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Stimulus Plan Compromise; Lake Erie Rescue; Picking Up Pennies
Aired February 07, 2009 - 19:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Feeling the heat: Lawmakers frantically working in Washington on that stimulus package. Are they making any progress to help you?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That's 13 cents.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You're standing in the sewer, picking up a penny. Are you feeling any humiliation or embarrassment at all?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm really proud about it.
(LAUGHTER)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: See a penny, pick it up. It's not just the homeless doing it these days. More and more of us are doing it just to survive. Tonight -- the faces of recession.
Ice traps: Hundreds of fishermen trapped in the middle of icy Lake Erie.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You've got to have common sense. And if there was a section on Ohio revised code about common sense, we would have had 150 arrests out there today.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: No common sense? We'll ask one of the rescued men about that live.
History of a hate crime: Now, half a century later, history does not repeat itself. A former KKK member asked congressman and civil rights icon, John Lewis, for forgiveness. Both men join us live.
And the news starts right now.
Good evening, everyone. I'm Don Lemon.
We know you are watching and waiting on lawmakers to do something about this disastrous economy. And the folks up on Capitol Hill, well, I think they get it now. So senators spent this Saturday working. So far, though, no stimulus just yet. Some senators from both parties say they don't like the $780 billion compromised stimulus bill that's been hammered out in recent hours. But it looks like there will be enough senators who do like it, just enough, to pass a measure on Tuesday. Senators debated during a rare Saturday work session, reflecting the sense of urgency sparked by Friday's horrifying unemployment numbers.
The compromise cuts down the original bill by more than $100 billion. But even after it passes the Senate, it will have to be reconciled with the House version of the stimulus bill. A key Republican moderate says that process must not -- must not be used to change the terms of the Senate compromise.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. SUSAN COLLINS, (R) MAINE: If the bill comes back from the conference committee with a lot of wasteful spending reinserted or if it comes back in excess of the $800 billion, it will not have my support.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: President Obama's chief of staff was in the room for last night's compromise talks on Capitol Hill. In the president's weekly address to the nation, today, Mr. Obama turned up the heat on lawmakers.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PRES. BARACK OBAMA, UNITED STATES: Because if we don't move swiftly to put this plan in motion, our economic crisis could become a national catastrophe. Millions of Americans will lose their jobs, their homes, and their health care. Millions more will have to put their dreams on hold.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Senate Democrats had proposed a $900 billion stimulus package. After negotiations, the price tag drops to $780 billion for now. The package still includes $14 billion in Pell Grants, $3.5 billion for energy-efficient federal buildings, and $7.5 billion for education grants.
What's been taken out? $25 billion for education, $16 billion for school construction, and $122 million for Coast Guard cutters and ice breakers.
Well, the economy will no doubt be a big part of President Obama's first primetime news conference. That comes your way Monday night at 8:00 p.m. Eastern. And, of course, you can see it live right here on CNN, 8:00 p.m. Eastern.
While the politicians haggle, millions of Americans are struggling just to make ends meet. And for thousands of state workers in California, well, times just got a whole lot tougher. They're having to stay home two days a month, without pay, under a new furlough program. More now from CNN's Kara Finnstrom and our faces of recession.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JANE TRENZ, CALIFORNIA STATE WORKER: Yes. They're closed every first and third Friday of the month.
KARA FINNSTROM, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Jane Trenz works for California's Department of Motor Vehicles. She's one of 200,000 state workers who were told to stay home Friday without pay. Trenz and hundreds of state employees across California showed up anyway.
Protesting the two-day-a-month furloughs ordered for the next 18 months.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What are we going to do?
FINNSTROM: Trenz isn't sure what she's going to do either. In this tough economy, her family budget was already tight. Now she's getting hit with a nearly 10 percent pay cut.
TRENZ: I have a family and I have six grandkids. We're not able to make the money that we need to make for our own families.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Layoffs are possible and who knows what will happen, you know? It's a nervous time. It's really bad.
FINNSTROM: A really bad time, too, for the state of California. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is grappling with a projected $42 billion shortfall and a legislature gridlocked over what to do. He says the alternative was layoffs. The furloughs are expected to save the state $1.3 billion.
(on camera): California officials say twice a month, about 90 percent of state offices will now shut their doors. The exceptions: critical agencies like fire stations and money-making ones. But all kinds of other workers, from engineers to social workers to employees at DMV offices like this one will now feel the pinch.
(voice-over): DMV workers were already dealing with long lines. We saw them, earlier in the week.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The last time I came here, I had to wait three hours. The lines are a little ridiculous.
FINNSTROM: Friday, the first Californians turned away voiced frustration.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Nothing we can do, right? Just keep hoping, right?
FINNSTROM: And worry.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Certainly an inconvenience, but I'm more concerned about people not being able to go to work right now.
FINNSTROM: Fears about what such a drastic move, the state's first- ever furloughs ...
FRENZ: Who is to blame? I don't know.
FINNSTROM: ... says about the dire state of California's economy.
Kara Finnstrom for CNN, Los Angeles.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: We want to know what's on your mind about this. It's a very tough economy out there. Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, or iReport.com. A lot of you are already writing in to us.
Here's what Lmoon001 says, "I'm eating at home more and staying away from buying anything other than what's necessary. It's hard, though." And Rashiki says, "Spending when I absolutely have to. I am totally debt-free and a supersaver. Never wanted to be like the "Joneses." And Jenni Lewis says, "Optimistic about economic recession, but worried about finding a job when I graduate, even though I know I am well-qualified."
We will continue to share your comments throughout this hour, right here on CNN. Make sure you log in send us your comments.
More than 100 people had to be rescued from icy Lake Erie this afternoon. The Coast Guard says it plucked 150 fishermen from a giant ice floe near Toledo, Ohio. The Coast Guard says two people fell into the water and one later died. The fishermen were on a massive sheet of ice when it broke free from land.
Earlier today, CNN spoke with a local sheriff who says the fishermen had no business being out there.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VOICE OF SHERIFF BOB BRATTON, OTTAWA COUNTY, OHIO: The people should not have been out there. I take a whole different approach. In our financial status, going across the country, this was wrong. These people endangered lives of volunteer firemen, the United States Coast Guard.
I have estimated already we're well over $25,000 for this and I'm sure that's going to climb. I'm sorry a man lost his life out there today. These people should have known better.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: That was one of the rescuers earlier today on CNN. And one of the people rescued was Cory Comar. He joins me now by telephone.
Thank you, sir, how are you feeling?
CORY COMAR, RESCUED FROM ICE FLOE: Good, good.
LEMON: You're feeling good. What do you think about what the rescuer said, that it was not good common sense for you guys to be out there in the first place?
COMAR: Well, I disagree with him. I think that, you know, he doesn't know the situation, first of all, that there was an ice breaker, a bolt that broke through around 9:00 to 10:00 o'clock -- broke the ice up, allowed the ice to be able to give away. So, the combination with the wind and the ice breaker made this situation -- this situation normally doesn't happen. This is the first warm day we had. The ice was at least 16 inches thick.
And, you know, we pay taxes. He got to do his job. And it's very disappointing to hear him say that. He should -- it's part of his job. I'm sorry that we had him do his job.
LEMON: OK. I'll let you guys deal with that. But were you given any warning about the weather, because it was warm today?
COMAR: No, not at all. We -- about 10:00 o'clock the night before, we checked hour-by-hour forecast. We called down to a couple of bait shops to check the ice before we headed down. There was no forewarning about this at all.
I talked to friends that were out yesterday. The ice was in great shape. You know, so we felt very confident going out there. Once we got out there and realized that, you know, when we've seen the boat go through, I didn't think nothing of it, you know? But then we seen our lines shift in the hole and right then we knew that we broke free.
LEMON: Got a couple of questions for you. I understand that you're a close group of fishermen who go out there. Tell us, if you can, what was going through your mind? What did you think as this was going on?
COMAR: Well, at first, you know, we were just driving around on four- wheelers, trying to find a way out and no one was really talking, you know? People were quiet. You could just see it on their face of, what are we going to do?
So I finally made a phone call to my wife to let her know to contact the Coast Guard and let them know of the situation and then Coast Guard contacted me and asked for our GPS coordinates.
LEMON: So, they got there about 30, 45 minutes later. Do you know the gentleman who lost his life?
COMAR: You know, I'd seen the guy go in and I don't know if it's that gentleman or not. There's two people that went in. The one that went in off of the -- when they were rescuing the four-wheeler, we got him into an ice shanty, got him dry clothes, got some heat in there. And then I went out to contact the Coast Guard, because they had already left and we -- I raced up to let them know that another guy went in the water.
LEMON: Yes. You could see it on their faces, I'm sure.
COMAR: Oh, yes.
LEMON: Are you going to go ice fishing again? COMAR: No. I'm done. I'm just going to -- I'm going to stick to summer fishing.
LEMON: OK. We're glad you're OK and we hope the rest of the guys are OK as well. Best of luck to you, Cory Comar. Thank you.
COMAR: Thank you.
LEMON: Meantime, let's go to Coatesville, Pennsylvania, where a $20,000 reward has been posted to catch serial arsonists. Local officials now say at least 23 deliberate fires have been set this year alone, all of them in or near by the city of Coatesville. That's not far from Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia, I should say.
The most recent was a mobile home last night. It was destroyed, but no one was hurt. State officials have given Coatesville $500,000 in arson relief. Coatesville officials last year logged 15 arsons.
Massive wildfires burnt out of control in Australia. People are hunkered down. Firefighters are on the front lines. And this ...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HANK AARON, BASEBALL LEGEND: I feel like, a few years ago that -- when I was chasing my dream -- that if somebody didn't step in and say, "Hank, keep chasing, keep doing this," then I would have not have had the chance to be a homerun hitter.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Well, he sure realized his dream despite the odds. Baseball great Hank Aaron -- well -- turns 75, can you believe it, and celebrates in a very big way. You don't want to miss it.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: It could be the worst outbreak of wildfires in a quarter century. That's what authorities in Australia say about this year's fire season Down Under. More than two dozen people have died as a string of fires rages in southeast Australia. People are warned to stay inside as crews battle the huge flames. An estimated 30,000 acres have already been charred and at least 30 home, reportedly, destroyed there.
Fires, ice, rain -- Karen Maginnis tracks it all in the CNN weather center.
Karen, I was talking to that fisherman, man, oh, man, out in the middle of all that ice when all of the sudden it gives way. Whoa!
KAREN MAGINNIS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, that's a scary thought.
LEMON: Yes.
MAGINNIS: And apparently, they put plywood planks so they could go further out towards the ice. The ice was about several miles long. The ice in that area was about two feet thick, but nonetheless, with the shifting winds and the warmer temperatures -- take a look at the temperatures now around that area, mostly in the 40s. So, you can imagine that definitely we're going to see some melting and some shifting of ice.
Well, temperatures have been fairly mild across the southeast, the south central plains, but in southern California, a different story. Now, temperatures will be slightly warmer at LAX coming up for tomorrow, around 60 degrees, but the rain keeps coming down. And we'll see one move in and then a little bit of a break and then another round expected to move on in.
Here's our secondary system that moves on in. As we go on in towards Sunday, some showers also into the desert southwest. Cold temperatures across the Midwest still are lingering there. There's the precipitation in southern California. In those higher elevations, down to around 4,500 feet, Don, we could see one to two feet of snowfall tonight.
LEMON: Boy, oh, boy. OK. So bundle up. Thank you very much, Karen.
MAGINNIS: All right.
LEMON: Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is resting at a New York hospital after surgery for pancreatic cancer. She plans to leave the hospital within days, but her illness has raised questions about how long she'll continue to serve. Some say it's time for President Barack Obama to start thinking about a possible replacement.
CNN's Kate Bolduan reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KATE BOLDUAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Sources close to Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg say she's doing well and plans to be back at work when the Supreme Court resumes at the end of the this month. But news of her pancreatic cancer sent shock waves through the legal community, putting a spotlight on one of the most important jobs of a presidency.
ED LAZARUS, AUTHOR, "CLSOED CHAMBERS": The focus and stakes are even higher when you're talking about a Supreme Court appointment. So the White House and Justice Department certainly have people there already thinking about these issues, compiling lists, starting to vet the backgrounds of those candidates.
BOLDUAN: President Obama will likely take the issue of high court appointments very seriously. He has a keen interest in the topic. He's an attorney and taught constitutional law in Chicago. Mr. Obama talked about his judicial views during the final presidential debate.
OBAMA: I will like for those judges who have an outstanding judicial record, who have the intellect, and who, hopefully, have a sense of what real world folks are going through.
BOLDUAN: Mr. Obama has also described his model justices to CNN's Wolf Blitzer.
OBAMA: I think, actually, Justice Breyer and Justice Ginsburg are very sensible justices. I think that Justice Souter, who was a Republican appointee, is a sensible judge.
BOLDUAN: All three, left-swinging justices. Obama will undoubtedly appoint left of center nominees, but won't likely change the ideological balance of the conservative Supreme Court. Even so, with Democratic control of the White House and Senate, progressive groups that chafed under a Republican president for eight years say they're now preparing for a fight with the right over the high court.
NAN ARON, PRES., ALLIANCE FOR JUSTICE: I think we saw during Eric holder's hearing, Republican senators testing out messages -- not designed to deny confirmation to Eric Holder, but to test them to see whether they'd work with some of Obama's judicial nominees. And already, Republican senators are gearing up for a fight and probably the fight of their lifetime.
BOLDUAN (on camera): Now, diversity on the Supreme Court and federal courts in general is another priority of liberals. Legal sources close to the Obama administration say the key word is "women," and that's almost assured on the Supreme Court if Justice Ginsburg were to step down.
Kate Bolduan, CNN, at the Supreme Court.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: Doping allegations against A-Rod? "Sports Illustrated" reports the baseball star tested positive for steroids six years ago. Details --straight ahead.
Plus this ...
(CROWD CHANTING)
LEMON: He may face some challenges off the court, but on the hardwood, it's nothing but net. He shoots, he scores. He is a story you won't soon forget.
Also, we want you to join our community and log on. Send me some of your comments at Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, or iReport.com. Tell us what you're thinking.
Esponapule -- I guess that pule -- says, "Can you please tell Congress to stop playing their flutes and pass the bill! I don't need a tax cut, I need a job!!" Nuggz503 says, "I can't even supersize my value meals anymore." RangerPete61 says, "It's hard, just got to stay strong." Esohe says, "I've heard about some of the things on the bill and I don't see how that kind of spending will turn this thing around."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Well, he's on the list. "Sports Illustrated" reports Alex Rodriguez and 100 or so other Major League Baseball players or ballplayers tested positive for steroids in 2003. This allegedly happened during A-Rod's stint as a Texas Ranger. And around the same time, he was recognized as the American League MVP.
CNN Sports' Larry Smith joins me with more on this.
So, A-Rod isn't talking, right?
(LAUGHTER)
LEMON: And I understand, looking into the matter, it is being funneled into the union -- all these questions about him?
LARRY SMITH, CNN SPORTS: Yes. And that's because the union, the players' union already is in a fight with federal authorities, Don, who got subpoenas to obtain these test results as part of their perjury investigation into slugger Barry Bonds, that whole Balco case. Now, that's how A-Rod became now the center of attention.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SMITH (voice-over): The headline on SI.com said it all. According to four sources, "Sports Illustrated" reporters David Epstein and Selena Roberts wrote that in 2003, Yankees star Alex Rodriguez tested positive for steroids while he was with the Texas Rangers.
SELENA ROBERTS, SPORTS ILLUSTRATED WRITER: I have presented him with the evidence that we had, that he tested positive for Primobolan and testosterone in 2003, and his response was to me was, "You'll have to talk to the union."
SMITH: That was a much different answer than the one he gave to Katie Couric in a "60 Minutes" interview 14 months ago.
KATIE COURIC, CBS NEWS: For the record, have you ever used steroids, human growth hormone, or any other performance enhancing substance?
ALEX RODRIGUEZ, MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL PLAYER: No.
SMITH: In 2003, almost 1,200 players were tested by Major League Baseball to see if regular drug testing was needed. "SI" says Rodriguez is one of the 104 players who tested positive. Based on those tests, the league instituted a program for the 2004 season.
The article reports that in September of '04, Gene Orza, the COO of the players union gave A-Rod a heads up about an unannounced test he was supposed to have later that month.
ROBERTS: That situation is disturbing, because it basically -- it sort of creates the image that everybody was sort of in cahoots here. That Gene Orza, who is the, you know, second highest ranking official in the players union would go about and try to tip guys really -- does show that maybe there was something more systemic going on here.
SMITH: When contacted, the players union issued a statement denying the improper tipping of players in 2004. Rodriguez signed a new 10- year contract with the Yankees in 2007, guaranteeing $275 million with incentives for becoming the new home run king. Barry Bonds, who currently holds that record, has been plagued for years by allegations of steroid use.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If this is true, he's got to just come forward and say, you know what, I tried this. I think Andy Pettitte did it, Giambi did it. If you're going to sit there and deny everything, you're going to be in a world of trouble.
ROBERTS: I think it's up to him what the sort of image of his legacy is going to be. And a lot of that has to do with coming forward and talking about the truth.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SMITH: Well, throw in allegations that Roger Clemens and Mark McGwire used steroids and you now have, arguably, the four biggest stars in baseball from the past 15 years embroiled in steroid controversy and it's not a good thing for baseball with spring training right around the corner.
LEMON: Oh, man. So, I imagine they're going to try to be some changes made, but there always are, and more people seem to be cropping up with it.
SMITH: Yes. Well, they did after the Mitchell Report in December of 2007, they did put more teeth in their steroid policy, and it needed it.
LEMON: Yes.
SMITH: The question is -- it's been a slow drip for baseball, they can't escape this, and now, once again, another year is embroiled in controversy.
LEMON: Yes. And the big stars as you said. So, really not good.
You want to stick around and do this next story with me since you're a sports guy. This is a sports story I want to get your reaction to.
(LAUGHTER)
LEMON: It's a sports story, Larry, not from the headlines, but really from the heart.
Senior night, Greely High School, Cumberland, Maine, and Patrick Thibodeau is suiting up for the first time. The hardworking team manager has Down syndrome. Although it was his dad's medical condition that concerned the family, he suffered a stroke, but was determined to see his son play.
Doctors decided dad was well enough to leave the hospital and a good thing, too, since he got to see his son score. I mean, really score.
SMITH: Oh, look at that. LEMON: Patrick's three-pointer electrified the home crowd and his teammates, one of whom gladly took the bench so Patrick could play. Listen up.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SAM THOMPSON, GREELY H.S. STARTER: He comes to practice every day, you know. I mean, he comes to every game. I mean, he works really hard and he just deserves it. I mean, if I could just help him have a special experience tonight, I'll do whatever it takes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Patrick is not finished yet. That wasn't it. He came back in the game to hit another three-pointer, Larry, just before the buzzer. My gosh, this guy is on fire. And he was mobbed by his teammates.
SMITH: Oh, look at him!
(CROSSTALK)
SMITH: A couple of years ago, this young man, Jason Mclevan (ph) hit those shots. That's all.
LEMON: This is for Patrick.
SMITH: Absolutely.
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: Yes. Congratulations, Patrick. Very nice. We love to see those shots (ph). Thank you for helping me.
SMITH: All right. Anytime.
LEMON: I mean, you know, it's a feel-good story and we need it right now ...
SMITH: We sure do.
LEMON: ... when you're talking about this economy and all the other bad things that we've been talking about. Thanks, Larry.
Well, their first meeting was very violent and it was a violent one and it was fueled by racial hate. Now, half a century later, a former Klansman asks Congressman John Lewis to forgive him for brutally beating him at a bus stop. They're both in the NEWSROOM and they'll tell us about their emotional meeting -- there they are -- straight ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: OK. Will you trust me on this one? This is one of those stories where you want to sit down and you want to pay attention to the television, no matter what you're doing. It was almost 50 years ago when Elvin Wilson and his friends attacked a black men at a bus station in South Carolina. That young black men went on to become Congressman John Lewis, who at the time was traveling the country championing civil rights. The man who attacked him Elvin Wilson said he had been carrying around an apology in his heart and has been waiting for an opportunity to get it off his chest, and he did.
Here they are, Representative Lewis and Elvin Wilson, a former KKK member nearly half a century has passed since that attack and John Lewis says all is forgiven.
Elwin Wilson is joining me from Charlotte, North Carolina and Representative John Lewis in Washington. Thank you both for joining us. Very courageous for both of you to do this.
Thank you.
LEMON: Mr. Wilson, I know you've spoken to the Congressman recently but is there anything else you would like to say to him?
ELWIN WILSON, APOLOGIZED TO REP. JOHN LEWIS: I've thought about him a lot since I left Washington. And I found out what kind of man he was. And I enjoyed the trip up there and I didn't think I'd ever see the day when I'd found out who I beat up at the bus station in Rock Hill. And it started off with, they had picture of - they call them the City Sisters in Rock Hill, that went to Friendship College. Then they had the Friendship Nine that went to college there. And when I saw the sisters, I had - I'd already tried and did change my life. And I'm talking about spiritually and everything.
LEMON: I'm going to continue on and let you talk in a little bit, but I just - before we go forward, I want to get Congressman Lewis' response. What do you say to him after - I mean, you were beaten up, hurt pretty bad, lots of other folks, some people even lost their lives because of the actions of men like Elwin, Mr. Wilson, what do you say to him?
REP. JOHN LEWIS (D), GEORGIA: Well, I said to Mr. Wilson, I met with him earlier during the week when he came to Washington to visit with me. And he said he wanted to apologize and he was sorry. And I said, I forgive you. And I don't have any bitterness or hatred, because it was in keeping with what we believed in, that we should have a capacity and the ability to forgive, that love is much stronger than hate. And it was very moving and very touching for me for him to come to Washington and say, I'm sorry for what I did.
And Mr. Wilson, in almost 50 years, been the only and the first person, the first and only person who attacked me that said I'm sorry.
LEMON: And congressman, I don't even know if you know this. I spoke with Mr. Wilson earlier today by telephone. And he was a little reticent on the phone to even answer. And when I told him who I was, he talked to me. But Mr. Wilson, tell us about some disturbing phone calls that you have been getting. WILSON: Well, I got one phone call from a boy from Rutgers College. And the telephone rang, I answered it. He said, is this Elwin Wilson? I said, you're right. He said, you are slummy, black in dog. And he just kept on talking. He told me, he said, here you are with KKK, took an oath, and here you are, gone back on your word and against the white people.
LEMON: You were outraged by that phone call. And you said you had to call the police. Can you believe, Mr. Wilson, you know, 2009, some 50 years after that confrontation that you had with Mr. - with the congressman, that there is still that sort of hate in the world?
WILSON: Not as much as it used to be, I don't think.
LEMON: Yes.
LEWIS: But I'm sorry that someone would do something like that to you, Mr. Wilson. That someone would call and use those words and it is sad, but what you are doing, I think, is right and it is very much in keeping with what we all believe in.
LEMON: Mr. Wilson, do you have - people that are watching, what do you want them to know about why you did it and about why we should be doing or how we should be treating the topic of race right now in this country.
WILSON: Well, I would like to put another - add something to what we were talking about, the guy called me. He - I don't - I don't know why he would be like that, because, just like I told him, I said, one day, I hope, that you get the hatred out of yourself and I am - he said, well, why did you change?
I said, well, I said, my daddy always told me that a fool never changes his mind and a smart man changes his mind. And that's what I've done and I'm not ashamed of it. And I'm not trying to be a Martin Luther King or something like that. It all started off with Andrew Dye in the local newspaper and snowballed on up. And I never would have thought I could apologize to this many people.
LEMON: Well, you got the chance -
WILSON: I feel like I'm apologizing to the world right now.
LEMON: Well, thank you, Mr. Wilson. And Mr. Lewis, I'll give you the last word on this, if you would like to comment.
LEWIS: Well, I think this shows the power of grace and love. It is very much in keeping with the philosophy and the discipline of nonviolence, to have the ability, the capacity to say I'm sorry, forgive me, and the person that received the attack will say you're forgiven. Because hate is too heavy a burden to bear. Maybe Mr. Wilson will inspire others to come forth.
LEMON: And I said it was going to be the last question, but it just crossed my mind. Did you ever think that you would be in this position with someone like Mr. Wilson apologizing to you? LEWIS: I never thought in all these many years that someone like Mr. Wilson will be apologizing to me, no.
LEMON: Well, you both are, again, very brave for doing this and we appreciate your candor. And Mr. Wilson, thank you very much. We hope that you don't get anymore of those phone calls.
All right. Thanks to both of you.
WILSON: Thank you very much.
LEMON: All right.
He faced down racial discrimination to chase his dreams and enter the record books.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I feel like, a few years ago that when I was chasing my dream, that if somebody didn't step in and say, Hank, keep chasing, keep doing this, then I would not have had the chance to be a home run hitter.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Now Hank Aaron is celebrating another milestone. We will take you there.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: He has got one of the toughest jobs in the new administration. Shaun Donovan is President Barack Obama's Housing and Urban Development secretary. So what makes him qualified to try to solve the nation's housing crisis? CNN's personal finance editor, Gerri Willis, takes a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GERRI WILLIS, CNN PERSONAL FINANCE EDITOR (voice-over): America's housing crisis. One in ten homeowners behind on their mortgage or losing their homes. A new foreclosure every 13 seconds. Home values draining away. What's the solution? Meet Shaun Donovan, President Obama's point man in the housing crisis.
SHAUN DONOVAN, HUD SECRETARY: Housing is at the root of the market crisis that we are now experiencing and HUD must be part of the solution.
WILLIS: Donovan's resume is impressive. The 42-year-old has served as New York Housing commissioner, running the biggest affordable housing project ever for that city. He's also been a former HUD deputy assistant secretary, trained as an architect and worked in the private sector. But can Donovan make a difference in the biggest housing crisis in memory? Housing advocates are banking on it.
MICHAEL BODAKEN, PRES., NATIONAL HOUSING TRUST: You are what you do. And if you look at Shaun's experience and you look at what and seen what he's done with the New York City Housing Department, with what he did with HUD under the Clinton years, he has the right vision to really make that department a leader in this industry.
WILLIS: Other views are tempered by the scale of the problem and Donovan's resources.
NICOLAS RETSINAS, HARVARD UNIVERSITY: Well, HUD has a legacy of broken programs. It has helped many people over the years, but many of its programs are broken. Many of its systems are outmoded. I think it would be a mistake in his tenure as HUD secretary if he focused all his attention and just his attention on fixing those problems.
WILLIS: How bad are those problems? HUD's lending arm, FHA is in financial straits. The agency is suffering brain drain and ageing computer systems.
DONOVAN: The problem is that HUD has been left behind. HUD is really a generation behind what's happening in Housing, in state and local areas across the country. And so first of all, what HUD needs to do is to catch up.
WILLIS: That may leave precious little time for fixing America's housing crisis. Donovan, though, says he is up to the task.
DONOVAN: This president has a mandate to change the direction this country is going on energy use, on sustainability, on climate change and HUD has a critical role to play in helping metropolitan areas rethink the way that we've developed. And rural areas as well.
WILLIS: Donovan's goals, tens of billions of dollars for mortgage loan modifications. A financial review of FHA. A laser focus on stabilizing neighborhoods hit by foreclosures. Ambitious goals and little time to accomplish them. Gerri Willis, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: All right. Gerri. Make sure you join our community. Log on to Facebook, Twitter, myspace, or ireport.com. We've been getting some responses. And here's what some of you are saying.
Ques Team says "First, I had a major medical crisis. Son, mother, father died. Now the economic crisis, this is tough. I will start over and recover, even at 60. Best of luck to you, sir."
Jim in South Carolina says, exactly what will the impact be on our children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren? Seems to me there hasn't been enough debate on this. Make sure you keep your comments coming and we'll get them on for you.
A song for a slugger. Move over, Marilyn Monroe.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Happy birthday to you. (END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Baseball great Hank Aaron gets a star-studded serenade at his 75th birthday party. We're going to take you there, moments away.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My darling.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: You saw Larry Smith sitting there. Are you co-anchoring with me today? I mean, what's going on?
LARRY SMITH, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: I really like your show. I told you, I like your show. I want to be here.
LEMON: All right. Well, good. Let's do this right here. Hank Aaron, he turned 75 this week. You know he's a baseball home run king for more than three decades, but his legacy, really, Larry, much bigger than that. Like Jackie Robinson and all those guys that came before. He used his baseball talent to challenge assumptions about racism. It was a different time then, wasn't it?
SMITH: It really was. You know, and to talk to a Hank Aaron, as I've had the pleasure to do on a number of occasions. It's just one of those moments where I really love my job. It doesn't get any better than that. I mean, when you think about it, rare is a superstar that captures our attention, but even more unique is a sports hero who becomes a genuine American legend.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Happy birthday to you.
SMITH (voice-over): Jackie Robinson may have broken baseball's color barrier, barrier, but it was Hank Aaron who carried the torch after Robinson's retirement, furthering the civil rights cause with each swing of his bat.
HANK AARON, BASEBALL HALL OF FAMER: If you can take a baseball club player and mix him out there, you can have black and white sitting in the stands pulling for the same people.
BUD SELIG, MLB COMMISSIONER: There's no question that he took and took it seriously, the greatness of Jackie Robinson and what Jackie Robinson did And perpetuated it. Sometimes you know perpetuation is even more difficult than starting.
SMITH: His role was a crucial one. Aaron endured racial slurs and death threats to become baseball's home run king in 1974.
ANDREW YOUNG, FORMER U.N. AMBASSADOR: We really took as much emotional beating as any of us took physical and emotional beating, because he was out there by himself. And we were usually in a group. And yet he never lost his cool.
BILLYE AARON, HANK AARON'S WIFE: His mother was a very strong religious person. And she always called and told him that depend on god and everything would come out all right. And I think he believed that, and we managed to get through it.
PRES. BILL CLITON, FMR. U.S. PRESIDENT: The way he handled himself in breaking Babe Ruth's record, the way he and Billye conducted their lives after they left baseball helped to change the culture and helped to produce Barack Obama's great opportunity to be president.
AARON: Whatever role I played, I just feel very proud of.
SMITH: Aaron's career in baseball, business and philanthropy spans more than half a century. His Chasing the Dream Foundation helps young people who may never pick up a baseball but still want to swing for life's fences.
AARON: I often think about the thing I achieved, 715, 755, whatever. But being able to help others, being able to help kids. Because I feel like a few years ago that when I was chasing my dream, that if somebody didn't step in and say, Hank, keep chasing, keep doing this, then I would not have had a chance to be a home run hitter.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Happy birthday to you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(LAUGHTER)
SMITH: There are 44 Chasing the Dream recipients, 44 being Aaron's jersey number. Each received a stipend for $1,755. 755, his number of homeruns, to continue their educational pursuits. Well, one thing we want to show you, you we saw President, the former President Bill Clinton there. Watch his reaction to Billye Aaron's rendition here. The big hug and kiss. Listen to what he says.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BILL CLINTON: Rather have that than Marilyn Monroe any day of the week.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(LAUGHTER)
LEMON: That was funny.
SMITH: Great night for a great man.
LEMON: She's a really good singer, Mrs. Aaron.
SMITH: She is.
LEMON: And what a celebration. I mean it must have just been amazing being there.
SMITH: It's fantastic.
LEMON: Fantastic. Congratulations. Happy 75th. And you're a great singer. Thanks, Larry.
SMITH: All right.
LEMON: You coming back?
SMITH: I'm done for now. Yes, have a good night.
LEMON: Just asking. You never know when Larry Smith is going to show up.
Hard times call for interesting choices.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That's 13 cents.
RICHARD ROTH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You're standing in the sewer picking up a penny. Are you feeling any humiliation or embarrassment?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm really proud about it.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: See a penny, pick it up, especially in a recession. You won't believe how much one New Yorker, New York family racked up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Well some New Yorkers are really hanging their heads in this recession and making money doing it. One family gives a new meaning to the term pinching pennies. CNN's Richard Roth has that story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROTH (voice-over): Meet the Humpherys. They're not depressed in this tough economy. They just like to look down.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I found it in the grass.
ROTH: This family of stupors illustrates America's new found devotion to saving money. They are obsessed with collecting coins.
BARBARA HUMPHERY, COIN HUNTER: And it comes out of the car, it comes back with a dime. I'm like, how did you see it?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mommy, Daddy, I found one.
ROTH: The parents feel the kids are learning that every penny counts.
PRES. BARACK OBAMA, UNITED STATES: What we need is real change.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Whopping four pennies.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Four pennies.
ROTH: Pennies that go into the change pot at the Army Sergeant's home.
SCOTT HUMPHERY: The importance of money, the importance of saving money with the economy the way it is right now.
ROTH: $1100 found in more than three years.
BRIANNA HUMPHERY, COIN HUNTER: If you actually save up money instead of wasting it on junk, maybe -
ROTH: The morning haul, 15 cents.
SCOTT HUMPHERY: I found a dime in the parking lot, and then we also had a pit bull try to keep a nickel from me, but I got it.
ROTH: That hurts the feelings of May McCuffin's(ph) dog. The writer hopes Manhattan streets are paved with cash.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're really excited we're going to find something today. Come on. Find me a 20.
ROTH: May got three piggy banks but isn't trying to learn any lesson.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When I find money, I just spend it. There's no savings.
ROTH: Here's a tip.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You know what's a good place, it's in the candy boxes at the register places, there's always change in there. People drop -
ROTH: I think that's called stealing.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That's 13 cents.
ROTH: You're standing in the sewer picking up a penny. Are you feeling any humiliation or embarrassment at all?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm really proud about it.
ROTH: So in this economy, how low would you go?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If I see a penny on the street, I'll pick it up.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I wouldn't pick up a penny. I mean it would have to be something valuable, maybe a quarter.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: See a penny, pick it up and all the day you'll have good luck. See a penny, let it lay and bad luck you will have all day.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Aha!
ROTH: She beat me to that penny. Richard Roth, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: Good for them. We got a couple of comments that we want to share with you from twitter and also from Facebook. This is from twitter. Bbball22 says "why can't we just move forward with this stimulus bill? The world sits and watches daily for something to happen. Just do it."
Meede says "Patrick's basketball story and Dad over the moon wonderful. Having a special needs silent auction tonight for kids like him."
This comment is from Facebook. Betty Betsey says "good story there on the former KKK member and Congressman Lewis. Shows the strength of our colored brothers to forgive and also that of Mr. Wilson. And to think that Mr. Wilson is receiving hate calls in today's America. Sad."
Join our community. Logon to twister, to Facebook, myspace or ireport.com. Tell us what you're thinking.
You know what, Facebook is a top social destination on the internet where friend connect, catch up and sometimes get taken. Well, when hackers strike, we'll show you - we will show you who was stung and who could be stung by this. Coming up at 11:00 Eastern we'll take a closer look at a scam that cost one guy $1,200 and what you can do to protect yourselves. Again, that's at 11:00 p.m. Eastern, right here in the CNN NEWSROOM. You don't want to miss that. Good information.
Plus we'll be following on the stimulus package and the economy as well. I'm Don Lemon from the CNN World Headquarters at Atlanta. The "Money Summit," an "AC 360" special begins right now.
