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Online Sex Trafficking of Minors; Interview With Denzel Washington; Looters Hit Disaster Zone
Aired September 15, 2010 - 12:02 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: And hello again, everyone. I'm Tony Harris.
Top of the hour in the CNN NEWSROOM, where anything can happen. Here are some of the people behind today's top stories.
Child sex trafficking online. A disturbing reality of the Internet hits home for the mother of a 12-year-old.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She was there with a wig on. She had on a purple negligee.
AMBER LYON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Your 12-year-old daughter?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Education crisis. A third of America's children do not graduate from high school. Actor Denzel Washington says he wants to change that. He join us live to tell us how.
You're online right now, and we are, too. Ines Ferre is following "What's Hot" -- Ines.
INES FERRE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Tony, a lot of you are tweeting about the new Twitter interface that's been unveiled.
Also, they're called Believers -- this is from CNN.com -- Justin Bieber wanna-Biebs. There's a slew of them --
HARRIS: Oh, my.
FERRE: -- and they're called "wanna-Biebs."
HARRIS: Oh lord. All right, Ines. See you a little later.
Let's get started with our lead story. Child sex slavery, prostitution of children, commercial exploitation of children, all at issue on Capitol Hill next hour as the House Judiciary subcommittee holds a hearing on the role of online services and sex trafficking of minors. Our Amber Lyon has investigated this problem extensively. She takes us to the home of an exploited child.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LYON (on camera): OK. So where are we headed right now?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're going upstairs to her bedroom. She's a normal 12-year-old -- Hannah Montana, the Jonas Brothers.
LYON: Do you sleep in her bed at night?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I do, just so I can feel -- basically have that connection.
LYON (voice-over): A mother's anguish. Her 12-year-old daughter lured away by a pimp on her way home from school in April. She's then sold for sex Craigslist before the site closed the adult services section. She's also trafficked on another Web site, backpage.com.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A friend of mine told me to look on Craigslist, and it almost blew my mind. I really didn't believe what I saw. She was there with a wig on. She had on a purple nightgown.
LYON (on camera): Your 12-year-old daughter?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes. And another one was her rear end. She was bent over.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Everybody wants to know when you look at a Web site and you see a list of prostitutes, how many of them are children?
ERNIE ALLEN, NATIONAL CENTER FOR MISSING AND EXPLOITED CHILDREN: Nobody knows what the real numbers are.
LYON (voice-over): Back in June, we asked Craigslist to estimate the number of potentially underage trafficking victims in its adult services ad. Their answer: "effectively zero."
ERNIE ALLEN, NATIONAL CENTER FOR MISSING AND EXPLOITED CHILDREN: That's not true. We have been able to find, locate, and return home 54 missing kids on Craigslist. Now, that is a tiny fraction of what the total scope of the problem is. We found 12 kids on Backpage.
LYON: The national Center for Missing and Exploited Children gave us current missing child posters, all being sold for sex.
LYON (on camera): There are 52 missing persons posters behind me representing 52 girls, all under age 18, all missing right now -- Christina, Monica, Rachel. And The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children says all 52 of these girls are being sex trafficked. Erica, Ashley, Nicole. The vast majority of them being sold on the Internet.
We've got white girls here, black girls here, Hispanic girls, Asian girls. The youngest girl on this wall went missing when she was 13 years old. A lot of these have something in common. She may be in the company of an adult male. Over here, Christina may be in the company of an adult male. In this case, that adult male is most likely the pimp.
(voice-over): A group based in Georgia called The Future not a Past commissioned a study. They were focusing on the men who try to buy sex online with underage girls.
KAFFIE MCCULLOUGH, A FUTURE NOT A PAST: We wanted to know what's the scope of this problem in Georgia. And to me, the results were staggering -- 7,200 men a month buying sex from adolescent girls. It's like, just took my breath away.
LYON: There's no legal obligation for Web sites to report ads that might involve underage prostitution. Backpage.com told CNN the site includes links to help users notify The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children if they identify potential abuses. And back in 2008, Craigslist promised to, quote, "work tirelessly in tandem with key non-profits" and agreed to report ads to The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children when they seemed to involve adolescents.
But in a period of 15 months, Craigslist only reported 132 ads. That's 132 out of more than 700,000 adult services ads that it rejected. Ads that could have provided vital leads about children being bought and sold.
And that 12-year-old girl we told you about at the beginning, by chance she called home just as we were speaking with her mother.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You should be home with your family, with your friends, with the people that love you.
LYON: The first time they'd spoken in the two weeks since the little girl had vanished. Police rescued the 12-year-old girl and arrested a 42-year-old man and charged him with human trafficking. One girl rescued out of thousands.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How are you doing? Just please, step away.
LYON: Amber Lyon, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: So, Amber Lyon joining us from Washington.
Amber, look, that's -- look, I've got two small children myself. That's a tough story to watch.
What are we going to see? What is likely to come out of this committee hearing coming up next hour?
LYON: Well, Tony, this is going to be very interesting for a lot of people who have been following this Craigslist story, because there will be a representative from Craigslist testifying before these representatives. Not Craig Newmark himself, but a representative who deals with their law enforcement and customer relations.
And this could be the first time that Craigslist really breaks its silence as to why it shut down the adult services section, and as to if this is a permanent change. Also, you better bet there's going to be some representatives in there drilling Craigslist as to how they've been monitoring these ads and why they didn't report more as we showed you there in that piece -- Tony.
HARRIS: Yes. Amazing that the daughter calls as you're talking to mom. That -- boy.
LYON: I know. Can you believe of that?
HARRIS: Yes -- no, I just can't.
LYON: We were just sitting there, the camera was rolling. And all of a sudden, the daughter's on the phone and we are able to ask her some questions, get some information that was later passed on to law enforcement, and they rescued her later that afternoon, thank goodness. But it's one of those things -- she's 12 years old, Tony. How many more girls like her are there out there?
HARRIS: Yes. A lot, I'm afraid.
Amber, appreciate it. Good stuff. Thank you. And good work on that story.
Girls from Mexico are also being sold for sex here in the United States. CNN Senior Latin American Affairs editor Rafael Romo begins a two-part series today at 4:00 and 8:00 p.m. on CNN's "RICK'S LIST." And tomorrow, Rafael will join us live in the NEWSROOM at this hour.
The big headline today from the primary elections: The Tea Party versus the GOP establishment candidates. And Tea Party activists scored a big win in Delaware. Their candidate, Christine O'Donnell, defeated Republican Congressman Mike Castle in the U.S. Senate primary. Democrats say O'Donnell's win could held them hold on to the Senate seat, but O'Donnell says she will win in November with or without support from the Republican Party.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHRISTINE O'DONNELL (R), DELAWARE SENATE CANDIDATE: There are a lot of people who are rallying behind me who are frustrated that the Republican Party has lost its way. What you see in this race, and then especially the attitude after our win, is that the so-called leaders have been proven wrong. They got behind a candidate who didn't even support our party principles, supported the liberals nearly 70 percent of the time some years, and they chose to get behind him because they were taking the easy way out.
And now they underestimated the power of we, the people, and the strength and the determination that we have to take back our country. And, you know, their credibility has been shot.
(END VIDEO CLIP) HARRIS: In New York, veteran congressman Charles Rangel managed to win despite facing ethic charges. He fended off five challengers in the Democratic primary, including the son of the late congressman Adam Clayton Powell. Rangel got some last-minute help from former president Bill Clinton in the form of robo calls.
Actor Denzel Washington focusing on the very real problem of kids dropping out of school. He joins me live to discuss a new initiative to help at-risk youngsters.
Denzel right there.
First, though, our "Random Moment" in 90 seconds.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Oh boy. Another crazy one, a face from the past. It is our "Random Moment of the Day."
An amateur treasure hunter uncovered a Roman mask buried in Great Britain. Take a look here.
He did it with the -- one of throws metal detectors that you see folks on the beaches with. Yes. The relic may bring more than a $500,000 at auction. Christie's describes the find as an extraordinary metal work and its zenith.
Another extraordinary "Random Moment" for you.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Focusing now on the growing problem of high school dropouts.
A full 30 percent of the nation's students do not graduate from high school. It is even worse for black males. Fifty-three percent of them don't get their high school diplomas.
The Boys and Girls Clubs of America launching a new program to help kids stay in school. Its spokesman for some 15, 16, 18 years, actor Denzel Washington, spent many of his childhood years at Boys and Girls Clubs. And he joins us now from Washington, along with Ramona Dixon.
And you know what, Denzel? I was going to introduce Ramona, but I'll have you introduce Ramona and then tell us why you're advocating for young people like her.
DENZEL WASHINGTON, SPOKESMAN, BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF AMERICA: Ramona Dixon has just been announced as -- how are you, first of all?
HARRIS: Great to see you man. Great.
WASHINGTON: Very good.
Ramona Dixon has just been announced as the Youth of the Year for 2010-2011. She's a freshman at Arizona State University. She is a longtime member of the Boys & Girls Club, and she can tell you a little bit --
Tell them a little bit about your history, where you've come from and what you've been doing.
HARRIS: Oh, terrific.
RAMONA DIXON, YOUTH OF THE YEAR RECIPIENT, 2010-2011: Well, I've grown up from streets to shelters, and when I finally moved to Tempe, Arizona, I joined the Boys & Girls Club. And from then on, a stranger paid my $20 (ph) fee for me and it basically changed the rest of my life.
HARRIS: Denzel, I know she doesn't have an earpiece, but maybe you can ask the question of how she was able to find her way from those very difficult beginnings.
WASHINGTON: They want to know how you found your way from those very difficult beginnings to the Boys & Girls Club.
DIXON: I had a lot of mentors, and I also had personal tutors. And I also have a guy who played a father figure in my role and -- well, in my life, and that's what helped me get to the Boys & Girls Club, and that's what's helping me be successful.
HARRIS: Yes.
WASHINGTON: You talked about the dropout rate. Ninety percent of Boys & Girls Club members graduate from the high school, and we're working on, obviously, that other 10 percent. But that's the focus of our initiative, to make sure that each and every child has the opportunity to graduate from high school.
And by the way, Ramona graduated with a 3.9 --
DIXON: 3.92.
WASHINGTON: 3.92 grade point average.
HARRIS: We could use those smarts around here, I'll tell you that, right here in the NEWSROOM.
(LAUGHTER)
HARRIS: Hey, look, Denzel, let's talk about the new initiative. The program is Be Great, Graduate. And my question to you is, why are you doing this? I know it's a basic question, but there was a motivation in this for you. What has moved you to action in this area?
WASHINGTON: Well, from the time I was 6 years old, I was a member of the Boys & Girls Club. I was a counselor at the Boys & Girls Club. I sort of started my acting career there.
Everything or most of what I am today, I can attribute to the lessons that I learned and to the mentors that helped me at the Boys & Girls Club. So, 18 years ago I was asked to be the national spokesperson. And in those 18 years -- or, more specifically, in the last 10 years -- we doubled the number of clubs that we built and the number of members that have joined the club.
HARRIS: Yes. And I know you've been -- you started in the clubs when you were a child. But at what point in your life did the -- you know the message, the anything is possible message, begin to resonate for you personally?
WASHINGTON: That's a good question for Ramona.
At what point in your life did "anything is possible" moment begin to resonate? When did you feel confident? And who gave you that confidence?
DIXON: Well, probably in first grade. My teacher, Ms. Mayer (ph), actually told me when she handed me my first "Harry Potter" book to read that, if I worked hard, that anything is possible. If I had a heart and I was very determined, then I could accomplish anything that I put my mind to.
WASHINGTON: It's no coincidence that the same type of event happened for me in the Boys & Girls Club. I talked about it earlier today, when one of the mentors there, one of the volunteers there, talked to me about the smarts he thought I had.
HARRIS: Right.
WASHINGTON: Evidently, I was a good actor even then.
(LAUGHTER)
WASHINGTON: But he just said to me that, you know, "You can go as far as you want to go. You can do anything you want to do." And that's what the Boys & Girls Club is all about. Not just, as they say, swim and gym, but the volunteers and the workers that instill these positives in the lives and in the minds of young people.
You know, they talk about role models and they talk about athletes or actors, or all of that, but in my community, in my town, the role models were the people that I could see every day and see how they operate, and I would emulate the way that they functioned.
HARRIS: So I am transporting you, Mr. Washington, because I have the power to do that, I am transporting you right now into a classroom. OK?
WASHINGTON: OK.
HARRIS: Stay with me -- full of at-risk young people.
What is your message to those young people, some of whom still say, as you know, I don't need college, I'll jump into the rap game? You know what, Mr. Denzel Washington, I will become a production assistant on one of your movies and work my way up through my wits, my guile, my work ethic.
What is your message to those young people who say, I don't need college, I don't need higher education, I don't even need to get out of high school?
WASHINGTON: Like I tell my children, it's one thing to make money. It's another thing to know how to count it. OK?
So without math -- and Ramona, what do you think? What would you say to young people that don't feel they need school? They say, oh I'm going to be a rapper, or I'm going to be a basketball star, I don't need an education. What would you say to them?
DIXON: Well, if you want to be a sports player, you never know what's going to happen. When you break your leg, what's going to be your rebound?
So, academics, if you have an education, that will always be there for you. If you have a degree, can't nobody take from you that. And that's what I would say to them.
HARRIS: Well --
WASHINGTON: There you go.
HARRIS: That's perfect. That's perfect.
(LAUGHTER)
HARRIS: Hey, Denzel, will you pass along our thanks and congratulations to Ramona?
WASHINGTON: I will do.
HARRIS: And one other thing, man. That's a great job by you of not only taking my questions, moving the questions to Ramona. I don't know. You got any time available?
WASHINGTON: I double majored, actually, in drama and journalism.
HARRIS: Yes. You've any room in your schedule for prime time? Just a thought.
WASHINGTON: No. I like my day job.
HARRIS: Yes. It's a pretty good one.
Denzel, appreciate it. Thanks for your time. Good to see you again after 20-some odd years. Good to visit with you. Take care, man.
WASHINGTON: My pleasure.
HARRIS: Chad Myers tracking hurricanes. He's next in the CNN NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(NEWSBREAK)
(WEATHER REPORT)
HARRIS: All right. Still to come in the NEWSROOM, a young Iowa soldier promoted to the rank of national hero. His story -- and it is an amazing one -- coming up for you in the CNN NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: So picture this -- your home is in a neighborhood rocked by a massive explosion and fire. You're forced to flee. And when you're allowed back in, your home has been looted.
It's been happening in San Bruno, California, after last week's massive gas line explosion and fire.
We've got the story from CNN affiliate KRON.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAVID GUINGONA, KRON TV (voice-over): Jody Ravelo was showing a San Bruno police officer the rooms where someone had broken into the house and stolen small but irreplaceable belongings like her engagement and wedding rings that had stones reset from her grandfather's ring.
JODY RAVELO, ROBBERY VICTIM: It's an heirloom.
DANTE RAVELO, ROBBERY VICTIM: It's an heirloom, you know, piece of jewelry which, you know, that's going to be hard to just put a value on that.
GUINGONA: Dante and Jody Ravelo talk about the emotional roller- coaster that they have been riding on since Thursday's explosion.
D. RAVELO: We are already so glad just to be able to come back to our house after having anxiously waited for three days. So we were really glad to find out that our house was in relatively good shape and then all of a sudden, I hear this, you know, Jody is already screaming about how we've been robbed.
So from there it was really just an awful feeling, I mean, just being on pins and needles the whole time for the -- you know the whole time since the explosion happened and waiting. And then we get back -- finally get back in our house, and then we have this happen to us. You know, it's just an additional thing, just unbelievable.
GUINGONA: Both Jody and Dante had birthdays and their anniversary within the last month, so the burglar was able to take gift cards and gifts certificates along with jewelry and small items that could be carried out easily.
But what's worrying them the most is the loss of items that could lead to identity theft. J. RAVELO: The scary part is that they took our passports, our whole family's passports: mine, my husband's and our three children and both of our Social Security cards and like we had wallets with, you know, leftover credit cards and things.
D. RAVELO: This guy potentially has all our identity, all our crucial documents.
J. RAVELO: My checkbook. Yes, everything.
GUINGONA: San Bruno police said that they have received a few other reports of burglaries in the surrounding areas but have not yet linked this burglary to any others pending their investigation.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: OK. The president says small businesses can be a key to jump-starting the economy.
I apologize. I didn't get a cue.
So you may be a little surprised by one entrepreneur's take on unemployment insurance.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think that as far as unemployment extensions go, they could limit the amount of extensions they put.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: We will check in with Poppy Harlow in New York on help for small business owners.
We're back in a moment. You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Jack, come on. Let's get everyone to CNNmoney.com. The pick story of the day. That's why it's the big banner story.
This is terrific. The Money Team delivers again. "Bush tax cuts: what you need to know." The noise from the debate in Washington deafening. Cover are your ears and keep reading. This is ideal, because the debate can be a little confusing. Right?
We're trying to cut through it as best we can here in the CNN NEWSROOM. But if you need additional information, and we all do, right? Just go to CNNmoney.com. Terrific, terrific piece here.
Three hours into the trading day; let's look at the Dow. Not bad. Off session highs, but we are up 32 points. Not bad. The NASDAQ - all right, reversing an early losing trend. In positive territory now. Up eight points.
Got to tell you, we hear President Obama say this all the time. You've heard it. I've heard it. Small businesses create two out of every three jobs in the country. So, the economic recovery depends on small businesses. Right?
Poppy Harlow now joining us from New York. So, Poppy, small businesses. Here's the question. Do they believe they're getting what they need to survive and thrive from the government?
POPPY HARLOW, CNNMONEY.COM: It's a great question. They are sort of the life blood of this economy, and as the president says, if we're going to get the economy back on track, you have to get the small businesses flourishing again. Hiring again.
Some are doing a lot better than others. But after we heard the president last week, Tony, make that big announcement saying he wants Congress to approve $350 billion in initial -- in additional aid for big and small companies -- we decided to go to this company. It's a family-owned manufacturing company in New Jersey and talk to them about how they're doing, what help they've gotten from the government, what more help they might need. And also, most interestingly, you'll hear at the end of the conversation what they think the government should stop doing. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HARLOW (on camera): How hard is it to run a small business right now?
MICHAEL HORSBURGH, PRESIDENT, RIDGID PAPER TUBE CORP.: It's not something that you can take a back seat on. You have to always be involved in every aspect of the business.
How much more do you have to do? Is this your last box?
HARLOW: We hear so often, nothing is made in America anymore. It's not true. Your company makes paper tubes?
HORSBURGH: Made in America. Materials are purchased in America and Canada, and our workforce are local people. We have the opportunity to add more jobs locally.
HARLOW: Is the president's latest plan, a $200 billion tax break for businesses - is that what small businesses need right now?
HORSBURGH: We need anything we can get. I would look into additional equipment to replace the equipment we have now.
HARLOW: Would that mean hiring more workers?
HORSBURGH: It would. It would allow us to put on a second shift. We currently have about 27 employees now. I hope to have about 50 employees within the next two years. I'd like to modernize our production lines and get into a larger building.
HARLOW: What do you think the government could do that it's not doing for small businesses? HORSBURGH: I think that as far as unemployment extensions go, they could limit the amount of extensions they put. We've had a help wanted sign out front for probably six months. People come in, they fill out applications, but ultimately, we end up just signing their slip that they have been here, that they've looked for a job.
HARLOW: To get unemployment benefits?
HORSBURGH: Absolutely. They're telling me that they're happy with the unemployment benefits they are receiving now and maybe when they end, they'll consider it. There has to be a point in time when somebody start fresh, get back into a company, start even if it's less than what they're making before because there's plenty of upward mobility in my company. If you are an aggressive, hard-working person, there's plenty of opportunities for you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARLOW: And you know, Tony, I think that's the harsh reality people don't really want to talk publicly about. It's not the norm, but it is something that this business is seeing. That there are people out there's that don't have jobs, that come in and say, sign my unemployment paper. But when Michael Horsburgh, you saw him there, calls them for a second interview, they say no thanks, I'd rather be on unemployment, Tony.
HARRIS: Yikes.
I got a question. Something struck me as I was watching your piece, Poppy. Your small business owner is talking about potentially wanting to expanding the business. He could use help, equipment, this that and the other. If I can get more equipment, maybe I could expand a little bit and do a second shift.
Isn't that traditionally the role of the bank? Has he tried to go and get a loan from a bank to buy the equipment to expand his business to add that second shift?
HARLOW: A great point. This is a capitalist society. Right? The government is not going to pay for every expansion that you want. They did get a big small business loan, but he did tell me, Tony, lending is looking better. Credit is more open. He thinks he can get a small business loan through his local bank. So, he's going to work on that.
They're talking about moving. He's talking about putting a night shift on, so he'd go from 27 to 50 workers. So, yes, this is a company that thinks they can get the credit for a small business. But I'd say from the companies we've talked to, we've looked at, the whole team here at CNNmoney, this is sort of a rare example of a small business. It is seeing that, since the second quarter of 2008, what we've seen small business loans drop 18 percent.
So, still struggling. For him, though, a little more positive outlook.
HARRIS: Yes, yes. That's good. Poppy good to see you. As always.
HARLOW: You, too.
HARRIS: Thank you.
Got to tell you, a new Category 4 storm is out there, and Karl has now made landfall.
We're back in a moment. You're here in the CNN NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Got to tell you, we've really excited about bringing you this story today. On October 6th, Staff Sergeant Salvatore Guinta will become the first living recipient of the Medal of Honor since the Vietnam War.
The sergeant is holding a videoconference call with reporters right now from a U.S. military base in Italy. Let's have a listen.
(JOINED IN PROGRESS)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're asking for your reactions to last week.
STAFF SERGEANT SALVATORE GUINTA, U.S. ARMY, FIRST LIVING MEDAL OF HONOR RECIPIENT SINCE VIETNAM CONFLICT: Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't hear you.
My -- this last week has been definitely a wild and crazy ride. It's been exciting. It's been -- I'm a regular line soldier. So, this is a new world, sitting out here under the lights, in the field with cameras pointed on us talking with a little secret earpiece. And it's definitely interesting and exciting.
DANA HASBATH (ph), "THE WASHINGTON POST": I'm Dana Hasbath with "The Washington Post." Having had some time to reflect, does it seem a bit surreal? What kind of emotions can you describe since the time - since the time of the ambush versus now, sitting there with lights on you and an earpiece with your wife? Have you been sleeping much? Have you still been running still on adrenaline? What's the emotions you've been going through, sir?
GUINTA: This whole process has been, from the time I actually knew that they were going to put me in for the Medal of Honor to now, it's almost been three years now. So, that's not something that I really thought about until this last week.
As far as emotions after finding out about that I'm going to receive the Medal of Honor, it's very -- it's bittersweet, because it's such a huge, huge honor, and right now the 173rd's deployed. And they are doing the same thing they did, everything that's asked of them in Afghanistan all over again. And that's where a lot of my friends are right now. So, for me to fully you know, accept this, I have to have everyone who's been by me every time I needed them. And that's really my brothers in arms and some of them are out of the Army now and some are in Afghanistan now, and -- it's emotional and it's great. All of this is great.
But it does bring back, then, you know, a lot of memories of all the people that I would love to share this moment with, and I'm just not going to have that opportunity because they're no longer with us, and they gave everything for their country. And in doing that, we're not going to be able to enjoy this together.
ALLEN ABEL, "THE NATIONAL POST": Hello, I'm Allen Abel from "The National Post." I was with the president's in that appearance here in Virginia on Monday in a suburban backyard. For an hour-and-a-half, he took questions from the residents of this neighborhood. Not once in those 90 minutes was the war with Afghanistan, was Iraq, was the military ever mentioned either by the president or any of about 20 people who asked him questions.
How do each of you view this apparent lack of interest or weariness with what's happening there?
GUINTA: I think for a lack of interest or weariness for all the people who didn't speak about it or think about it, I think there's millions more Americans that really do understand what the American soldier is going through.
And I'm not doing it right now. I'm still a soldier, but at the same time, I'm proud. I'm so proud to say I'm with the 173rd. I am stoked that I can say, I'm with the rock. Battle hard.
STAFF SGT. SALVATORE GIUNTA, U.S. ARMY: Who didn't speak about it or think about it, I think there's millions more Americans that really do understand what the American soldier is going through. And I'm not doing it right now. I'm still a soldier. But at the same time, I'm proud. I'm so proud to say I'm with the 173rd. I am stoked that I can say, I'm with the rock, battle hard. I'm proud right now of being on rear attachment team (ph), I'm serving those duties (ph) and they're out there doing it again. And if other people don't know, well, hopefully they'll listen to this and they'll remember that there's men and women out there every single day giving everything for their country.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You have an answer, a reaction to that?
GIUNTA: I'm sorry. I didn't hear you again.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was asking Jenny the same question, how she viewed this apparent or possible disinterest or lack of interest on the part of many people here.
JENNY GIUNTA, STAFF SGT. SALVATORE GIUNTA'S WIFE: I feel the same way that Sal does. I mean it goes to show just while Sal was deployed and I would, you know, call family, call friends, talk to people, just hearing those -- those that were aware of things and those that weren't aware of thing. It's just kind of how sometimes it happens. And you just have to keep thinking that there's more people out there that are aware of it than maybe you're talking to. You just have to keep that in mind. And that hopefully people that are aware of it will spread the awareness and that hope this award will spread the awareness as well to those people.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hi, Staff Sergeant, this is Courtney Qubi (ph) from NBC News.
I wanted to bring you back to your answer to Dana's question, when you mentioned that this award really is bittersweet to you. Have you spoken to any of the other soldiers who were with you that night? And then do you still keep in touch with the family members of any of the soldiers, your friends, who were lost that night? Have any of them had any reaction, reached out to you since the announcement last week offering any feelings about your honor?
S. GIUNTA: I talked with my squad leader at the time who was there that night, Staff Sergeant Gallardo (ph), and he gave me a call from Afghanistan. One of the soldiers that's out there just doing it again. And he just told me that he's there for me and he's proud of me, and he's happy. He's happy for me, and this means a lot to the guys.
And, honestly, that -- hearing him say that, to me, someone I look up to telling me this, it means a lot to me. And especially that he can say that from the guy, too, that I think, you know, are the heroes right now. They're out there fighting of the United States while I'm just sitting here.
As far as bittersweet and speaking to the families of the soldiers that were lost that night, I keep in touch with Josh Brennan's (ph) father. He's a real stand-up guy. I like Mike a lot. We talk here and there, off and on, and he's expressed his gratitude to me, which, you know, that's kind of a hard one to stomach, because that's still a loss. I'm glad that we could bring Josh back, but I wish it was under different circumstances.
We actually -- we got married -- Jenny and I got married last November and we just had --
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: All right, let's do this. Oh, they're married, OK. Last November.
Leave that picture up. Perfect. As we explain to you why the staff sergeant is receiving this high honor. In October of 2007, Staff Sergeant Giunta ran head-on into a Taliban ambush to rescue two American soldiers. Now the insurgents, is our understanding, were dragging away one of the American soldiers who was critically wounded. The staff sergeant rushed in, took out one of the Taliban fighters and sent the other one running for his life.
And apparently we don't have it now, but the top of this conference call was pretty emotional stuff. Staff Sergeant Giunta is the eighth person to receive the Medal of Honor. It is the military's highest award for service in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Let's take a break. You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: All right. Time for your "CNN Equals Politics" updates. Dana Bash, with the best political team on television, joining us live from Washington, D.C.
Dana, good to see you. What's crossing right now?
DANA BASH, CNN SENIOR CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good to see you, Tony.
Well, about to go up on our ticker is an interview that I just did down the hall just moments ago with Jim DeMint. Political watchers know exactly who he is and the splash that he helped make in Delaware. He is a Republican senator, very conservative and he has one by one been going through the Republican primary battles and funding and pushing for the -- what many in the establishment, Republican establishment, call French candidates who have won.
Well, there have been a lot of people who are not very happy with him because Christine O'Donnell, whom he backed early, won in Delaware last night because many Republicans fear they'll lose that seat and perhaps lose their chance at the majority. I asked Jim DeMint about that just moments ago.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BASH: It's hard to not see that everything that you've done this campaign season has been to back candidates that defy the GOP establishment. You're trying to send a message to the GOP establishment?
SEN. JIM DEMINT (R), SOUTH CAROLINA: The GOP establishment is out. And what we're going to do is help the American people take back their government. And I hope the Republican Party will be the party that carries that banner. Because what people are saying this year is what we say we believe, less government, less spending, less debt, less government takeovers, lower taxes. I mean that's what people are saying all over the country -- democrat and independents.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BASH: Now I asked if that establishment included his own Republican leader, Mitch McConnell, who, of course, is part of the establishment. And he said he does not think so, Tony. But he did admitted that although he thinks Christine O'Donnell can win the general election in Delaware, he did admit it is going to be harder for her to do that, but he's certainly going to help her try.
Speaking of the establishment, number two on our ticker is the man who is in charge of electing Republicans, John Cornyn. He issued a statement sounding kum ba yah court, I think I would call it, saying that they do now strongly support Christine O'Donnell and that she is something that they will get behind. They're going to give a small amount of money, $42,000, to her campaign.
I also just interviewed him moments ago and he said that, look, he understands that there is a message to people like him in the Republican establishment from with the party. And this is not the first time. Delaware, before that Kentucky, Alaska, and Colorado, that his candidate has not been chosen. They understand that and that's why you feel -- and you see this on the ticker, many different items, and you feel it here in Congress, the senators in the Republican Party are a little bit concerned.
HARRIS: Oh, yes.
Dana, good to see you. Thank you. Appreciate it.
And your next political update coming up in one hour. For the latest political news, just go to cnnpolitics.com.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: OK. Checking top stories for you now.
Triple threat in the tropics. A pair of powerful hurricanes are churning in the Atlantic. Igor could threaten Bermuda this weekend. To the south, Tropical Storm Karl is bearing down on Mexico's Yucatan.
An FDA panel is refusing to restrict sales of cough syrup. Narcotics officials say teens are abusing the medicine to get high.
And one of the trapped Chilean miners is a new father. His wife has given birth to a little girl. Before the mine caved in, the baby was going to be named Carolina, but now she's named Esperanza. That's Spanish for hope. We're back in a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: The rock star is in the house. CNN NEWSROOM continues right now with T.J. Holmes, in for Ali Velshi.
Doctor.
