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Chrysler Announces Shut-Down; Incoming New York Governor to Speak to Press; Man Runs onto Runway at Heathrow; Treasury Secretary Offers New Solutions to Mortgage Crisis

Aired March 13, 2008 - 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: Well, you can be glad of this: your car doesn't run on gold. Sure, oil and gas are still at record prices, record high prices, but now a very precious metal joins that list. Would you believe $1,000 an ounce?
BRIAN KEILAR, CNN ANCHOR: The political fortunes of David Paterson have risen even faster, through none of his own doing. New York's lieutenant governor meets the press today, days before he succeeds Eliot Spitzer.

Hi there, I'm Brianna Keilar, in today for Kyra Phillips at CNN World Headquarters in Atlanta.

LEMON: And I'm Don Lemon.

You are in the CNN NEWSROOM.

We have some breaking news on the auto front. It's really a business story, a big business story, because what we're being told is that Chrysler is shutting down operations for two weeks this summer. Two weeks this summer. Not sure if that has to do with job slowdown and production slowdown and people buying cars. But obviously, I would imagine that it would have to do with that.

We're going to check now. Stephanie Elam joining us from the floor of the New York Stock Exchange with that.

Speaking to folks here in the NEWSROOM, Stephanie, who's been around for a while, they're thinking that this is unprecedented. They've never heard of this.

STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It is, Don. This is something that has never happened before. This is big news. CNN has confirmed, in fact, that Chrysler is going to shut down their operations company-wide for two weeks. They're telling their employees they have to take the time off between July 7 and July 14.

And according to chief executive Robert Nardelli, here's a quote here, "It's in order to create better alignment and efficiency across their organizational -- organizational lines and boost productivity."

So it's definitely a cost-saving move here that they're trying to put into place to help things out. It's the first time that Chrysler has done anything like this for that long of a period. We've seen them shut down for a week, seen production shut down for a week, but this is obviously big news about Chrysler and what they're going to do there. Obviously, we'll keep our eyes out, see if we can get more information on this, but news coming out of Detroit.

I also want to tell you a little bit about some of our commodities here, because it's really been a big day. We've got black gold and real gold, both of them hitting new numbers, new highs.

Starting off with oil, it hit a new record high today of $111 a barrel. It's come off of that high since then. We'll keep our eyes on it for the end of the day.

Also gold, soaring to $1,000 for an ounce. That's it. That's the highest it's ever been. Just for a little ounce, $1,000 you'll need to put together there for that.

So what's really happening here is investors see the market is all over the place. They're choosing commodities that they think are safe bets. So oil and gold are getting that level of cash flowing into it right now. And of course, with oil going up like this, we've also seen gas prices shooting up, as well, at new highs there. But keep in mind, adjust for inflation, still higher 27 years ago, Don.

LEMON: Yes, and gas prices all tied into this, all of it adding up to, really, not such great news today.

Stephanie, if you get more information on the Chrysler story, especially, will you get back to us?

ELAM: I promise.

LEMON: All right. Stephanie Elam, on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. Breaking the news, Chrysler shutting down production for at least two weeks this summer. Thanks, Stephanie.

We'll have much more on today's economic turmoil. Our Gerri Willis will look at the new Bush administration plan to restore faith in the credit market. There's a new plan in Congress to make it easier to buy a house. And we'll have reaction to the day's developments from all over the world. Make sure you stay with us for that.

KEILAR: The name on this MySpace page, Ashley Alexandra Dupree. But according to "The New York Times," she is the high-dollar call girl advertised as Kristen and paid thousands of dollars by New York Governor Eliot Spitzer. Now, we have not been able to independently confirm that identification.

These are the final days of Spitzer's governorship. He resigned yesterday. He'll leave office Monday. This scandal is not only about crime and sex and money, though. There's also a family dynamic, and the state of New York is today dealing with a major change of leadership.

A couple of people close to Ashley/Kristen have emerged, people who live near her and one man with a more personal interest: her brother. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KYLE YOUMANS, BROTHER: Just hectic, you know. Can't really comment on it. My sister will do everything (ph). She's going to be fine. Everything that's said is, you know, just talk. She's a great woman, independent woman, and she'll make it through. She'll be fine.

ALINA, NEIGHBOR: Stunned because I never thought that she would be like that, and I don't know. I'm just shocked. I would have never expected it, and I've never seen anyone, like, come into her room.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: Again, so far only "The New York Times" has put a name and a face to this side of the governor's prostitution scandal. We are working, though, on our sources to confirm that independently.

LEMON: And Brianna, the sex scandal and Governor Spitzer -- Governor Spitzer's resignation, well, they've been headlines in this story. But attention -- attention is now turning to David Paterson, the man you see right there.

He's the man who will take over as governor. That will start on Monday. He's holding a news conference next hour.

And CNN's Deborah Feyerick is in New York. She joins us now.

Deb, any idea what he's going to say? Obviously, that he's up to the job and ready for it.

DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Don, we can tell you certainly is that one of the CNN producers is up in Albany, described it as a real scene. Every time the soon-to-be governor leaves his office, he's mobbed by about 15 different camera crews.

David Paterson and his staff really trying to adjust to this change as quickly as possible. It has been a little overwhelming, because it's happened all so fast.

Now, he is expected to address the press and the public at about 2:00 p.m. this afternoon. The sense is he's going to re-assure all New Yorkers that Albany is back on track, that they're going to get back to work, that they've got a budget to deal with, a $4.7-billion deficit that they're dealing with.

And speaking to a lot of people who are close to him, the impression that you get is that Paterson is really the guy to calm everyone down. He's a bridge builder. He listens to people, and he brings a very different style than the former governor, Eliot Spitzer. And so that is going to help in Albany. There was a real sense that things there were at a standstill. But, because David Paterson brings such a different style, there's a feeling that, in fact, work will get done.

Remember, Paterson spent some 20 years there as a state senator. He was the first African-American lieutenant governor. Now he will be the first African-American governor. All of that a big deal.

Again, there is a little bit of a sigh of relief up in Albany that the period of tension that really characterized Eliot Spitzer's reign is now over and that the capital can do the work it's charged with doing. And of course, we're going to hear more from that later, from the soon-to-be governor at about 2:00 p.m. -- Don.

LEMON: All right. Deb Feyerick in New York, thank you.

And as Deb just mentioned, soon-to-be New York governor, David Paterson, will hold a news conference at 2:00 p.m. Eastern in Albany. Of course, we'll bring it to you live right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.

KEILAR: A man dashed onto a Heathrow Airport runway today. Police scrambled to get him as he ran toward planes with a backpack. With details on the story, CNN's Phil Black is in London.

What's the very latest, Phil?

PHIL BLACK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Brianna.

Yes, no suggestion of terrorism here, but this was a significant security breach at Heathrow Airport this afternoon. Just after 2:00 p.m. London Time, a man was seen scrambling over the security fence just behind me.

It's quite tall; it has barbed wire. He made his way over it, carrying a rucksack (ph), and ran down to cross the northern runway of the airport, which runs right next to that fence. He was running in the path of aircraft who were using it. It's being used for takeoffs right now as we speak.

Now, security forces, they grabbed this man. In his bag, they performed a controlled detonation. But no explosive devices were found. This is the second embarrassing security breach for Heathrow in recent weeks. Just a few weeks ago, February 25, Greenpeace protesters climbed onto the top of an aircraft here, protesting any planned expansion of this runway. But Heathrow's operators now have two security incidents to get to the bottom of -- Brianna.

KEILAR: All right. Phil Black in London, thanks for that report.

LEMON: All right.

Now to politics. What to do about Michigan and Florida? That's a nail-biting, hang-wringing issue for Democrats. Florida's Democratic Party is now proposing a combination mail-in and in-person primary that will happen on June 3. That's the proposal. At least, of course, it will have to get the blessing of the Democratic National Committee and the Clinton and Obama campaigns.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HOWARD DEAN, CHAIR, DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL COMMITTEE: Once you're halfway or three-quarters of the way down the track, as we are in this race, to go back and change something, that makes -- that's a big deal.

So this is going to be -- require some delicacy and some diplomacy. But, look, the issue is here do we want to be united at the convention? If we want to be united at the convention, we ought to try to fix this problem now and not wait until the convention.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Michigan's Democratic Party is still trying to figure out what to do about a possible revote there. Both states were stripped of their Democratic delegates for breaking the rules and moving up their primaries.

Finally, something the last three major presidential candidates agree on. Democrat Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, and Republican John McCain are off the trail and back at work today in the Senate. Wow.

In the spotlight, pork-barrel spending. A Senate plan would put a one-year moratorium on funding for pet projects known as earmarks. McCain, Obama and Clinton all support the ban. Key senators on both sides oppose the ban, and aides predict it will fail.

Geraldine Ferraro is no longer a fundraiser for Hillary Clinton's campaign. The former vice-presidential candidate has resigned after a firestorm over her comments about Barack Obama. She told a California newspaper Obama wouldn't be in the position he's in, a possible presidential nominee, if he were a white man.

Ferraro denies accusations her comments were racist. And in her resignation letter to Clinton, she says, "The Obama campaign is attacking me to hurt you. It will -- I will not let that happen."

In a speech last night, Clinton apologized for Ferraro's comments.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. HILLARY CLINTON (D-NY), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I rejected what she said, and I certainly do repudiate it and regret deeply that, you know, it was said. Obviously, she doesn't speak for the campaign. She doesn't speak for any of my positions. And she has resigned from being a member of my very large finance committee.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Ferraro was Democrat Walter Mondale's running mate back in 1984.

KEILAR: Some political hot potatoes for our roundtable to pass around today. We'll find out what they have to say about the Florida do-over plan. And the firestorm over Geraldine Ferraro's comments about Barack Obama.

LEMON: That's going to be very interesting to see that.

Plus, a Texas convenience store clerk is attacked and almost run over. You won't believe the video. Police blame an irate customer. It all started over a 20-ounce drink. We'll show you what happened there.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KEILAR: It is 14 after the hour. And here are three of the stories that we're working on in the CNN NEWSROOM.

One of the nation's largest car companies will temporarily shut down operations. A spokesman for Chrysler confirms to CNN the company will cease operations for two weeks this summer. It is the first such shutdown in company history.

Operations were disrupted at London's busy Heathrow Airport today as a man carrying a backpack was arrested on one of the runways. There were concerns of a possible terror plot, but police found no explosives.

And Florida Democrats want a do-over. The national party is ignoring the results of the Florida primary because the state moved up the voting. With the Democratic nomination hanging in the balance, Florida Democrats have proposed a new primary June 3, using both polling places and mail-in ballots.

LEMON: With the credit markets in turmoil, U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson today unveiled a series of proposals to restore faith in the mortgage business. They include stronger government oversight of mortgage brokers.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HENRY PAULSON, U.S. TREASURY SECRETARY: We are encouraging financial institutions to continue to strengthen balance sheets by raising capital and revisiting dividend policies. We need these institutions to continue to lend and facilitate economic growth.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: CNN's personal finance editor Gerri Willis has more on that, and she joins us now from New York.

And Gerri, I started by saying restore faith in the mortgage business. That's going to be tough to do. What are the main points of this?

GERRI WILLIS, CNN PERSONAL FINANCE EDITOR: OK. Well, this is a really extensive plan, Don. It starts with calling for stronger state and federal oversight of mortgage lenders. And it includes pressuring major banks to increase their liquidity, meaning the cash that they have on hand, going so far as to cut dividends. They really want those banks to be strong, to be able to operate with confidence in the marketplace. Finally, greater due diligence for credit-rating agencies. These are the folks who put the credit ratings on some of those collateralized mortgage obligation debt, the stuff that Wall Street was selling to investors all over the globe that contained mortgages. They want those credit-rating agencies to do serious due diligence of these investments.

LEMON: All right. So then, Gerri, what is the upshot, then, for consumers?

WILLIS: Well, you know, the announcement today is -- really goes to the safety and soundness of banks. Is the system working? Is it working well for bankers? And I have to tell you, the consumer regulations there are not as tight.

One provision, which is establishing a national registry for mortgage brokers -- having them, you know, licensed, having information at the government about these mortgage brokers -- that's in there, and that's something that will be consumer-friendly.

But I think consumer advocates out there are going to be a little disappointed by that, certainly, given the foreclosure numbers we saw for February; just came out today, up 60 percent for the month. That's not encouraging about the other kinds of proposals we've had out there already.

So I think there's going to be a lot concern that we're still not getting the help to people that people need.

LEMON: Yes. And Gerri, you know, we've been watching. You've doing these wonderful shows on "FINANCIAL SECURITY WATCH." Really great information. And it's timely, because people really need the information right now.

Tell us what's going on next week. We're talking about issue No. 1.

WILLIS: That's right. We're talking about issue No. 1. It's the economy for Americans. From our polling and from the polling you see all over the place, that's what consumers are most interested in, even voters.

We'll be answering your e-mails. This is all week next week on the noon hour. We're going to have live coverage of the economy, telling you all about your credit, your debt, your home, your mortgage, your jobs, another thing to worry about. All of those issues, we'll be talking about all next week -- Don.

LEMON: All next week at noon Eastern. Correct?

WILLIS: That's correct.

LEMON: One hour. Right before...

WILLIS: Join us.

LEMON: Right before the CNN NEWSROOM. Gerri Willis, we appreciate it.

And of course, you know Gerri Willis will have much, much more on the mortgage crisis, and more next week, the economy. It's issue No. 1. Tune in at noon. That's starting on Monday.

KEILAR: A second man arrested in the murder of UNC student Eve Carson. The second alleged killer, just 17-years-old.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KEILAR: A second murder rap for a second man arrested in the murder of Eve Carson, that student body leader at UNC Chapel Hill.

Early this morning, police received a tip that led to a home in nearby Durham and 17-year-old Lawrence Lovette. Hours after his arrest, Lovette was charged with the January murder of a Duke graduate student from India.

Lovette is believed to be the man seen at the wheel of Eve Carson's SUV at a drive-up ATM. A man in the back is believed to be Demario Atwater, the Carson suspect arrested early Wednesday. Court records show both men were on parole when Eve Carson was murdered last week.

Disturbing news for any parent regarding a high-school hit list. An investigation is unfolding in Seekonk, Massachusetts, which is just outside of Providence, Rhode Island. Police say a teacher at Seekonk High School found the list, which included the names of several students.

The alleged author, a 15-year-old, has been taken into custody, and the parents of the students have been notified.

Most of us are a little cranky before we get that morning cup of coffee, but wait until you hear about this. Houston police say a woman attacked a clerk in a convenience store because the store was out of 20-ounce Styrofoam cups. This is surveillance video that you're seeing here.

The clerk says the woman pushed him and hit him several times. And when he followed her out to the parking lot, he said that she tried to run her [SIC] over.

Now, this may turn out to be one of the most expensive 20-ounce beverages in history, because the woman, charged with the aggravated assault, her bond is set at $30,000.

For the best crime coverage on the Web, check out CNN.com/crime. It's the new effort from our friends at truTV and CNN.com. You can go behind the police tape and into the courtroom like never before at CNN.com/crime.

LEMON: It is a beautiful spring day in Atlanta. Trust me.

And Chad Myers, you know it, as well. I almost had a case of the Thursdays. There are storm clouds in other parts of the south, right? CHAD MYERS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: If you show up with the Fridays, we're going to know what that is. So...

LEMON: I woke up, and it was just like, oh, gosh.

MYERS: You've busted yourself now.

LEMON: Yes.

(WEATHER REPORT)

MYERS: And here's an I-Report that I wanted to share with you, because it's -- well, I don't know if it's cute or if it's...

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(PHOTO OF MAN GOLFING IN DEEP SNOW)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: I like it.

MYERS: I'm not sure you're going to find that golf ball until spring, though.

LEMON: Here's what I'm not getting. Is that shorts? And it looks like really thick boots. Those are shorts, right?

MYERS: Those are shorts, sure.

LEMON: Yes, yes.

KEILAR: What? Those aren't golf shoes?

LEMON: No. No golf...

MYERS: I'm just really amazed how he got that nice little tee box there. That's great. Now, if he had a landing area, then I'd be impressed. But you just kind of hit. It's almost like hitting off the back of a cruise ship, which you can't do anymore. But that just...

LEMON: Just shows to go (sic) you, when you want to do something you'll make a way. Right?

MYERS: Thanks, Andy Miller, for that thought.

LEMON: Yes. CNN.com, I-Report logo right there at the top left. Send us your pictures and your video. We'd love to put it on TV for you.

Thank you, Chad.

MYERS: You're welcome.

KEILAR: Point, click, medicate. Online pharmacies are some of the fastest growing businesses on the Web, for obvious reasons. No prescription, no diagnosis, no legitimate need for the drug that you're requesting. All too often, it's no problem.

CNN's Deborah Feyerick takes a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FEYERICK: Ryan Haight was 18-years-old when he bought two powerful drugs, vicodin and morphine. He never saw a doctor or even a pharmacist. His mother says it happened in secret, online. She was the one who found Ryan dead of an overdose.

FRANCINE HAIGHT, RYAN HAIGHT'S MOTHER: I remember that moment thinking, "Oh, my god. Oh, my god, why did he take these? How did he get these?"

FEYERICK: Ryan, an athlete and honor student from Southern California, got the drugs illegally through the Internet from a seller in Texas.

HAIGHT: It's like somebody entered your house, but you don't know they're there.

FEYERICK (on-camera): This is one...

JOSEPH CALIFANO, NATIONAL CENTER ON ADDICTION AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE: One million, four-hundred and ten thousand, buy OxyContin without a prescription.

FEYERICK (voice-over): Joseph Califano, an expert on addiction and drug abuse, has watched the number of advertisers for rogue online pharmacies skyrocket.

CALIFANO: They don't care who you are. They just want you to buy OxyContin without a prescription.

FEYERICK: The pharmacies, or cyber doctors, know little or nothing about their customers' medical history, yet still put millions of pills into the hands of people with no prescriptions.

CALIFANO: You can get oxycontin. You can get vicodin. You can get ritalin. You can get adderall, and you can get xanax. You can get valium, very easy. It's like a candy. The Internet's become a candy store for 12- to 18-year-old kids.

FEYERICK: Experts say it's hard to put a figure on the actual number of teens buying drugs online, but with an estimated six million Americans overall abusing prescription medications, the Drug Enforcement Agency has stepped up efforts to shut down more than 100 of these rogue pharmacies, a daunting task.

JOHN GILBRIDE, DRUG ENFORCEMENT AGENCY: They operate in cyberspace. They operate with anonymity. And it takes enormous amount of time to identify these pharmacies, to find out the individuals that are operating the pharmacies, what country they happen to be operating in, how they are receiving their payment. FEYERICK: And because they operate in places like India, China, Mexico, Canada, even when they are found, it's easy for them to shut down and re-appear under a new name, making it almost impossible for parents like Ryan's mom to protect their children.

HAIGHT: The drug dealer came into our house. It was a total invasion into our home. And that's what is so frightening.

FEYERICK: Deborah Feyerick, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: All right. Let's say you work for a big company. All of a sudden you get an e-mail saying, "You know what? You got to take a mandatory two weeks off." You'd probably know something was not right, and you might be a little concerned.

Chrysler's doing that, and they have some explaining to do to employees. We're going to speak to them in a minute to find out exactly what's going on. A representative from Chrysler joins us right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.

Also, Florida Democrats come up with a new plan to redo the party's primary, but will it break the impasse over the contentious issue? We'll check in with our political round table to find out what they think.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: A lot of breaking news happening today here in the CNN NEWSROOM.

We were talking about Chrysler. They got an e-mail from company heads saying they have to take a two-week mandatory vacation in July. Something that is unprecedented, we're told, by our business folks here and also from Chrysler.

They're telling us that worldwide to take a mandatory two-week vacation starting in July. They informed employees, as I said, of this plan by e-mail, sent to employees, obtained by the "Associated Press" and also obtained by CNN.

Earlier in the show our Stephanie Elam told us on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange this was simply unprecedented.

Joining us now on the phone is a representative from Chrysler, Mary Beth Halprin. Am I pronouncing that correctly?

MARY BETH HALPRIN, CHRYSLER SPOKESWOMAN: Halprin is correct.

LEMON: Halprin is correct.

HALPRIN: Thank you.

LEMON: Mandatory two-week vacation, if I get that from my employer I'm going to wonder what's going on, if I'm going to have a job in a few weeks.

HALPRIN: Well, we're actually following an existing industry practice where other automakers take a standard two-week shutdown in the summertime for all of their employees. So this is actually not the first time an auto company has done that. We're actually the third to do such a practice.

And Chrysler traditionally did have shutdowns with their manufacturing facilities during the summer. So what's new today with this announcement is that all employees will be now honoring the shutdown.

LEMON: Yes. It's not the first time that an automaker has done that but it is the first time Chrysler's done that.

HALPRIN: That's correct, it's new for Chrysler. And as part of the new company's leadership, we've decided this is a great opportunity for us to align ourselves with standard practices in the industry and use this as an efficiency opportunity.

LEMON: You're saying obviously the company is going to say it's an efficiency opportunity but it obviously has to do with the slowdown in sales. Let's be honest about this. If your sales were going gangbusters, there is no way you would shut production down this summer.

HALPRIN: Don, that's actually not true.

LEMON: OK. Go ahead, explain.

HALPRIN: Our manufacturing facilities have honored a shutdown period for years. And it's been part of the chance for the plants to prepare their tooling and their employees for new vehicle launches.

So actually, there is not a connection to sales or the performance of the market. What's changing for the facilities that make our products is that we're aligning it into a set two-week period.

LEMON: OK. Real quickly though and I want you to finish that thought, but if your sales were going gangbusters and you were trying to keep up with production, sales were trying to keep up with production, Mary Beth, I've got to ask you again, I don't believe that you'd be shutting your plants down for two weeks if the demand was there.

HALPRIN: Well, we do have a policy with our facilities, if this need be, some of them will run in order to meet market demand. However, that's being managed case by case, and it's really not that the idea of connecting to sales is not the driver for the decision.

LEMON: Mary Beth Halprin, spokesperson for Chrysler, we appreciate you joining us today in the CNN NEWSROOM.

HALPRIN: Thank you, Don. Have a good day.

LEMON: You, too.

HALPRIN: Thank you.

KEILAR: In the Democratic battle for the White House, a bit of movement on a deadlocked issue. Florida's Democratic Party is floating a plan for a revote, but this is far from a done deal. CNN's John Zarrella joining us now from Miami to explain what's going on.

Hi, John.

JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey Brianna.

You know, that's exactly right. It is what you were just saying, they're floating the deal. It's one of those where it's -- you throw stuff up against the wall and see what sticks or float a trial balloon. It is all of that right now.

The Democratic Party of Florida has put forward this proposal that had been out there and been talked about for about a week. And what it is, is vote by mail.

Along with vote by mail where ballots would go out, it would also be coupled with the establishment of 50 different voting stations or offices around the state so no one would be left out. Anybody who didn't get a mail-in vote, they could go to these stations to vote. So this is the plan.

The Democratic Party is saying, and just a few minutes ago held a press conference in Tallahassee to say, look, we had to do something, we had to get out in front of it, and we believe this is the only fairway to do it.

KEILAR: Let me ask you; are there any concerns about maybe voter fraud? I mean security issues with the mail-in ballot being part of this?

ZARRELLA: Well, there's no question about it. In fact, the party acknowledges -- the state party acknowledges that in fact, the fraud issue is a concern. And Senator Bill Nelson, who was, and is, a proponent, an advocate of a revote in Florida, has been pushing it right along says, look, I'm a little skeptical right now over the fact that there is no way for the state of Florida to verify the signature on these ballots. So he's skeptical of this.

We've already heard from the Democratic caucus legislators in Washington earlier in the week saying they were concerned that any mail-in vote would be a problem. But the party, the state party, is again saying, Brianna, that they had to get out in front of this and they had to do something now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KAREN THURMAN, CHAIRWOMAN, FLA. DEMOCRATIC PARTY: This is by no means a done deal. We are simply putting on the table what I believe to be the only solution that we can provide from the state party, that we can provide. The Republican speaker of the Florida house ruled out the option of a state-run revote, paid for by the party. Governor Charlie Crist refused to move the primary back to comply with the rules. We don't believe that we can try out a caucus in a state this large and diverse. So the only thing we were left with was a party-run election, and that is what we believe we could do.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ZARRELLA: Again, a party-run election. That leaves the state completely out of the process. Five private companies would run this, would oversee this. It's going to cost between $10 million and $12 million. They're going to start fund-raising right away. They've asked that the Democratic National Committee get back to them by the close of business tomorrow to sign off on this as at least a go so they can start working on it.

And again, one of the keys the Democratic Party official told me a little while ago is, look, if the Obama campaign and Clinton campaign do not sign off on this, it's dead, it's over. So we may be close, Brianna, and we may not be so close. We still have to wait a while to see how this all shakes out.

KEILAR: That's right. Not a done deal and it's got a hefty price tag. John Zarrella for us there in Miami, thanks.

LEMON: Will this Florida revote plan pass muster with the Democratic National Committee and the Clinton and Obama campaigns?

Joining me now, Republican strategist Leslie Sanchez in Washington, CNN contributor Roland Martin in Chicago -- Chicago River looks really nice behind you, Roland -- and in New York, Carol Jenkins, president of the women's media center.

Carol, it is good to see you as a former New Yorker; it is good to see you again. You were a long-time anchor there. Used to seeing your face on television.

CAROL JENKINS, PRES. WOMEN'S MEDIA CENTER: Thank you, Don.

LEMON: OK. Guys. Thank you all for joining us.

Here's what I want to know. Is this going to pass muster, this whole revote thing?

Carol, I'm going to start with you. How can you let the people of Florida and Michigan revote when they were supposed to be punished for this? It seems like they're going to have their -- their vote may have more importance than the other votes in the other primaries around the country when they were supposed to be punished.

JENKINS: I know. Isn't it amazing, it is right back down to Florida once again? How does this keep happening to us? It is just extraordinary. From the proposal that I've heard so far it doesn't seem to me that it would fly. If you're saying that you cannot verify the signatures on the mail-in vote and that there are only 50 polling stations in a state as large as Florida? I mean I just don't see how this could work. I understand that they want to have those 1.7 million people feel they are part of a November election, but I think they'll have to come up with something else.

LEMON: OK. So Roland, Florida, folks are threatening legal action if this actually happens.

ROLAND MARTIN, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Well, let me channel my inner Jack Cafferty. The two people who should be blasted here are those pompous politicians, Governor Jennifer Granholm, who is a Democrat, and Governor Charlie Crist of Florida who is a Republican. If they could have vetoed these bills, we wouldn't have a mess.

But Don, here's an important issue that we didn't hear. I just got off the phone with a Congressman Kendrick Meek from Florida, who is a Clinton supporter. He says the house members from Florida are not behind us, they are flat-out against this. What you have here is Senator Nelson, who's been driving this issue, along with the state party.

So one of the hiccups is you have members of the congressional delegation from Florida, from the house, who are not for it. They say it's a problem with the signatures. They say it is a problem because in terms of people moving the addresses.

They take issue with the fact that many of the college students wouldn't be at the college campuses. So again, you have house members saying forget it. This may not be advancing as fast as we think it is.

LEMON: And Leslie, people are saying, people in Florida have trouble at least Florida has trouble with people walking in to vote. A mail-in vote, that's only going to add more chaos.

LESLIE SANCHEZ, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: That's not just Florida. There is no doubt this is fraught with suspicion and definitely fraught with error. There are a lot of reasons people are upset about it.

I think it is comical to look at the fact they were pushing the caucus saying a state this diverse couldn't do it. Texas did it and many other states do it. Caucuses are clearly something that benefit Barack Obama and I can't see Hillary Clinton excited about that. These folks want to run our health care system? They can't even process their primaries.

LEMON: Leslie, Roland, Carol, I want you to take a breath and listen to this. We've heard about this controversy. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GERALDINE FERRARO (D), FMR. VICE PRESIDENT NOMINEE: They went to the national press, they had two people on television, both Susan Rice, both of whom I know and know well, getting up there and call me a racist? I have spent 40 years fighting discrimination. I mean it is so hurtful.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Roland? Five seconds.

MARTIN: First of all, Susan Rice did not call her a racist. They talked about her race-based comments. She's also not telling the truth. She initially gave a radio interview with John Gibson on Fox News. I replayed it on my radio show. Then she gave a speech and then she re-aired the same comments in the newspaper. The facts are there. She has a problem with her own words.

LEMON: Hold that thought, Roland. Back in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Barack Obama wouldn't be where he is today in this campaign if he were a white man. That's what Geraldine Ferraro says. She resigned as a fund-raiser for Hillary Clinton but she is still speaking out.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FERRARO: But let me just say to you this that if indeed there is -- I personally think that this is the last time that the Obama campaign is going to be able to play this type of race card because I think that's what it is.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You are saying they are playing the race card?

FERRARO: Absolutely. I'll tell you, they should apologize to me for calling me a racist.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: She's accusing the Obama campaign of doing all of this.

Our panel is back, Roland, continue your thought.

MARTIN: Very simple. I was on the conference call. I saw the notes. I heard Susan Rice's comments. They did not call her a racist. Did they take offense to her race-based language? Absolutely.

When you make a point to say that, well, you know, he's gotten here because largely he's black, the bottom line is -- she says she was chosen because she is a woman. Remember, she was chosen for the VP nomination. He went through the snow and the ice in Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada, South Carolina. The voters have decided. Not the politicians.

LEMON: I don't think anyone is disputing that. She's even saying, you know what, if I wasn't a woman I wouldn't have been pick. That's what she's saying as a vice presidential nominee. So Leslie, the whole question is, is this -- what can you say now? Is this being taken out of context? I mean is Geraldine Ferraro a racist.

SANCHEZ: No, I don't think that's it. The main point is, one, she continues to show insensitivity on this issue. That's why people see this as a backlash.

Anybody in a campaign longer than five minutes would know that you send a surrogate out there to say something that underlines -- you know there is a veil of truth. You and I, we're all talking about it today. They get it out there, then let it settle down.

It is sad to see her try to use the politics of race and undermine the candidacy. The bigger problem with the Democrats is they continue to care more about what you are rather than who you are. And that's the biggest challenge.

LEMON: Carol Jenkins, president of women's media center, I'm sure you've got some reaction to this. Do you think this is being taken out of context? Obviously I think you know Geraldine Ferraro, I'm sure.

JENKINS: Yes, I covered the classic 1984 race when she was running for vice president. And I think that one thing you have to understand is that Hillary Clinton probably could not fire Geraldine Ferraro, first of all. She wasn't really hired. So you know Geraldine did the right thing and she resigned.

She knew that these statements had gone too far. But you very rightly, as part of the right part of the media, put this statement into context and how this whole thing started, was that she was really talking about --

LEMON: Carol, hate to cut you off, but let's play -- she's talking about actually the content and how it started. We'll talk about it.

JENKINS: OK. Great.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FERRARO: That is not what I said. What I did was I was talking about the historic campaign. Why? Is it because he is a senator from Illinois? I don't think so. The problem is I was talking to an audience about politics. It was a paid speech -- 360 people. I didn't even give an interview.

Some reporter took out my response to a question and reported it. I'm assuming what they said was what I said. That's OK. But, Ann, that was an example -- what the Obama campaign does, as I'm sure my campaign did, I think they took it -

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You think the Obama campaign released this information?

FERRARO: Who else would put this to the national press?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: All right, guys. We are running out of time. Quick answers, I want to go back to you, Carol.

JENKINS: I do want to say this, that I think that both campaigns are playing with fire. The last few days, we have crossed a line that I don't think we can really easily draw back from. It has more to do with who wins the nomination on the Democratic Party.

They may in the end just say, OK, we were only kidding, and let's work together. But the engendered feelings are just awful in the community.

LEMON: Hang on, Roland. Leslie, get on.

SANCHEZ: I think she's exactly right. This is a tactic that Democrats have traditionally used against Republicans especially when it comes to race. Now they are using it internally. That's going to be the biggest challenge to try to unify this party in the summer and fall.

LEMON: OK. Roland, I'll give you the last word.

MARTIN: Don, on my Essence.com blog I have a timeline. She made that exact statement to John Gibson on his radio show before she gave that speech. Then she gave the speech. Then it was in the newspaper. So she cannot say I was talking about historic nature. No. She made the comment before the speech. It's on the record. It's online and she knows the truth. That's a fact.

LEMON: What I want to say, it's easy when you see something and I'm sure Carol who's in media will agree, when you see something in black and white and you take a quote, you go, oh, my gosh, but you have to look at it in context.

JENKINS: I don't think the media --

MARTIN: I played it on my radio show.

LEMON: Go ahead, Carol.

JENKINS: Right. But I think that the media is always sort of clipping the comments so that it just gets repeated over and over again. We'd be the first ones to say that it is not totally the media's fault, but I think that everybody in the Obama camp today is saying we didn't say she was a racist. I mean nobody is going there. But I think that some delicacy on both campaigns' part has to be used here.

LEMON: Well, we got to go, guys. Roland, I'm sorry. We're up against the clock. Roland Martin, Carol Jenkins, Leslie Sanchez, thank you.

JENKINS: Roland always gets the last word. MARTIN: And she said it!

LEMON: Thanks, guys -- Brianna.

KEILAR: You're a new parent and of course you worry every time your baby isn't doing things by the book. But who says the book, or even your pediatrician, is right? When should you question advice?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KEILAR: As a parent, you're bombarded with information and advice about raising your child. But how do you separate medical fact from medical opinion? And when should you challenge your pediatrician?

Our medical correspondent, Elizabeth Cohen, is here to help us become empowered patients and also empowered parents here.

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely. Because you know I talked to several pediatricians who said something very surprising to me, Brianna, and that is they said, you know what? There is not a lot that we say that is an absolute must-do.

For example, you must put your child in a backward facing car seat. That's a must-do. You can't argue with that about your newborn baby. But they said there are some things that pediatricians say, as if they were must-dos.

Let's take a look. We identify five of these things online and CNN.com/health but let's look at two of them here.

Sometimes a pediatrician will say, all right, your baby weighs 13 pounds, she's three-months-old, don't pick her up when she cries for food in the middle of the night. Don't pick her up. Don't feed her. You know what? Different parents do different things and many different approaches are acceptable.

Second one, even in this day and age there are pediatricians who will say your baby should be at home with mom or some other caregiver. Do not put the child in daycare. And that's really because the doctor doesn't like daycare even though study after study has shown that healthy babies are fine in daycare. So these are just two examples of things that pediatricians state sometimes as fact but are really more opinion.

KEILAR: What about feedings? Because I have so many girlfriends who have said this is such almost an uncertain area that it's been practically traumatizing to them.

COHEN: Absolutely. Parents are traumatized by feeding. Here's an example. At around four to six months of age a baby is supposed to start taking solid food. However, some babies just really aren't into it. The baby is six months and the parents panic because the pediatrician said they should be taking solid food.

The pediatricians we talked to said, look, if your baby is seven months old and not eating solid food and wants to get everything from breast or bottle, it's OK. Do not panic. At some point they will take solid food. You want to work with your pediatrician on that but it is not a drop-dead kind of thing.

KEILAR: All right. Such good advice from you. Very good advice. Elizabeth Cohen, our medical correspondent.

Be sure to check out Elizabeth's empowered patient article this week and every week on CNN.com/health.

LEMON: All right. The person you're looking at in that video, that is David Paterson. He is now the lieutenant governor of New York, but he's about to become the governor on Monday. He's going to hold a press conference. It's going to be very interesting to find out what he's going to say. His first time speaking out about this Eliot Spitzer controversy and about him taking over as governor coming up at the top of the hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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