tv CNN Newsroom CNN November 22, 2011 6:00am-8:00am PST
6:00 am
sink overflowed and flooded the kitchen. the next time you have a bad day, remember mary. >> i told my mother-in-law that i feel like i've inhaled so much flour i'm going to start to rise. >> reporter: jeanne moos, cnn -- >> see, see, see. >> yeah, i see. >> reporter: new york. >> so, every time you sniffle and cough today, think about that mother. >> my favorite part was when the little boy said, what's the matter, mommy? >> a lot. thanks for joining us on "american morning." "cnn newsroom" starts right now. >> very tempered mom there. thank you. the arab spring has become an autumn of discontent and violence and bloodshed in egypt. at least two dozen people have been killed in anti-government protests. three americans have been arrested, as well. we'll take you to cairo, live, in a few minutes.
6:01 am
how would a president romney or gingrich or cain handle a situation like this? that is the kind of topic the republican candidates will debate tonight. its focus will be foreign policy and national security. cnn, the heritage foundation and the american enterprise institute will bring it to you from washington tonight at 8:00 p.m. eastern. we're talking to our deputy political director paul steinhauser, pentagon correspondent chris lawrence and joe johns at constitution hall where the debate will take place. joe, let's start with you. is the 11th big gop presidential debate this year, what are the expectations? who might benefit from a foreign policy question tonight and who might, you know, possibly be in trouble? >> well, when you look at the range of all these republican candidates who are going to be here at dar constitutional hall, the first thing you can say is that there are at least three candidates who are expected to
6:02 am
know this stuff cold. that would be the former speaker of the house, newt gingrich. the former ambassador to china, jon huntsman and the former member of the senate republican leadership santorum. rick santorum. you also have to look, of course, at michele bachmann. who happens to be a current member of the house intelligence committee. she touts her foreign policy experience because she's on that committee, but you have to point out, as well, she's been a member of the house intelligence committee for just about ten months. appointed in january of this year. there will be some people will watch to see how they do because they don't have a lot of policy experience in this arena. that would include herman cain who is a businessman, former ceo of godfather's pizza with relatively limited experience on these matters. so, watching these candidates very closely, republicans have said again and again that
6:03 am
they're opposed to many of president obama's foreign policy measures and ideas. this debate will help us determine what these republican candidates actually stand for affirmatively. a lot to watch here in washington, d.c. >> we'll be watching. let's go to cnn pentagon correspondent chris lawrence. of course, the relationship with egypt in the news today, chris, the relationship between the united states and egypt is an important strategic one. american taxpayers send more than a billion dollars a year to support the military in egypt. and in a debate like tonight, that's going to come up as the situation. president romney or perry or cain can face. >> that's right. it's a great example of an issue that wasn't debated during the last presidential election cycle that always seems to surprise presidents. you know, there are things that won't be debated tonight. national security issues that will come up during the next president's tenure.
6:04 am
so, tonight really is a chance to see how some of these men and michele bachmann would handle the role of commander in chief. what are their strategic interests, where they place the emphasis on. but it will also carry different weight for different candidates. some of the candidates, such as a herman cain who's had a lot of foreign policy answers he needs to sort of show the voters that he can meet a minimum standard for what america expects in a commander in chief. the frontrunners, people like former governor mitt romney and newt gingrich who sort of already passed that threshold. they will have to explain some of the nuance on their position like egypt and libya and bringing troops home from afghanistan. that's what some of the questions will be directed at tonight. >> the question will be, how important is it in the primary process for republicans and we'll analyze that, as well, this hour.
6:05 am
new cnn gop numbers out showing newt gingrich surging. deputy political director paul steinhauesr has the numbers and what they mean. paul, tell us about the latest figures, the polling numbers out today. >> our debate comes just six weeks until the first vote. the clock is definitely ticking. take a look at these numbers. a whole new battle in the gop nomination. there it is our cnn/orc poll. a poll that leans towards the gop. 24% say they're choosing newt gingrich. the former house speaker for the nomination with mitt romney, the former massachusetts governor at 20%. that four-point margin for gingrich basically a tie within the sampling error. there's herman cain the businessman, former godfather's pizza ceo. his numbers slipping because of allegations of sexual harassment. rick perry at 20%. everybody else lower. what explains gingrich's rise. take a look at the next poll number and it really tells the
6:06 am
story. he has shined in these debates. you can see right here according to these numbers. is he the most qualified? 36% gingrich and 20% romney. 43% of people say new gingrich has complex issues. same thing qualified to be commander in chief, newt gingrich on top. one last thing, take a look at this number, six weeks to go. but, you know what a lot of republicans are still up in the air. 67% say, you know, i may change my mind on which candidate i will back when those primary and caucuses start. six weeks to go. these debates have been very influenti influential. >> you add the unsures, that's 73% all up in the air. thanks very much, paul steinhauser and our team on the ground in washington. watch the live coverage, wolf blitzer questions the candidates on those national security topics. tonight 8:00 p.m. eastern on cnn. well, we alluded to it at
6:07 am
the top of the hour, clashes in cairo are getting uglier. pro democracy activists have a mass rally in tahrir square. it's the fourth day. take a look at the images. egyptian forces are using tear gas. you see plumes of it there. rubber bullets against protesters in the streets around the square. meantime, thousands of people are joining what's being dubbed the million man sit-in. cnn's ivan watson is right in the middle of it. >> these are the frontlines of the running battles over here. the police have set up a barricade in this direction. the kids have been throwing rocks at them, the tear gas is coming constantly. you can see that the corrosive effects of it. everybody showing these shells that they pick up and many of them claiming that they're made in the usa. in fact, this is made in jamestown, pennsylvania. riot smoke. that has created a lot of anger against the u.s. right now.
6:08 am
the crowd here angry, young, furious at the loss of life here over the course of the past three days demanding that the supreme council armed forces step down. the soldiers are around the world are here. around the corner right here, the army has set up barricades along one road, but it's riot police that they're facing off against. if we turn in this direction, it's riot police down here. this is one pocket of turmoil in the center of the egyptian capital, but it is throwing the entire country into a political crisis just days before elections are scheduled to be held and that's called into question whether those elections can be held at all. ivan watson, cnn, in cairo. ivan joins us live now from cairo with more on what's happening.
6:09 am
the fourth day of protests. it was dubbed the million man sit-in. how big is the crowd in tahrir at this stage, ivan? >> well, judge it for yourself. we'll pan out and show you the crowd as it has swelled throughout the day. looking similar to what it looked like yesterday, though, far more tense in place now. we saw a sit-in overnight. people sleeping in the square and the clashes with the riot police are taking place just a few hundred yards up the roads from the square itself where the people are. there is the deafening sound of ambulances. we see a constant stream of wounded people being rushed out to hospitals. the latest figures, 29 people killed since the clashes first began on saturday. not only in cairo, but also in the cities of alexandria and of concern, as well, there is smoke rising from the area of the vegetable market just a few blocks away from tahrir square.
6:10 am
really, a snowballing political crisis here with the civilian government submitting its resignation and, apparently, the ruling military council still hasn't decided whether or not to accept that resignation up until now. i need to remind you, parliamentary elections. the first phase of them are supposed to begin in just six days. you're zooming in on what is one of the first aid centers makeshift first aid clinics where all the wounded people from clashes are being rushed to when they're overwhelmed by tear gas and, in also many cases, we've seen these small shotgun pellets that the police are using to disrupt and fight back against the demonstrators. >> it's still a very tense situation. violence still unfolding as you've been describing there, ivan. these elections coming up. but the protesters in the square, are they concerned about elections or are they demanding nothing less than the removal,
6:11 am
the departure of the military leadership there? >> you know, i just heard thousands of voices chanting in unison a very similar chant to what we heard in january and february here. instead of saying the people want the fall of the president, the former president hosni mubarak, now they're chanting we want the fall of the marshal. that is marshal, the head of this military council that has effectively run egypt ever since protests forced mubarak out of power. now, if you go beyond these angry protests where there's so many young demonstrators, a much younger crowd than i saw, an angrier crowd than we saw in january and february. if you talked to political parties, many of them have mixed responses about whether or not the elections should take place. whether or not the military council should immediately resign. >> let me quickly now ask you
6:12 am
briefly about these americans. we saw images on television of three young americans. there are some i.d. cards there, as well. what do we know about these young men and why they were arrested? >> well, they were shown on state tv last night and judging by the i.d. cards that are shown, it looks like they're students at the american university of cairo. one of them appears to have a driver's license from the state of indiana. we've spoken with the prosecutor's office here and they say that these three americans have been detained when they were caught throwing molotov cocktails. we contacted the u.s. embassy here. they say they cannot comment on these reports until they first get a freedom of information act agreement signed by the people in question. and the u.s. embassy here says they received many more reports, aside from this one, of americans currently in detention
6:13 am
and they're trying to make sure whether or not these reports are credible or not. so, we'll bring you an update as soon as we find out more about these three individuals. >> as we continue to watch these live images, remarkable images there from tahrir square. it really looks like february, january, february all over again. thanks very much, ivan watson, we'll catch up with you later. coming up, the mob of teenagers caught on tape as they invade a maryland convenience store. we'll tell you what they got away with, next. and the search for life beyond our own planet. there's growing evidence that says, yes, there is life out there. we'll explain just ahead.
6:14 am
i'm an expert on softball. and tea parties. i'll have more awkward conversations than i'm equipped for because i'm raising two girls on my own. i'll worry about the economy more than a few times before they're grown. but it's for them, so i've found a way. who matters most to you says the most about you. massmutual is owned by our policyholders so they matter most to us. massmutual. we'll help you get there.
6:15 am
where they grow america's favorite wpotatoes. idaho, everyone knows idaho potatoes taste great. but did you know they're good for you too? they're high in vitamins and potassium. and idaho potatoes are now certified to carry the heart checkmark from the american heart association for foods low in saturated fat and cholesterol. so they're good for my family, and for yours. heart smart idaho potatoes. always look for the grown in idaho seal. this is not how witness protection works! when we set you up with that little hardware store
6:16 am
we didn't intend for your face to be everywhere. but fedex office makes it so easy. not only do they ship stuff, they print flyers, brochures -- everything i need to get my name out there. that's the problem. now we need to give you a third identity. you're paul matheson. and you're gonna run your business into the ground. erik gustafson would never do that! there is no erik gustafson. hey that's erik gustafson!!! there is no erik gustafson!!!!! [ male announcer ] small business solutions. fedex. solutions that matter. checking news across the country. heavy rain swept across parts of arkansas on monday flooding streets and stranding drivers. it got so bad that even a major interstate closed for about three hours. now to texas where a small plane carrying several large bundles of marijuana made a crash landing at a houston airport last night. it skidded into the grass after the plane's nose slammed into the runway. investigators are looking for
6:17 am
the pilot. police say an alleged flash mob robbed a 7-eleven saturday night. the mob of 50 young people rushing the store. they stole snacks and drinks before quickly leaving. so, are we alone in the universe? that's the big question at the heart of space exploration. our john zarrella reports on a growing body of evidence that there is, indeed, life beyond earth. telescopes searching for other earths listening for life out there. there's no proof yet, but the body of evidence is growing. we are not alone. >> one thing that strikes you is that every time we learn something new about the universe, what we learn is that our situation doesn't seem to be all that special and that suggests that life is not all that special either. but it is still just that.
6:18 am
a guess. based in part on astronomy and overload. findings from telescopes like hubble, spitzer, chandler. new discoveries at a breathtaking rate, revealing the sheer mind blowing grandeur of the universe. consider these heavenly numbers just for a minute. perhaps 1 trillion with a t, that's right, trillion galaxies in the universe. stars you ask. okay, how about 300, that's 3 followed by 23 zeros. so, where does that leave us with planets? more specifically, planets like our own? >> we're learning that that's a fundamental importance to mankind. >> reporter: bill is the princip principal investigator for nasa's mission. find planets similar in size
6:19 am
orbiting their suns. so far successful beyond expectations. of the 1,200 planet candidates cepler has found, nearly 70 are earth earth sized. >> the indication that we have from data is that small planets are common. they're going to be abundant. >> the number is large enough so there must be many billions of such planets in our galaxy. that has been a very happy surprise. >> reporter: how many are orbiting at just the right distance from the sun to support life? more than 50 candidates found so far where life might be possible. what cepler can't do is detect life. so, for now, that will remain just a guess. >> just a guess. the eternal question. are we alone? not alone? john zarrella live from miami with us. you'll report on another
6:20 am
important story in terms of space exploration this week. tell us more about that. >> three pieces coming up. one is on the web telescope which is nasa's great observatory that is going to be launched and then on saturday, nasa is launching another rover to mars. the most sophisticated recover and it will have the ability for the first time ever to detect signs of life. so, could be stunning findings coming out of that. >> look forward to it. john zarrella in miami, thanks. talk of another downgrade of the credit rating swirls yesterday and slammed stocks along the way. today the major reading agencies are speaking up. we'll go to the new york stock exchange and hear if a downgrade is still on the table and how stocks are expected to open in ten minutes. stay with cnn. we're america's natural gas
6:21 am
and here's what we did today: supported nearly 3 million steady jobs across our country... ... scientists, technicians, engineers, machinists... ... adding nearly 400 billion dollars to our economy... we're at work providing power to almost a quarter of our homes and businesses... ... and giving us cleaner rides to work and school... and tomorrow, we could do even more. cleaner, domestic, abundant and creating jobs now. we're america's natural gas. the smarter power, today. learn more at anga.us. and started earning loads of points. you got a weather balloon with points? yes, i did. [ man ] points i could use for just about anything.
6:22 am
6:24 am
it was a brutal day on wall street yesterday. alison kosik at the new york stock exchange. dow down more than 300. closed off its lows after the supercommittee failed to reach a debt deal and now we're hearing talk that the major ratings agencies are weighing in on whether or not to downgrade u.s. debt. what's going on there? >> so, hala, if you asked standard & poor's and moody's no, change in the rating of u.s. debt. fitch will tell you that it is not going to be finished until the end of the month and lower its outlook from negative to stable. all three of the ratings really hinge on those automatic spending cuts that should be going into effect in a year and standardered & poor's told congress, if you don't go ahead, we could go ahead and cut your rating. that rating is a huge deal. who can forget that huge trading
6:25 am
day after we saw the dow fall 600 points. this is really all about confidence in the u.s. economy and the cost of financing our massive, massive debt. >> let's talk about futures. what do they indicate in terms of how the dow will open in about five minutes? >> after that huge selloff you expect to see a bounce back. don't expect that happening today. we got word from the government that it revised down from the month of august through september. there are a lot of these longerterm ramifications of the supercommittee's epic fail. these are certain temporary tax breaks are going to be expiring unless congress does something to change it. namely that payroll taxes will be rising and millions of people will stop getting unemployment benefits and analysts say that could shave off up to 1 point of gdp because people would have less money to spend. >> not the kind of concern and
6:26 am
worry the economy needs at all in the united states. in less than five, the opening bell. we'll catch up with you in a little bit, alison kosik. we'll catch you up on the latest in cairo and how the white house is responding. we'll be right back. to find you a great deal, even if it's not with us. [ ding ] oh, that's helpful! well, our company does that, too. actually, we invented that. it's like a sauna in here. helping you save, even if it's not with us --
6:29 am
checking our top stories now this morning. president obama is calling on congress to come up with a balanced budget plan after the supercommittee failed to reach a deficit reduction deal. the president said he will veto any attempt to undo or alter automatic spending cuts and now said to have start in january 2013. storms could slow holiday travel in the pacific northwest and the northeast, so, be aware. one system pounding the northwest with rain and snow today, another storm with heavy rain moves into the northeast tomorrow. and police and protesters are fighting for a fourth straight day in cairo. the protesters who called for a million man sit-in today wants egypt's military to hand over power to civilian leaders as promised. the state department calls this renewed violence in egypt, "deplorable." but says next week's elections should go on as scheduled. meantime, the obama administration's handling of the situation is being criticized by
6:30 am
some of the experts who have actually advised on egypt. let's go to our white house correspondent, dan lothian for more on that. hi, there, dan. >> hello, hala. i can tell you that the white house is closely watching the developments ongoing now in egypt. white house spokesman jay carney saying they are concerned about the violence. also concerned about the tragic loss of life. but, specifically calling on everyone there for restraint and the hope is from the white house here that none of what we're wincing on there streets now in egypt will stand in the way of the elections there. i think the overall sense from the white house here is take a look at how far egypt has come. what the senior administration officials are saying, look back a few months ago. there was the uprising in the streets. there was a push to have mubarak who had had a tight grip on that country for so many decades to be removed from power, that had happened. while they're seeing the
6:31 am
disturbances that is taking place here. the hope is that egypt can move forward with these elections and move forward to state there of democracy. >> that is the most important arab ally for the united states. right now the white house relatively quiet. we'll see if there is some pressure put on them to come out a little more publicly if the situation continues to deteriorate. thanks very much, dan lothian in washington. you can bet egypt will be one of the topics, i should say, at tonight's republican presidential debate. here's a time lapse look at preparations inside constitution hall in washington. cnn, the heritage foundation and the american enterprise institute will bring you the debate at 8:00 p.m. eastern. this is the 11th major gop showdown this year, but the first to focus on foreign policy and national security. cnn chief political correspondent candy crowley explains why those topics are so important, even when the economy
6:32 am
remains issue number one. >> whenever anybody asks me why it's important and why a foreign policy debate is important and i would direct them to george bush, the son. elected in 2000. his entire agenda was about fixing education. helping the economy. had a very domestic agenda. and then came 9/11 and became a foreign policy president. it really mattered what he knew, when he knew. who he had around him. what sort of people did he pick. it was important to george bush at that time. so much so that condoleezza rice, who had worked in his dad's administration was brought on board during the campaign to take george bush in his down times and talk to him about various countries and various leaders. you can say all you want that this is an election that is going to be decided on the u.s. economy, maybe you're right.
6:33 am
but the fact of the matter is, even the u.s. economy is somehow impacted by what's going on in greece. by what may go on in italy. by what's going on in spain all across europe. so, the fact of the matter is, it's really the global village that we talked about for so long that these presidents, these potential presidents show their stuff. >> well, that was candy crowley. of course, don't forget to watch our live coverage of tonight's presidential debate. wolf blitzer questions the candidates on national security topics, 8:00 p.m. eastern on cnn. it is a holiday week. just as holiday travelers hit the road, weather from coast to coast is starting to look really bad. flooding waters in arkansas and closed major interstate for about three hours. jacqui jeras is in the weather center with a look at what's going on. what is the situation? >> you know, let's be honest.
6:34 am
there are bigb problems in the world, but when it rains and storms and floods and you're delayed hours and hours at the airport -- >> giant headache. >> it really is. so many people trying to travel today and tomorrow and, unfortunately, the weather not cooperating. that interstate i-30 you were talking about in arkansas is open now, but the storms are moving on off to the east. we have a large area we're concerned about today from texas stretching into the ohio river valley, not just flooding but severe thunderstorms that can produce wind damage. be aware that ahead of this system, even though it's not raining here, kind of foggy and, also, really low clouds all over the place. so we have a ton of airport delays already at this hour. chicago 45 minutes, as well as houston intercontinental and 40-minute ground delays at philadelphia and washington national 30 minutes and omaha, looking at arrival delays over an hour already. now, things will start to clear out in the nation's midsection for tomorrow. travel here should be good, but, unfortunately, the east coast gets socked in and our storm stays in the pacific northwest
6:35 am
and two areas where so many people live begin to see those troubles. >> clear up in the next few days or -- >> little better for thanksgiving. >> all right, jacqui jeras, we'll see you a lit later. becoming marilyn monroe. michelle williams brings the sex symbol to the big screen. >> marilyn monroe was a character and that how we, how we commonly think of her, that was a part that she played and she played it so well, you couldn't tell that she was acting. >> after the break, more from williams on her transformation into that role. stay with us. also ahead, it was a country music concert at the white house last night. show shortage of stars who came out to perform. details coming up next in "showbiz." [ bells dinging ] ♪ hark how the bells, sweet silver bells ♪ ♪ all seem to say throw care away ♪
6:36 am
♪ from everywhere, filling the air ♪ [ female announcer ] chex party mix. easy 15-minute homemade recipes you just pop in a microwave. like caramel chocolate drizzles. happier holidays. chex party mix. premier of the packed bag. you know organization is key... and so is having a trusted assistant. and you...rent from national. because only national lets you choose any car in the aisle...and go. you can even take a full-size or above and still pay the mid-size price. here we are... [ male announcer ] and there you go, business pro. there you go. go national. go like a pro. i'm making my money do more. i'm consolidating my assets. i'm not paying hidden fees or high commissions. i'm making the most of my money. and seven-dollar trades are just the start. i'm with scottrade. i'm with scottrade. i'm with scottrade. and i'm loving every minute of it. [ rodger riney ] at scottrade,
6:37 am
we give you commission-free etfs, no-fee iras and more. come see why more investors are saying... i'm with scottrade. vietnam, 1967. i got mine in iraq, 2003. u.s.a.a. auto insurance is often handed down from generation to generation, because it offers a superior level of protection and because u.s.a.a.'s commitment to serve the military, veterans, and their families is without equal. begin your legacy. get an auto insurance quote. u.s.a.a. we know what it means to serve.
6:39 am
becoming marilyn monroe. what goes into that? actress michelle williams is opening up about her transformation into one of america's biggest sex symbols. arguably, america's biggest sex symbol. a.j. hammer is here with those details. when you see michelle williams, you don't imagine easily a physical transformation. what does she have to say about what went into it? >> i mean, it really is a remarkable transformation that she made, hala. michelle williams is a terrific actress, but as you said, when she was originally cast in marilyn monroe, she didnpeople
6:40 am
see williams pulling it off. you can see her become this larger than life sex symbol and she says marilyn monroe felt she was playing a character, as well. watch what she told our piers morgan last night. >> i suppose that was one of my other big discoverieies along t way. she wanted to be a serious actress was her greatest ambition. and, you know, when we talk about the character that she developed of marilyn monroe, that didn't come quickly or naturally to her. she spent years working on that part, creating that part and that was such a huge part of her identity, but it was a secret identity because people couldn't really conflate marilyn monroe, this incredible sex symbol with marilyn monroe the intellectual or artist. >> williams has been nominated for an oscar twice in the past. this role could have her back at
6:41 am
the academy awards. >> i am looking forward to her as margaret thatcher. all right, let's talk about, i confess y don't watch the show, but it's a big hit "dancing with the stars." the final three danced last night. who is looking like the favorite? >> well, hala, i'm here to educate you on "dancing with the stars." don't worry if you're not watching it. rob kardashian and his partner chyrl burke. maybe he was inspired by his sister, kim. she was in the crowd supporting him last night. while rob was at the top of the leaderboard on last night which was the final night of competition, do not count out j.r. martinez whatsoever. they also earned a perfect score on their freestyle dance and just a few points behind kardashian on the scorecard. j.r. the breakout star from this year's competition. his story is just so incredibly inspiring.
6:42 am
i think he's still the one to beat, but i also love ricki lake. she was the favorite early on in the season, hala. you just never know. tonight somebody walks away with the mirror ball trophy. >> your money's on ricki lake? >> no, on j.r. martinez, but i don't want to count out ricki lake and i don't think kardashian is getting it. obamas had a country evening in washington. tell us about that. >> pretty cool. part of a music series at the white house that was started by the first lady. the president said country music is the music of everyday life and it can remind us of what we have to fight for and who we have to be. really great collection of stars there. allison krause, lyle lovett, james taylor and the band perry and all the performances were taped as you're seeing here. broadcast wednesday night on pbs and also show it on the armed
6:43 am
forces network. hala, sounds like a pretty amazing night. >> thanks very much. a.j. back with us next hour with more "showbiz" headlines coming up as a bridesmaid, pippa middleton almost stole the show. now the gown similar to one she wore is up for sale. a cnn opinion piece l.j. granderson says newt gingrich is just too mean to win. too mean. we'll talk to l.z. after the break. stay with us. and an early thanksgiving for america's wounded warriors. the vice president and his wife open up their home for a holiday dinner. details, next. you still gotta work. so suddenly you're cutting back on everything from family vacations to cell phone minutes. well here's a thought - how bout cuttin' back on gas? here's how: the ford f-150. it gets 23 highway miles per gallon. that's the best. so you can get the job done
6:44 am
6:46 am
all this week we're going in depth on gop presidential candidate newt gingrich. he's currently at the top of the most recent polls, but newt gingrich's past is worrying espn writer l.z. granderson. in an opinion piece, l.z. asks the question, is gingrich too mean to win? l.z. joining us from grand rapids, michigan. he comes across as ebenezer scrouge. what do you mean by that? >> it means that the core of where some of his thoughts are coming from, his feelings about
6:47 am
the country and his thoughts about other people of this country seem to come from a place of selfishness. seem to come from a place of mean spiritedness. you know, he got a lot of controversy comments directed at him in regards to what he was talking about with the child labor situation and how it was unfair to poor people and poor kids and how they should have a chance to work in order to feel good about the schools that they're in and have an opportunity to pull themselves up. if the whole thing just came across as mean spirited because, you know, we think about children in this country in a certain light and what he was talking abut just was not what most americans agree with. >> sorry, l.z., what specifically about what he said regarding child labor irked you? >> well, first of all, he seemed to focus in on the poor kids, which irked me, number one, because of his goal was to instill a strong work ethic in our young people. i applaud that, but i would
6:48 am
think that would be something that all kids can benefit from, not just the poor kids. secondly, this ideal of busting up unions that he talked about and then having some sort of head master help oversee the kids as they worked those janitors in the schools that they attended. the whole thing sounds like child slavery and child labor camps that we despise that we're watching in movies. it just doesn't seem like he's in tune. the piece isn't just based on that. i looked over his entire career, you know, back when he was talking about contract with america and how he wanted unwed mothers under the age of 18 not to be eligible for welfare. i mean, those are not very kind-hearted things to be said. >> and suggesting some people in the u.s. should take a bath, perhaps. >> well, taking a bath is never a bad thing. >> never a bad thing. >> but, again, where is that coming from, though? does he represent the good that
6:49 am
is in this country? does he represent the spirit that we want the rest of the world to see in this country? that's what i'm asking. his remarks. some are very, very smart. he is a smart, smart guy. but is he a kind guy or a mean guy and does that ambassador represent who the country should be? >> do you care as a voter? do you want your president and leader to be mean or nice? effective? all of those are questions out there. l.z., we have to go. l.z., your piece is on cnn.com/opinion. if you like, you can join the conversation and leave a comment for l.z. online and we are back in a moment. ill a little bit hor so you really get a good sear and it locks in the juices. surf & turf -- you can't go wrong. [ male announcer ] don't miss red lobster's surf & turf event. choose from three grilled combinations all under $20. like our maine lobster with peppercorn sirloin or our new bacon-wrapped shrimp with blue cheese sirloin for $14.99. [ adrianna ] i think the guests are going to take a bite and be like "oh, man, this is so awesome." [ john ] i'm grill master john mazany.
6:50 am
i'm grill master adrianna hollis. and we sea food differently. since ameriprise financial was founded back in 1894, they've been committed to putting clients first. helping generations through tough times. good times. never taking a bailout. there when you need them. helping millions of americans over the centuries. the strength of a global financial leader. the heart of a one-to-one relationship. together for your future. ♪
6:52 am
we are following many developments in the next hour on cnn newsroom. let's check in first with allison kosik. >> the countdown is on for the start of the holiday shopping season. records are supposed to hit an all-time high, but beware, your employer could be watching you. hala, i'll have more on that in the next hour. i'm chris lawrence at the pentagon. tonight at the debate, the gop candidates will describe how they would perform as commander in chief. but in just ten minutes, we'll give you a preview of how they might respond to a crisis like egypt and also dig into some of their flip-flops that they'll have to explain. >> thanks, guys. we'll also talk egypt and the latest from there. and former penn state coach jerry sandusky said more could
6:53 am
come forward with sexual abuse allegations. stay with us. [ slap! ] [ pneumatic wrench buzzing ] [ slap! slap! slap! ] [ male announcer ] your favorite foods fighting you? fight back fast with tums. calcium rich tums goes to work in seconds. nothing works faster. ♪ tum tum tum tum tums to find you a great deal, even if it's not with us. [ ding ] oh, that's helpful! well, our company does that, too. actually, we invented that.
6:54 am
it's like a sauna in here. helping you save, even if it's not with us -- now, that's progressive! call or click today. no mas pantalones! the sleep number bed. with the sleep number bed, it's not about soft or firm. it's about support where you find it most comfortable. the magic of this bed is that you're sleeping on something that conforms to your individual shape. on a traditional mattress, there is no adjustment. you get what you're buying that day. with our bed, you change the setting to something you like. this way, if you change your mind once you get home you can adjust it. at our ultimate sleep number event, queen sleep number mattresses now start at just $599.
6:55 am
but only through monday. wow! that feels really good. it's hugging my body. you can adjust it to whatever your needs are. if i'm in pain one day, in less than a minute i can get more support. your body changes over time. the bed can adapt with you. not only does it work for you today, but it's going to work for you 20 years from now. so whatever you feel like, the sleep number bed's going to provide it for you. discover the amazing sleep number bed - the ultimate gift to yourself - at the ultimate sleep number event. now through monday only, and only at the sleep number store. thanks for being with us. superstar returns to the nfl last night. >> fans are fired up because sydney crosby is finally back, his first game with the pittsburgh penguins since suffering a horrible concussion in january.
6:56 am
the pens taking on the new york islanders. he wasted no time. his first shift through center ice. with the puck in the backhand, crosby had two assists in the game, but he wasn't done. he scored a second goal. check out this backhander. everything is going right for crosby and the pens. they win 5-0. everyone thankful 87 is back on the ice. leading the new england patriots against the kansas city chiefs. r rob gronkowski. in the second half, it's gronkowski again. 26 touchdowns in 26 games. a starting pitcher has been voted the american league mvp.
6:57 am
it almost never happens, but the detroit tigers justin ber lander was that good this year. he won last year as america's top pitcher, winning the triple crown. the last time a starting pitcher won an mvp award was lodroger clemens in 1986. watching a video tribute to her soldier husband, then she and her daughter got a huge surprise -- he shows up. the sergeant home early on leave from kuwait. i'm going to say for sure that is going to be a great thanksgiving for that family. >> the old trick. you're watching a video and there he is. you have kids, jeff? >> i do. >> jeanne moos has one michigan woman's story. take a look. >> mommy is not feeling so well,
6:58 am
so she stays a little longer than usual in the bathroom. and when she comes out -- >> what are you doing? >> stay-at-home mom mary napoli stayed eerily calm. >> oh, boy. >> the boys, by the way, are one and a half and three and a half. what could possibly be the matter with having flour all over your house? >> i literally sat in the mildde of the living room floor and started crying. >> i'm going to throw up. >> instead of throwing up, mary kept regurgitating one phrase -- >> oh, my gosh. oh, my gosh. >> we counted at least 27 "oh, my goshes."
6:59 am
mary had just come home from the grocery store and said she forgot to close the cupboard. it reminds you of the dog gets in the trash video, where the culprit is identified by one critical clue. >> can you tell me what happened? >> the flour kids weren't talking, either. >> what happened? >> mary called her mother-in-law for help. by the way, those of you who say this video is fake or fakey mcfakovitch. mary and her mother-in-law used a shopvac to remove most of the flour, but there were two items that were beyond salvaging. she had to throw away this rug and a light bulb emitting a burning flour smell. hardest to clean? the couches. >> we haven't even paid off those couches yet. >> during cleanup, zach slipped on the flour and cut his lip, so mary left the kitchen sink and
7:00 am
came running. unfortunately, the sink overflowed and flooded the kitchen. the next time you think you've had a bad day, remember mary. >> i told my mother-in-law, i feel like i've ingested so much flour i'm going to start to rise. >> at least he was dressed like a prison inmate. jeanne moos, cnn, new york. hello, everyone. egypt's arab spring has become an autumn of discontent and violence and death. at least two dozen people have been killed in anti-government protests. three americans are accused of throwing molitov cocktails at those protests. we'll take you to cairo live in a few minutes. and how would a president romney or gingrich or cain handle a situation like this?
7:01 am
america's most important arab ally. that is the kind of questions republican candidates will be asked about ten hours from now right here on cnn. this is the 11th gop candidate debate so far, but the first one talking about american policy. we're talking about it with joe johns. he's at constitution hall where the debate will tapke place. what are the expectations tonight for the foreign policy debate, joe? >> well, hala, you have to start with the news of the day, and the news of the day is that the congressional super committee that was supposed to figure out all the budget problems for the next several years has failed. and there is a place where the national security debate and the super committee issue actually very much intersect, and that is automatic cuts. because the super committee has failed, automatic cuts are supposed to go into effect that
7:02 am
a lot of people say would severely limit the ability of the department of defense to do its job. now, some of the candidates have already weighed in on what has happened with the super committee. let's listen to a sampling of what some of them have said going up to tonight's debate. >> the failure of the super committee, which i had suggested several months ago was the did you meanest single legislative idea that i have seen -- >> u a president who didn't get involved in the process, who didn't pick up the phones. bring in the republicans, bring in the democrats, make a proposal of his own. >> barack obama has been awal, and with no disrespect to the president, it's kind of been like where's waldo? >> so you can suspect a lot of talk about the president and his foreign policy and why so many republicans are against it. of course, the question is what would they do affirmatively?
7:03 am
what would they do if they were in the white house? what would they do differently than president barack obama? all of this we have a lot of anticipation for in the next several hours. looking forward to tonight's cnn national security debate. >> thank you very much, joe johns. let's go to cnn's pentagon correspondent, chris lawrence. what's happening in egypt right now is the kind of situation any president is going to have to worry about. it's america's most important arab allies. the military systems that the u.s. still sends to egypt is $1.3 billion a year. these candidates are going to have to answer these questions. >> that's right, hala, and we're going to get a better insight on how they would handle a situation like the crisis going on right now in egypt. herman cain has been very critical of the obama administration's handling of the entire arab spring, saying it's gotten completely out of hand. he says that the obama administration did not do the right thing by abandoning former
7:04 am
egyptian president mubarak. egypt has be gingrich has been extremely out spoken on the issue of egypt. he said the arab spring could become the egyptian spring, saying it could go to islamic dictatorship. he's also ruled out the united states reaching out in any way working with the muslim brotherhood, in fact, calling the muslim brotherhood a mortal enemy of the united states. but it's not just about egypt. we're also going to get a bigger picture on how they would deal with threats -- or potential threats in the future. for example, both mitt romney and newt gingrich have said military action is possible, that they would take military action to stop iran from getting nuclear weapons, whereas herman cain and ron paul, for example, have said they would not take that action. hala? >> let's talk about foreign
7:05 am
policy once again and how some candidates have changed their positions on certain foreign policy issues. who could that hurt, and how important in the grand scheme of things are these foreign policy questions for ordinary primary voters who are very much worried about the economy right now? >> the economy is number one by any stretch. but americans do expect a base level of competence in terms of foreign policy and national security. they want to be able to imagine the candidate as the commander in chief. who is going to get hurt by some of these flip-flops? potentially the two front runners, mitt romney and newt gingrich. mitt romney has made a number of statements on libya, for example. back in march he criticized the obama administration for letting europe take the lead, letting nato take the lead, not being aggressive enough in going into libya. but then a month later, he said the u.s. had far exceeded its no fly zone mission, that they had
7:06 am
gone well beyond that, and then when gadhafi himself was killed, mitt romney came out and said he was a brutal tyrant and needed to be taken down. so some of that is some inconsistencies there that romney may have to clarify. newt gingrich, when president obama made the announcement to pull troops out of iraq by the end of the year, seemed to say that he agreed with the decision. there was no short-term advantage for the united states to keep troops in iraq. but then just a few days later he said, you know, that this was a failure, that thousands of lives, presumably talking about the troops that had lived and fought and died there, were going to be just lost to failure, that leaving iraq so soon would be a failure. so, again, some contradictions that these candidates will be called on to explain tonight. >> all right, chris lawrence, thanks very much. live at the pentagon with a preview of the debate tonight. we'll talk more about how candidates should talk about
7:07 am
foreign policy tonight, especially the ones with little or no experience, those who have made pretty big gaffs out there on foreign policy. as protests get uglyer, these are live images in cairo. it's really the heart of the revolution in egypt right now. take a look. and for a fourth day, egyptian forces have been using tear gas, rubber bullets against protesters in the streets. meantime, thousands of people are joining what's been dubbed the million man sit-in. cnn is sitting right in the middle of all the chaos. >> reporter: these are the front lines of the battles over here. police have set up barricades in this direction. the police have been throwing rocks at them. the tear gas is coming constantly. everybody is showing she's shells that they pick up and
7:08 am
many of them claiming they're made in the usa. in fact, this is made in jamestown, pennsylvania, riot smoke. that's made a lot of anger against the u.s. the crowd here angry, young, furious at the loss of life here over the course of the past three days, demanding that the supreme council be involved in a sit-down. around the corner right here, the army has set up barricades along one road, but it's riot police that they're facing off against. if we turn in this direction, it's riot police down here. this is one pocket of turmoil in the center of the egyptian capit capital, but it is throwing the entire country into a political crisis just days before elections are scheduled to be held, and that's called into question whether those elections
7:09 am
can be held at all. ivan watson, cnn, in cairo. >> and that's the question being asked today, can they be held? ivan joins us now live where it is nighttime now in egypt. and i want to ask you about three americans that have been arrested by egyptian authorities accused of taking part in the demonstrations. what more can you tell us about them? >> well, hala, they were shown on egyptian tv last night. we saw their i.d. cards. they looked like university of egypt cairo students, one from indiana. they have in fact confirmed that three semester abroad students have been detained by the egyptian police. she named them. a gregory porter of drexel university and luke gates of indiana university, still trying to confirm the third person's name. the egyptian authorities are accusing these three young men
7:10 am
of throwing molitov cocktails and basically charging them with, quote, hooliganism, which could be very serious given large numbers of people have been detained here. you've had dozens of people killed over the past three to four days, and more than 1700 people wounded as well. we just got off the phone with the prosecutor's office here. he says the three young men are currently still being questioned. hala? >> interesting we got those names out. ivan watson is live in cairo with our team of correspondents, producers on the ground covering these historic moments in egypt. thanks very much. coming up, video catches a mob of teenagers as they invade a maryland convenience store, and we'll tell you what they got away with, next. also, tonight's republican debate gives candidates a chance to focus on foreign policy, an
7:11 am
area some of them have found challenging. our senior political analyst david gergen offers his advice. we'll be right back. progresso. it fits! fantastic! [ man ] pro-gresso they fit! okay-y... okay??? i've been eating progresso and now my favorite old jeans...fit. okay is there a woman i can talk to? [ male announcer ] progresso. 40 soups 100 calories or less. but my nose is still runny. [ male announcer ] truth is, dayquil doesn't treat that. really? [ male announcer ] alka-seltzer plus fights your worst cold symptoms, plus it relieves your runny nose. [ deep breath] awesome. [ male announcer ] yes, it is. that's the cold truth! it's all crossed out... it's 'cause i got everything on it. boom! thank you! [ male announcer ] black friday's here. deals start thursday 10 pm. but we're open all day and night so you don't have to wait outside. the only place to go on black friday. walmart.
7:13 am
checking other news across the country, heavy rain swept across parts of arkansas on monday, flooding streets and some drivers were stranded as well. and it got very bad because a major interstate closed for about three hours. and now to texas where a small plane carrying several large bundles of marijuana made
7:14 am
a crash landing at a houston airport last night. it skidded into the grass after the plane's nose slammed into the runway and investigators are still looking for the pilot. in maryland, police believe a flash mob robbed a convenience store saturday night. surveillance cameras caught the frenzied crowd of about 50 people. they got away with snacks and drinks. the focus is abroad for the debate tonight. the candidates will tackle foreign policy, an area that's tackled them already. political analyst david gergen joins us from new york. we've heard, david, some gaffs from herman cain and others, or herman cain hesitating on libya. who is this going to hurt and who do you think this is going to help, the topic tonight? >> i think there are three
7:15 am
candidates on stage that actually have a lot of foreign exposure and have thought about foreign policy. for instance, rob huntsman, who was involved in singapore at a very young age and he's been around a lot of foreign policy, including the trade issues. newt gingrich actually has a lot more experience in this area than people think because pazas member of congress so long and then speaker, he's been involved time and time again in foreign policy. i think he knows about as much as one would expect a foreign policy candidate to know. romney has had no experience directly, but it was interesting in his book called "apologies," about the front third is about american policy. he studied up on that, i think he feels comfortable going in. the rest of them, you know, it depends. you can't have a herman cain moment in a debate like this. you can't have a rick perry
7:16 am
moment, as perry discovered, on these foreign policy issues. because while it's not on top of the agenda for american voters, they do expect someone to be a competent commander in chief. they do expect someone -- frankly, this is an area where barack obama is showing he's much more sure-footed now than he was when he first started. this is a tough area for a republican challanger. he's got a record of some successes now, not all, but that is formidable. >> you mentioned foreign policy not being at the top of the list of concerns for area voters. in the end, unemployment is more than 9 par%. the economy of the united states is not picking up like america wants it to pick up. how much does it matter in the foreign policy arena a candidate is familiar with? is it more how much they know or how much they can learn? >> well, it is a question
7:17 am
whether knowing a person is generally of sound judgment in the overall area, and then you do want to know in foreign policy who is going to be surrounding that person, what kinds of people will he draw upon? newt gingrich is a former security team leader, let's see who is in that and you've got a better sense of where their policy is going. let me make one more point. the focus on foreign policy has shifted a lot from the traditional cold war which was geopolitical. now it's much more about for ein policy. start with the position of mullen, bob gates, the former secretary of defense, and many, many others have said the single most important threat to our national security is our debt here at home. so you can wind that back in. and beyond that, you really should be more conversant of what's happening in the
7:18 am
eurozone. this could throw us in a recession. you should be more conversant on what's going on with the chinese rivalry in terms of where we're going economically, what's happening to the jobs going overseas. i would think that's why they would kind of come back to, the number one issue of jobs. >> all right, thanks very much. david gergen, our senior political analyst there with a preview of the foreign national security debate which airs tonight on cnn. thanks, david, and don't forget to watch the american presidential debate nominated by wolf blitzer. he will question those candidates on those topics tonight. an attorney for former penn state coach jerry sandusky reveals part of the defense strategy and the alleged child rape case. we'll talk about it next. and the busiest on-line shopping day of the year is just days away, and sales on cyber monday are expected to hit a record high.
7:19 am
but before you click and shop, beware. your employer may be watching you. vietnam, 1967. i got mine in iraq, 2003. u.s.a.a. auto insurance is often handed down from generation to generation, because it offers a superior level of protection and because u.s.a.a.'s commitment to serve the military, veterans, and their families is without equal. begin your legacy. get an auto insurance quote. u.s.a.a. we know what it means to serve.
7:20 am
[ knock on door ] cool. you found it. wow. nice place. yeah. [ chuckles ] the family thinks i'm out shipping these. smooth move. you used priority mail flat rate boxes. if it fits, it ships for a low, flat rate. paid for postage online and arranged a free pickup. and i'm gonna track them online, too. nice. between those boxes and this place, i'm totally staying sane this year. do i smell snickerdoodles? maybe. [ timer dings ] got to go. priority mail flat rate shipping at usps.com. a simpler way to ship.
7:22 am
sandusky believes prosecutors could bring new charges against his client based on new alleged sexual abuse victims. joe armando la, attorney for the former penn state coach, spoke to "good morning america." he believes new charges could come before next month's preliminary hearing and prosecutors could ask for sandusky to be jailed before trial. arman armandola says there could not have been any sexual abuse in his home because there were too many people around. >> people have sex in hotels. >> yes, people have sex in hotels, but this was a house. and jerry sandusky had two adopted kids and three foster kids. >> she's been covering the penn state story and she joins us from penn state college.
7:23 am
what do you make of this? too many people in the house so, therefore, sexual crimes couldn't have occurred? i believe that's going to be part of the defense here? >> i think we definitely have learned where the defense is going, and we knew that in the defense before. what i docy lo is i look at thed jury presentment. it talks about it is the basement of the home that the children were in. they would be in bed, they would come and spend the night, that jerry sandusky would come down to the basement, would start giving them backrubs and cracking their back, would then start blowing their stomach. that would lead to a kiss. so it's a secluded area, according to this grand jury document. was it an area that nobody else went, a secret location down in the basement? i don't think we know, but anything is possible. and child after child in the presentment talks about that basement and that bed that they
7:24 am
would come over and sleep in at night. >> but that wouldn't affect the alleged rape in the showers that was witnessed by one of the coaches. this is just one set of accusations on one set of boys, but what could the strategy be for other accusations and allegations? >> well, you're right, they don't touch on that. i was looking through this document last night of all the alleged locations where the sexual assaults occurred, and i think i counted almost ten, because not only is it showers, it's two different showers at the university, it's the basement, it's hotels, it's also an area here where they have golf tournaments. there's just many various areas that the allegations are that these sexual assaults took place of these children. >> the question is, jerry sandusky right now is not in jail despite the fact that all these allegations are swirling around him, that there's been an indictment, and the accusations are there. how unusual is that?
7:25 am
>> well, i think it's very unusual. i was just talking right before our shot with a gentleman that is associated with the university that says the anger with this local community here is that the legendary coach, joe paterno, was fired, and someone who was accused of sexually assaulting, at this point, eight children is free in a community on unsecured bail. so i think that's where the community is at. we've heard locally that more victims are coming forward. ultimately charges could definitely be brought. >> all right, jean casarez, our sister network trutv. thank you so much. the presidential candidates will talk in less than ten hours. count them, ten. some has more experience than others. who has a lot to gain, who has a lot to lose? we'll ask our government panel after the break. ♪
7:26 am
[ male announcer ] we're not employers or employees. not white collar or blue collar or no collars. we are business in america. and every day we awake to the same challenges. but at prudential we're helping companies everywhere find new solutions to manage risk, capital and employee benefits, so american business can get on with business. ♪ a body at rest tends to stay at rest... while a body in motion tends to stay in motion. staying active can actually ease arthritis symptoms. but if you have arthritis, staying active can be difficult. prescription celebrex can help relieve arthritis pain so your body can stay in motion. because just one 200mg celebrex a day can provide 24 hour relief for many with arthritis pain and inflammation. plus, in clinical studies, celebrex is proven to improve daily physical function so moving is easier.
7:27 am
and celebrex is not a narcotic. when it comes to relieving your arthritis pain, you and your doctor need to balance the benefits with the risks. all prescription nsaids, like celebrex, ibuprofen, naproxen, and meloxicam have the same cardiovascular warning. they all may increase the chance of heart attack or stroke, which can lead to death. this chance increases if you have heart disease or risk factors such as high blood pressure or when nsaids are taken for long periods. nsaids, including celebrex, increase the chance of serious skin or allergic reactions or stomach and intestine problems, such as bleeding and ulcers, which can occur without warning and may cause death. patients also taking aspirin and the elderly are at increased risk for stomach bleeding and ulcers. do not take celebrex if you've had an asthma attack, hives, or other allergies to aspirin, nsaids or sulfonamides. get help right away if you have swelling of the face or throat, or trouble breathing. tell your doctor your medical history and find an arthritis treatment for you. visit celebrex.com and ask your doctor about celebrex. for a body in motion.
7:29 am
checking our top stories now, police and protesters are fighting for a fourth straight day in cairo. the protesters, who are calling for a million-man sit-in, want military leaders to hand over leadership to civilians as promised. i will veto any effort to get rid of those automatic spending cuts, domestic and defense spending. there will be no easy off ramps on this one. >> those automatic spending cuts now set to take place in january 2013. the president is urging congress to come up with a balanced budget plan before that date. and three astronauts have returned safely to earth after spending almost six months in
7:30 am
space. a russian spacecraft touched down earlier in krgistan. they are returning early to the national space station. political buzz is the rapid-fire alert of the political topics of the day. 30 sebddconds on the clock. playing with us, sherry jacovis, and a contribute tore to the daily beast. first question, panel. cnn will host the national security debate starting at 8:00 a.m. who has the most and who has the most to lose? robert, i'll start with you. >> what makes this debate so exciting and so unpredictable is that they have a credible
7:31 am
rational discussion of foreign policy, they lose their primary base. as a consequence, i think you'll see a lot more ir rational discussions where their talking about foreign aid to countries like israel where romney promised he would guarantee no nuclear weapons in iran, where he said it was in iran. >> i would say mitt rahm momney newt gingrich will have the most credibility. obviously, i don't expect rick perry to make any mistakes or have any gaffs, but if there is, he would be the one. he will do very well, mitt romney will do very well,
7:32 am
michele bachmann and i think no one has anything to worry about. >> i think mitt romney has the most to gain. he is inching to the top of the polls. this is where he could close the door on decisions. he is so well versed in foreign policy. he just hasn't broken out a lot, if at all. if he's going to, it's going to be at this debate. the person who has the most to lose is herman cain. he cannot afford one single slip-up, but if the past tells us anything about the future, he's going to be in a lot of danger tonight. >> number two, newt gingrich sat top in a new cnn poll. what does he have to do to sustain this lead? sherry, i'll start with you. >> i think what he has to do is be consistent with the excellent performances he's had in every debate. this is a guy we didn't expect to be in this position, but i
7:33 am
think we all agree he's pretty much the best one on the stage. eyes entire candidacy has been built up for all the right reasons, out of competency, out of being competent on the issues, knowing what he's talking about. he doesn't have to have slowing a -- slogans, he doesn't have to have gimmicks. he really kind of lifts everybody up, but especially himself. >> patricia, your thoughts? >> i think newt gingrich has a real problem with his past and what he's trying to do in the future. he has taken several positions that are totally anathema to the conservative base. he supported t.a.r.p., he supported individual mandate for health care insurance, so i actually don't know exactly how he goes forward with this much scrutiny with conservatives watching him so closely, but he needs to figure out a way to tell those conservatives, what i did in the past, that's not an indication of the future. that's what romney is also trying to do and it's not working for him, either. >> and robert. >> realistically, what newt
7:34 am
beginning riff has to do to stay on top is keep herman cain and rick perry in the race. the reality is, the issues you outlined before, patricia, where newt gingrich, for example, advocated t.a.r.p. or climate change, he's now flipped on all those issues. so the reality is for newt gingrich, he has to keep changing the topic. today it's child labor law and he's talking about repealing that and putting children to work. >> 20 second each. michele bachmann played one word with jimmy fallon, where you say one word and the person responds with the first thing that pops into their mind. let's listen to how she answered. >> romney. >> hair. no, just a minute. >> do you have another one? >> vice president.
7:35 am
>> gingrich. >> newt. >> newt. okay. newt. cain. >> nine. >> talent. >> gorgeous. >> obama. >> finished. >> she also said president when fallon said her name. let me ask you, one word, each of you, one word only that would describe bachmann. >> brave. >> robert? >> i gi her a lve her a lot of . >> one word, though. robert? >> kim kardashian.
7:36 am
sherry? >> trailblazer. like sarah palin, like others as a self-made woman does not have to come from a political family. she's her own woman. >> that's way more than one word. thanks very much to all of you for joining us there. robert zimmerman, sherry jacovich, patricia murphy. and don't forget to watch the live presidential debate. we'll talk about foreign policy topics tonight on cnn. the busiest on-line shopping day of the year is just six days away, and forget the weak economy. the shopping forecast is strong. i don't know how you could forget the weak economy. allison kosik at the american stock exchange.
7:37 am
this economy is two-thirds dependent on consumer spending, so this is a huge number that we're going to analyze cyber monday. what are the expectations? >> it is. and it shows you just how important this is to retailers. listen to this. the expectation is that for cyber monday, sales could reach, hala, $1.2 billion. if it does reach that, that would be a record high. these numbers, by the way, coming from comscore. that means 75 million americans are going to go ahead and get on line and shop. that's the population of texas and other states combined. they're expected to roll out the big deals. many are going to offer these cyber monday deals early: target, staples. they're going to offer these cyber monday deals on saturday. walmart says, forget cyber monday, we're going to have a whole cyber week. and ann taylor is offering 40% off right now.
7:38 am
>> people at work who do their on-line shopping, should they not be doing that? >> well, you know what, that's up to them. if i'm shopping on line, i see my boss walk by, i'll quickly minimize it. i'm sure i'm not alone. >> 40% off! >> i know, how can you deny yourself, right? but you know what, employers are catching on to this. 60% of employers, they already block access to on-line shopping sites, and some employers, they allow it, but they're watching you. they're monitoring it. of course, workers, they're figuring this out. they say, fine, you monitor me, i'm going to step outside and shop on my iphone or smartphone instead. >> i'm thinking maybe employers should make an exception this season. a bridesmaid in her sister's royal wedding and now the bride that has people talking is available on line. find out where you can buy it and how much it costs after the break.
7:39 am
woman: my father came to america selling fishcakes from the back of his truck, and in 1942, of course, they were sent away. after the war, as a japanese coming back from camp, he started a little store on main street in seattle. of course they needed some money, and bank of america was the only bank who would talk to my father. and we've stayed with bank of america. we have four stores now, three in the pacific northwest and one in oregon. my parents would not believe how popular it is now. tltltltle emotional here? aren't you getting a little industrial?
7:40 am
okay, there's enough energy right here in america. yeah, over 100 years worth. okay, so you mean you just ignore the environment. actually, it's cleaner. and, it provides jobs. and it helps our economy. okay, i'm listening. [announcer] at conoco phillips we're helping power america's economy with cleaner affordable natural gas... more jobs, less emissions, a good answer for everyone. so, by reducing the impact of production... and protecting our land and water... i might get a job once we graduate.
7:42 am
well, the white house was transformed into a concert hall last night, but not for a symphony. country music stars performed for the president and first lady. a.j. hammer sheer with ais heree details. hi, a.j. >> it sounded like a great night. the first lady set up this night at the white house, saying it is the music of everyday life and it can remind us what we have to fight for and who we have to be. an amazing line-up of stars. you had lyle lovett, kris
7:43 am
kristofferson. really, what a spectacular night for the first lady and the president. >> that looked like fun. let's talk about "dancing with the stars." the final three danced last night. we discussed this last hour so now i'm aware of who the final three are. but who is the favorite? >> well, i still think, hala, that the mirror ball is going home with the rock war veteran, j.r. martinez. but we did have a little bit of a shocker last night because rob car dash kardashian and his par cheryl burke, scored highest with the judges. i'm just thinking he needed to prove how much of a better dancer he is than her. but they still earned the
7:44 am
perfect score. they did that a couple points right behind kardashian, but i also think ricki lake has done an amazing job, and when it comes to reality show competitions, you never really know how it's going to end. >> a dress exactly like the one pippa middleton wore when her sister kate married is being sold on line. where can people buy this? >> this is perhaps the most famous bridesmaid dress ever. you can now buy a copy of the dress in the u.k. from netporter.com. we know there have been knock-offs since the wedding, but these are the only ones that come from the designer sara burton. they are a silk crepe creation, and they're going for $3100.
7:45 am
the only difference is a zipper that runs up the back instead of buttons, and that will make it easier for someone to wear who doesn't have royal attendants helping them dress. but i'm thinking you have to call up to order it because it's not currently available on the u.s. side of the web site, so if you e-mail me later, i'll get you the phone number. >> here's the thing. for that dress to look good, you have to have the posterior to go with it. >> there are things you can do for that, apparently. >> okay, a.j. hammer. if you want information of everything breaking in the entertainment world, a.j. is your man. he's on "showbiz tonight" at 11:00 p.m. hln. tune in for that. welcome to idaho,
7:46 am
where they grow america's favorite potatoes. everyone knows idaho potatoes taste great. but did you know they're good for you too? they're high in vitamins and potassium. and idaho potatoes are now certified to carry the heart checkmark from the american heart association for foods low in saturated fat and cholesterol. so they're good for my family, and for yours. heart smart idaho potatoes. always look for the grown in idaho seal.
7:48 am
a california teen has admitted killing a gay class mate in a plea bargain deal that could put him behind bars for 21 years. brandon mcinerny pleaded guilty. a jury couldn't decide whether to convict him for murder or manslaughter. prosecutors say mcinerney gunned down classmate gary king because he was offended at how king dressed and that he was flirting with him. how unusual is this plea bargain deal, paul? >> it's not really unusual. i think you have to look at the history of how juvenile
7:49 am
prosecutions have occurred in this country. he was 14 years old, the defendant, when he actually committed this murder. and traditionally, with respect to juveniles in particular, sentences have been very, very light. and then in recent years, they've started to be treated as adults, and one of the reasons i think there was a hung jury the first time around is because the jury kind of rebelled at the why that he was being treated as an adult when he was only 14 years old when it happened. it is a brutal, brutal homicide, and there were claims that it was a hate crime. nevertheless, it was a hung jury. so, you know, i think the d.a. was kind of realistic here. he's saying is if i try the case again, maybe another hung jury, but i have a guarantee now of 21 years in prison. he'll be 39, i think, when he gets out, so it's a pretty tough sentence for a 17-year-old. >> let me ask you this. how difficult, all other things being equal, is it for a jury to convict a person who was 14 at
7:50 am
the time the alleged crime occurred? >> i think juries always have problems when they're dealing with children because they really think that they're not fully developed, it's hard for a child to form a kind of criminal intent that you can find very easily when you're dealing with an adult defendant. so there's always a fear that a jury is going to be overly lenient with someone who is 14 years of age, and i think that's what the d.a. was worried about. now, of course, the other side of this, hala, is this crime was such a brutal crime. there was talk that mcinerney had nazi paraphernalia, it was no typical brutal sleiaying. obviously if he was in his 20s, this would be a hands-down case.
7:51 am
>> he will be in his late 30s if he's convicted and sentenced there for manslaughter. thanks very much, paul callen, joining us on this case. mitt romney's new commercial has democrats firing back before the ad even hits the air. we'll tell you why. all energy development comes with some risk, but proven technologies allow natural gas producers to supply affordable, cleaner energy, while protecting our environment. across america, these technologies protect air -
7:52 am
by monitoring air quality and reducing emissions... ...protect water - through conservation and self-contained recycling systems... ... and protect land - by reducing our footprint and respecting wildlife. america's natural gas... domestic, abundant, clean energy to power our lives... that's smarter power today. ♪ ♪ ♪ [ male announcer ] everyone deserves the gift of a pain free holiday. this season, discover aleve.
7:53 am
all day pain relief with just two pills. vietnam, 1967. i got mine in iraq, 2003. u.s.a.a. auto insurance is often handed down from generation to generation, because it offers a superior level of protection and because u.s.a.a.'s commitment to serve the military, veterans, and their families is without equal. begin your legacy. get an auto insurance quote. u.s.a.a. we know what it means to serve.
7:54 am
checking stories making news later today. at 12:15 eastern, president obama talks about jobs in a speech in manchester, new hampshire. at 1:00 eastern, major league baseball players and owners old a news conference. they're expected to announce a new labor deal that for the first time includes blood testing for human growth hormones. and tonight at 8:00 eastern, be sure to check out the gop debate. the subject of the debate? foreign policy. a new study finds that people who meditate are usually happier. mri images show that if you can focus your thoughts, you can actually switch off areas of the brain linked to daydreaming, anxiety and even adhd. if you'd like to give it a try, researchers say to focus on something as simple as your
7:55 am
7:57 am
a network of possibilities... ♪ in here, pets never get lost. ♪ in here, every continent fits in one room. it was fun. we played football outside. why are you sitting in the dark? [ male announcer ] in here, you're never away from home. it's the at&t network. and what's possible in here is almost impossible to say. at&t. welcome back. we have a new cnn gop poll ahead
7:58 am
of our debate tonight showing newt gingrich surging. we're at constitution hall where the debate will take place. let's talk about these numbers, mark, first off. >> sure, hala. let's take a look at these numbers right here. it shows that newt gingrich who really was left for dead back in june, nobody thought his campaign was going anywhere, has surged to the top. he's in the top 24% now. he's in the area for the lead with mitt romney, who is at 20%. herman cain, who has done well in the past, a month or so ago, is now at 17%. rick perry comes in at 11%. heading tonight for the national security debate here tonight, all will try to get an edge on the other one. national security, something that has not been discussed a whole lot in in campaign coupled with the economy which we'll be
7:59 am
discussing tonight as well. it should be a very interesting show. >> and there is a lot going on outside the united states as well, i'm sure egypt will come up. mitt romney is accused of distorting president obama's words. tell us about that. >> sure, hala, this is an ad that is airing today as we speak in new hampshire. the romney campaign released the ad last night, gave us a quick look at it. they're spend ing about $134,00 on this ad. it's airing right now with rick p -- mitt romney talking about the economy. >> i'm going to get rid of obamacare. it's killing jobs and it's keeping our kids from having the bright prospects that they deserve. we have a moral responsibility not to spend more than we take in. i'll make sure that america is a job-creating machine like it has been in the past. high time to
349 Views
Uploaded by TV Archive on
![](http://athena.archive.org/0.gif?kind=track_js&track_js_case=control&cache_bust=2037024465)