Political Attack Ad Targets Ashley Judd; An American Hero
COSTELLO: Forty-five minutes past the hour. Time to check our "Top Stories". Governor Chris Christie is telling a former White House physician she needs to shut up about his weight. It's because Dr. Connie Mariano said she was worried that Christie could die in office due to his weight. Christie pointed out she has not even examined him. Mariano says her comments were constructive. Karl Rove's conservative Super PAC has unleashed an attack ad against the actress Ashley Judd in Kentucky and she hasn't even said if she's going to run for Senate yet.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Someone from out of state who understands us hillbillies.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't know a lot of hillbillies who golf. Hillbillies, hillbillies, hillbillies --</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Her own grandmother says she's a Hollywood liberal, but isn't that what we need? Ashley Judd an Obama-following radical Hollywood liberal who is right at home here in Tennessee -- well, I mean Kentucky.</s>COSTELLO: Wow. Judd's family is from Kentucky but she later moved to Tennessee. The actress is considering a run for senate in Kentucky next year and would go up against Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. Parts of the northeast could get up to two feet of snow between Friday and Saturday in what's being called an historic storm. Blizzard warnings have been issued in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. You know some of the possible snow totals -- in some places snow could fall at a rate of two to three inches per hour. From the moment that U.S. troops arrived at Combat Outpost Keating in Afghanistan they knew they were at a disadvantage, those troops would become targets in one of the deadliest attacks in the war. The bravery of those troops is told in "</s>THE OUTPOST: AN UNTOLD STORY OF AMERICAN VALOR" by CNN anchor and Chief Washington correspondent Jake Tapper. Jake is in New York to talk about his documentary on a hero from that battle. Good morning, Jake.</s>JAKE TAPPER, CNN CHIEF WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol. That's right one of the heroes of that battle, former Staff Sergeant Clint Romesha will be awarded the Medal of Honor on Monday at the White House by President Obama. We went to Minot, North Dakota, to talk to Romesha about the award and talk about serving at Combat Outpost Keating. What you need to understand and our listeners and viewers need to understand, is this camp was put at the bottom of three steep mountains which ultimately were teeming with Taliban fighters, so we talked about that in a special that will air at 10:00 tonight.</s>TAPPER (voice-over): Combat Outpost Keating was built in 2006. With so many troops and assets deployed to Iraq, those in Afghanistan had to make do. One part of the strategy was to build small outposts as the U.S. pushed into eastern Afghanistan. The location was a trap evident from the moment the Romesha's unit arrived in May 2009. (on camera): What was your first reaction?</s>SGT. CLINTON ROMESHA, U.S. ARMY (Ret.): First reaction was I think the same as everybody that stepped foot on that COP is this is a pretty indefensible spot.</s>PFC CHRIS JONES, U.S. ARMY (Ret.): I thought we were supposed to be on top of a mountain. This is crazy. I mean, that's how I felt, you know. Shooting up? But you just, I was there, you know, I can't be like this is stupid.</s>TAPPER: This is a part of the world, the Hindu Kush mountain range where you're either on a mountain or in a valley. And in order to be near the local population and near the road so it could be re-supplied Combat Outpost Keating was put at the bottom of three steep mountains. (voice-over): Soldiers had been fatally attacked there before. In 2007, Private Chris Pfeiffer; in 2008, Camp Commander Captain Rob Yeskas; and near there, a different camp commander, Captain Tom Bostick. As lethal as its position was the outpost's terrain. The camp was named for Lieutenant Ben Keating killed when his truck rolled over the treacherous side of the road leading to the camp.</s>ROMESHA: I knew it was a bad spot and I knew that previous commanders had expired there but to set there and dig up every, you know, every little detail on it, you know, it just it wasn't healthy for -- for the guys to be -- to exposed to that kind of information.</s>TAPPER: So your very first day at Combat Outpost Keating, there was an attack and a soldier with the platoon leaving, Shane Scherrer, got a massive head wound. Other guys got sprinkled with shrapnel.</s>ROMESHA: It also gave you that instant sense of you know we're not over here selling girl scout cookies, guys. You know we're -- we're in a real fight. Tapper: (voice-over): Romesha and his men knew it was not a question of if there would be a major attack but when.</s>TAPPER: And Carol that attack finally came on October 3rd, 2009. 53 U.S. troops faced with up to 400 Taliban attacking on that day. And of course former Staff Sergeant Clint Romesha's actions on that day, his valor, his conduct is now -- are now going to result in him getting the Congressional Medal of Honor on Monday. The special airs tonight at 10:00. And Romesha is an inspiring man. And the story of that camp, a dramatic and inspiring story.</s>COSTELLO: Oh I can't wait to see it. Jake Tapper, thanks so much for joining us in the NEWSROOM, we appreciate it.</s>TAPPER: Thank you, Carol.</s>COSTELLO: We'll be right back.