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Close GOP Race In Florida; Egypt's Revolution One Year In; U.S. Special Forces To The Rescue; Gabrielle Giffords Resigns; Weather Alert In Texas; Apple Stock Soars; New Air Fare Rules; Marine Sentenced In Haditha Attack; U.S. Attacks Alzheimer's Disease; Interview With White House Domestic Policy Adviser Cecilia Munoz

Aired January 25, 2012 - 13:00   ET

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

RANDI KAYE, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, everyone, I'm Randi Kaye. It's 1:00, we've got a busy hour ahead, let's get straight to the news. Manufacturing today, energy tomorrow, education on Friday. President Obama is building on his economy built to last theme in his post State of the Union road trip starting in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He is speaking at a plant that makes conveyor belts at this hour. From Iowa, Mr. Obama visits an Intel plant in Arizona, a UPS facility in Vegas, Buckley Air Force Base in Denver, and the University of Michigan Ann Arbor. Four of those states are seen as must win in November. Arizona is on the president's wish list.

For six more days, only one state matters in the GOP primary race, and that is Florida. Rick Santorum works a state party rally in Naples today, while Newt Gingrich spoke at a forum sponsored by Univision in Miami. Mitt Romney appears there next hour. And we have a new poll, American Research Group questioned likely Florida voters Monday and Tuesday before and after the last Republican debate. Romney is on top by seven points but six percent say they're unsure. Santorum and Ron Paul are far behind fighting it out to third.

Egyptians are marking the first anniversary of the start of the historic uprising and do scenes like this in Cairo's Tahrir Square now seem commonplace? It's because the forces who ousted long time president Hosni Mubarak fear there's little else to show for their efforts. Mubarak, as you know, is on trial for his life and a long- awaited handover from military rulers who a Democratic civilian government is far from complete.

In a daring helicopter move, U.S. special forces rescued two aide workers held hostage in Somalia. The Pentagon says nine gunmen were killed in the raid as the U.S. lead forces fought their way into the Somali compound, and we've learned some of them were from the Navy SEAL team that killed Osama Bin Laden last year. The hostages, an American and Dane, were seized in October working with an anti-land mine group. More on this story and a live report just minutes from now.

Gabrielle Giffords resigned from Congress today, honored with a standing ovation. Lawmakers set aside their differences to recognize Giffords for all that she has done during her tenure, with her friend Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz speaking for her. Giffords vowed to finish her recovery and eventually return. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (D), CONGRESSWOMAN, FLORIDA: It has been the greatest privilege of her life to represent them, that she loves them as a fifth generation to (INAUDIBLE), that her public service has meant a great deal to her, and that this is only a pause in that public service and that she will return one day.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: Also, today the House unanimously passed her final piece of legislation, a bill to penalize smugglers using ultra-light aircraft to bring drugs across the U.S., Mexico border. Giffords was shot in the head and critically wounded just over a year ago.

Powerful storms barreled across southern Texas last night. Austin reported seven to nine inches of rain. These are some live pictures for you there from our affiliate, KTVT. Flash flood warnings are in place for San Antonio, Austin, Dallas and Houston. Dozens of flooded streets in the San Antonio area were closed off, and strong winds brought down power lines leaving thousands of people in the dark.

A tornado watch remained in effect for the morning for parts of south central and southeast Texas. No reports of injuries so far.

Apple stock is going through the roof. Up seven percent in early trading after blowout quarterly results. The tech company sold record numbers of Macs, iPhones, iPads and iPods to generate sales of 46 points or a billion dollars last quarter. That's up 73 percent from a year ago. It was one of the biggest quarters ever for any U.S. company.

If you shop for airfares today, it may seem like prices shot up overnight. But for once, that's not the case. A new rule kicks in today making it mandatory for airlines to show the total cost of a ticket hen advertising the price, that includes any taxes and special fees. This means what you see is now what you'll get with no hidden costs attached.

The Navy's top secret SEAL team is at it again. How they helped rescue an American and a Danish hostage in Somalia. A live report on the raid that saved two lives, next.

But, first, a five-year-old in Georgia did something most kids his age may not have had the presence of mind to do. Caleb Sims mother and grandmother suddenly became very sick, too sick to reach the phone, so quickly called 911. He was able to tell 911 operators exactly what was going on and his address. His family is fine now but we would like to give the little boy a shout out for being so brave. Good job, Caleb. You are our Rock Star.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: We have some breaking news to tell you about. These are live pictures in the Houston area. Reports of a tornado warning there. We want to check in with our Chad Myers now for the very latest. Chad, what do you know?

CHAD MYERS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yes, the sirens have been going off in Harris county, at least the southern part, for a while now. But that's not what I'm worried about, I'm worried about near Pearland.

This is an area here near Ellington Airport where we've seen rotation here, just popped up in the last couple of minutes and it's sliding here. This is the part right there that I'm concerned about. It will slide over the Ellington Airport towards Laport and then just south of Baytown.

And the significant rotation I've seen in quite some time this morning, but it's significant enough that I wanted to at least alert you as well. There will be other storms that rotate today. If you hear the sirens going or if you hear your county, make sure you get away from the windows, get into the lowest level of the house and keep the kids and the pets inside -- Randi.

KAYE: All right. Thank you, Chad, very much.

MYERS: You're welcome.

KAYE: President Obama talked a lot last night about the military, but the latest triumph of the U.S. forces he only alluded to and you had to listen carefully.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARRACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Good job tonight. Good job tonight.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: If you caught that 'atta boy' at the State of the Union speech and wondered what was up? Well, now we know. Troops swept into lawless Somalia yesterday and rescued two western aide workers who were kidnapped in October.

American Jessica Buchanan and her colleague, Paul Thisted of Denmark were unhurt, as were the rescuers. But nine Somalia gunman were killed.

We've also learned that the heroes came in part from the U.S. Navy SEAL unit that killed Osama Bin Laden. CNN's David McKenzie has reported on Somalia extensively, and joins me now on assignment in Jerusalem to fill in some of the blanks for us. David, the Pentagon says these hostage holders were kidnappers, not terrorists. Are these the same people that we also call pirates when they attack the boats?

DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, it could be, Randi. Really, there's no direct answer on that at this point. What we do know is that they were after money, not after any kind of political goal, and so it's safe to say they weren't Islamic terrorists, as there are Al Qaeda linked groups south of there where and they were picked up in Ceel Gaal (ph) in the central part of Somalia, Randi.

So, these weren't terrorists in a way, they were just criminals, kidnappers. And certainly that's what we're both hearing on the ground in Somalia and also what the Pentagon is telling us. These are people who wanted cash and in some ways it may have been easier to deal with both by the military and also by people trying to push it diplomatically before that -- Randi?

KAYE: And David, from what we understand, this Danish group was trying to help protect Somalis from land mines. How much of a problem is that? I mean, what sort of measure would they have for their own protection there?

MCKENZIE: Well, they have some measures (ph) that have been into Ceel Gaal in the central Somalia a number of times, and in Somalia proper often. And basically, what you have is you're in the vehicle and the vehicle behind you, you often have militants of some description protecting you but the cars aren't armored and your biggest risk is really getting sold out by someone.

What we believe happened in this case is the two workers of the Danish refugee counsel are doing good work for the people of Somalia and had been sold out, tipped off -- someone tipped off these militants, kidnappers saying that -- they're people here, you can make some money, come get them. And what happened is a truck load of the gunman came and really there's nothing that protection can do in that instance, because you're not in a conventional war situation. It's very clear there --Randi.

KAYE: This was an incredible operation, I mean certainly pretty impressive. And the U.S. has a military base nearby, right?

MCKENZIE: Well, that's right, in Djibouti. It's just northwest of the northern part of Somalia. It's a camp -- a military camp, a Navy camp in fact. It was really no surprise that they placed it there. It's the major installation of the U.S. military in Africa and it's right next to an area that the U.S. military wants to look into, in terms of intelligence, in terms of groups linked with Al Qaeda, and of course in this case, it's -- we believe it proved useful in terms of mounting an operation into the central part of Somalia, getting those people back, the Pentagon saying that both of the hostages are well, they are unharmed and they are recuperating, and have been looked at by U.S. medical personnel.

The only other major base in that north -- northern region of Africa is obviously Bahrain which is where the fifth fleet comes out and deals very much with the piracy at sea that we've talked about so much in the past few years. And it's believed that because they are doing so well, Randi, at stopping pirates on the sea, they might be pushing to the land.

KAYE: David McKenzie, thank you very much for your reporting there.

Twenty-four unarmed men, women, and children shot dead. The man behind the crime? A U.S. Marine who won't serve any jail time. It's being called military justice but some question was there justice at all?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: Shoot first, ask questions later. That was the chilling command a Marine squad leader gave his men during a raid in Iraq back in 2005. What resulted was the slaughter of 24 Iraqi civilians in the town of Haditha. Among them, seven children, three women, and an elderly man in a wheelchair.

The killing was by deranged (ph) Iraqis and put an ugly stain on American troops in that country and abroad. And what happened yesterday here at home seven long years after that incident is enraging them all over again. That's because this man, Staff Sergeant Frank Wuterich, an ex-squad leader who gave the command to shoot first, ask questions later, learned his fate for his role in the attack and some say it amounts to a slap on the wrist.

Wuterich originally faced 152 years in prison on nine counts of involuntary manslaughter, two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon, and three counts of dereliction of duty. But after a plea deal, this is what he got, a reduction in rank, a pay cut and no jail time.

Joining me now to discuss the case, former Marine lawyer, now teaching at Georgetown University, Gary Solis.

Gary, nice to have you on the program. First, your reaction to yesterday's sentencing. Does the punishment fit the crime, in your opinion?

GARY SOLIS, FMR. MARINE PROSECUTOR & JUDGE: No, clearly it does not. I think it's a result of a prosecution gone awry. Awry is not really the right word. A failed prosecution.

KAYE: If you look at the case as a whole, originally there were eight defendants. The cases were dropped against six of them. One was acquitted. You say actually that this case should be an example in law school of how not to prosecute a case. What do you mean by that?

SOLIS: Well, I'm afraid so. There's enough blame to go around starting at the very top. The senior lawyers in the Marine Corps waited 13 months before they brought charges. Meanwhile, evidence is growing stale, witnesses memories are fading. And then the senior lawyers at the command at Camp Pendleton didn't press for their subordinate prosecutors to force a trial date for this case. And so you go six years without a case being tried, which is absolutely unheard of. And then, of course, there's some blame on the prosecutors themselves.

KAYE: And he obviously -- he struck this plea deal. And does that work the same way that it would in a civilian court?

SOLIS: Exactly. Yes. The prosecutor and the defense lawyer get together, decide what charges can be supported in the pre-trial agreement and what sentence is appropriate. They make the deal. It's signed by the senior general who convenes the court. It goes before the judge. The judge then sentences Wuterich to what he, the judge, feels is an appropriate sentence. And then, only then, can he look at the pre-trial agreement to see what the deal was there. And whichever is the lesser, the pre-trial agreement or the judge's sentence, Wuterich gets the benefit of.

KAYE: What do you think this -- what kind of message do you think this sends to the international community about our troops? Does it show the international community that the U.S. really doesn't hold the troops accountable for anything that they do there?

SOLIS: Obviously not. Obviously it sends a very negative message. And it's too bad because I think we have an excellent military justice system. But in this case, it was so convoluted, so many accused, it occurred so far away from the place of the trial, no forensic evidence, non-cooperative Iraqi witnesses and a prosecution that failed to get the case to trial in time that it just sends a terrible message about America's commitment and America's military commitment to justice.

KAYE: The prosecution argued in the case that the Marines were out for revenge. As a prosecutor, do you believe the same thing?

SOLIS: Well, it's very hard to say. You know, no case is too hard to try for the lawyer who doesn't have to try it. And I wasn't in the courtroom and didn't hear the evidence. But certainly the reports that I've read would tend to support that.

KAYE: Iraqi officials certainly outraged. They released a statement yesterday. We have it for you. It says, "I can't believe that the court decided to drop all the charges except one charge which is negligent dereliction of duty. This is a joke because according to the Iraqi law, all those soldiers should be executed." This was tried in a military court. Was there some kind of agenda here, do you think?

SOLIS: No, I really do not think there was any agenda, other than a sincere desire on the part of the Defense Department, the United States Marine Corps, to try this case and arrive at a just result. But as in so many instances, you go to court seeking justice and instead you meet the law.

There was just a combination of factors, a combination of mistakes that built upon each other. And that's not an excuse. The bottom line is, we failed to reach a just conclusion to this case. We'll never know what really happened there. No case has ever gone to verdict. And that just represents a failure that should be unacceptable in military justice.

KAYE: Yes, that is frustrating. Gary Solis, thank you very much for your time.

Millions of people live with Alzheimer's. They could be your parents, grandparents, even your children. But there's a new fight on the horizon. More right after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: Can you imagine your mom, dad, or grandparents, someone who you've known and loved your whole life suddenly not remembering your name or even who you are? Unfortunately, too many know that heartbreak. But the government is developing a national plan right now to tackle Alzheimer's disease as more baby boomers age. The reality is this, 5.4 million Americans have Alzheimer's right now. It's the sixth leading cause of death and slowly takes away your loved one, one memory at a time. The disease not only impacts them, but millions of family and friends who are left to deal with and care for them around the clock.

This is an issue that we think is "Under Covered," which is why Harry Johns, president of the Alzheimer's Association, joins us now from Washington.

Harry, President Obama signed the National Alzheimer's Project Act into law last January. Part of that act includes coming up with this national plan. You attended a very important meeting last week about this. What can you tell us about the national plan?

HARRY JOHNS, PRESIDENT & CEO, ALZHEIMER'S ASSOCIATION: Well, the national plan is right now at what the federal government is calling the framework stage. The NAPA act requires that there is a council that I'm serving on with those other folks you mentioned. That meeting last week advanced what are some recommendations from subcommittees. Those recommendations then will ultimately go to the council to inform and secretary at HHS in developing what will be the first draft and then ultimately a final plan. The first plan ever for Alzheimer's in America.

KAYE: What do you hope the plan will include? What specifics?

JOHNS: Well, certainly the foremost thing that needs to be done for Alzheimer's is to commit resources at a significant level. Other diseases have made such great progress -- cancer, cardiovascular disease, HIV/AIDS because our federal government has, in fact, committed those resources. That's not true for Alzheimer's. We lag far behind in that kind of resource commitment. And that alone can make a huge difference. But we do need a comprehensive plan that will cover what people need today, as well as their caregivers, before we get to the point of effectively treating the disease.

KAYE: I'm glad you brought up the caregivers because I want you to help us understand the need for this. When it comes to families, when it comes to the caregivers, what's the reality?

JOHNS: My mom had the disease. So I've seen this reality up close. And as you've indicated, 5.4 million people have the disease and 15 million caregivers today. So they're experiencing this reality each and every day. It can sap their strength. In fact, they can themselves predecease the person who has the disease. And studies have indicated that this could be due to the stress.

The effects on the family are so great in Alzheimer's, there's really nothing else like it. No other chronic disease has this level of reach and impact and the economic effect. More than a trillion dollars a year in just 38 years will be the cost to our country for caring with people with Alzheimer's if we don't change the course of the disease. KAYE: Looking at what you've said. You've said that Alzheimer's kills more people than breast cancer and prostate cancer combined. And you mentioned the numbers and the economic cost. They're really astonishing. So, where does this go? What if things don't change?

JOHNS: Well, the numbers are staggering and we're set to see growth in the numbers as a result of the aging of the population. I should say, Alzheimer's is not normal aging, but age is the biggest risk factor. So as our population ages, as the boomers age, we're going to see 10 billion boomers have the disease if we don't change the course. We're going to see rise in the numbers that will basically triple the number of people who have it and the number of people who are caregivers.

KAYE: When you talk about this plan, there is a deadline. The government has issued a deadline of 2025. Is that realistic, do you think?

JOHNS: Well, you know, I have to credit the federal government, the administration, with setting an aggressive goal that has never been set before. The science community certainly believes that this is an aggressive goal. I have to say that people who have the disease today, they worry that it's not aggressive enough. But I have to credit the federal government for taking the step of setting a time when we would have prevention and effective treatment of Alzheimer's. It's a huge step forward.

KAYE: Harry Johns, we know it's an important issue, which is why we gave it some time today. And thank you.

And for much more on this project, you can visit alz.org.

Nancy Pelosi laughs at the thought of Newt Gingrich as president.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. NANCY PELOSI (D), CALIFORNIA: That will never happen.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Why?

PELOSI: He's not going to be president of the United States. This is -- that's not going to happen.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: Does Pelosi know something that we don't know, or are some people writing off Gingrich a little too soon. That is "Fair Game" and it's next.

But first, let's test your knowledge of the State of the Union with a political junkie question. Who was the first president to have his State of the Union address broadcast over the Internet? You can tweet me the answer @randikayecnn. If you're right, I'll let you know right after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) KAYE: Before the break I asked you, who was the first president to have his State of the Union Address broadcast over the Internet? The answer is Bill Clinton back in 1997. Congrats -- big congrats to Whitney B (ph) for tweeting me the right answer first.

Oh, and if you're wondering, the first State of the Union to be broadcast over the radio was Calvin Coolidge. On television, Harry Truman. We are just full of facts here.

With his upset victory in the South Carolina primary, Newt Gingrich appeared to be on a roll going into Florida's vote next week. But he seems to have hit a pot hole and it's "Fair Game" today. Take a look at this. A new American Research Group poll shows Mitt Romney is being favored by 41 percent of likely primary voters. Gingrich is second with 34 percent. Rick Santorum, Ron Paul trail with single digits. It was taken Monday and Tuesday, half before and half after Monday's debate in Tampa.

Joining me now, CNN political analyst, Roland Martin; and CNN contributor, Will Cain.

Welcome to you both.

Will, what do you make of this new poll? Is it a setback for Newt Gingrich?

WILL CAIN, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: As much as I'd like to be dismissive of polls and I'd like nothing more than to dismiss the numbers, they have been pretty indicative in New Hampshire, South Carolina and Iowa. I would say this is a red flag for Gingrich. And that poll was taken half before and half after that debate. We know how important the debates have been. So maybe Romney landed some punches on Monday night. Maybe he's scoring a few points. Keep it up.

KAYE: Roland, what do you think?

ROLAND MARTIN, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: No, this is not a red flag. At some point I think people are going to have to understand that you have state by election. And we can't think what happens in New Hampshire is going to repeat itself in South Carolina. There's a whole different metric is going on here. Florida, much larger state. Different kind of appeal when you talk about southern part of the state. Central Florida and northern Florida as well. Let's stop looking at one state as being the same as all the rest.

KAYE: If you look at the polls -- obviously there's a lot that come out every day. Another poll shows Gingrich in a virtual tie with Mitt Romney and it seems as though the White House is really still focusing on Romney as the nominee.

Listen to the president last night.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Anyone that tells you that America is in decline or that our influence has waned doesn't know what they are talking about.

(APPLAUSE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: So Obama doesn't mention Romney by name. Will, do you think that they are underestimating Gingrich in this case as well?

CAIN: I do. Listen, I think some of the biggest polls over the past six months, I've been the guy going all the channels saying Tim Tebow can't win games. Why are you talking about Tim Tebow, Will, I'm wearing out another Tim Tebow metaphor. Nothing about Tim Tebow added up.

(CROSSTALK)

CAIN: Nothing added up. But he kept winning. This is Newt Gingrich. Nothing adds up. He's not the most conservative guy in the field. His record reflects that. He's not anti-establishment. That cannot be Newt Gingrich. He's not the most electable. By no rational analysis do you land at Newt Gingrich. However, he keeps winning. He won in South Carolina. He polls well in Florida.

(CROSSTALK)

MARTIN: Stop. Please.

(LAUGHTER)

CAIN: Hold on, Roland. When your predictor wheels fly off, quit predicting. Don't' underestimate Newt Gingrich.

(CROSSTALK)

MARTIN: Let me help you with something, Texas Longhorn and Dallas Cowboy fan. When you only won one race, you can't say he keeps winning. He did horrible in Iowa, didn't win South Carolina. How can we keep saying he is winning? If he wins Florida and other states, we can make that kind of comment. So he only won one state. This is what I'm talking about, the role has changed. The bottom line is here. You put the shirt money on who they think the mom nominee is going to be. They change their tactic. It's easy to attack Newt Gingrich.

(CROSSTALK)

CAIN: Just so I'm clear, your argument is that Newt Gingrich should be underestimated?

MARTIN: No, what you said you said Gingrich keeps winning with your Tim Tebow --

(CROSSTALK)

CAIN: All I said, Roland, is don't underestimate him.

(CROSSTALK)

(LAUGHTER)

MARTIN: He won one state. That's it.

KAYE: Let's move on.

(CROSSTALK)

KAYE: Roland, I still hear you in my ear.

(LAUGHTER)

KAYE: There is one Democrat certainly confident that Gingrich will not be the nominee, listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. NANCY PELOSI, (D), CALIFORNIA: He's not going to be president of the United States. That's not going to happen. Let me just make my prediction and stand by it. It's not going to happen.

JOHN KING, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Why are you so sure?

PELOSI: There is something I know. The Republicans, if they choose to nominate him, that's there prerogative. I don't think that's going to happen.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: Sounds awfully mysterious, doesn't it?

CAIN: I don't want to give him credit because he just misconstrued my entire last answer where I said don't underestimate the man who won a state. I'm going to give Roland Martin credit that I heard him on morning television today say all --

MARTIN: Of course you will.

CAIN: -- Nancy Pelosi is saying is she talks to Republicans. She's in Washington, D.C. She doesn't just talk to Democrats. Those Republicans are telling here he is not going to be the nominee.

MARTIN: Look, Randi, we need 1,144 delegates to win the nomination. Look, people are saying that if one candidate doesn't get those delegates, trust me, the Republican party knows that if Newt Gingrich is their nominee, they are going to go down faster, and by the ship captained by the Italian guy. He's absolute kryptonite to winning. Because, again, he's going to say something crazy, they're like get away from Newt Gingrich as far as possible. He can keep yelling and screaming and attacking the media, but trust me, ain't going to be the nominee.

(CROSSTALK)

KAYE: OK, go ahead, real quick. CAIN: Randi, I just wanted to say if Nancy Pelosi had a deep dark secret that she could reveal about Newt Gingrich that would deny him the nomination, let me assure you, she would never let it out. She wants him to be the nominee.

MARTIN: Of course, she does.

KAYE: Gingrich has been talking to the media. He did respond to the claims by Nancy Pelosi. Earlier today on the "Today" show. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED HOST, TODAY SHOW: Is there anything that Nancy Pelosi knows that would stop you from president?

NEWT GINGRICH, (R), FORMER HOUSE SPEAKER & PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Who knows? She lives in San Francisco environment, of very strange fantasies and very strange understandings of reality. I have no idea what is in Nancy Pelosi's head.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: Roland, what do you make of that response?

MARTIN: After listening to Marianne Gingrich talking about Newt asking about open marriage, I wonder what kind of fantasies Newt likes to think about.

(LAUGHTER)

So he can keep bringing up -- that was his way of saying she's that west coast liberal. Trust me, she's one of the smartest politicians, regardless of party in Washington, D.C. Newt, you know very well, Nancy Pelosi knows you're not going to be the nominee.

KAYE: Will, 10 seconds and then we've got to go.

CAIN: Newt should have known better than use the words fantasy and strange the week after he talked about open marriage.

KAYE: Good point.

MARTIN: Oh, his plan B to how he's a freak like me, if we want to play some music (ph).

(LAUGHTER)

KAYE: That was great fun.

Will Cain and Roland Martin, we'll have to have you back.

That is "Fair Game" today.

Mark your calendars. Thursday night, just days before the Florida primary, CNN and the Republican Party of Florida team up to host our next presidential debate in Jacksonville Thursday night, 8:00 eastern, don't miss it.

A small business is recognized at last year's State of the Union and one year later he's still benefiting from the publicity. How his company has skyrocketed to success. We'll talk to him after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: It can be an exhilarating moment for the guests invited by the president to attend his State of the union address. You saw it last night, the president praising them for their accomplishments. It happened last year to Robert and Gary Allen, two brothers who run Allen Brothers, a family roofing business in Michigan. Hit hard by the recession, they brainstormed and came up with the innovative idea of incorporating solar panels into metal roofing shingles. As Robert Allen put it, we reinvented ourselves.

Robert joins us now.

What a good idea. What went through your mind as President Obama told the world about your work in producing clean energy?

ROBERT ALLEN, ALLEN BROTHERS: Well, that's a question that a lot of people have asked me over the course of the last year and I thought you might ask it today. But as I was sitting there watching the State of the Union last night, I was thinking about the same thing, what was going through my mind when I was there? And I have to tell you and everyone who wants to hear this, it really felt like a reward. We've worked really hard for a long time. We've done things and we were given an opportunity to steward a gift, the solar shingle, and we have done, I think, a fairly good job of that and so when President Obama called last year, asked him to set with his wife, it felt like a reward and I guess that's the best way that I know how to describe it.

KAYE: What impact did that have on your company and your business?

ALLEN: Well, everyone seems to take my calls these days. And so it's helped us grow, it's helped us get to places that would have otherwise taken much longer to get to when you're literally dare I say endorse, I don't know if that's the right word, but it felt like it, by the president of the United States and people listen and we do have a really good product and it's starting to move. It's brand new to the market.

KAYE: Yes.

ALLEN: The people that have gotten it so far, in fact, I have been asked to mention them but I know there's probably not enough time for that. But no one in particular said, tell them that my system is producing my system and she's out in Colorado.

KAYE: Well, that's great. You're on to a good thing here and recognition from the president never hurts.

Thank you so much, Robert Allen. ALLEN: I have one more thing I'd like to say.

KAYE: OK.

ALLEN: Hello to my daughter's third-grade class in Appleton Elementary School.

Hi, kids. All right.

KAYE: I hope they're watching.

ALLEN: They are.

KAYE: All right. Thank you, Robert.

Last night at president's State of the Union address talked about the immigration reform but every attempt in the past has come up short. What makes this year difference? We'll ask his domestic policy adviser, Cecilia Munoz, next. So stick around.

But, first, our political junkie question. Which president revived the tradition and delivered the State of the Union to a joint session of Congress in person? If you know the answer, tweet me @randikayeCNN. If you're right, I'll give you a shout out.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: Before the break I asked which president revived Washington's tradition and delivered the State of the Union as an address to joint session of Congress in person. The answer, Woodrow Wilson in 1913. Until then, every president, from Jefferson to Taft, sent their State of the Unions to Congress in a letter. Congratulations to Alex for tweeting me the right answer first.

With all the focus on the Republican presidential race, you might have missed a bit of history being made in Washington. President Obama tapped Cecilia Munoz to be his domestic policy adviser. She's the nation's first Latino in this role. Munoz is a long-time advocate of immigration reform. It's certainly a hot topic in this election. There will be plenty of other policy issues on her plate as well.

Cecilia Munoz joins me now from the White House.

Cecilia, thank you for joining us.

CECILIA MUNOZ, DOMESTIC POLICY ADVISER TO PRESIDENT OBAMA: Thank you, Randi.

KAYE: Let me ask you first -- let's get right into this. What do you say to critics of the White House's immigration policy, specifically of deportations, specifically that they have increased under President Obama?

MUNOZ: They have actually increased but for the first time DHS has a strategy around how it's doing deportations. It's deploying good law enforcement principles to make sure people convicted of the crimes and the composition under which will change significantly and what this president is trying to do is use the tools that he has under a very badly broken law to make sure we're administering it widely and well.

What you heard him say last night is that we need to reform the immigration as part of his blueprint to make sure that we are building this America that is built to last that he talked about last night.

KAYE: To denounce the program which allows federal agents immigrants using information coming from local law enforcement. Here's what they said. "We're sick of these stories and the criminalization of immigrants. And Cecilia Munoz should know better. She's the face of the Obama administration to the Latino community. So if they're going to put her out there to criminalize immigrants, then they shouldn't be surprised when the community starts fighting back to combat the lies." What is your response to that?

MUNOZ: I don't spend a lot of time on the personal attacks. What I do spend time on is trying to improve the system, as well as what the president said last night as part of his agenda. We're doing work not just on immigration reform, but on manufacturing, on job training. These are all critical areas that will be a part of my work in this administration, and it will be an honor to be a part of it.

KAYE: Immigration reform certainly is not easy. There have been many failed attempts in the last decade or so, but the president last night spoke about resurrecting the dream act, urging Congress to do so. Let's listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OBAMA: We should be working on comprehensive immigration reform right now.

(APPLAUSE)

OBAMA: But if election-year politics keeps Congress from acting on a comprehensive plan, let's at least work on responsible young people who want to staff our labs, start new businesses.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: With so much political gridlock in Washington and such divided political time, how do you see any such legislation passing?

MUNOZ: Well, I'd like to think about the way the president closed his speech last night. He really called on the Congress and on his administration to follow the example of our men and women in uniform who aren't thinking about ideology and politics when they are joined together on a mission.

In immigration reform, like the education work we're doing, like the work we're doing on manufacturing that the president was announcing today in cedar rapids, all these things are things that should be passed in bipartisan support, they're all things we should be working on tomorrow, and you heard the president wants to get the job done because that's what he believes the Senate is here to do.

KAYE: What do you think immigration reform should look like?

MUNOZ: The president has produced a blueprint. He's explained what he thinks comprehensive reform should look like that could do the job here. A lot of these are bipartisan proposals on immigration, infrastructure, education. They're areas where we ought to be able to get something done now. He's expressed his vision for what that kind of reform should look like. What he needs is some partners in Congress to get the job done.

KAYE: Let's talk now about the Latino votes. Certainly, Latinos came out in high numbers for President Obama back in 2008. Certainly, a crucial segment for the president. He certainly needs them again. Let's look at some recent polling by CNN on this. If you take a look, you can se the Hispanics still favor the Democrats. Obama leads with the Hispanics. What is being done to ensure that they do?

MUNOZ: One of the things I'm proud of in my work in the administration over the last three years is that we really focus on policy accomplishment for the American people, and that includes Latinos in the United States. So the work we've done on education, the work we've done on advancing the economy and creating jobs, the work we've done in making sure people have access to health care, that parents can stay in their country, and that's what the president's marching orders are for their team.

The job here is really about making sure we're getting the job done for American people and not thinking so much about politics. There will be time for a campaign when the other side has figured out who their nominees will be. Our job right now is moving forward for the American people.

KAYE: Let me ask you, just for fun, now that we've got all the hard questions out of the way, this might be your toughest question of all. You're a public figure. You're now one of the key faces at the White House. A lot of people will be wondering who you are, so tell us one fun fact about you that we might not know.

MUNOZ: I am the daughter of Bolivian immigrants. I'm from Detroit. I'm from an automotive family. My dad worked for the Ford Company for 40 years. I'm a proud Latino Westerner.

KAYE: All right, Cecilia, we're proud to have you in immigration reform.

MUNOZ: Thank you so much.

KAYE: Wait until you hear what the mayor said after hearing the news. An outrageous comment, coming next.

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KAYE: Time now to check stories making news at "Street Level."

In Connecticut, the Easthaven mayor has issued an apology for his comments about Latinos.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED CORRESPONDENT: What are you doing for those Latino communities today?

JOSEPH MATURO JR, MAYOR OF EASTHAVEN, CONNECTICUT: I might have tacos when I go home. I'm not quite sure yet.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: Unreal. This came after four police officers were arrested for allegedly miss treating Latinos. Prosecutors said they apparently threatened and they're under arrest. They covered up evidence by falsifying reports and blocking an investigation.

Mourners gathered to say goodbye to former head coach, Joe Paterno. His funeral is today, followed by a public mourning service tomorrow. He was a pen State coach for 45 years. He died at the age of 85.

A ballot question could change the way teachers are provided. They say it's unconstitutional and confusing, and it filed a lawsuit with the state supreme court. No word yet if the court will take up that suit.

Someone in Manhattan, I'm afraid, needs to learn how to spell. The mistake is even clear from space. Take a look, s-h-c-o-o-l? Really? It gets better. This is right outside a Manhattan high school. The mistake went unreported for months. People, how could you miss that? The Department of Transportation told the "New York Post" that the mistake was made by a utility provider when painting the streets. Luckily, they did a fix on Tuesday.

High school students in Arizona could soon get school credit for learning about the Bible and its influence. According to the "Arizona Republic," a state lawmaker is proposing a bill that would allow public and charter high schools to offer an elective course on the Bible. Legislator Terry Proud (ph) said she produced the bill because they're too proud to talk about religion in class. She said the course would evaluate and examine the Bible as a literary work. If the measure passed, Arizona would be the sixth state in the United States to allow classes on the Bible.

Need a cab ride in Chicago, no need to hail or call a cab, just tweet @chicagocabbie. A Chicago taxi driver has turned his Twitter account into a full-blown business tool. People can tweet ride requests. And if he's in the area, he will come get you. He says it has helped grow his business. I bet.

That will do it for me. Time now to toss to Brooke Baldwin.

Hi, Brooke.

BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: Hey, Randi. Thank you so much.