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Obama Speaks at University of Michigan; Romney Hammers Gingrich in Florida Debate; Get Ready for Facebook Timeline

Aired January 27, 2012 - 10:34   ET

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

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Live from Ann Arbor, Michigan, the President of the United States. Christine Romans I'm going to bring you in right away, because we're going to get our Jessica Yellin hooked up, our White House correspondent she's there at the event.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Sure.

PHILLIPS: This was touted as a speech on focus on affordability and that's right in your wheelhouse, so I'm going to ask you about that. But --

(CROSSTALK)

ROMANS: Yes.

PHILLIPS: -- I mean, this really sounded a lot like a campaign speech for the President of the United States.

ROMANS: Sure did.

PHILLIPS: So I'll tackle that with Jessica in just a second, but for you, did he get across what parents like you are -- are looking to hear about when you're thinking about kids going to college?

ROMANS: He said something that really resonated there and I'll tell you what it is. He said that you know, it can't just be more student loans and more higher education financing for ever higher tuition. Otherwise, you're just borrowing more money to chase after higher tuition like it's something has to break that cycle. And he's saying he'd like to tie student aid or certain kinds of student aid and certain kinds of work steady programs and Perkins loans to universities who actually can prove that they are trying to keep costs down for students and value for students tie.

He'd like to make a shopping sheet so that students and their parents can figure out what -- what's the value I'm going to get for my dollar and for the size of my loans as here I am going to decide where to go the school.

So this is something, it's a very populist President -- President Obama that we're seeing here. You're right, on the campaign trail almost, right?

PHILLIPS: Yes. ROMANS: A very populist tone he veered into talking about the payroll tax holiday and other things as well, but really trying to say that look, if you're going to get ahead in America, 60 percent of the new jobs over the next decade are going to need a college education, but you can't live in a country where we have more student loan debt than credit card debt.

Everything that he is laying out by the way would have to be passed by Congress of coarse that we know that he's also running a do- nothing Congress so that shows you that a lot of is it's talk at this point, but moving in the direction of trying to figure out how to get a better value for students without all of that money.

PHILLIPS: All right. You handle the politics of it all for us there. That makes sense. So Steve Perry, you are all things education guru. You're a parent. You're an educator, you do these types of story for us. Did you hear what you wanted to hear when it comes to college aid?

STEVE PERRY, CNN EDUCATION CONTRIBUTOR: Well, one of the things that I found to be interesting is they're giving the money directly to the children as opposed to giving it to the banks who are supposed to offering up the loans and giving it to the children by -- in some way of a grant.

So that's really, really inspiring and also encouraging colleges to hold the costs down, one of the tough parts about sending kids to colleges is knowing that many of my kids are not going to be able to go simply because they cannot afford it. On the other side, however, are very little detail about what he's going to do to help the students get to college.

While in his blueprint he talks about having access to education for all students, I don't hear enough of the conversation about how he's going to deal with the failed schools and those schools that are listed as failed that he doesn't seem to think are failed because only a small percentage of the children in them are failing to meet the state standards.

PHILLIPS: Got you. Do we have Jessica Yellin yet? Ok, all right. So Steve, you know, it's not easy to keep tuition down, when as you well know, states' budgets are just getting slashed. And education gets the biggest wounds.

PERRY: Well, I don't know that the reason why this -- the tuition is going up is because the states' budgets are being slashed. I think they are going up because the schools are attempting to stay competitive and so they have to build a bigger facility for whatever it is that they think is important and typically a sports facility they have to build better dorms that are more high-tech and that they -- that they make the students feel like they can be more like they're at home or better.

These schools that I get to visit, I get visit colleges all over the country, and there are colleges that I see that are stunning, but if you want a stunning college and a stunning physical plant then you obviously have to spend more money, and that's where the rub is. The rub is that students on the one hand want the college that's the ooh/ah factor, but on the other hand don't have the money to pay for that.

So that's what we run into. I don't know that the reason why the costs are going up is because budgets are being slashed or even because of the economy, it's just the economy of competition among colleges is driving up these college costs.

PHILLIPS: Steve, thanks.

Jessica Yellin traveling with the President there. She listened to the whole speech.

Jessica, we were just saying while we were looking strictly at Obama talking about college aid proposals -- and did we lose her? Ok. We lost Jessica there. We'll try to get reconnected.

While we wait for that, let's state on the note of politics. All right. Mitt Romney he seemed to get all the kudos from last night's debate, Newt Gingrich well, all of the bruises.

Coming up we're going to ask his old debate and campaign strategist what the heck happened.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Newt Gingrich not usually quiet and not usually uncomfortable. Bottom line, last night's debate was pretty rough for the man dubbed the "angry little attack muffin". Matt Towery was campaign and debate strategist for Newt Gingrich; Matt, what happened?

MATT TOWERY, FORMER CAMPAIGN AND DEBATE STRATEGIST FOR NEWT GINGRICH: Oh, he was flat as a pancake last night. I mean he just didn't have the energy. I think, for one thing, he is exhausted. It is very clear this campaign is taking a toll on all these candidates. But Gingrich seemed very tired and very not with it to begin with. He didn't become the aggressor, and we all know that he needed to be the aggressor in that debate.

The other thing I have to give credit to though is Wolf Blitzer. He managed it beautifully. And so Newt Gingrich couldn't get away with some of the tactics he has in the past. And that's not to put down any of the other folks who have done these debates but Wolf was ready for this guy and Gingrich wasn't ready for Wolf.

PHILLIPS: Interesting. So boy, you really put a different spin on that. So how would you -- would you have expected that and how would you have prepped Gingrich for last night?

TOWERY: Well, first of all I would have told him to get some rest. Secondly, he has gotten out of the habit of putting things in quick bullets, one, two, three, four; which is what Romney is doing now. That's the oldest debate trick in the world and it works.

You have to know what you have to say. You have to say it quickly, get it out and do it in threes or fours -- not rambling on. Newt was on the defensive last night and I think that was his biggest problem. He needed to be on the offense and he seemed to be a little tentative when he did go on the offense. And again, having a moderator who has control of the room like Wolf Blitzer had, it made it a lot more difficult for Gingrich to sort of just pow and pow away when he tried to attack the media. Oh, that didn't work this time.

PHILLIPS: Hey, I just love that you are lifting up our Wolf Blitzer. We all know he's the man. This is terrific.

TOWERY: Hey look, I will give credit when credit's due, you know.

PHILLIPS: Go Wolf. I hope he is listening.

TOWERY: I mean if there'd been a mistake, I would have said it. Yes.

PHILLIPS: Well, Romney definitely went after Gingrich on immigration. Let's take a listen to this. I want to get your take.

TOWERY: Yes.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST, "THE SITUATION ROOM": Is he still the most anti-immigrant candidate?

NEWT GINGRICH (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I think, of the four of us, yes.

BLITZER: Go ahead, Governor.

MITT ROMNEY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: That's simply unexcusable -- that's inexcusable. And actually, Senator Marco Rubio came to my defense and said that ad was inexcusable and inflammatory and inappropriate.

Mr. Speaker, I'm not anti-immigrant. My father was born in Mexico. My wife's father was born Wales. They came to this country. The idea that I'm anti-immigrant is repulsive.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Why didn't Gingrich look him in the eye?

TOWERY: I don't know. Again --

PHILLIPS: Is that a faux pas. Would you have said always look at the other candidates in the eye?

TOWERY: I generally do and I generally like to say, sort of look and even if they have a pen, keep notes and sometimes they are not allowed to do that.

In this case though, this was an issue of Gingrich just really I think being tired. I know him well enough to know that when he is on his game, he is on his game. He knew what he wanted to say, he just couldn't get it out quite right.

I will say this however. He did score some points with a few groups. Hispanic Latinos he did very well with, I think last night. That was strong. The space coast; he may have done himself a favor talking about all that moon stuff, a little more than people think.

PHILLIPS: Really? Done himself a favor, because a lot of people thought, this is just, you know, random --

TOWERY: You know, remember a lot of people live down there, and he wasn't real clear, but at least he did appear to be interested in the space coast I think more than the other candidates. That said what he gained from the space coast folks, he probably lost from some of the Tea Party folks as sort of a tepid answer on immigration and the like.

I don't think he lost the debate that much. I think that Romney didn't win it that much. I think quite frankly, Rick Santorum was the best debater last night without any question.

But Gingrich needed a knockout, and he didn't get that knockout. I will say polling it and looking at it; it's still going to be a closer race than we think. It's 9 points right now, our own firm has it about eight or nine for Romney. But Gingrich is just now going on television. It will tighten up, but that debate did not help him last night.

PHILLIPS: You are not going back on the Gingrich payroll?

TOWERY: I am not. You know what, that man has never paid me a dime I think other than buy me one meal. Thank you, Newt.

PHILLIPS: Matt Towery, thanks for the insight.

TOWERY: Thank you. You got it.

PHILLIPS: All right.

Ron Paul challenges his rivals to a bike race making his case that age isn't anything but a number. But when that number is 76, you know, some people wonder, how old is too old for the White House? Our "Political Buzz" panel weighs in.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: "Political Buzz"; your rapid fire look at the best political topics of the day. Three question on the clock, 30 seconds -- I guess three questions, 30 seconds on the clock. Playing today: political analyst and cultural critic, Goldie Taylor; we have college professor, Jason Johnson; and Republican strategist Boris Epstein.

First question, guys. Mitt Romney attacking Newt Gingrich over his moon base plan. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROMNEY: I spent 25 years in business and if I had a business executive come to me and say they wanted to spend a few hundred billion dollars to put a colony on the moon, I'd say "You're fired".

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: How surprised are you that the moon base became such a hot topic -- Goldie?

GOLDIE TAYLOR, POLITICAL ANALYST: I am not surprised at all. This is one of Newt Gingrich's really, really, really big ideas, but I think that some of the voters would like to strap a rocket to Newt and send him to the moon and let him set up a colony on his own.

You know, at the end of the day, Newt Gingrich was rambling last night. You're right, he could have come with his one, two, or three points but, you know, he really got off of his game last night, and Romney with a brand new speaker coach really rocked it last night. I think it will show up in the polls.

PHILLIPS: Boris, what did you think, a moon base?

BORIS EPSTEIN, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: I think Newt Gingrich may have been on the moon when he proposed that and started to talk about that in the biggest debate of his political career. Newt Gingrich needed to have a home run just like his ex-coach said. He didn't get that and he set Mitt Romney right up. I mean that was a beach ball. He set that out and Mitt Romney hit a home run with it saying I would fire you if you proposed that to me if I were your boss.

And that is what the voters in Florida are saying now too. They're firing Newt Gingrich as a candidate. So it was not a good thing to say. There are much bigger issues in Florida: the foreclosures, the unemployment. Those are the things people care about. Stop talking about colonies, talk about things they care about.

JASON JOHNSON, AUTHOR: Yes, this is where -- I don't know. it feels just like "Moonraker". They're talking about, you know, China taking over space. The fact of the matter is that, you know, Newt Gingrich wants to talk about making a colony on the moon and allowing them statehood. He doesn't even want Washington, D.C. to have statehood.

So I really think he was completely off topic. I think Mitt Romney did a really good job of criticizing him on it. It's great that Newt Gingrich has big ideas, but he has to find a way to pay for it. This was pandering going way too far for the Florida space area. And I really think he just completely lost it.

PHILLIPS: All right. I'll tell you what; Ron Paul. He is a piece of work, especially last night. He had us all laughing. Take a listen at this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) BLITZER: Are you prepared to release your medical records so voters out there know what your health is?

RON PAUL (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Well, obviously, because it is about one page if even that long. But I am willing to challenge any of the gentlemen up here to a 25-mile bike ride any time of the day in the heat of Texas.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: All right. So Rick Santorum, he's 53. Mitt Romney is 64. Newt Gingrich, 68. Ron Paul, 76 years old. So if elected he would be the old president to move into the White House. So is age an issue Boris?

EPSTEIN: Well, it would be an issue if Ron Paul had any chance to get the nomination. He really doesn't. He did a great job at the debate. The zingers like that, 25-mile bike ride which I think Newt Gingrich would to go to the moon and then the 25-mile bike ride. The thing about putting politicians on the moon, those were all great. And he was very good, but he is not going to be the nominee over the GOP. So that the age is not an issue in this election.

PHILLIPS: Goldie?

TAYLOR: My money is on Ron Paul. You know --

PHILLIPS: In the bike ride or winning the presidency?

TAYLOR: A bike ride, a strong-man contest and I think that Ron Paul can take them all. You know, but at the end of the day, these guys, you know, ironically enough the guys on stage last night who had access to the best health care in the world, and the real issue is who doesn't have access to that kind of health care.

Is his age an issue? No. Is his physical capacity an issue? No. I think some of our mental capacity should be tested, but you know that is another story for another day.

PHILLIPS: Jason?

JOHNSON: Look I don't think anybody cares about age. They care about fitness. Ronald Reagan was really old, but he was always on horses. And George Bush was an old guy, but he was cleaning brush. Barack Obama comes out of the water in Hawaii and looks like Bo Derek from the 1970s. As long as the candidates are healthy, that's what we care about.

So personally I think we can skip some of these debates and have these guys go one-on-one with Barack Obama on the basketball court. I think we'd like that, too.

PHILLIPS: I love it. Guys you know you're on fire today.

All right. Let's get to the buzzer beater. 20 seconds each on this one.

Here's Conan's take on Mitt Romney's cash.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CONAN O'BRIEN, TALK SHOW HOST: Mitt Romney does very well with Republican voters who make more than $200,000. Yes. Or as Romney calls them trailer trash. Can someone live on that?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Romney did defend his investments again last night. So is his wealth a turn-off? Goldie?

TAYLOR: I don't think his wealth is necessarily a turn-off. I mean really who cares how much money Mitt Romney is able to make. If he is able to take advantage of the opportunities this country affords him, then great. But how many toasters do you need if you are going to have accounts in the Caymans or Swiss accounts, you know. How much free checking accounts, free ATM fees do you really need if you make that much money?

PHILLIPS: Boris?

EPSTEIN: The key is what he said last night, that between his taxes and his charitable investments, charitable donations, he has paid over 40 percent. And that is what is important that he is not only paying the taxes, he is also donating and giving to education as Barack Obama is talking about. So no, wealth is not a turn-off. Most Americans want to be rich and so they want to be like Mitt Romney.

PHILLIPS: Jason?

JOHNSON: Look, Americans, we love the rich people, but you have to be the right kind of rich person, and Mitt Romney isn't. We like Mark Cuban. We like Warren Buffett. We like Bill Gates. Rich people who made their money doing something that we can feel, touch and understand.

And the problem with Mitt Romney is he has made all those money but nobody really understands it. Did he just shuffle money around with Bain Capital. I think he needs to connect more with regular people and then we won't be talking about how much money he makes.

PHILLIPS: Jason, Goldie, Boris, great discussion today. Happy Friday guys. Thanks so much. Let's do it again.

TAYLOR: Happy Friday.

JOHNSON: Thank you.

EPSTEIN: Happy Friday.

PHILLIPS: Well, Tuesday, all eyes will be on Florida so join Wolf and Erin and Anderson, Candy and John for a live coverage of the Florida primary CNN Tuesday beginning at 6:00 p.m. Eastern.

And a big mandatory change for Facebook. We are talking about how they impact you, your friends; all of that coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: All right.

Attention Facebookers, all 800 million of you, if you don't like the Timeline feature, we have bad news. Soon it won't even be optional anymore and some posts you thought might be gone, well, they might be back.

So let's talk more about this with Christina Warren of Mashable.com, and there's a lot of anti-Timeline groups out there on Facebook. Why is it having such a hard time getting some love I guess?

CHRISTINA WARREN, MASHABLE.COM: a lot of people hate the Timeline and you know, we have been talking about it for a couple of months now, and some people really like it and are doing some really creative things. Other people don't like the way that it makes it easy to kind of find your information and like you said maybe highlight some posts you thought didn't exist anymore.

PHILLIPS: All right. So what exactly do people need to know before Timeline rolls out for everyone? Why is Facebook pushing this so hard?

WARREN: Well, I think they are pushing it, because they see this as the future of the profile. They see this as their future, so they want everyone to embrace it. And moreover, there are a bunch of apps that are taking advantage of some of the Timeline features that just don't work that well if you don't have Timeline enabled.

As far as what people need to know, you know, once Facebook sends you a little message that says hey Timeline is enabled, you'll have seven days to kind of be able to preview how it will look before it will go live. You can go through your back history and choose what to highlight, what not to the highlight; what to make private and what not to make private, and get everything sorted away before it goes live.

PHILLIPS: Well, while I have you and our time is short, but I want to ask you about Twitter, too.

WARREN: Yes.

PHILLIPS: This is the newest, actually the headline today. It is going to start deleting tweets in certain countries.

WATTER: Right. Actually Twitter has always had the option of removing tweets that didn't meet certain laws. So for instance, Nazi propaganda in France and Germany is illegal. And with this (INAUDIBLE) if you were to post something that was against the law in one country it wouldn't necessarily mean that it wasn't viewable in the rest of the world, so they are actually taking a little bit of more of a nuanced view. They are actually being pretty open about it and are showing any of the requests for deletion that come through on a Web site they have worked with a public policy organization.

PHILLIPS: Christine Warren of mashable.com. Thanks for hanging in there with us. Thanks Christina.

WARREN: Thank you.

PHILLIPS: All right. Fast forward now to stories happening later today.

11:30 Eastern, Attorney General Eric Holder announcing a new fraud fighting unit.

Then at noon in Seattle, Colton Harris Moore also known as "The Barefoot Bandit" will be sentenced.

And tonight at 8:00, a public viewing will be held for legendary soul singer Etta James.

That does it for us. Hope you have a fabulous week. We're back here Monday bright and early.

Suzanne Malveaux kicks off the next hour live from Washington D.C. Good to see you -- Suzanne.

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN ANCHOR: Good to see you Kyra. Have a great weekend.

PHILLIPS: You too.