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Rick's List
The Stimulus Project; Republican Senator Under Investigation
Aired January 26, 2010 - 16:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
RICK SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: That's the music for THE LIST. We are THE LIST. I'm Rick Sanchez, and here we go.
It's time now for "The List You Don't Want To Be On."
It's a tricky name to pronounce, but it's an important story. He is Rajendra Pachauri. He's is not just a global warming expert, he is in charge of the United Nations panel on climate change. He signed off on a memo that said the Himalayan glaciers will melt by the year 2035, really, that soon, just 25 years from now, you say.
If the global warming opponents needed more ammunition, he just gave it to them by overreaching. Pachauri's group has since apologized. Oops.
Number two on the list: Hollywood superstar Mel Gibson. Here's why. Remember when Gibson was pulled over by a police officer who wrote on his police report that Gibson said -- quote -- "Jews are the cause of all wars."
Well, watch what happened when a reporter who happens to be Jewish asked Gibson about that answer.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
QUESTION: Some people are like -- people are going to welcome you back and other people are going to be like, he should never come back.
MEL GIBSON, ACTOR: Why?
QUESTION: Because of what happened before.
GIBSON: What happened before?
QUESTION: The remarks that were attributed to you.
GIBSON: That were attributed to me?
QUESTION: Yes.
GIBSON: That I didn't necessarily make, OK? But -- and I gather you have a dog in this fight.
QUESTION: Pardon me?
GIBSON: You have a dog in this fight? Or are you being impartial? QUESTION: I'm trying -- you tell me. I'm trying to be impartial. I guess...
GIBSON: OK. Well, I'm back. And I hope it works out, and I hope people will graciously accept me back.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: The question was fair. The response, kind of like he was itching for a fight, wasn't it? And what did he mean by asking a Jewish reporter if he was impartial? You tell me. But, in the meantime, Mel Gibson comes in as number two on "The List That You Don't Want To Be On."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SANCHEZ (voice-over): Who is comparing Jay Leno to Hitler? Really?
He could not answer my questions. Now the FBI wants to ask and the and the Senate Ethics Committee wants to ask. Will he answer them?
The lists you need to know about. Who is "Today's Most Intriguing Person"? Who is on "The List That You Don't Want To Be On"? You will find out as our national conversation on Twitter, on the air continues.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SANCHEZ: From Wall Street to Main Street, we call it the Stimulus Project, our project, our watchdog project, our way of making sure that your money is actually being spent wisely.
Let's go to Ali Velshi. he has been heading this up for us throughout the week. And we are going to make a commitment to do this all week long.
First of all, let's start with this, because a lot of people, first of all, get confused with the stimulus and TARP and everything.
ALI VELSHI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Yes.
SANCHEZ: We're talking about a project to try and reinvigorate the U.S. economy.
VELSHI: Correct.
SANCHEZ: That was the Stimulus Project. How much...
VELSHI: Passed a year ago.
SANCHEZ: Passed a year ago. How much money has been spent on the stimulus?
VELSHI: Well, we are checking that out and the jobs.
Let me tell you, if you think of stimulus, you will remember it was $787 billion.
SANCHEZ: Right.
VELSHI: That appears to have changed. The number now, $862 billion. It's gone up in price. I will tell you why it's gone up in price, because these are the little areas that we're talking about that have increased.
Public assistance is the area of the greatest increase. Of the new amount of money, $191 billion dollars is going to public assistance, COBRA assistance, unemployment, tax relief, $288 billion. That number hasn't changed. Health programs, $129 billion. Education, Rick, $105 billion. Energy and alternative energy, $67 billion.
Infrastructure, which is the roads, the shovel-ready projects, a lot of the ones we are digging into, $48 billion. And then there's this category of other that it all falls into, $34 billion. But this is the one that's gone up big time, $191 billion...
(CROSSTALK)
SANCHEZ: And which one is that? Which one is that?
VELSHI: That's public assistance, so that's unemployment benefits and COBRA and food stamps, things like, because the unemployment level is higher than the White House thought it would be.
SANCHEZ: But the thing that this needs to do, since the unemployment level is higher than the White House thought it would be, is, this needs to create jobs.
VELSHI: That's exactly right. That's...
(CROSSTALK)
VELSHI: ... challenge.
SANCHEZ: How many? Can we quantify that for folks at home?
VELSHI: Well, we have one number. And that is the number of jobs that are created as reported by recipients of money from the government programs that were in the stimulus bill. That's $640,000 until the third quarter of this -- of last year, of 2009.
We're looking for an update on that. The White House continues to say two million. And, in fact, we talked to Jared Bernstein, the chief economic adviser to the vice president today, who again reiterated two million is the number that they're using, but we, with our stimulus project, with our stimulus desk, cannot confirm that two million is the number.
And, as you know, Rick, this Sunday on the weekend shows, three different people from the White House gave three different numbers as to how many jobs were created, ranging from thousands to two million.
SANCHEZ: Is there any way to drill down on that even still? VELSHI: Yes.
SANCHEZ: Well, there's a difference between two million -- well, I will just say it -- crappy job and two million really good jobs.
VELSHI: Right.
(CROSSTALK)
SANCHEZ: And there's a different be -- I mean, there's lot of variables in those numbers that you're popping at us.
VELSHI: That's right. So, there's the quality of job that you're referring to, the type of wages, the type of benefits, and the permanence of those jobs, right?
SANCHEZ: Right. Exactly.
VELSHI: A job for three months is not as good as a job for two years.
So, the idea is, you create jobs. Those people have money to spend. They create more demand elsewhere. The White House calls it direct and indirect jobs for projects, and induced jobs, jobs that are created because the economy is being goosed, and there's more demand for stuff.
That's exactly what our Stimulus Project is doing. The only number I can give you right now is 640,000. The White House insists it's substantially more than that. And I'm going to devote myself for the next few days to try and get a better answer for you.
SANCHEZ: That's good. I appreciate that. Our viewers appreciate that.
Ali Velshi, you do a hell of a job, man. Thanks.
VELSHI: Thanks, buddy.
SANCHEZ: All right.
Did you hear about the mayors going up to the White House and giving President Obama an earful about the stimulus? I want to talk to one of those mayors, the newly minted mayor of Atlanta. His name is Kasim Reed. This guy is already turning into a superstar in his own right. He's going to be here joining us within the next half-hour. I will be happy to introduce him to you.
Also, becoming a victim of a sabotage made Nancy Kerrigan the sweetheart of the Olympics, a superstar in her own right. Well, now she's in the headlines again for a tragedy in her family.
Also, what did this little boy do that made him intriguing enough to make one of our lists? We're going to check the lists to see what's making news on the Twitter board. That's next. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) SANCHEZ: I peruse a list. It's list that we have created on my own Twitter account. You can go there whenever you want, by the way, and check it out for yourself.
But I go through to see who's making news, who's saying things that are relevant. Democrats and Republicans are both responding. Let's go there now.
We start with a Democrat. This is Mark Warner.
"Disappointed," he writes, "by senators' rejection of the bipartisan panel to tackle the federal budget deficits. Neither party will make hard choices on his own." That's his point.
Let's see who else is talking to us. Well, look at -- he's been on our show several times, Eric Cantor, hasn't he? "CBO is now saying the Dems' stimulus will cost $862 billion."
This is what Ali Velshi just reported a moment ago, but he's making sure that we're on top of it. Thank you, Mr. Cantor.
Also, look, Joe Wilson is responding to us. He writes to me directly, Rick Sanchez. "With unemployment rising, government spending and higher taxes have done nothing to help. We need real solutions and lower taxes."
We thank Joe Wilson for his comments as well.
Going, going, gone, that's the fear in San Antonio. Look at that. That's where a sinkhole is threatening dozens of homes. Also, what does a bicycle ride have to do with our most intriguing person? Can't tell you, can you? That's the idea, folks. That's why we call it THE LIST. We will tell you. Stay right there. Coming back after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SANCHEZ: All right, let's start with this.
He may be young, but he gives a darn. Time for most intriguing.
You know, it's a good thing that we don't set an age limit for this thing, because our next pick probably wouldn't need it. Moved by the images of earthquake victims in Haiti, this 7-year-old -- yes, 7-year- old -- decided to raise money for UNICEF's relief effort. He kicked off his fund-raising with just a few words on a Web site: "I want to make some money to buy food, water and tents for everyone in Haiti."
This bike-riding and enterprising tyke ended up with a collection of are -- You ready? -- $220,000. Our second most intriguing goes to little Charlie Simpson.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHARLIE SIMPSON, 7 YEARS OLD: I saw the pictures on TV, and I thought it was really sad, so I just wanted to, you know... UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You wanted to do something, didn't you?
SIMPSON: Yes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: Charlie Simpson, our second most intriguing person of the day.
You are not going to believe what happened to that little mutt. Hint: Our competitor spent almost an hour talking about him. That's ahead.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: Are you under an investigation right now by the Senate Ethics Committee and/or the Justice Department?
ENSIGN: Listen, Rick, I have commented on all I was going to comment on that.
SEN. JOHN ENSIGN (R), NEVADA: ... was lobbying within that one year. If that's the case...
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: That's Senator John Ensign. He was on this show. He wouldn't answer any of my questions. And now the FBI is looking into the sex and alleged money and favors case that really is complex, but maybe not so complex. We're going to get you through it. Will he be able to answer the agency's questions, the FBI's questions, the Senate Ethics Committee's questions? More questions.
We will be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SANCHEZ: Since we last touched base with Senator John Ensign, we have learned, through other sources, something that he wouldn't confirm to us, namely that the Nevada Republican is the subject of a probe by the FBI.
As I have told you before, it starts, but doesn't end with sex.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SANCHEZ (voice-over): Senator Ensign, you see, is embroiled in a scandal that involves much more than sex and cheating. He's admitted he had an affair with his best friend's wife. That's Cynthia Hampton, his campaign treasurer, who just happened to be the wife of his Senate staffer Doug Hampton, the tall guy in the picture.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SANCHEZ: OK. Here's the thing. Ensign has copped to the fact that his parents paid the $96,000. He claims it was a gift, but doesn't it look as though it may have been a severance payment of some sort to get the Hamptons out of the way? Which they did get out of the way.
It's also been reported that Ensign helped Doug Hampton establish himself as a lobbyist. That would possibly by in violation of Senate rules. And then he reportedly aided Hampton's lobbying business by helping out some of his clients, which would also be in violation of rules.
As you may recall, I tried and tried again on December 31 to give him a chance to respond to this, to get Ensign to respond to some of these allegations, which are serious for a standing senator.
Why he came on at all, why he came on when he did, New Year's Eve, has been the subject of some speculation. Nonetheless, all that aside, with all this in mind, let's now listen again. I want you to listen, now that we know what we know, to my interview that I did about a week-and-a-half ago or so, two weeks ago, with John Ensign, Republican of Nevada.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: Let me ask the question. Are you under an investigation right now by the Senate Ethics Committee and/or the Justice Department?
ENSIGN: Well, you know, we -- I will let those folks speak for themselves. You know, Rick, I have been dealing with health care reform. My state has over 12 percent unemployment rate, we have two wars going on, these latest terrorist attacks. There are so many other bigger issues. I have commented all I needed to comment on those kinds of things. I was elected to do a job as a senator.
SANCHEZ: Well, but hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, I have got to stop you there, because if there is a possibility -- here let me show the viewers what we're talking about. This is a picture of you and Doug Hampton. This is from The New York Times Web site right here.
And the question has to be asked, Senator, did you help him to get a job because you felt bad for him or because you had been sleeping with his wife and you wanted to get him out of the way?
ENSIGN: Listen, Rick, I have commented all I was going to comment on that. And I -- you know, we told you when we were going to come on here that I'm going to be focused on health care, I'm going to be focused on the economy. My state is hurting right now as badly as any state in the country. And I'm focused on doing everything I can to help Nevada.
SANCHEZ: But here is the problem with that, and I understand that.
ENSIGN: And that's what I'm going to focus on.
SANCHEZ: No...
ENSIGN: So I am not going to answer your question. You can it all of the ways you want to ask it, but I'm not going to answer your question. SANCHEZ: But here is the problem. There is a law that says that someone who is an aide for a senator like yourself has to wait one year before they start lobbying. There is reason to believe, Senator -- in fact, a lot of reason to believe here that Doug Hampton, who was your aide, was lobbying within that one year.
If that is the case, sir, that is an illegality, and something that you own an explanation to your constituents about if you had any involvement in either that lobbying or helping him get those lobbying gigs.
ENSIGN: Right. Rick, that -- first of all, that is his problem. That is not my problem. But at the same time I'm not going to answer any of the questions, because I am focused on doing my job right now. All of that stuff will take care of itself over time. We have said we will cooperate with any investigations, and -- but at this moment, I'm just going to focus on being the best senator that I can be for my state.
SANCHEZ: By the way, you just said though that that was his problem and not your problem, but doesn't it become your problem if you arranged meetings for him to A, get those jobs, and then, B, set up meetings after he had the lobbying jobs with people that he would be lobbying? Wouldn't that -- wouldn't that kind of link you somehow to this?
ENSIGN: Rick, I know you want to get into this, and I have told you before that I have spoken all I need to speak on this. And everything will take care of itself over time. I have -- no question, I have made statements in the past that I will fully cooperate, have in the past, and will continue to cooperate with any investigations that go on.
But I really need to just focus on doing my job.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: And my job is to ask the difficult questions. That was Senator John Ensign December 31.
You may have heard him say, this is Doug Hampton's problem. He said, that's his problem, Doug Hampton, husband of Ensign's former mistress. But, as we now know, which we didn't know before, Ensign is being investigated by the FBI, and the Senate Ethics Committee is now continuing to investigate Ensign. We will tell you what we learn.
By the way, a little programming note here. Wolf Blitzer is coming up in a little bit, and he and I are going to be having a conversation about the Ensign situation, both for him, for the sake of politics, and for, of course the GOP, which this could become a problem.
I told you the story a little while ago about the person we chose as one of those who made "The List That You Don't Want To Be On." Well, I have gotten a lot of tweets from people on this. I have been noticing everyone has been tweeting about Mel Gibson and his latest situation. Let's go to the regular Twitter board, if we possibly can. I want you to read what people are saying.
This one says: "Rick, unfair putting Mel Gibson on the don't want to be on list. If I got a dime for everything I said while drunk, I would be wealthy."
Now look at the one just under that. It says: "Mel Gibson definitely looked like he was looking for a fight. Shows he hasn't taken ownership for his own screw-up."
Two different comments, two different opinions, we thank you for bringing them. We will share.
Also this. It only takes a split second for a text to turn into, bang, that, an accident. Crashes like this have forced the government to take some action. We will tell you what that action is.
It's new rude...
(LAUGHTER)
SANCHEZ: Let me try this again -- new road rules for millions of drivers.
(LAUGHTER)
SANCHEZ: We will be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SANCHEZ: Do you remember when talking on your cell phone while you were driving was a big deal? Well, if you thought that was a big deal, if you thought that was dangerous, take a look at this.
Let's do "Fotos."
You can call him the poster child for what not to do behind the wheel, no texting while driving. The bus driver's momentary distraction led to this smashup that you're about to see. Clearly, the Transportation Department had this wreck in mind when it issued today's sweeping new ruling, bus drivers, truckers, no texting while driving.
You need to talk. If you do, I'll tell you what, do this. Reconnect your old CB radio. You know, breaker, breaker, good buddy, we got us a convoy. Remember that?
San Antonio, homeowners there have that sinking feeling. Those cracks and crevices that you're looking at used to be a hill. Those houses, people used to live in them. Now they watch with dread, wondering if their homes can be kept from sliding into a pit. You know how much time they had to collect their belongings? Fifteen minutes. Do you grab your kids' pictures or your flat-screen TV? Yes, don't answer that, folks. You will get in trouble.
Los Angeles now. Remember this dog, you know, the one stranded by floodwaters and soaking up an hour of news time on our competition? Well, four days after getting airlifted out of the danger, this pooch you see right there, he's still in a shelter. No owner has claimed him, had no tags, had no identity chip. He's a stray who, by the way, bit the hand of the guy who tried to save him. Just thought it was ironic. Yes.
OK. Why would someone compare themselves to any other situation that they're looking at? This is interesting. Jay Leno is being compared to Adolf Hitler. Do you see a resemblance? In fact, can we just stop making these Hitler comparisons all the time? This is a good story. I want to share it with you.
Also, another blow for Nancy Kerrigan. What's with Nancy Kerrigan? The figure skater's family is now at the center of a heartbreaking tragedy. She's fine, by the way. We will have details next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SANCHEZ: Daniel Kerrigan has died in what police say appears to be a struggle in the family's home Sunday morning. Now, if that last name sounds a little familiar to you, it's because that's Nancy Kerrigan's father.
You almost feel for Nancy Kerrigan. I mean, remember when she got the situation where she was hit by Tonya Harding?
BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Of course.
SANCHEZ: Yes, who is ever going to forget that, right?
BALDWIN: We've all seen the video over and over.
SANCHEZ: She seems to constantly find a way of getting into the news cycle without doing anything wrong, God bless her.
BALDWIN: Not the kind of news that you want.
You know, we're getting ready for the winter Olympics, but I'm about to tell you a story about Nancy Kerrigan that has nothing to do with skating. We're talking -- you mentioned her father, Daniel Kerrigan. He died early Sunday morning, and her brother, Mark Kerrigan is accused of attacking, Rick, their 70-year-old father, reportedly over the family's home phone, leaving him knocked out, unconscious, and bleeding on the kitchen floor.
I want to pick up the story inside the courtroom. This was during Kerrigan's arraignment yesterday. Listen to the prosecution and then the defense.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He indicated that he in fact had an argument with his father, that that argument became physical, he grabbed his father around the neck, and at some point the father collapsed to the floor. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He denies responsibility for this. He is quite distraught about his father's death. He is grieving. And I would ask that you release him on his personal promise to come back so that he may grieve, so that he may seek and receive the psychological assistance he needs at this time, and also his medication.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: This is terrible. So let me get this straight. Nancy Kerrigan's father is dead, and Nancy Kerrigan's brother is being charged with assault, not murder.
BALDWIN: Assault and battery.
SANCHEZ: Assault. But the father's dead.
BALDWIN: The father is dead. They're waiting on the autopsy results to come forward. More charges, more stiffer charges could happen if in fact they can link the death specifically to this attack.
SANCHEZ: Oh, my goodness.
BALDWIN: Let me get to the brother, because we're getting a little bit of information, and some of which I gleaned from that courtroom discussion, more of the sound I listened to so you won't have to.
We know he was an Army veteran, he suffered from PTSD. That's according to the defense attorney. He battled substance abuse off and on, and the prosecution said he was recently released from the House of corrections, serving multiple sentences, multiple convictions -- assault by means of a dangerous weapon, destruction of property. The list kind of goes on. You get where I'm going.
He is unemployed. He's been living in the parents' basement.
We of course reached out to Nancy Kerrigan. I want to show you what we got. This is a family statement, talking about the father.
"Dan Kerrigan was a wonderful husband for 47 years, a caring and loving father to his daughter Nancy, two sons, Michael and Mark, and a grandfather of eight. He was a valued and beloved member of the Stoneham Community." It's a community in Massachusetts, where they lived.
"The family's focus is on mourning Dan and honoring his life and many contributions. At this time we ask that their privacy be respected."
SANCHEZ: Now, was he living in the House with his dad?
BALDWIN: He apparently was living in the basement.
SANCHEZ: Nancy lives somewhere else.
BALDWIN: Somewhere else.
SANCHEZ: She wasn't there. BALDWIN: Married, three kids, somewhere else. She wasn't there, no.
SANCHEZ: Is he OK? I mean, just generally speaking. He seems to have...
BALDWIN: Well, again, suffering PTSD. And when you listen to the defense attorney saying, yes, he goes and sees a therapist, a psychiatrist a couple of times a week.
SANCHEZ: So that's going to come into play as well.
BALDWIN: That's coming into play as well.
SANCHEZ: What a complicated story.
BALDWIN: I know. And we're also hearing, if we can get to not only Nancy Kerrigan -- of course, we mentioned at the top of the segment the skating tie (ph). We're hearing from some of her friends...
(CROSSTALK)
SANCHEZ: Don't tell me Tonya Harding has issued a statement.
BALDWIN: She's issued a statement.
SANCHEZ: Oh my goodness.
BALDWIN: Shall we read it, Tonya Harding?
SANCHEZ: Please. Please.
BALDWIN: Let's read it.
Tonya Harding has reportedly said this: "Tonya feels very sad for Nancy and her family and extends her deepest sympathy and condolences to them."
SANCHEZ: Oh my goodness.
BALDWIN: "Tonya's beloved dad, Al Harding, passed away this past April, so she understands the grief Nancy and her family are feeling at this difficult time."
Maybe they're moving on, past 1994.
SANCHEZ: Well, that's nice, although it kind of makes it suddenly become the story that never goes away.
BALDWIN: It kind of is. Viral video.
SANCHEZ: It's an interesting case, though.
BALDWIN: It's a sad story.
SANCHEZ: I mean, this is -- yes. Thanks for bringing us the details.
BALDWIN: Sorry.
SANCHEZ: She was one of my heroes, Nancy.
BALDWIN: Nancy Kerrigan?
SANCHEZ: Great -- no, unbelievable athlete.
BALDWIN: Who knew?
SANCHEZ: I appreciate it.
BALDWIN: You're welcome.
SANCHEZ: Drum roll, please.
Our number one "Most Intriguing Person" -- hint: he is switching teams in a very dramatic way, and it's not what you think.
Can you guess? That's next.
Also, you know who's coming by to talk to us?
BALDWIN: I'm looking forward to it.
SANCHEZ: Atlanta's new mayor, Kasim Reed. He says that the stimulus isn't working. He took his complaints straight to the top. He's here to tell us why it doesn't work and what we can do to fix it.
Change, when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SANCHEZ: Welcome back. I'm Rick Sanchez.
You know, you just never know when the spirit is going to move you. But before I tell you about that, there's something else I have to share with you.
There is news that continues to be made in Haiti. And we have made a commitment to follow the Haiti story. So we've got people there who are sending us information, and whenever they do, we want to turn it around for you.
First, let's start with Richard Morrison (ph).
He is telling us -- listen to this. I mean, draw a picture in your head on this. There are now makeshift tents on the law of the prime minister's office.
Remember we were the first to tell you the prime minister had no place to sleep, that his palace was destroyed, didn't have a home? Well, it sounds like he's going to be sleeping in a tent.
The guards at the palace, the folks who are protecting the prime minister, they're eating food from a charity outfit, from USAID, that the United States is sending down there. Just imagine that scenario, that you're starting to figure out exactly what's going on right now in Haiti.
All right.
Now, back to the story I was going to start telling you about. This is the next "Most Intriguing Person of the Day."
At 23 years old, he could have been what would have been on track to get his name on everything from baseball cards to collectors' jerseys to, oh, some really fat checks. In fact, he already accepted a $432,000 signing bonus from the Oakland A's, but now he's entering the priesthood, turned down that much money.
Our "Intriguing Person of the Day," Grant Desme, a name you probably haven't heard, but you might have one day. Not now though.
He's trading the opportunity to play in Major League Baseball and be given $500,000. Says, "I don't want it. I'm going to bat for God instead."
The vows of celibacy, the vows of poverty, you get the idea.
Grant Desme, how's that for a "Most Intriguing Person of the Day"?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
Are you under an investigation right now by the Senate Ethics Committee and/or the Justice Department?
SEN. JOHN ENSIGN (R), NEVADA: Listen, Rick, I've commented on all I was going to comment on that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: This is the story making news on this day, because it comes out of that interview I did with Senator Ensign, now at the center today of a big scandal involving the FBI's wanting to ask him questions. Also the Senate Ethics Committee.
Probably very similar to the questions that I'm going to be asking about when I have a conversation with Wolf Blitzer, next, about what's going on in Washington.
Also, a U.N. climate expert said the Himalayan glaciers will disappear in 25 years. What? Who can top that?
That's ahead on "The List U Don't Want 2 Be On."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SANCHEZ: Let me tell you something we're proud to be doing for you. All week long we here at CNN are examining the stimulus and looking at all the concerns that a lot of folks have, a lot of Americans have about this economy, how an estimated $862 billion -- yes, that's a brand-new number -- of our money, our dollars is being spent.
Is it being spent wisely? Is it going to work? Now, last week, a group of some big-city mayors met with President Obama. So, who better to talk to now about how that conversation went than one of those mayors?
I'd like you to meet Kasim Reed. He is the newly-elected mayor of Atlanta.
Mr. Mayor, thank you for being with us.
MAYOR KASIM REED, ATLANTA: Well, thank you for having me.
SANCHEZ: It's nice to see you.
REED: I'm glad to be here.
SANCHEZ: Let me start pointblank -- has this stimulus program, all these billions of dollars, are you feeling it? Are you seeing it? Is it helping you? And if not, why not?
REED: Well, I think we're seeing it at the state, but the conversation we were having in Washington was really more about cities. The stimulus definitely saved jobs. Were it not for the stimulus, thousands of state employees ran the risk of being furloughed or laid off.
SANCHEZ: That money was directly used to pay their salaries?
REED: Yes. I was in the state Senate at the time, and we had a large hole in our budget. And those stimulus dollars did help avert furloughs of teachers and firefighters and state patrolmen. The concerns that the mayor has raised was about the trickle-down effect of those dollars and really just having a conversation with the president and the vice president about including cities more since cities really generate the nation's economy.
SANCHEZ: What did you tell him? What did you tell the president and what did he tell you about this idea of yours of trying to get that money to trickle down to the city of Atlanta, the city of Minneapolis, Kansas City, New York, Atlanta, Chicago?
REED: The conversation was really about the work that we have to do with the administration and with Congress. Secretary Geithner was in a meeting with us. Larry Summers was in the meeting. And I think they heard the message loud and clear.
But what they explained to us, as we shared this with them, was that they were in -- we were in a situation where the country was facing an emergency and they were trying to deploy resources as quickly as possible. That was the method for them, but it needs to change going forward.
SANCHEZ: Let me ask you a question flat-out, because you just mentioned Summers, and Summers, interestingly enough, is one of the guys who was involved in Wall Street. There is a perception out there -- I showed a poll just a while ago -- I don't know if you're aware of this -- something like 80 percent of Americans or 60 of Americans, as opposed to 28 percent of Americans, believe that this president has spent too much time giving money and fixing the problems of the big guys on Wall Street and not enough helping the people that you want to help here in the city of Atlanta.
Do you understand that criticism?
REED: I understand the criticism, but I think that's because we're not communicating where we were well enough. We were on the verge of a Great Depression. If we had allowed our financial markets to collapse, if we had not taken the steps to prevent that, then we would be in much worse shape.
I don't think we've done a very good job of communicating that message. But what I want to talk about is, what are we going to do in the future?
SANCHEZ: OK. Well, let me tell you something that I think is a major problem, and maybe it's because I grew up poor. I mean real poor.
And the thing -- my dad worked three jobs, and he was cleaning toilets and washing dishes, and doing all the things you've got to do when you're an immigrant and you come to this country. I was able to succeed because of the recreation department in my city. I was able to go to a park and meet fine, upstanding people who became my heroes, my leaders, who taught me how to play ball, taught me how to think, did a lot of stuff for us. Maybe they kept me from becoming a criminal.
Why is it that one of the first things to get cut, the city of Atlanta, I've noticed, you've had to cut parks and recreation? There's nobody there. You haven't cut cops, but you've cut them.
Let me just ask this question this way. Having a lot of police officers doesn't necessarily stop crime from happening, it arrests them after it happens. Getting to kids before they become criminals, isn't that the way we need to look at this?
REED: I think you're right, and I'm well aware of your concern for young people. That's why in Atlanta we're going to open every single recreation center in the city.
SANCHEZ: With what money? Can you use stimulus money to do this?
REED: I don't know if we can use stimulus money. I do know that there's federal dollars available to help us with the programming once we get the buildings open.
But I'll tell you this -- you're saying, what money? Being a mayor is about leading and about choosing. And I'm going to go into our $541 million general fund and I'm going to make different decisions and open every single recreation center to make sure that young people had what you had.
I was also one of those kids. While my family did reasonably well, when I got out of school, I was at John A. White Park in Atlanta.
SANCHEZ: Exactly.
REED: It gave me the structure that kept me out of trouble. That and my big brothers.
SANCHEZ: I'm bothered when I go to parks and any community and I see them empty. And I see no one there -- no adults, no programming, nothing to do. And more often than not, what you see are kids hiding in a corner smoking pot or something.
REED: You're right.
SANCHEZ: That's not the secret to getting through the problems that we're going through.
I've got some numbers here, by the way. Total stimulus funds for projects in Atlanta, what do we see here? Let's look at this together.
Is that $3 billion the city of Atlanta has gotten?
(CROSSTALK)
REED: I think that's a typo. The entire state of Georgia hasn't gotten $3 billion.
SANCHEZ: Let me ask you about this. We talked about recreation a little while ago.
REED: It would be a nice typo if it were true.
SANCHEZ: Mr. Mayor, let me ask you about this. CNN and one of the presidents of Turner here, Phil Kent has agreed, because he thinks this is a problem too -- we all do, frankly. There's too many kids that don't have anything to do if their parents are working or if they don't have a dad or a mom.
REED: You're right.
SANCHEZ: We're giving a dollar of everybody single person who takes the CNN tour here. You know, thousands and thousands of people.
REED: That's more than $200,000.
SANCHEZ: Two hundred and fifty thousand dollars.
Are you going to be able to use that money to help possibly keep some people in some of these parks?
REED: Absolutely.
SANCHEZ: Get people back in the parks?
REED: Because of Phil's effort, and really Turner Broadcasting's effort, what we're going to do is we're going to be able to help save a generation of young people. The folks that were like you were when you were young and like me are going to have more opportunities because of it. I'm saying right here today, when we come back here in a year, every single recreation center in the city of Atlanta will be open. I assure you of that.
SANCHEZ: You will be sitting in that chair.
REED: I'll be sitting in this chair.
SANCHEZ: I'm going to hold it to you.
REED: And I will come back in January. It will be done, and it will be because of the help of organizations like yours and because of people like you and Phil Kent, who care enough to put their money where their mouth is.
SANCHEZ: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Appreciate your being here.
REED: Thank you, Rick, for everything that you do.
SANCHEZ: Thank you. That's very important stuff.
All week long, CNN has been digging in as part of an initiative that we call the "Stimulus Project," and we can report that in this case, the total stimulus funds for Atlanta have created just over 21,000 jobs. These include full-time, part-time and temporary jobs.
For more on how you can follow the money, go to CNN.com/stimulus. It will be right there for you.
Wolf Blitzer is going to be joining me here in just a little bit. He's going to be letting us know -- as a matter of fact, he's here now.
What did you think of that, Wolf? What did you think of the conversation I was just having with the mayor about -- you know, this money that we all talk about, it's such a huge figure. I learned a long time ago from one of my journalism professors, if the money is too big, people don't understand it.
How do you make it matter to people? How do we make this story cut through?
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: I think all of us related to what you said, what the mayor said, Rick.
I grew up in Buffalo, New York, and I used to go to all the public parks in the summertime, in the wintertime. I used to go ice skating in Delaware Park in Buffalo, and I know how important it was for me, all my friends, to just be able to go to the park and hang out with some good kids, and some good counselors, teachers who were always there as well, and it's really important. It rings a bell I think for all of us.
SANCHEZ: Doesn't it make you crazy now as an adult when you go by a park and you see it locked or you see a chain on the door and you can't get in, and they're telling you it's not accessible to you? I swear, it breaks my heart whenever I see that.
BLITZER: It's very sad. Very sad. These are parks that the kids should be having a good time and they should be enjoying. And when you see it locked up, whether a basketball court, or whatever, it's just a sad, sad thing.
SANCHEZ: Especially in the inner city. That's what these kids need to avoid getting themselves in trouble later.
By the way, I need to ask you, speaking of trouble, we've been following this story regarding Senator John Ensign, and he deserves the benefit of the doubt in this deal. But his situation now is one that's not just a question of news stories and a question of questionable judgment on his part. It's now being investigated by the Senate Ethics Committee, and it's also being considered by the FBI.
This situation is serious enough, you think, for the senator that we may see some movement on the story? What's your take, Wolf?
BLITZER: Well, I've been here for 30 years-plus, and I've seen a lot of investigations by House and Senate Ethics Committee staffs, as well as by Justice Department, other law enforcement. Sometimes they pan out, and sometimes there's an indictment, a charge, and sometimes there's even an arrest.
But I've also seen a case where, you know, in the end, there's nothing there, and a good person has just been smeared needlessly. So, my recommendation is, and I'm sure you agree, let's let the process go forward and see what happens.
SANCHEZ: Right.
The rule that says -- take us through this. You know this very well. The rule is, if you're a staff member, right, for a senator or a congressman, you have to wait one year before you start lobbying the government in any regard. Correct?
BLITZER: I think it's that. Don't hold me to it, but I think it might be two years, but it's at least one year.
SANCHEZ: And in that time period, if you start lobbying -- in this case it was Doug Hampton, who was his chief of staff before he started lobbying -- I guess the question becomes, then -- and I guess what they're going to be looking into -- is the possibility that Senator Ensign helped him do something which Senator Ensign, I guess, should have known -- like you said, it's at least one year -- that it's illegal, right?
That's where the problem might be for this guy.
BLITZER: I think there's one rule for administration/executive branch officials who want to become lobbyists. They have to wait an interval.
I don't know -- I don't remember what the rule is as far as House or Senate staffers are concerned, but we'll check that. I think there's a different rule for the executive branch and for the legislative branch, but I could by wrong.
SANCHEZ: We'll check on it, like you said.
Hey, I was kind of shocked last night when I hear the breaking news that you reported about the president of the United States suddenly coming out with this freeze. It seems to be as much a political move as it is an economic move. At least that's what a lot of folks watching this are saying, including Krugman at "The New York Time."
You say what, Wolf?
BLITZER: Well, you know, during the campaign, the then-Republican nominee, John McCain, he flatly said he wanted this kind of freeze on what's called discretionary spending, non-military, non-national security, non-Social Security or Medicare or Veterans Affairs, but the other spending, which is about 17 percent or 19 percent of the federal budget. And the Democratic candidate at the time, Senator Obama, now the president of the United States, he said that's a bad idea, he doesn't think you should use that budget freeze.
Now the president has turned around on that. And you know what? The president's budget director, Peter Orszag, is going to be here in "THE SITUATION ROOM." We're going to talk about that, because a lot of people are saying this has been a flip on the part of the president.
SANCHEZ: Oh, great.
Listen, I just heard, Wolf, you were right. One year, you're not allowed to lobby after you've been in an administrative position working for a senator or a politician in this regard.
So, great stuff, Wolf. Always enjoy the conversation.
BLITZER: And remember always the definition of the word "lobby." What is a lobbyist? Do you register as a lobbyist, you don't register? These are issues that the Ethics Committee and the Justice Department are going to be looking at closely.
SANCHEZ: You bet.
Thanks.
Wolf Blitzer coming up in "THE SITUATION ROOM."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MEL GIBSON, ACTOR/DIRECTOR: What happened before?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The remarks that were attributed to you?
GIBSON: That were attributed to me, that I didn't necessarily make?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mm-hmm.
GIBSON: OK? But -- and I gather you have a dog in this fight.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Pardon me?
GIBSON: You have a dog in this fight?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: Those are Mel Gibson's words, got him on "The List U Don't Want 2 Be On." Who can top that? Who tops Mel Gibson today? We're going to tell you in just a little bit.
Also, a reminder. Tomorrow, the president gives his first State of the Union Address to the nation. Strategists from both sides of the aisle are going to be here to help us drill down on what the president must say to calm the nation's fears about the economy and about terrorism, all that.
But when we come back, "The List U Don't Want 2 Be On." Who's number one?
Stay there. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SANCHEZ: Here we go. Welcome back. I'm Rick Sanchez.
And we are ready now to reveal the very top of our "List That U Don't Want 2 Be On."
Recapping, number three, Rajendra Pachauri, a U.N. climate expert who signed off on a report that said the Himalayan glaciers will disappear by 2035. That's 25 years from now. Oops.
Number two, Mel Gibson, famous for exploding, explodes again. This time on a reporter who asked him about his 2006 comment in a police report accusing Jews of being the cause of all wars.
Said Gibson to reporter Sam Rubin (ph), "Do you have a dog in this fight or are you impartial?" Rubin (ph) is Jewish.
Number one, author and "Wall Street Journal" writer Joe Queenan. Queenan, a fine writer in his own right, has taken the seemingly lazy step of using Hitler to make a point.
Can we stop comparing Hitler to everything? Who is Hitler being compared to this time? Jay Leno.
"Leno," Queenan writes, "much like Adolf Hitler, is a master of making secret demands for foreign territory." Queenan continues, "He pretended that he wanted to annex only the first half hour of Mr. O'Brien's 'Tonight Show.'"
"Here, he was mimicking Hitler, who pretended he only wanted to annex the German-speaking Sudentenland, not all of Czechoslovakia."
Come on. Aren't we overreaching here? Leno? Hitler?
"Wall Street Journal" writer Joe Queenan finds himself on the top of the heap on "The List U Don't Want 2 Be On."
Now let's go to the guy on the good list. Let's go over to "THE SITUATION ROOM."
Here is Wolf Blitzer.
