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Campbell Brown
Roman Polanski Arrested; Iran Nuclear Fears
Aired September 28, 2009 - 20:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CAMPBELL BROWN, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): Tonight, here are the questions we want answered.
Why was director Roman Polanski arrested after all these years?
DEBRA WINGER, ACTRESS: It is based on a three-decade-old case that is all but dead, except for a minor technicality.
BROWN: He gave a 13-year-old girl drugs and champagne, then raped her.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I said no. I didn't fight him off. I said, like, no, no. I don't want to go in there. No. I don't want to do this. No. And then I didn't know what else to do. We were alone.
BROWN: He stayed out of the United States for 30 years, but should the legendary film director be sent to jail now?
Plus, is the response to the H1N1 flu a failure?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We keep all the vaccines and all the drugs and all the supplies for the rich countries of the world. We have already said, five-and-a-half billion human beings, tough luck.
And can Iran be stopped? Tehran test-fired new missiles today, missiles capable of hitting Israel and southern Europe. Can anything, talk, sanctions, put the brakes on Iran's nuclear program?
Plus, is your credit card company spying on you? Be careful what you buy and where you shop. They just may cut your credit.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANNOUNCER: This is your only source for news. CNN prime time begins now. Here's Campbell Brown.
Hi, everybody. Those are our big questions tonight. But we're going to start as we always do with the "Mash-Up," our look at all the stories making an impact right now and the moments you may have missed today. We are watching it all so you don't have to.
Tonight, a clear sign from Iran that, facing a torrent of international criticism, they remain unbound and unbroken. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Iran test- firing missiles today that are capable or reaching Israel, American bases in the Middle East and even parts of Europe.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The tests are especially provocative, coming days after the world learned of the secret underground nuclear facility in Qom.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: U.S. and European officials will meet with the Iranians on Thursday to hear their explanation for the facility.
JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN FOREIGN AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: As one U.S. official told CNN, the challenge is to put pressure on the Iranian government while keeping faith with the Iranian people.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: The Obama administration calls Iran's actions provocative but not unexpected. We're going to have much more on this important story that's still developing a little bit later tonight.
And a surprise announcement out of the White House today. President Obama will travel to Copenhagen this week to lobby the International Olympic Committee to bring the Games to Chicago. Just 12 days ago, the president said that he wouldn't make the trip, though, that he was just too busy. Check it out.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I would make the case in Copenhagen personally if I weren't so firmly committed to making real the promise of quality affordable health care for every American.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: Well, what a difference 12 days makes. At the White House today, reporters grilled Press Secretary Robert Gibbs about the president's change of heart.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
QUESTION: He sounded pretty clear that, 12 days ago, he was not going to go. What changed in the meantime? Is it health care that changed?
ROBERT GIBBS, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: The president believes health care is in better shape.
QUESTION: Are you saying the reason he wasn't going to go to Copenhagen and now is that health care is in better shape?
GIBBS: He believes health care is in a better place. He also believes it's important for him to go.
QUESTION: So, it's OK for us to infer, then, even though you're not going to say, that that's the difference between last week and this week?
GIBBS: Yes, we think health care is in a better place.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: The president part of the Chicago power trio heading to Copenhagen this week. His wife, Michelle, is also going to be there. So will their very good friend, Oprah Winfrey. The first lady tells reporters she plans to take no prisoners on this issue.
And on to Afghanistan and the U.S. commander there, General Stanley McChrystal. He's preparing to travel back home to brief President Obama, a man he apparently doesn't speak to very much.
Listen to this. This is from "60 Minutes."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How often do you talk to the president?
GENERAL STANLEY MCCHRYSTAL, U.S. COMMANDER IN AFGHANISTAN: I have talked to the president since I have been here once on a VTC.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You talked to him once in 70 days?
MCCHRYSTAL: That's correct.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Can you imagine ever saying to the president of the United States, sir, we just can't do it?
MCCHRYSTAL: Yes, I can. And if I felt that way, the day I feel that way, the day I'm sure I feel that way, I will tell him that.
BROWN: The White House now facing a tough decision over whether to send more troops to Afghanistan. Support for the war waning as critics warn of another Vietnam.
And on CNN's "STATE OF THE UNION," John King asked Defense Secretary Bob Gates if we're heading towards another dead end.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN KING, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Is Afghanistan a quagmire?
ROBERT GATES, U.S. SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: The reality is, failure in Afghanistan would be a huge setback for the United States. Taliban and al Qaeda, as far as they're concerned, defeated one superpower. For them to be seen to defeat a second, I think, would have catastrophic consequences in terms of energizing the extremist movement, al Qaeda recruitment, operations, fund-raising and so on. (END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: Gates says any discussion of an exit strategy or timeline for withdrawal would be a strategic mistake.
In the Philippines tonight, massive floods force hundreds of thousands of people from their homes as the water claims at least 140 lives.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: At one point, the authorities estimate that perhaps up to 80 percent of Manila was under water and some 450,000 people, it's estimated now, have been displaced. A makeshift craft and its human cargo hurtle into the immovable form of this bridge. A man throws a rope into the torrent, the raft now destroyed. Many are swept off into the distance.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A relentless storm dumped a month's worth of rain in just 12 hours.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Twenty-Five-year-old John Palo Paris (ph) and his brothers sent us these photos from Quezon City. Cars and trucks were swept away by the power of the rushing water. These are shots from the helicopter of a recent aid drop. World Vision is in the area distributing supplies to those affected.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: That rainfall caused by Typhoon Ketsana. The region not safe yet. Another tropical storm is expected to bear down on the Philippines a little bit later on this week.
And now on to the explosive developments and the incredible story of director Roman Polanski, now in custody on a 32-year-old conviction for having sex with a 13-year-old girl.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RICK SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: Swiss police have arrested him, with the intent to deport him back here to face the music.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Polanski came here to receive a lifetime achievement award at the Zurich Film Festival. Instead, he was taken into custody as soon as he landed.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: For more than three decades, he's lived in France, where he's a citizen, and has never returned to the U.S., even when his film, the pianist, won an Oscar in 2002.
WHOOPI GOLDBERG, CO-HOST, "THE VIEW": Victim Samantha Geimer, who is now 45, says she's been over this incident for a long time.
JOY BEHAR, CO-HOST, "THE VIEW": I believe that no matter how old you are or no matter how long ago the crime was committed that you should be punished for it. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If he was not famous, would we be protecting him as much as we are?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: Still, many officials over in Europe say Polanski has paid for his crime, he should be released. We're going to have a whole lot more on this controversial story later tonight.
In Washington tonight, a looming showdown in the health care battle. The Senate Finance Committee poised to vote on the much- ballyhooed public option perhaps as soon as tomorrow. Meantime, senators have been busy hashing out other details of the health care overhaul -- no surprise, lots of hot air coming out of that committee room, but nothing quite as, shall we say, stupid as what came out of the mouth of Arizona Republican Jon Kyl on Friday.
Senator Kyl doesn't want the government to require insurance companies to offer certain benefits, like maternity care. Senator Kyl says since he doesn't need maternity care, forcing his insurance company to offer it means he will end up paying for something he doesn't need. Yes, he said that. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JON KYL (R-AZ), MINORITY WHIP: I don't need maternity care. And so requiring that to be in my insurance policy is something that I don't need and will make the policy more expensive.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If I could just...
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ... with my colleague, I think your mom probably did. But...
KYL: OK.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: No, Senator Kyl, it's really not all about you. His proposal failed to win enough votes to survive.
Also out of Washington tonight, a rare interview with new Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor. She sat down with C-SPAN and described the moment President Obama called to offer her the job.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SONIA SOTOMAYOR, SUPREME COURT JUSTICE: I had the -- my cell phone in my right hand and I had my left hand over my chest, trying to calm my beating heart, literally.
And the president got on the phone and said to me, Judge, I would like to announce you as my selection to be the next associate justice of the United States Supreme Court. And I said to him -- I caught my breath and started to cry -- and said, thank you, Mr. President.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: Justice Sotomayor said the president made her promise two things, to remain the person she was and stay connected to her community.
And that brings us to the "Punchline" tonight. This is courtesy of the good folks over at "Saturday Night Live," back again with a brand-new season. And here's "Weekend Update"'s take on the president of Iran.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SETH MEYERS, ACTOR: After this week's dramatic revelation that Iran has built a nuclear facility, one administration official said of Iran, they have cheated three times and they have been caught three times, which explain Ahmadinejad's nickname, Jon Gosselin of the Middle East.
(LAUGHTER)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: Seth Meyers, everybody. And that is the "Mash-Up."
Tonight's big question, is Iran taking the Mideast nuclear? And is there anything President Obama can do to stop it?
Plus, famed director Roman Polanski arrested after fleeing the U.S. 30 years ago. He is accused of raping a 13-year-old girl -- well, more than accused. It is a case that is turning into an international incident.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WINGER: We hope today this latest order will be dropped. It is based on a three-decade-old case that is all but dead, except for a minor technicality. We stand and await his release and his next master work.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BROWN: Our first big question tonight, can Iran be stopped? Tehran test-fired two missiles today, missiles capable of hitting Israel and American bases in the Middle East. It's hard to see that as anything other than a dare, coming just days after Iran admitted it had -- or it has, rather, a second uranium enrichment plant. The test also comes days before talks between Iran and Western nations in Geneva.
And, today, the White House very much on message. Look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) GIBBS: I mean, obviously, these were preplanned military exercises. I think -- I would lump any of these into the provocative nature with which Iran has acted on the world stage for a number of years.
Again, a preplanned exercise, but, obviously, provocative in nature.
P.J. CROWLEY, ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF STATE FOR PUBLIC AFFAIRS: So this kind of provocative behavior didn't work for North Korea and it's unlikely to work for Iran.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: Joining me now, Jamie Rubin, former assistant secretary of state in the Clinton administration, also CNN senior political correspondent Candy Crowley for us in Washington as well.
Candy, Iran says no connection between these missile tests and the outcry over the secret nuclear facility, but hardly a conciliatory move here. What do administration officials think is going on?
CANDY CROWLEY, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, they know that Iran is staking out their claim to sovereignty, that this is a -- obviously, this is a pushback. Maybe it was one they hadn't planned, but they also see it internally.
There is nothing that sort of gathers a group around a leader than another country or countries saying, we want to come in; we want you to do this.
Now, we know Ahmadinejad is not popular in Iran. But one of the things we have seen before, at least on the streets of Iran prior to the recent election, is that Iranians don't like other countries telling them what they can and can't produce.
So, a lot of the people that I talked to here today at the State Department and elsewhere also look at this from an internal point of view. What is the internal message to Iranians?
BROWN: And, Jamie, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says crippling sanctions on the way unless Iran abandons its nuclear program. But explain what that means. What would the sanctions look like? How hurtful could they really be?
JAMIE RUBIN, FORMER U.S. ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF STATE: I think the idea that some are hoping for is something that would affect two sectors, the gasoline sector, where Iran is vulnerable because they do have to import gas. And, two -- and I personally think the most important -- is the banking sector.
This regime still does need to operate in the international financial system. And if you could get really effective financial sanctions, you could have a big effect on the economy. The problem is that, as Candy referred to the recent elections, the opponent who many think won the election, Mr. Mousavi, has come out against sanctions. And he's playing the nationalist card and saying that he doesn't want to see additional sanctions. And many analysts, and I would put myself in this camp, have grave doubts as to whether a regime run by Ahmadinejad, the regime where the moderates have been shed, is going to capitulate to the United States in the face of sanctions.
BROWN: So, what's the option?
RUBIN: Well, I think it's -- it really boils down to two things -- and I think we're going to start having to discuss that here in the United States and around the world -- is we're either going to have to learn to live with some inherent Iranian nuclear capability, with a lot of inspection and perhaps warning before it goes from inherent to an actual weapon, or we're going to have to consider the ultimate step, which is military action.
It just doesn't seem to me that this regime, given all that it's gone through and all the crackdown it's been involved in and the fact that these revolutionaries grew up in fundamental opposition to the United States, are going to capitulate.
BROWN: And, quickly, Candy, do you think the administration is there yet, in terms of seeing it quite that black and white, that military action may be something that we're talking about and debating in the not-so-distant future?
CROWLEY: They're like every other administration, which I'm sure Jamie can attest to, which never takes it off the table, which doesn't mean -- even if there are plans, as they say, it doesn't mean that's about to happen in any way, shape or form. You expect an administration to have options.
And I think if you look at the other part of the president's foreign policy view, I mean, his take on how this should go -- and that is the outreached hand, yes, we need to sit down and talk to each other, yes, we need to do this -- but what this administration also knows is that the other foot that drops is that, once you take all of these measures, once you sit down at the table, once you reach out your hand, if you get a slap back, then you go back to your allies and you say, we tried. We tried. We were out there. We did what we could and now you have to back us up, regardless of what they're backing up, be it sanctions or something more severe.
BROWN: All right, Candy, before we run out of time, do I want to ask you about the other big issue on the table internationally, the Olympics, lots of talk about the Olympics now that the president, we know, is heading to Copenhagen, the first time an American president has personally lobbied the International Olympic Committee.
So, why is this so important from the administration? What's your take on the decision? Is it just because he's from Chicago?
CROWLEY: I think that's a large part of it. I think that the president would have had an easier time explaining this had he not said two weeks ago that he couldn't do it because he had to -- health care was too important and he had to work on that. Nonetheless, I think it's that. I think they took a look and they saw that some of the other cities in contention were sending their leaders. And so he felt the need to go ahead and do this. They said, listen, you can sleep on the plane. It's Air Force One. It's not that much time taken out of his day when you look at it. I just his big mistake was saying two weeks ago he couldn't go because he was far too busy.
BROWN: Right.
And, very quickly, Jamie, does he have a shot at convincing them? Does it help for the president to show up?
RUBIN: Well, I sure hope so, because it's going to be tricky if it doesn't work.
Look, the idea of a president lobbying in person on a sort of site question, the site of an event, is pretty unusual. But those Chicago people take their politics and their city pretty seriously.
(LAUGHTER)
BROWN: All right. We will see what happens when he goes on Friday.
All right, Jamie Rubin, appreciate your time.
And, Candy Crowley -- as always, Candy, thanks.
The Secret Service is investigating a Facebook poll on President Obama tonight. That's coming up in the download.
Plus, if you shop at discount stores or you buy alcohol, watch out. Your credit card company may use that as a reason to drop your credit limit -- a closer look at just how closely they are watching you. That is tonight's breakout.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If you suddenly started exhibiting new consumer behavior, and then you have made three or four purchases in a row at a local bar, that would raise some flags that maybe there's some impending financial crisis.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(NEWS BREAK)
BROWN: Celebrated film director Roman Polanski behind bars tonight. He's been a fugitive from the U.S. for more than 30 years, accused of raping a 13-year-old girl. France's foreign minister calls his arrest sinister, even Whoopi Goldberg coming to his defense -- a closer look tonight at this case that's becoming an international incident. We will explain. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BROWN: Tonight, Oscar-winning director Roman Polanski is vowing from his jail cell in Switzerland to fight extradition to the U.S. He was finally arrested this weekend, after more than 30 years on the run as a fugitive.
Prosecutors in Los Angeles got word he was heading to Zurich to be honored at a film festival and had Swiss authorities waiting for him at the airport. Despite pleading guilty to unlawful sex with a 13-year-old girl, Polanski's arrest has sparked international anger.
The French foreign minister called it -- quote -- "sinister." And Hollywood stars are coming to his defense. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WINGER: We hope today this latest order will be dropped. It is based on a three-decade-old case that is all but dead, except for a minor technicality.
GOLDBERG: He didn't rape her because she was aware and the family apparently was aware.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The punishment at this point may be excessive.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: And why are so many in show business standing up for Polanski? Well, in large part because of his reputation as an Oscar- winning filmmaker. This is all going back to the late '60s. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The industry began looking Polanski's way in 1968 with his Oscar-winning hit "Rosemary's Baby." As his star rose, the world got to know Polanski, the son of Polish Jews who escaped Nazis, whose mother died in a concentration camp.
BEN KINGSLEY, ACTOR: Roman was one of those poor little children who had to hide in the latrine.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And became the object of national sympathy when his wife, actress Sharon Tate, was murdered by the Manson family in 1969. His next big movie, 1974's "Chinatown," won 18 Oscars, giving Hollywood its heroic tagline -- tragic survivor moves on.
After the rape case, he continued to work around the world on films like "Tess" and "Death and the Maiden." In 2002, Polanski rocketed back onto the public stage with "The Pianist." The Holocaust film won the top prize at the Cannes Film Festival and three Oscars in 2003, including best actor and best director for an absent Polanski.
(END VIDEO CLIP) BROWN: Polanski has been asked about the criminal case that has overshadowed his career. Watch what he says in this clip highlighted in an HBO documentary.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When the newspapers and the magazines and the books talk about you and little girls, is there anything in it?
ROMAN POLANSKI, DIRECTOR: Well, I like young women. Let's put it this way. But I think most of men do, actually.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, but the question turns on how young, doesn't it?
POLANSKI: Well, yes. Well, if you come to a concrete case for which I have been behind bars, and that's what you want to talk about, but what exactly would you like me to tell you?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: Listen how the victim herself described what happened. This is Samantha Geimer. She sat down with Larry King. This was in 2003. And Geimer she was alone on a photo shoot with Polanski. Polanski was taking topless pictures of her in a hot tub when she started feeling uncomfortable. So, she tried to pretend she was sick. This is what she told Larry happened next.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEIMER: I'm feigning my asthma attack, you know, I got out, put a towel on and everything. We walked in the house. And I was going, you know, I really don't feel good, I'm having trouble breathing. I don't remember exactly what I said.
KING: But you said drive me home?
GEIMER: And I was like, yes, I need to go home because I'm not feeling well. And then that progressed to, you know, eventually, why don't you come in here an lay down into a very dark room, and that's when I really realized, you know, what his intentions were.
KING: Did he forcibly rape you?
GEIMER: You know, I said no. I didn't fight him off. I said, like, no, no, I don't want to go in there, no. I don't want to do this. No. And then I didn't know what else to do. We were alone. And I didn't want to -- I didn't know what would happen if I made a scene.
So, I was just scared and I just -- after giving some resistance, figured, well, I guess I will get to go home after this.
KING: But then did you get dressed? Did he did drive you home?
GEIMER: And he drove -- I got dressed. He drove me home. KING: What was said in the car?
GEIMER: And then so I was kind of crying a little bit because I was upset, and I was sure I was becoming more -- you know, I was intoxicated.
So, he asked that, you know, you shouldn't tell your mom. We should keep this secret. And we really didn't chat on the way home. We just drove back to my house with not a lot being said.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: Despite all that, Geimer who reached an undisclosed civil settlement with Polanski is at the top of the list of those who think it's time to drop the case.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEIMER: I never even asked for him to be put in jail. And the publicity was just so traumatic and so horrible that, I mean, his punishment was secondary to just getting this whole thing to stop. I mean, it was crazy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: And so our big question tonight, why are prosecutors going after Roman Polanski 30 years after the fact even when the victim says it's time to let it go, or more to the point, why now? After all, Polanski travels to Switzerland often. He even owns a home there.
So with me to talk about this is, CNN legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin. In Los Angeles, John Ridley, a screenwriter who also appears in "Esquire" magazine and on National Public Radio, and he was also a film critic for a cable network AMC. He's joining us as well.
Thanks, guys.
Jeff, put this in perspective for us. This is a 31-year-old case. You have a victim who says I don't want to punish this guy anymore. Yet, there he is sitting in the jail cell, awaiting extradition. Why?
This man has been traveling the world for ages now. Why now? What sparked this?
JEFFREY TOOBIN, CNN SENIOR LEGAL ANALYST: Maybe the question to ask is why not now.
BROWN: I agree. But what took him so long.
TOOBIN: This guy raped this girl. He didn't -- you know, when you hear these Europeans talk about it, you think it's oh, these Americans, they're all uptight about sex. This isn't just sex with a 13-year-old girl, which is bad enough. This is rape of a 13-year-old girl. BROWN: So to that point, what took them so long?
TOOBIN: Well --
BROWN: Like he's got a house in Switzerland. He's there all the time. So what was the -- I mean, why did somebody finally now pick up the phone and say, you know what, pick them up?
TOOBIN: Frankly, I'm pretty baffled by that. What seems to be the case is the fact that the announcement of the Zurich film festival established with a certainty that he would be at a specific place at a specific time rather than just coming and going from this home at a time that the prosecutors in L.A. wouldn't know, so they had time to plan for it and they decided to go ahead. But all these, you know, whining and sympathy for Roman Polanski who has never settled his debt, not with this woman, these prosecutions are brought in the name of the people of California. It's the people versus Roman Polanski. So it's not up to Ms. Geimer whether this case goes forward. And anyway, she doesn't have to testify because he's already pled guilty.
BROWN: Let's go back, though, to when he pled guilty. She says that she accepted what was initially this plea deal that was struck. That he would plead guilty, just with the time he had already served and then he'd be released and then the judge came back and said, no, no, no, wait a minute. You know what? I'm not going to accept this plea deal. I'm going to sentence him to 50 years.
TOOBIN: Well, there are certainly questions about how the judge in the case, who's now dead, handled it. His lawyers went into court last year to try to settle this matter and the judge actually seemed pretty sympathetic to Polanski's legal position. But the judge in that case said, wait, I am only going to deal with this once and for all if Polanski comes back in person. And Polanski had that chance in a very sympathetic setting and he still didn't do it.
So, yes, there are questions about how the judge handled it but it is still a fact that he pled guilty and fled the country.
BROWN: So what's likely to happen if he gets dragged back to L.A. now, which presumably he will be? And, I mean, he's going to jail for --
TOOBIN: I think he will be sentenced. I doubt he will get 50 years. There's no way he'll get 50 years. It will be a lesser sentence than that. But certainly, he is in a much weaker position, being dragged back than had he come back of his own volition and said, I want to settle this once and for all.
He took the risk of getting caught. He knew there are certain countries that he avoided. Never went to England because we have an extradition treaty with them.
BROWN: Right.
TOOBIN: So, he took the chance of getting caught. He's now caught and he's in a much weaker position. Probably he's going to go to jail.
BROWN: So, John, let me go to the point that Jeff made a second ago. You know, this guy raped a 13-year-old girl. Why is Hollywood rallying behind him?
JOHN RIDLEY, NPC CONTRIBUTOR: Well, two things, very quickly in answer to your previous question, why now, one of the working theories out here, why now, is because as Jeffrey mentioned, Roman Polanski's lawyers have been trying to dismiss this case for a while now. One of the things that they've claimed is that, look, you've never really tried to arrest this guy, so clearly it's not that important to you. I think that the authorities in L.A. working through the government said, OK, we'll show you it's important. We're actually going to pick this guy up.
In terms of why Hollywood is rallying around this guy, I would say some of Hollywood is rallying around this guy. I've been in L.A. all day today and we haven't had the free Roman parade yet. But I do think, you know, Roman Polanski's story is really interwoven with the Los Angeles story. He came here, he made a Seminole film in the bold period, the '68 to the early '70s, Rosemary's Baby.
And then, of course, the horrible -- the Manson murders would happen to his wife, the Tate-LaBianca murders. But then also making "Chinatown," which is the Seminole film about Los Angeles and spoiler alert. The key to that film metaphorically is to spoil the land, to spoil a woman, and then this thing happening which is sort of the harsh white light of Hollywood, the really horrible story of a casting couch in a sense.
So, I think there are a lot of people who feel like here's an individual who represents Hollywood, who's been persecuted by it and has really lived a pretty horrible life and what more can you do to this guy after 30 years when the victim doesn't care anymore, why not let it rest?
BROWN: So even -- even John, if he gets hauled back to L.A., serves time again, I mean, when it's all said and done, you would argue that he'll probably get a major movie deal without problem, right?
RIDLEY: I would say, look, I mean, there are people in Hollywood who have done pretty reprehensible things that are making money out here. I would say that Roman Polanski would probably not have any trouble getting a film deal.
Now, he hasn't made a studio film since "Chinatown" but would he make another film? Would it get distributed through a studio? Absolutely.
BROWN: Before we go on this, this is turning into something much bigger than this conversation. I mean, the French foreign minister today called -- who called the whole thing we said earlier, sinister, has reached out to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton saying you've got to do something about this. I mean, this is turning into an international incident. TOOBIN: Well, I mean, he is a very famous guy, and he is revered in Europe. And, you know, it just seems to be such an insult to Holocaust survivors and to crime victims' families.
Yes, his parents died in the Holocaust. Yes, his wife was murdered and a lot of people in similar situations don't then go rape 13-year-old children. I mean, it's -- you know, you don't get a pass because you've had a sad life.
And I disagree with John in one respect. You know, he's had such a horrendous life. You know, he's lived in Paris for 30 years directing movies. You know, you might want to sign me up for that horrible life. I know you were --
RIDLEY: Jeffrey, I'm not defending.
TOOBIN: I know you weren't.
RIDLEY: I explained the circumstances. Come on.
TOOBIN: I know.
BROWN: I'll give you the last word, John Ridley, on what happened here.
RIDLEY: I would -- I would just say this at the risk of insighting Jeffrey Toobin's ire. I will say this. It is about the people in California, Jeffrey. The people of California are broke. What are we going to do? We're going to prosecute him with IOUs? Let's figure out some other way to deal with this for the moment.
BROWN: That is an entirely separate debate.
TOOBIN: Fair enough.
BROWN: Then we'll take a lot, lot longer than the 20 seconds we have. All right, guys. Many thanks, Jeff Toobin, John Ridley. Good to see you, John. Thanks.
RIDLEY: Thank you.
BROWN: Tonight, you are going to hear from an expert on H1N1 flu who says that the global response has been a failure, and not just because she fell victim to it. We'll explain. Plus, we're going to tell you when you'll be able to get your hands on the first round of swine flu vaccine. That is when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BROWN: The first doses of vaccine for H1N1 flu may be available next week, but will it be arriving in time to protect most Americans? Swine flu is already pretty widespread in about half of the country right now and flu season doesn't officially begin until Sunday. So what do we need to stay healthy here?
Well, I talked to Laurie Garrett. She is a senior fellow for global health and Council on Foreign Relations. She is an expert on pandemics and was recently sick herself with what she believes was swine flu. And we were also joined by Dr. Jorge Rodriguez, a board certified internist. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BROWN: Laurie, let me start with you. You just got over swine flu. Describe it. Describe your symptoms and what it was like for us.
LAURIE GARRETT, COUNCIL ON FOREIGN RELATIONS: It was really deep in my lungs and I felt short of oxygen. And if I climbed a flight of stairs, I was panting. By the time I got to the top of the stairs, it was a little bit like suddenly flying from sea level to a couple mile altitude, and you're sort of gasping for air and there's this feeling in your mind, the combination of the lack of enough oxygen and your immune system psycho-kind (ph) chemicals pumping around in the brain trying to kill off viruses. There was a definite spaced out, dizzy, couldn't finish sentences kind of feeling.
BROWN: And we should mention that it does present or it seems from what we know at least, it presents differently among different groups, for example, hitting pregnant women really hard and young adults really hard. Younger children, though, seem to be experiencing milder symptoms.
GARRETT: I think that there's a range of differences across the board. If you have a history of respiratory infections, asthma, what have you, you may experience it differently from someone like me that's never really had any respiratory problems before.
BROWN: You've written something very provocative in "Newsweek" recently. And that it is that you believe the world's response to swine flu is a failure. Explain what you mean.
GARRETT: When push comes to shove, when something really starts to emerge and circulate around the world, we keep all the vaccines and all the drugs and all the supplies for the rich countries of the world. About a billion doses of H1N1 vaccine have been officially ordered from the drug companies and virtually all that supply is earmarked for 12 rich countries in the world.
We have a global population of 6.5 billion. That means right from the get-go, just with the orders alone we've already said to 5.5 billion human beings, tough luck. It's a good thing that we're experiencing this challenge with a very mild influenza. If this were a really high virulent one, if it were capable of killing two, three percent of the people it infected, we would be looking at a global catastrophe and an ugly one in which the rich world survived and watched the poor world die off in large numbers.
BROWN: All right. Laurie, you say that the flu we're seeing now shows similarities to 1918's deadly flu. Explain what you've looked at here.
GARRETT: Well, last week at the Institute of Medicine in Washington, D.C., a parade of absolutely top scientists presented the latest data, much of which has not yet been published and is not yet generally available to the public. And one of the interesting things we see is that this H1N1, which we know started in North American pigs and jumped from pigs to humans within less than a year's time, actually traces its ancestry to the 1918 pandemic strain. And sometime after 1919, that pandemic strain, which killed somewhere between 80 million and 100 million people worldwide, made its way back into the pig population and for the last several decades has been circulating among swine, mixing with some other types of viruses, some bird virus pieces here, some human pieces there. But the essential components of it are -- can be traced in ancestry to that 1918 strain.
BROWN: Let me turn to Dr. Rodriguez now and get your take, Jorge, on sort of where we are in terms of the here and now. We know the vaccine is going to be available in the U.S. in the next few weeks.
DR. JORGE RODRIGUEZ, INTERNIST: Right.
BROWN: What's the process been like for you as you try to work with the government on getting vaccine to your patients?
RODRIGUEZ: Well, it's been a little bit uncertain and a little bit frustrating. September 1st, us primary care providers were able to get on to the CDC Web site, and we were actually asked certain questions as to how many people we had in our practices in each category, each of the high-risk categories. We submitted that information.
Actually as of now, I still don't know how that vaccine is going to be delivered or distributed or whether we're even going to be getting any, even though I have hundreds of people that qualifies for the vaccine. So it's still very questionable and I don't really have a good answer to give to my patients who are asking when are we going to get the swine flu vaccine. So it's frustrating.
BROWN: In terms of what you're seeing with your patients, a lot of cases at this stage or do you feel like the worst is still to come?
RODRIGUEZ: Oh, I definitely feel that out here in California the worst is still to come. I have probably two people over the last two days who have what is probably swine flu. Like Laurie said, it's come to the point where we don't really test for swine flu because it isn't necessary. Ninety-eight percent of the cases that are being seen is swine flu, and by the time you get the results back, you should have treat it anyway.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BROWN: Laurie Garrett there and Dr. Jorge Rodriguez. And for the latest on H1N1, go to CNN.com/health.
We are putting health care claims to our truth test tonight. Here's one, true or false. In some states it is legal to deny a woman coverage if she is a victim of domestic violence? The answer to that coming up. And then later, did you know you can get in hot water with your credit card company based on where you shop. Being a bargain hunter could actually hurt you. We will explain when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BROWN: Tomorrow, one of the biggest questions in the battle over health care reform could be put to the test. Members of the Senate Finance Committee may vote on whether to include that government-run public option in their version of the bill.
And still lots of misinformation out there. So tonight, once again, we are trying to separate truth from fiction. And joining us to help us do that is Bill Adair. He is the editor of the Pulitzer Prize-winning PolitiFact.com, who has been here a time or two now to help us try to sort all this out.
Bill, appreciate you being here tonight. First question for you, the president has taken a lot of heat over the cost of this plan. Now, he's also being questioned over tax hikes specifically to try to pay for it.
And you looked at a new web ad specifically from the Republican Party just out today, saying that part of the Democrat's plan proposes a tax on not having health insurance. So, true or false? What's the verdict here?
BILL ADAIR, POLITIFACT.COM: That one gets a true on our truth-o- meter on PolitiFact. And indeed, one of the basic concepts of the Democratic health proposals is that it would require people to have health insurance similar to in many states where you have to have auto insurance. Same concept, but they have to have a mechanism to do that. So they would do it by levying a tax if you don't get health insurance. So -- but the Republican ad is right, so that one gets a true on our truth-o-meter.
BROWN: All right, Bill. One of the other big points being debated, they key components of reform would be to prohibit insurance companies from denying people insurance due to pre-existing conditions. We've heard a lot about that.
Well, recently, the first lady made a statement that had a lot of us going, wow, if this is true, this is pretty stunning. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHELLE OBAMA, FIRST LADY OF THE UNITED STATES: In some states it is still legal to deny a woman coverage because she's been the victim of domestic violence.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: And what's the verdict there?
ADAIR: That one also gets a true on the truth-o-meter. And like you, we were surprised by that. When you hear that, it's just -- you're amazed that states would still allow domestic violence to be considered a pre-existing condition.
But she's right. It actually goes back to 1995 or so. There was a lot of attention about this and most states passed laws prohibiting that, but there are about eight or nine that have not yet passed it. The insurance industry says for its role that it wants the states to pass those laws and there don't appear to be a lot of cases like this. But the first lady is right, and she gets a true on the truth-o-meter.
BROWN: All right. Bill, on another note, in addition to all the fact checking you are doing for us now, you're also hosting a contest to name President Obama's health care plan, presumably because even that has been a source of some confusion out there. And I went to the administration's Web site and they're calling it health insurance reform. Not very clever, I guess. But what names are you getting?
ADAIR: Well, from supporters we're getting "pay less, die less" was one idea we kind of liked. "Save the frails" and then kind of a mash-up, "Yeswecare!." So those are probably our three favorites so far from supporters of the president's health care plan.
BROWN: All right. Bill, we will maybe next time we'll have time to do what the opponents are pitching you on. I'm guessing they're also equally clever but probably not as flattering.
Bill Adair for us tonight. Bill, thanks for your time. Appreciate it.
ADAIR: Thanks, Campbell.
BROWN: When we come back, your credit card company may be tracking everything you buy and where, then cutting your credit because of it. That is tonight's "Breakout" when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BROWN: Tonight's "Breakout," a look at how closely your credit card company is watching your every move. Gerri Willis has the story. Check it out.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KEVIN JOHNSON, HAD CREDIT LIMIT SLASHED: How are you doing? I'm Kevin Johnson.
GERRI WILLIS, CNN PERSONAL FINANCE EDITOR (voice-over): Kevin Johnson is an entrepreneur, candidate for office.
JOHNSON: Running for state representative.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hi.
WILLIS: And according to American Express, a credit risk. Coming home from his honeymoon last year, he was shocked to find Amex had cut his credit limit from over $10,000 to just $3,800. JOHNSON: I've done a very good job of being responsible, making sure that I pay my bills on time.
WILLIS: Even more surprising, one of the four reasons Amex gave for the decision. Other customers who have used their cards at establishments where you recently shopped have a poor repayment history with American Express.
JOHNSON: I was shocked when I read it, because I didn't know that companies could actually assess your credit worthiness based on others around you.
WILLIS: With more than 10 percent of credit card customers defaulting on their debt, credit card issuers are trying to weed out the risky ones. How? By looking for changes in the way we shop.
ROBERT MANNING, AUTHOR, "CREDIT CARD NATION": You're shopping from a middle or upper tier retail store and suddenly it shows a purchase at a dollar store, some form of downshifting, suddenly shopping at Walmart.
WILLIS: Those red flags can lead to a deeper look at your behavior.
MANNING: And if you suddenly started exhibiting new consumer behavior and then you've made three or four purchases in a row at a local bar, that would raise some flags that maybe there's some impending financial crisis.
WILLIS: For its part, Amex says, "We don't look at and never have looked at where someone shops to make a line reduction. The primary factor is someone's overall debt level, and we also look at payment history with us, credit reports and FICO scores."
Banking industry sources say credit scores are still the most important tool in predicting consumer behavior, but those scores don't reflect sudden life changes like job loss or divorce.
JEFF SLAWSKY, CREDIT CARD INDUSTRY EXPERT: All they can do is look at the actual volumes and transactions that are coming in and see changes in that pattern.
WILLIS: For Kevin Johnson, the experience has motivated him to get involved and perhaps change the way banks work.
JOHNSON: No one should be penalized for the actions of others.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BROWN: Gerri Willis there with tonight's "Breakout."
"LARRY KING LIVE" starts in a few moments. His special guest tonight, Moammar Gadhafi. And coming up next, tonight's "Guilty Pleasure." The story we just can't resist.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) BROWN: Mike Galanos back now with tonight's "Guilty Pleasure." The story we couldn't resist.
Mike, what have you got?
MIKE GALANOS, HLN PRIME NEWS: Everyone is talking about it. The debut of Jenny Slate, new cast member, "Saturday Night Live." In her debut, she drops the "F" bomb. Let's check it out.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's biker chitchat with Dawn.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Welcome to Biker Chick Chat, I'm Dawn. I do me. This is my show. Either love it or change the freaking channel. My freaking co-host freaking love you. Are you freaking (INAUDIBLE) right now? My freaking best friend, Donna (ph). Freaking, freaking (bleep) and I (bleep) love you for that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GALANOS: There's your reaction. Not going to be fired for that, though. There it is.
BROWN: You know, even at that hour I guess they're not going to let that one slide. All right.
GALANOS: That's what saved her.
BROWN: She wasn't fired, though, right, Mike?
GALANOS: No. Not fired.
BROWN: OK.
GALANOS: That's what saved her, the late hour.
BROWN: Have a good one. We'll see you tomorrow.
That's it everybody. "LARRY KING LIVE" right now.
