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Jerry Sandusky Waives Right to Court Hearing; Lowe's Home Improvement Under Fire; Trump Won't Moderate Debate; Foundation Provides Homes and Job Opportunities for Veterans; Congress Debates Payroll Tax Cut Extension; Senators Exchange Gifts for Secret Santa

Aired December 13, 2011 - 15:00   ET

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

BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: And now this -- top of the hour, here we go. Welcome back. I'm Brooke Baldwin.

Couple stories we're watching for you.

First, ex-Penn State assistant coach Jerry Sandusky goes to court this morning, but declines to faces his accusers.

Also, even in today's economy, some young people are a little better off than when their parents were.

And arrests along the border with Mexico, they have plummeted.

Time to play "Reporter Roulette."

And, Susan Candiotti, let's begin with you in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania.

We know Jerry Sandusky waived his right to that preliminary hearing today. Do we know why?

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, what a day it's been, Brooke.

Imagine, 11 witnesses, including at least four alleged victims who would have taken the stand to talk about in excruciating detail allegedly being molested and raped by Jerry Sandusky, but they didn't have the opportunity to do so, because he waited. And why, Brooke?

His lawyers explain that it was a tactical decision on their part, that, in part, because they would not have had an opportunity to try to challenge the credibility of these witnesses while they were on the witness stand because of court rules, then it just wasn't to their advantage.

However, they certainly, it's true, miss out on an opportunity to interview these people, put them on the stand. However, it would have meant that this day would have been filled with the testimony of what those alleged victims had to say. This way, that didn't happen.

And, instead, defense attorneys took the spotlight. They also didn't have a chance to interview a key witness who was expected to testify today, Mike McQueary, who would have told, according to the grand jury report, what he saw, that Jerry Sandusky allegedly raped a boy in a shower room back in 2002 -- Brooke.

BALDWIN: All right, Susan Candiotti for us in Pennsylvania, Susan, thanks.

(STOCK MARKET UPDATE)

BALDWIN: Speaking of Mr. Romo, next on "Reporter Roulette," a serious topic here, the arrests of illegal immigrants along the border down.

How much -- how far down?

RAFAEL ROMO, CNN SENIOR LATIN AMERICAN AFFAIRS EDITOR: Well, it's less than half than it was three years ago.

And when you talk about the numbers, 340,000 people, it's still a lot of people trying to cross illegally into the United States and being arrested. But if we put those numbers into perspective, it's 53 percent less than 2008. Here, you see the numbers.

And let's go back to the year 2000 -- 1.6 million were arrested that fiscal year. So, that tells you how different it is now. And the number this year is only a fifth of what it used to be back in the year 2000.

BALDWIN: So that's the arrests. The arrests are down. But what about the people who are still coming in or attempting to come in? Is that done as well?

ROMO: That's down as well because this number is seen as an indicator of how many people are trying to get here. And there are many reasons for that.

Number one is the economy. Jobs in the hospitality and the construction sectors are not what they used to be. Also, immigration laws in states like Arizona, Georgia, Alabama have had a chilling effect on people in Mexico trying to come here. And then you add the number of U.S. border agents, Border Patrol agents has doubled since 2004. So you add all of this together and that's the reason why you have these numbers.

BALDWIN: I was just talking to the Republican whip in the Alabama Senate yesterday. We were talking about the toughest immigration law in the land and it sounds like he actually admitted he made a mistake. Perhaps there will be some changes in that state alone.

Rafael Romo, thank you very much.

And that's your "Reporter Roulette" here for us on this Tuesday.

Now to this: President Obama says give us our drone back, and now Iran is responding to that, including a threat about getting inside the secret aircraft.

Plus, this: (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JASON CARROLL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Back in 2001, a student was paddled so badly, he had to be hospitalized for kidney failure.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Yet another alleged hazing incident involving the band at Florida A&M University, this one also violent and several people are now behind bars as a result.

Plus, we are just days away from a massive pullout of U.S. troops in Iraq. Many of them will return homeless. I will speak live with one veteran coming up, one mother with an emotional story about getting back on her feet.

And my Twitter has blown up over this one. I appreciate you tweeting me. Lowe's facing backlash after yanking its ads from this TV show about Muslims. So now hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons is calling for a boycott. He is going to explain what exactly he is calling for. Don't miss this conversation.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(NEWS BREAK)

BALDWIN: New developments today in the decision by the home improvement giant Lowe's to pull its ads from the reality show on TLC "All-American Muslim." This program does follow the lives of these five Muslim families. This is in Dearborn, Michigan. And so Lowe's has decided to pull its ad after the conservative Florida Family Association complained about the show, calling it propaganda.

In a Twitter, Lowe's had this to say. Let me read this for you. They say -- quote -- "We did not pull our ads based solely on the complaints or e-mails of any one group. It is never our intent to alienate anyone," this again coming from Lowe's via Twitter.

I want to bring in now a man who is never afraid to speak his mind. Here he is, entertainer Russell Simmons, founder of GlobalGrind.com.

And, you know, Russell, I know that this is your work as chair for Foundation of Ethnic Understanding. So my first question, sir, is this. I know TLC is checking to see if they actually have any ad time left to buy. If they do and they come back to you and they say you do, you buying it?

RUSSELL SIMMONS, CHAIRMAN, HIP-HOP SUMMIT ACTION NETWORK: I will buy all of the inventory. I have already made the offer.

I thought, in fact, I was already in, but it turns out that some of their advertisers are now stepping up and taking up the slack. And they're the long-term advertiser. I'm on line now to buy more.

BALDWIN: OK. So you're on line to buy more.

I have been tweeting and people have been tweeting up a storm with regard to this story. And I wanted to share this tweet with you just during this show as we have been reporting on this.

This is from @CharlieSliders -- quote -- "I'm a small contractor that purchases a couple thousand from Lowe's annually. Next year, Home Depot gets my business."

That's one tweet coming in. What exactly, Russell Simmons, are you calling on from Lowe's, from the CEO?

SIMMONS: I think that the CEO by Friday should make a decision to right what's wrong.

You can't pull advertisement for a show because you think it's negative, when in fact the show itself is positive. You can say that, unless you have some hateful intentions towards the Muslim community, what I would like them to do is to apologize publicly to the Muslim community, to meet with a group of interfaith leaders, rabbis, imams, and Christians.

Rabbi Schneier is looking to bring them to meet with the CEO. And I would like them to make amends to the Muslim community by rebuying -- maybe if the ads are not available, there are other things he can purchase to promote tolerance.

BALDWIN: And if he doesn't?

SIMMONS: And the reason I'm asking this, not -- obviously he had free will to do whatever he wants. It's not a legal issue here. What I want him to know is that his public, his consumers will not stand for that kind of bigotry and supporting that kind of bigotry.

BALDWIN: And if you don't get that public apology, then what?

SIMMONS: Well, then right now people are saying that will not shop at Lowe's. But if we actually call up all the civil rights groups who fight so hard to protect their own rights, I'm sure that they know that their rights are not safe unless they fight equally as hard to protect other rights.

I don't believe this is a fight that the Muslim community should take on. I believe it's an American fight. We're talking about the First Amendment and respect for that amendment and respect for that kind of corporate citizenship. So, we will see what he does.

BALDWIN: Russell, there are people who would disagree, including David Caton. I spoke with him yesterday. This is just shedding light on the other side of the story. He is the head of this Florida Family Association, perhaps part of the catalyst that led Lowe's to pull their ads.

I spoke with him yesterday on the show. Here's why he says he objects to "All-American Muslim."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVID CATON, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, FLORIDA FAMILY ASSOCIATION: And I beg anybody to find an imam in any mosque in this country that believes that Sharia should not apply to the people in America.

And for this program to show these people, which I wish they were all like this, I would be doing handstands if the imams in this country took an anti-Sharia, anti-Islamic code proposition for all the citizens.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: So part of his point, I believe, in talking to him, Russell, was that this particular show does not tell the whole story, does not tell the Muslim story in America. Your response?

SIMMONS: Listen, I produced a Christian family -- my brother Reverend Run and his family is a very positive and inspiring family. All of the kids were A students. It was a great Christian family.

But there are many Christian families that don't live up to that code. And the reality is this Muslim community is not a threat to America. And to show a clean-cut family is an inspiration to America because lots of Americans are not educated on Muslim lifestyle. So this show is a normal Muslim family. It's a good depiction of the Muslim community.

And to pull the ads because it's not negative, it just shows how Islamophobic the chairman and that company is, if they support that kind of bigotry. He said that he did research and based on the kind of research that he was getting, they were getting, that they would pull the ads.

But now you see all of the ads -- all the discussions around the country have turned angry at that company. And so if you are a good CEO and you have stockholders and you want a return a decent investment, you should reverse your decision now. And if not, you're going to not have a good Christmas season.

BALDWIN: Russell, you have reached out to Lowe's. What have they said to you so far?

SIMMONS: They said they understood that we were upset and that they were going to get back to me. But I said, by Friday, if not, we're going to start to call for the CEO's head. And in the end, we will get it. We won't just get a reversal and an apology, but I'm sure the stockholders and the board members will have to call for him to step down. He shouldn't dig his heel in the sand. He should fix this immediately.

BALDWIN: Russell Simmons, we're going to follow this with you. we will reach out to Lowe's, of course.

And how about reaching out to you on Friday? We will see where this stands. Deal?

SIMMONS: Thank you.

BALDWIN: Deal.

Russell Simmons, thank you so much.

Coming up next, forget drones in the war zones. How about drones in your neighborhood? Fears are growing about local police using the same aircraft that track terrorists on citizens here at home. Is your privacy being violated by all of this and how are police even allowed to do this? That's coming up.

Plus, Donald Trump makes a major announcement about the debate that he's moderating involving a big, big change. We will be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: As you know, the U.S. military is barred from taking part in domestic law enforcement, unless -- key word here -- unless Congress says so.

But did you also know this, that advanced military hardware deployed overseas against terrorists now is being used against citizens right here at home? Yes, you heard me correctly. And, no, Congress has not uttered a single word about it.

Let's listen now to CNN's Casey Wian.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CASEY WIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Customs and Border Protection uses eight unmanned military aircraft to patrol the United States' borders with Mexico and Canada, as well as the southern coastline, looking for drug and immigrant smugglers. It also deploys the drones to help local authorities manage natural disasters like these floods in North Dakota.

But what has been largely unknown before a "Los Angeles Times" report over the weekend is that local police have been using the drones to conduct surveillance flights and arrest criminal suspects. It happened recently in North Dakota, where a local sheriff arrested members of a family involved in a dispute over cattle, and in an alleged armed confrontation with sheriff's deputies.

Former California congresswoman Jane Harman served on the House Homeland Security Intelligence Subcommittee and says the drones could allow police to violate constitutional protections against unreasonable searches.

JANE HARMAN, WOODROW WILSON INTERNATIONAL CENTER: This is mission creep. I think it is beyond the mandate that Congress gave the Border Patrol to use drones along our border. We're talking about drones being used over American cities, or in rural areas, over the homes of law-abiding Americans, potentially.

WIAN: Harman says Congress needs to debate the appropriateness of drones being deployed for domestic surveillance, which she says was never discussed. However, a Customs and Border Protection spokeswoman cites eight sections of U.S. law that give it the authority to use drones in support of local police.

The agency also says the sensors and cameras used by the drones are similar to those used by its fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters, which have been supporting local law enforcement for years. The main difference, the drones can stay airborne for up to 20 hours.

Casey Wian, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BALDWIN: Casey, thank you.

Coming up next: Minnesota's biggest school district currently bans teaches from talking about homosexuality in the classroom. But one group is trying to change that. Wait until you hear which group that is.

Plus, this:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NEWT GINGRICH (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: If Governor Romney would like to give back all of the money he has earned from bankrupting companies and laying off employees over his years at Bain, then I would be glad to then listen to him.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Newt Gingrich comes out firing, even though he promises to stay Mr. Nice Guy in this heated GOP race. But have you heard what someone from the Obama campaign called Gingrich? Yes. It's raising some eyebrows. We have got it for you. Stay here.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: A Minnesota school board is considering its so-called neutrality policy that requires teachers in the state's largest district to remain neutral if the topic of homosexuality ever comes up in class.

So, at this meeting last night, board members heard from both supporters and critics of this neutrality rule.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TAMMY AABERG, MOTHER OF TEEN SUICIDE VICTIM: It's now we're going from neutral on sexual orientation to labeling LGBT people as controversial.

BARB ANDERSON, PARENT ACTION LEAGUE: We were a model for the nation in protecting kids from classroom homosexual propaganda. The sexual orientation curriculum policy is an excellent policy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Two civil rights groups have sued the board, trying to force it to repeal this neutrality policy.

And now to this. Have you heard? Donald Trump pulling out of a debate he was supposed to moderate at the end of this month in Iowa.

Let's go to Paul Steinhauser, America's Choice 2012 politics update.

Paul Steinhauser, OK, so I know just two candidates had signed up to participate in this thing. There has to be more than meets the eye.

PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN DEPUTY POLITICAL DIRECTOR: I guess you could say Donald Trump fired himself.

BALDWIN: Ooh.

(CROSSTALK)

STEINHAUSER: Yes, boom, yes.

(LAUGHTER)

STEINHAUSER: Here's why. Here's his explanation.

And, listen, in his own words, in his own words, this is what Donald Trump said: "It is very important to me that the right Republican candidate be chosen to defeat the failed and very destructive Obama administration. But if that Republican in my opinion is not the right candidate, I'm not willing to give up my right to run as an independent candidate. Therefore, so that there is no conflict of interests within the Republican Party, I have decided not to be the moderator of the Newsmax debate."

There's Donald Trump in his own words. He's unwilling I guess to give up the possibility that he still may run for president. Remember, he flirted with a run for the Republican presidential nomination back in May and June before saying no. But I guess he's still not giving up the possibility of maybe running as an independent.

OK. The debate, if it had happened, was going to be on December 27 right there in Des Moines, Iowa. Here is who had said yes, only two, Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum. And Rick Santorum has just put out a statement, the former senator from Pennsylvania. He's a little upset with the other five who said no.

And who are those five who said no? Let's go through that list. And that list is Mitt Romney, Ron Paul, Rick Perry, Michele Bachmann. That's an interesting one as well, because Michele Bachmann went with Donald Trump four times to Trump Tower. And Jon Huntsman, the former Utah governor.

So, there you go. Not going to happen on December 27. Not going to happen at all, Brooke.

BALDWIN: Not going to happen.

How about this? We talked a lot about how there had been this front-runner in this GOP race, that being Mitt Romney, and now perhaps that the reelection campaign, the Obama reelection campaign having to now have a different sort of verbal attack arsenal towards Newt Gingrich. Tell me what a certain someone said about Newt Gingrich today.

STEINHAUSER: Yes.

Well, here's the lowdown. The top Obama reelection campaign advisers were right here in Washington, D.C. Myself and our senior White House correspondent, Jessica Yellin, got invited to this briefing.

And David Axelrod, top senior adviser for the campaign, he has been maybe going after Gingrich a little bit lately. They have been concentrating their firepower on Romney, but today at this briefing, here's what -- he was talking about Gingrich. He said, compared to Romney, Gingrich's economic proposals are extreme.

And then he told a story about an alderman back in Chicago who had a little story. And this is what he said. "The higher a monkey climbs on a pole, the more you can see his butt. So, you know, the speaker is very high on the pole right now, and we will see how many people like the view."

That was David Axelrod today.

BALDWIN: Whoa. Leave it there.

(CROSSTALK)

STEINHAUSER: Just leave it there. We're going to leave it there on the table. And let's move on, Brooke, quickly.

BALDWIN: People can tweet us and let us know what they think about that one from David Axelrod.

STEINHAUSER: Yes.

BALDWIN: Paul Steinhauser, I appreciate it very much. Thank you so much.

Coming up next, a man facing a life sentence, the sentence gets thrown out after he realizes where he actually was during the crime. It's bizarre.

Plus, this:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He pauses, he thinks, he reflects before he answers questions. And he really postures on what is the best way for him to respond.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: That was Jerry Sandusky's lawyer trying to explain why his client has been fumbling his way through multiple interviews, this after a wild day in this courtroom in Pennsylvania. We're going to go to Sunny Hostin. She is fired up over this one. Sunny is next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: Former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky surprises a packed courtroom this morning in Pennsylvania, waiving his right to a preliminary hearing on child sex abuse charges. His attorney announced Sandusky won't be facing his accusers today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE AMENDOLA, SANDUSKY'S ATTORNEY: We anticipated nothing new coming out of this case with by way of our defense, and not being to realistically present a defense or attack any witnesses' credibility today.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Sunny Hostin "On the Case." And Sunny, so, from the perspective of the defense, good move, bad move this morning?

SUNNY HOSTIN, CNN LEGAL CONTRIBUTOR: It's an extraordinary move. I think it's a bad move, Brooke, because preliminary hearing give a defense team the opportunity for a sneak peek into the prosecution's case.

What most people don't know is that in a criminal case, defense attorneys don't really know all the evidence that will be presented against their client. Typically they only get grand jury testimony a few days or even a few hours before the witness testifies. So many or most, I would say, defense attorneys never give up the opportunity to find out what cards the prosecution is holding.

So I think this was an extraordinary move, perhaps a smart move in the sense that now Jerry Sandusky is free on bail. His bail conditions haven't changed. The court of public opinion hasn't been as poisoned because all the information we have is contained in that grand jury summary. But in my view, Brooke, he was being somewhat dishonest in saying that he would not have the opportunity to cross- examine witnesses. That is not true. Defense attorneys cross-examine witnesses at hearing each and every day. And so bottom line, this was a tactical move. I don't necessarily agree that it was a smart one.

BALDWIN: OK. I want to play a little bit more sound from Jerry Sandusky's attorney. Essentially he's questioning the motives of some of his accusers. Watch.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

AMENDOLA: What greater motivation, and I hate to say it, but it's going to be part of our case, and we're checking on it now, what greater motivation could there be than money. I've seen money break up families. I've seen siblings become enemies fighting over their parents assets. So what greater motivation, folks, could there be than the financial gain that could come out of this by saying I'm a victim.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Sunny, we'd like to remind our viewers you've prosecuted sex crimes against children. I mean, have you ever seen any claim that they were the victim of child rape just to get money?

HOSTIN: Well, not in the cases that I prosecuted but certainly people will bring up the Michael Jackson child molestation trial and say that that was a trial just aimed at Michael Jackson's money.

But I think it's an extraordinary case to make in this case because we have 10, Brooke unrelated victims. There were 11 people prepared to testify today. And so the defense is going to have to prove that there was some sort of vast conspiracy amongst all these young men who knew Jerry Sandusky at different times to make that theory really work for the defense.

So I think that's a pretty extraordinary claim. I would add it's probably their only defense in this case, and so not unexpected that this would be the claim that there is some sort of vast conspiracy against Jerry Sandusky and all of the victims are out for his money. But I would like to reserve my opinion on whether or not they are going to be able to prove that in court.

BALDWIN: OK. Reserved, reserved.

We know today's prelim, it was a no go. There's another hearing at the end of the week with the cases of those two school administrators who have been charged with perjury and failure to report the child sex abuse. Is that still on this Friday?

BALDWIN: My understanding is that it is still on. That's a very different case because that case certainly hinges on the testimony of Mike McQueary, the assistant coach. And lately we've been hearing reports that his version of events, his story may have changed, may be inconsistent. And if that is true, that is something that those defendants will want to get to -- they will want to get that information out. So I believe that one will still go forward

And that will be also an interesting case, testimony, rather, to hear in terms of Jerry Sandusky's case, because we know mike McQueary also indicated that he saw Jerry Sandusky rape a 10-year-old boy who appeared to be a 10-year-old boy in a bathroom at Penn State. So I think we're going to hear a little bit more about that on Friday.

BALDWIN: OK. As we watch for that Friday, case two, quickly, there's LaDondrell Montgomery of Texas convicted last month and sentenced to life in prison for armed robbery. But a judge overturned all that because there was no way Montgomery committed the crime. It turns out he was in jail on another charge. The judge calls the whole situation mind boggling. You agree?

HOSTIN: I agree. I've never seen anything like this. If the prosecution doesn't catch something like this, certainly the defendant himself will say something. The defense team will say it wasn't me. I was in prison at the time. But we know this is a guy who has a lot of cases pending. Apparently he's still in custody with five cases pending, four of them for aggravated robbery. Brooke, he's being currently held for trial without bond. So perhaps he just mixed up the crimes.

BALDWIN: Well, that's an alibi. Sorry. I was in jail.

(LAUGHTER)

BALDWIN: Sunny Hostin, thank you very. Talk to you tomorrow.

Will your taxes go up in January? The clock is ticking, still no deal in Congress, and now even more hiccups.

Plus an emotional story of this mother, an American veteran who found herself homeless. You're going to hear her story, meet her, and how she survived right here on American soil away from the war zone. She's joining me live, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: We are in depth on Iraq all week here in CNN. As you know, U.S. troops are streaming out of the country. Bases, military equipment becoming property of the Iraqi forces, and one time bustling military communities in Iraq now look like everyone simply stood up and left, ghost towns.

In this country, there is the other side of the drawdown and the end of the Iraqi war. U.S. troops from all branches, tens and thousands of them, you can hear the cheers, returning home to crowds, family, friends, and in a perfect world, a promising new start.

But not all veterans have an easy road ahead of them. One case Mickiela Montoya, a military police officer who served in Iraq. She left the military after seven years of service, and not much later she found herself homeless. Mickiela joins me live from Los Angeles. Mickiela, nice to have you on. As I mentioned, seven years, seven years served in the military. Time in Iraq, from what I understand in your background, dodging mortar attacks and gunfire. Did you ever think when you came home after serving your country that you would become homeless?

MICKIELA MONTOYA, ONCE HOMELESS IRAQ WAR VETERAN: No, never. I joined the military because I thought that I would have that foundation and I wouldn't have to worry about dealing with things like that.

BALDWIN: You joined the military when you were 17 after your grandmother passed away. You come home, you got pregnant. How hard did you try to find work? MONTOYA: I went on unemployment for a little bit and I just didn't feel comfortable because I had been working seven days a week, 12 to 14 hours a day. That was hard for me to transition and find something that kind of coincided with what I was doing in Iraq.

BALDWIN: So explain to us what life is like when you're here, no job, no money, no home. What was a 24-hour cycle like in your life?

MONTOYA: It's hard to say. It was just surreal. I got into survival mode. My friends and family didn't know what was going on. I kind of just kept pushing it and thinking that it's a temporary time, it's not permanent.

BALDWIN: So at what point did you get this help in the form of U.S. vets? How did you hook up with them? What did they do for you?

MONTOYA: Well, you know, the first part was to admit to myself that I needed the help because I was always able to provide for myself. And once I decided that I need the help, I went to the work source center because I remember checking a box that said, do you need help with homelessness? And they were the ones that introduced me to U.S. vets there.

BALDWIN: What did they provide to you?

MONTOYA: They provide shelter, a roof over my head, stability. I was able to go to school and collect my GI bill. But it was hard. It was really hard.

BALDWIN: So now you've been to school, and tell us, as we look at these adorable pictures of your little four-year-old daughter, tell us where you're working now. This is sort of full circle.

MONTOYA: So now I work at the Department of Veterans Affairs for a new pilot program called Homeless Veteran Supporting Employment, and I assist veterans seeking employment. They're coming back from Iraq and having to face the struggles that I had to face.

BALDWIN: As you are working now sort of on this ground level, are you seeing fewer people seeking help or are you afraid or you and your colleagues afraid that the numbers of homeless will increase now as people come home from Iraq?

MONTOYA: I think it's hard to say. I think definitely the numbers may rise, but with the way the VA is tackling it, I think there is hope. The program has been excellent for me and hopefully it will be for the people that come back.

BALDWIN: Final question, for people who are watching, perhaps they know someone, a fellow veteran, perhaps a mother. as you were, struggling, what's the best -- what's the one best piece of advice that people have?

MONTOYA: I would have to say, admit to yourself that you need the help and don't be afraid to ask for it. You're not -- just because you don't have somewhere to live, it doesn't mean that you're hopeless or helpless. You served our country and you have these rights.

BALDWIN: You're not hopeless, you're not helpless. Mickiela Montoya, I appreciate you coming on. Because of your story, we just want to help others. I just want to leave viewers with this information. The National Veterans Foundation is dedicated, a great group of people dedicated to helping men and women returning from war and transitioning to civilian life. You can do a part, too. Find out how at NVS.org. Mickiela, thanks again.

Coming up next, 19 days away from the date that everyone's taxes go up, everyone who gets a paycheck. And considering Congress wants to go on vacation, that means that time is running out. There are some fast-moving developments. We are live on Capitol Hill. Back in 90 seconds. But, first, some free money advice.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

POPPY HARLOW, CNNMONEY.COM CORRESPONDENT: Time now for the Help Desk, where we get answers to your financial questions. And joining me this hour is Gary Schatsky, a financial planner and the president of ObjectiveAdvice.com, and Gail Cunningham is with the National Foundation for Credit Counseling. Thank you both for being here. Gail, first question for you today. This comes from Richard in Virginia. Richard writes, "I occasionally receive unsolicited invitations telling me I am preapproved for a credit card. Would accepting such an invitation adversely affect my credit score?"

GAIL CUNNINGHAM, NATIONAL FOUNDATION FOR CREDIT COUNSELING: We have two things working here -- receiving the preapproved application. It coming in your mailbox has no impact on your credit score. But if you act upon that, of course the creditor is going to review your credit history. That well put what is known as an inquiry on your credit report. That's a small ding. It could potentially lower your very score but not for long. Don't worry about it. And just FYI, that is rarely the reason that anyone is declined, simply because they have too many inquiries.

HARLOW: That's a very good point.

Gary, your question is from Tom in Ohio. Tom wrote in "I'm retired. My only income is from my pension, Social Security, and earnings from investments. Can I still make the maximum contribution to my Roth IRA?"

GARY SCHATSKY, FINANCIAL PLANNER: Unfortunately, you can't. In order to contribute to a Roth or regular IRA, you have to have some type of earned income. So you can look at other investments but one of these tax deferred ones you cannot do without earned income.

HARLOW: Good advice, guys. We appreciate it. If you have a question you want answered, please send us an e-mail at any time to CNNhelpdesk@CNN.com.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: The new president of the Amateur Athletic Union says the child sex abuse allegation against his organization is different than those affecting both Syracuse and Penn State universities. We're talking about Bobby Dodd. He is the one-time Memphis area basketball coach and AAU president accused now by two men who say he sexually assaulted them as boys. In this exclusive interview with CNN, current AAU president Louis Stout says his group did not hesitate to act when those charges first came to light.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LOUIS STOUT, PRESIDENT AMATEUR ATHLETIC UNION: Unlike Penn State, and unlike Syracuse and the Citadel, we acted immediately. We didn't wait six months to find out if this was a protective thing because of an executive director. We acted immediately. We formed our own internal investigative process. And then once we found out who the accusers were, we immediately went to the police department. We didn't sit on this. No one has acted more properly than the Amateur Athletic Union regarding these accusations.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Louis Stout spoke exclusively to us at CNN to correspondent George Howell and said he would not do anymore sit-down interviews. Accusations about Bobby Dodd first emerged in a report aired on ESPN. Two men say Dodd abused them in the '80s when they were between the ages of 12 and 16. Neither ESPN or CNN has been able to contact him for comment.

And now, major developments in the fight over your money. Less than three weeks now the taxes in your paycheck are going to go up unless Congress agrees on extending the payroll tax cut. That expires, as we mentioned, at the end of this month. Kate Bolduan following this for us on Capitol Hill. We know, Kate, House Speaker John Boehner has a vote set for tonight. I'm assuming that is still on.

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That has not happened yet, but it is still scheduled for this evening. And Republican leaders in the House have been confident all day that they'll have the votes to pass that measure.

But it may not get much further from there as Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid says that Bill will not pass in the Senate because it includes at least one obstacle. It includes is a controversial measure that house Republicans added to their bill to extend the payroll tax cut having to do with the Keystone oil pipeline project. Senator Harry Reid says that will not pass in the Senate, and President Obama's White House issued a veto threat on that measure just this afternoon. And the clock is ticking. We are running very short on time here, Brooke, as this payroll tax cut expires at the end of the year.

Another deadline we're now dealing with that no one really thought we would be dealing with at the end of this week, Friday, the government runs out of funding yet again. And there may be some issues hanging up a massive spending bill to keep the government funding through the rest of the fiscal year. Republicans charge that Democrats are bringing this into the payroll tax fight. Democrats say that's not the case, but there are still outstanding issues. Very unclear where the path to compromise is on both of those issues at this moment, Brooke.

BALDWIN: Deadline time, as I'm sure these members of Congress would like to go on vacation. Kate Bolduan, thank you very much.

In the meantime, as lawmakers bicker over payroll taxes, some of them are revealing what they gave one another in a secret Santa gift exchange. Yep. We first told you about this happening on Capitol Hill. So who got the wing sauce? Who got the coal?

Plus, first lady Michelle Obama now in the Guinness Book of World Records. Find out the history she helped make at the White House. Joe Johns here in the studio has your Political Pop. He is next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: I want to welcome Joe Johns. We have this piece of video. Hello, by the way. A very festive red tie.

JOE JOHNS, CNN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT: All ready for the holidays.

BALDWIN: Ready for the holidays.

JOHNS: A little early.

BALDWIN: So I heard about this video. We're about to do this together, right? So it's the time of year, and people think about family, shopping, and parties. It's also the time people are tree decorating, baking cookies. And we're at the mall, we're hanging out. So if you're placing the candles in your window this year, make sure they stay put and do not fall when lit.

JOHNS: That's a good idea. Don't let the dogs run over them.

BALDWIN: That happened to you because?

JOHNS: This is not good.

BALDWIN: This is what you don't want happening with your menorah, folks.

JOHNS: Not a merry menorah.

(LAUGHTER)

BALDWIN: Also, if you're like me -- by the way, this is the first year I've gotten out and gotten my own Christmas tree. I've been a fan of the -- oh!

(LAUGHTER)

JOHNS: Now that's really bad. The idea, I think, is to have the fire logs in the fireplace, not the Christmas tree burning. BALDWIN: Look at that fire. Look at that. So we just, you know, spreading a little Christmas holiday cheer by showing you what not to do.

JOHNS: At least your house will smell like pine needles, after the --

(LAUGHTER)

BALDWIN: Anyhow, this is why we have you. Thanks for playing along with me on that one.

Senators, you first were reporting this on political pop, they are playing secret Santa. We now know some of the goodies.

JOHNS: OK, a little background. Senator Al Franken came up with this idea, said he did it way back in the day. The senators picked it up and thought, yes, this is great. And so they decided to trade presents.

BALDWIN: What was the cap, $10?

JOHNS: Yes. And so you had to be inventive. You had to come up with something that had some special meaning perhaps from your own state, but not necessarily very expensive.

Now, the most important thing you have to say, I think, is this is historically the most unpopular Congress in history. I mean when you think about since polls have been taken.

BALDWIN: Right.

JOHNS: So what would you give the most unpopular Congress on Christmas?

BALDWIN: Coal because they haven't been -- they been naughty, not nice.

JOHNS: That's exactly it. So we got some coal gifts. In fact, Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia, which is the big coal state, of course, he gave a donkey and an elephant, the symbols of the Republican, Democratic Party to none other than Senator Charles Schumer, which I didn't have time to research it, but I'm kind of interested in just how much Charles Schumer's been into the whole environmental fresh air thing, which would be something that Joe Manchin wouldn't like so much.

BALDWIN: Yes. So, what else?

JOHNS: And not to be out done, another senator gives coal to Joe Manchin, all right? And where is it here? I can't find it here. Another senator giving it to Joe Manchin. And so you have two senators giving coal, and Mark Udall of Colorado.

BALDWIN: Wasn't he the one who said, hey, we need to have the Republicans and Democrats sitting together at the state of the union? JOHNS: So he sort of got trumped there. But he's not bitter, it doesn't sound like.

BALDWIN: So gifts for secret Santa and jumping jacks for the first lady.

JOHNS: This was another follow-up in Political Pop that we did some time ago. The first lady got together hundreds of thousands of people -- there you go. Jumping jacks at the White House, and everywhere, 300,265 people at the White House in a 24 hour period. It sounds completely chaotic, and they broke the Guinness Book of World records.

BALDWIN: Well, congrats to all these jumping-jackers for it.

JOHNS: It's fantastic. It's really good news. She's doing something with that "Let's Move" campaign.

BALDWIN: Wonderful. They're moving, indeed. Joe Johns, good to see you, as always. Come back.

JOHNS: Good to see you, Brooke.

BALDWIN: Meantime, that is it for us. Now to Wolf Blitzer. "THE SITUATION ROOM" starts now.