Katie Couric Headed to CBS News; President Bush Continues Call For Immigration Reform
WHITFIELD: Perhaps you have heard Katie Couric is swapping breakfast time for the dinner hour. The popular co-host of "The Today Show" is leaving NBC in May. And she will make history when she takes over the anchor chair at the "CBS Evening News" this fall. A.J. Hammer of "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT" joins us live from New York with more grisly details --</s>A.J. A.J. HAMMER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: Fredricka, after "The Today Show" rapid wrapped up today at Rockefeller Center, Katie Couric's colleagues raised a glass of champagne to salute her, not simply in recognition of the fact that today marks 15 years for Couric as co-anchor of "The Today Show," but, as you said, on the official news of her impending departure from network television's number-one morning show. (</s>BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "THE TODAY SHOW") KATIE COURIC, CO-HOST, "THE TODAY SHOW": Sometimes, I think change is a good thing. Although it may be terrifying to get out of your comfort zone, it's also very exciting to start a new chapter in your life. So, for now, it's not goodbye, at least not yet, but a heartfelt thank you for 15 great years.</s>HAMMER: Katie Couric clearly emotional this morning on "The Today Show." And let me break it down for you. She's going to basically ride out her NBC contract. That wraps up at the end of May. So, we can expect a month long of goodbyes in May, as Matt Lauer alluded to this morning. In September, she will begin a multi-year deal with CBS. It puts her in the anchor chair for "The CBS Evening News With Katie Couric," as it will be called. It names her as the managing editor of the broadcast. And it has her as a contributor to the venerable "60 Minutes" program, as well as anchoring prime-time specials for CBS. So, if people are basically thinking she's going to be getting a lot more sleep with this job, not having to wake up so early, that's probably not the case. She just will get to sleep a bit later. And, Fredricka, as you mentioned, she's going to make history, because she's the first female anchor who is going to fly solo on a nightly newscast, CBS obviously hoping for a big payoff with this.</s>WHITFIELD: That's right. Now, what about a lot of the fans? You know, you have had a chance to take the pulse outside of the CBS studios earlier today.</s>HAMMER: Yes.</s>WHITFIELD: Are a lot of fans saying something already?</s>HAMMER: The fans have things to say, obviously, a lot of mixed emotions. But, instead of hearing it from me, let's see what the fans had to say just outside of "The Today Show" studios in Rockefeller Center this morning.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm so sad that she's leaving. I -- I -- it won't be the same without her.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We were really surprised. I was just -- you know, I didn't think this would happen. We were touring the studios yesterday. And we were were just very surprised by that.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I thought she was just great. She was very -- a very happy, down-to-earth person. And I think that's why a lot of viewers probably actually latched on to her and -- and liked her so well. And she's just going to be really, really hard to replace.</s>HAMMER: There have been a lot of mixed reactions from the industry as well, a lot of people saying maybe she doesn't have the chops that it takes in hard news to be there on "The CBS Evening News." But the fact is, the face of news, as we both know, Fredricka, has changed quite a bit over the time -- over the time that Katie has been sitting on that couch with Matt Lauer.</s>WHITFIELD: Yes. For those who are doubtful, she has got chops, I think. I think she can handle it. Well, what about replacements? You know, can anyone else really handle what she leaves behind?</s>HAMMER: Well, everybody has been tossing around the name of Meredith Vieira. That secret was kept as well -- kept -- kept about as well as the secret of Katie Couric going over to CBS. Meredith Vieira, of course, from "The View" and from "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?" But she was a reporter on "60 Minutes." She's an Emmy Award-winning journalist. She's been the front-runner. It's still buzzing around that they're close to putting a deal together. It's just a question of coming to terms, I think, at this point. If not her, Campbell Brown, perhaps -- you know her as the anchor of the weekend "Today Show," and Natalie Morales, another news reader for NBC. And, of course, Ann Curry, who we see on "The Today Show" every day, her name also tossed in the ring. It will be interesting to see how quickly they come forward with their announcements. But I know they're really after Meredith. And that deal is on the table.</s>WHITFIELD: All right. Well, we will be turning to you for the insight. Thanks so much...</s>HAMMER: All right.</s>WHITFIELD: ... A.J. Hammer. So, it's a central question in the immigration debate, what to do with the millions of illegal immigrants already in the U.S. President Bush says he has the answer, as he prods the Senate to move faster on immigration reform. Before leaving the White House this morning, Mr. Bush called for a comprehensive bill, one with a guest-worker program.</s>GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: A bill that will help us secure our borders, a bill that will cause the people in the interior of this country to recognize and enforce the law, and a bill that will include a guest worker provision that will enable us to more secure the border, will recognize that there are people here working hard for jobs Americans won't do, and a guest-worker provision that is not amnesty.</s>WHITFIELD: Well, there is a showdown looming in the Senate over one proposal. It would let illegal immigrants apply for residency, if they pay fines and back taxes, learn English, and work six years. Conservative critics say that amounts to amnesty. Well, let's go straight to Capitol Hill right now and congressional correspondent Andrea Koppel. And, Andrea, where do things stand right now in the immigration fight overall?</s>ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN STATE DEPARTMENT CORRESPONDENT: There is a flurry of activity behind the scenes here in the Capitol, Fredricka. This morning, just to give you a sense as to how the day is progressing, there was a big meeting in the Senate majority leader, Bill Frist's office with key Republicans involved in trying to broker some sort of compromise, especially to try to get more Republicans on board. As the day progressed, we have seen -- in fact, just as I was coming over here to talk with you, I ran into the Senate minority leader, Harry Reid, and the deputy -- the -- the whip, Dick Durbin, who were just emerging from Bill Frist's office. So, in other words, Democrats are now getting involved in talks. We're going to go back, I believe, to the Senate -- OK. Well, let's not. So, you have got Democrats that are getting involved in this -- in the negotiations now, which some might see as a sign of progress. As things stand right now, Republicans are still fuming about a couple of procedural moves that the Democrats made -- made late yesterday, one of which had to do with a move to try to force a test vote on an immigration bill that came out of the Senate Judiciary Committee. This was a bipartisan bill that came out. And the other move that infuriated Republicans was, basically, the Democrats are blocking any attempt of Republicans to introduce their amendments, not just to introduce them, but to debate them on the floor. Let's listen to what one Republican was saying earlier.</s>SEN. JOHN CORNYN (R), TEXAS: But I just want to make it clear where the fault lies. And that blame should be squarely placed at the feet of the Democratic leader, who has denied us an opportunity to have a vote on these commonsense amendments.</s>KOPPEL: Senator Reid, the minority leader, and Bill Frist, the majority leader, are right now on the floor of the Senate. This story is changing by the minute. In fact, Senator Arlen Specter, Republican of Pennsylvania, who is the chairman of the Judiciary Committee, said during one of these kind of movements back and forth from -- from Frist's office, he said that -- he said you -- you -- this is a pressure cooker, and you can't make sausage in a pressure cooker. Clearly, it is a messy process right now -- Fredricka.</s>WHITFIELD: All right, Andrea Koppel, thanks so much for keeping tabs on that. Well, is there a higher power watching over the immigration debate? Los Angeles Cardinal Roger Mahony is celebrating a special mass this afternoon, right now, to urge solidarity with illegal immigrants. He's asking his diocese to observe a day of prayer and fasting. Mahony has criticized legislation that would make it a crime to help needy illegal immigrants. The cardinal has told parishes to disobey such a law if it's passed. Well, pigging out in the halls of Congress straight ahead -- a watchdog group unveils its list of wasteful government spending...</s>WHITFIELD: ... snorts and all -- the dirty details on the so- called pork barrel projects next.