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Rick's List
NFL Investigates Harassment Claim Against New York Jets; Iran Sets American Prisoner Free; Delta Pilot May Have Been Drinking; Chilean Miners' Requests; New York Jets Face Sexual Harassment Claims; Reggie Bush to Forfeit Heisman
Aired September 14, 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 HOST: Welcome back. Just to try to bring you up to date on what we have as far as the Eiffel Tower is concerned. It certainly got our attention when we were told that they had evacuated the Eiffel Tower. And the intensity of that has increased when we were told they evacuated some like 25,000 people.
Obviously this is a story we're going to keep an eye on. We have our correspondent Jim Bittermann following it there. He said he's about a mile away from where this is taking place.
I believe this is the Google Earth image? Right. That's exactly what Brooke was telling about a little while ago. It's not just the tower itself but the area around it that attracts so many people, where people go to relax and the parks, et cetera.
So as we stay on top of this, let me let you know as well that we'll be following this for all of the people watching around the world, including our own men and women who are watching in places like Iraq and Afghanistan. In fact, we welcome the men and women watching us right now on Armed Forces Network. We're proud to be your newscast of record for 4:00 p.m. here in the United States. Here is now your national conversation.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SANCHEZ (voice-over): Here's what's making the LIST on this day.
Iran sets her free, her bail, half a million dollars.
SARAH SHOURD, FREED AMERICAN HIKER: I'm grateful and humbled by this moment.
SANCHEZ: In prison for almost a year, who is she?
Who started this disaster? A firefighter? A what?
REX RYAN, HEAD COACH, NEW YORK JETS: We never want anyone around our team to be uncomfortable.
SANCHEZ: Rex Ryan responds to my interview with Ines Sainz. What does the head Jet say?
And tonight is the night for politics. Will the Tea Party knock off another big-name Republican. Who are Democrats pulling for? Jessica Yellin live in Delaware for RICK'S LIST.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SANCHEZ: OK. Primary time across the United States. And many eyes are on the state of Delaware. Have you seen the list here in my hand of all the races across the country that we're going to be following for you on this night?
This because the Republican primary race, specifically the one in Delaware -- that's the race for Joe Biden's old seat -- it may well determine which party holds the majority in the Senate. You see, many people, including many in the Republican Party, think that if the Tea Party candidate, Christine O'Donnell, wins, this is going to be great news for Democrats. That's how most Democrats see it.
Senior political analyst Gloria Borger is joining me now.
So, Gloria, if the Tea Party wins, a lot of Democrats are saying, hey, in Delaware, that's a win for us. Are they right?
GLORIA BORGER, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Yes, they are right.
And in fact I just got off the phone with a senior official at the Senate Campaign Committee. And basically they're saying, look, if Mike Castle doesn't win, they're going to pull their money out. They're not going to support O'Donnell. They don't believe she's a credible candidate.
And they have got lots of places they need to spend their money. But they are pulling their hair out, Rick, because Mike Castle could give them the Senate majority. And so they are making sure that they leave no stone unturned.
I mean, who has ever heard of Republican against Republican like this in a campaign, where Republicans are doing robocalls, right, national Republicans, against a Republican candidate in a primary? It's kind of funky, you know? We have never -- we don't really see things like this really very often.
SANCHEZ: Yes. Well, we saw a little bit something like this with Joe Miller up in Alaska.
But let me show you -- let me read to you something. OK?
BORGER: Yes.
SANCHEZ: This is from Politico, by the way. This is what Kristin Murray says. Apparently, she ran O'Donnell's 2008 Senate campaign.
BORGER: Right.
SANCHEZ: She says -- first of all, she said that she's no conservative. And then she goes on to say: "I found out that she was living on campaign donations and using them for rent and personal expenses while leaving her workers unpaid and piling up thousands in debt."
I mean, she's saying that Christine O'Donnell was essentially running for office just so that would be able to get money that she would be able to then use in her personal life. Now, Christine O'Donnell is saying this is absolutely not true and she's accusing people from spreading this. But, man, that's a heck of a charge coming from a person who used to work with you and for you.
(CROSSTALK)
BORGER: Right.
Remember Ronald Reagan once said thou shalt not speak ill of another Republican? Well, forget it.
SANCHEZ: Right.
BORGER: This woman is being encouraged to do this by the Republican Party.
And I will tell you what's very interesting. Lessons were learned when Senator Murkowski lost to Mr. Miller over in Alaska, right?
SANCHEZ: Right.
BORGER: And Senator Murkowski did not hit back as hard as she could have against Miller. And I was told by somebody today, look, she lost by 1,600 votes and guess what? She had $1 million in the bank.
And she spoke with Mike Castle. And she said to Castle, don't do what I did. Fight back with everything you have got, because these insurgent candidates are quite powerful. And so the Republican Campaign Committee is right behind Mike Castle, their backed candidate. And they're going all the way with him because they do not believe she can win in a general.
(CROSSTALK)
SANCHEZ: But there's a certain irony to this. But there's a real irony here. Here you have people associating the Tea Party with Republicans in large measure and now as it turns out those who perhaps will reap the most from the Tea Party will not be Republicans, but Democrats.
BORGER: Right. It is interesting.
The Democrats are hoping, for example, that Sharron Angle in Nevada will certainly save Harry Reid. So they're hoping that it could save them some Senate seats. But on the flip side, when you talk to Republicans, these may not have been their choice candidates, right?
But they're saying, OK, they may not have been our guys to begin with, but they're our guys now, except for O'Donnell. They're our guys now. And we're going to go with them because they're going to bring out the voters, because they're going to gin up the base. And they say the difference between a Miller and an O'Donnell as far as national Republicans are concerned is that Miller was a more credible candidate than they believe O'Donnell is.
SANCHEZ: But I wonder if this will make some Republicans, if it will give them pause in the future before they embrace an insurgent movement like this. I mean, some people would say, look, you made the bed. Now lie in it, right?
(CROSSTALK)
BORGER: Right.
And, look, they're trying to make the best of the hand they have been dealt, right? Don't forget, when they recruited all their candidates, Rick, in 2008, it was right after Barack Obama had this huge history.
So, they went out and they recruited well-known, established Republican candidates to prove that the party still had a pulse, right? They said, OK, so we're going to get some people you know, like Charlie Crist in Florida, right? We're going to do that. And then we're going to give all of our power to our incumbents.
Turns out to be a huge anti-incumbent, anti-establishment year. Nobody trusts government to do what's right. And so they had this whole host of candidates that didn't even win their primaries. So, they were pretty much as stunned as anybody else. And so it will be interesting, because if their candidates win, it could help the Democrats.
But if their candidates do win, then the Senate Republican leadership is going to have to deal with a bunch of people who don't like government very much. Will they vote for spending bills?
(CROSSTALK)
SANCHEZ: Here's the big problem that the Democrats have on this night. There's a fellow named Charlie Rangel who we all know who is running back in his district there in Harlem.
BORGER: Yes.
SANCHEZ: He's got a couple of problems. One of the big problems, of course, is the ethics violations that he's charged with and facing.
But when you look at some of the other folks who are running against him in this primary, I mean, look, if you're anywhere near New York City, the name Adam Clayton Powell resonates. That's a huge, big, marquis name up there. Streets are named after his father.
BORGER: Sure.
SANCHEZ: And there's also a candidate named Joyce Johnson backed apparently by "The New York Times." These are some people with some weight to them.
BORGER: Right. Mayor Bloomberg, however, backs Charlie Rangel. Bill Clinton backs Charlie Rangel.
This is a man who's done a lot for Harlem. He's done a lot for the state of New York. He's a very powerful guy.
(CROSSTALK)
SANCHEZ: But may very well have screwed up recently, yes.
BORGER: He sure did.
SANCHEZ: Yes.
BORGER: Oh, you bet. And here's the problem the Democrats have. If he wins, he immediately becomes a poster child for an unethical Congress, right?
SANCHEZ: Yes.
BORGER: And the Democrats can run away from him all they want, but if he wins his primary, that's tantamount to winning the seat. And he's going to win that seat if he wins a primary.
And then you hand the Republicans an issue, saying, OK, the Democrats have been in control of the Congress, and look at the corrupt people they have running the tax-writing committee, which arguably is one of the most important committees in Congress. So, it's a real problem for the Democrats, but there's not much they can do about it right now.
SANCHEZ: Well, all these things are going to be interesting. And they're all going to be evolving right here on CNN.
BORGER: Right.
SANCHEZ: Gloria and I are going to spending the night talking about it, as well as the best team in politics representing us here at CNN.
Let me just take you through some of these. It's not just Delaware, New York. It's also going to be the governor's race in New York, Rick Lazio, New Hampshire, the Senate primary. The D.C. mayor's race comes into play. Wisconsin is in the picture, as well with their Senate primary. So, that could affect Russ Feingold.
(CROSSTALK)
SANCHEZ: Look, there's a lot of stuff that we're going to be taking you through tonight. Gloria and I will be here taking you through every step of the way, as they say.
BORGER: Right.
And, Rick, you could argue that control of the Senate hangs in the balance tonight because this is the race in Delaware that everybody is focusing on, saying, if Mike Castle wins this primary, then maybe the Republicans have a real shot at taking control of the Senate. So, it will be a really interesting race to watch tonight.
SANCHEZ: All right, we will be talking. Gloria Borger, my thanks to you.
BORGER: We will. Look forward to it.
SANCHEZ: It's a story that unfolded right here on RICK'S LIST. Now, let me tell you about this.
Did a female reporter get harassed by the players and coaches for the New York Jets? People are now responding. In fact the coach of the New York Jets last night responded using the very same quote that the reporter had used here on RICK'S LIST yesterday. Either he was watching or somebody told him what she said. That's ahead.
Also, an American hiker is free, leaving behind two friends in Iran. We're now hearing where she's going. And as she gets there and the pictures are released, there's some of them now, we will take you through this saga. This is RICK'S LIST. We're going to be right back with you on our national conversation.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SANCHEZ: OK, before we do anything else, let's start with this picture.
This is the Eiffel Tower. And apparently, when the police there in Paris put out the report that got our attention, certainly got my attention, that 25,000 people had been evacuated, they miswrote the notice, because now we're hearing it's more like 2,000 to 2,500 people who were evacuated.
So, wanted to make sure we were clear about that. Someone has just gotten back to us and told us that there was some kind of communication snafu there, where it's now between 10:00 and 11:00 p.m. in Paris. That's French TV that we're watching right there where the information had come to us.
And I don't know exactly how it got messed up. Somebody reported it out of police headquarters. There seems to be reason to believe that someone in the police department had transcribed the note incorrectly. But, either way, just to be clear, it's not 25,000 people evacuated, which was a startling number to us. It's more like 2,000 to 2,500 people evacuated.
And as we get more information, we're obviously going to stay on top of this for you.
Now, there are other stories that we're following on this day. And this is what we call our roundup list, so, first, let's start with number one.
The United States government vs. BP. In the courtroom, legal papers have been filed at the U.S. District Court of New Orleans. It says the government may file a lawsuit aimed at BP for damages to the Gulf of Mexico from the Deepwater Horizon spill.
The foundation for a potential lawsuit is in the Oil Pollution Act put in place after the Exxon Valdez spill in 1989.
Here's number two. She's not just out of prison. She's all the way out of Iran. Sarah Shourd, one of three Americans locked up last year in Tehran, is accused of spying. Her two companions remain in jail -- no word of any plan to release them.
According to Iranian median, a half-million dollar bail was paid. The U.S. State Department says the money did not come from them. Shourd arrived in Oman just a couple of hours ago.
And here's number three, dream big, folks, work hard, stay focused, sounds like teacher advice, right? Well, makes sense. That was President Obama's message today at the students of the nation in another so-called back-to-school message. The president told his audience of young people that also he struggled to succeed in school when he was a student. So, they related to him, some did. And they saw his grades improve after he got serious about studying. That's what the president said message was for students around the country today.
All right. Tea party is flexing its muscles. The GOP pushes back on tax cuts, and President Obama tells us more about some of the things that he hopes to do with the economy. Those are just some of the stories crossing our political ticker. A live updates coming in up in just a little bit.
Also, the Atlantic is a dangerous place right now with an immense hurricane turning closer to Bermuda. You know, how when we used that term monster storm. This is being called a monster storm, between 4s and 5s, those are monsters. Chad Myers has been monitoring this thing. How about beyond Bermuda? That's the question a lot of folks along northeast further United States want to know. What's going to be the effect on them?
We're going to have that for you, stay with us. This is RICK'S LIST, and that's Chad with that lovely azure shirt that he's sporting on this day. How dapper of him. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SANCHEZ: OK. You know, I haven't had a chance to keep up with these things, but I know, Chad, come on in here. Man, you look dapper today.
CHAD MYERS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Did you call my shirt azure?
SANCHEZ: Yes. Yes. It's a really sophisticated cool way of saying blue.
MYERS: At least the ocean when you say that.
SANCHEZ: I'm trying to impress Jon Stewart. He's hard to impress these days.
MYERS: You should try for the moment of Zen? Good luck with that. I've seen you on there before.
SANCHEZ: Good luck with that. So, these storms.
MYERS: Yes.
SANCHEZ: Igor. We like to call him Igor, but that wouldn't be right. And then there's another one behind it, right?
MYERS: Julia.
SANCHEZ: Take us through these two, Igor and Julia. That's my grandmother's way, by the way.
MYERS: And a new potential storm named Karl. You think, how did "C" get in there, but that was Karl with a "K." So, that's how you got "I" and "J."
SANCHEZ: It's a German call.
MYERS: He can't be much. Getting right, I mean, exactly.
SANCHEZ: I just want to know where these things are going and how big they're going to be.
MYERS: Excellent question. You know, we talked about this, is it turning, is it turning, is it turning all day yesterday, remember that? I'm going to make a straight line. And then you follow where that was and now where it is. That's a pretty good line. And now, it has moved away from that line which means that's the northward turn. Finally, the turn to the right is occurring. Well above and way before that one that was Earl finally turned where we waited and waited and waited.
So, where is it going from here? Unfortunately, there's an island nation right in there called Bermuda. Right under that number two. You can't even see it because the hurricane covers it right up on Sunday at 105 miles per hour. Many times, Rick, we say, oh, the storm will have to turn left to hit us or will have to turn right to hit us. The storm will have to turn left or right to miss them because literally they are in the middle of the cone.
SANCHEZ: But it's only 105. So, they're kind of used to it.
MYERS: And they can baton down the hatches and get away with 105. They really can. Although, obviously, some big waves coming up there into Hamilton and so on and so on. This is another system that I'm worried about named Karl -- would be named Karl, and I think it soon will be at the 5:00 advisory. Very impressive storm. Hurricane hunter aircraft flying all the way back and forth through it right now finding wind speeds about 50 miles per hour.
So, that's plenty to give it tropical storm status. It may completely miss tropical depression. It may take it right through tropical storm and then take it into like Belize kind of where Riviera Maya is there on the Yucatan Peninsula. And then this, this is Julia at an 85-mil-per-hour storm in the Cape Verdes. Again, this one about to follow there -- where is that -- which was still in there - Igor, following Igor right along and away from this path. A lot something similar to this.
SANCHEZ: Then there's one more.
MYERS: And then -- that's going to be more than that, but this is probably where Julia would go, somewhere (ph) right there. Here's Igor right here and so it goes likes this. And the one you're talking about is the one I showed. This is right here. This is the one that would be the "K" storm. This would be -- and this is the one that could be Riviera Maya?
Now, this would be Cancun, that right there, that moved number seven right there. And then all the way down here, Riviera, Maya, Playa del Carmen and then down toward Belize, but good news, Rick, is that it so close to land that it's probably not ever going to get to be a hurricane, but it could be if it gets back here into the Bay of Campeche here and then make landfall again on the eastern section.
SANCHEZ: Yes. I spent a lot of time there, Merida, as a matter of fact, which is right there in that area.
MYERS: I have been to the Ruins --
SANCHEZ: Wonderful.
MYERS: Yes, I know. Good stuff.
SANCHEZ: All right. Man, thanks. Let us know if any of those Bermuda storms change. All right.
We got brand news today. Is this just in? Boy, these are always hard stories to tell. Delta Airlines has just had to cancel a flight today because the pilot may have been drinking. Delta is telling us the flight number is 35 Amsterdam to Newark. And now, police in the Netherlands are saying they did arrest the captain of the flight before the flight who blew a .023. That's not legally drunk in this country.
A point -- well, take that back, a point -- what was that? .02023. According to what we're reading here -- is that right? That would not be legally drunk in this country, but pilots are not allowed to drink alcohol less than ten hours before take off. The pilot was fined about 700 euros. That's about $900. As we get more information, we'll continue to follow that story for you. Meanwhile, take a look at this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
INES SAINZ, REPORTER TV AZTECA: It's good that everybody knows that a woman or a man deserves the same treatment in the locker room.
(END VIDEO CLIP) SANCHEZ: I spoke with the female reporter at the center of the big sexual harassment investigation involving the New York Jets. And then hours later right after our interview, there was a football game played in New York last night, as you know. Actually, it was played in new jersey, but you know, you get my drift, that was the New York Jets playing. And their coach, Rex Ryan, was asked a question after the game.
He responds using the quote that she had given here on RICK'S LIST, which is quite interesting. It's about making her uncomfortable, and he seems somewhat apologetic. I'm going to take you through the story and you'll hear what he has to say. Rex Ryan. That's ahead. Stay right there.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SANCHEZ: Now you know very well the army motto, right? We do more before 9:00 a.m. than most people do in a day. How do they know it? Time for "Fotos."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ (voice-over): You want to know how they do it? This is how they do it. Anyway, these guys tore down and rebuilt this jeep in under four minutes. Can you believe that? Look at them go. It's amazing stuff. The speed was aided by simplicity of design. The jeep got its name from the military acronym, just enough essential parts, J-E-E-P. There you go.
Now, there are victory dances and there are victory dances. He made the shot. They cued the music, and he busted a move, several moves, actually. You can imagine the agony of having to lose to this guy. The ref doesn't seem to be amused. But, hey, a win is a win. He's a happy dude.
So, let's go from the dancer to Morocco. Crime doesn't pay and neither does hubris. The goalie was a little too impressed with his own work. He may have blocked the shot, but the ball rolls in just no minutes later. Look at me, I'm bad -- oh no! The moral of the story -- well, let's quote Yogi Berra -- it ain't over until it's over -- rover.
No, I added the rover. Yogi just said the other part. That's "Fotos." And you can see them for yourself on CNN.com/ricksanchez. Ah, dios mio.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: John Mayer had 1 million of Twitter followers but not anymore. The superstar is walking away from his Twitter followers. Why would he do that? There's a reason. There's a reason for why he's doing this. And Brooke Baldwin has been checking on this to try and find out what it is because she checks on things that are trending.
BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's where he's going that's interesting.
SANCHEZ: It's not where you've been, it's where you're going.
BALDWIN: It's where you're going. That's wise one.
SANCHEZ: We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SANCHEZ: Hey, look who's here.
BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey.
SANCHEZ: Brooke Baldwin is joining us now to let us know what's happening. And a lot of people are tweeting about a lot of things. A lot of folks were making fun of me for dancing -- I mean, for singing, "This is how we do it."
You know that?
BALDWIN: Oh, you did that again this past hour?
SANCHEZ: I did. I did.
BALDWIN: Sorry, folks. I apologize on Rick's behalf.
SANCHEZ: Thanks a lot.
But wait, you're getting a little bit of guff here too.
BALDWIN: Because?
SANCHEZ: FaltyPancake (ph) just tweeted: "Forget why John Mayer has left Twitter. The important question is, why are you reporting on something like that?"
BALDWIN: Well, it's making news. And we're all about passing along news, at least on the Internet.
But the first story, which is a story I'm so fascinated about, this Chile miner story. Right?
SANCHEZ: Yes.
BALDWIN: So here's the new peg today.
You have these 33 guys underground, like 2,300 feet underground. Right? So they finally have persuaded the government to give them one of their top requests.
What is it? Cigarettes. They will be getting two packs, or 40 smokes a day. They get the cigarettes, they have to decide who gets how many.
Add to that the activities we see and the videos we'll soon see, I guess videos of them underground smoking. The question a lot of you have asked me is, why in the world is this allowed in such tight quarters?
Apparently, the answer is, they've simply improved ventilation. There's now some more drill holes.
Up until now, though, they had the nicotine gum and those patches tossed down to them. Even NASA -- you know how NASA was brought in to consult with this whole thing. Even NASA said, you shouldn't do this. But they're doing it.
One of the big requests that these guys want is alcohol. Denied. They're not getting booze. They have been trapped underground since August 5th.
SANCHEZ: Well, you know, I guess you understand if for some -- these guys have been smokers their whole lives, and they're already in a situation that's going to make them tense, if not crazy.
BALDWIN: If it not already has a little bit, right?
SANCHEZ: Right. I guess, you know, you've got to take that into consideration s well.
BALDWIN: The lesser of two evils perhaps for --
SANCHEZ: It's really weird that people in a cave would want to smoke --
(CROSSTALK)
BALDWIN: That's what I'm thinking, but other people say, hey, give them what they need. It's a tough situation. Anyway --
SANCHEZ: OK. Now, John Mayer, what's the deal with John Mayer?
BALDWIN: OK. The deal with John Mayer -- and because we're a Twitter-hip show, we want to pass this story along.
John Mayer is signing off of Twitter; and it's a huge deal, because guess how many people follow him? Like, 3.5 million -- actually 3.7 million people follow him.
SANCHEZ: Wow.
BALDWIN: It makes us look like chopped liver. The singer/songwriter deleted his account just this weekend.
His rep says he did so just as his tour came to an end. And he was one of those celebrities that really actually tweeted, tweeted back.
SANCHEZ: Yes.
BALDWIN: You know, infamously used his Twitter account. You'll remember he wrote that article where he was interviewed with "Playboy" magazine, stirred a little bit of a controversy about his comments about Jessica Simpson, African-American women. He tried to use Twitter about a mea culpa.
But he's not leaving his virtual ruminations entirely behind. He will be on Facebook, he'll be blogging. But also, there's this thing called Tumbler.
Have you ever heard of this?
SANCHEZ: Yes. Yes.
BALDWIN: OK. Well, you're cooler than me, because I never heard of it until today.
SANCHEZ: Well, we knew that.
BALDWIN: So here's John Mayer's Twitter -- excuse me, Tumbler page, and aptly named -- it's called 140-plus (ph), reference to how many characters you can use on Twitter.
So here's a quick Tumbler 101. It's kind of like -- I talked to Tumbler folks. It's kind of like a cross between blogging, so you can upload videos, pictures, you can see big text. There isn't a character limit. But you can also follow people.
They call it -- instead of following, you can read blog. About eight million users, I was told. Been around for three years. And so it's really been picking up steam, apparently, in the last year.
One final note, there have been a couple of notable celebrities who have been Twitter deserters, we've decided to call them today: Miley Cyrus, Leann Rimes, and Demi Lovato. I don't know who she is.
She's a tween star, Demi Lovato? Everybody's in here, "No, no, no."
SANCHEZ: Yes.
BALDWIN: Yes?
SANCHEZ: She watches our show.
BALDWIN: Oh.
SANCHEZ: She's a big fan of RICK'S LIST, as a matter of fact. We've done stories with her.
BALDWIN: Demi Lovato?
SANCHEZ: Yes.
BALDWIN: OK.
SANCHEZ: Man, I know all this cool stuff today. Look at me.
BALDWIN: Gosh, Tumbler and Demi -- who am I? I know nothing.
SANCHEZ: No, no, no. Not true at all. By the way, I write about this in my book. But there's nothing wrong with Tumbler and there's nothing wrong with MySpace or Facebook or anything.
BALDWIN: Yes.
SANCHEZ: But the thing about -- and what I say is the reason I believe Twitter is a great tool to use besides those -- you don't have to choose one -- is because it creates a conversation. It makes you have a dialogue. If you're limited to 140 characters, that means you have to stop talking and allow the other person to talk.
BALDWIN: Rapid fire conversation back and forth.
SANCHEZ: Exactly.
BALDWIN: Sure, yes.
SANCHEZ: Which is what I think works for us. I mean, life stories are great, but sometimes we don't have great for life stories, with all due respect to John Mayer and his life story and his family.
BALDWIN: And his Tumbler account.
SANCHEZ: And essentially --
BALDWIN: Maybe it will be the next big thing. Who knows? I'm just here to pass it along.
SANCHEZ: Thanks for being with us.
This sports reporter tried to interview the New York Jets. You remember this from yesterday, right?
BALDWIN: Oh yes.
SANCHEZ: Well, the story has a continuation, if you will. Instead, she became the center of a sex harassment story.
She told the players -- she told me that the players had made her feel uncomfortable. So last night, Rex Ryan, coach of the New York Jets, is asked on camera about this.
He quotes what she had said here on this newscast. So Rex Ryan, in his own words, coming up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SANCHEZ: I'm joined now by my colleague, Max Kellerman. He's going to take part in this next segment with me.
What's interesting is yesterday we got a big interview here on RICK'S LIST, the big get, as they say. Ines Sainz is a reporter who was involved in the controversy with the New York Jets. She showed up at their facility. And a lot of people thought that the boys were just a little too much and they should have been -- some adult should have stood up and said, guys, take it a little easy, you're out of control.
In fact, there was a complaint filed. The NFL is now investigating this as a potential sexual harassment because of the way they treated her, this reporter, Ines Sainz.
So, yesterday, I got a chance to ask her herself what happened. She came on my show. Here's part of that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: Did you ever feel embarrassed?
INES SAINZ, REPORTER, TV AZTECA: Well, actually, yes. I feel a little uncomfortable because, evidently, it's not easy to be in the locker room. And here I noticed that everybody is speaking about you and probably making some jokes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: So you'll notice she told me "uncomfortable." That's the specific quote, the word that she used.
Apparently, the Jets' PR folks must have picked up on this, because they quoted her and her specific use of that word last night. Rex Ryan, the coach, is asked after the game -- he's already feeling uncomfortable himself, by the way, losing to the Baltimore Ravens -- but then he's asked about this incident. Look what he says.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE) according to what happened at practice on Saturday?
REX RYAN, HEAD COACH, NEW YORK JETS: Yes. I mean, number one, you know, we never want anyone around our team to be uncomfortable. You know?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: Never want anybody on our team to be uncomfortable.
Let's go back to Max now, who's joining us from New York.
How big a deal did this turn into? I know it got picked up by all the tabs over there, but it was just another thing for the New York Jets to have to deal with.
MAX KELLERMAN, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: It is. You know, the thing about this whole thing, it seems to me that she was just sort of tweeting as a lot of these celebutards, let's face it, tweet constantly -- "I just woke up. I had a cup of coffee. I'm in my car."
You know, these kind of narcissistic things about your own lives. And she was tweeting, hey, I'm in the Jets' locker room right now, I feel uncomfortable. I'm getting essentially cat calls or wolf whistles, or whatever you want. And then it kind of got turned into this culture war issue.
I find it interesting that she clearly squeezed herself into the tightest jeans she could possibly find, had a revealing top, apparently, high-heeled boots. She bills herself as the sexiest reporter in Mexico. On Azteca TV's Web site, her employer, she's in bikinis and stuff.
I mean, clearly, her level of attractiveness, her sex appeal is something that is being used by her or others to advance her career. And so, to me, it really comes down to what the Jets were doing.
Were they giving it the (whistles)? That's one thing, the wolf whistle. If they're saying really disgusting, inappropriate things, that's something else. And that's I suppose what an investigation will reveal.
SANCHEZ: Well, you know, you've got to take her at her word. If she says she was made to feel uncomfortable, she was made to feel uncomfortable. And a person ought to be able to wear whatever it is that they want to wear.
The fact of the matter is, she was there doing a story. And I can understand -- you know, I agree with you, and I think most level- headed people would agree with you that boys will be boys from time to time. But that adult needs to step forward, and the adult is the supervisor in charge.
In our business, it's the foreman at the factory or the plant. In this case, it's the head coach or the administrators or the PR representative who should have told these guys, back off. Right?
KELLERMAN: It's a very good point. The fact that there wouldn't be anybody there to prevail upon these player who were making her feel uncomfortable -- just because she's feeling uncomfortable if someone whistles at her or something, given what she was wearing, et cetera, as I mentioned, I don't think necessarily rises to the level of really bad behavior by the Jets.
But if they were, in fact, saying stuff that would make anyone feel uncomfortable in that situation, it is interesting that nobody in the locker room stepped forward and said, hey, guys, maybe that's not a good idea. Excuse me, Miss, I apologize for my teammate or the player.
SANCHEZ: And all you've got to do is watch a couple of episodes of "Hard Knocks" and you'd understand what may have led to this situation, but we'll leave it as it is, because it's a great show on HBO.
Let me ask you about this catch. Calvin Johnson makes a catch. There's not a human being on this planet who would watch that and not say that guy just caught a touchdown pass.
We've got it here. He catches it. His knee hits the ground, his elbow hits it ground, his butt hits the ground. But yet, when he gets up to celebrate, the ball comes out. That's like a second baseman turning a double play. He touches the base, he catches the thing, then it goes out. Well, the guy is still out at second base.
This is screwy and the NFL is wrong, and this is just absolutely wrong. That's what I think.
What do you say?
KELLERMAN: I agree with you. I will say this: it seems to me the intention of the rule is to make sure that he in fact had possession all the way through the catch. In other words, that he didn't simply catch it for a second and then the ground knocks the ball loose.
Upon reviewing the play on the video, everyone, it seems, comes to the same opinion. And I'm include in that, is that he actually placed the ball on the ground and then there was no point in getting up with it because the catch was over.
But I will say, it was a little bit closer, I think, than most people admit. If you watch this right here, he comes down, his feet are on the ground, clearly, as you see there. He comes down, and upon first glance, he looks like maybe he couldn't have gotten up with that ball, right? Maybe the ground did sort of jar it loose from his hand.
And I think that's the intention of the rule. But even if that is the intention of the rule, when you watch it on replay and slow motion, it seems that, in fact, he just left the ball there because he scored the touchdown.
SANCHEZ: Yes.
KELLERMAN: And by the way, Calvin Johnson is still only 24 years old, Rick. He was supposed to make everyone forget about Jerry Rice. And so far in his career, as excellent as he is, this is what he's known for.
SANCHEZ: Max Kellerman joining us to bring us the very latest on what's going on in the wide world of sports.
Thanks, sir. Appreciate your time. We'll be hooking up in just a little bit.
Meantime, I want to let you know what's coming up -- "The List U Don't Want 2 Be On." Look forward to that.
Stay right there.
This is RICK'S LIST.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SANCHEZ: Hey, welcome back.
As voters around the country head to the polls today, it's a good time to remind politicians how to not represent the people.
Here's "The List U Don't Want 2 Be On."
Eddie Perez became the very first Latino mayor in Hartford, Connecticut, back in 2001. He's now the city's former mayor. He resigned in June after a jury found him guilty on five corruption charges.
So what did he do, do you ask? Prosecutors are saying that Perez accepted a bribe of $40,000 in home renovations. They also say he tried to extort $100,000 from a local developer to help out a political friend.
Well, today, a judge sentenced Perez to three years behind bars.
That's right, Mr. Mayor.
He could have gotten a maximum of 60 years. He says he'll try to clear his name by appealing.
So how does Perez explain his innocence? His lawyers say he didn't read the details of many of the documents because he had dyslexia and was just too busy.
Eddie Perez comes in today because of that at number one on "The List U Don't Want 2 Be On."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SANCHEZ: Hey, time to check in with Wolf Blitzer to see what's going on.
And to do this for us today, one of our visitors is going to take over for us.
This is Dr. Marge White (ph).
Dr. Marge (ph), go ahead. You can ask the first question to Wolf.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Wolf, what have you got coming up?
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Hey, that's an excellent question, Marge (ph). You've got a huge future in this business, I think.
(LAUGHTER)
BLITZER: Really good question.
We've got a special interview with former British prime minister Tony Blair. We're going to go point by point. He's got a new memoir that's just come out.
Does he have regrets about the intelligence failures that led to the U.S./British invasion of Iraq, what it's meant? How does he feel about all of that? That interview coming up. We're speaking to Arne Duncan, the education secretary. It's a big day for education. The president addressing the nation's students today. Lots of questions on education.
We also have an interview with Austan Goolsbee. He's the new chairman of the president's Council of Economic Advisors.
Is there a way to work out a two-year compromise during which they would let the tax rates continue for everyone, the middle class as well as the wealthy, and then reconsider two years down the road? Is the White House open to that option? We'll ask him.
All that and a lot more coming up. Back to you.
SANCHEZ: Wow. Hey, you're not going to believe this, Wolf. We've got some breaking news.
Stay with me here for just a little bit, Wolf, because I know you're a sports fan. And I want to get your reaction. We've also got Max Kellerman back, joining us now from New York.
Reggie Bush has just made a statement, Wolf, regarding the Heisman Trophy. He's giving it back. Reggie Bush giving back the Heisman Trophy.
This is unprecedented, isn't it?
BLITZER: I don't know. Maybe Max knows of someone forfeited the Heisman.
Did O.J. ever forfeit his Heisman Trophy after when he went to jail, Max?
SANCHEZ: No, he tried to sell it.
KELLERMAN: No. And as far as I know, this is the first time the Heisman has been forfeited. But if they have him dead to rights in terms of accepting gifts, money when he was still an amateur, then he's disqualified from Heisman consideration. So it's pretty cut and dry.
You can say whatever you want about the whole college system which profits off of guys like Reggie Bush in particular, and he's compensated kind of way under market, but those are the rules.
SANCHEZ: Here's what he says. He says, "It was one of my greatest honors of my life, winning the Heisman Trophy in 2005." He just released this statement.
"For me, it was a dream come true, but I know the Heisman is not mine alone, far from it. I know that my victory was made possible with the discipline and hard work of my teammates, steady guidance." "For the rest of my days I will continue to strive to demonstrate through my actions."
Wait, here we go. I found the money graph, as they say. "It is for these reasons that I have made the difficult decision to forfeit my title as Heisman winner of 2005. The persistent media speculation regarding allegations dating back to my years at USC have been both painful and distracting."
You think they should give this thing to Vince Young, Wolf?
BLITZER: I don't know about that. But I do agree with Max, it opens up the whole question -- these are the young men -- and women, for that matter -- who are active in college-level sports. They make huge sums of money for their universities.
A lot of people are making money out of it. They don't get paid. Is it fair?
I think there's -- we should take another look at that. But whether or not somebody else should get the Heisman now who's the runner up, that's something I'll leave others to decide.
SANCHEZ: Hey, Wolf, I know you've got to get ready and plan for your show. I didn't mean to bring you in to this thing, but I knew you were going to enjoy the discussion.
BLITZER: Yes, thank you.
SANCHEZ: So, go ahead and get ready for "THE SITUATION ROOM." Max and I will finish this out.
Max, a lot of people would agree with you and say here's a guy who everybody knows won the Heisman. It's kind of like you can't put the toothpaste back in. You can't get the genie back into the bottle, so to speak, as well.
So does this -- even if he gives it back or forfeits it, does it really matter? And how about the Vince Young argument, that he came in second, they should give it to him?
KELLERMAN: Look, I mean, this is also according to the rules. The Heisman is decided before you can see the national championship game played.
And, in fact, Vince Young I thought deserved the Heisman that year, because in the most important game of the season, a game that he led his team to, he had maybe the greatest game in the history of college sports, period, and his team won the national championship. So I really thought that Vince Young was -- deserved the Heisman, even though that's not, according to the rules, how the Heisman is awarded. None of that stuff counted, what he did in the BCS championship game that year.
I think it's certainly a good idea if Reggie Bush is no longer the Heisman award winner in '05, that Vince Young should be retroactively awarded the award.
SANCHEZ: Yes, I heard him the other day. He was being interviewed. I don't know if it was on HBO, ESPN, ,or one of the channels. And he said, well, you know, if they want to send it to me, fine, I'll take it. He was that nonchalant about it.
Max, good stuff.
Breaking news once again. Reggie Bush is forfeiting is Heisman trophy. The news coming into us just as we were on the air.
We're going to be right back. Stay with us. This is RICK'S LIST.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SANCHEZ: Hey, welcome back. Time now for a CNN equals politics update.
John King from the best political team on television joining us now.
John, what's crossing?
JOHN KING, HOST, "JOHN KING USA": Well, Rick, I've got a lot of great stuff here, but I'm going to start the Sanchez for Heisman Trophy winner campaign right here. I'm going to start it right here in this Political Ticker update. .
(LAUGHTER)
SANCHEZ: If they send it, I'll take it.
KING: It's a good one. I bet you would.
Let's go through some quick stories.
The Senate is back in town this week. And the Senate majority leader, Harry Reid, how would you like to be him? A tough re-election back home, then the Tea Party candidate, Sharron Angle, wins. And even a lot of Republicans in the state of Nevada say, well, maybe she's outside the mainstream, maybe Harry Reid will win.
Well, he's still in a dead heat, 46-44 percent in the most recent polls. So our Dana Bash asked him today, "How can that be? How can you be in a dead heat?"
Harry Reid got a little bristly there, said, "I'm not going to get into the battle of the polls here. I'm satisfied. I think I have one of the finest pollsters."
Harry Reid says he's not talking much about the situation back home.
Another guy, Rick, who's driving the Political Ticker in quite a number of ways is Bill Clinton, the former president of the United States. He has been everywhere, campaigning in Pennsylvania, campaigning today in Ohio, a robo call for Charlie Rangel in that New York congressional race. Charlie Rangel is in some trouble.
And now we have learned he's also endorsing Jerry Brown for California governor. This, despite some bad blood between those two that goes way back to the 1992 presidential campaign.
And finally, there's a big D.C. mayor's race today. Seven states have primaries, the District of Columbia, too. I interviewed both of the leading candidates for the mayor, Rick. We'll see their views on the economy and school reform tonight on "JOHN KING USA."
SANCHEZ: All right. And I'll give you the pose. Give me a big shot there guys.
You ready? Here we go -- Wolf, over to you.
