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Palin Found Guilty of Abusing Power; How Europe Views U.S. Campaign

Aired October 13, 2008 - 15:00   ET

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

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RICK SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): Coming at you right now: what the rest of the world now thinks of America, of us, of this.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He's an Arab.

SANCHEZ: Is it time to rebuild bridges?

ROBIN OAKLEY, CNN EUROPEAN POLITICAL EDITOR: Let me remind you how many Europeans see U.S. voters, as a trigger-happy bunch with a Bible in one hand and a rifle in the other.

SANCHEZ: How much is our debt to the world? Too much to fit on the national debt sign, that's how much.

SEN. HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON (D), NEW YORK: We wanted to be here together with Joe and Jill.

SANCHEZ: The Clintons feel so at home with the Bidens, but where is the love for the Obamas?

And Governor Palin is found guilty of abusing her power. But have you read the report? We will tell you what's in it, including Todd Palin's role.

Your comments, unfiltered on Twitter, Facebook, and more. Like nowhere else, your newscast starts now.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANCHEZ: Hello again, everybody. I'm Rick Sanchez.

We are going to start our first segment today with a discussion about how the world sees the United States, in particular right now, with this campaign that we have going on. And we're going to show you two clips.

The first one is about John McCain's burden. Do people who come to see John McCain love John McCain or really just dislike Barack Obama? This first clip is really a tribute to John McCain and how well he handled this situation, according to most. Take a look. This one comes to us from Minnesota.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I can't trust Obama.

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I have read about him, and he's not -- he's an Arab. He is not -- No?

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R-AZ), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: No, ma'am. No, ma'am. He's a decent family man, citizen, that I just happen to have disagreements with on fundamental issues.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: Not a lot of reaction from some of the other folks who are watching that, though, which made a lot of people wonder.

I want to show you another one now. This is also at an McCain rally. This is before the candidate had arrived, by the way, just to be real fair about this. And what you're going to see is a minister. His name is Arnold Conrad, the Reverend Arnold Conrad, talking about, among other things, our God and -- quote -- "their God."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REVEREND ARNOLD CONRAD, FORMER PASTOR, GRACE EVANGELICAL FREE CHURCH: There are millions of people around this world praying to their god, whether it's Hindu, Buddha, Allah, that his opponent wins, for a variety of reasons.

And, Lord, I pray that you would guard your own reputation because they're going to think that their god is bigger than you, if that happens.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: There's no doubt that, as the rest of the world sees that, they do begin to wonder about us. They also wonder about our political system.

In many ways, they don't seem to understand us. So, we want you to watch this report. It's coming up now. It's prepared by Robin Oakley, one of our chief international correspondents with oodles of experience. It's told in the first person.

And, oh, yes, there is something else that we're going to be doing for you. As we run this special report and as you watch it, we're going to split the screen. And on one side of the screen, we're going to show your comments about this very topic as the report runs. It may be somewhat revolutionary, but we want to share this with you.

Here now, this report on how the world sees America these days by Robin Oakley.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Barack Obama.

(APPLAUSE)

OAKLEY (voice-over): It's nice to be loved, isn't it, Senator Obama? It's nice to have people who care, don't you find, Senator McCain?

But the president of the United States has a wider role, too, as leader of the free world. So, how much do you care about being liked outside the United States, too?

Take Europe, for example. I have covered 10 British general elections, a good few more on the continent of Europe. And I have watched plenty of presidents trailing around Europe in good times and in bad. So, allow me to offer some advice on how to be liked and how to make America liked in Europe, no more, please, of that old-Europe, new-Europe stuff.

Let's start with, well, Guantanamo Bay. To some Americans, it's a symbol of America's implacable determination to win the war against terror. For most Europeans, it's a sickening example of how the war against terror is being lost, shaming the defenders of democracy by using torture and imprisonment without trial.

Both of you, Senators, to your credit in Europe's eyes, have said you want to close down Guantanamo Bay. But so has Mr. Bush. So, how soon will you actually do it? Within a week? A month? A year? We would like to know.

SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D-IL), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: That is our promise. That is our mission.

OAKLEY: While we're on the symbolism, let me remind you how many Europeans see U.S. voters, as a trigger-happy bunch with a Bible in one hand and a rifle in the other.

The news images that stick from the USA? The tragic shootings of Columbine's school, Colorado, Red Lake, Minnesota, Virginia Tech. Does either of you senators have any serious plans to reduce the number of guns available in the U.S. or even dare to suggest it? That really would impress the Europeans that you stand for change.

Here's another U.S. image that runs across the world, gas- guzzling autos stacked along the U.S. freeways, contributing heftily to the climate change crisis, not a U.S. problem alone, of course, but Europe and many others did sign up to the Kyoto treaty, promising to limit CO2 emissions. Over here in Europe, we have the general impression, Senator McCain, Senator Obama, that you would be more cooperative on climate change than the present administration.

But let's have some specifics. Will you or will you not sign up to the Kyoto agreement's successor?

And what about the really big ones, peace and war? You have given us a clear idea where you stand on some of the particulars, like Iraq.

MCCAIN: I know how to win wars. I know how to win wars. OBAMA: I will give our military a new mission on my first day in office, ending this war.

OAKLEY: That's fine. But what Europe would like to know, Senator Obama, is just when you expect that mission to end.

And winning wars is one thing, Senator McCain. What Europe would like to be assured is that you don't plan to start any more. Are you both ruling out military action against Iran? How, for example, do you see relations with Russia developing, another Cold War, Senators?

Sounding tough from Washington is one thing, but for the European Union, Putin and Medvedev are virtually next-door neighbors, and not only that, neighbors who supply some 40 percent of our energy. So, can Europe's politicians really be blamed for preferring to keep talking to the bear, however grumpy he may get?

And that, Senators, brings me to the crux of the matter. Though we don't always have shared interests, we do have shared values. Europeans are your natural allies. And that, our leaders reckon, gives us the right to be consulted. We know you will sometimes have to do your own thing, but we would like to feel that, as president, you will talk, not just to your vice president and the Pentagon, but to your allies, too, before you act.

And, if you won't let me tell you that's the way to get results, then ask a certain President George W. Bush. In his first term, he learned it the hard way.

Robin Oakley, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANCHEZ: And, while all this develops, there's always the economic story as well. There, you see the Dow as it stands right now, 663, and there's a little plus in front of it, which is putting a lot of smile on a lot of folks who are investors, and even some of those who are not.

By the way, I want to share another number with you now. So many people are now joining us from 3:00 to 4:00 every day on CNN and talking to us while we're doing the news.

On the Twitter board alone -- as a matter of fact, Robert, go ahead and give them that shot -- look at that number right there in the middle. That's how many people are following us now -- 24,000 people are following this newscast not only while they're watching it, but also ardently, carefully watching, responding, and questioning what they're seeing on TV, what any good American should be doing.

By the way, speaking of Americans, more on the segment on this minister and what he said, the minister, Reverend Arnold Conrad, about our God and their God. We will be talking to an expert on religion and politics.

And, also, I want you to listen to this particular sound. This is Hillary Clinton talking about John McCain.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

H. CLINTON: Sending the Republicans to solve this economic crisis is like sending the bull to clean up the china closet.

(LAUGHTER)

CLINTON: They broke it, and we're not buying it anymore.

(APPLAUSE)

CLINTON: Barack Obama and Joe Biden will be leaders who will lead us out of this economic crisis. They will once again clean up this economic mess that Republicans have left behind.

(APPLAUSE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: Here's the point, not so much what she said, but who was standing behind her. That's Joe Biden and Jill Biden, not Barack Obama, not Michelle Obama. Why?

We will be back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: Joshua is watching this newscast right now. He's on MySpace. And he sent us this comment.

Johnny B. Goode, go ahead and get a shot of this. I want to share this with the viewers. He says: "I consider myself a very strong Christian and I find the comments by the preacher" -- the one that we ran moments ago -- "very -- or highly disturbing" -- pardon me -- "The rest of the world must be shaking their head when they think of America. What ever happened to love thy neighbor and tolerance?"

We have been getting many more like that one. We are going to be sharing these with you throughout the course of the newscast.

But I want to show you something else right now. You see this right here? Go ahead open up the shot, if you can, Dan. Look, this is the report. Which report, you wonder? This is the official report from Alaska on Sarah Palin. And what they say in this report is that, yes, she did abuse her power as the governor of the state of Alaska, however, no adjudication. She's not going to be going to prison. She's not going to be going to jail. There's not going to be any more court hearings. This is pretty much the end of it.

It happened on a Friday, interestingly enough. Let me take you through the characters, because it's important to understand who we're talking about as we have a discussion and as I take you through this specific report.

Start with the first one, obviously enough, is the governor of Alaska. It is Sarah Palin. Again, she has been found to have abused her power in this case as a result of what she was trying to do to her ex-brother-in-law, however, like I said, no adjudication at this time.

The next player is this, surprisingly how much he was a player in this, is her husband, Todd Palin. He aggressively was seeking the trooper's dismissal. The trooper who we're talking about is their ex- brother-in-law, once again.

The next player is Walt Monegan. Who is Walt Monegan? Well, he was the big chief in Alaska when it comes to all public official -- or -- pardon me -- security officials, like police officers and firefighters. He refused to fire her ex-brother-in-law. And, as a result, this report that I'm holding here has found that he was fired for that, in large measure.

Also, I want to show you one other person. This is the ex- brother-in-law. Let's take a look at him. This is the guy named Michael Wooten. Palin, as we all know, wanted him fired and was aggressively seeking that he be fired. But did they go, the Palins, did they go too far?

By the way, joining me now right here on my right is our investigative correspondent Drew Griffin. He's actually talked to the ex-brother-in-law.

DREW GRIFFIN, CNN INVESTIGATIVE CORRESPONDENT: Right.

SANCHEZ: You sat down and you talked to him.

I want to start with this. I want to start -- we're going to go through this. We have picked out some quotes which we think are representative of this particular report. Let's put up the first one, if we can, Dan.

This is Cassandra Byrne's testimony. She is the secretary, as you see there at the bottom, the executive secretary, for the guy who was fired, Walt Monegan.

She says: "She said, Governor Palin's scheduler, that she would like to schedule an appointment with Commissioner Monegan with the first gentleman. When I asked her, excuse me? I didn't even know the terminology. And she eventually said Todd Palin. She gave me the time, the location, and it was entered on to the calendar."

All right, let's stop it there. You have just got a job, all right? You have been in your office for a month. You are the commissioner of public safety for the state of Alaska. And someone calls you and says that there's a meeting being scheduled between you and the first gentleman. And you don't even hardly -- you haven't even hardly met the governor yet. Is it odd?

GRIFFIN: Well, I think, if you went back to the Bill Clinton White House, and let's say Bill Clinton gets elected, and the first step is that the attorney general gets a call from the White House and says, hi, we have got a meeting scheduled with you with Hillary Clinton, now, what would the reaction be? (LAUGHTER)

SANCHEZ: Yes.

GRIFFIN: I mean, it is odd. It's very odd.

SANCHEZ: Yes.

GRIFFIN: But when you look at the background of this, the Palins had been trying to get this guy fired for a long time.

SANCHEZ: This was like -- and she had only been in office for one month. And it seems like this is one of the most important things that she wanted done.

Let's go on to the next one here, because this is the next one. This is also coming from -- let me see. Oh, this is Monegan that we're going to read you now. This is Walt Monegan's reflection. All right. Let me catch you up here. He's just had his first meeting with Todd Palin. And he says: "On the drive back as I was reflecting on the meeting I was thinking that, in essence, they, the Palins, certainly didn't like the idea that Wooten was still employed and they wanted severe discipline, probably termination and that. And I had this kind of ominous feeling that I may not be long for this job if I didn't somehow respond accordingly."

Now, as I understand it, he's obviously starting to think, oh, my goodness, they want me to fire this guy. And he's saying to them, he's already been investigated. He's -- this case is already gone. It's water under the bridge. I can't reopen it unless you bring me something new, right?

GRIFFIN: And that was the point of this meeting. And I think we have to tell the whole story here.

Todd Palin wanted this meeting to bring the family's own private investigative report in on this guy. Keep in mind, this was a bitter divorce.

SANCHEZ: Yes.

GRIFFIN: You know, the trooper is a bad actor. He certainly was. He has a terrible record.

SANCHEZ: Yes.

GRIFFIN: They couldn't understand in the first place why he still has a job, so they do want to get him fired.

SANCHEZ: But already he had been tried.

(CROSSTALK)

GRIFFIN: ... adjudicated. He has got a strong union in Alaska. And there was really nothing he could do unless there was new evidence of wrongdoing that was uncovered. So, Todd Palin tries to bring in new evidence.

SANCHEZ: And the new evidence has to do with killing a moose. And we are going to talk about that in just a little bit. This gets real interesting. And there's one other thing that's interesting here. This comes out of the secretary's testimony. We're going to share that with you in just a minute

She says that maybe the budget for the Public Safety Department may be put on ice until Monegan gets fired. Is that what happens? We will have it for you in just a little bit. We will go through this report as we continue here on CNN in three.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: What a state employee says about a conversation about possibly holding up money in Alaska, holding up money for public safety until the trooper is fired.

Why? Well, because the ex-brother-in-law still hadn't been fired. That's what she says, says so in this report, as a matter of fact. We have it. We're going through it and we're going to tell you about that part, not to mention the part about the moose and what the governor wanted done to her ex-brother-in-law as a result of the moose. We will take you through that.

But, first, listen to this once again, because we have been getting so much of your responses on this particular comment. Here it is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CONRAD: There are millions of people around this world praying to their god, whether it's Hindu, Buddha, Allah, that his opponent wins, for a variety of reasons.

And, lord, I pray that you would guard your own reputation because they're going to think that their god is bigger than you, if that happens.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: That segment and what you have to say about those comments, it's ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: Welcome back.

All right. Let's start with a couple of comments that we have been getting from you.

This one comes on Twitter just moments ago. This person is willing to give Sarah Palin the benefit of the doubt. And it reads: "Governors do have a responsibility to shape and form their departments to suit their own leadership style. Citizens pick the governor." But then, over here on Facebook, Johnny, let's go over there, this is somebody who's not exactly thrilled with the idea of Sarah Palin as vice president. "When I heard about Sarah Palin abusing her power, the first thing I thought of was Dick Cheney. He abused his authority as vice president. And she will follow in his footsteps if elected," according to this Facebook viewer, who happens to be watching us right now and wanted us to see his comment.

We are joined here by Drew. And what Drew is trying to take us through is this document that we received. This is the document that basically finds that she abused her power. But there's parts of it that are extremely interesting, including this.

Now, this is Walt Monegan talking about the incident where he shot a moose. And Sarah Palin and her husband want him fired because he illegally shot this moose, as a matter of fact, didn't have a license at the time that he did it. Here's what Walt Monegan says to them.

Let's take that up. Ready? "Well, the wife," referring to Monegan's wife -- or referring to the trooper's wife, "it was her permit. She willingly allowed somebody else to use it. It also -- once the moose has been shot, it had been drugged by Wooten from the back of the truck to the location where it was butchered by the governor's father, the governor's father. And so I pointed out that there are people so involved in this incident that theoretically could also be charged."

This is an interesting situation, Drew, the idea that what he seems to be saying -- correct me if I'm wrong -- is, if I charge him with this and this is the reason I have him fired, then I have to bring in, Sarah Palin, your sister, and your dad as well, because they may have been a part of this crime.

GRIFFIN: Yes, that's exactly right.

And I think, when you look at the whole thing, the Palins are trying to get this guy fired. They don't like him. And they're throwing everything they can at him. And Todd Palin is orchestrating it. And Todd Palin is not a lawyer, as you can read, doesn't know Alaska law.

And the governor really violated -- the abuse of her power is not reining in her own husband. But the second part you're not pointing out is the fact that Walt Monegan could have been fired for wearing the wrong tie to work. That's just the way...

(CROSSTALK)

SANCHEZ: In other words, just to be fair, it's within her right to get rid of him if she so chooses.

GRIFFIN: Yes. I thought those two things you had up on the screen, those two Twitters, had it absolutely right. One says, you know what? She abused her authority. And the other said, it was perfectly all right for her to do that, which is what the legislative report found.

(CROSSTALK)

SANCHEZ: But there is another question here. And I want to read you another one now.

Is it possible that she was in essence holding back funds for the police department and for firefighters, and telling Monegan, I'm not going to approve your budget until you fire this guy?

In fact, let's put this one up. This one was found by Gary, one of my producers. Listen to this. This is the secretary again. She's commenting on the budget in this report right here.

She says that Monegan said, her boss, "We would continue to have problems with budgeting if Wooten weren't fired."

Is that a bigger problem than just a family issue?

GRIFFIN: Rick, this is a secretary recalling what her boss said to her in a comment.

SANCHEZ: Yes.

GRIFFIN: There was a budget battle going on in the state of Alaska. And this is the untold part of this story. Walt Monegan, there are records from the Office of Management and Budget in Alaska, was trying to fudge his own budget at the time. That's one of the reasons that Sarah Palin said she fired him, right?

He was trying to slip in a $20 million program without requesting it in the budget. And he was -- other members of her cabinet said he was not dealing with the budget in a way that they were being asked to by the governor. She was asking for recommendations on budget cuts. She was resisting it. So, there was budget issues going on, as there are in any department ahead dealing with their superiors.

SANCHEZ: Generally speaking, her mistake was, he should have backed off and let else somebody else deal with...

(CROSSTALK)

GRIFFIN: Hey, she should have said, Todd, go home. You're not the governor. I am.

That's the bottom line. They should have kicked that guy out of the governor's office. She wouldn't have a problem.

(CROSSTALK)

SANCHEZ: Drew Griffin, you have been all over this story. Thanks so much. And we're looking forward to your report tomorrow on this hour, I believe, on ACORN, right?

GRIFFIN: Sure.

SANCHEZ: Look forward to it. All right. Thanks a lot.

The minister at the McCain rally and what he says about our God and their God and the God Hindu, and Obama -- it's a segment on faith and the campaign.

We will be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: Well, we welcome you back. We've been talking an awful lot about this comment made by this minister, Reverend Arnold Conrad. Before we do anything else, I'd like to listen to that in full, and then we've just moments ago actually gotten a response from the minister himself. We invited him to be here on this show with us today. He said he wasn't able to join us today. That he might be able to join us in the future. But he did just moments ago send us a comment explaining why he said what he said. Let's do this this way to be fair. Listen to the comment and then hear out his explanation. First, the comment.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CONRAD: I would also ask, Lord, that your reputation is involved in all that happens between now and November. Because there are millions of people around this world praying to their God, whether it's Hindu, Buddha, Allah, that his opponent wins for a variety of reasons. And, Lord, I pray that you would guard your own reputation because they're going to think that their God is bigger than You if that happens. So I pray that You would step forward and honor your own name in all that happens between now and Election Day.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: All right. We just got this statement moments ago. Let me read it to you. Rob, if you want to go over my shoulder, go ahead. See if I can point it out here. It's kind of in small print, but I want to catch you up to it here. Ready? We haven't had a chance to create a pilot on this yet or create a graphic so you can see it at home. So, I'll just read it to you.

Conrad says, "He's really surprised at all the attention his comments received. He said it was a generic comment not intended to question Barack Obama's faith. He told us it had nothing to do with what he believes. I know he's a Christian." He goes on to say. And I'm going to go down here where he also says, "I thought it just -- as the people in the room eavesdropping on a conversation with God when obviously it was the entire nation."

So, he seems to be surprised that this has gotten so much attention. Pardon me, by the way, for not being able to make that font a little bigger for you, but we just literally got it in and I don't have a chance to turn it around.

I'm bringing in Jim Wallis now. He's written two books. He wrote, "The Great Awakening" and he also wrote "God's Politics." Before I even ask you a question, what do you make of that reverend's comments?

JIM WALLIS, EDITOR IN CHIEF, SOJOURNERS MAGAZINE: Rick, this is nasty stuff and it's serious stuff. It's kind of almost makes it worse. I mean, he's saying that somehow religion is being abused and used here for partisan purposes. A campaign rally and somebody's God is too small, somebody's is too big. God is not a Republican or a Democrat. And people of faith belong in no party's political pocket.

I've known Obama -- Barack Obama for 10 years. He's a committed Christian and evangelicals like me. By the way, this guy and I went to the same seminary. I don't think he was listening in class very well. I mean, a lot of evangelical Christians deeply trust Obama's faith. Some will vote for him, some against him because of his policies. We should stop using religion as a litmus test here. And vote to cast by their policy and leadership.

SANCHEZ: What about that thing where he said that when they pray to the god Hindu, what was that all about?

WALLIS: Well, this is part of a --

SANCHEZ: Is he just confused? There is no God named Hindu the last time I checked, right?

WALLIS: Well, maybe he didn't check. But you know, this is this -- part of this campaign to portray Barack Obama as somehow foreign or different or not really American, or unlike many of us.

SANCHEZ: But here's what's so bizarre. John McCain does not believe that. He does not believe that. So, is there a particular reason why he's attracting these types of people to his crowds?

WALLIS: Well, I wrote a blog today thanking John McCain for taking the microphone out of people's hands when they say things like, isn't he an Arab or isn't he a Muslim?

SANCHEZ: Which he did. Which he showed right here at the beginning of the first video I showed today was John McCain doing that.

WALLIS: I think John McCain is uncomfortable with what's happening at the Palin-McCain rallies, and he should be. I mean, the soul of America is at stake here. We should not have these character assassinations, particularly when you've got the first African- American candidate in history who could win the presidency. Because this is all tinge...

SANCHEZ: Jesus Christ --

WALLIS: ...with race and differences and all the rest. This should not be used in a political campaign. So I hope John McCain turns off these people and turns off a minister who would try to bring God on the one side or the other.

SANCHEZ: All right. Let's do this. I know you've written a ton of books on politics. But let's separate politics for just a moment and just, if we could, I just happen to be a Christian. So, let's look at this as Christians. Jesus Christ was the prince of peace. Jesus Christ was not about saying, I'm better than him and he's better than him and I'm going to -- we need to kill them or eliminate them. It just doesn't seem to be as Gandhi would say Christ-like. Am I wrong?

WALLIS: No, you're right. That's a good Christian view that I wish more Christians were saying that over and over again. And Jesus made his priorities clear. He said, as you've done to the least of these, the hungry, the poor, the -- the sick, the strangers, you've done to me. So, if we're going to follow Jesus, let's look at what happened to those left out and left behind. And evaluate John McCain and Barack Obama on the basis of our Christian values. That's fine. But don't start to discredit the faith of a candidate.

SANCHEZ: Yes.

WALLIS: You know, Martin Luther, Martin Luther once said, I'd rather be governed by a competent Turk than by an incompetent Christian. We've got to remember that these days. Let's look at their competencies, their leadership. These are both Christian people. You shouldn't have to be Christian to be the president. Most people are.

SANCHEZ: And most -- and I got to tell you, I've been looking at some of the comments that we've been getting from a lot of good Americans and viewers who watch this newscast, pardon me for saying this, religiously, and what they seem to be saying is that the us versus them is just not the right tone.

WALLIS: It has no place. And we've got to turn off the stuff and talk about how to bring us together and people of faith should be reconcilers.

SANCHEZ: Got it.

WALLIS: And not dividers.

SANCHEZ: Thanks so much, pastor. We appreciate you taking time to talk to us.

WALLIS: Thank you. Great to be here.

SANCHEZ: When we come back, Bill and Hillary Clinton and some of the strong comments that they're making, but always with Joe Biden in the background, not necessarily Barack Obama. What does that say? And did you catch "The View" today? They weigh in as well on some of the very topics that we're talking about now. Stay with us. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: Interesting point made by one of our viewers who just sent this, sent to us, moments ago. She says -- let's go ahead and take that second paragraph there, Johnny, if you would. Or whoever is going to take it. Second paragraph at the bottom there. You see that right there? It says "The danger of using non-secular language in politics is that eventually God becomes a fighting force for both teams." Interesting.

The candidates have been speaking up today as well. John McCain and Barack Obama certainly with plenty to say on this day. John McCain is hammering away on the point that he is the guy who has the experience. Here he is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MCCAIN: The next president won't have time to get used to the office. He won't have. He won't have the luxury of studying up on the issues before he act. He will have to act immediately.

(APPLAUSE)

And to do that, he will need experience, courage, judgment, and a bold plan of action to take this country in a new direction.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: Meanwhile, Barack Obama for his part is sounding somewhat like George Bush, talking about issuing stimulus checks to the American people. Here is his sound today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OBAMA: I have already proposed a middle-class tax for 95 percent of workers and their families. But today I'm calling on Congress to pass a plan so that the IRS will mail out the first round of those tax cuts as soon as possible. We should -- we should get you a rebate in your pockets, to deal with heating your homes this winter. Making sure that -- making sure that you can afford the new coat for the -- for your child or maybe even a new computer to help them at school.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: And while Barack Obama campaigns for the most part by himself, Joe Biden campaigns with Bill and Hillary Clinton. The three of them. Together. Watch this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BILL CLINTON, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: In addition to the fact that Joe Biden understands you and your lives, I think it's worth pointing out that if you had a secret ballot of all of the Republicans and Democrats in the Congress, all of them, and you asked them to put two or three names down as the people in the entire Congress know the most about the economic, political, and security challenges of America and the world, his name would be on every single secret ballot.

(APPLAUSE)

CLINTON: And, you know, I really like that because -- because, you know, when you hear -- sometimes when you hear some people talk about people from places like Scranton and Arkansas, they act like we're by definition, "rubes," and we're not and he's not, and Barack Obama could not have made a better choice. So we're proud of him.

(APPLAUSE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: Maria Cardona is joining us now. She is a Hillary Clinton campaign advisor. And what's interesting about you is that you are also now working for Barack Obama's campaign. So you've kind of dipped your foot in both lakes here, or maybe ponds.

MARIA CARDONA, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Absolutely.

SANCHEZ: This is interesting what's going on. A lot of people are watching the Clintons and noticing that they're very comfortable around Bidens. Maybe not so comfortable around Barack and Michelle Obama?

CARDONA: No, that is absolutely -- people are reading way too much into this. You know what that is, Rick? It's called strategic scheduling. You know, Senator Obama and Michelle Obama are out campaigning in key battleground states. Senator Clinton is out campaigning in key battleground states. President Clinton is doing the same thing. They have done everything that Senator Obama's campaign has asked them to do and they're going to continue to focus on one goal and that is getting Senator Obama and Senator Biden elected this November.

SANCHEZ: Why is it then that whenever Bill Clinton speaks of Joe Biden he speaks about what a great man he is, and whenever he speaks of Barack Obama, he speaks about what great policies he backs?

CARDONA: You know what, again, I think, Rick, this is you guys reading way too much into this.

SANCHEZ: Really?

CARDONA: He has said repeatedly that Senator Obama will be a great leader, that he is the one who actually understands what's going on with this economy, that he is the one that understands that we need to bring relief to middle class families in this country. He understands that we cannot afford to have another four years of the last eight years. And that's why he's campaigning as hard as he can as is Senator Clinton to make sure that Senator Obama and Senator Biden are elected in November.

SANCHEZ: All right. I'm going to take a quick break. When we come back, I want to ask you about Bill Clinton's comments when he was on "The View," glowingly speaking about John McCain and Sarah Palin, which made a lot of people, hmmm. We'll be right back.

CARDONA: OK.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALI VELSHI, CNN SENIOR BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Protect yourself. When it comes to this economy, having easy access to cash gives you a safety net for the unexpected, like losing your job. So, you should have enough on hand to cover your lifestyle for several months.

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VELSHI: The key is putting your money in an investment you can withdraw from any time without penalty.

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VELSHI: So, shop around. And remember, this is a low risk, low reward investment. That's why finding the best rate is your best bet.

UPDEGRAVE: You're still probably a little bit below 4 percent so you maybe still losing out a little bit to inflation, but you can still do a little bit better than, for example, just getting the average return, just going, automatically going to your local bank.

VELSHI: And that's "Right on Your Money." Ali Velshi, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: So many of you are getting in on the act today and letting us know what you think in no uncertain terms. Let's start with this tweet that we received just moments ago.

Got her Twitter board, Johnnie. Yes, she says, "Rick, you hit the nail on the head" says May. And she says "Jesus Christ is the prince of peace and we shouldn't be divided. Thank you." And then we go over here. Myra Roman just wrote this to us. She's on Facebook. "If Sarah Palin becomes president, Todd will be making presidential decisions. We might start to ask ourselves a very important question. Who is Todd Palin?"

And then Earl down here wanting to get his in, too. Says: "Sarah Palin abusing her power? OK. I think that she is smart enough, though, not to follow in Dick Cheney's footsteps." We thank you for sharing your comments with us.

Maria Cardona is good enough to join us as well. She's live for us.

This whole conversation about whether Bill Clinton is for Barack Obama, but if he had his druthers, he would have had his wife there and he's not real exuberant in his support for Barack Obama. And then went on the "The View" and said glowing things about Sarah Palin and John McCain, to which may people who support Barack Obama go, what's going on here? Should they wonder?

CARDONA: Look, you know, I think the fact of the matter here is that anybody who has seen President Clinton out on the stump, he gave several speeches in Florida. He's given several speeches out in the battleground states where Senator Obama has sent him. He is on fire and he has not lost his craft. He gets the message right. He talks about what great leaders Senator Obama and Senator Biden will be. He talks about the fact that they have better answers, that they have better policies that will put the middle class first which is something that the Republican administration (INAUDIBLE) had left behind.

(CROSSTALK)

SANCHEZ: But Maria, Maria, let me stop you for a minute. And just tell me the truth here now, do you think, if you were, if you were the person in charge of just Barack Obama, not Bill Clinton, would you be satisfied? Do you think Bill Clinton has done enough to put Barack Obama first using your term? Yes?

CARDONA: Absolutely. Look, Rick, I've spoken to Senator Obama's campaign. And they absolutely say, you know, with everything, with every sincerity in their words that Senator Clinton and President Clinton have done everything that they have asked him to do. They have never said no, and every time that he is sent out there on the stump, he speaks sincerely, and the speech that he gave in Florida this past week was a fiery, firebrand speech, completely full of sincerity and he really riled up the crowd.

SANCHEZ: OK.

CARDONA: I mean, if you did not take a look at that speech, you should because anybody who did knows that this is Bill Clinton at his best, talking about what a great president Senator Obama would be.

SANCHEZ: Maria Cardona, thanks so much for being with us. Good stuff.

CARDONA: Thank you, Rick.

SANCHEZ: We appreciate it. Wolf Blitzer standing by now to catch us up on some of the things that he is going to be talking about today.

Wolf, what you got?

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Thanks very much, Rick. A massive bounce back as you've been reporting on Wall Street. A huge day as the market rallies. Is this a temporary fix or a sign that the worst might finally be over? We'll have detailed analysis of this breaking story. Also, John McCain one-on-one. He just sat down within the past few moments with our own Dana Bash. Spoke about the campaign negativity, his place in the polls and what happens next. He got pretty animated in the process. Stand by for that.

And Barack Obama's new plan for the economy. The new ideas he is rolling out on the campaign trail. All that, Rick, and a lot more coming up right here in "THE SITUATION ROOM."

SANCHEZ: Thanks so much, Wolf. Appreciate it.

Anyway, we should mention as a programming note that Hillary Clinton is going to be on AMERICAN MORNING tomorrow morning, perhaps talking about some of the very same things that we were just talking about with Maria Cardona just moments ago.

Did you watch "The View" today? We do something everyday that we call The Fix. It's where you get the daily show, view, other shows, fixes, because we bring it to you. We tell you and show you what they said. That's coming up. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I can't trust Obama. I have read about him and he's not, he's not -- he's, he's an Arab. He is not?

MCCAIN: No, no, ma'am.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: John McCain saying no, no, ma'am, in no uncertain terms. Well, this video has been running for the last 24 hours and the ladies of "The View" saw it. And here's how they reacted.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ELISABETH HASSELBACK, CO-HOST, "THE VIEW": That was a moment where, I don't know, I think you got to love John McCain for being able to look at somebody and say no, I'm not going to have it. Not in this world.

(APPLAUSE)

SHERRI SHEPHERD, CO-HOST, "THE VIEW": You know, I, I think it does something. You know, it should be expected of him to do as just a decent human being. But I'm very, you know, words are very powerful. And I think that that campaign has been in sight, you know, with the, you know, "palling around with terrorists," it's in sighting a fear and I think, you know, it only starts with one person. This crazy lady here and then it's another person. That's how mobs get started. And I think that's a really dangerous thing that they are doing. I see that they are backing off of that whole thing. I saw Palin now she's on the abortion stuff. But, you know, they're backing off the whole "He pals around with terrorists."

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: I will tell you who has been getting a lot of ink, virtual ink on this newscast -- Todd Palin. One before we go? Todd Palin, will he stick his nose into policy issues and law enforcement if Sarah Palin becomes vice president? And like that one, there are many consensus. We'll keep watching. We'll be right back. The numbers on Wall Street looking good.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: By the way, we did something different today and I want to share it with you. Look, the viewers liked it. Sarah Write watching our show. She says "look, I like when you split the screen and show the comments. Please do that more often." Thanks, Sarah. We will. That was the beginning when we actually, we're showing a report while letting you respond to it as you were watching it.

Now let's go to Susan Lisovicz. We're going to be watching her. She's watching the numbers. And the numbers are Bueno!

SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I mean, we have a running of the bulls here. Rick, and you know, your hour is the final hour of trading. And it has always been so volatile. You know, we typically have seen the markets selling off. We are looking, easily the biggest point gain ever for the Dow industrials, which of course is so remarkable coming after the worst week ever for the Dow Industrials.

We had a 1,000 point swing on Friday alone. And the Dow is getting close to posting a 1,000 point gain today. It would be the biggest point gain, not the biggest percentage gain. You know, as usual, as unusual, Rick, as this financial crisis has been, a lot of veterans have been saying for some time, there will be a point when stocks get knocked down so low that buyers will come in and maybe, just maybe, this is not a head fake, I mean, this is a huge movement for the Dow. But it's coming on a banking holiday and that's the close. The Dow, Nasdaq, S&P 500 all up at least 11 percent, Rick. What a day.

SANCHEZ: For every valley, there's a hill. And this one looks like a mountain. Wolf Blitzer standing by right now with the "THE SITUATION ROOM -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Thanks very much, Rick.