[Soledad O'brien, Cnn Anchor:] State of the Union. President Bush addressing Congress tonight, promising big and bold ideas from Iraq, to the environment, even as his poll numbers sink to a new low.
[Miles O'brien, Cnn Anchor:] Tough sell. The general set to take charge of the Iraq War goes before a Senate committee today with a new plan for war and peace.
[S. O'brien:] Desert snow. Arizona hit with a surprise burst of snow and ice and frigid air.
[M. O'brien:] And will dreams come true? The nominations for this year's Academy Awards announced live on this
[American Morning. S. O'brien:] And good morning. Welcome, everybody. It is Tuesday, January 23rd. I'm Soledad O'Brien.
[M. O'brien:] And I'm Miles O'Brien. Thanks for being with us.
[S. O'brien:] Let's begin with a look at what the president will be talking about tonight. The president's State of the Union Address, he faces newly-empowered Democrats in Congress, and his fellow Americans, who are increasingly unhappy with his presidency and with him. New numbers are just out from CNN and Opinion Research Corporation. Fifty-five percent of people polled say the Bush presidency has been a failure. When asked if the president's done anything to make you angry, that was the question, 67 percent said "yes" and that number's growing. CNN White House correspondent Ed Henry with a look at the president's plan for tonight.
[Ed Henry, Cnn Correspondent:] Despite predicting last week that President Bush's State of the Union would be much shorter than usual this year, White House aides now say that after three rehearsals and all kinds of tweaking, the speech is creeping up pretty close to last year's length of 51 minutes. The increasing length due in part to the fact the president plans to cover a lot of ground. Aids last week suggested Iraq would only be a small part and the lions share would be on domestic issues as he tried to shift the focus a bit away from Iraq. But aides now say the war will be a significant portion of this speech, a bow to the reality that it's the most critical issue in the nation. And on the domestic front, aids say the primary theme will be big and bold ideas on health care and energy and at finding common ground with Democrats now running Capitol Hill. But the president is becoming a lame duck and it remains to be seen just how much compromise he and Democrats can really forge. Ed Henry, CNN, Washington.
[S. O'brien:] So if this year's State of the Union sounds a little familiar, it is. Last year, the president also dove into energy policy, telling us we are addicted to oil and vowing to spur the hunt for alternatives. We'll check out what happened and what did not happen since then. Bur, first, a fact check on Iraq. A year ago the president was hinting some troops would be coming home. Tonight he'll be making the case for sending more into harm's way. AMERICAN MORNING's Sean Callebs live from Washington with more. Good morning, Sean.
[Sean Callebs, Cnn Correspondent:] Good morning, Miles. Listen to this, "there is no peace in retreat, there is no honor in retreat. The United States will not retreat from the world and will never surrender to evil." Sounds like it could be coming from this evening's speech, but actually it comes from 2006. As we focus on where the president is going, we also thought it important to look where he's been.
[Callebs:] This is last year, before Mr. Bush proposed sending more U.S. troops to Iraq. The 2006 State of the Union, and a president flush with optimism.
[George W. Bush, President Of The United States:] The road of victory is the road that will take our troops home. As we make progress on the ground and Iraqi forces increasingly take the lead, we should be able to further decrease our troop levels.
[Callebs:] A year ago, in the same address, the president recognized the personal loss suffered by Bud and Sara Clay. Their son, Marine Sergeant Dan Clay, was killed fighting in Fallujah. Today the Clays still grieve, but their support for Mr. Bush and his evolving policy in Iraq is unwavering.
[Bud Clay, Son Killed In Iraq:] Like all of us, he doesn't have a crystal ball. He has his hopes and things that he would like to do, but life is not like that. Realities of life are that, as you know, things change, and you make your best decision on the information you have and you go with that.
[Sara Clay, Son Killed In Iraq:] His very intention ultimately is to get our boys home as soon as he possibly can, but he had a more important objective, and that is that that area would be able to be left in a semblance of security and peace.
[Callebs:] A year ago, the president told the nation that perhaps security and peace in Iraq were within reach.
[Bush:] We're on the offensive in Iraq, with a clear plan for victory. First we're helping Iraqis build an inclusive government, so that old resentments will be eased, and the insurgency will be marginalized.
[Michael O'hanlon, Brookings Institution:] Unfortunately, shortly after President Bush gave his 2006 State of the Union Address, Iraq's problems got even worse. And an insurgency and a terrorist threat also became, in most eyes, a civil war.
[Callebs:] Mr. Bush's harshest critics say his words on Iraq and his policies there will define his presidency.
[Lawrence Kolb, Center For American Progress:] I think President Bush's legacy will be, he led us into an unnecessary war, he led us in for the wrong reasons and he didn't do it correctly.
[Callebs:] Yes, his critics say, like it or not, Iraq will be one of the cornerstones of the president's legacy. Now remember, the president gave a significant address on Iraq less than two weeks ago, but expect to hear more this evening. Congress has been highly critical of his plans, Miles, for a surge in troops going to Iraq.
[M. O'brien:] Sean Callebs in Washington, thank you. Soledad.
[S. O'brien:] CNN, of course, has the best political team on TV. Our live primetime coverage of tonight's State of the Union Address will begin at 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Then, AMERICAN MORNING, we begin at a special time tomorrow, 5:00 a.m. Eastern, with a complete wrap-up of the president's address and more fact checks on his proposals. As for the Democrats who are vying to replace President Bush, former Senator John Edwards is the first to officially join the race. New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, who's threw his hat into the ring over the weekend. The Illinois Senator Barack Obama, who made the announcement late week. And Hillary Rodham Clinton, who hosted her first live Internet chat last night. Ahead this morning, Senator Clinton will join us live here on AMERICAN MORNING. That's going to happen at 7:40 a.m. Eastern Time. Miles.
[M. O'brien:] This morning in Lebanon, a widespread, coordinated strike is bringing the country to a standstill. Hezbollah-led protesters burning tires and cars, setting up road blocks, trying to enforce a general strike aimed at bringing down the U.S.-supported government there. Anthony Mills is there. Anthony, what's the latest?
[Anthony Mills, Cnn Correspondent:] Miles, this is a very serious escalation of the protests that have paralyzed downtown Beirut since early December. We've been out and about in Beirut and we have seen the paralyzing of this capital. There are burning cars, paralyzing major intersections and roads, overturned trash cans, mounds of earth that are barring passage on major roads. According to a security source here, major roads and entry points into the capital have been blocked off. The road to the airport, too, to Beirut International Airport, also blocked off. And this, Miles, is adding to very serious concerns that, although protests, until today, had been peaceful, that they could erupt into wide scale violence because of the tensions between pro and anti-government supporters.
[M. O'brien:] Anthony, is the government, Prime Minister Siniora, is he almost powerless to do anything? What are they doing to respond?
[Mills:] Well, very good question, Miles. The army is out and about, but it is not really getting involved for the most part because of concerns that if the army were to get involved and there were clashes that would erupt between the army and the demonstrators, that the army might split. It has many members who are quite possibly loyal to the demonstrators. And so there are concerns that the army might split if there were any clashes between the army and the demonstrators. Allow me to add that there have also been clashes so far already today. We've seen stones being thrown by supporters of the government and wide scale violence of that nature. And also gun battles, we understand, or at least shooting in parts of Beirut. Miles.
[M. O'brien:] Anthony Mills in Beirut, thank you. Also happening this morning, confirmation hearings today for David Petraeus, the general tapped to lead the war in Iraq. He plans to appear before the Senate Armed Services Committee. If confirmed, he will succeed General George Casey, soon to be the new Army chief of staff. In Missouri, attorneys for that accused kidnaper of two boys trying to stop their client from talking. Michael Devlin is charged with kidnapping 13-year-old Ben Ownby and 15-year-old Shawn Hornbeck. The attorneys have asked for a gag order after Devlin gave a reporter a jailhouse interview. In Brazil, authorities say air traffic controllers are partly to blame for a mid-air collision last September. All 154 people aboard a jetliner were killed when it collided with a private jet over the Amazon. The smaller plane landed safely. It's the first time officials have pointed the finger at anyone besides the Americans who were flying that private jet. And the new passport law goes into effect today. From now on, all travelers flying into the United States will need passports, that includes Americans coming back from Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean. Places where a birth certificate or a driver's license used to suffice. The law is designed to better secure the border against terrorists.
[S. O'brien:] Take a look at these pictures. It's a winter surprise in Arizona. These are kids in Tucson and they're enjoying a rare snowfall. Fun for them, of course, but the dense fog and the icy roads actually made it very dangerous for the drivers. The Tucson area got about two inches of snow and more than a foot fell in northern Arizona. In southern California, a wind-whipped wildfire threatening more than 20 homes, happening in Thousand Oaks. More than 200 firefighters are working to contain the fire. It's burned at least 30 acres so far. The cause is not known at this point. Bill Parcells calling it quits. Parcells announced that he is retiring from the Dallas Cowboys and from coaching on Monday. Parcells leaves with two Super Bowl wins, both as head coach of the New York Giants. The year's best in cinema will be rewarded later this morning with Oscar nominations. CNN's Sibila Vargas has a sneak peek for us at some of the favorites.
[Sibila Vargas, Cnn Correspondent:] I'm Sibila Vargas in Hollywood. And in just a matter of time, the nominations will be unveiled for what is considered Hollywood's biggest award show, the Academy Awards. Will it be a dream come true for "Dreamgirls"? The film and actors, Eddie Murphy and Jennifer Hudson, were big winners at the Golden Globes. Many say Oscar nominations may be in the bag. Industry insiders say also keep your eyes on "Babel." The multi- cultural drama took home the top prize at the Golden Globes. And royalty may reign supreme this year. Dame Helen Mirren had audiences and critics riveted with her turn as Queen Elizabeth II in Stephen Frears' "The Queen." A nomination for the actress is a sure thing. Forest Whitaker is also sure to get a nomination. The actor was virtually unrecognized as Uganda's dictator Idi Amin in "The Last King of Scotland." He swept numerous critical awards and could be the top contender at this year's Oscar race. And will it be the year that Marty finally gets his statue? "The Departed" director Martin Scorsese has been nominated multiple times but has yet to own an Oscar for directing. Very exciting predictions, but who will be celebrating today? We'll find out shortly. Sibila Vargas, CNN, Hollywood.
[S. O'brien:] You can catch those Oscar nominations live right here, 8:35 Eastern on AMERICAN MORNING. Miles.
[M. O'brien:] Well, it's cold and it's going to get colder. The full forecast is just ahead. Plus, hold the pundits. Real people have opinion on the State of the Union, of course, and what they tell Larry King might surprise you. And last year, President Bush promised action to break America's oil addiction. We have a reality check on just what got done on that front. That's ahead on AMERICAN MORNING, the most news in the morning right here.