Jets Owner Betting on Romney
COSTELLO: Forty-six minutes past the hour, checking our top stories now. At least 38 people are dead after a passenger ferry collided with another boat off of Hong Kong. The second vessel filled with families going to see a fireworks display started sinking after the impact. Police have arrested six crew members from the boat on suspicion of negligence. A French prosecutor drops an investigation into Dominique Strauss- Kahn's link to a possible gang rape in Washington. A Belgian woman has now withdrawn a previous statement and now she says she doesn't want to press charges. The former IMF chief is still under investigation, accused of participating in a prostitution ring in France. Strauss-Kahn denies any wrongdoing. A massive fire under control in the Canadian city of Winnipeg. Explosions at a plant that makes racing fuels and fireballs and thick black smoke into the air. Evacuated residents have not -- have been allowed back home now. There are no reports of any injuries and no word on what caused this fire. The owner of the New York Jets seems more concerned about Mitt Romney than, you know, the quarterback controversy or the Jets winning or anything like that. "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT's" A.J. Hammer joins me now. Actually, if you think about it, that's probably a good thing.</s>A.J. HAMMER, HOST, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT: Yes, I mean owner Woody Johnson, Carol, says that he is more focused on the presidential race than a race for a playoff spot. And I actually do think the Jets fans may welcome this distraction, and certainly from thinking about the last game their team played. Thirty-four to nothing loss to the 49ers on Sunday. They don't want to remember that. I won't reveal that again. Considering the results on the field, Johnson may actually have a better chance backing Romney. But take a listen to what he just told Bloomberg TV.</s>ROBERT "WOODY" JOHNSON, OWNER, NEW YORK JETS: Well, I think you always have to put country first. So I think it's very, very important that for -- not only for us, but for our particular kids and grandkids that this election come off with Mitt Romney and Ryan as president and vice president.</s>HAMMER: OK. So Johnson is choosing Paul Ryan over Jets coach Rex Ryan. But he is a major fundraiser for the Romney campaign in New York and Connecticut, also in New Jersey. Just as he was for John McCain and George W. Bush. So the news isn't too surprising. And he's not alone. More than a few team owners in all of the major sports are politically involved. But of course there can be a backlash from these kinds of political stands. There's this famous quote from 1990. Maybe you remember this. Michael Jordan was asked to support a Democratic candidate for Senate, and he declined by saying at the time Republicans buy shoes, too. Of course, Carol, he's currently the owner of the Charlotte Bobcats and he raises money for President Obama. But I don't think he's really all that concerned at this point in his life and career that people are going to alienate him because of his political choices.</s>COSTELLO: Well, of course, back in the day, he was selling a lot of shoes. So maybe that was the reason for that comment.</s>HAMMER: Yes.</s>COSTELLO: A.J. Hammer, thanks so much. A.J. will be back with us in the next hour for more showbiz headlines. The man behind the "Kony 2012" viral video gets ready to sit down and talk about his breakdown and hospitalization. And one credit card company is paying out hundreds of dollars to each of its cardholders. And it's not because they racked up a bunch of reward points.