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Bobbi Kristina Brown In Medically Induced Coma ; Huckabee: Being Gay is Like Drinking And Swearing; Suspected Package Causes Interstate Shutdown; U.S. Considers Sending Lethal Aid to Ukraine

Aired February 02, 2015 - 15:30   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: Just past the bottom of the hour. You're watching CNN. I'm Brooke Baldwin.

I want to read something for you because we're just getting this additional statement from the family of Whitney Houston from the family, obviously with the daughter; this is what they are telling CNN.

Bobbi Kristina is fighting for her life and she's surrounded by immediate family. As her father, Bobby Brown already stated, "we are asking you to honor our request for privacy during this difficult time. Thank you for your prayers, well wishes and we greatly appreciate your continued support."

The 21-year-old remains in the medically induced coma after police says she was found on Saturday submerged face down in a tub full of bath water. Investigators say she wasn't breathing. Her husband made the discovery inside the couple's Atlanta-area home. And the thing is, this incident is eerily similar, strikingly reminiscing to the circumstances surrounding her own mother's death nearly three years ago to the date. That was February 11th, three years ago when Whitney Houston's body was found face down in that Beverly Hills Hotel bathtub.

And it was Don Lemon who was really covering so much of all that for us here at CNN.

And so we just wanted to talk to you. Because first of all, you were there at the funeral, you saw Bobbi Kristina. How was she in those days --?

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Yes. I reported the death of Whitney Houston.

BALDWIN: Yes. I remember.

LEMON: I just finished the show and they said, go back up now.

BALDWIN: Yes.

LEMON: And go on the air, we were one of the first to report. She wasn't well. She wasn't well. I remember, after -- right after

it happened when her mom died, Bobbi Kristina could not get back into the hotel room. She had gone either shopping or to dinner. I don't remember which one. But she had gone out, her mother was in the room, there was all of this commotion and raucous. She tried to get back to the room and they wouldn't allow her to get close, the investigators, the rescue people. And she had to be taken to the hospital and sedated and after that she did not do well.

BALDWIN: Right.

LEMON: Do you remember that?

BALDWIN: Yes.

LEMON: She did not -- she was not doing well. There had been reportedly -- you know, she was photographed with what looked like to be a marijuana pipe and you know, she reported to get issues with drugs and she wasn't doing well.

Except the last year though, apparently she was doing better except for the offers with Angela Bassett for the "Lifetime TV movie." She wasn't happy that Angela Bassett didn't pick her to play her mother in that "Lifetime TV movie." So she last out in social media and said some things about Angela Bassett. Angela Basset just took the high road and said, "you know, she's a young girl. I needed someone who's going to do her mom, right through her mom's memory right and she so hired you know, another young lady to do it.

Who did actually Deborah Cox ended up singing it but another young lady -- and her name escapes me right now -- ended up actually playing Whitney Houston in the "Lifetime movie."

BALDWIN: Let me -- we really haven't heard much from her since her mother's death. But she did talk to Oprah this is 2012. So it's rare you actually hear from Bobbi Kristina and this was what she said in the wake of her mother's death. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BOBBI KRISTINA BROWN, WHITNEY HOUSTON'S DAUGHTER: If you were to ask me these months about I would have said, I wouldn't be able to get through it. I would have said no. I would have went right with her. I wouldn't have gotten through it at all but --

OPRAH WINFREY, AMERICAN TV PRODUCER: You're getting through it?

BROWN: Yes. Yes. I am. It's so surreal that, you know, I still walk in the house, like mom, you know, I still you know, call her name. But it's -- I've accepted it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: How close is she to her dad, to Bobby Brown?

LEMON: She was not that close in a latter years. I mean, obviously as a child, she was closer to her father but they had had a falling out.

BALDWIN: OK.

LEMON: And they were working on trying to, you know, establish their relationship again. That hadn't happened yet. And if you look at her, I looked at her you know, in an interview with Oprah.

BALDWIN: OK.

LEMON: And I said, look how full her face was and how healthy she looked. And if you look at the Instagram photos of her that were taken recently just before she was found in the bathtub, she was so thin, the family was so concerned about her -- concern about her. There -- I mean look, you don't even know if it's the right person, that same person I should say.

BALDWIN: Wow. Totally different.

LEMON: And you know, she's a 21-year-old child. I mean, a 21-year- old to me is a child. And so she had been dealing with issues for her entire life. She's been in a spotlight for her entire life. Whitney used to take her up her hip, as a child on stage. And so she has been in front of cameras outside of her home and in front of cameras inside of her home with being with Bobby Brown.

BALDWIN: For years and years entirely.

LEMON: And then the Houston's, you know, they had another reality show after her death.

BALDWIN: Right.

LEMON: So she is never -- there's never been time when she was out of the spotlight.

BALDWIN: What about her husband? Because her husband is really sort of was in brought up almost like her brother?

LEMON: A brother. Brother.

They got -- apparently, got together after Whitney's death. Whitney helped raise Nick Gordon. And there is some reportedly from another outlet, which is "Entertainment Tonight," I heard Kevin Fraser saying that they still haven't found a marriage license. So they don't -- they're not even sure if they are actually married officially.

BALDWIN: If it's the photo of the band. And that's --

LEMON: Again, it's not our reporting but again "Entertainment Tonight" is reporting that.

BALDWIN: Got it.

LEMON: But he was raised as her brother. And then when they became close, the family became concerned, because they said, hey, this is your brother, you grew up with him, why are you going out with him? This is not good. And the family, just -- you know, is not happy with that relationship. And they think that he some -- so he has influence over undue influence her that he shouldn't have over her.

BALDWIN: Understandably, so the family is asking for privacy. And then the question is if she was found and she wasn't breathing, you know, how that it affect if she's able to recover you know, any kind of brain activity.

LEMON: Diminished brain function at this point and they said this morning she was responding to some stimuli that they were hopeful but still not out of the woods, by any chance, and they were asking the family to hope for the best but consider the worst.

BALDWIN: Don Lemon, thank you for coming on. I appreciate it.

Watch Don at 10:00 o'clock Eastern on "CNN TONIGHT" right here on CNN. Appreciate it.

LEMON: Thank you.

BALDWIN: Coming up next, is Governor Mike Huckabee the next Republican culture warrior? We'll talk to our Chief Congressional Correspondent Dana Bash about her headline grabbing interview with the potential presidential contender who suggest being gay is quote, unquote, "A lifestyle choice." He compares it to drinking and to swearing. You'll hear much more of that.

Plus, an update on the winter storm it's pummeling the northeast in creating whiteout conditions on so many roads out there. Please stay safe.

You're watching CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: You are watching CNN. I'm Brooke Baldwin.

The 2016 presidential election is more than a year-and-a-half away, but the primary posturing are already in full swing. One potential Republicans hopeful, Governor Mike Huckabee is taking heat over his stands on same-sex marriage among other issues. The former Arkansas governor reaffirmed his long-standing opposition on same-sex marriage in his book, "God, guns, grits and gravy." But the governor insists it is not make him prejudice.

This what he wrote in part, let me read this for you. "I have friends who are gay. My wife and I have entertained gay friends, including gay couples in our home. I do business with gay people and have had gay people working for me. My beliefs and convictions don't change with the people I'm around," end quote.

Let's talk about this with CNN Political Commentator Margaret Hoover and also in Washington CNN Chief Congressional Correspondent Dana Bash who conducted this interview on CNN's "STATE OF THE UNION." And it was quite a back and forth, Dana Bash. So let me just begin with -- what exactly did Governor Huckabee tell you? DANA BASH, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, I actually

read him that very quote from his book and so my question out of that was about the fact that also in the book, he said that people would probably be surprised to know that he has friends who are gay, who he has it to his home. And to ask him to square that with the fact that he also went to his book says very clearly, that his religious beliefs are such that he does not condone -- not just gay marriage but homosexuality in general. This is his answer.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MIKE HUCKABEE (R), FORMER ARKANSAS GOVERNOR: This is not just a political issue. It is a biblical issue. And as a biblical issue, unless you know, I get a new version of the scriptures, it's really not my place to say, OK, I'm just going to evolve. It's like asking somebody who is Jewish to start serving bacon-wrapped shrimp in their deli.

But people can be friends who have a lifestyles that are not necessary my lifestyles. I don't shut people out of my circle or out of my life because they have a different point of view. I don't drink alcohol but, God, a lot of my friends, maybe most of them do. You know, I don't use profanity but, believe me, I've got a lot of friends who do. I'd like to think that there's room in America for people who have different points of view without screaming and shouting and wanting to shut their businesses down.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BASH: So Brooke, we know, there's a lot of buzz about him comparing being gay to drinking and smoking and so forth.

BALDWIN: Yes.

BASH: And if you sort of -- if you dig down on what he's saying about his religious conviction, his religious conviction is such that he doesn't believe that it is that God intended for people to be anything other than heterosexual. But therefore, if you take it to the next level, he's saying that he believes that it's a choice, just like all of the other things that he listed there.

BALDWIN: But you point out, Marga, I'm coming into you in just a second. You pointed out, I mean I watch so much more of your interview and you point out statistics, I forgot which poll you sighted about and I'm going to roughly say the evolution of --

BASH: Exactly.

BALDWIN: I mean, listen it happened to evolution of President Obama, the evolution of Republicans over "X" number of years and you're asking him, basically, is there room in the tent for someone such as himself.

BASH: Exactly it. Exactly. And that was on the issue of gay marriage. The Republican Party has changed pretty dramatically in just a few short years when it comes to accepting the concept of gay marriage. His answer to me and what he has said since is that he just want never support it and if it comes down to the party platform changing, he'd leave the party because, as you just heard him say there, he believes, as his religious conviction, that is the wrong thing to do. And therefore, how could he evolve without changing his religious beliefs.

BALDWIN: Margaret Hoover, you're a Republican, you also disagree with the governor?

MARGARET HOOVER, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: I do disagree with the governor.

BALDWIN: On this very issue.

HOOVER: And a lot of Republicans disagree with the governor. In fact, 50 percent of Republicans under the age of 50 believe that same- sex marriage should be the law of the land. Seventy percent of Evangelicals Christians under the age of 30, according to private polling conducted by Private Right Side, Project Right Side, agree that same-sex marriage should be the law of the land. So Governor Huckabee is not on the side of -- not the majority or even that the trending majority on this issue. Increasingly, people feel that this should be the law of the land it's likely going to be the law of the land after June of 2016.

BALDWIN: But that's not --

HOOVER: But 2015 when the Supreme Court rules on that.

BALDWIN: Right. But that's not a good thing for the Mike Huckabee and other potential contenders come 2016 if they are trying to get the Margaret Hoover vote.

HOOVER: Well, what is interesting is that Mike Huckabees' tone has really changed. What he did say is that there's room in a big tent at the GOP for somebody like Senator Portman or the 11 other Republicans and House of Representatives in the U.S. Senate who are in favor of freedom to marry.

And so that is actually evolution in my view, from Mike Huckabee. Mike Huckabee had had in the other side. Not long ago, he said, if the Republican Party changes its view on this, I'm out. I although become a Republican or somebody else. Look, tone matters and somebody who is as far right as he is, changing his tone, softening it is good. But pieces he's citing Bible scripture and saying he needs to get a new scripture in order to change his view on this but the truth is, we're seeing Bible churches across the country, from national Tennessee just last week to Washington to all over -- even Evangelical pastors coming out and saying, same-sex marriage is actually OK with the Bible.

BASH: But you know --

HOOVER: And so he -- I mean, the Bible used to justify slavery and then they found a new way of interpreting these scriptures. So it's not that the scriptures have changed. BALDWIN: I hear you, Dana. You want to jump in. Go ahead.

BASH: You know I just want to make point that Marga made at the beginning that their technique is so key to underscore. This is generational. Generational in the Republican Party, generational just in America in general. And so I think, that is a big part of what you're seeing here, a big part of the change in the Republican Party, mirrors what you're seeing in the country and Mike Huckabee is, you know, has grown kids. He's not among those in the new generation and I don't think you can discount that that's a big reason.

BALDWIN: And Dana, let me stay with you because as we talk ahead of 2016, we talked a lot about who could be that the fresh faces and who would then come from the establishment Republican Party. And what do you do see this is being one of the bigger changes on this specific issue as people are going out to the polls, as people are evaluating who their candidate should be if you're Republican?

BASH: Yes. You know what is interesting? Take Paul Ryan, for example. He's in his early 40s, maybe mid-40s now. He just doesn't talk about it. It's not that he -- he doesn't want to go there because it's almost a nonissue for him. I mean, if he eventually changes his mind and wants to trying to take national office again, it probably will be. But maybe by that time it will be a nonissue for everybody.

So I think that the younger people right now, if they need to in Iowa, for example, if they really want to try to court a certain kind of voter and it's a very small -- Margaret, now this is very small pool of voters who actually go out to the caucuses and elect that first Republican presidential contest. But beyond that, I'm guessing as the years go on, it's not going to be necessary to do that.

HOOVER: Dana is exactly right. And I think, often Republicans are just waiting for the Supreme Court to rule in 2015 of June. Because they are going to definitively, rule whether there's a constitutional right to marry and then that issue will be settled in every single state across the land. When that happens, Republicans are likely not going to try to override the Supreme Court victory. They are just going to let it lie and move on.

I think Republicans, frankly, especially some of the more moderate Republicans, maybe Chris Christie, Jeb Bush, they just want the issue to be settled. People like Mike Huckabee are going to Iowa and they're drumming up a social conservative base, which is frankly, a winning issue and a primary but it will not win any independent voters or any sensuous Republicans in the general election. So the best hope for the Republican Party as for the Supreme Court to decide this definitively when it comes to June -- probably June 29, 2015.

BALDWIN: Mark your calendars. This will be fascinating to watch as this continuous to evolve with this different candidates.

Come 2016, want to see more of those interviews, Dana Bash of Margaret Hoover. Thanks so much.

HOOVER: Thanks for having me.

BALDWIN: Coming up next, is the U.S. waiting into a proxy war with Russia? CNN has learned that the United States is considering offering lethal aid to Ukrainian enforces to fight off the pro-Russian rebels. We have that for you. Stay with me.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: Want to take you quickly to more live pictures. This is midtown Atlanta as you are heading into downtown. This is I-75 and 85. And this is something in my 35 years at least being born and raised Atlanta, I have never seen this zero cars on the downtown connectors. The reason, a suspicious package. We've been watching this through the last hour, half hour or so. We've seen what appears to be a detonation. Is this live, guys, or is this tape? Moments ago. There you go moments ago. That was what appeared to be the detonation.

Again, suspicious package somewhere either on one of the bridges or somewhere along I-75 or I-85. And keep in mind, if you are in the Atlanta area, where about in an hour or an hour away from rush hour that is going to be a mess. We'll keep an eye on it for you.

Meantime, could the U.S. and Russia be on the verge of a proxy war? CNN has now learned that the U.S. is considering sending lethal aid to Ukrainian forces to fight pro-Russian rebels.

A U.S. official tells CNN this could mean defensive anti-tank, anti- air and anti-mortar systems but the administration is still trying to really assess what reaction the move could elicit from Russia, which the U.S. maintains is backing the rebels.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is visiting Kiev, the capital, this week and according to the "New York Times" is open to new discussions about providing lethal assistance.

Joining me now is Michael Bociurkiw, he is the spokesman for the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, OSCE, he is also part of that international team sent to monitor the situation in Ukraine, including the crash site where that commercial airliner was taken down back in July when we last spoke.

Michael, nice to see you.

MICHAEL BOCIURKIW, OSCE SPOKESMAN: It's good to be back with you, Brooke.

BALDWIN: Tell me first, just how have conditions deteriorated now that it seems the U.S. could reverse course and help arm Ukraine after all?

BOCIURKIW: Conditions, Brooke, have to deteriorated very, very badly over the past couple weeks. The one thing that we're seeing is not a call back on heavy weaponry as the means documents called for but actually a buildup, and one of the things are monitors, we have 400 in Ukraine right now and about two-thirds of those are in the conflict zone.

They've been reporting on more frequent appearance, for example, of unmarked military convoys coming to the area around Donetsk City. And Brooke, these aren't just a long lines of vehicles. Some of them are pulling heavy weaponry like 120 millimeter howitzer guns, multiple launch rocket systems.

The other thing, Brooke, and this is really impacting innocent civilians all over the conflict zone, is more and more in discriminate shelling -- shelling happening deeper in urban neighborhood and also there shelling coming out of some neighborhoods where as their hidden and find their way and of course, this invites return fire. So as you might expect, it's caused a huge kind of out flux of people. We're talking about thousands of people who have fled the conflict zone.

So right now in total, you have more than a million people who have fled to safer ground in Ukraine.

BALDWIN: You know you talk about evidence that could point to Russian involvement. We know that there are reports from pro-Russian separatists today that they plan to mobilize up to 100,000 fighters for their latest east Ukraine offensive. How likely would that be, Michael?

BOCIURKIW: Well, we wouldn't speculate on their intentions. But again, what we are seeing is this very heavy buildup, dangerous buildup of heavy weaponry and just on Saturday, Brooke, our head of Mission Ambassador Abercorn (ph) once again pleaded for immediate cease-fire, return to the barbing table. A lot of us of course were hoping that they make talks but you know, occur and be substantive but they broke off after, I think, only a couple of hours.

As I said, time and time again, Brooke, the worst thing that could happen right now if there's no dialogue whatsoever, that there doesn't seem to be anything on the horizon. But having said that, we know, the OSCE, is very much involved at many different levels, a lot of background diplomatic work at very high levels. And you know, this is something we don't only see as very visible but I can tell you the engagement of senior leaders, member states of OSCE is very, very high right now.

BALDWIN: What about, Michael, final 45 seconds, I mean, if the U.S. does agree to provide this lethal support to the Ukrainians, how can they guarantee that they are handing the weaponry, et cetera, to the right people?

BOCIURKIW: Again, that's something difficult for me to comment at direct U.S. Another, Brooke, but I can tell you, in terms of our mission, about 10 percent of our monitors are come to U.S. many former military, many former law enforcement. Really, really skilled men and women that have come as part of the mission. So in that sense, the U.S. support to the OSCE, special monitoring mission to Ukraine, has been very, very substantive. Of course, we hope that keeps up. And we hope we can play a big part in bringing about a cease-fire and peace to this part of Europe.

BALDWIN: Absolutely. Michael Bociurkiw with OSCE, I really appreciate you. Thank you very, very much.

And quickly before I go, if we can throw that weather map up, because this is really one of the biggest stories of the day as we continue to watch the snow falling in much of the northeast. Just want to quickly remind you, lot of delays and cancellations, not just from the northeast. We've been talking to a lot of people in the Ohio, Chicago, Cleveland area.

So just a heads up, a lots of snow headed especially to you, Boston, Providence, could be record settings. Stay with CNN for all the latest updates.

And thank you so much for being with me here on this Monday. I'm Brooke Baldwin. Stay right here. "The LEAD" with Jake Tapper starts right now.