tv Anderson Cooper 360 CNN July 17, 2012 5:00pm-6:00pm PDT
5:00 pm
from rwanda and then from mali. we'll see you on thursday at 7:00 p.m. thanks so much as always for watching. we'll see you soon. "a.c. 360," though, starts right now. >> erin, thanks very much. good evening, everyone. five members of congress who are claiming that muslim extremists have infiltrated the highest levels of the u.s. government. even working side by side with secretary of state hillary clinton. the evidence they point to, however, well, it's questionable at best. are calling for an investigation because what she terms the possible deep penetration, her words, of muslim extremists into the u.s. government. in letters to it is inspectors general for five different government security agencies. we've been digging into one of their most serious claims. they point finger, at this woman, huma abadin, secretary of state hillary clinton's deputy
5:01 pm
chief of staff. implying she may somehow be working on behalf of the muslim brotherhood. now, you would think to make a charge like that for sitting members of congress to make a charge like that, that they would have some actual evidence, right? you would think that. but the truth is they don't have any direct evidence. what they have are allegations of past connections of relatives of hers that are tenuous best. has called for bachmann to produce credible evidence. so bachmann produced a 16 page letter she sent to the congressman. we're going to walk you through the lonngic she lays out in thi particular case. mother, brother and late father are connected to the muslim brotherhood. let's start with abadin's father, who's dead, by the way. a professor of social science.
5:02 pm
now, bachmann attributes this information to 2002 law review article out of brickham young university. according to that article, professor abetin's institute had the support of another man who was a former general secretary of another group called the muslim world league. bachmann says according to the pew forum the muslim world league has a history of, quote, being closely aligned and partnering with the muslim brotherhood. so that's how many degrees of separation bachmann's claim is based on. huma abetin's deceased father had the support of a guy who had another organization who might have had the support of another organization, the muslim brother hood. and because of that, huma abedin might be some sort of spy and deserves to be investigated. bachmann never gives any evidence of their alleged link,
5:03 pm
to the muslim brotherhood. repeatedly cites as their source. pretty serious sounding name. its website is muslim brotherhood in america.com. the man who runs the group is frank gaffney who says the muslim brotherhood is infiltrating every aspect in american life in order to impose sharia law. calls gaffney, i quote, the anti-muslim's movement most paranoid prop grandist. he was pointi ining fingers of suspicious april norquist. gaf ni was actually not allowed to go to cpac one year because of these allegations. this is not the first time bachmann has relied on questionable sources. you may remember two years ago, right here on this program, congresswoman backman made some pretty outrageous claims. saying it would cost taxpayers
5:04 pm
$200 million a day. and it turned out the source of her unsubstantiated claim was an indian news report that quoted an anonymous indian source allegedly in indian government. how an official would even know how much the president of the united states trip costs doesn't make sense. among this cast here, all of whom we've asked to come on the program, bachmann is not the only one who has the history of making unsupported claims. one of the four other congressmen is louie gohmert from texas. this is not the first time that congressman gohmert has spoken about dangerous conspiracies without providing concrete evidence. he was sounding alarm -- excuse me, 2010, he was sounding alarm over what we termed terror babies. making this explosive claim that pregnant foreigners were coming
5:05 pm
to america to give birth to future terrorists. babies with u.s. citizenship under the 14th amendment who would then be taken back to the middle east, raised for about 20 years, trained overseas as terrorists, and then be able to come back to the united states because they had u.s. passports. insidious, right? the in a speech on the house floor, congressman gohmert presented all this as fact. say a former fbi agent told him the fbi had been looking into this problem. he cited a second source. a hamas-loving grandmother on a plane in the middle east. naturally, i had a lot of questions for the congressman. did you bring it to the attention of the fbi -- >> -- on the -- she brought it to my attention on an airplane -- having flown together and she brought that to my attention. that's why i was talking to the retired fbi agent about it, and so having talked to him, no, i didn't talk to them, because the point is, when we did the
5:06 pm
research, we found the hole existed -- >> wait what research? could you tell us about the research? >> you're attacking the messenger. anderson, you're better than this. you used to be good. you used to find there was a problem -- >> sir, i'm just asking you for evidence of something you said on the floor of the house -- >> speak with a southern accent -- i did. this is the problem. if you spend as much time looking into the problem as you have been trying to belittle me this week -- >> sir, do you want to offer any evidence? i'm giving you the opportunity to offer what evidence you have. you've offered none, other than yelling. he never offered any evidence. you'd think if this was a real plot, you'd think he'd pick up the phone and call the fbi, right? we actually did that. we talked with the fbi. they told us there was absolutely no credible evidence of a terror baby conspiracy. they had no idea what he was talking about. it's not surprising, i should point out, he declined our invitation to come back on the program as he was once on in
5:07 pm
2010. back to this current conspiracy theory. we received a statement from abedin's office. saying, quote, they are nothing but vicious lies that have no place in reasonable political discourse. anyone who traffics in them should be ashamed of themselves. democratic congressman keith ellison, the first muslim elected to congress, has taken the lead in demanding proof of these claim also about muslim extremists infiltrating the government. he joins me. congressman, do you have any doubt in your mind what congresswoman bachmann and the others are doing is simply scare mongering? they're casting doubt on basically anyone who's muslim and working for the u.s. government. >> i have no doubt that it's simply scare mongering. but i think it has a long historic route. we've seen this kind of thing before. when edward r. murrow challenged joe mccarthy, he wasn't standing up for communism, he was standing up for american values. i'm not standing up for any
5:08 pm
particular religious group. i'm standing up for america's freedom of thought in america today. just simply being a member of a particular religious group does not make you radioactive. >> you asked for a full accounting of the evidence these members of congress were using to make their claims. you got a 16-page letter back. does their evidence hold up? >> no, it's 16 pages worth of nothing. it's 16 pages worth of repeated false allegations. just regurgitated nonsense. 16 pages doesn't take nothing and turn it into something. it's still nothing. the fact is i would hope that we would just let our saner more courageous spirit prevail. and say look, you know, in america, everybody counts. everybody matters. people can be included. people can be a part our american political scene without fear. that's what i'm standing up against here. >> have you seen any evidence of
5:09 pm
deep penetration, the words bachmann used. into the security apparatus of the united states? >> no, it's not true. it doesn't exist. it's a phantom. and but look, let me also assert that if there's any, any source of threat to the united states, legitimate, you know, then i want them to be fully investigated, whatever source. i don't care what religion, what race, whoever they are. if they're a legitimate threat to the u.s., by all means investigate them. in this case, there is none that i've ever seen. >> bachmann in particular raises questions about hillary clinton's, one of her top aides, huma abedin who's muslim. married to congressman anthony wiener. they're saying her father headed a group decades ago. and one of the people who supposedly supported that group headed another group that was supposedly connected to the muslim brotherhood. i mean, does that make any sense to you?
5:10 pm
that she shouldn't have got be a security clearance because of that? >> i think it just is the worst of guilt by association. it is a stark affront to american values about treating people for what they did and how they behave themselves. not try to attribute some other people's behavior to the individual. i think israel reprehensible. i do hope that there is -- that people stand up to it. because let me tell you, anderson, you know this, good people were afraid to question joe mccarthy because they thought he would be their target. this is an occasion where good people have to stand up and say we've seen this before. we're not going to let this happen again. >> if you really believed there is this insidious security threat into the highest reaches of government, is that really something as a congress person you make public? you go on some conservative radio show? or is that something you
5:11 pm
actually contact, you know, homeland security and fbi and ask for a secret investigation by which congress people can do, if you really believe there's en this infilinfiltration, do y alert the people you're allegedly concerned about? to me it seems this could be more about politics and about kind of making a stand, very public stand, for political reasons, than the about genius security concerns. >> you know, anderson, i made this very point. i said, look if she really believes this, why is she broadcasting it? she should go to the responsibility authorities to investigate it. she made sure the public got a full viewing of her behavior. she thinks it's going to be popular and she's going to make herself look like some sort of a hero and this may benefit her in her election. i don't know what's in the mind of michele bachmann. i can tell you it's not only about the election. it's deeper than that. it's about some people in our country thinking that if you're not in the quote/unquote
5:12 pm
mainstream, then you have no place. that you have to be a certain color, certain race, certain religion. if you're not the right ones, then you're not okay. but we've got to stand up for this idea that we all count in this america. we're going to stick with this idea. we're not going to back down. >> grover norquist when he was being attacked by frank gaffney on this without any evidence said this is about religious liberty. >> yes, he's right. >> -- to practice in this country. congressman keith ellison, thank you. >> thank you. >> again, we continue to extend an invitation to congresswoman bachmann or any of the other congresspeople making these allegations. we're talking about this right now on twitter. @andersoncooper. next, raw politics. it all has to do with what the president said on the campaign trail. trail. we'll play that for you. i bought the car because i could eliminate gas from my budget.
5:13 pm
5:14 pm
i absolutely love my chevy volt. this is new york state. we built the first railway, the first trade route to the west, the greatest empires. then, some said, we lost our edge. well today, there's a new new york state. one that's working to attract businesses and create jobs. a place where innovation meets determination... and businesses lead the world. the new new york works for business. find out how it can work for yours at thenewny.com.
5:16 pm
raw politics tonight. after taking a beating for weeks on the bain record, likely gop presidential nominee mitt romney has launched a new offensive. he's accusing president obama of being anti-business. he's pointing his evidence to these comments the president made on the campaign trial friday in virginia. >> if you are successful, somebody along the line gave you some help. there was a great teacher somewhere in your life. somebody helped to create this unbelievable american system we have that allowed you to thrive. someone invested in roads and bridges. if you've got a business, you didn't build that. somebody else made that happen.
5:17 pm
the internet didn't get invented on its own. government research created the internet so that all the companies could make money off the internet. the point is, is that when we succeed, we succeed because of our individual initiative but also because we do things together. >> now, we wanted to play a good chunk of it there so you got the full context of what he was saying. the part the romney campaign has seized on is when the president said, quote, if you've got a business, you didn't build that. today in a conference call organized by the romney campaign, john sununu launched a pretty tough attack against president obama. >> the president clearly demonstrated that he has absolutely no idea how the american economy functions. the men and women all over america who have worked hard to build these businesses, their businesses, from the ground up, is how our economy became the envy of the world.
5:18 pm
it is the american way. and i wish this president would learn how to be an american. >> moments later, the same call, sununu backtracked. apologizing for some of the language he used. he also said the president has to learn the american formula to creating business. now, if you thought it would end there, it didn't. sununu went back on the attack. watch. >> he has no idea how the american system functions. we shouldn't be surprised about that. because he spent his early years in hawaii smoking something. spent the next set of years in indonesia. and another set of years in indonesia. and, frankly, when he came to the u.s., he worked as a community organizer, which is a socialized structure, and then got into politics in chicago. >> well, senator sununu isn't the only romney supporter speaking out.
5:19 pm
paul ryan is firing back as well. blasted president obama in an interview with the american enterprise institute monday. the idea that these entrepreneurs owe all their success to some government bureaucrat or some centralized planner just defies reality. he's usually pretty coy about his ideology but he lets the veil slip from time to time. now what candidate romney has to say. here's what romney told supporters during a campaign stop in pennsylvania today. >> to say something like that is not just foolishness, it's insulting to every intrepreneur, every innovator in america. our economy is driven by free people pursuing their ideas and their dream. it is not driven by government. what the president's doing is crushing economic freedom. i do not give government credit for having built that. i give free people credit for having built that business. >> that's mitt romney on the attack today. joining me now, erick erickson. red state.com .
5:20 pm
and van voejones. co-founder of rebuild the dream. erick, do you believe this was the president kind of giving a peak behind the veil of what he really thinks? or was this a misstatement like romney had said corporationings are people too? >> you know, i think the white house realizes it was a damaging statement. because now they're trying to focus on, oh, he meant the roads and bridges to the business. this is consistent to what he was saying going back to his kansas speech last year. the president believes the more successful you are, the more you owe to the federal government. the most successful people are successful in spite of government not because of government. the most successful people happen to be the lease t dependt on government. >> van, the president has adjusted his language on this since friday. this isn't he used that sort of populist tone to criticize business leaders. do you think this was a slipping
5:21 pm
of the vail or a misstatement? how do you read it? >> this is just silly season. the president said what anybody would say if you look at america. what he said is america's government essentially has been a partner to america business. that is, in fact, true. it's a lot easier to be a business owner here in america and do well. why? we've got rule of law here. we've got roads, bridges, schools. we've got the internet. erick erickson on this program, one of our best business media interpra anywheres in the world right now, he's doing incredibly well. he built redstate.com on top of the internet. the idea this is somehow some horrible -- the president of the united states sticking up for america's government and what we have done as the american people through the auspices of business, that's patriotic. i don't understand how you get out of that statement any insult. he is a balanced president. he he says the entrepreneur has to work well. let's all be in this together. >> erick, what about that?
5:22 pm
effective corporate tax rates are near record lows. corporate profits are near record highs right now. what do you make of what van just said? >> that's the most articulate version of what the president said but i don't think it's true. starting out in kansas, i'm not even going to say the name of the city, i'm afraid, because i can't pronounce it. it's the city in kansas where he gave his economic kickoff speech earlier this year. it coincides with what eliz beth warren has set up. the more successful you are, the more you owe to the government. the government talks about paying their fair share. i don't want romney or obama being the arbiter of what my fair share should be. the fact of the matter is the more successful you are, the more you pay in x thats. the more you have the opportunity to get back not just through government but you give back other ways. through charity, through hiring people, employing people. paying into local and state taxes. the president's walkback and what van jones is walking back
5:23 pm
the president's saying. ness whole context of his remarks over the past year, that's not true it the president is saying the more successful you are the more you owe the government. >> well, i'd like to challenge you on that, sir. i think what we've got to understand here is this is a balanced president. i just don't understand. from my point of view, the reason that small businesses -- no small business in america would leave america and go to any other country because we have done a great deal to create an infrastructure for our small businesses to do well. this president has created 4 million private sector jobs. that's more than george bush did. he had a much better economy. this president has been there for the american people across the board. i think what we have right now is an attempt to change the channel. this whole bain situation is terrible. when i worked with the government, i had to disclose everything about myself back to the third grade. you got somebody who wants to be president who doesn't even want to show you his income taxes. this is a big channel changer moment. i don't think mitt romney can escape by doing this type of stuff. misquoting the president.
5:24 pm
taking him out of context. somebody saying businesses and people can work together. that's not anti-patriotism. >> he's focusing on the president's context. when you look at the president's context instead of one little snippet it looks much worse for the president. to say somehow successful people owe things to others. the basic part of that, everye agrees with that. i owe my third grade writing teacher for my ability to write. at the same time, i don't need to pay extra into the government because of what my third grade writing teacher in a foreign country taught me. that's what the president has consistently been saying on the campaign trail for a year. given rise to roanoke. i think he's walking it back now because i think he's absolutely wrong. >> i want to get your comments on what governor sununu said earlier told. the campaign, the obama campaign, has said, quote, about the comments. the romney campaign has officially gone off the deep end. and investments in foreign tax
5:25 pm
havens and offshore accounts. this meltdown and over the top rhetoric won't make things better. van, are they -- was that just a misstatement by governor sununu? >> i was very disappointed to hear governor sununu speak that way. it did sound a little bit unhinged. it does seem like there's something going on now where people are starting to panic on the other side and do anything to try to change the subject. as best i can tell, this president knows what it means to be an american. he grew up here and he has lived the american dream. he worked hard. he went to school. he did all that stuff. as i said, he has created 4 million private sector jobs. more than george bush. in a much worse economy. to attack him and say he needs to learn how to be an american, i think that's unfortunate and i think that's wrong. >> he did, again, apologize for that language. erick, what do you make of what he said? was that, again, a slipping of the veil or was that a misstatement? >> you know, i think his underlying statement is true.
5:26 pm
i think barack obama actually is pretty ignorant how to create private sector jobs in this country. he surrounded himself with a lot of people who never worked in the private sector. in fact, his presidency has had fewer people who have come from the private sector than any other president, including jimmy carter. i would say on sununu's specific statement. had he couple e called the pres liar and a felon the white house would have been okay with it because that's what stephanie cutter called romney last week. >> we'll leave it there. there's new violence in syria. reports of the regime randomly shelling in damascus. syrian tv tells a much different version of the story. no surprise there. plus, one of the most troubling questions so far. is the ashasad regime planning use chemical weapons? i'm speak with bob bare about that next. i'm barack obama and i approve this message.
5:27 pm
5:31 pm
be nearing a battle for the capital city of damascus. all under the specter of of an ominous question. would bashar al assad, the dictator of syria, be willing to use chemical weapons on his own people? first, the latest pictures from syria. opposition groups say 45 people were killed today including 14 in damascus. this video posted online purports to show random shelling of houses in the capital city. again, we cannot independently confirm this video. also, there's video purporting to show the shelling of a house in homs. and showing corpses in the town of duma last month in what resident called the government-backed massacre. at the same time, the propaganda coming from the syrian regime seems to be ramping up. showed an interview with a woman driving through the neighborhood of madon who was asked about reports violence in the neighborhood. you can actually hear what sounds like gunfire in the
5:32 pm
background. [ speaking foreign language ] >> interpret it as you will. syrian state video shows marching in parades and doing precision exercises. and it's all under the backdrop of disturbing it reports that the syrian regime has been moving stockpiles of chemical weapons. in an interview with the bbc, the most senior politician to defect so far saysed assad regime would not hesitate. bob bahr joins me now live. how much should we read into these reports, bob, the assad regime is moving around chemical weapons? is there any way to know if they are? or move into preparation to use weapons? >> anderson, we can't know for sure and i don't think washington knows as well. these weapons apparently have been distributed around the country. the regime is moving them either to protect them from the
5:33 pm
opposition or to use them themselves. i think what we have to consider is would they use them. my interpretation of events there, it's getting very bad. syrian troops i understand have been pulled off the golan heights, moved back to damascus. madon area of damascus is sort of the heart of the regime. this is moving a lot closer. and we see no indication that the alowites, who run this area, are backing away. they've moved armor into the street. so far, they've shown they'll stop at nothing to defend ne themselves or to crush this rebellion. to answer your question, would they use these weapons, i think there's a good chance. >> when they hear about chemical weapons they think back to iraq. what kind of chemical weapons does the syrian regime have? do we know. >> anderson, the iraq thing, i
5:34 pm
see why it could confuse people. that was all -- that was old weapons. it was mustard gas. it detear yated quickly. these weapons are binary. they're very sophisticated. the syrians have the most sophisticated chemical weapons in the middle east. they know how to use them. it was given to them by the russians. they are perfectly capable of causing widespread destruction. think of a small nuclear weapon. we don't know what's going on in the mind of bashar al assad. we just have to interpret, you know, these people are paranoid. they're worried that their end is close. and as we've said. all along, they don't intend to give up. >> you said these things are binary. can they be -- are they put on rockets? is that how they're delivered?
5:35 pm
>> they can be put on rockets. they can be put on scuds. you know, one fear in washington is that the syrians could give these chemical weapons to hezbollah for instance. israel at this point is in a very clear panic. >> the intelligence is spotty. you said you're not sure of the situation. >> it's in no one's interest to see the situation spin out of control because it will affect the entire region. it's not going to help that the russians are sending helicopter parts and ammunition for the helicopters. it just gets more destruction. the world community has got to come together on this and take it for the seriousness that it deserves. >> no evidence at this point the russians willing to move on this. it looks like friday there's
5:36 pm
going to be more talk in the u.n. the u.n. peacekeeping mission needs to be renewed if it's going to be starting friday. bob, appreciate you being on. let's turn to susan hendricks for "360" news bulletin. >> dutch authorities are joining the fbi in the investigation into the six needles found in food on board four delta airlines flights. the planes all took off from amsterdam where the sandwiches were made. one passenger was injured and said at first they thought the need wle was a toothpick. studies found this drug helped patients lose on average more than 20 pounds but some are concerned about potential side effects including increased heart rate. a wild scene caught on camera. a senior citizen pulls out a handgun and foils an attempted robbery at a florida internet cafe. he shot and injured the the two williams. police say he has a permit, allowing him to carry the
5:37 pm
concealed weapon. >> wow. incredible it was caught on tape there. the death of a snake handling pastor is putting the spotlight on an often secretive religious tradition. it's illegal in some states. doesn't stop true believers. gary tuchman goes up close tonight. [ manager 1 ] out here in the winds, i have to know the weather patterns. i upgraded to the new sprint direct connect. so i can get three times the coverage. [ chirp ] [ manager 2 ] it's like working in a giant sandbox with all these huge toys. and with the fastest push-to-talk... i can keep track of them all. [ chirp ] [ chirp ] [ male announcer ] upgrade to the new "done." with access to the fastest push-to-talk and three times the coverage. now when you buy one kyocera duracore rugged phone, for $49.99, you'll get four free. visit a sprint store, or call 855-878-4biz. [ chirp ] [ feedback ]
5:38 pm
attention, well, everyone. you can now try snapshot from progressive free for 30 days. just plug this into your car, and your good driving can save you up to 30%. you could even try it without switching your insurance. why not give it a shot? carry on. now you can test-drive snapshot before you switch. visit progressive.com today. energy is being produced to power our lives.
5:39 pm
while energy development comes with some risk, north america's natural gas producers are committed to safely and responsibly providing generations of cleaner-burning energy for our country, drilling thousands of feet below fresh water sources within self-contained well systems. and, using state-of-the-art monitoring technologies, rigorous practices help ensure our operations are safe and clean for our communities and the environment. we're america's natural gas. remarkable story, 7-year-old girl playing on a third story air conditioner, fell. the story could have ended tragical tragically. it didn't. ♪ ♪ [ male announcer ] everyone likes a bit of order in their life. virtual wallet helps you get it. keep track of spending,
5:41 pm
up close tonight, a look at a rarely seen religious tradition. a renowned pentecostal serpent handler died after receiving a bite from one of the serpents he used. the faithful continue to handle venomous snakes on a regular basis. gary tuchman reports. >> reporter: this church in the heart of appalachia is completely quiet just before the
5:42 pm
service begins except for creature inside this locked box. it's a rattlesnake. and it's rattling. it's one of seven deadly snakes about to be used in a wild ceremony in god's name. this is pastor andrew. he's a 21-year-old serpent handling pastor at the tasher knackle church o god in tennessee. he and the rest of the congregation practice christianity much differently than almost all other christians. using venomous snakes. it stated, in part, they shall take up serpents. believers like this pastor say when god anoints them they have an obligation to do this and that god will protect them. and even if they are bitten, their belief is god will heal them, no doctors necessary. if it looks dangerous, that's
5:43 pm
because it is. it's also illegal in the state of tennessee. but that only strengthens the pastor's conviction. snake handling in churches is a tradition in decline. but he wants that to change. it's against the law to have snakes in a church in tennessee. >> right. >> >> reporter: does that concern you? >> no, sir it didn't. now if someone was to get bit and die, i know the authorities would come in on us and probably shut us down. that's why i stress so much to my people to, you know, make sure. if it's their appointed time to di there's nothing i can do to prevent it. >> reporter: this is not a con. these things are poisonous. they can kill and they do kill. just a few weeks ago the pastor of this church in the remote west virginia town of matoko was bitten during one of his rattlesnakes during his service. he initially refused medical care. as he got seriously ill, he gave his permission to go to a hospital but it was too late, he died same day. the pastor's father died the same way three deck kades earli.
5:44 pm
outsiders were not invited to the funeral. but perhaps it's not surprising at the funeral home tells us snakes were part of the grave side ceremony. >> any given time, i mean, it could turn around and bite me. like i said, the lord either he let it bite or he won't let it hurt. he let it hurt or he won't let it hurt, you know, it's all up to god. >> reporter: roy lee christian jr. is the assistant pastor at another church at west virginia it the church of the lord justijesus. he was at the service where his friend was fatally bitten. he's shocked and saddened but his faith remains the same. it says, they shall take up serpents. that doesn't mean you have to, does it? is that your interpretation that you must take up serpents? >> if you believe the word of god enough and the lord moves on you, you'll do it. >> reporter: back in tennessee,
5:45 pm
the 21-year-old pastor says he's been bitten four times in ten years. he said he almost died after the first bite and says he's prepare to lose his life from a snake bite if god determines that's how he should go. >> i realize that. i've thought about it. i have. i've really thought about it. that's why it pays to be ready spiritually. >> reporter: another firverse f the new testament states that faith quenched the fire. this is called handling fire. people burning their hands, arms and other body parts are flames shooting out of bottles. are you ever worried that seeing people burn themselves and the snakes will frighten your children? >> no. not really. >> reporter: how come? >> when god's in it, there ain't no harm in it. >> reporter: this woman had been crying during much of the service.
5:46 pm
the pastor saying she had been going through some emotional difficulties. she then took to the altar, grabbing a rattlesnake and shaking it with abandon. almost daring the serpent to sink its teeth into her skin. to us, it looked like she had no idea about the personal risk. pastor hamblin claims got anointed her to handle this deadly serpent. >> i'll stand before the lord jesus and be judged. >> reporter: the people we spoke to know what happened to the pastor in west virginia. but that risk won't stop them from coming back to this church. looking for salvation in ways both unusual and unique. gary tuchman, cnn, la fallette, tennessee. an act of heroism. remorningable video. new york city bus driver in the right spot at the right time to catch a child falling three stories. in florida we had more suntans... in alabama we had more beautiful blooms... in mississippi we had more good times...
5:47 pm
in louisiana we had more fun on the water. last season we broke all kinds of records on the gulf. this year we are out to do even better... and now is a great time to start. our beatches are even more relaxing... the fishing's great. so pick your favorite spot on the gulf... and come on down. brought to you by bp and all of us who call the gulf home. diarrhea, gas or bloating? get ahead of it! one phillips' colon health probiotic cap a day helps defend against digestive issues with three strains of good bacteria. hit me! [ female announcer ] live the regular life. phillips'. [ music plays, record skips ] hi, i'm new ensure clear. clear, huh? my nutritional standards are high. i'm not juice or fancy water, i'm different. i've got nine grams of protein. twist my lid. that's three times more than me! twenty-one vitamins and minerals and zero fat! hmmm. you'll bring a lot to the party. [ all ] yay! [ female announcer ] new ensure clear. nine grams protein. zero fat. twenty-one vitamins and minerals.
5:50 pm
a veteran bus driver is being held as a hero. it was all caught on camera. steven st. bernard spotted a 7-year-old girl standing atop an air conditioner three stories up. when she fell, he was there to make the life saving catch. i spoke to steven st. bernard about the fateful moment. steven, this video of you catching kayla is just incredible. when did you first realize something was wrong? >> well, when the little killed started running towards me, coming -- coming to the walkway,
5:51 pm
little kids started coming, that's when i realized. >> did you -- i mean, you saw her before she fell i assume, right? >> yes. she was standing up on top of the -- on top of the air conditioner. >> i heard a report she was dancing on top of the air conditioner. did you see that? >> yeah, she was dancing. >> she was doing that? >> yes. >> and did you hesitate at all? i mean, did you meimmediately rh towards her? >> of course. it's a natural instinct i guess. a kid needs you. >> i think some people would be scared that they could get hurt by the fall. did you not think about that? >> no, that didn't -- that didn't come to mind. >> i understand your arm got injured. what happened? >> yes, the tendon in my left arm, the bicep, got torn. so tomorrow i go to the specialist and they'll tell me
5:52 pm
what -- what's the next course to take. i hope it's not surgery though. >> have you seen the video yourself? have you watched it? >> yes, i've watched it. every time i look at it, i tear up. >> i mean, it's a miracle you were there and i mean it just says so much about what kind of person you are that you didn't even think twice. you just ran toward this little girl. a lot of people consider you a hero. did you think of yourself that way? >> nah, that's not a hero. no, i just saved a life, that's all, the little girl's life. >> have you seen kayla since the fall? >> i've seen kayla. i've seen her. i met with the mother. and sometime later on this evening, i don't know exactly when, she's supposed to bring the little girl over to play with my little daughter for a little while she said. two minutes ago, i saw her, and
5:53 pm
she said he was going to bring her little daughter to play with my daughter for a little while. because they never met. >> and how is she doing? she's doing okay? >> yeah, she's doing fine. she's doing fine. she just smiled. >> well, steven, there's a lot of people around the country who have you in their thoughts. just think you're remarkable for what you did. i just want to add my name to that list and thank you for talking to me. >> i thank you, and no problem. >> all right. you take care, steven. well, kayla has autism and her mother says she just took her eyes off her for just a few seconds. we're following some other stories tonight. >> the fbi says scent dogs did pick up a trail while searching for two young cousins in iowa. the spokesman wouldn't say what, if anything, it led investigators to. elizabeth collins and lyric cook were last seen friday, riding their vikings near a lake. the girls are 8 years old and 10 years old.
5:54 pm
police arrested the 44-year-old man in this surveillance tape after a shooting in a bar in tuscaloosa, alabama. 17 people were hospitalized. the suspect has been charged with 18 counts of attempted murder. one of the charges stems from a shooting hours earlier. how about this, a 33-year-old woman training for her second iron man triathlon was attacked by an otter in a minnesota lake. the animal left 25 bite marks in her legs, feet and back. >> yikes. >> i know. some, anderson, were 2 inches deep. she had to get rabies shots, tetanus shots. she says she plans to compete in the triathlon in the same lake next month, she's coming back. >> i didn't know otters did that. that's crazy. if you've always wanted to go back and read the classics but you thought you'd just be missing something, you're in luck, the riduculist is next. an accident doesn't have to slow you down.
5:55 pm
5:58 pm
ah, yes, time for the redick lsu. tonight, we're adding classic literature. i'm actually quite an avid reader and a big fan of classic literature. you know and i know there have been -- there's really been one major problem plaguing all great works of literature. the problem being of course they're just not enough like "50 shades of gray." now thankfully that problem is being solved by something called clandestine classics. in just a few weeks, you will be able to download e-books. is that what the kids do? they download them? i still read analog books for the most part. will be available online with racy versions of such great works of literature as "jane eyre." with the election of electrifying sexual tension that
5:59 pm
turns elizabeth's world upside down. a version of "sherlock holmes." in which watson falls in love with holmes and has his, quote, sexual needed attended to. and of course what literary collection would be complete without an erotic retelling of 20,000 leagues under the sea. wait, isn't there a sea monster in that book? i don't want to know where they would take that. wouldn't the obvious choice be herman melville's novel about the rather large whale? the company says they're not rewriting the classics. just enhancing the novels by adding in steamy new scenes. some people will say these works of literature contain secret prose that shouldn't be manipulated in anyway. but, hey, why not? and why stop at the classics? there are other books. how about cookbooks? those things are totally boring to read. why not randomly throw some saucy
256 Views
IN COLLECTIONS
CNN (San Francisco) Television Archive Television Archive News Search Service The Chin Grimes TV News ArchiveUploaded by TV Archive on