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Interview With Kent Sorenson; Santorum up, Gingrich Down in Iowa; Bachmann Aide Defects; Hispanics Still Like President Obama; Over 30 Killed In Syria; Dying Teen Inspires Us; Donating To Fund- Raisers

Aired December 29, 2011 - 13:00   ET

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

NATALIE ALLEN, CNN ANCHOR: Well, everyone, I am Natalie Allen. It is 1:00. We have a very busy hour ahead, let's get straight to the news.

Blink and you will miss the Republican candidates for president as they speed across Iowa. But with caucuses now just five days away, where the candidates are going isn't half as important as where their poll numbers are going. Suddenly, after months in the bottom tier, Rick Santorum is making a major move and so is Newt Gingrich but in the other direction. Santorum, Gingrich, Ron Paul, Rick Perry and Mitt Romney all have campaign events this hour and we will dip in and listen in where we can.

Well, speaking of moving, Michele Bachmann's campaign is moving on without the former chairman of its Iowa operations. Kent Sorenson left to work for Ron Paul and Bachmann claims she knows why.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHELE BACHMANN (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I had a conversation with Kent Sorenson. And in the direct conversation that I had with him he told me that he was offered money. He was offered a lot of money by the Ron Paul campaign to go and associate with the Ron Paul campaign. No one else knows about that conversation other than Kent Sorenson and myself and I know what he said to me about that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ALLEN: So, what does Sorenson say? Stick around. In just a few minutes, he will join me live to explain himself. It is his first T.V. interview since he changed camps, and you don't want to miss it.

Well, poll numbers have not been especially encouraging to President Obama but the Pew Hispanic Center offers one ray of hope. It finds that by a margin of more than 2-1, Hispanic voters say to the president over potential GOP opponents, Mitt Romney or Rick Perry. That's despite the fact most Hispanics disapprove of increased deportations on Mr. Obama's watch. Hispanics are the fastest growing population group in the country and a major voting block.

Arab League monitors on the ground in Syria have failed to stop deadly clashes between security forces and anti-government protesters. Opposition activists say more than 30 protesters were killed across the country today. In the Damacus suburb of Douma, a (INAUDIBLE) of human rights group says security forces fired at demonstrators gathering in the grand mosque as the monitors arrived in the city killing at least 13. The monitors came in after president Bashar al Assad agreed to an Arab League plan to stop the violence, calling for a withdrawal of troops from the cities and the release of political prisoners. The U.N. says more than 5,000 civilians have died in 10 months of unrest.

The Obama administration says it will do whatever is necessary to keep open the vital oil route of the Strait of Hormuz. Iran threatens to block the Strait which links the Gulf to the Indian Ocean. About 40 percent of the world's oil passes through it. The threat came after the European Union and U.S. separately decided to tighten sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program. Iran is conducting naval exercise in the Eastern part of the Strait. It's threat initially briefly pushed up international oil prices.

A judge's ruling in Arizona could cost public schools in Tucson millions of dollars a year. An administer law judge says the district's Mexican-American studies program violates a new law prohibiting divisive ethnic studies classes. It is an issue that's upset a lot of people. The judge says the program presents Latino history and culture in a biased political and emotionally charged manner. Some district board members aren't sure what their next step will be.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MIGUEL CUEVAS, BOARD MEMBER: At this point, we will review the direction of the administrative law judge, and we believe that we are in compliance of this law.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ALLEN: The ruling upheld a prior decision by the state's school superintendent to shut down the program.

BP faces hundreds of lawsuits over the deepwater horizon disaster and criminal charges may be on the way. "The Wall Street Journal" reports federal prosecutors are building a case against several BP engineers and at least one supervisor who allegedly may have lied to regulators about the risks involved in the well that up. The company itself could face charges of violating the Clean Water Act. It's already been fined for safety violations. Neither BP nor the feds are commenting on the Journal's reporting.

In New Orleans, about 40 vehicles were involved in this deadly pile-up on Interstate 10 early this morning. Police say two people were killed, more than 50 injured, 22 were taken to area hospitals. There was heavy fog in the area at the time of the accident. Both eastbound and westbound lanes were closed.

Well, do you believe in angels? Ben Breedlove did. He made the most out of life after cheating death three times and with messages of hope like this one, he became an internet sensation inspiring thousands. We will share part of Ben's last message with you right after the break.

But first, it doesn't always take a village, sometimes it takes a metropolis. Two weeks before Christmas, a decorated New York police officer was gunned down while trying to stop a robbery. Peter Figoski left four daughters, two of whom are in college, the others are in high school. And New Yorkers have now given $1.6 million to pay for their education. So, to a city that is sometimes seen as cold and uncaring, we say, all of you who stepped up to honor a hero to help out a family you never knew, you're today's "Rock Stars".

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ALLEN: This afternoon in Austin, Texas, family and friends of Ben Breedlove will gather to remember a young man none of them will ever forget. You may know Ben yourself through the videos he liked to post on YouTube. He was handsome, well liked, and sick. Born with a heart condition that ended his life Christmas night. He was 18 years old. Exactly one week earlier, Bed sat before a camera one last time and left us all a story, a message that he thought we should hold onto. It's Ben's story and he told it without ever speaking a word. I wish we could play it all, but here's one bit of it, describing the first of three times Ben said he cheated. He had suffered a seizure at age four.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BEN BREEDLOVE (silently via YouTube): I was being wheeled down this hall on a stretcher. The two nurses that were pushing it, and my mom running alongside. There was this big bright light above me. I couldn't make out what it was because it was so bright. I told my mom, "Look at the bright light" and pointed up. She said she didn't see anything. There were no lights on in this hall. I couldn't take my eyes off it, and I couldn't help but smile. I had no worries at all, like nothing else in the world mattered and kept smiling. I can't even describe the peace, how peaceful it was. I will NEVER forget that feeling or that day.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ALLEN: Ben Breedlove, the power of silence and beautiful words. Ben closed this by asking, do you believe in angels or god? His final card says, I do.

Well, as 2011 comes to an end, many of you may be thinking about making a donation to charity. But what if we told you that only 37 cents of each $1.00 you give actually goes to the organization? Find out who's getting the rest, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ALLEN: Well, as promised, we're keeping a close watch on all of the Republican presidential candidates as they make their way around the state of Iowa. There's Rick Santorum right there. He's just started a live event in Muscatine, Iowa. We will monitor what Rick is saying this hour and we'll bring that to you in just a little bit. But we keep following all of them closely. Well, as the year comes to an end and many of consider donating to a charity, consider this. More of your money may be going to telemarketer than to the charities themselves. Case and point, New York's attorney general says, while New Yorkers gave $36 million more in 2010 than 2009, charities only added an additional $3 million to their bottom line. Last year, New Yorkers donated more than $249 million to charities through telemarketing campaigns. The professional fund-raisers' cut, $157 million. That left just $92 million going to charities. Susan Hager is president of the United Way of New York state and joins me from Albany. Susan, thanks for joining us. Charities got 42 cents --

SUSAN HAGER, PRESIDENT, UNITED WAY OF NEW YORK: You're welcome.

ALLEN: -- for every $1.00 donated two years ago, in 2010, it was less than 37 cents. So, do these numbers trouble you?

HAGER: They definitely trouble us, and you know, we really have to congratulate the attorney general, Eric Schneiderman, for doing this report and raising these very important issues. For one thing, it's important to understand that this is not all charitable giving. This is charities, in fact 411 of them that chose to use telemarketers to raise their money. It's very troubling that actually over a 10- year period, this is the trend that such a small percentage of the money actually goes to charities. In fact, 77 percent of the time, the report shows charities receive less than 50 percent of the money, and 47 percent of the time, they received less than 30 percent of the money --

ALLEN: And that hurt.

HAGER: -- 61 charities --

ALLEN: Yes.

HAGER: -- actually didn't receive any money.

ALLEN: Oh, that's a shame. That really hurts the giving process, doesn't it? When people hear things like this?

HAGER: Well, that's the other problem with the report. It's good to warn donors, it's good for media to cover it. We thank CNN for the coverage. But it may have an effect we don't want to see which is to discourage people from giving to legitimate charities and this is the wrong time for that message to be sent.

Here in New York state, we were devastated by Hurricane Irene, Tropical Storm Lee at the end of August and early September. We've got thousands of families that need our help. So I would urge donors who are out there to think very carefully and to make sure that they direct their gifts to legitimate charities.

ALLEN: And I've got to ask you, how are professional fundraisers able to keep so much of that money? Aren't there rules in place to prevent gouging? HAGER: Well, the current set of rules rely on reports such as these. It relies on transparency and sunshine. It assumes that the donor is going to be informed and do their homework. Unfortunately, that's not always the case. There has been some reluctance to legislate or make rules about the percentage of funds that a charity can keep, in part because who would determine what's the right amount. Is 20 percent enough, 30 percent, 40 percent? So decision makers, the policymakers, have come down on the side of making sure that donors know about this and reports such as Attorney General Schneiderman's is a big help in that direction.

But I would like to urge donors to be very cautious about how they make that charitable gift in the future.

ALLEN: And give us a couple of ideas on how they can be cautious and is there any more safety in giving, say, through social networking than say a telemarketer?

HAGER: Not necessarily. So here are the ideas that I would suggest for donors who want to give. The most important thing they should do is they should ask questions. Whether they're approached over the telephone, via e-mail or someone coming to their door. They need to ask how the donation is going to be used, very specifically. And if they're being asked for a second time because they gave last year, they should ask how was last year's gift used.

Here in New York, we just had a very significant donation from Verizon to help us assist those families who are affected by the hurricane. Verizon was on the phone with me for a very long time asking about the guidelines, how is the money going to be used, how is it going to be helped.

If you're called on the telephone, you should specifically ask the clarity to send you additional information in the mail. Charities thrive -- legitimate charities thrive on that kind of transparency. And if someone is reluctant to do that for you, then you really need to steer clear of that one.

ALLEN: Great advice.

HAGER: You should not give your credit card number over the telephone unless you know who you're speaking with and the same goes of e-mail, social networking or texting. Again, unless you know that charity, you've dealt with them before, you should be cautious.

ALLEN: Great advice. We really appreciate it, Susan Hager, president of United Way of New York. We've got a little more advice for our viewers right now. Thank you, Susan.

Here's how to vet charities before doling out your dollars. In New York, the attorney general's website is charitiesnys.com. And for all 50 states, HLN's consumer expert Clark Howard recommends charitynavigator.org and give.org. Great advice there.

It sounds like a scene out of a Hollywood horror movie. A man dressed as Santa Claus allegedly opens fire on his entire family on Christmas Day. Now for the first time, we're hearing the chilling 911 call he made.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You need an ambulance or police? Hello?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ALLEN: More of that call, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ALLEN: Just a short time ago, a man accused of shooting and paralyzing a U.S. soldier at a homecoming party appeared in court in California. And that tops today's "Crime & Consequence." Ruben Ray Jurado pleaded not guilty at an arraignment hearing. He's charged with attempted murder in the shooting of Army Specialist Christopher Sullivan last Friday night. Sullivan was awarded a Purple Heart for injuries suffered during a suicide bombing in Afghanistan. Five members of Sullivan's unit died in that attack.

In Texas, chilling words from a gunman made clear in an enhanced recording of a 911 call. He whispered to the police dispatcher, quote, "I am shooting people." Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hello. Grapevine 911.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Help me. Help me.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You need help?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm shooting people.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Are you sick?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm shooting people.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What was that? Do you need an ambulance or police? Hello. One moment.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ALLEN: Police say the man, shown here in this family photo, shot and killed his estranged wife, two of his own children and three other family members before turning the gun on himself. The horrific attack happened Christmas Day in the Dallas suburb of Grapevine. Police say the shooter was dressed as Santa Claus. The family had apparently just finished opening Christmas presents when they were killed.

A new poll shows Mitt Romney leading the pack in Iowa and Newt Gingrich taking a back seat. And you will never guess who's number three. Is this just another case of rotating front-runners or does Romney really have a shot of winning this week? That is "Fair Game" and it's next. Plus, the advisor who left Michele Bachmann's camp to join Ron Paul is telling his side of the story. Kent Sorenson joins us live next in his first TV interview since the shakeup. You don't want to miss this.

But first, today's question for all you political junkies out there. Just how many of us -- members of the media that is -- are expected to flood the streets of metro Iowa to cover Tuesday's Republican caucuses -- 850, 1,500 or 3,000? Find out right after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ALLEN: OK. Before the break I asked, how many members of the media are expected to flood the streets of Iowa to cover the Republican caucuses? Well, according to the "Des Moines Register," 1,500 of us. Incidentally, that is far fewer than the 2,500 who were there in 2008 when the Republican and Democrat races were in play.

So, thanks to all the media who are there covering it. We've got these three live pictures for you up on the screen of campaign events. We dipped in and talked about Rick Santorum. He's in Muscatine, Iowa. Newt Gingrich is about to take to the podium there in the center of your screen. He's in Storm Lake. And Mitt Romney is in Mason City, Iowa. And we are certainly learning all the names of the towns in Iowa as well. So we'll monitor all these events and we will bring you clips from them as we hear from the candidates.

Well, speaking of Iowa, I hope you're sitting down. When you hear the latest numbers from Iowa, you may be shocked. Look at this brand-new CNN/"Time"/ORC poll of likely GOP caucus participants choice for nominee. Newt Gingrich has faded. Mitt Romney is on top. Followed closely by Ron Paul. And Rick Santorum, well, has surged into the top three. With just five days to go before the caucuses, it's looking like a brand-new ballgame and it's all "Fair Game" today right here.

Let me bring in Republican strategist Ron Bonjean and CNN political analyst Roland Martin.

Let's start with Santorum, who's support has more than tripled since the beginning of the month, guys. He explained his climb in the polls to Wolf Blitzer yesterday on "The Situation Room." Here he is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RICK SANTORUM (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: It's like any small business person, Wolf, with -- if the money's not coming in, you've just got to work harder. And that's what we're doing. We're continuing to work hard. We're going, you know, up in the morning doing radio shows at 6:00 in the morning here and going until, you know, 9:00, 10:00 at night. And town meeting after town meeting. Three hundred and fifty-seven town hall meetings I've done in the state of Iowa. And, you know, hard work pays off.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ALLEN: I guess it does. Roland, is Santorum's efforts, are they paying off or is he just another candidate to get his 15 minutes before falling?

ROLAND MARTIN, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: No, bottom line is, I've always said from day one, no one has been paying attention to this race part of December. Look, we spend all our time with these polls and who's up, who's down. Frankly, the average voter does not give a damn. Now all of a sudden, one week out, all the people are paying attention. So it's no shock that you're seeing this movement in these polls. Because even all the major polls, more than 50 percent of GOP voters hadn't made their mind up. Santorum has put all of his efforts in Iowa. So it's no surprise he's seeing this kind of movement. I think we're going to see even more back and forth leading up to Tuesday. So it's no shock.

ALLEN: And, Ron, do you agree now that folks are putting away the Christmas tree, they're starting to pay more attention?

RON BONJEAN, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: Oh, no, absolutely right. The media's covering it 24/7 now. You just showed three events on the screen. I think that for Santorum, you know, it's a life lesson. Part of being successful is just showing up in life and in politics. He's visited all 99 counties. He's held countless town meetings. And I think what you're seeing is are voters who are walking away from Newt Gingrich because of the negative attack ads and the exposure he's had. I think Gingrich surged a little bit too early. And it's from voters that still can't get to Mitt Romney just yet. They still can't vote for him.

However, I think Roland's right, you know, 43 percent of Iowa Republican voters still could change their minds and there's a lot of time left on the clock. Even though it seems just like a few days, that's forever in politics.

ALLEN: Yes, you're absolutely right. That's a lot of towns all across Iowa. But I have to ask, as far as Santorum, all of the time that he has spent in Iowa, will that hurt him in his chances immediately down the road?

BONJEAN: I think it will.

MARTIN: This is exactly what you're supposed to do. This is what you're supposed to do, OK. It's the first state. I'll tell you one person who is probably sick to his stomach is Tim Pawlenty because he was operating from conventional wisdom, I don't do well in the Ames, Iowa Straw Poll so, all of a sudden, I drop out of the race. We have seen what's happened with Santorum, with Herman Cain, with Newt Gingrich. When you don't have the big money behind you, the game is changed. You said yourself, 2,500 journalists in Iowa four years ago. 1,500 today. The Internet has changed the game. Cable television has changed it. You aren't running conventional races like you used to. But Santorum has put boots on ground and he's seeing results.

ALLEN: Can Gingrich do anything to surge back, Ron?

BONJEAN: I think it's going to be pretty difficult. He's doing everything he can. One of the -- two problems he had. One, he set the expectation out early that he was going to win Iowa. I think it was a huge mistake. The second one was not responding to these negative attack ads right away. We saw that back with lessons past, like John Kerry, for example. You have to respond to these attacks or else they define you. If you're the candidate, you think people know who I am. No, they don't necessarily do. And you have to fight back.

ALLEN: One more question to both of you. That is defection from Michele Bachmann to Ron Paul by the head of the campaign staffer there. We are about to talk with him, so I want your thoughts on that.

We'll start with you, Roland.

MARTIN: Look, it is no surprise. You see this in Iowa all the time. And, look, you want to jump on the bandwagon of winners. Of course, the whole accusation in terms of did he get paid for it -- let's just be honest. It's not like money doesn't flow around Iowa or other states as well. It sounds pretty nutty to be at a Michele Bachmann rally, then you show up at a Ron Paul rally later on. But we've seen this historically where politicians play for -- play to -- for favors and stuff. Understand, a caucus is different from a traditional primary. You can have fortunes change in the room. If you're Ron Paul, absolutely, picking up somebody like this is a good thing for you. But that's Iowa, so it is no shock.

ALLEN: And --

(CROSSTALK)

ALLEN: Ron, go ahead.

BONJEAN: Yes. I'd say if he'd stuck with Bachmann -- Bachmann is a sinking ship right now in Iowa. She's not doing very well. It is understandable that he was looking to find a new campaign. It is rather surprising where he's going. But at the same time, it is likely Paul will place in the top three at this point.

ALLEN: Stand by. Instead of talking about him, let's talk with him. We'll come back to you in a minute.

If you haven't been following the GOP presidential race, now is a good time to start. Of course, the Iowa caucuses five days away and the polls are as slippery as ever, of course.

A candidate who's had her share of ups and downs is lashing out at the top aide we are talking about, who jumped ship.

Here again, Michele Bachmann's version of Kent Sorenson's defection.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. MICHELE BACHMANN, (R), MINNESOTA & PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I had a conversation with Kent Sorenson and in the direct conversation that I had with him, he told me that he was offered money. He was offered a lot of money by the Ron Paul campaign to go and associate with the Ron Paul campaign. No one else knows about that conversation other than Kent Sorenson and myself. And I know what he said to me about that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ALLEN: Sorenson had been the chairman of Bachmann's operations. He joins me now live from Des Moines.

Mr. Sorenson, the congresswoman says you are a sell out. Are you?

KENT SORENSON, FORMER BACHMAN CAMPAIGN ADVISOR-TURNED RON PAUL ADVISOR: Absolutely not, Natalie. I -- I do not -- I -- that conversation never happened. And as much respect as I have for Michele, the fact of the matter is it just didn't happen. I think it is unfortunate they're resorting to these types of tactics.

ALLEN: So why did you switch, and why now?

SORENSON: Well, I think we have a real clear opportunity here to defeat Mitt Romney. And when we're -- when you're looking at the polling that we were seeing, both internally and what we're seeing released throughout the various media outlets, I think it was very clear that it came down to a race of the two top-tier candidates, Mitt Romney and Ron Paul. And I believe, by far, Ron Paul is the most conservative in that top-tier category. And I believe it is my duty, both to my family and to my state, to ensure that somebody like Mitt Romney does not walk away in Iowa as a victory.

ALLEN: You are a state Senator. Is this how politics kind of works in Iowa.

SORENSON: I'm doing this as an individual citizen. I am a state Senator. And I'm not sure this is how politics works. The fact of the matter is I make tough decisions every day. I'm willing to be scrutinized for those decisions. I believe this is the right decision. I believe when we see polls coming back where it is a two- point race between Mitt Romney and Ron Paul, I believe that we have to make a tough decision.

I love Michele Bachmann. I love her family. I think they're fantastic people. I think it's unfortunate they've resorted to these type of tactics. But the fact of the matter is she wasn't going to win Iowa. I believe we had to make a clear choice. And I believe it was my duty to my family and to my state to make sure that we aren't electing a frugal Socialist like Mitt Romney.

ALLEN: Do you worry this will hurt your own prospects as a campaign organizer now?

SORENSON: Well, in all honesty -- listen, three years ago, I owned a janitorial company. I never planned on getting into politics. I did it because I wanted to stand up for stuff I believe in, for issues that are important to me. The fact of the matter is, if I lose credibility or I lose the race because of this, my next race because of this, I decide to run, I'm fine with that, as long as Mitt Romney's defeated in Iowa.

ALLEN: Stand by, Kent.

We were just interviewing Ron Bonjean, a Republican strategist. He's been listening in and he has a question for you -- Ron?

BONJEAN: Not necessarily a question. No. I just think it is fascinating that you made the decision to go to Ron Paul. Why did you make the decision to go to Ron Paul instead of someone like Rick Santorum?

SORENSON: No. Well, it's very easy. Obviously, you guys are not in Iowa. In 2008, when I was running for the Iowa House, no one came to my aid. The Republican establishment said I didn't have a shot. There was no way I was going to win.

There was one group of people that came to my aid and helped me get to the top and that was people helping on the Ron Paul campaign. When I was going into my 2010 Senate race, it was a very tough race, and I can't think of anybody that helped me other than the Ron Paul people. Ron Paul himself came out and did three fundraisers for me. And leading up to the race to Election Day, door knocked for me. They lit-dropped for me. They were the most dedicated campaign volunteers I had.

When I was going into this decision -- you can understand, I started dealing with Michele Bachmann in February, well before she was announced candidate. She approached me, asked me if I would be interested in coming on-board with her if she decided to run for president. I was told that she was planning on doing that. I made a phone call to the Ron Paul campaign. I asked them what his intentions were. At that time, they didn't know if he was going to run or not. They couldn't give me a definite answer. A week or two goes by and I decided to join up with Michele Bachmann.

Now, when I'm looking at this current race and current status of the race, I think it is very clear that they came to my aid when he was in a tough race and now I'm coming to their aid. And I believe it is the right thing to do.

ALLEN: Well, what if Ron Paul starts to slide. Is there a chance you could switch again? Are you sticking with him?

SORENSON: No, I'm sticking with him. I'm sticking with him. Listen, we have four days left here in Iowa. I believe that the caucus process in Iowa has worked itself out. I believe that Ron Paul has run a textbook campaign in Iowa. He spent time here. He's invested in Iowa. He's invested in all 99 counties. And I believe that Iowans are going to reward him next week with a victory.

ALLEN: Did it feel at all awkward, all of a sudden, leaving Bachmann and showing up at a Ron Paul event at the microphone?

SORENSON: Here's something else I want to make clear. I heard you guys talking beforehand that I was at a Bachmann event earlier in the day. That Bachmann event happened to be at a hometown that I represent. I attended the event because it was in my district, just like -- just like I attended a Ron Paul event there a month earlier. If any presidential candidate invites me to attend an event in my district, I definitely do that. I even would have attended probably a Mitt Romney event. But unfortunately, he decided not come to our area. And Ron Paul has invested time and effort and I believe he needs to be rewarded for that.

But it wasn't -- it was awkward because I had friends on both sides. But when I came over to the Ron Paul campaign, it wasn't like I was going into a group of people I wasn't familiar with. These were people that had volunteered for me, people that door knocked for me, people that donated to my campaign, people that came and helped organize my campaign, and so I mean I felt like I was coming back to part of my family.

ALLEN: We appreciate your time coming on and talking with us about your decision.

Kent Sorenson was with Bachmann, now with Ron Paul.

Of course, Ron Bonjean, as well, thank you for being with us. A Republican strategist.

Thank you all.

Michele Bachmann will respond live in "The Situation Room" with Wolf Blitzer tonight, 5:00 p.m. eastern on CNN. Hear what she has to say to Wolf about this happening with her campaign just five days out.

An 8-year-old girl has become the face of the ugly battle over religious extremism in Israel.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED GIRL: I'm scared.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well just walk a little bit. OK?

You want to walk just a little bit?

UNIDENTIFIED GIRL: No

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ALLEN: The mere thought of walking to school terrifies this little girl. But today, just hours ago, a big change occurred. Her story coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ALLEN: All she wanted to do was walk to her elementary school with her mom. What actually happened was shocking and terrifying. Ultra-orthodox Jewish men shouted at the 8-year-old, spit on her and called her a prostitute, all because they didn't approve of her very modest dress.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) UNIDENTIFIED GIRL: I'm scared.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well just walk a little bit. OK?

You want to walk just a little bit?

UNIDENTIFIED GIRL: No

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ALLEN: You can hear her crying there. The second-grader, Nohama Margalay (ph), totally beyond her control, has become the center now of the latest fight over religious extremism in Israel. She became a household name after her story was told on an Israel television program last Friday. Critics say elements of the ultra-orthodox community are trying to impose its strict religious beliefs on the entire country. It is a fight that often spills into the streets.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(SHOUTING)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ALLEN: Many Israelis believe the struggle could eventually change the entire social fabric of the country unless the extremists are stopped.

Our Jerusalem bureau chief, Kevin Flower, has been closely following the story.

Kevin, we thank you for joining us. There was some good news today for Nohoma (ph) when she went to school. Tell us about that.

KEVIN FLOWER, CNN JERUSALEM BUREAU CHIEF: Well, that's right. It was a totally different scene from that dramatic video you saw before of her crying. Today, she and her mother walked to school amidst reporters, cameras, police. She went into her classroom and was met by the education minister and members of parliament who listened to her story and listened to the story of other children in her class who expressed fears about having to walk to school under those conditions, where they are being assaulted verbally and spit on by extreme members of the ultra-orthodox community. So clearly, that is something that did not happen today and they do not expecting to happen going on in the future -- Natalie?

ALLEN: It is hard to believe a little girl like that could be picked on. There she went in her little purple sweater and purple backpack. Does the conflict involve the entire ultra-orthodox community?

FLOWER: Well, no, it doesn't. It really involves a small, very extreme minority of the ultra-orthodox community. But this is a minority that makes its feelings and its wants known. In this particular town, a town outside of Jerusalem, it was a small group of these men who were involved in this activity, but it was widespread. This was something that would happen not only with school children, it would happen with women walking down the street and not dressed properly. Lots of anecdotes by the residents of feeling intimidated by this small group of ultra-orthodox men. This ultra-orthodox community in Israel makes up only 10 percent of the population but, again, this group of radicals, a fairly small part of that -- Natalie?

ALLEN: They're a small part but they can certainly have a loud voice when they reach antics like they have. Have they been becoming more vocal?

FLOWER: Well, absolutely. There are two parts to the story. The actions of this small minority, it is not new. but at this point, it is gaining a lot more attention amid fears their that sort of view of religion is spreading and that they're trying to force it down the throats of normal Israelis or less orthodox, less religious Israelis. That is what we've been seeing a lot of attention being paid to recently. And it extends to the segregation of public buses, here in Jerusalem and some other cities, posters or advertisements with women are sometimes blacked out, torn down in ultra-orthodox communities. Even in some government functions, women are not allowed to sing. There are been controversies over military events and municipal events where women have not been allowed to sing for fear of alienating or angering ultra-orthodox in the community.

So there is a lot of questions going on here about the power of the ultra-orthodox community and whether they have too much power in making these societal decisions -- Natalie?

ALLEN: Hopefully, this little girl can walk quietly to class in the near future. As you say, it has been stopped.

Thank you. Kevin Flower, for us in Israel.

Again we are watching closely the candidates blanket the state of Iowa. Right now, Mitt Romney talking with voters in Mason City about the jobs and economy. We're watching three events right now. Rick Santorum has been going now for close to 47 minutes. And we should be hearing from Newt Gingrich soon. We'll continue to dip in and we'll be listening to them and bringing you their comments as we push on. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(VIDEO)

ALLEN: The sounds of that massive tsunami after a powerful earthquake hit Japan in March. It crippled a nuclear power plant creating radiation fears. That wasn't the only big medical story in the headlines in 2011. The World Health Organization raised new fears, issuing warnings of possible cancer risks from cell phones. And that's not all. So put down your phone and get ready for the top medical stories of 2011.

Here's chief medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): January 8th, gunfire at a campaign event for Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. Six people are killed.

DISPATCHER: Is anybody injured? Did you say Gabrielle Giffords was hit?

CALLER: She's hit. She's breathing. She does have a pulse.

GUPTA: The Congresswoman was shot in the head but she survives.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She was just exceedingly lucky, right? When I saw that trajectory of where one hole was and where the other hole was, I was like, oh, my gosh. However --

(CROSSTALK)

GUPTA: Wait a minute, because it was so far apart?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. It wasn't little scathing thing. It went through a lot.

GUPTA: 3.5 months later, the first public steps in the Congresswoman's remarkable recovery.

(SHOUTING)

GUPTA: In 2011, I tried to put a spotlight on big hits in the brain. Finding growing evidence that football puts young people at serious risk and professional players as well. In February, former Chicago Bears Safety David Duerson committed suicide. He left his brain to scientific research. When the findings came back, his brain had telltale signs of chronic injury. And as stories like this rolled in, the NFL put in new rules to try and protect its players.

(SHOUTING)

GUPTA: Then, it was March, and I witnessed the aftermath of an astonishing disaster in Japan.

(on camera): Dumped right here in the middle of the street.

(voice-over): Our first hours on the ground were just scary.

(on camera): So we are going move at this point. These seem like official warnings now.

(voice-over): There was no tsunami. We were safe but more than 16,000 people lost their lives. Thanks to leaks from a crippled nuclear plant, the district around Fukushima will be unlivable for years to come.

In May, the World Health Organization said cell phones might, might cause brain cancer. Brain scans can actually spot the impact of radiation from phones. And some studies found a cancer link. It doesn't mean cell phones are dangerous, but to be on the safe side, I always say, use an earpiece.

July brought questions about cancer in 911 just ahead of the tenth anniversary of the attacks. Federal authorities say there's not strong evidence connecting dust from the fallen twin towers and cancer. First responders with cancer would not receive special compensation. But just a month later a big study of New York City firefighters found the opposite.

DR. DAVID PREZANT, CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER, FDNY: We found a 19 percent increase in all cancers in our exposed firefighters as compared to our non-exposed firefighters.

GUPTA: The decision on compensation could still be reversed.

In October, the spotlight landed on the PSA test to detect prostate cancer, a test undergone by more than 20 million men each year. A federal advisory panel said the PSA test just isn't worth it.

And then November, exciting news of a stem cell break through. Two studies using infusions of a patient's own stem cells. One found the cells could re-grow dead heart tissue, once thought to be impossible. And the other study found the cells could reverse heart failure.

I'm Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, reporting.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ALLEN: Five days out and it's looking like a two-man race. Here we have another live picture. This is from a Mitt Romney event going on right now. We are on the ground in the Hawkeye State, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ALLEN: Now to the presidential caucuses in Iowa. The countdown clocks standing at five days, and time is running short for candidates.

CNN political gurus, Paul Steinhauser and Mark Preston are live in Des Moines for us.

Mark, Rick Santorum made the incredible jump into third place according to the brand new poll. How did he do it?

MARK PRESTON, CNN POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Well, I don't think anyone is as surprised as Rick Santorum was when those numbers came out late yesterday afternoon. Right? He was very surprised. But he does say it comes down to good old fashioned campaigning.

Let's hear what he said a couple hours ago about his newfound rise in the polls.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RICK SANTORUM, (R), FORMER PENNSYLVANIA SENATOR & PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Iowa provides the spark. There's plenty of tinder on the ground that will start burning in these other states. And if we become the clear alternative, as I hope we will be in the caucus, the conservative alternative to Mitt Romney, there will be a lot of folks who will rally to our side in New Hampshire. I believe we'll have a strong showing there.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN DEPUTY POLITICAL DIRECTOR: There's got to be some truth to that. I was with Rick Santorum in Des Moines in June 2010. No other candidate was here, except for Ron Paul, who's also doing well in the polls. Rick Santorum is showing that going out and campaigning and meeting people is the way to do it.

Paul, but with the rise of Santorum is the fall of Newt Gingrich.

(CROSSTALK)

STEINHAUSER: Yes, and Gingrich is plummeting in our poll 19 points from earlier this month. Has he been lowering his expectations in Iowa the last week or two? It seems that way.

Take a listen to what he said an hour or two ago?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Will you stay in the race?

SANTORUM: Sure. That would --

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: So there are more than three tickets out of Iowa?

(CROSSTALK)

SANTORUM: Sure. It depends what happens. It depends on what the margins are. But, yes, (INAUDIBLE). Considering I'm 20 points ahead, it will be fairly foolish not to stay in the race. It's a long way from here to picking a nominee.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

STEINHAUSER: Gingrich is still pretty confident, Mark, he'll do well in South Carolina and Florida. The states are both third and fourth -- Natalie?

ALLEN: Paul Steinhauser, Mark Preston.

Don't sleep, guys, in the next five days. The polls could change again.

(LAUGHTER)

We know you'll be on top of it.

Thank you.

That's it for me today. I'm Natalie Allen. Thank you for watching. NEWSROOM continues right now with Isha Sesay -- Isha?

ISHA SESAY: Thanks, Natalie.