice for the veteran there who is thanking other veterans. So that's nice to see.
So welcome back to you all, and thank you for being here with us on this Veterans Day.
I'm T.J. Holmes.
ROESGEN: And I'm Susan Roesgen, again filling in for Betty Nguyen.
HOLMES: As we've been telling you, across the country today Americans are pausing to honor the service and sacrifice of the nation's veterans. We have a look now for you at some of the events CNN will be covering.
This hour, the Muslim American Veterans Association is holding a wreath-laying ceremony at the Vietnam Memorial. President Bush's radio address is at 10:06 Eastern and will touch on Veterans Day. And so will the Democratic radio address at 11:06 Eastern.
Also, the president lays a wreath at Arlington National Cemetery at 11:00 a.m. He'll also make remarks during the ceremony there. And like many other cities and towns, New York holds a Veterans Day parade. That begins at 11:00 Eastern in Midtown Manhattan.
Also, in that hour, the Coast Guard christens its newest cutter at a ceremony in Pascagoula, Mississippi. An annual Veterans Day ceremony takes place at the Vietnam memorial at 1:00, and then the Navy's elite Blue Angels take to the skies over Pensacola, Florida, at 3:00 Eastern. And the Gulf Coast veterans parade takes place in Biloxi, Mississippi.
Now, we're part of a big part of that big parade happening there. CNN's Warrior One will be a part of that parade. It's one of the vehicles used to cover the Iraq war. The refurbished Hummer will be auctioned off in January, and proceeds go to the Fisher House foundation. Fisher House provides comfort homes for families of hospitalized military personnel.
Meanwhile, across Britain today, somber ceremonies to remember that country's war dead. Queen Elizabeth helped unveil a memorial to New Zealand war dead at Hyde Park in London. Londoners paused earlier in the day for two minutes of silence. The Armistice Day observance commemorates the end of World War I.
ROESGEN: Well, you know on the front lines of battle the bottom line is survival. This weekend, "CNN PRESENTS" goes inside a combat hospital in Baghdad. Life and death struggles every day, but for the combat medics it's just part of the job.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The young guy's waiting.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hold that.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's hurting her. Is it the...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, the face. You guys were just pushing down on it really hard.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm sorry. We're just trying to...
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes. We have to. OK?
Watch your head now.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My toes are killing me.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Your toes are killing you? I just gave you some more pain medication. OK?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Am I touching your pinky? What finger am I touching now?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The second to the left.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Index, thumb.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What's the story, doc? I mean, give me -- give me a brief.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The brief -- well, your face is going to -- if it doesn't have any fractures, it's going to require a lot of sewing and wash out in the OR. Your left...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Will you put me out for that?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Of course.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: All right. We're going to lift you up a bit. All right?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Now we're lifting. Hang on to that I.V.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Your left toes, it looks like you're going to lose a little bit of the -- the end of it, right at the toenails there. Just a tip off the big toe and maybe the second toe in. Just the tip.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Like the toenail part.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Will I still be able to walk?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hell yes. Of course.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You'll be able to do...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Not a problem.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, there's a little puncture wound right here. A few punctures.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Doctor, this isn't my first barbecue.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Really? You've been through this before?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is the second time I've been -- I actually just went through...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You've got to stop visiting us. But we appreciate you taking one of the team. OK?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. I hate you guys.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I know.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: But we love you.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And we love you, too.
Man, you don't want to be like a frequent flyer with us. That's never a good sign.
So after that happens, you, like, win a set of steak knives and get to go home. How about that?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Send me home, Doc.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This one's a first for me having a repeat customer. A lot of them come in just with major injuries and they're joking around, trying to pull through. They just roll with the punches.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Based on your experience, how long do you think it's going to take me to recover?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's a good question. Probably, I don't know, maybe a month.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A month for all this (EXPLETIVE DELETED) to recover?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, it would be my guess.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Got to prolong that because we still got three months left.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You're going home.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Did I say that? I meant three months. Didn't I say three months?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Don't call my mom this time. Last time they called her she was (EXPLETIVE DELETED) freaked out.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, no, no. You're the one who's going to call her.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, you're going to call her.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It passed right through and they blew another one.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: another one?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Luckily, nobody got hurt.
It's not letting me open it up all the way.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: These guys are great guys. They really are. They have courage I would never ever expect people to have.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Man, that guy served his country. I mean, what more can you ask? Wounded twice in action, plus the fear of every day going out and you never know if you're going to get wounded again.
That guy's a hero.
(END VIDEOTAPE) ROESGEN: Well, stay tuned this weekend for this special, "CNN PRESENTS," "Combat Hospital." It airs tonight and Sunday at 8:00 and 11:00 p.m. Eastern.
HOLMES: Well, waiting for word on a loved one and never giving up hope.
ROESGEN: Finally getting some answers. A war widow finally finding out what happened with high-tech help. You won't want to miss this story. It's about 10 minutes away right here on CNN SATURDAY.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(WEATHER REPORT)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROESGEN: "Now in the News," you are looking at a live video, live video this morning at the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C., on this Veterans Day. Parades and ceremonies will take place all around the country honoring our veterans. And CNN will bring you those events throughout the day.
In just a few hours, President Bush will lay a wreath at Arlington National Cemetery.
And a reward is offered to bring a GI home. The U.S. military is now offering $50,000 to anyone with information that leads to the finding of this U.S. Army translator who is of Iraqi descent. He was kidnapped in Baghdad last month when he went to visit his wife there.
HOLMES: Back-to-back bombs explode in Baghdad. Police say at least six people were killed, nearly three dozen others were injured. Police say two bombs were planted in an outdoor marketplace and exploded five minutes apart.
We do run down the top stories for you every 15 minutes here on CNN SATURDAY MORNING, with in-depth coverage all morning long. Your next check of the headlines is coming up at the top of the hour.
ROESGEN: And some stories "Across America" this morning.
A canceled flight and several delays last night at the John Wayne Airport in Orange County, California. Somebody saw a passenger put a gun into his carry-on bag after getting through security. The authorities there searched the passenger, didn't find anything, but they decided to re-screen passengers as a precaution.
Two fraternity brothers file suit against 20th Century Fox over their drunken appearance in the movie "Borat." They claim they were duped into appearing in the movie where they made insulting comments about women and minorities. They are seeking unspecified monetary damages.
And in Michigan, still no luck trying to help this young buck get unstuck from that plastic jack-o'-lantern. Animal control officers had hoped to tranquilize him and get the pumpkin off, but they said they couldn't get close enough to get a clear shot with the tranquilizer gun. They will try again today.
HOLMES: Well, Sony's PlayStation has made its highly-anticipated debut to a crowd of very anxious gamers in Japan. It's the launch of what's expected to quickly become a global sellout.
CNN's Atika Shubert reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ATIKA SHUBERT, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The wait is over. At 7:00 a.m. Saturday in Tokyo, the PlayStation 3 finally went on sale. Sony's Ken Kutaragi was there to hand his own invention over to one lucky fan, as hundreds more lined around the block, camped out all night like this fan from London.
PAUL CONSTANTINE, GAMER: I got here about two weeks ago. I've been here two days waiting here. I can't even describe it. It's amazing.
I've been waiting six years for this, I know that. I finally got it. It's a dream. I'm going to take it home and hug it and kiss it kind of thing.
SHUBERT (on camera): It's cold, rainy, and very early in the morning, but that hasn't stopped more than a thousand gamers from coming out to buy this, the new PlayStation 3. And this trend that you see is being repeated at electronic stores throughout the city. So will this be enough to pick Sony out of its slump?
(voice-over): An edgy ad campaign has been drumming up excitement for weeks after months of delays for the PS3 due to technical problems and pricing concerns.
It's not cheap. Nearly $600 for the 60-gigabyte game console, around 90 bucks for each game. Buyers can easily spend more than a thousand dollars.
Sony says it's more than a game console, it's an entertainment center. Play games, watch movies, and surf the Web all in one machine. The new Blu-ray DVD format creates unrivaled image quality, say industry watchers.
"This is a strategic product for Sony," says this games magazine editor. "It will promote not just games, but Sony music, Sony movies, and especially the new Blu-ray. Sony's future depends on whether or not PlayStation 3 is a success."
The competition has a head start. Microsoft's Xbox 360 has been on the shelves for more than a year and costs substantially less. Yet, it still gets regularly outsold by PlayStation.
The surprise winner may be Nintendo's Wii, a revolutionary game controller that allows players to physically act out their fantasies, whether it's tennis or sword fighting. A little more than $200, a much cheaper alternative, due for release in just a few weeks. But gamers say there's no comparison.
"The Wii is like beer, something for everyone to enjoy. The PlayStation 3 is a fine brandy. You sit on your sofa in front of a huge TV and relish its quality all by yourself."
Like this gamer playing his Nintendo while waiting in line for the new PlayStation, consumers may opt for the best of both worlds, if they can afford it.
Atika Shubert, CNN, Tokyo.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROESGEN: Crazy.
HOLMES: Six hundred bucks.
ROESGEN: Not for me.
HOLMES: Like you say, they need to get outside and go play.
ROESGEN: They need to get outside and play. Just get on the tennis court and start playing tennis. You don't need to wave that wand around.
HOLMES: Well, we're going to continue our weeklong salute to the troops. We'll take a look at your I-Reports. That's coming up next.
ROESGEN: But first, former prisoner of war Shoshona Johnson -- do you remember her -- with her thoughts on Veterans Day.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SHOSHONA JOHNSON, FMR. PRISONER OF WAR: I think Americans can celebrate Veterans Day by showing respect to those veterans around them, just saying a "thank you," acknowledging the sacrifices that were made by veterans, but also the family of veterans. We don't do this alone. We have a wonderful support system within our families, and they make sacrifices also.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Well, CNN is asking for your I-Reports to help us honor American servicemen and women on this Veterans Day. And we want to highlight just a few for you now.
ROESGEN: A different way to honor people on Veterans Day.
This is, for instance, the red skies over Falluja. Retired Marine Corps Colonel Jesse Barker took this photograph in 2004 when he was serving in Iraq. Barker tells us that he's going to take a moment today to pray for the young men and women who are still there in harm's way.
HOLMES: That's a gorgeous picture from a war-torn country. It's strange to imagine that that's a war zone.
But we've got another one here from Debora Gonzales. She sent us this 1945 photo of her father, his two brothers, and their dad. And Debora's father, (INAUDIBLE), and her uncle John served in the Army in World War II. Her other uncle George served in the Navy. Her grandfather was a Denver police officer.
ROESGEN: And Cub Scout Eddie Depinter (ph) salutes his great- grandfather's grave at the Pylon (ph) cemetery in Farmingdale, New York. Eddie is 7 years old, and he's actually Ed Depinter V. His great-grandfather, Ed Depinter II, was an Army medic in World War II.
HOLMES: And he's a little scout, huh? That's a good picture.
Well, you can see more I-Reports honoring veterans on our Web site, or you can send in your own photos and video and join the world's most powerful news team. Again, just log on to CNN.com/i- report.
ROESGEN: And now the story of a young fighter pilot lost in Vietnam. His wife waiting and wondering what happened to him. Now more than 40 years later, a mystery is solved and answers are found in the love letters from her husband.
The story from CNN's Barbara Starr.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Along this row of shops inside the Pentagon, a 41-year-old love story. Sales woman Patricia Scharf, a military wife, has stood behind these counters for decades, waiting for her husband, Chuck, to come home. Back in 1965, she was a young Air Force wife in Florida, seeing her fighter pilot husband off to war in Vietnam. She recalls standing on the flight line as his jet lined up for takeoff.
PATRICIA SCHARF, WIDOW OF VIETNAM WAR PILOT: The canopy started to shut and he saluted me. I had a scarf on my head and I waved so big to him and said, I love you, you know.
STARR: It was the last time she saw him. On October 1st, 1965, just three weeks before he was to come home, Captain Scharf was shot down over North Vietnam. Patricia, who married at 18, whose only child was stillborn, was alone. And like other wives in that war, wondering if her husband might be alive in a North Vietnamese prison camp.
How many years did you send packages to Vietnam?
SCHARF: I would say for about until they started sending them back and I would say that would be the first year. And I've always had hope that he would be back. Always. That he'd walk even into this shop here one day.
STARR: Finally, in 1992, U.S. and Vietnamese investigators began digging at Chuck's crash site. They found his I.D. card and wallet and bone fragments, evidence he had died in the crash. But they still had to find a DNA match. Then Chuck reached out one more time across the years. These love letters Patricia had saved had traces of his saliva where the fighter pilot licked the envelopes shut before sending them off to his young wife. That provided the positive I.D. Forty-one years after seeing him off to war, Patricia will bury Chuck's remains at Arlington National Cemetery in a few weeks.
SCHARF: I now have somewhere to go to talk to my husband on a Saturday or a Sunday, or to just go up and just say put a flower there.
STARR: From her Pentagon counter, Patricia has watched troops go off to war for decades. She says she often thinks of today's young military widows.
SCHARF: I would love to go to a base and talk to the young women who are in the same position I was. It's a different war now, but I know their feelings.
Barbara Starr, CNN, the Pentagon.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROESGEN: The feelings are the same.
HOLMES: That's a sweet story. I've seen that about four or five times. I love that story.
ROESGEN: It still gets you.
HOLMES: I love it.
Well, we're going to continue here with our weeklong salute to the troops. It rolls on right here on CNN.
ROESGEN: Coming up in the next hour, we're going to go live to the war memorials in Washington. And we will talk to veterans who are there.
HOLMES: And then a little later, it's happy birthday as well to the Blue Angels. We'll catch a ride with the Navy's aerial acrobats.
ROESGEN: And we want to know, how are you honoring veterans today? What are you doing/ E-mail us at Weekends@CNN.com, and we'll read some of the e-mails when CNN SATURDAY MORNING returns.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Two bombs exploded at a Baghdad marketplace just five minutes apart today. Police say at least six people were killed and nearly three dozen injured. They were among several bombings around Iraq today.
The U.S. military, meanwhile, is offering $50,000 for information that leads the to the return of a U.S. Army translator of Iraqi descent. The soldier was kidnapped in October while visiting his wife in Baghdad.
President Bush leads the nation in honoring America's veterans today. He lays a wreath at Arlington National Cemetery in just about three hours. We'll have live coverage of that. Yesterday the president presided over the dedication of the new Marine Corps Museum.
ROESGEN: And look at this. Is this the frozen tundra? Well, it's not Lambeau Field, but it is Green Bay. A snowstorm has socked Wisconsin and parts of Iowa and Minnesota. One town in Iowa even got thunder and lightning with their snow.
You know, he coached the San Francisco 49ers to three Super Bowl titles, but now he faces a bigger battle. Bill Walsh says he has leukemia. Coach Walsh says the cancer was first diagnosed in 2004 but he says he feels better after a series of recent blood transfusions.
Now to Bonnie Schneider for a quick check of that wild weather -- Bonnie.
BONNIE SCHNEIDER, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, that does look rough.
(WEATHER REPORT)
ROESGEN: We run down the top stories, including the weather, every 15 minutes here on CNN SATURDAY MORNING, with in-depth coverage all morning long. Your next check of the headlines will be coming up at 8:15 Eastern.
HOLMES: They served, and the nation is giving a big old "thank you" from the troops who have returned to the men and women still overseas. CNN's day-long tribute to America's veterans continues.
ROESGEN: From the CNN Center, this is CNN SATURDAY MORNING. It is Veterans Day, November 11th, 8:00 a.m. here in Atlanta, 4:00 p.m. in Baghdad.
Good morning. I'm Susan Roesgen, filling in for Betty Nguyen.
HOLMES: And I'm T.J. Holmes. Thank you so much for being with us.
And on this Veterans Day we get started this hour with news from Iraq. For the first time, entire National Guard combat brigades could be headed back for second tours of duty.
The Associated Press says the plans are being developed by the Pentagon. Smaller units and individual troops have already served longer than one tour in Iraq. The redeployment would likely break the 24-month deployment limit.
On Monday, President Bush and his top aides are set to meet with the Iraq Study Group. The bipartisan group is assessing the situation on the ground in Iraq. The recommendations could set the stage for a change in U.S. policy there.
And a new audiotape has been released from the new leader of Al Qaeda in Iraq. In it, Abu Hamza al-Muhajer calls President Bush a "lame duck" and refers to outgoing Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld as a "coward".
ROESGEN: Well, now that the election is over, the big question is, what will the Democrats do with their new power, especially about the war in Iraq?
CNN senior political analyst Bill Schneider reports from Capitol Hill.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, CNN SR. POLITICAL ANALYST (voice-over): Iraq got the Democrats their new majority.
REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA), MINORITY LEADER: Nowhere was the call for a new direction more clear from the American people than in the war in Iraq.
SCHNEIDER: Next week, House Democrats will meet to choose a new majority leader. They can choose to make a bold statement about Iraq or not. The bold choice would be John Murtha.
REP. JOHN MURTHA (D), PENNSYLVANIA: The president kept talking about the last election being a mandate for him to go forward in Iraq. Well, this election was the opposite. This election was for -- to re- deploy the troops and my plan, which is the opposite of his plan, as soon as practicable out of Iraq.
SCHNEIDER: The cautious choice would be Steny Hoyer, who is now the Democratic whip, and, therefore, next in line to become leader.
REP. STENY HOYER (D-MD), MINORITY WHIP: But we will work together, we being Republicans and Democrats, the president and the Congress, to solve the problems, and make their lives better, more secure, and more -- and our country more safe.
SCHNEIDER: Hoyer has been in the leadership since 1989, and has broad support among party veterans.
But freshmen Democrats are deeply imprinted with the force that got them elected. More than anything else, that means Iraq.
PATRICK MURPHY (D), PENNSYLVANIA CONGRESSMAN-ELECT: We absolutely need the change of direction in Iraq. And I will fight every single day down in Washington, D.C., to make that happen.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
SCHNEIDER: Murtha, a 16-term congressional veteran, is a hero to many freshman Democrats, the guy who stood up first, and is still standing up.
MURTHA: Why did we go into Iraq with insufficient forces? Why did we go into Iraq with inadequate body armor and with inadequate Humvees? We want to make -- find out who is responsible for the mistakes that were made.
HOYER: We had a welfare bill.
SCHNEIDER: Hoyer has the inside track for the leadership post. Murtha has the message that won the glorious victory of '06.
Bill Schneider, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: More than 20,000 soldiers have been injured in the fight for Iraq. Some of them severely. And the road to recovery is a long one, of course, for many of them. Fisher House is a unique private- public partnership extending a hand to those injured troops and their families in that time of need.
CNN's Keith Oppenheim reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KEITH OPPENHEIM, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Dan Barnes hoists himself and gets his arms in motion. Seven weeks ago, while on patrol in Iraq, his vehicle was struck by a grenade.
SGT. DAN BARNES, U.S. ARMY: Immediately I knew that was seriously injured. I couldn't feel my legs.
OPPENHEIM: Dan's legs were amputated. He was brought here, to the Brook Army Medical Center in San Antonio for rehabilitation. His wife, Gretchen, traveled from their home in Missouri to watch over his progress.
GRETCHEN BARNES, DAN'S WIFE: We're, you know, 800 miles from home, and so it's not a familiar place.
OPPENHEIM: But a place called Fisher House helped make the setting more familiar. Fisher House is a program that provides living accommodations for the families of wounded servicemen and women right on the grounds of military hospitals.
COL. JOHN SHERO, BROOKE ARMY MEDICAL CENTER: We found that that support that comes really does aid in the positive power of healing.
OPPENHEIM: Gretchen can walk from her husband's room at the hospital to her room at Fisher House. And soon Dan will be able to stay with her at the House once he is an outpatient.
G. BARNES: For this, this makes me feel less stressed about starting our new life.
OPPENHEIM: Hospital staff tell us the war is bringing in high numbers of patients with burns and lost limbs, cases where healing and readjustment take time.
For Dan Barnes, his wife's regular presence is making a difference. D. BARNES: If she wasn't here, it'd be a lot harder on me.
OPPENHEIM: Fisher House has shown that having loved ones close by is a simple, but powerful way to help soldiers recover from war.
Keith Oppenheim, CNN, San Antonio.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: And you can find out more about Fisher House online. You can log onto their Web site, fisherhouse.org. Also, CNN is pitching in to support the efforts of the Fisher House Foundation.
You're taking a peak at Warrior One, one of the vehicles CNN used to cover the war in Iraq. After a complete makeover, compliments of the TLC program "Overhaulin'," Warrior One is now touring military bases and other sites across the country.
Today it's in Biloxi, Mississippi, participating in the Veterans Day parade there. Next January, Warrior One will be auctioned off and all the proceeds will go to the Fisher House Foundation.
You can find out more about Hummer -- that Hummer. It's on HummerOne@cnn.com.
ROESGEN: You know, our veterans have served in wars from Iraq, all the way back to World War I. And today is the day that we pause and honor them. Parades and ceremonies all over the country, and CNN's Gary Nurenberg joins us now from the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington.
Good morning, Gary.
GARY NURENBERG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning.
This memorial to those who died in Vietnam is now treated by the men and women, by the families of those who fought in that war as a place of almost shrine-like reverence. It was a war that divided the country, but a generation later this wall has become a place of unity, a place of healing where the sacrifices made in Vietnam are remembered.
That's what this Veterans Day is really all about, remembering those sacrifices. But as President Bush pointed out at a dedication ceremony in Quantico, Virginia, yesterday of a new Marine Corps memorial, it is not just sacrifices in the past, but sacrifices in the present.
An emotional president told the story of Marine Corps Jason Dunham, serving in Iraq, who threw his body on a grenade in order to protect his colleagues.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Despite the surviving initial blast and being given the best of medical care, Corporal Dunham ultimately succumbed to his wounds. And by giving his own life, Corporal Dunham saved the lives of two of his men and showed the world what it means to be a Marine.
Corporal Dunham's mom and dad are with us today, on what would have been his brave young man's 25th birthday. We remember that the Marine who so freely gave his life was your beloved son.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NURENBERG: The crowd rose to its feet and applauded, and then rose to its feet just a couple of moments later when the president announced that posthumously, Corporal Dunham would receive the Medal of Honor.
It is those kind of stories that are being told this weekend, about Iraq, about the Persian Gulf, about Vietnam, Korea, World War I, and World War II, by a country that on this weekend pledges never to forget
Back to you.
ROESGEN: All right. Thank you, Gary.
Reporting for us live from the Vietnam Memorial in Washington.
And that brings us to this morning's e-mail question. We want to know, how do you plan to honor veterans today?
E-mail us, Weekends@CNN.com, and we will read some of the e-mails a little later in the newscast.
Keeping the faith on the home front on this Veterans Day. Coming up in the next hour, a family separated by war comes together on CNN.
HOLMES: Also, who exactly was it that originally exposed former congressman Mark Foley's questionable online activities? Find out next.
But first a preview of what's ahead on today's "HOUSE CALL".
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN SR. MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Thanks, T.J.
Well, we have a great show coming up this morning. We're looking at how toxic the world is that we live in. Toxins are in the air and what we eat, even in what we wear. The key is, which ones are harmful?
That's coming up on "HOUSE CALL" at 8:30.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Back-to-back bombs. Two bombs exploded at a Baghdad marketplace just five minutes apart today. Police say at least six people were killed and nearly three dozen injured. The bombings were among several around Iraq today. Meanwhile, parades and ceremonies taking place all across the country today in honor of America's veterans. Just a few hours from now, President Bush takes part in the services at Arlington National Cemetery. He'll lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns.
Also, a top U.N. official was granted a rare meeting today with Aung San Suu Kyi. This is the Nobel Peace Prize winner and opposition leader who was kept under house arrest by Myanmar's military rulers.
And we run down the top stories for you every 15 minutes here on CNN SATURDAY MORNING, with in-depth coverage all morning long. Your next check of the headlines coming up at 8:30 Eastern.
ROESGEN: The blogger who first posted those Mark Foley e-mails now says he believes he did the right thing, but critics question his motivation.
CNN's Joe Johns has the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOE JOHNS, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): One of the big mysteries of campaign 2006, who exposed Congressman Mark Foley, is a mystery no more. Meet Lane Hudson, Democrat, political operative, gay activist.
FOLEY: Mr. Speaker, I raise...
JOHNS: To hear him tell it, Foley's behavior was an open secret, and Washington was letting him get away with it.
LANE HUDSON, STOP SEX PREDATORS: Everyone knew there was something going on there. And it's just part of this Washington culture, where people look the other way. They would rather not rock the boat, rather not really know what's going on. And that's just not the way things should work.
JOHNS: What Hudson did was set up a blog called Stop Sex Predators, posting a few Foley e-mails. He wouldn't say how he got them. ABC News picked up on the story and acquired some Foley electronic messages on its own, just in time for voters to get disgusted before heading to the polls, leading many to speculate that the whole thing was nothing more than a cynical, but effective effort to influence the election.
The way Hudson tells it, this didn't start in September, when the Foley story actually broke, but the whole thing actually got started in July, when he first got some Foley e-mails, and approached a major national newspaper, trying to get the story out.
HUDSON: So, really as soon as I got the e-mails, I met with a reporter. That was the first thing I did. And that was back in July.
JOHNS: About the same time, Hudson says he came up with the idea for the blog. HUDSON: That was kind of a backup plan. And, in retrospect, it was really exactly what I should have done, because, you know, the blogosphere is not subject to the same pressures as the mainstream media.
FOLEY: But I will tell, you this Internet guide that's available...
JOHNS: Law enforcement authorities knew about some of the e- mails in July, too, because a group called Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington said it told the FBI.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They are the kind of e-mail exchanges that a sexual predator might use to engage a young boy.
JOHNS: Foley's attorney says his client admits to the e-mails, but denies sexual contact. It's not like this was a secret, or that Hudson was sitting on evidence of an alleged crime.
Still, Hudson wasn't exactly your average Joe citizen crying out in the blogosphere. He says he actually met Foley a few years ago. He's been active in Democratic politics. And he worked for the Human Rights Campaign, a huge gay activist group. And, when they found out that Hudson had been using one of their computers to send unauthorized messages about the Foley matter, they fired him.
HUDSON: I don't fault them for their actions at all. If I were in the same position, I probably would have done the same thing.
JOHNS: Now, back to that question of motivation, Hudson insists he was just trying to stop Foley.
HUDSON: If anyone wants to question motivations, or if it was the right thing or not, then, all they're doing is suggesting that this behavior should have continued. And that's the bottom line. And I sleep well at night, because it was the right thing to do. And...
JOHNS: The right thing, yet another boost for Democrats in an election year.
Joe Johns, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROESGEN: And you can see more of Joe Johns reports on "ANDERSON COOPER 360." "AC 360," weeknights at 10:00 p.m. Eastern.
HOLMES: Well, up next we're going to talk gastric bypass surgery. More than ever, people with major weight problems are doing it to lose weight, but researchers are noticing a troubling trend.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GUPTA (voice-over): Within six months he was half his old size but says he was drinking like he used to eat.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROESGEN: Coming up in 10 minutes, trading one addiction for another. We'll look at the science and psychology.
That's coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It has been called one of the hottest workouts, but you have to take your exercise sitting down. Creator Josh Crosby says indo-row is all about teamwork.
JOSH CROSBY, INDO-ROW.COM: Train with a group and you're going to get better. You're going to make gains. But there's no impact.
You burn tons of calories. You build muscle. You build long, lean muscles, which seems to be the trend these days, not bulky anymore. And it's just a lot of fun.
COSTELLO: Crosby is passionate about rowing. He's on the U.S. national rowing team and a third generation rower. He ends each class at the Sports Club L.A. with a little competitive racing.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And the fact he puts you in teams as you are rowing, like you are really rowing in a boat, that's just an extra added motivation.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My favorite part is when he makes us go all out. When he builds it up, 50 percent strength, 75 percent, and then 100 percent. And you're doing it and giving it everything you've got.
AUDREY ADLER, INDO-ROW PARTICIPANT: I am an endurance athlete, a competitive athlete, and this has just taken me to a whole new level. Yes.
COSTELLO: Crosby says besides working every major muscle group in your body, rowers can burn 400 to 900 calories in a 50-minute class.
Carol Costello, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: A special Veterans Day weekend for the families of some U.S. troops in New Mexico. National Guard troops who spent a year in Iraq arrived home yesterday, just in time to spend the holidays with their families.
Moving on now to Clintonville, Wisconsin. They welcomed 50 National Guard troops home yesterday. They all spent a year in Iraq as well. More soldiers are expected to return home to Wisconsin today.
And about 300 sailors from USS Ross are back with their families this Veterans Day. They arrived at Norfolk Naval Air Station in Virginia earlier this week.
So, what really happens when war veterans come home? You can join us for a special edition of "ANDERSON COOPER 360," "Coming Home." And that's at 10:00 Eastern on Monday night.
ROESGEN: That's what you like to see on Veterans Day...
HOLMES: Perfect timing.
ROESGEN: ... the hugs and kisses when you come home.
HOLMES: Perfect timing.
ROESGEN: Well, have you looked out the window yet this morning? You might have sunshine, you might have snow, you might have rain, you might have lightning, just about everything in between.
HOLMES: Yes, Bonnie, it was dark when I looked out my window coming to work.
(WEATHER REPORT)
HOLMES: When it comes to protecting America, you know, the troops aren't the only ones making sacrifices.
HOLMES: Yes, the families they leave behind also face sacrifice. And coming up at the top of the hour we will talk with one such family and give them a special gift from Iraq.
ROESGEN: Also, is your world toxic? From what you eat to what you breathe, Dr. Sanjay Gupta's "HOUSE CALL" is in search of answers.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.voxant.com
