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President Obama Welcomes Home Troops From Iraq; Lowe's Under Fire; Ron Paul: Serious Contender?; Interview With Jack O'Reilly, Mayor of Dearborn, Mich.; Hospital Temporarily Mixes up Two Newborn Babies; Insurgent IED Use In Iraq; Oil Tanker Catches Fire in California; Democrats Introduce Political Fundraising Technique

Aired December 14, 2011 - 15:00   ET

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

BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: And welcome back, hour two. I'm Brooke Baldwin.

A couple stories we're working for you here.

President Obama welcomes troops home from Iraq. Also, we are going to get to this Purple Heart blunder. And it's coming down to the wire before taxes go up in your paycheck.

Time to play "Reporter Roulette."

David Mattingly, I want to begin with you live in Fort Bragg for us this hour. I know you have been talking to a number of vets, soldiers, Iraq war vets. What was the response to hearing the president speak today?

DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: There was a lot of cheering today, especially when the president came out with the simple words marking what he calls a very profound moment for this country, when he said to the troops here, welcome home.

He repeated that several times. The cheer went up in the crowd and there were so many people walking away today with big smiles on their faces, a sense of the satisfaction of the work that has been done in Iraq. But they were also satisfied. The troops wanted to hear a commitment from the president that the country will continue to stand by them for their needs as their year goes on, whatever problems that they may have that comes from their service in Iraq.

The president and the first lady today both saying very strongly that the country will stand by them the way the troops here have stood up for the country -- Brooke.

BALDWIN: I'm sure they are thrilled to be home in time for the holidays as the president had promised, but they have to be -- some of these men and women have to have some concerns and what are they, David?

MATTINGLY: Well, the concerns would be long-term problems like post-traumatic stress, depression. They also have to transition. If they are getting out of the military, there's always that transition back into the civilian sector, and the economy's not very good right now. They are concerned about budget cuts on the federal level that somehow might affect the safety net of services that they have.

There's a lot on their mind as they come back. But, as you said, they are out of Iraq. There's nothing at the moment that is pending that will make them go back. That's a huge relief for so many of them coming home right now, particularly so close to the holidays.

BALDWIN: David Mattingly in Fort Bragg. David, thank you.

Next on "Reporter Roulette," let's go to Chris Lawrence at the Pentagon for us.

And, Chris, it's a mighty lovely idea there at the Pentagon meant to brighten the holidays of Purple Heart recipients. But this story, you can be file this under the great idea, poor execution file.

CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Brooke.

It was a case of Christmas gift gone wrong by the Marine Corps. What happened was, they sent out about 9,000 of these very special Christmas ornaments with the Purple Heart logo, so to speak. What it was designed to do was to honor and show respect for all of the men and women who had received the Purple Heart at Christmastime.

The problem is, the list of recipients didn't distinguish between those still living and those who are deceased. So more than 1,000 families of deceased Marines and sailors got this ornament at Christmastime addressed to the names of their deceased loved ones. As you can imagine, really tough to take any time of year, but especially this time of year so close to Christmas.

Dozens of families started calling the Marine Corps, saying what is going on here? And the Marine Corps has been apologizing profusely, saying, look, there's no excuse for this. We take full responsibility. The man in charge of the Wounded Warrior program is calling some families, they're sending an apology letters to others. Bottom line, there is nothing malicious about this. It was a mistake, pure and simple.

BALDWIN: Just unfortunate all the way around. Chris Lawrence, thanks.

Next on "Reporter Roulette," we will stay in Washington, go to Capitol Hill, Kate Bolduan there, where the payroll tax cut has become the latest political football.

So, Kate, we were talking about this yesterday. We know there was a vote last night in the House. The House passed the bill, but on the Senate side Majority Leader Harry Reid said Senate not going to go for it. Where do things stand now?

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Not going to go for it.

And we can almost replay. It's like "Groundhog Day" at this moment, I must tell you, Brooke, because despite all of the attention and despite all of the cries from both sides that they urgently need to compromise to extend this payroll tax cut, things are really at a standstill at this moment.

There are no votes scheduled and there are no real negotiations happening as things have kind of fallen apart into more of a blame game rather than kind of coming closer together to actually try to reach a compromise. The most recent development that we can report from up here is that Senate Democratic leaders, they just a short time ago left to go to the White House to meet with the president.

Safe to assume, of course, they are going to be talking about how to extend the payroll tax cut, or at least how to find their path forward. But there are no Republicans in the room. So, at the moment, it seems both sides are retreating to their corners. And I keep saying it and it sounds like I'm a broken record at this point, but the clock is ticking and they are not compromising right now, Brooke.

BALDWIN: And this is all tied into Friday being the final day to extend the funding of the government, what, through September. It's all sort of intertwined. Where do we go from here?

BOLDUAN: It wasn't intertwined before. It is now intertwined as the Senate and the House are trying to get out for their holiday break.

Dates to remember, this Friday, the government runs out of funding unless they can pass this massive funding bill that they have been working on for weeks. Or if they can't come to an agreement on that, they pass some kind of short-term stopgap spending measure.

With the deadline in mind and also with fact that they still have not reached any kind of a compromise on how to move forward to extend the payroll tax cut, they are just kind of staring each other down at the moment. But with this pending deadline, these deadlines, as you know, can move mountains up here. We're watching for some possible movement, for some people nods to some type of a path forward.

We do not see it yet. There is more and more talk now and weekend work up here on Capitol Hill, Brooke.

BALDWIN: And that means you as well.

Kate Bolduan, you have got your work cut out for you. Thank you so much on Capitol Hill.

And that's your "Reporter Roulette" for us today.

Still ahead, the first time it happened, no one helped that little girl after she was hit by a car. You remember? Now new video of another little girl and another accident. You will see how bystanders reacted this time around.

Plus, this:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RUSSELL SIMMONS, CHAIRMAN, HIP-HOP SUMMIT ACTION NETWORK: By Friday, if not, we're going to start to call for the CEO's head. And in the end, we will get it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: That was Russell Simmons talking to me just yesterday, calling for a boycott of Lowe's after the company pulled its advertising this TV show about Muslims in America. So far this week we have talked to both sides of this part issue. And in a couple of minutes, we will speak live with the mayor of Dearborn, Michigan, about reaction there on the ground, a city that is 30 percent Arab- American.

Also, pilots at one airline can now use iPads, yes, on and off switch, iPads -- the new rules in the cockpits raising all kinds of eyebrows there.

And get this. Scientists are sending monkeys out into the wild for a little experiment involving nuclear radiation.

Stay right there.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(NEWS BREAK)

BALDWIN: Now this:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is what they put inside the IEDs to kill us. This is what does our casualties right here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: This is what every soldier fears, a homemade bomb exploding out of nowhere. As troops head home, we're getting a fascinating look, "Hurt Locker"-style, as to how troops prepare for these weapons of murder.

Plus, tension running quite high in the firestorm over a TV show about Muslims in America. I have talked to both sides of the issue this week. Coming up next, we're going to take you live to Dearborn, Michigan, a city that is 30 percent Arab-American and home to the Islamic Center of America. How is this controversy going on the ground level? We're going to speak live with Dearborn's mayor. There he is.

Good to see you, sir.

Don't miss this interview.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: All week long, we here on this show have been following the decision and then thus the fallout from home improvement giant Lowe's pulling its ads from the reality TV show featuring Muslim Americans. This TLC program, it's called "All-American Muslims," follows the lives of five Muslim families in Dearborn, Michigan. And so Lowe's decided to pull its ads. One of the reasons, we should say, they decided to pull the ads is because of the conservative Florida Family Association. They had complained about the show, calling it propaganda.

So, just this past Monday, I talked with the head of that group. Then, yesterday, I talked on the flip side here with entertainment mogul Russell Simmons, who is supporting the show by offering to buy the ads, also wants the CEO of Lowe's to apologize by Friday.

So, with that said, here we go today. I'm pleased to have the mayor of Dearborn, Michigan, Mayor Jack O'Reilly, here on the show.

And, Mr. Mayor, thanks for coming on.

I know Lowe's obviously taking a lot of heat on this one. And I actually hopped on the Lowe's Web site today. I know there is not an actual Lowe's store in Dearborn proper, though I see there is one just south of you guys near Allen Park.

Do you know, do you have contacts there? Have you been there? Is anything happening there today, fewer shoppers, protesters?

JACK O'REILLY, MAYOR OF DEARBORN, MICHIGAN: Not that I'm aware of.

It's so close to Dearborn. It's probably not even a half-a-mile from the border. And obviously I have been there on occasion. I mean, I have got to do the same chores everybody else does, Brooke.

BALDWIN: So no huge flap that you see that is obvious to the visual eye?

O'REILLY: Not that I have heard of. Now, again, we wouldn't get the police calls if there was something going on, because that would go to Allen Park.

BALDWIN: OK.

So, as I mentioned, this past Monday, I talked to the head of that Florida group who got this controversy sort of going over this boycott. And I want to just play a piece of sound. This is David Caton. I know you have heard some of what he said this week.

O'REILLY: Right.

BALDWIN: And he told me about how -- obviously, in his view, how this show portrays Muslims inaccurately. Here, take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVID CATON, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, FLORIDA FAMILY ASSOCIATION: I beg you to find an imam -- imams in this country anywhere, the mosques, the leadership that would come back and say that they are -- they do not believe in Sharia.

This show is totally absent the true essence of Islam, which is the focus of the Muslim believer.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: So, Mr. Mayor, what do you make of his comments, A.? And then you know Dearborn, born and raised there. You know a lot of people on the show. What do you think of how the way Muslim-Americans are portrayed in the show?

O'REILLY: OK.

First, he has no idea of what he's talking about. And I know a number of imams and sheiks who absolutely never advocate that. And that is not part of their religion or their interpretation of their religion nor any of the people that I have grown up with.

These people are just promoting fear because fear then gets people's emotions up and then you can get them to donate money, because you're the one who is going to remove the cause of the fear. It's just a phony really a business for the people who are trying to make money off of it.

BALDWIN: Is TLC portraying these five families accurately? You know them.

O'REILLY: Well, they are portraying these five families just as they are. And I'm amazed, as I watch it, how frank at time it gets.

One of the person that I know -- I know all of them in some fashion. And so none of them are strangers. And there is a lot of frankness and a lot of openness. And you begin to realize that they are going through the same issues and confronting the same problems and the same self-image and all these things that everybody else does, because that's just what we know.

Muslims in America, in Dearborn and all throughout the country are just like everyone else who comes here from somewhere else or is generations removed from coming here from somewhere else. They are all American.

BALDWIN: Well, you know who is walking into all of this, doesn't live in Dearborn, but he's walking into this, and that's Russell Simmons. And I talked to him yesterday.

I want you to hear what he says about companies pulling ads from the show. Here he is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SIMMONS: So this show is a normal Muslim family. It's a good depiction of the Muslim community.

And to pull the ads because it's not negative, it just shows how Islamophobic the chairman and that company is, if they support that kind of bigotry.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Now, obviously, Mayor O'Reilly, we live in a country where if a company wants to pull ads, it can pull an ad.

Do you think at all that Russell Simmons is going just a little too far? He's asking for this public apology from the Lowe's CEO. And if that doesn't happen, he's essentially calling for his head.

O'REILLY: Well, I think, Brooke, he's got the wrong target.

Lowe's is a business and they make business decisions. I'm not saying I'm excusing it. I'm saying the real issue are these people who are promoting falsities about a religion and a people, that they are trying to vilify them, make them essentially evil.

It's just not true and there's no basis for it. So we need to focus on the real issue here is, why would a corporate entity feel that there is enough reason that they could be threatened financially if they don't do it? Because these people seem to be able to get a lot of people to act emotionally and on that emotion make demands that are really un-American.

BALDWIN: Well, you know, here we are, you and I having this conversation on live national television as a result of all of this. Do you think in some way that Lowe's sort of did Muslims, Muslim Americans a favor, sort of unexpected consequences here in pulling these ads, sparking this national conversation?

O'REILLY: No, because it's not a favor every time it does comes.

But it does every time that conversation comes up, because, in reality, you have hit it, Brooke, the question is, we need to examine, you know, what are we really talking about? We are talking about humans. And so humans behave as humans. And it doesn't matter culture, religion or anything. The human element is the human element. And so what we're seeing on TLC are our friends from our community who happen to be Muslim who are behaving just like every other human group.

BALDWIN: And, finally, you mentioned these five families on the show. They are not strangers to you. I know Suehaila Amen is a friend, one of the women on the show.

O'REILLY: Yes.

BALDWIN: How has she reacted so far? Has she been threatened? Has this strengthened her even further? How does she feel?

O'REILLY: Well, she's going to be strong. I actually know her mother for a long time and then got to know her through the family tie.

But they are active. They're great at charities. They're involved. She's always been a very professional woman. So, to see her expose some fragility, that's been really interesting in the characterization. And it's the same feeling that many women have and she's expressing that: Am I going the wrong course? I'm 30 years old. Should I have a family?

These are real issues that people think about. And she's exposing that. And I think, again, it shows these are just like everybody else, their goals, ambitions, and their interpretation of their religion. I don't care what religion, Brooke. Everybody says, this is my faith, but they have their own sort of subtle differences in how they practice.

BALDWIN: Mayor of Dearborn, Jack O'Reilly, thank you so much for coming on.

O'REILLY: Thank you, Brooke. I'm happy to do that.

BALDWIN: Now this:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STAN GRANT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The adults simply walk away, leaving her in the middle of the road. Moments later, she's struck by a car.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: This stunning video shot after another car ran over another little girl in China, and no one helped. Find out if this time it's any different.

Plus, less than three weeks to go before the Iowa caucuses, and the voters begin to have their say in the Republican presidential race. But here's the question in Iowa. Is Ron Paul the X-factor? What happens if he pulls off a shocker? John King is standing by in the thick of things on the campaign trail. Let's ask him what he's seeing with his own eyes. Stay right there.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: I know a lot of you couldn't forget about the horrible story out of China about that kid who was hit by not just one, but two cars, and several bystanders simply left her lying on the road. Remember that?

Well, a similar incident has now happened, but this time there was a very similar response.

Stan Grant shows us the video of people rushing to rescue this trapped little girl.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GRANT: This is extraordinary footage, at once chilling, but thankfully with a happy ending.

Now, as you can see here, a young girl is walking with two adults, perhaps her parents. She appears to be reluctant. The adults simply walk away, leaving her in the middle of the road. Moments later, she's struck by a car.

Some fear the worst. People rush to her aid. And you can see the girl being pulled from underneath the vehicle apparently unscathed. She was taken to hospital and released later without serious injury.

Now, all of this is sparking a lot of comment on Chinese social media. One writes, "Thank you for letting us see the warmest scene and for showing me that good human nature has not totally disappeared."

Another writes: "Thank God the girl is alive. What is wrong with this mom? How can she leave the child alone in the middle of the road?"

All of this brings back those horrific scenes in October. Then, a young toddler was struck not once, but twice by passing vehicles. And pedestrians simply wandered by, leaving her alone, no one bothering to help for some time. Later, that child died of her injuries. In this case, at least the young girl lives to tell the tale.

Stan Grant, CNN, Beijing.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BALDWIN: Iowa caucus less than three weeks away now. And I keep hearing whispers about a Ron Paul surge. That's the word that keeps popping up, a surge.

Here's what we're seeing right now with Ron Paul, running at 17 percent in Iowa, tied with Mitt Romney you see there, but certainly trailing Newt Gingrich. This poll by American Research Group is consistent with many other surveys.

I want to bring in John King of "J.K., USA."

You're right there in the thick of things, beautiful flowers and a butterfly there. This is the Reiman Garden in Ames, Iowa.

Here's my question. Is 7 percent, John King, really a surge or are you truly seeing something there with your own eyes to indicate that Ron Paul is surging?

JOHN KING, CNN ANCHOR: Ron Paul is for real, Brooke, bank on it. Can he win the Iowa caucuses? He has 20 days to prove that he can deepen and grow his organization. Will he be a factor in the Iowa caucuses? Absolutely.

We are at the Iowa State University campus here. I just had a conversation over coffee with some students on campus. And the Ron Paul energy, the Ron Paul organizing -- there's a Youth for Ron Paul organization on campus. When he came here to speak about a week ago, they couldn't fit any more people in the room. So he has this really fascinating mix of support. He has an older group of libertarians who have supported him for some time. Remember, Ron Paul was the libertarian candidate for president back in 1988. That's back in the day. He's run for the Republican nomination twice now. So, he has an older base and then he has this very energetic young base.

They're active in social media. They organized online. Trust me, they approach you on the street and say, why isn't Ron Paul getting more press coverage? It's a big question mark. Can he grow this to the point -- will it be so muddled in Iowa that he can win with say 22 or 25 percent?

Most people think not. But without a doubt he will be an impact player here. And Newt is starting to come down a little bit. You can sense sort of a plateauing in the Gingrich momentum. Ron Paul could be the one who takes advantage from that. That's why we're here. This is fascinating.

BALDWIN: You talk about the students who come up to you. You hear about these Ron Paul fans and they are just that. They're fanatics over this guy. In fact, just a week ago today, I talked to Ron Paul.

And I want you to listen, John King. Listen to what I asked him and I will ask you the same exact question on the other side of this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: You certainly have some very faithful supporters, your core group of supporters, but because you are so committed, so libertarian, you are forever unlikely to garner mass appeal?

PAUL: Well, I think America is in a box. We're in a box with our national defense. We spend too much money policing the world, getting involved in nation building. We're going bankrupt.

We have to borrow all the money we spend overseas. We are in a financial crisis. America is in a box. I'm not in a box. I'm just telling the truth about what is going on.

BALDWIN: Congressman, do you at feel like you've boxed yourself in, and so come time for the rest of the country to vote for you, you're not going to have that support in mass?

PAUL: I think you have it backwards. I think the American people are boxed in and they want out. That's why I get support.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: OK, so he told me ultimately the American people are boxed in. So theoretically, John, Ron Paul could stage a shocker in Iowa. But as far as expanding his base, is Ron Paul boxed in nationally simply because of his ideology?

KING: Ron Paul is out of what we would define as the Republican mainstream. But I would add this caveat. The Republican Party is changing. This is not George W. Bush's Republican Party. Remember, we had the Tea Party in 2010. They were rebelling against not just President Obama and Obamacare and spending and deficits. The Tea Party was also rebelling against George W. Bush, saying that you painted yourself as a conservative and you ran up record deficits. So you didn't prove that you were competent after Katrina.

So the Republican Party is changing. Ron Paul is less out of the mainstream now than he was four years ago. But is he a mainstream Republican. No, he's not. Is he going to win the Republican nomination? I'm going to get a lot of Ron Paul fans angry right now by saying most unlikely will he do that. But he is an impact player in this race, so he should not be discounted, Brooke.

And here's another question. A lot of his supporters, if he doesn't win the nomination, want him to run as an independent. Ron Paul has not completely slammed the door on that. He said probably not, but a lot of the supporters may stay home if they feel disappointed at the end of this.

BALDWIN: All right, that's a possibility. Let's talk Iowa in and of itself. As far back as Jimmy Carter, Iowa is considered the test of organization. Ron Paul has a great organization, Newt Gingrich, not so much. If he wins Iowa with no organization, could Iowa lose relevance in terms of a presidential test track?

KING: You are asking the defining question that many Iowa Republicans are asking. If you look at national polls and Iowa often has surprises. This year because the debates have been so important in checking the Republican race, Gingrich hasn't been here as much as Rick Santorum or Michele Bachmann. Mitt Romney has hardly been here at all. The top two candidates in the poll seem to be Gingrich, Romney, and Ron Paul, if you add the third candidate.

So a lot of people are questioning whether because of technology, whether because of the debates, that the character of the Iowa caucuses is beginning to slip. Trust me, Iowa Republicans are worried about that. So if you had a big Gingrich win here, he's been here 51, 52 days so far I think. That's a decent amount, but nowhere near like the Mike Huckabee in the past or Rick Santorum.

There are people questioning whether because of the changes in our business, the media business, the big emphasis on the debates this time, that Iowa will be a little less important and what might that mean next cycle, which is one of the reasons that they say over the next three weeks what Iowa Republicans are telling you, don't believe the polls just yet. We may change our mind again. They want some love and attention, Brooke.

BALDWIN: I'm sure they do. Congresswoman Michele Bachmann, coming up, your show, 6:00 eastern, we'll be watching, John King. Thank you very much, "JK USA."

Coming up next here, Americans citizens tossed in jail without being charged. Why the government crackdown is raising all sorts of leal questions about your rights. Plus, this --

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Henry had been put in a different baby's crib and so they brought back Henry's crib to me, but it was a different baby.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: A mom gives birth, breast feeds her baby, and then finds out it's not hers. You're going to hear why and how often this happens. Sunny Hostin is on the case. She's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: The number of illegal immigrants arrested along the U.S.-Mexican border is half of what it was three years ago. But today the "New York Times" is reporting that federal immigration crackdown is not hitting a growing number of U.S. citizens. And those legal Americans are being tossed in jail. Sunny Hostin is "On the Case." She's on the phone today. Sunny, just this week we've been talking about Alabama specifically. There Honda and Mercedes executives who were detained under Alabama's strict illegal immigration law. But both were foreign citizens in the U.S. But now we're hearing U.S. citizens thrown in jail under this federal program. A, are the arrests legal? B, what is the recourse?

SUNNY HOSTIN, CNN LEGAL CONTRIBUTOR: Certainly they aren't legal because immigration agents lack legal authority to detain citizens. So certainly it would be a wrongful arrest. You can sue for wrongful arrest, but while you're being detained, your recourse is not really that great. It definitely is a problem. We don't know the exact numbers because these numbers aren't being written down or documented. But we know there have been 1.1 million deportations since the beginning of President Obama's term. So we don't know how many American citizens are being affected, but the number some people are suspecting is quite high.

BALDWIN: I want to move on to the second case, and this has to make any new parent cringe, because the -- despite the state of precautions, the footprints, the palm prints, matching number of wristbands, a new mom in Wisconsin says hospital staff brought the wrong baby to her at feeding time. She was told about the error after she nursed the baby and changed his diaper.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They hadn't checked the bands. Henry had been put in a different baby's crib and so they brought back Henry's crib to me, but it was a different baby. I didn't believe them at first. I think they had to tell me three times.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: The mom says she doesn't know where her baby was during that point in time. Sunny, we have all those precautions. Isn't that what they're there for, that she says they didn't check the bands? What's going on?

HOSTIN: This is every mother's nightmare. The hospital in Green Bay, Wisconsin, says it was just a breach in protocol. In this case the wrong crib was brought in with the wrong baby.

BALDWIN: So what is the hospital saying?

HOSTIN: The hospital says, "In order for us to be in compliance with federal HIPPA regulations, it would be inappropriate for us to comment or release information about anyone who may or may not have been a patient at any of our hospitals." It's sort of a non-comment to the issue. Certainly with HIPPA regulations, hospitals can't say very much.

But this mother wants to know who had her baby for about three hours because she breast fed and changed the other baby. So there are all sorts of health concerns involved, and she's hoping that her story being covered will find the other mother and get information about who had her little boy Henry for those three hours in the hospital.

BALDWIN: Does she, Sunny, have any legal recourse, or is this just simply a cautionary tale?

HOSTIN: Well, she is suing the hospital, so I believe there will be some sort of recourse for her. But certainly this cautionary tale, I remember when I had my children, my husband, who is a doctor, kept on checking the bracelets which made us both very paranoid. But after hearing about this story I suppose he was doing the right thing.

BALDWIN: You're glad he did. Sunny Hostin, thank you very much.

Coming up we're going to get a behind-the-scenes look at how American troops deal with homemade bombs in warzones, weapons designed to kill. This is a fascinating CNN report. You'll see it right here, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: You can call it the signature weapon of insurgents in the Iraq War, the IED. It's an acronym. It means improvised explosive device. They were cheap and easy to make and in Iraq IEDs are responsible for most of the deaths and injuries of the war. Take a look at this piece. This is about the American experiences in Iraq.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SGT. JOSHUA COPE, U.S. ARMY: I got blown like 20 feet from the Humvee, and I remember looking up thinking, oh, god, oh, god.

BRIGADIER GEN. MARK KIMMITT, FORMER ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF STATE FOR POLITICAL-MILITARY AFFAIRS: The IED is a poor man's weapon of mass destruction. It's immediate, it's cheap, it doesn't require a large, well-trained military force. It takes few people to build the bomb and even fewer people to hide the bomb. That's why it's become such an effective weapon.

STAFF SGT. BRIAN HOOD, U.S. ARMY: Wow. This is what they put inside the IEDs to kill us. This is what does our casualties right here.

FIRST LT. RYAN MILLER, U.S. ARMY: We're driving by and all of a sudden, boom. I was hanging out the back of that truck, which was basically the closest thing you can get to hell on this earth.

KIMMITT: We went into the war designed with one type of warfare. By the end of the war, our tactics, our techniques, and our procedures were greatly modified because of the presence of IEDs on the battlefield.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You never know where they're coming from. You can just go down the street and boom. People are hurt.

ARWA DAMON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: They were everywhere. And the IEDs got more and more sophisticated as the years went on. The IEDs got more sophisticated, the U.S. military armor got more sophisticated, and it went on in a cycle like that. It was a battle between the IEDs and the U.S. military's machine in trying to pump out protection for its troops against them.

STAFF SGT. PATRICK HART, U.S. MARINE CORPS: See how the dirt is a different color and how it's freshly dug? It's a perfect sign that one has been planted there recently.

KIMMITT: It's clear that IEDs in this conflict like booby traps in Vietnam, are going to be present in Iraq for some time and in Afghanistan some time. No matter the technological advantages and technological advances that we bring to this fight, they will be persistent on the battlefield, and our troops just need to be ready to confront them.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't know. I just don't really think about it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think about it but it gets nerve racking.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: Just in to us here at CNN, another school district, more suspected hazing. George Howell, we talked on the phone last hour. You're now back in the studio. You raced back after this news conference. Set it up for me.

GEORGE HOWELL, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Basically, I just spoke with Walter Woods, who is the media spokesperson for DeKalb County schools. Basically after an investigation, looking into district bans over the last few months, the superintendent decided to suspend all band activities in DeKalb County. That's a big deal because there's a famed school here, Southwest DeKalb High, and that's a major feeder school into the band at FAMU. So simply looking over things that have happened over the last few months, Walter Woods says that there was one situation of inappropriate behavior that that prompted the district to make this call.

BALDWIN: So, just to back up, big picture. So, this DeKalb County school system, and specifically this one high school, big feeder into the famed band. We know it's happened there. It's come out in the past couple of weeks. Is anyone there directly been making the connection that these incidents of alleged hazing begin in high school and continue through college?

HOWELL: No direct connection, but it is important to point out that Robert Champion went to Southwest DeKalb High School --

BALDWIN: The drum major who died.

HOWELL: Yes, who died November 19th. Making the decision in light of what happened to review its bands, 20 bands within the district and that means 20 bands now suspended as far as band activity. However, four bands will participate in Martin Luther King Day celebrations. But again, the entire district will not be participating.

BALDWIN: George Howell, thank you very much.

This just in. Take a look at these live pictures. Montebello, California. Obviously take a look at that massive, clouds of black smoke, fire, oil tankers. This is an oil tanker on fire. Clearly -- Paramount overpass in Montebello, California. That's what I'm being told in my ear right now. So obviously this highway shut off as they have that foam out trying to snuff out. Some of the fire and these crews inch precariously close to this thing, obviously engulfed in flames. We're working the story making some phone calls, see how this happened. I don't know if this is just one tanker involved or another car, another trailer as well. Live pictures, KTLA, Montebello, California.

Let's go to Wolf Blitzer in Washington. Wolf Blitzer, I know you have Congressman Ron Paul on the show today.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST, "THE SITUATION ROOM": We're going to talk to him about many of the most important issues facing the country right now. And as you know, you spoke with him earlier in the week. He's got a lot of momentum, especially in Iowa right now, and a lot of folks are looking at the most recent polls. He's really gaining strength. He could surprise a lot of people by actually winning the Iowa caucuses. That would be a severe setback to Newt Gingrich, who's been doing dramatically well over these past few weeks, as some of the other candidates have gone down, down, down

But if Ron Paul wins Iowa, that shapes the political picture up dramatically. We'll talk to him at length and we're going to get some good substantive questions to him, a whole bunch of issues. I'm looking forward to that.

We've also got, Rick Stengel, the managing editor of "TIME" magazine, who going to explain the decision on the "Person of the Year," the new issue of "TIME" magazine, our sister publication. We'll talk to him.

Lots of politics coming up, lots of news happening around the world. Important news happening in Afghanistan. You remember that woman who was raped and then sent to jail because she was raped? It's a shocking story. But good news now. Thanks to all of the reporting of Nick Paton Walsh and our team on the ground in Afghanistan, this woman has been freed. We've got a full report on this story as well. So it's going to be a big two hours in "THE SITUATION ROOM."

BALDWIN: You're talking about Gulnaz, and truly kudos to CNN's Nick Paton Walsh for exposing that and then how that affects all the women in that particular prison in Afghanistan. Wolf Blitzer, thank you.

As we go to break, let's pop back to those live pictures in Montebello, California. Oil tanker completely engulfed in flames. They're trying to put this out. Tell me again the name of the overpass? Paramount overpass. So if you're in this neck of the woods. Avoid it. Live pictures, KTLA. We're back in two minutes.

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BALDWIN: Take a look at these pictures, live pictures. It seems like we're seeing some fewer flames here and what appears to be a double tanker here. This is the 60 East. So, west coast, this is lunchtime. You want to avoid this. This is a 60 eastbound. This is just about 10 miles east of downtown Los Angeles. This is Montebello, California. Oil tanker on fire. Fire crews there. You see the foam all out so that tells me they've been there a while trying to put this thing out. You see the water back in it again. From last time we checked on it, fewer black clouds, so hopefully, they'll get this thing out.

Now, to politics. Mitt Romney makes a huge bet, and Democrats are firing back for all of New York to see today. Let's go back. Here's what Mitt Romney originally said at a Republican debate just over this weekend.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MITT ROMNEY, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I'll tell you what, 10,000 bucks? $10,000 bet?

RICK PERRY, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I'm not in the betting business --

ROMNEY: OK.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Well, now the Democrats are betting right back by flying a plane towing an anti-Romney banner. Joe Johns, dare I ask? What does the banner say?

JOE JOHNS, CNN ANCHOR: You know what? I think we just need to take a look at the video. Apparently, we just got it in. I haven't seen it myself.

BALDWIN: There it is.

JOHNS: But Mitt Romney was in New York City today, there you go. And it's basically telling people to sort of bet Mitt Romney's out of touch, if you will. That's quite a show. You really get the whole New York skyline.

So he's in New York City. He's there raising money, so he's probably going to get the last laugh anyway. But New York Democrats decided to pull this stunt and put the plane aloft complete with the banner.

And there's also, if you can see at the very end trailing, there was a little attachment that told people a website they could go to learn more. It was apparently to talk about Mitt Romney's wealthy background. So if there's any city in the world where you would expect a stunt like this to be pulled, there you go. New York City is it.

BALDWIN: Does kind of beg the question how much it take to fly the banner there.

JOHNS: Exactly.

BALDWIN: Just saying.

JOHNS: Exactly.

BALDWIN: The Obama campaign has sent out a fund raising letter jokingly asking voters to contribute to whom?

(LAUGHTER)

JOHNS: To Democrats, to President Obama.

BALDWIN: In honor of?

JOHNS: In honor of your favorite conservative who's caused a problem or at least got you all upset on social media. Actually, this is a kind of idea both sides can try very easily. I'm sure it won't be long before Republicans start doing this kind of thing, not just Democrats. Inspired by political postings on social media, whatever your political inclination, you can probably see how this would work.

The idea is Juliana Smoot, who is well known around Washington D.C., came up with this idea. She thinks it's fun. She says basically what you have to do is tell anybody who's gotten annoyed by something a conservative wrote on social media, "I'm going to donate a certain amount of money to the Democrats and the president in your honor or in your name," or whatever. So, it won't be long before we see conservatives, Republicans, doing the same thing.

BALDWIN: The exact same thing. Joe Johns, thank you so much, back there in Washington. And that is it for me. I'm Brooke Baldwin here at the CNN world headquarters here in Atlanta. Now let's take you to Washington. "THE SITUATION ROOM" with my friend Wolf Blitzer starts right now.