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Romney Tours Storm Damage; Swimming For Their Lives; DNC Begins Monday In Charlotte; Romney In Louisiana; CNN Hero Connie Siskowski; Syrians Killed As They Await Bread; Obama Marks Iraq War Anniversary In Texas; Powerball Winner Gets His Cash; Blue Moon Tonight; Cline Eastwood And The Empty Chair; The GOP And IVF

Aired August 31, 2012 - 14:00   ET

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

BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: Suzanne, hello.

And hello to all of you. Back from Tampa. Back here in Atlanta today. And we have a huge Friday in store for you.

First, happening live during this show, President Obama expected to address troops at Fort Bliss, just as he did exactly two years ago today. In fact, it was on this very day that he announced the end of combat in Iraq. This speech comes as both presidential campaigns face harsh criticism that troops are being left out of stump speeches, left out of the spotlight. We are told the president will not only talk about the wars, but the quote/unquote "unseen wounds" inflicting the men and the women who bravely serve our country. We will take you to Texas, live.

But first, the Mitt Romney stop to see the flood damage in Louisiana today. The former governor of Massachusetts arriving, here he is, the day after accepting the Republican Party's nomination for president in Tampa. And Louisiana is Romney's second stop of the day.

Earlier this morning, he made a campaign stop in Lakeland, Florida, where several hundred people gathered for the candidate's first campaign rally after the Republican Convention. I want to bring in CNN's Jim Acosta. He is traveling there. He is standing there in Lafitte, Louisiana, with the Romney campaign.

And, Jim, just, first, talk to me about who he is seeing and who's he's met with, who he plans to meet with while here's there on the ground in Lafitte.

JIM ACOSTA, CNN NATIONAL POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: He is going to be with Bobby Jindal, the governor of Louisiana, if he's not with him right now, Brooke. I have to tell you, we are in New Orleans with the Romney campaign plane behind me. And just a little inside campaign baseball here. They took a small protective pool with Mitt Romney to go survey the storm damage after Isaac, along with Bobby Jindal. So we're not technically with him right now. And that's at the instructions of the Romney campaign.

But I will tell you about his morning so far. It has been interesting. He started in Lakeland, Florida. He was continuing his themes from the convention speech aimed at independent voters. He basically told the crowd out there in Lakeland that they need to hold the president accountable for his four years in office and his record during those four years in office. We heard similar themes during his speech last night.

And then the campaign schedule sort of got shaken up, Brooke. Mitt Romney was supposed to head to Virginia with his running mate, Paul Ryan, today. But instead, Paul Ryan went to Virginia by himself and Mitt Romney came here to Louisiana, on his way to Ohio, where both candidates have events separately in the next 24 hours. So, lots of twists and turns on the campaign trail, Brooke, as we get into this two month sprint.

BALDWIN: OK. Got it. So we are awaiting Governor Romney -- we are awaiting his arrival in Lafitte. You're in NOLA.

ACOSTA: Yes.

BALDWIN: Let me ask you this. We know that they announced -- that the Romney campaign, they announced this stop this morning. And then the White House quickly followed up, announcing the president would be visiting Louisiana. That won't happen, though, until Monday.

ACOSTA: Right.

BALDWIN: Are you getting any sense from the Romney campaign that they really kind of -- they got the jump on this one?

ACOSTA: Well, you know, you have to be very careful, from a campaign standpoint, I think, Brooke, to look like you're trying to capitalize on a natural disaster. So, no, we got no sense at all from the Romney campaign that they were at all gleeful that they had gotten here before the president.

Honestly, Brooke, there had been some rumblings for a good 24 hours that Mitt Romney was going to try to come out here. That maybe he and his sons might try to go out and help with storm cleanup. And all of that just wasn't possible in getting that done in time before last night's speech. And so I think they intended to get to Louisiana at some point and they just decided that they had to put the Virginia campaign stop aside, they'll get back to Virginia, but he wanted to get to Louisiana today, Brooke.

BALDWIN: So you talk a lot about this theme of accountability, holding our leaders accountable. Do we have any idea, any sense of what his message will be in Lafitte?

ACOSTA: I think it's really going to be concentrated on the storm damage. I mean keep in mind, Bobby Jindal, the governor of Louisiana here, he wasn't able to go to the convention because he decided to stay here.

BALDWIN: Right.

ACOSTA: And, you know, just talking to folks on the ground here, even though this was a category one hurricane turned tropical storm, this was a sustained event. The airport that we're at right now, I can -- if your photographer Jonathan can pan over -- the airport that we're at right now actually does not have any power.

BALDWIN: Oh, wow.

ACOSTA: And you can see some aluminum siding on the side of the building there, Brooke, actually came off. So, you know, the Romney campaign right now is standing by at an airport that doesn't have any power inside of it. So, you know, it is sort of a critical situation still on the ground here and I think the governor wanted to get a look at that and put that in his schedule.

BALDWIN: Jim Acosta, we'll be watching for those pictures from the governor in Lafitte. We appreciate you there in New Orleans.

ACOSTA: You bet.

BALDWIN: Now, as we mentioned, Mitt Romney is actually going to be visiting this small fishing village in Louisiana, where people reportedly put out more than 200,000 sandbags in this attempt to keep all those -- the flood water out. I want to bring in Chris Roberts. He is a councilman at large in Jefferson Parish. And he is also supposed to be meeting with Mitt Romney in Lafitte.

So, Chris, let me just first ask you this, because I'm assuming you have yet to meet with Mitt Romney, correct?

He just dropped off. Bad connection. We're going to work on getting him back up.

We're going to talk to this council member in Lafitte specifically about what he wants from Mitt Romney, what he wants also from the president of the United States when he, in fact, visits Louisiana Monday. And we'll get an update on the conditions there. So we're going to work on getting that connection back.

Meantime, let me tell you this. People are digging out of a muddy mess as Tropical -- I should say a weakened Tropical Depression Isaac is now churning northward. Look at this video. This is brand new video of the Coast Guard going door to door in Mississippi helping trapped families escape. People just grateful to be alive.

And we've talked about some of these dams in the area. Some of these weakened dams. This is the Percy Quin dam. It is holding up for now after thousands of people evacuated near the Louisiana/Mississippi border. Emergency officials are saying this, that it is significantly damaged, but the dam is not leaking. It's not leaking right now.

For New Orleans, the storm may have moved on, but devastating conditions may linger for days. The mayor there say 11 people were hospitalized with carbon monoxide poisoning last night because they used generators inside their home. Others are without water. They don't have power and food.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAYOR MITCH LANDRIEU, NEW ORLEANS: Just because it was a category one, for some people, doesn't mean it was a category one for everybody. There are some individuals in the metropolitan area of New Orleans that have suffered damages that are in excess of what they suffered during Katrina.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Two deaths are reported in Louisiana. The bodies of a man and a woman were found floating in seven feet of water in a kitchen inside of a home in Plaquemines Parish. One of the areas hardest hit here. So many others barely escaped. And Rob Marciano, who was covering Isaac for us this past week, he spoke with a married couple who survived a tremendous, tremendous scare.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST (voice-over): The Coast Guard choppers continued the work of rescuing victims of Hurricane Isaac.

JOE BEKERIS, ISAAC VICTIM: We were directed by the sheriff's department to evacuate, but we couldn't get too far down the road before we got swamped.

MARCIANO: Joe and Melanie Bekeris were caught by the storm surge in Plaquemines Parish.

BEKERIS: The water was rising inside the vehicle. The dogs were getting all anxious. Needless to say, we were too. We had called 911. They said stay with the vehicle. We were trying to do that, but then the water kept coming over, coming over. And then it started cracking in the front windshield. And so I felt that the best thing was to try to get out.

MARCIANO: Melanie's declining health made it difficult to evacuate before the storm, and even more treacherous during the storm.

BEKERIS: I had her wheelchair in the back of the bed of the truck. And so we were able to crawl through the back window -- I broke it out -- and then sat her up on the wheelchair, getting her elevated. And the water kept coming, keep coming until it eventually swept us both off. And then we were both in the water. An estimate of 10, 12 feet deep.

MARCIANO: Joe is a retired Marine colonel, a strong swimmer, helping his disabled wife stay afloat.

BEKERIS: She said, I'm not going to make it, I'm not going to make it. And I said, yes, you are. We're going to make it.

MARCIANO: He could now see dry land.

BEKERIS: We were only a couple -- 300 yards from the levee. Which we, you know, could see the cattle walking on it.

MARCIANO: They managed to get to something reeds and other debris. Something to latch onto.

BEKERIS: And she was already shivering and, you know, obviously getting close to some hyperthermia. So I tried to stabilize her best I could on a telephone pole and put another piece of wood debris under her head to keep her elevated. And I actually climbed over the reeds to get to the levee.

MARCIANO: Having to leave his wife to run and get help was not easy.

BEKERIS: That was my biggest decision I ever had in my life to leave her.

MARCIANO: But she was still there when he returned.

BEKERIS: Considered her health and her absent (ph) mobility, extremely proud of her and her ability to withstand the severity that we went through.

MARCIANO (on camera): What are you most thankful for right now?

BEKERIS: Well, that we're here talking with you.

MARCIANO (voice-over): Rob Marciano, CNN, New Orleans.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BALDWIN: That we're here talking to you. Rob, thank you.

Also, just a reminder, we are waiting for those first pictures from Lafitte, Louisiana, of Mitt Romney visiting folks very hard hit from Isaac. And as soon as we see those pictures, of course, we'll bring them to you. He's going to be meeting with the governor, Bobby Jindal, and also first responders there.

In addition to that, more news developing here on this Friday, including Democrats. We are now looking towards Charlotte. Democrats start heading to the North Carolina city for the convention. Find out which huge stars will be appearing there.

Also, Clint Eastwood getting all kinds of reaction after his speech at the Republican National Convention last night. Did you watch? Well, thanks to the Internet, in the last 24 hours, a little something called Eastwooding. We'll explain.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: OK. So much ado about this in Tampa. Republicans pulled out superstar Clint Eastwood for their convention in Tampa. What's on board for the Democrats next week when they get together in Charlotte, North Carolina? Let's talk to Shannon Travis. He's our CNN political reporter already on the ground for us in Charlotte.

And, Shannon, the DNC, we know they announced their celebrity lineup. Who do they have?

SHANNON TRAVIS, CNN POLITICAL REPORTER: You know, Brooke, it's almost like they said, you know what, Republicans, we'll take your Clint Eastwood and Taylor Hicks and we'll raise you a few legendary singers and R&B and Grammy winners. Let's look at the lineup here.

For Tuesday night they've announced Amber Riley of "Glee" fame. She'll sing the National Anthem, Brooke. Ledacy (ph). She's a really popular R&B singer. She's another act on Tuesday night. Wednesday night, the second night, Jessica Sanchez of "American Idol" fame. You'll remember her. Branford Marsalis, he'll do the National Anthem. He's a noted legendary jazz musician. But Thursday night, the night that President Obama and Vice President Job Biden accept their -- make their acceptance speeches, that's essentially going to be one big concert. Look at some of these names here, Brooke. The Foo Fighters, Mary J. Blige, Earth, Wind & Fire, James Taylor and Marc Anthony doing the National Anthem. It is going to be one big concert and a lot of eyes that -- they will draw a lot of attention, obviously, as well as the acceptance speeches.

Brooke.

BALDWIN: I was talking to Earth, Wind & Fire recently and they were saying to me they were hoping to play, once again, for the president. So here they go.

TRAVIS: Right.

BALDWIN: Let me ask you about this because, Shannon Travis, you know I was in Tampa this week. I was talking to the chairwoman of the DNC, Debbie Wasserman Shultz, because I said, congresswoman, I realize that this final day culminates at, you know, Bank of America Stadium, Panther Stadium. What do you do when it rains? And she sort of looked at me and said, um, umbrellas. Is that the -- what's the plan?

TRAVIS: You know what, Brooke, there is a plan but they're not saying what that plan is. I reported yesterday that the DNC officials are anxiously watching for the weather. You know that there's a possibility of thunderstorms and rain showers. It's a 73,000 seat plus stadium, this Bank of America Stadium. It is not covered. It's outdoor. And so I pressed these DNC officials, what's this contingency plan that they told me about. They wouldn't tell me what it is. I don't know if it's trying to relocate or anything like that. There's no indication of that whatsoever. But probably the best guess is what you just said from Debbie Wasserman Shultz is raincoats.

BALDWIN: We'll see what they unveil, I suppose. Heaven forbid it does rain, I guess, for them.

But what about security, quickly, Shannon? There was a tremendous security presence in Tampa. Should they expect the same in Charlotte?

TRAVIS: Yes. I mean at the same level if not more so. I mean, obviously, this is the president and the vice president of the United States. Security will be extremely tight. You were there in Tampa. You knew all the different rings of security even inside the parameter that you had to go through. Obviously necessary with an important national event like this. So we expect pretty much the same. But a lot of DNC officials also want to make sure that it's easy enough for people who are supposed to be inside to get around.

Brooke.

BALDWIN: Searching the engine of our cars and the trunks. Multiple layers there within the parameter. Shannon Travis, thank you, for us in Charlotte.

I want to take you back to Louisiana because we're watching and waiting for Mitt Romney. He's visiting this small fishing village in Louisiana right now where people reportedly they, you know, put together more than 200,000 sandbags just to keep some of the water out in these areas. And I want to bring him back in, Chris Roberts.

I hear we do have you on the phone right now. You're a councilman at large in Jefferson Parish. And I know you are headed -- if you can hear me, sir -- you are headed in this caravan to go meet with Mitt Romney. Tell me -- tell me what you see out your window first. Let's just talk conditions on the ground in Lafitte. What does it look like?

CHRIS ROBERTS, COUNCIL AT LARGE, JEFFERSON PARISH, LA (via telephone): Well, the water is starting to recede. We had quite a bit of (INAUDIBLE) of tidal surge in this community from this hurricane. The main issue is because the hurricane sat still for so long, it continued to bring the Gulf of Mexico up into our coastal communities. And we saw some of the highest surge flood that we've seen in history.

BALDWIN: As, hopefully, the waters are receding, and I'm sure you'll just be dealing with a bunch of mud and muck, Mitt Romney now, you know, goes from Lakeland, Florida, he was supposed to be in Virginia with his running mate. Instead he makes, you know, this left turn -- I'm sure it was very planned -- but this turn to come to you in Louisiana. You're meeting with him. What do you plan on asking? What do you plan on -- what would you like to hear from him?

ROBERTS: Well, what we're looking for is certainly a commitment from the federal government to get levees provided to these coastal communities that have been left outside of the hurricane protection. He's traveling with Governor Jindal, whose been very supportive of getting levees in this coastal community, along with Senator Vitter. And I think it's good that they see firsthand what the needs are here.

We need those folks in D.C. to understand what the challenges are that these communities face. And keep in mind, since 2005, we had hurricanes Katrina and Rita and then Gustav and Ike. We have some families that live in these areas that have actually flooded five times since 2005. And that's just -- it's tragic that more is not done to try and provide protection. And that's certainly what we're pushing for and that's the message that we hope that they get to see firsthand.

BALDWIN: I was talking to folks this week who, you know, stayed through Katrina, lost homes, rebuilt, and they were basically saying to me after losing their homes this time around that, you know, that it is time to move on.

We mentioned the president. He's also -- the news has come down today that he will also be heading to Louisiana. And I presume you want, you know, the same message to be heard there loud and clear, that you need federal help.

ROBERTS: That's absolutely correct. And we certainly welcome the opportunity to show him firsthand what we're faced with here as well. You know, these communities are very important to all of the United States because a lot of seafood comes from these areas. A lot of the energy for our entire country from domestic oil drilling comes from these communities. And these are also the communities, I want to mention too, that were severely impacted from the BP oil disaster. So it's just a real sad situation that on top of hurricanes we dealt with the oil tragedy and so much of these individuals here have been faced with. But yet we have to stay strong, we have to rebuild, we have to provide protection because they're just vital to both of those industries, which impact all of us.

BALDWIN: Last time I was in your neck of your woods was covering the oil spill. And I tell you what, the folks -- the folks there, they are tough people. I tell you what, they know how to weather quite a bit here in seems in the last couple of years.

ROBERTS: Yes, they're very -- they're very, very resilient.

BALDWIN: Yes.

ROBERTS: And, you know, they do what they have to do to get back on their feet. But the main message is, is that we can avoid these tragedies if we get the levees in place that we so separately need. And that's the -- that's what we're going to be pushing for and certainly Mayor Carnal (ph), who represents this community --

BALDWIN: Sure.

ROBERTS: Along with all the local officials.

BALDWIN: We'll follow up. We will follow up. And we want to see what Mitt Romney and what the president, how they respond to that.

Chris Roberts, thank you so much for calling in, from Lafitte, Louisiana.

And in other news here, your generous donations following the theater shooting at Aurora, Colorado. $5 million. Now the focus of a dispute between victims' families and charities. And the situation there getting very, very emotional.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: A supermarket shooting today in New Jersey. Police say a man walked into a grocery store carrying an AK-47, a handgun and a stack of ammunition and then gunshots. Sixteen of them. This all happened just a couple of hours before sunrise. We're told the man killed two of his coworkers before turning the gun on himself. Prosecutors tell us they believe everyone in that store was a target. The motive, not clear yet.

Within the last hour here, families of the victims of the Aurora, Colorado, movie theater massacre, they met with the organizers of a charity fund that raised millions of dollars for those hurt in that shooting. The Aurora Victims Relief Fund took in more than $5 million for the 70 victims, 12 of who were killed in the mass shooting in July on the 20th. But there has been this conflict, thus this meeting today.

Now, these two groups that run the fund says every penny goes directly to the needs of the victims and their families. That is in response to a plea earlier this week. Several families asked for more access, saying the fund has denied some of the requests.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TOM TEVES, FATHER OF MURDER VICTIM IN AURORA: This is awful. This is the worst thing that's ever happened in any of our lives. All of our loved ones are either dead, injured, they never may be the same again and we have to stand up and fight the money that say Warner Brothers gave in our behalf?

DEIDRE BROOKS, MOTHER OF WOUNDED VICTIM IN AURORA: Are we happy that our son went back to save somebody? Yes. Am I happy that our son goes through the things that he goes through, that he can't be left alone? That he's afraid when a car backfires? That I can't stand it if a microphone gets feedback because I'm afraid that something is going on? You don't understand how difficult it is for someone to ask you as though you're going to apply for welfare, what do you need that money for? What are you doing with that $5,000? I'm not going to give you but one more ticket and I won't pay but one more bill, when our lives never intended to change after July 20th. And to make a committee and call it whatever you want to call it and not discuss with us what we feel like, let alone the 12 -- my heart bleed for these 12 families, but my heart bleeds because 72 families will never be the same again.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Wow. The man allegedly responsible for all that pain had some major revelations about him disclosed in a court hearing yesterday. James Holmes called a University of Colorado switchboard nine minutes -- nine minutes before opening fire allegedly. He may have been trying to reach his school psychiatrist, Dr. Lynne Fenton.

Also, documents show the University of Iowa rejected Holmes' application saying, quote, "do not offer admissions under any circumstances." That hearing yesterday was about trying to see if prosecutor can get access to a notebook that Holmes mailed to Dr. Fenton. It may be considered privileged information. The judge has to hear more testimony on the issue to decide if another hearing is set for next month.

More than one million children are carrying for ill, disabled or aging family members and nearly a third of these young caregivers are under the age of 12. That is where this CNN Hero steps in.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you OK? Here, let me help you.

My mom has been sick for as long as I can remember.

We need more methadone.

Helping her out is a bigger priority than going to school because I don't know what I would do if something happened to her. I wouldn't be able to really live.

CONNIE SISKOWSKI, CNN HERO: In the United States, there are at least 1.3 million children caring for someone who is ill or injured or elderly or disabled. They can become isolated. There are physical affects. The stresses of it and the worry.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you, baby. Thank you so much.

SISKOWSKI: But these children suffer silently. People don't know they exist.

I'm Connie Siskowski. I am bringing this precious population into the light to transform their lives so that they can stay in school.

Good to see you.

We offer each child a home visit.

Has the rent been helpful?

We look at what we can provide to meet the need. We go into the schools with a peer support group and we offer out of school activities that give the child a break.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is so relaxing.

SISKOWSKI: So they know that they're not alone. We give them hope for their future.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Now I'm getting A's and B's, and I feel more confident.

SISKOWSKI: But we have a long way to go. There's so many more children that really need this help and support.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BALDWIN: Remember, these CNN Heroes are chosen from people like you. These are folks you tell us about. But here's the thing. You only have a couple of hours to nominate someone who's making a difference because nominations for the 2012 CNN Hero of the Year ends tonight at midnight. So, please go online to cnnheroes.com to nominate a hero in your neighborhood.

Families just waiting to get the food they need wounded or killed by shrapnel outside of bakeries. A human rights group says these kinds of attacks are on the rise. A report you have to see, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) BALDWIN: Bloodshed, massacres and fear, this is what people living in Syria have been dealing with for nearly 18 months. Today, the civil war continues to wage on in Syria.

The military forces battling rebel fighters in homes in Aleppo. The United Nations Security Council met yesterday to discuss ways to help the opposition forces. One of the options, military action and the creation of save zones for civilians within Syria.

The council's response to that, lukewarm. Syrians are getting out by the hundreds to neighboring countries, Lebanon, Turkey as world powers are trying to figure out how exactly to help these people. They are fleeing scenes like our Mohammed Jamjoom is about to show us.

Scenes which played as starving civilians were waiting in line for bread. But as always, I need to warn you. These images are very tough to watch, but it's important to tell the story. Here is the report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MOHAMMED JAMJOOM, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The horrific aftermath of an air strike in Aleppo, a scene of utter chaos, the dazed and wounded smothered in dust and smoke.

It seems this was no random strike. According to Human Rights Watch this attack happened on August 21st. Witnesses said a helicopter had been circling over head hours before the bakery opened.

A cue of some 200 people had formed. A bomb was dropped on an adjacent building spraying shrapnel and debris all over the bread line. Hospital staff told Human Rights Watch that some 20 people were killed. The group says there is pattern of such attacks.

OLE SOLVANG, HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH (via telephone): On at least ten occasions, government forces have attacked such bread lines using artillery helicopters and fighter jets. Several of these attacks killed and wounded dozens of civilians.

JAMJOOM: Human Rights Watch says that in all the cases they documented government forces attacked the bakery when local residents were waiting in line. They gave no warning.

The bakeries were in neighborhoods or towns where no fighting was taking place. These repeated attacks are either deliberate attacks on civilians or they are reckless, indiscriminate attacks, both of which are war crimes.

They have been one part of the deadliest month yet in Syria's conflict. Just last week, the brutality seemed to reach new depths with opposition activists reporting that over 200 bodies have been found in Daraya, a suburb of Damascus that had fallen out of government hands.

The regime claim that terrorists had carried out the killings. Hundreds of civilians have fled other districts around the capitol amid intensified artillery attacks. Eighteen months after protests against President Bashar Al-Assad began.

Syrian's uprising has become a grim war of attrition, the rebels acquiring more effective weapons, but the security forces still possessing an overwhelming advantage.

Amid the insurgency, a growing humanitarian crisis as Syrians continued to flee out of there war-torn homeland at record numbers and neighboring countries worry if they can cope with the influx.

For his part, Al Assad remains defiant saying the battle for Syria is one of perseverance. Even insisting things are improving and the international community looks on with few options. Mohammed Jamjoom, CNN, Beirut.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BALDWIN: Back here at home right now the president, here he is, shaking some hands and meeting with some U.S. troops. This is Fort Bliss in Texas.

And very soon, he will be addressing them live. This the very day he announced the end of the combat mission in Iraq. This was two years ago. We're going to take you live to Fort Bliss, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: With the Republicans fresh off a week of coverage today, the president delivers an election year reminder of his record in chief. Right now, the president is visiting the Fort Bliss Army Post. This is near El Paso Texas where he is set to deliver a speech next hour, which, of course, we will bring you live.

He was here on this day two years ago, the very day he declared the end of U.S. combat in Iraq. I want to go straight to Fort Bliss. Athena Jones is there.

Athena, I know that the campaign is being very clear. They are saying this is official business. This stop is not campaign related. But I imagine when it comes to his message, when it comes to ending a very unpopular war that was Iraq, it will be promise made, promise kept.

ATHENA JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Exactly. They say this is official business, Brooke, but this is the promise the president ran on. This is a promise they want to remind the Americans kept. They are singing the national anthem. We are expecting the president just a few minutes from now.

BALDWIN: Should we pause. Let's pause. Let me interrupt you. We shouldn't be speaking here. Let's listen.

There we go. It didn't feel appropriate to be speaking over that. Are you still with me? OK, we'll go back to Athena.

Again, just a quick reminder, the president should be speaking. He's meeting with some of these soldiers right now. He is going to hold a round table speaking with also soldiers' families. So as soon as we the president stepping behind that podium there at Fort Bliss, we will bring that to you live next hour.

How about this? Remember that huge Powerball lottery jackpot worth $337 million. Well, the man who got the winning ticket is talking.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I can go anywhere in the world I want.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: More about his winning ways. Look at that check. That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: Here he is. He is a former railroad worker in Michigan comes forward as the winner of the largest, the third largest, not too shabby nonetheless, third largest Powerball lottery jackpot in history.

He is Donald Lawson. He said he is a simple guy who plans to keep his simple life. He says no filet. He's happy with McDonald's. So he says right now.

He took the cash option. He will get $224.6 million. He wants to travel, wants to take care of his mom and his sister. He describes what happened when he played the lottery that lucky day.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD LAWSON, POWERBALL JACKPOT WINNER: I walked in to the station and usually there ain't nobody up there. There was a long line, five, six people in front of me. So something told me to pick my own numbers. I can't really pick them. I just went. That's what I did. I waited in line to play.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Listen to this. Lawson said the very first thing he bought after learning he won, just a simple pack of bubble gum, a simple pack of bubble gum. Chad Myers, I just have to bring you in. I'd be like filet every night. Thank you very much.

CHAD MYERS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: He still likes McDonald's. Now he can buy 224 of them.

BALDWIN: Not too healthy. Let's talk about this blue moon. It's not blue. This is just a bunch of fun and folklore, is it not?

MYERS: It's belewee. It's mean kind -- it's an old term. We use the word blue now. It's not colorful. It's the second full moon of a month or the fourth full moon of a season. The seasons are three months long. If you have four full moons in a season, the fourth one would be the blue moon.

BALDWIN: And this happens every 2.7 years I read.

MYERS: Yes. The next one is July 2015. After that January and March 2018, think about that. January and March both have two moons. February gets nada.

BALDWIN: Is there anything special other than the fact it's full?

MYERS: Well, I have relatives that go a little whacky the on full moons any way. I don't know if you do. Do you?

BALDWIN: No, not really.

MYERS: Something goes on chemically with my relatives sometimes during full moons. I don't know what it is, but now there's two of them this month.

BALDWIN: Interesting. Chad Myers, we're back on Monday. Let me know how it goes. Thank you very much.

Did you watch last night, Clint Eastwood speech at the Republican National Convention? You either loved it or you hated it. But you know what? You're talking about it either way.

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BALDWIN: Well, you would think soon the Republican National Convention wrapped up last night everyone would be talking and tweeting about the Republican Party's newly minted presidential nominee.

Alas, not exactly the case. After delivering the speech, Mr. Romney is not the one who is trending today. One of his supporters stole the show. Clint Eastwood the actor, director, mayor in California addressing President Obama sitting in that empty chair.

It certainly made the Republican Party's night. The rest of you, well, the Twitter verse had a field day. It seemed like many people wanted him to stop. Clint, stop, please stop him and then came some of the jokes.

Quote, Clint Eastwood is now backstage arguing with a vending machine. There was Tebowing and planking and now dare I say this. Eastwooding. Love the internet. Now you know.

The president is watching and boy, did he fire back. He tweeted this photo last night. The caption, quote/unquote, "this seat is taken."

Our Miguel Marquez has more on the speech that everyone is a Twitter about.

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MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): As a piece of political theatre, not a bad start.

CLINT EASTWOOD, ACTOR: Save a little more Mitt.

MARQUEZ: Taking a partisan turn.

EASTWOOD: I haven't cried that hard since I found out that there are 23 million unemployed people in this country.

MARQUEZ: Well, as it happens in Hollywood, some numbers may be fictionalized for dramatic effect. The actual number of unemployed says the Bureau of Labor Statistics he is 12.8 million. This is when he went from fiction to experiment cinema.

EASTWOOD: I wondered about when the -- what? What do you want me to tell Romney? I can't tell him to do that. He can't do that to himself. That's crazy.

MARQUEZ: Seemingly off script he rambled at an empty chair signifying President Obama, metaphor or cheesy plot device, you decide. Just when the audience seemed unsure whether to cringe or cheer they withe switched scenes giving them what they want.

EASTWOOD: When somebody does not do the job, we have to let them go.

MARQUEZ: Unforgiving and unsatisfied was a crowd hungry for classic Clint.

EASTWOOD: I don't say that word anymore.

MARQUEZ: The audience demanded a line.

EASTWOOD: OK. You want to make my day.

MARQUEZ: The lesson here if there is one, when inviting an a list celebrity to your party, make sure they know it's your party, no up staging.

EASTWOOD: I'll start it. You finish. Go ahead.

MARQUEZ: Miguel Marquez.

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BALDWIN: Miguel, thank you. Personhood bills, legislation that specifies when life begins. Several states are putting it on the ballot and some fertility doctors are worried.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta explains why that is next. Plus, any minute now we're watching here. These are live pictures coming in from Port Bliss, Texas. President Obama expected to address the troops. These are the men and women that participated in the Iraqi invasion in '03 among last to serve. President Obama speaking in just a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) BALDWIN: Take a look at this. You'll see the man who could be vice president there on the left hand side of your screen. Congressman Paul, he was one of 50 some cosponsors of this bill last year that pushed for person hood.

This is the concept saying that a fertilized egg equals a person, which could make abortion an act of homicide. It's hr 212. The sanctity of human life act says that human life shall be deemed with fertilization.

One side effect of legislation like this, could negatively impact IVF. Ryan's running mate has been fitted from IVF. This is a tweet from Tagg saying he is the father of twin born from surrogates.

Chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta joins me now. It's good to see you first and explain to me how a personhood law would affect IVF?

BALDWIN: Well, it's interesting and f you look at the way that IVF works is you have multiple embryos are created. Not all of them are implanted. You create more than you need. What's really a question is what happens to the extra if they are not used or discarded. If you say that life begins at conception or you have a fertilized egg. It's not that IVF is outlawed, but if you have a personhood bill those extra embryos become the crux of the issue.

BALDWIN: Let's remind everyone. Ryan and Romney and this is Ryan's new stance on abortion. They are against abortion except when it comes to rape and incest. Given that, do we know if they would support this personhood legislation?

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: It's a very good question. You pointed out that Mitt Romney's personal story with his grand children. If you look at personhood bill you can see the difficulty with IVF.

We have talked to the people at personhood is it will force IVF to become more efficient. You're not creating a lot of extra. You're creating the exact number that you need and those get implanted.

BALDWIN: Isn't it so expensive and these hopeful mothers want to increase their chances of getting pregnant.

GUPTA: Exactly. We talked to scientists that do this and what they say is we're not worried about that it's going to become illegal. We're worried about the personhood bills. We think the science will improve but this will likely be an issue because you want to improve the chances that someone gets pregnant.

About one in eight couples that have some degree of infertility. They get some sort of treatment. About 5 percent of couples get IVF and I think since it started there been 45,000 children born to IVF. It's pretty significant numbers and a valuable tool for families who are trying to get pregnant.

BALDWIN: One in eight. Again, how much is IVF?

GUPTA: It can be quite expensive. It depends how much cycles you do. You're trying to take eggs from a woman and do the fertilization in at dish. That determines costs. We're talking tens of thousands dollars.

BALDWIN: At one point do we expect that this is something that would be addressed by either of these Romney or Ryan? You just got back from the convention. You know there are certain issues -- they don't want to talk about.

GUPTA: We've reached out to them. We have not heard from the campaigns. I don't think anyone is talking about it. There have been 15 of these personhood initiatives in 15 states. Seven of them have already failed. Eight are still on the ballot for this fall. I don't know what happens. The track record is not been good as far as what happens.

BALDWIN: Sanjay Gupta, thank you very much.

GUPTA: Thanks for having me. Welcome back again.

BALDWIN: Thank you very much, Dr. Sanjay Gupta.

Make sure you watch Sanjay this weekend, 4:30 Eastern Saturday afternoon, 7:00 Eastern Sunday morning. Dr. Gupta, thank you.