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CNN Sunday Morning
Armstrong Returns To Charity Work; Final Debate Coming Up Tomorrow; Intel Chief Assassinated In Beirut; George McGovern Dead at 90
Aired October 21, 2012 - 06:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
RANDI KAYE, CNN ANCHOR: From CNN world headquarters in Atlanta, this is EARLY START WEEKEND.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He cheated and cheated, you know, beyond many people's beliefs or imagination.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He basically declared the world.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sunset Boulevard.
LANCE ARMSTRONG: It's been a difficult couple --
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: A catastrophic week for a fallen hero. Now Lance Armstrong is expected to speak out at today's Livestrong event. We'll take you there live.
Polls say the score is one to one. So will Monday night's debate be the tie breaker. We break down what to expect from the final presidential debate.
An historic decision may send gay marriage to the Supreme Court, but what effect will it have on military families? Our legal expert explains.
It is Sunday, October 21st. Good morning, everyone. I'm Randi Kaye. I'm glad you're with us.
The White House says it will never let Iran get a nuclear weapon, but adds a report that it has agreed to unprecedented one-on-one talks with Iran is just not true. According to "The New York Times," Washington and Tehran have agreed to meet on Iran's controversial nuclear program. Iran reportedly insisted the talks happened after the presidential election so it knows whom it will be dealing with. The White House says there's no such deal, but it remains open to a diplomatic solution.
There is new fallout over Libya this morning and the release of documents related to the September 11th attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi. Senator John Kerry is furious at the House Oversight Committee for releasing sensitive State Department cables. He says the move by committee chairman Darrell Issa has exposed Libyan nationals working with the U.S. to possible danger. The Obama administration has also criticized the Republican congressman for releasing the documents which relate to last month's attack that killed U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens. Now, Issa's spokesman says Kerry and the administration are just trying to create a distraction.
Ohio's largest newspaper is endorsing President Obama for the second straight time, but it's not entirely happy about this. "The Cleveland Plain Dealer" says Mr. Obama's "litany of missed opportunities" left it "sorely tempted to endorse Governor Romney." But it says the president still has the potential to continue economic growth after leading the nation back from the brink of depression.
Meanwhile, a paper in another swing state, Nevada, is throwing its support behind Romney. "The Reno Gazette-Journal" says, quote, "Obama cannot avoid the consequences of poor decisions and misplaced priorities." It adds, quote, "the president has shown little understanding of how his failures are affecting the nation." It also cautions that Romney will have his work cut out for him if he is elected.
Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr. speaking out publicly for the first time since going on medical leave in May. The nine term Democrat, who represents Chicago's south side, has been getting treatment at the Mayo Clinic for depression. In a recorded message to constituents, Jackson said he hopes to return to Capitol Hill, but isn't quite ready yet.
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REP. JESSE JACKSON JR. (D), ILLINOIS (voice-over): For the past few months, I've undergone medical treatment to address several serious health issues. Like many human beings, a series of events came together in my life at the same time and they've been difficult to sort through. I am human. I'm doing my best. And I'm trying to sort through them all. I'm starting to heal. The good news is my health is improving. But my doctors tell me the road to recovery is a long one. I'm anxious to return to work on your behalf, but at this time it's against medical advice.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: Jackson, son of civil rights leader Jesse Jackson, is running for re-election in his Chicago district. "The Chicago Tribune" reports that Jackson could be headed back to the Mayo Clinic this week.
Well, it has been a busy weekend for Lance Armstrong. The cyclist made his first public appearance during an anniversary party for this Livestrong charity, where he described what he called, quote, "a difficult couple of weeks" following a report from the U.S. Anti Doping Agency accusing him of using performance enhancing drugs. But Armstrong also talked about the importance of his group's work in the fight against cancer.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LANCE ARMSTRONG, CYCLIST: This mission is bigger than me. It's bigger than any individual. There's 28 million people around the world living with this disease. Martin Luther King said once, he said, we must accept finite disappointment but never lose infinite hope.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: And Livestrong's mission will be on full display this morning in Austin, Texas, where thousands of cyclists are expected to show their support for a cancer survivor. So that's where we find Victor Blackwell.
Victor, good morning.
So you participated, from what I understand, in a roundtable of sorts of cancer survivors, some of whom will actually be at today's event .What did they tell you about their experiences and about the Livestrong charity?
BLACKWELL: Good morning, Randi. Today's event is the Livestrong Challenge. It's a ride, not a race. It's ride for cyclists. Nearly 4,000 of them. Either 18,65, or 100 miles. And you're right, I spoke with four women -- Paula, Laura, (ph) Jean Ann (ph) and Monica. They're members of Team Survivor. It's a group for cancer survivors, for women who are active in sports and dancing and yoga and swimming. And three of them will be cycling today, taking the 65-mile journey.
They talked about their emotional connection not only to Livestrong because of their cancer treatment, but how they admired Lance Armstrong for -- after his battle with vesicular cancer, coming back and competing in the Tour de France. Whether he doped or not, they still call themselves Lance Armstrong supporters. And I asked them, how do they separated the doping allegations from their love of Livestrong. And here's part of our conversation.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BLACKWELL: Aside from Lance Armstrong the man, what does Livestrong mean to you?
MONICA BEARD, "TEAM SURVIVOR" MEMBER: Someone said this to me earlier. We were talking about this. And I totally agree with this statement. They said, you're a Livestrong. I'm a Livestrong. She's Livestrong. She's Livestrong. Because it's the thought behind it. It's the support. It's the -- yes, you can still do this. You have a life. And keep going, don't stop. You know, don't waste any minute of it.
PAULA IVEY, "TEAM SURVIVOR" MEMBER: There's 28 million cancer survivors around the world today. Fourteen million in the U.S. And those numbers have increased since Livestrong have been around. And they really provide a lot of support that was never there before.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Right.
IVEY: It's phenomenal. And, to me, you know, that's the story of Livestrong. Livestrong's making a difference every day in people's lives.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLACKWELL: Now, the women I spoke with say that they don't know for sure. No one knows for sure. Only Lance Armstrong knows if he indeed doped in the Tours de France that he competed in and won. But they say they, today, call themselves not only Livestrong supporters but Lance Armstrong supporters.
Randi.
KAYE: He certainly does have a lot of support still out there.
And Lance Armstrong, Victor, is expected to address the crowd just before the event kicks off. Any chance that he'll address the controversy as well?
BLACKWELL: Well, if there's any indication of what he spoke about on Friday night at the gala, no. He's probably going to have a very encouraging message, telling people to stay focused on the mission of Livestrong. He has not spoken about the allegations publicly. And we know that this will be the first time that many of these cyclists have heard from him in person since he stepped down as chairman of the organization and since the allegations from the USADA that they have this overwhelming evidence that he doped.
Randi.
KAYE: All right, Victor, thank you very much. And we'll check back with you throughout the morning.
And coming up, I'll speak with one sports marketing expert about the impact of the doping allegations on Lance Armstrong's brand and what he would advise the cyclist to do right now.
And now to California where police believe a shooting suspect is dead after setting fire to his home. Desmond John Moses is accused of gunning down his next-door neighbor. The father, who tried to shield his child from the bullets, is dead. So is his four-year-old son. Two other children and the man's wife are in critical condition this morning. Moses was reportedly being effected from his home after not paying rent for years. Neighbors describe him as, quote, "really weird." Police are still working to identify what they believe are Moses' remains.
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LT. JAMES MADIA, INGLEWOOD POLICE: We also are still continuing a search of the structure that was damaged in the fire. The individual appeared to have been a hoarder. There's a lot of material in there. And the roof collapsed. So we've had to bring in a backhoe to dig through the rubble to determine whether or not the individual is still in there. That Mr. Moses is in there. We do not know.
(END VIDEO CLIP) KAYE: Two more people have died from fungal meningitis infections, raising the total number of deaths to 23 now. And the Center for Disease Control and Prevention reported 13 new infections yesterday. More than 280 people have been sickened with fungal meningitis in 16 states. Health officials believe they were infected with contaminated steroid injections. It's not contagious but thousands of people may have been exposed to the disease through these shots.
In Warwick, Rhode Island, family members of victims from the 2003 Station Nightclub fire unveiled a memorial. It's for 10 of the people who died in the tragic fire in the neighboring town of West Warwick. One hundred people died in the packed nightclub when pyrotechnics lit the walls on fire. People are planning on building a memorial where the nightclub once stood. The property owner just decided last month he will donate the land.
Well, today is a huge day for American Roman Catholics. Pope Benedict XVI is canonizing the first Native American saint at St. Peters Basilica. She is known as Lily of the Mohawks. She lived in the 17th century, but is credited with the miraculous recovery of an American boy from a flesh eating bacteria in 2006 when his family prayed to her. Her supporters are thrilled.
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URSULA JACKO, VATICAN PILGRIM: I never thought I would see this day because we have been praying for the canonization.
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KAYE: Six other new saints are also being canonized, including a German born woman who immigrated to Hawaii to help lepers.
Mitt Romney and President Obama may be locked away prepping for the big debate, but that's not stopping others from hitting the campaign trail in their place. We'll check out all the punch line as we get closer to round three.
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KAYE: Well, tomorrow is round three, the last and final presidential debate. And, you guessed it, you will not see Mitt Romney or the president on the campaign trail today. Mitt Romney is in Florida prepping for the debate. President Obama is at Camp David in Maryland. It is their last full day to get ready for the big foreign policy debates tomorrow night, but that didn't stop others from getting out there and holding rallies for them. Comedian Jeff Foxworthy took his famous one-liners to Colorado for a Romney rally.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JEFF FOXWORTHY, COMEDIAN: If you've ever done business standing in the back of a pickup truck, you might be a redneck.
(END VIDEO CLIP) KAYE: And former White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel went to Florida to campaign for the president.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RAHM EMANUEL, CHICAGO MAYOR: It's an election with clear choices. There's not like a lot of gray area here. Both President Obama and Governor Romney have different visions of what it takes to move this economy forward.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: So, just what can we expect from tomorrow big foreign policy debate? A night some say could make or break this year's election. CNN political editor Paul Steinhauser has a preview.
PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN POLITICAL EDITOR: Hey, good morning, Randi.
With the latest polls indicating a very close race in the battleground states, I think it's more than fair to say there's a lot at stake in the final debate.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Not true, Governor Romney.
MITT ROMNEY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: So how much did you cut it by?
OBAMA: It's not true.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
STEINHAUSER: Tuesday's debate may have just been the appetizer. When President Obama and Mitt Romney face off tomorrow night in their third and final showdown, expect them to pick up on China and Libya, where they left off on Tuesday.
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ROMNEY: On the day following the assassination of a United States ambassador, the first time that's happened since 1979, when we have four Americans killed there, when apparently we didn't know what happened, that the president, the day after that happened, flies to Las Vegas for a political fundraiser.
OBAMA: And the suggestion that anybody in my team, whether it's the secretary of state, our U.N. ambassador, anybody on my team would play politics or mislead when we've lost four of our own, governor, is offensive. That's not what we do. That's not what I do as president.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
STEINHAUSER: Also on the agenda tomorrow night, terrorism, the war in Afghanistan, Israel, and Iran. Unlike their first two face- offs, this time the two candidates will be sitting around a table, along with the moderator, Bob Schieffer of CBS. Very much like the vice presidential debate.
At a charity dinner Thursday night, both candidates joked about how they're preparing for their final showdown.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROMNEY: Let me tell you what I do. First, refrain from alcohol for 65 years before the debate.
OBAMA: I had a lot more energy in our second debate. I felt really well rested after the nice long nap I had in the first debate.
For our final debate I'm going to go back to the strategy I used to prepare for the first debate. I'm just kidding. I'm trying to make Axelrod sweat a little bit.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
STEINHAUSER: Seriously though, both candidates are pretty much spending today and tomorrow behind closed doors, getting ready for their final faceoff.
Randi.
KAYE: Thank you, Paul.
And, don't forget, you can catch tomorrow's debate live right here on CNN. Coverage starts at 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time.
Well, Italians are starting to grow their own marijuana in huge numbers, but it wasn't just sparked by tough economic times. We'll tell you what's really behind Italy's homegrown grass boom.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: Welcome back.
Taking a look at some of the international stories that we're following this morning.
U.N. Peace Envoy Lakhdar Brahimi, met with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad earlier today. Brahimi is in the country meeting with officials. He is urging both sides of the Syrian conflict to declare a unilateral cease-fire for this weekend's Muslim holiday.
In Israel, the Israeli military stormed a ship trying to break the sea blockade of Gaza. The country's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said the ship was trying to, quote, "blacken Israel's name." Passengers aboard the ship say they were trying to call attention to human rights in the Palestinian territory.
And across the Mediterranean, in Italy, authorities are reporting a boom in, guess what? In homegrown marijuana. Advocates for marijuana legalization in Italy argue that smokers would rather grow their own because the stuff coming from eastern Europe could be contaminated and because they don't want their drug money going to organized crime. Growing your own pot remains illegal in Italy, but the sale of marijuana seeds apparently is just fine.
Anti-Syrian politicians in Lebanon are now calling for a day of rage in response to the country's most high-profile assassination in more than seven year. In the country's capital, Beirut, a large deadly car bomb was detonated in rush hour, killing their intelligence chief and two other people. Nick Paton Walsh is joining me now from Beirut.
Nick, good morning.
First off, any word yet on who exactly is responsible for this? Many in Lebanon still pointing blame at the Syrian president.
NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Police aren't giving word yet, but the investigation is progressing and the judge in charge has asked for surveillance footage and phone tap records for that particular area to try and work out who may be behind this.
But the blame game has been going on since this act started. Anti-Syrian politicians blaming the Syrian regime says that they and their allies inside this country were behind this act. There's no concrete evidence tying them to it.
But all the same, the French foreign minister, according to Agrifon (ph) Press, has just said that he believes it's likely Syria was involved in this. That it is a extension of what he referred to as a Syrian tragedy. I think that's the first major international suggestion that Syria is somehow caught up in this.
As I say, no evidence to that. Syria has condemned the blast themselves, as has their ally inside Lebanon, Hezbollah. But the scenes you're seeing now are of this funeral playing out where this day of rage, I think, many hoping it would gain a nationalistic sentiment. It would be about Lebanon. Many fearing there could be more sectarian elements to this particular protest. Many of the people here aligned to the same pro western coalition. That Mr. Wissam al-Hassan, the dead top intelligence official, was also aligned to. And those flags you're seeing there, many of them the Lebanese flags, many of them of sectarian groups as well. And I think the hope today is that this funeral passes with solemnity, with respect. But I think many people are expecting an outpouring of not only grief but rage as well.
Randi.
KAYE: And, Nick, as we continue to look at these live pictures, Lebanon's anti-Syria opposition, though, has called for a huge anti- Syrian demonstration, right? So what kind of crowds -- I mean we can see a bit of it there, but how big is this going to get?
WALSH: I can't really give you an accurate estimate, but we were basically hearing calls yesterday from these anti-Syrian politicians, for the whole country to come out on the streets. Of course, that's technically impossible. But we'll be looking here at tens of thousands certainly. Central Beirut deserted, where it's now crowded with protesters. This procession is going to go from the police headquarters, the internal security force where Wissam al-Hassan was a senior figure. It's left from there.
It will now be moving through central Beirut, gathering momentum as it gets to Martyrs Square. The very center, really, of Beirut, where the former prime minister, Rafik Hariri, killed in a car bomb, also blamed on Syrian elements, in 2005, where he lies in rest now with his seven bodyguards. Highly symbolic to many that Wissam al- Hassan will be buried next to him at the request, in fact, of Saad Hariri, Rafiq Hariri's son, indeed. So, a deeply symbolic day for many Lebanese, but the fear really is this uneasiness many have felt in the past few days. The fear that that may somehow turn into rage and unrest.
Randi.
KAYE: And is some of that fear about more violence spilling over from Syria?
WALSH: That's always been the risk. That Syrian conflict, as you know, has rumbled on for 19, 20 months now. And it's very much along similar sectarian lines that blighted Lebanon during the 1980s, Sunni/Shia. There are many more ethic groups at play, sectarian groups at play in Lebanon, but the fear has always been that as that war rumbled on next door, the violence would spill over because so many groups inside Lebanon have some aligns with that war going on in its neighbor.
People had hoped in the months past they would avoid that, but that blast, so central in Beirut, targeting such a key figure in Lebanon's security elite, made many really fear that perhaps what they'd hope to avoid, the state's here working so hard it says with this policy of disassociation to keep itself out of that war, that may not be working.
Randi.
KAYE: Mick Paton Walsh for us. Nick, thank you very much for the update there.
A stunning fall from grace. Cycling great Lance Armstrong could lose his seven Tour de France titles. But it's not just about the yellow jerseys and a collection of medals. We'll take a look.
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KAYE: Welcome back, everyone. Thanks for starting your money with us. I'm Randi Kaye. It is now just about half past the hour.
In just a couple of hours, Lance Armstrong will, once again, take to his bike. It is Armstrong's first public ride since the U.S. Anti Doping Agency banned him from cycling and recommended he be stripped of his seven Tour de France titles. But this could be the calm before the storm, actually. That International Cycling Union is expected to announce a decision on Armstrong's Tour de France titles and that decision could trigger a string of lawsuits over his millions in endorsement deals. Now here to discuss what's at stake is Robert Tuchman, president of Goviva, a sports marketing firm in New York.
Good morning, Robert.
ROBERT TUCHMAN, PRESIDENT, GOVIVA: Good morning. Thanks for having me on.
KAYE: So let's start with the loss of deals. So far he has lost Nike, Anheuser-Busch, RadioShack, Trek, Hone Stinger. How much money are we talking about here?
TUCHMAN: Well, basically if you look at all those deals and you take into account how many years he might be someone who endorses products, the number that I would put it at, that he'll really lose personally, is probably around, you know, the course of his lifetime, maybe $150 to $200 million.
KAYE: That's a lot of money.
TUCHMAN: It sure is.
KAYE: What about the lawsuits? Because we've already heard about an insurance company that could file suit to reclaim bonus money that it paid out, arguing that his doping would make that contract null and void. What else might we see?
TUCHMAN: Yes. That's a really good point, because there could be potential lawsuits. A lot of these endorsement deals nowadays have clauses in them that if something like this would happen, there's outs where they can retrieve money, so, he's really up against potentially paying back millions of dollars that he's already earned.
KAYE: And CNN actually spoke with one gentleman, Michael Birdsong is his name, and he said that he wants his money back, that the foundation was built on a lie. I want you to listen to what he said.
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MICHAEL BIRDSONG, FORMER LIVESTRONG VOLUNTEER: The results that Mr. Armstrong has had in the Tours de France directly benefited the building of the Lance Armstrong Foundation, and then they turned it into -- they rebranded it as Livestrong. And he cheated and cheated, you know, beyond many people's beliefs or imagination, for those results in the Tours de France. So, the whole thing is built on a lie.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: So, Robert, do you expect there will be more of this to come?
TUCHMAN: You know, this is the really difficult part of this entire conversation, and it's really a shame, because what Lance Armstrong has done for Livestrong, really creating Livestrong, has benefited so many people, so many cancer patients. And really that's not a lie. What Lance Armstrong did with Livestrong is really a huge positive. Anyone who would want their money back, you know, because it was built on whatever premise about Lance Armstrong, you know, I don't agree with.
But I certainly understand companies that may have endorsed him as a product endorser. Those lawsuits I could certainly understand, but something along those lines, you know, it's unfortunate, but we'll probably see more people like Mr. Birdsong who might come forward and say, look, I want money back.
KAYE: But then on the flip side of that, you have this uptake in donations to Livestrong and sales of those yellow bracelets are up. So there are obviously some fans, a lot of fans sticking behind him.
TUCHMAN: Yes, and that's the great news, the positive of all of this, really is what Lance Armstrong has done, you know, again, for cancer patients, and really it's about that. And that's the one positive we've seen out of this entire situation, is that people are coming forward and they're putting more money into this charity, because the charity and everything he's done there is on the up and up, and they've done some wonderful things. It's really just unfortunate because Mr. Armstrong and the charity that he created was really built on his reputation and survival and, you know, that obviously we look at now and it's a little bit of a farce, but unfortunately -- or fortunately rather, Livestrong hopefully will continue to grow without him after he stepped down.
KAYE: So it sounds like you think the charity might survive this. But what about Lance Armstrong? If he were your client, what would you recommend to him right now?
TUCHMAN: Well, the first thing I would recommend would be definitely to come forward and admit, you know, what has gone on. It's extremely evident that he participated, not only participated but orchestrated, you know, an entire doping scandal. And cycling itself, you know, he's not the only one, Mr. Armstrong, it is widespread. And hopefully this is going to clean up the sport. But if he was a client of mine, the first thing I would say is to come out, be honest. If you look at past people who have been in trouble and have endorsed products, the first thing they've done is come out. They'll admit it. And America is a great country. There's people whether it's Michael Vick or any of these other celebrities, athletes, people come back and they'll support you, and you'll get endorsement deals.
So unfortunately Lance is Lance, and I don't think he will ever do that. It's what's made him such a great cyclist and athlete, is his ability to really come back and fight. I don't think he may ever give in.
KAYE: Do you think, though, that there is still hope that he can actually save his reputation and image here?
TUCHMAN: This is a really tough one, because I think if you look at past, you know, situations, whether it's Tiger Woods, Michael Vick, as I had mentioned, this is about cheating and competition, and everything is directly related for what he did in doping to his achievements in cycling. It's really unfortunate, because this guy is a tremendous athlete. And he's done so well in terms of what he's done by winning seven Tour de Frances. And unfortunately, this is going to taint that, because this really is all about cheating and scandal, and that -- that's why you look at Nike coming forward and really having that terse statement and you know, getting rid of him after they've had such a strong relationship, because it just goes against the grain of what a company wants when they endorse someone. They want fairness, they want competition, and this is really just saying that all of that was a complete lie.
KAYE: And a lot of fans, there are many that are still supporting him, as we've said, but many also feel pretty well duped. Robert Tuchman from Go Viva, thank you very much. Appreciate your time this morning.
TUCHMAN: Thanks for having me.
KAYE: Unconstitutional. That's how one appeals court described the Defense of Marriage Act, so what impact could it have for same-sex couples, both civilian and in the military? Our legal expert weighs in.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: Welcome back. 39 minutes past the hour now. Elated. That's how 83-year-old Edith Windsor (ph) described herself when the New York federal appeals court struck down the Defense of Marriage Act. Windsor sued the government after she was denied tax benefits, specifically spousal deductions on federal estate taxes, when her wife died. The court agreed, ruling in part, that, quote, "we conclude that section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act violates equal protection and is therefore unconstitutional."
Joining me now is Randy Kessler, chair of the Family Law Section of the American Bar Association and a family law attorney. Good morning.
RANDY KESSLER, ABA: Good morning. Good to see you.
KAYE: Good to see you as well. All right, so you say that the fact that this case focuses on section 3 is unique. How so?
KESSLER: Well, it's unique, because you know, most of the problems are section 2 of DOMA, which states that one state does not have to recognizes the gay marriage of another state. This says that federal governments and federal agencies don't have to give benefits to gay couples, because it doesn't recognize gay marriage. So there are two prongs, and this is on section 3, not section 2. It's interesting.
KAYE: So it is unique, all right. The court also said this, and I shared one quote already, but the court said also, "government deals with marriage as a civil status." With DOMA ruled constitutional in two states, what exactly then does that mean for gay couples?
KESSLER: I think what that means is the government is looking at it purely legally. You may personally or morally or ethically or philosophically be opposed to gay marriage or not opposed to it, or your church may believe in it or may not believe in it -- let the church say these people in our church can or cannot be married -- but as a government thing, if the state wants to say it's legal, that state has the right to say legally you can be married. It's separating church and state.
KAYE: Right. So looking at what happened here, many people believe that this will be eventually taken up by the Supreme Court. Are you confident of that as well?
KESSLER: I think it's coming. There are a lot of political issues. And I'm not exactly sure exactly how the Supreme Court decides what cases it takes, but we're getting there. Sooner or later, the Supreme Court is going to have to put a stop to all this litigation and say this is the law of the land, or they can wait for Congress to do something, which doesn't seem like it's going to happen.
KAYE: But if they do take it up, how much do you think the lower court's decision will matter?
KESSLER: I think the lower court's decision is very well reasoned. It's saying that gay people have been treated as an underrepresented minority, and that there's higher scrutiny needed, and I think the Supreme Court does need to do something sooner or later, because it's just going to keep coming up, and you're going to have different states having different rulings. And the point of the Supreme Court is to say here's what the law should be, at least on federal issues and full faith and credit. Do the states have to recognizes other state's laws, which has always been a basic concept in our Constitution.
KAYE: So is this the case, though, for the Supreme Court, do you think? Is this the one that they'll take?
KESSLER: I don't think so. I think this is -- because it focuses on section 3. If there was a unique enough case that had parts of section 2 and section 3 overturned, that might be the appropriate case, but they may not want to wait forever.
KAYE: And with the repeal of don't ask, don't tell, the military actually added additional same-sex benefits for troops. But the Defense Department specifically says -- this, quote, "eligibility for a number of other benefits is restricted by applicable statutes, including the Defense of Marriage Act, DOMA." So for our servicembers, is the Supreme Court ruling their only way to get full benefits or only hope?
KESSLER: There's that, or an act of Congress. I think the Supreme Court is probably going to ask faster than Congress, but until Congress acts or the Supreme Court overturns DOMA, and even then it's going to take some time, because agencies and procedures and administrative rules have to recognize what DOMA has done now that it's gone away. It's going to be a long time before the military catches up to this decision.
KAYE: Can the military act on its own in other ways? Or no?
KESSLER: It's subject to federal regulations. It's waiting for the United States Supreme Court or Congress to tell it what it has to do.
KAYE: All right. I'm not going to hold you to it, but you think eventually DOMA is going to go away?
KESSLER: I think that's the pervading thought. Yes.
KAYE: OK. I'm marking it down.
KESSLER: OK.
KAYE: All right, Randy, nice to see you.
KESSLER: Nice to see you.
KAYE: Thank you.
Each week we are shining a spotlight on the top 12 CNN heroes of 2012 as you vote for the one who inspires you the most. This week's honoree is a single mother from Haiti, who became a target of sexual violence but turned her personal trauma into a fight for justice.
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MALYA VILLARD-APPOLON (through translator): Two years after the earthquake, the situation is still the same. The people are still under the tents. They don't have electricity. There is no security where they sleep. They are getting raped.
In Haiti, things are very difficult. Before the earthquake, there were rapes happening. Now I can say it is total disorder.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (translated on screen): They raped me January 15, 2010.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (translated on screen): I was raped several times. It is very common. Even 1-and-a-half-year-old babies are raped.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (translated on screen): After January 12, 2010, this little child (only granddaughter), wasn't even 6 years old, and she was raped.
VILLARD-APPOLON (through translator): Adults are not spared, mothers are not spared, even babies are not spared.
My name is Malya Villard-Appolon. I am a victim of sexual violence. I'm on mission to eradicate this issue so that other Haitian women do not fall victim.
We do awareness in the camps. We were working in 22 camps after the earthquake. Now we are trying to work in others. We tell people to come out of silence. Do not be afraid to say that you have been victimized. We offer psychological and legal support. We have a call center, we accompany the victim to the hospital. And we have a safehouse program.
For me, the first thing is justice that I want. I was a victim, and I did not find justice. But I know I will get it for other women that are victims.
We have to fight so we can say what was said in the past. Beloved Haiti, this is a great nation. There will be a change.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAYE: The top 10 CNN heroes for 2012 have been revealed, and to vote for who you think should be the hero of the year, just go to CNNheroes.com. We'll reveal the winner on December 2nd during our CNN Heroes and All-Star Tribute hosted by Anderson Cooper.
The TSA has been quietly removing those controversial body scanners from several major airports across the country. We'll tell you why.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: Welcome back to EARLY START WEEKEND. Police in California believe a shooting suspect is now dead after setting fire to his home. Desmond John Moses is accused of gunning down his next-door neighbor. The father who tried to shield his children from the bullets is dead. So is his 4-year-old son. Two other children and the man's wife are in critical condition this morning. Moses, who was renting the home from the family, may have been evicted. Police are still working to identify what they believe are his remains.
The TSA has been removing its controversial X-ray body scanners from several major airports. The criticism has been twofold. Too much radiation and too little privacy. Replacing those scanners in airports like JFK and LAX are new millimeter wave scanners. They rely on lower-energy radio waves similar to those used in cell phones. Instead of blurred pictures of passengers' naked bodies, these new machines display generic cartoon-like images.
In two weeks, people will be able to legally hunt gray wolves for the first time in Minnesota, but conservation groups are outraged. They say that it's too soon to start hunting the once-endangered species. The state's department of natural resources is allowing the hunt, saying that the wolves' population is growing. Gray wolf was on the endangered species list from 1974 until earlier this year.
More women are heading back into the workforce as the economic recovery picks up steam. Men and women each saw a job gain of 57,000 last month, and this November, women voters will be critical in deciding if President Obama remains in the White House or if Mitt Romney becomes its newest occupant. Yesterday I spoke with Lilly Ledbetter. The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act was the first legislation signed by Mr. Obama. During the last debate, both candidates were asked about women in the workforce. I asked Lily, who answered the question better. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LILLY LEDBETTER: Absolutely, President Obama's talked about having the Ledbetter bill being the first bill that he signed into the law when he first went into the White House, and he's exactly right, and he talked about that he wanted equal pay because his grandmother who worked all those many hours in the bank was bypassed, and he wanted to be sure that his daughters would have a fair chance, to be given an equal opportunity to work and be treated like anyone's sons.
And when he is so committed to the women's causes, because like he said, it's not just women, it's the families. When you talk about a woman, you're talking about a family issue.
KAYE: Let me ask you about a comment, another comment that Governor Romney made related to women. Listen to this.
ROMNEY: We took a concerted effort to go out and find women who had backgrounds that could be qualified to become members of our cabinet. I went to a number of women's groups and said, can you help us find folks? And they brought us whole binders full of women.
KAYE: Of course, the binders full of women comment, Lilly, getting a lot of attention. A lot has been made of that. What is your reaction to that statement?
LEDBETTER: That was very degrading, the way he stated that, and he was dishonest with that comment, because he did not go out and get those binders, as he put it. Those resumes were laying on his desk when he was sworn in as governor of Massachusetts. The women's organizations had prepared and gathered those resumes and had them there in trying to promote more women in the cabinet and in the state jobs in Massachusetts. Governor Romney did not go out and ask for them. And that was a degrading remark, in my opinion, when he called them binders.
KAYE: Let me ask you about this, because the numbers tell us that women did not initially bounce back from the recession as well as men. Just getting back to the economy here. The gap is now closing, though. About 300,000 women have found work in the last six months, but is this still a concern for you?
LEDBETTER: Women are bouncing back, and a lot of the women have gone back to schools and training programs, and they're getting additional training. They are bouncing back, and more women are finding jobs, just like more men are today. The employment rate is -- the unemployment rate is down, and we're growing, and we're on a forward move. That's why I feel so strongly that President Barack Obama needs another four years to complete his job and the mission that he has started to get this country back on track, and I think we're going in the right direction. In fact, I know we are. And it's like President Clinton said. Not any one human being could have turned this country around in the first four years.
(END VIDEOTAPE) KAYE: And you can see much more of my interview with Lilly Ledbetter. Just go to my blog at CNN.com/randi, and you'll find it there.
Experiencing God with some help from Deepak Chopra. The author and spiritual guru discusses his latest book.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: Welcome back. Once again, a very busy week ahead, so let's get you ready for it, all right? Let's take a look at Monday. That is the third and final presidential debate. It's happening in Boca Raton, Florida. The focus on this one is going to be foreign policy. So both the president and Mitt Romney will be facing off on that. CNN's live coverage will begin at 7:00 p.m. Eastern time, so be sure to join us.
Now, on Tuesday, we're going to be talking a lot about Facebook. Facebook's much anticipated Q3 earnings will be out. And remember, Facebook failed to deliver last quarter in earnings. It has lost half its share value, in fact, since its initial public offering in May, so you know that shareholders are going to be looking at this one.
Also on Tuesday, the CNN Express will be out and about. You know that really cool big bus that we have? It hits the road. Ali Velshi and John Avlon will be riding along. I don't know why I don't get invited to these. But they're going to be on the bus this time, visiting all the battleground states and talking to undecided voters, talking to decided voters, all about the election.
Now on Thursday, President Obama will be voting early in Chicago. The campaign says this is the first time a president has voted early. The first lady also already mailed her ballot in. I guess they want to make sure they get those votes in. And on Saturday, early voting in Florida, and polls are neck and neck there. I'm sure you are aware of that. This is a very critical swing state, along with many others. The state is actually worth 29 of those 270 electoral votes that they need to win.
So there's a look at your week ahead. We'll get you started right. Thanks for starting your morning with us. We've got much more ahead on CNN Sunday Morning, which starts right now.
From CNN World Headquarters in Atlanta, this is CNN SUNDAY MORNING.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BIRDSONG: He cheated, and cheated, you know, beyond many people's beliefs or imagination.
KAYE: A catastrophic week for a fallen hero. Now, Lance Armstrong is expected to speak out at today's Livestrong event. We'll take you there live.
Polls say the score is 1-1. So will Monday night's debate be the tie-breaker? We'll break down what to expect from the final presidential debate.
DEEPAK CHOPRA, AUTHOR: We know that planet Earth is a speck of dust in a minor galaxy somewhere in the junkyard of infinity.
KAYE: Doctor, philosopher and best-selling author. Our exclusive interview with Deepak Chopra on his latest book and what he means by the spiritual significance of suffering.
(MUSIC)
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAYE: Good morning, everyone. I'm Randi Kaye. It is 7:00 on the East Coast, 4:00 on the West Coast. Thanks so much for starting your morning with us.
We begin this morning with Lance Armstrong who is making a very public return to his cancer-fighting charity this weekend. The embattled cyclist is expected to speak to participants in the Livestrong challenge. That's a bike ride designed to show support to cancer survivors.
Armstrong resigned as chairman of the charity last week and the appearance comes as he faces charges from the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency that he used performance-enhancing drugs. Armstrong is expected to speak next hour and we will be sure to bring that to you.
To Michigan now where a series of random shootings has police scrambling to find a suspect. More than a dozen incidents have been reported in three counties since Tuesday, and while know one has been injured, police say there have been some, quote, "very close calls". Authorities believe the shooter has been firing from a car at other drivers.
The White House insists a report that it has agreed to direct nuclear talks with Iran for the very first time is not true. "The New York Times" says the agreement was the result of secret exchanges between Iranian and American officials, dating nearly to the beginning of Mr. Obama's presidency. The White House denies that, but says it is prepared to meet jointly with Iran and other nations.
Senator John Kerry denouncing the release of State Department documents related to the deadly September 11th attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya. He says the move by Republican leaders on the House Oversight Committee exposes Libyan nationals working with the U.S. possible danger and is irresponsible.
A spokesman for the committee's chairman, Congressman Darrell Issa, says Kerry's trying to create a distraction to mislead the American people.
Libya and foreign policy will take center stage on tomorrow's debate showdown between President Obama and his Republican challenger Mitt Romney. Both candidates are busy prepping and the debate stage at Lynn University in Boca Raton, Florida, is being prepped as well.
CNN's Athena Jones takes a look at which candidate might have the edge in this final face-off.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ATHENA JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The third and final face-off between President Obama and Governor Romney will focus entirely on foreign policy. From Afghanistan and Pakistan, to Israel, Iran, and the changing Middle East --
(CROSSTALK)
JONES: -- the candidates will spar over America's role in the world, the new face of terrorism, and how to deal with a rising China.
With polls showing the president's advantage over Romney on foreign policy has narrowed since the summer, Mr. Obama tried to highlight one of his biggest foreign policy accomplishments at a light-hearted charity dinner in New York.
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: And Monday's debate is a little bit different because the topic is foreign policy. Spoiler alert: We got bin Laden.
(APPLAUSE)
JONES: He also used his speech to poke fun at his opponent.
OBAMA: Of course, world affairs is a challenge for every candidate. After some of you guys remember, after my foreign trip in 2008, I was attacked as a celebrity because I was so popular with our allies overseas. And I have to say I'm impressed with how well Governor Romney has avoided that problem.
(LAUGHTER)
JONES: For his part, Romney could try again to bash the president for his administration's messy response to the attack in Libya last month, and link it to what he says is a failed approach to the region.
MITT ROMNEY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: This calls into question the president's whole policy in the Middle East. Look at what's happening in Syria, in Egypt, now in Libya. Consider the distance between ourselves and Israel, with the president said that he was going to put daylight between us and Israel.
JONES: Both candidates face a challenge Monday night.
JON ALTERMAN, CSIS, DIR., MIDDLE EAST PROGRAM: The challenge for President Obama is going to be defining the Middle East strategy going forward. I mean, he's had some successes. He's had some things that are still pretty murky.
JONES: Romney's task could be bigger.
ALTERMAN: I think for Romney, there's a broad challenge and that is how do you drill down into specific policies. The Republican Party hasn't really figured out what a Republican foreign policy looks like after the Bush administration. I think Romney's been uneager to really delve in that.
JONES: Still, while important to many voters, foreign policy ranks far below the economy.
RYAN LIZZA, THE NEW YORKER: With Mitt Romney, every second you're talking about foreign policy is wasted, which might mean that Romney tries to break out of that and tries to bring home some of the foreign policy issues to domestic economic issues.
JONES: With time running out, this is their last chance to make their case to millions of voters in a single night.
(on camera): Governor Romney is spending this weekend preparing for the debate down in Florida, while President Obama is doing his debate prep at Camp David -- Randi.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAYE: Athena Jones, thank you very much.
Well, tomorrow is round three, the last and final presidential debate, as we said. And you guessed it. You will not see Mitt Romney or the president on the campaign trail today. Mitt Romney is in Florida prepping for the debate, and President Obama is at Camp David.
It is their last full day to get ready for the big foreign policy debate. But that didn't stop others from getting out there and holding some rallies for them. Comedian name Jeff Foxworthy took his famous one-liners to Colorado for a Romney rally.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JEFF FOXWORTHY, COMEDIAN: Have you ever done business standing on the back of a pickup truck right (ph) there in that car?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: And former White House chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, went to Florida to campaign for the president.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RAHM EMANUEL, CHICAGO MAYOR: It's an election with clear choices. It's not like a lot of gray area here. Both President Obama and Governor Romney have different visions of what it takes to move this economy forward.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: About a dozen people were lucky enough to ask the president and Governor Romney questions at the town hall debate this week, but were they happy with the answers they got? I'll ask one of them, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KATHERINE FENTON, UNCOMMITTED VOTER: In what new ways do you intend to rectify the inequalities in the workplace, specifically regarding females making only 72 percent of what their male counterparts earn?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: That is my next guest, Katherine Fenton, a 24-year-old uncommitted voter from New York who was lucky enough to ask President Obama and Mitt Romney one of the questions she wanted an answer to before selecting a candidate. And she's not alone in her indecision. With just 16 days until the election, as many as 10 percent of voters could actually go either way on the candidates and their votes in toss-up states from Colorado to Florida will probably decide the next president of the United States.
Katherine, good morning. Thank you so much for joining us this morning.
FENTON: Good morning. Thank you for having me.
KAYE: So, all of you uncommitted voters are a pretty hot commodity. The campaigns certainly need your votes. But let me take you back to the town hall where you asked about pay equity and pay equality in the workplace. What did you think of the answers that you got?
FENTON: You know, I have to be honest, I wasn't really satisfied. I feel like the question was posed in a way to elicit ideas about the future and new routes they would try to take to rectify the inequality, and it felt more like they addressed things that they'd done in the past to try to improve women in the workplace. They really didn't answer to my satisfaction.
KAYE: Is that part of the problem for you? I mean, is that the problems with politics in general? You want to be more forward looking?
FENTON: I think that that's definitely a problem. A lot of the debate was a discussion of injustices that the candidates thought the other one had caused for the country and I think a lot of voters are looking to the future because we feel dissatisfied with the status of our country now and we want to know how they're going to change in the future to try and help make things better.
KAYE: On Twitter and online, the backlash against you for your question was pretty remarkable. What did you make of it?
FENTON: I thought it was ridiculous. I was so surprised that people tried to make it so personal, and some of the things I read were hurtful. But that being said, if you look in the past and especially recently, if people have something to say that might be even slightly controversial, the press and everybody else loves to attack and make it personal. Thankfully for me, the positivity of the people that I love that actually matter to me was so great and wonderful that it made it kind of easy to just ignore the negativity in those who don't know me.
KAYE: I mean, getting back to the response that you got -- I mean, do you think there was anything wrong with your question?
FENTON: I don't think there was anything wrong with my question and things that I read online, people trying to refute saying, like it's 77 cents for every dollar and something like that. If it's not 100 cents for every dollar, then we have a problem. And I think it was great question to bring up and I'm glad it started some dialogue.
KAYE: And what other issues are important to you? What might sway your votes still?
FENTON: I'm definitely looking forward to the next debate. I would like to hear what they have to say especially about how they see the position of America in the Middle East changing. I'm very interested in Iran's nuclear capabilities. I think a lot of the focus for voters is on domestic policy but we've had debate about that. So I'm very curious to see what new discussions arise.
KAYE: What about the fact that bin Laden has been killed by this administration? Will that -- that's something certainly that the Obama administration is going to bring up. Does that mean something to you?
FENTON: It means something to me, but I can't say that I would base any decision on voting on that instance. I'm very proud that America has done that, but at the same time, I think like I said, it's important to look forward and to see how that has changed the world now and how we're going to relate to that in the future.
KAYE: So why do you think you're still undecided?
FENTON: I think just because there's so many variables to consider, and on all the issues, you have to really think about how each candidate is going to change the America that we live in now. You know, there's so many different facets of the country that each candidate has really a different opinion on. So I think it just takes a lot of time to consider all of those different facets of our society and who you think would be the best choice.
KAYE: Are you getting closer? Do you want to share?
FENTON: A little bit closer, I'd rather not share. I haven't made up my mind yet, but a little bit.
KAYE: All right. Well, progress is good, right? You're moving in the right direction. You only have 16 days left, Katherine.
FENTON: Not much time.
KAYE: All right. We appreciate your time.
FENTON: Thank you so much.
KAYE: Do keep us posted on your decision.
FENTON: Thank you very much. Thank you for having me.
KAYE: All right. Thank you.
And don't forget you can catch tomorrow's debate live right here on CNN. Coverage starts at 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time.
He's called doctor, guru, and best-selling author. Next, Deepak Chopra tells us his take on God. The author and spiritual guru is out with a brand-new book.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: For millions around the world, spiritual leader Deepak Chopra has helped them to understand God in their lives. Well, now, he's exploring faith in the lives of 10 holy men and women in his latest book, "God: A Story of Revelation."
Our Nadia Bilchik had a chance to ask Chopra about his latest work.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NADIA BILCHIK, CNN EDITORIAL PRODUCER: Your latest book, "God: A Story of Revelation" attempts to explain God in the story of holy people, visionaries, prophets. What inspired you to write this book and why in a novel?
CHOPRA: The reason I decided to do this book, Nadia, was that I came across an article in "The New York Times," believe it or not, that was written in 1930 and it was a meeting between the great Indian Tagore and Einstein, before the Second World War, the zeitgeist of Nazi Germany was brewing. And they had a dialogue about the nature of divine.
And, you know, now we know that the universe is 13.8 billion years old. We know that 99.9 percent of it is invisible with dark energy, dark matter, interstellar dust. And we know that, you know, planet Earth is a speck of dust in a minor galaxy somewhere in the junkyard of infinity.
So, the question looms: did these people through history have any relevance or was it all mythology? What was the common thread from the Bible to today? And there is a common thread.
BILCHIK: Can we talk about Job? Job in the book, if you look at Job, he's really the ultimate testament of faith in the Bible, in religion. It would have been so easy to give up after being tested so many times. And you put the story of Job first. For you, is the story the most important?
CHOPRA: It is a very important story because we're asking the same question today. Why does suffering happen to good people? Good people suffer. So why is that a fact, you know? If you're a good person, you live moderately, you have faith in God, there still is suffering. Is it random? Is it universal? Or is there a deeper comparison to suffering?
BILCHIK: What's so interesting is you rarely brought eastern philosophy to the western world. Can you briefly tell us what do the easterners know that westerners have yet to learn?
CHOPRA: In the east, always the focus was not on what is being observed. And so, eastern philosophy came from self awareness and self reflection. Who am I? What do I want? What's my purpose in this existence? Do you have a soul?
Does God exist? What is the meaning of death? Why is there suffering?
And they live these questions, and as they live these questions, and went into a deeper domain of their existence, they somehow moved into the answers.
So, you know, western science has always focused on what's out there and how do we measure it. But how do you measure love? How do you measure compassion? How do you measure intuition, insight, inspiration, enthusiasm, creativity, choice making? These are aspects of our being that are not subject to measurement.
BILCHIK: One of the lines that really struck me in the book, when talking about Rumi, you say and you end by saying, "The horror of a Godless world haunts millions of people."
What do you say to those millions of people?
CHOPRA: You know, you should not lose faith because science is expanding us and our vision of the world. In fact, it increases our faith in the mystery of our existence. First, there is existence and the universe. But the second mystery is we're aware of our existence and we are aware of the universe.
So even if the universe existed but we didn't have the consciousness or the awareness of the universe, then, it wouldn't really matter. But we do, and we have those questions and our brains, the human brain especially, is hardwired to not only ask the questions, but to know the answers.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAYE: And we have some sad news to report this morning from the world of politics. Former Senator George McGovern has died. The former senator from South Dakota, his family announcing that the former presidential candidate died at a hospice in South Dakota, former Democratic presidential nominee, 1972.
And this from the family we're getting this morning. "Approximately 5:15 this morning, our wonderful father George McGovern passed away peacefully at the hospice house in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, surrounded by family and lifelong friends." He was 90 years old, and here's a look back at McGovern's life.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): George McGovern lived a fascinating life. America's leading liberal came from Republican parents, an outspoken critic of war, who was a World War II hero. He earned a PhD in history and then went on to make history.
McGovern first went to Washington in 1957, representing South Dakota in the House and later in the Senate where he served 18 years. He was among the first to challenge America's involvement in Vietnam.
GEORGE MCGOVERN, FORMER U.S. SENATOR: I resent the president running this war on his election timetable. I don't think you ought to be playing a numbers game with human lives. And that's what this administration has done.
SAVIDGE: His opposition to the war would become a trademark.
Lesser known, his work helping to reform the Democratic Party nomination process, significantly scaling back the party of role of party officials and insiders, and increasing the role of caucuses, primaries and delegates. It's the system use by both parties today.
It was McGovern's own run for president in 1972 most people remember. It didn't go well. Already a long shot against President Nixon, it didn't help when his acceptance speech to the Democratic Convention was delayed until 2:30 in the morning, long after the huge television audience had gone to bed.
And then, McGovern was forced to dump his running mate, Thomas Eagleton, after it was learned he had a history of psychiatric problems.
Nixon won by a landslide.
Despite the defeat, his campaign attracted the political, young Turks of the day, boosting the careers of Gary Hart and a then unknown Bill Clinton. McGovern would try again in 1984, only to drop out after poor primary showings. But his words still resonate.
MCGOVERN: The question is not -- are we better off than we were four years ago? The question is -- where will America be four years from now? What is the American future? What kind of America do we want to be?
SAVIDGE: Later in life, the man from the South Dakota prairie refocused on cause he worked on in the Kennedy administration, using America's agricultural strength to feed families at home and eventually around the world. It would be the legacy he prided most.
One expert summed it up best, saying the same trait that cost McGovern the White House would become the same quality many later admired. George McGovern's ability to say what others would not.
Martin Savidge, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: I'm Randi Kaye. I'll be back at the top of the hour.
"SANJAY GUPTA, M.D." starts right now.
