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Panel: Combine Pap and HPV Tests; TSA Testing New Screening Plan; Blagojevich Heads To Prison; Panetta Meets With Afghan President; Syrian Tank Destroyed; Karzai Wants U.S. Troops Moved; Obama To Giver Energy Speech This Hour; Jury Deliberates In Rutgers Trial; GOP Candidates On The Trail; Insider's "Toxic" View Of Goldman Sachs; Goldman Sachs Stocks Lose $2.15B; Ohio Village Underwater; Hamm Stands by Kardashian Criticism; Blagojevich Reports to Prison Today; Crimson Pride

Aired March 15, 2012 - 10:00   ET

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

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: The TSA is testing a new series of procedures to modify screening for elderly air travelers. People 75 years old or older will be able to leave their shoes on as well as light outer wear, as in light coats, and there will be fewer pat- downs.

The TSA has been criticized for aggressive screening of elderly passengers. The agency says the proposed changes will help screeners manage risks.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CARRIE HARMON, PUBLIC AFFAIRS MANAGER, TSA: We're trying to move from a one-size fits all approach to security and look at more of a risk-based security program.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: The trial program will be conducted at airports in Chicago, Orlando, Denver and Portland, Oregon.

And good morning to you. I am Carol Costello. This is what we're watching now. Disgraced former Governor Rod Blagojevich is on his way to jail. He left his home this morning and basked in the love for the last time.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FORMER GOV. ROD BLAGOJEVICH (D-IL): Saying goodbye is the hardest thing I've ever had to do. It's going to be hard. Clear conscience, but I have high, high hopes for the future.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Blago will spend the next 14 years in a Colorado prison.

A day of big developments in Afghanistan as that country's president meets with the U.S. secretary of defense as angry Afghans protest.

We learned the U.S. soldier accused of slaughtering 16 civilians has been moved out of the country. And there's another headline. We'll have that for you in just a minute.

Extraordinary YouTube video out of Syria. A man quoting from the Koran as what appears to be a government tank explodes.

Today marks one year since Syria's uprising began with a day of rage. It is clear the rage has not let up.

Just days after an American soldier slipped out of his combat outpost and allegedly massacred 16 villagers, Afghanistan's president is demanding change.

Hamid Karzai wants U.S. troops pulled out of remote areas and move back to their main posts. Sara Sidner is in the Afghan capital of Kabul. So Sara, how is the U.S. military likely to receive this?

SARA SIDNER, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes. It's interesting because for this whole time, we've been hearing that they are not going to change the overall mission, even considering some of the things that have happened in the past three months, including this U.S. soldier accused of massacring 16 civilians.

This could put a crimp in that, at least hearing from President Karzai asking that international forces move out of the villages and remote areas of Afghanistan and back to the larger bases.

And then, further saying that he would like international forces to finish up their transitional period in 2013, a year earlier than they had planned on doing that. How is that gone over?

We do not have any official statement yet from Defense Secretary Leon Panetta who is here speaking to Mr. Karzai. As we understand our sources tell us that, it seems he and his people have been caught off guard by this.

So it will be interesting to hear from him when we can. Furthermore, Carol, you had mentioned that there is some violence in the country. We understand there has been a roadside bomb that hit a station wagon, killing nine children and three adults -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Sara Sidner live for us in Kabul.

The Pentagon says it will not be releasing the soldier's name until he is charged with a crime. So here is a quick rundown of what we know about him this morning.

Military sources tell us he is a staff sergeant in his 30s with a wife and children. He's an infantry sniper trained to fire fatal shots from up to 800 meters away.

The suspect suffered a traumatic brain injury in 2010 during his third and final deployment in Iraq and his medical history is now part of the investigation, which is being handled by the U.S. military. President Obama, he has an energy speech ready to go. That will happen later this hour. He's speaking at a community college in Maryland. Maybe he'll talk about gas prices.

A month ago, around the time he gave his first energy policy speech, prices average dollars $3.51 per gallon. Today, they're running $3.82.

White House correspondent Brianna Keilar joins us now and what can we expect to hear from the president this time around?

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Carol, it will be some of what we've already heard from the president. He has a very big challenge and that is trying to convince voters that high gas prices are not his fault and that he's doing everything he can.

So expect to hear him, again, talk about how there's no silver bullet or quick fix for gas prices and also trying to frame his energy policy as an all of the above approach, not just renewable wind energy, wind solar.

But also oil and gas production because he has been known certainly more for renewable energy and having made green energy such a priority. He will try to make the point, as he's done before.

That domestic oil production is at an all-time high and that if the answer were really just to drill and create more oil and gas production, the prices would go down. That's an argument that he's going to try to refute.

As he try toes really refute some of the arguments from Republicans who are saying that he's standing in the way of some of those kinds of production -- Carol.

COSTELLO: It seems like his campaign is ratcheting up a bit because Vice President Joe Biden will be out and about. I guess he's going to Ohio to talk to union people.

KEILAR: Yes, that's right. He'll be in Toledo, Ohio and all of the time we're wondering, OK, when does this campaign really start? It sort of feels like the president is definitely making his case as he has, but a couple of very tangible examples today with Vice President Biden's remarks at a campaign event.

He will really be making the case in a very strong way and this should be seen as Biden really stepping into the fray here for the first time. Also, the Obama campaign is releasing a movie.

We saw the trailer last week for this movie called "The Road Less Traveled," which is directed by an Oscar award winning director trying to create some of the energy among Obama supporters.

Because polls do show, Carol, that some of that enthusiasm they had in 2008 is lacking this go around and that's really a challenge for the campaign to re-ignite that.

COSTELLO: Brianna Keilar live at the White House. Thanks so much.>

A reminder for you, the president does speak, he's going to give him big energy speech from the Prince Georgia's community college that it's in Maryland. That's now scheduled for 10:55 Eastern. Of course, we'll carry the president's remarks live.

It was a story that helped sparked a national debate on cyber bullying. But did a college student intimidate his roommate who later committed suicide? A jury is trying to decide just that. We'll have more on that next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Jury deliberations are now under way in the case of a former Rutgers University student accused of using a webcam to spy on his gay roommate's intimate encounter.

That student Dharun Ravi is accused of spying on his roommate with one of his female friends. She struck a plea deal with prosecutors and testified during the trial.

Ravi's roommate, 18-year-old Tyler Clementi committed suicide by jumping off the George Washington Bridge. Randi Kaye takes a closer look at the lives of both boys behind this tragedy.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Like many universities, Rutgers randomly assigns a roommate for each of its new freshman. So it was pure chance Tyler Clementi and Dharun Ravi came to share a room here at Davidson Hall.

(on camera): They grew up about 60 miles apart from each other in New Jersey. Before school, Ravi lived here with his family in Plainsboro, an upper middle class suburb about half an hour from the Rutgers campus.

(voice-over): Ravi graduated from West Windsor Plainsboro North High School. In his senior high school year book, Dharun Ravi was named best dancer.

He was well known for break dancing. He also played ultimate frisbee. Those who know him tell us he was a good student. Some say he led a charmed life.

(on camera): Clementi grew up here in Richwood, New Jersey and graduated from Ridgewood High School. In a statement, his family described him as, quote, "a fine young man and a distinguished musician."

(voice-over): Tyler Clementi excelled at violin. He had been accepted to the prestigious graduate level symphony orchestra at Rutgers.

KYNAN JOHNS, DIRECTOR OF ORCHESTRAS, RUTGERS UNIVERSITY: He possessed a technical ability that far exceeded some of our final-year graduate students on his instrument.

KAYE: Two 18-year-olds, very different young gentlemen. One introverted, one an extrovert, roommates for only three weeks when the events that would lead one of them to take his life began.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: Randi Kaye reporting. I want to bring in Matthew Cordeiro. He is the president of the Rutgers University Student Association. Welcome, Matthew.

MATTHEW CORDEIRO, PRESIDENT, RUTGERS UNIVERSITY STUDENT ASSOCIATION: How is it going?

COSTELLO: Pretty good. I was just wondering, this trial has been going on for, what, 13 weeks now? It's now wrapping up. Can you give me a sense of how this trial is being felt at Rutgers?

CORDEIRO: Everyone knows about it. It's on the forefronts of everyone's mind. As this whole kind of case tragedy has been for the past 18 months, every student knows about it. It's been on the cover of the student newspaper for the past week. It's pretty big news here on campus.

COSTELLO: You know, Mr. Ravi, he could be convicted of a hate crime or found guilty of a hate crime. During the trial, though, things didn't seem to cut and dried.

At the beginning of this one, we find out Mr. Clementi committed suicide, everyone has sort of demonized Dharun Ravi. After paying attention to the trial, do you have a different impression of Mr. Ravi?

CORDEIRO: Definitely from students I've talked to and in my own observations, this case is really complicated. I think a lot of students know that what Ravi did was plain out wrong and shouldn't have happened.

But now I do think students are looking at this case and are people making an example of Ravi? Does the punishment kind of fit the crime? Students are asking themselves this.

Definitely, I think that students still understand that what he did was wrong and there still needs to be some sort of punishment, but this whole big trial, how it's ballooned into somewhat epic proportions.

I do think there is -- there's students that understand the complexity and, you know, sometimes their attitudes change when new information arises.

COSTELLO: Right. Have there been any changes at the school as a result of this case?

CORDEIRO: I would say that there are two big things. One, Rutgers was already a pretty inclusive place. But now the administration, students and faculty have really come together to ensure that no matter what your sexual orientation, your race, your creed, that you're really welcomed here at school.

But the second thing is there have been some policy changes here at the university. We now have a floor and a dorm, a gender neutral space so students of different identities have a dorm that they can live in where they really do feel comfortable.

COSTELLO: Yes, it's tough when you get on campus and you're rooming with this person that you've never met. That's tough, anyway, right? And when you room with someone -- go ahead.

CORDEIRO: I think that definitely is tough, but because Rutgers is so diverse, I think in most cases that works out pretty well because you get to meet someone from different background.

It is part of the overall learning experience here. Although I was a freshman here, I had a roommate who came from a very different background. In the beginning, you know, it was a learning experience.

And I think most students have a pretty positive experience of it and, unfortunately, this time it didn't seem to work out so well.

COSTELLO: Matthew Cordeiro, president of the Rutgers University Student Association. Thank you for being with us this morning.

CORDEIRO: Thank you for having me.

COSTELLO: Sure. Bye, Matthew.

At this moment, we won't have Rod Blagojevich to kick around anymore. The disgraced former Chicago governor is on his way to a Colorado prison for 14 years.

He had a big send off this morning as his neighbors gathered around him and showed him some love. Yesterday, Blagojevich called a news conference to talk to the media and thank his supporters.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BLAGOJEVICH: Everything I talked about doing when it came to campaign fundraising and political horse trading I believed was on the right side of the law. The decision went against me.

When I became governor, I fought a lot. And maybe I fought too much and maybe one of the lessons to this whole story is that you have to be maybe a little bit more humble. You can never have enough humility and maybe I could have had more of that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Lest we forget, Blago was convicted on 18 counts including trying to sell President Obama's old Senate seat. We'll talk to a "Chicago Sun Times" reporter who covered Blagojevich extensively. That's coming up soon. GOP candidate Newt Gingrich, he's talking right now. You see him there in Barrington, Illinois. The state is holding a primary on Tuesday. And of course, Gingrich is hoping to pounce back after failing to win primaries in Alabama and Mississippi on Tuesday.

Here is a look at where the other candidates are today. Ron Paul is in Missouri and Rick Santorum is in Puerto Rico, which holds its primary on Sunday.

Reeling against Wall Street in a culture that he calls toxic, one executive from an iconic firm goes public with his resignation. And you won't believe the shock waves it's caused. We'll have more on that story, coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Now for an update on that "New York Times" op-ed that's been making headlines and I mean big headlines. A Goldman Sachs executive rocking the boat when he wrote a scathing op-ed calling Goldman Sachs toxic.

Here's a snippet in case you missed it, quote, "It makes me ill how carelessly people talk about ripping their clients off. Over the last 12 months, I have seen five different managing editors refer to their own clients as muppets," end quote.

Alison Kosik is at the New York Stock Exchange. Wow, it's like an earthquake struck Wall Street, isn't it?

ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Yes, you can say that again. You know what? Traders I've been talking to, Carol, they say, you know what? This guy has guts to resign this way, so publicly and leaving that trail of smoke behind him.

But they're thinking, you know what? I'm not too sure if it was the best way to quit, but think about it, you know, he definitely burned some bridges on this one. You know, with one trader telling me that Greg Smith's tone in this letter to the "New York Times" is vicious.

But they're -- you know what, not surprised by what he says. I also spoke with Josh Brown, he's the author of "Backstage Wall Street." He says, you know what, it's about business. People are in it to make money. That's why they're here. These things happen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOSHUA BROWN, V.P. OF INVESTMENTS, FUSION ANALYTICS: There are going to be people that make caustic remarks. You go into the kitchen of a restaurant and the customer sends the food back, the chef may call a customer a muppet.

So I think this is just like any other business. The difference with Wall Street is that it kind of is running the show politically for so long and so people grab on to these types of things as an opportunity to vent. (END VIDEO CLIP)

KOSIK: And others are coming out cheering Smith, give him a high five for highlighting how little the Wall Street culture has changed for the better just three years after the financial crisis -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Of course, Goldman isn't so happy about that op-ed. Its stocks plummeted yesterday. So what's been their response?

KOSIK: By the way, its stock is up about 1.3 percent as we speak, but that's the market for you. What's Goldman's response? You know Goldman. It has a reputation to defend and they're defending it.

The CEO coming out and saying Goldman was voted as one of the top places to work in the U.K. That's where Greg Smith lived and worked. Goldman also saying that the firm has ways for the employees to complain anonymously then they go ahead and look into those claims.

But Carol, Goldman also says that this is the first they're hearing about these complaints from Smith -- Carol.

COSTELLO: So he didn't make any trips to HR?

KOSIK: Apparently not. He took the "New York Times" route. Leave in a blaze of glory, why not, right? Burn a few bridges.

COSTELLO: Yes. Alison Kosik, thank you.

The president seems to be playing it safe with his March Madness picks. Why not a Cinderella story? We'll give that question to the "Political Buzz" panel, that's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: The weather is so beautiful over most of the country, but certainly not in Hebron, Ohio. This in Licking County that's east of Columbus, Ohio. You can see there's massive flooding here.

Licking County, Hebron is a small community, lots of farms as you can see and lots of farmland flooded right now. In fact, earlier we were looking at pictures with people in boats.

An emergency official there telling us two-thirds of the village of Hebron is now under water. As you might imagine, some rescues are under way. Some people are stranded in their homes, in their cars.

The dive team in Licking County is suiting up, ready for any kind of emergency. Meteorologist Rob Marciano is here. Was there a massive downpour here? What happened?

ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: We had -- yes, hefty thunderstorms rolled through the area and more have been developing on the back side of it. You're familiar with this area as you mentioned east of Columbus.

Here are the storms that rolled through. These were severe this morning, but mostly because they had some hail and a decent amount of quick winds with them, but, obviously, some rain. Some radar estimates -- and this is as far as where this is.

It's right here. So the first batch of rain is just beginning to move out. But you can see there's more pockets of moisture back here in this disturbed areas that's beginning to roll through, as well.

Seven inches of rainfall fell estimated by our Doppler radar here just east of Columbus and that's why we're seeing the flooding in this area. And it doesn't look like we're seeing a ton of clearing behind it. So they've got their hands full here in the next few hours -- Carol.

COSTELLO: I know you'll keep your eye on it, see if anybody is in any real danger there. Rob, thank you.

"Political Buzz" this year, rapid fire look at the best political topics of the day. Three questions, 30 seconds on the clock. Playing today, Pete Dominick, stand up comedian and political talk show host on Sirius XM radio, Patricia Murphy, founder and editor of Citizen Jane Politics and CNN contributor Will Cain. Welcome to all of you.

Hi. Thanks for being with us this morning. First question, Rick Santorum campaigning in Puerto Rico says if it wants statehood, it has to take on English as the official language. So he's campaigning there for votes. So is this smart politics or not -- Patricia?

PATRICIA MURPHY, EDITOR, CITIZEN JANE POLITICS: I don't know if it's great politics in Puerto Rico. I think it's good politics for the rest of the country, certainly for the Republican base.

Actually, 87 percent of Americans think English should be the language of the entire country. I'm quite sure that 100 percent, maybe 90 percent of Republicans would like to see that be the official language of Puerto Rico if Puerto Rico did become a state.

In Puerto Rico itself, that's not as popular. A significant number of people don't speak English in Puerto Rico, but I think he's talking to the entire country not just Puerto Rico. So it's good politics for him for now.

COSTELLO: Will.

WILL CAIN, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Patricia stole my stacks. The polls are overwhelming, 80 percent of Americans think English should be the official language. So your question specifically, is it good politics?

The answer is an overwhelming yes. I will say this Patricia stole that info from me. It wouldn't be the first time. In the 1800s, Louisiana made its way into the nation.

The Congress put requirements on Louisiana for English as official language and same thing in Oklahoma in early 1900s. So it's happened before, it's not unprecedented.

COSTELLO: I feel well informed now. Pete.

PETE DOMINICK, COMEDIAN, POLITICAL TALK SHOW HOST: The U.S. constitution doesn't designate English or any other language nor a requirement for a territory to speak it to become a state. Is it good politics?

I don't think so. The Republican Party is having a hard time to getting Hispanics to come their way. Maybe he's just mad because Mitt Romney won the only other island state.

He wants to make Puerto Rico a state so he can actually win it. But the arrogance, Carol, the arrogance of him going into a country where they speak Spanish and say, you should speak English. I can't wait until American tourist show up and Jose, I ordered some food. Don't you speak English? Come on.

COSTELLO: OK, question number two. There was a report from Reuters that said between basketball games and fancy dinners, President Obama and British Prime Minister David Cameron talked about tapping emergency oil reserves to keep the economic oil recovery on track. Do most of us even understand this issue? Will.

CAIN: No, clearly, we do not understand gas prices. Their role in the free market and their role to the presidency specifically. We think the president has some kind of control over long-term or even kind of marginally short-term gas prices when he clearly does not.

Americans don't understand it, specifically regarding strategic oil reserves. It's like walking through the deserts. You have a canteen of water on you and the slightest bit of thirst. You open it up that canteen and take a little swig.

I mean, the market would soak up quickly whatever we put out to the strategic oil reserves. We'll be right back where we started from and then have an empty canteen when a real emergency occurs.

COSTELLO: Pete.

DOMINICK: Will is exactly right, first of all. I totally agree. And no, Americans don't understand and politicians don't understand very well, either.

What can be confusing about the U.S. wanting to, you know, tap the SPR with the permission of the IEA and OPEC with the purpose of counterbalancing saying potential rising fuel cost for -- you know, help the nation -- economy recover.

Really nothing. Americans -- Americans don't realize that problems takes sometimes a long time to be created and solutions take a longer time. That's why a lot of Americans are buying that shaky weight, you know that you shake to lose weight. It's not working. You have to do cardio and you have to eat right.

COSTELLO: I can attest to that -- I can attest to that because I got one for Christmas.

DOMINICK: Oh, Carol, Carol.

COSTELLO: And it doesn't work, just like --

DOMINICK: Eat right and exercise.

COSTELLO: I'm trying. Patricia.

MURPHY: Americans understand every time they go to the pump that it costs more. They understand that it takes money out of their wallets. I don't think they fully understand Will's point that the President doesn't have a whole lot of control, certainly in the short- term.

But it wouldn't be the first time that the President released from the -- from the oil reserves. (inaudible) He's done it before. He did it during the Libyan crisis. It did slightly help to stabilized prices but there's so much more that goes into it, the rise of India and China, the diminished value of the U.S. dollar on global market.

So there's so much more topping the reserves it didn't help that much but it could stabilize it a little bit.

COSTELLO: Got you. Ok, your "Buzzer Beater" now 20 seconds each, third question.

President Obama makes his pick for March Madness. No underdogs or Cinderella stories in his picks. This does not smack of hope and change please, discuss. Pete?

DOMINICK: Oh, Carol, come on. Well, there's -- there's no doubt there's politics behind this to how public he makes it because Americans relate to this. Americans all over are filling out their brackets right now or they should have already.

But yes, he's not -- look, I guess maybe when he gets re-elected, he's going to pick the University of Phoenix online and come out strong for gay marriage because it won't be as risky. And yes, he picked UNC because it's a swing state. Come on this is him trying to relate and he's a huge basketball fan unlike Romney who is a big fan of the owners.

COSTELLO: Patricia.

MURPHY: Yes, there is an alarming number of swing states on that list. I want to know where Vanderbilt is, my alma mater. Look for them. They're going to be -- they're going to be players in this one. That's my hope.

DOMINICK: They're not.

MURPHY: And my change -- they have not ever done it before.

COSTELLO: Let's not hope it might change. Will.

CAIN: I'm going to outsource this because the "New York Times" wrote an article the other day saying what your bracket says about you. And if you pick all favorites, it says that you believe societal order must be preserved at all costs and that disagreeing with the wisdom of the selection committee is the first step towards anarchy.

That's what it mean and if you pick upsets, you're for hope and change. It basically says that, I swear. One man can change the world if you go for upset.

COSTELLO: That is insane.

(CROSSTALK)

DOMINICK: Carol.

COSTELLO: Yes.

DOMINICK: Go Syracuse today at 3:00 p.m. I had to say it I'm sorry.

MURPHY: Vanderbilt at 4:00 p.m.

COSTELLO: Okay, well, see I picked Ohio State to win it all, but I really love Loyola.

MURPHY: Oh my God.

COSTELLO: I have a T-shirt.

DOMINICK: Oh, look at that.

CAIN: Look at that.

COSTELLO: I love Loyola of Maryland because I'm really involved in that community because I most recently lived in Baltimore so I'm torn. So Loyola should be my upset.

DOMINICK: Carol has lived in so many places, she's not sure who to root for any more.

COSTELLO: I know. I'm so confused.

Thanks to all of you for playing today. I appreciate it.

CAIN: Thank you Carol.

MURPHY: Thanks Carol.

DOMINICK: Thank you.

COSTELLO: And this reminder, stay with us for President Obama's big energy speak -- energy speech rather. He'll be giving that speech from Prince Georges Community College in Maryland. It's now scheduled for 10:55 a.m. Eastern. We will carry it live.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Actor Jon Hamm says he does not regret not for one single solitary moment calling Kim Kardashian an idiot.

"SHOWBIZ TONIGHT" host, A.J. Hammer live in New York. You guys talked to Jon Hamm and he doesn't regret it.

A.J. HAMMER, HLN HOST, "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT": No, apparently no regrets here, Carol. Although Jon Hamm is clarifying his remarks that appeared in "Elle U.K." magazine saying, he wasn't specifically calling Kim K an idiot in his interview when he said this, "Whether it's Paris Hilton or Kim Kardashian or whoever, stupidity is certainly celebrated. Being an (EXPLETIVE DELETED) idiot is a valued commodity in this culture because you're rewarded significantly."

I guess it's all about context or subject to interpretation but Kardashian hit right back. For her part she defended herself on Twitter. She called Hamm's remarks "careless" and pointed out how someone of her success could hardly be an idiot.

So last night when "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT" caught up with Hamm at the Hollywood premier of the new season of "Mad Men", we had to ask him if he regrets what he said about her and here's what he told us.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JON HAMM, ACTOR: No, I don't. I don't mind it at all. I believe in that. I think we are as a culture sort of wallowing in this celebration of the wrong things. And you know, I never said anything personal about anybody in particular. That was taken a little out of context. But I do believe that it's -- it's an unfortunate place we're in. But hey, here we are. We've made our bed.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: So there you have it. And I guess they're successful for their own reasons and let's leave it at that.

COSTELLO: Well, I was just going to -- don't think this -- don't think this segue is mean or anything. I was going to say, and I will say it, let's go to a talented actress, Charlize Theron because there's reason to congratulate her this morning.

HAMMER: Yes, there is. Charlize has a brand new baby. Her publicist is telling "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT" Charlize Theron has adopted a child, she is a proud mom of a healthy baby boy named Jackson. But that's it for all the information we're getting Carol. Theron has been very open in the past about her hopes to have a child one day.

In fact, in "W" magazine back in 2008. She said "I've always known that I'd be a mom from the time I was a little girl." It's her first child. So of course we wish her and Jackson all of the very best.

COSTELLO: Congratulations. Thank you, A.J.

Want information on everything breaking in the entertainment world? A.J. has got it tonight on "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT" at 11:00 a.m. Eastern on HLN.

In this morning's "Daily Dose" a U.S. health advisory panel says women no longer need to get a pap test every year and can, in fact, wait five years in between screenings. The panel says the test for the human papilloma virus or HPV that causes most cervical cancers combined with a pap test is enough screening. They also point out the risk of cancer death doesn't increase with a longer wait time.

Well, the press won't have Blago to kick around anymore. The former governor gets his one-way ticket to Colorado and federal prison. The drama, the bizarre TV appearances, the corruptions, the hair, the rock star treatment, that all stops now that he's trading his clothes for inmate duds. We'll talk to a "Chicago Sun Times" reporter next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: One thing you can never accuse Rod Blagojevich of is shyness. Just over the past 24 hours, we've seen a circus surrounding his voyage to prison. He's heading to Colorado to serve 14 years. Check out his house this morning. You would think he was a rock star leaving on tour.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROD BLAGOJEVICH, FORMER ILLINOIS GOVERNOR: Saying good-bye is the hardest thing I have ever had to do. With heavy heart, clear conscious but I have high, high hopes for the future.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: And the circus continued from the house to O'Hare airport. Before he got on board the plane for his one-way trip to Colorado, he stopped to pose for pictures with fans. And of course, this comes not even 24 hours after a news conference at his house where he was surrounded by reporters and even some fans.

But his love for attention goes back well beyond the past couple of days. Remember, he was on "Celebrity Apprentice" that aired in 2010.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(CLIP FROM "CELEBRITY APPRENTICE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Donald Trump said he appreciated Blago's tenacity and his "never give up" attitude. But eventually Trump fired him just four episodes into the season. Blago says he learned valuable lessons from the show.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BLAGOJEVICH: Life is filled with ups and downs. Sometimes you win and sometimes you don't. The real test of who you are is how you deal with it. I was not going to sell out, Brett (ph). I think it would have been very disloyal and very wrong. I'm the project manager. I take full responsibility and I got the boot.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: And remember Blago on the green screen? He was picked to be on the reality show, "I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here" in 2009, but couldn't leave the country to be part of the cast and that was because of those inconvenient charges he was facing. His wife took his place on the show.

Excuse me -- But let's not forget why Blago was going to jail. He was convicted last year on 18 corruption charges, including trying to sell President Obama's senate seat. Remember this phone call that the Justice Department taped?

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

BLAGOJEVICH: I've got this thing and it's (EXPLETIVE DELETED) golden. And I'm just not giving it up for (EXPLETIVE DELETED) nothing.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

COSTELLO: What can we take away from the Blago spectacle, anything? Or will we forget about Blago by tomorrow? Natasha Korecki is from the "Chicago Sun Times". Welcome.

NATASHA KORECKI, "CHICAGO SUN TIMES": Good morning.

COSTELLO: Take a look at this mob scene outside of Blago's house yesterday. I know you don't have to because you were there. Blago's publicist called the media and they came. You know, he's surrounded by Blago lovers. He's a convicted crook. What gives in Chicago?

KORECKI: Well, you know, Rod Blagojevich over the last several years has become sort of the anti-hero (inaudible). He's gathered a little bit of a following on the one hand. On the other -- you know, some of his lawyers yesterday were complaining that where was the outrage? They thought that Blagojevich didn't get a fair trial and he should have gotten -- the public should have risen up and been a little more outraged about it.

I think the spectacle that you saw yesterday was sort of everybody feeding off of each other. You know, Rod Blagojevich's lawyers thought it was a good idea if he addressed the public just to sort of, you know, let's talk to everybody at once because they knew it was going to be such a spectacle of people, of the media constantly hounding him. But then it just grew upon itself. I mean it was like nothing I've ever seen before.

(CROSSTALK)

COSTELLO: Well, in the midst of it -- I mean in the midst of this -- I mean he gave a campaign-style speech, too, which was very strange. But Blagojevich's 4-year-old daughter popped up by his side. You twitted about that. You said, this is your tweet, "Blago walked through media horde with youngest daughter. She yells at us, 'ask questions later'. So here is this little girl beside her dad, who's going someplace, she probably can't understand. I don't know, it was just ugly.

KORECKI: It is an interesting dynamic. On the one hand, they're saying leave us alone, respect our family. On the other, he's walking through this crowd of media. She's around 8, his youngest daughter, Annie, and he's walking her right through this crowd. And so, you know, she's in the midst of all of this.

When he came out to talk to the microphones later in the day to give his statement, she was with him. And I mean the crowd almost -- people were trampling each other. There were so many people there. It was unbelievable.

I got knocked back twice and somebody caught me twice. There was literally nowhere to put your feet. (inaudible)

COSTELLO: Ok. So I was trying to, like, I don't know, figure out some deeper meaning to this spectacle and what Americans should learn from this. Have you figured out anything?

KORECKI: I don't know about a deeper meaning, but I will say this. You know, I did think that Blagojevich's statement yesterday had a great deal of humanity to it. I thought a lot of people -- it resonated with a lot of people, what he actually said to the public.

Some of it was, yes, what we've heard before, vintage Blagojevich, his campaign, you know, his campaign speech. But some of it was, you know, very humane, very compassionate, talking about Patti, talking about staying up late at night, his God, where he's going, that kind of thing. You know, it was interesting that he still wasn't -- he's sort of taking responsibility, but really not.

He still called it political talk. He still referred to it as horse trading. Those were the big issues at trial where the prosecution said, no, this went beyond typical horse trading.

COSTELLO: Yes.

Natasha Korecki from the "Chicago Sun Times" thank you for being with us this morning.

KORECKI: Thank you.

The NCAA tournament resumes in less than two hours. One school playing today is known for producing presidents more than NBA stars.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's really humbling that we could achieve something here that has never been done before when so many things have been done before.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Coming up next, Harvard returns to the tournament after 66 years.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Are you done adjusting our big bracket?

ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: I'm still getting used to these specially made brackets for at least the next two to three weeks.

COSTELLO: Yes, exactly. So we're talking about March Madness, obviously. Everybody is excited about it especially because tonight we have these things called the 5-12 matchup. Bizarrely, the number 12 team always seemed to beat the number five team or upsets the number five. So what is it about that?

MARCIANO: Yes. Well, I think it's at least one time in the last 20 or so years, there's been at least one upset where the 12 team beat the 5 team. I don't know. I mean Vegas knows better than me. I also know this about the Vegas odds. When that 12 team beats the 5 team, it has a 50 percent chance of winning at another game. So if you can pick that, you'll do well in your bracket, which by the way, are up here.

Now, you know, I practiced this yesterday and this ball is supposed to bring -- look at that. It brings up all of our pictures. And where are you?

COSTELLO: Right here.

MARCIANO: Ok. So we can look at Carol's bracket. You have -- let's just see what you have in the final four.

COSTELLO: I think we agree on our 5-12 team.

MARCIANO: Do we?

COSTELLO: Yes.

MARCIANO: So you have -- no, you're going with BCU, I believe.

COSTELLO: Yes. You don't have that?

MARCIANO: No.

COSTELLO: Oh, well, then we don't.

MARCIANO: Yes. You're going with BCU and I'm going with Wichita State. BCU, they made a deep run last year.

COSTELLO: Big defense.

MARCIANO: Shaka Smart -- got to love the coach's name -- but they lost a lot of their offense but as you pointed out early during the commercial break, they have a good defense. COSTELLO: That's right.

MARCIANO: So we'll see about that. And then the Harvard scenario, playing Vanderbilt today, as well.

COSTELLO: Well, that's your Cinderella team -- Harvard right?

MARCIANO: No. I'm going for Vandy as well. But being an Ivy Leaguer, I struggled with this because my Cornell, big red, two years ago made it to the sweet 16. So I'm thinking, you know, Harvard could have a chance. They've got the Jeremy Linsanity scenario going on. So that would be a trendy pick. But I think they're going to have a tough go after -- you know, Vanderbilt took Kentucky in the SEC championships.

COSTELLO: Right. I'm more a blue collar girl. I'm not an Ivy League kind of gal.

MARCIANO: Either way, it's going to be the smartest game team in the tournament when Vandy plays Harvard, that's for sure.

COSTELLO: That's right.

Well, let's talk a little bit more about Harvard because they are making news. And what -- they haven't been in the tournament for 66 years. So Mary Snow went to Harvard to talk to the folks about that enormous achievement. Let's listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It wasn't long ago that the most famous basketball-playing Harvard alum resided in the White House. Then Lin-sanity struck. In February, New York Knicks guard Jeremy Lin catapulted putted to the top of its alma mater basketball history, making Harvard hoops cool.

And now, there's this.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Harvard and the champions of the Ivy League with reason to celebrate.

SNOW: For the first time in 66 years, the men's basketball team is in the NCAA tournament and Crimson Pride runs deep.

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Arne Duncan, my Secretary of Education played at Harvard. I will be rooting for Harvard, but it's just too much of a stretch.

SNOW: Even Harvard's bookworms are taking notice.

KEITH WRIGHT, HARVARD SENIOR FORWARD: You see students and they're giving you high-fives and telling you good luck, and congratulations. These are people that you've never talked to before, never seen before.

SNOW: That's what the coach Tommy Amaker was hoping for when the Duke alum arrived in Cambridge in 2007 with a mission for his recruits.

TOMMY AMAKER, HARVARD HEAD COACH: Why not be a game changer? That's what our school has been known for in many different ways. To change the game, to think outside the box, to be different, to literally change the world.

SNOW: Harvard has certainly done that by producing eight U.S. presidents. But the future politicians and world leaders shared this ivy-covered campus with a mediocre basketball team, until now.

KYLE CASEY, HARVARD JUNIOR FORWARD: It's really humbling that we could, you know, achieve something here that has never been done before when so many things have been done before.

SNOW (on camera): Harvard students aren't used to all this March Madness stuff and they got little chance to celebrate when the team finally made the tournament last week. That's because they were in the middle of doing what they are used to, studying for midterms.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I heard because it was talked about in the dining halls and everywhere on campus.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I can tell you I didn't expect to go to school where there's big basketball and we did and it's been fun.

SNOW: Have you heard any rumblings about the NCAA tournaments?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My bad, not really.

SNOW: Would it be fair to say before a couple weeks ago you didn't care about basketball?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That's probably true.

SNOW: And now?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Now, yes, let's go to March Madness.

SNOW (voice-over): Sports can be as fickle as politics. Case in point, Lin's Knicks no longer have a winning record and the Crimson's fortune could be even more fleeting with just one loss sending them back to campus. But with the team on the map in Harvard yard, courting future players may not be as hard.

AMAKER: At the end of the day which we always tell them, the worst thing that happens to you here is that you become a Harvard graduate. That's not too bad.

SNOW: Mary Snow, CNN, Cambridge, Massachusetts.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: 16 games beginning on tap today beginning at noon Eastern. Here's how you can catch all the action. Every tournament game is live on either CBS, TBS, TNT or TruTV. And if you're away from your television, you don't need to worry. Watch online at ncaa.com/marchmadness.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: And now the Vice President is getting to ready to speak. You're taking a look -- a live look at Toledo, Ohio, where the Vice President will get behind that podium.

But I'm going to turn it over to Kyra Phillips and she's going to talk more about that.