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CNN Sunday Morning

Florida Voter Purge; Kidnapped in Egypt

Aired July 15, 2012 - 08:00   ET

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

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RANDI KAYE, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): From CNN world headquarters in Atlanta, this is CNN SUNDAY MORNING.

Florida teams up with Homeland Security, the state's new tool in their voter purge fight.

Plus --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We want him returned to Boston safely.

KAYE: Two Americans kidnapped in Egypt. And now, we have new details and their names. The family of one hostage tells us what they think happened.

And later, a Christian, a Muslim, and hotel porn. Sound like a joke? Well, the hospitality industry isn't laughing.

(MUSIC)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: Good morning, everyone. I'm Randi Kaye. It's 8:00 on the East Coast, 5:00 a.m. on the West. Thanks for starting your morning with us. We're glad you're here.

We start with a victory for Florida Governor Rick Scott. He sued the federal government and now the government has given in. What did he want? Access to the Department of Homeland Security's database on immigrants in the U.S. The reason? He wants to purge illegally registered voters from the state's voter rolls.

So how big of a problem is it in Florida?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. RICK SCOTT (R), FLORIDA: Randi, here's what we know so far. We did -- because we couldn't get the Homeland Security database, we used our own motor vehicle database and we've just looked at 2,600 names. We know over 100 people have registered to vote, they're non- U.S. citizens and we know over 50 have voted in our election.

So we know people are registering to note that are non-U.S. citizens and we know they're voting. That's not right, it's a crime, and it impacts our races.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: That was the governor a couple weeks ago on this program. Critics say Scott is just trying to suppress the minority vote. The federal government had sued to stop Florida's voter purge, but a judge ruled in Florida's favor.

Less than four months until the presidential election, and President Obama is doubling down on his attacks of Mitt Romney, accusing the Republican candidate of investing in companies that, quote, "pioneered the practice of shipping jobs overseas".

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Mr. Romney has got a different idea. He invested in companies that have been called pioneers of outsourcing. I don't want to pioneer in outsourcing. I want some in-sourcing. I want so bring companies back.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: Romney has blasted the president for what he's called disgusting campaign tactics. Meanwhile, he's telling supporters he's getting closer to announcing a running mate. Yesterday, in an e-mail, he wrote, "Sometime soon I will be choosing a vice presidential candidate to join our winning ticket."

Heading overseas to a story we've been telling you about a mission trip interrupted. This man, Reverend Michel Lewis, a Boston area pastor, was kidnapped, along with two others from a tour bus in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula. It was the latest of a series of kidnappings involving Americans in that region.

But when I spoke earlier with Louis' son, he told me the incident involving his father is unique.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REV. JEAN LOUIS, SON OF KIDNAPPED U.S. PASTOR: Some of the officials speaking to me, we understand that it's a little bit different from the normal cases, and that's what puts a twist on everything. Usually, there's a window of 24 hours to 48 hours that this certain negotiations are resolved. And because they're not asking for money, this makes it a little bit more complicated.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: Mohamed Fadel Fahmy joins me now from Cairo.

Mohammed, we have been talking over the last couple of days about this case. You have been reporting that the kidnappers want their relatives released from Egyptian custody in order to free the hostages. Have those demands changed at all?

MOHAMED FADEL FAHMY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (via telephone): Well, actually I just got off the phone with the kidnapper and he confirmed that the hostages are safe, they are his guests, and he also announced that Reverend Michel Louis is a diabetic. He mentioned when he was picked up off the bus he left his medical kit on the bus and the reverend spends most of his time sleeping, a safe situation

He mentioned that the Egyptian officers visited him to negotiate the release of his uncle in Alexandria but they haven't reached any solution to the problem. He's very upset, saying that authorities have always promised to improve the Bedouin situation in Sinai but they never came true. We know that he vowed to kidnap more tourists if his uncle is not released from Alexandria.

KAYE: And you said negotiations seem to be taking place. Do the local leaders feel as though there's progress being made?

FAHMY: Well, the head of north Sinai security is positive that a solution will be reached soon, but, indeed, this time kidnap is different. Usually, they are released within 24 hours. But now, it's been almost two days.

However, the police are trying to be positive and the local media is all over this story, and we are following it very closely. The U.S. embassy is also in touch with the authorities who are doing everything they can to release them.

KAYE: Mohammed Fadel Fahmy, thank you very much.

Back here in the U.S., Joe Paterno is dead, but his contract lives on, and so well the benefits to his family. University officials made the announcement just a day after an internal review blasted Paterno and other school officials for their handling of the child sex abuse scandal. Paterno's amended contract was finalized in August last year. It totaled $5.5 million in payouts and benefits, including paying his wife $1,000 a month for the rest of her life.

While Paterno's contract may stay in place, his likeness on a famous painting has changed. The halo seen above his head in this mural was added after he died, but the artist decided to remove the add-on after he was implicated in the internal report on that child sex abuse scandal.

Now to North Carolina where police may have found the body of a missing mom who vanished last week while on vacation. Lynn Jackenheimer was visiting there from Ohio with her ex-boyfriend and kids and then police say her ex told his brother that he had strangled here. Now, Nathan Summerfield can't be found.

Here is Andy Fox from affiliate WAVY in North Carolina.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANDY FOX, WAVY: Authorities trying to figure out if a body found in this cul-de-sac is that of 33-year-old Lynn Jackenheimer. Her 27- year-old ex-boyfriend is still missing. Authorities are looking for him. Yesterday a man was in this cul-de-sac and he looked over here in the tree line and he saw something that did not look quite right. So he walks up this path here and he's looking like this, and he looks over, and he sees a body. He did not disturb the scene. He left and he called authorities.

The Dare County sheriff's office showed up, started investigating. They do not know if this is Lynn's body.

Authorities from Greenville, North Carolina, pathologists, came to the scene to not only determine positive identification but also cause of death. Lynn's family came to the scene. They do not have any comment until there is a positive identification.

But authorities are now checking out to see if this is Lynn's body.

That's the latest from Frisco, North Carolina. I'm Andy Fox, back to you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAYE: And our thanks to Andy Fox from our affiliate WAVY.

Florida's lieutenant governor is trying to save her reputation. She's speaking out about rumors that she had an inappropriate affair with a female staffer.

And look at all these people dangling from wires high above a river. What exactly are they doing there? We'll tell you.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: Ten minutes past the hour. Checking stories cross country.

First to North Carolina where a dozen people were suspended high over a river. Look at that. It looks pretty scary, but don't worry, they are professional stunt men. Watch as the crane carefully lowers them close to the water.

Movie crews have been filming there for the new "Iron Man" movie so you may see this scene actually in theaters. Pretty impressive.

Now to Florida where a man says he watched his flooded field drain like a toilet bowl when a sinkhole opened right up.

(BEGIN VDIEO CLIP)

CHUCK MATUKAITIS, PROPERTY OWNER: It's incredible the way they open up because like Josh said, it's just -- it shoots up in the air and boost, the next thing you know you just see this foam swirl and it's just going down and down and down.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Wow.

MATUKAITIS: It was amazing how fast the water left.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: The city of Live Oak has dealt with dozen of sinkholes left from flooding from tropical storm Debbie last month. A geologist said the land was on top of an underground spring. The hole is expected to get even bigger as the land dries up.

And in California dozens of party animals floated down the American river for Rafting Gone Wild. Look at the booze, the bikinis, and all that sunshine. Wow.

People went to great lengths to make sure this party was rocking.

(BEGIN VIDEO LICP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I wrapped the saran wrap around the stereo.

REPORTER: Do you think the saran wrap is going to keep it from getting wet?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ten layers of saran wrap plus tape, yes.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: The event was held this weekend because alcohol was banned on holiday weekends. It may have been little too rowdy, though. Police arrested nine people and two people actually had to go to the hospital.

Florida's lieutenant governor thought she would just be helping out the Romney campaign at an event yesterday, but instead she ended up defending herself to reporters denying rumors of a sex scandal.

Here is Adrienne Moore from our affiliate WJXT in Florida.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JENNIFER CARROLL, FLORIDA LT. GOV.: I haven't done anything wrong. And it's a total lie.

ADRIENNE MOORE, WJXT REPORTER (voice-over): Lieutenant Governor Jennifer Carroll didn't waste any time addressing the sex scandal that's making national headlines.

CARROLL: Immediately I become an individual that's now accused. And in America, we are supposed to be innocent until proven guilty. And now I'm guilty, until proven innocent.

MOORE: Carroll was in Orange Park to help open a new campaign office for presumptive presidential Republican nominee Mitt Romney. But spent much of the day defending allegations she had an inappropriate relationship with a female aide.

Her accuser, Carletha Cole, is a former employee who now faces felony charges for recording conversations with Carroll's chief of staff and giving them to a reporter.

CARROLL: I'm the one that's married for 29 years. The accuser is the one that's single for a long time. So usually black women that look like me don't engage in relationships like that.

MOORE: But Carroll not only had her husband and son Nolan on hand for support, but plenty of defenders who say the accusations are nothing more than a smear campaign.

JUDITH SNAPPLE, MITT ROMNEY SUPPORTER: Being a public figure, you're going to have things like that that come up, and, you know, when I heard it, I actually giggled about it because you know it's just ridiculous.

KENNETH BUTLER, MITT ROMNEY SUPPORTER: It's so wrong, and I have followed her career long enough to know that's not in her personality. She wouldn't be doing that stuff.

MOORE: As for Carroll's focus now, put wag she calls outlandish rumors to rest, serving the state of Florida, and helping the Romney campaign get to the White House.

CARROLL: Under his policies and his leadership, that this entire country is going to be better off.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAYE: Once again, that was Adrienne Moore from our affiliate WJXT. Our thanks.

A possible break through in a cold case. For 30 years, investigators have wondered about a girl known only as Princess Doe. So why do they have new hope now? I'll tell you.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: Thirty years of mystery. Today is the anniversary of the New Jersey cold case of a young woman only known as Princess Doe. To this day, police don't know her identity, her background, or who killed her.

But in an exclusive to CNN this weekend, Lieutenant Stephen Speirs shares never-before-seen information with us.

I asked him where the body was found.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LT. STEPHEN SPEIRS, WARREN COUNTY, NJ PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE: Princess Doe's body was discovered in the Cedar Ridge Cemetery in Blairstown, New Jersey, which is in Warren County, northern part of New Jersey. At the time she was discovered, she was severely decomposed and as you had stated earlier, beaten quite severely.

As a result of that her identification to this day has not been something that we were able to do, and throughout the years, there's been a number of investigators involved in this case. I took the case in 1999, and my focus then and continues to be trying to identify Princess Doe.

KAYE: Lieutenant Speirs, we're looking at this 3D rendering that you have sent us. This is the first time it's been seen by anyone but investigators. Can you just give us an idea of what we're looking at here and how critical this might be?

SPEIRS: Yes. I am very excited about this. A lot of times in cases as time goes on, it becomes more difficult to deal with those cases. I found with cold cases as time goes on technology has advanced so much that it's actually time is a friend. What I have been able to do is with the assistance of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, I sent the skull of Princess Doe to them, and they in turn sent it to the Smithsonian Institute and they were able to do what you see here. This is a high resolution CT scan.

Once that CT scan is completed, it's given to a specialist at the National Center and they were able to give us this 3D image. This is, I believe, the closest likeness to Princess Doe in life.

KAYE: And it's really fascinating. How will this help you? How do you put this to use?

SPEIRS: Well, using the media -- thank you -- and getting it out to the public.

We have some other tests we are doing right now, using hair samples from Princess Doe with a company called IsoForensics in Salt Lake City, Utah, and they are taking those strands of hair and they are able to extract elements from those hairs, the isotopes. And with a reasonable amount of scientific certainty, give us a point of origin, a location of origin, where she may have come from.

Having that composite, armed with the composite and with the assistance of the National Center, we can take that composite and saturate that area that is identified through these hair samples and the isotopes.

KAYE: Was she ever reported missing? Was there ever a girl matching her description? Was there ever a family that came forward?

SPEIRS: There's been families in the past that have come forward thinking that possibly Princess Doe was, in fact, their daughter, sister, et cetera. And now, of course, we have the DNA from Princess Doe in the CODIS database with the assistance of the University of North Texas doing the DNA work for us. So we can take those reference samples from any family that comes forward and says, I believe Princess Doe may be my daughter and we can do the comparisons.

But to answer your question, Randi, you made a comment about maybe she was never reported missing. That has always been one of my fears in this case is that maybe she was never reported missing, so we have no reference to go to find her.

KAYE: Lieutenant Stephen Speirs, thank you so much. SPEIRS: Thank you, Randi.

KAYE: And you keep us posted on any movement in solving this cold case.

SPEIRS: I intend to return as soon as we get the results.

KAYE: All right. Best of luck. Thank you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAYE: There will be a memorial at noon today in Blairstown, New Jersey, for Princess Doe. You can learn much more about this story and all my other stories. You can visit my blog at CNN.com/Randi.

The show of the century cut short. So why did police pull the plug literally on Paul McCartney and Bruce Springsteen? We'll tell you.

Battling smut in your hotel room, at least on the hotel TV. It's made for some pretty strange bedfellows. We'll tell you why.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: Oh, yes, good morning, New York City. A little bit of Bruce Springsteen, one of our favorites from New Jersey, right across the river. Waking us up this morning.

A little bit of Lady Liberty there in the harbor. A beautiful shot. Hopefully that fog will clear and folks there are going to have a lovely day.

Glad you're with us today on CNN SUNDAY MORNING.

It was the concert of a lifetime. Have you heard about this? Bruce Springsteen and Paul McCartney onstage together. Can you imagine?

(VIDEO CLIP PLAYS)

KAYE: Yes, you heard those boos. Well, they're not booing the Boss or Sir Paul. It seems police cut the microphones because the pair was playing just too long. Actually went past the curfew and apparently -- well, they take that pretty seriously in London. Incredible that they would cut them off.

Christians and Muslims may not see eye to eye all the time when it comes to religion, but one Christian and one Muslim have found some common ground. They are battling pornography together. Odd bedfellows maybe but it's bedrooms they're targeting in hotels. They want hotels to get rid of adult movies.

CNN national correspondent Susan Candiotti joining us live now with more on this.

Susan, good morning to you. Tell us what this is all about. SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Randi. You have a Princeton professor who is a prominent Christian conservative joining forces with the co-founder of a Muslim school and they're behind a new letter-writing campaign to try to get hotels to get rid of those in-room adult movies.

Now, Omni Hotel actually pulled the plug on these in 1999 and the Marriott chain whose founders is a prominent Mormon says it plans to do the very same thing by 2013. The Christian and the Muslim scholars together are saying that it's a bad idea to show these movies in hotels and that the hotels are profiting by them -- from them and actually encouraging people by showing these movies to get even more involved in pornography.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PROF. ROBERT P. GEORGE, PRINCE UNIVERSITY: We think all believers in human dignity of every faith and those with no faith should join together to create a culture where we respect each other and we don't objectify each other, and we don't try to make money on the degradation that we have in the case of pornography.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: So, Susan, how exactly is this letter-writing campaign going?

CANDIOTTI: Well, Randi, it's still very early because they just started this campaign a couple weeks ago. However, they are not getting help from someone that you might expect them to. There's a group called xxxchurch.com and they say this letter writing campaign is a complete waste of time.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GARY GROSS, PASTOR/FOUNDER OF XXXCHURCH.COM: I believe what they're saying about pornography and why they don't want people to view it. But we can't ask -- we can't expect hotel executives, you know, to hold to those same values or reasonings. I mean, are we going to ask them to stop stocking the mini bar or stop selling Haagen-Dazs by the pint in room service?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CANDIOTTI: But the professor and the Muslim teacher think by using their low-key approach that they will win over the hotels using the power of persuasion.

KAYE: What did the letter say actually?

CANDIOTTI: Well, I'll tell you, I'll look down and read this. Here is an excerpt.

It says, quote, "It is morally wrong to seek to profit from the suffering, degradation or corruption of others and the fact that something is chosen freely does not make it the right thing to do," Randi.

KAYE: Very, very interesting stuff. Well, we'll see. We'll continue to follow this. Susan Candiotti, thank you very much for that.

Thirty years under an assumed name. One man even went to jail to keep his secret intact. So, why would he steal an identity and hold onto it for decades? That answer may surprise you.

And the Episcopal Church's historic decision to bless same-sex couples. The church overwhelmingly approved the measure. But other Christians are scoffing at it, even calling the church, quote, "dysfunctional." We'll bring you both sides.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: Welcome back to CNN SUNDAY MORNING. I'm Randi Kaye. It is the bottom of the hour now. And here are some of the stories that we're watching this hour.

A Boston area pastor has now been identified as one of the Americans kidnapped in Egypt. His name is Reverend Michel Louis and his family says he was in the Sinai Peninsula on a mission trip when he was abducted along with two others from a tour bus.

It was an unsolved case dating back 30 years. A Michigan man discovered that this man, Gregory Harville, was allegedly using his identity to get medical benefits in California. San Francisco police say the victim contacted them in June after he was denied medical benefits and was told someone else was already getting them in his name.

Police tracked down Harville and arrested him Thursday. Adding insult to injury, both men actually knew each other.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Liftoff, liftoff of the Soyuz TMA 05N carrying Suni Williams here in the launching code --

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: Three more people now headed to the International Space Station. This is the launch in Kazakhstan. The Russian rocket is carrying American astronaut Suni Williams. She already holds the record for the longest time in space for a female astronaut. The Japanese astronaut and Russian Cosmonaut are also on board. They're expected to reach the space station on Tuesday.

For this morning's "Faces of Faith" we're focusing on the Episcopal church's historic decision to allow priests to bless same- sex couples. This week at the church's national convention Bishops overwhelmingly approved the new policy, but the church says this isn't the same as marrying same-sex couples. It's just recognizing their commitment. Now keep in mind the Episcopal Church has long been supportive of gay rights. It allows gay and lesbian priests and elected its first gay bishop nine years ago. Yet it is controversial since every other Christian denomination denounces same-sex relationships.

Reverend Susan Russell with the All Saints Episcopal Church in Pasadena supports the move. She's openly gay and happily partnered. On the opposing side, Jeff Walton with the Institute on Religion and Democracy in Washington, D.C. Thank you both of you -- thank you to both of you for joining us this morning.

Susan, let me start with you. How does it feel to be part of the largest denomination in the U.S. to officially sanction same-sex relationships?

REV. SUSAY RUSSELL, ALL SAINTS EPISCOPAL CHURCH, PASADENA: Well, I think I can safely say I've never been prouder to be an Episcopalian. I was born into the Episcopal church in a time when girls couldn't be acolytes and women couldn't be priests. And we weren't even talking about the full inclusion of gay and lesbian people in the church.

So to have lived long enough to see what we did last week happen makes me very, very proud.

KAYE: Jeff, as we made clear, you don't agree with Susan there. But is there a place for this kind of evolution of beliefs within the church. I mean, some say that our understanding of homosexuality is much different now than it was when Christianity began thousands of years ago.

JEFF WALTON, INSTITUTE ON RELIGION AND DEMOCRACY: Well, the proponents of this right have argued that inclusion and welcome are the reasons that the Episcopal Church should embrace the blessing of same-sex couples. But as we've seen the Episcopal Church has actually shrunk in size since it adopted these policies. So it's actually been contrary to the result.

KAYE: Well, let me -- let me read you a statement from the church. It reads, "We have authorized a blessing and a blessing is different from a marriage. A blessing is a theological response to a monogamous, committed relationship."

So Susan, first, let me ask you to pick up there on Jeff's comments. I mean do you feel as though people are leaving the church because of some of these movements?

RUSSELL: Yes. I think it's absolutely fair to say that the last I would say decade has been a time of some turmoil and disruption for the Episcopal church, but my issue is if we're going to look at why we have seen decline in membership, I think it's about people fighting over who is included, not the inclusion of gay and lesbian people in the church.

And quite honestly, the IRD, Institute for Religion and Democracy, had a ten-year orchestrated strategy to use the inclusion of gay and lesbian people in the Episcopal Church along with the Methodists and Presbyterians as a specific articulated strategy to use LGBT inclusion as a wedge issue to split and polarize the church.

And as a result we've been on the defense for the last decade against that effort. I believe we've crossed the Rubicon with a decision we made this general convention, and now we're going to move into a time of playing offense rather than defense. We're not going to be defending against those who are threatening to leave, but welcoming those who desire to come.

So I'm very optimistic that we have turned a big corner and we're going to now be able to put into practice our desire to fully include everybody in the body of Christ.

KAYE: Jeff, you have called the church, quote, "dysfunctional" and you say that "it's manipulating scripture" but you don't even practice in the church, you're Anglican and lots of different churches interpret scripture differently as you know.

So what's wrong with the church trying to be more inclusive?

WALTON: Well, the Episcopal Church is part of the broader Anglican commune. And that's my connection to the issue and to the broader church. As Susan mentioned, there has been a difficult period that the Episcopal Church has gone through over the past ten years, but it's not the only church to have done so.

The United Church of Christ also embraced same-sex marriage outright many years ago and they have not been fighting over this issue. However, they have also had a very precipitous drop. So simply because there's disagreement within a church or -- or if there is agreement, there still seems to be a significant collapse. Both the United Church of Christ and the Episcopal Church over the past 30 years, not just the past decade, have seen some of the steepest drops among the Protestant main line churches.

So this is more than just people arguing that's causing people to look away and go to other churches. It's also the fact that when these policies are embraced, for some reason what we've seen is that people actually end up not being drawn to the supposed welcome and inclusion, but instead choose to go to other churches.

(CROSSTALK)

KAYE: Let's talk about --

WALTON: And many churches in the United States are growing.

KAYE: Let's talk about this policy, Susan, because it is so close to marriage. So why not -- why didn't the church take it all the way?

RUSSELL: I think because for all of our reputation of moving forward quickly, we're a very slow and deliberate body. We're a democratic process. We take our founding and listening to scripture and tradition and reason very seriously. I think there's absolutely no question in the mind of anyone, probably including your other guest, that where we're headed is full equality for marriage. I believe that will happen in 2015 when we're back in our general convention ironically in Salt Lake City for our next meeting, but I think this was a critical and important step because we have moved now as a church saying whoever you are and wherever you find yourself, there is a place for you here.

And I hear the argument about being inclusive is going to make us decline. I look at scripture, too, frequently. It's my job. I can't find anywhere where Jesus said to count the sheep. Jesus said feed them, so we're now primed to feed the sleep coming towards us, gay or lesbian by sexual transgender, straight people who want to raise their children in communities that teach values of tolerance, justice, and compassion. And the doors are open and the sign is up, the Episcopal Church welcomes you no matter who you are.

(CROSSTALK)

KAYE: All right, let me -- let me jump in here. Let me jump in here. Quickly, Jeff, since you don't support it, what advice do you have for same-sex Christian couples who are legally married in states where it's allowed? I mean, why can't they be blessed by their church. What should they do?

WALTON: They are welcome to come to all of our churches. This is not an issue of welcome. It's an issue of what the church pronounces is holy. And if the church is going to go and say that something that is viewed as contrary to scripture and contrary to the traditional teachings of the church for the last 2,000 years, then it's unilaterally doing something that the rest of Christendom hasn't affirmed.

So what's happened is the Episcopal Church has gone ahead and said we're going to redefine marriage. And as such it's going to have to separate itself from the broader Anglican commune of which it's a member of that family and also broader Christianity.

KAYE: Obviously a discussion that we could continue here and we will at another time. Jeff, Susan, thank you so much for your time this morning.

And for more stories on faith, be sure to check out our widely popular belief blog. You can find it only at CNN.com/belief.

The battle over Bain: a fight over how much a candidate should say about his or her taxes.

And rumor that Condoleezza Rice might be Mitt's pick for VP. It can only mean one thing, CNN's "STATE OF THE UNION" moments away. We'll have a preview next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: Good morning, Washington, D.C. Yes, we all want a little Candy, so let's head to Washington right now. CNN's "State of the Union" is coming up at the top of the hour with host Candy Crowley. How did you like that Candy?

CANDY CROWLEY, CNN HOST, "STATE OF THE UNION": Yes, you scared me there. It's a little early in the morning.

KAYE: I know. We're having a little fun with you. But the Romney campaign. Let's talk about that. It's causing so much buzz this week after reports surfaced that Condoleezza Rice was a potential VP choice. Some say maybe it was a distraction from the whole back and forth over Bain. She has said, what, she doesn't even want the job. But what do you think? What was behind all of this?

CROWLEY: I think certainly it was a distraction and a welcome one in the Romney campaign because, as you know, they have just been blitzed with Bain Capital accusations and other things from the Romney campaign. So -- I mean, I'm sorry from the Obama campaign.

But listen, whenever I talk about who is on the list and who isn't on the list, I hearken back to my days sitting around in Chicago waiting for then-candidate Barack Obama to make a decision on his VP choice and I -- you know make phone call after phone call and try to figure out who is on the short list and who is in the long list and who does this and everybody has a different short list even in the campaign and a different long list. And I remember that the ongoing story was that Hillary Clinton was at the top of the VP list and we come find out later -- I think "Politico" broke the story -- that she wasn't even vetted.

So what do we take from this? We take from this that campaigns leak for a variety of reasons. Sometimes the person who wants to be vetted leaks -- I don't think this is the case because Condi Rice has said pretty you know clearly that she doesn't want the job. Sometimes they want to please a certain constituency.

Of course, we're taking this seriously. And let's remember that Condi Rice in a poll of Republicans a couple months ago I think was the top choice there and now it's probably a name recognition thing. But nonetheless I just -- there are so many things that kind of argue against it. I think this was just one of those things that goes out there for a variety of reasons, but I find it hard to take truly seriously.

KAYE: Well, I'm sure it will be one of the topics that -- that comes up today given that this is shaping up to a pretty brutal campaign and you have the senior advisers from both the campaigns Romney and Obama campaigns on your show today. This could get interesting.

CROWLEY: Yes, because it -- I don't think the Bain thing has been put to rest, at least if you looked at my e-mail from both campaigns, neither one of them believes it's been put to rest. All the accusations that Mitt Romney was, in fact, directing Bain in a three-year period in which there were some acquisitions by Bain that the Romney -- that the Obama folks want to use against Romney.

So it makes a difference, the time table, when did Mitt Romney actually leave day-to-day operations of Bain, et cetera. So that fight is not over.

But it's also a fight, let's remember, for the message because the person who sets the agenda generally sets the agenda to something that they think favors them. And what Mitt Romney wants to do is talk about the economy. And he's been so knocked off all of that, and so now there's a hue and cry for him to put his taxes out, and even Republicans are asking that he put his taxes out to try to put this to rest and get on with what they hope is the business of unseating President Obama.

So, you know, they are still fighting. It was a really rough 48 hours I think for Mitt Romney which culminated in that five-network round robin of interviews that he did trying to put Bain to rest. I don't think it's there yet.

KAYE: No, apparently not. So I look forward to what will be said on your program this morning. Candy, thank you very much.

CROWLEY: Thanks -- Randi.

KAYE: And be sure to keep it here for "STATE OF THE UNION" with Candy Crowley. It starts in about 15 minutes, 9:00 a.m. Eastern, 6 a.m. Pacific right here on CNN.

Vacation or die. Comedian Dean Obeidallah joins me with the best excuses to tell your boss at work tomorrow. You are ready for vaca, man.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: Yes. We all want to fly away to Miami every now and then, don't we? A great place to take a little time off. It is July, and it is a great time for sun, sandals, and relaxation. The problem is if you are like the majority of Americans, you haven't taken a summer vacation. Besides a handful of national holidays the typical American gets just two or three weeks off to relax, much less than what people get in many other countries.

Comedian and former attorney Dean Obeidallah joining me to chat about this. So, Dean, you took off your hat and your sunglasses. You're not on vacation anymore.

(CROSSTALK)

DEAN OBEIDALLAH, COMEDIAN: I did. I'm waiting for later to use them.

KAYE: Ok. Good. All right. Well, you have written this op-ed, very interesting op-ed for CNN.com not just saying that we should take vacations but that we practically have to, like our life depends on it. OBEIDALLAH: Absolutely, the article is called "Take a Vacation or Die". And I'm being serious, Randi, go on vacation, your whole crew. Everyone who watches -- don't put it off.

In the article I talk about studies that show an increased risk of heart attack for people who don't take annual vacations. It's not even speculation. It's not just a feel-good thing. It could save your life. I think there should be warning labels in the workplace -- like on secret (inaudible) about health saying "Warning, if you don't take a vacation, you're going to die. We're not kidding get out of here."

KAYE: Really, it's that serious? You need to lose some of that stress?

Dan: Absolutely. We all know stress kills and not only does it kill you, it causes other problems, less than death, which also cause you problems -- insomnia, anxiety, skin rashes, inability to concentrate. It makes you more productive at work. Your boss, honestly -- your boss should say to you, take time off.

It shows people sleep better on vacation and they actually sleep better when they come back from vacation and their brain responses are faster and better. So you're working more efficiently.

I know in these tough economic times people are afraid I'm going to lose my job. Honestly, your bosses should be saying take a week off, take two weeks off. It will help you here at work. And it will be better for your health.

KAYE: But what about U.S. law? I mean it doesn't require companies, right, to offer vacation.

OBEIDALLAH: No.

KAYE: Paid vacation.

OBEIDALLAH: We're the only industrialized nation in the world, in the entire world, Randi -- we're the only industrialized nation that does not require it. In fact, the European Union they get 20 days off paid vacation. It's mandatory with all the nations in the EU. Yet, in America -- there's a great chart that shows it -- in America we have no vacation guaranteed.

In fact, most Americans only take 12 days a year and a quarter of Americans don't take any vacation, whatsoever. You have to get away. It's going to help your life. It will make you a better person probably. You will be nicer to your family and better to co-workers and a better worker.

KAYE: Nicer to your co-workers, wow. I guess when they start sending me on vacation, I know I'm in trouble.

But let's talk about this. What happens in countries when they take more vacation who have more vacation time like you just showed us. Do they get lazy because I'm just curious, do the economies suffer? .

OBEIDALLAH: That's interesting. I think most people in (inaudible) would say if you work less it means less profit -- worse for your bottom line. It's actually the opposite.

In Europe there was a study just last year. In Greece the Greeks work the most hours of anyone in the whole EU and their economy is struggling horribly. The Germans, the economic powerhouse, the people we would think work the most hours, actually work the 24th least out of the 25 nations in the EU and they get an average 30 vacation days.

It's about productivity. It's about efficiency. It's not about long hours. That's not going to help you really. But working efficiently, getting the job done in the shortest period of time and having time for a life besides that.

KAYE: Do you actually take all your vacation?

OBEIDALLAH: Never. I never vacation. I'm preparing all the time, writing opinion articles for CNN. That's my whole life --

KAYE: On the beach. I know you're writing them all -- you're sitting on the beach.

OBEIDALLAH: I actually do it on the beach. I think it's so relaxing. I do. I am going away next week. I'm going to the Jersey Shore. I have my hat already --

KAYE: Oh boy.

OBEIDALLAH: -- I have my sun glasses. I'm not going to hang out with Snooki or "The Situation". I'm going to the New Jersey Shore.

But get away. Live within your means. It doesn't have to be a French Riviera. It can be a camping trip. It could be anything that doesn't stress you out and gets you two to three days. That's the time it usually shows you're going to have some relaxation. It's going to be beneficial for your help.

KAYE: Even a staycation, you know. Then you don't even have to deal with all the travel. It could help.

OBEIDALLAH: Anything away from work that lets you focus on things that are not work. That are not e-mails and your boss yelling at you and co-workers giving you a hard time -- just piling up. That will help you. It will help your heart. Believe me.

KAYE: All right.

OBEIDALLAH: You know, my father is a workaholic. And sadly for him it led to his demise earlier than it should have. So I can speak from personal experience. Take a vacation. It will save your life.

KAYE: All right. Let's plan one. We'll do the show from there.

OBEIDALLAH: Let's go. We're all going, the whole CNN team. KAYE: All right, Dean. Nice to see you, and excellent advice. I appreciate it.

OBEIDALLAH: Thank you.

KAYE: We all need a reminder for some time off.

OBEIDALLAH: Thank you.

KAYE: So many of us have heard of "Fifty Shades of Grey", the popular book that some call mommy porn. But have you seen the musical? Yes, we'll show it to you next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: Welcome back.

A whole lot happening in the week ahead so let's take a look. Tomorrow, Monday -- Secretary Clinton leaves Egypt and heads to Israel. She'll be busy with two days of talks covering everything from Iran to election politics back in the United States.

And on Tuesday, well, Ben Bernanke is certainly preparing for that day. Some expect the senate to grill the Federal Reserve chairman about Libor and the UK banking scandal that impacted roughly $10 trillion in loans around the world, that's your credit card rate, your car loan, your home mortgage, just about everything.

On Wednesday also we have the battle over evidence in the Drew Peterson case. That continues in a court hearing. The former police sergeant charged with murdering his third wife eight years ago.

And another big trial actually begins on Thursday. Known by many as America's toughest sheriff, Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio fighting allegations his officers systematically profiled and discriminated against Latinos.

And Friday the big day, "The Dark Knight Rises" on Friday. The much-anticipated film is actually the final installment of director Christopher Nolan's "Batman" trilogy starring Christian Bale.

So there is a look at your week ahead.

Well, you have heard of "Fifty Shades of Grey", the popular book some refer to as mommy porn. Well, now there is "Fifty Shades of Grey", the YouTube musical. Jeanne Moos shows us.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): "Fifty Shades of Grey" has gone from mommy porn to musical. But at least the musical won't make you blush fifty shades. It's relatively clean.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: "Fifty Shades of Grey", how could I refuse. In my boring life as a plain housewife, I can dream of being sexually abused. MOOS: The musical pits a reader who loves the book against a reader who hates it.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Every page I read makes my eyeballs bleed.

MOOS: The makers of this two and a half minute musical are brothers.

VIJAY NAZARETH, CO-CREATOR, AVBYTE: The idea came up when I saw -- I was in the subway and I saw all women reading it from like small girls -- literally teenage girls to grandmothers.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is so well-written.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Who the (EXPLETIVE DELETED) would write this?

MOOS: Eventually a gay character makes his entry.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: "Fifty Shades of Grey", I pray that no one realizes that I'm loving it, every bit.

MOOS: There have been other musical tributes to this lady porn phenomenon, turning the verbatim words of the book into lyrics.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My hips arching to drive them (inaudible) deeper.

MOOS: Jimmy Fallon featured "Fifty Shades of Grey" karaoke.

Seriously, that's from page 277 -- honest. Comedians mockingly vie to record the audio book version, from Gilbert Gottfried.

GILBERT GOTTFRIED, COMEDIAN: He scrunches my panties.

MOOS: To Ellen DeGeneres -- though Ellen chose to paraphrase the overheated prose.

ELLEN DEGENERES, TALK SHOW HOST: He guides his hand across my secret garden (EXPLETIVE DELETED). I'm just going to add some sound effects if that's ok because I think -- apologize.

MOOS: What's been whipped up are sales. The "Wall Street Journal" reports the "Fifty Shades" trilogy has sold almost 20 million copies in the U.S. in five months. It took the "Dragon Tattoo" books three years to accomplish that, and while some --

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAYE: Our thanks to Jeanne Moos.

I'm Randi Kaye. Thanks for watching this morning.

"STATE OF THE UNION" with Candy Crowley starts right now.