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Arizona Voters Have Their Say; Interview With Daytona 500 Winner Matt Kenseth; PETA Under Fire; The Help Desk; Third Student Dies After School Shooting; Joe Arpaio On Arizona Primaries
Aired February 28, 2012 - 12:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN ANCHOR: Top of the hour. I'm Suzanne Malveaux, live from Phoenix, Arizona, where voters are picking their choice in the Republican race for president. I want to get you up to speed.
Sad news from Ohio. Another victim of the school's shooting now has died. The medical examiner says that 17-year-old Russell King was declared brain-dead earlier this morning. The alleged shooter, identified by student witnesses as T.J. Lane, makes an appearance in juvenile court. That is at 3:30 this afternoon.
Ohio's attorney general says he thinks it's likely that the suspect is going to be tried as an adult. Now last hour we heard from the local sheriff, who got emotional talking about the shooting.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SHERIFF DANIEL MCCLELLAND, GEAUGA COUNTY, OHIO: Most eerie feeling in the world was walking down the halls yesterday, running down them, in response to the incident we had. The EMS, fire and law enforcement were well prepared, well planned and executed. They carried out the plan.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: The school superintendent says that students are going to be back in school Thursday morning. Their parents also are welcome to come with them. Counselors are also going to be on hand.
The knockdown drag-out fight for the Republican presidential nomination playing out in two states today. I'm here covering the Arizona primary. Voters are also heading to the polls in Michigan. In all, the candidates battling for 59 delegates and for the momentum as well.
Michigan is a critical test for Mitt Romney. He was born there, his father was governor. Polls showing now he's in a virtual tie with Rick Santorum. Now just a short time ago, Romney responded to the critics who say he hasn't excited the conservative base.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FORMER GOV. MITT ROMNEY, R-MASS., PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I'm not willing to light my hair on fire to try and get support. I am who I am. And if I get selected, great. And if I don't, I can live with that, too.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: More carnage on the streets of Syria.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX (voice-over): An opposition group says at least 60 people have been killed already today. Speaking just a short time ago, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said she believes that Syrian president Bashar al-Assad could be tried for war crimes in the future.
Wounded French reporter Edith Bouvier has now been safely out of Syria. Confirmation coming just a short time ago, taken out. French president Nicolas Sarkozy saying that that happened. Bouvier was wounded in an attack that left two Western journalists dead in the besieged city of Homs. That happening last week.
British photographer Paul Conroy was also wounded in the attack. Activists smuggled him out of the country and into Lebanon earlier as well.
The cruise liner that caught fire in the Indian Ocean yesterday is getting a tow to Seychelles. More than a thousand passengers and crew on board. No injuries have been reported. Now the ship is the sister of the Costa Concordia, which was shipwrecked off the coast of Italy. That happened earlier in January, killing 21.
The Concordia survivor went to Washington to attend tomorrow's Congressional hearings on cruise ship safety and passenger rights.
KEIKO GUEST, COSTA CONCORDIA SURVIVOR: I think the laws need to be changed to protect our citizens. They need to do the drills before we even leave port -- that's major -- so that everybody knows what they're supposed to do.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: Now back to the Ohio school shooting. Two families are now mourning the loss of a child today. Three others are waiting by hospital beds, praying for their children to recover from gunshot wounds.
People everywhere are asking the question, why do things like this even happen? Can we do anything to stop it?
Wendy Walsh, she's joining us now. She's a psychologist. She's co-host of "The Doctors." Wendy, thank you for joining us. A lot of us are talking about this today. And we're asking ourselves the question, what can we do to prevent things like this the from happening in the first place?
WENDY WALSH, PH.D., "THE DOCTORS": Well, you know, if you saw "Bowling for Columbine," Michael Moore's documentary, there are so many factors that go into these kinds of school shootings. And as parents, what we really care about is how to protect our own kids and how to make sure that our kids, at least, never get into such an emotional trauma that they would consider some kind of violence.
I like the --
(CROSSTALK)
MALVEAUX: -- are there signs --
WALSH: There are always signs. And you have to be in communication with your kids on a regular basis.
Number one, parents, please, follow your kids on Twitter. Follow them on Facebook. See the comments of their peer groups. Get to know what they're doing. This is not snooping. Going in between their mattresses to pull out a diary, that's snooping.
But standing and -- if they're standing with a megaphone on a street giving a public announcement, if you ignore it, you're being a bad parent. So if 400,000 people are reading their tweets, you better be reading it.
MALVEAUX: And Wendy, what was interesting, I thought as well, the superintendent of schools said to the parents -- not to the kids, to the parents, he says don't text them, don't Facebook them, talk to them. Talk to your kids.
Are parents having a hard time doing that now in the age of social media, where they're not really sitting face-to-face, eye-to- eye, and actually talking about what's taking place in their lives?
WALSH: Not only are they having trouble talking to their kids, when they do get their kids face-to-face, they're talking and not listening. The way to connect and stay bonded with your teenager is to get involved with what they're involved in.
Read the books they're reading. Go to the movies they're going to. You don't have to be their best friend, you can still be their parent, but get into their headspace so you can really see the pressures on teenagers today.
MALVEAUX: How do you know if your child is getting ready to do something violent? If there are signs or they might be frustrated, but you don't necessarily suspect they're going to do something that is dangerous to themselves or others. Are there signs that your child is about to cross the line and do something like that?
WALSH: Well, I think all humans give signs that they're angry or they're depressed. They do it with a change in eating habits, with a change in sleeping habits, with the way they dress. If they're suddenly Emo and black head-to-toe, or they may be cutting and doing things that teenage -- negative behaviors in the ways that teenagers express themselves emotionally.
And I would say, don't think this is a phase and it will pass. You must attend to it. Your child is in crisis. Now, the vast majority of teenagers go through hormonal rushes and teenage depression and don't become violent. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't attend to them when they are expressing needs.
MALVEAUX: All right. Wendy Walsh, thank you so much. We really appreciate it.
It's primary day here in Arizona. Also, in Michigan, things really heating up. Santorum campaign has been robocalling Democratic voters in Michigan, asking them to come out and vote against Romney, which brings us to today's "Talk Back" question, is it wrong to vote for a candidate you don't support?
Carol Costello, she's got more. Carol, yes, a lot of people looking at this, thinking, wait a minute, is this really fair?
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's a strange question, isn't it? Vote your conscience or not, preferably not if you're a certain kind of Democrat in Michigan, the sneaky kind, the kind who will vote for someone whose ideals they cannot tolerate for their own greater good.
Joe DiSano is that kind of Democrat. A Democratic strategist, he has contacted nearly 50,000 Democratic voters, urging them to vote for Rick Santorum, someone whose views most Democrats vehemently oppose, as a way to beat Mitt Romney. Our own Dana Bash acquired DiSano's robocall.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE DISANO, POLITICAL STRATEGIST: Democrats can help embarrass Mitt Romney and expose him as the weak frontrunner that he is by supporting Rick Santorum on Tuesday.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Maybe it will work. In the 2000 Republican primary, Democrats came out in relatively substantial numbers to vote for John McCain in order to hobble then frontrunner George W. Bush, and McCain scored an upset. This year, Santorum is playing, too. He's released his own robocall, urging Reagan Democrats to vote for him.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Romney supported the bailouts for his Wall Street billionaire buddies, but opposed the auto bailouts. That was a slap in the face to every Michigan worker. And we're not going to let Romney get away with it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMNEY: There's a real effort to kidnap our primary process, and if we want Republicans to nominate the Republican who takes on Barack Obama, I need Republicans to get out and vote and say no to the dirty tricks of a desperate campaign.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: And hello, remember, Rick Santorum was also against the auto bailout. But political shenanigans aside, shouldn't we, the people, vote our conscience? Or is all fair in politics? So the "Talk Back" question of the day, is it wrong to vote for a candidate you do not support? facebook.com/carolcnn -- facebook.com/carolcnn. I'll read your comments later this hour.
MALVEAUX: All right. Thank you, Carol. Good to see you.
Here's a rundown of some of the stories we're covering over the next hour. First, he's under investigation for racial profiling. But Arizona's self-proclaimed toughest sheriff in America says, not true. We'll talk to Joe Arpaio about the claim, and the time that he arrested The King. Yes, I'm talking about Elvis.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: Why on earth did you lock up Elvis Presley?
SHERIFF JOE ARPAIO, ARIZONA: Well, let me put it -- I was single at the time, let's get that straight.
MALVEAUX: OK.
ARPAIO: So I saw the motorcycle driving by, 100 miles an hour, but a beautiful blonde was on the back, and naturally I was looking at the blonde, but not the -- but I didn't know it was Elvis. I took him to the station, I'm Elvis Presley, that was in 1957, when he was doing the Hawaii move. This guy's a good con guy. He conned me out of giving him a ticket, took him next door to fix his motorcycle and then he gave 12 Cadillacs to narcotic detectives.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: For the first time in NASCAR's history, they had to postpone the Daytona 500. There was then a bizarre fire that took place during the race. We're going to talk live with the winner.
And then the organization that prides itself on protecting abused animals is criticized for putting hundreds of animals to sleep. More on this PETA controversy.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(MUSIC PLAYING)
MALVEAUX: We're back here live in Arizona. The Arizona primary, taking a closer look at the primaries. The race for the White House, including what's on voters' minds. Like most places in the country, jobs, the economy, of course, everybody's thinking about it here.
Other issues like the foreclosure crisis, immigration, also front and center. CNN's Miguel Marquez, he is outside a polling place in Gilbert, Arizona.
Miguel, we've been talking to folks throughout the weekend, these last couple of days. Are people, first of all, showing up to the voting centers? Are they excited about what's happening today or is it a little bit lackluster?
MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's a little bit lackluster, but there's a steady stream of voters coming in. Keep in mind, Arizona does do early voting, so probably 50, 65, perhaps 75 percent of the votes have already been cast, and they just have to be counted now.
But we've been seeing, at this polling center in Gilbert, people coming in throughout the day. We're hearing from a lot of Ron Paul supporters out here, but also some Romney supporters, most strategic Romney supporters as well, people saying, well, he's the only guy who can really take on Barack Obama in the fall. Suzanne?
MALVEAUX: He had double digits lead two weeks ago, but that seems to be shrinking. Are people frustrated with him? Do they still feel like he's the guy who can beat Obama?
MARQUEZ: Yes, it's a bit of a shocker that it's shrunk so much. He was up by double digits, 20 points two weeks ago. And now it's depending on the polling, it's down to four or five points, which is amazing, because he has McCain's -- John McCain's endorsement here, the governor's endorsement here. He's able to run ads here.
He's the only candidate who's run ads in the state. He's Mormon. There's a lot of Mormons in the state and they do tend to get out and vote. So it's really, really surprising that it's come so close. And it's, you know, perhaps the case that, you know, Santorum and Ron Paul, if the voting today, there's a low voter turnout, it is possible that they could come fairly close to Romney.
And if he doesn't have a big spread at the end of the day, these smaller campaigns may look at that as real momentum going into Super Tuesday. Suzanne?
MALVEAUX: And Miguel, final question here, what's the one thing voters are telling you that's really important to them this time go- around?
MARQUEZ: Well, you would think in Arizona, it's all about immigration and the border, but it's not. It's the economy. And you don't have to drive very far in this state and around this town to see the strip malls and the stores shut and closed.
People want somebody who they believe can take care of the economy. They like Ron Paul, because he talks about small government and letting government get out of the way. They like Romney as well, because he's been a businessman before, and they think that he can actually do the job and step up and run the economy in a better way. Suzanne?
MALVEAUX: All right, Miguel, thanks. We'll come back to you shortly.
Well, he hit the road last night and didn't finish driving until early morning. Today's Daytona 500 winner is joining us next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: Voting centers have been open now for four hours here in Arizona. Whoever gets the most votes is going to get all 29 of the state's Republican delegates. Here Romney has the advantage, having placed second to Senator John McCain back in 2008.
But last time, Romney had the endorsement of one tough sheriff. That sheriff, Joe Arpaio, has turned his own platform into one of the hottest election issues this go-round. Like it or not, here in Arizona, Sheriff Joe Arpaio is a force essentially to be reckoned with. We spent some time together at the state fair.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: It's so very nice to meet you.
ARPAIO: Thank you.
MALVEAUX (voice-over) Sheriff Joe Arpaio, the self-proclaimed toughest sheriff in America.
MALVEAUX: Why don't you run for president?
ARPAIO: (INAUDIBLE)
MALVEAUX (voice-over): We found him selling pink underwear at a local art fair. He first made them famous when he forced inmates in Maricopa County to wear them, along with pink handcuffs. His tough stance on crime and illegal immigration has made him a kingmaker among the Republican candidates. Many have come to him to kiss the ring and win his coveted endorsement.
ARPAIO: There's Michele Bachmann, Herman Cain, and of course, Perry, I campaigned for him in Iowa, which I see a lot of Iowa people walking by. And Romney called me briefly.
MALVEAUX (voice-over): For now, Arpaio is being coy while he enjoys the attention.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Everybody's come to you, they need your support, they want your support. Are you going to give it before the Tuesday primary?
ARPAIO: No.
MALVEAUX: No?
ARPAIO: No.
MALVEAUX (voice-over): Not even a hint?
ARPAIO: No.
MALVEAUX (voice-over): It's hard to take two steps without someone approaching him with praise.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE).
MALVEAUX (voice-over): Arpaio's also known for banning movies, coffee, cigarettes and porn from his prisons, all in the name of saving taxpayers money, like the $20,000 he says he saved by cutting salt and pepper from his prisoners' diets.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Can I shake your hand?
ARPAIO: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You keep up the good work.
ARPAIO: Thank you.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm an immigrant and I did it the hard way and the right way.
MALVEAUX (voice-over): But it's Arpaio's tough stand on illegal immigration that has drawn a line in Arizona's desert sand. The Justice Department accuses him of racially profiling Latinos, making random stops, searches and arrests, and many Hispanics we talked to here agree.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They pull you over and you ask them, how can I help you? You know, what you doing? They say -- they start just asking for your ID and stuff and, yes, I've experienced it. And anybody that says that it doesn't happen, they're hypocrites or they just don't want to believe the truth.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Always stopping the Latino community or always going, targeting the low-income community.
MALVEAUX (voice-over): But the sheriff is standing his ground.
ARPAIO: I'm the sheriff. I'm going to enforce the law, those laws. If some people don't like it, go get another sheriff.
MALVEAUX: Speak to some of the Hispanics here who accuse you, who say I've been unfairly pulled over, I've been unfairly targeted by your office.
ARPAIO: These are isolated incidents. There's no systemic racial profiling. I know it and I want the Justice Department to prove it. Let them prove it.
MALVEAUX (voice-over): The issue is so hot and so divisive among voters here, even this Phoenix couple that's been together for eight years can't see eye-to-eye.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't think they're racial profiling.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I've been a victim of it, are you kidding?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I live by a Home Depot, and the illegals stand out there all the time with -- annoying as could be, they come up to your car, you kind of felt unsafe. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How can you look in a car and tell if somebody is illegal or not?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: CNN tonight, two more opportunities for the candidates to separate themselves from their Republican competition. Coverage of the Arizona and Michigan primaries beginning at 6:00 Eastern with a special edition of "JOHN KING U.S.A," followed by CNN's complete live coverage of results at 7:00 Eastern with Wolf Blitzer and the CNN political team.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Side by side with Kenseth, he rips (INAUDIBLE). Matt Kenseth wins the Daytona 500!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: Pretty amazing finish. Rain, fire could not stop my next guest from winning his second Daytona 500 in the wee hours of the morning -- Matt Kenseth. He is live in Daytona Beach, Florida, where, wow, I can't imagine, Matt, you got much sleep there. This is one of the most bizarre NASCAR races ever. You took the checkered flag this morning at, what, 1 o'clock in the morning?
MATT KENSETH, DAYTONA 500 WINNER: Yes. It was pretty late, so, yes, we waited a long time to get that 500, actually 505 miles in, with the overtime green light checkered. So that was a long couple of days down there to get that race in, but it was really exciting and entertaining, and, man, we just had such a great car. I was pretty proud to come out on top last night.
MALVEAUX: Matt, tell me about this, because this was like the first time, right, in Daytona history, that it was delayed, twice by rain, then you had this huge crash that happened. This is a sport, I know, that's known for speed, but you had to wait for a while. I mean, did it kind of affect your mind going into this, your strategy, just having to wait like that?
KENSETH: Well, it didn't really change our strategy too much, but, certainly, waiting all day was one thing. The biggest thing that was tough for me was we finally worked our way back toward the front, had a good pit stop, came out in the lead except for the guys that stayed out, and then had that crash under yellow and that fire and that two-hour delay.
So that two-hour delay with 50 laps or 40 laps left to go in the race was a tough one. Yes, that was a tough one to get over and get back in the car and get ready to go.
MALVEAUX: What was the most bizarre thing about that that happened yesterday?
KENSETH: I'm sorry? MALVEAUX: I was just asking you, you know, what was the -- what's your takeaway from what happened? I mean, it was just such a bizarre day, if you were to watch that. I mean, what really struck you about the day?
KENSETH: Well, the wreck with that fire was something that I haven't really seen before, with Juan's car breaking at exactly the wrong time and hitting that jet dryer and causing that big fire and that delay, but I thought NASCAR did a great job of getting all that cleaned up, you know, trying to get the race done as soon as they could and get all the miles in and all the stuff done.
So it was a -- like I said, It was a long three weeks, it was a crazy (INAUDIBLE) weeks that I was really entertaining -- there was a lot of stuff that went on. Thee was really competitive racing. There was a lot of wrecks throughout speed weeks, but overall, I thought it was a really competitive race.
Our best 5.4 was really fast. We were able to be in the right place at the right time at the end and able to pull it out. So it was a long day and it felt awful good to come out on top.
MALVEAUX: I'm sure it did. And we saw you guys, racing in prime time, instead of in the afternoon. Do you think we're going the see Monday night NASCAR anytime soon?
KENSETH: Yes, I think that would be pretty cool. You know, I always like watching Monday night football. A lot of people look forward to that. So I think the Monday night race was, I think, a great idea. They can see with the weather system that it wasn't going to be dry until a minimum of 5 o'clock anyway. So I think it was really great for the people at home.
I know it was tough on some of the fans that couldn't stay the extra day and stay the night to watch the races, but I think it was a great call by NASCAR to get it on prime-time Monday night. You know, it was too bad it got broke up in the middle of that with that fire and that delay, but it was -- I thought it was a great call, and it was pretty cool to race prime-time on Monday night.
MALVEAUX: Well, congratulations, Matt. And, obviously, a cool $1.5 million you walk away with as well. So you got any plans for that?
KENSETH: College funds.
MALVEAUX: College fund, very responsible. I didn't expect to hear you say that. All right. Well, Matt, thanks again, and congratulations. It was one hell of a race to watch. We really appreciate it.
Moving on to politics, Santorum asking Democrats to vote for him in Michigan. And Mitt Romney says that's a dirty trick. But Rick Santorum, he's standing by his decision. We'll have more on that after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: We're back, live from Phoenix, where it's primary day here across the state of Arizona. It's a chance for voters to have their say on the race for the Republican presidential nomination.
Also, here's a rundown of some of the stories we're working on next. He may be best known for forcing Arizona prisoners to wear pink underwear. Why the Republican candidates for president want Joe Arpaio's endorsement so badly.
Then PETA comes under fire for putting down hundreds of animals at its Virginia shelter.
And coming up in about 12 minutes, a planned concert by R&B singer, Erykah Badu canceled because officials didn't like her tattoo.
All right, what happens here in Arizona matters to the race in the White House, the primary is the shining, the spotlight on important issues. So we're talking about immigration as well as the growing Latino population.
Joining us to talk about Arizona primary presidential race, all good stuff, political scientist, Bruce Merrill. He's a senior research fellow at the Arizona State University. It's nice to have you back.
BRUCE MERRILL, ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY: Good to see you, Suzanne.
MALVEAUX: What are we looking at here, when you take a look at how Republicans are going to the voting centers today? Do we expect that it is going to be a Romney win?
MERRILL: Yes, we do. It would be really unusual at this point for Santorum to win. Largely, the only way he has a chance is if the turnout is exceptionally low. Then it's possible.
But Romney had a very strong early voting program. The election in Arizona is basically over. Most people voted by mail in the last 30 days. Very few people will leave and vote today.
MALVEAUX: So Rick Santorum really did not campaign hard here in Arizona. Was that big mistake on his part?
MERRILL: No, I think that's a really interesting question you asked. Did he make a mistake by not coming here? He'd closed with Romney from 20 percentage points down to being within two or three percentage points with 10 days to go. The question is, had he come here, spent some money here, could he have won?
The problem is, he also had to look at Michigan and Michigan is a winner-take-all primary. So I think he just kind of looked at the two and said, I don't have the time or money to go to both. I'm going to Michigan.
MALVEAUX: Talk a little bit about the role that Hispanic Latino voters are going to be playing in this election. This is almost 30 percent year in Arizona. Do we think it really is going to have a great impact, a critical role when it comes to the general election?
MERRILL: Not really. The tragedy in Arizona is in 15 to 20 years, a majority of the population will be Hispanic. But Hispanics traditionally have not voted. I do not expect that they will vote in very high percentages this election year either.
MALVEAUX: You don't think that because of the issue of immigration, illegal immigration, how hot it is. That Hispanics, Latino voters won't really participate in the process?
MERRILL: Not really. There'll be a little bit more participation. They did get active in recalling Senator Pierce, because that had implications for illegal immigration, but the highest correlation with voting turnout is education.
And as a group, Hispanics have very low levels of education. So they have the potential to control Arizona politics in the next 15 or 20 years. But right now, they're not a major force.
MALVEAUX: What about on the Democratic side?
MERRILL: Well, even on the Democratic side, there's very few Hispanic Republicans, although keep in mind that the Hispanic community is not a homogeneous community. There are many very conservative Hispanics. One of the fastest growing movements in the Hispanic community is joining Evangelical Christian churches.
MALVEAUX: That potentially could certainly help Santorum?
MERRILL: Well, not in this election, because it's all over in Arizona, but, yes, it certainly could because Evangelicals tend to be social conservatives.
If the Republicans were smart, I think they'd make a much bigger effort to appeal to the Hispanic community, particularly in the fall. Arizona is not in play right now for Clinton -- for Obama. But Clinton won here in his second term, and there's a lot of things going on in Arizona that could bring Arizona into play this fall.
MALVEAUX: All right. Professor Merrill, thank you so much for joining us again. We'll probably see you tomorrow.
MERRILL: Good. See you later. Thanks, Suzanne.
MALVEAUX: Thanks again.
We've been talking a lot about this today. The Santorum campaign has been robocalling Democratic voters in Michigan, asking them to come out and vote against Romney.
The Romney campaign says, that's a dirty trick. But Santorum, well, he's fighting back. Our Jim Acosta, so he finds himself in the middle of all this when he tries to talk to Santorum about it. Jim is joining us from Grand Rapids. Jim, tell us what happened.
JIM ACOSTA, CNN NATIONAL POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, it was very interesting, Suzanne. We tried to catch up with the former Pennsylvania senator inside of a diner just outside of Grand Rapids, where we're standing now to ask him about this robocall, why he went out and had this robocall recorded.
That basically calls on Democrats in this state to cross over in though primary and cast ballots for Rick Santorum, to send a message to Mitt Romney. Had a chance to catch up with the former Pennsylvania senator earlier this morning to ask him about it. Here's what he had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ACOSTA: Even though the Romney campaign says it was a dirty trick, what's your response to that?
RICK SANTORUM (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I see. So when he goes out and recruits 53 percent of the voters in New Hampshire and not Republicans, that's OK. When he goes out and recruits folks who aren't Republicans that's all right, who aren't going to be the decisive votes in the election.
But when I go out and have a message of growth and opportunity instead of running negative ads or running robocalls with my voice from four years ago, that's not a dirty trick? And I didn't complain about it. I don't complain. You know what, I'm a big guy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ACOSTA: So there you go. Rick Santorum saying he's a big guy, he can take the criticism on this robocall. And just to give you a little bit of context of what he was saying in that exchange, Suzanne, he was basically referring back to the fact that Mitt Romney attracted a lot of independent, perhaps some conservative Democratic voters in New Hampshire.
He talked about that there. He also talked about the fact that the Romney campaign is running a robocall here in Michigan that uses some of Rick Santorum's endorsement of Mitt Romney, back in 2008. They took some sound from an interview that Santorum did with Laura Ingraham.
They chopped it up, put it in a robo call, and now they're running that here in Michigan. So you have the Santorum accusing the Romney campaign of a cheap shot, and the Romney campaign accusing Santorum of a dirty trick.
No question about it, Suzanne, this race is becoming very personal as this race gets down to the wire here in Michigan.
MALVEAUX: Yes, it's getting nasty politics. All right, Jim, thank you so much.
R&B chart topper, Erykah Badu, she's banned from performing in Malaysia. Why a simple tattoo got her into so much trouble?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) MALVEAUX: Banned in Malaysia. So you're Erykah Badu, doesn't have to leave, but she can't get on stage either. Nischelle Turner is joining us live from L.A. Nischelle, I love Erykah Badu, what happened?
NISCHELLE TURNER, CNN SHOWBIZ CORRESPONDENT: Me too! I know. This is kind of crazy, Suzanne. Neo soul artist, Erykah Badu, she has been banned from performing in Malaysia after pictures circulated with what appeared to be a temporary tattoo of the Arab word for Allah across her upper torso.
Now Badu was scheduled to perform on Wednesday in Kuala Lumpur, but a Malaysian information minister tweeted that in light of the photos, the concert would breach Muslim religious sensitivities and cultural values.
Now performers are warned when they book concerts in Malaysia to be careful of local standards to dress modestly on stage. Erykah Badu was reportedly already in Malaysia for the show when the cancellation was announced.
We have reached out to her representatives for a reaction, but have not heard back just yet.
MALVEAUX: Is anybody suggesting, or is she suggesting maybe she would take that temporary tattoo off or she's going to stick with it? Do we know?
TURNER: You know, that's a good question. If it's temporary, it seems like maybe she could take it off. But you know Erykah Badu as well, Suzanne. She's kind of one of those stick to your guns kind of girls. So you never know what she's going to decide to do.
MALVEAUX: She certainly is. She's probably going to stick with that tattoo. Tell us a little bit about "Dancing with the Stars," right? They've got a new cast of characters that are going to be shaking their thing.
TURNER: Yes, shaking their thing, I love that. Yes, the big announcement came this morning, and it's a mixed bag. You've got big names. You've got some athletes. You've got some lesser-known stars as well. I'll give you the list. You ready?
Soap star Jack Wagner from "Bold and the Beautiful." He's on the list. Melissa Gilbert from "Little House on the Prairie." You got wide receiver Donald Driver from the Green Bay Packers. Telenovela star William Levy, remember he was in that video with Jennifer Lopez, very sexy.
Sherri Shepherd from "The View." She loves the show, she's been wanting to get on the show and she's on this season now. Opera singer Katherine Jenkins, Disney star Roshon Fegan. Jaleel White, remember Erkel and music legend, Ms. Gladys Knight.
She is there and Gladys is dancing with Trystan McManot, Suzanne. He danced with Nancy Grace last season. You know, Nancy made it far. MALVEAUX: And Gladys Knight, she can dance too. Next time, you and I. We'll be on the next cast of characters. You just wait and see.
TURNER: Gotcha.
MALVEAUX: All right, if you want to check out everything breaking in the entertainment world, check out "Showbiz Tonight," 11:00 Eastern on HLN.
PETA euthanized 95 percent of its animals in a Virginia shelter last year, most of them dogs and cats. Disturbing to many animal lovers. We've got a live report, up next.
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MALVEAUX: One of the most recognized animal rights groups in the world is accused of killing thousands of adoptable pets. PETA, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, is under fire for euthanizing almost all of the dogs and cats in its care. CNN's Sandra Endo joins us live from Washington.
Sandra, I don't understand this. Is it true that practically all the animals at PETA's headquarters were euthanized last year? How do they explain that?
SANDRA ENDO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Suzanne. Actually 95 percent of the animals in its Virginia shelter were euthanized last year. And the new numbers were posted, in the state of Virginia, and it shows that out of 2,050 animals processed in PETA's shelter, 1,965 of them were euthanized, 28 were adopted, 11 were reclaimed by owner, and 31 were transferred to other animal shelters.
Now, PETA is defending its practices, saying there's a reason why their kill rate is so high for last year. A spokesperson for the group says the animals, which were euthanized, were sick, injured, too aggressive and otherwise unadoptable. The group says there's a better way to stop so many youth euthanizations.
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DAPHNA NACHMINOVITCH, PETA SPOKESWOMAN: PETA's position is that the solution lies in prevention through spaying and neutering, which is why our spay/neuter clinics -- we actually have three spay/neuter clinics where we're based in Norfolk, Virginia, that go into impoverished areas and do free and low-cost spay/neuter and have sterilized nearly 80,000 dogs, cats and rabbits in the last 10 years, because we believe that the solution lies in prevention and that we won't see the end to euthanasia until we stem the flow of unwanted animals.
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ENDO: But these figures are troubling to the Center for Consumer Freedom, which is backed by some food and beverage companies. Have a listen.
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J. JUSTIN WILSON, CENTER FOR CONSUMER FREEDOM: And that's the real frustrating thing here is, PETA has a budget of over $30 million a year and yet they don't seem to spend enough money to keep the animals for more than 24 hours, let alone have open hours so that people can come in and see if they want to adopt the animals. And that's why I think people are so frustrated with what's going on here and especially the hypocrisy, considering that it is PETA, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.
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ENDO: Now, PETA fired back, saying these critics are the ones that are in the business of hurting animals, not protecting them.
Suzanne.
MALVEAUX: Has PETA always had this high a kill rate in the shelter in Virginia?
ENDO: Well, good question, because we went through the numbers from previous years and we found that PETA's kill rate wasn't as high as 95 percent in the past, but that's also because the state's reporting procedures changed in 2010. Still, we found that PETA performed roughly around 1,000 to 3,000 euthanizations each year.
Suzanne.
MALVEAUX: All right, thank you.
Today's "Talk Back" question, is it wrong to vote for a candidate you don't support? Richard says, "all is fair in love, war, and primaries." More of your responses up ahead.
POPPY HARLOW, CNNMONEY.COM: Time now for "The Help Desk," where we get answers to your financial questions. Joining me this hour, John Ulzheimer is the president of consumer education with smartcredit.com, Lynnette Khalfani-Cox is a personal finance author and founder of the financial advice blog askthemoneycoach.com.
Guys, thank you for being here.
John, first question for you comes from Beth in Michigan. Beth says she and her husband disagree over what to do with an extra $500 a month. They've got an emergency fund that will sustain them for about two and a half years. They contribute 20 percent to their retirement accounts and $5,000 a year to their kids' 529 plan for college. So they want to know if they should pay down their mortgage with that money or invest in the market.
JOHN ULZHEIMER, PRESIDENT OF CONSUMER EDUCATION, SMARTCREDIT.COM: I think they should split the difference. Because there's really no perfect way to place that $500. So, split the difference. Put $250 a month in the market, $250 a month towards the principle of the mortgage.
HARLOW: Right.
ULZHEIMER: And you're really winning in both situations. You're paying down probably pretty inexpensive debt and you're also putting money at risk but could grow at a much faster pace than whatever you're paying in interest on the mortgage.
HARLOW: Maybe a little more in the 529 plan, too. Possibly 5,000 a year. College is expensive.
ULZHEIMER: If there's -- yes, if there's any left that they can contribute.
HARLOW: Yes.
ULZHEIMER: I totally agree. Max that out.
HARLOW: All right, Lynnette, your question comes from Sandra in California. Sandra is married. She's a stay-at-home mom with a four- year-old son. She said her husband is disabled and works full-time. What kind of life insurance should they get?
LYNNETTE KHALFANI-COX, FOUNDER, ASKTHEMONEYCOACH.COM: They probably should buy a term life insurance policy. They have to get separate policies for each of them. And, frankly, a lot of stay-at-home moms don't even think that they need life insurance. So she's smart to be thinking about this.
The fact is, if something should happen to her, though, her husband, who's working, would have to pay a whole bunch of services and for a day care, a nanny, that kind of thing. So she really should look into life insurance for herself and for him. He might need a supplemental life insurance policy because he likely has one on the job. Insure.com is a place where they can go to comparison shop and find insurance, you know, options that meet their needs.
HARLOW: Yes. All right, thank you, guys, very much.
And if you've got a question you want answered, just send us an e-mail anytime to cnnhelpdesk@cnn.com.
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MALVEAUX: CNN is now confirming there has been a third death in the shooting at the high school in Chardon, Ohio. I want to go to Ted Rowlands, who is in Chardon, Ohio, for more on this.
Ted, obviously, very sad and disappointing news here. Of the five who were shot, now a third student has died?
TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Suzanne, this is the third student, Demetrius Hewlin, 16-year-old, died this morning, according to the hospital where he has been since yesterday when he was airlifted from his town in Chardon here to Cleveland. We did get a statement from his family. It says, "we are very saddened by the loss of our son and others in our Chardon community. Demetrius was a happy young man who loved life and his family and friends. We will miss him very much. But we're proud that he will be able to help others through organ donation. We ask that you respect our privacy during this very difficult time."
A very difficult time, indeed, Suzanne. As you mentioned, this is the third death of the five students that were wounded during the shooting yesterday. This is the third death now.
We are outside a juvenile court detention building where we will, in the next hour and a half, see for the first time T.J. Lane making his initial court appearance. He, of course, is the suspect here, accused of this rampage which has now killed three people here in Ohio.
Suzanne.
MALVEAUX: Ted, what can you tell us about this young man, this third student, who passed away this morning?
ROWLANDS: Well, he was in the group of students that was sitting in the cafeteria at the time that this shooting took place. According to somebody who saw the surveillance tape, and there is surveillance tape. I talked to the sheriff and the police chief just a few moments ago and they say that there is tape and it is very clear. Someone who has seen this tape talked to "The Cleveland Plain Dealer," and he says that these -- there were three young men, and these are the three young men that are all dead now -- there were three young men sitting in an area of the cafeteria, and the shooter in this case, T.J. Lane, on this video, comes into the cafeteria. He sits down at a separate table. And they -- apparently you can see him pull out a weapon from a backpack. And then he comes right over to that table and shoots at these three young men. And now these are the three that have died.
Suzanne.
MALVEAUX: All right, Ted, thank you very much. Obviously, we're going to have a lot more on this story later in the afternoon. That court appearance of the suspected gunman, as well as more information about those three students who have died from that Ohio school shooting. More after this break.
