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Whitney Houston Laid To Rest; Long Island Remains Found; Controversial Santorum Comments on Obama; Gingrich Campaign Event Remarks; Latest Campaign Happenings
Aired February 19, 2012 - 16:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, everyone. Thanks for joining us. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. We're going to look at the 2012 presidential contenders in this political hour. But first an update on some of today's top stories.
Whitney Houston was laid to rest today in New Jersey. It was a family-only burial service at a cemetery in Westfield. The singer's grave is right next to her fathers. Whitney Houston's family and friends packed the church in Newark yesterday for her televised funeral.
Human remains have been found on Long Island in a separate location from where others have been located and the find is renewing fears that a serial killer is to blame. Ten other sets of remains have been discovered since 2000. The latest remains were found about 40 miles from where other remains were uncovered. So far it's not clear if the cases are connected.
ESPN is apologizing for an offensive headline involving New York Knicks new superstar Jeremy Lin. The sports network has fired a writer and also suspended an anchor for what ESPN is calling "offensive and inappropriate comments." ESPN apologized saying "Lin's accomplishments are a source of great pride to the Asian-American community."
And looking overseas now, in Syria, at least 23 people died today in clashes between security forces and protesters. Anti-government activists believe the Syrian military is close to mounting a major ground assault on the city of Homs. The city has been shelled every day for more than two weeks.
Heated rhetoric about faith and politics kicks off today's 2012 contender's hour. The controversial comment came from GOP presidential candidate Rick Santorum, campaigning in Ohio. Santorum accused President Obama of imposing "a phony theology on Americans by backing limits on carbon emissions. When asked about it later Santorum appeared to refer to a controversial plan to require Catholic institutions to include contraception coverage in their health care plans.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RICK SANTORUM (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: As we all know in the Christian church, there are a lot of different stripes of Christianity. And so you can say he's - I'm just saying he's imposing his values on the church, and I think that's wrong.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: But it's opposing (INAUDIBLE) Christian values on another type of Christian values -
SANTORUM: He's imposing his values on the Christian church. He can characterize his values any way he wants, I'm not going to.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE) are you arguing with him?
SANTORUM: The president says he's a Christian, he's a Christian.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: The president's campaign strategist Robert Gibbs responded to Santorum's comments today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERT GIBBS, OBAMA'S CAMPAIGN STRATEGIST: I think the idea that Rick Santorum could be the nominee is a very real one and obviously we're looking more at what Rick Santorum is talking about and what he's offering. He made some comments over the past few days that I think questioned people's character and questioned people's faith and I don't think that belongs in our politics. I don't think that's what the American people want it from either of the potential Republican nominees.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: This morning Santorum denied he was questioning the president's faith. Joining us now live from Washington, CNN political reporter, Shannon Travis. So Shannon, you know, what's behind this recurring battle over religion?
SHANNON TRAVIS, CNN POLITICAL REPORTER: Well, it's hard to say if this is part of a strategy for Rick Santorum. I mean obviously he denies, Fred, that this is. But let's say a few things that we know for sure. OK. In this Republican race, each one of these four remaining candidates are trying to stake their claims and (INAUDIBLE) favor with Republicans. Newt Gingrich obviously did a lot of it at debates, attacking the media a lot of times. That helped him out. Mitt Romney is obviously playing up his business experience in the private sector. Rick Santorum has unabashedly been the man of faith, the candidate of faith, the Catholic of faith, right? And so these kind of issues have helped him playing to talking about religion, playing to some of these red meat issues that evangelicals particularly like.
It helped propel him in national polls. So, again, he denies that he's questioning President Obama's Christianity, but this kind of talk does carry favor with a lot of evangelicals. You'll remember that just last month Rick Santorum got criticized, Fred, for not correcting a woman who said that President Obama is a Muslim. We obviously know that he's a Christian, but it's that kind of thing that helps bring Santorum attention, whether it's part of a concerted effort from him, he says no. WHITFIELD: All right. Let's take another turn now. Because another story is generating a whole lot of talk. A co-chair of Romney's campaign in Arizona has stepped down less than two weeks now, just about nine days away actually from that state's primary. What's the story?
TRAVIS: Yes, Fred. This is a scandal that's moving pretty fast. OK. There's this sheriff in Arizona, his name is Paul Babeu, right? He was in a commercial for John McCain talking about protecting the border back in 2010 when McCain was running for re-election. The sheriff is being accused, according to the newspapers, being accused by a Mexican immigrant to the United States of threatening to deport this man because the man wanted to reveal the relationship between him and the sheriff.
Now, the sheriff came out yesterday, Babeu. He denied the allegations. He said "I never threatened to deport this Mexican immigrant," but he acknowledged having a relationship with the man. One other thing of note, as you mentioned, he stepped down as Romney's co-chair in Arizona, but Babeu, the sheriff is also running for Congress out there in Arizona. He says he will not stop running. This is a personal matter. Two really quick last things of note, the Romney campaign says they've accepted Babeu's resignation as his co- chair and John McCain was on ABC this morning. And he said you know what, he's innocent until proven guilty and he should have the benefit of the doubt.
WHITFIELD: All right. Shannon, we're going to actually talk to the reporter who broke that story, name is Monica Alonzo there out of Arizona. She'll be joining us in the 5:00 Eastern hour to tell us about how she got that story and all the things that are at stake.
In the meantime let's talk about Ron Paul. He picked up 83 more votes in Maine, you know, where the caucuses ended last weekend but the tallying of numbers has continued. He's picked up some more delegate votes there, but how does this change his positioning in the whole race for the White House?
TRAVIS: Fred, it's the never-ending caucus out in Maine. I've been following this story for a few weeks now. Basically yesterday one county in Maine held its caucuses. They postponed it from last Saturday, a week ago, just over a week ago, because of weather. So they held these caucuses. Mitt Romney was declared the winner in Maine's caucuses on February 11. This county held its caucuses yesterday. Ron Paul, as you mentioned, picked up 83 votes. But it doesn't change the outcome. Mitt Romney, according to the chairman of the Maine Republican Party, he told me it doesn't change the outcome. Mitt Romney's still the winner but the votes that Ron Paul received in yesterday's caucuses could possibly be entered into the final tally on March 10th, but, again, it won't change the outcome.
In terms of delegates we have our latest estimate of delegate count. Romney at 127, Newt Gingrich at 38, Rick Santorum at 37 and Ron Paul at 27. So you'd better believe what these upcoming primaries and contests that they're going to be gunning hard for more.
WHITFIELD: That's right. Every delegate counts.
All right. Maine a proportional state as opposed to many others that we've been watching. They've been winner take all. All right. Thanks so much, Shannon. Appreciate it.
All right. Rick Santorum is surging in popularity. Two recent polls show just how much. First in Ohio a Quinnipiac University survey shows likely Republican voters favors Santorum with 36 percent. Romney is at 29 percent and then our CNN-ORC poll shows Republicans nationwide favoring Santorum with 34 percent and Romney just two points behind. Rick Santorum is also gaining ground in Mitt Romney's home state of Michigan.
According to a Detroit news poll, Santorum leads Romney by four points. Here's Santorum addressing an economic forum in Detroit.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SANTORUM: Folks, we transformed the world. Life expectancy at the time of America was 35 to 40 years of age. Exactly what it was at the time of Jesus Christ. 1,800 years of kings and emperors, government telling you what to do and how to do it all for your benefit, of course. All for your benefit because we care about you and we're doing what's best because we know best. We're the properly bred ones, the properly educated ones, the smart people who know better for you than you know for yourself, and, therefore, we will care for you. Sound familiar?
Well, for 1,800 years of people being cared for, guess what happened to them? They were used for pawns on a chess board by people who wanted power and then wielded it, not for your benefit but consistent with what they thought was best for you. America changed that. America changed that. And in 235 years life expectancy in America and around the world doubled because of America, because we believed in allowing you to have the freedom and opportunity to go out and pursue your dreams, to reap the fruits of your labor, not be criticized for being successful, not be singled out for singular punishment and being called greedy, not being called the one percent and held up for scorn.
Look at the one percent here in Eastern Michigan who built Eastern Michigan. Do the people of Eastern Michigan hold them up for scorn? No, they name buildings and statues and arenas and all sorts of things after the people who built the foundation of the economy of this region, and we didn't mind the fact that they made a lot of money. You know what? They made a whole lot of people a lot of money and that was a good thing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: All right. Just days before the February 28th Arizona primary election, the Republican contenders debate the issues. The Arizona Republican presidential debate on CNN this Wednesday, February 22nd at 8:00 Eastern time.
No clear frontrunner in the GOP race for president. The South Carolina and Florida primaries were turning points, and then came the three big wins for Rick Santorum. Up next, will Michigan's primary shift the race in a new direction?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: All right. Welcome back to this special hour of the "CNN Newsroom." We're taking this time out every Sunday to let you hear from the 2012 presidential contenders in their own words out on the campaign trail. And while many polls showed Rick Santorum becoming the favorite among Republicans, in Arizona, Mitt Romney remains on top.
The American Research Group in Arizona shows Romney with 38 percent and Santorum at 31 percent among likely Republican voters. Romney spent much of the week in his home state, the place he was born, Michigan. One of the groups Romney spoke to was the Farmington Hills Chamber of Commerce.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MITT ROMNEY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I love the businesses of this state. I love the auto industry. I want to see it thrive and grow. I'm glad it went through a managed bankruptcy process, which I recommended from the very beginning to shed unnecessary cost and get its footing again. I'm delighted it's profitable. In my view, this auto industry can continue to lead the world and must continue to lead the world to keep Detroit with a vibrant and prosperous future.
But let me tell you. I think this is a campaign - and I've said this before about the soul of America. And the question is do we believe in a vision of America more and more like Europe with the government saying we're going to take from some to give to others in the name of fairness. In a setting like that, the only people who do well are the government folks who do the taking and the giving or do we instead that America is a land of opportunity where free individuals and free enterprises pursuing their own path create a stronger economy and lift the well-being of all?
That's the choice that we have in this country. I happen to believe in the vision of the founders. They said that in America in the declaration of independence that the creator had endowed us with our rights, not the state, the creator. And among tem are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. That last phrase referring to the idea that in America we could pursue happiness as we choose. Government would not guide our lives. We would guide our lives. Government would not tell us where we could live or what we could make or how we'd get paid. No, those were decisions we could make. We were free people
And by virtue of that decision which the founders made, America became the place for entrepreneurs and innovators and pioneers from all over the world came. This was the land of opportunity. That is how we've out competed the world. I wish people in Washington understood that. It is not their government hand that makes America competitive and prosperous. It is the precapacity of American people to pursue their own happiness in the way they choose, to innovate, to pioneer, to create. That's what allowed us to lead the world. And so as I look to the challenges we face, a budget out of balance, threats from around the world, I don't want to have a government take a larger and larger role in our life and a bigger and bigger share of the economy. I want to do what Adam Smith and the founders of this country recognized was the right course. Give people more freedom, have government as a partner in the enterprise world, to protect more freedoms and to make it easier for people to build and to grow their enterprises. I love this country. I love the founding principles of this country. I love the people of America. I'm absolutely convinced that our future is brighter than our past.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: All right. So let's take a look at the future of this race. Joining us now live from Washington, CNN senior political analyst Ron Brownstein. Good to se you, Ron.
RON BROWNSTEIN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Hi, Fred.
WHITFIELD: South Carolina was a turning point for Newt Gingrich as was Florida for Romney and then the trifecta win for Santorum. Now you have to wonder if Michigan is another potential turning point.
BROWNSTEIN: Yes, turning points are like street cars. Wait a few minutes and another one will come by in this race. This has been an extraordinary race right from the beginning, Fred. We've had more people ahead in national polling than any other Republican race ever, and we've never also, since the Mayan calendar went into effect in 1980, we never had a race where three different candidates won Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina. Nor, in my recollection have we ever had a candidate perform so poorly as Rick Santorum did in New Hampshire and certainly yet again in South Carolina.
And then come back to have the kind of day that he did by winning those three contests in one day and now, of course, with an opportunity in Michigan. If Santorum is able to win Michigan, I think it would be another earthquake and maybe the biggest earthquake yet in the Republican race. It's a state that Mitt Romney won four years ago where he has a home state advantage where he also had time to apply the financial and organizational edge that has enabled him to, for example, to recover in Florida from South Carolina. If Santorum wins in Michigan, I think it's going to be a tumultuous event in the Republican Party and probably to the most serious discussion we've had yet among party insiders, about a brokered convention, or trying to entice late entry into the race.
WHITFIELD: Wow. So it can't be overstated the pressure then that is on Mitt Romney, especially given four years ago he won Michigan. If he were to lose the state in which he was born, might that mean that he has to redirect his campaign or his approach if he wants to stay in the race?
BROWNSTEIN: I think you're already seeing signs that he is trying to redirect this campaign. For example, I thought it was very striking that he went to Salt Lake City yesterday to kind of identifying himself with the Olympics. I think he's trying to broaden his identity from just the business guy into a more kind of comprehensive executive experience argument that contrast with the two legislators that he's running against, Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich.
But there's no question that a win in Michigan for Santorum would have enormous effect. For one thing it would lead into and provide him a tremendous tailwind heading into super Tuesday, only a week later. And there you have states like Oklahoma, Tennessee, and above all Ohio that have a very similar demographic profile than Michigan, mostly blue collar, less affluent, a large number of culturally conservative voters. And if he gets a tailwind from Michigan he would be in a strong position to win all of those and then if that happens, you know, the race is truly back to square one.
WHITFIELD: Wow. Fascinating stuff. All right. We'll talk again, Ron. Thanks so much, later on in the hour.
After the break, tough talk from Ron Paul as he questions Rick Santorum's record as a conservative. Also this hour, Newt Gingrich says he's still in it to win it but admits he worries about losing his home state of Georgia. So what is his strategy? Straight ahead. His daughter, Jackie Cushman joins me later on in the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: We continue to delve into the issues in the presidential campaign every Sunday. We're spending this hour of the "CNN Newsroom" letting you hear from the contenders as they spell out their plans for the future of the United States.
Republican presidential hopeful Ron Paul has not won a single state but says that he has no plans to drop out of the race. He dismissed Rick Santorum as a pretend conservative on Candy Crowley's "State of the Union." Candy also asked him if he thought the former Pennsylvania senator can beat President Obama come November.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. RON PAUL (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Well, I don't se how that's possible. And this whole idea about the whole talking about social issues and who's going to pay for birth control pills, I'm worrying about, you know, undermining our civil liberties, the constant wars going on, the debt of, you know, $16 trillion. And they're worried about birth control pills and here he wants to, you know, control people's social and lives but at the same time he voted for planned parenthood. I mean I don't see how anybody can get away with that inconsistency, pretending he's a conservative?
His voting record is I think, from my viewpoint, is an atrocious voting record in how liberal he's been and all the things he's voted for over the many years he was in the Senate and in the House.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Earlier on the campaign trail in Washington Ron Paul spoke about the need for economic reform so the United States doesn't become another Greece in his view. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PAUL: We're in the midst of a worldwide crisis in currency and financial problems that we have today and yet our government through our Federal Reserve currently are very much involved with the economic crisis of euro because our banks have invested in their banks and they're in on this together. Banks in Europe are opposed to debt from Spain and Greece and Italy. And they're bankrupt. Well, we can't allow the banks to go bankrupt, too big to fail. So they have promised that our dollars will bail them out. This is wrong. This is wrong.
If we allow it to happen and of course if this continues, it will eventually be rejection of the dollar. And the total rejection of a currency can come rather rapidly and it's a financial crisis that is uncontrollable which can lead to a political crisis. This is why it's good to have a plan and improvise a plan where we work our way out of it. This is why I'm saying cut a trillion dollars. Cut a trillion dollars and back off and shrink the size of government.
We already see, you know, Greece just the other day accept a plan for the 15th time on what to do, and, of course, it was to cut back on some of the jobs, on some of the welfare. But there are riots in the streets because they believe as many people in this country believe they're entitled to it. They believe entitlements are rights. Entitlements aren't rights, you have a right to your life, you have a right to your liberties so you should have a right to (INAUDIBLE) but you're not entitled the take your neighbor's property through the politicians.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: In recent weeks Newt Gingrich has slipped in the polls. Next, I'll sit down with his daughter Jackie Cushman to find out how he's hoping to re-energize his campaign.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAVID LETTERMAN, HOST, "THE LATE SHOW": Talk about a guy, up and down, and up and down. You know you're in trouble. Newt Gingrich said (INAUDIBLE) called his staff and sad "Am I in trouble?" And they said "Let me put it to you this way, Newt. You have more ex-wives than delegates."
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: All right. That's David Letterman poking fun at Newt Gingrich, Republican candidate and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich has been in Georgia this weekend campaigning for super Tuesday. Earlier Gingrich was in California talking taxes and energy.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NEWT GINGRICH (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Well, I think we have to go through a series of tax changes. I've advocated zero capital gains. I've advocated 100 percent expensing so people can write off all new investments in one year. I advocate that we have a 12.5 percent corporate tax rates so our companies can compete with China and India and be successful. I also advocate that we end the death tax so that we do not punish families for working all their lives and being successful and I'm proposing a 15 percent flat tax so you can either keep the current tax code with all of its paperwork or something they've done in Hong Kong, they've done for years in Hong Kong, you can actually adopt a single pay, put in how much you earn, how many dependents you have, 15 percent and it's done. So I think it's very important.
The other thing I want to comment on that I'm giving a speech about later on today, I really believe that the real lesson of the Middle East and the real lesson of the Iranians trying to practice closing the straits of Hormuz, through which one of the fine barrels of oil in the world. The real lesson is for the U.S. to become energy- independent. If you look at North Dakota, you have a clear proof of concept. In North Dakota because the oil was discovered on private land, the liberals couldn't stop them from developing, and so the result in North Dakota is that they have nominally 3.5 percent unemployment, but the truth is they have 16 to 18,000 jobs that are not currently filled. These are $60,000, $80,000 a year jobs. The fact is they're generating so much money in North Dakota out of oil that they're actually had seven straight tax cuts and they have a multi- billion-dollar rainy day fund, sort of the opposite of Sacramento.
And so I'm advocating both for national security reasons that we go to an American energy policy that opens up offshore development and opens up federal land and that we go to a national energy policy for our own economy. You would create several million new jobs if you had the development in the United States and we kept $500 billion a year at home that we're currently sending overseas. It also would allow us -- our goal should be to get gasoline to $2.50 or less so that working families can actually afford to go to work so that retired families can actually afford to travel.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: All right. As we said, Newt Gingrich has been wooing voters in Georgia this weekend. He says it's crucial for him to win the state he represented for 20 years in Congress, but he can't do it alone. His daughter has been a mainstay of his run for the GOP presidential nomination, adding campaign adviser to her other responsibilities as wife, mother, and author. Jackie Gingrich Cushman joining me now in the studio to talk more about this.
Before we talk about the strategy leading into super Tuesday, even you kind of laughed at David Letterman there, but I have to ask does it become awkward or uncomfortable that oftentimes your dad's marriages ends up upstaging his political position on issues.
JACKIE GINGRICH CUSHMAN, NEWT GINGRICH DAUGHTER: I think of course I laugh. You have to laugh at things like that. The reality is we need someone in this nation that can govern, that can lead, that can actually accomplish things and my dad is the only candidate in the race, including President Barack Obama who has balanced the national budget for four years in a row. He's reformed welfare and sent two- thirds to work or got an education. So those kind of things you just kind of laugh off and you move forward. Because in the end, what people really want is the person that can do the job and that person is my dad.
WHITFIELD: But then given those accolades why is it that he has not won more primary caucuses, and there has to be concern leading in to super Tuesday, is your dad Newt Gingrich putting all his eggs in one basket hoping that it's going be Georgia that helps bring it home?
CUSHMAN: I think he's also looking at the other seven states as well. So he does very well in conservative states and did very well in South Carolina. He won that by a very big margin, by 12 percent, and he's --
WHITFIELD: And the subsequent losses after South Carolina, does that kind of, you know, take the air out of the room? Does that kind of flatten that momentum that he felt he had after South Carolina?
CUSHMAN: Well, one of the things about this race, and he was laughing about it this weekend when he was here in Georgia at several events, you know, this has been an incredible roller coaster, not just for him but for all of the candidates. You had Michele Bachmann was up, you had Gov. Rick Perry who got endorsed at he was up, Herman Cain, not only endorsed at was winked at this weekend. He was up. So one after another, we had different candidate that have gone up and gone down. Dad's gone up and down twice now. This will be his third rise and people say his campaign is dead the better off we will be, because then we will start rising very rapidly. But I think he's in a good place overall.
WHITFIELD: All right. So let's talk about how you keep that momentum. How does his strategy stay afloat? It takes a lot of money. Sheldon Adelson, Las Vegas casino owner once again injecting big money, $11 million this time into the super pac to keep your dad afloat. How is that money being utilized if not for Adelson then where would the money be generated? How could your dad keep going?
CUSHMAN: Well I can't tell you how it's run. We don't really coordinate with them at all. You'd have to ask someone from the super pac how they're going spend that money. I really don't know. What I can tell you is that dad's worked very hard. Of course, we'd like everyone to donate to go to Newt.org and to donate to help. But he's really talking about big solutions. He is talking about how to get gas down to $2.50 a gallon. When he was speaker it was $1.13, so $2.50 is possible.
WHITFIELD: Can we ever see that again?
CUSHMAN: I think again, absolutely. If we open up our resources and actually begin to drill off shore as well as look at the shale, we can get there. He also talks about getting unemployment down to 4.2 percent, which is what he had. We can do this. America works best when Americans are working and dad can get them working again.
WHITFIELD: But does it feel as though whether it's your dad or maybe the other GOP candidates that they have to change their strategy on the dialogue in which to defeat President Obama because the economy, it seems can't really be that focus anymore when you see a dip in the unemployment numbers.
In fact, it was your dad who kind of began this discussion about the battle for the religious right. Is that what your dad, Newt Gingrich, wants to focus on because the economy is no longer that item that the GOP could win on?
CUSHMAN: I would argue about that. Because when you see the budget that President Obama submitted just this past week and you see a trillion dollars in debt, that is clearly still a very, very vibrant issue. We need a president who can submit a balanced budget. We need a president who cannot lower unemployment by saying that those that are not working don't count, which is part of how the unemployment rate is going down. We need a president who says every one who wants to work needs to be encouraged to go and look so they actually count. If you look at the actually labor participation rate, it's down. We need a president who understands it's not about the government handing out things. It's about encouraging people to help themselves.
WHITFIELD: So why does your dad Newt Gingrich feel like he can beat President Obama if he can't beat the GOP contenders?
CUSHMAN: I think the main reason is he provides a very different approach. I will give you an example, so right now President Obama is talking about how he can't get things passed, they don't have a budget passed. And how he can't get his budget passed. To stand against my father, Newt Gingrich, who was speaker, reached across the aisle, worked with President Bill Clinton to get a balanced budget. The only time in my lifetime that we had four years of a balanced budget was due to my dad and President Bill Clinton, they worked together. They also worked together on welfare reform. It was very hard, it took 18 months, twice it sat on President Clinton's desk before it was finally signed a third time. But he knows how to lead. He knows how to reach across the aisle and get everyone involved.
WHITFIELD: What are you hearing from the voters that they say -- they interpret your dad as being the guy who can reach across the aisles and be one of concessions or they see your dad as the one who, you know, has been crowned as kind of the guy who carries out mean politics?
CUSHMAN: I think a lot of it is the stories that you hear on the news. He is not a mean guy, he is a great guy, and he has a big heart. The reality is he does reach out. Remember, he didn't -- he had a balanced budget. That's a huge deal. We would love to have a balanced budget today. That would mean that I wouldn't have pass down debts to my children. That is huge for people.
Additionally with welfare reform, two thirds of people went back to work or back to get educated. That's important. We need our work force trained so they can get better jobs.
WHITFIELD: Jackie Gingrich Cushman, always good to see you. Thanks so much. CUSHMAN: Thank you very much.
WHITFIELD: Spending a little bit more time in Georgia and then moving on as well?
CUSHMAN: Absolutely. We'll be out for the debate in Arizona, but I'll be in Georgia a lot as well as well as Tennessee and other places.
WHITFIELD: All right. Very good. Thanks so much for your time. Appreciate it. Glad you could come in.
All right. President Obama, I took his economic message out west this week explaining how he thinks the country is sacrificing seniors, students and vets. That's straight ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: All right. Some encouraging news for the president. The latest CNN/ORC Poll shows President Barack Obama's approval rating at 50 percent. This is an increase from last November when it was 44 percent. Still 48 percent disapprove of the way the president is doing his job.
Another poll taken among Republicans only finds 55 percent think Mitt Romney has the best chance of beating President Obama, 18 percent thinks Rick Santorum has the best chance.
President Obama spent much of last week out west visiting manufacturing plants and fund raising. His message is focusing on stronger education and rebuilding the country.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I want us to have the best airports and the best roads. I want us to have the fastest broadband lines, and we can do that. It's time to take the money that we are no longer spending in Iraq, use half of that to pay down our debt, use the rest to do some nation building right here at home. And we've got make sure we have a tax system that reflects everybody doing their fair share.
I've talked about the Buffet rule. If you make more than a million dollar a year, you shouldn't pay a lower tax rate than your secretary. That's a pretty simple concept to understand. Now, if like 98 percent of American families you make less than $250,000 a year, your taxes shouldn't go up. This is not class warfare. It has nothing to do with envy. It's simple math. If somebody like me is getting a tax break that I don't need, then two things can happen. Either the deficit goes up further, our debt increases, or alternatively, we're balancing our budget on the backs of seniors who are paying more for Medicare or students who are paying more for their student loans or a veteran who really needs help or a family trying to get by. Why would I ask them to sacrifice and I do nothing?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: All right. More on the race to the White House and how the contenders are trying to appeal to the non-white voters.
Also straight ahead, Whitney Houston has been laid to rest today after a private-invitation-only funeral in her hometown yesterday. Ahead for you in the CNN NEWSROOM at 5:00 Eastern, I'll talk to one of our producers who was inside the service.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: All right. CNN brings you politics each Sunday during this hour. We're bringing you the 2012 presidential contenders in their own words. The number of non-whites voting has grown dramatically over the last two decades and that's a fact not lost on the presidential candidates.
Joining us again from Washington, CNN political analyst Ron Brownstein. All right, Ron. So the Obama administration is already working hard on the voter drives, particularly among the non-whites. Why is there a feeling that they need the most coaxing?
RON BROWNSTEIN, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Well Fred we are living through them, the most profound demographic change in the face of America since the melting pot of the turn of the 20th century. As you noted, when Bill Clinton was first elected in 1992, only 12 percent of the vote was the minority, 88 percent was white. By the time Barack Obama got elected in 2008 it was 26 percent that was non-white. It wasn't like there was a sudden jump because of his unique status as the first African-American candidate. It has been a steady growth all the way through and in fact as I reported this week.
The Obama campaign projects internally that 28 percent of the vote in the 2012 general election will be non-white. Now, in 2008 Barack Obama won four-fifth, 80 percent of all non-white voters. If he does that again Fred in 2012 and the minority share of the vote increases as much as they project the Republicans would have to win a share of the white vote they haven't won since Ronald Reagan in 1994 to beat him. So that obviously puts a lot of incentive on the one end of the Obama campaign to maximize that turnout but it also increases the pressure on the Republicans to do better with these minority voters than they've done in the last few elections.
WHITFIELD: So you say, your reporting indicates that the Obama administration believes that that spike will continue in this next election. However, at the same time, when its fact that the African- Americans have been hurt the most in this recession, is there a feeling that that just might depress a number of non-whites from registering to vote, to feel like there really is no point in them voting?
BROWNSTEIN: And, in fact, that is clearly a threat for Obama. We saw that in 2010. In the 2010 midterm election, the minority share of the votes fell off more than it usually does between a presidential election and the subsequent midterm. So there's no question that that community has faced an extraordinary trouble in the downturn.
On the other hand, you are beginning to see some improvement. The unemployment rate for African-Americans and Hispanics has been declining faster than the unemployment rate for whites in the past few months and there are more than a million Hispanics, more working today than there were a year ago. But that will clearly be a challenge for Obama all the way through to ensure that those voters come out. Because as I said, if you're winning three out of four or four out of five you really want to maximize that turnout.
WHITFIELD: So in your reporting what did you find, what are the techniques that the Obama administration is using in this go-round leading into 2012 that differs from they did in 2008 to take advantage of that boom in registration among non whites?
BROWNSTEIN: Well, I think it is very similar, in fact, to 2008. It's interesting. You know, the Obama campaign shares an underlying philosophical tactile belief with the Bush campaign in 2004. The George Bush campaign was famous for concluding that it was more cost- effective to spend a dollar to find the register and turn out someone who agreed with them that wasn't likely to vote than it was to spend a dollar to try to persuade an independent who might swing back and forth between the parties.
On balance the Obama campaign largely believes the same thing. You're seeing this year a big concerted effort to try to what they describe as change the electorate in stage where there are a lot of younger and minority voters. The three pillars of this moderate Democratic coalition is going to win are young people, minority voters and college-educated white collar whites, especially women. So finding and turning out those voters are key for Obama, especially when he's looking for a level of discontent among white working-class voters that is pretty substantial.
WHITFIELD: All right. Ron Brownstein. Thanks so much, always a good to see you. Appreciate your time.
BROWNSTEIN: Thank you Fred.
WHITFIELD: All right. Up next, we are back on the campaign trail. With the GOP presidential candidates. Having a little fun this time, the comical side of the race for the White House.
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WHITFIELD: The campaign for the Republican presidential nomination is heating up, in spite of all the mud slinging and stressful times, there are some lighter moments on the trail. Candy Crowley takes a look.
CANDY CROWLEY, HOST OF, "STATE OF THE UNION:" Hey, Fred. On this week's trail mix, a look at the slap stick side of the campaign trail.
It's not new, but it's the first sighting of this election. Grown men in chicken suits wandering through a Gingrich's event, Gingrich's way of pecking at his rivals for backing out of a debate. There's this official Santorum campaign ad featuring a Mitt Romney look a-like though it struck some of us as looking more like a mix of Buchanan and Richard Nixon, whatever he roamed the warehouse with a mud slinging machine gun in an ad titled "Rafo (ph)." But the king of campaign goofiness is Mitt Romney. Last year while in Chicago he sent happy pizzas to the Obama campaign headquarters as a nice gesture. This week he told voters he once painted the word help on the shoes of a groom and then there's the three stooges side of him.
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MITT ROMNEY, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: A lot closer. What was that?
UNIDENTIFED FEMALE: I'm thrilled to let people also know the other side of Mitt which you might not all get to see. Oh, dear.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CROWLEY: Apparently a funny bone runs in the family. Son Matt called dad the day before the 2008 Michigan primary posing as then California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.
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MATT ROMNEY, MITT ROMNEY'S SON: They're going ask you a bunch of questions that you're going to answer immediately.
MITT ROMNEY, (R PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Go ahead and shoot.
MATT ROMNEY: Who is your daddy and what does he do?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CROWLEY: Mitt Romeny immediately hung up. But don't laugh maybe that is why Schwarzenegger endorsed McCain in 2008. Fred.
WHITFIELD: All right. Thanks so much, Candy. Be sure to watch Candy Crowley every Sunday morning. She's the host of "State of the Union" 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time.
All right. At the political week. Straight ahead after this.
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WHITFIELD: Here's a look at where the 2012 presidential candidates will be this week. Mitt Romney will be in the battle ground table, Ohio tomorrow. And he returns to his home state of Michigan on Tuesday. Rick Santorum attends a church rally in Georgia tonight. On Tuesday he campaigns in Arizona which holds its primary February 28. Newt Gingrich stumps in Oklahoma tomorrow after campaigning in his home state of Georgia this weekend. And then Wednesday President Barack Obama will deliver remarks at the future site of the Smith Sonian National Museum of African-American History in the nation's capitol.
Thanks very much for tuning in to this special hour of politics. Join us every Sunday at 4:00 Eastern Time. Now stay tuned for the latest news right here in the NEWS ROOM.
