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President Obama Holds Impromptu Press Conference; Republican Under Fire Over Rape Comments

Aired August 20, 2012 - 15:00   ET

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

BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: And here we go, top of the hour.

I'm Brooke Baldwin.

Surprise guest this afternoon in the White House Briefing Room. Jay Carney, move over.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAY CARNEY, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: I appreciate the question . And these incidents remain deeply concerning to us.

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Hello, everybody.

CARNEY: Looks like there's a surprise guest here.

OBAMA: Jay tells me that you guys have been missing me.

(LAUGHTER)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: So the president has been getting some heat lately for not taking questions from the White House press corps.

His last give and take with reporters was June 19 at the G20 Summit. Since then, we have seen rash of takes on U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan. We will hear more about that here in just a moment.

But here is the president taking a question about Mitt Romney's insistence that the president cease and desist demanding that Romney let the public see his tax return.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OBAMA: If you look at the overall trajectory of our campaign and the ads I have approved and are produced by my campaign, you will see that we point out sharp differences between the candidates, but we don't go out of bounds.

And when it comes to releasing taxes, that's a precedent that was set decades ago, including by Governor Romney's father.

On Afghanistan, obviously we have been watching with deep concern the so-called green-on-blue attacks where you have Afghan individuals, some of whom are actually enrolled in Afghan military, in some cases dressing up as Afghan military or police attacking coalition forces, including our own troops.

I just spoke today to Marty Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who happens to be in Afghanistan. He's having intensive consultations not only with our commander, John Allen, on the ground, but also with Afghan counterparts.

And I will be reaching out to President Karzai as well, because we have got to make sure that we're on top of this.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: President Obama was also asked today about the remarks over the weekend by Congressman Todd Akin of Missouri who has ignited the political firestorm with his comments over the weekend about abortion. Congressman Akin was asked specifically if he opposes abortion in the case of rape. Here's what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. TODD AKIN (R), MISSOURI: People always want to try and make that as one of those things, well, how do you -- how do you slice this particularly tough sort of ethical question?

It seems to me, first of all, from what I understand from doctors, that's really rare. If it's a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down.

But let's assume maybe that didn't work or something. I think there should be some punishment, but the punishment ought to be on the rapist, and not attacking the child.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Those comments we just played for you they have echoed across the political spectrum and not long before the president spoke there, Congressman Akin himself actually went on a radio show to try to explain what it was he meant.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

AKIN: I care deeply for the victims of people who have been raped. And they are equally vulnerable and a rape is equally tragic. And I made that statement in error.

Let me be clear. Rape is never legitimate. It's an evil act that's committed by violent predators. I used the wrong words in the wrong way. What I said was ill-conceived and it was wrong. And for that, I apologize.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: I want to go to Washington to Dana Bash, where President Obama was asked really right out of the Gate, Dana, he was asked about Congressman Akin's remarks. We will get to what the president said here in just a moment, but first talk to me a little bit about the backlash from Akin's own party, Republicans here.

DANA BASH, CNN SENIOR CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The walls are really closing in on him big time from his own party, from the highest levels of his own party, I should say.

I spoke to a source at the National Republican Senatorial Committee and that is the arm the Republican Party that's in charge of electing Republicans to the United States Senate and this source said it's been communicated to Congressman Akin that the NRSC is going to take the $5 million that it has planned to put into the race and hold onto it.

They're not going to put it in if he is the guy who is going to run against Claire McCaskill, the Democrat. The reason is because this source said point blank they believe he puts the majority at risk for Republicans. That's really what this is all about.

That's why we also have a statement carefully worded but I think pretty clear from the Republican leader in the Senate, Mitch McConnell, that comes to us from our producer Ted Barrett. He said "I believe he should take time with his family to consider whether the statement will prevent him from effectively representing our party in this critical election."

If you speak Mitch McConnell speak, and you understand the way he talks it's pretty clear what he's trying to say here. And John Cornyn, the head of the NRSC, the group I just told you about, his formal statement just simply says that over the next 24 hours he should carefully consider what is best for him and his family.

They are making very clear they do not want him to be in this race because he could cost them not only the seat, but ultimately big picture getting the majority back in the United States Senate.

BALDWIN: Again the deadline it is 5:00 tomorrow. If he acts, he has to act quickly. Let's just back up. I do want to play the remarks from President Obama at the Briefing Room where he said rape is rape. Here he was.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OBAMA: The views expressed were offensive.

Rape is rape. And the idea that we should be parsing and qualifying and slicing what types of rape we're talking about doesn't make sense to the American people and certainly doesn't make sense to me.

So, what I think these comments do underscore is why we shouldn't have a bunch of politicians, a majority of whom are men, making health care decisions on behalf of women.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: So, Dana, obviously, Democrats they are hoping this will help the president. BASH: Absolutely.

It's funny because I was talking to a Republican congressional source who was kind of scratching his head wondering why the president would jump in on a day like today when Republicans are doing a pretty good job of hurting themselves.

The answer is really in what the president just was talking about, women, women, women. Republicans on the top of the presidential ticket, Mitt Romney and now Paul Ryan, they are struggling with women voters. That's precisely why you saw the president come out and talk about this to try to capture and capitalize frankly on the political fallout from Akin and the fact this is really just a huge problem, really a nightmare for Republicans.

He wants to have that nightmare, kind of a dream for him politically, to lure some of the women and continue to lure some of the women voters that are already according to polls not so sure about the Republican ticket for president.

BALDWIN: Dana Bash, thank you for us in Washington.

Speaker of Mitt Romney he was out and about campaigning with his running mate today. Romney and Congressman Paul Ryan appeared before a pretty enthusiastic outdoor audience. Here they were in Manchester, New Hampshire. The presumptive Republican candidate has not made foreign policy really huge part of his pitch thus far.

But a question from a veteran in the crowd prompted Romney to spell out a plan for Afghanistan.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I want to know what you guys are going to do about Afghanistan. We got those characters over there shooting our guys and our guys are coming home in body bags. You guys take over Washington, what are you going to do about this damn mess in Afghanistan?

MITT ROMNEY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I can tell you this. When I become commander in chief, if I'm so lucky, I will address the American people about these issues.

And with regards to Afghanistan, I will do everything in my power to transition from our military to their military as soon as possible, bring our men and women home and do so in a way consistent with our mission, which is to keep Afghanistan from being overrun by a new entity that would allow Afghanistan to be a launching point for terror again like it was on 9/11. Thank you, sir.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Mitt Romney in New Hampshire. And today, I will be anchoring this show live from Tampa, Florida, where as you know Republicans will be holding their national convention. It kicks off August 27. I can't wait. See you Monday from Tampa.

On this Monday, a lot going on. Take a look at this.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BALDWIN: A woman seven months pregnant loses her child after a drunk driver slams into her car. Today she joins me live to tell the whole world what she wants done about it.

I'm Brooke Baldwin, and the news is now.

(voice-over): A big-time movie director behind some major Hollywood blockbusters jumps to his death, but why?

Plus, yet another attack against NATO troops by insiders, Afghan security forces. The chairman of the Joint Chiefs goes to the war zone to find out why.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: She was like any other expectant mother, excited about ultrasound pictures and the baby bump and her baby clothes and the new little addition to their family.

But at seven months along in her pregnancy, a tragic accident took the life of her little baby hours after Aileen Smith and her husband were involved in this interstate crash. You're looking at the aftermath of her car. This happened in New Mexico. Their premature son was born by Caesarean section. He was alive for only 60 seconds, the tiny, tiny victim of an alleged drunk driver.

Aileen Smith joins me live.

Aileen, I just want to express my sympathy. This is an incredibly personal story, but it's something I know you want to talk about. I just say welcome.

This is very fresh. I see the sling on your shoulder. This was an accident and this happened in June. Welcome.

If I may, and just warning to our viewers because we're going to show some pictures that are just tough, it's tough to look at. This is very real. But I want to begin with the picture you're holding, little Dimitri. Can you tell me about this photo, Aileen?

AILEEN SMITH, LOST BABY IN CAR CRASH: Yes. Thanks for having me, Brooke.

I talked to my husband before the doctor bringing Dimitri in after I woke up from surgery. I knew I wanted pictures. I just wasn't prepared for what I was going to see.

And what did you see?

SMITH: My newborn baby already passed.

BALDWIN: And so that's what we're looking at. Dimitri has passed and it's you holding your child for the one and only time?

SMITH: Right.

BALDWIN: Take me back.

And I know this is difficult. Just breathe with me. This would have been your first child.

SMITH: Yes, ma'am.

BALDWIN: And you and your husband were headed from home, Colorado Springs, to your native San Diego for a baby shower when a Pontiac comes under the freeway...

SMITH: Right.

BALDWIN: ... and pulls across your lane. What do you remember next?

SMITH: We immediately stepped on the brakes and turned the car to the side to attempt to go into the ditch between the north and southbound highway. He just -- he was too close. There was no choice. We had to hit him. We took a glancing blow, rather than the head-on blow.

BALDWIN: And with this blow, what kind of injuries did you sustain? What was your first thought, Aileen?

SMITH: My water broke instantly on impact. So, of course, that was my number one concern. All the air bags deployed, broken glass everywhere.

I broke my sternum in two places and had internal bleeding. But my baby was my number one concern.

BALDWIN: And so you go to the hospital and doctors decide to perform this emergency C-section to save your unborn baby. Did you ever see Dimitri alive in those 60 seconds?

SMITH: No. I was under for surgery.

BALDWIN: The man who T-boned you, his name is Ramon Hernandez. I was reading "The Albuquerque Journal," because they had all kinds of facts on him. We're trying to get our own facts. But according to this newspaper, they that state motor vehicle develop records show this man was convicted of DWI twice in 2000, once in 2003 and again in 2004.

And his driver's license was revoked when this June crash took place. He shouldn't have been on the road. What are you doing now? You want stronger laws.

SMITH: Absolutely. It was a suggestion of a friend of mine to start the petition at change.org. So that's what we have did. And we have received a lot of support on it.

BALDWIN: What specific, Aileen, what specifically do you want changed about the laws?

SMITH: I want stronger laws.

I want them to revisit the laws and make it so it reflects what's actually going on in the country.

BALDWIN: Do you think that stronger laws would have kept a man like this off the streets? He had a revoked license.

SMITH: I can only hope. I think if they actually enforce the laws that they had set out, it would have kept a lot of people from drinking and driving.

BALDWIN: I know a spokesperson for Governor Susana Martinez in New Mexico has said that she does support your efforts. Have you spoken with her directly yet?

SMITH: I have spoken with her office, a few of her aides, but I have not spoken with Governor Martinez herself.

BALDWIN: Here's your moment, Aileen. If she's watching, what do you want her to know?

SMITH: I support your efforts to strengthen the law. I support it 100 percent.

BALDWIN: Here you are sitting barely, what, two months after this incident. You still have this sling over your shoulder. I just want to put this question you to.

If this man, if Ramon Hernandez was sitting next to you right now and you turned to him and you had to say one thing, what would it be?

SMITH: I don't know. I don't know what I would say to him.

BALDWIN: Could you ever forgive him for what happened?

SMITH: It would take a long time. It would take his repentance certainly.

BALDWIN: Aileen Smith, thank you for coming on. I admire your bravery. And I'm so sorry.

SMITH: Thank you for having me.

BALDWIN: Be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: A space walk happening right now just outside the International Space Station. You have two Russian cosmonauts.

They are on this maintenance and scientific mission. I was just told these are live pictures. How amazing is this, live pictures from space? Here you see they are spending about six-and-a-half-hours in space. They are relocating a cargo boom. They are installing debris micro-meteoroid debris shields and deploying a small science satellite.

All in a good day's work, right? A commander and flight engineer are performing the space walk here and they're on board the space station with a six-member international crew. It includes space travelers from the U.S. and from Japan.

I want to go to my fellow space geek John Zarrella with all the details there from Miami.

This morning, it was delayed. Was it not? What happened?

JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN MIAMI BUREAU CHIEF: Yes, about an hour-and-a- half delay.

As that Padalka, Gennady Padalka's helmet-cam, by the way, the Russian cosmonaut. He's the only one of the two that's wearing a helmet cam. Usually both -- the U.S. astronauts, they both have them, but in this case it's only Padalka. That's the shot we're getting there from his helmet cam.

They had a problem sealing an airlock hatch in between a couple of the compartments. They had to work through that. And it delayed them about an hour-and-a-half. But they are out there now. They have been working about a good three-and-a-half-hours and they're expected to be outside accomplishing those missions over a period of about six- and-a-half-hours. So, another three hours to go.

BALDWIN: Let's talk. I want to move off of that, and let's talk about Mars Curiosity. Because we're still waiting for Curiosity to head toward, what is that, Mount Sharp?

(CROSSTALK)

ZARRELLA: First target, right.

BALDWIN: We have some pictures. Talk to me about what we're seeing.

ZARRELLA: Yes. No question about it.

Later this week, they're going to actually move for the first time. Curiosity will make its first baby steps. That will be big news. But what you're looking at is a rock that they zapped with ChemCam. That's on the top of the mast. You probably remember we were out in Pasadena talking about that.

It's a laser. They zapped the rock which they nicknamed Coronation, by the way, I guess the first rock zapped on Mars. When they zap it, it emits plasma from the heat from zapping with the laser, emits plasma, and they take a picture of that with a telescope and then they can analyze the chemical composition of the rock to see if it's interesting enough to go over to and do anything more with it. First time ever on Mars, a rock was lasered.

BALDWIN: I guess this is an organic chemist's dream, John Zarrella.

ZARRELLA: Oh, yes.

BALDWIN: Thank you. We will keep talking about it for sure, keep an eye on that. Thank you.

(CROSSTALK)

BALDWIN: You have seen his movies, even though perhaps you don't know exactly he was the director, but you know "Top Gun," "Days of Thunder," "Crimson Tide," "Man on Fire."

But many today are searching for answers after Tony Scott, this director, jumped off a bridge in California to his own death.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: Just in to us here at CNN, some sad news to pass along. We're learning of the death of comedienne Phyllis Diller. She died at her home surrounded by family and friends.

She was recovering from a fall and had been sick for the last couple of months. She had been living in hospice care at her home. But of course you think of Phyllis Diller, you think of her self- deprecating humor, her eccentric makeup, crazy hairstyles. The most signature part of her routine was the cackle. Phyllis Diller was 95 years old.

And Tony Scott, the man behind so many popular movies and shows, movies like "Top Gun," "Beverly Hills 2," most recently "Unstoppable," well, police in Los Angeles believe he just killed himself. A witness tells police climbed to the fence of a bridge. This is near Los Angeles, this bridge right here, the Vincent Thomas Bridge in San Pedro and jumped Sunday.

The coroner's office confirms a note was found on his car and on the bridge and another one was found in his L.A. Office. Perhaps you don't recognize his face here. I know, as we mentioned, you recognize his work, "Days of Thunder," "Enemy of the State," "The Good Wife" on CBS, just to name a couple. We thought we'd put together a few more for you.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED ACTRESS: Have you protected a lot of children before?

UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: You have sacrificed everything for me.

UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: Nice one.

JOHN TRAVOLTA, ACTOR: Unlock the door. Do it now or I will kill you. UNIDENTIFIED ACTRESS: Excuse me, Lieutenant. Is there something wrong?

UNIDENTIFIED ACTRESS: You slept with my best friend.

NARRATOR: Bobby Rayburn was San Francisco's brightest star.

UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: Bobby, a lot of people in this city think you're not earning your keep.

NARRATOR: But to one fan he meant so much more.

UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: Don't listen to them, Bobby. You're the best.

UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: I never should have doubted you.

LIAM NEESON, ACTOR: There's a plan in everything, kid. And I love it when a plan comes together.

EDDIE MURPHY, ACTOR: If you like rap music so much, how come you ain't smiling?

UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: I'm smiling.

UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: Smile. Smile real big. Let's do a rap together.

(MUSIC)

CHRISTOPHER WALKEN, ACTOR: Got here is a little game of show and tell. You don't want to show me nothing, but you are telling me everything. I know you know where they are, so tell me before I do some damage you won't walk away from.

TOM CRUISE, ACTOR: I think maybe it was my fault. I don't know what went wrong.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Scott was 68 years old. He leaves behind a wife and twin sons.

And just in this afternoon, the death of a man who was handcuffed, put in the back of this police cruiser, and later found shot in his head. This has now been ruled a suicide, that ruling coming down now to us from coroner's report.

CNN's George Howell has been, I know, all over this story out of Jonesboro, Arkansas.

So, tell me more about the report.

GEORGE HOWELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Brooke, I want to read this quote directly from the report from the medical examiner, who says, at the time of the discharge, the muzzle of the gun was placed against the right temporal scalp, against the head, the cause of death ruled suicide.

Now, this goes right this goes right along with what investigators said all along. They even released that -- showing how a person could, if flexible enough, fire a weapon in that manner, that recreation, that reenactment.

But again, you remember, many in the community they believe that somehow police officers had something to do with this.

Remember, there were three people in that truck. Two were released. Two white suspects, but again, Carter was kept in the back of the car.

Still, we heard from some witnesses just last week who back up what police had to say. Let's listen.

BALDWIN: OK.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So they let two of the guys go?

JAMIE ANDERSON, WITNESS: And they kept one.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What did they do with him?

ANDERSON: He put -- I think they put him in the backseat of the police car.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK.

ANDERSON: And then about 10 or 15 minutes after that, you hear a loud pop. I'm like, what is going on?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You heard a pop?

ANDERSON: It sounded like a gun going off.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So where were the police officers when you heard this?

ANDERSON: They were standing on the outside of the car.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How far away from the car were they when you heard it?

ANDERSON: They weren't too far from the car.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOWELL: So, again, you know, she says that these officers were not in the back of the car, but, in fact, they were away from the car. That backs up what police say.

BALDWIN: The questions over how this would have happened. The questions over how he was searched twice and they found a bag of marijuana, but no gun.

I know that we've seen the mother, tearfully saying, you know, she doesn't believe this could possibly be suicide. Does this end? Does this continue?

HOWELL: You know, I think the report makes a big statement in the community, but again, there are people who say that African- American suspects are treated differently than white suspects in Jonesboro.

They believe that this is the case and they believe that somehow these officers had something to do with it, so I would imagine you could continue to see protests in that community.

BALDWIN: George Howell, thank you.

And stunning development from the Augusta National Golf Club, now welcoming its first female member, not just one, two today.

We're going to talk to the woman who once walked right up to Augusta's front door and led the protest against what was an all-men's club, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: The Augusta National Golf Club is synonymous with power and privilege. It has been that way, really, ever since it opened back in the 1930s. It's home, as you know, to the Masters, one of the most prestigious golf tournaments in the entire world.

But it's also known, especially in recent years, for refusing to admit women as members until today. August National Chairman Billy Payne has announced that former Secretary of Sate Condoleezza Rice and South Carolina investment banker Darla Moore have accepted invitations to join this exclusive club.

Think back. It was almost a decade ago when activist Martha Burk staged a protest outside those Augusta National gates. Remember these pictures? The club would not budge. The issue faded, but it never went away.

And Martha Burk now joins me. She's the director of corporate accountability for the National Council of Women's Organization.

Martha Burk, big day. I know you see this as a huge win. Do you feel vindicated?

MARTHA BURK, DIRECTOR OF CORPORATE ACCOUNTABILITY, NATIONAL COUNCIL OF WOMEN'S ORGANIZATION: Absolutely, I feel vindicated. I personally feel vindicated. I underwent a lot of death threats ten years ago and people did not like what I was doing. A lot of people did like it, mostly female people.

And, yes, I feel vindicated and the women's movement in the United States certainly deserves the credit for this. BALDWIN: Moving along, another brick in the wall, I know, but it was back in 2003 that then club chairman "Hootie" Johnson responded to your letter asking about women members by saying the club was not going to change its policies, quote, "at the point of a bayonet."

I guess the real question today to Chairman Billy Payne would be, why now? But I want to ask you this. Do you think this would have happened, this invitation to two women would have happened without your efforts so many years ago?

BURK: No, I do not think it would have happened without our efforts 10 years ago and we've been working behind the scenes, all during that 10 years. Most people don't know that.

Not directly with the club, but we have facilitated a couple of sex discrimination suits against corporations whose CEOs are members and collected quite a bit of money for those women. So, stuff has been going on, as they say.

BALDWIN: So, this path toward progress began with you, but it certainly continued as recently as April with what happened with IBM and CEO Ginny Rometty.

Do you think Billy Payne deserves a little bit of credit?

BURK: No. I do not think Billy Payne deserves any credit. If he was going to do something, he should have done it seven years ago when he became chairman of the club.

But I think Billy Payne made a deal with "Hootie" Johnson and the other leaders and said I'll continue the "no-girls-allowed" policy if you just let me be chairman.

And I think events have overcome him. Rometty was certainly part of that and he just could not hold out.

But, no, I think he made that deal with them and I don't think he deserves any credit now.

BALDWIN: But, you know, Martha, critics say really all this means is that now wealthy, powerful women play golf with wealthy, powerful men.

How does this help progress? How does this help the rest of our society?

BURK: Well, it's a statement to society. You know, I always said it's not about golf and it's not about playing golf. It is about making deals in corporate America. It is about those halls of power that you're talking about.

The more women we have, even if it's just a couple to begin with, that cracks open that glass ceiling just a bit further.

And I hope corporate America will take a lesson from this. You know, Augusta National took a beating P.R.-wise for their treatment of women and corporate America needs to take notice. They could do better, too.

You know, we still just have about 10 percent women on corporate boards in the Fortune 500. That's not good enough.

BALDWIN: So, that's what you want to see, next. Because I'm just thinking in recent memory, you know, a couple of weeks ago, it was the first female ref for pro football. We have Candy Crowley. You know, it's been 20 years since we've had a female moderator of a presidential debate. The news with Augusta today.

You say the next chipping away would be corporate America and women?

BURK: Absolutely. They need to be doing better. They should have been doing better for the last 10 years.

You know, we've been hearing for 40 years we have to have more women in the pipeline. I'd say that pipeline is pretty full. Let's go ahead and put women where they ought to be.

They need to be working toward party in all of the halls of power. Augusta National is just one. And it's an important one, symbolically, but we have a long way to go. Don't forget this is a great day for women, working women in America that never will think about playing golf, but it's a step toward equality in terms of that pay gap, that promotion. All of these things that we haven't seen women getting, this is just one more, small step.

BALDWIN: Martha Burk in your pale green jacket, it'll be a sight when we see Condoleezza Rice in that real green jacket, won't it? Martha Burk, thank you so much for joining me.

BURK: Thank you very much.

BALDWIN: And each and every week, Dr. Sanjay Gupta introduces us to the innovators of the world. And Hugh Herr believes there is no such thing as a disability. There is only bad technology, he says.

He is featured in this week's "Next List."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HUGH HERR, DIRECTOR, BIOMECHATRONICS GROUP: I'm just in love with, enamored with the design of the human body, its elegance.

Nature has, often, these very powerful principles that, if captured in a technology, in a device, can be very, very extraordinary in their capacity to help people move again.

So, that's the basic thesis of our work. We steal from the cookie jar of nature and we apply that and we build synthetic constructs that emulates that functionality.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: A high school valedictorian just wants her diploma. What she said during her speech has her school asking for an apology. We're on this case, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: A high school valedictorian who graduated in May is still without her diploma after reciting a line from one of the "Twilight" films during her high school's graduation ceremony.

La'Tasha Givens from our affiliate KFOR in Oklahoma City has her story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAVID NOOTBAAR, PARENT OF VALEDICTORIAN DENIED DIPLOMA: She was in every curricular activity. She's been with the Kiwanis, with the banks on the bank boards. I mean, if there's anything to do, she does it.

LA'TASHA GIVENS, REPORTER, KFOR: That's why David Nootbaar is upset his daughter, Kaitlin, who happens to be the valedictorian at Prague High, wasn't given her diploma.

NOOTBAAR: Just excelled beyond anything I would ever expect of her, being my child.

GIVENS: But the issue was with her graduation speech given earlier in the year.

NOOTBAAR: Her quote was that, when she first started school, at one time, she wanted to be a nurse then a little bit later she decided she wanted to be a veterinarian.

And now that she's graduating - you know, she was getting closer to graduation, people would ask here, well, what do you want to do? And she said, how the hell do I know? I've changed my mind so many times.

GIVENS: These words mirror a scene in one of the "Twilight" movies.

ACTRESS, "TWILIGHT": ... who the hell knows?

GIVENS: Nootbaar says the audience laughed. She finished her speech to a warm applause and didn't know there was a problem until she went to pick up the real certificate this week.

NOOTBAAR: Went to the office and asked for the diploma and he said, "Your diploma's right here, but you ain't getting it. Close the door. We've got a problem."

GIVENS: He says the principal told Kaitlin she would have to write an apology letter before he would release the diploma, a move dad believes is illegal.

NOOTBAAR: She earned that diploma. She did all the state curriculum. It's four years of straight As and 4.0s, the whole way through. GIVENS: Kaitlin starts college in a few days on a full scholarship, making the administrator's decision even more appalling to her family.

We tried to get the school's side of the story. Superintendent Rick Martin gave us this statement, quote, "This matter is confidential and we cannot publicly say anything about it," end quote.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BALDWIN: And let me add on to that. Just today, CNN made calls to the school's superintendent office to see if the district has changed its position, the decision. We were told, quote, "There's no comment at this time."

American and native forces being attacked by Afghan forces. Now, U.S. military officers are demanding answers as President Obama weighs in on these insider killings.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: The chairman of the military's Joint Chiefs of Staff is in Afghanistan today. He's holding meetings on the troubling surge in attacks on U.S. and NATO troops by Afghan military trainees.

Let's go to the Pentagon. Barbara Starr is monitoring General Martin Dempsey's trip to Afghanistan and these so-called "insider killings," Barbara, the latest happened just yesterday.

Do we know who General Dempsey is talking with and, being in Afghanistan, what's he hoping to accomplish?

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, this trip was planned long before all of this, of course, his schedule planned in advance.

But General Dempsey, in fact, there, speaking to both Afghan leaders and coalition leaders about all of it. But interestingly, President Obama weighed in today and listen to he's talking to. Have a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I just spoke today to Marty Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff who happens to be in Afghanistan.

He is having intensive consultations not only with our commander, John Allen, on the ground, but also with Afghan counterparts.

And I'll be reaching out to President Karzai, as well, because we've got to make sure that we're on top of this.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STARR: President Karzai, to expect a phone call from President Obama about all of this. Nine U.S. troops killed in this fashion since August 10th, now, really grabbing everyone's attention, if it hadn't before.

So, what are they doing about it, Brooke? Well, you know, improved intelligence, improved security screening of those joining the Afghan army, U.S. troops wearing their weapons fully loaded at all times, even on base.

But, really, this is now a front-and-center issue of more troops getting killed. I mean, it seems to be happening almost every day now and no real end in sight, Brooke.

BALDWIN: Do we know -- I mean, you spoke to the prevention, but the motivation? What is motivating the attackers, might they be Taliban infiltrators?

STARR: Well, it's interesting. I mean, they're not ruling out that some small percentage of them are Taliban infiltrators and it's very successful strategy on the part of the Taliban to drive a wedge between the Afghans and the United States.

They believe, however, that the vast majority of them are Afghans with perceived cultural differences with the United States, perceived insults at the hands of coalition forces, some type of disgruntlement about all of this.

And, so, that's one of the reasons they're also going back and talking to village elders, trying to get a sense of what is really going on here, what is motivating these people, because they feel that's really going to be the way they can solve it in the long run.

BALDWIN: OK, Barbara Starr, thank you. Thank you very much from the Pentagon.

And we're going to continue here, remembering the life of Phyllis Diller. We just learned she passed away at age 95. In fact, guess who I have on the phone to talk to me about her? Joan Rivers. Joan Rivers on the line and we're going to talk about Phyllis Diller, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: As we reported this hour, we have now learned some sad news. Phyllis Diller passed away peacefully in her sleep right around 9:30 this morning, Pacific-time.

In fact, her son found her with a smile on her face. She was 95 years old and, apparently, she was recovering from a fall. She'd been sick for the past couple of months and she'd been living in hospice care at her home.

And I have Joan Rivers -- Joan Rivers on the phone with me to talk a little bit about Phyllis Diller.

And, Joan, you were telling me in the commercial break you saw her three weeks ago. JOAN RIVERS, COMIDIENNE (on the phone): She was living in hospice care. I saw her three weeks ago. She was fine. She was losing her eyesight just a little bit, but she was fine. She wasn't ill. You know what I'm saying? She was just fine. And how wonderful she was until the end.

BALDWIN: Tell me. I mean, I think of her self-deprecating humor, that cackle. Tell me about your relationship. Tell me what you loved so much about this woman.

RIVERS: I met her when I was first starting in The Village and she came to see me in a little called The Bonsoir and she laughed the loudest and was such a generous performer. She was so generous to people that were starting.

And we stayed friends all these years. And I just -- so smart. If something happened at 4:00, it was in her act at 8:00. She didn't need the funny hat, she didn't need the funny wig, she didn't need the stupid shoes. The mouth was so brilliant. The brain was so brilliant.

I adore her. She was so on top of everything.

BALDWIN: How did she help inspire? I assume she inspired you and so many other comediennes by her performance. What legacy has she left?

RIVERS: Well, she was the first. I never thought about it until just now, obviously, but she was the first that really did standup. She didn't sing. She didn't dance. She came out and she did an hour of great talk. And I think she's the first woman that ever really did that.

And that was such a - you know - she came right after Tony Fields. And Tony Fields was wonderful. But she did big songs, you know, and now I'm going to say, so long, goodbye. And she did songs.

And Phyllis came out and just she had things to say, and she said them. And she said good night. And she flicked her cigarette and she left. And that was a big, huge change from what women were doing on stage.

BALDWIN: She, also, Joan, was one of the first in talking very publicly about plastic surgeries. I mean, we're talking the 1970s. It was pretty taboo.

RIVERS: She was the first that did it and she was - I got that - she and I were laughing about that. That mantle fell to me.

But she stopped doing. She was very homely and nobody wants to be very homely. And, so, when the money started coming in, she began to make herself look better and better and better.

And she became a joke for a while because it was so early for her, for a woman to do this.

But she had a great, private life. She was an uber-WASP, believe it or not, and very conservative ...

BALDWIN: An uber-WASP?

RIVERS: She was, you know, the first time I met her she was in a Christian Dior suit and she was in (INAUDIBLE) jewelry. It was a very different private woman to the public woman and she wanted to look good and she did.

BALDWIN: She seemed like a pretty tough and very funny lady and, again, she just passed away at age 95. That is a long, long life.

Yeah, Joan Rivers, thank you so much for picking up the phone and talking to me about your friend. I really appreciate it.

And I appreciate you tuning in. That's it for me. I'm Brooke Baldwin here at the CNN World Headquarters.

Now to Wolf Blitzer. Your "SITUATION ROOM" begins right now.

WOLF BLITZER, HOST, "THE SITUATION ROOM": Brooke, thanks very much.