Return to Transcripts main page
Rick's List
O'Donnell Splits Republicans; Interview with Carl Paladino
Aired September 15, 2010 - 20:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
RICK SANCHEZ, HOST: Lots of folks are already starting to talk about Carl Paladino. It's the interview that's already -- as some of your colleagues are saying -- going viral. And you're going to see it here, coming up in just a little bit.
Here is THE LIST.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SANCHEZ (voice-over): It's prime time and here's what's making THE LIST.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: Should a woman have a right to have an abortion if she's been raped?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: The answer in an honest, no-holds-barred interview with a staunch Tea Party candidate who won.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CARL PALADINO (R), NEW YORK GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE: You and you and you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: Here's another one: O'Donnell, Paladino, you'll hear from them on RICK'S LIST. How they did it and why they have Karl Rove fuming mad?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The American people didn't just send us here to just think about our jobs. They sent us here to think about theirs.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: The president names names -- Republicans who will vote for his jobs bill. But it's another bill, the one he can't pass that really has him miffed.
A CNN special report.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She was there with a wig on. She had on a purple negligee.
AMBER LYON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Your 12-year-old daughter?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: A story told through the family's eyes. It's happening here in America.
First, an explosion, then a fire. Now, the looting (ph) in San Bruno? Say it ain't so.
(MUSIC)
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SANCHEZ: Hello, again, everybody. I'm Rick Sanchez.
Less than 24 hours ago, I was reporting to you from this very seat that the Tea Party candidates across the country appeared to be edging out their establishment counterparts in the Republican primaries. Well, just tonight, New Hampshire got the last of its votes tallied. And Kelly Ayotte, a Tea Party-backed candidate for Senate in New Hampshire, was officially declared the winner there as well.
Also tonight, we're learning about another Tea Party victor, one Carl Paladino. Have you heard? Self-made millionaire, from Buffalo, who is he? What does he stand for?
Take a listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: What is your position on abortion?
PALADINO: No.
SANCHEZ: Should a woman have a right to have an abortion if she's been raped?
PALADINO: No.
SANCHEZ: She should not? She should have to have the baby?
PALADINO: And the baby can be adopted. Yes.
SANCHEZ: What if -- what if it's a case of incest?
PALADINO: The baby can be adopted. Yes. (END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: I an interview just like that. It's already, by the way -- the interview that is -- starting to go viral on the Internet. And it got us more than 1,000 tweets, just while we were conducting the interview, because of what he says, and the fact that, at times, the interviews, parts of which you haven't seen, become confrontational. I'm going to play that for you in just a few minutes.
But, first, late word from the White House tonight, call it an after hours announcement. Why? Well, this comes in it, number four.
The White House is balking tonight at naming Elizabeth Warren to lead the new consumer protection industry. She is considered by many to be a consumer protection hero. But sources tonight are telling us that the White House is not giving her post. Why? Because they don't want a confirmation battle with Republicans. Instead, they're going to give her an advisory post.
Dan Lothian is our White House correspondent.
Dan, new information tonight, the White House was being criticized by the left even before they made this announcement. Now, that they've bypassed Warren for this top job, do they expect they're going to get blasted?
DAN LOTHIAN, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, I think whatever the White House does, there will be some criticism. But I think what you're seeing from left now is cautious optimism. From MoveOn.org, a statement a short time ago, saying, quote, "As long as Professor Warren has real power, real authority and real support to hold the big banks accountable and stand up for American families, then our members and Americans everywhere will welcome this news."
And as you pointed out, she is a controversial figure, polarizing. She's beloved by the left, but also big banking a little concerned about how she may come down on them. And so, as you pointed out -- I mean, the White House, behind the scenes, was very careful in how they would roll this out because there is concern about how a nomination process in the Senate would go forward, how controversial, tough, difficult it would be.
And so, this -- this advisory role, setting up this agency, was the way the White House decided to go. But, you know, the president telegraphed this. We heard him talking about how she was a dear friend, and how -- touting some of her qualities. So, we knew he was going in this direction, but now, the White House is making it official.
SANCHEZ: As a matter of fact, you and I were talking about this just earlier today. You almost get the feeling the White House is expecting some criticism throughout the next 24 hours.
LOTHIAN: That's right.
SANCHEZ: And we'll be following it for you. Dan Lothian's at the White House for us tonight.
Here now, number four.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OBAMA: Right now, we could decide that every American household will receive a tax cut on the first $250,000 of their income. But once again, the leaders across the aisle are saying no.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: The president is slamming Republicans on extending tax cuts for middle income Americans. But what he's not saying is Democrats don't exactly have their act together. The Dems in the House and the Dems in the Senate, both are saying, hey, you vote first. And tonight, I've gotten word that 31 House Democrats, most facing tough re-elections, have sent Nancy Pelosi a letter urging that all the tax cuts be extended, even those for the wealthy.
Here, now, is number three.
This hasn't happened since the 1930s. Are you ready for this? For the first time since FDR was in office, more Americans voted in primaries as Republicans this year than in Democratic primaries. More Republican primary voters -- in fact, 4 million more, according to a survey that ended September 1st. Yes, right now, Republicans do seem more energized going into November. So say the numbers.
Now, political story number two. Big news out of Nevada. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid cannot shake Sharron Angle -- no matter what he says or does. We've got the latest numbers for you. They're at this point locked in a dead heat, less than seven weeks before the election.
This brand-new poll conducted by CNN -- or for CNN and "TIME" magazine, Angle is at 42 percent, Harry Reid at 41 percent. Obviously, that is within the margin of error. So, yes, it is, in fact, a dead heat.
So, what is number one on our list of most important political stories on this night? Watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHRISTINE O'DONNELL (R), DELAWARE SENATORIAL CANDIDATE: A lot of people have already said that we can't win the general election.
(BOOS)
O'DONNELL: I know. It is those same -- yes, we can!
CROWD: Yes, we can. Yes, we can.
O'DONNELL: That's right.
(END VIDEO CLIP) SANCHEZ: Christine O'Donnell's big win in Delaware -- is she creating discord among conservatives? Does she help or does she hurt Republicans in November?
By the way, there should be no question after tonight just how conservative New York's Republican candidate for governor is. Listen here.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PALADINO: There is no constitutional argument because it's not freedom of religion.
SANCHEZ: It's not? OK.
PALADINO: If it was freedom of religion, they'd put their mosque someplace else.
SANCHEZ: OK. Let's continue --
PALADINO: And enjoy the religious experience.
SANCHEZ: Let's continue --
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: All right. That continues for quite some time. Wait until you see what some are calling our must-see interview with Buffalo's own Carl Paladino. That's coming up right here on RICK'S LIST.
This is your national conversation. We're reading your tweets during this commercial. Stay with us, folks.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
O'DONNELL: We haven't heard from anybody in the Washington party hierarchy and that's a shame. I think right now, maybe their pride is just hurt a little bit and they're licking their wounds because the so-called "experts" were discredited this morning. So, you know, but we're hoping to hear from them soon. We will reach out to them. But I'm confident that if they choose not to get behind this race, we will get the support that we need and we can win in November.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: Who are these people? You are asking tonight. It's a question many are asking themselves.
So, let's go through it. Christine O'Donnell -- she has done it. She has challenged her own Republican Party and she's beaten the odds. In Delaware, she is the Republican's nominee for Senate tonight. And she's saying that she'll win, whether the party apparatus gets behind her or not. Now, this is a fascinating dynamic, by the way. O'Donnell rocks Republican mainstay Mike Castle. And then word goes out from Washington that the Republican Party is not even going to waste its money on her. They will not support O'Donnell's campaign because she can't win in November. She's unelectable, we hear.
In the words of Republican Karl Rove, "nutty," nutty, stop quote. That was this morning.
You know, Senator John Cornyn, chairman of the Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee, well, Cornyn said this morning things -- have changed. He's now good for $42,000. They're going to help her. They're not going to consider her nutty, it appears, not as Republican Party.
And then Mitt Romney jumps on board. Romney is telling Republicans, get behind Christine O'Donnell.
Meantime, right wing bloggers are calling for Karl Rove's head tonight, for calling O'Donnell unelectable and nutty.
So, what is really happening tonight within the Republican Party? Are these splits beginning to fray? This is the number one story on tonight's political list.
Craig Crawford is with CQPolitics.com. He's got plenty to say about what's going on with Karl Rove, with Sarah Palin, with Christine O'Donnell and with the Republican Party feud.
Let's set this up this way. First of all, most of Americans by now have heard what they're saying about Karl Rove. The Republicans that is.
Michelle Malkin came out and said that he's basically a sore loser. But she's not the only one. Radio host Mark Levin, he says, "Rove's declared war on the Tea Party. Blogger Dan Reel says FOX News should suspend Karl Rove and investigate him for this.
Craig, is Karl Rove only saying in public what a lot of other people in the Republican Party, maybe not on TV, are thinking?
CRAIG CRAWFORD, COLUMNIST, CQPOLITICS.COM: Yes, but I think they're going to quit saying it in the Republican steakhouses here in Washington. They're serving heaping mounds of crow stewed in tea. They're backing off today.
You know, we saw it with -- you know, what you mentioned earlier, with the money being shoved into her campaign. I think they're backing off. They're running scared.
I love it when the establishment gets knocked often its pedestal on either side, and the thing about the tea partiers is that they can knock both sides, establishment, often --
SANCHEZ: But I'm still trying to figure this out. I talked to Gloria Borger about this earlier. And I'm like to get your comment on this.
A lot of Americans are scratching their head trying to figure this out. Is this is a net plus for Republicans or a net loss in the end? Because, (a), they're feuding, yes, but if they come together, don't they become a bit of a super party then in November?
CRAWFORD: Well, the best news for Republicans is that these folks are staying in the party. This is not -- and what's interesting to me historically -- and that's always dangerous to overdo the comparisons -- but they remind me a lot, their fiscal message, their focus on the deficit and spending, of the Perot movement. And that was outside the Republican Party. That really was divisive. That cost them a presidential election.
So, at least they're -- and you look at the polling of people who identify themselves as tea partiers, and they say, 60 percent or so, that they're Republican and only less than a third have any interest in a third party. So, that's good news for Republicans. They're at least staying within the party. And if the big wigs can figure out how to get along with the grassroots and pull it together, it might work.
SANCHEZ: Here's the point though: Yes, they may be able to make it work as a party if they come together. But in places like Delaware, as people like Karl Rove will say, it's not going to be seen as a net gain to have someone like O'Donnell on the ticket going up against a Democrat in a state where something like 70 percent of the people call themselves either progressive or Democrat, right?
CRAWFORD: Yes, but you mentioned earlier, the turnout figures, so heavily lopsided Republican right there in Delaware. There was about 50 percent more turnout in that race yesterday than in previous years and what was expected.
So, that -- where's that coming from? In other words, what she's doing is pulling in a lot of nonvoters, traditionally nonvoters. And that's an old theory in politics, hit them -- him them where they ain't. In these low turnout elections, whenever a candidate can attract usually nonvoters to come in -- they can just blow out the gaskets. And that's what Obama did so successfully, is just -- is just that those voters he brought in seem to have disappeared in this election.
SANCHEZ: I had an old baseball coach who used to tell me just to do that very thing, hit it where they ain't, son. Hit it where they ain't if you want to base.
Craig Crawford, nobody does it like him -- my thanks to you for joining us on this tonight.
Folks, take a look at this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PALADINO: I've clearly stated that it is my opinion that this is not a question of freedom of religion. It is a question of ideology. And the people that are proposing this are -- the people that are proposing this are trying to hide behind a sacred right of the American people, the right to freely enjoy their religion.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: The full argument. See, he's backed by the Tea Party. And my interview with Carl Paladino is already starting to get a lot of attention. Wait until you hear what the man who shocked New York's Republican establishment tells you about Islam and abortion. Plus, he confronts me about the questions I ask. That's ahead right here.
Also, the former CEO of BP -- yes, Tony Hayward -- on the hot seat. The U.K. Parliament is grilling him, and he makes some surprising comments about the company's safety record. That's all coming your way right here.
Stay with us. This is RICK'S LIST. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SANCHEZ: Welcome back to RICK'S LIST in primetime, where we give you every night, more news and less bloviating. And we certainly don't tell what to think.
A month and a half into the worst oil spill in U.S. history, the chief of executive of BP uttered five words that may have doomed him, "I'd like my life back." "I'd like my life back." He got hammered for that. On October 1st, he's going to be replaced as CEO.
We start our list of people in the news tonight with Tony Hayward.
Hayward was grilled by British lawmakers today while trying to defend BP's safety record. He said that there's no evidence that cost-cutting played a role in the Gulf oil disaster.
Sorry about that, we don't have it.
But here is number two.
Bill Maher, the comedian and talk show host, was his usual outspoken self on "LARRY KING." And in case you missed it, Maher had plenty to say about the Tea Party and other issues. We hear more on that in a minute.
But, first, Larry asked Maher about terrorism and fringe Muslims.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LARRY KING, HOST, "LARRY KING LIVE": How big do you believe the Muslim fringe is?
BILL MAHER, COMEDIAN: Bigger than our fringe. I think it's sizable, but not the majority, for sure. I mean, the biggest population of Muslims in the world is Indonesia. They're not crazy. The second biggest is India, 150 million Muslims in India. They're not crazy.
But Saudi Arabia, they're crazy. The Taliban in Afghanistan, they're crazy. Parts of Pakistan are crazy. Hamas is crazy.
The tea baggers. The one thing they hate is when you call them racist. The other thing they hate is black people. But they won't say it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: There you go, only like Bill Maher can say it.
Who is the number one person on our list of people making news on this night?
That is Carl Paladino. He wants to be governor of New York but he most certainly does not want a mosque or an Islamic center anywhere near Ground Zero.
Now, his explanation for it is a bit bizarre. It has to do with dust particles. My explosive interview with him is coming up.
Also this --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She was there with a wig on. She had on a purple negligee.
LYON: Your 12-year-old daughter?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: Her 12-year-old daughter found on Craigslist. Our very own Amber Lyon takes this -- takes us through this journey -- a mother's journey of discovery. And it isn't pretty.
We'll be right back. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SANCHEZ: So, here we go -- what many of you have been waiting for. Who is the number one person making news on this night? It's a Tea Party candidate who just shocked the Republican Party, one of many, right? My explosive interview with him is already going viral.
His name is Carl Paladino, multimillionaire, wins the Republican primary for governor of New York. Totally unexpected. Well, he's going to go up now against the state's attorney general, Andrew Cuomo, whose father Mario was the governor. Cuomo is considered a big favorite, but in these times, what does that mean, right?
So, who is Carl Paladino? You wanted to know. So we put a call in to him. And he was kind enough to show up and answer questions, and here's where you find out.
Here now, our interview.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SANCHEZ: You say this proposed mosque is an insult to those murdered by a hateful ideology -- quote, you say, "an ideology the developers of this mosque refuse to denounce or distance themselves from." I mean, with all due respect, you're saying just the opposite of what Imam Rauf is saying. So, I guess you're saying he's just a big liar?
PALADINO: No, I guess it comes down to credibility, isn't it? Mine versus his.
SANCHEZ: What is yours?
PALADINO: I think that you have a developer there behind the imam who has illustrated in many different ways that he does support the radical Islamic movement. You have a guy there who was a dishwasher, and all of a sudden, he's a multimillionaire.
I think the American people can form their own judgment about the intent of this. What is -- what is so, so wrong with them relocating that mosque someplace else? What so wrong with that?
SANCHEZ: Well, no, and that's a perfectly -- and that's a perfectly fine argument, sir, and that's an argument that's been raised by people on both of this.
PALADINO: Right.
SANCHEZ: But you're going beyond that.
PALADINO: I'm going well beyond it in the sense that I'm talking about an imam who made prior statements about bringing Sharia law to America and having the Muslim community practice under the American Constitution their Sharia law. That's not -- that's not kosher for us. It's not something we can buy into, all right?
SANCHEZ: Well, but the questions is, though -- but the question is, though --
PALADINO: Well, you want to talk about his credibility. You're talking about his credibility, right?
SANCHEZ: No, sir, my job is to be correct. My job is to try and get the information --
PALADINO: And I'm being very correct because you're making an interpretation and I'm making an interpretation.
SANCHEZ: Well, but this is not about interpretations. This is about facts. It just seems interesting because you use this term, as I read your letter, and with all due respect, you accuse your opponent, Democrat candidate for governor, Andrew Cuomo, of taking the politically correct view in the case of the Islamic center being built in New York City.
That's an interesting choice of words, politically correct, because isn't, really, politically correct, is that which you chose which will ingratiate with a majority of people? A majority of people in the United States -- I mean, the easiest thing in the world right now is to beat up Muslims, which is what you're doing. That's politically correct, is it not?
PALADINO: Are you teaching me now?
SANCHEZ: No, I'm asking why you choose, why you're saying your opponent --
PALADINO: Are you teaching about political correctness?
SANCHEZ: Why do you accuse your opponent, who's taking a minority view in this case -- which most people would actually consider brazen, to take a view like this. It's not easy in the United States these days to defend people who are either Muslim or, for example, Hispanic. But you're saying he's taking the politically correct view.
Couldn't it be argued that you're taking the politically correct view?
PALADINO: No, I'm not politically correct. I never want to be and I never will be.
Rick, I understand you have some very liberal progressive views on this thing, OK? You believe in political -- the political correctness of those views. I don't, all right? I'm different.
SANCHEZ: No, no, no.
PALADINO: And I have the right to speak as I feel.
SANCHEZ: My job -- my job is to question you on the words that you have on this document that you sent to the people.
PALADINO: No, you're doing more than that. You're --
SANCHEZ: I'm asking you a question.
PALADINO: You're advocating --
SANCHEZ: Here's what you -- I'm not advocating anything. Here's what you say. "As governor of the state of New York, I'll have the legal power to use the state's right of eminent domain to seize this site and make it a memorial of which we can all be proud. That is exactly what I will do if I'm elected governor."
So, as a journalist, then, I ask you -- if you're so sure you can do this and this is what you've promised to the people who voted for you last night, how is it that you'll be able to do this? Under what legal grounds will you be able to take property away from those people? PALADINO: Well, we will -- we will declare it under the law to be a property -- a right for -- which is within the definition of public use, and as long as it is within the definition of public use, which comes -- which includes the zoning restrictions, then we would have a right to use eminent domain to place such a restriction over all the properties in that area.
SANCHEZ: Let me ask you some questions about your positions that people would want to know about. Same sex marriage, where do you stand on that?
PALADINO: No.
SANCHEZ: What is your position on abortion?
PALADINO: No.
SANCHEZ: Should a woman have a right to have an abortion if she's been raped?
PALADINO: No.
SANCHEZ: She should not? She should have to have the baby?
PALADINO: And the baby can be adopted. Yes.
SANCHEZ: What if it's a case of incest?
PALADINO: The baby can be adopted. Yes.
SANCHEZ: To what do you attribute, finally, your victory last night? Which was, by the way, according to a lot of people who've been watching this, a huge surprise.
PALADINO: It's a clear definitive message. We put out a clear definitive message of who we are and what we intend to do.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SANCHEZ: Carl Paladino. And we thank him for coming on. He says he'll be coming on again.
Now, the story of Martin Luther King betrayed by one of his own friends. This is our list of biggest controversies making news tonight, and we're going to begin with number three.
This is the late Ernest C. Withers. I want you to know him. He was a photographer given unparalleled access to get closer to MLK at the height of the civil rights movement than anyone. King trusted him because he said they grew up together. But it turns out Withers was an informant for the FBI. According to the "Commercial Appeal" newspaper out of Memphis, this is some of Withers' work.
Here we see Dr. King at the Lorraine Motel where he would be assassinated only two years later. And this unforgettable image, more than 5,000 sanitation workers lining up for this picture, carrying signs, reading, "I am a man." Part of a strike that led that day -- that was led that day by King. And this was just days before he was murdered.
By the way, it was announced that Withers gave information about that strike to the FBI, who King was meeting with. So how could someone so close hide such a big secret?
Andrew Young, the former mayor of Atlanta and U.N. ambassador who was right there with King and with Withers every step of the way, tells me he didn't know. He didn't know about this revelation either. But Young is giving me a rather surprising reaction to the news there. That was in essence a spy amongst them.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SANCHEZ: It's hard for people at home not to see this and be upset. And they feel like maybe this man betrayed the confidence of one of the most iconic figures in our history. How do you disagree with that?
ANDREW YOUNG, FORMER U.S. AMBASSADOR TO U.N.: Well, I don't disagree with it but you have to understand that our movement was designed to be totally transparent. He was our voice to the world.
SANCHEZ: But if he was that much of a trusted friend, why wouldn't you expect of him to say to you, by the way, guys, with a wink and a nod, Andy, you know what?
YOUNG: Yes.
SANCHEZ: I'm going to keep doing this but I'm working for the FBI. Why won't you expect him to be straight with you and Dr. King?
YOUNG: Because it wasn't that important to us.
SANCHEZ: How could it not be important to you, Andy?
YOUNG: Why? I don't know why it needed to be. We knew we were trying to change America. We knew our instructions from our lawyers were for us to inform the FBI and the Justice Department of everything we did before we did it. We had no secrets.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SANCHEZ: Interesting interview. Young also tells me that they knew everything they were doing back then was being recorded and they acted accordingly, but they didn't care because they wanted the world to know what they were doing. They believed it was right.
Here is number two of our controversies. Victims of the horrific deadly explosion that nearly wiped San Bruno, California, off the map, feeling victimized again. Some of those whose homes were damaged but not leveled are coming back to find that they've been burned once more. This time by looters, thieves, rummaging through their homes, stealing small but expensive valuables. One couple lost their engagement and wedding rings. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DANTE RAVELO, EVACUEE/LOOTING VICTIM: We were really glad to find that our house was, you know, in relatively good shape. Then all of a sudden I hear this -- you know, Jody's already screaming about how we've been robbed. So from there it was really just an awful feeling.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: And making news worse, that couple says their family's passports and social security cards were ripped off, leading to fears that they could soon become victims yet again, this time, from identify theft.
So what is the number one controversy on this night? A parent's worst nightmare becomes one mother's reality. Could this happen to any one of us? We're going to take you through this because it's something we can all learn from. That is next.
Also, imagine this job requirement, change your accent and you're hired. Simple, right? Brooke's going to join me in just a little bit with what is trending. This is your national conversation. Now, in prime time.
This is RICK'S LIST. Just the news. Lots of it, no bloviating. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SANCHEZ: I want to welcome you back. I'm Rick Sanchez. So glad that you're here tonight. I enjoy some of the tweets that you've been sending. Very nice. I appreciate it.
New developments tonight in the controversy that I've been keeping you posted on here on RICK'S LIST. This is tonight's number one.
Craigslist under fire and under investigation by CNN for its controversial adult services section. Its plans to keep that part of the site blocked to U.S. users after restricting it last month. So why are we coming back to this. You're saying we reported this, right?
Well, here's the thing. Those adult listings also include children. That's right. It's not just about adult selling sex, adults selling themselves. No, it's about children being exposed to this. Lots of them being offered up as sex slaves in some cases. And if you don't think this is an issue that's hitting close to your home, your community, well then you need to watch this. This is a CNN investigation. Correspondent is CNN's Amber Lyon.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
AMBER LYON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: OK. So, where are we headed right now? UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're going upstairs to her bedroom. She's a normal 12-year-old. Hannah Montana, the Jonas Brothers.
LYON: Do you sleep in her bed at night?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Just so I can feel basically have that connection.
LYON (voice-over): A mother's anguish. Her 12-year-old daughter lured away by a pimp on her way home from school in April. She's then sold for sex on Craigslist before the site closed its "adult services" section. She's also trafficked on another Web site, backpage.com.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A friend of mine told me to look on Craigslist and it almost blew my mind. I really didn't believe what I saw. She was there with a wig on. She had on a purple negligee.
LYON (on camera): Your 12-year-old daughter?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes. And one -- the other one was just her rear end. She was bent over.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Everybody wants to know when you look at a Web site and you see a list of prostitutes, how many of them are children?
ERNIE ALLEN, NATIONAL CENTER FOR MISSING AND EXPLOITED CHILDREN: Nobody knows what the real numbers are.
LYON (voice-over): Back in June, we asked Craigslist to estimate the number of potentially underage trafficking victims in its adult services ads. Their answer -- quote, "effectively zero."
ALLEN: That's not true. We have been able to find, locate and return home 54 missing kids on Craigslist. Now, that is a tiny fraction of what the total scope of the problem is. We found 12 kids on Backpage.
LYON: The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children gave us current missing child posters, all being sold for sex.
LYON (on camera): There are 52 missing persons posters behind me representing 52 girls, all under age 18, all missing right now -- Christina, Monica, Rachel. And The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children says all 52 of these girls are being sex trafficked. Erica, Ashley, Nicole. The vast majority of them being sold on the Internet.
We've got white girls here, black girls here, Hispanic girls, Asian girls. The youngest girl on this wall went missing when she was 13 years old. A lot of these have something in common. She may be in the company of an adult male. Over here, Christina may be in the company of an adult male. In this case, that adult male is most likely the pimp.
(voice-over): A group based in Georgia called The Future not a Past commissioned a study. They were focusing on the men who try to buy sex online with underage girls.
KAFFIE MCCULLOUGH, A FUTURE NOT A PAST: We wanted to know what's the scope of this problem in Georgia. And to me, the results were staggering -- 7,200 men a month buying sex from adolescent girls. It's like, just took my breath away.
LYON: There's no legal obligation for Web sites to report ads that might involve underage prostitution. Backpage.com told CNN the site includes links to help users notify The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children if they identify potential abuses. And back in 2008, Craigslist promised to, quote, "work tirelessly in tandem with key non-profits" and agreed to report ads to The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children when they seemed to involve adolescents.
But in a period of 15 months, Craigslist only reported 132 ads. That's 132 out of more than 700,000 adult services ads that it rejected. Ads that could have provided vital leads about children being bought and sold.
And that 12-year-old girl we told you about at the beginning, by chance she called home just as we were speaking with her mother.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You should be home with your family, with your friends, with the people that love you.
LYON: The first time they'd spoken in the two weeks since the little girl had vanished. Police rescued the 12-year-old girl and arrested a 42-year-old man and charged him with human trafficking. One girl rescued out of thousands.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How are you doing? Please step away.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sure.
LYON: Amber Lyon, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SANCHEZ: You may not believe this, a man running for political office is tonight -- boy, in these political times, I guess everything needs to be believed -- blasting girl scouts. Yes, the girl scouts come under attack. Wait until you hear why this man has said they could be a threat to America. We're calling him out on "The List U Don't Want 2 Be On."
Also, are you ashamed of your accent? There's a class for that. It's trending. So Brooke Baldwin is all over it. I'm still trying to work on my accent.
BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I know, Mr., English is your second language. How's it going?
SANCHEZ: Bingo.
BALDWIN: Exactly. Rick Sanchez, bingo. SANCHEZ: We'll be right back.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: I was just saying how I've interviewed a lot of really famous people from Fidel Castro to Gorbachev to presidents, et cetera, et cetera. And I don't often get star struck, but as Bobby Bowden walks into the room I am star struck. All right. It's like wow.
You're the best at what you do. And that guy is the best, right? Am I wrong?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SANCHEZ: OK, this is always one of my favorite parts of the show, because it involves one of my favorite people in the whole world.
BALDWIN: Ah, shucks.
SANCHEZ: Isn't that nice?
BALDWIN: That's so sweet.
SANCHEZ: So tell me more about these things that you just teased me with.
BALDWIN: OK. Well, I tend to be a teaser and I was on my trending stories. Well, let's talk about books.
SANCHEZ: Part of the job.
BALDWIN: Part of the job, indeed. Let's talk about books. You're writing a book, Sanchez. I think we've heard about that.
SANCHEZ: Done written it, as a matter of fact.
BALDWIN: Shameless plug. The president is writing a book. But no, it's not necessarily another memoir. This is actually a children's book. In fact, take a look at the cover. We have a picture for you. It's called "Of Thee I Sing: A Letter to My Daughters." This is illustrated by an award-winning artist, Lauren Long. If you can see the picture on the bottom, it's Sasha, Malia chasing after the first dog Bo.
But no, it's not about them. It's actually a story -- they're marketing it as this tribute to 13 groundbreaking Americans, Georgia O'Keefe, Jackie Robinson, George Washington, to name a few. Apparently this book was penned by the president before he took office. Proceeds to this, if you buy this, go to a scholarship fund for children of fallen or disabled soldiers. You can buy it, $17.99. Comes out November 16 published by Random House.
So that's the book. Leave it to Jimmy Fallon. He's already having a little fun with this book. Here's his tweet. "President Obama is going to release a fun, easy to read children's book this November. Yes, it's for ages Biden and up."
Ouch.
SANCHEZ: That's a cheap shot.
BALDWIN: Ouch.
Trending number two, accents. All of this relates to you tonight.
SANCHEZ: Yes.
BALDWIN: You had an accent for quite some time.
SANCHEZ: I didn't even know how to speak English for quite some time.
BALDWIN: And now look at you, Mr. Anchor man. So we're talking accents, we're talking jobs. And look, if you're looking for work, it may not necessarily what you're saying but how you're saying it --
SANCHEZ: Absolutely.
BALDWIN: -- that's keeping your unemployed. OK. Look at these guys. Accents. I'm talking northern, southern, Spanish speaking, they're all represented. A number of colleges across the country are holding these accent reduction courses to make you sound -- I guess, what's the right way to say it -- more American.
SANCHEZ: American?
BALDWIN: Thank you very much. So we have this one woman. She said she'd been looking for work for like three years. Her accent, you'll hear her, it's not entirely gone, it's better, and she now has work. Here she is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CLEMENCIA, STUDENT: I saw that at the end was my accent that was keeping me out of any position.
ALVARO DUFFLAR, STUDENT: There's a lot of people looking for jobs. And it's not only the way that you present your resume or your experience, but also the way that you express yourself.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So you are in the workforce already. Why take the class now?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: To continue my education and to be able to -- people to understand me better.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: That's fantastic. That's great. That's a good idea. BALDWIN: Helping people. Look, everybody kind of needs an edge, right, in this economy.
SANCHEZ: Absolutely.
BALDWIN: But a lot of people are weighing in because some people say -- well, let me just read it. Let's head on that way.
One tweet says, "Lose your accent, are you serious?
SANCHEZ: No, no, no.
BALDWIN: What's next, be forced to dye your hair blonde and wear blue contacts?
SANCHEZ: That's not fair.
BALDWIN: That's what some people are saying.
SANCHEZ: This is -- no, no.
BALDWIN: I'm just reading the tweets.
SANCHEZ: If you live in the United States, you should sound like people in the United States. It just makes sense if you can. It doesn't mean you have to.
BALDWIN: Doesn't mean you have to.
Tweet number two, "I have a southern accent." This one I like. "I have a southern accent. It helped me get my job, but I speak clear English. Boss is a man."
SANCHEZ: That's interesting.
BALDWIN: Likes the southern drawl.
One more. "I know I have an accent, been discriminated in certain cities."
SANCHEZ: Yes.
BALDWIN: So, a lot of people talking about accents but hey --
SANCHEZ: Just like people are discriminated when they just can't pronounce words right because you didn't get a good education.
BALDWIN: There you go.
SANCHEZ: so I mean, you know, it's not just about accents. Funniest thing is my mom and dad never learned to speak English properly to this day. You know why?
BALDWIN: To this day.
SANCHEZ: Because my brother and I always laughed at them when they tried.
BALDWIN: I'm sure they loved that.
SANCHEZ: That's mean. Thanks so much.
BALDWIN: Have a good day.
SANCHEZ: Girl scouts, a secret feminist training corps? Have you heard about that, Brooke?
BALDWIN: No.
SANCHEZ: Girl scouts. Secret training corps?
BALDWIN: Training corps.
SANCHEZ: Yes. Somebody is saying that. He's running for political office. And he, tonight, is on "The List That U Don't Want 2 Be On."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SANCHEZ: So who is on this night our chosen one? Al Qaeda's up there. These days bedbugs make the list. How about girl scouts? No. Yes. Time now for "The List U Don't Want 2 Be On."
I want you to meet this man. His name is Hans Zeiger. He's a Republican who's running as a congressional candidate in Washington State. He's written some provocative columns that are making headlines and raising some eyebrows. And in one of them, he takes a shot at -- are you ready for this -- girl scouts. The Girl Scouts of America.
Here's just a taste. Ready? Quote, "The girl scouts allow homosexuals and atheists to join their ranks, and they have become a pro-abortion, feminist training corps."
He goes on to say there that if the girl scouts can't teach real character, he'll look for cookies -- he'll look for his cookies somewhere else.
Well, I want to point out that Democrats have been the ones releasing much of this information. They're calling him extremist. You think? So we reached out to Mr. Zeiger. He tells us that he fully supports the girl scouts these days. That he made those comments at a ripe age, he was 18.
OK. To some, that explains it, he was 18. Maybe those words were written decades ago, we thought. But no, Heiger (ph), I mean, pardon me -- Hans Zeiger, he's only 25 years old. So it's not like that was that long ago. We get youthful indiscretion. We all did dumb things in our age. Come on, even at 18 years old, you thought the girl scouts were a threat to American society? And who's he going to go after next, Care Bears?
Hans Zeiger, at the very top of "The List That U Don't Want 2 Be On."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SANCHEZ: You love photos so let's give you "Fotos." Man, I love these stories. Makes me all warm inside. Ready for a variation on a cat in a tree? Here we go. Let's do "Fotos."
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ah, dios mio.
SANCHEZ: That ain't no kitten, folks, but it's still in trouble. Man, I love these stories. Here we go.
Portland, Oregon, a nearly one-ton camel gets himself, humps and all, stuck in a sinkhole last night. To the rescue firefighters with shovels and straps.
You tell them, camel. Several hours later, one relatively happy camel gets out. He's free, he's not hurt. I hope he gets a drink of water after that ordeal. Nice going, boys.
Next, they do things a little bit differently these days in Canada but everyone agrees that this is not the way to park your cement (ph) truck.
Watch, finally, remind to never -- which story are we doing here? Sorry about this. Got a different one.
Let's do the story about basketball. Watch him drain that one. Half court, through the rafters. You think he's practiced that one once or twice? That's "Fotos," folks.
You know, I thought a cement truck was supposed to blast right through that gym while those guys were playing basketball. But it was actually two different stories.
One more time. And -- oh, net.
All right. We give a book out every night. So, here's the one we chose tonight. This is the person who wins -- are you ready -- a copy of "Conventional Idiocy" goes to -- xyzChilledOut. His name is Clay Ard. Why? He writes the following. OK, Rick, bloviate is a word. I checked. You use it correctly. Do I get a book? Would love to have one signed."
Yes, you do. It's on the way.
Here now, "LARRY KING."
