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Former VA Governor Bob McDonnell Sentenced To Two Years In Federal Prison; Demonstrators Enter Restaurants In New York City During Brunch This Weekend; Former NY Governor and Liberal Icon Mario Cuomo Has Died

Aired January 6, 2015 - 15:30   ET

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


BALDWIN: For Sailor Gutzler, surviving a plane crash was the first ordeal. The next is surviving, of course, the rest of her life without her immediate family.

The seven-year-old was the sole survivor of this crash that left her mother, her father, her older sister and cousin dead. And as horrific as all of that is, she then had to set off alone, freezing in a dark wooded area in the rain to try to find help.

So we sent our CNN crew, including our correspondent Martin Savidge retracing her steps to see exactly how tough that trek was.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Any direction takes you into deep brush. It's not like I'm looking for the easiest path. There is no path, just dense undergrowth that grabs, trips and stabs.

This is really nasty stuff. You can see the really sharp needles on here, these are briars.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Got to pull away from that. We'll be back in a second. We were talking a moment ago about the news, former Virginia governor Bob McDonnell sentenced to two years in federal prison, speaking now. Take a listen.

BOB MCDONNELL, FORMER VIRGINIA GOVERNOR: And their undying kindnesses in telling me they continue to believe in me despite these proceedings. I don't believe that I would be as much able to handle the news of today without the love of some many people around the state.

I also want to thank my distinguished team here of Jones Bay (ph) and (INAUDIBLE). All the team that's behind me today. They have really been remarkable. And I know they are enthusiastic about the appeal that will be filed here shortly.

I also want to thank my family who have been unbelievably resolute. This has been an extraordinarily difficult time for my children, my wife, my brothers, sisters, cousins, nephews, nieces, many, many of whom are here in the courtroom today. And they have been, you know, beyond loving and forgiving and uplifting in their support for me.

And finally, and really most importantly, I want to say that I have immense faith in the justice system, but I have tremendous faith and trust in the providence of the lord Jesus Christ and his ability to mete out justice. And so that is my hope for ultimate vindication. I know his love never fails, it never gives up and it's never going to run out on me. And that's what's kept me going. And will keep us focused on a bright hope for a productive future so I can continue what I've done for 38 years, and that is to serve the people.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE REPORTER: Governor --

MCDONNELL: With that --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE REPORTER: Governor, when you came in, you were looking at 10 1/2 to 12 years.

MCDONNELL: I'm not going to take any questions. So there's no sense starting, OK.

So what I'm going to do is my counsel just want to make some brief comments. Let me tell you, also, I do want to thank you members of the press, many of whom I've known for quite a long time. Many, many of you have gone out of your way to try to be fair and respectful to my family. I'm very grateful for that. This has been very hard being governor's hard by itself, but being governor with these kinds of accusations is difficult. And many of you have gone beyond the call in being gracious to me and my family and I really thank you for that -- John.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE REPORTER: Just want to --

BALDWIN: All right. So there you have it, that's the first time we've actually seen former Virginia governor Bob McDonnell speaking in the wake of this judge officially sentencing him to two years in a federal prison in the wake of this corruption scandal. He was apparently involved in. Exchanging political favors for gifts. He, as you heard him mention, other than thanking his family, hoping to win that appeal. But again, if he doesn't, he's headed to federal prison two years.

Let's take you back to the story out of Kentucky. We've been just marveling over this 7-year-old little girl who managed to survive the small plane that crashed in the woods of Kentucky just a couple of days ago. So she somehow has the wherewithal to walk away dressed because they've been down in the keys, down in Florida. Walked through the woods, and finds this one man with the single light on who helps her call the ambulance and apparently she's OK. She's with family now, and this is Sailor Gutzler.

And so, one victim of that crash was Sailor's cousin, Sierra Wilder. And, of course, her family is just absolutely inconsolable. But, her mother spoke to CNN --

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: To take away something good from this. And just think, you know, we don't have another tomorrow. You know, you don't know who you're going to not see. You don't know if somebody's going to walk out that door and you're never going to see them again. And that's what all her friends are saying at school. They thought they had so much time with her, just like we did. We thought we had so much more time. And I can just thank God that I got to hug her and kiss her before she left. (END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Let's talk about all of this with Ken Druck. He is a grief consultant and founder of the Jenna Druck center, also author of "The Real Rules Of Life."

Ken, nice to see you, sir. Welcome.

KEN DRUCK, AUTHOR, THE REAL RULES OF LIFE: Good to be with you, Brooke.

BALDWIN: My goodness. I mean, when you think about Sailor, at seven years of age, I know you were old enough to know that you were in a plane crash, that your parents have died. How does Sailor even begin to wrap her head around this?

DRUCK: You know, it's going to take time and it's going to take baby steps. And here's a kid who found her way through the woods in the dark and that's going to continue. She's in a new normal with things happening that she can't possibly understand. And it's going to take the adults around her talking with her in dialogue and conversation. You know, we all know from talking with our own kids that the best way to talk to kids is not to talk, it's to listen. So it's going to take a lot of listening to her and taking baby steps and going one step at a time and doing the things that she finds and the adults around her find are most helpful as things settle in.

BALDWIN: So, Ken, in this new normal, I mean, what is best for her? We know she's with family members. Is it best to go back to, you know, the hometown where she lived, go back to that school or start fresh somewhere else?

DRUCK: You know, Brooke, those are all such important questions. And, unfortunately, we're going to have to take it one step at a time. And we're going to have to ask Sailor. Here's a kid, you know, who obviously who knows a lot about what she wants and knows how to find her way. So I think it's going to be taking one step at a time and asking her as we do with all of our kids multiple choice questions, like do you think now would be a good time to go back and visit your house, your family house? And she might say, you know, I'm really not ready for that. It would be better if I stayed here.

And really taking that into serious consideration not trying to rush her, the biggest mistake we make is to try to rush kids and to fix the problem. The problem can't be fixed. This is not a fix problem. This is a stand with her, walk every step with her, and be in conversation with her as she expresses her needs for what she's ready for. BALDWIN: And as you pointed out, to listen. Ken Druck, thank you

very much.

DRUCK: Thank you so much, Brooke.

BALDWIN: And in a moment of silence today for the two American skiers on a fast track to Olympic glory when they were killed, mine avalanche in Austria.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Rest in peace.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Four other skiers who were also with them, training in the Austrian Alps managed to escape. But 20-year-old Ronnie Berlack and 19-year-old Bryce Astle did not make it out alive. They were back country skiing. They were off the marked trail when this avalanche of snow and rocks came down on them. It's believed neither man was wearing avalanche emergency gear.

Bruce Tremper, director for service Utah avalanche center joining me now.

And Bruce, I mean, if you are this, you know, Olympian ski racer, can you just explain it to me someone who maybe on a good day can pull off one black diamond slope. That when you see there is an avalanche warning and it's a three out of a five. Is that a stay away or is that a manageable risk with the right equipment?

BRUCE TREMPER, DIRECTOR, UTAH AVALANCHE CENTER: Yes. The avalanche risk is level three out of a scale of one to five. That's level orange. And here in the United States, that means dangerous conditions and that you should choose conservative terrain.

In other words, stay off of slopes that are between about 34 and 45 degrees in steepness. So if you pay attention to the avalanche report before heading out, then you, they tell you where it's safe, where it's not safe, and what kind of terrain you should be in for that particular day.

BALDWIN: When it is in orange, when it is a three and you're out there on the slopes and you start to hear, I don't even know if it would be a crunching or eerie silence. I mean, what is the noise that signals an avalanche is beginning? And then how much time do you have to get out of there?

TEMPER: Yes. The key, of course, is just avoiding being caught in an avalanche. Because once you're caught in the avalanche -- and by the way, almost in all cases, it is trigger by the victim or somebody in the victim's party. But if you're caught in an avalanche, there's not that much you can do. The whole mountainside are shatters like a pane of glass and then it just roars to the bottom very, very quickly. Then it can go up to 80 miles an hour. They're very, very dangerous avalanches. One out of four people are

killed by the trauma of hitting trees and rocks on the way down. And then once you're buried, then they're extremely dangerous. Because there's plenty of air in the snow to breathe. That's not the problem. But it's just our own carbon dioxide that's the problem. You know, we breathe out into the snow and then we breathe our carbon dioxide back in. So it's like breathing into a paper bag, you know, you pass out pretty quickly. And you've only got about 15 minutes to live on to the snow. That's why your partners have to get you out from under the snow very, very quickly.

BALDWIN: Horrible, too, you would have that 15 minutes you would have, you know, you would be aware of what was happening.

Bruce Tremper, thank you so much. Horrible thoughts with those skiers' families for sure.

Next, the controversial response to protesters angry over the deaths of young black men. I want you to look at what a former police officer tweeted out. This photo. You will hear directly from him next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: Senate minority leader Harry Reid not on Capitol Hill today as the 114th Congress sworn in. Senator Reid was injured over the weekend in some sort of exercise accident. And now we have an explanation from him as far as what happened in this video. Take a listen and look at him.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. HARRY REID (D-NY), MINORITY LEADER: As most people know, I fought for a couple of years. After any one of those fights, I never look like I do now. However, I didn't get this black eye by sparring with Manny, by challenging Floyd Mayweather. I didn't go bull riding, I wasn't riding a motorcycle. I was exercising in my new home. And the doctors have told me I better take it easy. I had my presentation all made to start the new Congress, I've been doing new congresses for -- this will be my 33rd year. And I really have some home sickness for lack of a better description, but I had a terrific meeting this morning with my leadership. Senator Durbin, Senator Schumer, and Senator Murray. We've been together for a number of years, a long time working together. And we're speaking with one voice.

We're going to continue to fight for good things for this country. We understand the rich are getting richer, the poor are getting poorer, the middle class being squeezed literally out of existence. And we're going to do everything we can to fulfill the expectations the middle class has. And we will continue to fight for them. And we are going to do that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: One word for Senator Reid, ouch. I don't know what exactly happened. On the least, he has got a sense of humor. Quick reminder, though, we do know that the leaders of both chambers

will be meeting with President Obama next Tuesday.

Now to a photo, a different kind of photo. In this aim, we're told was to be (INAUDIBLE) form of protest against another protest, the ones specifically seen here -- demonstrators entering restaurants in New York City during brunch this past weekend, you know, reading the names of people killed by police, interrupting these meals, coming and going here. This is all part of this nationwide demonstration against police abuse in minority communities.

So former NYD officer John Cardillo tweeted this provocative photo saying quote "I'm really enjoying these eggs Benedict, so move along now. And you see the photo of him pointing the gun #blackbrunchNYC. Cardillo here was on CNN, on "CNN TONIGHT" with my colleague Don Lemon.

And so let me just turn to you and begin the conversation.

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR, CNN TONIGHT: I was looking over here at the crew going, that picture.

BALDWIN: Actually, we have some sound. Because Cardillo took issue with the fact that the brunch protest, right, was compared to civil rights efforts in the '60s and he went head to head with CNN commentator Charles Blow. Watch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN CARDILLO, FORMER NYPD OFFICER: Yes, I think it's ludicrous. Because these protesters are able to patronize these restaurants. Quite frankly, I think it's demeaning to what I consider heroes of the civil rights movement. And, you know, people took offense to my photo. I would have been the first guy sitting at those lunch counters protecting those people who were being discriminated against for basic human rights. I think it's disrespectful to them to compare their struggle to what I think are a bunch of rich college kids. And a lot of the protesters I see are white, Asian, Hispanic. Most of the protesters that I have seen are not necessarily African-American. But to compare them to people who weren't allowed to eat in those restaurants is to me just a silly comparison.

CHARLES BLOW, CNN COMMENTATOR: You know, what's demeaning is, actually, posting a photo with the hashtag black brunch and a gun pointed at it.

LEMON: You're being called racist because of this photo. That's demeaning.

CARDILLO: What's demeaning.

BLOW: And the idea that you would come on television and try to say it was a social experiment. It wasn't a social experiment. You were behaving the way you wanted to behave. And people called you out on it and it was outrageous. And no one's --

LEMON: One at a time, please. Let him finish John and then you --

BLOW: People wanting to have a dialogue. And you know better than that. And we're not going to sit here and let you say this was some sort of social experiment.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Wow.

LEMON: Yes.

BALDWIN: So it went on?

LEMON: For a couple of minutes. And I kept saying, we're not doing the viewer any service.

Where both people are talking.

LEMON: Both people are talking. So they did eventually, you know, let each other speak and got their points across. But it was very heated. And you can see this now is showing just how heated and how passionate everyone on both sides of this, on all sides of this are. So you know, I wrote an editorial today that black lives matter, blue lives matter, all lives matter. We have to stop talking over each other and we have to start listening.

BALDWIN: Amen to that.

LEMON: Yes.

BALDWIN: When you saw, though, the pictures I saw Sunday of, you know, these folks walking into these restaurants in the city and trying to, you know, read the names of those lives that have been lost while, you know, people are eating brunch.

LEMON: Right.

BALDWIN: Is that really an effective way of protesting?

LEMON: Well, who am I to say? I mean, Charles Blow said, you know, there's no perfect way to protest, right? What's the right way? Professor Charles Ogletree said that, you know, that's the way all the most protests were done especially during the civil rights movement. I think that's what John Cardillo took issue to. And the former police commissioner (INAUDIBLE) didn't say anything about that particular issue except that if they were breaking the law, and they were asked to leave, then they should leave by the management and the owner of the restaurants.

Listen, I think, again, people have the right to protest. My only issue, and I think many people's issue is they called it interrupting white spaces. I go to brunch every weekend with a whole lot of black people. And it's not only white spaces. So I think when you do that, you polarize the people who you are trying to be friendly and to draw on your side. And I think, you know, I think the protesters should really think

about the optics and their message. Listen, right on, protest. That's your right. But think about the optics and the message, what you're doing.

Manhattan is one of the most liberal places in the world, right? Oakland, California, one of the most liberal places in the world. These are people who are already on your side. So think about what you're doing. And I think Oprah said that as well. Messaging a leader, perhaps. Not in the old-fashioned way. But something so that the message is cohesive.

BALDWIN: Yes. Don Lemon, "CNN TONIGHT" 10:00 eastern.

LEMON: And we also had the father of the officer who was shot last night. His father will join us exclusive here on CNN.

BALDWIN: Perfect. We will tune in. 10;00 p.m. eastern here on CNN. Thank you so much.

Coming up next, a special tribute to our colleague, so great, CNN's Chris Cuomo, speaking about his father, the former governor of New York.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: Hundreds and hundreds of people filled the pews of a church in Manhattan today to say good-bye to former New York governor and liberal icon Mario Cuomo. Among the dignitaries paying their respects were Bill and Hillary Clinton. But no one felt the loss more deeply than his own family, including his youngest son, our colleague here at CNN, our colleague Chris Cuomo. Here is Chris' own tribute to his dad.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARIO CUOMO, FORMER NEW YORK GOVERNOR: When it's over, I want people to say, now, there was an honest person.

CHRIS CUOMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Pop's body is gone. I know because I counted out his pulse until his heart fell silent. 5:15 p.m., his two favorite numbers, 5 and 15. So now his baggy brown eyes, solid grip of soft-grip fingers, oaken body, they're all gone.

But what was most important about my father and to him has passed on. Passed on as in still exists, just in a different way. His spirit passed on to his creator, the spirit of his message endures in us. Timeless and timely, a call to remember that if all do not share in America's success, there is no real success.

M. CUOMO: We can make it all the way with the whole family intact and we have more than once, wagon train after wagon train to new frontiers of education, housing, peace, the whole family aboard, constantly reaching out to extend and enlarge that family, all those struggling to claim some small share of America. C. CUOMO: Our interconnectedness, our diversity as America's true

strength. The value found in immigrants like our family desperate to work to be part of the dream.

M. CUOMO: Thank you very much.

C. CUOMO: Two speeches in eight weeks would define his political life for many of you. The keynote in 1984 --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ronald Reagan rode in the '80s on a political white horse.

C. CUOMO: When he took on Ronald Reagan's shining city.

M. CUOMO: There are people who sleep in the city streets in the gutter where the glitter doesn't show.

C. CUOMO: And his talk at Notre Dame where he took on his church's notion of a catholic politician.

M. CUOMO: We know that the price of seeking to force our belief on others is that they might someday force their belief on us. I protect my right to be a catholic by preserving your right to be anything else you choose.

C. CUOMO: The man liked a challenge. Both relied on his core belief, we are here to help as many as we can in the best way we can, and that means protecting freedom, especially freedom from oppression.

You will hear him called hamlet on the Hudson. Question it. It's a media phrase more than a matter of fact. Pop did not think he should run for president.

M. CUOMO: It has nothing to do with my chances, it has everything to do with my job as governor. And I don't see I can do both. Therefore I will not pursue the presidency.

C. CUOMO: Many could not or would not accept that and tried publicly and privately to push him to do otherwise. For better or worse, that's what separated my father from other politicians. He, in fact, did not vacillate. And until the day he died, I never heard him regret the decision, period.

But that is merely politics which can't be forgotten quickly enough. What really matters has certainly been passed on to me and my siblings and our kids. And that was Pop's love, like a big bear hug on your heart kind of love. His unique sense of humor that could be a weapon.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let me tell you this, you have found so many unusual ways to heap new expenses on this family. You really have. And you've done it not after sweating effort. You've done it naturally.

C. CUOMO: Who to be, how to be, from the simple, a handshake is firm, a tie is tied in a Windsor knot, a man shines his own shoes and does so often. He carries a hanky, one for others, one for himself. He wears a hat, not a cap, unless it is (INAUDIBLE). He always has cash and does not go Dutch. Pass first, shoot second, play hard and then play harder.

From that to the sublime, all that matters in life is devotion to something bigger than yourself, family, the less fortunate, take up for them, always. His passion for purpose, love recklessly, fight the good fight fiercely, outwork everyone.

M. CUOMO: One of the simple things I wanted to achieve was I wanted to be governor, I want to be the hardest working there ever was.

C. CUOMO: Compete hard or not at all.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So far, you know, we have more story (ph).

C. CUOMO: And never as a function of the chance of success. And for all the requirements on an individual, the most important was a command for the collective, collaborate in making this world a better place.

M. CUOMO: What is our mission in this place? Your job is to make it as good as you can make it. That's all there is. There is no other significance.

C. CUOMO: None of that could ever be buried, living on in the hearts and minds and actions of those who bear his name, who heed his call to action, then and now. That all will pass on.

The man himself is gone. The father I went to in times of distress is not there. The truth hurts, Pop would say, and this truth hurts worse than I imagined. But I also know that Pop would tell me to do. Wipe my face, let my kids see that I love them, be there for my family and do the right thing. And I will, pop, just like you.

M. CUOMO: Just keep going forward believing ever more deeply that it's right to give to people of the world.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BALDWIN: Chris, thank you for sharing. We are thinking about you from your family here at CNN. To you and the Cuomo family, we are thinking about you.

Thanks for being with me. I'm Brooke Baldwin. "THE LEAD" with Jake Tapper starts right now.