sally jenkins did a great story with that interview. >> thanks a lot for that. >>> grads spent the day raising money for an organization that helps victims of sexual assault. she heard about paterno's declining health and shared their thoughts with our lindsey mastis. >> on and off the field he's been a true leader for penn state university. >> reporter: this group of grads ended up at rumors downtown to celebrate, but then long time penn state coach joe paterno was taken off life support. >> as soon as this group found out about the news, the mood changed and some are so upset and so sad. they said they couldn't speak on camera. >> my friends and i just really kind of remember him and the good things about him and then after that, we just decided that we celebrate the penn staters together. >> the news is grim. the paterno's family says he's hanging on. >> his family and friends are at the hospital saying goodbye to him. it's really sad, but hopefully he gets to say goodbye to all of his friends and family. >> the recent sex abuse scandal involves paterno. despite the controversy, gra

sally jenkins is "the washington post" columnist who we just heard about who interviewed joe pat earno, thanks for being here. >> good morning. >> so i have to say in reading your story, it does paint this picture of a very frail man, of a very sick man. does he -- is he lucid? does he fully understand everything that has happened so far? >> he's pretty lucid. he does wander a bit. he's hard of hearing now. the chemotherapy has made him a little bit foggy at times. and so, you know, we couldn't talk for very long periods. the reason i did it in two interviews was because he actually didn't have the strength to really have a prolonged conversation so we did two different sessions. >> paterno maintains he went through the proper channels, he believes he went through the proper channels in reporting this scandal. so does he understand the criticism that's been lodged against him? >> he does. he believes he did the right thing, as he understood it at the time. he did fulfill his legal obligations to report the incident to his superiors, tim curley and gary schultz at penn state. what he's

sally jenkins conducted the final interview just nine days before his death. you were with him. interview. let me just say and the stories you have written from it. let's talk about your impressions and were you surprised that only nine days later that he lost his life? >> i was not surprised or shocked in the least. he was in very poor health. he was in a wheelchair, he labored to breathe and on talk. we actually broke the interview into two parts. one thursday of last week and then another follow-up on friday because he was not strong enough to really have a sustained conversation for longer than about 30 minutes. on friday, he actually was too ill to get out of bed, but he wanted to keep talking and so he asked if i would come into the bedroom so i did five follow-up questions with him at his bed side. three hours later he was taken to the medical center where he stayed until the end of his life. >> and a little bit of that interview, the audio of that interview, when you asked him about being diagnosed with lung cancer and being fired let's listen. >> the good lord has a rea

i didn't feel adequate. >> joining me now is the washington post sally jenkins.>> good morning. >> why do you think joe paterno is at a loss about what he should do about reporting the allegations. there are rules about that. i find it somewhat period that he said he didn't feel adequate. >> well, i mean, that's the question for joe paterno. it's a tough question. it's a question that he tried to answer, struggled to answer. you know, his portrait of himself is of an old-world gentleman who was out of his depth on this subject and who did what was legally required of him which was to pass it on to his superiors who he said he hoped were better equipped to deal with it. people have to make up their own minds about whether they find that believable. >> he says he did not know anything about the previous allegations around sandusky that it was a complete surprise to him. >> yes. >> did you find that credible? >> it's not really my place in this story to decide whether he's credible or not. it was my job to present what he says. other people have to make up their min

sitting in a wheelchair he told reporter sally jenkins after reporting two officials of a 2002 showerident involving former coach sandusky and a young boy. he did not follow up more aggressively. out of fear of influencing any internal investigation. i didn't know exactly how to handle it and it was afraid to do something that might jeopardize what the university procedure was, he says so i backed away and turned it over to some other people. if there was a problem they would be following up on it. those people were curley and gary shultz. both are now charged with lying to a grand jury. >> i had never had to deal with something like that. >> reporter: in addition, paterno told jenkins even if former assistant coach mcquery had been more graphic on the shower room rape it may not have registered. to be frank with you i don't know that it would have done any good paterno said, because i never heard of, of rape in a man. paterno says he's reserving any judgment against sandusky and school officials. preferring to let the legal system run its course. >> sandusky remains free on bail whil

reporter sally jenkins saying that he seemed determined to go on record making sure that he wanted tothat he felt he did all he could back in 2002 when he was approached about allegations regarding jerry sandusky and the child sex abuse scandal that certainly rocked this campus and also led to joe paterno's firing back in november. >> well, michelle, when you talk about sort of the somber tone there, i know that there were -- there had been rumors about his death last night, which was very difficult for, i know, the family members having to deal with that and trying to clarify the story. but was there a family spokesperson that came out today or a chaplain? do you know how the message was delivered? >> a family spokesperson released the statement from the family. we have not heard personally from anyone. nobody publicly has spoken. just the release of the statement at this time. yes, it has been a very difficult 48 hours for the family. we are told that they were by his side throughout the last 24 hours, called to the hospital yesterday, and that, of course, when they heard those repo

you to do that for yourself. >> sally jenkins, "washington post," appreciate it. >>> still ahead thisactress angela bassett honors legacy of dr. martin luther king jr. and we talk to the man who helped dr. king write the "i have a dream" speech. ♪ it goes on and on ♪ yeah ♪ i throw my hands up in the air sometimes ♪ ♪ saying ay-oh ♪ >> i'm so happy with the little things. that was a shot of atlanta, georgia. it's going to be 57 degrees in atlanta. it's cold here in new york. >> 16. >> charleston is warm. >> yes, it is. >> and we're not there until thursday. our cause celeb this morning is actress angela basset. she has been starring on broadway in a play which follows martin luther king jr.'s last days on earth. >>> do you think that there's a sense of great progress or that much more still has to be done or somewhere in between? >> i don't think we ever reach the end. >> the mountaintop? >> yeah, the end. but, you know, if i were to be so bold as to say, you know, as to sort of, you know, think about what he might say, i think that he would be pleased with the great deal of progress

reporter sally jenkins says paterno seemed determined to tell his story, even though the cancer treatment was taking its toll. >> he's pretty lieu siucid. he does wander a bit. the chemotherapy has made him a bit foggy at times, so we couldn't talk for very long periods. >> reporter: paterno has been part of penn state's football program for six decades and has the most wins of any major u.s. college football coach in history. in november his firing was so controversial, some students rioted. >> thanks. >> reporter: with paterno himself calling for calm. despite being forced out, paterno told jenkins, he still loves the place he worked and called home for most of his life. >> i've had a wonderful experience here at penn state. i don't want to walk away from this thing bitter. >> reporter: the family has also asked for privacy during this difficult time. meanwhile, onward state, the news serving penn state and the community here first made the mistake of reporting paterno died after initially saying that he had died, they also came back and issued an apology and the managing editor also an

and yet, when he gave his final swan song interview a week and a half ago to sally jenkins to "the washington post," he made clear he didn't want to share in that. he wouldn't bash, he wouldn't criticize the university. he said he wanted to concentrate on the positive. just want to say we just got in what the first of what are going to be many statements today about joe paterno from former president george bush. he was an outstanding american in life as well as on the field of play. he was without a doubt a true icon in the world of sports. i was proud that he was a friend of mine. i think we are going to be hearing a lot of statements like that today. >> we are as well. later on we will share the one that was just released by the university president rodney ericson who you mentioned. michael isikoff, many thanks for the update. >> thank you. >>> another develop, story we are following for you this morning. presidential candidate mitt romney just a short time ago announced plan to release his tax returns on tuesday. this decision follows days of pressure. questions and big loss of south carol

we begin with kudos for "washington post" sports writer sally jenkins who landed the first interviewoach joe paterno since the scandal that rocked penn state. >> i spoke with joe paterno who was dismissed in november in the wake of the child sexual abuse scandal involving his former assistant coach, jerry sandusky. >> i called my superiors, and i said hey, we've got a problem, i think. would you guys look into it? because i didn't know -- you know, i had never had to deal with something like that. >> jenkins pressed paterno on exactly what happened after he learned of the awful incident in which a young boy was sodomized in the football team showers but also portrayed him as a somewhat confused 85-year-old man who was struggling with chemotherapy treatments. >>> "the new york times" got bashed when newt gingrich was asked about his attacks on mitt romney's portray on capital. the former massachusetts governor then blamed the messenger. >> well, i'm not surprised how "the new york times" try and put free enterprise on trial. >> but it turns out that reuters, not "the times" published

. >> reporter: paterno granted the interview to "washington post" reporter sally jenkins who describes him as weakened, wearing a wig because of hair loss caused by chemo. and at times weak. >> he certainly strikes me as a man struggling to explain himself and his actions to the people who watch him. >> reporter: to the the first time paterno spoke about the day assistance coach mike mcqueary came to his home and told him he had seen jerry sandusky behave suspiciously with a boy in the shower. quote, to be frank with you, i don't know that it would have done any good because i never heard of, of, rape and a man. because paterno wasn't sure how to handle the situation, he, quote, backed away. but those officials never told police. when the scandal broke, the board fired paterno. >> joe paterno is no longer the head football coach effective immediately. >> reporter: as the students rioted -- paterno's wife was, according to "the washington post," in a rage at the way her husband had been treated. but in this interview, paterno wouldn't glow. >> i've had a wonderful experience here at pen

he told reporter sally jenkins after informing two top university officials after the locker room shower incident involving former assistant coach jerry sandusky and a young boy, he did not follow-up more aggressively out of fear of influencing any internal investigation. >> i didn't know exactly how to handle it and i was afraid to do something that might jeopardize what the university procedure was, he said. so i backed away and turned it over to some other people. if there was a problem, they would follow-up on it. those other people were former athletic director tim curley and school vice president gary schultz. both are now charged with lying to a grand jury. >> i had never had to deal with something like that. i didn't feel adequate. >> in addition, paterno told jenkins even if mike mcqueary was more graphic in his description of the alleged 2002 shower room rape, it may not have registered. to be frank with you, i don't know that it would have done any good paterno said. because i never heard of rape and a man. paterno is reserving any judgment of sandusky charged with more than 5

. >> "the washington post" and the interview that i know you read, sally jenkins wrote the article, sort of portrayed a man who was elderly and befuddled and talked about it didn't occur to him to do more when he heard a report about what jerry sandusky was up to. to what degree do you think that, that interviews and his inaction has tarnished that tremendous legacy that before the jerry sandusky scandal was mammothed, outsizes? >> you know, soledad, everyone is going to have their different views and opinions, which is fine. i can't sit here and convince people how great a man joe paterno was. i can just say what a legacy he left to me. a lot of his morals, values, fundamentals he coached and teechd, i'll carry on throughout the rest of my life. >> what did he mean to you? what did he tell you as you were being recruited in 1999, what made you say, yeah, penn state is where i want to go? >> coach paterno came in and sat down with me, recruiting process goes on a lot of coaches come at you from different angles and say i want you to come to this university, i want you to start with this