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Rick's List
Will Bill Maher Air More Clips of Christine O'Donnell Tonight?; Lindsay Lohan Back in Jail; Colbert on Capitol Hill; Pelosi Won't Rule Out House Vote on Tax Cuts; CNN Poll Shows Advantage of Republicans in Congress; Steele's Bus Tour Draws Crowds, Critics; Fourth Young Man Sues Eddie Long; Stephen Colbert Brings Comedy and Controversy to Washington
Aired September 24, 2010 - 16:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
RICK SANCHEZ, HOST: Welcome back to RICK'S LIST. I'm Rick Sanchez.
Time for a "CNN Equals Politics" with Wolf Blitzer. Wolf is joining us now to bring us up to date. Wolf, what's crossing out there?
WOLF BLITZER, HOST, "THE SITUATION ROOM": I think you've been doing some reporting. And we will have more on the Stephen Colbert testimony today on immigration and the workers.
Nancy Pelosi, by the way, she weighed in. She thought it was totally appropriate for Stephen Colbert to testify. She said he's an American. He comes before the committee with a point of view. She said "It can bring attention to an important issue like immigration. I think it's great." So a little vote of confidence for Stephen Colbert from Nancy Pelosi.
Sarah Palin -- she's now weighing in. She says she's going to work hard to help Republicans in 20 districts that the Republican presidential candidate carried back in 2008, John McCain. She thinks these 20 Democrats are vulnerable because they supported the Obama healthcare initiative. She's going to work on this.
She sparked a storm by speaking about the death panels once again, so she's going to get involved in this. She's tweeting and putting this on her Facebook page.
And, finally, we're -- we're all standing by to see what, if anything, Bill Maher has later tonight on "Real Time With Bill Maher" on our sister network HBO.
Remember, last Friday night, he had that clip from Christine O'Donnell, the Republican nominee in the state of Delaware, where she said she once dabbled in witchcraft. He said, unless she comes on his show, he's going to start releasing more controversial clips. He says he has more ready to go tonight. We will stand by. We will see what he has, if anything.
Some of the items we're watching at CNNPolitics.com. I know you're going to have a lot more on this, this hour. In "THE SITUATION ROOM," we will have a lot more beyond that. So, politics -- remember, "CNN Equals Politics" -- Rick.
SANCHEZ: Hey, and get ready. You don't have to announce them now, but start thinking about it, because I'm going to ask you for your football picks when you and I talk in the next hour, big game in Miami between the Fish and the Jets, big game between Buffalo and New England. This is AFC East week. And you and I have got to do some serious talking. So, get ready, all right?
(CROSSTALK)
BLITZER: Go, Bills.
SANCHEZ: No spinning. No spinning, Wolf. You have got to make a prediction, OK?
BLITZER: You know, the Bills, the Bills, the Bills. What can I say?
(LAUGHTER)
SANCHEZ: Thanks, Wolf.
Another political update is just a few minutes away. Remember, for all of the latest political news, just go to CNNPolitics.com. And on Twitter, of course, you can go @Political -- wait -- @PoliticalTicker, all one word. Sounds weird.
As we begin this next hour, as usual, I want to welcome the men and the women who are watching us on American Forces Network all over the world. Here is your national conversation.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SANCHEZ (voice-over): Here's what's making the LIST on this day.
(on camera): We have got some breaking news coming in. The sheriff's deputy in Central Arizona was shot by a member of an alleged group of illegal immigrants.
(voice-over): The story that pushed forward the Arizona immigration debate, a lawman shot by a Mexican smuggler, guess what? The story may have been bogus. You want the details? We have got them.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You cannot -- you cannot stop --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She's not Mel Gibson.
SANCHEZ: Did you see what happened today outside the Lindsay Lohan trial? Weird.
STEVEN COLBERT, HOST, "THE COLBERT REPORT": This is America. I don't want a tomato picked by a Mexican. SANCHEZ: The politicians who turned our immigration policy into a comedy of errors gets schooled by a comedian.
COLBERT: And they don't even get it.
SANCHEZ: You have got to see this.
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: Hey, welcome back, everyone. I'm Rick Sanchez, 4:00, second hour, time to pick up the pace of the stories that we're bringing you.
Number one, a case of breaking news that might not be what it seems. It happened last April, one week after Arizona Governor Jan Brewer had signed the state's controversial immigration bill into law. It grew into the centerpiece of this national debate.
In fact, just to -- to help you recollect what we're talking about, I was on the air discussing the immigration law in Arizona when suddenly this story broke. In fact, it changed the conversation. Why? Well, watch for yourself.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: We have got breaking news that we're following for you right now. I'm Rick Sanchez.
And let me try and set the scene for you. There has been a sheriff's deputy who has been shot in Arizona.
CASEY WIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Now, what we know about this individual case is that a sheriff's deputy who was out on patrol in the same area that we were at radioed in to the communications center and said that he had been shot in the abdomen by suspected illegal immigrants, and one of them had an AK-47. He said they were UDAs. That's law enforcement code for undocumented aliens. And it is unclear right now whether they have found the deputy.
This speaks to the violence that is associated with smugglers of both illegal immigrants and drugs that are operating in this area.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: So, Arizona passes the law. They say it's because there's so much crime, when, in fact, the statistics show that crime had gone down.
But then this story breaks, a sheriff shot by a Mexican smuggler no less. Obviously, the Arizona governor must have been right. It must have been the right thing to do to pass this law.
Not so fast. There's a new report now out that this desert encounter, this Arizona sheriff's deputy who was shot by a Mexican smuggler, the story may not be what it actually seemed like back then. There are some experts, medical examiners, who have looked at this evidence, looked at the wounds on the deputy and said, uh-oh, we're smelling a rat here that questions the deputy's story, whether it's even true. We're going to drill down on some of this, these troubling aspects, in just a moment.
It's a story that all of us need to know about. Truth matters.
First, I want you to watch the setup, because it was Casey Wian and I who did that report back then when we first broke the story. And we want to show you now how the story was told then. Here it is.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WIAN (voice-over): From the Arizona desert 80 miles north of the Mexican border, a call to 911.
Gunfire.
LUIS PEARL, PINAL COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPUTY: Triple nine!
WIAN (voice-over): The code for emergency help requested from Pinal County Sheriff's Deputy Luis Pearl. And then --
PEARL: I have been hit! I have been hit! I have been hit!
WIAN (voice-over): Pearl had been alone on foot, tracking a group of suspected drug smugglers through the desert.
DAVE HALSMAN, PINAL COUNTY INVESTIGATOR: He'd lost sight of him somewhere to the south here. When he came over this ridge, as he was walking down this footpath, the common smuggler path, he got up to a point approximately here, by these rocks.
And just as he crossed here, a male subject jumped up from the tree there where the green tarp is caught, and pointed what he described as an AK-47-style rifle at him and began firing at him from the hip.
He returned fire with his department-issued M-16, and during that, he took on one round.
PEARL: There's at least two guys with AKs. I may have gotten one of them, but I can't tell. I got to get off the phone and shut up. I just want to let you know where I'm at. I'm going to try to stay here, they're in the brush all around me.
OPERATOR: Copy. Top of the saddle, 50 yards west of the trail.
PEARL: West of the trail. I'm going to stay here unless I have to move.
OPERATOR: OK. All right, Luis. Are you OK?
PEARL: Hell, no, I'm not OK, I have been shot. Tell them to hurry up. And tell my wife I love her.
WIAN (voice-over): A massive search and rescue effort followed. Pearl was found, flown to the hospital, and survived with a gunshot wound above his left hip. The smugglers escaped.
The gunfight took place the day after Arizona lawmakers adopted the final version of the state's controversial anti-illegal immigration law. And it only intensified the debate. Supporters, including Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu, say the shooting reinforces their concern over the growing violence associated with smuggling. Opponents say those concerns are exaggerated.
WIAN (on camera): It's 5: 45 in the morning, and we're about to accompany the Pinal County Sheriff's Department to the scene of the shooting. We're in such a dangerous area that they have actually brought a SWAT team along to protect us and to protect the Sheriff. There's also snipers forward deployed to make sure that the drug smugglers don't attack us.
HALSMAN: We know right now we're probably being watched. They already know we're here, so we're hoping when we go in, they have already cleared out.
WIAN (on camera): Do you think most people in America know that 30, 40 miles from a major metropolitan area like Phoenix, we're in a place where we're not safe.
HALSMAN: No. And in that right in this very area, there's squad- sized elements of drug and human smugglers that are here that are heavily armed. As heavily armed as our SWAT team now. And they have a lot of the same communications, sometimes even better.
WIAN (on camera): Given the amount of law enforcement presence we need to have here, though, who controls this territory, would you say?
HALSMAN: Obviously, we don't.
WIAN (voice-over): Arizona governor Jan Brewer echoes that claim. In this campaign ad, she's standing in front of a nearby federal government sign warning people to stay out of the desert because of the presence of smugglers.
JAN BREWER, GOVERNOR OF ARIZONA: This is an outrage. Washington says our border is as safe as it has ever been. Does this look safe to you?
WIAN (voice-over): As for the shooting of Deputy Pearl, sheriff's department investigators say they have discredited the theory that it was somehow staged.
WIAN (on camera): Is there any evidence that you've seen that this was anything other than what he reported, an encounter with suspected drug smugglers who shot at him, and he returned fire?
HALSMAN: None at all. From our investigative standpoint, this is a criminal activity that occurred where someone committing a crime in our county and in our state fired a weapon and attempted to kill one of our deputies.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SANCHEZ: Well, not so fast.
And Casey's joining us now.
Casey, I have been reading some of the reports that have been released with medical examiners who have looked at the evidence, looked at the wounds from this deputy, and we're not talking about some anti-illegal immigration, you know, activists or anything like that.
No, we're talking none other than the medical examiner that's used by FOX News who's come out and said he's looked at the wounds, and, as far as he can tell, he and two other medical examiners, this -- these wounds are not consistent with the story that this sheriff tells, the story that you just told us in that report of somebody shooting far away from some hill or something.
Take us through this new information that we're hearing.
WIAN: Well, first, I want to say that Sheriff Paul Babeu, who was in this piece and who I just got off of the phone with a little while ago, says that he still, despite these revelations that were reported in "The Phoenix New Times" newspaper, he still stands by his deputy's story. He still stands by the investigation that his department and the Arizona Department of Public Safety conducted.
And he calls this article -- and let me read you hear a quote from him -- "Monday-morning quarterbacking by a paper with a history that has criticism of law enforcement."
There are a lot of conflicting accounts of what may have happened, a lot of conflicting theories of what may have happened that afternoon. There were from the very beginning. When I went out to that shooting scene, one of the first questions I asked the investigators there was, well, if a guy was shooting an AK-47 at this deputy from 25 yards away, how could he miss?
I mean, it was really a close-contact type situation. And their explanation actually makes some sense. When a deputy is pulling his again and shooting back at the guy, it's not like shooting jackrabbits. Someone is shooting back at you, you're less accurate. And so that was his explanation to -- to my question there.
The other thing that I want to point out is that Sheriff Babeu says that there were corroborating witnesses to Deputy Pearl's story. And that is the fact that they arrested -- when they -- after the shooting happened and after they found Deputy Pearl, found that he was relatively safe, they set up a perimeter around that area, about 10- mile-by-10-mile perimeter, and they arrested dozens and dozens of suspected illegal immigrants, hoping to catch these shooters.
Three of the gentlemen that they arrested in that area, illegal immigrants, said that the day before they had been robbed by men matching the description of who Deputy Pearl said he was in a shoot- out with. So, they have witnesses who corroborate at least part of his story.
The other thing we should point out, it's well known that in that area of Arizona, smugglers steal drug loads from each other. So there's a lot of speculation that that's what they thought Deputy Pearl was, maybe another smuggler. He was not dressed in a typical uniform that you would expect a sheriff's deputy to be in. He was in khaki pants and he was in a T-shirt. So, he could have been mistaken for another drug smuggler trying to steal their load. So, there are some of the things that the sheriff's department says.
(CROSSTALK)
SANCHEZ: I'm sure the police department will do everything they can to defend the honor of their officer and the officer's story.
But at the same time, you have three forensic experts, one of them who is a forensic expert for FOX News -- we're not talking about some weenie liberal organization out there. The guy who did all of the forensics work on the O.J. Simpson case, he's coming forward and saying: I'm looking at what this deputy is saying. It doesn't add up.
It certainly seems like strong information. And let me also say this. It just so happens my brother is a police officer. Usually, police officers are pretty good about filing reports when it involves them. It's not like you and me or any other layman out there. They know where they are. They know distances. They explain things in very good detail.
The fact that this thing is coming under so much question is at the very least -- and that's all I want to say. And I think -- I guess the question for you is, is this reflected in what folks are saying out there? Is it troubling for the folks who are now looking at this investigation?
WIAN: Well, I think that the folks at the Pinal County Sheriff's Department will say that there's things they wish they did differently, both in the investigation and in their response to that incident.
And they have made changes as a result of this incident. One of the concerns that people had was, why was Deputy Pearl out there in such a dangerous area by himself? Well, they have now decided that that policy is not a good idea. And because it's so dangerous in that area, 80 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border, they no longer allow deputies to be out patrolling those areas by themselves.
So there have been changes made. There were mistakes made. It was a chaotic situation. I mean, you showed video earlier of the law enforcement response. It took them about an hour-and-a-half to actually find Deputy Pearl. So, it was a chaotic situation. That was their focus, not the investigation, finding their deputy who was wounded.
SANCHEZ: And, once again, just to be clear for our viewers, the supposed or alleged assailant, the person who shot this so-called AK- 47, mystery person, right? Never been found, never been arrested, never been tracked.
WIAN: Never been found. They assume he got away in that hour- and-a-half time period that it took them to find the deputy in the middle of the desert.
SANCHEZ: What a shame.
Casey, thanks so much for that report. We appreciate it. Now watch this.
WIAN: You got it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
COLBERT: My name is Stephen Colbert. And I'm an American citizen. It's an honor and a privilege to be here today.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: Stephen Colbert's comic testimony on Capitol Hill, hilarious to some, not very funny to others. That's ahead.
Also, politics as contact sport. Check out a brawl in a candidates forum in Vegas. And we're still two months away from the midterms. That's coming right up. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SANCHEZ: It's time for the "Roundup" list, and here is number one.
Dr. William Petit leaving the courthouse where one of the most horrifying murder trials is underway. He's had to sit through some excruciating evidence about the brutal rapes and killings of his wife and daughters, which happened inside his home more than three years ago.
The defendant on trial now is 47 years old. A copy of his rap sheet we just got today shows he has been in and out of the criminal justice system since he was a teenager.
All right, here's number two. You see the guy in the background? You see him right there escorted by a police officer, just came out from behind that tree? That's the man who is either a robbery suspect or a robbery victim. That's right, still kind of confusing.
A group of men held up Florida bank and everyone inside was held hostage with an explosive device of some sort, according to police. They removed that guy finally and the device that was attached to him. The police are treating the bank as the crime scene. They have been ever since. We're watching for more developments on the story as it continues.
Also, people, people, let's relax up there. Ready? This is a political event in Vegas last night, supporters of Senator Harry Reid and his challenger Sharron Angle. Things got so heat in the crowd, the folks scrapping. That's right, scrapping. Isn't that like a 1950s word or is that a '60s? Either way, they were scrapping.
Security officers got everyone separated, police came in, everyone finally calmed down. And no, Angle and Harry Reid were not there when the fight broke out.
Now this, part of the Midwest bracing for major flooding tonight. And guess what, another tropical storm is brewing. Chad Myers is here. He's going to join us with this and take us through what happens this weekend as we all prepare for football and other assorted events.
Stay with us. We'll be right back. This is RICK'S LIST.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(WEATHER REPORT)
SANCHEZ: Chad, good job. Appreciate that.
Take a look at this, folks.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STEVEN COLBERT, HOST, "THE COLBERT REPORT": This is America. I don't want a tomato picked by a Mexican.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: There he is. Colbert, comedy on Capitol Hill -- or was it? And who was really the butt of this joke? We're going to listen to what Steven Colbert had to say on this day right here on "RICK'S LIST." He testified and confused some lawmakers.
Stay with us, we'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SANCHEZ: The thud you're about to hear could be Lindsey Lohan's career hitting rock bottom once again. And many of you ask, well, how many times can it do that?
A judge gave her a really tough sentence, toughest yet, on her own ongoing criminal struggles, but that's not what was the strangest thing of this trial. The strangest part happened just outside of the courtroom when someone no one's ever seen before took to the mics and started saying some really bizarre things, and you're going to hear it. Also, Brianna Keilar is running the Political Ticker for us today and she's going to tell us what's happening on the campaign trail and Capitol Hill.
That's next on the LIST. We're coming right back with you, Brianna. Stay right there.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SANCHEZ: Hey, welcome back. I'm Rick Sanchez.
It is now time for a "CNN Equals Politics" update. It's Friday, we're all smiling around here. Most of you are smiling, unless you got to work weekends, but I get it.
Brianna Keilar standing by now, she's with "The Best Political Team on Television." Brianna, bring us up to date. What's crossing out there in politics?
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Rick, shortly on the Ticker, we're going to have a story from our House producer, House of Representatives producer Deirdre Walsh (ph), saying House Speaker Nancy Pelosi isn't ruling out the idea of voting on those Bush-era tax cuts to extend them for the middle class and have a vote in the House before the midterm elections.
We know that some Democratic stories are telling us it's unlikely, but again, she wasn't ruling it out today. Those tax cuts set to expire in the end of the year. We already found out yesterday that the Senate is not going to deal with it until after the elections.
And then also we have a new CNN Opinion Research Corporation poll that shows Republicans just have a really big advantage right now over Democrats with voters all across the country.
This is a generic ballot matchup and it shows that the Republicans lead the Democrats by 9 points here among likely voters that breaking down to 53 percent to 44 percent.
What's really interesting here is that this new survey suggests that the Republicans could be in an even better position than they were back in 1994 when they picked up 54 seats in the House, eight in the Senate.
And the also, check this out on the Ticker. This is the RNC's Fire Pelosi bus tour coming under a little fire itself, kicked off last week, Rick, 170 cities across the country.
Here's what's interesting, a confidential itinerary shows that, you know, about half -- almost half of the congressional districts that this bus is visiting, they aren't even seats that are really in place.
You have some Republican critics of RNC Chairman Michael Steele saying this is more about him getting some face time with committee members so he can keep his job. More than really helping Republicans reclaim the majority. Of course, the RNC pushing back on that, Rick.
SANCHEZ: Mac, give us a shot of that real quick. That's interesting. I'm looking at the shot you just showed. That is Michael Steele holding up the Fire Pelosi sign, right? So he gave the folks it signs and then he holds one up. I mean, that certainly looks like him from the back, doesn't it, Brianna?
KEILAR: Yes, I do believe that is him. And of course, if you go to the RNC here in Washington, D.C., you know, you see those all over.
RNC insists this bus tour is all about just that -- the sign that he's holding up and trying to reclaim the majority so that ultimately House Speaker Nancy Pelosi would not be the speaker and that Republicans would be in charge.
SANCHEZ: Yes, OK. Hey, thanks so much. We appreciate it.
Next hour, another political update. Remember, for all of the latest political news, go to cnnpolitics.com and you can go to twitter@politicalticker.
So did Steven Colbert make a spectacle of Congress today or did he make a spectacle of himself? We're going to let you decide as you watch right here.
Also ahead -- Brooke Baldwin is here with the highlights of the Lindsey Lohan trial. You got the moment outside?
BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I caught the moment outside.
SANCHEZ: Was that not weird?
BALDWIN: It's weird, you be the judge, happy Friday.
SANCHEZ: We'll be right back. Stay right there.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SANCHEZ: Hey, time to see what's trending on a Friday no less.
BALDWIN: If only people heard the chatter in the commercial breaks.
SANCHEZ: If they did, we'd both be fired. New accessory for Lindsey Lohan today, handcuffs. She's back in jail. In fact, we now have her mug shot. Throw that up.
She failed - here we go, she failed the mandatory drug test recently, which -- remember she tweeted about last week. She's been on probation. She was in court this morning. In fact, the hearing lasted all of 10 minutes.
The judge ordered her back in jail for four weeks. Next court date, October 22. We're told she was led away in handcuffs and in tears. We're showing you sketches because no cameras rolled inside of court. But check out the media circus outside of the courtroom, people shooting this thing by air and by ground. Here's the part you're looking for Sanchez. Her estranged father showed up with his evangelical preacher. Let's roll this.
First, you're going to hear from Lohan's father, Michael Lohan getting fired up and the pastor. Here it is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAEL LOHAN, LINDSAY LOHAN'S FATHER: You can't tell me what I feel. You can't tell me what I feel when I see her taken from a court to a jail. Let him finish because I'm finished.
JAY KOOPMAN, PASTOR: The reason why she's going through problems right now is because she's hurt. She's hurt from her family and she needs to learn how to forgive and she needs allow Michael back into her life.
Now it's time for reconciliation and restoration of this family. If you truly love Lindsay Lohan, pray that God will restore the family, Amen.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: Well, I -- I don't understand. What is this all about?
BALDWIN: He is this evangelical preacher. I looked him up. He has like youth ministries around the world. I guess, he's this guy that the father brought along to preach.
SANCHEZ: But what does the father and the preacher and all of that have to do with the charges against her?
BALDWIN: The father hasn't talked to her in a while. I think that's his way, by perhaps bringing this preacher and speaking loudly outside of the courtroom, hoping to catch her attention, or maybe people who are involve in the trial. He says, don't send her to jail, send her to rehab. I don't know.
SANCHEZ: So wait, wait -- they're saying that she's acting out as a result of her dysfunctional relationship with her father.
BALDWIN: No, no, she's not acting out. I'm just telling you there is a dysfunctional relationship with her father.
SANCHEZ: But the priest here -- the pastor. He's saying we have to fix this whole --
BALDWIN: Sure, that appeared to be it. That appeared to be it.
SANCHEZ: That is strange.
BALDWIN: It is strange.
SANCHEZ: I've never seen it happen outside of the court. BALDWIN: A little odd twist with the Lohan story today. We'll go with that. Just a quick background, remember she served the 13 days out of the 30. She's supposed to serve in jail after she violated her probation charge because of that -- her probation because of the DUI charge and quickly no tweets on that today.
Number two on my trending list. Hold on, let me get my props. How are you? Happy Friday. It's National Punctuation Day!
SANCHEZ: I like semicolons myself.
BALDWIN: You're a semicolon guy. I'm more of a comma kind of girl. But anyway, newspaper publisher Jeff Ruben about six years ago and so I e-mailed him today and I said, Jeff, what are your top three punctuation pet peeves if you will.
Here they are, his first is they're homophones so they sound the same, but they're spelled differently. So we have their, there, and they're, three different words, three different meanings.
He says people screw those up all the time. This is another one and this is a pet peeve for me, it's and its, right? The possessive its minus the apostrophe, it apostrophe s, it is, contraction. Number three, you have newscasts, newscasts', like t apostrophe s and the newscasts apostrophe, all different.
SANCHEZ: Man, you're just nailing them.
BALDWIN: I was a little bit of a punctuation geek.
SANCHEZ: I'll give you a tip. You should always use a semicolon after a conjunctive adverb.
BALDWIN: After a conjunctive adverb?
SANCHEZ: Yes, like however, semicolon and then --
BALDWIN: It should be comma, conjunctive adverb semicolon.
SANCHEZ: Two choices. You could do it either way. We're making people crazy. We're both into this stuff.
BALDWIN: So roll on over if we can to the web site. This is the National Punctuation Day web site. If you're interested and this is guy told me, here's how you should be spending today -- news flash, sleep late.
Take a leisurely stroll. Pay close attention to store signs with incorrectly punctuated words. Stop in the stores and he says you go in and correct the owners. If they're not there, he says leave a note. I know you're giving me tips.
SANCHEZ: Don't put an s at the end of --
BALDWIN: We're going grammar, any who, I picked out a couple of your tweets. SANCHEZ: You did.
BALDWIN: I did. Let's show them. So we have one tweet that says that was silly, I know, on Friday's we have fun as we plan great group. What's wrong there, Sanchez?
SANCHEZ: The apostrophe in the Friday -
BALDWIN: In the Friday. I found a second --
SANCHEZ: Tweeting doesn't count. You know that, that's not fair. You're always picking on me.
BALDWIN: It so does. Come on, Stephanie. Peanut butter milk shakes in a Miami dolphin apostrophe s win over the New York Jets. We can make fun of me. I'm a little effusive when it comes to my apostrophes. You can't do that. Too many apostrophes, you're offensive.
SANCHEZ: So you are over apostrophing? A word - over apostrophing.
BALDWIN: I got a little excited. It's Friday.
SANCHEZ: That's right, overexclaiming.
BALDWIN: That's my trending.
SANCHEZ: That was good. I enjoyed that, again.
Up next, there is breaking news on the Bishop Eddie Long case. This one, well, some of you have been tweeting asking if it's confirmed, sounds like it's confirmed. I got it right here. Another person -- yes? We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SANCHEZ: All right, we've got some breaking news coming in now. We've been following the case of the Bishop Eddie Long. You know that there are three men who have come forward and accused the bishop of having sex with them or coercing them into sex is what the dicta is on these complaints.
Coercing them into sex while they were still teenagers. We've been hearing there may be other cases coming forth. Now, we understand, there is. Here's the breaking news. A fourth complaint has been filed and I want you to go ahead and bring us up to date if you possibly could on this.
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's DeKalb County, of course, right here in Georgia, but what's interesting about this fourth case that's come forward.
And the young man has been identified as 22-year-old Spencer Legrand as I take a look at my notes here. Reportedly, the first contact between Bishop Eddie Long and this young man takes place not here in Atlanta at the New Birth Church, but at a subsidiary church up in Charlotte.
Now it is known there are a number of the satellite congregations, but the Charlotte congregation was the first to be opened after the main body the church was opened here in Atlanta.
So in March of 2003 according to this complaint, that young man, Spencer, is in the audience who were in the whole parish complex on the very first time that the service is held there in Charlotte.
SANCHEZ: You and I spent a lot of time talking during the commercials. I forgot to tell the viewers that I was talking to Martin Savidge.
So, Martin, thanks for coming out here and picking up the story for us.
Is it the same allegations that we heard from the other young men that he used his power, his prestige, gave them gifts, et cetera, et cetera in other words, as a way of getting to them so to speak?
SAVIDGE: It is except in this case, Rick, there seems more detail and more time that goes into this whole evolution of the relationship.
SANCHEZ: What kind of things?
SAVIDGE: Well, it starts off, again, the sexual intimate contact begins at the age of 17. Always important to note that in the state of Georgia, the age of consent is 16, so criminally, he cannot be prosecuted.
SANCHEZ: An adult can have sex with a teenager as long as that teenager is over 16 years of age.
SAVIDGE: And it turns out --
SANCHEZ: And it's not a crime - unethical obviously, but not a crime.
SAVIDGE: So, in July of 2005, when the young man, Spencer, turns 17, he gets invited by Bishop Long to go on his first trip. They go to Africa. They go to Kenya.
And it is an eight-day trip. And it's during that trip that this young man, LeGrande, maintains that that's when Bishop Long makes his first sexual overtures and that they sleep together for eight nights during the whole trip and that there is sexual intimate contact, there were gifts, there were shopping sprees.
And then after that, there come two more trips to Africa in 2006. This time the young man is introduced by Bishop Long to Winnie Mandela.
So, again, trying to show that these young men --
SANCHEZ: He's a powerful guy. SAVIDGE: -- are being introduced to all sorts of celebrities or government leaders as a result of being with Bishop Long.
SANCHEZ: And by the way, is there anything in there as to why would you take this young man to -- on a dignitary's trip to Africa like this?
SAVIDGE: It doesn't go into that specifically.
But the next step after that is in 2007, Bishop Long, again, according to this complaint, invites the young man to come to Atlanta, to enroll in college here, and supposedly pays all of his tuition fees. On top of that, provides him with an automobile, a Dodge Intrepid, and provides him with a place to live, a house in which this young man supposedly does not have to pay any rent, but is allowed to live. And then, of course, it's alleged that Bishop Long comes over and engages in sex.
SANCHEZ: And the allegation of course is that it's not just Bishop's Long's personal money that he's using, but the money of the church.
SAVIDGE: The money of the church, yes.
SANCHEZ: So he's taking the money that he's taking from the till, so to speak, right?
SAVIDGE: That exempt money, by the way, to be pointed out. And he is apparently working with the knowledge of the other members of the church that they are aware, at least, that these houses are being provided, that the automobiles are being provided, that these gifts are being provided.
SANCHEZ: Wow. And this is the fourth?
SAVIDGE: Right. It just happened a few minutes ago.
SANCHEZ: Any chance there might even still be more? What are the lawyers saying? We heard out there --
SAVIDGE: The lawyers -- well, they don't like to talk about numbers. We're talking about B.J. Bernstein, who is the one who represents now all four of the people who have filed these suits. They won't specifically say numbers, but they do hint that there could be more people that come forward.
SANCHEZ: We just got this from our own folks here. They reached out to the folks who are handling the pastor. And we'll read this together here.
"Our position" -- this is from the pastor, or the pastor's people. "Our position about the lawsuits has not changed. Bishop Long categorically denies the charges. We believe that it is unfortunate the young men have chosen to take this course of action. The defense team will review the complaints and respond accordingly at the appropriate time in the appropriate forum." But we're now five days into this.
(CROSSTALK)
SAVIDGE: Bishop Long is going to have two services, 8:00 and 11:00, at the New Birth Church here in Atlanta. And he has said that he is going to speak out from the pulpit to talk about this case, or these cases.
SANCHEZ: Yes. He's going to talk specifically to his parishioners.
SAVIDGE: Yes. We'll be there.
SANCHEZ: Good stuff. Well, here we go. A fourth person, and w await the statement from Bishop Long, still. Sunday, we'll have that for you right here.
Marty, good stuff. Appreciate it.
SAVIDGE: Thank you.
SANCHEZ: All right. Here's what else we've got coming up. When we come back, the very latest on politics. And I'll be talking to some of our folks in Washington with the "Political Ticker."
Stay right there.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SANCHEZ: Wolf Blitzer is standing by. And it's a Friday, which means he's going to be watching a little football like the rest of us.
You've got the Bills playing the New England Patriots. I know, you're taking the Bills, right?
BLITZER: You know, it's -- I love the Buffalo Bills. I go back all the way to the 1960s, when I was a season ticket holder as a young kid growing up in Buffalo, New York. But against New England in New England, it's going to be hard.
Buffalo is 0 and 2 right now. But, you know what they used to say? I don't know if it's still true. Let me know what you think. On any given day, any team in the NFL can beat any other team.
Is that still true or has that gone away?
SANCHEZ: No, no, no. It's definitely true, and especially with Buffalo. They're spoilers all the time. How many times have they done it to the Dolphins?
And speaking of the Dolphins --
BLITZER: Yes. This is a rivalry. Just like your team, the Miami Dolphins, and the New York Jets, that's a great rivalry, there's a lot of history there. Just like the Bills and the Patriots, a lot of tradition. So we'll see what happens.
SANCHEZ: You're going to take the Dolphins though over the Jets, right?
BLITZER: Yes.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SANCHEZ: Talking about putting you on the spot. I'm sorry.
We're down to 30 seconds. Let us know what you've got coming up on THE SITUATION ROOM today.
BLITZER: Green Bay Monday night too. They're playing Chicago, the Green Bay Packers.
SANCHEZ: OK.
BLITZER: They're both 2 and 0. And so we'll see what happens.
The Minnesota Vikings, I'm going to take them, too. They're going to beat Detroit. They're 0 and 2, and Brett Favre playing for Minnesota. So that should be an easy win for them in Minnesota, but we'll see what happens.
Enough football. Let's talk about diets.
We've got the two doctors who told Bill Clinton what diet to go on, his so-called plant-based diet. They're joining me, Rick, in THE SITUATION ROOM. We're going to go through how you reverse heart disease, how you stay healthy --
SANCHEZ: I like it.
BLITZER: -- how you lose 24 pounds when you're in your 60s like Bill Clinton did. I think our viewers are going to be interested in this. They should stand by.
SANCHEZ: I'm going to be interested. My wife has got me on this --
BLITZER: I know you are. I'm interested, too. And my rule of thumb, as I'm sure your rule of thumb is, if I'm interested, I think our viewers are interested.
SANCHEZ: Exactly. Well, way to go, man. We'll talk Monday, OK? Have a fantastic weekend. Have a good show.
BLITZER: Enjoy.
SANCHEZ: Stephen Colbert brings comedy and a bit of controversy to Washington. That's next right here on THE LIST.
Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) SANCHEZ: I was astounded when I watched today on television what Stephen Colbert did. He freaked out Washington today.
He pretended that he was there to give serious testimony about migrant workers. Instead, he did a routine, a routine that had politicians staring at him, staring at the wall, staring at themselves, and going something like this -- "I don't get it. What's going on here?"
All right. You want to see the routine? Hit it, Dan.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STEPHEN COLBERT, HOST, "THE COLBERT REPORT": My name is Stephen Colbert, and I'm an American citizen. It is an honor and a privilege to be here today.
Congresswoman Lofgren asked me to share my vast experience spending one day as a migrant farm worker. I'm happy to use my celebrity to draw attention to this important, complicated issues, and I certainly hope that my star power can bump this hearing all the way up to C-SPAN 1.
As we've heard this morning, America's farms are presently far too dependent on immigrant labor to pick our fruits and vegetables. Now, the obvious answer is for all of us to stop eating fruits and vegetables. And if you look at the recent obesity statistics, you'll see that many Americans have already started.
Unfortunately, my gastroenterologist, Dr. Eichler (ph), has informed me in no uncertain terms that they are a necessary source of roughage. As evidence, I would like to submit a video of my colonoscopy into the congressional record.
Now, we all know there is a long tradition of great nations importing foreign workers to do their foreign work. After all, it was the ancient Israelites who built the first food pyramids.
But this is America. I don't want a tomato picked by a Mexican. I want it picked by an American, then sliced by a Guatemalan, and served by a Venezuelan in a spa where a Chilean gives me a Brazilian, because my great grandfather did not travel across 4,000 miles of the Atlantic Ocean to see this country overrun by immigrants. He did it because he killed a man back in Ireland.
That's the rumor. I don't know if that's true. I would like to have that stricken from the record.
So, we do not want immigrants doing this labor. And I agree with Congressman King, we must secure our borders. Of course, I'm sure Arturo Rodriguez (ph) is saying, who, then, would pick our crops, Stephen?
First of all, Arturo, don't interrupt me when I'm talking. That's rude.
Second, I reject this idea that farm work is among the semi- mythical jobs that Americans won't do. Really? No Americans?
I did. As part of my ongoing series, "Stephen Colbert's Fallback Position," where I try other jobs and realize that mine is way better, I participated in the UFW's "Take Our Jobs" campaign, one of only 16 people in America to take up the challenge, though that number may increase in the near future, as I understand many Democrats may be looking for work come November.
Now, I'll admit, I started my workday with preconceived notions of migrant labor. But after working with these men and women, picking beans, packing corn, for hours on end, side by side, in the unforgiving sun, I have to say, and I do mean this sincerely, please don't make me do this again. It is really, really hard.
For one thing, when you're picking beans, you have to spend all day bending over. It turns out, and I did not know this, most soil is at ground level. If we can put a man on the moon, why can't we make the Earth waist-high?
Come on! Where is the funding?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: The funniest part about this is the reaction from some of those lawmakers. They don't understand it. They don't get it. They're totally befuddled, totally confused.
In fact, we know that, right? It's what we talk about in this book -- politicians. As a matter of fact, "Conventional Idiocy: Why the New America is Sick of Old Politics," the politics that doesn't understand guys like Stephen Colbert.
And we wrote this book together. So every day I'm glad to give one to you. And here we go. Time to give one out.
Lori Beth (ph) tweets -- she said, "I say you don't need a tie before 5:00." It's about my conversation with Brooke earlier. She says, "Brooke's right on the color combo though."
Oh, so she's criticizing me for my black and blue.
Well, let me tell you something, Lori Beth (ph), it worked for the Rolling Stones -- right -- album.
Thanks so much for being with us, guys.
The Rolling Stones had an album called "Black and Blue." I know that. You know that.
You guys know that over there, right? You know that?
We've got guests over here who know all about the Rolling Stones.
That's it for us. Thanks so much for being with us.
Here now, Wolf Blitzer in THE SITUATION ROOM.
