Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Saturday Morning News
Herman Cain Announcement Today; Troops Home From Iraq; GOP Presidential Campaign; Santa Ana Winds Hammer California; Volunteer or No Jobless Benefits
Aired December 03, 2011 - 06:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: Good Saturday morning, everybody. We are standing by to hear from Herman Cain. He will make an announcement about the future of his campaign today after coming face to face with his wife last night for the first time since he was accused of a 13- year affair.
Also this morning, in an extensive interview, the former Penn State assistant coach, Jerry Sandusky, says he is innocent of child molestation. Well, you'll hear him explain, in his own words, his, quote, "attraction" to young boys.
Also new this morning a boarding school refuses to admit a teenage boy because he has HIV. You will hear the school defend its decision.
ANNOUNCER: From CNN's world headquarters, bringing you news and analysis from across the nation and around the globe, live from Studio 7, this is CNN SATURDAY MORNING with T.J. Holmes.
HOLMES: Let's get you started with the headlines today.
Herman Cain says he will make an announcement on the future of his presidential campaign. This will come in a matter of hours. We are standing by here in Atlanta to hear it. He is in Atlanta today for the planned opening of his Georgia campaign headquarters. But instead, a lot of people are speculating that he could drop out of the race. As you know, this week, a Georgia woman said she had had a 13-year affair with Cain. He denied it. Much more on this coming your way in just a moment.
Also, country music singer Mindy McCready and her son were finally found hiding in a closet in Arkansas. Police had been looking for the pair since late last month when McCready took off with her five-year- old boy. McCready's mother and stepfather actually have custody of the young man. McCready just has visitation rights. She lost custody while battling drug addiction. Police plan to send the boy back to his grandparents in Florida.
Also, Dr. Conrad Murray let a Los Angeles court know he plans to appeal his conviction. He was sentenced to four years in prison, as you know, earlier this week for his part in the death of Michael Jackson. Last month Murray was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter.
Also, let me quote here, "just get to the damn table," end quote. Those are the tough words for Israeli leaders coming from the U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta. He's talking about the prospects for Middle East peace. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LEON PANETTA, DEFENSE SECRETARY: The problem right now is we can't get them to the damn table to at least sit down and begin to discuss their differences. You know, we all know what the pieces are here to a potential agreement. They've been talked about. They've been worked through. We understand the concerns. I understand the concerns of Israel. I understand the concerns from the Palestinians. If they sit at a table and work through those concerns and the United States can be of assistance in that process --
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Now Panetta said the push for peace is also on hold because Israel is becoming more isolated in the region.
Also, the Syrian government has reportedly banned the use of iPhones in the country. "The Los Angeles Times" reporting that it's an effort to stop pictures and video of the ongoing uprising from getting out. Thousands of people have died during anti-government protests there.
We turn back to what will be the big story in politics today. The announcement from Herman Cain. A decision possibly on whether or not he will continue his presidential campaign. A new poll out of Iowa paints a pretty bleak picture. Look at that. The Des Moines Register poll illustrates just how far Cain has fallen in the eyes of Republicans who are likely to attend those Iowa caucuses. He's now at 8 percent. That is a stark difference from where he was just a month or so ago. And our Shannon Travis now has more on what we can expect to hear from Cain in just a few hours.
SHANNON TRAVIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: T.J., what happens in a house behind these gates behind me will likely determine Herman Cain's political future. The Republican presidential candidate arrived here at his home in an Atlanta suburb to meet with his wife for the first time since the allegations of an alleged affair with an Atlanta business woman surfaced early earlier this week.
Herman Cain arrived here amid a convoy of secret service and security. He was in an SUV. Me and my crew, we tried to wave. I've spoken with Herman Cain several times. There was no indication that he saw any of us.
On Saturday, Herman Cain said himself that he will announce the conclusion of this reassessment period that he's been on. It's anyone's guess whether he will come out and suspend his campaign or come out and thumb his nose at his latest accuser yet again. We'll be standing by for that.
T.J.
HOLMES: All right, thanks to our Shannon Travis. He is here in Atlanta. We will be checking in with Shannon throughout the morning. Also while Herman Cain ponders his future here in Atlanta, the Republican presidential front-runners have a full schedule all over the country. Mitt Romney holding a rally in Manchester, New Hampshire, with former presidential candidate Tim Pawlenty. Newt Gingrich has a town hall in Staten Island this afternoon. And then tonight, Gingrich, Romney, and a couple of the other candidates are scheduled to take part in a presidential forum in New York.
We're five minutes past the hour now. We'll turn back to this Penn State investigation. It continue into the alleged sexual molestation of under aged boys. And the man at the center of this whole scandal, Jerry Sandusky, is trying to set the record straight on his relationships with young boys. The former assistant coach sat down with his lawyers at his lawyer's housing for a four-hour interview with "The New York Times." We're just going to play a snippet of it for you now. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JERRY SANDUSKY, FORMER PENN STATE COACH: If I say, no, I'm not attracted to boys, that's not the truth because I'm attracted to young people, boys, girls.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, but not sexually. You're attracted because you feel (INAUDIBLE).
SANDUSKY: Right, I enjoy -- that's what I was trying to say.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE).
SANDUSKY: I enjoy spending time with young people. I enjoy spending time with people. I mean my two favorite groups are the elderly and the young.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: You may have heard there in the background his attorney kind of jump in and try to help him clarify. And then he said he's attracted to them -- he just enjoys being around young people. Sandusky had several other things to say, including saying that Coach Joe Paterno never spoke to him about suspected misconduct with minors. He also says Second Mile charity never restricted his access to children until 2008.
He also said in this interview that -- Sandusky, he says that he never sexually abused any child, but he confirmed details of some of the events prosecutors cited in charging him with 40 counts of molesting young boys. Also says that his intentions were misunderstood. Let me give you a quote from the interview now, saying, quote, "they've taken everything that I ever did for any young person and twisted it. to say that my motives were sexual or whatever. I had kid after kid after kid who might say I was a father figure and they just twisted that all," end quote.
Well, at seven minutes past the hour now, let's say good morning to Reynolds Wolf. Reynolds, missed you last weekend. Good to see you again, buddy.
REYNOLDS WOLF, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Hey, back at you, man. Good morning to you.
And I wish we had some better news for people out in parts of California and the four corners because, T.J., we're talking about some major wind. Still the Santa Anas are moving (ph) back up. And on top of that, we've got some really, really strong wind and snow that's going to be combined for parts of the four corners, especially the mountains of New Mexico, where we can expect some gusts topping possibly 60 miles an hour. Over a foot of snow in the higher elevations and maybe even whiteout conditions for parts of I-25 and I- 40. The full scoop's coming up.
HOLMES: All right. Are you feeling all right, Reynolds? Your voice sounds a little scratchy there.
WOLF: I actually just went on, on one of our "Trip on a Tanks" or adventure roads (ph) is what we're now calling it --
HOLMES: OK.
WOLF: And just babbled nonstop for the last three days. So -- and you know how much I can talk. So, yes, a little bit kind of shaky in my voice.
HOLMES: OK. That's all right. We appreciate your being here. We know you'll soldier on. We'll talk to you here shortly, Reynolds. Thanks, buddy.
WOLF: Absolutely.
HOLMES: Well, your smartphone, folks, it might be a little too smart. It might be spying on you. There's a lawsuit out there now on behalf of 150 million people, good chance you're one of them, after revelations that a secret program is in there that is tracking every key you use. Stay with us for that on this CNN SATURDAY MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Beautiful shot there. What you're seeing, folks, is actually a live picture right now and the camera is actually on the deck of Reynolds' home -- his Miami home. That's what we're seeing. That's where you were last weekend, I assume.
WOLF: Never have times to go down there enough. Never enough in parts of south Florida. I mean gosh knows I love the snow crabs. Just amazing times. So, but the help is having a good time there.
HOLMES: Yes.
WOLF: Yes. So the water's out there in the lagoon and what not. So that's all right.
HOLMES: Things taken care of. Well, let's -- we have these pictures here out of New Mexico, actually. A snowstorm? New Mexico? Quite a mess. What's going on out there? A foot of snow?
WOLF: You know what, they are going to see a foot of snow, but it's going to be in the highest elevations. Now if you happen to be a skier and you want to go to Towes (ph), a place like that, you know, the wind's going to be too strong today. You're not going to get up there. But what's going to happen in the next day or so, when you finally get a chance to go up there, when they have a chance to groom everything, it's going to be great.
But for drivers along parts of I-25 and I-40, T.J., here we go. This is the season that where don't enjoy in those mountains. I'll tell you, it's usually the first big snowstorm where people have to get kind of their, well, obviously not your sea legs, but you kind of have to get --
HOLMES: Yes.
WOLF: You kind of have to get your driving ability -- winter driving ability back. Once you catch on after the first storm, things get to be a little bit better. But I'll tell you, it's going to be tough. Anyone who's making their drive from say the central plains or, shoot, even south Florida, out by the house you saw just moments ago. Yes, anyone who's not used to driving through this kind of weather, it's going to be a tough time. You might actually be better off stopping in Amarillo or Lubbock and just spending the day, even the night until this system drifts its way to the east. Then conditions are going to improve over parts of New Mexico.
The big weathermaker, the reason why we're seeing all that, is going to give us some other issues like some travel delays in spots like say Los Angles back into San Francisco, but not necessarily due to snow but rather the wind is going to be a tremendous issue. You know one that we've been talking about over the last couple of days has been the Santa Anas. Well, that system that created some of those winds is one of the culprits of why we're seeing the heavy snow. Again, up to a foot near Albuquerque in the highest mountains. That is one of the big mojers (ph), the big engines that's going to cause this winter storm to really intensify.
In terms of your winds in southern California, we're going to touch on this later on during the show, but very quickly, not only do we have the strong winds, we've got very, very low humidity. So there is a true fire threat that we have to deal with, probably through the weekend, but we expect the winds to die down in little bit into the afternoon.
So we've got that weather system over the desert southwest. But that's only part of it. We've got this long frontal boundary that's going to extend from Texas, clear up to the western Great Lakes. Rain first. Then when you have the cold air mixing in behind it, in that over running moisture, rain, sleet, and snow.
No, you're not going to see a foot of snowfall. It's not going to be as heavy as what you have in the mountains of New Mexico, but still enough to give you slick conditions once again. So rough times for travelers.
Then to the eastern seaboard, it's going to be just beautiful. Just -- conditions are going to be great from Boston, southward to New York. Even into places like D.C. Now it's going to be a bit nipping today. Highs are going to be mainly into the 40s and 50s in most locations. Atlanta with 62 degrees, 79 in Tampa, 77 in Miami. Then, boom, you get back to the other side of that frontal boundary, 48 the high in Kansas City, 34 in Minneapolis, wrapping it up in Denver with 22 degrees, 42 in Albuquerque and 63 in Los Angeles, 45 in Portland.
There you go, T.J., let's send it right back to you.
HOLMES: All right, Reyni (ph), thank you so much.
An important story here of interest to anybody out there with a cell phone right now. You wonder how much your cell phone company may know about you. It turned out they know a whole lot and maybe a whole lot more than you would like for them too. That's a class action lawsuit out there being filed on behalf of maybe you, 150 million folks. Allegedly now companies were using the secret software to track you and track what you do on your phone.
Would that change your habits if you knew someone was looking at every single thing you did on your phone?
WOLF: A little bit. I wish the cell phone company didn't know anything about me, especially where to send the bill. That's what I really wish. I mean I think we all feel that way.
Well, they certainly know that. Well, supposedly there's -- the carriers out there, it records what you type on your phone. Apparently this app was supposed to be there so they could help you solve a problem when there's an issue so they could get information from your phone. But apparently they can record your phone number, your text messages, your web searches, everything you type in. The lawsuit names T-Mobile, Sprint, AT&T and in the cell phone makers you see up there, Motorola, Samsung, HTC, as well as Apple.
Now, we're not sure if there's anything you can actually do to remove it from your phone. There's nothing really you can do to remove it from your phone. It's there, but it's supposed to be there to help. Companies right now are defending what they're doing. Saying, we're not trying to spy on anybody, but they're capable of doing so. Oh, that rubs people the wrong way.
WOLF: Well, you know, maybe the thing to do, the rule of thumb is, you need to have your text messages and your e-mails to be kind of as though your grandma's going to read it. Your grandmother's in the room.
HOLMES: Great.
WOLF: Unless your grandma's nuts. And if that happens, then, I mean, hey, all bets are off. It could be really, really bad. But, you know, one of the great thing about the big brother thing, about the cell phones, think about this. If someone happens to be missing, you're lost, they can track you. You know, that's the difference maker right there.
HOLMES: Yes, there's some upsides -- some upsides there.
One other thing before I let you go. What do you think was the worst thing you ever called your teacher growing up? Some teacher in grade school?
WOLF: It's a family show, T.J.
HOLMES: OK.
WOLF: It's a family show. We've got to be really careful here. You know, -- you know.
HOLMES: OK, yes.
WOLF: Probably just some things that shouldn't be said. Sure.
HOLMES: Shouldn't be said. OK. Well, there's a kid now, we're going to introduce our audience to, who's actually suspended. You know what he called his teacher?
WOLF: I am flummoxed. Let me know.
HOLMES: He called her cute.
WOLF: What has happened to us as a country?
HOLMES: What has happened?
WOLF: What has happened?
HOLMES: He called his teacher cute, folks. This is not a joke. And he ends up suspended. We'll find out exactly what happened here and we'll try to get Reynolds to explain exactly what he used to call his teachers.
WOLF: Glad my texts are private.
HOLMES: Also, look at these. These never get old. And we're going to see more and more of them as the year wraps up. We've got tears, we've got cheers, as U.S. troops come home from Iraq. We'll take you there.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: We're 17 minutes past the hour on this CNN SATURDAY MORNING. Welcome back.
And the end is near for the American military mission in Iraq. A major landmark of the U.S. missions was, of course, Camp Victory. You've heard that name plenty over the years. Now it's being handed over to Iraqi leaders. This happened yesterday. The last U.S. troops left the base at the height of the mission in Iraq. As many as 40,000 U.S. service members were stationed at Camp Victory.
The U.S. still has five active military bases in Iraq. But by the end of the month, the withdrawal will be complete. That means we'll see more and more scenes like this one.
Oh, don't you just love this? This is what it looked like when 100 members of the 219th Battlefield Surveillance Brigade returned home to Indianapolis. They are the last of the brigade's troops to come home. They've been in Iraq for eight months.
And this is the scene we saw with the last of the California National Guard troops stations in Iraq came home. About 70 medics and medical technicians wrapped up their ten-month deployment with this homecoming. Our Pentagon correspondent Chris Lawrence takes us to another of these home comings. This one at Ft. Hood in Texas.
CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, T.J., I know you've seen a lot of these homecomings and, you know, it just never gets old. But the thing about this one is, it's special because, in the case of Iraq, there is no next time.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LAWRENCE (voice-over): It's really hard to describe the emotion that was going on here before the troops arrived. I mean kids were running around, jumping up and down, they had so much excitement, anticipation of the families. It's been a long 10 months.
And then, all of a sudden, this smoke starts coming out and the gate rises up and the soldiers continue out like rock stars, literally. The crowd is screaming. Everyone tried to make the speeches very, very short because the highlight was seeing these troops rush into the arms of their loved ones, hugging, kissing, trying to catch up over what's been missed over the last 10 months.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A lot's gone on. We put our first one in preschool, our first one in high school. Yes, it's big, you know. And we put one in college this year. So it has been a very long 10 months. I'm glad it's over.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's a sense of piece knowing that that's one less opportunity for us to be separated from our families. We know we still have our operations going on in Afghanistan and other contingency operations as they come up. But to know that what has consumed so much of our careers recently as a profession, to know that that's not there looming over us is certainly peace of mind.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LAWRENCE: So the troops do have to do a reintegration training. Basically getting acclimated to being back home and with their families again. After that, they get about 30-day leave to really just kick back, spend time with the family and maybe let it sink in that they were some of the last troops to walk out of Iraq, and they won't be going back.
T.J.
HOLMES: Well, thanks to our Chris Lawrence there.
And stay tuned to CNN for special coverage of the withdrawal from Iraq. We've got several of our correspondents heading back to Iraq for the final days of the U.S. mission there. We'll have in-depth reports starting next week, all the way up to the withdrawal.
We're 20 minutes past the hour now.
You know what churches often say, just come as you are. Well, for one church in Kentucky, don't come as you are if you happen to be in an interracial relationship. Yes, the church says it disapproves of interracial marriage. And the couple you're seeing won't be allowed to come and join that church. We'll tell you the story. And we want to know what you think about this, this morning. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Twenty-four minutes past the hour now. Give you a look at some of the news cross country.
And we start with a novel way to get your kids the toys they want.
If you're never sure about which toy your kid would like for Christmas, how about renting some? A couple in Boston started the website Toygaroo where you can rent toys for less than what they would cost to buy. Rent them for a month, send them back. And if your kid gets attached to the toy, then the website lets you buy the toy at a discounted price.
In Gastonia, North Carolina, a mom says her nine-year-old son was suspended for two days, not for fighting, not for cheating. Nothing like that. Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
EMANYEA LOCKETT, SUSPENDED FOR CALLING TEACHER "CUTE": I was talking to my friend. I said -- I said Miss Terry (ph) was cute.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: He called his teacher cute. The school district spokeswoman says the child was sent home for, quote, "inappropriate behavior."
And meet one of Louisiana State University's biggest fans. Buddy Hair has not missed a Tiger football game in 56 year. Either at home in Baton Rouge or on the road. He used to be the pilot for the team's airplane. And even in retirement, he has not slow down. His wife saying nothing can keep Buddy home when his favorite team is playing.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANN HAIR, WIFE OF LONGTIME LSU FAN: He's always gone, I promise you. He'll go if he has to crawl.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Buddy will be in Atlanta today for the Georgia/LSU SEC championship.
We turn now to a story that has a lot of people talking. It may have you talking after you hear it. A church in Kentucky is getting some criticism because it says it does not condone interracial marriage. The church acted because of this couple you're seeing. The lady's name is Stella Harvelle and her fiance's name is Ticha Chikuni. They attended services back in June. They were visiting her parents. They plan to marry next summer. But the church members approved a statement this week saying the church does not approve of interracial marriage. It goes on to say interracial couples will not be received as members of the church or used in worship services.
Our Erin Burnett asked Harvelle if she's shocked by what happened.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STELLA HARVELLE (voice-over): I was just floored. I mean, as well as they were. I mean to say that we couldn't sing in church because he doesn't want his granddaughter growing up thinking it's OK to marry a black guy? Like, I get it. People have their convictions. And it's not like I want to flaunt it in front of them. But so like what are they going to do? Like are they going to go out to a public outing and if they see an interracial couple are they going to be like, oh, we need you to leave because I don't want my granddaughter thinking it's OK. It is just -- I still don't know how to process all this.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Now the church has gotten a lot of attention for this and the pastor says it may overturn the policy, possibly even as early as tomorrow. But we wanted to hear your thoughts on this. You can send your comments. You know where to find us. I'm talking to many of you this morning already on Twitter. I'm @tjhomes. Or you can post it to our Facebook page. Also we have a show blog at CNN.com/TJ.
As we get close to the bottom of the hour now, it is decision day for Herman Cain. His supporters are standing by to hear if he plans to keep going or if he plans to just end his presidential run now. We are standing by today. That word could come at any moment. An announcement, though, if officially set for a little later, around midday. Stay with us for full coverage of that.
Also ahead, Jerry Sandusky, in his own words. You may not believe what he had to say as he tried to explain himself and his relationship with young boys. Stay with us on this CNN SATURDAY MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: We're at the bottom of the hour now on this CNN SATURDAY MORNING. Welcome back, everybody. I'm T.J. Holmes. Glad you spend part of your weekend here with us.
And we are getting an update on this Penn State scandal. And we're getting it from the man at the center of this investigation. You know this investigation as it continues into this alleged sexual molestation of underage boys at Penn State. Well, Jerry Sandusky, the former assistant coach, is trying to set the record straight now on his relationships with young boys. He sat down in his lawyer's house for an extensive interview. It went for some four hours. He was talking to "The New York Times." So a lot in that interview. But we're able to bring you this portion of it. You take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JERRY SANDUSKY, FORMER PENN STATE COACH: If I say, no, I'm not attracted to boys, that's not the truth because I'm attracted to young people, boys, girls.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, but not sexually. You're attracted because you feel (INAUDIBLE).
SANDUSKY: Right, I enjoy -- that's what I was trying to say.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE).
SANDUSKY: I enjoy spending time with young people. I enjoy spending time with people. I mean my two favorite groups are the elderly and the young.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Now, you may have heard a voice in the background there. His lawyer jumped in, trying to get him to clarify. Yes, you're attracting to young people, but he said not sexually.
Sandusky had plenty more to say in that four-hour interview. Also went on to say that the coach, former head coach Joe Paterno, never spoke to him about suspected misconduct with minors. He also says that Second Mile, the charity he started, never restricted his access to children until 2008. Sandusky also says that his intentions were good, but misunderstand, saying, quote, "they've taken everything that I ever did for any young person and twisted it to say that my motives before sexual or whatever. I had kid after kid after kid who might say I was a father figure and they just twisted that all."
Let's turn now to the scandal that's starting to surround Syracuse University. The head basketball coach there, Jim Boeheim, he is now apologizing for being angry and defensive in defending his long-time assistant coach and friend Bernie Fine, who is now accused of sexual molestation as well. Boeheim made the remarks during a post-game interview. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JIM BOEHEIM, SYRACUSE HEAD COACH: I believe I misspoke very badly in my response to the allegations that have been made. I shouldn't have questioned what the accusers expressed or their motives. I am really sorry that I did that, and I regret any harm that I caused.
(END VIDEO CLIP) HOLMES: Now Fine was an assistant coach for 35 years at Syracuse. He was fired last month over the allegations.
We'll give you a look now at some of the other stories making headlines.
This will be a headline later today. Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain making an announcement of some kind. Said it's going to be a big one today. And a lot of people speculating whether or not he will get out of the race. Cain has been denying having a 13-year extramarital affair with a Georgia woman. He is in Atlanta for two things, to talk to his wife face to face, which he was supposed to do last night. That was their first meeting face to face since all of these allegations of this 13-year affair came up. And the other thing he was supposed to do was to open his Georgia campaign headquarters. That event set to start in a matter of hours from now. And we expect to hear from him. We'll bring that to you.
Also, former Democratic presidential candidate George McGovern is in guarded condition at a South Dakota hospital. He reportedly fell on the campus of Dakota Wesleyan University. He was there to be a part of a live C-Span program on presidential contenders. The 89-year-old former U.S. senator lost to incumbent Richard Nixon in 1972.
Also, Newt Gingrich still rising in the polls. Mitt Romney trying to fight back. Herman Cain -- what is Herman Cain doing? You know what, just look at what we've got in studio today. Look at this. Dear friends of our show for years now. This is the first time we've been able to actually get them to Atlanta next to each other. Republican Lenny McAllister and, of course, Democratic strategist Maria Cardona.
Good to have you guys in town.
LENNY MCALLISTER, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: Good to be here.
MARIA CARDONA, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: We're thrilled to be here, T.J. Thank you so much.
HOLMES: This we've been trying to do this for a while now.
CARDONA: Yes.
HOLMES: You all picked a heck of a weekend to be here.
MCALLISTER: Oh, yes. Yes.
HOLMES: We'll see them throughout the morning. Several segments with them. So much to talk about.
I'm going to start with Herman Cain. Is there any way in the world you can open a campaign headquarters and close it on the same day? Is there any way he's really getting out?
MCALLISTER: I say yes.
HOLMES: Today? MCALLISTER: I don't know if it's going be today, but I think this is the beginning of the sunset. You can't open it up and close it within a week because how do you overcome this? I really felt that Herman Cain's goal was going to be number two. To be that vice presidential candidate. If you look at the early debates, you will see that Mitt Romney was giving an olive branch to Herman Cain. You he ended up being somebody that started becoming popular, quote/unquote, that flavor of the week. Then he shot to the top of the polls. But with all these allegations, how is he going to even have the muster to be able to be influential to pick a presidential candidate or to sway a whole lot of votes and direct them intentionally towards a candidate. I just don't see it.
CARDONA: Here's the issue with Herman Cain. Herman Cain has been living in his own political bizarro world.
HOLMES: OK.
CARDONA: The rules clearly, he doesn't think, apply to him. So he could very well say that he is doing this big opening for his office today and then tomorrow decide to get out tomorrow. But what I think is going to happen is -- and, again, prognostication has -- really has no reality here because this has been such a bizarre process -- is that he is going to continue forward, he's going to continue to deny all of these allegations, he's going to stay that his wife and his family support him and then perhaps continue on.
Iowa is not that far away. He could very well continue with what he is doing now, do Iowa. He's not going to win in Iowa. And then get out after Iowa and say, I didn't make it in Iowa, so I'm getting out.
HOLMES: OK. Is he commanding this new cycle once again? Because you listen to his words, he didn't say I'm going to decide whether or not I'm staying in or getting out. I'm going to make a decision on how to go forward. So is he messing with us again?
MCALLISTER: He's not messing with us. He's controlling the news cycle.
HOLMES: Yes.
MCALLISTER: But here's the problem with him staying in Iowa, is the fact that if he commands the news cycle, now the GOP brand starts gets tarnished. The GOP can't focus on unemployment. They can't focus on other things that they need to focus on in order to beat President Obama in November 2012. The longer that Cain stays in the race, the more it hurts all of the Republican candidates, which is why there's going to be more and more pressure for him to leave before now.
HOLMES: Is he getting that pressure now, though?
MCALLISTER: Absolutely.
HOLMES: Outside of his own home, maybe?
MCALLISTER: Absolutely.
CARDONA: And so Lenny's absolutely right. So that's why I urge Mr. Cain to stay in this race.
MCALLISTER: Of course she does.
CARDONA: But in all seriousness, you know, if you're a voter and you're looking at what Cain is going through, you know, it's just -- it's worse than just the allegations. It's worse than just the affair. It's the cumulative effect of the allegations of the affair, but also the fact that he has shown that he doesn't have the character to be commander in chief. If you get past the "it" (ph) factor, you get to substance. What substance is there? He didn't know how to answer the question on Libya. And I know you want to give him a break on that, T.J. He didn't know how to answer -- he didn't know that China was a nuclear power for 40 years.
MCALLISTER: He knew that.
CARDONA: He --
MCALLISTER: That one he knew. I --
CARDONA: You know, but -- well, but then why did he say -- why did he say that he thought that China didn't want, you know --
MCALLISTER: Because he stumbled on his whole campaign. We've seen him back and forth misspeak the whole time.
CARDONA: And -- but that's the problem. He -- lack of experience. Lack of knowledge.
HOLMES: The cumulative effect, as you said (INAUDIBLE).
CARDONA: The cumulative effect. Exactly.
HOLMES: OK. And someone else said to me, another political analyst, essentially people can forgive. And we were talking -- we had a pretty heated discussion down in the makeup room downstairs about this.
MCALLISTER: Yes.
CARDONA: Right. Right.
MCALLISTER: Yes.
HOLMES: And that is -- and I said, people can forgive an adulterer, but they don't want a liar.
CARDONA: Yes.
HOLMES: And you were the one that said to me -- you said, no, this is a new day. They don't want either one.
MCALLISTER: They don't want either one as much. With a new day, with the blogosphere, with the 24 hour news cycle out there. But more important than that, they want somebody that's going to be humble with this. Be contrite. In 1992, Bill Clinton was contrite. He basically said mea culpa, moved forward from there, won the nomination, won the presidency.
Herman Cain has never quite said that so far. It's been all about people who are attacking the character assassination. And even if this is part character assassination, there's a sense of humility that people want to see from their president. And when they don't see that in a presidential candidate, somebody that they can possibly see in the Oval Office, it makes them back off. And that's why you're seeing more and more people come out and say, you know what, Herman, you had a nice run, we didn't expect this from you, but maybe this is the time to sunset your campaign.
CARDONA: And I completely agree. The time for him to have been able to deal with this and move forward with, you know, trying to talk about issues or how he would lead this country is over a long time ago. Even when the first accuser came out, he should have just dealt with it head on. And I think humility plays a lot into it. He doesn't know the meaning of the world humility and I think that that to voters is a big deal.
HOLMES: All right, we won't just be talking Herman Cain this morning, but that will be a big part of the news cycle. But Lenny and Maria in the building. Can you believe it? So good to have you guys here.
CARDONA: Thank you.
HOLMES: But we'll be talking to them plenty throughout the day. And, of course, we've got plenty to talk about with Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich as well. So all politics. And you all picked a heck of a weekend to be in Atlanta, of course.
That Herman Cain event starts around 11:00 Eastern today. We will bring you that live as soon as it starts to happen and as soon, of course, as Cain takes the stage to make his big, whatever, announcement.
Well, we're 40 minutes past the hour now. And coming up, another story that had people talking and really outraged this week. An honor student with HIV is denied admission to a boarding school simply because and only because he has HIV. You'll hear what the school has to say. They are defending their decision. You'll also hear an attorney for the boy's parents.
And take a look. The damage in California. Those Santa Ana winds really kicked up. But are they dying down? Reynolds Wolf is in the house as well. We'll check in with him. You'd better stay with me.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: It's a good place to get away too, right?
REYNOLDS WOLF, AMS METEOROLOGIST: It was. Beautiful.
HOLMES: The 415. San Francisco. You're looking at the Bay Bridge there down on -- I believe I can make out the Embarka (ph) there over there in San Francisco.
Good morning to you all at 3:43 in the morning where you are, 6:43 on the East Coast. Good morning, once again.
And we're talking about California. Not necessarily northern California, the Bay area, but southern California. These winds. When you hear some of these wind speeds, wow.
WOLF: Yes, it's pretty intense. I mean -- and one of the big things that people wonder about, what in the world are the Santa Ana winds.
HOLMES: We hear it all the time.
WOLF: Yes. It's really a simple thing. T.J., I know you spent a considerable amount of time in the golden state. And what the Santa Ana winds happen to be is when you have winds that come from say the Great Basin or say parts of the desert southwest. They make their way towards the coast.
And as they're moving that direction, they often move right between canyons and through mountain passes. And as the wind channels through those places, the molecules -- geek speak here -- the molecules are compressed. The air actually heats up a little bit, and because of the friction, because of it heating up, it's a drying wind.
So if you have vegetation in southern California and, remember, it only rain like just as few times a year. The foliage up there, we're talking about the Chaparral (ph), we're talking about all the mountain grasses, they dry out even more. So if you have any kind of fire that pops up, it's going to spread very quickly. So it's a real danger for a lot of people.
HOMES: When do these pop up? Can they pop up essentially any time? Is there a time that you're going to see them more so than others?
WOLF: It all has to do with the atmosphere. I mean technically they could theoretically pop up any time of the year. But it's when you have an area of high pressure. When you have any kind of winds that are spinning. Anything that's going to create winds coming from parts of the desert southwest or from the mountains. Anything that's going to rush them towards the coast and through this pass. That's basically how it goes. And it could be really destructive. We're talking winds that can be in excess of 60, even 70 miles an hour. So, T.J., we're talking close to hurricane-force winds.
And you see the damage right there. I mean, to be honest, you could argue that these are the strongest winds you're ever going to deal with in California because the current is so cold in parts of California, they're never going to deal with anything like a tropical system, like a hurricane in Los Angeles or see say anything like a -- anything massive like that. The strongest stuff is going to be the Santa Ana winds and obviously it has a detrimental effect. It topples the trees, downs power lines. Widespread power outages can be anticipated. And today we expect them to last at least through mid to late afternoon.
HOLMES: The power outages?
WOLF: Power outages will -- power outages may stretch on for a little bit longer.
HOLMES: But the winds are going to continue through?
WOLF: The winds are going to be strong.
HOLMES: OK.
WOLF: And then on top of that, one more thing very quickly. You have to remember, the traveling that it's goes into effect. People trying to get in at Burbank or LAX or -- I mean it's going to have a chain reaction. Also in places like San Francisco. Winds will be fairly strong in San Francisco. Not as strong as in the say southern California across the San Gabriels. But it's still going to be strong enough to cause some backups.
HOLMES: All right, Reynolds, thank you. We're going to check in with Reynolds, of course, plenty throughout the morning.
I want to turn now to a story that has a lot of people outraged. Parents of a Pennsylvania honor student who has HIV looking for the best -- hey --
WOLF: Sorry, dude. Sorry.
HOLMES: Reynolds, I'm trying to work here. What are you --
WOLF: Oh, I thought I was done. I was going to (INAUDIBLE) back on. See what happens? We need a wide shot of that. I had no idea.
HOLMES: This -- when we're done here --
WOLF: You can't take me anywhere.
HOLMES: When you and I are done here, I still have some work do here, so they usually like for you to walk around that camera.
WOLF: It's a three-ring circus.
HOLMES: Can we try this again?
WOLF: It's a three-ring circus and I'm the biggest clown. OK. Go right ahead. I'm sorry.
HOLMES: Love the guy. I missed you last weekend, man.
WOLF: Back at you, man.
HOLMES: All right. OK, we're at a quarter past the top of the hour. Turning back to that outrage story. A young man denied admission to a boarding school because he has HIV. And now that school defending its position. You'll hear from both sides. You stay with us on this Saturday morning.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: At 12 minutes of the top of the hour. Attorneys for a 13-year- old Pennsylvania boy are suing a private school for discrimination. They say he's not been allowed to attend the Milton Hershey School -- it's a private boarding school -- because he is HIV positive. Here's what a school official told our Anderson Cooper.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CONNIE MCNAMARA, MILTON HERSHEY SCHOOL: We believe we are following the law. We believe that -- we know that the law sets a high standard. And we've looked at this. And we believe that this rises to the level of a direct threat.
The key issue for us comes down to sexual activity. We know that teenagers nationwide are -- a significant number are sexually active. Our students are no different than any other teenagers. And on our campus, in our unique controlled environment, they are -- if one of our students is engaging in sexual activity, the odds are it's with another of our students. And we have parental responsibility for those -- all of those children.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: I spoke with Ronda Goldfein, executive director of the AIDS Law Project of Pennsylvania. She is also the parent's attorney. I asked her about trying to reach an agreement with the school.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RONDA B. GOLDFEIN, ATTORNEY FOR TEEN WITH HIV: We attempted, since August, to work this out and really hadn't gotten anywhere with the folks at Hershey. The idea that they were going to seek an advisory opinion from a federal court is a bit unusual. I'm not really aware of federal courts issuing advisory opinions.
HOLMES: And, ma'am, can --
GOLDFEIN: We clearly -- sorry.
HOLMES: Oh, please continue. I'm sorry.
GOLDFEIN: And we decided that once we were more than a third of the way into the academic year, that we had no choice but to file a lawsuit and finally get this mater on the table.
HOLMES: The school says at least -- and you can understand why this is different from the Ryan White case, in that he was going to school for the day and he would go home to his parents and go home at night. They say -- at least the school -- that this is different because this boarding school would put kids around at age 13 years old in close quarters together. They would be living together. Ten to 12 in a home.
And as I'm reading their statement, they say, "we are serving children and no child can be assumed to always make responsible decisions that protect the well being of others." Is there any threat or risk there that you're putting other children in some kind -- I mean it might not be that possible, but there is a slim chance that giving kids in these tight quarters things that something flukey could happen. GOLDFEIN: No. I think that that -- that argument is just a red herring. I mean, let's think about it. The courts have been clear that there's no reason why children with HIV can't be in congregate settings. They can't go to school. They can't go to day camp. So what is it about this setting that from 8:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. that creates this great risk that's not in a day school? I mean we shouldn't think that these folks are in a submarine. They're in a school. And they're in a school where there should be parents who are -- house parents who are supervising their activities.
Even if -- even if they thought that our student presented some degree of risk, they didn't do any analysis. They didn't look into it. They didn't consider him. They just decided that that diagnosis was too risky for them.
HOLMES: Does he still want to go to school there?
GOLDFEIN: Sure, he does.
HOLMES: All right.
GOLDFEIN: He's -- he wants a good education, and the Hershey School boasts academic excellence. We hope that they'll understand that he can be a good student.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Now, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says HIV is not transmitted by casual contact. That includes a casual kiss, shaking hands, using a toilet seat or handling a doorknob. We'll continue to follow this story and let you know what happens with that lawsuit.
We're about eight minutes of the top of the hour. We'll turn next to a state senator who wants to send a message to those unemployed. Volunteer or you don't get jobless benefits. Is that fair? Is that legal? Stay with us for that.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Well, five minutes till the top of the hour here in just a moment.
If you're looking for a job, should you be required to volunteer in exchange for getting unemployment benefits? Well, one Georgia Republican state senator, John Albers, says absolutely. And he's here to explain it to me now.
Sir, thank you for coming in this morning.
JOHN ALBERS, GEORGIA STATE SENATE: Good morning.
HOLMES: I was just talking to you. A lot of states have attempted this before, but none of them have passed. You want the state to be the first. Why is this necessary?
ALBERS: Well, it's a great think. And, good morning. And thanks for having me on the show.
When folks lose their job, it can be very depressing and defeating. And I helped do this through my church and our job network ministry. Getting motivated, getting out in the morning, learning new things, meeting new people, serving folks, getting new stuff on your resume is only positive. And when you're helping our citizens serve other people and our charities, only good can come of it.
HOLMES: What -- but, still, it's a state sanctioned motivation. Shouldn't people have their own right and make that decision for themselves what they want to get out and do?
ALBERS: Well, that may be true. But, unfortunately, we're in at unprecedented times. We need to get people back into the workforce. As you know, there's a record number of people who have actually given up on looking for work right now and we need to get folks back in there. And we, as a government, want to do the best we can to provide that environment.
HOLMES: Now what makes you think this would pass the legal test that you could require this? People pay in, or employers here in this state at least, pay into the unemployment insurance that goes out for folks. But what makes you think you can legally attach this condition?
ALBERS: Well, I think if you look back in history, the WPA and other things that were done back during the time of the Great Depression, we can put those same practices during the Great Recession. So I believe there is some legal precedence to do that and I think we have to challenge the status quo. We have to do things differently. We have to do them better.
HOLMES: OK. A lot of people say well, wait a minute -- and your requiring -- how did you come up with 24 hours? I haven't said that yet. It's 24 hours a week that would be required to volunteer. That is a huge chunk of time for someone trying to find a job. How did you settle on that amount of hours?
ALBERS: Well, I -- three days a week is a really good amount of time. But you think about this. Most people find work when they're already working. So we already know that you can work a full-time job and find new work. To give back what would be three days a week worth of business time, not total time but business time, I think is more than reason.
HOLMES: That business time, a lot of people will argue, I could be using that time to find another job. And we all know, certainly in these times, and Georgia has had a higher unemployment rate than the nation for quite some time now -- it's a full-time job to find a job.
ALBERS: But, T.J., what a better way to find a job than to be working, have something on your resume, new skills and meeting new people. That is a key component to finding new work.
HOLMES: Now who's going to -- who's going to administer this? How are you going to enforce this? And we have seen big systems be put in place before. You're going have police it some kind of way. It's going to cost some money.
ALBERS: Well, technology is our friend. Everybody in Georgia, that is a company or a non-for-profit, already has access through our secretary of state and other websites. And we also have a Department of Labor database connecting the two of those and telling a charity that if someone's going to come volunteer for them, simply log in online and show that they're logged their hours. So we can do things electronically that will be very inexpensive, very easy to manage and we can get this program done.
HOLMES: What are your chances?
ALBERS: I believe very high. I wouldn't be doing it unless we weren't going to pass it.
HOLMES: Senator Albers. We absolutely -- this is coming up in session which starts at the beginning of the year here in Georgia.
ALBERS: Correct.
HOLMES: We will follow this and we'll have you back in.
ALBERS: Thanks, T.J.
HOLMES: Good to see you this morning.
ALBERS: Have a great day.
HOLMES: Thanks so much.
We're just a few minutes till the top of the hour here. We'll reset things for you in a moment, give you the very latest on the stories you may have missed overnight. There was a lot happening overnight.
Also, the latest on a big announcement expected from Herman Cain here in Atlanta just a few hours from now. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
