Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

Obama vs. Romney; Montana Family Deploys Together; How Romney Can rally In Debate; Pennsylvania Voter ID Law On Hold; Seats Come Loose On American Airlines; Getting A Second Chance At Bat; Starved Teen Gains 10 Pounds; History Making Debate; Simpson On Debates: Style Over Substance; Missing Journalist In Syria Seen Alive; "Stuck In The Middle"

Aired October 02, 2012 - 14:00   ET

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

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN ANCHOR: Continues with Brooke Baldwin.

Hey, Brooke.

BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: Hey, Suzanne, thank you so much.

And hello it all of you. Happy Tuesday.

You know, a lot of his backers would disagree, but Mitt Romney is out there saying tomorrow's big debate isn't about winning. As we have mentioned, since these conventions, polls show Romney in a close race with the president, but trailing badly in some of the swing states that will decide the presidential election. Well, here is Mitt Romney. We've heard these words before. It sounds as though he's downplaying expectations, as they say. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MITT ROMNEY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: And people want to know, who's going to win? Who's going to score the punches and who's going to make the biggest difference in the arguments they make? And there's going to be all this scoring of winning and losing and --

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: So Romney is saying, no, it's not about winning, it's not about losing, it's about America. But you have a lot of Republicans, Newt Gingrich, for example, saying, hey, Mitt Romney, you need to get out there, pick a fight and win it. Jim Acosta with me now from the Romney campaign.

The debate, of course, tomorrow night in Denver. You, sir, are in Littleton, Colorado. Should we take Mitt Romney at face value when he says, hey, this debate is not about me winning?

JIM ACOSTA, CNN NATIONAL POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Brooke, I think this is all part of the debate expectations game that has been going on for several days now. I think you also sort of heard Mitt Romney downplay some of this talk that's been going on since "The New York Times" reported over the weekend that, you know, Mitt Romney is preparing all of these zingers for the debate. And then you heard people saying, well maybe he's not preparing zingers.

You know, a lot of this is sort of the head fake to the head fake to the head fake. Of course, Mitt Romney and the president are both probably working on lines of attack that they'll deliver at this debate. That's sort of standard operating procedure. You saw that Scott Brown, Elizabeth Warren debate last night in Massachusetts. You know, this is what campaigns do. This is what candidates do.

But I will tell you that Mitt Romney has been behind closed doors for much of the day today, in debate preparations, Brooke, with his sparring partner, Ohio Senator Rob Portman. And perhaps the day's most, I don't know, notable development in the day with not very many developments, Brooke, is that Portman and Romney just stopped for lunch at Chipotle. So you can say that they put a wrap, if you don't mind the pun there, on the morning debate prep session.

BALDWIN: Oh, Jim Acosta.

ACOSTA: I'm sorry, I had to do it.

BALDWIN: Puns aside, my friend, before we, you know, really start focusing on tomorrow night in Denver, I just want to take a look back at both Romney and Obama. These are previous debates.

ACOSTA: Sure.

BALDWIN: We pulled some sound. So Romney maybe even appearing a little bit more amped up than the president, at least in these examples. Let's watch and we'll talk on the other side. First, Mitt Romney.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROMNEY: You have a problem with allowing someone to finish speaking. And I suggest that if you want to become president of the United States, you've got to let both people speak. So, first, let me speak.

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: At the time when the war started, you said it was going to be quick and easy. You said we knew where the weapons of mass destruction were. You were wrong. You said that we were going to be greeted as liberators. You were wrong. You said that --

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: So perhaps, you know, the president more professorial, Romney more excitable.

ACOSTA: Right.

BALDWIN: Do you think we'll see a little bit like that tomorrow night in Denver?

ACOSTA: I think so. If you listen to both campaigns, I think both campaigns have been advising these candidates to work on their own individual liabilities, if you want to call them that, going into these debates. Romney, according to aides, has been told to work on a more one on one debate style approach. As we saw during the primaries, he more than held his own, in those debates with sometimes eight or nine other candidates on the stage.

And even though you showed Romney getting testy there during one point, you know, there were moments, Brooke, I was going back this morning and looking at some of the moments that Romney had during the debates with the GOP contenders during the primaries, I mean he had some moments where he took down Newt Gingrich, talking about that moon base colony at the debate in Florida. That -- it was a clear takedown that he had there of Newt Gingrich during that debate.

And Mitt Romney has shown, when his back is against the wall, he can perform well in the debates. He did that in California with Rick Perry. He did that on a number of occasions with Rick Perry and was able to put those challengers aside.

And, you know, if you saw -- if you saw that latest CNN/ORC poll that came out yesterday showing that the president is just now three points ahead of Mitt Romney, this race is getting tighter. And I think that falls into what the Romney campaign considers to be its playbook at this point, keep it close, keep it tight, get through the debates, and look once again to the economy as the determining factor in this election.

BALDWIN: Well, you know, Jim, we've heard from Kevin Madden, the Romney campaign adviser, on getting Romney ready for this debate tomorrow. Here's what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KEVIN MADDEN, ROMNEY CAMPAIGN ADVISER: Just trying to get the governor familiar with the head to head, one on one format has been a focus because in all the previous debates that we've had, it's been, you know, nine people on stage trying to -- you know, trying to capture a policy prescription (ph) in 90 seconds. Of course the format here is a little bit different. It's a little bit more expansive. So just getting used to the cadence of how you go -- you carry the questions back and forth, how the moderator -- a single moderator is going to be controlling the debate between two candidates.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: So we know, Jim, you know, they've been at this for a couple of weeks. You mentioned the big news today. I say big being semi facetious that, you know, we know Romney has had Chipotle lunch. I mean obviously he's been prepping, prepping and prepping. Looking out to the next really 24 hours, will they really be practicing up until, you know, tomorrow night, 9:00?

ACOSTA: I think so, Brooke. What we were told by the campaign earlier today is that Mitt Romney will actually do his debate walk through tomorrow over at the University of Denver. So he's going to be working on this all, you know, basically right up until the last moment. He has had his top surrogates out on the campaign trail. Ann Romney has an event later on today in Littleton, Colorado. Paul Ryan has been pretty busy, almost nonstop, out on the campaign trail the last couple of days. And so, you know, I think he's going to let his surrogates do the talking for him until the debate gets started.

But one other thing that we heard from Kevin Madden yesterday on that campaign plane heading into Denver yesterday, Brooke --

BALDWIN: Yes.

ACOSTA: You heard over the weekend Chris Christie saying that this race is going to be turned upside down. That Romney is going to have such a strong performance that it's going to be sort of a game changer. I asked Kevin Madden about that yesterday and he said that he doesn't think -- the campaign doesn't think that one event, one moment during these debates is going to decide and determine everything. They just don't see it that way. They like Christie's enthusiasm. They say they're feeding off of it, but they don't exactly agree with that assessment.

BALDWIN: Yes.

ACOSTA: So, I -- you know, Brooke, we're all sort of looking to tomorrow night to be this big moment that's going to change everything and be a make or break moment. It may just not turn out that way. It may be a draw, these candidates move on to the next debate and then Candy Crowley gets her shot.

BALDWIN: Exactly. I look forward to seeing Candy Crowley. But to quote her, she said apparently Chris Christie did not get the memo when it comes to downplaying expectations with Governor Christie over the weekend.

ACOSTA: That's right.

BALDWIN: We shall see, Jim Acosta. We shall see. Thank you so much.

ACOSTA: We shall see.

BALDWIN: A quick reminder for all of us, tomorrow night, the big night, the president versus his challenger face to face. Special coverage beginning right here on CNN, 7:00 p.m. Eastern. So watch on TV, hop online, go to cnn.com as well.

Also developing this hour, an investigation into the shooting death of a U.S. customs and border patrol agent. This happened right along the border with Mexico. This is near the town of Naco. Another border agent was wounded, but his injuries are not life threatening. Fourteen border patrol agents have been killed in the line of duty since 2008, including three this year alone. The FBI is investigating.

And still ahead, much more on tomorrow night's debate and this.

One pilot calls it embarrassing, seats coming loose on a major airline. But is this part of a larger problem?

I'm Brooke Baldwin. The news is now.

A husband, a wife, and their oldest son being deployed to Afghanistan.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KYUNG LAH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: How hard is this for your family?

MASTER SGT. DAN SKILLMAN, U.S. ARMY RESERVE: Not real sure. I don't really think -- I don't really think it's hit them yet.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Plus, the first woman to moderate a presidential debate joins me live. What Carol Simpson thinks we can expect tomorrow night.

And, police officers accused of raping a woman, but they press charges against her. Now, the backlash.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: I don't have to tell you that some families sacrifice a whole lot more than others to serve this country. But this story here, about this family out of Montana, really is one for the books, because this weekend when the Army Reserve's 652nd ships out for Afghanistan, a little girl will say good-bye to her daddy, her grandpa, and her grandma. Their story is one you should see. Here with it is CNN's Kyung Lah.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SGT. JAYMES SKILLMAN, U.S. ARMY RESERVE: Take a couple of pieces and put them in.

KYUNG LAH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Dinnertime means family time at the Skillman household, from who's chopping, to who's stirring, to who's sitting around the table and who soon won't.

LAH (on camera): How hard is this for your family?

MASTER SGT. DAN SKILLMAN, U.S. ARMY RESERVE: Not real sure. I don't really -- I don't really think it's hit them yet. I really don't.

LAH (voice-over): A grandfather to three girls, his other title is Master Sergeant Dan Skillman, U.S. Army Reserves. He deploys to Afghanistan in just weeks, with his wife, Master Sergeant Lola Skillman, and their oldest son, Jaymes, a sergeant. Husband, wife, and son will be gone nine months as reserve support at Kandahar. Despite the 29 years that Lola has served, this will be her first time deployed to a war zone.

LAH (on camera): Are you scared at all?

MASTER SGT. LOLA SKILLMAN, U.S. ARMY RESERVE: Yes. You know, some people say no, they're not scared, they're ready to go do this. But I think in the back of everybody's mind it's a little bit terrifying.

LAH (voice-over): At the Skillman home, where the unpaved road meets a Montana big sky, they know about sacrifice for country. Lola's father was awarded the purple heart during World War II. Dan's father joined the National Guard. Dan deployed for a year in Iraq. And Jaymes almost didn't come home from Iraq, when a grenade hit his vehicle.

J. SKILLMAN: The war is not over. We still have a job to do. Susie, she -- right now she just thinks I'm going -- going to work. And, you know, I won't be back for -- for a long time.

LAH: Susie, his four-year-old, who can't quite pronounce --

SUSIE: Afghanistan.

LAH: Much less comprehend where daddy's going.

D. SKILLMAN: And it is very hard to talk to the family about, what if you don't come back. That's just what everybody knows about going to war. So you try to talk about it, but how can you?

LAH (on camera): The U.S. military doesn't have a specific policy about the deployment at the same time of an entire family unit. In this case, parents and a child. The military says it also does not keep track of how many cases like this are out there. But ask anybody around here, and they'll tell you this is something they have almost never heard of.

COL. MITCHELL MALONE, U.S. ARMY RESERVE: We have so many American heroes in this country that serve every day, it's -- it's enormous the amount of sacrifices that our American families make here and abroad and they do it for selfless service for the country.

LAH (voice-over): The military is called a brotherhood. The Skillmans prefer to call it family.

D. SKILLMAN: I'm going with my wife and my son.

LAH: Here and there.

Kyung Lah, CNN, Helena, Montana.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: And we thank them for their service, all three of them.

What does Mitt Romney need to do to win tomorrow night's debate and what should he absolutely not do? One historian has some thoughts and safe to say Newt Gingrich will not agree.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: Professor Tim Stanley, a historian, Oxford University, says tomorrow night's first presidential debate is Mitt Romney's best chance to rally his supporters and re-energize his campaign. Stanley's written this new column previewing the debate. You can find it if you just go to cnn.com/opinion. And Tim Stanley joins me from London.

Good to see you, sir. Welcome.

PROF. TIMOTHY STANLEY, OXFORD UNIVERSITY HISTORIAN: It's a pleasure.

BALDWIN: Let's begin with these polls. And there are lots of polls, but certain polls show the public expects Obama to win this debate. But you point out in your piece that the Obama team wants to at least convince people that these debates really don't matter. Why is that?

STANLEY: Yes, it's very interesting that they're trying to spin things that way. And my theory is that they're worried that because of the president's reputation as a fantastic speaker, and he is a very good speaker, that the audience will be tuning in expecting to see Obama win. And if Romney just holds his own, if he just lands a few punches, then the audience might actually think that Romney won. So I suspect Team Obama is trying to lower expectations, trying to say these debates don't matter precisely because they're worried that Mitt Romney will do a good job.

BALDWIN: Well, speaking of throwing punches, let's go back to, you know, primary season. It was Mitt Romney, really, in his big win taking Florida that was quite impressive for the former Massachusetts governor. Let me just -- in case we have forgotten his abilities, take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MITT ROMNEY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I want people to be able to take their insurance with them if they go from job to job. So we'll make it work in the way that's designed to have health care act like a market, a consumer market, as opposed to have it run like Amtrak and the post office.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: But here's what you point out, Tim, which I think is interesting and it relates to tomorrow night in Denver, where the audience will have to be silent, they can't cheer, you say that is advantageous for Mitt Romney. Why?

STANLEY: Yes. Yes. And I think it has to do with personality types. I have a lot of sympathy with Mitt on this because I'm also an uptight rich guy. And when you come from a certain background, you're not used to dealing with big crowds, you're not used to being populist and, you know, throwing your weight around rhetorically, but you can absolutely flourish in things like job interviews and silent one on one style debates. And I think there's something about Mitt Romney, that he's very, very good at analyzing details, at being critical, of jabbing and landing punches. And if the debate is silent, which it will be, if the audience can't participate and it's Romney versus Obama, no holds barred, then I think this guy's kind of corporate analytical background could serve him very, very well. BALDWIN: Well, you mentioned the rich guy part of it all. And I think, you know, from our reporting with the Romney camp, they want to portray him, you know, as an American, as relatable. You know, and, of course, a lot of people are talking about the economy. It's been a challenge a bit for them. But you point out that really a lot of this race has been thus far on style, on likability. So Romney --

STANLEY: Yes.

BALDWIN: Romney, what, needs to talk about his family. In your words -- in fact, let me quote you. You say, "yes, he's tried to do that many, many times before, but there's always hoping that this time it will work." Why will it work this time?

STANLEY: It might work because more people are watching. When he talked about it during the convention, the ratings were really very, very low on that. And he had to -- he had to share the platform essentially with everyone else. You know, with Christie and with Rubio. This time around, it's him versus the president. And this is his chance to throw out some relatable points. To say things like, I'm in public service because of my father. I want to improve the country because of my family. I think if he can throw one or two points like that, he can turn it around.

But don't expect him to start crying. His not that guy. He shouldn't pretend to be that guy. He shouldn't pretend to be Ronald Reagan, because he's not Ronald Reagan. He should simply run on his credentials and experience. And that's what he will mostly try to do.

BALDWIN: And as you point out, not take Newt Gingrich's advice and not try to be funny either.

Tim Stanley, we shall see. Tim Stanley for me in London. You can read Tim's column, go to cnn.com/opinion.

Don't forget, another reminder for you, tomorrow night, the first debate right here on CNN. And, of course, on cnn.com. Special coverage begins at 7:00 Eastern Time.

Republicans say a new Pennsylvania law is to stop voter fraud. Democrats say baloney. Today, a judge weighed in. His ruling, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: In Pennsylvania, real voters getting their say trumps fake voters casting a ballot. A judge today put a hold on the state's new voter I.D. law. So as the state website here shows, the law mandates voters show a specific kind of identification, like a driver's license, in order to vote. Before, a utility bill, bank statement, that would have worked as well. But the judge said there is a risk that legitimate voter ballots would not be counted, so he put a hold on the law, at least until the election is over.

Our crime and justice correspondent Joe Johns has been following this one for us.

And, so, Joe, what happens? Walk me through. Come November 6th, if a voter doesn't have a photo I.D., then what?

JOE JOHNS, CNN CRIME AND JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Well, this is just Pennsylvania, first of all, Brooke. If you show up without an I.D., you will still be able to vote one way or the other. The question is about provisional ballots and whether those provisional ballots, if they're filled out, end up being counted in the state of Pennsylvania. So a little bit complicated. But this is being seen as a victory for opponents of the law in Pennsylvania, but only for this election.

What the judge, Judge Robert Simpson in Pennsylvania, said is that for this election only, he's blocking the voter I.D. law in Pennsylvania. The reason he's doing that is because there's not enough time between now and November to get protections in place to assure that people won't lose their ability to vote. So the state's cutoff from implementing or enforcing the controversial parts of the I.D. law through November 6th, the general election.

This is not necessarily the final word, though, Brooke, because an appeal of this decision has already been predicted. The judge issued this injunction, pretty much after being told by the state supreme court that this was his only choice because state law in Pennsylvania views voting as a fundamental right.

BALDWIN: OK. So to be crystal clear, there is no chance whatsoever that this ruling could be overturned prior to the election?

JOHNS: I can't say that for sure because if you look at the appeal that sent this case back to this judge and forced him to decide it, again, there is dissent in there by people from the supreme court saying, all you're doing is wasting time. You send this back to the judge, he makes his ruling, this is still an appeals court decision, still has to be made. So the -- you know, the jury's out on whether the appeals court, the state supreme court has to rule on this again.

BALDWIN: And just, Joe, a big picture. How important is Pennsylvania for either the president or Mitt Romney?

JOHNS: Huge.

BALDWIN: Yes.

JOHNS: Battleground state. One of the three battleground states we're watching very closely on voting rights issues, if you will. This state, Pennsylvania, right now, is showing President Obama up about 10 points. Of course, there are, you know, tens of thousands of people potentially who could be affected by this law. People who might not have the photo I.D. if they show up. And that's what this fight is about, that number of people and whether that number of people could sway the election one way or the other.

BALDWIN: OK. Joe Johns, thank you.

And I know you fly, whether it's a lot or periodically. Have you heard about this? Reports of seats coming loose on American Airlines planes in flight. CNN's Brian Todd just got back from doing a little investigating. We're going to see what he just found out, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: You have probably heard a lot of twists on the old advertising line, friends don't let friends drive drunk. Well, the one making the rounds today goes a little like this. Friends don't let friends fly American Airlines.

This comes after reports of seats coming loose during flights. Listen to this woman who doesn't want to be identified explains what happened to her on this particular flight from Boston to Miami this past Saturday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It was a chaotic experience. The seats flipped backwards. It was actually a complete nightmare and so people were essentially on the laps of the passengers behind them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: On the laps of the passengers behind them. Now listen to the pilot of that plane calling for help.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Passenger seats rows 12D, E and F came loose out of the floor. We don't want that thing flying around and hurt the passengers behind them. The seat is loose and can rotate pretty quickly.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Obviously, you know, this kind of thing happening once is a nightmare all of its own. But how about these reports now of two other recent American Airlines flights having seats with passengers in them coming loose.

Here is what American Airlines is saying in a statement, quote, "An initial internal investigation into why a row of seats became loose on two American Airlines Boeing 757s has indicated that there could be a possible issue with a certain model of seats and how they fit into the tracking used to secure the seats."

American Airlines says it grounded eight planes, all Boeing 757s, to then re-inspect them. Brian Todd, I want to talk to you. I know you've been tracking this story for us last, you know, 24 or so hours. Just finished talking to the FAA. What are they telling you?

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: They're telling us, Brooke, that they're also investigating this and they said that in at least one of those incidents there were other rows of seats that were also loosely moored down essentially that were not properly secured.

An FAA official confirming that about eight American Airlines 757s have been at least temporarily grounded while they are being inspected for possible other, you know, seat problems or other issues relating to the seats in other parts of these planes.

They're looking at all of it to see exactly what went wrong. You know, we have been talking to safety experts and others too, one safety expert told us that, you know, American Airlines has been doing some retro fitting work on the maintenance of its planes.

And it could be a problem with the actual stanchions of the seats not fitting into the tracks properly. The fastener is not going in properly so all of this is being looked now, Brooke, as it relates to these incidents.

But we do have confirmed that at least two incidents took place, one you mentioned on Saturday and another one yesterday morning, a flight from JFK Airport to Miami had to go back to JFK because of the same problem.

A row of seats came loose and passengers were obviously in a state of discomfort. No one injured in either of these incidents we have to say.

BALDWIN: Thank goodness.

TODD: But clearly a kind of disturbing pattern here and it may be -- may be just a maintenance issue at this point.

BALDWIN: So I'm hearing it could be the airline. I'm hearing it could be the particular kind of plane, the Boeing 757, it could be the seats. Which is it? Does the FAA even know and what is American Airlines going to do about it?

TODD: Well, American is certainly going to look into this problem and FAA is looking into it as well. Everybody is kind of inspecting these planes to find out exactly what it was, and who it was actually who did the maintenance work on these.

The FAA does say that the information they're getting indicates that both of these aircraft had recently undergone maintenance during which the seats had been removed and reinstalled.

So that could be a problem with the maintenance companies that were hired to do this work to remove the seats to do any kind of maintenance. The reinstallation of the seats may have been an issue.

Again, I talked to a safety expert who said they had fasteners for the tracks of the seats that go into tracks on the floor. You've seen those tracks on the floor of these planes where the seats are.

And they go into the tracks, this are fasteners that apply to the tracks. That could really be where the problem lies here, that they just weren't fastened properly or it could be that they don't fit properly.

BALDWIN: Wherever the problem lies, for the sake of anyone traveling, obviously they need to fix it. Brian Todd, I know you're on it. We'll be watching in THE SITUATION ROOM with more of your reporting. Thank you, sir. TODD: Thanks, Brooke.

BALDWIN: Now to something I'm excited about having this conversation here. Because she's the woman, she changed the standard really quite literally changed the face of presidential debates.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My name is Carol Simpson and I will be the moderator for tonight's 90 minute debate.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: The first woman to moderate a presidential debate about to join me live on what she would like to see changed. Carole Simpson, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: Imagine this, going from the highest point in your life to the lowest point in a snap, the fraction of a second. Now think about it if you're given the second chance to actually prove yourself.

This is precisely what Adam Greenburg gets to do tonight. Ouch! Seven years ago you see that ball smack his head. This was his first at bat, his first, you know, Major League baseball debut.

Slammed in the head, he was pinch hitting for the Chicago Cubs when he got nailed. You saw by the fastball. Now, the Florida Marlins, the very team that hit him in the head, have signed this player to a one-day contract today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ADAM GREENBERG, INJURED BETTER GETTING SECOND SHOT: This campaign and this at bat is a success already. So the result of what happens on Tuesday, it is one at bat, but obviously it is resonated with so many people, showing the power of the human spirit, the power of perseverance, and just staying positive and not letting yourself stay down.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Greenberg's big moment is tonight in South Florida. His one at bat, a lot of the nation will be routing for your one in a million shot out of Greenberg. Good luck to you.

I do also want to pass along an update on what has been an incredibly heart breaking and maddening case of child abuse we've really seen. Remember the story, Mitch Comber, he was the young man, found wandering around this Los Angeles bus station.

Disoriented, even less than small for his age, which by the way is 18, 5'3", under 100 pounds, Mitch was so pale. One witness described his skin as translucent.

I talked to the district attorney for Mitch's hometown recently, that's Dallas, Georgia, and he told me how this young man came to be all alone at that bus station more than 2,000 miles from home.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: On his 18th birthday after he had been kept in his home here in Dallas for several years, in a room by himself, such that the neighbors didn't even know there was a boy living in the home.

On his 18th birthday, his adoptive father put him in a van and drove him to Mississippi where he put him on a Greyhound bus, gave him $200 and a list of homeless shelters in Los Angeles. And turned around and came back to Paulding County.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Here is the update. How about a little good news for a change? Mitch has been taken in by this family in Georgia. CNN affiliate WSB quotes investigators as saying he's gained ten pounds in a week.

He's been given glasses to replace the ones he says were taken away from him years ago. His sisters are in protective custody and Mitch's mother and stepfather are in jail charged with child cruelty for allegedly locking him in his room and underfeeding him for years and years. They go to court Thursday for a bond hearing as we say, we can do better.

Coming up next, talking to first woman ever to moderate a presidential debate. Her thoughts on President Obama and Mitt Romney's big showdown tomorrow night, Denver, Colorado, Carole Simpson, such a pleasure, such an honor. She's going to join me live next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: Well, we went deep into the vault for this one here at CNN. The date was October 15th, 1992, presidential debate nearly 20 years ago, to the day. Remember this?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The candidates are the Republican nominee President George Bush, the independent Russ Perot, and Governor Bill Clinton, the Democratic nominee. My name is Carole Simpson. And I will be the moderator for tonight's 90-minute debate.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: A 90-minute debate, she says. That is Carole Simpson then and here is Carole Simpson today, once again, the lady in red. Carole Simpson, it's amazing seeing you here, 20 years later. Welcome. You know, all kinds of history made that night. You and I were talking on the commercial break, people recognizing you all around the world in the 20 years since.

And it was unique about that night, the three debaters, not the usual two, you had, my goodness, questions from the audience, you had yourself, you're the first woman to host a presidential debate.

Just -- if I may, first question, perspective wise, you presided over history, did you not?

CAROLE SIMPSON, FORMER ABC NEWS ANCHOR: I did. And that was the most exciting -- it was the pinnacle of my career to be able to moderate a presidential debate that is like every reporter's dream in Washington is to have that opportunity. So I was thrilled and I don't like you talking about digging way deep into the archives. You're making me so old.

BALDWIN: I'm sorry, Carole Simpson. You look amazing. You look amazing. I hope I can look as amazing. Let's fast-forward 20 years later because you've been tweeting about these debates looming now. I checked out your Twitter page.

Your most recent tweet was this. Let me read it for you. Debates will be about style, not substance, despite what campaigns say. Does he look and sound good? Is he personable? That is your winner.

So style over substance, is that, Carole, is that prediction based upon your experience as a one-time moderator or do you think there is something specific to this race and these two gentlemen, these two candidates that you think it will be more about style?

SIMPSON: It's my observation, Brooke. I have been covering presidential campaigns since 1968, and Humphrey and Nixon. So I've been watching debates throughout the years, and it's my Super Bowl.

I mean, I get all excited. I'm so thrilled that the debate is tomorrow, I can hardly wait. So I have observed many of the debates, not just based on my experience.

But there is always something, people, after I did the debate, would come and tell me that they were concerned about things that the candidates did.

BALDWIN: Like what?

SIMPSON: Not what they said.

BALDWIN: Like looking at a watch?

SIMPSON: Like George Bush looking at his watch, and standing near his stool the entire debate, and Bill Clinton wading right up to the audience questioners showing his compassion and feeling for these people. And it jumped through the screen. And I've had people -- I've had people, you know, these days, telling me, I want to see how they do. It is not -- I want it hear what they have to say about how to solve the economy.

They want to see how they do. And I think a lot of things -- the conventional wisdom is that all the debates do is reinforce your ideas about a candidate that you support, or don't support.

But there are -- I think there is room that somebody can do something or say something that will really turn people off. And that's what happened with George Bush.

BALDWIN: Yes.

SIMPSON: Whom I admire a great deal.

BALDWIN: Sure. And it's incredible to think of these two men, you know, that they were pretty quiet the last couple of days, Nevada and Colorado respectively perhaps practicing memorizing numbers and facts and zingers, but really it is interesting that you point out that --

SIMPSON: Yes, what was that about?

BALDWIN: What is that about? What do you think that is about?

SIMPSON: Romney is practicing zingers? He's not very funny. I mean --

BALDWIN: Newt Gingrich says he should be funny. You say no?

SIMPSON: I've watched him. I was in Iowa and saw his campaigning there, and he tries to be funny. It just doesn't come through.

BALDWIN: But what about for the president? Because some say he could be a tad too professorial or too cool, which can be a turnoff for some Americans.

SIMPSON: He can and he was that way in 2008. But look at what's happened in the four years. He's been on Letterman. He's been on Leno. He's been on "The View." They're doing all of these shows and I think he's much more comfortable in his skin. When he sang the Al Green song, you know, here is a man that --

BALDWIN: Yes, but you know what, Carole Simpson, there could be Americans saying that's great, he can hum a tune, but, you know, can he fix the economy? But I hear you, I hear you, I hear you. You've covered this and you know this. My final question is this, how are the rules set and do you as a moderator, get a say?

SIMPSON: No. I was only given five days notice when it was announced that I was going to be the moderator. They announced them in August, so they had plenty of time to prepare.

And I was given a 30-page memo by the Commission on Presidential Debates of what the ground rules were for my debate, the town hall format. And everything, to every detail, how many cameras, what the camera angles are --

BALDWIN: Did you sleep during those five days?

SIMPSON: I studied during those five days. I knew every candidate's position on every issue that could possibly come up. And I studied the Richmond area where these voters were coming from to find out things they were interested in, what was in the local news.

So I felt that I had to be completely prepared because my job was to see that the people got answers to their questions. So I had to follow up and I had to point out contradictions, you know, if I found them.

But the disturbing thing to me was that I didn't get to ask my own questions. And I really wanted to ask some questions. And I'm disconcerted that Candy Crowley, who is a great political reporter, one of the best in the nation, I've known her for 30 years.

She's not going to be able to ask her questions either. So my feeling is that we are being marginalized, that women are being marginalized, either in doing the town hall debate with the people, where they don't get to ask their questions, or doing the vice presidential debate like my other friend, Martha Raddatz.

BALDWIN: So marginalized you say still in 2012, but so proud of Candy, you say, you wish she gotten a debate in which the moderators ask the questions.

SIMPSON: She could ask the questions.

BALDWIN: I hear you. She's a smart cookie that Candy Crowley.

SIMPSON: She is.

BALDWIN: She is. Carole Simpson.

SIMPSON: The men are going to be able to go one on one.

BALDWIN: One day, one day it will change. Carole Simpson, I appreciate it. I'm sure you still pinch yourself for what you've done and you truly are an inspiration for us lady journalists and we appreciate it. Thank you, Carole.

SIMPSON: Thank you so much.

BALDWIN: We can -- moving along. We can show you all the video from the fighting inside Syria. But few can attest to seeing the destruction firsthand and you're about to get that account from a man who just returned from the devastation, from the capital city of Syria, that being Damascus. Here he is, Nic Robertson in the studio, joining me next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: Let's talk about Syria. Video found on YouTube shows a man blindfolded, bound, unshaven and tired. It's obvious the man in green. I know it's tough to look at there. It's is a shaky video.

The man in green is under force, the sight brings major relief to the family of Austin Tice. He is a freelance journalist. He has been working in Syria, went missing sometime after August 11th, the last time stamp of his last tweet.

His employers in the newspapers, "Washington Post," have identified him in this video. And his father tells CNN, quote, "Knowing Austin is alive and well is comforting to our family though it is difficult to see our eldest son in such a setting and situation as the one depicted in the video. It is reassuring that he appears to be unharmed."

I want to bring in our own senior international correspondent Nic Robertson who just returned from Damascus. We normally see you in war zones, a pleasure to have you safe and sound in the studio. Can you just run through your most recent trip and you've been to Syria multiple times, leave it there, having been in Damascus, what was that like?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: You know, you go there expecting the war to be happening in the center of the city and it isn't. There is a bubble not affected.

You can be standing in the center of the city however and see the smoke, hear the shelling, feel the shelling in some cases, heavy shelling. You can go to those neighborhoods, but you can't get in.

There are so many checkpoints around there. It is a huge contrast, but the takeaway is that this government is still strong in and around the capital.

BALDWIN: You know, we have been reporting in the last 18 or so months what is the number, 28,000 Syrians have been killed during this civil war, since last March. We have shown the pictures from Aleppo and places like that.

But then you talk to the women, getting manicures, in the capital city of Damascus, who aren't necessarily pro-Assad, who aren't necessarily pro rebel, stuck in the middle. Here is that they told you.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ROBERTSON (voice-over): On many days, the death toll around the capital far higher than for other cities. But where they can, people are trying to hold on to their old lives. For this woman, that's a few minutes at the beauty salon. It may look like normal life, but it is not.

RAMA HAMDI, BEAUTY SALON CLIENT: Every day we are hearing this boom, boom, and everything else. And there is a lot going on.

ROBERTSON (on camera): You don't worry about it?

HAMDI: I worry. I worry sick about it, but nothing we can do.

ROBERTSON (voice-over): She tells me she hates the killing, supports neither government nor rebels, wants them to talk, feels stuck in the middle so too the salon's owner.

RAUDA ALAITA, BEAUTY SALON OWNER: I cannot go to the country side without being worried somebody will stop me. Is it the real army or the other army stopping me? What answer I should answer if they ask me with whom I am? So it is really difficult now because you are really stuck in the middle.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BALDWIN: It is just bizarre, seeing these women, are they desensitized to what is happening?

ROBERTSON: You know, I don't know. When I went there earlier in the year people were really afraid about what the war was going to look like. They knew it was coming, but how was it going to affect their lives, was it going to be over in days, would they be run out of their homes.

And here now, in Central Damascus, you see people and they are through that phase of fear, they have been through bad days of the shelling, of the fighting, shortages in the stores. Things are operating almost like normal. And while the stress grows, they hear shells flying over their houses at night, going to the poorer neighborhoods --

BALDWIN: Do they flinch?

ROBERTSON: They're very afraid. Their kids are awake at night, what do we tell our kids? They had to change where they send their kids to school. These are well off, affluent people, but haven't decided to flee yet because things haven't got that bad.

One of them told me, look, if I couldn't find another school close to home for my child, they didn't have a long commute to school then I would have left. So people are making really practical decisions based on the security situation around them. But they get on with their lives and --

BALDWIN: Is that a good thing?

ROBERTSON: Yes and no.

Look, these are people that do not support the regime. They don't support the opposition, but they do fear what insecurity and instability would look like. They do fear chaos. They do fear Islamist radicals that are sort of increasing in numbers in the country. So if there is going to be a fight to the victory in this country, people like that are going to be burnt out of their homes as well. They will be suffering the civilian casualties the same as they are in the poorer neighborhoods.

Is it a good thing? Yes, because it gives us in a way hope that there is still some stability, that the city, the capital hasn't fallen, if you can find a negotiated solution, then at least the civil service infrastructure hasn't broken, the army is still intact and you can try to move the country forward.

But imagine what happens if the fight comes to the capital, the government collapses, the army disintegrates. It is going to be chaos. There is concern.

BALDWIN: To hear the word hope and Syria in the same sentence, I don't think I have ever heard that. We hope for that. Nic Robertson, if and when you go back, stay safe. Thank you very much.

ROBERTSON: Thank you.

BALDWIN: Now hour two.