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John Boehner Speaks At Economic Club Of Washington; Six Days Until Execution; College Status Quo At Urban Prep; Turner Takes Democratic Stronghold; Interview with New York Ninth District Representative Bob Turner; Marine to Receive Highest Honor; Cartel's Warning to Social Media Users; Casey Anthony Owes $97,000; Countdown to the Emmy Awards
Aired September 15, 2011 - 13:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
RANDI KAYE, CNN ANCHOR: And thank you very much, Fred.
Well, it is not a prime time speech, of course, to a joint session of Congress, but a lot of people still would like to hear John Boehner's alternative to President Obama's jobs bill. He has just started speaking.
Let's listen in for a bit here.
(JOINED IN PROGRESS)
REP. JOHN BOEHNER (R-OH), SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: I worked in that tavern growing up. Lot of things you can learn working in a bar. I'll tell you more about that later.
But listen, I ran a small business myself and I was 25 years old. Went to work for a guy and he passed away, and I suddenly found myself in a small business where I had one real live customer and that was hanging on trying to -- trying to succeed. But I know what it means to meet a payroll, to hire people and to create jobs in the private sector.
And here in Washington, there's a fundamental misunderstanding of the economy and it's led to an awful lot of bad decisions. And the reality is that employers will hire if they've got the right incentives, but the incentives have to outweigh the costs.
As an example, businesses aren't going to hire someone because the government's going to give them a $4,000 tax credit. If the government mandates that are imposed on them cost a lot more than that, temporary credit. In our recent years, these mandates have been overwhelming.
Private sector job creators of all sizes have been pummeled by decisions being made right here in Washington. They've been slammed by uncertainty from the constant threat of new taxes, out of control spending, and unnecessary regulations from a government that's always micromanaging, meddling and manipulating.
Now, they've been hurt by government ideas that offer short-term gimmicks rather than fundamental reforms that will encourage long-term economic growth. They've been hampered by a government that offers confusion to entrepreneurs and job creators when there needs to be clarity. They've been undercut by a government that favors crony capitalism and businesses deemed to be too big to fail over the small banks and small businesses that are at the heart of our economy.
And they've been antagonized by a government that favors bureaucrats over marked-based solutions. Now, they've been demoralized by a government that causes despair when what we really need is to provide re-assurance and inspire hope in our economy.
And my worry is that even after all of this, much of the talk in Washington right now is basically about more of the same. More initiatives that seem to have more to do with the next election than the next generation. It's -- these economic decisions that are being made here ought to be made to help liberate our economy.
And I think the American people are worried about all of this as I am. I can tell the American people, private sector job creators, they're rattled by what they've seen out of this town over the last few years. And my worry is that the American job creators, is that all the uncertainty is turning to - is turning to fear in that this toxic environment for job creation may be a permanent one.
Job creators in America basically are on strike. And the problem is not confusion about the policies, it's the policies themselves. And the anger many Americans have been feeling in recent years is beginning to turn to fear, and it's fear of our future.
That bothers me, and, frankly, I think it should bother all of us. America is a land of opportunity and it always has been. And our economy has been built on opportunity, on entrepreneurs, innovators, risk takers willing to take a chance because they are confident. If they work hard, they've got a chance to succeed.
And over the past few years, governments made people less confident, not more confident, that they can succeed. More and more Americans are realizing this, and they're speaking out about it.
The last six weeks or so I've traveled through my district and across the country listening to people outside of Washington who are the key to making America work. My message today on their behalf is this, this isn't that hard. What we need to do is liberate the economy from the shackles of Washington and let our economy grow. I think we need to trust in the good judgment of the American people.
You know, the instinct of government always is this, to get bigger, more meddlesome, and more intrusive. And that instinct is at direct odds with what is needed to make the American economy move. A job creation America is facing what I would call a triple threat from our government. And I think the first aspect of that threat is excessive regulation.
During the joint session last week, I hosted about a dozen job creators from the private sector as guests in the house gallery, all of them with a common story. They're trying to help create more American jobs, but in each case, the government is getting in their way.
And we all know some regulations are needed, we've got a responsibility under the constitution to regulate interstate commerce. There are reasonable regulations that protect our children and keep our environment clean. Well, there are excessive regulations that unnecessarily increase the costs for consumers and small businesses, and those excessive regulations are making it harder for our economy to create jobs.
Over the past couple of months we've seen two vivid illustrations. Last month, agents rated the Gibson Guitar Factory in Tennessee, Gibson, a well-respected American company, that employs thousands of people. And the company's cost as a result of the raid are an estimated $2 million to $3 million. Why? Because Gibson bought wood overseas to make guitars in America.
The other example is in South Carolina where the Boeing company recently completed a plant that will create thousands of new full-time jobs for American workers, only to be sued by a federal agency that wants to shut it down.
Now, let me make sure I've got this right. American companies are free to go create jobs in China, but they aren't free to create jobs in South Carolina. You know, at this moment, the administration has 219 rules in the works that will cost the American economy at least $100 million each. This means under a current - the current Washington agenda, our economy is poised to take a hit from the government of at least $100 million -- at least 219 times.
And I think it's reasonable to ask, is it wise to be doing all of this right now? The current regulatory burden coming out of Washington far exceeds the government's constitutional mandate, and it's hurting job creation in our country at a time when we can least afford it.
Government's threat to job creation has two other components. One is the current tax code which discourages investments and rewards special interest. It strikes me as odd that at a time when it's clear the tax code needs to be fundamentally reformed, the first instant to come out of Washington is to come up with a new host of tax credits that make the tax code more complex.
And on the final aspect is the spending binge that's been going on here in Washington. It's created a massive debt crisis that poses a direct threat to our country's ability to create jobs and to prosper.
There are some people in this town who still deny this, who still deny that our debt is a threat to jobs. But if you talk to anybody outside of Washington who has to meet a payroll, they'll tell you that out of control spending in Washington is one of the things that concerns them most about our future.
You know, back in May I was in New York City, and I warned that if we didn't take action soon the markets would take action for us. Well, last month, the markets took action in the form of a debt downgrade and the possibility of future downgrades that caused the markets to tumble. And it's going to keep happening until we, as a government, act.
And the responsibility for fixing this toxic environment for job creation is a bipartisan one. The situation was created by Washington's inability to let our economy work. It was created by government intrusion on micromanagement. And I think we've got a responsibility to work together in the coming months to remove these barriers and to liberate our economy. This is what the American people are demanding of us.
Everything we do in the weeks and months to come needs to start with asking this question. Are we addressing these problems or are we making them worse? The Budget Control Act of 2011, signed into law just last month, establishes a joint select committee of Congress for the purpose of identifying $1.5 trillion of deficit reduction. Many have expressed their doubts about the joint committee's chances of success.
Now listen, I understand the skepticism, you know, a joint committee after all is no substitute for the president who controls most of the arms of government, but I think the select committee has a huge opportunity. It has a chance to lay the foundation for economic growth by dealing with some of the obstacles that are standing in the way. The joint committee's mission is deficit reduction, and I think that has everything to do with job growth in our country.
You know, as the co-chairman of the joint committee, Jeb Hensarling from Texas, said last week at the committee's first meeting - said this, our debt threatens our jobs. Speak to any Fortune 500 CEO or small business person, it's clear that our debt hangs like the sort of Damocles over their hiring decisions. And it should be obvious that the deficit reduction and a path of fiscal sustainability are themselves a jobs program.
The joint select committee can tackle tax reform and it should. Probably not realistic to think that the joint committee could rewrite the tax code by November 23rd, but it can certainly lay the groundwork for them for tax reform in the future. That will enhance economic growth and enhance the environment for real economic growth in our country.
The committee can develop principles for a broad-based tax reform that will lower rates for individuals and corporations while closing deductions, credits and a special carve-outs in our tax code.
Yes, the tax reform should include closing loopholes, not for the purposes of bringing more money to the government, but because it's the right thing to do and it's the fair thing to do. And if we're going to tackle tax reform, frankly, we ought to tackle all of it. Making short-term fixes in exchange for long-term flawed policy is not tax reform.
And I think tax reform should deal with the whole code, both the personal side and the corporate side, and it should result in a code that is simpler and fairer for everyone. Now tax increases I think are off the table. And I don't think they are a viable option for the joint committee. It's a very simple equation. Tax increases destroy jobs and the joint committee has a jobs committee. Its mission is to reduce the deficit that's threatening job creation in our country. And it should not make us --
(END OF LIVE COVERAGE)
KAYE: Listening to Republican House speaker, John Boehner, making some comments there at Economic Club of Washington.
Some highlights, pointing the finger at the Democrats for micromanaging, for offering short-term gimmicks, as he said, saying the Democrats offer confusion to business owners instead of clarity and, of course, blaming the excessive regulation for the difficulty that we're seeing in job creation.
We will continue to keep an eye on these comments, and we'll have much more on them in our political coverage.
In the meantime, a very quick break and we'll be right back with much more news.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: Now to a murder case that's been closed for 20 years but never in the minds of many actually solved.
Troy Davis has spent his adult life on death row here in Georgia, and six days from today his life is scheduled to end. His only remaining hope is the State Board of Pardons and Paroles, which may or may not be swayed by hundreds of thousands of names attached to petitions presented this morning by Amnesty International, the NAACP, the ACLU and others. Even the likes of former FBI Director William Sessions is publicly urging Davis' life be spared.
In today's "Atlanta Journal Constitution" Sessions writes "serious questions about Mr. Davis' guilt, highlighted by witness recantations, allegations of police coercion and a lack of relevant physical evidence continue to plague his conviction."
It all began with a tragedy that's not in dispute. The killing of a police officer in Savannah, Georgia, from 1989.
CNN's David Mattingly has the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Three times scheduled for execution, three times delayed. And now with all legal appeals exhausted, supporters of convicted cop killer Troy Davis make a final push for clemency.
(on camera): What makes you think you still have a chance to stop this execution? LAURA MOYE, AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL USA: Can we be sure that this man is not innocent? Can we be sure that the conviction of Troy Davis back in 1991 is still reliable? And the thing that's so difficult to understand is why the legal process has not asked that question.
MATTINGLY (voice-over): Davis was sentenced to death for the 1989 murder of Savannah, Georgia, Police Officer Mark MacPhail. Seven of nine eyewitnesses have since recanted, changed their stories. Some say they were originally pressured by police.
DARRELL COLLINS, WITNESS: And I told them over and over that this is -- I didn't see this happen. They put what they wanted to put in that statement.
MATTINGLY: Others have come forward implicating another man. One juror who convicted Davis questions her decision.
BRENDA FORREST, DAVIS JUROR: If I knew then what I know now, Troy Davis would not be on death row.
MATTINGLY: With only a week to his execution, critics of the case against Davis include 51 members of Congress, the Vatican, and former President Jimmy Carter.
JIMMY CARTER, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT: We believe that in this particular case there's enough evidence to the contrary to prevent this execution taking place.
MATTINGLY: An online petition supporting clemency for Davis exceed 200,000 signatures in five days. But state and federal courts have all upheld Davis' conviction. The former D.A., who prosecuted Davis, says the courts got it right.
SPENCER LAWTON, FORMER CHATHAM CO. GA., DISTRICT ATTORNEY: I'm just disappointed that so many people have been led to believe that nobody has paid attention to these recantations. It is, as I explained earlier, simply not the case. It's just not the case. And on what ground are the recantations more believable than the testimony in court? None. None.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAYE: And here to weigh in, NAACP President Ben Jealous and legal analyst Sunny Hostin.
Sunny, to you first. Is this the end of the road, do you think, for Troy Davis? I mean what should his legal team be doing right now to try and save him?
SUNNY HOSTIN, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Well, certainly I think they're doing all that they can do, Randi. Absolutely by bringing sort of this issue to the forefront, he has only six days until the scheduled execution, and this really is an egregious case. Really an egregious case.
And it's really up to now the Georgia Department -- or rather the Georgia Parole Board to do something about it. They can do something about it. They can stay his execution. They've done it before.
And I've got to tell you, I've seen so many cases, Randi, I've tried so many cases, and this is one of the most egregious cases that I've seen where there is really actually evidence that he may very well be innocent. And to allow a death penalty -- an execution to go forward in a case like this would be a miscarriage of justice, knowing what we know now about this case.
KAYE: And, Ben, when you look at the testimony in this case, I mean the majority of witnesses have now recanted their testimony. Many of them say that they were pressured by police. Others say that somebody else actually committed this crime. What does it take when you have evidence like that to get someone off death row?
BENJAMIN JEALOUS, PRESIDENT & CEO, NAACP (via telephone): What it takes is courage and conviction on behalf of the D.A. in that county who, frankly, should not have signed the death warrant. He knows that this is not a case that he could get the death penalty for now because seven of the nine people who put Troy there now say that they lied.
So (INAUDIBLE) death warrant. And, therefore, the Board of Pardons, this is the time for them to do their job. For them to (INAUDIBLE) people are so appalled at these facts and say, you know, this is why we are here. This is why -- since the time of kings we have had the power of commutation.
There's too much doubt to execute. We're going to do the right thing. We're going to make sure that this man is not executed and gets off death row. And then, you know, give time for the facts to actually come out.
This case needs to be re-opened in Savannah. And what people sort of forget here is that what this means is that the killer of Mark MacPhail is still out there. He's still on the streets. And the reality is that justice has not been done here. Justice needs to be done. Troy Davis needs to be off death row. The courts need to -- the case needs to be re-opened and the real killer needs to be put -- needs to be put in jail.
KAYE: But, Sunny, you heard Ben there say that the case needs to be re-opened. But it has been re-opened before and the courts have found basically smoke and mirrors. The evidence too general once again. So what would be different this time?
HOSTIN: Well, I think what's important to note, Randi, and you really hit the nail on the head, the first time in over 50 years the Supreme Court granted him what sort of commonly known as an innocence hearing, where he gets to go in front of a federal judge and prove his innocence by clear and convincing evidence. And in that hearing, that happened in June of 2010, these people came forward and said, I was coerced by the police. I'm recanting my testimony. But the judge found that he didn't prove his innocence by clear and convincing evidence.
Now, what's so interesting about that is, that is really not what the law should be about. The state has to prove someone's innocence beyond a reasonable doubt. Not some -- the person doesn't have to prove their innocence. So I think really this system is just awry when it comes to this type of case.
And, again, I mean there's really compelling evidence to support the notion that he is innocent when you have seven out of nine people recanting or changing their stories and you have no physical evidence tying someone to a crime, that is not the type of case that you put someone to death on because death is an irreversible sanction.
KAYE: And, Ben, I have to ask this. I mean do you think that we'd be in this same position, and that Troy Davis would be in this same position, if we were looking at a white man sitting on death row versus a black man sitting on death row?
JEALOUS: No. Right now in the state of Georgia there's been about 10 people who have come off of death row, come off to another prison (INAUDIBLE) who have been put there on very serious charges. Three of those come from this one county. All of them have been black men. The reality is that still too often we just have a much lower bar for actually convicting black men then white men.
And one thing's for certain. Whether the person's black or white, we only put poor people on death row. About 95 to 98 percent of the people on death row were too poor to afford their own lawyer state to state.
And that's why it's so important that people speak up at this moment, that they text Troy to 62227 and have their (INAUDIBLE). Don't do this in my name. When our country stumbles toward putting a man who did not commit the crime to death for that crime, it's incumbent upon all of us to say, no, stop, please don't do this because, quite frankly, when the state kills somebody (INAUDIBLE).
KAYE: Well, as some have said, including former FBI Director William Sessions, justice will not be served for the officer's death if the wrong man is then put to death for that.
Ben Jealous, Sunny Hostin, thank you both for that discussion.
And coming up, one high school is creating a new status quo. One hundred percent of its students are going to college. Imagine if that was true at every high school. Coming up, we'll show you the key to their success.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: In our CNN's series "Fix Our Schools," we're looking for solutions to improve our kids' education. We want to tell you about one school that now has 100 percent of its graduates going to college. One hundred percent. But that wasn't always the case for urban prep, the nation's first all-boys charter school. Our Ted Rowlands shows us what changed.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Wide receivers over there! Let's go! Jog to your spot. TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Jermaine Taylor is excited about his senior year playing football for Chicago's Urban Prep High School. But it's his future and the future of his teammates and classmates that not only has Jermaine excited but also educators around the country.
JERMAINE TAYLOR, SENIOR, URBAN PREP: Everyone here knows that they're going to college.
ROWLANDS: Every student that's graduated from this all-boys public charter high school on Chicago's notoriously rough south side has been accepted to a four-year college. An incredible statistic considering that traditionally less than 5 percent of African-American boys from Chicago's public schools make it through college.
TAYLOR: I want to go into engineering and get my degree in engineering at U of I.
ROWLANDS: Urban Prep has been open for five years. There's no test to get in. It's a lottery. There are roughly 1,400 boys on the current wait list. Freshman arrive with varying levels of education. The school days are long, 8:30 to 4:30. Students wear a jacket and tie and are expected to excel.
ROWLANDS (on camera): Have you ever wanted to quit?
TAYLOR: No, not really. I was frustrated. I get frustrated, but I never wanted to quit because people around me always, you know, gave me that positive reinforcement that I needed to keep on going.
ROWLANDS (voice-over): He's happy now, but the idea of no girls and extra work didn't appeal to Jermaine. His parents made the decision to go to Urban Prep for him. Brandon Sparkman is a freshman who's just starting to understand what lies ahead.
BRANDON SPARKMAN, FRESHMAN, URBAN PREP: My mom told me to come. And I didn't -- I really didn't want to go, but now that I'm here, I like it.
TIM KING, URBAN PREP FOUNDER: There are plenty who get here because mom is making them come. But there's a good number that actually come because they want this type of experience.
ROWLANDS (on camera): Because they can see where it's going?
KING: They can see the future. They understand, you know, what the opportunities they're going to have because of an Urban Prep education.
ROWLANDS (voice-over): The Urban Prep education is more than long hours and hard work, it also includes support. Kids are taught to support each other in class. The school provides support for any obstacles at home.
KING: We've got a 90 percent poverty rate for our students. Our students are all African-American and our students come from some of the tough neighborhoods in the city of Chicago. It's very clear to me that that stuff matters, but it's not an impediment to that child's success.
ROWLANDS: Jermaine says he'd like to play college football if he can make the team and if it doesn't distract him from his goal of becoming an engineer.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAYE: And Ted Rowlands joins us live now from Chicago.
Ted, that is such a great story. Nice to see so many of them succeeding. What's the secret?
ROWLANDS: Well, it's that support, Randi. When freshmen come in, they don't say, now, if you do well, you'll graduate. If you don't, you won't. They say you will graduate from not only this school, but you're going to college and here's why, because we're going to support you and you're going to support each other. You're going to hold each other's hands basically through this process. And they are all committed to it. All these kids know that they're going to have to work their butts off, but they're going to college and they're excited about it because they've been told what that means in terms of the rest of their life.
KAYE: Yes, I'm sure. What about their teachers? I mean they must have some pretty great teachers. Are they paid more to deliver like this?
ROWLANDS: Yes, no. They're actually paid about the same starting wage as a unionized teacher here in Chicago. But moving forward, they really are giving up seniority because they don't get the pay increases, they don't get the same benefits as a union teacher. So, talking to the director, (INAUDIBLE) says that my teachers are here because they love it. Moving forward though, they really are donating, if you will, some of their salary moving forward because they won't get paid as much.
KAYE: All right. Ted Rowlands, great story. Live from Chicago. Thanks Ted.
ROWLANDS: Yes.
KAYE: Coming up, he delivered a shocking blow to Democrats when he called a referendum on the President. We'll talk to the newly elected New York Congressman, Bob Turner next. You don't want to miss our conversation.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: If I said the name Bob Turner to you last week, unless you're a political junkie or a New Yorker, you might have asked, who? But, Republican Bob Turner, a newbie to the political word is now a household name after pulling off a stunning upset in Tuesday's special election. He replaces former Congressman Anthony Weiner, nabbing a Democratic stronghold. I'm talking about the seat for New York's Ninth Congressional District.
Losing the Ninth District to a Republican is seen as a major blow to Democrats who outnumber the GOP in this district three to one. Voters here had not sent a Republican to the House since 1923 until now. The best man to talk about this surprising win, of course, is Bob Turner himself. He joins us now from Washington from Capitol Hill.
Bob, congratulations.
First order of business now that you're a --
REP. BOB TURNER (R), NEW YORK: Thank you, Randi.
KAYE: --Congressman and you're in Washington, D.C. Tell us, what is your first order of business there?
TURNER: Well, I'm orienting myself. I had a wonderful day, got sworn in, got my voting card, got directions to the men's room. I'm all set to roll up my sleeves and get to work.
KAYE: What made you think that you could win this time around, looking back, because it was, what, less than a year ago that you actually ran against Anthony Weiner and you lost by more than 20 points. So, what was it this time that made the difference for you?
TURNER: I think many of the things we were running on, the issues, have become more pronounced. I felt more Democrats were ready to take a different view. In this district you have to appeal to Independents and Democrats to win and that was our message. It was strongly the economy, jobs, the looming deficit and its danger. I think people were ready for a different message and -- and they accepted it.
KAYE: You have framed your win as a referendum on the President. Those are your words. I think you also said this was -- you lit one candle today and now there's going to be a bonfire pretty soon. What makes you believe all this?
TURNER: Well, the voters of this district turned -- turned out in big numbers to support a very different viewpoint but a viewpoint that's growing and it's out there and it -- it can be felt. So, I think if we do not change the current course we are going to see a lot more of these Bob Turner types coming up and winning in seats that they shouldn't.
KAYE: You are a retired television executive, television cable executive. You are, admittedly, a political novice. You look at what's happening there on Capitol Hill. We have the Do Nothing Congress as they are being called and all of the in-fighting. How do you expect to navigate that and maybe improve things?
TURNER: Well, I'm a lone voice but I hope to put forth a business practicality and common sense approach. I have to reach across the aisles to get anything done for the people I represent in the Ninth so I -- I hope we can do that, I expect to do that. KAYE: What's your vote on the President's jobs plan?
TURNER: Well, I think the plan is a starting point. It's certainly not perfect. There's a lot to do but I think we ought to begin. We can sit down together and figure out the parts of this that work and what might be added to it to enhance it.
KAYE: And you are on Twitter, right Congressman?
TURNER: Actually, I hope not.
KAYE: You won't be using -- you don't plan to be using Twitter?
TURNER: I think that's a bad choice. I think my predecessor would probably advise me not to as well.
KAYE: All right Congressman. Well, we'll look for you whether it's on Twitter or Facebook or maybe just there on Capitol Hill. We appreciate your time today and good luck getting to know the way things work there.
TURNER: Thank you. Thank you Randi.
KAYE: Thank you.
At the White House today, President Obama will award the nation's highest military honor to a marine who calls himself a failure. Dakota Meyer was a 21-year-old Corporal, helping train Afghan soldiers when their patrol was ambushed two years ago this month. He defied his commanders by jumping into a Humvee along with a comrade and rushing into enemy fire where he killed several insurgents and saved the lives of three dozen U.S. and Afghan troops.
He also found and recovered the bodies of three of his fellow marines and a Navy Corpsman, men he considers his brothers, who he couldn't save and who he says he thinks about every day. Meyer is the first living Marine to receive the Medal of Honor from the Iraq or Afghan wars and you'll see the ceremony live at 2:45 p.m. Eastern time right here on CNN.
Coming up, we break down the hot political story of the day. Can Rick Perry win the Latino vote and is Michele Bachmann's campaign for President coming to an end? It is all fair game and it's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: It is time for Fair Game where every day at this time we tackle the hot political topics people are talking about. So, let's bring in our panel: Will Cain, CNN contributor and columnist for www.theblaze.com, Democratic Political Consultant, Ed Espinoza, and CNN contributor, John Avlon, who is also a columnist for Newsweek and The Daily Beast. Welcome to all of you, a lot to talk about today.
Let's start with the Latino vote, many wondering if Rick Perry, the GOP frontrunner, could pick up this vote. John, let me start with you. What does Rick Perry need to do to secure Latino voters? JOHN AVLON, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: He needs to hand out a welcome sign and a border state governor is in a good position to do that but the Republican party's got a big problem here. As they've moved further and further to the right, they are chasing down a dying demographic. They cannot build a future party on old white guys and that's why probably the single-most important thing that happened this week in politics is Rick Perry getting the endorsement of Brian Sandoval, New Mexico's governor.
And, you know, even though he's taken flack in the debate for supporting Texas's version of The Dream Act, that's exactly what sends a signal to Latino voters that they can consider voting for him in the fall of 2012.
KAYE: Ed, you were at this event that the President held last night trying to get the Latino vote. How do you think he did and what does he need to do?
ED ESPINOZA, DEMOCRATIC POLITICAL CONSULTANT: Well, I think the President has done a great job and the important thing in courting any vote, whether it's the Latino vote or the rural vote or any community out there, what you have to do is build up a relationship over time. The problem Rick Perry has got is the same problem that the GOP has in general right now is that they haven't built that relationship with the Latino community.
And, while Perry supports the Dream Act, he also supported a Texas version of the Arizona SB1070 bill. Healthcare coverage is very low in that state among Latinos and he lost every county where there's a majority of Latinos in Texas in his re-election last year. He's got a ways to go. His best way to win the Latino vote is to pick a running mate that has a better record than he does.
KAYE: John, let me get to you because, as I just mentioned, Rick Perry does support The Dream Act. So does President Obama, I mean, but Rick Perry sits to the left of the rest of the GOP candidates. So, is that a good thing and how does he separate himself, then, from the President.
AVLON: On that one issue it certainly is a good thing and he's taken some heat for it from folks on the far right but that's exactly the kind of stand he needs to take in order to say that, look, as a border state governor, I understand the essential diversity of American life. So, while he takes heat from the far right, that's exactly what you need to build bridges to the center in a general election.
KAYE: Will, is Rick Perry the best person to do this for the GOP?
WILL CAIN, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: I think John just pointed out, he's probably the best among the field. I should say this, you know. The answer to the question you asked Ed and John is can Rick Perry win Latino votes? The answer is yes. The Latino vote is not monolithic as, say, the black vote which is 90% votes for Democrats. It's more like 60% to 65% for Democrats. So, there's certainly a big opportunity for Republicans to win with Latinos. I think the way to do that is to speak through the prism of aspiration, hard work, success, achievement. These are important in the Latino culture and the Republican party has a unique angle in being able to be the proponents of those values.
KAYE: Why do you think --
CAIN: There's a unique angle on that --
KAYE: Sorry, go on.
CAIN: --unique angle on that value but there -- there's a problem with being genuine about that and I think that this goes back to building relationships over time. Obviously, this is a very competitive demographic. The block has shown that it's not lock step with Democrats or Republicans but when you look at the track record of what the parties say and what they do, the GOP, not just Perry, the GOP in general has got a problem here.
AVLON: And just final point of this. President Bush reached out in good faith and he got slapped down with the Immigration Bill that McCain and Kennedy co-sponsored and then in the subsequent, President Obama has nominated the first Latino Justice, Judge Sotomayor, and Republicans really tried to block her and that left a bad taste in some folks' mouths. Then you have the Arizona bills. So, I think ground has been lost in terms of the GOP's outreach to the Latino community since the Bush years.
KAYE: Let's talk about the debate earlier this week, I'm talking about the GOP/Tea Party debate. I want to switch topics, I want to talk about Michele Bachmann, because her comments at that debate when she went after Rick Perry on the HPV vaccine, she said that she met a woman -- I'm sure you all know this -- she met a woman after the debate who came up to her and said, these are her words, her daughter took the vaccine and she suffered from mental retardation thereafter. That is a quote from her.
But last night, on Sean Hannity's radio show, she seemed to backtrack a bit. Let's listen and then I want to get your response.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
REP. MICHELE BACHMANN (R-MN), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I am not a doctor. I'm not a scientist. I'm not a physician. All I was doing is reporting what this woman told me last night at the debate.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
KAYE: So let me start with you, John. Quickly, does it sound like she's walking that back a bit?
AVLON: Oh, she's walking it back. I mean, she's not a doctor and she doesn't even play one on TV.
But here's the problem, I mean, you know, her whole political career has been built by throwing bombs. She has never been restrained by the facts. And the problem is she's gained a reputation by throwing out irresponsible statements, but there is a limit to how long that can work and that limit is apparently when you start running for president. So Michele Bachmann's got a real problem here.
KAYE: Will, I want to ask you, there is a Minnesota professor and actually another professor who is actually offering $1,000 for Bachmann's HPV vaccine victim to come forward, this other professor is offering $10,000. What do you make of that? They want proof.
CAIN: I don't need anybody to come forward. I need Michele Bachmann to go away.
(LAUGHTER)
CAIN: She has convinced a certain segment of conservatives that she is the only principled conservative in the field. And yet every time she speaks she betrays conservative principles like free market capitalism with her promise of $2.00 gas or constitutional federalism like saying Mitt Romney's health care mandate, while philosophically wrong, is also unconstitutional.
And now with now this Gardisil causes retardation deal, it's just too much. We can do better than this. I'm saying this over and over, and we have to do it now.
KAYE: Ed, I'm going to give you the final word on this one.
ESPINOZA: One month ago she was the Republican front-runner.
(LAUGHTER)
ESPINOZA: But I think that the problem we're looking at -- the problem we've got here is that it is inherently difficult for a member of Congress to launch from their smaller district, their smaller area of supporters, to a larger area, a larger platform like president.
We haven't had a major party nominee who's been from -- directly from the House of Representatives in almost 100 years. It is not going to happen this time. She just hasn't been tested the same way that a senator or governor has.
So is her campaign doomed now? I think history shows it was doomed from the start.
KAYE: All right, guys. That was a really fun discussion. Serious topics, of course, but fun discussion.
Will Cain, Ed Espinoza, John Avlon, as always, nice to see you guys. Thank you.
Now coming up we have a brutal warning, mutilated bodies hanging from a bridge. A very disturbing story, but one that any social media user will want to hear and we'll have it for you right after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) KAYE: We have some new details on a story that we told you about yesterday, the horrifying murder of two young users of social media in Mexico. It happened on the Texas-Mexico border. The victims allegedly were tortured, their bodies mutilated by a Mexican drug cartel.
Rafael Romo has more. And we want to warn you, some of the images are very graphic.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RAFAEL ROMO, CNN SENIOR LATIN AMERICAN AFFAIRS EDITOR (voice- over): It's the most shocking message sent so far to people who post messages on social media about drug violence in Mexico.
The bodies of a young man and a woman were found hanging from a pedestrian bridge in the border city of Nuevo Laredo, across the border from Nuevo, Texas. The young man and woman appear to have been tortured. She was tied with a rope by the wrists and ankles and had a severe abdominal injury. The man was tied with a cable by the wrists and his right arm was partially severed.
Two posters found near the bodies had similar messages that the two were killed for denouncing drug cartel activity on a social network. One of them said, "This is going to happen to all of those posting funny things on the Internet. You'd better (expletive) pay attention. I am about to get you."
The posters threaten those who report violent incidents through social media networks. It specifically named two blogs, "Al Rojo Vivo" and "Blog del Narco," where users can post anonymous messages about incidents of drug violence in Mexico.
Mexican President Felipe Calderon has not reacted to the messages, but in a public ceremony this week, he said that peace in Mexico is everybody's responsibility.
FELIPE CALDERON, PRESIDENT OF MEXICO (through translator): Face the enemy and fight against it in the name of Mexico. I believe that every citizen, whether in the military or not, should do that. Everybody in their trenches, everybody in their attacks, everybody doing their jobs.
We need to build the country we want. Assuming that the future of our country depends on every effort we make.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAYE: And Rafael Romo is here with me in the studio.
That is just a horrific story. Has any cartel actually claimed responsibility for these killings yet?
ROMO: Well, the poster they found was signed with a "Z," and a cartel known as Los Zetas operates in that part of Mexico. But so far we have no indication on whether they were responsible for this or not. There is a turf war in that part of Mexico between Los Zetas and the Gulf Cartel, so that might have been what caused this problem.
KAYE: And we don't even know what the messages said, right? What these people may have written.
ROMO: No. Not specifically why.
KAYE: All right, Rafael Romo, thank you for the update on that.
We have much more news after this quick break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAYE: This just in to CNN.
We have confirmed the state of Florida has Casey Anthony, the mother of Caylee Anthony, paying nearly $100,000 now to law enforcement there for the cost of the investigation. The actual figure is $97,676 for the cost of the investigation.
A hearing was held back on September 2cd. And this is for, as we said, the case of the death of Caylee Anthony who was just 2 years old at the time.
As we know, Casey Anthony had lied to investigators, sent them on a bit of a wild goose chase looking for her daughter. Now she has to repay law enforcement there and the state nearly $100,000.
Moving on now, Hollywood is in high gear ahead of Sunday night's 63rd Annual Emmy Awards. And with so much talent on the ballot, some are saying this year's winners are pretty hard to predict.
Kareen Wynter joins me now with a look at who is on the list.
Hi there, Kareen. Any sure bets this year, do you think?
KAREEN WYNTER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: Oh, we have a few. A few, Randi.
But can you believe it? The Primetime Emmy Awards are just a few days away, and some of TV's hottest stars, they're are gearing up for television's biggest night. So let's get to the biggest nominees, shall we?
Starting with the comedy category, "Modern Family." You know, Randi, it took home the Best Comedy trophy -- series trophy last year, and after earning 17 nominations, well, many experts think this could be their year again, that the ABC series will snag the Emmy again on Sunday. "Modern Family" also has a handful of acting noms, including Ed O'Neill who is a favorite in the Supporting Actor category.
And moving on to drama, get ready for a big showdown between AMC's "Madmen," it won the Best Drama Emmy the past three years, and HBO's "Boardwalk Empire," which has earned a whole lot of praise among fans and critics after just one season. The show is set in the 1920s, Atlantic City. It won a Golden Globe in January, by the way, for Best Television Drama Series. "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT" caught one some of the big stars from the show "Boardwalk Empire" Wednesday night at the show's big premier in New York, and they opened up about all the accolades.
Let's listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STEVE BUSCEMI, ACTOR: It's great. It's great for the show. But certainly, I don't need the validation because I know I'm working with the best people. Every aspect of it from the costumes to the sets are just so specific in the detail.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think everyone felt really good about that and they really appreciate it. And it makes it nice to go to work because everybody feels like almost, they can relax and do the job and not worry too much about ratings and things like that, you know. It's a real luxury.
MARK WAHLBERG, EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Between the people behind the camera and in front of the camera, there's no better group of people and the level of talent is just hard to top.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
EMMY: Randi, how about that cast? That was, of course, Mark Wahlberg who doesn't star in the show, but serves as an executive producer along with director Martin Scorsese.
So who knows? With competition like this, maybe this is the year "Madmen" is bumped from the top spot. We'll have to see.
By the way, Jane Lynch, she hosts. Should be a great show -- Randi.
KAYE: Well, I know where you're going to be Sunday night. We'll be watching along with you. Kareen, thanks very much.
WYNTER: Thanks, Randi.
KAYE: We'll have much more news including a very unique cat after this break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
