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A Tornado Emergency, an Outbreak in the Midwest; First Man Tried Out as Cheerleader for Denver Broncos

Aired April 15, 2012 - 22:00   ET

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

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Killer storm. The Midwest braces for a second round. The first round more than 100 possible tornado touchdowns.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Wow.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're right on the edge of it, guys, right on the edge of it.

LEMON: CNN Meteorologist, Rob Marciano, also caught in the middle of the action.

ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Tornado just dropped out of the clouds. This has had a history of producing clouds south and west up here.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Don on camera two.

LEMON: Think like a man, really?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How do you write women so well?

JACK NICHOLSON, ACTOR (acting): I think of a man, and I take away reason and accountability.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Women, the rage this week. Outrage, too. How are men reacting? Silent as usual. Yes, dear.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Camera three, Don.

LEMON: And speaking of women --

One-on-one with music legend Chaka Khan, but she's got more than music on her mind. The news you need to know right now on CNN.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Stand by and take it.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: Good evening, everyone. I'm Don Lemon. Thank you so much for joining us.

Tonight, millions of people throughout the Midwest are battened down as a wicked storm system threatens to unleash more deadly tornadoes on the region. New pictures in to CNN tonight showing just one of the massive twisters that touched down. About 140 possible tornadoes had been reported since this outbreak began on Friday. And our own meteorologist, Rob Marciano, getting way to close for comfort to not one but two tornadoes near Cherokee, Oklahoma. Most of the tornadoes hit Kansas, but parts of Nebraska, Oklahoma and Iowa are in rubble as well.

There are still tornado watches posted from Arkansas to Wisconsin, and it seems the threat is beginning to diminish, but for many the damage is already done. The most impacted community is Woodward, Oklahoma. Five deaths are blamed on the storm outbreak, all of them in Woodward. They include a father and his two children, two young children who died inside their mobile home. Two others died in a car.

The mayor of Woodward says the storms knocked out part of the emergency siren systems. Some said they had seconds to act and in the middle of death and destruction, our Rob Marciano found amazing stories of survival - Rob.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARCIANO (voice-over): It's been 65 years since the big one hit Woodward, Oklahoma. In 1947, more than 100 people died in a twister here. Back then, Charles Hogue lived 30 miles away, but he remembers it all.

CHARLES HOGUE, WOODWARD RESIDENT: I was 10 years old and I have seen when it wiped out the whole town.

MARCIANO: But now, he lives in Woodward and this latest tornado hit his home, blasting into the living room and blowing off the roof and ripping the house inside out.

Look how the tornado actually shoved the house off its foundation. It's tilted by a good 20, maybe 30 degrees. Last night when the storm hit Mr. Hogue and his life got a warning. They came out inside of the house into the backyard, why? Because there's a valuable commodity out here, a storm cellar heavily fortified and pretty heavy to open up. He and his wife got down there. That's what saved them. That door is heavy. You're a strong man?

HOGUE: You just do it.

MARCIANO: Paul Lord's family didn't have a storm cellar or any basement, and now they are lucky to have their lives. The tornado threw Paul out of house and on to the street.

PAUL LORD, WOODWARD RESIDENT: And I was laying down there on the curb, and I looked up and saw the house gone. I didn't know what to do, and then neighbors come in and start pulling bricks off and tilting walls up. Everybody started coming out. MARCIANO: What kind of injuries did you sustain?

LORD: I got a big gash on the side of the head with a flap laid over and laid open, and they stitched that back up.

MARCIANO: His grandson had deep cuts, too, after getting buried under appliances.

LORD: That's about where the bathroom is at, and that's where he was underneath the tub and had the washer and dryer on top of it.

MARCIANO: Paul got into a battered truck, drove himself and his bleeding grandson to the hospital. His wounds bandaged now but still stunned, the Lords' are getting a helping hand with the cleanup, but searching for keepsakes and sentimental items are a low priority.

What specifically are things that you want to find in this rubble?

LORD: I found it. My son, my daughter, son-in-law, my grand babies, my wife, everything else just brave and stick and they are always labor placed.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: Rob Marciano joins us now from Woodward, Oklahoma.

Rob, he was supposed to sell that house this week, probably not going to happen. And you know, we were marveling at you at that picture standing there between two tornadoes. What was going on at the moment, Rob?

MARCIANO: Actually that cell was one of the three that came through. Woodward had quite a day yesterday. They had three separate storm cells that were tornado warned. We chased two of them, and the one -- the picture that you were speaking of was dropping tornadoes up and down at Oklahoma and eventually went into Kansas and went south of Wichita, Kansas, and when we caught up to it, it was a huge mesocyclone. It dropped a funnel down to the ground one the west side of it and then a forward plaque yet one.

So, an extraordinary to that for any meteorologist or storm chasers, certainly adrenaline rushes in there. At that point though, it's in the middle of grassy areas doing no harm at thing, I was not the only one out there. Residents came out to view that spectacular site so there's, you know, a ying and yang certainly with this type of weather.

The people who live out here are tornado tough, Don. They do though, admire the beauty of these storms, but they know the danger as well, so a remarkable couple of days here, and obviously the threat continues tonight a little bit farther east, and the cleanup will continue tomorrow in the days and weeks and months ahead here in Woodward.

LEMON: Rob Marciano, great reporting. Thank you. Glad that you are safe there. Thanks again to Rob Marciano.

There are many areas that are not out of the woods just yet and I want to bring in our meteorologist Jacqui Jeras right here in the CNN severe weather.

So Jacqui, which areas need to be on the lookout right now?

JACQUI JERAS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Well, quite a large area actually, more than 1,000 miles of real estate from Wisconsin stretching all the way down into Arkansas where those red boxes are. That means the tornadoes are still possible in this area and at greatest risk, I think, who, has a chance of still seeing tornadoes in the next few hours, Southeastern Minnesota into western parts of Wisconsin. This line has a history of producing a lot of lightning and some hail with it but no warnings at this time. But stay alert.

And then we are also tracking from St. Louis stretching down just to the east of little rock, we got about a dozen tornado reports today, but little to no damage, so that's the good news so far. So a big area for a slight risk overnight from Houston stretching up over towards Chicago and Milwaukee. The storm system advances eastward for tomorrow, and we'll be looking at places like Buffalo, New York, into Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Tomorrow the chances of tornado are pretty slim. I think there's more wind damage that we can expect with the storms -- Don.

LEMON: All right. Thank you, Jacqui Jeras. Did you hear this?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HILARY ROSEN, CNN POLITICAL CONTRIBUTOR: Guess what, his wife has actually never worked a day in her life.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: A political writer says that's a Democratic strategy that backfired and reignited the mommy war. He's going to explain that, and you'll see the only man who tried out today for an NFL clear leading team, that's right, an NFL team. That's straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: This is really the outrage story of the week, isn't it? Most outside of politics had never heard of Hilary Rosen until this week. But after she said Mitt Romney's wife Ann had quote "never worked a day in her life" everyone knew her.

But we wonder if anyone heard what Rosen went on to say which was that Ann Romney has never had to struggle with the kinds of issues that most women do such as how to feed their children or get them to school and then go to work all on a tight paycheck. So, I asked our CNN contributors Will Cain and LZ Granderson, a contributor to cnn.com and a senior ESPN writer for their thoughts.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) WILL CAIN, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: I think she would have offended a smaller group of people, wealthy women, because that's what she's saying. It is wealthy women who are not valid to speak on the economy. That's the ones that should shut their mouths, then I guess that's what she is really saying and we should forgive her.

So, here's the thing about what Hilary said. You can go one of two ways in my opinion. You can say housewives should not speak on the economy. For that matter, rich women, women that work, should not speak on the economy. Men that work should not speak on the economy and men that stay at home, they should not speak on the economy either because no one really understands what 300 million people are doing every second of the day in what we call the economy, even the smartest economist take that tack, no one really knows what's going on.

Or you can say everyone that participates in the economy has a strong voice and should participate in giving sound economic advice. That's a little touchy feely for me. But what you can't do is say this person is sanctioned. This person is valid. This person is invalid and this person should keep their mouth shut. That's what you can't do. You can't say who you want to hear from and who you don't when it comes to economic advice.

LEMON: LZ?

LZ GRANDERSON, CNN.COM CONTRIBUTOR: Well, you know, I saw the interview when it happened the first time, and I will admit that when she made that first statement I was like whoa and I kind of missed the latter part because it was kind of shocking to hear.

But the thing that Will is missing, the female and a lot of other people had missing that if you watched the entire interview, prior to that moment they were talking about how Mitt Romney was using his wife as a touchstone about what women feel about in today's economy. And what Hillary was doing was bringing up to the fact that, you know, she didn't use the right words. Let's just get that out there. She should have said Ann Romney had never worked outside of the house a day in the life. That's what she really meant. But she didn't say that.

But by clarifying that and letting people knowing she's never worked outside of the house what she's saying is that Mitt Romney's touchstone, what she's using as his barometer to understand women isn't authentic because she actually has never had that experience. She's had a different experience but 60 percent of the women in the country work outside of the home and Ann Romney was not part that have 60 percent so the touchstone that Mitt Romney is leaning on isn't part of the 60 percent and here's what Hillary is talking about.

LEMON: Here's I want the whole thing --

CAIN: So --

LEMON: I want to know if this is this a creation of political media types? I've been asking that because quite honestly I haven't heard that many women talking about it. I haven't heard any. I'm sure some women are talking about it everywhere, when I talked to my mom and sisters and women I'm friendly with, none are saying I can't believe what Hillary Rosen is saying about.

No one has even mentioned that. Most people are saying I'm worried about losing my job next week. They are downsizing at work or whatever. No one is talking about this except for media and political types.

And I had -- we checked some of the responses here from CNN.com. Let's put some of them up.

This is what Darlene said. She said, "let me start by saying I was a stay-at-home mom. I just wonder if rich women understand how hard we work just to survive. Did they ever run out of food on Wednesday and pay day was Friday?"

Not to give any credence to what Hillary Rosen said, but there is certainly some truth to that. If you're wealthy, you can afford five, ten, 15 nannies. Some people don't have that choice, Will. I think that was the distinction and most women understood that distinction.

CAIN: Yes, but what Mitt Romney was saying is he talks to his wife about women and economic issues, and what LZ has done and your two e-mailers has done is doubled down on the idea, no, no, no, what we didn't do -- we didn't mean to offend women who stay at home, that's work. What we meant to offend was wealthy woman.

See? This is the thing, Don, and this is why you matters. You may not hear people talking about Hilary Rosen because they don't know who Hilary is. But this is a tactic is becoming so overwhelming, it's a tactic of divide and pander.

You divide us on class. You divide us on one versus 99. You divide us on seniors versus those who are under 55 who don't get Medicare and you divide us on gender and you start dividing us so many ways you're going to get the internal firing and crossfire and you did finally with Hillary. You got crossfire between women and now you want to say, it's just about wealthy women, that doesn't make it any better to me.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: Make sure you catch Will and LZ with me every Sunday night at 6:00 p.m. Eastern right here on CNN.

A new scandal rocks Washington's spending agency, the GSA. Now, House Republicans are opening hearings. That report right after a break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: This is kind of your primer now on what you need to know, the big stories in the week ahead from the White House to Wall Street. Our correspondents tell you everything to begin the week. And we are going to start with the president's plans for the week.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ATHENA JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Athena Jones. President Obama travels to Cleveland this week for a speech on the economy and to Michigan to attend campaign event. He'll also host a NASCAR event with sprint cup winner Tony Stewart and will welcome the wounded warrior projects soldier bike ride to the White House.

POPPY HARLOW, CNNMONEY.COM CORRESPONDENT: I'm Poppy Harlow. Wall Street kicks off with a bang. Tons of corporate earnings coming up. We will get the latest numbers from CITI group, Goldman Sachs, Bank of America, Morgan Stanley, Coca-Cola, Yahoo! Microsoft and McDonald's, just to name a few and on the economic front the latest retail sales report is due out as well as existing home sales which make up 90 percent of the housing market so investors will be watching that report very closely. We'll track it all for you on CNN money.

NISHCELLE TURNER, SHOWBIZ CORRESPONDENT: I'm "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT" Nischelle Turner. Here's what we are watching this week. Winning rapper and activist Conan joins us and Vinny from "the jersey shore" talk about his brand new book. Catch "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT," exclusively weeknights at 11:00 p.m. Eastern and Pacific on HLN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: All right. On to the news now, a normally obscure federal agency has exploded into the headlines with tales of Lavish Las Vegas conference featuring training, exercises, skits, clowns, even mind readers. Revelations surrounding the GSA have put a spotlight on wasteful spending and congressional hearings get started on Monday.

Our Dana Bash got an exclusive inside look at how the committee chairman is preparing for those hearings.

All right. Sorry for that bit of technical issue right there. We'll get back to that during this broadcast. In the meantime -- oh, we have it. Roll it.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DANA BASH, CNN SENIOR CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Excessive spending at the GSA. The agency that's supposed to look out for taxpayer dollars got held on lavish 2010 conference awarding videos like this.

What is your primary goal?

DARRELL ISSA, HOUSE GOP CHAIRMAN: Our primary goal is to make sure that doesn't happen again. What happens is an IG does their job. Perhaps some people are held accountable but the culture doesn't change.

BASH: The GSA inspector general briefed now, former GSA administrator Martha Johnson 11 months ago about over-the-top spending. House GOP chairman Darrell Issa wants to know why the administration sat on the information. ISSA: But, let's remember that when you're a political appointee, you're there for two reasons. One is you have the confidence of the president to execute and second you're the eyes and ears of the president through the process. We want it know where that process failed.

BASH: Issa invited us from the public hearing room.

ISSA: You got to see some people that don't get overtime.

BASH: To the committee's private offices for an exclusive look at weekend prep.

ISSA: These are just some of the men and women that are working on a Sunday.

BASH: Issa aides praised the GSA and inspector general.

ISSA: This is a very efficient investigation by comparison to the ones in which the administration is fighting us.

BASH: But why not question past administrations, excess GSA spending in the Bush years? Issa insisted he'll get to that, but for now --

ISSA: Remember, this president ran saying he was going to make changes. The question is, was he well served by his political appointees when they were ordered to go in and make this -- these cultural changes. And if they didn't make it, is it because they didn't listen to the president or because he didn't really mean it?

BASH: Yet for all its criticism of the Obama administration, why did Issa, who took over the powerful oversight committee vowing to expose government waste, rely on the inspector general to find it?

Were you asleep at the switch here?

ISSA: Well, we're never feeling like we're doing enough. We have 120 people between the majority and minority on this committee. The IG is 12,000 people.

BASH: And they found more GSA excess. Issa showed us a commemorative coin from that Las Vegas conference.

ISSA: 6,300 on 300 of these in develop set boxes.

BASH: Taxpayer dollars.

ISSA: Taxpayer dollars.

BASH: And a souvenir book.

ISSA: Just to have something to remember it by $8,000.

BASH: Administration sources point out that eight top GSA officials have been reprimanded. In fact, three of the GSA witnesses invited to Monday's hearing are no longer in their jobs. To that Issa responded, quote, "too little too late."

Dana Bash, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: All right. Dana, thank you very much.

The right speaks out. They have called me and this network liberal, a show for Democrats and the White House, and that's the nice stuff. I'm going ask them why they do that. It's tonight's no talking points.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PATRICIA WU, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Gas prices may have reached the tipping point. A gallon of gas leveled off at $3.90 this past week, according to AAA. Some experts say this could mean prices could fall short of predicted record highs. Gas prices peaked at 3.94 a gallon on April 4th after rising nearly 20 percent so far this year.

And unemployment claims are on the rise. The number of Americans filing for first-time unemployment jumped to 380,000 last week, the highest level since January. This follows a disappointing jobs report for March.

And as temperatures heat up, more consumers are reaching for their wallets. The unseasonably warm weather is inspiring some people to update their wardrobes. More shoppers than expected boosted retail sales, 3.9 percent in March.

Watch for another retail sales report tomorrow and that's this week's "getting down to business."

I'm Patricia Wu.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Well, each Saturday night on this network we have those adult conversations that you have at home with your family or with your friends, but you don't necessarily see them on television. Case in point, a discussion we had last Saturday night.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: When I said that word, and I'm going to say it again, the "n" word, I just -- I hate saying the "n" word. I think it takes the value out of what that word really means, especially when we're reporting it, and I don't care what color the reporter is. I think someone should say that person should call someone nigger instead of saying the n word because I think it sanitizes it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Why did I say that? Because after, just about everybody jump on the n word band wagon.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: An anchor at CNN.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He's an African-American which is an important distinction?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, no. He's a reporter. No, he's a reporter, and what reporters do is they report the news, and every time you make it the "n" word, it's cute.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Right.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's like the "n" word, but, see, I feel very strongly about the word. Do not eliminate it. It's part of our history. And every time people try to sort of make it sound better or more acceptable, let's call it what it is.

RUSH LIMBAUGH, RADIO SHOW HOST: There's a CNN anchor, guy's name is Don Lemon. I don't know if I want to air the sound bite. I really -- you're making the case that it's inappropriate to say quote "n" word, unquote, just go ahead and use the "n" word.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Don Lemon says he doesn't support it in music or use casually but in terms of reporting what someone said. So, those are two different things. And I think you've got a point there.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: That brings us to tonight's "no talking points."

All right. Here we go. The "n" word the so-called liberal media and the Trayvon Martin coverage. Conservative Dana Loesch is here. She is from "Big Journalism" and a CNN contributor and conservative Noel Sheppard, associate editor from "NewsBusters."

OK, Noel. Let's go for it here. Here's what you wrote after you heard me say that. You said a CNN host is advocating the previously offensive term be used in all reports rather than the politically correct one. With racial tensions being ginned up by irresponsible so-called journalists, the "n" word suddenly sanitizes what that word says, what that word really means. As "NewsBusters" asked hours ago, can the "n" word now be used on CNN if it dramatizes racism? Lemon certainly thinks so."

All right, Noel. You have written before that the media is trying to help the president by constantly bringing up race. Come on.

NOEL SHEPPARD, ASSOCIATE EDITOR, NEWSBUSTERS: Yes, sir.

LEMON: Isn't that a stretch?

SHEPPARD: No, I don't think so at all, and let's remember that even former president Bill Clinton in 2008 felt that the media conceivably was using the race card against his wife when she was running against Obama. So, no, I don't think that's a stretch at all.

Let's also remind your viewers that what occurred about 18 hours after you made that statement on Saturday evening, on Sunday in the middle of Easter Sunday at 2:30 eastern time right in the afternoon of Easter Sunday national correspondent for CNN Susan Candiotti not only said the "n" word specifically but she also said the "f" word specifically prior.

So, it seemed a little bit peculiar to me and I think, Don, it seemed peculiar to a number of folks that suddenly CNN seems to be saying it's acceptable to use this when in the media for, what, a decade, a couple of decades, we weren't allowed to say that word, so why suddenly is it acceptable?

LEMON: Well. Here's the thing, Noel. I'm not here to criticize or defend my colleague, what she said was separate and apart and that's her own business.

SHEPPARD: Appreciate that.

LEMON: But my point was -- my point was more about political correctness run amuck which has been the cornerstone of conservatism. And you wrote this in 2010 when a Kentucky Fried Chicken ad was pulled in Australia after crisis of racism in the US.

Now, remember my point is more about political correctness run amuck. And so you said for our PC police to now be enforcing its ignorant standards from thousands of miles away should scare the heck out of folks on both sides of the aisle.

So Noel, speaking out against political correctness is OK when you do it, but not when I do it?

SHEPPARD: No, because I think we're in a different environment now. I mean this is 2012. We're in election year, and the nation is on the precipice of conceivably a very, very serious racial tension or maybe even -- heck, maybe even a race war as a result of the Trayvon Martin shooting, as a result of the shootings in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

And where in election year where the first black president is looking for re-election I like having this discussion, Don. I like it tremendously. I'm not sure right now seven months before an election and in the midst of all of this racial strife as a result of Trayvon Martin, the Tulsa shootings, I'm not sure this is the right time. I think maybe we wait until after the election. Maybe we wait until after the trial is done and we know what the net result is from Florida. I'm not sure it's the right time now.

LEMON: And what's interesting that it sounds like what you're saying we have to - we should pick and choose the topics rather than let the news dictate what the topics are, but here my thing. I think I have to say a race war. I think that's a bit overblown. I don't think we're on the verge of any race war here. I think we're beyond that in the United States. But I will get back to you, Noel, n just a second.

SHEPPARD: If I may, Don. I saw Michael Eric Tyson on --

LEMON: Dyson.

SHEPPARD: Dyson, excuse me, Dyson on "Face the Nation" today with Bob Schieffer. And he was saying that if Zimmerman is found innocent, there's going to be a lot - there is going to be a lot of problems. There's going to be a lot of uprisings so it's not just me saying that this is possible, Don.

LEMON: But I don't think anyone is saying there's going to be a race war.

SHEPPARD: I hope not.

LEMON: And we need it to others to figure out whether Zimmerman is guilty or innocent. That's up to the courts and to the justices and figure out but --

(CROSSTALK)

LEMON: Go ahead, Dana.

DANA LOESCH, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: I want to chime in on that, Don, because I think oddly enough you and I may kind of agree on something here, if I can elaborate.

LEMON: Yes.

LOESCH: See. I'm one of the people -- I'm kind of a free speech purist myself and I really believe if people want to fly their freak flag go ahead and fly it and let's decide a judge whether or not you want to have to do anything to do with that person.

But, the same time when you talking about seeing the "n" word. I find the word absolutely just disgusting and gross that turns my stomach. I feel the same way when I see some of the rhetoric that you know I seen a lot that comes from the left on the war on women. When I see women like Sarah Palin or Michele Bachmann or Lieutenant Governor Rebecca Clayfish of Wisconsin called a see you next Tuesday by a liberal radio talk host who are, you know, by people on HBO or so on and so forth.

So, it's kind of similar to that. And I look at it when I see that word used to describe conservative women. I look at it as I don't want it censored because I want society to feel the full sting of that have word that's being used to describe women simply because they have a different political ideology than the people using the words to describe them.

LEMON: Dana, listen, I think -- I'd love having this conversation with conservatives, and I think there is -- I am a free speech person as well. But, I think that everything is about context and what I said was in the reporting of a story, and if it was --

LOESCH: I'm not disputing that at all. I'm actually kind of agreeing that with you, the full sting of a word. LEMON: Yeah, I think your talk show host and you're not a journalist in that way then you shouldn't be saying that word freely purely in the reporting of a story. But, I just want to say something here, just to get something clear as best you're saying all of a sudden CNN is advocating the use of the "n" word. It is not the first time the board is been use in this network. I said it back in 2011, who we're talking about Rick Perry's hunting camp.

Play it for me.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Listen. Tonight Governor Rick Perry of Texas is having to respond to his association with the most poisonous word in the English language nigger.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: It's not the first time I'll say it before. And the context of a story and I'll saying it again I believe that the context of a story you should be able to use it. And Dana --

LOESCH: Right.

LEMON: It's wasn't because Rick Perry is a Republican. It's because he had a camp with that name on it and I don't understand how saying that is bringing up racism to help President Obama.

LOESCH: Right. And I'm going to agree on one point. I think that the person who own the land that Rick Perry leased, because it's kind of an old story, I think the person who owned the land that Rick Perry lease that had actually had that word described on the rock that the Perry family painted over, it is disgusting. It is horrible. They don't right to paint over. It sickens me just like it sickens me when I hear some of the rhetoric used to describe conservative women. I mean. You know, when someone calls you like I said of see you next Tuesday, I agree with you. You're reporting it in the context of a story, you want people to know what's being said, just like I want people to know.

LEMON: Yes.

SHEPPARD: By the way, Don. I have to say I just got the acronym see you next Tuesday. That was going beyond me.

LEMON: All right. Listen. I want to talk to you about something too as well, Dana. I'm not going to let you off unless you and I agreed on this. But you're a contributing editor for the late Andrew Breitbart's big journalism Web site. You guys wrote that CNN anchor Don Lemon couldn't bring himself to criticize filmmakers Spike Lee for tweeting out the wrong address of an oddly couple in the Trayvon Martin coverage. Here's the clip.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE REPORTER: The bigger question maybe here, even if that information was true, why you would you send it out, why would you re-tweet it?

LEMON: Yes, yes. All right.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's someone's address.

LEMON: Yes, I know, I know, I know. Let's move on now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: So, in order to get myself -- not to get in trouble on television, I was so disgusted by Spike Lee what he did. I couldn't find the words appropriate for TV. I think most people got that. In other reports I called his actions disgusting. Why didn't anyone from your side contact me, and I'm saying this on behalf of other journalists who find themselves the victims of things like this. Why didn't you contact me for response, is that fair? Is that really big journalism?

LOESCH: Well, that, you'd have to ask John Nolte with that. He is my colleague over at breitbart.com and he was the one who wrote that piece. I just read it actually the other day, no offense to John who may be watching. But I just -- because there's so many editors over there. I actually just read that the other day.

And, you know, maybe that didn't come across that you had condemned it earlier or something like that. But I think we can all agree that, you know, Spike Lee, having done something like that is pretty nasty. And I'm glad to hear that -- again, we're agreeing. You are totally agreeing with us that it was pretty classless for him to do that. So, that's cool.

LEMON: Wow. Why can't we all just get along?

LOESCH: I'm converting you, Don. It's happening.

LEMON: No, no. And Dana, seriously, when you guys -- my Twitter feed is going crazy. People are saying it's a great conversation to have. Thank you all. We don't have to agree and we don't have to castigate each other just because we don't agree. Thank you, guys, OK?

SHEPPARD: Thank you for having us.

LEMON: Thank you.

OK. So, here's tonight's no talking points point.

Dana and I are friendly. We are not friends. We are friendly. Same thing with Noel and I. We had, you know, go back and forth on Twitter. I don't hate them because they are conservatives. I don't hate anyone. I don't judge them for it either. I really don't judge anyone.

But what I do find disturbing quite honestly is they and others like them, and even some Democrats, even some Democrats assume, that because this network doesn't side with political parties that that automatically makes it a quote "liberal network."

I work here. Nothing could be further from the truth. And what I also find personally disturbing is that the same people assume I'm liberal or a shield for President Obama or for Democrats just because I'm on CNN or because I'm African-American or because I don't publicly wear my political affiliation on my sleeve.

We all know what they say about assuming. Makes you know what out of you and me. In this case it's also short sighted and in itself profiling, and that's tonight's "no talking points."

All right. Here he is. This man wants to become a male cheerleader and dancer for an NFL team, and we'll tell you which team and talk to him live next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: All right. Sure many dream of becoming an NFL cheerleader. They dream about the fans, the glamour and today some of those hopefuls tried out for the Denver Broncos cheerleading squad, 200 ladies and one man. Here's that story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Today begins the process of our 2010 Denver Broncos cheerleader auditions.

SACHA HEPPELL, TRIED OUT FOR DENVER BRONCOS: I'm at the Denver Broncos cheerleader tryouts. I'm here to be the first male Broncos cheerleader ever. It's Huge. I'm excited. Totally thrilled. No male has ever made it through auditions. I don't even know if a male even made it to the auditions.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's an open call and anybody can show out and try out. We do everything based on dance ability.

HEPPELL: When I dance I lose myself. I used to have a sign job where I held a sign on the street corner and I would do so many dance routines for people?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE REPORTER: What are your thoughts on male cheerleaders in the NFL?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think it's awesome. Whatever you want to do? Do it. Pursue your dreams. That's what I'm doing. So, everyone should do that.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I trust that the judges will pick the best members for the team, and, you know, if they want to come and tryout, I think they absolutely should.

HEPPELL: That was amazing. It was great. I messed up a few times, but, hey, it was worth the experience.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If your number is not called, thank you for coming. (END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: So did Sasha Heppell make the cut? There he is. He joins us live next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: All right. So, only an elite few get to be a Denver Broncos cheerleader, and up until today only women tried out to be a Denver Broncos cheerleader. That changed when Sasha took a shot at it.

Sasha, you are very brave to come on tonight. You tried out today for the squad so how did you do?

HEPPELL: Well, I didn't make the cut. But let me tell you these girls are really good at what they do. I mean, they have been dancing since they were 3-years-old and they are so professional. I mean, I have the energy, but the whole structure of the moves and stuff; that really takes something.

LEMON: So you're not disappointed then that you didn't make it?

HEPPELL: I'm not disappointed because I didn't try out to become a Broncos cheerleader. I really took this on as a project to really get that -- prove a point to my students at Uzeke that, you know, you can accomplish your dreams. You can -- don't be afraid to express yourself and go after the things you want and just. And just, you know, keep trying and never give up and that's what I really did here and it was my point of doing it.

LEMON: So, what if you had made it, what would you have done?

HEPPELL: If I was what --

LEMON: If you had made, it what would you have done, if you had made the squad?

HEPPELL: Oh, men. I would have danced my life away, man. I love dancing. I lose myself to the music. Like I told you I had a part-time job dancing on the street corner with my sign job. It's so much fun and Madonna, she's my girl. I love Madonna.

LEMON: So, let's just be honest. So, in our culture the way people see men and women and masculinity and femininity and all that and see you dancing, right? You're a good sport because we talked about it. Going to play the will Well Farrell Spartans cheerleading thing from and you said go for it, have fun with me.

So, you're not embarrassed at all by what people say and I'm sure people said things to you and what people said to you about your sexuality or about your masculinity or anything like that?

HEPPELL: No, man. People can say what they want and this is the lesson that I'm sending out there for the kids at Uzeke. It's, you know, no matter what people say, go out and be yourself. Just have fun. Hundred percent, man.

LEMON: All right.

HEPPELL: Doesn't matter what people say.

LEMON: So, you believe that you didn't make it because you weren't good enough, right, Sacha?

HEPPELL: I just didn't make it, because, you know, I haven't been dancing since I was 3-years-old like the other girls out there. I mean, those girls that's their life, you know, yes, but I love the broncos, you know.

LEMON: Are you going to try out for another team?

HEPPELL: I'm -- I'm going to go to the Dallas Cowboys next. You guys, get ready for me. I'm on my way. I'm booking my ticket tomorrow.

LEMON: All right. Sacha, good luck. You're a good sport. Thank you.

HEPPELL: Thank you. Hey, one last thing, Denver Broncos all the way. We are the best team in the nation, baby.

LEMON: All right, Sacha. Thank you very much.

We're going to get back to our top story now on CNN.

Our storms still a threat in the Midwest. Our meteorologist Jacqui Jeras has the very latest for you next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Destruction all across the Midwest.

Jacqui Jeras, we've been following here since last night. It was our breaking news all day. What do we need to be on the lookout for? What's the latest?

JACQUI JERAS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yes. Day three of that event and we are going to have day four tomorrow. But, the good news is the threat is really diminishing tonight.

Look at this. Just a sliver of our tornado watches left from Wisconsin stretching down into parts of Arkansas. So as you go to bed tonight, things are going to be looking better, just a slight risk then from the U.P. of Michigan stretching down towards the gulf coast. And I think our best chance of severe weather then will fire up once again for tomorrow as our storm system heads eastward. Temperature warm up throughout the day.

And this is the risk area here in the eastern great lakes. It includes you in buffalo and includes you over towards Cleveland and into Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. And the risk that we're talking about more likely to see wind damage I think the tornadoes are going to be few and far between. And one other note is that we have non- thunderstorm wind gusts that have just been incredible with the system across the plains, so it will be very windy across the east today and we'll end it on a good note, Don, by saying the strong winds will bring very warm temperatures across the east. We are talking upper 80s to near 90 degrees in places like New York city and Boston tomorrow afternoon.

LEMON: All right. Jackie Jeras, thank you very much. Take a listen to this.

(VIDEO CLIP PLAYING)

LEMON: Legendary singer Chaka Khan has much more than music on her mind, and I had a one-on-one interview with her right after the break.

But first. When the mortgage bubble exploded and American home values fell under water, it triggered an economic crisis. So, how can we prevent that from happening again?

CNN's Ali Velshi has this week's "mastering your money."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALI VELSHI, CHIEF BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: This is your new book. I can't believe it. You're telling that is we should innovate more in terms of finance. One of the things that you recommend, and the great thing about the book is you have very, very specific ideas, some of which seem attainable and some seem like pie in the sky. One of them, my producers refers to as a pre-nup for mortgages.

ROBERT SHILLER, ECONOMIST PROFESSOR, YALE UNIVERSITY: Yes.

VELSHI: Tell me what you're talking about.

SHILLER: Well, right now, we have over 11 million Americans who are underwater on their mortgage. The home price fell, their mortgage balance didn't fall. So, they are ruined, right, and that's part of our -- major part of our crisis. They don't spend when they are in that state. That didn't have to happen. We want to give them workouts now, but we don't have an arrangement for that.

VELSHI: The workout is generally seeing if the bank would make some of a deal to cut the amount of money they are out.

SHILLER: Well, ideally, that's what it would be. But it's not happening very much.

VELSHI: Right.

SHILLER: And I think well, if we want that to happen, the thing to think about now is let's plan for it now for the next time.

VELSHI: Which is why we think about it as a pre-nup. Let's give an example. If husband and wife go into a bank, they want to buy a house. They go to apply for a mortgage. There's -- basically it's an insurance product that they would buy that says in the event that you finish a sentence, how does it work?

SHILLER: Well, I think it might be tied both to home prices and the economy, the unemployment rate. So, if home prices fall, we will reduce your mortgage balance automatically to keep you in positive territory.

VELSHI: So it -- there would be a trigger point. If the value drops below a certain point you then get a reset on your mortgage.

Bob, thank you.

I'm Ali Velshi with this week's "mastering your money."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Even if you don't know her music, you know her name. Of course you know her music. Who doesn't know Chaka Khan? Chaka khan. Some day she's going to be in the rock 'n' roll hall of fame, but music alone can't define her. At a recent concert in Atlanta to raise money for public TV, she talked about subjects that really move her. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHAKA KHAN, SINGER: My favorite song is "Tomas" on the album, "Tutu." Miles Davis, mostly horn players, mostly jazz horn players like Miles and you know Parker. I don't have an iPod. I have some CDs, as the cassettes still even. Mostly of like Miles Davis, you know, Sarah, Joanie.

We have a couple of initiatives, educational initiative where we are educating like fifth to eighth graders b graders. About 150 to 200 kids you know from schools that are in, you know, rough neighborhoods. Bring them out of the neighborhood and take them to college in California and get them tutoring two or three times a week by the student at the college.

We're also doing an internship where it's called the super life initiative where we are helping a lot of women and children and people in New Orleans, post-Katrina victims, helping them to get jobs, helping them and assisting them in any way that we can and, of course, we're always looking for a cure for autism.

I have a nephew, my sister's son. His name is talon and he was diagnosed at about the age of three, and I looked at them as really indigo children, as like the man of the future in a sense. But we have to get a hold of, you know, how society is going to deal with these children and how they are going to deal with us.

I'm Trayvon and I'm Chaka.

Another one of our children has yet been killed. And then I got really mad about all the other babies who have been killed or gone missing and we don't hear anything about it. So, now I'm on sort of a mission, you know, to legislate. Any time a child is missing or killed, that drastic and amazing action is taken. There's no reason for it. Often out of tragedy it begets great things and this is what I'm expecting to happen, you know, because of the tragic loss of this baby that other babies are safer. No matter what they have on.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: Chaka Khan. Thank you. And to my fabulous producer, (INAUDIBLE), who put that together, really appreciated it. Nice work.

And thank you so much for joining us tonight. Great time and great conversation.

I'm Don Lemon at the CNN world headquarters in Atlanta. See you back here next weekend. Have a great week.