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Woman Arrested in Terror Plot; Florida's Heated Senate Race
Aired October 30, 2010 - 19:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Hey, Wolf.
And good evening, everyone. I'm Don Lemon. You're in THE CNN NEWSROOM.
We begin with breaking news of an arrest in the plot to send explosive packages into the U.S. aboard cargo planes.
Here's what we know right now: a woman was arrested today by Yemeni authorities in the capital of Sana'a. Her alleged role is not yet known, but one of her relatives is being questioned. U.S. law enforcement says all suspected packages from Yemen have been accounted for and do not pose a threat. FedEx and UPS offices in Yemen have been closed until further notice.
CNN's national correspondent, Susan Candiotti, is tracking the investigation for us from New York.
But, first, we want to go to CNN senior international correspondent, Nic Robertson. He is in London tonight.
Nic, tell us what authorities are learning about these devices.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, we're learning something quite interesting from authorities here in the U.K. The British Prime Minister David Cameron, said that he believes that these bombs were designed to be detonated on board the aircraft, not where they were addressed to, the synagogues in Chicago. So, British authorities seem quite convinced from what they've learned from the package, they have looked at here that this was an attempt to bring down these cargo aircraft.
We've also learned that it was a very powerful type of explosive, PETN. One expert believes there could have been as much as seven pounds of this explosive packed into one of these -- packed into one of the bombs. And if you think about it, about six grams, that's one five hundredth of seven pounds, more or less, fits into the end of my pen. And that alone is enough to blow a hole in the fuselage of an aircraft.
So, very clearly, plenty of explosives, a massive amount designed -- according to the British -- to bring down the aircraft, Don.
LEMON: So, that's how they were to be used. But the fact that these devices, Nic, did not go off, how useful are the components to tracking down the people responsible? ROBERTSON: Very useful. I mean, one of the things that's under way right now is a chemical analysis of this explosive, PETN. It's very stable. It's a white powder. But there will be different residues in it, depending who made it, and how they made it, is it very pure, does it have substances in it that would make it unstable or weak.
And when that kind of chemical analysis can be done, it can be compared with the explosives that the underpants bomber used when he tried to bring down a plane over Detroit on Christmas Day last year. It's the same type of explosive, PETN.
Again, we're learning that the cell phones that were designed to -- an integrated, wired to these bombs to detonate the bombs, for a crude wiring. That also gives information about these bomb makers. But the bomb making expert that I talked to said that what he sees here is the bomb makers are getting more sophisticated over time, Don.
LEMON: CNN's international correspondent, Nic Robertson, in London tonight -- Nic, thank you.
We go now to our Susan Candiotti in the investigation.
We know there was an arrest in Yemen. So, Susan, tell us the very latest about that and the investigation.
SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, we got word of that arrest, Don, early today. According to Yemeni government officials over there, a house was surrounded. And, in fact, later, they arrested a woman inside that house, that authorities there say they believe is connected to a plot to send a hidden bomb in packages to the United States -- as you know, at least two of those packages were intercepted both in England and in Dubai.
Also, in Yemen, they arrested another woman who was a relative of the one who is already in custody. That second woman is being questioned at this hour but not yet has she been placed under arrest, according to authorities.
In addition to that, as you indicated, both FedEx and UPS have stopped their agents located in Yemen from accepting any packages. And the United States Postal Service in this country has also temporarily stopped receiving any incoming mail from Yemen -- Don.
LEMON: OK. So who are -- who do investigators on this side of the pond as we say believe is responsible?
CANDIOTTI: Well, that's the question, of course. First of all, we have confirmed that one of the possible targets was a synagogue in the Chicago area.
In fact, we spoke with one of the leaders there, the president of that synagogue. The name of it is Or Chadash. And that woman, the president of that organization says that the synagogue, mainly its congregation is made up of Chicago's gay community. It's very small, though -- only about 100 members of that congregation. And she says she has no idea why they were targeted. Naturally, they were surprised and, of course, they're worried, and they are paying extra attention to security there.
LEMON: Susan, how many packages are we talking about again? And are they all accounted for?
CANDIOTTI: Well, it's unclear how many packages. We've heard various numbers, in the area of 13, possibly more or less.
But we do know that authorities say that they have accounted for all the packages that they were looking for. It remains unclear whether any others are out there. But again, authorities are saying they do believe that they have found everything that we were looking for.
Don, I'm not sure, do we have the sound ready? I think we do, with the president of that synagogue that we spoke with earlier.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LILI KORNBULUM, CO-PRESIDENT, CONGREGATION OF OR CHADASH (via telephone): Quite frankly, we're always on fairly heightened alert for a variety of reasons, and I'm sure most congregations would be able to empathize with. So, we do always have security when we have congregational events.
However, last night, the Chicago police were in much higher visibility, and we were on a much higher alert for people we didn't know or anybody who might be carrying backpacks, packages and that sort of thing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CANDIOTTI: And, Don, U.S. authorities have said that the packages that were sent to the United States were addressed to two synagogues in the Chicago area. And again, they have not revealed publicly which they are, but this woman has confirmed that authorities, that they were notified through another party there in Chicago that they were one of the targets.
LEMON: A continuing investigation -- thank you, Susan.
We're going to turn now to politics, and the political farce or political force is the question? The joke was on Washington today as two funnymen took over the National Mall with just three days left until the elections.
Jon Stewart, the host of "The Daily Show," and Stephen Colbert, drew a massive crowd for their Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear. Stewart is considered left-leaning. But he built this as a moderate anecdote to the shouting and the slogans of rallies past.
Towards the end, he put away this smirk though (ph) for a moment of sincerity.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) JON STEWART, HOST, "THE DAILY SHOW": We live now in hard times, not end times.
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
STEWART: And we can have animus and not be enemies.
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
STEWART: But unfortunately, one of our main tools in delineating the two broke. The country's 24-hour-politico-pundit-perpetual-panic conflictinator did not cause our problems. But its existence makes solving them that much harder.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: A number of guests joined Stewart and Colbert on stage like The Roots, Sheryl Crow, Kid Rock and Ozzy Osbourne. This comes two months after another popular TV host, Glenn Beck, held his Restoring Honor rally in that same spot.
As we've been saying, three days until Election Day, and did you know, unless there's a huge upset, there won't be an African-American senator in the next Congress? That's where our president came from.
And next, we'll take a look at that and some of the other burning questions to be answered on Tuesday with our all-star political panel. That's coming up in just a bit here.
And don't just sit there. We want you to be part of the conversation tonight. Send us a message on Twitter or Facebook. Check out our blogs, CNN.com/Don. Or look us out on Foursquare.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Just three days to go until the midterm elections. And with many assuming that Republicans will take the House, the real mystery is: who will control the Senate?
One of the hottest races to watch is the three-way Senate battle in Florida among Democrat Kendrick Meek, and independent Charlie Crist, and Republican Marco Rubio.
Today, we learned former President Bill Clinton will campaign with Meek on Monday, just days after there were reports that he asked Meek to drop out and to support Crist.
We've got a great panel to talk about all the implications of this race. First, joining us now is John Avlon. He's a senior CNN -- I should say, a CNN contributor and a senior political columnist for "The Daily Beast."
And then, Reverend Al Sharpton is president of the National Action Network. He's going to join us in a moment.
And then, Robert Traynham -- he is a talk show host who once served as a deputy chief of staff for former Republican Senator Rick Santorum.
Thanks to both of you.
So, gentlemen, what does it say when a former president reportedly is asking a black candidate to drop out of the race? Does that say anything at all, John Avlon?
JOHN AVLON, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: No, I don't think this was about race at all. I think it was about practical hardball politics.
Kendrick Meek is trailing badly in this three-way race. And if the goal of the Democrats who are trying to hold onto every seat they can is to get -- stop the Republicans from keeping that seat, they felt logically that Charlie Crist, who is in second place as an independent, would do better against Marco Rubio, the Republican, if Kendrick Meek wasn't taking 20 percent of the vote.
I don't believe it has anything to do with race. I think it's just practical hardball politics.
LEMON: I want to ask the Reverend Al Sharpton -- Reverend, when I spoke about this on the radio this week with Warren Ballentine, the same issue came up. How can the former ask a black candidate to get out? And what I said to Warren, Reverend, was that I didn't think it was about race. I thought it was about the race and it was just that Meek might be considered a spoiler. If Meek was white, they would -- might have asked him to do the same thing.
Do you agree or disagree?
REV. AL SHARPTON, NATIONAL ACTION NETWORK: Well, I think that in the ask by Mr. Clinton, I don't think it had anything to do with race. Clearly, I think you're right there. But the implications does raise, since Meek is the only one that is running around the country to have a shot at being the only black in the Senate. So, we can't dismiss for the fact a lot of emotions and feelings, and I've been all through Florida on get-out-the-vote campaigns with National Action Network. And we have a lot of people on the ground saying that we will not have a black in the Senate.
So, I don't think that was Bill Clinton's intent. I do think, though, that the results will end up in that, if, in fact, the polls are right.
It's hard, though, to make the black argument when, in fact, Kendrick Meek himself campaigned hard for Hillary Clinton against Barack Obama, that he can't turn around now and use that card, when in fact he, himself, didn't adhere to that in --
LEMON: You said he was only one -- you said he was the only one to have a shot. He doesn't really have a shot. I mean, this is all but over for Kendrick Meek.
SHARPTON: Well, if the polls are right, yes. If the polls are wrong, you could say why doesn't Crist drop out? Suppose we find that Kendrick Meek has as much a shot as Harry Crist does? I think that it goes by: do you believe the polls?
LEMON: Yes.
SHARPTON: And whether or not a lot of it is fulfilling what the polls have projected. Crist is the one that was not a Democrat.
LEMON: Yes.
SHARPTON: And it would seem the Democratic leadership would consider that.
LEMON: Well, just so you know, Rubio is leading with 46 percent, Charlie Crist trailing him 32 percent, and then 20 percent is for Kendrick Meek. And I mean, it would be hard to catch up with those numbers but we'll see.
I want to spend this now to Mr. Traynham -- Robert Traynham.
Listen, this is what Michael Steele, the head of the RNC, said. He said, "President Clinton's action to have Kendrick Meek withdraw from the campaign sends a chilling signal to all voters, but especially African-Americans. One can only imagine the response if Republican leadership tried to force out of the race in the 11th hour a qualified black candidate like Kendrick Meek."
What do you say to that, Mr. Traynham?
ROBERT TRAYNHAM, FMR. TOP AIDE TO SEN. RICK SANTORUM: Well, he's got a point there. But, look, here's the unfortunate truth as your other panelists said a few moment ago. The unfortunate truth is that numbers don't lie, if, in fact, Kendrick Meek would have dropped out of the race, let's say, a week ago, Charlie Crist for the most part would be within striking distance of Marco Rubio. So, it's about raw politics. It's about who is the best candidate to represent that state in the United States Senate.
And this is no different from in Pennsylvania when the Democrats tried to get Joe Sestak not to run against Arlen Specter in the primary. This is no different in Delaware, where Republicans tried to get Christine O'Donnell not to run against Mike Castle.
It's about the best candidate trying to win that state and in that race. And, quite frankly, race has nothing to do with it.
If you look at the numbers and if you take a look the record, Bill Clinton has been a very strong supporter of Kendrick Meek all the way back since 1997, when Kendrick Meek was a state trooper and also a state senator.
So, again, this is really about the numbers. Race really has nothing to do about it. But symbolically, I will have to admit that for the first time in a very long time, there will not be an African-American in the Senate and that's unfortunate.
LEMON: Let's talk about, you know, with Roland Burris not running to keep his seat and other black candidates, big underdogs. It's very possible that there will be no black senators after the midterm elections. So, do you think that -- do you find that alarming, even as a conservative, I would imagine, that you find that alarming, Mr. Traynham?
TRAYNHAM: Well, symbolically yes. This is a big loss. I mean, prior to, I would say, Roland Burris, there were Carol Mosley Braun, and, obviously, Barack Obama and Edward Brooke, a Republican from Massachusetts.
So, as an African-American, yes, I would love for people that look like me and you and everyone else on this panel except for John to represent the United States Senate.
But the unfortunate truth is, is that there are other folks that have our best interests, meaning African-Americans at heart. Just because you're not black doesn't mean you're not in for black people.
And so, yes, again, symbolically, it's a step back. But I think this is a step forward for the country, because hopefully, the best person will win the -- and remember, there will be a Republican black person representing in the Congress and that's Tim Scott from South Carolina.
LEMON: Yes, I was just going to say, you know, you can't really put John in a box like that because John Avlon, you know, he is -- he's a soul brother, even though he may have lighter skin.
So, John -- John and Reverend, I want to ask you about this. Is it -- do you think there's a growing anger among African-American voters?
Because I was out there this week touring the Midwest and this anger among voters that I sometimes see on television at the Tea Parties, I didn't see that. I didn't see people talking a lot about spending and government spending. What they were concerned about were jobs. And even the African-Americans in the crowd were obviously, they're hit harder. They were concerned about jobs in the economy as well, not necessarily big government, big spending. No one really talked about that.
So, first to you, John, and I'll ask it to you, Reverend -- is there a dissatisfaction you see among African-Americans with Democrats and might that cause them to defect to the Republican side?
AVLON: Not necessarily defect, but, of course, African-Americans are being deeply affected by the economy, as are all Americans. And I look forward to the day when we don't analyze our politics in terms of race.
LEMON: In terms of race, right.
AVLON: Of course, we do have that reality -- we do have that reality now.
LEMON: Yes.
AVLON: And, you know, I think President Obama's place at the president of the United States is still a huge driver for African- American voters, and I believe will be probably on Election Day as well. And the Republicans are putting forward I think 14 congressional African-American candidates this year, the most in our history. So, you're seeing growing diversity on both sides of the aisle.
LEMON: Hey, Reverend, and I'll give that question to you, same question but I'll add this. Again, being out there, I didn't really see the divisions about race that we talk about so much on the air, and that we -- I think people are just really concerned about being able to provide for their families, and whether or not, you know, it's an issue among them personally or what have you, the big issue is: money, jobs, economy.
SHARPTON: No, there's no question that's the issue. But you can't divorce the fact that the facts, the data shows blacks are disproportionately unemployed.
LEMON: Yes.
SHARPTON: And that is based on institutional racism. We can't take a look at the economy and see where blacks have a higher level of unemployment, higher level of being not promoted, higher level of foreclosures based on institutional race questions and say race has nothing to do with it.
And as I've -- I've traveled about 12 states in the last two weeks, the anger I'm hearing is that, (a), the Republicans have helped to put us in this mess, and (b), there's been a lot of racism directed toward the president. So, I have heard -- I was in Richmond, in Virginia, last night. There is anger, but a lot of it I think cannot be benefited toward the Republicans when it's clear to most blacks that the Republicans put policies in that led to this.
And I agree with you that just because one is black, doesn't make them better qualified. Clarence Thomas proved that.
LEMON: Yes. Hey, listen --
SHARPTON: You can get the wrong black.
LEMON: That's going to have --
TRAYNHAM: Don, can I interject?
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: I'm sorry, I don't have time. I'd love to continue this conversation, I don't have time.
But thank you very much. I appreciate all of you, gentlemen, all of your input. We'll see you next time, we'll do it again.
TRAYNHAM: Good night.
LEMON: Good night. Surviving in school -- it may not seem like a big deal to many of us, but for the millions of students who get bullied, it is a terrifying experience. We'll hear how a high school junior responded to some vicious threats.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: You know, it isn't really news that kids get bullied. We've been doing a lot of reporting about it. And a CNN poll last month shows more than a third of teens say they have been ridiculed or threatened. But one Pennsylvania student and his mother are fighting back.
Our education contributor Steve Perry has the story in tonight's "Perry's Principles."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
STEVE PERRY, CNN CONTRIBUTOR (voice-over): For some bullying victims, like 16-year-old Joey Kemmerling, school must be survived.
JOEY KEMMERLING, HIGH SCHOOL JUNIOR: We don't go to school to get an education. We go to school to make it through the day without being killed or without being to the point where we feel the need to kill ourselves.
PERRY: Joey's trouble started in the middle schools, when word got out that he was gay.
(on camera): So, what did the kids do to you?
KEMMERLING: A lot. They -- a lot of threats. One kid said that he wanted to light me on fire, like the faggot I was.
PERRY: The child was not reprimanded?
KEMMERLING: The child was not suspended. The child was not given anything other than a talking to and then sent back to class.
PERRY: If I'm your son's principal and this has happened, what can I do to help you as a mom feel like I'm doing my job?
JOYCE MUNDY, JOEY'S MOTHER/EDUCATOR: Teachers need to be trained or be given permission in their classrooms to simply succinctly address intolerant comments and behavior.
PERRY (voice-over): Joyce Mundy is Pennsylvania's 2010 Middle School Principal of the Year. She's also Joey's mom. Together, they're teaching current and future educators how to stop bullying.
MUNDY: But the culture in schools doesn't really change until the whole school community takes it on.
PERRY: Joey has created a Facebook page where everyone can share stories and lend support to those being bullied.
KEMMERLING: The messages are all the same. Schools across America do not know how to deal with the issue of bullying.
PERRY: But Joey and his mom are hoping that will change.
KEMMERLING: There is a part of me that is dead, and I don't want any other child to have to deal with that.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Time check our top stories right here on CNN.
The death toll from the cholera outbreak in Haiti has risen to at least 337. Officials believe the crisis will grow worse as Hurricane Tomas nears. The storm could strike Thursday. Health officials have confirmed 4,700 cases of cholera, but the number of infected could be much higher.
Pfizer is recalling 38,000 bottles of Lipitor after complaints over the smell of the packaging. Some bottles of 40 milligram pills had a musky or moldy odor. Pfizer says the health risk is minimal. This is the second recall of the drug this year.
I'm Don Lemon at the CNN world headquarters in Atlanta. Thanks for watching.
"WHAT THE WEEK" is next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ALI VELSHI, CNN ANCHOR: This is Pete Dominick, CNN's newest bald guy. Sure, he's kind of funny, but can you really trust this man to represent CNN every Saturday night? Pete tells his wife he's eating vegetarian, then why is he stuffing his face with an entire rotisserie chicken? He says he likes dogs but he's really more of a cat person.
He was for Gaga before he was against Gaga. He says he's 5'9". He's not. Do you want this meat-eating, cat-loving funnyman representing you in this time slot in. I'm Ali Velshi, I'm better, I'm balder, and Pete's show isn't even in the Channel guide.
Paid for by the hairless profit of doom.
PETE DOMINICK, CNN HOST: It's been five seconds since you heard the latest useless attack ad, seven days since the military lost contact with 50 nuclear missiles and four days since Afghan President Hamid Karzai said, "yes, of course I get bags of money from Iran, doesn't everybody?" And it's been an hour since I decided that for Halloween tomorrow I'm not going as a witch. I'm going as you. Welcome to "What the Week." hit it.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are in a tornado.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The bomb, that's what they're calling the storm system ripping up a part of our country.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And grounded more than 500 flights.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The countdown to the midterm elections.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is one of the biggest midterm elections we've seen in years.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: More than 500 races.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The balance of power in Washington could change hands
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: In 2010, you got to say yes we can.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: President Hamid Karzai said "yes" he does and will continue to receive bags of cash from Iran.
PRES. HAMID KARZAI, AFGHANISTAN: This relationship between neighbors and it will go on.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Tremendous challenge for those trying to get aid into Indonesia, where entire villages were flattened by an earthquake and tsunami.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Misery spreads in Haiti, cholera killing more than 250 people north of Port-au-Prince.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The FBI says the suspect wanted to launch a bombing campaign, his targets these metro stations located near the Pentagon.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: President Obama sat down with funnyman Jon Stewart.
OBAMA: Larry Summers did a heck of a job trying to figure out how to -
JON STEWART, "THE DAILY SHOW" HOST: You don't want to use that phrase, dude.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE) that a critical test was not performed on the cement used to seal BP's oil well before it exploded.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Cargo planes might have been used to send suspicious packages from Yemen to the United States.
OBAMA: An initial examination of those packages has determined that they do apparently contain explosive material.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
DOMINICK: Oh, dear. Well the whole world was on high alert this week after a slew of terror threats and despite all the commotion, the chairman of British Airway, Martin Braughton, could that name sound any more British? Well, he said, he thinks the idea of forcing passengers to remove their shoes, their belts and their dignity is a waste of time.
So does confiscating my Aquafresh, my Head blade razor and my (INAUDIBLE) belt really make us safer or does that just leave me stumbling around LaGuardia Airport with a 5:00 head shadow and my pants around my ankles? I went lunch crashing to ask you what you think.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DOMINICK (on camera): Can I crash your lunch? What do you think about the security right now, the way it is? Is it too much, is it too little? Do you feel like as some say you're sacrificing freedom for security?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They should do as much as they can to keep us safe.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You got to make sure that plane is going to go up and come down without blowing up in the air.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't think it's very consistent. I mean, country to country it is very different.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Having somebody who doesn't care take my tweezers isn't going to make my plane safer.
DOMINICK: Do you think our security measures right now are too much, too little, redundant? What do you think?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's kind of just for show right now.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You know, redundant security systems are more secure than one that only has one layer.
DOMINICK: I read an article today, I'm not joking, back of the hand could touch a woman's breast or man or woman's genitals. What do you think?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: By all means.
DOMINICK: Really, you don't mind at all?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think that's getting a bit invasive.
DOMINICK: I'm sure it will be a woman on woman and man on a man but -
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Right. You know, it could work out well for some people.
DOMINICK: Listen, enough about me. I just want the company at this point honestly. All right, back of my hand.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, can you do the front?
DOMINICK: That's better?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
DOMINICK: I don't need to go any further. I see where this guy is going. I see where he is leading me and I don't like it.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
DOMINICK: Now we did some research at TSA screener, starts at 12 bucks an hour, the average hourly wage for a Wal-Mart employee is $11.75. But one greets with you a smile and the other greets with you a potential body cavity search. So what's the difference between the job in charge of securing the skies and that old guy at Wal-Mart that says "Hello, welcome to Wal-Mart?" One quarter, 25 cents. Now if the Wal-mart greeter were to frisk me, they'd get that extra quarter and I might actually stop eating to start shopping at Wal-Mart. I said stop because I don't think I ever will.
All right. Well, here's a word you don't expect to hear in your news, Gerrymandering. Here's one you probably never thought you'd hear again, cholera. I thought we put that one in bed. Cured, history. Nope, it's back and it's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
DOMINICK: Welcome back. This is the part of the show where I get completely serious. By now, we've all seen the images, children like these, like yours, just some of the thousands stricken by cholera in Haiti. The images are devastating but these are actually the lucky ones. They're getting treatment right now for this totally preventable disease. That's right, totally preventable.
But it's already killed over 300 people in Haiti, and this week the disease started spreading closer to the capital, threatening even more lives, which brings us to our segment "You Are Here." By here, I'm talking about a time when a preventable and manageable disease can become so deadly.
Let's take you through it. And don't change the channel just because it's heartbreaking and tough to look at. It doesn't mean you can look away. Here's a bit of the background on this disease.
What is cholera? Well the World Health Organization defines it as an acute intestinal infection caused by contaminated food or water. Basically it causes the most severe diarrhea you can imagine. So how does cholera lead to death? Well, it's actually the diarrhea that can lead to severe dehydration and the dehydration causes death sometimes within hours.
Now, I'm not a doctor obviously but I'm going to go out on a limb here and say nobody should be dying from this disease right now. Well, yes, a devastated earthquake rocked the country in January, and yes, since then the people who survived have been living in these squalid conditions but all it takes, all it takes to keep water cholera free is a purification tablet or boiling the water, and to treat cholera, all you need is a rehydration drink made of water, salt and sugar or if it gets really bad antibiotics and IV fluids. This isn't brain surgery and it's not expensive. All right. Educating the population about dirty water and providing them with basic supplies, that's what they need.
There's no reason people in Haiti or anywhere in the world right now should be dying from cholera or diarrhea. If you want to help and you should, open your wallet, go to the web site cnn.com/impact.
Now Jon Stewart has been dubbed the most trusted newscaster in America by "Time" magazine, and the most influential man by askmen.com. But how have comedians become such a powerful voice in American politics? I asked two great comedian friends of mine, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
DOMINICK: Welcome back to "What the Week." We're in the home stretch now and like every election season policy turns to punches, campaigns ramp up with days of balloting and political attack ads start dominating your TV and radio. But do they work? Does anybody really buy this stuff? At the beginning of this program we showed you our very own attack ad, we made it against me to prove it's really not that hard to make somebody look bad.
All you need is some scary music, some scary pictures, and some really good editing and voila, you can even make children look creepy. Earlier in the day I turned the cameras on the cameras just to prove it to you.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DOMINICK (voice-over): This is Andy. He still thinks that a goatee is cool. This is Kenan (ph). He's too cute for Washington. Mike has long hair in the back. What is he, a hockey fan from 1980?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What's hockey? What's hockey? What's hockey?
DOMINICK: Felix - he's a scientist.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE).
DOMINICK: Do you want someone this intelligent in Washington?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sometimes it's very risky to have intelligent people in Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
DOMINICK: Two comedians you wouldn't want to attack because they'd slaughter you, my friend, Marc Maron, comedian host of WTF, the nunber one comedy podcast on iTunes and comedian Dean Obeidallah, who is the co-creator of the Arab-American comedy festival. Guys, you heard those folks a second ago. Listen, in our business, we call this hackie, we call it unoriginal. These attack ads always run. Do they work, Marc? I mean, do they still really effective after all these years? MARC MARON, COMEDIAN HOST WTF: Well, Pete the amazing thing to me is that everyone knows there are millions and millions of dollars spent on these ads. So they must be doing something. What's amazing to me about knowing that they spend that much money on them, they're basically creating media to exploit your fear and anger and guide your desire into making a decision. They're there to sell you a product and I just believe that if this works, that if you're someone who is sitting on a couch and you're on the fence about a candidate, and you watch one of those ads and go well that seals the deal, you're a moron. You're an idiot and you should try to regulate what you choose to let your brain process.
DOMINICK: You should try to be more honest when you're on my show, Marc.
MARON: I'm sorry. I was holding back a little bit. I know what you want me to do, Pete.
DOMINICK: That was fine. Dean Obeidallah, you're ethnic are these ads effective? Am I supposed to be scared of you now?
DEAN OBEIDALLAH, CO-CREATOR ARAB-AMERICAN COMEDY FESTIVAL: It depends whose ad you're listening to. Look, Sharron Angle in Nevada is running ads that are arguably racist about illegal immigrants and she's standing up in the polls the last few days. Her new ad says Harry Reid voted to give Viagra child molesters, literally, that's exactly what it says and it's working.
You know, technically it might be right because it was in a bill. These things work, I mean, she just run an ad saying Harry Reid is going to your house and touch your children and rape your dog. It might work as well. At some point the American people have to reject it. If they don't reject it, then it's just like hack comedy. Like you said, we're going to be giving it to them. That's what they like and it gets results and that's the sad reality.
MARON: Wait, Harry Reid is giving out Viagra? That's not true.
DOMINICK: You can't have any Marc. You can't have it.
(CROSSTALK)
OBEIDALLAH: Literally. Literally that's what it says in the ad that he voted for it for child molesters.
DOMINICK: Yes, it's been fact checked by political fact, it's pants on fire false but you guys are both news junkies, you couldn't have missed the president of the United States just two, a couple days before midterm elections sitting down on a talk show, comedy talk show with our friend, Jon Stewart. Let's take a quick look at it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OBAMA: And in fairness, Larry Summers did a heck of a job trying to figure out how to -
STEWART: You don't want to use that phrase, dude.
OBAMA: I was -
(LAUGHTER)
OBAMA: Pun intended.
STEWART: All right.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DOMINICK: All right. Marc Maron, what's worse? That President Obama walked right into President Bush's "heck of a job brownie" phrase or that Jon Stewart called the president of the United States "dude."
MARON: Well, they're both pretty bad. I think the entire tone sort of casual desperation on behalf of our president I found a little disturbing. I do expect a little more out of that office. I found the entire thing, I didn't find Jon disrespectful but I just found it a sad indication of where, you know, comedy and politics mix.
I don't think that the president should be on that show to be quite honest with you. I love Jon and I love the show. I just think it's beneath him, to be quite honest.
DOMINICK: And Dean, what about this, we've been hearing this all week, guys, we've all been asked this question as comedians who talked a little bit about social issues, politics, et cetera, where does the comedy end and the political commentating begin? Do we really have to draw rules or should they be held to the fire, Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert and us. Dean.
OBEIDALLAH: It's about being funny. If you're being funny, you can say whatever you want. If you're not being funny, you're preaching. Back to Jon Stewart, calling the president "dude" I thought was endearing. I don't think Obama's a dude, I think he's more like a professor. I think Bush was a dude and Clinton was a player, those terms would have worked well for those guys.
But I think, honestly, as a comic that's the line. If I'm telling a joke and they're laughing, then I'm making a political point, that's it. To me, it's the highest form of comedy, that's why I admire people like Jon Stewart, Richard Pryor and Marc Maron, I actually admire him. Honestly, you Pete, not as much.
MARON: That's fair.
DOMINICK: Marc Maron to be fair is a legendary comedian in our business. He always had a lot to say about all these issues. Marc, you (INAUDIBLE) a political radio show. You do standup comedy, I mean, do you get to comment on politics and make jokes and should you be held to a different standard?
MARON: Well, I think the standard really is sort of along the lines what Dean was saying, is if you're a good comic, if you're a satirist, I mean, the job of a good comic or somebody who does standup comedy as opposed to just being a comedian or a clown that, you know, that your job is to sort of reveal hypocrisy, to, you know, take cuts comedically and sort of make an incision and reveal the truth.
I don't think it's your job to guide policy. It's your job to help maybe, you know, understand policy or understand what's really happening in politics because politics is a farce right now. I think the real concern comes, Pete, is when, you know, people should listen to comics and learn from them and get their mind blown and maybe reveal some truth but I think we have a real problem when people start looking to clowns to lead them.
You know, like Glenn Beck or Sarah Palin or O'Donnell. That you know, you have this clown contingent that is actually, you know, seeking to lead people and they are clowns. There's a difference between a comic and a clown, I believe.
DOMINICK: All right. Guys, well listen, I got to move on to one more thing. You guys both travel a lot, doing standup comedy all over the country and internationally, of course, especially you Dean Obeidallah in the whole Arab world.
Now, security, the TSA came out with new regulations, they can touch your bathing suit areas, guys, then of course yesterday, this whole package scare, Marc Maron, is there too much security? Didn't Ben Franklin say if we start sacrificing our freedom for security, we have given up liberty or something about that? I mean, is it too much? Is it too little? Is it redundant? What do you think?
MARON: Well, all I know is that now that when I plan a trip, the day I'm leaving, the TSA comes to my house and they set up the security right in my house.
DOMINICK: Is that so?
MARON: Yes, if I find a box and I'm not sure of, in my home, I should call the TSA, I think there's something interesting going on in that you go to airports now, they have full body scanners, Pete, it's weird because they give you a choice, you don't have to go through the full body scanner, you can get the pat down, which is what you were talking about.
So it's really - you know, there's a lot of issues around, does technology sort of, is it a barring intimacy? And I think at the airport, now you have a choice. Do you want an intimate experience with a pat down, or do you want something detached, where you're just standing in a machine and there's a guy in a the room laughing at you? So I think that if you get the pat down, you're engaging in a type of intimacy that we don't see anymore.
DOMINICK: Dean, what do you think? You travel -
(CROSSTALK)
DOMINICK: Go ahead.
OBEIDALLAH: Well, I choose dinner and an intimate pat down. That's my choice.
MARON: You choose dinner with the TSA agent?
OBEIDALLAH: Anything at this point. I'm flying to Dubai next week for a show, not kidding and obviously I can't bring back my toners, or wires and white powder that I like to bring with me.
MARON: I think you're a lonely man.
(CROSSTALK)
DOMINICK: When you travel internationally though, Dean, what's the different standards between traveling internationally with their security? I hear the Israelis are the greatest at this, because they literally ask you a question, "hey, do you have a bomb on you?" What's the difference in the security measures internationally and here at home? What do you think, Dean?
OBEIDALLAH: Well, in other parts of the world, you get patted down and no one ask you a question. It's not even an issue. You go in and they touch any part of your body they want and there's nothing you can do.
And now we're going to go back to heightened alert at the airports. If I can give some advice to my fellow middle Eastern people out there. If I may, peter? May I?
DOMINICK: You may.
OBEIDALLAH: My biggest advice to them is - my slogan. Remember this dress white, make your flight, dress brown, never leave town, that's the only advice I can give to brown people out there. Because it's going back to heightened airports. There could be patdowns, you're going to go through airport security naked. They're going to see you naked. I mean, for Arabs like me, they're going to be asking questions like, are you wearing a full body cashmere sweater under your clothing? We are hairy people. So it's not going to be a good time. It's going to be embarrassing, intrusive. It's not going to be a good time.
DOMINICK: Marc Maron, you have the number one comedy podcast on iTunes and yet you rejected Arab comedians. Do you want to address that with Dean Obeidallah right now?
MARON: That's not true, I have had Persian comedians on, I have had a comedian from Pakistan.
OBEIDALLAH: Not Arab -
MARON: I know that Dean but I'm more than willing to reach out as a Jew to you to say, come on my show. Let's bury the hatchet here, Dean. The two of us, we'll sit down and we'll have a comedic summit when I'm in New York and we'll be on WTF.
DOMINICK: You guys are great.
OBEIDALLAH: I reject your truth.
MARON: Really?
DOMINICK: Really, wow.
OBEIDALLAH: I'm kidding.
DOMINICK: Go to wtf pod.com for Marc Maron with a really great podcast with great comedians like Dean Obeidallah, we hope, and arabcomedy.com. Thanks so much both of you guys, great to talk to you, of course.
This next woman that we're going to talk about, she could kick my ass or she could probably kick your ass too. I'll tell you who she is and why you should be glad she is on our side, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
DOMINICK: Each week, people do great things, sometimes it makes the news, sometimes it doesn't. So I would like to give a shout out to people this week who are doing great things that make them way better than (INAUDIBLE).
I want to introduce you to Sergeant Sherry Gallagher. She is the first woman named the Army's warrior of the year. She proved she was the best, her strength in both mind and body and this week I proved I almost blew out my shoulder in a hot yoga class. Sergeant Sherry Gallagher, you are way better than me.
This guy, unbelievably, touching story. His name is Adam Warner, Adam's wife passed away six months ago from cancer. He decided to finish her life's goals. He's currently in India working at a school for musicians. His mission is to complete what Megan (ph) couldn't. And to do so in her spirit of giving. I'm never going to be as strong as this guy. You can go fortheloveofmegan.org to follow their story. Adam Warner, you are way better than me.
I mean look at me I'm falling asleep on some pair of jeans at the airport when some guy took that picture. All right. Dr. Christine Whitten, this week. She is one of many doctors at San Diego's Kaiser Permanente Hospital who gave free surgeries last week. 40 uninsured patients were given better lives because of her work. Actually, last week, honestly, I was ask to host a benefit at a local booster club and I really asked for $200. So Dr. Christine Whitten, you are more generous. You are more talented. You are better than me.
All right. Well, Douglas Wheelock, an astronaut, will travel to the International Space Station this week. Better than me, right? Wrong? When he gets there, he tells all of us back home on earth that he made it by checking in on some application called Four Square, that's not heroic, it's irritating. He is way worse than me.
By the way, you can follow me on Twitter at "what the week." Now, using my beautiful bald head as a Magic 8-ball, here's what I see coming this week? It's the next big thing, for sure, you have all heard about that little election thing? Well, of course, there's that.
But also coming up, it's the penultimate launch of the U.S. space shuttle. After that, there's just one more launch of the space shuttle left and that's in February, the future of the U.S. space program is a bit up in the air at the moment or rather soon, it may not be.
Maybe Richard Branson at Virgin Galactic will be our next foray into space. I'm sure we can all afford that. Until then, catch this one, final second to last space shuttle coming up this week.
All right, that will do it for me. Thanks for watching. Wee you next week, keep thinking for yourself. By the way, my name is Pete Dominick and I certainly do approve of this show. I hope that you do too.
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