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Immigrant Ex-Boyfriend Outs Sheriff; Second Round Of Nuke Talks; Avalanche Survivor Describes Terror; Santorum Gains On National Stage; Controversy Over Santorum Prenatal Comment; Addiction Growing in U.S.; Polls Show Santorum Leading in Michigan

Aired February 20, 2012 - 13:00   ET

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

RANDI KAYE, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, everyone, I'm Randi Kaye. It's 1:00 on the east coast, 10:00 on the west. We've got a busy hour ahead, so let's get you in the zone.

An Arizona sheriff is outed by an ex-lover then quits as the chair of Mitt Romney's Arizona campaign. The ex, named Jose, says he decided to fight back after Penal County Sheriff Paul Babeu allegedly threatened him with deportation. Babeu now acknowledges he is gay but denies the threat allegation. Coming up in just about five minutes, CNN's Miguel Marquez talks to Jose about his accuser, and we'll also talk to the reporter for the "Phoenix New Times" who broke this story.

A second round of talks today between the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog agency and Iranian officials over Iran's nuclear program. Iran's foreign minister is now saying he expects relations with Europe to improve just one day after Iran cut crude exports to the U.K. and France because of sanctions. The IAEA says it wants to clarify the possible military dimensions to Iran's nuclear program. Back in November, the U.N. watchdog said it had information to suggest Iran carried out some weapons-related research. U.N.'s Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon says Iran needs to disprove the allegation.

The survivor of a deadly avalanche in Washington state is describing her terror. Professional skier, Elyse Saugstad, says she knew two of the three skiers killed yesterday. On NBC's "Today" show, she described what it was like to see an avalanche coming towards her.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ELYSE SAUGSTAD: There wasn't much sound and it literally is just trying to figure out within seconds of what exactly is happening and how you're going to deal with this. I mean, it -- there's not a lot of thought, it happens really, really fast, literally seconds.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: Saugstad says a backpack outfitted with an airbag saved her life.

And now to the Republican presidential race and big gains by Rick Santorum. Over the weekend, Santorum said he is still being underestimated because no one is taking him seriously. Think again. Check out this new Gallup national tracking poll. He has opened up an eight-point lead over Mitt Romney among registered Republicans. As you can see, that's a 180-degree turn from what it was a week ago. It's big news for Santorum with the Arizona and Michigan primaries coming up next week and Super Tuesday, of course, just a week after that.

Michigan and Arizona are the next two contests in the Republican race. Michigan is looking like it's going to be a pretty close race even though Romney won the state by a healthy margin back in 2008. CNN's Senior Correspondent Joe Johns is in Cincinnati for us, right now.

Hi there, Joe. So, Mitt Romney is scheduled to be there in around 30 minutes or so. How is Romney dealing with this tough showing by Santorum in the polls?

JOE JOHNS, CNN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT: Quite frankly, Randi, I have to tell you, it looks like business as usual for Mitt Romney. This, in fact, is a small business event here outside of Cincinnati, Ohio. The candidate is expected to appear in just a little while with, among others, Senator Rob Portman, the senator from Ohio who has also been managed and one of vice presidential running mates once the Republicans figure out who their nominee is going to be.

So, not a whole lot of drama here on the campaign trail. However, I can tell you probably the most dramatic action we're seeing is in the ad wars, the Romney campaign spending just an extra ordinary amount of money, something like $2 million in eight states over the next week. That is obviously in anticipation of Super Tuesday. And then in the Michigan -- in the state of Michigan where they all vote on the 28th of February, we're talking about something like $876,000 there. Clearly, Mitt Romney is putting on the heat because in his view, that's a state where he ought to win. He grew up there as well and his father was governor of the state. So, business as usual -- Randi.

KAYE: And what about Ohio? We certainly know it's one of the Super Tuesday states. So, is Romney going to concentrate, do you think, more on the northern races in general and see the south to Gingrich and Santorum?

JOHNS: You know, I think you have to say that there are a lot of people who think that Mitt Romney is going to face a certain degree of suspicion among southern voters, the evidence of that was the South Carolina primary where he ran into a real -- a very difficult time up against Newt Gingrich in that state. So, some people suggest that he'll have a bit of problem there. Also, Rick Santorum, too, not clear that he's going to do a whole lot better, at least not right now. Some polls suggests that he's looking pretty good, say, in Texas, but he's still a northern conservative, which could be an issue.

And then again, that question whether Newt Gingrich, because he comes if from the south, because he represented Georgia in those years when he was Congress -- in Congress, and even speaker of the House, questioned whether he will do very well. Mitt Romney, by the way, spending a ton of money in a number of the southern states. So the ad wars continue and they're going to do whatever they can.

KAYE: Joe Johns, thank you very much, appreciate that.

Well, he was Mitt Romney's leading man in Arizona, a rising political star with ambition for Congress. But after some fiery allegations from a scorned lover, Sheriff Paul Babeu's future is now in limbo. Up next, CNN's exclusive interview with his ex, a Mexican immigrant who says the sheriff threatened him with deportation.

(Inaudible) is today's, but first, of course, we have today's Rock Star, a story of happily ever after. Who can forget Elizabeth Smart? She was abducted at the age of 14 back in 2002 from her family's home in Salt Lake City.

Smart says her abductor, Brian David Mitchell, sexually abused her during the nine months that she was held captive. Fast forward, though, to 2012. Smart has been going to school, working as a network correspondent, and got engaged last month with a summer wedding on the horizon. Due to all the attention, thought, she surprised everyone by getting married over the weekend at this church in Hawaii. For being a survivor with amazing grace, Elizabeth Smart, you are today's Rock Star.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: We're hearing directly from the gay ex-boyfriend about his explosive allegations against a prominent conservative Arizona sheriff. Paul Babeu is famous for his tough talk and hard-lined stance on illegal immigration. He is well known in conservative Republican circles as a rising political star who also happens to be running for Congress right now. But that all took an ironic twist this weekend with Babeu coming out and stepping down as the state co- chair more Mitt Romney's campaign. This began to unravel after accusations by his immigrant ex-boyfriend surfaced in the "Phoenix New Times".

CNN got an exclusive interview with Babeu's ex who is only being identified as Jose. He claims Babeu asked him to sign an agreement to keep their relationship a secret. When Jose refused, he says Babeu threatened to deport him back to Mexico. Let's now get Facetime with CNN's Miguel Marquez who spoke with Jose in an exclusive T.V. interview, and also joining us, Monica Alonzo, who broke the story on the "Phoenix New Times." Miguel, let me start with you. You just spoke with Jose, what did he tell you?

MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, as you laid out there, it's a very complicated story as well. I mean, the gist of it, is that this sounds like a guy who fell in love with Sheriff Babeu, realized at some point that the sheriff wasn't in love with him, caught him cheating several times, and was upset by that. The relationship went bad. The breakup went worse. As lawyers got involved like any bad divorce, it spiraled into the situation we have now where there were lawyers involved, there was a cease and desist order.

Jose became concerned for his Visa status here. He says he's here on a 10-year multiple entry tourist Visa and is here perfectly legally. But the sheriff's lawyer, at one point, indicated that he was here on expired student Visa, at least to Jose's lawyer said that. So, he was concerned. He was concerned for -- about his family and then finding out he was gay, he was concerned for his business. There was a lot of question marks in his life and because the sheriff's position, Jose became fearful that he would pay a very real price -- Randi?

KAYE: And did he show you any of his documentation when he told you that he was here illegally?

MARQUEZ: He -- well, interestingly enough, he did not have his passport on him. We asked to see his Visa, but it's highly unlikely he'd be talking to us if he wasn't here legal. He may be legal now but the big question is whether he was legal all the way along. He said he first came here in 2003, 2004. So, he met the sheriff in 2006, they dated for a while, and then didn't, and then they dated again, for about three years in total. The other thing that's interesting is that the sheriff, you know, this guy was tough on illegal immigration, never asked this guy who he had a relationship, knowing that he was from Mexico, whether he -- what his status was and whether he was here legally or not.

KAYE: I know we have a clip of your interview with Jose. Let's play that now and get right back to you.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARQUEZ: Do you think he was trying to make you leave the country?

JOSE: No, just -- what I think he just want me as far so I don't say anything about him or about his behavior.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: Miguel, how did the two of them meet?

MARQUEZ: They met in 2006 on a Web site, a dating -- gay dating Web site called Day.com. It's interesting because the first picture, according to Jose, that the sheriff sent to him was a picture of sheriff with Arizona Senator John McCain. And I asked Jose, did you even know John McCain? He said, no, I had no idea who he was. He knows now who Senator John McCain is -- Randi.

KAYE: Miguel Marquez, thank you for your reporting on that. Let me turn now to Monica. Monica, you broke this story for the "Phoenix New Times." Jose contacted you initially. Did he say why he was reaching out now?

MONICA ALONZO, JOURNALIST, "PHOENIX NEW TIMES": Well, he did. He told us that part of the reason was that he was -- he was being threatened and intimidated by the sheriff. And he also mentioned to me, at some point, that he felt that there should be some accountability on the part of the sheriff for what Jose alleges that he has done. KAYE: Babeu, as we know, is the sheriff of Pinal County. He came out this weekend -- actually, for viewers, let me just show you where Pinal County is there in Arizona. By all accounts, it's a very conservative area. But we should mentioned that he did come out this weekend. He held a press conference. Listen to a little bit of what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHERIFF PAUL BABEU, PINAL COUNTY, ARIZONA: I'm here to say that Avy's (ph) allegations that were in one of these newspapers are absolutely completely false, except for the issues that refer to me being gay, because that's the truth, I am gay.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: Monica, what do you think are the potential implications here, as we take a look at the map, where his county is located? And as I mentioned, it's a very conservative area.

ALONZO: Well, it's hard to tell. The congressional district in which he's running here in Arizona is very conservative. It's going to be up to voters to decide what they think about his revelation and about these accusations that have been leveled against him. And then also, the issue of the photographs that he sent -- some of them were sexually explicit and I think that speaks to the, you know, poor judgment on the part of a high-profile politician and especially somebody that has Congressional aspirations.

KAYE: We reached out to Babeu's attorney, and I want to share his statement that he sent to us here at CNN. He says, the deportation claim is a complete lie. Do they have anything to support it beyond one person's claim that it happened once in an unspecified phone call at an unspecified time. Jose is here as legally as any of us, and that has always been our understanding. We have never questioned it. What do you say to that attorney's response?

ALONZO: Well, according to some of the documentation that Jose provided to us when he initially contacted us, he did provided us a letter that his attorney sent to him, to Paul Babeu's camp, in which he says -- and I could just read it right out of here. She says, your claim that Jose does not have legal status in this country simply not true. However, if your client, Mr. Babeu, wishes to make these allegations, my client will prevail against these claims.

So here was a letter that Jose's attorney wrote to Christy Rose (ph), Paul's attorney, and, you know, you have to ask yourself, why would this be brought up in this letter unless it was, at some point, part of the conversation that they were having?

KAYE: Monica Alonzo, appreciate your reporting on this. Thank you very much.

And still to come today, there is no letup in the sheer brutality unfolding in Syria right now. And some dramatic new video shows that brutality firsthand. Up next, CNN's reporter on the ground there tells us about the opposition's newest and unconventional weapon.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: The shelling and bloodshed across Syria are relentless. Government troops bombarded homes for a seventeenth straight day to. The goal, pound the opposition into submission. YouTube video, which CNN cannot verify, seems to show the level of brutality. Here, security forces beat a protester. Without weapons, rebels call the uprising an orphan revolution. But America's top general says, wait.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEN. MARTIN DEMPSEY, JOINT CHIEFS CHAIRMAN: There's indications that al Qaeda is involved and that they're interested in supporting the opposition. I mean there's a number of players all of whom are trying to reinforce their particular side of this issue. And until we're a lot clearer about, you know, who they are and what they are, I think it would be premature to talk about arming them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: Without guns, prayer becomes a weapon. Opposition leaders say troops killed 23 civilians on Sunday alone. Our Ivan Watson was able to here firsthand why the opposition remains firm. It followed a Muslim prayer session.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

IVAN WATSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Condolences for a man killed by a sniper's bullet in the nearby city of Idlib, turned into a full-throated roar of "Allahu Akbar," "God is Great." The crowd marches into the town square and performs a weekly ritual of defiance against Bashar al-Assad.

And there's no Syrian government presence in this town, but Assad's tanks are never far away.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They are one kilo (ph) not too far away from here.

WATSON (on camera): The Syrian army?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, the Syrian army.

WATSON: Will you fight if the Syrian army comes?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, we will, because we will, for 10 months its peaceful. But now there is no other solution.

WATSON: You have to fight?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, we have to fight. (INAUDIBLE).

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAYE: A knife against artillery. Listen to the fear in this man's voice. (VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: The video purports to show a building and car on fire. The result of the Syrian army shelling of Homs. The man who shot this video today is heard saying, "may God help us. We are being killed and burned."

Back here in the U.S., when you think of Kansas, you might envision vast farmland, rolling prairie hills. The quintessential American heartland. And you'd be right. But that image of Kansas is quickly changing into something new. Up next, the town's rapid transformation and the people behind it.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: This President's Day, we begin answering the question, what makes you American? For the past month or so, we posed the question to our one million iReporters. They shared their personal stories with us and now we share them with you. We begin in western Kansas, where the town named Ulysses has made an epic comeback. The downtown store fronts that were once empty are bustling again. Schools that were on the brink of closing are rebounding. The turnaround really started taking shape when Mexican and central American immigrants moved in. Ted Rowlands explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The Nuavia (ph) Leon (ph) Mexican bakery in Ulysses, Kansas, is opened 365 days a year. Owners Sefeino and Irene Ramirez say all of their customers are Hispanic. A group that is exploding here.

IRENE RAMIREZ, BAKERY OWNER: It seems like every year it's more and more and more.

ROWLANDS: Husband Sefeino came to Kansas as a migrant worker from Monetary, Mexico. He married Irene, a U.S. citizen, and together they've raised five children in Ulysses.

SEFEINO RAMIREZ, BAKERY OWNER: We don't like big towns because a lot of noise and, you know, a lot of traffic.

ROWLANDS: Ulysses is a small town of about 6,000 people on the Kansas plains. Since the 1940s, migrant workers, like Sefeino, started arriving to work during harvest season. Today, the jobs are in oil and natural gas and managing cattle. But now Hispanic immigrants aren't just passing through, they're settling down and the face of Ulysses is changing. School administrators say in the last 15 years, the population of Hispanics in the district has soared from about 20 percent to nearly 60.

BONNIE DIETER, ULYSSES PUBLIC SCHOOLS: It doesn't matter where that comes from, they're all our children. And I think that the whole community embraces that idea, that they come through our doors, they're our kids, you know. And inside, a little kid just needs to learn. ROWLANDS: Administrators say the changing demographic has forced them to add bilingual classroom assistance and teachers, but it's also helped keep the town's student population up, which means more funding. In a state where some small farm communities are slowly dying, Ulysses is growing and embracing its new arrivals.

JOSE OLIVES, UNITED METHODIST MEXICAN AMERICAN MINISTRIES: We pay taxes. You know, everything. By homes. Buy vehicles. Groceries. And so it helps the economy.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, it's just not a big deal. They're good neighbors. They're good people.

ROWLANDS: At Daylight Donuts, the town coffee clutch just off Main Street, we hear the same thing.

DEBORAH THOMPSON, OWNER, DAYLIGHT DONUTS: Everybody just gets along with everybody. We're a small town. That's what's great about a small town.

ROWLANDS: Even the ladies in the Gray Haired Women's Club have very few complaints about their new neighbors.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I wish they would come in here legally, you know, to help pay taxes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And learn to speak English, you know.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The biggest thing in our school when the little children come into the school, they don't speak English at home.

ROWLANDS: City officials estimate 10 to 15 percent of the town's Hispanics are illegal, but say if they stay out of trouble, nobody's going to bother them. The way they see it, let the federal government figure out who's legal and who's not.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That their responsibility because they set the rules. So, I never ask that question, nor do I care.

ROWLANDS: What people here do care about is the future of their city and Ulysses is attracting people who want to live here in part because they feel welcome.

Ted Rowlands, CNN, Ulysses, Kansas.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAYE: Across the country, the Hispanic population is booming. From 2000 to 2010, the Census Bureau says Hispanics alone made up more than half the country's population increase. The biggest jump happened in the Mexican community, which jumped 54 percent. For more of what I means to be American, go to ireport.com/iamamerica.

And still ahead today, presidential contender Rick Santorum is on a roll. He's now topping national polls, but he's also making lots of folks angry with some quite colorful comments. Is it all part of a calculated strategy? "Fair Game" is next.

But, first, here's our political junkie question. Which was the first state to allow online voting in a presidential primary? Tweet the answer to @randikayecnn. I'm tweeting right now and I'll give a shout- out to the first person with the right answer after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: Before the break I asked you which was the first state to allow online voting in a presidential primary. The answer is Arizona. They allowed online voting in the 2000 Democratic primary. Washington State did the same thing one week later. And the winner is -- nobody. Nobody got it right so far. So we'll keep an eye on it. You can still play along later in the day.

All right. We want to take you live to pictures happening in Cincinnati. We're getting ready to hear from Mitt Romney. He's expected to speak in about 10 minutes or so. He's at the Meridian Bioscience. He's talking jobs and the economy. We all know Ohio is part of Super Tuesday, a very important state for Mitt Romney and just about everybody else.

And this is the part of the show where we get to the heart of the political debate where are sides are "Fair Game." That also goes for what the candidates say.

Let's listen to what Rick Santorum was saying about, of all things, prenatal testing.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RICK SANTORUM, (R), FORMER PENNSYLVANIA SENATOR & PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Yes, prenatal testing, amniocentesis does in fact result, more often than not, in this country in abortion. That is a fact.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: Joining me now is Republican strategist, Ford O'Connell; and Democratic political consultant, Ed Espinoza.

Correct me if I'm wrong, guys, but he just said that the majority of women who have the most trusted prenatal tests then decide to have the abortions. He also says that government shouldn't force companies to pay for these tests as part of their health insurance.

Let me start with you, Ed. What's behind these kinds of statements?

ED ESPINOZA, DEMOCRATIC POLITICAL CONSULTANT: Well --

(LAUGHTER)

I don't know, but I'll tell you what, all these candidates see polls the same way we do. And if they're polling the primary and their data tells them that the electorate is so conservative and will follow these types of issues, the candidates are going to put out these issues. I am in Texas and I don't know many people that agree with these types of issues. But, hey, I haven't seen the polling. And clearly, these are issues Rick Santorum is comfortable putting forward and ones that Mitt Romney is not comfortable putting forward. But it's what is giving Santorum a lead in this primary. And this is how the landscapes exist right now.

KAYE: Ford, let me ask you because this goes along with some other controversial comments about contraception, about women in the military. What's going on here?

FORD O'CONNELL, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: Well, Rick Santorum is really trying to differentiate himself from Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney on social issues. He wants to consolidate the Catholic vote and the evangelical vote in the Midwest, particularly in Ohio, so he can say that Mitt Romney has a weakness in the Midwest, because his campaign needs money. And the best way to do that is to show Romney's weaknesses.

KAYE: Ed, let me ask you -- actually, let me ask you both about this. This weekend, Santorum said something about President Obama's theology. He said that he's led by a different theology. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SANTORUM: It's about some phony ideal, some phony theology. Oh, not a theology based on the Bible. A different theology.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: All right. So, Ed, I've got to ask about this one, too, because he said he wasn't questioning the president's Christianity. So what was he doing?

ESPINOZA: That's a good question. He said a theology not based on the Bible but I don't know of any other kind of theology that there is. Maybe an ick theology. I have no idea. But it's clearly a veiled attempt to call into question the president's Christianity. Look, if you're going to have a difference of opinion, that's fine, but let's not take it down the road of religion.

KAYE: Ford, you want to weigh in on that one?

O'CONNELL: Absolutely. He is making the environment a social issue. Unfortunately, he over-talked and he brought him out sympathy because it came across that he was questioning the president's faith. Let Gingrich over-talk. Don't do that. You're trying a very high- risk strategy and you've got to be sharp while doing it.

KAYE: Let's take a look at the Gallup poll on the national race for the nomination. This is really getting interesting. You see it right there. Santorum has opened up an eight-point lead. This is the first time that we've seen this big of a lead for Santorum.

What does it tell us, Ed, and is it worth noting that this is just among registered Republicans? ESPINOZA: Well, it tells us that the Republican electorate is very conservative and that they like very conservative candidates, Rick Santorum being the more conservative candidate in the primary. The hurdle that they have is, does a conservative candidate, like Rick Santorum, translate well into a general-election candidate. I don't think that he does. But he's the most competitive one to win these primaries. It's a very challenging position for the Republican Party to be in, but one that Democrats, like myself, don't mind seeing.

KAYE: So, Ford, even though he might be over-talking, does this seem to be working for him, as you said?

O'CONNELL: As of right now, but this is really about Mitt Romney. Mitt Romney has not given the base a reason to vote for him. Until this happens, this is going to continue. Romney's going to try to hit Santorum and poke holes in his record with the attack ads. But it's not going to work like it did on Gingrich. The pressure is on Romney to show passion or to come up with a compelling reason for conservatives to vote for him.

KAYE: I want to ask you both about this. You heard it earlier in our show, and have seen it all over the news. This popular Arizona Pinal County sheriff, Paul Babeu, confirmed that he is gay and that he had a relationship with somebody who his team, his camp, had said was an illegal immigrant, although that person, Jose, says he is not. He has now stepped away from the Romney campaign but he is still running for Congress in Arizona.

Do you think -- Ed, I'll start with you on this one -- that his sexual orientation is going to be an issue in this case?

ESPINOZA: Well, did he step down because of a perceived abuse of power through his office, or did he step down because it was revealed that he is gay? The answer is probably both, and it's too bad. I don't know that it will affect his position as sheriff but it will almost certainly affect his position in the primary in Tucson, and that's too bad.

KAYE: Ford, what do you think?

O'CONNELL: To Ed's point, if it's perceived as an abuse of power, his congressional campaign will be over. I think he stepped away from the Romney campaign because Mitt Romney is essentially running a state-wide race in Arizona and with the frontier nature of Arizona, with the LDS and evangelical population, same-sex relations are frowned upon. Why else is the president's position still evolving, particularly in the southwest where the church going southeast. Everyone knows that it's a taboo issue.

KAYE: Ford O'Connell, Ed Espinoza --

ESPINOZA: Yes, that's too bad.

KAYE: -- thank you both. Nice to see you.

That is "Fair Game" today. This quick programming note today. Be sure to watch all the candidates face off Wednesday. The Arizona Republican Presidential Debate air Wednesday, 8:00 eastern right here on CNN.

If Whitney's tragic demise taught us one thing it is that addiction in the United States is serious, deadly and unfortunately it is growing. Up next, I'll talk to certified addiction specialist, Bob Forrest, from Celebrity Rehab. He says there's one solution to the disease. What that is, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: Whitney Houston's death has brought to life the issue of addiction. All this week CNN is going to go in depth and focus on this growing problem in America. Drug-related deaths have more than doubled since the early 1980s. Today, one in four deaths in the U.S. are attributed to alcohol, tobacco or drug use. Prescription drug abuse remains a problem in the U.S. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 100 people die every day in the U.S. from drug overdoses. 100 people everyday.

So how do we tackle this growing problem? One solution, treatment. That's what our next guest says.

Bob Forrest is a certified addiction specialist. You my also recognize him from VH1's reality show, "Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew (ph)."

Bob, nice to see you on the program again. We spoke last week but let's start with the basics here. What are the trigger signs of addiction?

BOB FORREST, CERTIFIED ADDICTION SPECIALIST: Well, you have this genetic predisposition. You have a family history of addiction. You have an uncle who is an alcoholic or an auntie taking pills and then a genetic predisposition or childhood trauma. That could be many things. It doesn't have to be overt physical abuse. It could just be neglect or having someone who is picked on in school. You have that set of circumstances and then expose that person to drugs and alcohol and they are right for addiction.

KAYE: And there's no real blanket reason for why people become addicted. Everybody has a different reason behind their addiction.

FORREST: Well, what's funny is that, you know, look at me. This is what you think a drug addict looks like. Well, what your statistics show is that has changed. The demographic has changed. Now it's you, Randi. It's everybody. It's soccer moms. It's the president of the United States. Everybody has a predisposition and now this overexposure of prescription drugs is casting a wide net.

KAYE: Now, I know on your program, celebrity rehab, people acknowledge that they have a problem, that they have some sort of addiction. But what about those who do have an addiction but aren't ready to admit it? How do you work with somebody like that? FORREST: Well, I think what's being done with these doctors is they are trying to mitigate the dangerous circumstance of the addict they are constantly trying to monitor. But here's the thing. Hoping that a drug addict takes drugs that you have prescribed for them when you take them home from the pharmacy and they can quadruple the dose is what I believe.

KAYE: Can you really help people recover? I mean, is there such a thing?

FORREST: You can get people to start contemplating what's going on in their lives. And that is, you know, sometimes it's very forceful. Sometimes it's just a dialogue and a conversation. That's what I like and I do in my private practice. I go over to people's houses and say, what's going on? Everybody is upset with you and saying that you're addicted to drugs and you're acting irresponsible. What is going on? That begins a dialogue that moves them from denial to contemplation to sobriety.

KAYE: And what about age? I mean, how young are people starting to become addicts or even just starting to experiment with drugs or alcohol? Are we seeing a change in that?

FORREST: You're seeing what drug young people experiment with. It's always prescription drugs these days because it's so easily accessible. Children can get a hold -- when I say children, I mean 13, 14, 15, 16, can get a hold of vicodin much easier than alcohol or marijuana. This is the gateway drug. Prescription drugs are killing our children.

KAYE: And for those families who live with addicts or know addicts, what can we do outside of the treatment room to help these folks?

FORREST: Well, get educated. Go on the Internet and find out things about addiction. One of the things that is frightening to me is the drugs that these children are taking and that the addicts are taking all over the country, they don't have any warning signs. The warning signs come in a paper that is thrown away so it's just a bottle of pills. Find out what you're taking and what is in your medicine cabinet and get rid of it if it's dangerous and addictive. And one of the things also that I think a lot of people aren't really up on is the doctors don't really have the time to sit down and talk with you like they did traditionally for decades. They talked with you for two minutes. If you have a symptom, they gave you a pill and that pill could be deadly.

KAYE: Well, I would suggest that everybody tune in to "Celebrity Rehab" and get some help and some information.

Thank you very much, Bob Forrest. Appreciate that.

FORREST: Thank you.

KAYE: For more on Bob's recovery services and recommendations, you can visit Bob's web site, hollywoodrecoveryservices.com. Up next, some incredible surveillance video captures a real-life hero in the act, running into a burning home to rescue folks he doesn't even know.

But, first, please, can we all just take a cue from Susan Powder (ph) and stop the insanity? Or rather the Linsanity. I mean, we get it by now. Jeremy Lin is super awesome and his last name is a whole lot of fun, a lot of pun fun. Too much pun fun. By now, we've heard them all. Lin-derella, Lin it to win it, Lin-describable. It's really cool at first, but after you hear it over and over and over again, you realize how bad it is to begin with. So, folks, let's please stop the Linsanity.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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

In Westfield, New Jersey, Whitney Houston fans are lining up at the cemetery where Whitney was laid to rest. So far, about 30 people have visited her grave today. Police officers are patrolling the area. Houston was laid to rest during a private service on Sunday. She was buried next to her father. It came a day after a star-studded memorial service in Newark.

A man makes a daring rescue in Waltham, Massachusetts. Look at this surveillance video. A man is seen rushing to a burning home. Good Samaritan, Bobby Singh, owns a convenience store across the street. He says when he saw the smoke, he rushed out to help. Two men were trapped inside the home. One of them recently hurt his leg. Many now calling Singh a hero.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BOBBY SINGH, RESCUED MEN FROM BURNING BUILDING: I'm no hero. Just a guy that can help.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: Thanks Singh, the two men made it out alive.

The community in West Warwick, Rhode Island, is pausing to remember one of the deadliest nightclub fires in U.S. history. Survivors, family and friends gathered outside the club to make the 9th anniversary of the fire. 100 people were killed and 200 injured after a pyrotechnics fire went off in 2009. While there is a makeshift memorial, families are pushing for a permanent one.

In St. Petersburg, Florida, a pastor's daughter who was accidentally shot at her father's Florida church has now died. According to affiliate, Bay News 9, 20-year-old Hanna Kelly was shot in the head last weekend. A church member, who was a local security officer, was showing his gun to Kelly's boyfriend when the gun went off. The sheriff's office is still investigating the shooting. No charges have been filed.

Doctors and donors pulled off the world's largest organ transplant chain that crisscrossed across 11 states and involved 17 hospitals. These two are just two of the lucky recipients. We're talking 60 patients and 40 kidneys. For the recipients, it's made all the difference in the world.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PAULETTE BEHAN, KIDNEY TRANSPLANT RECIPIENT: I've got so much more energy. I can do all those things that I quit doing because I didn't have the energy. And it's all because of people coming forward and giving their kidneys.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: Doctors say it wasn't just their surgical skills that made this possible, but innovations and computer matching and organ shipment as well.

At Yosemite National Park in California, a waterfall appears to turn into flowing lava. As you can see, the waterfall looks orange and red, but it isn't a cascade of fire. And no, it isn't lava. It is the sun's reflection. How beautiful is that? The park says this miraculous site takes place once a year, usually mid-February, if winter conditions cooperate.

A brand new national poll out just minutes ago. Is Santorum maintaining his lead? We'll show you the brand new numbers. Keep it here. It's all coming up next.

But first, some trivia for all you "Political Junkies" watching today. Who won the very first Michigan Republican presidential primary? Tweet the answer to @RandikayeCNN. I'll give you a shout- out for the first right answer.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: Before the break, I asked you who won the very first Michigan Republican presidential primary. The answer is Henry Ford. That first one was held in 1916. Howard Hughes ended up with the nomination. Thanks to A.J. for tweeting me the right answer first. Thanks for playing everybody.

These are getting to be some nervous times for Mitt Romney. The latest nationwide poll shows Rick Santorum leads him. We have some new numbers just released moments ago by Gallup.

Let's get some political insight from Paul Steinhauser. He's in our Washington bureau.

Paul, what are the numbers and can you analyze them for us and tell us, really, how dangerous this is for Mitt Romney.

PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN DEPUTY POLITICAL DIRECTOR: The surge for Santorum no doubt continues, Randi. Take a look at these new numbers. As you mentioned, brand new out from Gallop. This is their daily tracking poll. They do it everyday of Republicans, nationwide. You can see a 10-point advantage for Santorum over Romney with Newt Gingrich at 13 percent and Ron Paul down there at 11. Look at the right column though, what it was a week ago. It was Romney slightly ahead of Santorum. This surge, at least in the national numbers, Randi, has continued.

But some say, has Santorum plateaued? Has he topped out? We're going to see it first in the national polls. We'll see it first in the state polls in Michigan or Arizona, those are the next two contests, and some of those states that are voting on Super Tuesday. But, yes, this is traumatic for Mitt Romney, of course it is. But you know what matters the most? The primaries on the 29th and on Super Tuesday. The polls are interesting. They're important. But if Romney wins both Michigan and Arizona, that will quiet down a lot of people. If he doesn't, trouble ahead, Randi?

KAYE: Romney has to win in Michigan, doesn't he?

STEINHAUSER: A lot of people are saying that, yes. Why? Well, it was his home state. He was born there. His father was a popular governor there. It's considered Romney territory. You mentioned that Romney won Michigan four years ago over John McCain.

How about another state that a candidate has to win? Newt Gingrich. He was a frontrunner at one time. He's really dropped in the polls. He needs to win Georgia on Super Tuesday, and here's what he said about it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NEWT GINGRICH, (R), FORMER HOUSE SPEAKER & PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: It's very important for us to do well in Georgia and we're going to go all out to make sure we carry the state. I think as Governor Romney is discovering in Michigan, you cannot take your home state for granted. All of a sudden things, can go really sour. I think Santorum really has to try to carry Pennsylvania. Romney has to try to carry Michigan. I have to try to carry Georgia. I think, psychologically, it's really important.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STEINHAUSER: All of the candidates, all four of them, guess what, will be in Arizona on Wednesday. Our debate with the Republican Party in Arizona is the first debate in almost a month since ours in Jacksonville, Florida, and so much has changed. There is a lot on the line when these candidates team up on Wednesday night.

KAYE: Yes. A lot of folks wondering who is going to come out ahead. We've been following this, it feels like forever. But it's all interesting and getting more interesting.

Paul Steinhauser, thank you very much. Appreciate that.

Thank you, everybody, for watching today. As always, I'd love to hear what you think of the show. You can continue the conversation with me online. You can find me on Facebook and Twitter @RandikayeCNN. I'm there.

CNN continues with Brooke Baldwin.

Hi, Brooke.

BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: Hi, Randi, thank you very much.