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Rep. Gabrielle Giffords Stepping Down; Joe Paterno Dead at 85; No Clear Front Runner; Rescuers Still Search at Costa Concordia Wreckage
Aired January 22, 2012 - 19:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: In Kansas City, Missouri, a gun collector's dream, two guns believed to be used by the infamous outlaw couple, Bonnie and Clyde, go up for auction. An unnamed online bidder paid $130,000 for a .45 caliber Thompson submachine gun. That's a Tommie gun. The same bidder paid $80,000 for an 1897 12 gauge Winchester shotgun. Both were seized after a police shootout in Joplin, Missouri, in 1933. Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow escaped, but two officers were killed.
Another piece of history brought $160,000 at auction this weekend in Arizona. This is a 1964 model Cadillac hearse that carried the body of President John F. Kennedy to the presidential jet following his assassination in Dallas. First Lady Jacquelyn Kennedy was a passenger in the hearse during the ride. A Cadillac hearse like this would ordinarily be worth about $4,000.
It is the top of the hour. You're in the CNN NEWSROOM. Thank you so much for joining us everyone.
We're going to start with this: severe weather taking aim at a large part of the United States right now. And for some places, the worst of it, it may come overnight. We're getting an update now from our meteorologist Jacqui Jeras; as you look at the radar there you can see where the severe storms, storms are hitting the United States. There have been a couple of watches in places. And even yesterday as I was in South Carolina, watches all over that state going all the way east.
JACQUI JERAS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yes.
LEMON: And it doesn't look like it's going down now. Jacqui who is at risk?
JERAS: Well, this is a new storm system Don. It's a particularly vigorous one. And you get something with this much energy for night time tornadoes is somewhat unusual. So this is kind of a rare event. And it's particularly dangerous. We call it a PDS watch. A lot of that because of the storm risk that we have. There is a high level of certainty that we're going to have multiple tornadoes in this area, some of which could be large, stay on the ground for a long period of time causing lots of damage.
And the other that makes this so particularly dangerous is that this is happening at night. People are going to bed. You can't see what's going on. And so you could be sleeping when these storms come on through
There you can see the watch area; so eastern parts of Arkansas and to western Tennessee. Northern parts of Alabama and even into the boot heel of Missouri. There we can see the thunderstorms are initiating right now just to the west of Little Rock. This whole line we're watching nothing rotating right now, but there's a severe thunderstorm warning which includes (INAUDIBLE) and these storms are ripping to the northeast very, very quickly; 55 miles per hour.
So you can't outrun these. You can't outdrive these things. You need to be where you're going to be now for the rest of the night. Take a look at a live picture of Memphis, Tennessee. Ok kind of a quiet night there right now but you are under this PDS watch. And those thunderstorms which could be severe are just a couple of hours away.
So Memphis probably the biggest city within this watch area that we're going to be dealing with. The storm has a lot of elements to it too. The storm prediction center issuing a moderate risk and that's where were dealing with the watch right now. But the slight risk extends from the Gulf Coast all the way up almost to the Great Lakes.
And as we get to the northern extent here, especially across western Kentucky and southwestern parts of Indiana and Illinois, we think damaging winds will be a bigger concern starting several hours from now.
The backside of this storm, this is interesting, Don. We've got some great pictures for you too, very dry and very windy in the Texas and Oklahoma. Look at the satellite picture from NOAA right now. Do you see all this kind of light brown haze in this area -- Oklahoma City back towards Lubbock? That is dust. People were like eating dust today it was so strong and just terrible visibility.
Terrible storms means terrible travel; I'm going to update you on Twitter for the latest and if you're trying to get around in the airplanes we've got problems in the southeast the Midwest, the northeast and the west as well.
LEMON: And Jacqui there, I have been trying to get tweets out there. They are having an issue with Twitter as well.
JERAS: There have been problems. Yes.
LEMON: They are having some problems. We're -- hopefully and I think some of my tweets are getting through. But Jacqui will come back and update us if something happens and also check out. Jacqui, what's you Twitter address?
JERAS: Just JacquiJeras.
LEMON: Jacqui Jeras. All right thank.
JERAS: Sure.
LEMON: I appreciate it Jacqui. Another major story we're following for you this evening. For the past year, we have watched Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords make astounding steps towards recovery after an assassin's bullet nearly ended her life in a rampage that left six dead. And as our Athena Jones reports, Giffords is now resigning from Congress to focus on getting better.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. GABRIELLE GIFFORDS, (R), ARIZONA: I will step down this week.
ATHENA JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In a video announcing her decision to resign from Congress, Arizona Representative Gabby Giffords had a simple message for her supporters.
GIFFORDS: Thank you for your prayers and for giving me time to recover.
JONES: Giffords said she has more work to do on that recovery a year after being shot in the head during a rampage that left six people dead.
GIFFORDS: I don't remember much.
JONES: Giffords was hosting a meet and greet outside a Tucson super market on January 8, 2011 when prosecutors say Jared Lee Loughner opened fire. Authorities believe he targeted the Congresswoman.
After undergoing months of intensive rehabilitation, Giffords was greeted by a standing ovation when she returned to the House chamber in August for the debt dealing vote. But whether she would come back full time remained uncertain.
Earlier this month as Tucson marked the anniversary of the shooting Giffords chief of staff described her thinking on the matter.
PIA CARUSONE, GIFFORDS CHIEF OF STAFF: I think for her it's a personal decision about whether she feels she can do the job up to the standards that she holds to herself.
JONES: Before she leaves office Giffords plans to finish the event the gunman interrupted; holding a private gathering with some of the people who were there. She'll also attend the President's State of the Union address on Tuesday.
In a statement President Obama said "Gabby and her husband Mark have taught us the true meaning of hope in the face of despair, determination in the face of incredible odds, and now even after she's come so far Gabby shows us what it means to be selfless".
GIFFORDS: I'm getting better. Every day my spirit is high. I will return and we will work together for Arizona and this great country.
JONES: Athena Jones, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEO CLIP) LEMON: All right, sorry we're having some technical issues here. We'll air that for you at 10:00 p.m. and update you on Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. Many of Congresswoman Giffords' colleagues are offering their best wishes today. And we're going to talk with one of her best friends, Florida Congresswoman and Democratic National Chairwoman Debbi Wasserman Schultz; that's tonight at 10:00 p.m. Eastern. Make sure you tune in for that.
Legendary football coach Joe Paterno has died. Next, we'll go live to the campus of Penn State University where fans are paying their respects.
And later this hour, legendary journalist Dan Rather joins us live. He is talking politics with us. Don't go anywhere.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Penn State fans and alumni are mourning the death of former head football coach Joe Paterno. He died this morning of complications from lung cancer. Paterno's story career is one of the greatest in football, but it came to a crashing end a few months ago when a former assistant coach was accused of sexually assaulting ten young boys over a 15-year period.
Now the scandal would cost Paterno his job. And it permanently scarred a coaching career that spanned more than four decades. Joe Paterno dead at the age of 85.
You know Joe Paterno's death has sparked an outpouring of sadness among Penn State fans and alumni many of whom are still reeling from the events of the last three months.
CNN's Susan Candiotti has reaction on campus now -- Susan.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In the shadow of Joe Paterno's statue, students sang their alma mater mourning the loss of a coach who meant so much to sports, to Penn States, to them. After 61 years of coaching, Paterno won fans far and wide, young and old.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Joe was Penn State. He made Penn State. And it's really a -- it is just a very sad, sad day for all of us.
CANDIOTTI: In the end, the winningest coach in college football lost his life to lung cancer. He was 85. "He died as he lived," his family said in a statement. He fought hard until the end. The end came two and a half months after he was fired as head coach in the wake of Penn State's sex abuse scandal. His late night ouster sparking outrage on campus.
Paterno was not criminally charged in the child rape case involving his former assistant coach Jerry Sandusky. But he acknowledged he could have done more to bring the allegations to light in 2002. In what turned out to be his final interview published by "The Washington Post" just over a week ago, he tried to explain his thinking.
JOE PATERNO, FORMER HEAD COACH, PENN STATE: I had never had to deal with something like that and I didn't feel adequate. I've had a wonderful experience here at Penn State. I don't want to walk away from this.
CANDIOTTI: Still some question whether Paterno and the university tried to cover up the sex abuse allegations. Paterno fans standby him.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're still going to love him no matter what anybody else said. It wasn't Joe's fault. But we're still going to love Joe Paterno forever and ever. period.
CANDIOTTI: And for some, his loss could be more painful because of questions that may taint his legacy.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: Susan Candiotti joins us now.
Susan, tell us more about the reaction to Paterno's death; some big- name people weighing in now.
CANDIOTTI: Oh Don it's coming from all over the world really including from former President George Herbert Walker Bush who called Paterno an icon and a personal friend and also from other legendary coaches, Nick Saban and Steve Spurier (ph) and others. And of course, the University President here, Rodney Erickson, who called Paterno a great man who made us a greater university.
And of course Penn State is planning a memorial to him, but they don't have the final information on that just yet, Don.
LEMON: Hey Susan, it's interesting I'm looking at the picture behind you. Tell our viewers what's going on behind you.
CANDIOTTI: Exactly. Looking over my shoulder, that of course is the very famous and iconic statue of Joe Paterno. You see his arm stretched out and you can see that people traditionally come by occasionally even touching that hand. Draped around his neck you see, of course, a Penn State scarf and an American flag. There are all kinds of candles and flowers and mementos from Penn State in memory of the man that everyone calls JoePa.
LEMON: Nice job there Susan Candiotti on the line. And you can seen it's very cold there in University Park Pennsylvania snow on the ground; a lot of people dressed up in warm-weather clothing paying tribute to the now late Joe Paterno.
Our thanks again to Susan Candiotti.
You know Jerry Sandusky is also reacting to news of Joe Paterno's death. He of course, is the former Paterno assistant whose arrest on child molestation charges led to Paterno's downfall as coach. "This is a sad day" Sandusky says. "Our family, Dottie and I would like to convey our deepest sympathy. Nobody did more for the academic reputation of Penn State than Joe Paterno. He maintained a high standard in a very difficult profession.
Joe preached toughness, hard work, and clean competition. Most importantly, he had the courage to practice what he preached. Nobody will be able to take away the memories of a great man, his family and all the wonderful people who were part of his life."
Moving on now to politics. Newt Gingrich takes South Carolina in a very big way. Now Mitt Romney needs to bounce back in Florida. It's going to be an interesting week on the campaign trail. CNN's political director tells us what he can expect.
But first, if you're a parent looking to send your child to a charter school, where do you begin and how do you pick the best one? Experts say good research is key. Here are some helpful tips from CNN education contributor Steve Perry.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NATHAN THOMPSON, PARENT: I know that a charter school is founded privately, and I want to know what is the best way to research a charter school that best fits my family's needs?
STEVE PERRY, CNN EDUCATION CONTRIBUTOR: All charter schools are not private in fact some charter schools are run by the district. There are some charter schools that are run by teachers' unions.
But in the event that you're asking the question how to pick the best one for you, I don't think that you can do the school justice by researching it online. You have to walk to the school and make sure the physical plan feels the way that you want a physical plan to feel. Make sure that you go during the school day and not just when they have open houses.
I think you've to get to know the people in the academic community. Listen to how they discipline the kids in the school. Watch how they go from one class to another and look at the arts program if the arts program is something that's important to you. If they have sports or don't; you have to ask the questions that are important to you.
So put together a list and go visit the school. Go visit the school. If you don't visit the school, then you're not doing research.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: We have a whole new race for the Republican presidential nomination. Now it's Newt Gingrich's time in the spotlight. He stormed to the front of the polls last week in South Carolina and made it count yesterday where it counts. That's where he made it count.
My friend Mark Preston is here, CNN's political director. Hello Mark, good to see you, again. We have been hanging out in South Carolina for the past week. Can we talk about electability? Suddenly, it is a hot topic now. Meaning who is more electable in a showdown with President Obama? Is that a question that helps or hurts Newt Gingrich?
MARK PRESTON, CNN POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Well, Newt Gingrich is trying to say, Don, that he's the one who has the eligibility factor. You know, this is something that we had been tagging to Mitt Romney. Mitt Romney's biggest argument now in this race for the Republican presidential nomination was that he's the person who is best suited to take on President Obama in November.
Now what we have heard from Newt Gingrich in the past 24-48 hours is that in fact he thinks he's the one who's best suited to take on President Obama. So as this race for the Republican presidential nomination continues to get nastier and nastier, Don, they are also trying to say that they are the ones who can reach out to that really important middle; those undecided voters, those Independent voters to help try to beat Barack Obama in November.
LEMON: I listened to a lot of conservative radio in South Carolina this past week and they have been calling this Mitt Romney's "hum-n-a- hum-n-a-hum-n-a" moment. He now says though after all this discussion that he's going to release his tax returns. Could he have mishandled this issue any worse than he did?
PRESTON: No he did such a great job in mishandling that he couldn't have done any worse, right Don? The fact of the matter is his answers were very confusing. And people thought that he was hiding something.
Look, I don't think the bottom line is that people are -- would be mad at Mitt Romney. You don't think that he would be qualified to be the presidential nominee based upon his wealth. But the fact that he was so cautious about saying what was in his tax returns especially when Newt Gingrich came out of nowhere and said he was going to release his returns. Put them on the Internet and then had that weapon against Mitt Romney.
And now Mitt Romney has said just few hours ago in fact that he will be releasing them this week.
LEMON: I've been asking everyone this. I asked Will Cain and L.Z. Granderson a similar question; any chance that he could just ditch the consultants and start answering questions head on? I mean he seems so hesitant everything on this tax issue. And I'm wondering if he had just as Newt Gingrich has done, because he's been down and out several times; if he had just stuck to his guts and do you think that maybe he should listen to himself more instead of all the people around him?
PRESTON: You know, I think in many ways that the problem with his candidacy is not his consultants and it's not his campaign. In fact, that organization is so well-tuned and so well-oiled. I think the problem is him right now.
And again he's a very nice gentleman. He's not a bad person. He's been very successful in his life, but he doesn't have that connection factor, Don. You know, we see him in these debates, trying to answer some of these questions. And he doesn't seem to be able to connect with the everyday person.
It doesn't mean he's a bad person, but it's something he has to get over. And it's something we have seen in previous presidential nominees. Remember John Kerry, the Democratic nominee of 2004?
LEMON: Yes.
PRESTON: Same thing.
LEMON: Later this week another CNN debate, Mark; this one just a few days before the Florida primary. More fireworks in this one because the last one --
PRESTON: Yes, the last one before we head into the Florida primary. It will be on Thursday night. Why it's so important is because Florida is going to be the first state, who held an election up to a state that's going to be so diverse.
You know, you have the Cuban vote down in south Florida, which is very important. But it's very different than the conservative evangelical vote that we'll see up in Tallahassee. Florida is a microcosm of the United States and that's why this debate where these candidates -- the four candidates on the stage are going to be making their closing arguments -- Don.
LEMON: All right. Thank you, Mark Preston.
She wasn't surprised with what happened down in South Carolina. I'm talking about Goldie Taylor. Goldie is the managing editor of the Goldie Taylor Project and our guest here on all things politics and cultural.
First, you said he's becoming more unelectable, but you said he is actually not listening to his consultants? That he has a tin ear?
GOLDIE TAYLOR, POLITICAL ANALYST: Mitt Romney reminds me of just about every other CEO that I've ever met; that they always believe that they're the smartest person in the room and so when they hire great counsel they tend not to take it.
TAYLOR: So this isn't a case of him having whiplash from everyone saying you need to do this, you need to do this. You say he's not listening?
TAYLOR: I say he's not listening.
LEMON: Ok. Why do you say he is he growing more unelectable by the day?
TAYLOR: Because of stumbles just like this. I mean if you take a look at -- if we're able to look at the tax returns, what we suspect is that he has paid less in taxes, you know, than say his secretary. We suspect that he has money parked in the Cayman Islands. Who parks money in the Caymans but people who want to avoid taxes?
There are going to be real issues there. There's a reason why he's only issuing one year as opposed to, you know, a three- or four-year; his father I think released 12 years.
LEMON: He's rich, we know it. I mean but -- come on. We know he's rich. What can be the big surprise here?
TAYLOR: Absolutely. It isn't how much money he made; it's how much he pays in taxes and what shelters he takes.
LEMON: Hold on, we have a lot more to talk about because you say we're getting close to the convention.
TAYLOR: We are.
LEMON: And there's going to be a big surprise?
TAYLOR: Maybe.
LEMON: Ok. All right. Hold on. Don't go anywhere. We're going to talk about it after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: All right. We're back now with Goldie Taylor; goldietaylorproject.com, you can find her there and then you can also find her here. She's here every weekend. We love having you here.
We were talking before: Newt Gingrich, South Carolina of course; Mitt Romney was New Hampshire; and then Rick Santorum, of course, the delayed Iowa win.
TAYLOR: Absolutely. I'm 3-0.
LEMON: Are you really?
TAYLOR: I'm 3-0.
LEMON: Are you really?
TAYLOR: Yes.
LEMON: So it appears to be anything goes here. I want to get back to this conversation about Mitt Romney because I think it's very interesting. He's a man of the streets.
TAYLOR: Rodeo, (INAUDIBLE), you know, those streets. He isn't the man of the streets. He owns the streets, for heaven's sake. Come on.
LEMON: Seriously, I wonder, what is wrong with being wealthy? What is wrong with achieving the American dream and becoming wealthy; because as I said to you, most people would change their bank accounts with Mitt Romney?
TAYLOR: There's nothing wrong with taking advantage of all of the opportunities this country presents us and if you wind up being wealthy as a result, good on you. What's wrong with the situation is Mitt Romney has failed to be able to connect with people.
LEMON: He's not relatable to the common --
TAYLOR: He's not relatable to people who have been unemployed for 18 months; people who really do fear pink slips, people who really do live on the streets.
LEMON: Yes, that's what I get from talking to people. Everyone says Newt Gingrich has so much baggage. He's never going to do. Then you actually go out and talk to people and they're like, we love Newt.
TAYLOR: Absolutely.
LEMON: And I think it's because, and this is just me, unscientific, he inspires people. There's passion there. Mitt Romney does not inspire people. He's kind of a -- I mean quite honestly -- sort of a bland character. He would even say that himself. I mean many people don't know --
TAYLOR: Newt has a way, and a real way, of connecting with what he thinks his audience wants to hear. And he's able to tap into that and fire it up. He did it when he started talking about welfare recipients and all of that kind of thing over the last couple of weeks and he fired up South Carolina in his favor. That is something that Mitt Romney is just not able to do.
LEMON: But he took, as you said, the mittens off today and exchanged them for some boxing gloves. Is it too late or is it time?
TAYLOR: It's not too late, you know. At the end of the day, we have a lot of states left ahead of us. We have had three so far. I mean we've got enough time. But he took off his mittens today and slapped Newt around with it. He called him a failed leader.
LEMON: Newt around -- he slapped Newt around with it.
TAYLOR: He slapped Newt around. They called him a failed leader. He said that he had been forced to resign as speaker, which is all true. And so today he's saying that ahead of Florida, you know in essence, trying to pivot and kick Newt back a bit. But it's going to get tough. It's going to get very rough.
LEMON: They are going to go after him. With every -- full strength they're going to go after him.
TAYLOR: Absolutely.
LEMON: You said there's going to be a convention surprise. A Florida surprise, so to speak.
TAYLOR: Well, here's the issue.
LEMON: Ok.
TAYLOR: I mean Jeb Bush has said he's going to stay neutral. He's not going to take sides in this race. There will be no endorsement from him. But a lot of people are encouraging him to run. They are encouraging him to get into this race late. And with the name recognition, and money that he has, he could get in late and make a real race of this.
Or as our colleague, Eric Erickson and some others have been saying, there could be a brokered convention. If Republicans get out of this process and find that they don't have a candidate who is strong enough to face the president this fall, they may try to, you know, manipulate it in their favor.
LEMON: I thought Jeb Bush -- there was talk and I know it's not confirmed that it was going to be -- Jeb is going to support Mitt Romney -- endorse him.
TAYLOR: All talk.
LEMON: All talk.
TAYLOR: All talk. Horse hockey.
LEMON: Can you say horse feathers? Thank you, Goldie Taylor.
TAYLOR: Thank you.
LEMON: Much appreciated.
Your top stories this hour next here on CNN.
Then news veteran Dan Rather is going to join me live. It's always great to talk to him. No holds barred. He has a lot to say about politics and the media, coming up after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: We want to give you your headlines here right now here on CNN. It's half past the hour.
Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords says she's stepping down from Congress this week. Giffords posted a video on Youtube announcing that she's leaving her seat to focus on her recovery. A little more than a year ago, Giffords was shot in the head by a would be assassin. She survived but six others died that day.
Penn State alumni and fans are mourning the death of long-time football coach Joe Paterno. He died today of complications of lung cancer. Paterno was the winningest coach in the history of college football. But he was fired this past season following a sex abuse scandal involving a former assistant coach. Joe Paterno was 85 years old.
Italian search teams have found another body on the partly sunken cruise ship Costa Concordia. The 13th victim is a woman who was wearing a life jacket. Nineteen people are still missing. Search efforts are continuing but attention will soon turn to removing 2,400 tons of fuel from the ship. A serious environmental risk.
Let's talk now with someone who tells it like it is. Dan Rather, he has covered the biggest news stories of our time for more than four decades. And some of them have revolved around presidential elections. This week he will be covering the upcoming Florida primary for HDNet as host of that network's "Dan Rather Reports." Dan, good to see you again. Thank you for coming back.
DAN RATHER, HOST "DAN RATHER REPORTS": Thank you for having me, Don.
LEMON: OK. So, Mr. Rather, three contests down and three different winners. What do you make of Newt Gingrich's latest surge and win in South Carolina?
RATHER: Well, Newt Gingrich has the momentum. There's that old song from some light opera "Hearts can inspire other hearts with their fire." And Gingrich has the fire. AS you mentioned in your program earlier, he does inspire people. Those who don't like him and then all Democrats would say (INAUDIBLE) but he's really caught fire.
Now if he can keep that momentum going in Florida, then we have a real race here. One that could the Republican nomination can go deep into the spring and possibly even to the Republican convention itself with someone such as Jeb Bush coming in at the tail end. But Florida is not South Carolina, as we all know. It's much bigger state, a much more diverse. Mitt Romney has the advantage there. For one thing, don't forget a fairly high percentage of the votes in the Florida primary have already been cast absentee. They were cast before the South Carolina race.
So I'd have to say in Florida, Mitt Romney limps in. He would be favored in Florida, but not nearly as favored as he would have been had won South Carolina. I do think that it's still Mitt Romney's nomination to lose for the GOP. But he could lose it because Newt who can be (INAUDIBLE) when he chooses to do so as evidenced in that debate where he unloaded with the CNN correspondent John with the first question.
LEMON: Yes.
RATHER: But he's got a lot of momentum going for him.
LEMON: I want to play some of that. I'm glad you talked about that. Because he had a strong week leading into South Carolina. Defining moment was as you said when CNN's John King asked him to respond to the interview his ex-wife gave to ABC. Take a listen, Mr. Rather.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN KING, CNN CORRESPONDENT: She says you asked her, sir, to enter into an open marriage. Would you like to take some time to respond to that?
NEWT GINGRICH (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: No, but I will.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: We know how that went. He went on to castigate the media saying "I can't believe you would do that. The media needs to stop doing this." Then reaction to Gingrich's response from John King. Rick Santorum told a South Carolina crowd not to fall for his rival's tactics. Listen, Mr. Rather.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RICK SANTORUM (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I would say to the people of South Carolina, take a step back. Get past the clip one-liners. The beating up of the media which is always popular among conservatives. Get past the inevitability that the person with the most money wins. He didn't win Iowa.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Obviously, he was taking a shot at Newt Gingrich. But is this significant? A candidate especially a GOP candidate finally admitting to blaming the media, which is so easy to do?
RATHER: Well, particularly with Republican primaries, it's so-called red meat in primaries. But let's be clear. This election is not about a nomination process, nor the general election. It's not about the press and whatever anybody thinks about the press. It's about the economy and specifically, jobs.
And it's about how our women particularly independent and swing vote women going to go into the general election. As citizens, we need to keep our focus on what the election is about. There's a clear difference of opinion between how the Republicans approach bringing our economy back and then there are the Democrats. That's what this election is about.
During the primary season, I wouldn't be surprised if Newt Gingrich does this again and again. He's good at it. He knows how to do it. He can pull it off. In the general election, while he may try it in the general election, people are going to be focused on the economy as they say specifically jobs and not what someone thinks about the press.
LEMON: All right. Good, thank you for that answer. Let's move on and talk about Florida. What's Mitt Romney need to do to gain momentum back? Or is there anything he can do, Mr. Rather?
LEMON: Well, there's plenty he can do, in no particular order. Number one, he needs to have two good debates. I think there are two debates scheduled before the Florida primary. And Romney has been on sort of a losing streak at the debates as evidenced by what you saw from Newt Gingrich earlier. He needs to do well in the two debates. He needs to really rip into Newt Gingrich.
I think this race in Florida will be ugly enough to choke a vulture. It's going to be nasty on all sides. But Romney has to damage Gingrich. He has to call to the public's mind the so-called baggage that Gingrich has. I think whoever wins the Florida primary, they will be second to television station owners in Florida because each side is going to buy up all the television time they can.
LEMON: Oh yes.
RATHER: Romney has the lead in that. A lot of new, fresh special interest money is flooding towards Gingrich. He'll have the money for his own television campaigns. But with Romney, the other thing Romney has to demonstrate, and Florida would be an excellent place for him to demonstrate, is that he can relate to crowds. He can relate to voters. Romney (INAUDIBLE) is a very intelligent person. You can argue about what his record tells you about that. But he's yet to demonstrate that he has that fingertip feel that Gingrich has for voters that Bill Clinton had when he was running as a democrat. Some have it, some don't. So far, Romney hasn't had it.
LEMON: We have a short time left and I want to get this in. The only person on the other side, the democratic side is the president, President Obama traveling, Mr. Rather, five states in three days later this week. What should he be focusing on to compete with the momentum of the GOP now?
RATHER: Well, I think they have done a pretty good job in trying to do that. I think not to concentrate on any of the Republican candidates, but instead try to draw the difference between his view, which is to say to get the economy back and roaring again, you do need the government involved. As opposed to the Republican view of sort of get the government out of the way and the economy will come back on its own.
This is what Obama has to do. In my book, President Obama is at this reading a slight underdog because of the economy and some other sakes he's made through his first term. But things can change. They can change overnight. But I rate Obama a slight underdog, particularly if the candidate for the Republicans is Romney.
LEMON: There you go. We love having you, Mr. Rather. Please come back. Thank you for joining us.
RATHER: Thank you very much, Don.
LEMON: All right. Moving on now, survivors of the capsized cruise ship Costa Concordia finds safety and comfort in Italy. That report after the break.
But first, it's easy to say that you like to change the world, but this week's CNN hero recognizes a teenage who is really doing it. His name is Michael Careway. He was in the 6th grade when he received a live-saving liver from an organ donor. Now 14 years old, he's using his new lease on life to help others. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When Michael was born, he was normal. He was active. He ran around. He played football. He was just like any other child. And one day, he just got sick.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In 2008 I was diagnosed with liver failure.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They told me straight up if he does not get a liver transplant, he will die.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was Halloween. And then the doctor came in (INAUDIBLE) a liver specialist.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He walked in and said I hate to sound like the grim reaper but it's raining outside and it's Halloween. He says I've been doing this for 30 years, somebody is going to die. Your son is going to get a liver.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So this guy right here, his name was Johnny Hernandez. He was 18 years old. And he was killed on a motorcycle accident. This family gave something to me that I needed, which was a liver from their son. So I really couldn't pay them back, so I feed the homeless in honor of their son, Johnny Hernandez.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It was Mikey's idea to feed the homeless and his vision.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: December 25th, 2008, we packed up 25 meals, put it on my mom's truck and drove around. Ever since then, we have launched Mikey's Meals. We have fed over 4,000 people in the city of Oakland. Every time we feed, we promote donor awareness.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We signed up at least 30 people to become organ donors at each event that we have.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's really important to help your community. Without you, there is no community.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mikey is truly a young wonder.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Italian search teams have found another body on the partly- sunken cruise ship Costa Concordia. The 13th victim is a woman who was wearing a life jacket. Hope is starting to fade that anymore survivors will be pulled from the wreckage, but families of the 19 people still missing continue to pray. They gather in the same church where cruise ship survivors went to seek shelter the night of the accident.
Dan Rivers introduces us to an Italian pastor who offered a safe haven to those most in need.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAN RIVERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Watching over the wreck of the Costa Concordia is Giglio San Lorenzo Church. Amid-so much sorrow, it has drawn in the families of the missing to pray for the safe return of their loved ones. But the priest, Father Luciano Pasquotti at the center of this tragedy.
The church was where hundreds of wet and cold passengers sought shelter in the chaotic hours after the accident. Most still wearing their life jackets. There was barely room to stand. The church had suddenly become an emergency center with human drama playing out below the fine frescoed ceiling. Father Luciano shows me a life jacket roped and (INAUDIBLE) that survivors brought in.
FATHER LUCIANO PASQUOTTI, GIGLIO'S SAN LORENZO CHURCH: These are from the Costa Concordia as well. The tabernacle. See.
In the church, in the little church on the Costa Concordia, aboard.
RIVERS: He says they will now form part of a permanent memorial exhibition in the church along with other precious items from the ship's chapel. And there were harrowing moments as well as frantic families searched for missing children.
He says the parents of a French boy and girl were sitting just over there. He says they asked me if I saw them. I said I don't know. Maybe they were here but I explained to them it wasn't very probable. It was difficult to explain, he says.
Vilma Maternal is a nun from the Philippines. She was also busy helping some 20 children and several babies who had been plucked from the ship.
RIVERS (on camera): Were they very cold when they arrived?
VILMA MATERNAL, NUN: Yes. They were trembling. They are scared of what has happened.
RIVERS (voice-over): The church has strong maritime traditions. This bronze plaque of Jesus in a boat is where local sailors offer thanks for their safe return from sea. But on Friday the 13th, some passengers on the Costa Concordia didn't make it ashore. Now the bells of San Lorenzo echo across the bay where they so cruelly lost their lives.
(on camera): The church not only played a critical role in helping those who survived this disaster. It's also become the focus of prayers of families for those who are still missing as hopes fade of finding anyone else alive.
Dan Rivers, CNN, Giglio Island, Italy.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: All right, Dan.
Next, it's your guilty pleasure. But that chocolate you enjoy so much, it's harvested using child labor. A CNN Freedom project special coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Imagine supporting child slavery and not even being aware you're doing it. You could be doing just that when you eat chocolate. State Department says more than 100,000 children are involved in the worst forms of child labor in Africa.
CNN's Richard Quest has a disturbing story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RICHARD QUEST, CNN HOST (voice-over): There is a dark connection between the chocolate we enjoy and the child slavery in West Africa. Researchers have documented disturbing signs of forced labor and trafficking. Children held against their will, many never paid.
Ivory Coast is the world's largest producer of cocoa. The U.S. State Department estimates there are more than 100,000 children involved in the worst forms of child labor, on cocoa farms throughout the country.
JUDY GEARHART, EXEC. DIR., INTERNATIONAL LABOR RIGHTS FORUM: This is trafficking. A child being trafficked, a child being forced to work. It doesn't get worse than that. I don't think - it can't be just about, are there enough of them. It's a serious abuse.
QUEST: According to an industry-wide agreement, signed on September the 19th, 2001, this should not be the case. The Harkin-Engle Protocol was written to put an end to forced child labor in chocolate by 2005. That deadline had to be extended to 2008, and again to 2010. It's now been more than 10 years.
SEN. TOM HARKIN (D), IOWA: If these companies aren't willing to come forward and work with us and put some more money forward to get these kids out of the cocoa fields, I think they may face a really big backlash.
QUEST: Kevin Bales with Free the Slaves signed the protocol in 2001, along with leading companies in the cocoa market.
KEVIN BALES, "FREE THE SLAVES": I am disappointed, and to a large part, it's a resource question. It's all about the fact that while several million dollars a year are moving from the chocolate industry into work on the ground in West Africa, it's simply not enough to meet the size of the problem.
QUEST: CNN has spoken to the top chocolate and cocoa companies, inviting them to be on our air. They either declined or did not respond. Those that did passed us along to the International Cocoa Initiative. The ICI was set up by the protocol to bring all parties together, to address the worst forms of child labor in the supply chain.
JOANNA SCOTT, SPOKESWOMAN FOR COCOA AND CHOCOLATE COMPANIES: The progress isn't enough on that, and that's why we've joined force with other partners to this new framework of action, and we have - we really believe we have to accelerate action. We have to do more, and we have a very challenging goal that we're all supporting.
QUEST: The goal now is to reduce the worst forms of child labor within the next eight years by 70 percent. However, the International Labor Rights Forum sees flaws within the cocoa initiative.
GEARHART: The idea that companies can enjoy an initiative and sit behind that initiative, I don't think answers the real question. It's not the same as getting companies to step forward and transparently say, this is what we're doing.
QUEST: Richard Quest, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: We need to tell you now that we are monitoring a severe weather threat across a large part of the country. Right now, many of you in line for possible tornadoes. Our meteorologist Jacqui Jeras tracking the storms popping up already. She has the very latest on this threat in two minutes.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: As I said before the break, we're watching some severe weather happening now. Jacqui Jeras in the CNN severe weather center. Update us, Jacqui.
JACQUI JERAS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Don, we're watching two possible tornadoes right now. This is in south central Arkansas. It's within the watch area, and they're Doppler radar indicated tornadoes. So these could drop out at any given time. The storms are moving very, very quickly to the north and to the east.
And here you can see this whole line around Little Rock, into the south. They're all moving in this direction, pushing as fast as 70 miles per hour. So you can't outrun these things. They're very dangerous storms. If a tornado does drop down, it could stay on the ground for a very long period of time.
And the storm prediction center has just issued an updated public statement, saying their level of confidence in this outbreak tonight is extremely high. So we're very concerned with these nighttime thunderstorms in January here. So we'll continue to track this situation. And just to give you an idea of the other areas that are going to be at risk tonight under the tornado watch at this hour includes western parts of Tennessee into northern Mississippi.
So we're a couple of hours away before this line begins to get to you. So make sure your NOAA weather radio is on, say, if you live in Memphis, say if you live in the northern parts of Mississippi. And this is that PDS watch. If you ever hear us say that, that means it's a particularly dangerous situation and that level of confidence and that risk continues to be very high.
Now, we're also watching the situation a little farther on up to the north. In the boot heel of Missouri, southern Illinois and in southwestern Indiana, around Evansville down towards (INAUDIBLE), you guys are under a slight risk to moderate risk of severe thunderstorms. So we think you have a greater potential of getting wind damage in this area, and you're still a couple of hours away before things really get hitting in this area.
This is a very vigorous storm. It has a lot of energy with it. And it really needs that, because, Don, usually this time of year if we're going to get any kind of rotation, we get all that heating from the daytime. And with the sunshine, well, it's dark outside. So this is an unusual event. We've got freezing rain to the north. We've got dry, dusty, windy conditions in parts of Texas. A nasty storm that's not going to go up, not well into tomorrow.
LEMON: All right. Jacqui, we'll be following. Thank you, Jacqui.
We want to check your headlines now.
Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords says she is stepping down from Congress this week. Giffords posted a video on Youtube, announcing that she is leaving her seat to focus on her recovery. A little more than a year ago, Giffords was shot in the head by a would-be assassin. She survived, but six others died that day.
The winningest coach in the history of college football has died. Joe Paterno lost his battle with lung cancer today. Paterno was fired this past season over his handling of a sex abuse scandal involving a former assistant coach. Joe Paterno was 85 years old.
The Arab League is demanding that Syria's president step aside. The league says Bashar Al Assad should start talking with the opposition in the next two weeks, so a national unity government can be formed within two months. The league also wants more time for its monitoring mission in Syria and an increase in the number of observers. There is no sign the Syrian regime will accept such a deal.
I need to tell you that tonight at 10:00 p.m. Eastern here on CNN, one of Gabrielle Giffords' best friends, Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman- Schultz is going to join to talk to us about what's next for Giffords as she prepares to officially leave her seat in the House. Make sure you check that out tonight at 10:00 p.m. Eastern right her on CNN.
In the meantime, I'm Don Lemon. Thank you so much for joining us. Make sure you join us at 10:00 p.m. for the latest top stories. I'll be right here at the CNN World headquarters in Atlanta.
And we're going to do this next here on CNN, go into the world of one of the deadliest drug wars in the world where police are out manned and outgunned. CNN Presents, it's called "Narco Wars" and it begins on CNN in just a few seconds. See you at 10:00 p.m..
