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CNN Saturday Morning News

Will Help Soon Be on the Way for the Struggling U.S. Auto Industry?; Barack Obama Being Urged, Told to Step Up and Become More Involved; President Bush Talks About Regrets; Caroline Kennedy Possibly Replacing Hillary Clinton as Senator of New York

Aired December 06, 2008 - 09:00   ET

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

BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, everybody, from the CNN Center in Atlanta, I'm Betty Nguyen. This is CNN SATURDAY MORNING, December 6th.
RICHARD LUI, CNN ANCHOR: That's right. Good morning, I'm Richard Lui, in for T.J. Holmes. He's off today. Thanks for starting your day with us right here.

You know, help may soon be on the way for the struggling big three automakers. It appears that deadlock over rescuing Detroit that might be over.

NGUYEN: Well, we just need some kind of help on the way.

LUI: Right.

NGUYEN: The decision is still out on whether the automakers should get that. President Bush though makes a rare and candid admission. Why some say it really says about the commander in chief.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Daddy? Hi, Daddy. I missed you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LUI: She made a wish and moments later it was granted. A North Carolina girl there gets her holiday gift early.

Well, help may soon be on the way to the struggling U.S. auto industry. The CEOs of General Motors, Chrysler and Ford went before the House finance committee yesterday. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi now says she is backing off her opposition to using funds from a specific fuel-efficiency research program for a big three bailout loan.

Plus, CNN has learned congressional staffers are now working on a bailout loan bill. Still, though, that may not be soon enough for some GM workers. The company says it is cutting production at four car plants in the U.S. next year. That move is affecting 2,000 jobs. Investors are apparently counting on Washington now to step in to give the economy a boost. The Dow closed up, positive territory there, 260 points.

So, Friday's jobs report is putting some pressure on the President-Elect, no doubt, with a lot of people looking to Barack Obama for answers, even though he's not even in office as of yet.

NGUYEN: Yes. In his radio address this morning, Barack Obama laid out his five-point plan, placing heavy emphasis on a public works project. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT-ELECT: Second, we will create millions of jobs by making the single-largest new investment in our national infrastructure since the creation of the federal highway system in the 1950s. We'll invest your precious tax dollars in new and smarter ways and we'll set a simple rule. Use it or lose it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NGUYEN: CNN's senior political correspondent Candy Crowley joins us now live from Chicago this morning. And Candy, you know, Barack Obama really doesn't have a whole lot of time here because there's a big problem and a lot of people looking to him to fix it.

CANDY CROWLEY, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely. And in fact, his economic team has been working on several things over the course of the -- this interim between the election and the inauguration. For instance, they are looking at a -- sort of a longer term plan for the auto industry. They are also, of course, putting together that stimulus plan.

Part of the problem for Obama has been since he is in this limbo period, he's hearing a lot of urging, especially from the Democratic side, to step up and be a little more involved now.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CROWLEY (voice-over): November brought the worst monthly job loss figures in more than 30 years. Barack Obama's transition office issued a written statement with the usual warning. The economy, Obama said, is likely to get worse before it gets better, but now is the time to respond with urgent resolve.

But for Obama, now is in 46 days when he can begin to implement his plan to create jobs that includes pumping federal money into states for road and bridge and public school projects, offering a temporary $3,000 tax credit to companies that add jobs, and eliminating the capital gains tax for investments in small businesses.

On Capitol Hill, there is a growing fear that 46 days will be too late to solve the most urgent business at hand, what to do about the big three. The President-Elect says the auto industry cannot be allowed to go under, but Democrats want more.

SEN. CARL LEVIN (D), MICHIGAN: I hope that the President-Elect would also take a more forthright and positive and public stand now that these hearings are over.

CROWLEY: This is as much as about politics as policy. Obama's support for the plan could provide some cover for lawmakers who see the polls. In the latest CNN-opinion research corporation poll, six in 10 Americans oppose federal assistance for the auto industry, but Obama's politics are different. If he were to put his stamp of approval on the plan, it could fail. A loss of political capital before he ever takes office.

SEN. CHRISTOPHER DODD (D), CHAIRMAN SENATE BANKING CMTE.: I don't think he necessarily wants to get drawn in and I wouldn't blame him for a situation he cannot effectuate.

CROWLEY: Still, Capitol Hill sources say the Obama team at many levels have discussed the bailout, including talks between the President-Elect and the Congressional leadership.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CROWLEY: And in fact, we know that the chief of staff for Barack Obama, Rahm Emanuel, was in fact on the Hill yesterday as Congress tried to work its way through this auto bailout so just because Obama is not out there and up-front pushing for a particular package doesn't mean his fingerprints aren't all over this deal in the making -- Betty.

NGUYEN: All right. He does have plans in the works. Candy, I want you to take a look at a new poll that's out. And it talks about Americans' confidence in Obama to fixing the problems at hand. And 74 percent of them say that they are confident. 25 percent say they're not confident. Boy that 74 percent number is a large one. I mean, no pressure at all, right?

CROWLEY: Right. Well, I mean it's great in this sense. He certainly, I think, can count on the backing of the majority of American people as he pushes through what may be some tough legislation that not everyone will be happy with. So if he's going to do something that's not going to be all that popular, he needs to do it quickly and in that first year. But you're right. The flip side of that is the expectations are so high.

NGUYEN: Right.

CROWLEY: That's a pretty big burden, as you move into the oval office.

NGUYEN: Absolutely. All right. CNN's Candy Crowley. As always, we do appreciate it. Thank you.

Well. the struggling economy is issue number one for most Americans. So, this morning we have been asking, how are you affected by news of record job losses last month? Did you lose your job? Are you worried about losing your job? How is this affecting you? Well send those e-mails to weekends@cnn.com. We are going to read some of the responses a little bit later.

LUI: We had some good ones earlier, too.

NGUYEN: Absolutely. Yes. LUI: All right. O.J. Simpson getting hard time. The former football great was sentenced to 33 years in prison for his role in the robbery of two sports memorabilia dealers. He has to serve at least nine years of that before he's eligible for parole. The Las Vegas judge had harsh words for Simpson yesterday despite his emotional apology.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JACKIE GLASS, JUDGE: Earlier in this case, at a bail hearing, I asked and I said to Mr. Simpson, I didn't know if he was arrogant or ignorant or both. And during the trial and through this proceeding, I got the answer. And it was both.

O.J. SIMPSON: In no way did I mean to hurt anybody, to steal anything from anyone. I spoke to Bruce before I left the room. He told me what was his. And I called him. And I got to the car, and I said exactly what do you have? I want to send it back to you. I talked to the police officers. I volunteered immediately to come back. Show them what was taken and to tell them what took place before anybody talked to the police.

I was the first guy that volunteered to do it, and I heard on the tapes that they thought I was stupid for doing it. But I didn't want to steal anything from anybody. I don't think anybody there said I wanted anybody else's stuff, just my own.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LUI: The judge says Simpson's previous criminal cases had no bearing on her decision. Simpson's attorneys say they will appeal this ruling.

Well, fire officials in Ohio are confirming five people died early today in a blaze that tore through an apartment complex in Columbus. Four of the victims were children. No word on their ages or how the fire started.

NGUYEN: Well, are you waking up to a chill this morning? You are definitely not alone. Wait until you see some of the numbers out there today. Meteorologist Reynolds Wolf is joining us now from the severe weather center, and it's severe when some of those places, what, six degrees?

REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, I know. Single digits this morning. They need to factor in the wind, which makes it even colder. So, it's going to be a rough time. You know, but it really depends on where you happen to be as to whether or not the snowfall that we're also dealing with is inconvenient.

If you happen to be say in Boeing, Michigan up where you have some ski resorts just to the east of Traverse City, you are a happy camper. This is great news for you. Because at the highest spots, you can see up to a foot of snowfall.

But for other people who are just trying to make their way one day at a time, trying to go out there and do their work on this weekend and into next week, this is a pain. That's going to be an issue for a lot of people. As we zoom into parts of Michigan, let's take you from Traverse City southward to Big Rapids, northern shores of Grand Rapids even past Holland, Michigan.

Here's Ben Harbour, you see the snow moving right across Lake Michigan. Chicago, a little bit of a light dusting this morning. And then what we're going to be seeing into the afternoon is the big rush of cold air, really begin developing across the northern plains.

Twin cities, I feel for you. It is going to be a rough time for you. Temperatures, they are going to be mainly going up the 20s. But when you factor in that wind, yes, it's going to feel like single digits for you. Same story in say Chicago, Kansas City, your high today, 41 degrees.

Break out the suntan lotion. Yes, much warmer than you will have in the twin cities. Chicago with 62, 52 in Atlanta, 76 in Tampa. Up and down the i-4 corridor, you're going to have a fairly nice day temperature-wise but still a chance of scattered showers.

New York and Boston, your temperatures going up into the upper 30s but keep in mind, New York later on this afternoon, you're going to have more clouds move in. With that, a chance of snowfall overnight and into tomorrow so snowy times back in New York. Let's send it back to you.

NGUYEN: Well, you know we can't complain. It is that time of year. My goodness, Christmas is just weeks away.

LUI: Exactly.

NGUYEN: OK. Thank you.

LUI: Thanks a lot, Reynolds.

In his final days in office, President Bush is looking back.

NGUYEN: He made some interesting remarks, though, about what he does regret. And our Josh Levs has that, joins us now.

Hi, Josh.

JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey there, are we seeing a new President Bush who is feeling haunted? That's what our senior political analyst said. And you will hear why.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LUI: Well ,President Bush is talking about regret. He recently told CNN he regrets certain remarks that he made such as "bring them on" when he was talking about insurgent attacks in Iraq. Now, a new test -- a new twist, rather, from the president. Our Josh Levs joins me with more on that.

Hey, Josh. LEVS: Hey there to you, Richard. It's good to have you today. I tell you it was really interesting. We saw this quote this week from President Bush. And I was speaking with our political analyst Bill Schneider about it who had some fascinating insights. So, I want to start off with this.

Let's take a look at what it is that the president said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The biggest regret of all the presidency has to have been the intelligence failure in Iraq. A lot of people put their reputations on the line and said, you know, the weapons of mass destruction is a reason to remove Saddam Hussein. Wasn't just people in my administration. You know, that's not a do-over but I wish the intelligence had been different, I guess.

CHARLES GIBSON, HOST, ABC NEWS: If the intelligence had been right, would there have been an Iraq War?

BUSH: If he had had weapons of mass destruction, would there have been a war? Absolutely.

GIBSON: No. If you had known he didn't.

BUSH: Oh, I see what you're saying. You know, that's an interesting question. That is a do-over that I can't -- I can't do. It's hard for me to speculate.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEVS: Richard, even answering it that way was different from some things he said in the past. So, you can see Richard why some people are doing a lot of talk about that quote right now.

LUI: Certainly. Let's bring in right now senior political analyst Bill Schneider. You said you had spoken with him. Let's do that right now. Hey, Bill, a question for you is you've covered a lot of different presidents here. Are we seeing a reflective President Bush? Is something changing here?

WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, he's famously not an introspective man. Someone once described him as a man with no inner life. But we're seeing some hints here that he's musing on some failures, some regrets, some disappointments in his presidency.

And he talked about the failure of intelligence in Iraq. The interviewer, Charles Gibson of ABC News, tried to push him towards making an acknowledgment which would have been headline-grabbing, that the war in Iraq was a mistake. Which a lot of people believe.

Most Americans continue to oppose the war in Iraq. President Bush wouldn't go quite that far. He said, I don't do do-overs. It's hard for me to speculate. But he does regret the intelligence failure in Iraq. He has to live with that inconsistency. The intelligence was wrong in Iraq. They found no weapons of mass destruction. He sent the United States to war.

Did he send the United States to war based on a mistake? To acknowledge that means that the entire war, that the death of so many Americans, was based on a mistake. He won't go that far so he's left with this inconsistency that he has to live with.

LEVS: One step back, Bill. This is Josh. Let me ask you this. Is this a typical trajectory that we see for a president toward the end of his term? You know, I know that you're recognizing here he's moving in a certain direction from where he's been in the past. Is this what we often see in the final weeks or days of a presidency, this more introspection, maybe even be willing to accept more regret?

SCHNEIDER: Yes, you do see that, particularly when a president is regarded by the whole country as a failed presidency. You saw that with Lyndon Johnson who had many great successes on his records. My goodness. Medicare, the Civil Rights Act, Voting Rights Act. But in the end of his presidency, he of course was brought down by the Vietnam War.

And I think at the end of his term and beyond that, he was always haunted by the Vietnam War. He tried to justify it. Never quite acknowledged that the whole thing was a mistake. The talking gulf resolution and all that. But, you know, it really haunted him. You saw the beginning of that towards the end of his term just after he decided not to run for another term in 1968.

This President Bush also is haunted by something else. You remember when he first ran for president, he said he wanted to be a uniter, not a divider. Well, he acknowledged in that interview that the divisions in the United States got worse -- worse, not better in his presidency. He said a president has to elevate the tone. It did not work as well as we'd like. And to a considerable extent, he said that was because of the war in Iraq.

LEVS: I'll just mention quickly also he recently spoke with our Heidi Collins. And he said he regrets speaking in front of that "Mission Accomplished" sign, and he also regrets the "bring them on comment," the dead or alive remarks. So clearly, we are seeing more and more of this.

We'll keep an eye for more of this and I know Richard also want to talk about Caroline Kennedy.

LUI: Yes, that's right. Bill, since we have you right now, we'll switch gears just a little from change and perhaps perspective of the current president to a change in New York. Their senator there. Could it be Caroline Kennedy if Hillary Clinton gets that confirmation?

SCHNEIDER: What we're reporting is that she is speaking to Governor David Paterson who will appoint Senator Kennedy's successor. Senator Kennedy is not going to resign her seat until she's confirmed by the Senate but that doesn't look like it will be very difficult. Caroline Kennedy has expressed interest, according to our reporting. She has been talking to members of the Kennedy family. Remember, this seat in the Senate was once held by her uncle, Robert Kennedy. Her other uncle, Ted Kennedy, is ill right now. We hope he serves a long time. But if Governor Paterson appoints Caroline Kennedy to the senate, it means there could be a Kennedy staying in the Senate for quite a long time.

LEVS: Could it be a President Caroline Kennedy in the future?

SCHNEIDER: Well, we don't want to jump way ahead.

LEVS: I know. Isn't that our job?

SCHNEIDER: I believe if he does appoint her to the seat and again she has expressed interest in it, she won't be a place holder. She will run. She will have to run to keep the seat in 2010. And then the term expires, so she'd have to run again in 2012. She is taking on a big job and a big political job. We'll see.

Apparently, she's acquired a taste for politics, having endorsed Barack Obama early this year. She wants to be part of this new regime in America. Clearly playing a key role in the Senate if she gets that appointment.

LEVS: Thanks so much, Bill. Thanks for coming on Saturday morning.

LUI: Senior political analyst Bill Schneider, Josh Levs, thank you both.

NGUYEN: Well, the job hunt and hundreds of thousands of people who are after the same job that you're looking to get. We're going to give you some tips to help you actually set yourself apart. Here's a hint. Use your friends.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LUI: So if you were listening carefully, you could have heard a general moan roll across the nation yesterday. The labor department reporting the nation lost 533,000 jobs in November alone. That's the most since 1974. Now, economists predicted November's job losses would only hit 325,000. The nation's jobless rate, that is now up to 6.7 percent from 6.5 percent in October. Now for the year, listen to this, 1.9 million jobs have been lost, just in the last three months, 1.3.

NGUYEN: Forget the collective moan. How about a cry for help?

LUI: Yes. Right. A gasp.

NGUYEN: Yes. Finding a job in this market is going to take a lot of blood, sweat and tears and oh yes, deep breathing. But it is not impossible and if you start with people that you know it could be a little easier in fact.

CNN's Gerri Willis has more. GERRI WILLIS, CNN PERSONAL FINANCE EDITOR: Hi, Betty. The unemployment rate is the highest it's been in almost 15 years so if you found yourself with a pink slip, you're definitely not alone. If you're job searching during a recession, here are a few things to keep in mind.

First off, in a tough job market, it's not what you know but who you know. Eighty percent of jobs are obtained through networking. Industry organizations, your college alumni directory, even social networking sites are a good place to start out.

Make sure your image on the web is accurate and highlight itself your best work. You can post a free professional profile at zigs.com. If recruiters look for job candidates online, your profile may pop up at the top of the list. And prioritize the search. Large internet job sites like monster.com, hotjobs.com, they're well-known, but they may be unlikely to help you very much.

Once you've targeted potential employers, don't send a resume that is more than a page long. The shorter and cleaner your resume is the better off you are.

Coming up on "OPEN HOUSE," steps you can take to recession-proof your life. How to maximize your 2008 health care benefits before the end of the year. And what you need to know to avoid those holiday spending traps. That's "OPEN HOUSE," 9:30 a.m. Eastern -- Betty.

NGUYEN: Good advice there. You know the economic crisis has many families really turning to the state to help them put food on the table.

LUI: Yes. So important there, too. You know, in Oregon, for instance, the growing demand for food stamps has forced the state to hire 60 more workers just to keep up with that. And then since last October, there's been a 13 percent increase in demand for food stamps in Oregon. And in some communities, it's jumped 25 percent. That is overwhelming the Department of Human Services there.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We'll have a line out, out the door. There's only four desks here, so, you know, we can only do what we can do. But we have a lot of people. We need more workers.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LUI: The new positions will be funded with about $3 million in federal money allocated to the state.

NGUYEN: Well, a Christmas present she will always remember. It's not diamonds but instead daddy.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Daddy? Hi, Daddy. I missed you. I love you. (END VIDEO CLIP)

LUI: Oh, well, that is the perfect present, isn't it? With a little help from Santa and the Pentagon, that's how it happened.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: Take a look at this live picture from Washington, D.C. holiday mail for the heroes. Well, the Red Cross, what it's doing right now, at this very hour, collecting cards to send to American troops. These pictures from the Red Cross offices in Washington.

Now, offices across the country, they're collecting the cards as well, but there are only a couple more days left for you to take part. Don't miss out. We're going to take you back to Washington for a live report next hour and we are also expecting an appearance by First Lady Laura Bush.

LUI: Those letters so important, certainly.

NGUYEN: Absolutely. Especially during the holidays. Absolutely.

LUI: Last hour, we heard a girl ask Santa for everything at Target. That's a mighty tall order, no doubt, right?

NGUYEN: Yes. But there is one little girl in North Carolina who's wishing for something even bigger. Kim Gebbia of our affiliate WXII checks it out.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KIM GEBBIA, WXII REPORTER: This three-year-old Kensly Penney (ph) promises this year she's been a good girl. She does just what grandma asks.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Give me a kiss.

GEBBIA: And kisses her special American doll with dad's picture every night.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And when we go to bed at night, do we say prayers for daddy?

KENSLY PENNEY: Uh-huh.

GEBBIA: She's hoping these good deeds will be enough for Santa Claus to give her the two special requests she has this Christmas.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I asked her if she wanted a new stuffed doll for Christmas. And she said no. I said, what do you want? She said I don't know yet. And we were out at Wal-Mart one day, she said I want a truck and my daddy. Sing it for me one more time.

PENNEY: Bring daddy home to me. GEBBIA: Her Daddy is Sgt. Scott Penney, he has been serving in Afghanistan since March. It's been hard on mom, April, but especially tough on little Kensly.

How much do you miss your daddy? How much?

PENNEY: Show again.

GEBBIA: That much. Luckily the Santa here at Pine Hills church has a lot of elves working for Kensly. Her wish has already been approved by the North Pole and the Pentagon and it's about to come true.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK. Who is that?

PENNEY: Daddy.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's your daddy. Would you like to go see your daddy?

PENNEY: Daddy. Hi, Daddy. I miss you. I love you.

SGT. SCOTT PENNEY: I love you too.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She always says, you know, Lord, take care of my daddy and bring him home. And so, this was something we really wanted to do for her for Christmas.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN: How precious.

LUI: Yes.

NGUYEN: Just for a moment there, you saw the shock in her eyes and she realized finally it was her dad. Love that story.

LUI: You got to bring out a tissue for that, too.

NGUYEN: Well, Sgt. Penney ...

LUI: Yes.

NGUYEN: ...is back in the U.S. for 18 days and he does spend, obviously, to spend some time with his family. And maybe look for Kensley's other presents, and that would be a little blue truck.

LUI: Good stuff.

NGUYEN: Cute, yes.

LUI: Great story.

Your cubicle buddies are gone, and now, you have twice the work. Expert tips for keeping your cool on the job.

NGUYEN: Plus, organize squatting. That's right, the group that's putting homeless people in foreclosed homes illegally.

LUI: That's right, but first, "OPEN HOUSE" with Gerri Willis, that starts right now for you.