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President Obama Working on Debt Deal; Rod Blagojevich Convicted on Multiple Counts of Public Corruption; New York Legalizes Gay Marriage; Michele Bachmann Announces GOP Presidential Bid; Robin Meade Discusses Her Career as a Country Music Singer

Aired June 27, 2011 - 15:00   ET

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

BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: Hey, Randi Kaye. We're going to continue the wait on my watch now.

KAYE: See you soon.

BALDWIN: Thank you very much in Chicago.

But before we get to that -- and hi, everyone -- a busy Monday here. Also, a wildfire is raging. It's getting very, very close, dangerously close to the nuclear research facility at Los Alamos. Senators from New Mexico are being briefed by authorities on the ground there. I'm going to speak with one of them just in a little bit, a while here.

Also, in Washington, President Obama is meeting with Senate leaders himself to try to resolve the nation's debt dilemma. But the White House says any significant deal would require both sides to abandon the "my way or the highway" approach.

But now to the big story we are going to continue to watch for, for you. The verdict is in. We do know that. We are awaiting word here of the jury's decision on former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich. After 10 days of deliberating, the jury has reached an agreement. But the thing is, they have reached an agreement on 18 of the 20 different criminal counts.

But they are deadlocked apparently on the other two. And you're looking at some video that we have turned around for you clearly of Mr. Blagojevich's car as he was en route to that federal courthouse in Chicago just a little while ago.

Now, let me back up and just tell you that the charges stem from accusations Blagojevich basically tried to sell the -- Barack Obama's old Senate seat when he was then voted in to become president of the United States. Now, the former governor denied any intention of bribery. He was taken to the stand. He says no. He says that he's innocent. And this was a retrial for him. In his first trial, a jury found him guilty of only one count, of lying to FBI investigators.

CNN's Ted Rowlands is inside the courtroom right now. He is awaiting the verdict. So, as soon as the verdict is read and we can get Ted out of that courtroom and either in front of a camera or on the phone, we will do that. So, meantime, let's go to our senior legal analyst, Jeff Toobin, for me.

And, Jeff, as you help me tap-dance as we wait essentially for this verdict to come down, help me understand first and foremost what's happening in that courtroom right now. We know Blagojevich is in there. And help me understand -- we're talking 20 different counts. They're deadlocked on two. How would that affect the other 18 counts, if at all?

JEFFREY TOOBIN, CNN SENIOR LEGAL ANALYST: Can I just say that talking about Rod Blagojevich sounds like we're on like VH-1 "I Love the '90s"?

BALDWIN: Yes. Why do you say that, Jeff Toobin?

TOOBIN: Because Rod Blagojevich seems like 100 -- 100 years ago. Maybe that's just me. But, anyway, it's just -- it's just like he's such a blast from the past at this point.

(CROSSTALK)

BALDWIN: Well, we're ready to put a punctuation mark on this story today.

(LAUGHTER)

TOOBIN: All right. OK.

The two counts are really irrelevant. If there is a verdict on the -- 18, the two won't matter.

BALDWIN: OK.

TOOBIN: In theory, they could retry him. But this is already a retrial. There is certainly not going to be a retrial. So, these 18 are going to be the counts that matter. And we will see if the government's finally proved its case.

BALDWIN: We know he's been tried on charges of wire fraud, attempted extortion, bribery, extortion, conspiracy, bribery conspiracy. Remind all of us why that first round, that first trial didn't lead to much, other than that one conviction of lying to the FBI. What happened?

TOOBIN: Well, remember, this was a very dramatic moment.

During the transition, Obama had been elected president, but he hadn't been inaugurated. In December of 2008, the U.S. attorney Pat Fitzgerald in Chicago arrested Rod Blagojevich at 6:00 in the morning, saying he was in the process of trying to sell anything that wasn't nailed down in Chicago. He was basically accused of trying to sell the Senate seat, basically saying, you give me political contributions, campaign contributions, and I will give you the Senate seat.

He was also accused of not approving a hospital for children unless he got Senate seats, contribution -- campaign contributions. He was also accused of trying to punish "The Chicago Tribune" by not giving them certain tax benefits because he was unhappy with their coverage, all of these. It was a sensational accusation.

But when the case went to trial, Blagojevich did better than a lot of people thought. There was a hung jury on all but one count. And this is the retrial. Instead of 23 counts, the government narrowed it down to 20 counts. And, apparently, we have a verdict on 18 of the 20 that we're about to hear at any minute.

BALDWIN: Here's what I found interesting in sort of reading and comparing that first trial to the second. And I want you to help me understand this.

Apparently, also, some of these jurors were saying that that initial trial was very, very complicated. And there was this emphasis here on this go-around, Jeff Toobin, that Blagojevich didn't actually need to complete any deals to be found guilty of crimes for proposing them.

Can you -- can you explain that -- that -- that difference?

TOOBIN: Right.

This is where the first trial had a lot of problems, is that the government arrested him before a lot of these transactions were completed, because the government said, look, we don't want the decisions to be made and then have to be undone.

The problem with that is, it didn't seem like the crime had been completed. And several jurors had problems with that. In this case, the government emphasized and streamlined its case somewhat and tried to make the point that the crime took place when the agreement, the corrupt agreement took place, even if it wasn't completed.

Now, that's the legal point. Whether jurors actually believe it -- jurors sometimes have trouble with technical legal definitions like that. They like to see a completed transaction. So, this is obviously something the government was aware was a problem in the first case. We will see if it worked out better the second time.

BALDWIN: All right, Jeff Toobin, I want you to hang out with me, because we're waiting. This is video here next...

(CROSSTALK)

TOOBIN: I'm here. I love the '90s.

(LAUGHTER)

BALDWIN: You're not moving a muscle. Next to you, we're showing some video there of Blagojevich. There he was walking into the courtroom just a short time ago.

Again, we're all on Blago watch. Again, 18 out of those 20 counts, jury about to hand down the verdict. They're all in the courtroom waiting for it. We are going to get that for you live. We also have Ted Rowlands in the courtroom. We will check back with him any minute now. Stay with us here at CNN. We're all over this.

Also, watch this:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. JOHN BOEHNER (R-OH), SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: Democrat members continue to want to bring tax hikes into this conversation and insist that we have got to raise taxes on the American people.

REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA), HOUSE MINORITY LEADER: You cannot achieve that you set out to do if you say, it's just about cutting. It has to be about increasing the revenue stream as well.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Two sides, one fight, and a looming deadline. Can Congress put aside all the bickering and come together on the nation's debt ceiling? Time is quickly running out. And so -- so is patience on Capitol Hill.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. MICHELE BACHMANN (R-MN), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Government thinks it knows better how to spend our money. Government thinks they know better how to make a better life for us.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: She says she's got what it takes to turn things around. But is Michele Bachmann ready for the big time? That's coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: Just want to remind you we are watching for that verdict to come down. Everyone's in the courtroom, including former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich and our very own Ted Rowlands. As soon as we get news on that verdict -- jurors have come to a conclusion on 18 of those 20 charges that the former governor faces -- we will bring that to you live.

Meantime, want to go to Washington for this next story, developing story out of D.C. You have Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell due very soon at the White House. And this is a brand-new phase here in the debt reduction talks.

Remember, that August 2 deadline to reach some kind of deal, that is still in place for now. Otherwise, the government could enter into default.

Here is Senator McConnell speaking just a short time ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. MITCH MCCONNELL (R-KY), MINORITY LEADER: I will tell him the truth about request by some in his party that we increase spending and raise taxes as a way of solving the debt and jobs crisis that precipitated the president's request to raise the debt limit in the first place.

Not only are they counterproductive from the standpoint of an economic recovery. They're also politically impossible, since Republicans oppose tax hikes and Democrats have already shown they won't raise taxes in a down economy either.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Let's go to Dana Bash.

Dana, Mitch McConnell says he's going to march down to the White House, speak the truth to the president. So, now we have got the president and we have Senator McConnell essentially negotiating head to head. What does this mean as that August 2 deadline nears?

DANA BASH, CNN SENIOR CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It is tick, tick, tick, Brooke.

BALDWIN: Yes.

BASH: And the question at this point is whether or not any kind of grand bargain, big bargain that really Republicans have demanded will actually get done.

And we're talking about a demand for as much as $4 trillion over 10 years, and a way to slash the deficit in order to get their vote to raise the debt ceiling. And Mitch McConnell, why is it important? It is very important, because it's going to be hard to pass the House, but it probably is even going to be harder to get any deal through the Senate because of the differences with the parties.

And so what he says, what he does, what he potentially agrees to is going to be absolutely critical. And you just heard him lay out his general negotiating position: no taxes at all. We have heard that before, but on the other side of Pennsylvania Avenue, Jay Carney, the White House spokesman, said today, Brooke, that they're not going to agree to anything that doesn't include getting rid of some of the tax subsidies. So, going in, they look dug in.

BALDWIN: Well, let's get to that, because we know that the Biden talks broke down. We know Cantor and Kyl bailed on them last week. The White House is claiming that they have made substantial progress. You mentioned Jay Carney today in the briefing. Dana Bash, do we know what it is exactly that the two sides actually agree on?

BASH: We know from sources generally some areas of agreement, which could total about $1 trillion, which is not exactly chump change, things like cutting student loan subsidies, farm programs, agreement generally that federal workers would pay more into their pension funds -- plans, things like that.

But we're told that that was some of the -- what sources are calling low-hanging fruit, things that sort of everybody could generally agree to. The big stuff to get to that big potentially $4 trillion, which again is a big question mark, that is going to require, both sides, say different things. Republicans say much, much more in spending. Democrats say, we got to get rid of some of those tax subsidies.

BALDWIN: Well, what about taxes? Because we heard McConnell talking taxes. We know the White House wants to close some of the tax loopholes. But Republicans are saying, hey, that's a tax increase.

Who blinks first, Dana?

BASH: Yes.

(LAUGHTER)

BASH: I don't know. If you can answer that question, maybe you can solve the...

(CROSSTALK)

BALDWIN: No, no, that's why I'm asking you.

(LAUGHTER)

BASH: It's unclear. It's unclear who is going. Democrats -- I was just talking to a Democratic source who -- say that they have roughly about $300 billion to $400 billion that they would love to do -- to deal with when it comes to getting rid of some of those tax subsidies -- as you say, Republicans call them tax increases -- things like getting rid of oil and gas subsidies and getting rid of some subsidies for companies that, from the perspective of Democrats, ship jobs overseas, things like that.

But, again, anything like that, Republicans are really dug in, saying that they don't believe that's the way to go on this particular issue. And this issue is, broadly, coming up with an agreement that will allow Republicans and some Democrats to say, yes, I will agree to increase the debt ceiling to allow the government to spend -- to borrow more, again, at a time politically, that is something that is very difficult for both parties to do.

BALDWIN: And, again, we're a couple of hours away from that other meeting at the White House between the president and Senator McConnell. We will see how it goes.

Dana Bash, thank you very much.

BASH: Thanks, Brooke.

BALDWIN: Coming up next here: A big rig plows into an Amtrak train -- look at this -- leaving really a nightmarish scene in the Nevada desert -- up next, the search for passengers still unaccounted for.

And if the TSA is trying to fix its public image problem, well, they're not doing so hot lately because, coming up, the 95-year-old cancer-stricken woman forced to remove her soiled adult diaper at the airport. Folks, the woman's daughter is outraged.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP) JEAN WEBER, MOTHER SEARCHED BY TSA: She was upset about not being able to have any underwear on. And I said, I don't know what else to do, mom. I really don't.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: All right, we have got the news now, former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich sitting in a federal courthouse now in Chicago. The verdict has been read.

And I'm staring at this count list. And I want to bring in our senior legal guy, Jeff Toobin, who I'm sure has access to this as well.

And, Jeff, let's just run through this.

I see guilty, guilty, guilty. It looks like first -- is it every count but the two counts in which the jury is hung guilty? What are you reading?

TOOBIN: You know, I don't have the verdict. I just saw that he was convicted of some counts. So, you better go ahead and read what you have. I just saw that he was convicted of something. I don't know how many counts.

(CROSSTALK)

BALDWIN: Well, here's the something. I can fill in the blanks for you. And I'm sure check your inbox momentarily and something will ping this your way.

But from what I understand, looking at this, count one through 20, guilty, with the exception of counts 11, hung, that is attempted extortion, and count 16, hung, attempted extortion, every other count, guilty.

What do you make of that?

TOOBIN: Well, this is a complete, complete victory for the United States attorney's office. And it took a long time. It took two trials.

But Rod Blagojevich is going to go to prison for a long time. Federal court, they don't mess around in terms of sentencing in white-collar crime. Given the seriousness of these charges, given the abuse of such a high office, he is looking, I would say, at least five years in prison, and perhaps as long as 10.

And one of the interesting things going on in the courtroom right now, I'm sure, is whether he should be remanded to prison right away. I'm sure that's going to be a very hot debate in front of the judge. And so this might be it for quite some time for Rod Blagojevich, or he might get bail pending sentencing. But this is very bad news for the former governor. BALDWIN: Well, let me jump in, Jeff, because now as we're poring through this -- and apologies, because this is all happening on the fly, but that's how live TV works -- count 17, that is the only count in which the jury found him not guilty of bribery -- so not guilty on count 17. Jury was hung on counts 11 and 16, and every other count found guilty.

So you say -- let me just back up, though, Jeff, because from that initial trial, we know that the jury was deadlocked on -- it was the 23 of the 24 counts. They ended up throwing them out and convicting him of that one single charge, lying to the FBI. I thought that carried a five-year sentence.

So are we adding on to that sentence, or is that thrown out and these are new convictions and new sentencing guidelines?

TOOBIN: No, that is added -- that is added to -- it sounds like he was convicted of 17 counts.

So, the one he was earlier convicted on -- now, you don't really add them up consecutively. There are sentencing guidelines. But as of about five years ago, the sentencing guidelines are no longer mandatory. So the judge has a greater degree of discretion than he used to, although most judges still do follow the sentencing guidelines.

This -- this -- the next few months will be about what the guidelines show. Based on my knowledge of the federal system, I think he is looking at guidelines that will probably be in the range of eight to 10 years. That's a very long sentence in a white-collar case.

But given the magnitude of these crimes, given the position that Blagojevich held, I think he's very likely to get it.

BALDWIN: Wow. Jeff Toobin saying he will face likely eight to 10 years, huge, huge news here, as you said, for a white-collar crime.

Jeff Toobin, appreciate it.

And, again, just to reiterate, former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich found guilty of these 17 counts. Jury was hung on two, found not guilty count 17, bribery.

We do have Ted Rowlands inside that courtroom where the verdict was read. We are going to get to Ted here momentarily to give us some of the color in the courtroom as this huge, huge verdict has just come down.

Meantime, New Mexico, the massive Las Conchas wildfire flared up Sunday. Now it covers more than 43,000 acres. The concern here is that it's on the outskirts of the Los Alamos National Laboratory, which, if you don't know, this is a leading nuclear science center, facility. Special crews have been dispatched. And the library itself is now -- or -- excuse me -- the laboratory itself now is shut down and most of the 11,000 employees were told not to come to work today. But it is the picture that really gets your attention. Look at this, the orange glow of the fire, the Las Conchas fire, the smoke. These are pictures from our iReporters posted earlier today. These were shot in nearby Rio Rancho, New Mexico. And next hour, I will speak with a New Mexico senator, Jeff Bingaman, who has been briefed in the last hour or so on the situation there on the wildfire as it is creeping toward Los Alamos, less than a mile away from part of that laboratory.

Also, floodwaters inching closer to a nuclear power plant in Nebraska. Look at these pictures. A levee broke yesterday, worrying folks who live nearby that a nuclear disaster similar to Japan's could be brewing.

But an official emphatically says the chances water will actually reach the reactor and cause trouble are -- and I'm quoting -- "almost zero." The reactor was shut down in April for refueling and wasn't brought back online due to flooding. Forecasters think the Missouri River will crest six feet short of the level that would inundate that plant there. We're keeping our eye on both those stories.

Also this -- he has faced NATO bombs and American airstrikes, but Moammar Gadhafi has managed to cling to power. But that could soon change because, as of today, he is officially a wanted man.

Plus, New York making history, becoming the sixth state to allow same- sex marriage. But they couldn't have done it without the help of four Republican lawmakers. Coming up, one of those four, James Alesi, is going to join me live to talk about why he voted yes.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: Again, want to remind you, breaking news coming down out of Chicago at the federal courthouse there, former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich found guilty on 17 counts. We're talking corruption, bribery.

The first -- counts 11 and 16, it was, the jury was hung. And count 17, he was found not guilty, but, again, tremendous news, as Jeff Toobin was pointing out, for this kind of white-collar crime, could be facing something like eight to 10 years behind bars.

Our own Ted Rowlands is inside that courtroom. And as soon he can dial in and talk to me here on TV about really just the atmosphere inside the courtroom when the verdict was read, we will bring him on live.

Meantime, Nevada investigators still looking into a fiery crash between a big rig truck and an Amtrak train that killed at least six people. Take a look at the video with me. It is horrifying to watch this. Officials say they're having a tough time just accounting for everyone because at least 20 people listed on the manifest for the train have yet to be accounted for.

They thought that might be because of people buying a ticket, not actually getting on the train or maybe getting off at an earlier stop. But the National Transportation Safety Board also has revealed that the trucking company involved had 19 -- 19 previous safety violations.

She is 95 years of age. She is battling cancer, and she is confined to a wheelchair, heart-wrenching enough just to set the story up. And now listen to this. As Jan -- Jean Weber's mom wheeled up to security, a TSA agent said something on her left leg felt suspicious. This is in the airport going through security. So, the TSA took her mother to a private room to be searched. Listen.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

WEBER: And they came out and told me that it had something to do with her Depends, that it was wet and it was firm and they couldn't check it thoroughly, she would have to remove it.

And I was -- I said, I don't have an extra one with me. Normally, this isn't a problem. And she said that she could not complete the security check without the Depends off.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

BALDWIN: So how did the TSA agent and the TSA overall defend its search, asking her to take off her adult diaper?

Quote: "While every person and item must be screened before entering the secure boarding area, TSA works with passengers to resolve security alarms in a respectful and sensitive manner. We have reviewed the circumstances involving this screening and determined that our officers acted professionally and according to proper procedure."

Well, in just a matter of minutes here, I'm going to get the chance to ask Jean Weber, the daughter of this 95-year-old woman, if that explanation, quite frankly, is good enough. She is my guest next hour right here in the CNN NEWSROOM. Don't miss that conversation.

Now, busy Monday, isn't it? And let's check some of our top stories here.

Libya's leader is now a wanted man, at least officially speaking. The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants today for Moammar Gadhafi, his son and his brother-in-law. The charges are crimes against humanity, including murder, committed by Libyan forces during this year's rebel uprising and civil war.

The warrant is really more of a formality. Libya does not officially even recognize the tribunal's authority and the court doesn't have the power to enter Libya and arrest Gadhafi. Still, anti-Gadhafi rebels in Misrata cheered that announcement today.

The Los Angeles Dodgers filing for bankruptcy -- bankruptcy court protection, I should say, today. This is all partly because of the husband-and-wife owners of the team. They are in the midst of an ugly, ugly divorce battle. The team was counting on a fresh injection of cash from a television deal. The deal was not approved while the co-owners fight over who owns how much of this baseball team.

Chapter 11 protection essentially means the team can meet its payroll and continue to play ball in the short term.

And Serena Williams is out -- talking Wimbledon here -- Serena, the defending women's champion, was bounced out of the tourney today, beaten in straight sets by France's Marion Bartoli -- big sister, Venus, five-time Wimbledon champion, also dumped out today. Injuries kept Serena out of action for nearly a year. Today's defeat was the earliest she left the tournament in six years.

Michele Bachmann got a huge boost from her performance in CNN's Republican presidential debate. Remember that from a couple of weeks ago? Now many are eyeing the Minnesotan has a new possible frontrunner. Up next, Bachmann making a big announcement today. But will her political past hurt or help her chances for the White House? Jessica Yellin is standing by for me. We'll get into that coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: More on our breaking story. Just to run down the charges regarding former Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich, the jury convicted him on 17 of the 20 public corruption charges. They did acquit him on one count of bribery. And the jury was hung on two separate counts of attempted extortion.

We talked to Jeff Toobin earlier for analysis. Now I want to go straight to Ted Rowlands who is on the phone. He was inside the courtroom. Ted, I am sure your eyes were fixated on Mr. Blagojevich as the verdict was being read. How did he react?

TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Brooke, he didn't have much of a reaction. He was clearly upset. His biggest reaction we saw from him was when he turned back to his wife Patti at one point and he was clearly looking into her eyes and they were both upset. His wife dropped back into her seat and was clearly upset as the verdicts were read one by one with the lion's share of them being guilty.

He is looking at spending a considerable amount of the rest of his life in jail, even assuming even if this judge sentences him concurrently because of the amount of charges that he is found guilty on. It's 20 years just for the wire fraud charges.

So clearly a lot of emotion as there always is as a verdict is read, but no different today. The jury seemed very emotional. They were upset when they walked in to some extent. And it's tough on jurors. One woman had her eyes closed for most of the proceeding. None of the jurors would look at Blagojevich. He was straining to get eye contact with them, but no one would look anywhere close to his direction.

BALDWIN: That's interesting about the jurors. Let me ask you, in terms of the next couple of months here, ted, what is next for Blagojevich? Presumably he goes obviously ultimate to prison. For now, I imagine he's headed to jail. In terms of sentencing, when does that phase begin?

ROWLANDS: The sentencing day -- the judge order add presentencing investigation. Blagojevich is free still on bond. The government did ask that he put up his house and secure the bond, and there's been some travel restrictions. He can't leave the northern district of Illinois, meaning basically the Chicago hour without permission from the judge. At this point, he is to stay within the Chicago land area until he is sentenced. But he is free on bond, so going home tonight.

BALDWIN: Going home tonight, all right. Ted Rowlands, that's interesting. He was looking at the different jurors in the eyes and the jurors wouldn't look back. Ted, thank you so much. Blagojevich going away to prison for quite some time.

The field of Republicans running for president just got a little bit bigger. No huge surprise. You saw it coming. We all saw it coming. We knew this moment was coming.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(MUSIC)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: There she is, Michele Bachmann. Tom Petty on the soundtrack. As of today, she is officially in the race for president. Jessica Yellin standing by for me in Washington. We're going to talk with her here in just a moment. But first I want to go to Jim Acosta who is going to set the scene for us from Waterloo, Iowa. Jim?

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JIM ACOSTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Michele Bachmann returned to her hometown of Waterloo, Iowa, to announce her bid for the White House, and she did so as a near frontrunner in this early voting state. A new poll shows Bachmann running neck and neck with the frontrunner in the GOP nomination battle Mitt Romney. The Minnesota congresswoman has been known as a conservative firebrand over the last several years in Congress, but she toned down her tea party rhetoric to go after the president, predicting Mr. Obama will be a one-termer.

REP. MICHELE BACHMANN, (R) MINNESOTA: We know our country can work. We just want it to work again. It's a very powerful coalition that the left fears. And they should because make no mistake about it, Barack Obama will be a one-term president.

ACOSTA: Michele Bachmann will be in this state for the next 24 hours before heading off to New Hampshire and then South Carolina. While she's here in Iowa, she will have to share the stage with Sarah Palin, the former governor of Alaska. She will be here tomorrow night for a movie premier, a movie about her. Also, Barack Obama is coming to Davenport, Iowa, for a factory tour that is a campaign event for his reelection bid.

Jim Acosta, CNN, Waterloo, Iowa.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BALDWIN: As promised, there she is, Jessica Yellin joining me from Washington, our national political correspondent. Jess, let's cut to the chase. I want to play some sound. This is Ed Rollins speaking last January before Bachmann even hired him.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ED ROLLINS, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: Michele Bachmann is a representative of Congress and of the tea party. But we have to get our serious players out front and talk about the things that matter and being an alternative to the president and the Democrats.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: We will assume that Ed Rollins has since changed his tune since he's now on Bachmann's payroll. Are other Republicans coming around, too? She earned a reputation for being way out there or maybe not as serious as Ed Rollins implied quite clearly there.

JESSICA YELLIN, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: First of all, I should say I ran this by Ed Rollins. He used to be a consultant here at CNN. And he points out that when he said it, he was working for Mike Huckabee. He was waiting to see if Mitch Daniels and Haley Barbour would get in the race. Now he says, quote, "I'm a convert, and no one is more passionate than converts." That's Ed's take.

It's true, it's no secret Republicans in general are looking around for some less obvious options. By that, I mean who other than Romney could be their candidate. And one of the reasons Bachmann is surging now is because she was so widely discounted and she's now benefiting from the low expectations. She is outperforming her expectations. She had been portrayed as a gaffe-prone rookie who is loose with the facts.

But since the CNN debate two weeks ago, she's been articulate, clear about her convictions, disciplined, communicating her ideas very clearly, better, frankly, than many of the other candidates out there. The other important point is that her message resonates with the base. That's who's engaged at this stage of the campaign. So she's clicking.

The question is, does she stay strong and does she have the endurance? You could see it go either way.

BALDWIN: I guess low expectations coming into something like this can ultimately be a good thing. But if you listen to her speech, if her speech is any indication, should we expect to see a more moderate Michele Bachmann when she's out campaigning.

YELLIN: Moderate, gosh, no. What we'll see is a tea party activist, a social, fiscal, and values conservative who makes no apologies for it. She's drawing a stark contrast with President Obama. Listen to this piece from her announcement today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BACHMANN: I recognize it's impossible to turn the clock back and to go back to a different day. Instead I want this moment to serve as a reminder of the best of who we are as a nation. I want my candidacy for the presidency of the United States to stand for a moment when we, the people, stand once again for the independence from a government that has gotten too big and spends too much and has taken away too much of our liberties.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

YELLIN: You heard her say, I don't want to turn the clock back. Maybe that's why you asked if she's moderating her position. That's about preempting the Obama campaign's inevitable attacks. So Republican operatives expect a big part of the general election campaign will be fending off Democratic accusations that the Republicans want to turn the clock back on progress, return the nation to the, quote, "dark ages."

And this is Bachmann's way of saying she's for progress, but she has a different idea of what progress is.

BALDWIN: These Republican hopefuls are all going after President Obama.

YELLIN: Exactly.

BALDWIN: Jessica Yellin, thank you very much.

Coming up next, we're going from Washington to New York. As you know, the state has made some history here, becoming the sixth state to allow same-sex marriage. But they couldn't have done it without the help of four key Republican lawmakers. Coming up one of those four joining me talking about why he voted the way he did. We'll talk in just a moment.

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BALDWIN: New York now the sixth and largest state to allow same-sex marriage after Governor Andrew Cuomo signed the bill into law late last Friday. The Republican controlled state Senate approved the bill after days of negotiations. Jamie Alesi currently serving his eighth term is one of the four Republican state senators who helped pass this marriage equality act and he joins me from Rochester, New York.

Senator Alesi, nice to have you on. I know you were -- they had the 29 Dems and then you were the first Republican to cross over and vote in favor of this. What in the world has the reaction been like for you over the weekend in Albany and in Rochester and really statewide there?

JAMES ALESI, (R) NEW YORK STATE SENATE: Well, it's a mixed reaction. The conservatives, at least a couple of weeks ago when I informed them that I was going to do this, divorced me, no pun intended, divorced me quickly. The Republicans were still trying to conference the bill out to determine whether we would bring to it the floor. And I should point out that it was brought to the floor by the Republican majority even though the overwhelming number of people that voted on it were Democrats.

But I'm proud to be the first Republican to say that I would support marriage equality, and it's a position that I've had in my heart for much longer than just a few days.

BALDWIN: But reading your background, it's the first time you've voted this way, right? It was two years ago you voted "no" even though in your heart you felt "yes." So this is the first time nationwide that a Republican-controlled legislative body approved either same-sex marriages or civil unions. So, sir, you made history. As I mentioned, there were votes in the past. This is the first time this actually came through. What was different this time?

ALESI: Well, we're in the majority this time. And I think that there was much more harmony between the various LGBT groups lobbying the legislature two years ago. They were very fractured and they were not together on their effort. Some were lobbying the Democrats, some were lobbying the Republicans, and there was no real unity if that effort.

The second thing is that when the Bill was brought to the floor in the Senate, it was brought by the new Democrat majority just a few months ahead of the upcoming election. And I think that was driven politically to try to force moderate Republicans like myself to vote on something we wanted to vote on and then lose our election and thereby lose any chance of recovering the majority.

So we had to take a political vote. And, again, because I was the leadoff on a roll call vote, I had to vote "no" politically. But now we're here to vote the way we want to, and I commend my leader for giving us that opportunity.

BALDWIN: I heard that you believe down the road that will be the law of the land. My question is, if you look at this on a state level, what do you tell a fellow senator, state senator in, say, Maryland who may be considering this? What advice do you give him or her?

ALESI: Well, I actually am going to adopt the roll of emissary as much as I can. As a Republican, I'd like to go to Republican members of state legislatures and say, we did this, I voted yes, I'm still here to tell about it. And you can do the same thing.

One of the advocates said, let's just get it over with and close it up in New York. And I said, absolutely, I don't see it that way. My view is, let's not get it over with. Let's pass it and let's open the floodgates to go across the nation and say that this vote was taken about being equal in America. And if you're equal in New York and not equal in Ohio, then there's no real equality in America. This has to be equality for all Americans.

BALDWIN: New York Senator James Alesi, the first to vote that way, setting the tone of it there in Albany. Sir, thank you very much.

ALESI: Glad to be with you.

BALDWIN: And now this.

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ROBIN MEADE, ANCHOR, HLN'S MORNING EXPRESS: On HLN in the morning -- I would take like the weekends to write songs and travel up to Nashville.

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BALDWIN: So, I think you recognize her. Robin wants to become the country music's next big star. Coming up next, I sat down with her talking about her brand-new CD. "Music Monday," don't miss this.

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(MUSIC)

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BALDWIN: Not too bad, huh? Let me tell you, you don't want to hear me singing. But you want to hear her singing. It is time for "Music Monday." I'm so fortunate in this job that I get to talk to some of the most amazing, you know, hottest musicians from all around the world. This week, I actually just had to go down the elevator, down the hall to talk to one of country music's rising stars, she is the anchor of HLN's "Morning Express," miss Robin Meade.

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BALDWIN: Robin Meade, this has been a year and a half in the making.

ROBIN MEADE, ANCHOR, HLN'S MORNING EXPRESS: At least. At least. Because, you know, I'm on HLN in the mornings five days a week. It is not like I can just go, see you, I'm going to Nashville, I'll be back in a week. I take the weekends to write songs and travel up to Nashville and then to record it. I've used my vacation days. So I'm really, like, yea!

BALDWIN: You're proud of it.

MEADE: I'm really excited for people to hear it.

BALDWIN: When did you start dreaming of doing this?

MEADE: You know, one of my first memories is of singing at church, learning to sing at church, like holding harmonies against people.

BALDWIN: How old were you?

MEADE: Pre-K.

BALDWIN: You talk about being the daughter of a preacher. You're copying your parents. You also say, living room jam sessions and a little piano we hauled home in the truck.

MEADE: This was my void. I was not a good public speaker. I was not confident getting up and even reading a book report to the high school class. And because I would see my father as a public speaker every weekend and make it look so early, that's what I coveted. They said your void becomes your value. I was bound and determined I was going to conquer that and lo and behold, that's how I make my living.

BALDWIN: Where can we get your CD?

MEADE: It is available exclusively at Target stores, iTunes as well.

BALDWIN: Do most people know you sing? I guess your viewers do.

MEADE: I think the viewers who have been with us for a long time know, and their reaction -- I'm grateful. They like it. Then there are those viewers who go, I didn't know you sang. You see it register on their face, like, huh, OK. And I'm just really grateful that the reaction has been -- the feedback has been positive.

BALDWIN: I'll give you one more cd so you can cover your desk with them.

MEADE: No, this is yours.

BALDWIN: This is mine. Thank you, Robin.

MEADE: She already has it.

BALDWIN: I do. I was jamming.

MEADE: Thank you so much. I really appreciate it. I'm real excited to share this.

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BALDWIN: Now we talked to Robin Meade, Colin Hay, the Decemberists, Mumford and Sons. You can see all of them. Go CNN.com/Brooke. Next week, we're going to a different end of the spectrum with my interview with, yes, the New Kids on the Block and the Backstreet Boys. They rolled through. That is next Monday here in the CNN Newsroom.

Up next, Wolf Blitzer with your Political Ticker. We'll be right back.

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BALDWIN: Time for your CNN = Politics update. Wolf Blitzer joining me from Washington. Wolf, we are one hour away from when the Senate minority leader is supposed to be at the White House talking deficit. The deadline is looming.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST, "THE SITUATION ROOM": August 2nd supposedly if you believe the Treasury Department and Treasure Secretary Timothy Geithner. That's when the money runs out and potentially the U.S. could default on its financial requirements out there right now. So that's a big, big issue.

The president is working hard, he's meeting earlier with Harry Reid, the Senate majority leader, has a meeting with Mitch McConnell, the Republican leader, at 5:00 p.m. eastern. At some point he's going to have to meet, there is no doubt about it, with the speaker, John Boehner, presumably with the minority leader Nancy Pelosi and the House.

They have some time. The White House press secretary Jay Carney saying the president still believes in his words a significant deal remains possible on deficit reduction this year. It is not going to be easy because they're significant differences. As you know, we don't have to rehash the differences the Republicans want on spending cuts, what the Democrats want on potential tax increases or removing some loopholes or subsidies out there.

If the president is able to work out a deal between now and August 2nd, obviously a lot of the big money people up in Wall Street will be relieved. Otherwise, the treasury department says there could be catastrophic consequences. We're watching this story closely. We'll certainly be all over it in "the situation room" at 5:00 p.m., once that presidential meeting with Mitch McConnell starts. Another big story we're watching, Michele Bachmann, she's the -- I think it is fair to say now the Republican front-runner together with Mitt Romney in Iowa based on --

BALDWIN: Wolf, forgive me, I hate interrupting you, but look here, TV screen, we're seeing -- we just saw the cameras fixated on former Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich with his wife Patti presumably walking outside of the courtroom. We know that he was found guilty on 17 of the 20 charges he's been facing. It looks like he's clearly surrounded by a crush of media. Let's see if he will speak.