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Rick's List

President Obama Meets With French President; 'Dating Game' Killer Sentenced to Death

Aired March 30, 2010 - 15:59   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

RICK SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: We are standing by for the president of the United States, who is going to be meeting with French President Sarkozy. A lot of events on tap, and we'll be bringing these to you as they happen.

Also Allen Grayson, the congressman from Florida. To say that from time to time he can be a bit over the top, well, that would be an understatement.

I called him and asked him to appear to talk about what's going on with incivility, and what you will see him do and say is, let's just say, worth watching. That's coming up in just a little bit.

Here's what else we have coming up during this hour.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SANCHEZ (voice-over): Here's what's making THE LIST today -- they hate the government, hate the president, and would love to carry out violence in the name of their cause.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's a cheap and easy recruiting tool. This should be a wake-up call.

SANCHEZ: As the ninth member of the Hutaree Militia is captured and sent before a judge today, we will drill down on where the hate is spewing from.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Pretty obvious. We're coming to your door to tell you about it.

SANCHEZ: Jessica Yellin has the Tea Party on her list, just back from a stop in Nevada.

She strips, feigns being shot and then collapses at a very sad site in our American history. Eloquent art or offensive?

And did this man really ask the Republican party to pick up the tab for this?

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, as we get going in hour two, here's at the very top of the list.

While you were at work or at school today, we witnessed the final step in the passage of the president's top domestic policy issue, the signing of health care reform. And President Obama signed off on the fixes part of the so-called change in this bill this morning.

The vice president's wife, Jill Biden, was in attendance. She teaches community college. And her appearance, no doubt, represented the bill's huge expansion of the federal student loan program.

Also, happening right now, French President Nicolas Sarkozy is meeting with the president of the United States and the vice president. They're talking financial reform on a global level, or, certainly, on a European level, also Afghanistan. They're going to be talking about Iran, because, obviously France is very much in -- very much involved in that situation, and, obviously, everything going on in the Middle East.

So, these are topics that they're discussing. The president will hold a joint news conference. That's coming up in about 25 minutes or so. And, when it does begin, I'm going to let you see it here, and we will take you through it with guests live as it happens.

Now back to the political list. If you know the name Alan Grayson, you know this congressman is either a guy who pulls no punches or goes off half-cocked, depending on how you would view him. Congressman Grayson joined me last night as I sat in for Campbell Brown.

I want you to listen now to Congressman Grayson and Jordan Marks, executive director of the campus conservative group Young Americans for Freedom. This is a discussion about the current political climate in our country.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "CAMPBELL BROWN")

REP. ALAN GRAYSON (D), FLORIDA: The right has fomented a national nervous breakdown. They keep pushing the panic button on their followers over and over and over again, trying to get them stoked on hatred and on fear. And they have succeeded. they have succeed in driving these people to the point where they're threatening my 5- year-old son.

Now why don't you just say you're sorry? That's what you ought to be saying, I'm sorry. Don't try to push it off on the Democrats. Say you're sorry. Apologize to my 5-year-old. MARKS: Tea party should not be accepting responsibility for this. The Republican Party should not be accepting responsibility for this.

GRAYSON: Well, look --

JORDAN MARKS, YOUNG AMERICANS FOR FREEDOM: The Democratic Party should not be accepting responsibility for this. Individuals need to accept responsibility. When you -- when you --

GRAYSON: You're not accepting responsibility.

MARKS: When you said that the health care bill is similar to a holocaust, they didn't hold the Democratic Party responsible.

GRAYSON: You were in that crowd. You were cheering.

MARKS: You went ahead and apologized for your individual remarks. Am I wrong? Did you apologize for saying that this health care bill is going to cause, if it's not passed it's going to cause a holocaust? And you apologized for it, is that right?

(CROSSTALK)

GRAYSON: You know, listen, people like you -- people like you -- and it's very apt that your name is Marks -- people like you, your dreams turn into other people's nightmares. And it's time you owned up to it.

MARKS: We as conservatives believe we have winning principles and we stick by these principles. Small government.

GRAYSON: Your principles are violence.

MARKS: I don't think anyone and my principles are --

GRAYSON: Anger, hatred and violence.

MARKS: In fact, in the charter of my personal organization, it says if you are a person that does do the so-called acts that happen towards these congressmen, you're kicked out of my organization.

GRAYSON: Oh, yes.

MARKS: You can go look it up online. We are a public organization.

GRAYSON: See if that helps to bring back the dead.

SANCHEZ: Let me ask you, Jordan --

MARKS: I don't understand how that has to do with anything with bringing back the dead?

SANCHEZ: What did you mean by that? What did you mean by that, Congressman, about bringing back the dead?

GRAYSON: What I meant is that these are death threats including one to my 5-year-old son. Now, if they're actually acted upon, you think expelling someone from your organization of 12 people is somehow going to bring back my son?

MARKS: Well, Congressman, how do you know that these are tea party members? How do you know that these are registered -- not registered Democrats? How do you know they're not registered Democrats? Have you looked up the registration?

GRAYSON: Because it's the same people who demonstrate and chant over and over again no health care, no health care. Think about that. No health care. That's what they're chanting.

MARKS: Oh, I'm not disagreeing. I was at the rally. And I cheered and I chanted no health care.

GRAYSON: Yes.

MARKS: True to form. That's what we're calling for.

GRAYSON: Yes, people like you have this --

MARKS: Health care reform, not the health care reform --

GRAYSON: -- tremendous ability to withstand other people's pain and not your own.

SANCHEZ: We'll leave it there.

(CROSSTALK)

MARKS: I differ personally and I don't think I hold any particular party or any group responsible.

GRAYSON: You need to apologize.

(CROSSTALK)

SANCHEZ: We leave it at that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: And we thank both Mr. Marks and Mr. Grayson, Congressman Grayson, for their appearance.

Take a look at this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They were the culmination of a nearly three- month campaign of verbally abusive, assaultive behavior and threats of physical harm towards Phoebe.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: Fifteen-year-old girl bullied to death? Bullied. Her classmates have been indicted. Some could be prosecuted as adults. I want to know what you think about this. That's ahead.

Also, a "Dating Game" contestant who's been killing for years gets his sentence, finally. What an eerie story. That's coming up.

And then eye-popping video. She is, well, getting naked. What could be more shocking? She's simulating an assassination on a site where President Kennedy was gunned down. And she's a famous singer.

That's next on THE LIST.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: Time now for the follow-up list. I'm Rick Sanchez.

This is number nine in the Michigan end times militia case, finally captured. Joshua Matthew stone was in court just a couple of hours ago. He was ordered to return tomorrow for a full arraignment.

In the meantime, he's being held without bail. Armed lawmen showed up at the house where Stone was last night. He surrendered peacefully. Stone's father allegedly heads the group called the Hutaree. Prosecutors say that the Hutaree planned to kill an officer, then attack police who showed up at the funeral.

Remember this guy? He's the "Dating Game" contestant who turned into a serial killer. That's what he looked like during "The Dating Game." Rodney Alcala is his real name. A couple of hours ago, he was sentenced to death -- death -- for killing four women and a 12-year- old girl in the late 1970s. Today might not be his last time in court.

Police from Seattle to New Hampshire are combing cold cases to see if they may also find Alcala's handiwork.

And now take a look at this on the follow-up list. We just got this from Bronxville, New York. That's the roof of a car -- the roof of a car. The car ended up there after driving around a barricade. It's on the don't-do list when you're going through weather like this like they have been having in the Northeast United States, specifically Rhode Island.

That's the worst. For the second time in weeks, heavy rain is pushing rivers over banks all the way from Jersey to Massachusetts.

Now this: What is an agent provocateur? What is it? Have you ever heard the term? Well, let me do -- let me -- let me do this. Let's me tell what it is by showing you a representation of such.

Grammy Award-winning artist Erykah Badu, she has a new video out. It's as a result of her new single. I think it's called "Window" -- "Window Seat," very controversial.

It contains nudity, and it mimics the Kennedy assassination. Let me take you through this video. At this point in the video, she's down to her underwear. I mean, she starts taking off all of her clothes, little by little. She's taken off most of her clothes, even though families and children are watching.

There's no warning. She just did it out of the blue. People are like, what in the world is this, in Dallas? She's walking the route, in fact, that President Kennedy's motorcade took in 1963. You remember? November 2, 1963, the president is shot.

In fact, at the beginning of the video, she pulls up in a car reminiscent of the car that Kennedy was shot in when he was assassinated. Badu gets completely nude. And here she is shot. You see what looks like blue blood spilling out of the gunshot wound in her head.

We have reached out to Erykah Badu, wanted to have her on, wanted to ask her why in the world she would do something like this. She says she's unable to join us.

However, we have, because we follow people -- she's one of the folks we follow on our celebrity list. Let's go RICK'S LIST, celebrities list in particular.

"Heard people yelling different things at me, but I held my head up and kept moving. There were children there. I prayed."

"I prayed they wouldn't be traumatized?" How about just don't traumatize them?

(LAUGHTER)

SANCHEZ: "Funny thing is, the physical nudity is nothing, laugh out loud. I have been naked all along in my words, actions and deeds. That's the real vulnerable place."

There's one more, by the way. She finishes by saying with this tweet that we found: "The butt naked truth is powerful, America."

You tell me what you think of that, folks.

Here now is what else we have got coming your way.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The harassment reported to have occurred that day in the school's library appears to have been conducted in the presence of a faculty member and several students, but went unreported to school administrators until after Phoebe's death.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: Terrorized at school, a student driven to suicide. And now the people police say tormented her are facing some of the toughest penalties that we have ever seen in a case like this.

This goes back to the whole theory about bullying people or causing people to do something. It's an interesting question for law enforcement and for all of us. So, we're going to take it up.

Also, the man who went to a topless nightclub and expected the Republican Party to pay for it, and the Republican Party is saying, why did you do that?

Also, why is the father of a fallen Marine ordered to pay protesters' legal fees? The answer is coming up.

Stay right there.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: Welcome back.

We have got some pictures coming in now. I have been telling you that the president of the United States and the president of France are getting together, along with Vice President Joe Biden, by the way.

They're meeting at the White House. And we expect that they are going to be coming out and briefing reporters. We're probably minutes away. But you know how these things are. Sometimes, they're early, and, more often, they're late.

(LAUGHTER)

SANCHEZ: So, either way, we at CNN are committed to bringing you the story when it happens. I know it is being followed all over the world. It's certainly being followed in Europe as well. And you will see it live right here.

Now, every day, I look for stories to bring you that I think bring a compelling nature to them, something, as I always talk to my staff about, that has conflict or controversy or pathos.

And then there's outrage. Listen to this. This is the father of a Marine killed in Iraq ordered to pay the legal fees incurred by a notorious church group that picketed his son's funeral. He's being asked to pay.

The Westboro Baptist Church is who we're talking about. We have done several stories on them. They're always a very vocal anti-gay demonstration group.

Let's go to the video. That's the group. Here's what's happened. Corporal Matthew Snyder died in Iraq in 2006. Westboro Baptist Church picketed the funeral, as they often do. Westboro's signs and slogans read things like, "Thank God for dead soldiers." Can you believe that?

Snyder's father sued the church and won. But ruling was overturned on appeal, citing the First Amendment freedom of speech. Now an appeals court is ordering the father to pay for the church's legal fees. So, he last -- he lost his son. He lost -- won the case, but then lost the case, and now he's being told he has got to come up with $16,000.

The Snyder family is struggling to come up with the money, could lose their home, could lose their wages. They have set up a Web site for donations to help pay those fees.

We don't usually talk about these type of things on the air, but I will tell you right now, they deserve to be helped. The U.S. Supreme Court has argued to review the appeal court's ruling, by the way.

Here's a tweet now, because this is a story we have followed in the past. And I want to share with you what they're saying on the other side.

This is Fred Phelps' daughter, all right? No fan of mine, by the way. "Because he saw us on the news after the picket and didn't like our words. Better question, why did he win? You can sue people you don't agree with?" she asks. That's Megan Phelps, the daughter of Fred Phelps, the organization that goes around and pickets when a soldier dies in Iraq by showing up at their funeral.

First of all, someone needs to tell me how to spend $2,000 at a topless club in West Hollywood.

(LAUGHTER)

SANCHEZ: Strike that. I think I know how.

But the guy who actually did this --

(LAUGHTER)

SANCHEZ: Robert, you're smiling over here, my camera guy -- he got paid back with Republican donor dollars. He is on my list you don't want to be on. Who is he? You are going to find out.

It happened in February. That's the building right there, the Voyeur club -- or Voyeur club. A marketing company president, a political consultant, and a donor to the Republican Party is the guy that we're talking about. He spent 1,900 bucks at this sex-themed club, then hit up the RNC to get the money back.

And they did. They paid him back. Uh-oh. RNC money paid for a boys' night out at a strip club where bondage is exhibited. Here comes the fallout, the investigation. Chairman Michael Steele says: No way. I was not there.

The RNC says that the sex-themed club outing was not sanctioned. Also, the RNC is -- guy referred to as an underling who was there and expensed the tab has now been fired. But that businessman and donor who picked up the check, well, he says he will give the money back to the Republican National Committee.

I'm trying to think of all the lists that I would be on with my wife if I blew 1,900 bucks at a West Hollywood topless club, not to mention with my bosses here at CNN. Can't name one of them. Family newscast.

But this guy, Erik Brown, president of Dynamic Marketing in Orange County, California, he's on the hook for the tab. And he's on my list today, because there's probably no better candidate today for the list that you don't want to be on.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JODIE EVANS, CO-FOUNDER, CODEPINK: Look what you did. You outed a CIA officer. You lied to take us to war. You ruined a country.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: Karl Rove heckled, called a war criminal. That's not how his book tour was supposed to get started. More fireworks, that's ahead.

Also, who is the most intriguing person in the news today? Here's a hint. There are 100 million reasons why she's on the list -- 100 million.

THE LIST scrolls on. Stay there. That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: Time to reveal who is on the list of the most intriguing person in the news today.

She is an educator, taught middle and high school English for 17 years. That's intriguing all by itself, many would argue. But now the nation is watching to see how she's going to spend about $100 million on her state -- on her state's school systems.

Delaware and Tennessee are the first two states to win a federal education funding competition. She had to prove that she was turning around low-performing schools and better preparing kids for college. This is who she is. She's Lillian Lowery, secretary of education for the state of Delaware -- one of her new programs, to pull teachers out of classrooms for not being effective. Novel idea, huh?

Lillian Lowery, she wants her schools to be better. And, for that, many parents believe that she is among the most intriguing people in the news today.

Now back to the acts of incivility. You have seen many of them. We have video we're going to show you now of Karl Rove. Now, this is incivility not from the right. I know that's been a big part of the conversation. This is incivility from the left -- Karl Rove being publicly assailed, publicly assailed last night.

Here it is. The former Bush adviser was in Los Angeles to sign his new book.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROVE: No, no, I didn't say go ahead. I would say --

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: He tweeted out the time and the place and showed up at a crowd of about 100 people. Not all of them were supporters, as they read the tweets.

Before he could even get started, he was ambushed, assailed by a group of protesters. It quickly became contentious. And the book signing was derailed.

Now, right there, you see Jodie Evans, the co-founder of the CODEPINK, trying to make a citizen's arrest. She's actually trying to slap a pair of handcuffs on Karl Rove.

We have got some of this audio. As a matter of fact, let's -- let's go ahead and play that now for them, if we could, Rog. Hit it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROVE: No, no, no, I didn't say go ahead. I would say, you get away.

EVANS: Look what you did. You -- you outed a CIA officer. You lied to take us to war. You ruined the country, totally ruined the country.

ROVE: With all due respect, this goes to show the totalitarianism of the left. They don't believe in -- they don't believe in dialogue. They don't believe in courtesy.

(APPLAUSE)

ROVE: They don't believe in First Amendment rights for anybody but themselves. Here's the deal.

EVANS: The only comfort I take is that you're are going to rot in hell.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, stop it.

ROVE: You know what? If you want to keep interrupting me, you can get the heck out of here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: And there it went, discussions about freedom of speech, First Amendment rights, incivility, all in one neat little package.

Rove, by the way, left the event without signing a single book. And many of the folks there had paid $40 for him to do just that.

Take a listen. That's President Obama and French President Sarkozy. They're meeting again, this time at the White House. These are the pictures that we got about 25 minutes ago, right, guys, when Sarkozy arrived -- thanks -- when he arrived at the White House.

Now they're inside. They're having discussions. It's the president, the vice president, and the president of France, Sarkozy. Later, the first ladies are going to be getting together. There's a lot of stuff going on. And we are going to take you through this.

The news conference should begin in just a couple of minutes. And you will see it here live.

Also, police get their man -- or do they? It all unfolds alarmingly close to Universal Studios. We are going to show you how this chase ended. That's coming up in just a little bit.

THE LIST scrolls on. And we got lots of them for you.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: We -- we brought you two stories that you are commenting like crazy on. One of them is that entertainer who decided that she would do a promotional stunt by taking her clothes off in Dallas where John F. Kennedy was shot and killed.

And the other was the story we told you about the teen that was bullied to kill herself. Everybody seems to be commenting on that, because can you really bully somebody?

So, a couple of quick tweets. I want to bring you into the show. You know, I connect to you, you connect to me, and I like the way this works.

Let's go to our regular tweets, if we possibly can.

"What happened in Dallas, what happened in Dallas, insensitive and arrogant. And that singer considered her pulling this stunt supersedes others' feelings?"

Interesting question.

And now we see the one right there at the bottom. Go to the next one that says Shaun. It says: "Rick, are we sure the teen who killed herself didn't have mental issues to begin with? Must we blame someone always?"

You know, that's an interesting question. And a lot of folks are asking that. But, again, this is a legal case. They have been charged. And we're going to present the facts to you.

Now, what is it with bicycles and what is it with protesters and bicycles these days? It seems like a current theme, right? These are pictures we call "Fotos."

We brought you video of a protester hurling a bicycle at a police officer last week. Remember that?

Well, now it's the other way around. Officers turned the tables and used their bicycles in a multipurpose way.

Again, it all went down in Portland, Oregon, same place as the last one. Wielding two wheels, officers prodded, poked and pushed back crowds. Several were arrested after about 100 demonstrators crowded downtown streets with black masks, flags, protesting recent police shootings there.

Now to Burbank, California. Blue lights, sky cam and action.

A high-speed chase fit for the movies got a Hollywood ending near the Universal Studios parking lot. After a suspenseful false stop, the driver pulled off again. For more action, he was perfect for the role.

Outside the car, it almost looks like he's trying to dodge bullets. Finally, he is caught after being shot. It turns out he's wanted in Indiana for attempted murder.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You and your cheeseburger.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: The luck of the Irish was not with this guy when he picked a fight on St. Patrick's Day. This is the video.

His victim turned out to be a trained wrestler. And down goes Frazier. Whoa.

Did you see that? Uh-oh. Krakatoa. He came in for a cheeseburger, but you might say he brought his own buns.

This guy started with fists in the air in the Texas fast food joint, but as Larry Plant (ph) on "American Idol" put it recently, he ended up with his -- all together now -- pants on the ground.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Looking like a fool with your pants on the ground

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(LAUGHTER)

SANCHEZ: All right. We got the shot now of where this is going to be taking place. There it is.

That's where the presidents of the United States and France are going to come out to the podium in a little bit and discuss all kinds of issues. What they're doing now is they're doing a mike test.

Take a little bit of this, Roger, just so the people know what we do for a living.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Six, seven, eight, nine, 10.

SANCHEZ: Isn't that cool? These are members of the media. They're just checking to make sure that all the microphones work so that there's no embarrassments when the presidents come out.

Is that Dan? Oh, look! That's Dan Lothian!

Someone send him a tweet.

Hey, he's waving. Good for him.

Hey, Dan, can you hear me?

DAN LOTHIAN, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: I can hear you, Rick.

SANCHEZ: Oh, that's great. I won't get you in trouble.

All right. Dan's going to be doing live shots, along with all the other big-time correspondents over there. And we're going to be bringing you that in just a little bit, as it happens, no doubt. Oh, by the way, the girl who was bullied to death, there she is. This is a story that everybody seems to be interested in today because it makes us think about what you do, as opposed to what people could make you do. Her alleged tormentors are in a lot of legal trouble.

The story every parent needs to hear, and that is coming up right here on your list.

I'm Rick Sanchez. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: Here's the question. In fact, I was just having this conversation with Ann Jeanette (ph), my 4:00 line producer. Can you make someone kill themselves? Can you make someone kill themselves?

Nine teenagers are charged in "unrelenting harassment" of a new kid in school. The 15-year-old girl was from Ireland. She killed herself after months of "bullying" and what prosecutors call a pattern of a torturous day, verbal and physical abuse.

This is something we should all look at and then consider and then discuss. And maybe discuss amongst our families, our kids.

I want you to look at the story. It's presented by one of my faves.

Here's CNN's Alina Cho.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Phoebe Prince was just 15 years old when she hanged herself in a stairway in the building where she lived with her parents, South Hadley, Massachusetts, about 100 miles from Boston. Prosecutors say it wasn't an accident, that she was driven to suicide by relentless abuse.

ELIZABETH SCHIEBEL, DISTRICT ATTORNEY: The events of January 14th were not isolated. Rather, they were the culmination of a nearly three-month campaign of verbally abusive, assaultive behavior and threats of physical harm towards Phoebe on school grounds by several South Hadley High School students.

CHO: Nine students were indicted. Three will be prosecuted as adults. Among them, 17-year-old Sean Mulveyhill, facing charges of statutory rape and a violation of civil rights resulting in bodily injury; 18-year-old Austin Renaud, also faces statutory rape charges; and 17-year-old Kayla Narey -- she'll answer to criminal harassment and civil rights charges.

Phoebe and her family had recently moved to western Massachusetts from Ireland. Students say the torment she endured was harsh. Books routinely knocked out of her hands. Her face scribbled out of photographs on school walls. Threatening text messages constantly sent to her cell phone.

The D.A. says the alleged bullying -- SCHEIBEL: Appears to have been motivated by the group's displeasure with Phoebe's brief dating relationship with a male student that had ended some six weeks previous.

CHO: At South Hadley High School, students were stunned.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Until you guys came around, I had no idea.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think they need to be prosecuted. You know, it's not right at all.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Do you think they should face charges?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If they had anything to do with it, they should.

CHO (on camera): Phoebe Prince isn't first student in the area to commit suicide in recent months. Last year, an 11-year-old boy subjected to harassment also killed himself. After that suicide, the Massachusetts legislature stepped up work on an anti-bullying law, but so far that bill has not passed.

Alina Cho CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANCHEZ: Boy, and you guys are like all over this thing.

Just a couple of them real quick. Look at this.

Can you make someone kill themselves? The question that I asked. "Yes! And a little bit of support from the right place can prevent it in hazing cases."

"Yes, I believe someone who keeps getting bullied can be driven to kill themselves."

You know, it's interesting that as we look at these, they kind of changed after looking at the facts of the case. I'll go through them and I'll share some more with you when we come back.

By the way, we're going to adlibbing the -- did I just say that? I was being told by my producer to adlib the very latest on what's going on in Washington right now, so I said it. There are think words and there are say words, Rick.

All right. The president of the United States is about to meet with the president of France, Nicolas Sarkozy. And it's fun to say that, I know.

Wolf Blitzer's going to be joining me in a little bit, and so is Dan Lothian. And we're going to get you into this live event as it happens.

You will see it here on CNN. And I'll be adlibbing.

We'll be right back. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: Yes, a ton of you have been writing to me and tweeting me about these stories that we brought you, mostly the one about bullying that we just showed. And I'll be looking at some of those and I'll be sharing them with you, hopefully. But I read them all, you should know.

Roger, give me that shot where the presidents are going to be coming out in just a little bit. Give me that dual podium shot that we have got set up.

Look at that right there, as reporters are getting ready to -- these are the reporters from all the networks -- you know, ABC, CNN, Fox, CBS, NBC, and then the president's going to be coming out of that area -- in fact, I can see Dan Lothian.

Dan, you got me? You there?

LOTHIAN: Yes, I'm here. Can you hear me?

SANCHEZ: Yes, I can hear.

Hey, listen, take me through -- what's the setting there? What's it like? Two of the most powerful men in the world are about to come out and address the media. You're sitting in that room, you're about to cover it.

Give us kind of the backstory on this thing. Give me a little tour there of what's going on there. I'm curious.

LOTHIAN: In addition to what you were pointing out here, all the reporters from the U.S. media, ABC, as you pointed out, CBS, CNN, and also Fox. But on the other side of the room is where you have the French media, from the various French outlets as well.

And I should point out that after both the president of United States, Mr. Obama, and Mr. Sarkozy of France make some opening remarks, then they will take questions. Or I should say question. It will be a one-and-one, where somebody from the United States media gets a chance to ask a question and then someone from the French media gets to also ask a question.

I was just told a few minutes ago this was supposed to start at 15 minutes until, but I'm told that it's running a little bit behind. So we don't know the exact start time right now, but it is running late -- Rick.

SANCHEZ: Have you got a head cold, too? Dan, have you got a head cold?

LOTHIAN: Allergies. Allergies.

SANCHEZ: Oh, OK. Yes. I was going to say, ditto, man.

I mean, I've been going through this thing. And I've known you so long. And I know exactly what you sound like, and you sound a little congested today.

LOTHIAN: Yes.

SANCHEZ: All right.

Let's bring in Wolf Blitzer. He's joining us now to get us ready for this.

Wolf, what do you see as the newsworthiness of this particular meeting between these two men? There's a lot of issues that we've been talking about even throughout this show, but what do you think is the key thing here for these guys?

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Well, I think it's a critically important relationship, the relationship between the United States and France. And I know that President Sarkozy's big issue right now is financial reform.

The French, like the United States, like most of the industrialized West, they took a bath with all the financial shenanigans that were going on over the past few years. And he wants greater financial reform, and the White House is hoping to get some legislation through Congress over the next few months.

The president would like it to be done before the Memorial Day recess at the end of May. We'll see if that happens, as there have been those kind of deadlines before that have come and gone.

But that's one huge issue. Afghanistan is a big issue. Iran is a big issue. Lots of other stuff going on, and there's no doubt that they're having a good meeting right now.

SANCHEZ: Hey, Dan, you're going to be one of those guys who gets to ask a question. Do you know already what you're going to ask, or do you kind of listen to the discussion and then make a decision based on where it's going?

LOTHIAN: Well, you know, I don't know if I'll be able to ask a question. We are not told -- I wasn't told ahead of time. And there will be just one question, again, from the U.S. media and one from the French media.

But, yes, any time you come to one of these kinds of events, you always have a question ready in case they do call on you. The questions won't necessarily be about financial regulations or some of the typical topic issues that have to do with this particular meeting. Sometimes questions will be of Mr. Obama about the recent trip that he just took, it could be about health care.

Whatever it is, everyone always comes to these meetings with questions prepared so in case they get called on, they'll have something ready -- Rick.

SANCHEZ: You know, I would want to ask them both and get an answer from both of these gentlemen about, really, two things -- the situation in Iran and the schism that seems to have formed between Benjamin Netanyahu and President Obama. And I'd love to hear what Sarkozy has to say about that.

Wolf, what's your take?

BLITZER: Yes, I'd love to hear about it myself.

It's interesting. If you compare the way the president is treating President Sarkozy right now, they've had this long meeting, they're going to have a formal little news conference, although I must say as a former White House correspondent, having covered the White House during the Clinton administration, I don't remember a time when a foreign leader has come, they've made their opening statements, and then they only allow one question --

SANCHEZ: Yes.

BLITZER: -- from each side. Usually it's three questions from each side. At least it was when I was a White House correspondent. So sort of extraordinary.

If it's in the Oval Office, it's one thing. You can shout out a question if you can after their opening statements. But when they come out into a room like this, they've got the podiums all set up and then they say one question from each side.

Dan, have you ever heard of that before?

LOTHIAN: Well, you know, it's something that has happened time and time again at other events where there have been heads of state where they do one and one. And time and time again we've complained about that to Robert Gibbs at the briefings. But, yes, it is unusual.

In past administrations, typically, when they do set up such a large event like this here in the East Room, ,where two world leaders come together, you get a chance to ask them questions, that they'll take more than just one and one. In this case, this is what we're told they're going to do. That could always change.

SANCHEZ: Hey, by the way, we've got some pics coming in. I don't know -- have we shown these yet?

This is the picture just sent to us of the White House, both men looking intense. I don't know. I'm not into body language. I'm not Bill O'Reilly.

It looks to me like they're just two guys talking. I don't know.

Anybody want to comment on this thing?

BLITZER: I think there was another picture. I don't know if you have it. We're going to have it in "THE SITUATION ROOM."

The president of France and his wife, Carla Bruni, they had lunch. Guess where they had lunch today here in Washington?

SANCHEZ: Where?

BLITZER: Dan, you know where they had lunch?

LOTHIAN: I do know. You want me to give it away?

SANCHEZ: Yes!

BLITZER: Give it away. Let's tell our viewers right now.

LOTHIAN: Chili's.

BLITZER: Ben's Chili Bowl. It's a very hot place, a trendy place here in -- great chili. And they had half smokes. And according to "The New York Times," Carla Bruni, a former fashion model, she had two -- two hot dogs at Ben's Chili Bowl.

SANCHEZ: Really?

BLITZER: Yes. Can you imagine? She had one. And then the owner said, you know what? She wanted another one.

She was pretty hungry. So that was very cool.

SANCHEZ: Good for her. And by the way, Wolf, while we're talking about eating, have you been hearing Dan's voice?

BLITZER: Yes, he sounds like he's got a little allergy.

SANCHEZ: So tell him what he needs, what your mother would give you.

BLITZER: A little chicken soup. It might not help, but it can't hurt.

SANCHEZ: A little matzo ball soup. You got it.

BLITZER: Go for it.

SANCHEZ: All right, guys.

LOTHIAN: I could use some water and salt.

SANCHEZ: Yes. We'll get a little honey. Just gargle during commercials. OK?

LOTHIAN: That's right.

SANCHEZ: Here's what we're going to do, guys. Let's sneak a break in. Hopefully when we come back, the two leaders will be coming up. You will be able to see it live, right here on CNN.

You know Wolf's starting his show in a little bit as well. So "THE SITUATION ROOM" will take you through part of it. I'll take you through the beginning of it.

Dan Lothian standing by. And as this happens, you'll see it right here.

Stay with us. This is RICK'S LIST. We're going to scroll on for you. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: Once again, let me show you that picture at the White House where the two presidents are going to be coming out and making statements in just a little bit.

There you see Dan Lothian. And I'm going to be checking back with Dan. He really is one of the best, by the way. The guy's a pro, does his job well. And he's sucking it up even with that horrible congestion he has.

He's going to take us through this story.

I'm going to give him a little break, by the way. And I want to just sneak this in, because we've gotten so much response to this story, I want to take you back to it and then show you some of the really insightful, intelligent comments that you have been sending me on this story.

You've been tweeting about the ojean (ph) provocateur. I love saying that word, especially in front of my kids. It bothers the heck out of them.

Grammy Award-winning artist Erykah Badu, she has a new video for her new single "Window Seat." This is very controversial.

I don't know, Dan, if you've seen this, if you can still hear me.

It contains nudity and it mimics the Kennedy assassination.

As I take you through this, watch. She's walking down the area and she starts taking off her clothes. And she started wearing a lot of clothes, by the way.

Then she starts taking all of it off, all the way down to her underwear. Little by little, she takes all of it off. I mean, even, yes, the bottom.

She's walking the route that President Kennedy's motorcade took in 1963. And at the beginning of the video she pulls up in a white car reminiscent of the one that President Kennedy was on.

She gets completely nude, and then she does this thing like pretending that she was just shot. And these people, by the way, have no idea what's going on.

They're just people walking the streets of Dallas. This is obviously near Dealey Plaza. And then she falls down, and you can see like blue blood spilling out as a gunshot wound to her head.

Now, we reached out to her. We thought she was going to come on, but she wasn't able to come on today.

Is this a publicity stunt? Is it fair? Is it over the top?

I've got your questions. But first, let's go to see the president of the United States with the president of France.

Here they are coming out now. And they're getting ready to get into their positions.

Dan, can you hear me?

Oh, we lost Dan already? All right.

Dan, I understand, is sitting down as these dignitaries of both countries file in. The president of the United States, Barack Obama, with Nicolas Sarkozy.

Now, I understand that these are still the dignitaries who usually have the front row reserved for them. And then they will stand as the two presidents walk into the room.

It's interesting, the way this whole thing is set up. And Dan Lothian was taking us through this earlier.

For those of you joining us now, this is a dual news conference between the two presidents, who have been meeting now for the better part of the last hour. We don't know at this point, by the way -- and I guess I should have asked Dan -- whether we'll see anyone in the families aside from the presidents here. For example, the first ladies, or whether they're going to make an appearance or not. We don't know at this point.

We do expect that a lot of issues are going to be talked about, but foremost is financial reform. We know what the discussion has been here in the United States regarding financial reform.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ladies and Gentlemen, the president of the United States and the president of the French Republic.

SANCHEZ: All right. There you go. There's the introduction. And here come the two leaders now to the microphone. And I'm going to let them take it away.

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Please, everybody, have a seat.

Good afternoon.

I am delighted to welcome my dear friend, President Sarkozy, to the White House. And I also want to welcome to the United States the first lady of France. And Michelle and I are very much looking forward to hosting our guests at dinner this evening.

Now, I have to point out that the French are properly famous for their cuisine, and so the fact that Nicolas went to Ben's Chili Bowl for lunch I think shows his discriminating palate. My understanding is he had a half smoke, so he was sampling the local wares. And we appreciate that very much.

This visit is an opportunity to return the hospitality that the president and the French people have shown to me during my visits to France. And that includes our family's wonderful visit to Paris last summer.

And Michelle and I will never forget the opportunity to introduce our daughters for the first time to the City of Lights. And I don't think that Sasha will ever forget celebrating her 8th birthday at the Elysee Palace with the president of France. That's a pretty fancy way for an 8-year-old to spend their birthday.

Today, President Sarkozy and I have reaffirmed the enduring ties between the two countries. France is our oldest ally and one of our closest. We are two great republics bound by common ideals that have stood together for more than two centuries, from Yorktown to Normandy, to Afghanistan.

Under President Sarkozy's leadership, France has further secured its rightful place as a leader in Europe and around the world, recognizing that meeting global challenges requires global partnerships.

France took the historic step of returning to NATO's military command, and we are working to revitalize our transatlantic bonds, including a strong, capable European Union which the United States firmly supports. Because a close transatlantic partnership is critical to progress, whether it's applying our combined strength to promote development and confront violent extremism in Africa, or reconstruction in Haiti, or advancing peace from the caucuses to the Middle East.

Mr. President, on behalf of the American people, I also want to thank you for your personal efforts to strengthen the partnership between our countries.

Now, we first met four years ago. I was a senator then, Nicolas was still running for president at the time.

And I immediately came to admire your legendary energy and your enthusiasm for what our countries can achieve together. That was the spirit of your eloquent speech to Congress three years ago which deeply moved many Americans.

Over the past year, the president and I have worked closely on numerous occasions. We respect one another and understand one another, and we share a belief that through bold, yet pragmatic action, our generation can bend the arc of history towards justice and towards progress. And this shared commitment to solving problems allowed us to advance our common interests today.

We agreed to continue working aggressively to sustain the global economic recovery and create jobs for our people. And this includes, as we agreed with our G-20 partners at Pittsburgh, to replacing the old cycle of bubble and bust with growth that is balanced and sustained. And this requires effective coordination by all nations.

To that end, I updated the president on our efforts to pass financial reform. And I look forward to the Senate taking action on this landmark legislation so we never repeat the mistakes that led to this crisis.