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At Least 21 People Killed In Syria Today; GOP Contests In Three States Today; Same-Sex Marriage Ban Struck Down; The World Is Watching Syria; Parents To Sue L.A. School Over Sexual Abuse, School Replaces Entire Staff; Obama Now Embracing Super PACs; 70 Delegates On Table Today, But Contests May Be for Momentum Instead

Aired February 07, 2012 - 13:00   ET

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

ZORAIDA SAMBOLIN, CNN ANCHOR: Hi, everyone. I'm Zoraida Sambolin. It's 1:00 o'clock. Let's get straight to the news.

We're just moments away from a landmark ruling and a pivotal moment in the gay rights movement. The ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals is set to announce its decision on whether California's Proposition Eight violates the federal constitution.

The voter-approved measure banned same-sex marriage in the state. That was back in 2008. These are live pictures that you are looking at. Today's decision by a panel of three judges follows the rulings of this judge, retired Judge Vaughn Walker declared Proposition Eight unconstitutional in 2010, saying it violates the constitution's equality guarantee. Sponsors of the ballot appealed Walker's ruling to the Ninth Circuit Court which brings us to today. Either way, the court rules the battle over same-sex marriage could be headed to the Supreme Court. The moment that we get that decision, we are going to bring it to you live.

And now to a country where it seems all humanity is dissolving. A government is killing its own people. Syrian government forces continue to fire heavy shells into the city of Homs and other areas today. Homs is ground zero of the uprising against President Bashar al Assad. Opposition groups say at least 21 people, including children, have been killed today alone. The Russian foreign minister arrived in Syria today, holding talks with Assad and calling for an end to the violence without foreign interference.

Another development, Gulf Arab states in France, Spain and Italy, recalled their ambassadors today, as well. So coming up in about 10 minutes, we're going to break down what is going on in Syria as best as we can from the city's affected, to emergency care, to the specifics of the humanitarian crisis that is going on. We're also going to talk with Arwa Damon, who has been in that region. She'll provide some much-need understanding as to what these we'll can do. Stay with us, that is just a few minutes away from now.

Meantime, back here in the United States, the Republican presidential candidates are gearing up for a big night. Three states, Colorado, Minnesota and Missouri, cast their votes today. With 70 more delegates up for grabs in two of them. And even though he's fresh of wins in Florida and Nevada, Mitt Romney isn't taking any chances breaking his momentum. Romney has the best chance of winning in Colorado, where he is campaigning today. But Rick Santorum could be the man to beat in Minnesota and Missouri where he's got a slight lead in the polls there. A win in either state could give him a second victory this year.

And it might not be such a good night for Newt Gingrich, though. The former speaker isn't even on the ballot in Missouri. He's already looking ahead to Super Tuesday, campaigning today in Ohio.

We are going to go to Dan Simon in San Francisco now. We're getting some updated reports here on proposition 8. What can you tell us?

DAN SIMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Zoraida. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has invalidated Proposition 8, which now means that same-sex marriage here in California is legal. Let me put this in perspective, though. We believe that this ruling is now put on hold, meaning that same-sex marriage couples cannot get married while this process continues to be under appeal. Next, this case is ultimately headed to the Supreme Court, but I want to get a little bit of reaction here in front of the courthouse. This is Billy Bradford. You're with which organization, sir?

BILLY BRADFORD, CASTRO VALLEY, CALIFORNIA: Marriage Equality USA and Get Equal.

SIMON: There are about a few dozen same-sex marriage supporters here at the courthouse. Can you just summarize your feelings?

BRADFORD: For me it's a beautiful day, not only for these great gay families and gay couples in California, but it's a great day for the Constitution and for the values that our country was founded on, equal rights, equal protection for everyone in the state of California.

SIMON: The Ninth Circuit panel found that Proposition 8 is a violation of the Constitution's equal protection clause. Next, this case is headed to the United States Supreme Court. This is just one step in the process. Do you feel like this is only a partial victory or a short-term victory?

BRADFORD: For me, any time any court affirms our constitutional rights to civil marriage, it's a victory for us and for me. There are several cases going to the Supreme Court, this is one of many. And what Judge Vaughn Walker said in his ruling, (inaudible) ruling, the tide is turning. People in America understand there's nothing wrong with allowing gay couples to get married.

SIMON: Thank you very much, Mr. Bradford. We should also point out that in this ruling, there was an issue about Judge Vaughn Walker, he was the district court who originally invalidated Proposition 8. Judge Vaughn Walker himself is gay. And ProtectMarriage.com, they're the ones who advocated Proposition 8, wanted to have that decision thrown out based upon the fact that Judge Walker is gay and they felt like he stood to benefit from his own ruling. Well here, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals said that has no standing whatsoever, that Judge Walker's ruling stands, and that his sexual orientation has no bearing on the case.

From here, you'll be seeing a number of rallies across the state of California with same-sex marriage supporters, Proposition 8 supporters. Again, this group is called ProtectMarriage.com. They're sort of quiet in the sense you don't really see them gather here on the streets, voicing their opinion. They feel like in a city like San Francisco, they'll be demonized by their opinion. But, of course, a lot of supporters here today, and as you can see, very happy with this ruling.

SAMBOLIN: You know, I was going to ask you about that, Dan, if the crowd is very boisterous behind you or were they when they heard the news? Oh, there they go.

SIMON: Yes. As you can see, holding just a little impromptu rally here in front of the courthouse. We imagine that the likely head over to city hall. That's where this whole odyssey began here in 2004, when then-mayor Gavin Newsom allowed same-sex marriage, marriages to take place. There on the steps of the city hall. And we would anticipate that you'll begin seeing large amounts of people head over to city hall and celebrate. But again, this just one small step in this very long process Zoraida.

SAMBOLIN: All right, Dan Simon live for us in San Francisco. Thank you very much.

So, before Proposition 8, 18,000 same-sex couples were legally married in California. After Proposition 8, the door was shut and gay marriages were banned. How today's court ruling could impact how other states view same-sex marriage.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SAMBOLIN: Welcome back. It's a federal ruling gay rights advocates have been waiting for a year and a half now, and just moments ago we learned the decision. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals says California's Proposition 8 violates the U.S. constitution. That measure banned same-sex marriage in the state. Today's decision is a milestone in the gay rights movement. This comes on the heels of a long, often muddled legal battle. That began after the ban went into effect back in 2008. The court's decision today upholds an earlier federal ruling in 2010 that declared Proposition 8 unconstitutional. But this fight is far from over. Many believe the next stop could be the U.S. Supreme Court.

CNN's Senior Legal Analyst Jeffrey Toobin joins me now from New York. Are you surprised by today's decision?

JEFFREY TOOBIN, CNN SENIOR LEGAL ANALYST: Well, I'm not surprised by the result. Given the background of the two judges in the majority, given the way the oral argument went, it is not a surprise that they struck down Proposition 8. The way they did it is somewhat surprising, and, frankly, a little confusing.

SAMBOLIN: And what about the Supreme Court? TOOBIN: I think the way they decided this case makes the -- makes a trip to the United States Supreme Court less likely. The two judges in the majority very much limited their ruling to the peculiar circumstances of California. California had a California Supreme Court decision which said same-sex marriage was legal. And as you pointed out earlier, about 10,000 couples got married. Then Proposition 8 ended same-sex marriage in California.

What today's ruling in the Ninth Circuit said was that unusual set of circumstances, granting, and then taking away the right to same-sex marriage, that was unconstitutional. The court very explicitly did not say that the Constitution of the United States requires same-sex marriage in every state in the union. That's what some supporters of same-sex marriage were looking for. They didn't get it. They got a very narrow ruling just limited to California. The good news for same-sex marriage supporters is it means a conservative Supreme Court might not decide to take the case, and this may well be the last word on the case.

SAMBOLIN: We saw a lot of people gathered there, and do you think that now they're going to be lining up in order to get married?

TOOBIN: Well, that's a question we don't know that one of the -- one of the things that we have to study, and frankly, you know, this decision came in five minutes ago, is will the court issue a stay. Because as of now, the ruling on the merits is that Proposition 8 is unconstitutional. The supporters of same-sex marriage say, come on, that's it, that's a ruling, we can get married today, tomorrow.

But earlier in the case, they had issued a stay saying, look, the status quo is you can't get married. We're going to wait until these legal proceedings are resolved. The Ninth Circuit is resolved so a big question, unanswered as far as I know, at least so far, is whether there will be a stay, and whether gay people can start to get married in California right away.

SAMBOLIN: So, we're seeing a longer list now of gay marriages allowed in different states. How is this ruling going to affect other states going forward?

TOOBIN: Well, I don't think it will directly affect any other states, because it is so limited to California. But think about how -- assuming this is the last word in California, California, New York, Massachusetts, look like it's Washington state, Iowa, Massachusetts, that's -- if you add up all the people in the states that have same- sex marriage, if you include California and Washington, it's about a fifth of the United States. That's a lot of people. And I think supporters of same-sex marriage say that that will lead to a momentum that will bring more states along or lead the United States Supreme Court to say everybody has to have it.

SAMBOLIN: Your best guess what happens next here in the state of California?

TOOBIN: I think this will be the last word. I think it will be upheld in the Ninth Circuit, but it will not go to the Supreme Court. It will not create a national precedent. But, you know, there are 39 people -- 39 million people in California. That's a lot of people to have same-sex marriage all of a sudden.

SAMBOLIN: All right, Jeff Toobin, CNN Senior Legal Analyst. We really appreciate having you here.

TOOBIN: All right.

SAMBOLIN: Jumping all in with all the paperwork. Go study it and then we can get a little bit more on that stay.

TOOBIN: All right, will do.

SAMBOLIN: Thank you.

So, women and children slaughtered in their homes. The government attacks their very own people, desperately trying to hold on to power. We're going to take you live to that region, coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SAMBOLIN: The appalling slaughter of Syrian civilians by their own government continues without letup. Government forces today resumed a relentless attack on the city of Homs, ground zero of the nearly one year revolt against President Bashar al Assad. Opposition groups say at least 21 people, including children, were killed across the country. That was today. One hundred and twenty-eight people were killed yesterday. Victims are crying out for international help. And listen to this voice of desperation. An activist in Homs talking to our Anderson Cooper last night. The situation is clearly breaking him down.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ZADOLIN (ph), SYRIAN ACTIVIST: Let me say one word. I think the entire world should be ashamed of what's happening here. Everybody is just silent and looking at us being slaughtered every moment, for no reason, just for asking for our freedom. Everybody is just looking at us like this. We are slaughtered.

Russia has gone for a veto. China is going for veto. The rest of the world are condemning this veto. And what else? Looking at us. We thank you. I would really like to thank the entire world for watching us so silently.

We are getting killed every moment. We are not able even just to get some basic medicine to injured people. Children are really hungry. I swear, children are hungry. No power. No fuel. It's too cold. This is too much. For God's sake, this is too much.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SAMBOLIN: It is too much. And making matters worse, the main obstacle to international assistance for the Syrian people, Russia and China. Last week they both vetoed a U.N. Security Council Resolution that would have demanded that President Assad stop killing his own people. The foreign minister of Russia, one of Syria's few allies, arrived in Syria today for talks with Assad. He described western condemnation of the veto as hysterical. He said that a solution to the rebellion must be reached without foreign interference. Assad repeated his claim that he's willing to have dialogue with the opposition and work with the Arab League to find a solution to the uprising.

And then the latest diplomatic blow to the Assad government, several more countries are pulling their ambassadors out of Syria's capital, Damascus. Among them are members of the Gulf Cooperation Council and Economic Alliance that includes Kuwait, Bahrain, the UAE, Oman and Saudi Arabia. Also withdrawing their envoys, France, Italy and Spain.

The United States and Great Britain have already withdrawn their ambassadors from Syria, as well. And despite the growing and determined opposition against him, most analysts agree that President Assad remains fully in control of the government. And despite some defections to the rebels, Assad has the support of the military.

Assad became president 12 years ago, inheriting the harsh dictatorship from his father. He's 46 years old and married, and he has three children. Assad speaks fluent English and is a graduate of a medical school in Damascus.

Like most dictators, Assad has firm control of Syrian media and he only rarely allows foreign journalists to enter the country. CNN's Arwa Damon has been to Syria before. She is now covering developments from Beirut.

Arwa, based on your reporting inside Syria and talks with diplomats and other sources, help us understand the lack of international response to the revolt.

ARWA DAMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You know, it's such a difficult, complicated situation. And you just heard that activist voice there talking about how it was too much, he said. And that is really what we've been hearing from just about every single activist that we've been talking to. That same sense of desperation, of despair, of sorrow, of -- as if they're all consumed by the knowledge that their fate is the inevitable or is going to be inevitable deaths because, they say, that is what is going to happen as long as the international community is unable to unite when it comes to Syria. As long as the Assad regime knows that it continues to have powerful international allies, like Russia and China, it is only going to be emboldened. It is not going to be feeling sufficient pressure to even begin to alter its ways.

And the other issue is the issue of some sort of peaceful resolution through dialogue. Well, opposition activists say the window to that closed a long time ago, quite simply because of all of the blood that has been shed. What is especially disturbing about all of this is we continue to look at the situation unfolding in Syria, is that it seems that a full-blown war is the inevitable situation.

SAMBOLIN: Arwa, there is such desperation and devastation, as we are watching all of these images. Can you talk us through a little bit about what the people are facing? We heard somebody talk about no medical attention. That the children don't have food. Can you walk us through that?

DAMON: Yes, and that is really the status quo in a number of neighborhoods in that flashpoint city of Homs, as well as in other areas throughout the country. It is by no means just isolated to that one city. But once government forces do go into these hotbeds, if you will, that have been the scenes of clashes in the past between security forces, members of the free Syrian army, or even just areas where people were going out and demonstrating on a regular basis, these neighborhoods end up being shut off from electricity and communications. That is the first warning signs that activists will get, that residents will get, that an all-out assault is going to take place.

And then these areas effectively end up being under siege. There is a military blockade. Getting food in. Things like bread, baby's milk, those bare basics that one would need, they end up becoming scarcities. Other things like fuel, cooking oil, especially necessary now, they also become rarities as well.

And then, of course, comes the issue of getting medicines in. In these particular areas where these assaults are happening, people have to set up these underground secret clinics because they're too afraid to go to government hospitals because they say they'll either be killed or detained there. And so we have an entire, elaborate, underground network of doctors who are trying to set up these makeshift hospitals that are on the floors of houses, but they also have to get in enough medicine, they have to get in enough additional blood to be able to carry out blood transfusions. All of this ends up nearly nonexistent when they're faced with these paralyzing situations with that the Syrian government's blockade end up creating in these various neighborhoods.

SAMBOLIN: It is simply horrifying. Thank you, Arwa Damon.

And stay with CNN. This network is committed to keep telling the serious story. Our people are in the region and are doing everything they can to keep you informed of what is going on in that region.

Replacing the whole staff. One California school takes an incredibly unusual step in the wake of a horrific child abuse scandal. But are they around 20 years too late? We have a live report on that straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SAMBOLIN: In a dramatic move, a Los Angeles school has replaced its entire staff to contain the community's outrage. But the backlash is intensifying at Miramonte Elementary School. That's just south of downtown Los Angeles. It is here that two teachers are being accused of sexually abusing their young students.

So to give it some context, it's worth noting the students here are mostly minorities, specifically Latino. Most from working-class families. The neighborhood, far from upscale. So here's the deal. The school reportedly first got a complaint about one of the accused teachers, Mark Berndt, as far back as 20 years ago. He's the one on the left. But Berndt wasn't removed from the classroom until last January.

Then came news of a second teacher, Martin Springer, arrested for allegedly fondling two young girls in class. We have CNN legal contributor Paul Cowen (ph) standing by to talk about the legal implications here, and Casey Wian, live from L.A. with the latest details.

So, Casey, I want to start with you. If you can clear something up for us. We noticed the superintendent was very careful with his words. He never mentioned the school staff was fired. So is the school replacing all of the staff temporarily?

CASEY WIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Not exactly temporarily, Zoraida. What's happening is the entire staff at Miramonte Elementary is going to be taken out of that school, retrained and reassigned to a school that is now being -- is still under construction. A new staff will be brought in. A staff that has been pre-screened, according to the school district, will be brought in when classes resume at that school on Thursday, Zoraida.

SAMBOLIN: All right. I want to go over the timeline here, because it's rather interesting. Berndt was first investigated back in the early 1990s. The most recent investigation that we have here began in October of 2010. He was not removed from the classroom until last January. Was Berndt allowed back into the classroom after that? This is mind-boggling to understand that he could be in a classroom again with children.

WIAN: Well, actually, he was, believe it or not, allowed back into the classroom after he was removed. The district tells us, though, it was just for a half hour. That he was in the presence of another staff member and that no students were in the classroom at the time. He was allowed back in to receive his personal effects. His firing from the district is actually under appeal. So, believe it or not, even if he is convicted of these allegations, he still stands to collect his school district pension for the rest of his life, Zoraida.

SAMBOLIN: Now we understand that 98 percent of the population there is Hispanic. And I was listening to a mom who was very concerned about what was happening at the school. And she said that if this had happened in a Beverly Hills neighborhood, for example, that they would have responded immediately and removed that teacher and addressed the situation with the children. Is there any explanation about that?

WIAN: Well, just to be clear, Beverly Hills is a different school district. So who knows how they would have handled the situation.

But that's what a lot of parents are saying. They do believe that if it was in a more affluent neighborhood, that maybe these allegations would have been caught earlier. Parents do concede, and community leaders do concede, including a former California state senator who was addressing these parents outside the school yesterday, that silence by the parents may have been a contributing factor.

Because so many of these families are immigrant families, many of them coming from Mexico, where teachers are often looked at as almost second parents, looked at as the status of doctors where they are often beyond reproach, beyond question. And that is why some of these parents may have not questioned some of the behavior and some of the things that their children may have been telling them. So there may have been a cultural issue that actually contributed to this abuse allegedly going on for so long, Zoraida.

SAMBOLIN: And do you think because of that cultural issue, that perhaps also they were scared to contact the police?

WIAN: That's a possibility. We haven't heard that from any parents, but the reality is, some of these parents are likely in the country illegally and have a distrust of the police. They also have a distrust of the police because of their experiences in their home countries. So that could have been a contributing factor.

SAMBOLIN: All right, Casey Wian, live for us in California. Thank you very much for that.

At least 10 families are already preparing to sue the teachers and the school district calling what happened a massive cover-up. The family's lawyers say that number could grow.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RAYMOND BOUCHER, ATTORNEY: There's no question there's a significant number of additional kids over the last 30 years who were sexually abused or mistreated at the school. And I think that number is -- is going to be dwarfed by the actual number of ultimate cases.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SAMBOLIN: So let's bring in CNN legal contributor, Paul Callan, who has prosecuted child sex abuse cases.

This is just an outrageous story. What kind of a liability could the school face, the district, in a situation like this?

PAUL CALLAN, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: You know, Zoraida, you're right. It's one of the most shocking cases that I've heard of in a very, very long time. There are 23 students who allegedly were abused by Berndt and there's another two by Springer.

Now if this is true, you've got 25 students that we know of at this point. So it's a huge number of potential lawsuits that could be brought against the school district. And these lawyers that we just saw talking at a press conference, if they can establish that the school district knew about this, knew about the propensity of these men to abuse children, and did nothing about it, then the school district will be liable for damages, and very, very substantial damages. But we have to see what can be proven in that regard.

SAMBOLIN: We know that even after they found these photos of these alleged victims that Berndt was allowed back in to the classroom with the children.

CALLAN: Well, what I found to be very, very disturbing is, you know, the fact pattern is that apparently a photo place saw these bondage pictures of these children. Reported it to the police in October. Now, from October until January of 2012, what happens? Why aren't the police going in and saying get him out of the classroom immediately? Apparently, he's not removed until January. But I would like to know was it the police responsible for that or were they late in notifying school district authorities. That remains to be seen who is at ought here. But somebody's at fault.

Then he's not arrested for another year. The arrests just took place recently. During that period of time, even though he wasn't in the classroom, he was living in the community. Apparently, somebody even saw him on a tandem bike ride with a child. How many other children were abused after a one-year investigation of an alleged pedophile occurred? There are some really serious questions and real reason for these parents to be disturbed at this school district in California.

SAMBOLIN: What do you make of this decision to go ahead and just remove the entire staff from the school? When I read it at first, I thought well maybe this is in an effort to appease the families, the parents who are just outraged over this, and maybe it's a way to protect themselves to say, no, we're doing everything we possibly can.

CALLAN: Well, it's an unprecedented development, I think, to remove 150 staff and teachers, because for the innocent, and the vast majority of them -- maybe all except the two who have been charged, are innocent, they sort of have a cloud hanging our their head, being removed from the school district. The school district is saying we're just doing this for logistical purposes.

But I understand why the decision is made. 25 percent of the kids stopped attending class. And I can see how a lot of the parents would say I don't want to send my child back there. The school could be put out of business. So instead of moving all of the children, they decided instead to move the teachers and staff, and I can't criticize them for that. I think, in the end, that may be the sensible way to help this school survive if it can survive these horrific allegations.

SAMBOLIN: And I just wanted to clear this up because we brought it up and we didn't really address it. If, in fact, there are some undocumenteds within the school, they should report to the police because they're perfectly safe.

CALLAN: Yes, they should absolutely report to the police. It should not affect their status in the United States. There are laws to protect them in this situation. And you know, police authorities want to hear everything here.

One of the things we're going to see, Zoraida, as this case proceeds now, there are 1500 students in this district. All 1500 are going to be interviewed by the sheriff's department and the police. How many other allegations will there be? And will they be accurate? Or will sort of hysteria and fear and, you know, they're all little kids, will they be affected? You really need skilled investigators to get to the bottom of this.

SAMBOLIN: Paul Callan, as usual, we really appreciate it. Thank you.

CALLAN: Thank you, Zoraida.

SAMBOLIN: Complicated story there.

Turning to the world of politics now, embracing the super PAC. President Obama changes his mind on unlimited campaign contributions. It may mean more money, but will it brand him as a hypocrite? It's "Fair Game," and it's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SAMBOLIN: Welcome back. This is part of the show when we go to the hearts of the political debate where all sides are "Fair Game."

Today, voters in three states will make their choice in the Republican presidential race. We've got caucuses in Colorado and Minnesota, and a primary in Missouri.

So joining me now, Gentry Collins, former national political director at the Republican National Committee; and Democratic strategist, Robert Zimmerman.

Nice to see you guys.

So does it matter that these races are -- does it matter that these races are technically nonbinding votes? Gentry, we'll start with you.

GENTRY COLLINS, FORMER NATIONAL POLITICAL DIRECTOR, REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE: I don't think it matters. I think that what's likely to happen today is that the fundamental infrastructure of this race will be reaffirmed, which is that Governor Mitt Romney has done quite well consistently across a wide variety of states, across a wide variety of geography. And between Santorum and Gingrich, we've seen this competition to be the not-Mitt candidate. Neither one of them has been able to sustain it. It looks like that will continue today with Senator Santorum expected to do well in at least a couple of these states.

Between now and Super Tuesday, after today, there are only a couple of more contests, they move out west. Those are good states for Governor Romney. Time is really running out for one of these candidates to establish themselves as the anti-Romney candidate.

SAMBOLIN: Robert?

ROBERT ZIMMERMAN, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Well, I think even though this will be interpreted as a beauty contest there are a couple of truths we're going to learn from this contest. First of all, if Rick Santorum has potential to go further, he has to score impressively in Minnesota and Missouri. Also a test of Ron Paul, whether he can really effectively caucus, which he claims is his strength. And for Mitt Romney, he just can't coast by doing well enough in Colorado. He's got to show impressively in Minnesota, and also in Missouri, if he's going to be more than just -- have a broader base and truly be able to win the support of the Republican Party.

The real problem for Mitt Romney is, though, to succeed politically in the Republican Party. It's moving so far to the right wing that ultimately it's going to be very hard for him to reach back to main stream and independent voters.

SAMBOLIN: President Obama's campaign is now encouraging donors to give money to a super PAC to support the president's re-election bid. Here's what the campaign manager, Jim Massina, is saying. "We are not going to fight this fight with one hand tied behind our back." It is a change for a president that has railed against the super PACs. But here are the cold, hard facts. You are looking at $30 million for a Romney super PAC and $18 million for a Republican super PAC. The Obama super PAC is just around $4 million.

So, guys, how does this place out, necessarily or hypocrisy, or he be called a flip-flopper? Gentry?

COLLINS: Well, hypocrisy at the highest level. Look, this president himself came out and called these organizations a threat to democracy. His chief political adviser, Axelrod, came out and said that these are only started by people who have their own interests, their self-interests in mind, and not the interests of the country. And so if this is a president that believes those things, then what he is doing is, in fact, a threat to democracy. I think it's the height of hypocrisy coming from the very highest levels in this White House.

SAMBOLIN: I suspect you want to chime in, Robert.

ZIMMERMAN: It's a real threat -- OK. The real threat to democracy, Gentry, is the fact that the Republican presidential candidates and leadership have embraced these super PACs and the special interest money that they represent. It's not just that you have $30 million from one PAC or another. It will total over half a billion dollars of right wing, special-interest money that will flow through super PACs. The president, to his credit, opposed the establishment of super PACs. But if he's going to compete effectively he's got to deal with the political reality created by the Supreme Court ruling.

Let's understand something, the president, and the congressional leadership of my party, the Democratic Party, has got to step up with a very clear, specific agenda to counteract the Citizens United decision by either endorsing specific constitutional amendments or legislative action. I think for my party to fail to do that really undermines their credibility and this argument.

SAMBOLIN: All right, gentlemen, I want to deal with one last thing. It's a follow up here to President Obama's campaign is giving back around $200,000 in donations that comes from family members of a Mexican casino owner who fled to Mexico after his arrest in Iowa. This is years ago. Is this going to be a campaign issue? And do the campaigns really know the history behind the donors. Gentry? COLLINS: Well, it's certainly possible that the president didn't know that he was accepting money that was intended to buy a family member a pardon. What isn't possible, though, if you really want to get to a more important issue, it's not possible that he doesn't know that he's taken more money from Wall Street than all the Republican candidates combined, more than $15.5 million at the end of last quarter? Now this president is running around saying that Wall Street bankers are part of the problem and not part of the solution. Yet his campaign is taking millions and millions of dollars. Those are the dollars this president ought to return if he believes his own rhetoric.

SAMBOLIN: Robert?

ZIMMERMAN: Gentry, you need some new talking points because the reality is --

(LAUGHER)

-- if you look at the role of Wall Street supporting the super PACs, and supporting the Republican candidates, you might find a very different number at the end of the day here.

But the bigger point is this. Every campaign goes through this process of scrutinizing donors and doing the best they can to check them. The Obama campaign has 1.3 million donors who contributed. The money's were returned. No family member was involved in any wrongdoing here. Likewise, the Romney campaign returned $600,000 this past quarter alone in campaign contributions.

But we're not going to solve the campaign financial -- the campaign finance crisis. And let's understand the financing of our campaigns is a stranglehold on our democracy. Every major issue we confront in our government is impacted by the way our campaigns are funded. We're not going to address it by going after individual donors. It about changing the system and putting laws in place to overturn Citizens United.

SAMBOLIN: Robert, do they actually do background checks on all of the donors for the campaign?

ZIMMERMAN: Oh, sure. They will do them. Of course --

(CROSSTALK)

SAMBOLIN: All of them, it doesn't matter on dollar amount?

ZIMMERMAN: -- private investigators. They don't hire private investigators. But donors, I believe, who give above a certain level, I think it's over $250, have to fill out disclosure forms, addresses, information and the like. And very frankly campaigns from both parties do this. I think it's a mistake, despite Gentry's best efforts to try to play this like a partisan issue. The real issue is the Republican presidential candidates are supporting and engaging in the special interest money under super PACs. At least my party has expressed a desire to change it. SAMBOLIN: All right, guys.

Robert Zimmerman, Gentry Collins.

That is "Fair Game."

COLLINS: Thanks.

ZIMMERMAN: Thank you, Zoraida.

SAMBOLIN: All right, a registered sex offender could live right next door to you and you may not even know it. So coming up, an inside look at U.S. Marshals tracking down those sex offenders.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SAMBOLIN: Sex offenders on the run and in hiding. Despite the mandated registry, some just vanish into thin air and are not where they are supposed to be living. Law enforcement officials say they're searching for roughly 100,000 sex offenders in hiding.

Our Sandra Endo got to ride along with some U.S. Marshals who were trying to track them down.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SANDRA ENDO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A registered sex offender could be living right next door but you may not even know it. This team of U.S. Marshals is on the hunt to find the ones who are in hiding.

ROGER WILSON, U.S. MARSHAL: We approach a house as if someone is inside that wants to do us harm.

ENDO: State Internet databases list where these registered sex offenders should be living. But oftentimes, they're somewhere else.

A new report by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children shows the number of registered sex offenders nationwide grew 23 percent over the last five years. Out of roughly 750,000 registrants, nearly 100,000 of them fall off the map and don't comply with registry requirements.

During this sweep, finally, marshals get a good lead on one alleged fugitive. They arrest this sex offender, who says he was convicted of statutory rape, and served his time. But marshals caught him at a different address from what's listed on the registry.

(on camera): Did you think you could hide?

ROBERT STANKIEWICZ, REGISTERED SEX OFFENDER: Will you leave me alone, man?

ENDO: He later tells CNN he knew he was violating the rules. But finds complying with the registry is difficult.

STANKIEWICZ: Well, one thing, I can't find a job. I've got to deal with people seeing my picture on the Internet.

ERNIE ALLEN, NATIONAL CENTER FOR MISSING AND EXPLOITED CHILDREN: It's not enough to say go forth and sin no more. There needs to be a meaningful system in place for their benefit, as well as society's benefit.

WILSON: It's good to get a guy like that off the street.

ENDO: Sandra Endo, CNN, Baltimore.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SAMBOLIN: Law enforcement officials say more resources are needed to track down noncompliant registered sex offenders. So far, 15 states are in compliance with a federal act to create uniformity between sex offender registries.

So raccoons, rabbits and possums are being wiped out. How giant pythons are growing in numbers and threatening the Florida Everglades.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SAMBOLIN: It's time now to check stories making news at "Street Level."

First to San Francisco where the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals just this hour ruled California's Proposition 8 violates the U.S. Constitution. You'll recall the ballot measure banned same-sex marriage in the state back in 2008. Today's decision is a milestone in the gay rights movement. It upholds an earlier federal ruling that also declared Proposition 8 unconstitutional. But the legal battle does not end here. Both sides expect the U.S. Supreme court to take up the case, possibly as early as next year.

To Puyallup, Washington, where we're getting the final picture of a horrific murder/suicide. Police say Josh Powell slashed his two sons with a hatchet and then blew up his home. Powell was a suspect in his wife's disappearance in 2009.

ABC's "Good Morning, America," got a hold of this telling voicemail Powell left just moments before his death to his dad.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOSH POWELL, ALLEGEDLY KILLED SONS: Hello, this is Josh. I'm calling to say goodbye. I am not able to live without my sons and I'm not able to go on anymore. I'm sorry to everyone I've hurt. Goodbye.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SAMBOLIN: Powell sent several similar goodbye e-mails, including one to his attorney, pastor, family and friends. Powell's children had come to see their dad for a court-ordered supervised visit on Sunday. Shortly after, investigators believe he drenched their home with 10 gallons of gas and then set the place on fire. In Atlanta, Georgia, there is a debate over whether controversial child obesity ads did more harm than good. Children's Health Care of Atlanta is phasing out a series of ads which included messages like "Being fat takes the fun out of being a kid." The hospital says it was meant to raise awareness. Critics felt the ads were too negative and reinforced negative stereotypes. The hospital is now shifting its focus to changing the culture.

So let's head further south to the Florida Everglades where pythons are causing an alarming amount of destruction. According to a new study, the Burmese python has nearly wiped out several species. Experts say the pythons have eaten nearly all raccoons, possums, rabbits. This is in a national park. The problem, the park's wildlife biologists tell CNN, there is no real answer to the problem. Biologists estimate as many as 100,000 pythons are in the glades, mostly pets that were actually tossed away.

And up to a million football fans packed the streets of New York City today to welcome their Super Bowl champs, the Giants. The ticker-tape parade began this morning, and winding its way through the city's Canyon of Heroes. The Giants players and MVP quarterback, Eli Manning, rode on top of the float with the Lombardi trophy, of course. And if you were wondering, Mayor Michael Bloomberg said the parade cost the city $38 million. But Bloomberg said the costs will be offset by all the corporate sponsors.

It's a three-state battle among presidential hopefuls today, but one of the candidates may not be paying that much attention to the results. Your political update is coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SAMBOLIN: Three states are making their choice today in the Republican presidential race, but while there are around 70 delegates on the table, today's results may be more about momentum than numbers.

CNN political editor, Paul Steinhauser.

So, what makes these states different than what we've seen so far?

PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN DEPUTY POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Three states, the first time we've had multiple contests. Let's talk about it real quick, Zoraida. You got two caucuses, Minnesota and Colorado, and you've got a non-binding primary in Missouri.

Mitt Romney already hit the campaign today, starting to downplay expectations that maybe he won't win all three states. Let's talk about Rick Santorum. The former Senator from Pennsylvania thinks he can do well, especially in Missouri, where Newt Gingrich is not on the ballot, and Minnesota. Ron Paul, the congressman from Texas, he is looking to pick up delegates. For Gingrich this could be a little bit of trouble tonight. He may not come out victorious. And defeats could be tough for him as he looks ahead to March -- Zoraida?

SAMBOLIN: Paul, I think you did that in record time for us. STEINHAUSER: How about that.

(LAUGHTER)

SAMBOLIN: Thank you very much, Paul.

STEINHAUSER: You got it.

SAMBOLIN: All right, and thank you for joining us. Brooke Baldwin is going to take it over now in the CNN NEWSROOM.

Good morning to you-- or good afternoon.

BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: Good afternoon.

SAMBOLIN: You know I'm normally in the morning.

BALDWIN: You're working double duty, Zoraida.

(LAUGHTER)

We'll take it, thank you so much.