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Gotcha Politics; New York Police Shoot College Student; Nevada Senate Race Heats Up
Aired October 19, 2010 - 15:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: It's a rare behind-the-scenes look at gotcha politics. Candidates are recruiting people to track down their opponents to try to get them to say something controversial. But is it right? And is it working?
I'm Brooke Baldwin. The news is now.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Businesses will leave this state quicker than Carl Paladino at a gay bar.
BALDWIN (voice-over): The gloves are off.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It doesn't make sense.
BALDWIN: Two weeks to go until Election Day, and it seems characters are welcome.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Rent, it's too damn high.
BALDWIN: And that was before the two main candidates in the New York gubernatorial race took their turns. Wait until you see what happened.
DONNA PARKS, MOTHER OF BRANDON COX: And they handcuffed my son when he went to them to tell them he had been shot.
BALDWIN: College students hit by police gunfire outside a bar. One student is dead. His best friend's mother tells us a shocking side of this story.
So, how are police responding? You will hear it.
And from coffee to cocktails, why you may need to start showing your I.D. at the Starbucks counter.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BALDWIN: Got all of that for you and a whole lot more. Hi, everyone. I'm Brooke Baldwin. CNN NEWSROOM rolls on right now.
Let's talk election, shall we? Fourteen days and counting until the big midterms, and this neck-and-neck Nevada Senate race really reaching a boiling point today. And in case you thought it couldn't get any hotter, it has.
This afternoon, we expect to hear at any moment during our program from the Democrat in this race. I'm talking about the Senate majority leader, Harry Reid, any moment in this program. We're going to of course bring that to you live as soon as we see him step foot on a podium.
Meantime, he is expected to respond to this latest controversy in the hard-fought campaign. Let's back up. This all started with this ad from the candidate backed by the Tea Party movement. Talking about Republican Sharron Angle. Things got a little hot over the weekend after Sharron Angle spoke to a group of high school students, but not just any high school students, Hispanic students at a high school in Las Vegas.
And she was asked essentially to explain the images in that ad, images showing what appeared to be dark-skinned men crossing the border. She began with these students saying she's not sure all of those were Latinos in that ad.
But she went on. Here's what she told the students next.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SHARRON ANGLE (R), NEVADA SENATORIAL CANDIDATE: So, that's what we want, is a secure and sovereign nation. And, you know, I don't -- I don't know that all of you are Latino. Some of you look a little more Asian to me. I don't know that.
What we know about -- what we know about ourselves is that we are a melting pot in this country. My -- my grandchildren are evidence of that. I'm evidence of that. I have been called the first Asian legislator in our Nevada State Assembly.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: So, let's talk about this ad or this -- these remarks, specifically, because of a particular ad, and we will push it forward here with senior congressional correspondent Dana Bash.
And, Dana, I have a lot of questions for you, but I want to start with the first two.
(LAUGHTER)
BALDWIN: One -- and good to see you, by the way.
(CROSSTALK)
BALDWIN: One, hearing -- hearing from Sharron Angle, she mentions her -- her grandkids of mixed ethnicity, part of this melting pot. So, I'm curious, number one, if you could extrapolate. And, number two, in Nevada, you have this make-or-break -- and not just Nevada, by the way, elsewhere -- this make-or-break Hispanic constituency that really -- you know, this has become a race about race. DANA BASH, CNN SENIOR CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right.
Well, to answer your first question, Sharron Angle does have a daughter-in-law who is Mexican, and her grandchildren are Mexican- American. So, that does answer that first question.
But on the politics of the Hispanic vote, there is no question that it is a big issue across the country this year, and it is a very big issue in the state of Nevada, because about a quarter of the population is Hispanic. And so that voting sector is absolutely critical.
Having said that, Brooke, I have spoken to some senior Republican strategists who are really monitoring and involved in that race, and they say, look, the hard truth is that the ads that Sharron Angle are running, like -- like the one you talked about, it's very clear that she has made a decision kind of to give -- give herself a wedge, and that the Hispanic population is not likely to vote for her.
So she's going to try to gin up those who are perhaps on the other side of the divide with regard to the immigration and illegal immigration battle.
BASH: And, Dana, we know from all your reporting that you've been doing, you are intimately familiar with a lot of these attack ads this -- this election season. And, in some cases, they're not just using -- you're not just hearing this big, booming voice of the narrator. It's also the candidates' words themselves being used against them.
BASH: Mm-hmm. That's exactly right. We -- you just played Sharron Angle. That wasn't used in an ad. The Democrats didn't have to, because it's flying all over the Internet and we're playing it on TV. But every year we do see a new trend in ads. And this particular one is using something like this, a BlackBerry or a cell phone, a flip-cam, to try to catch candidates saying something that can be used against them.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ms. Moore, in this election, would you support Nancy Pelosi for speaker?
BASH (voice-over): That's not a reporter asking the question. It's someone with Kansas House candidate Stephanie Moore's opponent.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Would you support Nancy Pelosi for speaker?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is Dakota. He follows me and asks me that question.
BASH: Dakota is what's known as a tracker, an opposing campaign's aide or supporter who follows candidates to events, looking for gotcha moments to turn into 30-second ads. Here's an ad in New Hampshire where Democrat Carol Shea-Porter is caught making what Republicans think is a politically unpopular admission. REP. CAROL SHEA-PORTER (D), NEW HAMPSHIRE: I think I have a 90 percent rating with the president. 93 percent with the House. All along, I have said, you know, this is what I believe.
BASH: It's an exploding trend in political ads this year, using candidates' own words against them, often with video captured by trackers.
EVAN TRACEY, CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER, CAMPAIGN MEDIA ANALYSIS GROUP: It's that candid camera, gotcha moment. Any time you can get your opponent on film saying something that is not popular with voters and you can put that in your ad and feed it out 30 seconds at a time, it's a much more effective way to run a negative ad.
BASH: Remember Republican Senator George Allen's 2006 infamous macaca moment?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. GEORGE ALLEN (R), VIRGINIA: This fellow here, over here, with the yellow shirt, macaca, or whatever his name is, he's with my opponent. And he's following us around everywhere.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BASH: A tracker shot that, and what appeared to be a racial slur by Allen helped sink his campaign. Now, four years later, flip cams, cell phones and advances in technology make this brand of negative campaigning much easier.
TRACEY: This is the macaca moment on steroids this election.
BASH: And it's a bipartisan phenomenon. Colorado voters see it from both Senate candidates.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, AD)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you pro-life? And I will answer the next question. I don't believe in the exceptions of rape or incest.
ANNOUNCER: Ken Buck, he's too extreme for Colorado.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, AD)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Reckless spending becomes a habit. Bennet voted for Obama's failed stimulus.
SEN. MICHAEL BENNET (D), COLORADO: I voted for it, and I'm glad I did.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BALDWIN: And, Dana --
BASH: And there you have it, Brooke. I mean, we --
BALDWIN: Go ahead. You go.
BASH: You go ahead.
(CROSSTALK)
BASH: I was going to button that up by saying let's -- that -- that it's very, very clear that this is an exploding trend. Talk to people who watch ads and monitor them and talk to people who make these ads, they say that this is incredibly powerful, much more powerful, to have the candidate's words, the opponent's words, than just have a narrator saying it.
BALDWIN: Yes. And the fact that he said that this -- this is a macaca moment, macaca moment on steroids this election.
(LAUGHTER)
BALDWIN: And I think case in point, and you --
(LAUGHTER)
BALDWIN: You showed just a snippet of it, and I want you to just take it a little further. The ad out of New Hampshire, Carol Shea- Porter, what strikes you about this? She's talking about her voting record. What about this strikes you?
BASH: Well, I think we actually have the whole ad. And I would -- and I would like to play it, because I want to play it for our viewers and then talk about it on the other end.
BALDWIN: Yes.
BASH: Let's listen.
BALDWIN: Let's listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, AD)
SHEA-PORTER: I'm not going to pretend that I'm voting with the opposite party half the time. I'm not. I'm not. I think I have about a 90 percent rating with -- with the president. And maybe that's --
(CROSSTALK)
SHEA-PORTER: Ninety-three percent with the House. All along, I have said, you know, this is what I believe. This is what I believe -- believe -- believe -- believe -- believe.
NARRATOR: Call Congresswoman Shea-Porter. Let her know if what you believe is what she believes when it comes to spending your tax dollars. (END VIDEO CLIP)
BASH: Now, Brooke, here is why I think that this is one of the most classic case of one of these ads out there. It is because you see ads across the country, the number-one message from Republicans, trying to tie Democratic candidates to Nancy Pelosi and the Democratic leadership in Washington.
Well, there you have Carol Shea-Porter, a Democratic congresswoman, doing it for them.
BALDWIN: In her own words.
BASH: And it was -- I have got to tell you, I talked -- exactly -- I talked to a Republican -- by the way, that is one of those ads from an outside group. We don't know where the -- where the -- where the donors are -- are coming from. We don't know who funded that.
But I talked to a Republican who was involved in making that ad, and he was giddy, really giddy, for that reason, because they just couldn't believe that they had her saying what they were trying to say all along.
Now, I will tell you, I spoke with Carol Shea-Porter's campaign up in New Hampshire, and they say, look, you know, it is what it is. She was at a town hall. She was asked a question by someone who they think was a legitimate voter. And she's honest. She said, look, I'm a Democrat and I'm voting with my party.
So, they make no apologies for it, but they also are telling me in New Hampshire, just like everywhere else -- and this is what is so fascinating about the dynamic out there -- is that they know that there is a tracker from her Republican opponent's campaign always with them. And guess what? The Democratic Party in New Hampshire, they always have a tracker following her opponent. So --
(LAUGHTER)
BALDWIN: Yes. And you mentioned --
BASH: -- it's the state of play. It's --
BALDWIN: You mentioned --
BASH: It's what is going on.
BALDWIN: -- the guy you spoke with was giddy. And you also brought up an excellent point, the fact that, you know, we don't know, and we don't have to know legally, who funded it.
I want you to explain what these 501(c)s --
BASH: Mm-hmm.
BALDWIN: -- and the Supreme Court ruling, that's not necessarily new, right? What's new is the fact that it's -- the funding can be unlimited.
BASH: That's exactly right. It is -- these -- these kinds of groups have existed, these kinds of groups that are allowed to -- to run ads and do political activity without disclosing their donors.
What is -- what is new now, after the Supreme Court decision earlier this year, is that corporations and unions are allowed to give to these groups in -- in an unlimited way from their general treasuries.
So, that's why we think that these groups are spending a lot more money and getting a lot more money. But, you know, it's sort of important to underscore the point we should say we think that. We don't really know, because we aren't seeing their roles. We're not seeing exactly where this money is coming from.
BALDWIN: All right, Dana Bash for us, senior congressional correspondent in New York, appreciate it.
Thank you, Dana.
BASH: Thanks, Brooke.
BALDWIN: Remember, we are all over these breaking stories from the campaign trail, so you can stay informed, not just rely on certain ads, right, to make your choices. CNN equals politics right here on TV and on the goal. Check out our new elections app. Go to CNN.com/mobile to download it to your smartphone.
Here's a question. What is going on at the Pentagon? Early, early this morning, someone fired shots at this building. Fortunately, no one was hurt, but there are a whole lot of questions here, many of which have yet to be answered. That is ahead.
Also, there are shocking allegations against a firefighter in Georgia. The story is unbelievable. This -- this man is accused of videotaping the graphic aftermath of a car accident, including the body, the daughter of two parents here who was killed in the accident. The outrageous details are next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BALDWIN: This next story will shock, it will sicken you, just as it shocked and sickened me when I first heard that this morning. And it especially resonates for parents out there.
Here's the story. Parents of this young woman in Georgia, they went through hell, losing their daughter in this car crash back in July. So, how could that possibly get worse? Listen to this. It turns out that a responding firefighter allegedly shot video of this fatal crash with his personal cell phone, including images of this young woman.
This is Dayna Kempson-Schacht. Her body was still on the scene. The sick part of all of this, the fact that the firefighter is accused of spreading the video around to his friends. And guess what? It wound up on the Internet. And guess who saw it? Her parents.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LUCRETIA KEMPSON, MOTHER OF DAYNA KEMPSON-SCHACHT: It was someone's daughter, someone's mother. She was disrespected by people that we trust to take care of us.
JEFFREY KEMPSON, FATHER OF DAYNA KEMPSON-SCHACHT: We want to do -- do whatever it takes to try to make sure that this never happens again.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: Dayna Kempson-Schacht was just 23 years of age. But she was a mother. She had two children. The county's fire chief confirms that one of his firefighters did indeed take that video. And he is now currently on paid leave while they investigate.
As for Dayna's mom and dad, we were so compelled by this story, we have reached out to them. We have invited them to join me at CNN, which they will be doing, to talk to me about this horrific one-two punch they have endured. They will be here on this show. You won't want to miss that interview. That is tomorrow.
Also, take a look at this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PARKS: Then they pulled D.J. out of the car, handcuffed him, put him face down on the ground and left him there for 15 to 20 minutes while they attended to the police officer.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: Another tragedy, this one just outside of a bar in New York, a college football player shot to death by police. Well, what really happened? We heard one side, if you were listening to that interview with me this time yesterday. But we wanted to push it further and see what police are saying. Let's get both sides of the story. That is ahead.
Also, Meg Whitman and Arnold Schwarzenegger, are they twins? Whitman's opponent Jerry Brown says yes. Jessica Yellin is standing by with that story hot off the trail -- there she is -- in Columbus, Ohio. CNN equals politics. She is next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BALDWIN: Arnold Schwarzenegger is a two-term governor, but he is not leaving his office on a high note, in fact, his popularity really at rock bottom right now. Take a look at these numbers with me.
According to this latest Field poll, Schwarzenegger has an approval rating of 23 percent. So, naturally, Democrat Jerry Brown is trying to inject the Republican governor into the California governor's race. Jessica Yellin has been all over this race from the beginning.
And, Jessica, I know you have got your hot little hands on this -- this ad before anyone else really has seen it. And I want to talk about it. And I don't know if you caught some of my conversation with Dana Bash, but we were talking about this trend of how some of these candidates are using their opponents' own words against them. This is the perfect example.
JESSICA YELLIN, CNN NATIONAL POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: A perfect example and an example of how, in modern politics, one of the most popular tactics is to try to turn your opponent's strengths into a weakness.
So, Meg Whitman is running as a non-politician, an enormously accomplished businessperson, who is something of a celebrity in her own world -- she used to run eBay -- and promising to bring all those values the business world to the governor's race.
Well, what Jerry Brown is trying to do is remind voters that that's exactly what Arnold Schwarzenegger promised to do, and it didn't work out so well, in voters' views. As you point out, his approval is 23 percent. And, again as you pointed out, they're trying to do it in Meg Whitman and Schwarzenegger's own words.
Watch the new ad.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, JERRY BROWN CAMPAIGN AD)
GOV. ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER (R), CALIFORNIA: Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.
MEG WHITMAN (R), CALIFORNIA GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE: Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and hoping for different results.
SCHWARZENEGGER: I have built businesses.
WHITMAN: I built a business.
SCHWARZENEGGER: Met the payroll.
WHITMAN: Met a payroll.
SCHWARZENEGGER: I enter this office beholden to no one except you.
WHITMAN: I will owe my office to no one but you.
SCHWARZENEGGER: I don't owe anyone anything.
WHITMAN: I don't owe anyone anything.
SCHWARZENEGGER: It's all about leadership.
WHITMAN: This is all about leadership. Jobs, jobs, and jobs.
SCHWARZENEGGER: Jobs, jobs, jobs.
We do not have a revenue problem.
WHITMAN: We do not have a revenue problem.
SCHWARZENEGGER: We have a spending problem.
WHITMAN: We have a spending problem.
SCHWARZENEGGER: Rebuilding California.
WHITMAN: Build a new California.
SCHWARZENEGGER: Rebuild California.
WHITMAN: Let's build a new California.
SCHWARZENEGGER: You need to run the state as a business.
WHITMAN: Running this thing a little bit more like a business.
SCHWARZENEGGER: What's the worst that can happen?
WHITMAN: What's the worst thing that can happen?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: Hmm.
YELLIN: All right, Brooke, you could also see they're also trying to use some humor there.
I should point out that Arnold Schwarzenegger has not endorsed Meg Whitman. She has kept her distance from him. And she has in fact criticized him. And she's up with her own ad today trying to link Jerry Brown to union spending against her in the state. But this is an ad that seems to be driving home a very pointed message, Brooke.
BALDWIN: You know, Jessica, here's what I'm curious about. You know, we -- we keep reporting on these negative attack ads. And, you know, a lot of people who I have been tweet -- tweeting with say, oh, I just roll my eyes, I flip the channel, I don't pay any attention.
Yet, these ads keep coming back every single election cycle, and they must be working to an extent. They must be.
YELLIN: They work. It's just like when viewers say they want substantive stuff, but then they watch celebrity gossip, or --
(LAUGHTER)
YELLIN: -- viewers say they don't want negative ads, but that's what tends to penetrate. And that's why we still see them out there.
I do want to make sure that we need -- read Meg Whitman's statement in response to this.
Do you have that? Or would you --
BALDWIN: I have it, yes, ma'am.
YELLIN: -- like me to read it?
BALDWIN: Let me get right to that.
YELLIN: All right. Good. Go ahead.
YELLIN: Jessica, let's see.
It says -- Whitman's campaign spokesperson has responded to the ad, so I want to make sure we read that to you. They say -- quote -- "Comparing Meg's experience as one of the world's most successful business leaders to Arnold Schwarzenegger's career as an actor is a false equivalency. The only candidate who has supported Arnold's plan to raise taxes is Jerry Brown. Whitman is the only candidate who has promised not to raise taxes."
Jess, you made the point, you know, Whitman has come out, been openly critical of the current governor. Yet, that obviously didn't stop folks from rolling out the ad.
YELLIN: Right.
(CROSSTALK)
BALDWIN: Let's move --
YELLIN: Negative works.
BALDWIN: Let's move -- right.
(LAUGHTER)
BALDWIN: And, like you said, it works.
Let's move, though, from things getting ugly in California to -- to -- to Ohio. We know it's one of the -- you know, one of the bellwether states here when it comes to the election. And what do you have, the latest on the governor's race there? How are -- who are those two candidates, Kasich and Strickland, working out?
YELLIN: That's right.
Strickland is the current Democratic governor in the state. And many folks in the Democratic Party credit him with helping President Obama win this state in the last election. So, his office is important not just to Ohio, but to Democrats broadly. And the latest polling shows him trailing by 10 points to his Republican challenger, John Kasich. That includes a significant fallback for him among independents. He seems to be falling, Kasich leading in that category, too. Now, I should say the campaign tells us they don't buy the methodology of this ad because it's out of step with others. And the candidates have also told us themselves that each of them -- Brooke, you will be shocked by this -- each of them thinks the prognosticators are wrong and each of them is going to win.
Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. TED STRICKLAND (D), OHIO: Well, I don't think there's an enthusiasm gap in Ohio. As I have stressed before, we have early voting in Ohio. We started voting on the 28th of September. And people can request absentee ballots.
And thus far across Ohio, more Democrats have requested absentee ballots than have Republicans. So, I don't think that indicates any enthusiasm gap in Ohio.
JOHN KASICH (R), OHIO GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE: Ohio is ground zero. I mean, Barack Obama has been here 11 times, and, obviously, this is somewhat of a referendum on his presidency.
And what I would say to you is that you -- that it feels very good, but I'm not a pollster. I'm a believer that you have to run through the tape. And, if you don't do that, you get caught sleeping, and anything can happen.
Right now, it feels very good. For me, we are very happy with the position we're in. But it's 15 days of grind it out every single day.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
YELLIN: And, Brooke, this is one of those states where there is so much money being spent on this race and so much of a ground operation that 15 days is a lifetime, and who knows what could change between now and then.
BALDWIN: Yes. And you mentioned John Kasich. He really does have the support of the independents. And a lot of people say, look, it's really tough to win a statewide race without -- without that kind of support behind you.
Jessica Yellin, great job in Columbus. Thank you.
(CROSSTALK)
BALDWIN: So, how much does it cost to fight terror? The government wants to give more of your money to Pakistan to help take on extremists. That is ahead.
And a mother told me yesterday through tears that police opened fire on her son and her son's best friend without reason. His friend, by the way, was a college football player. He is now dead. How are police responding? And what really happened? We're going to get to the bottom of that. That is next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BALDWIN: We have a few more details for you today from that fatal shooting of the college student near New York City this past weekend. We were talking about it this time yesterday.
Just to go back, it happened after midnight Sunday morning, police say, in the fire lane outside of this bar. Now, police responding to the scene found an unruly crowd, plenty of chaos, as you can see in some of the cell phone video.
Now, they say a car they ordered to stop instead accelerated and hit one of their officers, barely missing another one, forcing both of them to grab their guns and open fire. Now, the car's driver, a 20- year-old Pace University student, was killed. Some witnesses gave a different account, including the car's passenger, his best friend, who was wounded.
Yesterday, I spoke with that young man's mother, who could not comprehend what her son then told her what happened next.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PARKS: They pulled D.J. out of the car, handcuffed him, put him face down on the ground and left him there for 15 to 20 minutes while they attended to the police officer.
BALDWIN: And your son --
PARKS: They just left him there, just left him there on the ground --
BALDWIN: Oh.
PARKS: -- for 15 to 20 minutes, just laying there, just laying there.
My son didn't -- my son is walking around the parking lot.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: I know your heart breaks listening to her. But we want to make sure we're getting both sides of this story. And so I made sure I picked up the phone. I called the chief of police in Mount Pleasant just a couple hours ago. And he confirmed to me that Danroy Henry, who went by D.J., D.J. Henry was handcuffed, as, as he explained to me, any kind of protocol, standard -- standard operating procedure in any incident involving guns.
The officers, he said, basically treated this as a felony stop. But he said the student was immediately uncuffed when it became obvious he was hurt. This is what the police chief told other reporters yesterday. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHIEF LOUIS ALAGNO, MOUNT PLEASANT, NEW YORK POLICE: This is going to be a long, hard investigation and we will be as thorough as possible. We want to identify exactly what happened and why it happened.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: In the course of my conversation with Chief Alagno, who you just saw, he told me this has been the most difficult incident he has ever faced in his entire career. It spans since the '70s. That he has met with Dan Roy Henry's parents.
The chief would not give me any details about the investigation thus far, particularly regarding some of the alleged gunfire he said prompted officers to try to stop Henry's car. The policemen involved in the shooting, he explained, had yet to return to duty.
Of course we're staying all over this story and as soon as we get any update from either side -- we reached out to the henrys as well -- we will pass that along and get more for you on that.
I want to let you know we're waiting. Live remarks could happen any time in the program from Senate majority Harry Reid expected to address Sharron Angle, his opponent here in the Senate race, for controversial comments to Hispanic students over the weekend. We'll bring that to you live as it has here on CNN. Stick around for that.
Also, there is this mystery still unraveling at the Pentagon. What happened? Why did someone fire shots at that building? We'll tell you a little more about that investigation, how it's under way. That is next. You are in the CNN NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BALDWIN: Several news stories moving this hour. First we mentioned those shots fired at the Pentagon early this morning. Pentagon police officers report hearing at least five shots early this morning. One bullet hit this bulletproof window and a second the Pentagon south side.
Fortunately that part of the building empty for renovations. No one was injured there. There was a 40-minute shutdown of the entire Pentagon, that massive building at Arlington. Police shut down a portion of I-395 as well.
Investigators now believe the shooting may be a random incident. They're still trying to figure out, though, who fired the shots and why. Pentagon police are reevaluating whether they need to in fact tighten security. We're making calls. If anything changes there we'll bring it to you here on CNN.
Also more U.S. aid may be heading to Pakistan to fight extremists. How much? Possibly as much as $2 billion over the course of five years. That is what we're hearing from a senior U.S. official. The money is to help Islamabad fight terrorists on its border with Afghanistan.
By the way, that is in addition to the billions of dollars Washington already is giving the Pakistanis in military and nonmilitary aid. The additional money would, they say, help purchase helicopters, weapons and other equipment. The Obama administration is putting final touches on the security assistance package.
That news comes as gunmen in Pakistan attack two trucks hauling supplies meant for NATO forces in Afghanistan. This is just the latest in a series of attacks against NATO supplies.
I know the answer is yes but I have to ask it anyway. Remember this guy, Stephen Slater? The former JetBlue flight attendant became an infamous name for the way he quit his job. Remember, he allegedly cursed on the plane's p.a. system and slid on out on the emergency slide.
Slater's His next destination is a mental health program. This is part of the plea deal with prosecutors. Today he pleaded guilty to two counts of attempted criminal mischief. Slater faces one to three years in jail if -- if he fails to comply. If Slater, though, completes the program, he can apply after a year to have the guilty plea totally withdrawn and would receive a year of probation and have to pay 10,000 bucks in restitution.
So here's a question. What do you think, cocktail hour at the coffee shop, cocktail hour at the coffee shop? Starbucks considering serving beer and wine across the country. You like that idea? What do you think? This is a big time talker. It is trending. It is ahead.
Plus, watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JIMMY MCMILLAN, NEW YORK GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE: Someone say I'm a one issue candidate but it all boils down to one thing. Rent, it's too damn high.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: There is certainly no shortage of characters in New York's gubernatorial race. Did you watch that guy last night? Wait until you hear what these political candidates are telling voters.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BALDWIN: OK. Were you watching any of this last night? I'm talking about the debates among candidates running for governor of New York. Guess what. If you didn't, don't worry about it, but you did miss one of the best shows outside of Broadway.
Granted, the leading candidates Democrat Andrew Cuomo and Republican Carl Paladino left the boxing gloves at home. They were talking about issues you want to hear about, gob creation, mass transit. But some of the best moments courtesy of the lesser known, the third party guys. You've got to hear from Jimmy McMillan. He is from the "Rent is too damn high party." Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MCMILLAN: The rent too damn high movement. People can't afford to pay their rent. They're being laid off right now as I speak. They can't eat breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Listen, someone's stomach just growled. Did you hear it? Got to listen like me.
Let's talk about issues. We can't afford to pay the rent. Rent is too damn high. Everything that I hear here has said nothing about job creation or economics. The Rent is too damn high party about jobs, economics, and restoring family values by reducing the cost of living so mothers can be home, so children don't join a gang that shoot each other in the streets. Why? Because mother and father are not home. The kids are joining gangs.
We need to stop it. Reducing the cost of living so that mothers and fathers can be home will eliminate all of that. Rent is too damn high.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: That's one minute, wrap it up. Also we have another one from Kristin Davis. She used to be a madam in Manhattan. Now she is the anti-prohibition party candidate.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KRISTIN DAVIS, NEW YORK GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE: Politicians in Albany are the biggest whores in this state. I might be the only person sitting on this stage with the right experience to deal with them.
(LAUGHTER)
We need full disclosure of all outside income from our legislatures. The people need to know whom is paying for what, and how much.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: Oh, no, she didn't. Oh, yes, she did.
Millions of their people are missing from favorite shows, sports games because of this bitter fight over cable subscriptions. Are you from us traded about this? What's behind this whole dispute and will this blackout spread across the country? We're talking TV.
Coming up tonight on CNN's prime time lineup, take a look with me -- 8:00 eastern on "Parker/Spitzer," why one former Congressman objects to legalizing medical marijuana. At 10:00 eastern a rare and revealing interview with Yoko Ono about her causes, her late husband John Lennon, and whether she forgives the man who killed him. That is tonight here in CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) BALDWIN: We are talking about this big fight over who gets to watch what's on TV and have a brew at the coffee shop. Sounds like some stuff that's definitely trending material. And for that I'll turn it over to my colleague Sandra Endo. This first story is huge. This is day four between Cablevision and News Corp.
SANDRA ENDO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. And when you were talking about who gets to watch what, we're not just talking about wrestling over the remote control. This is a big deal and it's trending.
People are angry out there because we're talking about day four of a major blackout. It affects millions of people in New York and Philadelphia. They can't watch what they want to on TV. And it's all because of a fight between Cablevision and News Corp, the parent company of FOX.
I want to be really clear here -- this dispute doesn't involve FOX News Channel but has to do with the other FOX broadcast and cable channels that are owned by News Corp.
Here's the deal. News Corp blacked out a bunch of channels starting at midnight on Saturday and it wants more money for providing its programming to Cablevision. Cablevision says News Corp is asking for way too much.
And the first hit came Sunday when millions of football fans couldn't watch the New York Giants game. Not good. And let me show you this. This is all the rage on the social media out there, Internet, cable subscribers very where are tuning in, going online, making their voices heard.
BALDWIN: This is not just the football game. This is if you're a "Glee!" watcher or all kinds of other channels and all the kinds of other stuff. This affects a ton of people.
ENDO: And here are the other stations we're talking about that have been blacked out. These are FOX-owned broadcast stations, including FOX Deportes, NAT Geo Wild, FOX business, MI TV. The war between the two companies is all over the social media. Look at these two Facebook pages that were created. "Cablevision, enough is enough."
BALDWIN: Oh, wow.
ENDO: And there's a lot of fans on that one. There's another one Cablevision viewers say "no new FOX feast."
That's just on Facebook alone. Let's go to the twitter board there are a lot of tweets out there. "Cablevision and FOX better get it together ASAP." I already missed the New York Giants game and "House." If I miss "Glee!" tonight I am going to lose it." I know --
BALDWIN: I'm a total "Gleek," I would be irked.
ENDO: "I really wish Cablevision and FOX would kiss and make up. It is insanely annoying to hear the same spiel every time I turn on the TV."
And one more tweet from an expert here, Brian Stelter. He says on CNN in a few minutes he'll be talking to us about this, but he says also FOX says it talked briefly with Cablevision today but no progress was made deep into day four of this blackout. And he should be joining us on the phone right now. Brian, are you there?
BRIAN STELTER, "NEW YORK TIMES": I am.
ENDO: So still a stalemate at the bargaining table. There's no new deal. How do you see this playing out?
STELTER: These rarely last this long. They normally happen for hours at a time. If you're unlucky they happen for a full day. We're about to enter our fifth day of a blackout here. And just a few minutes ago the FCC chairman again said this is petty, this is gamesmanship, it's got to end. But there's very little the government can do except publicly pressure these companies.
ENDO: Do you think this is going to be a trend? Dish Network and other networks can threaten the same thing. Are we going to see this more and more? What about consumers? Do they have any compensation from this?
STELTER: We're seeing it more and more for sure. That's for two reasons. One, these local stations definitely need more revenue. CNN are used to getting money from cable subscribers, but networks like Fox and CBS are not, and that's changing because they need that money because their advertising revenues are dropping.
This is also happening more often, though, because cable companies like Cablevision, Comcast, DirecTV, they know that we're tired of paying 100 bucks or more for cable. They know that people might drop their cable entirely if it gets too expensive. So it's a clash of those two companies.
BALDWIN: Let me jump in. This is Brooke here. You know you have the people out there shelling out big bucks. Cable these days ain't cheap. What do you say to those people? Do they get their money back or not?
STELTER: For cablevision, no. All these people can be offered -- these people blacked out all right now, they can be offered is an apology and request for patience. In the long term people are unlikely to drop their accounts because we all love these programs that we rely on television to bring us. But it does create really angry people in the short term.
ENDO: All right, Brian Stelter, thank you so much, writer from "The New York Times."
BALDWIN: Thank you, Brian.
Also, topic number two. I love my coffee in the morning but there's a big story buzzing with Starbucks and possibility drinking beer. ENDO: That's right, this is a big trending item, Brooke. And we all know love our Starbucks and our coffee in the morning. But you can also grab a drink at Starbucks maybe sometime soon, and not just coffee but maybe something much stronger.
The coffee giant is starting to serve up beer and wine. And the first store to do so is in Seattle. It's an effort to get more customers to visit in the afternoon and evening because most of the money is made in the morning. Starbucks will serve the hard stuff in the afternoon and evening because most of their money is made in the morning.
Starbucks will serve hard stuff after 4:00 in the afternoon. And the price of a glass of wine is $7.50 or so and a beer will cost you about $4.75, so almost like a venti latte.
BALDWIN: You want to make the money in the afternoon. We'll see if it works in Seattle. Sandra Endo, we'll see you in the next hour. Thank you.
We're still waiting for -- oh, let me tell you this while you take a look at this, my bad. A man with just one arm look at this guy. He can hit in unbelievable drive. So how good is he? You've got to see this. That is next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BALDWIN: Got some news in here on "don't ask, don't tell." We were sitting in here this time early last week and it was the federal judge who said to the military you can no longer enforce "don't ask, don't tell."
We just got this in. This is from one of the producers. I'm going to read it to you from the Pentagon. The Pentagon advised they can accept openly gay and lesbian recruit candidates given that recent federal decision that bars the military from expelling openly gay service members.
And on top of that, we are now hearing from Dan Choi -- guys, let's roll over to the Twitter board. He was an openly gay member of the military and he is now apparently on his way to Times Square. "I'm going to try to enlist in the marines today. Anyone else can meet me at New York City."
He goes on to say "Walking through Chelsea, about to enlist." Reminded of our beautiful diversity. This is what makes America worth defending." That is the latest on "don't ask, don't tell" from the Pentagon.
Also, have you heard what tea party favorite Joe Miller is suggesting the U.S. do to fix illegal immigration? Two words for you -- "Berlin Wall." That's ahead.
Also, Wolf Blitzer, he is standing by with some information from the world of politics. The CNN Political Ticker is next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BALDWIN: Let me just remind you we're getting some news in from the Pentagon regarding "don't ask, don't tell." Again, it was last week we just heard from the federal judge essentially saying to the military, you know, you can no longer enforce "don't ask, don't tell." You can no longer enforce the fact that openly gay men and women could serve in the military. They're now saying that they can.
And in fact we're getting in from Adam Levine. He's one of the Pentagon correspondents. "The Pentagon has advised recruiting commands that they can accept" -- this is just in -- "they can accept openly gay and lesbian recruit candidates." That's the development.
They can accept new recruits here given the decision that bars the military from expelling openly gay men and women from serving. And also we heard from former army National Guardsman Dan Choi who's en route to reenlist to become a member of the marines. We're staying on that story.
We're also of course all over the election. It's just 14 days now until the midterms. And, of course, CNN has all of your latest political news with the best political team on television. CNN = Politics. Leading the pack, Mr. Wolf Blitzer, he's at the CNN.politics.com desk.
And Wolf, Sharron Angle seems to be going after Harry Reid's wealth again. What are with hearing from her today? This is about the Ritz.
WOLF BLITZER, HOST, "THE SITUATION ROOM": Right. She did it the other day in the debate in Nevada. But now the Republican National Committee has a new ad that they're running in Nevada going after the Senate majority leader. I'll play a little clip for you. Watch this, Brooke.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's voted 300 times in favor of higher taxes, and Nevada leads the nation in unemployment.
SEN. HARRY REID, (D-NV) SENATE MAJORITY LEADER: You know I had nothing to do with these unemployment figures.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: To him, it's a figure. Maybe because Harry lives at the Ritz Carlton while thousands are losing their homes.
The nation needs a new direction, and Nevada needs jobs. Say no to Harry Reid.
The National Republican Senatorial Committee is responsible for the content of this advertising.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: The other day at the debate, which she raised this whole issue about how much money he's made over the years while the United States senator, he rally went after her saying it was a low blow, inappropriate.
He does have a condominium at the Ritz Carlton here in Washington. Several other U.S. senators live there as well. It's a nice place to live, I got to tell you. I've been to the hotel.
BALDWIN: Pretty swanky.
BLITZER: Right -- I don't live there, but there's a hotel there and there's a residence part of the Ritz Carlton, a lovely place to live, good location in Washington, D.C. too. But he said, you know what, he made a lot of money as a private attorney he made a lot of money, invested it well, and that's why he has this money. That's part of the American way he's pointed out to her.
Another poll coming out from nearby in Maryland right now. O'Malley, the Democratic governor is ahead of Robert Ehrlich in this new poll, 47 percent for O'Malley, 42 percent for Ehrlich. So it looks like the democratic incumbent is in good shape. But still two weeks to go which is a long time, especially in a relatively close race with the margin of error in that poll significant as well.
Finally, this -- I guess we can call it a little cute story. Sarah Palin tweeted to endorse John Raese, he's the Republican Senatorial candidate in West Virginia. The only probably was her tweet that he mentioned he was running for the Senate from Pennsylvania, not West Virginia. It was a typo, or whatever, a little mistake, but stuff happens on Twitter as you know, Brooke, as well. You have to watch the 140 characters very closely.
BALDWIN: You do.
BLITZER: Read them again. Make sure before you hit "send" it's all accurate.
BALDWIN: I know, but that's the kind of thing spell check won't really catch.
BLITZER: No, not --
BALDWIN: Let's go back to Nevada, though, Wolf, if we can. You know, normally, for Republicans, the issue of wealth not really an issue for -- for Republican voters. So, why do you think -- why do you think Sharron Angle is trying to attract -- attack Reid by using the Ritz apartment argument?
BLITZER: Because it's such a huge issue, the economy and the jobs in Nevada, 14 percent unemployment. That's the highest in the United States right now, Nevada beating Michigan recently.
And the foreclosure rate in Nevada is out of control as well. So, when she says, you know, this guy may have come from humble origins, but he now is living in at Ritz-Carlton in Washington, D.C., I assume she thinks, and the Republican National Committee, which put out the ad, they think this will resonate with voters who think Harry Reid may be out of touch with the real world of the struggling folks in Nevada. BALDWIN: Right. And we should remind our viewers we will be hearing from Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid a little later this hour. I'm sure he will be, in addition to addressing the campaign, getting out and vote, he will also be addressing Sharron Angle's over the weekend to that group of Hispanic high school students. So, we will hear more from him.
BLITZER: Yes, we're told he will. We're told he will do that.
BALDWIN: Yes, we will hear from him at any moment now.
Wolf Blitzer, I thank you.
Also want to remind our viewers we are going to get another political update in about half-an-hour. But you can always get the latest political news. Go to CNNPolitics.com and there on Twitter. That is @PoliticalTicker.
