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CNN LOU DOBBS MONEYLINE
Feds Granted Right to Use Expanded Wire Taps in War Against Terror; Voice on Last Week's Audiotape Confirmed to be bin Laden
Aired November 18, 2002 - 18:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANNOUNCER: This is LOU DOBBS MONEYLINE for Monday, November 18. Here now, Lou Dobbs.
LOU DOBBS, CNN ANCHOR: Good evening. Spying on terrorists versus your right to privacy. The federal government today won the right to use expanded wire tap powers in the war against terror. An appellate court gave federal agencies broad authority to track suspected terrorists. The Justice Department said the ruling would revolutionize anti-terrorist operations. But civil liberties groups said these new powers threaten constitutional rights.
Justice department correspondent Kelli Arena has the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KELLI ARENA, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's a big victory for Attorney General John Ashcroft. A special appeals court has ruled that he hasn't gone too far in interpreting a new law that gives the government expanded powers to listen to phone calls and read e-mails when targeting terrorists and spies.
Our primary concern is that they're going to use the law in and around the fourth amendment. And spy on citizens when they have no probable cause to believe that their citizens have committed a crime.
The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court of Review assembled in secret at the Justice Department for the first time ever to deal with the issue. It overturned an earlier decision by the so-called spy court, which placed limits on the government's use of wiretaps and on how that information is shared between the intelligence community and law enforcement.
JOHN ASHCROFT, ATTORNEY GENERAL: This will greatly enhance our ability to put pieces together that different agencies have. I believe this is a giant step forward.
ARENA: Critics argued the Bush administration was misinterpreting new powers granted under the Patriot Act, passed by Congress in the wake of the September 11 attacks.
The American Civil Liberties Union says the government now has a green light to violate basic constitutional rights.
ANN BEESON, SENIOR ATTORNEY, ACLU: Our primary concern is that they're going to use the FISA Law as an end run around the Fourth Amendment and spy on citizens when they have no probable cause to believe that those citizen have committed a crime.
ARENA: The appeals court saw it differently and wrote, "We therefore believe firmly that FISA, as amended, is constitutional because the surveillances it authorizes are reasonable."
The attorney general offered this assurance.
ASHCROFT: We have no desire whatever to in any way erode or undermine the constitutional liberties here.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ARENA: Now under the law governing this secret court the ACLU or other groups cannot appeal this decision, but they are exploring other legal avenues.
Now experts say that the issue could eventually reach the Supreme Court, if a convicted terrorist or spy challenges the way information was gathered for that conviction, Lou.
DOBBS: Without an appeal, what exactly will be here, Kelli, do we know what the checks and balances will be? What oversight will there be to protect constitutional rights?
ARENA: Well, obviously, the agents have to go before the FISA court in order to get a wiretap. I mean, this just doesn't give them carte blanche. There's still a legal process that everyone has to go to. That has not been taken away.
So there will be a judge who makes a decision and has to look and see if there's probable cause. You just can't walk in and say, I want a wiretap on Lou Dobbs's phone because I feel like it. No. There has to be a legal process to go through.
DOBBS: Forgive me, Kelli. What I'm asking is their oversight of that process itself?
ARENA: Well, it's just legal oversight, Lou. That's what it is. There is no other -- this done in secret. The FISA court operates in secret. We didn't even know about any other ruling that they had made until we heard about this in August, this past summer, when they rejected the Justice Department's application for a wiretap under the new Patriot Act. So this is something that's done in secret. It's not like it's open to the public or that they're published anywhere.
So, no, there isn't. You have to assume that the legal process works in the country or it doesn't.
DOBBS: Kelli Arena, thank you very much, reporting from Washington.
The voice on last week's audio broadcast by Al-Jazeera television and portions of that tape, reported here on CNN, has been confirmed to be that of Osama bin Laden. U.S. intelligence experts say that tape was recorded over the last several weeks. The White House said the tape should remind everyone to stay vigilant.
CNN's Frank Buckley has more now from the White House -- Frank.
FRANK BUCKLEY, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Lou, White House officials confirming what intelligence sources have been saying for the past several days, that indeed, that voice on the tape that all of us have heard by now is, in fact, the voice of Osama bin Laden. That confirmation coming after much analysis by a linguist and translators who are familiar with Osama bin Laden's voice.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SCOTT MCCLELLAN, DEPUTY WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: Intelligence experts do believe that it is -- that the tape is genuine, it cannot be stated with 100 percent certainty and it is clear the tape was made in the last several weeks as well.
But again I emphasize I can't make a 100 percent conclusion there, but they believe it is.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BUCKLEY: And White House officials saying that this is a remind that the war on terror continues and that the White House will pursue terrorists and their networks wherever they are -- Lou.
DOBBS: Frank, coalition aircraft again today attacked Iraqi targets in both northern and southern Iraq following several days of Iraqi antiaircraft fire at coalition planes. What is the White House saying about all of this?
BUCKLEY: Well Lou, the White House position is all of the incidents in which antiaircraft batteries have fired upon the coalition aircraft are, in fact, violations of the Security Council Resolution 1441. The U.S. position that these are violations that could be referred to the Security Council as material breaches. So far though, Lou, no indication that the U.S. is going to be taking that step.
DOBBS: OK, Frank Buckley thank you very much. Frank Buckley reporting, obviously, live from the White House tonight.
United Nations weapons inspectors return to Iraq today. Their mission is to search for weapons of mass destruction. The outcome of their mission will determine whether the United States and its allies go to war against Iraq. Senior international correspondent Nic Robertson reports from Baghdad.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Already Hans Blix and Muhammad Al-Beradi, the head of the nuclear inspection teams here, have had meeting with top Iraqi officials, meeting at the foreign minister with General Amir Al-Saadi. He is President Saddam Hussein's top scientific adviser. Of course those two top weapons inspectors, that is their agenda in the next two days -- to hold high- level meetings here.
Meanwhile, the other members of their teams have been checking into hotels before moving onto the U.N. offices here. These offices have not been occupied by the U.N. inspection teams over the last four years. They will be cleaning out those offices in the coming days. Inspection teams expected to get up and running by November 27.
Hans Blix, on his arrival at the airport -- very, very clear in what he said he wanted to do: that he was to answer -- to have one question only answered and that is: does Iraq have weapons of mass destruction? He also said that this is an opportunity for Iraq and the weapons inspectors to enter into a new era of cooperation, but he said very much the future stability and peace of the area depends on Iraq and on the United Nations.
HANS BLIX, CHIEF U.N. WEAPONS INSPECTOR: The war on peace depends on Iraq on the one hand and upon the Security Council and the members of the Security Council on the other hand. We will report objectively. We'll do our job professionally. We'll report back to the Security Council. It is for the council to effect whether there is a breach or not. And we hope there will not be a breach.
ROBERTSON: Now Iraqi newspapers in the editorials here calling for this new inspectors to be independent, to be unbiased and to be honest. Those same editorials pointing out, according to the Iraqi government, that on the previous inspection missions, there were members of teams and they point the finger here at the United States -- members of teams who were in fact working for the U.S. government, calling them spies -- not working for the United Nations.
Hans Blix, of course, has said that he cannot rule that out 100 percent, but he has said it if he did find anyone reporting outside the U.N. chain of authority, chain of command, then that person will be, in his words, bye-bye, off the team.
Nic Robertson, CNN, Baghdad.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
DOBBS: Israeli troops launched a major overnight raid against Palestinian security compound in Gaza. Israeli helicopters and tanks demolished most of that compound's 11 buildings. Israel's defense force discovered anti-tank missiles, grenades and other weapons. It is the first Israeli offensive since Palestinian gunmen shot and killed 12 Israeli soldiers in the West Bank last Friday.
Also today, Israeli officials say an attempt to break into the cockpit of an El Al jetliner yesterday was likely a terrorist attack. Amateur video taken by a passenger showed the suspect on the floor after security agents tackled him and got him into custody. The suspect was apparently brandishing a pen knife.
The battle over a bill to create the office of homeland security is not yet ended. Some Democratic senators now say they will not vote for a measure which is loaded with extra provisions. One such provision would shield airport security firms from lawsuits. CNN Congressional correspondent Jonathan Karl reports from Capitol Hill.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JONATHAN KARL, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Democrats have a list of seven provisions they say must be removed from the homeland security bill, including a measure that would limit the liability of pharmaceutical companies that make vaccines such as smallpox and anthrax.
Another that limits the liability of companies that make anti- terrorism technologies and one that protects companies that make baggage screening machines.
SEN. BYRON DORGAN (D), NORTH DAKOTA: With these kinds of little special provisions and especially the pharmaceutical provision in this bill called homeland security. Who put it in and why? What was the motivation?. Do this have anything at all to do with homeland security? The answer is no.
KARL: Democrat accuse Republicans of trying to help corporate special interests like drug companies. But Republicans say Democrats are fighting for their own special interests: the trial lawyers who would profit from unlimited lawsuits.
SEN. PHIL GRAMM (R), TEXAS: In every war we've fought since the Civil War we granted some liability protection for people who have been making instruments of war. In this case, we grant liability protection for those that are making smallpox vaccines.
KARL: And Republicans warn if Senate makes changes, the bill will be delayed and could even die because the House has already adjourned for the year.
GRAMM: Whether they would actually bring their people back to try to amend the bill, I think it's doubtful and I think the worst- case scenario is the bill dies.
KARL: Democrats say the bill also creates a homeland security research center at Texas A & M university, a favorite of Republican Phil Gramm. Gramm insists other universities could qualify for the center as well.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KARL: Democrats have just picked up a major Republican ally in this effort to strip those provisions from the homeland security bill. Senator John McCain told CNN just a little while ago that he will vote with the Democrats to strip those provisions from the bill.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), ARIZONA: I don't approve of a process where the House of Representatives throws a major piece of legislation over the Senate and says good bye. That's not the way the process is supposed to be conducted around here.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KARL: With McCain's support it now looks much more likely that that amendment stripping those provisions will pass when the Senate votes on it tomorrow morning. Lou, that means that at the end of day the Senate would have passed effectively a different bill from the House and if this is to be passed this year, final passage, the House will have to come back into town and negotiate the difference with the Senate and once again vote on homeland security.
So at the very least, if this passes tomorrow as expected now it will delay the process -- Lou.
DOBBS: As Senator McCain said this, is a highly unusual situation in which the House moving legislation to the Senate has left town without any thought to further conference. That's remarkable, Jonathan.
KARL: Yes, absolutely. As a matter of fact Senator McCain says that is his objection more than anything specifically in terms of what the House added. His biggest objection is the process. How can the House go and make these changes -- add this to the bill and then leave town without giving the Senate a chance to pass its own bill?
So it's clearly the process in McCain's mind is more of an outrage other than the specifics of what was added to the bill.
DOBBS: Have we heard from anything on Capitol Hill from the White House? Has the party leadership there heard anything?
KARL: As a matter of fact the president himself has been making some calls on this trying to get this bill passed. The president wants the Democratic amendment defeated because he wants a bill immediately. He wants this to go to the White House.
He called Senator Ben Nelson, who was one of the few Democrats that is still undecided on that Democratic amendment, called Ben Nelson today and asked him to vote with the Republicans so they can expedite the passage, the final passage of a homeland security bill. So the president's very much involved in this process.
DOBBS: Jonathan Karl from Capitol Hill, thank you.
Still ahead here, more than 40,000 federal screeners will be on duty at this country's airports tomorrow. We'll have a special report for you on whether these new screeners will do a better job than their private sector counter parts who preceded them.
And former Senator Bob Dole will be here to talk about stock market losses and how he put together enough money for your retirement. All of that and more still ahead here. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
DOBBS: Alabama's top state judge will have to remove a 5,300 pound monument to the Ten Commandments from that state's judicial building. A federal judge in Alabama made that ruling today saying the statue violates the Constitution's ban against government promotion of religion. Alabama's chief justice, Roy Moore, who installed the monument has 30 days to remove it at his own expense. Moore's attorney says his client will appeal.
As of tomorrow, federally-trained security screeners will officially take over for private firms at every airport in the country. It is the first deadline set by Congress for the Transportation Security Administration to make the skies safer. However, meeting the next deadline is less certain. Patty Davis has the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PATTY DAVIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Raynu Clark says she took the job of federal passenger screener for a reason.
RAYNU CLARK, FEDERAL SCREENER: I feel like I'm doing my part in September 11. We just wouldn't want something like that to happen again.
DAVIS: She's one of more than 44,000 federal screeners now on the job at more than 400 airports. Officials say they delivered on their promise to get screeners like Clark in place by Tuesday's deadline, making the skies safer against terrorists.
TOM RIDGE, HOMELAND SECURITY DIRECTOR: Today is a milestone, but it is not an ending. New and important deadlines loom ahead.
DAVIS: The next big deadline, December 31 to screen all checked bags for terrorist bombs using these big explosive detection machines. While transportation officials say 100 airports are already screening checked all bags, Congress is considering a one-year deadline extension for others. Bags at those airports would still be screened by hand or even by bomb-sniffing dogs. Not good enough for some critic critics.
PAUL HUDSON, AVIATION CONSUMER ACTION PROJECT: They've lost some of their urgency. There's been some bureaucratic confusion and Congress has taken as it often does, one step forward and one step back.
DAVIS: Permanent reinforced cockpit doors still not in place. Holes in general aviation security and concerns that cargo on commercial flights still go unchecked.
JIM GILMORE, CHMN. TERRORISM ADVISORY PANEL: About 23 percent of the cargo that goes into commercial aircraft is unconnected to passengers. So we need to make sure that we enhance that type of inspection so that if anybody attempts to utilize that source to attack an airplane, that they're going to be caught.
DAVIS: The Transportation Security Administration says cargo is on the top of its list as next priority. ADM. JAMES LOV, TRANSPORTATION SECURITY ADMIN.: Cargo and charters and general aviation and the caterers that are at the airport. The workers that are inside the so-called sanitized area of the airport, all of those thing deserve our attention and in fact have gotten an awful lot of attention.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
DAVIS: While transportation officials admit there is more work to be done, they say with federal screeners, air marshals and other security measures already in place, that passengers should feel a lot safer -- Lou.
DOBBS: Patty Davis, thank you very much.
As we reported earlier, the Justice Department today won broad discretion to use wiretaps to track suspected terrorists and that is the subject of our "MONEYLINE Poll Question" tonight.
But first let's give out final results of Friday's question which was do you think homeland security is an appropriate name for a U.S. federal agency? An overwhelming number of you apparently hate that name. Seventy-four percent said no. Only 26 percent, said yes. So, Tom Ridge, please make the necessary adjustments. And for those of you who did think homeland security is not an appropriate name, please mail us your suggestions at moneyline@cnn.com.
Now to tonight's question. Do you think today's federal court decision allowing a broader use of wiretaps in this country is an invasion of privacy? Please cast your vote on cnn.com/moneyline. We'll have preliminary results for you later in the broadcast.
In tonight, updating the "Enron Corporate America Criminal Scoreboard," it has now been 351 days since Enron filed for bankruptcy. No other updates.
Coming up next here , with U.N. weapons inspectors back in Baghdad, the U.S. military is preparing for war. Fewer military reservists, however, are on duty now than just after September 11. The regular Army has more members than a year ago. We'll have a special report.
And star gazers are getting ready to pull an all-nighter for what's expected to be nature's best light show in decades and for many more to come.
He has been Senate majority leader, presidential candidate and spokesman for Viagra and Pepsi. Now Bob Dole wants to help us save money for retirement. I'll be talking with the Senator Dole about his latest project, that and a great deal more still ahead. Stay with us. '
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
DOBBS: Coming up, an Arizona newspaper is calling for the formation of a militia to combat illegal immigration across the Arizona-Mexico border. We'll have that story for you in just a moment. But first this news alert.
A small pipe bomb exploded outside a U.S. army base near Tokyo today, the blast occurred 800 feet outside the base in an empty part. No one was injured in the explosion, and no one has claimed responsibility.
A policeman posing as a pizza delivery man managed to over power a hostage-taker outside Barcelona. A 17-year-old boy brandishing a knife took 25 children and the teacher hostage. He later released all but five of the hostage, none of them hurt.
An elephant at the Pittsburgh zoo killed one of her handlers today. The elephant was on a walk when she suddenly turned, and pinned one of the zoo keeper. Seconds later the more than 6,000 pound elephant walked on as if nothing had happened. Zoo authorities say there are no plans to destroy the elephant.
United Airlines, announced that it cut an additional 9,000 jobs, it also plans to cut flight schedule by 6 percent. The airline is trying to avoid bankruptcy. The stock jumped an incredible 19 percent today on that news, to $3.5 a share.
Protecting our borders has led one newspaper to issue for call to arms. "The Tombstone Arizona Tumbleweed" is forming a militia to stop immigrants from coming into the country. "Tumbleweed" owner and editor Chris Simcox wrote his article on October 31. Since then, 46 people have joined his new militia, dozens more an expressed an interest in joining.
Simcox told MONEYLINE the force is organized by ex-military and police officers. That militia would patrol the 25 mile border that separate Cochise County, Arizona and Mexico. County official would say only that they are concerned about the papers, quote, "harsh editorial tone."
Well, U.N. weapons inspectors are now on the ground in Iraq, never the less, the United States is making preparations for war. The Pentagon is increasing both it's active forces and reservists. Kitty Pilgrim reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KITTY PILGRIM, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): National Guard and reservists play large roles following the September 11 attack. 80,000 National Guard and reservists were called at peak, but that number has dropped some 51,000 after the wind-down of military action in Afghanistan. Still a hefty increase from the few thousand used in Bosnia and Kosovo.
However, in the event of war in Iraq, up to 260,000 National Guard and reserve troops could be called up rapidly, mostly performing duties in the United States, protecting sites like power plant, pipelines and other strategic infrastructure a number comparable to the mobilization during the Persian Gulf War. Some positions pilots, security experts and intelligence jobs have been placed on a premium, requiring a longer stay than the one-year commitment. JAY SPIEGEL, RESERVE OFFICERS ASSOCIATION: If someone's been on one year they've been extended for a second year, and now they'll be involved in a war in Iraq that could cumulatively add up to three years.
PILGRIM: Military experts say heavy equipment has been put in position in all the logical places including Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, and Bahrain. Active military personnel has climbed, in the last year, from 1.3 million troops in August 2001 to 1.4 million a year later. The bulk of the troops will not likely be moved until war is imminent.
BOB MARTIRAGE, CSBA: Part of the idea is to limit the foot print, limit the sort of political repercussions with the different Arab friends and allies in the region. And one of the ways to do that is to really hold back, and not have a big foot print -- a big signature until we really need to have it that their.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PILGRIM: As far as readiness, most military experts agree troops are the finishing touches on infrastructure that is all ready advanced in the region. Diplomatic efforts are now being made to finalize basing rights for military action. And many experts estimate full troops strength can be reached within 30 days -- Lou.
DOBBS: Kitty, thank you.
Well, NASA today announced the details of the space transportation plan, which includes orbital spacecraft to ferry crews to and from the international space station. NASA's plan does not set a retirement date for the existing space shuttle fleet. The shuttles are expected to continue and service as heavy cargo lifters. The new space planes are likely to be in service form 2008, each one carrying as many as ten people.
Well, If you wanted to stay up late or wake up early to watch the annual Leonid Meteor Shower, this is the time to do it. Scientist say that tonight show will be the best for perhaps the next century. Thousands of shooting stars should be visible even with a full moon. The Leonid Shower happens every November when earth travels through dust particles, that are shed by Temple-Tuttle. Most of those particles are smaller than a grain of rice or a grain of sand.
Our CNN science correspondent Ann Kellan joins us now with the story -- Ann.
ANN KELLAN, CNN SCIENCE CORRESPONDENT: Hi Lou, are you going to set your alarm and watch the showers?
DOBBS: Absolutely. Absolutely.
KELLAN: It should be a good show. There are obstacles that you were talking about. The clouds, moon, city lights they could get in the way. If they don't block your view, you could see quite a dazzling display of shooting stars. This is the year to do it if you do it any year. This is the night for the Leonid Meteor Shower, it occurs this time every year. Now as we show you the best time to see it is easy, dusk to dawn. But there Peak viewing 5:23 to 5:47 am Eastern time.
How many shooting stars expected per hour is really a guessing game. Astronomers say between 2,900 and 6,000 shooting stars an hour. Now, to get a good look you want to head to a very dark open sky away from city lights, and look for the big dipper, that one astronomers telling us that, and that will give you a good angle to see the meteors shooting by.
Now, one obstacle is this year, as you mentioned Lou, is that full moon, and it wasn't there last year but it's there this year, and could out shine some of the meteor spectacle. NASA recommends that you keep the moon behind when you out there bundled up looking at the stars. And you don't look ever -- don't look directly at moon, it will diminish your to see the dimmer objects, and these dim objects that could be flying by. Leonids got their name because they seem to be falling from Leo, a constellation of stars.
Actually the shooting stars or meteors, you'll be seeing, are tiny fragments, you said Lou, the size a grain of sand of dust from a comet's tail. And the comets name, Temple-Tuttle, once a year the earth flies through Temple-Tuttle dusty tail, those particles enter the earth's atmosphere at 158,000 miles-an-hour and burn up. It take 32 years for comet Temple-Tuttle to orbit the sun.
And since comets are made up mostly of ice water and dirt, that comet melts a little and gets smaller each orbit. There is a lot of mystery about comets, some think they slammed into early earth and seeded it with water. There is even a mission now to study the makeup of comets to get a better understanding of the basic elements that existed when the Earth was in its infancy.
So, tonight, if you go out and look at those streaking comet dust particles, bundle up. Experts are saying, if the weather cooperates, it could be quite a show -- Lou.
DOBBS: Well, Anne, last year was a spectacular show. The family, we all stayed up to watch it.
KELLAN: Did you?
DOBBS: It was spectacular.
This actually is considered to be more meteorites than last year, in the estimates. As you know and as you've reported very widely, it could actually in some places be even better than last year were it not for that full moon. How much of a problem is that going to be?
KELLAN: Last year, when we did this story, they said that last year was the time to see the Leonids, because next year is going to be a full moon.
Now we're at this year. And the experts are saying, yes, a full moon could get in the way. And it could be an obstacle. And I think that's why NASA is making a point to say put your back to the moon, because it affects your vision. And there are a lot of faint ones that go by that will be missed because of the full moon.
DOBBS: Any advice, whether you are watching this broadcast from the East Coast, the West Coast, Central or Mountain time zones?
KELLAN: Well, they say the East Coast should be the better viewing, but anybody around the country should take a look. Again, we said around 5:00 a.m.; 5:37 a.m. was the peak time, so that was Eastern time. So you want to adjust the time accordingly to where you live.
DOBBS: And our worldwide audience, we should remind them, this is a global event. It's spectacular, period.
KELLAN: Yes.
But, again, we get -- I think we get the good show, but it is a global event. Some parts of the world will get a better view than others.
DOBBS: Well, if you have ever just wished on one shooting star, this is your opportunity to come up with multiple wishes.
Ann Kellan...
KELLAN: We'll be out there, Lou. We'll be out looking for them.
DOBBS: You and me both.
KELLAN: Have a good time.
DOBBS: And I hope everybody else is. It should be spectacular. Let's keep our fingers crossed for both the weather and for the moon to be somewhat subdued, at least, even in its fullness.
Ann Kellan, thank you.
A different type of natural wonder could disappear entirely in about three decades. The picturesque glaciers in Montana's Glacier Park are melting at a rapid rate. Photographs taken in 1907 and 1902 show just how much ice has disappeared. This is the comparison between 1902 and 1998. Dan Fagre, the head of the U.S. Geological Survey team in Montana, tells us that rising temperatures are responsible.
More than a century ago, there were 150 glaciers, today about 30. And that means that, unless temperature trends reverse quickly, Montana's glaciers will likely vanish entirely by the year 2030.
It's a different story, however, in Colorado, where glaciers are not melting, because temperatures are at their lowest levels in half- a-century -- some good news on the environment to conclude with.
And some good news for "Harry Potter": Working his magic again at the box office this weekend, "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" took in more than $88 million in its opening weekend. That is more than $20,000 a minute, pushing last week's winner to the No. 2 spot, my daughter's favorite, Eminem. "8 Mile" raked in $19 million. And that is still pretty tight. Rounding out the top five: "The Santa Clause 2" and "The Ring" and "Half Past Dead."
The second installment of "Harry Potter" scored the third-best opening of all time. In point of fact, this summer's "Spider-Man" hold the record, $115 million. The first "Harry Potter" film held onto second place at $90 million.
And another lucrative franchise premiering in London today: "Die Another Day," the 20th "James Bond" moves since the series began in 1962. And MGM's movie, starring Pierce Brosnan and Halle Berry, opens nationwide Friday.
Coming up next here: the stock market tumble and worries about corporate accountability have left many of us questioning our retirement plans. We'll be talking with one of the Senate's most prominent retirees, Senator Bob Dole, about how can you make your money last -- that and a great deal more still ahead.
But first: "In Their Words."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HANS BLIX, CHIEF U.N. WEAPONS INSPECTOR: We are here to provide inspection which is credible. Inspection that is credible is the only thing that in the interests to Iraq and in the interests of the world. And we will try to do so.
SCOTT MCCLELLAN, DEPUTY WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: The ultimate issue here is the disarmament of weapons of mass destruction by Saddam Hussein. I continued to emphasize, our policy is one of zero tolerance when it comes to disarmament.
JACK STRAW, BRITISH FOREIGN MINISTER: The ball is in Saddam Hussein's court. It is up to him now, whether he is disarmed peacefully or by other means. But one thing I'm absolutely certain: Saddam Hussein will be disarmed of his weapons.
KOFI ANNAN, U.N. SECRETARY-GENERAL: It demands that Iraq should give the inspectors prompt and unfettered access and comply with all Security Council resolutions.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
DOBBS: A reminder now to vote in our question tonight: "Do you think today's federal court decision allowing a broader use of wiretaps in this country is an invasion of privacy?" Cast your vote at CNN.com/MONEYLINE. We'll bring you preliminary results here in just a few minutes.
Well, more than 77 million baby boomers are approaching retirement age. And they're living longer. And their health care costs are rising. But many have simply not saved enough to cover retirement. Former Senator Bob Dole is the honorary chairperson for a new organization called the National Retirement Planning Coalition. It was designed to provide Americans with the information needed to build personal retirement plans. Bob Dole is also, of course, married to the newly elected Republican senator of North Carolina, Elizabeth Dole.
Senator Dole joins us now.
Bob, good to have you here.
BOB DOLE (R), FORMER U.S. SENATOR: She's the junior senator in our family.
(LAUGHTER)
DOBBS: That's right. You hope, notwithstanding rank and service.
DOLE: Well, she'll do a great job.
DOBBS: Well, congratulations again. That's great.
Now, retirement, these are startling numbers on the number of people who don't have money saved for retirement.
DOLE: Yes.
About 18 percent of the working age are involved in IRAs, 22 percent, 24 percent in 401(k)s. So there's a big gap out there. And what we're doing, this is simply the kickoff. This is National Retirement Planning Week. And we're trying to alert people, remind people that they need to plan for their retirement, save, and then, when they retire, manage their investments.
DOBBS: One of the great issues discussed in this campaign was privatizing Social Security or, what was often not said, a portion of Social Security.
DOLE: A choice, right.
DOBBS: And offering a choice.
But, at the same time, where we look at this situation now with Social Security, the money that a retiree can expect from Social Security, and you're talking about something like 80 percent of the people are dependent on it.
DOLE: Maybe $11,000 a year. But 60 some percent of those people are going to rely on that for half their income, retirement. And, of course, as you know, it was never meant to be a replacement. It's not going to give you your full income. But the Social Security system is in good shape, at least until the year 2017 and probably beyond.
DOBBS: Well, that is at least reassuring. Now the toughest question, of course, Senator, is: What do people who are sitting there that are nearing retirement age -- it's very difficult at that late stage to build up for retirement. What do they do?
DOLE: Well, some of them had to go back to work. Their 401(k)s went down. They had a lot of money invested in their own company's stock, whether it was Enron, WorldCom, whatever. They have been wiped out. They've had to go back to work, when they should be enjoying retirement.
Those are going to be difficult cases. But we're reaching out to all across the age spectrum, particularly trying to energize younger people to think about 10, 20, 30 years down the road. And it's not going to be enough. Social Security will be there, but that will not be enough. We're living longer, but health care costs are higher. Prescription drug costs are higher. And the federal government can't do it all.
DOBBS: Well, no matter how hard it tries.
DOLE: Well, it tries. And we do have an obligation to low- income Americans.
DOBBS: Absolutely.
But in terms of the Social Security itself, offering up $11,000 a year, whether one is low income or moderate income, middle income, that's not a lot of money.
DOLE: It's not very much.
DOBBS: In point of fact, people are scared to death of their 401(k)s right now. Every survey we look at, investor confidence is down. People are afraid to put money in 401(k)s. What is your organization saying to people, given the realities of this market for the past 2 1/2 years?
DOLE: Well, I'm not advocating any one thing. I'm not trying to sell any product. I'm not endorsing any product. I'm just saying that it's a great idea, when this is National Retirement Planning Week, to at least think about it. And we are going to follow up with other messages.
They ought to go see an investment adviser or talk to somebody they have confidence. Watch your program every night would be another good suggestion, get some idea on what's happening out there.
(LAUGHTER)
DOBBS: Excellent suggestion.
DOLE: But people are pretty sophisticated.
DOBBS: Absolutely. DOLE: The stock market is going to go back up. You've got to look at it over a 10-year period, not a one-year, six-month or whatever.
DOBBS: Let me -- may I turn to politics briefly? I can't imagine, of course, sitting, talking to Bob Dole and not talking about politics.
Let me ask you first the question that came up today: these expanded powers in terms of wiretap.
DOLE: It's a close call. If I had to vote on the telephone poll, I might have put mine in the middle somewhere. I think, under certain circumstances, the answer is yes, maybe wartime, when there's danger to American interests or American troops, for example, yes. But it's going to be very limited and it's going to have to go away when this is over.
DOBBS: And homeland security in terms of the bill as it's constructed? It's now ballooned to 484 pages. The Senate is wrangling over it right now.
DOLE: The House is very good at this. They did it to us for years. They pass a bill and go home, say: "Goodbye, fellas. You take it or leave it."
And I don't think, at this stage, the Senate is going to be able to do anything but take it. They may have a vote on stripping some of these amendments. But my view is, it's already cost the Democrats seats in the United States Senate. And they have got another big race coming up in Louisiana on the 8th of December. And they better be very careful.
DOBBS: Senator Bob Dole, great to see you.
DOLE: Thanks, Lou.
DOBBS: Thank you.
Coming up next here, the topic of fiery e-mails: the destination for a million-dollar grant. Some are calling it the Harvard of preschools. We'll tell you why there is so much fuss about something called a 92nd Street Y and why some people are willing to do almost anything to get in.
Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANNOUNCER: Tomorrow on LOU DOBBS MONEYLINE: The logjam of judicial appointees has been held up by Senate Democrats. A Republican-controlled Senate should change that. Partisan politics for judgeships began with the proposed appointment of Robert Bork to the Supreme Court. We'll ask Robert Bork what the Bush appointments could mean for the legal system and for you -- tomorrow on LOU DOBBS MONEYLINE. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
DOBBS: The Supreme Court today decided to consider two very different cases. The high court will examine whether death row inmates with ineffective attorneys deserve another trial. And it will also decide whether the federal government should be allowed to place limits on campaign contributions.
Philip Howard is the author of "The Collapse of the Common Good." He's here now to talk about exactly what the Supreme Court has decided to do.
Phil, let's begin, if we may, with the idea of limiting campaign contributions by nonprofit advocacy groups. What's your take?
PHILIP HOWARD, AUTHOR, "THE COLLAPSE OF THE COMMON GOOD": Well, I don't know.
I think that we've been at this tussle over the First Amendment for the last five years. It's going to come up again in the context of the campaign finance reform bill. And it's anybody's guess what the Supreme Court is going to do.
DOBBS: And the idea, as you attorneys would say, in terms of granting those convicted of capital crimes a retrial based on the quality of their attorneys, as your attorneys say, that looks like pretty strong prima facie evidence, at least: Your lawyer wasn't good enough to get you off.
What do you do with that?
HOWARD: Well, in general, the system gives you a bite at the apple in appeals. And that ought to be the end of it.
Capital punishment is a fairly unusual situation. I'm not a big fan of capital punishment. I'd rather just put people in the dungeon without a television. And you would solve all these legal problems, because many people don't like the idea of taking someone's life if your lawyer was sleeping through the trial.
DOBBS: Well, Phil, before you get too far down the road in terms of the death penalty advocacy, let's deal with the issue that I was really addressing, counselor. Come on.
HOWARD: I'm answering the question I want to answer.
No, there's -- in general, you shouldn't have the right to have a new trial because your lawyer didn't do a great job.
DOBBS: All right, let's turn to tort reform, which, obviously, your organization, Common Good, and you have been advocates, strong advocates for the past year now, and on this broadcast, I might point out, weekly.
Do you think that we're going to see significant tort reform because the Republicans have gained at least control of The house and the Senate?
HOWARD: I think we will see a renewed battle, that the last few years has been more like trench warfare in World War I.
But it's not just because the Republicans won. It's also because the Democrats are beginning to wake up that selling out as many people as I think they have to the trial lawyers is bad politics for them. And there are a couple of fairly mainstream Democrats who are now talking about the need for legal reform, for example, in the health care system
(CROSSTALK)
HOWARD: ... to give you one example.
DOBBS: It may be because you are in Washington, but it sounded to me like you were giving the Republicans there an out. They're in charge of Congress -- or, excuse me, in Atlanta. The fact of the matter is, the Republicans have some responsibility here. If you want tort reform, why can't they deliver it?
HOWARD: Well, they can deliver it if they can get the votes to deliver it. But it takes 60 votes for cloture in the Senate. And right now, they have got -- what do they have, 51 or 52?
DOBBS: Fifty-one and counting I think is the way they would say it.
Phil Howard, as always, great to have you with us.
HOWARD: Nice to see you, Lou.
DOBBS: Thanks.
On Wall Street today, the Dow, the Nasdaq, S&P 500 all down on the day, down about 1 percent. Christine Romans is here to tell us what happened.
Things were just looking so good.
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, retailers were weak. We had four days higher for the Dow, so a step back here today.
And AT&T had a downgrade from Lehman to an underweight. We'll call that a sell for our purposes.
DOBBS: I love the concept.
(LAUGHTER)
ROMANS: And that stock was one of the worst Dow losers.
Take a look at what the analysts have to say overall on AT&T: one sell today, a strong sell -- that is HSBC -- 11 holds and two buys. Considering that AT&T is down 30 percent from its 52-week highs, those sells on AT&T are pretty lonely, Lehman saying that... DOBBS: It's only down 33 percent?
ROMANS: Oh, well, in the high this year. If you want to go all the way back, we can start talking about some bigger numbers, more like 64 percent. And in case you were wondering if Salomon Brothers has a rating on AT&T, it doesn't. Remember, Jack Grubman used to cover it.
DOBBS: I remember Jack Grubman.
ROMANS: Yes, yes, Jack Grubman used to cover that stock. So, Salomon has no rating on that one or
(CROSSTALK)
DOBBS: Wait a minute. Salomon Brothers is part of Citigroup.
ROMANS: Well, yes, it is.
DOBBS: And Citigroup is run by?
ROMANS: Sandy Weill.
DOBBS: And they don't have a rating. You would think after all of this e-mail traffic, the least they would have is a rating.
(LAUGHTER)
ROMANS: At any rate, AT&T in the news today.
DOBBS: All right, thanks a lot, Christine.
Well, the cutthroat competition among Manhattan's private schools begins as early as preschool in this sometimes peculiar city. The 92nd Street Y is among the city's most prestigious kindergartens. Now New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer is investigating Citigroup's $1 million donation to the school.
Allan Dodds Frank has the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALLAN DODDS FRANK, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For the 3- year-old children at the elite nursery school run by the 92nd Street Y, being admitted is their first big step to the top of the academic pile.
Parents apply for admission when their children are less than 2 years old. And the lucky ones view paying $12,000 to $14,000 a year in tuition as a privilege. As former Salomon Smith Barney analyst Jack Grubman put it in a memo to his boss, Citigroup Chairman Sandy Weill, "It's easier to get into the Harvard freshman class than the preschool at the 92nd Y."
Getting children into private school pushed parents to the brink all over Manhattan. KATHY HEINZELMAN, PRESIDENT, PARENTS LEAGUE OF NEW YORK: You have to start a whole year ahead of time, because you have to go and see so many different schools and because so much of it is beyond your control. And that makes it stressful.
FRANK: So Grubman, even though he was making $20 million a year, asked Weill to help his twins, saying it comes down to who you know. Weill then helped and Citigroup gave the Y $1 million. Just ask a mother whose child did not get in.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The whole process in Manhattan leaves a lot to be desired. But I think the fact that people seem to be able to buy their way in, I can't imagine that Woody Allen's wife or Woody Allen was on the phone the day after Labor Day calling like everybody else.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FRANK: By the way, the $1 million came directly from Citigroup, not from its charitable foundation -- Lou.
DOBBS: It came from Citigroup. Well, it is sort of extraordinary, with this city's public schools collapsing all around, to see this sort of nonsense going on at a so-called prestigious preschool. It's laughable.
FRANK: It is laughable.
DOBBS: Or it's cryable. I don't know which.
FRANK: OK.
DOBBS: All right, Allan Dodds Frank, thank you.
The preliminary results to our MONEYLINE poll question this evening: "Do you think today's federal court decision allowing a broader use of wiretaps in this country is an invasion of privacy?" Seventy-five percent of you said yes; 25 percent said no. You have another 23 hours in which to vote on this issue. We'll have the final results for you on tomorrow evening's broadcast.
Coming up next, I'll have some thoughts on Americans taking control of their lives, among other things.
Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
DOBBS: Well, this week is off to an interesting and promising beginning.
In Arizona, some folks want to establish a militia to protect the border with Mexico. And in Alabama, a federal judge has ruled that the Alabama chief justice has to move a statue of the 10 Commandments out of the rotunda of the Alabama state judicial building. Now, the 10 Commandments statue was placed in the rotunda by the Alabama chief justice. But the part I really like is that he had workmen move that statue into place in the dark of night and didn't tell his fellow justices what he was doing, nor the governor, nor anyone else. The don't-ask/don't-tell approach to sneaking religious symbols into taxpayer-funded buildings might have worked better if the commandments statue were somewhat smaller. That statue weighs almost three tons.
Now, I can't wait to see how the important issues of separation of church and state get resolved. But there is, however, that little matter of the Judeo-Christian religion upon which our law is based, not to mention the occasional swearing-in of witnesses. It's likely to get complicated.
Now, any country that can take seriously the idea that we set up a militia to guard our borders isn't doing too badly. I look at the idea of a militia border patrol as being a close parallel to the idea of school vouchers. As a nation, we seem to be developing the attitude that, if people you pay to do something don't do it well enough, don't fix. Just look for alternatives.
A militia is certainly one alternative. But much like school vouchers, I'd prefer the people we pay do a job either do the job or be replaced by people who will. But I know that gets complicated, too.
That's MONEYLINE for this Monday evening. Please join us tomorrow. Our guests will include former Supreme Court nominee Robert Bork and Florida Senator Bob Graham.
For all of us here, good night from New York.
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