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Deadline Day in Syria; Obama Pushes Buffett Rule; Romney Spends Millions in Ads, Could be End of Santorum; Tourist Cruise Ship to Visit Titanic Site; Marlins Manager Suspended for Castro Comments; Zimmerman's New Web Site; Charles Manson up for Parole
Aired April 10, 2012 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: And hello, everyone. I'm Carol Costello. I'm in for Kyra Phillips this afternoon.
It's 11:00 o'clock on the East Coast, 8:00 o'clock on the west. We've got a busy hour ahead, so let's get straight to the news, shall we?
Miami Marlins manager Ozzie Guillen is going to have a little more time to think about his thoughts on Fidel Castro. He has been suspended for five games by the team for his comments to "Time" magazine where he said he respected the former Cuban dictator. Guillen has apologized repeatedly and had another chance to apologize a few moments ago.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OZZIE GUILLEN, MANAGER, FLORIDA MARLINS: It is not what happened today. It is what happens in the future. Hold on one second. It is what is going to happen in the future.
I expect to be here for a long time. I live in Miami. My family is in Miami and I will do everything and I will do everything to try to make it better.
I will help Cuban community, Latino community, like I always do. I hope I get better and people understand me and my situation, but I will be willing to do everything in my power or the Marlins' power to help and believe I will help this community like I always do.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Guillen had come under criticism in the Miami community for his Castro comments. Remember, the Marlins' new ballpark is in Little Havana. His five-game suspension starts immediately.
President Obama is on his way to Florida. On his agenda when he gets in will be an economic speech on the so-called "Buffett Rule." The president is expected to talk about how it will make for a fairer tax code and make it harder for the very rich to find tax loopholes.
It's, of course, based on billionaire Warren Buffet who famously said that he pays less in taxes than his secretary. Former President, George W. Bush says the Buffett rule is a bad idea. He spoke at a Bush Institute economic forum in New York. Mr. Bush said increased taxes on the very rich are an attack on job creators.
He also talked about the Bush tax cuts.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FORMER PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH: I wish they weren't called the Bush tax cuts. If they were called somebody other body's tax cuts, they are probably less likely to be raised.
If you raise taxes, you are taking money out of the pockets of consumers. It is important for policymakers to recognize all the data about taxes causes capital to stay on the sidelines.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: The Bush tax cuts are set to expire at the end of the year.
Marine Sergeant Gary Stein said he will fight his discharge. A military board recommended an other than honorable discharge for Stein after he posted comments on Facebook critical of President Obama.
This is what he told Soledad O'Brien earlier this morning.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SERGEANT GARY STEIN, U.S. MARINE CORPS: I am here to uphold and defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic. I never disobeyed an order.
I was never told not to take down Armed Forces Tea Party. I was never told not to do media interviews. I was never told not to write on redstate.com. I was never told not to do my own personal -- I was never told that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Stein is asking a federal judge to step in and stop the discharge, saying it violates his free speech rights.
And weeks of protests, rallies and debate over Trayvon Martin's death and George Zimmerman's fate could come down to one prosecutor's decision, Angela Corey. Corey will decide whether or not Zimmerman will face charges for shooting Trayvon Martin.
Corey ruled out presenting Zimmerman's case to a grand jury, but is expected to move quickly and could announce her decision at any moment.
And for the first time, Zimmerman is speaking out on his Web site, therealgeorgezimmerman.com. Zimmerman posts, "I have been forced to leave my home, my school, my employer, my family and ultimately my entire life."
And he is asking for donations for his legal fund and living expenses.
A stunning confession in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in the shooting rampage there. The suspects, 19-year-old Jake England and 33-year-old Alvin Watts, according to police reports, England has confessed to shooting 3 of 5 victims. Watts to the other two.
The two allegedly gunned down apparent strangers at these four locations. Three were killed, two wounded, all of the victims were after African-American.
Police are not saying whether they believe last week's shootings were racially motivated, but prosecutors say they are reviewing whether hate crime charges are appropriate.
Another government worker is in hot water for that Las Vegas conference spending scandal. David Foley, a top official of the General Services Administration has been placed on administrative leave. Foley is the eighth GSA staffer to be disciplined. He appears in a video, joking about the lavish spending at a 2010 Las Vegas conference.
There is also video of GSA workers mocking President Obama's clean energy campaign. More than $800,000 of taxpayer money was spent at that conference on mind-readers, clowns and music videos.
Heavy shelling continues in Syria on the day the government had promised to withdraw their forces from all cities and towns. Opposition groups say at least 45 people have been killed. At least 160 died yesterday. President Bashar al-Assad had agreed to a U.N.- Arab League deadline to withdraw his troops today and a full ceasefire on Tuesday.
In the meantime, U.N. special envoy, Kofi Annan, who brokered the peace plan, arrived in Turkey today to visit a refugee camp on the Turkish-Syrian. Accompanying him are Senators John McCain and Joe Lieberman. A live report from the border in just about 30 minutes.
An Afghanistan suicide attack today killed at least 18 people and wounded 27. Targets were police officers and local government officials. Among the victims, at least seven police officers and a police chief was among the wounded. The attacks were carried out in the western and southern parts of the country.
In Norway, the man accused of killing 77 people was sane at the time of the massacre. That's the assessment of two court-appointed psychiatric experts in a report out today. It says that Anders Breivik was not psychotic at the time of the attacks last year and does not suffer from a psychiatric condition.
Breivik is charged with killing eight people in a bomb attack in Oslo and gunning down 69 other people on a nearby island. He has pleaded not guilty. His trial is set to start next Monday. Turning now to medical news, a new study is raising questions about the safety of dental X-rays. The study published this week in the journal, "Cancer," shows that people who have had dental X-rays frequently in the past are more likely to develop a type of non- cancerous brain tumor.
This is not prove that X-rays cause tumors, but supports previous research about that connection. However, in a statement, the American Dental Association noted potential flaws in the study and encouraged further research.
Smartphone theft is on the rise. Now, the FCC and lawmakers are stepping in. They met last hour and announced a national plan to stop thieves from using your smartphones. Here are some details.
Wireless providers will work to initiate a database that will help prevent stolen smartphones from being used. The database will also help make sure smartphones reported stolen are deactivated.
The FCC says the wireless industry's working with law enforcement to show consumers that they have their backs.
Watching and waiting. All eyes on Sanford, Florida where charges may come down today on George Zimmerman. Martin Savidge live next.
But first, it was like something out of a movie, a bus driver and a teen working together to stop a hit-and-run driver. Take a look at this surveillance video just into CNN.
A car driving on a road in Pennsylvania hits a cyclist and flees the scene, but fast-acting witnesses come to the biker's rescue. You will see it there, including the bus driver who cuts the hit-and-run driver off. You see the bus there? And it stopped that car in its tracks.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The biker stood up and signaled to me to follow the guy to I assume to get his license plate, so that's what I tried to do.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: At that time, I blocked the bridge with the bus and he couldn't get around the bus.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: The cyclist was left bruised, but just happy to be alive. Thanks to the bus driver, Richard Govish (ph), and the other witness, Judd Small, this hit-and-run driver was charged with two traffic violations.
So for your heroic moves on the road, you are today's rock stars.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: George Zimmerman, will he remain free or face charges for the shooting death of Trayvon Martin? That is the big question right now. The decision rests on this woman, special prosecutor, Angela Corey. She's ruled out presenting the case to a grand jury which had been scheduled today, but Corey is expected to move quickly and her decision could come at any time.
In the meantime, George Zimmerman seems to be building up his defense fund through his Web site, the realgeorgezimmerman.com. This is the first time we are hearing from Zimmerman, so let's head straight to Martin Savidge, who is following all of these developments in Sanford, Florida.
Martin, have you spoken with Zimmerman's attorney or his family and friends about that Web site?
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Only to the point that we wanted to authenticate and make sure that it truly was George Zimmerman's Web site. They say, yes, in fact, it is.
The defense team had launched their own, which was zimmermandefense.com, but now they have decided to take that down and instead it is being replaced by therealgeorgezimmerman.com and, as you see, there was a personal note that was posted there by George.
Essentially what he says is that his entire life changed dramatically, of course, as it did for the Trayvon Martin family, it should be pointed out, on the night of the shooting when it happened on February 26th.
And he basically says as a result of the media attention that has been brought to bear, he has had to leave his home, he's had to leave his job, he doesn't have any income coming in and so all of this is to make an appeal for people to donate, not just to a potential defense fund, but to donate to allow him to continue having a lifestyle and you can conveniently make those donations.
What we don't know, even though there is a lot of traffic apparently on that Web site is how much money exactly he could be pulling in, but there is potential. We know at least last week one group donated about $10,000 from Texas and there have been reports of money coming in from all around the world, so we will just have to see and try and keep tabs on that, Carol.
COSTELLO: What's Trayvon Martin's family saying about this?
SAVIDGE: The first thing they said was that Trayvon Martin himself could not have a Web site, but there is a Web site that has been started as far as trying to get the message out about Trayvon Martin.
But they too are troubled by the fact that money is being raised, money that will apparently go to try to keep George Zimmerman, if he were to be charged, from serving any time or going to jail. They are not real thrilled.
COSTELLO: Yes, I bet not. Last question, quickly now, tell us about this police car with the bullet hole found in the neighborhood. SAVIDGE: This is actually very troubling, Carol, because, you know, despite all the weeks that have gone by, despite the tremendous tensions in the community of Sanford and elsewhere, despite all the number of protests, there has never been any violence. There has never been any problem.
That changed early this morning, 4:30 about the time we were arriving here outside the police station. Apparently, someone opened fire on a Sanford police car that was parked outside the neighborhood where Trayvon Martin had been killed.
There was no police officer in that vehicle at the time, but it was struck anywhere from four to possibly six times, shattering the glass and pumping into the sides of the metal of the vehicle.
Clearly, a very, very troubling sign because that car was parked in front of an elementary school so someone is using a weapon. Whether they knew there was anybody in the vehicle or not, we don't know.
COSTELLO: Still disturbing. Martin Savidge reporting live from Sanford, Florida. Thanks.
The issue as to whether or not George Zimmerman will face charges is a complicated one, especially in the context of Florida's "stand- your-ground" law. As we await the prosecutor's decision, there are a lot of legal questions.
CNN legal contributor, Paul Callan, is a criminal defense attorney who is also a prosecutor. Welcome, Paul.
PAUL CALLAN, CNN LEGAL CONTRIBUTOR: Nice being with you, Carol.
COSTELLO: Nice that you are here. So the prosecutor, Angela Corey, decides no grand jury. Tell us why this is significant?
CALLAN: It is very significant because a lot of times prosecutors try to use a grand jury to kind of pass the buck to the grand jury. If the grand jury decides to dismiss the case, it is up to the grand jury, says the prosecutor.
If the grand jury decides to indict, they say, well, we presented it to ordinary citizens and they said indict, so it's kind of a "pass- the-buck" thing in a controversial case.
Here, Angela Corey has taken this case on her own shoulders and she will bear responsibility and public praise or criticism for whatever she does. She can't blame it on a grand jury.
COSTELLO: You know what many experts say. This means she has made her decision and she will fire charges against Zimmerman.
CALLAN: Well, it does seem to suggest that direction. The reason I say that is because a lot of times in controversial cases, if there is going to be a dismissal, prosecutors will use the grand jury as an excuse to get the dismissal. So the very fact that she has held on to the case would suggest maybe she is going to return charges. And I would raise one other thing. Her predecessor, the state attorney who originally convened the grand jury and she was appointed by the government to take his place, he said he was going to use the grand jury as an investigative tool to develop facts in the case.
Now, the fact she is not using the grand jury for that purpose suggests the investigation is complete and she is ready to make a decision.
And if I were a betting person, I would bet charges are going to be filed.
COSTELLO: OK, so let's say charges are filed and George Zimmerman gets his day in court. This story has exploded into a national debate. Rallies, vigils everywhere, everyone has heard about this case.
How could he possibly -- George Zimmerman, I'm talking about -- get a fair trial?
CALLAN: Well, you know, you are right, Carol. The passion surrounding this case are as great as any case I can remember, maybe as far back as the O.J. Simpson case.
How do you get a fair trial in that situation? Very, very difficult, but bear in mind, this case won't go to trial for at least another nine months to a year, so passions, hopefully, will have subsided a bit.
And we have a lot of mechanisms for picking juries. You can bring jurors in from outside the county, as was done in the Casey Anthony case, you can move the trial to another county, and you can also carefully screen the jury.
Ultimately, you wind up with a jury that is generally familiar with the facts of the case, but hopefully will base their decision on the evidence and not the passion and the tabloid headlines.
COSTELLO: We'll see if something happens today.
If you are a betting man, do you think she will make her decision today? Does she just want to get it out of the way? The prosecutor I am talking about. I'm intrigued by this.
CALLAN: I think there is a good possibility she will make her decision today, but if not today, certainly within a very, very short time frame, a week or so. I would be surprised if it went beyond that.
Because, in truth, if she really needed to develop more facts then why wouldn't she use the grand jury as a subpoena? What people don't understand is that only grand juries or courts can authorize the issuance of subpoenas to get evidence in a case. A prosecutor can't do that. Now, she doesn't need the grand jury here, so I think she is saying she is done. So I think you might see it today, but you're certainly going to see it in the very, very near future, probably charges, but most definitely a decision.
COSTELLO: We will keep our eyes on Sanford, Florida. Paul Callan, always great to get your insights. Thanks.
CALLAN: Thank you, Carol.
Notorious mass murderer, Charles Manson, may have a chance at freedom tomorrow, but Debra Tate will testify to stop that. The sister of Manson's most famous victim, Sharon Tate, joins us live next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Charles Manson is up for parole again. The 12th and possibly last chance for the 77-year-old Manson to get out of prison. He may not be eligible for parole again until the year 2027.
Manson's crimes are some of the most gruesome and most famous in American history, nine murders in all, most of them orchestrated by Manson and carried out by his so-called "family."
The most famous was the murder of pregnant actress, Sharon Tate, and friends at her Los Angeles home.
Joining me now is Debra Tate, Sharon Tate's sister and a leading advocate for victims rights. Debra, welcome.
DEBRA TATE, VICTIMS' RIGHTS ADVOCATE: Thank you.
COSTELLO: Glad you're here. You are going to be there for the hearing tomorrow?
TATE: Yes, I am.
COSTELLO: What will you say?
TATE: I never know exactly what I'm going to say. I usually respond to whatever is being read out of the statements of his mental valuations, et cetera, et cetera.
I've been going for the last 15 years and, for the last 15 years, he has chosen not to come into the room with me, so I'm hoping that he'll show up this time and then I will have a lot more to say.
COSTELLO: Why are you hoping he shows up this time?
TATE: I think that he needs to look into our eyes, victims' eyes, and see the pain that he has caused. I think that that is something that is essential to his coming to peace perhaps before he passes. As you said, this is probably going to be his last parole hearing. COSTELLO: When you think of Charles Manson, you think of like absolute evil. You don't think that he wants any forgiveness for what he has done. I mean, do you think there is something in there?
TATE: I like to think that there is something in there, in everybody. However, this is a tough man. I don't think that he has come to grips with what he is and what he has done in the past.
And I am just hoping that he chooses to do so and understand the magnitude and the gravity of his crimes before he goes to meet his maker.
COSTELLO: And these new pictures, new mug shots, came out of Charles Manson at the age of 77 and there was a lot of fascination of people looking at those pictures. Why do you think that is?
TATE: There is a unique social icon kind of a thing that goes along with the Manson "family." They have made murder popular. They have more followers than they have ever had. There have been murders done in their name and, quite frankly, I do not understand it.
I understand there are a lot of young people that are looking for something to believe in, but I don't see how you could possibly think this man is leadership material. I don't get it.
COSTELLO: So leave us with an image of your beautiful sister.
TATE: Thank you.
COSTELLO: Just tell us about her. Tell us about the victim's families and what they are left with, so people don't admire creeps like Charles Manson.
TATE: Sharon was obviously extremely beautiful on the outside, but what people don't know is that there was an equally magnificent soul, a beautiful creature on the inside. She would give you the shirt off her back.
` She would go to great lengths to help mentor or position young people around her. She was actually going to be a psychologist, had this profession not worked for her. So she was very much into helping the underdog. She was a magnificent soul.
COSTELLO: And you are a magnificent sister going into that room to make sure he stays in prison for the past 15 years. You are something else.
TATE: Thank you so much.
COSTELLO: Debra Tate, thank you for being with us this morning.
TATE: You are welcome.
COSTELLO: Marlins' manager, Ozzie Guillen, faces an immediate five-game suspension. What he said about Fidel Castro that led to this firestorm, that's still ahead. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: For richer or poorer, weddings these days don't come cheap. The dress, the flowers, the food, the venue, it all adds up. Last year, the average cost, $27,000.
Felicia Taylor is here with some tips to help you save on the big day. Good morning, Felicia.
FELICIA TAYLOR, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Carol, well, yes, for some, getting married is very expensive. According to theknot.com, Manhattan weddings, no surprise really, are the most expensive with an average cost of $66,000.
Chicago comes in second with $53,000 and, rounding out the top five, the New York metro area, New Jersey, and Rhode Island. Carol?
COSTELLO: I am glad I got married in Toledo, Ohio, where it was beautiful and cost effective, shall we say?
So, if you want to save money even if you want to get married in those snazzy places, where should you start trimming?
TAYLOR: Well, I'm going to admit I got married in New York and it was expensive, so you made the right choice.
The guest list is a good place to start. We had way too many people at our wedding. Since most venues charge by the head, think twice about inviting that third cousin you have never met or that aunt you haven't spoken to in 10 years.
Couples invited on average 141 guests in 2010 and 2011, but that's down from 149 guests in 2009, again, according to theknot.com.
Timing is also key. Hold the wedding on a Friday or a Sunday, instead of a Saturday and you can save about 20 percent per person.
And when it comes to the food, slim down the menu. Don't serve so much food. Consider serving only three courses.
And get a smaller wedding cake. The knot.com recommends ordering a cake for half the number of people attending. I mean, Carol, let's face it. Hardly anybody eats the cake.
COSTELLO: You know, you are full by then so you don't eat the cake. You should have cupcakes. That'd be even cheaper. They are smaller. Mini-cupcakes. No, you should just have little Hershey's kisses. Forget the cake all together.
TAYLOR: We are terrible.
COSTELLO: The dress? A lot of women spend lots and lots of money on the dress, so what are some ways to get a fabulous dress without paying a high cost?
TAYLOR: Well, you know, this is sort of every bride's dream and, of course, a white dress is memorable, but with an average cost of, get this, $1100. It is also extremely expensive.
Try shopping sample sales in the spring or the fall ahead of the wedding. Theknot.com says this can save up to 80 percent. You can also save by eliminating some of the beading and detailing. Keep it simple. Budget-conscious brides may even consider -- and I've never heard of this before. But evidently, you can rent. Sites like renttherunway.com and adornbrides.com accessories and dresses for the big.
Let's face it, Carol, you wear the dress once. My wedding dress has been in a box for 12 years.
COSTELLO: Won't you pass it on to your --
(CROSSTALK)
TAYLOR: Yes, that's true. I didn't think of that.
(LAUGHTER)
COSTELLO: OK. I'm thinking renting a dress just seems wrong somehow.
(CROSSTALK)
COSTELLO: Felicia Taylor, thank you.
TAYLOR: OK.
(LAUGHTER)
COSTELLO: Deadline day in Syria. Will opposition troops pull out at promised? Ivan Watson, live from the border. That's coming your way next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: The U.N. planned to end the carnage in Syria is being ripped apart by heavy government shelling of cities and towns.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(GUNFIRE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Today is the deadline accepted by President Bashar al Assad to withdraw his forces. Opposition groups say it hasn't happened. They say government shelling has killed 45 people across the country, 160 yesterday.
Senators John McCain and Joe Lieberman are in Turkey for an up- close assessment of the situation in Syria. Here is what McCain said about the rebels a short time ago.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) SEN. JOHN MCCAIN, (R), ARIZONA: Our meetings with the Syrian National Council and the Free Syria Army, there are not divisions within their leadership. They are united. They have resolved most of their differences.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: In another serious turn for the worse, fighting spilled across the border with Turkey yesterday, now home to more than 45,000 Syrian refugees.
Ivan Watson is in Hatay Province, Turkey, near the border with Syria.
So, Ivan, Kofi Annan was there for a first-hand look. What did he say?
IVAN WATSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: He seems to think there is hope still for some kind of diplomatic solution to this crisis even though today was the deadline for the military to withdraw from cities and towns. When I asked him about it, he said, well, we do have some information that some units have been withdrawn from some areas but, in some cases, they've gone to attack other areas that had previously not been targeted by the Syrian military. When asked about whether this plan was failing, he said the plan is still alive. And he went on to say what other choice do you have? What other solution is there?
Unfortunately, that answer is not going to satisfy some 25,000 refugees living in camps here in Turkey, who have fled their country, some of those camps that he visited. In one of those, some demonstrated gathered to call Kofi Annan, the man that is trying to resolve the crisis with a diplomatic solution, to call him a liar. And as you pointed out, one of these camps was attacked by Syrian security forces yesterday, firing across the border, shooting two Turkish citizens. One was a cop and two Syrian refugees there in a sign of how out of control the situation is just across the border -- Kyra (ph)?
COSTELLO: Ivan, you talk about other solutions. Two men who are there, Americans, Senator John McCain and Senator Joe Lieberman, what are they offering?
WATSON: I haven't been able to hear what they had to say firsthand. We know Senator McCain in weeks and months past actually talked about bombing Syrian government targets. That's not a step that the international community or the U.S. government is interested in taking.
The people, the Syrians inside, I cannot stress enough how desperate these people are, Kyra (ph). We have been traveling to this region month after month. We meet these people who came out in the streets months ago demanding democracy and freedom and a change in their authoritarian system of government. Now, they are increasingly looking for weapons to fight back against a government that has continuously used tanks and artillery and now helicopters against them.
Just a few weeks ago, I was here. I met a few men that had sold their wife's gold, cars, cows, to come over here and buy a couple of walkie-talkies and hand-held satellite phones themselves to go back in after the military overran their town. That is how desperate they are. They are not relying on anybody else to help them. Nobody else seems to want to step up and help these desperate people out -- Kyra (ph)?
COSTELLO: Ivan Watson, reporting live for us today. Thank you.
One of the Mega Millions winners steps forward. It isn't that woman -- you know, that woman from McDonald's who claims she had the winning ticket. Instead, it is the three amigos. The Maryland Mega winners next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Time now for stories making news at "Street Level."
In Reno, Nevada, the National Transportation Safety Board will announce plans to improve air race safety in light of a tragic crash last year. Last September, 11 people died, including the pilot, when a World War II-era plane was making a steep turn, lost control and crashed in front of the VIP area, injuring more than 70 people. The NTSB is also expected to give more details on the crash investigation.
In Maryland, the Mega Millions winner there has finally come forward. No, it is not Mirlandy, this woman, who said she won and said she lost the ticket. No, the winner is --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STEPHEN MARTNIO, DIRECTOR, MARYLAND LOTTERY: One of the winners is an elementary school teacher, another winner is a special education teacher and the third winner provides administrative support, all in the public school system of Maryland.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: You heard right. Three public school employees going by the name, the three amigos, won the Mega Millions in Maryland. Since they are staying anonymous, their coworkers and students may never find out the three. They will get about, what, $35 million a piece after taxes. The total Mega Million jackpot was $356 million split three ways. Besides Maryland, winning tickets in Kansas and Illinois. Last week, the Kansas winner came forward but we're still waiting for a winner to come forward in Illinois.
To Jacksonville, Florida, where a father and daughter rescue a dolphin. It's all caught on tape. They were out on their boat enjoying the sunshine when they came across this, a dolphin stranded on a beach.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It was flapping and it looked really helpless. So we stopped the boat to see what was going on.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: They decided to help and recorded their heroic act. As you see here, they dragged the dolphin out of the sand and into deeper water. Despite their efforts to help, Marine biologists are saying this is not always a good idea. They warned that pulling a dolphin back into the water could do more harm than good.
Now, to Miami, the Marlins have suspended manger, Ozzie Guillen, for five games after he told "Time" magazine he loved former Cuban dictator, Fidel Castro. Guillen has been known to run of at the mouth before. This time, he is apologizing.
John Zarrella is covering this story.
John, are they accepting his apology?
JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I don't know. Only time will tell. We will have to see if five games are enough. He was absolutely contrite during his news conference today. It was mea culpa over and over again throughout saying that he hoped that this cloud would go away soon. So it was one apology after another.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OZZIE GUILLEN, MANAGER, MIAMI MARLINS: I'm very, very, very sorry about the problem about what's happening. And I will do everything to make it better, everything in my power to make it better.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ZARRELLA: Now, he said he hasn't been able to sleep for the past three nights. He apologized not only to the Cuban-American community but to the entire nation. He spoke primarily, at the beginning, in Spanish, which was probably a good thing. Guillen is now saying when he spoke to "Time" magazine in English, he was misinterpreted.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GUILLEN: What I mean, in Spanish, when you asked me in Spanish, I was thinking in Spanish. I was saying something -- I say, I cannot believe somebody heard so many people over the years -- still alive. I say a couple things I cannot say right now to the guy that expressed exactly what I was thinking or what I was saying.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ZARRELLA: So he gets a five-game suspension from the Miami marlins. That's a suspension without pay. We are really just going to have to see how this plays out in the Miami Cuban community -- Carol?
COSTELLO: There are some people saying, you should be fired for that.
ZARRELLA: A lot of people saying that, yes
COSTELLO: John Zarrella reporting live in Miami. Thanks.
Mitt Romney spending millions in ads to bury his GOP arrival. Is this the end for Rick Santorum? "Fair Game" is next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: President Obama on his way to Florida right now after a campaign event. He'll hold an economic event to tap the so-called Buffett Rule, the plan to raise the tax on the richest Americans.
Joining me now, CNN contributor, Maria Cardona, and Republican strategist, Boris Epshteyn.
Welcome to you both.
MARIA CARDONA, CNN CONTRIBUTOR & DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Thanks, Carol.
BORIS EPSHTEYN, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: Good morning.
CARDONA: Good to be here.
COSTELLO: I'm glad you're here.
First question this morning, do voters really care about the Buffett Rule, Boris?
EPSHTEYN: No, they do not. Warren Buffet is the first or second richest man on earth year to year. What the voters care about is their own bottom line. The unemployment going below 8 percent which it has been for three years. The Buffett Rule is a gimmick by the Democrats to play social warfare and it won't work. Get this. The Buffett Rule will only account to 6 percent of the deficit spending of the Obama administration. It means absolutely nothing in the larger picture. All it is is trying to play a game in the election year.
COSTELLO: But if you look at the polls -- Maria knows this. More than 60 percent of Americans like it.
CARDONA: Absolutely. So they do care about it. They absolutely support it. Why? Because they support fairness. They understand that there is a huge contrast in visions between President Obama, who is out to support and help middle class families and working class families who have been the ones who have been the hardest hit by this recession, wanting to basically put policies out there that give a level playing field, and so that everybody that is working hard and can get ahead by playing by the rules can do so, versus a party who is out to coddle their own presidential candidate, the presumed presidential nominee, who pays a lot less in taxes and makes a lot more money than all of us do --
(CROSSTALK) CARDONA: -- and his NFL team owners and NASCAR team owners --
EPSHTEYN: Maria?
CARDONA: -- and his other community friends who probably also have that.
(CROSSTALK)
EPSHTEYN: Maria, come on.
(CROSSTALK)
CARDONA: Boris, I didn't interrupt you, so don't interrupt me.
EPSHTEYN: Go ahead. Go ahead.
CARDONA: I think it is a difference between fairness and coddling millionaires and billionaires and voters do care about that.
COSTELLO: Go, Boris, go.
EPSHTEYN: The talk of millionaires and billionaires, the same social billionaires, it's gotten Democrats nowhere. They happen to win election by accident in 2008.
(CROSSTALK)
EPSHTEYN: 2010, they were swept out of the House. And lost a ton of seat in the Senate because the message of let's go against -- let's go against the rich and we're all for the poor, isn't even true by the Democrats because Barack Obama himself is a multi multimillionaire. Let's not make it that he is this poor person standing up for the poor.
OK. As far as who pays what, Mitt Romney paid more in taxes. Don't' talk about percentage. Let's talk about dollars. The top 1 percent pays over 90 percent of the dollars paid in America. So let's not make this a debate about the rich are so bad and the poor are getting screwed. That's not the truth.
(CROSSTALK)
CARDONA: No one is saying that the rich is bad, Boris, that -- you're not listening.
EPSHTEYN: Really?
CARDONA: Yes.
(CROSSTALK)
CARDONA: We're basically saying that it's an issue of fairness. I didn't say, and Mitt Romney paid less of a percentage in taxes than all of us here did, so --
(CROSSTALK)
EPSHTEYN: What about dollar amount though?
CARDONA: It's an issue of percentage, Boris. That's where the fairness comes in.
EPSHTEYN: Really?
CARDONA: Should a teacher pay less of a percentage of her salary than Mitt Romney? I don't think so.
(CROSSTALK)
CARDONA: And the majority of the American people don't think so, so let's have that debate.
(CROSSTALK)
EPSHTEYN: If Mitt Romney is paying less --
(CROSSTALK)
CARDONA: And right now, I think President Obama will win.
COSTELLO: OK. OK. I could listen to this forever because I enjoy this topic but we must move on.
EPSHTEYN: One last thing, Carol.
COSTELLO: Hold on. Let's move on to the second question and talk about Mitt Romney. He's going to spend, what, $3 million in political ads in Pennsylvania, which probably mean he's going in for the kill to get rid of Rick Santorum.
Maria, will it work?
CARDONA: Well, unfortunately, negative ads do work. And what we have seen is the strategy for Mitt Romney is going into a lot of the states where he has been behind, he and his super PAC basically just put in everything that they can plus the kitchen sink in negative ads against Rick Santorum and against any of the other opponents. It's what basically buried Newt Gingrich. and it has worked, unfortunately. Now, the issue in Pennsylvania is that a lot of people already know Rick Santorum, so the negative ads might not work as well as they might have in a state where he isn't as well known. But we'll see what happens.
COSTELLO: Well, he did pull negative ads after Rick Santorum's daughter, Bella, got sick. Maybe the ads won't be as nasty.
And, Boris, I wanted to pick your brain on this. Everybody says Rick Santorum lost his seat in Pennsylvania so that means bad things for him. Does that necessarily mean anything?
EPSHTEYN: It does. The last election he was up for in Pennsylvania, he lost by 18 points, the largest loss ever by a sitting Republican Senator. So that is not a good sign. Now '06 was a bad year for Republicans like 2007 was a bad year for Democrats so that could skew the message. But the bottom line is this primary election is over. Mitt Romney is going to be our nominee. He is the best nominee from the Republicans to face against President Obama.
And on negative ads, as Maria well knows, being on Hillary Clinton's side, the Barack Obama team is not above negative ads at all. And they exhibit that then and they are exhibiting it now. Let's not say the Republicans or Mitt Romney are the ones playing the negative ad game. That game, unfortunately, is played by both sides of the aisle.
COSTELLO: Yes, because you know why, because they work.
(LAUGHTER)
Boris and Maria, thank you so much.
CARDONA: Exactly right.
EPSHTEYN: Thanks.
CARDONA: Thanks, Carol.
COSTELLO: It's been almost 100 years since the "Titanic" hit that iceberg. This ship is returning to the site where the "Titanic" sank. What the passengers on board this anniversary cruise can expect.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: You're just about to look at New York City where a cruise ship is getting ready to revisit the site where the "Titanic" sank 100 years ago. The voyage leaves Manhattan for Halifax at 5:00 p.m. eastern, then stops at the site where the "Titanic" hit the iceberg before returning to New York.
Chris Welch is at Pier 88.
So, Chris, who is taking this trip and what can the passengers expect?
CHRIS WELCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, that's a good question, Carol. In just a short time, we'll start seeing passengers here boarding the journey. There will be about 440 passengers here on this ship. Some of those passengers will be descendants of "Titanic" victims and survivors. They will be boarding first. We have some interviews lined up for later today. But that you know, is just part of it. A lot of folks are here because they are "Titanic" buffs, a lot of "Titanic" historians. There will be folks in period dress. They'll even be eating some of the same meals, Carol.
It's a little bit eerie but they are doing it to memorialize the 100th anniversary. And earlier today, we had a chance to catch wake- up the ship's captain who told us what this cruise means to him.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JASON IKIADIS, SHIP CAPTAIN: I think it's the significance of it all, remembering the people that died on that night and also being grateful for the improvements in safety that have come about from that disaster.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WELCH: He, as the captain, he will be behind the wheel when this ship is in the north Atlantic in potentially icy waters. And he says, you know, he will admit there is a little bit of an eerie feeling he has inside as he starts this voyage.
COSTELLO: I wonder what will happen when they arrive on the exact spot where the "Titanic" sank. Hopefully, the weather would be good. That would be really freaky. Will there be a moment of silence or something like that?
WELCH: They are planning a couple of memorial services. This is just one of two cruise ships. The other -- this leave from New York. It will meet up where the "Titanic" sank in the middle of the north Atlantic at the time the "Titanic" struck the iceberg, 11:40 p.m. on April 14. At that same time, a ship that has left from South Hampton a couple days ago, that's retracing the footprint of the "Titanic," will meet up with this ship at the same spot at that site where "Titanic" sank. They will hold simultaneous memorials. One is planned for 11:40 and another for 2:20 when "Titanic" sunk under water -- Carol?
COSTELLO: That's something else. I can't imagine that feeling would be like. And then people will be in period costumes and have a menu with some of the same stuff they ate back in the day. One of the things on the menu, I understand is pigeon.
WELCH: Pigeon. That's news to me. The meals they have been planning were all created by the ship's captain and they created a couple -- I think it's one or two dishes each day. On the day the ship struck the iceberg, they are planning a full-on meal. So it will be quite the experience for everyone on board I'm sure. So I think people are really looking forward to seeing what he comes up. Pigeon is news to me. I never had that.
COSTELLO: I'm serious. I talked to two women from western Maryland. They're on the British ship. They said, on the menu is pigeon, which was a delicacy back in those days. Mmm. I hope you get to eat some of that.
WELCH: I'll get the menu and maybe we can top pigeon. What do you say?
(LAUGHTER)
COSTELLO: Chris Welch, thank you. It's actually sounds like a lot of fun and I'm jealous.
Thanks, Chris. Thanks for watching. CNN NEWSROOM continues right now with Suzanne Malveaux.
