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San Diego Mayor Has New Group Of Accusers; US Airways Flight Lands In Philly After Mid-Air Bomb Threat; Oprah Takes On First Movie Role In 15 Years

Aired August 07, 2013 - 15:30   ET

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

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MORGAN ROSE, ACCUSED FILNER OF HARASSMENT:What we now know from the stories of the other women, it wouldn't have been on my mouth. It would have been more likely in my mouth.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROOKE BALDWIN, ANCHOR, "CNN NEWSROOM": Some of the women and their accusations.

Today, the number has grown to 13. Filner has a new group of accusers, one of them you just heard from, military veterans.

And if that wasn't shocking enough, in this cruel twist, they say he preyed upon them after learning they were sexually abused in the service.

CNN's Kyung Lah has these exclusive details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (via telephone): Hi, it's your newly favorite congressman, Bob Filner, you know, the one that fell in love with you at your last speech.

MASTER SERGEANT ELDONNA LEWIS FERNANDEZ, U.S. AIR FORCE (RETIRED): Yeah, it was kind of creepy.

KYUNG LAH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The voice sounded like then Congressman Bob Filner. ElDonna Lewis Fernandez met him a year ago at a women's veterans event.

But the problem for Fernandez isn't just the voice mail. It's how Filner made advances and to whom.

FERNANDEZ: We totally felt like we could trust him because he was -- he's always fighting for our cause.

LAH: Fernandez is a retired U.S. Air Force master sergeant and says she was raped three times while in the military.

Gerri Tindley was in the Army and says she also was raped. They and as many as six other veterans say Filner met them at San Diego support groups for military sexual assault victims and made unwanted advances, from verbal passes to groping.

FERNANDEZ: We're all victims of military sexual assault, and it appears to me that he was targeting this organization and hitting on the women in this organization because they were easy prey.

So he's part of an organization that's against sexual assault and sexual violence towards women and sexual harassment, but he's doing the very thing that we are fighting to make stop in our service and in our country.

LAH: Do you feel he was using his power to pray on the women of this organization?

FERNANDEZ: I do. I do. He didn't have our backs. He was looking at our backs.

GERRI TINDLEY, ARMY VETERAN: He had our fronts.

It's wrong. Why would you come here with us and do what you did? Why? Is it a turn on?

LAH: The 70-year-old congressman served as chairman of the House veterans affairs committee.

Now less than a year after being elected San Diego's mayor, he has checked himself into a two-week treatment program to deal with his behavior.

His chief of staff would not speak to us about these latest allegations.

Will you come back out and chat with me?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'll do my best. I'll let you know one way or the other.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BALDWIN: That was Kyung Lah reporting. She never came back out. Filner's lawyer also had no comment.

Please watch more of Kyung's reporting tonight on "ERIN BURNETT OUTFRONT," 7:00 Eastern, only here on CNN.

The "Queen of Talk" making a return to acting after 15 years, Oprah Winfrey sits down with CNN.

We're talking everything from race relations in the U.S. to running her own network. Don't miss this interview with Nischelle Turner.

Also just in, we are hearing about a bomb threat, how a bomb threat was made involving this US Airways flight that landed in Philly just a short time ago. More on that, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: We have an update for you on this plane here that landed from Ireland in Philadelphia just about an hour and a half ago.

We told you some sort of threat was called in, apparently to the FAA, while this thing was in the air.

Here's what we now know. This is from Susan Candiotti's sources, the chief inspector Philadelphia police. We know that a phone threat was made, being described as, quote, unquote, an "explosive threat" that the plane would blow up.

The single call was made when the flight was just about an hour outside of Philadelphia. That was the final destination for the aircraft.

The plane, as you can see, landed safely. All 171 passengers plus the eight crew members are now off the plane. The passengers have been taken to a terminal.

Carry-on bags have been checked. They've been cleared. The checked luggage is now just about done being rechecked.

All passengers are being questioned by the FBI. This is in Terminal A of the airport, Terminal A East.

And, as they are cleared, they will be free to go. This is what we've hearing as far as this threat that was called to in the FAA from the US Air flight 777, according to a government official.

And now to Oprah. Oprah is talking about her very first movie role in 15 years. She plays the wife of "The Butler," an African-American man who served seven presidents.

Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OPRAH WINFREY, ACTRESS, "THE BUTLER": I don't know how many stories you're going to hear because they done swore him to some kind of secret code.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Oprah sat down for a one-on-one with CNN entertainment correspondent Nischelle Turner and explained how film director Lee Daniels convinced her to take on this challenging role.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WINFREY: I was going through Building OWN and thank goodness we were on the other side. At least headed in the right direction for that. And I said to Lee, this is the absolute worst time you could ask me to do anything, Lee. And, you know, he just would not take no for an answer.

I think that one of the reasons why there's so much still lingering prejudice and racism is because we don't get to see people as ourselves.

And so this was an opportunity, I thought, to let the world feel the heart of "The Butler," the heart of this period that really was a defining period in the lives of many black people, but also our nation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Well, our correspondent who's sitting across from the Oprah Winfrey, Nischelle Turner, I bet you were pinching yourself sitting across from her. I mean, obviously, the role seems to mean a lot for her.

NISCHELLE TURNER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, it definitely does, Brooke.

One of the things she said to me that was so profound, she quoted from a Maya Angelou poem called "Our Grandmothers," and she said one of the lines in that poem was "I enter as one, but I stand as ten thousand."

And that's kind of what this role meant to her because she said her mother was a maid. Her grandmother was a maid. Her great-grandmother was a slave.

So she comes from a long line of domestics, and she says she stands on their shoulders. So she wanted to do something that celebrated their legacy.

But, you know, it still took a lot of persistence from director Lee Daniels to get her to say yes to this role. But, ultimately, she says, look, it was the message of the film that convinced her.

And she told me that she hopes this film, Lee Daniels' "The Butler," helps keep the conversations about race, about race relations and the valuation of life, all those conversations that we're having today, she hopes that this film keeps those going.

BALDWIN: What did she say in terms of present day, in terms of racial issues that clearly still plague our society in 2013?

TURNER: You know, it was interesting. I put the question right to her. Does Oprah Winfrey still experience racism?

And you know, not even Oprah, who's changed the face of television, she's created her own network, she's running an empire, apparently is immune to racism.

She says she does experience it in a different way. Just kind of look what she told me. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WINFREY: Nobody's going to call up -- come up to me and call me the "N"-word unless they're on Twitter and I can't find them, the Twitter thugs, so I've learned to leave the Twitter thugs alone unless it's something ridiculous. Nobody's going to do it.

But I experience racism in ways that you experience when you have reached a level where people can't call you to your face. I experience it through people's expectations and lack thereof.

I use it to my advantage. It's a wonderful thing when people count you out because they think you can't do something. It's a wonderful thing.

I always say this. There's a poem by Maya Angelou called "Our Grandmothers." There's a line in there that says, "When I walk into the room, I come as one, but I stand as 10,000."

So when I walk into the room and I'm the only one standing in there, I'm the only one, doesn't bother me a bit.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TURNER: You know, the interesting thing, Brooke, she was talking about that poem, I was saying, this is something I don't know if it made me naive or makes me optimistic.

I didn't expect her to say she still experienced racism. I wanted her to say she's past that.

BALDWIN: The Twitter thugs, she says.

TURNER: Oh, the Twitter thugs.

BALDWIN: Nischelle Turner with the Oprah Winfrey, thank you for sharing, my friend. Appreciate it.

TURNER: Sure.

BALDWIN: Coming up, 425 million reasons to stick around, the Powerball jackpot is climbing, the drawing hours away.

One state has sold by far the most winning tickets. We reveal that state, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: All right. Let's take you straight to California. As has been anticipated, here he is, the president of the United States speaking to a huge crowd of U.S. Marines at Camp Pendleton.

(LIVE SPEECH COVERAGE - JOINED IN PROGRESS)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I want to thank all of your commanders for welcoming me today, including General Coglianese and General Busby.

And I want to recognize your incredible staff, noncommissioned officers, including Sergeant Majors Ronald Green (ph), Scott Helms (ph) and David Joe (ph).

I want to salute Debbie Nichols (ph) and all the spouses and military families who are here because we understand they're the force behind the force, just like Michelle is the force behind me.

I want everyone to give a big round of applause to the amazing families who serve along with you.

And I want to acknowledge members of congress who are here, including Susan Davis, Darrell Issa and Dana Rohrabacher.

Now, I've got to tell you the truth. I've been looking forward to this visit because -- this is a little tricky to say this, but my family and I, we've got a special place in our hearts for the Marine Corps.

Now, part of it is because every day at the White House, we're surrounded by Marines. In fact, we probably got some folks here who were at the White House who are now here at Camp Pendleton.

See? I figured as much.

And then, of course, every time I need to -- kind of a hop, skip and a jump somewhere, every time I get on Marine One, I rely on some of the best aviators in the world.

I've seen your honor, I've seen your courage, I've seen your commitment, whether in protecting our diplomatic posts around the world or preparing to deploy to Iraq or Afghanistan or recovering from wounds received in battle.

You know, a few years ago, you gave a great Camp Pendleton welcome to my wife, Michelle, and I know it's not as exciting when I come to visit, but she says hi.

I guess I'm kind of like that army general who once said, the more Marines I have around, the better I like it.

I'm here because for more than a decade, you and all our men and women in uniform have borne the burden in this time of war. Ever since that awful September morning when our nation was attacked when thousands of innocent Americans were killed, we've been at war against al Qaeda, and our fight in Afghanistan nearly 12 years has become America's longest war.

I'm here because we recently marked another milestone in this war. As of this past June, for the first time, Afghan forces have taken the lead for security across their entire country.

Instead of leading the fight, our troops now have a different mission, which is to train and advise and assist Afghan forces. And what that signals is, that our war in Afghanistan has entered the final chapter. More of our troops are coming home. We'll be down to 34,000 this winter. By the end of next year, in just 17 months, the transition will be complete, Afghans will take full responsibility for their security, and our war in Afghanistan will be over.

None of this progress would have been possible had it not been for you. We thank all who have served there, especially our Camp Pendleton Marines.

After our nation was attacked, you were some of the very first conventional forces in Afghanistan, racing in, hundreds of miles by helicopter, toppling that regime and driving al Qaeda from its camps.

Then when the fight shifted to Iraq, you were there, racing towards Baghdad, deposing a dictator, and through years of combat, in Tikrit and Fallujah and Ramadi. Your courage added to the glories of the Marines long and illustrious history.

When we refocused on Afghanistan, you led the way again, surging into Helmand, pushing the Taliban out of its strongholds like Marjah and Nazyan (ph) and Sangar (ph).

And when future generations study those fights, they will stand in awe of the unparalleled sacrifice of the 3rd Battalion 5th Marines, our "Darkhorse" Marines.

Today we hold close the memory of all who have made the ultimate sacrifice and these years of war. That includes 326 fallen heroes from Camp Pendleton.

We honor all of them, every single one, and we stand with their families, like the Gold Star families that I had an opportunity to meet with before I came out here. We are grateful to them.

We are grateful for their sacrifices. They have given a piece of their heart to America, and America will always honor the sacrifice.

I know some of you recently returned from Afghanistan. On behalf of a grateful nation, welcome home. We send our prayers to all those who at this very moment are still in harm's way, including your Regimental Combat Team 7, which is coming home this month.

I know some of you are getting ready to deploy in the months to come. This is still a hard fight. Our Afghan partners have stepped up. They're bearing a bigger brunt of the firepower, taking on a lot more casualties. They are in the lead, but it's still tough, and we're still needed.

And here's what I want every single one of you to know -- because of you, the 9/11 generation, we are accomplishing what we set out to do. Because of you, Osama bin laden is no more.

Because of you, al Qaeda's top ranks have been hammered. The core of al Qaeda in Afghanistan and Pakistan is on the way to defeat. That happened because of you. Because of you, more Afghans are re-claiming their communities, their markets, their schools, their towns. They have a chance to forge their own future. Because of you, more Afghans are trained in stepping up and defending their own country.

Because of you and to preserve the gains you fought and bled for, we are going to make sure that Afghanistan is never again a source of attacks against our country. That happened because of you.

So the war in Afghanistan will end. For you that means fewer deployments, more training time, preparing for the future, getting back to what Marines do better than anybody else on earth, amphibious operations. It means more time here on the home front with your families, your wives, your husbands, your kids.

But, of course, the end of the war in Afghanistan doesn't mean the end of threats to our nation. As I've said before, even as we decimated the al Qaeda leadership that attacked us on 9/11, al Qaeda affiliates and likeminded extremists still threaten our homeland, still threaten our diplomatic facilities, still threaten our businesses abroad.

We've got to take these threats seriously, and do all we can to confront them. We've been reminded of this again in recent days, so I want to take a special time-out to salute all our brave diplomats and tireless intelligence and military personnel who have been working around the clock to safeguard our embassies and consulates and fellow Americans serving overseas, including all those vigilant Marines standing guard at our embassies around the world. They're doing an outstanding job.

(END LIVE SPEECH COVERAGE)

BALDWIN: President Obama saying because of you, Camp Pendleton, because of you, U.S. Marines, Americans really stand in awe, talking about the 9/11 generation, taking out Osama bin laden, taking out the top ranks of al Qaeda.

We'll hear a bit more from the president after a quick break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: And as promised, back to the president.

(BEGIN LIVE SPEECH COVERAGE - IN PROGRESS)

OBAMA: ... to do that, we're going to need some help out of Washington.

Congress couldn't agree on a plan to reduce the deficit in what I consider a sensible way, so instead what we've got is these big across-the-board cuts called the sequester.

Sequester kicked in. It includes defense, and we're already starting to see the effects. If you're in Pendleton, you're feeling it. Hard- working folks are getting furloughed.

Families are getting by on less, fewer shifts for your training exercises. Commissary your families rely on are closed a day a week.

We can do better than that. That's not how a great nation should be treating its military and military families.

By the way, cuts in other non-defense areas of the budget affect our troops and military families as well. Our military, part of what makes us best is we've got extraordinary recruits, but if we want the best qualified recruits, we shouldn't be cutting investments in education.

We should be increasing our investment in education. Our wounded warriors, our veterans depend on new technology for the recovery in their health care, so we shouldn't be slashes investments in science and medical research. We should continue to be the world leader in science and research.

So that's why I'm going to keep on working to get rid of this sequester. You get up and do your jobs every day. Let's make sure Washington gets up and does its job, you know, and what makes me ...

(END LIVE SPEECH COVERAGE)

BALDWIN: We've got to pull away because this does it for me here at the CNN World Headquarters in Atlanta.

If you would like to continue watching the president, you can do so. Just go on to our home page, CNN.com where we are streaming this entire address live for you as the president continues to speak here and is beginning to get political here in the speech to troops at Camp Pendleton in Southern California.

That does it for me. I'm Brooke Baldwin. Thank you so very much for watching. We'll see you back here tomorrow.

In the meantime, we go to Washington because "THE LEAD" with Jake Tapper starts right now.