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Rick's List
Primary Fallout; Interview With Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell
Aired May 19, 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.
And it's time to check the list of the most intriguing people in the news on this day.
This lady has one goal tonight: to avert a disaster. That's not a joke. Her predecessor was in charge of a disaster that was a definite disaster for the White House, for the Secret Service, and made a joke out of the very unfunny subject of presidential security.
Remember this state dinner last year, the party crashers? Think that will happen at tonight's dinner honoring the president of Mexico? Fat chance. Why? Well, let's see her we're talking about, Rog.
That's Julianna Smoot. She's the new White House social secretary. You better believe she's watching the guest list tonight to avoid what cost the last social secretary her job. No pressure, Julianna, if you are watching, but a big honor to be named my most intriguing person in the news.
All right, earlier this month, we watched live as the Dow fell nearly 1,000 points. And now I understand they have got something going on that's going to be able to stop that.
Poppy Harlow is joining us now, as I do my quick turn. And, also, she's going to tell us what's going on with the market.
There you are. What's going on?
POPPY HARLOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Rick.
You know, it's interesting. This is what the SEC thinks might be able to stop that so-called flash crash that we talked about. We were trying -- we were on live on the air trying to figure out with you what was going on. The Dow fell about 1,000 points.
What they are going to do -- it needs to be approved -- but they're going to instill these circuit breakers. Why do you care about those?
SANCHEZ: Yes.
(LAUGHTER)
HARLOW: What it would do for a six-month period, Rick, is, it would essentially stop the trading of any S&P 500 stock if it fell or if it rose more than 10 percent in five minutes. They think that will allow human beings to get in the mix here, not just computers and trading algorithms, and come to a rational price for the stocks.
That's not what traders on Wall Street are taking into account today. Let's pull up the Big Board quickly for you. The closing bell just rang on Wall Street. The Dow fell 67 points, the Nasdaq, the S&P 500 also in the red. But you know what, Rick? The Dow was down about 186 points earlier today, so we close lower once again, a lot better, though, than we were in the middle of the trading day, Rick.
SANCHEZ: Poppy, thank you so much. We will look forward to seeing you again tomorrow.
HARLOW: Got it.
SANCHEZ: In the meantime, there's been an al Qaeda-related arrest.
Again, a person living amongst us in the United States of America who we thought was just one of us, and it turns out his allegiance is not to us. It's to al Qaeda. We are going to be all over this story, and this.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SANCHEZ (voice-over): Here's what's making the LIST on this day.
RAND PAUL (R), KENTUCKY SENATORIAL CANDIDATE: We have got come to take our government back.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
SANCHEZ: Rand Paul, winner, Kentucky.
PAUL: We did it, didn't we?
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
SANCHEZ: Mark Critz, winner, Pennsylvania.
REP. JOE SESTAK (D), PENNSYLVANIA: A win for the people.
SANCHEZ: Joe Sestak, winner, over him.
Republicans claiming victory. So are Democrats. What's the real political story?
The lists you need to know about. Who's today's most intriguing? Who's landed on the list you don't want to be on? Who's making news on Twitter? It's why I keep a list.
Pioneering tomorrow's cutting-edge news right now.
(END VIDEOTAPE) SANCHEZ: We welcome you back to hour two. I'm Rick Sanchez. And it's time to pick up the pace of today's LIST for those of you now checking in.
Number one, it is the most telling race of all: Pennsylvania 12.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ED ROLLINS, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL CONTRIBUTOR: Donna, we're going to win that -- we're going to win Pennsylvania 12.
We're going to win Pennsylvania 12.
SANCHEZ: I -- I --
ROLLINS: We're going to win Pennsylvania 12.
SANCHEZ: I -- I --
ROLLINS: We're going to win Pennsylvania 12.
SANCHEZ: I -- I --
ROLLINS: We're going to win Pennsylvania 12.
SANCHEZ: I -- I --
ROLLINS: We're going to win Pennsylvania 12.
SANCHEZ: I -- I --
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(LAUGHTER)
SANCHEZ: Who is the guy going ah, ah, ah? Oh, that was me.
Ed Rollins is one smart Republican. We all know that. We love that. But Ed Rollins was wrong last night. And so was Newt Gingrich, by the way. I heard him on "Hannity" on the way home. He said the very same thing.
He appeared here yesterday with Donna Brazile. Rollins is wrong, because the Republican lost. But when he say "we," he was referring to the Republican Party. The Democrats -- the Democrat in this race prevailed in the race to fill the seat for the late John Murtha.
Mark Critz made it a race on local issues, beat his GOP opponent by a solid eight points.
Let me read to you now from Politico.com. This is what Politico writes.
"The Republicans failed spectacularly, losing on a level playing field, where, in this un -- where, in this favorable environment, they should have run roughshod over the opposition." In fact, that was the conventional wisdom, right? I mean, that's what people were saying. That's what people were saying in Washington. That's what politicians were saying. That's what political pundits were saying.
By the way, I'm always suspect of anything that is conventional wisdom. And conventional wisdom was wrong again, which makes us now wonder about the other bit of conventional wisdom, which is that Republicans are poised to steamroll the Democrats in the midterm elections.
Well, was this a bellwether?
Ed Rendell is one of the smartest guys out there. Everybody loves to him on. So, when we needed somebody to talk to about this, we decided that we would go to the smart guy in the front of the class with his hands up every time the teacher asks question, you know?
(LAUGHTER)
SANCHEZ: Governor, good to see you, sir.
GOV. ED RENDELL (D), PENNSYLVANIA: Yes. Rick, I'm so smart, I supported Arlen Specter.
(LAUGHTER)
SANCHEZ: I had a feeling you were going to start there. All right, why did your guy lose, Governor?
RENDELL: Well, first of all, he's been a great senator. And it's a real tribute to him, the things he did for Pennsylvania. He lost because he carried two burdens, one, incumbency in a -- a 30-year incumbent in a year that incumbency is a real burden, two, the burden of switching parties.
There are people who just don't like party-switchers regardless of the reason. And the Specter campaign didn't do a very good job explaining the reason behind the switch, that he was asked by major Democrats to do it, that he switched because he supported President Obama and gave the key vote for stimulus.
So -- and the Sestak campaign did a brilliant job in making it seem like he switched purely for selfish interests. So, those two burdens were too much for him to carry.
SANCHEZ: And then it rained in Philadelphia, to boot. Let me ask you --
RENDELL: Rained in Philadelphia -- 23 percent statewide turnout -- 23 percent.
SANCHEZ: That's not very high.
When you consider -- let's talk to another part -- let's talk about another part of your state. When you consider Mark Critz's win, along with the rest of the night, does it shift the storyline? Is the storyline being rewritten now going into November?
RENDELL: I think so.
I think there are two things that happened, first, that the Democrats in Congress went ahead in the generic test 45-40, almost a complete reversal. They went ahead last week.
And ,second, Mark Critz not only won. I thought he was going to win, but he won by eight points in a district --.
SANCHEZ: Yes, he killed him.
RENDELL: -- that John McCain carried. John McCain carried that district two years ago. This should have been ripe for the picking for the Republicans.
And if you believe they are going to pick up 40, 45, 50 seats, they should have won this seat. So, I have a hunch that the economy has been improving. We have had two good jobs months in a row. As the economy gets better, I have a hunch that there are not going to be anywhere close to the losses that people are predicting.
SANCHEZ: So, they won't lose both houses? Is that what you're saying?
RENDELL: I think we will retain both houses. We will lose seats, but we will keep retain both houses.
SANCHEZ: What about the argument that Critz really is a Democrat in name, but most of his positions very conservative?
RENDELL: Well, we have always been a big tent. We have always had pro-choice Democrats, pro-life Democrats, Democrats for gun control, Democrats for gun owners' rights.
SANCHEZ: Do you have to be that way --
RENDELL: We're a big tent. And that's what makes us strong.
SANCHEZ: Do you have to be -- you -- I mean, I'm asking you this because you are the governor of Pennsylvania. Do you have to lean a little to the right, even if you're a Democrat, to win certain parts of Pennsylvania?
RENDELL: Well, in that district, I got clobbered when I ran the first time. I won statewide by 10 points, but I got clobbered.
The second time, because I had been a good jobs governor and a good economic development governor, I actually carried the district. But it helps to be to the right on social issues and fiscally conservative, yes, absolutely.
But that -- that's the beauty of what we are as a party. We have candidates who represent their area, but still believe in basic Democratic values, that we are here to help America's working families and our most vulnerable people. SANCHEZ: Let me ask you about Joe Sestak. I had him on earlier. He's been on this show many times, seems like a very competent guy, if you look at his record, if you look at his military record, for example.
What kind of relationship will you forge with him, and will it be similar to the one you seem to have forged with the longtime Republican Arlen Specter?
RENDELL: Well, and -- and -- honestly, Rick, it can't be, because I worked with Arlen -- Arlen -- Arlen as mayor of Philadelphia for eight years.
SANCHEZ: Oh.
RENDELL: He helped Philadelphia mightily, didn't care that it was a big-time Democratic city. I worked with him as governor for the last seven years.
With Joe, I have a little bit of a relationship. And, in the campaign, I will do whatever he wants. I have said I will do as much as he wants or as little as he wants --
(LAUGHTER)
RENDELL: -- if he wants to continue to run against the establishment.
SANCHEZ: Have you talked to him? Have you spoken with him since last night?
RENDELL: No, I haven't got a chance to talk to him today, because I have been talking to you guys.
SANCHEZ: Are you afraid to?
RENDELL: So, I intend to try to -- no, not at all, not at all.
SANCHEZ: Are you guys mad at each other?
RENDELL: I said 10 days before the election --
SANCHEZ: Are you guys mad at each other?
RENDELL: No, I said 10 days before the election -- no, I said 10 days before the election that I would support him if he won. He's a good Democrat. He's right on the issues. And he's a whole 100 yards better than Pat Toomey on the issues, no question about it.
SANCHEZ: Well, it should be fun to watch.
Ed Rendell, thank you, sir.
RENDELL: It's fun to watch.
SANCHEZ: Thank you, Governor, for taking the time to join us today.
We appreciate your time.
RENDELL: Thanks, Rick.
SANCHEZ: All right, let's do this. Take a look at this sound and picture.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHELLE OBAMA, FIRST LADY: Make sure that people can be here with the right kind of papers, right? That's exactly right.
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: But my --
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: -- have papers.
OBAMA: Yes, well, we have to work on that. We have to fix that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: Whoa. Did you hear what she just said? Did you hear what she just said? That -- that little girl who had her hand up, she said, "But my mother doesn't have papers." She said, "My mother doesn't have papers."
The first lady is forced to tackle Arizona's immigration issue head on when that little girl opens the dialogue talking about it.
And then the president of the United States gets on board as well, and he gives his -- his spiel on immigration, first time we have heard it. We are all over this story for you.
And then world-famous golfer Chi Chi Rodriguez and his wife are robbed in their home. There's Chi Chi now. Thieves apparently made off with over $400,000 worth of stuff. Wow.
I'm going to tell you what happened. A lot of news, folks. Stay right there. This is your LIST, RICK'S LIST. We will be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SANCHEZ: Welcome back. I'm Rick Sanchez.
The place where we keep lists and where social media matters, now for my roundup list, the stuff we are watching for you today.
Number one, hit it, Rog. That's Elena Kagan. She has a date penciled in and underlined. It's June 28. That's when the United States Senate Judiciary Committee is going to open hearings to determine whether she's going to be our next Supreme Court justice. Republicans wanted it delayed until after the congressional races. Nope. It turns out the president wants her on the bench when the court convenes in October -- the Kagan hearings, June 28.
Number two, I told you I would keep an eye on these guys. And there are new developments.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Anything you want to say?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: The Michigan militia.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Anything you need to say?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: The Hutaree, they call themselves, nine members of the group locked up in March, four of them are free today. A judge in Detroit let them out of jail until their trial on charges that they planned to rise up against the government and kill police officers.
One of the charges is trying to use weapons of mass destruction, serious stuff. But is the evidence there?
Number three, I can't believe I'm even saying this. This is awful. Some creeps broke into the home of legendary golfer Chi Chi Rodriguez overnight in Puerto Rico. They tied up Chi Chi and his wife. And get this. We're told they got away with about $500,000 in cash and in jewelry.
Now, everybody loves Chi Chi. Half-a-million dollars. Neither Chi Chi nor his wife were hurt, not physically anyway. The eight-time -- let me say that -- the eight-time PGA tournament winner is now 74 years old.
All right. We have got some new pictures of that oil spill in the Gulf. As these pictures continue to come in, we continue to share, because it's not just the oil. It's all the stories revolving around it. And the question remains, is it headed for the Eastern Seaboard, as in the Florida Keys, maybe parts of South Florida, going up the Florida coastline? And when will it ever be capped?
More serious each day, folks. That's ahead.
Also, al Qaeda-related arrest in Kansas City, Missouri? What is going on there? A guy who ran an auto parts shore arrested for his ties and allegiance to al Qaeda? Huh. I'm going to be all over this. This is breaking news. You will hear it right here.
This is your LIST, your national conversation, RICK'S LIST.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SANCHEZ: All right. Now I have got to tell you about this breaking story that is taking place in Kansas city. I mean, I was floored by this. It hit us just as we were getting to go on the air. We knew nothing about it until suddenly we saw this report coming from our correspondents as well in Kan -- in -- in Washington at the Justice Department, Jeanne Meserve among them.
Here is what we know. A Kansas City man has pled guilty to helping al Qaeda. And, boy, do we mean helping al Qaeda. As this story breaks, it's seems to us like it's another case of a guy coming to the United States, embracing the American dream, or so we thought, and then somehow actually having beliefs and pledging an allegiance to our enemies, specifically al Qaeda.
Here's what we know from a news conference about an hour ago. This guy's name is Khalid Ouazzani. He pled guilty in federal court today to providing material support to al Qaeda, pled guilty to providing material support. He did that by giving the terrorist organization more than $23,000 so -- that they could use against us.
All right, you see the scheme? It was laid out on that chart there at that news conference that we showed just moments ago. Now, Ouazzani has pledged allegiance, admitted to pledging allegiance to al Qaeda in June of 2008.
So, he was involved in the money angle. The prosecutors say he was interested in maybe helping out with something a little more hands-on.
Take a listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BETH PHILLIPS, U.S. ATTORNEY, WESTERN DISTRICT OF MISSOURI: In the plea agreement, as -- as you will see in paragraph three of the plea agreement, Ouazzani admitted that he had discussions with other individuals in which they discussed additional tasks they could perform to support al Qaeda.
Some of those tasks included the possibility of fighting on behalf of al Qaeda in Iraq, Somalia, or Afghanistan.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: Ouazzani, by the way, is a native of Morocco, a naturalized citizen --
(LAUGHTER)
SANCHEZ: -- or citizen of the United States -- my second language. And he's in federal custody right now.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(GUNSHOTS)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: Clashes continuing in Thailand. All right, I'm going to be telling you what's going on and taking you back to this story, because it's not just about what you see on the ground. It also has to do with the king, the king's son and the king's grandson, and what's going to happen to the stabilization -- or the lack thereof -- in this country as a result of some of these pictures that we have been seeing. We are going to be all over that.
Also, are we getting any closer to capping this oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico? How much of a threat is the spill to the East Coast? Remember, not just the Gulf, but, when it whips around the Gulf and goes into the Gulf Stream, around the edge of Florida, the Florida Keys, Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Cocoa Beach, Jacksonville, going all the way up that coastline, are they going to be affected by this? It's kind of starting to look like it. We are drilling down next.
Stay with us. This is RICK'S LIST.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SANCHEZ: All right. Welcome back. I'm Rick Sanchez.
Chad, I'm glad you are here --
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: I'm here.
SANCHEZ: -- because there is something I want to talk about.
MYERS: OK.
SANCHEZ: Let's -- you are going to take me through this in -- in -- in a moment. Let -- let me do the set up for the viewers. OK?
MYERS: Yes.
SANCHEZ: Our affiliate WVUE took a boat tour with BP yesterday. Let me show you some of these pictures. They -- they went out where the Deepwater Horizon rig sank. We see some of the oil floating there on the surface. This was shot near South Pass, Louisiana, at the mouth of the river.
It has now been 29 days since the -- 29 days -- damn -- since the explosion aboard that offshore oil rig. And now we may need to worry about the loop current.
MYERS: Mm-hmm.
SANCHEZ: What is the loop current? All right. This is where I wanted to bring you in.
Remember, Chad and I were over here the other day and we were explaining this to you, the possibility that this thing cannot just be in the Gulf, but go through Florida Keys and then maybe Miami, Cocoa Beach, Jacksonville, et cetera, et cetera.
Let me read you what has just been told me. You ready?
Meteorologists are now saying this loop current that flows between Cuba and Mexico, then loops south of the Florida Keys, the European Space Agency issued a statement. It said that satellite images show -- satellite images show that the oil is in the loop current. That's what -- eventually, it becomes the Gulf Stream.
MYERS: Correct.
SANCHEZ: That's what we call it when you grow up in Florida.
They say that this is visible proof, at the very least, oil from the surface has reached the current. A new tracking forecast prepared by four experts -- I'm reading this, Chad -- shows that part of the oil may reach the Florida Keys in five to six days, and Miami, Miami Beach, five days after that.
Chad, take it away.
MYERS: Well, and guess what's in between Key West and Miami Beach? One of the -- one of the prettiest reefs that we have in our entire country.
SANCHEZ: Biscayne National Park.
MYERS: Absolutely.
SANCHEZ: Pennekamp.
MYERS: Absolutely.
SANCHEZ: Yes.
MYERS: Right off -- right off Big Pine Key, all the way up and down there, and to Key Largo. If we kill that reef, that is going to be one ugly thing we have got going on --
(CROSSTALK)
MYERS: -- down there.
SANCHEZ: Can you -- can you show us? I don't know. Can you -- have you got a map where you can show us exactly what the track is on this thing?
MYERS: Yes.
(CROSSTALK)
MYERS: I actually -- I have an animated forecast.
SANCHEZ: All right. Let's do it.
MYERS: Yes. So, we will go -- we will do -- do a couple of things. And I will draw it out for you, because, sometimes, it's easier for a meteorologist to look at these things than a person. But here is Louisiana. Here is Mississippi. Here is Mobile. Here's Apalachicola and so on and so on.
SANCHEZ: Uh-huh.
MYERS: This is a forecast. Here's May 19. Here is May 20. Here is the oil caught in the current in the ocean, in the Gulf of Mexico. The current takes it down and then around into the Florida Straits. The Florida Straits are where, Rick?
(CROSSTALK)
SANCHEZ: Between Havana and Key West.
MYERS: There you go.
So, here is the loop current. It comes from the very warm water in the Caribbean, up between Cancun and the western part of Cuba.
(CROSSTALK)
MYERS: Here's Cozumel, Cancun.
It goes up toward and almost into the mouth of the Mississippi River and makes a turn, kind of makes a loop. And then it turns itself and follows this -- these striations. Here is shallow water.
SANCHEZ: Oh.
MYERS: No fish in here --
(CROSSTALK)
SANCHEZ: It almost looks like it's dipping right into the oil.
MYERS: It's getting real close.
SANCHEZ: Unfortunately.
MYERS: And the oil is coming to meet it as well.
And then you move it up, and you move it between the Bahamas and up through the Florida -- and that's where you used to fish right there.
SANCHEZ: Yes.
MYERS: You have got mahi-mahi in here. You have got sailfish. You have Wahoo. You have all of the baitfish there as well. And you're going to get this oil in this current.
SANCHEZ: Loop current turns into Gulf Stream. Gulf Stream goes up the Eastern Seaboard, eventually ends up all the way in Europe, in England.
MYERS: It goes all the way through all of our fishing grounds, all of the fish -- you ever seen "The Perfect Storm," all the Gloucester men that go up there --
(CROSSTALK)
SANCHEZ: But everybody is guessing this is going to happen.
I mean, and now we are hearing from the first time from folks with satellite images saying, it's already happening.
MYERS: The sheen --
SANCHEZ: But what does your gut say on this?
MYERS: The sheen is already there. The sheen --
SANCHEZ: Really?
MYERS: The not -- it's kind of the light oil. The light oil is already eddied around enough --
SANCHEZ: But what about that stuff? We keep reading these reports that there's this stuff like -- like 1,000 feet under the surface. And it's just hanging there like a gloom.
MYERS: We don't know what that is. We don't know what that plume is.
We have seen it. It shows up. They haven't proved whether that is dispersant, whether that is dispersed oil.
SANCHEZ: Or --
MYERS: Is it oil that just hasn't made it to the surface yet, but it's moving, too?
SANCHEZ: Thank you, sir.
MYERS: OK. Always.
SANCHEZ: Appreciate your time. I know you weren't planning to be on, but you know how -- you know how it works.
(CROSSTALK)
SANCHEZ: Take a look at this video here, folks.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: In the United States of America, no law-abiding person, be they an American citizen, a legal immigrant, or a visitor or tourist from Mexico, should ever be subject to suspicion simply because of what they look like.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: Two presidents addressing the immigration issue affecting both of their countries, including how to address Arizona's new law and race. You're going to hear it for yourself. That is coming up.
Also, here we go. There's another police chase. They come a dime a dozen these days, right? Well, not this one. This is different. Why? Because of the guy they were chasing. Who is it? It will kind of shock you.
Stay right there. We will be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SANCHEZ: So, you think your job situation is precarious? Then you don't know precarious. Here's "Fotos."
This is three of the best we have had in some time.
See that guy right there? He climbed the career ladder all the way to the top. His name is Chuck Kaylor (ph). He's a maintenance work leader at the Gateway Arch in St. Louis. Yep, you figured it out, didn't you, folks? That's his job. You know what he's doing up there? He's changing a light bulb.
Brooke, would you take that job?
BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: There's a joke in there. There's a joke in there somewhere.
SANCHEZ: No, this is what he does for a living, he changes light bulbs.
BALDWIN: He better be paid pretty well.
SANCHEZ: I'll tell you. This guy, he's got guts. And by the way, it's important to have that light bulb on because that's what keeps aircraft from crashing into the 630-foot tall structure.
BALDWIN: Hello.
SANCHEZ: Now this, take a look at that dashcam video. This guy is leading police on a super chase. It's in Orange County -- again -- all the way to San Diego. Hit speeds of 140 miles an hour. Do you know how many people are put at risk when you are going 140 miles an hour and police have to chase you?
BALDWIN: A lot.
SANCHEZ: We do these all the time and we usually ignore because they're just a stupid kind of story. But guess what. In this case -- you know what this guy does for a living? Do you know?
BALDWIN: Or what he used to do.
SANCHEZ: A race car driver.
BALDWIN: NASCAR.
SANCHEZ: NASCAR driver James Edward Neal got caught anyway after his engine blew up. He might say he went from pro to amateur.
Now Stuttgart, Germany. What this. OK, now don't -- see the sprinter? Look at the lady right there crossing. What is she thinking?
BALDWIN: Watch where you're going.
SANCHEZ: Look out! No! Get out of the way! He doesn't see her. She doesn't see him. They're going to crash! Oh, my god.
BALDWIN: Then he falls on her.
SANCHEZ: What was he thinking? What was she thinking? Oh.
Now listen to the German guy doing the announcing.
BALDWIN: What did he say?
SANCHEZ: I think he said boom.
Boom! I don't know what it means. (INAUDIBLE) This was, by the way, an NIAA (ph) race that was taking place over there when she wasn't thinking.
Those are "Fotos." You can see them for yourself anytime you want by going to my blog. They are all there along with other goodies. It's at CNN.com/ricksanchez.
What are the top ten political defections? Arlen Specter is the one we are all thinking of, right? We have compiled a list of the ten top defections in the history of our politics. You will be surprised what names you will see there. Theodore Roosevelt, Ronald Reagan, do you think they are on the list?
And then there's what's going on right now in Thailand? This has to do with a king, a prince and grandson of the king and a lot of people who are angry at each other.
We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SANCHEZ: Brooke Baldwin joining us now. She follows what's trending and sometimes these trending stories have to do with video. And it's one of the best videos of the day, that situation in Bangkok. Stuff is blowing up, stuff is on fire. But there's a backfire here.
BALDWIN: Totally.
SANCHEZ: A lot of people are wondering, Brooke, is this the end of Thailand? Is this the change of government? Is there a revolution coming? Take us through this.
BALDWIN: Perhaps, perhaps not. Let me get to briefly just the headlines. This is huge news out of Thailand today. It's been going on the protests, you know, the violence after weeks. But after hours of battle, the Red Shirt leadership -- remember, they're the antigovernment protesters -- they surrendered. They're essentially ending this tense standoff between the Thai Army that's really troubled Bangkok and even parts of northern Thailand for weeks.
But there's this back story and this is what I found fascinating, and let me enlighten you. There's someone, some people who say, someone who could have stopped the violence. And that is King Bhumibol Adulyadej.
SANCHEZ: That was him right there in the wheelchair?
BALDWIN: I didn't see the video. I was trying to make sure I pronounced his name right. But I bet it was.
He is the longest reigning monarch in the world. Listen to this. He will be celebrating 64 years on the throne next month. He's really revered, as I've talked to people about this today, really to the point of being worshipped.
There's actually this law in Thailand, if you defame, try to threaten or insult the king, you can go to jail. This is a huge deal in Thailand. Technically, he's a head of the state, but he's like a constitutional monarchy in Britain that plays largely a symbolic role, all right?
But what sets the King Bhumibol Adulyadej apart, when times get tough -- you have protests, you have coups -- the king intervenes, the nation listens and it steers Thailand back to democracy. I want to tie it this all together with what's happening today, but let me go back in time.
In 1992, you have this political crisis in Thailand. OK, you have two military leaders, they were actually summoned before the king after days and days of violent clashes between prodemocracy campaigners and the army. Do you see them on their knees? This video went all around. That was the king, right, in a suit. So they are bowing before King Bhumibol Adulyadej, calmed the tensions. Just this act in front the king calmed tensions, stopped the violence immediately.
Fast forward 2006, huge street protests demanding that the prime minister at the time, Thaksin Shinawatra, step down. Again, the king intervenes, ends this political stalemate. Now the army stages a coup, they oust the prime minister, but who remains? King Bhumibol Adulyadej.
Bring us to today. The battle that's been raging between the Thai Army and the antigovernment protesters the Red Shirts. Well, the Red Shirts want this new election, right? That's the whole reason why they've been protesting, they want to bring back that ousted former prime minister. Well who has been noticeably silent this time? King Bhumibol Adulyadej. He is 82 years old. Probably was a picture of him in the wheelchair because he's in the hospital. So today, the government spokesman said that all these Red Shirt leasers are calling off their protest but some might say the king's smartest move is to welcome the calm in the capital with the call for elections, which was the cause of the protesting in the first place.
But the concern here, and this is where it ties into his son and grandson, once the king is gone, the divisions and the Thai, you have the poor majority versus the elites, it might erupt and the son would succeed him. But you know in talking to your friends who know Thailand, not so popular.
SANCHEZ: Yes. I have a friend, Adam, who is over there, Adam Darrow (ph). He has been living there for quite some time. He's convinced. The king is very popular, the grandson is very popular, but the prince -- and he's the one who would be taking over --
BALDWIN: Not so much.
SANCHEZ: -- they think he's a dork. I mean, they think the guy's just a total dork.
BALDWIN: Perhaps in talking to your friend today, that the son of the king may abdicate the throne, thus giving it to his son who currently is the guy who gets in the streets --
(CROSSTALK)
BALDWIN: -- and could finally create the stability that Thailand needs.
SANCHEZ: What an interesting story.
BALDWIN: It's fascinating.
SANCHEZ: The king, the prince, the grandson of the prince.
Listen, we've got some breaking news, so I'm going to interrupt you.
BALDWIN: Go to it.
SANCHEZ: We understand there has been a decision now on financial reform, and this gets interesting. This is a question as to whether or not the Democrats who apparently have been getting a little bit of heat from the progressive side of the aisle would prevent Harry Reid from calling the vote.
Well apparently, we just learned -- and correct me if I'm right on this, Angie (ph), cause we don't have one of our correspondents here -- that actually Harry Reid prevented himself from calling the vote. Apparently he's voted no so that he can reintroduce the legislation. As Yogi Berra would say, curiouser and curiouser this matter getting.
It does not appear like this thing will go to vote today although we don't know. What was that, again? Fifty-seven -- 57 yea and 42 nay. Just to be clear, Angie, this is to cut off debate. And among those voting yea was Harry Reid.
All right. All right. So, all right -- so Harry Reid, I'm sorry, Harry Reid voted nay -- this is just coming in, folks -- so he could reintroduce the vote. So 57 yea, 42 nay; this is on cloture. Obviously as we get more information, I will share it with you.
Meanwhile, it's the question that Arlen Specter has got to be asking himself today. Did switching parties cost him his incumbency as senator of Pennsylvania? You wanted a list, we got a list. Senator Specter isn't the first politician to change parties. In fact, I want to share this list with you now from our partners at "Time" magazine. Here we go, political defections.
Number ten -- remember him? Jim Jeffords, 2001 the Vermont senator left the GOP becoming the only independent in the Senate. What did Specter call that move at the time? This interesting, ironic. Like a death in the family.
Number nine -- Michael Bloomberg, lifelong democrat. In 2001, he crossed over to the republican side of the aisle to become mayor of New York.
Number eight -- Democrat Richard Shelby who jumped ship in 1994 just one day after the GOP won control of both houses after 40 years of democratic dominance.
Now, number seven might surprise you. It's Condoleezza Rice. She was once a democrat and even voted for Carter but crossed over in 1984.
Number six -- Strom Thurmond, 1964. Look at that black and white. The South Carolina senator famously switched to the republican side of the aisle during the Civil Rights ear and never looked back.
What is the rest of the list? Number five through number one coming up after the break. Stay with us, the news moves on.
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SANCHEZ: Welcome back. This is RICK'S LIST.
We keep lists, we follow lists. Today, I have lists from our partners at "Time" magazine of the top ten political defections. We gave you ten through six just a little while ago, now the rest of the list.
Number five -- Ronald Reagan, who some would argue that was the most influential republican of all time. He was once a democrat but made the move to the GOP in 1962.
Number four -- Hillary Clinton who at the age of 13 actually passed out fliers for Richard Nixon's campaign, but by the time the would secretary of state graduated college, she had crossed over to the democrats.
Number three -- Wendell Willkie. In 1939 the liberal democrat turned republican turned back democrat after losing in the general election to FDR.
Number two -- Theodore Roosevelt. In 1912, after already serving as president, he left the Republican Party and formed his own party to increase his chances to being reelected a third time but lost.
And number one on the list of top political defections Arlen Specter. In 2009 he announced his departure from the GOP, a move that Joe Sestak obviously has capitalized on.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
B. OBAMA: In the United States of America, no law-abiding person, be they an American citizen, a legal immigrant or a visitor or a tourist from Mexico should ever be subject to suspicion simply because of what they look like.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: President Obama and Mexican President Filipe Calderon address Arizona's new immigration law and race. Now, this is interesting because it's the first time the president has done so and it was totally unexpected. Wolf Blitzer sat down with President Calderon and he's joining me next to take me through his list.
This is your national conversation, RICK'S LIST. We'll be right back.
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SANCHEZ: You know, I was all but floored today when the president of the United States came out and seemed to reveal the invasion plans for his thinking on comprehensive immigration reform. He spoke at length about this, wasn't expected. I thought it was going to be a photo-op, but it was not with President Calderon of Mexico.
Wolf Blitzer is joining us now. You spoke with Calderon, right?
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Right, we just taped an extensive interview that we're going to play in "THE SITUATION ROOM" right at the top of the hour and then more later in "THE SITUATION ROOM." It's the only television interview he's granting during his state visit to Washington right now.
We basically focused on the two critical issues, illegal immigration and all the drugs -- the war on drugs, the gang warfare, what's going on in Mexico right now. He was pretty blunt, we got through a lot of good stuff.
SANCHEZ: You know, I'm wondering, when the president came out he just started saying all this stuff today, were you taken aback as well by how forceful he was in what he feels is potentially wrong with the Arizona law? What he thinks the United States government -- I mean, he went through the whole list. He talked about what businesses are doing wrong by hiring them. What people who come to the United States illegally are doing wrong. What we need to do to protect the border. This was a litany.
BLITZER: Right, he went through all of his arguments, all of his points. He's obviously well briefed. These were the two key issues that were discussed inside the Oval Office, the economic issues involving the United States and Mexico, of course, being discussed as well. Remember, Mexico is our third largest trading partner after Canada and China, so there's a lot of economic things at stake now.
But drugs and immigration, illegal immigration, those were right in the middle of everything. The president, you know, obviously had been well briefed.
SANCHEZ: And the bottom line is, you know, you know, Wolf, and we all know, I think, that at some point the federal government is going to have to deal with this.
BLITZER: Well there's going to have to be at some point comprehensive immigration reform, but the president acknowledged he doesn't have the votes right now. He doesn't have enough Democrats, he certainly doesn't have enough Republicans.
He pointed out that Ted Kennedy and John McCain worked together during the Bush administration three years ago to try to do it, couldn't do it. So he doesn't have the votes right now. He's going to have to work on it.
SANCHEZ: I look forward to seeing you during "THE SITUATION ROOM."
BLITZER: I want you to watch this interview with President Calderon, let me know what you think.
SANCHEZ: You didn't need me to interpret for you? You didn't need a translator?
BLITZER: No, no. We spoke in English. His English is good.
SANCHEZ: Is it? OK.
BLITZER: Yes.
SANCHEZ: Fantastic. Look forward to it, Wolf. We'll see you then.
All right, a child shares her mother's immigration status with the first lady and catches her completely by surprise. See the first lady in the red? OK, that little girl right there. That little girl that you see right there, she all of a sudden says to the first lady, my mother doesn't have papers. Well what does the first lady do? It was a fascinating moment. I mean, suddenly, this became a political moment, not just a photo-op. Then the president comes forward and gives his spiel on immigration.
We'll play all of it for you. Stay right there, we'll be right back.
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SANCHEZ: Welcome back. I'm Rick Sanchez.
Arizona's immigration law has created a lot of confusion, as we all know. Case and point, I want you to listen to this moment. Case point, I want you to listen to this moment. The first lady of the United States is sitting at an elementary school. She's just doing a photo-op, as first ladies are apt to do. When all of a sudden, a little girl says something to her that takes this beyond the realms of a photo-op into a major political story.
Watch and listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED GIRL: My mom says -- my mom says Barack Obama -- my mom says I think that she says that Barack Obama is taking everybody away that doesn't have papers.
MICHELLE OBAMA, FIRST LADY: That's something we have to work on, right? To make sure people can be here with the right kind of papers, right?
UNIDENTIFIED GIRL: But my doesn't have papers.
M. OBAMA: Yes. We have to work on that. We have to fix that. And that everybody has to work together in Congress to make sure that that happens.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: So, I don't know if you caught it, but the first little girl says, my mom told me that Barack Obama is going to take everyone away who doesn't have papers. And then the other little girl, the one with her hand raised says, my mom doesn't have papers.
First lady is like, well, boy, I'm in a situation where I almost have to come out with a statement here. So she kind of gave a generic answer of how everybody has to work hard to do the right thing, et cetera, et cetera.
Now that happened as President Obama and Mexico's president, Felipe Calderon, were meeting, and they took on the immigration. Here is the president of the United States -- totally unexpected -- talking about his vision for what we should have for an immigration policy.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
B. OBAMA: The federal government takes its responsibilities for securing our borders seriously. And as I just stated in opening remarks, we have actually put more resources, more personnel on the borders and illegal immigration is actually down on the borders, not up. I know that's not the perception out there, but it's the fact.
But we haven't done enough. So we've got a responsibility to create an orderly border and that's something that we have to do not unilaterally but also working with the Mexican government, because their enormous flows of trade and tourists and people along the border region, the economies are interdependent and we've got to control the borders, but do so in a way that does not have an adverse impact on the economies of those regions.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: OK. So what do you do about the companies that are hiring illegal immigrants, Mr. President?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
B. OBAMA: We have got to make sure that businesses are following the rules and are not actively recruiting undocumented workers so they don't have to abide by overtime laws, they don't have to abide by minimum wage laws, they don't have to abide by worker safety laws and otherwise undercut basic worker protections that exist. And they have to be held accountable and responsible.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: Then there's the illegal immigrants themselves and should they be held accountable as well? Here is the president on that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OBAMA: It means they need to pay a fine, they need to pay back taxes. I believe they should learn English. I believe that it is important for them to get to the back of the line and not in the front, but that we create a pathway so they have an opportunity if they are following the rules, following the law to become legal residents and ultimately citizens of this country.
Now that kind of package in which everybody has responsibilities I think is one that can pass and it is one I'm fully supportive of. I have said this again and again. And I think if we get that done, then you will be less likely to see the kinds of measures that we saw in Arizona.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: It seems to sound reasonable, but will Congress now go along with this and politically tackle or have the will on this touchy issue? A lot of Americans want it, including that little girl that you saw asking the questions of the first lady.
And as we toss now to "THE SITUATION ROOM," I'm going to let these two guys Noe Levine (ph) from Syracuse, Ricky Sanchez from Miami saying Wolf take it away.
Gentlemen, go ahead.
UNIDENTIFIED MALES: Wolf, take it away.
SANCHEZ: Boy, these guys are good.
