told i would be killed. that's all for us tonight. ac 360 starts now. >> thanks. it's 10:00 on the east coast. we begin keeping them honest with a stunning decision. afirming haley barbour's decision to issue pardons, including some to put these convicted killers out on the street. killers who worked as servants in the mayor's mansion. five other serious felons were still in prison. left to right, a drug dealer, a woman committing a serious assault, a rapist, and a killer. they're about to hit the street. a court ruling in a 6-3 vote that pardons may not be set aside by the judicial branch and the final decision rested entirely with the governor, but it's entirely the governor's judgment that the victim victim

families are questioning. b b barbou rr wouldn't come on the show. >> governor, ed lavendera with cnn, can we talk to you real quick? >> let me get my instructions. >> can you talk to us in a second? >> he couldn't give us a second and walked right inside the building, but not before showing us what he thought of the questions. >> can you talk to us about the char charges? we'll wait for you out here, then. told me to stay where i'm cold. >> can we get a few minutes to talk about the pardon? >> when the supreme court rules it will be time to talk. i'm not so presumptuous as to predict what the supreme court is going do. >> the supreme court ruled so we contacted mr. barbour's office to see if he would make good on his promise to talk, and his press officer said no, he's traveling, busy. we asked for a phone interview.

she said no. they issued a statement. he thanked the court, acknowledged the criticism and restated, quote, these are rescissions based on a repentance, rehabilitation, and redismtion leading to the forgiveness and right defined and given by the state constitution to the governor to offer such a people a second chance. he offered this as a justification for freeing the inmates sieving in his mansion. >> they were served by inmates. almost all murders because the experts say people who committed one crime of passion in their lives after they have served 20 years and these have served on average 20 years, are the least likely to ever commit another crime. >> he said that over and over. the experts who have come on our program say people who kill on impulse, crimes of passion in the heat of the moment, are no less likely to kill again than anyone else. in any case, you would be hard

pressed to describe what some of the killers did as crimes of passion at all. joseph osment stuck up a convenience clerk, shot the clerk three times and twice more after fleeing the scene. after arguing with his wife, anthony mccray got a gun, returned, and shot her in the back. not exactly heat of the moment, either. neither is this, david gatlin stalked his estranged wife for weeks. he shot and killed her while she held her baby in her arms and badly wounded her friend, randy walker. now he fears he may try to finish the job. her mom and sister are too shaken by the court ruling to talk about it. i spoke to them when this story first gained national attention. >> he got life plus 30 years. you know, i mean, and he served 18 of them. you know, my sister lived 20

years. it's ridiculous. you know, it almost makes you -- hal haley barbour didn't open the case to look at the detective work and the things that were said. i mean, he actually told smbld before he came to do this that he was coming to kill her. you know? >> why do you think the governor did this? >> my real gut feeling is that it was a power thing with him. he did it because he could do it. and he wanted to. >> he didn't think about your daughter? >> no, he didn't think about my daughter, and none of us will be able to see her or hear her or talk to her ever again. he didn't think of any of that. you would have thought that being a father, that might have crossed his mind. >> again, we welcome the governor to come on the program anytime, as you heard, he would

talk about it once the supreme court rendered its decision. jeffrey toobin, you weren't surprised by the decision, why? >> astonished. the mississippi constitution has the unusual provision that says no pardon is valid unless the person applying for the pardon published a notice in a local newspaper 30 days before the pardon goes into -- is acted upon. it's clear as the court acknowledges that notice provision was violated. >> and that was supposed to give notice to any potential former victims or victims' families. >> who could go to ingovernor and say don't do this. >> that wasn't done? >> it was not done. some people did it late, some didn't do it at all. it was clear it was not done in accord with the law. the six justices in the majority said it didn't matter. we as an equal branch of

government don't have the right to overrule the form of a pardon signed by the governor in the executive branch of government. the three descending justices who i thought were right said, wait a second, this is what courts do. we analyze the law and decide whether the other branches of government have followed the law. >> essentially, the six ones who ruled in favor of it said that only the governor can decide whether the governor's actions are constitutional? >> essentially, those actions when it comes to exercising the pardon power, are unreviewable by a court, including us. >> how could that be? there's no oversight of this governor at all. >> i don't get it, when it comes to pardons. one of the most famous decisions that the justices discusses is a united states supreme court decision, mar berry versus madison, it's the job of courts to say what the law is. it's not the job of the president or the governor or the congress.

it's the job of the courts. this is what they were trying to do in this case. because the law, it's so clear here. >> so can this go higher? to another court, or is this done? >> that's what is amazing. no, this is done, this is over. this was a mississippi court interpreting the mississippi constitution. the united states supreme court doesn't do that. they don't tell the mississippi supreme court that they're violating the mississippi law. this case is over. these pardons are final. i think the legal process -- >> these killers have had their records basically wiped clean. a pardon wipes it clean. >> which is significant. it's not like they got out of prison. they're not convicting felons tomorrow. they can tomorrow go buy a gun, go get a hunting license. they can go vote. it's as if these people were never convicted in the first place. it is a total clean slate for them. >> amazing. appreciate it. as you heard a moment ago, ranldy walker was shot and nearly killed by one of the men now free and clear. the record of his deadly crime

wiped clean. randy walker joins us now at the end of what has no doubt been a difficult day. what was your reaction when you heard the ruling, randy? >> i couldn't believe it. i couldn't believe these six justices as educated as they have to be, could interpret the law any other way than the way the three did. i was absolutely blown away. these six guys took the political way out rather than doing what was right. >> do you feel this ruling today has put your life in danger? the fact that the man who shot you is now out and can buy a gun? >> yeah, i mean, part of the justice system here or in the united states as a whole is that there are two parts to the justice system. one, if you're convicted, you do your time. if it's five years or 50 years, you do your time. after that, if you have committed a felony, you give up your rights. you give up certain rights. these guys, to abolish -- gatlin

served 17 years 6 months and 3 days for a life plus 30 sentence. he should have never gotten out of jail. you know, for them to be completely pardoned is though your legal analyst said, it never happened. it happened for me. i'm still living it every day. i can't be pardoned from the scars i have. i can't be pardoned from the nightmares. i can't be pardoned from looking over my shoulder wondering where this guy is. none of that. there's no magic pill for me to take, no magic pardon for me. >> when you hear the governor say this was a crime of passion and therefore he's not likely to do it again, according to our experts, he's never said who the experts are because we can't find any who said that? >> i don't know, he's -- i don't know. he's just talking where i don't think he understands wheat he's saying. his lips are just moving. i don't understand his definition of crime of passion and mine aren't in the same world. a crime of passion for me is if

you come home early from a business trip or for lunch unpexicted and you find your spouse doing something, and your snap them with a lamp on the bed table. you don't drive nine hours to georgia, stalk them all night long, follow me back to my house, get up and sleep on it all night long, get up and hunt us down the next morning and then do it. there's plenty of time to stop what you have done here. and that's one of the questions, if governor barbour would ever get -- man up enough to talk to me, that a question i would ask him, how is this a crime of passion? show me how this is a crime of passion. >> it doesn't surprise me that the governor hasn't talked to meor a lot of other reporters. but it surprises me he hasn't been willing to talk to you about this. >> i mean, he's just totally -- i don't want to slap him or cause him any bodily harm. i feel like i'm owed an explanation. i mean, for him to say that, you

know, it's in his christian faith to let this guy go, what about the separation of church and state? the governor -- i don't see how he can make a decision, you know, that's a state issue based on a church issue. i don't understand. i mean, there's so many things here. there's stuff that nobody knows about that i would love to talk to you off camera, some other stories here, but you wouldn't believe the cover up and letters and documentation where some people are saying one thing in an office and somebody else is saying something totally different in another office. they're scared to death that i'm going to bring a huge lawsuit so they're changing wordings. i have gotten letters from lawyers who work for barbour and represented the justice department or not the justice department, the department of corrections that they don't -- they think we're too stupid to keep what we write. i have letters from years ago where they say that david is a trustee at the governor's mansion and all of this other

stuff and i get a letter recently that said, we want to recorrection that. he wasn't a trustee. he was in a work program. because the department of correction corrections, not something i made up, but the department of corrections of mississippi said any person found guilty of murder serving a life sentence can not be a trustee, period, not in the governor's mention, not in a farm. they can't be a trustee. that's in the department of corrections handbook. >> if you see this man who shot you, are -- are you legitimately afraid for your life? >> i have been told not to say certain things, but i will say this, anderson, if david gatlin shows himself to me, i'm going to take it as a threat against my life or the life of my family and handle it accordingly. >> randy walker, i'm sorry you're going through this and i appreciate you talking to u

about it. >> it's been han honor to be on your show. out of all of the people i have been on the air with, you share my outrage and the sentimentses of my family. we really appreciate that. >> that means a lot to me. we'll continue to keep in touch with you and see if the law can get changed. although it's not going to change the case of this pardon. wish you strength in the days ahead. thank you. >> thank you, anderson. >> let us know what you think about it. on facebook, google plus, at twitter, you can also follow me on twitter. up next, president obama said washington lobbyists wouldn't be running his white house, so hue does he sdriebl his new hire, a man who ran a lobbying firm? >> and later, an overlooked chapter in american history coming to light. california once led the nation in forced sterilization, and why even now the victims of some of the forced sterilizations are fighting for some kind of justice. anderson, new attacks on

civilians in syria, and while a new and influential voice is now arguing against outside military intervention to stop it. that and much more when 360 continues. >> announcer: this is the day. the day that we say to the world of identity thieves "enough." we're lifelock, and we believe

you have the right to live free from the fear of identity theft. our pledge to you? as long as there are identity thieves, we'll be there. we're lifelock. and we offer the most comprehensive identity theft protection ever created. lifelock: relentlessly protecting your identity. call 1-800-lifelock or go to lifelock.com today. well, online dating services can get kind of expensive.

so to save money, i've found a new way to get my profile out there. check me out. everybody says i've got a friendly disposition and they love my spinach dip. five foot ten... still doing a little exploring. but... my sign is sagittarius, i'm into spanish cheese, my hairline is receding but i'm getting a weave. getting a weave. there's an easier way to save. who wants some ronald tonight!? who wants some ronald tonight!? geico. fifteen minutes could save you 15% or more.

keeping them honest now, on a very specific campaign promise that then-candidate obama made back in 2008. that when he was elected he would run the white house, not washington lobbyists. the question tonight is, is he breaking that promise and using a loophole as an escape hatch? here's the pledge candidate obama made during his primary campaign against hillary clinton. >> we will not take a dime from washington lobbyists or special interest pacs. we're going to change how washington works. they will not fund my party. they will not run our white house, and they will not drown out the voice of the american people when i'm president of the united states of america. >> we've got to change how business is done in washington. this is the major disagreement that i have with senator clinton. now, she's a smart and capable person, but she is of washington. and she believes that lobbyists aren't a problem. i think they are. i would not take money from federal lobbyists. they have not funded my campaign. they will not run our white house.

and they will not drown out the voices of the american people when i'm president of the united states of america. >> but if you are ready for change, then we can go ahead and tell the lobbyists, their days of setting the agenda in washington are over. they have not funded my campaign, they will not run my white house, and they will not drown out the voices of the american people when i'm president of the united states of america. >> well, tell that to steve ricchetti, who is the new counsel to vice president biden. steve ricchetti's last job was running a lobbying firm. for years, he lobbied in washington for gm, eli lilly, the american banking association, and others seeking to influence government policy. so how, you might ask, did he end up with a senior job in the administration? well, it turns out in january of 2009, president obama started backing away from his pledge, saying, "when you were a

lobbyist entering my administration, you won't be able to work on matters you lobbied on." but, keeping 'em honest, there's very little the white house is involved with that steve ricchetti or others in his line of work haven't lobbied on, such as banking, hospitals, and the auto industry. the white house, though, is offering another justification. you can decide if it's a fig leaf or not richetti de-registered as a lobbyist in 2008 even though he continued to run his lobbying firm. so, officially, he was not a lobbyist anymore. dana milbank's column in "the washington post" got this on the radar. i spoke with him and democratic strategist hilary rosen shortly before airtime. dana, it seems the white house can appoint this guy, ricchetti, because he de-registered as a lobbyist before president obama took office. but for all intents and purposes, he was still a lobbyist, right? >> right, anderson. and that's the problem with sort of the influence industry in this town. relatively few people who practice this business are actually, technically lobbyists. so we live in this absurd situation where the president can get around his own ban on

hiring lobbyists by hiring the president of a lobbying firm. so somehow, that's better. it's just -- you know, it just sort of shows how deep this town is, into the influence business. >> hilary, i mean, isn't the president opening himself up to just a charge of hypocrisy on this? i mean, saying you're not going to hire a lobbyist, and then hiring a guy who's a lobbyist in everything but name only? >> first of all, he's not a lobbyist in everything but name only. he did not talk to members of congress about issues on behalf of clients, period. >> but he ran a lobbying firm. >> that's the definition of a lobbying firm. >> no, he had lobbyists in his firm, but he did not do that. so, here's the other thing, which is, this kind of stigma about lobbyists. first of all, i personally think this whole issue is kind of silly. because, guess what, you want to have people who know how to get stuff done. >> no, no, i'm not arguing that point. but this is a president who has specifically said, i'm not going to have lobbyists, so it's one thing -- you can now argue and say, well, it's silly to have said that -- >> and he hasn't. >> but he attacked hillary clinton -- >> i'm saying i think it's silly

to say. >> right, but the obama campaign attacked hillary clinton in 2008 for taking money from him because he was a lobbyist then. >> well, he was a lobbyist then years prior to 2008. but since then, he has not lobbied. which is the rule. two years of no lobbying. so, that means that you get all of the benefit of the experience of a lobbyist, without the current corporate ties. and that's an important thing. steve ricchetti is a good guy. this is kind of a, you know, a crazy thing to be taking off after him for. >> dana, in your column, you wrote, "only in today's washington could a president circumvent his own ban on hiring lobbyists by hiring the head of a lobbying firm. his appointment shows just how flimsy obama's ethical reforms have been and how absurd the official standards are for who's a lobbyist in the influence industry." >> mm-hmm, yeah. i mean, look, hilary makes a fine point that maybe they should be hiring lobbyists, because they have experience. but then don't go and put in a policy in the first place that says you shouldn't be hiring

lobbyists. now, he's the president of a lobbying firm. basically, his other partner is his brother. his brother goes to lobby for people and says, hey, you know, my brother, the president of this firm, he's that guy that raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for all you politicians. and i think any american looking at that would say, that stinks, and that's ridiculous whether you call him a lobbyist or you don't call him a lobbyist. it's not saying that steve ricchetti is a bad guy, from everything i understand, he's very competent and just the kind of guy you'd want in the white house, but it doesn't smell good. >> hilary, doesn't this come on the heels of the president basically reversing himself on super pacs as well? >> you know, it does come on the heels of super pacs, but this coming on the heels, let's go back to this, he has not gone back on his pledge not to hire lobbyists. steve ricchetti is not a lobbyist. when it comes to super pacs, you know, as soon as mitt romney says he's not going to take $1 billion from super pacs, my guess is barack obama would say so too. but there's no way he's going to unilaterally disarm when the republicans have, you know,

empowered themselves with so much money. >> again, i'm not arguing whether it's a smart strategic move for the president to do, but it is the reverse of what he said he would do earlier. correct? >> what he said he would do in 2008, which was a different campaign finance system. now we're in 2012, the system has changed. he's playing in the new system, as anyone who cares about his policies and him being re-elected would want him to do. you've got to designated hitter rule, guess what, you're going to the world series, you're going to take advantage of the designated hitter rule. just no question here. >> dana, is this something that -- i mean, do you think this opens the president up to charges of hypocrisy? >> well, it certainly opens him to charges of hypocrisy. but the fact of the matter is, he may find that it's necessary to do it anyway. the president came here to change washington and washington has changed him. and that's really what's happened here, is he realizes that these are the rules that you have to play by. >> dana, the white house does have a history of trying to

appoint lobbyists to jobs in the administration. i mean, this isn't -- this isn't a one-off. and again, you can say that they're not lobbyists because they're not officially lobbyists, but there's plenty of people in washington who are lobbying who are not called "lobbyists," right? >> exactly. and that's what typically the former elected officials are typically not registered lobbyists. they're sort of the rainmakers for the lobbying firms. the administration has hired several lobbyists. they gave them waivers in certain cases. but in other cases, you know, a guy who lobbied for human rights watch, lobbying to help torture victims was said, no, you can't have a job in this administration, because you're a lobbyist. and when you say he can't but the president of a lobbying firm that worked for general motors and fannie mae can, it's hard to sort of justify that and it doesn't pass the smell test. >> you know -- >> hilary? >> not a lobbyist. it doesn't meet any test and this is just made up. >> what do you mean it's made up? candidate obama -- >> because he's not a lobbyist, anderson. >> -- attacked him when he was accepting money, saying hillary clinton is accepting bundled

money from lobbyists. he still works for the same firm and now his brother runs that firm. >> we're four years later and he has abided by the rules, the president's abided by the rules, the vice president has abided by the rules in picking him, and kind of end of story. you can decide that he's a lobbyist, but under any existing rule, he's not. and more importantly, he knows what he's doing. and that's something that is going to benefit the american people and the white house. >> it depends on what the meaning of "is" is. >> yes, exactly. we sound like -- we're in washington speak here. we'll let viewers make up their own mind. >> no, it's pretty clear? >> we'll let viewers make up their minds. hilary rosen, thank you very much. dana milbank, thanks. >> thanks, anderson. >> let us know what you think. we're on twitter right now @ac360. documentary that has gone viral, that wants to put joycep kony behind wbars in 2012.

also ahead, he's 82 years old, but this man will never forget like what it felt like to be forcibly sterilized when he was just a boy. it's hard to believe it happened here in america. tens of thousands of people were forcibly sterilized. it happened to him in the state of california in their eugenics program, so why won't california make amends now? details on that ahead. [ laura ] maine is known for its lighthouses, rocky shore,

and most importantly, its lobster. it's the tastiest, the sweetest, the freshest. nobody can ever get enough. [ male announcer ] it's lobsterfest at red lobster, the one time of year you can savor 12 exciting lobster entrees like lobster lover's dream or new maine lobster and shrimp trio. [ laura ] hot, right out of the shell. i love lobster. i'm laura mclennan from spruce head, maine, and i sea food differently. hi, i just switched jobs, and i want to roll over my old 401(k) into a fidelity ira. man: okay, no problem. it's easy to get started; i can help you with the paperwork. um...this green line just appeared on my floor. yeah, that's fidelity helping you reach your financial goals. could you hold on a second? it's your money. roll over your old 401(k) into a fidelity ira and take control of your personal economy. this is going to be helpful. call or come in today. fidelity investments. turn here.

so how much do we owe you? that'll be $973.42. ya know, your rates and fees aren't exactly competitive. who do you think i am, quicken loans? [ spokesman ] when you refinance your mortgage with quicken loans, you'll find that our rates and fees are extremely competitive. because the last thing you want is to spend too much on your mortgage. one more way quicken loans is engineered to amaze. ♪

digging deeper tonight, on a video documentary that has gone viral. it's been repeated several million times on social networking sites, and in just four days on youtube, it's had

more than the academy awards got in terms of viewership. here's what makes that fact so remarkable. the film is about a ugandan war lord, a man so despicable, the international criminal court names him its number one target. miguel marquez reports. >> reporter: it is a 30-minute video. its hope -- to change the world. >> in order for it to work, you have to pay attention. >> reporter: what the narrator and filmmaker want you to pay attention to is this man, joseph kony. he leads a ugandan rebel group called the lord's resistance army and his goal is to overthrow the ugandan government. in his 26-year campaign, kony has kidnapped more than 65,000 boys and girls, kids, forcing them to maim their fellow villagers and sometimes to prove their loyalty to kony, kill their own families. kony says he's doing it all to the name of god, but the children's stories paint a picture of hell on earth. cnn has covered it since the beginning.

>> translator: we were forced to bite him with our bare teeth as he screamed in pain. we continued biting until he was dead. >> reporter: russell and his charity, invisible children, are on a mission, because of a promise he made to a 12-year-old boy in 2003. jacob was kidnapped by the lord's resistance army, his brother, killed by it. >> after spending a few weeks with jacob, he told me something i would never forget. >> so it is better when you kill us. and if possible, you can kill us, you kill us. for us, we don't want now to stay -- >> you don't want to stay on earth? >> there are no one taking care of us. we are not going to school -- >> you would rather die than stay on earth? >> yes. >> even now? >> even now. how are we going to stay in our future? >> he told me more about his brother and what he would say to him if he were still alive.

>> i love you, but now i miss you, so it is better when we meet -- we are not going to meet, but we may meet in heaven, you see? so it is better -- i will not talk much, it will start something, because if i saw my brother once again, i don't -- [ crying ] >> reporter: the video has now been viewed more than 50 million times. most of those viewing it, teenagers. and the filmmaker is hoping the online buzz will have real world effects. >> we are going to make joseph kony a household name. not to celebrate him, but to bring his crimes to the light. >> russell wants kony, the world's number one war criminal, arrested. getting rid of kony, say experts, is a great goal, but it is utterly naive to think that alone will end violence in uganda. the government itself there has been accused of violence and abuse. still, russell and his invisible children push ahead. on april 20th comes the real

test. >> this is the day when we will meet at sundown and blanket every street in every city -- >> reporter: taking a page from street artists, iconic posters of joseph kony to be hung around the world, making him famous, and maybe finally making him a prisoner. >> miguel marquez joins us now. it is amazing how quickly this campaign has gone viral. i mean, it's all over twitter. it's all over facebook. there have been questions that have been raised about this group, about their fund-raising, and where they spend the money. >> with success comes a lot of focus. and there are claims out there that this group doesn't really live up to the 5013c standards, the standards of a nonprofit organization, that it only puts 32% of the money that it takes in toward actual stuff on the ground. most of it going to filmmaking and administration-type stuff. it gets a two out of four stars from some of the groups that rate nonprofit organizations. in response, the group has put

out all of their financial statements, and letting people see for themselves. it does seem to indicate that they've now had an independent auditor go through their financial statements, and it does seem to suggest that they do a lot more with their money programmatically than the critics would suggest. >> i don't know anything about this group in particular, but i do think that the fact that they've been able to galvanize so many people to pay -- you know, watch a 30-minute video about joseph kony, who we at cnn have been following for years, we've been doing stories about him for years, i worked in central africa for years. suddenly i'm getting e-mails from school kids i know, saying, do you know about joseph kony, that's an amazing accomplishment. >> it is stunning that there are kids involved in africa about this, and that there are kids in the u.s., that are mostly watching this video now. and good, bad, otherwise, these the people may be naive, they may be off on some of their facts about what's happening in uganda, but at the end of the day, it's starting a very important debate, and anybody knows how important it is to

have that. >> it's a good discussion. miguel marquez, thanks. a fight for justice. california once led the nation in forced sterilizations, and you might be shocked to know that its eugenics program was once used as nazi germany as a model. decades later, victims want california to make amends. we'll have that story ahead. first, let's check in with aisha with the "360" bulletin. >> the syrian regime launched new attacks in opposition strongholds today. at least 62 people were killed, according to opposition groups. meanwhile, in cairo, former u.n. secretary kofi annan says outside military intervention in syria could worsen an already precarious situation. here's what else he said at today's meeting. >> people throughout the region and the world are deeply troubled by what is taking place, the level of violence is unacceptable by any standards.

this cannot continue. the violence and the killing must stop and stop immediately. there is a major need for us to change course. a new report from the u.s. surgeon general shows the decline in teen smoking has stalled. nearly 1 in 4 high school seniors smokes, despite decades of anti-smoking education. the report says evidence suggests that the tobacco companies are using new product design and packaging to appeal to young people. >> and they warn that new york city may pay as firefighters who messed out on pay or were not hired because of racial bias cases. they are required to hire nearly 300 black and latino applicants. and anderson, this 340-ton boulder, mm-hmm, may be the most

popular rock on the planet. at two stories high, it's being moved from a quarry in riverside, california, to a museum in l.a., where it will be part of a new exhibit. it is making 22 stops along the way, and it is drawing crowds. anderson? >> serious stuff ahead. an ugly chapter in american history. a man who was forcibly sterilized, one of thousands in this country. he was just 14 years old when it happened. he wants the state of california to compensate him. he's now 82, and he's not the only one. there were a lot of other victims, lots of them. that report ahead. also, iran says it's ready to talk about its nuclear program, but there are strings attached. even if it's not with . [ ding ] oh, that's helpful! well, our company does that, too. actually, we invented that. it's like a sauna in here. helping you save, even if it's not with us -- now, that's progressive! call or click today. no mas pantalones!

chocolate lemonade ? susie's lemonade... the movie. or... we make it pink ! with these 4g lte tablets, you can do business at lightning-fast speeds. we'll take all the strawberries, dave. you got it, kid. we have a winner. we're definitely gonna need another one. small businesses that want to grow use 4g lte technology from verizon. i wonder how she does it. that's why she's the boss. because the small business with the best technology rules. contact the verizon center for customers with disabilities at 1-800-974-6006. align can help. only align has bifantis,

a pantented probiotic that naturally helps maintain your digestive balance. ♪ ooh baby, (what) can i do for you today? ♪ try align today.

tonight, more about an incredibly disturbing story we've been following for months now. states in the united states refusing to compensate victims who were forcibly sterilized because they were deemed unfit to reproduce. it was part of a eugenics program operated in more than half the states in the 20th century in this country. it sounds shocking, it's almost unbelievable, but it's the shameful truth. tens of thousands of american citizens were sterilized without their consent. it was all public knowledge. now, the supreme court at the time actually endorsed the practice and so did several presidents. california performed so many sterilizations, get this, nazi germany used its program as a model. elizabeth cohen has part one of her report. >> reporter: 1945, california's sonoma state home. charlie fillet, a 14-year-old ward is singing in a field when he's ordered inside. >> first they shot me with some kind of medicine.

supposed to deaden the nerves. then the next thing i heard was snip, snip, and that was it. >> did they tell you what they were doing to you? >> no. >> reporter: they didn't have to tell him. he knew. a sterilization by force. how did you know what it was? >> well, because there's been others in there that had it before me. >> reporter: the other boys at the home had warned him how much it would hurt. >> but when they done this side here, it seemed like they were pulling the whole inside out. >> reporter: the 1930s through the 1950s were the heyday of the eugenics movement in the united states. the goal, to rid the country of the feeble-minded, defectives. and it wasn't some fringe or secretive program. it was well known and paid for by the states, where it was practiced. entire families labeled shiftless, degenerates. 60,000 men and women, boys and

girls sterilized. some living at home, others like follett in state institutions. his parents were alcoholics and couldn't care for him and his sisters. 32 states had eugenics programs, but california was in a league of its own. the golden state sterilized 20,000 people, more than twice as many as the next state, virginia, and a full third of the nation's total. it was led by california's elite, including at the time, the president of the stanford university and the publisher of the "los angeles times." the efficiency of california's program didn't go unnoticed. in the 1930s, the nazi party in germany was so impressed, it asked for advice, and californians leading the program were only too happy to help. so ugenesis in california sent this book to the nazis? >> yes, they did. >> so the nazis used this book as a model for their sterilization program? >> absolutely. germany used california's

program as its chief example that this was a working, successful policy. >> reporter: california, the leader in forced sterilizations, but decades later, not a leader in making amends to victims. a few hundred survivors are still alive, but one scholar's estimate, but the state has offered no reparations. follett's tried for years, but he says he can't even get a politician to talk to him, not even his own state representative, who also refused an interview request from cnn. his friend, rudy, a nursing student, shows me letters he's written to no avail on follett's behalf. >> do you think the state of california just wants to forget about this, forget it ever happened? >> honestly, i think they're just waiting -- i mean, i hate to sound so cynical, i think they're just waiting for the victims to die and forget this whole thing ever happened. >> reporter: compare that chilly response to the state of north carolina. >> the state of north carolina

is a partner with you and trying to bring awareness -- >> reporter: governor bev perdue has invited sterilization victims to the capitol, heard their stories, apologized personally, set up a task force to help them, and recommended that each victim receive $50,000 in reparations. in california, just a statement of apology by governor gray davis in 2003, saying, "it was a sad and regrettable chapter in the state's history and it is one that must never be repeated again." an apology from the governor, is that enough? >> no. no. it's a start. but it's only a start. these people deserve to be compensated, just like any other victim that has had their rights violated. >> reporter: where does all this leave follett? he's 82, recovering from lung cancer, and hoping that justice will come before he dies. >> you know, elizabeth, your reporting on this has been incredible, because i really had no idea this was so widespread. 60,000 americans forcibly sterilized. do you know how many of those

people are still alive? >> reporter: you know, it's not known, because except in north carolina, anderson, people aren't really reaching out and trying to keep track of how many victims there are. so, for example, as we said in california, one scholar thinks there's a few hundred who are still alive, but no one really knows for sure. >> aside from that statement by the former governor, gray davis, in california, have any other officials there acknowledged what happened? >> you know, anderson, we have spent the past few weeks calling and e-mailing politicians in california and the silence has been astonishing. and i actually went out there and i flew out to sacramento to try to get these politicians to talk to me, and the results were really quite interesting. and i'm putting that report together now for tomorrow night. >> okay. we'll have that tomorrow night on the program. elizabeth, thanks. it's just important, i think, to keep talking about this. coming up, pakistan taking a legal action against some of osama bin laden's widows. we've got the latest on the allegations against them. and there were warnings about how a solar storm that's going on could mess with everything from satellites to gps systems. we have an update on that. allow natural gas producersros

to supply affordable, cleaner energy, while protecting our environment. across america, these technologies protect air - by monitoring air quality and reducing emissions... ...protect water - through conservation and self-contained recycling systems... ... and protect land - by reducing our footprint and respecting wildlife. america's natural gas... domestic, abundant, clean energy to power our lives... that's smarter power today. ♪ [ male announcer ] offering four distinct driving modes and lexus' dynamic handling, the next generation of lexus will not be contained. the all-new 2013 lexus gs. there's no going back. ♪

the other office devices? they don't get me. they're all like, "hey, brother, doesn't it bother you that no one notices you?" and i'm like, "doesn't it bother you you're not reliable?" and they say, "shut up!" and i'm like, "you shut up." in business, it's all about reliability. 'cause these guys aren't just hitting "print." they're hitting "dream." so that's what i do. i print dreams, baby. [whispering] big dreams. that's why i take doctor recommended colace® capsules. i have hemorrhoids and yes, i have constipation. that's why i take colace®. [ male announcer ] for occasional constipation associated with certain medical conditions, there's colace® capsules. colace® softens the stool and helps eliminate the need to strain. stimulant-free, comfortable relief. no wonder more doctors recommend it. say yes to colace®! [ male announcer ] we're giving away fifty-thousand dollars worth of prizes! enter weekly to win! go to colacecomfort.com to enter!

will be giving away passafree copies enter weekly to win! of the alcoholism & addiction cure. to get yours, go to ssagesmalibubook.com. a top iranian official said his country is ready to talk about its nuclear program again. they told members at their meeting in vienna that a new chapter is open that insists other issues must be on the table as well.

>> at least two of osama bin laden's widows face charges. they charge them with entering the country illegally. they were living in pakistan with some of his wives when he waw killed by american commanders. >> they filed for an initial public offering. $200 million worth of shares. >> and solar storms that hit the earth this morning have caused few problems so far. they had the potential to upset systems, gpa, and power systems. radio communications could be interrupted, and one scientist compares the challenge of forecasting these events to hitting a major league pitcher's fastball. i know you know what that means. >> i know what than means, but that picture we were showing, was that the sun? >> could be put that up again?

>> i'm confused. it's the sun, i'm told. it's cool. >> it is cool. >> shouldn't have slept through. >> it has been noted. you will not be the person i call if i'm ever on "who wants to be a millionaire." >> history, geography, anything else. >> time now for the shot. you know we love dogs around here. how can we resist a video of man's best friend who own best friend is a battery powered mouse? >> so much joy. from something so silly. >> it's a beagle.

i like this. >> i love how you don't get any of the other stories tonight, but you love this. >> i get this. solar flares, i don't understand. i like how the dog twists himself around. oh, i like dogs. >> at least you're happy. so easy to please. >> i'm like that dog. isha, thanks very much. coming up, how much would you pay for a three-year-old chicken mcdugt? the ridiculist is next. [ male announcer ] fighting pepperoni heartburn and pepperoni breath? fight both fast with new tums freshers! concentrated relief that goes to work in seconds and freshens breath. new tums freshers. ♪ tum...tum...tum...tum... tums! ♪ [ male announcer ] fast relief, fresh breath, all in a pocket sized pack.

we can save you $600. $600? wow, you're like a magician or something. shh. david copperfield doesn't like it when customers say that... ha, so he's a "magician," huh? can he do this? ♪ or this! or, how about this! wow, that was really impressive. it was... uh, i think we'll go with the $600. yes, we will. [ male announcer ] combine auto and renters with state farm, and save an average of $600. ♪

you'd chose an intel core i7 processor for maximum processing power. you'd use carbon fiber and machined aluminum, to make it more beautiful and more durable. you'd even use edge-to-edge gorilla glass for a stunning display in a more compact form. everything that you would ever want in a laptop. introducing the dell xps 13 ultrabook. everything. and more. ♪

time now for the ridiculist. tonight, we're adding this chicken mcnugget. it isn't just any old chicken mcnugget. it's a rare and valuable chicken mcnugget. it's one that somebody saves for three years. after three years of loving it and caring for it, that same somebody decided to sell it on ebay. this week, the auction ended. final bid, $8,100 for a three-year-old chicken mcnugget. what if i told you it looks exactly like george washington? it's supposedly george washington in profile. now, i don't quo if you can see it or not. you have to maybe use your imagination, squint your eyes. they made an exception when they found out the lady was going to use the money to send children to church camp. this just in, the bidder has backed out. send up your benjamins because the washington mcnugget could be

going back on the market. not to chop down anyone's cherry tree, but $8,000 is a lot of money. if you have blown this month's rotting presidential fast food mun budget, you could get new nuggets. that's right, we called. and the line was busy the first few times which is puzzling. who calls mcdonalds besides us, i mean? there are other options on ebay. one that looks like santa claus. one that is said to resemble mitt romney, and one that looks like jay leno. okay, maybe. we don't want you to feel left out if you're a vegetarian or if you have wooden teeth. how about a genuine gold nugget. this is on ebay with a current bid of one penny. or you can buy a single nugget in a biscuit. there's also a video on youtube. >> nugget biscuit, nugget in a biscuit.

>> i'm perplexed. there's one more surprising element involving the initial discovery of the george washington mcnugget. the lady said it was left over when she took her kids to mcdonald's and she almost threw it away. who heard of kids not eating chicken mcnuggets. jamie oliver tried to change that. let's see what happened. >> all of the connective tissues. a little bit of bone marrow and stuff like that. they even add chicken skin. now, who would still eat this? there you go. the whole experiment failed. >> there it is. kids love chicken mcnuggets. i love big macks and fries. it's not good for me. people on ebay love mcnuggets that look presidential. i would cross the delaware for a big mack about now. i would.