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Obama Says Less Is More; Investigators Question Marines; Panetta Warns Iran; Rivals Eye American Airlines; Backlash Against Romney Attacks; Perry Fights To Get Name On Ballot; Oprah Continues To Endorse Obama; iPhone Crowd Turns Violent; Van Der Sloot Sentenced To 28 Years; Meet The Mormons
Aired January 13, 2012 - 13:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: CNN NEWSROOM continues right now, of course with me. I'm Don Lemon, Randi is off today. It is 1:00 and we've got a busy hour. So let's get you right to the news and get you updated.
Less is more, that's what the president says. And he's not talking money, at least not directly. As you heard here, live, about 90 minutes ago on CNN, the president said the federal government has gotten too big and complicated. That's not a revelation but he says he can fix it by streamlining, consolidating, simplifying. He says a leaner government would save money and increase efficiency even in national security.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The Department of Homeland Security was created to consolidate intelligence and security agencies, but Congress didn't consolidate on its side so now the Department of Homeland Security reports to over 100 different Congressional panels. That's a lot of paperwork. That's a lot of reports to prepare. That's not adding value. It's not making us safer.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Well, Congress will have to approve a rewrite of org chart. Republicans promise a careful review of that.
Military investigators say that they have tracked down and interviewed at least two of the Marines seen urinating on corpses in Afghanistan. A video that went viral has sparked outrage from (INAUDIBLE) to the Pentagon to NATO.
Today, the deputy commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan issued a directive, reminding troops, and I quote, "We must treat the living and the dead with dignity and respect."
Defense secretary, Leon Panetta, is again warning Iran not to close the Strait of Hormuz. Much of the world's daily crude oil supply passes through that narrow channel, which Iran has threatened to block as the west and Japan try to ratchet up sanctions over Iranian nukes (ph)? Panetta says the Straight is a red line which the U.S. will defend.
Could we be headed for another big airline merger? According to "The Wall Street Journal", Delta, U.S. Airways, and private equity firm, TPG, are considering bidding for the parent company of American Airlines. Two months ago, AMR Corp filed for bankruptcy protection after posting annual losses since 2008. Delta and TPG have declined comment on the story.
Republican presidential candidate, Mitt Romney, is using new T.V. ads in South Carolina to fight growing criticism over a investment fund he helped create, Bain Capital. Rick Perry called Romney a vulture capitalist, Newt Gingrich has questioned just how many jobs were cut while Romney was at Bain? Well, fellow Republican, Rudy Giuliani, told CNN's Piers Morgan, the attacks were, quote, "unfair," and said, they sounded like an attack on a major Republican belief, capitalism and the free market. But could there be -- all that backlash from the attacks, could that be over? Well, we'll talk about it. Fair Game is coming up.
Virginia is a big state with a big primary that is fast approaching, but so far, there are only two major Republican presidential candidates on that ballot. Mitt Romney and Ron Paul. That could all change after a challenge by Governor Rick Perry is heard in court today. Perry filed suit after he didn't come up with the minimum 10,000 signatures to be on the March 6th ballot. While Newt Gingrich, Rick Santorum, Jon Huntsman all face the same predicament have joined in on Perry's suit.
It remains to be seen whether President Obama can hold on to the broad support that put him in the White House in the first place, but he's still got Oprah. In south Africa today preparing for a graduation ceremony at the girl's school she started in 2007, Oprah tells CNN she's with Obama 100 percent.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OPRAH WINFREY, HOST, "OPRAH WINFREY SHOW": Everybody always asks, you know, are you going to do what you did in 2008? What I did in 2008, I did because people didn't know really -- my own friends didn't know who he was at the time. They were like, who's this guy there? You think that guys going to be president? I go, yes, I really do.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Well, the big O says if the president called her tomorrow and asked for her help, she'd do whatever she thought would be of service.
And take a look at what happens when you don't deliver on a promise to release an Apple product. Oh, yes, a crowd in Beijing got a little out of hand when they learned that they wouldn't be getting a new iPhone 4S today. Apple said the delay was for customer safety amid the huge crowds. Several police officers had to help in the mayhem, some threw eggs at the Apple store, others pushed back against the police. And moments ago in a Peruvian court, confessed killer, Joran van der Sloot learned his fate. A pale of judges sentenced van der Sloot to 28 years in prison. He pleaded guilty to murdering Stephany Flores in 2010. Van der Sloot was detained twice but never charged in the disappearance of Alabama teenager, Natalee Holloway, who was declared dead legally dead just yesterday.
If you don't know a whole lot about Mormonism, join the crowd. But with Romney edging closer to victory, expect to be hearing a lot more about it. Coming up next, we want to break through the Mormon mystery. A Mormon 101, if you will.
Plus two words, two numbers, you've probably heard a lot of lately. You know what I'm talking about. Tim Tebow and 316. Is it all just a divine consequence?
But first, we want you to meet this person, Samantha Garbee. She may look like another 17-year-old, any old 17-year-old. Looks like it, right? But look again because Samantha is showing us all what it truly means to be extraordinary. I like to say extra-ordinary and resilient. Well, Samantha was just named a semi-finalist in a prestigious science competition. She spoke with Jane Velez-Mitchell on Wednesday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SAMANTHA GARVEY: I was absolutely ecstatic. It was completely amazing. You know, I was in complete disbelief. I just -- it's the most amazing feeling, you just can't believe it when it's happening.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: You know what? What's amazing, Samantha, is you. You see, Samantha is homeless. Her family lost everything and has been living in a homeless shelter. But despite all of that, Samantha has not only survived, she has excelled and achieved beyond anyone's belief. And that's what makes her today's Rock Star.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Today in what we call Face Time, tell me what these faces have in common? All right, there they are Harry Reid, Glenn Beck, Amy Adams, Ryan Gosling, Gladys the baddest Knight, and Mitt Romney? Would it help if I threw in Jon Huntsman? All right, so here we go, they're Mormon. By birth or either by choice. Some strictly observant, others not so much.
And despite their prominent in this year's Republican president race, Mormons are less than 2 percent of the U.S. population. To the other 98 percent, Mormonism tends to be a mystery, a source of suspicion, maybe, or comedy. The "Book of Mormon," have you seen it? It's great, written by the creators of "South Park." It is a smash hit musical hit on Broadway setting records. In a brand new poll, six Mormons in 10 believe their fellow Americans know next to nothing about their faith. So, let's explore this a little bit. That's where we -- my next guest comes in. Susan Henry-Crowe is a dean at the chapel and religious light at Emory University right here in Atlanta. And she coordinates student religious groups from all of the major faiths. So, doctor, why don't we know -- welcome, thank you for coming in. Good to meet you.
SUSAN HENRY-CROWE, PRESIDENT, METHODIST JUDICIAL COUNCIL: Thank you.
LEMON: Why don't we know more about Mormonism?
HENRY-CROWE: It's one of the newer traditions in America, and I think that has a lot to do with some of the mystery and some of the misunderstanding and some of the discrimination around Mormonism.
LEMON: OK. It is a -- and that's why it is a mystery? Is it just because of the unknown or --
HENRY-CROWE: I think it's -- yes, a lot of it has to do with the unknown and many don't have friends who are Mormon.
LEMON: Do we have the same feelings, though, about other religions? Because -- if they are unknown to us, is there something unique about Mormonism?
HENRY-CROWE: Sometimes we do and sometimes we don't. I think there are some things unique about Mormonism, but -- and one of those is that it is in the Christian family, and it's not always claimed by other Christians.
LEMON: I read, when I was in college, and the Mormon bible arrived, right? And my roommate, who was evangelical, said, get that out. It is blasphemous to have that in the home. And this just arrived in the mail out of know where. And so, I get it. I get it. Let's go through a few points here, can we? Let's talk about a few key points, the LDS faith. It was started in America?
HENRY-CROWE: Yes.
LEMON: By --
HENRY-CROWE: It was by Joseph Smith. He was born in Vermont in the early 1800s. And then, it spread westward to Ohio, the Illinois area, and then to Utah, and now there are Mormons all over the country and the world.
LEMON: God and Jesus are separate beings with physical bodies.
HENRY-CROWE: They are. And that's one of the theological points that say it's a little bit different. Many -- most Christians claim to be Unitarian and I think that Mormons say that God had -- that they claim the same mission and purpose of Jesus but the whole question of the trinity is --
LEMON: The father, son, and holy ghost. HENRY-CROWE: (INAUDIBLE) spirit, yes. And that is an issue that is not so much clarified.
LEMON: OK. Families are eternal. Is that such a bad thing? No.
HENRY-CROWE: No, it's not.
LEMON: Yes.
HENRY-CROWE: And Mormons teach that families are eternal, that marriage is not just for life but for eternity and other Christian families do not always claim that.
LEMON: Is that when we say ashes to ashes, dust to dust, but everyone is part of your family, not just your physical family when you're here?
HENRY-CROWE: That's right. Can I just make a point about that?
LEMON: Sure. Go ahead.
HENRY-CROWE: The name of Mormons, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, and it sort of carries three things. One that it's a church, two that it's part of the message and mission of Jesus Christ, and Latter Day Saints, referring to their understanding that the end times are not so far away.
LEMON: OK. I find this interesting. The new two form poll show that many non-Mormons don't consider Mormonism a Christian faith, but Mormons do.
HENRY-CROWE: Yes. They do an (INAUDIBLE) of the misunderstanding in mysteries that are a little bit difficult to reconcile.
LEMON: Yes. Is there -- you know, there was -- there is this campaign, have you seen this "I am a Mormon?"
HENRY-CROWE: Yes.
LEMON: And it's all over, I've seen it here in Atlanta and I've seen it in other cities. And you see these faces that look, like, familiar, like your neighbor. Like most people you know. And as far as I know, I asked -- it's not -- Mitt Romney has nothing to do with it, it's just coincidental, I think, or the time. What do you make of those? Do you think that helps?
HENRY-CROWE: I think it does because it humanizes, it makes real and says that Mormons are our neighbors, and I think it's a really good campaign.
LEMON: Mormons, do you think they feel a growing acceptance? Do you think there's a growing acceptance of Mormonism with this?
HENRY-CROWE: I think there's a growing acceptance. I do think that Mormons have suffered from discrimination and I think that the more that we, as a society, know about the Mormons, the more that they will be accepted with appreciation and respect.
LEMON: Doctor, thank you. A pleasure.
HENRY-CROWE: A pleasure to be with you.
LEMON: Have a great weekend.
HENRY-CROWE: Thank you so much.
LEMON: OK. Coming up next on CNN, an 8-year-old boy, his body riddled with cancer suffers a cruel, painful death. Why? Because he got no medical treatment. Wait until you hear why.
LEMON: In today's "Crime & Consequence," we have a question for all parents. What would you do if your child was sick, not just for a day or two, but over a period of time and he or she begged to see a doctor but you couldn't afford it? In Ohio parents of eight-year-old Willy Robertson didn't do anything when he complained about a swelling in his neck. That's according to CNN affiliate WJW.
They say they didn't have the money. Well, unfortunately, he died. It turns out he had cancer. Now they're pleading guilty to attempted involuntary manslaughter and they face up to eight years in prison. Our senior legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin joins us now by phone.
Jeffrey, it is a terrible story. What is a parent's responsibility when their child is sick?
JEFFREY TOOBIN, CNN SENIOR LEGAL ANALYST (via telephone): Well, Don, of course this is just an awful tragedy. But, you know, the legal term for parent is guardian. And you have to guard your children. You have a legal obligation to take care of them. This is not a friend. This is not a sibling. A parent is a guardian. And even in -- when there are difficulties, like this family didn't have enough money, doing nothing in the face of a serious illness is a crime for a parent. And we see it often in situations where religions counsel people not to bring kids to doctors. And that's a crime, too.
LEMON: Yes.
TOOBIN: Parents are legally obligated to take care of their kids.
LEMON: Here's my question, though. It is -- it's mostly a judgment call when kids are sick. Kids often complain about pains or whatever. But it's a judgment call for a parent to decide when something is serious or not. If your kid is sick and has a fever it's like you have to judge between whether it has a cold, the flu, if you should go to the doctor or not. But kids complain a lot. How do you -- what's criminal and what's not?
TOOBIN: Well, I think the facts here suggest that this was not a close call. Obviously parents have wide, wide discretion in deciding when to bring their kids to the doctor. I mean the law almost never gets involved in these situations. LEMON: Yes.
TOOBIN: But if you look at the facts of this case, if you look at the fact that the parent we're told by social workers to go to a doctor, that they were -- that they went and spent $87 on getting their dog ridded of flees, but they wouldn't spend, it appears, $80 to take him to a doctor. All of those circumstances, the length of the illness, the severity of which he appeared to be sick, all of that added up. Plus, of course, the tragic fact that he died was the reason that they had to -- you know, that this turned into a criminal matter.
LEMON: In a case where they don't have money, enough money, or they don't have health insurance, if they go to emergency -- an emergency room, can they -- or can they not be turned away?
TOOBIN: Hospitals are legally obligated to treat people who are -- you know, who are in a medical emergency. And, you know, this would be a very different case if the parents here did go to an emergency room and they were turned away. Then the legal responsibility might well have gone to the hospital.
But the point here, and it's a very important point, is that the parents didn't even try. I mean it's an awful situation when people don't have health insurance. I mean, you know, obviously, at some level, you have to be at least somewhat sympathetic to these parents because they lost a child and, you know, that's one of the worst things that can happen to anybody. But, you know, you have to try harder than they did and the law is pretty clear on that.
LEMON: Yes. And I think the key here is you said that they were told by people who have some understanding of children in authority said you should go to the doctor and get it checked out and they didn't do that.
TOOBIN: Absolutely.
LEMON: Jeffrey Toobin, thank you very much. Appreciate it.
Got a question for you. Can prayer heal AIDS? How about the scent of lavender healing wounds? Or coffee being used to treat pancreatic cancer. Some say it sounds far-fetched, but believe it or not, your money's being spent to test these theories out. Coming up next, "The Chicago Tribune" reporter who broke this story wide open.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: I want to follow up now on a story we brought you a few weeks ago that begs really a simple question, what could you do with $104,000, $374,000, how about $406,000, or $666,000? Think about it. I want you to keep those dollar figures in mind because that's how much your tax dollars, your money, the federal government is spending on unusual, shall we say, alternative medical treatments. And I'll get into the specifics of all that in just a second. "The Chicago Tribune" did a whole lot of digging into this investigating and under covered branch of the National Institutes of Health and it's called the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, NCCAM, right. For months -- her name is Trine Tsouderos, she poured over hundreds of pages of the agency's documents. She's in Chicago now. You can see here there. She's "The Chicago Tribune" science and medical reporter who uncovered this story and she joins me now live.
Thank you so much for joining us from a cold Chicago, I hear. Are you doing OK?
TRINE TSOUDEROS, "THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE" SCIENCE AND MEDICAL REPORTER: Yes. Thanks so much, Don. It is cold here.
LEMON: Yes, it is cold.
So, listen, those dollar figures that I told you about, remember those? So, Trine, you found that NCCAM spent a whole lot of money on studies like these. Take a look at this, $104,000 on energy healing based on a self-described healer. $374,000 on whether lemon and lavender scents could improve our ability to heal wounds. $406,000 to see if coffee enemas help treat pancreatic cancer. We're talking about colonics here. That's what it's called in spas. $666,000 on whether distant prayer can heal AIDS. And, don't forget, these are your tax dollars.
So, you say this only scratches the surface, right?
TSOUDEROS: That's right. We found when we looked that NCCAM has spent about $1.4 billion of our taxpayer money, about $1.2 billion of that on research. And that a lot of the studies had sort of dubious value, we found.
LEMON: Yes, so, listen, we spoke to NCCAM director Dr. Josephine Briggs just a few weeks ago and my colleague, Randi Kaye, brought up some of these studies and -- that we went over. I'm not going to play what they said, but I'm just going to -- I'm just going to put it up here. It says, "critics of the center say it's telling NCCAM was conceived not by scientists clamoring to study alternative medicine, but by Senator Harkin of Iowa."
And then we spoke with Senator Harkin and we got a statement. And here's what Senator Harkin says. "Millions of Americans use complementary and alternative medicine every day. It is critically important that NIH continue to fund research to determine whether such treatments are actually helping people live healthier lives. As with any area of medical research, Senator Harkin welcomes constructive scrutiny to ensure that federal funding for NCCAM is being well spent."
Do you think that this money is being well spent by using it on these therapies, these sorts of treatments?
TSOUDEROS: Well, I think that the bottom line is, we don't have infinite dollars to spend on medical research. We have about $30 million for medical research for the NIH in total every year. And that covers everything from cancer to autism to infectious diseases to heart disease. That's all the money we spend. And so the question is, is this where we want to spend our money? And that's not a question I have an answer to, but I think it's a worthwhile question to ask, especially looking forward there's a lot of talk of NIH funding being flat or even dropping in the coming years. So I think it's worth asking the question whether this is where we want to spend our money.
LEMON: Does this depend on how you feel about such therapies though, because to -- and, fortunately, I don't have cancer, but if someone is sick and they have cancer or some sort of disease, HIV or anything like that, wouldn't you say, whatever works. If it takes having a coffee enema, if it -- whatever it takes if it works. I want to know if it works or not.
TSOUDEROS: Well, I think what that coffee enema protocol, when they did that study, they found that the folks that had pancreatic cancer and did chemotherapy lived 10 months longer than the folks doing the coffee enema protocol. And I think, in the end, that's not super surprising. There's wasn't any really good evidence that that treatment would work in the first place and so we spent about I think over a million dollars in total looking into that treatment. And so critics can ask -- would ask, well, could we have spent that money better on more promising treatment for pancreatic cancer? So I think that's the question to ask.
LEMON: All right. Good stuff. Thank you, Trine Tsouderos. Stay warm there in Chicago. We appreciate you joining us here on CNN.
TSOUDEROS: Thank you so much. Thanks a lot, Don.
LEMON: All right.
Those who thought Mitt Romney was going to sail to victory, well, they got a wake-up call today, and his name is Newt. The brand new poll that shows Gingrich isn't going anywhere any time soon. So, is he a real threat down south? And what's up with his bizarre new attack ad against Romney? That's all "Fair Game" next.
But first, a political junkie question for you. What percentage of voters call themselves born again or evangelical Christians in the 2008 South Carolina Republican primary? Tweet your answer to donlemoncnn and I'll give you a shout-out for the first right answer, coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Before the break I asked what percentage of voters were born again or evangelical Christians in the 2008 South Carolina primary? The answer was 60 percent. Congratulations to Arthur from Toronto for being able to use Google very quickly. First to tweet the right answer.
This is the part of the show where we go to the heart of the political debate where all sides are "Fair Game."
With the South Carolina primary just a week away, we have a new poll to show you. Here it is. When you factor in the sampling error, Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich are tied at the top. Look at that, 29 percent, 25 percent. Ron Paul not far behind in third. Rick Perry, Rick Santorum and Jon Huntsman all in single digits. Huntsman 1 percent.
Joining me now is Crystal Wright, editor of conservativeblackchick.com. I love that web site name. Great name. And CNN contributor and democratic strategist, Maria Cardona.
MARIA CARDONA, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST & CNN EDITOR: Hi, Don.
LEMON: Good to see both of you. Welcome.
Maria, what do you make of this new poll?
CARDONA: I think that it demonstrates that Gingrich's contrasts against Romney are working. It's unfortunate for him. And I think for everybody in the Republican Party who's desperate for anybody but a Romney candidate that those contrasts came so late in the game. If Gingrich and others brought it to Romney earlier, he would have a better chance. He's within the margin of error and South Carolina is several days away. Anything can happen. Mitt Romney needs to be worried about what they are saying about him. It's resonating with South Carolina voters.
LEMON: Crystal, before I give you a question, Rush Limbaugh, Rudy Giuliani among prominent Republicans tell Republican rivals, knock it off, knock it off on the attacks about Romney.
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: Listen to this. Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AD NARRATOR: Massachusetts moderate Mitt Romney will say anything to win, anything, and just like Jon Kerry --
SEN. JOHN KERRY, (D), MASSACHUSETTS & FORMER PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE).
AD NARRATOR: -- he speaks French, too.
MITT ROMNEY, (R), FORMER MASSACHUSETTS GOVERNOR & PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE).
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(LAUGHTER)
LEMON: OK. So, listen, Crystal, here's a thing that people are saying. The Obama re-election campaign won't really have to say anything. They will just play ad like that, things coming out of Newt Gingrich's mouth, Rick Santorum's mouth. They will just play it.
CRYSTAL WRIGHT, EDITOR, CONSERVATIVEBLACKCHICK.COM: Well, you know, the reality is, people like Rush Limbaugh and Karl Rove like to think that they are calling the shots. They kind of remind me of "American Idol" judges, the so-called Republican establishment. And what Newt's rise in South Carolina shows us is that the voters have not finished deciding. Conservative voters want a bolder choice. South Carolina is the typical south. They've got social conservatives. And I think what is key here is Newt's super PAC ads working.
LEMON: Yes.
WRIGHT: Suddenly, Romney is like, what is good for the goose is not good for the gander. Romney was OK when he was attacking Newt in Iowa. But suddenly when the tables are turned --
(CROSSTALK)
WRIGHT: No -- at the end of the day --
(CROSSTALK)
WRIGHT: -- faces music on Bain. Come up with --
(CROSSTALK)
WRIGHT: Start -- if you're the heir apparent, Mitt Romney, start riding into that position, face the music on Bain, answer the questions now rather than later.
(CROSSTALK)
WRIGHT: Obama is going to raise them.
LEMON: Own up to it.
But, Crystal, listen, listen -- let me jump in here.
WRIGHT: Sorry.
LEMON: What's wrong with speaking French? What's wrong with being bilingual or trilingual?
CARDONA: Well, you know -- (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
LEMON: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
CARDONA: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
(LAUGHTER)
(SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE).
Look, I mean --
(CROSSTALK)
WRIGHT: This goes to --
(CROSSTALK)
CARDONA: You've got to speak bilingual. LEMON: Go ahead. Go ahead, Maria.
CARDONA: Crystal and I actually talked about this earlier and I agree with her, it's not a bad thing. But unfortunately, among many in the Republican Party -- they used this very effectively against John Kerry, and it worked for you. The underlying message is that this guy is a little less un-American, less baseball and apple pie, and it's very subconscious and it works. They want it to seep in with voters that, look, this guy is not like us.
LEMON: Right. But the question is --
(CROSSTALK)
WRIGHT: I agree with that. Maria is right. It's subliminal.
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: Why does that work? Because you heard Rick Santorum saying that he's an elitist for the Obama people to say for people should go to college. And then you have this ad saying it's elitist if you speak another language. I don't understand.
WRIGHT: It didn't work with Huntsman. It didn't work when Romney tried to jab at Huntsman that Huntsman started speaking in Mandarin at one of the last debates. That blew up in his face. People were like, what? We are not at war with the French, folks. Hello? And people today --
(CROSSTALK)
CARDONA: That's true, Crystal, but --
(CROSSTALK)
WRIGHT: Many people today speak different languages.
LEMON: Freedom fried.
(CROSSTALK)
WRIGHT: But to Maria's point, it's trying to jab that you're not American enough and I think voters are --
(CROSSTALK)
WRIGHT: I think it's a nonissue.
(LAUGHTER)
LEMON: OK.
(CROSSTALK)
CARDONA: Here's where I think it will work with Romney. It's just not the French with him. It's a fact that he's a millionaire, 200 times over. The fact that he makes $10,000 bets. 10 cents for you and me. It's the fact that he look at a $1500 tax cut for middle class families as temporary little Band-Aids. They're trying to make the point that this somebody who is so out of touch with the struggles of middle class --
(CROSSTALK)
WRIGHT: He's hanging out with the 1 percent.
CARDONA: Which is true.
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: Crystal, Crystal, hold on. Hold on.
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: Let her finish her point.
CARDONA: I think that's part of the attack Santorum, who has a lot of appeal among Republican blue collar voters. And that's part of the attack with Gingrich in terms of his tenure at Bain Capital, that is this guy doesn't get what Americans are going through.
LEMON: Here's the question. Anyone in that race, or you ask any single person in America who doesn't have the money that Romney has, if they'd like to trade bank accounts with Mitt Romney. Crystal, what do you think the answer would?
WRIGHT: The 99 percent would be like, I'll take it. What Romney needs to do is talk about his tenure at Bain in a positive light. I may have laid off people for the greater good of a local economy and the ability for the company to create more jobs down the road. And, by the way, Obama has killed 1.7 million jobs since he's been president. That's what Romney needs to start talking about and pivot away form all the Gingrich French ads. I mean, it's kind of ridiculous.
CARDONA: But here's why --
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: Hold on. One at a time, ladies. One at a time.
(CROSSTALK)
Hang on. Maria.
(CROSSTALK)
Let Crystal finish. Crystal -- hold on.
WRIGHT: When Romney starts talking about --
LEMON: Hold on. Hold on.
WRIGHT: OK, all right. When Romney starts --
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: Complete sentence so the audience can understand.
Go ahead, Crystal.
WRIGHT; When Romney starts talking about the 13 million people unemployed in this country because of Barack Obama's failed policies and the 1.7 million jobs Barack Obama has caused to be shedded from this economy and starts talking about how his tenure at Bain was a positive one and how he created job --
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: Finish your thought.
WRIGHT: and much -- I think it will resonate with voters. But he's got to pivot off of this response to the Gingrich desperation French ad.
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: Maria, five seconds, five seconds.
CARDONA: Here's why his defense of Bain will never work. His focus on Bain was making himself wealthy, making his investors wealthy, period. It was never any --
(CROSSTALK)
WRIGHT: He never said that. Romney never said that.
(CROSSTALK)
WRIGHT: You said that Maria.
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: Thank you very much, Maria Cardona and Crystal Wright.
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: That's "Fair Game."
(LAUGHTER)
CARDONA: Thank you, Don.
LEMON: Be sure to keep it right next on Saturday as results come in from the South Carolina primary. Join Wolf Blitzer, Anderson Cooper, Erin Burnett, John King, beginning 6:00 p.m. eastern. Maybe it will be just that fiery. Who knows? Look, South Carolina is starting already. Even the pundits on our air.
If you're a Christian, you certainly know about John 3:16. Coming up next, the Bible verse being heard seen and seen around the world in large part because of this man right here, Tim Tebow. If you're feeling left out, don't worry, we've got you covered, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: All right. It's that time of year. The Saints are taking on the 49ers while the Denver Broncos play the New England Patriots. On Sunday, you'll see the Houston Texans against the Baltimore Ravens followed by New York Giants versus the Green Bay Packers.
Even if you're not into football, mostly likely you've heard the name Tim Tebow. He led an impressive takedown against the Pittsburgh Steelers last weekend. Yet, sports analysts around the country still debate his worthiness as an NFL quarterback. However, there's one thing that you cannot deny, Tim Tebow's faith. His signature move of kneeling down to pray has created the Tebowing craze. Even the scriptures marked on his face on game day, one of which has been John 3:16. What does 3:16 mean? Where does it come from? Hint, it has nothing to do with his passing yards last weekend. Although, that is what won that game.
CNN Belief Blog editor, Eric Marrapodi, is being broken down in a special series.
Explain it to me.
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ERIC MARRAPODI, CNN BELIEF BLOG EDITOR: John 3:16 is a verse from the Bible that reads, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in him will not perish but have eternal life."
That verse comes from the gospel of John and it's a conversation between Jesus and one of the teachers of the law, one of the Pharisee's whose name was Nicodemus (ph). In the New Testament, Mathew, Mark and Luke tell the story of who Jesus is. John, as a book, tells why Jesus is important. That's why, in many ways, it's favored by a lot of Christians in terms of getting their message out because it not only explains what Jesus does and who he is but why he does it.
To evangelical Christians, one of the main focuses for them is sharing their faith. And because this verse distills down the message so clearly that God loves you, that man and screwed up, we are all due eternal punish were it not for good. And if you believe in his son, Jesus, then you'll have eternal life.
During the last year's Super Bowl, there was a Christian group from Birmingham that tried to buy an ad encouraging people to look up John 3:16. It was banned from the broadcast because they said it was too religious in its message. The group fought back and got a lot of publicity as a result.
In Tebow's first playoff game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, he passed for 316 yards, which, of course, sent the inter-webs abuzz with the Bible reference to John 3:16.
Tim Tebow's grew up as a missionary kid, whose whole life has been sharing his faith and football. In college he used to wear the eye black that keeps the sun out of your eyes. Day or night he would wear it and he would write Bible verses below his eyes. In particular, in the 2009 championship game, he wrote John 3:16.
John 3:16, as a verse, as long been important for Christians, but it came into the pop culture view in the 1980s through sporting events. A man by the name of Roland Stewart (ph) used to don an afro wig and a John 3:16 shirt. He was especially good at getting himself in front of cameras during sporting events.
Since then, lots of fans, lots of Christian fans have been bringing plaques of John 3:16 to sporting events. It gets into that ease of recognition of what the message is. If you want convince people of the way to go, John 3:16 is a pretty easy way to convince them what your core message really is.
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LEMON: All right. If you want to read more about this -- it's fascinating -- Check out our incredible belief blog at CNN.com, one of the most popular blogs on CNN.com. Go to CNN.com/belief.
OK. It's only 10 centimeters long. How much damage can it really do? All right? Apparently, quite a lot. Why the six-person space station crew is kicking it into high gear.
Plus, if you've ever left behind some loose coins going through airport security -- I'm sure all of us have -- TSA sends a big thank you to you. Wait until you hear how much that adds up to. It's mind boggling.
First, one of the greatest orchestras came to a dead stop because of ringing. Hmm. Well -- I'm sorry. Now my phone's ringing. Imagine this, during a New York performance, after three or four minutes straight, the conductor said he would just wait for the phone to stop. And on that note, I'll answer this. You guys calling from the control room? Hello? Hello. All right. Call me back.
We're back in a moment.
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LEMON: The state of Mississippi wants to find the four convicted murderers whom the out-going governor pardoned this week. One ex- inmate has just been found, as a matter of fact, by CNN. Reporter Martin Savidge just sat down in Mississippi with Anthony McCray, third from the left on your screen. Sent to prison for killing his wife in 2001. McCray said he is sorry. He has found God and he wants to get to know his grown children. He says he is not on the run and plans to be in court for a hearing later this month, even though it would seem he is free and clear. But that's not fully clear. Since the state constitution says pardon requests have to be published 30 days before they are granted. That wasn't the case here. We can see McCray's exclusive interview tonight "A.C. 360" 8:00 p.m. eastern only here on CNN.
Well, today for our "Street Level," we take you far, far away from the ground. Right into outer space as a matter of fact, where the international space station is trying to get out of the way of space junk. If the debris is a little bigger than a softball it could make a deadly hole if it hits the space station. Unlike the last time this happened, astronauts will not have to scramble into the "Soyuz" escape craft.
A man was decapitated in a horrifying accident. Martin Lara was trimming trees when he got tangled in something that got caught in a wood chipper, which then got caught around his neck and it decapitated him. His crew heard his cries for help and ran to assist him. He was already dead.
Let's go to Paris where a furniture company is conducting a very unique experiment. Welcome to the IKEA apartment. There it is. It is a tiny home created in a subway station and furnished with the company's products. And five people are actually living there for nearly a week with their daily routine documented on video. They hope to show customers it can make any space feel comfortable enough to call home even at a subway stop.
Did you leave any change behind at the security last time you flew? Well, the TSA is reporting that they collected more than $400,000 in change left behind by passengers like you at security checkpoint in 2010. Dimes, quarters, nickels, pennies, dollar coins weren't the only currency left behind. There was 32 grand in foreign currency, as well. The most change was left at JFK Airport in New York, followed by LAX, San Francisco, and MIA.
Now to Greenwich, New York, where one school is using a dog as their crossing guard. This german shepherd may look like she's just walking back and forth every day but she's actually keeping kids out of harm's way. Offy is her name. She is accompanied by her owner. They are the newest crossing guards. Look at that. She even has a pint-sized stop sign. She's so cute. They work two shifts a day, before and after school. Brings smiles to children's days while keeping them safe. Very nice.
And lastly, we're going to go back to Minnesota. This story is in Benson where a local has become the first civilian in the U.S. to get a new bionic hand. His name is Matt. He lost his arm in a rock- crushing machine. But thanks to the Michael Angelo Hand, he will be back at work in no time. Advanced arm dynamics created the prosthetic that includes a posable thumb. Since Matt still has his nerves, wires and electrodes let him handle it. I should say, a lot like his natural hand does. Until now, the Michael Angelo had only been available to 10 soldiers who served in Iraq and Afghanistan. Man, science, innovation, amazing.
Forget about Newt Gingrich and Ron Paul for a moment. Mitt Romney has other stiff competition in South Carolina. As funny as it sounds for Romney, it may not be a laughing matter at all. That's next.
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LEMON: Are you fed up with all the bickering among the presidential hopefuls? If you are you might want to consider, Stephen Colbert, as funny as that may sound. The South Carolina native son dropped the strongest hint yet that he may enter the state's primary.
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STEPHEN COLBERT, HOST, THE COLBERT REPORT: I am proud to announce that I am forming an exploratory committee --
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-- to lay the groundwork for my possible candidacy for the president of the United States of South Carolina. I'm doing it!
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LEMON: Well, presumably Colbert is poking fun at the country's presidential nomination process. You never know with Stephen, though. You may recall he tried this back in 2007, only to be blocked by the state's filing fee. Stay tuned.
For a political update from South Carolina, Peter Hamby joins us from Duncan.
Peter, tell us what's going on exactly. Does Stephen stand a chance? What do you think?
PETER HAMBY, CNN POLITICAL PRODUCER: Stephen Colbert? No, because he can't get on the ballot. There's no write-in space. He can't even run. I think it's all a charade at this point, frankly. Sorry. Sorry, Stephen Colbert fans here in South Carolina. If he does it. Last time, Don, I was down here he had huge crowds, bigger crowds than some of the candidates. But he won't be able to be on the ballot this time -- Don?
LEMON: Do you have to rain on Colbert's parade? I mean, come on.
HAMBY: Sorry about that. But there are some real candidates here tonight, Don, in Duncan. Duncan is -- you know, there is going to be a forum behind me in a high school cafeteria. This is the heart of the evangelical state of South Carolina. Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum are going to come here tonight and face questions from a pair of congressmen and party activists about where they stand on the issues. But again, this is the real battleground for evangelicals.
And Rick Santorum, in particular, is talking a lot about faith on the campaign trail. Here's a flavor of what he's saying on the stump here in South Carolina.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) RICK SANTORUM, (R), FORMER PENNSYLVANIA SENATOR & PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: It's not just about the economy. The economy is very important. We're all concerted about making ends meet and providing for ourselves and our family and growing and prospering as a nation. And we just feel that we have the a whole economic plan to get this done, to restrain government, to grow this economy, create better jobs, particularly here in South Carolina.
But there's also another issue that at least I felt was being given short shrift, and that's the importance of being a family in our society.
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HAMBY: So Santorum's pitch there is actually pretty good, you know, if he's talking to these sorts of voters. It's about the economy. And evangelicals and social conservatives care about the economy. Continues to be the number-one issue for Republican voters. But he's also hammering the faith family, abortion issues, gay marriage. That's important to a lot of voters here, Don. The problem is Newt Gingrich, Rick Perry and Rick Santorum appear to be dividing the vote, leaving Mitt Romney space to skate through next Saturday in the primary vote -- Don?
LEON: All right. Peter Hamby, Duncan. Thank you very much -- South Carolina. We appreciate it. We'll be seeing much more of you coming up.
So, I'm Don Lemon. I want to thank so much for watching.
In meantime, here is Brooke Baldwin. She's going to get you caught up on everything today. Hi, Brooke.
BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: Don Lemon, thank you. We'll see you on TV this weekend.
