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CNN Saturday Morning News
Preparing for Obama's 2nd Inauguration; Lance Armstrong: "I've Been to a Dark Place"; Preparing for the Second Term; Report Card for the President; Preparing for the Second Term; Michelle Obama's Fashion Choices
Aired January 19, 2013 - 07:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHIEF JUSTICE JOHN ROBERTS, U.S. SUPREME COURT: So help you God?
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: So help me God.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
RANDI KAYE, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, everyone.
And welcome to this very special edition of CNN SATURDAY MORNING. It is Saturday, January 19th. Look at that gorgeous shot at the Capitol there. I'm Randi Kaye, coming to you live from the National Mall, as we gear up for the 57th presidential inauguration.
And all morning, our CNN political team will be bringing you the very latest on all the preparations for the big day on Monday and the biggest challenges facing President Obama in his second term.
But first, let's bring in my colleague, Victor Blackwell, who's back in Atlanta.
Victor, I know you have some of the latest news on some of the other stories that we're watching this morning.
VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN ANCHOR: Indeed, Randi. Thanks.
So, we're starting with this really bizarre story about the Notre Dame linebacker, Manti Te'o. In it, he denied -- an interview, he denied having any part in the fake girlfriend story, except being the victim of a cruel hoax. Te'o spoke with ESPN's Jeremy Schaap off-camera about the ordeal.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JEREMY SCHAAP, ESPN: I would say during the entire two hours that we spoke, he was completely composed, self-assured. He betrayed no nervousness. He had maybe full command of the story suggests that it's a story rather than the truth. But he had a full command of everything that I posed.
(END VIDEO CLIP) BLACKWELL: ESPN -- Te'o told ESPN that a man named Ronaiah Tuiasosopo admitted to being behind this hoax. Now, he showed them a tweet, supposedly an apology from Tuiasosopo. CNN has not confirmed the tweet or Tuiasosopo's involvement.
We went to Tuiasosopo's home in California, but the person there would not comment.
Let's stick with sports, though. In part two of Lance Armstrong's confession -- did you see this? -- with Oprah Winfrey, he teared up when he recalled telling his son not to defend his record anymore. He also told Oprah how surviving cancer in 1996 helped him cope in the wake of that damning 1,000-page USADA report.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LANCE ARMSTRONG, FORMER PROFESSIONAL CYCLIST: I've been to a dark place that was not by doing, I've been to a place where I didn't know if I was going to live, a month, six month, a year, five years, 10 years. It's helped me now. I mean, this is not a good time. But it isn't the worst part of my life.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLACKWELL: Ed Lavandera joins us now from Armstrong's hometown of Austin, Texas.
Ed, Armstrong, as you saw, talked about these dark places and going to these dark places. He told Oprah that he's in therapy now. We've seen in social media, in traditional media, the backlash. What else is he seeing in terms of fallout?
ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, I think many people are still trying to figure out exactly what to make of the two-night interview and whether or not Lance Armstrong is truly apologetic for what he has done over the last 15 years. And then trying to figure out whether or not he was truly contrite in what he said.
But it was interesting to see, in the wide range of questions that Lance Armstrong faced, he said, you know, he understands people's anger at him and that he will spend the rest of his life, trying to make amends. But at the same time, not all of that cut very well with many people.
And especially when he talked about losing the sponsorship over the course of a couple of days, when companies like Nike and Giro all started calling and essentially bailing out on Lance Armstrong. He said that was a $75 million loss.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ARMSTRONG: It's terrible.
OPRAH WINFREY, TV HOST: Do you feel disgraced?
ARMSTRONG: Of course. But I also feel humbled. I feel ashamed. Yes, this is -- this is ugly stuff. Nike called. And this isn't the most humbling moment, I'm going to get to that.
And they said, basically, cliff notes here, that they're out. OK. And then the calls started coming, Trek, Giro, Anheuser-Busch. They just --
WINFREY: In the same day? Same couple of days?
ARMSTRONG: Yes, a couple days. Everybody out.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LAVANDERA: And, Victor, Lance Armstrong says that he lost all of that endorsement. He doesn't think that he's -- he also thinks that he's lost all future income, which is probably one of the reasons he wants to get back into athletic competition. But he's got a lifetime ban.
He's looking and hoping that that can be reduced some way, but it's not exactly clear to what length he will be able to, or is willing to help investigators with the United States Anti-Doping Agency and the world anti-doping agency -- Victor.
BLACKWELL: All right. Ed Lavandera in Austin, Texas, for us. Thank you for that.
And, of course, Twitter has been on fire all week with the reaction to Armstrong's confession.
David Walsh, the journalist who first raised questions about Lance Armstrong in 1999, has been tweeting up a storm here. He tweets this, "Oprah pressured him. The apology was, I thought, hesitantly promised. I didn't ask for it or expect it, but, yes, if it's offered, I accept."
T.J. Quinn of ESPN asks, "This is the emotion many were wanting to see. But here's my question: Do you feel like you've finally seen the real guy?"
And, of course, comedians had a field day. Steve Martin is even aspiring to fess up to cheating himself, quote, "I'm ready to go on Oprah and admit doping in 1968."
OK. Well, for an in-depth look at the disgraced cyclist, watch "The World According to Lance Armstrong" right here on CNN, tonight at 10:00 Eastern.
Overseas now, this hostage ordeal is getting into its fourth day in the Sahara Desert. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta vows the U.S. will do everything necessary to protect its citizens. And this morning, Algerian special forces are trying to secure the release of a number of people. The number, unknown right now, including Americans who are unaccounted for.
Militants stormed a gas facility in Algeria, it happened Wednesday. They took hundreds of people captive. Then on Thursday, one American, 11 other hostages were killed when Algerian forces fired on those militants in a really controversial rescue operation. But 650 others, including six Americans, were freed or escaped.
Now, Algeria is defending that rescue operation. It says the militants were planning to kill all the hostages and blow up that gas facility.
Well, first, they were grounded. And now, deliveries are on hold. Boeing is suspending deliveries of its new 787 Dreamliner jet until a battery problem is resolved. And the FAA says it's in compliance.
The aerospace company's entire global fleet of Dreamliners has been taken out of service. And regulators want to make sure the plane's lithium ion batteries are safe.
So, let's go back now on another topic, to Washington, where our Randi Kaye is at the National Mall -- Randi.
KAYE: Good morning, again, Victor. We are staying warm here. Don't you worry about us.
We saw record crowds here on the mall four years ago, of course, for President Obama's first inauguration. And now officials aren't expecting a repeat, though. But still, they know that hundreds of thousands of people will be here, and that is a big challenge, of course, for security.
CNN Pentagon correspondent, Chris Lawrence, is on Seventh Street, keeping an eye on security there for us.
Chris, good morning to you. So, how many people do they have guarding the city right now as we prepare for the upcoming inaugural?
CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Randi, it's hard to put an exact number on it. We know most of D.C.'s 4,000 cops will be on duty. They've also pulled in about 2,000 to 3,000 other police officers from all around the country and about 6,000 National Guard troops as well, who will be helping a lot of the federal agencies.
So right there, doing the math, that's 12,000, 13,000. That's not even counting the ATF, FBI, and Secret Service agents who will really be running this security plan. So, a lot of people in place, you know, for this crowd, expected to be coming in the next couple of days or so.
KAYE: Yes, and certainly here on the Mall, it's going to be standing room only. Hard areas to get through and get around.
But are there any credible threats that security officials are watching or just taking some extra precautions here?
LAWRENCE: No credible threats. There have been no real security incidents last time, and from the sources we spoke, in some of the federal agencies here, just in the last couple of days, so far they don't have any credible threats for this one.
A big difference this time will be the crowd. I mean, last time, there was about 1.8 million visitors here, by some estimates. That's been revised down. The numbers I'm hearing from folks here in D.C. now, it could be as small as 500,000, 600,000, which admittedly doesn't sound that small, but compared to 1.8 million, it makes a big change in the security program.
A lot of the bridges into the city last time, I remember, were closed down, because they had to be used for the police, for the emergency responders, for all those tour buses that were pouring in. They expect a lot of those bridges will stay open this time, so it may actually be a bit easier to get around in the city and have a little breathing room this time around.
KAYE: Yes, I'm with you on that. I was here in 2009 as well, and it already feels different. It's not nearly as crowded, the streets are still open.
Chris Lawrence, thank you very much. Nice to see you this morning.
LAWRENCE: Sure.
KAYE: Well, we have got much more ahead this hour.
With inauguration just days away, many are wondering what President Obama's legacy will be. Will it be his push for tighter gun laws or his effort to repair our financial problems?
And she dazzled us four years ago in this gown. What will she wear to this year's inaugural ball? A look at Michelle Obama's fashion as our special coverage continues this morning.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JIMMY FALLON, COMEDIAN: On Sunday, the White House will hold a private swearing in ceremony for President Obama. Not to be outdone, on Sunday, Republicans will hold a private swearing at ceremony for President Obama.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: Welcome back, everyone. I'm Randi Kaye here live at the National Mall.
Washington is all about ceremonies and celebrations this weekend, and all to mark the start of President Obama's second term. The public inauguration celebration is Monday, but this morning, we are looking past the oath of office to the next four years -- the issues, the plans, and the prospects.
And joining me now to talk about what to expect are CNN contributors Maria Cardona and Ana Navarro.
Good morning to both of you.
MARIA CARDONA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Randi.
KAYE: So nice to have you here in person. We talk almost every Saturday, and it's nice to not be talking through the box.
ANA NAVARRO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Randi, give me some love. I'm here from Miami, all right?
KAYE: I know, and you're freezing it out.
NAVARRO: This is warm weather for me.
CARDONA: She's wearing ski gear.
KAYE: All right. Here's a little love -- a little love for you, Ana. So nice to see you too.
All right. So, two issues, though, I want to get to right now: immigration and debt.
Maria, I'm going to start with you on this one. The upcoming debt, certainly, the debt ceiling set the tone, really, right, for what to expect, we think, for the next four years, the battle over that, already.
Do you see that as the case?
CARDONA: Well, it's certainly going to be a big challenge, both for the president and for Republicans. You're already hearing from Republicans that came out of their retreat yesterday, essentially walking back, that they were going to use this debt ceiling pretty much to -- you know, as the Democrats like to say, to take the economy hostage, to demand spending cuts. They have backed off of that, looking at some plan to raise the debt ceiling at least for the next three months, to give some time for those talks to happen.
And there is a big challenge in coming together, because the president still really feels like absolutely, the debt needs to be focus on, it's a huge issue, big priority, but it needs to be done in a balanced way so that all the spending cuts are not focused on programs for those who are most vulnerable. So we'll see.
KAYE: So, Ana, do you think that the debt ceiling will set the tone between the president and Congress?
NAVARRO: No. I think we're going to get a short reprieve. I think we're talking about, you know, what the Republicans were talking about, I was actually at the GOP retreat that Maria just referenced and it's a possible three-month extension.
But at some point, the problem, the whole problem, has got to be dealt with in a holistic way. The deficit has got to be dealt with. Debt has got to be dealt with.
Spending has got to be dealt with. We can't just continue raising the debt limit without there being a balancing of the budget.
KAYE: Yes.
NAVARRO: Like we would all have to balance our budgets at home. KAYE: Right.
NAVARRO: And I think Republicans are looking at what the plan is long- term. But it was a very good retreat for Republicans. I saw a lot of unity that I didn't expect after all the drama we've seen.
KAYE: What drama? Come on.
Listen, we talk about debt. We also want to talk about immigration. The president has certainly spent a lot of time talking about immigration and the DREAM Act. I want you to listen to what he has said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OBAMA: So there's no reason that we can't come together and get this done. And as long as I'm president, I will not give up on this issue. Not only because it's the right thing to do for our economy, and CEOs agree with me, not just because it's the right thing to do for our security, but because it's the right thing to do, period. And I believe that eventually, enough Republicans in congress will come around to that view as well.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: All right. So you heard the president there. Ana, I'll go to you first on this one.
What should we expect on immigration? He got so much Latino support, something like 70 or 71 percent of the vote. So what do you think we should expect?
CARDONA: You know, I'm actually feeling slightly hopeful on immigration. And I haven't felt slightly hopeful for a while.
KAYE: Wow.
NAVARRO: I was just speaking to the GOP retreat about immigration, about Hispanics and minority outreach. And I felt a real sense of, most of them, I'm not going to say all of them, of really wanting to get something done and coming up with a constructive, bipartisan agreement and solution. I think John Boehner is committed to do something.
We see a lot of movement going on in the Senate. This week we saw that Senator Marco Rubio came out with a plan and is getting actually great endorsement from some of the right wing conservatives and pundits and influence makers in our party, and also from the White House. When was the last time you heard, you know, right wing conservative pundits and the White House agree on anything?
They agreed that this plan was actually a good thing.
KAYE: Right.
NAVARRO: So it looks like there is some hope on that. It's going to require a very delicate balancing act, by the White House, by Democrats, and Republicans in Congress.
KAYE: And very quickly, what do you think it will look like in this second term?
CARDONA: Well, in terms of immigration, I do think that it is a priority for this president. It sounds like the Republicans are getting to the point where, and we heard this right after the election, that they understood what they needed to do to attract Latinos to the party, when you hear Sean Hannity talk about how we have to do comprehensive immigration reform, you know they've moved the needle.
I think the devil is going to be in the details. I agree that Marco's proposal is very positive. I've talked to a lot of the Latino groups and they've even said positive things about it, a good place to start. We will see where it needs to go from there.
KAYE: Yes, because they're certainly expecting it, aren't they?
CARDONA: No question.
KAYE: After showing the president such support.
CARDONA: The Latino community will hold this president's feet to the fire. More importantly, they will hold to the Republicans' feet to the fire as well. And hopefully that will be enough to push both parties to do the right thing.
KAYE: Their voices are going to be heard, even this weekend here on the National Mall.
NAVARRO: I'll tell you this -- the president owes them a huge debt of gratitude, so he better deliver.
CARDONA: That's exactly right. And Republicans want to do it, if they ever want to have any chance of ever getting to the White House again.
KAYE: Right. All right. Maria, Ana, nice to see you both here.
CARDONA: Thank you so much.
KAYE: And, Ana, I hope you'll be able to brave the cold, up from Miami. I really do.
(CROSSTALK)
KAYE: I'll share my blanket with her.
NAVARRO: There you go.
KAYE: Next hour, what kind of president will we see in term number two? Political expert Ron Brownstein will join me for that discussion.
And take a look here. This is President Obama's official portrait for his second term. But even though First Lady Michelle Obama isn't in the picture, she has the look that people are talking about. We'll explain.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLACKWELL: The flu has killed nine more children in the past week. That takes us to now 29 children killed this season. And the number of elderly people hospitalized with these flu-like illnesses also has spiked. That's according to the Centers for Disease Control.
Thirty states now have reports of high levels of the flu. That's six more than last week. And for a long time, California was not on the list, but now California is one of those states.
This season's flu vaccine is only about 62 percent effective, but experts say it's still the best option for staving off the flu.
Former New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin is facing some big legal trouble. He's been indicted on 21 charges of federal corruption, including bribery, money laundering, fraud, filing false tax returns. Nagin was mayor of New Orleans during 2005's hurricane Katrina and the aftermath.
And prosecutors say he used his office for personal gain and accepted payoffs, free trips, and thousands of dollars in bribes.
Hey, the Dow and the S&P 500 ended the week at their highest levels in five years. Now, the finish closed out a trade week that saw strong quarterly earnings from reports from major banks. Markets also seemed to react positively to signs that the debt ceiling debate could be pushed back a bit. Trading resumes on Tuesday after the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.
Let's turn to the inauguration now. Former President Bush 41 and 43 were, of course, invited, but they won't be there this time. The elder Bush is recovering from a month-long hospital stay after being treated for bronchitis. You remember that.
A spokesperson for Bush 43 says the former president and his wife, Laura, wish the Obamas, quote, "all the best for a wonderful inaugural weekend." Both former presidents attended the first inauguration.
Just in time for the inauguration, the White House has released the new official photo of President Obama. It shows him smiling with his arms folded, standing in front of his desk at the oval office. The president has, as you notice, a lot more grey than he did four years ago.
And speaking of hair -- I've never actually said that, "speaking of hair" -- First Lady Michelle Obama has a new "do". Instead of the usual part on the side, she has bangs.
Mrs. Obama debuted the look on her 49th birthday and we'll be talking about that and bangs for us -- hint, hint, tease, tease -- coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: And now for an update on mortgages, take a look here. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: Bottom of the hour now. Welcome back, everyone. I'm Randi Kaye.
BLACKWELL: I'm Victor Blackwell. Thanks for starting your morning with us.
Hello.
In a stunning two-part interview with Oprah Winfrey, fallen cycling great, Lance Armstrong, confessed that not a single one of his seven Tour de France wins was done without the help of a banned substance. And for his millions of fans around the world who believed him, Armstrong shared this message.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, FROM OWN)
LANCE ARMSTRONG, FORMER PROFESSIONAL CYCLIST: I understand your anger, your sense of betrayal. You supported me forever, through all of this, and you believed, and I lied to you. And I'm sorry. And I will spend -- I will spend, and I am committed to spending, as long as I have to, to make amends. Knowing full well that I won't, I won't get very many back.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: President Obama's second inaugural won't have quite the same glitter as that historic first one, but just as in 2009, they will be very busy this inaugural weekend. Nearly a million people are expected for the swearing in.
And the parade on Monday, all of it taking place under very tight security. And that all starts today, the president and Vice President Joe Biden will take part in a community clear project. By example, both are urging Americans to take part in the national day of service, which pays tribute to Martin Luther King Jr.
Later, Michelle Obama and Jill Biden host a concert for American military families and their children.
So as President Obama prepares to kick off his second term, we wanted to know how the American people think that he's doing as he closes out the first one.
CNN political editor Paul Steinhauser is here in Washington with me this morning.
Good morning to you.
So thumbs or thumbs down -- how do they think he's doing?
PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN POLITICAL EDITOR: Well, we have some polls. Actually, we have a lot of polls.
KAYE: Of course, you do. STEINHAUSER: You know, there's been a bunch of polls out in the last couple of days, including our own, that have asked, is he doing a good job or not? Do you approve or not approve? We've been put them all together, we average them all together.
Our CNN poll of polls, take a look at this.
KAYE: OK.
STEINHAUSER: OK. Fifty-three percent say, yes, they approve of the job the president is doing in office, 42 percent disapprove.
But what about the specific issues, not overall. Take a look at this from our CNN/ORC, new polls, brand new numbers. You can see right here -- look at the numbers on the left, Randi. These are where he's doing very well on the issues -- terrorism, environment, look at the foreign affairs, immigration.
But those are not so important to Americans. What is the most important issue for Americans? The economy, he's at 48 percent. What's the second most important? The deficit -- we know that's been in the news lately -- 41 percent. So it depends on the issue on how you --
(CROSSTALK)
KAYE: Yes, and gun policy is in there as well.
STEINHAUSER: Oh, yes.
KAYE: That snuck in there.
Has the president lived up to expectations, do you think, according to our polls?
STEINHAUSER: Well, let's take a look at the answer. We asked just that and you can see from these results, about one in 10, 13 percent said he has exceeded expectations over the last four years. About four in 10 says he's met expectations. So, that's a slight majority says yes, he's met or exceeded expectations.
At the bottom, almost half said he fell short of expectations. These numbers are a little bit better now than they were a year and a half ago, Randi.
KAYE: All right. The man with all the numbers for us this morning. Paul Steinhauser, nice to see you here. Thank you.
This weekend, the focus is on the inauguration, as we've been talking about, but it is the next four years that concern President Obama, of course. The problems and the potential pitfalls.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLACKWELL: A live look at the Washington Monument this morning, where the sun is just coming up, 7:37 in D.C., ahead of the second inaugural for President Obama. Hundreds of thousands of people are starting to descend on Washington for the inauguration. And this morning, we're looking past the oath of office to the next four years -- the issues and the plans and the projects.
But as our Joe Johns reports, some of the most notorious scandals also happen in the second term.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOE JOHNS, CNN CRIME AND JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): President Obama has high hopes for the next four years.
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I intend to carry out the agenda that I campaigned on.
JOHNS: If he wants to reach that goal, history says a second-term president has got to move fast.
DAVID GERGEN, FORMER PRESIDENTIAL ADVISER: Power does seep away from the presidency very quickly in the second term.
JON MEACHAM, EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, RANDOM HOUSE: Second term presidents and their congresses have two different clocks. And the president's clock is now moving toward history and the longer view, and he can take more risks. The congressional clock is still going, according to the next election.
JOHNS: But he can't push too hard. Former Reagan chief of staff, Ken Duberstein, says after a second win, most presidents have an inflated view of their power.
KEN DUBERSTEIN, FORMER WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF: You have to figure out ways that you can accomplish things and go directionally in the way you're going, realizing that time is an enemy. Get as much done as you can, but don't overreach.
JOHNS: A lesson President Obama promises he's learned.
OBAMA: I'm more than familiar with all the literature about presidential overreach in second terms. We are very cautious about that.
JOHNS: At the same time, he has to battle White House fatigue.
MEACHAM: People get tired. Staffers leave. And so you lose some institutional memory.
JOHNS: And above all, avoid scandal, what's known as the second term curse. Something quite a few modern presidents have fallen victim to.
RICHARD NIXON, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT: Well, I'm not a crook. I've earned everything I've got.
JOHNS: For Richard Nixon, it was Watergate. He resigned over the breakup and cover-up, just 18 months after his re-election. WILLIAM J. CLINTON, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT: I did not have sexual relations with that woman, Ms. Lewinsky.
JOHNS: For Bill Clinton, it was the Monica Lewinsky affair, impeached by the House of Representatives for lying under oath. Clinton got to stay in office when the Senate acquitted him.
And for Ronald Reagan, it was Iran Contra.
RONALD REAGAN, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT: A few months ago, I told the American people, I did not trade arms for hostages. My heart and my best intentions still tell me that's true, but the facts and the evidence tell me it is not.
JOHNS: The scandal led to investigations, indictments, and a weakened White House for Reagan's final two years in office. If somehow President Obama avoids all that, there's still a chance of an unforeseen crisis.
GERGEN: You have to expect the unexpected in the second term.
JOHNS: The Soviet Union shot down an American U-2 spy plane during Dwight Eisenhower's last year as president. And George W. Bush's second term was bookended by emergencies, hurricane Katrina's destruction of the Gulf Coast early on -- the financial meltdown at the end.
And after eight years, those moments of crisis could determine a president's legacy.
ROBERT CARO, POLITICAL AUTHOR: When you're in the second term, you have no -- nothing left to run for, except a place in history.
JOHNS (on camera): A number of presidents in their second terms have focused heavily on foreign policy. And now that Mr. Obama has begun the job of replacing his outgoing secretaries of state and defense and the director of the CIA, he'll have some new faces to work with on his foreign policy team.
Joe Johns, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLACKWELL: And next hour, we take a closer look at the issues that will likely define President Obama's second term.
Randi, what's coming up next?
KAYE: We have a whole lot still ahead, Victor.
She set fashion trends four years ago when President Obama was sworn into office. So what will Michelle Obama wear to this weekend's inaugural events? We'll have a look at the first lady's fashion, coming up.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) SKIP RIZZO, CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST: I think that there's no more higher purpose right now than to take care of folks, put themselves in harm's way, protect our freedoms.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: More than half a million folks have done more than one tour. That's a tremendous emotional and physical burden we've put on our folks that's totally unprecedented.
RIZZO: We're acknowledging that people are always going to have some effect. We just want them to be able to be better at making that transition back to civilized society and not carrying around that pain of war for the rest of their life.
I am Skip Russo, clinical psychologist at the University of Southern California, Institute for Creative Technologies.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: Welcome back, everyone, to CNN SATURDAY MORNING.
You're looking at a sneak peek of the inaugural program for this weekend's events. One of those events, of course, is the inaugural ball. Bow ties and ball gowns, tailored suits and pant suits, there will be plenty of outfits to watch out for in the coming days.
And in D.C., you dress to impress. In fact, according to my next guest, "If you have money in Washington, you don't really don't want to show it. What you want to show is actually power."
That quote coming from Robin Givhan, fashion expert, Pulitzer Prize- winning fashion journalist, and "Washington Post" contributor. She's here with us in our studio here on the National Mall.
Good morning to you.
ROBIN GIVHAN, FASHION EXPERT: Good morning.
KAYE: So let's talk about fashion, specifically Michelle Obama's fashion. I know that you have said the first lady is stylish, but you have written in the past, I want to quote here --
GIVHAN: Uh-oh!
KAYE: -- be ready, "More often, her clothes are simply lovely frocks worth admiring in slide shows and picture books, but not worth discussing."
Now, you go on to say, "Fashion is fun, was the nonstop attention to Mrs. Obama's wardrobe isn't fun. It's exhausting, it's too much, and it's pointless."
So do we have Michelle Obama fashion fatigue?
GIVHAN: Well, clearly I did when I wrote that. You know, I think there's, for me, what was happening, or what has happened, is that her clothes have been discussed with this kind of feverish fervor that normally we reserve for celebrities. You know, for people walking down the red carpet, for, you know, the celebrity on their way to Starbucks.
And I think what it translates to the first lady, there's a lot of fun with that, but I also think it sort of drains away some of the more substantive things that she could represent for the fashion industry.
KAYE: I know you were a big fan of what she wore at the first inaugural ball, the Jason Wu dress.
What would you like to see her wear tonight? What do you expect she'll wear tonight? It's top secret, of course.
GIVHAN: Well, she told me, but I'm not telling anyone. I'm kidding, of course.
One of the things I loved about the Jason Wu dress was not even so much the design of it, but what it represented. I just thought the choice of this young immigrant designer with his own business, who wasn't a big advertiser, who wasn't from this giant corporate structure just spoke volumes about what the American fashion industry has become, the kind of business, businesses that are born there and that have been nurtured by the industry.
I mean, I think it sort of showed to the American public that when we talk about small business owners, that the fashion industry counts in that category as well. And I think a lot of people sort of dismiss it as the sort of glammy, you know, smoke and mirrors kind of world.
KAYE: So if we're not talking about Michelle Obama's fashions, we're going to be talking about her bangs. The first lady got bangs.
GIVHAN: Yes, she did.
KAYE: I want to ask you what you think of it. Is it a good look for her? And do you think that now everyone, maybe not everyone, but certainly a lot more women will be going out and getting -- is she going to be starting a new bangs trend, perhaps?
GIVHAN: Well, I'm going to give Mamie Eisenhower a little credit, because she did have quite famous bangs.
But I think the bangs look great. You know, I don't read anything more into them other than it's been four years. She's going into a new chapter in her public life. So why not have a new hairdo?
KAYE: Sure. Why not, right?
GIVHAN: Yes.
KAYE: She can pull it off. Many believe, though, that Michelle Obama has this style, and a real accessibility. You know, she can wear anything from Target to Talbots to Jason Wu. But you once wrote, again, here -- GIVHAN: My words come back to haunt me.
KAYE: Always. "Avoiding the appearance of queenly behavior is politically wise, but it does American culture no favors if the first lady tries so hard to be average that she winds up looking common."
GIVHAN: Yes.
KAYE: Now, I think you were writing about when the first lady was wearing shorts, right? So that was a fashion faux pas?
GIVHAN: And I would add that she was stepping off of Air Force One.
KAYE: Right.
GIVHAN: And there are like men saluting her and she was in shorts.
KAYE: Right. So, that was not something that you think was appropriate.
So should she be more formal as a first lady? Do you think she's managed to do that?
GIVHAN: You know, early on, I think first ladies in general are sort of loathe to think of themselves as sort of removed from the average person, and I think they make an effort to sort of be normal.
But the reality is that as soon as you step into that bubble, as soon as every photo -- every picture of yourself becomes part of the public record, you're no longer just normal.
So I don't think that she -- that they need to avoid being queenly necessarily.
KAYE: Yes.
GIVHAN: They need to avoid that, but I don't think that they need to try so hard to be common, because that's not really what we want. We want accessibility and we want empathy, but I think we do want them to, you know, represent us, the American people, in the best possible light.
KAYE: So, again, no clue who she might be wearing Monday night? Really, no scoop for us, Robin?
GIVHAN: No scoop. I've heard, though, there are multiple choices.
KAYE: I'm sure. Can you imagine all those letters coming into the White House asking please wear me, please wear me?
GIVHAN: I submitted my stuff. I don't think it's going to go well, though.
KAYE: I would like to see that sketch.
Robin Givhan, thank you for being here this morning. GIVHAN: My pleasure.
KAYE: Victor, do you look to President Obama or other politicians for fashion ideas?
BLACKWELL: No.
KAYE: Certainly a lot of women look to Michelle Obama.
No? Come on.
BLACKWELL: No. And I think that the president is a very well-dressed man. But I don't go to the president or senators to kind of find my wardrobe. But I do appreciate the first lady's fashions. And we got to see some of them.
OK. So we know that she's not known just for her style and grace. She's also known for her fitness, and those arms. We'll show you how she maintains those famously toned arms.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLACKWELL: Welcome back, everyone. Michelle Obama made another style choice this week that social media seems to be pretty excited about.
So, as we mentioned a few moments ago, the first lady has a new hairstyle. You see it right there. Since she's such a trendsetter, fashion watchers are saying that the bangs craze is sure to catch on. In fact, it seems it has already made an impression on our show team.
Dare we take a look at these pictures? Take a look here at our associate producer, Hannah (ph), lovely without the bangs, of course. But check it out -- here she is with some bangs. Oh, yeah. Really adds something, don't you think?
And one of our other associate producers, Yasmin (ph), beautiful hair. But was inspired by the first lady's new do as well. And here is her new look to share. Oh, yes.
All right. Victor, I know that, you know, you certainly don't need to change. We've always said that. We like you just the way you are.
Our team was just a little curious what you would look like with a new hairstyle and maybe some bangs.
So, we did a little something here, take a look at the picture of you and our producer, Jess O'Neill (ph), two great-looking guys without the bangs. What if we did decide to add a little something, something there? Oh, yes, there it is. Come on. That looks pretty sharp.
Victor, what do you think?
BLACKWELL: Never going to happen. Begrudgingly, I stood for the -- you can probably tell by the facial expression, hey, Victor, let's put bangs on your head photo.
That hair actually belongs to Zoe Deschanel (ph). Thank you, Zoe, for lending me your banks for the picture but --
KAYE: Just our team having a little fun, a little creative.
BLACKWELL: I do think that Jesse should get the picture, should get the bangs. Look at that.
KAYE: Oh, yes. It looks pretty good on him.
BLACKWELL: Yes, he says it's windswept.
KAYE: He has a little Justin Bieber look going. Got a little Biebs in him.
OK. That was our fun for this Saturday morning.
BLACKWELL: Yes, and it was fun.
Many people love her style, especially the sleeveless look. We're talking about Michelle Obama. But she didn't get those arms by just sitting around the White House. Mrs. Obama wakes up before dawn to work out.
Desiree Nathanson is back with us. She's a certified personal trainer, nutrition coach, official trainer for the Atlanta Hawks cheerleaders, so much going on. So, how does Michelle Obama, one, get the arms and keep them?
DESIREE NATHANSON, FITNESS EXPERT: Well, I wish it was just as simple as getting Michelle Obama's arms.
BLACKWELL: Yes.
NATHANSON: But let's discuss the fact that she is very active, first of all. It's not just about spot training, working out the arms. She's active. She watches what she eats. We all know she's very into nutrition.
So, those are two key factors into getting toned arms.
Another thing is genetics. And she was a college athlete.
BLACKWELL: OK.
NATHANSON: She's got a lot of things on her side.
But if you want to tone your arms and strengthen and work on getting a little more shape, you can do the following exercises. I brought my dumbbells.
BLACKWELL: OK. All right.
NATHANSON: You can do these, too, if you want to play. I'll give them to you afterwards.
BLACKWELL: OK.
NATHANSON: OK. First, we can do hammer curls to get our biceps in the front of our arm. They're going to flex.
You can do this and then twist at the top and you can see -- well, you can't see yours in your jacket, but it might pop the sleeve.
BLACKWELL: Oh, they are bulging. Let me tell you that.
NATHANSON: So, this is going to work our biceps. You have the weights. That's more fun.
BLACKWELL: OK.
NATHANSON: So, we can do that.
Then, after that, we're going to work our triceps, the back of the muscle. That's three muscles, tri.
BLACKWELL: Tri.
NATHANSON: So, we're going to bring the dumbbells up here, overhead. Does it work with your suit?
BLACKWELL: I've got it. I'm going to work it.
NATHANSON: And we're going to turn them in toward each other.
BLACKWELL: OK.
NATHANSON: And we're going to bend back and strengthen.
It would work better if you didn't have your suit on.
BLACKWELL: It's all right.
NATHANSON: Do we have an extra suit in case your muscles --
BLACKWELL: I'm going to rip through this suit.
NATHANSON: Yes. So, we're working our triceps. You want to make sure you keep your abs engaged, you're not rocking back and forth.
BLACKWELL: OK.
NATHANSON: And then, finally, we're going to work our shoulder caps.
BLACKWELL: OK.
NATHANSON: So, those are deltoids. There are many shoulder calves.
BLACKWELL: All right.
NATHANSON: So, we're going to do front raises. There are many shoulder exercises, but today, we're going to front raises.
BLACKWELL: I don't like these at all.
NATHANSON: You don't like these? BLACKWELL: No.
NATHANSON: We go to about shoulder height here. Yes, perfect.
BLACKWELL: If you plan on doing the side raises next, I'm not doing them.
NATHANSON: Yes, side raises are pretty rough.
You can do front raises. That's fine.
Yes. So, we worked our biceps, our triceps and our deltoids, a little circuit with these. Stick with lightweights. That's fine. High reps.
BLACKWELL: How many?
NATHANSON: So, perhaps 15 to 20 if you're using lighter weights, 15 to 20.
Bicep curls, 15 to 20. Overheard press, 15 to 20. Front races, take a quick break. Repeat a couple of times.
If you're doing heavier weight, you're going to do lower reps.
BLACKWELL: And, you know, she does a lot of gardening. So, that helps.
NATHANSON: She does. Exactly.
BLACKWELL: OK.
NATHANSON: So, we're working out in the garden and that helps protect your muscle a little more.
BLACKWELL: All right.
NATHANSON: And you start losing muscle after the age of 30.
BLACKWELL: You also have to boost the protein.
NATHANSON: Exactly. Make sure you're taking in protein after you work out to help the muscle recover.
BLACKWELL: I have to get to my muscle milk.
NATHANSON: You do.
BLACKWELL: I do, I do.
Desiree Nathanson, thank you so much.
NATHANSON: Thank you, Victor.
BLACKWELL: Aaah!
NATHANSON: Yes.
(MUSIC)
