you've got learn to fill dead air. >> ahhh. >> reporter: said fill it not kill it. jeanne moos, cnn, new york. >> all of that time it took to sink in suddenly came out. >> she better not do that on cnn if she gets to this point. we want to wish you a happy new year. >> "larry king live" with candy crawley filling in for larry. tonight -- deadline for the president's demand he get answers about the failures that almost resulted in a terrorist disaster christmas day. what's he been told? will it mean action that will make you safer? plus -- the politics of terror. who's winning the war of words between the house and dick cheney. and the countdown to 2010. we'll go live to times square, vegas, and others celebrating

hot spots all next on "larry king live." happy new year's eve. i'm candy crawley sitting in for larry king who has the night off. great pan toll talk to you serious, a little bit about new year's because in the end, this is about fresh starts. you are looking at our favorite picture, we are east coast biased here, that is times square. something that no tv network misses on new year's eve and about a million or so people don't miss it either. we have got correspondents there in vegas and beyond. you can see how new year's eve is playing out across the country. i want to, first, however, turn to serious news, obviously since christmas day, that attempt to blow up an airline over the skies of detroit. we have had ed henry, our senior white house correspondent, out in honolulu covering the president who we've seen a couple of times addressing this

very issue. ed, first of all, thank you very much for spending new year's eve with us. >> reporter: happy new year. >> happy new year to you. and secondly, let's talk a little bit, this was the big day. this was date that the president set as a deadline, come on and bring me some information about this, any sign he got anything we don't already have a hint of? >> reporter: got a little bit of information but you're right, it not really terribly new. bottom line from top white house aides they say that the stream of information coming into the president from the department of homeland security, fbi, cia, and others shows a company of things we probably have known since christmas day, number one, something needs to be done with the terror watch list system, clearly needs an overhaul. this event probably, the no-fly list, but didn't get on there, trying to figure out why. secondly, as well, the cia had some information about this suspect, that suggested he had at least ties to extremists and

his own father had gone, talked to the cia. it didn't get past others. where do we hear this before? pre-9/11. as one top white house aide said, this president is not going to stand for the pre-9/11 mentality where the cia is not talking to other intelligence officials. expect next tuesday the president gets back to washington, he's going into the white house situationroom calling in the top officials, calling some of this em under the carpet. >> we saw when the president came out, at least the second time, i thought, flash of some anger, at least some reallying put out by what he was learning. this seems to me so say that this was a pretty serious breach, there is something sort of more obvious than what we've been led to believe so far. what kind of hints are you getting from those that are out there and those you're talking to back here about the seriousness of what went on? it was really a serious overlook here or something that we're

able to look at and say i can see how they missed this? >> reporter: they're suggest it's deadly serious and as you heard the president himself say a couple of days ago, if not for some luck, frankly, there could have been up to close to 300 people killed christmas day. they get this is a serious breach of security. a lot of these things should have been fixed after 9/11 because of the 9/11 commission report. all of the changes that congress made. frankly, this president realizes he's in power now, he's a democratic congress, heading into the midterm elections, we've all been talking about the economy and people vote with pocketbook but was as we saw in previous elections they can vote on personal safety. if they don't feel like they're safe, and the democrats are in pow, that could be a challenge for them. that's why i think, in fairness to the president, he's been pretty aggressive the last few days in saying he wants answers and he's going to hold some people accountable. i'm certain there are a lot of people around the country who are going to hold him to those words, candy. >> we talk a lot, and certainly this white house pushes back

very hard when you suggest that when they are dealing with something this serious, there are all some politics about what they do. but no matter what is in their minds, there are always political implications to anything that happens and that includes any near terrorist miss. do you think, looking around, that you see anybody around the president who believes that there is potential political damage here? >> reporter: well, you're right that they'll push back pretty hard. i've gotten e-mails, you've gotten e-mails, the white house wants to make it clear that they don't believe they're playing politics on terror on the economy, on these other issues. but of course, they're living in a political environment so they won't say so on the record that they believe they'll be political fallout in any direction. let's just face the fact that this president is coming to the close of his first year in office, he's made a lot of big decisions, on the domestic front, but also on national security, including sending 30,000 more u.s. troops just last few weeks to afghanistan. he sent 21,000 before that. he escalated the war in

afghanistan big time in saying that he's going to wage a smarter war on terror, specifically putting more resources into afghanistan, pakistan, winding down in iraq, over the next year or so. we're going to see whether or not some of those actions he's taken were the right ones or not, candy. >> ed henry, senior white house koer corner, something surreal, talking about terrorism with the calm beach activity behind him. coming up, we've got a huge panel here, ben stein will be with us, he, of course, the economist and former presidential speechwriter. also a columnist for "fortune" magazine. tanya actor, huffington post contributor in los angeles, terry holt, former national spokesman for cheney/bush in 2004, also adviser to the republican national committee and mark lamont hill, a contributor to the root.com, we're going to ask them more

about this near-miss by terrorists, ask them about new year's resolutions, all kinds of stuff. stick with us.

they have already celebrated big in hong kong, past new year's there. of course that's on tape. gorgeous, nonetheless. we want to bring in our panel here, lots to talk about, but we

want to start out with the most serious issue,that is that near-terrorist miss over the skies in detroit. let me start with you, ben stein, because we heard dick cheney, who is becoming -- who has been this year really the loudest voice, i think, on the conservative side. a lot of people saying he was out of line when he suggested that the president clearly isn't taking this seriously enough that he sees it as a criminal act versus a terrorist act. did he go a little too far? >> i don't think cheney's gone too far but i think this is a political thing. look we have a situation notice country where we chronically miss all of the clues go on. we miss clue after clue after clue about pearl ha harbor, clu after clue and about involvement in vietnam were fraudulent, clue after clue about 9/11. if it takes cheney yell agent

mr. obama to make the administration act a tiny little bit better it's worth while. but republicans miss clues, everybody misses clues. i have to say one thing that stands out here, though, is miss napolitano saying the system worked perfectly. i know she's pack track bud that's got to rank among the all bonehead remarks and she should be chastised for in and i believe they will do it. i'd like to hear what rahm emanuel says to her. >> well, perhaps he'll come on and tell us at some point, yeah, right. okay. mark, listen, let's be fair. when the president was in the midst of two wars, certainly in the year or so past 9/11 and every year of his administration thereafter, the president was attacked a lot on terrorism and how he was handling it. and yet when you hear it, it does have a dissonance to it. any way to squeeze the politics out of this? >> no, this is thoroughly,

completely political here. and it's unfortunate but that's just the nature of the political moment. when we look at what happened during bush years people attacked the way president bush was prosecuting the war. we may have say he overreacted but there's no was -- no public critique from former presidents or vice presidents suggesting it was the president's bibi halve yor that started the war. that's what dick cheney is saying which is misguided. you would think that president obama was in amsterdam giving out visa, letting the guy on the plane. there was nothing the obama administration could do to stop the guy from get on the plane. >> with great, great, great respect that's what president carter was saying constantly was that mr. bush instigated the war, constant criticism about that and constant criticism from former vice president gore. so, this is a given, a political life. there's going to be vicious criticism back and forth. the real question is what could be done to motivate the

bureaucracy and now i'll let the other people talk. >> terry, listen, i just think that people out there sit and listen to the former vice president sort of going after the president saying he's not taking this seriously enough. and i want to read you a quote from congressman eric mass mass democrat from new york, i, for one, sick and tired of the bush era chicken hawk politicians that never served in uniform attacking democrats on national security when in fact they are largely to blame for our nation's current national security problems. is anybody covering themselves in glory when i've got to believe most americans were certainly frightened when they heard about the attack on christmas -- about the near-attack on christmas day, and we've got everybody sort of firing about who's to blame. >> well, and dick cheney is coming to this with a lot of

information. you know he didn't -- he wasn't exactly a shrinking violet in the last administration. he was every day engaged in national security issues, in defense issues, foreign policy issues. i think he's got a good handle on what's at stake in the world and he's been consistent throughout the year pointing ow weaknesses he's perceived in the way obama has prosecuted the war on terror. i'm going it say that. at the very beginning of the year barack obama, declared war not on terror but on the intelligence community itself. if you look at what's happened over the last year with eric holder threatening to jail people who interrogated terrorists, this administration has made some significant missteps that have added up to people like dick cheney and others in our foreign service and intelligence communities very concerned that we might have taken our eye off the ball and that we've put this vast bureaucracy in place, hundreds of billions of dollars and guess what, people? at the end of the day the passengers on the plane have to

provide tech themselves because this government can't. it's scary. i think dick cheney's put his finger on it. >> go ahead, tanya. >> terry, taking your eye off the ball is refusing to implement the recommendation of the 9/11 commission which is what the bush/cheney administration did for years taking your eye off the ball is reducing new york's anti-terror funding by $80 million because you decide that they don't have any landmarks there that are worth protecting. taking your eye off the ball is saying that we're going to give control of six u.s. ports to a dubai company and then say, by the way, we're not going to insist on mandatory screening of incoming cargo from overseas ports. >> you're living in the past. these terrorists. >> no, wait, wait. >> are in our face today. let's go forward. >> no, excuse me. i want to go forward. the interesting thing is dick cheney and his allies and those partisans seem to think the only way to go forward is to profile people, is to suggest that in the constitution doesn't work,

is to he pretend -- >> let's put crazy people on the list and not let them on the airplanes. seems like a basic answer. >> hold it, hold it. >> tantanya -- >> ben can i get you to hold off. let me get you all to hold off for a second. i shouted over my brothers, too, during family affairs so i can do that. we're going to come back. i promise we'll continue the discussion. former presidential adviser karl rove has come out with suggested new year's resolutions for president obama. we'll discuss though and much more when we come back.

welcome back to "larry king live "s we want to clean up and put the period on the discussion. i want to gli ben stein hire. ben, in the end, the president is facing a bureaucracy much

like any other president has. >> mr. obama is politically irresistible force, now met the immovable october object, the bureaucracy. if he can make that move, if he can make it as fluid and alert and lively as al qaeda, he will have done something truly historic. we're facing a i have, very lively enemy, namely the al qaeda, they're senatmart, li, adapt quickly. that would be a great thing if he could. >> and, ben, ooh think we might agree on this point. tightening up security, making the bureaucracy operate efficiency is the key. if we do that, we don't necessarily -- we don't need to profile. we don't need to ethnically, religiously prefile. we had 500,000 name on a list. if we put those name on a no-fly list, the guy would not have gotten the plane. all we need to do is get the pieces currently in place.

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several hours ago. they celebrated midnight, the new year, and by the way a new decade. that in london, showing the far reach of cnn back with ben stein, terry acker, mark holt, i want your predictions. what's the big political story next year, ben? >> well, the big political story will be if health care is implemented is it a success or failure. all have to do with government control of our lives.

is health care a success or failure? i assume he's going to get it passed. is it going to kick the economy back down into recession. three, if there is a recovery, is recovery going to lead to inflation. that's the big one. inflation, the killer hidden tax, affects everybody else specially the elderly. are we going to have inflation? that is if we have that that trumps everything and out go the democrats as a majority in congress. if we don't, i think they can hang on. >> tanya? >> i think that we're not -- health care will pass, but i'm just not sure that we're going to know a lot about it next year because a lot of the big reforms aren't going to -- they won't take affect until 2014 though we are going to see bits and pieces that might give us a flavor of whether or not it's a big thing. i do agree with ben, i that cap and trade and the environment and what we do and how we manage this bill and how that moves forward is going to be huge.

frankly the democrats have learned something in the course of the health care debate, which is that their efforts bipartisanship yield them very little. they have to go out to the american people and make a case to the american public about what we need to change, how we need to change it what new technologies we need to develop, how we need to really get out in front of the issue. and so i think that this story hopefully will be about the democrats spending less time trying to make friends across the aisle with people who have no interested in that friendship but instead pleading their case to the american people and really selling their program to them. >> bipartisanship generally does go down the drain, particularly in an election year. terry holt, a slightly different angle on the question, because this is your comfort zone what about republicans? what's the big story for republicans next year? >> well, republicans are going to have to take the lessons that they learned from the mcdonald campaign and the success that they've had this year standing on principle and communicating directly with the american people. they're going to need to

reconnect with the middle xlaps i think barack obama next year will give us the perfect gift to do that. because of disasters of the bills the health bill, cap and trade bill that will destroy our economy, barack obama will be forced to admit that he's going to break his promise to the middle class and he's not going to be able to hold taxes down for them, all of us are going pay more, the government's going to in be in our pocket more and more and seal e if the republic and rev language that. >> mark? >> i disagree with everything he says. >> always does. >> i share your pessimism. i think that barack obama has expended so much political capital on health care and the health care bill that we've gotten is so -- all of the teeth have been taken out of it. i'm not optimistic where that's going to go. it's going to pass but a very watered down bill with no public option. >> people will be mad. >> reference what -- sorry. >> no, i was going to say,

people will be very much mad at least on the left. but what you'll see is moderate democrats scramble away from barack obama particularly because it's an election year. a midterm election year and people will not want to stand next to him as he loses more political capital particularly around cap and trade. cap and trade will not go through. moderate democrats will run from it. and then in terms of foreign policy we may find ourselves with a major problem with iran p ahmadinejad seems to be committed to developing uranium, ignoring sarkozy, brown, obama. it em seems they'll have a major problem in iran, continue to have major problems in afghanistan, with iraq. the republicans, sadly may gain significant ground in the midterms next november. >> holy cow. we may not want to ring in the new year. >> i know, i know. >> let's me move on to something that karl rove said recently -- >> wait a second, candy, you're not mentioning jobs. you're not mentioning the big

issue. we've got an enormous number of unemployed americans and enormous number of americans losing houses. this is the economy is the big one, that's the big kahuna. if something isn't done about that it's a disaster politically for the party in power and a disaster for many decent, hard-working americans. that's the big story. >> it is indeed particularly to those who at this point don't have a job and haven't had one for some time, the long-term unemployed. a big, big issue and certainly will be in the campaign. so, let me ask you, we're going to move to new year's resolutions. karl rove has said he thinks the president ought to resolve to have a few less historic moments. i guess the question here is, the question we started out the year, has the president, with all of the political capital, overplayed his hand? >> absolutely. >> i -- really? >> go ahead. >> he's absolutely overplayed his hand. he came in riding the wave of

his own awesomeness. seemed like he never read press clippings. i agree ed with the health care initiative. when you look at town hall meetings look at what everyday american people, a certain sector were saying almost as if obama didn't understand people didn't like him. the fact he had done 110 interviews and 110 talks on health care, and american people weren't persuaded it showed that people like him but they didn't find his argument persuasive. it was almost as if he said if they listen to me one more time they'll be convinced that's the type of obama mentality and the rahm emanuel mentality that is undermined obama's effectiveness this year. i hope they learn the lesson in 2010 but having not so many unprecedented moenlts and a need to put obama in front. >> tanya, i'll give you 20 seconds because you were shaking your head. >> i have to say i disagree with mark a little bit part of the health care debate democrats didn't do early what they should have done which was really to start explaining the bill. i don't think it's a bad bill. it's not a perfect bill, but is it going to get rid of d

discrimination based on preexisting conditions it is going do something for 30 million americans who doesn't have coverage get rid of lifetime caps. i live in a state where momenter most people losing their homes are losing them because of health care costs that have spiraled out of control. i think the bill does something. i think he's got some political capital left. next year's a tough year. i'm not as -- i'm not feeling as dark agz everybody else. >> thank heavens, there's some life there. i cannot thank you enough. happy new year, all. happy new year. >> happy new year. >> happy new year. >> he has been called the most powerful person in the republican party, conservative talk show host rush limbaugh in the hospital in hawaii after a the hospital in hawaii after a health scare.

live". we hope you're enjoying your new year's. eye warrant to bring back ed lenry who has done double duty, covering not just the president but also rush limbaugh, vacationing in hawaii. he was taken to the hospital earlier this week. he remains in the hospital. ed, listen with me for a moment while we play walter e. williams who filled in for rush today, as guest host on limbaugh's nationally cindy indicated radio show. here what happens he told listeners about limbaugh's condition. >> first of all, folks i should say that rush continues to rest the very comfortable in the hospital in honolulu. he had a comfortable night and he's getting good medical

attention. yesterday -- let me go back a little bit. yesterday, wednesday, he was taken to the hospital in honolulu after complaining of chest pains. those pains were the kind of pains that makes one feel like he has a heart attack coming on but it has not been confirmed that its a heart attack. today, thursday, he'll have a complete examination and will know more. and we'll keep everyone informed when there's information to share. we just don't have a lot of information to share right now. know this, rush is in good and stable company, comfortable, as comfortable one can be in the hospital while on vacation, and he's in good hands. >> ed, kind of unfair to bring you in because we may have gotten the best update we're going to get on limbaugh's condition. have you learned anything today why he remains in the hospital? >> reporter: well, candy, all we know from a hospital source is

that he was brought in yesterday afternoon in pretty serious condition. i think his guest host was right that it's unclear yet whether or not he had a heart attack. significant today that the hospital, queens medical center, put out a statement confirming that rush limbaugh's a patient there and he had chest pains but didn't go into any more detail about his condition. he was resting comfortably but didn't give any indication go it was a heart attack or any indication when he might be released. it was telling perhaps they don't have all of the information and they're giving us very little and it was significant that rush limbaugh's website and the radio show didn't release photos of him today resting comfortably. we just don't have enough information. but it's an odd coincidence we're here covering the president and one of rush limbaugh's chief nemesis is the president, he said he wanted barack obama to fail, very early in his time in office. very strange point in this. >> it is. despite the fact you've covered

both the stories for us you've had time for sleuthing into the background of -- in the high school background, in particular, talking to some of the people who knew president barack obama when he was there. what did you find out? >> reporter: well i talked to a couple of his classmates from the class of '79 he was on the basketball team that won the state championship. they knew him as barry. on the core he was a slasher and one of his colleagues the point guard told me that that slashing, take no prisoners attitude he thinks is carrying over into the presidency because this is why barack obama is not afraid to make decisions. he's a trash talker on the court, even today, because friends get together to play with him. the funny thing his high school classmates were tell me a young barry obama used to scoop ice cream at baskin robins. on the side he used to slip them some free ice cream and frozen yogurt. i had to coax it out of them. i said the statute of limitations is past, it's been

30 years. they laughed and said okay he gave free ice cream. i think he pasted the fbi background check. no worry about the president steal organize giving out ice cream. >> a slasher on the court, gave away free ice cream when he shouldn't have. a little bit goes against the image that we've seen today, ed. out and about with his kids. >> reporter: yeah, you know, it's interesting they went to see "avatar" a lot of people are talking about it they saw it in 3-d. he brought his daughters. he played some golf. and now we're told we're going to have a quiet night, family night at home. before they leave, they're going do a tradition that they have every year, an obama family talent show. the white house has not given us information about what talent the president is going to show off. looking forward to hearing that in the next couple of days. >> sorry you weren't invited to that, love to know what your talent is, other than reporting.

give my ed henry's new year's resolution. >> reporter: well, i've got a family one and personal one. family, first year in covering barack obama was too busy to take my dad and son to the new yankee stadium. i'm vowing to do that in 2010. no offense, but spend less time with you and more time in the ocean. i'll see you. >> good-bye, have fun! senior white house correspondent, ed henry. better put your trunks on, first. i think he's not appropriately attired. a couple hours away from 2010 in new york times square estimates of 1 million people to see the famed ball drop. we'll talk about keeping the crowds safe days after attempted terror attack.

welcome back to "larry king live" i'm candy crawley sitting in for larry king who is off tonight. thousands officers are patrolling streets of new york making sure the 1 million are safe. here to talk about all of the security there, just days after an attempted airline attack. lou palumbo, a former nypd investigat investigator, providing security for cnn in times square and joining us. a familiar face, don lemen in times square. of course anchor and correspondent. thank you all for joining us.

i know it's freezing there. i doubly thank you, not always comfortable. let me start with you, lou, simply because tell me the magnitude of trying to keep times square secure. what are we talking about in numbers? what are we talking about in task? >> well, in order to facilitate the security in this little area of manhattan, it requires a tremendous amount of resources is assets. and the form of manpower, which you'll see present here with the uniformed police department, new york city, as well as a number of undercovers, fbi agents, agents from the alcohol, tobacco and firearms explosive bureau, numerous, numerous law enforcement agencies, including our intelligence community. base wlak they do is they implement a plan where they create choke points that feed into this main area of times square and they screen people coming in. they prevent vehicular traffic through the implementation of

barricades and just basically try to keep a handle on the pulse of what's go on here tonight. >> certainly they have done this a lot, for many years, including for many years post 9/11. would an incident like the one that happened on the plane over detroit change the game plan at all? >> i wouldn't necessarily believe it changed the game plan, because that would suggest that the police department had never really approached this at full throttle and i will assure you that they do, as well as the fbi. i have friends so to speak and some of the agencies and they haven't taken this lightly in any of the other years. i don't think they did anything much different this year than they did last year, for example, and i was here last year. there was an extraordinary presence of law enforcement agencies, fbi agents, the same implementation of barricades and screening went on. i don't think that that incident on the plane was the impetus for ray kelly to do something

different than he's done in the past. i think he's been on top of this the way he needed it to be for all of these years. >> don, you've been there much of the day, least i've seen you from there much of the day. do you sense, have been able to talk to anybody in the crowd? do you have in a sense anybody's feeling any more trepidation other than how am i going to get home tonight? did we dress more warmly? anything that you think that you've seen any sign of that among the people that just came to party? >> reporter: no, and i'll tell you, i can back up what he said. i was here last year. and this year it seems more organized. these people would not be here in they didn't feel safe. i've got to tell you, candy, i was here for the run-up to the iraq war when there was concern about security in new york and specially in times square. and new york city, the police department, the federal government, came up with a plan just in case there was an attack and i think they use, implement some of the same systems when it

comes to new year's eve and other sell breaks that are here in times square. and i've seen lou on television a lot. i've spoken to him for different stories. we could not be in better hands here in times square. new york city police officers, new york's finest, the mayor, the governor of the state, all of law enforcement here, they're keeping an eye on this place. obviously you know this is the center of the world right now and everybody is watch, especially given what happened or what could have happened on christmas, candy. >> situate yourself for us, don. are you in the crowd? are you up above it? what sort of security did you to pass through any to get in there? did you see anything tighter along that score? >> both. i've been mingling in the crowd. i came in, lou escorted us in along with other security officers and people, again, acting accordingly. and as you -- we have been reporting all night here on cnn, you've got to go through security measures, take security

measures much the same way as you go through an airport. no backpacks, no liquor, no sharp objects, obviously no metal or anything like that. so the measures here really are pretty stringent. i've been talking to people here, they're pretty -- they've been very ruly, and we're above the crowd. we can see blocks of people just standing here with umbrellas and screaming and enjoying themselves. it's not to say there probably won't be any arrests some shah nan any begans but surprisingly, it's, you know, it's not calm because people are excited but it's t. appears to be pretty safe and people are acting accordingly. >> don lemon, lou palumbo, we'll come back and have floer segment with you.

welcome back to "larry king live." we have talking about security at times square with lou palumbo and don lemon, our own don lemon

anchoring our coverage out of there tonight so far. let me ask you both if you looked at this crowd and had to say here's what i do, here would be my biggest concern if i were running the show, what would that be, lou? >> well, clearly, you know, anyone that was capable of how would you say, secrete be an explosive the same way the individual did on the aircraft at christmastime into a crowd like this, you would not need a substantial explosion, just enough to cause a stampede would result inadvertently to death. my largest concern someone that came in with the skraend, with even a minimal amount of explosive. >> i've got to say, too, as well, when you talk about explosives, about, you know, any sort of threat of radiation, the police officers are carrying radiation devices as big as this blackberry or your cell phone that they don't have to touch it, it's on their belts and they can use it and they can sniff

those things out. also, he was talking about a stampede. the possibility of a stampede it f. it does happen it would be controlled because of the pins that they're putting people in, they figured out they can control the crowd by putting people in the pens so everybody's not rushing the same way. when people come in everybody's not coming in the same way. when they leave they don't run on to the subway at same time and cause a stampede. that's something they've looked into when he talked about rushing a crowd. >> don lemon and -- >> i think -- and i think a bigger concern, i'll let you go, probably smaller concern, just little quality of life crimes like pickpockets and muggings and that sort of thing. don't forget that happens here as well. >> don lemon, lou palumbo, across the world, peaceful celebrations. looking for that in new york. have a happy and safe new year, both of you. when we come back, power couple anderson cooper and kathy griffin, they are in times square getting ready to host condition's coverage of new condition's coverage of new year's eve 2010. during the share the love event,

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it's "larry "larry king liv look who we have up in times square, and derson cooper, who is host of, surprise "anderson cooper's 360." kathy griffin a comedienne and actress. she's an emmy-winning star. they had quite a time last year and they are back -- let me just show you first while we're waiting because we're not exactly sure where the two of them have gone, this is las vegas. we are actually going to have a report from there in our next segment. we have taken you, let's see -- actually, gary tuchman, you're in central park in new york.

somebody has gone awol. i'm not mentioning any names but it's anderson. where are you and what are you seeing, gary? >> reporter: happy new year to you, candy. we're in central park and those of us who cover news for a living are used to interviewing people who are running, running for president, for senator, for governor and that's why this is a great change of pace because tonight i will be interviewing people who are running literally in a road race. it's a great tradition. it's the emerald nuts midnight run. it begins at the stroke of midnight exactly. about 4,500 runners will be running in a four-mile race and i will be one of them talking to people from all over the world who will be running in the race. the oldest runner is 91 years old. the youngest runner is 4 years old, and one of the youngest runners is with me right now. she happens to be my youngest. samantha tuchman who is 12 years old. how come you decided to come back? we live in atlanta where it

doesn't snow and sleet and rain. how come you decided to run with me again. >> because this year i decided to beat you. >> i want her to model the latest eye wear new this year exclusive. let's take a look. the 2010 glasses. yes. you see them. the zero and zero are the eye holes. we're just wondering what they're going to do in the year 2011. this is a really exciting time. people are in great moods. it's a great way to start the new year. a very healthy year. stroke of midnight, four-mile run in snory central park. >> she looks great, and don't you put them on, gary. stick to running. you're looking good but not those glasses. you two have fun. a family new year's eve, it sounds great. we want to bring in john zarrella who i think has worked about 36 hours straight. he is in key west, florida, talk about your unusual new year's eve, john. perhaps i will just let you describe it.

>> reporter: yeah, maybe it's a good idea, candy. we're down here on duvall street, an we've been down here this is our eighth year and i kind of become known as the maestro of main street down here. these are my girls. these are the drag queens from 801 bourbon street and they're doing their show here awaiting sushi. sushi is a drag queen who for the past 13 years has come down in that shoe up there at the stroke of midnight with a bottle of champagne. you can see here we've got thousands of people, probably 20,000, 25,000 people here for the big event, and every year the crowd gets bigger and bigger, candy. >> john, thank you. >> hi there. >> hi. >> i hate to interrupt cute little girls, but i have to go. have a happy new year's eve. i'm so glad i let you explain that. we've got to take a break. see you later.

well, look who finally showed up, anderson cooper and kathy griffin. kathy a comedienne and actress an emmy-winning star. >> it's double emmy-winning. i don't mean to interrupt the news show. >> i'm sorry and anderson cooper surprisingly host of "anderson cooper 360." so you finally showed up. >> four-time emmy winner. >> four? >> okay. >> wait, let's talk about new year's eve. enough about you. >> listen, sorry, john zarrella is down in key west with a drag queen named sushi. what have you guys got? >> we're in times square -- this

is our third year together. >> yes. it's a new tradition. >> it's become a tradition. i'm surprised you were allowed to come back this career. >> may i -- yeah. it's kind of a miracle, and now, you know, there are rules, and i'm not supposed to cuss or say inappropriate things. >> well -- >> so we'll see how i do. >> let's keep our fingers crossed, candy. >> or not, candy. >> is there a seven-second delay? >> yes. >> no. >> like a 30-second delay, about a two-minute delay. it's cool. >> no, there's no delay because it's all about counting down to new year's. >> that's not what i was cold. i'm like to see jack cafferty right away, please. >> when in doubt anderson can reach over with his hand and put it over your mouth. again -- >> he's done that many times. >> i see. >> i understand. >> for some reason kathy is under the impression that jack cafferty runs cnn. >> isn't this "the cafferty

hour"? >> you guys, we're so late, i have to wrap you, but everybody, you will get a lot more of both of them at 11:00, because right now we have to go to lance bass. lass, you're in las vegas. thank you for being here. let me ask you what's -- seems like there's no better place than vegas to spend new year's eve. >> i'm telling you, i have spent many a new year's in vegas and there's nothing like it. the energy here is crazy and, you know, vegas multiples in buildings every year so i don't even recognize the place anymore. >> it looks surprisingly calm there. >> it is. you know, everyone is just getting ready. it's very early here. we're three hours behind new york, so, you know, everyone is just getting into the mood now and everyone is definitely getting their drink on already, and it's going to be a crazy, crazy, crazy night i'm sure. >> thank you for not having your drink on quite yet. >> not yet, not the yet. >> do you have a new year's eve tradition when you're not part of cnn's coverage?

>> i don't actually. every year i try to spend somewhere different. i was here last year, but you know what? i think vegas might be my new tradition. i really enjoy it here. it's going to be an interesting night. i had to sign one of those contracts thanks to miss kathy griffin so all i'm thinking about is watching my tongue. so hopefully the night will go smooth and i don't have to write any checks tonight. >> there are children watching because children let them stay up late. >> and my mother is watching, too. >> there you go. double reason. >> hi, mom. >> double reason. so when you do -- are you one of those people -- we're seeing more and more people, at least according to polls, are staying home. have you ever been a stay at homer or are you not quite that old yet? >> you know what? i have never been one to stay at home. i always threw a new year's party. it was my favorite holiday of the year and every year i throw a party. this is my first time to actually be working on new year's, but th