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Anderson Cooper 360 Degrees
Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords' Road to Recovery; Muslim Infiltration?; Ricky Gervais in Hot Water
Aired January 20, 2011 - 22:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PIERS MORGAN, HOST, "PIERS MORGAN TONIGHT": And now we're going to go to A.C. 360 with my colleague Anderson Cooper.
Anderson, have you ever had malaria?
(CROSSTALK)
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: I -- I actually have had malaria.
(LAUGHTER)
COOPER: I was hospitalized in Kenya when I was a teenager. It's no joke. Is he doing OK?
MORGAN: I mean, he was -- during the interview, he said he was feeling pretty rough, on medication, but he seems to have made a recovery.
Now, what I found quite interesting -- and I'm sure you would second this -- is, of course, if people got what he's just got, many millions of people have died.
COOPER: Yes, it's a killer.
MORGAN: And, you know, that's -- that's where we really have to focus attention, I think.
COOPER: Yes. I mean, it's something which has been plaguing -- people have been trying to find a cure for it for a long, long time. It's -- it's unbelievable how many people die of it every year.
Piers, I loved the interview, also, with Ricky Gervais tonight. I'm actually going to see you in a little while. We're going to talk to you later in the program about Ricky Gervais, what he said tonight, how he defended himself about the Golden Globes.
I don't know if I told you this, if your producers told you. We're actually going to be joined by Joan Rivers. She -- she knows a thing or two about offending celebrities. So, we will...
(LAUGHTER)
COOPER: ... we will talk to her ahead.
MORGAN: Well, I can't wait for that. Well, she and I were both winners of "Celebrity Apprentice." So, it could get -- it could get quite competitive in there.
(LAUGHTER)
COOPER: All right.
(LAUGHTER)
COOPER: Piers, thanks.
MORGAN: Take care.
Well, tonight, we begin with breaking news on Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords' road to recovery. Giffords was able to be wheeled outside today to look at the mountains in Tucson. Tomorrow, she's being moved to another hospital more than 900 miles away, a long way to go for Giffords literally and figuratively, but every day her doctors and her husband see new signs of her amazing will. And you will hear from her husband tonight.
Also tonight: a prominent conservative who insists that Muslim extremists are infiltrating not just the U.S. government, but conservative organizations. Tonight, he squares off against another conservative who is Muslim who he accuses of being in league with the jihadists. Does he have real evidence or is this a fear-and-smear campaign against Muslims? We're "Keeping Them Honest."
And later: Ricky Gervais unplugged, as I told Piers. He was on Piers' show defending the celebrity skewing -- skewering he did on the Golden Globes. Did he go too far? Piers will join me, as well -- as well as the always shocking Joan Rivers. She never pulls any punches, certainly won't tonight.
We begin, though, with breaking news: new strides in Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords' recovery. Just 12 days after being shot in the head, Giffords was able to be wheeled outside the hospital today to do her physical therapy in the fresh air.
This new photo was posted on the congresswoman's Facebook page, a poignant moment captured, Giffords' hospital bed outside in the home, her husband by her side. The caption on Facebook reads "Gabby got one last look at the Catalina Mountains today before her trek to Houston."
Tomorrow, she is going to be flown to a hospital in Houston to get ready for the next phase of the recovery process.
Joining me on the phone, chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta live in Houston, senior medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen.
Sanjay, Dr. Peter Rhee told CNN earlier that he was optimistic about Giffords' progress. I just want to play that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. PETER RHEE, MEDICAL DIRECTOR, UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER TRAUMA CENTER: A lot of times, we're -- we're very disappointed when they don't make much progress in the first two weeks. And for her to be at her stage right now -- and -- and I have seen daily progress -- it's -- is very -- very optimistic. And I'm very happy and positive about that fact.
You know, what she's going to be doing in two months and in six months and a year from now, that's really difficult to say. And I don't want to be that prognostic on that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: What do the next -- what does the next stage of her recovery look like?
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, as -- as -- as you might guess, there's a couple of things that we're still not completely sure about when -- when it comes to her progress thus far.
I mean, she's made amazing strides, as he said. And what we can say is people who recover quickly tend to recover better, meaning their -- their overall end point tends to be better.
There are still questions, I think, about the strength on the right side of her body, specifically her right arm. We know she's bearing weight on her right leg, but her right arm, we haven't heard much about the strength there.
And also with regard to speech overall -- this is going to be an important thing. We know she's -- she's receiving communication well. She's been able to do things, shows awareness, follows commands. But just how well will she be able to actually express herself speech- wise, written communication, gestures?
So I think, over the next couple of months, you know, the focus is going to be on those areas. And, based on her progress thus far, you know, it's -- it's speculative. And every -- every patient with every injury is going to be different.
But I think we're going to see probably evidence within the next few weeks of her being actually able to express herself through some -- some form of communication.
COOPER: Sanjay, earlier, we had talked about, immediately after the shooting, they had removed part of her skull in order to give the brain basically room to swell. Would that still be removed at this stage or is that -- have they reattached that? How does that -- what happens?
GUPTA: That's probably still removed, meaning that it's not in the body. That portion of the skull is typically stored in a sterile, cold setting.
You know, it's -- it's one of these things where, you know, as -- as neurosurgeons, you know, we recognize that putting the skull back obviously is obviously important, but it's also a cosmetic procedure, for the most part. You know, it's not adding anything to her overall rehabilitation or her overall recovery. It needs to be put in at some point.
And, typically, when the patient is, you know, in a position where they're no longer in serious condition, they can tolerate another operation very easily, very well, that will be placed back in.
You know, I -- it's -- it's usually a few weeks to a month when that's done. So, my guess is that will be done probably in Houston, and it -- and it does not impede someone starting the rehabilitation. I mean, they can start that and then have that...
COOPER: Yes.
GUPTA: ... that procedure done to put the bone back in later.
COOPER: Elizabeth, she's being take to that hospital in Houston tomorrow, but she's not actually starting rehabilitation yet?
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Anderson. She's not going actually to the rehab hospital, which is behind me. She's going to a general hospital which is on the same campus, because her neurosurgeon -- or the man who will be her neurosurgeon when she gets here tomorrow -- said she's not ready for rehab.
They -- he said that she has several medical issues that need to be addressed. He wouldn't specify what those were, but he was very clear that she was not yet ready for rehab.
COOPER: I also want to play some of what Mark Kelly said -- said today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARK KELLY, HUSBAND OF CONGRESSWOMAN GABRIELLE GIFFORDS: She will smile at me. She will do some -- a couple things that she will only do around me, like pat me on the face. She used to do that before, you know, just very gently -- gently. I can just look in her eyes and tell.
I mean, she -- she's well aware of who's around her, just -- you know, just very aware of the situation.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: Elizabeth, I know you also spoke to the doctor at the Houston hospital who also had some more details.
COHEN: Yes, this doctor here said that he was told that she actually reached up and adjusted her husband's tie.
And, Anderson, to you and me, that probably sounds like a simple thing. But he said, think about the cognitive abilities that are involved in doing something like that. You have to see the tie, realize you want to adjust it, direct your arm to reach up and do the adjusting. It indicates a certain higher level of cognition. And he said, that's -- that's wonderful, wonderful news.
COOPER: Sanjay, is it -- is it safe to take a patient in this kind of condition on a flight? I mean, obviously, it must be if they're going to do it, but it would seem to be kind of a worry, no?
GUPTA: Well, you know, patients are transported even in conditions that are -- that are tougher than this. I mean, they may still be on the breathing machine. Obviously, those are done in situations where it's critically necessary.
At this point, when someone, you know -- she has a trach, a tracheostomy, in her -- in her throat. She has a feeding tube in her stomach. You know, it's a little bit of a judgment call. But, you know, you have to think of these -- these transports really as sort of almost intensive care units in the sky.
Dr. Rhee mentioned he's going to be traveling. There will be a nurse traveling. They are going to have resuscitation equipment on the -- on the plane. But, you know, her -- her -- the concern about her is not so much her heart and her lungs, which would be more of a worry.
It's more, you know, this brain injury that she's had. And they do certain things on the -- on the plane to sort of compensate for that, simple things, such as keeping her head elevated -- they don't want any additional brain swelling, for example, as a result of a flight -- to, you know, maintaining a certain oxygenation in the plane...
COOPER: Right.
GUPTA: ... so that she doesn't have any threat at all of -- of reducing the amount of oxygen going to her brain.
COOPER: It's amazing -- amazing developments.
Sanjay Gupta, appreciate it, Elizabeth Cohen as well.
We will continue to follow it.
You can join the live chat at AC360.com.
Still ahead tonight: Are radical Muslims infiltrating the Republican Party? That's a claim being made by a well-known Washington conservative. But does he have the facts to back it up? We will find out in a moment. We're "Keeping Them Honest."
And later, comedian Ricky Gervais making no apologies for his performance at the Golden Globes. And fellow comedians are coming to his defense. Ahead, Joan Rivers weighs in, as only she can.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOAN RIVERS, COMEDIAN: Well, look who he was doing the humor to. I mean, it was druggies and drunks.
(LAUGHTER)
RIVERS: I mean, Betty Ford had a hospitality booth in the lobby.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COOPER: "Keeping Them" -- "Keeping Them Honest" now: a story about alleged Muslim radicals infiltrating the U.S. government and the conservative movement.
Now, it's a bit of a hard story to follow, but we're going to try to explain it as best we can.
One former Reagan administration official is saying that radical Islamists are trying to infiltrate nearly every faction of American life, including the conservative movement.
He's pointing at a finger -- a finger at an American Muslim who is a Republican, a conservative. And he accuses him of being a secret jihadist. We are going to talk to both men in a second, but, first, let's just look at the big picture.
In November, Oklahoma passed a law banning the strict code of Muslim conduct of law called Sharia law from that state. There had been no move to institute Sharia law in Oklahoma, but the sponsors of the law there called it a preventative measure.
In New Jersey, the Republican governor, Chris Christie, who is going to -- we will show you a picture of him. He's on the left of your screen there. He's being attacked for appointing the man on the right, Sohail Mohammed, a Muslim, to a judgeship.
Here's how blogger Daniel Greenfield responded to Mohammed's appointment in a post with the headline "Governor Christie's Dirty Islamist Ties."
Greenfield wrote -- and I quote -- "New Jersey, the Garden State, has just taken its first step toward becoming the Sharia state." He also criticized Christie for being -- quote -- "willing to stand up to the teachers union, but not to the terrorist union."
For the record, Mr. Mohammed has a track record of working to foster trust between American Muslims and law enforcement since the 9/11 attacks.
In Washington, New York Congressman Peter King, the new chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, is planning to hold hearings next month on the threat posed by radical Islam in America.
Now, it certainly seems like a legitimate -- legitimate issue to explore, especially considering King is from New York, where the Twin Towers fell.
But some of the things King has said in the past have got some American Muslims worried. Here's what he said on a radio program hosted by Frank Gaffney, president of the Center for Security Policy.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP, SECURE FREEDOM RADIO)
REP. PETER KING (R-NY), HOMELAND SECURITY COMMITTEE RANKING CHAIRMAN: Frank, this is very unusual for our country, because, despite a person's ethnic background or religious background, when a war begins, we're all Americans.
But, in this case, this is not the situation. And whether it is pressure, whether it's cultural tradition, or whatever, the fact is, the Muslim community does not cooperate anywhere near to the extent that it should.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
COOPER: Now, that is a widespread perception. How accurate it is, is an arguable point.
We do know that, according to the FBI, tips from the Muslim community helped thwart the Lackawanna Six near Buffalo, New York, in 2002, and tips from the families of five young Muslims in the Washington suburbs led to their arrest in a police raid in Pakistan in 2009.
In fact, a number of high-profile -- high-profile arrests have been made because Muslims contacted authorities with their suspicions.
Now, the radio show host that Congressman King was talking to in that clip we just played is this man, Frank Gaffney, who has long been raising concerns that America's institutions are being infiltrated by radical Muslims.
Lately, he's been sounding the bell again, this time charging that radical Muslims who want to bring Sharia law to the United States are working their way into conservative circles, including the Conservative Political Action Conference, or CPAC.
Gaffney is pointing a finger in particular at this man, Suhail Khan, a conservative political activist who served as a senior political appointee in the Bush administration.
Khan sits now on the board of the American Conservative Union, or ACU, the group that runs CPAC. Recently, Gaffney sent the board a letter explaining why he thinks Khan is such a danger. Gaffney alleged that Khan's father had ties to groups that are fronts for the Muslim Brotherhood, which were one of the original modern radical Islamist groups that started in Egypt.
Khan calls Gaffney's charges absurd and offensive and he says Gaffney has no proof. Gaffney says Khan doesn't have any proof it's not true. Gaffney is basically accusing Khan of being a sleeper agent.
When Suhail Khan took a summer trip with an interfaith group to Auschwitz, for instance, and several other Nazi death camps in Germany and Poland to explore the tragic events of anti-Semitism, Gaffney says that was a ruse by Khan meant to throw people off the scent of his real intentions to help implement Sharia law in America.
Khan denies the accusations, even laughs them off, but Gaffney continues to insist he's one of the few people who knows the truth.
I spoke to both men earlier.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
COOPER: Mr. Gaffney, you're saying that the conservative movement in America is being infiltrated by Muslims who are secretly trying to undermine the United States.
I have -- I have read a lot of your allegations, and a lot of conservative leaders, frankly, just don't think they add up to very much. I mean, if this infiltration is so obvious, it seems like you're having trouble convincing other people in the conservative movement about it.
FRANK GAFFNEY, FOUNDER & PRESIDENT, CENTER FOR SECURITY POLICY: Well, it's not so obvious, unfortunately, Anderson.
And I think that, frankly, most of the conservative folks who have looked at it haven't looked at it very carefully.
We did, in a study called "Sharia: The Threat to America," at considerable length, a high-quality team of national-security-minded professionals addressed this issue, found that the Muslim Brotherhood, specifically, is in fact working against not just conservatives, but against our civil society writ large.
And it would be sort of extraordinary if they were going after folks like you in the media, they were going after our government, they were going after our judicial system, our financial sector, and they were somehow leaving out the conservative movement.
Of course, they haven't. And I believe that Suhail Khan is one of the ways in which they have in fact effected that influence operation against the conservatives.
COOPER: Mr. Khan, I want to ask you about some of the -- the specific claims that Mr. Gaffney has been making about you. And -- and there are a lot of them.
I mean, was your father part of the Muslim Brotherhood?
SUHAIL KHAN, CHAIRMAN, CONSERVATIVE INCLUSION COALITION: No, he was not. He was a high-tech engineer in the Bay Area.
Frank's allegations go back to 10 years. They're completely false. He's never had any -- any evidence backing any of these allegations up. Nobody has ever believed him.
Those that -- that looked into it, people at "The Washington Post," "National Review," and other reputable sources, found there was no factual basis to these allegations. And that's why, as you rightly pointed out, conservatives across the country are ignoring Frank's attacks as really unhinged and just crazy attacks that are coming out of nowhere.
COOPER: Mr. Gaffney, your allegations really amount to kind of guilt by association, or -- you know, or Mr. Khan went, and, at the behest of the White House, spoke to some Muslim group, and somebody who introduced him later did something.
I mean, it does -- it seems very tangential.
(CROSSTALK)
COOPER: I don't -- when I actually look...
GAFFNEY: Anderson,, may I respond?
COOPER: ... at your allegations, it doesn't seem to amount to much.
GAFFNEY: May I respond?
COOPER: Yes.
GAFFNEY: You are suggesting that that they are my allegations.
These allegations, as you call them, have been proven in a court of law by the Department of Justice. CAIR is a Hamas organization, found to be so by a federal judge in the Holy Land Foundation trial.
(CROSSTALK)
COOPER: If the United States government believed it was a terrorist front organization, they would stop it.
GAFFNEY: Anderson, well, you would think so, wouldn't you?
And my argument is, evidence of the success of a kind of information dominance that the Muslim Brotherhood has achieved, not just in the conservative movement, but across this country, is perfectly profound in what you have just said.
You would think that the United States government would not be dealing with organizations that the Muslim Brotherhood itself has identified as their organizations...
COOPER: Mr. Gaffney...
(CROSSTALK)
GAFFNEY: ... organizations like the Muslim Students Association, which Mahboob Khan founded, organizations like the Islamic Society of North America, which he was a leading force in, organizations like the Council on American-Islamic Relations, which Mrs. Khan is a board director of right now.
COOPER: OK.
GAFFNEY: I mean, these are -- these are not my allegations, Anderson. These are material facts that we need to have investigated, because, when they are investigated, I don't have any doubt how this is going to turn out.
(CROSSTALK)
GAFFNEY: If we keep ignoring it, if we keep turning a blind eye to it, we will continue, I'm afraid, to be subjected to the Muslim Brotherhood's agenda, which is to destroy us from within.
COOPER: Mr. Khan, these organizations that he's mentioned, are they all fronts for the Muslim Brotherhood?
KHAN: No, they're not. They haven't been proved as such. If they were, they would be shut down, as you rightly pointed out.
GAFFNEY: They actually have been proved as such.
KHAN: Reputable -- reputable -- reputable people, including the federal government, has looked into these accusations, have found they're completely baseless.
And, really, that is why everybody is ignoring Frank and these accusations. And, really, when you go back to 9/11, we were attacked by people who were purveyors of hate and murder. And the decision that we have as Americans is -- to make is, do we want to choose fear, or do we want to choose faith? And I choose faith.
COOPER: Frank?
GAFFNEY: Well, this is the standard response.
KHAN: Because it's the truth. That's why.
(CROSSTALK)
GAFFNEY: Well, I don't think it is the truth.
It is the standard ad hominem response to attack the messenger. But here's a relevant point. When Suhail and I...
KHAN: If the messenger is crazy...
GAFFNEY: When Suhail and I had a last opportunity to debate at length, in front of a group...
KHAN: Absolutely.
GAFFNEY: .. called the Harbor League, he spoke very approvingly of a gentleman by the name of Feisal Abdul Rauf, a man we didn't know very well at the time, but we have heard a lot about since, because he's a Muslim Brotherhood operative trying to bring Sharia to America.
And, again, don't take my word for it.
COOPER: Wait a minute. Wait. Wait, no. Wait, this is...
GAFFNEY: That's what his book "What's Right with Islam"...
(CROSSTALK)
COOPER: Wait a minute, sir.
(CROSSTALK)
COOPER: This is -- you're talking about the man -- you're talking about the man...
(CROSSTALK)
COOPER: Sir, you're talking about the imam...
(CROSSTALK)
GAFFNEY: ... on that occasion.
COOPER: You're talking about the imam who's sent by the U.S. State Department...
KHAN: Correct.
COOPER: ... overseas to represent the United States.
GAFFNEY: I am, indeed.
KHAN: That's right.
GAFFNEY: I am, indeed.
(CROSSTALK)
GAFFNEY: Would you suggest that that's a problem? I think it is.
If we are actually using Muslim Brotherhood operatives to promote their version of what should happen to America, it would be a travesty. And, yet, that's exactly what we're doing.
COOPER: A lot of your evidence amounts to like people who introduced him at a speech that he made. I have had people introduce me at speeches I have no idea they are.
KHAN: Right. Exactly.
COOPER: If they go on two years from now to rob a bank, am I somehow a culprit in that?
(LAUGHTER)
COOPER: You've had people, I'm sure, introduce you at speeches, and you have no idea who they are.
(CROSSTALK)
GAFFNEY: Let me ask that specific -- address that specific point.
Abdul Rahman Al-Amoudi was at the time one of the top Muslim Brotherhood operatives in the United States. Suhail Khan knew him very well.
(CROSSTALK)
GAFFNEY: And he knew Suhail Khan very well.
KHAN: Uh-huh.
GAFFNEY: You are telling me, Suhail Khan, you did not know Abdul Rahman Al-Amoudi when you went and spoke...
(CROSSTALK)
KHAN: I had spoken...
(CROSSTALK)
GAFFNEY: No, no, no.
(CROSSTALK)
KHAN: ... very well.
(CROSSTALK)
GAFFNEY: You said -- you actually said in that interview -- that moment that you appreciated -- appreciated...
KHAN: Because, when people introduce you, Frank, you say nice things about them.
GAFFNEY: No, no, no, that you appreciated...
(CROSSTALK)
COOPER: It does seem like all your charges boil down to people who introduce him on a stage or groups that -- that his parents may or may not have worked for.
(CROSSTALK)
GAFFNEY: That's unbelievable...
(CROSSTALK)
COOPER: That's my interpretation of what -- of what you're charging.
(CROSSTALK)
GAFFNEY: Well, you have not -- you have evidently not been listening to this interview.
(LAUGHTER)
GAFFNEY: And when you finish slicing and dicing it, I hope that what I have pointed out that is very much at odds with what you just said won't be left on the cutting room floor.
I'm presenting material facts of associations by Suhail Khan and his family that go back to the founding of the Muslim Brotherhood in America...
KHAN: Right.
GAFFNEY: ... in which they were intimately involved.
COOPER: OK, Mr. Khan, I want you to be able to respond.
GAFFNEY: His denials -- his denials are -- are simply incredible.
KHAN: I serve -- I have served our country proudly for over 15 years, including in the Bush administration for eight years.
People that know, the National Security Agency, the FBI and others, did a full background check on me, as they do for every person who is in and around the president and high-ranking officials. I'm completely a loyal American.
Frank's accusations are completely crazy. And, again, we can choose between fear or faith. I choose faith in the American people and the Constitution.
COOPER: Frank Gaffney, Suhail Khan, appreciate it. Thank you.
GAFFNEY: Thank you.
KHAN: Thanks, Anderson.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COOPER: Well, interesting.
Up next: an amazing story. If you thought the mob was a thing of the past or only in movies, today, a big surprise: the FBI rounding up more than 100 alleged mobsters in three states.
Also ahead: a different kind of wise guy, Ricky Gervais defending tonight his performance as host of the Golden Globes.
I talked to Joan Rivers on why she believes he did a bang-up job.
Isha will also be joining us as well.
Hey, Isha.
(LAUGHTER)
ISHA SESAY, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hey there, Anderson.
I can't wait to hear from Joan Rivers.
(LAUGHTER)
SESAY: Something tells me another celebrity roasting is coming.
COOPER: Yes, exactly, a couple of them.
SESAY: Yes, OK.
Well, some other stories to tell you about.
Wal-Mart is making moves to shrink the nation's collective waistlines. I will explain what they're up to.
And, Mr. Cooper, you're known for being a snappy dresser. You -- you scrub up well, as we say where I'm from.
(LAUGHTER)
SESAY: But you're about to face some competition in the fashion stakes on the streets of New York.
COOPER: Uh-huh.
(LAUGHTER)
SESAY: But do you know from who?
COOPER: Hmm. I don't know.
SESAY: Well, get me back here and I will explain.
(LAUGHTER)
COOPER: All right.
We will have a lot more right after the break. We will be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COOPER: Well, if you tuned in evening to "PIERS MORGAN TONIGHT," you saw comedian Ricky Gervais defending his performance as host of the Golden Globes and his skewering of some of the stars.
Now, he said he will not apologize, that he was hired to do a job, and he did it.
The interview tonight with Gervais was really interesting. I hope you saw it.
We wanted to talk with Piers about it and Joan Rivers. She has a new reality show on WE, "Joan & Melissa: Joan Knows Best?" which debuts Tuesday at 9:00 p.m. Eastern. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
COOPER: Listen, Piers, I want to play just a little bit of your interview with Ricky Gervais tonight.
MORGAN: Sure.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "PIERS MORGAN TONIGHT")
MORGAN: Someone asked me, you know, what do you think? As a fellow Brit on TV in America, what do you think of what happened to Ricky?
I said, well, it's like a bit like inviting a -- a hammerhead shark to dinner, and then, when he eats all the guests, you start complaining.
RICKY GERVAIS, COMEDIAN: Well...
(LAUGHTER)
MORGAN: I mean, you kind of know what you're going to get.
GERVAIS: But that -- that's one thing. But, also, as I say, I don't think I did anything wrong. I honestly -- you know, those were light jives at these people. And I'm sure they have got a sense of humor.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: Do celebrities have a sense of humor?
(LAUGHTER)
MORGAN: I'm not so sure, actually.
When he said that to me, I said, are you sure they have all got a sense of humor? Because you could hear these gasps of horror following...
COOPER: Uh-huh.
MORGAN: ... each of the punchlines. So, I -- I think his confidence may be slightly misplaced.
RIVERS: Well, first of all, look who he was doing the humor to. I mean, it was druggies and drunks.
(LAUGHTER)
RIVERS: I mean, Betty Ford had a hospitality booth in the lobby.
(CROSSTALK)
MORGAN: Any names you want to throw in there, Joan?
(LAUGHTER)
(CROSSTALK)
RIVERS: But you know...
(CROSSTALK)
MORGAN: These people aren't there to laugh. I mean, these people are so uptight, and half of them are not the brightest. You know what I'm saying.
MORGAN: Ricky told me a great thing. He -- which I had never thought about before.
He said, you know why awards ceremonies are the worst things to host? He said, let me tell you why. Every 10 minutes, you have four more losers, people who have dreamt of this moment all their lives...
COOPER: Mm-hmm.
MORGAN: ... and they have been dealt a crushing blow.
COOPER: See...
MORGAN: So, the mood in the room gets more and more miserable as the night goes on. And they get drunk. It's a recipe for total disaster.
COOPER: I want to play just some of the things he said at the awards ceremony.
MORGAN: Yes.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, GOLDEN GLOBE AWARDS)
GERVAIS: It's going to be a night of partying and heavy drinking...
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
GERVAIS: ... or, as Charlie Sheen calls it, breakfast.
Jim -- Jim Carrey and Ewan McGregor, two heterosexual actors pretending to be gay -- so, the complete opposite of some famous Scientologists then.
Eva Longoria has the daunting task of introducing the president of the Hollywood Foreign Press.
(LAUGHTER)
GERVAIS: That's nothing. I just had to help him off the toilet and pop his teeth in.
(LAUGHTER)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(LAUGHTER)
RIVERS: Funny. He was...
COOPER: I thought he was funny.
RIVERS: I think he's brilliantly funny.
COOPER: Yes.
RIVERS: And that is -- as you just said, that is what you pay for.
I always -- you said one thing -- and I say the same thing -- which is you invite Kirstie Alley for dinner, she's going to lick your plate.
(LAUGHTER)
RIVERS: It's the same thing.
(LAUGHTER)
RIVERS: You invite a comic, he's going to be funny.
COOPER: But -- but -- but so many of these awards shows are so saccharine and just, you know, so...
(CROSSTALK)
RIVERS: And boring.
(CROSSTALK)
COOPER: ... overproduced and boring.
RIVERS: And boring.
(CROSSTALK)
COOPER: He made it unexpected.
MORGAN: Well, in Britain, you see, this kind of thing is like what goes on at most awards ceremonies, because sarcasm is the bedrock of great British humor, whereas, in America, it's not like that.
And the backslapping, you know, at the Oscars, it goes on interminably, like five hours of...
COOPER: Right.
MORGAN: ... telling each other how wonderful you are.
COOPER: This even ended on time, I think.
RIVERS: Yes, which shows you how boring it was.
And look who they picked to host the Oscars. Ann Hathaway. Well, when was the last time you said, "Oh, Ann, stop, stop, you're killing me." That's going to be a joke (ph).
COOPER: Well, they're going in a different direction.
RIVERS: I hope.
COOPER: You hope.
MORGAN: I have Ricky Gervais and Jennifer (ph). Can you imagine that evening?
COOPER: Ricky Gervais never -- I saw his standup in his HBO show just the other day on TV, and -- and one of the things he says is he never apologizes for anything.
Do you ever apologize?
RIVERS: You shouldn't. I just had this big thing with Sarah Palin.
COOPER: Right. Right. You said something, and she said to FOX News
RIVERS: Yes. And she's -- yes. And she's criticizing my job. But at least I -- I don't quit in the middle of a joke.
COOPER: You used to do a lot of red carpet stuff and make fun of celebrities to their faces and say really tough stuff.
RIVERS: And the smart ones get it's a joke, Anderson.
COOPER: Because that's the thing. Celebrities don't really like to laugh at themselves. Some of the smart ones do and there was...
MORGAN: You remember, it was Chris North, I think, "Sex and the City" guy, when they ripped into "Sex and the City 2."
COOPER: Right. They...
MORGAN: and they cut to him and he laughed, and I immediately thought what a great guy.
COOPER: Right.
MORGAN: He can laugh about it, even though it's his friends they're talking about. And if every other celebrity watched that, they'd realize their own brand is enhanced if they share the joke. And it's diminished if they don't share the joke.
RIVERA: And I love it when you were on the carpet. Julia Roberts once said to me, "Say it to my face." You know how cute that is?
MORGAN: Did you?
RIVERS: Yes. I said, "I don't like your dress."
MORGAN: What did you say?
RIVERS: And then we both dressed. She's making $25 million a picture. She really cares.
COOPER: I just want to say one more thing from Piers' interview tonight.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GERVAIS: I'm not judging them. I'm not judging them for what they did.
MORGAN: You're mocking them. Aren't you?
GERVAIS: No, I'm not. I'm -- I'm confronting the elephant in the room.
They hired me. Like I'm -- like I'm going to go out there and not talk about the issues in -- in their industry. I've got to be an outsider there. I mustn't come out there as everyone's mate and schmooze. That's nauseating. I've got to come out there, and I've got to roast them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: I mean, in a way, it's what you, it's what Kathy Griffin also kind of does, which is sort of the outsider looking in.
RIVERS: Comics are outsiders. I mean, there was an elephant in the room, Snooki. We know that. I can't help it.
MORGAN: I disagree with Ricky there, because he was definitely mocking them. I mean, you can't -- as a comedian, you cannot pretend you're not mocking them, using all those jokes. I thought he was being a bit disingenuous there.
COOPER: I thought his joke about -- I mean, he did this joke when he was introducing Tom Hanks and Tim Allen, and he read this long resume of Tom Hanks and then he was like, "And Tim Allen."
MORGAN: Yes.
COOPER: I don't think -- I think Tim Allen seemed pissed.
MORGAN: I think quite a few of them were a bit pissed. And Ricky's like, "I don't think anyone was upset." He doesn't talk to them afterwards. It makes it a bit easier.
RIVERS: Can I just say one thing at the end? Look who's judging you, are the Golden Globes committee. They picked "The Tourist"...
COOPER: The Hollywood Foreign Press. RIVERS: The Hollywood Foreign Press. They know what's funny. They picked "The Tourist" as best comedy. Would you judge them?
MORGAN: I don't really think ill (ph) of them, because I'm still holding out for a Globe myself. So if you're watching, I think you're very respected people.
RIVERS: And you can tell them that tomorrow when they wait on you. You've met them.
COOPER: Joan Rivers, thank you. Piers, thanks.
MORGAN: Cheers, Anderson.
COOPER: And I think Isha Sesay, I heard, has been appalled watching that segment. She joins us now with a "360 Bulletin."
You're appalled.
SESAY: Appalled may be a little strong, but, you know, I was kind of like cringing a little bit.
COOPER: Really?
SESAY: Yes.
COOPER: Cringing, what, for Ricky Gervais or Joan Rivers?
SESAY: Well, Joan Rivers, you've just got to love her. You've just got to put it down to being Joan Rivers. What can I say?
COOPER: OK.
SESAY: I'm going to leave it there. I'm going to go on with the headline.
COOPER: All right.
SESAY: Now, a major crackdown on organized crime to tell you about. FBI agents rounded up more than 120 alleged mobsters this morning in New York, New Jersey, and Rhode Island. The suspects face various charges, including extortion, drug trafficking and murder. Officials say it's one of the largest single-day operations against the Mafia ever.
Two Miami-Dade police officers were shot to death in the line of duty today. Officials say they were serving a murder warrant on a suspect when he opened fire. The suspect was killed during the shootout.
Wal-Mart, the world's largest retailer, announced a campaign to stock stores with more nutritious foods and has the support of Michelle Obama, a major proponent of healthier eating. The goal is to sell products containing less sodium, sugar and fat. Good job!
And the next time you hop into a New York City Yellow Cab, don't expect the driver to be dressed in a tuxedo, but you can expect the driver to be neat and clean. It turns out the city's taxi commission voted today to require that cabbies always be dressed in a professional manner. So Anderson, it looks like the next time you...
COOPER: What does that mean?
SESAY: Well, I mean, it means that they can't turn up wearing, you know, swimwear or underwear as outerwear. That's kind of the rules anyway. But as the kids say, Anderson, you're going to have bring it when you hit the streets now.
COOPER: Going to have to bring it. I've never seen a cab driver wearing swimwear. But...
SESAY: I'm sure you haven't looked hard enough.
COOPER: That's true.
I try not -- yes, I try not to look very closely.
SESAY: That's best.
COOPER: Tonight's "Shot," talk about instant wealth. I'm not sure I buy this whole thing. Two months ago, a New York comedian, Craig Rowan, posted this odd request on YouTube.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CRAIG ROWIN, COMEDIAN: Millionaires, listen up. I have a proposition. Please give me $1 million.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: He went on to mention a few people he believes could spare a million, like Steven Spielberg, Al Roker. Believe it or not, he then posted this video on YouTube.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROWIN: Well, I'm back. But I am not going to ask for $1 million. Why? Because of this.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hi, Craig, this is Benjamin. I was hoping to catch you in person. I want to talk about how to make you a millionaire.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SESAY: I'm not buying it.
COOPER: Rowin produced what he said was a notarized letter from Benjamin's lawyer, outlining the terms of the agreement, which stating that Rowin gets a cool million. Benjamin -- and owes Benjamin nothing in return. Rowin says he's getting the check February 2.
I think this is like -- I think Benjamin is one of those folks who's on, like, "The Millionaire Matchmaker." You know? I don't really believe they're millionaires.
SESAY: And do you know what? If he is a millionaire and he's willing to give that money, he definitely wants something in return.
COOPER: And if he's a millionaire and he's giving that money, he won't be a millionaire for long. Because it just seems stupid.
SESAY: Yes, I mean, no doubt about it. I think it's a complete hoax, and if not, please come on AC 360. We want to hear from you.
COOPER: I think it's a hoax, and I'm annoyed that we're kind of even doing this, because I feel like we've fallen into the hoax because we mentioned this guy's name on television.
SESAY: Yes. But you know, I'm going to hold out and, you know, if someone does want to give a million, I'm here. So, you know, just in case.
COOPER: All right. We'll see.
Still ahead, you've probably seen this video, a woman who's walking and texting at a mall. Clearly didn't sign the pledge. Fell into a fountain, landed her on the "RidicuList." Not for that reason, though, because of what she did next. We'll explain that ahead.
Plus, a massacre at a bowling alley two decades ago still haunts people in Las Cruces, New Mexico. John Walsh from "America's Most Wanted" has covered the cold case for years. He has a gut feeling, he says, of where the killers are. We'll explain, ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COOPER: Continuing tonight, our look at some of the country's most notorious cold cases. Next month marks the 21st anniversary of a crime really horrific. It shocked Las Cruces, New Mexico.
Two gunmen walked into a bowling alley, rounded up everyone inside, and opened fire. Four people were killed. Three of them were kids, including a 2-year-old.
Now, what made the massacre so mysterious is that the gunmen didn't even get that much money. The question is, was there a motive other than robbery? We're going to show you what happened. I want to warn you: some of the images are graphic, but we're also going to hear from John Walsh from "America's Most Wanted" about his feelings on the unsolved crime.
First, though, with a look back at the crime itself, here's Casey Wian.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MELISSA REPASS, SHOT BY GUNMAN: They shot me five times.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK. We'll get them rolling, Melissa. Just hang up, take a deep breath. CASEY WIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The desperate 911 call from 12- year-old Melissa Repass.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How many people are hurt?
REPASS: One, two, three, four, five, six, seven.
WIAN: Melissa and six others were shot execution style at this Las Cruces, New Mexico, bowling alley on February 10, 1990.
REPASS: It hurts.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It hurts? OK, Melissa, I've got an ambulance, and I've got the police officers en route.
WIAN: Melissa survived. Many others did not. Police arrived to find three victims shot to death.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A female victim, she's got a light, fleet (ph) looking fingernail polish on her fingers.
WIAN: Melissa's 13-year-old friend, Amy Hauser.
REPASS: I said take me to her, and she said she's dead. And I think I just passed out.
WIAN: Twenty-six-year-old bowling alley employee and Air National Guardsman Steven Teran.
AUDREY TERAN, WIDOW: My whole world was gone, and I just wondered, "My God, how am I supposed to live?"
WIAN: And his 6-year-old daughter, Paula.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: On the floor, what appears to be a young female.
WIAN: Her 2-year-old sister, Valerie, perished 45 minutes later at the hospital.
TERAN: The people that did this shot her point blank. They were looking at her when they shot her right there in the forehead. I know they see her eyes.
WIAN: The wounded survivors, Melissa, her mother Stephanie Senac, the bowling alley manager, and the cook, Ida Holguin. They provided this description of their attackers, who police say entered through these unlocked doors. The gunmen forced everyone into the office and ordered them to kneel.
IDA HOLGUIN, SHOOTING VICTIM: Oh, my God. It was so scary.
WIAN: The robbers took between $4,000 and $5,000 but left some cash.
REPASS: They started shooting. WIAN: More than a dozen times.
HOLGUIN: When they shot me in the head, it was the loudest noise I ever heard. I thought my head had exploded. I was soaked with blood.
REPASS: I had to do something. I picked up the phone.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's OK, Melissa.
REPASS: There's a fire, too.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's a fire?
WIAN: The shooters had set the office ablaze, likely destroying key evidence.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK. Can you see flames?
REPASS: Yes!
WIAN: Police set up checkpoints on highways leading out of Las Cruces to catch the shooters.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One is 5'8", the other one about 5'11".
WIAN: But it didn't work; the killers were gone. Today, the bowling alley has been renamed and remodeled.
(on camera) So who could have shot seven people, four of them children, and why? Theories include a simple robbery, a botched targeted hit, a drug deal gone bad, an attack by Mexican drug cartels, or a vendetta against the family that once owned this bowling alley.
(voice-over) The family has repeatedly denied knowing who committed the crime.
Detective Mark Myers took over the case in 2002. Police sketches have been age enhanced and Myers runs fingerprints regularly, because he's convinced at least one of the shooters has done time.
DET. MARK MYERS, LAS CRUCES POLICE DEPARTMENT: It was easy for him to kill, but you couple that with their knowledge of what they were going to gain out of hitting this particular place, it tells you that this probably isn't their first crime.
WIAN: Media attention, including a documentary released on the crime's 20th anniversary, continues to generate new leads. Myers is pursuing one right now.
MYERS: It's time for whoever knows or thinks they know to come forward with the information we need to give these surviving victims and their family and the surviving family members the answers to the questions. They'll never have closure. This devastated their lives.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's hard. It's hard. TERAN: When they took my family away, it was hard to live. Every breath hurt.
WIAN: Ida Holguin finds it hard to get through each day. Bullet fragments remain in her head. She can't work because of posttraumatic stress disorder.
HOLGUIN: I think about them all the time. Why -- why did they shoot us? I mean, why?
WIAN: Melissa's mom, Stephanie, survived the attack but died in 1999 after years of physical and emotional struggles.
REPASS: I had three stitches.
WIAN (on camera): Why is it so difficult for you to say that?
REPASS: Because my mom had over 100. She had a bullet lodged in her brain, and I walked away with three stitches.
WIAN (voice-over): Now the brave little girl who made that 911 call is desperate to stop living in fear.
(on camera) Tell me why it's important to you that the men who did this are caught.
REPASS: I won't have fear in my own home. That they can come and try and finish what they tried to do 21 years ago.
WIAN: Casey Wian, CNN, Las Cruces, New Mexico.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COOPER: The Las Cruces murders, you've covered this case a lot on "America's Most Wanted." Why does it resonate so much with you?
JOHN WALSH, HOST, "AMERICA'S MOST WANTED": It's a heartbreaking, horrible case where two guys break into a bowling alley. There are three or four staff working there. They hold them hostage, and in walks a guy who also works at the bowling alley with his two small daughters.
And these two creeps, for $4,000, shoot everybody. Four of the victims die, the man and his two daughters, for a $5,000 robbery.
This is something that tore apart this community. They're still devastated by it, the execution by these two guys. They believe they were probably of Mexican heritage, because Las Cruces is near the border. And I'm never going to give up on this case, because there are so many victims impacted, and three of the people survived the shooting.
COOPER: And yet they've never been able to find them.
WALSH: Any good tips, and you know, Anderson, I believe you never give up. This community is still hurting, and wants justice. COOPER: The killers in this case apparently told everyone that, if they cooperated, that they would survive. And that wasn't -- obviously, they were lying.
WALSH: They duct-taped little girls.
COOPER: What do you advise somebody in a situation like this?
WALSH: There's something you can do except try to comply with the demands of the bad guys. They come in, they have the guns. It's a matter -- it's the luck of the draw. The worst thing to do is resist.
They complied. They begged for their lives. This man came in. He worked in the bowling alley with his 2-year-old and 12-year-old daughter, and they put everybody on the floor and shot them execution style. It's a horrible, horrible case.
And I never give up on justice. You know that, Anderson. We've caught guys that have been out there 20 years. Somebody knows something about these two guys. Somebody knows. They've talked; they've bragged. Somebody knows these guys.
My gut feeling, again, is that they crossed the border, and they've been hiding in Mexico for years.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COOPER: John Walsh of "America's Most Wanted."
Tonight, a missing person's case that was thought to have gone cold has a very happy ending when a woman who was missing for 23 years was reunited with her mom. We have details ahead.
And do not walk and text or you might wind up like this woman, who fell into a fountain and onto our "RidicuList." But it's not because she fell, but she's on the list because of what she did afterward. We'll tell you why, ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COOPER: Up next, you've seen the woman who was texting while walking who fell into a mall fountain is making headlines again. Her latest move landed her on our "RidicuList." But first, Isha Sesay is back with a "360 News & Business Bulletin" -- Isha.
SESAY: Anderson, another former Haitian leader wants to return to Port-au-Prince. Jean-Bertrand Aristide said he'd help his troubled homeland. Aristide fled Haiti in 2004 during a bloody revolt. He claimed he was forced out by western powers. Earlier this week, former dictator Jean-Claude Duvalier returned to Haiti.
Beijing wants closer ties and greater trust with the U.S. That's what Chinese President Hu Jintao told a group of business leaders as he wrapped up his visit to the U.S. But Hu was unapologetic about his country's sovereignty over Taiwan and Tibet, calling it a matter of Chinese territorial integrity.
A shakeup at Google. CEO Eric Schmidt is stepping down and will stay on as executive chairman. Company co-founder, Larry Page, will take over as CEO in April.
And Anderson, an incredible family reunion right here in New York. A 23-year-old woman who was kidnapped from a hospital when she was just 3 weeks old is reunited with her family. Carlina White told authorities she had a nagging feeling the woman who raised her wasn't her birth mom. She followed those instincts, and tenacity led to this happy ending. And she's now reunited. Incredible.
COOPER: Just incredible after so long. Amazing.
SESAY: Yes, absolutely.
COOPER: All right, time for the "RidicuList" tonight. And tonight, we're adding a new name, Cathy Cruz Marrero, also affectionately known as Fountain Lady.
She's literally a walking PSA for the pitfalls of texting in motion. You've probably seen the video. It's all over the Internet. She's walking through a mall in Pennsylvania, texting and walking, texting, and OMG, falls right into the fountain.
But the splashing mishap isn't why we're putting Fountain Lady on "The RidicuList." Oh, no, it's because of what has happened now.
She's got a lawyer and she's thinking about suing. That's right, suing. This is what we've come to.
Now, let's be clear: she's not thinking of suing because she was hurt, because she wasn't hurt. She's thinking about suing because she thinks security guards should have done more to help her, and she wants to want to know how the security tape got on online.
Now Fountain Lady was on "Good Morning America" today, wringing out all the details.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CATHY CRUZ MARRERO, FELL IN FOUNTAIN WHILE TEXTING: I admit it was funny. But nobody took my feelings into consideration. Nobody. Nobody went to my aid. Not one single person went to my aid.
It could have been anybody's mother. It could have been a senior citizen falling. You know, and would they have gotten the same treatment as I did? The fountain could have been empty. I could have been in the hospital. I could have walked into a bus, you know, got hit by a car. It can happen anywhere.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: Could have, could have, could have, could have, could have. The fountain could have been empty, yes, but it wasn't. "I could have been in a hospital." Yes, but you weren't. "I could have been walked into a bus?" You know what? If they let a bus drive into the mall, maybe you'd have a case. But they didn't let a bus drive into the mall.
Listen, Fountain Lady, I don't mean to get all Nancy Grace on you. I get that you were embarrassed, and yes, it wasn't very nice that somebody put that surveillance video online. But you know, the best way to make this whole thing go away? Come a little closer. Can you zoom in a little bit? Just a little advice. Stop going on TV to talk about it.
No one even knew what you looked like. You were just a grainy wet fountain lady. You needed a towel, not a lawyer.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JAMES POLYAK, ATTORNEY FOR MARRERO: We intend to hold all responsible parties accountable. Whether that means requesting or demanding an apology, certainly requesting an explanation for why this happened, how this happened. And certainly, we want to know the identity of all persons responsible with making the video public.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: Oh, my God. Come on, lawyer! An explanation for why this happened, for how it happened? Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, she was texting, so she didn't see the fountain, and she fell in. That's how it happened. Case closed. You're welcome.
And fine. You want an apology? Guess what? You don't need to file a lawsuit to get an apology. I'm going to give you an apology right now. I'm sorry you fell in that fountain, and I'm sorry it was so hilarious. I'm sorry that people laughed at you.
But I mean, let's be honest. It wasn't exactly like you got nominated prom queen and then soaked in pig's blood like that poor girl, Carrie.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They're all going to laugh at you. They're going to laugh at you. They're going to laugh at you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: See now, she could have used a good lawyer. Carrie would totally have a case: public humiliation, pain, suffering, not to mention the dry-cleaning bill of that prom dress. But Fountain Lady, not so much.
So chin up, pick yourself up, dry yourself off, and try not to text while you're walking into tonight's "RidicuList."
Coming up, breaking news about Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. Good news as she gets ready to start a new phase in her recovery. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
