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Mike Tyson's Show Kicks Off in Vegas; Ann Romney Speaks Out; Allen West Says Democratic Party has Communists.

Aired April 12, 2012 - 11:00   ET

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

JOINED IN PROGRESS

CAROL COSTELLO, ANCHOR, "CNN NEWSROOM": ...Translational Medicine looked at 21 adults for six weeks. Now, they got less than six hours of sleep per night.

As a result, participants had elevated blood sugar levels and burned calories more showily than those who had eight hours of sleep, so get your "zzzz"s in.

"CNN Newsroom" continues now with Kyra Phillips.

KYRA PHILLIPS, ANCHOR, "CNN NEWSROOM": Hello, everyone. I'm Kyra Phillips. It's 11:00 on the East Coast, 8:00 out West. We've got a busy hour ahead. Let's get straight to the news.

The final report on last year's disaster at the Indiana state fair is due out any minute now.

And who can forget this? That stage rigging collapsing into a crowd as a storm blew through Indianapolis on August 13th as the country duo, Sugarland, was about to perform.

Seven people died, dozens were injured and today's report should tell us who and what is to blame for that rigging to give way.

We're also going to hear from the country stars. They will finally answer questions about that fateful day. We'll have a live report later in the hour.

Trayvon Martin's mom is now calling what happened to her son an accident. Listen to what she said on the NBC "Today" show.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SYBRINA FULTON, TRAYVON MARTIN'S MOTHER: One of the things that I still believe in, a person should apologize when they are actually remorseful for what they've done.

I believe it was an accident. I believe that it just got out of control and he couldn't turn the clock back.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: And in just a couple of hour, George Zimmerman will face a judge for killing Trayvon Martin, charged now with second degree murder. He turned himself in yesterday.

After Zimmerman's first two lawyers quit, it's now up to this man, Mark O'Mara, to defend Zimmerman from being convicted of second- degree murder.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARK O'MARA, GEORGE ZIMMERMAN'S ATTORNEY: I did think that that was certainly the highest charge I ever thought they would charge. It seemed like it might be a manslaughter, but again, I don't want to prejudge something when I know nothing about the facts. I'd rather just let that come out the way it's supposed to.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Zimmerman's hearing will take place at 1:30 Eastern time. We'll bring you live coverage when it happens.

An oil sheen ten miles long and a mile wide is floating in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico. It's situated about 130 miles southeast of New Orleans between two of the Royal Dutch Shell's drilling rigs.

The company says there's no indication either is responsible for that oil spill, so that leaves the question, who is?

A special skimming vessel is on its way to set booms and start collecting that oil.

The sort of scandal that ended John Edwards' political career starts playing out in court today. Jury selection is getting underway. He's facing six felony and misdemeanor counts relating to the alleged misuse of campaign cash during the 2008 presidential campaign.

One issue sure to come up, whether money given to Edward's mistress, Rielle Hunter, by Edwards' supporters should have been considered donations toward his presidential run.

If convicted, Edwards could face up to 30 years in prison. Hunter is expected to take the stand.

Connecticut will soon become the 17th state to abandon the death penalty. The state house voted last night to abolish capital punishment. The state senate approved a measure last week.

Governor Dannel Malloy, a Democrat, said he'll sign the bill into law. When he spoke recently, the governor told me why he thinks the death penalty should be outlawed.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOVERNOR DANNEL MALLOY (D), CONNECTICUT: There are any number of reason, not the least of which is research that demonstrates many people have been put to death improperly in the United States and that there are distinct racial biases in the use of and actual executions.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Only one person has been executed in Connecticut since 1976.

All eyes on North Korea as the first opportunity for Pyongyang to launch its controversial rocket passes. Japanese missile defense systems are scanning the skies, ready to shoot it down if it enters Japanese air space.

North Korea says the rocket is necessary to put a weather satellite in orbit, but the U.S. and other countries believe it's just a cover for a ballistic missile test. That launch is scheduled to happen sometime between now and Monday.

Syrians woke up to a sound they haven't heard in a long time, silence, for the most part. The ceasefire brokered by Special Envoy Kofi Annan appears to be taking hold. He says he's encouraged.

Instead, you're going to find protests like this one, in which the people promise not the break the peace.

Despite the progress, the government reports a terrorist bomb in Aleppo that killed one person and wounded two dozen. A shell hit a market in Homs and the government refuses to pull out its troops, a condition of the ceasefire, by the way.

In minutes, a live update from our Ivan Watson.

She's being called Argentina's miracle baby and rightly so. The baby is now in stable condition in intensive care, but when she was born three months premature with no vital signs, doctors pronounced her dead.

Her body was put in a coffin and sent to the morgue, but at night when the grief stricken mother went to take a look at her for the very last time, she says a miracle happened. She found her alive.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FABIAN VERNON, BABY'S FATHER (through translator): She touched her little hand. She then uncovered her face and that's when we heard the first cry.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Unbelievable. Her parents, of course, are naming her Luz Milagros, Spanish for "light" and "miracles." Authorities have now launched an investigation into that incident.

Confusion and panic, that's what you can hear in the newly released 911 tape from the night Whitney Houston died. In the call, a guard tells the dispatcher that another woman in the room called for help, but was, quote, "pretty much out of it."

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

DISPATCHER: She was not breathing?

CALLER: Yes.

DISPATCHER: OK, but she is breathing right now?

CALLER: I don't know. The first person that called me was irate and I didn't get much out of her.

DISPATCHER: OK, we'll send police and fire over there if there's a person not breathing. Does it sound like the person is still not breathing?

CALLER: Yes, that's correct.

DISPATCHER: OK, we'll get them there for not breathing and is anyone in the room trying to do CPR?

CALLER: Yes, we're going in now.

DISPATCHER: Can you give me the room so I can try to give you CPR instructions?

CALLER: No, because she kept hanging up on us.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: According to the autopsy report, Houston's assistant found her face down in the tub. Police have closed the investigation saying her death was an accidental drowning.

George Zimmerman charged with murder and facing a judge today. The uphill battle facing both the prosecution and defense in a live update, next.

But first, the Texas community joining together to lift up one brave little kid battling cancer.

Her name is Libby Server. Just two weeks ago, the first grader was happy and healthy, but a low-grade fever sent her to the doctor. A week later, she was in the hospital for kidney and heart surgery.

To show support, her friends and neighbors welcomed her home with this parade. Libby also spent the day at her school, Frisco Elementary.

Although she starts chemo therapy this week there are many battles ahead, there is one thing she knows for sure. Her town supports her.

To all of Libby's friends and family who organized this parade, you are today's rock stars.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: After weeks of rallies, protests and debate over Trayvon Martin's death, George Zimmerman is now sitting in jail charged with second-degree murder and now in just a couple of hours, his first hearing.

The final word from special prosecutor, Angela Corey, came down last night and this morning, listen to what Trayvon's mom says about the shooting on NBC's "Today" show.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FULTON: One of the things that I still believe in, a person should apologize when they are really -- when they are actually remorseful for what they've done.

I believe it was a accident. I believe that it just got out of control. And he couldn't turn the clock back.

I would ask him, did he know that that was a minor, that that was a teenager and that he did not have a weapon?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Now, it's up to this man to defend George Zimmerman, Mark O'Mara, who was just brought on as Zimmerman's attorney yesterday.

Let's get straight to Martin Savidge who is outside the jail where Zimmerman is being held there in Sanford, Florida. Boy, a lot of action since we talked yesterday, Martin. What's expected to happen at today's hearing?

MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This is what they call first appearance. It's an arraignment. It's a fairly routine kind of procedure.

It will take place inside of a courtroom that's located inside the corrections facility and George Zimmerman will be the first of a number of arraignments today. The judge is going to read the charge against him, which, of course, is second-degree murder with a weapon and then on top of that, that could get 25 years to life if he were to be found guilty.

It's expected he's going to enter a plea of not guilty. The judge, by the way, will be someplace else. It will be a video link that connects the two together.

Kyra?

PHILLIPS: And so how difficult do you think this is going to be, Marty? As you talk to your sources and all the various lawyers involved, you know, to prove second degree murder?

SAVIDGE: It's going to be tough. Many people were surprised first of all by the seriousness of the charge. I don't want to say it was overreaching, but some people have mentioned that.

Manslaughter, as you know, we've discussed this before, was the one that most thought was going to be the original charge, so this is a tougher charge. It's got a potentially tougher punishment as a result and proving it is going to be hard and we're a long away way from that, actually.

And, of course, you're going to have to see if he comes out on bond, but then there is going to be eventually where there is a hearing that determines whether or not the "stand-your-ground" law applies.

In other words, that George Zimmerman would be granted immunity if, in fact, it was found that he was rightfully protecting his life, which is what he claims, so we're a long away way from this getting to a trial and there's a lot that could change it.

PHILLIPS: What about security for Zimmerman? There's been talk about him possibly being in an isolated area.

SAVIDGE: Right. His attorney, Mark O'Mara, said this morning that he is isolated for the time being. Whether it will continue to be that way, we don't know.

Of course, the attorney wants to get him out on bond. One, for his mental wellbeing and, also, two, I think he wants to start talking with his client to begin working on their defense.

But when he comes out, there is going to be the issue of safety and so will there be some sort of protective custody? Will he, once again, kind of go into hiding?

All of this is being talked about because there are real serious concerns for George Zimmerman's safety.

PHILLIPS: How is the community reacting?

SAVIDGE: I'm sorry. Repeat that one more time?

PHILLIPS: How's the community reacting? You know, every day that I've been talking to you, obviously, protesters have been gathered outside the courthouse in various places around the homes.

What's the response been there to this?

SAVIDGE: You know, it's kind of a muted response. I mean, those that wanted to see and were demanding they see some kind of justice, an arrest of George Zimmerman, are clearly pleased, but not celebrating.

Those that support George Zimmerman and believe he acted in self- defense are clearly not pleased.

Overall in the community of Sanford, I guess you could say there is sort of a sigh of relief only because it is hoped that as a result of the legal process now engaging, that a lot of this rhetoric and a lot of the emotions that have been running very high will begin to dissipate somewhat.

PHILLIPS: Martin Savidge in Sanford, Florida. Martin, thanks so much. So, in light of everything that's happened in just a past 24 hours and a lot has, let's get more perspective from our legal contributor, Paul Callan.

So, Paul, Zimmerman was charged with second-degree murder. Were you expecting this?

PAUL CALLAN, ATTORNEY: No, I was surprised. I think most people who have looked at this case thought that the prosecutor would charge manslaughter.

The thought was this wasn't a planned or intentional murder, but the prosecutor has charged a subsection of murder that theoretically she believes applies.

She's taking a tough, tough approach right out of the box in charging such a serious crime.

PHILLIPS: Do you think she overcharged Zimmerman?

CALLAN: You could argue she's made a difficult case for herself in front of a jury because she has to prove that this wasn't negligent or reckless killing, that it was done with a depraved mind under the statute in Florida.

However, prosecutors do this all the time because sometimes they think they're going to get a plea. If he's looking at life, if he goes to trial, maybe if he pleads to manslaughter, he gets a lesser sentence, so it gives leverage to negotiate down the line.

So this is not unusual for a prosecutor to slightly overcharge a case in order to try to get a plea, ultimately. That may be what she had in mind.

PHILLIPS: What do you think O'Mara's strategy should be in the courtroom then?

CALLAN: I've been fascinated by O'Mara's approach to the case. It's been unorthodox. He has been very timid almost in his approach.

Usually in these particularly the high profile cases, the defense attorney comes out and he says, my client is innocent. It's an outrage that he's been charged. There's no merit to these charges.

O'Mara in press conference, he says, I have great respect for the prosecutor. I don't know what the evidence is. Maybe she had a good reason for charging murder.

This is an unusual approach for a defense attorney. Obviously, he's made a decision he wants to bring the temperature down in the case and I think one of the things he's planning is to focus on what we call the immunity hearing or the "stand-your-ground" hearing where he's going to convince a judge to toss the whole case on the grounds that Zimmerman acted in self self-defense.

So I think he's probably just trying to stay in good with the judge by lowering the temperature and not trying his case in the press.

PHILLIPS: Even listening to his interview, he said -- and you just mentioned, too -- I've got a lot of things to go over, catch up on all the evidence.

How quickly -- look at how much there is, facts and details. That has gotten international publicity.

How fast can he move without missing any kind of important, you know, fact or detail?

CALLAN: Well, the one thing he has in hand is he's met with Zimmerman and I would presume that if Zimmerman said, I acted in self- defense, that O'Mara knows that's going to be the defense in the case, so there's no mystery there.

So I'm a little surprised that he just didn't come out of the box and say, this is a self-defense case and we're going to defend aggressively.

However, with respect to your question, we don't know how extensive the prosecutor's investigation has been. How many people did she interview? What forensic evidence is there?

For instance, I haven't seen anything about whether Trayvon Martin had powder burns on his shirt or chest. If he was in close proximity in a fight when the gun was shot, that would be there. That would be an important piece of evidence.

That's an example of a piece of evidence we don't know anything about nor, presumably, does the defense attorney.

So, you're right. There's a learning curve here and it's going to take a little while for him to get up to speed.

PHILLIPS: Paul Callan, thanks so much.

CALLAN: Nice being with you.

PHILLIPS: Likewise.

Only scattered gunfire reported today in Syria. Is the U.N. ceasefire trying to take hold? Ivan Watson live from the border, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: The ceasefire in Syria appears to be holding, but it's a minute-by-minute situation.

For example, this video coming in from Homs shows a single shell landing in a city neighborhood just after the deadline to stop the violence. Now, CNN can't verify the authenticity of what you're seeing. but it fits a familiar pattern.

The government also reports a terrorist bombing that killed an officer and wounded 24 people in Aleppo.

CNN's Ivan Watson is live in Turkey, a key player this crisis.

So, Ivan, explain where you are now.

IVAN WATSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kyra, I'm in front of one of the refugee camps on the Turkish-Syrian border where some of the 25,000 refugees who have fled to Turkey to escape their own government are currently living in tents like this.

And just to give you a sense of location, right over here, almost a little bit more than a stone's throw away, there's a border fence there of barbed wire and that is the Syrian border.

People have climbed through that fence to escape their country. There's a little guard tower, a Turkish border guard tower, right nearby and we've watched some refugees today just crawling through holes in the fence, going back and forth to do things like foraging for herbs, for oregano in the hills right there.

And we know that some of the residents here are actually volunteer fighters who've told us that they've come from the refugee camp and gone in there to pick up weapons and actually to carry out attacks in the past against Syrian security forces.

Kyra?

PHILLIPS: So, Ivan, just to bring it back to Bashar al Assad, how do you think this is all going to play out? We saw what happened with Moammar Kaddafi.

This is in many ways, very different dynamic. You know, can he tough this out with his army?

WATSON: Well, it is very different because, in the Libyan case, you had a number of high-ranking defections. You had the second largest city in the country fall into the opposition hands immediately.

We don't have a major city like that that's gone into rebel hands, you don't have high-level defections and you don't have Western governments offering assistance in the form of a bombing campaign.

Instead, here, you've got desperate civilians who've fled their country. They have maintained protests now for more than a year after the deaths of more than 9,000 people. They are increasingly trying to arm the opposition.

Today's peace plan and relative ceasefire where we've seen the quietest day in Syria in months, really, going from more than 100 people killed a day to now perhaps three to five people killed, that's a remarkable change, is a big test on whether it's possible at all to hammer some kind of political transition in the future.

I do know the opposition and many Western governments do not trust that Bashar al Assad and his government will stick with this ceasefire plan.

PHILLIPS: Our Ivan Watson there, live in Turkey for us. Ivan, thanks.

PHILLIPS: Remember these chilling pictures of an IRS building on fire after a plane flew directly into it? That pilot, Joe Stack, intentionally cashed that plane.

Two years later, his wife is speaking out. I sat down with her exclusively to talk about life before and after her husband's suicide attack. Part of my interview, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: In 2010, a man named Joe Stack crashed his plane into the office building that housed the IRS in Austin, Texas, but before that deadly night, he burned down his home, leaving behind a wife, a stepdaughter and a whole lot of questions.

A rambling manifesto was also revealed. Joe Stack railed against the IRS, the government and detailed how he need to take action into his own hands.

Now, the woman who knew him best, his wife, Sheryl, speaks to me exclusively about what she knew and, for the first time, goes public, describing how she has carried the burden of what her husband did two years ago.

Here's my preview of "Faith & Fury."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHERYL STACK, WIFE OF JOE STACK: I still love Joe. I don't think that Joe was a bad person.

PHILLIPS: It took some time for Sheryl Stack to get to this point. For two years, she has struggled, but has found comfort in her music and her faith.

S. STACK: I have been more sad than mad. Suicide is so painful on so many different levels and then you add the public factor, the public suicide.

PHILLIPS: It was February 18th, 2010. An angry and violent Joe Stack set his family's house on fire, then drove here to the Georgetown Municipal Airport, boarded his single engine plane and was cleared for take-off.

TOWER: 89 Delta, cleared for take off. What's your direction of flight, sir?

JOE STACK: 89 Delta going southbound, sir.

PHILLIPS: At 9:44 a.m., Joe Stack was headed for his final flight.

Joe Stack knew exactly where he was going, the Echelon Building in Austin, which housed the IRS.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Our full story, "Faith & Fury," is part of this Sunday's lineup at 8:00 p.m. Eastern, all a part of "CNN Presents."

: "Iron Mike" Tyson brings his knockout punches to Vegas, but not in the boxing ring. He's onstage in a new one-man show. The former champ joins me live, next.

You ready, champ?

MIKE TYSON, FORMER PROFESSIONAL BOXER: Yes, I am. Thank you very much.

PHILLIPS: Here we go.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)




(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Iron Mike, Kid Dynamite, the baddest man on the planet. You know who we're talking about -- Mike Tyson. Once he entered that ring, very few men could stop him. The undisputed heavy weight champ could knock out boxers in one round, destroying his opponents in the ring. Then, there's this side of the champ.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mike, Mike.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mike Tyson?

MIKE TYSON, BOXER: Shh. This is my favorite part coming up right now. I can feel it coming through.

(SINGING)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: That is the lighter side to the heavy weight champ. But we will see all sides starting tomorrow. His new one-man show, "Mike Tyson, Undisputed Truth," kicks off in Vegas.

Mike, are we going to see you sing in the new show?

TYSON: I don't know about that. Anything's possible. Dynamic collection of stories that don't know the underlying story about him. Basically, the headlines of my life.

PHILLIPS: So, it's called "The Undisputed Truth." What is the undisputed truth of Mike Tyson?

TYSON: Stories basically like I was famous. Stories that were basically in the headlines, that the people knew about the underlying stories, like my relationships with my wife and my conviction, my upbringing, the death of my mother and my sister, and just who I was as a child back then, and who I am now. I thought that would be something awesome because it's just incredible once I see these pictures of me in the past and I was this fighter guy, this baddest man on the planet kid, whoever you said I was, and the transformation to who I am now, that's pretty weird. I look at myself now and say, wow, I would be nervous to be in a room alone with that guy.

(LAUGHTER)

PHILLIPS: What was the turning point for you?

TYSON: I don't know. Many calamities that make -- well, listen, I had a 4-year-old daughter. All of a sudden, she died for mysterious reasons that people can't explaining. The doctors can't explain it. Some freak accident, right.

PHILLIPS: Something happened on a treadmill, right, Mike?

TYSON: Yes. Give me a break. 4 years old, what can happen on a treadmill? I left that alone because I didn't want to go to the really dark side of it. I just wanted to change my life, be the opposite of what I was before. I just wanted to kill that life the best I can. The later Mike Tyson.

PHILLIPS: You call your life sick. You say you're a sick guy and that you're still fighting demons. What demons are you fighting?

TYSON: Just do the right things in life, you know, to be a good husband, a respectable father. It is just a struggle, but I'm willing to take on the struggle single handedly.

PHILLIPS: What's your biggest regret?

TYSON: I don't know. Too trustworthy and wondering -- I wasn't focused enough.

PHILLIPS: Why not?

TYSON: I don't know. I was too concerned with just life. I deprived myself of so many years to try to reach to this crescendo of success and it didn't turn out the way I wanted it to.

PHILLIPS: Do you miss boxing?

TYSON: No. No, I don't miss boxing --

(CROSSTALK)

PHILLIPS: Really?

TYSON: I could never be a part of that world no more. I burned too many bridges. The boxing world, you know, that I was a part of, they never really liked me, if I wasn't doing anything that really benefitted them. I'm not really a loved guy in the boxing community, maybe the boxing fan. But the boxing fraternity, I don't think I'm a mixed guy. I'm not really a big shot there. For political reason, I'm sure.

PHILLIPS: Interesting. You -- this is such a different Mike Tyson than I've talked with in the past. You talk about the death of your 4-year-old daughter. I can't even imagine going through the death of a child. But what else has happened that has made you -- I guess we should -- maybe, is it OK to say a softer guy, and why are you OK with that?

TYSON: I don't know. I'm just -- I'm just trying to figure my way out here in life. Sometimes, you're lost in life and you have to find this kind of, I don't know, paradigm shift. And you realize everything you learned in life, that was your survival mechanism, was pretty much a lie and you made it pretty much on luck alone, you know.

PHILLIPS: Wow. Is there one person, one thing, that you would say has given you this strength? I mean, what is it inside you that is pushing those demons away and trying to maintain this new look, this new spirit, I guess?

TYSON: Not really a look or spirit. It's just, you know, it's rationalization and knowing the boundary. I realized if you not humble in this world, this world will thrust humbleness upon you.

PHILLIPS: Let me ask you before I let you go because it really caught my attention. I'm hearing this side of you, yet I saw this tweet. You spoke out about Trayvon Martin and George Zimmerman. It said, "It's a disgrace George Zimmerman hasn't been shot yet." Those are pretty harsh words, advocating murder for someone who's a bit of a changed man, it sounds like.

TYSON: No, I'm talking about people that -- what he did wasn't right. You say you don't know what happened, this guy stalked this young kid. The police asked him to lay back. He disobeyed the order from a superior, went and killed this kid any way, and you're going to say that's harsh? I'm only a human being, too. Then he said this kid -- this kid was scared of his life. This is a child, a 17-year-old child. I don't care if he's black, white, candy striped. We made it a big issue because of his race. Race is a big thing in this country, but that was just overtly wrong. And then the slap to society in the black community in the face and then a slap in the human community in the face and say that was self-defense. Whatever your law it was, stand by your ground, this kid was running. He was on the run. This other guy stalked him, follows him. I don't have to be a rocket scientist to see what happened. We know what country we're in and this is what happened. We have evil people all over the world. This is what happened. This is the world we live in.

(CROSSTALK) PHILLIPS: Mike Tyson. The undisputed truth, the show opens at MGM tomorrow, correct?

TYSON: Yes, yes.

PHILLIPS: Let's see how it goes. We'll be looking forward to see how you do.

TYSON: Thank you so kindly, ma'am.

PHILLIPS: You bet.

Parents of toddlers of infants could be putting their child in jeopardy every time they get in the car.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Time now to go to stories making news at "Street Level."

Columbia, South Carolina, where Governor Nikki Hailey is facing an ethics inquiry. A Democratic Party employee complained that her campaign incorrectly reported more than $1.3 million in contributions and failed to list the occupations and addresses of some of the donors. The lawyer calls it a routine matter that he's working to clear up. She could face fines of up to $2,000 for each violation.

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg is blasting the National Rifle Association, saying it's reasonable for the controversial Stand Your Ground laws.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAEL BLOOMBERG, MAYOR, NEW YORK CITY: All Americans already have a right to defend themselves with a measure of force, but these shoot-first laws have nothing to do with that or with the exercise of Second Amendment rights. Instead, they justify civilian gun play.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Bloomberg is starting a national campaign to repeal the laws. The NRA has not responded to his comments.

Now to Chicago, where a new report shows homicides were up by 60 percent in the first three months of the year. Police department stats showing nonfatal shootings are also up. According to the "Chicago Tribune," this troublesome trend started late last year. Between January and April, 120 homicides were reported, up from the 75 reported cases in 2010 and 2011. Plus, there were nearly 500 nonfatal shooting, up 37 percent from the year before. The "Chicago Trib" says police are blaming the increased violence on gangs.

Let's head west to the University of California in Davis. State officials now slamming the university for a pepper-stray incident in November. Campus police were recorded on tape spraying pepper spray directly on a group of Occupy protesters. The students were sitting together on the ground. Police prayed them at point-blank range. A new state report criticized UC Davis, saying the police actions were, quote, "objectively unreasonable" and says the incident could have been prevented.

You've heard of states weighing in on same-sex marriages, but in Maryland, the high court is set to issue a ruling. Jessica Port, seen here, married her partner, Virginia Cowen, in San Francisco, back in 2008, when the state was issuing marriage licenses. Well, they filed for divorce two years later in Maryland. At first, the judge said the state could not recognize their divorce under the state's current constitution. Last month, Governor O'Malley signed a bill into law allowing same-sex couples to marry. This goes into effect January 2013.

Now to the University of Michigan where a new study takes a look at the difficulty of installing child safety seats. The LAX system of anchoring car seats was supposed to make it easy to install child restraints. But the way most cars are designed, it does the opposite. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and the University of Michigan's Transportation Research Institute conducted that study.

In Washington State, neighbors watched as a house and its horrifying memories were demolished. Josh Powell, who was suspected of killing his wife, blew up the house, killing himself and his two sons. It's not known what happened to the property, but neighbors say they would like to make it into a private memorial.

A political fire storm brewing in the race for the White House and this time, it doesn't involve President Obama or Mitt Romney. "Fair Game" is next.

(SINGING)

PHILLIPS: Thanks, says Axl Rose. Apparently, bad blood among the bad is the reason the Guns N Roses co-founder will not attend the band's induction into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame. In a letter he wrote the "L.A. Times," he said the ceremony isn't a venue he would be wanted at or respected, so he says, "I strongly request I not be inducted in absentia. This decision is personal." His feud with other band members is well-known. Guitarist Slash even telling "Rolling Stone" magazine, "He hates my guts, but to snub one of the biggest honors a rocker could get? What a shame." Bad blood aside, why not do it for all the fans who got you to the Hall of Fame? Looks like we don't even need to tell you that your 15 minutes are up. You did it for us.

(SINGING)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Well, Mitt Romney's wife has gotten pulled into a bit of a political skirmish and now is speaking out.

Also speaking out, CNN political analyst, Roland Martin, and Chris Metzler, associate dean of Georgetown University. OK, let's start off with what Democratic strategist and CNN contributor, Hilary Rosen, said about Mitt Romney's wife on "A.C. 360."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HILARY ROSEN, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST & CNN CONTRIBUTOR: His wife has actually never worked a day in her life. She's never really dealt with the kinds of economic issues that a majority of the women in this country are facing in terms of how do we feed our kids, how do we send them to school, and how do we -- and why do we worry about their future.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: This morning, Rosen returned to CNN and she said this whole thing is about Mitt Romney, not his wife.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROSEN: This is not about Ann Romney. This is about the waitress in a diner in, you know, some place in Nevada, who has two kids whose daycare funding is being cut off because of the Romney/Ryan budget, and she doesn't know what to do. This isn't about whether Ann Romney or I or other women of, you know, some means can afford to make a choice to stay home and raise kids.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Then, just last hour, Ann Romney said this on FOX News.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANN ROMNEY, WIFE OF MITT ROMNEY: My career choice was to be a mother. And I think all of us need to know that we need to respect choices that women make. Other women make other choices, to have a career and raise family, which I think Hilary Rosen has actually done herself. I respect that. That's wonderful. But, you know, there are other people that have a choice. We have to respect women in all those choices that they make.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: So, Roland, let's start with you. Hillary Rosen has definitely managed to unit Republicans and Democrats. They all disagree with her.

ROLAND MARTIN, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: She screwed up. She's a lobbyist. She's this communications expert. She's supposed to be a P.R. guru. And she knows you never change a story. You don't change the narrative. You don't give the opposition an in. So her comments allowed the GOP, to switch the conversation to make it about Ann Romney, she looks like the victim. Mitt Romney can come out and say, don't attack my wife. And I guarantee you if a GOP surrogate had made this kind of comment regarding a Democrat, Hillary Rosen would be telling them the exact same strategy the Republicans are using right now. She knows this game. This is a part of the game in politics.

PHILLIPS: Chris?

CHRIS METZLER, ASSOCIATE DEAN, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY: Well, yes. Roland is absolutely right. In addition to which, I did not know that Ann Romney was actually on the ballot. I thought it was Mitt. And I thought it was Mitt Romney that was going to be the nominee. Look, in this particular case, what has happened is she has turned around the phantom war on women that the Democrats say Republicans have, she's turned that around. And so now here is the opportunity to build a narrative that talks about that, in fact, many Democratic women believe that you can be a woman so long as you're like them. Thanks, we appreciate it.

(CROSSTALK)

MARTIN: First of all, there's no such thing as a phantom. The bottom line is when you look at some of the issues that are out there, if you're a women, trust me, the issue of contraception is really not in Chris or my -- frankly, right down our alley. But the bottom line is there are some critical issues here. We look at the polling data at the gap that is between President Obama and Mitt Romney when it comes to female voters, especially those college educated whit female voters, that is critical. But, again, if you're the Democrats, when you have your opposition on the ropes, you don't throw them a lifeline. Hilary threw them a lifeline.

PHILLIPS: Can I pose something here?

Chris, you made me think of this. You said she is not running for president, Mitt Romney is. But here is what's interesting. There's been so much criticism about Mitt Romney not being able to relate to people. Where is that soft side of Mitt Romney? Where is that side that I can relate to? That's what people are saying. So Ann Romney comes out and everybody says, wow, this woman, I can relate to this woman. Listen to her speak. He brings her out at all his functions and says, but first, I'm going to have my wife kick off this event.

So, Chris, you know, she has become a very popular player in all of this, and people look to her.

METZLER: Yes. And she's actually an excellent surrogate. And, you know, pretty much what she said, I think, in this message is, look, I look at my own mother who was a stay-at-home mom and can you imagine raising me? That was difficult.

(LAUGHTER)

So as a result of that, we now have someone --

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PHILLIPS: Yes, think of Roland's mom, OK? That's a whole other issue.

(CROSSTALK)

METZLER: That's a whole other conversation.

MARTIN: I tell you right now, my mom is retired and is loving living in my house, and she loves it.

(LAUGHTER)

Back to Kyra.

(LAUGHTER)

PHILLIPS: Oh, boy. I'm going to be having a conversation with mom but that's a whole other story.

Chris, go ahead and then I'll bring Roland back in.

METZLER: I think what she's done, as the surrogate, is to say there's a softer side of Mitt Romney. He is actually a real person. And so this is really, really excellent because it gives us the chance to humanize him. And if you have noticed what he's done in terms of the gap that Roland has been talking about. Yes, there is a gap between President Obama and Romney relative to women and what he's been doing.

MARTIN: A huge gap.

METZLER: Yes, there is a gap, a huge gap. No question about that. What he's been doing if you notice at his speeches, et cetera, what you've got is a number of women now being present. This helps the narrative quite a bit. And we thank you, Hilary.

PHILLIPS: Do you want one more thought, Roland, because I want to ask about --

(CROSSTALK)

MARTIN: Yes. Real simple. You never attack the person. you always go after the policies. That was the mistake. I think Hilary understands that. And so frankly, you move on. If I'm her, you get off the stage. Let other people focus on the policies and you no longer become the lightning rod. That's what you do.

PHILLIPS: Allen West, you know, love him or hate him, you're usually going to get a headline when this Florida congressman talks. One day he's being called a loose canon, the next day Sarah Palin is saying he should be the V.P. of this country. Today I will just say he was loose canon day. A constituent asked him how many members of Congress are, quote, card-carrying Marxists. Here is what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. ALLEN WEST, (R), FLORIDA: I believe there's about 78 to 80, 81 members of the Democratic Party that are members of the Communist Party.

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PHILLIPS: OK. In case you couldn't read the next, he said, "I believe there's about 78 to 81 members of the Democratic Party that are members of the Communist Party.

Chris, you're there in D.C. Have you seen any communists today?

(LAUGHTER)

METZLER: Not today.

(LAUGHTER)

I mean, look, look, as it relates to Congressman West, I think you're right. Love him or hate him, he has a message that he gets out. And I think this is probably why you're not going to see him as the vice presidential nominee, because we'll spend too much time talking about what did Allen West say today. I do think, however, that because the spokesman of the Communist Party USA actually came out and attacked him, I think that's good for Allen West. But it's one of those things where it's like, OK, let's move on. Let's talk about the real issues here.

MARTIN: Two words, Kyra, stupid and asinine.

This is a congressman who has --

(CROSSTALK)

METZLER: Wow.

MARTIN: Yes, stupid and asinine. I'm speaking of Congressman Allen West. This is a congressman who has been critical of other people criticizing him, calling him names, and saying things along those lines, and what does he continue to do? Do the exact same thing. I have had the guy on my segment of the TV-1 show. I have met him. We've had cordial conversations, but he does not do himself any favors by being taken seriously in making these kinds of ridiculous comments.

Now, if he says, hey, I was just joking, fine. Laugh in the video, throw it out there. But you don't sit here with a straight face and say, yes, 78 to 81 folks who are Communists. It's just ridiculous. I say, Allen West, listen to your own quotes in your press release and shut up and stop dogging people of the opposite party.

PHILLIPS: Chris, Roland, got to leave it there. I apologize because we've got some breaking news to get to. We have to get to a quick break. We'll talk again. Thanks, gentlemen.

We'll be right back.

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