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Rick's List

Southwest Buying AirTran; Bishop Eddie Long Speaks Out; Expert Advises On How to Grocery Shop; Midterm Campaigns Heating Up; Governor David Paterson Guest Spots on SNL

Aired September 27, 2010 - 15:00   ET

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

BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: Surprise. It's Brooke's list today.

Ali Velshi, thank you very much.

I have got a story, an economic story right in your wheelhouse. Let's talk to you here. Topping the LIST this Monday: When two big companies come together, you know, it's always a huge deal. And when we heard that Southwest Airlines plans to buy AirTran, most of us thought, huge deal, and a great deal for us, right, in terms of dollars and cents.

Well, Southwest has this great reputation. It's very profitable. And it consistently carries more passengers around the U.S. than any other airline out there, not to mention, many agree, hey, kind of fun to fly Southwest, right? They tell you what you're flying over. They have a great sense of self, right, the -- the stewardess, et cetera?

Well, the merger means it will get even bigger by flying in and out of cities it doesn't currently serve. But -- and there's always a but here -- isn't this coming together of two discount airlines really such a good deal? What about the fares? What about all those bag fees? What about the service? We have a lot of questions. And I have been tweeting with you, soliciting some of your questions.

And we will get some of those answered with my colleague and friend Ali Velshi, who is back to help me out.

And, so, Ali, are you ready for me today? Because I have a lot --

ALI VELSHI, CNN CHIEF BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely.

BALDWIN: -- of questions.

VELSHI: A lot -- it's a good topic. I'm ready.

BALDWIN: OK. So, I want to get to the bottom line. And this is -- really seems to be the pervasive question of all people who, you know, fly -- and so many of us do these days. But the question is, when it comes to this massive merger of two low-cost carriers, does that mean cheaper fares for all of these different routes?

VELSHI: Trick question.

(LAUGHTER)

VELSHI: And I will tell you what. If we just heard that Southwest were expanding, people would get very excited when they find out that Southwest comes to their city or a Southwest route is, because what it has is what we call the Southwest effect. They bring prices down.

But they're a big enough airline to keep those prices down for a while, forcing what we call the legacy airlines to follow suit. Now, in this particular case, probably -- these two airlines coming together will probably result in more of that Southwest effect.

Here's the trick. Airfares generally have been going up. So the net effect on you if you got -- if you are all of a sudden greeted by a Southwestern or an AirTran is going to be different than if you were in a city that never had service by either one of them.

If you have already got one of them coming to you, the merger of the two may not have too much of an effect on you. But it -- they do say that it's going to be more Southwest than AirTran, in other words, Southwest without the fees and with that fun service, vs. AirTran, which does actually have fees for baggage and other things.

BALDWIN: Right. I know they have the fee for the first bag --

VELSHI: Yes.

BALDWIN: -- and the second bag.

VELSHI: Yes.

BALDWIN: And we're going to get into that in a second.

But you mentioned, you know, the routes and specifically these places where AirTran and Southwest currently compete. There are some locations where both fly in and out.

BALDWIN: What happens to fares there?

VELSHI: Well, again, early to talk, to -- to say.

We talked to Rick Seaney of farecompare.com. This is a very hard one to know because we have never actually in North America seen a merger of two discount airlines. We have seen one discount airline with a legacy airline. So, we don't know what's going to happen in those places.

But generally speaking, if you're on a route that was served by Southwest and AirTran, there was probably some effect of bringing the fees on that route down anyway. So, you're not likely to see it lower. The question of course is will it be higher because one of those is out of the market? And that unfortunately too hard to tell.

We do know that fares have gone up and will continue to go up. Will there be an offset by having a bigger and more cost-effective Southwest out there? Not sure. BALDWIN: Sure. OK. So, I'm hearing we don't know yet.

VELSHI: Yes.

BALDWIN: Let me run through, Ali, a couple of these fees.

VELSHI: Yes.

BALDWIN: So, we have -- made a list.

VELSHI: Yes.

BALDWIN: We have a list of some of these different fees on major airlines.

So, for example, airline fees, American is charging 300 bucks if you want to change your coach ticket on an international flight. Over to U.S. Airways. They charge $35 for telephone reservations on an international ticket, United, $39 for priority boarding.

And we all know about, you know, the baggage fees.

VELSHI: Yes.

BALDWIN: Depending on the airline, it's one fee and then you pay another fee for the next. Pretty much ballpark, we are seeing between $23 and $25 for the first bag.

And, so, with that said, if we can go over to the Twitter board, if we can pull up the tweet, guys, we had a tweet from Shanda (ph). And Shanda has this great question right now. She is asking me this: "Will they continue to go against the grain by offering better customer service, i.e., no charge for bags, and cheaper flights."

I know you already tackled the fare issue. But what about the bag -- the -- the pesky fee side of things? What do you think?

VELSHI: Yes. Look, this is such a big part of Southwest's culture that they say they're going to keep on going with that, and that's going to have an impact. They really get the fact that --

BALDWIN: Keep on going with what?

VELSHI: Keep on going with Southwest's culture of not adding these silly fees.

BALDWIN: Not adding fees. OK.

VELSHI: Now -- some of them are not as silly. I get it. The airlines actually have to be in the business of making money. Some of them, like the U.S. air fee for -- for talking to a area person, I mean, U.S. Airways doesn't have some kind of fantastic Web site that you can get all your business done on the Web site.

I almost always have to talk to the airline when I'm trying to deal with that airline. BALDWIN: Right.

VELSHI: And they charge you for it. I mean, that's ridiculous.

But I don't know if we can guarantee that no fees are going to come in. I think we're going to -- remember, there are those two kinds of fees. There are those that are stupid --

(LAUGHTER)

VELSHI: -- and shouldn't be there.

BALDWIN: Let's be honest.

VELSHI: And then there are those that are --

BALDWIN: Right.

VELSHI: There are those, like the fee to use wireless on a plane. Everybody on the plane doesn't want to use wireless. I do. I'm totally prepared to pay for that, because --

(CROSSTALK)

BALDWIN: Right. I pay it as well.

(CROSSTALK)

VELSHI: That's -- you see, that's fine. Those kind of fees are not ridiculous, things that you -- otherwise are entirely optional, vs. things that you need to have.

Southwest is not in the business of charging you for things that you need to have. And I think that they risk too much to suggest that in this takeover or this -- this merger, they're going to give this up. So, I think you're going to see the service that Southwest is -- is famous for continue. They have just been so good at it for so long. Why change it now?

BALDWIN: Right. I think we can't also have this conversation without looking at the broader picture, which is this trend, it appears, for --

VELSHI: Right.

BALDWIN: -- major airlines to merge. So we have Delta/Northwest, we have United and Continental. And now we have -- we have Southwest and AirTran today.

VELSHI: Right.

BALDWIN: And so off of that question, let's see, did we have a Twitter question? Yes, we do.

So, the question from John Simms (ph) is, "Will it lead to less competition and more monopolistic pricing?" meaning, you know, look, I guess if you have..

VELSHI: Right.

BALDWIN: -- fewer flights in the skies, fewer planes, that means that they can jack up the prices, right?

VELSHI: Yes, it's an excellent question.

Probably not just yet. Let me tell you. First of all, we had U.S. Air and America West. Then we had Delta and Northwest. Then we have got United and Continental, which will probably be done on Friday. They will become one airline. And now we have got this.

The bottom line is, we had way too many airlines in the United States anyway. So, monopolistic behavior comes when you really have the ability to be a monopoly or a cartel. And sometimes in the past the airlines have behaved in a way that might make you think about a cartel.

In other words, they're not being monopolistic. They're all raising their prices together and lowering them together.

BALDWIN: Mm-hmm.

VELSHI: That always remains a concern. But the reality is, this is an industry that has suffered for so many years, they simply are not an industry in the business of making money. Delta is quite profitable right now. Southwest has been a very profitable airline.

So, I don't think we're at the point yet where we're going to see monopolistic behavior. You are going to see airlines charge more, because what you have seen them do is reduce capacity, reduce the number of flights that are flying --

BALDWIN: Mm-hmm.

VELSHI: -- the number of empty seats. You know when you travel now you rarely see a half-empty plane or a quarter-empty plane.

BALDWIN: An empty flight.

VELSHI: So, as they have increased demand, they will increase prices.

And, by the way, even Southwest does this. When they see that they're flying planes that are really full, their prices will go up, too. So, that's different than monopolistic behavior. That's catering to supply-and-demand laws.

I think we're not -- we're -- we're too early to worry about monopolistic behavior, but you would be concerned about prices going up, because they probably will.

BALDWIN: Ali, let me get one more question in --

VELSHI: Yes. BALDWIN: -- because I know a lot of us are thinking, me, me, me, and what's the bottom line, and am I going to pay those fees --

VELSHI: Sure.

BALDWIN: -- and -- and fares and everything else?

But what about the employees? I have been getting a bunch of Twitter questions. In fact, we have one over here concerned about the employees. "What is Southwest's plan for employees? Do Southwest employees take precedence?"

It's a good question. Do they take precedence or do Southwest employees have a hope at keeping their job? Do we -- we know yet?

VELSHI: Well, we don't know yet. The -- the -- obviously, Southwest is a much, much bigger airline than AirTran.

And this is always, always an issue. When there's a merger of two airlines, it's the -- the unions and the workers that worry about what happens. I mean, if I'm here in the pecking order at one airline and now we're merging two airlines, done properly and fairly, everybody merges, so that your seniority stays the same. And unfortunately the people at the bottom get bumped off when you have a merger, because you don't need as many people to do the stuff.

Unclear yet. We're still studying it. I saw that there were some responses from the flight attendants' unions. That will still be yet to be determined. But, yes, unfortunately, some people will lose their jobs in the merger of these two companies.

BALDWIN: All right. Ali Velshi, it sounds like a lot of this is still yet to be determined.

VELSHI: Sure.

BALDWIN: But I thank you for parsing through some of this with me today.

VELSHI: My pleasure.

BALDWIN: Thank you, sir.

Now take a look at this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have 64 souls on board, and we have -- our fuel is an hour-and-a-half of fuel.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Brace for impact.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Horror in the skies. Passengers told to brace for impact? And it's all caught on video. You can hear their cries. That is ahead.

Also, this:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BISHOP EDDIE LONG, NEW BIRTH MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH: I feel like David against Goliath.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

LONG: But I got five rocks, and I haven't thrown one yet.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: There he went. That was Sunday morning. Bishop Eddie Long vows to fight those accusations that he had sex with teenage boys. So what did he tell his congregation from the pulpit Sunday? You won't want to miss that. That is next on the LIST.

We will be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: The leader of one of the nation's most influential megachurches has now officially broken his silence, this five days after the very first of those now four lawsuits was filed against Pastor Eddie Long, claiming he coerced young males into sexual relationships.

Now, Pastor Long, he spoke to a massive, massive crowd at New Birth Missionary Baptist Church just yesterday morning.

And I want to play this for you. They immediately let you knew -- let you know, rather, whose side they were on. Watch this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Cheers, applause, on their feet, kind of like a rock concert. Though much of his speech, he told the crowd that he appreciated their support.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LONG: I love you, New Birth.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

LONG: And I'm not leaving you if you don't leave me.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE) LONG: I thank God for a strong wife. And --

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: That's his wife right there. They walked in holding hands.

Now, the pastor told the crowd that he is -- quote -- "not the man that has been portrayed on the television" -- end quote -- and that he also showed that he ready -- as you just heard, he is ready to fight all these allegations. Here you go.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LONG: I feel like Goliath.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

LONG: David, rather --

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

LONG: -- facing Goliath. There's a giant in front of me.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

LONG: But I am going to fight, and I am going to fight vigorously.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

LONG: And I have got five rocks.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

LONG: And I haven't thrown one yet.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Responding to Long's Sunday's sermon, a spokeswoman for the attorney representing those four men and all those lawsuits stressed that the pastor did not specifically deny those allegations detailed in the complaint.

He says he's not a perfect man. He did not flatly deny. Now, their attorney also criticized Long for portraying himself -- you just heard -- as David, when his accusers say they're actually the ones taking on such a powerful pastor.

There are some shocking charges against a dozen U.S. soldiers. Listen to this. They are accused of killing Afghan civilians for sports and apparently keeping gruesome souvenirs. I'm talking bones. I'm talking fingers. That is ahead.

Also, Jessica Yellin standing by with brand-new information just in from the world of politics. Did you hear? A major California newspaper not endorsing either candidate in the state Senate race. Why?

(LAUGHTER)

BALDWIN: That's next on the LIST. Stay right there.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: And welcome back to RICK'S LIST. I'm Brooke Baldwin.

Now on the LIST: "The San Francisco Chronicle" has refused to endorse either Barbara Boxer or Carly Fiorina for California Senate.

In fact, it calls the race -- quote -- "a deeply unsatisfying choice for voters" and that making no endorsement is a rare, but a necessary one. But even without that endorsement, Boxer is getting some good news. An "L.A. Times" poll, a USC/"L.A. Times" poll shows -- and here are the numbers -- that Senator Boxer holds an eight percentage point lead over the Hewlett-Packard CEO. And likely voters favor the three-term senator 51 percent to 43 percent over Fiorina.

National political correspondent Jessica Yellin joins me from D.C.

JESSICA YELLIN, CNN NATIONAL POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Hey.

BALDWIN: Jessica, hello. I saw this op-ed. And here it is. I saw this yesterday and I read it. And just if I could read the -- the crux of this was really summed up in the last two line, in case our viewers hadn't read it.

YELLIN: Mm-hmm.

BALDWIN: "It is a dismal choice between an ineffective advocate for causes we generally support and a potentially strong advocate for positions we oppose. Neither merits our endorsement for the U.S. Senate."

So, Jessica Yellin, is that more of a slap in the face at Boxer or Fiorina?

YELLIN: For Boxer, by far. I mean, it's fairly stunning that this is a -- San Francisco, a Democratic-leaning town, with a Democratic-leaning newspaper, essentially -- you know, their op-ed page tends to be left-leaning -- would not endorse the long-term Democrat in the state is very, very bad for Barbara Boxer.

I mean, their conclusion there is essentially that Boxer, they think, is ineffective. Carly Fiorina, they argue, is too conservative, so they're not endorsing.

But, boy, I mean, this is a killer race. This is one of the races I like watching the best, because Democrats should have this one locked up, and they are fighting for their lives, despite that poll.

BALDWIN: I mean, three-term senator.

YELLIN: Right.

BALDWIN: And, as you mentioned, massive slap in the face to Boxer. But then, when you look at the poll -- and we said eight percentage points ahead is Boxer -- and some of those were talking, wow, that's a bigger lead than even some of us had thought.

YELLIN: Right.

BALDWIN: You know, how do Democrats feel, though? I mean, do they see this as a race that's a done deal for them, or not so much?

YELLIN: No.

I mean, this poll helps them feel better. But the bottom line is, there are two things I want to point out. One, this poll samples heavily Democratic voters, assuming they will go to the polls about the same way they went to the polls when President Obama was running for office in 2008, when there were so many excited Democrats.

They are a lot less excited this year. So, especially Republicans think that the poll findings are a little bit off. But, also, this poll came out right after Barbara Boxer launched a very negative ad, a very effective ad criticizing Carly Fiorina. And it does show that the ad had some effect.

I would like to play a bit of it for you just because --

BALDWIN: Go for it.

YELLIN: -- it's such an effective ad. Here it is.

BALDWIN: Go for it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NARRATOR: As the CEO of H.P., Carly Fiorina laid off 30,000 workers.

CARLY FIORINA (R), CALIFORNIA SENATORIAL CANDIDATE: When you're talking about massive layoffs, which we did, perhaps the work needs to be done somewhere else.

NARRATOR: Fiorina shipped jobs to China. And while Californians lost their jobs, Fiorina tripled her salary, bought a million-dollar yacht and four corporate jets.

FIORINA: I'm proud of what I did at H.P.

NARRATOR: Carly Fiorina, outsourcing jobs, out for herself.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

YELLIN: So, Brooke, you can see --

BALDWIN: Whew.

YELLIN: -- devastating ad. And Barbara Boxer did pull out more of a lead after that aired.

BALDWIN: That's a poignant ad for Californians, especially given the budget crisis that they specifically are facing, and the L-word being layoffs.

YELLIN: Yes.

BALDWIN: I'm sure that made some people sit up. Yet, at the same time, Fiorina came back with a pretty biting ad as well.

YELLIN: Bingo.

And Fiorina's ad, it's important to point out, came out after these polls. So, we're yet to see the effect of her ad. But she basically attacks Barbara Boxer for essentially arrogance. Watch this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. BARBARA BOXER (D), CALIFORNIA: You know, do me a favor. Could you say "Senator," instead of "ma'am"? It's just a thing. I worked so hard to get that title, so I would appreciate it. Yes, thank you.

FIORINA: Twenty-eight years in Washington, and Barbara Boxer works hard for a title?

I will really go to work to end the arrogance in Washington.

I'm Carly Fiorina, and I approve this message.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

YELLIN: I don't think you could see it under there, but I think it says, "too long, too wrong" under there or something.

BALDWIN: Yes, I couldn't see.

YELLIN: Right.

But you -- I -- I'm playing this for you because it just gives you a sense of how bitter the environment is out there. This is one of the most fiercely contested races.

And it's just mean. I mean, there's not really any issue at -- that -- that she points to in that ad.

BALDWIN: Just downright mean.

YELLIN: It's just, we don't like her.

(LAUGHTER)

YELLIN: You know?

BALDWIN: No, I can see. I can see why it's your favorite race.

Jessica Yellin --

(LAUGHTER)

BALDWIN: -- thank you for showing both of those and going through this op-ed with me. I appreciate it. Thank you, ma'am.

YELLIN: Good to see you.

BALDWIN: Now, listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Brace for impact.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Heads down! Stay down! Heads down! Stay down!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: "Heads down. Stay down." Imagine sitting on a plane and that's what you hear the flight attendant say. That is cell phone camera video that you're looking at, at that one side of your screen at the terror inside this Delta flight bracing for an emergency landing.

What went wrong, and who is getting the attention today? That is next on the LIST.

We will be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: Welcome back. How do you feel about flying? I have to admit I'm kind of that girl who is grabbing on, you know, your seat when you feel just a little bit of turbulence.

So, imagine this. Imagine an emergency landing. Now, you wouldn't normally describe a trip from Atlanta to, say, White Plains, New York, as dramatic or intense. But Delta Flight 4951 on Saturday night was quite different.

The plane had landing gear problems that basically forced the pilots to take very quick action, and the whole thing -- of course it is these days -- caught on cell phone. You don't often see stuff like this, thank goodness.

And, as you listen, notice how calm the pilot sounds -- you will hear him on the air traffic control tapes -- and how unnerving the scene must have been from the passengers' perspective. Buckle up and watch this one with me. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have not been able to get the landing gear down. Our preference would be to proceed over to JFK and execute an emergency landing over there. And, if it's not completely obvious, just want to confirm, we are declaring an emergency.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Brace for impact.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Heads down! Stay down! Heads down! Stay down! Heads down! Stay down!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: "Head down. Stay down."

I mean, imagine. Look at it. You just see the twinkling lights out your window. You're listening to the flight attendant. Thank goodness, they make it. They made it all the way down.

It was an emergency landing. In fact, there are sparks coming off the wing. Unbelievable. The plane did land safely at JFK Airport in New York. That's basically where they had to end up diverting. There are the sparks. There the plane just lands. She's still yelling.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Heads down! Stay down! Heads down! Stay down!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: And it continues as the plane obviously is trying to slow finally to a halt. That was the emergency landing. And there are the sparks. There were the sparks outside, thanks to this cell phone video.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Some of the passengers applaud -- a round of applause. I think I would be clapping as well. Amazingly, no one was hurt.

In fact, a lot of people praising Delta for the -- the way the whole thing was handled.

And we have a tweet from Delta. Let's roll on over there, Robert.

Take a look at this. They say -- this is from the Delta newsroom -- "Kudos for the Flight 4951 crew for ensuring the well-being of our customers and illustrating the important role safety plays at Delta." Amazing. I just can't imagine sitting on that flight. Good thing it all ended OK.

Now, times are tough, even for Nadya Suleman. You know her? I'm talking about Octomom. She's back. How is she fighting off foreclosures? Get a little creative. That is ahead.

Also, a scuffle breaks out at a John McCain campaign event. Cameras were there. And it makes our "Fotos Del Dia."

Whew. That is next on the LIST. We're rolling on.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: Smart people, cool inventions. Hey, we love them here on "RICK'S LIST." Not sure is this guy is breaking news or breaking ground. We'll let you decide. This is "Fotos."

Check this out with me. This is a homemade airplane. Does it get off the ground, you ask? Oh, yes. Watch with me. The Canadian university student was so inspired by Leonardo Da Vinci's dream of a human powered flying machine that he built one. There it goes. Not so high but, hey, it works. It pedals like a big bike. Flexible wings flapped. Last month he kept it airborne for, wait for it, 19 whole seconds. Not the most practical way to get around but, hey, wouldn't Leonardo be thrilled.

All right, next video, Senator John McCain, watch his security detail deal with this protester when she got a little bit too close after a political event. This is Phoenix last night. The woman, you saw her sign, they took her down. She and the security officer both went down on the asphalt. The woman getting up didn't appear too hurt, resumed chanting with the crowd.

One more -- adorable dog time. Watch this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you hungry? Yes? Come here, let's say grace.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Oh, my goodness. They're praying. He's praying. Taking a moment, bows his head to say grace. Either that, or he's praying for the mailman to slow down just a little bit. That makes my pug -- puts my pug to shame.

And that is "Fotos." You can see them over and over again at Rick's blog. Go to CNN.com/RickSanchez.

Look at these pictures. Really misery is spreading along with the flood waters. This is Wisconsin, Minnesota. When can people who live there expect any kind of relief and when will those evacuated homeowners be able to check out the damage? That is ahead. Also, you watch "SNL" Saturday? New York's governor has been the butt of some of the "SNL" jokes for a few years now. But who gets the last laugh? You won't want to miss that. That's next on "The List."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: Welcome back to "RICK'S LIST." I was just tweeting about my three favorite moments on "Saturday Night Live" Saturday night. This is one of them. This is payback time you could say for one big time politico, New York Governor David Paterson. "SNL" has been making a bit of fun of him pretty relentlessly for the better part of the last two years. And some people think the skits go over the line since they very clearly make fun of the fact that the governor is visually impaired.

But surprise, "Saturday Night Live" Saturday night, 36th season opener, the real governor showed up. Watch this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But that doesn't stop me from getting behind the wheel.

GOV. DAVID PATERSON, (D) NEW YORK: Stop. Stop. Stop.

(APPLAUSE)

This has gone on long enough.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Governor Paterson.

PATERSON: That's right, the real deal. Not some cheap imitation. Just classic Pats.

Say, I see you're still sporting the beard.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, I am.

PATERSON: I shaved that of a year ago. Are you blind?

(LAUGHTER)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Touche.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: It went on. They walked back and forth. It was hysterical.

The real David Paterson got another dig in, and he said "Running for governor is a lot like watching "Saturday Night Live," it's funny for ten minutes, and then you just want it to be over."

Something else that is trending today -- you know her, you love her -- OK, maybe not so much the love her part but you love her, octo- mom, Nadya Suleman. She says she is downright broke. So what did she do? She had a yard sale, of course, on Saturday at her home in California. I'll let her tell you more.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NADYA SULEMAN, "OCTOMOM": I could have taken that octo-mom fictional character name that was invented in the media and made millions. I could have. But instead I was afraid and lost and confused and I ended up getting more and more lost. So we're here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: And now she has a yard sale. Suleiman says she could lose her home to foreclosure and end up on welfare if she doesn't come up with at least $10,000 in the next two weeks.

By the way, she has six other kids to support besides the octuplets. Among the items auctioned Saturday in case you're curious, because we were, a nursing bra and underwear autographed, oh, yes, by the octo-mom herself.

She also had her octo-sonogram. What? I'm not making it up. Octo-sonogram was up for sale. Did someone buy it? I don't know. And for 10 bucks the octo-mom and her eight October to kids were available, cheese, to pose for a picture with you.

Let's move on. Drugs and allegations of murder, conspiracy, stunning accusations against American soldiers charged with killing Afghan civilians and then trying to totally cover it up. That's ahead.

And are you shopping for food the right way? Look, we're all going to the grocery store, but there's a strategy to it apparently. How can you make sure that everything also is safe for you? The author of "Eat This, Not That" is standing by at CNN brings you "Eatocracy" all week long. We're beginning it today. That interview on the other side of the break. That is next. You're watching "RICK'S LIST."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: So let me explain what CNN is doing all week. We're kicking it off today. We're taking this cross-country food journey. We're send our reporters to every corner of America and beyond, and essentially our mission is this, to get fresh answers about how food is grown, how the choices we make impact our health, our state of mind, our budgets, and, we can all relate, the pure joy of eating.

We have teamed up with the new CNN.com food destination, Eeatocracy.com, to bring you "Eatocracy Mind, Body, and Wallet." And today, I'm excited to speak with Dave Zinczenko. He's here with tips on how you can shop smart. Dave is the author of many, many books, including this whole series "Eat This, Not That."

Dave, thanks so much for coming on, because today we are specifically talking grocery shopping, which I know having written this particular book you're an expert. My biggest down fall is being hungry going grocery shopping. We'll address that in a moment. First though, let's talk about not necessarily what we buy but when we shop. I tend to go Sundays. That's when I have time. That's when a gazillion other people are in there. But you say there's one particular day that's best. Really?

DAVID ZINCZENKO, AUTHOR, "EAT THIS, NOT THAT!": I'm a big fan on Wednesday. About 11 percent of people shop on Wednesdays and only four percent after 9:00 p.m. at night. So, Brooke, what I would say is if you have a choice and you're tempted easily by junk food, that is a great time to go. You want to be able to get in and get out, go for Wednesdays.

BALDWIN: So you're saying by having fewer people, just making sure I get this out right, fewer people around, I won't grab the snickers. Not as likely.

ZINCZENKO: Yes. And the other thing you want to do is you want to have a plan. People tend to spend 54 percent more when they're just taking that quick trip to the supermarket.

BALDWIN: Famous last words.

ZINCZENKO: So what you want to do -- yes. You want to plan it out for the week. You want to go in there and make sure you're sticking with the perimeter. The perimeter is where your healthiest one-ingredient foods are, like bananas and eggs and meat and poultry and produce.

BALDWIN: Let me interject for a minute because, Dave, just to back up. When you're talking about the perimeter, you're talking about the strategy of how a grocery store is laid out, meaning there is a reason why the milk and the poultry and the vegetables are on -- all the good stuff for us, right, is all on the outside, and they're tricky because they put the bad stuff in the middle. Is that right?

ZINCZENKO: Right. Right. They're trying to lure you into the aisles. That's where the processed and packaged foods are. When you walk into a supermarket, it's overwhelming. You have over 50,000 items. So you move into the aisles, and that's where they're going to get you with the crazy marketing claims. The vast majority cartoon characters live in the aisles.

So when you go in there as they may have well be playing "Welcome to the Jungle." You don't know what you're going to get. It's usually right at eye level. That's where the most profitable items are.

And if it's candy, cereal, sugary cereal and cookies, that's usually at your eight-year-old's eye level. You want to look high and low for the bargains when you're in the aisles. But I really recommend trying to stay on the perimeter whenever possible.

BALDWIN: So stay on the perimeter -- easier said than done. I'm sure people with kids are like, yes, right, Dave. That's really kind of tough. Make sure you're shopping under tip toes or down below because that's where the stuff that's good for you is. As we're on our tip toes and down below we obviously look at the labels. We make sure we're reading them. Some of these food groups, they're whole wheat versus whole grain, and there's the big buzzword now which is "organic." Dave, really, show me, what's the good versus the bad.

ZINCZENKO: I mean, they're all a lot of marketing head fakes. They're trying to -- they're trying to confuse you. You really need to look at the labels. For organics, they're great for the leafy greens and the fruits with edible skins because they tend to carry the highest pesticide load.

But otherwise, you know, forget about all the marketing claims on the front of the box. "All natural," I don't know what that means.

BALDWIN: You don't buy it?

ZINCZENKO: Hurricanes are all natural, and they're not necessarily great for you.

So -- and to your point, "wheat" or "whole wheat" means nothing. In many cases they take white bread and they just give it a caramel coloring or molasses to turn it brown. If it doesn't say "100 percent whole grain" or "whole wheat," you're not getting the whole grain.

BALDWIN: So it's the whole grain we're looking for?

ZINCZENKO: You're looking for the 100 percent whole grain or 100 percent whole wheat. You have the wheat kernel. So when it says multigrain that just means they've processed many grains. So it's actually even worse than one grain. So that's something, you want to look for that 100 percent whole grain or whole wheat label.

BALDWIN: Grocery shopping is more complicated than I realized, I guess.

And then you have the whole issue, let's just throw this out there, you have all the different stores, right? You have the farmer's markets, big bulk stores, the small niche stores. I don't have time to go to all of those different places. Is that what ultimately you recommend or can't I just shop at the good old grocery store?

ZINCZENKO: Well, I think you can go to just one store as long as it's not a name like, you know, "The House of Bratwurst." then I would probably --

BALDWIN: That would be bad.

ZINCZENKO: -- add variety to my shopping. That would be bad. I don't recommend the house of sausage.

But, you know, familiarizing yourself with one store is not a bad idea. And you can go to places like Costco and you can get grass fed beef and you can get wild salmon. You can get healthy choices. You don't want to buy in bulk things that are going to spoil or junk food. But it's very -- it's very good in having a plan when you familiarize yourself with just one store. But you need to really, again, come in with a bit of a plan, because if you don't, that's when you're going to waste a lot of money on things that aren't that nutritious.

At the same time, once you learn your way around the store, you can get inexpensive healthy items and you can even find the cheapest health foods. For example, if you love seafood, you can get mackerel, which is like $5 a pound, versus something like sandwich can be $10 or $15. And it carries a very similar nutrient load.

BALDWIN: All right.

ZINCZENKO: That's one example.

BALDWIN: So we're shopping the perimeter. We're going with the plan. I'm trying to avoid the ice cream aisle. Final question is this -- if people are watching, Dave, and they're thinking what one thing can I take away from this man who knows full of oodles of facts when it comes to grocery shopping, what is the one tip to give people to be a smart, healthy shopper?

ZINCZENKO: I would just try to plan it out. Google before you go or --

BALDWIN: Google what?

ZINCZENKO: "Eat This, Not That" -- Google before you go to find out what you want -- if you can Google labels or you can use "Eat This, Not That" guides which take the guesswork out of it for you.

Basically you just want to be able to go in with a plan so you're not in there just marking blind choices. And it's hard to take the time in the supermarket to find the best options when your kid's playing kickball with a bag of Fritos. So if you do prep work before you go, it's going to pay enormous dividends.

BALDWIN: It's amazing. Dave Zinkzenko, thank you for talking me through this. Make a list, plan, Google. Thank you, sir, I appreciate it.

ZINCZENKO: Wednesday night.

BALDWIN: Wednesday night, right. Thank you. Got it.

All right, coming up, Senate candidate Christine O'Donnell admitted to dabbling in witchcraft and she denies evolution exists. So of course, let's go back to "SNL." They could not resist making fun of her. We'll have that snippet ahead.

Also, what makes this person most intriguing? She is this close to becoming one of the most powerful leaders in the whole world. Who is it? Find out, next on "RICK'S LIST."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) BALDWIN: Welcome back to "RICK'S LIST." It's time to check the list of the most intriguing people in the news today.

Who could it be? Sixty-two years old, this woman became a grandmother two weeks ago. She also used to belong to a leftist guerrilla group. She was captured, imprisoned for years. She was tortured. That was her former life.

Now, she may likely become the most powerful woman on the planet. The big reveal, please. She's Dilma Rousseff. She's currently the president's chief of staff in Brazil, but not too much longer. The president is on the way out and she's the overwhelming favorite to replace him.

By the way, no woman has ever led a nation the size of Brazil, I'm talking 200 million people. Also the largest economy in South America. Election Day is next Sunday. That's intriguing, and so is Dilma Rousseff.

We are just about eight minutes away from the shocking report. This involves allegations of murder and a cover-up. We're talking about U.S. soldiers accused of killing Afghan civilians, but that is not the whole story. We'll have disturbing details you need to hear ahead.

Also Gloria Borger with information just in from the world of politics. The "CNN Equals Political Ticker." That is next. There she is getting ready. We'll be right back. Hey, Gloria.

GLORIA BORGER, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: How are you?

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BALDWIN: All right, time now for a CNN equals politics update with Gloria Borger with "The Best Political Team on Television." And Gloria, what's crossing right now?

BORGER: Well, Brooke, Karl Rove is in the news again. You remember him. He was George W. Bush's senior political advisor. And he along with other top Bush administration officials have formed something they called American crossroads which is raising money to support Republican congressional candidates. They are going to do some attack ads. They're doing a lot of get-out-the-vote efforts.

What did the Democrats intend to do in return? I was talking to a senior democratic campaign strategist today. And he said to me, don't be surprised if in some Congressional districts you start seeing some anti-Rove ads on the air. They're going to talk about, quote, "Karl Rove's secretly funded corporate campaign." It seems like he's still immensely unpopular with the Democratic voters they're trying to get to the polls.

And next, speaking of rove, George W. Bush is also someone Democrats love to attack in the campaign. But here's a little twist on this, Brooke. A vulnerable Democrat in the very, very red state of North Dakota has decided that he has an ad supporting George W. Bush, saying, "I supported him when he called for Medicare prescription drug plan, this candidate, Earl Pomeroy said, quote, "that he put seniors over party." So there's a Democrat saying I like George W. Bush?

Well, anyway -- Joe Biden is back on the campaign trail. And he's the latest big name to appear for Democratic Senate candidate Paul Hodes. But there's a poll out that shows that Hodes really has an uphill battle against Kelly Ayotte. He is trailing her by 14 points. That's in the state of New Hampshire.

And what's the key to this? She's beating him by a two-to-one margin among independent voters, and those voters are going to be the key to this election, Brooke.

BALDWIN: Gloria, I have one more question with regard to Democrats, this question of whether or not they're feeling panicked, because we're honing in on the midterms. I was talking to Jessica Yellin this hour and we were talking specifically about California and Boxer and Fiorina. Boxer is up eight points, percentage points regarding the "L.A. Times" poll. But whether or not that race is a done deal, she said, heck no. I wonder if that narrative is playing out from coast-to-coast.

BORGER: Well, it is. We just saw Bill Clinton appearing on behalf of Barney Frank in Massachusetts, a very senior Democrat. The Democrats I talked to, Brooke, are very, very worried about a wave. And they're worried about what kind of wall you build, when you're facing a big campaign wave, there's nothing that you can do.

They believe that perhaps the Tea Party and reaction against some of the Tea Party candidates has helped them convince their base that the midterm election is going to be important, and maybe their base is going to come out and vote in larger numbers.

But the fear that I -- that I feel when I'm in a room with Democrats is palpable. They're nervous and they're very worried about keeping control of the House of Representatives, which is clearly up for grabs right now.

BALDWIN: It is indeed. And we'll have to see. You know, we were talking about, you know, how two years ago, we had that whole push with Democrats show up in droves at the polls. Will that play out in November?

BORGER: Probably it's not their time this time. In many ways, they're a victim of their own success. They had very good elections in 2006 and 2008. Think of it this way -- the Democrats occupy 99 percent of the swing House districts in this country. They've got to win half of those if they want to keep control of the House. So, that's tough.

BALDWIN: Fascinating.

BORGER: It's really tough.

BALDWIN: It is fascinating. Gloria, thank you.

BORGER: Sure.

BALDWIN: Coming up next hour, of course, we'll have a political update. You can always, by the way, get the latest political news at CNNpolitics.com, or hop on twitter, go to "@politicalticker."