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Don Lemon Tonight

More of Donald Sterling Interview; Fighting Sexual Assauly on Campus; 9/aa Memorial and Museum; Questions Regarding Hillary Clinton's Health

Aired May 14, 2014 - 21:00   ET

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

BILL WEIR, CNN TONIGHT HOST: Good evening, I'm Bill Weir. Welcome to CNN Tonight. And a lot to get to, from Donald Sterling's latest not so mea culpa to a campus problem that is far more widespread than we might think. And I'll talk to three bright young women whose ivy league dreams turned into a nightmare when each was sexually assaulted on campus. Now, they are going public, fighting the system they say traumatized them, all over again. This is a story every parent or every students need to hear the story. Plus, the Clinton's rebel (ph) in Karl Rove's brain-damaged bluster. Let's see how Bill punch back later.

Now, let us begin now more with Donald Sterling's exclusive interview with Anderson Cooper. AC back once more. You talked for a long time. But tonight, you got to the heart of the racism question, Anderson. Let's play this. I want to get your action.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: Do you think that is a problem in America? Racism?

DONALD STERLING: I don't think so. I think it is better than any other place in the world.

COOPER: You don't see it as a big problem here?

STERLING: I don't see it. I'm not -- you know, an African-American. You know, take -- Judaism and I don't think the Jews have any problem. I mean, there are a couple of people that they killed that are Jews, coming out of a synagogue, and you remember all that. But in general, I think America handles everything well. Do you think there is a lot of prejudice here?

COOPER: I think there is -- yeah, I think there are prejudices everywhere. But I do think there are different forms. There is institutional forms of prejudice. And then there is stuff that biases, that people have in their hearts.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WEIR: What struck you as you had that conversation about the disconnect between his words in one section, and those perceptions of America today?

COOPER: I think he disconnects in a lot of ways from regular people in a lot of ways. I think his money is a disconnect, the opposite about the life he can afford for himself. I don't think he has to kind of engage in stuff that he finds unpleasant or doesn't really want to do. So, I'm not sure how you know he reads up on things that are going on, how familiar he is with you know, institutional forms of racism and banking or you know, high mortgage loans for people. So, I'm not -- it just doesn't seem he has sort of made it a point to truly educate himself on certain aspects of society.

WEIRD: Right, probably not the kind of guy that knows, you know, the cost of milk or what it is like in a food desert, so to speak. He talks about a lot if I'm fair to somebody regardless of their skin color, that is proof of the lack of racism. Here is a sample of the logic on that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STERLING: I don't know, in the league of professional -- a guy comes in, he is a lawyer. I respect him. If he has done it and worked hard, and I wouldn't think he was any different than a white lawyer. I don't think -- I think America has worked well with that. Maybe not as well as the African-Americans would like. But you know, I'm a Jew, I watch what is going on with us, too. I think it is better than it has ever been. Doesn't mean there isn't you know, anti-semitism. There is a lot of it, especially in the south. But it doesn't matter.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WEIR: What is so brazen about this is you don't hear people talk like this in public, especially with a camera in his face. And I guess Magic said last night to you that he thought he is just living in the stone age. Is this what this is at the heart of this? The age?

COOPER: You know, I don't know. I think for a lot of people, you know, people have -- they see what they want to see or they see what they experienced in their own life, and don't make much of an effort perhaps to -- you know, for him to say in the legal system, he doesn't see racism. You know when he treats an African-American lawyer equally. I mean, obviously in the criminal justice system, you can make a strong argument for there are inherent inequalities, you know, even access to attorneys. If you look at the prisons, you know, the sort of imbalance in sentencing, on federal drug crimes over the years. I mean, there is a whole host of things you can look at and see institutional forms of racism if you want to. And some people can also look at those things and not see them.

WEIR: When you have a lot of money, you don't have to, I suppose is the lesson there. Anderson cooper, thank you, sir. I appreciate it. And two men who may differ on this. CNN political commentator Marc Lamont Hill on the left, Ben Ferguson on the right. Guys, good to see you.

MARC LAMONT HILL, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Good to see you, Bill.

BEN FERGUSON: Good to see you.

WEIR: I wanted to take this into the racial conversation and whether -- you know, it is interesting to hear him talk about V. Stiviano and all the really sort of tawdry details. But really this is a national conversation about race. I looked it up. Donald Sterling was 29 years old when Bull Connor was unleashing the dogs and fire hoses in Alabama. In his lifetime, he has gone from that being OK to being pillared in the national square. So, Marc Lamont, tell me what we've learned from this and where our conversation needs to go next.

HILL: I think where I'm most disappointed is where we haven't learned. We use this as an opportunity to say, look, America hates racism. Everybody, democrats, republicans. We all said what Donald Sterling said on the tape is wrong. In some sense we can have a collective sigh of relief and joy that America has moved forward, that a lot of people don't agree Donald Sterling. The problem is that is the only type of inequality or racism that we acknowledge. It is the foaming at the mouth. Sex and a kind of racism caught on tape, you know, that's one kind. That is the easy part. That let us off the hook. Donald Sterling was discriminating against people. We don't want to see that. The work place discrimination, housing discrimination, that's the stuff we don't want to see. Structure inequality. The drug war, mass incarceration, first class jail, second class schools. After that stuff is implicated by racism. We don't want to talk about it. We want to have it on tape because that's easy.

WEIR: We are talking about it now.

(CROSSTALK)

HILL: We're only talking about this stuff on tape, and how bad is that person. Even Adam Silver said I'm only dealing with what is on that tape. It would have been a bolder and courageous stand if people say look, you've been discriminating in the housing market to blacks and Latinos for decades now, that the DOJ came after you for. I don't want an owner who does that. That would have been far more courageous for me.

FERGUSON: I think a different issue is money, where were the African- American players in the NBA who knew they were going to play for this guy but he did not rent apartments for the Hispanics and African- Americans on purpose. Why would they agree to go play for the team then? Why would they not say to the NBA then I don't want to play for an owner who doesn't want to rent an apartment to maybe my mom or my sister, if they don't know they are related to me. That's the problem. But the issue there how many people are willing to move on if the money is right. And that is one part of this conversation. But there also is a bigger picture we should be looking at, and that is this.

We have in fact moved on a lot in this country. And we should grin about that. We should celebrate that we have moved on an awful lot from when this guy was in his 20s watching what was happening and Alabama. And we should be proud of that. But at the same time, can money excuse everything with racism when people overlook it? Yes, and all races did it. And Donald Sterling was the richest guy in the room, and other people got rich because of him. And they were willing to overlook the truth and facts of how he denied housing to single moms and minorities all the time. WEIR: But speaking of minorities, let's play another clip. It shows how he might have tried to insulate at least his conscience from this, throwing money at the minorities. Here is Donald Sterling.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STERLING: I like to help minorities. That is why I contribute $7 million to the children's hospital for minorities. I have only paid a million down, but I owe the balance. And you know, the united college -- the United Negro college fund, I've been supporting them for 15 years. The NAACP. I have been supporting them every year. I support minorities. God has been so good to me. I'm so -- if I'm talking too fast, I'm sorry. I'm so lucky. I mean, I am so lucky. And so, I want to give. That is what my life is all about. Giving and helping wherever I can.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WEIR: Giving a million dollars to the NAACP brings a lot of rationalization on both sides.

(CROSSTALK)

FERGUSON: Look at the corruption of the NAACP. They took the money knowing his past. And I think that is something else that should come out of this conversation. I mean, the NAACP was bought off by Sterling for a lifetime achievement award. He was given a lifetime achievement award, and they knew what he had actually done in his business. So, they're just as corruption as Donald Sterling on this issue. They were going to give him a second award because he bought access for a plaque he could hang on the wall, and say look, I'm not a racist. The NAACP said so and I gave a million dollars so they would stand beside me. That is just as corrupt as he is.

HILL: I don't know if I say it is just as corrupt.

(CROSSTALK)

HILL: Let's just be clear that was one chapter of the NAACP, not the entire national organization.

FERGUSON: But they took his money.

HILL: I'm not arguing that point, and we're in agreement. It is OK, we agree. With regard to the bigger issue, sometimes becomes plantocracy (ph), where people donate money and by virtue of the donation, they feel like they can have rule and tyranny (ph) over the people. (Inaudible) I feed them, I give them a little bit of money and clothes, it's OK. I can do whatever I want to them now. Donald Sterling feels like the $40,000 he gives to the NAACP somehow allows him to do what he wants with players and say what he wants, allows him to control housing markets in whatever way he wants. It is a troublesome mentality. But like I said earlier, if you would strap Donald Sterling into a polygraph right now and ask him if he is a racist, he would say no. He will tell you he was telling the truth. He actually believes what he is saying and he actually thinks he is not a racist. That is what is so dangerous about it. He makes no effort to eliminate the racism in his heart because he doesn't see it.

FERGUSON: I don't know if it is as much dangerous as it is sad. I mean, we are looking at an incredibly lost ignorant old guy who is incredibly rich who has been able to use his money to continue a life- style and to have people around him and say what he wants to. Including this young girl, she wouldn't have hung out with him and recorded him if he was not really a rich guy. So, he was used by her, and a lot of others, and guess what? He used other people as well.

HILL: You're so cynical, Ben. You're telling me attractive 30-year-old girls don't want to hang out with 80-year-old senile men?

FERGUSON: When we're 80, let's hang out and see what happens. OK?

(CROSSTALK)

WEIR: Marc Lamont Hill and Ben Ferguson, as always.

HILL: Pleasure.

WEIR: I appreciate it, guys. When we come back, your kids have been accepted at a top college. It's a big day, but are they safe on that campus? I'm going to talk about three young women who went public about problems on sexual assault on campus. Some are calling it epidemic. Each is a survivor and fighting back now.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WEIR: Now to the uproar against sexual assaults on college campuses, from the party schools in the heartland to the ivy league, 55 institutions are now under federal investigation, including Columbia University here in New York. Fliers titled rapists on campus have been circulating on campus there this week, while names of attackers are found scrolled on women's bathroom walls. A more formal (inaudible) by 23 rape survivors, who just filed a federal complaint, and you're about to meet three of them. They say they were too intimidated by the justice system, to call police, so we have no legal way of confronting their alleged attackers. But their stories are vital for every tuition paying parent, every incoming freshman, and everybody, hoping to reform higher education for the better.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I tend to think of wide-eyed, innocent, excited to be on campus.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I was very excited to be on my own, start my own path.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I was always going to be that girl who was going to come to New York and shine. I came here really ready for the adventure and feeling full of excitement and promise, which sounds so cheesy, but...

WEIR: No.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: But it really is true.

WEIR: No, that is not cheesy at all. That is what every incoming freshman thinks. It's all about possibility and no evil.

But for these three and dozens of others on this ivy league campus, that innocent optimism was shattered in the worst possible way.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I was out with some friends in the area. And we ended up going back to a university frat. And I was assaulted. And I was sexually assaulted by two men.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My first semester of freshman year, I was assaulted in my own dorm room by a quite close friend of mine.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I was sexually assaulted twice. The second semester of my freshman year.

WEIR: The style and location of their attacks varied, but in the days and months after, they all wrestled with the same kind of shame and confusion and self-doubt.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think like a lot of survivors, I had so internalized this idea that well, I shouldn't have been drinking. I shouldn't have looked for adventurous as to go to you know a house with people that I didn't know very well. So, it took me a really long time to even admit to myself that what I had experienced was rape.

WEIR: Were you lucid when it was happening? Did you understand?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Not really.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I had to combat all of these stereotypes about the stranger, rape, you know, it only happens in dark alleys at night. By psychopaths who you have never seen before in your life. That is not the case, most rapes occur between acquaintances, significant others, friends.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The first assault was by an acquaintance, someone I met earlier that night. And the second assault was by -- it was someone a lot closer and they were like in a position of authority.

WEIR: Were you aware in the moment that this is horrible, I want this to stop. And said so?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes. Yes. Definitely. And the first -- I don't know, it is kind of like I can't even count how many times I said no in the first assault. And it was not like a case where like he didn't hear me because he responded and said things like, why not? Or you don't have a boyfriend. Like he responded to my pleas to stop.

WEIR: This is the first time Sarah (ph) has ever spoken of this horror publicly. But like the others, she is motivated to come forward by what happened after her attacks. When she told one campus staff member what happened, Sarah (ph) said she was encouraged to go talk things out with her rapist.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They said return to the attacker's room to talk to him about the issue. So, that was her advice.

WEIR: Advised to go talk to your attacker and work it out?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: In his room, the place where I was assaulted. Yeah.

WEIR: And after her second attack, another staff member seemed fixated on her behavior, not his?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And the first thing he said was why were you drinking so much. And the conversation revolved for three hours around my drinking habits and my behaviors, and what I had done wrong. In both cases, I was held responsible (ph). And in the first case, which I felt was a very horrible, violent sexual assault, was only given one semester off school.

WEIR: Right.

YEE: He is currently on campus today.

QUARTA: Like Sarah, my assailant was also found responsible and was given one semester suspension and is currently back on campus.

RIDOLA-STARR: It is crazy what happened with (inaudible), because he actually pled guilty. He wrote a note acknowledging that he assaulted her. So, there was no question in anyone's minds that this was a violent person.

WEIR: How often do you see him?

QUARTA: I've seen him four times this now semester, unfortunately, in all of those experiences that have been very triggering. And I don't feel like I can focus or be calm on campus in class. Things like that.

WEIR: Were you hoping he would be expelled?

QUARTA: Yes. Yeah.

WEIR: But Sarah, what is it like knowing that the man who had not just a man, the men who attacked you are somewhere on campus?

YEE: It's very triggering, because it is so unexpected when you run into them. Because the Columbia's campus becomes a lot smaller once you're, you know, trying to avoid your sexual assaulter. And so, just kind of like writing a paper in butler library and seeing him walk through it's very triggering.

WEIR: And stories like these are one reason 95 percent of sexual assault survivors chose not to report their attack. Zoe is one of them.

RIDOLA-STARR: The university reporting system has a horrible reputation. So, the whole investigation and hearing process is really difficult and traumatic and exhausting. And at the end of it, you know, nobody is ever expelled. For many people, you know, we really want perpetrators just gone. You don't want to have to sit in the ding hall and run into your rapist. I just couldn't imagine putting myself to the process of having to justify what I went through. To everyone I can, people who were poorly trained and who I felt like would dismiss my story because I had been drinking.

WEIR: It is difficult to find people who want to diminish your story. But I found one woman, Heather McDonald, recently wrote quote, the reality on campus is not a rape epidemic but a culture of drunken hook-ups with zero checks on promiscuous behavior. You're all shaking your head. How bout that?

RIDOLA-STARR: I don't understand how you could hear people talking about like the worst night of their entire life. And trying to fight through that pain and talk about it. And then tell them that was you being promiscuous. You know, I think that's a level of cruelty and ignorance that I don't appreciate. And I don't agree with. And it doesn't reflect what so many people are experiencing. You're never done healing from an assault. You're never you know, great, I -- I'm done now.

QUARTA: It's over.

RIDOLA-STARR: It is over. It doesn't ruin you but it always something that you have to navigate and it becomes part of your identity. You know, I had my choice taken from me in one moment but I'm not gonna have it taken from me for the rest of my life.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WEIR: And Zoe's choice now is to lead a group called No Red Tape at Columbia and aim that reform. You can symbols of their movement everywhere on campus these days. We asked Columbia officials for an on-camera response, they declined. But issue the statement saying they are implementing measures, dedicating to preventing sexual assaults, supporting survivors and proving the adjudication among their promises, a changes to mandatory training for in-coming undergrads.

Teaching them, you know, the meaning of consent. Things like that. Improve access to peer advocates, heightened safeguards for survivors. Maybe keep them separate from their attackers. That's what the girls would like. And more events like town halls for serious discussions. But some lawmakers do not trust these schools to police themselves. So, when we come back we'll take you to Washington and talk to one powerful senator trying to shine a light on this problem. And she'll explain her fixes when we come back

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(START VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If I saw it happening, I speak up.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If I saw it happening I would never blame her, I'd help her.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Because I don't want to be a part of the problem.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I want to be a part of the solution.

FORMER PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON: We need all of you to be a part of the solution. This is about respect, it is about responsibility.

PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: It's up to all of us to put an end to sexual assault and that starts with you.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Because one is too many.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WEIR: Public servants announcement from the Obama White House, employing a little star power in their fight against sexual assault on America's college campuses, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, a leader in this fight. And she joins me now from the Capitol. Senator, good to have you here. Thank you for the time.

KIRSTEN GILLIBRAND, UNITED STATES SENATOR FROM NEW YORK: Thank you.

WEIR: We followed your fight against sexual assault in the military, and I understand your interest to speak on campus, when a couple of students showed up unannounced at your office. Is that what happened?

GILLIBRAND: Correct. What we've been hearing from survivors all across the country and at schools across New York is that they're experiencing real similar problems. It shouldn't be the part of the cost of education to have one in five girls being raped before they graduate.

And so, what we're trying to do is make it safe for our students to go to college campus and not be subjected to rape and sexual assaults. And so, that's what we're trying to do, we're trying to flip the incentives so more colleges not only report these crimes but maintain the safe environment that may(ph) requires.

WEIR: One in five is a staggering number. Do you believe this is an authentic epidemic that's happening? Or is this a case of historic under-reporting? What's going on?

GILLIBRAND: Well, I'm not sure. But I know that that number is unacceptable. And what I do know from listening to survivors is that not only do they have to be subjected to the worst degrading attacks, these brutal attacks but then they're subjected to a second betrayal. An institutional betrayal when the school they worked their whole lives to go to turns their back on them and doesn't either get rid of the rapist or listen to their answers. Or even in some instances, they've been retaliated against for reporting these crimes.

WEIR: Should that man, young man found guilty of anything along these lines, should that mean instant expulsion? What should happen in these cases?

GILLIBRAND: Well, the reality is these -- adjudication process in the schools has a lower standard of proof and they are found responsible not guilty of the crime that has been committed. But what we do see is that the counts are too low. Suspending someone for a few months is absurd. Making a woman who has been brutally raped by a peer in her school, to have a one year suspension where she knows she's gonna have suspend her whole senior year with this again isn't acceptable.

And it's not acceptable under requirements that these schools are required to do. Title one requires them to maintain safe environments, title two requires them to accommodate someone who is undergoing trauma such as post traumatic stress disorder. And they're not doing that. And so, we are going to hold them accountable, we're even flip the incentives and make sure that these schools have a reason to report the crimes. Which they are not doing. Over 60 percent of schools today are not reporting these crimes properly.

They have to report these crimes under the Clery Act, and then they have to make sure that they are preventing these rapes from happening and keeping a safe environment and that means holding perpetrators accountable.

WEIR: Now, you are drafting legislation, I understand. There was this task force, the White House announced. Which set ups some guide lines trying to do a little bit around the edge. But are your really gonna come at this with law that has a teeth?

GILLIBRAND: Yes, our goal is to put teeth into existing law. Right now the penalties for sexual assault or reporting these crimes to the Department Of Education are so low. The schools don't have an incentive to report. They'd rather keep it under the rug. And not admit to actually having a problem.

And so, what we're going to do is wee are gonna hold them accountable. We're gonna create transparency and accountability. We're gonna make sure we can assess accurately what's happening now in these schools. And then we're gonna make sure the schools who do not provide a safe environment and do not disclose the rapes are held accountable with really tough death penalties.

WEIR: And so, what's the penalty? Are you gonna withhold federal funds under title one?

GILLIBRAND: Well, we may change the amount fines they'll paying. And make sure their fines are actually hurt, you have a big school. $25,000 fine doesn't mean anything. We need to make sure these fine are painful. And we need the transparency because at the end of the day shining light on this issue is the most powerful tool we have.

When parents across this country know that a school doesn't handle the crimes properly, do not get rid of the rapists and get them off campus. Do not look after the women and men who are raped they won't send their kids there. So, we want accountability and transparency so that people can make informed decisions about what campus is truly do meet the title requirements and are safe.

WEIR: And what do you think of this movement? At least in Columbia, it was in the paper today of students trying to get accountability on their own. In almost a vigilante way of fliers, with the words rapists on campus are being passed out in girls bathrooms. The names written on the wall. What is that say to you?

GILLIBRAND: Well, what, it says to me is that people feel that the schools aren't doing what they need to do. And so, I've been incredibly inspired by a number of survivor's who have come forward not only to tell their stories but to demand action. And Columbia for example a number of survivors have come together to actually hold the school accountable. That's happened all across the country where you have women.

And men who are standing up and saying this is what happened to me. And this is how I was treated. I talked to advocates who were absolutely retaliated against by their schools for bringing the rape forward. That is so egregious. And we will change it. And it's the courage of these women and men to tell their stories that is going to spark the change.

WEIR: Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, it'll be interesting following your fight. We appreciate your time tonight.

GILLIBRAND: Thank you.

WEIR: All right. And coming up, the new 9/11 museum is opening to the public in just one week. Dedicated by the president tomorrow. But one families are outraged about what is inside this museum. I'll talk to its president next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAEL BLOOMBERG, FORMER NEW YORK MAYOR: I want the families to say this is a place to grieve. But the vast bulk of the people here will not be families. They will be people from around the world and you want them to understand the terrible tragedy that 3,000 people were taken from us by a handful of people who didn't like our freedoms. And that we cannot let that happen again.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WEIR: That, of course, is former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg talking to our friend, CNN's Jake Tapper. 9/11, of course, was a moment that a lot of us thought everything change. The moment that united us as New Yorkers as Americans. So, it's more than a little ironic that the new 9/11 museum has set off so many battles among New Yorkers.

It's official name is the National September 11th Memorial and Museum. The president will dedicate it tomorrow and it opens to the public one week from today. And joining me now, the president and CEO of the museum, Joe Daniels. Joe, good to see you. Thanks for being with us tonight.

JOE DANIELS, NATIONAL SEPTEMBER 11TH MEMORIAL AND MUSEUM RESIDENT AND CEO: Thanks you for having me.

WEIR: This is an impossible task I can imagine for the designers, for the organizers, how do you memorialize an atrocity? How do you decide that this picture of a falling person or that snippet of sound doesn't violate of the memory of that soul? What was the most difficult part?

DANIELS: Well, that's absolutely right. It is ultimately -- it's a balance. We understand that you know, it's 12 and a half years later. And for the family members that lost people that day it's still so raw for them. And we need to be respectful and express to the public the lives that these victims led and not just the deaths that they died. At the same time, we truly built this museum for future generations to show that when the times require, this country can come together.

It will come together. And it is a real powerful message for each of our visitors about what it means to be an American. So, that balancing has gone on from the beginning. But I truly believe that when people come here starting tomorrow and then we open to the public next week that they'll see that we achieve that balance pretty well.

WEIR: I do wanna bring in one protestor, we wanna be sensitive to this. And I can see that you already are. Rosemary Cane, is among the family members outside. Not happy with the opening of the museum. Her son, George was a firefighter who was lost that day. Here is a little bit of her idea of what she is opposed to.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROSEMARY CAIN, SON KILLED IN 9/11 ATTACK: I waited months for my son to be recovered, out of that hellhole. And now they're putting him back in there. What is respectful about that?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WEIR: A museum is not a cemetery, her -- some of the signs read there. So, there are remains actually interred in the museum itself? Or how does that work?

DANIELS: You know, one of the statistics that is still so shocking about 9/11 is that 1100 victims were never identified. That means for 1100 people, families they never got to go through that very basic ritual of burying their loved ones and laying them to rest. We made a commitment to the families years and years ago that these remains would be treated respectfully. So, we built an office for the New York City Medical Examiner in private space at what is called sacred bedrock, separate from the museum, not available to the public, so, that these unidentified remains could repose at this sacred place. The New York City Medical Examiner continues to do identifications. And each year, somewhere one and five I.D.'s completed to happen. My heart as the heart of everyone, who works here goes out to the families that never received remains. But this is a very sacred and respectful place that will not in any way, be available for the public to be a part of.

WEIR: I'm a neighbor of yours down there. I watched that thing get built. And it used to drive me crazy, when you see those guys selling postcard pictures of the towers of flame at the tourists going through. So, I kind of understand that the sentiment by some today, who see that the admission fee is $24 and you have a gift shop selling souvenirs. Explain the difference. DANIELS: You know, the bottom line, is that this museum, at the end of the day what's most important, is what is that the stories it tells, the artifacts it shows helps to fulfill our promise to never forget. And at this museum, I believe each person that walks through it will feel that their experience was well worth it. And I really believe it will make people look at their sons and daughters or their neighbors or total strangers just a little bit differently after they walk through it. We have to pay for it. We have to make sure this museum is available forever for everyone. So yes, we do have an admissions charge, 9/11 family members will always be free. Every single person that worked on the historic rescue and recovery period will be free. But for the general public for the tourists that are coming from all around the world, you know, paying $24 to learn and see and understand what this city and what this nation endured is well worth it. Other institutions of this size and of this importance receive on-going federal funding. This museum certainly deserves that. We're working with our elected officials here in New York to try to make that happen. But it is worth the price that people have to pay.

WEIR: Well, from the reviews I have read it sounds incredibly powerful. Can't wait to get down there and explore. Joe Daniels, thank you.

And coming up, if you thought the Clinton camp would take questions about Hillary's health lying down, well, you didn't really think that did you? When we come back the former first couple fight back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KARL ROVE, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: She had a serious episode, a serious health episode, this was a serious deal. I mean, she basically is out of action from -- she is in and out of the office for starting on the 7th of December after she returns. She returns on a Friday from the Czech Republic. But then it begins an over a month long period, where she has a serious illness ending up putting her in the hospital. We don't know what the doctor says about, you know, what does she have to be concerned about. We don't know about what -- she has hidden a lot.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WEIR: That was Karl Rove on Fox News yesterday, not exactly backing down from his suggestion that Hillary Clinton has got something to hide, when it comes to her health. Not a lot of republicans jumping on the band wagon, but at Clinton camp, they seemed to loved this, especially, the big dog himself, Bill Clinton, 2016 here we come. And joining me now, CNN's chief political analyst, Gloria Borger, buzz feed senior political writer, McKay Coppins, good to see both of you. McKay, what was your reaction when that story crossed yesterday? The Rove brain damage, maybe.

MCKAY COPPINS, BUZZ FEED SENIOR POLITICAL WRITER: Well, what's funny is you're right a lot of republicans haven't joined the band wagon, because A, they think it is too early to be engage in this kind of stuff. And B, they know it can back fire very easily. That said he may be the most prominent republican to say this publicly, but I have talked to a lot of republicans on background, and off the record, and from democrats who have raised these questions and these issues, you know, not on the public stage. So, I think that this is going to be an issue that continues to trail the Clintons as they head toward 2016. The question is how are republicans going to handle it in front of the cameras.

WEIR: And if she just keeps going like the energizer bunny, but here's --Gloria, let's watch, Bill Clinton today handle this and we got a few laugh lines out of it, listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BILL CLINTON, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE U.S.: First of all, I've got to give them credit, you know, that embodies that old saying, that consistency is the hob goblins of little minds, first they said, she faked her concussion, and now they say she auditioned for a part on The Walking Dead. Now, they say she's really got brain damage. Well, she does, and I must be in really tough shape because she is still quicker than I am.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you think this is a way of inserting her age or physical capabilities in the 2016 debate?

CLINTON: I don't know, but if it is. You can't be too upset about it. It's just the beginning. They will get better and better at it. I mean, you know, I'm just here waiting for a good myth(ph), there was nothing in the white water.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WEIR: Gloria, what's the discussion like it -- in the Clintons house right there?

GLORIA BORGER, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL ANALYST: You know, here is the thing, if you get in trouble or you have a problem or somebody attacks you, you don't want anybody other than Bill Clinton defending you, right? Because he did it with exactly the right tone, I mean, Hillary Clinton, gave a speech, did not mention it. Bill Clinton was the chosen surrogate. He did it with humor. He tried to belittle Karl Rove. He tried to belittle the entire story with some success. And he also in Bill Clinton's own way gave us a little news because he said they're going to get better at it. I think that presumes that perhaps Hillary Clinton is actually running. And also he told us a little bit more about what Hillary Clinton went through. He said it took six months of very serious work to deal with the ramifications of her fall, which I don't think is something I'd ever heard before. So, you know, if he admitted that she had a problem but then he said, you know, if she's got some problems with her brain, then I don't see it because she's quicker than I am.

WEIR: Well, how do you account for Rove's timing on this? What do you think the motivation is?

BORGER: For Karl Rove's motivation?

WEIR: Yeah.

BORGER: I think, you know, I think this may have happened at a speech that he gave, that he didn't anticipate was going to be on tape. But, I do believe that what happens in campaigns and I think this week shows us that we're starting a new, believe it or not, aggressive face(ph) of the 2016 campaign, we haven't even had the midterm. I know, I'm sorry to say that. But, I think what happens in campaigns is that you start narratives about candidates early on. John Kerry was an elitist. Mitt Romney, remember didn't pay his taxes or didn't care about the poor. Hillary Clinton, maybe this is another way of talking about her age or maybe she's not up to the job. So, you kind of bury it early on and then it gets out there in ether(ph) and the echo chamber and it continues.

WEIR: It was they onto something about that. So, the other size, McKay, Chris Christie said today, he does not think Bridgegate will impact his political future. He says he's still thinking about the presidential run. What do you think?

COPPINS: Yeah. I mean, he has no choice other than to say that, of course. He's not going to say, yes, that is going to be the end of my career. I think that...

(CROSSTALK)

WEIR: He could be less committal about you know...

COPPINS: Sure, of course.

WEIR: If he could knock it down more.

COPPINS: Well, I think what you -- what we should be looking for as we go forward is, you know, how many republicans in the establishment particularly big donors, the money crowd, the people who were Chris Christie's biggest champions before the scandal came to view, what are those people going to think of Chris Christie in six months or so? After the mid terms, are they going to say, you know what? Maybe we should give this guy a second chance, because really the establishment has so far failed to, you know, bring up another champion as high profile and talented and articulate as Chris Christie. You see Marco Rubio, Scott Walker, Jeb Bush, all these names have floated around, but Chris Christie at his best is very politically talented. The question is will the GOP establishment get over Bridgegate and give him the money he needs to really drive into a republican primary.

WEIR: And what do you hear, Gloria, about Jeb Bush, his enthusiasm?

BORGER: You know, I -- look, I think after Chris Christie had all these problems that there are a lot of funders out there, who suddenly became very interested in Jeb Bush, because more than anything else, they want to win. And they want somebody who can be an inclusive candidate. What they liked about Christie is that, you know, you elect presidents and reaction to the one that went before. So, if Barack Obama is cool and no drama Obama and a little bit more of the academic, Chris Christie is the truth teller in your face. If it suddenly turns out that Chris Christie is not the truth teller that they thought he was, then they start looking elsewhere. But Jeb Bush carries a lot of other baggage. So, they're going to have to see how he conducts himself, what happens with the Christie investigation. I think what this does is makes the establishment kind of hold back a little bit more to see how this all plays out rather than committing early.

WEIR: But not us. We're talking about it and there's 798 days to go.

BORGER: Having Bill Clinton back there was just like old times.

WEIR: It's all right. Fun to watch.

BORGER: Yep.

All right. Gloria Borger, McKay Coppins, thank you very much. Thanks for being with us. When we come back, we've got a miracle baby and hero cat and sisters who actually like each other. We're gonna return our palate next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WEIR: I don't know about you, but there are times in the news cycle where I could use a little palate cleanser, a little lagniappe for the soul if you will. Some good news, and three stories crossed today that made me go what? Really? Yay. And as unrepentant dog lover, I've got to start with the one, because I rarely give props to the felines of the world, but after what happened in Bakersfield, California, my allegiance is beautifully confused. Take a look. This is a 4-year-old named Jeremy riding his bike, minding his own business when a neighborhood dog escapes the yard, comes out from behind the SUV and attacks -- chomps on Jeremy's leg. Bad move considering Tara the family cat doesn't like anyone messing with Jeremy. Obviously, didn't get that whole dog-cat flow chart memo. After a few stitches, his family says that, Jeremy, you better watch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Is Tara a nice cat?

JEREMY TRIANTAFILO: (Inaudible) Stay here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WEIR: They're a loop, Jeremy, get used to it. Another family thanking their lucky stars, when a miracle baby, 1-year-old, Musa Dayib, fell from an 11 story balcony in Minneapolis and incredibly survived. It was mulch -- a big pile of soft mulch. Both his arms are broken and breathing with the help of a ventilator. The doctors expecting him to make it, Dr. Tina Slusher says, wow.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. TINA SLUSHER, HENNEPIN COUNTY MEDICAL CENTER: It's a gift from God to the family, because he shouldn't have made it.

(END VIDEO CLIP) WEIR: Memo to parents, lots of mulch around the house.

And finally, 13-year-old twins Chloe and Claire Gruenke were competing against each other in an 800 meter race. Southern Illinois state track meet and suddenly Chloe felt something pop in her leg, fell to the ground. No way she could finish the race. Her sister rushed to her side and absolutely no fanfare, just picks up her twin, puts her on her back, sets off for the finish line. But it gets better. Just before the finish, Claire and Chloe, (AUDIO GAP) puts her down, gives her a chance to cross first. Nothing doing -- the ssters cross together, finishing last, leaving their coach in tears, proving that nice girls apparently do finish last, and there's absolutely nothing wrong with that.

I feel better. How about you? You're welcome.

That's all for us tonight. "CNN SPECIAL REPORT" with Don Lemon starts now.