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Roland Burris Not to Seek Reelection; Truce With the Taliban?; Father of Bristol Palin's Child Claims He Knows Why Palin Quit; Iran Protest Filmed; Finding Fitness Online; Husband of Senator Ensign's Mistress Wants Compensation

Aired July 10, 2009 - 15:00   ET

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

RICK SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: Right now, Senator Roland Burris is about to make a major announcement. What now?

A new plan to kick the Taliban out. Our correspondent is embedded with U.S. forces.

The senator, his mistress, her husband, the scandal that threatens to take him down. And now other senators, even his parents dragged into it. You will see it all.

Why is Sarah Palin quitting her job as governor? Levi's take on what he heard inside the Palin home.

Keeping an eye on the newest pics out of Iran, your national conversation, Friday, July 10, 2009, begins right now.

And hello again, everybody. I'm Rick Sanchez with the next generation of news. This is a conversation. It is not a speech. And, yes, it is your turn to get involved.

First, let's show you the picture, because we have just been told now that we are about 45 seconds away from Roland Burris coming out and addressing the media there in Chicago once again. That's Senator Roland Burris, U.S. Senator Roland Burris.

He is occupying the Senate seat that was left vacant by President Barack Obama. The disgraced former governor of Illinois, Rod Blagojevich, appointed Burris. And there is where this story gets loud and sometimes confusing and oftentimes crazy as well.

We understand that the senator is going to be making a major announcement. That's the way we had been told from his staff. We expect he is going to be announcing that he is not going to be running for a second term. But who knows?

This is a story that has been filled with surprises all along. And we could get different news for him -- from him as we watch this.

Now, what's interesting about this story is that we had gotten some reports earlier this the day that there is a possibility that the reason he can't run again is because, to become a U.S. senator, you need money. And he has had a real difficult time trying to come up with that money. Going around with a tin can asking folks for money in his situation has been extremely difficult. Mark Preston is watching this story for us. He's in our Washington bureau trying to figure this one out himself.

I imagine it is plain and simple. He is just not going to run again and he is going to say that.

MARK PRESTON, CNN POLITICAL EDITOR: Yes, Rick, we expect him any moment to come out on stage and tell us all that he will not seek his own six-year term.

He was appointed to this seat. This was President Obama's seat, as our viewers will remember. And he came in, in a very unorthodox way. As you said, he was appointed by Governor Rod Blagojevich just weeks before Governor Blagojevich had been arrested and charged with trying to sell the seat and benefit personally from it.

So, we will expect to hear Senator Burris to come out today, say that he is not running.

SANCHEZ: Yes.

PRESTON: And you are absolutely correct. He has had a very hard time, Rick, raising money.

SANCHEZ: All right, let's listen.

(APPLAUSE)

SEN. ROLAND BURRIS (D), ILLINOIS: Thank you.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

BURRIS: Thank you. Thank you so much.

(APPLAUSE)

(SHOUTING)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Don't quit! Don't quit!

AUDIENCE: Run, Roland, run! Run, Roland, run! Run, Roland, run! Run, Roland, run! Run, Roland, run! Run, Roland, run!

BURRIS: Thank you all so much. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

I appreciate all that energy. We're going to need it.

Thank you for joining me here today. I'm here to talk about some important issues, about the importance of representing the wonderful people of Illinois and how important the United States Senate is to the future of our country.

When I was named to the Senate back in December, I stated that I would serve a two-year term. I felt strongly at that time that Illinois needed two full-time senators, and I still feel that way. I have served the good people of this state for 30 years. Public service means working, advocating and fighting for your constituents and their needs, day in and day out. That has been my commitment. I have tried to do that every day of my career.

And I'm honored to be a member of the United States Senate at such a critical time in our nation's history. We have a new president with bold ideas for programs dealing with health care, the economy, jobs, schools, and the environment, all important issues for the people of our state and our nation.

I am proud to follow in his footsteps in the Senate, and I look forward to continuing to work with him on the pressing issues of our time. The United States Senate will be at the center of debate for all of those issues.

I have been a member of that body now for seven months. And I have seen firsthand that my colleagues are thoughtful, dedicated and loyal Americans. That's Democrats and Republicans alike. And it is my hope that we can come together and work together in a bipartisan manner to address these important topics.

Now, let me say this. The last part of my remarks deal with my future plans. And, ladies and gentlemen, life is about choices.

Make no mistake: I love serving in the United States Senate. Make no mistake about that. I love serving the people of Illinois. Make no mistake about that.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We love you! We love you!

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

BURRIS: I'm the only African-American serving in the Senate, and I believe that diversity and representation -- representing all segments of our society is essential to who we are as a nation. We must have diversity.

The reality of being in the United States Senate today requires not only a significant time commitment to performing the job, but an almost equal commitment to raising funds to run competitively for the office. Political races have become far too expensive in this country.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Harry Reid, Harry Reid (OFF-MIKE) Harry Reid (OFF- MIKE)

BURRIS: And I'm making this -- as I -- as I'm making this decision, I was called to choose between spending my time raising funds or spending my time raising issues for my state. I believe that the business of the people of the state of Illinois should always come first. The business of our state should come first.

And so today I have returned to the place where my political journey began back in 1978, back to the South Side of Chicago, back to my community and my constituency, to announce, my friends, that I will not be a candidate in the 2010 election and that I will not run for United States Senate seat.

Last January, in the same month that I was seated, President Obama and Vice President Biden swept into the office, setting our country on a new course and reaffirming the truth of the American dream. The Obama administration and the Democratic-led Congress is bringing transformational changes to this nation, and it is an exciting time to be in public service, more exciting and more fulfilling, with hope and possibility that at the time -- any time than I can remember.

SANCHEZ: There you have it.

Roland Burris has just announced that, in fact, as expected, he will not be running for that Senate seat once again.

You know, it's interesting.

And let me bring Mark Preston once again into this conversation.

Is that the real decision, the one we expected he would give and the one in fact that he give, that he's just going to be able to raise the money? Or did -- was this guy strong-armed by some members of the Democratic Party, who said, look, we are going to let you stay in office for this term, but given all that has come out about you and your relationship and your conversations with Governor Blagojevich, do us a favor; don't run again?

PRESTON: Rick, if you were to consider strong-arming not supporting Roland Burris in his reelection bid, then I guess you could say that.

The fact of the matter is, Roland Burris is trying to say that he wants to focus on the issues of Illinois and raising money is really too time-consuming. The fact of the matter is, Democrats in Illinois, Democrats in Washington, D.C., did not want him to run again.

He came in under this very big cloud. The fact is, he was also appointed by a governor who had been arrested by federal authorities. So, they did not want him...

(CROSSTALK)

SANCHEZ: And that taints him. I mean, he is damaged goods, isn't he? I mean, as far -- we can look at it any which way we try. Maybe some of it was his fault, maybe some of it wasn't his fault, because he was trying to get a job at a time when there was a governor handing out the job who was being wiretapped by the FBI.

So, bottom line is, though he is tainted.

PRESTON: Bottom line, look, he is tainted. He was never going to be supported by the Democratic establishment. There is a whole host of other Democrats right now seriously looking at the seat. He was not going to get the backing. This is his way to get out gracefully. SANCHEZ: All right. Let's move on to the future before I let you go. If he is not going to run, who would we be looking at in the next go- around, either on the Republican or the Democratic side, that you know of that would possibly jump up and take this seat and be competitive for it?

PRESTON: All right, let me throw a couple names out there very quickly, Rick.

On the Republican side, Congressman Mark Kirk -- he is a Republican -- he has been telling Republican leadership folks here in Washington, D.C., that he is going to get in the race.

Democrats, who they wanted to get in the race, the attorney general, Lisa Madigan, said just a few days ago that she would not run for the Senate. So, there are three people we are looking at right now. We're looking at the state treasurer. His name is Alexi Giannoulias. He is someone who is seriously looking at the race.

We're looking at Chris Kennedy, who is the son of Robert F. Kennedy, who is seriously looking at the race. And we're also looking at the Chicago Urban League president, Cheryle Jackson. These are three Democrats right now, Rick, who could vie for the primary.

(CROSSTALK)

SANCHEZ: But what about another famous son? What about Jesse Jackson Jr.?

PRESTON: Well, good point to bring up. Jesse Jackson Jr. in fact wanted to be appointed to this seat, and, of course, got caught up in this whole Blagojevich scandal. We have not heard his name. We know that, for the most part, Democratic congressmen from Illinois are not in this race right now.

SANCHEZ: Wow. Mark Preston, man, you have always got your finger on the pulse of things, no matter where it is, Chicago politics included, I guess. My thanks to you. We will bring you back if there is anything else going on with this.

And we will obviously monitor the rest of the speech. And if there is any news or any great heated debate between him and some of the supporters there or some of the reporters who are there, we will bring you that as well.

Thanks again, Mark.

PRESTON: Thanks, Rick.

SANCHEZ: All right, here is what we are going to have the very latest on for you now, Afghanistan.

We have got new information, new tape and this question. And it's a serious question. It probably should be considered by all Americans. Given everything that's gone on in this country over the last eight, nine years, is there a possibility that, to save lives, including the lives of U.S. Marines and U.S. troops, the United States, through Pakistan, should consider -- Are you ready for this? -- sitting down and negotiating a truce with the Taliban, sitting down and negotiating a truce with the Taliban?

It sounds crazy in many ways, but also some people are saying, it may be a bitter pill, but one we will have to swallow. We are going to bring you this story on the other end of this commercial.

Stay with us. I will be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: It's a national conversation. Let's see how the nation is responding to that news conference from Roland Burris.

Let's go to our Twitter board, if we can, guys, to the very top. Good move there, Robert. "Just watched Roland Burris' press conference. Hope Illinois can ultimately get a senator that can be taken seriously."

We thank you for your comments.

And now to Afghanistan.

We have committed to bringing you unfettered detail, perspective and analysis about what's going on with our U.S. forces in Afghanistan during this newest offensive.

First, at least 17 U.S. and British troops have died this week. Unfortunately, there may be more. To stop that, I want you to consider this question. Should we negotiate with the Taliban? I mean, that's a hell of a question, isn't it, maybe one that we thought that we would never have to ask. But expectation and reality often are two different things.

The fact is, Mullah Omar got away and so did Osama bin Laden. And their legions have grown since. So, now what?

I am going to take you to Afghanistan in just a moment live. But, first, I want you to watch this report, because this, we know. We know that someone has been in contact with Taliban leaders. And they are offering to set the table for the United States to join in those talks, talks with the Taliban.

Who is making that offer? Pakistan.

CNN's Michael Ware has traveled into Pakistan, a dangerous region, to get these details for you.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MICHAEL WARE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): I came to these mountains to unravel how the Taliban in Afghanistan are based from here across the border in Pakistan.

In these remote mountain valleys of Pakistan's Northwest Frontier Province, the Taliban can hide, train, smuggle weapons, and launch military strikes against U.S. forces in Afghanistan.

For generations, the border here has been little more than a vague blur among the peaks. And that is what is crippling the American effort in Afghanistan.

(on camera): To put it simply, America cannot win the war in Afghanistan. It certainly can't win it with bombs and bullets, and it can't win it in Afghanistan alone. But part of the answer lies here, where I'm standing, in these mountain valleys in Pakistan on the Afghan border, because this is al Qaeda and Taliban territory.

Right now, there's as many as 100 Taliban on that mountaintop between the snowcapped peaks and amid those trees. They're currently under siege from local villages, who are driving them from their bunkers. But, at the end of the day, it's the Pakistani military who tolerates the presence of groups like the Taliban.

And it's not until America can start cutting deals with these people that there's any hope of the attacks on American troops coming to an end.

(voice-over): The key leader the U.S. may have to deal with is this man, Mullah Mohammed Omar, the one-eyed cleric who actually created the Taliban and led its regime, the man who, after the 9/11 attacks, sheltered Osama bin Laden, choosing war with the U.S., rather than surrender bin Laden.

Even with a $10 million reward on his head, Mullah Omar has defied all American attempts to capture or kill him. He still commands the Afghan Taliban as they continue killing U.S. and NATO troops. He and other top commanders do all of this, according to U.S. intelligence, from sanctuaries here in Pakistan.

It was the Pakistan military who helped create the Taliban. When the CIA was funding many of these same Afghan groups in the 1980s in their war against the Soviets, it was the Pakistan military that delivered the money, expertise and weapons, like Stinger missiles.

Now, for the first time, in this CNN interview, the Pakistan military concedes it still maintains contact with the Taliban. At the military headquarters, we met Major General Athar Abbas, who concedes, the army's links with the Taliban were toned down after 9/11, but:

MAJOR GENERAL ATHAR ABBAS, PAKISTANI ARMY SPOKESMAN: But, having said that, no intelligence organization in the world shuts its last door on any other organization.

WARE: And, more than talking to the Taliban, the general says the Pakistan military can actually get the Taliban to sit down with the United States and broker a cease-fire.

(on camera): And that's where Pakistan can perhaps provide valuable assistance to the American mission?

ABBAS: I think, yes, that can be worked out. That's possible.

WARE (voice-over): And this is one of the men who says he can help work that deal.

GENERAL HAMID GUL (RET.), FORMER ISI DIRECTOR GENERAL: People like me, who serve the cause of the freedom of Afghanistan.

WARE: Former CIA ally General Hamid Gul, once the head of Pakistan's equivalent of the CIA, known as the ISI, he is famed as the godfather of the Taliban.

GUL: The guarantees can be given, no problem.

WARE (on camera): How? In terms of American national interests, who does America need to dialogue with?

GUL: Mullah Omar, nobody else.

WARE (voice-over): Mullah Omar, the most important Taliban leader.

But to get him and the other Taliban to the table, Pakistan wants something in return. It wants the United States to use its influence to rein in Pakistan's number-one military rival, India.

(on camera): India's close association with the U.S.-backed government in Afghanistan worries the Pakistanis. And the Pakistanis accuse India of supporting armed separatists in one of Pakistan's provinces.

And senior U.S. officials tell CNN the Obama administration is willing to raise those concerns with India, and the U.S. is willing to talk with Mullah Omar and other Taliban commanders.

Michael Ware, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANCHEZ: Wow. The possibility of actually negotiating with the Taliban, it certainly has set up a furry in our boards here, both on MySpace and Facebook and Twitter.

Let's go to our Twitter board, if we can. This is RyanFromToronto. "No, we cannot negotiate with them. They have killed thousands of coalition forces. Freedom will not lose to these barbarians."

Nardo says: "U.S. has no real beef with the Taliban. It's al Qaeda we have a beef with. Taliban has a better chance of governing Afghanistan than we do."

"Rick, the Taliban is hated by the U.S. No way it would work. Let's not forget it is the U.S. that waged war on Afghanistan. Negotiating isn't a bitter pill, but the just thing to do."

Finally, Kim says: "Negotiate with the Taliban? I thought we don't negotiate with terrorists."

SANCHEZ: Well, there's the questions being raised by you.

Let me take you now, I possibly can, to Kabul. That's the Afghan capital.

That's where Atia Abawi has been embedded with U.S. forces in the Helmand Province watching this story for you.

Atia, thanks for joining us.

While some may ponder the chances of talks or any kind of negotiations with the Taliban, we still need to know how our current effort is going. How would you assess this fighting and this new offensive in Helmand Province?

ATIA ABAWI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Rick, when we were in Helmand, we were taken to a district called Kahn Neshin district. This was an area that was controlled by the Taliban for three years.

And it was the first time that the governor of Helmand Province actually laid foot in that province. And he actually raised the Afghan flag over an ancient castle there that was occupied by the Taliban. That was a symbol to the government, that was a symbol to the U.S. Marines, that was a symbol to the coalition forces that they have taken back that district.

The problem is, they had taken back the district before, but they didn't have the manpower to stay with the coalition forces. That's why the Afghans themselves, the villagers in that district, don't know if they can trust the coalition troops.

If they turn to them now, they see something happening that happened before. When they turned to them, the Taliban came back, and, therefore, went after them. So, now, they are very hesitant in turning to these U.S. Marines, to these coalition forces and to the Afghan government and trusting them this time, although they have been reassured by the government, by the forces that they are there to stay this time, to build institutions, and to win them back over -- Rick.

SANCHEZ: It is amazing. It almost sounds by your telling that they love whoever loves them most, or perhaps better said whoever loves them at the time.

Unbelievable story developing there. We are so glad that you are there, Atia, to follow it for us. Stay safe and thank you.

Once again, we are reporting, Michael Jackson's family knew about his prescription drug abuse and tried to intervene in one of the investigative reports that we have filed for you. When they tried to intervene, did they do anything wrong? How do you confront somebody you know is hooked? I am going to show you how to do it.

Also, Senator Ensign's affair, allegations of a cover-up and a heck of a lot more money. That's the latest on this saga. We will bring it to you as well. Stay with us, a lot going on, on this Friday.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

CALLER: Hello. My name is Shannon Jiambro (ph) from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. There's a lot of pharmaceuticals out there. And these people are running the show. We need to after the pharmaceutical companies and these pharmaceutical reps. Illegal drug dealers is what they are.

All right. Bye-bye.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: Welcome back to the world headquarters of CNN. I'm Rick Sanchez.

A quick note now about what is happening with Honduras, because it's important and we need to keep an eye on any country that throws out its president in a coup, certainly in our hemisphere, no less.

The man taken out and the man who stepped in and took over, they talked it out in a neutral country yesterday, in Costa Rica.

I want to show you some video of that man with the cowboy hat. That's Jose Manuel Zelaya. He was arrested and ejected from Honduras June 28. Now, the guy with the white hair, that's Roberto Micheletti. He's the interim president in Honduras.

Which one should really be in charge? Well, they are negotiating that. But nothing has come from it. And, to be honest, it's gotten kind of ugly. And nobody really expects now that the two men will be able to find any common ground.

Zelaya has been -- well, he's been particularly resistant. Micheletti, really no better. Both went their separate ways after talks yesterday. No country has recognized the new administration, by the way, the Micheletti administration, the interim presidency there in Honduras.

We will keep tabs on it.

Up next, how do you help a loved one struggling with a prescription pill addiction or any addiction? How do you do it? As a family, how do you stage an intervention or a confrontation, as some would call it? We are hearing some of Jackson's family tried to do that very thing with their brother. Why are they unsuccessful? And what is the right formula? We are going to discuss that for you to help you.

We will be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

RICK SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: We welcome you back. I know we have been getting a lot of complaints from many of you on Facebook and MySpace that we're twittering you out of the process. No we are not. In fact, let's go to Facebook right now and get some of the comments that you're sending into us during this national conversation.

Caleb Jenkins says, "The only reason I think Senator Burriss isn't running is the Blago scandal, not because of money." And then Jeffrey Meeks says, "Hell no, we should not negotiate with the Taliban." That's their point, that's their opinions, and they're sticking to it.

All right, talk to any political junkie about the resignation of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, and they're going to share their two cents with you about why she's quitting. Everyone seems to have an opinion or question.

Now ask the teenage boy who got Palin's daughter pregnant, and he's going to tell you that she was stressed out. And if she can't take the heat for being governor, then she isn't cut out for the presidency. That's actually what he has now said.

Check out what else he said in a news conference that was held in the lawyer's office -- quote, "After the running, you know, she had talked about how nice it would be to take some of this money people had been offering us and just run with it, you know, and just saying forget everything else.

I've heard of people offering books, and stuff like that. Actually, there was a reality show they wanted to do."

He goes on to say, "But I think the big deal was a book. And you know, that's millions of dollars right there, and she couldn't do that as governor." That's his take.

By the way, speaking of him and, for what it's worth, Levi is working on a career now as a model and as an actor. We wish him the best of luck.

An Iranian protester with a camera films the conflict in Tehran, but then it gets taken away by police. It's a great example of why it's difficult to bring these images to you. But we will not stop trying.

By the way, it's Iranian not Iranian. I apologize. That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT, CNN: We live our lives online these days. We buy plane tickets, we pay bills. So why not fitness?

ROBERT DOTHARD, FITNESS EXPERT: When people want help, a lot of times, the Internet is the best way to search for it. And if you can get that help immediately online, that's great.

GUPTA: So we put some of our fit nation experts on the hunt to look at the latest and greatest online fitness tools. Check out the fit orbit, a real life fitness trainer online.

DOTHARD: I love the fact you can pick the type of activity you are in, whether you have a desk job, whether you're a frequent traveler.

GUPTA: Your fit orbit trainer can adjust your fitness goals on a daily basis and keep track of your nutrition. The biggest downside --

DOTHARD: Once it's online, that intensity can be removed a little bit.

GUPTA: Next, if you are in the mood to run, G-Maps speedometer. It's a cool free tool from Google.

DOTHARD: For a business traveler, it is great. As you travel, you map out your course, you see the distance, and, I guess, once you check the weather, you are good to go.

GUPTA: If nutrition is your focus, check out a new online meal plan tool called "Sensei."

CHERYL WILLIAMS, CLINICAL NUTRITIONIST, EMORY UNIVERSITY: You should have the option of choosing from frozen dinners, fast food, home cooked meals. And each of those meal type options, there is an emphasis on healthy food choices.

GUPTA: The plan comes complete with recipes, shopping lists, and a cost per meal calculator. But if all you need is a little inspiration, a free healthy tips email service called "Healthy Mondays" maybe your one-stop shop.

WILLIAMS: It really focuses on promoting small, sustainable changes. Overall, I think "Healthy Mondays" is a great program when used in conjunction with other wellness initiatives.

GUPTA: Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, reporting.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hi, my name is Todd. My son was going to be on intervention. My other son is in treatment now. The family has to go through treatment to heal. I mean, it's been a whole mess. I agree. This is a big problem in this country.

Thanks, Rick.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: Welcome back. And like him, we have received that message from so many people on Facebook, MySpace, on Twitter, in my email, people who work here, people who know people who work here.

Michael Jackson, he was a unique talent and an eccentric performer, no doubt, who was suffering from an incredibly common problem, an apparent dependence on pain killers and other prescription drugs.

I could show you any one of the many CNN reports that make this painfully obvious to anybody. But rather, I want to talk to you about something else, something I know about personally as well in my own life, because somebody in our family died because, essentially, she was hooked on prescription drugs. Who does that happen to? You would be surprised. Millions and millions of Americans, some of which you know but are afraid to confront -- let's just say it as it is. Watch this clip now from Larry King last night. It's illustrative.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. REEF KARIM, ADDICTION SPECIALIST: If you look at the data, between 1999 and 2004, prescription pills fatal overdoses have doubled. Six million people or more are abusing prescription pills in this country. I mean, it's -- this is a big deal.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: The National Drug Policy Control Office pegs this problem, you ready for this, even higher -- 15 million Americans, they say, abuse prescription drugs in this country.

So Jackson's family, as our own investigative correspondent has reported to you, did try to intervene to try and stop him. And obviously, it did not work.

How are you supposed to do this, by the way? How do you get somebody to stop doing something you think could kill them? Ken Seeley is joining us now. He hosts the show "Intervention" on A&E. Ken, thanks so much for being with us.

KEN SEELEY, INTERVENTIONIST FROM A&E'S "INTERVENTIONIST": Thanks for having me.

SANCHEZ: Tell me, somebody who has been affected by this personally, and the millions of others out there listening, what they are supposed to do?

SEELEY: The most important thing to do is when you see those red flags to take action, because the disease isn't going to go anywhere. The addiction isn't going to end. The only place that addiction ends is in recovery, dead, or in prison.

SANCHEZ: But before we deal with them, help me deal with me. And I speak as me for everyone else out there who is listening. How do I confront somebody that I love lots without risking their love?

SEELEY: That's a delicate question. To answer that, there is real no cookie cutter. If I was to give you an answer and then one of the viewers tried that, it may or may not work.

SANCHEZ: Yes.

SEELEY: So I think it's really important to get a professional involved and really dissect, because every single addict has a rock bottom. I don't know one person that doesn't have a rock bottom.

And my job as an interventionist is to come in and help figure out what that is for the addict, and create that with the family support in a loving, respectful manner. SANCHEZ: You mentioned just a little while ago something about red flags, and I'm interesting, because it seems to me, and obviously, sometimes you know what's funny? From the outside, these things seem really obvious. And when you are really close to it, you don't think that other people know.

I am looking at it from the outside, and it seemed painfully obvious to me a long time ago that Michael Jackson had a problem. What are the other red flags that people out there with a family member like this need to look for? Can you help us?

SEELEY: Absolutely. So many families know what they are. They fall asleep as they're talking. They will doze off. They will doctor-shop for drugs. They will be buying them on the Internet. There are so many different avenues of getting these drugs.

SANCHEZ: I just got the chills when you were saying all of those, because every single one of those fit somebody in my family who we lost. That's amazing.

And by the way, there's one you didn't mention that I remember seeing a lot -- dilated pupils, for some reason, like in the middle of the day.

SEELEY: Yep, absolutely.

And the point being is when you see these flags, act on it. Don't wait. Don't sit back and think, you know.

With addiction, it is not like any other disease out there. There aren't four stages like there are with cancer. When you have addiction, you could die at the very beginning of your addiction, or it could take you being homeless.

It isn't prejudice. People are dying out there. It is the leading addiction out there, prescription drugs. It's the fastest growing addiction. And we have to do something about it.

SANCHEZ: And a lot of it has to do with just the way that we are living our lives, the way we are treating ourselves.

And I guess the bottom line in all of this before I let you go, and, by the way, this is interesting stuff, and I want to get you back. But I guess if there is one thing we could leave with people as we close this conversation today is don't ever have to utter the words, "I wish I had" --

SEELEY: Thank you.

SEELEY: -- because that's probably the worst thing that can happen in this case.

You are a good guy. Thanks, Ken Seeley for helping us with this. We will get you back, all right?

SEELEY: Thank you. SANCHEZ: All right.

The parents of Senator John Ensign wrote checks totaling $96,000 to their son's mistress. The parents wrote a check for $96,000 to their son's mistress? Doesn't that seem weird? Well, it's true.

Coming up, I'm going to show you the interview with the mistress' husband, who says he is the real victim in all of this and should be compensated more.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: A couple of quick comments I want to share with you after that segment, and man, are we getting lots of them, especially one's like this. Look at what Rugged Cowboy writes to us. He tells us, like so many other people have been telling us out there, and that's why we're going to be reaching out to you.

He says, "My mother killed herself with prescription drugs, and my dad got hooked by a pharmacist." And this is an opinion that's been shared by an awful lot of people as well. That one right there, he says, "Maybe the real problem comes with the ease it is in getting prescription medications. Drug companies and doctors should not be in bed together," one opinion about something that many of us have been following.

My thanks to all of you who have been sending us all these comments. I promise to read them all.

I spent a lot of time on this program yesterday sharing the often tough to get video out of Iran. This is an important story. I told you so, and we are committed to following it.

Student protesters in the streets of Tehran up against their own government militia. And today we have a clip of video that explains exactly what I was talking about yesterday. I mean, this illustrates why authentic images are so hard to come by. Watch this.

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SANCHEZ: I will be playing that for you again, but put yourself in the shoes of that guy who is holding the camera. You see everything there goes dark. The Basij don't notice he's recording the events on the street. He has that shot there.

But then, all of the sudden, one guard picks up on it. The guards don't even know that he is there. But then that one guard sees him and runs over to him. And we don't know if he was able to take him under arrest or what.

We are still monitoring all the information coming out of Iran, mostly on social networking sites, because western journalists have all but been kicked out of the country or arrested. In essence, they have not been allowed to work this story. We'll stay on top of it for you and bring you any new development as it comes in.

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Man, so many people are writing to us about that story we just did. But let me sneak this one in. I know we're tight on time -- Country Lady, look what she says. It's kind of interesting. It doesn't mean it's necessarily true for everybody, but just consider it.

She says, "The sad fact is that most people's addiction started with an innocent trip to the doctor." Wow. That's kind of blunt, isn't it?

Now the scandalous affairs rocking the Republican Party are putting another senator on the defensive. Oklahoma's Tom Coburn may have done nothing more than try to help a friend who was in trouble, but now he's having to answer questions, as well, which he says, by the way, he won't answer.

The real story is about Nevada Senator John Ensign and whether he tried to cover up his affair with money, some of which we now learn was offered up by his mother and father.

They reportedly paid $96,000 to his mistress and her family. And then there's the mistress' husband, who says even after he approached the senator back in April, and the senator wrote a letter promising that this wouldn't happen again, to end the affair, it didn't.

It continued, because, quote, "He was in love with Doug Hampton's wife, Cindy." And he told him so, he says.

Hang on to your hat, folks, and your jaw. Here's an interview that Doug Hampton gives to "Face to Face" host Jon Ralston.

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DOUG HAMPTON, HUSBAND OF SENATOR ENSIGN'S MISTRESS: You were asked to go over and to stay with the Ensigns, we're close, really close. Close friends -- we have been close friends a long time, very close while we lived in Nevada.

While living in the house, Cindy and John got together.

Our attorneys did talk. Our attorneys absolutely talked, because Senator Tom Coburn asked and was involved in these negotiations out of good will and good faith --

JON RALSTON, COLUMNIST, "LAS VEGAS SUN": What were the negotiations for, though, Mr. Hampton?

HAMPTON: The belief from Tom Coburn and many that some restitution needs to take place here.

RALSTON: You believe that still, don't you?

HAMPTON: Absolutely. There's no question. RALSTON: You believe that you need to be made financially whole because John Ensign destroyed your ability to make a living. Don't you believe that?

HAMPTON: Yes. There's no question about that.

And he just felt like if he handled correctly or right, that it would just go on that way, and it would just be fine, and he could just go on with his life.

He never looked past the moment, down the road, what would this mean, impact of friends, what does this look like, how in the world would you ever believe a cover-up or something like this?

When you look at the details, when we talk about all of the things that have taken place as a result of John's actions in leadership and the decisions that he initiated and things that were covered up to help this happen and to keep this from coming out and to keep this from taking place, is really genuinely impacted my family greatly.

It's unbelievable.

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SANCHEZ: And will it impact the senator's career?

The man who conducted that interview, by the way, is John Ralston. He's a columnist for the "Las Vegas Sun." He's going to join me for the very latest on this incredible scandal that could go beyond politics and possibly into criminality when we come back.

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SANCHEZ: Welcome back. I'm Rick Sanchez.

This may be one of the biggest political gets in quite a while. A senator gets into an affair with one of his employees, and her husband, who also works for him, by the way, finds out, decides to go public.

And who does he talk to? "Las Vegas Sun" columnist Jon Ralston, who's good enough to join us now live with this story.

I know we have a lot of stuff to get through, Jon, and about four minutes to do so in. Let's start with some of the developments that everyone is talking about today, the $96,000 apparently paid by the senator's mom and dad. What's that all about?

RALSTON: Well, I don't think a lot of people were surprised to hear this, Rick, considering how protective Mike Ensign, who is a former casino owner, is of his son John.

But the unseemliness, I've used that word a lot with this story, as you might imagine Rick, of the father bailing out the 50-year-old son -- that's what this looks like a lot of people. Now, of course, the statement put out by Senator Ensign's lawyer says this was a gift to the family because they were so close and was another in a long line of acts of generosity from the Ensign family to the Hamptons.

I don't think too many people are going to buy that version of the story.

SANCHEZ: No. I'm reminded of those who say there's no such thing as a coincidence.

By the way, did Hampton tell you in that interview of which we saw just a clip a while ago, that he took the story originally to FOX News, but rather than covering the story, they tipped off Rick Santorum, who tipped off Ensign? And I mention that, because that's in many of the blogs today, including "Politico."

And before you answer that, to be fair, FOX says they deny that completely, that the reason they didn't do the story because it somehow got lost in the shuffle through some employee there, which is something that could happen here at CNN, by the way, as well.

RALSTON: What Doug Hampton said exactly is that when he wrote to FOX News, apparently at the end of his rope and couldn't get money from Ensign, he copied the same letter to Rick Santorum, who's not only a FOX News contributor, but a close friend of John Ensign and someone Doug Hampton knew pretty well from having worked as John Ensign's top aide.

He believes Rick Santorum tipped off Ensign, not FOX News. But no one has been able to confirm that.

SANCHEZ: Hush money, or as it's been suggested, a severance, as Ensign's attorney claims. Which is it?

RALSTON: Well, if it was hush money, he didn't stay hushed for very long, did he? So, maybe that's why he wants more money. And Doug Hampton doesn't like the term "hush money." He says it wasn't that.

Now, of course, he was a little cagey about the money on the program when he talked about it, Rick. He said it was a severance. He said it was more than $25,000.

What prompted John Ensign, in my opinion, to put out that statement is he said it was well over $25,000, which then caused a group that has filed a complaint against Senator Ensign to call for criminal investigation, because criminal penalties can attach after a $25,000 severance.

SANCHEZ: Yep.

RALSTON: That's why they came out and said this was a gift to the family. And it's conveniently, spread it out between Mike and Sharon Ensign to the kids and the family members. It's not taxable or disclosable.

We still haven't seen any canceled checks though, Rick.

SANCHEZ: Apparently his friend, who -- the senator's friend and also a senator from Oklahoma who lives with him in a house in Washington, Senator Tom Coburn, has now been somehow dragged into this, in many ways because he was trying to help him. What's going on with that part of the story?

RALSTON: Well, some of that is somewhat murky. Coburn has actually slipped on this.

Hampton's version of events is that he got some of the folks who live at this so-called C Street house, including Tom Coburn, the Republican senator from Oklahoma, to confront John Ensign about this affair, that John Ensign subsequently wrote this letter, handwritten letter, which I obtained from Hampton and posted, that shows his supposedly contrition about this, and that the affair is over. He Fedexed it.

But continued then, of course, to pursue the wife at this meeting, which Hampton described in detail, Coburn was among those who said you've got to do right by this family, give them some money, let them restart their lives.

SANCHEZ: We're out of time.

By the way, the senator's lawyer says his parents about the affair, his parents decided to make the gifts out of concern for a well-being and longtime family friends. That's it.

We'll get you back to finish this.

Meanwhile, here's Wolf Blitzer in "The Situation Room."

WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST: Rick, thank you.