Return to Transcripts main page
Out in the Open
Battle of New Orleans; Miracle Rescue in California
Aired December 20, 2007 - 20:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
RICK SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: Hi, everybody. I'm Rick Sanchez. Welcome to OUT IN THE OPEN.
We have got some new video coming in. This is the Christmas spirit on display. In fact, it's a kid's Christmas pageant. Now, how ridiculous is this? Watch for yourself. These are parents actually fighting over who pushed whose kid. We're going to be looking into parents misbehaving at a Christmas pageant.
New developments in a case that I brought you from Nicaragua on Eric Volz. He was convicted or maybe railroaded in the killing of his beautiful Nicaraguan girl friend. A judge now says, let him go, but another one says, no, I will not let him go. Condoleezza Rice is now commenting. I am going to talk to Eric's mother from Managua, Nicaragua.
But our big story is about pain and anger involved in the rebuilding of New Orleans, where they're finally deciding what gets knocked down and who will live where. Show them this tape, Will, that we have been watching through the last couple hours.
This is at a city council meeting. Police are wrestling with people, protesters, chanting, stop the demolition. And, if you think this is messy, watch. It's going to get even worse outside. Remember, you're looking inside now. I am going to take you outside through those gates.
Reporter Travers Mackel of CNN affiliate WDSU was in the thick of this as it was happening. See that woman, by the way, down there? We are going to be talking to her as well. She said she was Tased and pepper-sprayed while all of this was going on.
Again, this is all part of the building of -- the rebuilding of New Orleans. I'm going to take you back now about five hours when this started. This was Travers' report as it happened right there on the scene. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRAVERS MACKEL, WDSU REPORTER: People have been Tasered and pepper-sprayed at this time, as protesters broke through the handcuffs and chain-link that was barricading this fence.
To say this is a chaotic scene is an absolute understatement. There is yelling. There is screaming. Police superintendent Warren Riley's officers are here, SWAT team members.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: Travers is joining us now live from -- not far from the very area that -- where he was before.
Hey, Travers, let me ask you a question. Did anyone have any anticipation that this thing was going to happen like this?
MACKEL: Well, Rick, you know that tempers were going to be hot. That was well-known for the last couple of weeks. Everything was coming down to this day, so police were ready. They were on standby.
They thought that there would be a lot of protesters out here. And there were. I think everybody was hoping it wouldn't get to the point that it did that you're seeing here during this video, when pepper spray was used and some people were Tased.
Unfortunately, it did get to that level when protesters tried to break through the gate to get into the city council chambers. Police had warned them, don't do this or we will have to act. And the protesters didn't stop. They wanted to get inside, so police said they had no choice but to act.
SANCHEZ: Well, did police seemingly conduct themselves in a proper way?
MACKEL: You know, it seems that way, according to police Superintendent Warren Riley here in New Orleans. He says that his officers were provoked. They had told those protesters, don't come closer to the gates. Don't try to rip open the fence. They did, so therefore, he said that they had no choice.
You could see in that videotape one officer looked like he was being punched in it, so these officers said they had to use the pepper spray, they had to use the Tasers to control the crowd. They didn't want all of these people stampeding into the city council chambers, which, we should mention, was packed to capacity.
That's the reason why all these people were left outside the gate, is because it was already max capacity inside, so these people were the ones who couldn't get in to get inside for this council meeting.
SANCHEZ: All right, let's talk about what's actually going on in New Orleans, as we look at these pictures or maybe within the framework of these pictures.
You know, Travers, it seems this is the first time that we're seeing this type of civil disobedience in New Orleans, and you almost had to expect it was coming. When you start talking about rebuilding a city and knocking down people's homes and demolition projects, you know you're going to get some people angered.
Give us the highlight why these folks are so upset, would you?
MACKEL: They are so upset. There are four major public housing developments in the city of New Orleans that are now slated to be demolished, to be knocked down.
A lot of advocates, fair housing advocates say that is unfair. New Orleans is a rebuilding city. So many people were displaced. They deserve a right to come home and live in these areas that they once called home.
Now, we should point out that a lot of these housing developments severely damaged after Hurricane Katrina. One, for example, the St. Bernard, had six and eight feet of water in it. A lot of city leaders feel it is unlivable at this time.
Pretty much everyone who was a public housing resident has been given a housing voucher and is given a place to live. But a lot of people say this is part of them, this is part of their culture. They don't want it torn down. And it is a hot-button issue here in the city of New Orleans.
SANCHEZ: Yes, you know, it's interesting. As I look at some of the numbers of the information that I have been getting, apparently, rent for people in New Orleans now is up 45 percent. There used to be at least 5,000 HUD units. Now it's down to 1,800.
So, obviously it's the folks at the economic bottom that are going to get squeezed out in this. And that's probably where some of the pent-up resentment is.
Hey, Travers, stay where you are. I want to go to somebody else now. And I'm going to show you some video of something that happened out there today. I was talking to Kitty about this a little while ago. This is part of the Tasering and the pepper spray that we have been talking about. And this is a particular case of one woman who says it happened to her. She is going to talk to us on the backside.
But, first, take look at her video. All right, that's Annie Quimby, who you see right there being moved by some of those protesters, the woman on the ground.
Annie's good enough to join us now.
Annie, tell us what happened to you.
ANNIE QUIMBY, PROTESTER TASERED BY POLICE: Yes, sir.
I had gone to attempt to just sit in the city council room -- in the city council thing today. I had no intention of protesting. And, you know, the crowds were outside. There were people trying to get into the city council meeting. And, you know, the gate got pushed and I got pushed against it, and then I was Tasered and I was also pepper- sprayed.
SANCHEZ: How do you know you were Tasered, by the way?
QUIMBY: I had a bit of a small seizure, and I woke up in an ambulance.
SANCHEZ: Do you have burn marks on any part of your body? QUIMBY: I have a hole in the side of my -- on my side that was put there by the Taser, by the probe.
SANCHEZ: So it's confirmed that you were, in fact, Tasered?
QUIMBY: Yes, sir.
SANCHEZ: You say you were pepper-sprayed as well? Because we're looking at the pictures now. And I looked at it several times, even slow-moed to see if I could tell. But I couldn't tell you were actually Tasered. That's why I'm asking that question.
(CROSSTALK)
QUIMBY: Oh, yes, sir.
SANCHEZ: What have police told you about this incident? Have they apologized to you? Have they told you...
QUIMBY: I have not spoken to police yet at all. It seemed to me an excessive use of force.
SANCHEZ: Well, I guess I understand why you would say that, given what happened to you. And also again let's clarify this. You say you were not a protester, correct?
QUIMBY: No, sir. I was attempting to go into the city council meeting to hear the meeting. I actually had plans to take my partner to the airport right after.
SANCHEZ: So, who do you blame then? Do you blame the police or do you blame the protesters for your situation?
QUIMBY: I do blame the police, sir. They are -- they should be upholding the law.
(CROSSTALK)
QUIMBY: And they should be the peaceful folk.
Like, it's very frustrating to me that police got a bit out of hand, in my opinion.
SANCHEZ: Why were you there? Are you related in any way to this HUD controversy that seems to be taking place in the city, where many people don't want their homes knocked down?
QUIMBY: I am a member of New Orleans -- I'm a citizen of New Orleans and I have -- I have very strong feelings about public housing. I believe there should be one-for-one replacement and I believe that people should be allowed to return to the housing units and that they should be rebuilt with the people who lived there before in mind.
SANCHEZ: But they are being given vouchers. So, they're given something so they can live in the meantime before they come back, right?
QUIMBY: They are being given vouchers. There are very few places in the city. There's a very high shortage of housing right now, and most places don't take those vouchers.
SANCHEZ: All right, Annie Quimby, we thank you for joining us and sharing your story. We're certainly -- we feel bad about what happened to you, as well as Travers Mackel, who was on the scene reporting to us from WDSU.
We thank you both.
Meanwhile, tonight, there are some new developments in a murder case that I have been telling you about. It's now in fact turning into an international incident. Why is this American still locked up in a Nicaraguan jail, even though a court has ordered him set free? His mother is going to join me next from Managua, Nicaragua.
Also, the nitty-gritty of how this family survived three days in the frozen California mountains.
And then Britney Spears' little sister, Jamie Lynn Spears, she's 16. She's pregnant. Her boyfriend is 19. Teenage consensual sex, a crime, or is it just young love?
We're looking into it. Back in two and change.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SANCHEZ: Welcome back to OUT IN THE OPEN. I'm Rick Sanchez.
Tonight, a follow-up on the story that I traveled to Nicaragua to bring you. This is about sex. It's about murder and now international and political intrigue. It's an American citizen. He's sentenced to 30 years for murdering his beautiful Nicaraguan girlfriend, but just last week a Nicaraguan appeals court overturns the conviction altogether, ordering his release.
But he's still behind bars in a country with a revolutionary past and where many are -- quote -- "anti-gringo," a word I heard again and again when I was there covering this story in Nicaragua.
Listen to what Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said about this case today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CONDOLEEZZA RICE, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: Whenever there is an American citizen involved, we are very much involved in following the case and in advocating on behalf of American citizens.
The court has spoken. We expect him to be released.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: All right. Let me take you now back inside Nicaragua for more of Eric Volz's amazing story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SANCHEZ (voice-over): It was like a lynch mob. Angry Nicaraguans had been waiting for this moment and 27-year-old Eric Volz was at the white hot center. How he got here to this awful place is a story of, whom do you believe?
It was November 2006 when 25-year-old Doris Jimenez was found dead. The murderer apparently strangled her with his own hands in the clothing store she owned here. By U.S. standards, the police response was casual. The murder draws bystanders, who actually crowd in to look. In just minutes, evidence is critically tainted.
The murder of this beautiful young woman was a sensation. Police would quickly charge four men with the crime. One was American Eric Volz. He dated Jimenez, but they had broken up.
His alibi rests entirely on this story, that he was two hours away from the victim at the time of the murder. And he provided testimony from witnesses who back him up.
(on camera): Keep in mind, the court record indicates that the murder took place Tuesday at 11:45 a.m., just 15 minutes before noon. Yet there are 10 different people who have signed affidavits saying they saw Eric here between 9:00 a.m. and 2: 00 in the afternoon right here in his office.
RICARDO CASTILLO, NICARAGUAN JOURNALIST: We were in the same house, room. We had lunch.
SANCHEZ (voice-over): The caretaker on the property says that he, too, saw Eric that morning and afternoon.
Ten witnesses for him, no authentic forensic evidence against him. And yet Volz had a sense of foreboding.
ERIC VOLZ, ACCUSED OF MURDER: I'm worried that this is bigger than anybody really understands.
SANCHEZ: His premonition proved correct.
Outside, the chanting, viva Nicaragua and death to the gringo.
Inside the courthouse, Volz's lawyers present witnesses to prove he was in his Managua office two hours away at the time of the murder -- 10 of them. Outside, the mob is growing more agitated. Police fire rubber bullets to hold them back. Leading the mob, Jimenez's mother, Mercedes. Like prosecutors, she believes Eric Volz was obsessed with her daughter and jealous that she was dating others.
(on camera): Tell me what evidence you think there is.
So he had a big scratch on the back of his shoulder?
MERCEDES ALVARADO, DORIS JIMENEZ'S MOTHER: Si. SANCHEZ: Fingernails?
ALVARADO: Si.
SANCHEZ (voice-over): Volz did have marks on his shoulder at the time of his arrest. This photograph was taken the day after Jimenez's funeral.
Volz told police the marks came from carrying her coffin. And in fact they do correspond to the correct shoulder.
But the prosecutor tells me she's certain the marks could only have come from fingernails. She also tells me Eric had blood under his fingernails when they arrested him two days after the murder. But she admits they never proved it.
No one in Eric's family is prepared for what comes next. This is Volz's mother, telling his father the outcome.
MAGGIE ANTHONY, ERIC VOLZ'S MOTHER: It's a guilty verdict.
SANCHEZ: Eric was found guilty of murdering Doris Jimenez. He was also found guilty of raping her, even though police never concluded that she had been raped.
He was sentenced to 30 years in prison.
ANTHONY: Every meal, I think of him and what he's not eating, every ice cube, every cold glass of anything he doesn't have.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SANCHEZ: Joining me now is Maggie Anthony. She's Eric's mom.
Maggie, you and I spent a lot of time together talking about this in Managua.
ANTHONY: Yes.
SANCHEZ: Here we are talking about this once again. You're there. You're trying to get your son free.
First of all, how is he doing?
ANTHONY: I was able to spend some time with Eric today, and he's doing well. I mean, he's calm. But we're frightened. We're all frightened about this situation. This is just so inconceivable that this could happen, that we don't know what's happening from minute to minute.
So, I think we're living in fear and hope and just all the confusing emotions you can imagine right now.
SANCHEZ: Well, here's what's most confusing about this. It seems to us that, if a court made a decision to overturn his original conviction, they essentially have ordered his release, why would another judge then come in and say, no, we're not going to let him go?
I'm confused. Are you?
ANTHONY: We are so confused.
And I -- that's why I'm here, because part of the verdict was that he was supposed to be released immediately, and I came specifically to find out what's going on. I went to the supreme court. No one was available to speak to me. I went to the appellate court. No one was able to speak to me. Nobody from the government has spoken to me or will talk to me and tell me what's going on. There are no answers.
SANCHEZ: Well, let me tell you what I found when I was down there, trying to investigate this situation your son is in.
ANTHONY: Yes.
SANCHEZ: There are several prosecutors and at least one judge who were extremely antagonistic with any question that I referred to her, to the point of hiding in her office and not talking to me...
ANTHONY: Yes.
SANCHEZ: ... and on many occasions actually lying to me about the case and about some of the files in the case...
ANTHONY: Yes.
SANCHEZ: ... that she wouldn't let us get our hands on.
ANTHONY: Right.
SANCHEZ: I know there's a very anti-gringo sentiment, as it was explained to me and very much an anti-Eric Volz in that country. Do you think that's what's causing this?
ANTHONY: Oh, absolutely. Absolutely.
There's no doubt about it at this point. Again, in the media, he's still referred to as the gringo. There is definitely something going on here that's anti-Eric or anti-American or whatever, but definitely something is going on. And it's going on at a higher level.
SANCHEZ: What do you mean by that?
ANTHONY: Well, the judge, Ivette Toruno, is deliberately not signing the release papers. She avoided Eric's attorney. She made the excuse that she got a flat tire. And then there was the excuse that the expediente, the case file, was numbered incorrectly.
Then the excuse was that the expediente was stapled wrong, and because of that, she wouldn't sign the release papers. How can you make a decision like that unless you're being backed by someone or unless you're being told by someone? I mean, that's insane. SANCHEZ: I'll tell you, there seemed to be a Sandinista sentiment, almost a revolutionary, anti-American sentiment, very much around this case. I think it may still be taking place to this day. That's why we're going to follow it. Obviously, the State Department is following it now as well.
ANTHONY: Yes.
SANCHEZ: And we're going to be in touch with you to see how it continues.
Maggie, our best to you. Thanks so much for taking time to talk to us.
ANTHONY: Thank you so much. It's good to talk to you again.
SANCHEZ: Now, as we follow that story, here's another.
Britney Spears' sister, Jamie Lynn, a TV idol for little girls, she's 16 years old, and pregnant. Uh-oh. Did somebody commit a crime or do we chalk this up to just youthful passion? It's a question, a serious one, next.
Lost in the wilderness, how did this family survive three brutal nights trapped in the frigid California mountains?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SANCHEZ: Welcome back to OUT IN THE OPEN. I'm Rick Sanchez.
We are now just getting more information on that really miraculous rescue in Northern California. This is a father. He takes his three kids out to cut a Christmas tree down in the woods, but then makes a wrong turn and he ends up lost for three days in the snowy woods with a storm on the way.
Well, tonight, we are learning that one of the children is still in the hospital. There are other updates as well. We have been following it all day, truly dramatic story
And that's why Dan Simon has been following it. And he joins us now live to bring us up to date.
Dan, what have you learned?
DAN SIMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, hi, Rick.
This gives you some idea in terms of the elements this family was facing. Take a look at how high the snow is piled up against this pickup truck. I'm 6'2'', and it's up to my knees. So this gives you some idea in terms of why they couldn't walk, because you really can't. It's just too difficult.
And we have a real sense in terms of how this family survived this ordeal by looking at digital photographs provided by the father. Take a look. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SIMON (voice-over): Three smiling children, the youngest, middle and oldest, looking for a Christmas tree and spending some quality time with dad.
FREDERICK DOMINGUEZ, SURVIVED THREE DAYS IN CALIFORNIA WOODS: All in good spirits, still playing, joking like I was going to cut down this little tree.
SIMON: Not before long, they settle on this tall spruce.
DOMINGUEZ: We're happy. We found the tree. We all agreed upon it.
SIMON: Each wants their picture with the prize. The time stamp on these photos show it is just after 4:00 on Sunday afternoon. From here, they plan on hauling the tree back to their truck. But darkness approaches. The family gets lost, and the snowstorm moves in.
DOMINGUEZ: This is the first picture I took, when it just starts snowing, and that was directly ahead of us. And you couldn't see your face in front -- your hand in front of your face.
SIMON: It's clear they're not going to make it out tonight, so they find some shelter under a rock and some branches. The next morning, they look surprisingly content, perhaps because the fresh snowfall has made for breathtaking scenery. But reality sets in.
DOMINGUEZ: If you look out there, that is just what we were walking through, forward.
SIMON: They're not going to make it out on their own, so they look for some new shelter, and find this tunnel underneath a bridge.
DOMINGUEZ: You know what? That tunnel saved our lives, completely. That tunnel completely saved our lives, because it was the shelter from the storm.
SIMON: But the kids' feet are frozen. They would later say it was these makeshift socks cut from their father's T-shirt that made things a bit tolerable. As you can see, they also use each other to try to stay warm.
DOMINGUEZ: This is when my daughter had frostbite, and we noticed it. And I told my son, rub her feet, rub her feet, rub her feet.
SIMON: From here, there's a long gap in the photos, until this, what they say is the greatest picture of all, the helicopter that brings them home.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SIMON: Rick, as you know, the family held up remarkably well. They all slept at home last night. Today, however, they went back to the hospital just as a precaution.
Now, the daughter, she's still there, as you alluded to earlier, Lexi (ph). She did have some frostbite on her feet. She complained of some pain. But we're told that she's getting better. They're treating her with antibiotics. So, hopefully, she will be out of the hospital soon -- Rick.
SANCHEZ: Great job, Dan. Good story. And, boy, it's amazing to see it documented with those pictures that they had taken. We appreciate it.
Here's what else we're going to have for you tonight. Britney Spears, her little sister 16 and pregnant. I'm sure you have heard. It is a shame, but should it also be a crime? What if it happens to your teenager?
We're going to have that for you. Stay with us. We will have the latest on this and a whole lot more.
Back in two and change.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SANCHEZ: And we welcome you back. As you look at these pictures, it's a new wrinkle in what is tonight the biggest water cooler story in the country. This is the one about a 16-year-old TV star, television idol for little girls anyway. She is the sister of Britney Spears, which is part of the reason this is such a big story.
Jamie Lynn Spears is pregnant. You see here in the picture with the father of the child. Now I want to show you this here. You know why? Because part of the controversy now is the age of consent. In certain states, you have to be a certain age before you can have sex with anybody, anybody, doesn't matter their age.
So let's go through this, all right? Let's see. There's only one that's green. That's South Carolina. That's the age of 14. See it right there? The only one that's 14. Fourteen years of age you can consent to have sex if you're a female.
Now let's go to the blues. All those blue states you see there, that's 16 years of age. All the red states, 17 years of age. See them right there in the middle? And then everything else, you have to be 18 years old to be able to consent to have sex. Now, that's amazing.
Pamela Hayes is joining us now. She has spent many years as a chief prosecutor for the sex crimes unit in Brooklyn, New York, and she is good enough to join us. Good to see you.
PAMELA HAYES, FORMER PROSECUTOR: Good to be here.
SANCHEZ: This is an interesting case. In many way it's interesting because what you have is a young man of apparently is now 19 years old, and we don't know what age she was whenever this happened, maybe 16, maybe 15, so they may have actually broken the law. But even beyond that, you know that I covered the Genarlow Wilson case, and I was left with that picture in my mind of this 17- year-old boy with a 15-year-old girl, who happen to be African- American, almost got 10 years in prison. Why are the laws so helter skelter?
HAYES: They're helter skelter because, Rick, each state has the ability to tell individuals how they should act. So you know, if you live in New York, our legislature tells us, hey, you can consent when you're 17, but if you live in Georgia, it might be 16. And if you live in California --
SANCHEZ: Yes. And we're not going to get into all of this.
(CROSSTALK)
HAYES: Yes, but they have the right.
SANCHEZ: But apparently also the separation between the male and the female and if he's two-years older or three years older, then each state has a different rule. But the question is, what you're doing here is, you're leaving it up to some yahoo prosecutor who I don't trust, you know, in some place to make a decision as to I'm going to prosecute this one and I'm not going to prosecute that one. And by the way, more often than not it's the minority who gets prosecuted.
HAYES: Yes, but other instances, I can remember being a prosecutor myself, it has to make that call, you try to weigh the facts. I mean, if you have people who are in a relationship, if they're boyfriend and girlfriend and they're going to have this baby, you don't want to prosecute the father, especially if they're close of age.
SANCHEZ: Should we even be prosecuting consensual sex? Key word here, consensual sex between teenagers?
HAYES: Well, if one person is 13 and someone is 19, I think yes. But you know --
SANCHEZ: All right. Let's separate the margin. Let's decrease the margin a little bit.
HAYES: OK.
SANCHEZ: And make it 16 and --
HAYES: 16 and 18, no. I don't think so. I just don't think that you can police it properly and you have these inadequate results and unequal results and someone suffers, and that's what you don't want to have happen.
SANCHEZ: And you're not saying it's right, neither am I. We do have an oversexed society. We have a huge problem with teenage pregnancy, but maybe with the laws you're not going to solve it.
HAYES: No, you're not going to solve it by a prosecution. I don't think children should have sex, but you know, they do, and you can't police it.
SANCHEZ: Yes.
HAYES: So why prosecute some?
SANCHEZ: Pamela Hayes, thanks so much for your insight on this. We appreciate it.
HAYES: Thank you.
SANCHEZ: Always good to see you.
This isn't a real commercial that we're going to show you right here. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANNOUNCER: Barack Obama, you seem confused. You say you are Democrat, so why does it seem like you're trying to stop Hillary Clinton from becoming president? You know that Hillary Clinton is --
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: That is a political parody that makes fun of the real thing, right? Well, we want to you have some fun tonight so we've got a bunch of them. Did you see the CNN guys there?
Also, at the top of the hour, Larry King is going to have the final list of the "big Loser" or "Biggest Loser," right? Did I get that right? Wait until you see how much they have lost. We'll be right back. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SANCHEZ: We've got an ad that we're going to be showing you now that makes fun of the real thing, which is what a parody is, right? Welcome back. I'm Rick Sanchez. How are we doing here? Ready? Good. Here we go.
We got a bunch of them as a matter of fact, and this guy over here you're going to see, show them what this guy looks like, Will. A good-looking strapping lad right there. He just took -- he took it upon himself to just start making commercials at home, really funny commercials. Lee Stranahan is his name. We should tell you, he's not a lefty, but, you know, he leans a little more left than he does to the right.
I mean just, you know, just to be honest about this stuff. Lee, here's what your job is going to be. I know it's your work, but I want to you look at each of these that you have done and then tell us on a scale of one to 10 how you would rate them because I want to see which one you like the best one.
The first one, you're ready folks at home?
LEE STRANAHAN, INDEPENDENT FILMMAKER: Yes. SANCHEZ: You saw that Mike Huckabee ad yesterday? The one where you did like this Christmas card thing? Here's Lee's version of that. It's funny. Here we go.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MIKE HUCKABEE (ANIMATED): Hey, everyone. I'm Mike Huckabee. Are you sick of seeing me on TV as I am? You know, Christmas is the time of year that everyone, Christians and Joe Lieberman alike, are required to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. At this special time of year, I'd like you to try and forget that a few years ago I released that rapist guy then personally helped send someone to heaven. Have a splendiferous holiday and try to remember, stay off Santa's lap if you've had too much eggnog, and shouldn't you ladies be baking or something?
I'm Mike Huckabee, and I'm probably not thrilled with this parody but I'm going to hold in my considerable repressed rage until I'm elected president.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: All right. You've got a bunch of chuckles from the guys on the floor crew here.
STRANAHAN: That's good.
SANCHEZ: How would you -- that's your newest one, right? How would you rate that one?
STRANAHAN: That was actually the world premiere right there, Rick, so the video is going to be up I believe on Talking Points Memo later tonight or tomorrow morning probably. But, you know, you ask to me rate them is like asking me to pick among my kids.
SANCHEZ: You can't do it, can you? You can't do it.
STRANAHAN: I can pick among my kids, sure, but that's not considered polite generally. So, I mean -- I like this one because --
SANCHEZ: Listen, I get it.
STRANAHAN: I like this one because --
SANCHEZ: You've internalized this thing. Let's go on to the next one.
STRANAHAN: OK, sure.
SANCHEZ: Because I want viewers to see as many as they can of you. Oh, this is, I call this one the Huckabee is good because he's not them ad. Here we go.
STRANAHAN: Yes.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) ANNOUNCER: If you're a Republican voter in Iowa, Mike Huckabee just wants you to know that he just got a voice mail from God saying he knows how busy you are during this blessed Christmas season. You have too much to do to even think about what Mike may have said 15 years ago or who he may have released or who they may have killed eight years ago. But what he may not have known about a few days ago, all you have to remember is who Mike Huckabee isn't.
Mike isn't a corrupt cross-dressing sex addict from New York City whose friends are all indicted or gay. Mike isn't 178 years old, and he didn't sponsor a bill that would send millions of Mexicans into Iowa to steal your jobs, do the lambada with your daughter, and make your food taste spicy with their jalapenos.
Mike isn't made of plastic. He doesn't have the soul of a game show host from the 1970s. Mike Huckabee, strong conservative, not a crook or a weirdo or a Mormon. Let's leave it at that, OK? OK. This parody was not approved by Mike Huckabee.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: Boy I'll tell you, not about how good he is but about the other guys. Well done, sir. I think most people are saying that may be your best effort yet, you agree?
STRANAHAN: Well, I know you picked Mike Huckabee's two least favorites ones so -- yes, those are the two big Mike Huckabee ones there. You know, I like to say, that one's the most popular one. That's got close to 200,000 views on YouTube right now.
SANCHEZ: That's amazing.
STRANAHAN: And I really do like them all.
The first one you showed -- the animator on that was a guy named Will Merg (ph) from Australia, and I love his animation. I love the expression. So --
SANCHEZ: Here we go. We've got another one. We got Obama.
STRANAHAN: OK.
SANCHEZ: This is Obama. I call this one, Obama is in the way. Here's why.
STRANAHAN: Yes.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANNOUNCER: Barack Obama, you seem confused. You say you are Democrat so why does it seem like you're trying to stop Hillary Clinton from becoming president? You know that Hillary Clinton is experienced. You know that she has the endorsement of former President Bill Clinton, and most of the people that work at CNN, and you know she's experienced, but it's almost like you don't want Hillary Clinton to be president. You haven't committed to voting for Hillary in the upcoming presidential primaries. You've made a fool of yourself by repeatedly arguing with Hillary in public and now we hear that people work for you are actually calling voters and telling them not to vote for Hillary Clinton. Have you lost your freakin' mind?
So Mr. Obama, as we plainly can, if you interfere with Hillary Clinton's destiny you will tear apart the very fabric of Simon's face, crushing all life and causing the entire universe to implode upon itself, and that's something no American wants.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: You are an equal opportunity satirist, aren't you? You go after everybody, even though you said you lean a little bit to the left?
STRANAHAN: Well, you know, if it's funny -- if it's funny and if it's in the news, that's what I'm going to do. I'm really -- I'm trying to do comedy for political junkies so if it's in the news, that's what I'm doing. That one is one of my favorites because my daughter's in it.
SANCHEZ: Tell people where they could see your stuff, by the way.
STRANAHAN: Well, Talkingpointsmemo.com is a good one. If they go to my name leestranahan, if they go to youtube/user/stranahan, a lot of my videos are up there.
SANCHEZ: All right.
Well, listen, you got to admire a guy who sits at home, comes up with an idea and gets to the point where his stuff is so interesting to watch that it's all over the place, including on OUT IN THE OPEN. We'll get you back. All right, Lee? Thanks so much for being with us.
STRANAHAN: Thanks a lot, Rick, appreciate it.
SANCHEZ: No problem. "LARRY KING LIVE" is coming up in just a couple of minutes. Larry, tell us what you got tonight.
LARRY KING, HOST, "LARRY KING LIVE": Did you ever weigh a lot?
SANCHEZ: Yes, I weighed more than I weigh now.
KING: I mean, a lot more?
SANCHEZ: Twenty 20, 30 pounds. Why?
KING: Oh, I did, too, weighed 20, 30 pounds. Because tonight I got the winner of "The Biggest Loser" on.
SANCHEZ: Oh. KING: That television show has been extraordinary, and I saw some of these guys out back, you wouldn't believe it. The amount of weight they lost is incredible, and we got the host of the show and the people who have worked with them. It'll be a lot of fun. "The Biggest Loser," Now, we work. It's not about you, Rick.
SANCHEZ: I knew you were going there!
KING: Don't take it personal.
SANCHEZ: You know what I'm going to do for you tonight? You remember -- you know I want to talk to you like this because you know you lived in Miami for some time, you know.
KING: Yes, I did.
SANCHEZ: "Scarface." I'm going to give you a "Scarface" ending tonight before we go to your show.
KING: Got it.
SANCHEZ: You're going to love it. Thanks, Lar.
KING: OK, babe.
SANCHEZ: Bye-bye. Remember this guy? "Don't tase me bro." Remember the guy who said that? He was in Orlando at the time -- oh, University of Florida. Where do you think this finished among the year's top quotes? You're going to find out next.
And then at the top of the hour, where have all the pounds gone? The winner and finalists from "The Biggest Loser" what Larry just said. This will be good. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SANCHEZ: You know somebody actually collects the top quotes of the year? Somebody does this. I didn't know. They're selected by the editor of the "Yale Book of Quotations." This year's winner. "Don't tase me, bro!"
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANDREW MEYER, UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA STUDENT: Whoa, whoa, whoa.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: All right. This is the University of Florida student. His name is Andrew Meyer, back in September. It was during a speech by former presidential candidate John Kerry. Here we go. Take it up full.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MEYER: I didn't do anything. Don't tase me, bro. Don't tase me! (END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: Within two days "don't tase me, bro" became one of the most popular phrases on Google, one of the most viewed videos and ended up on t-shirts and on cell phone rings all over the country.
When you retire, the last thing that you want to think about is work, right? Well, not really. You see some people say the last thing they ever want to do really is retire completely anyway. That's why we are going to bring you this story now. It's about a man who decided that he need to do something after work. "Life After Work." Here's Ali Velshi.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOE FARRIS, RETIRED TEACHER: Every year that I come out here, everybody said is this going to be your last year? I said heck no. I'll be here until I drop dead in the classroom.
ALI VELSHI, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In 1992, after 31 years of teaching, Joe Farris was all ready to close his textbooks and retire for good. At least that's what he thought.
FARRIS: When I retired, I said at last I won't have to check papers and put grades. I said, after three months, I went crazy. I couldn't stand it another day. That's the only thing I know to do to be in the classroom again.
VELSHI: Farris, now a substitute teacher in Douglas, Georgia, has not only dedicated his life to teaching but also to helping those in need.
FARRIS: I love helping people and when this came up about St. Jude Hospital, I just thought that was the way to reward my Lord, Jesus Christ, for the good health that he'd given me. And I thought I'd do it just for that one year.
VELSHI: That one year of collecting toys for St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital turned into 46 years and 92 trips to Memphis, Tennessee. And when it's time to visit every July and December, he's ready to suit up as none other than Santa Claus.
When it comes to his life's purpose, to Joe Farris there is no such thing as retirement. He believes he's a living vessel of true kindness and generosity.
FARRIS: Thank God, I know why I was born, to help you all and to help sick kids. Thank you and God bless you.
VELSHI: Ali Velshi, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SANCHEZ: See that? That's a fight. It's supposed to be a school Christmas pageant, but there's no spirit of Christmas here. This is about parents misbehaving. We've got a segment on it. We're going to tell you all about it when we come back.
Take that now and point it over there. Go ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SANCHEZ: And I'm welcoming you back with these embarrassing parents. This is about parents misbehaving. No less in front of their kids. This is the latest, let's say, a school holiday pageant, a Christmas pageant in North Carolina. A huge brawl breaks out among the parents. This fight lasted about 10 minutes.
These are moms punching each other. Moms, fighting. Nobody was seriously hurt, thank goodness, except the egos of a whole lot of people involved, not to mention the school PTA. You wonder, though, with the spirit of the season, how something like this could happen, right?
With me now is CNN contributor Roland Martin who's been thinking a lot about this kind of thing. He's got a special right here tomorrow at 8:00. It's called What Would Jesus Really Do? And those of us who try and behave as Christ-like as we can filled with imperfections as you and I are, think about this a lot recently because there seems to be a trend in this country to be very Christian. But one thing to say you're Christian it's another thing to act Christ-like. These folks aren't acting Christ-like.
ROLAND MARTIN, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Oh, this is nuts. And, you know, the bible says spare the rod. You spare the rod, you will certainly spoil the child. And I think these parents probably have their parents who spared -- who certainly did that.
SANCHEZ: So they need some disciplining, don't they?
MARTIN: I mean, this makes no sense whatsoever. Imagine what it says to your child when you behave in such a way. And so, you're the parent. You're the one who's supposed to be an example of how you behave. This is absolutely idiotic and so I can't imagine sitting in an audience and seeing that kind of behavior.
SANCHEZ: By the way, if you think that's interesting, watch this next one. Will, show them the other tape we have now. This is I think a football game, right?
MARTIN: Yes.
SANCHEZ: Take a look at this.
This is a little league football game.
MARTIN: Right.
SANCHEZ: Look at the guy right there. Watch the guy like with the cream shirt. He gets back in. Now the kids are trying to break up the parents from fighting. Look at the guy coming in, the guy who's circling right there. He -- boom! See him knock that other guy down? I mean, this is incredible. This is a little league football game, Roland. I mean, it's almost like the parents are living vicariously through their kids.
MARTIN: I think they are because so many people get so involved. I mean, you go to these games and they're hollering and screaming and, you know, trying to jump onto the field. You know, I'm watching those games. I'm sitting in the stands going, would you please sit down and shut up?
SANCHEZ: Yes.
MARTIN: I'm trying to watch the game. I mean, these are little children.
SANCHEZ: So it gets to the point where the coach takes their kid out and they take it personally.
MARTIN: Right.
SANCHEZ: Like they did this to me, my son.
MARTIN: You know, absolutely. And maybe your son or your daughter can't play but also, some coaches want to spread it around. You can't take it personally and if so, you know what? You can go find another team. Really go to some other place and play.
SANCHEZ: I've got one. I'm going to show you this. Let me give you a set up before you see it.
MARTIN: Yes.
SANCHEZ: This is a dad. He's watching a wrestling match his kid's involved in. He goes in and he starts fighting the kid who's wrestling with his son. Take a look at this. Here it is.
All right, here we go. You'll see the dad. Look at this. That's the dad. He comes in, he knocks the kid off of his kid then he starts screaming at the judges because apparently they're not doing their job well enough. I mean, this is taking things a little too seriously.
MARTIN: Knowing that, this is wrestling and so, in the game of wrestling you're supposed to have a count and you count him out, that's what you're doing. And so, that's the part of the sport.
SANCHEZ: You know, I got to tell you something. You know, as a dad, I sometimes go to the park and I could see where you do things, take things a little bit seriously.
MARTIN: Why?
SANCHEZ: Because you do. You're involved. You love your kid. You never get to see them. You're working all the time. You're finally at the park, you want him to hit a home run and when the coach takes him out and he doesn't give him that third bat, you're really disappointed.
MARTIN: OK. (CROSSTALK)
SANCHEZ: Well, I'm not saying -- I'm just saying what's in my heart.
MARTIN: Right. But here's the deal. You want to see him play but those folks, they're going to be in jail.
SANCHEZ: Right.
MARTIN: So they can't see the kid anyway.
SANCHEZ: Right. There's a difference to what you think and how you behave.
MARTIN: Absolutely. But also, why is your child playing sports? What are they focusing on? That's really what is most important. Are they teaching them teamwork, how to get along with others? That's what the values are, not whether or not --
(CROSSTALK)
SANCHEZ: Yes. But there's nothing. But there's probably nothing wrong with winning?
MARTIN: No. No.
SANCHEZ: It's good to want to win.
MARTIN: No. You can want to win, but when you take it to the extreme...
SANCHEZ: Right.
MARTIN: ... when you get involved into the game and then you start cursing the coach out.
SANCHEZ: Right.
MARTIN: And finally the parents...
SANCHEZ: Yes.
MARTIN: You know what? They should ban -- if those folks who do this should be banned from coming to the games, again, for several games or for the whole year...
SANCHEZ: Yes. They have to go.
MARTIN: ... the games will be enjoyable.
SANCHEZ: I get it.
MARTIN: You're also embarrassing your child when you do that.
SANCHEZ: We're out of time, and "LARRY KING'S" coming up in just a little bit. Roland, good luck tomorrow. That's should be really good. Here's "LARRY KING."
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.voxant.com
