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Rick's List
Letter to U.S. Governors: Resign or Else; Actor John Forsythe Dies; Jobs Picture Improving?
Aired April 02, 2010 - 16:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: Well, if you're a TV fan of a certain age, and you grew up watching "Charlie's Angels" or "Dynasty," you will remember actor John Forsythe. He passed away last night. We're going to be taking a look back at his career a little later.
Here's what else we have coming up for you.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES (voice-over): Making THE LIST today: a new approach to checking passengers before they arrive in the U.S.
JANET NAPOLITANO, U.S. HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: It's a more intel- or information-based way to screen.
HOLMES: But isn't this profiling?
Pedal, Joe, pedal -- why America's toughest sheriff is riding a bike.
Frustrated with scandal --
TONY PERKINS, PRESIDENT, FAMILY RESEARCH COUNCIL: It appears that the RNC is tone-deaf.
HOLMES: -- they want your money to go to candidates, not the Republican Party. I will ask the Family Research Council what they hope to gain.
And the lists you want to know about, who's intriguing, who's making news on Twitter. It's why Rick keeps a list. Your national conversation starts right now.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: Well, it's hour two. It's time for us to pick up the pace of today's LIST, for those of you just now checking in.
And, number one, letters to the governors of all 50 states demanding that the governors leave office within three days, or be removed. They're from a group calling itself Guardians of the Free Republic. The FBI says there doesn't seem to be any credible or immediate threat involved, but it's warning police that the letters could provoke others to act out with violence.
Number two on the list is all about you. The government has come up with new ways to screen passengers flying into the U.S. It's an intelligence-based system that uses more personal characteristics to figure out which passengers should be singled out for additional scrutiny.
Those characteristics include race and religion. The new terror screening goes into effect today for all U.S.-bound passengers.
Number three on the list: pilots on Prozac. The Federal Aviation Administration is dropping a ban on pilots' use of four antidepressants. They are Prozac, Zoloft, Celexa, and Lexapro. The FAA says the drugs have been updated and no longer cause risky side effects. It also hopes the change will prompt pilots to disclose their use of antidepressants.
And, number four, President Obama says jobs figures out this morning show the economy is beginning to turn the corner. The country added 162,000 jobs in March. That's the best report on jobs creation we have seen in the past three years.
But the president told workers at a plant that makes high-tech battery parts in North Carolina there's still a long way to go.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: This means that even as we pull out of this immediate crisis, we've got to tackle some of the long-term problems that have been a drag on our economy. That's why we've been working so hard to turn this economy around.
It's not quick and it's not easy. And the truth is, there are some limits to what government can do. Government can't reverse the toll of this recession overnight, and government on its own can't replace the eight million jobs that have been lost.
The true engine of job growth in this country has always been the private sector -- businesses like Celgard. What government can do is create the conditions for companies to succeed. It can help to create the conditions for companies to hire again. What it can do is build the infrastructure and create the incentives that will allow small businesses to add workers. It will help entrepreneurs to take a chance on an idea that will lead manufacturers to set up shop.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: And number five on the list, an auction involving one of the most heinous hate crimes in memory. Dirt from the road where this man, James Byrd Jr., was dragged to death behind a pickup truck in Jasper, Texas, 12 years ago, that dirt now being offered on a Web site that sells "murderabilia."
Pictures of the crime scene and dirt from Byrd's grave also part of the deal. Byrd's family, as you can imagine, shocked, all of pretty much shocked by this. His sister tells "The Houston Chronicle" -- quote -- "Even in death, he can't find peace." She wants the Web site shut down.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANDREW LEVANDER, ADDICTION COUNSELOR: Over time, in the absence of an intervention, this can totally rip through somebody's life and certainly in this sad case rip through a family's life very quickly.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: A couple's online game addiction has a horrible outcome. Their real-life baby dies while their virtual daughter thrives. Now the parents are learning their fate in court. That is ahead.
Also, an icon of the '70s and '80s has died. Fans knew him as Blake Carrington, and, before that, Charlie.
We will look back at the life of John Forsythe. That's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Well, depending on your age, you will remember John Forsythe as the man who played "Bachelor Father"'s Bentley Gregg. He played the voice of Charlie on "Charlie's Angels." And he played "Dynasty"'s Blake Carrington. His career in TV spanned that long, some 30 years.
John Forsythe died yesterday from complications from pneumonia after a yearlong battle with cancer. His death was announced today by his publicist.
Here now, a look at Forsythe's long and distinguished career.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
A.J. HAMMER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): John Forsythe was typically modest about his accomplishments, but he enjoyed one of the longest careers in TV history.
His first major success came in the 1950s series "Bachelor Father," but he's remembered for a show in which he never appeared at all, at least not physically.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "CHARLIE'S ANGELS")
JOHN FORSYTHE, ACTOR: So, it's your decision.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: He was the disembodied voice of Charles Townsend, the detective agency owner on "Charlie's Angels," which would become an instant hit in 1976. Forsythe would reprise that role in the movie version decades later.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "CHARLIE'S ANGELS")
FORSYTHE: Good morning, Angels.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTRESSES: Good morning, Charlie.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: The biggest success of his career game in the prime-time soap "Dynasty," which took to the air in 1981. He played oil tycoon Blake Carrington, the role originally offered to George Peppard.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "DYNASTY")
FORSYTHE: All this is new to us, isn't it?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: The show ran for nine seasons and earned him a pair of Golden Globes and three Emmy nominations.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "THE POWERS THAT BE")
FORSYTHE: Good morning, Charlotte.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: In 1992, he starred in the short-lived sitcom "The Powers That Be" produced by Norman Lear. But he found fans weren't quite ready to accept him in a different role.
FORSYTHE: The audience is -- still sees me as Blake Carrington. And the adjustment is a difficult one.
HAMMER: Forsythe's career wasn't limited to television. He played a key role in the 1967 film "In Cold Blood" as real-life detective Alvin Dewey.
FORSYTHE: The picture was a very successful one and a very good one qualitatively.
HAMMER: And he starred in the 1955 Hitchcock film "The Trouble with Harry," in which Shirley MacLaine made her big screen debut. Forty- five years later, he remembered her work fondly, but downplayed his own talents.
FORSYTHE: Young, beautiful, gifted Shirley MacLaine, and young John Forsythe.
(LAUGHTER)
HAMMER: Modest to the end.
A.J. Hammer, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The kids don't want to eat celery when they're watching a fun kids movie. It kind of tones it down a few notches, doesn't it?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Coming to a theater near you, celery and carrots. Will changing the food ruin the movie-going experience? I'm going to go out on a limb and say yes.
(LAUGHTER)
HOLMES: But that story is just ahead.
Also, you think athletes might have learned from Gilbert Arenas' mistake? Not so much. The latest sports star now accused of bringing a weapon, not to his locker room, but somewhere much worse that's probably going to get him in a lot more trouble, you would think.
That's next on THE LIST.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: We're getting some information in. It has to do with the woman Jihad Jane. A lot of people will remember this, this -- this woman who was arrested, accused of being some kind of a convert, an extremist.
But have an update, not necessarily about her, but let's bring in Jeanne Meserve, about another American woman who is facing a terror charge.
Hello to you. And, please, tell us what we're just getting.
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN HOMELAND SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Don (sic), we have heard about this woman before. She is Jamie Paulin-Ramirez. She's the young woman from Colorado who allegedly communicated with Jihad Jane on the Internet and traveled to Europe also.
Today, a superseding indictment has been unsealed against her. In addition, she was arrested this afternoon in Philadelphia, after voluntarily flying to the United States from abroad, where she had been held.
According to the Department of Justice, this superseding indictment charges that the two of these women, Jihad Jane and Jamie Ramirez, traveled to and around Europe to participate in the support of violent jihad. According to the indictment, Ramirez allegedly exchanged e- mail messages with LaRose during the summer of 2009 in which LaRose -- that's Jihad Jane -- invited Ramirez to join her in Europe to attend a training camp.
Ramirez is charged with accepting that invitation and asking if she could bring along her minor child. In September -- on September 12 of 2009, the indictment says, Ramirez traveled to Europe with her child with the intent to live and train with jihadists.
It says the day she arrived in Europe, the indictment alleges, she married an unindicted co-conspirator -- co-conspirator who she had never before met in person. Of course, what the government has alleged in this case is that terrorists were very interested in finding people who were -- who had American passports and could move around easily. And there was a lot of discussion in the Jihad Jane case about the possibility of people marrying these women to facilitate their travel.
So, that's, I think, what is at -- they're talking about here when they talk about her marrying someone she had never met before. She is charged with one count of conspiracy to provide material support to terrorism, the maximum penalty, 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine -- Don (sic).
HOLMES: All right. Jeanne with the update for us -- Jeanne, thank you so much.
MESERVE: You bet.
HOLMES: We're going to turn now to our next list. You know, every day, we talk about -- and yes, I'm T.J. It's all right. We know. She knows who I am. It's OK.
(LAUGHTER)
HOLMES: The list we're talking about now is the list you don't want to be on.
Gun at the airport, that kind of qualifies as the list you don't want to be on, right? I will show you who we're talking about here. He's a big guy, a real big guy, number 92 in there? Where is he there? Well, he's number 92. He's a nose guard for the Cleveland Browns. A lot of people say he may be the best on their team, the best player that they do have.
His name is Shaun Rogers. He has a bit of a problem here. He spent the night in jail in Cleveland. Last we heard, he was still there. He was busted yesterday at the airport for trying to get through security with a loaded .45 pistol in his carry-on bag.
The airlines, of course, take this quite seriously. Now, there is -- a third-degree felony is what this qualifies as. According to some Cleveland radio and newspaper reports, Rogers told police at the airport he forgot the pistol was in his bag. He's a three-time Pro Bowler. And he had a six-year, $42 million deal with the Browns. And, today, Shaun Rogers has his place on the list you do not want to be on.
Now, this wasn't too long ago. This was just days ago, President Obama and the Afghan leader Hamid Karzai, the picture of unity just last week when the president made that surprise trip. And, today, the two are not doing so well in this relationship. Actually, the White House says something that Karzai says, they find troubling. We will tell you why just ahead.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LEVANDER: In this case, the death of their child is such an enormous, egregious consequence.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: The parents who let their real baby die while taking care of their virtual daughter, they could learn their fate soon. That's next on THE LIST.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: They were the perfect parents -- online. But, while a couple in South Korea played a fantasy computer game of raising a virtual child, their real-life daughter died of starvation. It was a neglect case that stunned the world and exposed the frightening impact of video game addiction. Now the parents in the case have admitted guilt in their daughter's death.
Here now, CNN's Eunice Yoon.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
EUNICE YOON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This 3-month-old baby in South Korea died from malnutrition, her parents choosing to raise and protect a virtual sibling, a girl called Anima. It's child favoritism in a nation obsessed with the Internet, where top online gamers are treated like rock stars.
In court Friday, the couple, 40-year-old Kim Jae-beom and his partner, 25-year-old Kim Yun-jeong, pled guilty to negligent homicide after their arrest last month. The two admitted leaving their premature infant, Sa-rang, or "Love" in English, at home so they could play this popular online game, "Prius," often for 10-hour-long stretches.
Ironically, the point of this 3-D fantasy game is to raise a girl, who as she grows, gains magical powers.
"I think of our baby in heaven," Sa-rang's father told the judge. "I will be guilty until the day I die."
As part of the couple's defense, their lawyer argued the two are addicted to online gaming, a condition counselors say can be very destructive.
ANDREW LEVANDER, ADDICTION COUNSELOR: Over time, in the absence of an intervention, this can totally rip through somebody's life and certainly in this sad case rip through a family's life very quickly.
YOON (on camera): Prosecutors want a five-year jail sentence, but the defense hopes that the judge will consider the couple's addiction for the ruling on April 16.
(voice-over): Leniency for Internet addiction would be a first in the country.
LEVANDER: In this case, the death of their child is such an enormous, egregious consequence, I certainly could understand that there are a lot of people who are probably very angry about this. YOON: Yet, the Kims are expecting their second child. Sa-rang's father insists there will be no second mistake, the couple promising to tackle the responsibilities of real life after too long a journey in the virtual world.
Eunice Yoon, CNN, Hong Kong.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: And a live picture here -- we showed you some of these a little earlier -- from the Way of the Cross procession. This was the procession that really commemorates -- it shows the sequence of prayers. It is called the Stations of the Cross, but, also, this commemorates the suffering of Jesus Christ, who made his way to the cross, where he was crucified.
You see Pope Benedict there. Of course, he's been the one really overseeing all of the services this week. And this really is the holiest time of the year for Catholics, certainly the holiest time -- this is the holiest day for many across the world. But this is the procession we see each year. The Way of the Cross, it's called.
It starts at the Colosseum -- Colosseum, the ancient Colosseum, there in Rome, which is not too far from Saint Peter's Square there at the Vatican.
Let's take a listen in for a moment, and, really, a beautiful, beautiful picture. You see the people gathered there, but, really, a beautiful ceremony, and just a beautiful sight to be gathered outside -- outside the -- the Colosseum there.
But what you're hearing there are the prayers, the sequence of prayers, the Stations of the Cross, as they're called. And we're told that they were going to focus this year on the essentials of the faith, not going to be focusing on any specific issue the church might be currently facing, but the essentials of the faith.
We will continue to keep an eye on this, but, really, you see the Colosseum there, just a beautiful sight there in Rome this evening.
Quick break. We're right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: All right. He's the tough-talking, reality-show-appearing, pink-underwear-enforcing sheriff known as Joe Arpaio. Now he's got something else he's doing that's going to get some attention. He's peddling a different form of jailhouse activity.
All right, check out the latest idea: televisions powered by exercise bikes. The sheriff himself is on it. He's demonstrating it here with some of his inmates around him, obviously. Inmate viewing options on the television were limited to the Food Network, the Weather Channel, and C-SPAN. Now, under pedal-vision, as it's being called, local channels will also be available. Prisoners have to sign a contract to take part. Let's turn to Oildale, California. Keep a close eye on this lady here. This is a very casual theft of charity money. You see that? She slipped the jar in? She did it as soon as the cashier turned her back. Then the woman, you think she might it -- make a -- make a run for the door?
No, she strolls over and she starts making her coffee, like nothing even happened. The donation jar, you might be wondering, what was it for? It was for terminally ill children.
Now one more heist, one that really has me concerned for this young child and her well-being and who her parents are. You may have seen this one, but it's gone viral this week.
(LAUGHTER)
HOLMES: You know those toy machines. You try to -- you put the coin in, you try to get the claw, move it around and get out a teddy bear or something like that? Well, this kid got sick of that mess. And she just went up into the machine to get her hands on exactly what she wanted.
There she is. She pops out. She's a little-bitty little thing. We don't know what kind of life of crime she has ahead of her, but, if this is her first start, she's going to be a heck of a criminal.
I'm just kidding. I'm sure she's an -- an adorable little kid. She just wanted a teddy bear.
Well, Michael Steele and the Republican Party may be feeling a financial hangover from the strip club scandal. And one prominent organization is calling for a change in its political donation policy. That is just ahead.
And from a follow-up now to a list, our follow-up list. Remember the actor who left a starring role on "House" to work for the White House? Well, his political career seems shorter than a commercial break. We will tell you what he's up to now after this commercial break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: It's the follow-up list, updating stories we have been keeping an eye on.
Well, here we go. First, Moscow police believe they know the identity of one of the suicide bombers. They have named her, put her picture in the papers, and say she was 17 or 18 years old. She was reportedly married to a prominent Chechen rebel, a leader who was killed in December.
And that would make her one of those notorious black widows who have carried out other extremely violent acts against Russian government targets.
Our next follow-up involves one of the most heinous hate crimes in history and an auction. This is disturbing, folks. Dirt from the road where this man, James Byrd, Jr., was dragged to death behind a pickup truck in Jasper, Texas, 12 years ago now being offered on a Web site that sells -- and I'm quoting here -- murderabilia. Pictures of the crime scene and dirt from Byrd's grave also part of this deal. Byrd's family outraged, shocked by it.
Byrd's sister is telling "The Houston Chronicle" that, "Even in death you can't find peace." And she wants the Web site shut down.
Also, remember that actor from "Harold and Kumar"? He left Hollywood for a more noble calling. He left the glamour of the movie stardom to join team Obama in Washington as the White House's associate director of public engagement.
Well, the lure of Hollywood is pretty strong. He's going back to the movies.
One of the industry magazines says Kal Penn is going to star in another "Harold and Kumar" film. This one is going to have a Christmas theme.
And get this -- the White House says Kal Penn -- why are you all laughing? The White House says that Kal Penn isn't leaving entirely. They say in their statement that "He is honored to serve in this administration and has no announcement to make about his tenure here at this point."
Let's turn to another update here. Those eight militia members accused of trying to kill police officers will be staying in jail.
We got that word just a short time ago from a federal judge. He wants them to stay put until their trial.
Our Susan Candiotti has been tracking this story for us.
And Susan, apparently, the judge heard something that didn't want him to really have these guys back on the loose.
SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, T.J., it's probably something that we all expected. Rarely, it's rare that bond is granted in a case like this. But in this case, you know, the judge always has to decide, are these people considered to be a risk to the -- a danger to the community, and might they escape?
And so that's what he said he had to base his decision on in each one of these cases. And he found consistently that in the case of the Hutaree militia that we all heard about earlier this week -- this is a group that is charged with conspiring to overthrow the government and attempting to conspire to kill law enforcement officers in a really bizarre plot -- well, the judge found in each case that they said in particular that he found that, because of the materials that they had gathered, that it indicated to him that they were intending to resist federal authorities. And they said it was clear -- the judge said it was clear to him that the defendants had trained in preparation for that mission to resist federal authority. And, he said, they had also hidden supplies in order to evade capture. So this, he said, gave them a possible motive to escape and presented a danger to the community. And because of that, he decided that he would not grant them bond.
Now, this, of course, did not sit well with the defense attorneys, who said that they would appeal.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JAMES C. THOMAS, ATTORNEY FOR JOSHUA STONE: Remember that the indictment is nothing more than a piece of paper. It's only a charge. They haven't been proven guilty of anything yet.
And so you've got to balance the allegations against, you know, these people's right to be free pending trial. So, you know, it's a tough question for every judge. And maybe judges could reasonably disagree. And so that's why we're going to Judge Roberts.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CANDIOTTI: And, in fact, one of the main charges here called sedition, which is the conspiracy to attempt to overthrow the federal government, carries a possibly life sentence if these men are convicted -- T.J.
HOLMES: All right.
Susan Candiotti with an update on the story for us.
Susan, thank you so much.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's not like we're sitting there asking people to eat broccoli and spinach.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Yes. He's trying to remake your concession stand. Could anything really replace a tub of buttery popcorn or those candy treats at the movies? That's ahead.
Also, that strip club fiasco still haunting the GOP, hitting them where it hurts, in the wallet. We'll find out why the Family Research Council is taking a hard look at the RNC's spending habits.
That's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: On the political list today, the week that Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele would like to forget.
An influential group of social conservatives telling its members to send their campaign donations elsewhere. It's more fallout over the RNC paying a nearly $2,000 bar tab at a bondage-themed nightclub in Los Angeles.
Tom McClusky, it might be first time you've ever been introduced with the words "bondage-themed nightclub" before your name. Sorry about that.
But he's the senior vice president of the Family Research Council's political action committee. He joins us now live from Washington.
Sir, thank you for being here.
Telling your members -- the Family Research Council telling members, don't give to the RNC. You can still support Republican candidates, but give directly to them.
Now, is that absolutely -- are you coming down on Michael Steele there? Is this strictly you're saying you're not happy with his leadership there?
TOM MCCLUSKY, SR. VICE PRESIDENT, FRCACTION.ORG: Well, the strip club incident is just emblematic of what's been happening at the RNC, both the out-of-control spending and the moral ambiguity on the different issues that are within the RNC platform. The best thing I think for Republicans in this election cycle would be if the RNC just got out of the way and if donors just gave directly to candidates.
HOLMES: Now, you want the RNC to get out of the way. Do you more specifically want to see Michael Steele get out of the way? Do you say he is the problem with all the mismanagement you just spoke of?
MCCLUSKY: Well, it started well before Michael Steele's tenure there, but it does seem to have grown since he's been there. The out-of- control spending, the hundreds of thousands of dollars on advisers and people who are telling them things they should already know, that money should be going directly to candidates and to help support within the states redistricting, which the RNC is woefully behind on, but it seems like, instead, it's being spent on limousines and airplanes.
HOLMES: Now, you spoke there a moment ago that this kind of started before he even got there. You say kind of the wrong direction you saw the RNC going. So was this last incident the last straw, or was this idea of telling people to make donations directly to the candidates themselves, was that something the Family Research Council was already thinking about before this latest incident?
MCCLUSKY: Well, we were already thinking about it. And quite honestly, after we did it, we had a couple of donors telling us it's about time that you say it out loud. A lot of our donors are the same donors to the RNC, and a lot of them gave up giving to that national committee a while ago.
HOLMES: If you don't like how the RNC is handling things, and you don't like the direction they're going, the message, how they're spending the money, are you still backing -- do you still feel comfortable about the message of the Republican Party itself and Republican candidates? MCCLUSKY: Well, if I was advising any candidate from either party -- because we want to see conservative candidates win from both parties. If I was advising, I would say run as fast away from Washington, D.C., as much as possible.
And the best thing for both political parties would probably be to get out of the way, because it's very likely because of the climate and everything else, the Republicans will do well this November. But it will be despite of the RNC, not because of it.
HOLMES: Yes, we talked about this a little earlier with another guest I had on, talking about some people just assume, quite frankly, that Republicans, given the climate right now, they should pick up some seats, they should do well. But now we're talking about the RNC. Now we're hearing an organization like yours that has supported Republican candidates, the RNC, in the past, now coming out and saying, don't give your money there, give it over here.
It just doesn't seem like there's a lot -- quite frankly, it doesn't seem like a whole team atmosphere. Everybody isn't on the same team.
So could that hurt in the midterms in trying to get some of those Republican candidates elected?
MCCLUSKY: I would not think so. We've always worked independently from the RNC. We have endorsed both Republicans and Democrats. We care more about the ideology of a candidate than if he has an "R" or a "D" behind his name.
So I don't think that it will have that much of an effect. We still plan on working hard to make sure there are more conservatives in Congress and to get -- hopefully get our agenda through.
HOLMES: And let's get back the Michael Steele here for the moment.
You say kind of some of the issues, kind of the problems of the RNC started before he even got there, but how much has he been a problem? How much would you say he has made the problem even worse?
MCCLUSKY: Well, Michael Steele strikes me as a very honorable man, but he also seems to eat a lot of his own shoe leather. And some of the comments he has made has I think caused him some problems in the past.
And also, if you look at the expenditures, the FEC reports, the spending there is going through the roof on a number of things that normally -- I used to be at the RNC, and we were kind of tight with the money back then. The number of things they're spending on are just through the roof, while the fund-raising is not quite matching the spending.
HOLMES: Now, is there anything the group could do? Like you said, it's kind of been a long-term snowball effect going down here, it took a while for them to get to this point of, essentially, dissatisfaction with your group. So what would it take -- is there anything they could do between now and election time to turn things around in your eyes that would encourage you all to start encouraging donations to go back to the RNC?
MCCLUSKY: Well, I don't see that happening between now and November. Rehabilitation, I think, takes time.
But what the RNC should be doing right now, with the donations that they are getting, is them giving it directly to candidates. Stop with all this traveling around the country and junkets into Hawaii. Spend the donor money correctly.
I mean, you had a couple RNC advisers go to a strip club, but it's the donors who are losing their shirts here. And that's why I just think that, again, the RNC needs to get out of the way, get back to what they're supposed to be doing, supporting candidates, not supporting themselves.
HOLMES: Like you said, you worked at the RNC at some point back in the day. How disappointed are you? I assume at some point you were proud to have that on your resume, proud to say you worked at the RNC, proud of the work you did there.
So how do you feel today seeing the direction you say it's going?
MCCLUSKY: I was very low level. I mean, it was my first job in Washington.
I'm still proud to be associated with every place that I've worked throughout the years. So this certainly isn't the end of the RNC. They've been around since, what, about 1860?
But this is just -- this is probably the time for conservatives, the best time for them to retake Congress. And the RNC is not helping with their antics.
HOLMES: Not helping.
Tom McClusky, senior vice president of the Family Research Council's political action committee.
Sir, thank you for being here. We will continue to follow your money to see where you do put it and who you do support in this important election year. Thanks so much, sir. Good to see you.
MCCLUSKY: Thank you.
HOLMES: Coming up next here, what's making Wolf Blitzer's list? Increased tensions between the Obama administration and the Afghan president, Hamid Karzai. The White House calling recent comments by Karzai troubling.
That's ahead on THE LIST.
Also, we're looking ahead to Monday. Monday's a big day.
Tiger Woods holding his first major news conference since his sex scandal surfaced. But will some topics still be off limits? And it's the lead-up to his return, of course, to the Masters, which tees off on Thursday. Of course, just about everybody else, is going to be all over that.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(WEATHER REPORT)
HOLMES: Well, new tensions between the United States and the Afghan president, Hamid Karzai. Comments by Karzai have the White House unhappy today, just after the president paid him a surprise visit last weekend.
What got the White House upset is Karzai's claim that the West wants a puppet government, if you will, in Afghanistan. And he said it was foreigners, not his supporters, behind fraud in the recent elections. White House spokesman Robert Gibbs called the remarks "troubling" and "a cause for real and genuine concern."
Let's bring in our Wolf Blitzer. "The Wolf Pack," they call it. That story on his list of news today.
Wolf, always good to see you.
And the president just left, and it seems they already have a beef between him and Karzai.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: It is pretty surprising, because you would have thought that they would have smoothed over this relationship. He was there on Sunday. We all remember the president making the surprise visit to Kabul, spent some good quality time with the Afghan leader.
We would have thought that they would have resolved some of those issues. But Karzai's obviously very upset.
He thinks that there's been improper foreign interference. He's blaming foreigners. Not necessarily the United States, but he's blaming foreigners.
The implication is the U.S. and others are involved in trying to undermine what he's trying to do. There's no doubt the U.S. is deeply worried about corruption in Afghanistan, T.J., right now. And there's no signs that Karzai is really stepping up to the plate and doing enough.
HOLMES: So what is Karzai -- is he speaking to his own audience there in his own country when he's making these comments, no matter who he has to upset outside of his own borders?
BLITZER: Right. And it's a little dangerous game that he's playing right now.
He's trying to strengthen his own standing. And I guess he believes that if he blames foreigners, outsiders, for some of the problems or all of the problems in Afghanistan right now, he thinks that that may appeal to a lot of Afghanis.
But there are those, including Dr. Abdullah Abdullah, who was his main political rival, who lost the election to Karzai -- the disputed election, I should say -- he's saying that Karzai's making a big blunder because the people of Afghanistan, Dr. Abdullah says, really want a strong relationship with the West, with the U.S., and Karzai is sort of undermining that, at least right now.
Now, there's a good chance Karzai will come around and reverse some of those statements. But there's a little bit of tension in the relationship, as you pointed out.
HOLMES: How does the saying go? You've got to dance with the devil you've got? And we have to deal with Karzai. The U.S. and President Obama needs this guy.
BLITZER: Well, he's been the U.S.' top ally, obviously, going back to 9/11. Right after 9/11, a month later, the U.S. went into Afghanistan, destroyed the Taliban. But the Taliban and al Qaeda, to a certain degree, but mostly the Taliban, they're still there.
They're coming back. They've got some support. And this is a critical moment because the U.S. is still building up that surge that the president announced a few months ago. It's going to take some time to get those additional 30,000 troops there. But it's a very, very tense moment, and the stakes, as you can only imagine, are enormous.
HOLMES: And the president extended an invitation to Karzai when he was there to come. I believe it was in May. They haven't rescinded that invitation just yet, have they?
BLITZER: No. No, he's invited to come to the White House I think May 16th of mid-May sometime. He'll be here, and I'm sure he'll get a warm reception in public, although behind the scenes there might be some tough talk.
HOLMES: All right.
Wolf Blitzer, always good to see you, kind sir. We'll see you here in a few minutes.
BLITZER: See you.
HOLMES: All right.
Well, we've been telling you about this story for the past couple of hours. Imagine going to the movies, ordering a great big tub of broccoli. That could be the future of movie food if one Hollywood giant gets his way.
That's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Well, you know what? This is nice to be able to do. It's nice to show your appreciation to people who help you out, who work with you, and for some who have worked here for so long.
We're going to take you to our control room now. We're going to point out -- where is he?
Roger, say hello. That is Roger Strauss. This week he is celebrating. He is celebrating 30 years at CNN, folks.
Don't let those young looks fool you. Don't let that baby face fool you one bit back there.
Well, the bald head is certainly not fooling you. But he has been with CNN 30 years. Wanted to give him a congratulations, a shout-out.
We appreciate what you're doing and how long you've been doing it. But thank you so much, Roger.
Well, maybe we'll take Roger out to a movie coming up. And if you're heading out to the movies tonight, here's a question for you -- "Clash of the Titans," "Hot Tub Time Machine," that's not the question, even though I do want to see that movie.
We want to know, do you get a tub of popcorn with butter and a supersized soft drink, or do you try to smuggle in your own granola bar, maybe some vitamin water?
If one Hollywood suit has his way, both will be able to proudly line up at the snack counter.
Here now, our entertainment correspondent, Kareen Wynter.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KAREEN WYNTER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Michael Lynton, who heads Sony Pictures, has a pitch for movie theater owners. How about selling healthier snacks?
(on camera): Why was it so important for you to spearhead this?
MICHAEL LYNTON, CHAIRMAN & CEO, SONY PICTURES: You know, I go to the movies all the time. I have three daughter. I go with them a lot. And it just struck me, based on my experience with them and what the president and the first lady are trying to do now with the problem with obesity, that this was something that we, as the movie industry, could do to help that cause.
WYNTER: What are we talking about, carrot sticks, celery sticks? Give us an idea of what the sample would be.
LYNTON: Well, not even so much that. I mean, it can be everything from dried apple chips to air-blown popcorn, even being made in the traditional way. So, it's not like we're sitting there asking people to eat broccoli and spinach.
All that I was proposing when I talked about this was a little bit of a choice.
WYNTER (voice-over): A choice that Lynton says is gaining in popularity.
The Alliance for a Healthier Generation, which partnered with former president Bill Clinton to help reduce the amount of high-calorie beverages in schools, says that, "In an effort to combat childhood obesity, the Alliance would welcome the opportunity to work with movie theater operators."
But not everyone is ready to sink their teeth into the idea.
MICAELA GEORGE, MOVIEGOER: I think you can have your healthy meals at home. But for a night out, you know, have a bit of fun. The kids don't want to eat celery when they're watching a fun kids' movie? It kind of turns it down a few notches, doesn't it?
WYNTER: Still, Lynton says some of the research Sony has already done is overwhelmingly positive.
LYNTON: Everybody understands that right now we have this big issue in the United States about obesity. And right now we, in the movie industry, which is basically an image business, if you think about it, really do have a responsibility to help out here.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: Kareen, know it's a staple -- the movie, popcorn with the butter. But this is really just talking about giving people some options.
WYNTER: It really, really is. And the people we spoke with, T.J., said, come on, OK? Popcorn, it's synonymous with the moviegoing experience since the beginning of time. You catch your favorite flick and you're munching on that popcorn, which, by the way, things may change a lot sooner than we think, T.J. The Sony executive said that this could be implemented as early as six to nine months. And there are actually some theaters locally that have been trying it out, so we'll have to wait and see.
HOLMES: OK. Tell people as well, just how unhealthy is the stuff we are eating? We don't even think about it, but how unhealthy is this stuff?
WYNTER: I think we're going to ruin the moviegoing experience on this Friday, but here we go. A bucket of popcorn, T.J., guess how many grams of fat?
HOLMES: Grams of fat in a bucket of popcorn? Let's go with 350.
WYNTER: OK.
HOLMES: That's grams. I'm thinking calories. I'm thinking calories. I'm sorry.
WYNTER: A little close -- 76 grams of fat. That's equivalent, T.J., to six McDonald's cheeseburgers.
HOLMES: Oh, really? WYNTER: So, you know, you think about that, and maybe champing on a few of those carrot sticks may not be a bad idea. A lot of fat.
And the executive isn't saying, you know what? Give it away, do away with it all together. Just exercise some options, because otherwise those calories start to add up.
HOLMES: Kareen, thanks for ruining the movie experience. I wonder if the broccoli is going to cost $18 and expensive like other stuff.
Let's hand this thing over to Wolf Blitzer now. Can we?
