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North Korea a "Tinderbox"; "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" Repealed

Aired December 18, 2010 - 19:00   ET

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

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, everyone.

It is your Saturday night and it's a historic one when it comes to civil rights for your fellow Americans. I'm talking about the ones who put their lives on the line every day for our freedom. The military and our country will never be the same when it comes to gay rights. We're going to explain that you to.

Plus, we'll take you inside a secretive place where Americans can't and may never be allowed to visit, and where few reporters dared to even go. But you'll go there live this hour.

And if you or someone you know is a music lover, then you have to stay tuned because we'll tell you about the hottest music stars now that everyone else won't find out about for months.

And platinum selling R&B singer Avant sings live.

But we begin with breaking news right now -- CNN's exclusive coverage from inside North Korea. Right now, a crucial diplomatic mission is underway to reduce the risk of war between North and South Korea, U.S. envoy Bill Richardson's trip there to the North to try to tamp down rising tensions.

Our very own Wolf Blitzer is the only TV correspondent traveling with Richardson. He and the governor join us by phone.

Wolf, thank you and the governor for joining us. We just got word that the U.N. Security Council will hold an emergency session on Sunday morning regarding North Korea.

How is that news going over there?

WOLF BLITZER, HOST, "THE SITUATION ROOM" (via telephone): It's going to be a significant development, especially, Don, because of the fact that Russia has asked for this emergency session of the U.N. Security Council at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Sunday. It's already Sunday morning here in Pyongyang. We're in North Korea.

And Governor Richardson is getting ready within the hour to head over to meet with one of the top generals of the North Korean military, Major General Pak Rim Su. He's the top general in charge of the demilitarized zone and armistice. And I'm going to get his reaction. He's with us now.

First of all, Governor, you're a former United States ambassador to the United Nations. The fact that Russia has asked for an emergency session of the United Nations Security Council Sunday morning, what does that say to you about the tensions here on the Korean Peninsula?

BILL RICHARDSON, U.S.ENVOY (via telephone): Well, it shows that it's enormously tense. It shows that it's a worldwide problem, worldwide concern. But it's also a good development, the fact that the U.N. Security Council led by Russia is making an effort to cool things down.

My hope is that the U.N. Security Council passes a resolution urging all sides to be restrained, to be careful, to seek peaceful means to resolve this dispute. The fact that China has made a strong statement saying the situation is precarious, that is very close, China being very close to North Korea is a good development, too.

The fact also that there were no incidents over the weekend because South Koreans said they were postponing the effort because of weather is a good development. Nonetheless, it's very, very tense.

BLITZER: The concern is that these live fire military exercises, the South Koreans have announced will take place on this island, Yeonpyeong Island, which the North Koreans show them November 23rd, they say it won't take place over the weekend, Saturday or Sunday, because of bad weather. But they're leaving open the possibility it could take place Monday or Tuesday, and the North Koreans are making it clear they see this as a provocation and they will respond militarily if that happens.

How worried are you, Governor?

RICHARDSON: Well, I am worried. I am concerned. I've stressed to the North Korean foreign ministry officials that I've been meeting with that they should exercise maximum self-restraint; that this is a tinderbox; that we need negotiations and talks, things need to cool down. But I am concerned.

And my meeting this morning is going to be very important with General Pak who is the head military person at the DMZ. And I'm going to urge restraint with him and possibly some way that there can be communication with the South Korean military, some mechanism that will bring this crisis to a standstill because, right here, North Korean officials are very, very provoked by this potential incident. But if it doesn't happen, if the U.N. Security Council gives all sides cover, not to act, a strong statement, that would be a very important development.

BLITZER: So you can see, Don, it's a very tense situation. Arguably the most tense since 1953 in the armistice. But I can tell you, Governor Richardson and the small delegation are deeply, deeply concerned about what's going on.

LEMON: Yes. Hey, Wolf, my only question: how much longer are you guys there? When do you get back?

BLITZER: We're supposed to leave here Monday for Beijing and then continue on -- I'll stay in Beijing for a day or so. Governor Richardson is heading right back to New Mexico. But we're supposed to leave here Monday late afternoon and fly directly from Pyongyang to Beijing.

LEMON: Wolf Blitzer and Governor Bill Richardson -- Wolf, tell the governor I said hello. I spent a great day with him down in New Mexico about a year ago and he's a good man. Thanks to both of you. And both of you be safe, OK?

BLITZER: I will.

LEMON: All right.

We move on now to talk about a historic day in our country for gay rights.

Gays and lesbians will be able to serve openly in the military after the Senate today repealed the "don't ask, don't tell" policy in a 65- 31 vote. The House already passed it. Now, it's awaiting the president's signature. It is a huge win for him even though the Senate also killed his DREAM Act immigration reform bill today.

Let's go to our congressional correspondent Brianna Keilar on Capitol Hill -- Brianna.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Don, the breakdown in this vote, 65 to 31. You had eight Republican senators joining with 57 Democrats and independents who are present and voting to repeal "don't ask, don't tell," the practice of the U.S. military where gays and lesbians servicemen and women can't serve if they are going to be open about their sexual orientation.

This has been a very controversial topic. It's had a very long and winding road, especially in the Senate. Most recently, this was attached to a larger defense measure, defense authorization bill. And this was one of the reasons that defense authorization bill failed, because of this controversial topic, as well as some others.

In the end, the House ended up passing a stand-alone "don't ask, don't tell" repeal. That is what went through the Senate today.

And today, you're hearing from supporters like Senator Joe Lieberman, independent from Connecticut, who is saying this is about righting a wrong. We also heard from his other leading co-sponsor, a Republican, Susan Collins of Maine, who said this is about making sure that anyone can serve in the military so long as they're willing to put on a uniform and fight for the freedom of all Americans.

But there are still a lot of opponents here. Senator John McCain, he stood on the Senate floor today and said that he is concerned this is going to be a distraction that will cost lives.

In the end, though, this -- the plan is for President Obama -- this is according to the White House -- to sign this into law this week and for them, the military, to go ahead and implement it here in the coming weeks -- Don.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: Brianna Keilar, thank you very much for that, Brianna.

Let's go to our Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr. Barbara joins us by phone.

So, Barbara, what does this mean for the military? And what is the reaction going to be like?

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (via telephone): Well, I think over the next couple days, it became clear this would make it through the Congress and this has been something the administration has wanted since the presidential campaign. So, people came to understand that there was a big hope on the part of the White House that they could get this through Congress.

The reaction: everyone has their personal opinions about this issue. But there was a survey of the active duty military force and some other members of the military. And there was a clear indication as a result of this survey that the majority of troops did not see it as a major problem to have gays and lesbians openly serving in the military. The majority of troops thought that life would go on pretty routine in the U.S. military.

Some pushed back from front line combat units, especially in the Army and Marine Corps. But there's been a pretty clear understanding that the White House wanted to move ahead with this. And now, the military will salute smartly and get on with it, Don.

LEMON: Barbara, I've been talking to several military members, some are current. Others have -- were kicked out because of "don't ask, don't tell." And they all said the same thing.

Members of gay men and women in the military now can walk with a stiffer spine and can walk a little taller.

So, when can military members start coming out?

STARR: Well, there's bait a bit of bureaucracy. There always is in the U.S. government, isn't there?

The president will have to sign this into law. And then the Pentagon will engage in a certification that could last weeks or several months to make sure under this law that has been passed all of the policies, procedures, regulations are in place. They will certify that the military is ready for this, that there will be no adverse impact on military readiness. And then 60 days after that certification, "don't ask, don't tell" will be gone once and for all.

Advocacy groups are a little cautious, some of them right now saying, you know, be careful until that 60-day period is really up.

But Defense Secretary Robert Gates has, by all indications, no intention, no desire to see anyone else separated from military service because of this.

LEMON: Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr -- Barbara, thank you.

Let's talk more about today's vote. I'm joined by Justin Elzie and Joe Sudbay. Justin is in New York. And he was the first marine discharge under the "don't ask, don't tell" policy. Joe is in Washington now. He is deputy editor of AMERICABlog.

Thanks to both of you for joining us. So, Justin, do you feel like that you started all of this and look where it ended?

JUSTIN ELZIE, FORMER U.S. MARINE SERGEANT: Well, Don, I'm actually very happy today. I think this is a great first step.

And, you know, I think it really speaks to the fairness and equality that we subscribe to as Americans here. And I'm glad that the senators listen to the majority of service members who said that this change would be a positive change and no negative effect to military readiness.

LEMON: Any regrets? Do you -- if you had to do it all over again, would you do the same thing? Or would you -- if you knew, if you had foresight that this day would happen, would you have come out still?

ELZIE: Absolutely. As I'm not sure the viewers are aware, I actually -- after I was discharged under "don't ask, don't tell," I was actually reinstated and went on to serve four years openly gay in the Marine Corps. And I actually just wrote a book about it. And I talk about those four years in the Marine Corps.

LEMON: Yes, since you are pimping your book, what is it? What's the name of your book?

ELZIE: The title of my book is called "Playing by the Rules."

LEMON: Yes.

ELZIE: And it's really about my experience being the first Marine discharged under this policy and serving openly gay in the Marines.

LEMON: OK, since you brought it up, may as well go all the way with it.

All right. Let's talk to Justin -- I'm sorry, to Joe in Washington.

So, Joe, it's America's blog, the blog that you do. I spoke with Michelangelo Signorile earlier who does a radio show and he's been getting response from his listeners.

What are people saying about online? I've been -- we've gotten lots of tweets. And most people are supportive. But not all of America is.

JOE SUDBAY, DEPUTY EDITOR, AMERICABLOG: Well, and on our blog, people are very supportive. We've worked very hard to get to this point. It was a long struggle. Justin helped start the struggle 17 years ago. And the past two years really were a lot of work by a lot of folks to actually get to the point where this happened. I mean, there's a lot of activity in the past few days, past few weeks in Congress. But it took a lot of activity, a lot of activism over the past two years to push the White House, to push Congress, to make sure this really happened.

So, on our blog, our readers are ecstatic. This is a big win for equality and it's a long awaited win for equality.

LEMON: OK. I can't hear you -- are you able to hear him on the air or is it just me who can't hear him? OK. Well, someone has the IPV kit, I can't hear the guest. So, anyway, I'm sorry, I could not hear your answer. So, I don't have a follow up.

I'm going to have to go on to Justin who I can hear.

So, Justin, have you spoken to men and women who have been released under -- better question, have you spoken to men and women who are still in the military and how are they feeling about today's vote?

ELZIE: Absolutely. As you're probably aware of, there's an organization called OutServe which has a large network of gays and lesbians in the military. And a lot of them are really excited about this; that, finally, they're not going to have to lie anymore. And have to look over their shoulders and be worried about being fired.

So, I think is a really good day. And, you know, I just hope that people realize that there is still a lot of work to be done. That it's not safe to come out yet. And that we don't want the Pentagon slow-walking this -- this implementation plan.

So, we need to keep a watch on that and make sure that they implement those policies sooner rather than later.

LEMON: OK. I'm going to be bold here and ask Joe another question. I know that I can't hear him but the audience can.

So, listen, what does this mean for the rest of the country, beyond the military? And I'll ask a similar question that I asked of the guest earlier. Is this a water shed moment when it comes to America and dealing with gay rights or homophobia?

SUDBAY: I think it actually is a very important moment for America. You got to remember, this legislation has very broad support. It is supported by 80 percent of the American people. This is not a controversial issue for the American people. They've moved passed it. I think that's really significant.

The military is viewed as a basket. You know, it's an important symbol to America and it's one of the last places where discrimination against gay people was legally sanctioned. That's no longer the case.

And I also think it's important that the politics have changed. I mean, just a few months ago, the president was at the G-20 Summit and he said people told him not to do "don't ask, don't tell" because it is bad politics. But what we're seeing is actually it's good politics, it's very good politics. This is going to be viewed as a great victory for the Obama administration.

We had to kind of drag them to get to this point. And we had to drag Congress to get there. But the people who voted for it are going to view it as -- it's going to be a big political win for them. The political dynamics have changed dramatically in terms of how gay issues are viewed. And I think that's the water shed. It will lead to more significant equality for gay and lesbian people in America, the whole LGBT community.

LEMON: And, luckily, Joe, I heard every word of that. Thank you very much, Joe Sudbay and Justin Elzie. We appreciate your time this evening.

And still ahead on CNN: I'll ask a gay member of the military how today's vote will effect him.

And then later, more than 140 inmates escaped from a Mexican prison near the Texas border. And lots of people are tweeting about "don't ask, don't tell." We'll show you what they're saying when we come back.

And we want you to join the conversation. You can tweet me and we're on Facebook and Foursquare as well.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Social media is abuzz with the news of the repeal of "don't ask, don't tell." Some of its biggest advocates are taking to Twitter to share their excitement, like Ellen DeGeneres. Here's what she tweeted. She said, "Thank you senators f or pushing us one step closer towards full equality."

Lady Gaga, huge proponent for the repeal of "don't ask, don't tell." She couldn't hold back her excitement as well. She said, "Can't hold back the tears and pride. We did it. And our voice was heard. Plus, today the Senate repealed 'don't ask, don't tell,' a triumph for equality after 17 years."

Senator Harry Reid tweeted to Lady Gaga and he said, "We did it. DADT is a thing of the past."

Russell Simmons, another huge advocate for gay rights tweeted, "As a nation, we will no longer promote lying about who we are. The repeal of 'don't ask, don't tell' is a major victory."

So, let's talk more about today's vote and what it means to gays and lesbians serving in the military. I'm joined now on the phone by an active duty military officer who is using the pseudonym "J.D. Smith." He is founder of OutServe, an underground network of 1,700 gay and lesbian service members.

So, J.D., thank you for joining us. You know all about today's vote. How soon do you think that you will be able to serve openly and to come out in the military? "J.D. SMITH," ACTIVE DUTY MILITARY OFFICER (via telephone): For the most part, I'm already serving openly in my unit. But I hope that all of us can live with this knife out of our back in the next few months, hopefully soon.

LEMON: So, how are you feeling about this?

SMITH: It was -- it was amazing to watch today, just to see the vote take place. I mean, it was just -- it was like a knife just came out of your back. You know that this is going to be over in the next few months. And it was amazing to see it happen.

LEMON: OK. Did you work with the Pentagon on the troop survey regarding the repeal of "don't ask, don't tell"?

SMITH: We did.

LEMON: You did? And how did that process work? What did you do?

SMITH: We helped solve any kind of input that they had regarding any (INAUDIBLE) the RAND Corporation started that was done towards gays and lesbians in the military. I mean, we also gave any kind of input on such as partners and others in the military.

LEMON: When you were doing this, did you think that it would help end repealing the policy?

SMITH: Absolutely. If we were going to actually help end the policy, they had to learn about us actually serving in the military who are gay and lesbian and our types of experiences -- especially us either serving openly on our unit to show that it's not going to be an issue when repeal is gone.

LEMON: OK. Let's talk about OutServe. That's a group that you found -- 1,700 gay and lesbian service members known to each other but not the Pentagon.

How has it worked? And what purpose has it served?

SMITH: We use hidden social media to connect gays and lesbians that are currently serving across the world, including Afghanistan and Iraq. And so, we have one large national -- or international network of 1,700 people.

And then we have local chapters around the world such as Germany, Korea, all over the world and some of these chapters are even meeting physically to actually create stable communities. And these stable communities across the world can actually serve as a good transition point for military leaders to contact gays and lesbians in the future once repeal actually happens.

LEMON: Any concern, J.D., for any backlash, especially for, like, the Marines, who were opposed more than any other branch of the military?

SMITH: I don't think there's going to be any backlash at all. I think that even some of the Marines that may not think they ever known a gay and lesbian in their experience, when their best friend or one of their friends in their unit comes out as being gay, they're going to realize it's not an issue at all.

LEMON: J.D. Smith, thank you very much. We appreciate you joining us tonight on the repeal of "don't ask, don't tell."

SMITH: Thank you so much.

LEMON: And up next, a legal victory for Amanda Knox, a young American woman convicted of killing her roommate in Italy.

Plus, as college tuition continues to rise, education contributor Steve Perry talks with some students about how to hold down the costs.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Time to check top stories on CNN.

American Amanda Knox won major victory day when an Italian appeals court agreed to independent testing of key pieces of evidence in her murder case. Knox was convicted of murdering her English roommate at their home in Italy in 2007. The judges allowing new forensic tests on the knife believe used in the attack and he's also agreed to allow testimony from new witnesses for the defense who are said to have information showing Knox was not involved in the killing.

Federal officials in Mexico are blaming local authorities for sloppy security that led to a major prison break near the U.S. border. At least 141 inmates escaped through a service entrance for staff vehicles. Authorities say they apparently had help from prison workers. The prisoners broke out of the penitentiary into Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, one of the prisons housing inmates connected to drug gangs.

Much of Europe is at a standstill right now because of a huge winter storm stretching from the U.K. to Bulgaria. This is the view at London's Heathrow airport. Look at that mess. It shut down indefinitely.

And besides snow, up to 40 inches in places, the region is facing from extreme cold.

State funding for higher education has dropped significantly during the past 10 years and college tuition rates are rising faster than inflation. But there are ways to cut college costs.

CNN's education contributor Steve Perry investigates in tonight's "Perry's Principles."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

STEVE PERRY, CNN EDUCATION CONTRIBUTOR (voice-over): Kara Fenn is graduating this month from the University of Connecticut. But her college journey began on another campus.

(on camera): You were going to a private college in D.C. You're originally from Connecticut. And you made a decision to leave the private college. Why was that?

KARA FENN, UNIV. OF CONNECTICUT STUDENT: I wanted to get the best education possible. But I also wanted to get the most out of my money. And I didn't feel as I was getting that in the previous institution.

I think a lot of the time people sort of equate quality with costly. And that's not necessarily true. I've been far more academically stimulated here at UConn than I had at my previous institution.

PERRY (voice-over): Lee Melvin is UConn's vice president of enrolment, planning and management. He says there are several ways to cut down on college cuts.

LEE MELVIN, UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT: One creative way is that students recognizing the importance of graduating in four years. So, what some students are doing is while they're in high school, they're taking duel enrolment classes where they're enrolled in high school and college. They're taking advanced placement courses. So, once they arrive to us, many students will have completed half of their freshman year.

Other ways that students are being creative is they are looking at cost both in-state and out-of-state schools and they're also comparing their private schools. And now, more students are starting to look at two-year institutions.

PERRY: UConn senior Robert Hermann relies on loans and grants to fund his education but worries about how he will pay it all back.

(on camera): If you were to talk to a student coming out of high school, what you would tell them?

ROBERT HERMANN, UNIV. OF CONNECTICUT STUDENT: Don't just go to college for the sake of going college. Have an idea of what you want to do with yourself, do some research, find out about job prospect.

PERRY: Steve Perry, Storrs, Connecticut.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: And when we come right back, caught on camera. Returning items they never bought. It's called return fraud. And you're actually paying for it. We'll explain next.

Plus, getting ready for the Grammys. The nominations are in and I'll talk to the first blogger ever invited to cover the awards show, as well as one of the voters.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: While shoppers fill the stores this holiday season, there are thieves among them. And we're not talking about purse snatchers or pick pockets. It's a more cunning kind of theft. What retailers call return fraud.

CNN's Susan Candiotti is on the case.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Maybe that top that Aunt Mary picked out isn't exactly a hit. So you bring it back for a refund. But check out these shoppers. They pick out some clothes from a rack and go into a dressing room. When one of them emerges, she tells the clerk she bought the clothes earlier and now wants a refund. She gets a store credit for something she never bought to begin with. That is return fraud.

JOSEPH LAROCCA, NATIONAL RETAIL FEDERATION: When sales are up, so are returns. But we're also seeing fraud at this holiday season and throughout the year.

CANDIOTTI: The National Retail Federation estimates return fraud losses of $14 billion this year. Four billion alone during the holidays. It is not only stealing for store credit, there's also something called wardrobing.

DAN DOYLE, SR. V.P. LOSS PREVENTION, BEALLS, INC.: That's where somebody would actually buy a piece of merchandise, use it and then bring it back to us for full credit.

CANDIOTTI: Not criminal behavior, but to retailers, it's unethical and costly because they're stuck with damaged or soiled goods they can't resell. What is criminal retailers say is return fraud that is a form of shoplifting. This woman selects a brand new rolled up rug in a department store. She brings it to the counter, pays for a smaller ticket item and then tells the clerk she's returning the rug.

LAROCCA: This is a criminal behavior because she never made that purchase originally and now is receiving a full return from the cashier.

CANDIOTTI: At a Florida Department store, surveillance cameras catch a woman choosing a cartful of items. She takes everything, and it's an arm full, into a dressing room. Under the door you can see her trying things on. After leaving the room, most of the clothes are now stuffed into a bag. After more fake shopping, she gets a refund for something she didn't really buy and tells the store she decided not to return the bagged clothes she allegedly shoplifted.

Caught on tape, she's confronted with all the things she pinched. And after arguing at first, she bends over in apparent despair. She's arrested and eventually made restitution

DOYLE: I'm certainly glad that our store people were vigilant and on the ball and caught the situation.

CANDIOTTI (on camera): Retailers say return fraud ultimately punishes honest shoppers and higher prices and stricter return policies. And warning to customers, surveillance cameras may be rolling and it's pretty hard to argue with proof on tape.

Susan Candiotti, CNN, New York. (END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: Coming up, he was the first to discover Lady Gaga. Now this music blogger is here to tell us who he thinks are the next big artists out. You don't want to miss it.

Plus, exactly how are Grammy winners chosen? I'll talk to someone involved in the voting process about how it all works.

(MUSIC PLAYING)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(MUSIC PLAYING)

LEMON: Look at that. An actual video. I haven't seen one in a long time. That is Clare Maguire, a rising star you're going to be hearing a lot about more in the coming weeks and in the coming months, right.

This is a CNN play list right now. And we're talking about hot new stars and the Grammys with two very plugged in guys right now. Robert Watson has his own music agency. And he is a Grammy voter. He's going to explain all about how it works. I find it very interesting.

And then Arjan Timmermans has a blog and it's called "Arjanwrites." And he knows everything about everything, all the up and comers who impact the music world. So Arian, you heard a little bit from Clare Maguire. I want you tell us what she's like.

But first, there are people, I see people all the time crediting with you discovering Lady Gaga. You say this is a little thing I did. What do you mean by this little thing that I did?

ARJAN TIMMERMANS, ARJANWRITES.COM: Well, I nominated her for an award for MTV (INAUDIBLE) award. And that led to a performance at that show. That was her TV debut here in the states. Actually it's her performance debut. So she is a very smart girl. She would have made it. But maybe it's those little things that would have helped a little bit.

LEMON: All right. You're modest. Tell us about this Clare Maguire.

TIMMERMANS: Clare Maguire is one of the hottest new acts from the UK. Beautiful voice. She has one of those voices that immediately capture you. Just a great voice. Just reminds me of Sinead O'Connor, Kate Bush, Annie Lennox. Powerful vocals. It's hard to believe that she's only in her early 20s.

LEMON: Really?

TIMMERMANS: Yes.

LEMON: All right. Let's listen to her.

(MUSIC PLAYING) LEMON: Yes, that's hot. All right. Let's move on from Miss Maguire to Jared Evans, someone who kind of mashes up styles. Let's but Jared Evans up and then we'll talk about it.

(MUSIC PLAYING)

LEMON: Wow, it's great.

TIMMERMANS: He's really good. He's really one of the those guys that does something new on the pop scene. He's combining classic rock and hip hop. I think a lot of artists right now are experimenting with dance, pop and electronica. He brings back classic rock. This kid has fire in his new shoes. He has so much passion about what he's doing. And I love what he's up to and he's really a great promising new artist to look out for.

Real quickly, Robin. You said Robin is a new artist but you believe, Robin is underrated. Listen.

(MUSIC PLAYING)

LEMON: Is this her breakthrough year?

TIMMERMANS: I think so. I think 2011 is even going to be better for Robin. I mean she is defines great pop. Instantly, in fact, she melodies and she has a bittersweet sentiment in her music that people can relate to. That is so important in pop music. So Robin, it's going to be her big year in 2011.

LEMON: OK. On to Robert now. Let's talk about the Grammys. How did you become a Grammy voter?

ROBERT WATSON, GRAMMY VOTER: In order to be a Grammy voter, you have to have worked on an album. You have to have actual credits on an album. You can't be a marketer or in publicity or something like that. You have to actually engineer, write, perform, be an artist and work on an album and have a credit in order to be a voting member.

LEMON: OK. So take us inside the process. You got to be, you have to have specific knowledge of what you're voting on.

WATSON: Yes, you can't vote in all categories. So a guy who works in the R&B world cannot necessarily vote in the country world. We can all vote on what they call the big three or four. You know, record of the year, song of the year, best new artist. But you can't vote across the board on every platform.

LEMON: All right. So who is this going to be a big year for on February 13th?

WATSON: I'm feeling Thelo, I think. I think he's earned it. You know, a lot of the voters, we vote for different reasons. We vote for artists' entire careers, body of work, coming from (INAUDIBLE) moving to a pop world moving into now being the transition back and forth.

LEMON: Yes. Let's listen to Cee-Lo for a bit. (MUSIC PLAYING)

LEMON: You cannot listen to that song without everybody like snapping their fingers and tapping their toes. Because that is just, it's just very catchy. And sometime that's what it boils down to.

WATSON: But you know, people vote for different reasons. We don't necessarily vote what the fans vote. We vote because we are artists voting for artists. You know.

LEMON: OK. There are always upsets. Now, who do you think, there maybe an underdog out there that you may think is going to, you know, turn out to be the winner?

WATSON: Well, you know, I like Lady Alabama. Because I like the way - I look at the category and how it is stacked. They're sitting in that space by themselves. They don't have any competition in that space. So I think they stand a really, really big chance of winning across the board. I think she's going to fill it out.

LEMON: Robert Watson, thank you very much. Arjan Timmermans.

TIMMERMANS: Thank you very much, Don.

LEMON: Thank you. I'm glad that you wore red and I'm not the only one here trying to get into the Christmas spirit. Have a great Saturday night. We really appreciate you coming in. And happy holidays to both of you. All right. Hope to have both of you back.

Coming up, today's ace historic vote on Capitol Hill. "Don't ask, don't tell" is finally repealed. Plus an actor from "The 40-year-old Virgin" is sentenced to life in prison for attempted murder.

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LEMON: Checking our top stories. Right now, a busy and historic day on Capitol Hill. Senators voted to repeal the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy on gays and lesbians. The vote was 65-31. The House had already approved the repeal and President Obama says he will sign it.

Meantime, the Senate voted down an attempt to advance the Dream Act. That bill would have offered a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants who entered the united states as children.

Actor Shelly Molil has been sentenced to life in prison for repeatedly stabbing his former girlfriend. Molil cracked up audiences as an electronics store clerk in the movie "The 40-year-old Virgin." He was found guilty of premeditated attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon. His former girlfriend survived the attack.

Never, ever do this, driving across a flooded road is a big no-no. We tell you that all the time. A major pacific storm dumping huge amounts of rain on the West Coast causing this flooding in Sacramento, California, that you're looking at. Good news for skiers, though. Higher elevations are seeing snowfalls measured in feet. And up next on CNN, an acapella treat right here in the studio. R&B star Avant will be singing some of his new songs for us plus a Christmas favorite as well.

And the top 10 YouTube videos of a year. Here's a preview. Just one of them.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

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LEMON: R&B fans, you're in for a real treat right now. Avant, the man some call the new voice of modern soul is live in the studio us with. And he just released his sixth album. He's in good spirits. Thank you for joining us. It's titled "The Letter" including the hit, it's called "Kiss Good-bye." Avant, thank you for joining us. What brings you to Atlanta?

AVANT, R&B SINGER: It's a beautiful thing. Actually, I just came from Miami performing. But just to let everybody know about the new album entitled "The Letter." It's in stores right now. It's in Target. And I want everybody to go pick that up.

LEMON: Tell us about the bonus. There is a CD bonus right "Never Give Up."

AVANT: It is called "Never Give Up the Fight." And it's basically talking about the fight of cancer. You know, it is touching for me. Because I've had people that have the disease and we just trying to work it out.

LEMON: Yes. So that was the inspiration for that?

AVANT: Most definitely.

LEMON: Yes. My favorite Christmas song is - you know. But listen, you have a great voice. I know you probably do a great job.

AVANT: Thank you.

LEMON: But the late great Donnie Hathaway.

AVANT: Oh man. I can give you a little piece of "This Christmas."

LEMON: "This Christmas," you want to sing it for us?

AVANT: Right now?

LEMON: Yes. Go ahead. Go for it.

AVANT: (MUSIC PLAYING) Hang on to a mistletoe. I'm going to get to know you better. This Christmas and as we trim the tree how much fun it's going to be together. This Christmas fire side is blazing bright. We're caroling through the night and this Christmas will be a very special Christmas for me.

Come on, come on.

LEMON: Shake a hand. Shake a hand.

I love that song. And my other one is "bells will ringing."

AVANT: Oh, man. That's classic.

LEMON: That's a great song. I like a soul Christmas.

AVANT: That's beautiful.

LEMON: I like my Christmas carols. The classic ones. But I like a soul Christmas. I'm from down south.

AVANT: I'm from Cleveland, Ohio. So you know -

LEMON: The country soul black family who used to play that on Christmas, every Christmas.

AVANT: They're probably playing it right now at home.

LEMON: My mom, every year we had to get a new CD, the new Christmas CD because we wore it out by the time the season was over. OK. Let's hear something from your new album.

AVANT: Yes. I don't have (INAUDIBLE) but I can sing a little for you.

LEMON: We may have. Do we have the music? Can we hear some "Kiss Goodbye."

AVANT: Here it is.

LEMON: There you go.

Avant, everybody.

AVANT: (MUSIC PLAYING) Oh, yeah. She loved me. She loved me. It starts with a conversation then a number on a piece of paper. She's feeling unappreciated so she files it away for later. So waiting on you to change because you done give her motivation. She's contemplating about changing. You won't know it. She won't show it. She'll show up if you're in the bed and your phone rings in the middle of the night. She says she was out with the girls and you know tonight but I don't want to be the one to be the one to say I told you she isn't going to stick around. She's going to find another shoulder. Take care of her heart or don't be surprised if she walks away. Somebody else is waiting for so they can take your place. You won't know it. It's a perfect disguise. She won't show it. She show up with a couple of her bags that you know you didn't buy. If you're in the bed and the phone rings in the middle of the night.

LEMON: Man, amazing voice. That's amazing.

Listen, it's out now.

AVANT: Yes, it's in Target right now. On Tuesday it will be everywhere. But if you also get it from Target, you get a bonus track I did on Africa from Toto, on that record.

LEMON: I want to ask you this on a serious note but it's good news. Listen, we know that it's confirmed that Aretha Franklin has gone to the hospital and was out of the hospital. We don't know exactly what she's suffering with but there are reports of pancreatic cancer. CNN hasn't confirmed that but we wish her well.

Any words for Aretha Franklin this holiday season?

AVANT: Never give up the fight. You know, we have been watching you for years and we know how strong you are. Keep this (INAUDIBLE) please.

LEMON: All right. I second that. Avant, Thank you.

Merry Christmas. Merry Christmas.

Up next, the top 10 Youtube videos of the year. This is one of them and if you want to know what the others are, you got to stick around and we'll show you.

It's a double rainbow. Oh, my god. Oh, my god.

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LEMON: The internet has revolutionized the way we socialize, pay our bills, even get our news. Well, it seems like there's an app for everything these days. And then there are the viral videos that we can't get enough of.

Here's CNN's Jeanne Moos with the year's top 10.

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JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Forget cats playing patty cake. There's not a single adorable animal video in YouTube's top 10 most popular videos this year. Number 10 showcases extreme driving. The number nine video featured a three-year-old heart broken over heartthrob Justin Bieber.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Because I love Justin Bieber.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You're crying because you love Justin Bieber?

MOOS: So Jimmy Kimmel invited Cody on his show and surprised her with Justin Bieber.

The group (INAUDIBLE) took eighth place with their (INAUDIBLE) Goldberg like music video, talk about the pot at the end of the rainbow.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Double rainbow, oh, my god.

MOOS: Many who saw the rainbow guy video who came in sixth was suspicious, whatever he was smoking, I want it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, my god, oh, my god!

MOOS: But the rainbow guy told Jimmy Kimmel he hadn't ingested anything.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Absolutely not. I was really sober in that video.

MOOS: One kid posted that his parents wondered if he was watching some kind of porno stuff.

Speaking of spicy, number five, it's the Old Spice web ad.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If he could smell - look down, back up, where are you? You're on a boat with a man your man could smell like.

MOOS (on camera): The number four video made a fruit famous.

The annoying orange spawned dozens of sequels.

The number three video made a star out of a 13-year-old singing a Lady Gaga hit.

Viewer discretion, the number two video might make you gag. Actually we have edited out the gross parts. It's a parody of this music video by the singer Kesha.

(MUSIC PLAYING)

MOOS: And the number one video, the (INAUDIBLE) song.

(MUSIC PLAYING)

Antoine Dodson got famous when he appeared in a TV news report after interrupting an intruder who climbed in his sister's bedroom window. His reaction to being the global number one video?

ANTOINE DODSON, YOUTUBER: Oh, my god, it's so exciting.

MOOS (voice-over): From his half of the proceeds, from auto tuning the song, he bought his mom -

DODSON: A whole house.

MOOS: And next he's buying himself a Mercedes.

(on camera): Based on the top 10 youtubes, you might think our culture is going down the tubes.

Jeanne Moos, CNN.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is mean.

MOOS: New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: Now run and tell that, home boy. Home boy. That was my favorite. My favorite one was actually I'm on a horse. That was pretty cool. Anyway, I digress.

I'm Don Lemon at the CNN world headquarters in Atlanta. Thanks for joining us tonight, I'll see you back here at 10:30 p.m. Eastern. Up next, a CNN documentary, it's called "A Soldier's Story."