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Resignation of Senator Larry Craig; Tragic Plane Crash in Poland; Mega Millions: Four Winning Tickets Sold

Aired September 01, 2007 - 17:00   ET

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


TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR, CNN NEWSROOM: A distinguished career in the House and Senate in shambles. Live reports on the resignation of Senator Larry Craig straight ahead.
Good afternoon. I'm Tony Harris. First this hour the resignation of Senator Craig. A public career spanning 30-plus years crashing today with astonishing speed. The Idaho Republican announced his decision in Boise just days after reports of his arrest in a restroom sex sting and subsequent guilty plea.

Coming up in the NEWSROOM, reaction to Senator Craig's announcement plus possible ramifications of the latest scandal to rock the Republican Party. CNN's Kara Finnstrom is standing by for us in Boise. But let's get started this evening with Congressional Correspondent Dana Bash, she is also in the Idaho capital.

Dana, good evening.

DANA BASH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good evening, Tony.

It certainly was an abrupt end to a tabloid-like drama that lasted all week long and a stunning fall from grace from a Republican senator who was really little-known nationally until this enveloped him and enveloped his Republican Party.

Now a very contrite Republican Senator Larry Craig went before the cameras here in Boise, went before his constituents and admitted that he can no longer effectively represent the people of Idaho, because of that, he said he will resign effective September 30.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. LARRY CRAIG (R), IDAHO: To Idahoans, I represent, to my staff, my Senate colleagues, but most importantly to my wife and my family, I apologize for what I have caused. I am deeply sorry. I have little control over what people choose to believe but clearly my name is important to me and my family is so very important also.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BASH: Now Senator Craig because of what he just said about his name being important insists that he is still going to fight a legal battle -- an uphill legal battle to try to overturn his guilty plea for disorderly conduct all stemming from a sex sting, a sex scandal, in a men's bathroom back on June 11 in the Minneapolis airport. This came after a week of intense pressure from his fellow Republicans, those he serves with, and works with, every day back in Washington who made it abundantly clear by launching an ethics investigation, by stripping Senator Craig of his top slots on important committees, that he is a liability to the Republican Party, and he got pressure in public and in private to simply quit.

It was quite an interesting scene, though, Tony, here in Idaho. He did have the Republican governor, the Republican Party leader standing behind him and Senator Craig made note of how hard it was for them, and how important it was for him to have them behind him, because of the intense pressure he's been under from within his own party.

HARRIS: Absolutely. No doubt about that. Just a quick question. I know the senator wants to work on getting that guilty plea overturned. Does he explain why he pleaded guilty in the first place?

BASH: Well, yeah, he didn't re-explain it today, if you will. But on Tuesday when he initially came out and denied ever doing anything wrong, he said that he overreacted. That he -- he was embarrassed, that he didn't want to tell anybody. He made a mistake in not calling an attorney, and that's why he pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct. But it is certainly -- especially after listening to the audiotapes that were released a couple days later, it's certainly hard to understand how he said he was innocent but then later pleaded guilty.

That will be an uphill climb for him. And I should tell you, really quickly, Tony, that it is unclear whether or not he will be going back to Washington. Because the resignation date is effective September 30. His office says they're not sure if he'll go back and cast votes and conduct business in Washington before he actually resigns.

HARRIS: OK. Our Congressional Correspondent Dana Bash for us in Boise. Great work. Appreciate it. Thank you.

Let' bring in CNN's Kara Finnstrom, right now.

And, Kara, I understand you had a moment or two with the senator at the end of that news conference where he made the statement today.

KARA FINNSTROM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, as he was leaving I had had chance to speak with him briefly during that press conference. He didn't refer to the actual incident at all. So what I asked him was, if he was continuing to deny these accusations? He said, "Yes, he is. Absolutely." Then he also said, "We'll fight them like hell." So a very strong aggressive response from the senator, much stronger, much more aggressive than anything we heard during the press conference.

Now, we also spoke with a lot of the people in this community to get their reaction to what happened here today. And from the 300 that were here, actually to hear the senator speak, to people that we just ran into at the local farmer's market, there was a wide range of opinions, as you might expect, from total support for the senator, to total outrage.

But there were a couple of common threads. One was that people thought that this just happened so quickly and they were kind of surprised and shocked that since Tuesday all of this had happened. The other was that they just felt kind of a sense of -- that he should resign. Whether they felt he was innocent, whether they felt he was guilty, they thought that this was bad for the state. This would become such a tabloid-like scandal that he really couldn't be effective. So they felt that resigning was good thing for the state.

We want to let you hear a couple of those voices and we'll start with a woman who said she worked with him for 26 years.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And I hope people today will stand up and fight for him and believe in him.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You know what, he can be gay all he wants. My aunt's gay. I don't care. I just wish he'd be truthful and honest.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm sure it's probably a hard pill for him to swallow. Because he's been a pretty good senator. When you're a Republican in Idaho, you're not used to losing. It's probably pretty tough for him. But I think it's probably for the best.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FINNSTORM: We also spoke with a Republican pollster who told us that as a whole people from Idaho tend to be really hardy, independent people who like to move forward. He said that he felt that's part of the reason that a lot of people regardless how they feel, feel that this has become such a huge scandal, that they may feel it's time to move forward -- Tony.

HARRIS: All right. CNN's Kara Finnstrom for us.

Kara, thank you.

You know, many Republicans are now hoping to put the Craig controversy behind them as you just heard from Kara Finnstrom. A little earlier today CNN Senior Political Correspondent Candy Crowley talked about that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CANDY CROWLEY, CNN SR. POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Generally politics doesn't often come down to one thing. It comes down to a lot of things that feed into perceptions. And as you know, many Republicans including the recently departed Karl Rove think that in part why Republicans loss in 2006 was not just the war, but the whole corruption. The whole thought that Republicans came to Washington to clean it up and instead just sort of fell into the cesspool.

So they are so worried in the Republican Party. It's kind of hard to overestimate that. That's part of why the timing of Senator Craig's troubles was very problematic for them, because as they kick off the Labor Day, OK, now the 2008 election is coming, they wanted to have some positive sort of momentum forward instead of this, you know, sort of stepping back and getting, taking blow by blow.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: Just a short time ago, we received some reaction to Senator Craig's announcement from CNN Senior Legal Analyst Jeffrey Toobin.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEFFREY TOOBIN, CNN SR. LEGAL ANALYST: The only thing that's going to go away is Senator Craig's political career. As a legal matter, this is over. He plead guilty. He got a very minor sentence. The case is over. I would be very surprised if he actually pursues any legal remedy to try to reopen it.

I think he's going try to rebuild his life as a retired person and I think the best way to preserve his dignity is to talk about this case as little as possible, and move on to something else. There is nothing for him to do anymore.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: Senator Craig's announcement followed days of demands for his resignation but at least one former congressman says there's been a rush to judgment. Here's CNN's Carol Costello.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): There is a voice wondering if there's been a rush to judgment. It's the voice of Tom DeLay who himself resigned from Congress after being accused of violating campaign finance rules.

TOM DELAY (R), FMR. CONGRESSMAN: It's unfortunate that people rush to judgment like they have. I'm not defending Larry Craig. I have great sympathy for what his wife and family is going through right now. The decisions that Larry Craig needs to make are up to Larry Craig and his constituents in Idaho.

CRAIG: Viciously harassed.

COSTELLO: Craig insists there's a media witch hunt to get him and on that point DeLay agrees as he told the "Today" show on NBC.

DELAY: The double standard in the media is amazing. The feeding frenzy, the sharks in the water that's going on right now because of a Republican.

COSTELLO: DeLay launched into the media accusing it of not shining a light on peccadilloes of Democrats like Congressman Barney Frank. In 1989 he admitted to a sexual relationship with a male prostitute. REP. BARNEY FRANK (D) MASSACHUSETTS: I'm not going resign because I think resignation is an acknowledgement of a very, very serious breach of duty, and I don't believe the stupidity I showed in hiring a prostitute and reacting as I did to pressures that I didn't handle well, reaches that level.

COSTELLO: Frank received a reprimand from the House Ethics Committee, but one of its members voted for the serious punishment of sense censure, then, House member Larry Craig.

Conservatives insist that President Clinton's conduct in the midst of the Lewinski scandal was no more credible than Craig's today.

BILL CLINTON, FMR. PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I did not have sexual relations with that woman.

CRAIG: I am not gay.

COSTELLO: The difference? Democrats did not desert Clinton who was determined to fight for his job.

JONATHAN HARRIS, POLITICO.COM: Bill Clinton said I don't care a whit about the conventional wisdom. I don't care what anyone says, I'm going fight and save my career.

COSTELLO: So why is Senator Craig more vulnerable than other politicians caught up in sex scandals?

HARRIS: This is harder for a Republican politician to withstand because, Republicans, their coalition includes a lot of social conservatives who are genuinely offended by a homosexual conduct.

COSTELLO: Carol Costello, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: Be sure to stay tuned to CNN tonight for a special edition of "Larry King Live." Larry, and his guests, will discuss the Larry Craig situation including a look at who may be named as his replacement.

Who are the lucky winners, America? Well we know about four winning tickets so far but there could be more. See who got lucky straight ahead for you in the NEWSROOM. If you didn't get lucky, chances are you will need to keep awfully working hard.

Right, Josh?

JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, we will. If you are working really hard, you'll fit in well with everyone else around. Today we are taking a look at just how hard Americans work. Are we the hardest working nation in the world? And by profession who puts in the longest week in America? You're not going to believe this. Tony, that's coming up this hour.

HARRIS: Thank you, Josh. And take a look at that. Caught in the act. Vandals hard at work destroying a sand castle. The story behind this, straight ahead. You're watching CNN, the most trusted name in news.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: So, how about this; one chance in 176 million. Big odds to beat but at least four people did it, and they're the nation's latest multimillionaires. Check your Mega Millions lottery ticket. You could be holding one of those four winning tickets in last night's $330 million drawing.

The winning numbers 8, 18 -- let me go a little slowly here -- 8, 18, 22, 40, and 44. The Mega Ball number was 11. Man, the winning tickets were sold in four states, New Jersey, Maryland, Texas, and Virginia. If you happen to be one of three dozen or so second place winners matching five numbers, but not the Mega Ball, you still get a nice chunk of change. Each of those tickets is worth a quarter of a million dollars. Yeow.

How about news "Across America" now. A tough call by rescue teams in Utah. The search for six miners missing since the mine shaft collapsed August 6 has been indefinitely suspended. Authorities say a robotic camera lowered into one of seven holes drilled into the mine showed no signs of life and no evidence to warrant more digging.

A family holiday turns tragic in Southern California. Six people were killed including an infant when a single engine plane crashed in Kern County. The family was flying there from Santa Monica for a camping trip. Witnesses say the small plane appeared to stall as it was attempting to land.

Police in Kittery, Maine are looking for suspects who vandalized a 15-foot tall sand castle. A surveillance camera captured this video of the incident early Wednesday morning. The sand castle was built to raise money for Camp Sunshine. The camp hosts kids with life threatening illnesses and their families.

A new sex scandal rocks Washington, D.C., this time at a fire house. Details just ahead in the NEWSROOM.

JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: I'm meteorologist Jacqui Jeras in your Hurricane Headquarters. Meet Felix. He has lot going on in the tropics. The temperature is really rising across parts of the West. Your holiday forecast is coming up.

HARRIS: Thanks, Jacs (sic)

And some shocking images out of Poland, at this hour, after two planes collide during an air show. Details straight ahead, in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: How about this? You are looking at pictures of a big headache for motorists in the San Francisco area. The San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge is closed the entire weekend -- Labor Day weekend, huh, for repairs? Workers are replacing a football field-size section of the bridge. The bridge is actually scheduled to reopen at 5:00 a.m. Tuesday morning. As you can imagine traffic on the other nearby bridges has been heavier, to say the least, than usual. If you're in the Bay Area, you are forewarned.

Now look at this. Dramatic video from an air show in Poland. Three planes were doing aerobatic maneuvers. Man, slammed into one another. Two pilots were killed. Despite -- can you believe this, despite falling flaming debris, there were no injuries reported on the ground. The crash happened well away from the spectators. Man.

Let's get a check of weather now. Jacqui Jeras standing by for us in the Severe Weather Center with her eyes on the Tropics.

Good to see you, Jacqui.

JERAS: Good to see you, Tony.

Things really getting busy here in the Atlantic. We also have some action going on in the Pacific.

We'll start you out with Felix. Named storm, here, packing winds around 70 miles per hour. It moved through the Lesser Antilles last night and early this morning and is now heading toward the ABC Islands. Tropical storm warnings are in effect for those islands including, Aruba. You can see that they're already feeling the impact as the clouds begin to push on in. And the winds will be increasing.

This storm expected to become a hurricane, very shortly. It could happen later tonight and maybe tomorrow morning. It will continue to strengthen as it moves toward the Western Caribbean. Remember the waters here very warm. Dean moved through this same similar area. You can see the cone of uncertainty still pretty wide. We'll be watching Central America and also the Yucatan Peninsula for potential landfall, we think, for the middle of the week.

Now, coming in on Felix's heels, possibly Gabriel. This is a tropical wave developing here; could become a tropical depression in the next two days. And here you see Henriette (ph), this is in the Pacific, heading towards Baja California. Best estimate at this time is that it stays off shore.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HARRIS: All of the heat in Washington, D.C.'s fire department may not just be from flames. The police department there is investigating what may turn into a sex scandal involving the city's fire department. Gary Nurenberg has details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GARY NURENBERG, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): The police department in Washington, D.C. has begun an investigation of alleged sexual (AUDIO GAP) with in the city's fire and emergency medical departments. An allegation that prostitution has been conducted at a D.C. firehouse is front-page news in "The Washington Times" (AUDIO GAP) We asked the fire department spokesman if the allegation that a, quote, (AUDIO GAP) ring is operating at a D.C. firehouse is part of the (AUDIO GAP).

The allegations involve alleged sexual impropriety. That is true. The minute Chief Ruben found out about these allegations he immediately engaged in an investigation with (AUDIO GAP) the police department. They are now engaged in a criminal investigation.

NURENBERG: When asked about the allegations, the president of (AUDIO GAP) union told CNN, "If they turn out to be true we naturally find them to be absolutely disgusting. We'll have to wait and see what the truth is."

Spokesman says legal constraints prevent him from being specific but he says there will be a full accounting.

We're not saying much about the investigation but we want the public to know that we are as upfront and honest and transparent about this and we wanted people to know --

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: I apologize for that report there. Something of a technical problem there, the cutting out. I know you heard it. We're trying to figure that out. We'll get Gary's report back on the air shortly.

Still to come in the NEWSROOM, you think you work hard. Josh Levs will tell us how much elbow grease we crank out compared to each other, and to the rest of the world -- Josh.

LEVS: Yes, we turn out the grease. We got plenty coming from right here. Not just here, but in America in general. Get this, animal breeders one of the top ten busiest weeks among all professions in America. That, and a lot more is coming up here on CNN.

HARRIS: We'll talk to you in a couple minutes. Now out to Boise, Idaho and Kara Finnstrom.

FINNSTROM: The man who served the state as senator for more than a quarter of a century steps down amid scandal. How the people of the state are handling it coming up in a live report.

HARRIS: Kara, talk to you soon. You're watching CNN, the most trusted name in news.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Ordinary people doing extraordinary things. We would like to introduce you, right now, to a "CNN Hero": A wounded veteran who knows what its like to start over after serving his country. Now, he his helping injured service men and women get their lives back on track. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How did this start?

BOB KUNKEL, COMMUNITY CRUSADER: The newly injured had no idea how dramatic their lives have been impacted. And I have experience in that area. And I knew I had to do something.

I was with the 9th Infantry Division. My knee joint was blown out. So they took the bottom part and welded it to the top. I did not cope well. You name the self-destructive behavior, I did it, times 10. Now I view all that experiences as training for what I'm doing now.

My name is Bob Kunkel. I have the privilege and honor of being allowed to interact with the new injured at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. I function as a friend. I teach jujitsu, so that an injured person can become empowered in protecting themselves.

He went that way, so you step here.

There's a connection. They've been in combat, I've been in combat.

You're laughing, they know.

My purpose is to steer someone to make better choices in life.

If you're injured, you're still the same person.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: For me, I feel fortunate to have met somebody like Bob. You know, someone that can kind of understand the disability, but that can also teach me a skill that I can pass on to other people.

KUNKEL: I've taken soldiers out for coffee, out for a drive, and dinner.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How are you?

KUNKEL: And you can just see how people relaxing. It's my way of showing my true appreciation for their sacrifice.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: Something else you need to know about Bob, he travels once a month from Buffalo to D.C. to help his fellow vets. And he does it all on his own dime. Now, if would you like to learn more about Bob, or his program, just go to cnn.com/heroes. You can nominate a hero of your own, but you only got until September 30 to get your nominations in. Selected winners will be honored during a special live global broadcast on December 6 hosted by Anderson Cooper.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

TONY HARRIS, CNN NEWS ANCHOR: Here's a look at what's happening in the news. Four people struck it rich. $330 million Mega Millions drawing. The winning tickets were sold in New Jersey, Maryland, Texas and Virginia.

Two small planes collide in an air show in Poland. Both pilots killed. Footage aired on polish TV shows the planes slamming into one another and then bursting apart.

After four days of scandal, Idaho Senator Larry Craig has bowed to pressure. He announced his resignation today effective at the end of the month. He was under growing pressure to resign after news of his arrest in an airport men's room became public knowledge.

CNN's Kara Finnstrom is live in Boise, Idaho, with reaction now from the Senator's home state.

Good to see you.

KARA FINNSTROM, CNN NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Good to see you, Tony. We did speak with a number of people here today to see how they felt about all of this. We got as you might expect a mix of reaction. Some strongly supported the Senator and other people outraged, feeling there was hypocrisy because of his strong social conservative stances. But the common thread we did hear through all of this is that people felt at this point that he really couldn't be effective because this has turned into such a huge scandal he couldn't do the job he needed to do here and it was time for him to pass his position on to someone else.

HARRIS: Kara, just a quick question if I could. Did the Senator take the few days since this story broke to really consider whether or not he could salvage this and whether he could in fact weather this and survive it?

FINNSTROM: No. It's not clear what exactly he took that time for but some of the key Republican leaders in this state felt that he needed that time to breathe. They didn't want this to be forced upon him. They felt he needed that time to think about everything before him. He did say during his conference today that he needs time now and that's why he's stepping down to look at his legal options because he says he's going fight this. As he left the press conference today he told us he'll fight it like hell. For him, the legal battle not totally over, he says, although the bigger part of this is, he has resigned as state Senator.

HARRIS: OK. CNN's Kara Finnstrom for us. Kara, thank you

The professional and personal price of Senator Craig's guilty pleas on display today. But in the weeks and months ahead the political consequences of the scandal may surface. To talk a little about that with us is political analyst Mike Allen.

Mike, great to see you. Thanks for your time.

MIKE ALLEN, POLITICAL ANALYST: Likewise, Tony.

HARRIS: You know, I'm wondering -- you know, once the story breaks, there's a sense that he's done. It doesn't take a couple days or even a week to make that decision. But I'm wondering, what you've learned and what did the Senator do with the days before today's announcement?

ALLEN: Well, you were right in your introduction about growing pressure and the truth is it happened quickly as these things go. It was just last Monday that we first heard this shocking news. Leaders in Idaho may have wanted him to have time to breathe, but in Washington he was breathing in smog. Leaders here definitely wanted him to go quickly. That's one thing that they've learned.

There's two big outcomes of this. One, Republicans in Washington recognize that this is damaging to the idea of Republicans. Voters forget the specifics of these scandals but they remember that people talk about hypocrisy associated with the party. Not like Republicans needed another problem at this point.

The other one, the real cost is they wanted to be able to keep this Republican seat. As you know, Idaho is one of the most Republican states in the country. It's the place where George Bush did the second best of any place, except Utah. They wanted him out. They're still going to have to spend money there and think about it but they probably won't lose that seat. If he stayed, they might have.

HARRIS: Here's something bigger. I know that you cover this extensively and you know this to be true. In poll after poll, the American people are saying it loud and clear, we're just fed up with this. We're sick of this. Congress just isn't working for us. Whether it is because of the representative's personal foibles or just this nasty environment of partisanship, do the folks there on Capitol Hill get this? Do they hear this? Do they recognize this?

ALLEN: Absolutely, they do. You can't look at a poll and see the lopsided number of Americans that think the country is going in the wrong direction and who not only disapprove of the president but, as you know, even fewer people approve of Congress. Plus they are worrying about the economy and so that's an inside straight for change. Even Democrats who are in Washington are worried about the fall and that's why Republicans acted so quickly with Senator Craig. They said you may say you're innocent. You may want time to deal with this. You know, you heard the expression this is bullying. There's rules. He was told he needed to go. He's staying until September 30. He hasn't decided if he'll come and vote. I'll doubt if he will show up. Nobody wants to see him.

HARRIS: Senator John Warner should cast ballots until the day he dies. He said he's not going to run for another term. Why is he really leaving and is this in some way testament to how difficult it is to get anything done in Washington?

ALLEN: There's a part of that. Obviously Senator Warner has had great frustration recently. He's used to being a committee chairman. He enjoys being the senior Senator. This is a rough time. I think there was a degree of it that he didn't want to hang on and hang on. He wanted to go out strong at the top of his game where he certainly is. But that's another one of those rocks that are going in the Republican backpack. Mark Warner, the Democrat, the former governor could win that seat if nothing else because who people think they are vote for the Warner they have been in the past. An arresting fact is Republicans have 22 seats to defend in next November and Democrats only have 12. All 12 of those people are staying. They are incumbents, mostly safe. Republicans have these people leaving. So it's another reason that's a very, very rough year for Republicans.

HARRIS: That's the way to end it, forward looking. Mike Allen, great to see you. Thanks for the time.

ALLEN: Happy holiday, Tony.

HARRIS: You too. Thank you.

The Craig scandal giving the public a glimpse into a secretive subculture. A world where men cruise for gay sex in restrooms.

Our Dan Lothian has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAN LOTHIAN, CNN NEWS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's not the primary function of public parks, restrooms, and rest areas but for men in search of anonymous same-sex partners they are popular destinations.

RICHARD TWEKSBURY, PROFESSOR, UNIVERSITY OF LOUISVILLE: There's also the idea that there is sort of a thrill to the hunt, to the excitement of sex in a public place of doing something that potentially does have negative consequences for you.

LOTHIAN: Websites, like this one, offer an adult travel guide including rules of the game and secret signals to make a connection in a public restroom, like waiting in stall at the furthest end of the bathroom and when someone approaches next door, quote, "move your foot so you know the other person can see it and slowly start tapping it."

(on camera): Professor Richard Tweksbury of the University of Louisville has published several studies on this subculture. He has documented 9,000 locations across the country where he says this public behavior often referred to as cruising takes place, merely because of opportunity and convenience.

TWEKSBURY: There's all kinds of places many times that we walk by or walk into in our daily lives and never realize are cruising locations.

LOTHIAN (voice-over): Anonymous gay sex in public areas isn't new. Remember pop singer George Michael almost ten years ago? He was busted for engaging in a lewd act in park restroom in Beverly Hills.

GEORGE MICHAEL, POP SINGER: I can only apologize. I can try to fathom why I did it.

LOTHIAN: Law enforcement agencies across the country have been cracking down in recent months using undercover stings to catch men in the act. Like at restrooms in Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport where more than 40 men were picked up recently for indecent exposure and public sex acts.

DARRYL TOLLESON, MAJOR, ATLANTA POLICE DEPARTMENT: We have arrested college professors, bank presidents, other CEOs, so we -- it ranges.

LOTHIAN: Here's another surprise.

TWEKSBURY: The research tells us for the most part we're talking about men who are involved in some kind of long-term heterosexual relationship, frequently married, frequently with children.

LOTHIAN: Investigators say critics who argue police should be focusing on more serious crimes are missing the point. That this public behavior is illegal.

TOLLESON: We're there to enforce all crime, enforce all laws.

LOTHIAN: They're finding suspects in the bathroom.

Dan Lothian, CNN, Boston.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: When it comes to bathroom humor, some comedians not stalling. Sorry. A Senator sex scandal is a gift that keeps on giving for them. That story ahead.

Plus, Josh Levs hard at work on a story about hard work.

JOSH LEVS: Stalling, Tony? We need a gong to go off. Can we have gong, please? All right.

We hear often Americans that are the hardest working Americans in the world. Is it true? I'll give you the actual answer coming right up -- Tony?

HARRIS: My goodness. Levs on set with me. It can go anywhere. All right, Josh, see you in a couple minutes here in the "NEWSROOM."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Imagine an entire community deciding to eat better and live healthier. That's what one town in Massachusetts decided to do in order to fight obesity.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta looks at the city that went on a diet.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Somerville, Massachusetts, population 77,000. It's a day town with modern day problems including surging rates of obesity.

JOE CURTATONE, MAJOR, SOMERVILLE, MASSACHUSETTS: A third of our population is foreign born so we have a challenge of dynamic city and not a lot of land area. So we have to be very strategic in how we encourage active living.

GUPTA: Four years ago, university nutritionists and city officials put the community on a diet, to help its citizens, especially children, keep their weight down. Restaurants offered healthier foods in smaller portions. Bike paths were upgraded and school menus added more fruits and vegetables. People were encouraged to walk or bike to work. Kids, like Jonathan Lentini, were told to get out and play and watch what they ate.

JONATHAN LENTINI, SOMERVILLE STUDENT: I think it's good and whether it's healthy.

GUPTA: It worked. After studying almost 1,700 elementary school kids over a year, researchers discovered children in this Boston suburb gained weight at a healthy weight while youngsters in a nearby town gained more.

CHRISTINA ECONOMOS, TUFTS UNIVERSITY NUTRITION PROFESSOR: All children gain weight as they grow. What we want to do to prevent obesity is prevent excess weight gain.

GUPTA: Since the study ended, the city has kept up its healthy attitude. Researchers feel if other communities follow the same steps, they could help their future generations avoid the obesity epidemic.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, reporting.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Let's think about this for a second. Doctors, steel workers, police officers, are you one of the hardest working people in America or the world? We hear that America is the hardest working nation. Is that really the case? New figures show how we really stack up.

CNN Josh Levs is here.

Good to see you with reality check on this Labor Day weekend. What do you think here?

JOSH LEVS, CNN NEWS CORRESPONDENT: You know, I feel bad about doing this because people work hard in America and it is Labor Day weekend and we want to take a good rest and think about that. However, as I started looking into this I saw that smirk not the only country that claims to be the hardest working country in the world. I started looking into the real facts. Here you go. This is the "Realty check."

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LEVS (voice-over): Americans work hard in many cases but are we really as we're told...

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The hardest working people in the world.

LEVS: We do get less vacation time than folks in many nations and one in four workers gets none. The group calls the U.S. the no vacation nation because it's the only advanced economy that does not guarantee paid vacation. Those who do get it don't use it up.

A survey by Expedia, which sells vacation packages, found about one-third of Americans leave some days unused. Instead of this, we're doing this.

But when we're working, do Americans clock the most hours? No. According to the United Nations. It counted up how many people in different countries work a long week, at least 48 hours. In the U.S., 18 percent do. That number is higher in Switzerland and Australia. In both Britain and Israel, 26 percent of workers put in that kind of time. The numbers are substantially higher in many developing nations. In Peru, half the work force works more than 40 hours a week.

Who in America works the most hours? The federal government looked at more than 300 jobs and in just a few cases it is found an average workweek of more than 50 hours. Among those clocking that kind of time, firefighters, doctors, marine engineers, animal breeders, extraction workers, riggers, hoist and wrench operators, and those who operate trains and ships.

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LEVS: Keep in mind these are averages. There are people in any career that do work those hours but overall those are the folks with the longest working hours.

HARRIS: Figures in my hand. A dangerous thing. We get these numbers these weeks that indicate family incomes have gone up, but individual incomes have actually come down.

LEVS: It doesn't make sense. A man is making less on average. A woman is making less on average, but a family is making more. Here's why. In more families you have people working full time. These are brand new figures this week. Median income for an individual is down. Family income is up. What this means is, because of the economy in more cases these days, folks feel the need to have two full-time incomes so the family gets more money.

HARRIS: Not to get ahead but just to stay where you are.

LEVS: Something to think about Labor Day. They are working hard and even more hours and in a lot of cases they feel the need to do that to pay the bills.

HARRIS: Josh, great to see you. Appreciate it.

LEVS: Thanks.

HARRIS: Oprah works hard. We know that. So do Condi and Hillary? Whose hard work has the most powerful payoff? Ranking the world's most powerful women and how they got that way straight ahead in the "NEWSROOM."

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HARRIS: From heads of government to CEOs of industry to your television screen, they are some of the most influential women in the world. Our Zain Verjee checks out the "Forbes" list of most powerful women.

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ZAIN VERJEE, CNN NEWS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Condoleezza Rice's star power seems to be dimming, according to "Forbes" magazine's list of most powerful war in the world.

After the start of the Iraq war, Rice topped the list in 2004, same in 2005. She dropped to number two in 2006. This year number four.

ELIZABETH MACDONALD, SENIOR EDITOR, "FORBES": Condoleezza Rice slipped down because of lack of support for the president's policies around the globe.

VERJEE: Germany's chancellor, Angela Merkel, clinched the number one spot for the second year in the row. It was another good year for women in government overall, 29 on the list. At number two, the vice premier of China.

MACDONALD: What we're looking at are woman's career accomplishments, her title, the amount of money she has sway over and the influence she's wielding around the globe.

VERJEE: Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg made the number 20 slot just ahead of Oprah, who is at 21.

SEN. HILLARY CLINTON, (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I would be the first woman president is a good barrier for America to break.

VERJEE: she could become the next president but right now she's only number 25. House speaker Nancy Pelosi took 26 and Laura Bush number 60.

(on camera): Another interesting note on the list, Meredith Vieira, the host of the "Today" show, came in at number 55. She beat Katie Curic, who took the number 63 slot. CNN's Christiane Anapour was at number 74.

Zain Verjee, CNN, Washington.

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HARRIS: Where is Zain on that list? Questions linger.

Still ahead in the "NEWSROOM," Senator Craig's bathroom bust is a boom for late-night comics. Jeanne Moos takes a look straight ahead for you on the "NEWSROOM."

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HARRIS: Bathroom humor, a little sophomore, but we like it, some of it. Like the jokes you're about to hear. Senator Craig's career, well, in the toilet.

Here's CNN Jeanne Moos. Sorry.

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JEANNE MOOS, CNN NEWS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's hard to hear this.

SEN. LARRY CRAIG, (R), IDAHO: I am not gay. I never have been gay.

MOOS: Without being reminded of this.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I am a gay American.

MOOS: The Craig affair has led to late night gaiety, like Jimmy Kimmel's unintentional joke of the day...

CRAIG: Thank you all very much for coming out today.

JAY LENO, HOST, "THE TONIGHT SHOW: We have a clip of the press conference. Show the press conference today.

CRAIG: Thank you all very much for coming out today.

MOOS: Never have the nation's newscast spent more time in the toilet.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What's with the hand signals?

MOOS: There's something about the toe tapping part of this that media folks can't resist tapping into. You expect it on YouTube.

But a TV station in Sacramento did its own recreation of the Craig men's room incident. A colleague even provided a homemade stall divider.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The Senator allegedly started tapping his foot like this and that's a fine that you're interested in having relations.

MOOS: But if it's high quality production you're after, look at the website slate.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I saw Craig's blue eyes as he looked into my stall.

MOOS: Slate used verbatim quotes from the arresting officer's report.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Craig used the right foot to touch the side of my left foot within my stall area. At 12:17 hours, I saw Craig swipe his hand under the stall divider for a few seconds.

MOOS: And a YouTubers posted this guide to men's restroom signals.

Senator Craig denies anything rude took place, telling the police his wide stance explains his foot placement. The scandal is generating plays on words and puns. It's causing commentators to tell personal stories you would never expect.

MSNBC's Tucker Carlson described how he was once bothered in a men's room.

TUCKER CARLSON, HOST, MSNBC: I went back with some one I knew and grabbed the guy.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: And did what?

CARLSON: Hit him against the stall instead, actually.

MOOS: Carlson later said the man physically grabbed him first.

It's almost too hot a story for reporters to handle. Red state update comedians to the rescue.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I can't keep up with all those signals. When I want to get some, I just go down to the bar and wait for the first woman to fall off the stool and tell her her hair looks nice.

MOOS: At least that won't get a senator arrested.

Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.

HARRIS: It is clearly time to go. Don't forget a special "Larry King Live" at 9:00 p.m. eastern time. Guests will talk about Senator Craig's resignation and what's next. For now "Lou Dobbs this week" starts right now.

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