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Showdown for Republican Presidential Candidates; Top Democrats: Weiner Should Resign; Hearing: Gay Judge's Relationship; Smiling Gabrielle Giffords

Aired June 13, 2011 - 11:00   ET

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

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN ANCHOR: Live from Studio 7, I'm Suzanne Malveaux. Want to get you up to speed for Monday, June 13th.

There are more photos that are surfacing in the sexting scandal involving Congressman Anthony Weiner. Now, according to the Web site TMZ, the photos were taken in the House gym. Weiner says he's taking a leave of absence to seek treatment, but over the weekend, more top Democrats called for him to resign.

The stage is set for tonight's showdown between Republican presidential contenders. There are seven Republicans who are going to be squaring off in that debate in New Hampshire. Among them, Congresswoman Michele Bachmann, who has not officially even launched her campaign, and former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney. He is considered now the front-runner.

Well, new protests are planned in California over the release of a former subway police officer who shot and killed an unarmed man at a train station in Oakland. This was the scene on New Year's Day, 2009.

Johannes Mehserle said he meant to use his Taser on 22-year-old Oscar Grant, who was laying face down on the platform floor. Mehserle says he used his gun by mistake. Well, he's serving 11 months of his two- year prison sentence for involuntary manslaughter.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CEPHUS JOHNSON, OSCAR GRANT'S UNCLE: It was painful to us as a family. There was no accountability, there was no justice in that courtroom.

JUBILEE SHINE, L.A. COALITION FOR JUSTICE FOR OSCAR GRANT: He did less than half of the time that Michael Vick served for abusing some animals, so it's a perversion of justice.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: Week four of Casey Anthony's capital murder trial could mark the end of the prosecution's case. Now an evidence analyst and a tattoo artist Anthony visited following her daughter's disappearance are among the prosecution's remaining witnesses.

Now, over the weekend, an insect expert said that flies in Anthony's car trunk suggested that the body of her 2-year-old daughter decomposed there. Anthony has pleaded not guilty to killing her child in 2008.

Well, firefighters now are making some progress, but it's happening pretty slow against the second largest wildfire in Arizona history. It is now just about 10 percent contained, and evacuees of two communities, Springerville and Eagar, are being allowed to go back to their homes, but at their own risk.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Just driving up, it was nice to see that the town is as we remembered it.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, we're thankful it was still here, and it didn't look like it had been in a fire at all.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: Several people injured and buildings damaged or destroyed after a series of earthquakes rattled New Zealand today. Three of them hit near Christchurch in under two hours. Now, that city was already on edge because a massive earthquake struck back in February, you may recall, killing more than 180 people.

Well, gas prices have dropped -- that's good news -- 27 cents a gallon since about a month ago. AAA says the national average for regular is now $3.77. A month ago it was $3.97, and analysts say that the supply is higher and demand is weaker right now.

More on our big story, presidential politics and tonight's Republican debate. Mitt Romney is the leader of the pack. He has that status. It makes him a likely target. Newt Gingrich, he is trying to regroup after his senior staff campaign, they all quit. And Tim Pawlenty and Rick Santorum, they're going to be trying to get out of think single digits in the polls.

Our CNN chief national correspondent John King is the moderator of tonight's debate. And he joins us live from Manchester, New Hampshire.

John, great to see you. I know this is an exciting moment, when all of this really begins to kick off.

What do you suppose any of them can say or do this evening to stand out of the pack? What are you going to be watching for?

JOHN KING, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It's a great quick, Suzanne. And good morning to everyone.

And there's two challenges for all of the candidates, especially if you're not Mitt Romney. Mitt Romney is the front-runner here in New Hampshire, as you mentioned, the former Massachusetts governor. You would have to consider him the national front-runner for Republicans, definitely the front-runner of the state of New Hampshire.

So the other candidates will be looking to say take another look, look at me. Governor Romney wants to present himself as the candidate best suited to deal with the economy. The other Republicans have to challenge him on that and try to establish their own credentials.

All of these candidates, Governor Romney included, will also be trying to impress Republican voters because, yes, these are conservative voters. You're trying to appeal to the Republican primary. They want to hear what you say about the social issues, they want to hear you talk about taxes and less government.

But they also have this question front and center, Suzanne, and that is electability. Who can make the case tonight? Look at me up here in this debate. I'm the guy you want, or the woman you want, in the case of Congresswoman Bachmann, on that stage next October against Barack Obama. I'm a Republican who can win in a general election.

So there's two audiences you're trying to appeal to here -- your conservative base and also the bigger picture, especially here in New Hampshire, Suzanne, where Independents, of course, can participate in the Republican primary. So it's a big kickoff event tonight. We're very excited.

MALVEAUX: Very excited. I remember co-moderating the South Carolina debate, the epic battle between Clinton, Obama and Edwards. You know, there were some pretty breathtaking zingers. It got pretty nasty.

Do you expect it's going to get personal tonight, or do you think they're going to try to stick with their policy positions?

KING: It will be largely a policy debate. I don't expect any personal attacks here at all. You know, Republicans do tend to follow what Ronald Reagan called the 11th commandment -- thou shalt not attack a fellow Republican.

That being said, there will be some sharp policy disagreements. We know already Governor Pawlenty, just yesterday, called Mitt Romney's Massachusetts health care plan which had an individual mandate -- he compared it to the Obama plan, called it "Obamneycare."

So is that personal? Is that policy? It's pretty tame, but it's a toughening line from Governor Pawlenty.

Look for a lot of that. Don't look for any personal attacks from these candidates.

They tend to like and respect each other. And when you're trying to introduce yourself -- remember, we're early in the campaign, people are just starting to tune in. If you seem personal, if you seem nasty, attacking people out of the box, that could turn more people off than it brings in.

So it will be on the policy, but they do have significant differences. They have some differences over taxes and spending. They have some information differences over health care, as I just mentioned.

They also have some significant differences over the foreign policy questions. And this campaign will largely be about the economy and spending-related issues. But remember, one of these Republicans, seven candidates on stage tonight, is likely be the Republican nominee for president in what is certain to be a competitive election because of the sluggish economy.

So people at home will be sitting there saying, all right, I heard your answers on the economy, I heard your answers maybe on the social issues, or on health care, but are you a commander in chief? That's a threshold question for these candidates.

MALVEAUX: And John, explain to us, for a lot of our viewers, because it's a little confusing, why is Michele Bachmann in this debate if she hasn't even officially announced that she's running?

KING: You are allowed to be in this debate if you are exploring a candidacy and if you meet the threshold that we had -- it's a poll standard. You have to meet two percent in either three national polls or New Hampshire polls, and she crosses that threshold. And she also has made quite clear, Suzanne, she is planning to announce her candidacy in the very near future. But that might possibly be one of the questions tonight, can we inch her forward in that campaign? But she meets the eligibility test for this debate, and she wanted to come, so she's here.

MALVEAUX: You just might ask that question, huh, John?

KING: Possibly.

MALVEAUX: OK. We'll see. Well, we will be tuning in for that. It should be very exciting. Can't wait.

Thank you, John. Appreciate it.

Here's your chance to "Talk Back" on one of the big stories of the day. Today's question: What do you want to hear from the GOP debate?

Our Carol Costello, she is joining us from Washington.

Carol, great to see you.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Nice to see you. I had a nice vacation and I'm raring to go.

MALVEAUX: Oh, good.

COSTELLO: So, OK. Yes, yes, tonight's debate will be all about making the other guy look bad, or at least un-presidential.

Newt Gingrich will have to address why he went on a two-week Greek cruise at the start of the presidential run. Mitt Romney will have to explain what opponents now call "Obamneycare." You know, why Romney was for a health care mandate before he was against it.

And Tim Pawlenty will have to own up to why he once believed in fighting climate change and now does not. He'll also likely be asked about the Google litmus test to cut spending. You know, that if you can find a service on Google, the government shouldn't be doing it. At least the Google test addresses the deficit.

But what about jobs? As in creating jobs. We still need them. It's likely you'll hear a lot of this on that --

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TIM PAWLENTY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We're not proposing to cut taxes and raise spending, as has happened in the past. We're proposing to cut taxes and dramatically cut spending as well.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RICK SANTORUM (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We need a pro-growth policy. Reduce tax rates, get rid of this oppressive government that Barack Obama --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Reduce tax rates from here?

SANTORUM: Absolutely.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JON HUNTSMAN (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I think tax increases would likely stand in the way of that kind of positive economic growth that we so desperately need now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: The question is, is that what Republican voters really want? In a recent "New York Times"/CBS poll, 55 percent of Republicans said they want a tax hike on the rich, along with 74 percent of Independents.

So, the "Talk Back" question today: What do you want to hear from the GOP debate?

Facebook.com/CarolCNN. I'll read your comments later this hour -- Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: All right. Good to see you again, Carol. Thanks.

And a reminder -- CNN is going to host the New Hampshire Republican presidential debate. That is happening tonight. It all starts at 8:00 p.m. Eastern, only here on CNN.

Here's a rundown of some of the stories that we are following.

More pressure now on Congressman Weiner to resign after a new set of revealing pictures.

Then, an expedition to the north Arabian Sea for a California diving group. They are determined to find the body of bin Laden.

Plus, reevaluating California's Prop 8 ruling. The sexual orientation of the judge who declared it unconstitutional is now an issue. And radiant first pictures of a post-surgery Gabrielle Giffords. We wish her very well.

And finally, Republicans with serious presidential ambitions. They're taking the stage tonight, Manchester, New Hampshire.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think he's been lying to us all along about a lot of issues that are really important for the American people.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think that Mr. Weiner hasn't been shown to have done anything illegal. I believe what he did was disgusting, but I think he's done an excellent job. I support him. I would vote for him again.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: Congressman Anthony Weiner's constituents weigh in on whether he should resign even as new pictures surface in the sexting scandal.

In a recent poll, only 33 percent of registered voters in Weiner's district said that he should step down. That was before the latest photos that were published by TMZ. And according to the Web site, they were taken in the House members' gym.

Well, Congressman Weiner says that he's taking a leave of absence to seek treatment so he can become what he says, a better husband, a healthier person. But it is not enough for top Democrats.

Over the weekend, the calls for Weiner to step down intensified.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (D), DNC CHAIRWOMAN: I think Anthony Weiner needs to resign so he can focus on his family, focus on his own well-being.

REP. STENY HOYER (D), MINORITY WHIP: It seems to me extraordinarily difficult that he can proceed to represent his constituents in an effective way given the circumstances of this bizarre behavior.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: I want to bring in our CNN congressional correspondent Kate Bolduan.

And Kate, conventional wisdom Friday was that if Weiner survived last week, he would be just fine, he would be OK. But all of that changed over the weekend.

How serious is Weiner considering resigning now? KATE BOLDUAN, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, it definitely was a significant shift over the weekend, Suzanne. And Democratic leaders, the top Democrats in the House, coming out to explicitly say very clearly that they wanted the congressman to resign. But this is what we know.

We know he's taking this leave of absence in this undisclosed location. And let me read you a bit of a statement put out by his office in conjunction with this.

The statement reads, "He," Congressman Weiner, "will request a short leave of absence from the House of Representatives so that he can get evaluated and map out a course of treatment to make himself well." It goes on to say, "Congressman Weiner takes the views of his colleagues very seriously and has determined that he needs this time to get healthy and make the best decision possible for his himself, his family and his constituents."

And Suzanne, according to a Democratic source who spoke to our Dana Bash, Congressman Weiner doesn't want to make any decisions about his future until his wife returns from an overseas trip. His wife is a longtime aide for Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and should be returning from this trip on Thursday.

So it seems many people are kind of looking at kind of the latest state of play as he's leaving more of a door open, more of a window open to the possibility of resigning than he did before. But, still, we just don't know.

MALVEAUX: And Kate, the last poll showed that Weiner still had support of the majority of his constituents in New York. How much does he need his fellow Democrats in Congress to be successful, to get his job done? Can he actually ignore their calls and stay and still be an effective congressman?

BOLDUAN: You know, public -- pressure is a real thing, especially public pressure from the top Democrats in the House. They're your colleagues, the top Democrats in your party, in your body of Congress coming out to say resign. That's a real thing.

Yes, he, by definition, I guess, could ignore all of it and try to continue on his job. But as the former counsel to the House Ethics Committee said in just the last hour, it would be a very long, hard road back if he did ignore these calls for resignation.

And I should note that one aide to Nancy Pelosi did point out that this is the first time Nancy Pelosi has come out to call on a fellow Democrat to step down. So this is a very big thing. Even though they can't physically chuck him out of Congress, it's a very big deal, because when it comes down to it, we're talking about politics, where image and how you work with other people is a very big deal up here. And if he doesn't have the confidence of his colleagues, that says a lot going forward.

MALVEAUX: And Kate, we're just getting word from our White House unit as well that the White House spokesman, the press secretary, Jay Carney, called Weiner a distraction. So clearly not getting the nod from the White House, that certainly can't help making his case to stay on board.

Kate Bolduan, thank you very much. Appreciate it.

BOLDUAN: Thanks, Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: How Speaker John Boehner gets in on the jokes about Congressman Weiner's name. During a commencement speech yesterday, Boehner told the graduates that he knows what it's like when people make fun of your name.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. JOHN BOEHNER (R), HOUSE SPEAKER: When you begin to go out there and ask people to vote for you, they're probably not going to vote for you if they can't say your name. You know, my name looks like "beaner," "bonner," "boner." Thank God it's not Weiner.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: Weiner often made fun of his own name before the current scandal broke.

Well, now it's time for you to "Choose the News." Here are your choices.

First, soda, medicine, even cars dropped into underground tunnels and smuggled to Palestinians living in Gaza. A rare look at this illegal trade carried out by Egypt's poor Bedouin smugglers.

Your second choice here, these low-income students attending a private high school in Maryland. They don't even have to worry about tuition. Companies are footing the bill and the kids work for them in return. See why it is a huge success.

And third, saving the pink dolphin, why tour guides in Hong Kong say this beautiful species is now on the brink.

So you can vote for your favorite story by texting 22360. Text 1 for "Smuggling Goods to Gaza"; 2 for "Paid to Go to School"; or 3 for "Saving the Pink Dolphin."

The winning story will air in the next hour.

U.S. officials say Osama bin Laden was buried at sea. Well, one California man, he's not about to take the government's word on it. You're not going to believe what he's got in mind.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: Checking stories from affiliates across the country.

This California man has launched a mission to retrieve Osama bin Laden's remains. Bill Warren says he has a pretty good idea where the body is in the north Arabian Sea. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BILL WARREN, UNDERWATER TREASURE HUNTER: But I'm mainly doing it just to prove a point. You know, see if he's really dead. We would photograph, videotape and do a DNA test, and then try to figure out what we're going to do with his body after that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: And they are still cheering in Dallas, where the Mavericks beat the Miami Heat last night. That means they are the new NBA champions for the first time in franchise history.

In eastern Arizona, firefighters are still battling the second largest fire in the state's history. Right now the so-called Wallow Fire is only 10 percent contained. It has burned more than 440,000 acres so far. That is more than half the size of Rhode Island. A lot of people are being allowed now to go back home, but at their own risk.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DOUG KILLANE, MARTIN COUNTY FIRE RESCUE: The homes are built fairly close to the preserve, so there's probably maybe 10 or 15 feet of backyard grass after the pool enclosure, and the fire is in the woods right behind.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I couldn't believe that it was up and down this entire road. Just amazing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(WEATHER REPORT)

MALVEAUX: The case against a judge who overturned California's ban on same-sex marriage, his own same-sex relationship is now becoming a case in court.

I'll talk to CNN senior legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: Here's a rundown of some of the stories that we are working on.

Next, opponents of same-sex marriage in California head to a courtroom to take on a judge because he's gay. So how legitimate is their argument? I'm going to talk to senior legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin.

Then, the Republican presidential contenders facing off for the first debate. That's happening tonight, right here on CNN. I'm going to take a closer look at the official candidates, and even those who haven't declared yet.

And in 30 minutes, new pictures are released of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, five months after she was shot in the face. We're going to talk with Dr. Sanjay Gupta about her progress. California's battle over same-sex marriage goes back to court today. Now, this time the focus is on the judge who ruled that the state's ban on gay marriage was unconstitutional.

Now, the ban is known as Proposition 8, and backers argue that Judge Vaughn Walker should have recused himself because he's gay.

Our CNN senior legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin, he joins us by phone from New York.

Jeff, tell us about these arguments that are happening here. Should this judge have recused himself in this case? Do these folks have some credible argument here?

JEFFREY TOOBIN, CNN SR. LEGAL ANALYST: Well, the argument is not that Judge Walker should have recused himself because he's gay. The argument is that because he is gay, and has had a long-term partner, and could become eligible to get married, he has such a personal stake in the outcome, that he should have recused himself. So it's not simply that he's gay, it's because of the nature of the relationship that he's in.

MALVEAUX: That's right, because he has a strong interest in the outcome of the case, because it would have determined whether or not he could wed his own partner one day.

TOOBIN: Correct.

MALVEAUX: Is there any precedence for this? Is there any legitimacy that they are finding in the argument that those folks are making?

TOOBIN: I think it's very, very unlikely that Judge Walker will be found to have done anything improper that he should have recused himself.

Judges are human beings. They often have broad societal interests that are at stake in any case before them. You know, many African- American judges have sat on cases involving civil rights. Many women judges have sat on cases involving women's rights.

I think this is -- it's not a crazy argument on behalf of the Proposition 8 supporters, and there is probably a good argument that Judge Walker should have disclosed this in advance. But as for winning their motion and having Judge Walker tossed off the case and the decision overturned, I think that's extremely unlikely.

MALVEAUX: And Jeff, to your knowledge, was there any requirement in California law that would have required him to disclose his relationship?

TOOBIN: Well, that's really what today's hearing is about, because the issue is, is this relationship that he was in of a sufficiently important nature that it should have been disclosed? And should it have been disqualifying?

I mean, frankly I think the answer is no that he -- it certainly is not disqualifying. You know, you might have an argument that he should have disclosed it, but that certainly is not enough to overturn a very lengthy, meticulous trial that Judge Walker conducted. And so I think this hearing will actually amount to very little.

The case is now on appeal in the ninth circuit. I think the appeal will proceed. I don't think this hearing will amount to changing the course of the case.

MALVEAUX: OK. Jeffrey Toobin, thank you very much. Appreciate the update.

Well, tonight, it's the big night. The first Republican presidential debate in New Hampshire. It's beginning at 8:00 p.m. Eastern. And here on CNN. It is promising to be a game changer. So who's in the race, who's still on the fence? We're going to break it all down for you.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: Tough economy, less than stunning poll numbers mean President Obama is far from a shoe-in for the presidential election. What does he have on his side? He's got no obvious often opponent. So going into the first Republican debate in New Hampshire tonight, the field candidates and potential candidates is still wide open.

Here's a look at the competition.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NEWT GINGRICH (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I'm announcing my candidacy for president of the United States.

MALVEAUX: In this corner former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, once a formidable foe, now abandoned by most of his campaign team just four days ago.

GINGRICH: There's a fundamental strategic difference between the traditional consulting community and the kind of campaign I want to run.

MALVEAUX: The conservative firebrand is trying to wage a comeback.

MITT ROMNEY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Now we're going to return the responsibility and authority to the states for dozens of government programs and that will begin with a complete repeat of Obamacare.

MALVEAUX: Mitt Romney, the former Massachusetts governor, with a strong showing in the polls. But handicapped by health care legislation he passed as governor. Critics say it's similar to Obama's health care law.

TIM PAWLENTY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Where President Obama said he designed Obamacare after Romneycare and basically made if Obam-ney- care.

MALVEAUX: Also in the ring, another former governor -- Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota, on McCain's short list as running mate in 2008.

PAWLENTY: We're going to need a new and better president.

REP. MICHELE BACHMANN (R), MINNESOTA: Making Barack Obama a one-term president.

MALVEAUX: And another from Minnesota -- Michele Bachmann, the Tea Party superstar, who's not even officially in the fight, but making it clear she is ready.

RICK SANTORUM (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Join the fight, join the fight.

Former Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum is coming out swinging. But as a staunch conservative some question whether he'll appeal to the middle.

RON PAUL (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: World history has never seen the monetary inflation that we have seen in the last couple years.

MALVEAUX: And this is round three for Ron Paul. The first time he ran for president, it was as a Libertarian. While his fan base is loyal and growing, he faces the problem of being considered by many too radical.

HERMAN CAIN, FORMER CEO, GODFATHER'S PIZZA: The sleeping giant has awakened. It's called, we the people.

MALVEAUX: And then there's Herman Cain, the former CEO of Godfather's Pizza, attracting attention, but not enough yet to be considered a contender.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MALVEAUX: But those absent from tonight's debate, those are the wild cards. Those who have not declared but could be game changers. Take a look. Like former governor of Alaska, of course, Sarah Palin. Former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani; Texas Governor Rick Perry. Former ambassador to China Jon Huntsman; New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and Marco Rubio, the young first-term senator from Florida.

It is a wild field of contenders, but tonight we could see the start, a little bit thinning out of that crowd. Paul Steinhauser, Mark Preston, part of the Best Political Team on Television, live from Manchester in New Hampshire.

Guys, this is going to be an exciting evening here. Give us a lay of the land for the candidates. Who do we suspect now is even in the lead? Who are we watching?

MARK PRESTON, SENIOR POLITICAL EDITOR: Well, Suzanne, we're looking at Mitt Romney, the former governor of Massachusetts, of course, just over is the border here. Mitt Romney right now in the new CNN/Opinion Research poll is right on top. IN fact, let's take a quick look at those number, if we can. Mitt Romney at 24 percent, leading the pack. And our of those top five right there, look at who's in the middle. Sarah Palin at 20 percent, and Rudy Giuliani at 12 percent. They haven't even announced if they're going to run for president yet. But clearly they're having some kind of effect on the field.

As you noted earlier, there are several other candidates that are said to be looking at this, including the Texas Governor Rick Perry. We don't have poll numbers on him. The next couple weeks will be interesting to see if he gets in -- Paul.

PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN DEPUTY POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Yes, it's interesting. If we take Giuliani and Palin out of equation, because while they're flirting with this, they haven't done any -- taken any concrete steps.

Look at the next number here. You take them out of the equation and Mitt Romney far ahead of the rest of the field -- 19 points ahead of the field of the field. That's what our poll numbers indicate.

And, I guess, Mark, that tells us that Romney right now, because of his polling, because of his fundraising, is the frontrunner. And that means he's going to have the target on his back tonight. And, why? mostly because of what he did in health care five years ago in Massachusetts. That plan is perceived to be the inspiration for what Barack Obama and the Democrats did nationally on health care, which is despised by Republicans. So expect a lot of other candidates tonight to go after Mitt Romney -- Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: And, guys, I know that a lot of folks are looking for Newt Gingrich, because his campaign, essentially, they're saying is on life support. His key folks from the campaign having announced their resignations.

Have you seen him? Is he -- do people there even still consider him in the game?

PRESTON: Yes. I mean, look, Newt Gingrich has always been a fighter and the fact that he's actually come back and continues to fight shows that he is still in the game. Right now he has very high name recognition.

We haven't seen him in New Hampshire yet but last night he was in Los Angeles. He spoke to the Republican Jewish Coalition. He made a passing reference to the fact that his campaign has run into serious problems. Tonight, though, while there's a lot on the line for every one of these candidates, tonight there's a lot on the line for Newt Gingrich who has to show that even though he's in the middle of this crisis, he's not shaken -- Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: All right. Mark, Paul, you guys are looking good. We're anticipating a great debate tonight. Thanks.

A reminder to our viewers. CNN is going to host the New Hampshire Republican Presidential Debate. That is happening tonight. It all starts 8:00 p.m. Eastern, only on CNN. Well, reporters hoping to find a bombshell in the thousands of pages of e-mails, they did not find one. The 24,000 pages showed Palin involved in the routine work of governing. They provide glimpses of Palin occasionally butting heads with Alaskan politicians. One shows her pushing Exxon to pay for damages for the 1989 oil spill.

The treasurer of Palin's political action committee issued a statement, saying the thousands upon thousands of e-mail released show a very engaged governor Sarah Palin being the CEO of her state. The emails detail a governor hard at work and everyone should read them.

Photos of a member of Congress that's actually -- it's going to make you smile. Representative Gabby Giffords looking healthy and happy. Our Dr. Sanjay Gupta examines the post-surgery photos.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: There's still time to vote for the Choose the News story you'd like to see. You can vote for your favorite by texting 22360.

Vote 1 for smuggling goods to Gaza. How Egypt's Bedouin people are sending medicine, food, even Coca-Cola through a tunnel to the Palestinians.

Text 2 for paid -- that's right -- paid to go to school. Why companies are footing the bill for kids' private high school tuition.

And text 3 for saving the pink dolphin. Why these beautiful species is fighting for its life in the waters off of Hong Kong.

Now, the winning story will air in the next hour.

Finally some good news here. Gas prices, they're starting to drop. Now this time last month, we were within just pennies of the dreaded $4 mark, right? So now we're paying about 27 cents less, which is great. We've got even more ways to help you save money.

Alison Kosik, she's here with today's Top Tips.

Alison, help us out here because I guess we could be wasting gas right now and not even know it. ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Exactly. If you're like me and you see that grand total when you fill up that gas tank, I'll tell you what, my eyes pop out, I do that double take. So, if you're looking to ditch your gas guzzler because of these prices that are still at high levels, Consumer Reports just put out is list for best new cars for fuel economy. I want to show you some of them.

For sub-compact cars, it recommends the Honda Fit hatchback, which gets 30 miles per gallon. The Toyota Corolla LE for small sedans, and the Ford Escape Hybrid for small SUVs. And the Toyota Highlander Hybrid for a mid-size SUV. Now, these cars also met Consumer Reports requirements for safety, performance and reliability.

But, if you're not ready just yet for a hybrid and you want to stick with your current car, first AAA warns don't run your gas tank too empty. Believe it or not, it'll cost you more in the end -- almost $500 or more in parts and labor to replace items like electrical fuel pumps inside the tank, which could overheat if you don't have the minimum level of fuel.

SO, a good rule of thumb, Suzanne from AAA, always maintain at least a quarter tank of fuel, Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: OK. I guess I'm guilty of that, actually. Letting it go to empty.

KOSIK: Not good.

MALVEAUX: I am guilty of that. I guess, none of us like to sit in traffic, but we all want to get there faster and I know aggressive drivers, speeders, I'm one of those people too.

But I understand, it might cost us more in the end?

KOSIK: I'm in that camp, as well, I confess. But, you know what, a word of warning to you and me, we're actually lowering or gas mileage by up to 33 percent on the highway and by 5 percent around town, and could be costing up to $1.25 a gallon of gas. That's according to fueleconomy.gov.

And when it comes to speeding, even though every car is different for its prime fuel economy speed, at speeds above 60 miles per hour, your gas mileage actually decreases quite fast. So for example, each five miles an hour you drive over 60 it's like paying an additional 32 cents a gallon for gas, Suzanne. You know, just take that foot off the gas just a little bit, Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: Wow, that's tough. I love to go fast.

KOSIK: Me too.

MALVEAUX: We'll give it a try.

KOSIK: I'm all about that.

MALVEAUX: All right, Alison, we're going to talk to you in a bit because if you're planning a road trip soon, what you pack actually can cost you more, right, in gas money. Alison has that up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: I want to take a look. We're looking at live pictures here. This coming from our affiliate, WLS, our affiliate here out of -- this is Chicago. This is a B-17 it is a vintage plane manufactured 1944, crashed after takeoff from Aurora Airport near Chicago. The plane was carrying seven people. We understand that all seven escaped this crash alive. The plane crashed about three to four miles just southeast of the airport. This is our affiliate WLS providing live aerials of the scene. Once again, this vintage plane that just crashed very recently, all seven onboard made it out safely.

We want to go now back to the gas-saving tips with Alison. Alison, if you're planning a road trip this summer and you want to save money in some creative ways, I understand even packing, what you pack might actually save you a couple bucks, yes?

KOSIK: Exactly, because, you know, if you're packing up the family truck, get the junk out of the trunk. I mean it literally. Because any unnecessarily weight can be a big drag on your gas savings. I know you're laughing, but it's the truth here.

Consumer Reports says carrying things on the top of the roof could be lowering your gas mileage. And when their testers put a large carrier on the top of their Toyota Camry, the gas mileage dropped a considerable 6 MPGs when they drove at 65 miles per hour.

And finally, check your tires. Properly inflated tires can save you up to $0.11 a gallon. Eighty-five percent of drivers don't know how to properly inflight their tires and 55 percent of vehicles on the road have at least one underinflated tire so make sure the air pressure on them is set to the recommended level. And the owner's manual and not the max pressure printed on the tires side. So, Suzanne, when in doubt, contact your local repair shop for help.

That's another way you can save some bucks -- Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: All right. Well, we're all about saving some bucks.

Thank you, Alison. Appreciate it.

We're less than nine hours away from tonight's showdown between Republican presidential contenders, which brings us to today's Talk Back question.

And our Carol Costello is joining us from D.C. with the responses.

Hey, Carol.

COSTELLO: Hey, Suzanne. The Talk Back question today, "What do you want to hear from the GOP debate?"

This from Tommy. "Promises of economic recovery, plans for financial security, solutions to the job market, assurances that oil speculation will be brought under control. I want all of this to be followed by phrases like I really, really mean it, trust me, and I won't let you down."

This from Brian. "Tax reform that makes sense and no Democrat bashing. I'm sick of the mudslinging."

This is from Danielle. "Silence. I'm tired of hearing the wind backs (ph) spew lies. For once, I want to see on paper what they're going to do and how it will affect us. And put it terms the working man, i.e., the ones who pay your salary, can understand."

And this from Rick. "Nothing about Weiner. More about tax reform and everything that Ron Paul espouses."

Keep the conversation going. Facebook.com/carolCNN.

MALVEAUX: We'll all be watching, Carol. And Carol, you don't get to see it very often. I want to show you this.

This is Vice President Joe Biden having a little fun this weekend. He led an all-out water fight -- that's right -- at his house with a super water gun. You know, he's got a ton of grandkids and they all love him. But he also invited reporters and their families to join what he now calls his annual Biden Beach Boardwalk.

So, literally, they turned the vice president's ground into a carnival. They had like a waterslide, a bungee jump, a band. And Carol, I took my mom. She went running up to the Vice President at least three times saying, hello, I'm mom, I'm mom, I'm (INAUDIBLE)'s mom. She says, I'm from New Orleans and you know how to throw a part because we know how to party.

I think she was a little smitten, actually. And he planted a big kiss on her cheek. It was very nice to see another side of the White House folks. And I hope we're still on the invite list for next year, you know?

COSTELLO: I swear, I thought you were going to say your mom went on the waterslide. That would have been something.

MALVEAUX: You know what, that would not be beyond her. If she had a bathing suit -- if we had brought bathing suits, she would have done it, believe me.

COSTELLO: Oh. I think if there's another barbecue next year, she should do it because she will make all the blogs.

MALVEAUX: She would. She would. She's a little crazy that way. She would do it. So, it was fun. We had a good time.

COSTELLO: Just like her daughter.

MALVEAUX: She's crazier than I am, Carol. No, really.

COSTELLO: That's impossible.

(LAUGHTER)

MALVEAUX: All right. See you, Carol.

Don't forget to Choose the News. Winning story's going to air at the end of next hour. You can vote by texting 22360.

Text 1 for smuggling goods to Gaza. It's a rare look at how goods are illegally pushed through an underground tunnel to the Palestinians.

Text 2 for paid to go to school. Why companies say it's worth it to pay for kids' tuition at private a high school in Maryland.

And text 3 for saving pink dolphins. Why a rare species is in a battle for its own life, that in Hong Kong. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: Some Sad news today for Bruce Spring sting and members of his group, of his E Street Band. Their popular saxophonist Clarence Clemens suffered a stroke on Sunday, and is reportedly seriously ill. Clemens, who's also called "Big Man" has suffered a series of health problems recently. He is 69-years-old.

Well, simply amazing. If you look at pictures of a smiling Gabrielle Giffords. They are the first public images of the Arizona Congresswoman since she suffered a gunshot wound to the head back in January. The photos are posted on her Facebook page and chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta says we can learn a bit of how far Giffords has come from looking at the photos.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, she looks great. There's no question. You can take a look at these pictures here again. Making great eye contact with the camera, great smile, as you can tell.

A couple things that pop out as a neurosurgeon. Take a look over in this area over here. This is where that bone was removed that we've talked so much about. If you look closely, you can sort of see how the head is concaved in there. That's a result of the bone not being in place at the time this picture was taken. That bone substitute was subsequently put back in so she can have a more normal contour.

Over here you can see some of the scars from the initial injury. Look down here in her throat area. Pretty classic incision, a scar from her tracheostomy tube. But again, just a great-looking shot done before she actually had her bone put in. So probably looks even better now in the days since then.

She's going to outpatient rehab we hear now, at the end of this month. Obviously an important milestone. Seems to be right on schedule in terms of things. She's been in a rehab setting now for six months. Going to an outpatient setting, where you're at your home primarily, she's going to stay in Houston, get her rehab in Houston at the hospital. But you have a fully functional kitchen, your own bathroom, starting to conduct activities of daily living to make it easier.

In terms of her overall recovery since this has happened, since the beginning, we know she's been able to understand speech, but her expressive capabilities, her ability to speak in more than one or two word sentences or communicate in some way, has been more challenged. The strength on the right side of the body, left side of the brain affects the right side of the body. That's also been affected by all of this.

So, she's got a long ways to go. But again, important to see those great pictures of her. She's smiling, obviously, able to maintain that eye contact. A good sign.

Back to you. (END VIDEO CLIP)