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Tens of Thousands in Tahrir Square; Reform Costs Banks Billions; Unarmed Egyptian Protester Shot, Killed; A Look at the 2012 GOP Frontrunners
Aired February 08, 2011 - 10:58 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN ANCHOR: Nice to see you, Kyra.
Live from Studio 7, I'm Suzanne Malveaux. Let's get you up to speed this Tuesday, 8th of Jan - February, rather!
Crowds answer the call in jam-packed Tahrir Square in Cairo today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(CROWDS CHANTING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: It's the largest pro-democracy gathering in days. State TV pledges no reprisals against protesters. A Middle East expert says beware.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FOUAD AJAMI, DIRECTOR OF MIDEAST STUDIES, JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY: I have been talking to several Egyptian intellectuals. This is now the most dangerous phase for those who dare stand up to the regime. They surprised themselves, they surprised the regime, and the regime is not yet spent. And we don't really know. There is a heavy dosage of oppression, if need be, that could be applied to this conflict.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: A freed Google executive said he cried when he found out that people died in the push for a Democratic Egypt. Wael Ghonim vanished January 28. He was one of the people behind the Facebook page that fueled protests. He thinks that's why the secret police grabbed him.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WAEL GHONIM (via translator): I was going to get a taxi, so I went one way. and I was walking down a straight road, and I found all of a sudden four people surrounding me. They were kidnapping me, and I yelled, "Help me!"
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: In London today, a judge is expected to decide whether to extradite WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. Assange is accused but not charged with rape in Sweden. His lawyer says extradition is a ploy to hand Assange to the United States. He could face charges for publishing secret government documents.
And this afternoon, the government goes public with its report on Toyotas that sped out of control. NASA engineers have spent almost a year looking for glitches in Toyota's electronics and software. Now, the company recalled eight million cars, trucks and SUVs, and it blames driver error in most cases. Now, the government links 93 deaths to sudden acceleration.
Winter, well, it is back on the attack again today. A big snowstorm is sliding out of the Rockies and into the Plains. Oklahoma City and Tulsa could see a foot of fresh snow. Dallas will get broadsided for the second time this month.
And when Michael Jackson's doctor goes on trial next month, you're actually going to be able to watch that on TV. A Los Angeles judge will allow cameras for the involuntary manslaughter trial of Dr. Conrad Murray. Jury selection begins March 24th. Murray says that he is innocent.
At Capitol today, two House committees are looking over bills to restrict abortions. One denies federal money for abortion, period. The other prevents abortions under the new health care reform law. A presidential executive order already bars funding under the law except in cases of rape or incest.
And here is your chance to "Talk Back" on the abortion discussion in Congress. Our Carol Costello, she's joining us from Washington.
Carol, we know you're going to get a lot of comments on this one. This is something that's visceral, and people have very strong opinions either way.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's already posted on my Facebook page, Suzanne, and we are already getting comments. And you're right, Suzanne, it is a fierce fight in the House of Representatives, but it's not over job creation or deficit reduction. It's over abortion.
Two -- count them, two -- hearings on two pieces of abortion legislation. Republican Chris Smith is behind one of them. It's called the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act.
Opponents say it's a waste of time because President Obama, in a move to end debate on the health care law, signed an executive order banning federal funding for abortion except in cases of rape, incest, or when the life of a pregnant woman is at risk. Congressman Smith now says that's not good enough, an executive order is not law, and the president could change his mind.
Democrats are fighting mad, as you might expect. They say both proposed bills are so restrictive, they would limit a woman's access to reproductive care even if her life is in danger.
Other Democrats say the ensuing battle over these bills produce a legislative meltdown and paralyze the government at a time the government needs to create jobs. But Republican Congressman Joseph Pitts sees public support for his Protect Life Act, saying, "Sixty percent of Americans want this done. We can talk and walk and chew gum at the same time."
So talk back. Is this the right time to argue abortion in Congress? Is it the right time? Facebook.com/CarolCNN. We welcome your comments. Facebook.com/CarolCNN.
MALVEAUX: Thank you, Carol.
COSTELLO: Sure.
MALVEAUX: Well, for now, a look at what's ahead "On the Rundown."
After relative calm in Egypt, protesters are now coming out in full force.
And this is one wrong turn you really want to avoid. Wait until you see how it ends.
Financial reform is costing banks billions of dollars. Now you could be part of a plan to help recover those losses.
And finally, Republicans United in one purpose, beating President Obama in 2012. But there is still no one who is leading the charge. We're going to introduce you to the contenders.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: Protests in Egypt today enter week three. Tens of thousands of people are flocking back to Tahrir Square. We are seeing some of the biggest crowds in days now.
My colleague Fred Pleitgen, he is joining us live from Cairo.
And Fred, give us a sense of what you are seeing there. And why is the crowd growing today?
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The crowd is certainly very large today, Suzanne. People are actually coming into the square right now.
It's currently seven minutes after 6:00 p.m. here in Cairo. So it is quite late, but I still see people at the checkpoints trying to get into the square. Of course, they're saying they're still very resilient. A lot of them, of course, have also been here for a very long time, and they are now being joined by other people.
There are several reasons why this seems to be happening. One of the reasons could be that there was another call on Facebook and Twitter for as many people as possible to come here today. But also, one of the other things that probably played a role was the release yesterday of a Google exec from the Middle East who had been held in custody for several days, was released yesterday, and then went on television and gave an absolutely emotional interview where he broke down crying several times and called the people here in Tahrir Square martyrs and absolutely heroes. And certainly, we are seeing today that the crowd seems to be galvanized down there on Tahrir Square -- Suzanne.
MALVEAUX: And Fred, obviously, that really has motivated them.
What can you tell us about a group of protesters who broke away from the square?
PLEITGEN: Yes. We are hearing that as well. In fact, we know that's going on.
And they marched from here, from Tahrir Square, to the parliament building. And currently, we're hearing that the crowd size is several hundred people, probably around 400 to 600 people, who are there also chanting the kind of slogans that you are hearing here, on Tahrir Square, "Down with Hosni Mubarak!" and also calling the parliament a fraud.
We are also hearing that the military is nearby there. They are, of course, stationed at all important buildings here in Cairo.
Right now, the scene is very peaceful there, as it is here on Tahrir Square. It's too early, Suzanne, to tell whether or not the protesters are trying to open up something like a second front in these protests. It's just not enough protesters at that second venue to say that just yet. But it certainly is a significant development, and one where the protesters certainly are showing with force that their protests are still going strong, and that they plan to expand those, even, as you said, 15 days into the beginning of this uprising -- Suzanne.
MALVEAUX: And Fred, we can certainly hear the crowds behind you. It's really quite incredible, all of the noise in the background there.
Fred, thank you so much for that report, and please be safe.
There are some Egyptians who say they felt compelled to join today's protests after seeing an emotional interview with this man, as Fred had mentioned. This Google executive Wael Ghonim, and he says he was snatched off a street in Cairo and held for almost two weeks for his part in setting up the Facebook page that sparked the revolt.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WAEL GHONIM, FREED GOOGLE EXECUTIVE (through translator): I was kidnapped Thursday night, about 1:00 a.m. at night. I was with one of my friends. He was my colleague at work, and he was coming to visit Egypt.
And after I finished visiting him, I left the place. I was going to get a taxi, so I went one way, and I was walking down a straight road, and I found all of a sudden, four people surrounding me.
They were kidnapping me, and I yelled, "Help me!" But of course I knew these were security forces. The thing that tortured me the most when I was in detention was that people would find out that I was the admin of the page that was calling for protests. I didn't want people to find out that I was the admin, because I am not the hero. I was writing with a keyboard on the Internet, and my life was never exposed to any danger.
Oh, I'm not a hero. I slept for 12 days.
The heroes were in the streets. The heroes are the ones that went to the demonstrations. The heroes are the ones that sacrificed their lives. The heroes are the ones that were beaten, and the heroes are the ones that were arrested and exposed to dangers.
I wasn't a hero.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: Ghonim is an Egyptian based in the United Arab Emirates. About 90,000 people have joined a Facebook group nominating him to be their spokesman.
(NEWSBREAK)
MALVEAUX: And those new credit card rules could cost the banks billions of dollars. We're going to have the bottom line on how you could end up paying more.
And while most 15-year-old kids, you know, they're worried about their big algebra exam, or something that's coming up, our "Most Intriguing Person of the Day" is trying on his Major League Soccer jersey. We'll tell you more.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: Some rookies dream of jumping from high school to the major leagues, but Diego Fagundez of Massachusetts is taking an even faster track to play for the New England Revolution, a Major League Soccer team. The 15-year-old will be skipping the rest of high school to play professionally against guys almost twice his age. The young star will most likely be attending night school to finish up his degree.
We're happy that he's going to be doing that as well, school, as well as sports.
Now we're going to take you here to CNNMoney.com's lead story here.
This is the best places for home prices to rebound here. You're taking a look at the cities poised to record the biggest gains here. Obviously not bad news for some places where folks want to check out the market and perhaps buy.
Also taking a look at the Dow Jones here. Just changing here. Up by 30 points. Keeping a very close eye on this. Obviously, good news for those as well.
Those rules to protect you, however, from unfair credit card practices, those rules go into effect. They could cost banks billions of dollars, and perhaps pass it along to you.
Our Alison Kosik, she is at the New York Stock Exchange with our bottom line.
And Alison, these are huge companies. Can't these banking absorb the losses?
ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: You know what, Suzanne? That's a great question. But losses of this magnitude, it's really tough for banks to absorb losses like that.
I'm talking about $25 billion gone in revenue every single year for these banks. Now, this is happening because of these new financial regulations that have gone into effect, and most of them are helpful for consumers.
They wind up limiting overdraft fees, credit card swap fees, and those interest rate hikes. But for banks, these fees make up half of most of their total revenues. So now banks are trying to figure out, how are we going to make up for that lost money?
Guess where they are looking, Suzanne? They're looking to consumers. They're looking to you and me to make up for that lost revenue because of those new financial regulations.
MALVEAUX: And the markets are doing fairly well, but we're not seeing a big advance today. Why not?
KOSIK: Well, the China central bank raised interest rates for the third time in about four months. Taking a look though, the Dow is up 30 points, the Nasdaq higher by 1.
Those higher rates, the worry is here in the U.S., may limit growth. That's why we are seeing the gains limited a bit. We did get strong sales numbers from McDonald's, so the Dow is higher on that news -- Suzanne.
MALVEAUX: All right, Alison. Thank you so much with the bottom line.
Well, now it is time for you to "Choose the News." That's right, text us which of these stories you would like to see, and we're going to air it in the next hour of CNN NEWSROOM.
Here's the first one. A band of brothers, a Marine regiment in Texas, believe it or not, has five sets of brothers getting ready to serve in Afghanistan.
The second one, love on the run. See how a matchmaker hooks up women defecting from an oppressive North Korean regime.
And finally, babies addicted to opium. CNN's Arwa Damon visits an Afghan village and finds that almost everyone in it is using opium. That's right.
So vote by texting your choice, 22360. You vote 1 for band of brothers; 2 for Korean matchmaker; or 3 for opium-addicted babies. Now, the winning story is going to air in the next hour.
Well, an unarmed Egyptian protester gunned down. The shooting caught on tape. We're going to bring you that story.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: Here's what's ahead "On the Rundown."
Meet the contenders. We're going to introduce you to the Republicans who may be going after President Obama's job.
And you have heard how revenge is a dish that's best served cold. Well, one angry neighbor who really took it to heart. You'll see.
And the snow just won't quit. It's become a national never-ending story. We're going to tell you where it's headed next and what to look out for.
Well, it's week three of the uprising in Egypt. More than 300 people are confirmed dead. That is according to Human Rights Watch.
Our senior national correspondent Nic Robertson, he has the backstory on an unarmed protester who was gunned down on the streets of Alexandria. Now, a warning to our viewers here, you might find this video a bit disturbing.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice- over): It is 2:28 in the afternoon, January 28. This man is walking to his death.
The video went viral, but we wanted to know more. Who was he and who recorded his last moments?
(SCREAMING)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We were like, what the hell is he doing? He shouldn't be doing this, because the situation doesn't look that good.
ROBERTSON: Speaking out for the first time, two young women who videoed the killing. They're afraid to be identified.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He did nothing. He was -- he had nothing. He was like, I have nothing in my hands.
ROBERTSON (on camera): He had nothing in his hands?
(voice-over): They show me photographs they took from the same balcony.
In the hour before the man is shot, the streets around their building become a battleground, rock-throwing protesters facing off with police.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: These were the police. ROBERTSON (on camera): And here you can -- we have got riot shields, batons here.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think he's here throwing the rocks that the protesters are throwing at --
ROBERTSON: Yes, as he is bending -- the policeman here is bending down to pick up a rock.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
ROBERTSON: And that's a policeman with a tear gas --
(CROSSTALK)
ROBERTSON (voice-over): The situation deteriorates. Police arrive with rifles.
(on camera): Well, that's a proper gun (ph).
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes. I think it's a proper gun.
ROBERTSON: It is a proper gun, yes, a rifle. And he's pointing it at the protesters.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
ROBERTSON (voice-over): Not long after, the man begins his walk up the street.
(on camera): What it appears on the videotape is that he's standing on one corner, and the gunmen are literally just across the road.
Is that what -- that's what --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
ROBERTSON: So they were just, what, a few yards away from him?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, not that far, a few yards.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They -- the man shot him first, but it didn't get through -- through him. But the second one, I think he -- he zoomed in his face because he was like standing like that. And --
ROBERTSON: So the man who shot him took very careful aim?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes. Yes. I'm sure.
ROBERTSON (voice-over): When we go to the same street corner today, it's still tense, so we use a tiny camera.
(on camera): This is where the man was standing when he was shot. The gunman was just across --
(voice-over): Our hidden camera breaks up as they count the paces across the road.
(on camera): Seven, eight, nine, 10, 11. Oh, about 12 paces away, about 12 yards away. He had a clear line of sight, an unobstructed view of his target, just over there.
(voice-over): What the women's cell phone camera doesn't show so well is the crowd cheering him on.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The protesters got encouraged because he was standing right there and they didn't do anything, the police. So they were encouraged. So they were about to go there, to him, and protest. That's why they shot him.
ROBERTSON: They tell me they hold President Mubarak and the police responsible. They want justice for the man whose name they still don't know.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I feel sympathy to him, his family. I don't know. I just feel like I need to get back his rights. That's it.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I would like for his rights to get back. For him and his family, you know? He deserves it. He did nothing for it. It's so unfair.
ROBERTSON: Their neighbor videoed the body being carried away by other protesters. In the chaos, no record of where he went.
Nic Robertson, CNN, Alexandria, Egypt
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MALVEAUX: Well, check your political calendar. The Iowa Caucuses are a year away. Republicans are divided over their choice for a nominee, but they are united in the main goal of beating President Obama.
In a new CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll, 7 in 10 Republicans say that it is more important to find a nominee who can beat Mr. Obama than someone who agrees with them on the issues.
Now, the race for the GOP nomination is wide open, but as you can see, Mike Huckabee, Sarah Palin, Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich are all in double digits, followed by Ron Paul at 7 percent.
Well, the one thing the leading Republicans have in common is name recognition. You've heard their names before. But there is still some time for some of those lesser-known GOP hopefuls to become perhaps serious contenders.
I want to bring in my friend Joe Johns in Washington.
Hey, Joe. Just to take a closer look at all those other folks, we might have heard of them before, but I think maybe a lot of people don't know who they are.
JOE JOHNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's for sure, Suzanne. We took a look at seven candidates and we called them "others to watch." These are the candidates or potential candidates who could be factors in the coming campaign, in the coming election.
Now, at the very top of this piece, I just want you to take a look at the pictures that pop up of these individuals, and ask yourself, how many of these people could you identify if I don't identify them for you?
Take a listen now.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHNS (voice-over): One year out from the primaries, take a look at this crowd. Do you see a future president? Each of these potential contenders for the Republican nomination has some reason to hope 2012 might be the year.
NATE SILVER, POLITICAL BLOGGER, "THE NEW YORK TIMES": You would rarely have an opportunity where the field is quite as wide open as it would be this year. And that can be kind of self-reinforcing, right, because the better the opportunity looks, the more people get in, and kind of, you know, the more the votes split.
JOHNS: So let's break it down. Who are these guys?
Past and present Governors Haley Barbour of Mississippi; Mitch Daniels of Indiana; Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota; Jon Huntsman of Utah, until recently, U.S. ambassador to China. There are past and present senators: John Thune of South Dakota; Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania; and one man who ran for the nomination last time around, Texas Congressman Ron Paul.
Seven potential candidates, no consensus.
We asked the last Republican to get the nomination about them. He was as noncommittal as it gets.
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), ARIZONA: I like all of them, and I think you're going to see a very interesting campaign coming up.
JOHNS (on camera): Translation, John McCain is not endorsing anybody right now.
And does anybody really know this field anyway/ They aren't exactly household names outside their home states, though low name recognition isn't so important this early, just as long as New Hampshire knows their names on Primary Day.
MCCAIN: The reason why the people in New Hampshire are so unique is they recognize the effect of their votes and their support. My favorite joke, Mo Udall, the guy in Manchester said to the other one, "What do you think about Mo Udall for president?" And he said, "I don't know. I only met him twice."
JOHNS: Got it. (voice-over): Frankly, it's impossible to choose the most likely Republican candidate right now, though the resume of former governor Jon Huntsman makes some Democrats nervous.
SILVER: He's been an ambassador to China and served in a Democratic White House. I mean, that's pretty interesting. Right? The fact that he's a Republican governor of Utah, who supported civil unions for gay couples and, you know, was moderate on environmental issues. I mean, that's interesting.
JOHNS: Interesting, but perhaps too progressive for the GOP's conservative base. Some other more classically conservative candidates like Santorum and Barbour, have solid standing on the right but have to work hard to lure Independents, which is where the campaign end-game gets played.
At this stage, some say picking losers may be easier than winners. Nate Silver is betting against Tim Pawlenty and South Dakota Senator John Thune.
SILVER: It just seems like he's a good, competent, average senator. There's nothing wrong with that. But why would you pick one of 100 senators to be president when you don't have that much unique standing out about you?
JOHNS: We asked Thune about what's unique about him but he declined an interview. Former Hoosier Governor Mitch Daniels has different problems. Daniels is a big budget hog, which is a good thing in the eyes of Republican politicians. But he wants his party to declare a truce on social issues. And that includes abortion, which Daniels is said to be 100 percent against.
That doesn't sit well with social conservatives like Frank Cannon.
FRANK CANNON, AMERICAN PRINCIPLES PROJECT: If you believe that as a moral matter, how can you accept that as president you will spend years not do anything about something that you see as a moral tragedy?
JOHNS: Full field, plenty of time to get into the game, get out of the limelight, make some progress, or fall flat on your face.
Welcome to the presidential race of 2012 or not.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
JOHNS: A couple of notes. Jon Huntsman, still the ambassador to China until he leaves that post.
Also, there is some news today about Ron Paul. This is a candidate who I said ran before, ran for president before. Turns out there's a lot of talk about him running again, Suzanne, even though he'll be about 77-years-old by Election Day. He's one of those candidates who could suck up a lot of air, particularly for people like Herman Cane and others who are just trying to make a name for themselves.
MALVEAUX: I remember 2008, Joe, you'll remember as well. There were at least a dozen Republicans that were all throwing their hat into the race. So it'll be really interesting to see how they actually have whittled down that group.
JOHNS: That's for sure. Looking forward to it.
MALVEAUX: OK. Thanks, Joe.
Well, tomorrow on the contenders, how many times has a politician said, you know, they're not in the race only it turn around and announce their candidacy? We saw it with Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama. What makes them change their mind? Well, our Candy Crowley, she finds that out tomorrow at 11:30 Eastern.
And a reminder to vote for the story you want to see in our Choose the News segment. Text your votes to us at 22360.
Vote one, for band of brothers. Five sets of brothers serving on the same marine battalion prepare to go to Afghanistan.
Two, for North Korean match maker. How one woman using love to help people escape the North Korean regime.
And three, for opium-addicted babies. An up-close look at how opium is hurting Afghan families.
Well, times are tough everywhere. But what are the most miserable places to live? This is according to Yahoo News. The top three saddest cities are -- number three, this is Merced, California. It's a town with an unemployment rate of 16.2 percent and plummeting home prices. Number two, Miami, Florida, where foreclosures are off the charts. But can you guess number one?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: We're back with the most miserable towns in America. This is it according to Yahoo News. And the worst is Stockton, California. That is where high unemployment, sinking home prices and high taxes make for some pretty tough living.
Well, a police officer living on the block makes for a safer neighborhood. And that is the idea behind a new proposal in Detroit. The mayor wants to let police officers and firefighters buy foreclosed homes for as little as $1,000. Police officers who stuck it out through the tough times in Detroit, well, they like this idea. And Mayor Dave Bing says the project could become a model for other cities.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAYOR DAVE BING, DETROIT: Police officers living in their neighborhoods have the potential to deter crime, increase public safety, and improve relations between the community and our sworn officers.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You got to reward the ones that did stay. I never left, never had a plan to live. I made Detroit work for me. It's my home.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: Officers who buy the home could get up to $150,000 for renovations.
Well now, it's time for a segment we call Guilty Pleasures. Stories we can't turn away from. I'm going to try not to turn red on this one.
The owner of this adult toy store in Alabama is holding a personal event on Valentine's Day, called Guns for Toys. Customers can bring in their gun and exchange it for an adult toy. She wants people in Alabama's people to make love, not war.
A woman in Chicago steals a shovel from a man's porch during one of the city's worst blizzards. But she picked the wrong guy to mess with because it turns out he has cameras all over his house since he sells them for a living. So what was his revenge? He grabs a snow blower, covers her car completely in snow. That, too, as you can see, caught on camera. Rough stuff in Chicago.
And the snow just keeps piling up. I want you to check this out. Western Kentucky, it's dealing with icy roads and snow. This on top of snow. So much snow has fallen this season we have seen more than 150 roofs collapse under the weight of all of this. This one yesterday in Norwood, Massachusetts.
So far, the season that's had the area -- the area that's had the most, 71 inches of snow, that's about three times the norm. Paducah, Kentucky has seen 16.4 inches. It usually less than seven. And Oklahoma City, 13.7 inches, most of it just last week. That is double what it usually gets.
(WEATHER REPORT)
MALVEAUX: The race for 2012 is on. We're going to tell you who leads the pack for the Republicans in political update.
And it has been a while since we played, but we're bringing it back. It is the CNN Challenge. Here's a question to get you started.
What state in 1879, made it illegal for married couples to use birth control?
Connecticut, Georgia, South Carolina, or Colorado?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: We ask what state in 1879 made it illegal for married couples to use birth control. The answer, Connecticut.
Next hour, test your knowledge right alongside CNN's Joe Johns when we give him the CNN Challenge.
And the race is on. A new poll number out today on the 2012 run for the White House. Our Mark Preston, of course, be part of the Best Political Team on Television live from the political desk in Washington.
Hey, Mark. Tell us what's crossing?
MARK PRESTON, CNN POLITICAL EDITOR: Hey, good morning, Suzanne.
As you said, yes, CNN Opinion/Research has a new poll out on the 2012 presidential race. We're less than one years to the Iowa caucuses. So we asked them a whole array of questions.
Let's take a look at these numbers right here. The Republican' choice for the presidential nomination in 2012. Mike Huckabee comes in at 21 percent. Sarah Palin at 19 percent. Mitt Romney at 18 percent. Newt Gingrich at 10 percent.
But let's ask the question a little differently. When we asked, who is most likely to win the nomination? Republicans in our polls offered a little bit of a different answer. Let's take a look at these numbers right here. Mitt Romney at 25 percent. Sarah Palin at 24 percent. Mike Huckabee at 13 percent. And Newt Gingrich at 7 percent -- Suzanne
MALVEAUX: And Mark, there's been a lot of talk about the Tea Party, how they're going to influence 2012. What are you seeing in those poll numbers?
PRESTON: Well, you know, let me make two points about these poll numbers. We dug deep down into the data, we tried to figure out what these subsets of the numbers were. And specifically, we did look at the Tea Party.
When you look at the Tea Party, let's see who comes out on top. Mike Huckabee comes in at 25 percent. Sarah Palin at 19 percent. Mitt Romney at 17 percent. And Newt Gingrich at 10 percent. You know, Suzanne, conventional wisdom would say that Sarah Palin would garner all of the support of these Republicans who consider themselves Tea Partiers. But that's not the case. Mike Huckabee's on top.
And the second thing, really, to take a look at is the fact that Mitt Romney is considered the front runner, the establishment candidate and he still gets 17 percent in our poll. So, not a bad place to be, Suzanne, if you're Mitt Romney.
MALVEAUX: Fascinating numbers. Thank you, Mark. Appreciate it.
PRESTON: Thanks, Suzanne.
MALVEAUX: For the latest political news, you know where to go, CNNPolitics.com.
And remember to cast your vote in our Choose the News. Text your pick to 22360.
Vote one, band of brothers. Ten marines prepare for the fight in Afghanistan with their brothers at their side. Vote two, for North Korean matchmaker. Love on the run, from the North Korean regime.
And three, for opium-addicted babies. In a country as poor as Afghanistan, some mothers are feeding their children the only thing available, opium.
Congressional committees are talking about restricting abortion funding today. So we asked you to weigh in on if this is the right time for lawmakers to discuss this very controversial and (INAUDIBLE) topic. Your responses up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: We're going to take you to one Texas town next hour where learning Arabic will soon be required in certain classrooms. You're going to hear what some parents in Mansfield are saying about it.
And Poppy Harlow goes the extra mile to show us another sign that the economy is revving up. Anybody want to buy a Ferrari? Pretty sweet.
And here is your chance to talk back. And one of the big stories of the day. Two House committees are looking over bills to restrict abortion funding. Now one denies federal money for abortion, period. The other prevents abortions under the new health care reform law. The presidential executive order already bars funding under the law except in cases of rape or incest.
Now, we want to know what you think about lawmakers discussing the issue right now. Our Carol Costello, she's got your responses.
Carol, imagine a lot of people had something to say about this.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: They do. And welcome back, culture wars, right? The culture wars are on again and you thought the mid-term election results were all about jobs, jobs, jobs? Oh, no.
So, the Talk Back question of the day, is this the right time for Congress to debate the abortion issue? And we did get a lot of responses, Suzanne, and here they are.
This is from Real Ware Man (ph). He says, "It is absolutely the right time. How long were they expecting the issue to go unnoticed?"
This from Kim. She says, "Will denying a woman her right to choose what is best for her and her life going to create jobs? Get to work, Congress, on things that matter."
This from Joy. She says, "When innocent, defenseless human lives are at stake, no delay to try and spare their lives is justified."
And this from Anna. "Seriously, Republicans? Now I'm hopping mad. Maybe it's time for an Egyptian-style protest on Congress."
Please continue the conversation. Facebook.com/carol CNN. The question, is this the right time for Congress to debate the abortion issue? Or do you want them working on things like, you know, creating jobs and deficit reduction?
MALVEAUX: You got a lot of emotional responses there, Carol. Wow.
COSTELLO: Yes. It's an emotional issue.
MALVEAUX: Absolutely.
COSTELLO: That's why I said, welcome back to the culture wars. They're in the here and now once again.
MALVEAUX: OK. Carol, we've got our next segment on movies. Have you seen Matrix - the "Matrix" movies, those three-part series?
COSTELLO: Just the one, the first one. And it was great.
MALVEAUX: That was the best actually.
COSTELLO: Yes.
MALVEAUX: These are one of the few films that I've actually seen. Well, those three, they made hundreds of millions of dollars worldwide. They gained this cult following. And of course we know actor Keanu Reeves played the main character, Neo.
Well, looking back, it is hard to imagine that anyone else playing that role. But another high profile Hollywood actor was actually the director's first choice.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: Actor Keanu Reeves played the main character, Neo, in the "Matrix" movies. We told you another high profile actor was the director's first choice. That person? Will smith. He did "Wild, Wild West" instead.
Well, close casting calls by popular Hollywood stars are trending online today. It turns out Will Smith is not the only person who missed out on this career defining role. But, Jacqui, I think he did pretty well for himself.
JACQUI JERAS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Oh, gosh yes. Right?
(CROSSTALK)
MALVEAUX: I understand there are other big names? Big stars, right? Who passed up some popular movies?
JERAS: Yes. You know, it's really fun to think about too, Suzanne, because, right, what would have happened if it would have been somebody else, right? Definitely career defining.
Think about, say, Michael J. Fox who played Marty McFly, right, "Back to the Future," he went traveling back to 1955 and take a look at the movie. (VIDEO CLIP)
JERAS: Now, believe it or not, Michael J. Fox was not the first pick for that movie, Suzanne. Any ideas?
MALVEAUX: I'm trying to think of somebody who was popular back then around the same time, kind of the same age. Johnny Depp?
JERAS: No. Think red hair. This one surprised me. Steven Spielberg's first choice was Eric Stoltz.
MALVEAUX: Really?
JERAS: Yes. There he is. You recognize him. We've seen him before.
MALVEAUX: I do.
JERAS: They actually filmed the movie with Stoltz in the lead role for about five weeks. And they started over again because it just wasn't, quote-unquote, "clicking."
All right, so here's another one. Check this one out. This is a huge surprise. Harrison Ford, Hans Solo, right? They go hand in hand, am I right?
MALVEAUX: Yes, sure.
JERAS: Now, imagine. Take a look. Take a guess. Who could have maybe been the first choice?
(VIDEO CLIP)
JERAS: That movie wouldn't have been that movie.
MALVEAUX: I don't know. Alec Baldwin? I don't know. I'm bad at this.
JERAS: No, that's not a bad guess. This one was a shocker to me. Take a look. Al Pacino. Could you imagine? Star Wars?
MALVEAUX: It would have changed the whole experience.
JERAS: It really would have. He actually turned down that role. So I'm going to say, that was a good career move for him.
MALVEAUX: Yes. He didn't do so badly either.
JERAS: Yes. He went on to some other good things.
And if you're wondering, by the way, why Jennifer Aniston is up there, just kind of a fun one. She turned down "SNL" to be on "Friends."
MALVEAUX: Oh, friends was a great choice.
JERAS: Oh, yes, right? Then we all wouldn't have had those nice haircuts. MALVEAUX: The Jennifer Aniston look.
And then what about the person -- obviously I guess he chose the right role -- the young actor who played Darth Vader in the Volkswagen commercial aired during the Super Bowl?
JERAS: You know, We can't get enough of him can we?
MALVEAUX: I mean, amazing. What, 21 million people viewed it online?
JERAS: Twenty-one million people have seen this now. If you haven't seen it you must be living in a cave. But go ahead and take a quick look at the video.
You saw this. This was played during the Super Bowl. Six-year-old Max Page there trying to, you know, get the force with him. Starting up all kinds of appliances. Didn't work. And, voila.
He just became an overnight sensation and he also got to meet the voice behind Darth Vader by the way, which was James Earl Jones, of course. And he talked about this on AMERICAN MORNING.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR, "AMERICAN MORNING": And Max, did you like getting a chance to meet James Earl Jones?
MAX PAGE, : Yes.
CHETRY: What'd you think of him?
PAGE: Well, he was really cool. I never knew he would be so cool.
CHETRY: He had a deep voice didn't he?
PAGE: Yes.
CHETRY: And he was tall.
PAGE: I thought he would just have to make the deep voice. I didn't know he already had one.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(LAUGHTER)
JERAS: I know. I'm telling you. That voice, right, it's perfect. You certainly can't reinvent that one.
MALVEAUX: Absolutely. He's such a cute kid. He stole the show.
(CROSSTALK)
JERAS: he's been in a couple of other regional commercials before. And he also starred on the "Young and the Restless," the soap opera.
(CROSSTALK)
MALVEAUX: I think a bright future ahead for that kid.
JERAS: Absolutely.
MALVEAUX: All right. Thanks, Jacqui.
JERAS: Sure.
