over and out. the u.s. military lowers the flag in baghdad. the final u.s. troops leaving iraq with pride. and putting a fragile nation in the rear view mirror. >> breaking news for your paycheck. big compromise on capitol hill that could put $1,000 or more back into your paycheck next year. occupy gingrich. newt gets heckled by wall street protesters. they get it back on this "american morning." good morning, everyone. it is thursday, december 15. welcome to "american morning." good morning, carol. >> good morning, christine. good morning to all of you. it's over. minutes ago u.s. forces lowered the flag at baghdad and retired the colors to mark the end of the nearly nine-year iraq war. final few thousand u.s. troops are leaving iraq ahead of the new year's eve deadline to get out. >> it is a war that started with shocking and awe. today the departing soldiers are remembering more than 4,000 who did not come home alive. >> the long journey home. let's get to barbara starr. she is live in baghdad. the big question this morning is what happens after we are gone? >> reporter: well, you know, carol, there will be what they call an office of defense cooperation here in baghdad. the u.s. military will continue in a very small way to assist iraq and find weapons. helping to get their training programs up to speed. really today this is all about it being over. it has ended with just a couple hundred americans, civilian pass, military troops, you see the ceremony wrapping up behind me paying tribute to the more than 4,000 that died and more than 30,000 wounded. we didn't see any iraqis here. perhaps a small handful of iraqi officials. this is about the u.s. packing up and going home as was agreed to between president obama and congress, the iraqi government. that was the plan all along to get out by the end of the year. only a few thousand troops left. a couple of bases in iraq. convoys are moving south every did a to kuwait, everyone will be gone in the coming days. you may remember it was back in 2003, president george w. bush stood on that carrier next to the banner that said -- mission accomplished. there's a lot of debate and will be debate for years, was the mission accomplished? but today it really does matter because for u.s. troops the mission is over. >> it is hard to believe. it seems to have gone on forever. barbara starr reporting from baghdad this morning. >> a whole generation. this was the war that defined them for a decade really. the final few thousand u.s. troops are heading home right now. kuwait was the starting point for the war that began near flight attendant years ago. martin savidge has been with the troops and a long and dangerous road out of iraq and joins us live from camp virginia in kuwait. martin, good morning. the soldiers, you talked to there, do they leave with a sense of victory or is it -- more reflection of where they have come from and where they are going to now? >> reporter: more of the latter. there's a strong sense of reflection and a strong concern about the future of the iraqi people because after all, the u.s. invested a great deal of treasure and blood and many of the soldiers that come out of the conflict get to see to it the end and realize that they are here for a moment in history. they are looking at it from the point of view they feel they have accomplished their goals and have done the best they can to train and prepare the iraqi military and the iraqi police. and to plant the seeds of democracy for the government. they essentially say look, it is up to the iraqi people. they believe it is time for the u.s. to stand down, securitywise. and for the iraqis to stand up to the security challenges they face. i had a conversation with a young specialist last night by the name of michael. right after the president gave his speech and he expressed his feelings about what was accomplished and what he did in iraq. listen. >> pretty good. we did a lot this tour, my last tour. helping the iraqi people a lot. we do whatever we could to help. i mean. there's only so much you can do. we helped them as much as we could. >> reporter: so these soldiers are not coming out saying victory. they are not saying we won. there is a somber sense, somber realization, that this country, iraq, face as very difficult future, they believe the u.s. has done its best to prepare the iraqi people for that destiny they now take on themselves. christine. >> martin savidge. thank you, martin. president obama marked an end to the iraq war in fort bragg p. the troops are leaving with their heads health hype. america still has an obligation to the returning heroes. many of whom are suffering from the invisible wounds of war. david mattingly live at fort bragg for us this morning. david, the troops are coming home to an uncertain bad economy. let's put it in stark terms like that. they will be looking for work. do they think about that? >> reporter: for the last nine years, so many soldiers here at fort bragg has been departing from iraq over and over again. now that they are back home, when the president was speaking here yesterday, there was one big question on their mind -- and that was what is going to happen to us now in the years to come? >> welcome home. [ applause ] welcome home. >> reporter: soldiers out of iraq and home for the holidays. that alone is worth celebrating. but troops at fort bragg are looking for more. assurances from the president their sacrifices will not be overlooked. >> there's a lot of things we will never understand but we do know that the government is going to do its cutbacks. >> reporter: after eight years in iraq and budget cuts at home, soldiers worry about holes opening and safety nets, pensions, medical support, treatment for ptsd. >> how much pain are you in right now. >> quite a bit. i mean -- aches and pains. >> reporter: iraq vet wesley dodd came home in 2008 with a painful knee injury. ptsd and eventually an addiction to pain medication. today he's medically retired and in a methadone program. do you consider yourselves lucky? >> absolutely. i'm alive. i came home alive. i can't say the same -- i have a number of these dashgs corporal, he was killed on a mission while i was there. he was in my platoon can and killed while i was there. there are a lot of people that don't come home. it is not easy. >> reporter: but dodd was also arrested forging a prescription. he's now on probation. he believes as more troops come home, will will be more like him, in pain and in trouble. since the war in iraq began, fort bragg and the army had to find new ways to deal with new problems, suicide. there have been two murder suicides involving iraq soldiers. one killed a sheriff's deputy. another killed his wife. these female iraq vets tell me military families demand for access to counselling and treatment could go on indefinitely. what's the biggest problem had you when you came back immediately? >> oh, probably sleeping. >> oh, lord. >> reporter: nightmares? >> yes. >> reporter: how long did that take for that to go away? >> it doesn't. >> reporter: but troops with questions about their future seem to get their answer -- a pledge from the commander in chief. >> you stood up for america and america needs to stand up for you. >> reporter: that revolvie inin deployment has been going on as fort bragg continues to deal with the war in afghanistan. the sense among the soldiers is they have one big job that's done but still many sacrifices they may have to make in the future. >> such an emotional piece, david. you know, just -- hope for the best in the new year and hope 2012 will be the best year ever for many of those troops coming ho home. how is -- how are we leaving iraq different than the iraq of just a few years ago? coming up at 6:40 eastern, we will speak to retired brigadier general mark kimmitt. at 7:10 eastern, brett mcgurk will join us pfrm is the country ready to stand on its own? what exactly did we accomplish in that country? a big confession in the battle to extend the payroll tax cut. a source tells cnn democrats are working on a new proposal that drops their demand for a tax hike on millionaires. taxing millionaires to pay for an extension of tax relief for the middle class and has the two parties talking. house speaker john boehner, senate majority leader reid, and mitch mcconnell meeting privately for an hour in the capitol last night. 160 million american workers are facing a thousand dollar tax hike on new year's day if congress can't come up with a compromise. also new this morning, tragedy averted at an idaho mine. emergency crews overnight rescued seven miners from the silver mine in northern idaho. a mine official says the miners were trapped after a rock burst more than a mile underground. seven were treated for nonlife threatening injuries. two fatal accidents happened at the mine this year. florida a&m university in more trouble. smack in the middle of a hazing investigation. authorities find possible financial fraud. state officials say they are looking into irregularities among the band departments. the school's band is already in hot water. last month a drug major was killed in a suspecting hazing incident and this week three band members were arrested in another alleged hazing and sent a woman to the hospital with broken bones. it is the silent movie that could art cyst likely to earn a golden globe nomination when the nominees announced in los angeles in just about 2 1/2 hours from now. we will bring you the ceremony live. still to come -- >> the republican front-runner getting it from all sides now. how occupiers and conservatives alike are ganging up on newt gingrich. >> he gave it right back, though. >> he sure did. >> giving you the inside story, the controversial oil pipeline that republicans attached to their payroll tax cut extension. terrifying moments at a tennessee convenience store. a truck plunges through the glass. the driver wasn't finished there. 12 minutes after the hour. tdd# 1-800-345-2550 let's talk about fees. tdd# 1-800-345-2550 there are atm fees. tdd# 1-800-345-2550 account service fees. tdd# 1-800-345-2550 and the most dreaded fees of all, hidden fees. tdd# 1-800-345-2550 at charles schwab, you won't pay fees on top of fees. tdd# 1-800-345-2550 no monthly account service fees. tdd# 1-800-345-2550 no hidden fees. tdd# 1-800-345-2550 and we rebate every atm fee. tdd# 1-800-345-2550 so talk to chuck tdd# 1-800-345-2550 because when it comes to talking, there is no fee. ♪ my hair is gone ♪ cheap cologne ♪ motor home ♪ i'm the rocket man! 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( announcer ) fly without putting your life on pause. be yourself nonstop. american airlines. welcome a back. newt gingrich has been called many names and has done some name calling of his own during his long combative career. >> the former house speaker seems determined to take the high road this time around. no matter what his opponents may be saying about him. jim acosta is on the campaign trail in iowa city, iowa, where it seems everyone is ganging up on gingrich. >> reporter: remember that plea from newt gingrich for all the gop candidates to stick to a positive campaign? never mind. >> we are here to protest your speech today! >> reporter: it is a nasty taste of what's to come for newt gingrich after occupy wall street protesters interrupted his speech at the university of iowa, a man in the audience attacked the former speaker's personal life. >> seems like you have you have been cheating on your wife -- >> other than personal hostile -- >> reporter: gingrich is under fire from all sides. mitt romney launched this web act featuring the former speaker and nancy pelosi in their now infamous plea to combat climate change. a pro-romney pack put hit the way. >> barack obama's plan is working. destroy mitt romney, run against newt gingrich. >> reporter: just days after gingrich called on his fellow gop contenders to steer clear of negative attacks romney blasted away to "new york times." >> zany is not what we need in a president. zany is great in a campaign. it is great on talk radio. it is great in the print. it makes for fun reading. but in terms of a president, we need a leader. >> reporter: but gingrich, who responded to romney's attacks earlier in the week, said he was not taking the bait this time. >> respond to these -- >> no. look -- i stwhaund the consul trapts doing. that's fine. they should run their campaign the way they want to and i'm going to run my campaign the way i want to. >> reporter: in iowa where conservatives have doubts about both romney and gingrich, the rest of the field sees an opening. rick perry just launched a faith, jobs and freedom bus tour that will crisscross the state with a slew of stops. >> so many people vote for charisma. >> reporter: don't count out ron paul who sports the busiest campaign headquarters in iowa. at least gingrich has his old house subordinate and current speaker john boehner to count on. or does he? >> hard to describe newt as not conservative. i'm not sure he's as conservative as some people think he is. but newt is a conservative. >> reporter: gingrich promised to stay positive will be tested once again when the gop candidates speak for another debate here in iowa later tonight. it could be the former speaker under fire all over again. carol and christine. >> all right. we are going to hear more about the tense exchange you saw between newt gingrich in octoany protester. we are going to be joined by the man you heard confronting the gop president. >> his name is heck and he was a heckler. >> that's true. >> how weird. let's head to atlanta to check in with reynolds wolf. rob has the day off. good morning, reynolds. >> good morning. wish we could heckle some of the rough weather we had in parts of the eastern seaboard. we are going to be seeing today some rain, scattered showers, and even possibly a few thunderstorms in the ohio valley. but the top half of the system we might be seeing just a little something extra that might be snow in parts of the upper peninsula of michigan. the rain scatters all the way back into parts of texas, back out to the west and california. we are seeing rain there. in the highest elevations we have the cold air aloft. and, you know the drill. they will be seeing snow there. great for skiers, not so much though for many drivers out there. i would have the storm system in the east. right behind it strong winds and n the twin cities. minus delays there. then, of course, pacific northwest, scattered showers. high in the cascades. you better believe the snow. not that heavy. that's the if good news. we have big trough in the jet stream. witness it allows the cold air to compiling down in parts of the central rockies, as far south as albuquerque, 40 degrees for your high temperature. not the low, but the high. 42 in kansas city. 50 in chicago. 65 in memphis and 71 in atlanta. 59 in washington. and 54 in new york. what will that mean for you? it is going to mean this. major delays from new york and philadelphia. showers going to keep you gro d grounded. sometimes over an hour. especially if the afternoon we will see the delays stack up. in boston, chicago, even in cleveland and detroit you may have a bit of wait. then yes, out to the west, san francisco, we showed you those showers. they may keep grounded there. coupled with fog. not only in san francisco but perhaps on the other side of the bay in oakland. you may have to wait. major delays expected over an hour. further delays. let's send it back to new york. >> we were just trying to snap our fingers like you. >> i know. >> boom. i have hands the size of aircraft carriers. i mean, you know, when i basically snap, i mean, it is like a thunderclap. >> professional basketball career. >> i know. >> reynolds couldn't decide. >> you chose wisely. >> i think so, too. >> still to come, official end to the iraq war. now that u.s. troops are out can baghdad stand on its own? we will speak to a retired brigadier general about iraq's future. mitt romney with a visit to wall street. feeling the heat. not from newt gingrich but, of course, from democrats. it is 20 minutes past the hour. drink it, wear it. that's kathleen's motto. she takes empty bottles and makes them into wearable art. she calls it smart glass jewelry. >> i decided i would only use glass and that it would primarily come from the recycled bottles. we come in the studio and cut the bottles and try different things. just a lot of experimentation, sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. >> reporter: bottles come from different sources. like restaurants or dumpsters. >> i'm not unaccustomed to dumpster diving. whatever needs to happen to get the job done. >> reporter: kathleen's passion is creating jewelry that has a dual purpose. >> all things being equal, why not do it with a higher consciousness? why not do it in a way that has less impact, that has a greater benefit. i want, you know -- i make jewelry and i-want it to be more than that. i want to have a story and i want to it have meaning. and it just feels good. >> reporter: kath celine planning to work on larger pieces next like chandeliers. brooke baldwin, cnn, atlanta. ♪ sen♪ co-signed her credit card - "buy books, not beer!" ♪ ♪ut the second at she shut the door ♪ ♪ girl started blowing up their credit score ♪ ♪ she bought a pizza party for the whole dorm floor ♪ ♪ hundred pounds of makeup at the makeup store ♪ ♪ and a ticket down to spring break in mexico ♪ ♪ but her folks didn't know 'cause her folks didn't go ♪ ♪ to free-credit-score-dot-com hard times for daddy and mom. ♪ welcome back. minding your business this morning. wall street can't shake those concerns about europe's outgoing debt crisis. stocks took a hit yesterday. dow and s&p 500 were all lower. down 1%. u.s. stock futures this morning are trading higher. federal reserve chairman ben bernanke is concerned that europe's problems may spill over into the u.s. that's according to republican senators who are briefed by the fed chairman yesterday. they also say bernanke assured them the fed does not intend to bail out europe. concerns about europe have investors dumping gold and going into cash. precious metal saying 5% yesterday. first time gold has been below the $1600 level in three months. silver and copper were down sharply twofrmts hours from now a fresh read on the employment situation, the initial jobless claims report. expected to show that 320,000 people filed for unemployment benefits for the very first time last week. and any time this number is below 400,000, though, it is a good sign for the labor market. the nation's top ceos remain cautious about the economy. according to a survey by the business roundtable, two-thirds say they don't plan to increase hiring in the next six months nor do they plan to spend more on large equipment. this is mainly because of sluggish growth here and europe's debt problems. finally, some good news for the travel industry at least. according to aaa nearly 92 million americans about a third of the population are expected to travel at least 50 miles this holiday. that's up about a percent and a half from the last. i'm a big hunter. oh, what do you hunt? 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[ male announcer ] introducing spark the small business credit cards from capital one. get more by choosing unlimited double miles or 2% cash back on every purchase, every day. what's in your wallet? this guy's amazing. the first sign of progress in day was tax relief for 160 million families on the line, congress on the plot. your money at stake on this "american morning." welcome back. it's half past the hour. the iraq war is now over. earlier this morning, a ceremony in baghdad brought the nearly nine-yearlong conflict to an end. a few thousand troops remain now in iraq. new this hour, a french court convicting former president jacques chirac on corruption charges. giving him a two-year suspended prison sentence. the former french president was put on trial on charges dated back to his time as mayor of paris. chirac was accused of paying members of his political party for jobs that did not exist. signs of progress in the battle over how to extend that payroll tax holiday. sources tell cnn democrats are now working on a new proposal that drops their demand for a millionaire's tax. house speaker john boehner, senate majority leader harry reid and mitch mcconnell are meeting privately for about an hour in the capitol last night. >> does that make you hopeful? because congress can't hammer out a compromise about 160 million working americans will be socked with a $1,000 tax hike in just over two weeks. kate bolduan is live in washington. don't they just have one more day? >> that's until the government could potentially shut down. so things while that -- that tax cut expires at the end of the year, things are definitely moving up and it is a very important day today. the drawn-out stalemate over the payroll tax cut extending the payroll tax cut, i should say, before it expires at the end of the month, it is really now inching dangerously close to another government shutdown, as i said. last night senate democrats offered a major concession, though. following a meeting with the president, according to a democratic source, senate democratic leaders, they offered to drop the millionaires surtax as their preferred way of covering the cost of a payroll tax cut package. this is significant as democrats and the president had really insisted that this millionaires surtax be included in a final dale and something republicans have been very much opposed to. but even with this development, i have to caution that it is not clear what will break the stand-off, where they will find final compromise, and in the meantime, approval of a massive government funding bill that has been negotiated for months now is being held up while they continue this battle over the payroll tax cut. and with the last short-term spending bill running out friday as we have been talking about, that means congress is now staring down a potential shutdown of the government. so today could be a very important day. >> i think that we have heard government shouldn'tdown or the threat after government shutdown so often, maybe we are immune to it now. i don't know. but back to paying for this payroll tax holiday, if there is to be no surcharge on millionaires, is there any sign of how exactly it is going to be paid for? >> we haven't gotten details of what democrats in lieu of saying they want this millionaires surtax bhashgs democrats will propose as their pay force. how they want to cover the cost of this tax cut. republicans have been demanding all along that if they were going to go along with extend thing payroll tax cut extension for another year, it would need to be paid for. that had not been done previously but this time that's kind of part of the conversation. it is not clear where they are going to be able to find that compromise. that's going to be an important part of the conversation and really will be looking today to see where leaders are going to be able to find somewhere to agree. we know that last night for the first time as this battle really began that all the kind of main negotiations, harry reid, house speaker john boehner, as well as republican leader and n the senate mitch mcconnell, they sat down for first time to speak face to face. if we are going to take any good signs, that we can take as a sign of doing they aring in tact this morning. maybe that's a good sign. >> exactly. no blood, no bruises yet. >> kate bolduan, thanks so much. >> the democrats want to put that millionaires surtax on. republicans want it to freeze pay and growth for federal workers. some critics said democrats want rich people to pay for it. republicans want the middle class to pay for it because federal workers are by and large the middle class. that was a big class battle in this. also, a big sticking point for democrats and this has been -- whole idea of the add-on of the pipeline. provision that would speed the approval of the controversial keystone excel oil pipeline. that's why senate majority leader harry reid called the bill dead on arrival. the keystone excel is a proposed 2,000-mile pipeline that would connect canada's oil sand fields to refineriness houston and gulf of mexico. and this pipeline would be capable of transporting over 500,000 barrels of oil per day p.m. it requires president obama's approval because it crosses an international border. proponents of the pine line like many republicans say it is going to provide thousands of jobs to americans and would lessen the u.s.'s dependence on oil from hostile nations. >> when you boil down the debate on this project, i believe it comes down to a simple question for americans -- do they want secure, stable oil from a friendly neighbor in canada? or do they want to continue to import high-priced conflict oil from unfriendly regions such as the middle east or venezuela? >> opponents, many democrats, say environmental concerns trump any economic or energy benefits in this proposed pipe line and say spilled oil are much more expensive to clean up. >> this pipeline is risky. it is massive. we literally have no long-term studies on how it will affect our land, water and health. ? the obama administration played a -- delayed a december identification the pipeline in november saying more environmental studies needed to be conducted pushing the decision until after the 2012 election. you saw republicans trying to tack tonight there to the payroll tax holiday. many were saying what does the controversial pipeline have to do with the tax holiday? >> it appears to have worked since the -- >> tuck it in there. >> democrats dropped the idea of the surcharge on millionaire. >> we will see if they drop the pipeline in return. >> exactly. 36 minutes past the hour. new this morning, signs that the death penalty may be dieing a a slow death itself in the united states. just 43 people have been executed this year. that's according to the death penalty information center. that's down from 100, just a dozen years ago. and the number of death sentences also hit a 35-year low. texas by far led the way with 13 executions, alabama with 6 and ohio had 5. no criminal charges will result from the nationally televised basketbrawl last weekend between xavier university and the university of cincinnati. after talking with coaches from both teams, ohio prosecutors decided the situation could be handled more effectively by the schools internally rather than the criminal justice system. spectacular crash caught on surveillance tape at a convenience store in columbia, tennessee. a pickup truck barrels right through the glass into -- >> oh, gosh. >> police say the driver was aiming for his girlfriend who had -- >> what? >> run inside the store and he pinned the store owner instead. a good samaritan, who is also a nurse, saw it all happen. she called 911 and ran inside to help the owner. and then things turned bad for her. >> that's when i turn around and i noticed the guy out at my car. oh, my god. he stole my car! >> but the driver foiled his own getaway running head-on into a bread truck. the suspect is now in the hospital and of course has been placed under arrest. he is charged with, among other things, attempted murder. >> wow. that's just one bad decision after another. all caught on tape. still ahead, a formal end to a long-fought war. we will talk to a u.s. army general who served in a number of key roles during the military mission in iraq. 38 minutes after the hour. fore! no matter what small business you are in, managing expenses seems to... get in the way. not anymore. ink, the small business card from chase introduces jot an on-the-go expense app made exclusively for ink customers. custom categorize your expenses anywhere. save time and get back to what you love. the latest innovation. only for ink customers. learn more at chase.com/ink everyone believes in keeping their promises once a year. but we believe in helping people take steps to keep them every single day. that's why every day we help people across the country get into their first homes. prepare for a comfortable retirement and protect the people and things that matter most. at genworth we believe every day is the right day to take a step toward tomorrow. 41 minutes past the hour. the mother of all handovers. a flag-lowering ceremony overnight the u.s. officially ended the military mission in iraq that began nearly nine years ago. more than 4400 american troops lost their lives. retired brigadier general mark kimmitt was the u.s. military spokesman during the initial iraq invasion and later served a as assistant secretary of state of political and military affairs. he joins us live from washington. good morning, general. >> hi, carol. how are you? >> i'm good. 4,487 troops died in iraq. if i am one of the lucky ones, one of the lucky soldiers that got out safe, and i'm coming home from iraq right now, how should i feel? >> i think every soldier has a number of mixed feelings about the last nine years. everyone who participated should feel tremendously proud of the fact that they volunteered and as they take a look at what has been accomplished in iraq over the last nine years, a functioning democracy inside that region, country no longer oppressed by a dictator, they have a lot to be proud of what they achieved and left behind. >> martin savidge, he is in baghdad, he interviewed a number of soldiers. they say they -- they point out that the u.s. toppled saddam hussein but none of them say we won this thing. is it possible to win wars anymore? >> in this case, winning will be judged in the jeers to come. will iraq remain a self-sustaining democracy, at peace with its neighbors, no long area threat to the region? in that's the case then these soldiers can say yes, indeed they won. there will be no victory parades. there will be no marching up and down times square. there will be no kiss necessary the middle of times square. but every soldier and their families should walk away extremely satisfied and proud of what they accomplished and what they left behind. i just hope it can remain that way. >> i know. "the wall street journal" editorial board is not so sure today and warned about abandoning iraq now. this is what they wrote in an op-ed. u.s. interest in consolidating alliance with iraq have never been greater. with that alliance the u.s. may find a pillar for its position in the middle east, especially if egypt abandons that role without the alliance iraq is likelier to fall prey to tehran's encroachments or collapse into sectarian violence or again become a haven for a reconstituted al qaeda. are they right? >> well, it goes to the point, which is why it was felt necessary to withdraw our soldiers so quickly, we had a mission to complete. and many of us worry that the withdrawal by the end of the year rather than spend a few more periods developing in iraqi security forces so we can be sure so they can be sure their forces were ready to fill that security vacuum when they left, that's what's puzzling to many of us out here. >> you believe that we are leaving iraq too soon? >> by their own admission the iraqi security force has a plan for fully being prepared to handle external and internal threats by 2020. that's eight years from now. and in my judgment, we could have used the next few years training and developing the iraqi security forces so that those hard-won gains our soldiers achieved would be permanent and not speculative. >> having said that, the troops may be leaving iraq but we will still have a significant prens there. we have a huge massive embassy in baghdad. 1700 staffers, close to 10,000 american contractors. is that enough personnel to maintain our strong ties to that country and will those people be safe? >> it is certain there case that the diplomatic presence will be significant. i would note that most of those people inside iraq are, in fact, security contractors which ought to give an indication the country is not yet safe. we will leave behind 160 uniformed military from the 175,000 we had at one point. those 160 will be responsible for continuing the training and development of the iraqi security forces. i think the numbers alone speak to the lack of commitment we have in terms of seeing the full maturation and preparation of the iraqi security force. >> a final question for you this morning. we have gone from worrying about a weapon of mass destruction in iraq to worrying about a weapon of mass destruction in iran. our approach to the two countries -- it is vastly different. has iraq weakened the case for preemptive action? or is it the other way around? >> well, i'm not sure that it has made the case either way. i think that any president who recognizes that there is anna threat to the united states of america must take the actions he deems necessary. if that requires preemptive strikes, so be it. but that's a very, very high measure and very, very high bar to achieve. and i don't think that iraq has proven the case either way. >> general mark kimmitt, thank you so much for joining thus morning. we appreciate it. >> thank you. 46 minutes past the hour. still ahead, mitt romney meets wall street. the republican candidate trolling for campaign cash in a neighborhood not foreign to republicans or democrats in a presidential race. we are digging deeper on that. the seed to get up and go was planted in me from the time i was a little kid. it is a great way to get to know the world and be able to talk about it when i go on tv and radio. you will want to be a road warrior. think like a business traveler. i think that loyalty makes a difference when you are a very frequent traveler. otherwise let the value and bargain drive your vacation. new normal is we are paying for our bags and paying for the seats we want on the plane. we are paying for the food we eat and entertainment we get onboard. so the more you can fend for yourself the smoother the experience will be. this is basically my home office in the palm of my hand. i have a wife and kids at home. it has become something that kept us connected. >> how is everything there? >> good. new york is good. if there is a steamer available i order it right way. clotheses get a lot of wear and tear when it is on the road. i got to keep them looking as crisp as i possibly can. when you are a guy you can get away with one suit, change the shirt and tie and it is like a brand-new outfit. today it is new york. could be anywhere else tomorrow. bye. capital one's new cash rewards card gives you a 50 percent annual bonus. so you earn 50 percent more cash. if you're not satisfied with 50% more cash, send it back! i'll be right here, waiting for it. who wouldn't want more cash? 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[ male announcer ] want great taste and whole grain oats that can help lower cholesterol? honey nut cheerios. that can help lower cholesterol? fore! no matter what small business you are in, managing expenses seems to... get in the way. not anymore. ink, the small business card from chase introduces jot an on-the-go expense app made exclusively for ink customers. custom categorize your expenses anywhere. save time and get back to what you love. the latest innovation. only for ink customers. learn more at chase.com/ink the war is over. the u.s. military lowers the flag in baghdad. the final summit troops leaving iraq with pride and putting the fragile nation in the rear view mirror. >> iraq still haunted by fear that terrorists are waiting in the wings after more than 4,000 deaths and $1 trillion. can america declare victory? we will have an in-depth look at the war after the war. breaking news for your paycheck. talk about a big compromise on capitol hill that could save you $1,000 or more next year. plus -- occupy gingrich. newt gingrich gets heckled by wall street protesters and they get it back on this "american morning." good morning to you. it is thursday, december 15. welcome to "american morning." up first, it is over. just an hour ago u.s. forces lowered the flag in baghdad to mark the end of the nearly nine-year iraq war. the final few thousand u.s. troops are leaving iraq ahead of the new year's eve deadline to get out. it is a war that started with something called shock and awe. after quick success, it morphed into insurgency and bloodbath. the soldiers are remembering more than 4,000 that did not come home alive. arwa damon is live in baghdad and david mattingly is at fort bragg, north carolina. let's begin with arwa in bag d baghdad. what happens after u.s. troops are gone? >> reporter: that most certain sly the big question. it is a question that at this stage no one can answer. that is why there is so much concern about the u.s. troop withdrawal. not just among the iraqi population for whom the war has not yet ended but also for the united states itself. there are many unanswered requests. iran has establish ad significantly large footprint here. what sort of a role will that nation be playing next? will it continue to use the special groups that are directly backed by the iranian force to try to wreak havoc in the country or will it move towards a more diplomatic role? will the current iraqi government be able to move towards being a power sharing one that will serve the people? or will it continue to add the opponent of the iraqi prime minister saying remain a dictatorship? iraqis incredibly unsure about their future. the u.s., too, sharing its concerns behind closed doors about the type of iraq the americans are truly leaving behind. despite the fact that from the u.s. officials, the political officials or military officials, we are hearing about a fairly optimistic future. >> all right. arwa damon in baghdad. thank you, arwa. president obama marked an end to the iraq war at fort bragg, north carolina, saying u.s. troops are leaving with their heads held high but stressed america still has an obligation to the returning heroes. many of whom are suffering from the invisible wounds of war. david mattingly is live at fort bragg this morning. good morning, david. >> good morning. so many troops coming home now here to fort bragg have questions when they hit the ground here. they were listening intently to the president yesterday remark what's described here as a profound moment as they were all coming home and started it with two simple words. >> welcome home. welcome home roym soldiers out of iraq and home for the holidays. that alone is worth celebrating. but troops at fort bragg are looking for more. assurances from the president their sacrifices will not be overlooked. >> there's a lot of stuff behinds that we will never understand but we know the government is going to do its cutbacks. >> reporter: after eight years in iraq and budget cuts at home, soldiers worry about holes opening in safety nets, pensions, medical support and treatment for ptsd. how much pain are you in right now? >> quite a bit. i mean, on a daily basis, you know, aches and pains and stabs and needles. >> reporter: iraq vet dodd came home in 2008 with a painful knee injury, ptsd, and e. an addiction to pain medication. today he's medically retired and in a methadone program. do you consider yourselves lucky? >> absolutely. i'm alive. i came home alive. that's -- i-can't say the same, you know -- i have a number of these bands. this is corporal woodward, he was killed on a mission while i was there. there's a lot of people that don't come home. it is not easy. >> reporter: but dodd was also arrested for forging a prescription. he's now on probation. he believes as more troops come home there will be more like him, in pain and in trouble. since the war in iraq began fortd bragg and the army also have the h to find new ways to deal with long-term problems of domestic problems and suicide. in just the last week outside of bragg, there have been two murder/suicides involving soldiers. one killed a deputy and another killed his wife. these vets tell me american families demand for access to counseling and treatment could go on indefinitely. what's the biggest problem had you when you came back immediately? >> oh, probably sleeping. >> oh, lord. nightmares. >> reporter: nightmares? >> yes. >> reporter: how long did that take tore that to go away? >> it doesn't. >> reporter: troops with questions about their future seem to get their answer -- a pledge from the commander in chief. >> you stood up for america and america needs to stand up for you. >> reporter: and the president went into great detail, not only assuring the troops that america will stand beside them now that they are home, but it also -- their families that had to bear a burden through this war as well. carol? >> david, do the troops believe the president? >> they walked away yesterday with some big smiles on their faces. that's just the group that was here listening to him. they felt like he was very sincere when he was offering his -- the thanks on behalf of the nation and he was very specific about recognizing the dangers that they were in and about the sacrifices they made and the problems they encountered and what they went through not only physically but emotionally as well. and, again, he was very specific going through all of the things that they noted they went through and they will continue to be dealing with as they came back. they felt like all the right questions were answered and all the right bases were touched and now they are going to get back to work here because there's still a war going on in afghanistan. >> david mattingly reporting live from fort bragg this morning. in a political fight a big concession by the democrats in that political fight to extend the payroll tax cut. a source tells cnn democrats are working on a new proposal that drops their demand for a tax hike on millionaires to pay for tax relief for the middle class. that has the two parties talking. house boehner -- house speaker john boehner, senate majority leader harry reid, and senate minority leader mitch mcconnell met privately for an hour in the capitol last night. 160 million american workers are facing a thousand dollar tax hike on new year's day if congress can't come up with a compromise. the big fight is how to pay for it. seems just about everybody is ganging up on newt gingrich these days. the republican front runner took a few verbal hits yesterday. first from mitt romney who told "the new york times" that he believes the former house speaker's judgment is suspect. >> great in a campaign, great on talk radio. it is great in the print. it beats -- makes for fun reading. but in terms of a president we need a leader. and a leader needs to be someone that can bring americans together. >> so far gingrich is not taking the bait. the former speaker insisting no matter how ugly things get, he's not going negative. >> i understand what all the consultants are doing. that's fine. they should run their campaign the way they want to. i'm going to run my campaign the way i want to. >> but at a speech in iowa city yesterday, gingrich was interrupted by occupy protesters. they accused him of being air grant when it comes to the plight of the poor and things got heated with one of the demonstrators. >> one more. >> yes, sir. you talk about money not being everything but you have taken -- millions publishing your books and marketing them. it seems like you have -- >> how would you know? >> you have been cheating on your wife. >> how would you -- other than -- other than -- other than -- other than personal hostility, which is understandable but not part of the academic experience, how would you know anything about how i published and sold books? >> that occupy iowa city protester that challenged gingrich will be joining us live at the bottom of the hour. signs of the death penalty may be dieing a slow death itself in the u.s. just 43 people have been executed this year. that's according to the death penalty information center. that's down from 100 just a dozen years ago. the number of death sentences also hit a 35-year low. texas by far led the way with 13 executions. alabama with 6. ohio with 5. ain't minutes past the hour. other stories new for you this morning. a french court convicting former president chirac on corruption charges and giving him a two-year suspended prison sentence. former french president was put on trial on charges that dated back to his time as mayor of paris. chirac was accused of paying members of his political party for municipal jobs that simply did not exist. seven miners injured overnight when a rock burst more than a mile underground. lucky friday silver mine. the company says 25 miners were in the area at the time. officials say the seven are being treated for nonlife threatening injuries. the awards season in full swing. some of the biggest stars in hollywood. could hear their names called later this morning when the nominations for the 69th golden globes awards are announced. the official end to the iraq war. what does it mean for the iraqi people? for the middle east? we are going to ask a man who knows this region better than most, former national security adviser to presidents bush and obama, will join us next. we will hear from one analyst that thinks that's a big mistake. you are watching american american. nine minutes past. welcome back. this day marks the official end of the war in iraq. earlier this morning u.s. soldiers lowered a flag in baghdad and brought the curtain down on a nearly nine-year conflict. it remains to be seen how history will record our role in iraq. whether that country is ready to stand on its own. arwa damon just reported for the iraqi people, they do not feel as if this war is over. let's go in depth now. brett mcgurth has been a senior adviser to three u.s. ambassadors and he knows the scope of the political and also military challenges there. thank you for joining us in morning. >> thanks for having me. >> first, you know, how significant is this day? not only for the u.s. troops but for iraq. i mean, from your perspective, reflect for us. >> it is a significant day. as americans reflect on everyone who served in iraq and there's poignant moments from a ceremony today, general many americans don't know, general wood austin, commanding general of all our forces in iraq today. he folded the -- the colors in baghdad. he led the invasion as an assistant commanding general, third infantry division in 2003. led the charge into baghdad. subsequent tour in 2008, march of 2008, as a deputy commanding general, he -- flew into the heart of a battle in basra when the iraqi army was taking on shia militia groups and 72-hour period in which we almost lost the war. iraqi army almost lapsed. he helped stabilize things. and then as the commanding general of all u.s. forces in iraq since last summer, hay has been engaged in a diplomatic process and organizing the withdrawal of our forces. it is a symbolic story given all of the troops that have served there and all sorts of different roles. war fighting to diplomats to mayors and relationships they built. >> that role has morphed over the almost nine years. a generation of americans so has the story for them. this has dominated the newscast and the public discourse for almost nine years. shock and awe in march of 2003. put a new kind of phrase on -- in the lexicon about war. president bush saying that mission accomplished three months later. saddam hussein captured in december of that year. abu ghraib in 2004 and the detainee abuse scandal there. suicide attacks peaking by 2005. surge of troops sent to quell that violence. the surge in 2007 and finally today, the real end of our mission in iraq. are the headlines going to be about civil war? or about a strong ally for the united states of the middle east? >> you know, christine, i could paint very optimistic scenarios and i can pain very pessimistic scenarios. i think that if you look back on that history if you look to where we were in 2005 or 2006, to where we are now, i think there's some real reason for hope so long as we stay deeply engaged with the iraqi government which we will. president obama had talked about some of that. it is important for viewers to know it is not like we were in controlling iraq's security situation last week. and now we are suddenly leaving. this has been a very phased and deliver rat process based on an agreement signed in the last months of the bush administration. and we left baghdad in all iraqi cities and towns villages in june of 2009. you remember baghdad was the heart of the sectarian conflict. between haven't had troops in baghdad for over two years. president obama set that intermediate marker to get down to 50 thousand troops by august of 2010. security has remained stable. it has been a very faced and deliberate process. i spent the better six months in iraq and gauged in whether we should ex-tend this deadline. it was determined given the legal requirements and iraqi parliaments that the risks of trying to get them that through the parliament outweighed the risks of drawing down. iraqi security forces have been handling security on our own know now for almost 2 1/2 years. >> people have a significant diplomatic presence there. when you take a look at just the sheer size of the embassy there and council in two or three cities, two cities and another one planned, we have when you look at the embassy in baghdad, it sits on more acreage than the white house and executive office building and all of that. i mean, 1700 staffers will be there. at least 5,000 security contractors. 4500 general contractors. this -- this is -- you know, for the security of the u.s. people there but also because the u.s. wants iraq to be -- to have u.s. influence, not iranian influence. >> well, that's right. and we have -- great people there. over the next year, it is going to be a real challenge. and i saw arwa's report. and that's a -- real concern. but the iraqis do not want any foreign power in their country telling them what to do. and, you know -- the majority of iraqis are shia, iranians, shia, people -- they must be the same but traditions that underpin the iranian remember gem, thgime, b rule over all the population is totally alien to all of their religious and cultural traditions in iraq. the ayatollah in iraq used to be in the news quite a bit in the earlier period of the war. he believes the cleric should have no say really in political affairs and that's that is what most iraqis believe. to the iranians that want to dominate iraq, i would tell them good luck. anyone that comes into iraq and says here is what you need to do, they are in for a pretty rude awakens. the irey iraqis are a tough peo. hundreds of years of history of conflict and bravery. >> you mentioned before -- you talked about those attributes. you mentioned half the population is under 19. do you you this if the u.s. 00 been there it would have had its own arab spring? >> i don't. i talked to many iraqis about this. i was there when it was popping up. even when the iranian revolution was happening. most iraqis said that if they ever tried to do that under saddam they would have been slaughtered like sheep. that happened in 1991. numbers are hard to verify but up to 300,000 iraqis were killed by saddam when they tried to rise up against his regime. >> we have to leave it there. i really appreciate your thoughts and reflections. you know that -- you know it better than anybody else. thanks so much. nice to see. >> did you thanks so much for having me. rob has the day off. let's head to atlanta and economic in with reynolds wolf for your travel forecast. good morning. >> good morning. we are going to see delays popping up in parts of the northeast. and that includes new york, philadelphia, and also places like boston, chicago, cleveland and detroit. and the reason we are going the see most of those is pretty simple. we have a big storm system. big storm system will bring scattered showers to parts of the northeast. and some location could see fairly heavy rainfall south of cincinnati and so with the clouds and with that, same time we have wind going to be building in right behind it. this is your precip, accumulation. we expect in some location just shy of two inches of rainfall in parts of 65, south of cincinnati, true the bluegrass region of kentucky, east of dallas, you can expect heavy rain there, few delays there also. wind beginning to pile up in parts of the southland, california. los angeles, back into san gabriels, wind gusts topping 55 miles per hour. perhaps later in the afternoon as the winds begin to accelerate more. you may have stronger wind gusts. that coupled with very dry conditions could give you a fire threat but for the time being, wind is going to be the big issue. and you may even have delays in many of the airports and l.a.x., perhaps towards burbank, john wayne. just be prepared you may have a bit of a wait. issue for thursday and for friday. that's a quick snapshot of your forecast. let's send it back to you in new york. >> thanks, reynolds. still to come this morning, lessons from the great depression. find out what that economic downturn teaches about our recovery today and what mistakes are on the verge of making again. plus this. >> seems like you have a -- >> how would you know? >> cheating on your wife -- >> how would -- >> live from iowa. speak to the occupy protester who went toe to toe with newt gingrich. ♪ making your way in the world today ♪ ♪ takes everything you've got ♪ wouldn't you like to get away? ♪ ♪ ♪ sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name ♪ ♪ ♪ you want to be where you can see ♪ ♪ our troubles are all the same ♪ ♪ you want to go where everybody knows your name ♪ ♪ for others, it's somethingelong discovered yesterday.here everybody knows your name ♪ we all have things that speak to us. they drive us to get up early, and stay up late. getting lost in the things we love has never felt quite like this. welcomeback. wall street just can't shake its concerns about europe and its debt cries tlis. stocks took a hit yesterday. dow and knack das and s&p 500 all dropped more than 1%. u.s. stock futures this morning are trading higher. looking more likely france could be the first eu country to lose its aaa credit rating. french leaders are said to be prepare for the downgrade after a warning by standard & poor's rating agency last week. if france is downgraded analysts say it could create a i-le effect with other countries in the region losing their aaa rating. an hour from now we will will get a fresh read on the employment situation here in the u.s. the initial jobless claims report is expected to show that 390,000 unemployment claims were filed important first time last week. any time that number is below 400,000, it is a good sign for the labor market. michigan's unemployment rate is now below 10% for the first time in three years. it dropped to 9.8% in november. over the past year michigan has seen job growth in manufacturing, health care, and business services. brazilian prosecutors want to shut down chevron offshore drilling operations after an oil spill there last month. they are also suing both companies for $11 billion in damages allegedly caused by that spill. 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[ male announcer ] yes, it is. that's the cold truth! for the latest news about occupying gingrich. the republican front-runner interrupted in iowa and under attack on this "american morning." welcome back. half past the hour. time for the morning's top stories. iraq war is now over. earlier this morning, a ceremony in baghdad brought the nearly nine-yearlong con fricke to an end. only a few thousand troops remain in iraq. >> senate democrats are caving in their demand for a millionaires surtax. they are preparing a compromise deal to extend the payroll tax cut and avoid inflikcting a tax hike. leaders of both parties met privately at the capitol last night. marker for the oscars. nominations for the 69th golden globe awards will be announced just over an hour from now. we are going to bring thaw ceremony live. newt gingrich has been around long enough to know how things work in politics. when you are on top everyone wants a piece of you. conservatives have been challenging his credentials. mitt romney just called him zany. and yesterday things got personal with occupy iowa demonstrators. >> you have taken -- to get your millions publishing your books and marketing them. and it seems like have you -- >> how would you know? >> -- cheating on your wife. >> how would you -- other than -- other than -- other than personal hostility, which is understandable but not part of the academic experience, how would you know anything about how i published and sold books? >> occupy iowa city demonstrator who took on gingrich is joining us live from iowa city this morning. thanks for being here. >> you're welcome. >> i just want to make sure that people heard exactly what you said. you said gingrich had, what, a phd in cheating on his wife. you didn't really finish your question, though. did you have one? >> yeah. my question was something -- going to be on the lines of since you have a ph.d. in wife cheating, are you still biblically qualified to be a candidate. >> what were you hoping to accomplish by heckling gingrich in this way? >> he is a big target, as you well know. pit think occupy -- iowa city, although it is a small group for us here, small college town, we just wanted to have him hear us. >> gingrich said, i think after you left, but i'm not quite sure about that because maybe you heard it, he said, i appreciate the fact that 95%, maybe even 99% of you, wanted to have an intelligent discussion and are not going to be drowned out by the 1% who impose their will by making noise. wouldn't it have been more educational, for lack after better word, term, for to you just listen to what gingrich had to say and then challenge him after the speech? >> well, i think that this make check, what we call it with the occupy movement, has become a -- gets the message out there and so -- that's what we did. we believe in that. i agree it is slightly rude in some ways. it is slightly uncivil. but sometimes free speech has to be uncivil and has to be rude. >> you were criticizing newt gingrich's three marriages. is that really important in a president of the united states that he -- you know, is faithful -- >> absolutely. absolutely. i mean, 1994, 1995, he was cheating on his wife. and he -- he wants to -- the congress like he's a saint and try to get clinton impeached while he's, you know -- while clinton was having a little appear with monica, he was cheating on his wife and being a big hypocrite about it. >> it is not newt gingrich's infidelity, past infidelity. it is more that he is hypocritical about it as far as bill clinton is concerned? do you condemn bill clinton as well for his infidelity? >> oh, absolutely. it is just -- it is just that that was just an issue i personally have a problem with. so many politicians. that does not -- i don't think the republicans have a monopoly of that. that goes for a lot of the democrats as well. if not -- most of them. a lot of these politicians have just -- hypocritical. you know, watching out for their own backs. re-electing themselves. making sure that the money is flowing from all kinds of venues and that's what this country has become. it is not a democracy anymore at the national level. >> just on the fidelity question once again, why can't a man be an effective leadfer he has been married more than one time? >> well, i think it goes beyond that. i think it is the -- talk. you know. if i am cutting down forests and i go about criticizing people who are doing the same thing, that just does not bode well to a person who should be in a position of leadership like that. >> mauro heck, thank you for joining us this morning. we appreciate. >> it thank you. let's bring in cnn.com contributor ruben right now. he has a new piece online this morning. looking at these attacks on gingrich's personal life. first of all, thanks for being with us. >> thank you. great to be with you again. >> you just heard mauro. you have a completely different view of fidelity. >> right. >> as to how it applies to a leader. >> right. first, you try to get out of this heckler named heck that somehow there was a purpose for this. what was your goal? the goal was simply to embowers gingrich and get publicity for the occupy iowa movement. if he really, i guess, cared about some of the principles of the movement he would go and some of the people that helped caused the crisis that helped form the movement to begin with. in terms of infidelity, i don't think we have any sort of evidence that says just because bill clinton was, for instance a bad husband, that makes him a bad president. if you flip that coin over, how do you then begin to argue that somehow gingrich's infidelity would make him a bad president? that's a line of attack. a popular line of attack some of his opponents are using in the gop primary but i don't think it makes sense. >> it is not just the fact gingrich has been married three time. it is how he left his two previous wives. they were in great need, he just left. and he cheated on them. they say somehow that makes on huge difference. >> right. it goes to character. there's a bunch of things that go to character and, you know, one thing that find interesting in the interview you did was the idea of hypocrisy is a powerful point. i like what ron paul said during the last debate where he said i worry a lot more about people that break their oath of office. if you have someone that has been faithful to their wife but break their oath ofs o s os o s office, that's a pretty big slam against them. there are lots of things that go to character. i don't want to give anybody a pass. just because you have been faithful to your wife for 40 years, doesn't mean you can slam the rest of us and we will turn away and ignore it. it is much more complicated than the republican primary candidates would have us believe. >> what do you make of newt gingrich's public repenting and the pledge he took promising to uphold the institution of marriage through personal fidelity? >> that shocked me because, you know, in all the debates, one thing you like about gingrich, i see in gingrich, he likes to fight. he does -- not flappable. he is not someone that's -- get under his skin easily. you saw it in that clip you showed. he can handle hecklers. he relishes it. the fact he drove home point your past infidelity, marriage failures, could hurt you with these conservative voters. that has gotten gingrich's attention and is what struck me about this marriage pledge. ing the fact that we have finally discovered newt gingrich's soft spot. this very issue and that's why he came forward with this pledge. >> it is interesting because some people might think that, you know, you have to be so pure to run for president star having a perfect marriage and perfect children that it is keeping good candidates from running for office. i can bring up former indiana governor mitch daniels. >> right. there are lots of good politicians out there. mitch daniels is a great one. who likewise says i don't want to put my family through this. i think mitt romney, though, some of the opponents of newt gingrich are on a losing campaign here. you think about it, they are talking to a country of imperfect people. those of us who are married and have been married before, you know, we struggle with this. marriage is not easy. and likewise you may fail in business and fail at any number of things. what gingrich is saying to his opponents in the next debate is -- okay, tell you what. you take all the votes of all the perfect people who never made any mistakes in this country and i will take the votes of the sxoers guess what, gingrich win it is a landslide. >> okay. you mentioned mitt romney and what he is saying about newt gingrich these days. he called him zany. let's listen. >> zany is great in a campaign. it is great on talk radio. it is great in the print. pit beats -- makes for fun reading. but in terms of a president, we need a leader. and a leader needs to be someone that can bring americans together. >> okay. so zany. that's such a strange adjective. >> i feel bad for mitt romney. he doesn't know what to be anymore. he doesn't know what line of attack to pick up. the last debate he said good rich was a bomb thrower. we are told he's zany. not so serious person. romney just wants to be president. he wants beat gingrich and doesn't know how to do it so he is throwing everything up he can at the wall even contradictory statements. this idea of dividing americans, this is the same mitt romney who put an ad up attacking perry on illegal immigration. where he likened rick perry to the president of mexico. if that's not divisive i don't know what is. mitt romney is a hypocrite. >> wow. thank you so much for your thoughts this morning. if you would like to read more, your column will be posted online. >> that's right. thanks, carol. coming up next, we will take a look at what americans can learn today from one of the worst times in our financial history. the great depression. fore! no matter what small business you are in, managing expenses seems to... get in the way. not anymore. ink, the small business card from chase introduces jot an on-the-go expense app made exclusively for ink customers. custom categorize your expenses anywhere. save time and get back to what you love. the latest innovation. only for ink customers. learn more at chase.com/ink ♪ my hair is gone ♪ cheap cologne ♪ motor home ♪ i'm the rocket man! 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[ male announcer ] crystal clear fender premium audio. one of many premium features available on the all-new volkswagen passat. the 2012 motor trend car of the year. ♪ and i think it's gonna be a long, long time ♪ welcome back. in the great depression there was a stock market crash and then there was a european banking crisis. what do we have now? a stock market crash and now we are in another european banking crisis. how do we make sure that we are not repeating history and world's leaders reading their history books? joining me now, neil ferguson. columnist with "newsweek" and the daily beast. you say the great depression was like a soccer match, two halves and here we are in the second half here. are you concerned that we are repeating history here or could? >> christine, i'm very concerned. in the second half of the great depression, it was mistakes in europe that set the world economy down another leg. and the history seems to be repeating itself. it is the same old issues, not only the banking crisis you mentioned, but also excessive public debt. and so it seems to me the big risk to the u.s. going into 2012 is not really what we are doing here. it is what is going on over there on the other side of the atlantic. >> we saw markets at least for a few days the world was cheering this intergovernmental treaty between the euro nations and a few others that want to join the euro but now, you know, implementation, there is a lot of -- i don't know, concern about hurdles in the road. i mean, do you think europe is going in the right direction at least here? >> no. i think it is going in completely the wrong direction. as soon as i saw the details of what was in -- announced last friday my heart sank because what it represents is a kind of austerity pack imposed largely in -- insistence of the german government. i'm the first person to argue for fiscal responsibility. but in the midst of a crisis like this, to insist everybody go straight to a balanced budget, makes eight constitutional requirement and then puts the policing power in the hand of the european commission, just seems like folly. without too much in return, remember, the key question here is are enough resources being made available to the banks and to government? if you go back to u.s. crisis in 2008, 2009, very quickly, the administration got the t.a.r.p. into place and at the same time, a stimulus package. this all happened with, i think, admirable speed. credit where it is due to secretary tim geithner. the europeans have been ditherring ever since that time. and the results of the ditherring is their crisis has gotten much worse. this is a real concern as we look ahead to next year. >> you also make the point -- others made the point as well, other mistakes made during the great depression were countries that were, again, tightening the belt too quickly and in some cases raising interest rates too quickly when the economy was on its heels. what kinds of things are critical to avoid so that we don't having a second half to that 2008 financial crisis like the great depression? >> there were two great lesson from the great depression. don't try to balance the budget when your economy is in a freefall. the other was milton friedman which was central banks have to be rereally expansionary. when there is a risk of domino effect when the banks fail through the sis pystem. when your get gets to as a result level, it gets progressively harder to do more borrowing. that's why i have been skeptical of year upon year of stimulus in the u.s. without any sign of a fiscal balance even 20 years out. the big problem in europe has been the slow move by the european central bank to follow the example of the federal reserve. and which under ben bernanke did a very good job of counteracting potential implosion of the banking system after lehman brothers failed. really the europeans have been much slower on the uptick. what i see in berlin is a bizarre failure to learn the lessons of the great depression. i mean, remember what happened in germany. after 192 3 1, the complete collapse of democracy. you would have thought the germans learned how dangerous it is to mess around with an economic meltdown. >> you give credit here to bern bernanke. are you saying the world central bankers at least central bankers are doing the right thing here in the absence ever political leadership elsewhere? good ben bernanke made all kinds of mistakes prior to the crisis but the cries struck, i think he got it right and the that was because he knew the history of the great depression. that's what he studied as an epidem epidemic. remind me of the generals that fight the last war. you know, they have been fighting the war against inflation. even when the risks of the world economy has been deflation. notice also, christine, the worst things get in europe, the more popularism you begin to see and potentially more instability in europe's multiethnic cities. this is a very dangerous process where you transition from economic crisis to political crisis i think that's what -- the other -- the other, i guess, not undertone but overtones of the whole european story is that this is -- this is a union that's been forged over 60 years and it has been careful and -- i would say complicated how countries have been coming together after what were terrible days of these countries hated each other. people hated each other. and now trying to move together and that just seems so dangerous at a time you are talking about complications and problems keeping it together. >> you know, the creation of the united states of europe has always seemed to some people like a wonderful idea. but what in practice a federal union means is that resources get transferred from the more prosperous states to the less prosperous states and goes on in the united states on a routine basis. people 35i their tax dollars and the money ends up getting spent in nebraska. in europe it is much, much harder to get, say, germans to fork out for greeks or portuguese. it was one for the germans to pay for german unification. try getting them to pay for european unification. that's the central problem for the german government. their voters are not keen on the idea of a federal fiscal union. >> it all matters here. it really matters. matters here. neil ferguson, author, civilization west and the rest. thanks for joining us. it is 8. it has to do with a vital safety net for millions of americans. what has been extended eight times? 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[yawning] homeowner's discount. safe driver discount. chipmunk family reunion. someone stole the nuts. squirrel jail. justice! countless discounts. now that's progressive. call or click today. it's easy to see what subaru owners care about. that's why we created the share the love event. get a great deal on a new subaru and $250 goes to your choice of 5 charities. with your help, we can reach $20 million dollars by the end of this, our fourth year. ten minutes until the top of the hour. here's what you need to know to start your day. the iraq war now over. u.s. soldiers lowered a flag in baghdad officially bringing the nine-year-old conflict to an end. only a few thousand troops remain in iraq right now. extend the payroll tax cut. democrats are working on a new proposal that drops their demand for a tax hike on millionaires and that has the two parties talking. tragedy averted at a silver mine in northern idaho. seven miners were rescued after a rock burst trapped them more than a mile underground at the lucky friday mine. their injuries are said to be nonlife threatening. death penalty on the decline. just 43 people have been executed here in the united states, that's according to the death penalty information center. that's down from 100 just a dozen years ago. texas led with 13. a new survey says teens are putting down the booze and picking up the bongs. far fewer teens are drinking alcohol or smoking cigarettes than any time in the last 30 years. but teenage marijuana use is way up. hitting its highest point in two decades. two of hollywood's finest. george clooney and brad pitt could be going head-to-head. the nominations released in less than an hour from now. "american morning" back after a short break. this morning's "romans' numeral." the number is eight. the number of times congress extended benefits and if congress does not extend benefits the next few weeks, 5 million americans will find themselves out of this vital safety net but also raising a very big debate in america. how long is long enough or too long to be getting a jobless check? are those checks preventing people from going out and finding work? people fight and argue about this a lot. eight times is how many times it has been lengthened or extended. shows you the depth of the job crisis. >>phoricsing on some of america's most creative minds. every sunday dr. sanjay gupta profiles people. >> this week sanjay introduces us to an interactive media artist who knows no boundaries. he's changing the way we see ourselves and the way around us. >> the next step for me is towards feature length experience. i would love one day to make the 2001 of activity. you can imagine an experience that was like a huge room or a huge building where you move from floor to floor and each room there was another narrative experience, part of a story that is told partly through your relationships to other people. so, you know, just keep your eyes on our website, i guess, and you'll see what comes out in 2012. >> you can catch the next list each sunday 2:00 p.m. eastern right here on cnn. just ahead this morning. the iraq war officially coming to an end. the president reminding america of its obligation to returning soldiers. we're live at ft. bragg with a look at the struggle. he was blocked from bringing his adopted columbian sons home only because he's gay. now they're reunited and they're all going to join us live. you're watching "american morning." it's 56 minutes past the hour. one more gift... 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(rawhen an investmentrsation) and,lacks discipline, xus, it's never this obvious. introducing investment discipline etfs from russell. visit russelletfs.com r a prospectus, containing the investment objectives, risks, charges, expenses and other information. read and consider it carefully before investing. some folks call me a rock star, some call me the mayor... and i love it. and, i make everybody happy. i keep my business insurance with the hartford because... they came through for me once, and i know they've got my back. for whatever challenges come your way... the hartford is here to back you up. helping you move ahead... with confidence. meet some of our small business customers at: thehartford.com/business i don't think about the unknown... i just rock n' roll. i'm carol costello. democrats drop a key demand and now there could be compromise in the works to extend the payroll tax cut. a move that would save the average american worker about 1,000 bucks a year. >> good morning, i'm christine romans. they're up dark and early in hollywood for a major television movie event. the nominations for the 69th golden globe awards and you'll see it here live on this "american morning." good morning, it is thursday, december 15th. >> signs of progress this morning in the battle to extend the payroll tax holiday. senate democrats are working on a new plan now that drops their demand for a surtax on millionaires to pay for this. it's a huge compromise that has the two sides talking at least. house speaker john boehner and senate majority leader and mitch mcconnell met privately for about an hour in the capital last night. if congress cannot reach a deal and the payroll tax holiday expires in 16 days, americans earning $50,000 a year would be hit with a $1,000 tax increase in 2012. the more you make, the bigger the hit. in addition to extending the payroll tax cut congress is facing another critical deadline this morning. lawmakers need to pass a spending bill by tomorrow or, guess what, the federal government could shut down. kate bolduan live in washington. >> what i can say is if they want to work together, they can move mountains up there. as of this morning, we can say that there is movement and that the leaders are talking, which, in and of itself, is actually a development in this fight. but, i'll caution, still not clear that they are any closer to a final deal. last night senate democrats did offer a pretty major concession. following the meeting with the president yesterday afternoon, according to a democratic source, senate democratic leaders dropped their demand for the so-called millionaire surtax to be included in any final deal as a way to cover the cost of a payroll tax cut package. this is significant because democrats and the president, they've insisted all along that this millionaire surtax be included in a deal and it's not surprisingly, since it's a tax increase is something that republicans are very much opposed to. now, adding to this standoff and really kind of adding to what's at stake is that while the payroll tax cut expires at the end of this month, congress is now staring down another government shut down tomorrow. that's because the approval of a massive spending bill that, honestly, they've been working on for months to fund the government for the next year is being held up and the most recent short-term spending bill that they were able to come to some agreement on. that runs out tomorrow night. two issues that were previously not related, carol and christine, that are now intertwined and linked in this messy battle. >> it's the holiday season. they should be saying merry christmas -- >> but more important for them than the holiday season, the election year. so, that trumps even the holiday season. >> honestly, that is a really excellent point, actually. they are working. these are serious issues that they need to take care of at the end of the year, but kind of laced throughout all of this, linked throughout all of it is election year politics and there is a lot of messaging going on on why it has been hard until this point for either side to kind of come out of their corner. >> if you can't agree on $200 billion for a tax holiday that you all agree you want to extend. if you can't agree on that, how will they fix a $4 trillion hole. >> we're already seeing that. >> that is the question, i do not have an answer. >> so, if democrats have agreed to drop this surtax on millionaires, republicans have said they want to pay for this payroll tax cut extension by freezing the wages of federal workers. is that still in the mix? >> it may be. i know that, christine, you hit it on it after our last conversation a couple hours ago that republicans want to pay for the cost of this tax cut through continuing, at least in part. it wouldn't pay for the whole package. continuing a freeze on federal workers' pay. will that be part of the final deal? unclear. because if the democrats are dropping this demand on the millionaire surtax, it's not clear yet how they're going to pay for it. there's obviously some assumption and some talk that they'll kind of cherry pick from some of the areas that they found agreement on and reducing spending and cutting some increasing government fees, kind of really unexciting things to talk about that were agreed on in a preliminary basis in the supercommittee conversations. remember that success? >> if they can't agree on $200 billion, i'm sorry, i'm bearish on congress. $200 billion, they have so much more work to do than that. hopefully they'll at least get this done. >> thanks, kate. seems a lot of people are ganging up on newt gingrich these days. >> the speech in iowa city yesterday, gingrich was interrupted by "occupy" protesters. he told us he felt compelled to challenge gingrich because he believes the former speaker is a hypocrite. >> even '94, '95. he was cheating on his wife and he wants to look in the congress like he's a saint and trying to get clinton impeached while he's, you know, while clinton was having an affair with monica, he was cheating on his wife and being a big hypocrite about it. >> the republican frontrunner is refusing to go on the attack and insist he will not turn negative, even though his rival mitt romney told "the new york times" he believes the house speaker is zany. >> zany is great in a campaign and it's great on talk radio and great in the print. it makes for fun reading. but in terms of the president, we need a leader. and a leader needs to be someone who can bring americans together. >> congressman ron paul is rising in the polls in iowa. he's tied with mitt romney and nipping at the heels of newt gingrich. he told wolf blitzer he's feeling good about his chances in the iowa caucus. >> i think i have a good chance, but i'm not saying that i'm not working on the data basis assuming i'm going to win this thing. i'm not at that point. but i'm assuming we're going to do very, very well and have a much better showing than anybody has given us credit for. >> rick perry is launching a bus tour that will crisscross iowa with a bunch of stops. his first event yesterday was billed as a town hall meeting. only the texas governor didn't take any questions from the crowd. instead a former marine who was wounded in iraq spoke about why he believes perry was the most qualified to be president. it is over. u.s. forces lowered the flag in baghdad to mark the end of the nearly nine-year war. >> earlier on "american morning," i asked brigadier general mark kenneimmitt if the. will declare victory? >> will iraq remain a self democracy no long arthreat to the region, if that's the case, then these soldiers can say, yes, indeed, we've won. there will be no kisses in the middle of times square, but every soldier and their family should walk away satisfied and proud of what they accomplished and what they left behind. >> martin savidge has been with the troops and the long and dangerous road out of iraq. he joins us live now from camp virginia in kuwait. good morning, martin. >> morning, carol, how are you this morning? i want to echo that the troops are feeling, what you have heard in that last interview that was done a few seconds ago. the real success, how well they did is going to be measured in time. it's not measured now and it's not measured when they come across the border out of iraq, it's measured how successful the iraqi people are at controlling their own destiny. i will warn you that we have a rock band warming up. if you hear loud noises in the background, that's what that's based on. they had a lot of troops go through here, oh, a couple weeks ago. and then the real push of troops coming out of iraq subsided for a bit. another push, of course, that is coming and that will be the final push of u.s. forces coming out and that is still several days away. but the attitude of these troops, they're upbeat and positive and they feel good about the mission but as we point out here, look, the u.s. has done the best they could preparing the iraqi soldiers and training the iraqi officers and they also realize that is the nation facing a lot of problems and has a lot of ethnic division and religious divisions. the real test will come in the coming years and a lot of them say they will be watching carefully to see what happens because of all the u.s. invested. carol? >> how will security be maintained in iraq now that most u.s. troops are gone. >> well, of course, now that falls to the hands of the iraqi security forces themselves. the iraqi military is still training up. there are advisors that stay behind as part of this u.s. effort. there are several hundred soldiers that remain in iraq and they will continue to help train and equip. the u.s. government is still continuing to sell military hardware to the iraqis and things like trying to build up the air force and bolstered police department and those are the forces now that will have to respond if there's some sort of crisis. they will have to react if there is some sort of conflict that breaks out. the u.s. have been kind of the mediator for the last year and a half or so. not a combatant, but helping to negotiate. now, the u.s. is gone, which is why the iraqis are nervous, but it's like one soldier said, it's your kids, you got to eventually let them go. let them take their first steps and maybe they fall down a few times, but that's the only way they will be able to grow up. that might be an oversimplified explanation. >> put it well, actually. sounds like the party is getting started. the rock band has started warming up. people are playing basketball behind you. we like to see that. nine minutes past the hour. in other news, a lucky wednesday night for seven miners at the lucky friday silver mine in idaho. they were injured when a rock burst more than a mile underground. the mine company says the miners' injuries were nonlife threatening. digital globe. a satellite company said it photographed china's first aircraft carrier. this is believed to be the first time this retrofitted soviet vessel has been photographed sailing. the image was taken last week off the chinese coast. research and training. others here closely watching it to make sure it's not for dominance in an area in the united states where the united states dominates the situation. moon shine killing 100 people in india. at least 100 people are sick, they're in the hospital. police say most of the victims are poor and bought the toxic brew because it's cheap. four people have been arrested. rob marciano is off this morning. reynolds wolf is in the extreme weather center for us this morning. 11 minutes after the hour. hey, reynolds. >> hey, guys. parts on the eastern third of the country and with that some backup and some delays and not just at the airports but also on a lot of the roadways, as well. places along parts of 75 making the drive from detroit down through kentucky. very rainy at times and, in fact, several inches of rain on the roadways, not also rain, but also snow for parts of the west coast, especially high up in the sierra nevada. through a good part of the mid-day hours and perhaps even into the afternoon. the big weathermaker we have is this weather system right here that extends from the great lakes clear down to parts of central texas. going to bring some rain and bring some wind. winds especially strong back towards chicago and even into the twin cities, might see backups in those spots and temperatures fairly cool out towards the west. we have that big trough and the jet stream with it and allow that cold air to spill down through places like billings for your high and 39 in salt lake city and 39 in denver and albuquerque for your highs. 69 in los angeles and very breezy in los angeles, by the way. 71 atlanta and 54 in new york. your delays, yes, have them in new york. new york, philadelphia, due to showers and wind and boston, chicago, cleveland, you'll have backups. out towards the west and san francisco and the other side of the bay in oakland, some delays possibly exceeding an hour possibly due to the morning hours and, yes, the fog. big shocker for you in san francisco, but it's going to be frustrating, no doubt, if you're trying to get there on time. >> reynolds wolf, thank you. just ahead on "american morning," his dad has his adoptive sons taken away after he admits he's gay. they're back, all of them. one big happy family. they're in our studios after a break. what is black and white and silent all over? answer, the artist. the movies have gone from critical darling and now is it poised for a golden globe nomination? 12 minutes after the hour. 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[ female announcer ] from neutrogena® naturals. turn to senokot-s tablets. senokot-s has a natural vegetable laxative ingredient plus the comfort of a stool softener for gentle, overnight relief of occasional constipation. go to senokot-s.com for savings. it's always a beautiful day in miami. good morning, miami. partly cloudy later today, sunny with a high of 78. welcome back to "american morning." he was blocked from bringing his adopted columbian sons home because of his sexual orientation but after a long, emotional fight, they're all home. his sons, joe and brian are a little shy, so they are sitting off to the side. we understand it could be a little overwhelming for them to come to a new country. >> and go on cnn. >> yeah, yeah, they're sweet. hi, boys. >> hi, guys. >> hi, guys. >> hola. >> we'll recap your story in just a minute, but how are you feeling this morning? >> exhausted and pretty thrilled. >> i can't even imagine. can you even? they're here. >> i know. and they took them away and they, you know, and they were for me they were an image on skype for the past eight months and it was unbelievable. >> they're okay over there. don't worry. >> so, just to recap your story, you're going through with this adoption process and it's not illegal for you to adopt. >> it's quite legal. >> but authorities there suddenly said that you weren't honest with them about being gay and they stopped the adoption process. >> no, that's the thing that made it. i adopted them legally. arrived on march 1st, you know you do for four weeks and the the 23rd of march i got the adoption. and i was their legal father from the 23rd on. as we were going out on march 30th, you know, you see all of these kids. i thought, okay, i'll adopt this one and i'll adopt that one and they have 30,000 kids that need adoption in columbia and 8,000, 9,000 are difficult adoption like mine. but they were older, mine were abandoned at birth and i said to this very highly placed women in the child organization. look, please, guys. it's legal in columbia. there's columbia and supreme court decision 1995, t-290 that excludes sexual orientation from being considered like a criteri criterion. they never asked me my sexual orientation or my religion and i never told them either one. when i said, please, apply this law and let gay people adopt. these kids need -- they freaked out. >> at what point did you find out, oh, there is a problem because i'm gay and this is shocking to me because i never thought it was a problem. >> it was immediate. i really felt like i am going to have this conversation and it's going to be fine and, you know, they freaked. and i never met, i mean, i met all these columbians during this month there and they said it was your wife. that's interesting you're adopting the boys, where are they from? you just think, they're going to be rational and they're going to be normal and maybe they'll agree and you can have a conversation with it. take the kids away. >> so, how did you resolve the situation. i know you were reaching out to the u.s. government for help. so, how did you finally resolve this and what did you have to go through? >> first, a big shout out to senators menendez and lautenberg. they wrote a terrific letter and completely behind me. there was an education fund, they were behind me. had a lawyer there, all pro bono and in columbia an organization of justice, social justice organization. a lawyer named rodrigo, amazing. eight months pro bono organization would have cost me hundreds of thousands of dollars if i had to pay for it. he went and did the entire thing with his team and they represented me and they finally decided monday, i flew down. i arrived saturday night at midnight, sunday morning i did, are you ready for this? i had a psychological study because i'm gay. >> so, what did they ask you in that psychological study? >> it was hilarious. i think i can do this without getting the psychologist in trouble. she was great, she was awesome. we were sitting there and i was starting to do this and she said, where are you from? she was like, you know, it's silly. can you imagine giving somebody a psychological test because they're gay? >> i know the archbishop in columbia did not say kind things about this adoption. >> what did he say? >> he said you would be a pedophile. >> a pedophile, i know, from a catholic bishop. that's sort of interesting. >> so, after you take this psychological study, was it lengthy? >> yeah, it was four hours, but the last two hours were us hanging out and talking. >> after you passed the psychological. >> this is important, they interviewed the boys and they said to the boys, each one -- you know that your father is gay. and my older son, he said, and he actually said, it doesn't matter. and he said, look, if i had a girlfriend, my dad wouldn't tell me that i could have a girlfriend. that's normal for me because i would have a girlfriend and my dad would have a boyfriend. and he said, he's amazing. there's respect there. >> so, they interviewed the boys and you pass your psychological study and now the boys are with you and now the hard work begins. >> they gave the boys back to me on monday night and we did the press in columbia and we got on the plane and we got here at 5:40 a.m. at jfk. went through, gave the adoption papers. you can't open it, you give it to them and they open it and they say, welcome to the u.s. we have two brand-new american citizens. >> well, congratulations. we're glad everything turned out well and thank you for coming in and i know your boys are tired. so -- >> i think we're going to go razor skating in central park. >> sounds great to me. thank you so much for coming in. >> thank you. still ahead, adjusting to life after iraq. thousands of troops haunted by the horrors of war and america being called on to help them with the wounds we cannot see. it's 22 minutes past the hour. i'm kind of a fixture in different parts of town... some folks call me a rock star, some call me the mayor... and i love it. and, i make everybody happy. i keep my business insurance with the hartford because... they came through for me once, and i know they've got my back. for whatever challenges come your way... the hartford is here to back you up. helping you move ahead... with confidence. meet some of our small business customers at: thehartford.com/business i don't think about the unknown... i just rock n' roll. good morning. 25 minutes after the hour. minding your business this morning. in just a few minutes, the initial jobless claims report will be released. expected to show that 390,000 jobless claims were filed for the first time last week. any time that number is below 400,000, it is considered a good sign for the labor market. u.s. stock futures are trading higher this morning. the futures took a hit yesterday. the dow, nasdaq and s&p 500 all dropped more than 1%. ben bernanke is concerned that europe's problems may spill over to the u.s. that is according to republican senators that were briefed by the fed chairman yesterday. bernanke assured them that the fed does not intend to bail out europe. uc berkeley is launching a financial aid program for middle class families under the new initiative family earning up to $145,000 a year will be expected to contribute no more than 15% of their annual income to pay the tuition. google says it's providing $11.5 million in grants to ten groups working to end modern day slavery and human trafficking. the recipients say this will free about 12,000 people from slavery and prevent millions more from being victimized. will meryl streep be a golden globe nominee? we're about to find out. the nominations are just minutes away. we'll go to beverly hills for the announcement. "american morning" is back after this break. my doctor told me calcium is best absorbed in small continuous amounts. only one calcium supplement does that in one daily dose. citracal slow release... continuously releases calcium plus d for the efficient absorption my body needs. citracal. >> you stood up for america, america needs to stand up for you. haunted by the horrors of war with thousands of troops returning home from iraq, a growing need to help them adjust to being civilians, again. on this "american morning." all right, welcome back to "american morning." top stories. we're just minutes away learning who will compete for this year's golden globes award. live to beverly hills for that announcement when it happens. in politics, senate democrats are caving on their demand for a millionaire's surtax. they're now preparing a compromise deal to extend the payroll tax cut and avoid inflicting a tax hike on 160 million working americans. after eight years and nine months, the iraq war officially ended this morning in baghdad. president obama marked the occasion with troops at ft. bragg, north carolina, yesterday. saying u.s. forces are leaving with their heads held high. >> but he did stress that america still has an obligation to its returning heroes, many of whom are suffering from the invisible wounds of war. david, good morning. >> good morning. after so many years in iraq, the troops here at ft. bragg were telling me they have a big question for the president when he was speaking to them yesterday and that is, what is going to happen to us in the years to come. >> welcome home. welcome home. >> reporter: soldiers out of iraq and home for the holidays. that alone is worth celebrating. but troops at ft. bragg are looking for more. assurances from the president their sacrifices will not be overlooked. >> there is a lot of stuff behind the scenes that we will never understand. we do know that the government will do its cutbacks. >> reporter: after eight years in iraq and budget cuts at home, soldiers worried about holes opening in safety nets, mentions, medical support and treatment for ptsd. how much pain are you in right now? >> on a daily basis, it's aches and pains and stabs and needles. >> reporter: wesley dodd came home in 2008 with a painful knee injury, ptsd and eventually a pa addiction to pain medication. do you consider yourselves lucky? >> absolutely. i'm alive. i came home alive and i can't say the same. i have a number of these bands. corporal ryan woodward he was killed on a mission while i was there. sergeant brian sutton, he was killed. there are a lot of people who don't come out. it's not easy, you know. >> reporter: but dodd was also arrested for forging a prescription. he is now on probation. he believes as more troops come home, there will be more like him in pain and in trouble since the war in iraq began, ft. bragg and the army have had to find new ways to deal with long-term domestic violence and suicide. in just the last week outside bragg, there have been two murder/suicides involving iraq soldiers. one killed a sheriff's deputy and another killed his wife. and the soldiers yesterday leaving from the president's speech feeling like they got the assurances they were looking for. the president very specific saying that we will be standing by you, we will be looking after your needs for however long that might take. >> thanks so much, david mattingly. the hollywood foreign press association taking center stage with nominations for the 69th golden globe awards. you will look at a live picture from beverly hills where the nominees will be announced. >> we will go there when there is something. one thing we know ricky gervais will be hosting. "us weekly" bradley jacobs is here in the studio with us. >> let's go first to nischelle turner. >> the stage is clear, so let me give you some information firstoff. the sun isn't up here in hollywood, but most of the hollywood people are because the golden globe nominations are going on. they have started the nominations. they will come back at 5:30 for some of the bigger motion picture, acting categories. the thing about the golden globes that is so interesting a lot of times, they like to mix things up and maybe have a lot of fun and throw you a curveball here and there and they've actually already done that this morning, guys. one of the nominations that has come in already is in the foreign film category and angelina jolie's movie was nominated in the foreign film category. now, the hollywood foreign press association does love angelina jolie and they love for her to come to the awards. a lot of people thought would they find a way to get her movie in the award show this year? yes, they have done it. a couple of the other things that i want to tell you about that came across this morning. amy poehler who some say were snubbed by the sag awards. steve carell was not nominated and those are two notables that stood out. at 5:38 they'll come back with all the big awards. this is kind of the exciting time because now we're starting to really ramp up everything in award season. >> three minutes to go. talent back to the room. three minutes. >> nishelle stand by because you're preparing. because the boys tell us something is happening in three minutes. >> let's turn to bradley jacobs now, the senior editor for "us weekly." do you expect any surprises this year? >> golden globes are never about surprises. comedy, musical and drama. two categories for television. you know, best actress in comedy and drama, et cetera. always more about the wildcards. who managed to get one of those ten nominations. we have already seen one, i don't think anyone was expecting matt leblanc to be nominated. >> i didn't know he had a show. >> that's one of those things, one of those head scratching moments. but that's what the globes are about. >> what about "glee." >> they have a nomination, it always gets a nomination. don't worry about "glee." great to have angelina nominated. very cool. >> that's not exactly very cool just to like nominate angelina jolie. >> is it really about talent or who has the most friends? how do you get nominated? >> that's a whole different segment. but the point is, when you picture the globes, you picture all the those a-listers sitting in the same room with ricky gervais criticizing them. it's always, basically, the second best night of the year after the oscars. but the oscars are seen as so much more uptight than the golden globes. the golden globes is just acting, best picture and, you know, that's -- >> forget -- >> we have a one-minute warning, i'm told. one of the films that could be highlighted is this film that has no words. >> the artist. one of my favorite movies of the year and i think it will win its golden globe category and probably win best picture in february. it is incredibly a silent film about a silent star in black and white. after like a minute or two, you forget that you're in that world and the movie is so charming. >> the other thing that surprised me is a lot of the nominees, we haven't even seen yet they released them at the end of the year. >> that's the gripe. every year they save all these movies until like december 10th. >> is the angelina jolie film out. >> "the girl with the dragon tattoo" one of the nominees. that's not out yet. >> i got to see it last week. i'm a member of the media. the viewing public, the one who the golden globes are for they don't get to see the movies until christmas week. >> the voice of god is telling us we have eight seconds to go. let's go back to beverly hills and listen to what's happening. >> good morning, everyone. welcome to the nomination announce frment the golden globes awards. with us this morning girard butler and woody. rasheda, please, get us started. >> best performance in an actor or mini series made there television hugh donahue, william hurt, "too big to fail." bill nigh "page eight masterpiece." dominik west "the hour." best performance by an actor in a television series drama. steve bushemi "boardwalk empire." brian cranston "breaking bad." jeremy irons, damian lewis, "homeland." >> best television series drama. "american horror story fx." "boardwalk empire" hbo. "game of thrones" hbo. "homeland" showtime. best perfirman aperperformance. brendan gleason "the guard." joseph gordon levitt "50/50." ryan gosling "crazy, stupid love." owen wilson. >> best performance by an actress in a supporting role in a motion picture. "the artist." jessica chestain "the help." octavia spencer "the help." and shalin woodly "the descendants." best performance by an actor in a motion picture drama. george clooney "the desce descendants." leonardo decap rio "the defender." ryan gosling "the ides of march." and brad pitt, "money ball." best motion picture in a comedy. "50/50." "the artist." "bridesmaids" "midnight in paris" and "my week with marilyn." >> best performance by an actress in mini series of motion picture made for television. "the hour." diane lane. elizabeth mcgovern. emily watson "appropriate adu adult." kate winslet "mildred pierce." best supporting actress in a motion picture. kenneth branna. albert brooks. jonah hill, "money ball." christopher plumber "beginners." best director motion picture. woody allen, "midnight in paris." george clooney "the ides of march." alexander payne "the descendant >> best performance by an actress in a motion picture drama. glenn close "albert nobbs." davis "the help." ruby marna "the girl with the dragon tattoo." meryl streep. tilda suinten. best performance by an actress. jodie foster, "carnage." charlize theron, michelle williams "my week with marilyn." kate winslet "carnage." best motion picture drama. rampart opens january 27th. i don't see it on the list. there are a lot of things left off today. i just want to say. "the descendants," "the help," "hugo," "the ides of march," "war horse." >> congratulations to all the nominees. don't forget to join us on sunday, january 15th for the golden globe awards hosted by ricky gervais live on nbc. >> let's get some instant reaction to the golden globe nominations. joining us again from beverly hills "showbiz tonight" nishelle turner. it was exciting. that is my instant reaction that woody haralson is a riot. there's so much to digest when these nominations come out. but a couple of things that automatically stood out is that the hollywood foreign press association loves george clooney. i think he was nominated in just about every category that he could have been nominated in. he might have even been nominated in the best actor's category. i can't remember. "the help" got a lot of acting nominations, as well. the sag nominations didn't nominate them for best picture, but did get a best picture nomination here for the golden globe awards. also, the golden globes like to, like i said before, try to give you a curveball every now and then. "my week with marilyn" was nominated for best picture in the comedy/musical category. i don't know, maybe they wanted to find a way to fit it in there because it has been such a critically acclaimed movie. they did fit that in there. michelle williams also nominated for best actress for that movie. the best actor category, wow, several heavy hitters there. it's like the good-looking man category. you've got george clooney, leonardo decap rio, ryan gosl g gosling, brad pitt, ryan gosling was nominated for "crazy, stupid love" and the "ides of march." it was a movie everyone liked, but in the last few months, wasn't getting a lot of play because a lot of other really good movies came out. but the hollywood foreign press association did give a nod to it this morning. like i said, lots to digest here this morning. we also saw, of course, meryl streep getting a nomination and that was something that a lot of people expected for her portrayal as margaret thatcher in "iron lady." back to you guys. >> you brought up a good snub and i agree with you. melissa mccarthy. >> kristen wigg got a nomination. everyone talked about the standout melissa mccarthy. a new type of woman and she got snubbed. >> i know you haven't seen a movie in five years. but you have to see "bridesmaids." >> it's not a badge of honor. >> it is on dvd now, no excuse. >> if it's not a curious george episode, i don't get to watch it. i'm not qualified for this segment. >> michelle went through her list of snubs and highlights. what is yours? >> steven spielberg did not get a nomination for best director and that's kind of a big deal because some people think "war horse" might be the best picture of the year. that was interesting. >> what about "my week with marilyn." >> it's a musical. i don't think that's unusual. michelle williams, who knew. we were watching her on "dawson's creek" she would grow up to be this high-caliber actress. she really has a lot of soul. i think it's wonderful to see that, like we talked about before with angelina and brad, they will up the celeb of the year. also in the tv category. we didn't talk about it, but a lot of fresh blood. you have "american horror story" which was a dark horse candidate and it's the hot and new and that's what the hollywood foreign press association loves. also, "homeland" the showtime show and every critics best list. >> if you love "24" you'll love "homeland" even better than "24." >> bradley jacob, thank you. the golden globes are in. your morning headlines, next. the most recent jobless claims, lowest in three years, boys and girls. futures are higher. good jobs news. we'll tell you about that when we come back. 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[ timer dings ] got to go. priority mail flat rate shipping at usps.com. a simpler way to ship. nine minutes until the top of the hour. markets open in 45 minutes and right now futures are spiking. that's because the labor department just announced that 366,000 jobless claims were filed for the first time last week. this is the lowest level since may of 2008 and shows that hiring is picking up and layoffs are slowing. a very good sign for the labor market. senate democrats caving making a big concession to extend the payroll tax cut. working on a new proposal that drops their tax hike for millionaires and that has both parties talking. the iraq war now over. earlier this morning u.s. soldiers lowered a flag in baghdad, officially bringing the nine-year conflict to an end. only a few thousand troops remain in iraq right now. a bad batch of moonshine kills more than 100 people in india and police expect to find even more victims. right now at least 100 people are being treated at the hospital. police raided liquor vendors, arresting four people they suspect of selling the illegal brew. and the golden globe nominations unveiled just moments ago. "the descendants" among the top nominees earning a best picture as well as best actor nod for george clooney. that's the news you need to start your day. it's memphis, 64 and rainy. later about 64 and rainy. >> my all-time favorite christmas song remains. on to the news now. stop laughing at that. >> i thought you were going to say "jingle bell rock". >> no, it's "god rest ye merry gentlemen." okay, on to the news now. no criminal charges will result from that nationally televised basketball brawl last weekend between xavier university and the university of cincinnati. after talking with coaches for both teams ohio prosecutors decided the situation could be handled more effectively by the schools internally rather than in the criminal justice system. a spectacular crash caught on convenience tape in columbia, tennessee. a pickup truck barrels right through the glass into the store and, guess what, it was on purpose. police say the driver was aiming for his girlfriend who'd run inside and he pinned the store owner instead. a good samaritan, who is also a nurse, saw it all happen. she called 911 and ran inside to help the owner and then things turned bad for her. >> that's when i turned around and i noticed the guys out at my car and i was like, he's still in my car. >> the driver ran head on into a bread truck. the suspect is in the hospital and under arrest charged with, among other things, attempted murder. it's about 55 minutes after the hour. we're right back. okay, team! after age 40, we can start losing muscle -- 8% every 10 years. wow. wow. but you can help fight muscle loss with exercise and ensure muscle health. i've got revigor. what's revigor? it's the amino acid metabolite, hmb to help rebuild muscle and strength naturally lost over time. 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[ male announcer ] progresso. you gotta taste this soup. good morning, san francisco. 50 degrees and rainy right now. but going to be, going to go up to 57 with more showers. how surprising. >> we will be watching the markets this morning because futures are up, carol, that initial jobless claims a weekly report of how many people are filing for unemployment benefits was the lowest in three years, since may of 2008 showing you that maybe hiring is picking up, but this showing that layoffs are slowing. >> that combined with past jobless claims reports means good things about the economy, right? >> you can jump around a little bit, but over the past few months, we have been seeing slow improvement in the labor market which is why all this movement on the market. >> so, we should feel optimistic, but not too optimistic. >> there you go. that's a technical term.

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