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Campbell Brown
Afghanistan Options; Will Letterman Get Last Laugh?
Aired October 06, 2009 - 20:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CAMPBELL BROWN, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): Tonight, here are the questions we want answered? Does President Obama have any good options left in Afghanistan? The president reaching out to leaders in both parties tonight.
REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA), SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: It's a difficult decision for the president to make.
REP. JOHN BOEHNER (R-OH), HOUSE MINORITY LEADER: We do recognize that he has a tough decision.
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), ARIZONA: It's pretty clear that time is not on our side.
BROWN: Plus: Will David Letterman have the last laugh? His ratings have soared since his sex scandal confession last week. New tonight, revelations from a "Late Show" staffer. Will being a bad boy turn out to be good for Letterman?
Also, how did an alleged stalker get video of an ESPN reporter nude in her own hotel room?
RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Barrett allegedly stalked Andrews for at least 10 months, calling dozens of hotels to figure out where she was staying while traveling for ESPN. Barrett then allegedly booked a room at that hotel right next to Erin Andrews' room.
BROWN: Do you have any protection from a Peeping Tom when you travel?
And dancing Congressman Tom DeLay, is this the Hammer's last samba?
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANNOUNCER: This is your only source for news. CNN prime time begins now. Here's Campbell Brown.
BROWN: Hi, everybody.
Those are the big questions tonight. But we're going to start, as we always do, with the "Mash-Up," our look at all the stories making an impact right now, the moments you may missed today. We're watching it all, so you don't have to. And our top story tonight, a contentious meeting at the White House today -- lawmakers from both parties challenging President Obama on his strategy for waging the war in Afghanistan.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ED HENRY, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Dramatic details that a top House Democratic privately cautioned the president behind closed doors that, if he escalates the war further in Afghanistan, that the U.S. could be struck in the region for the next 20 years.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Some Democrats worry about a Vietnam-like quagmire.
SEN. JOHN KERRY (D), MASSACHUSETTS: The troops deserve a strategy that is every bit as good as the sacrifice they're being asked to make.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But most Republicans fear holding back on troops will lead to defeat.
MCCAIN: I'm very convinced that General McChrystal's analysis is not only correct, but should be employed as quickly as possible.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The meeting got testy at one point when Senator McCain said the decision on strategy cannot happen at a leisurely pace. The president appeared irritated and shot back that it won't.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: In strategy meetings, aides say the president has pressed his team to focus on the main objective, defeating al Qaeda, and challenged long-held assumptions, for example, that the Taliban and al Qaeda necessarily share goals or that a resurgent Taliban automatically means an al Qaeda safe haven in Afghanistan.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BROWN: Meantime, the remains of four American soldiers killed in last weekend's fierce firefight with the Taliban returned home today -- their caskets arriving at Dover Air Force Base this morning. We're going to have much more on Afghanistan later tonight, the challenges the president faces and the morale of our troops on the ground right now.
Turning to Capitol Hill and scandal-scarred Senator John Ensign breaking his silence about reports he helped find a job for the husband of a woman he was having an affair with. The Nevada Republican has been lying low for weeks, as this tale of sex, power, and hush money heats up.
But, today, CNN's Dana Bash chased him down on Capitol Hill. The senator insists all his actions were above-board.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) SEN. JOHN ENSIGN (R), NEVADA: I think it's pretty clear I said in the past I recommended him for jobs, just like I have recommended a lot of people. But we absolutely did nothing, except for comply exactly with what the ethics laws and the ethics rules of the Senate state. And we were very careful in everything that we did. And you can see our statements on that.
We are going to cooperate with any official inquiries. But, as you all know, you can't comment on any of those stuff -- on any of those kind of things.
QUESTION: Well, you could tell us if you have gotten any calls from the Justice Department or your lawyer has.
ENSIGN: Let me state this very carefully. We will cooperate with any official inquiries, OK?
QUESTION: Is there any chance that you -- are you considering resigning?
ENSIGN: I am focused on doing my work.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: A Senate Ethics investigation now in its very early stages. Ensign's Republican colleagues, though, not falling over themselves to support him right now.
Elsewhere on the Hill, Congress continued to hammer out health care and debate war funding. But those weren't the only pressing matters on lawmakers' minds. Here's a little taste of your tax dollars at work.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: House Resolution 650, resolution recognizing that country music has made a tremendous contribution to American life and culture.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The themes invoked in country music resonate with important American values, such as responsibility, determination, and hard work.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: House Resolution 710, resolution supporting the goals and ideals of National Estuaries Day.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: National Estuaries Day was celebrated on September 26 with numerous activities nationwide, from canoe trips in Washington to photography contests in Florida.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: House Resolution 741, resolution expressing support for designation of October 8, 2009, as National Jumpstart's Read for the Record Day.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I rise today in support of one very hungry caterpillar and the thousands of children eager to hear his story. On Thursday, adults and children all around the world will gather to read Eric Carle's classic book "The Very Hungry Caterpillar."
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: This all actually happened today. That is your government in action. Members of Congress, we are watching you.
BROWN: Moving now to Wall Street and a modern-day gold rush, gold surging to a record high, $1,039.79 an ounce, this amid fears the dollar is poised to plunge, all this yet another dip in the economic roller-coaster that we have been on, it seems, these last many days.
And many experts say a recovery is at hand, but sobering jobs numbers paint a bleak picture. When are they going to turn around?
CNN's Poppy Harlow put that question to man widely credited with predicting the financial crisis, New York University Professor Nouriel Roubini.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
POPPY HARLOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: How long will we see unemployment in this country rising? Where will it peak?
NOURIEL ROUBINI, NYU STERN SCHOOL OF BUSINESS: In my view, the unemployment rate is going to peak at some point the next year above 10 percent. Could be even closer to 10.5 to 11 percent. And not only is it going to peak at a high level, but it's not going to fall very much very soon, because many of these jobs are gone forever.
(CROSSTALK)
HARLOW: Jobs gone forever?
ROUBINI: Yes, jobs in real estate, in construction, in the financial sector. And there's been also a major outsourcing both of manufacturing and service jobs to China, to India, and other countries.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: Roubini predicts the unemployment rate will eventually fall -- quote -- "slowly and gradually."
Moving on to an alarming new report tonight on foods that can make you sick. The Center for Science in the Public Interest has put together a list of the top 10 riskiest foods. And chances are, you have eaten something on that list.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Researchers say leafy greens, eggs, tuna, oysters and potatoes are among the top 10 riskiest foods regulated by the FDA.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Berries, sprouts, more than 3,000 people reported getting sick from tomatoes. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Things like ice cream or cheese, especially those that are unpasteurized, can carry a bacteria called listeria, which can be bad, particularly for pregnant women.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right.
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Put this sort of in a national context, there are 76 million cases of food-borne illness every year in the United States. And those cause 325,000 hospitalizations and 5,000 deaths.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: The Department of Agricultural and the Food and Drug Administration now working together to try to draft new safety rules for fresh produce.
Some scary pictures to show you tonight from a hot air balloon festival in New Mexico -- one passenger lucky to be alive after falling out of a balloon's gondola. This happened yesterday during a contest where the balloonist tried to drop markers on targets on the ground. The gondola hit the top of a tent. The passenger who fell has a dislocated hip, but no life-threatening injuries. Pretty scary stuff.
Speaking of scary pictures, here's one you will never have to see again. Yes, former Congressman Tom DeLay and his butt-wiggling ways are off the dance floor, everybody. He has pulled out of "Dancing With the Stars" -- the pain from his two fractured feet just too much to bear.
This has certainly been one of the stranger political episodes we have seen in a very long time. Congressman DeLay, of course, better known for busting kneecaps on Capitol Hill while battling ethics investigations. All that seemed like ancient history these past few weeks. But don't forget, people, he is called the Hammer for a reason.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Dancing the samba, Tom DeLay and his partner, Cheryl Burke.
REP. TOM DELAY (R), FORMER HOUSE MAJORITY LEADER: Everybody else got the memo that big-government, blame-America-first liberalism died with disco. The Howard Dean Democrats still party like it's 1979.
The House has no choice but to proceed with an impeachment inquiry.
Our opponents have offered nothing, nothing, no ideas, no leadership, no agenda. And in just the last week, we can now add to that list no class.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: Ah, the congressman now has plenty of time to devote to battling that campaign finance indictment down in Texas.
And that brings us to the "Punchline" and the late-night host whose jokes pack more of a punch these days than ever before, David Letterman in another display of self-flagellation.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAVID LETTERMAN, HOST, "THE LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN": It's fall here in New York City. And I spent the whole weekend raking my hate mail.
(LAUGHTER)
(APPLAUSE)
LETTERMAN: And it's cold, too, chilly outside my house, chilly inside my house.
(LAUGHTER)
LETTERMAN: The whole thing is surreal because, normally, when I'm shaken down for money, it's my relatives.
Ladies and gentlemen, I want to remind you of one thing. This is only phase one.
(LAUGHTER)
LETTERMAN: This is phase one of the scandal. Phase two, next week, I go on "Oprah" and sob...
(LAUGHTER)
(CROSSTALK)
LETTERMAN: ... in phase two.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: David Letterman, everybody.
More developments in his story tonight, we're going to bring them to you in just a bit. But, for now, that is the "Mash-Up."
Just in tonight: President Obama gets a big boost in the polls, but the war in Afghanistan still weighing him down right now. The big question tonight, does he have any good options left?
Plus, new details in the case of that ESPN reporter videotaped in her own hotel room by an alleged stalker. We are going to hear for the first time about the ordeal that may be part of a much more frightening problem that could affect your privacy. We will explain when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BROWN: Tonight, after weeks, if not months, of bad news and frustration for President Obama, he is finally catching a break.
Take a look at this brand-new Associated Press JFK poll just out. It shows the president's approval rating up to 56 percent. That is a six-point jump from September and the first time his numbers have gone up since taking office.
He still faces very strong opposition on Afghanistan. Again, these are new numbers showing 57 percent of Americans against the war right now. This afternoon, the president sat down with more than 30 congressional leaders from both parties.
Republicans urged the president to listen to his commanders, including the man in charge of the conflict in Afghanistan now, General Stanley McChrystal.
McChrystal, as many of you know, is openly pleading now for more boots on the ground, while some Democrats are pushing for a troop decrease.
So, our big question tonight, does President Obama have any good options in Afghanistan?
Let's bring in CNN political contributor and Democratic strategist James Carville, who we should point out advised one of the candidates in the recent Afghan presidential election. Also with us, CNN senior political analyst Gloria Borger. And here with me in New York, CNN's Michael Ware, who has repeatedly been on the front lines covering Afghanistan.
So, Michael, to that point...
MICHAEL WARE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Exactly.
BROWN: ... bottom-line this for us. You know, you have been on the ground there -- 40,000 troops, is it going to make a difference or not?
WARE: Depends how they're used. Basically, the president right now faces an extraordinarily tough choice.
WARE: It's foreign policy vs. domestic survival.
In terms of the war in Afghanistan, he's not fighting it. He has a choice to make, fight or flight. All right? Those 40,000 troops is what the military -- the top of the line of what the military is asking for. Even they won't be enough.
But you still need them, plus additional forces from the Afghans themselves, to start putting the hurt on the Taliban, because you're not even touching their war machine. America is making the Taliban war machine stronger.
This president still has, what, three years left in this electoral cycle. He can use two to do what's unpopular, bite the bullet of public opinion, and actually fight this war and try and salvage something. A war that's no longer about al Qaeda and is now as much about America's position in the world, its status with Pakistan, which treats it like a joke, India, and Iran.
BROWN: So, you make it sound like, if McChrystal doesn't get these troop, it's over.
WARE: Well, it's not over, but it's going to fall apart very, very badly, and the egg is going to end up on the president's face.
BROWN: OK. That's a fairly stark assessment there.
James, it seems very much like he's caught, like President Obama's caught, between these generals, who clearly want more boots on the ground, and the leaders of his own party, who made it pretty clear today they are ready to bring these troops home.
I mean, does it have to be an either/or? How does he balance the two right now?
JAMES CARVILLE, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Yes.
Well, and we don't know -- the secretary of defense is not a bit player in this. And if we look at the chain of command, General McChrystal is probably somewhere about fifth or sixth in that. And there is a chain of command in this country in the United States military. And we adhere to it.
The other thing is, is that the president gave, I think, an additional 20,000 or so troops in Afghanistan right after he took office. And the result there is not very encouraging so far. It's the longest war we have had in American history.
I think a review of what's going on here is in order. And before we go and ask an additional 40,000 of our young people to serve over there, we have to have some confidence that what they're doing is going to work. And I think the president is imminently justified in taking time and looking at this and discussing this, not only with just the military people in Afghanistan, but with other -- with his secretary of defense, with the secretary of the Army, with the State Department and other people involved in this. And we're going to have see where he comes.
In answer to your question, does he have any good options in this? Not that I can see. And judging from what Michael said, he doesn't seem to think there's a lot of great options available also.
BROWN: I mean, Gloria, what's going on at the White House right now? I mean, obviously, they're weighing this. Are they coming to that same conclusion, I guess?
GLORIA BORGER, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, I think his national security adviser, General Jones, is sort of heading up a team that's looking at all of this.
And I think what you have got, Campbell, is you have got divisions within the administration. What we don't know -- and the person to watch here is the defense secretary, Gates, because he's the one who's dealing with his generals, I believe, trying to come up with some kind of a plan that they can live with and that the president can live with.
And we have to see if the president can do that. It sounds, from what Michael is saying, that you can't really split the difference here, that you have to decide very cleanly whether you're going to continue with a counterinsurgency strategy, or do what Joe Biden wants you to do, which is adopt a counterterror, more targeted strategy that deals with Pakistan.
BROWN: James, you mentioned the chain of command, how important that was, a moment ago. Does it surprise you that General McChrystal has been so outspoken? You have even seen the defense secretary publicly urging him to tone it down a bit.
CARVILLE: Well, again, I think, look, from everything that I know -- and I defer to Michael on this, whose judgment I really trust -- I think General McChrystal is a first-rate military man. People who have read his report and said it's really -- it's really very good.
Sometimes, people get very excited or very passionate about something, but we need to step back. And there is a chain of command here. And I think probably General McChrystal understands this now better than anybody.
And this is worthy of a very serious -- a very serious look by the president and his advisers. And there are a lot of very smart people, by the way, a lot of very smart military people that say that it should be some kind of thing to contain terrorism and that a full- fledged thing would not be in the best interests of the United States. That's a legitimate question. And I'm sure it's something the president has under advisement right now.
BROWN: So, Michael, how much time does he have to make this decision? McChrystal has said it's a pretty urgent situation right now.
WARE: It's 12 months. I mean, right now, you're losing the war. You're not going to win it.
But you don't have to lose it. And that's what General McChrystal is saying. Give me what I need to stem the blood loss. And there's two tracks here. There's a military track, and, of course, there's a political track.
Now, militarily, even 45,000 troops isn't going to be enough to do what has to be done. You need to couple that with some inventive thinking. You need to unleash some Afghan allies to add to your troops. Right now, you really don't have any you can trust.
And that will do more than target al Qaeda and the Taliban. It will send messages that America needs to send around the region. And, politically, President Obama has the time to do this. You can go to midterm elections. You can have anti-war Democrats beating him up if he does go on a war footing.
But come the presidential election, if he does it right, if he actually fights this battle, he may actually have something to produce to the American people.
(CROSSTALK)
BROWN: Quickly, James, go ahead.
CARVILLE: Campbell, if I say something, the House -- he's got to get enough votes in the House to pass it.
BORGER: Well, he will. I think he will.
(CROSSTALK)
BORGER: There was a blowup, as Ed Henry reported, today at that meeting at the White House, with a liberal Democrat who's the chairman of a very important committee, Appropriations Committee, saying to the president, we're not going to give you this money, or you're going to spend $1 trillion over there.
But, in the end -- and I don't know if you agree with me, James -- I think he will get it out of the House if he wants it.
(CROSSTALK)
BROWN: All right, quickly.
CARVILLE: Yes, I'm not sure because of a very influential House Democrat whose name I can't say, but initials are Nancy Pelosi, said that rounding up the votes for the first Afghanistan vote was one of the toughest things that they ever had to do.
BROWN: Right.
CARVILLE: And I suspect a second one is going to be tougher than this. It's not a given. They're going to have to work hard. If the president decides that he wants more troop, this is going to be a very tough vote.
(CROSSTALK)
BORGER: Could be bipartisan, though, first bipartisan piece of legislation they get.
BROWN: We will see.
CARVILLE: It will, but it's got to come to 217 -- or it's got to come to 218.
(CROSSTALK)
BORGER: That's right.
(CROSSTALK) WARE: The word appeasement springs to mind.
(LAUGHTER)
BROWN: James Carville, Michael Ware here with me in New York -- Michael, as always, thanks -- and, Gloria Borger, thanks, guys.
BORGER: Sure.
BROWN: A little update we want to add here, too, Sarah Palin urging the president on her Facebook page tonight to increase troops in Afghanistan. Not sure she's the one he will be listening to, but there you go.
Coming up next, the download -- Roman Polanski to stay behind bars and Liz Taylor going to the hospital.
Plus late-night confessions give David Letterman a ratings boost. Will he get the last laugh?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think the real interesting thing would be, how are you doing at home with your wife and what's going on there? I bet she doesn't think it's very funny.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BROWN: An ESPN reporter fell victim to a peephole stalker -- tonight, what you should know before you check into a hotel room.
(NEWS BREAK)
BROWN: The big question tonight, how easy is it for someone to spy on you in your hotel room? New details on the case of that ESPN reporter secretly taped that may have you thinking twice next time you check in.
We will be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BROWN: The man accused of stalking ESPN reporter Erin Andrews and secretly making nude videos of her is out of jail even, though a prosecutor says Michael Barrett is a danger to other women. Barrett was released on $4,500 bond yesterday. He has been ordered to wear an ankle-monitoring bracelet and banned from using the Internet.
But our big question tonight is, how could the suspect get video of Andrews from inside her hotel room?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: Barrett allegedly stalked Andrews for at least 10 months, calling dozens of hotels to figure out where she was staying while traveling for ESPN. Barrett then allegedly booked a room at that hotel right next to Erin Andrews' room.
At the Marriott in Nashville, police say he even used his home address to register. And in his file at that hotel, police say, a note that simply read, guest requests a room next to Erin Andrews.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: FBI agents allege that Barrett tampered with the peepholes in Andrews' hotel room doors, shortening the length of the removable eyepiece so he could quickly and quietly unscrew them from hallways. That allowed him to secretly make the videos with a cell phone.
RICK SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: So three different states, Illinois where he lives, Tennessee, that's the place he allegedly shot the tape, and California where he allegedly tried to sell it, three states plus TV sports reporter Erin Andrews, that makes it a federal case because it crosses state lines.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Prosecutors now describe this alleged crime as an obsession and claim that the suspect took at least 35 similar videos of other women.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: Wow. So, if it's this easy to make a secret video, do you have any protection from a peeping tom when you travel?
Joining me exclusively tonight, Erin Andrews' attorney, Marshall Grossman, to talk us through some of the details about all this.
And, Marshall, I mean, based on just what we heard there, it's really creepy. I mean, how does this happen? Walk us through what happened.
MARSHALL GROSSMAN, ERIN ANDREWS' ATTORNEY: Campbell, good evening. It's almost impossible to think about what happened here. An individual goes into the privacy of her hotel room, a total stranger calls the hotel, is able to confirm that she's there and then says, gee, I'd like to have the room right next door. And the hotel puts him exactly where he asks and doesn't even ask the guest how she feels about it. It's -- it's mind-boggling. And if it happened to any one of us, I think we would be very disturbed.
BROWN: So both -- let me just say, Marshall, for the record, both Marriott and Ramada, the hotels in question, did release statements to us saying that they take the security of their guests very seriously. But at the same time, given what you just laid out for us, that's kind mind-blowing to me. Have you had conversations with the hotels? Do we have any sense for how -- how this slipped through the cracks?
GROSSMAN: No. No one at any of the hotels has bothered to call Erin, call me, offer any explanation or even offer or extend an apology. So we appreciate the statements of the hotels. We hope that in the future those statements and their practices have real teeth because as of now, it appears to be more like lip service than teeth.
BROWN: Are you going to take legal action against the hotels involved?
GROSSMAN: Well, right now, Erin is totally focused on assisting the FBI and the U.S. attorney's office in Los Angeles in pursuing and closing this investigation successfully. Obviously, there is time to think about whatever other actions might be appropriate. But for now, Erin is single-mindedly focused on helping the federal authorities bring this case to closure, not just for her benefit, but for all of those other women who were apparently and allegedly victimized by this same individual and for the millions of other people out there who are looking for some help in ensuring and protecting that this type of conduct doesn't happen to them.
BROWN: And, Marshall, it looks like at least based on what we know so far, that this alleged stalker was sort of after her for sometime, a devastating experience for her. And I just want to play folks at home a clip of Erin telling Oprah about what she was going through as she spoke to her parents about what had happened. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ERIN ANDREWS, ESPN REPORTER: It's such a painful phone call. I mean, having to call my parents and they thought I was physically injured, how bad I was screaming. I kept screaming, I'm done, my career is over, I'm done. And get it off, get it off the Internet, get it off.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: So how has this affected her career? How is she doing with all of this right now?
GROSSMAN: Well, she's a very lucky lady. She has a family, parents, sibling, who are very close, very supportive. And their support has given her the strength to see this through. Obviously, the last several months have been hell for her. And we had a brief moment of excitement late Friday night when the arrest was announced. But then when we sat down and Erin went through the affidavit prepared by the terrific FBI agents in Los Angeles and realized that this has been a several-month endeavor of stalking, targeting, videotaping and then attempting to sell for profit, the euphoria quickly disappeared. And now she's dealing as best she can with the reality of what happened.
She's a professional person. She earned her stripes. She got where she is because of her qualities and her professionalism. She's not going to let this hold her back on the field. But in the private moments, it's -- it's very difficult, as you can well imagine.
BROWN: Marshall Grossman who is Erin's attorney joining us tonight. Marshall, appreciate your time. Thanks so much.
GROSSMAN: Thank you, Campbell, good night. BROWN: And new revelations tonight from a "Late Show" staffer in the David Letterman sex scandal. Our big question tonight, will Letterman get the last laugh here? It seems like the more he jokes about it, the better his ratings.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAEL CARDOZA, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: He's fending it off as best he can. He works with humor. That's how he's trying to fend it off.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: David Letterman may be the victim of an extortion plot, but he's the one still trying to explain his behavior.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): One sexual relationship Letterman's side confirm, was with his personal assistant, Stephanie Burkette, who's gotten a prominent role on "The Late Show." After they broke yup, the 34-year-old Burkette (ph) moved in with Joe Halderman, the CBS News producer charged in a $2 million blackmail plot against Letterman. Another ex, a former "Late Show" intern who told the Web site TMZ that she dated Dave in the early '90s.
ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Letterman said he was done talking about it. But last night he said, well, it seems like people want to talk about it some more. So that's exactly what he did.
LETTERMAN: I got into the car this morning and the navigation lady wasn't speaking to me. Don't kid yourself. Things are still pretty bad. There's a possibility that I'll be the first talk show host impeached. So --
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: Despite the scandal and likely because of it, Letterman's ratings are up, big-time. He pulled in 5.7 million viewers last night, more than doubling Conan on "The Tonight Show."
So our big question, will Dave ultimately have the last laugh here? With me right now, public relations consultant, Ken Sunshine. Also criminal defense attorney Michael Cardoza is joining us as well tonight.
Ken, let me start with you on this. David Letterman said last week, he wasn't going to talk about this. And then, lo and behold, he couldn't resist sort of a barrage of jokes about it last night. You think it was a smart move?
KEN SUNSHINE, CELEBRITY PUBLICIST: Yes. I think we can't judge him. First of all, it's not a court of law that he, you know, changed his mind and didn't and went through it again. The thing about Letterman that's interesting, he's always a little off. He always keeps us surprised. And, you know, he goes to his own beat and I think it's one of the things that makes us fascinated with him.
BROWN: PR wise, though, do you think it was a smart move?
SUNSHINE: You know, who's to say? I mean, in the long run, I don't know. It looks to me like he probably said a little too much last night, and he kind of mixed his humor with seriousness in a somewhat confusing way and we're all trying to analyze it.
But, you know, those ratings looked pretty damn good. And, you know, until and unless he's accused of something criminal or dire, what did he do wrong? And he seems to be the victim of possibly a terrible crime. So, you know, I think he's doing fine.
BROWN: There was one thing, though, that struck me in his statement. Let's take a look and I'll get your reaction.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LETTERMAN: It did not occur to me last week when I was discussing having had sex with women who worked on this show that then what would happen is reporters and newspaper people and radio and TV would start hounding the staff and saying, well, what do you say, are you and this and that? It was very, very unpleasant.
And I would just like to set the record straight, no, I'm not having sex with these women. Those episodes are in the past. So my apologies to subjecting them to that vulnerability and being brow- beaten and humiliated. It never occurred to me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: Really? It never occurred to him in this day and age that if he went -- came forward with a confession like this, that it wasn't going to be all over the news, that the media wasn't going to be hounding the staff.
SUNSHINE: Seems a little weird.
BROWN: That's what makes me think, OK, this like putting it all out there and the way that he is is a little bit of a ratings ploy?
SUNSHINE: Maybe. I mean, you know, the fact that we live in a tabloid world and anything having to do with sex makes people go crazy and we still maintain some puritanical ethic and yet everybody knows that it doesn't really exist is part of a psyche of what he partially is responsible for. And so I either (ph) protest probably a little too much. But remember, he's not a politician. This guy is not running for office.
BROWN: Right.
SUNSHINE: This guy is a talk show host and a comedian and at the top of his game. And I think he's going to do just fine.
BROWN: Let me get Michael in here on some of the legal stuff that we're talking about. MICHAEL CARDOZA, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Sure.
BROWN: Michael, the attorney for Joe Halderman, the accused extortionist here, told "The New York Times" that he has evidence that Letterman sexually harassed his staffers and then he'll use it at trial. Details are starting to come out now about some of these affairs. And what does that mean legally? Can it be damaging?
CARDOZA: Well, of course, it's going to be damaging but will it be legally damaging in a criminal trial, and I think not. It's going to be very hard to try and talk a judge into saying that that evidence is relevant to the extortion trial. But I'll tell you what he's doing. He's -- given the facts that he's been dealt in this case, he's being very smart because he's sending a message to Letterman and he's telling him, look, if you don't go to the D.A. and tell them to plea-bargain this case so my guy doesn't go to prison and maybe I get a lesser crime, we're going to be talking about your affairs, all of them. I may not be able to get it into trial, but I'll do it very publicly in motions. So that's something Letterman has to be concerned about.
BROWN: Well, I was going to say --
CARDOZA: I don't know if it would fall on deaf ears with the D.A. or not but it's going to entice Letterman maybe to push on the D.A. to get this case settled.
BROWN: So let me on this last question get sort of both of your perspective on this, from both the legal and the P.R. perspective. In this day and age, Letterman's a huge star. He's also the boss of this show. Shouldn't he have known better than to have sexual affairs with subordinates?
Michael, you first. I mean -- I mean, haven't we gotten to that point where this is kind of obvious?
CARDOZA: I've got to tell you, the Leno line comes to me -- what were you thinking? I think the obvious answer is, he wasn't thinking at all. Listen to his last monologue. Gosh, I never thought they'd go to my staff.
Come on, it's a very egocentric thing that he did in having these affairs. He had a girlfriend but he went out there and did these things. So he's fending it off as best he can. He works with humor. That's how he's trying to fend it off.
BROWN: Right.
CARDOZA: I think the real interesting thing would be, how are you doing at home with your wife and what's going on there? I bet she doesn't think it's very funny.
BROWN: Ken Sunshine and Michael Cardoza there. In a moment, the happiness gender gap and tonight's big question, why are more women feeling so blue these days. That when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BROWN: Tonight's big question tonight, why are more and more women these days feeling so blue? It is a disturbing trend that seems to be getting worse. Here are the facts.
Since 1972, the U.S. General social survey has asked men and women to rate their happiness. Over the past 40 years, men have grown happier and happier. But the number of happy women has plummeted. So what's behind this?
Well, author and life consultant Marcus Buckingham did extensive research into that question for his new book "Find Your Strongest Life." I spoke with him earlier along with Sharon Lerner, the author of soon to be published book "The War on Moms: On Life in a Family- Unfriendly Nation." Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BROWN: Marcus, let me start with you because I was reading through some of your research and I know you asked thousands of women five basic questions and you used their answers to sort of narrow down to just the happy women or narrow the group down. First off, what were the questions? What did you use to do the research?
MARCUS BUCKINGHAM, AUTHOR AND LIFE CONSULTANT: Well, having a look at the study from Wharton (ph) which shows this decline, my focus was to say, what if anything did the women have in common that have bucked this trend?
So to begin with, you've got to find the women to talk to. And the questions were these -- we said, how often do you feel that you get a chance to do what you really like to do? How often do you feel positive anticipation about your day? How often do you get so involved in what you're doing during the day that you lose track of time? How often do you feel invigorated at the end of a long, busy day? And then last, kind of a summary question, how often do you feel an emotional high in your life?
And those women that could say every day to four out of five of those questions, we drilled down and interviewed in more depth those women to see if they had anything in common.
BROWN: So what did they have in common? What's the secret?
BUCKINGHAM: Well, I wouldn't say there is anyone particular secret. Some of the things that they do are the opposite of what you'd expect. I thought they would talk a lot about juggling. But actually they didn't talk much about juggling because if you think about it, juggling is a bad analogy. The core skill of juggling is throwing, not catching. So if you spend your entire life as a juggler, you never really hold on to any moment long enough to truly feel it.
These women also didn't talk much about goals and plans. They talked about moments. They seemed to realize the way to draw strength from life is to know in each domain of your life, as a mother, as an employee, as a sister, what are the moments that invigorate you the most? And then they deliberately -- and this is going to sound odd -- but they deliberately imbalance their life toward those moments.
BROWN: First, just give us your take on what Marcus is arguing here.
SHARON LERNER, AUTHOR, "THE WAR ON MOMS": There has been so much about women's choices. Should we work? Should we not work? Should we have different attitudes? Should we, you know, think positive? I see the problem as much bigger than that. The problem is the choices we have and the lack of support we have for making them.
BROWN: Meaning the choices aren't that great?
LERNER: The choices are not that great right now. American women have more babies than women in other rich countries, and many more women work full time. We have less support in terms of support of policies like child care, like paid maternity leave.
BROWN: So, Marcus, what's your take on that?
BUCKINGHAM: Well, certainly, some of those external factors may -- may come into play. Although the decline in women's happiness over the last 40 years applies not just to women who are married or with kids or who work and have kids, it applies to all women across the board.
The other thing that's kind of intriguing and frankly a little mysterious is when you study women who take advantage of flex time or paid leave, telecommuting or have regular hours so they can pick up their kids from school and you compare their happiness to women who don't have those things, the women who take advantage of flexible work options are on a daily basis less happy than women who do.
BROWN: What's the conclusion you've drawn from that?
BUCKINGHAM: I think if you -- if you give people some choice, that's fine. If you give people tons and tons of choice and they don't have a clear internal compass on how to make those choices, that excessive choice becomes stressful. And the first question you start to ask yourself about your life is, which part of my life should I cut out?
The other thing that happens I think is you end up being driven to distraction because you've got so many choices thrown at you, you're not able to focus your attention on any one particular moment within your life and your life becomes this blur of activity and responsibility. And your life -- you're doing more but feeling -- but feeling less.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BROWN: Authors Marcus Buckingham and Sharon Lerner there.
Tonight's "Breakout" coming up when we come back. The world's youngest black belt. You've got to see this kid in action right after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BROWN: Now tonight's "Breakout." Most of us probably think that karate takes a lifetime to learn, requiring decades of practice and dedication. But a girl from India has become the world's youngest black belt and she's only 5 years old. CNN's Alex Thomas went to meet the mini master.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALEX THOMAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): From the tiny fists to the bright headband and clips. Varsha Vinod isn't a typical karate black belt. The 5-year-old comes from a small town in southern India and started learning the sport when she was just 2.
VARSHA VINOD, WORLD'S YOUNGEST BLACK BELT (through translator): I took it up after watching my father.
THOMAS: Varsha's dad teaches karate. He says he didn't force his daughter to train, but he's been shocked at what he calls her God- given ability.
VISHWAS VINOD, VARSHA'S DAD (through translator): What she achieved in 3 1/2 years takes others eight years to learn.
THOMAS: Varsha trains for at least a couple of hours every day. She can punch, kick and use different weapons, which is probably why she was chosen to promote a new video game called "Mini Ninjas."
The promotional work has given her a chance to see London for the first time. Varsha wants to travel more in the future and she was thrilled and excited by the sights and sounds of such a famous city.
It was a whirlwind visit. She was only in the UK for a few days. But like most children her age, she still found time for an ice cream. A small treat for a big talent, the world's only 5-year-old karate black belt.
Alex Thomas, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BROWN: "LARRY KING LIVE" starts in just a few moments. Larry's talking about President Obama tonight. Is he falling short on his campaign promises? That coming up.
Also up next, tonight's "Guilty Pleasure," the video we just can't resist. It's the munchkins (ph).
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BROWN: "LARRY KING LIVE" starts in just a few moments. But first, Mike Galanos has tonight's "Guilty Pleasure," the video we couldn't just -- just couldn't resist. I can't get it out.
Mike, what have you got?
MIKE GALANOS, HLN PRIME NEWS: I know you've already tipped us off, and it's not the reunion everyone was talking about. But you still have to love it.
Seventy years after "The Wizard of Oz" first came out, the munchkins back together again, feature for "Newsweek" magazine. Let's check it out.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MUNCHKINS: We represent...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The lollipop guild.
MUNCHKINS: The lollipop guild.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The lollipop guild.
MUNCHKINS: And in the name of --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The lollipop guild.
MUNCHKINS: We wish to welcome you to munchkinland.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The munchkins have heard about it and they all went running to Hollywood. You know, Toto (ph) got paid more than we did. And we found that out later. He had a better agent.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Follow the yellow brick road.
MUSIC: Follow the yellow brick road. Follow the yellow brick road. Follow, follow, follow, follow, follow the yellow brick road.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: As coroner, I've thoroughly examined her. And she's not only really dead.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The director said OK, you're the coroner.
JUDY GARLAND, AS DOROTHY IN "THE WIZARD OF OZ": Somewhere over the rainbow way up high.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She was a typical teenager. She was just as sweet as she could be. She was a wonderful person.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She was an angel.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He just turned 92.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Why not?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Meinart (ph), over here.
MUSIC: You're off to see the wizard, the wizard, the wizard of oz.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The wonderful wizard of oz.
(APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GALANOS: Nice reunion there. I still can't get over it. Toto made more money. Better agent.
BROWN: Yes, they made it pretty clear there.
GALANOS: Yes.
BROWN: Mike Galanos with us tonight. Mike, thanks very much.
GALANOS: Thanks, Campbell.
BROWN: Appreciate it.
Join us tomorrow for our series, "Second Chances." People who have gotten a second chance at life. That coming up tomorrow.
"LARRY KING LIVE" starts right now. Have a good night.
