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O.J. Simpson's Troubles Get Deeper

Aired September 16, 2007 - 22:00   ET

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

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN ANCHOR: The top story in the CNN NEWSROOM tonight, O.J. Simpson. His troubles get deeper. The list of charges against him are long. The police moved a handcuffed Simpson from his Las Vegas hotel to custody at the county detention center today. He has several felony charges pending. Armed robbery, assault, conspiracy, and there are others.
Earlier, we spoke to a figure from the last time O.J. Simpson faced felony charges.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Finally, he's been arrested for something that maybe if we're all lucky, certainly if I'm lucky, he'll go to jail for. Unfortunately, it's not for murder, though.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: O.J. Simpson is not expected to be arraigned before tomorrow morning.

Well, the little town of Jena, Louisiana, has captured the nation's attention in the case of the Jena Six. Mychal Bell, one of six African-American students charged in connection with a school fight and the first one to be convicted, has won a huge legal victory. An appeals court judge has overturned Bell's conviction. Now, the future of the case is up to the district attorney, and he must decide whether to refile the charges in juvenile court, recharge Bell as an adult, or drop the charges altogether.

Well, there is a justice march that is planned this week in Jena. Charter buses from around the country will meet in Alexandria, just outside Jena. From there, buses will drive directly into Jena and begin the march to the LaSalle Parish courthouse.

Martin Luther King III and Bernice King, son and daughter of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., will be among those who will be marching, and we've asked them to join us tonight in our "Sunday Spotlight."

It's such an honor and pleasure to meet both of you this evening. Thank you for joining us.

BERNICE KING: Thank you.

MARTIN LUTHER KING III: Thank you.

MALVEAUX: Bernice, let's start with you. Tell us about what do you hope to accomplish in this march on Thursday? What is the message?

B. KING: Well, I think from my vantage point, I've always seen myself as trying to appeal to the younger generation. And a call went out for people to converge on Jena, Louisiana. And there are a lot of young people that are going to be going. And I think this is an opportunity to reignite a spirit of activism in the young generation. As you know, many of those who fueled the movement that was my father was a part of were young people. And I hope this will be that opportunity, one to reraise the social consciousness in the generation, and to also move this generation toward taking a stand for justice.

MALVEAUX: Why does this small town make such a big difference? Why should people be paying attention to this moment and this place?

B. KING: Well, as we know, these kind of things are happening all over the nation. This town just happens to be the moment for now. And things happen at different times for different reasons and different seasons, but what has taken place there certainly is something that we cannot ignore and move on.

A lot of tension. My brother has been there previously with Reverend Al Sharpton dealing with the issues down there. And it's just raised a lot of awareness and a lot of attention, and a lot of people are going. And I think we, as the children and the heirs of Martin Luther King Jr., his legacy, are there really to remind and to reiterate our father's nonviolent legacy.

MALVEAUX: And, Martin, tell me about that. You've been in contact with the family of Mychal Bell, the one we've been talking about. The charges overturned. Give us a sense of what they are going through? What are they feeling at this time? Are they more hopeful that perhaps this case is going to turn in the direction of...

M. KING: Well, certainly they are hopeful. But even though the decision came down on the other day, Mychal Bell is still in jail. And I believe the DA had already filed charges to charge him as a juvenile.

So it seems to me the question is whether or not there is selective prosecution, because this is not just blacks. There are whites involved also who have done things, and the question is, if justice is fair -- the reality is justice and reconciliation, because not only are we fighting for justice, justice for both sides.

Yes, a young man was beaten up and unfortunately hurt very badly. The question is, is the penalty commensurate with the crime that these young men will have to face? I think we are getting close, but we still have a long, long way to go.

And the other thing I should say is, it must -- the noose issue must be addressed, although it was a little bit further down the road. Nooses to people of color, obviously, are very, very painful. And if there are no laws on the books to address those issues, there should be laws, because that is certainly a hate crime.

MALVEAUX: And the noose is what sparked the whole thing to begin with?

M. KING: That is part of what sparked it. It actually ended up occurring largely on December 1st, when a fight occurred at a private party. Then on December 2nd, another issue occurred at a convenience store. Then on December 4th, when school convened, that's when this particular fight occurred. So there are a number of issues here in this case.

MALVEAUX: Does it surprise the two of you, your father worked for social justice and civil rights, that we still are fighting? We have racial divisions and a community that's divided, and in many cases, a nation that's divided? Bernice?

B. KING: No, I don't think it's a surprise. It's disappointing that after 40 years next year, we'll be celebrating his 40 years after his assassination, that we are still dealing with these issues. But I think the reality is that in the past 40 years, we have not done a good job, I think, of keeping each generation responsible to the issues of the time.

M. KING: And again, justice and reconciliation. So after all of this, it really is about bringing this community back together. Black, white and whomever else lives in that community. And so as opposed to being -- it's certainly very tragic. This is 44 years since -- almost 44 years. Next year will be 44 years since the Civil Rights Act. And yet there was a tree on this campus that historically had been reserved sort of for white students.

We shouldn't be discussing these issues. We should be discussing how we're going to revive our economy, how we're going to address poverty in America, how we're going to make this nation a better nation for all God's children.

MALVEAUX: And it certainly is an historic time as well in politics. We're seeing for the first time the possibility, real possibility of an African-American, Barack Obama, running for president here. Your thoughts? Do you have anybody in particular that you care for?

M. KING: Well, I am very pleased with all of the candidates that are running, certainly on the Democratic side. I am certainly monitoring the Republican candidates. Have not made a choice. But certainly, it's very significant that Barack Obama, Senator Obama could run. But by the same token, it's very tragic that at the very beginning of his campaign, he was the one that had to ask for Secret Service protection before anyone because of threats. So while we have made great strides, we still have a long way to go in this nation that can become a great nation.

MALVEAUX: Sure. Ready to endorse him yet or are you going to hold off?

M. KING: Well, not this particular moment am I ready to endorse. And I won't speak for Bernice.

MALVEAUX: Bernice? B. KING: I say the same sentiments as my brother.

MALVEAUX: OK. Well, we'll see how the race goes.

Thank you so much for joining us here. We really appreciate the time.

M. KING: Thank you for that opportunity.

B. KING: Thank you very much.

MALVEAUX: And former Federal Reserve chief Alan Greenspan's new book makes waves in Washington. Greenspan's surprising words in about 10 minutes.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

JOSH LEVS, CNN ANCHOR: Hey there. Josh Levs here in the CNN NEWSROOM. How would you like to pay for a nice dinner where the costs run, I don't know, about $5 per meatball? Or how about a sandwich buffet at $44 a person? Well, guess what. You did. A government audit is showing how some of the taxpayer money was spent by the federal government. You've got to see this. We're going to break it down in just about 90 seconds right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: Amid the debate over Iraq, the presidential race and the new book from Alan Greenspan, who would think we'd be talking about pricey meatballs? It's all the talk in Washington right now. But a new report from the Justice Department has made that happen. And our CNN's Josh Levs is here to explain all about what this is about, because we're talking about meatballs.

LEVS: They wanted me to say it with an accent, but I can't do it. (inaudible), I can't do it. I can't pull it off. Everybody is talking about this, the pricey meatballs all of a sudden. It's crazy.

Here's the deal. You know some of this and I'll talk you all through it. Basically, it's this government audit that's come out from the Justice Department's inspector general. He did an audit about money spent at conferences that the department held, and he found some heavy, heavy spending.

Now, it's just the kind of thing that's, you know, really tangible, that really strikes people.

We've got a copy of the report right here. When we scroll down -- if we can get to that -- we're going to be able to show you how much money in general has been spent for conferences. Last year, it was about $46 million. And that was up from about $40 million the year before. There you go. Those are the bars. So you can tell it's always moving around a little bit, but it's in the tens of millions.

So what really has gotten people in this report, though, isn't the $50 million or the $46 million. It's how some of that money was spent. The breakdown here.

For example, here's some examples.

MALVEAUX: Break it down for us.

LEVS: One reception, all right?

MALVEAUX: OK.

LEVS: They paid, per meatball, $5.

MALVEAUX: $5?

LEVS: For every person, every meatball on the plate cost $5. That's one of my favorites. The meatballs. Okay.

But this really gets me. Every can of soda, $4.55.

MALVEAUX: Ouch.

LEVS: A can of soda is like...

MALVEAUX: That's worse than a hotel, worse than a hotel charges you.

LEVS: Yes, but that's the key. (inaudible).

MALVEAUX: Last party, did you have -- did you, $5 a meatball?

LEVS: I mean, who pays that kind of thing? Oh, and my...

MALVEAUX: We're paying it, I guess we're paying that.

LEVS: It comes down to us.

And also, the sandwiches. That gets me too. I mean, sandwich -- a buffet of sandwiches, $44 a person. So you've got to stop and think, we've got some fun graphics here. A sandwich just ran across my face. Now I'm hungry again. Too late for that.

So yes, I mean, when you look at these figures, you start to realize that it's just really striking people. And some people who have heard about this report are saying, how did this happen?

MALVEAUX: You know, I don't understand that. I mean, how do the prices go up so dramatically like that? Because you know, you go to the store, Safeway, Giant, buy in bulk. You know, $5 a meatball?

LEVS: Yes, and that's why it hits people, like, in the wallet, because they understand, like, how much these things actually cost.

So the reason it happened was the where. Hotels do have a lot of markups along the way. So what you end up finding is that they had to pay markups within there. The Justice Department in the end agrees with the decisions that have been made, this auditor is saying you should look at different hotels, get different prices, do comparison shopping, choose one, that's where it's going to go.

MALVEAUX: Hopefully we'll save a little bit of money.

All right, Josh, thank you so much. Appreciate it.

And we'll now move on to the next story. We are going to head next to...

LEVS: I think we'll go to the Emmys.

MALVEAUX: We're going next to the Emmys. That's what they're telling me.

LEVS: There you go.

MALVEAUX: The stars are looking pretty on the red carpet tonight. So we're going to check out who is the funniest, the smartest, most dramatic actors on TV. We'll show you who grabbed the Emmys and what they were wearing.

And harsh comments for the Bush administration from the ultimate Washington insider. Alan Greenspan is no longer mincing words. A look inside his new book, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: The Iraq war is largely about oil. It's a sentiment we have heard over the years from a number of people, but those words tonight are from the former chairman of the Federal Reserve, Alan Greenspan. It is in his new memoir, which goes on sale tomorrow, and the pages don't always paint a flattering picture of his fellow Republicans. Here's CNN's Kathleen Koch.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALAN GREENSPAN, FED CHAIRMAN: The economy appeared to have considerable momentum.

KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: While Chairman of the Federal Reserve Alan Greenspan's words moved markets, now in his new memoir, he's traded cautious, cryptic comments for blunt criticism. And Washington is dissecting his conclusions.

One of Greenspan's most explosive charges, quote, "everyone knows the Iraq war is largely about oil."

REP. TOM LANTOS (D), CALIFORNIA: It is very remarkable that it took Alan Greenspan all these many years and being out of office for stating the obvious.

ROBERT GATES, DEFENSE SECRETARY: I know the same allegation was made about the Gulf War in 1991, and I just don't believe it's true.

KOCH: Greenspan blasts President Bush for not vetoing a single spending bill until nearly six years into his presidency. Quote, "Bush's collaborate-don't-confront approach was a major mistake. 'Deficits don't matter' to my chagrin became part of Republicans' rhetoric."

White House deputy press secretary Tony Fratto fired back. Quote, "We had veto threats which were used to good effect to keep spending within the president's numbers. Because Congress worked with us, vetoes weren't necessary."

Greenspan blames Republicans' lack of fiscal discipline for their 2006 loss of power in Congress, saying they, quote, "lost their way. They swapped principle for power. They ended up with neither. They deserved to lose."

SEN. JOHN CORNYN (R), TEXAS: I agree that Republicans have unfortunately been guilty of too much spending in Washington, wasteful Washington spending, and we need to do better.

KOCH: In the book and in an interview on CBS ''60 Minutes," Greenspan defends his 2003 decision to keep short-term interest rates at 1 percent for a year, a move some say helped create the housing bubble that has now burst.

GREENSPAN: It was our job to unfreeze the American banking system if we wanted the economy to function. This required that we keep rates modestly low.

KOCH: Greenspan's criticism of President Bush and his party is particularly biting because it comes from a self-described libertarian Republican. Still, deputy press secretary Tony Fratto in a statement insists, quote, "at any rate, where we ended up on economic policy was right, as our records show."

Kathleen Koch, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MALVEAUX: Well, it's time now for "Dogbone Politics," where we take a bite out of the best political headlines.

Let's start with the Iowa state fry. It's a tradition for Democratic presidential hopefuls. They show up to raise a little money for state Democrats and to compete for potential supporters of their own. Today's steak fry -- all the steaks are actually grilled, we won't get into that -- but it attracted about 12,000 people according to CNN's Candy Crowley. Six of the Democratic presidential hopefuls addressed the crowd.

Well, the killer competition on the red carpet tonight. Did "The Sopranos" go out with a bang, or should they just forget about it? The Emmy winners are straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: In Great Britain, some Muslim youths find themselves alienated. They feel caught between traditional Muslim teachings and the realities of Western society.

Well, one young Muslim is trying to help these young people bridge the gap between their faith and their community. Mohammed Mamdani is today's "CNN Hero."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MOHAMMED MAMDANI, COMMUNITY CRUSADER: Many Muslims feel they are leading double lives, because they have to behave in a particular way within the Muslim community. And there is a conflict between trying to be all-British, as well as being all-Muslim at the same time.

At the age of 17, I became more aware of the fact that so many of my Muslim peers were experiencing issues related to drugs, relationship problems with their families, mental health issues. These are common social problems, yet for the Muslim community, they are very much no-go areas.

I felt I had to take responsibility for the situation. And there, began the story of Muslim Youth Help Line.

My father installed a telephone line in my bedroom. It would ring at all times of the day, sometimes the middle of the night. Muslim Youth Help Line obviously became my life.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Salaam aleikum, Muslim Help Line.

MAMDANI: Six years on, we take thousands of calls related to depression, self-harm, suicidal feelings.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're sensitive to their faith and their culture. At the same time, we're nonjudgmental. So it helps just having a Muslim on the other end of the phone that can understand and relate to these issues.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yesterday, the people of London suffered a horrible heartbreak together.

MAMDANI: After the London bombings, I decided to set up a new project which aimed to deal with young people face-to-face.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do that flip again, come on. Let's see that flip.

MAMDANI: Ansar Youth Project is like a youth organization. It's a very friendly environment. It's a very brotherly environment. It teaches them the skills to reconnect with their Muslim identity, while also learning to integrate better into British society.

I wouldn't say the work that I do is necessarily heroic. It's just something that's needed in society. My aim is to help young Muslims just be themselves.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MALVEAUX: Go to cnn.com/heroes to learn more about Mohammed Mamdani's work. And while you are there, nominate a hero of your own. Remember, you only have until about September 30th to turn in those nominations. Selected winners will be honored during a live global broadcast on December 6th, hosted by our own Anderson Cooper. And it's the 59th annual Emmy awards, and our Brooke Anderson is there. Her red carpet report and tonight's winners, coming up in just two minutes.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: Well, there they are. The nominees arriving on the red carpet at the 59th annual Emmy awards in Hollywood. Already supporting actors from "Grey's Anatomy," "Lost," "Entourage" and "Ugly Betty" won top honors at tonight's ceremony. And well, sure, you know, we watch to see who is getting what, but we also watch to see who is wearing what.

Well, from best dressed to best on screen, let's go straight to the 59th annual Emmy Awards. Our own CNN's Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. Brooke, all the excitement and action.

BROOKE ANDERSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The 59th primetime Emmy Awards, television's most prestigious honors are being handed out tonight. The red carpet arrivals didn't disappoint. The nominees all looked ultra sharp, and they were all, including Al Gore, thrilled to talk about their projects. Gore is nominated for his cable network Current TV.

Now, "The Sopranos" are expected to make a killing here tonight. The series is up for 15 Emmys, more nominations than any other series, including best drama.

Over on the comedy side, "30 Rock" is a really strong contender, up for best comedy series. Also, Alec Baldwin and Tina Fey earned individual nominations as well. But ABC's "Ugly Betty" poses formidable competition for "30 Rock" -- 11 nominations total, including best comedy. And its lovable star, America Ferrera, earned an individual best actress nomination as well.

A number of musical artists will take the stage. Tony Bennett with Christina Aguilera, also Kanye West, and the Jersey Boys, with music in honor of "The Sopranos."

Reporting from the 59th primetime Emmy Awards in downtown Los Angeles, I'm Brooke Anderson.

MALVEAUX: Well, more news now coming into CNN tonight on our top story. According to the AP, police say a judge has ordered that O.J. Simpson be held in jail without bail on armed robbery charges. That the outcome tonight for O.J. Simpson.

I'm Suzanne Malveaux. We've had a lot of news over the last hour, and we are not done yet. Up next, CNN special investigative unit, "Lifting the Veil."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN ANCHOR: Who took away TV's top prize? We've got you covered at the Emmys. You're in the CNN NEWSROOM. Well, good evening. I'm Suzanne Malveaux. Breaking developments tonight in the legal life of O.J. Simpson. A list of charges, including five felonies pinned to the football star, who will spend at least tonight in the custody of Las Vegas police.

CNN's Ted Rowlands is all over this case. He's even talked to O.J. several times. He joins us live from the Clark County Detention Center, where Simpson is being held tonight. And Ted, what is the latest? What do we know about how he's spending this evening?

TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Suzanne, currently O.J. Simpson is being booked, going through the fingerprinting and the photograph process. They're going to have him talk to someone from pretrial services, check his medical condition, go through all of the things that any inmate who is arrested in Las Vegas goes through.

It's going to take some time. At some point tonight, he will have the option of potentially getting bail and getting out of here. However, that's going to be a few hours. And it's unclear whether he'll be able to make bail. He may end up spending the entire night here in jail.

It's been a long day for Mr. Simpson. He was taken into custody today about 11:00 at the Palms Hotel in Las Vegas, where he had been staying since this Thursday night incident, this alleged arm robbery took place.

In today's arrest, went out without any incident. They came into his room, informed him that they were coming. And within minutes, they had him out of that hotel casino.

Simpson is facing two charges of robbery with a deadly weapon, two charges of assault with a deadly weapon, conspiracy to commit armed robbery, and burglary with a firearm. Serious, serious charges, which could land him several years in jail, if you move down the line, he is convicted of these charges. Here's a little bit about what detectives say led them to making this arrest.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CAPT. JAMES DILLON, LAS VEGAS METRO POLICE: The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department decided to affect the arrest of O.J. Simpson. In concertation with David Roger, the Clark County District Attorney, property detectives were dispatched to the hotel where Mr. Simpson was staying. He was taken into custody. He cooperated, and it was without incident.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROWLANDS: Throughout this entire ordeal, Suzanne, O.J. Simpson has claimed that he is innocent, that he did not know that there were any firearms involved. Obviously, tonight, Las Vegas police disagree. He is in custody here in Vegas. Tonight, we expect him to make his first court appearance as early as tomorrow. Back to you.

MALVEAUX: And Ted, he has reached out to you several times. The two of you have been in constant communication for the last couple of days. Have you heard from him since? Do we know if he's obtained an attorney at this time? Or is there any way that he can communicate with people outside of that cell?

ROWLANDS: Well, we haven't talked to him since he was arrested. I did talk to him about 90 minutes before he was arrested. And at that point, I asked him, do you think you're going to be arrested because the first accomplice in this situation was arrested Friday night? And he said at that point, he didn't, that he was cooperating and that he said "In the end, the truth will come out."

So we'll have to see. It's going to take a while now that the legal process has begun.

MALVEAUX: Ted, excellent work. Thank you so much. Ted Rowlands putting in a very full day, busy day.

Now let's talk more about the charges against O.J. Simpson. Joining me here in the CNN NEWSROOM, B.J. Bernstein, a criminal defense attorney. And it was really interesting. We were talking about in the break that there was an individual who was arrested before O.J. Simpson by the name of Walter Alexander. And that perhaps, looking at how quickly things moved, he might have been somebody who turned on O.J. Simpson. Can you explain that a little bit?

B.J. BERNSTEIN, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Yes, I think it's significant that yesterday, the reports were that O.J. Simpson was going to meet with the police on Monday with his attorneys. And instead, today, there was the breaking news that he was arrested.

So clearly, the police had changed gear. And what's very significant is if he had contact with the police, they just showed up at his hotel room and get him there. Normally if you're in contact with the defendant, you would call them and say turn yourself in. And instead, Walter Alexander was stopped on his way to the airport. And then the very next day we've got him arrested.

MALVEAUX: Right.

BERNSTEIN: So it's a very strong possibility, coupled with the concept that Alexander got what's called an own recognizance bond. In other words, he just had to sign for his bond. You heard Ted Rowlands explain that O.J. may not have the money to make his bond, yet this other defendant worked out a really great deal where he didn't have to put up money. Usually when people get great deals early on, it means they are cooperate with law enforcement. And that's the big issue for O.J. because today, they said he is the main suspect. He is the ringleader.

MALVEAUX: So they suspect he's the ringleader. What -- when we look at the charges, they're very serious charges. But we also heard something from one of the officers earlier in the press conference, saying that they don't have evidence that he was the one with the weapons. And yet, he has been charged with armed robbery. BERNSTEIN: Right, because it's two things. One, legally, it's the concept of party to a crime. In other words, if you're with other people, and your plan is to get something from somebody, in this case, the memorabilia, and any member of your party has a weapon and uses it to try to get those items, you are just as guilty as if you were holding the weapon.

So that's why he's charged with it. Coupled with, we did hear, as I said, the detectives say today that O.J. Simpson's the ringleader. And when you think about what was being sought, which is O.J. from his own statements was saying this was my property that was stolen and I was just trying to get it back, clearly, he has the interest, and the main interest, of going in there and getting those items.

MALVEAUX: OK, B.J., thank you so much for helping us explain all of this and understand a little bit better. And obvious, when this broke first, we were told that Simpson was in Las Vegas for a friend's wedding. Well, now we have these pictures actually show you, this is new video. And you can see there standing second on the left of the screen, you see Simpson wearing a tuxedo at what does appear to be a wedding ceremony.

And just to refresh your memory about O.J. Simpson, he first gained fame on the football field winning the Heisman trophy in college and having a Hall of Fame career in the NFL. His success continued off the field as a sports commentator and actor. Simpson then gamed infamy as a suspect in the June 1994 murders of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend, Ron Goldman.

Simpson was tried and acquitted in October of 1995. Well, in February of 1997, he was found liable in a wrongful death suit brought by the victims' families.

Now O.J. Simpson has written what he says is a fictional account of the night his wife and Ron Goldman were killed. And it will certainly be interesting to see how this weekend's developments affect the sales of "If I Did It."

Now it has just been released. And with the proceeds going to the family of Ron Goldman. It was written as a so-called hypothetical confession. For example, and I'm quoting here, he says, "I was thinking of all the blood. My shirt and pants were sticking to my skin. Even my shoes were covered in blood. I turned and looked behind me and saw a track of bloody telltale prints. I kicked off my shoes and began to strip. I took off my pants and shirt, dropped the knife and shoes in the center of the pile, and wrapped the whole thing into a tight bundle."

O.J. Simpson says the parts of the book about the murders are from his imagination. "If I Did It" is number two tonight on amazon.com's bestseller list.

Well, more legal news, this time from Washington. Sources telling CNN that former federal judge Mike Mukasey has accepted President Bush's offer to succeed Alberto Gonzales as attorney general. For a lot of people, there is one big question. And that, of course, is, who is this guy, Michael Mukasey. Well, here's CNN's Gary Nurenberg.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SEN. JOHN CORNYN (R), TEXAS: I've heard of Judge Mukasey's name, but I don't know him personally.

JOHN MCCAIN, PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I don't much about him.

SEN. JOHN KERRY (D), MASSACHUSETTS: I don't know a lot about him.

GARY NURENBERG, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Michael Mukasey is a retired federal district court judge appointed by Ronald Reagan. He served as a federal prosecutor under then U.S. attorney Rudy Giuliani, serves as an adviser to the Giuliani presidential campaign, and swore Giuliani in as mayor of New York in 1994.

On the bench, Mukasey presided in terrorism cases involving dirty bomb suspect Jose Padilla and the blind sheikh Omar Abdul Rahman, whom he sentenced to life in prison for his role in a New York terror plot.

(on camera): Some social conservatives like Mukasey's record on laws designed to fight terrorism, but don't like what else they see.

BRIAN BURCH, FIDELIS, CATHOLIC-BASED ADVOCACY GROUP: But when it comes to other issues, particularly the issue of abortion, we do not think his record is someone that we can trust. And we think the president should look at some other candidates.

NURENBERG (voice-over): And some legal conservatives say Mukasey may not be prepared. Bruce Fein worked in the Reagan Justice Department.

BRUCE FEIN, FMR. ASSOC. DEPUTY ATTY. GENERAL: I'm doubtful because I do not believe, despite certainly substantial credentials, he has the national stature and strength in Congress to resist White House overtures to insist that he bend the law to accommodate their political agenda.

NURENBERG: Liberal activist groups warn against a nominee with strong conservative views.

NAN ARON, PRES., ALLIANCE FOR JUSTICE: I think it's important that President Bush not look to partisans, not look to ultra conservatives to choose the next head of the Department of Justice.

NURENBERG: Gary Nurenberg, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MALVEAUX: And it's a mystery of almost global proportions. The case of missing four-year-old Madeleine Mccann. Did out-of-control kids turn Kate Mccann into a frazzled mom? Well, we'll talk to their family's closest friends. Plus, a fiery plane leaves scores of people dead. But amazingly, some people walked away from this mangled mess. A full story in about 10 minutes.

And the Iowa state (INAUDIBLE) draws thousands of people and plenty of presidential candidates. Well, we'll put some steak on the grill and chew on a little dog bone politics in about 30 minutes.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: Tonight, in southern California, 2000 people won't be sleeping in their own beds because wildfires forced them from their homes. The larger of two fires has spread across more than 15,000 acres of dry brush in the San Bernardino National Forest. Firefighters have only contained 15 percent of it. The governor has declared a state of emergency there.

There's also a 1,000-acre fire in San Diego County. Well, joining us is Jacqui Jeras to follow all of this, including a tornado, I understand, in Florida?

(WEATHER REPORT)

MALVEAUX: OK, thank you, Jacqui.

It's been a huge debate among the presidential hopefuls and it shows little sign of slowing down. Moveon.org is a group that's made a name for itself going after conservatives and raising a lot of money for politicians it likes.

Well, tomorrow, the group's political action committee releases a new TV ad, one that attacks the president. Last week, as you may have heard, the group took aim at General David Petraeus, this top U.S. commander in Iraq. Republicans were livid and started baiting Democrats to denounce the very group that gives them so much of the campaign contributions.

Well, we got a copy of the new ad. And I played it for our own James Carville and Terry Jeffrey, the editor at large of "Human Events" magazine in "The Situation Room" this week. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MALVEAUX: ...Moveon.org, this is what they're up to next. Because obviously, it's all about attacking character and credibility. It was with General Petraeus. Now it's President Bush. Let's take a listen.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: George Bush had 130,000 troops stuck in Iraq. Americans had elected a new Congress to bring them home. Instead, George Bush sent in 30,000 more troops. Now he's making a big deal about pulling out, you guessed it, 30,000. So next year, there will still be 130,000 troops stuck in Iraq. George Bush, a betrayal of trust. Moveon.org political action is responsible for the content of this advertisement.

MALVEAUX: James, what are the Democratic...

JAMES CARVILLE: I have one word to describe that ad -- accurate. Is there any factual thing that they can do a fact check on that? Because if they're missing a fact, I don't know what that is. That might be the most factual television ad I've ever seen in my life.

MALVEAUX: Do you agree?

TERRY JEFFREY, EDITOR, "HUMAN EVENTS": No, it's one thing for Moveon.org to disagree with the president's policy in Iraq. They have every right to do that. It's also legitimate for Moveon.org to object to Democratic politicians or be upset at Democratic politicians who ran for office in November 2006, saying they wanted to pull the troops out of Iraq. President Bush did not run on that. Everybody knows what President Bush's policy is. He's moving forward. It's not a betrayal of trust.

CARVILLE: If there -- the facts on the ad are right there.

JEFFREY: It's not a betrayal of trust.

CARVILLE: Well, that's - if there's any fact -- name me a fact that Moveon -- name one fact, Terry, one fact that they got wrong. That ad is 100 percent accurate.

JEFFREY: Now is it a betrayal of trust?

CARVILLE: Well...

JEFFREY: It would be a betrayal of trust for President Bush to turn his back on his own policy and embrace a strategy in Iraq that he did not think had a chance for success.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MALVEAUX: Well, as for Moveon.org, the group's executive director says it wanted to move past Petraeus and remind people about the president's role in the war. Well, stay tuned. More fireworks are sure to follow.

And charges against one teen are thrown out, but the calls for racial justice continue in the Jena six controversy. Up next in the Sunday spotlight, the children of Dr. Martin Luther King join me live to talk about plans for a protest march this week.

Also, as new questions follow the parents of the missing little girl, the Mccanns' close friends are now speaking out. We'll hear what they have to say. You're watching CNN, the most trusted name in news. Stay with us.

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MALVEAUX: Dozens dead. Bodies pulled from the wreckage. European tourists scramble for their lives in Thailand.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE). Everything was on fire.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: How did this trip to paradise end in disaster?

Three nooses under a tree. A schoolyard fight. And six teenage boys turned into a national cause. Charges of racism in the deep South. And anger over media coverage.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If they had to blow this so much out of proportion, it would have been settled a long time ago.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: Others want change. Tonight, the children of Dr. Martin Luther King weigh in on the Jena six controversy.

Was Kate Mccann frazzled by kids out of control? Is she behind the disappearance of her own daughter Madeleine? We talked to the family's closest friends.

And the beautiful people and the ugly Bettys compete for top billing on the red carpet. Who took away TV's top prize? We've got you covered at the Emmys. You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.

In southern Thailand today, this horrible scene. Smoking wreckage that just moments before was a commercial airliner trying to land in bad weather. The jet skidded off the wet runway, struck a hillside, and burned. 130 people were on board. Passengers and crew, 87 of them, did not survive. Many of the passengers were non-Thai nationals traveling from Bangkok to the beach resort of Phuket. A crash survivor says he knew the plane was in trouble the second time that it tried to land.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN GERARD O'DONNELL, PLANE CRASH SURVIVOR: As the plane was landing, you could tell it was in trouble because it kind of landed, came up again. The second time just smashed off the runway. (INAUDIBLE) and all, everything was on fire.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: The plane was a Boeing MD-82. An American crash investigation team from the NTSB will help Thai authorities determine just what happened.

Well, look at these amazing photographs sent to us by people who witnessed the crash and its fiery aftermath. The fire, the first responders, and the victims. One man who saw the crash and fire said he heard a small explosion that blew off the top of the doomed plane.

An unexpected gift from an unexpected person. A billionaire businessman wants to help the parents of little Madeleine Mccann. Virgin group chairman Richard Branson is giving the couple $200,000 to help with their mounting legal fees. And he is not the only one that is coming to their defense. Well, two long-time friends of Kate Mccanns are now speaking out and they're talking to our own CNN's Randi Kaye.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Despite all of the allegations against their friend, they paint a very rosy picture of her. They say that she's a very caring woman. She say desperately wanted a family. In fact, they tell me that she wanted five children in all.

It was a real struggle for her, though, according to them, to have children. In fact, she had to go through several rounds of invitro fertilization to have both Madeleine and the twins.

We also talked quite a bit about the bond between Kate and Madeleine. They say it was a very special bond. And we also touched these tabloid reports that have come out in recent days, tabloid newspapers around the world reporting bits and pieces, they claim, about Kate's diary.

CNN has not been able to confirm these reports. But according to the papers, Kate Mccann apparently wrote in her diary that her children are hysterical and hyperactive, extremely difficult to deal with. Madeleine's excessive activity exhausts her. And so we talked quite a bit about that. And here's what her two friends had to say about those most recent allegations.

Was Kate overwhelmed by the children as this report about the diary suggests?

LINDA MCQUEEN, KATE MCCANN'S FRIEND: No, no.

NICKY GILL, KATE MCCANN'S FRIEND: No, no, she just loves the children. And like I said before, she's not -- she's a mom that goes and takes on (INAUDIBLE). She's not - she just (INAUDIBLE) to listen to her with them. She's so calm and yes. There's no air of anything negative about her.

MALVEAUX: Are Kate and Gerry Mccann negligent when it comes to their children?

MCQUEEN: Not at all. No, not at all. Couldn't be further from the truth. It really couldn't. You know, they're really strong, caring parents who are doing what nobody has done in trying to find their child that has been taken.

MALVEAUX: One thing that they wouldn't talk about are these other tabloid reports about these sedatives. Again, CNN not being able to independently confirm these reports, but they have been reporting that Kate Mccann apparently used sedatives to calm her children and that Madeleine may have overdosed on those sedatives. Again, we have not been able to confirm that independently.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MALVEAUX: Well, that was CNN's Randi Kaye in London. An in- depth look into the mystery and contradictions surrounding Madeleine McCann's disappearance tomorrow in a special edition of "AC 360" with Anderson Cooper Monday at 10:00 Eastern right here on CNN.

Well, their father led the civil rights marches that changed the nation. Well, now two of Dr. King's children say it is time to speak up about racial injustice in a small town. They are going to join me live to talk about an upcoming protest march in Jena, Louisiana.

And he is known for being tight lipped when it comes to the economy. Well, now former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan is letting it rip on all sorts of topics, including some harsh words for his own Republican party, next.

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