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House Panel Probes GSA Spending Scandal; Your Money, Their Lavish Party; Secret Service Prostitution Scandal; Woodward, Oklahoma Tornado Kills Six; Your Credit Card Will Cost You More; Murder Suspect Admits Killing 77 People; Afghan Forces Stop Insurgent Attacks; Tracking Taliban Inside Taliban Territory; Kim Jong Un's First Televised Address; Interview with Congressman Jeff Denham
Aired April 16, 2012 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning to you. I'm Carol Costello. Just ahead on the NEWSROOM.
Lavish spending, boastful employees and a culture of waste. Today officials from the General Services Administration, the GSA, head to Capitol Hill to defend themselves and their agency against those allegations.
Frontline to fire fight. U.S. and Afghan troops team up for an overnight air assault mission in one of the most dangerous areas of Afghanistan. Hours later, it turns into an all-out fire fight.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Where's it at? Where's it at?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: We'll take you to the frontlines.
Plus, you're going to pay more. The agency designed to protect consumers decides to allow credit card companies to increase some fees.
And Pippa, a pistol and Paris. The sister of the future queen of England photographed in a car as the driver points a pistol at the cameraman. We're live in London with the fallout. CNN NEWSROOM begins right now.
Now to those hearings on Capitol Hill focused on wasteful spending by a government agency, an agency responsible for cutting costs for the U.S. government.
The chief of the General Services Administration resigned after the lavish spending at the 2010 convention in LAS VEGAS became public, more than $820,000 worth.
Soon video showing GSA workers mocking financial waste and abuse were released.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO (voice-over): That's video of a GSA employee joking about buying everything a field office can't afford.
The video was given an award at the Las Vegas conference. And the rapper, well, he was named commissioner for a day. There was also this video showing a clown mocking meetings.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is my commitment to our go green initiative.
COSTELLO: A green initiative based on margaritas?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All our money, all the time. That's Jeff.
COSTELLO: And an entire red carpet event for the GSA dinner. Congressional investigators also are accusing the GSA of violating its employee gift limit with rewards of iPods, digital cameras and other electronic devices.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: What you just saw highlights part of the problem lawmakers will tackle as they begin a series of hearings today. Just how do you keep government agencies from wasting your tax dollars?
I'm sorry I even have to ask that question. I'm joined now by Republican Congressman Jeff Denham. Welcome, Congressman.
REP. JEFF DENHAM (R), CALIFORNIA: Thank you.
COSTELLO: I might add you chair the subcommittee that oversees the GSA. You know, it seems to be a culture of lavish spending by the GSA. So you're going to hold these hearings, you're going to question people, probably embarrass them. But how do you change the culture?
DENHAM: Well, I mean, you just saw in these videos, it is embarrassing and it is a culture. I mean, this is the agency that's supposed to be in charge of setting the efficiency for the rest of government.
And for them to be not only out there spending like this, but bragging about it, I mean, people in my district are outraged. We've got twice the -- we're double what the national unemployment is and people in my district are saying how can this happen?
So, yes, we're going to embarrass some people. We want to make sure that we hold some accountability that we get that money paid back where we can and that where the law has been broken, somebody's going to serve some time.
COSTELLO: Well, I was just going to ask you that because a GSA employee by the name of Jeff Neely is expected to testify today. He was the man who bragged about wearing Armani suits in these videos.
He's expected to plead the Fifth. This is in the Issa hearing not yours coming up a little later. But what kinds of problem does that pose for you when people come to those hearings and they can't say anything?
DENHAM: Well, we've obviously subpoenaed a number of different people. We're going from the top down. This goes all the way to the president's appointee who has recently resigned.
But we want to know how the CFO, the chief financial officer, allowed these expenditures to go through. I mean, this is an account we've been trying to audit since the first days that I became chairman of this committee for over a year and a half.
And the previous chair, both Republicans and Democrats, have said, show us how you're spending this money. What stimulus money do you have out there? What's in this public buildings fund?
But we want to know. The people have a right to know. So we're going to continue to dig deep into this and find out how far this culture of abuse and fraud and wasteful spending goes.
COSTELLO: I think voters have seen these kinds of hearings before where people are dragged out and they are embarrassed. They're asked very pointed questions by lawmakers, questions that should be asked.
But then nothing much changes. I mean, in your mind unless criminal charges are filed against some of these GSA employees, will anything really change?
DENHAM: Absolutely, it will. You know, I'm a freshman member. I'm a new chairman of the committee, but this isn't just investigative. We want to make sure there are penalties in place after the fact, and we're also proposing legislation.
We want accountability. There is no reason that the taxpayers should not be able to see what's in this account every single year. Whether it's running surpluses or deficits and what they're spending their money on. People have a right to know.
COSTELLO: What kind of penalties are you talking about?
DENHAM: Well, there have already been eight people that have either resigned or been fired or, you know, put on administrative leave. The people on administrative leave, we believe there is wrong doing and they should be fired. In some instances we want the money paid back.
Certainly where they've broken the law, we're going to continue to prosecute this to the fullest extent. I mean, the inspector general has now sent this over to the Department of Justice and we're going to continue to pursue it.
COSTELLO: This is the last question. There are four separate hearings on the GSA, four. Some are held by Republicans. Some are held by Democrats. Why four?
DENHAM: Well, certainly this goes across several layers of government. I mean, from our perspective, this is the public buildings fund. This is our direct subcommittee. But there are other committees that are doing the investigative piece and going after -- where they can, where the DOJ is involved. So this will go across both parties, both Houses, and it goes a couple -- across a couple jurisdictions.
So I would expect this first set of hearings to go between all four. But we're looking at other issues within this, so we're going to hold follow-up hearings as well.
COSTELLO: Congressman Denham, thank you for joining us this morning.
DENHAM: Thank you.
COSTELLO: Later this hour, senior congressional correspondent Dana Bash has an exclusive look behind the scenes of the Issa hearings. She'll join us live in 40 minutes.
Now to the shocking new questions about the president's inner circle and the Secret Service agents entrusted with protecting his life. This morning 11 agents and officers are on leave and under investigation.
They're accused of hooking up with prostitutes at a hotel in Colombia where they were preparing security for the Summit of the Americas.
Brianna Keilar is at the White House for us this morning. So any reason to believe the president's safety was compromised?
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: So far, Carol, it seems the answer to that question is no. This alleged incident involving Secret Service members and prostitutes happened before the president arrived in Colombia. This was not at the hotel the president was at.
It was at a different hotel, one, in fact, that a lot of members of the media were staying at although they did arrive later. Most of them arrived later than this advance team with the Secret Service. And this wasn't the president's personal detail.
This was, as I said, an advance team that was working out things ahead of his arrival, but here are the details as we know them. This was a hotel, that according to Chairman Peter King of the House Homeland Security Committee, he was briefed on this.
And he said that there was a cut off for 7:00 a.m. for guests of hotel guests that they would actually have to turn in their ID if they were accompanying a guest upstairs and they needed to be out by 7:00 a.m.
So one female against was not out by 7:00 a.m., hotel management after being unable to access the room where this female guest was called police. Police were brought in. And the woman claimed that she was owed money, according to those briefs.
Police ultimately contacted the U.S. embassy, which is protocol for this. That's how the Secret Service at embassy got involved. Then these Secret Service agents were recalled.
But there was no breach of security we're being told both from Chairman King and also from the Secret Service. The Secret Service, Carol, is investigating this. Certainly, they will be able to answer that question in more details.
COSTELLO: We hope so. Brianna Keilar live at the White House for us.
This morning, the death toll inches up from those tornadoes that ripped across much of the Central U.S. this weekend. A sixth person has died of their injuries. The outbreak spun off more than 130 reports of twisters.
Today, 10 states bear the scars. Thousands of people are just trying to put their lives back together this morning. Remarkably, all of the deaths occurred in one small town, Woodward, Oklahoma. CNN's Sandra Endo is there. Hi, Sandra.
SANDRA ENDO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Carol, you can see -- hi, Carol. Good morning. You could see the devastation left behind by that string of massive tornadoes that hit the country's midsection over the weekend.
Take a look at what 140-mile per hour winds can do when it hits a community. These rooftops have just been torn off homes. You can see the debris still in front of many of these homes and just cars destroyed, as you mentioned, new fatality to report this morning bringing the death toll up to six people.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ENDO (voice-over): From Texas to Minnesota, it was a weekend for wild and violent weather. The small city of Woodward, Oklahoma, suffered some of the worst devastation. Paul Lord was thrown from his home by the storm.
PAUL LORD, WOODWARD RESIDENT: I got a big gash on the side of the head. When the flap laid over and laid open and they stitched that back up.
ENDO: Mayor Roscoe Hill says parts of his city were just flattened.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's something I never had to deal with and I don't want to ever have to deal with it again, but really a devastating thing to our city.
ENDO: Wichita, Kansas, was one of the biggest cities hit. The roof collapsed at this airplane manufacturing plant. A few hundred workers were there, but no one was hurt.
And a confirmed tornado struck this hospital in Creston, Iowa, blowing out windows and damaging the roof. Attention now turns to clean up as homeowners sift through the rubble for belongings. Paul Lord says he's already recovered all his valuables.
LORD: My son, my daughter, son-in-law, my grand babies, my wife, everything else is just brick and stick.
ENDO: Officials say the storm's toll could have been much worse if early warning systems had not been in place.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ENDO: And for communities like this one hard hit, obviously the clean-up effort is under way. You can see them starting here to pick up the rubble, to clean out the debris.
And just to tell you, Carol, about the resilience of this community, we spoke to the family who lives in this house. And they actually stayed here overnight despite the destruction to their house.
They're saying that they're not going to let mother nature take them out of their home -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Good for them. Sandra Endo reporting live from Oklahoma this morning.
Thinking about applying for a new credit card? Some rules are about to change that could have you, yes, forking over more of your money. We will explain just ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Here's the headline. Your credit card is about to cost you more. I know. What else is new? For the why this time, let's head to New York and Alison Kosik. So Alison, how much we are talking about?
ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: We're talking about more money you'd have to pay in fees. So, yes, mark a check in the win column for those credit card companies, Carol. This is all part of the credit card laws that were passed a few years ago.
What those laws did was basically limit the fees a bank could charge on credit cards essentially capping the fees at 25 percent of your credit limit in your first year, but guess what? One credit card issuer, First Premier Bank out of South Dakota, complained.
A federal court ruled in the bank's favor. So guess what? Those rules were revised. So now First Premier and any other bank credit card issuer for that matter is now allowed to charge another $95 just to open a credit card account.
That's in addition to a $75 annual fee on First Premier's credit card for the first year with a $300 credit limit. That's basically 25 percent of the limit.
Guess what, Carol, the fees don't get any better in the second year. After two years, you'll have paid almost the entire credit limit in fees. How is that?
COSTELLO: It just makes you sick. OK, so that worries me. What does this mean for future rules? Will the credit card companies just take every new rule to court and the courts will say go for it?
KOSIK: Yes, well, you know what they very well could. It is a possibility. Analysts, Carol, say that the bureau only caved because the court made it cave, but this could only be temporary.
One financial policy analyst says this reversal does not indicate future softening by the bureau. So what it's doing is proposing to revise the revised rule and asking for public comment.
Because you said this is boiling your blood, let's pull up where you can post your public complaint or public comment. You can go to regulations.gov. Look for proposal ID number 3170-aa21. That's where you can put your comment. At least try to make an impact, Carol.
COSTELLO: What is going on, on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange?
KOSIK: Let's see. There's either someone retiring or someone in the military is coming in. But usually tradition goes when someone walks on to the floor who's in the military, everybody stands and claps. This looks like a retirement, though. Someone looks like they're retiring.
COSTELLO: I was just curious because whoever it was, they really, really like that person.
KOSIK: Yes, they do.
COSTELLO: Thank you, Alison.
KOSIK: You got it.
COSTELLO: Now is your chance to talk back on one of the big stories of the day. The question for you this morning, should candidates return or renounce donations from controversial donors?
Democrats were hoping they got past the Hilary Rosen comment about Ann Romney never working a day in her life. But, no, comedian Bill Maher stepped right back in it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BILL MAHER, COMEDIAN: What she meant to say, I think, was that Ann Romney has never gotten her -- out of the house to work. There is a big difference between being a mother in that tough and getting your -- out the door at 7:00 a.m. when it's cold. Having to deal with a boss, being in a workplace even if you're unhappy you can't show it for eight hours. That is kind of a different tough thing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: You may remember Maher gave a million bucks to President Obama's "Super PAC." Well, now Republicans are calling on the president to give that money back, fair or unfair? After all, billionaire, Foster Freeze, was the guy who contributed $1.6 million to Rick Santorum's "Super PAC." Remember his comment about contraception on MSNBC?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This contraceptive thing, my gosh, it's such expensive. Back in my days they used Bayer aspirin for contraception. The gals put it between their knees and it wasn't that costly.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: OK, that made a lot of people uncomfortable. But does that mean every candidate is accountable for everything a donor says or does? Where's the line?
So the talk back question today, should candidates return or renounce donations from controversial donors? Facebook.com/carolcnn, Facebook.com/carolcnn. I'll read your comments later this hour.
Tracking down the Taliban. Coming up, go with American and Afghan soldiers as they hunt down militants.
Plus, how many politicians does it take to investigate government waste? Do we really need four separate hearings on a controversial bash in Las Vegas? Doesn't that seem like a waste unto itself? We'll ask our "Political Buzz" panel, later.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: The man accused of killing 77 people in Norway says he committed the attacks, but he's not entered a not guilty plea in court.
In a show of defiance, Anders Behring Breivik raised his fist saying he did recognize the court's authority and showed no emotion as victims' injuries were described.
Breivik claims he was acting in self-defense when he set off a bomb killing eight people in Oslo. Then he travelled to a nearby island and opened fire. Sixty nine people died there including teenagers and young adults.
President Hamid Karzai, the Afghan president, is blaming NATO for a series of deadly attacks by insurgents that lasted nearly 18 hours. Explosions rocked Central Kabul earlier today just hours after periodic bursts of gunfire that lasted well into Sunday night.
The attacks targeted a district that houses government offices and allied embassies including the U.S. embassy. Karzai isn't the only one pointing the finger at the United States.
Senator John McCain says withdrawing troops from Afghanistan increases the danger for American troops still fighting the war.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) SENATOR JOHN MCCAIN (R), ARIZONA: But every time the president announces another withdrawal, his military commander said it increases the risk. That's what we're seeing here.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: The violence killed eight members of the Afghan Security Force and four civilians. Despite the troop drawdown, there are currently 90,000 American troops still in Afghanistan. Another 23,000 are expected to leave the country by the end of September.
As more military personnel leave, Afghan soldiers are forced to take the lead in tracking down and capturing their enemies. CNN's Nick Paton Walsh takes us with U.S. and Afghan troops as they cross into dangerous Taliban territory to search for militants.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NICK PATON WALSH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Key to Afghanistan's future is how ready are Afghan forces to take over the job when America and NATA start leaving.
We witnessed one joint force operation between Americans and Afghans when they launched an air assault into an area of the country frankly controlled by the Taliban. Where there is no Afghan government presence to speak up, they were hunting two key Afghan insurgent leaders.
(voice-over): A last stand in a Taliban hot land. Americans and Afghans launch an air assault before dawn into a remote hostile district of Gosni they've not set foot in for six months. They've planned an incredibly flat, exposed space about a mile away from a village where they are two high value targets the americans want to arrest.
America's withdrawal is meant to awaken afghan forces to take over these man hunts. As they push into the village in search of the American's most wanted local militant, the Afghans seem pretty casual. Some doors stay locked. Their prey likely vanishing when they heard helicopters.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They hear the birds coming and they usually flee immediately.
WALSH: But as the Americans search a former weapons cache, they become the targets.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Where's it at?
WALSH: Clearly insurgents are keen to defend this building or at least attack the Americans as they get near it. The shots coming close fired from a distant tree line. The Afghans spring into life, firing a rocket and then move to flank the insurgents who keep taking pot shots.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They don't like me running. WALSH: Warning flares from attack aircraft massing above stop the gunfire. And distant figures, probably women and children, appear, meaning a counterattack is too risky and the fight over.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think the one in the white is a child, to be honest with you.
WALSH: But keen warriors make for poor police. Riding motorcycles is illegal and they have to decide on a punishment. Should they shoot the fuel tank? Perhaps not. They let the tires down and then deliver what is here a rare encounter with Afghanistan's government.
That night they leave, and the Taliban surely return, knowing that without American support the Afghan state's relevance here slips further into the distance. Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, Gosni Province, Afghanistan.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: A rare sight in North Korea, leader Kim Jong-Un making his first televised speech since taking over the country. Jong-Un spoke to troops in Pyongyang to mark the 100th anniversary of the birth of his grandfather who was North Korea's founder. He touched on a wide range of issues touting his nation's military might and vowing never to get his people starve.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KIM JONG UN, NORTH KOREAN LEADER (through translator): Our fellow citizens who are the best citizens in the world, who have overcome countless struggles and hardships, it is our party's firmest resolve not to let our citizens go hungry again.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: He also sent a warning to his enemies. North Korea's leader said the country's military was powerful and battle ready.
Live from New York, it's Mitt Romney? "Saturday Night Live" reportedly wants him as a guest. He said to be thinking it over. Should he do it? We'll run the question by our "Political Buzz" saw. That's coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Checking our "Top Stories" now.
The GSA videos and the excessive spending they seem to celebrate will go under the microscope today on Capitol Hill. Lawmakers will hold four separate hearings on the agency and the lavish convention it held in Las Vegas. That conference cost taxpayers more than $800,000.
Eleven Secret Service agents and officers are on leave and under investigation accused of hooking up with prostitutes at a hotel in Colombia where they were preparing security for the Summit of Americas. The President says he'll be angry if those allegations are proved true.
Clean-up under way after tornadoes ripped across much of the central part of the United States this weekend. The outbreak spun off more than 130 reports of twisters. Six people were killed, all in Woodward, Oklahoma. Ten states suffered damage.
"Political Buzz" is your rapid fire look at the best political topics of the day. Three questions, 30 seconds on the clock. Playing with us today: CNN contributors Maria Cardona and Will Cain. Maria is on the left. Cain is on the right. Will, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to call you by your last name.
WILL CAIN, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Me too.
COSTELLO: And Dean -- and Dean Obeidallah he has the levity today. He is the co-founder of the Arab-American Comedy Festival. Welcome to all of you.
DEAN OBEIDALLAH, CO-FOUNDER, ARAB-AMERICAN COMEDY FESTIVAL: Thanks.
MARIA CARDONA, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Thanks Carol.
CAIN: Thank you.
COSTELLO: Ok first question. Let's talk about these scandals. Just when the General Services Administration's $823,000 blowout in Vegas comes to light and goes before congressional panels, here comes news about Secret Service agents allegedly patronizing prostitutes in Colombia.
So what does this say about our government? Will?
CAIN: Well, it suggests we need to look at it with a much closer magnifying glass. I think that you know last week on "STARTING POINT" we actually interviewed a -- a reporter from "Roll Call" who's been covering the story from the very beginning. And he said, since he started covering the GSA story he's gotten e-mails from other people at other institutions inside the government saying, "Hey, you ought to check out this at this agency or this at this agency."
Suggesting that this could be a problem much larger than the GSA or -- or the Secret Service. So we ought to look very closely at an institution which has very little direct accountability to anything like a customer in the government.
COSTELLO: Maria?
CARDONA: Well, certainly the timing isn't great for the administration. But the President did say about the Secret Service issue that let's see where the investigation goes. And he is supporting a very rigorous and thorough investigation. And if it turns out that there was misconduct, then yes, there should be outrage and there should be people that are going to pay for that.
But the Secret Service is one of the less political agencies that exists in -- in the federal government. So I think this administration has a zero tolerance policy on anything that has to do with that kind of misconduct and that kind of waste of taxpayer money and I think that's what we'll see.
COSTELLO: Dean?
OBEIDALLAH: Carol, as a comedian, I must say the Secret Service sex scandal is amazing for us. Wait until tonight. The late night talk shows; "The Daily Show". They're going to be every nuance joke you can hear of. In fact, the Secret Service agent fighting -- not wanting to pay the prostitute $47 raises questions, what's $47 get you? Why is it not $45 or $50?
But let's be honest. There's over 2.6 million federal employees out there. The President can't be responsible for every single one. But it is a pattern of misconduct, they should, of course, investigate it. I don't think it's going to be a big deal but it's going to be great for us, the comedians.
COSTELLO: I think you're right, Dean. It is going to be great for comedians which is a sad thing, too.
OBEIDALLAH: Yes thank you.
COSTELLO: Speaking of the GSA probe, there are four, count them, four separate hearings on it. Four which is kind of ironic given that the whole issue here is government waste. Do we really need four hearings on this, Maria?
CARDONAL: I don't think so, Carol. Maybe they should go have these hearings in Las Vegas. I mean I think it undermines exactly what the Republicans are saying in terms of wanting the government to be as small as possible; wanting to get rid as much of the waste. And here they are calling for four hearings.
I think that this is something that can be very thoroughly investigated, which I think everyone agrees with on both sides of the aisle. We have to figure out what went wrong and make people accountable for that. But four hearings I think seems a little bit much.
COSTELLO: Will?
CAIN: I don't know if four is too much. I don't know. I do know that the government needs to be scrutinized. And I'm glad that Maria brings up the Secret Service and says it's actually one of the least political institutions because it's besides politics.
This is an internal debate often among conservatives. Is it possible to have efficient good government or is it simply you should go for small government because an efficient government that doesn't have these kind of problems we see at the GSA, the Secret Service, is really an impossibility.
I find myself in the latter camp. That you are asking for something that is inherently impossible in a massive bureaucracy. So just reduce its size.
COSTELLO: Dean?
OBEIDALLAH: You know, you have to look at this. In New Orleans in 2008 there was a GSA convention. They spent $600,000. And no one investigated that. And in fact, we say is four hearings too many? Senator Susan Collins actually called for a fifth hearing today.
For the average American, this waste of money is an outrage. And five hearings is just -- is ridiculous. This is why the approval rating of Congress is on the same level at E. coli. They have to be more efficient, of course we need more regulation to prevent this waste, our tax, it's our money we're wasting. It doesn't matter -- Democrat, Republican, Independent -- it's our money being wasted.
So they should stop it. Five hearings, though, four hearings? It's too many.
COSTELLO: Creative use of E. coli, though, Dean. Go.
OBEIDALLAH: Yes.
COSTELLO: Ok.
(CROSSTALK)
COSTELLO: I thought it was clever. I don't know. I'm sorry.
COSTELLO: It was. I liked it. It made me laugh.
OBEIDALLAH: Thank you.
CAIN: I like the arbitrariness of $47, I don't get that either, Dean, $45, $48?
OBEIDALLAH: Exactly.
COSTELLO: It is weird.
OBEIDALLAH: Thank you.
COSTELLO: Ok on to the third question, your "Buzzer Beater", 20 seconds on the clock. "Saturday Night Live's" Loren Michael supposedly offered Mitt Romney a chance to be a guest on "Saturday Night Live". Remember, Romney was pretty darn funny doing Letterman's top ten lists last year. Let's listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAVID LETTERMAN, TALK SHOW HOST: Number ten.
MITT ROMNEY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Isn't it time for a president who looks like a 1970s game show host?
LETTERMAN: Yes. Yes, it is. Number nine.
ROMNEY: What's up, gangstas. It's the -- it's the M-I double tizzle.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Oh gosh, that cracked me up. See he does has a sense of humor. But "Saturday Night Live" lampoons Romney pretty liberally. So should he accept the offer? Will?
CAIN: Yes. I think so. And I think that he could actually do pretty well. Remember, "Saturday Night Live" is a scripted skit show. It's not some kind of an ad lib stand-up routine that Dean or some of these guys are used to doing. And Mitt Romney is pretty good at being predictable and scripted. He could go in there and pull this off. I think Letterman kind of just illustrates that.
COSTELLO: Dean?
OBEIDALLAH: You know I worked at "Saturday Night Live" for seven years. And I think Romney would enjoy it. They'd put him in a dress like they did with Rudy Giuliani. He would show he has a sense of humor and maybe his musical act could be of Van Coy (ph) the flip- floppers, I never heard of them. But maybe you too, that makes some sense.
The problems with Romney, he'd go on the show. And if people don't like the show he would end up denouncing the show later. That's the only problem Romney but I think it's a good move. It makes people like you and they'll laughing at you, it really show self deprecating.
COSTELLO: I'm just trying to get that image of Romney in a dress out of my mind now. Thanks, Dean.
CARDONA: Yes thanks.
OBEIDALLAH: He should definitely do it.
COSTELLO: Maria?
CARDONA: Well, I think he definitely should, Carol. Because what he desperately needs to demonstrate is that he's actually human and that he has a real sense of humor and can be normal and not so awkward.
I agree with Will. "Saturday Night Live" is scripted. But it is not as short and to the point as the Letterman top ten is. So it will be more difficult for him. He's going to have to get training in regular Joe Speak. That's the issue.
COSTELLO: Maria, Dean, Will, thanks for playing today. Always fun.
CARDONA: Thanks Carol.
COSTELLO: She's the sister of the future queen. Her pictures usually cover the pages of magazines worldwide. Well now, Pippa is at the center of a criminal investigation. That story is just ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Comedian Sara Silverman joined the war on women -- the so-called "war of women" when she tweeted some before and after -- there's no gentle way to put this -- she tweeted some before and after fake abortion photos. Some people, well, they just didn't think that was funny. I wonder why?
"SHOWBIZ TONIGHT" host A.J. Hammer is live in New York. She sure pushed some buttons with these.
A.J. HAMMER, HLN HOST, "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT": Yes, dangerous territory here, Carol. I like Sara Silverman a lot. I think she really thought she was just being funny.
She posted her before picture on her Twitter page with the headline "it's a burrito". And she showed herself pushing her belly out. And then later the same day she posted the photo with her with a flat belly saying she had a quickie abortion in case Roe versus Wade is overturned.
And as you would expect, there was a huge response, some people calling it a sick hoax and saying Sara Silverman joined America' current war on women. And there have been people calling this a pro- choice picture.
And while I don't doubt that Sara is pro-choice I don't think she intended these pictures to be a political statement at all. I think she really thought it was funny that she ate big burrito for lunch and was a little full. The problem is, you joke about a hot button issue, Carol, you well know you can expect to hear a very serious and pointed response from a lot of people.
COSTELLO: Really? I read so many of those responding tweets. And everybody pretty much thought it was a political statement.
HAMMER: And maybe it was. It'll be interesting to see if Sara actually comes out and clarifies that. But it seems to be that she's going with the idea that she was just trying to be funny and it didn't go over so well with a lot of people.
COSTELLO: Yes. I wasn't laughing.
Tom Petty. His property was stolen. What happened?
HAMMER: Yes. He got robbed, Carol. Five of his guitars stolen from a sound stage. He and his band "The Heartbreakers" were rehearsing for their upcoming U.S. tour. But he is willing to pay you if you stole these guitars a $7,500 reward or if you know their whereabouts -- no questions asked.
He wants them back. It's a vintage 1967 Rickenbacker, a 1965 Gibson, another classic from 1967. Valuable guitars. Particularly on a personal level for Petty. He went on and Twitter feed on Friday asking for people's help saying, you know what; sometimes people make mistakes but we'd like these back.
Now, police in Culver City, California, are investigating the theft. But right now, Carol, for Tom Petty, the waiting is the hardest part. The band's tour is set to start Wednesday in Colorado -- I'm sorry I couldn't resist.
HAMMER: Yes.
COSTELLO: I'm heartbroken. A.J., thank you so much.
Want information on everything breaking in the entertainment world? A.J.'s got it tonight on "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT" 11:00 Eastern on HLN.
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COSTELLO: Time to hand out the pitchforks and torches. In just a few hours Congress will begin grilling the GSA and demanding answers on how the agency has been spending your money.
Outraged lawmakers already know some of the waste. The lavish convention in Las Vegas and the way its employees mocked its own inefficiencies in videos like this one.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think meetings are good to have in between breaks.
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COSTELLO: The GSA faces hearings from a number of committees this week. All are sure to be testy. Senior congressional correspondent Dana Bash has an exclusive look.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When we gavel the hearing, this will be a filled room instead of an empty room.
DANA BASH, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A sneak peek at the first congressional hearing on excessive spending at the GSA, the agency that's supposed to look out for taxpayer dollars, yet held a lavish 2010 conference awarding videos like this.
(on camera): What is your primary goal?
REP. DARRELL ISSA (R), CHAIRMAN, OVERSIGHT AND GOVERNMENT REFORM COMMITTEE: Our primary goal is to make sure this doesn't happen again. What often happens, is an IG does their job perhaps some people are held accountable but the culture doesn't change.
BASH (voice-over): The GSA inspector general briefed now former GSA administrator, Martha Johnson 11 months ago about over-the-top spending. House GOP chairman Darrell Issa wants to know why the administration sat on the information. ISSA: Let's remember that when you're a political appointee, you're there for two reasons. One is you have the confidence of the President to execute. The second is you're the eyes and ears of the President through the process. We want to know where that process failed.
BASH: Issa invited us from the public hearing room --
ISSA: You ought to see some people that don't get overtime.
BASH: -- to the committee's private offices for an exclusive look at weekend prep.
ISSA: These are just some of the men and women that are working on a Sunday.
BASH: Issa's aides praised the GSA inspector general.
ISSA: This is a very efficient investigation by comparison to the ones in which the administration is fighting us.
BASH: But why not question past administrations? Excess GSA spending in the Bush years? Issa insisted he'll get to that, but for now --
ISSA: Remember, this President ran saying he was going to make changes. The question is was he well served by his political appointees when they were ordered to go in and make these cultural changes? And if they didn't make it, is it because they didn't listen to the President or because he didn't really mean it?
BASH: Yet for all its criticism of the Obama administration, why did Issa, who took over the powerful oversight committee vowing to expose government waste, rely on the inspector general to find it?
(on camera): Were you asleep at the switch here?
ISSA: Well, we're never feeling like we're doing enough. We have 120 people between the majority and minority on this committee. The IG is 12,000 people.
BASH (voice-over): And they found more GSA excess. Issa showed us a commemorative coin from that Las Vegas conference.
ISSA: $6,300 on about 300 of these in velvet boxes.
BASH (on camera): Taxpayer dollars.
ISSA: Taxpayer dollars.
BASH (voice-over): And a souvenir book.
ISSA: Just to have something to remember it by.
BASH (on camera): And it was $8,000?
ISSA: $8,000.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: Dana Bash joins us now live. Dana, the administration has taken this seriously. Eight GSA officials have been reprimanded. Some have been fired, right?
BASH: That's right. In fact, one of those, the main GSA official who has been fired is going to be here at this hearing in about 2 1/2 hours. We're here in the hearing room right now. This is where the witnesses are going to be.
The person I was just talking about is, of course, Martha Johnson. She was the GSA administrator until about two weeks ago. She will come as well as David Foley, one of the men who were featured in those videos. And Jeff Neely -- Jeff Neely, we're told, though, he was the one who organized that conference.
We're told that he is going to plead the fifth. That's what they expect. I was told that we also expect the committee to dismiss him afterwards.
But Carol, I have to share this with you because to me this is so ironic and really speaks to the head shaking that is going on about Washington.
Jeff Neely, as I said, was put on administrative leave. He is coming in here. The GSA is flying him across the country from California here in order to testify on a hearing about excess spending? And he's going to come and likely plead the fifth.
COSTELLO: Haven't they heard his video conferences? Oh, Dana. It makes your head hurt.
BASH: It does.
COSTELLO: Dana bash, thank you so.
BASH: Thanks, Carol.
COSTELLO: Prince William's sister-in-law, Pippa, gets caught up in a gun investigation. Now Paris police might want to talk to Pippa Middleton and that conversation could lead to criminal charges.
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COSTELLO: Pippa Middleton stunned the world as the beautiful sister of the woman, who married Prince William. Remember this, the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton? Well, stun has turned to shock after reports the future queen's younger sister was photographed in a car while the driver pointed a pistol in public.
CNN's Matthew Chance in London with more on this story. Good morning.
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol. It's a story that's causing some shock waves here in London, at least, although we understand the French police aren't going too big on it.
But here it is, the images that have appeared in the mass circulation "Sun" newspaper with the headline "Smirking Gun" showing these images of Pippa Middleton, the sister of Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge, who's in this open top car with a bunch of pals in the middle of the French capital. One of them seen waving a pistol at a paparazzi photographer who's clearly following them. Possibly annoying them as well.
A remarkably insensitive thing to do. Particularly in a country which has had so many horrific gun crimes. Particularly last month when at least four children were killed by gunmen. Police in France are vowing to crackdown on gun crimes. Also a presidential election going to be held this weekend so the country's on high alert.
The possibility is, Carol, that Pippa along with the driver of that car wielding the gun could face prosecution and criminal charges.
COSTELLO: I'm sure you'll stay on top of this. Matthew Chance reporting live from London for us this morning.
We asked you to "Talk Back" on a big story of the day. The question for you this morning, "Should candidates return donations from controversial donors?" Your responses, they're coming up next.
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COSTELLO: Today's "Daily Dose". New concerns about screening for ovarian cancer. The U.S. Preventative Services Task Force now says routine screening may not be best because the test could be harmful to patients and there's a risk of getting a false positive. For women at high risk of the disease, routine screening is still recommended. But some doctors say new ways of testing for the disease are needed.
We asked you to "Talk Back" on one of the big stories of the day. The "Talk Back" question for you this morning: "Should candidates return donations from controversial donors."
This from Diana. "Controversial comments by donors are not unnecessarily untruthful. We have donated to political campaigns and you wouldn't want to know the comments and views expressed around our dinner table."
This from Flavio. "Bill Maher can say whatever he wants. He's a comedian. His show is on HBO. Enough said. Comedians mock and comment about everyone. So what's the big deal now?"
This from David. "I have a suggestion for the GOP. Just show nasty, sexist quotes from Bill Maher and say this is the mind set of many in the Democratic Party. But the GOP is just not that smart.
And is this the last one we have here? Ok. Last one. "Controversial comments by donors are not necessarily untruthful. We have donated to political campaigns and you wouldn't want to know that -- I read that one already. I knew it sounded familiar."
Anyway, please keep the conversation going. Facebook.com/CarolCNN. Lots of comments there, Facebook.com/CarolCNN. Thanks as always for your comments.
"CNN NEWSROOM" continues right now with Kyra Phillips.
