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Too Much Talk About Bin Laden Raid?; Newt Gingrich's Campaign in Trouble?; Mystery Halt to Jury Selection; Gingrich Gets Glittered; Santorum Takes Back McCain Criticism

Aired May 18, 2011 - 16:00   ET

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

KENLIE TIGGEMAN, AIRLINE PASSENGER: Yes. Yes.

We were, at this point, getting ready to board. They had offered us $200 vouchers because we suggested that they had broken a lot of privacy laws. They asked how much I weighed. They asked what size clothes I wore.

And as someone who is in the middle of a weight loss journey, I was having to tell them. However, it was still very inappropriate. So, at this point, he was offering apologies. And I asked if he would like to do it for my Web site. And this is what he said.

BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: OK. Let's watch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, I just wanted to say I'm sorry.

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You heard all about her medical conditions.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you want to tell me you're sorry on camera?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Of course. I'm very, very sorry, very sorry.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: For what? Sorry.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm very, very sorry for the manner in which I addressed it, I addressed the...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: OK, Kenlie, good enough?

TIGGEMAN: You know, it's tough to say.

It's -- I think that we all have bad days. We all make mistakes, but he did it in front of an airline full of people. And the problem is that there's a solution to this problem. I mean, JetBlue, for instance, offers passengers the option to pay $38, I believe it is, for extended legroom. It's a really simple problem, a really simple solution. Someone could get in and maybe widen a few rows of seats, at which point everyone becomes more comfortable. Again, I don't want to encroach on anyone. I just want to express to the airlines that it's time to, instead of deeming what is a proper size of a human being without regard for a human being, to instead put a little thought into it and -- and let's go forward with additional room.

I mean, it's -- there has to be an answer. There are people -- I have gotten hundreds of e-mails from people who are at this point driving 20-plus hours to avoid what happened with me that day.

BALDWIN: Yes. I was going to ask you -- I was going to ask you what kind of outpouring you got.

We -- I do want say, because we picked up the phone. We have reached out to Southwest Airlines for a comment. They promised they will give us one. We're still waiting to hear back.

But, Kenlie, what I'm hearing from you, that you understand the rules, you understand the guidelines, but bigger picture, this was about...

TIGGEMAN: I do.

(CROSSTALK)

BALDWIN: You mentioned that they asked you about your -- your dress size publicly.

(CROSSTALK)

TIGGEMAN: ... issue.

BALDWIN: This is just about, to you, blatant insensitivity. Is that right?

TIGGEMAN: To me -- you know what? I'm not here to sound like a victim. I'm here to be an advocate for people who are being discriminated against on a regular basis. The airlines are here to offer a public service.

We have money to pay for flights. So let's adjust to the fact that people are larger than they were 50 years ago. It's a reality. I'm doing the best that I can to change my situation. But I can't judge everyone's situation. People who are thin deserve the right to fly. People who are heavier deserve the right to fly.

This is about equal rights to equal access. And it's not impossible to make -- to make everyone more comfortable flying. So, I just -- again, I can't stress enough, I'm not interested in encroaching on anyone else's personal space.

BALDWIN: I understand. I understand.

TIGGEMAN: I want equal rights to equal access.

BALDWIN: Kenlie Tiggeman, people can read your blog. It's All the Weigh -- W-E-I-G-H.

Wish you the best of luck, and we will turn around anything we get from Southwest Airlines.

(CROSSTALK)

BALDWIN: Thank you so much.

TIGGEMAN: OK. Thanks.

BALDWIN: And now let's take a look at this.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BALDWIN (voice-over): Someone threw gasoline on this boy on his eighth birthday. Years later, on his deathbed, he shares a secret, one he kept for so long, the reason he thought he was attacked.

ROBBIE MIDDLETON, VICTIM: I realized I was on fire.

BALDWIN: The details will shock you. I will speak live with his mother.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Stop the hate! Stop anti-gay politics.

BALDWIN: Plus, Newt Gingrich is not having a very good week, and it's only Wednesday. But why aren't more Republicans coming to his defense?

And it's not your everyday X-ray scan. Wait until you hear how hundreds of immigrants packed into trucks and how much cash they paid to try to sneak into America.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BALDWIN: Welcome back, everyone. I'm Brooke Baldwin.

Want to get you to our developing story today out of the Pentagon on the operation to kill Osama bin Laden, a remarkable plea from the head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen. He just came out this afternoon. He said, please, for the love of Pete, please stop talking about the raid that killed bin Laden.

In fact, he said government officials are jeopardizing valuable national secrets, risking tools in the fight against terror.

Let's go to Chris Lawrence live at the Pentagon.

And, Chris, it sounds like the brass at the Pentagon is very, very worried about everyone talking.

CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Brooke.

It really stopped one step short of just saying, shut up. And, really, what they are doing is they are expressing a lot of concern over not so much this mission, which is already over, but saying the capability and ability of these forces to conduct similar missions in the future is going to be a lot riskier because of these leaks.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ADMIRAL MICHAEL MULLEN, JOINTS CHIEFS CHAIRMAN: We have, from my perspective, gotten to a point where we are -- are close to jeopardizing this precious capability that we have, and we can't afford to do that. This fight isn't over, first of all.

Secondly, when you now extend that to concern with individuals in a military and their families, from my perspective, it is time to stop talking. And we have talked far too much about this. We need to move on. It's a story that if we don't stop talking, it will never end, and it needs to.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LAWRENCE: And some of the concern I have been hearing in the Pentagon is not so -- is not just the fact that tactics of the SEAL team were revealed, but also some of the technology that they used as well -- Brooke.

BALDWIN: Do they have any idea who the source of these leaks are, Chris?

LAWRENCE: Well, you heard from the White House counterterrorism officials. You heard from the director of the CIA. Defense officials were speaking on background about it.

I mean, there's enough leaks to go around. There's plenty of people who were talking about this.

BALDWIN: Yes.

LAWRENCE: You also had retired military, even SEAL team members who are retired, coming out, giving their perspective.

So, I don't think they were pointing the finger at any one entity, just all around.

BALDWIN: We're asking the questions, but they have been talking, Chris Lawrence. Chris, at the Pentagon, thank you very much.

LAWRENCE: OK.

BALDWIN: And now more news unfolding right now. Rapid fire, let's go.

Air Force One aborts a landing attempt with President Obama on board. It happened at Bradley International Airport -- that's in Windsor Locks, Connecticut -- today. We hear the maneuver is fairly routine. It happens when the pilot who is in the process of landing decides they can't land quite yet. In this case, it's because of some of the bad weather, some of the poor visibility there.

Air Force One did circle the runway, did land safely, President Obama never in any danger. Remember, he was going to Connecticut today to deliver the commencement address at the Coast Guard Academy.

And United Airlines blaming a computer glitch for causing two flights this morning to be designated 93 and 175. You remember those were the flight numbers -- they were actually retired after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The glitch happened when former Continental flights were reassigned as United flights. A spokesperson for United apologized for the error, says the numbers will remain off the books for good.

A disaster in slow motion in Vicksburg, Mississippi. Take a look at the water there, the Mississippi already at record levels and it's expected to crest in Vicksburg by tomorrow morning. Flooding in Mississippi and Louisiana has forced thousands of people out of their homes. But even after the river crests, here's the thing. The Army Corps of Engineers says don't look for the water to go away any time soon. Flooded areas are likely to stay that way for multiple weeks.

Britain's Queen Elizabeth on a historic visit to Dublin, Ireland, today, historic because is the first British monarch to visit since it gained its independence back in 1922. She honored Ireland's World War I soldiers with a wreath and red poppies. She is also remembering the 14 Irish who died on Bloody Sunday. That is the day in 1920 when British troops opened fire on a crowd at a football game. The incident sparked the country's drive for independence.

Bittersweet news for the space shuttle Endeavour. This morning, it docked with the International Space Station for the very last time. Commander Mark Kelly was at the controls. Inside the space station, ESA astronaut Paolo Nespoli rang the ship's bell in a traditional naval welcome announcing Endeavour arriving.

And now to a shocking case, an emotional one you will never get. On his eighth birthday, this young boy was attacked. Someone threw gasoline on him, set him on fire. Years later, while he lay dying, he revealed a secret he had never told anyone before. Coming up next, we will speak with Robbie Middleton's mother. You're going to hear her son's secret. And I will ask her what she wants to happen now. What does justice mean for this woman? Don't miss that.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: OK. The story I'm about to tell you is almost too terrible to be real.

It involves a brutal attack that left a young boy burned over most of his body. For the secret that he kept for years, it was a deathbed revelation.

Robert or Robbie Middleton was walking through the woods on his eighth birthday to see a friend when he encountered the 13-year-old boy who lived just next door to him. But that encounter changed his life forever.

I'm going to let you hear from Robert Middleton himself. This is from a deposition he gave in a lawsuit against that 13-year-old neighbor at the time. This was taped April 12. This was days before Robert's 21st birthday, just before he died of cancer. And I just want to mention this. We have added subtitles because it's difficult to understand, given Robbie's medical condition at the time.

And a warning: It may be tough for some of you to watch.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

MIDDLETON: Don grabbed me and turned me around and threw gas in my face.

Next thing I know, I was screaming and rubbing my eyes, and I realized I was on fire.

I tried to get out of the trail, trying to get back home. I was running as fast as I could. But I couldn't hardly see where I was running to. I got out. And Billy Joe's wife gave some water to drink. I blacked out on the ground.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He blacked out on the ground.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What is the next thing that you remember?

MIDDLETON: Flying over downtown Houston.

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Flying over downtown Houston?

MIDDLETON: In a helicopter.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Robert Middleton also talked about how that very day he was describing, how that day affected the rest of his life.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In addition to the pain that you felt, have you had nightmares over time?

MIDDLETON: I did.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you still have those?

MIDDLETON: Every great once in a while.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Was there a time when you had them a lot?

MIDDLETON: Right after I was first burned, almost every night.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And what kind of things did you dream about?

MIDDLETON: I dreamed of burning again, getting shot by...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He dreamed of being burned again and being shot.

By -- by who?

MIDDLETON: Donnie.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Then Robert dropped a bombshell. He revealed something he had never been able to tell anyone, the reason he says he was attacked 13 years ago. Listen to this.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Did he ever sexually assault you?

MIDDLETON: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How many times?

MIDDLETON: Just once.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And what did he do?

MIDDLETON: He pulled my clothes down and he started raping me.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Robert said the neighbor, Donald Collins, told him not to tell anyone about this rape, or he would hurt Robert again. Collins was never tried in the attack on Robert, but Robert's mother's and his lawyer hope that will change.

I want to bring in his mother. Colleen Middleton is in Saint Louis. And her attorney, Craig Sico, is in San Antonio.

And, Colleen, I just want to begin with you. Our condolences to you. I know this is very -- your son's death was very recent. And, from what I have been told, this is the first time here that you have heard that part of your son's deposition describing this alleged sex abuse.

Listening to it, as a mother, how did the words sit with you?

COLLEEN MIDDLETON, ROBERT MIDDLETON'S MOTHER: It's just devastating. I just can't believe all that they did to him and then they turned around and did that also. It's very upsetting?

BALDWIN: What kind of child was Robert? I know you call him Robbie. Good kid, sensitive child?

MIDDLETON: He was a very good kid. He was happy go lucky. He was very considerate towards people. He loved animals. Just like everybody else's child, I suppose.

BALDWIN: We're looking at some of these pictures, and we're going to click through some of these that you share. But I do want to warn our viewers, some of them are tough to look at. I know Robbie endured - I've read the depositions -- some 200 surgeries. And as we'll see here in a moment, I mean, his life clearly, physically drastically changed. But how was it moving forward, Colleen, after he was eight?

Here he is, I guess, at Christmastime. How did everything change for you?

MIDDLETON: Everything changed. I had to grieve for the child that he was, for what could have been, and I grieved for it for a long time. But then eventually Robert became the same happy-go- lucky child, and it -- life was good. Life was liveable again.

BALDWIN: It was liveable, but you said you lost in a sense - normalcy. Your own son, as you knew.

MIDDLETON: Yes. I did.

BALDWIN: What was the toughest part about that?

MIDDLETON: All that could have been. He was just so full of potential, and he was so healthy. Robert ran everywhere he went. He was just such a healthy child. And then that was taken away from him. And he never fit in. Everywhere we went, people stared at him. He was never normal in that sense again. But at home, between us and our family, he was the same, sweet happy-go-lucky child that he had been.

BALDWIN: Now, we know that this neighbor boy who was named in the attack, Donald Collins, he was arrested. Craig, my question to you here, why wasn't he ever tried?

CRAIG SICO, MIDDLETON'S ATTORNEY: Well, we're still trying to figure that out. We have recently learned through statements that have been offered that there was a confession at or near the time of the incident and that there was evidence available.

And I think a big question is why nobody ever asked the pertinent questions about this molestation when at the time there were accusations of potential molestation of other children. That's the reason why we are doing what we're doing now. We're trying to ask that question. Why wasn't he prosecuted, and what can we do to make it happen now?

BALDWIN: From what I have read, from the research that we have done here in Montgomery County, D.A., these prosecutors say that there was contradictory evidence. But I just want to make sure that I'm hearing you crystal clear, Craig. So, Donald Collins never spent a day in jail - or I guess he was 13 at the time when all of this allegedly happened. So, did he never spend a day in jail or juvenile detention for any of this?

SICO: No. Well, what took place was he was taken into custody under what I think at the time we've been able to discern was the authorities heard him make statements or statements were recounted to them, establishing that he knew something that only somebody at the scene would know. They took him into custody, they held him for a while, and he was released. At the time, he had not -- I don't believe he had an official guardian since his mother had passed, and this investigation went on for the better part of two years when it was decided that they would suspend the investigation.

BALDWIN: OK. That's what I wanted to make clear. So, he was in custody but ultimately it was dropped at the time. So, Colleen, to you, then, what are you hoping to get out of this civil lawsuit, and do you want this to go beyond simple restitution here? Are you hoping that this will turn into a criminal case?

MIDDLETON: Yes, I am. I am hoping and Robert hoped also to stop this person from injuring any other children.

BALDWIN: I know in looking at part of this deposition that there is this medical abstract of death certificate and it mentions squemacell (ph) carcinoma of skin invading abdominal cavities. Essentially, that he died of skin cancer that was spreading to his stomach.

So, if you're seeking - if you're seeking ultimately a murder charge, how then do you link his skin cancer to the burns he received back in 1998 from the gasoline attack?

MIDDLETON: His skin cancer was specific to burn scars. He had something called a marginal ulcer, and it's found in people whose skin have been burned.

BALDWIN: So, just so I'm clear, doctors that you've talked to have explained inexplicably that his particular type of cancer is linked to what happened to him in '98?

MIDDLETON: Yes, ma'am.

BALDWIN: I do want to say we've reached out to Mr. Collins, Donald Collins, to his attorney. We have yet to get a response.

But Colleen, I want you to have the last word. You lost your son. In a sense, you lost him many years ago. What is justice for you looking here forward? What do you want out of this fight?

MIDDLETON: I want to make sure that I can move ahead with a clear conscience knowing that I did everything I possibly could to stop these people from injuring another child like they did Robert.

BALDWIN: Colleen Middletown, Craig Sico, thank you both very much. We'll be following up on this with you. Appreciate it.

Coming up, as Dominique Strauss-Kahn sits on in prison under suicide watch, we told you some of the French are angry with the U.S. for showing this, showing his perp walk. But wait until you hear what the French are showing, and it involves the accuser.

Plus, after nearly three weeks in custody, Iran has just released a female journalist. Hala Gorani has just spoken with her fiancee. She's going to join me live, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: OK. It's time to go Globe Trekking with stories from overseas. Two big ones on our radar today. First, Joe Francis' reaction to the sex assault case of IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn. And the release of an Al-Jazeera reporter by Syria to Iran. Hala Gorani from CNN International is here. Let's start with the Strauss-Kahn case. You know, the French were very, very angry about the U.S. showing what we call "the perp walk." But at the same time, the French media is identifying this victim.

HALA GORANI, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Some media outlets are, and this is something that in the United States is not done. You usually don't identify the victim of an alleged rape. In the case of this chambermaid at the hotel in New York, I have seen her name in some French outlets.

Here's what's interesting, too, is today, we're finally getting the first polls in France about what percentage of French people believe that Dominique Strauss-Kahn is guilty or is innocent. 57 percent, according to a poll released today believe he's a victim of conspiracy. They say how fortuitous for those who were his political rivals in France that he should be arrested for allegedly assaulting a maid at a New York hotel. He's out of the way now. There are some people who are very happy about that.

But then, again, 70 percent of the readers of Figaro, the French newspaper that is right-leaning say, we believe the U.S. justice system has treated Dominique Strauss-Kahn fairly.

BALDWIN: That's interesting the French perspective versus what we see here.

Second item, we have the now-freed Al-Jazeera journalist, Dorothy Parvaz, said to be safe in Qatar. You spoke with her fiance.

GORANI: I did. Todd Barker. I spoke with him the first time when she was still detained and when he didn't know whether she was held in Syria or in Iran. Today she was released after several weeks in custody. She flew to Damascus, was held on April 29. Syrian authorities say that she was then deported to Iran and today she was finally released.

So, there's a wedding in their future. This is a man very, very happy that his fiancee has been released. This is part of what he told me just a few hours ago from Canada.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TODD BARKER, DOROTHY PARVAZ'S FIANCEE (on the phone): It was a fantastic, you know, the complete opposite of the call that I got from Al-jazeera saying that they lost contact with her for 24 hours. It was - I was ecstatic. It's just impossible to explain.

In fact - it - so -- because Do'ha is ten hours ahead and the time when she called it was just -- we were passing time. Me and her father were playing cards. And my mobile phone rang, and it was her number and I just couldn't believe it. Couldn't believe it! And then I picked it up, and the first words out of her mouth were, you know, "I'm so sorry." And she -- we knew that she was going to be more concerned about us and how we were doing. And she's strong as -- she's tough as nails. She got through it. (END VIDEO CLIP)

GORANI: So the first words out of Dorothy Parvaz's mouth to her fiance were "I'm so sorry I put you through this."

BALDWIN: Oh!

GORANI: I know! It's so cute, right? And then he was so happy and he was saying the wedding is this summer and I just want to see her and everything. So, I thought that was a good feel-good story.

And today on this day we have four journalists who were released in Libya. But we shouldn't forget almost 150 journalists (INAUDIBLE). The Committee to Protect Journalists are still detained worldwide (ph).

BALDWIN: Mmm. Hala Gorani, thank you very much.

And now, it is an X-ray scan that you have never seen before. Hundreds of immigrants crammed into the back of two trucks trying to sneak into the United States. Find out where they were coming from and how much they paid to come to America. Look at that.

Plus, Gloria Borger is standing by with news just in from the world of politics, including developments in the 2012 Republican race. That is next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: A shocking story of smuggling out of Central America. You know those big X-rays that scan tractor trailer trucks at the border checkpoints? Want you to take a look at what Mexican authorities have found.

Folks, this is human cargo. Here it is. Those are more than 500 people of them sitting, standing, jammed in two different trucks in Mexico. The trucks were stopped near the Mexico-Guatemala border. And here's what the trailers look like on the inside. Inhumane, barren conditions. Absolutely no facilitates whatsoever.

Mexican police say the illegal migrants paid some $7,000 each to make this harrowing journey into the U.S. They were likely headed to the U.S., I should say. They are now been given food and medical assistance. Mexican authorities are reaching out to embassies all around the world to send these undocumented immigrants home. They came not just from Central America. Some came China, some came from Nepal, India, even Japan.

And for your "CNN = Poltics" update, there she is. Gloria Borger, standing by for me with the latest news off the Political Ticker. Gloria, what do you have?

GLORIA BORGER, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, let's talk a little bit about Mitch Daniels, the governor of Indiana.

BALDWIN: Okay. BORGER: We've had a lot of heat in this Republican race, in case you hadn't noticed, over the last couple of weeks. We've also had some dropouts. Newt Gingrich is troubled, Mike Huckabee not running, Donald Trump not running.

And now what you've got is a lot of the Republican establishment looking for somebody else to turn to. That person now seems to be the governor of the state of Indiana, Mitch Daniels. He's somebody with a lot of Washington experience, and there's a feeling that he's about to announce any time soon. He told "The Indianapolis Star" on Tuesday, "I'm not going to take much longer."

I spoke with somebody who is a friend of his who said today, who said to me, you know, he's gone radio silent on me. So, he's thinking that is a sign that an announcement is coming soon, and it's going to be one that a lot of Republicans would welcome into this field. He's kind of a wonky guy, but they think it will be time for a wonk. Who knows.

BALDWIN: OK. Who knows? What else have you got?

BORGER: Well, we have the question again about Mitch Daniels is whether he's too moderate, right? Because he famously gave a speech to the Conservative Political Action Committee here in Washington in which he said, "Purity and martyrdom is for suicide bombers." And he was talking to people who are largely concerned with social issues in the Republican party. And what he was saying to them, right now we've got to focus on these issues of the deficit and the debt. You know, he's a former OMB director. And maybe we ought to put social issues on the back burner.

So, the question really as Mitch Daniels decides is whether he would do well with the evangelical voters in the Republican party, very important in the primaries, particularly in a state like Iowa. So, that is another consideration for him.

One other thing I've got for you today is the question about how all of this leave Mitt Romney. Is he in a stronger position this week? I would argue you bet he is. And an indication of that is that in Las Vegas, in one day, he managed to raise $10.5 million.

BALDWIN: Wow.

BORGER: I think all of the candidates are looking at that in the Republican field and saying, you know what? That's something to beat because the money people only go to the candidates that they think can win. Brooke?

BALDWIN: $10.5 million. Wow.

BORGER: You can do that! C'mon!

BALDWIN: That's quite a bit of a change there, is it not? Gloria, thank you so much there from Washington.

BORGER: Sure. BALDWIN: And how do you tell if your kids have a sibling they never knew about? It may happen in more families than Americans care to admit. But what about when your mom and dad are known simply as Arnold and Maria?

Plus, President Obama signs off on some new, very specific sanctions against Syria. New orders from the White House next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: The White House is making a decision on Syria. And the family of Arnold Schwarzenegger react to his extramarital affair. Time to play "Reporter Roulette."

And I want to begin with you, Brianna Keilar, live at the White House. There are some tough new sanctions on Syria coming from President Obama this afternoon, specifically singling out President Bashar al Assad and six other senior officials, all in this attempt to stem the regime's deadly crackdown on many, many protestors. Explain to me how these sanctions work.

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Brooke, they would freeze the assets of President Assad as well as six other Syrian officials and then it would also make it illegal. These are assets in the U.S. - it would make it illegal for Americans in the U.S. to do business with these men. And we have seen some more general measures in the past, but as you said, these are specific. They really draw a link, saying to President Assad that the U.S. sees him as directly responsible for the crackdown on these peaceful protestors that we've seen there in Syria since mid-March, Brooke.

BALDWIN: And let's talk about the timing here. Because you have these sanctions now. This is one day before President Obama will be giving a very significant speech on the Arab Spring, the Arab revolution. Timing cannot be a coincidence.

KEILAR: The timing is not a coincidence. It's designed to give the president some momentum as he goes into this very significant address tomorrow. And this White House, Brooke, has heard so much criticism about how it has responded to the Arab Spring uprising. We've heard criticism from some who have said that there's just no clear Middle East policy in light of what has been really such a significant shift towards democracy, more than we've seen in years.

So, the president will be articulating his policy as he sees it tomorrow. We're told that he is expected to say that that this is a moment of opportunity and that he's going to articulate in specifics what American values are. Human rights, democracy, and how the U.S. plans to take those really support what they see as positive changes in the region, Brooke.

BALDWIN: Brianna Keilar live at the White House. Thanks.

Next on "Reporter Roulette," Thelma Gutierrez, live in L.A. with more on the love child scandal surrounding the Schwarzenegger family. Thelma, hat are you hearing today? THELMA GUTIERREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Brooke, after the scandal broke, two of the Schwarzenegger children posted tweets on Twitter. It's the first time we've actually heard from them. 17-year-old Patrick Schwarzenegger, who also goes by the name of Shriver wrote, that "Some days you feel like" expletive. "Some days you just want to quit and be normal for a bit. Yet I love my family until death do us part."

Now, his sister, Katherine, who is 21 also wrote, "This is definitely not easy, but I appreciate your love and support as I begin to heal and move forward in my life. I will always love my family."

Brooke, a source close to former Governor Schwarzenegger told us that he talked to his children the night before that he publicly admitted that he fathered a child. And we're told that he apologized to his kids and wants to make sure that his family has everything that they need to get through this very difficult time, even space away from him. According to the source, Schwarzenegger told his children that he will do whatever they want him to do to allow them the time and the space to heal, Brooke.

BALDWIN: Thelma Gutierrez. Thank you, Thelma.

And a surprising development here in the Casey Anthony murder trial. We've been talking about this jury selection process for days and days here. Well, here's the deal today. The judge calling a sudden and unexpected recess. But why? We'll take you live to the courthouse for this latest twist and turn next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: "On the Case" now. A flood of new speculation today in the trial of Casey Anthony who's charged with murdering her two-year-old daughter, Caylee.

Here's what prompted it. Right after the lunch break today, the judge suddently stopped jury selection. Watch this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHIEF JUDGE BELVIN PERRY, NINTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT COURT OF FLORIDA: You may be seated. OK. Let the record reflect that the defendant is present along with counsel for the defendant and assistant state attorneys.

Mr. Mason, have you had an opportunity to discuss the matter with Miss Anthony?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I have, your honor.

PERRY: OK. Anything you need to add?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No.

PERRY: OK. This court will be in recess until 8:30 tomorrow morning.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Jean Casarez is a correspondent for "In Session" on TruTV. She is just outside of that courthouse there in Clearwater, Florida.

And Jean, we've been talking about this. How this jury selection process is taking such a significant amount of time. What is behind - we just heard from the judge - what's behind this sudden recess here?

JEAN CASAREZ, TRUTV CORRESPONDENT: This was so surprising to everybody because, Brooke, this morning the judge in talking about the defense on the record had said, look, we've got to get this going because in two days, we're not going to have the courtroom here in Pinellas County anymore. It's going to be occupied. So, the judge has been pushing, pushing for this jury selection. And now this seems to be a total turn around because here we sit. Nothing's happening this afternoon.

On the legal front, it could be a couple of things. This morning, the defense argued a motion to object to the procedure and process of jury selection. They say it's not fair the way it's being done and violates the due process rights of Casey Anthony.

On the other front, Brooke, you can always have negotiations for a plea deal.

BALDWIN: That's interesting. So, a possible plea deal. But with this sort of curve ball, Jean, in terms of the time line of picking of a jury, are they even close? And could they run out of time?

CASAREZ: Good question. They've got 11, but it doesn't mean they're going to be final jurors. There are still what are called strikes that are left, and so either side can actually excuse them. And then there are alternates and we have no alternates at all yet, so are we close? Sort of kind of, but not really.

BALDWIN: Sort of, kind of, but not really. So with that answer, when, then, would the judge hope to have opening statements happen?

CASAREZ: Well, he says Monday. The judge said, OK, look. This is this morning. He said, we've got the rest of the day and we'll work through Saturday and the hours are dependent upon you.

In other words, we're going to work as long as it takes, but that's it because assuming we have a jury, openings will be on Monday. And we don't know where that stands at this point since nothing is happening this afternoon.

BALDWIN: And to just remind everyone, you're in Clear Water, Florida, that's where they have been selecting the jury selection before then they move the trial to Orlando. How much time will the jurors then have to pack up and head to Orlando for trial?

CASAREZ: We've heard officially one day that the court will allow them to get their bags, packed and then they will be escorted to Orlando to be in a hotel, sequestered for up to two months.

BALDWIN: That is quite a summer, Jean Cazarez. Thank you so much for the way this twists and turns there at Clear Water, Florida.

And coming up tonight on "PIERS MORGAN TONIGHT," Ted Nugent goes off on politics and has some choice words for people who want to ban certain types of guns. Here's a preview.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TED NUGENT: Let me put it in an official CNN Piers Morgan term. Shall I?

PIERS MORGAN: Yes.

NUGENT: Anybody that wants to disarm me can drop dead. Anybody that wants to make me unarmed and helpless, people that want to literally create the proven places where more innocents are killed gun free zones, we're going to beat you.

MORGAN: Much as I love to suck on your machine gun, the whole point of your defense is that a lot of people do drop dead precisely because you are armed to the teeth.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Ted Nugent on "PIERS MORGAN TONIGHT" 9 p.m. Eastern right here on CNN. Do not miss it.

And Newt Gingrich having a bit of a tough week and folks it's only Wednesday. He even gets glitter bombed. But here's the question. Why aren't more Republicans coming to his defense? That is coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: So, Wolf Blitzer, I know this is the time when we talk about, you know, some serious stuff coming up in "THE SITUATION ROOM." but if I may, do you remember our conversation on Monday about "Saturday Night Live?

WOLF BLITZER, THE SITUATION ROOM: Yes, I do. How could I forget?

BALDWIN: How can you forget, of course, every moment that we share here on television? But Let me say this. I understand that there is now some sort of Facebook campaign to try to get you, sir, hosting "Saturday Night Live."

In fact, guys, let's pull up the Facebook page because we come prepared here on this show. Wolf Blitzer should host "SNL." I'm about to like it the second I get off set here. What do you think about this? I mean, you were the one on Monday saying --

BLITZER: I would be happy if they -- I don't have to host the show. If they want to me to host then I'll be happy.

BALDWIN: You have to host it. That's the deal.

BLITZER: I just wanted to be a co-anchor with Seth Myers on a news update or something. Do a little skit. BALDWIN: Here's what is going to go down.

BLITZER: I don't have to be a big host. I can make a little modest appearance. Maybe they'll invite to sit in the audience. That would be fine too.

BALDWIN: You need to host a show and then I will co-host with you because I sort of think the genesis of this whole thing happened between, you know, this thing you and I had on Monday.

BLITZER: I think you, you, Brooke Baldwin, should be hosting "Saturday Night Live." That would be a good career move for you.

BALDWIN: Well, you're the big cheese. So we'll let you host it, but I'll do weekend update with --

BLITZER: I would love to watch you co-hosting with me "Saturday Night Live". There he is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: There you are.

BLITZER: The tie, the suit, the whole package.

BALDWIN: There he is.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Three nights a week doubles as my bedroom. Earlier this week, President Barack Obama.

BALDWIN: We'll see how many people like the page. We saw what happened with Betty White. It could happen with you.

BLITZER: I could happen, you never know. This is a great country.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Moving on, let's talk about, I guess, you just taped the interview with Congressman King who, you know, as you and I were talking earlier would maybe be opened to higher office come 2012.

BLITZER: You heard him say it an hour ago. He's open to the possibility of drafted. If they want to him to be a favourite son or whatever, from New York State, he might be opened to running for the Republican presidential nomination.

But at the top of the hour, we're going to be speaking with Jeffrey Shapiro. He's the lawyer for the woman who's at the center of this sexual assault case in New York against the former or maybe still the current head of the International Monetary Fund Dominique Strauss- Kahn.

So we're going to be speaking with a lawyer live in "THE SITUATION ROOM" right at the top of the hour. I want to alert our viewers to stand by. They're going to want to watch this live interview. BALDWIN: We'll be watching. We'll stay with me and we'll stay with you at the top of the hour. We'll see you in eight minutes, Mr. Blitzer. Thank you very much.

BLITZER: Thank you.

BALDWIN: And now to this one, Republican presidential candidate says John McCain does not know anything about harsh interrogation. Really? The former prisoner of war, John McCain? Joe Johns has the scope, "Political Pop" is next.

But, first, to date, only one president had made it to all 50 states in one single term. That was President George Bush Sr. But President Obama hot on the heels with only 10 states to go.

And here they are according to the -- this is from the nationaljournal.com, number 10, Arkansas, number nine, he has not quite made it to Idaho yet. Number eight, there's no place like Kansas.

Number seven, home of Abraham Lincoln Nebraska. Number six, of the state the president has yet to visit, North Dakota. What are the five final he has to go? Think about it. That's coming up after the break. Stay here.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: Before we get to Joe Johns. Quick course correction, President Abe Lincoln not at all born in Lincoln, Nebraska. Pardon me. He was born in Kentucky and home was Illinois, but one president has actually made it to all 50 states in one term. It was President Bush Sr.

But with more than one year left in office, 10 states to go, here we go. You thought about this, the last five, number five on the president's list, Oklahoma, number four, South Carolina, number three, South Dakota, number two, Utah. Number one on the list here, Vermont, it's a beautiful state.

Now to this, Newt Gingrich glitter bombed. Have you seen his video? We're going to show it to you, of course. Joe Johns is here with some "Political Pop" and Mr. Johns, Gingrich had a bit of a week, did he not?

JOE JOHNS, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: I mean, it's kind incredible how bad a week Newt Gingrich has had. The video of him getting covered in glitter is almost symbolic. I mean, you look at it and the first thing you think, what is the caption?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHNS (voice-over): When it rains, it pours. First Gingrich goes on "Meet the Press" and he slams Republican plan to change Medicare as radical change from the right. He has gotten beaten up for that so much. That he's had to apologize and that was from people in his own party and now this. (END VIDEO CLIP)

JOHNS: I mean, the glitter culprit is named Nick Espinoza. You want to show it one more time. He's apparently from Minnesota. His in his 20s. He calls himself a political activist.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: That's a lot of glitter.

JOHNS: Yes, a lot of glitter. He's apparently best known as a prankster. He's also shown up at political events with "Dora, the Explorer" doll.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JOHNS: How random is that? Thousands of pennies apparently making political points all along the way so this is another one of his 15 minutes of fame, I guess.

BALDWIN: So that his 15 minutes of fame, how about Newt Gingrich? We saw, he was sitting alongside his wife, how did they handle it?

JOHNS: Well, it's glitter. He didn't freak out. Apparently said something like nice to live in a free country. People who were there said he was all smiles, which we know is important.

A big scowl does not play well for the cameras. Donald Trump among others learned that at the White House Correspondents and you were there, by the way.

BALDWIN: I was. Glitter of all things.

JOHNS: And then the guy runs off. They ushered him out.

BALDWIN: OK, let's move on. Let's move on from glitter, Rick Santorum, another presidential contender backtracking on his criticism of John McCain. What is he saying?

JOHNS: Well, John McCain has been an opponent of torture and abuse of prisoners for a long time. He's on record as very critical of the so- called enhanced interrogation techniques we've heard so much about.

And Santorum goes on the radio and says Senator John McCain doesn't understand how enhanced interrogation works. Of course, the problem here is that McCain is extremely familiar with this stuff.

In fact, McCain himself was tortured and held for years as a POW during the Vietnam War. So that sort of comes off as a faux pax on the part of former Senator Rick Santorum.

BALDWIN: Just a bit, so how did Santorum cleaned this whole thing up?

JOHNS: He said he meant no disrespect. He said disagrees with Senator McCain on whether the techniques, for example, helped catch Osama Bin Laden, but he also says it's outrageous to suggest he was disrespecting McCain's service to his country. So probably cleaned that up pretty quickly especially since Santorum's talking about the White House maybe.

BALDWIN: OK. We'll be watching and waiting to see what happens come 2012. A couple of names maybe being thrown out there as some were being taken away as we've seen in the last couple of days.

Joe Johns, good to see you. Thank you very much. And now quickly here before we hand things over to Wolf. Tomorrows news today, let's fast forward.

President Obama, as we mentioned, delivers one of the biggest speeches of his presidency so far. He is expected to talk about the killing of Osama Bin Laden in addition to U.S. relations with the Middle East.

Also Secretary of State Hillary Clinton testifies at a hearing on Afghanistan and Pakistan. We'll have all of that for you tomorrow. And now as I've said, to my colleague Wolf Blitzer in Washington with "THE SITUATION ROOM." Wolf to you.