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President Obama Remarks at Meeting with Millionaires and Their Secretaries; Bombshells in Trayvon Martin Case; Romney's Potential Running Mates; Detroit on a Remarkable Comeback; Detroit Wants Technology Workers; Obama Pushes Buffett Rule; Zimmerman's Lawyers Resign from Case
Aired April 11, 2012 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
And good morning to you. I'm Carol Costello.
Just ahead in the NEWSROOM, a bizarre twist in the case of George Zimmerman. His lawyers abruptly quit but that's not all. They say he has PTSD. Wouldn't recall phone calls, he's not even in Florida anymore, they say. This morning those lawyers are responding to criticism after their bizarre public announcement.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HAL UHRIG, FORMER ZIMMERMAN ATTORNEY: We don't think we've done anything improper or illegal. And we certainly don't think we've done anything to hurt George Zimmerman.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: In just a few minutes President Obama will meet with millionaires and their secretaries at the White House. We're live to explain what's behind this unique conference.
And we're hearing riveting new details of the Osama bin Laden raid from someone inside the White House situation room as it happened. It will be Hillary Clinton. She reveals new information on the tense emotions at the White House that memorable night.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HILLARY CLINTON, SECRETARY OF STATE: Now I'm not sure anybody breathed for, you know, 35 or 37 minutes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: This man's search for his father leads him to one of the most brutal serial killers in the country. Learn what steps he's taking to find out if Charles Manson is his biological father.
This morning the clock is ticking and the tension is building in the Trayvon Martin case. A few hours from now the parents of the unarmed teenager will hold a news conference with civil rights activist, Al Sharpton. Just minutes ago U.S. attorney general, Eric Holder, also vowed to file federal charges if they're warranted.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ERIC HOLDER, U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL: In recent weeks, Justice Department officials including assistant attorney general for the Civil Rights Division, Tom Perez, and the United States attorney for the Middle District of Florida, Robert O'Neill, have traveled to Sanford, Florida, to meet with the Martin family, the community and local authorities.
The FBI is assisting local law enforcement officials and representatives from the Community Relations Service. The Justice Department as a peacemaker are continuing to meet with civil rights leaders, law enforcement officers, and area residents to address --
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Erick Holder. All of this unfolding as the lawyers for the shooter, George Zimmerman, quit his case in an extraordinary news conference. They say Zimmerman's dropped out of reach so they can no longer represent him.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CRAIG SONNER, FORMER ATTORNEY for GEORGE ZIMMERMAN: We've lost contact with him. Up to this point we've had contact every day. He's gone on his own. I don't -- not sure what he's doing or who he's talking to.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: And the attorney for the parents are rattled that George Zimmerman is in hiding and out of touch. The family fear is he's a flight risk.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BENJAMIN CRUMP, ATTORNEY FOR TRAYVON MARTIN AND FAMILY: If the charges come forth, we believe and think rightfully should come from the special prosecutor. Then the question is, can they get him?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: So now the attention turns to the special prosecutor. The Florida special prosecutor of the case. She's Angela Corey. She says she'll release new information within three days but she's not handing out any clues to what that new info might be.
CNN's George Howell is in Sanford, Florida.
So what do you suppose it might be, George?
GEORGE HOWELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Carol, it could be a number of things. Could very well just be an update to the facts of the case. It could very well be a decision in this case. No one can say with certainty at this point but this situation where George Zimmerman no longer has a defense team that creates several questions, one big question, if it is indeed a decision, Carol, how would the state attorney reach Zimmerman. It wouldn't be through his attorneys clearly because the attorneys are no longer able to reach him.
So several questions coming out of this after than bombshell announcement that they are no longer representing him. We even have some experts, Carol, come on our air to suggest that we shouldn't be surprised if we see this prosecutor move forward with a decision a little sooner given that announcement from yesterday. But she has been very clear that she has been very thorough with this investigation. She's taking her time to look through all the facts of the case.
Take a listen to what she had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANGELA COREY, SPECIAL PROSECUTOR: If you make an arrest on probable cause and you can't prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt, then that's a short window of time that the perpetrator will serve in jail. We always try to work with the police to build stronger cases before we make the arrest.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOWELL: So Zimmerman no longer talking with his attorneys, but we do know that he reached out to a FOX News host about the case. That person confirmed that he did hear -- speak to someone who he believes was George Zimmerman. We also know that Zimmerman reached out to the prosecutor. Again, the prosecutor decided not to talk to Zimmerman about the case, given that he did not have an attorney with him over that phone conversation.
We also know that his defense team, his former defense team, they were caught off guard, Carol, by a Web site that he created, the RealGeorgeZimmerman.com. Initially those attorneys thought that it might have been a hoax. They -- later determined that it was legitimate but they had no idea that that was happening.
COSTELLO: George Howell, reporting live from Sanford, Florida. Thanks.
As you well know by now, Rick Santorum has quit the race for president, and that means Mitt Romney is the likely Republican nominee. There is renewed speculation, though, over who could become his running mate.
Paul Steinhauser is in Washington. Any ideas?
PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN POLITICAL EDITOR: Hey, Carol, here we go again. Let the guessing games begin. We do this every four years. And we're going to be talking about this between now and August when Mitt Romney will probably name his running mate.
Listen, when you talk about the guessing, who does Mitt -- what does Mitt Romney need? Dos he need a -- we got the gender gap so does he need a female candidate as his running mate? Maybe. He's had a problem with conservative voters. So does he need a conservative running mate? Maybe. He needs to win some crucial states like Ohio or Florida, somebody of the other battleground states? Does he need somebody from one of those states? Yes. Maybe.
Listen, I got a working list of 16 possible names. And there probably could be more to be added. Four stand out to me, though. Let's start with Marco Rubio. He is a rock star. The senator from Florida. And he is from Florida and he is Hispanic, and that could help as well when it comes to grabbing Latino voters.
What about Rob Portman of Ohio? Such a crucial state, Ohio. Rob Portman, more of a safer pick, maybe not as exciting as Rubio but Ohio, again, crucial.
What about Ryan? Paul Ryan, the House budget chairman. Wisconsin, a battleground state to a degree. And boy, Ryan and Mitt Romney sure had a bromance it seems over the last couple of weeks.
And what about Bob McDonnell in Virginia? Another crucial state. A safer pick here. But, but, an important state -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Well, let me ask you about the overshadowing factor, because some people say Mitt Romney isn't that -- isn't all that charismatic. We'll put it that way. So if he picks someone like Marco Rubio, who's very charismatic, right, or Paul Ryan, who's also very charismatic, would that hurt his candidacy or help it?
STEINHAUSER: Listen. There's got to be a comfort factor for Mitt Romney. He's got to be comfortable if he's nominee. That's why people talk about why a Portman or maybe even a Mitch Daniels or somebody like that. He may be more comfortable with. And he may be overshadowed by a Rubio or -- let's mention another name, Chris Christie, the governor of New Jersey, a very outspoken person. So yes, he's got to be comfortable.
And Carol, one other thing. There may be a name out there we don't even know about right now. And not even thinking about. Remember four years ago at this time, I don't think Sarah Palin, the Alaska governor at the time, was on many people's list as John McCain's running mate. And -- well, we know what happened.
COSTELLO: Yes, we do know what happened and there was an overshadowing factor there as well.
Interesting. Paul Steinhauser, live in Washington for us.
President Obama is sitting down with millionaires and their secretaries at the White House this morning. The event is tied to the president's promoting of the so-called Buffet Rule. The concept that the very rich should not get a smaller tax rate than the middle class.
Dan Lothian is at the White House.
So who are these millionaires and their secretaries?
DAN LOTHIAN, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, we don't have a list yet of who these people are. But the White House did confirm that some of these millionaires and their secretaries who do pay more in taxes than their bosses will be at this event. You know, what you're seeing here is the president really getting ahead of this vote that will be taking place in the Senate next week of a similar measure. The president is trying to put pressure on members of Congress to put in place a system that he believes is fair. But it's also an opportunity for the president to draw a contrast between his policies and the policies of Republicans, and in particular, his potential running mate, Mitt Romney, who obviously is a wealthy American, trying to frame it as Republicans are there to support wealthy Americans.
And you heard that from the president yesterday when he was pushing for the Buffett Rule in Boca Raton, Florida, where he talked about the budget that was passed by House Republicans recently and how they were putting in place a system that was providing tax breaks for the wealthy Americans and then paying for it, in his words, by gutting investments in education, medical research and clean energy.
So this is a policy push for the president. But it's also about politics and it's shaping up to be the theme of the president's re- election campaign -- Carol.
COSTELLO: So this so-called Buffett Rule is going to come to a vote, what, next week? It's not expected to pass. Does it even matter to the president if it passes or not, and I'm speaking politically here?
LOTHIAN: Right. Well, look, as a White House spokesman Jay Carney said earlier this week, it does put these senators on record as either supporting or not supporting wealthy Americans paying their fair share. And they're also hopeful that this pressure will cause some Republicans up on Capitol Hill to have a change of heart. But I can tell you, this push is coming under a lot of criticism from Republicans.
Some of them saying that this is nothing other than just a gimmick. We heard from Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell this morning, saying that, quote, "Sadly, an administration that promised it would focus on jobs is wasting yet another day on a political event that won't take a single off the unemployment line. So with gas prices high, with the unemployment high, the sense is that the president should be focusing on those things, not on raising the taxes on wealthy Americans -- Carol.
COSTELLO: All right. Dan Lothian, live at the White House, and when those millionaires and their secretary join President Obama in the White House, we're going to go -- we'll take you back there live.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton gives a riveting account of what it was inside the White House situation room during the Osama bin Laden raid. New, fascinating Details. You've never heard before. That's coming up next.
And can technology save Detroit? At least one group of businessmen hope so. In fact, they are banking on it.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) COSTELLO: Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, is revealing new and riveting details of what it was like inside the White House situation room during that raid on Osama bin Laden's compound. The atmosphere so tense, Clinton says no one could breathe for 35 minutes. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HILLARY CLINTON, SECRETARY OF STATE: We were able to have some communication so we were in real time aware of what was happening. And I'm not sure anybody breathed for, you know, 35 or 37 minutes. And for me, the worst part was when one of the helicopters, if you remember looking at drawings of what the compound looked like, there was a -- there was a yard and there was a wall and as the helicopter went in, the tail got stuck and it was not flyable.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Secretary Clinton gave that detailed play-by-play account during Q&A session at the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland.
President Obama expected to speak any moment now in support of the so- called Buffett Rule. This morning's White House meeting with millionaires and their secretaries is the backdrop for the president's message. I'll bring you the president's remarks live as soon as he pops out behind that podium.
Now here's your chance to "Talk Back" on one of the big stories of the day. The question for you this morning, rich versus poor, if that's were America really is, who's right, Romney or Obama? Game on.
The 2012 elections is now down to Romney versus Obama. In other words get ready for class warfare. The sharpest sound, though, came from Romney surrogate Chris Christie.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. CHRIS CHRISTIE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The American people no longer believe that this is a place where only they're willingness to work hard and to act with honor and integrity and ingenuity determines their success in life. Then we'll have a bunch of people sitting on the couch waiting for the next government check.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: For President Obama, the election is all about fairness.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: They want to spend trillions of dollars more in tax breaks for the very wealthiest of Americans, even if it means adding to the deficit, even if it means gutting things like education, clean energy or Medicare.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: On FOX News, Republican pundit Dick Morris accuses Democrats of stoking class envy and fear with talk of cuts to entitlement programs. Yet conservatives zing back with terms like socialism and welfare state. In campaign speak, Romney equals the Robber Barron, Obama the welfare president. Translation, Democrats say sound government programs and higher taxes on the wealthy help the economy. Republicans say less government, less regulation and lower taxes accomplish the same thing.
So the "Talk Back" question for you today, rich versus poor, if that's where America really is, who is right? Romney or Obama? Facebook.com/CarolCNN. Facebook.com/CarolCNN. I'll read your comments later this hour.
Bringing jobs back to Detroit by opening the city to a whole new world. We'll show you how a group of businessmen are turning the Motor City toward technology.
Plus Chris Christie, you heard him. He says the government is telling people to stop dreaming, we'll take care of you. That's the kind of red meat conservative eat up, but will independents want that much political protein in their diet? We'll run that by your "Political Buzz Panel" next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Bringing back Detroit. You know what happened to the once flourishing industrial city. Well, things are looking up. They really are. I know you have heard a lot of problems within their city government. You know, Detroit, I'm speaking specifically. But over all, Detroit has been making a remarkable comeback.
Felicia Taylor is in New York to tell us about that.
Hi, Felicia.
FELICIA TAYLOR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Carol. Indeed Detroit is trying to make a comeback and we can take a look at some of the crucial issues including the population. Detroit lost 25 percent of its people between 2000 and 2010 bringing population down to what was the lowest level since World War I.
Fewer people means, obviously, fewer tax dollars and that's not good for the city. The city is forecast to run out of cash by the middle of this month. But, a comeback could be taking place. The unemployment is above the national average but still below 10 percent. It was above 15 percent at the height of the recession.
The auto bailout certainly helped and likely saved about a million U.S. jobs. And many of them, of course, were in Detroit. But the city's comeback isn't all about the car industry. It's also building up other industries including high-technology, making itself more attractive to younger people who might want to move there.
Last month, an Austin, Texas based blog lived at Detroit as emerging as the next Austin. The gaining a little street cred. The low-cost of living and hydrated economic growth helps as well. So some good news for a troubled city that has definitely been on hard times. But things could be looking up -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Trying and it's changing. Felicia Taylor, thank you.
As Detroit moves from its industrial past, more businesses are pushing the cities' future toward technology. In fact they're trying to lure more than 2,000 recently laid-off Yahoo! employees. The group's Web site, ValleytoDetroit.com. I'll ask respective employees to upload their resumes and begin interviews almost immediately.
One company offering IT jobs on the Web sit is UpTo.com. CEO Greg Schwartz joins me now from Detroit.
GREG SCHWARTZ, CEO, UPTO.COM: Hi, Carol. How are you?
COSTELLO: I'm good, so tell us about your company.
SCHWARTZ: So UpTo is a social platform focused on the future tense. You know Facebook and Twitter that have focused on capturing the recent past in real time. With UpTo it's all about what your friends, family, colleagues have coming up in their lives. It's a platform that empowers your calendar and we've launched on iPhone a weeks ago. Really excited about the growth and hiring that we're doing here in Detroit, in the tech industry.
COSTELLO: Well, let's talk about the hiring because you heard that Yahoo! lays off 2,000 workers and you're thinking, I'd love to get some of them to Detroit. So how are you doing that?
SCHWARTZ: Yes, and it's always an unfortunate situation any time someone loses a job. So, you know, we definitely our best wishes go out to any former Yahoo! employee that's in that situation. But you know, here in Detroit, we're in the middle of really an incredible technology revolution. And I left Detroit about a decade ago for New York City. And it was a couple of years go that I started hearing about all of the exciting things happening in Detroit.
And when we opened our UpTo office in downtown Detroit, it was an opportunity to see firsthand what this excitement is all about. We have Twitter that just moved in last week. Small businesses, large businesses, like Quicken Loans hiring hundreds of employees and doing incredible things, you know, in the tech industry.
We have entrepreneurial and tech events happening each and everyday throughout the city. You know it's really been an incredible time to be in Detroit as the city reinvents itself around technology.
COSTELLO: Well, this Web site that I talked about, ValleytoDetroit.com, that allows prospective employees to upload their resumes, and begin interviews immediately. Are there a lot of people using the site?
SCHWARTZ: Yes. You know, it's only been up, I think it's been about 48 hours and the -- you know, it's been incredible, the traction we've seen, just a number of, you know, number of applicants already coming in through the site. And here in Detroit, we're hiring, you know, nearly 500 employees throughout the Quicken Loans family of companies and other small businesses throughout Detroit.
And you know, we'll be bringing -- flying candidates out here for interviews on sight. And you know I think -- it really only takes one afternoon here in the city to see everything that's happening and the comeback that's happening around technology. So we've been really thrilled with the result, you know, already just within 48 hours of that site launching.
COSTELLO: That's terrific. And you know new applicants can also go watch a great baseball game. I'm sorry, I'm a Detroit Tigers fan. I can't help it.
(LAUGHTER)
SCHWARTZ: Yes, big Tigers fans here. And you know, it's funny you say that. One of the new hot office spaces here for tech companies has rooftop bars that overlook Tigers Stadium. So, you know, you can go throughout the country and look at different office environments. But, you know, some of the hottest spaces for tech companies are right around the corner here in Detroit.
COSTELLO: Awesome. Greg, thanks for being with us. We appreciate it.
SCHWARTZ: Thanks for having me.
COSTELLO: You're welcome.
Let's go to the White House now. President Obama has begun speaking. He's meeting with millionaires and their secretaries to push the Buffett Rule. Let's listen.
OBAMA: We can settle for an economy where a shrinking number of people do very, very well and everybody else is struggling to get by. Or we can build an economy where we're rewarding hard work and responsibility. An economy where everybody has a fair shot. Everybody is doing their fair share. And everybody is playing by the same set of rules.
The people who joined me here today are extremely successful. They created jobs, opportunity for thousands of Americans. They are rightly proud of their success. They love the country that made their success possible. And most importantly, they want to make sure that the next generation, people coming up behind them have the same opportunities that they had.
They understand, though, that for some time now, when compared to the middle class, they haven't been asked to do their fair share. And they are here because they believe there's something deeply wrong and irresponsible about that. At a time when the share of national income flowing to the top 1 percent of people in this country has climbed to levels we haven't seen since the 1920s. These same folks are paying taxes at one of the lowest rates in 50 years.
In fact, one in four millionaires pays a lower tax rate than millions of hard-working middle class households. And while many millionaires do pay their fair share, some take advantage of loopholes, shelters and let them get away with paying no income taxes what so ever. It's all perfectly legal under the current system that we currently have. You've heard that my friend Warren Buffett pays a lower tax rate than his secretary because he's the one who's been pointing that out and saying we should fix it.
The executives who are with me today, not just behind me, but in the audience, agree with me. They agree with Warren. They should be fixed. They in fact had brought some of their own assistants to prove that same point. It's just plain wrong that middle class Americans pay a higher share of their income and taxes than some millionaires and billionaires.
Now it's not that these folks are excited about the idea of paying more taxes. This thing I've always made clear. I have yet to meet people who just love taxed, nobody loves paying taxes. In a perfect world, none of us would have to pay any taxes, we'd have no deficits to pay down and schools and bridges and roads, and national defense and caring for veterans would all happen magically.
We'd all have money we need to make investments in the things that help us grow. Investments, by the way, that have always been essential to the private sector's success as well.
Not just -- they're not just important in terms of the people that directly benefit from these programs. But historically, those investments that we've made in infrastructure, in education, in science, in technology, and transportation, that's part of what has made us an economic super power. And it'd be nice if we didn't have to pay for them.
But this is the real world that we live in. We have real choices and real consequences. Right now, we've got significant deficits that are going to have to be closer. Right now, we have significant needs if we want to continue to grow this economy and compete in this 21st century hypercompetive, technologically integrated economy.
That means we can't afford to keep spending more money on tax cuts for wealthy Americans who don't need them and weren't even asking for them. And it's time we did something about it.
I want to emphasize, this is not simply an issue of redistributing wealth. That's what you'll hear from those who object to a tax plan that is fair. This is not just about fairness. This is also about growth, it's also about being able to make the investments we need to succeed, and it's about we as a country being willing to pay for those investments and closing our deficits.
That's what this is about. Now next week, members of Congress are going to have a chance to vote on what we call the Buffett Rule. And it's simple. If you make more money -- more than $1 million a year, not if you have $1 million, but if you make more than $1 million a year, you should pay at least the same percentage of your income in taxes as middle class families do.
If, on the other hand, you make less than $250,000 a year like 98 percent of American families do, your taxes shouldn't go up. That's all there is to it. That's pretty sensible. Most Americans agree with me. So do most millionaires. One survey found that two-thirds of millionaires support this idea. So do nearly half of all Republicans across America. So we just need some of the Republican politicians here in Washington to get on board with where the country is.
I know that some prefer to run around using the same reflexive, false claims about wanting to raise people's taxes. What they won't tell you is the truth that I've cut taxes for middle class families each year that I've been in office. I cut taxes for small business owners not once or twice but 17 times.
As I said, for most of the folks in this room, taxes are lower than they have been or as low as they have been in 50 years.
There are others who are saying, well, this is just a gimmick. Just taxing millionaires and billionaires just imposing the Buffett Rule won't do enough to close the deficit.
Well, I agree. That's not all we have to do to close the deficit. But the notion that it doesn't solve the entire problem doesn't mean that we shouldn't do it at all. There are enough excuses for inaction in Washington we certainly don't need more excuses.
I just point out that the Buffett Rule is something that will get us moving in the right direction towards fairness, towards economic growth. It'll help us close our deficit and it's a lot more specific than anything that the other side has proposed so far.
And if Republicans in Congress were truly concerned with deficits and debt, then I'm assuming they wouldn't have just proposed to spend an additional $4.6 trillion on lower tax rates including an average tax cut of at least $150,000 for every millionaire in America. They want to go in the opposite direction. They want to double down on some of the inequities that already exist in the tax code.
If we're going to keep giving somebody like me or some of the people in this room tax breaks that we don't need and we can't afford, then one of two things happens. Either you've got to borrow more money to pay down a deeper deficit or you've got to demand deeper sacrifices from the middle class. And you've got to cut investments that help us grow as an economy. You've got to tell seniors to pay a little bit more for their Medicare.
You've got to tell the college student we're going to have to charge you higher rates on your student loans or you're just going to get smaller loans. You're going to have to tell that working family that's scraping by that they're going to have to do more because the wealthiest of Americans are doing less. That's not right.
The middle class has seen enough of its security road over the past few decades that we shouldn't let that happen. We're not going to stop investing in the things that create real and lasting growth in this country just so folks like me can get an additional tax cut. We're not going to stop building first class schools and making sure that they've got science labs in them. We're not going to, you know, fail to make investments in basic science and research that could cure diseases that harm people or create the new technology that ends up creating entire jobs and industries that we haven't seen before.
And in America, prosperity is never just trickled down from a wealthy few. Prosperity has always been built from the bottom up and from the heart of the middle class, outward. And so it's time for Congress to stand-up for the middle class and make our tax system fairer by passing this Buffett Rule.
Let me just close by saying this. I'm not the first president to call for this idea that everybody has got to do their fair share. Some years ago, one of my predecessors traveled across the country pushing for the same concept. He gave a speech where he talked about a letter he had received from wealthy executives who paid lower tax rates than his secretary. And wanted to come to Washington and tell Congress why that was wrong.
So this president gave another speech where he said "it was crazy". It's a quote, "That certain tax loopholes make it possible for multimillionaires to pay nothing while a bus driver was paying 10 percent of his salary". That wild-eyed socialist tax hiking class warrior was Ronald Reagan.
He thought that in America the wealthiest should pay their fair share and he said so. And I know that position might disqualify him from the Republican primaries these days.
But, what Ronald Reagan was calling for then is the same thing that we're calling for now, a return to basic fairness and responsibility; everybody doing their part. And if it'll help convince folks in Congress to make the right choice, we could call it the Reagan Rule instead of the Buffett Rule.
But the choice is clear. This vote is coming up. I'm asking every American who agrees with me to call your member of Congress, write them an e-mail, tweet them, tell them to stop giving tax breaks to the wealthiest of Americans who don't need them and aren't asking for it. Tell them to start asking everybody to do their fair share and play by the same rules so that every American who is willing to work hard has a chance at similar success.
So that we're making the investments that help make this economy grow, so that we're able to bring down our deficits in a fair and balanced and sensible way. Tell them to pass the Buffett Rule. I'm going to keep on making this case across the country because I believe that this rule is consistent with those principles and those values that helped make us this remarkable place where everybody has opportunity.
Now each of us is only here because somebody somewhere felt responsibility not only for themselves but also for their community and for their country. They felt a responsibility to us, the future generations and now it's our turn to be similarly responsible. Now it's our turn to preserve that American dream for future generations. So I want to thank those of you who are here with me today and I want to thank everybody who is in the audience. I want to appeal to the American people. Let's make sure that we keep the pressure on Congress to do the right thing.
Thank you very much, everybody.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: The President of the United States speaking from the White House surrounded presumably by millionaires and their secretaries. He's pushing the Buffett Rule. We've been talking that a lot the Buffett Rule will come to a vote at least before the Senate. They're going to take a procedural vote next week.
"Political Buzz" is your rapid fire look at the best political topics of the day. Three questions, 30 seconds on the clock. Playing today: CNN contributor, Maria Cardona on the left; Republican strategist Boris Epshteyn on the right; and separating them, Chris Moody of Yahoo! News. Welcome to all of you.
MARIA CARDONA, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Thanks Carol.
BORIS EPSHTEYN, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: Good morning.
COSTELLO: Ok so since the President talked about class warfare, the first question, listen to what New Jersey Governor Chris Christie said yesterday at former President George W. Bush's economic conference.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. CHRIS CHRISTIE (R), NEW JERSEY: I've never seen a less optimistic time in my lifetime in this country. And people wonder why. I think it's really simple. It's because government is now telling them, stop dreaming. Stop striving. We'll take care of you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Christie, as we all know is a Romney supporter. We know his message resonates with conservatives. But how will it play with the Independent voters Romney needs? Boris?
EPSHTEYN: That message has to be coupled with a message of positivity as well to be honest. My view is that we as Republicans not only have to criticize this President for a slow recovery and mismanaged recovery as well the social warfare game he's playing but also have to offer answers. And that is what Mitt Romney is doing.
So that message by Chris Christie is obviously is taken out of context. He's saying that he believes government is overstepping its boundaries. And that is true. We as conservatives believe that. Independents care about jobs, jobs, jobs. And Mitt Romney has put out a 59 point plan that says how he's going to get the economy back where it needs to be. And that's what the message should be.
COSTELLO: Maria.
CARDONA: It's not going to resonate with Independents at all Carol because what Chris Christie is talking about is not the reality that most people are living. Look, talk to the teacher who is out of work. And ask her if she thinks the government is going to take care of her. No. The difference there is that Democrats are talking exactly about what the President just talked about, fairness, everybody paying their fair share.
We stop giving millionaires and billionaires and corporations who are making billions of dollars in profit tax breaks we can actually use that money to hire teachers. Give the tax break to a small business so they can hire more employees. That's what Independents are looking for.
COSTELLO: Chris.
CHRIS MOODY, POLITICAL REPORTER, YAHOO! NEWS: I think the question presumes that small business owners are conservatives and all of them are and that's simply not the case. You do have a lot of small business owners that are either apolitical or Independent. And what Governor Christie was talking about -- government on their backs is going to resonate with them.
So when they -- when they are trying to start a new company and they have to fill out all these forms and go through red tape, they are going to notice. Especially also when -- if taxes are raised for people earning $250,000 or more, a lot of small business owners file independently or file individually on their taxes and so they are going to be hit by those higher taxes. So I think they will resonate with the Independents especially those who own small businesses.
COSTELLO: Ok, on to question two now. Now that Santorum is out of the race, Mitt Romney shifts into attack Obama mode. But as the "Daily Beast" reports Romney has a track that no notable black endorser, surrogates or high-ranking campaign staffers. So is Romney kissing off African-American voters -- Boris.
EPSHTEYN: No, he's not. And here's the reason. Barack Obama simply has not delivered to his African-American base. That's why his approval among African-Americans is down by almost 10 percent. Unemployment among African-Americans, where as the national number is 8.3, among African-Americans it's almost 15 percent.
So there's unquestionably a worry among Democrats that African- Americans A, will not support Barack Obama as much and B, will not come out to the polls as strongly as they did in 2008.
What Mitt Romney needs to focus on is not hiring an African-American staff or getting an African-American surrogate but delivering a message of how he's going to help African-Americans. That's what matters most.
COSTELLO: Chris.
MOODY In 2008, Barack Obama I believe won 96 percent of the black vote. And I don't think people expect him to drop below 90 here. I don't think Mitt Romney is ignoring that vote. I think over the next several weeks and months you're going to see lots of black conservatives coming out, coalescing around Mitt Romney and there's a growing chorus of them -- more black Republicans running for Congress and running for positions of office.
But I think certainly Mitt Romney could reach out to that community. And we'll see -- and I'm sure he will before November.
COSTELLO: Maria.
CARDONA: Absolutely he has, Carol. Not just in perception. If you look at any of his campaign rallies, none of the people who are behind him look like Americans, not just no African-American but no people of color, period.
But look at his policies. His policies do everything to hurt African- American families, Hispanic families, middle class families, working class families. So yes, in policy and in perception, he absolutely has pissed off this vote.
And in effect if you look at an event that he did, one of the very few with African-Americans around him, the only thing he could talk about is who let the dogs out. He asked an African-American little girl if she had bling on. I mean come one, he's just so awkward; he doesn't know how to relate.
COSTELLO: Ok. Your buzzer beater now. Twenty seconds each. Third question.
The "Salt Lake Tribune" reports Newt Gingrich's $500 check to pay the filing Utah's primary has bounced. If he doesn't pay by April 20th, the story says, his name will not appear on the ballot. $500 rubber check. Why hasn't Newt pulled the plug -- Chris.
MOODY Look, it doesn't really even matter if he's not on the ballot in Utah. I really think that Mitt Romney has locked this thing up even though he hasn't reached the number of delegates quite yet. He's going to -- this is going to be an Obama versus Romney race. It's a very unfortunate end to Newt Gingrich's roller coaster campaign but not an unexpected one for a campaign like this.
COSTELLO: Maria.
CARDONA: I think it was a very strategic move on Newt Gingrich part to bounce this check so that we would be talking about it on CNN this morning because there's no other way that Newt Gingrich is into this conversation now. In Utah? Really? Trying to pay to get on the ballot? He thinks he has a chance in Utah? Come on, Newt.
COSTELLO: Boris.
EPSHTEYN: Newt's not having a great day, I guess. But in reality, we all know that Newt Gingrich himself the $500 that it would take to pay it. Now he could call Sheldon Adelson and say hey Sheldon -- just give me $500 bucks, forget that $10 million I already owe you or $20 million, whatever it is. Give me $500. I'll put it all on red if I can't win Utah. I'll go to one of your casinos in Las Vegas. In all seriousness, this race is over, Mitt Romney is going to face Barack Obama. He's going to beat Barack Obama because Barack Obama has not delivered to the American people.
COSTELLO: All right. Boris, Maria, Chris -- thanks for joining us this morning.
CARDONA: Thank you.
EPSHTEYN: Have a great day.
COSTELLO: You too.
When George Zimmerman's now ex-lawyers held a news conference, a lot of legal experts couldn't believe what they were watching. Coming up, we'll talk about its possible impact on the Zimmerman case.
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COSTELLO: Trayvon's Martins parents will speak out publicly at a news conference later today. No doubt they'll mention the man who shot their son, George Zimmerman. And they're also wondering exactly where he is. Many, including Zimmerman's own legal advisers are wondering the same thing.
Reverend Jamal Bryant is close to the Martin family. He's organized rallies in support of Trayvon including this one in Sanford, Florida last month. And he joins us now from Washington.
Welcome.
REVEREND JAMAL BRYANT, PRESIDENT, EMPOWERMENT MOVEMENT: Good morning.
COSTELLO: So, I'll start by asking you the same question many are asking today, where is George Zimmerman?
BRYANT: George Zimmerman is alive and well and regrettably, Trayvon Martin is not, which is really raising the question for millions of Americans, who is really on trial, is our patience on trial, is our intelligence on trial that this man cannot be found by his lawyers, has a gun, has an open account to receive money through Paypal but still there's no arrest warrant?
And so everybody wants to know not only where he is but why he's not incarcerated.
COSTELLO: Zimmerman's legal advisors or whatever they are now, they suggested Zimmerman could have post-traumatic stress syndrome, he was reaching out inappropriately to the special prosecutor, to Fox News. He suddenly set up his own Web site seeking money. What do you make of this?
BRYANT: Well, I think the lawyers, the representatives, advisors have as much credibility as Newt Gingrich's bank account in Utah. He never signed anything. He's never met with any of them and so really that press conference yesterday was a Ringling Brothers circus. Nobody understood what was the point. They discredited their would-be client. And really at this point, they need to recuse themselves from the case because they've already talked about him having post- traumatic stress and they've not seen him, met with him and they don't know what state he's in because they cannot find him.
COSTELLO: This special prosecutor in Florida says she will go public with new information by Friday. If she doesn't announce Zimmerman's arrest, what will the reaction be among Trayvon supporters?
BRYANT: I think that we're at a place that really -- the family has been overwhelmingly patient. The 911 tapes have been released. The video surveillance from the police department have already been exposed. And so at this point, we're going to have to do something to get Florida's attention. Because the critical place that we are in right now, we are now at 46 days out with no arrests and not even a warrant for the arrest. When we protested, that's when they released the 911 tapes. When we marched, that's when they released the surveillance video.
And so we're going to have to do something to raise the ante. To enough already. We have been patient. We have gone by the process. But at this point, the prosecutor has to do her job and arrest George Zimmerman immediately.
COSTELLO: And by -- what you mean by gaining attention, you mean peacefully, right?
Bryant: Absolutely, peacefully. Everything that we have done over these 46 days thousands have converged in New York, in Orlando, in Los Angeles; Chicago -- everything has been peaceable, we believe in the justice system. We just want the Justice system to do their jobs.
We've done our job by raising our voice. (inaudible) said Democrats will only do what the people allow it to do. We refused to allow the government of Florida to not do anything, push this under the rug until there's a lump in the carpet.
There's got to be justice. There's got to be core decision. And Zimmerman must be arrested -- that's not negotiable. There is enough evidence. And so we are prayerful that the prosecutors is going to make the right decision.
COSTELLO: Reverend Bryant, thank you for joining us this morning.
BRYANT: Thank you.
COSTELLO: We're going to take a short break. We'll be right back.
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COSTELLO: In today's "Daily Dose", a new study may makes you think twice about getting that annual x-ray at the dentist's office. Researchers found that getting frequent dental X-rays seems to increase the risk for a commonly diagnosed usually non-malignant brain tumor. Researchers don't want to keep people from going to the dentist. They're only suggesting patients get those X-rays every two to three years as recommended for healthy adults.
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COSTELLO: We asked you to "talk back" on one of the big stories of the day.
The question this morning, rich versus poor. If that's where America really is, who is right, Romney or Obama?
This from Chris, "I'm not sitting on the couch waiting on a government check. I make $800 a months, I don't get food stamps, tax breaks for the middle class and poor class, stimulate the economy, we make the rich richer."
This from Aaron, "Republicans do not believe in just lower taxes for the rich, they want lower taxes for everyone. Less control for a small group of people in D.C. more for the everyday person.
This from Matthew, "I'm a hard working, highly motivated, highly- educated and highly entrepreneurial American citizen. Obama still fights to rid our country of the ridiculous tax breaks and loopholes. Rich people, have been believe for way too long.
This from Walter, Republicans have become masters in getting for and middle class to vote against their own self interest with a promise that you, too, will become rich one day. What a scam?"
This from Patrick, both sides are right. The problem is, there's no compromise or listening between the sides to find the solution that would work well for Americans as a whole.
Please keep the conversation going. Facebook.com/carolcnn. And thanks as always for your comments. We are going take a break. We'll be back with more after this.
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