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Campbell Brown
Bombing Kills 61 in Baghdad Mosque; Search Suspended in Oil Rig Blast
Aired April 23, 2010 - 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.
Tonight, the stark divide in this country over immigration. Late this afternoon, Arizona's governor signed that very controversial bill that requires law enforcement to question anybody they even suspect might be in this country illegally. Crowds of protesters are still flooding the streets in Phoenix. You can see the pictures there. And President Obama jumping into the fray today, blasting the bill. So, does this mean nationwide reform will now be pushed to the top of his agenda? We'll talk about that tonight.
Another hot topic, is America a Christian nation? That question prompted by the raging controversy over, of all things, the National Day of Prayer. Just yesterday, the army disinvited evangelist Franklin Graham from the Pentagon's event. Graham has made some pretty controversial comments about Islam, some on this show, actually, where he called it a very violent religion. So, is America really one nation under God?
And on a very different note tonight, the supermodel who is taking potshots at celebrity plastic surgeries. Paulina Porizkova is here with some very candid and surprising thoughts on true beauty. Lots to get to tonight, but we begin with your chit sheet for today's top stories, "The Mash-Up."
Our number one international story, the deadliest day of the year in Iraq, at least 61 people died, more than 100 were wounded in a wave of bombings in Baghdad and nearby Anbar province.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Just days after the killings of the two top al Qaeda leaders in Iraq, a wave of bombings have left dozens dead in Baghdad and neighboring Anbar province.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mangled cars, buses clogging the streets outside two mosques, party headquarters and a market. At least 58 people were killed and nearly 200 were injured.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No one has claimed responsibility, but experts say the attacks are characteristically al Qaeda.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right now, there are major concerns that the Iraqi security forces are not up to the task of protecting the citizenry here, and they are wondering if al Qaeda in Iraq is resurgent and will strike again in the coming days.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: And as we just said, today's attacks did target Shiite, prompting new fears of growing sectarian bloodshed.
And our top domestic story, the coastguard calls off the search for 11 workers missing since an oil rig exploded off the coast of Louisiana on Tuesday. 115 crewmembers escaped the burning platform, though, four were critically hurt. Meanwhile, cleanup crews are working around the clock to try to prevent an environmental disaster.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: We have just learned that the coastguard is now suspending the search for the 11 people who were missing.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And cleanup crews spent the day trying to keep the 12-mile-long oil slick from the rig from reaching shore.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This has the potential to be a major spill.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We did see crews hard at work, trying to clean up and contain the spill. In the distance down there, one of seven skimmer boats. The skimmers suck oily water from the surface. The coastguard is confident that it can be contained.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The potential is catastrophic, you know. They're saying they don't get a handle on it, and it continues to spew, tens of thousands of gallons of product a day, and the winds push it inland, we could have some real challenges in the fishing community.
(ENDVIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: The coastguard says it will resume the search for the missing workers if ships in the area spot any sign of them.
And our big political story, Sarah Palin takes the stand. The former Alaska governor and one-time vice presidential candidate testified today against a 22-year-old accused of hacking into her personal yahoo e-mail account during the 2008 campaign. David Kernell is the son of a democratic state lawmaker down in Tennessee. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Palin told jurors that she didn't know that her account had been accessed, and that personal information had been posted on a public website until it was reported in the media.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Todd and I were on the road campaigning, she said. We were in a hotel room in Michigan, and across the TV came news that my e-mail account had been hacked. We saw screen shots of my personal e-mails, phone numbers, and personal pictures of my children.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: David Kernell's lawyer has said posting the e-mails on Facebook was never anything more than a prank. Outside the serious courtroom, Kernell is quick to joke.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What did you think about Ms. Palin?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Not my type.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: Kernell could face up to 50 years in federal prison if he is convicted of identity theft, mail fraud, and other felony charges.
And there is a new kid at Riverdale High School. That is the story that's getting a lot of buzz tonight, and it is, belief it or not, from the world of comic book. Remember, Archie, Jughead, Betty and Veronica? They have a new pal to hang out with, and he is gay. Kevin Keller is the first gay character in the history of Archie comic books. He debuts this fall in a story titled "Isn't it bromantic." The CEO of Archie comics says it just makes sense to have an openly gay character.
And that brings us to your Friday night punch line. Tonight, Jimmy Kimmel bringing us the funny side of financial reform.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JIMMY KIMMEL, HOST: The president was in New York today asking stock market officials and executives from the major banks to stop resisting financial reforms, but I tell you what, it really didn't seem like these guys were listening.
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Some, and let me be clear, not all, but some on Wall Street forgot that behind every dollar traded --
La la la la la la la
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: Jimmy Kimmel, everybody. And that is "The Mash-Up."
Coming up, demonstrators out in force in Arizona. The hotly debated immigration bill now the toughest law in the country. We'll talk about that when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BROWN: Today, the governor of Arizona signed into law the toughest crackdown on illegal immigrants in the country. It has been a highly inflammatory few weeks. Thousands of people for and against turning out at rallies this afternoon. You can definitely put President Obama in the against column here. He has called Arizona's move irresponsible.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OBAMA: Our failure to act responsibly at the federal level will only open the door to irresponsibility by others. And that includes, for example, the recent efforts in Arizona, which threaten to undermine basic notions of fairness that we cherish as Americans.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: The Arizona law requires immigrants to carry registration documents at all times and police must question and arrest anyone they think could be illegal. Critics say it's certain to lead to racial profiling. And Casey Wian has been following the dramatic events down in Phoenix for us. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GOV. JAN BREWER, (R)ARIZONA: I will now sign senate bill 1070.
CASEY WIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Arizona governor, Jan Brewer, signed into law the nation's toughest measure aimed at cracking down on illegal immigration over the objections of hundreds of protesters who surrounded the state capitol for several days.
BREWER: Though many people disagree, I firmly believe it represents what's best for Arizona.
WIAN: Protesters claim the bill will lead to racial profile by police officers enforcing its most controversial provision. They will be required in many cases to check the immigration status of anyone they believe is in the United States illegally. Some opponents were angry, others just sad.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I started crying. I started thinking about my family and my friends, about everything that is going to happen, about how things are going to change from now on.
WIAN: Brewer says she will enforce state laws against racial profiling with as much vigor as she enforces the new law making illegal immigration a state crime.
BREWER: People across America are watching Arizona. Seeing how we implement this law. Ready to jump on even the slightest misstep.
WIAN: Many opponents aren't even waiting for that. The governor says she's been warned to expect lawsuits challenging the constitutionality of the bill and to expect them soon.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BROWN: And once again, we've got live pictures coming at you from Phoenix right now. We also have Casey Wian who has been down there covering this nonstop. And Casey, talk to us a little bit about how they are preparing to enforce the law given that they're likely going to anticipate these legal challenges. How do they address that?
WIAN (on-camera): Well, the first thing it's important to point out is this law is not actually going to go into effect until probably late July or early August. It goes into effect 90 days after the current legislative session ends, and it's just wrapping up. Now, what the governor said she is going to do, she is issuing an executive order directing the little known state energy called the peace officer standards and training boards to train law enforcement officers throughout the state of Arizona as to what constitutes reasonable suspicion under this law and what does not.
Very concerned about potential racial profiling. She says she is going to go after that if it happens just as hard as she is going to go after illegal immigrants. The organization, the Mexican-American Legal Defense and Education Fund, MALDEF, already have put the governor on notice today that they are planning to challenge this law in court. So, there are many legal hurdles to overcome, still. The governor trying to dot her I's and cross her T's to make sure this law withstands these legal challenges -- Campbell.
BROWN: All right. Casey Wian for us tonight from Phoenix. Casey, thank you very much.
Up next, President Obama says he doesn't like what is going on in Arizona, so will he now push for immigration reform to move higher up the agenda at the national level? We'll talk about that when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BROWN: Now that Arizona's strict illegal immigration law is reality, what comes next? Comprehensive reform on the federal level was one of President Obama's major campaign promises, but Arizona Governor, Jan Brewer, said time was up. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BREWER: We in Arizona have been more than patient waiting for Washington to act. But decades of federal inaction and misguided policy have created a dangerous and unacceptable situation.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: So, will the White House now push to get a national immigration bill passed? Smack-dab in the middle of an election year? We'll talk about that now with Republican strategist, Leslie Sanchez, also Syndicated columnist and CNN contributor, Miguel Perez, and Mark Halperin, "Time" magazine senior political analyst joining us as well.
Leslie, let me start with you here. You were in an RNC meeting with Hispanic elected officials this afternoon. What was the reaction in the room when it was clear to everybody that the governor was going to sign this?
LESLIE SANCHEZ, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: Yes, I know, we definitely got the CNN breaking news alert. I will tell you it felt like a collective punch in the stomach to many of these Hispanic Republicans who were there. These are folks who've been working very hard within the Republican Party as elected officials to build the base and build the support. And it's not because immigration is the top issue, top of mind issues for Latinos.
As much as it is, we fear that the rhetoric around this debate is going to make it look as if it's anti-Latino and it's coming from Republicans. That's not the case. The case here you have a state of Arizona that's been in a state of emergency, that needs action on the federal level and has taken an extreme measure that is a very poor choice.
BROWN: Mark, Leslie may be against this. The Republicans she was with today may be against this. But you know who wasn't? John McCain. And what a turnaround that is from somebody who championed immigration reform.
MARK HALPERIN, SR. POLITICAL ANALYST, TIME MAGAZINE: Nothing more symbols the state of the Republican Party and the state of John McCain than his position on this. You cannot do immigration reform at the national level without it being bipartisan. President Bush knew that. Senator McCain knew it.
The reason why I think the White House doesn't plan to push this year and recognizes it would be folly to push it is because the Republican Party right now is largely captive to forces who are totally opposed to the kind of, quote/unquote "comprehensive reform" that President Obama and Democratic leaders who insist on. It's an absolute loggerheads, and I don't think it can be broken before the election.
BROWN: But those -- is the party really divided or is it really dominated by the tea party people who are clearly in support of that?
HALPERIN: The action and the energy is dominated by the tea party movement and other conservatives. And it would require -- to get this done would require a lot of Republicans in Washington to stand up to that wing of the party that has all the energy and say you know what? This is in the best interests of the country, not just to pursue the kind of reform that the president wants, but to work with the president. That is something hard to do on any issue. On this issue, such an emotional issue, I just don't see it any time soon.
BROWN: Miguel, should the president, I mean, he spoke out today, but it was kind of the 11th hour. I mean, did you want to hear from him on this a lot sooner, frankly?
MIGUEL PEREZ, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Absolutely. I think the president has waited too long. I think he has already sent the justice department to Arizona to investigate what's going on there. It's a clear violation of my constitutional right. As you know, Campbell, I have an accent. What's going to happen to me when I go to Arizona in the future? If I dress down and I hang out in a Hispanic neighborhood somewhere, could I be arrested, put under suspicion of being an illegal immigrant just because I have an accent?
This is what's likely to happen in Arizona. Am I going to need a passport to travel to one of the 50 states of the union from now on? This is a violation of my civil rights as an American citizen. I'm a legal American citizen, and there's a lot of legal citizens around the country, immigrants around the country right now who are threatened by this. Why? Because they're targeting not illegal immigrants anymore, they're going after legal immigrants with this.
BROWN: With the requirements it has. Go ahead, Leslie, sorry.
SANCHEZ: The fearful part is, yes, we don't want to be at the point of, you know, stop and show us your papers. I think that's the extreme argument that some are going to make, and that's the part that people fear. But let's look at this --
BROWN: But you can't do that given what this bill calls for and lays out. I mean, that's legal now.
SANCHEZ: Right. And this is a measure that was pushed before. Let's not forget what the crisis is. Along the border, especially in Arizona, there is an extreme crisis. Don't forget there was a state of emergency declared by then Governor Napolitano, by Governor Bill Richardson. It's talking about the need to seal the border, to do something about the immigration issue. The positive side of this, at least, it's back on the agenda to talk about it. The president said it was going to be a priority.
You're seeing from the Hispanic groups and the Hispanic caucus, there is frustration he did no make it such. And I think the president has bunted the ball. He pushed it over to speaker Pelosi. She said she pushed it over to the Senate and Harry Reid. Harry Reid can pass a bailout and TARP. He can certainly do something for the working folks and find the solution for this immigration reform plan to stop the crisis in these border states.
BROWN: Mark, Leslie mentioned Harry Reid. I mean, he did say that he wants to push it to the top of the agenda prior to the midterms. Is that just, you know, campaign BS?
HALPERIN: I think he has problems back home. He needs a large Hispanic turnout in order to hold his Senate seat. So, I don't normally like to project motives on to people, but I think Senator Reid is thinking about his home state. And I also think that there is a sentiment amongst the Democrats in Congress that this is an important thing to do, even if they fail. The White House disagrees. The White House thinks it's inevitable that it would fail this year. As much as the president cares about the issue, the votes just aren't there. They don't see the point of getting the worse of both worlds, pushing on immigration and the way it won't (ph) claim the right and not getting a comprehensive law.
BROWN: And is he going to pay a price for that?
PEREZ: Harry Reid, I just wrote a column saying adios to Harry because, again, he goes back and forth.
BROWN: But also the president.
PEREZ: Oh, absolutely, but he has more time. See, Harry Reid is the example now. He -- in Nevada, Latino voters can express their anger by taking it out on Harry Reid in the midterm elections and that's likely to happen now. I mean, you know, he really needs the Hispanic vote in his state. He also needs to bring in Democrats who are against immigration reform. It's not just the Republicans. There are Democrats who are against immigration reform. So, Harry Reid is caught in the middle. He has to bring in these people, and he has to --
BROWN: Right.
PEREZ: And he's making all kinds of promises to the Hispanic community, just like the president. So, what I said in my column is look, we have some time. The president, I agree with you. This is not going to happen this year. It's definitely not going to happen this year. But we have to start putting pressure on Obama to start doing something before he runs for reelection this 2012.
BROWN: Leslie, we're out of time. Thank you very much, Leslie Sanchez, Mark Halperin, and Miguel, good to have you here as well. Appreciate it.
Coming up tonight, we are also going to show you why Reverend Franklin Graham's comments to me on this program helped get him disinvited from an appearance at the Pentagon. And that's not the only story this week that has us asking is America a Christian nation. That, when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BROWN: The Pentagon is now rescinding its invitation to the Reverend Franklin Graham to come and speak next month because of things that he said to me and others about Islam, calling it a violent religion. Graham reaffirmed his controversial views during our interview in December. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REV. FRANKLIN GRAHAM, EVANGELIST: Islam cannot be practiced in this country. You can't beat your wife. You cannot murder your children if you think they've committed adultery or something like that, which they do practice in these other countries.
BROWN: And that's true Islam to you?
GRAHAM: If you're a Muslim and you change your religion, you can be killed. Your family can kill you. They can warn you, but if you don't come back, they can take your life. And that is a threat many of these people live under Islam.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: The defense department worried those comments could be used to encourage attacks on U.S. troops overseas. Graham's visit was set for May 6th, the National Day of Prayer. And that day, itself, is now in the middle of a legal fight. Just yesterday, the Obama administration appealed a federal judge's ruling that the official observance of a National Day of Prayer is unconstitutional. And last week, Sarah Palin jumped in to the debate, pointing to the founding fathers as proof America is a Christian nation. So are we? Tom Forman tonight with a look at those who think that God and the country are one and the same.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In the beginning, there was a wall, a mighty barrier built by the founding fathers to separate church and state, block one from meddling in the affairs of the other.
UNIDENTIFIED STUDENTS: I pledge of allegiance to the flag --
FOREMAN: In school, we're taught that's what makes our country special. But what if that wall never existed? What if it's a myth conjured up in our lifetime to mask a greater truth, that America was conceived as a Christian nation.
STEPHEN MCDOWELL, SPIRITUAL HERITAGE TOURS: The bible is the central most important influence in the birth, growth, and development of the United States. Without the bible and God of the bible, there would be no America as we know it today.
FOREMAN: These people are on a spiritual heritage tour of Washington, D.C. At every stop, they see proof of God's hand at work in American history.
MCDOWELL: In 1805, Abraham Lincoln's mother and father went to a camp meeting in Kentucky --
FOREMAN: But now they say, God is no longer welcome in Washington, and America is suffering for it.
PASTOR ROD PARSLEY, WORLD HARVEST CHURCH: How can I remain silent when the founding base of our nation is driven from the marketplace of ideas?
FOREMAN: From the sanctuary of his Ohio megachurch, the man known as the raging prophet charges into battle.
PARSLEY: How can I sit quietly by while the very words our founding fathers intended to protect faith are used to destroy it, owing to a horrible perversion of language and law, the same first amendment that is supposed to bar government from restricting belief is used to drive Christianity from the public square.
FOREMAN: Pastor Rod Parsley believes American history has been twisted to advance a secular agenda. He calls that fabled wall an urban legend. So, where does the phrase come from? The constitution decrees that Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting in the free exercise thereof. And it was Thomas Jefferson who said that created, quote, "a wall of separation between church and state."
FOREMAN (on-camera): What does separation of church and state then mean to you?
PARSLEY: I don't think they intended for the government to interfere in the church. I certainly don't think it was a surrendering of our citizenship to express religious faith.
FOREMAN (voice-over): Parsley is one of an increasingly vocal and influential group of Christian conservatives who claim America was built on biblical principles by devout men of faith. The church they insist was expected to be politically active.
PARSLEY: The founding of our nation was upon the Judeo Christian world ethic. We've got to get back in the game and stand up for the accuracy and the authenticity of the purely biblical world view.
FOREMAN (on-camera): There are a lot of people, as you know, who feel like Christians are too much in the game of politics right now.
PARSLEY: And I would simply disagree with that.
FOREMAN (voice-over): Critics denounce the pastor's views as dangerous revisionist history, designed to create an intolerant Christian government. But to Parsley, a secular left is trying to demonize and demoralize an increasingly powerful Christian right.
PARSLEY: If you sing "Onward Christian Soldier" in your Sunday school class, all of a sudden folks want to label you as a jihadist and say that you're fighting for a theocracy. Nothing could be further from the truth.
FOREMAN: Maybe not, but Parsley is no agent of tolerance. He's railed against homosexuals, denounced Islam as a faith that fully intends to conquer the world. His activist Christianity is hardly one size fits all.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That God is the author of history.
FOREMAN: In Washington, after a full day of touring, a new sense of purpose.
DIANE EVANS, TOURIST: I would like to see God be the very foundation of everything we do in public and civic life.
FOREMAN: Another soldier in Rod Parsley's army of the righteous.
PARSLEY: I must speak now because God is still watching.
FOREMAN: Tom Foreman, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CAMPBELL BROWN, CNN ANCHOR: Coming up, we're going to show you why some friends across the pond are just now learning the power of mixing television and politics. And our favorite story of the day also coming up. The video we just couldn't get enough of, a dog hero that gives Lassie a run for the money.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BROWN: See if this sounds familiar. Two candidates locking horns in the battle to leave the country. A third-party candidate ready to play spoiler and television playing a bigger role than ever.
It is not the next race for the White House, but the campaign for British prime minister. And they are trying something brand new for Britain, televised debate, something we've had here for nearly 50 years. CNN's Robin Oakley shows us why it is a game-changer for politics, British-style.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROBIN OAKLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Now shake hands. Participants ending the second debate were told. Labour Prime Minister Gordon Brown and David Cameron, leader of the main opposition conservatives, would rather have gripped Nick Clegg warmly by the throat. The Liberal Democrat leader, the third man in British politics, is wrecking what has traditionally been a two-party game.
GORDON BROWN, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: Will you continue to fund the police?
DAVID CAMERON, CONSERVATIVE PARTY: Yes, of course. Let me give you an example. Let me give you --
BROWN: Will you match our funding on the police? The answer is no.
NICK CLEGG, LIBERAL DEMOCRATS: Not if you're like me, but the more they attack each other, the more they sound exactly the same.
OAKLEY: Clegg dominated the first TV debate, deriding the other two representing the old politics and catapulting himself to public attention. One poll made him the most popular politician since Winston Churchill.
(on camera): Why such a leap forward? After the last corrupt parliament, dominated by stories of lawmakers' expenses (INAUDIBLE), the public wants change. It's hard for Gordon Brown's Labour after 13 years in office to be seen as the agents of change. Yet after two years, leading the opinion polls, Cameron somehow hasn't sealed the deal with the public either.
(voice-over): Clegg, normally shouted down by the big parties in parliament, used the TV debates to seize the mantle of change. If he keeps it, the whole shape of British politics and policy could change.
Labour in red, currently holds 345 seats in the House of Commons. The conservatives in blue, 193. And the Liberal Democrats in yellow, 63. The rest are held by smaller parties.
If the Lib Dems score significantly then no party will have more than half the 650 seats, and it will be a hung parliament. One of the big two will either have to govern as a minority, or seek a coalition with Mr. Clegg. That's why Brown is representing himself as the voice of experience.
BROWN: Like me or not, I can deliver that plan.
OAKLEY: And it's why Cameron is warning the British public a hung parliament could panic the financial markets, imperil the pound and see interest rates soar.
CAMERON: One of the problems with a hung parliament and coalition-forming is there's quite a lot of bickering going on already.
OAKLEY: The television debates, the first ever, have brought British politics alive. They've changed the rules of the game, and probably the game itself.
Robin Oakley, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BROWN: And coming up, a supermodel lashes out against celebrities who go under the knife to fix their faces and their bodies.
But first, Joe Johns has tonight's "Download." from Washington. Hey, Joe.
JOE JOHNS, CNN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT: Campbell, just in tonight. Homeland Security Secretary and former Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano weighing in on the tough new immigration measure signed into law in her home state. Napolitano says the Arizona immigration law would hinder federal law enforcement from carrying out its priorities in detaining and removing dangerous criminal aliens. She says reform should be passed on the federal level because the issue cannot be solved by a patchwork of inconsistent state laws.
Today, Arizona Governor Jan Brewer signed into law the toughest legislation against illegal immigration. Hundreds of protesters surrounding the state capitol, arguing the new law could violate people's civil rights. Inside the capitol, the governor said she would not tolerate racial profiling by the police. The bill requires immigrants to carry their registration documents at all times.
This word also just coming in. A staggering judgment against the Boy Scouts of America. An Oregon jury awarding $18.5 million in damages to a former scout sexually abused by a former scoutmaster in the 1980s. That scoutmaster admitted molesting 17 boys. The award is believed to be the largest ever against the organization.
And as the country was sinking into its worst financial crisis in more than 70 years, Securities and Exchange Commission employees are accused of surfing the web for porn instead of solutions. An internal investigation by the Securities and Exchange Commission revealed employees and contractors cruised porn sites on government computers. An SEC spokesman says employees implicated in the scandal have been disciplined, suspended, or dismissed for their actions. And now if you have a dog, you got to believe in miracles. In Caswell Lakes, Alaska, a guy working in his tool shed sparks a fire. He actually tells his dog Buddy to go get help. Buddy is a shy dog, but he knows what help means.
Now, watch this. State troopers responding to a call about a fire spot the German shepherd, and they follow him to the burning building and Buddy's owner. This dash cam video follows the dog as the pooch races to reach his owner in distress. Mission accomplished. The dog's owner suffered minor burns to his face, but it sure could have been a lot worse if it weren't for Buddy. And boy, that really does sound just like Lassie.
BROWN: Wow.
JOHNS: Isn't that amazing?
BROWN: Yes, no kidding.
JOHNS: Yes.
BROWN: That is quite a pup. All right, Joe Johns for us tonight. Joe, thanks very much.
Coming up, the story that is all the buzz in Hollywood tonight. A supermodel taking aim at some big-time stars who have gone under the knife in a new column that is rocketing around the Internet. Paulina Porizkova scolds Madonna and Kate Hudson for not keeping it real. She joins me next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BROWN: One of the most beautiful women in the world is creating quite a stir with a new column blasting the plastic surgery boom in Hollywood. 45-year-old supermodel Paulina Porizkova says she is seeing far too many stars go under the knife these days, and her tipping point was the rumor that actress Kate Hudson had gotten breast implants. Porizkova blogged that she was heartbroken that Hudson felt the need to go bigger. She also singled out the likes of Madonna and actress Heidi Montag. And it all set off quite a media firestorm.
I spoke with Paulina earlier today.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BROWN: Stirring up a little I don't know out there right now with this blog.
PAULINA PORIZJOVA, MODEL & BLOGGER: Getting some mileage out of this blog, yes.
BROWN: So let me point out a little bit of what you write. That the ability and ease of transforming our bodies is completely losing our identities and our uniqueness. To me, though, that doesn't really get at why. Why? What's driving this? Why are all women trying to look the same? PORIZKOVA: You know what? My blog was actually sort of posing that question why as well. I don't know why. If I did know why, I would have -- I would have clearly stated that this is why I think it is so.
When I wrote the blog, it was merely sort of a reaction to, you know, sitting and watching, like gossip news go by on TV and seeing somebody who I think is so beautiful changing herself. And I think why? Why would you want to do that? You're perfect. Why would you want to change perfection to a different kind of perfection? And it sort of just got me thinking about how -- how we all have to sort of look the same now.
BROWN: So what is -- what is by the definition of what you were looking at, what is the ideal woman today?
PORIZKOVA: Well, it seems that she has a size C chest. She has a small waist. She has hips, she has butt, she has perfect legs. She's probably sort of semi-blond, and she is no older than 23.
BROWN: But let me put this at you. I think there are a lot of people would say that you are part of the problem. And by that, I mean, you, Paulina the model, you know, of the '80s who sort of dominated magazine covers. That industry set the standard, and that there's no sort of putting the genie back in the bottle that that has just thrown at women for years now that this is what we have to look like.
PORIZKOVA: Right. And you know what? I sort of agree with that. I mean, to be held up as a prototype of feminine beauty is -- it's odd, and it's a little awkward for those of us who actually do the job because that's not why we're not doing it. You know, we were told by somebody, hey, you're pretty. Do you want a million bucks? We're not going to say no.
BROWN: So would you, let me ask you this. Would you never then get botox? Would you never get plastic surgery? I mean, even you're in this industry that demands a certain level of perfection.
PORIZKOVA: I am. And I am, you know, a former supermodel. I'm a woman who was supposed to be really good-looking. And I wake up every morning, look in the mirror and I see all the wrinkles and I see all the -- I see the sags. I see the things that I don't really like. And I think, well, you know what? Yes, you can have it taken care of. You can. But then it's no longer -- it's no longer me. I mean, in a way, I've kind of earned it.
BROWN: You also pointed to Madonna as somebody that disappointed you.
PORIZKOVA: Yes, as an example. As an example of somebody who is so powerful now that she has stopped aging altogether. She has stopped it and reversed it. In fact, she looks younger than me now. And I think -- I think it's kind of breathtaking. I can't but to sort of admire her for it. And I can see a lot of other women my age that do as well. And they look to her and they go, well, she has stopped it. So --
BROWN: I can stop it?
PORIZKOVA: I have to stop it. I can stop it, therefore, I have to. I would just love to be presented with OK, have Madonna. You know, have the Nordic blond part, if you want over here, but then can we have some beautiful women that actually do dare to age? I'd love to have those as well and I'm not --
BROWN: Are there any? Can you think of anyone that you admire because they're aging gracefully right now?
PORIZKOVA: I think Diane Keaton still looks pretty realistic. I think she's still frowning.
BROWN: Finally, I guess, what about the question, though, of women having the right to, you know, that you could argue we've come a long way, baby, in terms of having the right to do whatever we want with our bodies, meaning get it fixed if you can get it fixed or not.
PORIZKOVA: Yes. You know --
BROWN: Choosing to be what we want to be.
PORIZKOVA: I absolutely agree that your body was -- you know, your body is the only thing you truly own. So go ahead and do whatever you want to it. My point is merely when we all start doing exactly the same things to our bodies that make us all look the same, why? Why don't we want to stand out? Why don't we want to be unique? Why are we afraid to look different? Why are we afraid to stand up and say something different and perhaps scandalize a few people?
BROWN: Well, you have, apparently so. Paulina Porizkova, it's nice to have you here. Appreciate it.
PORIZKOVA: Thank you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BROWN: Coming up, "M2." Mary Matalin and Roland Martin getting into a very hairy situation.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BROWN: It's time tonight for "M2" with Mary Matalin and Roland Martin. Mary joins us from the nation's capital and Roland is in Chicago.
Guys, what have you got?
MARY MATALIN, CCN POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, Campbell, we do got what everybody else got, which is SCOTUS buzz. You love (INAUDIBLE) SCOTUS, of course, being the Supreme Court abbreviation or whatever that thing is called.
So, I don't know, Roland. I mean, every time this come up everyone is breathless like it's going to be a giant fight.
ROLAND MARTIN, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Right.
MATALIN: In the last several of them, they've become so choreographered (ph), choreographed in this.
MARTIN: Right.
MATALIN: That they're so well organized. And this president doesn't want a fight. And he's not going to pick somebody that's going to go up there and get everybody all gassed up and already volatile.
MARTIN: Right.
MATALIN: So --
MARTIN: Mary, the day of great Supreme Court battles in the Senate are gone. I mean, you had Bork. You had Clarence Thomas. Those are gone because you're right, there are lessons learned from that. Either side doesn't want to do that. But also, I mean, the last few picks, they've been replacing people who are similar on the court. The real issue is going to be when you have a Republican president and a liberal member steps down or if you're going to have a conservative court member step down under a Democratic president. That's the only time we're really going to see a big fight.
MATALIN: Move on, Roland.
MATALIN: Well, look, Mary, speaking of being shamed, look, I mean I would hope even the Republican -- I'm sorry, a libertarian like you would think the people in Arizona are totally nut jobs. The House of Representatives in Arizona passed a bill 31-22 requiring the next president to show their birth certificate. They have taken this wingnut argument and have actually -- and are trying to make it law. This is just dumb.
MATALIN: I don't disagree with you, Mr. Martin, not at all. However, I think the concentration of it by those who would be against constitutional conservatives, which is what I am, I'm a libertarian for zoning. So I'm really just a constitutional conservative. And I'm more of a tenther (ph), which I think is being tossed around as a pejorative. But I would rather be discussing the tenth amendment than some new birthing thing. I agree. I'm not -- I think that the House will regret having taken such an effort. There is not that many people that are into this.
MARTIN: And you know what, Mary, and these people are running around. Look, I say the people sent me e-mails, they got mad. I'm like, you know what? The people still walk around questioning whether he's an American, or still questioning if he's a Muslim? I'm sorry, they're stupid. People say oh, don't call Americans that. But this is just dumb.
MATALIN: All right.
MARTIN: The people who run around with that.
MATALIN: I don't question that he is an American. I question if he is a capitalist. I question if he is for free markets. I question if he wants to keep our separation of powers.
MARTIN: That's that birther nonsense.
MATALIN: The way we used to. OK, here's another story you brought to my attention.
MARTIN: Yes.
MATALIN: There's another one that gassed you up. The Six Flags, I guess they fired or let go some employees for their hair being done in dreads, which is part of their policy. They have a restriction on the kinds of colors and what you can do with your hair. Why is this culturally insensitive?
MARTIN: Well, because --
MATALIN: Go ahead. Why is this culturally insensitive?
MARTIN: Well, because there are people who, first of all, have dreadlocks and that is their hairstyle of choice. I see some people with very neat locks.
And here's what I find to be amazing. Dan Snyder, of course, his investment company, they're the ones, they own Six Flags. But he also owns the Washington Redskins. So explain to me how some Redskin players can have locks, but the employees at Six Flags. And how does that interfere with the amusement park atmosphere if an employee has locks? If it's neat, who cares.
MATALIN: Because I think they have a dress policy there, which football players obviously don't have.
MARTIN: Actually they don't. But here's the deal, though. So, how about this, Mary. So, do they want the money of people who have dreadlocks?
MATALIN: I don't get -- what caught my eye about this story was what culture -- to which culture are we being insensitive? Is it --
MARTIN: Well, actually, because you typically have more African- Americans who wear dreadlocks.
MATALIN: Not in New Orleans. In New Orleans, it's --
MARTIN: Oh, no. I've actually found -- I've actually seen some dreadlocks even in New Orleans, Mary.
MATALIN: No, that's my point. I think it's a hairdo of choice for musicians or it's not a racially insensitive thing.
MARTIN: No. MATALIN: You guys want to -- you're always finding like -- I know we've had this conversation before, but there is not insensitivity in everything.
MARTIN: No, no. It's not everything, but if there's a particular hairstyle that someone is saying, I mean, that is worn by a certain group of people, I mean, I'm trying to figure out still, though, what's the big deal? I don't see it as an issue. I think Six Flags going overboard saying you can't have dreadlocks. If you want the money of people who wear dreadlocks, but then you say you can't wear them, to me that's nonsense.
MATALIN: I wish I could wear dreads. I like them. I can't do them.
MARTIN: Oh, no, no, no. We're going to ban you from wearing that so you can't do it on the air. Sorry, Mary, that's it. We got to go back to Campbell.
BROWN: Thanks, guys.
"LARRY KING LIVE" starts in just a few minutes. But up next, a sobering thought for a Friday night.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BROWN: OK. So it's Friday night. You have had a rough day, and now it's time for that long ride home. We are going to take you aboard one of the busiest commuter rail lines in the country, Metro North, connecting New York City with the burbs. And for more than 80 years, the bar car offered stressed-out commuters a guilty pleasure, that little reward on the way home. So when word got out that the tavern on the train may be screeching to a halt, well, can you say major bummer?
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOANNA SOLANO, BAR CAR BARTENDER: My name is Joanna Solano, and I'm from the Bronx.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She's the best.
SOLANO: Can't take that away from them, you know, because I've seen them stressed. Like I said, loosen up the tie, roll up the sleeves and they like to --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I know people that have ridden this train for 30 years together. They work down on Wall Street and things like that. It's a real important thing to them. Best friends have been made on this train.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's a great place to unwind after a stressful day in New York City.
It's a piece of sanity in a long commute.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She knows you by face. She knows you by name. She knows what you like.
SOLANO: Happy hour. I call it the inner circle, bar car, I know their drinks. I know their jobs. I know where they live. We're like family here.
I love Will. I love Will. He always makes me happy.
We're almost out of beer here. But the beer never stops rolling. It's still going, you know. Would you like another one?
Hi.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's a number of people here that I've met because of the bar car.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The bonding with the people that have been through the same thing as you the whole day.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Have you stepped foot in the bathroom yet?
That's what we know as the blue lagoon.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Blue lagoon.
SOLANO: We're cracking jokes. We always crack jokes. I think we need a bar car. They're not going anywhere, thank God.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Final stop.
SOLANO: Good night, Laura (ph). Bye, Ryan, good night. Enjoy your dinner. I love you too, guys.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BROWN: And Ed Meagher is our producer who put that piece together for us. So what is the deal? The bar car is going the way of the dinosaur?
ED MEAGHER, CAMPBELL BROWN ASSOCIATE PRODUCER: Well, here is the deal. Metro North has an order out for 300 more trains.
BROWN: Right.
MEAGHER: The problem is because of budget cuts, those trains may not have bar cars on them. The good news is that the old cars are being refurbished and they'll still be running.
BROWN: Yes.
MEAGHER: So if you time it right, you should still be able to get a drink on the ride home.
BROWN: OK. Timing it right is crucial. Did you have a couple while you shooting that piece then?
MEAGHER: Maybe on the corporate car. BROWN: Ed Meagher, thanks very much. Appreciate it.
And that is for us. Have a great weekend, everybody. "LARRY KING LIVE" starts right now.
