Celebration of Reagan, With Pigskin; 1985 Bears to Visit White House; Missing Moon Rock Found; $16 Muffin Response
BALDWIN: That takes me back. Does it take you back? I know I love music and Joe Johns loves music and big Kurt Cobain fan in the '90s and we had to ask the control room to share a little bit of teen spirit with us today. Joe Johns, I cannot believe it will be 20 years ago tomorrow when "Nevermind" came out. It makes a gen-Xer feel a little old, doesn't it?</s>JOE JOHNS, CNN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT: Yes, but the alternative is even worse. The alternative to getting old is even worse.</s>BALDWIN: I see.</s>JOHNS: My barber used to say that, because I don't have hair anymore.</s>BALDWIN: Anyway, let's talk about Ronald Reagan, shall we? The late president's 100th was months ago, but he's scheduled to get some big, big props at football games across the country this weekend. Explain what's going to be happening.</s>JOHNS: Well, President Reagan is basically getting the coin flip dedicated to him -- at the beginning of the game when the refs come out and flip the coin to see who is going to kick and who is going to receive. Well, at a bunch of high school and college and professional football games this weekend, they're going to flip a Ronald Reagan commemorative coin, have a loud speaker announcement, a video tribute to Ronald Reagan. It started at the Southern California University game last weekend. It's supposed to spread around the country now so big times for the memory at least of Ronald Reagan.</s>BALDWIN: And we know, you know, he was not a actual football star, but played one in the movies.</s>JOHNS: Right, that's true. I mean, Eureka College. Reagan did play football we hear for Eureka College in Illinois. He was also a college football announcer, but his big connection to football was in the movies. Here let's just take a look at him in this clip from his appearance in the 1940 film "Knute Rockne, All American."</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't want to disturb you, Gip, or bore you.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I have nothing else to do.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Maybe I can fix that for you. Would you like to play?</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, I have been sort of wondering why you gave me this uniform.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, it is a throwback to the scrubs.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't know the signals yet.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I give you the ball, and you just run with it.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How far?</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You don't have to worry about that.</s>BALDWIN: So young.</s>JOHNS: Yes, and there you go. I know, it certainly was a young Ronald Reagan and also that movie had one of the most famous lines in cinema "tell them to go out there with all they've got and win one for the Gipper." We remember that and of course, yes that line was associated with Reagan pretty much all of his life.</s>BALDWIN: Very famous and speaking of football, Joe. We have to talk about the Bears. The '85 Bears finally are going to the White House.</s>JOHNS: Believe it, I mean, if you are a football fan and you probably remember the incredible season in 1985 when they won the Super Bowl and only lost one game that year. The only time the Bears ever won the Super Bowl. They were to go to the White House to meet the president who was, by the way, none other than Ronald Reagan who at the time I mentioned that he played college football in Illinois, but the visit to the White House got cancelled due to the news, the explosion of the space shuttle "Challenger," and the national period of mourning that followed. So now, there is another guy with strong Illinois ties in the White House, and somebody decided to put the '85 Bears back on the visitor list for their long awaited trip to the White House. Coming up we hear on October 7th, and we also hear even Mike Ditka is coming. I think he is a pretty big Republican or he used to be.</s>BALDWIN: I would love for you to get back into the White Bouse and get a little inside scoop political pop on that day, and note the self. Quickly, moon rock and the president, what's the story?</s>JOHNS: I mean, how do you misplace a moon rock in the first place, and how does it end up, I don't know, in the former governor's stuff? Sounds like a scene from "X-Files" or something. This is a rock brought back from the moon, 1972, the Apollo 17 mission, and given to the state of Arkansas three decades ago. Apparently, an archivist in Little Rock was going through former President Bill Clinton's papers and found the rock sitting there. And yes, if you're wondering the moon rock found in Little Rock is a very little rock. Sorry, it weighs less than an ounce and a half.</s>BALDWIN: Was that supposed to be a joke?</s>JOHNS: I just had to say it. It is just an ounce and a half.</s>BALDWIN: I know. We will let it go. Joe Johns, have a fabulous weekend. Thank you very much. That was a great "Political Pop" on this Friday. You know, earlier in the week, we talked to you about the whole government outrage over the $60 a pop muffins, remember this, served at the U.S. Justice Department conference paid for by your tax dollar. Well, the controversy was sparked by an audit by the inspector general's office. In the report list when it termed wasteful or extravagant spending by the DOJ. Well, the hotel where the event was held, they're now firing back with a statement about this muffin in question. I want to quote the Hilton Hotel in Washington, "The contracted breakfast included fresh fruit, coffee, juice, and muffins plus tax and gratuity for an inclusive price of $16 per person." We contacted the inspector general's office and it still stands by its report that a muffin alone cost $16 apiece. Now this.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Who used the mysterious September 11th incident as a pretext to attack Afghanistan and Iraq killing, injuring and displacing millions in two countries with the ultimate goal of taking to the domination, the Middle East and its oil resources.</s>BALDWIN: That is the voice of the -- translated voice of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad just short of saying that the 9/11 terrorist attacks were staged. What else did he tell Wolf Blitzer when the two of them sat down? We will ask Wolf next.