Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Saturday Morning News

Violence Continues in Syria; High School Teacher Gives Notable Commencement Address; E. Coli Cases Reported Across U.S.; "I'll Have Another" Retires Before Belmont Stakes; CNN Hero Matches Veterans with Trained Dogs; Interview with Actress Judith Light; Interview with Producer Andy Cohen

Aired June 09, 2012 - 10:00   ET

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

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RANDI KAYE, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): From CNN world headquarters in Atlanta, this is CNN SATURDAY MORNING.

DOUG O'NEILL, TRAINER, "I'LL HAVE ANOTHER": It is very disappointing.

KAYE: A Triple Crown shocker before any horse even reaches the Belmont starting gate. "I'll Have Another" is out and will never run again. We'll tell you why.

Also -- there's a federal investigation underway and it's targeting the highest levels of government. The FBI and Department of Justice now looking into three cases of state secrets possibly leaked to the public. We have new details.

Plus --

RICHARD DIENER, UNEMPLOYED SINCE 2010: It's been frustrating. It's been frustrating because I've never had a problem finding work before.

KAYE: Five million. That's the number of Americans out of work more than six months. We've got long-term unemployment in focus this morning. For millions, jobless benefits are running out. We have some tips on how you can get back to work.

And we have Bravo's Andy Cohen. I talked to him about his new book, the six moments he'd like to forget, the real scoop on the "Real Housewives," and doing a shot with Dan Rather.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAYE: Good morning, everyone. I'm Randi Kaye. It is 10:00 on the east coast, 7:00 on the west coast. Thanks for starting your day with us.

We start with new action right now in Syria, a clash between rebel forces and the Syrian military unfolding in the flashpoint city of Homs. Homs has been the anti-epicenter for the last 15 months. Joining me now from Beirut, Lebanon, is CNN's Arwa Damon.

I know you've been to the area. Tell us what we're seeing. ARWA DAMON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes. It's some pretty intense video. This is a neighborhood that was under the control of the opposition of the free Syrian party for quite some time now, and it is right up against a front line, one of many front lines in that city where on the other side of one of the major roads you have government forces.

We were recently broadcasting some pretty intense images of the battles that took place along that front line, and it is an area that frequently comes under intense violence, although what you're seeing today is more intense. It certainly seems, if we look at the violence throughout the country, the government is renewing its effort to try to regain control over these areas that are in the hands of the free Syrian army and opposition activists.

There was some pretty intense fighting, bombardment in a southern city, also fighting in Damascus, some of the most widespread fighting we've seen since this uprising began, and this most certainly is going to be very worrisome for the government of Bashar al Assad.

KAYE: Certainly, Arwa, the violence and bloodshed, are the pictures we're seeing a mass funeral in Syria right now? Do you have any information about that as well?

DAMON: That is a funeral that's taking place in the southern province that came under intense bombardment. Around 20 people believed to have been killed in the fighting there according to opposition activists.

You see how many people gathered during these funerals, these funeral processions, because it is not just about mourning the dead. A lot of times those are taking part, they're using this as an opportunity to fight the opposition.

The opposition is quite incredible. Even when they're mourning someone who is killed by government forces for standing up against the regime, they continue to stand up against the regime itself. Nothing at this point in time, Randi, is going to deter this opposition.

KAYE: Arwa Damon, thank you very much for reporting.

To the Justice Department now and a guarantee from Attorney General Eric Holder. He says his new lead investigators will get to the bottom of the leaked secret scandal. President Obama says his White House has zero tolerance for leaks and promises that anyone guilty will suffer consequences. He also had pointed remarks for anyone who thinks the White House is behind the leaks.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The notion that my White House would purposely release classified national security information is offensive. It's wrong, and, you know, people, I think, need to have a better sense of how I approach this office and how the people around me here approach this office.

(END VIDEO CLIP) KAYE: Republican Senator John McCain has called on the president to appoint a special to investigate. Attorney General Eric Holder appointed two U.S. attorneys to work with the FBI. Leaked information has included class fight information regarding a cyber-attack against Iran and classified information about a U.S. drone program.

A ruling on 9/11 could have an impact on how more than $4 billion on a medical fund is suspect. It comes down to a possible decision on cancers and whether they were caused by toxic fumes that ruse from the World Trade Center after the attacks. A new report says as many as 50 types of cancers should be included in the health fund, covering first responders, volunteers and residents of the area around ground zero. A final decision now on this could take months.

One strain of e. Coli has made 14 people sick in an outbreak that's hitting people in the south and west coast. A child has died from it. They don't know where the bacteria is coming from. Cases have been reported now in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Tennessee, and out west in California.

Joining me now with much more on this is senior medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen.

Good morning to you. So how do we know that all 14 people got sick from the same thing?

DR. ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: I don't think that's known 100 percent, but that's what suspected, and I'll tell you why. When people get sick, they take a sample from bodily fluid or a tissue and put it under the microscope, and what they then have been seeing is identical molecular fingerprint, which in laymen's terms means they all look the same. And if they all look the same, then that means likely that it came from the same source.

And so now what they need do is interview these people and figure out what did they eat, when did they eat it, and where did they eat it? Did they all buy the same ground beef from the same supermarket? So what did they do?

KAYE: This is going back and tracing it.

COHEN: It's southern California, back east. It's not one mom and pop restaurant, but maybe it's a beef that was sold in a certain chain or lettuce. That's the epidemical logical detective work that needs to go on.

KAYE: And figuring out where it came from.

COHEN: And tracing it back to the company and saying, hey, there may be a problem.

KAYE: We put out the warnings. People may be barbecuing. Can we give them a couple tips to stay healthy?

COHEN: Yes. These are for any time. We all want to avoid e. Coli. It releases terrible toxins and shuts down organs. Cook your beef thoroughly. Don't eat medium ground hamburger. Avoid unpasteurized milk and juice and also look out for the symptoms.

The symptoms, I'll show them to you. They're pretty general. Things like nausea, vomiting, fever, intense stomach pavement unfortunately many of us have it all the time. But if it's bloody diarrhea, get yourself to a doctor. Even without it, be suspicious, be on alert.

KAYE: A definite warning, Elizabeth. Thank you very much. Don't miss Elizabeth Cohen's special tonight, "25 Shocking Medical Mistakes." You can find it right here on CNN at 8:00 p.m. eastern.

Take a look. Florida senator Marco Rubio licked the field last night in a straw poll taken at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Chicago. Rubio has repeatedly said he doesn't want the job, at least not yet. New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and House Budget Committee chairman Paul Ryan were next on the list as you see.

What a disappointment. Many were ready to watch the Belmont Stakes to see if history could be made. "I'll Have Another" was supposed to be trying for horseracing's Triple Crown, but a bad tendon dashed those hopes. Richard Roth is live at the Belmont, New York, for us, the site of the Belmont Stakes.

Richard, good morning. How bad is the injury?

RICHARD ROTH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: By horse standards, it's not catastrophic or some of those other debacles but it's just scary enough that the owners, trainers, connections of I'll have another decided it was too risky to go out.

Owner Paul Reddam told CNN's Erin Burnett yesterday it's too bad that this horse will not make it to the post.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

J. PAUL REDDAM, OWNER, "I'LL HAVE ANOTHER": Horseracing is a very tough game. Horses are very delicate creatures and things can happen to them. Unfortunately fate decided today was the day for I'll Have Another to have to end his career.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROTH: The injury was a swollen tendon, left front leg. It was noticed on Thursday and then after a brief gallop that we witnessed very early, earlier than scheduled on Friday morning, it was back. And they decided after consulting with a veterinarian they were not going to make eight go, and then they retired the horse, as you know, Randi. You hate to use weather references. But the gloomy skies early over Belmont Park certainly connected to the people of the race and how they feel disappointed this morning.

KAYE: There were such great hopes for the horse and a possible Triple Crown. Richard Roth, who are you betting on now? Who's the favorite.

ROTH: Favorite is likely to be closing in the Kentucky derby but there's also Painter and Union Rags.

KAYE: Pick one for me and put a couple of bucks down, will you?

ROTH: Yes, I'll put $1,000 for you and you can pay me back on Monday.

KAYE: I'll get right on that.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: This just in to the CNN newsroom. Take a look here, amazing video from Wales where severe overnight flooding has not caught off some villages. And 90 people have been rescued by emergency services with some leaving the area by helicopter.

All right, by now you've seen the headlines. A large number of Americans are facing a crisis when it comes to finding a job, and this morning we're going beyond those headlines to focus on those people known as the long-term unemployed. They've been out of work six months or more and total nearly half of the people in this country without jobs. That's nearly 5.4 million Americans.

But my next guest says there's opportunity to be your own boss. Tori Johnson is a career analyst, the founder of Women for Hire, and the author of the new back "Spark and Hustle -- Launch and Grow your Small Business Right Now." tori, good morning, nice to have you on the program this morning. You say that now may be the right time to stop sending out the resumes and start your own business. Why is that?

TORI JOHNSON, CAREER ANALYST: Absolutely. As you said, for me especially, the most secure thing I could in my career is leave behind working for somebody else, sign my own paycheck, be my own boss. It's a pretty powerful thing. The more they do it, the better they'll feel about taking control of their career.

KAYE: Let's talk about women in this recession, because the recovery has certainly been tougher on women. We only regained 26.6 percent of the jobs while men have regained more at 36.3 percent. What factors do you attribute to that? Is the current job market harder for women than for men?

JOHNSON: If we talked even a year ago, a year and a half ago, we would have said the exact opposite. I think it's really cyclical. It depends on the industry you're interested in. Industry matters more than gender in terms of where we see people getting jobs right now. But I also know that women at a faster rate are starting their own businesses. So sometimes it's by choice.

KAYE: You say males and females can start their own businesses this weekend. Let me walk you through them. First is what's your why?

JOHNSON: Yes. What's your personal motivation? Why do you want to start your business? I started this business because I had a permanent pain from the scar from a pink slip, and I knew the only way I would feel better is if I started my own business. So what would make you feel great about starting your own business? Don't do it because you don't have any alternatives. But if you have a really strong personal motivator, that's what's going to carry you through the hard times.

KAYE: The next is what will you sell and to whom will you sell it?

JOHNSON: You need to answer quickly. If someone says I need ten minutes, that's too long. When you're clear about those two things it makes it easier to do the rest.

KAYE: And what's your how much?

JOHNSON: Yes. The money stuff, the all-important numbers. How much is it go to cost you to delve your product or service, how much are you selling for, how much will you make? Pretty simple questions. You need to know them before you get started.

KAYE: And what's your hustle?

JOHNSON: This is probably the most important. What is your marketing and sales strategy? It's not about having a great idea. It's about selling it. How are you going to get out there and market? What are you going to do to track your target market and be able to ask for a sale and close the deal.

KAYE: The last one is what's your measure?

JOHNSON: Really, really important. I don't like when a business owner says we'll go from there. No, no, no. You need to go on a monthly basis, I'm far ahead, what do I do, here's what I need to step it up. When you have something to measure it against, when you have a barometer that's constantly front and center, it makes it a lot easier to track your progress and feel good about your results.

KAYE: Great help and great advice. Thank you very much.

JOHNSON: Thank you.

KAYE: You've heard a lot about Florida's stand-your-ground law. Now a Texas man said he acted in self-defense when he shot and killed his neighbor. What his own recording shows, his video in just 75 seconds.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: Welcome back, everyone. The Trayvon Martin case has raise add lot of questions about the Florida stand-your-ground law. But there's a case out of Texas doing the same thing. Raul Rodriguez is the only one who is armed, but what he says is now key to his defense.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's about to get out of hand, sir. Please help me. Please help me, sir. My life is in danger now. He says he's going go in the house, he's going to come out and be more than equal to me. Now I'm standing my ground here. Now these people are going to try to kill me. Look, I'm not losing any sleep anymore. They're drunk.

(GUNSHOTS)

(END VIDEO CLIP) KAYE: You heard that crackle of gunfire. Three are shot, two survive, except Rodriguez's neighbor, Kelly Daniger, who was a young father and elementary teacher. He was hosting that party next year. Texas's Castle doctrine is similar to Florida's stand-your-ground law because it says a person no longer has a duty to retreat if he feels his life is threatened.

We've been asking for you to tweet us your thoughts about this case. Chris tweeted "I think the people who think he's guilty are just too scared to stand their ground. I think he was doing the right thing."

Benny said "He did not go there to stand the ground. He provoked so he could pull the trigger."

What do you think? Was he acting in self-defense or was this murder? Keep those tweets coming. We're getting so many of them. I'd love to hear what you think. Send your thoughts to me @randikayecnn on Twitter.

They say love makes you do some crazy things, but how about curling up in a suitcase to visit your boyfriend. It landed this woman in trouble with the law. We'll tell you why.

But first it's time to get on the go, and what better place to do that this weekend than at a national park. It's free. It's all part of national get outdoors day. Today all 397 national parks are waving their entrance fees. Some state parks are offering free admission as well.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: Here's a check at what's making news across the country. In Colorado an eighth boy rode his all-terrain vehicle through flames to warn his elderly neighbors about a wildfire. The boy, J.D. Tenapple, suffered second-degree burns, but his dad said with flames over 100 feet high, the move was not only necessary but heroic.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAMES TENNAPEL, TEEN'S FATHER: We knew it was going to be bad. I told my son to get on his ATV and tell the neighbors north of the fire. It was so fast that, you know, you didn't know who was in distress.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: Plenty of relationships have baggage, but not like this. In Oregon a woman was arrested for trespassing because her boyfriend was sneaking her into his apartment in a big pink rolling suitcase. Colin McGrath was banned from the building after getting into trouble last year, but she said she doesn't want the arrest to stand in her way.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KOLA MCGRATH, ARRESTED FOR TRESPASSING: I'll do it all over again, or would, but they're already on to me now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: And another sticky situation. This one in Kentucky. That's where a truck loaded with pancake syrup got into an accident. Gallons of sticky stuff blocked up the highway. Look at that there. Get this. It happened near the buttermilk pike exit. You cannot make this stuff up.

For many U.S. troops returning home, the emotional aftermath of war may be just as devastating as their experiences on the front lines. This week's CNN hero is giving veterans who suffer from PTSD and traumatic brain injuries a way of moving forward with the help of man's best friend.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: When I got back from Iraq, I stood away from large crowds, malls, movies.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I wouldn't leave the house. I just didn't want to.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: Staying inside. Windows were blacked out.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was really numb.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: I didn't feel like I had a purpose anymore.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: Nightmares, constant flashbacks.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Everything to me is still a combat zone.

MARY CORTANI, COMMUNITY CRUSADER: Veterans with invisible wounds. We can't see a wheelchair and prosthetics. They suffer like you and I but theirs goes so deep it touches your soul.

I learned how to train dogs when I was in the army. I realized this is what I was supposed to do. My name is Mary. I match veterans with service dogs, train them as a team so that they can navigate life together. When a veteran trains their own service dog, they have a mission and a purpose again.

Talk to him. Tell them they did good.

Dogs come from shelters, rescue groups. They're taught to create a spatial barrier and can alert them when they start to get anxious.

Are you OK? Are you getting overwhelmed? Focus on Maggie.

The dog is capable of keeping them grounded.

You're focusing on him and he's focusing on everything around you.

You start to see them getting their confidence back, communicate differently. They venture out and begin to participate in life again. Being able to help them find that joy back in their life, it's priceless.

(END VIDEOTAPE) KAYE: A high school teacher offers a little tough love to the class of 2012, and both he and his commencement speech make national news as a result. He'll tell me why his words were meant to inspire the next generation.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: Welcome back, everyone. I'm Randi Kaye, bottom of the hour. Let's get a check on what's happening, a check on today's big stories.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(EXPLOSIONS)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: You're looking at video we're just getting in from Syria, the violent clash between the opposition and Syrian forces. The opposition is accusing President Bashar al Assad's government. Their forces have killed 30 people today.

Investors are keeping a close eye on Spain right now. The IMF estimates Spain will need $46 billion to maintain stability. They'll hold a conference call today to talk about how to structure a possible bailout.

Prince Philip was released from a British hospital today after being hospitalized on Monday and just in time to spend his 91st birthday, which is tomorrow, at home.

Well, it is that time of year when young people full of hope and promise say good-bye to high school and take their first steps toward adulthood. I'm talking, of course, about graduation. But at one high school commencement address raised a few eyebrows. Here's why.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVID MCCULLOUGH, ENGLISH TEACHER, WELLESLEY HIGH SCHOOL: Normally I avoid cliches like the plague, wouldn't touch them with a 10-foot pole, but here we are on a literal level playing field. That matters. That says something.

And your ceremonial costume, shapeless, uniform, one size fits all. Whether male or female, tall or short, scholar or slacker, spray tanned prom queen or intergalactic X-Box assassin, each of you is dressed, you'll notice, exactly the same.

And your diploma, but for your name, exactly the same. All of this is as it should be because none of you is special.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: Yes, you heard that correctly. And the man giving that speech, he's actually one of the school's teachers. His name is David McCullough, and he's joining us now. David, good morning to you. Most students expect to hear how wonderful and accomplished they are at graduation. But you took a very different approach. Why is that?

MCCULLOUGH: Well, most kids are told that and then they forget it. How many of us have been to highly forgettable commencement speeches? I took seriously the responsibility of sending them off into the wild. This is their commencement. This is their beginning. They were leaving from that spot, and so I wanted to say something that mattered.

KAYE: And you attended this ceremony not just as a member of the Wellesley staff but also as a parent. I'm curious how your child and the rest of the audience reacted to being told you're not special.

MCCULLOUGH: My son graduated from a different high school two days later, although I did write it with him, of course, well in mind. In fact, I wrote it in a hotel room in New Jersey at a soccer tournament with my 16-year-old daughter. And so I am like the parents I was speaking about. My children are like the children I was speaking to, and I was emphasizing, I hope, the notion of equality, that everybody matters. I learned early in my marriage that one does not disagree with a smart Armenian, and when I returned to William Saroy and the great Armenian writer, who said everyone is a version of you, I think that is important, particularly affluent kids, I think they have a chance to do some good and not just position themselves for luxury and materialism and ease.

KAYE: I love one of the things you said. Resist the easy comfort and glitter of materialism. But while the media has seized on the one famous line where you said you're not special. You also offered some pretty good life advice. Let's take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MCCULLOUGH: As you commence then and before you scatter to the winds, I urge you to do whatever you do for no one other than you love it and believe in its importance. Dream big, work hard, think for yourself, love everything you love, everyone you love with all your might. And do so, please, with a sense urgency for every tick of the clock subtracts from fewer and fewer and as surely as there are commencements, there are cessations.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: So why do you think it was important to leave the students with that message?

MCCULLOUGH: Well, this was my last contact with them probably. This was their last time together as a class. From there they were, as I say, scattering to the winds. A commencement speech, I think, is a big responsibility. So I just wanted to tell them something that would be helpful.

KAYE: Well, I think the speech was great. I know our team read it.

MCCULLOUGH: Thank you.

KAYE: And we were all very impressed by it. David McCullough, thank you very much. It was nice to have you on the program this morning. MCCULLOUGH: You're welcome.

KAYE: She's known for work on stage and screen. We all loved her as Angela from the classic sitcom "Who's the Boss." Judith Light joins us to dish about her Tony nomination and so much more right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: Well, you may have hear that "I'll Have Another" is out of the Belmont, so no triple crown this year, but there is another big race to keep your eyes on. Tomorrow night's Tony awards where stars of the stage will gather to compete for their art's highest awards.

Tony Award-nominated actress Judith Light is joining us this morning. You remember Judith for her Emmy-winning role on "One Life to Live" or Angela from "Who's the Boss." I could go on and on. Great to have you on the show.

JUDITH LIGHT, ACTRESS: Nice to be here. Nice to see you. How are you?

KAYE: I'm good.

LIGHT: Good.

KAYE: "Who's the Boss" ran from 1984 to 1992. You look the same.

LIGHT: You are very -- you're very sweet, thank you. You just made my morning.

KAYE: Well, how do you do it? How do you keep looking so young?

LIGHT: You know, I love what I do. I'm really excited. I'm back in the theater, and I have been for the last two seasons. And so I get to be doing the thing that I love so much. And I get to be living in the city that I love so much. So I'm really, really happy. And I walk all the time and I eat well and I do yoga and I meditate and all those things that you've heard from a million other people but I think it does help. But I think the attitude really makes a difference.

KAYE: Whatever it is, it really makes a difference.

LIGHT: Thank you.

KAYE: Hollywood and Broadway they're not usually so kind to women actors, especially as they age. How have you continues to be so successful on stage and screen really over the years?

LIGHT: Oh, that's such a good question. I'm really glad you asked it. You know, I have really good people, I have fantastic agents and I have really extraordinary managers. And really I listen to their guide answer and I talk about what I feel is right for me for the next step and then we all talk about it. But I really do believe that has helped me tremendously, and the in fact I'm willing to listen to them has helped me tremendously.

But also I don't believe that one has to limit one's self as within ages. What's happening is we're gaining a tremendous amount of wisdom, we're gaining a tremendous amount of awareness from other people around us, and it doesn't mean it has to stop you. So I really think it comes back to a mindset.

KAYE: Let's talk about your role in "Other Desert Cities." you had to transform into this very damaged alcoholic character. We had some video of this happens from broadway.com.

LIGHT: Oh, great.

KAYE: What was it like for you to transform, to become Silda, your character?

LIGHT: Well, you'll see the process. One of the things that happened was we had an extraordinary -- first of all, the play is extraordinary. John Robert Bates is a genius, and our director, I talked about it before I came into the rehearsal process. We talked about whether we'd do a wig or not. What you see is me putting on my wig and beginning the transformation. We talked about whether you know Stockard Channing, who's playing my sister, who is so incredibly brilliant, she's blond in here, and in real life she's a brunette in real life. I talked to the brilliant wig designer Paul Huntley, and I said what if we had gray roots, and our designer David Zen looked add me and said, really, do you want to do that? I said yes. I said let's think what Joe thinks.

I remember the day I put it on and Joe looked at it and said, that's it, because it carries with it so much of this -- the character of this woman. And as you know, Randi, you know, we don't do this alone. We don't create these characters alone. You have to have a great script, a great director, a great cast, which I do and great designers and a great design team. So they really helped me with this and we were all in alignment with it and that's how it happened.

KAYE: The transformation is something. Not only are you transforming physically but emotionally. I can see you becoming Silda. But is there a secret dream role you've always wanted that maybe you haven't landed yet?

LIGHT: You know, there really isn't. I said this a while ago and I really am really believing it more and more as life goes on is that I tried to control my career for many, many years, what I should do and how I should do it and where I should be, and that is not what happened for me. There was not -- that was not the road -- the road that I had in my mind, the picture I had in my head was not the road that was being given me, that was not being shown me.

When I started looking at what was being shown me, like the soap opera and the sitcom, things that I swore that I would never do, and I started listening, my life started changing, and I started becoming a different person. And once that started to happen, I realized, oh, I should be doing this all the time. I should be listening, and I should be surrendering and letting go of control.

And so that's why I say there are parts that are wonderful, and if something came along -- if I had tried to orchestrate Silda in "Other Desert Cities," I couldn't have done it. It relaxes me. Gives me more peace of mind than I had before when I was trying to operate it and strong arm everything.

KAYE: Yes. Giving up control, that's key.

LIGHT: I know, I know.

KAYE: It's hard for women, but it's good.

LIGHT: I don't do it easily. I know. It really is. It's so important. And think a and I think as we age, it's part of aging gracefully.

KAYE: Right. Judith Light, it was great to have you on. We wish you the best of luck at the Tonys, we'll be watching for you.

LIGHT: Great.

KAYE: "I'll Have Another" will spend today in the stable, not on the race track after tendinitis forced him to give up the bid for the Triple Crown.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: From boos to boys, Andy Cohen and I talked about it all when we sat down together. Bravo's executive vice president has solidified his place in reality show history, creating shows like "The Real Housewives" and "Top Chef." Now in his new memoir, "Most Talkative," he maps out experiences that could make Kathy Griffin blush. It's open and honest and just fun to read. Here's our conversation.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: First of all, we're both BU grads, Boston University. You were a year after me. I don't remember taking classes.

ANDY COHEN, TV PRODUCER: I remember very little from that time. I was sucking on a bong, but beyond that, I learned afterward.

KAYE: I'll take you beyond Boston University. You're the face of bravo. People knew you were at CBS.

COHEN: I was at the oh, hurricane Drew, covering the first "Vanity Fair" Oscar party and Bill Clinton's nominating convention in New York, so a lot of really exciting things, and I absolutely loved it. I felt like at CBS news I was in the center of the universe.

KAYE: You haven't forgotten some of your best moments. I'll call your attention to six moments you'd like to forget.

COHEN: Yes. What was on the list?

KAYE: One of them was open mic.

COHEN: My mouth has gotten -- I was voted most talkative. It's gotten me where I am today but it's also my Achilles' heel. I was doing a remote for CBS and I was saying something unkind about the anchor back in CBS and the person I was speaking with had around open mike and what I said was going right into the earpiece of the anchor in New York.

KAYE: You say you feel badly asking the tough questions.

COHEN: Yes. The questions that I ask on a lot of the reunion shows and actually on my show, too, we solicit from the audience and we say, what do you want to know. Let's hear it. Because first of all it's easier to ask very rude questions when it's being actually asked by someone else and you're just the mouthpiece.

KAYE: We got a tweet because we sent out a tweet that you were going to be interviewing with us, and Michael sent us a tweet asking if you ever get scared doing housewives reunion specials because they get pretty violent. You were shoved.

COHEN: I was shoved.

KAYE: By Teresa.

COHEN: Yes. I was pushed like a rag dog by Teresa. But they don't really get violent. They get emotional. And so I get nervous sometimes. It's very intense being in the middle of very emotionally charged conversations, not just when two women are disagreeing, but when you're having to probe into why someone's marriage fell apart or just very personal things, it's hard to do, and it's hard for the women too.

KAYE: Is there a moment -- what would you say is the most insane moment you've p ever experienced in the Bravo clubhouse?

COHEN: The most insane moment was when Dan Rather and John Mayer were on together, and we do the shot ski, Jimmy Fallon made me a ski with three shot glasses on it. I said to Dan Rather before we did it, said, you know, this is man who's been on TV for tens of thousands of hours. I said are you ever done a shot before? He said, no, history is being made tonight.

I think doing a shot ski of bourbon with Dan Rather was it for me. It was so great. It was cool.

KAYE: Let's talk about "Real Housewives." What city is next?

COHEN: No city. We're good.

KAYE: Do you have a favorite city.

COHEN: No. They're all my children.

KAYE: Do you have a dream guest.

COHEN: Michelle Obama.

KAYE: Michelle Obama. Why? COHEN: You know what? She's a first lady. I love a first lady, no matter what their affiliation. I think it would be a fun, different environmental for her to let loose in, and I know that it would be a totally different interview than she's ever given. So, yes, I would love it.

KAYE: Let's have some fun, OK?

COHEN: OK.

KAYE: Are you ready to plead the Fifth?

COHEN: Yes. I have three questions. I can plead the Fifth on only one. I made it up.

KAYE: The first one is you've worked with the media elite, Paula Zahn, Dan Rather, Connie Chung. If you had do it again, who would it be?

COHEN: I think it would be Dan. He's such a legend. I only got to interact with him a couple of times in the field. So Dan Rather.

KAYE: Number two, your book "Brutally Honest," is there anything you left out because it was too personal?

COHEN: I left out a lot. Yes, there was a lot of things I left out a lot of late night tails.

KAYE: Number three, you said during your interview you lied to Oprah to get an interview.

COHEN: Have I lied to Oprah since or lied to get an interview?

KAYE: Yes.

COHEN: I probably have. I got the interview. Maybe I didn't learn the lesson. I didn't plead the fifth. How about that?

KAYE: That's impressive. We brought you something to drink.

COHEN: Oh, my gosh.

KAYE: We don't have a ski, but we have a bottle. Cheers.

COHEN: Cheers.

KAYE: To the clubhouse.

COHEN: To the clubhouse.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAYE: Oh, my. You can get your copy of most talkative. Andy Cohen's book is in stores now.

A straight-A student, a member of the national honor society, and Harvard-bound, and she did it all even though she was homeless. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)