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Arizona Sheriff Resigns From Romney Campaign; Interview With Senators John McCain and Lindsey Graham; Syria's Armed Opposition; ESPN In Trouble Over Lin Racial Slur; What Look For When Buying New Car; Rick Santorum Sets Off Hot Debate on Prenatal Health Care
Aired February 20, 2012 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN ANCHOR: Live from Studio 7, I'm Suzanne Malveaux.
I want to get you up to speed for Monday, February 20th.
U.N. inspectors are in Iran for another round of nuclear talks. It comes as Iran cuts off oil exports to Britain and France in retaliation for new sanctions.
Now, Iran insists that its nuclear program is for energy and medical research. Well, Western nations believe that the Iranians are trying to build a bomb.
Three U.S. senators, headed by Senator John McCain, have been meeting with Egyptian military leaders in Cairo today. They are trying to resolve the case of 19 American workers who face criminal charges in Egypt's crackdown on non-governmental organizations. Now, the trial is set to begin on Sunday.
This video from Syria is said to show men rushing into a burning house to save a child in the city of Homs. Now, CNN can't confirm its authenticity, but CNN forces have launched 17 straight days of heavy shelling in that city.
Now, a rebel commander calls the uprising an "Orphan Revolution" without the international support given to other revolts in the region. President Obama's main military adviser says it is premature to decide to help arm those rebels.
Rick Santorum surging to a solid lead over Mitt Romney. In the latest poll, Santorum is ahead of Romney by eight points in a Gallup daily tracking poll. That's a five-point drop for Romney, five-point jump for Santorum since last Wednesday.
And just before the Arizona primary, all four Republican candidates meet in Arizona. The Republican presidential debate, moderated by our own John King, that's coming up Wednesday at 8:00 p.m. Eastern.
In Washington State, an avalanche kills three skiers in the Cascade Mountains. Police say 12 skiers got caught in the snow slide, but the other nine were able to dig themselves out. Now, a sheriff's deputy tells us that one of the skiers survived because she used an avalanche rescue system which works like an air bag. A gay Arizona sheriff is outed and resigns from a position with the Romney campaign. Well, now his ex-boyfriend is speaking out.
Sheriff Paul Babeu denies allegations that threatened to have him deported. Now, CNN has the only TV interview with the former boyfriend. He spoke exclusively to our Miguel Marquez.
Miguel joins us from Florence, Arizona.
First of all, tell us, who is the man that you're speaking to and what is he accusing?
MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: He's a 34-year-old Mexican migrant, and he says that he is now living in fear because his ex- boyfriend, the sheriff here in Pinal County, has made threats against him.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SHERIFF PAUL BABEU, PINAL COUNTY, ARIZONA: And these allegations that were in one of these newspapers are absolutely, completely false.
MARQUEZ (voice-over): It's a Grand-Canyon-size political shocker.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're outmanned. With all the illegals in America, more than half come through Arizona.
MARQUEZ: The tough on illegal immigration Arizona sheriff outed by his migrant ex-boyfriend.
BABEU: This is my personal, my private life, but now it's not so private any longer. And it's an awful position for me to be in.
MARQUEZ: He's in that position because of this man, Jose, a 34-year- old Mexican national afraid to be identified, but speaking out because he says he was threatened by his powerful ex-lover.
(on camera): And then at some point you felt --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
MARQUEZ: -- used and then threatened?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
MARQUEZ: Why threatened?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I got a text from him, directly to my phone, saying that I will never have business, that my family will be contacted.
MARQUEZ (voice-over): The alleged threat to have Jose deported if he went public with the affair.
BABEU: At no time did I or anyone who represents me ever threaten deportation. Ever. MARQUEZ: Babeu stepped down as co-chair of Mitt Romney's campaign in Arizona, but the tough-as-nails sheriff he's not ending his run for Congress.
Jose says he's here legally and wants to get on with his life, but with the story playing a role in presidential politics, that won't be happening anytime soon.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MALVEAUX: So, has there been any reaction, first of all, from the Romney campaign?
MARQUEZ: There has been a little bit over the weekend. When the sheriff called them to resign, the Romney campaign said that they didn't want him to resign, that he didn't have to take that step, but the sheriff felt that it was the right thing to do. But he is keeping his congressional campaign alive here -- Suzanne.
MALVEAUX: And is it also true that Jose, he's working on the sheriff's congressional campaign? Does he still work on that campaign now?
MARQUEZ: He didn't work on the congressional campaign, he worked on the sheriff's campaign for sheriff when he first ran. He does not work on the congressional campaign now. He had managed the Web sites and Web properties for the sheriff on a volunteer basis during his run for sheriff here, but he was not involved in the congressional campaign -- Suzanne.
MALVEAUX: And do we think there's going to be any political fallout from any of this, from the sheriff? I mean, how is he holding up?
MARQUEZ: Well, I think it's going to be difficult for him because more and more keeps coming out. I mean, there are very racy photos out there. This is a fairly conservative area. He is a tough-as- nails sheriff in a tough-as-nails state, and it's going to difficult, I think, for him to rise above this.
His press conference was a model of crisis management. He came right out and said what he had to say. He had lots of people to talk on his support, but as time goes on we'll see the toll that this takes on the sheriff.
MALVEAUX: All right. Miguel, thank you so much.
(NEWSBREAK)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: Well, today is Presidents' Day. For many of us it's time off from work. The stock market is closed, banks shut down. We are honoring today the nation's presidents.
Of all 43, only five are still alive. It's an exclusive club. I was a White House correspondent for 10 years, had the privilege and opportunity to interview all five of them. Showing up to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue for work every day kind of puts you in a unique position to actually get to know them.
George W. Bush is the one I got to know the best, having covered his two terms. Now, Bush had a rocky start with the press corps at first. He felt he was burned by "gotcha" questions. But then he got comfortable in his role, pushing back on some of the challenges that were coming his way.
Now, this was one of those memorable moments when the Democrats had just seized control of Congress.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: With all due respect, Nancy Pelosi has called you incompetent, a liar, the emperor with no clothes and, as recently as yesterday, dangerous. How will you work with someone who has such little respect for your leadership and who is third in line to the presiency?
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I've been around politics a long time. I understand when campaigns end and I know when governing begins. And I'm going to work with people in both parties.
You know, look, people say unfortunate things at times. But if you hold grudges in this line of work, you're never going to get anything done. And my intention is to get some things done.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: Well, President Bush, he was generally emotional both in front of the cameras, but also during many of our off-the-record sessions. During the first meeting with him, he teared up over the prospect of our country going to war.
He also used humor to try to lighten the mood during those tense times. With me, it was about pronouncing my name.
This was the final press briefing.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BUSH: Yes, Suzanne? I finally got your name right after how many years? Six years?
MALVEAUX: Yes. Eight years.
BUSH: Eight years. You used to be known as "Suzanne." Now you're "Suzanne."
MALVEAUX: Suzanne. Thank you.
(LAUGHTER)
BUSH: I'm George.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: All right. He was kind of funny.
Coming up next, we're going to have my sit-down interview with former President Jimmy Carter.
Well, back to one of the top stories. Senior Senators John McCain and Lindsey Graham and Joe Lieberman all have been meeting with Egyptian military leaders in Cairo today. They're trying to resolve the case of 19 American workers who now face criminal charges in Egypt.
What is Egypt doing? They're cracking down on what are called non- governmental organizations.
Senators McCain and Graham, they are joining us now live from Cairo.
Senator McCain, I want to start off with you.
Thank you very much for both of you to be here.
You said you're trying not to negotiate the release of these 19 Americans. What is your intent, what is your purpose, and who have you met with so far?
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), ARIZONA: Well, we have met with the Supreme Council and also the field marshal, Tantawi, who is the head of the provisional government, as you know, the speaker of the parliament. We met with the head of the Muslim Brotherhood and others.
And we have emphasized the importance of the issue to the American people, the importance of it being resolved as quickly as possible. But we -- as I said, we are not negotiators, we are people who want to emphasize the importance of our relationship with Egypt and the importance of this issue getting resolved so we can move forward with very important challenges that Egypt and our relationship faces.
MALVEAUX: And Senator Graham, what did they tell you about those who are being held? Did they give you any assurances at all that they will be released in the near future?
SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R), SOUTH CAROLINA: Well, I'll leave optimistic, Suzanne, quite frankly. The Muslim Brotherhood, much to my surprise, said that one of their priorities in parliament is to change the NGO law that these people are being prosecuted under, because most of us tend to forget that during the Mubarak regimes era, the Muslim Brotherhood was very much oppressed by the government. And so they made an open commitment to change this law so that non-governmental organizations would have more freedom, because they saw the NGOs during their time as helpful.
The military very much understands the importance of our relationship. So the term that politicians always use is, "I'm cautiously optimistic," but quite frankly, I'm very optimistic that we're going to get this episode behind us and have a fresh start with the new government.
MALVEAUX: Have they given you a date or a time certain that they would be released?
GRAHAM: I don't want to talk about any details. Again, we're not negotiators. But the sense that this shelf life is due to expire on this issue, and that we want to start over, I think is well understood. And the sensitivity of the issue on both side is well understood. So it's my hope sooner rather than later.
MALVEAUX: And Senator McCain, have they offered in any way for you to actually see these 19 Americans who are in their control?
MCCAIN: We just met with the remaining Americans at the U.S. Embassy, where they are now, and we had an excellent conversation with them.
MALVEAUX: What did they tell you? What are the conditions like?
GRAHAM: And I might add, if you don't mind, it's just not about --
MALVEAUX: Sure. Go ahead, I'm sorry.
MCCAIN: Well, they're in the embassy there, as you know, and they are well taken care of. But there is a certain amount of concern, obviously, tension, because right now they are not allowed to leave the country. And although the conditions that they are in the embassy are fine, there certainly is reasons for anxiety to get this issue resolved.
MALVEAUX: And did you specifically see one of those Americans, Sam LaHood, the son of the transportation secretary?
MCCAIN: Yes, I saw Sam, and I can tell you he's fine, he's grown a full beard, and he's not nearly as good looking as he used to be.
(LAUGHTER)
GRAHAM: But Suzanne, we're also worried about the employees. I just want to put a plug in for the Egyptian employees of these organizations.
John is the head of IRI, the International Republican Institute. Madeleine Albright is the head of NDI. And the accusations against these groups are unfounded and, quite frankly, offensive.
They're not spies. We're not trying to destroy Egypt's future. We're trying to help the Egyptian people.
And we made that very well known, that we don't agree with the premise here. And again, they were in good spirits, it's a hearty group, and the work over here is very important for our country and the world, and we're very proud of them.
MCCAIN: But we are worried about non-U.S. citizens who work within these organizations, and we'll work hard to make sure their welfare is cared for as well. MALVEAUX: In light of that fact, do you worry that you can't protect those, those Egyptians who might -- who are not able to leave like the Americans are?
MCCAIN: Yes, we are concerned. We have their names, and we are making every effort to make sure that they are not in any way held culpable for the violation of a Mubarak-era law which is anachronism, unfair and unjust.
MALVEAUX: And finally, to both of you, I know, Senator Graham, you said that you were optimistic, that you hope that this is resolved fairly soon, that you're working with the Muslim Brotherhood. Are you confident going into the future here that the United States does have a reliable, credible partner here, a real ally in the next leadership here in this country?
GRAHAM: Well, time will tell. Like all politicians, including the ones back home, you have to judge us by our actions.
But when the Muslim Brotherhood spoke about changing this law, and their experiences in the past, that made me optimistic that from their past bad -- from their abuses, they're going to try to create a better future. But at the end of the day, their economy is on its knees, the Muslim Brotherhood has to deliver for the Egyptian people.
Our aid is very important to the Egyptian military. The military in Egypt kept this from being a bloodbath. But we're going to take a wait-and-see attitude.
How do you write the constitution? Will you honor the rights of Coptic Christians in this country? What will be the future of women under the new Egyptian constitution?
MALVEAUX: Right.
GRAHAM: I came here very much concerned, but I'm leaving somewhat optimistic that the Muslim Brotherhood and the new government is embracing a better future, but time will tell.
MCCAIN: Suzanne, very briefly --
MALVEAUX: Sure. I do --
MCCAIN: -- Mubarak -- could I just say, Mubarak was going to go. He was going to leave. And that -- we have to adjust to that reality and hope that on the path of democracy, we maintain our strong relationship with Egypt.
Go ahead, please.
MALVEAUX: And Senator McCain, very quickly here, Senator Lindsey talked about the aid, the $2 billion a year, plus the additional money that the Obama administration has given since Hosni Mubarak has been deposed there.
Do you think Congress is in a position now to reconsider that amount of aid, perhaps take away some of that aid until we find some real concrete action from the Egyptian people in releasing these hostages?
MCCAIN: There is always time to do that. Right now, what we want to do is emphasize the benefits of our relationship, the benefits of getting this issue behind us, and lets move forward with very vital issues.
We know and you know that Egypt is the heart and soul of the Arab world. And our relationship with this government and the success of this government is vital to the United States' national security interests, including Israel's.
MALVEAUX: All right.
Senator McCain, Senator Graham, thank you so much for joining us here. And obviously, if there are any updates on the release of those 19 Americans, we will go to you as quickly as possible for any kind of breaking news.
Thank you very much for your time.
We'll have more after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: U.N. inspectors are in Iran for more nuclear talks. It comes as Iran fights back against European Union sanctions by cutting off oil to the U.K., as well as to France.
Matthew Chance, he's joining us live from London.
And Matthew, first of all, this has been kind of a thing that's gone on for years and years and years. You've got inspectors, they go into Iran, they become very frustrated here.
What makes them think that this go-around they're going to get any kind of answers from Iran that they are looking for here?
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I'm not sure, Suzanne, they do think they're going to get those kinds of answers. In fact, the chief inspector, on his way out, made the point that this was going to be a slow process and he wasn't expecting to come back with very positive results immediately.
But it is part of a process which is under way, perhaps to try and create some space to perhaps bring Iran back to the negotiating table so that the possibility of conflict between the West and Iran can potentially be avoided. That's something that really underlines all these tricks we're seeing to Iran by the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog agency.
MALVEAUX: Sure. And, of course, everybody is watching the oil prices. They already went up today after Iran cut the exports to Britain and to France. So I'm sure gas prices could follow as well.
Is that a concern for the folks who you're talking to on the ground, as well as others? CHANCE: Yes, I think it's a general concern that the instability around Iran will cause oil prices to go up. Obviously, it feeds into inflation and things like that.
On the issue of Iran oil cutting its oil supplies to Britain and France, that in itself isn't that significant. It's a symbolic gesture showing that Iran is defiant and will resist these kind of economic sanctions that have already been imposed on it. It's clearly saying, no matter what pressure you put on us, we're going to press on with our nuclear ambitions.
MALVEAUX: All right.
Matthew Chance.
Thank you, Matthew.
A rebel commander is calling it the "Orphan Revolution," why the international community is not helping Syrians in their fight against this brutal regime.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: Eight days of relentless government attacks on the Syrian city of Homs. People are being killed in their homes, on the streets.
The International Red Cross is trying now to negotiate a cease-fire so it can deliver at least food and medical supplies to that city. Now, rebels have also been asking for weapons.
President Obama's main military adviser says that is premature, to decide to help arm the rebels. He discussed the challenges with our own Fareed Zakaria.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FAREED ZAKARIA, HOST, "FAREED ZAKARIA: GPS": Do you believe if you needed to you could militarily intervene in Syria in the same way you did in Libya?
GEN. MARTIN DEMPSEY, CHAIRMAN, JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF: Not the same way we did in Libya. I mean, Syria is a very different challenge. It's a different challenge, as you described it, geographically.
It's a different challenge in terms of the capability of the Syrian military. They are very capable. They have a very sophisticated, integrated air defense system, for example. They have chemical and biological weapons.
Now, they haven't demonstrated any interest or any intent to use those, but it is a very different military problem.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: And Dempsey says right now the opposition movement in Syria doesn't even have a clear identity. Our Ivan Watson has the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(CHANTING)
IVAN WATSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Meet Syria's armed opposition, a handful of men on a hillside led in prayer by a masked cleric. "God grant us victory over the sinners," he chants. "Make us victorious over the family of Assad." Bravery against a 40-year dictatorship from fighters who are little more than boys.
(on camera): This is a rebellion of farmers, carpenters and university students. The men here describe themselves as members of the Free Syrian Army, but it would be much more accurate to call them an impromptu village guard. Many of them are defending these olive groves that surround their community with little more than hunting shotguns.
(voice-over): The men guarding the entrance to this opposition-held town don't have enough guns or ammunition. The commander is a former Syrian army general who defected six months ago. Like many of his fighters, he covers his face for safety. He calls Syria's 11-month- old uprising the "Orphan Revolution," because unlike the revolts in Egypt, Libya, Tunisia and Yemen, he says, the Syrian rebels haven't received any foreign support.
With no outside help, the men of this community turn to a higher power: Friday prayers in a packed mosque in the rebel-held town of Binnish. Condolences for a man killed by a sniper's bullet in the nearby city of Idlib turn into a full-throated war of "Allahu Akbar!" -- "God is great!"
The town marches into the town square and performs a weekly ritual of defiance against Bashar al-Assad. There's no Syrian government presence in this town, but Assad's tanks are never far away.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And they are one kilometer far away from here.
WATSON (on camera): The Syrian army?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, the Syrian army.
WATSON: Will you fight if the Syrian army comes here?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, we will. Because we were for 10 months, was peaceful, but now there is no other solution.
WATSON: You have to fight?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, we have to fight. (INAUDIBLE).
WATSON (voice-over): Not everyone shares this spirit of defiance. Abid al Menam (ph) spends his days taking care of the flock of pigeons he breeds on his roof. "These are hard times for the whole country," he says. "It's too dangerous to travel outside of town because you don't know who you could meet on the open road. And if you leave, you may never come back."
Trapped at home while his birds fly free, Menam (ph) waits for what many here fear is inevitable, a Syrian civil war.
Ivan Watson, CNN, in northern Syria.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN, ANCHOR: It's not only skills on the court that dominating the headlines, also a racial slur used to describe New York Knicks standout, Jeremy Lin. ESPN follows up with action and an apology.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: Pretty cool. Knicks' Jeremy Lin, done it again. The NBA's latest sensation scoring 28 points. Had a career-high 14 assists in New York's win over the defending champs, the Dallas Mavericks. That happened all on Sunday. That is New York's eighth win in nine games since he became a starter two weeks ago.
So while the skills on the court dominated the story, part of the fun, like little silly headlines, Lin-sanity, Lin-ning streak, that kind of stuff. Everybody's been talking about it. But ESPN got into trouble over it over the weekend.
Susan Candiotti has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Insensitive at best, a racial slur at worst, many Asian-American fans we spoke with here in Chinatown are not taking kindly to a comment in a headline made by ESPN. It was after the New York Knicks ended a seven-day winning streak by losing to the New Orleans Hornets, ESPN published a headline on its mobile web site that read, "Chink in the armor." It was yank about a half hour later, but the damage was done. One Sunday, ESPN fired the headline writer was suspended the TV anchor who had used the same phrase, and issued a statement calling the remarks offensive and adding, quote, "We again apologize, especially to Mr. Lin. His accomplishments are a source of great pride to the Asian-American community, including the Asian-American employees at ESPN."
Fans we spoke with in New York's Chinatown, not happy.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You wouldn't say the "N"-word or any racist tone, racist statement to any other race, for that matter, so why should Chinese be excluded?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's inappropriate. It is. And he should be treated like any other player. It shouldn't be -- I don't know. I don't think race should be a factor.
CANDIOTTI (on camera): Lin himself was more philosophical about it.
JEREMY LIN, NEW YORK KNICKS BASKETBALL PLAYER: ESPN apologized about it. There's no -- I don't think it was on purpose or whatever but, at the same time, they apologized. So from my end, I don't care anymore. I have to learn to forgive. and I don't even think that was intentional, or hopefully not.
(SHOUTING)
CANDIOTTI: At a sports bar called Libation on Manhattan's Lower Eastside, fans were cheering Lin on.
Ready for the puns? Lin-spirational. Lin-sanity.
Lin backers in Chinatown hope Lin can help erase racial stereotypes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Playing in a ballparks or playgrounds, as an Asian person playing, you're always looked down upon. Now, you can say, hey, there is an Asian-American playing.
Just like to see him dunk. Just, wow.
CANDIOTTI: Susan Candiotti, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MALVEAUX: I'm sure we'll see him dunk fairly soon.
Jeremy Lin may have forgiven ESPN, but SNL is not letting them off the hook. This weekend, they took the coverage of race and Jeremy Lin asking, when all the jokes and puns go too far.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: I think he's unstoppable. He's like that sign said at Wednesday's game, Lin is the Knicks good fortune.
(LAUGHTER)
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: He's sweet, not sour.
(LAUGHTER)
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: He turned Kobe in Kobe beef.
(LAUGHTER)
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: Kobe's like, hey, I ordered fried chicken.
(LAUGHTER)
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: Hey -- (LAUGHTER)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: It's President's Day, and I've been fortunate enough to have interview all five of our living presidents -- Jimmy Carter, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and President Obama.
I recently had a chance to sit down with President Jimmy Carter, who talked about everything from the Iran hostage crisis, his leaving the Southern Baptist Convention over the treatment of women and his personal life. He's 87 years old. He has a book out, "Through the Years with Jimmy Carter." And here is how he's looking back.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JIMMY CARTER, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The best times of my life have been the last 30 years since I left the White House. I enjoyed being president. I wish I could have been reelected to a second term. But I think the experiences I've had since then have been the most gratifying and most challenging and most adventurous and most unpredictable in my life.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(LAUGHTER)
MALVEAUX: So that is an understatement. What is he doing in the free time? That day, before the interview, he said he had bagged a turkey, did oil painting and wrote a newspaper column.
In the next hour, we'll give some insights in President Obama, who was willing to share a great deal of his personal life when he first hit the public stage.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: Whitney Houston has been laid to rest. The superstar singer was buried in a private ceremony yesterday. On Saturday, family, friends, many of the artists, all saying goodbye. It was an incredible thing to watch here. There was so much emotion. People were praying, singing. They were paying respects. I want to bring you some of the highlights.
(SINGING)
TYLER PERRY, ACTOR & FILMMAKER: There are two constants I know about Whitney Houston. One is there was a grace that carried. A grace that carried her from heaven down through Ms. Cissy Houston. A grace that brought her up through singing. A grace that -- from what I understand, she wasn't even supposed to be able to speak, let alone sing, because of an incident that happened to here as a child. There was a grace that kept on carrying her all the way through.
(APPLAUSE) KEVIN COSTNER, ACTOR: The Whitney I knew, despite her success and world wide-fame, wondered, am I good enough? Am I pretty enough? Will they like me? It was the burden that made her great and the part that caused her to stumble in the end. Whitney, if you could hear me now, I would tell you, you weren't just good enough, you were great.
(SINGING)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: A beautiful ceremony, very emotional.
The investigation into Houston's death, that continues as well. A source close to the case telling us that the toxicology reports may come out sooner than the typical six to eight weeks that is expected.
Taking a look at stories the affiliates are covering.
First, there's a tense stand of that is playing out in a Minnesota police station. Officers say they were just doing paperwork when a man they thought was suicidal walks in.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Stay back! Stay back! Stay back!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Drop the knife!
(SHOUTING)
(GUNFIRE)
(SHOUTING)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I drew my gun thinking I needed to shoot this guy to protect me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: In California, investigators say a small plane collided with a helicopter near Rio Vista Airport. Federal officials will help with the investigation.
Now watch something amazing. This is what happened in Massachusetts. You see this burning building. You run into it to see if you could help? What then? This guy, he actually runs into the building to save two men who were trapped inside. Surveillance video from a nearby funeral home catches all this on tape. Families of the guys he rescued are so grateful, but he's modest.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KATIE CAGGIANO, VICTIM'S DAUGHTER: We are very grateful for what he did to risk his own life and to save our family.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, I'm no hero. Just a guy that can help.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: Good news for folks buying cars. A new survey shows that quality is now better.
Alison Kosik has some of the information, some tips to help you get a quality car.
Alison, what should we know and look out for?
ALISON KOSIK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Suzanne, J.D. Power's Annual Dependability Survey is out. It measures how well cars purchased three years ago will hold up. and overall, dependability rose 13 percent from the year before. Of the 32 brands measured, 25 showed improvements over last year, six did worse, one stayed the same. Toyota's luxury brand Lexus topped the reliability list. Rounding out the top five, it's Porsche, Cadillac, Toyota and Scion, also owned by Toyota. That gives Toyota three of the top five.
There is perception that American cars are not as good. That may not be so accurate anymore. The survey found that while consumers still think American brands are unreliable, domestic automakers are catching up to foreign rivals in terms of actual dependability -- Suzanne?
MALVEAUX: That is a good thing. So if you're looking for a car, where do you start the whole thing?
KOSIK: OK, "Consumer Reports" says the car buying process needs to begin at home. Do your research before you get to the dealership. And don't make a decision that is based just on price. Read multiple reviews and factor in reliability, safety and fuel economy. "Consumer Reports" recommends making a special trip to the dealership to comparison shop and take test drives. You can take some of the pressure off of yourself by making it clear to the salesperson that you're not buying a car that day. When you do begin negotiating, you will be presented with the MSRP. That is the manufacturers suggested retail price. But don't start price negotiations there. Instead, use sites like "Kelly's Blue Book" to determine what the dealer paid. Open negotiations at a price between 1 and 5 percent over the dealer's invoice price -- Suzanne?
MALVEAUX: If you have to have financing a car and you want to trade in something, should you do it all at once, negotiate at that particular time when you start?
KOSIK: OK, what "Consumer Reports" recommends is negotiating one thing at a time, beginning with the price of the new car. If you will roll off the finance, leasing and trade-ins into one big package, that will give the dealer an opening to entice you with a low price on one item while inflating the others. Don't be afraid to just walk out of the show room. Remember, you are there to buy the car you want, not the car that the dealer wants to sell you -- Suzanne?
MALVEAUX: That is a tough thing to do, walk out of the show room when you see that car and you want it.
KOSIK: I've done it before many.
MALVEAUX: Really?
KOSIK: It worked.
MALVEAUX: Really? I don't know if I could do that.
Stick around. I know, up next, you'll explain how to close the deal.
Thanks.
KOSIK: You bet
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: We're back with Alison Kosik, trying to talk about how to get the best deal on a car if you're shopping for a car.
Set up the scenario for me. You have a great deal. How do you negotiate paying for it?
KOSIK: Ideally, Suzanne, what you want to do is arrange financing in advance. "Consumer Reports" actually recommends shopping around for the lowest interest rates at banks, credit unions and loan organizations. And if the dealer can beat the other offers, great. You're going to have the option to choose that instead. Before you sign, you may get the option to add some extras. But "Consumer Reports" says, wait, stay away from the ones you don't need. If you want rust proofing, fabric protection, or paint protectant, you're better off doing it yourself --Suzanne?
(LAUGHTER)
MALVEAUX: OK, better off doing it yourself, including probably washing the car, too.
KOSIK: Yes.
MALVEAUX: Thank you, Alison.
KOSIK: You got it.
MALVEAUX: Rick Santorum, he is standing by his comments about prenatal testing and abortions. We're going to look at whether the things that he said and this kind of talk is helping his surge in the polls, ahead in our "Political Ticker" update.
But first, we have some presidential trivia for you. It's President's Day. Who do you think was the shortest president? He was just 5'4", weighing less than 100 pounds. We've got the answer in just a minute.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) MALVEAUX: All right. So did you guess? The shortest president in U.S. history is this guy, our nation's fourth president. James Madison was only 5'4". He didn't weigh much either, just under 100 pounds. That's all right. He was a small president.
In the race to determine the next president, giving comedy shows lots of material to work with. We're talking about "Saturday Night Live" and it's take on President Obama, while he's waiting to see what the Republicans are going to do, fighting out for the nomination.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(APPLAUSE)
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: Good evening. I'm Fred Myers. Here's tonight's top stories. A new poll showed that President Obama's approval rating has risen in recent weeks and now stands at 50 percent. Said the president, keep talking, fellows.
(LAUGHTER)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: All right. Republican presidential candidate, Rick Santorum, has plenty to talk about. He certainly did over the weekend. Some of his remarks setting off a hot debate. Here's what he said about prenatal testing and the Obama administration's health care plan.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RICK SANTORUM, (R), FORMER PENNSYLVANIA SENATOR & PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: One of the mandates is they require free prenatal testing in every insurance policy in America. Why? Because it saves money in health care. Why? Because free prenatal testing ends up in more abortions, and therefore less care that has to be done.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: Jim Acosta is at the political desk in Washington.
Jim, this created a lot of fireworks over the weekend. A lot of people are reacting to that.
JIM ACOSTA, CNN POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Oh, yes.
MALVEAUX: I understand that Santorum is not backing down from what he said essentially.
ACOSTA: He's not.
MALVEAUX: Tell us about his position, how he basically defends this, and how the Obama camp is reacting.
ACOSTA: Yes, it's very interesting, Suzanne, to listen to Rick Santorum bring out these social issues, because they haven't been really at the forefront of his campaign. They certainly have been in the forefront of his political career but not his campaign. And he was asked about those comments on prenatal care on CBS' "Face the Nation."
He did not back down from those comments. His position is that prenatal care leads to more abortions. Meaning, that when expectant mothers go in and get prenatal testing, in cases where fetal abnormalities are detected, that in many of those cases the mothers decide not to have the pregnancies go all the way to term. So Rick Santorum is standing by those comments. And that's the reason why he is giving that comment and making those remarks.
And the White House had a pretty tough response to it. There was a spokesperson at the White House who called the comments a race to the bottom. That phrase "race to the bottom" is something that we will hear a lot about from the election campaign. Robert Gibbs used the same phrase yesterday in one of his Sunday show appearances. So that's something we'll be hearing more from the Obama reelection team in terms of how they're shaping this Republican race.
MALVEAUX: And what is interesting here, Santorum is now ahead of Romney, and the latest polls showing that he's actually ticking up and you've got Romney ticking down.
ACOSTA: Oh, yes, big time.
MALVEAUX: Do we think it's these kinds of comments, essentially, that are helping him?
ACOSTA: You know, I think that really remains to be seen, Suzanne. There's a new Gallup daily tracking poll that shows Mitt Romney ahead of Santorum by 8 percentage points. And there it is right there. And Newt Gingrich really far behind. That's got to be stunning news to the Gingrich campaign.
But my sense of it is the reason why Rick Santorum has surged ahead in recent days is because of the mishaps that Mitt Romney has had. And because of the strategy that the Santorum campaign had to put its eggs into Colorado, Minnesota and Missouri and those victories really helped the campaign get a big boost.
The question in the next 24 to 48 hours, and heading into the CNN debate on Wednesday, is whether or not these socially hot-button issues are going to work for Rick Santorum in places like Michigan, where there are more moderate Republicans that are voting. And that's something we'll be watching heading into the debate on Wednesday -- Suzanne?
MALVEAUX: All right. Thank you, Jim.
Just days before the Arizona primary. As mentioned, the GOP competitors squaring off on the issues. Watch the Arizona Republican Presidential Debate on CNN, moderated by our own John King. That is Wednesday night, 8:00 eastern.
