Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Newsroom
Huge Solar Storm Hitting Earth; Explosion, Defection Rock Syria; Initial Jobless Claims Jump; Gingrich Changes Campaign Plans; Calls for Limbaugh to be Dropped; Stocks to Rally on Greek Debt Deal; Palin Movie Makes Its DC Debut; Chevy Volt Becomes Political Football; Indy Loses its Hero; Cupcake Machine
Aired March 08, 2012 - 09:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: It is the stuff science fiction movies are made of and it's real and unbelievably scary, fascinating, and possibly inconvenient. A huge solar storm, the largest in five years, is racing towards the earth at four million miles per hour. And all that stuff is expected to -- expected to hit the earth today.
CNN meteorologist Rob Marciano loves this stuff. So, Rob, should we take cover?
ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: There's no need to take cover but there may be some minor inconveniences over the next 12 to potentially 24 hours.
Now we've been talking about the sun here for a good couple of months because we're entering the cycle or part of an 11-year cycle where we're in the solar maximum. So the next 18 to 24 months really we're going to see a lot of this stuff. And what do we mean by that? A lot of this stuff. Black areas on the sun. Sun spots. A lot of geomagnetic energy there. These are -- these are areas that throw out solar flares. And we love looking at these puppies. This stuff coming to us. This is as measured in the x-ray part of the wavelengths. And that just looks cool.
So this is the solar flare that happened a day and a half ago. You see it kind of bubbling up and then boom. There it goes. All those x-rays and radio wavelengths immediately get to the earth. So the radio blackout happened about 1.5 days ago. But it also emits this coronal mass of plasma that's highly charged stuff. And that eventually gets to the earth as well. And when it does so, boy, we start to see some things happen. Typically just the -- to the northern lights.
But when it's this strong, this is an X class flare, so when it's this strong we have some other things that we need to worry about. All right. Let's go over them. First of all, the radio blackout. That already happened. So ignore that. Power grid issues. We could see that happen. This is the strongest one we've seen since 2006. And we had some minor problems back then.
GPS and satellite interruptions. So that could mean, you know, in your car, if you're just looking at your smartphone. That could be interrupted as well. And the positive here is brilliant auroras. Also planes that travel high altitudes, they get a little bit of that x-ray as well. So they -- if you're at high latitudes, I should say, planes will fly a little bit different course so that people inside aren't getting all kind of zapped. Same thing with astronauts. The positive here is --
COSTELLO: Yes, let's talk positive.
MARCIANO: When we get these coronal mass ejections, the solar wind, so to speak, which is by the way is not like what you feel on the earth, but it does affect satellites. And some of the satellites, the junks that we have out there, were lower in altitude and burn up in the atmosphere. Now we haven't seen that happen -- we didn't see that happen much the last time. We have a lot of junk up there.
And we need to get rid of it. So sometimes the solar flares help push some of that junk down to the atmosphere and let it burn up and go bye-bye. So that's the positive spin I have on all this.
COSTELLO: OK. So two quick questions. How long will it last? And do we need to wear sunglasses?
MARCIANO: You know, it's peaking -- it's happening right now. Don't need to wear sunglasses nor -- and don't wear (INAUDIBLE) anytime. But you know we could have, I suppose, you know, some surges in the power grid. So just keep your candles handy and a map handy as well in case GPS goes out.
COSTELLO: Yes, good old-fashioned map.
MARCIANO: Yes. All right.
COSTELLO: Rob, thank you.
MARCIANO: OK. You bet.
COSTELLO: Now we turn our attention to Iran and growing concerns at secretly developing nuclear weapons. New satellite images show Iran may be carting away evidence from a suspected nuclear site. Now you're going to see it in a minute. This is the Parchin military base.
Today world leaders are calling for more talks. But patience may be running out for Iran's archenemy. Israel is considering military action and one U.S. senator, after with the Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, fears the U.S. ally is ready to strike.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. DIANE FEINSTEIN (D), CALIFORNIA: I believe that Israel will attack. I believe that it is important that diplomacy be given an opportunity. Israel believes they are prepared to handle it. Now what happens after an attack is another story.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Feinstein says Netanyahu told her Israeli leaders have not yet made a final decision. When CNN asked the prime minister if he -- if a decision had been made, he declined to answer that question.
In the meantime, in Syria, more explosions rocking that country today. A high-ranking government official defects and joins the revolution. And in Washington, one Republican senator wants the U.S. airstrikes to help topple the regime.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), ARIZONA: We intervened in Bosnia. We intervened in Kosovo because people were being massacred. That is part of the president's stated national security policy. We need to act and we need to act with other nations who will join us in this cause.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Opposition activists say government forces killed at least 10 people today. As always, we cannot verify that number because the government bans most foreign reporting.
Nic Robertson is monitoring the situation from Beirut, Lebanon.
And, Nic, what can you tell us about this defection?
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's a senior defection. It's no doubt going to embolden, if you will, the activists and give them a feeling that they are, perhaps, beginning to chip away at the sort of central state structure that's unlikely. The deputy oil minister unlikely to be able -- unlikely himself to really sort of ring changes with the regime.
But it is an indication that people are pulling away from this regime. Government, senior government people. Now he said that he's defected to join the revolution but he said at the same time he recognizes that this could cost him very highly. He said that his home will probably be burned. That his family back in Damascus will probably be harassed. But he has decided it's an end for the regime and the start of associating himself with the opposition. For the opposition that is a good mood -- Carol.
COSTELLO: So we also know the head of the U.N.'s Emergency Relief Services has met with top government officials. Can you tell us anything about that meeting?
ROBERTSON: The only thing that we know that was reported from that meeting between Valerie Amos, the U.N. humanitarian chief, and the foreign minister was that he had told us she could go wherever she wanted in the country. And we've already found out now that she's been denied access to opposition areas in the city of Homs. So she hasn't had full access. But the most telling thing is normally when you have two senior figures like that meeting, there's often a joint press conference afterwards where there are points that they've agreed upon would be announced publicly.
There has been no press conference and I think that is the biggest insight we can get into what's being discussed, that there is, frankly, very little or no agreement at all between the two sides. But she is pressing for humanitarian access and to find out what's going on in the country. Has she been able to meet the -- anyone from the opposition? That really remains the biggest question. No details on that yet so far -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Nic Robertson reporting live for us from Beirut, Lebanon.
CNN Sunday night at 8:00 Eastern, Syrians are under attack by their own government and the victims caught in the chaos are desperate to be heard and helped. Learn what it's like to be trapped in terror for "72 Hours Under Fire." That's "CNN PRESENTS" Sunday night at 8:00 eastern.
Just 30 minutes ago we found out more people are filing for unemployment benefits. That's not so great news. The government just released the latest figures, and here are some specifics for you.
The number of people filing for first-time unemployment benefits went up to 362,000 last week. That's an increase of 8,000. So what does it mean?
Let's go to Christine Romans. And, Christine, lately the numbers haven't been so bad so what do these latest numbers tell us?
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Well, they tell us that the people who lined up for the first time for jobless benefits last week, it was more than we've seen any week for about a month, but it's still near four-year lows so that's good. Any time you have this number below 400,000 it shows a labor market that's healing.
And, Carol, it's numbers like these that are probably way more important to what's happening out in the political arena than any kind of polls we're taking right now. Because everyone wants to know when jobs are coming back. And tomorrow we get the big February jobs report. It's a short month that's expected to show 210,000 jobs created in that little short month. And when you look at private sector jobs creation, a survey of economists by CNNMoney.com shows they expect 225,000 private sector jobs. So that's really important to see the private sector continuing to grow.
We keep digging in within these numbers, though, right? Where are the jobs growing? They're growing in the service sector. They're growing at lower-wage jobs and the big important manufacturing jobs we've been losing for 20 years now. We'll be digging in to see where that jobs growth is coming from. But it looks like slow and steady jobs growth. You still have futures higher this morning.
COSTELLO: All right. Christine Romans, live from New York. Thanks.
ROMANS: You're welcome.
COSTELLO: Newt Gingrich is turning away from Kansas focusing instead on a big battle in the south. Our political editor Paul Steinhauser joins us live from Washington.
So, Paul, explain. PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN POLITICAL EDITOR: It's all about Alabama and Mississippi, Carol. I think that's the headline here. Newt Gingrich originally was going to campaign in Kansas. They have a caucus on Saturday but he -- he's going to concentrate all his efforts now on Alabama and Mississippi.
And it seems the other candidates are as well. Today you're going to have Gingrich, Santorum, and Romney in those two states because they have primaries on Tuesday. And that's where a lot of these candidates are now putting their emphasis.
What about the delegate count? Because, Carol, this is a battle for delegates, right? The hunt for the nomination. Take a look at this. Here are the latest numbers right now. And you can see Mitt Romney pretty far ahead, 429 delegates. Way ahead of Rick Santorum, Newt Gingrich, or Ron Paul. But remember, 1,144, that's the amount needed. So everybody is still a long way away.
The Romney campaign suggesting to the other guys, hey, you really don't have a mathematical chance of clinching the nomination. So maybe you guys should drop out. The Santorum campaign saying, well, thanks, but no thanks, Romney campaign. I think we're going to stay in.
You know what is interesting as well though is an independent group that is backing Santorum yesterday urged Gingrich to drop out of the race. But Rick Santorum himself says, no, I'm not going to do that. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RICK SANTORUM (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I don't want him to get out. If he wants to get out, I'm all for him getting out. But I'm all for Mitt Romney -- I'm for everybody getting out. I wish President Obama would just hand me the thing, but that's -- but that's not going to happen. So the idea is let folks decide, you know, what they think is best, as what -- what's best for getting a conservative, someone who's going to put this country on the right track, elected to president. That's my objective. That's why I'm running. That's why I'm still in this race.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
STEINHAUSER: I love that. Well, I'm not asking him to get out. Heck no. But if they want to get out, sure, fine.
Well, Carol, nobody is getting out right now. Let's see what happens after -- on Tuesday. If Gingrich does not do well in Mississippi or Alabama. But as of today, they're all in -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Paul Steinhauser, live from Washington.
We'll have another political update for you in the next hour. And a reminder, for all the latest political news go to our Web site, CNNPolitics.com. A powerful Democratic senator wants Rush Limbaugh to suffer even more consequences for calling a college student a slut. More on that story ahead.
And you've never heard of a child support case like this one. A man is being forced to pay for kids his ex-wife had without his permission. We'll explain next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Checking stories "Cross Country" now.
It looked like a scene from the wild, wild west. When a gunfight erupted outside an Oklahoma courthouse. It all started with a man shooting indiscriminately into the air. Police were called in and it became a full shootout when the man waved his gun at deputies. In the end the alleged shooter, a bystander, and a sheriff's deputy were wounded.
In Massachusetts a court says a man has to pay child support for twin girls born to his wife through in vitro fertilization. He has to pay even though he and his wife split up years before the kids were conceived. The court said the father was responsible because his actions, quote, "resulted in the creation of a child."
A train carrying chemicals crashed in Abbeville, South Carolina, this morning. Witnesses said it may involved as many as 20 rail cars. Hazardous materials teams are on the scene. Not yet known what chemicals are inside those cars.
It is the controversy that just will not die. Rush Limbaugh's show has been bleeding advertisers over Limbaugh's use of the word slut to describe a Georgetown law student. And now a U.S. lawmaker, a Democrat, is calling for the Armed Forces Networks' comments to be -- I'm sorry, the Armed Forces Networks to drop Limbaugh's radio show.
The Obama administration is already under pressure from online activists to drop Limbaugh from the military air waves. But so far, the Pentagon is not budging. If our troops want to listen to Limbaugh, they should be able to do so.
Ashleigh Banfield is here to tell us what Senator Carl Levin had to say, who, by the way, is chairman of the Armed Services Committee.
Hey, Ashleigh.
ASHLEIGH BANFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Very good point. Hey, Carol. And, of course, you know, he may be the Democrat from Michigan, but he's is also a very powerful chairman of that very powerful committee. And so, when he speaks, people listen.
But how much is he speaking I think is what a lot of people are asking? Is this an edict or is this a request? Have a listen for yourself.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP) SEN. CARL LEVIN (D), MICHIGAN: I would not try to legislate it. I would hope that the people who run it would see just how offensive this is and drop it on their own volition.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
BANFIELD: All right. So that's pretty critical. This is a request. This is something that is obviously getting a lot of traction because, Carol, there are between 10,000 and 20,000 women -- excuse me, 10 and 20 percent of the armed services are actually women, and while some people are saying this is much ado about nothing. The Armed Services Network broadcasts to a variety of different viewpoints including Ed Schultz who everybody knows on MSNBC, he used the slut word as well, and actually took some time off because of it.
So, the Armed Forces Network is saying there's a variety of view points. And while some say this is much ado about nothing, but others are saying women in the network or women in the armed forces will have a different viewpoint particularly because there has been a real crisis with regard to sex crimes in the armed forces, too.
So I think a lot of people are chewing over this a little differently than just who's saying what and who has a different viewpoint. I think there's a bigger issue afoot here as well.
COSTELLO: Well, I heard what Senator Levin said about, you know, he doesn't want to legislate, you know, the Armed Forces radio from eliminating the Rush Limbaugh show, but he could affect the funding of the Armed Forces Network, couldn't he?
BANFIELD: Very good point. I think a lot of people forget that the Armed Forces Network is 100 percent taxpayer funded and there's a lot of funding that goes to that network as well. This is a network that broadcasts overseas to the troops commercial-free. And we pay the bill for that. It's $27 million annually.
And I think to that end there's an organization VoteVets.org which got together and decided to put together a petition asking for the show to be taken off the air. They had 12,000 signatures, I think, in three days of putting that online petition together.
But, listen, also, don't forget the marketplace has also affected Rush Limbaugh as well, too. I think at the last count, and I'm going to quote this from a liberal advocacy group -- so take what you will out of that -- Media Matters said 45 different local and national advertisers have pulled off spots from Rush Limbaugh's show.
So who knows if Rush Limbaugh will be on wavers (ph) Imus style and this will not be an issue for the Armed Forces Network, or whether, you know, legislators will have to deal with this a little bit more than just with what Carl Levin said.
COSTELLO: As they say, we'll see. Ashleigh Banfield, thank you.
BANFIELD: Congratulations on the new show.
COSTELLO: Thanks so much. And same to you by the way.
BANFIELD: Thank you.
COSTELLO: See you later.
You gripe and the feds listen. The Consumer Product Safety Commission putting out the top ten consumer complaints. We will have them for you right after a break.
Plus, Queen Elizabeth and her granddaughter in law get ready to hit the road. They're celebrating the diamond jubilee in the U.K. Poor Prince Harry had to go to the Caribbean. More on that, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Refrigerator doors that fall off, dish washers that catch on fire. These are just some of the safety complaints people have made over the past year.
Alison Kosik is at the New York Stock Exchange with the list of the top ones. I guess more of the tops ones.
What do we complain about the most though, Alison?
ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Well, we seem to complain the most about things that are in the kitchen, Carol. And that's kind of understandable. You know, there are a lot of gadgets in there. A lot of stuff can malfunction.
You know what people complain about the most? Appliances -- stoves, dish washers, refrigerators, followed by baby equipment, toys, and then shoes.
Shoes, you ask? Yes, I wondered about shoes as well. Some are actually easy to fall in. In fact, kids' shoes sometimes have these decorations on them that can fall off and become a choking hazard.
Now, these complaints are actually sent to the Consumer Product Safety Commission. There's a reason for this list of whines, because the CPSC looks for patterns, and patterns in how many problems are being called in. And some of these complaints actually lead to full-on recalls.
Did you know that the CPSC actually gets about 600 complaints a month? Carol, people getting that annoyed where they call in or write in saying, I don't like this appliance, I don't like this pair of shoes.
COSTELLO: So then, what does the CDC do? Does it investigate?
KOSIK: They investigate. They collect everything and they really notice if there are patterns. If there seems to be a pattern that, let's say there's a safety hazard like I said about the decoration falling off the shoe, perhaps the shoes would be recalled.
COSTELLO: Excellent.
OK. Let's talk about the markets because they're not so great this morning.
KOSIK: Actually, no. They're actually doing pretty well. Futures are pulling off their premarket highs. But the Dow is in the plus column.
The focus today, Carol, is really going to be on Greece more than the U.S. economy because there's an important deadline. Investors who hold Greek bonds have until today to agree to take a loss on them. And if they agree, that would mean that Greece will owe investors less money.
And reports are that most bondholders at this point are on board. And because of that, it could clear the way for Greece to get its second bailout. So you're seeing buyers jump into the market today as we see the market really making its way back from that 200 point selloff that we saw on Tuesday -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Alison Kosik at the New York Stock Exchange.
The HBO movie version of Sarah Palin makes its debut in Washington, D.C., tonight. Some say it doesn't portray her in a very flattering light. And you might be surprised who is coming to her defense.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Checking our top stories now.
The House plans to vote today on a bill that stream lines small business investment. The jobs act marks a rare agreement between the Obama administration and House Republicans.
Toyota is recalling 680,000 vehicles for two separate problems. The biggest recall involves airbags. From 2005 to 2009 Tacoma trucks. The other is for faulty brake lights in some sedans and crossovers.
And if you have a problem with your GPS over the next few days, blame the sun. A solar flare is hitting the earth and could cause problems with electronics.
"Game Change" will make its Washington debut tonight. And no doubt, the movie will play to a packed house. Just don't expect many in attendance to be Republicans.
The HBO film is about the McCain-Palin run for the White House in 2008. Is it a true to life account or is it propaganda?
Here's Cindy McCain, Senator John McCain's wife.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CINDY MCCAIN, SEN. MCCAIN'S WIFE: Sarah Palin is a remarkable individual. Whether you agree or disagree, she has served our country loyally. She has been a good stalwart for many, many years. I think any depiction of any woman particularly that is unfair in that way is just -- it's wrong.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: CNN contributor Will Cain and Democratic strategist Robert Zimmerman are here to talk about "Game Change" and more.
Robert, I know you saw the movie. I saw the movie in Atlanta. It kind of seemed one sided to me. It's not exactly "All The President's Men".
Let's show a bit of the trailer before we talk about it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm not sure how much she knows about foreign policy.
JULIANNE MOORE, ACTRESS (as Sarah Palin): You can actually see Russia from land here in Alaska.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, my God. What have we done?
MOORE: It wasn't my fault. I wasn't properly prepped.
I miss my baby, I'm sleeping with my baby.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She's on the verge of a complete nervous breakdown.
MOORE: They tell me what to say, what to wear, how to talk.
I am not your puppet.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Will, I promise we will get to you, but I'd like to talk to Robert first since he's actually seen the film.
WILL CAIN, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Sure.
COSTELLO: Robert, I saw the film with a roomful of Democrats, frankly. They had to be because they laughed smugly through most of the movie. You're a Democrat. What did you think?
ROBERT ZIMMERMAN, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Well, look, Carol, I'm not above laughing smugly, I'll grant you that. There are times, sure I did. And I'm not -- I shook my head in disappointment or disgust with Sarah Palin's hubris and the McCain campaign's cynicism.
But I have to tell you, I was really -- I walked out of that screening with a lot of very sophisticated and cynical New Yorkers with a sense of sympathy for Sarah Palin. Out of respect to how she rose for the occasion even though she wasn't prepared for the position.
So, I think there are a lot of things that Sarah Palin's fans can appreciate. Let's remember, this is not an Oliver Stone fiction. It's not a Michael Moore lecture or rant. This is based upon a book by two brilliant journalists, Mark Halperin and John Heilemann. And HBO has produced brilliant documentary dramas like the Adams family certainly or "From the Earth to the Moon", for that matter, "Recount". So that's really -- this is a brilliant piece of theater based upon serious history from the actual staffers.
COSTELLO: Will, some Republicans are saying a lot of people who had a hand in this movie gave money to Democratic candidates and Democratic causes? Does that make a difference?
CAIN: Yes. It muddies the water.
As you said, Carol, I'm the only one who hasn't seen the movie. So, I can't speak specifically to that. But I can say the waters are always muddied around Sarah Palin. It's emotional -- whether you're for or against her.
So, you know, you're always viewing any kind of drama or anything about Sarah Palin with some kind of skeptical eye.
I will watch this movie. I am interested but I will be skeptical. You know, it's just the way Sarah Palin's world has evolved. You don't expect a sense of fairness.
That's what we ask for in our media. I don't think you can ask media for a lack of bias. I'll be honest -- bias is there for everyone. All you can ask for is fairness. Give your side's point of view put forward and give your opposite, your opponent's side put forward. I don't know how you do that in a two-hour movie.
ZIMMERMAN: I think the way it was done here was they actually go to the actual sources who are on the ground. Steve Schmidt who managed John McCain's campaign, Nicolle Wallace and her husband Mark who worked very hard, who worked with Sarah Palin, tried to work with her and prep her for these debates.
So, if there's controversy, it's not because it's about Democrats or Republicans, it's because the people who worked with her and worked on the campaign are giving testimony to what transpired there.
COSTELLO: Although Robert, I will say that we didn't see many of Sarah Palin's political players around her. No politicians from Alaska were depicted. None of Sarah Palin's aides that came with her from Alaska are actually in the movie, if they are, they don't say anything.
So, in that sense to me, it seems sort of unfair.
ZIMMERMAN: Well, I think that's a very important point you're bringing up, Carol. You really do see it from the campaign staff. But, of course, they as well don't always look particularly good. I mean, the cynical approach of choosing her because she was a woman and they felt she was a game changer, if you will, versus vetting her properly to see if she was equipped to do the job. It doesn't paint the McCain staff in a particularly flattering light as well for that reason.
But, nonetheless, it does show what the staffers who were engaged with the campaign are saying.
COSTELLO: And, Will, one last question to you. There's a competing Sarah Palin movie out. I'm not sure that people will flock to see that one, but when you look at these types of movies that are out these days, is it good for America? Does America learn anything about American politics?
CAIN: I think your question's fascinating. I can't say what's good for America. I can say what's good for me. And you just characterized it very well. Do you learn anything?
The truth is I'm skeptical that you would learn anything from two camps that basically are putting out senses of propaganda, some essence of propaganda. I don't particularly like political books, books put out by political strategists because I sense that I'm getting something, you know, strictly spun to me.
So, no, it's not good for me. I don't know whether that means it's good for America. I'll choose to read something else.
COSTELLO: Will Cain, Robert Zimmerman, thanks for joining us this morning. We appreciate it.
ZIMMERMAN: Thank you.
CAIN: Thanks.
COSTELLO: The campaign trail gets a bit rocky for the man known as Joe the plumber. Just two days after winning a congressional primary, the Ohio Republican took offense actually during an interview on CNN. He balked at being asked to defend his earlier statements about homosexuality such as refusing to let his children be around gay people or denying the word queer is a slur.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SAMUEL WURZELBACHER, JOE THE PLUMBER: Listen, in my dictionary, in everyone's dictionary from the 1970s the word queer did mean strange and unusual. There was no slur to it. Do you challenge that?
ZORAIDA SAMBOLIN, CNN ANCHOR: No. I'm questioning whether or not you still stand by these positions on homosexuality --
(CROSSTALK)
WURZELBACHER: I'm trying to get where you're coming from. What context are you using this?
SAMBOLIN: The context that I'm using it --
WURZELBACHER: You're trying to do a gotcha moment. It's quite obvious.
SAMBOLIN: No, it's not a gotcha moment. These are things that you said. And I think people who are voting for you will have an opportunity to understand whether or not you have changed your positions on these two issues here.
WURZELBACHER: Well, I tell you what? I have spoke with Jimmy LaSalvia over at GOProud and that I'm in agreement that I'm going to work towards all-Americans, homosexual, straight. They want jobs. That's what it comes down to. I'm allowed to have my opinions as an American, but it seems the left becomes very intolerant when you have an opinion other than what they state.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Samuel Wurzelbacher first gained fame during the 2008 presidential race when he questioned Barack Obama on his tax policies and how they would affect his plumbing business. Joe the plumber faces a Democratic challenger in the November general election. And no, he is not in the HBO movie.
The Chevy Volt was supposed to be Detroit's answer to Toyota's Prius and other hybrid cars. But have you noticed the people getting the most mileage out the Volt are politicians? Yes, we're talking about political mileage. We'll ask a car expert if it's fair.
Plus, Queen Elizabeth and her granddaughter-in-law get to hit the road while Prince Harry wraps up his trip to the Caribbean. More on all our favorite royals, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: It's about time for Prince Harry to pack up the sun block and leave Jamaica. He's been there helping to celebrate his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth's 60-year rein.
Max Foster joins us from Montego Bay.
And, Max, the prince found time to cut loose and be an everyday kind of tourist, didn't he?
MAX FOSTER, CNN ROYAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, he did try, Carol. I'll have to say. But he went out to try to have a look around one of the towns here. Got absolutely mobbed and the whole meet and greet of some people there had to be cancelled, that's such a response, he's actually taken this island by storm, the whole Caribbean by storm really.
But he did get a chance to go to a beach party and relax a bit with some performances. I was over there, too, had a nice conversation with him. He's clearly thrilled with how it's all going. And when you look at the pike tires, you can see why. The royal family are pretty thrilled with this so far.
COSTELLO: I'm kind of embarrassed I want to know the answer to this next question. I did hear that Harry is getting some advice from his big brother. What was it?
FOSTER: Well, it's interesting. One of the palace aides told one of the newspaper reporters here that actually William's been phoning and texting Harry giving him advice, particularly advice on how to mix the informality that is Prince Harry with representing the queen, the formality there. So, he's been advising him all the way along we're told throughout the tour, perhaps a contribution really to the success of the tour.
COSTELLO: In the meantime, Kate and the queen are stepping out for the jubilee too. They probably need -- actually, they probably need a lot less sun block, don't they?
FOSTER: Yes. Absolutely. The weather's not quite the same in the U.K. and the queen there in her coat and Catherine with her. This is bringing Catherine on board for the start of the U.K. tour. So the queen is doing a U.K. tour. Harry's part of the international tour. William and Catherine will also be taking an international tour to Asia later in the year.
But this was a really successful visit so far. It's still going on. And they went to the university actually. One of the students designed a shoe for Kate. They all have to design shoes. They chose a particular shoe.
One girl is already speaking to clothing companies and shoe manufacturers about getting a patent on that, because anything that Kate wears sells out immediately. There's one student making shoes for her currently. He's very pleased indeed. The shoes are going to be delivered to Clarence House we understand in a couple of months.
COSTELLO: Well, good for her. Congratulations on that.
Max Foster, reporting live from Jamaica.
The Chevy Volt, it's like a political football on wheels. President Obama is a Volt fan but production has been suspended and his critics have grabbed that football and taken off for the end zone. We'll ask a car expert if the criticism is fair.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: President Obama now wants even bigger tax breaks for people who buy alternative energy cars. Maybe that would persuade more people to buy, oh, the gas electric Chevy Volt. It was Motor Trend's car of the year last year and it's European car of the year this year.
But General Motors has halted production. People aren't buying enough of the cars. The $40,000 price tag is an issue, but the Volt might have another problem as well, a political one. President Obama has been a big cheerleader. He even said he'd buy one when he leaves office.
But Republicans have gotten lots of political mileage out of it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NEWT GINGRICH (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I have a message for President Obama: you cannot get a gun rack in a Volt.
(APPLAUSE) (END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: And the head of the Republican National Committee tweeted, "The halt of the Volt" with #ObamaonEmpty.
So, let's talk with Edward Niedermeyer. He's editor at large with TheTruthAboutCars.com.
Welcome.
EDWARD NIEDERMEYER, EDITOR-AT-LARGE, THETRUTHABOUTCARS.COM: Hi, Carol. Thanks for having me.
COSTELLO: First of all, how did the Volt become so political?
NIEDERMEYER: Well, I think it started with the bailout. The timing was really bad in the sense that it just came out right at the time of the bailout and I think it's always kind of been associated with the bailout because of that.
COSTELLO: How has that hurt sales or has it?
NIEDERMEYER: Well, obviously, it gives it a political angle. It makes it a political symbol. I think now the bailout aspect is less important. I think now it's more a symbol of Obama's green energy program.
COSTELLO: And it's just odd because I understand the political implications from the Republican side. But it is kind of strange that Republicans are in a way rooting against General Motors, a great American company, right, and the workers who make the Volt who are now like on temporary layoff.
NIEDERMEYER: Yes. And I think the problem with this -- I don't think it's so much the rooting against the workers or the factories or anything like that. I think that for them the issue is that here you have -- you know you have development subsidies to develop these cars and the technology behind them. You have subsidies for production and you have subsidies for consumption.
You know all three of these angles are being paid for in some way by the government and yet there's still no market for these vehicles. And I think that's frustrating and probably rightly so.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Ok. Let's talk about the Volt itself because it's had its share of bad publicity you know with the fire thing and all. And then it was later declared safe but the damage was done. So when you look at the Volt -- and I'm sure you've driven it -- what do you think of the car?
NIEDERMEYER: It's a -- it's a great car. It's amazing piece of technology. I think that it's definitely not for everyone. I think it's one of those cars that, you know, for certain people it's great and I think that GM just overestimated the market for this and is paying the price.
COSTELLO: So what's your prediction?
NIEDERMEYER: I think we'll see it steadily climb up. I think it's going to be stuck in a relatively niche volume compared to the larger market. I don't think we're going see it selling on the Prius level for a few more years.
But I think that eventually General Motors will come out with a new version where they'll reduce the price and possibly offer more range or performance. And I think that slowly but surely the technology will evolve and eventually it will catch on.
Edward Niedermeyer, thanks so much. We appreciate it.
NIEDERMEYER: Thank you.
COSTELLO: Quarterback Peyton Manning leaves Indianapolis and goes to Miami. But Dolphins fans don't get too excited, at least not yet. We'll explain in sports. That's just eight minutes away.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: This morning on "Health for Her," some new research shows women who use estrogen alone as hormone replacement therapy after menopause had a lower risk of developing breast cancer. The reduced risk lasts up to five years after they stop taking the hormone. This research was a follow up to a landmark study that began back in 1993 that looked at the risk of two hormone and one hormone therapy after menopause.
We're following lots of developments in the next hour of the CNN NEWSROOM. Let's check in first with Jason Carroll.
JASON CARROLL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hey there Carol, you know noted director James Cameron is trying to go to the earth's final frontier. Where is it located? 36,000 feet deep and I'm going to tell you all about it coming up at the top of the hour.
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol. I'm Christine Romans also in New York. And I'm looking into the jobs situation. Tomorrow is the really big important February jobs report, probably more important than any poll in the political arena right now. I'll tell you what we're expecting at the top of the hour.
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: I'm Barbara Starr at the Pentagon. Iran says it's going to let inspectors back in to look at a secret site. But does that mean any of us should be less concerned that Iran's trying to make a nuclear bomb? We'll have details at the top of the next hour.
COSTELLO: All right thanks to all of you.
Plus we've seen Rush Limbaugh get slammed for calling a college student a "slut". We've seen his advertisers bail. But comedian Bill Maher uses similar and at times worse language without the backlash. Is there a double standard going on here? We'll talk about that in the next hour. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Well, it's time for my favorite part of the show, sports. So Miami already got Lebron. Are they going to get Peyton too?
JEFF FISCHEL, ANCHOR, HLN SPORTS: I don't know if he's going to hold a big show like "the decision" or anything like that but it very well could be that we might see him on South Beach too. It might not be the big celebration Lebron had, but ESPN says a dozen NFL teams have already approached Peyton Manning's reps after the Colts released him yesterday.
Manning headed to Miami right after the emotional farewell in Indy. There were new shoppers like tracking him, going through Miami. It was crazy he actually had to stop in a church parking lot just to answer some questions.
There's speculation the Dolphins in Miami will make the move for the first time free agent. Manning does have a home in South Florida and works out there with another former Colt Reggie Wayne. As for his health, Manning says no worries.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PEYTON MANNING, NFL FREE AGENT, QUARTERBACK: My neck is fine. My neck is fine. Doctors have cleared me. That's been a relief to me. And I continue to work hard. The best part about it is being out there throwing again.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FISCHEL: Carol, I know you'll be talking about Colts fans, dealing with Peyton's loss, right? Coming up next hour, more on this.
COSTELLO: There was one -- that was an emotional press conference, don't you think?
FISCHEL: As exciting as everyone is in Miami about him coming down there, certainly in Indianapolis, it's almost like mourning right now. Right? I mean the city -- they love him, and he's been there for 14 years.
COSTELLO: And he obviously loves them.
FISCHEL: Right. Right. Clearly, he did not want to go. Now he's got to move on and think about what comes next.
COSTELLO: He's a classy guy though.
FISCHEL: Yes. NBA: Bulls and Bucks, they go down to the wire. Chicago has the MVP Derrick Rose, and he breaks the Bucks hearts at the buzzer. Buries it for the win. Mobbed by teammates. Even lots of fans in Milwaukee loved seeing that one. Rose scored 30 in the Bulls' win.
Ok. Now, see, this is what happens sometimes when you get excited. High school hoops announcer Brian Snow is becoming a viral video star. A warning, Snow is not subtle.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRIAN SNOW, SPORTS ANNOUNER: Finds Oden. Oden slips back to Mac. McIntosh on the drive to the corner. Out. Three Williams. Yes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FISCHEL: That's his call as Chicago's Marist High School pulls out a regional final win last week. But he's not done. Listen.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SNOW: Oh, no. Watch out. Woo hoo. Woo hoo.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FISCHEL: That was last night. It happened again. The team came back again. I mean this guy is becoming a viral star because he screams at the top of -- it's like ear piercing, but it's fantastic.
COSTELLO: He's fun, though.
FISCHEL: I know. This guy loves his team. Marist, give credit to them, they are still going to the Illinois State basketball championships.
COSTELLO: That's awesome. That's really awesome.
We're going to talk about March Madness because, of course, we must.
FISCHEL: It's that time of year. Three more teams made it last night going to NCAA bids. What have we got? Montana, Lehigh, and LIU Brooklyn. So slowly but surely, we're seeing the field of 68 fill up.
COSTELLO: Selection Sunday is just three days away. We want you to join, all of you out there -- where is this camera? All of you out there, we want you to join our bracket contest because I'll be filling out a bracket, as will you, Jeff, right?
FISCHEL: I will. I will.
COSTELLO: And you can compete against us and beat us.
FISCHEL: Carol has so much knowledge. She's going to put me away.
COSTELLO: Not in college basketball, I don't. Baseball, football, yes, but thank you, Jeff.
F1: Ok.
COSTELLO: A cupcake craving in the middle of the night used to mean you had to wait until the next day, but not anymore. Here's CNN's Jeanne Moos.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It may look like an ATM, but when's the last time you saw someone this tickled at a cash machine. Who needs cash when all you need is a credit card at the Cupcake ATM. Each one comes in a box.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm so excited. It smells good just standing here.
MOOS: That's because it's located at Sprinkles Cupcake Bakery in Beverly Hills. Sprinkles is so famous for its mouth-watering cupcakes that they were paired with champagne in the series "Entourage".
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Roc crystal and Sprinkles cupcakes, your favorite.
MOOS: And now you can get them out of a machine.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is awesome. 24 hours you can have cupcakes.
MOOS: Just choose your favorite, say red velvet or dark chocolate.
VINEET CHAPLOT, DIRECTOR OF IT, SPRINKLES: We are actually stocking it continuously throughout the day with fresh cupcakes, day and night.
MOOS: The owner of Sprinkles, Candace Nelson, happens to be a judge on the Food Network show "Cupcake Wars". She dreamed up the idea of a cupcake ATM after having late night cupcake cravings while pregnant. It's definitely a novelty.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm videotaping with my camera.
MOOS: They hope to eventually open cupcake ATMs at all ten Sprinkles nationwide in places like New York and Washington.
(on camera): Now, it's one thing for, say, a coke to pop out of a vending machine, but a cupcake, it needs tender loving care.
(voice-over): The screen gives you a view as your cupcake is retrieved by a robot arm with a suction thingy. The excitement was almost too much for this first timer.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, my god, is this real?
MOOS: She was less excited about paying $4.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: $4?
MOOS: But look how the hungry hordes line up to buy them.
They're 50 cents cheaper inside, though you probably have to wait. And what if the store isn't open?
(on camera): You'd be surprised at some of the weird things that have come out of vending machines --
(voice-over): -- from ladies nylons back in the '50s to meat, steaks and chops, and even live bait? But night crawlers can't compare to sprinkles. You can even get dog friendly versions.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you want your own cupcake?
MOOS: so next time you're at a cash machine with your hand out waiting for those crisp twenties, imagine a nice soft cupcake that you can withdraw and deposit in your mouth.
Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
