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U.S. Troops Free Hostages in Somalia; Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords Resigns; Michelle Obama Rolls Out Federal Makeover Of School Lunches; Obama's State Of The Union; How Money Affects Poll Numbers in GOP Race
Aired January 25, 2012 - 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 Studio 7, I'm Suzanne Malveaux.
Want to get you up to speed for this Wednesday, January 25th.
An American woman and a Danish man are free today after being kidnapped in Somalia. Now, U.S. Navy SEALs, they swooped in, killed the people holding them hostage, and brought them out safely.
Jessica Buchanan was in Somalia helping remove landmines when she and her fellow worker were snatched in October. Now, before anybody knew about this top-secret Special Forces mission last night, President Obama congratulated his defense secretary in the State of the Union crowd.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Leon, good job tonight. Good job tonight.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: CNN has now confirmed that the Special Forces team involved last night was the same -- from the same unit that actually took out Osama bin Laden last year, the Navy's awesome SEAL Team Six.
We are live from the Pentagon with those details.
(CHANTING)
MALVEAUX: A huge anniversary rally is under way now in Egypt. What you're looking at, Cairo's Tahrir Square. That, as thousands of people there gathered. They are marking the one year since the start of the revolution that kicked out longtime president Hosni Mubarak.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The president of the United States!
(APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: All right. Applause from both sides of the aisle before President Obama kicked off his State of the Union speech.
Now, today, the president, he's off on a three-day campaign swing to the critical battleground states. Last night he laid out his priorities, he challenged the country. He said preserving the American dream is the defining issue of our times, and he stood by his position on taxing the rich.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OBAMA: We need to change our tax code so that people like me and an awful lot of members of Congress pay our fair share of taxes. Tax reform should follow the Buffett Rule. If you make more than a million dollars a year, you should not pay less than 30 percent in taxes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: All right. Republicans not wasting any time, tearing into the president's State of the Union message in the official GOP response. They accused the president of dividing the country into class warfare.
Now, just moments ago, Mitt Romney compared the presidency to the Titanic.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MITT ROMNEY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: What he didn't say last night is that we're spending too much and borrowing too much, and that America is on a collision course with debt, and that if we don't get off this course, we could sink the American economy and go into calamity. We're, if you will, a virtual Titanic, and he's saying full speed ahead.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: Two new polls highlight the political slugfest that is playing out between Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney. The latest Gallup tracking poll shows Gingrich leading Romney 31 percent to 27 percent. That is in a national match-up. But in another poll just out this morning showing Romney leading Gingrich by seven percentage points in Florida. It was conducted partly after Monday night's debate in Tampa.
On the campaign trail this hour, Gingrich holds a Latin-American policy speech in Miami, Florida.
And a very emotional day for Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and her colleagues. It was just very sweet. They gave her several standing ovations on the House floor. This one, as she walked in to formally resign from Congress. Now, she cast that one last vote.
Giffords is giving up her seat to focus on recovering from the brain injuries that she suffered when she was shot last year. Her friend, Congresswoman Debbie Wassermann Schultz, fighting back tears, paid tribute just moments ago. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (D-FL), DNC CHAIR: I am so proud of my friend, and it will always be one of the great treasures of my life to have met Gabby Giffords and to have served with her in this body.
We have all been through such a tumultuous year. The nation has been through a tumultuous year. No one more tumultuous than Gabby and her family and her constituents in her beloved home city of Tucson, Arizona.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: Strong winds, hail slamming into central Texas overnight, triggering dangerous flash floods. This was a rescue in San Antonio. Now, firefighters helped a woman to safety after her car stalled in water that was waist deep.
Apple now holding the title the "Most Valuable Company in the World." That is right. Apple replaced ExxonMobil when the company's shares rose seven percent in the first few minutes of trading!
Apple sold $46 billion -- that's right -- in iPhones, iPads, Macs just the last quarter. The best quarter in history for a tech company.
All right. So, bipartisanship, it's defined cooperation, agreement, compromise between the two major political parties. We hear about it all the time, but we rarely see it out of Washington. And do voters even care about bipartisanship anymore?
That brings us to today's "Talk Back" question and Carol Costello, who is in Washington.
Carol, people say they want people to get along. Do they mean it?
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I don't know. Some people might say that we, as in the voters, are more partisan than the politicians these days, but that's my question this morning.
There was one magical moment preceding the State of the Union. I say "magical" because it conjures something unattainable today -- unity. Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, shot while talking with her constituents, has come to symbolize bipartisanship, a notion so antiquated, we get teary-eyed when we think about how it used to be and how it could be again if only we took a cue from our military.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OBAMA: When you put on that uniform, it doesn't matter if you're black or White, Asian, Latino, Native American, conservative, liberal, rich, poor, gay, straight. When you're marching into battle, you look out for the person next to you or the mission fails.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: But Republicans say Mr. Obama isn't practicing bipartisanship, not with his executive orders and recess appointments. They say they can do better.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NEWT GINGRICH (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We could make speeches. We could yell at each other. We could pretend we were Barack Obama. Or we could put the country first.
Now, I will not compromise. But I will -- I will be willing to coordinate and to get things done.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROMNEY: If I get to Washington, I can assure you, I will meet with the Democrat leaders. I will establish a relationship of respect and rapport.
I know they will attack me. That's kind of how politics work. They will attack me in public.
I will not return fire in the way we've been watching over the last several years in Washington. I want to get America right.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: But let's face it, a spirit of bipartisanship, unity is not exactly topic number one on the campaign trail or in Washington these days. The goal now is to get things done with or without help from the other side.
So, the "Talk Back" question today: Do voters care if their next president is bipartisan?
Facebook.com/CarolCNN. I'll read your comments later this hour.
MALVEAUX: You know, Carol, it always seems like it's disaster that brings the parties together, some sort of national tragedy like 9/11. I remember, really, people put down the party and put the politics of all of that. It's interesting to see whether or not it can happen without that. You know?
You see that with Gabby Giffords.
COSTELLO: I know. The ceremony today was a beautiful thing to witness, Democrats and Republicans joining together in their grief and their admiration for this woman, and it doesn't really matter what -- if she's a Democrat or a Republican. So why can't they carry that through, you know, to the way they govern?
MALVEAUX: Yes.
COSTELLO: It's seemingly impossible these days.
MALVEAUX: We'll see if there's a breakthrough somehow. Thank you, Carol. COSTELLO: Sure.
(NEWSBREAK)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: New dramatic video of plates sliding after that Italian ship ran aground off the coast of Italy. Rescuers have now found a 16th body on board. Sixteen others are still missing. The cruise line is denying reports that it offered discounts on future cruises to survivors of the shipwreck.
Just a few minutes ago we confirmed that the U.S. Navy's top-secret SEAL Team Six was part of the joint operation that saved two aid workers from kidnappers in Somalia. It is the same SEAL team that killed Osama bin Laden last year.
Want to bring in Chris Lawrence. He is at the Pentagon. Also, we've got David McKenzie. He is standing by.
Chris, first of all, what do we know about this mission? Who planned it? Who gave the green light?
CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Ultimately, Suzanne, it was the president's call. These two hostages were kidnapped back in late October, but officials tell us there was a real heightened sense of urgency over the last few weeks.
Part of what contributed to that was the declining health of Jessica Buchanan, the American hostage. So, when the U.S. got specific intelligence where the hostages were being held, and who was holding them, President Obama gave the green light for the mission on Monday.
The military had been planning this mission. They executed it on Tuesday.
The Special Operations team came into that compound area where they found nine kidnappers with -- armed with weapons and some explosives nearby. All nine of those kidnappers were killed. They found the hostages in an outdoor encampment, hustled them onto the helicopter, and got them out of there safely.
MALVEAUX: Who are these kidnappers? Who are these pirates? Are they pirates or one of the Islamist terror groups active in Somalia?
LAWRENCE: Well, there is a notorious militant group operating in Somalia, al-Shabaab, but as far as we cant ell, these were simply kidnappers. They were looking for money. Ransom was the motive.
MALVEAUX: And what do we know about the aid workers, Jessica and the Dane? What are their conditions today?
LAWRENCE: Yes. Jessica Buchanan is from Ohio. Poul Thisted is a Danish man.
They were both humanitarian aid workers. They were working on a de- mining project to help those hundreds of thousands of refugees that are along the Somali border.
The area of Somalia, the town where they were kidnapped, is sort of an entry point for a lot of aid workers. We're now told they're in good condition, being cared for by military doctors.
MALVEAUX: And Chris, real quickly here, one of those moments that we noticed, the State of the Union, right before the president delivered his address, he went to his defense secretary and said, "Good job."
Was the mission actually complete at that time?
LAWRENCE: Not at all. Let's take look again, Suzanne. This was a really real important moment that had a lot of people scratching their heads at the time.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OBAMA: Leon, good job tonight. Good job tonight.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LAWRENCE: You know, we didn't know what to make of that exactly. Now we know that Secretary Panetta had come over to the White House for some routine meetings and stayed there to monitor this situation as it unfolded.
I'm told at the time when President Obama said that, they knew that the team had recovered the hostages and the hostages were safe, but the mission was not over. The team had not completely made it out of Somalia yet.
MALVEAUX: All right. He must have been pretty optimistic that it was going to work out.
Thank you very much, Chris. Appreciate it.
Want to bring in David here. He's a CNN correspondent in Kenya, but he's live from Jerusalem.
David, we hear about the situation, Somali hostage-taking, piracy that happens at sea. But not very frequent on land. Why?
DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, they're on land partly because, Suzanne, getting out on sea is more difficult. There's a huge presence from the international navys off the coast of Somalia. While the number of attacks are still high, more than 200 last year, the success of the attacks are going down. So, many speculate that that's why you've seen an increase in taking people on land, effectively just to get money.
MALVEAUX: And what are these aid groups doing to protect themselves in Somalia? Is there anything they can do?
MCKENZIE: Well, I've been to Galkayo, the town in central Somalia that's really on a fault line between two areas controlled by two groups in the center part of Somalia. I had been reporting there before, Suzanne.
And really, what they have is, often, they travel as a normal car, it doesn't have any kind of armor plating. There are generally people in the cars behind them with guns protecting the aid workers.
We must be clear here, though, that while piracy is somewhat popular with some Somalis off the coast of Somalia, people taking aid workers on land is not universally popular with ordinary Somalis. These were two people who were helping people clearing mines, giving education in the sense, so really there was a strong push from the Somali elders in that area also to resolve the situation.
MALVEAUX: And David, I understand there really is no functioning government in Somalia. What kind of protection can they actually give foreigners?
MCKENZIE: Well, they can't give much protection. Ultimately, one of the big issues is where there's someone who is aware of you traveling in these regions, tips off the local gangs to kidnap you. It really always pans out that there's some kind of inside information.
In terms of overall security, the U.S. has a military camp, a Navy base in Djibouti, right to the northwest of Somalia there, and that has been really set up to improve the security of the entire region. And very useful, we think, in this operation, indeed -- Suzanne.
MALVEAUX: All right.
David McKenzie.
Thank you, David.
It is a bittersweet day for Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. She just formally resigned from Congress so she can focus on recovering from the brain injury that she suffered when she was shot last year.
Her farewell, just a short time ago, very emotional on the House floor.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WASSERMAN SCHULTZ: I am so proud of my friend, and it will always be one of the great treasures of my life to have met Gabby Giffords and to have served with her in this body.
We have all been through such a tumultuous year. The nation has been through a tumultuous year. No one more tumultuous than Gabby and her family and her constituents in her beloved home city of Tucson, Arizona.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: That was Giffords' friend and colleague Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz reading Giffords' resignation letter.
I want to bring in Dana Bash, who was in the House chamber during this ceremony.
Dana, it was just so touching and so moving. Describe for us what it was like to be there.
DANA BASH, CNN SR. CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: This was unbelievable. I mean, look, you just heard Debbie Wasserman Schultz, who I'm privileged to know pretty well, and you know, Suzanne, she's one tough lady. The idea of watching her break up like that, become really a puddle of tears, really says it all.
And it's not just that. It was also the incredibly moving, poignant remarks from the Republicans in the room, the Republican leaders, talking about how strong she is and how special she is. It was something that, you know, really took everybody's breath away. And that's really the only way to describe it.
Look, we see these members of Congress every day going at each other, and this was a truly human moment. Bipartisan -- really nonpartisan.
MALVEAUX: And last night was particularly special as well in the State of the Union Address. You tweeted out an e-mail, an incredible story of every time she tried to stand up and applaud President Obama, her Republican colleague helped her.
Describe for us what happened.
BASH: It was really remarkable. She obviously has trouble getting up and down by herself, even though she's made some tremendous progress.
She was sitting next to Republican Jeff Flake. And you know the way this works. Most of the time when a Democratic president speaks, Democrats stand up for applause line. She is a Democrat. She wanted to stand up with her colleagues.
And so, the Republican, Jeff Flake, helped her up over and over again. Many times he was the only Republican standing.
And I had a chance to talk to the Republican congressman after that. Listen to what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. JEFF FLAKE (R), ARIZONA: It's the least I can do. I mean, it was just an incredible experience to be there with her, particularly after last year, having an empty chair where she should have been. And so it was just an overwhelming emotional experience for I think all of us.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BASH: Again, another human moment. I got a lot tweets back when I was telling the story last night saying that it was classy, chivalry is not dead, but it also really reminds you how tragic this is, Suzanne, because we now know from sources close to Gabby Giffords that she was considering running for the Senate. She's obviously a Democrat. Jeff Flake is running for the Senate as a Republican. The two of them would very likely have been opponents in the Senate race, and last night, because of the tragic events, they were sitting next to each other, and Jeff Flake was helping her get up and down to applaud for a Democrat president.
MALVEAUX: Is it true, Dana, that he got a little ribbing from some of his colleagues for standing up?
BASH: Not ribbing. He said that he saw some tweets of people saying kind of jest, "You support that? You support that tax break? You support, you know, things that are clearly Democratic agenda items?" But he said that it was in jest, people understood why he was doing it, and they respected him for it.
MALVEAUX: That's great. And I understand Gabby Giffords says that she will be back. So, who knows? Maybe she will run for that Senate seat at some point.
BASH: You never know.
MALVEAUX: Dana, thank you so much.
BASH: Thank you.
MALVEAUX: Well, four police officers are arrested after the FBI says they racially profiled Hispanics. Then the town's mayor makes a bizarre remark about tacos.
"Travel & Leisure" magazine's annual "America's Favorite Cities" survey had readers rank 35 major cities in a variety of categories, taking a look at the rudest cities in America. Washington, D.C., came in third, two spots under -- or I guess ruder -- than last year. Miami came in second.
All right. Which is the rudest city? We've got that answer up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: All right. We named some of the rudest cities in America according to "Travel & Leisure" magazine readers.
Claiming the top spot, New York. Yes. New York, Big Apple. The last time it held that title was back in 2009.
However, it was also voted the best city for theater and performance art. That's not surprising.
And Atlanta, here, placed seventh on the list, but -- we're looking at live pictures of Atlanta, too, I think we're pretty hospitable here. I like the southern hospitality, so I'd take Atlanta.
Well, this story, bullies with badges, that is what an FBI official calls this police sergeant and three other officers now under arrest for allegedly racially profiling Hispanic residents. Now, the FBI says that the officers from East Haven, Connecticut, essentially, made false arrests, threatened and assaulted people, performed illegal traffic stops and searches. And this went on for years.
A local clergy member made this video of the officers arresting an Hispanic man. And an indictment says that officers were also harassing Latino business owners and their advocates.
East Haven's mayor says he stands by his officers. He says they are innocent until proven guilty. And then he says this --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAYOR JOSEPH MATURO, JR., EAST HAVEN, CT.: With such tension in the Latino community, with a force of 50 officers, still no police officer of Latino ancestry.
And your point being?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What are you doing for the Latino community today?
MATURO: I might have tacos when I go home. I'm not quite sure yet.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: Tacos. All right.
So CNN spoke with an investigative reporter of "The Hartford Courant" about the mayor's taco comment. He says he thinks the mayor made this statement after a long day of reporter interviews.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Clearly, it was a foolish thing to say. I believe what he said basically was, like, the 13th interview of the day that he had done, and he was trying to -- he made a flippant remark that he obviously shouldn't have made.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: So, the mayor's office released this statement, saying, "The town has been proactive in responding to the concerns raised by the Department of Justice in its civil findings letter that was released in December. Most recently, Mayor Joseph Maturo, Jr. formed a committee to make recommendations to the Board of Police Commissioners."
Maybe he's getting something done.
President Obama says it's time for everybody in the country to get a fair chance and do their fair share.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OBAMA: No bailouts, no handouts, and no copouts. An America built to last insists on responsibility from everybody.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: More on the president's challenge to the nation and to Republicans in Congress in his State of the Union speech.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: Here's a rundown of some of the stories that we're working on.
Next, key moments from President Obama's State of the Union Address.
Then, new rules for school lunches. You need to know what your kids are going to be fed.
And later, top tips on how to have your dream home right where you live.
President Obama takes his message from the State of the Union speech on the road. He's headed to Iowa, Arizona, and Nevada today.
In his speech last night, the president said he is preserving the American dream and that is the defining issue of our times. He focused on the economy, but also education, immigration, national security.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. Speaker, the president of the United States!
(APPLAUSE)
OBAMA: Thank you so much.
For the first time in nine year years, there are no Americans fighting in Iraq.
(APPLAUSE)
OBAMA: For the first time in two decades, Osama bin Laden is not a threat to this country.
(APPLAUSE)
OBAMA: Anyone who tells you that America is in decline or that our influence has waned doesn't know what they're talking about. In the last 22 months, businesses have created more than three million jobs.
As long as I'm president, I will work with anyone in this chamber to build on this momentum. But I intend to fight obstruction with action.
It is time to stop rewarding businesses that shift jobs overseas and start rewarding companies that create jobs right here in America.
(APPLAUSE)
OBAMA: Send me these tax reforms, and I will sign them right away. Our workers are the most productive on earth, and if the playing field is level, I promise you, America will always win. You see, an economy built to last is one where we encourage the talent and ingenuity of every person in this country. That means women should earn equal pay for equal work.
Grant schools flexibility to teach with creativity and passion. Stop teaching to the tests.
(APPLAUSE)
OBAMA: And to replace teachers who just aren't helping kids learn.
(APPLAUSE)
OBAMA: That's a bargain worth making.
(APPLAUSE)
OBAMA: The opponents of action are out of excuses. We should be working on comprehensive immigration reform right now.
(APPLAUSE)
OBAMA: This country needs an all-out, all-of-the all-of-the- above strategy that develops every source of American energy.
(APPLAUSE)
OBAMA: Take the money we're no longer spending at war, use half of it to pay down out debt and use the rest to do nation building right here at home.
If you make under $250,000 a year, like 98 percent of American families, your taxes shouldn't go up.
(APPLAUSE)
OBAMA: You're the ones struggling with rising costs and stagnant wages. You're the ones who need relief. Now, you can call this class warfare all you want. Most Americans would call that common sense.
It's time to apply the same rules from top to bottom. No bailouts, no hand-outs and no cop-outs.
As long as we maintain our common resolve, our journey moves forward, and our future is hopeful. And the state of our union will always be strong.
Thank you. God bless you. And God bless the United States of America.
(APPLAUSE)
MALVEAUX: All right. So, how well did the president do in outlining his message for his re-election campaign?
I want to bring in John Avlon. He's a CNN contributor and senior political columnist for "Newsweek" and the "Daily Beast."
John, thank you.
JOHN AVLON, CNN CONTRIBUTOR & SENIOR POLITICAL COLUMNIST, NEWSWEEK & DAILY BEAST: Thank you.
MALVEAUX: Listening to some of these clips here, what struck me and other folks is how Republican Obama sounded last night with the no bailouts, no hand-outs, no cop-outs, doing for people who can't, but no more? Is he going after Republicans on the recent line of attack that he's some sort of food stamp president, hand-out president do you think?
AVLON: Well, I tell you, Suzanne, Republicans certainly aren't seeing it that way, but I agree with you there were a lot of substantive points within this speech that were consciously designed to reach out to Republicans. Republicans ideas, for example, on education reform, merit pay, and expanding offshore oil and gas drilling, and then reaching for things that would deal with some of the dysfunction we've seen in Congress, filibuster reform, up-or-down votes on appointees, ending insider trading in Congress.
But I think at the end of the day. this was the president's very confident as commander-in-speech, and the speech had a political element to it designed to fire up his base, to make people feel that he was willing to take the fight in terms of defending the middle- class and answering some of the Republican criticisms.
But even though the American people have good reason to be cynicism about the ability of this Congress to work with this president, there were things in there that can gave them some opportunity for hope if Congress can focus on the policy and not just the politics going forward.
MALVEAUX: John, let's talk about that when you talk about the commander-in-chief role and his foreign defense policy. I want you to listen to what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OBAMA: From the coalitions we've built to secure nuclear materials to the missions we've led against hunger and disease, from the blows we've dealt our enemies, to the enduring example of our moral imperative, America is back.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: John, which Republican do you think he's directing this to?
AVLON: I think a lot of Republicans in that sort of red-meat rhetoric of this campaign season have been talking a lot about American decline. So, this was a defiant rebuke to that idea. Saying that, look, in every objective measure, yes, we've got challenges, no, we're not out of the woods but things are better than three years ago.
And don't run down America just to try to get the top job. And that's a response to some of the rhetoric. You know, Mitch Daniels in his Republican response, hit the tone better than many of the candidate. He said, yes, we respect the president, repect the office, there are areas where we agree, but here are the areas where we disagree. The tone's been lost on the Republican campaign trail.
MALVEAUX: We know a lot of Americans are looking for solutions, economic solutions, times are tough for a lot of folks, but what was interesting is that he really bookmarked this speech, starting with this foreign policy, starting with there are no Americans in Iraq, we've got bin Laden. He ended congratulating his -- the defense chief as well as Secretary Clinton. How important do you think national security is, the strength that he has going into the election as opposed to the economy?
AVLON: It is a long-standing surprising source of strength for President Obama in the polls. National security, foreign policy is the area where his administration has done the best, especially with Independent voters and centrists.
But here's the thing, that frame on this speech was crucially important. Yes, it was eloquent, but we've come to expect that from this president. But what was significant was the challenge it posed to Congress, saying, our military men and women, fighting abroad, who took out bin Laden, they are united above all by a sense of mission. They don't agree on everything. We have differences as Americans. But that common sense of mission that they have in the field should inspire us here at home to take action on behalf of the American people. That's a powerful message. It's a powerful example. and I think he used it to great effect last night.
MALVEAUX: All right, John, good to see you.
AVLON: Thank you.
MALVEAUX: In their official response, Republicans call President Obama's State of the Union address divisive. Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels also accused the president of trying to use government to solve all the country's problems. He said that approach is hurting, not helping the middle-class.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MITCH DANIELS, (R), GOVERNOR OF INDIANA: The president's grand experiment in trickle-down government has held down rather than sped economic recovery. He seems to sincerely believe we can build a middle-class out of government jobs paid for with borrowed dollars. In fact, it works the other way. A government as big and bossy as this one is maintained on the backs of the middle class and those who hope to join it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: And Daniels says the president is trying to score points with some Americans by taking shots at others.
Now, this is kind of an outrageous story. Pizza still considered a vegetable on the school lunch menu. But there are some new rules now that have been put out today that the stuff on this tray is going to be better for you, almost 32 million kids who are going to eat school lunches. We'll show you why.
(SINGING)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: Right now first lady Michelle Obama's eating lunch, not at the White House but at a Washington-area elementary school. That is -- she's there to roll out a new federal makeover of the lunchtime foods like pizza and tater tots.
Elizabeth Cohen is here with lunch -- it's lunchtime -- to talk about the new rules when it comes to school lunches.
What are we seeing in these guidelines?
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: It's the first time they overhauled school lunches in 15 years.
COHEN: People are saying --
MALVEAUX: Really? Its' really happening?
COHEN: -- It's about time it's happening. What is the biggest public health threat in our country? Childhood obesity. And we've let the school lunches --
MALVEAUX: Absolutely.
COHEN: There was no maximum calorie limit. The sky was the limit. You could serve as many calories as you wanted and some bright people said, gee, we need to stop that.
MALVEAUX: I bet they had no idea how many calories they were serving.
COHEN: I bet they didn't. So speaking of which, this is a meal you can find at a school today, because the rules haven't gone into effect. You've got your pizza and tater tots. Both count as vegetable because there is tomato sauce. So, pizza, tater tots --
MALVEAUX: Vegetables.
COHEN: -- pineapple and ketchup, and that would be your meal. It's over 800 cool calories. And now they are saying elementary school students, no more than 650 calories for lunch. You couldn't even serve it today. Let's look at the new meal.
MALVEAUX: Let's see. What do we have?
COHEN: This is the 650-calorie limit. We've got a turkey and cheese sandwich, refried beans, jicama -- which I bet a lot of kids --
(CROSSTALK)
COHEN: Actually, it's a vegetable -- and cantaloupe and green pepper and ranch dipping sauce. You've got orange on that plate. You've got green on that plate. And you've got some whole wheat on that plate. and the milk has to be skim or 1 percent. That's a huge difference. So, no more. When I was a kid, I was drinking whole milk at school.
MALVEAUX: Right. Absolutely.
COHEN: Right. Now it's skim or 1 percent.
MALVEAUX: Are there any holdouts, any things that still -- that survived this that are still on the menu that just aren't good for you?
COHEN: Yes. A lot of people, including the Obama administration, are upset that pizza and tater tots can still be considered a vegetable. They can still be a vegetable.
MALVEAUX: How so?
COHEN: So can french fries. Because two tablespoons of tomato paste, that makes it a vegetable. I'm just saying, right? I'm not advocating for it.
(LAUGHTER)
MALVEAUX: There's no veggies.
(CROSSTALK)
COHEN: Tomatoes or whatever they are. And french fries, the tater tots, those are potatoes. A lot of people lobbied to make them not vegetables, but they lost, so they are still considered vegetables.
MALVEAUX: We are making some progress.
COHEN: Some progress.
MALVEAUX: There's some progress.
(CROSSTALK)
COHEN: You're going to see more color. You're going to see whole wheat and fewer calories.
MALVEAUX: Let's hope the kids eat this, right?
(LAUGHTER)
COHEN: Exactly.
(CROSSTALK)
COHEN: They could. That could happen.
MALVEAUX: All right, Elizabeth, thank you.
COHEN: Thanks.
MALVEAUX: Television chef, Rachael Ray, she is serving up school lunch with the first lady. I'm going to talk to her live next hour about the new lunch guidelines and her own personal efforts to cut down on childhood obesity and encourage healthy eating.
(SINGING)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: You've been sounding all of on our "Talk Back" question. Our Carol Costello is here with some of your responses.
Hey, Carol.
COSTELLO: Hi, Suzanne. Today's question, do voters care if their next president is bipartisan?
Steve says, "No, most people vote their ideology. If you are a hardcore liberal or conservative, you most likely cannot compromise on anything."
This from Speen, "Yes, absolutely. This country is so torn, if both parties can work together, more people would be satisfied. We all want the same thing but have different approaches to getting there."
This from Madiha, "It's just something politicians use to manipulate our emotions. The president, nor Congress ever act upon bipartisanship. Take a look at history. In fact, we should just get rid of the two-party system, period."
This from Donald, "Bipartisanship? Nope, don't care, not even a little. I want my Democratic representative to go to war against these ridiculous conservatives trying to take our country back into the good old days."
And this from Steve, "Of course, we care, but the problem is watching so-called adults fight like children in a sandbox. The current politicians need a clue as to how to play nice together instead of Nancy stole my gavel, Waaah!"
I hope I did that justice.
(LAUGHTER)
Keep the conversation going. Facebook.com/carolCNN. I'll be back with you in about 15, 20 minutes.
MALVEAUX: You know, Carol, most people, you sit down family reunions, whatever, Thanksgiving, you don't get along with everybody, but people compromise, they make choices, decisions, right?
COSTELLO: They do.
(LAUGHTER)
Maybe more traveling.
MALVEAUX: We try.
COSTELLO: I have the most partisan family on earth. We never come to any agreement. I know how lawmakers feel in Congress.
MALVEAUX: At least --
(CROSSTALK)
COSTELLO: Sitting around dinner table.
MALVEAUX: At least you sit at the same table. You haven't gone off to different areas of the room. You are still there at the table. That's what people want, I think, yes?
COSTELLO: If you say so.
MALVEAUX: We'll see.
(LAUGHTER)
Well, there is some disappointing news for the housing market. Last year home prices were at their lowest level in nine years. So, a lot of folks deciding to stay put, renovate their houses instead of buying new ones.
Felicia Taylor is live on creating the dream home.
So, Felicia, how do you create your dream home? This sounds pretty good.
(LAUGHTER)
FELICIA TAYLOR, CNN CORRESPONDENT; Well, Suzanne, spending on home renovations is projected to rise about 5 percent this year. According to the Commerce Department and HIS Global Insight. Spending on home improvements has exceeded spending on new home construction since 2009. Probably not a surprise. In other words, rather than moving to a new place, people are just opting to spruce up their homes.
But renovating your home won't just make it look better, it will also increase its value and that's what's really interesting. "Remodeling" magazine's cost-versus-value report breaks down the cost of popular projects and how much of that you can expect to get back when you do sell your home.
So, like, replacing a garage door, adding a wooden deck or swapping out your windows with vinyl ones, that will all return about 70 percent of the original investment. You can expect to make back about 73 percent of the cost on a new steel front door. Now, as for interiors, like, say, you do a minor kitchen remodeling under $20,000, you should net back $14,000 at resale.
Suzanne, if you are selling and opening up your home to potential buyers, don't underestimate the value of a good cleaning and a new coat of paint. So, there's a couple of tips.
MALVEAUX: You know, when I was selling my house in Maryland, that's exactly what I did. I was advised just paint the house, paint it all white and you'll sell it. It worked like a charm. It was fantastic.
TAYLOR: Really? That's great.
MALVEAUX: A coat of paint --
TAYLOR: Wow.
MALVEAUX: -- did the job, and new carpeting, so we'll see.
But I know you can't just have anybody do it. You've got to have a good contractor. So, stick around and we'll find out how to pick one, up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: All right. More now on renovating your house. If you're not that kind of do-it-yourself type of person, you're going to need a contractor.
Felicia, I'm not one of those do-it-yourself kinds of people when it comes to fixing stuff at the house.
(LAUGHTER)
MALVEAUX: I'm just not.
TAYLOR: Me either. Can't do it.
MALVEAUX: What should we look for?
TAYLOR: I don't know about you, but I've heard plenty of stories of bad contractors. So we spoke to Lou Manfredini, ACE Hardware's home expert. He say, if someone offers you a special one-time offer, turn it down. Take the time, do your homework instead. The national association of the remodeling industry list professional contracts on its site, nari.org. Look at the contractor's truck. This is kind of a simple thing. If there's no company or logo, walk away. Ask for proof of insurance. Make sure your contractor is licensed. Reach out for references and call them up and ask how the work has held up over time. Also, what was he like to work with? Check for any complaints about that particular person with the Better Business Bureau. And, finally, work out a payment plan. Never pay in full up front. I made this mistake and the guy left halfway through the job. Never pay in full upfront. Hold back a portion of the payment until the work is done.
MALVEAUX: Yes. It takes just once before you say, I'm never doing that again.
TAYLOR: Right. Exactly.
MALVEAUX: Thank you, Felicia.
It's a big state and the two frontrunners are spending big bucks for the flight in Florida. We're going to take a look at how money is affecting the polls with the CNN "Political Ticker."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: The heat is on in the battle for Florida. Paul Steinhauser, live from Jacksonville with the very latest.
Paul, this is turning into a brutal back and forth between Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich. Neither candidate pulling any punches now. Where do we stand in the showdown?
PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN DEPUTY POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Six days until the crucial primary in Florida. We have brand numbers, Suzanne. Two new polls out this morning.
Let's take a look at them. They're interesting. Quinnipiac University came out first this morning. Look at the surge of Gingrich. The numbers on the left, Gingrich and Romney here in Florida among people likely to vote. That is on Thursday through Saturday before Gingrich's big win in the South Carolina primary. Look what happened on Sunday and Monday on the right there. You can see Gingrich surging. Six points up over Romney according to the Quinnipiac poll. But wait. There's more. There always is. American Research Group, another poll, out today, conducted on Monday and Tuesday. Suzanne, look at this breakdown. Romney on top just about four points on Monday. But Tuesday, after the debate in Tampa Monday night, he has a little bit of a larger lead there according to this survey by American Research Group.
Suanne, we'll have our own poll from CNN/Time, coming out later today.
MALVEAUX: Paul, we're not going to forget the other guys. Rick Santorum, Ron Paul, do they stand a chance in Florida? How are they doing?
STEINHAUSER: Exactly. This is a four-person race. Let's not forget about that. Let's look at that ARG poll and let's do all four candidates. And you can see at the bottom, both Santorum and Paul are in single digits.
Suzanne, it's a winner take-all state here. 50 delegates at stake, winner take all. Ron Paul just here for the two debates. He's spending his time elsewhere, in Nevada and the other states that vote later in February. Suzanne, we've got the bus behind us. We're ready for Thursday night's big debate, CNN debate, right here at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville.
MALVEAUX: You've got to have the bus to make it happen. It's going to happen.
STEINHAUSER: Got to happen.
MALVEAUX: Also, Paul, we're following new numbers here, following the money here. Do we have any idea what these guys are spending?
STEINHAUSER: Oh, yes. This is the story of those super PACs, those independent groups that are backing the candidates. Suzanne, Winning our Future, that's the super PAC backing Newt Gingrich. Guess what, $6 million they say they'll spend between today and next Tuesday. But, wait, there's more. The super PAC that's backing Romney, Restore Our Future, they say they're going to put in around $5 million and they've already spent $3 million. These super PACs are spending so much money here in Florida -- Suzanne.
MALVEAUX: Paul, I love your energy. You're one of the most energetic political folks I know.
Thanks, Paul. We'll all be following it very closely.
For the latest political news, you know where to go -- Paul Steinhauser and everybody else -- CNNPolitics.com.
