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Sarah Palin Plays the Terror Card; Obama Attacks McCain on Economy; What's in the Bailout for You? O.J. Simpson Guilty on All Charges; The Hunt for Terrorists is On; Examining the Safe Haven Law
Aired October 04, 2008 - 23:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): The gloves are off.
GOV. SARAH PALIN (R), VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Our opponent is someone who sees America as imperfect enough to pal around with terrorists who targeted their own country.
LEMON: Obama hanging with terrorists? What is Governor Palin talking about?
BRIAN MICHAEL JENKINS, RAND CORPORATION: They are experienced. They're on their home turf.
LEMON: The world's most wanted. Millions for their heads.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Count one, guilty. Count two, guilty. Count three, guilty. Count four, guilty. Count five, guilty.
LEMON: O.J. Simpson, guilty. Will he spend life behind bars?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That is a trauma that will last throughout the child's life.
LEMON: Parents abandoning their grown children and the law that lets them do it.
ARNIE STUTHMAN, NEBRASKA STATE SENATE: These mothers that are in this situation to me are not criminals.
LEMON: The pictures and the stories you haven't seen until right now.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Hello, everyone. I'm Don Lemon here at the CNN world headquarters.
There's a lot to get to tonight. But the big questions on my mind, three of them right now, what was O.J. Simpson thinking? And this bailout thing, when will we, the average American, feel any relief from this? And Sarah Palin plays the terror card. Real issue, or is it a distraction?
Well, let's get to the program so we can get you some answers right now. It is exactly one month until the election. But don't bother looking at the calendar, just listen to Sarah Palin today out on the campaign trail.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Governor Sarah Palin.
LEMON: Coming off of Thursday's debate performance, it was an aggressive Sarah Palin on the trail Saturday.
GOV. SARAH PALIN (R), VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: OK now, the heels are on. The gloves come off.
LEMON: At a private fund-raiser and then a public rally in California, she launched the campaign's strongest attack yet on Barack Obama's association with '60s radical William Ayers.
PALIN: Our opponent is someone who sees America as imperfect enough to pal around with terrorists who targeted their own country.
LEMON: It is not the first time the Ayers issue has come up. An independent group backing the McCain campaign mentioned him in an ad.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, MCCAIN FOR PRESIDENT CAMPAIGN COMMERCIAL)
NARRATOR: Barack Obama is friends with Ayers defending him as "respectable and mainstream."
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Obama defended his connection during the primaries.
SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The notion that somehow, as a consequence of me knowing somebody who engaged in detestable acts 40 years ago when I was 8 years old, somehow reflects on me and my values, doesn't make much sense.
LEMON: The McCain camp says raising the issue now is designed to highlight questions about Obama's judgment in the closing days. An Obama spokesman Saturday called it a Swift Boat attack "in hopes of deflecting attention from the nation's economic ills."
PALIN: Evidently, there's been a lot of interest in what I read lately.
LEMON: For Palin, it was a political twofer, a chance to counter questions from a CBS interview where she stumbled over what newspapers she reads.
PALIN: Well, I was reading today a copy of "The New York Times." And I was really interested to read in there about Barack Obama's friends from Chicago.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: Exactly how well Bill Ayers knows Barack Obama, that is still uncertain. "The New York Times," CNN and other news organizations have investigated and found they apparently did not have a close relationship.
So here's a question. Who is Bill Ayers? Well, today Ayers is a professor of Education at the University of Illinois in Chicago. Back in the '60s, however, Ayers was a radical activist who founded the Weather Underground. The group was behind several bombings in Washington, including the Capitol and the Pentagon. Riot and conspiracy charges against Ayers were dropped in 1974.
Ayers and Obama are acquainted since they lived in the same Chicago neighborhood. And in 1995, Obama attended a political meeting at Ayers' home. Obama and Ayers also served together on a charity, a Chicago charity, from 1995 to 1999.
Well, the McCain campaign promised it would come after Obama, and it did. CNN's senior political analyst, Bill Schneider, is on the phone.
And, Bill, it is just one month before the election and as I said, you can listen to how it's ratcheting up out there. Is this Ayers thing, is this a legitimate issue or is it a distraction?
BILL SCHNEIDER, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: It's certainly nothing new. I haven't heard anything in the story that suggested Sarah Palin or John McCain have discovered, even "The New York Times," have discovered anything dramatically new about the connection between Barack Obama and William Ayers, who is a neighbor of his, someone with whom he's had some sort of association. But to describe him as somehow consorting with terrorists, that's a very sensational charge.
LEMON: Well, how much --
SCHNEIDER: Again, I don't hear anything new, any new facts coming out.
LEMON: Well, Bill, how much of this can we attribute to a slippage, slipping in the polls from the McCain campaign?
SCHNEIDER: I think certainly as we get closer and closer to Election Day, the charges, this has been true for campaigns for some time, often become more sensational, often more irresponsible. And particularly, McCain has been slipping. The momentum is with Barack Obama. That's primarily being driven by the economy.
What the McCain campaign needs to do is change the subject and raise questions, raise doubts about Barack Obama's character. He's not a well-known figure in American politics. A lot of people still have questions about him, his background, his views.
LEMON: Right.
SCHNEIDER: So that one tactic clearly is to raise questions about his character and his judgment.
LEMON: Senior political analyst Bill Schneider joining us on this Saturday night. Bill, we certainly appreciate that.
Meantime, campaigning in Virginia, Barack Obama focused on health care and the economy.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Contrary to what my opponent John McCain says, the fundamentals of our economy are not strong. The fundamentals of our economy are weak. And we've got to address those fundamentals and address them right now.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: The economy sure to be issue number one in the next presidential debate. That is on Tuesday night. And of course, you can see it right here on CNN, the best place to watch it.
Senator Joe Biden took time off today to be with his family. The Democratic vice presidential nominee has canceled his weekend campaign events because his mother-in-law is seriously ill. Yesterday Senator Biden saw his son and other Delaware National Guard troops off as the unit prepares to deploy to Iraq soon.
Do you think the Wall Street bailout was a tough sell? Well, that could be a piece of cake compared to getting it to work.
First, $250 billion will be immediately available for the Treasury Department to purchase bad mortgages from banks. That alone will be a huge undertaking. The total could reach $700 billion. New insurance fund will guarantee the troubled assets. Curbs will be placed on executive pay and bonuses, and two oversight committees will monitor that program.
President Bush warns that the bailout bill won't be a quick fix, so how long do we have to wait before we, yes, we, see the effects on this?
Let's bring in CNN's personal finance editor, Gerri Willis. Hi, Gerri.
GERRI WILLIS, CNN PERSONAL FINANCE EDITOR: Hey, Don, good to see you.
LEMON: Yes, it's good to see you. Let's talk about that. I know this is not an exact science, but the average American is wondering when they will see some relief. Can we look back in history maybe on end any time in history that's similar to this and sort of gauge how long it's going to take?
WILLIS: Well, you know, I think maybe the closest parallel -- I know everybody wants to compare it to the Great Depression -- but I think a better parallel is probably the S&L crisis. You know, that's where the last time that real estate fell completely apart.
And if you're looking at the stock market as a barometer, it actually comes back pretty quickly. Looking at previous bear markets and the stock markets, that's just a problem. They recover unexpectedly and sometimes quickly. So if you get out of the market, and I hear from people all the time that do, you miss it.
LEMON: Right.
WILLIS: You miss the turn. And if you miss one or two days of really big gains, you're really hurting your 401(k).
LEMON: All right. Let's talk about credit because that's really important and sort of one of the main points in this bailout deal bill, people were concerned about the credit markets and companies getting credit. The average person getting credit plays into everything, buying a car, buying homes as well.
WILLIS: Exactly. And that's what's really going to have to get fixed quickly. You know, Treasury has 45 days to come in and actually put together a plan for buying these troubled assets that hopefully are going to help the credit markets. But my guess is they're going to act much more quickly.
How soon will the small business owner see the impact of that? How soon will you see it if you've been trying to get a mortgage loan or an auto loan?
Well, it's not going to be today, it's not going to be tomorrow, it's not going to be next week, but soon in coming, in coming weeks. I think you'll see those credit markets start to ease.
But I've got to tell you, Don, nobody knows.
LEMON: Yes.
WILLIS: We haven't been down this road before. You know, it's really new territory. We're trying something brand new here, so we're really going to have to wait and see. And I know a lot of people out there are very optimistic but many things have to go right for this to work.
LEMON: It's true and when we started talking, Gerri, remember maybe a year, year and a half ago, when the housing market started to fall, that was the barometer of things to come. So people are really concerned about that.
WILLIS: Right.
LEMON: Our personal finance editor, Gerri Willis -- Gerri, we appreciate you talking to you. Thank you.
WILLIS: My pleasure, Don.
LEMON: You know, we have a correction to make tonight. Last night in one of our stories about the bailout package, we pointed out a provision in the bill that appeared to provide tax breaks for rum made in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Well, we have since learned that the arcane language of the bill does not provide a tax break for rum distillers. Rather, the taxes gathered on rum sales on the mainland are returned to the local governments of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands for local infrastructure projects. The new provision extends a government practice that has been in place since the 1990s. CNN, of course, regrets that error.
OK. We've been talking about pork in the bill. Well, that certainly has viewers fired up. Here are a few from twitter.
ChanelOrth writes, "Don, I am still disgusted by the pork in it. Rum? How does that help our nation? I would like to know who put that in the bill.
And Im_ariedana (ph) writes, "Loaded with a bunch of crap for special interest. Nothing about mortgage help. Average people won't see any benefits for years."
We want you to keep them coming, folks. You can get me at Facebook, MySpace, iReport.com and, of course, twitter.com/donlemoncnn.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We, the jury, in the above entitled case find the defendant, Orenthal James Simpson, as follows: count one, conspiracy to commit a crime, guilty; count two, conspiracy to commit kidnapping, guilty; count three, conspiracy to commit --
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: There's a lot of guilties there. Friday's verdict has an eerie connection to the first trial of O.J. Simpson. We'll tell you more in seconds.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Also, think about this, O.J. Simpson, guilty of armed robbery and kidnapping thirteen years to the day he was acquitted in the murders of his ex-wife and her friend, Ron Goldman.
Our Thelma Gutierrez is in Los Angeles with reaction to the verdict. Thelma, we know what the Goldmans, we know that they have spoken. Have we heard anything from the Browns?
THELMA GUTIERREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Don. The Browns just released this statement. It says, "Our family would like to thank everyone across the country for their thoughts and prayers as we work through many mixed emotions. Our focus is on the children, Sydney and Justin, whom we deeply love and cherish and ask for the understanding of privacy at this time."
And tonight, O.J. Simpson sits in the Clark County Detention Center where he's being held without bail.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How are you feeling?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you ready for this?
GUTIERREZ (voice-over): 11:00 p.m. Friday night, after 13 hours of deliberations and three weeks of testimony, the jury had reached a verdict.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Count one, conspiracy to commit a crime, guilty. Count two, conspiracy to commit kidnapping, guilty.
GUTIERREZ: A stunning blow for the former football star who appeared shaken as the verdicts were read.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Count four, burglary while in possession of a deadly weapon, guilty of burglary while in possession of a deadly weapon.
GUTIEREZ: Guilty on all 12 counts including kidnapping and armed robbery, crimes that carry a possible life sentence for 61-year-old O.J. Simpson and his co-defendant, Clarence Stewart. Defense attorneys say they were stunned.
YALE GALANTER, O.J. SIMPSON'S ATTORNEY: You know, defending someone like O.J. Simpson, everybody already had a fixed opinion about him. And it's troubling. It really is.
GUTIERREZ: The guilty verdicts came 13 years to the day when Simpson was acquitted for the murders of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ron Goldman. Simpson's friend, Tom Scotto, says it was no accident that the all-white jury returned their verdicts yesterday.
TOM SCOTTO, SIMPSON'S FRIEND: There's something we were aware of yesterday's date and what it meant. I mean, there's no doubt in anybody's mind that they knew that.
GUTIERREZ: In a telephone interview, Goldman's father told CNN, Simpson finally got what he deserved.
FRED GOLDMAN, RON GOLDMAN'S FATHER: We're absolutely thrilled to see that the potential is that he could spend the rest of his life in jail where that scumbag belongs.
GUTIERREZ: Simpson was arrested last year when he and five men stormed the Palace Station hotel room to retrieve sports memorabilia Simpson claimed had been stolen from him. The meeting was set up by a middle man, Thomas Riccio, two sports dealers, Al Beardsley and Bruce Fromong, say they were held in the room and robbed at gun point. Four out of the five co-defendants testified against Simpson for lighter sentences.
Simpson's sister sobbed as her brother was handcuffed and taken out of the courtroom.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GUTIERREZ: O.J. Simpson will be sentenced on December 5th. Now, how much jail time does he face? Well, a minimum of 23 years for all 12 counts and up to life in prison -- Don.
LEMON: Thelma, 13 years to the day. I mean, if that's not irony, I don't know what is.
All right. Our Thelma Gutierrez reporting from Las Vegas. We appreciate that, Thelma. Thank you. So you think this would be the last chapter in the O.J. Simpson saga? Maybe not.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: O.J. Simpson, of course, always a lightning rod. And our i- Reporters, well, they just couldn't hold back.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RICK SESNO, I-REPORTER: It was just announced O.J. Simpson was just found guilty of armed robbery and kidnapping and is potentially going to face life in prison. And I could not be more happy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: OK. That was a little creepy, I think. Well, that reaction from outside the courtroom. Inside the courtroom, can you imagine?
Attorney Michel Bryant of Thelegaledge.com, he can imagine. He was there from start to finish. And I've got to ask you this question right off because you've interviewed him during this trial. What was he thinking? Did he tell you that?
MICHEL BRYANT, CERATOR, THELEGALEDGEl.COM: You mean at the time of the crime?
LEMON: Yes.
BRYANT: Now, he really didn't get into that. You know when we talked to him it was about a week after the trial began. He was very upbeat, of course, maybe because we interviewed him at church that had something to do with it. But he talked about how strong his faith was, that he still believed in the system.
He talked about Nicole. He talked about the kids. And he was really upbeat at that time. He really gave no impression that what was coming was coming.
LEMON: Yes. Well, Michel, I've got to ask you, so you were there for the verdict when they read the verdict. What was his thinking or at least his demeanor or reaction to all of these guilty, guilty, guilties, one after the other?
BRYANT: I really think that he had been tipped off by his defense team that this is not good. This is a jury that's been deliberating 13 plus hours. That's not working a way to an acquittal, you know. So the real question became probably, what are going to hit me with? And as he heard 13 guilties, as to his co-defendant C.J. Stewart, I mean he is not a dummy. He knows. That means he's going down for the exact same 13.
And, Don, I got to tell you, when this jury walked into that courtroom, I've practiced for years, I've watched a lot of trials, I've never seen a jury walk into a courtroom and show obviously want to be somewhere else. Not looking at him, not looking at anything near him, and now we know why.
LEMON: Give me an interesting moment, the most compelling moment, maybe testimony that you witnessed.
BRYANT: Well, I think it has to be Michael McClinton when he's talking about holding that gun. Michael McClinton, one of the two guys in room 1203 of the Palace Station that night, talking about holding the gun and combining that action with the statement that O.J. said bring the heat. We want you to be menacing. I mean if the jury believes that, you know at the moment he's going down.
LEMON: Hey, I'm literally out of time. Yes or no, do you see appeals?
BRYANT: Oh --
LEMON: An appeal coming?
BRYANT: The ink's not even dry on the paper.
LEMON: OK.
BRYANT: Yes.
LEMON: All right. Michel Bryant from the, what is it?
BRYANT: Thelegaledge.com.
LEMON: Yes, Thelegaledge. I wanted to make sure there was a "the" in there before I told our audience.
BRYANT: Thank you.
LEMON: Thelegaledge.com. Thank you very much for that.
Stopping the threat of al-Qaeda once and for all. The hunt for America's enemies that could lead to the front doors of America's friends. Check that out.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: You've seen that "Most Wanted" thing in the post office probably. But we're talking about the most wanted in the world because these are the worst of the worst. Some of the most wanted terrorists in the world and there is a big bounty on their heads. And CNN's Pentagon correspondent, Barbara Starr, checks it out for us.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): On the Pakistan/Afghanistan border, the hunt is on. CNN has learned the U.S. military has identified a core group of al-Qaeda and Taliban leaders they believe are behind much of the recent violence. There are millions of dollars in reward money on their heads. The U.S. wants them for good reason. ROBERT GATES, DEFENSE SECRETARY: If you ask me today, after the successes that we've had against "Al-Qaeda in Iraq," where the greatest threat to the homeland lies, I would tell you it's in western Pakistan.
STARR: A bad situation made worse by foreign fighters crossing into Afghanistan from western Pakistan.
GEN. DAVID MCKIERNAN, CMDR., INTL. SECURITY ASSISTANCE FORCE: Based on signals, intelligence and human intelligence, it's a significant increase from what we saw this time last year.
STARR: One name may be crossed off the list of "Most Wanted." Baitullah Mehsud is reported to have died recently from illness. He is said to be behind the assassination of Benazir Bhutto, but others are still in the U.S. cross hairs. Saraj Hakani (ph), the U.S. believes he's behind recent attacks on U.S. troops. He's considered to be one of the most aggressive Taliban commanders.
Gulbaddin Hekmatyar (ph), who may have plotted an ambush killing 10 French shoulders. And Mullah Omar (ph), the spiritual leader of the Taliban, no one's sure where he's hiding.
Combined all of this with al-Qaeda's return and growing strength inside Afghanistan, you now have multiple insurgencies with leaders who get inspiration from Osama bin Laden, but operate independently.
BRIAN MICHAEL JENKINS, RAND CORPORATION: They are experienced. They're on their home turf. And, therefore, they have all of the local advantages. This is their war. Very dangerous, indeed.
STARR (on camera): The candidates still may be talking about getting bin Laden. But U.S. officials say there haven't been any credible fresh leads on his whereabouts for years now. And the first post-9/11 president clearly may have many other threats to worry about.
Barbara Starr, CNN, the Pentagon.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: Left behind --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That is a trauma that will last throughout the child's life.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Parents abandoning their grown children at the hospital and the law makes that legal.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ARNIE STUTHMAN, NEBRASKA STATE SENATE: These mothers that are in this situation are not criminals. (END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: The story behind the story.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: OK. Have you ever heard of the Safe Haven Law? You're probably going to be hearing a lot about it now. And you need to pay attention to this because this law was initially put into place to save the lives of infants by encouraging parents to surrender them safely instead of harming or discarding them. But as Chris Lawrence discovers in Nebraska, people seem to be really abusing that law.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Parents are actually leaving their children in Nebraska hospitals and walking away. And it's all completely legal. One woman dropped off her nephew who's 15 years old.
CATHY POULIN, AUNT OF ABANDONED TEEN: He can be made to get help.
LAWRENCE: Cathy Poulin says she's tried discipline, medication, but can't handle her nephew's behavioral problems anymore.
POULIN: If we just, you know, do like I've seen a lot of parents do, get out of my house, that we're going to either be burying him or he's going to live out the rest of his life in a prison.
LAWRENCE: Nebraska's new law states, "No person shall be prosecuted for leaving a child in the custody of a hospital employee." It was designed to protect unwanted babies. Before it passed, a mother who couldn't care for her newborn could have been charged with child neglect, which might have discouraged her from getting help with the baby.
ARNIE STUTHMAN, NEBRASKA STATE SENATE: These mothers that are in this situation, to me, are not criminals.
LAWRENCE (on camera): In most states the maximum drop-off age is 1 year old. But some lawmakers were concerned about arbitrary age limits. So they expanded it to include the word "child."
Some parents have taken that to mean any of their children under age 18.
(Voice over): 11 children were dropped off in just 24 hours, including a dad who left all nine of his kids.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We were not able to keep the siblings together overnight.
LAWRENCE: Some were sent to a shelter. Others put in foster care. The youngest was a year old. The oldest, 17. Officials say none of the kids were in immediate danger which is what this law intended to cover. JIM BLUE, PRESIDENT, CEDARS YOUTH SERVICES: It's about what I did for the rest of that child's life. It's about what I did. That is a trauma that will last throughout the child's life.
LAWRENCE: Now the courts may require these parents to participate in therapy sessions and pay child support. And lawmakers are already talking of amending the law in the next session.
Chris Lawrence, CNN, Los Angeles.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: You know, this story is causing so much controversy, even "The New York Times" did a story on this issue right on the front page. It says a license to abandon children, under a law meant to save them.
People are, frankly, outraged by this, including Nebraska state senator Arnie Stuthman.
Senator, thank you for joining us. And I want to tell you we have a mom here, Jacqui Jeras. And we always talk about issues -- I'm not a parent, but she was very passionate about this. And she is going to join us to talk about to you these issues.
OK, I said at the top of this that you were outraged. Why outraged by this?
STUTHMAN: Well, I was outraged by it to start with that, you know, older children were being dropped off at the hospital. And that was never the intent of the bill. And it really was intended for the infant child and the helpless child.
JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Senator, why is age an issue? You've had quite a response of parents who have actually dropped off teenagers. Why is it different to abandon a teenager compared to an infant?
STUTHMAN: Well, the situation was when we got into the debate on the floor of the legislature, we -- people thought that we should try to protect all children that could possibly be harmed. And I will totally agree with that.
But since these older ones are being dropped off, I think there are services that should be provided so they aren't dropped off at the hospital.
LEMON: You know what, Senator, it's sort of a catch-22, because you don't want children, no matter what age, to be with people who don't want them.
But then, also, you don't want it to be an open-door policy for people just to drop children off. So what is the happy medium? Is there a compromise here?
STUTHMAN: Yes, I think there is. I think there's a compromise where the services that are available by the state and funded by the state should be utilized and they should be available to these families so that they can utilize those services, because they are there.
But I think they're having to go through too many hoops to utilize these services and feel helpless.
JERAS: So what's the first thing, Senator...
LEMON: Yes.
JERAS: ... that parents should do, if they're sitting at home tonight and they're watching this and they're contemplating, you know, maybe I should be thinking about taking advantage of this law. What's the first step that they should take?
STUTHMAN: One of -- the first step that they should take, they should get a hold of health and human services, should check in with child protection agencies, and to see what services are available.
LEMON: Is there a void in services, you think, for helping these children, Senator?
STUTHMAN: Yes, I think there is.
LEMON: OK. Do you think -- is this going to go back in front of the legislature anytime soon?
STUTHMAN: I think when the legislature opens in January, I'm sure we're going to have some bill there that we'll be able to debate it again.
LEMON: And you're to modify the age? That's going to be your intent?
STUTHMAN: My intent is to look at the situation, make the Safe Haven Bill for the infants and have more availability for services for the older children.
LEMON: All right. Senator Arnie Stuthman from Nebraska state Senate, we appreciate you joining us. Thank you very much for that.
STUTHMAN: You're sure welcome.
LEMON: That's very interesting. You know just talking to him, Jacqui, and you were very passionate about it. We're...
JERAS: It's a tough issue.
LEMON: It is tough, because most parents don't want to drop their children off.
JERAS: I know.
LEMON: Can you imagine the heartache and what you'd have to be going through in order to do this?
JERAS: I can't imagine. But I also think that there are a lot of people out there who come upon obstacles that they don't expect, like the economy, maybe people facing homelessness, other people who have mental illness and who really aren't capable of taking care of their children.
I don't think that's anything anybody would ever want to do. But I think a lot of people don't even know where to begin when they start running into these problems, how to get help.
LEMON: Yes. And -- that was a good question, because you asked him and he laid out several very detailed instances on where you can call for help.
There's always help that you can get, you just have to know where to look.
JERAS: Absolutely.
LEMON: Jacqui, appreciate you helping me out with that.
JERAS: Sure.
LEMON: Good to be here with you.
All right, well, they have become part of the lexicon of politics. The hockey moms. That's what we're talking about. She's not a hockey mom, but she is a mom. Their thoughts right here.
Plus in the Mideast, it is the equivalent of the N word. And it is a title of one of the most controversial movies of the year. You don't want to miss this coming right up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Todd Palin, they call him, in Alaska, the first dude. Well, he is the husband of Alaska governor Sarah Palin. He has been a fixture on the campaign trail since she was picked as John McCain's running mate until today when he went back to Alaska.
He also did something today he hasn't done before. We haven't seen it at least. He spoke publicly.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TODD PALIN, HUSBAND OF SARAH PALIN: It was a great experience down there at the debate. I think that Sarah did awesome.
(CHEERS)
PALIN: And busy day the next day, and we had a great turnout after the debate at a stadium, and 10,000 people, I think it was. But she's doing good. And the more I spend time with the McCains, the more I just feel like this ticket is definitely the ticket for the next president and vice president of the United States.
(CHEERS)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: All right, Todd Palin, the first time we've heard him speak publicly. Now, according to Todd Palin's lawyers, he wanted to -- he returned to Alaska as part of a probe into whether the governor abused her power by trying to get her former brother-in-law fired as a state trooper.
So behind every great hockey mom, there's a dad. You saw the first dude we were talking about. But the -- this is America's best known hockey mom. After now, that famous quip that we have been hearing about, the only difference between a hockey mom and a pit bull is -- well, you know the rest.
But what do hockey moms really think of the Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin? We headed out to an Atlanta suburb just to find out.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON (voice over): They cheer even if their children are pounded by the competition. Yet it's what these moms here in Atlanta say they live for.
SANDRA FREY, HOCKEY MOM: I think hockey moms are, you know, a breed in themselves. I think they are pit bulls with lipstick sometimes. And, you know, we're fiercely supportive of our children.
LEMON: Sound familiar?
GOV. SARAH PALIN (R), VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: You know they say the difference between a hockey mom and a pit bull? Lipstick.
LEMON: Republican vice presidential hopeful, Sarah Palin, has ignited a fire on ice among mothers around the country who spend more time at work and at the rink than at home.
Especially Sandra Frey, who grew up in Alaska. Her husband serves in the Alaska National Guard. Two of her children are Marines.
FREY: The Alaskans are fiercely independent people. And I -- I know they are a lot of mavericks. I think she will bring an independence and a -- just a change up in Washington.
LEMON: Terri Graefe and Carrie Uzzell support Palin as much as their hockey playing children.
TERRI GRAEFE, HOCKEY MOM: I do relate to her more especially because I have five children, I'm a working mom.
CARRIE UZZELL, HOCKEY MOM: Being in the hockey atmosphere, we know what she goes through.
LEMON: Hockey mom Betsy Rathvon is one of the few exceptions here today.
BETSY RATHVON, HOCKEY MOM: I'm going to vote for Obama. It makes me very nervous that Sarah Palin could perhaps be the president of the United States.
I don't think she's had the experience.
LEMON: In this group, Rathvon is a very small minority.
FREY: I don't think she has a lot of experience, but I think she has an independence and confidence.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: All right, so you can better believe these hockey moms were paying close attention to Thursday night's debate.
What do they have to say about Sarah Palin's performance?
I held a party, invited them here at the CNN center and watched the debate with them. Their comments were very interesting. I'll share them with you in a bit.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Well, hockey moms have been front and center in the news lately, especially since Sarah Palin joined the Republican ticket for vice president.
OK. So, I introduced you to the hockey moms in the Atlanta, Georgia area. They came right here to CNN for a debate watching party with me. And boy, oh boy, did it get contentious, a raucous crowd.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON (on camera): How are you? I'm Don.
(Voice over): They came to the CNN center without their kids, with their husbands.
(On camera): Oh, hockey mom. Nice. I like that.
(Voice over): Armed with hockey jerseys and shirts.
(On camera): OK, guys, right in here.
(Voice over): Before the debate even starts, these hockey moms have strong opinions.
RATHVON: My big question is how can you spend that many hours in a hockey rink and run a state of Alaska?
FREY: I think when Sarah Palin said she was a hockey mom, she was showing her love of the sport, her support of her kids, her background of Alaska.
UZZELL: There are many women who work full-time, have their kids in sports, and support them.
LEMON (on camera): Do you think you could be vice president with five kids and doing what you do?
GRAEFE: Absolutely. I think if you have that support and a good family, then, yes, you can, absolutely.
LEMON: OK. Hockey moms unite. Let's go.
(Voice over): When Governor Palin walks into the stage, our moms beamed. But the debating in St. Louis quickly leads to debating among the moms.
GRAEFE: Is he going to do anything other than point fingers all night?
S. PALIN: No, you said recently that higher taxes or asking for higher taxes or paying higher taxes is patriotic. And -- hockey moms across the nation, I think we need to bond together...
GRAEFE: The corporations saved. Not having to provide insurance for their employees? You're unemployed and you don't have any health care.
FREY: Then maybe you ought to get a job. I mean isn't that what America's all about?
LEMON: An hour and a half later, time to talk to the moms.
(On camera): So, what do you think?
GRAEFE: She really related to the people. And I think that that is going to make a really big difference and help the McCain/Palin ticket. So I think, overall, I think she definitely won the debate and surprised a lot of people.
S. PALIN: Your plan is a white flag of surrender in Iraq.
LEMON: You have a child in...
FREY: I have a daughter that's in the marines.
LEMON: OK.
FREY: A son that's in the marines. And my son-in-law is a marine. Their lives may be dependent on the decisions that are made by the next president.
I like Senator Obama. He just has no experience with grown children going off to war and no experience in war. And -- I just don't think I want him to gain that on the job.
LEMON (voice over): Betsy was the only Biden supporter in the room.
RATHVON: I don't hear anybody saying, OK, this is a plan, this is how we're going to do it and this is how we're going to wrap it up and get out.
FREY: What I came away with tonight is Joe Biden is a politician and Sarah Palin is a real person. I really -- I mean I was thinking she is -- she's me. RATHVON: I came out of the presidential election with the exact opposite. I felt that Obama is a regular guy, and that McCain is the politician.
LEMON: Sarah Palin supporters, raise your hand?
GRAEFE: I'm from Alaska.
LEMON: Biden supporter?
RATHVON: Yes.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: Thanks, hockey moms, for taking out time to come with us, spending time away from your families. We appreciate it.
CNN Tuesday night, Nashville is a battleground as the presidential candidates face off in their second debate. Don't miss a minute of it. This action right here on CNN. John McCain versus Barack Obama.
CNN, of course, your home for politics.
OK. This one is sparking some outrage and protests as well. It covers racism, statutory rape, a mother jealous of her young daughters growing into a woman. All part of the most controversial movie of the year. I'll talk to the young star.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Right. It is uncomfortable. We want to warn you. It is raw, sometimes it's funny and perhaps one of the most controversial films of its time. It's called "Towelhead," which we know is an ethnic slur in some parts of the world.
It is directed by Allen Ball. It's based on a novel by the same name. Summer Bishil plays Jasira in the film. She and I spoke.
But first, take a look at this clip.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "TOWELHEAD")
SUMMER BISHIL, ACTRESS: Listen to me, OK? This whole thing is your fault. All right? The way that you walk around with your boobs stuck out, it's impossible for him not to notice. And why do you talk about your pubic hair?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Once. It was only because the girls call me at the (INAUDIBLE) called be Chewbacca.
BISHIL: I don't know what that is.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Barry does.
(END VIDEO CLIP) LEMON: That is a very dramatic and moving scene from the movie. The controversial movie, called "Towelheld," and the actress who plays the part of Jasira, 13-year-old Jasira, joins us now, Summer Bishil, thank you very much.
BISHIL: Thank you.
LEMON: So you are upset. You're in the airport. Your mom sent you a way, not because she doesn't love you, I think, but because she's threatened by your budding womanhood, that you may actually take her boyfriend.
BISHIL: Yes. Yes. And it's definitely more of a theme than a novel, "Towelhead," which the film is very closely based on.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BISHIL: I can look at this anymore.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I can do whatever I want, Towelhead.
BISHIL: I'm not a towelhead.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Your dad is. So you are, too.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Why use the word "towelhead?" What if someone called a movie, name them -- a movie the "N" word?
BISHIL: Right. I -- you know, I -- they're two very different demographics, which those words are aimed at. I mean they also call Middle Easternerners "sand n" word, and they're horrible words, but this film specifically is dealing with how damaging those words are to the individual and it (INAUDIBLE) good to me and how detracting that can be from a person.
LEMON: So this movie is being protested by Islamic groups because of the name and the author of the book. The woman who wrote this is an Arab American woman, I am aware, of course, of the title of this book is an ethnic slur, indeed. I selected the title, and to highlight the novel's major theme, which is racism.
OK. Other themes in this, though, sexuality. Your mom sends you off because you're a 13-year-old girl, she's threatened by you. But then, your neighbor, and the little boy you baby sit, his dad, you end up having a sexual relationship with a grown man at 13.
BISHIL: Right, yes.
LEMON: Which you can understand why it bothers -- it's uncomfortable for people. I mean you're 13 years old, he's a grown man.
BISHIL: Right. And it's wrong, and it shouldn't have happened, it's a crime, and it's morally wrong. And it is uncomfortable. And I think people should be uncomfortable when they watch this film. This isn't a film that you go into and you passively watch and you come out and you're like, well, that was interesting, what's for dinner? You know? I think if you're doing that, something is wrong. This is definitely a film that you're supposed to react to.
LEMON: You also learn -- when you talk about racism, you also not only about when it comes to being an Arab American, you also learn about racism in America, your boyfriend at school...
BISHIL: Yes.
LEMON: ... is black.
BISHIL: Right.
LEMON: And your dad is not having that at all.
BISHIL: No.
LEMON: What does he say about it in the movie?
BISHIL: He says that basically nobody will respect my character if she continues to see this young boy, Thomas, because of his ethnicity. And she has to listen, because she is listen under his oppressive thumb, and he is extremely abusive physically and mentally.
She doesn't agree with him. She knows that something is wrong with that. She's not racist. Rafat is extremely uncomfortable with who he is, in this society, in this time in America, which the film takes place.
He is uncomfortable with how he is received by his neighbors. He is extremely insecure.
LEMON: Yes.
BISHIL: Which is why he flies that flag and wants to be as patriotic as Mr. Vuoso.
LEMON: Yes. Well, I got...
BISHIL: And he projects that.
LEMON: I've got to tell you, this is one of the most interesting movies, it's being called the most provocative movies since the movie "Crash." It is receiving praise and also protests. It's called "Towelhead," and Summer Bishil plays the 13-year-old actress in this movie. And you do a phenomenal job.
BISHIL: Thank you.
LEMON: Keep it up. I'm sure, you know, people are concerned about you, about why did you play this role, so stay strong, OK?
BISHIL: Thank you, so much.
LEMON: Summer Bishil.
All right, cause for concern for those who are on the West Coast because of stormy weather and get this, the "S" word. That's right, snow. Plus, we're headed to a birthday party. Somebody turns 250. It's not me.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: OK. So he is a soul singer, a song writer, and much, much of more. Take a look.
I love that song. Robin Thicke, son of veteran actor, Allan Thicke. See the resemblance? He has a new album, just dropped on Tuesday. He says he was inspired by the historic presidential election. An interesting conversation with him. I caught up with him in New York City, just a couple days ago.
My conversation with Robin Thicke, tomorrow night, 11:00 p.m. Eastern.
Ladies, you don't want to miss it.
OK, it's beginning to look and feel a lot like winter out west.
Jacqui Jeras, in the CNN Severe Weather Center.
Jacqui, were you dancing over there? Were you...
JERAS: I couldn't help myself.
LEMON: That's part of the lyrics to the song, "I'm lost without you, can't help myself."
JERAS: Sometimes you've just got to move. You know? Music will do that to you. You know and sometimes you've just got to move because you're cold.
LEMON: Yes.
JERAS: And that's what (INAUDIBLE) across parts of the west tonight.
(WEATHER REPORT)
JERAS: Chilly for fireworks display, Don, 250 years, the was the birthday for Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania tonight, the largest fireworks display in the city's history. Do you love that?
LEMON: Yes, I love it.
JERAS: 51 degrees, though.
LEMON: Happy birthday, Pittsburgh.
OK, got a question for Jacqui and every one, all of you. Have you registered to vote? If you're procrastinating, you know what, time is running out. You said of course, you have.
JERAS: Of course.
LEMON: Our iReporters are sounding the alarm. Check it out, Jacqui.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Here we are at Obama/Biden headquarters in Rodgers, Arkansas and these wonderful people are registering people to vote. Voters, for the next election, because Monday is the deadline.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: All right. As she said, Monday is the deadline in many states to register to vote.
Hollywood is using a little reverse psychology to get you to the polls. Look at this one.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LEONARDO DICAPRIO, ACTOR: Please, just don't vote. Don't vote. Don't vote.
BENICIO DEL TORO, ACTOR: Don't vote.
DUSTIN HOFFMAN, ACTOR: Don't vote.
ELLEN DEGENERES, ACTRESS/HOST: No, seriously, don't.
FORREST WHITTAKER, ACTOR: You don't care.
DEMI MOORE, ACTRESS: What's the point? Don't.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Don't vote.
SARAH SILVERMAN, ACTRESS/COMEDIAN: Don't vote, really.
DICAPRIO: This is one of the biggest financial disasters in American history.
ASHTON KUTCHER, ACTOR/COMEDIAN: Why would you vote? Why would you vote?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Who cares, the economy is in the toilet who gives a (EXPLETIVE DELETED). I don't care.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Wow, heard that? OK, celebrity humor on this Saturday night. We hear and see it, definitely. We hope that you do.
OK, join us tomorrow night, 6:00 and 11:00 p.m. Have a good and safe Saturday night. We'll see you tomorrow.
