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CNN Saturday Morning News

Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Dies; Violence Continues in Syria; Political Pundits Debate President's New Immigration Policy; New Watergate Details Released; CNN Hero Tries to Prevent Underage Drunk Driving; New Documentary Details Sexual Assault in U.S. Military; Michigan House Member Criticized for Using Inappropriate Language

Aired June 16, 2012 - 10:00   ET

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

RANDI KAYE, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, everyone. I am Randi Kaye. It is 10:00 on the East Coast, 7:00 a.m. out west. Thanks for starting your day with us.

Saudi Arabia will have to name a new crown prince after today's sudden death of Nayef bin Abdul Aziz. He had only served since last October and was next in line for the throne. The aging royal family has been worried about a vacuum at a time when anti-regime protests are increasing, as Saudi Arabia's interior minister, Prince Nayef, was a hardliner who cracked down on critics as well as Al Qaeda. The crown prince was in Geneva, Switzerland, for medical tests. His body will be flown back to Saudi Arabia tomorrow. The kingdom hasn't revealed the cause of death. He was 79.

Entire towns ground into dust and children brutally massacred as their parents forced to watch. It didn't seem like the violence in Syria could get any worse, but now it is too dangerous even for the United Nations. The head of the U.N. supervision mission in Syria says it is suspending all U.N. activities, including U.N. observer patrols. Unarmed U.N. monitors are in Syria to try to make sure all sides are abiding by the proposed ceasefire plan. So far the guns are still firing and U.N. observers have even faced attacks from hostile crowds.

In Egypt, voters are heading to the polls more than a year after their Arab spring revolution toppled Hosni Mubarak from power and landed him in prison. They are picking Mr. Mubarak's successor in a closely watched runoff this weekend. An Islamist candidate is facing off against Mr. Mubarak's final prime minister. For many it is the first time they've ever been able to vote in a free and democratic presidential election.

Our man on the ground in Cairo, Ben Wedeman, says the mood has been relaxed and even jubilant. That's despite fears of earlier unrest after Egypt's top court resolved the parliament last week.

And here at home, firefighters are facing a relentlessly advancing wall of flame in Colorado today. The Hyde Park wildfire has scorched 54,000 acres already. So far, it is only about 20 percent contained. Fire teams are hoping for rain but afraid of lightning, which started this huge fire in the first place. Thousands of people have had to leave their homes and more than 100 of those families will have no home to return to. She was one half of the Republican ticket in 2008, but Sarah Palin isn't throwing her support to the man who will lead her party in this year's election, at least not yet. At a rally for conservative bloggers, Palin didn't even mention Romney's name, choosing instead to praise the grassroots activists for their work during a keynote speech. You may remember that Palin was an outspoken supporter of Newt Gingrich during the Republican primaries.

"More fair, more efficient, more just" -- with those words, president Obama announced a major shift in his immigration policy, targeting a key voting bloc and inspiring a sense of relief to hundreds of thousands. But the controversy over the president's plan started before he could even finish his speech. Brianna Keilar explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: President Obama made an unexpected trip to the Rose Garden to highlight his administration's announcement that it would buy time for young illegal immigrants facing the possibility of deportation.

BARACK OBAMA, (D) PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: These are young people who study in our schools, they play in our neighborhoods, they're friends with our kids, they pledge allegiance to our flag. They are Americans in their heart, in their minds, in every single way but one -- on paper.

KEILAR: As the president was halfway through his remarks, a reporter for "The Daily Caller," a conservative news website, interrupted him, asking the president what the change means for American workers.

OBAMA: It is the right thing to do.

Excuse me, sir. It's not time for questions, sir. Not while I'm speaking.

KEILAR: President Obama continued his remarks but came back to the man.

OBAMA: And the answer to your question, sir -- and the next time, I prefer you let me finish my statements before you ask that question -- is this is the right thing to do for the American people. I didn't ask for an argument. I'm answering your question.

KEILAR: Brianna Keilar, CNN, the White House.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAYE: Mitt Romney is in the middle of a five-state bus tour, taking his bid to replace President Obama to voters in several key states. Today he is in Pennsylvania. And while out on the trail, the presumptive Republican nominee questioned the timing of the president's new immigration proposal.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) MITT ROMNEY, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I can also tell you that I think it's unfortunate that this sort of thing comes up four-hospital center months before the election. The president's been in office three-and-a-half years. He had both houses of Congress and did nothing in his first two years with them. And of course, this comes up at a time when it's a temporary measure. We really need something that is long term so people can understand what the future will be for them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: President Obama's shift in immigration policy, good politics or election-year game-changer? We're going "In Focus" on immigration and the possible effect on the November election. That's next.

But first, an interview manhunt under way for a triple murder suspect. Police say 21-year-old Brandon Baumgartner killed three security guards and left another in critical condition during a robbery attempt at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada. And now the mother of the man accused is pleading for him to surrender, quote, "Please, Travis, I love you and I'm pleading with you with all my heart to end this without further bloodshed. As your mother, I promise to you now that I will be there by your side to support you." We're following the story closely and will bring you updates on the manhunt throughout the morning.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: Good morning, once again. We are focusing this morning on immigration. The Obama administration announced that it will stop deporting young, illegal immigrants who were brought to the United States as children, but only if they meet certain requirements, like living in the U.S. for at least five years and not having any felonies on their record. This move is expected to directly affect around a million people. Our good friends, Republican analyst Lenny McAllister and Democratic strategist Maria Cardona back with us this morning. Nice to see you both.

MARIA CARDONA, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Great to be back, Randi. Thank you.

KAYE: So, let's talk about this. The pundits and politicians, they're jumping all over this announcement. U.S. representative Allen West being one of them. He said this -- "This is yet another example of executive branch overreach. It is apparent that the goal of the Obama administration is not to govern but rule by edict." And this from Senator Dick Durbin, "The decision to extend temporary legal status to DREAM act students is a historic humanitarian moment. This action will give these young immigrants their chance to come out of the shadows and be part of the only country they've ever called home."

So Lenny, I'm going to start with you on this one. What do you make of this decision, this policy shift?

LENNY MCALLISTER, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: Well, it's unfortunate because we all know that there needs to be immigration reform. We understand that, and I think everybody agrees with that. But, once again, one of the major overreaching examples of president Obama's, quote-unquote, "leadership" is something that's come by way of executive edict.

And again, it seems as though this is a season of giving. You've seen him evolve on gay marriage. You've seen him evolve after being a president that's deported at high numbers now to having this come out yesterday. I'm waiting for an evolution where he's telling Floridians that they're going to get free passes to Walt Disney World and Ohioans that they're going to get free passes to Geauga Lake, and Pennsylvanians, that they're going to give free tickets to Steelers games in order to please a bloc of voters he needs in November. This is nothing more, unfortunately, than a political move. This is not something that's leadership. Leadership would have been what senator Obama said he'd do in 2008, bring people together, get comprehensive reform through crisis, versus skipping the constitutional process and doing it this way, hoping to get yet another key voting bloc on his side for November.

KAYE: All right, Maria, you take it now.

CARDONA: Well, clearly, Lenny has gotten the Republican talking points. So, let's be real here for a second.

MCALLISTER: Let's go ahead and hear the Democratic talking points now.

CARDONA: It is absolutely not an edict. It is a temporary move that will give relief to about 800,000 immigrant students who have been here for many years, who have contributed positively to our country, who know no other country of origin and perhaps don't even speak the language.

It does follow the position of the DREAM act. And frankly, the DREAM act, Randi, has been a piece of legislation that has been supported historically by Republicans until lately when the Republican party has had to lurch to the right to make sure that they give the conservative ultra-right wing the power that they now have. And it is something, the DREAM act itself is something that the majority of the American people have supported for many, many years.

So to talk about this as an overreach and an edict and ignoring the constitution is just not true. The president himself said that this is temporary. He does have the power through prosecutorial discretion. So, let's do what Lenny said. If Republicans really want a bipartisan solution to this, where were they in the last three years when the president was asking to work with Republicans to come up with real comprehensive immigration reform, when you have McCain, who had his own name on the legislation, basically turned his back on this? So, it's never the wrong time to do the right thing.

KAYE: So, let's talk about the timing, though, because Lenny, in 2008, about 10 million Latinos voted. The 2012 figure could be higher, in fact. So I mean, is this just a play for Obama to win the Latino vote again, do you think? And will it work?

MCALLISTER: It will probably work because Mitt Romney still needs to bone up on illegal immigration, his stance on that and strengthen that. It will work as of now. But yes, of course it's a political play. If this was the right thing to do, why didn't we do this when there was a supermajority in the Senate, when there were huge majorities for the Democrats in 2009 and 2010? Because they were distracted with pushing through another piece of legislation that the American people, by a majority, did not want, but Democrats were determined to do by way of an executive order that was given at the very last minute to please blue dog Democrats, including former Congressman Bart Stupak.

Let's not forget about this. That's the unfortunate thing about this. Is it the right thing to do as far as getting comprehensive reform? Yes. Is it right to do that by going around constitutional and congressional means of doing it? Absolutely not. This is a sign of desperation from this president that he needs to do everything he possibly can in order to squeak out a victory in November, and I don't think it's going to work overall.

KAYE: Maria, let me ask you about the timing, because we have SB-1070, the controversial anti-immigration law in Arizona. We're going to get a ruling on that in the coming days from the Supreme Court.

CARDONA: Right. Right.

KAYE: Then we have a super PAC that supports mitt Romney planning this massive media campaign against the president, painting him as anti- immigration.

CARDONA: Right.

KAYE: So again to you, the same question, how much of this is about politics?

CARDONA: Well, look, certainly, everything that the president does this year is going to be looked upon through the prism of politics, whether it is or not. But again, I go back to it's never the wrong time to do the right thing. And this is something, frankly, that the administration has been working towards for three years. This is not just something that Secretary Napolitano woke up yesterday and said, oh, let's change immigration policy. No. They have been hearing from dreamers for three years. They have been hearing from immigration advocates for a long time now because the advocates understand that this president has tried to work with Republicans in a bipartisan manner to find the permanent solution, which, by the way, we still need to do. This is not a permanent solution. It is not an edict. And they understand that Republicans have time and again turned their back.

Again, I go back to there are 11 Republican senators today in the Senate, Randi, that just a few short years ago before Obama came in to office supported comprehensive immigration reform. What's changed? Nothing. What has changed is that Mitch McConnell now has as his number one goal to make sure this president is a one-term president. They are not interested in really solving the problems that are facing this country.

So this president is trying to do things that are right for the American people, that are right for our economy, and that is the right thing to do for these 800,000 students who are American in every way possible except for a little piece of paper.

KAYE: Maria Cardona --

MCALLISTER: It wasn't the right thing to do. It wasn't the right thing to do in 2009-2010, Maria. Let's not talk about the election year, an election year.

CARDONA: And Republicans didn't want to do it then and they don't want to do it now. They're in trouble in November, period.

(CROSSTALK)

KAYE: Call each other. You can continue that conversation. Lenny McAllister, Maria Cardona, thank you both very much.

CARDONA: Thank you very much.

MCALLISTER: God bless you all.

KAYE: The new FAA rules designed to keep air traffic controllers on the job have been broken nearly 4,000 times, but that's not nearly as shocking as why controllers may be breaking the rules.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: It is one of those bucket list destinations hidden away in the matters of Peru. Machu Picchu is considered a wonder of the world, but if you're interested in seeing that, you'll find you can get there easier than ever. Rob Marciano is "On the Go."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Machu Picchu is called the lost city of the Incas. Hidden high in the Andes mountains of Peru, it remained out of reach of Spanish explorers. Even in modern times, a grueling five-day hike up the Inca trail used to be the only way to get there.

RICHARD BANGS, SOUTH AMERICA: QUEST FOR WONDER: There are other ways, and there are simpler and more accessible and available to anybody. It doesn't matter your age or physical fitness. And the best is probably the train. There are trains departing all the time, all day long down to Machu Picchu.

MARCIANO: The gateway to Machu Picchu is the city of Cuzgo, and there are now more flights than ever.

BANGS: A lot of airlines used to service directly from the U.S. to Lima, and then you connect up to Cuzco. It's made it a much more attractive destination.

MARCIANO: Only 2,500 visitors a day are allowed into Macho Picchu, so buy your entrance ticket in advance from a travel agent or tour company. BANGS: So Machu Picchu has experienced explosive growth over the last decade, as it has made almost everybody's bucket list. And it's worthwhile. It's transcendentally beautiful.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: And if you're going to be traveling a lot this summer by plane, well, think about this. It seems those new rules designed to keep air traffic controllers from staying awake are being violated. "The Washington Post" reports there have been about 4,000 violations since the beginning of the year, according to the FAA. Remember all those instances last year where controllers were caught sleeping on the job? Well, the new rule is that they need to get at least nine hours of rest between shifts. But it seems the controllers are breaking the rule because they would rather squeeze their shifts together to get a three-day weekend.

One of the enduring mysteries about Watergate was the identity of Deep Throat. We now know Richard Nixon knew his name all along. But that's just part of the story. Think CIA and the mafia. We'll share the details.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: After losing his daughter to a drunk driver, a father in Montana set out on a mission to try to protect all the children of his community from the same fate. Ahead of this father's day, we celebrate CNN hero Leo McCarthy, the courageous dad who refused to let his daughter become just another statistic.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LEO MCCARTHY, CNN HERO: October 27th, 2007, was a beautiful autumn day. Mariah, she was with her two friends. I didn't know the last time I kissed her would have been my last time. Later that night, they were walking down this path when an under-aged drunk driver swerved off the road and hit them. Mariah landed here. She died that night. They were only a block away from my house. Mariah was only 14. And I'm thinking, how did this happen? It is so preventable.

My name is Leo McCarthy. I give kids tools to stay away from drinking.

Our state has been notoriously top five in drinking and driving fatalities in the country. The drinking culture, it's a cyclical disease that we allow to continue. Mariah's challenge is be the first generation of you kids to not drink. In the eulogy, I said if you stick with me for four years, don't use alcohol, don't use illicit drugs, I'll be there with a bunch of other people to give you money to go to a post-secondary school.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I promise not to drink until I am 21.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I promise not to get into a car with someone who has been drinking.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I promise to give back to my community. MCCARTHY: I think Mariah's challenge is something that makes people think a little bit more to say we can do better. Mariah's forever 14. I can't get her back. But I can help other parents keep their kids safe. If we save one child, we save a generation.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAYE: And remember, all of our heroes come from your nominations, so go to CNNheroes.com and tell us about your hero.

It's been nearly 40 years since the most notorious political scandal in American history began to unfold. We're talking about the Watergate break-in. And now we're hearing shocking, new information that connects President Nixon to the mafia.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: Welcome back, everyone. I'm Randi Kaye. Tomorrow marks 40 years since the infamous Watergate break-in that eventually led to President Nixon's resignation, and the scandal, believe it or not, is still unraveling. Just this week, the FBI released the personnel files of Mark Felt, also known as Deep Throat. He supplied "Washington Post" reporter Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein with key information about the investigation. Remember the late-night parking lot visits made famous in "All the President's Men"?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In a conspiracy like this, you build from the outer edges and you go step by step. If you shoot too high and miss, everybody feels more secure. You'll put the investigation back months.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, we know that. And if we're wrong, we're resigning. Were we wrong?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You'll have to find that out, won't you?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: That was a great scene. And in the new book "Watergate -- The Hidden History," just out this week, author Lamar Waldron exposes the connection between the White House, the CIA, the mafia and the scandal. We're happy to have him in studio with us this morning. Good morning.

LAMAR WALDRON, AUTHOR, "WATERGATE: THE HIDDEN HISTORY": Great to be with you.

KAYE: So let's talk about the mafia connection. What's that all about?

WALDRON: Well, as it turns out, you know, Nixon knew that Mark Felt was providing information to "The Washington Post," found that out just four months after the Watergate break-in arrest, but he really couldn't stay anything about that. He couldn't reveal that because he knew that Mark Felt knew, because as the number two, the number three guy in the FBI, a couple of very important secrets in Nixon's background that, as it turns out, are the reason for the Watergate break-ins. And I say break-ins because there were four attempts, two successful.

KAYE: So, he thought he would share that if he gave him up?

WALDRON: He could, because almost no one else knew about these things. These things were kept secret for so long. It all went back to 1960, when Richard Nixon was the vice president and had been for eight years running a very close election race against Senator John Kennedy. And to get an edge in the election, Richard Nixon pressured the CIA to work with the mafia to assassinate the new leader of Cuba, Fidel Castro.

KAYE: Yes, I was going to ask you about that, because there has long been speculation that then vice president Nixon was trying to lay the groundwork for that. But you've uncovered some new information about this.

WALDRON: Right. In other words, it was Nixon who actually pressed for that. He was Eisenhower's action officer for Cuba. Eisenhower delegated Cuba to Nixon. Nixon pressed for that, thinking if Fidel Castro died right before the election that the public would stick with the proven eight-year vice president over the relatively inexperienced, young Senator Kennedy. However, the mafia was not able to assassinate Fidel. That same month, in September 1960, some of those same mafia members also contributed to $500,000 bribe to Richard Nixon on behalf of the campaign and to stall the indictment against Jimmy Hoffa. So that all happened back in 1960. You would think that would be ancient history.

KAYE: Right.

WALDRON: However, the FBI and the Justice Department, they had records about that CIA/mafia plot, and they had records about that $500,000 bribe that involved some of the same mobsters.

KAYE: So when you talk about this plot, this mafia/CIA plot, it seems incredible, but there is also a name attached to this, Johnny Roselli? Who was he in this plot?

WALDRON: Johnny Roselli was the key guy, the key mobster in the plot. Johnny Roselli was the Chicago mafia's man in Hollywood and --

KAYE: He was an assassin?

WALDRON: No, he was like a deal maker. He turned to his bosses because they had the connections to get Fidel killed. They also donated to that $500,000 mafia bribe back in September 1960. So Nixon had those two big secrets in his past. No one has ever yet, until now, been able to connect those two big secrets to Watergate, and that's why we have brand-new documents that I was the first person to get from the national archives. Back in April, it finally connected the mafia and Johnny Rosselli to Watergate and showed that that was the reason for the Watergate break-ins. KAYE: What about Mark Felt? His personnel files were just released this week by the FBI. Why do you think he did what he did? Why do you think he helped those reporters?

KAYE: Well, the files show clearly that Mark Felt for almost 30 years had been a very by-the-book, upstanding FBI agent and supervisor and then high FBI official. He fully expected when Jay Edgar Hoover died a few weeks before the first Watergate break-in that he would become FBI director. But Nixon knew that the FBI and Hoover had these secrets that he did not want exposed in 1972, which was an election year. So instead of Mark Felt, who would be the logical successor, who had practically been groomed to be the next FBI director, Nixon chose a political guy that he could trust, Patrick Gray, instead.

Mark Felt was very, very resentful, so in the summer he starts leaking to Bob Woodward. Then the amazing thing is, four months after the Watergate break-ins, just two or three months after the active leaking as Deep Throat to Woodward, Nixon is told that Mark Felt, associate FBI director, is leaking to a reporter from "The Washington Post."

KAYE: Could they have done it without Mark Felt? Could Woodward and Bernstein have done it? They say they had a lot of information. He was just sort of the guy to say you're going in the wrong direction or confirming things.

WALDRON: You're exactly right. In other words, he was necessary. What was important at the time, most of the press was behind Nixon. Watergate was not a factor in the '72 election because the "Post" is one of the few media outlets that was willing to go out on a limb. And they might not have been willing to do that without Mark Felt.

KAYE: Fascinating conversation. Lamar Waldron, once again, "Watergate: the hidden history." it's a beautiful book. I would recommend picking up it. It's a great read. You've been working on it over a decade?

WALDRON: Almost 20 years.

KAYE: Oh, boy, two decades. You've been very busy. Thank you very much.

WALDRON: Thank you so much.

KAYE: Appreciate that.

"The Invisible War" is a documentary on sexual abuse in the military that won awards at Sundance and also wowed big names at the Pentagon. We'll talk with one of the film's producers and one of the former marines profiled in the film to find out what drove them to get the story out and to hear how it's been received.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: An epidemic of sexual assaults, that's what some say is happening in the U.S. military, women degraded and dehumanized, raped and assaulted, all by people they're supposed to trust and to depend on in battle. So, how bad is it really? Last year, there were around 3,200 reported sexual assaults, but even the Pentagon admits that very few incidents are actually reported, so they put the number at around 19,000. Only around two percent of the reported cases end in conviction.

Well, now a documentary is coming to a theater near you that documents the stories and the effects. It's called "The Invisible War." it was the audience pick at the Sundance film festival. Here's a quick look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It is the Marine Corps' showcase ceremonial unit. It handles presidents and dignitaries, security at the White House, the silent drill team.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: After my deployment to "Operation Iraqi Freedom" in 2008-2009, my commanding officer recommended me for the Marine barracks Washington. I was excited. It was the tip of the sphere as far as the Marine Corps is concerned.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She would stay at work late and then she would drive home and she'd call me and she'd be on some kind of little high and she'd talk about how she loved her job. She was this sweet person who was trying really hard.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: Joining me now from Washington is former marine officer Ariana Klay, who you saw in that clip there, and from Los Angeles, Amy Ziering, one of the producers of "The Invisible War." Thank you both for joining me this morning.

Ariana, first of all, I'd like to start with you here. I know how painful this is, but can you tell us just a little bit about your story and what happened?

ARIANA KLAY, ALLEGES SHE WAS SEXUALLY ASSAULTED WHILE A MARINE: Basically, an officer senior to me and his civilian friend sexually assaulted me in August of 2010. After I reported it, it was about two years of degrading cruelty and reprisal.

KAYE: And these were men that you knew, that you trusted?

KLAY: Yes. One was a company officer at the command -- or the commanding officer of a company at the command.

KAYE: And you ended up being discharged. So what happened to those two men?

KLAY: One was granted immunity to testify against me and the other was sent to the brig for abusive language and adultery for 45 days.

KAYE: And how did you feel about that?

KLAY: I felt that it was a farce. I don't feel like the prosecution ever took it seriously, nor did my husband. It seemed to be incompetently done, and it was just really disappointing to see the degree of protections afforded and the degree of reprisal allowed to go on the victim.

KAYE: Amy, let me turn to you here, because I'm curious what your reaction was when you started hearing so many stories like this one.

AMY ZIERING, PRODUCER, "THE INVISIBLE WAR": You know, we were truly shocked and horrified. And every single story I heard made me even more committed and passionate about making this film and getting the word out, because every service member I spoke to said "I love the military. I just want it to be the best it can be, and so please help us get this message out and that this is happening," because it's a problem that the military can eradicate if it really puts its mind to and wants to take care of.

KAYE: And Ariana, we were talking about how so many people, it's hard to get a count on how often this is happening because so many don't come forward. What made you come forward? I mean, what gave you that courage?

KLAY: I have an amazing husband and amazing family, and it was still devastating to me, and I felt that as an officer, knowing I had been complicit. I had seen other girls harassed and seen other guys that went through the same abuses and I never did anything, and I felt that this is such an epidemic that I needed to say something. It's my social duty to do so, regardless of what might happen to me.

KAYE: And you have filed a lawsuit against the marine barracks in Washington, Donald Rumsfeld, and Leon Panetta. How is that going, and what do you hope to accomplish by doing so?

KLAY: We hope to have reform. Susan Burke, the attorney who filed these, said that it may take ten years, just a multitude of lawsuits. But the idea is to gain attention to the issue and to allow the American citizens to know that our American military can be better and this is an area that is really harming a lot of our good service members and their loved ones, and it's preventable.

KAYE: Amy, this really is an incredible project that is bringing this to the attention of so many. I'm curious what has been the reaction to this, and have you heard from the military?

ZIERING: We have. The reaction to it has been really, really positive. In fact, since we premiered at Sundance, the film's been circulating at the highest levels of the White House and the Pentagon. And we know that Leon Panetta himself saw the film and two days later called a press conference to announce significant policy changes.

So we are, you know, very heartened by the response, and it's been showing on base. We've been receiving requests to show it on bases. And we are hopeful that, you know, this film will be a catalyst to effecting really significant, significant change.

KAYE: And save some women, correct? I mean, is that part of the goal here to try and prevent this from happening? ZIERING: Absolutely. We would love for this problem -- we know that the military when it puts its mind to something, you know, can really take care of an issue, and we are hopeful that this will really help very much reduce the rates at which this crime takes place.

KAYE: Amy Ziering, great job on this project, and congratulations on the success. And Ariana Klay, thank you for your willingness to speak about what you've been through. Appreciate that, both of you.

KLAY: Thank you.

ZIERING: Thank you.

KAYE: And if someone attempted to sexually assault your child, how far would you go to get revenge?

Also, a good Samaritan comes to the rescue of five children in Kansas. Find out what shocking situation prompted a Wal-Mart customer to call 911.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: It was an unforgettable night for a young couple at the Detroit Tigers game last night. First, the tigers mascot gave Shana Anderson a baseball that read "Will you marry matt?" And Matt Borst dropped to one knee.

(VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: Look, love that the mascot is all part of this. So, of course, she said yes. The couple kissed and he slipped the diamond ring on her finger. Mascot is still a part of this whole thing. Then just a few innings later, a foul ball went flying right toward them. Matt grabbed it, but it slipped out of his fingers. You'll see it here. So, a man nearby gave it to him. Borst said he only had one more wish, for the Tigers to win. Unfortunately, the Colorado Rockies beat the Tigers 12- 4. What a nice thing.

"Today's Talker" revolves around a question of justice. What would you do to a man who tried to sexually assault your daughter, your five- year-old daughter? In a small town in Texas, that man's father beat the man to death with his bare hands. Nearly everyone in town says that they would have done the same thing. Some are even calling him a hero. I was there this week and talked to those neighbors.

So, let's see what you think about this. Danny Bush says "I'd be so enraged if someone tried to hurt my child, wouldn't be thinking about anything else." and Lisa M. writing, says "Let the father go. He did the right thing protecting his child from a dangerous predator." And this from Riptide Echo, "I would have done the same thing, but murder is murder. He shouldn't have gone that far. He should have gotten the guy in jail."

Now to evidence of tough times and proof that people still care. A Wal-Mart customer in Lawrence, Kansas, spotted two young children in an SUV in the far reaches of the store's parking lot. The kids were tied up and blindfolded. The customer, instead of ignoring it, called 911. When police arrived, they say the father tried to get in the car. That's when they spotted three more children inside. The parents were in court Thursday on child abuse and endangerment charges. The children are in protective custody. It turns out the family had been living in the SUV for several days after it broke down while they were moving from Illinois to Arizona to look for work.

A Democratic lawmaker is being punished after she used the word "vagina" in a speech, all because some Republicans said it wasn't mature.

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KAYE: Democratic lawmakers in Michigan are being punished after using words like "vagina" and "vasectomy" on the House floor. GOP lawmakers said it wasn't mature, but not necessarily because they used those words. Here's CNN's Mary Snow.

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MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Republicans in Michigan are calling this a temper tantrum.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The question for the House on the adoption of amendment 2I may vote at their desk. The amendment is not adopted. Are there further amendments?

SNOW: She was drowned out, but "vasectomy" was the last word she said. She was pushing for an amendment to regulate vasectomies as part of her opposition to a bill restricting abortions. Lisa Brown, another Democrat, was barred from speaking after saying this.

LISA BROWN, (D) MICHIGAN STATE HOUSE: And finally, Mr. Speaker, I'm flattered that you're all so interested in my vagina, but no means no.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Members, I do ask that you respect the decorum of the house.

SNOW: Brown also made references to her Jewish religion.

BROWN: The stage of pregnancy does not matter. Wherever there is a question of the life of the mother or that of the unborn child, Jewish law rules in favor of preserving the life of the mother.

SNOW: The Democratic lawmaker says she still hasn't been told by the Republican leadership why she couldn't speak on the House floor Thursday.

BROWN: I've been making guesses. I didn't know if it was my, you know, references to my religious beliefs. I didn't know if it was using the word "vagina." I just -- without telling me anything, I'm only left to guess.

SNOW: The Republican leadership says religion was not the reason, that the ban is about keeping decorum. LISA LYONS (R) MICHIGAN STATE HOUSE: This is not about women, this is not about policy, this is not about the use of two anatomically and medically correct terms. This is about acting professional on the House floor, and this is about making sure that we maintain a level of decorum.

SNOW: Republican representative Lisa Lyons says she took offense to using the phrase no means no, and this is how she interpreted it.

LYONS: As she finished up her statement, compared support of the bill to rape, and that is when she was gaveled down, and that is what our floor leader and speaker pro tem objected to.

BROWN: I think that they're looking for an excuse to punish me when I didn't do anything wrong. To me, this is a war on women. It's silencing our voices and saying we want control of our bodies.

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KAYE: That was Mary Snow reporting. By the way, Lisa Brown says that she's received a wave of support since the controversy started and that campaign donations are rolling in.

President Obama tells the LGBT community he's a friend and a fellow advocate. Hear what else he had to say at a White House gay pride event.

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BARACK OBAMA, (D) PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Americans may be still evolving when it comes to marriage equality, but -

(LAUGHTER)

(APPLAUSE)

OBAMA: But as I've indicated personally, Michelle and I have made up our minds on this issue, and we will -

(APPLAUSE)

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KAYE: Quite an applause there. That is the president at a gay pride event at the White House yesterday. Mr. Obama invited gay, bisexual, lesbian and transgender guests to an East Room reception. He told them they have a friend, and in his words, a fellow advocate as long as he's president. Obama pointed to the repeal of the military ban on gays serving openly in uniform as one example of progress.

Let's take a look at some stories cross country. We begin in New York, where a fifth grader tried to talk about same-sex marriage at his elementary school speech contest, but the principal wouldn't let Cameron slay do it, calling the subject inappropriate for younger children who'd be listening. Cameron was disappointed. A city councilman said the school only managed to teach a lesson in hate. Finally, a compromise, though. He'll be able to give the speech Monday to fifth graders only.

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KAMERON SLADE, FIFTH GRADER: The original message was that no matter what orientation you are, you should be treated the same way as a straight person. I thought my speech, my original speech was really going to win. I was very confident in it.

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KAYE: An amazing rescue video now on the Chicago river, the man in the kayak holding a man's head out of the war. Witnesses say the man was reading a book on the river bank when he apparently suffered a seizure and fell in to the water. A police boat arrives and an officer jumps into the water and pulls the man out. Medics rush him to the hospital where he is listed in critical condition.

A preschool graduation ceremony gets more than a little out of hand, and it was all caught on camera.

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KAYE: This is crazy. The fight broke out among a group of mothers at a school in Los Angeles. According to one mom, there weren't enough caps and gowns, so kids had to take turns as parents took pictures. Well, things got a bit heated, as you can see there, between some of the moms, and they began fighting. One woman suffered a cut lip but no charges were filed.