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Out in the Open

Sister of Britney Spears Pregnant; Christmas Campaign Ads

Aired December 19, 2007 - 20:00   ET

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

RICK SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: Tonight, an extreme look at the stress of holiday travel. In fact, here, see it for yourself. This is amazing to watch. And you're going to see the entire thing. What is wrong with this guy? And what do you do if you're faced with someone like this and you're on a plane? What you do, packed planes, high anxiety this time of the year? Again, you're going to see the entire tape.
Also, we're watching a developing story. It's unfolding in Northern California, a dad and three kids lost in the woods while trying to cut down a Christmas tree. We understand they have just been rescued. You see that helicopter right there? The pilot has contacted us. And we're going to be talking to him. He's the guy who spotted them in the woods. We're going to be bringing you the reunion.

But first, this is the watercooler conversation of the day. Britney Spears' little sister, 16 years old and a TV star in her own right, is pregnant. Jamie Lynn Spears has a hit TV show at Nickelodeon watched by tens of thousands of little girls. Her boyfriend is 18 years old. And she announced her pregnancy in a magazine, did so as a matter of fact just over the weekend.

We have been looking at this. Obviously, there are a lot of questions here, not the least of which is, why is it that one out of 13 teenage girls in the United States ends up pregnant?

We are going to begin our coverage now with entertainment correspondent Brooke Anderson.

Brooke, start us off.

BROOKE ANDERSON, CNN CULTURE AND ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, Rick.

Well, those statistics, first of all, are very troubling. And yes this is disturbing, because Jamie Lynn Spears is a huge star in her own right among young kids. She stars on the squeaky-clean Nickelodeon show "Zoey 101."

It was nominated for an Emmy back in 2005 for outstanding children's program. A lot of kids look up to her, adore her, want to emulate her. But Jamie Lynn says to "OK" magazine that she's keeping the baby, that she's about 12 weeks along, and that she is focused on becoming a good mother now and because of that she has no plans to marry the father, whom she says is Casey Aldridge. She says they met at church and that he is 18 years old. Now, this isn't is first time that reports of a pregnancy have surfaced. Take a look at this "National Enquirer" August 6 issue. A cease and desist letter was actually sent reportedly to "The National Enquirer" by an attorney for Jamie Lynn Spears saying that it was false and malicious reporting and also -- quote -- "Ms. Spears is a devout Christian with a spotless reputation, who lives in accordance with the highest moral and ethical standards in accordance with her faith and such a falsehood would also be very damaging to Ms. Spears' career as an actress."

And speaking of that, Rick, "Zoey 100" already has the fourth season of the show ready to air in the can. What happens beyond that, the future of the show and her role in it is unclear at this time.

SANCHEZ: It is so much to talk about here, Brooke.

There's the Hollywood angle or the Hollyweird as some would say. Then there's the family angle of what's going on with her sister, what's going on with her mother, things like this particular magazine, where she suddenly appears in the front cover in a story that seems to suggest that the magazine is making a big deal out of this, almost as if there was a deal.

But you know what I want to ask you, Brooke? This guy, this boyfriend is 18 years old and she's 16 years old. I just did a story in Georgia about a young man who was 17 years old who was with a young girl who I think was 15. This kid got 10 years in prison. He was eventually let go by the Supreme Court, but he was 10 years in prison. Now, he was an African-American young man. That's another story entirely.

But I have to ask you, in all honesty, is there a chance that there may have been a crime committed here? He's an adult, isn't he, 18?

ANDERSON: He is. And the laws vary from state to state. And it will depend really on where the baby was conceived and also if prosecutors really care to pursue the matter.

Here in California, the legal age of consent is 18. And also it's a misdemeanor if there is less than three years age difference between the two partners. And that is the case here. In Louisiana, where Spears lives with her mother, the age of consent is 17, but anyone between 15 and 17 can have sex with a partner legally if that partner isn't more than two years older. If more than two years older, that's a misdemeanor. But there's been no talk at this point of any criminal prosecution.

SANCHEZ: Well, it's a brand new story and it obviously it gets interesting when you start talking about where they were at the time that it happened.

Brooke, stay right there. We want to continue to talk about this. And we want to bring you back.

But as I said there's a bigger conversation that's taking place here.

I want to bring in now Sari Locker. She's a Columbia University psychologist and she's also a sex educator. And she may have a lot to say to all of us, including myself. I'm a parent. I am embarrassed every time I have to talk to my kids about stuff like this and sometimes I don't know how to do it, so we're going to talk about that. Also along with us is nationally syndicated conservative radio talk show host Michael Medved, who -- he and I have talked about this kind of thing in the past. He knows a little bit about Hollyweird.

I almost don't know where to begin this conversation.

But I guess, Michael, I'm going start with you.

And I'm going to go to the mother here. And look I don't want to judge anybody. Because I know how difficult it is to deal with my own kids sometimes. But the idea that this mother seems to be so concerned with the careers of her daughters makes you wonder doesn't it if that concern of hers doesn't supersede the well-being of her daughters. Do you get my drift?

MICHAEL MEDVED, RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: Well, I certainly do.

Look, this is a young lady who does not have a great role model in her older sister. I think we can agree on that. And I'm glad to see that Lynne Spears the mother's book on parenting, which was going to be published by a Christian publisher, Thomas Nelson, has been suspended at least for now.

(CROSSTALK)

SANCHEZ: I wonder why.

MEDVED: Yes.

The one point I would make with this is look, I think you have to give this young lady at least a little bit of credit. She has got into trouble.

(CROSSTALK)

SANCHEZ: I agree. I agree. I agree.

MEDVED: And she did not do the easy thing, which is go out quietly and have an abortion. She at least has lived up to some of the faith she professes.

(CROSSTALK)

SANCHEZ: Michael, let me stop you there, because there appears to be something else they did.

And I have been referring to this magazine. But let me ask you a question. I want to put you on the spot.

MEDVED: Sure. SANCHEZ: If tomorrow, your daughter at the age of 16 were pregnant, would you call a magazine editor, and say, by the way, I have got a great story for you and do a cover with her?

MEDVED: No, of course not.

(CROSSTALK)

SANCHEZ: Hold on. I'm not done.

You ready? Let me show you the pictures. This is not one of those things where a tabloid went out and got pictures of her where they weren't supposed to. This is a deal, isn't it?

MEDVED: It probably is.

But my daughter, thank God, is a -- both of my daughters are college students and they are private people. They're not stars of TV shows. Look, this is obviously -- there's a tremendous amount that's wrong here. But the one point that I think can unify Americans in looking at this is we're unified as a people on very few things. But I think we're unified on the idea that sex involving 16-year-olds is not a good thing.

(CROSSTALK)

SANCHEZ: Let me stop you, because I agree with you 100 percent. And as a dad with -- I got three boys and now I have got a daughter, too. And it scares the hell out of me to think that I'm going to be having this conversation with her one day. It's a little easier to do it with the boys.

Let me bring somebody in who can help us do this, Dr. Sari Locker.

You heard what I just said. And Michael I were just talking about this. And it's real easy for guys to have all this bravado on TV. But when it really comes down it and you have got to sit down and talk to your kids and say, you know what, this is a problem in this country, let me talk to you about the -- quote -- "birds and the bees," as we used to say in the old days, how do you do it?

SARI LOCKER, SEX EDUCATOR: Well, first of all, you can't be scared of it, Rick. So, we need to get you to not be afraid of it, so that everyone else can realize they don't need to be afraid of it either.

What you need to do is teach your children positive values, your values about sex. But you also need to be very concrete and realistic in telling them that, when people have sex, they can get pregnant every single time they have sex.

SANCHEZ: Do you talk to them physically, and say look, this is what's going happen, this is what I want you to do; you have got to talk about protection? LOCKER: Yes. Tell them that birth control pills are 99 percent effective. And if they use a condom in addition, then they're getting wonderful protection against pregnancy, and that's the only way.

(CROSSTALK)

SANCHEZ: You're 16 years old. You're a squirt. You're a punk, all right?

LOCKER: Right.

SANCHEZ: You're not ready for this. And I don't want you doing it, period, until you're 18 years old, if then. And you know what? Preferably, I want you to wait until you're married.

Reasonable these days?

(CROSSTALK)

LOCKER: You should give them those values far earlier than that, so they hear them when they're children.

But also you need to realize that people have sex. It's human nature. We all have sex, right?

(CROSSTALK)

SANCHEZ: It's one thing to pet, and it's another thing to have sex.

LOCKER: Right. And we know that people should not wait until they're 30 to have sex. In fact, we know that 95 percent of Americans have sex before marriage. And we know that most people do have sex before they're 20. That's normative around the world. So, we need to make it positive and responsible, so that teenagers understand that they can be responsible.

SANCHEZ: Can I get you on tape and I can bring that home?

By the way, let's go back to Brooke.

(CROSSTALK)

LOCKER: I will talk to your teenagers.

SANCHEZ: Let's go back to Brooke Anderson.

Brooke, I know you have been digging some information on what the mother has said in the past. And you heard Michael mention this book deal that she apparently had. What have you learned about that?

ANDERSON: Well, she was working on a book this year titled "Pop Culture Mom: A Real Story of Fame and Family in a Tabloid World."

She was reportedly working with a Michigan based freelancer, Lorilee Craker, on that book about raising her famous daughters. As he said, the book has been suspended indefinitely. We don't know if or when it will been released. And we have reached out to Lorilee and we haven't heard back for comment.

But she has written a number of articles on parenting and is the author of several books, including "A Is for Adam," a guide to biblical baby names. We got that from her Web site.

But the mother, Lynne, was also part of this interview with "OK" magazine. And she said was shocked when Jamie Lynn first told her the news, but she has since come around and that now she is there to support her and the child.

(CROSSTALK)

SANCHEZ: Do we know at this point if there was any money exchanged or any deal made between the editor of this magazine and this very complimentary article that was delivered on her and the family?

ANDERSON: Well, I spoke with the deputy editor for "OK" magazine, Ruth Hilton. She is the one who actually conducted the interview with Jamie Lynn and her mother.

And she would not say if any money exchanged hands, if any money was involved for the interview or if there's a back end deal, if money will be presented to Jamie Lynn for the first photos of the baby. She would not say it. But she didn't deny it.

And, Rick, I will say that it is common practice for a star to be paid for an interview or for pictures of their babies.

SANCHEZ: With this particular magazine? Is this one of those magazines that does that?

ANDERSON: Sure.

SANCHEZ: Yes. I kind of thought so.

Michael Medved, always great having you on. I wish we could have spent more time talking to you.

MEDVED: Thank you.

SANCHEZ: Dr. Sari Locker, thanks so much as well.

And, Brooke Anderson, thanks for bringing us the information on this.

By the way, we want to know what you think about this, because it really is an interesting question. I want you to go to CNN.com/Rick. And I want you to tell us who is to blame for Jamie Lynn Spears' pregnancy? Is it her family that didn't set her up with proper information and may have been more interested in selling her career? Is it Hollyweird or Hollywood itself for being so into the entertainment stuff? Or is it just herself? Is it her own responsibility that she failed to take? We're going to have that for you. Please let us know. And we will be sharing info in the end.

Also, we have got some breaking news from California. It's a dad and three kids. They're lost in the wilderness with a dangerous storm that has been coming in. We are going to talk with the helicopter pilot who found them.

Also ahead, look at this. How would you know how to act if you were on an airplane and somebody next to you starts doing this, just loses it completely?

And check this out.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, HUCKABEE CAMPAIGN AD)

MIKE HUCKABEE (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Are you about worn of all the television commercials you have been seeing, mostly about politics?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: We have got the new ones, the new ads, that is. And we're going to tell you the difference between the good, the bad, and the ugly. We will rate them, along with you.

Back in two and change.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, CLINTON CAMPAIGN AD)

SEN. HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON (D-NY), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Where did I put universal pre-K?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: All right. Welcome back.

How do the presidential candidates want you to see them? Well, the answer to that is best found in their ads, right? And we have got some of them, like the one that you have been looking at right here. That's Hillary Clinton.

If you don't live in Iowa, though, or you don't live in New Hampshire, or you don't live in South Carolina, you may not get a chance to see these. We wanted to make sure you saw them.

Welcome back

We're going to grab your popcorn now and let's watch a little TV. You ready? Help us grade some of these.

And joining us now to do that is Bill Adair. He's with the Washington bureau of the -- what is it, "The St. Petersburg Times," editor of PolitiFact, right? Did I get that right?

BILL ADAIR, "THE ST. PETERSBURG TIMES": You got that right. We're a fact-checking Web site where we check the facts of what the candidates are saying in their TV ads and their speeches.

SANCHEZ: So, you basically know how to look at these things and say what is good, what is right, what is effective.

We're going to let you grade these, just like if it was a term paper turned in by one of your students. You ready? A, B, C, D, or F.

And let's start first with the softer side of Hillary. This is a new ad that was just released today. Here we go.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, CAMPAIGN CLINTON AD)

SEN. HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON (D-NY), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Where did I put universal pre-K? Oh, OK. Ah, there it is.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: Bill, how would you grade this and why?

ADAIR: I think I would give that one a C.

What doesn't make sense to me in this one -- and it's the good production values. It's the right kind of message that all the candidates are trying to hit at this point. With the Iowa caucuses so close to Christmas, they're trying to mix in these Christmas messages.

But what doesn't make sense to me is she's putting these tags on the outside of the boxes, when it seems like those are the things that ought to be in the boxes. It seems like on the outside of boxes, it should say, to the voters of Iowa and, inside, she should be putting universal pre-K. So, I would give that one a C.

(CROSSTALK)

SANCHEZ: A C from Hillary Clinton.

Now let's go with a Christmas card from Mr. Huckabee.

Here it is. Let's play it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, HUCKABEE CAMPAIGN AD)

MIKE HUCKABEE (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Are you about worn of all the television commercials you have been seeing, mostly about politics? I don't blame you.

At this time of year, sometimes, it's nice to pull aside from all of that and just remember that what really matters is the celebration of the birth of Christ and being with our family and our friends.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: This guy is as hot as a pistol. And he's been playing it right, at least according to everybody who has been looking at this. Your grade for that ad, Bill?

ADAIR: I would give that one an A. I think that it's the right message at the right time for Huckabee's audience. And it's important to remember who Huckabee is trying to reach here. He's trying to reach the conservative Republicans, in many cases Christian conservatives. And he does that well with this ad, because he's striking a chord with the things that they care about.

SANCHEZ: Right. Yes. It's almost like right message, right time, right guy.

Let me stop you there. I want to see Giuliani. Rudy Giuliani is not really winning anywhere right now, kind of has a tough guy image, right? So, let's see what he does in his ad. You rate it, Bill.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, GIULIANI CAMPAIGN AD)

RUDY GIULIANI (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: With the primaries coming so early this year, I've got to tell you, I'm having a little trouble getting my holiday shopping done. So I'll be working to get everyone the same gift, a safe America, lower taxes, secure borders, job growth, fiscal discipline, strict constructionist judges and probably a fruit cake or something.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A fruitcake?

GIULIANI: What? It would be a really nice fruit cake with a big red bow on it, or something like that.

I'm Rudy Giuliani, and I approve this message.

Merry Christmas. Happy holidays.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: Bill Adair, you watch this, you grade it how?

ADAIR: I think I would give that one a C. I think Rudy is trying here to soften his image, just as Hillary is. We have got the red sweater. We have the shtick.

But it's just an average ad, I think. I don't think that he really his a home run here. He makes some of the points he needs to make. But it isn't, I don't think, as effective as the Huckabee ad.

SANCHEZ: Here we go with -- you ready? This is good, because Barack Obama has tried to be very inspirational, very different throughout his entire campaign. Bill, I want you to watch this and tell me if he pulls it off with the ad, as well as you at home.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, OBAMA CAMPAIGN AD) SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D-IL), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We are in a defining moment in our history. Our nation is at war. The planet is in peril. The dream that so many generations fought for feels as if it's slowly slipping away.

And that is why the same old Washington textbook campaigns just won't do. That's why telling the American people what we think they want to hear, instead of telling the American people what they need to hear, just won't do.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

OBAMA: America, our moment is now.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: You know, pardon me for saying, but Reaganesque, Kennedyesque, looks like it was produced by Roger Ailes, don't you think?

(LAUGHTER)

ADAIR: Yes. That's a very, very effective ad. I would give that one an A. I think that's one of the best ads that we have seen in the whole campaign.

It strikes the theme that Obama has been making all along. But it's very powerful, the cuts to the shots of the people there.

SANCHEZ: Yes.

ADAIR: I think we may look back at this speech -- that was his to the Jefferson Jackson dinner in Des Moines -- And if he wins Iowa, we may look back to that speech and say this is the point where he really began to turn things around. And this ad played a big role in doing that.

SANCHEZ: Let's look at somebody now who many say should be turning it around, should be doing a little better, given the amount of money and energy he's poured into Iowa.

Here now, let's go with Governor Romney.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, ROMNEY CAMPAIGN AD)

MITT ROMNEY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I'm Mitt Romney and I approve this message.

Two pro-life governors -- both support a constitutional amendment to protect traditional marriage.

The difference?

Romney got tough on drugs like meth. He never pardoned a single criminal.

And Mike Huckabee?

He granted 1,033 pardons and commutations, including 12 convicted murderers.

Huckabee granted more clemencies than the previous three governors combined, even reduced penalties for manufacturing methamphetamine. On crime, the difference is judgment.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: There you go, Bill. He's going after the Huckster, man. This is -- well, I don't want to say it, but some would call it an attack ad. Would you?

ADAIR: Well, it's the best he can do for an attack ad at this point in the campaign.

It's a delicate thing, especially in Iowa. The voters of Iowa are very sensitive to negative ads. So, I would give this a B. I think it accomplishes what Romney needs to be doing at this point, which is distinguishing himself from Huckabee and trying to slow Huckabee's momentum. And you have got to raise some doubts him. He has got another ad that we fact-checked on PolitiFact that's the same way, where he tries to do it on immigration.

(CROSSTALK)

SANCHEZ: Not exactly right?

ADAIR: Well, yes. Actually, in the case of the immigration one, he's been largely true.

(CROSSTALK)

ADAIR: But the key is that he has to slow Huckabee's momentum and to do that by painting Huckabee as a liberal.