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CNN Saturday Morning News

With Democrats Heading Panels Investigations Are Expected; Veterans Day Remembrance and Celebration

Aired November 11, 2006 - 09:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

SUSAN ROESGEN, CNN ANCHOR: Now in the news two bombs exploded at a Baghdad market place just five minutes apart. At least six people were killed and nearly three dozen wounded. And these blasts were among several bombings all around Iraq today.
The U.S. military is offering $50,000.00 for information that leads to the return of this U.S. army translator of Iraqi descent. He was kidnapped in October while he was visiting his wife in Baghdad.

And President Bush honors Americans veterans this morning. He will lay a wreath at Arlington National Cemetery in a couple of hours and we will have live coverage.

Yesterday the President hosted the dedication of the new Marine Corp Museum.

T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: And the frozen tundra now to show in Green Bay. But, no, it's not Lambo Field. This is a snowstorm that socked Wisconsin, as well as parts of Iowa and Minnesota. One Iowa town even got thunder and lightning with the snow.

Former San Francisco 49ers head coach Bill Walsh says he has leukemia. The 74-year-old Walsh was first diagnosed with cancer in 2004. He says he decided to go public because word had spread about his illness.

We do run down the top stories for you every 15 minutes here on CNN SATURDAY MORNING with in depth coverage for you all morning long. Your next check of the headlines coming up at 9:15 Eastern.

From the newest veterans to the oldest, CNN is spending this Veteran's Day honoring those who serve America. From the CNN Center in Atlanta, hello everybody. I'm T.J. Holmes. This is CNN SATURDAY MORNING.

ROESGEN: I'm Susan Roesgen filling in for Betty Nguyen. Nice to have you here with us.

We get started this hour on this Veterans Day with a first for the U.S. military. Entire National Guard combat brigades could be headed back to Iraq for second tours of duty. The Associated Press is reporting that these plans are being developed by the Pentagon. If it happens the redeployment would break the 24-month deployment limit. As you know, of course, many smaller units and individual troops have already served longer than one tour in Iraq. Meanwhile, wars on the agenda when President Bush and his top aides meet on Monday with the Iraq study group. The bipartisan group that's assessing the situation on the ground in Iraq. And their recommendations could set the stage for a major change in American policy there.

HOLMES: Well, with the power comes the committee. Democrats in charge on Capitol Hill will head panels in the new Congress. And you can expect a number of investigations. CNN's Deborah Feyerick reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): When it comes to launching specific investigations, if the Democrats know the targets, they're not saying, at least not exactly. But they have made it clear there will be a lot more oversight as powerful committees move to reexamine choices made under Republican leaders. Look for fraud and waste and where necessary hold people accountable.

SEN. HARRY REID (D-NV), MINORITY LEADER: Let's find out what's going on with the war in Iraq. There simply has been no oversight in recent years. And I don't want to frighten anyone about investigations. Congressional oversight is not a meeting.

FEYERICK: Topping the list, Iraq, including prewar intelligence, how it was gathered and how the money is being spent.

A.B. STODDARD, THE HILL NEWSPAPER: There obviously have been some controversy over the reconstruction efforts in Iraq, particularly with the contracts and those I imagine will come under close scrutiny.

FEYERICK: There's Hurricane Katrina and how money may have been squandered. And Home Land Security, one Senate staff were telling CNN a bloated contracting system may have benefited the private sector, not security. The probable chair of energy and commerce has said he is likely to investigate the energy policy act, as well as the nuclear waste program and possible abuse.

STODDARD: We know, for instance, they're going to examine the subsidies that large oil companies, energy companies received.

FEYERICK: Expected house speaker Nancy Pelosi has said there are no plans to impeach the president and that subpoenas will be used only as a last resort.

REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA), MINORITY LEADER: We hope there could be cooperation from the executive branch in terms of investigating the prewar intelligence. I don't know what those -- those decisions will be made by our caucus with the wisdom of the committees of jurisdiction.

FEYERICK: Political watchers say when the Republicans took control in the mid '90s, they issued about 1,000 subpoenas. A move that looked both like a fishing expedition and political vendetta. Insiders say that's why Democrats will pick their investigations carefully.

JAMAL SIMMONS, DEMOCRATIC POLITICAL STRATEGIST: With this new Congress, I think you're going to see Democrats who actually want to open up the entire Pandora's box of what's been happening in government. But there's going to be a real political imperative to make sure that we continue to look forward in terms of what we need to do in Congress as well as make sure there's accountability for all the mistakes that have been made over the last six years.

FEYERICK: The strategy, which could well position the Democrats for 2008.

Debra Feyerick, CNN, NEW YORK.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROESGEN: From memorials in Washington to Main Streets all around the country, this is the day we honor the people who fought and defended us and are still fighting for us. CNN will bring you Veteran's Day ceremonies and events throughout the day.

Right now CNN's Gary Nurenberg is at the Vietnam Veteran's Memorial in Washington -- Gary.

GARY NURENBERG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Susan.

For a country at war, Veteran's Day is not just about the sacrifices of the past. It is also about the sacrifices of the present, a point made clear yesterday at the dedication of the new Marine Corps Museum when the president of the United States talked about a marine corporal named Jason Dunham, a marine corporal who threw his body on a grenade 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 succumbed to his wounds. By giving his own life, Corp. Dunham saved the lives of two of his mean and showed the world what it means to be a marine. Corp. Dunham's mom and dad are with us today on what would have been this 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 and applauded from a riser over looking the ceremony; you could tell the President had tears in his eyes that his voice cracked a bit. And the crowd rose again and applauded once more when the President announced that Jason Dunham will receive the Medal of Honor. It is that kind of honors that the country remembers today, Susan that kind of honor that will be remembered here at the Vietnam Memorial later in the day.

ROESGEN: All right. Gary thank you so much. Reporting live for us today. That brings us to this morning e-mail's question. We would like to know how do you plan to honor veterans today? E-mail us at Weekends@CNN.com. We'll read some of the e-mails a little later in the newscast.

We're going to have some rain; maybe some snow even on some Veteran's parades.

HOLMES: Hopefully not on too many of those parades. Bonnie has the answer for us. Hello to you again.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HOLMES: Thanks Bonnie.

Reuniting recovering service members with their families. In the next hour of CNN SATURDAY MORNING, we'll show you how one organization is making sure loved ones are part of the therapy.

ROESGEN: And up next, his family is in Florida and he's in Iraq. But this morning they get a long-distance reunion.

But first personal finance editor Gerri Willis has a preview of today's "OPEN HOUSE."

GERRI WILLIS, CNN ANCHOR: Coming up at 9:30 a.m. Eastern, "OPEN HOUSE." The election is over and Washington, D.C. is about to go through some very big changes. We'll tell you what it means to your taxes and to your wallet.

Plus, what to do if the government wants to take away your home. We'll tell you about trigger lists and why you should be worried about them. That's "OPEN HOUSE," 9:30 a.m. Eastern right here on CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SPECIALIST SALZMAN: I'm Specialist Salzman (ph) from Bravo Company two of the 135 Infantry out of Rochester, Minnesota. I would like 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 thank not only us deployed overseas but also those of us who were deployed in the past. There are a lot of veterans who have given a lot of time and a lot of effort so we may live in the wonderful country we live in today. Please remember them this Veterans Day. Thank you all and god bless.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Now in the news. Live picture here from the Marine Corps War Memorial as America marks Veterans Day. Ceremonies and parades are taking place all across the country. In about two hours from now President Bush lays a wreath at Arlington National Cemetery. We'll bring you that ceremony live.

Well the Tame Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi allowed to meet a top U.N. official today. The U.N. representative also met with the military's top leader. The diplomatic mission is aimed at promoting democracy and human rights in the Southeast Asia nation, which used to be known as Burma.

Finally here a deer in Michigan got the trick not so much treat this Halloween a fake pumpkin meant for h Halloween candy has been stuck on the deer's head for the six days. There's no food or drink for the animal right now. Animal Control officers will try again today to tranquilize the animal so they can help him out.

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 coming at 9:30 Eastern.

ROESGEN: And we have a Veterans Day family reunion this morning. Staff sergeant Ivan Richards is with Fort Gillem's 3RD Medical Command in Iraq. There he is. It's on his first deployment in Baghdad away from his wife and three children. So we have arranged for his wife at least to get to see him at least long distance and the family. Sergeant Richards's wife Michelle there is in Tampa. Michelle, how long has it been since your house was home?

MICHELLE RICHARDS, WIFE: He hasn't been home since May. We did get to see him for two weeks in August.

ROESGEN: Listen, we know that Sergeant Richards can't see you but you can see him. I want to step out of this. Say hello. Talk to each other.

M. RICHARDS: Hi. Say hi to daddy.

IVAN RICHARDS, STAFF SERGEANT: Hey, baby. How are you doing?

M. RICHARDS: Hi, sweetie. We miss you.

I. RICHARDS: I miss you guys, too. I love you all too.

ROESGEN: You have a new toy there. What you got there?

M. RICHARDS: Tell daddy you have a bike for him.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Daddy, I have a bike for you.

I. RICHARDS: Well, thank you.

ROESGEN: Michelle, what's it like to be away from your husband with your children in what must be a constant worry for his safety over there?

M. RICHARDS: I'm sorry. I didn't hear that.

ROESGEN: I was wondering, how do you handle it? How do you handle the distance and the fear of the danger that your husband might be in?

M. RICHARDS: I think as an adult I've been able to put it into perspective and what has been happening in Iraq. For the kids, the hardest part is for me to have the kids understand why he's over there.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hi, daddy.

M. RICHARDS: And having them be able to process his safety.

ROESGEN: Sergeant Richards, I'm sure you can hear your baby; you can hear your kids. What's it like for you to be away from them?

I. RICHARDS: It's one of the hardest things a man can deal with, especially the support that he gives his family. The thing that I've been dealing with every day, one fortunate thing is I get to speak to them as much as I can. I look at their pictures every day. It's right next to my desk.

ROESGEN: How do you explain what you're doing over there? How does a dad explain to his kids what you're trying to do?

I. RICHARDS: Before I left, I explained to my son and my daughter that daddy is over here taking care of a good job that he's been asked to do. Pretty much I'm over here fighting the bad guys. My daughter explained to me that I want you to come back safe. I told her daddy will be back safe.

ROESGEN: I understand you're about to have a fourth child. Is that right Michelle?

M. RICHARDS: Yes, we are.

ROESGEN: When are you due?

M. RICHARDS: Our due date is February 4th.

ROESGEN: And sergeant, will you be home then? Will you be back?

I. RICHARDS: I don't believe so. My return date is in the middle of the year. But we're going to try our best to see what we can do as a video teleconference with that.

ROESGEN: That would be really nice, I think. This is Veterans Day, of course. We're talking to you today. What do you want people to know about what you're doing there in Iraq?

I. RICHARDS: Well, you know, being with the 3rd Medical Command, we're over here taking care of a very important mission which is to provide good combat health care to all the soldiers who may encounter any type of injuries. We're accomplishing that mission and taking care of business and taking care of soldiers.

ROESGEN: And, Michelle, what are you doing besides juggling three children, a fourth on the way and I'm sure a lot of missing your husband?

M. RICHARDS: Yes. We are. We're missing him a lot. I count myself among the blessed. My mom is staying with me. She took a year out of her life to be here with us. We're relying on our faith to bring us through. Our church family has been so instrumental in helping us deal with him not being here and helping the kids deal with him not being here.

You know, the kids at night will pray for him. We teach him to pray that Jesus will bring him home safe and keep him covered under his blood. So we've been just relying on our faith in Christ. And friends and family and our church to just bring us through this tough time.

ROESGEN: Well Michelle, before we let you go, please let me step out of the picture. I can see the kids are holding up earpieces. Talk to each other while you've got a minute or two.

M. RICHARDS: Say hi to daddy. You've got to talk to daddy.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hi, daddy.

I. RICHARDS: Hey, Jeremiah. Hi, Jasmine.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Daddy, I miss you.

I. RICHARDS: I miss you, too, big boy. Take care of yourself and your sister.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I love you. Can you come home?

I. RICHARDS: I love you, too, Jasmine. I'm going to be home as soon as I can, baby.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hi, daddy.

FLYNN: That is Sgt. Ivan Richards and his wife Michelle in Tampa. Good luck. Stay safe, Sergeant. Thank you for joining us.

I. RICHARDS: Thank you very much. Thank you for having me.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Daddy.

ROESGEN: Sunday at 7:00 Eastern Lou Dobbs is going to salute all the men and women in uniform who are protecting Americans at home and abroad. CNN celebrates the nations hero's that's tomorrow at 7:00 p.m.

HOLMES: Meanwhile, helping Iraq veterans on the road to recovery.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They might have took from me a physical part of my body, but they'll never take from me the fighting spirit.

HOLMES: We'll introduce you to one group dedicated to reuniting troops on the mend with their loved ones.

Then coming up in ten minutes find out how the outcome of Tuesday's election could affect your property taxes. You might want to stick around for that. Stay here. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: And as we celebrate this Veterans Day, some great images here of some American troops coming home from the front lines we want to share with you. And so what really happens when war veterans come home? Join us for a special edition of "ANDERSON COOPER 360: COMING HOME" that is at 10:00 Eastern on Monday night.

ROESGEN: And across the country today Americans are honoring the service and the sacrifice of our veterans. Here's a look at some of the events CNN is covering.

President Bush's weekly radio address at 10:06 Eastern will touch on Veterans Day, and the so will the Democratic radio address at 11:06 Eastern. Also, in the 11:00 hour, the President lays a wreath at Arlington Cemetery; an annual Veterans Day ceremony takes place at the Vietnam Memorial at 1:00 p.m.

And that brings us to this mornings email question. We would like to know how do you plan to honor Veterans today? We have a few e- mails we would like to share with you.

HOLMES: We will start now with Mary from Illinois says, "This is a very special Veterans Day for me. I will be traveling to Fort Campbell, Kentucky to welcome home my veteran, my son, and my hero from a yearlong deployment in Ramadi.

ROESGEN: Then we have from Jill Ferguson in Columbia, South Carolina, she says, "I'm having a bake sale at a church bazaar today. The proceeds will go for treats for the troops. She says, as a cookie lady, I've been sending packages to Iraq, Afghanistan and other place for years. And I'm sure that is very much appreciated."

HOLMES: A lot of cookie ladies out there.

Finally here, from Mcinnish. "I plan on honoring veterans by just working at my job today. I'm a nurse at a veteran's nursing home. It's such an honor serving those who have served us all so honorably. I am so fortunate to be a part of my resident's lives. I respect and love them dearly every day of the year."

ROESGEN: Good for you.

HOLMES: Well the morning's headlines are just straight ahead.

ROESGEN: And then when power officially changes hands on Capitol Hill what kind of tax changes might we expect from that? As "OPEN HOUSE" shows you in five minutes, it might all depend on how high your income goes.

HOLMES: Also, preserving memories from the front lines. Our all day salute to America's finest continues with a look at one man's mission to save letters from troops overseas. That's at the top of the hour.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) UNIDENTIFIED MALE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A woman taking her company to new heights on today's "Blue Chips." After 20 years in the banking industry, Sally Jewell switched gears and signed on with outdoor retail giant, REI. Last year she rose to CEO and the co-opt scored a record $1 billion in revenue.

SALLY JEWELL, PRESIDENT & CEO, REI: Success certainly is defined financially. But success is also defined by what kind of a difference you're making in the lives of people around you.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Jewell is leaving her mark by extending health benefits to part-time employees and donating more than $4 million to outdoor recreation and conservation causes this year.

JEWELL: The best piece of advice I ever received came from a friend and he talked about living his life in thirds, a third for family, a third for the community and a third for work.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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