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Names Still Added to Vietnam Memorial; California Court to Rule on Same-Sex Marriage; Free Car for an Inch of Rain; Marathon Oil Drills Off Gulf of Mexico; British Singer Susan Boyle Tries for Semi- Finals
Aired May 24, 2009 - 16:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Still a member of the GOP. One of the most popular generals ever sounds off on former Vice President Dick Cheney, Rush Limbaugh and the state of the Republican Party.
And the debate over Proposition 8. A decision coming this week. What's at stake and what about the 18,000 same-sex marriages that were legal? Are they still valid?
And family feud, the children of Martin Luther King at odds over a movie about their father's life. Hello, everyone.
I'm Fredricka Whitfield. And you're in the CNN NEWSROOM.
Memorial Day weekend is being observed with moments of silence and with the roar of motorcycles. Members of Rolling Thunder Motorcycle Group are honoring veterans in and around the nation's capital today. Tomorrow will bring a more traditional tribute at Arlington National Cemetery where the president of the United States will be laying a wreath at the tomb of the unknown soldiers.
Well, for many Americans, the Memorial Day weekend is also being dampened by rain. Six days of rain produced floods in Florida. They are assessing the damage today so they can figure out whether to apply for federal disaster assistance. Bad weather at the Kennedy Space Center forced the "Atlantis" shuttle crew to land in California. See those images. The landing taking place on the West Coast. The touch down at Edwards Air Force base just over four hours ago because of the weather to the left of that screen.
All right. Widespread storms are putting the if in getting there this holiday weekend. Meteorologist Jacqui Jeras is in the CNN weather center. A lot of folks are deciding, you know, we're just going to stay inside or even just barbecue inside.
JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: You know, that's a great idea.
WHITFIELD: It can be done.
JERAS: As long as you are being careful. You know, grill indoors -
WHITFIELD: Yes, I was really meaning barbecuing like over the stove, you know, and in the oven. Don't bring the grill inside. JERAS: Yes. It is a bummer for a lot of people this holiday weekend, unfortunately, because of the weather. It's really widespread all across the southeast, mid-Atlantic, northeast, getting in on the action. The west coast is really the best place to be if you want to be outdoors today. But if you are trying to travel or even just get across town, you know, it can be rough going.
We've had all the rain in Florida with all the flooding going on here. Still some locations especially across east central parts of Florida have had over a foot of rain in the last seven days. The rain showers generally just kind of your typical showers and thundershowers in the southeast. But you get up here in the northeastern corridor and a lot of these thunderstorms have been producing some hail, about a quarter size and greater in diameter.
We had that move through Boston earlier just down to the south of you at this hour. If you are trying to travel, we do have quite a few delays here at the airports as a result of that. There you can see Boston Logan, we got a ground stop until 4:30. So that means, if you are trying to take off to get to Boston you can't leave probably until at least that time. JFK has delays of over an hour right now. San Francisco about 15 minutes. Ft. Lauderdale because of the thunderstorms, 15 to 30-minute delays here. And Newark looking at delays around 25 minutes.
If you're not traveling today but you are tomorrow, where can you expect the travel trouble? In the airway, we're looking at delays potentially in Atlanta, Washington, D.C., because of the showers and thunderstorms. St. Louis, Memphis and Nashville, maybe 15 to 30- minute delays. Denver could see some thunderstorms and then we'll see more of those low clouds into the San Francisco area.
Flight explorer now just kind of showing you all the airplanes that we have up there. About 5,000 in the air as we speak. So a lot of travelers out there at this hour. And what about just on the ground? What's going to be going on for tomorrow? Well, we do expect pretty much everywhere that it's raining today across the southeast, it's going to be raining again tomorrow. You know, it's not going to be all day, Fredricka, but it's kind of what it's like out there right now. You know, it's cloudy, intermittent rain showers. Maybe some isolated thundershowers in there. Not much in the way of severe weather. Just really nuisance travel weather, unfortunately.
We will see some of that action here across the four corners region on up through the Rockies and there you can see lots of sunshine across parts of the west, places like Seattle, really looking nice. San Francisco after the clouds in the morning should be a great day with 64 degrees there. 68 degrees in Denver.
WHITFIELD: All right. Thanks a lot. We're going to make some modifications in our plans for tomorrow.
JERAS: All right.
WHITFIELD: Instead of outdoor it will be indoor activities. All right. Thanks a lot, Jacqui. Appreciate it. JERAS: OK.
WHITFIELD: All right. President Obama will be spending most of the day with his family at Camp David. But he'll be back in time for Memorial Day tradition tomorrow, laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery.
On Tuesday, he heads to Las Vegas and Los Angeles for fund- raisers and other events. And on Thursday, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas visits the White House.
All right. President Obama is expected to announce by Tuesday his choice to replace retiring Supreme Court Justice David Souter. It really is possibly to happen as early as Tuesday. He talked about the timing in a C-Span interview.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It's safe to say that we're going to have an announcement soon. And my hope is that we can have hearings in July so that we end up before Congress breaks for the summer, have somebody in place. One of the things I would prefer not to see happen is that these confirmation hearings drag on and somebody has to hit the ground running and then take their seat in October without having the time to wrap their mind around the fact they are going to be a Supreme Court justice. I'd like to give them a little bit of lead time so they can get prepared.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: All right. When it comes to Colin Powell's politics, Rush Limbaugh has weighed in. And Dick Cheney has put in his two cents as well.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DICK CHENEY, FORMER U.S. VICE PRESIDENT: Well, if I had to choose in terms of being a republican, I'd go with Rush Limbaugh. I think my take of it was that Colin had already left the party. I didn't know he was still a republican.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Well, that was last week. Now Colin Powell, the former U.S. Secretary of state answers the question himself. Is he still a republican? The former secretary of state on CBS earlier today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
COLIN POWELL, FORMER U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: Rush will not get his wish. And Mr. Cheney was misinformed. I am still a republican. And I'd like to point out that in the course of my 50 years of voting for presidents, I have voted for the person I thought was best qualified at that time to lead the nation. Last year I thought it was president now Barack Obama. For the previous 20 years, I voted solidly for a republican candidate.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Powell also says the GOP needs to be more inclusive these days and build its base, not just rest on it.
A trilateral summit of sorts in Tehran today. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad met with his counterparts from Pakistan and Afghanistan. The leaders discussed regional security issues and signed a new gas pipeline agreement.
All right. Pakistan's military has intensified efforts to force the Taliban out of the Swat Valley. The fierce street battles between troops insurgents have residents running for their lives. That's creating a humanitarian nightmare near Peshawar in northwestern Pakistan. Here now is our Dan Rivers.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAN RIVERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It is an exodus of people on an almost biblical scale. The mosaic of plastic and canvas that's now home to more than 93,000 people and more are arriving each day. This is Jelosi camp near Peshawar. Suddenly almost a city in its own right.
Food is available. Fruit traders plying the avenues of tents. But these people can't afford to buy much. They make bread with flour handed out by the U.N. but say it's not enough.
MEHBOOB SHAH, LIVING IN REFUGEE CAMP (through translator): We get flour from the U.N.H.C.R. -
RIVERS: This man says "but it's very difficult, there's lots of jostling. When we get it, it's very poor quality. Even the cows won't eat it," he says.
Sarbadi Hahn arrived here 15 days ago with his three children and wife. He says the fighting forced them to leave, and they walked almost 100 kilometers, about 60 miles, to escape but had to leave his father behind.
There are eight field hospitals in this camp. Just in the morning while we were filming, 380 new patients registered for treatment. Most of them women and children suffering from diarrhea, heat stroke and some have signs of mental trauma.
PROFESSOR ABID FAROOQI, PAKISTAN INSTITUTE OF MEDICAL SCIENCES: They are complaining of fear, phobias, palpitations and all symptoms seem to have started since they arrived in this camp. So yes, there is a lot of stress around.
RIVERS: Pakistan's interior ministry underlined the seriousness of the situation in which such a huge number of fleeing the Pakistan offensive against the Taliban, less than a day's drive from the capital. REHAMN MALIK, PAKISTANI INTERIOR MINISTER: I feel that this is even worse than the earthquake in Kashmir and you know the weather is very bad, the people who have come down, they are from cold area to the facilities, to counter these harsh weather. They are not much, but we are making all possible arrangements to counter it.
RIVERS: The water tankers provide a lifeline here in this stifling heat.
(on camera): To get a real sense of the sheer scale of these camps here on the grounds. And also a sense of the sheer scale of this exodus. It's estimated this is the biggest movement of people since the formation of Pakistan in 1947. It's now thought that perhaps up to 1.8 million people have been forced to leave their homes.
(voice-over): And on the edge of Jelosi camp, they are clearing ground for more tents. There is no sign of this massive influx of people ending anytime soon. Dan Rivers, CNN, at Jelosi Camp, Pakistan.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: All right. Now to talk about the Queen of England and her chauffeur who is now facing some tough questions. He's been suspended after security breach at Buckingham Palace in London. The driver is accused of accepting a bribe and giving two undercover British tabloid reporters a tour of the royal garage. They secretly recorded this video as well.
One reporter says the chauffeur was paid more than $1,500. London police are investigating claims that the reporter sat in the cars, actually, of the queen and the limos used by the royal family.
Help for those who served. We've got comments and a list of websites for veterans and family members of troops that - who have made the ultimate sacrifice. Websites to help.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAJ. JEFF O'DONNELL, U.S. ARMY FROM PHILADELPHIA, PA.: Hi. My name is Major Jeff O'Donnell. I'm stationed down here in Minstiki in Baghdad. I'd like to give a shout out to my wife and kids in Germany for Memorial Day. And I'd also like to wish my wife an early 10th anniversary. I love you and miss you all. Take care.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Americans pay tribute this Memorial Day weekend to men and women who have died serving their country. At the Rock Island National Cemetery in Illinois, volunteers have placed thousands of flags by the tombstones of these fallen heroes.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's a great message of remembering them and, you know, a lot of them don't realize the sacrifice that they did make. And people appreciate it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They gave everything for us. This is what little thing we can do for you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Army Sergeant Christian Bueno-Galdos has been laid to rest. The 25-year-old native of Peru was among five U.S. troops gunned down in Iraq early this month by a distraught comrade. His death now uniting people in Patterson, New Jersey. Matt Murphy from News 12 New Jersey explains.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MATT MURPHY, NEWS 12 REPORTER (voice-over): Full military honors is what Christian Bueno-Galdos received as a community comes together to remember this 25-year-old army sergeant at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Patterson. Those who knew him personally too distraught to describe their sorrow.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm sorry, it's too much pain. I'm sorry for that.
MURPHY: Little did the Bueno-Galdos family which includes his wife, parents and siblings thing just two weeks ago that their loved one would be among the members of the U.S. Military we all honor this Memorial Day.
JACK SHINN, MILITARY VETERAN: It's a sacrifice for all the veterans for all the wars this weekend. And it's rather poignant that this is going on today, but that's why we're here.
MURPHY: It was on May 11th when the army sergeant was shot and killed along with four others at a stress clinic in Baghdad. According to officials, a distraught fellow soldier was the gunman. Bueno-Galdos was born in Peru but immigrated with his family to Paterson when he was seven years old. He joined the army right out of high school. A number of Peruvian Americans who did not know the slain soldier personally attended the funeral service.
DAVID TOLEDO, MOURNER: He's a hero for the Peruvian and American community. I feel sorry for the pain of the family.
MURPHY: Bueno-Galdos was buried in (inaudible) following the funeral service. In Paterson, Matt Murphy, News 12 New Jersey.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: And as Americans remember those service members who gave their lives for this country, many are also thinking about today's veterans and the care they receive when they come home from war. Our Josh Levs joins us with more on that. Josh. JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And Fred, this is something you and I have we've been taking a close look at throughout the weekend. And as you know, viewers have a lot to say about it. We've been getting a lot of I-reports throughout the day. People talking about remembrance ceremonies and also what you were just mentioning there. This issue of veterans and their care that they are getting. Let's take a look at this I-report we got from a veteran.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONNELL NICHOLS, I-REPORTER: I love coming home. I love fleet week. But I would love more to come home to a veterans office that helps me get a job or helped me readjust. Help me deal with the stress. The things that I had to see. The friends that I lost. Michael King, Scott Halverson, to name some. Those are the things that are most important.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEVS: We also heard from Jean Lindsey who talks about what it was like in the years after the Vietnam war.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JEAN LINDAY, I-REPORTER: The Memorial Day parade, I've gone to it every year since I was a kid. It took 10 years before the crowd along the streets clapped just loudly for these men and welcomed them home. I want to say thank you to the Vietnam vets for all they lived through over there but through all what they live for through when they came home.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEVS: And Fred, people have been fired up about this. On your blog, cnn.com/newsroom, you can click on Fred and you'll see a lot of people weighing in here. Let's zoom in really quickly. I'll show you an example from James who says that from his experience as a veteran, it will take much more than rhetoric to cure the VA.
Also throughout the day there's been a debate going on over here in my Facebook page. Another James talk about really a similar thing. The veterans are just not getting what they are deserved beyond symbolism. Jimmy, yet another James - Jimmy though says if you have served do something about it, stop crying about our congress, start pointing out which senators and house members are to blame.
We want to invite you to take part in this discussion. Let's show one of the graphic here. You've got I-report, as you know, and you got the newsroom blog. Click on Fred there. My Facebook page with Facebook.com/JoshLevsCNN. Twitter.com/JOSHLEVSCNN. And Fred, I will tell you, the passion that people are exhibiting and what they are writing to us, really powerful.
WHITFIELD: Oh, yes, very powerful. We invited a lot of people to be part of a conversation we had yesterday in the 4:00 Eastern hour about the various ways that people can get help as it pertains to jobs and housing. The one remark from the gentleman in that I-report, pretty profound when he talked about the need for transition and a greater need to help find a job.
We heard that in a big way from a number of people.
LEVS: Right.
WHITFIELD: And the statistics are huge. I mean, to have 11 percent, more than 11 percent of vets serving Iraq and Afghanistan were to be out of work. That's higher than the national unemployment rate.
LEVS: And the homeless numbers are too high. I mean, it's incredible. It's just awful what has happened.
WHITFIELD: You've offered a lot of websites, a lot of information.
LEVS: That's right. Let's quickly zoom in. I'll show all you need to is to remember one thing, cnn.com/impact. I'll take you there right now. The great thing about this is we're leading right here with a whole bunch of links. Any one of these can help you get to a website where you'll be able to help. Whether you want to help families of people who have died at war or veterans around today. Cnn.com/impact. We'll hook you up right there.
WHITFIELD: Thanks to so many people who offer their thoughts and questions on the NEWSROOM blog with my name on it. Thanks so much.
LEVS: Yes, thanks.
WHITFIELD: Thanks to you as well, Josh.
All right. The legendary life of the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. set to be told on the big screen. But a King family feud threatens to derail the movie deal.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: News across America now. Police are investigating a deadly shooting in Mesa, Arizona. Two people are dead. Six others are recovering from their wounds. Police say a guest at a graduation party shot and killed his ex-wife and another man.
And police in Oregon - Portland, Oregon that is, a 31-year-old Amanda Joe Scott Smith threatened to kill herself before she was arrested. She's accused of throwing her two children off a bridge into the Willamette River. Search crews recovered the body of her four-year-old son. The woman's seven-year-old daughter was rescued. She is in serious condition.
And in Columbus, Ohio, about a dozen people were hurt when two racing buses collided into a wall as you see there. It happened last night at the Columbus Motor Speedway. As you can see in this amateur video, the collision sent chunks of concrete flying into the crowd. None of the injuries are said to be, however, life threatening. Well, what could be bigger. A Steven Spielberg biopic about the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. or the family feud threatening to derail the project.
CNN's A.J. Hammer has the latest.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
A.J. HAMMER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Martin Luther King's legacy has been well documented. But plans to turn his life into a movie have uncovered a family divided over how to protect that legacy. Bernice and Martin Luther King III were already fighting their brother Dexter in court over their father's estate. And now they say since they weren't included in negotiating the film rights, they're not ready to sign off on a movie deal.
BERNICE KING, REV. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.'S, DAUGHTER: I think Mr. Spielberg is a great producer. And we look forward to hearing from him about the scope of this agreement. We know nothing about the agreement. We have no details about the agreement. To say whether or not this particular one is a good idea, in general, yes. It's wonderful to do a film about Dr. King.
HAMMER: Dexter King is the chief executive of the King estate. And he green lighted the DreamWorks proposal. He told us that despite the current legal issues, he wants to work with his siblings and that "I sincerely believe that the film project we've been working on DreamWorks, a company with unrivaled resources from making epic films of the highest quality, offers an unprecedented opportunity for educating the largest possible audience about our father's legacy as the leader of America's greatest non-violent movement."
But DreamWorks wants no part of this family argument telling us "the purpose of making a movie about the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is to tell a great story which could bring distances and bring people together. We remain committed to pursuing a film chronicling Martin Luther King's life, provided that there is unity in the family so we can make a film about unity in our nation.
(on camera): Friends of the family have told CNN the three children may need a mediator to find the kind of unity their father called for.
A.J. Hammer, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: OK. So we couldn't resist asking our legal guys who you see every Saturday, Richard Herman and Avery Freeman about this one.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VOICE OF AVERY FRIEDMAN, CIVIL RIGHTS ATTORNEY: This is an epic film. Could be "Schindler's List" quality. We'll see it's going to go forward. It's not Larry King, it's not John King. These other kings, forget about it. It's going to move forward. Dexter is doing the right thing.
WHITFIELD: You'll kill me. But Richard, if the CEO of the King Incorporated is Dexter King, the youngest King who made the deal then it sounds like he has, perhaps, a greater responsibility to craft a business deal?
RICHARD HERMAN, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Sure.
WHITFIELD: That's the argument.
HERMAN: Yes and that's why they are bringing Andrew Young in and some other friends of the family. Because when the peaceful Dr. Martin Luther King had a dream it was not a nightmare. His kids couldn't get along. Two words. DreamWorks, Spielberg. That should be enough. The guys should sign on the dotted line.
FRIEDMAN: That's it.
WHITFIELD: Wow.
HERMAN: Nailed it.
WHITFIELD: We'll see how this progresses. Because we know sometimes family disputes can go on quite awhile.
HERMAN: And this has and it will continue.
WHITFIELD: Yes.
HERMAN: Money seems to soothe things, though, Fred.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: OK. Avery and Richard there. And the big question here, when and if the movie is made, who will play Martin Luther King? There are already several websites asking that very question. Among the most popular picks? Jamie Foxx, Denzel Washington, Cuba Gooding Jr. and Ice Cube is even mentioned on that.
All right. Struggle over same-sex marriage. The stage is set for California's Supreme Court to either uphold the ban that voters endorsed or rule that vote unconstitutional. We look at both sides of the argument.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: Happening right now. Fleet Week in New York City, the USS Iwo Jima, a 40,500-ton assault helicopter ship is one of three U.S. warships making the Big Apple a port of call. Five Canadian vessels are there, as well. Today's events include a special performance by the cast of the Broadway revival of "South Pacific." Going on right now, a cooking contest for military chefs. They're competing to see who can make the best appetizers, entrees and desserts.
At the same time, solemn events are scheduled in and around the nation's capital all throughout the weekend, and tomorrow, especially. The main Memorial Day observance will take place at Arlington National Cemetery, but for many people, the day won't be complete without a visit to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. CNN's Paul Corson reports names are still being added.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PAUL CORSON, CNN PRODUCER (voice-over): Fifteen years after his death and nearly 40 years after he was wounded, the name Enrique Valdez has been added to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. The children of the Marine Corps gunnery sergeant are experiencing a victory on his behalf.
LYNDORA VALDEZ, DAUGHTER OF VIETNAM VETERAN: We didn't know he could be put on the wall after he had died. We thought that the wall -- the only people that went on there were the ones that were actually, you know, killed in Vietnam.
CORSON: Valdez, wounded by shrapnel in 1969 combat that left him a quadriplegic, died in 1994. A Pentagon panel took the next 14 years to consider his family's request to include him on the wall.
ENRIQUE "RICK" VALDEZ, SON OF VIETNAM VETERAN: This is a perfect example of persistence paying off, never taking no for an answer and just -- just trying to honor our father! That's all.
CORSON: Symbols next to names on the wall are updated when someone missing in action is confirmed as killed in action. But adding a name takes a special review and careful measurements to make it fit with the others.
JIM LEE, ENGRAVER, VIETNAM VETERANS MEMORIAL: When we strip that stencil off, we were shooting for an average 24,000 steep (ph) for the name Enrique Valdez.
CORSON: The four kids, now grown up, some with a touch of gray, watch the name go up and will return to Washington for Memorial Day ceremonies honoring their father and others. They took time to reflect on the man who almost didn't make it home from the war and how he lived out the rest of his life.
TINA VALDEZ, DAUGHTER OF VIETNAM VETERAN: He said, There are people that are worse off than I was. You know, When I enlisted and I served, I knew what I was getting into. And if this is the worst that could happen to me, well, then, so be it.
CORSON: Visitors to the Vietnam memorial may notice the fresh lettering, the only name added to the panels for 1969, joining 58,260 comrades so honored. Paul Corson, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: Big changes could be ahead at the U.S. State Department. Several sources confirm to CNN that a draft version e- mail from Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says the partners of gay diplomats should be allowed the same benefits that heterosexual employees enjoy. A senior administration official not authorized to speak publicly says the proposed policy change is far from being a done deal.
Meantime, California is bracing for a major court decision. The state Supreme Court is scheduled to rule Tuesday on whether a voter- approved ban on same-sex marriage is legal. It's the same court that legalized same-sex marriages in California last year by a 4-to-3 vote. After that ruling, an estimated 18,000 gay couples got married. And then in November, California voters passed Proposition 8, a constitutional amendment that overturned the ruling, banning same-sex marriage. Well, gay rights advocates say the results of vote should be thrown out on procedural grounds. They say Prop 8 needed legislative approval before it went to voters.
Our legal eagle -- one of them -- today, Civil Rights attorney Avery Friedman joins us from Cleveland, Ohio. Good to see you. Usually, it's you, me and Richard Herman...
AVERY FRIEDMAN, CIVIL RIGHTS ATTORNEY: That's right. That's right.
WHITFIELD: ... on Saturdays. Today, it's you and me. So...
FRIEDMAN: It's just one shot on this one, but it's a wild one. This is a great case.
WHITFIELD: It really is something else and...
FRIEDMAN: Right.
WHITFIELD: ... something else that Tuesday, it could all be determined by the U.S. Supreme Court. (SIC) So what's your expectation?
FRIEDMAN: Well, by the California Supreme Court, yes.
WHITFIELD: Yes, that's what I meant to say. Sorry. California Supreme Court.
FRIEDMAN: What's going to happen here is the court is faced with a very difficult issue. And you were right, it was exactly a year ago that the chief justice and three other justices said, 4-to-3, that gay marriage is not unconstitutional. It's legal. And therefore, right after that, 18,000 couples got married. Well, in November...
WHITFIELD: And now null and void.
FRIEDMAN: Right, voided...
WHITFIELD: Because a majority voted, you know, against the same- sex -- against same-sex marriage being acceptable in California.
FRIEDMAN: Right.
WHITFIELD: So now is it likely that the California Supreme Court could have a decision that would appease both sides, meaning the 18,000 who perhaps -- you know, who got married and who thought that their marriage was legal, and also appease the majority of voters who say, We want to ban same-sex marriage? Is that possible to even consider?
FRIEDMAN: Well, it's possible. Either half are going to be unhappy or half are going to be happy. I don't know which. But I think what we're looking at, Fredricka, is that the Supreme Court is likely to say, for those that got married during this May to November 2008 window...
WHITFIELD: Yes.
FRIEDMAN: ... that's probably going to be validated. But we expect to see the majority either 4-to-3 or 5-to-2 upholding the people's vote that it will be unconstitutional.
WHITFIELD: You know, it's a much broader discussion, too, because we're talking about -- you know, people go to the polls. They make a selection. They vote. But now come to find out if that's an unpopular vote, then possibly it could be challenged in court. Does that apply to everything, or are there certain legal cases in which that fight could be brought?
FRIEDMAN: That's a wonderful question because the question that California presents is one that courts have struggled with. If you're dealing with what's called an inalienable right, Fredricka -- for example, the right to vote or the right of freedom of religion -- then you can't wash that away by popular vote. And I think I misstated it. I think the majority will probably hold Prop 8 as constitutional, but -- and they will reject the argument that same-sex marriage is equal to an inalienable right such as freedom of religion, and therefore, it will uphold the right of the people to ban it.
WHITFIELD: Wow. So how might this impact, perhaps, other states who have said, We're OK with same-sex unions, or other states that are now trying to make that decision about whether this is something that should be legislated or something that should go to the voters?
FRIEDMAN: Well -- and we've seen an explosion of these issues in various states. The fact is that the California Supreme Court decision will have absolutely no effect on other states. Each state makes its own decision.
WHITFIELD: Right. All right, Avery Friedman, thanks so much. Always good to see you...
FRIEDMAN: Wonderful to be with you.
WHITFIELD: ... and good to see you two times in one weekend.
FRIEDMAN: My pleasure.
WHITFIELD: All right. Have a great one.
FRIEDMAN: See you soon. Take care.
WHITFIELD: Appreciate it.
All right, now the YouTube cartoon that has parents and teachers and -- everywhere, actually, not just in Seattle, but pretty baffled and confused. It's from a group of 6th grade girls. It shows them killing a classmate in a half dozen ways. No kidding. The video apparently has now been removed from YouTube but not before it became a popular go-to destination.
Well, earlier today, I talked with a clinical psychologist about this video.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JUDY KURIANSKY, CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST: There are different kinds of kids, by the way, Fredricka, who get involved in this. There are the revenge kids. There are the angry kids. And then there are kids who are just, Oh, we just think it's funny. So all those -- we have to psychologically approach these three different kids on different levels of educating them...
WHITFIELD: Vary stuff (ph).
KURIANSKY: ... and then make it really clear how to deal with their anger and the impact of what that does to others, and for the victims, what they should do, that they need to tell.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: All right, that was Dr. Judy Kuriansky.
Well, earlier today, we posed this very question on our blog. Is it time to draw a line on what gets posted on the Internet? And if there is a line, how is it regulated? Here are a few comments both on my blog at Newsroom, Fredrickawhitfield, as well as FaceBook. So from Ian (ph) on our blog, he says, "With the 1st Amendment providing for freedom of speech, it is clear that there should be no laws abridging speech on the Internet, which would be an -- which would be unconstitutional if applied to the flesh and blood world."
And Steve (ph) wrote on our blog, "Killing someone is not funny. It's not a game. It's not a cartoon. It's not a video. It's not art. It's murder. And it's wrong." Steve also has a few recommendations for the girls who made that video. For one, he says, No computer time this summer.
And from Joyce (ph) on my Facebook, "I'm very concerned about the amount of bullying going on in schools all over the nation. Children seem to have no compassion for each other. Are they stuck in a predatory mind-set? It's so sad to see. I hope parents will take heed and talk with their children about this unspoken danger in classrooms everywhere."
All right, is it too good to be true, a car dealership offering to give away cars on Memorial Day? What's the catch?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) WHITFIELD: All right, remember when Chrysler was sending letters to dealerships earlier this month, telling them who could keep selling its models and who couldn't? Well, Stuart Jeep Volkswagen in Florida got a good letter. It said they could keep selling Jeeps. But there's one problem. The good news was a mistake. Chrysler called the dealer to clarify.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TOM WILLETT, CO-OWNER, STUART JEEP-VOLKSWAGEN: We sent you the wrong letter. Oh, I said, I'm sorry, but this doesn't pass the sniff test.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: He is digging in his heels. Now the dealer is hanging onto the letter, he says, for dear life. He said if Chrysler still wants to yank his franchise, it can talk to his lawyers, he says.
All right, a GM dealer in Greeley, Colorado, has coming up with a different promotion. Here's the deal. If you bought a new or used vehicle from Weld County Garage between May 13th and May 16th, the dealership will refund the purchase price -- here's the catch. The deal is only good if it rains at least one inch tomorrow, Memorial Day, and you've made that purchase between that window.
Warren Yoder owns Wells County Garage. If it does pour tomorrow, Warren -- we talked to your dad last weekend about this promotion, as well, and then we didn't have a real crisp view of what the weather might just be like tomorrow. So are you prepared to give away some cars tomorrow if, indeed, it rains an inch between 7:00 AM and 7:00 PM?
WARREN YODER, OWNER, WELD COUNTY GARAGE: We are going to have a party if it rains tomorrow.
WHITFIELD: (INAUDIBLE) so sweet!
YODER: We are going to be very happy.
WHITFIELD: You and your dad talked about being so happy. You couldn't wait to give away that $800,000 that you -- you know, that you've sold in merchandise. You'd rather give it back to the buyers. I don't get it.
YODER: Oh, absolutely.
WHITFIELD: Well, why is that?
YODER: You know, we do -- we do have it...
WHITFIELD: Usually, a car dealer wants to make some money.
YODER: ... insured, obviously. So if it does rain an inch tomorrow, there's going to be some very happy people.
WHITFIELD: Yes. Now, what about happy owners? Explain to me why you'd be happy.
YODER: Well, we -- like I said, we bought insurance to protect us against if it does rain an inch tomorrow here in Greeley. So you know, I'm sure the insurance company may not be happy, but...
WHITFIELD: OK, well...
YODER: ... our customers will be.
WHITFIELD: All right, cool (ph) drum roll, please, then. Let's bring in Jacqui Jeras one more time and see if we've got a forecast that's crisp and clear in our view for tomorrow. What's going to happen? Are they giving up $800,000 tomorrow, or are customers going to have to continue to pay their payments?
JERAS: Potentially, we could be giving away some free cars tomorrow, guys!
WHITFIELD: What?
JERAS: Well, you know, showers and thunderstorms are in the forecast. You know, at least a 40 percent chance, if not better, that we could see thunderstorms in Greeley. But the really big key is, Will you get the inch for the criteria? Probably not is likely to get an inch. But we've had some really heavy thunderstorms down here near Denver and stuff today. So you know, you get the thunderstorms with the heavy downpour right on top of them, and it's a possibility. So we'll be watching that real closely.
WHITFIELD: Wow! Folks, start your engines. Mr. Yoder, start your engine. So give me an idea. What provoked this idea in the first place? I mean, was this an issue of really trying to move the merchandise, or was it something else that you all wanted to show this great gratitude toward all of your customers? What's behind this?
YODER: Well, I think a lot of it is trying to find unique ways to, you know, create excitement anymore and give people an opportunity to -- you know, if they're in the market, it may move them ahead a little bit from where they were thinking and gives them an opportunity to maybe get a car for nothing.
WHITFIELD: OK. Well, Warren Yoder, I guess I should say let's hope for rain because you seem really happy with the idea and your customers will be really happy with the idea of receiving their money back and getting to keep their cars, too.
YODER: Well, it's just about ready to rain here right now. It's been -- you know, every Memorial Day, it seems like the weather gets pretty wet around here. So we're hoping that this all goes down (INAUDIBLE)
WHITFIELD: All right, very cool stuff. All right, thanks so much, Warren Yoder. Appreciate it. And good luck to you and your customers. They could be really happy tomorrow if it rains.
YODER: Thank you. Appreciate it. WHITFIELD: Thanks so much.
All right, well, notice anything strange happening at the gas pump these days, like the prices? They're going up and up and up. Makes you wonder how that search for domestic oil is going. We're taking you exploring, out into the Gulf of Mexico.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: Gas prices are trending upward. AAA reports that a gallon of regular gas now costs about $2.42. It's a continuing trend. A month ago, the average price was $2.06 -- not great, but better than last summer's record high price of $4.11 a gallon. You know, everybody remembers that.
All right, $4 or more per gallon, or at least the fear of it, could put offshore drilling back in the spotlight. Cheaper gas does come with a price. Just looking for crude oil is costing one oil company about a million dollars a day. CNN's Sean Callebs reports from the Gulf of Mexico.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SEAN CALLEBS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A hundred and thirty miles off the coast of Louisiana -- over the last decade-and-a- half, tremendous advances in technology have allowed oil companies like Marathon to venture nearly two miles into deep gulf water in search of crude. It's not cheap, but drilling chiefly (ph) limited to the western part of the Gulf of Mexico is the best alternative, according to Marathon Oil.
WOODY PACE, MARATHON OIL GULF ASSET MANAGER: Over 60 percent of our oil's from foreign sources. And if we stop doing that, we do not look for -- explore more for oil and gas here at home, then we're not going to be able to decrease our dependence on foreign oil.
CALLEBS: The price of gas has spiked this past month, and many fear gas at $3, $4, even $5 a gallon could be just around the corner.
(on camera): There are a lot of factors in the reason gasoline is going up in price, not in any small part because it is expensive to look for this stuff. Marathon Oil will spend about a million dollars a day just in exploration. They've spent $230 million so far and haven't even got a drop of oil.
(voice-over): Still, spending that much money at just this field it dubbed (ph) Drofsky (ph), Marathon believes eventually will pay off in a big way. But get this. In just three years, the company expects to have drained all the oil from this one reserve.
PACE: We're always fighting the natural decline of oil and gas. You've got a container that you're producing this oil and gas from. It's sort of anomalous to drinking soda out of a can with a straw. There's only so much there. And once it's gone, it's gone.
CALLEBS: On a different site, a production rig a half hour away by helicopter, this is what everyone is after. This oil is straight from beneath the ocean floor, unfiltered, untreated. Instead of running pipe through thousands of feet of water far out in the gulf and then through miles and miles of earth, the industry has its eyes on low-hanging fruit, cheaper and easier to access.
CATHY LANDRY, AMERICAN PETROLEUM INSTITUTE: You have untapped oil and natural gas off the Atlantic coast, Pacific coast and even some places on shore.
CALLEBS: Drilling in untapped areas is a politically sensitive issue. Environmentalists and many politicians have been fighting back and pushing for alternative forms of energy. The industry says only one in five expensive operations in deep water actually produces oil. But in a nation so dependent on petroleum, these companies can simply pass along their cost to the consumer. Sean Callebs, CNN in the Gulf of Mexico.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: And some good news just in now. This has been one winning month for now three-time Indy 500 winner Helio Castroneves. Why? Because, of course, he won today for the third time at Indy. And this also comes on the heel (SIC) of his acquittal of tax evasion charges. He and his sister narrowly escaped those charges, which were dropped by prosecutors, and meant he also escaped some possible jail time. And remember, him being so winning that he is, he also won the 2007 "Dancing With the Stars" competition, so very versatile and very proud and very happy today.
All right, well, perhaps she could be a winner. You've heard her sing and you've seen her on the Internet, and she's become a big star. Now Susan Boyle says she is ready to shine. What she's doing today that could be the next big step in making her dreams come true.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: OK, we saved the best for last, and that would be the "Chat Room." Jacqui Jeras in the "Chat Room" with me now.
JERAS: Hey, hey.
WHITFIELD: We got a couple little things to squeeze in.
JERAS: I know.
WHITFIELD: Susan Boyle -- she's become kind of a household name...
JERAS: Yes!
WHITFIELD: ... even though her star is rising mostly in Britain. But everybody's watching. You know who I'm talking about, right, this young woman here.
(CROSSTALK)
JERAS: ... YouTube.
WHITFIELD: Now she's a semi-finalist.
JERAS: Yes! Tonight, we find out if she's going to be one of two people in the semi-finals to continue to go on.
WHITFIELD: Yes, and word is she may have a new look. Is that good?
JERAS: She does. She had a makeover. It was a little bit ago, already.
WHITFIELD: Is that all right?
JERAS: Well...
(CROSSTALK)
JERAS: No, I understand that there was going to be another step. We saw kind of her new look immediately after, you know, what we saw on YouTube, and I remember hearing Simon Cowell saying, No, a little too much. He didn't like the brows. It was a little too severe for him.
WHITFIELD: Really. Well...
JERAS: And apparently, there may be yet another, an encore.
(CROSSTALK)
JERAS: Well, we can't watch it here in America, obviously, but I'm sure we can find it on the Internet tomorrow.
WHITFIELD: Or see it on YouTube.
JERAS: So watch with us.
WHITFIELD: Go, girl.
JERAS: We'll see what happens. Go, Susan.
WHITFIELD: She's a great singer.
JERAS: Right.
WHITFIELD: So we like her.
JERAS: And by the way, it's, like...
(CROSSTALK)
JERAS: ... up against other singers. It's not like "American Idol." It's like "America's Got Talent," if you know the difference between those shows.
WHITFIELD: Oh, OK. JERAS: But speaking of idols, did you watch?
(CROSSTALK)
WHITFIELD: I did not watch. I missed it. I think I was under a rock this season. I kind of missed all of it.
JERAS: It was a big deal. It was a great show.
WHITFIELD: I hate to admit it, but I am.
JERAS: Whether you're a fan of either of them or not, it was great entertainment. I mean, they had so many other performers besides the top two.
WHITFIELD: OK.
JERAS: Adam did this great thing with Kiss. I mean, that's, like, everybody...
(CROSSTALK)
WHITFIELD: ... unless you are really rocking it.
JERAS: No, but he was there with Kiss.
WHITFIELD: Oh, I see.
JERAS: Yes, Gene Simmons and the whole crew.
WHITFIELD: Oh, wow.
JERAS: Yes, he was there doing the tongue (ph) thing.
WHITFIELD: I told you I was living under a rock. I missed it all.
JERAS: I mean, imagine that being your dream, not just "American Idol," but then to be able sing with your idol. There was a great one with Cyndy Lauper. And it was just fantastic. Whoever you liked, it didn't really matter. It was just a great show.
WHITFIELD: So you're a fan, I guess.
(CROSSTALK)
JERAS: I like Kris. Adam's probably more my speed.
WHITFIELD: OK. And Larry King, a little chat...
(CROSSTALK)
JERAS: Josh Levs.
WHITFIELD: He's weighing in, too!
(CROSSTALK)
WHITFIELD: Larry King gets to talk with...
JERAS: Exactly.
WHITFIELD: ... one on one with the both of them, I think, Monday at 9:00. So I'll be watching.
(CROSSTALK)
WHITFIELD: That's good. That's a great plug. Larry is very happy now because we'll all be watching because of you!
JERAS: All right.
WHITFIELD: Thanks, Jacqui. I appreciate it.
JERAS: Sure.
WHITFIELD: I'll be tuning in. All right, thanks so much for being in the chat room with us.
We're going to talk about something else later on -- not me, but Randi -- a different take on flipping houses. Families who once owned home now renting, and renters are buying at huge discounts.
Harsh words, pointing fingers and a little name calling, the rift inside the Republican Party. That's just a bit of what we're covering beginning at 6:00 o'clock Eastern time.
"FAREED ZAKARIA GPS" begins right now.
