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Smackdown Over Social Security; Hamid Karzai: Ten Years After 9/11; Bank of America Cutting 30,000 Jobs; Perry Rockets To The Top; Talk Back Question; IPads For Kindergarten Kids; Visiting The Village Post Office

Aired September 12, 2011 - 12:00   ET

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

DREW GRIFFIN, CNN ANCHOR: It's the top of the hour now. I'm Drew Griffin, in for Suzanne Malveaux.

Let's get you up to speed on what's happening on this Monday.

Eight Republicans gearing up for a showdown tonight in Tampa. CNN and the Tea Party are going to host a presidential debate.

It comes as the new CNN/ORC poll has Governor Rick Perry widening his lead over Mitt Romney and the rest of the pack. CNN's Wolf Blitzer moderates tonight's presidential debate beginning at 8:00 Eastern.

We get a preview this morning from two candidates who have single- digit poll numbers.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HERMAN CAIN (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The polls are fine, but, you know, like you indicated earlier, Michele Bachmann was the flavor of the week a few weeks ago. Now Rick Perry is the flavor of the week. My supporters, they are consistent and they don't defect, so we're going to continue to move up.

JON HUNTSMAN (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We're just beginning to introduce ourselves to the American people. And as we do, they will see that we bring together the elements of success: private/sector experience, having been a successful governor. We were number one in job creation in this country, best managed state in America.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRIFFIN: President Obama is sending his jobs bill to Congress today. He called on lawmakers to approve it quickly without any games or delays. Mr. Obama says some Republicans don't think it makes political sense to work with him right now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The notion that there are folks who would say we're not going to try to do what's right for the American people because we don't think it's convenient for our politics, we've been seeing that too much around here. And that's exactly what folks are tired of. (END VIDEO CLIP)

GRIFFIN: Well, President Obama's jobs plan is to spend $447 billion on a mixture of tax cuts, infrastructure spending, and job training.

The president is not getting help from Bank of America today. The Bank of America is cutting jobs. The bank confirms now that it's going to do away with 30,000 positions over the next few years. Bank of America, as you may know, is saddled with losses from the takeover of subprime mortgage lender Countrywide.

The memorial at the World Trade Center site has opened to the public. Two reflecting pools fed by waterfalls sit in the voids left by the twin towers. The names of every person who died on September 11, 2001 at that site are inscribed in bronze at the pool's edge. The president helped dedicate that memorial yesterday, the 10th anniversary of the attack.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHARLIE LACLAIR, NEW YORK FIREFIGHTER: It's 10 years later, but it's almost like it's the same day. The only thing that does anything for me with the passing of time is the friends that I still have that are still with me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRIFFIN: Even after the anniversary, security is remaining extremely tight in New York and Washington. Authorities searching for three men who, according to sources now, could still be plotting to set off car bombs. Sources say two of those suspects are Americans of Arab descent. Officials describe the threat as credible but unconfirmed.

Moammar Gadhafi's son Saadi is in Niger today. The former Libyan leader's wife, daughter and two other sons have fled to Algeria. That happened last month. Niger is on Libya's southern border. That country says it took in Saadi Gadhafi as a humanitarian gesture.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ELHADJI OUSMANE, NIGER RESIDENT (through translator): As far as I'm concerned, if a Muslim brother is in danger and he looks for safety near you, you shouldn't hesitate to help him. So we implore God to help them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRIFFIN: Well, who is that Muslim brother? Saadi Gadhafi? Well, he had an unremarkable soccer career in Italy, and his reputation in Libya is that of a playboy.

Fire evacuees in and around Bastrop, Texas, will start going home today, if they have a home to go home to. A wildfire has burned more than 1,500 houses near Austin. Two people have been found dead in a burned-out neighborhood last week, and six unaccounted for. Officials are really hoping those people, the missing six, are on vacation or perhaps staying with friends.

Well, will it be the Social Security smackdown? Tonight in Tampa, Republican candidates square off again after Texas Governor Rick Perry called Social Security a Ponzi scheme. And a new CNN/ORC International poll shows Perry far ahead of the pack. He is at 30 percent, with Romney a distant second, at 18 percent. Sarah Palin, who is not even in the race, comes in third, followed by Congressman Ron Paul.

CNN Deputy Political director Paul Steinhauser and political reporter Shannon Travis are with us live from Tampa.

Paul, let's start with you.

Social Security is a big issue in Florida, a state with a lot of senior citizens. How is this going to affect that debate tonight?

PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN DEPUTY POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Yes, it's a really good point, Drew. This is the first debate in Florida, and yes, a lot of senior citizens in this state, a lot of people nearing retirement age. And for them, Social Security, a big, big concern.

And we saw just five days ago, in California, at that debate at the Reagan Library, Mitt Romney and Rick Perry going at it, sparring over Rick Perry's comments about Social Security being a Ponzi scheme. And that has some people nervous. So I think what we saw was round one in California. There could be round two tonight.

You know, Drew, yes, we know jobs and the economy are going to be top issues here, but Social Security, that's going to come up tonight, and it could be very, very important.

GRIFFIN: Shannon, you have studied, been with, reported on the Tea Party. The Tea Party's participation in this debate tonight is all over the place. Do you expect it to be much different than other debates we've seen because of that?

SHANNON TRAVIS, CNN POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, it won't be different in terms of the candidates standing on their principles. I mean, they will, as Paul just said, expect Governor Perry to probably double down on his comments about Social Security, and the other candidates on their principles. But it will be different probably, Drew, in terms of them ramping up their rhetoric, in terms of the issues that Tea Partiers care about: reduced spending, less taxes, adherence to the Constitution. You can expect, probably for all of the candidates, to really amp up their message that is of direct appeal to Tea Party activists.

GRIFFIN: And it's hard to determine what exactly that is, because it seems like the Tea Party's a moving target. I think Michele Bachmann may have found that out.

What does she have to do tonight?

TRAVIS: Well, Michele Bachmann has to basically step it up. As Paul was just mentioning, that debate last week, that was round one between Perry and Romney. Michele Bachmann, a little bit invisible in that debate in terms of mixing it up with them. Expect for that to change tonight. We are likely to see a different Michele Bachmann.

First of all, Drew, this is her crowd. She's a Tea Party darling. She founded the House Tea Party Caucus in the House.

Expect for her to really go after Rick Perry, possibly even Romney tonight, and to really say, hey, I'm in this race, too. We know that a lot of people are trying to say this is a two-person race. I'm here as well, I'm a top-tier candidate.

STEINHAUSER: Paul, let me just ask you about the new poll we have out. Internationally speaking, what -- is there some headlines coming out of that as well?

STEINHAUSER: Yes. Besides the number you showed right off the bat, I think there is a hidden gem in here. And this is it.

Our poll indicates that three out of four Republicans say the most important thing for a nominee is he's somebody who can beat President Barack Obama next year rather than agreeing with me on the issues. Now, who do they think that candidate is? Take a look at this, Drew.

Right at the top, Rick Perry, far ahead of Mitt Romney as the Republicans' choice for who can best beat Barack Obama. And that's troubling for Romney, the former Massachusetts governor who is making a second bid for the nomination, because his kind of argument is electability. That, you know what? You may not agree with me on all the issues, but I'm the guy that can beat Obama next year.

That may not be the case right now with this poll. But Drew, I'll say one thing about polls. Remember, people change their minds. Four years ago, a guy called Rudy Giuliani was the front-runner in the battle for the GOP nomination. He didn't end up winning, did he?

GRIFFIN: No, he didn't. Thanks for reminding us.

Paul, Shannon, look forward to this tonight. It should be good.

And a reminder that tonight's debate is co-hosted by CNN, the Tea Party Express, and several other Tea Party groups. You'll see it live from Tampa, the site of the 2012 Republican Convention, tonight at 8:00: Eastern, here on CNN.

The best part of the show right here, your chance to "Talk Back" on the big stories of the day. And today's question: Will Rick Perry's stance on Social Security hurt him in the election?

Carol Costello joins us from New York.

And I guess, Carol, we kind of have to ask, which election? Right?

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Which election?

GRIFFIN: I mean, Republican primary election, general election?

COSTELLO: Well, we'll start with the Republican primary election since that comes first. Right?

GRIFFIN: Yes.

COSTELLO: But I liked that part about when you said that this was the best segment of the show. Thanks for that.

GRIFFIN: I'm already ready to type in my anonymous question. Go ahead.

COSTELLO: Fantastic. OK.

So, how important is the issue of Social Security in a presidential campaign? Let me rephrase that. How important are elderly voters in, say, oh, Florida to winning a presidential election, or a presidential primary, for that matter? It's really, really important.

You will hear about Social Security in tonight's CNN/Tea Party debate now that Rick Perry has called Social Security a Ponzi scheme.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. RICK PERRY (R-TX), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: It is a monstrous lie. It is a Ponzi scheme to tell our kids that are 25 or 30 years old today, you're paying into a program that's going to be there. Anybody that's for the status quo with Social Security today is involved with a monstrous lie to our kids, and it's not right.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: But wait a minute. Social Security has enough money to pay full retiree benefits for the next 25 years, and 77 percent of benefits for 60 years after that.

Vice President Joe Biden says Rick Perry, he needs a history lesson.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOSEPH BIDEN, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: No, it's not a Ponzi scheme. He should go back and find out who Ponzi was. It was an individual, it was a different deal. But no, it's not a Ponzi scheme. It is secure through 2036, and to fix it is not hard.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: But conservatives like CNN contributor Erick Erickson are applauding Perry's straight talk. "Social Security is sick," he says. So why not consider allowing the next generation more choices for retirement like opting out of Social Security in favor of subsidized 401(k) type accounts?

The "Talk Back" question today: Will Rick Perry's stance on Social Security hurt his campaign?

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

GRIFFIN: Carol, I really want to hear these comments, because I've got just a suspicious that the pundits are just all off on this. Anyway, we'll wait and see.

COSTELLO: I don't know. We'll see.

GRIFFIN: We'll wait and see. Thanks, Carol.

COSTELLO: Sure.

GRIFFIN: Ten years after 9/11, the war that started in response to the attacks rages on in Afghanistan. And our Suzanne Malveaux has traveled there for answers. She's just met with President Hamid Karzai, and we will go live to her after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GRIFFIN: Here's a rundown of some of the stories we're working on.

First, billions in taxpayers' money pumped into Afghanistan. Is it a waste? Suzanne Malveaux is live in Kabul getting answers from President Karzai.

Then, we are at the New York Stock Exchange with news of big bank- cutting. Tens of thousands of jobs at Bank of America.

Plus, an exclusive backstage pass to New York's Fashion Week.

And also, "CNN In-Depth." We're going to take a close look at the Republican presidential front-runner, Rick Perry.

And this -- the iPod controversy. They're giving them to kids in kindergarten.

Let's go right back to Afghanistan though.

Ten years after 9/11, there's been no letup in the war that started in response to the attacks.

Our Suzanne Malveaux joins us from the Afghan capital, and just met with the president of that country.

And Suzanne, does Hamid Karzai see an end to the U.S. military in his country?

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Drew, he certainly hopes for this, and he says that he sees an end to this. He says that by the end of 2014 -- that is when U.S. and NATO combat troops are expected to draw down and to leave -- there will be trainers left, there will be advisers left, but it certainly seems as if the president wants to make sure that his own security, his own people can manage and can handle that huge task.

But, Drew, I have to tell you, there has been a long history, as you know, at least 10 years now with Hamid Karzai and various administrations, the Bush administration -- and the Obama administration inherited Hamid Karzai as a leader. There's been some tension, some back and forth over the relationship between the Afghan people and the presence, the big presence of U.S. troops, as well as NATO troops.

There was a time just a couple years ago when Hamid Karzai ruffled quite a few feathers when he had referred to U.S. troops as potential occupiers. Got a lot of attention and a lot of criticism for that, quite frankly, because it seemed like he was ungrateful to the U.S. mission inside of Afghanistan.

Well, I put the question to him today, whether or not he would consider the U.S. troops that are still here, and have been here for the last 10 years, as occupiers.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PRES. HAMID KARZAI, AFGHANISTAN: I didn't say occupiers. I made it conditional. I said if the United States forces don't respect Afghan sovereignty, and if they act against our well, then they are occupiers. And yes, if they do that, then that's how they will be termed.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: And so, Drew, I asked him, what would the term be now, today? Would he in fact characterize U.S. troops inside of his country trying to protect the citizens, train the citizens, as occupiers? Here's how he responded.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KARZAI: At times the behavior goes beyond a reasonable limit.

MALVEAUX: How so?

KARZAI: Well, for example, the search of our homes, the arrest of Afghans, keeping prisoners. That don't (ph) go well with Afghan sovereignty, and this much we're discussing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: So, Drew, while he didn't use the word "occupiers," he certainly has in the past and is continuing today to wage some complaints here, some criticism that, in some ways, he believes that U.S./NATO forces have acted heavy-handed, that there has been some tension throughout. And he's always said that the problem with civilian casualties is really something that has been very hard to deal with.

The United Nations, as a matter of fact, Drew, says that for this past year, the first six months of this year, civilian casualties, Afghan casualties have gone up by 15 percent. We just saw two days ago, the eve of 9/11, an attack that happened outside of a combat outpost. Who were the victims here? Well, you're talking about two Afghan civilians who were killed, about 77 U.S., as well as NATO troops who were injured, and 25 Afghan civilians who were also injured.

So there are a lot of people who are bearing the brunt of this war -- Drew. GRIFFIN: You know, Suzanne, a lot of the criticism about this guy, Karzai, is that he says different things to different people, you never know where he stands to the U.S., which sends billions of dollars to him. And all the blood and the sweat and tears that we poured over in his country, he says one thing, to the Afghan civilians he says another.

What do the U.S. ambassador for the U.S. and John Allen, the general over there, what's their take on what their main concerns are right now?

MALVEAUX: Well, sure. It's a very good question, Drew, because this is not the first time I've met President Karzai. I saw him once before at the White House under President Bush, in a press conference at the White House, asked him a question when he was at the White House with President Obama. And yes, there is an ability for Hamid Karzai to go one way, then another way, and another way, depending on who he's dealing with, who he's talking to, and what benefits, clearly, his own administration.

So I put the question essentially to the ambassador, Ambassador Crocker, and General John Allen, who is essentially the new person, the new head of the U.S. and NATO mission here in Afghanistan, whether or not he can be trusted, whether or not he is corrupt, whether or not he is in fact a good partner.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: So what do you say to the American people who say, look, we've got billions of dollars wasted here going -- being funneled to the Taliban?

RYAN CROCKER, U.S. AMBASSADOR TO AFGHANISTAN: Well, first, both on the military side and on the civilian side, we have taken a number of measures to ensure that that doesn't happen anymore. The second thing is to look -- is not to think that this has all been a great waste.

In terms of civilian spending, the results are fairly extraordinary. In terms of health care, infant mortality has declined 22 percent. Life expectancy in that same decade has gone up 16 years, and a lot of that is because of U.S. civilian funding.

MALVEAUX: And just to be clear, President Karzai has been cooperative in fighting corruption here? This is somebody that you feel is working to fight that?

CROCKER: You know, it's very parallel in my mind to what we went through with Prime Minister Maliki. First, you fight the wolf closest to the sled. Those are the insurgents. And then you deal with institutional development.

We found Prime Minister Maliki ready to acknowledge that corruption was a problem. We have found President Karzai in exactly the same mode and, indeed, we have discussed with him some practical steps he and we have agreed on to start biting away at this.

MALVEAUX: What has he agreed to?

GEN. JOHN ALLEN, COMMANDER, INTERNATIONAL SECURITY AND ASSISTANCE FORCE: To look at criminal patronage networks that have risen during the generation that the institutions of this government have been crushed. He is committed, and in that commitment, we intend to work in full partnership with the Afghan government to begin the process of whittling away at this corruption which, in the end, is a corrosive impact on democracy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: Drew, what was interesting about that discussion is I had a chance to talk to President Karzai about the issue of corruption, the complaints of corruption, the billions of dollars that reports have come out that have found that aid supposed to be going to the Afghans has been funneled to the Taliban. And President Karzai said, look, they take responsibility in some form for the small corruption, the bits and pieces that the Afghans are responsible for. He says, exchanging hands, money, bribes, that kind of thing. But he says the big corruption problem, the big problem, he puts the blame, he puts the responsibility largely back on U.S. -- not U.S. forces, but U.S. businesses, NATO allies, their businesses, private contractors that are inside of Afghanistan, who have taken advantage of kind of the fluid situation and have managed to work out deals with the Taliban.

Those kind of deals, he says, are the ones that are worth billions of dollars and are out of his control. So, you can see again, there is some disagreement here, if you will, over who really is responsible for what is taking place that is wrong in Afghanistan. He says, we're partly responsible, but he puts it squarely, that blame, back on some of his closest friends, if you will -- Drew.

GRIFFIN: Suzanne Malveaux.

Great stuff, Suzanne. Thanks a lot from Afghanistan today.

Well, we've just learned that Bank of America is cutting 30,000 jobs. Our Alison Kosik is on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange to explain what that means as we check the markets.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GRIFFIN: Want to go down to the New York Stock Exchange, where there's some breaking business news. Bank of America now confirming they're going to cut 30,000 jobs over the next few years.

Alison Kosik is there.

Alison, did Wall Street expect this big of cuts?

KOSIK: Drew, Wall Street did expect it. They expected to see anywhere from 30,000 to 40,000 job cuts. And these cuts, the company says, are going to be taking place over the next few years.

Bank of America says many of them are actually going to be through attrition and just doing away with positions that weren't filled in the first place. Now, rumors of these cuts have been really making the rounds for weeks.

CEO Brian Moynihan, he addressed those rumors today in New York at an investor conference. And he says that his goal here is to cut $5 billion each year between now and 2014. It's really part of a long- term turnaround plan that Bank of America began last year, and it wants to continue to keep selling non-core assets.

It's already shaken up its management structure. One reason it did that is because if you look at Bank of America shares, they're almost 50 percent this year. You can grab a share of Bank of America for about $7. So, if you're an investor though, that's pretty painful -- Drew.

GRIFFIN: I've got to ask you, Bank of America's the biggest bank in the nation, right?

KOSIK: It is.

GRIFFIN: Do we expect this to be a trend among the other banks?

KOSIK: You know, it could be. I mean, you look at HSBC, it announced 25,000 job cuts last month. And some analysts say, you know what? Other banks could follow.

Look, these banks are still facing lawsuits from the financial crisis. They're just now beginning to hit these big banks, so they really need to really cut costs.

Also, the economy is another reason for these job cuts. Analysts say the fact is, many Americans aren't taking out as many loans. They're not taking out as many credit cards or mortgages. So there's just really no reason to have that many people working for these banks if no one's using their services in full like in the past -- Drew.

GRIFFIN: OK. What's going on down with the numbers there on this goofy day?

KOSIK: Checking out Bank of America shares, they are pretty much flat right now. They're off session highs since those job cuts were sort of on the low end of what was expected.

As for the overall market though, we do see the Dow down 100 points. The Nasdaq, off about seven.

You're looking at investors who are nervous about those escalating fears about Greece defaulting on its debt. And when Wall Street hears the word "default," plus a country, that certainly can send jitters through the market -- Drew.

GRIFFIN: Alison, thanks for that.

Afghans stepping up to defend their country. Suzanne Malveaux, on assignment in Afghanistan, showing us new recruits in training and the very big job they face.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) GRIFFIN: Here are some of the stories ahead on this program.

Up next, Afghanistan ready to police itself? Suzanne Malveaux with an exclusive look at training exercises you're now viewing.

Then CNN In Depth, we're going to take a closer look at Republican presidential frontrunner Rick Perry.

And later, how young is too young? A school district in Maine is handing out iPads in kindergarten.

First though, training police in Afghanistan is key to handing over security to the Afghan people so U.S. troops can come home.

Well, ten years after 9/11 and the start of the war on terror, Suzanne Malveaux is getting a firsthand look at U.S. training efforts in Afghanistan. She's in the capital now. Suzanne, what are you seeing?

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Sure, well, Drew, just to kind of help people understand what is happening on ground, the Taliban insurgents, they attack. They attack troops, they attack civilians, and essentially it is the U.S. troops, it's the NATO troops and it is the Afghan army. They go in and basically clear the area.

But it is the Afghan police, they are the ones that have to stay. They're the ones that live in the communities, the ones who go home to their wives and their children. They're the ones who really have to make sure that the peace is maintained on the street. And that is why their success is critical to whether or not this country will be safe in the future.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MALVEAUX: This is the scenario -- a suicide bomb strapped to a child. A police officer must disarm the explosive and save the boy. The terrorist is taken into custody using tough but measured force.

Down the street, an angry mob.

(on camera): These exercises are meant to simulate real-life crisis situations that the police recruits will find themselves in. They are considered critical because the police in the past have been accused of being abusive and nonprofessional.

(voice-over): Until recently, the Afghan police force was almost entirely uneducated, untrained, and poorly paid. This led to widespread corruption, cops shaking down the community to support their families. Feared and even hated by the people they were supposed to protect.

Lieutenant general William Caldwell is leading an international team trying to turn things around.

LT. GEN. WILLIAM CALDWELL, COMMANDER, NATO TRAINING MISSION: The police that are being produced today coming out of the training system are far better than anything they used to have. MALVEUAX: Their pay has been doubled. They are being taught to read and write and have pride in their work. Afghan police recruit Hesamuddin Azizi is ashamed of the police's behavior.

HESAMUDDIN AZIZI, AFGHAN POLICE RECRUIT (via translator): Some police use their power to abuse people. But I urge them to stop, to be honest and help people.

MALVEAUX: The reason why these guys are so important to the future of this country is because they represent the face of a new authority. Insurgents target the police hoping to put fear in the hearts of the Afghan people and undermine the Afghan government.

The international coalition here believes supporting the Afghan police is key to bringing down the terrorists.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MALVEAUX: So, Drew, one of the problems here is that Human Rights Watch says that because of these alleged abuses, abuses like land grabs and rapes and beatings and things like this from the police in the past, that they believe -- or they at least fear that the United States international coalition could be arming and developing a militia.

Now, U.S. forces and international forces say they do not have that fear. They don't believe that that is happening here, that they are instilling a sense of responsibility to the community that the behavior of the police is actually changing.

I want to let you know one thing here. Previously, just two years ago, when you talk about attrition rates, it was 110 percent. That means for every ten new police recruits they would train, 11 would drop out. Now, the attrition rate is 30 percent. Every ten people trained and recruited, three of them drop out. So, it seems that there is a sense the police department is being built, that it is more successful than it has been in the past.

But one of the things, Drew, that remains the same is that it's the Afghan police that have twice as much of a death rate -- twice as likely being killed than the Afghan army. So, it is still a much more dangerous job, and there are still a lot of different factors that go into whether or not this police department, the Afghan police, is going to be successful in the future. Drew?

GRIFFIN: Suzanne, such a difficult situation there. Reporting live from Afghanistan. Thanks, Suzanne.

Texas governor Rick Perry jumped in the race and shot straight to the top of the polls. We hear from supporters and critics about the Perry phenomenon ahead in an in-depth report.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GRIFFIN: In an exclusive interview, mega designer Marc Jacobs sat down with our Alina Cho during this year's star-studded fashion week up in New York. She found out what inspires the man behind the tattoos and pencil skirts.

Yep. That he wears.

And for the first time, he comments on the most coveted job in fashion that could be his.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): You see his name everywhere. The creative genius behind a half billion dollar empire, the creative director of Louis Vuitton.

MARC JACOBS, FASHION DESIGNER: We have to see the shape of the pocket.

CHO: At 48, Marc Jacobs has won nearly every award in fashion, including the industry's highest for Lifetime Achievement just this year.

(on camera): It's an incredible validation from the industry.

JACOBS: Yes but a Lifetime is also something that feels very final, and I certainly don't feel like my lifetime is over. And I certainly hope it isn't over. In fact, I hope it's only halfway started.

CHO (voice-over): He may be right. The biggest rumor off the runway is word that Marc Jacobs is in line for one of the most coveted jobs in design: creative director of famed French fashion house, Christian Dior.

JACOBS: Yes. It would be an honor. I mean there is no question that the two great couture houses in Paris are Chanel and Dior. I think it would be very hard thing to turn down.

CHO: Dior has been without a designer since the company fired John Galliano early this year for making anti-Semitic comments.

Jacobs says he doesn't think about the future. His focus is on the present.

(on camera): One day at a time, one hour at a time.

JACOBS: Yes. One minute at a time, one second at a time.

CHO: An obsession that started at 15, a stock boy at a hot New York City boutique. Overnight, he was selling his own designs and then designing for Perry Ellis. In the early '90s, he started his own label and created a sensation when he reinterpreted grunge for the runway. Marc Jacobs had arrived.

JACOBS: I instinctively react to things that stimulate me. And --

(CROSSTALK)

CHO (on camera): Such as? JACOBS: -- that -- that's -- well, I mean it could be anything. Things that have affected me in the past couple of months, the weather has affected me.

CHO: Amy Winehouse?

JACOBS: The death of Amy Winehouse and moving into my new place.

Yes, yes.

CHO (voice-over): A perfectionist.

JACOBS: So we should mock up the size. Yes. And put a pocket.

CHO: Famous for working right up until show time.

JACOBS: To me, it doesn't really matter. If it -- if it's a day before the show or a week before the show, if it's before the show, it's before the show.

CHO: A former drug addict with 33 tattoos, and a certain fondness for skirts.

JACOBS: I like wearing skirts. I like wearing kilts. I started like a few years ago. I moved from kilts into pencil skirts. Like -- I wear now mostly Prada pencil skirts. I like to do the things that make me feel good and that make me feel happy that don't hurt other people.

CHO: A man who on and off the runway has done it his way. And yet is never satisfied.

JACOBS: I'm always nervous. I'm a total nervous wreck, all the time or most of the time. I'm very, you know, I'm always questioning my choices. And I'm always relooking --

(CROSSTALK)

CHO (on camera): You are.

JACOBS: -- at things. Yes but I -- and I don't think there's anything wrong with that. I don't think that's a negative thing.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GRIFFIN: Alina Cho.

We are letting you talk back on one of the big political stories of the day. Will Rick Perry's stance on Social Security hurt him in the election. Carol Costello is going to have your responses.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GRIFFIN: The Republican presidential candidates are squaring of tonight. CNN, along with the Tea Party Express and other Tea Party groups are host this debate tonight in Tampa, Florida. That, by the way, is the site of the 2012 Republican convention. The CNN/Tea Party Republican debate tonight, 8:00 Eastern, right here on CNN.

Texas Governor Rick Perry heads into tonight's debate with a big lead now over his Republican challengers. In a new poll out from CNN, Perry is at 30 percent. Mitt Romney now a distant second at 18 percent. Sarah Palin, she's not even in it, she's running third, followed by Congressman Ron Paul. Perry has rocketed to the top since jumping into the race. And CNN 's Ed Lavandera takes an in-depth look at the Perry phenomenon.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE, POLITICAL AD: Sometimes your instincts tell when you a man is right for the job.

ED LAVANDERA, CNN ANCHOR: Wearing chaps and riding a horse. This was Rick Perry's first state wide political ad back in 1990.

BILL MILLER, POLITICAL CONSULTANT: I'll tell you a great story.

LAVANDERA: Legendary Texas political consultant Bill Miller remembers women posting pictures of Perry in chaps in offices all over Austin. He knew then Rick Perry had the "it" factor.

MILLER: They had told me that, yes, he's a good looking guy. And when you meet him, you're going to get a vitality and an energy off of him that you'll feel, which will surprise you.

LAVANDERA: So Miller isn't surprised to see Perry rocket to the top of the polls for the Republican presidential nomination. He credits Perry's risk-taking, like joining the Tea Party movement early.

MILLER: We didn't know where it was going or how it would play out. So he's a risk-taker, but a smart one, because the bets he makes have paid off well for him politically.

LAVANDERA: Harold Cook is another veteran political consultant in Austin. He knows a thing or two about crafting political messages. He says Perry has a great narrative, but he hasn't locked up the nomination yet.

HAROLD COOK, POLITICAL CONSULTANT: If you hope to knock Perry down as a Republican opponent, you're going to have to get in the middle of his own jobs narrative and you're going to have to knock it down a couple of notches. And the notches are there to knock, they just haven't tried yet.

LAVANDERA: Cook is a Democrat and he wouldn't let an opportunity slip by without trying to burst the Rick Perry phenomenon bubble.

COOK: As easy as Perry is to underestimate, it's also kind of easy to overestimate Perry. He is not some magic monolith of a campaign here. Since 1994, the only thing you've had to do as a Republican in Texas to win your election is to avoid being the Democrat.

LAVANDERA: Rick Perry is also used to being the front-runner. He's always held the lead. And he's comfortable in front of crowds. He was a yell leader, kind of like a male cheerleader, at Texas A&M University.

MILLER: So all that, you know, in a weird kind of way, helps him and I think makes him a better politician, a better campaigner, and certainly, by all accounts, he's as good a campaigner as anyone's seen down here in our lifetimes.

LAVANDERA: But there's still months left in this race. Rick Perry can't ride off into the sunset as the Republican nominee just yet.

Ed Lavandera, CNN, Austin, Texas.

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GRIFFIN: You've been sounding off on our "Talk Back" question. Carol Costello is here with your responses.

Carol.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I have them right here. The "Talk Back" question today, will Perry's stance on Social Security hurt him? As you know Perry called Social Security a Ponzi scheme.

This from Cylinda. She says, "yes, Rick Perry's stance will hurt him. Tens of millions of us paid in tens of thousands over the decades and we're counting on it to be there when we retire."

This from Arthur. "Remember they want to privatize as the fix. They want to privatize as the fix. That means big business stops paying and you still pay and the money will be invested back into big business. Your money will be safe in Wall Street. Right."

This from Alex. "I'm a dedicated liberal, but I agree with Rick Perry. I'm 21 years old and there's going to be no money in Social Security for me or those in my age group. Even now many have begun to set up retirement plans because there is going to be no safety net for us."

And this from Quinn. "No, because he's the leader of the tin foil hat crowd. Sorry, Michele, there's someone who does crazy even better than you."

Keep the conversation going, facebook.com/carolcnn. And thanks, as always, for your comments.

GRIFFIN: Creative. I just got that tin-hat thing. Thanks, Carol.

COSTELLO: Sure.

GRIFFIN: A lot of people believe the iPad is the learning tool of the future, but is a school district in Maine missing the error message by making them mandatory in kindergarten? Our senior medical correspondent looks at the good and the bad.

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GRIFFIN: A school district in Maine has an expensive and unique approach to helping struggling students learn math and reading. Give kids in kindergarten iPads. CNN's senior medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen caught up with some of them.

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ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's a big day in Mrs. McCarthy's (ph) kindergarten class at Fairview School.

KELLY MCCARTHY, KINDERGARTEN TEACHER: What time do you think it is?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Lunch time.

MCCARTHY: Not lunch time. What do you think it is?

KIDS: IPad time!

MCCARTHY: IPad time!

COHEN: Today, these kids are getting their own iPads.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, thumbs on top.

COHEN: The Auburn, Maine, school district spent more than $200,000 to outfit every one of its 250 kindergarteners with the tablets and a sturdy case to protect them. They believe they're the first public school district in the country to give every kindergartener and iPad. Mrs. McCarthy says the iPads give her 19 students more immediate feedback and individual attention than she ever could.

MCCARTHY: As much as you would love to as a person be able to get to everybody right away and individualize what they're doing, sometimes you can't.

COHEN: Forty percent of the third grader here in Auburn are not reading at grade level. Superintendent Katy Grondin says the goal is to fix that.

KATY GRONDIN, AUBURN SCHOOLS SUPERINTENDENT: We put a stake in the ground that our kindergarten classes from here on out by the time they reach third grade and leave third grade that 90 percent of those students are meeting benchmarks.

COHEN: There's no question these kids love their iPads. Maybe a little too much, some might say. A study done last year shows kids with too much computer time are more likely to have psychological problems. Some experts worry too much screen time takes them away from reality and away from face time with other kids and teachers. The school district says they're making sure that doesn't happen.

MCCARTHY: We're going to really make sure that they're outside playing, that they're interacting with each other, they're interacting with adults, besides using the tool that we're giving them.

COHEN: Soon they'll find out if the iPads help or hurt when they test the kindergarteners reading and math skills in November.

(END VIDEOTAPE) GRIFFIN: There's such a -- there's an obvious disconnect between the president telling us we have to fix crumbling schools and a school district handing out iPads to kindergarteners. But let's put aside the money.

COHEN: OK.

GRIFFIN: Let's put aside the money. What do the parents think of this?

COHEN: Well, for the parents, the money is really a central part of this. I mean some of them say this is a great expenditure. We feel like our kid is getting apps that are especially for them and they can move at their own pace. And others are like, $200,000? You could have bought a lot of teachers for that. And I would rather my child have more teachers in the classroom than iPads in the classroom.

GRIFFIN: And you alluded to it in the report about too much computer time. What do psychologists think? Because it seems like that wonderful teacher there is being replaced by this little electronic Etch-a-sketch.

COHEN: Right. I mean she's not being replaced by it. She is still in there and very much involved with those children. But she herself said, I can't be with all 19 of these kids at one time. It's nice that they all have their iPad.

Now, child psychologists are sort of in disagreement about this. Some of them feel that these are fine and some of them feel the more time a kid spends with an iPad or an iTouch or just, you know, having a device that they can have with them at all times, that they're not sort of registering with the world as much. That they're very focused on this device in front of them and their brain gets used to it and they want that kind of fast face all the time and the world sometimes is slow.

GRIFFIN: Elizabeth Cohen, that is going to be a talker. Thanks for that story.

COHEN: Thanks.

GRIFFIN: Appreciate it.

Well, the U.S. Postal Service borrows a page from the past to help protect its future.

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GRIFFIN: The U.S. Postal Service is banking on a new strategy as it struggles to stay solvent. It's partnering with neighborhood businesses. Patrick Oppmann has more on what's being called a village post office in Malone, Washington.

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PATRICK OPPMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In Malone, Washington, it wasn't the rain, snow, sleet or hail that shuttered the town's only post office, it was the U.S. Postal Service's mountain of debt.

OPPMANN (on camera): If you search for Malone on Google maps, the only landmark that comes up is this post office. It's now been closed. But there's a new place just across the street where you can pick up and receive mail. It's probably unlike any post office, though, that you've ever been to.

OPPMANN (voice-over): This is what the postal service is calling a village post office. A mini-mart where mail is delivered. And in between the beef jerky and $7 sunglasses, you can pick up flat-rate shipping supplies. The postal service says they are paying the Kims, couple that owns the market, $2,000 a year to run the village post office. And at the same time, giving them new customers. But, the Kims say, for their town, the post office is much more than a business.

CHERYL KIM, MINI MART OWNER: They told us if we didn't do this, then the zip code was going to disappear and we're going to merge into Elma's (ph) zip code and then the Malone's identity is going to disappear.

OPPMANN: So far, they say, the reviews have been good, for the most part.

KIM: They'll come in, well, how do you call yourself a post office when you don't have everything that the post office offers? And I tell them, you know, we're a very limited post office. That's why they call us the village post office.

OPPMANN: Chad Fishal (ph) picks up some stamps and says he prefers having a smaller post office because it's open until 10:00 p.m. every night of the week.

CHAD FISHAL, MALONE RESIDENT: It's a lot more convenient because their hours, obviously, are much longer than what the old post office hours were.

OPPMANN: For the moment, Malone's is the country's only village post office. The postal service says they expect to save about $42,000 a year here and may turn as many as 3,700 existing locations into village post offices, but with a looming debt of $9 billion, saving the U.S. mail service is going to take more than a village post office.

Patrick Oppmann, CNN, Malone, Washington.

GRIFFIN: And the news continues now with Randi Kaye -- Randi.

RANDI KAYE, CNN ANCHOR: Hey there, Drew, thank you.