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Cause Of Death Deferred For Whitney Houston; Funeral To Be Televised; Dissidents Say At Least 63 Syrians Killed Today; Satellite Photo Of Pipeline Blast; Northern Syria In Open Revolt; School Makes Drug Tests Mandatory; Interview With L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa; Romney, Santorum Battle for Delegates in Michigan

Aired February 16, 2012 - 13:00   ET

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

ASHLEIGH BANFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: And, boy, oh, boy, we ever got a busy time, 1:00 East on the East Coast. And 10:00 on the West Coast.

Since we are so busy, let's get you right into the zone. Here we go.

Verdict is still out on what role, if any, prescription drugs played in Whitney Houston's death. But we do have new information on her drinking, and apparently in her final days it was heavy. Source close to the investigation tells CNN that Houston was, and I quote here, "partying the night before her death in the bar of the Beverly Hilton Hotel." Earlier, a source said the star was drinking at both the lobby and pool side bars before 10:00 in the morning and also complaining that the drinks were too weak. We'll have much more on that in just a moment.

In the meantime, subpoenas are out to doctors and pharmacies that supply Houston's meds, but so far, the assistant chief coroner says, quote, "nothing looks criminal." No signs, he says, of, quote, "doctor shopping or over prescribing." But the investigation, at this point, is still far from over. And you might not want to take my word for it but under cause on Whitney Houston's death certificate it says this, deferred. That's pending the results of toxicology reports that could take weeks to come in. The document also lists Houston's burial place in Westfield, New Jersey.

And we have not been given an official word on Whitney Houston's will but I can tell you this, Forbes.com is reporting that it does exist and contrary to a lot of reports, she money, a lot. Forbes says that a 2010 tour of Europe and Asia took in at least $35 million. And her only child, her daughter, Bobbi Kristina, is likely the main beneficiary of all of her assets.

In the meantime, Houston's funeral, as you probably know, is going to take place here. Take a close look. They are trying to get this ready, and they're trying to do it fairly quickly. It's the New Hope Baptist Church in Newark, New Jersey. Funeral set to take place at noon on Saturday, and we now know cameras will in fact be allowed inside that church which means that you can see it live on television, specifically, you can see it right here on CNN. Our special coverage is going to start one hour earlier at 11:00 a.m. Eastern, that's 8:00 Pacific. Long-time family friend, a Detroit pastor, Marvin Winans, is going to give the eulogy, and last night, he told our Anderson Cooper about the families choice of a church service over a stadium spectacle.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REV. MARVIN WINANS, PASTOR, : We don't want to have a parade. We loved her when she was Nippy in New Jersey. The world loves her because of her voice but if Nippy could not sing, the Houston family would love her.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BANFIELD: That certainly brings me to my CNN colleagues who are on this story. Don lemon has been following the investigation from beginning until now in Los Angeles, and Susan Candiotti is live in Newark at the site of where that funeral will take place.

Susan, I want to begin with you. I know that there was a news conference that just wrapped up a short time ago regarding how to get things prepared. How to deal with the security. The people who are likely to want to turn out in this area that heretofore have not been prepared for this. What are they saying?

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well the key word here starts with a capital P, Privacy. That's what Newark's police director says is at play here. He said, if you want to see anything that's going on that has anything at all to do with the funeral, you can just forget about it. Here are the words straight from the mouth of Newark's police director.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SAM DEMAIO, DIRECTOR, NEWARK, NEW JERSEY POLICE: I would advise the public that there really is going to be nothing to see here at the church. The best thing to do would be to stay home and watch the service on television. It is going to be aired over all the network channels, and that would be the best place to see it. The funeral is not going to be a traditional procession as we would normally have.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CANDIOTTI: And here's what we will have. The director says that there will be a perimeter set up in a wide ranging area around the church. Four blocks in two directions and two more blocks in the two other directions. He did say that there would be a staging area set up where the public can get as close as they possibly can, but still, that's going to be two blocks away. So, anyone that is interested in seeing the family or any celebrity sightings, their best bet will probably be a car going by. That's probably all they'll get to see.

I did get a chance, Ashleigh, to ask Reverend Joe Carter -- who spoke previously about privacy issues and the like, I asked him how the family is doing and as he walked away he told me, they're holding strong -- Ashleigh.

BANFIELD: Now, I want to -- I can't imagine what they are going through, especially with it being such a public spectacle and then all of course all this controversy over how she died. Don -- actually, to that end, there's some late breaking news that Kevin Costner is probably going to be speaking at the funeral and everybody would remember back to that iconic movie "The Bodyguard" in which the two of them starred in. Is that -- is that fermenting (ph) at this point?

DON LEMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, that's what we hear that Kevin Costner is -- her co-star from "The Bodyguard" is actually going to speak at the funeral. And imagine that, in that movie broke so many barriers about interracial love, and so to hear Kevin Costner speak, as well as a whole bunch of other stars, including Aretha Franklin and Chaka Khan and those, it's going to be interesting to watch.

It won't be in a big venue like the Staples Center, Ashleigh, like Michael Jackson's memorial service, but it's going to be -- you know, you were talking about Cissy Houston. I understand Cissy Houston was a choir director in that church, Whitney Houston sang in that church, they want to go to church and have an old-fashion churchy funeral and send off for their loved one. You can understand that. That's what she wants. She doesn't care about the big spectacle.

BANFIELD: Sure. Sure. And then, also, what about that rumor that was sort of rampant on about Bobby Brown maybe not being invited and then that was being cammed on (ph), what's the status about the father of Bobbi Kristina?

LEMON: Every single day it changes. There -- according to one cam, of course he is invited. And then another cam says, no, he's not. And there were reports this morning that he's actually going to go and it says -- in fact, a report says, sober Bobby Brown will be at the funeral.

I would imagine, at this point, and this is just me, that they don't want to disinvite the father of Whitney Houston's daughter, the father -- Bobbi Kristina's dad. And I don't think that they would want that regardless of their relationship. I'm sure he probably won't have a role in the services, but I doubt -- I would doubt that -- that's just me, only, if anything, just because of Bobbi Kristina.

BANFIELD: Right. And we're seeing pictures of her, obviously in happier times, and who would want a controversy like that at this very difficult time for this child. Susan, let me scoot back out to you in Newark. I imagine that this is one of those things that they're trying to put together moment by moment and putting out the invitations to all of the people who loved and worked with and admired Whitney Houston.

I think I had heard that, obviously, Aretha Franklin was part of the ceremony and now possibly Stevie Wonder, is that accurate? And are there any more names that we know up to now that might be in attendance?

CANDIOTTI: Oh, yes. Ashleigh, CNN has confirmed, in fact, that both the queen of soul, Aretha Franklin and Stevie Wonder will both be singing here at the ceremony here. And there will be other huge names also in the acting world and the singing world, including Chaka Khan will be here, Valery Simpson of the writing team, Ashford Simpson will be here as well, Darlene Love, a lot of different celebrities. And I think that -- you know, you were talking about the family wanting privacy and fans, for the most part here that I've been speaking with, understand that. They say they get that that's what this is all about, although disappointed that there won't be a public tribute, at least not now any way.

BANFIELD: Sure, understandable. Susan Candiotti live in Newark for us, and Don Lemon live for us in Los Angeles. Thanks to both of you for this, and I want to remind our viewers as well, they were both reporting on this. You're going to be able to watch this funeral from home. We're going to have live coverage. Funeral of Whitney Houston right here on CNN. You can join Soledad O'Brien, Piers Morgan, and Don Lemon for special live coverage. It begins Saturday 11:00 Eastern time. Make sure you tune in for that.

Other news today, Democrats have chosen the man that they want to lead their national convention this fall. So, why L.A. Mayor, Antonio Villaraigosa, what he has to say about his new and upcoming role. The mayor is going to join me next to talk about what he's got in store. Any surprises for the three-day event? Make sure you tune in, coming up next.

First, though, to an adorable dog. I said it, dog, alive and well today. Thank you very much to fast acting Florida firefighters. When they got to a burning home, the neighbor said there could be two dogs inside. It didn't take them a second before they decided what they had to do, hose down the flames, get in there, find the dogs. They even gave one of the dogs oxygen, saved the dogs lives. For your bravery, guys, and your kindness, you are today's Rock Stars.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BANFIELD: You know, we have been telling you about the incredible human suffering in Syria, the result of President Bashar al Assad's brutal crackdown against the opposition in that country. Well, that onslaught continues today, the results just as deadly and sometimes even deadlier than days past. The dissidents say at least 63 people have been killed so far just today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE.)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BANFIELD: Unbelievable pictures playing out. Opposition forces say this explosion destroyed a government tank northwest of the capital of Damascus. Thousands of anti-government protesters took to the streets yesterday in the southern city of Daraa where the eruption first erupted not quite a year ago. Rebel forces saying that tanks shelled the city today killing at least two people there.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE.)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BANFIELD: And for the 13th straight day, the opposition city of Homs was the target of extraordinarily heavy shelling. At least four people were killed there, dozens of others wounded. And take a look at this satellite photo, this is just remarkable. It's of that oil pipeline in Homs that exploded. We told you yesterday it was hit by an explosion filling the sky with massive clouds of black smoke.

The Syrian government's relentless assault on Opposition Stronghold has focused, for the most part, on the central and southern part of the country. But it is an entirely different situation in the north, which has been out of the government control, for the most part, for many months. And that may be about to change. CNN's Ivan Watson with an exclusive report. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

IVAN WATSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The countryside here in northern Syria is in open revolt and this is a rebellion of farmers, of carpenters, of high school teachers, entire communities, villages, and towns and stretches of northern Syria that tell us they have not seen presence of central Syrian government authority in months.

They have been effectively been governing themselves and they have clearly established militias as well as pockets of what's been called the free Syrian army. Defectors from the Syrian army who have come and joined these villages and royal communities in opposition to the Syrian government. As we have traveled across these region -- this region, we have gone from village to village, from small council to small council where young men and old sit on the ground and chain smoking next to the kushnick (ph) of assault rifles, weapons -- like weapons, that they say they've gotten within the last couple of months.

The residents of these communities say they haven't seen any presence of the Syrian government in months, not since deadly incursions were made by convoys of Syrian armored vehicles. And in those cases, nearly everybody you talk to can show you photos of loved ones, of neighbors, of cousins, of brothers who they say were killed in those attacks.

They tell us that they're trying to protect their communities, their families, their villages, by laying rings of improvised land mines but they are fully aware that they don't have weaponry to match the tanks, armored personnel carriers and air power of Bashar al Assad's army.

What is striking is at one point, we saw a skyline of the largest city in the area Idlib, and there you could see a Syrian government flag prominently flying in the heart of the city, and less than a kilometer away, a Syrian opposition flag of green, black, and white also flying in the heart of the city.

It's very clear that government and opposition control sometimes what's dividing these forces is sometimes just kilometers. And there have been cases, we have been told, within the last 24 hours, of deadly artillery assaults hitting opposition-held villages and killing at least two residents of that village. The inhabitants here, they are enjoying what they say is self-rule. They are calling these pockets of liberated Syria.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BANFIELD: We have to tell you that, it stands -- we've got to explain how dangerous that was for Ivan Watson to reach the borders with Syria to get in, to give us that report. Arwa Damon also of CNN inside Syria, two of the only Western reporters who are in there, trying to get us those reports -- at great dangers to themselves. And we'll continue to watch for developments there.

And still ahead today, forget about writing samples. Students at one New Mexico school are soon going to be giving hair samples. Why? Well, come this fall, the private school is going to be implementing mandatory drug testing and every single student is fair game.

So what do you think? Does it sound fair? Let's talk about it, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BANFIELD: A private high school in New Mexico wants to make sure that students say no to drugs. And to that end, St. Michaels in Santa Fe will make random drug testing of students mandatory starting next fall. If a student tests positive, he or she will have 100 days to clean up their act. And if they don't, they're out, kicked out of school.

The school said this to parents in a letter. Quote, "The Random drug test isn't intended to target or punish anyone; our goal is to support our students from preventing them from developing drug habits that can affect their health, safety, intellectual development and an athletic performance."

Parents are a bit divided on this issue. Some parents say it's a great way to make sure that their kids don't succumb to peer pressure.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANGELA ORTIZ-FLORES, PARENT, ST. MICHAEL'S: I think if more schools were doing it, we wouldn't have the problems that we do.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BANFIELD: Well, not everybody feels that way. Some others say the school should leave the parenting up to the parents.

And let me read this comment from the school's Facebook page, says, "I am curious as to what will be the criteria deciding whom to test. This is to me the real question and potential discriminatory issue surrounding this policy."

To talk about this, we're joined by the principal of St. Michaels, Sam Govea. He's in Santa Fe for us today. And also, our senior legal analyst, Jeffrey Toobin from New York.

I like to start with you, Mr. Govea. This is obviously something that's got a lot of people kind of chatting, and some people think it's great. Others are not so sure.

What led you to make this decision to go ahead with what is considered a controversial practice?

SAM GOVEA, ST. MICHAEL'S HIGH SCHOOL: Well, I think that in society today, we are certainly inundated with drugs in our society, and we're just trying to develop some refusal skills for our kids as we continue to attack our little war on drugs. We're just trying to be proactive about supporting our kids and giving them ammunition, if you will, to say no.

BANFIELD: So, I was reading up a little bit on how this is going to be implemented. And as I get it, correct me if I'm wrong, you're going to group kids altogether, randomly, and then choose groups randomly to go in for teaching. So, there's no sort of finger pointing. But there's also the option for you to target kids who might be troubled.

Is that correct? And then also, is that right?

GOVEA: So, we're going to be randomly checking kids, not necessarily in groups and then they will be selected and then we will administer the test.

BANFIELD: What happens if the kids refuse?

GOVEA: They can't. Part of our student handbook is, which they will sign off on, is that they will comply with the rules that we have instituted there at the St. Michael's High School in reference to our drug testing program.

BANFIELD: So if they say no, they're out? That's it?

GOVEA: Well, they've made their choice not to attend St. Michael's High School.

BANFIELD: That's pretty clear cut.

Let me jump up over to you, Jeffrey Toobin. The first thing that jumped out at me with regard to this is privacy and your right to protection in the U.S. Constitution. But we're talking about kids. And as you just heard, the principal say this is an institution where it's their choice to attend. Is there something I'm not getting here?

JEFFREY TOOBIN, CNN SENIOR LEGAL ANALYST: No. I mean, the key fact here is that this is a parochial school. This is not a public school, and they can make their own rules. I mean, a lot of parents send their kids to parochial schools because there is more discipline.

So, I don't think there is any legal problem, any right that's being violated. This is a policy. You can choose to attend the school or not. But if you do, you got play by their rules.

BANFIELD: So, that leads me to this issue, the Constitution protects us as grownups. It also protects kids. The kids aren't necessarily making the choice to go there. Their parents are making the choice for them to go there.

Are they not, therefore -- don't they enjoy some kind of autonomy in their rights when they are at that school?

TOOBIN: You know, the technical legal term for that is tough luck.

(CROSSTALK)

BANFIELD: That's how they call it?

TOOBIN: That's what the Supreme Court calls it. I know. I mean, the Supreme Court -- your parents decide where you go to school. If you have a dispute, you go to your parents, that -- you know, minors have less rights than adults, and what's interesting about programs like this is the courts are starting to allow this not just in parochial schools, where it's clearly have the right, but in public schools -- metal detectors, drug testing, searches of lockers.

That stuff, the courts are much more allowing than they used to. Student rights are getting smaller, not bigger, especially when it comes to drugs.

BANFIELD: Principal Govea, let me ask you something. There was a case up in Canada I remember during the Olympics several years back where a snowboarder was drug-tested, and tested positive for marijuana use. And he said, I have been at parties where there is secondhand smoke, but I myself do not partake of the drug.

So do you foresee any problems whereby you might have a student that tested positive and says, "I didn't do it, I may have been around my parents who do I, I may have been around other students who did it" and what are you going to do about that kind of a scenario?

GOVEA: Well, that's -- we've asked that question to our labs that we use there in California and they've ensured us that second hand is not going to show up on a test like the ones that were given out here. You would have to ingest a lot of smoke to -- for it to show up and to show some kind of baseline as far as drug usage is concern. So, that is not an issue.

And there are no false positives through this testing.

BANFIELD: Ah, you just answered my final question, was what about bad labs and people who mishandle stuff? Are you absolutely certain about that, that a student who is innocent may not get kicked out of school?

GOVEA: Yes. And we've been assured by the labs that we -- the lab that we have been using and they've assured us -- and I think that if there were a lot of labs who were doubtful with false positives, they wouldn't be in business.

BANFIELD: Well, Principal Govea, I'm glad you took the time to talk to us about it. It will be interesting to see how this all plays out. Thanks so much for your time.

GOVEA: My pleasure. Thank you for having me.

BANFIELD: Also a big thanks to Jeffrey Toobin as well -- who I thought I was going to get a big legal argument out of today -- phew.

TOOBIN: We agree. Great minds think alike.

BANFIELD: Thanks to both of you. Thanks to both of you.

Moving on, Democrats have tapped a man that they want to lead their national convention this fall. So, what does the L.A. mayor have to say about the big new role that he has taken on and what can he do for the Democrats in their big battle for the White House? We're going to talk to him in just a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BANFIELD: So, the polls are in and they certainly are showing some surprises, certainly in the north part of this country. Mitt Romney's home state of Michigan is not really showing the love that perhaps he was expecting. That is the topic in today's "Fair Game."

And our Republican strategist Gentry Collins is joining us from Washington on this; as well, Democratic strategist Chris Lehane is in San Fran.

All right. You guys, the reason I couldn't believe the numbers when I look at them. And then new polls came in and I couldn't believe those numbers either. Let me put them up there for you.

The Michigan voters, likely GOP voters are choosing Rick Santorum over Mitt Romney by four points. It is within the margin of error but it is what it is as well.

So, Gentry, let me ask you this. With the governor of that state coming out today and endorsing Mitt Romney, with his dad as the former governor, and with that being his birth state, what is going on there?

GENTRY COLLINS, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: I think what's going on is the campaign hasn't been run yet. Look, 10 days before the Florida, Mitt Romney trailed Newt Gingrich by 10 points or more. The campaign is just heating up in Michigan.

The candidates and their super PACS are just starting to pay attention to Michigan voters and messaging. The ads just starting to hit the air. So I think it's too early to call this race. Nevertheless, Santorum's momentum is real. I think one of the most interesting things to come out of Michigan will be to see whether Santorum can stand the kind of scrutiny that Romney and Gingrich have had to withstand in previous states.

BANFIELD: Glad you brought that up. I want to go to some of that scrutiny. Some of the ads running in that community -- you know, Mitt Romney has said that he's running positive ads and maybe his campaign is. one of the ads has him driving through in the old station wagon, showing his old stomping ground, saying, this is me and my dad from the '60s, staying positive and trying to tell voters in that state that this is where I'm from, I'm one of you.

However, his super PAC is doing something entirely different. Those old grainy images making Rick Santorum look terrible and his spending and pork-barrel ways, so it's just like the old formulas playing out with regard to this state. But then out came the Rombo ad. I've got to play this so you can see, if you haven't already, at least our audience can see what Rick Santorum's campaign is now doing about dirty ads and what he thinks of Mitt Romney's dirty ads. Have a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RICK SANTORUM, (R), FORMER PENNSYLVANIA SENATOR & PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I'm Rick Santorum and I approve this message.

AD NARRATOR: Mitt Romney's negative attack machine is back, on full throttle. This time, Romney's firing his mud at Rick Santorum. Romney --

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BANFIELD: OK. It's great to watch this thing but, at the same time, it's pretty telling, because I don't think that I have seen Rick Santorum jump into the fray like this and certainly not at this level.

Chris Lehane, am I wrong?

(LAUGHTER)

CHRIS LEHANE, DEMOCRATIC CONSULTANT: You're right. Ultimately, what Santorum is doing here is really raise the fundamental problem for Mitt Romney, which is the trust issue. He's had a challenge in establishing trust and giving it to Republican base voters. You see it from primary to primary.

That raises a fundamental question, if you can't get the trust of the Republican primary, running against what is objectively a very, very weak field, how do you expect to get the trust of the American people in a general election, particularly those Independent voters who will make or break this election? In this ad, he's using humor which is always a smart and good way to do a little bit of the negative jujitsu, but he's using that to ultimately probe at the basic trust issue. people have a problem with Mitt Romney when it comes to trust.

BANFIELD: I will say I'm not so sure people will find it funny that someone is using an assault weapon on a politician. Maybe that's just me but I have a feeling some folks that may take issues with that.

Let me move on to the money factor. It all costs a lot of money to buy the ad space, to produce these ads, run them in 50 different states. we've become familiar with the name Sheldon Adelson and, apparently now, according to the "Wall Street Journal," Rick Santorum may have a two-front battle to start fight, not just Mitt Romney, but Sheldon Adelson, too, because this is what they said about Mr. Adelson. They said, "He is ready to not only direct financial support to the former house speaker, Newt Gingrich, in the Republican primary but also to use his cash to push Rick Santorum from his position atop the latest national poll."

Gentry, I guess this is good news in a really ironic way for Mitt Romney.

COLLINS: Well, it is. In fact, it's a multicandidate race has been good news for Mitt Romney. The fundamental architecture of this race from day one has been Mitt Romney as a weak front-runner and the not-Romney vote. and no single candidate over the course of multiple states has been able to consolidate the not-Romney vote. To the extent that Gingrich's super PAC and Santorum's super PAC have to worry about each other, I think the Romney people have to be very pleased about that.

BANFIELD: Let's talk about -- I'm just ping-ponging around here because there's so much political news here today. Obama's star is rising. His jobs approval number is at 50 percent for the first time in a long time. If you go head to head in the races against any of these potential candidates, he beats them all, maybe not with giant margins, but significant margins. Some outside the margin of error.

So what is he to make of this or anything at all at this point? Chris Lehane, it's early in the game and those money machines haven't even begun to take aim at Obama, have they?

LEHANE: It is very early in the game but you have to like the time line. Any time you're in a campaign or run a campaign, you look at the underlying data in the same way that you look at the underlying data in the stock report --

BANFIELD: I knew you'd say that.

(LAUGHTER)

LEHANE: -- choosing to make an investment. And so you look at -- you look, in particular, at what I look at, and what a lot of pollsters and other campaign officials look at, called the right track, wrong track, whether people feel the country is getting its act together and going in the right direction. and really, over the last six or eight weeks, you've begun to see those numbers begin to trend in a favorable way for the president. That, in turn, then drives his job approval numbers.

And it's the jobs approval numbers that manifest themselves as your electoral head to head numbers. That's why you're now seeing him break that really critical 50 percent mark. And while you're right that it's not a 10-point lead or a double-digit lead, any lead that is five points or above is considered a significant margin. So you have all of these positive things that happen, particularly with the economy, that drive his numbers. and at the same, you've had a really protracted Republican primary where major issues have been opened up on all the candidates, in particular, Romney.

And the other thing that I would keep an eye on. last night and this morning, there's an announcement that Congress has reached an agreement on the payroll tax and jobless benefits. That will be a huge boost for the economic going through this year, giving people certainty, particularly employers who are looking to hire --

(CROSSTALK)

LEHANE: And that would raise the job approvals.

BANFIELD: It's one thing to get the approval and another to get the vote.

I have to call it there, guys. And that was a lot of math. I'm very impressed by your math.

(LAUGHTER)

Chris Lehane and Gentry Collins, thank you very much.

(LAUGHTER)

That's "Fair Game" for today.

Thank you, boys. Appreciate it.

Coming up, a lot of news, including Stephen Colbert not on the air. What's up with that?

Back after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BANFIELD: If the GOP race for president keeps going the way it's going, it could be a barn burner. But the Democratic convention, maybe not so much. Barring any unforeseen developments, the convention in Charlotte will be a three-day pep rally for President Obama. And leading the cheers will be this man, Antonio Villaraigosa, the L.A. mayor.

Congratulations. I'm excited to hear that you're going to be at the helm. At the same time, I don't know what your job entails. I always know what comes out of the convention. I don't know what goes into it.

(LAUGHTER)

What does go into it?

ANTONIO VILLARAIGOSA, MAYOR OF LOS ANGELES: I bang the gavel. (LAUGHTER)

We approve -- I'll preside over the proceedings of the convention, adopt the resolutions, preside the nomination of the president and vice president. And our hope is that we're going to engage people in a much more accessible and open convention.

This is not going to be the traditional convention. On the first day, we're going to have a Labor Day celebration at the speedway there, and then over the next couple of days, we're going to have a much broader participation, particularly on the last day.

I just did two webcasts, one in English and one in Spanish. We asking people for their ideas, how we can make this a more open, assessable, relevant convention to them. This isn't just about nominating our president, adopting resolutions and the platform. it's also about engaging the American people in a broader conversation about the future.

BANFIELD: I go back to the blocs of voters that have evolved over the years. We had the Reagan Democrats. Then we had the soccer mom. And now, correct me if I'm wrong, I'm getting the feeling that the Hispanic vote is now the new highly sought-after voters, especially in swing states where many people say they could be the margin that tips the stake. Are you, in particular, being Hispanic, a very popular mayor, are you going to play an integral role in reaching out to Hispanic voters?

VILLARAIGOSA: First of all, our party has always been the party of the big tent that reaches out across America, in every neighborhood, every city and in the countryside, and we're going to continue to be that party. Yes, there's a changing demographics in America, a growing Latino vote and population. We're going to reach out to them as we will to the broad cross sections of Americans who live in every part of the nation.

When you look at campaigns, it is about making sure that you get as many people out to vote and that we energize them. I think that this convention is going to be an opportunity for us to really discuss the issues, to get people involved to allow them to participate, to help get their ideas about our party platform. But most importantly about what we need to do going into the future to maintain our strength as a nation, be a nation where every one of us have an opportunity to pursue and achieve the American dream.

(CROSSTALK)

VILLARAIGOSA: So we're going to be talking to everybody. And I'm bilingual so I can talk to a couple of people. I wish I could speak French because I would do that as well.

BANFIELD: You'll get nowhere getting voters to speak French. Not going to help you.

(LAUGHTER) Let me ask you this. as we continue to do all of the polling in the GOP race for the eventual candidate, we have been -- you know, I suppose I'm somewhat surprised to hear how different Hispanics have come in, depending on what state they are from, depending on the issues that pertain to that state, whether it's financial or mortgages underwater or whether it's immigration.

Are you finding the same thing as you try to assess what that Hispanic bloc may be or are you resigned to the idea that there is no Hispanic bloc? It's about what these people personally feel as pertains to their personal situations or their geographics?

VILLARAIGOSA: You know, thanks for asking that question. I hear a lot about the Hispanic vote, as if it was this monolithic vote. There's a great deal of diversity among Latinos. When I'm asked, what is the Latino agenda, it's the American agenda.

It's the agenda that ethnic European-Americans care about, the agenda of the people living in the south and in other parts of the nation, that African-Americans care about. We all want to be part of a great nation where, if we work hard and play by the rules, we can benefit from the opportunity that America's always represented.

So it's education -- it's jobs right now. And in an economy that is where it is, people are looking for work. They are looking for good jobs. Its education, housing, addressing the mortgage crisis. It's all -- you know, it's health care. The president's health care act disproportionately impacts the Latinos. It's a broad cross section of issues. And the party able to speak to those issues I think is the party that will be able to get the vast majority of the Latino vote.

BANFIELD: Mr. Mayor, it's a real pleasure to talk with you. I appreciate it and I'll look forward to -- we'll meet up at the convention.

VILLARAIGOSA: I look forward to it as well. Maybe I'll speak a little French.

(LAUGHTER)

BANFIELD: Ah. (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

(LAUGHTER)

Thanks for being with us today.

And if you are a fan of "The Colbert Report" on Comedy Central, you're going to have to settle for a rerun tonight. Actually, make that for the rest of the week. Up next, the mystery surrounding the show's sudden suspension from the airwaves. We've got answers for you next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BANFIELD: OK. This one is a bit weird. Certainly interesting. It's from the entertainment world. Comedy Central's awesome show, terribly awesome show, "The Colbert Report," Stephen Colbert, it's been suspended. The production is off for this week. Who knows if longer.

Our Kareen Wynter is in Los Angeles.

This is a bit mysterious. I was looking around everywhere I could online to figure out what's behind all of this. Do you have any insight as to why, all of a sudden, poof, off the air?

KAREEN WYNTER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: Actually, you're not alone. I think the world is wondering what is going on here. Let's start off with what's happening right now. Don't expect to see anything new from Comedy Central's "Colbert Report" at least for the end of the week. The network says that production on the program has halted. Releasing the following statement that we got into CNN earlier today. It reads, "Due to the unforeseen circumstances, the show will air repeat shows on Wednesday, February 15th, and Thursday, February 16th."

Ashleigh, what is interesting here is that the network is citing unforeseen circumstances. This is clearly something that has really caught them off guard. However, we are not getting any indication that this is something permanent. CNN has reached out to a spokesperson for Colbert but we have get to get any response. The comedian, who is very active on Twitter, hasn't posted anything since Tuesday. But you can bet that we are following that as well.

There are reports this could be related perhaps to a family emergency. We are working on our end to confirm that and get more details.

I also want to mention that we've reached out to Jon Stewart who is an E.P. on the "Colbert Report," and often appears on the show. A representative says there will be no further comment at this time.

A little bit of silence here. Very few details. It's not what we're used to when it comes to Stewart and this network. But that's where things stand right now, Ashleigh.

BANFIELD: It's weird, Kareen. I heard, apparently, there were people in line. They had their tickets, in line waiting to go in. Some people were even in their seats when in announcement came along. It made me wonder, you mentioned it, that Stephen Colbert does a lot of tweeting. There was a show tweet that went out last week, some kind of joke about the contraception battle between Obama and the Republicans. Anything we should be reading in there, something political, a problem, maybe a threat?

WYNTER: Great point. The consummate reporter you are. I love that. I checked out that, that show that aired and I was looking for something here that are maybe you pushed the envelope too much. This is nothing out of the ordinary, what fans, the media, what we all are used to seeing every single night. It dealt with contraception, the Catholic Church. There was a banana, a lot of sexual innuendos but nothing that stood out that would say perhaps there was disciplinary action here. So again, we're waiting for more details to what has led to this hiatus -- Ashleigh?

(CROSSTALK)

WYNTER: And I just want to add, this isn't the first time --

BANFIELD: Yes.

WYNTER: This isn't the first time that we've seen some sort of blackout not with the "Colbert Report," but with Jon Stewart. his show, when he welcomed his second child, we say that. and also when there was, I believe, a staff member who had passed away.

BANFIELD: I hope it's not, yes.

WYNTER: So a lot of blanks to fill in right now. We're trying to get to the bottom of this.

BANFIELD: I hope it's not what you just mentioned. I hope everybody's OK on that staff. Keep an eye on it and let us know what happens, Kareen.

Thank you.

WYNTER: Thank you.

BANFIELD: Thank you for doing that.

WYNTER: OK.

BANFIELD: Other news for you right now, three Florida teenagers are charged with a hate crime. And take a look at this. It's extraordinarily disturbing. They're accused of taunting an autistic boy and recording it on their cell phone. Classy. That's coming up next.

Also, there is a new Kennedy in town. Take a close look. Looks like a Kennedy, doesn't he? And he is ready for his close-up in Washington, D.C. We'll explain.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BANFIELD: An important medical story to tell you about. A critical form of drug to treat a childhood form of leukemia may run out in hospitals within two weeks. The shortage of methotrexate is serious and leaves hundreds, perhaps thousands of kids at risk of dying from a largely curable form of cancer. What on earth is the reason for shortage? The principal manufacturer of the drug apparently shut down plants after failing an FDA inspection, but the FDA says there are three other manufacturers and they have been persuaded to ramp up production.

Next stop, prison for the underwear bomber? You'll find out next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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

In Detroit, the terrorist known as the underwear bomber is being sentenced this hour. Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab smuggled a bomb in his underwear aboard a commercial airliner back on Christmas Day, 2009. His plot, to blow up the 289 people who were on a plane. it did not actually prevail. The officials said the terror group al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula had helped to foment that failed attack. he entered a guilty plea and is expected to get a life sentence for it.

Shocking story to tell you about in Florida. Authorities say a group of teenagers chased and taunted an autistic boy with racial remarks. Three suspects are now under arrest and being charged with this -- it's being called a hate crime. The police in Palm Bay say they bullied the 15-year-old boy and recorded it on their camera. The victim was chased and yelled at for six minutes at a school bus stop. The school counselor saw this video and then alerted the police to it.

Now to Massachusetts. He has that Kennedy look. He has that Kennedy hair. And guess what? He's running for office. In fact, he is a Kennedy. He is Joseph P. Kennedy III, the son of former Congressman Joseph Kennedy II, and grandson of the late Senator Bobby Kennedy.

The younger Kennedy, a Democrat, of course, today announced his bid to replace retiring congressman Barney Frank, long-time congressman. Joe Kennedy stepped down as assistant district attorney last month to focus on his run for Congress.

Thirty-one years old.

Thank you so much for watching, everyone, today. I'm going to be back here doing the duty for Randi tomorrow, same time, same place.

In the meantime, CNN NEWSROOM continues now with my colleague Brooke Baldwin.

I'm sure you have a lot on the agenda, Brooke. Hey.

BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: Got a lot going on, as always, two hours.

Ashleigh Banfield, thank you.