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Man Blows Up House with Kids Inside; Up Next: Colorado & Minnesota; "I Deserve a Second Term"; Best Super Bowl Commercials; Foxconn Controversy; What Employers Want From Young Hires; Violence In Syria

Aired February 06, 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. I want to get you up to speed for this Monday, February 6th.

A father does the unthinkable, setting his own home on fire, killing his two young sons and himself. Police in Washington state say Josh Powell started the fire yesterday, moments after a social worker dropped the children off for a supervised visit. Powell had lost custody of the boys, and he was a suspect in his wife's disappearance. He sent an e-mail saying only, "I'm sorry, good-bye."

A neighbor describes what he saw.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DALE WALDEN, NEIGHBOR: I just knew that if there was anyone in there, they didn't survive. You could tell that instantly from what we saw.

I can't imagine anyone killing their children. I just -- that's beyond anything I can imagine someone doing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: The State Department shut down its embassy in Syria just hours ago. It is urging Americans now to get out.

Syrian activists describe a weekend bloodbath that left hundreds dead in the city of Homs. Today, another 46 Syrians are said to have been killed. Activists accuse the Syrian government of intensifying its brutal crackdown. Russia and China gave Syrian President Bashar al-Assad a life line, vetoing a U.N. resolution that would have condemned him.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're asking for help. We're asking for your help. They got rockets. They're going to kill us all. If you don't help us, they'll kill millions and no one will find out about us. (END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: Flooding forced thousands of people out of their homes in Australia. Rising waters are threatening communities along the Balonne River in Queensland. This part of the country still recovering from last year's devastating floods.

And Colorado, Minnesota, next two stops on the road to the Republican presidential nomination. Both states holding caucuses tomorrow.

Rick Santorum, he's discussing healthcare, that's in Rochester, Minnesota. That's happening this hour.

Ron Paul also campaigning in Minnesota today.

Now, Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich, they are rallying their supporters in Colorado.

Romney is coming off a win in the Nevada caucuses.

And a new poll giving President Obama a clear edge over Mitt Romney in a hypothetical head to head matchup. An NBC News/"Washington Post" poll, he leads Romney 51 percent to 45 percent among registered voters. In a pre-Super Bowl interview, the president says the economy has made progress since he took office and he also said he deserves a second term.

It's a White House scandal 50 years in the making. A grandmother in New York is releasing a tell-all book now claiming she had an affair with President John F. Kennedy back when she was a 19- year-old White House intern.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MIMI ALFORD, SAYS SHE WAS JFK'S MISTRESS: I think overpowered in the sense that he was the president. He was this unbelievably handsome man, 45 years old, not overpowered physically that someone had grabbed me and made me do something that I wasn't really willing to do, because I really think I was willing to do it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: What started with a missing person's case more than two years ago, ends up with a man blowing up his own house, killing himself and his two young sons. Now, a sheriff spokesperson in Pierce County, Washington, tells CNN that Josh Powell was despondent after a judge refused to let him regain custody of his kids. He had lost custody after police found child pornography in a home that he shared with his father last year.

It gets even more complicated. Police say Powell was the only suspect in his wife's disappearance. Now, police chief in Utah City where she went missing said investigators just needed a little bit more evidence to tie him to that crime.

Our Thelma Gutierrez, she is following the case from Washington state.

So, Thelma, it is kind of confusing here. It's very tragic.

What more are we learning about the details from investigators?

THELMA GUTIERREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, I can tell you, Suzanne, that investigators from that town in Utah are now here in Washington. They will be meeting with detectives here to try to figure out what happened. Any other leads that they can find to Susan Powell, after all, this still is an active case.

Suzanne, take a look right behind me. You can see what's left of Josh Powell's home. This home is completely reduced to ashes. You can see the vehicle, the charred vehicle there in the driveway.

Now, this home, neighbors say they heard explosions, several explosions. They came out -- they saw a wall of flames engulfing the home. It took firefighters several hours to get in because they were concerned about the structural safety of the home.

But once they got in, they found the two bodies of two small children and one adult in the middle of the room where they had all died together.

MALVEAUX: Thelma, we understand that these young boys, they were in the house, they perished. There are reports that these young boys, these kids were starting to remember and talk about their mother's disappearance. What can you tell us about that?

GUTIERREZ: Well, Suzanne, that is most chilling. Anne Bremner, spokesperson and attorney for the Coxes, the grandparents of those boys, says that they had at one point go find mommy in the mine. Mommy is in the mine.

And, of course, this comes at a time when they were very small. This goes back to 2009 when their father took them on that camping trip. The father said that this was the last time he had seen his wife, Susan Powell, and he had taken the kids out to the high desert in Utah. It's an area where there are mines and so investigators are looking very closely at that, Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: They believe that these kids actually remember where the mother was last left? Do they have any recollection of how she was killed?

GUTIERREZ: Well, that's all yet to be determined. That's exactly what the investigators are coming out here to do, to piece it all together. They're saying, though, that it is very frustrating because perhaps now no one will ever know. But they say the children were starting to talk.

They were getting older now. Charlie was seven years old, his brother was five years old, and they were starting to explain what had happened. So, it's now a question whether or not any of it will be known.

MALVEAUX: All right. Thelma, thank you so much. Very disturbing story.

It is your turn to talk back on one of the big stories of the day. Does President Obama deserve a second term in office?

In a live interview that aired on NBC just before the Super Bowl, President Obama told Americans this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I deserve a second term but we're not done. Look, when you and I sat down, we were losing 750,000 jobs a month. Now we are creating 250,000. We created 3.7 million jobs over the last 23 months. We created the most jobs since 2005. The most manufacturing --

MATT LAUER, NBC NEWS: But it's not done?

OBAMA: -- the most manufacturing jobs since 1990. But we're not finished.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney says the president's economic policies have failed, that the economy is not creating enough jobs.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MITT ROMNEY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Not so fast, Mr. President. This is the 36th straight month with unemployment above the red line your own administration drew. And if you take into account all the people who are struggling for work or just stopped looking, the real unemployment rate is over 15 percent.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: So what has the president done? The Obama administration?

The president says he is responsible for creating jobs over 22 months.

In 2010, he signed the signature healthcare bill reforming the system. If he gets a second term, he'll be fighting to keep it.

He also ended the "don't ask, don't tell" policy, allowing gays in the military to serve openly.

Last spring, he ordered Special Ops Forces to take out bin Laden in Pakistan.

In December, he got combat troops out of Iraq.

So, what's left to do? He's got to tackle the federal deficit, save the Pentagon budget, deal with immigration reform, and there is still the nagging problem of more than 8 percent of Americans out of work.

So, the "Talk Back" question: Does President Obama deserve a second term in office? Leave your comments at Facebook.com/SuzanneCNN. We're going to air some or your thoughts later in the hour.

And here's the rundown some of the stories that we are covering.

First, the race for the Republican presidential nomination heading to three more states.

Then this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REPORTER: Believe it or not, this woman's never seen an iPad before, even though she toils more than 60 hours a week making them.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I like it.

REPORTER: You like it?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: A Chinese worker who puts in 60 hours a week making Apple computer parts had never seen an iPad. Now, she is risking arrest to tell CNN what it's actually like to work in that factory.

And then the Super Bowl commercials, we're going to play a few of our favorites.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: Up next, Colorado, Minnesota, presidential candidates focus on tomorrow's caucuses on those states. Missouri voters also go to the polls for their primary. But delegates re going to be awarded at caucuses next month.

I want to bring in our political director, Mark Preston.

Mark, good to see you again. And you worked in Nevada -- it's not Nevada for a long time for a long time, right?

MARK PRESTON, CNN POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Nevada, not Nevada. Nevada.

MALVEAUX: Yes.

PRESTON: East Coast.

MALVEAUX: I'm still working on that.

Tell me about Mitt Romney. How is his momentum going here? Clearly, two wins, he is moving forward. What does he need to do?

PRESTON: You know, he needs to maintain momentum that he has established over the last two weeks, and he has to make sure that the spotlight stays on him, focusing on President Obama and not allowing the likes of Rick Santorum or Newt Gingrich to try to grab the spotlight.

And what we have seen today in just the next couple hours is Mitt Romney is going right after Rick Santorum, Suzanne. He is holding a conference call with Tim Pawlenty, the governor of Minnesota, to attack. He has put out a fact sheet.

What the Romney camp doesn't want to happen is to have Rick Santorum continue to chip away at him, perhaps give an opening for Newt Gingrich then to try to take the lead.

MALVEAUX: And there are a lot of people who are now looking at a hypothetical poll that actually showed this showdown between Romney and President Obama. How does he come out?

PRESTON: Well, there's this "Washington Post"/ABC poll that's just out in the last couple of hours. Let's take a quick look at it right now. Pretty good news for the president, giving the state of the economy right now. He leads Mitt Romney by six points.

But what is disturbing I think for the Obama campaign is the fact that if you look at his overall approval rating, it is still below 50 percent. I think he would rather be below 50 percent and be above the frontrunner certainly at this point in the campaign, frontrunner for the Republican nomination.

MALVEAUX: Where you headed next, Mark?

PRESTON: I don't know. I am going to be here a couple of days. We'll be with you for a couple of days.

And then, who knows. Maine perhaps? You know, Maine has a big caucus on Saturday, releasing results. It's never ending.

MALVEAUX: All right. Good to see you again.

PRESTON: Thanks, Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: Our live coverage of tomorrow's caucuses and primary will begin with a special edition of "THE SITUATION ROOM" with Wolf Blitzer at 6:00 p.m. Eastern. It's followed by complete coverage and results at 7:00 with Wolf, Erin Burnett, Anderson Cooper, Candy Crowley, John King, and more.

All right. So, did you watch the Super Bowl and ads last night, or were you around in the kitchen getting something to eat? Well, don't worry. We're going to bring you our favorites.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: Today's the deadline for states to sign off on a deal with banks that would reduce the mortgage burden for thousands of homeowners.

I want to bring in Alison Kosik. She's live at the New York Stock Exchange.

So, Alison, tell us what this deal is all about. Could we actually benefit from this?

ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: OK, Suzanne, there could be some benefit for homeowners who were affected by that robo- signing scandal. You remember that back in 2010, when banks essentially signed off almost in record time on foreclosures without checking all the paperwork. Now, what happened out of that is that some people, they lost their homes who shouldn't have.

So, now, what's happening is there's a possible deal being talked about that could be worth up to $25 billion. Now, state attorneys general -- they have until the end of today to sign onto the deal with major banks, at least five of them. We have a list for you here, and mortgage servicers as well.

But the big question, one of the big questions at least in this possible deal is will some of the biggest states like California and New York sign on because some attorneys general, they are thinking they don't want to sign on. They are wondering, hey, that could limit their own separate investigations. And they think they can get a better deal, they can get more money, and possibly pursue criminal investigations -- Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: How much do we think homeowners could get?

KOSIK: OK. Essentially, it depends how many states would wind up signing on to this deal, if this deal happens. So, generally, $25 billion would help about 1 million people. Most of that money, though, would go to reduce principal.

So, basically, banks would cut the amount that you would owe on your loan. But that could end up being a lot of money. It could be a reduction of up to $20,000. If people that lost their homes in the robo-signing scandal, if they lost their homes, they won't get those homes back because people could be living in those homes, but they could get money out of this deal, if the deal happens -- Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: All right. Alison, you know, we're all talking about the Super Bowl.

KOSIK: Oh, yes.

MALVEAUX: Did you watch last night?

KOSIK: I watched and I loved the commercials, almost more than the game.

MALVEAUX: Well, I'm glad you said that because we want to play some commercials. Our whole team was like talking about this morning, about the commercials, some of our favorites.

I want you to stick around, watch this for a second.

KOSIK: OK.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIPS)

(MUSIC)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Back and better than ever. Better.

UNIDENTIFIED KID: Who has the Doritos? Who has the Doritos? Too bad you're down there and I'm up here.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you, buddy.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What? You got a dog?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, he is a rescue dog. Name is We Go.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We Go? What kind of name is that?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Here We Go.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Here We Go.

CLINT EASTWOOD, ACTOR: It is half time in America, too. People are out of work and they're hurting and they're all wondering what they're going to do to make a come back, and we're all scared because this isn't the game.

This country can't be knocked down with one punch, we get right back up again. And when we do, the world is going to hear the roar of our engines. Yes, it's half time, America, and our second half is about to begin.

(END VIDEO CLIPS)

MALVEAUX: That was pretty dramatic, wouldn't you say, Alison? We were all, like, what?

KOSIK: That one was. Yes, that was the mini movie, the serious one.

But you know which one I liked the most?

MALVEAUX: Which one?

KOSIK: Not the baby Doritos one, but the Doritos one where the Great Dane bribes the guy digging in the dirt. The Great Dane essentially, it looks like the Great Dane did away with the cat, burying the cat in the dirt it seems, a little demented, but I loved this. I think it's great.

You know, you think about cats and dogs, natural born enemies. I love the whole yin and yang, the cat and dog thing. Love that commercial.

MALVEAUX: That was a little creepy for me. But I'm a sucker for all those babies, all the babies. And, of course, the dog that was trying to lose weight, and was doing his thing on the treadmill. I mean, that was just priceless. I loved that one.

One of our producers, she puts her dog on the treadmill. I just want you to know, not uncommon.

KOSIK: Ooh, so it works.

MALVEAUX: It does. And, you know, there are a lot of fat, you know, cats and dogs around. So, it's probably a good thing.

KOSIK: Of course. Of course.

You know, what's interesting, the commercials, the Teleflora one, I was monitoring Twitter. And once that Teleflora commercial came up, you know, the one where the sexy model comes out, putting on her stockings --

MALVEAUX: Oh, yes. Right, right.

KOSIK: It says, "If you give, you'll receive." I don't know about you, I was monitoring twitter. A lot of women didn't like this one. They were highly offended.

I can't -- I don't agree with them, I think it was fun. There's some reality to what she said.

MALVEAUX: I was not offended, but, you know, one of the things I just don't remember really the products, you know? A lot of times you're like that was really fun and entertaining, what were they selling?

KOSIK: Then you think, what were they advertising for?

MALVEAUX: Right, right, selling something else there.

KOSIK: Exactly.

(LAUGHTER)

MALVEAUX: All right. Alison, good to see you.

Republicans promise to make President Obama one-term president, but he says he deserves a second term. We're going to talk with a political insider about his chances of getting one.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: Here is a rundown of some of the stories we're working on next.

President Obama says he deserves a second term. Well, we've been asking you what you think.

And then --

(VIDEO CLIP PLAYS)

MALVEAUX: Explosions rock a Syrian city where the weekend death toll is now in the hundreds. The U.S. shuts down its embassy in Damascus. We have a live report.

And later, a disturbing look at the human cost paid by people building our iPads and iPhones.

President Obama says the economy is getting stronger, but there's more work to do. In an NBC interview, he made the case why he should get more time.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OBAMA: I deserve a second term, but we're not done. We created 3.7 million jobs over the last 23 months. We created the most jobs since 2005.

LAUER: But it's not done.

OBAMA: The most manufacturing jobs since 1990, but we're not finished.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: So, you heard the president on the economy. He says his administration has created 3.7 million jobs in 23 months. On healthcare, he passed his signature reform legislation, and he ended up the combat mission in Iraq and is winding down the mission in Afghanistan.

So, a new poll gives President Obama the edge over Mitt Romney in a head to head matchup.

Joining us now to talk about the president's prospect for a second term, our senior political analyst, David Gergen.

David, good to see you.

DAVID GERGEN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Thank you.

MALVEAUX: I suspect it will come down to whether or not voters believe they're better off under President Obama, then if, you know, after four years, they feel like they're not. Is it just that simple?

GERGEN: Well, it's certainly going to be a major dominant question to campaign. Campaigns for re-election are often referendum on the past four years.

But, in this case, Suzanne, as you know, the White House is trying to cast this forward. And they're going to ask the question are you going to be better four years from now under Barack Obama or Mitt Romney, if he is the Republican nominee.

And the Democrats think they have a better chance of winning the second argument than the first argument.

MALVEAUX: Now, we heard three years ago in an NBC interview, the president says, if the economy didn't improve significantly, he wouldn't get a second term. I want you to listen to what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OBAMA: Look, I'm at the start of my administration. One nice thing about the situation I find myself in is that I will be held accountable. You know, I've got four years.

LAUER: You're going to know quickly how people feel about what's happened.

OBAMA: That's exactly right. And, you know, a year from now, I think people are going to see that we're starting to make some progress, but there's still going to be pain out there.

If I don't have this done in three years, then there's going to be a one-term proposition.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: All right. So fast forward three years. You notice he looks so much younger, don't you think, David, four years ago today?

GERGEN: He sure did. But on the other hand, I am not sure I would want to see a picture of myself three years ago. So --

MALVEAUX: Don't you think those words are going to come back to haunt him?

GERGEN: Well, Mitt Romney quotes him all the time on the stop. I mean, he's -- every concession -- victory speeches he's had, New Hampshire, and Florida, he quoted that, those very words, said I am here, we are here to accept that proposition, Mr. President.

So, yes, they're going to be used on the tail against him. But, you know, what we're going top in terms of judging the past is the glass half full or empty, which way is the glass filling.

You know, the president can claim, I think with some justification, that the number of jobs is now growing at a much better pace than anybody thought at this point. We have 3.5 million new jobs.

But if you look overall, from Republican standpoint, yes, but we still have 5 million plus -- you know, we have over 5 million jobs less than we had when this all started.

So, you know, new estimates just came out, Paul Krugman is arguing today it's going to be 2019 before -- at this rate, before we get back to, you know, full unemployment. That's a long time to wait for one heck of a lot of young Americans and people that are hurting.

MALVEAUX: Sure. And let's talk really quickly about the healthcare reform.

GERGEN: Sure.

MALVEAUX: Because that is the president's signature issue. But a lot of that could be in jeopardy of not even surviving if he gets a second term.

How do you think that's going to play out? Are people going to have -- is there going to be a big impact on people's lives from healthcare signature legislations?

GERGEN: Suzanne, it's not going to be the number one issue in the campaign, but it's going to be a constant refrain. The healthcare bill for better or for worse right now remains pretty unpopular in the country. You know, number of people that like it is lower than number of people that do not like it. But it's also going to be very, very hard to unravel.

I have to tell you, though, I think the bigger issue looking ahead is which of these candidates is going to layout a clear road ahead to deal with the really tough issues. Neither candidate has been -- neither Romney nor Obama at this point if it is Romney, has laid out a sense of exactly how much sacrifice is going to be needed, what are the tough calls we're going to have to make to get this budget really under control. We had year after year now of $1 trillion deficits. You know, what are the big calls we're going to make on Iran? Very tough issues coming on us extremely fast. One of the -- you know, what we -- we're are having a campaign now that's not grappling with the most serious issues of our time.

MALVEAUX: All right, David (ph), we're going to leave it there. Thank you very much.

(CROSSTALK)

DAVID (PH): Thank you.

MALVEAUX: -- watching the upcoming races.

The escalating death toll in Syria forces one doctor to erupt in anger. Look at this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Speaking foreign language)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: You don't even know -- you don't even need to know what he is saying, understand his outrage. He is faced with people who are dying from wounds that would not have been fatal with proper care. We're going to bring you a live report on the deteriorating situation in Syria.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) MALVEAUX: Powerful blasts echo through the Syrian city of Homs. Activists say at least 46 people were killed across Syria today alone. That is after what activists describe as a weekend bloodbath that left hundreds dead. And now the U.S. has shut down the embassy in Syria.

CNN's Arwa Damon, she's joining us from neighboring Lebanon.

Arwa, so the United States today pulls out the remaining embassy staff, tells Americans, get out of the country immediately. What does that say about what's taking place on the ground now?

ARWA DAMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the U.S. had been concerned about security at its embassy in Damascus for quite some time now, and they had put in a request to the Syrian government to try to beef up the presence of Syrian security forces around (INAUDIBLE) because of the bombings that happened in December and January that were being attributed to al Qaeda.

You have to remember that the U.S. embassy in Damascus is in a fairly exposed position that's effectively right on one of the main roads with no sort of buffer zone between anyone who would want to attack it and the embassy building itself.

But this is all part and parcel of this deteriorating situation that is happening inside Syria, not just when it comes to security in general, although there has been arise in criminal activity and other security breakdowns, as well, but also in the situation overall. The levels of violence that we saw transpire over the weekend, they were really unprecedented, and they came just as the U.N. was trying to negotiate but still failing to put forward a united front when it comes to the issue in Syria.

MALVEAUX: And so what's next here? U.N. Security Council fails to pass this resolution to help Syria. Who do the Syrians turn to for help?

DAMON: And that's the tragedy of it all, Suzanne, is that they basically only have themselves to turn to, and they have been feeling like they are their own only option for quite some time now. But there is a realization that as long as the international community remains divided, the regime will be emboldened.

We are hearing pleas for help from activists, especially in Homs, but in other parts of the country. But at the end of the day, with a failure of a united front when it comes to Syria, unfortunately, all we're going to be seeing is this ongoing cycle of bloodshed, of death, of sorrow and of grief for the country that is increasingly, by the day, moving closer and closer to an all-out civil war.

MALVEAUX: Arwa, is there any reaction from the protesters there when they realize the U.S. embassy is closing, they say, Americans, get out, that people, their greatest ally is packing up its bag and leaving?

DAMON: You know, it's interesting that you ask that, because right after that news first came out, two young activists from Damascus messaged me, and asked me if this was true and what this was going to mean for them.

The Syrian activists have been especially supported by the U.S. embassy, by Ambassador Ford. They did feel as if he was quite firmly on their side, which meant, to a certain degree, the U.S. was as well. And so there is a certain renewed sense of fear, if that's one way to put it, that, without this critical support there, perhaps the activists will be left even more to the mercy of the regime.

That being said, though, Suzanne, there's also this widespread realization amongst the activists that America does not have that much pull when it comes to Syria. America has not and will not be able to save these demonstrators from Bashar al-Assad's forces.

MALVEAUX: (INAUDIBLE) tragic situation there. Thank you, Arwa, appreciate that.

There's a huge human cost to the people building our iPads that they're paying. We are digging into the controversy that's rocking Apple Computers.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do they care about us? I don't know. At least I am not getting any of that care.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: You have been sounding off on the ""Talk Back"" question today. Does President Obama deserve a second term in office? Well, here's what some of you are saying.

Chuck writes, "Yes, compared to the choices in the Republican Party, absolutely. The Republican Congress has stopped President Obama from doing his job. The three branches of government are supposed to be a balance of power, but, as you can see, it isn't. They fail to act and blame everything on the president. It is a sad state of affairs."

David says, "He has been campaigning for three years now. We have yet to see him be president. The economy has been on auto-pilot. He couldn't be commander in chief of a rubber ducky, and God help us if we get four more years of this. The White House vacancy would be better if not the same."

Michael writes, "Gas is about to hit $4 and $5 a gallon. No, he doesn't deserve a second term."

Rick says, "He tried very hard, but I don't think he does, and I'm not sure anyone in the race is going to be our Eli Manning."

Ameht reps -- writes, rather -- "He sure does. Unemployment numbers keep dropping, our enemies keep dropping, so I will be dropping my vote in the ballot box."

Keep the conversation going at facebook.com/SuzanneCNN. We're going to have more responses next hour.

Unemployment fell to 8.3 percent. There are still a lot of young post-grads, however, that are not working, they're without jobs, the rate around 13.3 percent for those who are 20 to 24 years old. That's according to the Labor Department.

Alison Kosik today with top tips on what the young workers need to know to get their foot in the door. Alison, help them out.

ALISON KOSIK, BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT FOR CNN: Exactly. So we're talking about college grads, Suzanne, who are looking for those entry level jobs.

And the best advice that I am hearing is that you've really just got to make sure you're prepared, because in a survey of business executives, only 4 percent of all respondents feel college grads are very prepared for success in the business world, with 66 percent saying grads are somewhat prepared and 30 percent not at all prepared.

All right. So what are these execs looking for? Now the top three skills they say that these new hires need? They need to be good problem solvers, they need to be good at collaborating and they need to be good at critical thinking.

Now here's what's interesting. Social media, it may be all the rage, and while the grads get it, get social media, technological and social media skills, Suzanne, those rank at the bottom of skills that employees say new hires need, Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: Wow, that's surprising. And all that -- a lot of people talking about how much money they're going to make in terms of salary. So for those who are 20 to 24 years old, who are unemployed, what can they expect in terms of a paycheck and the industries that do best in paying?

KOSIK: OK, so talking about money overall, you look at 2011, and 2011, those grads who have a bachelor's degree level began their first post-grad job with an average salary of $41,700. That's up a little over 2 percent when you compare it to the graduates who, you know, graduated in 2010.

Now when it comes to the top-paying industries, the field of securities, which includes commodity exchanges, is actually number one at $58,570, followed by electric power companies, credit-related activities like lending, computer systems design and business support services. That's all according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers, Suzanne.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right, Alison. So once you land the job, how do you make a first good impression? Alison, she's going to be right back with more of those tips after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: We are back with Alison. Alison, young workers, they're pretty eager, sometimes a little too eager. (LAUGHTER)

MALVEAUX: How do they navigate the workplace? Although I find -- I find our young workers just right, just right, very helpful.

KOSIK: Yes, exactly. You may want to bottle that eagerness. But, you know what the advice from the folks who track this sort of thing, you know, say take it slow.

Andrew Rosen, who's the founder of the jobs blog, jobacle.com, says, well, young workers, they want to get in there and share all their ideas. He says, you know what, get a lay of the land first. Learn who is the most influential at the place you work. Go ahead and establish important relationships and network. You really don't want to step on toes without knowing whose toes you're stepping on first.

Also, Rosen says be aware how you talk about yourself. One common complaint he hears is that new hires believe they have done it all and seen it all. And so humility goes a long way as well.

Finally, Suzanne, talk with your employer, clarify your expectations, their expectations, discuss your job responsibilities. And ask for some feedback, also some good advice here, keep a list of your accomplishments so you're ready to discuss your value to the company, especially when it comes time for that annual review -- Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: I think I was probably one of those overeager, annoying, eager-beaver types.

KOSIK: That's why you got to where you are.

(CROSSTALK)

MALVEAUX: I think it worked for me. But I don't know. I hear your tips and they're good. Thank you, Alison.

Big blowout win for Mitt Romney in Nevada. So what can his rivals do now to catch up? CNN political editor Paul Steinhauser joining us from Washington.

So, Paul, good to see you. Romney seems to look like the clear frontrunner here, but his opponents, is anybody ready to throw in the towel any time soon?

PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN POLITICAL EDITOR: No, I am sure he would like them to throw in the towel. Listen, he's done what nobody else has done so far, none of the other candidates has done so far this cycle. He's won two contests back to back, and impressive wins, as you mentioned, in Nevada and about six days ago in Florida.

But it is still very much a four-person race. Remember, Romney still a long way away -- a long way away from capturing the 1,144 delegates needed to clinch the nomination. A lot of people are asking if Gingrich, Santorum and Paul are dropping out.

Take a listen to Newt Gingrich from Saturday night.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FORMER REP. NEWT GINGRICH, R-GA., PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I am a candidate for President of the United States. I will be a candidate for President of the United States. We will go to Tampa.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STEINHAUSER: Yes, I think that's pretty clear, don't you think? Newt Gingrich not dropping out, Santorum, Paul, neither, all of them think they can do well in the upcoming contests over the next few weeks, Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: And you got three more contests tomorrow. But it's kind of weird what's going on in Missouri. Tell us -- can you explain what's happening there, the rules?

STEINHAUSER: You got it. Just quickly out of the way, Minnesota, Colorado, caucus states, delegates at stake. Missouri, it is a nonbinding primary. And why? Well, Missouri broke the rules by moving their contest up, their primary up into February.

And so because of that, to get around the Republican Party rules and not get penalized at the convention, they made the primary non- binding. So it's more like a beauty contest. They'll pick their delegates later in a caucus later in March. So that's how they're trying to get around the rules.

Listen, Gingrich, Newt Gingrich, not even on the ballot in Missouri, so Rick Santorum thinks he can do well there and in Minnesota. And, Suzanne, one other thing, I was in Nevada over the weekend, covering the caucus sites and, well, you know, it's -- look at this, courtesy of the Nevada -- of the Clark County GOP, bottled water. It's dry out there in the desert and you need to stay hydrated.

(LAUGHTER)

MALVEAUX: That's actually a good idea. That's pretty clever. And I'm sure all of the candidates going forward think that the beauty contest they'll win, they're all beautiful, right?

(LAUGHTER)

STEINHAUSER: Good point.

MALVEAUX: All right. See you, Paul.

Tune in to CNN tomorrow for live coverage of the caucuses and primary. It begins at 6:00 pm Eastern.

All right. So your iPhone may make life easier for you, but the workers whose job it is to actually build these Apple products can feel like a death sentence. We are digging deeper into a story that is rocking the tech giant's public image. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: Talking about stories affiliates are covering across country. Police in riot gear face off against Occupy protesters in D.C. At least eight people were arrested, one for felony assault. A judge ruled last week that park police could enforce a ban on camping at two parks in D.C.

Hazmat teams tore down tents in one of those parks over the weekend. They cleared away a lot of debris and found some rodents as well.

In western New York, parents want to know what is causing high school girls to develop bizarre tic-like symptoms. At a town hall meeting one mom lashed out at the school.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MELISSA CIANCI, PARENT: I am not listening to you. You guys need to do something. My child, my children, ah, look. I run a business in this town. It is not safe. Why is it? You need to prove to us that it is safe to put our children in this school. As a community, we need to come together, we need to pull our children out. There's other places we can take them and give them the education they need.

You are not doing your job. You are not doing your job. And not answering questions.

(APPLAUSE)

CIANCI: I'm (inaudible). (Inaudible) we need to stand up as parents to fight for the rights of our children. You're not.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: Wow!

Apple is a company with a squeaky-clean, progressive image, but the people who actually put together our iPads, our iPhones have a very different opinion of Apple. Our Stan Grant reports from China.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STAN GRANT, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Believe it or not, this woman's never seen an iPad before, even though she toils more than 60 hours a week making them.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (Inaudible).

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Inaudible).

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (Inaudible).

GRANT (voice-over): She's like many migrant workers from rural China, spending endless hours putting on screens, but never glimpsing the finished product.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Inaudible).

GRANT (voice-over): Here's another first. This is her only meal at a restaurant since she started at Foxconn, a company that produces electronics for the world's leading brands.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's very interesting (ph).

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, (inaudible).

GRANT (voice-over): It sure is a change from the factory where she works, sleeps and eats.

She doesn't want to be identified. We'll call her "Ms. Chen". If she's caught speaking to us, she says, she will lose her job.

"MS. CHEN" (through translator): When we were being trained for work, they told us that if we accept interviews, we will be investigated for criminal responsibility according to law. It's really a big deal.

GRANT (voice-over): "Ms. Chen" is one of more than a million workers at Foxconn in China. She works at this factory in the city of Chengdu, installing iPad screens. The company makes the iPads, iPods and iPhones that has made Apple a commercial and cultural icon, but there are no iWorkers here, only WeWorkers, and "Ms. Chen" says we work whenever Foxconn says so.

"MS. CHEN" (through translator): They use women as men and they use men as machines. There's another way of saying it. They use women as men and they use men as animals.

GRANT: Well, this is the front gate of the Foxconn factory. It's as far as we're going to be able to go, but every day, literally ten of thousands of workers go through these gates.

According to the worker that we spoke to, people don't tend to stay very long here. If they have any complaints, well, the attitude of management is, if you don't like it, you can leave.

GRANT (voice-over): Only weeks ago workers threatened mass suicide at a Foxconn factory in Wuhan (ph), manufacturing Microsoft products. Microsoft said in a statement it investigated and found the matter related to staffing assignments and transfer policies, not working conditions. The company noted that it works to ensure employees are treated fairly.

Foxconn says it resolved the dispute, but in 2010 the company made unwanted headlines when more than a dozen workers killed themselves, forcing Foxconn to improve its factories. The company told CNN it boosted pay and provided counseling.

Foxconn now boasts of its onsite health care and worker living conditions, which it claims are among the best in China. Apple is being criticized for its links to overseas factories. It maintains it would not work with companies that do not respect their employees. In a recent email to staff, Apple addressed critics. It says, quote, "We care about every worker in our worldwide chain." "Ms. Chen", though, sees it very differently.

"MS. CHEN" (through translator): Do they care about us? I don't know. At least I'm not getting any of that care.

GRANT (voice-over): While Foxconn insists its workers are treated fairly and their rights fully protected, workers' rights groups say the company favors only a privileged few: executives, managers.

For the many thousands of others, it is run with a military culture. They point to unpredictable hours at the whim of management, complaints of inadequate breaks and workers not even allowed to speak on the factory floor.

As we found, they're not too keen to speak outside, either. We had to meet "Ms. Chen" at this restaurant. It's a rare outing for her. Foxconn takes up every waking moment.

"MS. CHEN" (through translator): It is so boring. I can't bear it anymore. Every day was like I get up from work, and I go to bed. I get up in the morning and I go to work. It became my daily routine, and it almost felt like I was some kind of animal.

GRANT (voice-over): Hers is just one tale, but it's an experience repeated elsewhere by other disgruntled Foxconn employees. She says she will leave soon to go back to college. She has no desire to return here.

"MS. CHEN" (through translator): I don't want to work in Foxconn.

GRANT: You don't?

"MS. CHEN" (through translator): I don't.

GRANT (voice-over): But there is always the lure of that iPad.

GRANT: Do you like it?

"MS. CHEN": I like it. I want one.

GRANT: You want to have one?

"MS. CHEN": Maybe one day I'll have enough money.

GRANT (voice-over): Enough money? Right now "Ms. Chen" says she earns less than a dollar an hour. Stan Grant, CNN, Chengdu.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: Apple's headquarters sent CNN a statement this morning. It says, "We care about every worker in our worldwide supply chain. We insist that our suppliers provide safe working conditions, treat workers with dignity and respect and use environmentally responsible manufacturing processes wherever Apple products are made. Our suppliers must live up to these requirements if they want to keep doing business with Apple."