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Campbell Brown
Rod Blagojevich Impeached; Disabled Veteran, an Advocate or Opportunist?; Family Wants Answers in Son's Deadly Shooting in New Orleans; Palin Unplugged, Complains About Press
Aired January 09, 2009 - 20:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAMPBELL BROWN, CNN ANCHOR: Hi there, everybody.
He has just been impeached. Tonight, Rod Blagojevich is fighting back and once again is weapon of choice is poetry. I will explain.
Bullet point number one: To hear the Illinois governor talk, you would think his arrest for allegedly trying to sell Barack Obama's Senate seat never happened. He put on some stunning political theater today, complete with a supporting cast of constituents, as he accused the Illinois House of Representatives of being on a witch-hunt for years.
He saved the best for last, a quote from Alfred Lord Tennyson.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. ROD BLAGOJEVICH (D), ILLINOIS: Though we not now the strength which, in old days, move earth and heaven, that which we are, we are.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: You have got to hear the rest. And you will, coming up shortly.
Bullet point number two tonight: a disturbing mystery down in New Orleans. Police shoot and kill a man whose only crime may have been sitting in a car. He was hit 14 times, according to his family's attorneys, who claimed that cops fired 48 rounds at the young man. The FBI is getting involved in this one. We will have more detail for you.
Bullet point number three tonight: In a wheelchair and with a digital camera, he is a one-man crusader. That is the way to describe him. Is Thomas Mundy looking for the rights -- looking out, rather, for the rights of other disabled Americans, or is he just cashing in big from honest mistakes made by small businesses? We're going to talk to him tonight.
And bullet point number four: There's no pleasing Sarah Palin, apparently, at least if you're a journalist. The former vice presidential nominee says the press twisted her words during the campaign. Then she did a documentary to set the record straight. And now she's complaining about the documentary. There's a big chill up north. We're going to take a look and a listen to what she had to say coming up a little later. First, though, "Cutting Through The Bull" -- the question tonight, why isn't Bernie Madoff in jail? Tonight, the fund manager behind what he himself described as a $50 billion Ponzi scheme is still hanging out in his $7 million apartment wearing an ankle bracelet.
Federal prosecutors this week went to court in the hopes of getting his bail revoked. That's because he sent members of his family about a million dollars in jewelry over the holidays, allegedly stashing the valuables that otherwise might have been confiscated.
A New York judge is now deciding whether because of that he should now be locked up. Every day, it seems there's been a new story about Madoff victims, a new story about a charity or a nonprofit wiped out because of the fraud he's confessed to.
Letting him serve his time at home for this long has been bad enough. To let him live in his luxury digs while he awaits trial would be a real disgrace. Here's to hoping the courts get it right and put Madoff behind bar, where he belongs.
And now for the very latest news and even a little poetry from the alternate universe inhabited by Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich. This morning, the Illinois House voted 114-1 to impeach the governor on 13 separate counts, including allegedly trying to sell Barack Obama's vacant Senate seat.
In Chicago, Blagojevich went jogging this morning, as if he didn't have a care in the world. Then, he held an afternoon news conference. And that is where the real universe and the governor's alternate universe collided head on.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BLAGOJEVICH: In my view, those of us who make the rules ought to be able to follow a simple lesson that I was taught to believe in, in Sunday school called the golden rule: that you should do unto others as you would have others do unto you.
So the House's action today and the causes of the impeachment are because I have done things to fight for families who are with me here today.
So we're going to move forward. And I'm going to continue to fight every step of the way.
Let me reassert to all of you, once more, that I am not guilty of any criminal wrongdoing. That issue will be dealt with on a separate course, in an appropriate forum, a federal court. And I'm confident that, at the end of the day, I will be properly exonerated.
We're joined here today...
(CROSSTALK)
BLAGOJEVICH: I will be happy to talk to you. We're joined here by several families who've benefited by some of the programs and some of the initiatives, because I wouldn't take no for an answer from a House that was designed to block everything that could help people for whatever their motivations.
Omar Castillo is a young man who was on the All Kids program. He was 17, 18 years old. And then it was discovered that he had a rare liver disease -- kidney disease. And as a result of that, his life was in peril unless he can have a surgery and get a kidney that his brother was going to provide for him -- his loving brother was going to provide for him. But he couldn't get the surgery that would save his life because his parents didn't have health insurance, and he was no longer 18, he was 19, and he wasn't eligible for the All Kids program.
We intervened and acted in a way, with legal advice, around the legislature. Omar Castillo got that surgery. He got his liver. He's now alive and well and he's going to live a long and full and happy life.
Is that an impeachable offense?
And so I will leave you with this poem by Tennyson, which goes like this.
"Though we are not now the strength which in old days moved Earth and Heaven, that which we are, we are. One equal temper, of heroic hearts, made weak by time and by fate, but strong in will, to strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield."
Thank you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: And that is what you call chutzpah.
Joining me now, two members of the best political team in television, CNN political analyst Roland Martin and CNN senior legal analyst and political analyst as well Jeffrey Toobin.
So, guys, Roland, another jaw-dropping performance by the still- governor of Illinois, clearly trying to rally public support. Is it working?
ROLAND MARTIN, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Are you kidding me?
(LAUGHTER)
MARTIN: Campbell, I sat in my hotel room in Washington, D.C., and said, besides being sick, this is the most -- the -- hilarious press conference I have ever seen. He's sitting and quoting poetry. He's talking about health care, has nothing to do with any of the reasons why he was impeached today.
I will say this here. If you want to have a fight, call, pay Rod Blagojevich, because he clearly loves this theater. He loves it.
JEFFREY TOOBIN, CNN SENIOR ANALYST: But there was something missing at the press conference.
BROWN: What? What? I thought it was perfect.
TOOBIN: No, no, one of the accusations against him is that he wouldn't give $8 million to a children's hospital unless he got $50,000 in campaign contributions.
BROWN: No, you're right. You're absolutely right.
TOOBIN: How come there weren't some patients from the children's hospital there, instead of the poor people he brought out there as props?
What about kids who were sick, but not getting money because Blagojevich hadn't gotten his $50,000, according to the accusation? I mean, parallel universe, alternate universe, as you said, but the good news for him is he got one out of 115 votes in the state legislature, so maybe things are turning around for him.
The guy is so out of...
(CROSSTALK)
BROWN: Roland, do you see any way that he stays in office when this investigation is over? I mean, he's beaten expectations so far.
MARTIN: Well, first of all, obviously, the standard is going to be a lot higher in terms of impeaching -- I'm sorry -- in terms of convicting him in the Senate.
And so his attorney is going to have a role in this in terms of trying to derail it. I think the bottom line is the Senate is going to get the two-thirds. They're going to simply throw him out of office. And all of a sudden, it's now going to go to the U.S. attorney.
And so I just don't see how he stops it. But you know what? By the time we do it, we probably will all be reciting poetry and...
(CROSSTALK)
(LAUGHTER)
MARTIN: ... probably be selling a heck of a lot of poetry brooks.
TOOBIN: I think that I shall never see a poem as lovely as a tree.
(LAUGHTER)
TOOBIN: I don't know. I just wanted to say that, because it made about as much sense as what he said today.
(CROSSTALK)
BROWN: In all seriousness, I was gesturing for you to get your mike, because it was screwed up. But I think it's working now.
(CROSSTALK)
TOOBIN: Not functioning properly? Oh, there we go. OK.
BROWN: So, in all seriousness, how do you think this plays out?
TOOBIN: I think he gets -- he has not been impeached. He's going to get convicted. When you lose 114-1, it's pretty clear you're not going to get two-thirds -- he's going to get two-thirds against him in the state Senate. I think it's over for him as governor.
And the only question now is what happens in the criminal case against him.
Does this have any bearing do you think on Burris and what happens now?
BROWN: And, quickly, does this have any bearing, do you think, on Burris and what happens now?
MARTIN: Actually, it does, because what's going to happen is, if they quickly convict him and throw him out, the question then becomes, if the lieutenant governor becomes governor, can he rescind the nomination?
Jesse White, in a development, the secretary of state, he has signed the certificate. And, so, if he had not signed it, the lieutenant governor could have said it didn't full go through. And so he might be in some limbo if the Senate has not approved him.
TOOBIN: I think Roland and I are going to switch places now.
I think it's done with Burris.
(LAUGHTER)
TOOBIN: I think Burris is in. The Democrats in the Senate don't want to mess him with this anymore. Let him be the 100th most senior member, and forget about him.
I don't think, even if Blagojevich is out...
(CROSSTALK)
MARTIN: Well, no, Jeffrey, I agree. I think Burris is in.
What I'm saying is, if he is not in the Senate by the time they do convict him, there could be an issue if they choose not to appoint Burris with a new governor. It could happen.
(CROSSTALK)
BROWN: All right, guys, stand by. We have got more to talk about with both of you coming up.
When we come back, a second look at the massive Wall Street bailout. We're going to tell you how president-elect Obama may try to divert the raging river of tax money going downstream.
Plus, what Obama did today to try to turn his recession fighting plan from words now into action.
And, then, a little bit later, Sarah Palin's latest interview, it is posted all over the Web, her words for anybody to hear. So, why is she so outraged at the coverage it's getting? A NO BIAS, NO BULL look -- just ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BROWN: Just about everybody held their nose when the $700 billion Wall Street bailout was approved by Congress.
Well, now, three months later, government regulators still can't answer a very simple question: Where has our money gone? Just today, a congressional oversight panel issued a damning report raising questions about the lack of accountability. And now the incoming administration is considering some pretty big changes here.
Senior correspondent Joe Johns has been looking into all of this for us.
Joe, what's the latest?
JOE JOHNS, CNN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT: Campbell, the TARP, that $700 billion pot of money that was supposed to save the money -- it's actually called the Troubled Asset Relief Fund -- they have spent almost half of it. It was supposed to stabilize markets, slow down foreclosures, and protect taxpayers.
But the watchdogs are now saying, there's a problem here with accountability and transparency. In other words, they're still having a real hard time figuring out where the first $350 billion of the program actually went.
We do know it went into financial institutions, but what happened then? Follow the money, right?
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ELIZABETH WARREN, HARVARD PROFESSOR: The money has gone into the banks. That much, we can track. And what the banks have done with it, whether they have lent it to individuals and small businesses, whether they have used it to buy other banks, whether they have used it to buy assets overseas, or whether they have stuffed it in the vaults, and locked the doors, no one knows.
But let's be clear. No one asked them. Treasury did not say, tell us what you're going to use with the money -- what you're going to do with the money. Tell us how you used it. That just hasn't happened. There's no basic accountability in the system.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JOHNS: That's Elizabeth Warren, the Harvard professor who's been tasked with running the panel that is doing the oversight.
And what she does base all this, she says, on? You be the judge. The report that came out today listed 44 questions that her congressional oversight panel has asked about the money. And, of those 44 questions, the panel says the Treasury Department failed to answer 25 of them.
That's right. They didn't answer more than half. If it was a test, they might have flunked it. And we're not talking about stumper questions either. Here we go.
The panel asked, what is the Treasury Department's vision of the problem? No response. What does the Treasury Department think the central causes of the financial crisis are? No response. Why has the Treasury not required financial institutions to engage in specific mortgage foreclosure plans as a condition of receiving taxpayer funds, fancy way of saying, why aren't you guys forcing the banks to fix the foreclosure problem? No response.
Have the companies used the funds the way Treasury intended when it disbursed them? No response.
We reached out to the Treasury Department today about this and they say they did answer all the questions they were asked and that their responses were contained in a 14-page letter they sent to the congressional panel. The panel says a lot of the Treasury's answers were incomplete or unresponsive.
BROWN: Pretty unbelievable.
JOHNS: Yes. It's amazing.
(CROSSTALK)
JOHNS: But it depends on who you talk to. There's always more.
BROWN: All right, we will see.
Yes, more oversight to come, hopefully, for sure.
Joe Johns for us tonight -- Joe, thanks.
Speaking of Wall Street, as Joe was just talking about all this, CNN and "Fortune" magazine, we should mention, have joined forces for a special investigation into Bernie Madoff, who we mentioned at the top of the show, the alleged mastermind, of course, of that $50 billion Ponzi scheme.
Listen to the pretty scathing words one woman uses, blaming Madoff for losing her life savings.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ALEXANDRA PENNEY, MADOFF INVESTOR: I really wouldn't want to talk to him. I don't even want to see the man. I don't even watch him on television. CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: He's that repulsive to you?
PENNEY: Yes. Repulsive is mild. Loathsome. It's a visceral feeling of -- this is not humanity. This is not a human being. This is, I guess, a sociopath.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: That woman is Alexandra Penney, and she is not alone in her rage. Don't miss our special, "Madoff: Secrets of a Scandal," Saturday and Sunday at 8:00 p.m. Eastern right here on CNN.
On top of the $700 billion financial bailout package, president-elect Obama wants Congress to spend nearly $800 billion more -- $800 billion more on his economic stimulus plan. Where is all the money going to come from?
And then a little bit later, a guy you have got to meet. He's making big bucks just rolling his wheelchair into shops and restaurants.
And as Washington prepares for the inauguration, the A-list of who is coming just keeps growing. Stay with us for the very latest on the stars who will come out for Barack Obama's historic day.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA (D-IL), PRESIDENT-ELECT: This is not an intellectual exercise. And there's no pride of authorship. If members of Congress have good ideas, if they can identify a project for me that will create jobs in an efficient way, that does not hamper our ability to, over the long term, get control of our deficit, that is good for the economy, then I'm going accept it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: Barack Obama welcoming any and all ideas as he promotes his plan to jump-start the economy. And pay attention, Obama choosing his words very carefully.
According to Bloomberg News, the president-elect's team has been testing his sales pitch in front of focus groups. That's why we're likely to hear the word recovery now, instead of recession, and investment, instead of infrastructure.
Senior political correspondent Candy Crowley in Washington with more on the selling now of the Obama plan.
And, Candy, he's really got two audiences here. Let's start with sort of the broader sales pitch I guess we're going to hear that's aimed at everybody outside of Washington.
CANDY CROWLEY, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Right. And what you're hearing from Barack Obama is words like dire. Today, within the course of two minutes, talking about the jobless figures out today, the 524,000 people who lost their jobs just in December, when he was talking about that, over the course of two minutes, five times, he used the words urgent, speedy, talking to the American people about the need to do this quickly, lest worse things happen.
So, that is a part of his pitch to the public, because, of course, the public siding with Barack Obama at this point is what pressures Congress.
BROWN: And I guess the tougher crowd could be Congress, could be lawmakers on the Hill. Lots of resistance, I think, from both parties, right?
CROWLEY: There is.
But there's sort of this general agreement that, A, it's urgent, and, B, that the three things Barack Obama wants to do, tax cuts, investment in infrastructure, which, of course, is bridges, roads, federal buildings, that sort of thing, and aid to the states, everybody sort of agrees on those three pillars.
It's kind of the mix, because Democrats worry that the tax cuts really won't create jobs, which is the most important thing. And Republicans look at it and see that price tag and go, you know, $775 billion is a lot of money.
So, there's some room to go, but there is a general agreement. And when they have that, they usually can get the nitty-gritty worked out.
BROWN: All right, Candy Crowley for us tonight -- Candy, thanks.
Hard to believe of course all this happening even before Obama has been sworn in. So much for the honeymoon, money.
We're going to bring back Jeff Toobin, Roland Martin, and joining us from Washington also, Republican strategist Kevin Madden.
Kevin, Obama's given basically one big speech on this. He's barely really had to chance to tell us what he wants to do, what this plan is really going to look like. And already, if you looked a lot of the headlines, "Politico" this morning, oh, bummer, you know, honeymoon's over.
Are critics jumping on him too quickly? Is Candy right, that ultimately this is all going to get resolved?
KEVIN MADDEN, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: Well, I think this was an inevitability. The idea that a honeymoon was going to last anywhere past January 20 I think was probably foolhardy. And I don't think that the Obama campaign -- I'm sorry -- the Obama president -- the Obama team -- you see, it's hard for us to get out of the campaign mode.
(LAUGHTER)
MADDEN: The Obama team, I think, is very cognizant of that, that come January 21, that they have a very hard job ahead of them, and that they're going to have to work with Congress on probably what is going to be one of the biggest sell jobs over the next four to six weeks on this stimulus plan, because, as Candy pointed out, there is a sense of urgency in both parties up on Capitol Hill.
COOPER: Jeff, who's going to give him more problems, I guess, or who already, Democrats or Republicans?
TOOBIN: Well, he will get problems from both.
But I don't think we should think of these as sort of a crisis. This is how the system is supposed to work. Congress is not a rubber- stamp. And these are complex, hard questions. A lot of these congressmen and congresswomen have good questions and their own good ideas.
And don't think that the Obama campaign -- campaign -- see, I'm having the same problem as Kevin did.
(LAUGHTER)
TOOBIN: That the Obama administration is completely unwilling to change. And in many respects, they want to be pushed, perhaps by the more liberal Democrats to invest more and have perhaps less tax cuts. So, if they can be forced into it or perceived as forced into it, maybe that's a better posture to be in than proposing it in the first place.
BROWN: Roland, is that the strategy?
(CROSSTALK)
MARTIN: Well, look, I think so.
And I think, look, there's one word that Washington, D.C., hates, and it really is accountability. And I think one of the reasons why you're seeing these kinds of questions is because members of Congress, they have been criticized roundly for what has taken place with these bailout packages.
They want to make sure that you have all the pieces in place to make sure that the money is going to the right places, you're not going to have waste. Last thing they want, for all of us doing stories saying, hey, Congress approved this nearly $1 trillion package, and $200 million is being wasted here, $100 million wasted here.
They don't want that. So, they should have these kind of questions. We should have seen this with the bailout package, when they did that, as opposed to what we're seeing right now. And so the questions are good. They're necessary. It's called accountability.
BROWN: And, Kevin, today, we learned -- you look at the grim statistics that continue to come out about the economy. We get the highest unemployment in 16 years. Politically, can Republicans fight that hard even? Can they afford to look like obstructionists at this moment? MADDEN: No. And that's the risk, is that you can't have knee-jerk opposition. It has to be very reasonable opposition and it has to be, quite frankly, principled opposition around alternative ideas.
Republicans, I think, are going to be very smart and going to talk about -- put the emphasis on pro-growth policies. The tax cut side of this package where they're going to be focusing a lot of their energy. And they're also going to make sure that the spending is not essentially making government larger and just building more bureaucratic government programs, but, instead, that it's going where the money is needed most.
And that's shovel-ready programs where we're going to see a stimulus in the economy, where the money is actually going to get out there. We're going to see liquidity in the economy.
(CROSSTALK)
TOOBIN: I think Kevin may be engaging in a little wishful thinking here. The Republicans I hear, the ones running for Republican National Committee chair, these Southern Republicans, who now dominate the party in Congress, they don't believe in this kind of spending.
They don't believe in deficit spending. So, I really think there is a hard core of opposition to Barack Obama among large portions of the Republican Party, and I think we're going to see that.
(CROSSTALK)
BROWN: But how much is coming into play? Or I will ask all of you. I mean, you can't ignore the fact his approval ratings are through the roof. It was 80-something percent, the last poll I saw. And that's Democrats. That's Republicans. That's people who supported him, people who didn't support him. They can't be immune -- Congress can't be immune to those kind of numbers.
(CROSSTALK)
MARTIN: Congress also must be very afraid. This is a president who is going to use the bully pulpit. He has this huge database, rallying these individuals. But also the economy is in such tatters, people want to see action. That's where Republicans must be extremely careful.
MADDEN: Yes, he's right.
And, Campbell, look, you have to look at the political capital and how it's grown over the last few weeks. Barack Obama won with 53 percent of the vote. And now you see approval ratings at 80 percent. He knows he has that political capital. And he is willing to spend it on this stimulus package. Republicans have to be careful and watch that.
(CROSSTALK)
BROWN: Before I let you go, there's another much, much more controversial issue that we have to talk about today, when he congratulated the new college football national champions. Take a listen.
(LAUGHTER)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OBAMA: I have to point out -- if I'm Utah, if I'm USC, or if I'm Texas, I may still have some quibbles. And you've heard my pitch.
QUESTION: (INAUDIBLE) number one?
OBAMA: That's why we need a playoff.
(LAUGHTER)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: So, best political team on television? Everyone's nodding.
(LAUGHTER)
MADDEN: Absolutely.
TOOBIN: I totally agree. The problem here is the greed of the conferences that make all this money off the BCS. And I think it's very important that Barack Obama put this 712th on his agenda of things to do.
(LAUGHTER)
(CROSSTALK)
MARTIN: Look, I might be from Texas. I'm a Texas Aggie. And I'm not supporting University of Texas, but I'm for the playoff. Look, how can you have a playoff in baseball, basketball, volleyball, every other sport, except football?
This is nonsense, these ridiculous bowls. I want to see a playoff. Prove it on the field.
(CROSSTALK)
BROWN: Kevin, you Republican, are you willing to support Barack Obama on this one?
MADDEN: I kind of, maybe, might even support Barack Obama for reelection if -- I might even think about if he can get a playoff system.
Look, there's an eighth-grade soccer team somewhere in this country.
MARTIN: Right.
(LAUGHTER)
MADDEN: And they have had a playoff system to find out who the champion is of the eighth-grade soccer team. But we don't have one in college football. Utah should be number one. They're undefeated.
(CROSSTALK)
BROWN: Clearly, you guys have a lot to say on this. We should do an extended panel.
TOOBIN: Absolutely.
MARTIN: Go, Aggies.
(LAUGHTER)
BROWN: OK.
Many thanks to Kevin, Roland, Jeff. Happy Friday, on that note.
We have a fascinating story for you coming up. This is really interesting. An unemployed man is making six figures a year by visiting restaurants and stores and then threatening to sue. Some say he's a crusader. Others complain it's extortion. We're going to let you decide.
Later, who is going to the inauguration? We have got the list, Oprah of course, Aretha and others. We will tell you all about it.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BROWN: A Southern California man in a wheelchair has made it his business to get stores and restaurants to provide access for the disabled.
And when I say he's made it his business, I mean literally. He is an advocate, an opportunist, or perhaps both.
National correspondent Gary Tuchman is joining us from Los Angeles with this pretty incredible story.
Gary, tell us what it's all about?
GARY TUCHMAN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Campbell, when the California legislature passed a law making it easier for disabled people to sue businesses, the legislatures help create a very profitable enterprise for some enterprising disabled people.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TUCHMAN (voice-over): Thomas Mundy has been in a wheelchair for 20 years.
(on camera): Do you like L.A.?
We're about to begin a two-day odyssey that combines advocacy and capitalism in a way you've never seen before.
How much money do you think you can make if you just did this all the time, 10, 12 hours a day, seven days a week? TOM MUNDY, ADVOCATE FOR DISABLED: A million dollars a year maybe.
TUCHMAN (voice-over): That's right. This advocate for the disabled says a million dollars.
MUNDY: Out of the four tables they have here, none of them are accessible for somebody in a wheelchair.
And I can't reach the toilet seat cover dispensers. I can't reach it.
TUCHMAN: And pretty much every time he makes such a discovery, he documents it and --
MUNDY: I usually file a lawsuit.
TUCHMAN: There is money to be made. Take a look at his lawyer's Web site. One of the paragraphs saying, "There are no grab support bars next to the toilet. You're entitled to $1,000." So when we go to a fast food restaurant in Hollywood --
(on camera): You have a sidebar but not a rear.
MUNDY: Right.
TUCHMAN: So that will get you $1,000?
MUNDY: Yes. But I can't use the toilet.
TUCHMAN: And then we go outside the same restaurant. So all together we're talking about...
MUNDY: $2,000.
TUCHMAN: $2,000 in the bathroom and these outdoor tables.
(voice-over): So can you really make big money like this? Absolutely. California is one of the few states allowing the disabled to sue for personal damages when businesses don't enforce the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Jim Rodriguez owns the Santa Maria Barbecue in Culver City.
JIM RODRIGUEZ, RESTAURANT OWNER: The mirror in the restaurant has to be -- has to begin 40 inches from the ground up. And I think mine started about 43 inches.
TUCHMAN: Tom Mundy used the bathroom there. And soon after, the restaurant owner got a letter from Mundy's lawyer offering a settlement for $2,000.
TUCHMAN: How much would it have cost you to fight this?
RODDRIGUEZ: Probably about, you know -- the beginning, you know, $5,000 to $8,000.
TUCHMAN: So it wasn't worth it. RODRIGUEZ: It wasn't worth it.
TUCHMAN: So you paid it.
RODRIGUEZ: Paid it.
TUCHMAN: And how'd you feel about paying it?
RODRIGUEZ: Miserable.
TUCHMAN: That's how Tom Mundy says it's worked with most of the 225 or so businesses he has sued.
(on camera): Thomas Monday is officially unemployed, but he's never made this much money in his life.
(voice-over): He says his annual income is in the low six figures. Recently, Mundy sued a gas station claiming according to his court filings that he was unable to use the outside paper towel dispenser because it was mounted too high off the ground. The lawyer for the gas station, Burt Rogal, says businesses should get a chance to fix the complaints first.
BERT ROGAL, ATTORNEY: This is legal extortion basically as nice a way I can put it. Legal extortion in the guise of helping.
TUCHMAN: Morse Mehrban is Mundy's attorney.
What's your response to that?
MORSE MEHRBAN, MUNDY'S ATTORNEY: My response is that is something that they need to address to the legislature who enacted this law.
MUNDY: People who want to criticize me, all they have to do is go out with me in my wheelchair and I can show them how hard it is to get around.
TUCHMAN: On Venice Beach, Mundy can't get into a store because there is no ramp. An employee offers to carry him in.
MUNDY: But you can't touch me. That's like major violation.
TUCHMAN: But Mundy won't file a suit this time because he says he didn't really want to buy anything there anyway.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BROWN: And, Gary, in the time you spent with Thomas Mundy, I mean, did you get a sense for what's really motivating him? I mean, is it more about money or a principle?
TUCHMAN: Well, there's no question, Campbell, he loves the money. He's not apologizing for that. He's also an angry man. He says these federal laws helping to save disabled people took effect 19 years ago and there are so many businesses, he says, he goes to dozens of businesses every day and just a few blocks that don't have the accommodations that he needs so he's angry about it. He feels this brings results.
But frankly, it would help if he donated public relations wise. It would help if he donated money to charity, a lot of money to charity. He doesn't necessarily do that, at least we don't think he does. He hasn't told us he does that.
But one thing it does do is that these places do fix these violations because they could be sued again if they don't.
BROWN: Right. And not all of these cases get settled, right? I mean some have actually gone to court?
TUCHMAN: Some go to court. But this is what's really interesting. Of these at least 225 lawsuits that he's filed, he and his lawyers say they've only lost one and that was involving a big fast food chain, Del Taco in 17 states, including many locations here in California.
Del Taco decided to fight it. They won the case. They said it was a frivolous lawsuit. The judge agreed.
And now, they have said -- this is very interesting -- we're talking about how people don't want to fight this because it costs more than $1,000 or $2,000. Del Taco says it cost them $100,000 to fight this and Del Taco is suing Mundy and his lawyer for the $100,000, and the lawyer said they're appealing that.
BROWN: Interesting. All right. Gary Tuchman for us tonight. Gary, thanks.
Coming up, a controversy only growing now around a deadly police shooting down in New Orleans. A young man shot 14 times, 12 times in the back, and his family demanding answers tonight.
And later, which big city mayor is now accused of perjury and corruption including stealing gift cards meant for the poor. We're going to have that story when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BROWN: Coming up, the Obama family is making room for one more inside the White House. We'll have that and more on the "Political Daily Briefing." Just ahead, first, though, Joe Johns back with the news "Briefing" tonight.
JOE JOHNS, CNN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT: Campbell, the mayor of Baltimore faces corruption charges tonight. Sheila Dixon is accused of failing to report gifts from a developer and buying clothes and electronics using gift cards that were supposed to be donated to the needy. The mayor says she's done nothing wrong.
A Boston firefighter is dead after his fire engine rammed into an apartment building. The ladder truck had just come down a steep hill before the accident. Several people were hurt including four other firefighters. A city official tells the "Boston Globe" the fire truck may have lost its brakes. We heard about near record job losses in 2008. 2009 is not looking any better. Boeing has announced plans to cut 4,500 jobs in its commercial airplane unit. Oil services giant Halliburton also announced job cuts today. It didn't say how many.
Britain's Prince Edward has been cleared of charges he beat his hunting dog. London's "Daily Mail" printed this photos showing Queen Elizabeth's youngest son holding a stick over a black Lab. Buckingham Palace says he was only waving the stick to break up a fight between the two dogs over a pheasant.
And in "My Fair Lady," they're saying about the rain in Spain. Tonight, it's the snow Spaniards they're talking about. An unusually heavy storm canceled more than 1,000 flights and led to gridlock on roads between Madrid and Barcelona.
BROWN: A rarity there, I guess.
JOHNS: Very nice (ph).
BROWN: Joe Johns.
Governor Sarah Palin, pretty mad tonight. She says a recent interview she did to set the record straight is now being taken out of context. We'll listen to it. We'll let you listen to it and decide for yourself "NO BIAS, NO BULL."
And up next, a police shooting down in New Orleans. Why the dead man's family claims it was nothing short of an execution.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BROWN: He was a new father only 22 years old visiting his family in New Orleans. Just three hours into the New Year, he was killed in a barrage of police bullets, 48 shots says his family's attorney. His anguished parents claim their demand for answers was met with a wall of silence. Tonight, the FBI is on the case and our Sean Callebs is live in New Orleans with details for us -- Sean.
SEAN CALLEBS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Exactly. We know that the family here, we're standing in front of the grandmother's house, they have wanted for more than a week now to speak with the police chief about the shooting that happened on new year's. They want these questions answered. They want to know why a number of police officers descended upon the car here in front of the grandmother's house.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CALLEBS (voice-over): As fireworks exploded near the French quarter on New Year's eve, 22-year-old Adolph Grimes or Chris, as he's known to his family, just pulled up to his grandmother's New Orleans home after a five-hour drive from Houston.
ADOLF GRIMES JR., VICTIMS FATHER: He made it at 12:00 exactly.
CALLEB: A scant three hours later, he lay dying on the sidewalk a half a block from his grandmother's front door. Fireworks giving way to the hue of flashing police lights. New Orleans parish coroner says Grimes was shot 14 times, including 12 times in the back.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The violence has to stop. My child's death will not be meaningless.
CALLEBS: And Grimes didn't die at the hands of common street thugs. People shut and killed by New Orleans police officers. The family wants to know why, why cops descended on a young man with no police record, who works for a phone company and teaches bible study in Houston.
Have the police told you anything?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No. I know just as much as you know.
CALLEBS: The police department won't release the names of the officers involved or the shooting report saying the investigation is ongoing. But police superintendent Warren Riley says Grimes shot at police first when plainclothes officers surrounded Grimes car. Riley says officers are trained to fire when fired upon and fire more than one shot.
The FBI is now investigating following a request from the Grimes family.
SUPERINTENDENT WARREN RILEY, NEW ORLEANS POLICE: We think that families should do everything they can to make sure that this investigation is as thorough and complete as possible so that they know the truth.
CALLEBS: Grimes had a gun and a legal permit to carry the weapon. Authorities also say they found a shotgun in the car's trunk. The family says that's not true and so far police have not produced the weapon.
The 22-year-old, according to family members, had just walked out the front door and was in a car waiting for his cousin when the shooting started. Grimes's relatives don't believe for a minute that he open fire first. And the family attorney believes the investigation will show rogue cops and sloppy police work.
ROBERT JENKINS, GRIMES FAMILY ATTORNEY: We know the FBI is going to do a full and complete investigation, and we're hoping that criminal charges will be brought against all of these officers for the execution of this case.
CALLEBS: It doesn't make sense, the family says over and over. A young man who has never been arrested or in trouble with the law, a loving father with a good job. A grieving mother and father say they won't be silenced and say they are not worried about a code of silence among officers, the so-called blue wall.
GRIMES: The wall is coming down, just like the walls of Jericho came down.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BROWN: Now, Sean, the family I know of Chris Grimes says he was a good young man, a strong student, he taught bible study. So how did he end up with a gun that night?
CALLEBS: Well, he had a permit for this weapon. He grew up here in New Orleans but evacuated to Texas after Katrina. It was there he and his girlfriend Shea (ph) were raising their 17-month old son.
It was an annual tradition to come back here for New Year's. The streets here aren't the best, but not the safest. He had a permit. He was carrying the gun legally. That's what the family says, Campbell.
BROWN: So, do we know, Sean, whether the gun was fired?
CALLEBS: The family says they have absolutely no proof. They have asked the police time and time again. They hope to meet with the police superintendent this weekend.
And, Campbell, at the top of the story, you talked about the number of gunshots. 48. We have 48 bullets here. I want to show you.
I mean, there was literally lead flying around here, just to give you an idea how many shots were unleashed here in this small neighborhood in just a short period of time. It is just staggering. It is just staggering and his family wants some answers.
BROWN: A lot of questions, still. Sean Callebs for us tonight. Sean, thanks very much, appreciate it.
When we come back, the "Political Daily Briefing." Barack and Michelle Obama and their two daughters won't be the only ones living in the White House.
Later, "Dancing With the Stars," Wolf Blitzer on "Ellen." Stay with us for a "Bull's-Eye" with some rhythm or maybe not some rhythm. We'll debate that.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARIO PORTILLO ALEJANDRO, JOHNNIE L. COCHRAN SCHOOL: Dear President- elect Obama. My name is Mario Portillo Alejandro. I am a sixth grader from Johnnie L. Cochran Middle School. I am from Los Angeles, California.
What will you do about the immigrants? I want to know about this because I am Latino and people from my country, which is Guatemala, come here as immigrants. I am also concerned about the economy. Sincerely yours, Mario Portillo.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: Great to hear what kids like Mario are thinking as they write to President-elect Obama. We, of course, have been airing their "Dear Mr. President" letters every night and if you are feeling inspired or your young one is feeling inspired, we'd love to see their letter to the next president. Look for i-Report link -- the i-Report link on our Web site, CNN.com/Campbell.
Tonight's "Political Daily Briefing" is a special inauguration edition, which I guess makes it the "PDB" SIE. In the time it took to say that, we could have sold thousands of inauguration tickets apparently.
Erica Hill is with us tonight. And, Erica, people have been calling Barack Obama the ticket master all day today. What's going on?
ERICA HILL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Oh, yes, and with good reason. This is incredible to me.
The presidential inauguration committee announced today it was selling 5,000 tickets for spots along the parade route. That chance to catch a glimpse of the president-elect, who I guess at that point the president, available for $25 apiece at Ticket Master. Of course, that's $25 plus all those convenience fees. And they were gone in seconds. Literally, seconds.
When we asked Ticket Master about the seemingly lightning speed sales, they put it in perspective for us this way. Noting the popular heavy metal band AC/DC sold out 15,000 tickets last year in just three minutes, translation -- apparently at Ticket Master speak, Obama sells tickets like a rock star. But if you were too late don't worry, the tickets are already popping up shockingly on eBay and Craigslist.
The prices there although slightly higher. It's a large convenience fee there. Some postings asking for as much as $1,000 a pair or $1,800 for four tickets.
BROWN: Ouch!
HILL: Bargain for the $1,800.
BROWN: That's actually pretty amazing.
HILL: Yes.
BROWN: And speaking of people trying to make a buck, I know there's some also quite a few people out of luck when it comes to where they're going to stay.
HILL: We actually got a call, I have to say, from a family friend today saying hey, if anybody at CNN needs a house, we know someone who has one. Sorry, you and a lot of other folks out of luck, that hotel room shortage that can only be solved through the kindness of local residents ready to make a buck.
Well, the ""Washington Post" today reporting homeowners dreams of renting out their D.C. pad for as much as $15,000 a night still pretty much a dream. In a frenzy week just after the election, Web sites like inauguralhomes.com began popping up and as inflated attendance estimates help some pull in a little extra cash, but unless homeowners acted quickly, they were basically out of luck, Campbell, on a lot of folks finding it.
They're going to be in their own homes and no one's paying them to be there.
BROWN: Big names coming to town though, they probably didn't have any trouble getting hotel rooms.
HILL: No. I don't think that they did.
BROWN: Celebrity list out today.
HILL: Yes. No problem with the hotel rooms. No problem getting into the big events either. So we could tell you, you can forget D.C. You know, it's often referred to as Hollywood for ugly people. But for inauguration week, it's going to be just plain old Hollywood.
Here's a look at some of the big names who we know we'll definitely be making an appearance. Superstar rapper Jay-Z will be hosting a concert on inauguration eve. I would guess Beyonce is probably coming with them. Oprah, of course, will be there. Aretha Franklin, Ron Howard, Spike Lee all confirmed.
Now on the rumored celebrity attendee list, there is Bruce Springsteen. A lot of talk about "The Boss" holding a free concert at the Lincoln Memorial.
BROWN: On Sunday night, right?
HILL: Sunday night, that's right.
BROWN: I'm planning on going. Is this just true?
HILL: I hope it's not a rumor for your sake.
BROWN: Yes.
HILL: Because it would be a great show. Also, perhaps, you would like to catch these shows. Teen heartthrobs, Campbell, Miley Cyrus and the Jonas Brothers are rumored to be in town for a show. You don't want to miss that.
BROWN: Yes. I don't know. Not quite my (INAUDIBLE). I think I'm going to stick with Bruce Springsteen's concert. OK.
One more person who is coming to the inauguration but isn't leaving when it's over and this is kind of a surprise.
HILL: No, that's true. Mrs. Robinson, who is, of course, Michelle Obama's mom, Marian Robinson, and the mother-in-law of the president- elect is already in Washington and we hear from the transition team that she is staying. She's going to move into the White House with them.
But, Campbell, keep in mind she's moving in with them. She has not, however, said that she is going to be there permanently. She's helping the family adjust and then she'll sort of weigh her options.
BROWN: I think that's really nice for the girls and, I mean, what better.
You know, the pushing and pulling of the parents to have them there.
HILL: And she's been there for the last two years for them, really helping the entire family, especially the girls deal with the campaigning and everything else and keep life as normal as possible.
BROWN: That's wonderful.
HILL: Yes.
BROWN: Erica Hill for us tonight. Erica, have a good weekend.
HILL: Thanks. You too.
BROWN: The top of the hour not that far away. That means LARRY KING LIVE with a special look at a story that has been in the news all week this week.
Larry, tell us.
LARRY KING, HOST, "LARRY KING LIVE": Yes, Campbell, it's the private side of John Travolta. We're going to take you back to 2001 when I sat down with John for an in-depth interview. It's especially revealing considering the events of the past week. And we'll have the very latest on the famous friends who have rallied around the Travoltas since their son, Jett, died one week ago today.
That's "LARRY KING LIVE" Friday, coming your way next -- Campbell.
BROWN: All right, Larry. We'll be watching.
Still to come tonight, Sarah Palin was very outspoken during the campaign. Well, wait until you hear what she has to say now.
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BROWN: Sarah Palin had a rough relationship with the press throughout the presidential campaign. So when word came today that she was complaining about comments from an interview that were being taken out of context, it came really as no surprise.
But this part, I guess, is the interview was with a Palin defender, conservative filmmaker John Ziegler. He's making a documentary called "Media Malpractice: How Obama Got Elected." And a lot of what Palin told them is pretty fascinating stuff. So tonight, we're going to listen to her "NO BIAS, NO BULL." Here's what she told Ziegler about finding her family in the spotlight.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. SARAH PALIN (R), ALASKA: When I heard Barack Obama state in one of his interviews on national television that his wife was off-limits, meaning family is off-limits, you know, attack me, I'm the public official, come after me, I can handle it and we'll duke it out if need be but family is off-limits. I naively believed, OK, they respected that in him in his demand for that to be adhered to, naively believing oh, that must apply to all of us, right, but it didn't apply.
This report that Bristol and Levi, they're high school dropouts and they're going to just look for government handouts to raise their child and stuff. Nothing could be further from the true. And I've asked some in the media to correct that and they haven't corrected it and it gets frustrating.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: Governor Palin also apparently wasn't happy with her infamous interviews with CBS's Katie Couric. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. SARAH PALIN (R), ALASKA: I knew it didn't go well the first day and then we gave her a couple of other segments after that. And my question to the campaign was, after it didn't go well the first day, why are we going to go back for more? And because of however it works in, you know, that upper echelon of power brokering in the media and with spokespersons and it was told me that, yes, we were going to go back for more and going back for more was not a wise decision either.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: Now listen to what Palin says about Caroline Kennedy who is chasing the appointment to fill Hillary Clinton's Senate seat.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. SARAH PALIN (R), ALASKA: I've been interested also to see how Caroline Kennedy will be handled and if she'll be handled with kid gloves or if she will be under such a microscope also. It's going to be interesting to see how that plays out. And I think that as we watch that, we will perhaps be able to prove that there is a class issue here also that was such a factor in the scrutiny of my candidacy versus say the scrutiny of what her candidacy may be.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: Now that last quote made some headlines and then the governor complained that her words were being misrepresented. She's just issued or just now recently this news release saying in part, "I was not commenting at all on Caroline Kennedy as a prospective U.S. senator, but rather on the seemingly arbitrary ways in which news organizations determine the level and kind of scrutiny given to those who aspire to public office. In fact, I consider Ms. Kennedy qualified and experienced, and she could serve New York well."
John Ziegler's documentary "Media Malpractice: How Obama Got Elected" is due out on DVD next month.
Coming up, the "Bull's-Eye" tonight goes to a member of the CNN family. I'll just say this is Wolf Blitzer as you've never seen him before making quite a splash on "Ellen" today.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BROWN: There are no words for tonight's "Bull's-Eye." CNN's Wolf Blitzer makes a guest appearance on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" last night. Pretty much mandatory, of course, for all of "Ellen's" guests to dance or at least try, so Wolf did. Take a look.
A bad move, but for having the nerve to bust a move or attempt to bust a move, Wolf Blitzer gets the "Bull's-Eye" tonight.
That does it for us. Have a great weekend everybody. We'll see you back here on Monday.
"LARRY KING LIVE" starts right now.
