Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Newsroom
Jerry Sandusky Waives Preliminary Hearing; Tycoons on Food Stamps; Eman al-Obeidi's Tough Journey; Proposed South Korean Building Causes Controversy; Gingrich Urges Colleagues to Play Nice; Iraq Vets Suffer PTSD; U.S. Wants Drone Back
Aired December 13, 2011 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN ANCHOR: Live from Washington, I'm Suzanne Malveaux.
I want to get you up to speed for this Tuesday, December 13th.
It was billed as a day of high drama. Jerry Sandusky, the former Penn State defensive coach, could have faced some or all the accusers in court today. Well, instead, Sandusky waived his right to today's preliminary hearing and pleaded not guilty.
What does that mean? It means he's going to trial on charges that he sexually abused 10 boys. Sandusky's attorney explained why.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE AMENDOLA, JERRY SANDUSKY'S ATTORNEY: One of the main reasons that we wanted to have a preliminary hearing and anticipated having one was because we wanted to be able to cross-examine mike McQueary, who was involved in the allegations pertaining to accuser number two. As most of you know, the credibility of Mike McQueary has been put into great question prior to today, with various statements he allegedly has made.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: So, Mike McQueary, he's the assistant coach who claims that he saw Sandusky rape a boy in the Penn State showers. But according to some reports, McQueary's account of the alleged incident has now changed over time.
The Army is trying to figure out what caused two helicopters to crash, killing four soldiers. The accident happened last night outside a training area at joint base Lewis-McChord. That is in Washington State. Now, the choppers were observation helicopters. There's no word on whether they collided or crashed separately.
Finders, keepers, that's the message from Iran today about the captured U.S. drone. The country's defense minister now says it's the property of Iran.
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad tells Venezuelan state TV that there are people in his country who have been able now to control -- what he says, control -- the aircraft. Former vice president Dick Cheney says the Obama administration mishandled the situation.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DICK CHENEY, FMR. VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The right response to that would have been to go in immediately after it had gone down and destroy it. You can do that from the air, you can do that with a quick air strike, and, in effect, make it impossible for them to benefit from having captured that drone.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: Documents say that Syrian soldiers who defected from the army opened fire on their own people, killing seven government security forces. And today's violence follows an unbelievable act during a funeral procession for a 10-year-old boy.
Shots rang out as the boy's family and friends carried his body to a grave. The child, Mahir al-Husseini (ph), died when a bullet struck him while he was inside his home.
Well, one of three people wounded in a Hollywood shooting spree has now died.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's a madman in the street. Oh, my God!
You all right?
There's a madman that just shot people.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: That man in the street fired into cars on Sunset Boulevard. That happened on Friday afternoon. Police shot and killed him.
The victim, John Atterberry, a music industry executive. The "Los Angeles Times" reports he worked on albums for Christina Aguilera, Michael Jackson, and the Spice Girls.
All right. So there were no "gotcha" moments, zingers in the latest Republican debate. In fact, the meeting between Newt Gingrich, Jon Huntsman, kind of a friendly discussion rather than a debate. The two candidates, they mostly agreed with each other during the foreign policy discussion. Both criticized the debt reduction deal that calls for automatic cuts in the defense budget.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NEWT GINGRICH (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The idea that you're going to cut defense by a random $500 billion because it was a political deal strikes me as just the worst possible way to approach this. Create the defense system you need, create the foreign policy you need, then let's talk about how we get to a balanced budget. You want to do it as inexpensively as you can, but you want to make sure it gets done. JON HUNTSMAN (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I agree with Newt completely. And that is, whatever we do on the defense spending side must follow a strategy. And that strategy must be part of keeping us safe. That's the bottom line. But then, finally, let me just say, as we follow strategy that is consistent with being the second decade into the 21st century, I think we have to be smart enough to say there's a whole lot of waste in the procurement and purchasing side to the Pentagon.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: So, the House could vote today on a plan that would keep about $1,000 in your pocket, but don't count on the money yet. House Republicans say that they are willing now to approve the extension of the payroll tax cut, but in exchange they want to speed up approval of a proposed oil pipeline between Canada and Texas. President Obama said that last week he would reject any effort to link those two issues.
People reveal just about everything on Facebook, but this is tragic. Some admit that they are even ready to end their lives.
But today, Facebook launches a service that's going to connect desperate folks with counselors so you can instantly chat online with these services, suicide prevention professionals. If you spot a friend's message, you can report it. Facebook will send an e-mail to that person with a link to this new service.
Here's a chance to "Talk Back" on one of the big stories of the day. Today's question: Do Republicans dislike President Obama so much that they have lost their focus?
Carol Costello, she is joining us from New York.
Hey, Carol.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Suzanne.
Life at the top is good until, of course, you become a human pinata. And I'm not talking about Rick Perry. It's Newt Gingrich's turn to be whacked, and it's proving especially painful.
Conservative radio talker Michael Savage is offering Newt Gingrich a million dollars if he drops out of the race because, in part, "In a presidential debate against Obama, regardless of how well he does on television, he will look nothing more than what he is: a fat, old, white man."
The Tea Party's favorite talker, Glenn Beck, is also piling on, calling Gingrich just another Obama.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GLENN BECK, HOST, "THE GLENN BECK PROGRAM": If you've got a big government progressive, or a big government progressive in Obama, one in Newt Gingrich, one in Obama, ask yourself this, Tea Party: Is it about Obama's race? Because that what it appears to be to me. If you're against him, but you are for this guy, it must be about race.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Some analysts say the only reason Gingrich is flying high is because of voters' intense dislike of President Obama. Mr. Gingrich is smart, he's good at debating, but he's especially adapt at showing his contempt for all things Democratic, and that hits a chord with many Republican voters. It also is what worries some conservatives like Red State's Erick Erickson, who say conservatives have not really given other candidates a fair chance.
But we want to hear from you. So, the "Talk Back" question: Do Republicans dislike Obama so much they have lost their focus?
Facebook.com/CarolCNN. I'll read your comments later this hour.
MALVEAUX: Thank you, Carol.
Here's a rundown of some of the stories ahead.
First, former Penn State coach Jerry Sandusky waives his right to a preliminary hearing. Details on the move stunning the courtroom.
Then, the woman whose anguished screams helped alert the world of the brutality in Libya. She's in the United States now, and she is talking to us. I have got an exclusive with Eman al-Obeidi.
Plus, the party could soon be over for millionaires on food stamps.
Also, if you think the picture looks familiar, you're not alone. Plans for a high-rise in South Korea for some are bringing back angry and painful memories.
And the battle might be over in Iraq, but a few struggles begin for many female veterans.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I do notice when I'm stressing out, then I start having dreams about what I saw in the fear and just the all-around experience. It does come back as if to haunt you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: Jerry Sandusky, the long-time Penn State assistant football coach, did not face any of the 10 accusers in court today. It was a surprise move. Sandusky waived his right to a preliminary hearing on child sex abuse charges and pleaded not guilty.
Susan Candiotti, she's in Pennsylvania with the story.
So, Susan, tell us how this played out. This was rather extraordinary when you think about it, because we had anticipated a real face-to- face with some of these young men who have accused him. SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It certainly was just like that, Suzanne. But as it turns out, we're learning now that prosecutors had an inkling that this was going to happen. It was all discussed last night. But here's what happened for the general public.
As we were anticipating this preliminary hearing to begin with excruciating testimony, clearly, for the alleged victims in this case, when they would have to face their accuser, when the parties entered court -- Jerry Sandusky, his legal team and prosecutors -- they immediately went to a sidebar. That's a private conference with the judge at the front of the courtroom.
The room, you could hear a pin drop. Then the announcement was made by Sandusky's team that they were going to be waiving this court appearance. However, we've learned since from the prosecutors that in fact there was a meeting last night at which Sandusky's lawyer told them that they might be doing this, that they intended to do this. But until they showed up in court this morning, no one knew for sure that it would happen until they put it on the record.
Why did the defense make this move? They claim they had a very good reason. Look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AMENDOLA: We anticipated nothing new coming out of this case by way of our defense and not being able to realistically present a defense or attack any witness' credibility today. We decided late last night that the better part of a tactical maneuver from our standpoint would be to waive today's proceeding.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CANDIOTTI: However, previously, that attorney, Joe Amendola, has said that -- and Mr. Sandusky as well -- that they looked forward to hearing from these witnesses, alleged victims as well, at today's preliminary hearing.
Also, he made the point today that they were expecting Mike McQueary, who is the assistant coach currently on leave, to testify, a very important witness for prosecutors. He might have said or was expected to say that he witnessed a sexual attack in a shower in 2002, but because there have been some questions raised about whether he might have different accounts, Sandusky's lawyer claimed that, well, you didn't really need to hear from him -- Suzanne.
MALVEAUX: So, Susan, what's next? What's next in this case? When does he expect to see his accusers?
CANDIOTTI: Well, at this point, the arraignment, the formal arraignment, which had been scheduled for January 11th, has been waived as well. That means that today, Sandusky formally entered a not guilty plea. So the next thing that will happen is a pretrial conference. There's also another hearing on Friday of this week in Harrisburg, because there are two other people charged in this case, two administrators of Penn State University who are charged with lying to a grand jury. That hearing is still scheduled to take place.
MALVEAUX: All right.
Susan Candiotti.
Thank you so much, Susan.
(NEWSBREAK)
MALVEAUX: And we're going to get to the markets in a minute. They took a beating yesterday. We saw that.
But first, food stamps and unemployment checks for out-of-work millionaires. That's right, crazy but legal. A House vote today, that could change it.
Alison Kosik is at the New York Stock Exchange to talk a little bit more about that.
Alison, that's hard to imagine. So, millionaires, they get laid off too, right? But then they get food stamps and it's legal?
ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Well, just to put it in perspective for you, Suzanne, millionaires collecting food stamps is much more rare than millionaires who are collecting jobless benefits, but it does happen. So if you think of it in a general sense, people who get food stamps have to prove that their income is below a certain level to receive them. But there's a "New York Times" report that says 40 states don't actually have what's called an asset test, meaning, in some situations, yes, yes, yes, someone who is living in a huge mansion could theoretically be living on food stamps.
Yes, outrageous, if you ask me -- Suzanne.
MALVEAUX: Yes.
What about ending unemployment insurance for folks who earn a lot of money?
KOSIK: Well, on Capitol Hill right now there's a Republican bill for those Americans with adjusted incomes over $1 million that would no longer be able to get food stamps or jobless pay at all. They say that if this bill actually gets passed, that would produce an extra $20 million in savings to go to helping cover tax cuts elsewhere.
Democrats are also endorsing this plan, but the problem is figuring out exactly how to get wealthier Americans to pay more towards helping to bring down the deficit. Democrats, of course, want to put a tax on incomes over $1 million, but Republicans are saying no way -- Suzanne.
MALVEAUX: How much does this cost? I mean, obviously it's costing the government something. KOSIK: It is. And one senator is estimating that millionaires who collected over $74 million in jobless benefits between 2005 and 2009, of course that is a huge figure. And then you look at the actual number of people who are cashing in, that's just below 2,400. So they are really making out like bandits. And, of course, this takes away the opportunity for high earners to take advantage of the system, this bill would, and it could at least put a small dent in saving the country some money. But, of course, this bill still has to pass -- Suzanne.
MALVEAUX: All right. We'll see how that goes.
(STOCK MARKET REPORT)
MALVEAUX: All right. Alison, thank you.
Well, how can you forget the anguished face of a woman crying out that she had been raped by Gadhafi's forces? Eman al-Obeidi burst into a room of international journalists in Tripoli earlier this year. Well, now she is here in the United States, and I had a chance to sit down and talk with her about her life now.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: One young woman put a face on a Libyan crisis when she burst into a room full of journalists in Tripoli and accused Libyan forces loyal to Moammar Gadhafi of beating and sexually assaulting her.
Journalists tried to help Eman al-Obeidi, but she was dragged away, held by Gadhafi forces. After she was released, she was bounced around from country to county before she ended up getting asylum here in the United States. Well, now she is telling her story in her first interview since arriving here in the U.S. She is living in Denver with a refugee community on a small stipend, trying to heal.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MALVEAUX: Do you feel safe here?
EMAN AL-OBEIDI, ALLEGED LIBYAN RAPE VICTIM: Yes.
MALVEAUX: You do?
AL-OBEIDI (through translator): Definitely.
MALVEAUX: Do you feel safe going back home to Libya?
AL-OBEIDI (through translator): I definitely feel safe with this family, but no one has made me feel safe. My friends, my siblings, they are all not comfortable. They are all being stolen from, they are all threatened. We know a family in Tripoli, in the capital. They receive a threat every day by snipers. Armed people threaten them every day with heavy weapons.
How is one supposed to feel safe? MALVEAUX: How are you doing in terms of your healing after what had happened to you in Libya with the attack?
AL-OBEIDI (through translator): I didn't get a chance to breathe, except here, when I came here.
MALVEAUX: Do you feel like you are healing?
AL-OBEIDI (through translator): Thank God, sometimes I get depressed and I don't leave the house, and sometimes I get really tired. I don't get out of bed for three or four days.
MALVEAUX: What do you need, do you think? What do you really need right now?
AL-OBEIDI (through translator): Stability. I just need stability.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MALVEAUX: Well, she is running out of money, unable to find work in the United States. Eman makes a desperate move. Risking it all, she gets a one-way plane ticket to Washington, seeking help. We're going to bring you that part of the story up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: In late July, Eman al-Obeidi arrived in Denver, Colorado, living on a small stipend from the State Department and on food stamps. Now she is about to lose her housing, afraid she can no longer make it. On Thursday, she got a one-way ticket to the Libyan Embassy in Washington. That's where I found her with $25 in her pocket.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
AL-OBEIDI (through translator): When I came, I never imagined life would be this hard. There's nothing easy.
You have to work. You have to work. I mean, as we say in Libya, you have to kill yourself working just to survive.
And I wish there even was work. The state I'm in seems cut off. There are no work opportunities. I've been going to the employment office for four months.
MALVEAUX: Do you have any support from your family?
AL-OBEIDI (through translator): My family supports me. I have been here for four months. And without the aid they send me every month, I could not have survived. Three hundred dollars a month can do nothing.
MALVEAUX: What would you like to do? Would you like to go back to your family in Libya?
AL-OBEIDI (through translator): I'm sure everyone wants to return back to their own country, but I'm not mentally ready for that. I also feel, personally, I'm not ready to integrate back into the society. I feel life for me is hard, because everything is so different from culture to language.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MALVEAUX: So, hearing her pleas, Libyan Ambassador Ali Aujali actually cut her a check, providing her with a $1,800 monthly stipend, a college scholarship, and money for English classes.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ALI AUJALI, LIBYAN AMBASSADOR TO THE U.S.: I think she was very -- and maybe still -- she is very desperate. I think she needed help. She is very sad.
I told her one thing. I told her, "You have to close the door for the past and look for the future. And great people, people when they are desperate, when they are low, when they have no help, they wake (ph) up again and they stand on their feet and make their future." She is a young girl. She cannot live in misery for the rest of her life.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
AL-OBEIDI (through translator): It's like I won the lottery. Really, it's like the lottery.
MALVEAUX: One thousand eight hundred fifty dollars, this is like the lottery for you.
AL-OBEIDI: Yes.
MALVEAUX: That's a lot of money. What are you going to do?
AL-OBEIDI (through translator): It's not about whether it's a lot or it's a little, it's about the time that I got it. It's like a person who has been living off of nothing, and suddenly he wins the lottery.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MALVEAUX: She wins the lottery. Well, next, I talk to her about the state of her country now that Moammar Gadhafi is dead.
Here's a rundown of some of the stories that we are working on.
Up next, Jerry Sandusky stuns prosecutors by waiving his preliminary hearing. We're going to analyze the strategy behind the surprising move.
Then, the picture worth a thousand angry words. Architects are hearing it after this design for a high-rise in South Korea.
And later, the offer Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich couldn't refuse. Well, actually, he could refuse, $1 million to walk away.
And Jerry Sandusky's decision to waive his preliminary hearing and plead not guilty today means the alleged victims did not have to testify. It also means that prosecutors don't have to put any evidence on the table. But does this move tell us something about the defense strategy?
Jeffrey Toobin, our senior legal analyst, joining us from Skype from New York.
So, Jeff, what do you make of this move here by Sandusky's attorney?
JEFFREY TOOBIN, CNN CHIEF LEGAL ANALYST: I think it was a very smart decision on their part. This was a no-win situation, quite literally, for the defense in this case.
Preliminary hearings in basically any state, including Pennsylvania, the defense never wins. They never get the case thrown out.
Now, in ordinary circumstances, they use the preliminary hearing to test the prosecution's case, maybe see where the weaknesses are, do some cross-examination. But in this case it would have resulted in a storm of more bad publicity for Sandusky. All these victims testifying in public for the first time, alleged victims, that would have been a disaster, and he would have lost anyway. I think it was smart to just waive the hearing and move on.
MALVEAUX: What happens next?
TOOBIN: Well, he will be arraigned on the charges again, and then there will be a schedule set for motions, legal issues to be dealt with, and then a trial date will be set. It probably won't be until well into next year.
Obviously, the question hanging over the whole case is, will there be some sort of plea bargain. That -- if there are going to be discussions, will start to happen soon.
MALVEAUX: The fact we saw Sandusky today, what does that do for him? Does that do anything at all? Could they have just cancelled this or just waived this without everybody showing up?
TOOBIN: I think they probably could have. It's unusual. It is usually done in public. But I think, you know, the judges like to hear a major decision like this from the defendant himself. This is a right, that Sandusky has to have a preliminary hearing. And sometimes judges don't like it when it is simply done by a lawyer's letter. I think Sandusky appearing in public will remind a lot of people that he's still out on bail. And, given the seriousness of his charges, I think a lot of people are shocked and disappointed that he's out on bail. But that's just a fact and there he was.
MALVEAUX: All right, Jeffrey Toobin. Thank you, Jeff.
It is a painful image some would like to forget, but it showed up in a building design for a futuristic high-rise. Are you offended by this? Jeanne Moos has this story.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: Take a look at the first few seconds of this next story. See if it reminds you of anything. For many it does, and they find it offensive.
Jeanne Moos has this story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MOOS, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It is not even built yet but already there's a cloud over this proposed building in South Korea because some say it reminds them of a cloud of smoke.
(on camera): Does this remind you of anything?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, 9/11. I think it is in very poor taste.
MOOS (voice-over): In fact, almost every person --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, my gosh.
MOOS: -- we showed the architect's rendering to --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ah.
MOOS (voice-over): It's kind of --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Shivers are going up my spine.
MOOS (voice-over): -- associated it with 9/11.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is an outrage. I survived the towers and it is actually looks like the explosion of the towers.
MOOS: Ed Walker was walking by the towers when the first plane hit. He ended up wet with jet fuel.
A Dutch newspaper fuelled this controversy by plastering the proposed building on its front page with a question, inspired by twin towers? No way says the Dutch architectural firm MBRDV. "We never intended to design a project looking like an exploding building, why on earth would we? This is quite shocking in this discussion that people think we might have done this on purpose. No!"
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think somebody had this in mind when they designed it. I don't think it is an accident.
MOOS (on camera): Really?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you?
MOOS: But who would do that?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: P.R. You're talking about the building. MOOS: Oh, folks are talking all right. And for once, the left's --
KEITH OLBERMANN, HOST, COUNTDOWN WITH OLBERMANN: Yep, that's what they want to build.
MOOS: -- Keith Olbermann --
OLBERMANN: Change it. You'll look like ghouls.
MOOS: And the right's Glenn Beck sound alike.
GLENN BECK, HOST, GLENN BECK: This is the most offensive building I have seen.
MOOS: The so-called cloud would actually connect the two luxury apartment buildings and contain a restaurant, a wellness center, pools.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: God, that's really nice. They should do it.
MOOS: GNN (ph) engineers were the only one's we talked to who defended the project.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is typically what an architect wants to do with something different.
MOOS: An online defender compared comparisons to the twin towers to seeing "Jesus on a piece of toast."
(on camera): The architects say they envisioned a cloud, a cloud in the sky, a nice, fluffy, innocent cloud.
(voice-over): This image represents the inspiration for their design. The architects apologized to anyone whose feeling we have hurt.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't know what they were thinking.
MOOS: During the three-month design process, the architects say they did not see the connection. Somebody's head is in the clouds.
Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MALVEAUX: Well, because of the negative reaction in the United States, "Bloomberg" reports that the architectural firm may change this building's design.
Newt Gingrich is sending a message to his fellow Republican candidates for president, can't we just all get along? We explain why Gingrich is now urging GOP candidates to play nice.
And seen any eye candy lately? (LAUGHTER)
It is all around if you live in any of these five cities. "Travel & Leisure" magazine has came out with the sexiest cities, Austin, Texas, coming at number five. Denver, San Juan, Puerto Rico, coming in fourth and third. And the two cities, the nation's most attractive -- we'll tell you in a minute.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: All right. So we told you a few minutes ago "Travel & Leisure" magazine came out with the cities with the most attractive people. The hotties are all hanging out, where? Austin, Denver, San Juan, San Diego. And the city with the most beautiful people is Charleston, South Carolina. Who knew? "Travel & Leisure" says this city is home to the nation's most attractive. We'll have more.
MALVEAUX: You guys, what is going on?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: Newt Gingrich urging his fellow Republicans to play nice now. Focus on beating Obama in 2012.
Joe Johns is live from Atlanta with the "Political Ticker."
Joe, sexiest city, you're in Atlanta. I would think that would have been you.
JOE JOHNS, CNN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT: Yes I know you like the city a whole lot, and I do, too, quite frankly, Suzanne.
Once again, Newt Gingrich is announcing to the world, in neon, that he's taking the high road, that he doesn't want to get down in the dirt. In this letter to his staff, which quickly made its way to the media, he said he's running a positive solutions-based campaign. That it is critical the Republican nominee emerge from the campaign unbloodied to face President Obama.
But he has reserved the right to respond when he thinks his record is distorted. He also points out in his own letter that the last time he exercised that right to respond was yesterday in a nasty exchange with Mitt Romney. First, Romney said Gingrich needed to give back the money he made from Freddie Mac. And Gingrich responded by saying he'll consider it after Romney gives back the money he made bankrupting companies. Still, Gingrich is telling his staff there should be no negative attacks on his Republican opponents and even not to support super PACs that do negative attacks.
Mitt Romney, who has been on the attack lately, has also pledged not to say outrageous things.
So, Suzanne, you know how this goes. We'll see how long it lasts.
MALVEAUX: Yes, really. Play nice, I don't believe all that stuff. But Gingrich is getting props from Rudy Giuliani. What is he saying about Gingrich versus Romney?
JOHNS: Rudy Giuliani's record on reading the political tea leaves is mixed, at best, especially if you look at the presidential race four years ago. Still, he says Newt Gingrich might be the guy to beat.
The former New York mayor appeared on "Piers Morgan Tonight." Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RUDY GIULIANI, (R), FORMER NEW YORK MAYOR & FORMER PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: My gut tells me right now, as I look at it, that Gingrich might actually be the stronger candidate because I think he can make a broader connection than Mitt Romney, as I said, to the Reagan Democrats, where you won't have this -- a barrier of possible elitism that Obama could exploit pretty effectively.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JOHNS: You might think that the eastern establishment candidates are going more or less with Romney, who is considered the more moderate Republican. That doesn't at least seem to be the case, as far as predictions go and Rudy Giuliani. We'll see -- Suzanne?
(LAUGHTER)
MALVEAUX: Tell us a little bit about the candidates that are still in the back of the pack. They're still plugging away. You have folks like Rick Santorum, that's he's -- that he's in it to win it still.
JOHNS: Yes. Interesting case, Rick Santorum, still plugging away. But as far as the first in the nation caucus goes, as far as we can tell, Rick Santorum is the only Republican candidate who is actually doing public events in the state of Iowa today. And we are about 21 days from the Iowa caucuses. Santorum has several campaign stops there today, including a town hall in Bell Plaines, Iowa. Of course, it's all about retail politics out there. Santorum's just spent a huge amount of time campaigning in the state. We'll see if it pays of for him -- Suzanne?
MALVEAUX: All right. Good to see you, Joe.
JOHNS: You too.
MALVEAUX: For the latest local news, go to CNNpolitics.com.
It's been a long journey home from Iraq for one former soldier, a woman defeating now her toughest enemy.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: In Iraq, a gnawing fear is fighting the unknown, the unseen, IEDs, snipers. But tragically, many bring that fear home as they battle another invisible enemy, post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, and many of the victims are women.
Kyra Phillips goes "In-Depth" with one former soldier's story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(SINGING)
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: June Moss and her 15-year-old daughter, Briona, are tight --
(CROSSTALK)
(LAUGHTER)
PHILLIPS: Laughing, dancing, healthy competition.
(CROSSTALK)
(LAUGHTER)
PHILLIPS: But just five years ago, this almost ended.
(on camera): When you attempted suicide by cutting your wrists. And what you told me about your kids and what they said to you.
JUNE MOSS, IRAQ WAR VETERAN: I remember the ambulance came, and my kids asked me, Mommy, why did you do that. And the only thing I could say at the time was I had a bad day.
That was, one, a stupid mistake. Two, I thank God that I wasn't successful.
PHILLIPS: What do you do now when you have a bad day?
MOSS: I try to limit those bad days, for one.
PHILLIPS (voice-over): When we first met retired Staff Sergeant June Moss two years ago, she was confronting PTSD head on.
As a U.S. Army vehicle mechanic, June went into Baghdad in 2003, the start of Operation Iraqi Freedom. She had an incredible attitude. She wanted to win this war.
But after a few months of doing check-point security and driving in-country, a patriotic June Moss went from this to this. She had become a soldier, mentally battling the brutal realities of war.
MOSS: Decapitations, you saw the charred bodies from the explosions and from -- and seen all the debris.
PHILLIPS (on camera): Does that still come back.
MOSS: It comes back but only when my stress level is high. So I try to minimize as much stress as possible. But I do notice when I'm stressing out, then I start having dreams about what I saw and the fear and just -- the all around experience. It does come back as if to haunt you.
PHILLIPS: PTSD doesn't go away, does it?
MOSS: Unfortunately, no. PTSD does not go away. It's not that simple. You're always one incident from spiraling out of control, back to where you were at, being depressed.
PHILLIPS: I remember from our last interview, you talked about anger being a problem.
MOSS: Sometimes when you have PTSD, you just lash out. And I was angry of all the mess that had been.
PHILLIPS: Is anger still a problem now?
MOSS: Anger is still an issue. Yes, anger is still an issue. And --
PHILLIPS: Why?
MOSS: It's funny. Just a year ago, I punched somebody in the face, and --
PHILLIPS: You punched somebody in the face?
MOSS: Yes.
PHILLIPS: At work?
MOSS: At work, yes. It was because of my anger. And I'm not proud of that behavior.
PHILLIPS: What happened?
MOSS: I let them push my buttons. And they pushed one too many buttons.
PHILLIPS: Was that a gut check for you?
MOSS: Oh, definitely. But even I do have to keep my anger in check and keep me mindful.
PHILLIPS (voice-over): She was suspended for three days without pay but now, committed to weekly therapy, and thanks to her employer, the chaplain at the Palo Alto, California, V.A, she's embracing her faith and family in a whole new way.
(on camera): How do you remember your mom when she first got back for war?
BRIONA MOSS, DAUGHTER: She was overly protective.
UNIDENTIFIED GIRL: She said she had nightmares about people taking us away or her more --
BRIONA MOSS: What is your mom like now? UNIDENTIFIED GIRL: Mommy is just like wild and just my mother. She's always --
(CROSSTALK)
PHILLIPS: She's back?
BRIONA MOSS: She's back. She's back.
PHILLIPS (voice-over): Back, but continuing to fight her fears.
MOSS: I just couldn't do crowds. It reminded me when we were in the marketplace and we don't know if somebody was out there to kill us. I know I'm back home and I don't have to worry about a suicide bomber but I still felt as if it there was one lurking somewhere at the mall or the grocery store or --
PHILLIPS: Just over a month ago, June, she took a huge step. She took her daughter to a concert.
(on camera): You were afraid of crowds, noises?
MOSS: Yes.
PHILLIPS: And you took your daughter to see Chris Brown?
MOSS: Yes, to see Chris Brown.
(LAUGHTER)
We went to the concert and it was amazing. And I am so glad that I am in my therapy, now that I was able to do something like that because that crowd was massive. Those kids loved them some Chris Brown.
PHILLIPS: Would you say your mom is better, healthier, happier?
BRIONA MOSS: All of that. She's how she used to be, and I like it.
MOSS: It's a big deal to know that, from then and now, I've come a long way.
PHILLIPS: Are you a better mom?
MOSS: I am a better mom, a better person. I'm a better me, you know, from head to toe, I'm a better me.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MALVEAUX: You've been sounding off on the "Talk Back" question, do Republicans dislike President Obama so much that they lost their focus.
Carol Costello joins us from New York with your responses.
Hey, Carol.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Suzanne.
The question again, do Republicans dislike Obama so much they've lost their focus.
This from Cody, "Their focus should stay on Obama if they want to win. They are shooting each other in the foot by attacking each other so harshly in debates. It's becoming the Tea Party vs. moderate Republicans. If they keep it up, they'll made Obama's job easier come next year.
This from Zack, "They're perfectly focused. The Republican platform is oppose Obama at all costs. I would say they stuck by that at the expense of the American people."
This from Grace, "At this point, if you want a Republican to support something, you have to tell them Obama is against it. They're blinded by their hate."
And this from LaShonda, "Absolutely. It's come to the point where the strategy is simply the opposite of whatever the president stands for. Newt Gingrich embodies this to the extreme and his surge in popularity is because voters dislike the president as well and believe the enemy of my enemy is my friend."
Keep the conversation going, facebook.com/carolCNN.
I'll be back with you in just about 15 minutes.
MALVEAUX: Thank you, Carol.
