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President Bush Reacts to Foley Internet Message Scandal; Amish School Gunman Prepared for Long Siege; School Shootings

Aired October 03, 2006 - 14:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, everyone. I'm Kyra Philips at CNN world headquarters in Atlanta.
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Don Lemon.

The Amish schoolteacher (sic) -- new details about the man who terrorized a one-room schoolhouse.

PHILLIPS: Who knew what and when? House Speaker Dennis Hastert under fire from conservatives. Did Republican leaders fail to act on inappropriate messages from Mark Foley?

LEMON: And threat to peace? North Korea announces plans to conduct a nuclear test. Is extreme response needed?

CNN NEWSROOM starts right now.

PHILLIPS: Well, it was just moments ago that the president of the United States responded in a congressional breakfast about what he thought about the resignation request for Speaker of the House Dennis -- Dennis Hastert, in addition to his response to this e-mail scandal regarding Mark Foley.

White House Correspondent Elaine Quijano traveling with the president in California.

It just developed just a short time ago -- Elaine.

ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good afternoon to you, Kyra.

That's right, President Bush was speaking at a previously unscheduled or at least unannounced stop. The president is here on the West Coast campaigning for congressional candidates, but obviously the story centering around Mark Foley and consequently the Republican leadership in the House coming to a head.

President Bush just moments ago issuing a strong statement of support for House Speaker Denny Hastert. Now, this is significant because it's coming, of course, in the wake of a call for Hastert to resign from a prominent conservative newspaper, "The Washington Times".

But just a short time ago, President Bush saying that he fully supports Hastert's call for an investigation. He said the investigation should be thorough and any violation should be prosecuted. President Bush going on to say that he knows Denny Hastert, that he is a father, a teacher and a coach, and he cares about the children of this country.

So, Kyra, at a time when there is a prominent conservative voice calling for Speaker Hastert to step down, now President Bush issuing this very strong statement of support out here in California -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right.

Elaine Quijano, thanks so much.

LEMON: Political purgatory may be the least of Mark Foley's problems. The FBI is also on the case, and the nation's top law enforcement officer is watching. He talked with our very Susan Roesgen today in New Orleans.

Very interesting to hear what the attorney general has to say -- Susan.

SUSAN ROESGEN, CNN GULF COAST CORRESPONDENT: Yes, it was, Don.

Attorney General Alberto Gonzales was in New Orleans today to address a national conference on an unrelated topic, but afterward he said that he had notified yesterday House Speaker Dennis Hastert that the Justice Department was beginning some fact-finding to find out what laws might have been broken. Apparently the start of a formal investigation.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALBERTO GONZALES, U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL: The protection of children from child predators has been a top priority of mine. And so obviously we consider these allegations very seriously. It's early in the process, and so please give us an opportunity to do our jobs to ensure that our children remain safe.

ROMANS: If Congressman Foley's colleagues might have been aware of his actions but didn't alert authorities, could they face some sort of federal charges?

GONZALES: Listen, I'm not going to get into what-ifs. We're in the process now, we're responding to the request to look at this -- look at the facts here, and that's what we're doing.

ROESGEN: Have you been informed that your field office in D.C. was aware of at least some of these e-mails back in July?

GONZALES: Again, this is all part of gathering up information to make sure we understand what the facts are. I don't want to comment on specific allegations without making sure that I understand what the facts are.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROESGEN: And as far as what that fact-finding involves, Don, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales said it involves talking to individuals and looking at information. And that's all that he really wanted to say on that topic.

LEMON: I'm sure more to come very soon.

Thank you very much, Susan Roesgen.

PHILLIPS: Well, more clues to what may have led to that tragedy at an Amish schoolhouse. As you may have heard here live over the past hour, Pennsylvania State Police talked more about a man with quite a troubled past, a past that was a mystery even to those closest to him.

CNN's Jason Carroll is at the school in Lancaster County -- Jason.

JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And hello to you, Kyra.

A lot coming now coming out about Charles Roberts. Police describe him as a deeply disturbed man, a man who had a plan that he wanted to carry out with precision. Police say that he wasn't necessarily targeting the Amish, he was targeting young girls.

He left two notes behind that are particularly interested in. One was a suicide note, the other a checklist.

First, the suicide note that police held up during this press conference that they had. In that note, there was a reference to a premature baby girl that Roberts and his wife had about nine years ago. That baby girl, Elyse (ph), died just 20 minutes after she was born.

His wife said he never got over it. He referred to this in his suicide note. He said he was angry with god; he also said he was angry with himself.

Now, that has to do with a conversation that he had with his wife just before the shooting. He called her and he said that he wasn't coming home. He said that -- at that time he admitted to molesting some of his relatives 20 years ago. He would only say that these relatives were children at the time. He also referred to that molestation in the note, saying he wanted to do it again.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COMM. JEFFREY MILLER, PENNSYLVANIA STATE POLICE: Roberts mentioned suicide -- in his suicide note that he was having dreams of molesting again. Some of the motives or reasons, again, we cannot tell with any degree of 100 percent certainty what he was thinking, but we're trying to piece together from the information he left behind and the evidence we gathered a better picture of what was going through his mind.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CARROLL: And police say that they did find evident at the schoolroom that they recovered that they believe may have led them to believe that perhaps that he was going to molest some of these girls that he eventually killed.

They also found a checklist in his pickup truck. In that pickup truck they found that checklist. It had things on it such as hardware, ammunition. And as you know, he did end up bringing a semiautomatic gun with him -- also a shotgun, firearms.

They also found on this checklist other hardware such as nails and things like that. Seeming to suggest that he had -- that he was planning for some sort of a long standoff with police, trying to give him plenty of time in there, in that schoolroom with those children -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right. Jason Carroll, appreciate the latest details.

Well, so much bloodshed and so many questions.

LEMON: Three deadly school shootings in less than a week have parents and teachers asking why. And is there any way to make schools completely safe?

CNN's Dan Lothian talked to some experts.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAN LOTHIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): The deadly trail of recent school shootings stretches from Colorado to Wisconsin, and now rural Pennsylvania.

KENNETH TRUMP, NATIONAL SCHOOL SAFETY SEC. SVCS.: The common refrain we hear time and time again is, "We never thought it could happen here." If there's one lesson we've learned from Columbine, it's that we can't have that "it can't happen here" mentality.

LOTHIAN: Ken Trump and the National School Safety and Security Services began tracking cases after the 1999 rampage at Columbine High School, where 15 people died. Since then, by his count, there have been 219 deaths, not including Monday's attack.

TRUMP: The good news is schools have done a much better job since Columbine working on preventing incidents and improving their emergency preparedness measures.

LOTHIAN: But he says there's no way to make a campus 100 percent safe. School shootings have taken place for decades.

Before Columbine, there was Pearl, Mississippi. Two students killed. Seven wounded.

And Jonesboro, Arkansas. Four students and one teacher killed.

What's behind the violence? Boston College sociologist Joseph Tecce says sometimes it's revenge.

PROF. JOSEPH TECCE, BOSTON COLLEGE: There's a certain vendetta involved. There's a certain payback. "I was treated badly in school and, boy, I'm going to get back with those kids because the bully got me and now I'm going to get them."

LOTHIAN: And the fact that some of these shootings seem to occur in some kind of serial order leads Tecce and other experts to suspect copycats.

TECCE: Maybe the murderer or the killer says, "Wow, this other guy got a lot of publicity on this and he nailed a couple of kids. I think I'll try the same technique, because it worked for him and it may work for me. I think I'll get my vengeance the same way as he did."

LOTHIAN: Besides the deadly consequences, attacks can often leave students feeling vulnerable. But experts say they should not be paralyzed by fear.

TECCE: Parents can tell their children these are unusual circumstances, they don't happen every day. Don't go to school expecting it to happen. Go to school zeroing in on your studies.

LOTHIAN: At the same time, there's a growing effort to have schools prepare and practice. Much like they would for a weather emergency drill.

TRUMP: Very often after an emergency, parents want to focus on physical, tangible measures such as security cameras, metal detectors and armed officers. It's the training alertness and preparedness of staff and students that really makes a difference on a day-to-day basis.

LOTHIAN (on camera): The idea is to jolt school officials out of a sense of complacency so they'll be just as prepared to protect their students as they are to educate them.

Dan Lothian, CNN, Boston.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: And of course you can catch more of Dan Lothian's reports on CNN's "AMERICAN MORNING," weekdays starting at 6:00 a.m. Eastern.

PHILLIPS: Right now to the hijacked Turkish airliner. The transport minister in Italy, where the plane is on the ground, says that passengers are leaving unhurt.

We're told that 113 people were on board that flight bound from Tirana, Albania, to Istanbul, when two hijackers entered that cockpit. Now, an airline spokesperson says the two are not armed and they're now both in custody.

LEMON: North Korea flexing its vocal cords again. Is its threat to conduct a nuclear test a bluff?

A live report from the United Nations coming up in the CNN NEWSROOM.

PHILLIPS: Also ahead, in one African nation the world's deadliest conflict in half a century. CNN's Anderson Cooper takes you there straight ahead from CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Seven U.S. soldiers, 30 Iraqis all killed in 24 hours in Baghdad.

CNN's Arwa Damon has more on a city under siege and the prime minister's plan to rein in violence as she joins us live via broadband.

Hi, Arwa.

ARWA DAMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Don. That's right, but let's start with the prime minister's plan first.

Now, this plan was announced yesterday, and it is a four-point plan. They're calling it the Ramadan Agreement. It was signed by all major Sunni and Shia political parties. It's an attempt to bring an end to the bloodshed.

But there are four points to this plan. They are all dealing with the formation of committees that are going to be going out into the streets of Iraq to try to speak with the Iraqi people in an effort to stop the bloodshed. But those who are on the streets right now -- we have U.S. soldiers on the streets every day with the Iraqi army, and it has been a very violent month for them.

Three days into October, at least 12 U.S. soldiers have been killed across Iraq, and many of those in Baghdad, itself. On Monday, four U.S. soldiers lost their lives in a roadside bomb. Another three were killed in small arms fire.

And Don, we have been out on the streets here for the last few days with the soldiers of the 1st Infantry Division going through eastern Baghdad, and it is very, very challenging to operate out there.

Just to give you one example, yesterday we set out on an operation that was intended to build the relationship with the local population and the U.S. military, to gain intelligence to try to build that crucial bridge. But, however, when the soldiers set out, immediately they had to respond to a sniper attack on another platoon. After they responded to that incident in which one soldier was wounded -- this is a non-life threatening injury in that case -- they then returned to their original mission but came under so many instances of small arms fire that they were unable to complete their intended mission, and that is the kind of environment that is facing these troops out here -- Don.

LEMON: Arwa Damon, embedded with U.S. troops in Baghdad, reporting to us live from broadband.

Thank you very much, Arwa.

PHILLIPS: North Korea has never been shy about making threats. Its latest? Well, warning of an imminent nuclear test that shockwaves around the world.

CNN's Barbara Starr at the Pentagon with more.

Barbara, why is the U.S. taking the threat so seriously right now?

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kyra, the reason is because no one can ever really be sure what the North Koreans are up to unless and until something happens. And it's that uncertainty, of course, that has the military and intelligence services so concerned.

Now, earlier, when the North Korean foreign ministry made a statement today that it was planning to -- that the North Korean government was planning to conduct a nuclear test, that got a lot of attention in the Bush administration because what officials here know in the U.S. military and in the intelligence community is that there is recent intelligence showing activity at suspected North Korean nuclear sites. That is said to involve the movement of people, equipment, vehicles, all of it.

And the problem is that for the U.S. government, while they see this through their imagery, through their space satellites flying overhead, they can't really determine at this point what North Korea might exactly be up to. They see the movement at these sites, but they can't determine if that means they might actually be preparing for a test.

So, you can sure bet that intelligence, the intelligence community is ratcheting up their attention, looking at this all the more closely in light of this announcement from Pyongyang that they do plan to conduct a nuclear test -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right. Barbara Starr at the Pentagon.

Appreciate it.

You know CNN's Zain Verjee recently visited the heavily fortified DMZ separating North Korea from the south. She joins us now in Washington.

And Zain, I thought about your trip and the time that you spent there and just the conversations we had on what you got to see and experience. What are your thoughts with regard to North Korea and what it's calculating?

ZAIN VERJEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's hard to know specifically what Kim Jong-il will be calculating here. He's known to be erratic and very contradictory, as well. But experts I have spoken to today, Kyra, say, look, this could be a move by Kim Jong-il essentially to strengthen his hand at the bargaining table and to increase his negotiating power.

They also say that he may be calculating, too, with regard to China and South Korea. But all they're going to do if he does test a nuclear weapon is to huff and puff, and they're not really going to cut the fuel and food aid that he so desperately needs. Because if North Korea collapses, they're going to have a major problem on their borders, as well.

The big irony, too, though, Kyra, in all of this is that in the past few days or weeks, in fact, Washington has been showing some flexibility. There have been efforts behind the scenes to break the deadlock, to bring the negotiations back on track. And North Korea could be signaling and calculating here, we don't want to deal with the Bush administration and we don't want anything to do with the six- party talks.

PHILLIPS: So, bottom line, what does North Korea want right now?

VERJEE: Experts say they want direct talks with the United States. The U.S. is saying, no way, we're not going to give you direct talks, you don't deserve that. We're going to go to the umbrella of the six-party talks.

North Korea also wants economic aid. It desperately needs food and fuel. And it also wants security guarantees.

And Kyra, this is really important, too. Kim Jong-il is really furious. Why? Because there have been financial sanctions imposed on North Korea.

Their assets have been frozen. And the U.S. has said, look, North Korea, you're involved with counterfeiting, money laundering, gun running, all these illicit activities, and North Korea had moved money in and out of a bank in and out of Macau. Now, that has been frozen.

The other banks around the world say, we don't want to deal with North Korea. And it's really hurting them because that's the money that the elite is kept happy with by Kim Jong-il. They can buy their caviar and their Mercedes. And they want an end to those sanctions.

PHILLIPS: All right. Coming up in "THE SITUATION ROOM," I know you're going to talk about what it was like to be at the DMZ and go a little more in depth, in addition to what we just talked about.

Zain Verjee, sure appreciate it.

VERJEE: You're welcome.

LEMON: Well, they hearken back to a simpler time of horses and buggies, modest-dressed, peace and quiet. Ahead in the NEWSROOM, inside the Amish way of life.

PHILLIPS: And did the House speaker say too little and do even less? The scandal that forced one congressman from office may do more damage yet, and a lot higher up. The president speaking out about it. We're going to hear what he had to say straight ahead in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Of course a lot happening here in the NEWSROOM. Two big stories.

We're talking about Congressman Foley and also the school shooting.

PHILLIPS: The president finally commenting on Mark Foley and the scandal and the calls for Dennis Hastert to resign.

Let's listen in.

(JOINED IN PROGRESS)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: ... Sylvia Ulmer, the principal of George W. Bush Elementary School, for welcoming me.

It's such an honor, Sylvia and Jeff (ph) -- thank you sir. It's such an honor to have the school named after -- after me.

I -- when I pulled in the parking lot and I saw George W. Bush Elementary I couldn't think of a higher attribute to a person. I thank you all and the citizens of this community for -- for -- for this honor and tribute. It's -- frankly, I was a little emotional when I pulled in.

SYLVIA ULMER, PRINCIPAL, GEORGE W. BUSH ELEMENTARY: So am I. So am I.

BUSH: I want to thank the teachers and the faculty here. I can't wait to tell Laura that I went into the Laura Bush Library and saw teachers working hard to teach kids how to read. And it's just a blessing to be there.

You know, being at this school it reminds us we have a special responsibility to protect our children. One of the most important jobs of those -- those involved with schools and government is to make sure that our children are safe.

And Laura and I were saddened and deeply concerned, like a lot of other citizens around the country, about the school shootings that took place in Pennsylvania and Colorado and Wisconsin. We grieve with the parents, and we share the concerns of those who -- who worry about safety in schools.

Yesterday I instructed Attorney General Gonzales and Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings to convene a meeting next Tuesday, a meeting of leading experts and stakeholders to determine how best the federal governments can help states and local governments to improve school safety. Our schoolchildren should never fear their safety when they enter into a classroom, and, of course, the superintendent and principal know that.

We also had a reminder of the need for people in positions of responsibility to uphold that responsibility when it comes to children in the case of Congressman Mark Foley. I was dismayed and shocked to learn about Congressman Foley's unacceptable behavior. I was disgusted by the revelations and disappointed that he would violate the trust of the -- of the citizens who placed him in office.

Families have every right to expect that when they send their children to be a congressional page in Washington that those children will be safe. We have every right as citizens to expect people who hold higher office behave responsibly in that office.

I fully support Speaker Hastert's call for an investigation by law enforcement into this matter. This investigation should be thorough, and any violations of the law should be prosecuted.

You know, I know Denny Hastert, I meet with him a lot. He is a father, teacher, coach who cares about the children of this country. I know that he wants all the facts to come out and he wants to ensure that these children up there on Capitol Hill are protected. I am confident he will provide whatever leadership he can to law enforcement in this investigation.

Again, I want to thank you for your hospitality. It's an honor to be here.

Appreciate your time. God bless.

ULMER: Thank you so very much.

PHILLIPS: The president of the United States there in Stockton, California. The dedication of a school -- elementary school named after him. Also, he's raising money for some congressional leaders in that area. But two things that he responded to.

First of all, the school shootings that have taken place within the past couple of weeks, sending out his condolences to the families that lost a child, and specifically the shooting that took place here in Amish country in Pennsylvania.

Also, the president commenting on the case regarding Congressman Mark Foley stepping down after some disturbing e-mails that were exchanged with young pages, specifically a 16-year-old boy. He was shocked to learn about this, he said. He calls it unacceptable behavior, and he was disgusted by the revelations that came about after finding out about this.

In addition, showing his strong support for Dennis Hastert, the speaker of the House, as he goes forward and investigates exactly what happened. A number of politicians, leaders advocates in this country calling for his resignation. The president showing his support for his good friend, as he says, Denny Hastert.

We're going to take a quick break. More from the NEWSROOM straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BUSINESS HEADLINES)

PHILLIPS: Well, a man with a troubled and apparently well-hidden past. LEMON: That's how state police in Pennsylvania describe Charles Carl Roberts IV. He's the man police say stormed into an Amish schoolhouse yesterday morning, well-armed and evidently prepared for a long siege before he killed himself. Roberts is said to have shot ten children, five of whom are dead, five more in the hospital, all but one in critical condition.

In notes he left behind, Roberts said he was angry at God after the death years ago of his prematurely born daughter Elise (ph). Investigators believe Roberts may have intended to molest his female victims before killing them and then himself.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COL. JEFFREY MILLER, PENNSYLVANIA STATE POLICE: As we stated, I think previously, he left the note for his wife, he left a note individually for each of his three children. And he left some materials, a note and a checklist of sorts, in the milk truck that we searched.

So, I'll start with really the only one of any consequence of what we're talking about here, which is potential understanding of a motive for this crime. It relates to his wife's and the one we found in the truck. The note that he left for his wife talks about the good memories together, the tragedy with Elise, focuses on his life being changed forever because of the tragedy involving the loss of Elise, his hatred towards himself and his hatred towards God as a result of that event. And he alludes to this other reason for this anger that he has, but he can't discuss it with her and it happened 20 years age.

Later in the note, he talks about having dreams for the last couple of years about what he did 20 years ago. And, in those dreams, he says he wants to do those things again. Now, his wife didn't know what he was talking about. It wasn't until she spoke to him when he was inside the school before the shooting started that he told her he had molested two minor relatives 20 years prior. And that was -- that was how she put all of that together. But neither his wife or any member of his family that we have spoken to has any knowledge of any crime being committed. But again, this gives you a little bit of an insight into what he was thinking and doing.

In his vehicle, in his milk truck, there was a note found there and a checklist. On the note, there was reference made to the death of Elise and the fact that she was buried here and why did this happen? And it talks about this being very painful, not seeing her grow up, things of that nature and, again, his anger in this situation.

There was also found in the work truck a checklist. And this list matches the evidence found in and recovered in the school. I'll just read the list -- the items. It's in a notebook that he wrote down. It appears he wrote these items into the notebook. Tape, eyebolts -- those are both checked off at this time. Tools, nails, wrenches, hose -- hose is checked off. K.Y., bullets, guns, binoculars, ear plugs, batteries -- is checked off. Flashlights, candle -- candle was checked off. Wood and it looks like -- it looks like tape. Those items were found. I mean, that was a list that was found in his truck.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: A prayer vigil is planned for this afternoon. Pennsylvania's Governor Ed Rendell has ordered flags lowered to half staff through the funerals.

Well, for the Amish, people we don't hear much about, the tragedy marks a lost innocence. They are by tradition non-violent, deeply religious, very private and they live very simply. In many respects, their lives are a mystery to the rest of us.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON (voice-over): Farmlands and rolling hills in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, one of 25 in the U.S. and Ontario and Manitoba, Canada, that the Amish call home.

Known for their simple and quiet ways, the almost 18,000 Pennsylvania Dutch Amish fervently guard a way of life much like it was when they came over from Switzerland and Germany in the 1700s. Their belief right from the Bible, Romans 133, not to conform to the world.

DONALD KRAYBILL, SOCIOLOGIST: The overriding belief would be to follow in the way of Jesus and to live in community with the understanding that that community should be separate from the larger society, which they would see as being filled with a lot of vanity and fraud and violence.

LEMON: Sociologist Donald Kraybill has studied the Amish for decades. He lives near the quiet community where the shooting happened. So quiet, there is no police department.

(on camera): Most Amish don't use electricity, fewer use telephones. So the Internet, movies, television and secular readings are out, all of it considered connections to the outside world, which they believe leads to temptation and the deterioration of church and family life.

(voice-over): Even their clothing is an expression of faith, a reminder of their humility and is also a mark of separation from the world. For men, hat dimensions often reflect age and status in the community. So does beard length. For women and girls, the dress code is modest: solid colors, long sleeves, full skirts. Their hair, like a man's beard, is never cut.

KRAYBILL: There are references that they would cite in terms to the beard. And in the New Testament, women should have long hair in terms of the Book of Corinthians written by Paul. So, they would base that on biblical teaching.

LEMON: Many speak several languages: English, German and sometimes Pennsylvania Dutch. But the Amish don't place much emphasis on higher education. Eighth grade is the usual limit, with most working on family farms and in family businesses until they marry. KRAYBILL: Their goal is to have students that grow up to be successful adults in Amish society. And from their perspective,to be a successful Amish adult all you need is an eighth grade education.

LEMON: It's not that the Amish are stuck in the past, it's that they choose which invasion will keep their communities intact and their lives simple.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Now, you lived and worked in Pennsylvania. Did you -- do you remember a specific story or a time you had to go into the community?

LEMON: Yes, lived and worked in Philadelphia, which is about 55 miles east of where that happened. Not much. We didn't have much interaction. We would go -- as I said yesterday, they would come into the market on weekends and sell their wares and what have you. But very few times did I have to go there.

I remember the one time I did have to go, very tragic story, a little girl fell through the ice. She had been ice skating out with her family, she fell through the ice and, unfortunately, she died. But you could see there how cohesive the community is and the importance they placed on that. Not that they were without problems, as any community is. Any community has problems. But they, you know...

PHILLIPS: Very family-oriented.

LEMON: Right on family. And it's not that they don't believe in technology, as I said, it's just the technology that is going to keep them closer and keep their community intact.

PHILLIPS: Interesting stuff.

All right, well, new details about the suspect in Friday's shooting at a high school in Wisconsin. The judge has set bail for Eric Hainstock at $750,000. The 15 year-old is charged with killing the school's principal.

Court records show the teen came to investigators' attention before as an alleged victim. Hainstock's father was charged with felony child abuse five years ago. He pleaded no contest to misdemeanor battery, but the charge was later dismissed in a plea agreement.

Court records also show the teen has a medical condition that affects behavior, but he was not receiving treatment because his family couldn't afford medication or counseling.

LEMON: Up next the real victims in the Foley fallout.

PHILLIPS: Will the disgraced former Congressman be the only casualty of the page scandal on the Hill? Some conservatives hope not. The latest, from the CNN NEWSROOM. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Speaking up for the speaker, President Bush today defending House Speaker Dennis Hastert.

PHILLIPS: Even though a conservative newspaper is calling on Hastert to give up his leadership role over the scandal surrounding ex-Congressman Mark Foley, the Washington Times says Hastert was either grossly negligent or simply ignored inappropriate messages Foley sent to underage pages.

But at a fundraiser today in California, the president said he's confident Hastert can put things right. Hastert is defending himself, as well.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. DENNIS HASTERT, HOUSE SPEAKER, (D) ILLINOIS: First I was really aware of this was last Friday when it happened. And all of a sudden the press came out and said that there were these e-mails that were from 2003, I guess, and Congressman Foley resigned. That's when I learned of it, at that point.

I don't recall Reynolds talking to me about that. If he did, he brought it in with a whole stack of things. And I think if he would have had that discussion, he would have said it was also resolved, because my understanding now that it was resolved. At the point, the family had gotten what it had wanted to get.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Hastert was referring to Congressman Tom Reynolds, also a member of the GOP leadership. Reynolds says that he told Hastert of what he calls "overly friendly e-mails" from 2005. But both men insist they were not aware of more explicit messages from 2003.

It was Mark Foley's e-mails to a 16 year-old Louisiana boy that drew suspicion to the ex-Congressman. And it was the boy's sponsor in Congress who drew attention to e-mail. Louisiana Congressman Rodney Alexander spoke to CNN's Sean Callebs.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SEAN CALLEBS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A couple of key points in the interview with Alexander. He says it has simply been a brutal week for this former page, as well as the teenager's family, that the young man has received threatening e-mails. Alexander wasn't specific whether those e-mails came from individuals or a group.

Secondly, Alexander says it is disappointing that there are growing demands that Hastert step down as speaker. Alexander believes the GOP leadership has handled this leadership appropriately.

REP. RODNEY ALEXANDER, (R) LOUISIANA: I think the speaker and other leaders and the GOP are coming under some harsh criticism today. The speaker, I trust, was not aware of anything except what we had talked to him about. And I think appropriate action was taken.

CALLEBS: As a parent, if a 16 year-old son of mine gets an e- mail from a 50 year-old single man who's in Congress, asking for a picture, asking what he wants for his birthday, I'm concerned. Do you think a red flag should have been raised before they were raised?

ALEXANDER: Well, I mean that's why I notified them, and called the parents. It was something that I would be uncomfortable with if one of my children was approached that way, or one of my grandchildren.

CALLEBS: Here's how Alexander breaks down the timeline. He says he first found out about the e-mails from Foley to the former page in November of 2005 when a reporter asked him about those e-mails. He said he took his concerns to the speaker's office. Then he says a couple months later, another reporter asked him about e-mails. This time he says he went to Tom Reynolds, who is the National Republican Congressional Committee chair.

I asked him why he felt he had to approach the GOP leadership if the boy's family wanted this kept quiet. He said it felt like it was his obligation to tell the GOP leadership since there were media inquiries.

Sean Callebs, CNN, in Monroe, Louisiana.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: And coming up in the NEWSROOM, Robin Williams sober and singing.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBIN WILLIAMS, COMEDIAN (singing): I got my FEMA trailer. Yes. Go FEMA. Ninth District, still don't have power. (INAUDIBLE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: There you go, comic relief.

PHILLIPS: He had a good time in rehab, I think.

LEMON: Maybe too much fun. Comic relief. New movie and a new outlook on life, hear why Robin Williams has Mel Gibson to thank for taking some of the heat off a sensitive situation.

Hammer is in New York, live, with a showbiz update for us on the other side of the break.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WILLIAMS (singing): Gone be humming. Deal with global warming. Gonna have Al Gore and his big bottom, too. Gonna have Mel Gibson.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: And how does this sound: comedian-in-chief? Now, what if that comedian was Robin Williams? Well, not to worry, he's not running for office, but he does portray a favorite candidate in his new movie and he's also talking about his stint in rehab and comedy for a cause. Sounds like he's doing a lot of singing, too.

"SHOWBIZ TONIGHT" host A.J. Hammer joins us now with more from New York. Do you like his singing, A.J.?

A.J. HAMMER, "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT": I like his singing, and I want to try out his slogan, "Robin Williams for President." Kind of has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?

LEMON: Has that ring to it, it does.

HAMMER: Well, you know, the polls are all saying these days that voters are basically disillusioned during this mid-term election campaign. So the new movie "Man of the Year," which opens up on October 13th with Robin Williams, aims to play off of that idea.

In it, Williams plays a comedian who runs for and sort of accidentally wins the presidency. The premise may seem a little out there, but, after all, Arnold is the governor of California and Al Franken may very well run for Senate in Minnesota next election. Now, Williams says he'd never actually run for office, but he still steps up for causes he believes in.

Williams, Billy Crystal and Whoopi Goldberg are resurrecting "Comic Relief." It's coming back on November 18th in Las Vegas. "Comic Relief" appeared as a yearly show on HBO from 1986 all the way to 1998, so it's good to have it back. In the course of that time, they raised more than $50 million to help aid homeless people. The show aims to raise money for the victims of Hurricane Katrina.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBIN WILLIAMS, COMEDIAN (singing): Got to get down there, raise some money. Got to help them folks right now clean out the black mold. Getting some comedians together to deal with consequences of ugly weather. I'm gonna be hummin', deal with global warming, going to have Al Gore and his big bottom, too. Going to have Mel Gibson and a very large Hebrew. Oh, going to bring it on home. Going to bring it all back to you. Amen.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: I think I just have to let that stand alone on its own. No way I could really do justice to that. You heard Williams singing about Mel Gibson there. He jokes that he actually owes Gibson a favor for his public meltdown. You see, Williams has battled substance abuse for years and he went back to rehab just as Gibson was arrested. So in the public furor that followed, no one noticed that Williams was in rehab.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) WILLIAMS: Well, he was an inspiration. I was actually in rehab when he got arrested. So I was like, whew.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Took a little of the pressure off?

WILLIAMS: Just a little. Yes, a little of the pressure off. It's, you know -- yes, it was like, OK. So, but, you know, it's the idea of you go through it -- you -- footsteps and body lengths. You fall down, you get back up again and get back in the race.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: Of course, we all hope that Williams stays healthy, because he is certainly very busy with several movies scheduled to come out over the next year and a half, including a sequel to "Mrs. Doubtfire."

We do have another update on the ongoing Anna Nicole Smith story. It seems that a custody battle is breaking out over her daughter, Dannie Lynn Smith. Photographer Larry Birkhead and Smith's attorney are both claiming that they are the father. Well, now, Burkehead has actually served Smith with court papers, demanding that she return to California from the Bahamas and submit the baby for a paternity test.

This story, of course, garnered international attention after Smith's 20-year-old son died just after Dannie Lynn was born. And Don, you know, we usually learn of legal matters when the court documents are filed and they become a matter of public record. We found out about this through a press release, a Hollywood-style press release.

LEMON: Not surprising coming out of Hollywood. And, of course, watching Larry King the other night, you knew that something was going to happen with this DNA, because it seems like it was very contentious between the attorney and the other gentleman who's claiming to be the father.

HAMMER: Yes, and with this press release, Don, a stranger story gets even stranger. We'll have more on that tonight, of course.

And also tonight on "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT," royal embarrassment. The explosive new movie that portrays a chilly and out-of-touch Queen Elizabeth after the death of Princess Di. The star of the movie shares the inside story on TV's most provocative entertainment news show. It's "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT." We'll see you at 11:00 p.m. Eastern on Headline Prime.

LEMON: We certainly will see you. Look forward to that.

Thank you very much, A.J. Have a great day.

HAMMER: You got it, Don.

PHILLIPS: All right, straight ahead, drugs, stripping and killing. All in a gag video by a school superintendent. Some folks say it's just not funny. He says there's something else behind the uproar. We'll bring you the details in the next hour of CNN NEWSROOM.

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