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Democratic National Convention Kicks Off Today; Can Government Afford Arts in this Economy; Situation Deteriorates in Syria; Julian Castro to Give Keynote Address at DNC.

Aired September 04, 2012 - 11:00   ET

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

ASHLEIGH BANFIELD, ANCHOR, "CNN NEWSROOM": Hello, everybody. It's nice to have you with us. Thanks for being here.

It's 11:00 on the East Coast, 8:00 on the West Coast. Did somebody mention Charlotte, North Carolina? Something going on there?

Boy, is there ever. Take a look at your screen. That is the site of "Americans Coming Together." No, really, that's what they're calling it - "Americans Coming Together." It's the theme and it could also describe the podium at the Democratic National Convention, which kicks off officially tonight.

And hold your horses. I hope you like speakers because we've got 48 speakers on tap, just for opening night alone. Let me repeat that -- 48 speakers on tap, just for opening night alone and that doesn't even count the opening and closing prayers.

But make no mistake, they're going to be good. The headliner is none other than the first lady herself, Michelle Obama, and the keynote speaker is a guy you may not know right now, but mark my words, you're going to know him tomorrow and you're going to know him in probably the next four and eight years. More on that in a moment.

But CNN's Joe Johns is watching all of this right now, live. He joins me. Joe, we watched at the RNC when Ann Romney kicked off that first night and it was - I mean, really, it was such a great speech.

People will say what they will about a party that they don't like, but she was a great speaker and she had everybody wrapped. And everybody talked about her in the media the next day, which is really the key when it comes to these conventions.

Nobody had really heard from her before, but they have heard from Michelle Obama. So, is the pressure higher for Mrs. Obama to really sort of punch through, get her message out there and get headlines for tomorrow?

JOE JOHNS, CNN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT: It's true. People have been listening to Michelle Obama for four years now, even more than that, but, Ashleigh, I've got to tell you. A lot of politicians love to say that their spouses are their secret weapons, but in this case, it certainly seems to be true for the first family because, if you look at the last CNN/ORC poll, came out something like June and looked into this, it showed that Michelle Obama actually has a higher favorability rating than President Obama, something like 65 to 56 percent. So, that's going to be on display.

Also, Michelle Obama's appeal to women, certainly a very big deal. There are going to be other speakers here at the DNC who are also pushing that issue we've heard so much about, Lilly Ledbetter whose name is really synonymous with the fight for women's equal pay; Sandra Fluke, whose name is synonymous with the fight for birth control.

So, Michelle Obama fits into that, also. A big night for her, certainly, Ashleigh.

BANFIELD: And a huge night -- it really can't be overstated -- for a young man by the name of Julian Castro and, if Americans don't know that name right now, they're going to know it.

Walk me through Julian Castro, why he's making headlines now, why he's the keynoter and what it means.

JOHNS: Well, he's the mayor of San Antonio. He is the first Latino keynote at the Democratic National Convention. Also, just a huge personal story that Democrats hope people will really buy in to and listen to.

He is, like the president of the United States, a Harvard law grad. He has a twin brother. He grew up with a single mom, some challenges there in his personal life, and pretty dynamic speaker, so, people are hoping you'll to tune in.

Obviously, for Democrats, the Latino vote is huge this election cycle. Even here in states like North Carolina, a large and growing minority population, so they're hoping Julian Castro really strikes a chord this evening, Ashleigh.

BANFIELD: And people should remember back in 2004 there was a young man who was the keynote speaker named, oh, I believe it was Barack Hussein Obama. We all got to know him very well.

JOHNS: I was on the floor for that.

BANFIELD: Ah, you remember it well, don't you?

JOHNS: Absolutely.

BANFIELD: All right, let's talk getting down to business and that is the party platform. Obviously, it differs from the Republican party platform, but it also differs from past Democratic platforms. I'm talking to you, same-sex marriage.

So, what else is in there, and what exactly does the platform say?

JOHNS: Right. Well, same-sex marriage is a thing I think we're all looking at because it's a little bit different, but in some ways also the same. I think we have a graphic that we can show you just with a little bit of the language. There you go.

"We support the right of all families to have equal respect, responsibilities and protections under the law. We oppose discriminatory federal and state constitutional amendments and other attempts to deny equal protection of the laws," and it goes on and on.

But this same-sex issue, same-sex marriage, here in North Carolina, is also very important because, back in May, this state actually passed a ban on same-sex marriage, so they're sort of confronting that issue and they think it's very good for them this election cycle and hoping that will be another thing that gives them a plus at the polls in November, Ashleigh.

BANFIELD: It also makes you wonder if they're sacrificing North Carolina to be able to highlight this particular platform plank for the rest of the country, but I digress and I really need to ask you the logistics of this week.

The Democrats are not escaping the weather problems. Clearly, that was a huge deal for the Republicans who lost a day because of Isaac.

Now, we're talking about a pretty big storm that's brewing for Thursday night and, while that shouldn't matter for being inside, it matters when you've got 75,000 people coming for an outside speech by the president.

What are they doing about this for contingency?

JOHNS: Well, right now, they're saying, rain or shine, they're going to be there and that seems to be the case.

The thing they have to worry about is a damper on enthusiasm if it rains really hard. It would certainly be a challenge for then.

A lot of people, of course, are focusing on that stadium you see there, not because of the weather, if you will, but because it's known as Bank of America Stadium.

So, it may be the name that turns out to be a bigger problem for the president of the United States than the weather, regardless of what happens, Ashleigh.

BANFIELD: I remember an interview - a certain interview in which he called Wall Streeters "fat cats?" OK, I gotcha.

Joe Johns, thank you, sir. We'll be tapping into you for some more information as you move along through this convention.

And our prime time coverage, by the way, of the DNC, Democrat National Convention, kicks off tonight, 7:00 p.m. Eastern with Wolf Blitzer and Anderson Cooper and the rest of CNN's crack political team.

During the 10:00 p.m. hour, first lady Michelle Obama is going to address the delegates and then, at midnight, Piers Morgan is going to wrap-up the first night of the 2012 Democratic National Convention, so make sure you tune in. We'll be live on it and we won't miss a beat, so you don't miss a beat.

But if you're doing the math and you're on the countdown, it means six hours until the official start of the convention.

President Obama is officially in the air right now, but he's not going to Charlotte, not yet. He's got another stop beforehand in Norfolk, the neighboring swing state of Virginia.

This is his last campaign trip before his biggest campaign trip of 2012 to accept the nomination for the second term. That's going to be Thursday night in Charlotte, as Joe was talking about.

But my other colleague, Dan Lothian, is awaiting the president at Norfolk State University. The theme of the DNC convention, Dan, is middle class and, yet, all I keep seeing is the president showing up on university campuses and going for that young vote.

DAN LOTHIAN, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: That's right, but when you look around the crowd, you will see a lot of middle-class voters, not only here, but in some of the other battleground states where the president has visited in most recent days

I was talking to a campaign senior aide who told me that the president will continue to focus on what he has done to make life better for middle-class Americans, continue to go after his opponent, Mitt Romney for, as the president puts it, not offering up any new ideas.

And he'll be making that pitch again to voters here in the battleground state of Virginia, an important state that the president won in 2008. It was the first time that a Democrat had done that in more than 40 years, so the president trying to keep this state blue.

But even as he's touting some of his accomplishments, Republicans continue to hammer the president as being ineffective and they're jumping on some remarks that the president recently made in an interview with Colorado TV station KKTV when he was asked what grade he would give himself on fixing the economy.

The president said, quote, "You know, I would say incomplete," but he went on to say, "But what I would say is the steps that we have taken in saving the auto industry, in making sure that college is more affordable and investing in clean energy and science and technology and research, those are the things that we are going to need to grow over the long-term."

Now, Deputy Campaign Manager Stephanie Cutter, speaking to reporters, defended the president, saying what he was trying to convey is that the nation is moving forward, but that there's still a lot of things that he still wants to get done.

But I should point out, the president has used this before, in terms of giving himself an incomplete grade before, most recently in May when he sat down with the ladies of "The View" on ABC, used the very same grade when they asked him that question.

But when you start saying that so close to the election, Republicans are jumping all over this. We are seeing the RNC sending around a lot of e-mails. The Romney campaign, as well, sending around a lot of e-mails, saying that this is evidence that the nation needs new leadership.

BANFIELD: So, Dan, just when you were saying that, that this Colorado reporter, you know, went after the president on this whole notion of, are you better off now than you were four years ago, which is - you know, it's the every-year campaign question, no matter what president is in office.

But there were missteps over the weekend. There was a cleanup effort yesterday and, now, I'm getting the impression, and you correct me if I am wrong, but now, I'm getting the impression that they are full-court press on seizing that narrative.

In fact, I just want to read quickly something I got just a few moments ago and it's the opening sentences from the Democratic platform and it actually says, "Four years ago, we were in the midst of the greatest economic crisis since the Great Depression. Today, our economy is growing again, al Qaeda is weaker than at any point since 9/11, and our manufacturing sector is growing for the first time in more than decade."

So, question to you -- did the memo go out to everyone in the campaign and all surrogates, seize the narrative on the four-years-ago issue and turn it around or else?

JOHNS: Well, it certainly does appear that way based on what you were just pointing to. The message, what we're hearing, either from those stepping in front of the camera or those talking on background, is that the president has been able to make life better for all Americans, but certainly for middle-class Americans.

And, again, it's -- we talked about this a little bit yesterday. It's a very difficult balance for the president because, on the one hand, he can't come out and say, look, things are great, because they're not. There's still a lot of people out there suffering, a lot of people unemployed and, as Republicans like to point out, unemployment rate still above 8 percent.

At the same time, the president and Democrats are highlighting what has happened, for example, in the auto industry, where hundreds of thousands of jobs have been saved by the auto bailout.

And that is the message you'll continue to hear from Democrats, in general, the president, specifically.

BANFIELD: Well, I'm sure things are getting busy behind you. I'm just watching the podium behind you as they get everything advanced for the arrival of the president.

Thank you, Dan Lothian, in Norfolk, Virginia and, also, clearly, you need to remember that, while the president is in Norfolk, Virginia, his wife is, obviously, probably putting the finishing touches on her big speech for 10:00 tonight.

CNN will have full coverage, live, for Mrs. Obama's opening speech at the Democratic National Convention.

And also CNN's Anderson Cooper and Wolf Blitzer will shepherd our coverage, beginning at 7:00.

And I have a question for you. Are you in the middle class? Do you know what it actually means to be in the middle class? Has that changed in the last couple decades? Wow, do I have news for you coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BANFIELD: You look at that picture of 1.8 million people in January of 2009. That was the inauguration of President Obama.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Right.

BANFIELD: Christine Romans joining me now to talk a little bit about how many of those people in that breathtaking picture -- I've never seen that many people, I think, out on the Mall on a very cold day.

How many of those people consider themselves middle class and how many actually are by today's standards?

ROMANS: Well, it's so interesting because middle class, some polls, most people, 85 percent consider themselves middle class, but not everybody can be in the middle.

What we do know is that the middle class is shrinking, the middle class has a little bit less money and, if you look at this most recent Pew Research Center poll, what does it take to be in the middle class, Ashleigh?

Eight-six percent says it takes a secure job to be in the middle class. They're not defining it by amount of money. They're defining it by the availability to have a secure job.

BANFIELD: Not even the kind of job. A secure job.

ROMANS: Not a part-time job, not a contract job. A secure job. Health insurance, 66 percent.

And look at this, to own a home. Less than half -- fewer than half the people surveyed said that the house is part of the middle class. It's the job. Eighty-six percent job.

You've got to go down here. Investments, only 28 percent say that stocks, bonds, or investments ...

BANFIELD: And college at 37 percent.

ROMANS: Yeah, and these numbers have been declining because let's look back to 1991. This is what people felt like in 1991. Homeownership, 70 percent of people say, hey, it's the house. And then look at this, 48 percent says it's two or more cars. This is 1991. This is a snapshot of a consumer-obsessed America.

BANFIELD: Gordon Gecko.

ROMANS: It is the house. It's two or more cars, a college education. More people thought a college education back then was the pathway to middle class than they do today. Stocks, bonds, or investments, 41 percent. And white-collar job rounding out the top five at 33 percent.

BANFIELD: Again, white-collar job. Not even just job. White- collar job.

ROMANS: Because back then, people assumed that ...

BANFIELD: You had one.

ROMANS: A job was not something you didn't think was going to be an inevitability.

I want to talk quickly about stocks because we saw the stock part of this equation -- look, it's been a good year for stocks. The S&P 500, look at this, it had had a really tough spring and then it's been up 7 percent this summer.

BANFIELD: What's that old expression about "in May?"

ROMANS: "Sell in May and go away." If you did that, you would have lost money, so this is what it looks like for this year. It was a good year, but that doesn't really matter to people.

You know why? Because they're obsessed with jobs and, if they have a job, they're worried about their raises or they're worried about somebody else they know who doesn't have a job.

So, stock investments, which, a generation ago, this would have been something that made the middle class feel better. It's not something that's making the middle class feel better today.

BANFIELD: So, clearly, both of these parties during these two conventions are so after the middle class. In fact, that's the theme of the entire DNC this week is middle class, middle class, middle class.

If it's not just about the numbers -- if you don't think you fit into the numbers or you're not sure where you fit into those numbers, there's a whole other ideology of why people think they're part of the middle class.

ROMANS: Because middle class are values, as well, right?

BANFIELD: Let's see those people again. There's so many and I just wonder how many of those and what they think they are. ROMANS: It's "middle-class values." I mean, the middle class has become - I mean, technically, middle class is, you know, the middle of the quintiles on the income distribution, but that's not what people think.

BANFIELD: It's about your morals.

ROMANS: It's about morals and it's about whether you think you're a part of what's driving America ahead. That's what middle class is.

BANFIELD: I tend to feel that in the campaign, oftentimes, the middle class is considered that group with like morals, as opposed to the economic middle class. Is that wrong?

ROMANS: Well, we know this middle class wants jobs. That's what know. That's what these polls show.

BANFIELD: And we know that you are brilliant when it comes to the numbers. Thank you, Christine Romans.

ROMANS: You're welcome.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BANFIELD: And there is a beautiful, live picture of a somewhat empty auditorium in Charlotte, North Carolina, but there'll be over 35,000 media delegates and special guests piling into that auditorium because we're on the countdown to the start of the Democratic National Convention.

Our full coverage starts at 7:00 p.m. Eastern tonight with the fabulous Wolf Blitzer and Anderson Cooper, shepherding all of our work and going right through until past midnight with Piers Morgan, as well.

So, you're not going to miss anything, especially that big, big speech by Michelle Obama and the keynote address by Julian Castro. Make sure you tune in for all of that.

In the meantime, Michelle Rhee is a name that has become synonymous with controversial education reform. Rhee was the former chancellor for the public schools in the nation's capital and, in her role, she ruffled a whole lot of feathers when she closed down schools and she clashed with the teachers' unions by revising their contracts.

While her stance on education is really more in line with the Republican platform, she just so happens to be a registered Democrat. She was fully thrust into the national spotlight when this contentious documentary, "Waiting for Superman" was released.

And she is back again. This time with a fictional big-screen movie called "Won't Back Down."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Try it again.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I can't.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Listen, I can tell you being poor sucks and my kid can't read.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What happened? Where is she?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Excuse me.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Malia!

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I punished her because she does not follow rules.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Are you insane?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm going to get you out of there.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BANFIELD: So, this movie, "Won't Back Down," was screened at the Republican National Convention last week and then it was just screened again at the Democratic National Convention this week, which is why Michelle Rhee joins us live now from Charlotte, North Carolina.

Hello, Michelle Rhee. Good to see you.

MICHELLE RHEE, FORMER CHANCELLOR OF D.C. PUBLIC SCHOOLS: Nice to see you, as well.

BANFIELD: So, first question, I understand the reception you had at the RNC was huge and raucous when the movie was screened. How about the reception at the DNC?

RHEE: It was equally positive. You know, we had a packed house last night here in Charlotte. People were very excited about the movie. I think it showed and illustrated a lot of the frustrations that parents are having today with the public schools.

But it's also a very hopeful movie and it sends a message that you can do something about the quality of education that your kids are getting, so I think people left very excited.

BANFIELD: Well, I'm surprised that you say that it was equally as raucous because I wasn't quite sure what was going to happen.

Of course, Democrats want education reform, as do Republicans, but, also, Democrats are very protective of their unions and you are very critical of teachers' unions and your teacher reform or your education reform is a little akin to almost union-busting. I mean, it just goes against the grain.

So, that's why I was wondering. Were do you fit in when it comes to Democrats, their platform, and their reform plans? RHEE: You know, I think that the reforms that we're talking about are not union-busting at all. In fact, they are very pro- reform.

Basically, what we're saying is that teachers matter not just a lot. They are the most important in-school factor that impacts student achievement levels and I really think that it's a new day in the Democratic party.

You know, yesterday, we had Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, my husband, Mayor Kevin Johnson from Sacramento, Mayor Cory Booker from Newark, all very, very high-profile Democrats who joined the president in saying, you know what, we support teachers and we support unions, but we have to challenge some of the policies that are guiding how teachers are treated and how they're staffed in these schools because some of these policies just aren't helping kids and it's about time, as a Democratic party, that we turn our attention to making changes in these policies and these laws.

BANFIELD: So, I know that after the screening at the RNC last week, Michelle, you and Jeb Bush actually were at a roundtable discussion and one of the things that stood out to me about what Governor Bush said was this -- "I don't think that the differences that exist between Romney and Obama on education are as big as on tax policy."

And that got me to thinking that Americans put education lower than jobs and the economy when they talk about what's most important to them. I'm curious to know what you think is going to be the next four years, regardless of who ends up in the White House, in terms of priority, and where that's going to fall when it comes to education reform.

RHEE: Well, you know, I sit in lots of conversations with people in my own party, with Democrats, I sit in a lot of conversations with Republicans and I can tell you that they agree on a whole lot more than they disagree on.

And, so, I think one of the most important things that could happen after this election, regardless of who is elected, is that the politicians in Washington can decide, OK, we are going to come together. The people of America are tired of the gridlock on Capitol Hill. Let's come together and put partisan party politics aside and put the best interests of kids first and start passing some laws and policies that are really going to move the education system in this country forward.

BANFIELD: And I think everybody wants to do exactly what you just said. It's just the philosophies on how to do that. Obviously, the teachers' unions say that there are plenty of jurisdictions around this country that are heavy with teachers' unions that score very high.

And, of course, your argument is that sometimes the teachers' unions shouldn't be answered to first, that the kids should.

You and I need to have a longer conversation another time. Can you come back another time?

RHEE: Absolutely. I'd love to.

BANFIELD: Michelle Rhee, good to see you live in Charlotte for us.

And I just want you to know, as well, that, to that argument, we reached out directly to the American Federation of Teachers. They're really at odds with Michelle Rhee and the focus of the movie and "Waiting for Superman" documentary and, also, some of these policies and this is what they said.

"The last thing this country and the debate over education reform needs is another movie that maligns teachers, caricatures teachers' unions and misleads the American public about what's happening in public education today. Real public education comes from teachers, parents and communities working together to help all kids thrive."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BANFIELD: Democratic convention kicks off today with a roster of big names set to speak and a whole lot of other names too, like dozens and dozens. We have talked about Michelle Obama's speech as the headliner and she is definitely not alone. Here are other big-name speakers who will hit the podium today: Newark mayor, Cory Booker, as well as Senate majority leader, Harry Reid, one of a handful of members of Congress speaking today. Democrats are also highlighting candidates for House and Senate races, like Tammy Duckworth and Joe Kennedy III. A lot of interesting people on the menu tonight.

CNN's political editor, Paul Steinhauser, is live in Charlotte, North Carolina, the site of all those convention speeches.

I hope you have a really big, thick notebook for the 80-some odd speakers. Which do we need to pay attention to, which are the Democrats really trying to highlight?

PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN DEPUTY POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Well, you go into the evening every hour following is more important. Let's talk about the 9:00 hour. Rahm manual. This should be very interesting. The former White House chief of staff for President Obama first two years in office now mayor of Chicago. And Rahm Emanuel is a straight talker. I think you're going to hear him talk tough tonight and should be fascinating, his comments, not only in support of the presidents about also in criticizing Mitt Romney and the Republicans. Also in the 9:00 hour, Ted Strickland, former governor of Ohio.

And Ashleigh, this is all about the auto bailouts. You're going to hear Ted Strickland talk about how President Obama, in his words, saved the auto industry. Why does that matter in Ohio? It's not just Michigan, a lot of auto plants in Ohio.

Also in the 9:00 hour, Deval Patrick, the governor of Massachusetts, and somebody who is pretty close to President Obama. He'll be a big advocate for the president. And then, 10:00, before the big speakers, Martin O'Malley. He's the governor of Maryland, head of the Democratic Governors' Association, also somebody who may want to run for president in 2016. And, of course, you remember over the weekend, he had a problem with weather. We're better off now than four years ago.

BANFIELD: Yes, he said no. But then he tried to change that and clarify what he meant.

STEINHAUSER: No, yes. Right. Exactly.

(LAUGHTER)

BANFIELD: And I say the serve pro effort has been going on ever since.

Let me move on to something that I think is really critical to talk about. Because last week during the RNC, Todd Akin's comments about legitimate rape, et cetera, really overshadowed a lot about what was going on at the RNC. And this week we've got one for the Democrats, too, and that is a young man who happens to be the chairman of the Democratic Party in California, by the name of John Burton, who actually compared Republicans to Nazis. Let me just read exactly can what he said. He said, "They lie and they don't care if people think they lie. As long as you lie, Joseph Goebbels, the big lie, you keep repeating it, you know."

Goebbels, of course, for those who don't remember their World War II history, Nazi propagandist under Adolf Hitler. Obviously, a big apology since, trying to back pedal since. But this is not cool.

STEINHAUSER: No, not cool. The Nazi comparisons never work in politics. This is another example of why you don't or should not do that. The Republican Party in California was quick to criticize. The chairman called these the desperate, deranged rhetoric the Democrats will try to employ. So the Republicans are attacking. And Burton has apologized over his comments. It's a distraction that the Democrats don't want. Whether it's at the Todd Akin level of last week, that's debatable -- Ashleigh?

BANFIELD: Yes. You know what, I'm getting sick of both parties calling people Nazis in this party. It's stupid and sick. And they both need to lay off.

Paul Steinhauser, thank you very much. Do appreciate your work. And I know you have a long night ahead, as well.

He's going to be tuning in it and watching the monitors. And you hopefully will be tuning in. Our coverage begins at 7:00 eastern. All our Democratic convention work begins at 7:00.

Also, we'll bring you a behind-the-scenes look at both presidential candidates. These documentaries are awesome. And I know I work for CNN, but let me tell you, I've watched both of them twice. 8:00 p.m. eastern, "Romney Revealed, Family, Faith and the Road to Power." Gloria Borger does an awesome job. And followed by "Obama Revealed: The Man, the President." Jessica Yellin rocked this. If you want to know more about these two men. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BANFIELD: They're a fixture at every political convention, Republican or Democrat -- the Creative Coalition. You probably heard about it. But if you don't know what it is, it's a nonprofit group with a goal to advocate for the arts and also protect funding for the arts in public schools. That's the good news. The bad news is we got an economy with nearly 13 million people out of work and we have 46 million people living at or below the poverty line and that's according to the 2010 census. So can we afford spending on the arts with all those other problems circling behind us?

Award-winning actor, producer, comedian, John Leguizamo, in Charlotte, North Carolina, with the Creative Coalition here to make the case.

So, John, welcome to the program. It's very nice to see you.

I have to say, this is such a tender topic for so many. I don't think you're ever going to hear someone say the arts just aren't important at all. It's just a matter of how important are they when we have cut welfare spending on average more than a half in the last few years.

JOHN LEGUIZAMO, ACTOR, PRODUCER & COMEDIAN: I mean, it's incredible. The way -- everybody is for the arts. But it's the first thing that gets cut, the first thing that gets taken out of school curriculums. But it's been proven that every dollar spent on the arts gets you $7 back. Taxable dollars. It's the second-healthiest industry, entertainment industry in this country. Music -- the iPod was created to sell music, taxable dollars. I mean, it's an industry that gives back in so many ways. I mean, kids -- it's been proven that kids who are in arts programs have a lower dropout rate. Are much more connected to the community, give back more, stay in school, helps them with science and math. So it's really important aspect of our lives. Something that shouldn't be --

(CROSSTALK)

BANFIELD: I don't disagree that there is a wonderful investment. I've got two children and I clearly want them to be exposed to as much as I can afford. And there's the key. I can't afford to invest right now because I'm spending money on housing and food and as much as other things I can. While it may be a great investment, is this country in a bet of a crisis. And I'm talking food and lodging.

LEGUIZAMO: Absolutely. But schools can reallocate moneys and keep the arts programs in their schools and make it a much more important part of their schools, because arts is what helps you through times of trouble and pain. And it's what keeps America -- I mean, technologies are asking for creatives, creative thinkers, and where do they come from? They always come from the arts. Our national anthem is a work of art. You need the arts. It's what elevates and keeps the morale in a country going.

BANFIELD: I'm a big fan of yours, I have to say. And I have to end our interview with a twinkle in my eye. I adored you before I had children in "Bridezilla (ph), Queen of the Desert." And now you're bigger on my books because of "Ice Age," which is what I watch all the time.

(LAUGHTER)

Whether it's I, II, or III.

(CROSSTALK)

So thank you for your contribution.

LEGUIZAMO: My pleasure.

BANFIELD: And to my family.

LEGUIZAMO: Thank you.

(LAUGHTER)

BANFIELD: Thanks.

John Leguizamo joining us live from Charlotte, North Carolina.

There's other celebrities as well, with the Creative Coalition, Jessica Alba, Jeff Bridges with long hair and beard; Ashleigh Judd and Patricia Arquette.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

In Syria, a dire warning from the International Committee of the Red Cross. The humanitarian situation, quote, "is deteriorating very fast," end quote. More than 103,000 Syrians fled into neighboring countries in august. Just in august. And that's nearly doubling the number from the previous 17 months. The head of the ICRC met today with the Syrian president in a bid to increase the flow of aid to the civilians. We'll let you know how that went. On top of the refugee crisis, the U.N. says the fighting has become, quote, "particularly brutal and violent." You've been seeing the pictures, and you've been seeing the reporting. But perhaps no group suffers more than the kids, the innocent kids of Syria. They're among the scores who are killed every day, and if you're sitting with your child right now in your home, think for a moment about a little 4-year-old girl who is sitting in her mom's lap, and unfortunately sniper's bullet found its mark inside their home.

CNN's Nick Payton Walsh, our exclusive report.

And a warning to you that the pictures are graphic and disturbing.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NICK PAYTON WALSH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): On Aleppo streets, a truck races through traffic. We follow them, because we've seen a man leap inside, carrying a limp little girl in his arms. But perhaps because our car is new, he now rushes towards us for help.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Where are they taking here?

WALSH: Renna is 4.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

WALSH: Go to the hospital, he says. Guys, she's choking.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

WALSH (on camera): What happened?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

WALSH (voice-over): She was on the balcony at home when a bullet struck from nowhere, he explains. She is struggling to breathe.

The bullet has hit her cheek.

(SHOUTING)

WALSH: At the hospital, the doctors move to clear her airway. They think she'll live. But this underequipped rebel hospital can't treat her fully.

(CROSSTALK)

WALSH: So they make a tough decision to send her across the front lines to a better-equipped government hospital where we can't go.

This is where the bullet entered her home. Across the street is a cemetery and tall buildings, or inside, rebel territory where snipers work everywhere. This war has left no one safe.

The grandmother saw it all. "She was in her mother's lap when it entered here. We saw blood, then she grimaced, screamed for mother, and then went silent, she says.

(on camera): Given the trajectory, the bullet was fired from the other side of the cemetery from one of those tall buildings." It's unlikely the gunman would have seen his target. But is an example of what many say here is the horror visited upon normal civilians every day.

(CROSSTALK)

WALSH (voice-over): The children know what happened.

(CROSSTALK)

WALSH: They find a knocked-out tooth but not the bullet that hit Renna.

They go to visit her, believing the worst is behind them. It is hard to understand why a sniper would fire into a residential home, unless to terrify civilians in rebel areas.

The next morning, we learn she was taken to two government hospitals. None of the doctors were able to remove the bullet, relatives tell us, which was stuck in her throat. Renna died.

Her body brought home and buried in the cemetery that sat between where the gunman probably fired from and her home.

Nick Payton Walsh, CNN, Aleppo.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BANFIELD: And please be sure to tune in tomorrow when Nick Payton Walsh reports from Aleppo on how random government shelling of civilian areas appears to only be showing on CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BANFIELD: If you didn't already hear the Democrats are kicking off their convention in Charlotte today with a rising star from San Antonio. It's that city's mayor, and his name, get ready, Julian Castro. Remember that name. He is making history. He's going to be the first Latino to give the party's keynote speech.

CNN's Ed Lavandera is going to introduce him to you.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JULIAN CASTRO, (R), MAYOR OF SAN ANTONIO: Hey, everybody, I'm Julian Castro.

ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): First thing you need to know, it's pronounced Julian Castro. The "J" is silent, not Julian. If you get the Spanish wrong, don't worry, San Antonio's mayor never mastered Espanol.

CASTRO: I grew up in the Household with my mother and grandmother mostly speaking English. I understand it. Speaking it back, always the challenge.

LAVANDERA: Julian Castro's grandmother immigrated to San Antonio from Mexico and worked as a community activist in San Antonio's Chicano movements. Julian Castro and his twin brother went to Stanford University and Harvard Law School. Now he's a rising star in the Democratic Party, tapped to give the keynote speech at the Democratic convention, the same speech an unknown Barack Obama gave at the convention in 2004.

(on camera): You get talked about as someone who could be the first Hispanic governor of Texas, some people even suggesting the first Hispanic president of the United States. Do you like that kind of talk? Can you handle that kind of pressure?

CASTRO: I'd be lying if I said that's not flattering. Of course it's flattering to anybody, but the biggest mistake that I could make or anybody could make in this situation is to believe the press, to believe the hype.

LAVANDERA (voice-over): Castro was elected mayor in 2009 and then reelected with 82 percent of the vote. Now he's 37, the youngest mayor of a top-50 city in the United States. He's also used to baby face jokes.

(on camera): One of the funnier things that's happened to you when you first met President Obama, he jokingly asked if you were the intern.

CASTRO: That's right. Yes.

LAVANDERA: Being asked to do this speech, is that kind of making up for that jab?

(LAUGHTER)

CASTRO: Yes, I don't know, I don't know. I always got the age jokes at different points in my career.

LAVANDERA: Is it still happening?

CASTRO: Every now and then. I'm starting to get the gray hair I need from my 3-year-old daughter and from politics.

LAVANDERA (voice-over): This is the biggest speech of Castro's career. Latinos enjoyed speaking roles at the Republican convention. And Castro must convince them to stick with President Obama and turn out in big numbers.

(on camera): There are a lot of Latino leaders out there who say President Obama has not been a friend of the Latino community.

CASTRO: Under any score, immigration, education, health care, and any number of issues, he has been a very effective advocate for the Latino community.

LAVANDERA (voice-over): He's in the midst of pushing for a small sales tax hike to fund pre-kindergarten programs for low-income children back in San Antonio. Castro enjoys a squeaky clean political image except for that 2005 San Antonio river walk parade scandal. Castro was a city councilman and couldn't make it to the parade in time so his twin brother jumped on the city council float instead. Castro's political opponents were saying the brothers were trying to fool the massive crowd. Castro laughs it off now.

(on camera): How can we be sure you're going to be the Castro brother giving the speech tonight?

CASTRO: Well, he says he's better looking than me.

(LAUGHTER)

And the wedding ring.

LAVANDERA (voice-over): His brother, Joaquin Castro, will introduce his twin at the convention. You'll see the Castro brothers standing side by side.

Ed Lavandera, CNN, San Antonio, Texas.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BANFIELD: That's very cool. Thank you for that.

Julian Castro is going to speak in the 10:00 hour right before the First Lady Michelle Obama will speak. Catch those speeches live on CNN.

We want to know if you want to know what it's really like to experience the Democratic National Convention from inside. You can do so. Today, you can join the "CNN Election Roundtable" with Wolf Blitzer and CNN's political team. You can submit your questions and get answers in real time in this live virtual chat. Don't miss your opportunity to sit at the "CNN Election Roundtable." It's kind of cool. Today at 12:00 noon it begins, 12:00 noon eastern. Just log on to CNN.com/roundtable.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BANFIELD: Not a whole lot of joy on Wall Street this morning. The investors who came back from summer vacation didn't feel like buying so much it turns out. Take a look at your numbers. They were trading down at the opening bell. Things haven't gotten better all day long. Right now, we're down a little past 87. Oh, 88, there you go. So that is the way it's looking right now. Who knows if we'll fare better as hours plug on today. The analysts say most investors have their eye on Friday, when the jobs number comes up. Friday is a big deal. We bring that to you live when it happens, sometimes at mid-morning.

I know I've mentioned this. I've said it over and over. It's the start of the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte. We just came out of the RNC. It's important that we continue our full-scale coverage. That convention hall is going to be jammed with party faithful as they take in the speech, speeches like Michelle Obama, Bill Clinton, other speeches this week.

But for those who cannot make it, Sandra Endo has done something fantastic. She'll give you an inside look of the hall right now.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SANDRA ENDO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This is the perimeter of the Democratic National Convention and security is extremely tight. Everybody needs a special color-coded credential to get inside the convention center. But come with me and I'll take you for a tour.

Here's the perspective on the convention floor. Up there you have sky boxes filled with media. These seats would be filled with delegates and media, as well right here on the convention floor. And right up there is the podium where the speaker takes center stage.

A convention is carefully choreographed. Every primetime speaker gets a chance to do a run-through on stage and get a feel for how it's going to be before the night they actually make their speech.

This is the perspective speaker's seat. When they're up on stage, these seats would be filled with people and over there is what they're reading on the teleprompter.

To get this show on TV, online, and on the radio, engineers spent weeks laying down thousands of feet of cable to get this convention plugged in.

(voice-over): With the production value this high, the stakes are even higher for the political party.

In Charlotte, I'm Sandra Endo.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ASHLEIGH BANFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: And CNN NEWSROOM with Suzanne Malveaux starts right now.