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Survivors Sift Through the Rubble; Toddler Dies after Living through Tornado; Obama & Netanyahu to Meet Monday; CNN Hero Restores Coral Reefs; The State of Black America 2012: Less than 48 Hours to Super Tuesday

Aired March 04, 2012 - 19:00   ET

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

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Straight at the top of the hour here on CNN. You're in the CNN NEWSROOM. Thank you for joining us everyone. I am Don Lemon.

And we're going to begin with sad new developments in a story we have been following all weekend. Her story really captured hearts around the nation; a symbol of hope in the middle of so much destruction, but now little Angel Babcock has died. The toddler lost her entire family in one of the tornadoes that hit Indiana yet she was found alive in a field apparently thrown by the violent twister. But her hold on life was just too delicate. Her extended family was forced to take her off life support today.

CNN's Susan Candiotti is standing by for us in New Pecan, Indiana where she has been following the developments and has spoken exclusively to the man who found her. She's going to join us live here on CNN just moments away.

In the meantime, you know this has been a day of taking stock for victims of that deadly rash of tornadoes that hit 11 states. Many of them lost everything. The extreme weather now has claimed at least 39 lives in Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Alabama and Georgia. This is West Liberty, Kentucky you're looking at; one of the hardest hit communities. It seems that no corner of this small town was spared. Homes annihilated. Cars flipped over, trees plucked right out of the ground. And there are scenes like this all over the Midwest and South today.

The death toll from Friday's storms, well, it has risen to 21 in Kentucky, but despite extensive damage, we're hearing remarkable stories of survival. And CNN's Jim Spellman is in the hard hit town of West Liberty -- Jim.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JIM SPELLMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): On the outskirts of West Liberty, Kentucky, tornado survivors return home.

(on camera): This was your house right here.

ROSE MAY, TORNADO SURVIVOR: This was my house. Yes.

SPELLMAN: Where is the house now? MAY: It's across the street at the -- in the parking lot.

SPELLMAN: This -- this pile of rubble across the streets is your house?

MAY: Yes. Yes.

SPELLMAN (voice-over): Rose May said she had only moments to make it into her basement and rode out the storm in this corner.

(on camera): Can you believe that you're safe and sound?

MAY: I tell you, it was -- it was all rather quickly. It was so quick that you don't -- or I did not have a lot of time to think. But you think back on it and you think, wow. But I'm glad that my own little plan that they worked.

SPELLMAN (voice-over): Up the street, Doris Schek is picking through what's left of her house. She also sought shelter in her basement.

(on camera): So Doris you were right here when the storm came through?

DORIS SCHEK, TORNADO SURVIVOR: Yes. As you can see there are blocks that were just -- have fallen all around where my body was.

SPELLMAN (voice-over): She emerged to a scene of devastation.

SCHEK: And I could hear people crying and people asking for help. And there was people with small children already walking down the street trying to get help.

SPELLMAN: Both credit their faith for giving them strength.

SCHEK: I feel blessed. I feel like the Lord protected me and let me get out of it alive. And I'm thankful for that.

MAY: I did have strength from God that I could feel as I was walking down those basement steps and making my way to my corner. And it was ok.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: CNN's Jim Spellman reporting, thank you Jim.

And we want to get back now to Susan Candiotti and one Indiana family's really heart-wrenching story. Susan, we found out a short time ago that little Angel Babcock was taken off life support and now she has died.

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right. And she was surrounded by her extended family, of course, who loved her. As we all know by now, her parents were killed. They were only 21 and 20 years old. Also a two-year-old brother died as well as a two-month- old baby sister. So it is just a very sad case. And really Don as we all know about this family, everyone had been pulling for this little girl to survive that maybe it would have given them a glimmer of hope and sort of a symbol that something -- something that they could hang their hats on; something that would make this whole community feel good that at least this child would be able to go on even if she had lost the rest of her family; but now this very sad news.

And a lot of people -- the story had grown over the last few days that she had flown as many as ten miles away, but as it turns out, I'm standing in the debris field where, in fact, she and the rest of the members of her family had been blown out of a trailer. They had sought shelter with a neighbor who lived nearby. We spoke with the young man who rushed to this area after the tornado blew by to see whether he could find any survivors and that's when he found this entire family, including Angel. Here is what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANDY LANHAM, FOUND TODDLER IN FIELD: The man and woman was laying right here behind the saw mill. And all three of the kids was found right in this area.

CANDIOTTI: Right in the muddy field. And one of the babies was still in a car seat a baby seat?

LANHAM: Yes.

CANDIOTTIE: Were there any signs of life? Did you see the baby that is still alive?

LANHAM: The baby was still alive. The EMTs got here and took her and tried to work on her. And it was the last thing I know they put her in a helicopter.

CANDIOTTI: And where was Jason found?

LANHAM: Jason was just walking around here. He was kind of out of his mind. He was shook up. And they loaded him up in the ambulance.

CANDIOTTI: Yes, you knew these people. It just must break your heart. What can you tell us about the family that was killed?

LANHAM: They was good people. I mean, nobody deserved it, but I hate it. I don't know what to say. It's just -- it's devastating.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CANDIOTTI: Now the Jason that you were hearing about is Jason Miller. Jason Miller is the man who had taken in this family as that twister was approaching. And they lay down in his double wide trailer and they were all holding hands and praying according to his brothers. And then the twister came and -- and brought them aloft, sucked them up into the wind. And Jason alone was propelled he estimates maybe 50 feet in the air and he landed over by the saw mill, where I am now standing. Jason will recover from his injuries. He was informed of what happened to the family just yesterday. And Don, his family says that Jason feels very badly that he -- he did the best he could to try to protect all of them and now he will learn that Angel also didn't make it -- Don.

LEMON: Susan Candiotti, appreciate your reporting.

Meanwhile, funerals are being held for victims of Wednesday's tornadoes in Illinois. Six people from Harrisburg were killed in the storms. Hundreds of people from across southern Illinois gathered along streets in Harrisburg today to pay their respects. The EF-4 tornado demolished a neighborhood where all six victims lived.

Toeing the line -- President Obama stays loyal to Israel in its fight with Iran; he isn't ready for military action, but he made clear today that it is an option.

And Super Tuesday polls are opening in less than 48 hours. Will it clear to the path to the Republican presidential nomination or just prolong the battle. We're going to ask a man who has covered elections for more than 40 years -- legendary anchor man Dan Rather.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: President Obama told a pro-Israel lobbying group today that preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon is in the national security interest of both Israel and U.S. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu welcomed the President's remarks. The two men will meet tomorrow at the White House.

And CNN's Dan Lothian has a preview of that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAN LOTHIAN, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): President Obama talked tough on Iran and delivered reassurances to Israel when he addressed Sunday's meeting of the American-Israel Public Affairs Committee.

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Whenever an effort is made to delegitimize the state of Israel, my administration has opposed them. So there should not be a shred of doubt by now. When the chips are down, I have Israel's back.

LOTHIAN: With an election year backdrop for a high stakes meeting between President Obama and Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Iran's nuclear program and how to --

(REPEAT) President Obama talked tough on Iran and delivered reassurances to Israel when he addressed Sunday's meeting of the American-Israel Public Affairs Committee.

OBAMA: Whenever an effort is made to delegitimize the state of Israel my administration has opposed them. So there should not be a shred of doubt by now. When the chips are down, I have Israel's back. LOTHIAN: With an election year back draft for a high stakes meeting between President Obama and Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Iran's nuclear program and how to deal with a looming threat are fueling tensions.

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, PRIME MINISTER, ISRAEL: The warnings that I and others have been giving over the years will materialize unless Iran is stopped.

HAIM MALKA, CENTER FOR STRATEGIC AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES: We're heading into dangerous territory because the Israeli/U.S. partnership has already been under strain over the last couple of years.

Haim Malka, a Middle East expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies says while the U.S. and Israel share the same objectives, they don't always share the same strategy.

MALKA: The Obama Administration is going to try to convince the Israeli Prime Minister that he should give sanctions a bit more time to work while the Israeli government, the Israeli Prime Minister is going to try to convince the President that time is running out and that Iran needs to be confronted with explicit military threats.

LOTHIAN: The White House has insisted all options including military option remain on the table and while some critics may doubt the President's resolve, in a recent interview with the "Atlantic" magazine he said, quote, "As President of the United States, I don't bluff."

But there seems to be less clarity at least publicly about the red line that would prompt the use of U.S. military force against Iran.

JAY CARNEY, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: Speculation or -- about what we would do if this were to happen and what would trigger what response is not something I would do here from the podium and it's not productive to the success of our -- of our policy.

LOTHIAN: President Obama and Prime Minister Netanyahu have met eight times over the past three years. The stalled Mideast peace process is always a central focus, but the temperature is rising amid talk of a possible attack by Israel on nuclear sites in Iran.

(on camera): Even though the relationship between the President and the Prime Minister is often characterized as frosty or dysfunctional, the White House downplays their differences. The President said that the relationship is quote "very functional". And while he admitted that they aren't always aligned on every issue, he insisted they share the same goals.

Dan Lothian, CNN, the White House.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: All right Dan. Thanks very much.

Later this hour, we're going to speak with an expert about the sharp divide between Israel and the U.S. and what it could mean for how the allies confront Iran.

Up next: the state of black America as seen by the National Urban League. President Marc Morial joins me to talk about some important issues fundamental to every American. There he is we'll see him after the break.

Well first, I want to tell you about this. This week's "CNN Hero" has watched the beauty of the sea disappear. Now he is working to bring life back to an underwater world in crisis. Meet Ken Nedimyer.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KEN NEDIMYER, CNN HERO OF THE WEEK: I grew up diving in the Florida Keys. And it was just the most magical place. The coral reefs were so pretty and I decided that's what I wanted to do for a living is dive on coral reefs.

In an area where there's live coral, there's always more fish. Reefs provide protection for our coastal areas and recreational opportunities for millions of people.

I was diving for 40 years and over time, I saw those coral reefs start to die. Coral reefs worldwide are in decline. If coral reefs die completely, coastal communities would be bankrupt. Tourism would be virtually gone. A billion people in the world will be impacted.

I started thinking, how can we fix this problem?

My name is Ken Nedimyer. I grow, protect and restore coral reefs.

We have developed a system that's simple and something that we can train others to do.

We start with a piece of coral this big and we hang it on a tree. After about a year or two, it becomes this big. And then we cut the branches off and we do it again.

BILLY CAUSEY: Ken's coral nursery is one of the largest in the wider Caribbean. It's ten times larger than others there in existence.

NEDIMYER: In 2003 we originally planted six corals here but now there's over 3,000 grounding in this area alone.

Before, I felt helpless watching it die. Now I think there's hope. It's not too late. Everybody can help. I see all those corals and all those fish. It's like this whole reef is coming back to life and making a difference is exciting.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: The National Urban League this week unveils its annual report on the state of Black America -- the state of Black America. It will be released at a town hall at Howard University on Wednesday. But Urban League president Marc Morial joins me tonight with an early preview. Marc, thank you so much for joining us with this early preview. We kind of have, I would say, a bit of an exclusive here. It's good to see you.

MARC MORIAL, PRESIDENT, NATIONAL URBAN LEAGUE: Thanks Don.

(CROSSTALK)

LEMON: You know, this year's report focuses heavily on voting rights. And I want to read a quote from the executive summary right here. It says this year "defense of the right to vote remains critical as legislation that would require a government-issued photo ID, shorten voting hours, curtail early voting, and/or impose absurd penalties limiting the registration process is pending in 27 states."

So Marc, how serious is this problem? Are you worried about people being disenfranchised here?

MORIAL: We think that these laws could disenfranchise as many as five million people. And the important thing is that we have to defend democracy because it is only through voting that we'll have a seat at the table in the important discussions of our jobs, education and the future of this nation.

What you have seen is in 34 states, you've seen proposals to restrict voting. This is an explosion of these sorts of laws. Seven states have actually enacted such proposals. And all Americans should be greatly concerned because it's none other than an attack on democracy.

LEMON: Well, here's the question though. I've heard it from many people who say who doesn't have a photo I.D. these days? What's wrong with showing a photo I.D. when you go to the polling place? How is that voter suppression?

MORIAL: I wish it was that simple. One in ten Americans do not have the type of photo ID that these laws contemplate. One in four people of color do not have the kind of ID that these laws contemplate.

(CROSSTALK)

LEMON: So the effort being there -- to get them those IDs?

The idea is that what is the reason for requiring an I.D. to exercise this most important right when we have had a history in this nation of not requiring IDs? Indeed before 2011, only two states required the type of IDs that these laws contemplate. So we've had an explosion and one can only think that there's something driving this.

We think it's an effort to depress the vote, to suppress the vote. That's not what American democracy is about. We should be expanding the right to vote, making it easier for people to participate because that's what this nation is all about.

LEMON: I noticed Marc that one of your essays in the report invokes Jim Crow and that's pretty inflammatory language. Are these voting reform laws really that extreme you think? MORIAL: I think they may be a modern-day version of Jim Crow that we call James Crow. Because the large number of new laws -- remember these are new laws -- a whole basket of proposals that have emerged since 2010, which would have the effect of making it more difficult for people of color, students, and many senior citizens from being able to participate in democracy.

What is behind it is really a smoke screen. A smoke screen that somehow these laws are needed to protect against voter fraud when there's really no evidence that voters commit voter fraud on a widespread basis. So it's important to confront the argument being made by the proponents which I think is specious and none other than a political smokescreen.

LEMON: Hey, Marc, I want to ask you about this while I have you here -- the presidential race coming up in 2012. And there has been some consternation in some places, people saying, you know President Obama won't have as much of the black vote as he did last time. Turnout is not going to be as high as it was in 2008 and that's a problem. Do you think he's going to command the turnout he got in 2008?

MORIAL: I think turnout is going to be high. I think as issue is joined (ph) as this race becomes, if you will, mano a mano, I think that the interest by people across the board, particularly people in urban communities who have been really hit hard by this recession, is going to grow. Too much is at stake. The future of the Supreme Court, what happens to our schools, what happens on jobs will be at stake.

So I believe there's going to be a high turnout. We are going to do what we can on a non-partisan basis to encourage people to occupy the vote in 2012.

LEMON: Marc Morial, we're going to look to the National Urban League's unveiling of the State of Black America on Wednesday. Of course, he is the president. We will see you then on Wednesday with the final results. Thank you, sir.

Ten primaries and caucuses all in the same day -- that's why we call it Super Tuesday. But even if one of the candidates sweeps them all, this race could be far from over. We're going to talk about the impact of Super Tuesday with the man right there -- news legend Dan Rather.

Don't go anywhere.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: All right, everybody. Pay attention.

This is going to be -- he's always very outspoken because we're going to talk to Dan Rather soon. We're less than 48 hours away from Super Tuesday. One of the biggest battles of the primary season contest and ten states all at once, 419 delegates at stake -- the biggest single day of voting in the Republican race for president. And you know this man is going to be monitoring the results very closely. He's covered Super Tuesday -- what, how long -- decades now, right Dan?

DAN RATHER, HDNET ANCHOR, "DAN RATHER REPORTS": Right. Thank you, Don.

LEMON: Yes. Thank you. So listen -- there he is legendary anchor man Dan Rather. I always enjoy my conversations with you. He's covering Super Tuesday for HDNet where he has his own show. It's called "Dan Rather Reports".

So Dan, you've been doing this 40 years, I'm being told. So what do you think -- Super Tuesday is important. Do you think it's even more important now because there is no one particular candidate for the GOP?

RATHER: Well, it is very important. Just do the math. You said ten states, more than 400 delegate votes at stake. The question remains, as it has been through most of the primary and caucus season, can anybody stop Mitt Romney? I think it's important to note as you did just a few minutes ago Don, that this doesn't mean even if Mitt Romney should do extremely well on Tuesday night, which he could do, it will not mean that the nominating process is over -- far from it.

I still believe this will go at least deep into May and maybe right through the early part of June. It may not be settled until they get to the nominating convention in August.

But this is the context in which this Super Tuesday is being held. Mitt Romney has come from behind in the polls to draw at least even in Ohio, which is the crown jewel of these ten states. If he also -- if he can also do well in Tennessee, a southern state, demonstrate he can do reasonably well in a southern state, he will not have (INAUDIBLE) the nomination, but he will have taken a major step.

Here's what to look for. More than 400 delegate votes are at stake. If any candidate takes four or five of the ten, that candidate will be presumed -- will be called the winner of the day. For Mitt Romney, if he gets say 170 or 175 to 205 to 210 of those votes, this will be a giant step forward for him.

On the other hand, if he doesn't, it's going to raise even more questions about is this really the guy we Republicans want to go to the well with against Obama in November?

The most important point, it is a key voting time with ten states and more than 400 delegates at risk -- at stake. But it will not be decisive. Not yet and I think not for awhile.

LEMON: I want to ask you, follow up more on what you're saying. And my original question, we hear a lot in the media about how long and grueling this race is compared to past years. Is that true? I mean tap into your memory banks, is that true? Is it really unusual to see so much uncertainty this late in the primary season? RATHER: Well, it's not unprecedented. It is unusual. 1988 when you had a lot of candidates in both parties running was up and down. Of course, we had the last presidential time around with Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. But to have this many candidates and to have things this unclear at this late date is unusual.

I don't subscribe to the idea, Don, that in the end this will necessarily be hurtful for the Republicans. Mitt Romney is a much better candidate today than when he started out in Iowa. I'm not saying he's a good or bad candidate -- I'm saying he's a whole lot better than he was.

And to go through what 20 debates, all of these states, super Tuesday, have it shrink it down, the Republican candidate will be tough to beat in November. I know there's a school of thought that says listen Obama is going to walk in November. Anybody who thinks that I think is dreaming. Particularly, Mitt Romney as the Republican nominee, this is going to be a tough, close race. It's a race President Obama could lose.

LEMON: Speaking of may or could very well possibly affect the GOP come November, Rush Limbaugh's comments about contraception and a law student who testified in front of a democratic committee last week. I want to get your thoughts on that. I'm sure you have some very strong thoughts on it. We'll do it with Dan Rather right after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: We're continuing our conversation with renowned HD anchor, HD Net anchor, Dan Rather. Dan we have to talk about the firestorm over Rush Limbaugh and his comments. I just want to remind our viewers what he said about an activist who testified in favor of President Obama's plan to make insurance companies provide birth control for women who work in religiously affiliated institutions. Here's a bit of it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RUSH LIMBAUGH: What does it say about the college coed (INAUDIBLE) who goes before a congressional committee and says that she must be paid to have sex. What does that make her? It makes her a slut. Right? It makes her a prostitute. She wants to be paid to have sex.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Now, there are ladies in the room. Every time we do it, you can't believe it, right? That was Wednesday. He trashed her again Thursday and Friday, Dan. But yesterday, he released a statement apologizing. It reads in part, "My choice of words was not the best and in an attempt to be humorous, I created a national stir. I sincerely apologize to Ms. Fluke for the insulting word choices." And before that, he said "It was a joke. He didn't realize that he was going to cause such consternation." And then he said what are we going to be doing next?" Taking questions about, should people get tennis shoes, should people pay for tennis shoes, or people who want to be fit? College students. You know, it's never meant to be a personal attack, that's what he said but it doesn't get more personal than calling somebody a slut, right?

RATHER: No. Let's talk straight and let's talk sense to the American people. Let's talk straight to one another. This was outrageous, unconscionable . It's exactly the kind of talk we don't need in this country, particularly at this time. This is not a liberal or conservative or Republican or democratic issue. This is not the kind of thing we need in our political discourse. We talk about needing more civility. There's nothing civil about this at all. He wasn't joking. It was very clear he wasn't joking. Don't misunderstand me. We all make mistakes. He acknowledged he made a mistake.

Frankly, as a personal opinion, I would like it better if he had called the young woman and at least, called her and not go to see her and apologize to her in person. But let's take the wide shot (INAUDIBLE) on television. Number one, I think we can all agree - I think every decent person would agree that nobody on the radio should be calling a political opponent what Rush Limbaugh called this young woman. That's out of bounds. Now from a political standpoint, this was very hurtful for the Republican Party. It was hurtful for Rush Limbaugh. I have no doubt that he's very sorry he said it.

LEMON: Should Romney have come out strongly against those comments? He hasn't said anything.

RATHER: That's true. And I think his timidity is an indication of how much he sees himself as trying to play defense. I'm not excusing it at all, and I do think he's made a mistake. This is the kind of thing that any decent person, any person aspiring to the presidency should be able to deal with directly, straight forwardly saying, candidly saying "No, this is not right." But for Mitt Romney's standpoint, if he loses the nomination, right now he's the odds on favorite to win the nomination, but if he loses the nomination, it may be because he just plays too timid. How many times have you seen, Don, a basketball team or a football team try to sit on a lead and try to say, we got a lead, we're just going to hold back and play defense for awhile.

I think that's where Mitt Romney is. But I want to make it clear. No excuse for anybody in political life, not saying "I disassociate myself with these remarks." This is not the kind of talk we need. Now, if the Republicans lose in November, which I have said to you I think they have a very good chance to win, but if they lose in November, this may be one we look back on the landmark times. Because you can already see that independents who were swinging a little towards the Republicans very recently have started to swing back. And this is not going to help the Republican Party with independents and particularly women.

LEMON: Yes.

RATHER: I have yet to meet a woman who said, "Listen, I agree with what Rush Limbaugh said." It's got to hurt them. It may not be a fatal political hurt but it will hurt them.

LEMON: I want to move on and talk about something my prior guest and I spoke about. And that is the state of black America coming up on Wednesday. (INAUDIBLE) from the Urban League spoke with me and I talked to him about voter suppression he said and he said that's what they were going to try to work on. I said you would be hard pressed to find someone these days who doesn't have a photo ID. He disagreed with me. What do you think?

RATHER: I think it's not all that difficult to find people who don't have a photo ID particularly people whatever their racial or demographic status who lived in very poor neighborhood, economically disadvantaged. Many of them do not have photo I.D.s., driver's licenses most common photo ID. There are college students who should have photo I.D.s who don't carry it with them.

I recognize that honest people can differ in their opinions about this, but we need to get as many people qualified voters to the polls as possible. We already have too low a percentage of people who go to the polls in November. And these efforts to say, well, "You need to have this. You need to have that." Up to a point, that makes sense. But beyond a certain point, they don't make sense. And to answer your question, there are quite a few people who do not have photo I.D.s for one reason or another.

LEMON: Dan Rather, you call it like it is. Always enjoy speaking to you. I'm sure I'll be seeing a lot more of you leading up to the election in November. Appreciate it. Dan Rather, HD Net and "Dan Rather Reports."

And a quick reminder to our viewers, CNN super Tuesday coverage begins at 6:00 p.m. eastern with a special edition of "John King USA." That's followed by complete live coverage of the results at 7:00 with Wolf Blitzer, Aaron Burnett, Anderson Cooper, Candy Crowley, John King and more.

President Obama and Israel's prime minister talked as if they were on the same page today, but do the two leaders really agree about how to handle Iran? Ahead, we'll ask an expert and see what it could mean for the nuclear standoff.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Listening to President Obama today you might think Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should be satisfied. The president said all options are on the table for preventing Iran from getting a nuclear weapon, but it's what he didn't say that has Israel worried, namely that his policy wasn't about containment of a nuclear Iran. And for more, we're joined now from Washington by Trita Parsi. He's the president of the Iranian-American Council and he's the author of "Single Roll of the Dice: Obama's Diplomacy with Iran.

Trita Parsi, thank you for joining us. Always a pleasure to talk to you.

TRITA PARSI, PRESIDENT, THE NATIONAL IRANIAN AMERICAN COUNCIL: Thank you for having me. Like wise.

LEMON: Do the two sides really disagree about how to handle Iran? PARSI: There actually is quite a severe disagreement. And I think you hinted at it in the beginning of your presentation there. Because from the American side, a red line has been put that Iran should not get a nuclear weapon. And the speech that the president gave today made that further clear, I think.

The Israeli red line, and the one that they wish the United States would adopt, the same one that the Bush administration actually did adopt, is that Iran should not have a nuclear capability. A very vague term that's really quite badly defined. And the Obama administration and the president himself today did not even mention nuclear capability in his speech today.

LEMON: Yes, all right. So let's drill down more then. What's the disconnect? Why is Israel so certain Iran is close to a weapon if the U.S. isn't certain?

PARSI: It's not necessarily that they are more certain about it is that they feel if the line is put at a much earlier stage, it would give them more of a breathing space, more security. But also, it would avoid a scenario that I think the Israelis are quite concerned about, which is that the United States would negotiate with Iranians, get a diplomatic compromise, and that compromise would meet the American red line but not the Israeli red line.

So they would feel somewhat abandoned in that situation. That is part of what's fueling concern right now.

LEMON: OK. So is that what Prime Minister Netanyahu wants from President Obama, to acknowledge at least the possibility of a nuclear weapon and is he going to get it?

PARSI: Well, I think the U.S. position and the U.S. military's position is that the Israeli red line essentially is a fast track towards an unnecessary and disastrous war. A war that would not only create further problems for the United States and the region as a whole, but also most likely would ensure that Iran down the road would get a nuclear weapon. And that's why there's such a significant pushback right now.

LEMON: Will Israel, you think, launch a preemptive strike? Even without a green light from the president, Trita?

PARSI: There's a lot of concern about that in D.C. and they're certainly a lot of concern about that in the White House. I personally don't believe that to be very likely. However, the reason why it is increasing in likelihood right now is not because of any particular developments in Iran as much as it is about the U.S. political schedule. The fact that in an election year, the political cost for the Israelis to do something that the president would be so against is much less precisely because of the elections. And that may create a situation in which Netanyahu would be tempted to do this.

LEMON: You know, you took - I wanted to talk to you about that. It's a followup on this. In an election year, an attack could reek havoc on oil prices. How much do you think of a consideration is that to President Obama? If at all?

PARSI: I think it's a tremendous consideration. And in fact, he mentioned it in his speech at APAC today. Kind of throwing it back at those who may be pushing for war, reminding them that this would lead to a tremendous disruption on the global energy markets. It would probably undo the recovery, the global recovery and it would make it much more difficult for Americans to be able find to find jobs because with higher oil prices, you're going to get higher gas prices.

With higher gas prices, you're going to see job creation in this country starting to decline once again. And that's the last thing a sitting president would want to see.

LEMON: Trita Parsi, thank you. Always a pleasure.

PARSI: Thank you for having me.

LEMON: All righty.

Apple is ready to drop a big gadget announcement this week. A lot of people are saying it will be the iPad 3 and it will be better, faster, stronger. But our tech reporter, Katie Linendoll, says she thinks there may be another big announcement. What? I'm going to talk with Katie, next.

But first, choosing the right kindergarten program for your child can be overwhelming. So what criteria should parents look for in choosing a school? CNN education contributor Steve Perry has some answers in tonight's "Perry's Principles."

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MICHAEL ALBINO, GEORGIA RESIDENT: Hi, Dr. Perry. My son is two and a half years old and my wife and I are starting to look into kindergarten programs. What sort of criteria should we consider besides cost, hours, when we're looking at these schools?

STEVE PERRY, CNN EDUCATION CONTRIBUTOR: The most important thing I can say to you, Michael, you as a shopper, you as someone who is looking for a school must understand first what you want before you go looking at schools. Meaning that if you want a school that teaches very traditional setting, if you want a Montessori or you want some sort of hybrid of that, then you have to decide what works best for you.

One of the biggest mistakes that parents make is you decide on a school for reasons other than they fit your family's academic needs. If you're looking for a criteria other than cost and hours, I think you want to look at the quality of academic experience. I think you should want especially for a kindergarten program for your child to know how to read. They should be able to read simple words. And have some understanding of meaning of those words. They should be able to do simple math. They should be able to know their colors and begin to write to some degree.

If you understand that, then you'll have a really good understanding of the type of school you want for your child.

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LEMON: So did you get your big invite to the big Apple event? That's OK, neither did I. Now the invite you're looking at, right now, there it is. Well, it has people in the tech world all riled up. But, what are we looking at here? If it's an iPad, where's the home button? Hmm. What is that? Katie Linendoll is going this big Apple event this Wednesday. What do you think it is that they're going to unveil? I mean they're really enticing us there, you know, setting us up.

KATIE LINENDOLL, TECH REPORTER: Yes, they are enticing us. And I think first thing first. We're obviously probably going to see that iPad 3. And I kind of consider this equivalent to an iPhone 4, to a 4s. A few bumps up, but nothing too crazy. Also, I hate to be a downer right off the stop, I don't think we see that seven-inch form factor. No mini iPad released this time around, but you get to see my guesses.

We're going to see a retina display, doubling the resolution from the iPad 2. Also a faster processor. Apple always makes things faster on their latest versions. Better cameras, up to an eight megapixel camera, 4G capability, going to be faster and faster downloads, and Siri integration is another guess of mine. Anything moving forward on the Apple albeit an iPhone 5 or iPad 3 will probably play nicely with Siri, Don.

LEMON: You know, you remember how I would go out and buy like every single Apple product as soon as it came out, I still have the original iPad, I still have an iPhone 4 without Siri, so I'm kind of, you know, I'm waiting. I'm going to wait a little bit. So but you're hinting that we might see something else that they're going to unveil, another product on Wednesday. What is it?

LINENDOLL: Yes, so here's the deal. When they put out those invites, whatever the verbiage is on the invite is an indication, a little mystery, of what we're going to see. And obviously, per that invite, it looks like we're going to see two products, one the iPad 3, but probably also an AppleTV.

Here's the deal. In places that are pretty big, like Best Buy, AppleTVs are pretty much out of stock, completely sold out. They're also pretty much sold out across the web. So we could see that next generation. But my fingers are very crossed that we actually see a glimmer of that full-on Apple television set that is rumored to be out come fall. I think that would be a huge bonus and I don't think we see that, but my fingers are crossed.

LEMON: You know I will be buying one, right? Now that I'm on board with. So, all right, let's move on now. Because this is very exciting. You enjoy this every single year. Next weekend, south by southwest, they're going to take over Austin, Texas, and at its core, a music festival, but tech has been blowing up there for the past few years. What's going to be hot there this year, Katie Linendoll? LINENDOLL: Yes, a lot of people always ask me about south by southwest. Here's the deal. Three festivals in one. There's a film festival, a music festival, and then this ever-growing tech presence at an interactive festival, which kicks off the whole thing. So every year, what happens is there's tech panels and tech speakers, a lot of tech parties. But really what you're gunning for if you're a start-up going down there, you want to be that breakout star company.

In 2007, it was Twitter. 2009, it was Facebook. 2011, the most popular thing were group messaging apps like Group Me. This year, it's all about what's called People Discovery Apps, Don. And the app getting the most attention so far is actually Highlight. And this is pretty interesting. I downloaded this over the weekend.

Highlight is an app, once you install it, it will let you know what any of your friends - it's activated by your Facebook profile, it will actually let you know when they're actually nearby. So I actually ran into Laurie Segall, who is CNN Money's tech reporter this weekend. It said, "Hey, she's a block away, you have seven mutual friends and showed our mutual interests. It showed that we had CNN in common and how crazy that our phones could actually indicate that we were nearby each other. So I struck up a conversation with her, we set up time to grab coffee. Highlight, a really interesting app connecting people that are nearby with each other. Do you think it's creepy, Don? I don't know.

LEMON: I was just going to say, that's a little bit creepy. A little bit creepy. You're so hyped about south by southwest, I can't - I know you're going to be there and enjoying it.

LINENDOLL: Yes.

LEMON: Katie Linendoll, much appreciate it.

LINENDOLL: Thank you.

LEMON: All right. A big-time scare for passengers landing at Detroit's airport. A wing of their plane hit a shuttle bus, knocking the vehicle over. Details next.

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LEMON: Let's check the headlines right now.

The death toll is up to at least 39 in those violent storms in the midwest and in the south. It now includes little Angel Babcock, the toddler who was found alive in a field after a tornado killed her whole family. She was taken off life-support today at a Kentucky hospital.

President Barack Obama meets Monday at the White House with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Earlier today, the president told a pro-Israel lobbying group that preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon is in the national security interests of both Israel and the U.S.. In the president's words, all elements of American power remain an option to stop Iran from becoming a nuclear state. That includes, he said, a military effort to be prepared for any contingency.

In Carlsbad, New Mexico, fire officials say the search for a four- year-old boy has transitioned from rescue to recovery. Samuel Jones went missing yesterday evening. It was initially thought he'd been abducted. Now it's believed he fell into a hole near his home. The narrow hole is 30 feet deep, and officials don't believe he survived the fall. Crews are currently working to get to the boy. A mine rescue team is assisting in that operation.

At Detroit's Metropolitan Airport, an arriving Delta jet hit a parked shuttle bus. This is video from inside the plane. One of the wings clipped the bus on the runway, knocking it over. Luckily, no one was inside and none of the 145 passengers on the plane was hurt. Always wear your seat belt, even when you land. There's a message, right there.

I'm Don Lemon at the CNN world headquarters in Atlanta. See you back here at 10:00 p.m. Eastern. In the meantime, "CNN PRESENTS" begins right now.