Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Newsroom
Interview with Debbie Wasserman Schultz; Comedy Central Shows Funny Side of Conventions
Aired September 08, 2012 - 22:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DON LEMON, CNN HOST: Hello everyone. I'm Don Lemon. The stories you're talking about in a moment. But first let's get you up to speed on some of the day's headlines.
And we start with this. Two separate tornadoes touched ground in New York City today. This was rolled off the water into the Rock Ways and Queens and tore a roofs off houses and ripped down power lines. Another stronger twister touched down in Brooklyn about ten minutes later and uprooted several giant trees. There have been no reports of people hurt.
People carrying suitcases run away from their homes after a cluster of quakes struck China. Video from China cc-TV shows rescue crews running to look for survivors. At least 80 people were killed and 800 injured when four quakes hit yesterday. Tens of thousands forced from their homes. The strongest quake 5.6 in magnitude.
A Tulane University football player is in stable condition after a terrifying collision on the field today. Safety Devon Walker was injure in a helmet-to-helmet collision with a teammate in a game against Tulsa. He suffered a fractured spine and collapsed lung. Medics had to revive Walker on the field before rushing him to the hospital.
Those are your headlines. Wait to see what else we are working for you on CNN Saturday night.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: So now we have a choice.
DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ, CHAIRMAN, DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL COMMITTEE: No family should go broke!
LEMON: Enough already! Tonight, we cut through the noise.
SCHULTZ: I don't acknowledge that.
LEMON: And hold politicians accountable on everything from God to abortion and even Israel. The head of the Democratic Party sets the record straight.
SCHULTZ: This is not talking points. This is factual. LEMON: And reprogramming your brain to forget anything or anyone, even that ex.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She looks at me like she doesn't even know who I am.
LEMON: That's right. Remembering to forget. It's not Hollywood's smoke in mirrors. Some say it is possible.
Thought politics was no joke?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Spend the rest of the interview explaining black things to me?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, yes, yes.
LEMON: The decision 2012 team is here and pulling no punches.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: All right. Hello, everyone. I've been away a while and so good to be back.
All right. So, this is what you expect from me here. You are about to watch a conversation that we, on the show, think there should be more on television. One like most people, most of you would have at dinner or over drinks without worrying about offender is critics, constituents, political parties or fans. Sometimes it gets heated. Sometimes it is uncomfortable and not everyone agrees. Not all of the time but it's honest and authentic and transparent. And again, that's what this show is about.
That said, it has been quite a week for the head of the Democratic National Committee. Florida congresswoman Debbie Wassermann Schultz. She has been accused of everything from leading a party that turns its back on God to overshadowing the president's re- election bit to flat out lying.
So, with the DNC convention behind her, I invited her on to set the record straight without talking points. She wasn't happy about some of my questions but they had to be asked. So here it is.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: Thanks for coming on this Saturday night. I know it's been a very busy time for you. And you know, you've been at the center of some controversy and before -- I just want you to come on to set the record straight. Now that you've had a chance to look back, this isn't an ambush interview. I'm not trying -- this isn't got you. I just want to get some clarity and see if you've had some clarity.
So, I want to start with some of the comments that were made on Monday to Jewish Democrats about Republican and Israel, specifically a reference you made to the Israeli ambassador.
Here is exactly what you said. SCHULTZ: We know and I've heard no less than Ambassador Michael Oren say this, that what the Republicans are doing is dangerous for Israel. They are undermining Israeli's security by suggesting that the United States and Israel don't have anything other than a unique and close and special relationship.
LEMON: So you have said that the reporter -- you accuse the reporter of misquoting. You say you didn't say it, but in the clip you said it. Then you said I categorically deny saying it. But there it is. How t do you respond to that?
SCHULTZ: OK. So Don, if you look at what the examiner, which is a conservative blog site, so it's not surprising that they would deliberately misquote me. And I'll reiterate that they did deliberately misquote me.
First, they took only the first line of what I said and then they cut it off. And so you haven't played the rest of what I said. And what they did was they reported that I said that Republican policies were dangerous for Israel and actually that is what Ambassador Oren commented on.
I never said that Republican policies were dangerous for Israel. In fact, that is the opposite of what I always say. What I always say and what I said in that event and it's very important, that we understand that Israel should not be a political football.
What the Republicans are doing is they are suggesting that there is daylight between the parties on Israel.
LEMON: OK.
SCHULTZ: I didn't say their policies were dangerous for Israel. I said that what they are doing by trying to suggest that there's a difference between the parties and the United States, or that President Obama has less than a stellar record on Israel is harmful to Israel because it undermines Israel in the eyes of Arab neighbors and her enemies.
LEMON: OK.
SCHULTZ: That's what I said in the examiner misrepresenting what I said.
LEMON: So, you did say it on tape that you said that it was taken out of context. But listen. The ambassador says I categorically denied that I ever characterized Republican policies as harmful to Israel.
SCHULTZ: I never said -- no, no, Don. Go back. You can play it again. I did not say that Republican policies were dangerous for Israel. What I said was what the Republicans are doing, referring to their suggestion repeatedly that President Obama has less than a stellar record on Israel which Israeli leadership says Israel has no greater friend than President Obama. And I said because they are using Israel as a political football, that what they're doing is harmful to Israel. Not their policies. There is a big difference.
LEMON: You don't that you and -- and by saying that Ambassador Oren it made it seem like you had spoken to Ambassador Oren and he had said that exactly --
SCHULTZ: Don, Ambassador Oren has that. With all due respect, and I spoke to Ambassador Oren. Afterwards, he told me that he -- he, you know, was confident that I didn't say what I was accused of saying.
His statement responds to a misquotation and a partial out of context statements that I supposedly made.
LEMON: OK.
SCHULTZ: I did not say and I don't believe that Republican policies, in fact, saying that policies are different between the Republicans and the Democrats and the United States is harmful to Israel and I didn't say it. I said that the Republicans are --
LEMON: Do you regret anything that you have said and if you, would you say --
SCHULTZ: I did not.
LEMON: -- differently?
SCHULTZ: No, I would not. I regret that "the examiner" has repeatedly taken what I said out of context.
LEMON: All right, let's move on.
SCHULTZ: If they had printed the entire quote and if they had actually told Ambassador Oren what I actually said, I think his response would have been different.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: OK. All right. That's not it. Our conversation just getting started.
Straight ahead, I ask about the Democrats' platform and why they had to revisit, re-vote on references on God and Jerusalem.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCHULTZ: He insisted they be re-inserted --
LEMON: Congresswoman, with all -- I understand --
SCHULTZ: Don, please let me answer.
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: I've heard this over and over again.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: More of my frank and honest conversation straight ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Welcome back everyone. My conversation with Florida congresswoman Debbie Wassermann Schultz tonight. It was open and it was honest. We spent a lot of time discussing the Democratic convention especially the party's decision to go back and add references to God and to Jerusalem to their official statement of believes. But the vote on these changes created its own set of problems. Here is more of my conversation.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: Let's talk about --
SCHULTZ: That's what I'm.
LEMON: The convention delegate had to change the party platform this week to re-insert the language to referencing God and re-instate the language recognizing Jerusalem is a capital of Israel. Let's listen to the re-vote.
MAYOR ANTONIO VILLARAIGOSA (D), LOS ANGELES: I'll do that one more time. All those delegates in favor say aye. All those delegates opposed say no. And the opinion of that is two-thirds have voted in the affirmative. The motion is adopted and the platform has been amended to show on the screen.
LEMON: OK. It's hard for me to tell and I wasn't in the room. But from everyone, even people who were in the room, they said, you couldn't tell if it's the ayes or the nos and then what happened the way that people perceive that the party wanted people to vote was already in the teleprompter.
But here's a thing, when you talk to Democrat off camera, they will say we screwed up about that language. What do you say about that as head of the DNC now?
SCHULTZ: Here is the bottom line. When President Obama realized that there was a omission made on two items that were part of his personal belief. One, that there should be - we should return the reference to Americans theme that achieve their God given potential and, two, that Jerusalem is and will remain the capital of Israel. When he realized that those omissions were left out, he insisted that they would re-inserted --
LEMON: Congresswoman -
SCHULTZ: Don, please let me finish.
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: I heard this. I heard this over and over again. With all due respect what I'm asking you is, because these aren't things that are likely. For God and Jerusalem to be taken out of the platform. If you look -- it had to be intentional to do it. You didn't have someone in the room when you were going over the platform.
SCHULTZ: Don, Don.
LEMON: Hang on. Let me finish.
When you were going over the platform especially after the GOP convention when there had been so much talk about God, so much talk about Israel. You're telling me that it was an oversight, especially -- honestly coming from a Jewish American you're going to tell me that is an oversight? Shouldn't you be the one to make sure that's not an oversight?
SCHULTZ: Don, our platform which was adopted on Tuesday is strongly for pro-Israel and 100 percent pro-Israel. In fact, more hard line on preventing Iran from achieving a nuclear weapon than the Republican platform because our platform said that the United States is committed and the president is committed to using all elements of instrumentation to prevent Iran from achieving a nuclear weapon. The Republican platform on that subject says all options are on the table.
We already had a strong pro-Israel platform. We wanted to make sure and President Obama wanted to make sure the platform reflected his personal review of Jerusalem being the capital of Israel and remain the capital of Israel and my personal view as well and the platform was amended to do that. It was omission and you know, in fact, when we went through the platform -- LEMON: Isn't that language in the platform before?
SCHULTZ: It was the language on Jerusalem was in the platform in 2008 and president -- and that reflected President Obama's personal view and when he realized it had been omitted he insisted it be re- inserted. In fact, there was never any process that --
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: With the platform from 2008 and now side-by-side and no one looks at that and goes, wait a minute. Come on, congresswoman. Don't people appreciate candor more than anything?
SCHULTZ: Yes. And I don't appreciate you suggesting I'm being anything less than candid. I am a proud pro-Israel Jewish woman. The first Jewish woman to represent my state in congress. I have a strong pro-Israel record and the president of the United States, Barack Obama, is someone that I proudly support because he has a stellar record on Israel.
LEMON: OK.
SCHULTZ: He has consistently stood by Israel and our platform reflects his personal view on Jerusalem and there is nothing less than candor that I am conveying to you tonight.
LEMON: And I apologize. I did not mean that as a personal attack and you're right on to come back at me and say that, so thank you. But I do think people appreciate candor. Those are two things, though --
SCHULTZ: Believe me, I have never been accused of being anything less than candid. Directness is not my problem.
LEMON: Well, I would say that that is -- over the last couple of weeks, there are people I've read things that people said Debbie Wassermann Schultz will say anything, even if it's true or false, to prove her point.
SCHULTZ: You're right. There are right wing Republicans that spend a lot of time trying to suggest that. I have a 20-year record of credibility. And I'm proud of my record and it's one of the reasons that President Obama asked me to chair the Democratic National Committee.
LEMON: Why was that in the prompter about the two-thirds having voted in the affirmative? Why was it already in the prompter?
SCHULTZ: Because we have overwhelming support for Jerusalem and our pro-Israel platform elements from the 6,000 delegates that were part of the Democratic National Convention and when the chair Mayor Villaraigosa called the vote, the anticipation was we would get that two-thirds vote and that is how he heard it and he called it that way.
You know, much has been made in the media about the supposed discord. You know, when you have 6,000 delegates, when you hear - and I've been a legislator for 20 years, Don, so I can tell you, you know, I know discord.
You know, hearing a smattering of opposition when something is opposed. You know, we don't do things that you know, completely unanimously and nor do we require unanimity unlike the Republican Party. The bottom line this week we made sure our party platform reflected the President Obama's personal view on Jerusalem being the capital of Israel and remaining the capital of Israel. When Mitt Romney learned that his platform didn't reflect his personal view supposedly on abortion and there being exceptions for rape incest and the life of the mother, he did nothing.
LEMON: OK.
SCHULTZ: And did nothing to amend his platform and that is the big difference in part of the clear choice that is going to be in front of the voters the next 60 days.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: A little bit later on, we talk about that some people say that she has been overshadowing the president, the press she has been getting. Good and bad? We will talk to her about that. That's later.
But first, there is a man in Virginia, his name is Virgil Good and while you probably never heard of him he is a game-changer. That is next. Plus this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Reprogramming your brain to forget anything or anyone, even that ex.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She looks at me like she doesn't even know who I am.
LEMON: That's right. Remembering to forget. It's not Hollywood smoke in mirrors. Some say it is possible.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK0
LEMON: A man named Virgil Good could keep Mitt Romney out of the White House which raises two obvious question. How would he do it and who in the world is Virgil Good.
He is a former Virginia congressman and he is on the November ballot in that state as the presidential candidate of the constitution party. Can he win? No, but he is a game-changer. He could siphon votes from Mitt Romney. The theory goes from Virginia to President Obama, and cause Republicans the White House.
And don't forget, Virginia is a swing state and the race is really tight. CNN's poll of likely voters taken after the Republican convention but before the Democratic convention show that President Obama and Mitt Romney in a dead tie, both with 48 percent.
So, Joe Gandelman is here with me. He is an independent and he is proud of it and he's been on with me a number of times, back in 2008 and before. Thank you, sir. Good to talk to you.
Brett O'Donnell, he has worked for the McCain and the Bachmann campaigns and most recently for Mitt Romney's camp early on in this campaign. So, thank you Brett. Thank you, Joe.
BRETT O'DONNELL, FORMER CHIEF STRATEGIST FOR MICHELE BACHMANN: Good to be here.
LEMON: It is good to see you.
Hey, listen. Before we talk about this Virgil Good, did you guys listen to the conversation with Debbie Wassermann Schultz?
JOE GANDELMAN, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, THE MODERN VOICE BLOG: Yes, certainly did.
LEMON: As an independent, what did you think, Joe?
GANDELMAN: Well, I think the art of asking really authentic follow-up questions is sort of lost in the news media these days and something that needs to be done. So I thought that the questioning was -- the kind of questioning that needs to be done and I don't think she came across as totally transparent, should we say. LEMON: So, Brett, you know, when you ask tough questions on the left, people on the right say -- people on the left say, oh, I bet you don't do that on the right. When you ask tough questions on the right, people say you don't do that with the left. And so, that's how you know you're doing the right thing. I'm sure I fist a whole lot of people off on the left tonight, but I think those questions had to be done just like my interview with Republicans Rand Paul and so on. They tick a whole lot of people off on the right. What did you think?
O'DONNELL: Well, I agree. I mean, I think that, you know, these are issues that she really need to answer for, particularly her comments about Israel and what Republicans are doing policy wise. And also, you know, what the Democrat Party did this week with Jerusalem and Israel in the platform and with taking God out of the platform. I mean, I think that those were big mistakes that really stepped on the message of an otherwise as a Republican, I have to admit it, they had a pretty good convention this week but it really stepped on their message.
LEMON: And here's what I have to say. (INAUDIBLE). Why didn't you do that about the Republican convention? I wasn't here. I was out of the country. I was here for the Democratic convention. So, that's why I did it and it was the last one.
And Brett, just one - my little pet peeve. If you please. It's a Democratic Party, not the Democrat party. That would be like people saying the Republican Party so if we can just use the correct name for the party; that would be great, all right? So thank you for that.
So, Brett, should Romney be worried about this Virgil Good, this game-changer?
O'DONNELL: First of all, it's Virgil Good. And he actually served Virginia very well as a congressman. He was a Democrat starting out then switched to independent and then became a Republican.
It's not clear whether or not he'll actually remain on the ballot. He was put on the ballot in Pennsylvania, then got tossed off the ballot in Pennsylvania and there's some question as to whether or not he'll stay on the ballot in Virginia.
So I think we have to wait and see what happens. But I don't think, ultimately he'll make a difference in the outcome in Virginia.
LEMON: So, Joe, you're all about independents getting involved. Are you glad that Virgil Good is in there?
GANDELMAN: I don't know about glad. It's always nice to see if there are other options but from I read on this race so far that two to three percent could tilt this race and the PTP polling found that he could pick five to nine percent. And I think that one thing that will hit the independent voters as the challenge to him being on the ballot has come from a -- sorry about that.
But I think the percentage of tipping is very, very troublesome for the Republican party and is it the problem also is that there's a general image that it feeds into with Republicans trying to get people off the ballots to prevent votes from happening. If you add that whole image that is going to be the no troublesome part if he is taken off the ballot.
Go ahead, go ahead.
O'DONNELL: But, you know, you know, third-party candidates tend to over perform in polls and underperform in elections. And so, you know, I still am very skeptical whether or not he'll make a difference in the final outcome in November.
LEMON: He, real quickly, before we run out of time, let's talk about another swing state. Let's talk about Nevada. Actually, it allows voters to vote for none of the above. Eight thousand people chose that option in the 1998 Senate race in Harry Reid, held on to his seat by less than 500 votes. Republicans are trying to get this option removed from the ballot. So, why are they worried? Why would this option hurt Romney more than Obama, Brett?
O'DONNELL: Well, I actually don't think it hurts Romney more than it hurts Obama. You know, if you look at the primary season, President Obama has had challengers in primary states who way over performed because they were issuing, you know, voters were giving him Democratic voters were giving him a vote of no confidence in those primary states, Arkansas, West Virginia, where places where the president had real trouble against former prisoner and against, you know, someone who was not widely known in the state. It was really just a matter Democrats voting no confidence for the president.
So, I don't think that line will spell trouble for Romney. But I do think that it shouldn't be on the ballot. It's not one of the people running for the president of the United States.
LEMON: Joe, quick response from you, if you will.
GANDELMAN: I think it could hurt Romney a great deal. One reason has been on the -- from what I've read, this has been on the ballot from 1976 or 1975 and again, it is going fit into the whole motif. If you look at these all these news stories coming out, these headlines of all over the country for different reasons, Republicans trying to keep people from voting in ways that might save a votes away from them. And I think that this general image, this general press you're getting of trying to keep people from voting a certain way is going to be very damaging with some independent voters.
LEMON: All right, Joe and Brett. Thank you both so much. Great conversation. We will have you guys back.
So I have to ask you, what is your most embarrassing moment? What is your scariest? If there anything you could forget what would it be? Some say you with make that happen and reprogram your brain to forget. That's next. Then this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Thought politics was no joke?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Spend the rest of the interview explaining black things to me?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, yes, yes, yes.
LEMON: The indecision 2012 team is here and pulling no punches.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Take all of the crummy things that have happened to you and forget them. Crummy boyfriends, crummy girlfriends, deaths, car crashes, all the traumatic moments in your life that have caused you grief, sorrow, anguish and pain. All those moments, you just wish you could forget and have them wiped from your mind! It's certainly not a new concept. The ex-girlfriend of Jim Carrey's character "Eternal Sunshine, the spotless blind" will have her memory of him wiped out for good.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So I call her! And she's changed her number. So I walked over to Anna's attic, you know, to get her something. I thought, you know, go over to work and give her an early valentine and you won't believe it! She's there with this guy. This really young guy and she looks at me like she doesn't even know who I am!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: The concept of having your memory wiped out sounds a little crazy but it's not. A new study sound people could forget be trained to forget or rather use selective memory. The author of the study told the University of St. Andrews, these novel findings show these individuals can be trained to not think about memories that have personal relevance and significance to them and provide the most direct evidence to date that we possess some kind of control over auto biographical memory.
I want to bring in Doctor Wendy Walsh, human behavior expert.
Doctor Wendy, you know, when I first read this study, it kind of reminded me of dynamics, right? With end grams and scientology and being able to erase memory. So, I don't know if it was reminiscing of that for you, how can this study help people learn to forget bad memories?
DOCTOR WENDY WALSH, HUMAN BEHAVIOR EXPERT: I don't know enough about scientology to cover that, but I will tell you this, Don, that it's kind of funny to think that for decades and decades, psychologist have been working on helping people dig up repressed memories, right, so they can assess them with an adult mind and analyze them if you will. But now, we are talking about actually creating a kind of repression and at this one study out of the UK took 30 people and they asked them to remember a positive and a negative thing about their past, associate a key word with it and then told to ignore or avoid a negative emotion. When they meet on another occasion, they were offered the key words, a snowball, about the time they were hit in the head with a snowball, and they couldn't remember the negative one as well because they were told to ignore it. So it's promising.
LEMON: Promising. OK. So, I like the promising part because how can you be trained to forget? I mean, the results of this still very small. It's a very small study. It could be huge with anyone with PTSD. I mean, think about our troops returning to war.
WALSH: Right. So we say promising because it's only a study group of 30 people and none of them actually had depression or PTSD, so we don't know if these kind of minds that ruminate with negative images on a constant basis are being assaulted by bad memories, whether they will be able to learn that process of forgetting. But if they could, it could be amazing and bring them such relief.
LEMON: So -- but it's never been tested. It says it's supposed to be with people with PTSD promising or depression but it has never tested with people with depression.
WALSH: Exactly. It hasn't been tested with that population yet and that is clearly what needs to do next. So you know, you start with the small studies. You get this really promising good results and then you get the financing in what you need to do. The wide scale study.
LEMON: All right. Thanks, Dr. Wendy. Interesting conversation.
WALSH: Thank you.
LEMON: Up next the head of the Democratic Party answers this query.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: OK. Let's talk about you. White House not happy with Debbie Wassermann Schultz. She has become a distraction especially with the misquotes and making news in the wrong way. What do you say to that?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MARLO MANNING, CNN HERO: Charlie means everything to us. He was diagnosed with cancer about two years ago. A couple days ago, he had another growth on his chest.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Given the fact that he had an aggressive type of tumor, things like this should really come off.
MANNING: I recently got laid off and we were expecting our first baby. We were expecting with this huge vet bill and were at a loss.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think we definitely will be able to help you out.
MANNING: I know how much you love your dog. With the economy being what it is, people are faced with the choice of having to give up their dogs because they can't afford them anymore. They're doing their best to get back on track. And then a crisis happens with their dogs. And it's just one more thing.
I'm Marlo Manning. And I lost a beloved puppy named lady bug. Now, I provide temporary aide to dog owners keeping dogs healthy, out of shelters and with loving families.
Dogs live in the moment. They bring you to their place of happiness no matter where they are in your life. If we can help with food, medical visits, or even surgery to keep the family together, they're able to take that burden away. We're going to put our maximum amount on Charlie which is $800.
It was such a blessing and we'll be forever grateful that Charlie gets the second chance.
What we do is to tribute to lady bug. If I had to get the grief to find its path, then, we were meant to lose her so that we could be inspired to help others.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: So now, my conversation tonight with Florida congresswoman Debbie Wassermann Schultz went beyond the usual political topics. We talked politics, of course. But, I also asked her about her job as party chair and critics even in her own party who say she has been making headlines for the wrong reasons.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE))
LEMON: Let's talk about you. I see the reports. What is it?
SCHULTZ: OK.
LEMON: Let's see. Wassermann Schultz walks a tight rope. White House not happy with Debbie Wassermann Schultz. Democrats are upset with her. She's become a distraction, especially with the misquotes and making news in the wrong way. What do you say to that? Are you worried about your job? Does that concern you at all? Do you think you've become more of a distraction to the Obama re-election process than a help?
SCHULTZ: Well, not only do I not think that. I know President Obama doesn't think that. I know that the senior advisers surrounding President Obama don't think that. When they have been asked On the Record have said that they have confidence in me and that the references that you're talking about have all been these anonymous, you know, off the record deep background commentary that, you know, I mean, is sort of typical for the political process and the right wing conservative blogosphere has done a great job of fanning the flames.
I'm focused on making sure, a, that I can do the best job that I possibly can representing my constituents in the 20th congressional district here in South Florida and focusing on making sure that I can help President Obama gets re-elected, win my home state of Florida and helping Democrats get elected up and down the ballot. And I'm proud of my service both in Congress as well as a Democratic National Committee. And I believe that President Obama as well as his senior advisers are as well.
LEMON: Well, thank you for coming on. You come on. You answers your questions.
SCHULTZ: You are welcome.
LEMON: Some people saying hey, she is not answering quite honestly. But you come on and you take it and you do it with a smile. Thank you.
SCHULTZ: Thank you.
LEMON: Appreciate your candor.
SCHULTZ: Sure.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: We are mixing things up a bit tonight for this next segment. I get to make fun of the guys who usually make fun of us. Comedy central, daily show. You all want to see this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Networks from around the world are covering the race between President Obama and the guy who wants his job, Mitt Romney. At least one network, though, has a very different reason than the rest. It's looking for jokes.
Comedy Central brings back its indecision election coverage this year. And I spoke with Comedy Central's Jared Logan and Jordan Carlos and given how they were dressed, I asked him if they had just come back from working down at Kinko's.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JARED LOGAN, COMEDY CENTRAL'S INDECISION TEAM: Yes. That's right. We like to address like because it brings us closer.
LEMON: Yes. Guys, call each other. You are not related, are you?
LOGAN: No. JORDAN CARLOS, COMEDY CENTRAL'S INDECISION TEAM: Maybe if you go way back to like Thomas Jefferson or something like that but not that we're aware of.
LOGAN: Thank you for making it awkward, Don.
LEMON: So, listen. How long were you guys -- did you guys cover both the RNC and DNC? Right, you were there the entire time?
LOGAN: We did both, yes, yes.
LEMON: What was it like? So, you the good the RNC and then, all of the sudden, what, a day or two later you were at DNC? Was it like ultimate universes?
CARLOS: I was like, what's going on? It was weird.
LOGAN: I will say that the Democrats gave us way more access and would walk up and talk to us. I kind of felt like a lot of the Republicans were being carried around on (INAUDIBLE) like they just didn't want to talk to, you know, peasant comedians like us.
LEMON: Did you feel like a hierarchy? Do you felt like - do you feel like the folks at RNC were a bit more standoffish towards you, really?
LOGAN: Maybe. I don't want to be biased. Maybe because it was very hot. But I felt like when we approached, people got in their car.
LEMON: Much was made about the speeches, OK? So, let's get to the speeches. So, we had Mitt Romney, obviously major speech. Paul Ryan, major speech. And then you had -- oddly enough, not the vice president, but a former president Bill Clinton, major speech and then Barack Obama, major speech. So tell me about that. That was certainly interesting.
CARLOS: I felt like Bill Clinton was making his last best, you know, attempt to become president all over again.
LOGAN: Yes, Bill Clinton did a one man show. If you see, he was like talking to imaginary people from his neighborhood well enough.
CARLOS: It was a long and bold dramatic spectacle. And the saxophone solo was amazing.
LOGAN: I loved the sax solo. Still in tune.
LEMON: OK listen. Were you star-struck with anyone at either convention?
CARLOS: Oh, my God.
LOGAN: I literally bumped into the reverend Jesse Jackson.
CARLOS: He got struck Jesse Jackson. LOGAN: We almost kissed.
CARLOS: You went in for it! He didn't like that.
LEMON: You were trying to --
CARLOS: They bumped into each other.
LEMON: Instead of keeping hope alive, you were trying to kill hope?
LOGAN: Yes. I was running over hope, yes.
CARLOS: Jared was telling an animated story and I was like, Jared, watch out. Then Jesse was like, he bumps into him and I thought the security would take Jesse out and be like run, Jesse, run. But for real seats. And it was - it was intense. I was like, what am I supposed to do racially in moment? Am I supposed to take Jared out because of our shining black prince being hurt.
LOGAN: Yes. I was telling a story and Jordan was like, watch out, Jesse Jackson. And I thought he meant I was starting to sound like Jesse Jackson but, no, I was about to run into him.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: More with the Comedy Central gang including details about a wee bit of a man crash it seems. It is on one of the guys running for president. See if you can guess who it is.
And guess what? You can take CNN with you. You can watch us while you work. Go to CNN.com/TV and watch CNN live on your computer or on your smart phone.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: We have more now with Comedy Central's Jared Logan and Jordan Carlos. Part of Comedy Central's indecision team covering the presidential race.
For the second part of our chat given the celebs we saw, Clint Eastwood, (INAUDIBLE) and all the others, I asked the guys why stars were such a big part of the political process.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LOGAN: Oh, that's politics now. Politics is celebrity.
CARLOS: Yes.
LOGAN: I think Obama is definitely a celebrity. Michelle is definitely a celebrity. I think that celebrity is how the world sort of runs now for better or worse, I think for worse, but --.
LEMON: For better. I like it.
CARLOS: I do an Obama impression so it's I would kind of like four more years, dot, dot, of employment.
LOGAN: And I do a Mitt Romney impression which is just me being uncomfortable talking to laborers.
CARLOS: Yes.
LOGAN: So I'd really like to see him win.
CARLOS: So good.
LEMON: I want to see -- you got to do the impression since you've been talking about it.
CARLOS: I can't. Don, I don't think so.
LOGAN: Come on! Do it!
CARLOS: What do you want to hear? Ask me a couple of questions, Don.
LEMON: Give me the speech! If we have hope and change, that's the speech to me but let me hear yours.
CARLOS: That's pretty good. If we have hope and change, I need your vote. If you feel "empire strikes back" is better than "Jedi." I need your vote. I want Sasha and Malia to go to bed.
LEMON: So, listen. Of all the speeches you saw at the RNC and at the DNC, which one was your favorite?
LOGAN: I like Paul Ryan because, you know, we were just talking about the youth vote and he totally got the youth vote like mentioning like name dropping, AC/DC and led zeppelin. Those are the bands that kids today are into to, and I really appreciated that he did that.
CARLOS: Totally. Absolutely. Got to get used with those blazing blue eyes.
LEMON: And yours?
CARLOS: He was great. I agree. I thought Paul Ryan was awesome possum Get the vote with those blue eyes. I agree, I thought Paul Ryan was awesome possum. I was drawn into the tractor beam of his blue eyes and there were a lot of oh, no you didn't, moments in his that I liked, you know? Like he goes Obama is a failure and he smells bad and people are like, oh, get him, get him, get him! So I like that. I like it when politics is just like a game a dozen under the bridge.
LEMON: Yes.
All right. In your Obama, can you do Obama's message to the youth to get the young people out? And I don't know, Jared, maybe you want to see a Romney or a Paul Ryan. I don't know. Or a Clinton.
CARLOS: All right. LOGAN: Let's see.
CARLOS: Young people, I'm speaking to all y'all right now, OK? I need you to get out there and vote. It's not going to be easy. Not going to be easy. You're going to have put down your x-box controller, OK? You have to put down your cool ranch Doritos, right? You are going to have to leave the comforts of your home. You might have to drive upwards to two miles away to -- to -- to vote, all right? I -- I -- I need you to do it. We need your vote. Get fired up. And ready to go.
LEMON: Mister Romney? Mister Romney?
LOGAN: Yes, no. Yes, I'll do Paul Ryan, all right?
I'm Paul Ryan and let's right into it. Bands I like. Molly Hatchet, OK? Soul Asylum. Rage Against the Machine! They don't like me, but I like them! In fact, a lot of these bands hate my guts and that is why they're tight.
LEMON: So, why we should we vote for you? Why should young people go vote for you? .
CARLOS: Your abs your abs.
LOGAN: My abs?
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: Thanks, guys. That was really funny.
LEMON: OK. How about this? Bubba is back!
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BILL CLINTON, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Let's look --
CROWD: Four more years! Four more years!
CLINTON: Let's look at other --
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: They were chanting four more years. Hold on. Which president are they cheering for?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CLINTON: In Tampa, the Republican argument against the president re-election was actually pretty simple. Pretty snappy. It went something like this. We left him a total mess. He hadn't cleaned it up fast enough, so fire him and put us back in!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: A laugh line with a little venom. In front, his praised for President Bill Clinton for his speech that tore their Republicans to shreds. The GOP maybe no match for Clinton, neither was the NFL.
Dallas cowboys beat the New York giants in the first regular season game. But more Americans tuned in to watch Clinton. Some say he even outshined President Obama.
And here to talk about all of it is Georgetown professor Christopher Meltser and in Los Angeles, comedian Ben Gleib.
Ben, I'm glad you wore a decent outfit and so those goofy ones I see you on Chelsea Show wearing so.
So Ben, I will start with you. What do you make of the Clinton/NFL matchup? I was riveted. People were saying hey, he went on too long. I wanted to hear more. What did he say? The president four point some million jobs. Congressional Republicans, zero! I was cracking up.
BEN GLEIB, COMEDIAN, ACTOR: Yes. I was like he was calling a football game. I'm honestly, not surprised for several reasons. One, the last time that Americans got behind a cowboy from Texas, things did not work out so well. So, I think they need a break.
And also, I think it make sense because people didn't need to watch the NFL debut because a week earlier, the RNC, they already saw a bunch of millionaires trying to win at all costs for just their buddies it at the expense of everybody around them.
The only difference being that when -- that during an NFL game, the middle class actually cheers for the greedy millionaires.
LEMON: Christopher, listen. The president has not been able to rekindle the magic of 2008. So, you think this is the shot in the arm, the Democrats need the Bill Clinton moment?
CHRISTOPHER METZLER, PROFESSOR, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY: No. I think this is a shot in the arm for Hillary 2016. That's bizarre that you have got. Look. That is the former president's angle here. He wants to make sure that since he can't get back in the White House, she can in 2016. The president has to seal the deal on his own.
LEMON: But even a conservative pundit on our -- an analyst on our air said lock the doors. Bill Clinton has just sealed the deal. So you don't think it's --
MELTZER: No, I don't think so. I think the president has to do that. Only he c can do that.
LEMON: Hey, Ben. I got ten seconds left here. So what do you make? Do you think this is a moment that you talked about how boring. Do you think it's a moment that put -- that will put the president over? GLEIB: I don't think so because Clinton just did such a good job. He kind of outshined Obama who is typically the best speaker ever. Clinton, if you listen to close it his hour long speech. He had a quick aside where he said, by the way, one tiny change in the constitution I could have a third term but Barack Obama! So, I think he was ready to go but out there for the spotlight.
LEMON: I got to go. Thank you, guys. I appreciate both of you. Wish we have more time.
I'm Don Lemon. I will see you tomorrow. Good night.
