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Rick's List
Rogue Wave Hits Cruise Ship; Interview With New York Congressman Anthony Weiner; Congressman Charlie Rangel Steps Aside
Aired March 03, 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: Welcome back. I'm Rick Sanchez.
A rogue wave has swept passengers off a cruise ship near France. Apparently two are dead, 14 injured.
New York State's police department bails on Governor David Paterson. He's -- the governor is fighting abuse of power allegations, but the governor is not the only one involved in this, because New York State Police was involved as well. How long can Paterson hold on before he -- as he's being asked to, resign.
Look, this is a busy day, folks. We're going to have a lot of stuff coming your way. Let me stack up what else we got on THE LIST.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SANCHEZ (voice-over): Here's what is on THE LIST.
The president's health care plan will include Republican proposals.
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The American people want to know if it's still possible for Washington to look out for their interests and their future.
(APPLAUSE)
SANCHEZ: Republican Senator Barrasso is on the president's letter. He's on THE LIST. Will he support the president. He joins me live.
At the top of the list for toughest dudes, remember "The Hurt Locker"? There are people who really detonate bombs.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Why do I do it? Well, I enjoy the thrill. I enjoy the accomplishment of defeating an IED.
SANCHEZ: You will see their unbelievable story.
Can you believe an air traffic controller thought it would be cute to let his son to direct real airliners? FAA thinks, not cute. They say unacceptable.
The lists you need to know about. Who's "Today's Most Intriguing"? Who's making news on Twitter? It's why I keep a list, pioneering tomorrow's cutting-edge news right now.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SANCHEZ: And at the very top of THE LIST today is politics, specifically, the president of the United States.
He came out, guns a'blazing. He says: This is it. This is my proposal. This is what I want done with health care. Congress, you have got a couple of weeks to get it done.
Here's the president just a little while ago, talking about that proposal, in case you missed it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OBAMA: We can't just give up because the politics are hard.
I know there's been a fascination, bordering on obsession, in this media town about what passing health insurance reform would mean for the next election, and the one after that, how will this play, what will happen with the polls. I will leave it to others to sift through the politics, because that's not what this is about, that's not why we're here.
This is about what reform would mean for the mother with breast cancer whose insurance company will finally have to pay for her chemotherapy.
This is about what reform would mean for the small-business owner who will no longer have to choose between hiring more workers or offering coverage to the employees she has.
This is about what reform would mean for middle-class families who will be able to afford health insurance for the very first time in their lives.
I do not know how this plays politically, but I know it's right.
(APPLAUSE)
OBAMA: And so I ask Congress to finish its work, and I look forward to signing this reform into law.
Thank you very much everybody.
Let's get it done.
(APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: Well, that's the president finishing up when he was talking about the politics of this proposal.
Now, here's what I want to do for you. I have decided that I want you, after hearing everything that everybody has to say -- and there's going to be a lot of folks talking about this. You heard us just a little while ago doing an interview with Senator Barrasso. He is a Republican. He's a doctor. He doesn't like the president's plan, even though the president is including four of the proposals from Republicans in his plan, says it isn't enough.
As a matter of fact, we can go even further with this. I want to share something with you. Well, this -- this is kind of a -- he's a bit more of a rabid Republican, in terms of the commentaries that he's made in the past.
I don't think that's particularly unfair. But look at this tweet. This is Congressman Joe Wilson. Here is how he describes the president's plan, including what the president did to try and include the Republican perspective.
He tweets -- and we have got him on THE LIST -- "A couple spoonfuls of sugar on a stinking pile of garbage doesn't make the president's government-run health care any less smelly."
I mean, those are strong words, folks, but --
(LAUGHTER)
SANCHEZ: -- Barrasso was obviously much more diplomatic. Congressman Joe Wilson doesn't feel the need to be so diplomatic.
At the end of this newscast, I want to let you hear the president's proposal for yourself, unencumbered, without reaction from the left or the right. And that should happen just about 10 minutes before 5:00.
So, stay there. We will count you down to that throughout this newscast.
In the meantime, two folks I want to bring in right now. I interview Barrasso. He is on the right. I'm going to be interviewing Anthony Weiner. He is on the left. And, by the way, I understand he's not happy with the president's proposal either. He doesn't think it goes far enough. He wants to see the public option in this.
My colleague Wolf Blitzer has also been following this story all afternoon on CNN's air. And he's joining us now to give us his reaction and to see what he's hearing.
Just -- let's start there with you, Wolf. You're in Washington. You've -- you have got sources at the White House and -- and inside both houses of Congress, as well as both sides of the aisle. What -- what -- what are you hearing so far about the president's proposal that he laid out today?
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: It's going to be really tight in the House of Representatives, but, when all the dust settles in the coming week or two settles in the House of Representatives, I suspect Nancy Pelosi will have either the 216 or 217-vote majority that is necessary.
They will -- they will do a lot of pressuring. They will do whatever it takes, but I suspect she will get those votes. Then there will have to be another vote on all the reconciliation tweaks, the changes, as they are called, from the Senate bill. Then, the Senate is going to have to pass it, 50 senators, plus Joe Biden. He can break a tie, as you know.
So, I assume -- I assume they're going to get those votes, because, if they don't, the Democrats believe they will be in much greater trouble. The president believes that the country will assume he can't -- he can't govern.
So, I assume that, when the dust settles, they will get it. But it's not going to be easy, by any means. And there's one wild card. The parliamentarian in the Senate, he has to approve this whole process. It's likely he will, but it's not a done deal, by any means.
SANCHEZ: We're joined now by the spitfire of Congress, Anthony Weiner himself.
No one has been a louder proponent of getting this health care plan through. And -- and no one wants to see it passed more than in the original shape that it took when this discussion first started, including the public option.
Are you disappointed that the president has come out and basically told the American people, this is what my proposal looks like, and, no, it doesn't include the public option?
REP. ANTHONY WEINER (D), NEW YORK: Well, I'm disappointed. I'm also a little bit surprised. You know, the president has said, since the beginning of this process, he supported the public option. It already passed in the House.
The Senate, as you know, there's a growing chorus -- you have reported on it -- that wants a public option. And, in the public, it's broadly supported. So, you have kind of got to wonder why it's not in there, especially since the CBO says it saves us about $110 billion. It gives us choice and competition, something the Republicans say they support.
So, it's a little bit mysterious. You know, we learned who shot J.R. I don't know who shot the public option here. So, we're going to try to resuscitate it one way or the other.
SANCHEZ: Well, here is your chance to tell the American people why you think the public option is so important.
The president seems to think that health care can do what he wants it to do. And that is cut costs for Americans and make it more inclusive for Americans. Those are the two things he really seems to want the most. He thinks you can do that without the public option. So, why do you say he needs it?
WEINER: Well, I think it's important, because, when you're going to take this big exchange that he describes, which is insurance companies, people who are uninsured get to decide which one they want to provide their coverage, they're all insurance companies. And they operate to make profits.
They operate to pay out as little as they can in services, take in as much as they can, not because they're venal or bad people. That's their business model.
The public option, something like Medicare, has a different imperative. They're not looking to make profit. They're not looking for -- they don't have high overhead. It's the lowest overhead of anyone providing insurance.
So, it would have influence on reducing the price. Whenever you have choice from a lower-cost option, it lets -- everyone has to compete at that lower level, and we save a lot of money to the taxpayers.
SANCHEZ: Hey, Wolf, were you taken aback at all during my interview with Barrasso that he was seemingly as headstrong as he was, diplomatically, of course, and respectfully?
You know, in the case of Congressman Joe Wilson, that tweet that I read just a little while ago, it almost sounds like Republicans are resigned just to not go along with this thing, no matter what it says.
BLITZER: Well, they don't like it.
And Senator Barrasso is one of the most knowledgeable senators when it comes to health care reform on the Republican side. He's a physician of long standing. He knows this issue about as well as anyone.
And -- and -- and you remember last week, at that Blair House summit, he had an exchange, an interesting exchange, with the president. And his --
SANCHEZ: Mm-hmm.
BLITZER: And the letter the president released yesterday, he said -- he mentioned Senator Barrasso by name, and said, "I accept your idea, so let's go forward."
Obviously, that wasn't good enough for Senator Barrasso.
And Senator Joe Wilson, just to remind our viewers, he's the member of the House who shouted "You lie" at the president during that address before a joint session a few months back. So, a lot of our viewers will remember that.
SANCHEZ: Anthony Weiner, Congressman Weiner, I want to get your take on this.
Do -- do you have any faith at all that you can -- you or the president, or Nancy Pelosi, or Harry Reid can reach out to the other side on this and find some spirit of compromise, or do you think that's a lost cause?
WEINER: Well, you can write this down, Rick. The Republicans don't want this to be a success. They don't want it to be a success because they're invested in the status quo. They don't want it to be a success because the health care industry is one of their biggest benefactors.
And they don't want it to be a success because themselves have said they want this to be the president's Waterloo. You know, the idea that President Obama and the House -- Senate and House Democrats haven't reached out, you remember, we were all sitting around, waiting for the gang of six with Republicans.
We were waiting for Olympia Snowe.
SANCHEZ: Yes.
WEINER: We were waiting for Joe Lieberman.
And now, even after dozens of amendments that have been included that are Republican amendments, the president includes even more. Can anyone point to a single vote that has come back our way from the Republicans?
SANCHEZ: Well, but --
WEINER: They don't want a compromise. They want to stop this.
SANCHEZ: But let me press you on this, because the point you made, in case it's lost on some of our viewers -- and, Wolf, of course, you can jump in here as well -- what you just asserted is the following: Republicans are opposing something that may be good for the American people for two reasons: A, the money that is put in their coffers by the health insurance companies -- want to make sure I'm reading you right here -- and, B., the politics of losing something that the president would look good in, and they don't want him to look good.
You're on the record saying here that your colleagues are willing to sacrifice good policy for the sake of money and politics? You're saying that, right, Congressman?
WEINER: Well, wait a minute. Wait a minute.
I'm not saying it. Making this President Obama's Waterloo was the Republican leadership saying it. They say it every single day. It's one of their strategic imperatives that they benefit politically if the president does not succeed.
But make no mistake about it. That first part that you're treating as some kind of a news announcement, it's not.
SANCHEZ: Mm-hmm. Yes.
WEINER: We know the health care industry has socked it in on the Republican Party since the day one. There are people that win and people that lose in this --
SANCHEZ: Well, hold on. Hold -- but wait, wait, wait.
Last time I checked, Max Baucus has a D. in front of his name. Have you checked lately to see how much he got from the health care industry?
WEINER: This was passed with entirely Democratic votes. You might be able to find a Democrat that got a contribution from the health care industry, but we voted yes to reel in the health care industry.
SANCHEZ: Yes.
WEINER: The guys that voted no were trying to explain why they're doing it, and they're doing it because the Republican Party is a wholly owned subsidiary of the insurance industry. That's just a fact.
SANCHEZ: He's a spitfire, as I said, Congressman Anthony Weiner. He has been going around talking about this.
My thanks to you.
My thanks to my colleague Wolf Blitzer as well.
And, Wolf, you are going to be going -- you are going to be going all over this thing during "THE SIT ROOM" tonight, I imagine, right?
BLITZER: We certainly are, Rick. It's going to be -- look, it's going to be a crazy next two or three weeks.
The -- but the president has already laid out the challenge: Get this done. And the leadership in the House and Senate want it done by the Easter recess at the end of this month. So, we're going to be watching every step of the way.
SANCHEZ: Anthony Weiner, Wolf Blitzer, two of the many voices you will hear as we count down to what the president had to say toward the latter half of our newscast.
Gentlemen, my thanks to both of you. Hope to be seeing you again soon.
WEINER: Thank you, Rick.
Thank you, Wolf.
BLITZER: Thank you.
SANCHEZ: Here's what else we're going to have for you. Stay there.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED CHILD: JetBlue 171, cleared for takeoff.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Cleared for takeoff, JetBlue 171.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ah, let me see, Aeromexico, 403 Kennedy, position hold?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Position hold, Aeromexico 403.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is what you get, guys, when the kids are out of school.
(LAUGHTER)
(END AUDIO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: Hah, hah, hah. Hah, hah, hah. Funny.
Maybe not. That was a kid giving clearance to an airliner filled with people to leave an airport in the United States -- no small airport, by the way. This is the watercooler story of the day. Who was in control at JFK's control tower? It was a child who was allowed to do that.
And, man, I will tell you, his dad is getting all kinds of hell for it, including from the FAA. We're going to bring you that story. I'm going to let you hear it and listen to it for yourself and -- and hear what the -- what the reaction has been to it.
Also, a few days ago, we told you about a rogue wave that wiped out a surf competition. Remember? That was off the coast of California. Well, today, for those of you who are just now getting home -- we have been reporting this story over the last 45 minutes or so -- some kind of rogue wave off the coast of Spain smacked up against a passenger ship, a cruise ship.
Apparently, two people are dead, 14 are injured. Glass was shattered. This is crazy. It has a "Poseidon Adventure"-ish kind of tone to it, don't it? Chad Myers is all over that. And we will be bringing you -- bringing you the details.
And -- and, before we head to the break, take a listen to a veteran politician stepping down from a very powerful post, at least for now. This is a follow-up as well. Remember, we told you New York Congressman Charles Rangel, who, until today, had been head of the House Ways and Means Committee? Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. CHARLES RANGEL (D-NY), HOUSE WAYS AND MEANS COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN: In view of the fact that my chairmanship is bringing so much attention to the press, and in order to avoid my colleagues having to defend me during their elections, I have, this morning, sent a letter to Speaker Pelosi, asking her to grant me a leave of absence.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SANCHEZ: Boy, what a story, this story. Talk about the cool -- the watercooler story of the day.
An air traffic controller apparently allowed his son to come to work with him, which is not a big deal, but then he also allowed him to get on the microphone and address pilots as they were bringing down or taking up planes, including one plane that he gave the clearance for takeoff to. This is not sitting well with the FAA.
Brooke Baldwin has been following this for us, and she's joining us now to fill us in.
It sounds like it was kind of a boneheaded move there, wasn't it?
BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You know, I have got to say, I have been hearing a lot from the aviation community, and they're saying this thing is blown way out of proportion.
But let's step back for a moment and explain what happened. This incident happened about two weeks ago. I think the FAA said the date was February 16. JFK is the airport. By the way, that's the nation's sixth busiest airport.
We have an air traffic controller who has been described by the FAA as veteran, as Rick said, brought his child to work, to the tower, and yes, let him clear planes for takeoff. Listen.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED CHILD: JetBlue 171, cleared for takeoff.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Cleared for takeoff, JetBlue 171.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is what you get, guys, when the kids are out of school.
(LAUGHTER)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Wish I could bring my kid to work.
UNIDENTIFIED CHILD: JetBlue 171, contact departure.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Over to departure JetBlue 171. Awesome job.
UNIDENTIFIED CHILD: Zero-three, cleared for takeoff.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Four-zero-three, cleared for takeoff. Thank you very much. Have a great day.
UNIDENTIFIED CHILD: Aeromex 403, contact departure. Adios.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Contact departure, Aeromexico 403, adios.
UNIDENTIFIED CHILD: Contact departure. Adios, amigo.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Adios, amigo. Over to departure, JetBlue 195.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
BALDWIN: Adios, amigo.
(LAUGHTER)
SANCHEZ: Yes.
BALDWIN: So, there was a second -- let me just get this in, Rick. There was a second controller who was there who was in charge, according to this source who talked to CNN today.
Both of these controllers are on paid leave -- that's the latest from the FAA -- pending this investigation.
Let's get to this FAA statement from the administrator -- quote -- "This lapse in judgment not only violated FAA's own policies, but commonsense standards for professional conduct. These kinds are distractions -- of distractions totally unacceptable."
Also, National Air Traffic Controllers getting in on this, the association saying, look, we do not condone this type of behavior in any way -- Rick.
SANCHEZ: But you're saying that there are pilots out there who are saying that this is not that big of a deal.
BALDWIN: Right.
SANCHEZ: I'm just -- I'm just wondering. I mean, from -- it certainly doesn't look good. And when you're talking about something that's so important to all of us sitting on an airplane --
BALDWIN: Absolutely.
SANCHEZ: -- I'm not sure I would be comfortable knowing that there's a -- that there's something distracting the air traffic controller.
BALDWIN: And that is precisely the concern of this woman I spoke with on the phone today.
Her name is Lynn Spencer (ph). She is a former airplane pilot. She worked in control towers herself, aviation -- senior aviation expert, the works. So, she said -- upon hearing the story, she said the father must be one of the best of the best to be working at JFK, knew what he was doing, clearly supervising this child.
In fact, she even told me the FAA rules. She looked at them and said, you can bring a child or -- or a visitor into the tower. It has to, though, go through the FAA. We don't know if that happened in this particular case.
But, as you mentioned, she said the bigger issue is not necessarily the child communicating with these pilots, with these planes, but the possible distraction that a child might pose --
SANCHEZ: Right.
BALDWIN: -- to other controllers in that tower, but she said not a breach of security, not a breach of safety either -- just a different perspective.
SANCHEZ: Well, I have kids -- I have -- as you know, I have four kids.
BALDWIN: Right.
SANCHEZ: And I can vouch that they're never a distraction --
(LAUGHTER)
BALDWIN: Never.
SANCHEZ: -- just sit in a corner real quiet, never do anything wrong.
BALDWIN: Imagine bringing your kids on and doing the show, huh?
(LAUGHTER)
SANCHEZ: Thanks so much, Brooke.
BALDWIN: OK.
SANCHEZ: Appreciate it.
Interesting story.
All right, here's what else we're going to be following for you. Look at this. David Paterson's problems, they just keep piling up. Just today, the New York governor was accused of violating ethics laws for getting free World Series tickets this time. And he's still reeling from claims that he tried to influence a domestic abuse case by phoning the accuser and trying to talk her into not going up -- going to a hearing.
This is a story that is -- continues to explode. We will have the very latest on it in our political soap opera.
Stay right there. THE LIST continues.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SANCHEZ: Welcome back. I'm Rick Sanchez.
Here's why the story about the governor of New York is so interesting. We often cover stories about abuse of power -- or potential abuse of power by politicians. But this is a double whammy. This is a case where the governor is being accused of abusing his power in a case of abuse, domestic abuse.
He's being accused of picking up the phone and calling someone who was accusing his chief of staff of domestic violence, and, according to some, talking her into not showing up for a hearing where she would have been a -- a key witness. And there are also reports that the state police got involved in possibly pressuring this domestic abuse victim/witness.
So, this story is the kind of story that's hard to tamp down, and it's looking like it's taken its toll both on the governor and the state of New York and police. Joining us here now is someone who is going to be able to take us through this, Chris.
What -- what -- where is this going right now? Because it looks like it's growing every single day.
CHRIS SMITH, CONTRIBUTING EDITOR, "NEW YORK": Yes.
In the short term, as New York State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo continues his investigation, continues to depose people involved, in the short term, it's going to shed more casualties.
SANCHEZ: Mm-hmm.
SMITH: Yesterday, the head of the New York State Troopers resigned.
SANCHEZ: Today -- by the way, it's Chris Smith. I should have your last -- with "New York" magazine, one of the best publications in the country.
Are they culpable as well? Did they screw up as well? And was that the governor's fault or their own fault?
SMITH: Some of both. I mean, we have a bad history in New York State over the past three governors of the governors using the state troopers, particularly in their own security detail, to -- to play politics, to gather dirt on political opponents.
SANCHEZ: That's crazy.
SMITH: Yes. I mean --
SANCHEZ: Oh, well, shouldn't -- shouldn't somebody in the police department say, wait a minute, you want me to do what?
SMITH: Yes.
SANCHEZ: You want me to go and talk to a woman who is accusing somebody on your staff of abusing them -- of -- of using violence on them? That sounds crazy.
SMITH: You would hope so.
SANCHEZ: At some point, somebody should have said -- an adult should have said, no, we don't do this kind of stuff.
SMITH: You would hope so.
And there are plenty of people in the state police force with a tremendous amount of integrity. But, at the higher level, you know, whether you're wearing a uniform or not, it is a political appointment. You know, you're close on a personal basis with the governor. You're going to refuse orders from a guy whose your job depends on?
You know, that's -- it takes some guts. It takes some courage. You hope people stand up that way, but it's sometimes not the way it works.
SANCHEZ: Speaking of guts, given all that he's been through so far -- and this is not the first incident, by the way. This is not like a squeaky-clean guy who, all of a sudden, has this incident come up.
Listen to the governor talking about vindication. Here it is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. DAVID PATERSON (D), NEW YORK: I would relish the opportunity to talk to you about this right now. But, when I read these accounts that are unsourced and inaccurate, it's obviously frustrating.
But the hope for me is that the attorney general's investigation is a place where witnesses have to take an oath, and, hopefully, where the truth comes out. And, when the truth comes out, I'm confident that I will be vindicated.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: But it -- you know, it's funny how people in this situation always start talking legally, like this is a court trial.
He's in the court of public opinion. He's a public figure. He's the governor of the state of New York. How long can he last like this?
SMITH: Well, in some ways, he's already cooked. I mean, last Friday, he made it official and pulled out of the race to be elected to a full term. He's not running this year. I mean, he's just trying to stave off --
SANCHEZ: Well, what about the idea that he would just resign?
SMITH: -- resignation or impeachment.
SANCHEZ: Well, should he resign?
SMITH: No, because, you know, New York needs a little bit of stability. We have got a $9 billion deficit. Paterson has He's been a lousy governor in a bunch of ways, but having more turnover at this point is -- is probably not a good thing.
SANCHEZ: Where is Eliot Spitzer when you need him?
(LAUGHTER)
SMITH: Yes.
(LAUGHTER)
SMITH: He's actually been advising Paterson lately, which is an interesting twist.
SANCHEZ: Really?
SMITH: Yes. He's backed off a bit with these latest, you know, revelations, but --
(LAUGHTER)
SMITH: -- Spitzer had been chipping in ways for Paterson to recover.
SANCHEZ: That's interesting. Be careful what you wish for, is that what --
SMITH: Yes.
SANCHEZ: Is that what a lot of folks are saying?
(CROSSTALK)
(LAUGHTER)
SMITH: Yes. I mean, today -- today, the state integrity ethics commission charged Paterson with taking free World Series tickets --
SANCHEZ: Yes.
SMITH: -- back in October.
And, given the other stuff, that's almost quaint.
SANCHEZ: It's --
SMITH: You know, taking free tickets to a ball game, you know, that's the kind of thing that you would let him get away with almost.
SANCHEZ: It just keeps piling on.
Chris, thanks so much for coming in and sharing this with us. We appreciate it.
SMITH: Thanks for having me.
SANCHEZ: Here's what else we're going to have for you. Look at this.
Still ahead: Tiger Woods, loyal? How about devoted and self- controlled? Well, we're going to tell you who's using those words to describe the man who publicly apologized for multiple affairs.
And a reminder that we're counting down to President Obama's health care plan spelled out in his own words. I want you to watch it, absorb it, and judge it for yourself.
By the way, two developing stories, one in Chile, one off the coast of Spain, both weather-related, I suppose, both having to do with potential big waves that could do a lot of damage. In one case, it has. And we have got the video.
THE LIST scrolls on. I'm Rick Sanchez. We will be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) RICK SANCHEZ, ANCHOR: Welcome back. We are keeping a list of the people who are responding to the president's proposal, his health care proposal, and moments ago, I shared with you Congressman Joe Wilson's answer to the president.
We've got another one coming in now, not quite as vitriolic, but the same spirit interestingly enough. This is from Jim DeMint. Listen to what Jim DeMint says about the president.
Let's go to our list on Twitter and here's what he says, he tweeted this just a little while ago - "President's modest changes to his health care takeover are like pouring a glass of fresh water into a polluted lake."
See what I mean about the spirit of the comment seems to be very, very similar. All right, who is intriguing today? This is part of the list that we keep for you everyday. A woman claiming to be one of Tiger Woods' former girlfriends, interestingly enough, going to have to be a little more specific here, right?
Let's do "Most Intriguing." She is not caught up in his multiple sex scandal, instead she's speaking up on her own to say he actually is a great guy. She says that they were hooked up for a year and a half when they were both students at Stanford.
She tells Golf Magazine this about Tiger Woods, quote, "The Tiger that I knew was loyal, devoted, and self-controlled. I'm not naive, but I can say with certainty that he was faithful during the time that we dated. The speculation he's being treated for sex addiction is surprising, because we enjoined a normal sexual relationship."
She is a 35-year-old Native-American rights advocate who grew up on a reservation in Minnesota. She says she's not after money or fame, just wants to stick up for a friend. Her name is Irene Folstron. She's in Tiger Woods' corner, and one of today's most intriguing persons in the news.
Stay right there. You'll be listening to the president in his own words, that should be coming up in about 15 minutes, count it down, folks - in fact, wait, 17 minutes, 14 seconds. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It doesn't stop, and these are teams spread throughout the country. We were actually this, living together for months in (inaudible), and sometimes you're living in some deplorable conditions.
SANCHEZ: Topping the list of the gutsiest in the news, no question. You saw "The Hurt Locker" right? Oscar front-runner, more importantly, a rare look at one of the most dangerous assignments in the entire world, people who detonate bombs for a living. Still ahead we'll take you to the site where real bomb squad teams get trained
We're also going to be sharing something else with you. The president's health care reform plan, in his own words, unencumbered. We're going to let you hear it for yourself and judge it for yourself. Keep an eye on our countdown clock, there it is, 13:47. That's when we're going to share that with you. Stay with us, we'll be right back.
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Welcome back. Here's a list of the best video stories of the day. For shucks and giggles, we call it "Fotos Del Dia," because it's fun to say.
This is amazing. See that body on the cliff? They call in a rescue helicopter and watch when the paramedic comes up and gives this guy a little bit of a shove, good morning. Hello. Hello. Hello. Oh, my goodness, he's alive. This happened in Australia. Somebody saw him and thought that possibly he was in big trouble or dead, phoned it in. Officials think there were a few adult beverages involved with this story by the way we're trying to verify.
Next, wild kingdom, baby, what you got here. It's your standard issue Texas bobcat strolling through a parking garage in downtown Houston. It startled a few people who called animal control. They hit it with some tranquilizer darts and then they took it to a new home at a state park in Fort Ben County, can you imagine? Something like that just walking around the street. These little guys are so adorable until they eat your face.
Something else I've got to show you. Criminals doing it wrong. I've got the crew laughing. You know those little cameras on your ATM machine? Genius one over here, he tries to fry the camera's view with a cigarette lighter, while genius two works on breaking a new teller machine in Oklahoma City. It does not work.
Not only did they fail to get any money, now police have a perfect video and clearly show what these masterminds faces actually look like. Busted, and now they are famous. Famous on "Fotos Del Dia."
Up next, the real live bomb squad that inspired "The Hurt Locker." Stay there. You've got to see this story. It's at the very top of the gutsiest people in the news.
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Welcome back. I'm Rick Sanchez. Talk about politics with a bite. We've been checking these Tweets. We follow and make a list of all the folks on the hill who are tweeting. Look at this one we got just a little while ago, a little on the vicious side you might say.
This is a cut at Representative Charlie Rangel, coming from Republican Representative Gordon Demonger. How will we find someone to fill those shoes? Grab a phone book. Pick a number. Interesting comments there from, as he calls himself, Rep Gordon.
All right, look at this. It's just part of that movie everyone's talking about "The Hurt Locker." Before there were blasts like this one in the movie "The Hurt Locker," there were actually high-stakes training exercises for people who really have to do this for a living. Talk about nerves of steel, to walk right up to a bomb in a war zone and try to debt detonate it. Imagine that. Talk about the top of the list for the gutsiest folks in the news. That story is coming your way in just a little bit.
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If you stay right here, you're going to be able to watch the president of the United States in just a little bit with his healthcare plan proposal, but first, topping the list for the gutsiest people in the news, the folks who just like the "The Hurt Locker" have to go in and try to deal with bombs in combat. Here is our report.
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KAREN WYNTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's the small-budget sleeper that's become an explosive contender in this year's best picture Oscar rate. "The Hurt Locker" focusses on an Army bomb squad unit on patrol in Iraq.
Nail-biting scenes like this leave viewers on the edge. The delicate work of detonating bombs. Think it's just the stuff of movies? Not for this elite group of Air men. It's real-life warfare, as we quickly learned during a visit to Nevada's (Nellis) Air Force base where we caught members of the EOD team, the explosive ordinance disposal unit in action.
They have served in Iraq and Afghanistan and know firsthand the dangers of disarming bombs. Master Sergeant Kieran Flynn has had his brush with death.
MASTER SGT. KIERAN FLYNN, U.S. AIR FORCE: That's 24/7. It doesn't stop, and there are teams spread throughout the country, we were actually doing this. Living together from (inaudible), sometimes you're living in some deplorable conditions.
WYNTER: Some would say you have to be out of your mind to do it. Why do you do it?
MASTER SGT. FLYNN: Why do I do it? I enjoy the thrill. I enjoy the accomplishments of defeating an IED.
WYNTER: In the movie, Jeremy Reiner plays an IED team leader who loves to take risks.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What's he doing?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't know.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If I'm going to die, I'm going to die comfortable.
WYNTER: Master sergeant Flynn says in the real world that's correct wouldn't fly.
MASTER SGT. FLYNN: He's a cowboy. We don't try to operate like that.
WYNTER: What happens if you do?
MASTER SGT. FLYNN: Well, one of my team members won't let me.
WYNTER: Teammates like Senior Airman, Michael Buras.
SR. AIRMAN MICHAEL BURAS, U.S. AIR FORCE: That's how we do what we do. We have each other over the rest. We use each other. We (inaudible) each other. We train together. We live together. We eat together. You're together every day, every night.
WYNTER: We rode along for a practice drill on the base's desert range, the conditions are similar to the rugged terrains of Iraq and Afghanistan. Just like scenes in the movie where soldiers use robots to scour for bombs, this EOD team zeros in on a possible roadside explosive.
The team assesses the size and strength of the IED, then securing the surrounding area. In today's exercise, they decide to detonate the device from distance. But sometimes they have to go in with the suits on, the kind worn in the movie, 80 pounds of protective gear, the character gets pinned down on the number of bombs he's diffused.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How many bombs have you disarmed?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm not quite sure.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sergeant, I asked you a question.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: 873.
WYNTER: In real life, for some that's taboo. How many bombs have you detonated? Do you even keep track of this or too many to count?
MASTER SGT. FLYNN: I could keep track, but I don't. I just don't think it's a good omen to keep track in count of your IEDs.
WYNTER: Flynn lost three of his own team members. An estimated 64 American EOD technicians have died in Iraq and Afghanistan. A reminder to these Airmen, that each call to disarm could be their last.
SR. AIRMAN BURAS: You have to know how to put that behind you and keep the mission first.
MASTER SGT. FLYNN: There's a lot of experiences, a lot of them are not happy, and you want to keep them to yourself. It's war and war from a different perspective.
WYNTER: It's a sense of duty and danger that these Airmen say keeps them on the battlefield. Kareen Wynter, CNN. (Nellis) Air Force Base.
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SANCHEZ: Now back to our political story. At the top of the list, the president of the United States unveiled today exactly what he wants Congress to do. This is his proposal, finally for health care, which he'd like to see passed in the next couple weeks. You've heard the response, you've heard the reaction, now here's the plan so you can judge it for yourself, in the president's own words.
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BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: We began our push to reform health insurance last March, in this room, with doctors and nurses who know the system best, and so it's fitting to be joined by all of you as we bring this journey to a close.
Last Thursday, I spent seven hours at a summit where Democrats and Republicans engaged in a public and very substantive discussion about health care. This meeting capped off a debate that began with a similar summit nearly one year ago. Since then every idea has been put on the table, every argument has been made.
Everything there is to say about health care has been said and just about everybody has said it. Now is the time to make a decision, about how to finally reform health care so that it works, not just for the insurance companies, but for America's families and America's business. Where both sides say they agree is that the status quo is not working for the American people.
Health insurance is becoming more expensive by the day. Families can't afford it, business it is can't afford it, the federal government can't afford it. Smaller businesses and individuals that don't get covered at work are squeezed especially hard. Insurance companies freely (inaudible) on healthcare based on who's sick and who's healthy, who can pay and who can't. That's the status quo.
That's the system we have right now. Democrats and Republicans agreed that this is a serious problem for America and we agreed that if we do nothing, we throw up our hands and walk away, it's a problem that will only grow worse. Nobody disputes that.
More Americans will lose their family's health insurance if they switch jobs or lose their job. More small businesses will be forced to choose between health care and hires. More insurance companies will deny people coverage who have pre-existing conditions or they'll dropped people's coverage when they need it most, and the rising costs of Medicare and Medicaid will sink our government deeper and deeper and deeper into debt.
On all of these we agree. So the question is, what do we do about it? On one end of the spectrum, there are some who suggested scrapping or system of private insurance and replacing it with a government-run health care system. Though many other countries have such a system, in America it would be neither practical nor realistic.
On the other end of the spectrum, there are those, and this includes most Republicans in Congress, who believe the answer is to loosen regulations on the insurance industry, whether it's state consumer protections or minimum standards for the kind of insurance they can sell. The argument is that the somehow lower costs.
I disagree with that approach. I'm concerned this would only give the insurance industry even freer rein to raise premiums and deny care. So I don't believe we should government bureaucrats or insurance company bureaucrats more control over healthcare in America. I believe it's time to give the American people more control over their health care and their health insurance.
I don't believe we can afford to leave life and death decisions about health care to the discretion of insurance company executives alone. I believe that doctors and nurses and physicians' assistants, like the ones in this room, should be free to decide what's best for their patients.
Now, the proposal I have put forward gives Americans more control over their health insurance and their health care by holding insurance companies more accountable. It builds on the current system, where most Americans get their health insurance from their employer. If you like your plan, you can keep your plan. If you like your doctor, you can keep your doctor.
I can tell you, as the father of two young girls, I would not want any plan than interferes with the relationship between a family and their doctor. Essentially my proposal would change three things about the current healthcare system. First it would end the worst practices of insurance companies. No longer would they be able to deny your coverage because of preexisting conditions.
No longer would they be able to drop your coverage because you got sick. No longer would they be able to force you to pay unlimited amounts of money out of your own pocket. No longer would they be able to arbitrarily and massively raise premiums like Anthem Blue Cross recently tried to do in California, up to 39 percent increases in one year in the individual market. Those practices would end.
Second, my proposal would give uninsured individuals and small business owners the same kind of choice of private health insurance that members of Congress get for themselves. If it's good enough for members of Congress, it's good enough to the people who pay their salaries.
The reason federal employees get a good deal on health insurance is that we all participate in an insurance market where insurance companies give better coverage and better rates, because they get more customers. It's an idea that many Republicans have embraced in the past, before politics intruded.
My proposal says that if you still can't afford the insurance in this new marketplace, even though it will provide better deals than people can they get right now in the individual market place then we'll offer you tax credits to do so. Tax credits that add up to the largest middle-class tax cut for health care in history.
After all the wealthiest among us can already buy the best insurance there is, and the least well off are able to get coverage through Medicaid. So it's the middle class that gets squeezed. That's who we have to help. It is absolutely true that all of this will cost some money. About $100 billion per year, but most of this comes from the $2 trillion a year that America already spends on healthcare. But a lot of that is not spent wisely. A lot of that money is being wasted or spent badly. So within this plan we're going to make sure the dollars we spend go toward making insurance more affordable and more secure. We're going to eliminate wasteful subsidies that go to insurance and pharmaceutical companies, set a new fees on insurance companies that stand to gain a lot of money and profits as millions of Americans are able to buy insurance.
And we'll make sure the wealthiest Americans pay their fair share on Medicare. The bottom line is, our proposal is paid for, and all the new money generated in this plan goes back to small businesses and middle-class families who can't afford health insurance. It would also lower prescription drugs' prices for seniors and would help train new doctors and nurses and physicians' assistants to provide care for American families.
Finally, my proposal would bring down the cost of health care for millions, families, businesses and the federal government. We have incorporated most of the serious idea across the spectrum about how to contain the rising costs of health care. Ideas that go after the waste and abuse in our system especially in programs like Medicare, but we do this while protecting Medicare benefits and extending the financial stability of the program by nearly a decade.
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SANCHEZ: Here now is "Situation Room" with more on this, and my colleague Wolf Blitzer.
