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President Obama Focuses on Immigration Reform; Pirates Continue to Hold American Captain Hostage
Aired April 10, 2009 - 15:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): Who has the right to stay within America's borders? The president lays out a plan to give some illegal immigrants a path to citizenship.
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: People who have been here for a long time have to have some mechanism over time to get out of the shadows.
LEMON: And a lot of you aren't happy about it, and you're letting us know it.
Smile. You're on burglar camera.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, it's been robbed of everything.
LEMON: A homeowner logs on and catches the bad guys in the act. Busted.
Plus, a whale of a tale in what we missed this week.
Your national conversation starts right now.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: Hello, everybody. Rick is off today. I'm Don Lemon.
Unbelievable that after three days and three nights, a hijacking and piracy incident off the African coast is still not resolved. We're still talking about it. And one American ship captain remains a hostage.
Here's what we know right now. A relatively small lifeboat is bobbing in the Gulf of Aden. And that boat -- on that boat, American captain Richard Phillips, he's the skipper of the Maersk Alabama, a cargo vessel, attacked by armed pirates on Wednesday.
That ship has left, and the lifeboat is still hundreds of miles offshore. Now, not far away is a U.S. Navy warship watching and waiting. Negotiators from the FBI are on the scene. Have they made any progress? Well, we don't know. But here's what we know right now. There is some new information.
We're being told, and according to one -- according to a source, CNN has found out that the U.S. military believes that a number of pirated and -- pirated vessels and pirates are in the region looking to find a way to help the pirates who are holding that captain.
They believe their intention is to assist the pirates in the lifeboat. The military's hearing this. They say they're getting it from audio intercepts, so apparently other pirates in the area trying to help out their pirates who they believe is in need of help.
Here's also what we also do know, that the cargo ship's crew has anxious loved ones right back here at home that will be glad to see this thing finally behind them.
These words from captain Phillips' family today: "We have felt the compassion of the world through your concern for Richard. My husband is a strong man and we will remain strong for him. We ask that you do the same."
And now these words from the families of other crew members:
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SUSAN CRONAN, BROTHER IS ABOARD MAERSK ALABAMA: I am told, I'm hearing stories that the crew members disabled the ship in order to not be taken to Somalia, and I'm hearing stories that actually that was John that did that, because he's the third engineer.
And, when I heard that, I screamed and started laughing and crying at the same time. I just -- I knew it was John, you know, and that's something he would do. And what can I say?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The pirates were surprised to find that they were Americans on...
(CROSSTALK)
HEATHER GIARDINELLI, FIANCE IS ABOARD MAERSK ALABAMA: That's what I was told. They did not know it was an American ship when they boarded.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oops.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, oops.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, it was a big oops moment on their part.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Did you hear that? She said what we suspected from the Very beginning that the pirates probably didn't know that they were attacking an American ship.
I want to bring in Tim Crockettinto this. He trains travel journalists and also other business types to avoid these types of situations and about how to handle emergency situations overseas.
Tim, before we go to what we want to talk about, I want talk to you about this new information, because just getting it. As soon as we started, it came off the wires.
It says: "The U.S. military believes there are a number of pirate and pirated vessels in the area looking to find and help the pirates holding the captain. They believe their intention is to assist the pirates in the lifeboat. They're hearing this from intercepts. They're saying the shots were fired."
Remember when he got away this morning when the hostage, captain Richard Phillips, got away, and was in the water. The official didn't know the exact details, but could confirm that there were shots fired from the pirates. One pirate jumped into the water to get the hostage back.
Other pirates are going to be helping out in this? That poses a very big problem if that is indeed true.
TIM CROCKETT, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, AKE SECURITY: It does. It does change the dynamic once again.
I think there was some initial thoughts that we're dealing with not hardened pirates, but fishermen that have turned rogue, which is often the case in these sort of situations.
The fact that we're hearing reports that these may have a satellite phone and have now called for assistance from other pirates in the area now puts the stakes a lot higher than they were previously.
LEMON: So, it is obvious that they probably, and the family members were probably right, that these pirates didn't know that they were attacking an American ship. And they should have, because it was an American-flagged ship. I don't know why that they wouldn't know. But they probably didn't know what they were up against.
And now other pirates are feeling that they have to come in and help them.
CROCKETT: Well, it's probably true to say that they didn't know that it was a wholly crewed American vessel.
Yes, they may have been seen the flag. They may not have. But that doesn't mean that was going to be crewed by 20-plus American mariners. So that's again one of the things that they wouldn't have known. It is a target of opportunity. They would have seen the ship and they would have gone after the ship more so than trying to be selective.
LEMON: Let's talk about captain Richard Phillips, a hero by anyone's assessment. They're saying he volunteered to stay behind. So, we wake up this morning. We find out that he had tried to escape, got into the water. Why wasn't the Navy able to help him?
CROCKETT: Well, again, I'm not quite sure how far off that Naval vessel is. But, again, they're not going to be able to respond instantaneously. I would imagine that he was -- sat in this very small confined space. LEMON: Missed opportunity, though?
CROCKETT: Possibly.
But, again, they are probably equally as unprepared to react that quickly because of the distance involved. And they're hopefully trying to just to wait this thing out.
LEMON: Most likely, they let him out, what, to go to the restroom, because...
(CROSSTALK)
CROCKETT: It could have been that he went to the restroom, because obviously there's no restroom facilities in the vessel, if you just think of a life raft or a lifeboat enclosed with a top cover, and the hatch at either end. So, they would have had to let him out to go to the bathroom.
LEMON: But here's what most people will think. With all of the resources that we have here in America, military surveillance, all kinds of things. People can see into your home, the police, through a helicopter. Why can't they see into that vessel and pick out who they want to take out?
CROCKETT: Well, it's not as easy as that, because of the distances involved.
These vessels that are patrolling the area that are part of this Task Force 151 may not necessarily have the equipment or the training on board to deal with something like that. They also don't want to be in a situation that might provoke an unfavorable response.
LEMON: OK. OK. But, again, this poses a very -- a major hazard now on top of this...
(CROSSTALK)
CROCKETT: It does change the dynamic considerably.
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: Because the pirates are there, so this could escalate.
Tim Crockett, appreciate it.
Tim also trained me in hostile environment training and trains a lot of folks here at CNN and also with other companies. We appreciate you. Thank you very much.
CROCKETT: You're very welcome.
LEMON: If we get some information, we may have to bring Tim back.
Also a senior citizen is dead. Was he holding a bottle or a handgun when police shot him? Well, it depends on who you ask. What exactly went down that day? We have got both sides on this.
And take a look at this video. Nobody's at home when these guys show up and they're in a rush to leave. But wait. They were busted.
Plus, Texas and Oklahoma burning, the latest on the strong winds pushing deadly wildfires.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: All right, new video, this just in to the CNN NEWSROOM. It's breaking news.
Look at that. That is the power of a tornado. These pictures just in from Murfreesboro, Tennessee, courtesy of our affiliate WTVF. You can see the rescue workers there on the scene and people looking at what was left of some homes there, again, these pictures just in to the CNN NEWSROOM. They're from Murfreesboro, Tennessee, a strong storm system going through a big part of the country.
We want to bring in now our meteorologist Chad Myers to talk about it.
Chad, and then we're going to talk about what's happening in other places as well.
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Well, so far, eight tornadoes on the ground today, 25 at least yesterday. They're still sorting through those.
And that Murfreesboro tornado, that's not all that far from Nashville. We have a lot of watches. We have at least 10 counties under warnings, which means those storms are spinning. The biggest city that has a storm to the west of it right now would be Huntsville, Alabama. You may not be hearing sirens yet, but you do have a pretty big storm to your west possibly heading your way.
These storms have been charging to the east into very moist air all day. This is where the severe weather's going to be. This is a one-, maybe two-time-a-year event today. We could see dozens of tornadoes without a doubt today, all part of the same system that made, Don, made that fire event yesterday in Oklahoma and Texas. Almost, what, 100-something counties in Texas wanting assistance now.
And then we saw all those pictures yesterday from Midwest City and from Choctaw and also west of Stillwater, near Sparks, the entire Midwestern part and the Southwestern part of the country seemed like it was on fire yesterday when we were trying to cover it here, Don.
LEMON: Boy, oh, boy, and just looking at those pictures, what do you say? Definitely a tornado, strong straight-line winds?
(CROSSTALK)
MYERS: No question about it. It was actually confirmed on the ground by authorities. So that was absolutely tornado damage.
LEMON: One minute your house was there. The next, it is gone. That is what happens.
All right, Chad Myers.
Chad mentioned Oklahoma. And we want to go now to Oklahoma and Texas, where an estimated 100,000 acres of farm and ranch land look more like scorched earth. At least two people are confirmed dead -- 34 others are hurt. Hundreds of homes are damaged or destroyed.
And today Oklahoma Governor Brad Henry declared a state of emergency in 31 counties.
Let's go to Texas now and Governor Rick Perry. He is asking for federal assistance for 199 counties in his state.
I want to talk to William Watkins. He's on the phone now. He joins us from Choctaw, Oklahoma.
As I understand, Mr. Watkins -- thank you for joining us -- I hope you're OK -- you were napping and then someone came around -- or someone was napping and they came around and told you to get out?
WILLIAM WATKINS, WILDFIRE SURVIVOR: What happened was, I was at home taking a nap.
And the police department came to my addition. And they warned all the people in the addition to get out because the addition was on fire. There's only one way in. And if they didn't come, none of us would have been alive today.
It was a half-an-hour after the police showed up that we saw fire department. So, I felt that these people did a bang-up job warning us. And...
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: So, it came through just that fast.
WATKINS: Yes.
LEMON: I understand. And here's a story that I hear. You said that you were napping and your 14-year-old grandson woke you up to tell you that police were outside of your house, were coming around. And you haven't been home. Have you had to spend the night in a community center?
WATKINS: Yes.
LEMON: Where are you now?
WATKINS: I'm in the community center, because once we got out of our neighborhood, we were not allowed back in until the next day, because a lot of the fires -- we are in a wooded area. So, a lot of the fires were still smoldering. We had 50-mile-an-hour winds. So, it helped the fire burn through two different cities.
LEMON: Wow. WATKINS: My neighbor across the street, he had a fifth wheel. He had a truck to pull it. He had a boat in his yard and a house. He lost all of it.
LEMON: Boy, oh, boy. Have you been back to see your house?
WATKINS: Yes. My house has damage. Then I had a carpenter shop behind the house, a single-car garage. That is totally destroyed. I had a lot of wood in there. And it helped fuel the burning of that building.
LEMON: So, most of your house is still standing?
WATKINS: Yes.
LEMON: It is.
WATKINS: It's just filled with smoke, so I can't go back until I get help to get rid of the smoke out of the building.
I am 67. And I don't need to come down sick smelling smoke all day and night.
LEMON: That's what I was going to ask you, how old you were. You are 67 years old.
How you doing, though, personally?
WATKINS: Good, good, good.
LEMON: You're OK?
WATKINS: Yes. I'm retired, and I keep -- I constantly think positive, because you talked about a tornado. A tornado could take everything I own in a heartbeat.
And if you trust in the lord, he will provide. He will take care of you. If you have got insurance, you can replace what you have. But if you lose your life, you have nothing.
LEMON: William Watkins...
WATKINS: Yes, sir.
LEMON: ... Oklahoma wildfire survivor, we like your spirit. Best of luck to you and everyone there.
WATKINS: Hey, we have got a lot of people here helping, volunteering. And like there's a gentleman here from Wal-Mart.
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: Yes, we know everyone is -- in these situations, everyone helps out, and I'm sure the Red Cross, everyone will be there to help you out. Thank you, sir. We have got to move on to other news. But we're going to check back in with you and check on the situation of these fires happening, OK?
A Louisiana community is in uproar after the fatal police shooting of a 73-year-old man. Some residents say there is a cover-up in a town where the police chief told one reporter he wants young black men to be afraid.
And you have heard the rally cry for us to buy American? So, do you? When it comes to your ride, do you buy American? We're going to check.
Well, we decided to go where the rubber meets the road and find out who stacks up the best.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: You know, logging on to the World Wide Web to fight crime in your own home, some people are doing it.
And this video that you're looking at shows us that they are. It is a Webcam that a Florida homeowner set up in her home after it was burglarized last year.
Well, Jeanne Thomas says she was at work when a sixth sense made her check out her home video surveillance system. She saw uninvited guests in her home and immediately she called 911.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
JEANNE THOMAS, HOMEOWNER: This is crazy. They have got things in their hands.
OPERATOR: Ma'am, it's OK. Officers are surrounding your house. They're not going to get away with anything.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK. All right. All right.
THOMAS: No, I can't (INAUDIBLE)
OPERATOR: Ma'am, I need you to calm down, OK?
THOMAS: I'm sorry. I have just been robbed of everything.
OPERATOR: No, you haven't because your items are still going to be in that house.
THOMAS: No, but they robbed me before. That's why I have the video camera.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
LEMON: So, police arrested four young men. They are charged with alleged burglary and attempted grand theft. Thomas says the $250 she used to buy the video surveillance system was money well spent. And we see it was.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DENISE NICHOLSON, FAMILY MEMBER: So, he had his hands up like this right here. And, so, the police just turned afternoon and just started shooting. Then, after he done shot about seven or eight times, he going to holler, he got a gun. Ain't nobody seen no gun yet.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: All right, that's her side, family's side, neighbor's side. What about police side? They're saying a different thing. It is a controversial shooting. It's in Louisiana. It sparks community outrage, as you can see. A 73-year-old man is killed after a police shooting. Was there a cover-up? Is there a cover-up?
And maybe you have discussed this, you know, with your neighbors, your co-workers, friends. But do American cars stink these days? We have tested a Chevy Malibu against a Honda Accord, so you can decide for yourself.
And did President Barack Obama actually bow to Saudi's King Abdullah during a recent Middle East visit? We are going to take a closer look at the controversial photo.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: OK.
So, the Reverend Al Sharpton is back in Louisiana 18 months since leading a march on the racially riven town of Jena. Sharpton is planning a rally tonight in the troubled hamlet called Homer. The Justice Department is among those investigating the shooting by the police of an elderly black man, and the serious allegations that surround this shooting.
I want you to take a look at what Sean Callebs found out.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SEAN CALLEBS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This is 73-year- old Bernard Monroe. Three weeks ago, on February 20, it was late afternoon. He was barbecuing for his family, their kids and his grandkids.
Two white police officers pulled up to the house. They had come to question Monroe's son, Sean. Sean has a long record of arrests and convictions, but he has no outstanding warrants. So it's unclear why police wanted to see him on that day.
Witnesses say, when Sean saw the officers, he ran into the house. One of the officers who had only been on the Homer police force for a few weeks chased him inside.
What happened next is murky at best. This woman, Denise Nicholson, Sean's sister-in-law, was there. She says 73-year-old Bernard Monroe walked toward the house to see what was going on.
DENISE NICHOLSON, FAMILY MEMBER: So, he had his hands up like this right here. And, so, the police just turned afternoon and just started shooting. Then, after he done shot about seven or eight times, he going to holler, he got a gun. Ain't nobody seen no gun yet.
Monroe had throat cancer, and it has destroyed his voice. The police department says Monroe was holding a loaded gun when he was shot. The officer who killed him is currently on paid leave.
Witnesses that day tell a different story. They insist it was a sports drink bottle and that, after the shooting, the other police officer took a gun Monroe kept on his front porch and placed it near the dying man.
"I saw the officer pick up the gun off the porch. I said, 'What are you doing? ' The cop told me: 'Shut the hell up. You don't know what you're talking about. '"
As allegations of a police cover-up spread, tensions have only grown worse.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The only thing we're asking for is justice and for the truth to be known.
CALLEBS: Three investigations are under way, the FBI. The U.S. Department of Justice and the Louisiana State Police are all involved. Law enforcement sources tell me there are a huge number of investigators from as far away as New Orleans and Lafayette. They're taking this investigation seriously.
RUSSELL MILLS, HOMER POLICE CHIEF: It's a loss for the whole community, everybody's loss, you know?
CALLEBS: Sean Callebs, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: All right, let's get to the bottom of this.
With us from Houston by telephone is Howard Witt. He's from "The Chicago Tribune." He's been reporting on this case since he unearthed some other disturbing details about this.
What exactly is going on here? Do we know? They're holding some of the information. They're holding the autopsy results, a lot of things, because they're citing an investigation, which seems kind of out of the ordinary. Did he have a gun? Did he not have a gun?
HOWARD WITT, "THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE": Well, you know, it's a real good question. The Louisiana State Police are wrapping up their investigation of this case. And they're shortly within a matter of days supposed to hand over their results to the local district attorney, who's then going to have to decide if he wants to seek any kind of prosecution against the police officers involved.
The question of whether or not this elderly man was, you know, had a gun and was waving it at the police is central to the case. And it's just a stark difference in the two versions. You know, the police claim that he had a gun. And numerous witnesses there, family members and others, told me and have told police that, no, that's not true, that, you know, they planted the gun on him.
LEMON: But, Howard, he's saying -- they're not saying that he shot the gun. They're saying that he pointed the gun at them. Or I think what they're saying that, he came at us.
WITT: Yes, that's what they're claiming is that he came at them with a gun. They're not claiming that he ever fired it.
LEMON: OK. Here's the interesting thing, then, I found, because this is causing some problems.
It says the police chief, Russell Mills, says that: "If I see three or four young black men walking down the street, I have to stop them and check their names. I want them to be afraid every time they see the police that they might get arrested."
What's going on with that?
WITT: Well, that's that's the central background to this case. There's a long history of real tensions in this town between the black community and a mostly white police force.
The black community claims that they're always harassed by the police. Many people claim that police will stop them and search them without any kind of probable cause. When I asked police chief about that, he admitted it. He said, that's part of our strategy. He said, this -- that many of the black neighborhoods are riven with crime and guns and drugs.
And he says that the police take a very aggressive stance in trying to have people be afraid of the police and be afraid that every time they see the police...
LEMON: It sounds really harsh when you hear it.
Howard Witt, we appreciate it. Thank you, sir.
WITT: Sure.
LEMON: To buy or not to buy, American, that is, that's what I'm talking about. We're taking you out on the track to test a Chevy Malibu against a Honda Accord to help you decide how American-made cars fare against foreign-made. Hmm. And look at this video. Does President Barack Obama actually bow to the Saudi prime minister? It's the video discussed around the world. We will ask Carlos Mencia about it.
No, I have got to ask him about that Billy Bob Thornton meltdown. Did you hear about that one?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: OK. Buy American, you have heard it. You have heard it. Buy American. It helps. So, we're either going to shatter a myth here or cement what you already believe is true.
American car vs. foreign car -- why are we dragging up this old dusty debate? It's probably kind of obvious. Because the auto industry's in dire straits. It is becoming fashionable these days to at least hear people say, buy American. Keep American money in America, right?
But, when it comes to cars, let's talk value and what's true.
We invited "Consumer Reports" magazine to road-test two popular cars for us, one American, one Japanese. You ready for the verdict? Roll it.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAVID CHAMPION, AUTO TESTING DIRECTOR, "CONSUMER REPORTS": This is the new Malibu. It feels like a nice, refined car. The switch gear is nicely -- has a good feel to it. The interior trim fits together. The types of materials that they've used really are very comparable to the comp -- the competition that is out there. Good fuel economy. A nice amount of interior space. The interior fit and finish is very nicely done, as well. Relatively quiet. Good handling.
First year reliability on the Malibu -- this new Malibu -- is above average, which is a good sign. The Malibu is a bright sign with above average reliability. But it's only in its first year. We've got to see whether that track record of building good, reliable vehicles that, over the long run stay reliable because that's what the customer needs.
Hondas tend to be a little more sporty in their demeanor, always giving, you know, bullet-proof reliability -- you know, the perception that you bought something of high quality.
Everything feels solid. It gives a feeling of quality to the vehicle. All the parts fit together well. The attention to detail that they go through, when you're looking at the dash and the interior trim, really gives a lot in terms of the perception of quality when you drive the vehicle. In terms of showroom appeal, everything is well thought out. Everything is given an air of quality and an air of precision when you drive it.
But when you're forking out that money and it's your money that you're forking out, are you going to take the risk that the Malibu is going to be reliable and going to be worth something in three, four or five years' time or are you going to go with the safe bet?
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: Interesting. Someone with an English accent doing the story there.
OK, so should you buy American anything -- car?
Well, what's this all about, too?
We're going to talk about a Texas lawmaker saying Asian names are too difficult and maybe they should adopt new names.
We're going to talk to these two guys about them. They're fired up and ready to go.
And look at this -- what does it look like the president is doing in this photo?
Is it a curtsey, is it a bow, what is it?
And what was Billy Bob Thornton thinking?
We'll re-examine his meltdown in a radio station appearance and get Carlos Mencia's take on it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN ABERMAVITCH, SPARTANBURG, SOUTH CAROLINA: Hey, Rick, John Abermavitch (ph) from Spartanburg, South Carolina here. Everybody is up in arms about Obama bowing to a king.
You know what?
He's respecting the customs of another country and that's ridiculous that they're up in arms about it. I am former military and I still salute during the national anthem. People need to grow up.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: All right, what kind of car do you drive?
Really, be honest?
What brand is your television?
Where does your food or your clothes come from?
Chances are you have an option whether to buy stuff that's made right here in the U.S.
Well, here's what we want to know today -- does it matter if you buy American?
And are you part of the problem if you don't buy American?
With me now, Ben Ferguson.
He's the host of the syndicated "Ben Ferguson Show" on Radio America.
Hello, sir, and welcome back.
BEN FERGUSON, "THE BEN FERGUSON SHOW": Howdy.
LEMON: Warren Ballentine hosts his own nationally syndicated radio show. It's called "The Warren Ballentine Show."
Gentlemen, both of you -- Warren, you first -- what kind of car do you drive?
WARREN BALLENTINE, "THE WARREN BALLENTINE SHOW": I drive a G.M., a General Motors.
LEMON: You do?
BALLENTINE: Yes, I do.
LEMON: OK.
Ben?
BALLENTINE: I'm very proud to drive one.
LEMON: Ben?
FERGUSON: I drive a BMW. And I'm very proud to drive that, as well.
LEMON: Ben, you're a conservative. A lot of conservatives say buy American.
FERGUSON: Yes. You...
LEMON: Come on.
FERGUSON: Look...
LEMON: You're driving a German car.
FERGUSON: Yes. I'm all about supporting small businesses in America. I'm all about supporting the local go around the corner. But the reality of the matter is when I buy a car, it's a lot of money and it's an investment. I don't want a plastic dashboard. I don't want my car for people to go, oh, yes, I drove that two weeks ago when I got a renter car in so and so a city.
I want something that is that nice. And if I'm going to work that hard to get and it if they're making better ones that come from overseas, I'm OK with it.
LEMON: But...
FERGUSON: The same thing with TVs.
LEMON: Hey, Ben, you know, but I just heard -- I just -- you know, we just showed the report where we compared the two cars and they said, you know, the Malibu was great. It's American-made.
FERGUSON: Are you going to buy a Malibu this year, seriously?
LEMON: No. But I'm not going to buy anything this year.
FERGUSON: But I mean that's my point. If they make multiple years of a really nice car that holds up to the standards that I would like, which is -- which is competing with the others, I have no problem buying it. I think there's some great G.M. products out there. I'm just not a Cadillac guy yet. It doesn't mean I won't buy one in the future.
(CROSSTALK)
FERGUSON: But some of the ones they've made, they've mass produced to the point and they've made them so cheap that they're not dependable. And the worst thing is the resale value. That's why I don't buy them right now.
LEMON: Warren, you strike me as I -- you struck me as a BMW or a Mercedes guy, I'm surprised that you -- you drive a G.M.
BALLENTINE: Well, you know, Don, I grew up in the Midwest, man. And I grew up working in unions. I support unions. I support American-made products. And a I say on my show all the time, we may have come here on different ships, but right now we're all in the same boat. And we need to be supporting this country any way we can. And that's part of the problem. We'll support the local mom and pop stores, but we don't want to support the big (INAUDIBLE).
LEMON: So you believe that people...
BALLENTINE: We've got to support them.
LEMON: You believe that people should buy American -- American cars and American products?
BALLENTINE: I do. I do.
LEMON: OK. Well, even -- you know, even the president -- the new interim president of G.M., Fritz Henderson, on this Sunday morning, on "Meet the Press" said, you know what -- David Gregory asked him, should you buy American -- should people buy American cars?
And he said no, they should buy cars -- whichever one they think is good.
FERGUSON: Absolutely. LEMON: So he doesn't even believe it.
FERGUSON: Well, that's the reason why I think they've had such a problem right now in the marketplace and why the American automakers are hurting so bad, is because they -- the reality is, they got cheap. They got cheap for a long time and they focused too much...
BALLENTINE: Ben, I think that's...
FERGUSON: But hold on, hold on.
BALLENTINE: I think that's the misperception...
FERGUSON: They also...
BALLENTINE: ...out there right there.
FERGUSON: No, no, no, no, no, no, no. But hold on.
BALLENTINE: That's the misperception right there.
FERGUSON: No, no, no. Look...
(CROSSTALK)
BALLENTINE: If you've got a car and you change the oil and you take care...
FERGUSON: Let me finish.
BALLENTINE: ...of the car, that car will last.
LEMON: Hang on. Hang on. Hang on. One at a time.
FERGUSON: They went cheap...
LEMON: Ben, go and then I'll give Warren.
FERGUSON: They went cheap on cars. They did not go cheap on SUVs. The SUVs, if I was going to go buy one, hands down, I would have bought an American-made SUV, because that's where they put their focus for the last decade.
LEMON: OK, Ben...
FERGUSON: ...and what suffered was their local cars. And that's why they're hurting right now.
BALLENTINE: Don...
LEMON: We've got to go.
Warren, the last word real quickly.
BALLENTINE: ...one of the misconceptions out here, if buy a car and you change the oil and you change the tires, you get a tune up, that car will last if you take care of the car...
LEMON: OK...
BALLENTINE: You've got these baby boomers and these high society people like Ben...
(CROSSTALK)
BALLENTINE: ...who are driving special cars.
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: All right. All right. That's it, guys. We're going to...
(LAUGHTER)
LEMON: We're going to talk a little bit more.
But stick around, because I've got to ask these guys about a story out of Texas where a white lawmaker suggested Asian names are difficult to pronounce and read and maybe they should be changed.
And have you seen this one?
You've got to see it if you haven't. It's Angelina's ex, Billy Bob Thornton. He did a radio station broadcast recently and -- well, there was kind of a meltdown there. Our Carlos Mencia takes that on.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MIKE DABROWSKI, SOLAR INVENTOR: Everything is solar, yes. It's all charged by the sun.
DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Michael Dabrowski has been playing with the sun for 30 years.
DABROWSKI: Ready?
FEYERICK (on camera): So that's the raw energy?
DABROWSKI: That's the raw energy that we stored over five minutes from this much sunlight.
FEYERICK (voice-over): The inventor, who has worked fixing TVs, stereos and supertankers, uses solar energy for things like cooking...
DABROWSKI: Seventy-four degrees, climbing quickly -- 75, 77, 79.
FEYERICK: ...and charging his hybrid. Look closely at his souped-up Honda Insight and you'll see it's no ordinary hybrid.
DABROWSKI: There's one here and then three down there. FEYERICK: He changed it in a major way, by hacking into the car's computer and making it so the driver, not the car, decides whether to operate on gas or electric.
(on camera): It's an electric heater.
DABROWSKI: I can shift whether I'm generating power or I'm taking power out of the batteries.
FEYERICK: So you're the one who is deciding how this car is running?
DABROWSKI: Right.
FEYERICK (voice-over): Extra batteries fuel electric power longer. And a fifth wheel propels the car when the gas is off.
DABROWSKI: I'm going to flip this switch, drop down the e-wheel. So now we're driving on pure electric, which was stored in that battery yesterday from the sunlight from that solar panel.
FEYERICK: So far, he has yet to make any real money.
(on camera): What is it you most want to create and leave behind?
DABROWSKI: A sustainable way of life for all of us. I really want to just help everybody.
FEYERICK (voice-over): Deborah Feyerick, CNN, Thompson, Connecticut.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: OK, how about this?
Some people can't pronounce your name. They don't know how to say it. They may get a little confused.
Would you change it to appease them?
Well, one lawmaker suggested that in Texas. This is a hearing about problems with voting, especially with Asian Americans who live where she lives. And she wanted to sort of correct that.
So this guy named Ramey Ko was speaking in front of the representatives there. He's from an organization called the Organization of Chinese-Americans.
And take a look at this exchange between them.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, COURTESY KXAN)
BETTY BROWN, TEXAS STATE HOUSE: Everyone here having to learn Chinese. I understand it's a rather difficult language.
RAMEY KO: Right.
BROWN: Do you think that it would behoove you and your citizens to adopt a name that we could deal with more readily here?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: OK. So she has since said, you know, that people are blowing this out of proportion. She was just trying to help.
I want to bring in Ben Ferguson. He hosts the syndicated show "The Ben Ferguson Show" -- oh, I hear you groaning -- on Radio America.
Warren Valentine is back, too, from "The Warren Ballentine Show."
OK, why are you groaning?
FERGUSON: Well, I mean it just -- it's proof that anyone in America can become an elected official somewhere if they try hard enough. I mean this woman is -- it's amazing. I mean the alive -- the American dream is alive and well if this woman can actually get elected somewhere.
But it's sad. I mean for her to go out there and to say this -- it is just one of those comments that there is no amount of apology that can make it better.
America was created as a big melting pot. Allow people -- we should -- if we can't fix the problem with voter fraud without asking people to change their names, we've got some serious issues in America.
LEMON: OK, Ben, are you sure you're a conservative, because...
FERGUSON: I am. But I mean...
(LAUGHTER)
FERGUSON: But I mean, if that's the only...
LEMON: Because in the...
FERGUSON: ...way we can fix this...
LEMON: Listen...
FERGUSON: ...we're really in trouble.
LEMON: Listen, I -- her words may have been wrong -- I mean, you know, maybe she didn't say it the way that it should have been said. But can't you understand, everyone deserves a right to vote. Maybe she was trying to get people -- make sure that people...
BALLENTINE: Oh, Don. LEMON: ...got the chance to vote. And a lot of names are hard but, you know -- I'm just saying...
BALLENTINE: Oh, Don.
LEMON: Go ahead, Warren.
BALLENTINE: Oh, Don, Don, Don.
LEMON: Oh, Don.
Go ahead.
BALLENTINE: All I can say is this. President Obama is actually even making inroads with conservatives because, Ben, you're telling the truth, brother. Hallelujah.
LEMON: OK.
BALLENTINE: I've got to agree with him 1,000 percent there.
LEMON: All right.
FERGUSON: The rapture's about to happen, people. I mean...
(LAUGHTER)
LEMON: You know, I got a -- I got a note from someone saying the person probably really doesn't know how bad it is. It says: "At first you think it's humorous, 2009. They probably didn't know how bad it is. And we would suggest Italians, Poles and Russians to change their names, too?"
BALLENTINE: Exactly.
LEMON: I cannot pronounce a...
FERGUSON: Well, what about common names?
BALLENTINE: Exactly.
LEMON: I can't spell a Polish name to save my life and I lived in Chicago...
FERGUSON: No, but...
LEMON: ...where there are a lot of Poles.
FERGUSON: But if her...
LEMON: I've got to go, Ben.
FERGUSON: All right.
LEMON: You'll have to save it.
FERGUSON: All right.
LEMON: You're going to join us on the weekend, so I'll see you then.
FERGUSON: It sounds good.
LEMON: All right, thanks to both of you.
BALLENTINE: Thanks, Don.
LEMON: All right.
A curious visitor comes to New York. It's one of several stories that we didn't show you this week, but we've made it happen this afternoon for you, after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Beth Labauve has five dogs and two cats at home. And she takes care of other people's pets for a living. But until just a year ago, Beth said she spent as much time putting her pets in harm's way as she did taking care of them.
BETH LABAUVE, FORMER SMOKER: I smoked a pack a day for about six or seven years. And I knew it wasn't good for the pets to be around it. So I didn't smoke in the house, but I did smoke in my car.
GUPTA: And when her 8-year-old dog Otto passed away from lymphoma, Beth worried that she might be next and wondered if she may have caused it.
LABAUVE: If smoke got near him, he would sneeze. And his -- his coat -- if he was in the car long enough, his coat would smell like smoke. And I'd tell myself that it wasn't a cause of it, but it definitely -- from what I've read, it can lead to cancer in dogs.
GUPTA: She's not alone. According to a new study from the Henry Ford Health System in Michigan, about a third of pet owners surveyed were smokers or lived with a smoker. And almost a third of them said they might quit if they knew it would affect their pets.
And veterinarian, Dr. Jennifer Rudolph, says smoking can affect pets in much the same way as humans.
DR. JENNIFER RUDOLPH, VETERINARIAN: We can seen an increased incidence of bronchitis, asthma, allergic rhinitis and also secondhand smoke can be linked to different types of cancer in cats.
GUPTA: And for Beth, she's now living smoke-free and both she and her pets are breathing much easier.
LABAUVE: Everything smells nicer and I feel better and can walk more and do more activities without feeling crummy. My dogs now, at least, have a smoke-free life and no smoke in their lives.
GUPTA: Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, reporting.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: That guy who was just right there on the computer, he'll be back on Monday. I'm just sitting in.
It's about that time here -- Friday funnies, looking at the lighter side of the week's news with the self-styled, equal opportunity offender -- and, boy, I know that he is. Carlos Mencia joining us from Los Angeles with his take on the president's trip overseas and some of the controversy spawned from a seemingly innocuous moment of a curtis (ph) -- a curtsy, I don't know, some people are calling it -- with Saudi King Abdullah.
Are you doing all right, sir?
CARLOS MENCIA, COMEDIAN, HOST, "MIND OF MENCIA": I'm doing great.
LEMON: Yes.
MENCIA: You got darker, Rick.
What happened?
(LAUGHTER)
LEMON: Good living. I've been out in the sun. You know, it's my -- I'm trying to catch up with you. I'm not going to say it...
MENCIA: Yes.
LEMON: ...because you can get me in trouble.
OK...
MENCIA: No, no, no. I won't. So...
LEMON: You...
MENCIA: ...the bow thing...
LEMON: You -- let's get to the bow.
Do you think it was...
MENCIA: Let's get to it.
LEMON: ...you know, that the president was too obsequious?
And tell me your take on it. Look at it and then tell me your take on it.
MENCIA: Right.
(VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: What do you think?
MENCIA: Well, see, here's the deal. It was -- it was a bow, but it was kind of almost not a bow. But here's what I really want to know. I'm not really caring whether he bowed or not.
I want to know who is Barack Obama?
Like I want to know is he that like Italian guy, that keep your friends close and your enemies closer guy?
(LAUGHTER)
MENCIA: Do you know what I mean?
Is he really doing this -- you know, to lull them into it?
You know, because, I mean, if you watch "The Godfather," Michael was never angry, you know what I mean?
Michael was never like, we're going to go down there and we're going to -- he was always like we're going to get the Tataglias (ph).
LEMON: They're getting...
MENCIA: We're going to invite them in.
LEMON: But did you -- have you seen...
MENCIA: And then...
LEMON: Have you seen the comedy spoofs on the mad Barack Obama -- the one where he turns into the Hulk?
Is that what you want to see at this moment?
MENCIA: It's not that I want to see it. It's that I really believe that that's who he is. Because, I mean, think about what he just did -- the president just did. There's a guy on a raft and he sent two battleships. Like, that's the guy I think he is.
(LAUGHTER)
MENCIA: You know what I mean?
LEMON: Yes.
MENCIA: I think he's that like, hey, free the world, save the whales, everything is great.
LEMON: But you... MENCIA: And then when somebody steps out of line he's like I'm pushing the button, you know what I mean?
LEMON: You know what they say, though, you've got to watch the quiet ones, the still waters run deep. That's true, if you...
MENCIA: That's exactly the way it is.
LEMON: Yes.
MENCIA: It's like -- you know what it is?
It's a really buff guys who can beat up anybody, they're always really nice and quiet.
LEMON: We went...
MENCIA: They're always (INAUDIBLE).
LEMON: We went to black there, Carlos. You were -- you got a little dark there, too, for a second.
I've got to say, though, it's interesting that you say that because it also -- it depends on how you were raised. I was raised to respect elders. So when I shake an elderly person's hand or someone who's older than me, as a sign of respect, I kind of bend a little and say, how are you, nice to meet you.
So that's interesting with that.
You know, but I want to get on. I want to move onto Billy Bob Thornton.
What the heck was he thinking on this -- on this radio show?
Let's listen to it and then I want to talk to you about it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, COURTESY CBC)
JIAN GHOMESHI, RADIO HOST: Billy Bob, you guys formed only in the last couple of years, right?
BILLY BOB THORNTON: I don't know what you're talking about.
GHOMESHI: How so?
THORNTON: I don't know what you mean by that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Carlos, so when you go on a radio interview, you're not supposed to be tight-lipped. You're supposed to talk, just like you are during this interview.
MENCIA: Right.
But what is it that you're asking?
I don't understand what you're trying to ask?
I don't -- I don't get it.
LEMON: Who are you?
Did somebody else sit in the seat?
Oh -- oh, you're giving me Billy Bob Thornton...
(LAUGHTER)
LEMON: Is that what you're doing, brother?
(LAUGHTER)
LEMON: You're giving me the Billy Bob.
MENCIA: Really?
Listen, are people surprised?
This is a guy that, if you remember, a few years back...
LEMON: The blood.
MENCIA: ...when he was with Angelina Jolie...
LEMON: Yes.
MENCIA: Eh. When you walk around with a vial of blood of your partner, after that, there's nothing that you're going to do that surprises me. He's a crazy guy.
LEMON: Yes, but guess what?
MENCIA: He's always been a crazy guy.
LEMON: Guess what?
He had Angelina Jolie and we didn't.
MENCIA: But here's -- here -- he had Angelina Jolie and he broke up with her.
(LAUGHTER)
MENCIA: That's all kinds of crazy.
That's -- who does that?
LEMON: Carlos...
MENCIA: He had it.
LEMON: Hey...
MENCIA: You were there.
LEMON: Carlos?
MENCIA: Yes, my friend?
LEMON: Happy Easter, Passover, all of it.
MENCIA: Oh, Happy Easter, buddy.
LEMON: Yes. I hope you enjoy it.
MENCIA: Thank you, my friend.
LEMON: All right. It's good to see you.
Carlos Mencia.
Thank you very much, sir.
I'm shaking your hand.
Can you reach out and give me your hand?
(LAUGHTER)
LEMON: Thank you very much.
We appreciate it.
Carlos Mencia.
OK. We turn now to some serious news happening here. President Obama takes on illegal immigration.
But with so many Americans jobless and so much else on his plate, a lot of folks are wondering whether now is the right time.
We want to turn now to our Wolf Blitzer.
He's going to tell us what's coming up in "THE SITUATION ROOM" -- hello, Wolf.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: A lot coming up "THE SITUATION ROOM" at the top of the hour.
The president of the United States, as you noted, Don, suggesting there are some glimmers of hope right now. We're going to speak to a top White House economic adviser and try to spell out what those glimmers are precisely.
We'll have the latest on what's happening in the standoff involving the pirates off the coast of Somalia.
And we're also taking a closer look at the story you're talking about, immigration -- is this the time for the president to be pushing for comprehensive immigration reform?
A lot coming up at the top of the hour here, Don, in "THE SITUATION ROOM".
LEMON: Wolf Blitzer.
Thank you, Wolf.
We'll be watching.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON (voice-over): Natural disaster in Italy -- it was horrible and it kept most of our attention this week.
Surprise -- the president lands in Iraq. We were all over that.
And pirates -- we still don't know how that one's going to end.
So much to cram into one hour this week, we didn't have time to tell you tons of other news stories. Like this -- family pictures from the White House. President Obama hosted a Seder this week. That's a traditional Jewish dinner observing Passover. Get this -- it's believed that he's the first president ever to attend a Seder in the White House.
A tragedy in Major League baseball. Los Angeles Angels rookie pitcher Nick Adenhart, he threw six scoreless innings Wednesday night. And just a few hours later, he was dead -- a car accident. Nick Adenhart was just 22.
(VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Can you believe it's been 15 years since the death of Kurt Cobain?
Grunge fans in Seattle and elsewhere remembered Nirvana and its front man, Cobain, who committed suicide.
And hey, you, get out of here. New Yorkers got a curious visitor this week when a huge humpback whale swam around New York Harbor, Rockaway Beach, Brooklyn and then headed back to sea.
Think he didn't like that minty fresh Hudson River water?
We saw our shares of whales this week, too, when too many Twitterers called up the infamous Fail Whale. Get out of here, Fail Whale.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: All right, Fail, let's hope there are no Fail Whales today, because we are checking Twitter. I want to check my account and then I'm going to check Rick Sanchez and see what's coming through. Here's what Lewis_Anthony says at Twitter.com/donlemoncnn: "Americans really have nerve. I wouldn't change my name for anyone. It is my right. Also, Japanese cars would win U.S. versus Japan."
Greenchick says: "Asians should change names when Texans stop thinking everything is bigger and better in Texas."
Someone wrote one to Carlos: "Hi, boss, Carlos. You're so his hysterical. Good Friday. Love to fans. Still waters do run deep. At least he's flexible."
Hey, real quick, go over to Rick's and see what's happening.
Right at the top someone says: "Rick, no bigotry, but aging white guys are boring and bland, never modern and that's who styles American cars. They have no clue."
The next person says: "Bowing to another country's king is a sign of respect, not submission."
Those are to Rick Sanchez, CNN. And the other ones we read before are Don Lemon CNN.
Hey, thanks for joining us today in the CNN NEWSROOM.
Rick will be back on Monday.
Now here's Wolf Blitzer in "THE SITUATION ROOM" -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Don, thanks very much.
Happening now, the pirate drama intensifying right now -- the captive captain risks his life to escape, but is recaptured.
More U.S. warships heading toward the scene right now and the pirates are calling for backup, as well.
