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CNN TONIGHT

Joan Rivers in Hospital; Recruiting Terror; ISIS Releases Series of Barbaric Videos; Scott Walker Facing Tough Reelection Race

Aired August 28, 2014 - 22:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Good evening. This is CNN TONIGHT. I'm Don Lemon.

Tonight, President Obama says, let's not get ahead of ourselves on ISIS airstrikes in Syria.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I don't want to put the cart before the horse. We don't have a strategy yet.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Meanwhile, Syrian opposition groups say they have killed another American in battle, a Minnesota man. And, tonight, I'm going to talk with a friend of his family and to a former jihadist.

Plus, Hillary Clinton speaks out, calling the case of the 9-year-old girl who accidentally shot her instructor at a gun range heartbreaking and horrifying. We will get into all of that tonight.

But, first, CNN's Alexandra Field live outside Mount Sinai Hospital, where we have just received word on Joan Rivers' condition. The 81- year-old comedy icon was rushed to the hospital earlier after she stopped breathing during a throat surgery at a clinic.

Alexandra, What can you tell us?

ALEXANDRA FIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Don, we know that her daughter, Melissa Rivers, has flown in from Los Angeles to be at her mother's side here in Mount Sinai.

Her daughter has just put out a statement, thanking people for their love and support, and saying that her mother is now resting comfortably with her family around here. But they're asking people to continue to keep Joan in their thoughts and in their prayers, a very trying day for the Rivers family. It started very early this morning.

Joan Rivers was going through an outpatient surgery that was being performed on their throat. That's when she stopped breathing. The fire department, New York City, says that their responders responded to a call for a patient who had gone into cardiac and respiratory arrest. We know that Joan Rivers was brought here to Mount Sinai in critical condition. The comedian who has been working to make people laugh for decades is

most recently known for her work on the E! Network. That network also speaking today about Joan's condition, saying she is now in critical but stable condition. So certainly a big glimmer of hope for all the fans who have just been so saddened by the news to hear she is in this condition today, Don.

LEMON: Alexandra Field, we will keep a close watch on that. Thank you very much.

Now I want to turn to the latest on the threat from ISIS in Syria. President Obama says it is too soon to say what steps this country will take to stop ISIS. But Syrian opposition groups say they have killed another Minnesota man fighting for the terrorists. They say that happened in the same battle that killed 33-year-old Douglas McAuthur McCain.

American officials are working to verify his name.

So, joining me now, CNN's Jason Carroll. Jason is in Minneapolis and Jim Acosta is at the White House for us.

I will start you, Jim.

President Obama gave a news conference today and said something that stunned a lot of people. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OBAMA: As our strategy develops, we will continue to consult with Congress. And I do think that it will be important for Congress to weigh in and -- or that our consultations with Congress continue to develop so that the American people are part of the debate. But I don't want to put the cart before the horse. We don't have a strategy yet.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

OBAMA: No strategy yet, Jim?

JIM ACOSTA, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Don, in golfing terms, I think they'd like a mulligan on that one, to be frank.

The president was trying to end speculation that he was on the verge of ordering airstrikes in Syria. And White House official told me they thought the speculation getting out of control. It was in that context. He was asked whether the Congress would be asked to vote on this that the president used those words, "We don't have a strategy yet."

As we all know in this age of social media, a poorly phrased sound bite can go viral instantly. That's exactly what happened. The White House jumped into instant damage control, Don. And we saw White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest go on "THE SITUATION ROOM WITH WOLF BLITZER." The president, Josh Earnest said, was referring to his overall

strategy, was referring to his strategy on ISIS in Syria, not his overall strategy on ISIS in Iraq and Syria. They say he does have a strategy on that. But they want more international cooperation.

That's why the president is sending Secretary of State John Kerry to the region after the NATO summit this week. But just earlier this evening within the last hour, Don, the White House put out a paper statement on this National Security Council meeting the president had here at the White House with top officials.

And in that e-mail to reporters, it refers to the president's strategy on ISIS as comprehensive. So they're still trying to clean that one up, Don.

LEMON: Yes, I was sort of doing other things as I was listening to the president today. And when he said no strategy, I immediately turned to the television and turned the sound up.

ACOSTA: Absolutely.

LEMON: Is it possible, though, that they just don't want to tip their hand as to what they're planning?

ACOSTA: No, I think the president should be taken for his word here.

At this point, and I have been hearing this from the administration officials and White House officials this week, that -- you know, that they really are just not at the point where they could launch airstrikes against ISIS targets in Syria. The process of identifying targets -- the president just authorized surveillance of ISIS in Syria. And so that process takes time. And it's not something that can be done overnight.

At the same time -- and we have heard this from White House officials all week -- the president wants to have a regional strategy. He doesn't think that there are states in the region who are really fully cooperating when it comes to dealing with ISIS. And they're all sort of looking at the United States, in the eyes of this White House, and saying, President Obama, what are you going to do about this?

And I think what the president is saying is that he is not ready to go down that road just yet. He wants to take, you know, a longer-term approach on this. But, Don, it really puts him at odds with members of his own administration. Last week, the defense secretary, Chuck Hagel, described ISIS as beyond anything that we have seen.

The chairman of the Joint Chiefs said that you can't really deal with ISIS without going into Syria. That kind of heated rhetoric, that kind of urgency that we were hearing from administration officials, that just wasn't reflected in what the president had to say today. The president made it sound as if he has time to deal with this, and that it is not the kind of dangerous, imminent-type of threat that administration, his own administration officials were describing it as just several days ago.

LEMON: And highly ranked officials, at that. Stand by, Jim.

I want to go to Jason Carroll now. He is in Minnesota.

Jason, we learned today of another Minnesota man, Troy Kastigar, recruited to jihad back in 2009. You spoke exclusively to his mother. What did you learn?

JASON CARROLL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Don, I think you have the same question that a lot of people had who have been looking at that particular case, which is how a young man who grew up here in this community, was a good kid for a while, made that turn to joining a terrorist organization.

And when I spoke to his mother, she said that she remembers at a time when he was 16, he was having problems. He had turned to drugs. He was having issues in school. And what he basically did was, he looking for spiritual answer for his problems. And he turned to the Koran.

When I spoke to her and during the interview, she explained that even now, some five years after his death, it is still very difficult for her to talk about her son, so very difficult to talk about he died.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JULIE BOADA, MOTHER OF TROY KASTIGAR: I don't easily talk about it to people, because I don't want to have to also defend him. My family's great, so -- and my friends are great, but just in general in the world.

And I will -- I mean, it is. It's the hardest, the hardest loss that there is. And I'm really grateful that I had -- had him and that I knew Doug.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CARROLL: And as you know, Don, it turns out that Kastigar was also friends with Doug McCain, another young man it turns out who was killed just a few days ago, again, another man who had joined a terrorist organization, not in Somalia, but in Syria.

And so a lot of questions about why these young men seem to be coming out of this particular community.

LEMON: And you can hear just the heartbreak in her voice, Jason. Did she have any idea what her son was doing? I know she said he was taking a spiritual journey. But did she know what he was doing?

CARROLL: Yes, she did not. And, initially, he had told her he was going to Kenya to study the Koran. That's what she thought, at least until FBI agents actually showed up at her door in July of '09 saying, we believe that your son has joined a terrorist organization. She sent him an e-mail.

There really had not been a element of communication at that time, that period between the two of them. She sent him an e-mail saying, if you're in Somalia, basically, please get out. It's dangerous. The next thing that she had heard from him -- or heard about him actually was when once again FBI agents showed up at her door to confirm that he had in fact been killed.

LEMON: Jason, you're there. Why? Why Minnesota? Why are all these men coming from Minnesota?

CARROLL: Well, I think certainly the FBI, that's a question that the FBI is asking and investigating.

There is a large Somali-American population here. I saw one estimate, some 25,000 in the state of Minnesota. And many of them have very strong ties to the country. And when you have a terrorist organization that has made some inroads into a country, I mean, I think a lot of terrorism experts would agree and theorize that those terrorist organizations would then try to make inroads into the community here in the state.

So I think some of that is what is happening, certainly a concern to some here and to the FBI as well.

LEMON: All right, thank you very much, Jim Acosta and Jason Carroll.

And when we come right back, we're going speak to a man who says he is a friend of the man killed, that man from Minnesota, the latest man killed.

We will be right back right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Welcome back.

Syrian opposition groups say they have killed another Minnesota man fighting for ISIS terrorists.

Now I want to bring in a friend of his family. His name is Omar Jamal. He is a CEO of American Friends of Somalia.

How are you and his family doing?

OMAR JAMAL, FRIEND OF KILLED AMERICAN: I'm fine, Don. Thank you for having me.

Well, the community is devastated. So is the family. This news and still the circumstances surrounding the death of this young man is still developing right now. So, it is really, really sad news.

LEMON: You know, the State Department says that they are still investigating those claims of another American who died in Syria last weekend fighting for ISIS. You are a friend of this family. What can you share with us about what has happened to him?

JAMAL: Well, he is one of many other Somali kids who have been lured and went back to either Somali or Syria to fight this war, which is still the community is confused as to why it's happening. He was a very social guy, very family person.

And the question is what happened and what led him to do this. It is still a mystery. And how they are very successful in making this case, drop the books and get out of here and join them, it's very mysterious.

And what seems to be happening is, their propaganda machine is really very effective.

(CROSSTALK)

LEMON: What do you think the lure is for Somali kids, as you said? Why are they more susceptible and more prone to...

JAMAL: Well, mainly because, once they get here, they become disillusioned of American dream.

They're -- they became isolated, a lack of employment, high school dropouts and gangs, what have you. So they became very confused, susceptible to these strange areas. If you look at it, what is really very strange is that this same method has been used by Hitler, by doing the same thing to German kids.

And one thing that's very similar is that the process reduces parents to powerless. Parents have no input or say to their kids and what they're doing and what is going to happen to them. So you end up having mothers crying, not even knowing what their kids were going. And the kids will say, I'm going to school, but instead he is going to the airport.

So to undermine the moral integrity of these children and these twisted ideas, to use them as soldiers, is a new phenomenon and a very serious threat to the security and -- or the values of this country. And it's, I think, about time that we take this very serious and come together and do something about it.

And, Don, the other thing is, the Muslim community across this country have to come together and disavow these people. We have to voice our concern as Muslim leaders. And I'm calling all of them.

(CROSSTALK)

LEMON: Yes, I want to ask you this, because you mentioned mothers crying.

And this mother is crying for a different reason. Her son wasn't radicalized, but he is being held by ISIS, and that is Steven Sotloff. And his mother Shirley spoke out. I want you to listen, and then we can talk about it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHIRLEY SOTLOFF, MOTHER OF STEVEN SOTLOFF: Since Steven's capture, I have learned a lot about Islam. I have learned that Islam teaches that no individual should be held responsible for the sins of others. Steven has no control over the actions of the U.S. government. He's

an innocent journalist. I have always learned that you, the caliph, can grant amnesty. I ask you to please release my child.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: She is pleading to ISIS. And before you heard her, you said you have a plea to the community? What is that?

JAMAL: Well, the plea is very simple.

In exercising the moral and ethics inside the Koran, I agree and appeal to the ISIS leadership, the same way that Shirley Sotloff did, the mother, to release this innocent journalist. And I ask all the Muslim leaders in this country to come together and appeal to the leadership of ISIS to release this innocent journalist who was doing his job, to come back his home safe and sound.

It is very heartbreaking. It really makes me very emotional to listen a mother who is pleading simply for her innocent child, the young man who was doing nothing and has zero input in world politics, what the U.S. does or the European does. He was just simply doing his job.

So I'm here right now talking to the leadership of this organization, being a Muslim, young men who is a Muslim, as I am right now, appealing to another Muslim leader to release this man to his mother. And that will -- actually is the exercise of the same fate, the Koran that they are claiming that they are -- that they believe in.

(CROSSTALK)

LEMON: Do you think leaders will listen to the pleas of another Muslim?

JAMAL: I hope so.

And I believe so, because I am talking to him as a Muslim person to a Muslim person, asking him to release this young man to his mother. And this is -- again, Don, the issue is we have to look at the broader picture of the situation. What is going on here?

Why are we in this situation, and when are we ever going to be able to do anything about it? That's why I'm not only talking to the leaders of ISIS. I'm talking to every conscious American and human being. We are all in this together.

LEMON: And, Omar...

JAMAL: We have to...

LEMON: What about the family, and especially the mothers there? Are mothers there afraid, they have to be, that their son could be the next one?

JAMAL: Definitely. Don, I sit across mothers whose kids were gone and killed. You have

to keep in mind the first suicide bomber, the first American suicide bomber was from here, a Somali-American, Ahmed Shirwa, from Minneapolis, gone to high school here, gone to college here.

He went back to Somalia and carried out a suicide bombing. And I have seen more than 20 Somali mothers crying, their children gone and killed. And I was speechless. I didn't know how to console them, because I have nothing to tell them.

The only thing that is left to do is to make sure that we have to stop this from happening again. And we need the help of everybody to help us come and make sure that this has to stop.

LEMON: Omar, Omar Jamal, thank you for coming on CNN. We appreciate it.

JAMAL: Thank you, Don.

LEMON: Thank you.

When we come right back, more on ISIS and how it is recruiting Americans. We're going to talk to a former jihadist.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Welcome back.

ISIS and other terror groups are not only a threat in the Middle East and parts of Africa. They're a growing threat to America as well.

So joining me now is Mubin Shaikh, a former jihadist, also Mia Bloom, professor of security studies at the University of Massachusetts Lowell and author of "Bombshell," Paul Cruickshank, CNN terrorism analyst.

Mubin, let's pick on what my last guest talked about, men from Minnesota. There are reports now of three men from Minnesota who have been radicalized. ISIS targeting specific states or areas or -- in the U.S. for recruitment?

MUBIN SHAIKH, FORMER JIHADIST: Yes, of course. The Somali community is particularly attractive, especially because of the brand development of Al-Shabab.

If you remember the convert, half-Muslim, half-American background Al- Amriki who had gone to fight for the cause. And he actually started to speak out against some of the wrongdoings of the group, and they eventually killed him because of it.

So, it's because of the brand management or brand development that they already have with Al-Shabab and their recruitments into the Somali community in particular.

LEMON: Mia, another recruitment video today of yet another young radicalized man from Minnesota. His name is Troy Kastigar. He was a high school friend of Douglas McCain's. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TROY KASTIGAR, AMERICAN: If you guys only knew how much fun we have over here. This is the real Disneyland.

You need to come here and join us and take pleasure in this fun. We walk amongst the lions.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: So he makes it sound, Mia, like a big adventure. And so is that appealing to young men from Minnesota who have a Somalian background?

MIA BLOOM, UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS LOWELL: Absolutely.

And so, if I'm not mistaken, I think Kastigar died in 2009, because we have seen this video a few times. And the research that was done by people like Stevan Weine and John Horgan, where they went to Minneapolis, they talked to members of the community, they talked to families of the 22 kids that went missing, what they discovered is that that community is really at risk, partly because you have got a lot of kids in single-parent homes.

There were huge swathes of time where between school and when the mother got home, kids had nothing to do but spend time on the Internet, following people like Omar Hammami like Mubin just mentioned.

LEMON: So, this particular age group is more susceptible in part because of social media and because of the Internet, Paul?

PAUL CRUICKSHANK, CNN TERRORISM ANALYST: Well, that's absolutely right. They're looking at all this social media. And ISIS is putting out this -- it's not just Disneyland. It's a sort of jihadist nirvana that they're putting out. You can come and join us in Syria. You will be treated as heroes. There is a lot of glory to be had here. You will be serving God. You will be rewarded in the afterlife.

But, meanwhile, back in Minnesota, they don't have a huge amount of opportunities. Forty percent of people there from the Somali community are living under the poverty line. There is almost 20 percent unemployment, so not a lot of opportunities. There is a real problem with integration. This is known as generation 1.5, people born in war-torn Somalia who had some pretty hard experiences coming to the United States, troubled by their identity, looking for purpose outside the mainstream community, Don.

LEMON: So, Paul, Mubin was just talking about the brand development of some jihadi groups. Is that how they think?

CRUICKSHANK: Well, they're thinking that all the time.

And, for example, they're using Americans and Germans and French speakers to put out their videos to encourage people to come over to Syria and fight. And the people who have actually reached there already are encouraging their friends back home over e-mail, over social media to come and join them, guilting them, if you like, to come and join them in Syria, telling them it's their Islamic duty to do this. This is an incredibly powerful argument.

LEMON: Paul, ISIS released a sickening video today of hundreds of Syrian soldiers being marched half-naked into the desert. And then later -- I want to show you this. I have to warn you that this is very graphic. We see a shot of a long pile of bloody bodies. ISIS claims they executed 250 soldiers. There it is right there.

What in the world is going on here?

CRUICKSHANK: Well, it's quite, quite awful.

But ISIS is using terror as a force multiplier. They calculate that if other Syrian soldiers see this, they won't want the fight ISIS. They will want to turn and run.

LEMON: Mubin, how does it behoove ISIS to release this? As Paul said, they will want to -- they won't want to fight, they want to turn and run. But is this a recruitment tool as well?

SHAIKH: Yes, of course, for those who are looking for this kind of action, so to speak, warfare, and like you saw from the clips before, this idea that you're living, as Paul mentioned, this nirvana of idealism, where you're going to be the hero.

When you look at the social issues that the Somali community faces and other communities also face, you can see how these things come together. Especially for these young kids who are -- who don't have anything to do. They're hanging around in gangs and groups, this kind of bravado, it really serves their purpose.

LEMON: But Mia, shouldn't it sink in to these young recruits or possible recruits that the people they see in the videos telling them how great it is, they're all dead?

BLOOM: Well, I mean, but when someone like Andre Poulin makes a video prior to his death saying, "It will be the greatest pleasure for me to become a martyr," and he testifies and he says, you know, "Come on, everyone is welcome." And then at the end of the video, you see him being killed by Syrian Free Army forces, it's a very powerful message because, for them, martyrdom is the ultimate goal.

LEMON: There is a new YouTube video of the Florida man who blew himself up in Syria. He describes his journey from the U.S. through Turkey into Syria. How do we stem the flow of recruits onto the battlefield, Paul?

CRUICKSHANK: How do we stem it? It's very, very difficult indeed. And this is a quite extraordinary video where he describes traveling from the United States to Turkey with $20 in his pocket, and then randomly meeting up with people who can bring him across the border from Turkey into Syria where he joins up with his al Qaeda affiliate. And those are very, very difficult to trap these people, because so

many people go to Turkey just on holiday. And there they can meet people who can bring them over the border.

Turkey for a long time turned a blind eye to a lot of this. But they're cracking down now on this, and they need to do so further, Don.

LEMON: Mubin, you recruited young men to jihad. Do you think -- the big concern is that these young western jihadis are likely to come back and attack America. Is that a legitimate concern?

SHAIKH: Of course it's a legitimate concern. This is a group that kills Muslims and non-Muslims. They use a Islamic theology to kill other Muslims. Imagine what they think of non-Muslims, not to mention, you know, the Great Satan, the United States.

A lot of them will come back disillusioned. They went there to fight for good reasons: to fight against the Syrian regime because of moral outrage. It drove them to action. But they saw that they ended up fighting other Muslims. And they didn't want any part of that. So some of them are disillusioned. But others are being sent back deliberately to respond to the call of the caliph when time for an attack comes.

LEMON: Mubin Shaikh, Mia Bloom and Paul Cruickshank, thank you. Fascinating conversation. I appreciate you coming on CNN tonight.

One of the rising stars of the Republican Party is Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, a potential candidate for the White House in 2016. But he faces a tough reelection battle this fall. Governor Walker joins me next. There he is.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Welcome back, everyone.

Governor Scott Walker of Wisconsin is considered a rising star of the Republican Party and a potential presidential candidate in 2016. He's also up for reelection this fall. And a poll by Marquette University Law School shows he's in a tight race with his Democratic challenger.

So joining me now to talk about that and much more, he is the author of "Unintimidated: A Governor's Story and a Nation's Challenge." And that is Scott Walker.

Thank you for joining us, sir.

GOV. SCOTT WALKER (R), WISCONSIN: Great to be with you. Thanks for having me on.

LEMON: You know, President Obama spoke today. He said he doesn't have a strategy yet for taking action against ISIS in Syria. As our White House correspondent said, he probably wanted a mulligan on that. What do you think of what the president said and what should he do? WALKER: Well, I think it's tough. I understand why he's concerned

about having a strategy. But I think at this point, it doesn't matter whether you're Democrat or Republican. We'd like to have a president who ultimately has a strategy.

Obviously, as your last segment just talked about, some really troubling things happening all around the world, but particularly with ISIS. And, you know, we have a connection in Wisconsin to James Foley. He went to Marquette University, where one of my sons actually goes. They just had a vigil there the other night. Just some horrific stories.

And obviously, we just saw, as you just pointed out on air, images of other parents who are equally concerned about their own loved ones.

LEMON: And you mentioned this segment before. Let's talk a little bit more about that, Governor. Being a governor from the Midwest and the news of American terrorists having roots in Minnesota. Do you fear an increase in homegrown terror?

WALKER: Well, that's been an ongoing concern. But I think this is a very public example of that. That for some time in our state and across the country -- I think state by state, as well as nationally -- there's been an ongoing concern that threats against America's homeland wouldn't just be targeted at places like New York or Washington, D.C.

But that they could be anywhere. And that oftentimes they could be somewhat organic, that they wouldn't just be people coming in from other parts of the world, but they would be people coming in and trying to recruit people, whether it's in Minneapolis, Milwaukee, Chicago, or anywhere else across the country.

That is a real ongoing threat. And it's something that we've got to take seriously. And it's something we've got to deal with, not just at the federal level, but at the state and even at the local level.

LEMON: Let's keep our focus in the Midwest now. And I want to ask you about what we saw on the streets of Ferguson, Missouri, this month. Michael Brown's death and the resulting demonstrations. What do you believe is at the root of that?

WALKER: Well, I don't know. Obviously, there's tensions that go far beyond just this particular incident. And so those have to be addressed not only in Missouri, but in states and communities all across America.

I do know, for example, in our state, we just passed last year -- in fact, I signed a law. I think it's the first law in the country that removes the review of a shooting death by a law enforcement official from that agency. So that it protects not only the family and loved ones of that individual who are obviously concerned, but also assuming law enforcement individuals doing something legitimately, it also protects them and provides a third party.

I think in those instances where there is already tensions that go far beyond that particular incident, the more objective, the more removed it can be, the more that it eases some of those tensions. Because obviously this is inflamed.

LEMON: I want to -- I want to continue on with Hillary Clinton and Ferguson, OK. And I want to play some of her remarks, what she said about Ferguson, talking about -- I want to talk about the inequalities that she talked about today in Ferguson. OK. So she said that there are inequalities in this country that must be dealt with. It took her a long time to speak out about this. I don't know if you got a chance to hear her comments. But what did you think of them?

WALKER; Well, I heard a little bit today. And they seemed to be, one, obviously a long time coming, but it's somewhat selective. She talked about being proud of people who spoke out and who rallied, but ignoring others who obviously in some ways did things that were quite the opposite.

She talked about being concerned about law enforcement officials who might have brought fear and only limited to some who were acting professionally. I think you've got to address the good and the bad from all segments out there if you're going to comment on that. And obviously, there's -- there's many concerns that go around.

But this is something where leadership requires telling it like it is. I don't have full knowledge to everything that happened there. Like most of America, I'm going to be watching the folks in Missouri to see what's happened. And as I mentioned in our case here in Wisconsin, we're proud of the fact that we have a law that we believe would diffuse a situation like this from ever happening in our state.

LEMON: OK, more on Hillary Clinton and another big story that happened. She had this to say today about the story of a 9-year-old girl who killed her shooting instructor with an Uzi. Here it is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HILLARY CLINTON, FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE: This incident with the 9- year-old girl is just heartbreaking and horrifying. I mean, first of all, what 9-year-old little girl is strong enough to manage an Uzi submachine gun which is apparently what it was. You know, the kick, the effort to control it. I mean, that's just the height of irresponsibility, to say nothing of the choice of letting your child do that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: You're a big supporter of gun rights. Is 9 years old, though, is that too young to be shooting a weapon like an Uzi?

WALKER: I think so. I mean, in our state, as you can imagine, like a lot of places in the Midwest there's a lot of young people who are involved in hunter safety programs. But they're not looking at something with that size and that kind of kickback out there. That to me as many people much more skilled in firearm training, law enforcement and otherwise have noted in the last day or so, this is a really -- I mean, it's horrific considering what happened to that instructor, but a real question mark as to why someone would even put someone in that situation to begin with, let alone the parents. But just a horrible situation.

And it goes back again to whether someone uses a firearm or not, how important it is to train people of all ages, how very cautious you have to be around firearms. Risks you worried about your reelection? Because your son goes to Marquette. A new poll shows that it's pretty tight.

WALKER: Absolutely. I've said for about a year in my state, I believe that any Democrat running against me, not just Mary Birk, our current opponent, but it could have been our former opponent, Tom Barrett, it could have been any members of Congress and the legislature. A credible Democrat in my state, a state that hasn't gone Republican for president since 1984 when I was in high school, 30 years ago when Ronald Reagan was running for reelection, that's the last time a Republican carried Wisconsin.

I said it is going to be a tight, tight election. And some people thought because we won the recall election with more votes than we did the first time, that somehow this was going to be a blowout. That's not the case. It's evenly divided. We're going to have to make a case not just to Republicans, but hopefully to a number of fair- minded, open-minded independent voters that we can help Wisconsin move forward; there's a comeback in our state and that we'll lead it going forward.

LEMON: Governor, there's a "USA Today"/Suffolk University poll released yesterday that shows that 35 percent of likely Iowa caucus voters would vote for Mitt Romney in 2016. I'm wondering if he is the Republicans' best chance. And if not or if so, who would you like to see run in 2016? And are you considering it?

WALKER: Well, I think Mitt would have been a great president. I think he had -- the things I commented about in my book and otherwise were failures I thought in the campaign, not in the person. And I think if he'd done -- if his campaigned had freed him up to talk more about the reforms he brought to the Olympics and he brought to the private sector, he would have been a more compelling candidate. And maybe he'll learn and learn from that campaign and try it again.

I personally, if I were going to pick anyone on that ticket, would probably be a bit more biased to my fellow cheesehead, Paul Ryan. I'm a big fan of Paul. I just think he's a great guy. Not just because he grew up about 15 miles down the road from me. But I just have found he's a genuine person. And I think someone who is in elected office, public service for the right reasons, to do something great, not just be something great.

LEMON: And you?

WALKER: Oh, I've got my hands full being governor. This will be my third election in four years.

LEMON: People always say that, Governor.

WALKER: I'm getting pretty good at running for governor. I better stick to that for a while.

LEMON: You guys always say that, and then it comes down to it, and it's like, I thought you said you weren't going to run; and then you end up running. If you do, come back here. We'd like to have you. All right?

WALKER; Thanks so much for having me on. I appreciate it.

LEMON: Appreciate it.

Coming up, Joan Rivers in New York's Mount Sinai Hospital. We'll have the very latest on her condition, coming up.

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LEMON: Joan Rivers is said to be resting comfortably in New York's Mount Sinai Hospital tonight. That is according to her daughter, Melissa. The 81-year-old comedy icon was rushed to the hospital earlier today after apparently suffering cardiac and respiratory arrest during a procedure at a medical clinic.

Joining me now is Dr. Andrew Ordon. He's a co-host of "The Doctors" and a regular guest on Joan's show. Alison Brower is deputy editorial director for "The Hollywood Reporter." Hal Sparks, actor and comedian. And Brooke Anderson, correspondent for "Entertainment Tonight." I appreciate all of you.

Dr. Ordon, you first. I know that you aren't Joan Rivers' doctor in this case. But can you tell us in general...

DR. ANDREW ORDON, CO-HOST, "THE DOCTORS": That's right.

LEMON: ... how an outpatient procedure can turn so serious?

ORDON: Well, Don, you know, I'm basing this on the news that I got today. I've been following everything that's been said today. And I don't have all the answers.

But my understanding, she went in this morning for a routine evaluation of a throat condition, a so-called endoscopic procedure, a laryngoscopy, where a blunt tube is inserted into her throat, connected to a camera, to evaluate her throat, her upper area, because I guess there were some problems with her voice, voice changes, potentially vocal nodules that somebody like Joan, who uses her voice all the time professionally, is set up to develop that condition.

Now, going into a surgery center like that, she would have been, you know, worked up. She would have had EKG, CSEC (ph), X-ray, just like going -- undergoing any surgery. So I'm sure they went into it dotting all their "I's" and crossing their "T's."

LEMON: But no surgery is perfect. And you can have complications, I'm sure, that you can attest to. But...

ORDON: Well, you know, even though this was a diagnostic procedure, it does involve the use of some sedation, just like when you go into for a colonoscopy, you're put to sleep. So that's the key. She was put to sleep with sedation, and probably it's that sedation that precipitated her to develop a problem, you know. It was said, though, it was her heart. But we don't know that for sure.

LEMON: OK. Understood.

So Brooke, you heard Dr. Ordon talk about, you know, how she uses her voice a lot. She performed last night. We got wind of, you know, some of her raunchy jokes that she was telling last night, even joking on stage, by the way, about dying.

She remains sought after in this business after all these years. She's very busy. What makes her so sought after and so unique?

BROOKE ANDERSON, REPORTER, "ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT": Well, because she's Joan Rivers, and she's fearless and she's brave and she'll say anything.

And I was actually on a flight with her two nights ago from L.A. to New York, sitting a few rows behind her. And she was laughing. She looked great. She was trying to convince Betsy Johnson to come on "Fashion Police." And I thought, Don, wow, this woman is 81 years old. Look at the pace she keeps. Look at the schedule she keeps. It is truly remarkable.

And like Dr. Ordon says, we at "E.T." have been told from a source that she was going in to undergo a routine endoscopy, and that she stopped breathing shortly after that.

We are told by a reliable source that she is in a medically-induced coma. We're also told that she is at Mount Sinai Hospital on the 11th floor in a private floor, in a private wing. It is a premium patient center.

We're told that when Melissa Rivers, her daughter, arrived there after her flight landed at 7:40 tonight, that she arrived in a Chevy Suburban, blacked-out windows. Three people were with her, greeted by a team at the hospital and then escorted in. And as you know, they are by her side.

LEMON: OK. And again, that's "Entertainment Tonight's" reporting. It's not CNN's.

ANDERSON: Yes.

LEMON: But it is a very good.

So Hal, Joan Rivers never shies away from making an edgy joke.

HAL SPARKS, ACTOR/COMEDIAN: Right.

LEMON: And I hate to ask you how bold of a comedian is she, but she's among the boldest.

SPARKS: Absolutely. I'm sorry. I'm still reeling from the news that you have to be put out during a colonoscopy. I'm very depressed about that news.

I -- here's the thing. Joan is an incredibly talented woman. And ferociously bold and has built her career on it.

And by the way, if I do have a colonoscopy, I will arrive in a blacked-out limo, as well. I just want to say that for the record.

LEMON: She would be joking and she will, after this...

SPARKS: Right.

LEMON: ... joke about her own condition.

SPARKS: Out of respect for Joan and our love for her, she deserves such treatment at this point. She's really terrific. And the most genius part of Joan, besides her obviously bulletproof quick wit, is the fact that she was able to make a show criticizing the fashion of other human beings while she and her co-host wear the worst clothes on television.

Bless her heart, but they're wearing burlap sacks with gold lame lining and wooden bow ties. That is a credit to her as a genius.

LEMON: I can't wait to see the next edition of "Fashion Police" when she gets back, because I think you are going to be the target. You're going to be the...

SPARKS: You know how long it took me to pick out the outfit I was wearing to come on for this segment? Because I know she's going to pull through.

LEMON: Obviously, not a lot of time as we're looking at it.

But Alison...

SPARKS: I see. Who's bucking for a job on the show now? I get it. OK.

LEMON: What has the reaction been today, Alison from the Hollywood community?

ALISON BROWER, DEPUTY EDITORIAL DIRECTOR, "THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER": Obviously, lots of concern and so much respect for her. You know, the phrase the hardest working woman in show business or man is thrown around a lot in this town. But she really was one of the very hardest working woman in show business for many years.

LEMON: Is, is, is.

BROWER: And, you know, has been, is, and will be back joking with us tomorrow, I think, I hope.

And she -- you know, people are -- worship her. Without her, there is no Whitney Cumming. Without her, there's no Sarah Silverman. You know, she was -- she was a permanent host on "The Tonight Show," you know, in the '80s. You know, she had her own talk show before any woman, and still, even after all that turnover in the last year, still no woman hosting a late night show.

So a real trail blazer. And beloved. Despite her tough wit and tough words sometimes, really beloved in Hollywood.

LEMON: And even without her, you know, there would be no Chelsea Handler. You know, and Chelsea Handler's show just ended in late night, so there are no women in late night anymore.

BROWER: Right.

LEMON: Let's take a look at her late night show, and then we'll talk about it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JIMMY FALLON, HOST, NBC'S "THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH JIMMY FALLON": I have a photo of you. This is you right in this same studio in 1965. You and Johnny. You're a knockout, pal.

JOAN RIVERS, COMEDIAN: Second night that I was on.

FALLON: Is that right?

RIVERS: And I have been working eight years in Greenwich Village and nothing. And he said, God bless him, "You're going to be a star." It changed my life.

And you look at this. Look how nice -- I mean, my legs look good. The breasts are in the right place.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: That was her return to "The Tonight Show" after a 26-year ban. Does any woman come close to her as a comedian, Hal?

SPARKS: Well, sure. I mean, although in this particular as an insult comic, I mean, she is -- arguably, I think Don Rickles is the male Joan Rivers in a lot of ways. And -- and we're all blessed with the fact that -- people need to understand how hard it is for most women to make it in comedy now, much less when she started.

LEMON: Right.

SPARKS: And the idea that she was able to punch her way through without being a clown, as it were, with her comedy, incredible.

LEMON: Yes.

SPARKS: The boldness that it was required for her to make it as the kind of comic she is cannot be undervalued.

LEMON: And it should not go unnoticed that, you know, after that whole "Tonight Show" thing and she lost her show on FOX, I mean, she basically lost everything and came back. Talk about stamina and, you know, she's an incredible woman. We wish her well.

And I appreciate all of you coming on. Thank you very much.

SPARKS: Absolutely.

ORDON: Thank you, Don.

LEMON: We'll be right back.

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