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CNN Saturday Morning News
Battle For South Carolina; Iron Bar Chef For Prisoners; Mitt Romney Under Attack; City of Hama Now a Ghost Town
Aired January 14, 2012 - 06:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN ANCHOR: From CNN Center, this is CNN SATURDAY MORNING. It's January 14th. Good morning, everyone. I'm Deborah Feyerick.
Well, speaking out on controversial pardons that have the whole country talking. Former Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour defends his decision to pardon nearly 200 prisoners. One of those prisoners is speaking out this morning, a convicted murder, who says he deserves to be free.
A federal judge rules against four GOP candidates seeking to get on Virginia's primary ballot. We'll look at what's next for them.
And a mother, fed up with her son's run-ins with the law, forces her son to wear this sign. Did she go too far? We're give you a chance to weigh in this morning.
ANNOUNCER: From CNN's world headquarters, brining you news and analysis from across the nation and around the globe, live from Studio 7, this is CNN SATURDAY MORNING.
FEYERICK: And we start with former Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour, defending his decision to pardon more than 200 people. Among them were several murderers who were then released from prison. Since he did it earlier this week, a judge has put a halt on prison releases. And the legislature is considering changing their constitution to take pardon powers away from the governor. So, what is Haley Barbour saying now in his first public comments since issuing those pardons? Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HALEY BARBOUR, FORMER MISSISSIPPI GOVERNOR: Historical power of gubernatorial clemency by the governor to pardon felons is rooted in the Christian idea of giving second chances. I'm not saying I'll be perfect. That nobody who received clemency will ever do nothing wrong. I'm not infallible and nobody else is. But I am very comfortable and totally at peace with these pardons, including those at the mansion.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FEYERICK: And you heard him mention the mansion there at the end. Well, he's talking about prison trustees who worked at the governor's mansion. Four convicted murders who worked there, they were pardoned, including Anthony McCray, who was convicted of killing his wife in 2001. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANTHONY MCCRAY, PARDONED BY HALEY BARBOUR: Everybody deserves a second chance in life.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you think people should be angry at Governor Barbour for pardoning you?
MCCRAY: No, sir. No, sir. Because he treated us like we're his children.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FEYERICK: Judge Mike Smith presided over McCray's murder case. Our Martin Savidge asked him about the pardon.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MIKE SMITH, RETIRED MISSISSIPPI JUDGE: I was disappointed that he was pardoned.
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Is there more to that or is that as much as we're going to say?
SMITH: I hope that the attorney general will be successful in having the pardon overturned.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FEYERICK: Now here's more of what Barbour had to say about letting those convicted murderers go free.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARBOUR: I have absolute confidence. So much confidence that I've let my grandchildren play with these fine men. I've let them ride their tricycles out in -- on the driveway with them watching out for them. I have no question in my mind that these five guys are not a threat to society. But, you know, people like you can say what if, what if, what if until the moon goes down.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FEYERICK: Now, in all, Barbour says he granted clemency to 215 people. One hundred and eighty-nine of them had already finished their sentences. They were out of prison. Thirteen of the remaining 26 inmates have chronic medical conditions and Barbour says they were let go so that the state would not have to pay for their expensive medical care.
Four of the Republican presidential candidates lost their bid to get on the ballot in Virginia. A judge ruled that they waited too long to file claims to get their names added to the Super Tuesday primary. That means Virginians can only choose Mitt Romney or Ron Paul.
Virginia's still six weeks away. South Carolina is next -- is the next contest. So exactly one week from today. But where do the candidates all stand? Here's CNN's political editor Paul Steinhauser.
PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN POLITICAL EDITOR: Hey, good morning, Deb.
One week to go until the South Carolina primary and the Republican presidential candidates are crisscrossing the palmetto state.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MITT ROMNEY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Wow, what a welcome in Akon (ph). Thank you.
NEWT GINGRICH (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We're going to win in South Carolina.
RICK SANTORUM (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: South Carolina can completely change the whole tenor of this group.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
STEINHAUSER: A new survey suggests Romney and Gingrich are battling for the top spot, with Ron Paul in third place. But expect more polls and different numbers over the next week.
You know, one thing's for sure, winning helps. Romney's gone two for two, edging out Rick Santorum to come out on top in the Iowa caucuses and almost laughing at the rest of the field Tuesday in the New Hampshire primary.
Those back-to-back victories have propelled Romney back to the top spot in our brand new CNN/ORC national poll. Far ahead of the other Republican presidential candidates.
Following a jam-packed weekend on the campaign trail, the candidates tee off in a presidential debate Monday in Myrtle Beach. And Thursday they face-off again at a CNN debate in Charleston.
Deb.
FEYERICK: Paul Steinhauser there for us.
Well, you can see that Charleston debate live right here on CNN Thursday night, 8:00 Eastern. And as Paul said, the Republican presidential candidates are all over South Carolina this weekend. The action starts with Rick Santorum's faith, family and freedom town hall in Greenville at about 8:30 this morning Eastern Time. Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich, Rick Perry and Jon Huntsman also have several events today. Ron Paul, he is not on the ground in South Carolina, but his campaign is hoping to launch a special Internet fund raising effort this weekend.
This month's scheduled felony trial of former presidential candidate John Edwards has been put on hold until late March. A federal judge revealed that Edwards has a serious heart problem. He's going to have surgery next month. Edwards is accused of conspiracy and violating campaign contribution laws during his 2008 presidential bid in relation to his mistress. He denies the charges. Nine euro zone countries had their credit downgraded by Standard & Poor's. France and Austria both lost their AAA status, just like the United States did last summer. As for Italy, their downgrade to BBB status puts them close to the level of junk bonds. That could make it much harder for the country to borrow money to fix their ongoing financial problems. We'll see the real effects of this when the world markets open at the beginning of the week.
At least three people were killed when an Italian cruise ship ran aground. Hundreds were still on board this morning waiting to be rescued from the disabled ship. As many as 4,000 people were on board. Some of the passengers fell into freezing waters when the ship tilted during the rescue. The ship hit a sandbar off Italy's western coast.
And we've been following the progress of a fuel tanker and an ice breaker making their way through the frozen north to Nome, Alaska. Well, they are almost there. The ships are just outside the harbor in Nome now. It is the first ever attempt to supply fuel to a western Alaska town through an icy sea. Nome was getting dangerously close to running out of fuel after bad weather canceled a delivery there last fall.
Meteorologist Alexandra Steele is in for Reynolds Wolf this weekend.
And it's a little bit cold out there, Alexandra. Not what I was expecting here in Atlanta.
ALEXANDRA STEELE, AMS METEOROLOGIST: I know, right, in Atlanta. Did you see the flurries here yesterday in Atlanta?
All right, finally, it's winter not only in Atlanta, Georgia, but in Chicago, and in Cleveland, and in Buffalo and even in New York City. So a few reasons why it's happening. I'll talk about why it's happening, how low it's going to go and who got the snow and how late is it? A full forecast coming up in just a few moments.
Deb.
FEYERICK: Thanks so much, Alexandra.
And changing the meal in your kids Happy Meal. The prize in your kids' Happy Meals. Some McDonald's are getting rid of the toy for something a little bit better. We're going to tell you what that is, coming up next.
Also, it's a scene that you think of from an action movie. But what you are looking at there is a real Iranian navy boat speeding straight for a U.S. military ship. That is just the start. What happened, coming up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
FEYERICK: Well, check out this cool time lapse video taken from one of our iReporters. Wes Mosley (ph) from Byron, Illinois, shot this video from his kitchen window. Mosley says this was the first accumulating snowfall of the season. This time lapse contained over 2,900 individual photos taken over a ten-hour period.
Well, it has been a mild winter for most of the country, but winter has finally arrived in the Midwest. Not the kind of thing you want to see there, that truck. Meteorologist Alexandra Steele keeping an eye on all of this.
We've really gotten a break for the most part this winter, I think.
STEELE: Oh, absolutely. I mean places like Chicago, usually around December 9th, see their first two-inch snowfall. Hadn't seen it at all. Finally, Chicago getting 4.6 inches of snow yesterday. So -- and the temperatures have been so incredibly mild. Records across the board day in and day out. We're ready for a little winter, right?
FEYERICK: A little bit. A little bit. We've got to break out those new sleds.
STEELE: That's right. That's right.
FEYERICK: Exactly.
STEELE: All right. Let's show you what's cooking here.
All right, big picture. Here's the radar picture. And what's really cool about this, this is lake-effect snow. Lake Ontario and Lake Erie. This is Lake Ontario, if you don't know, and this is Lake Erie. Now, Lake Erie is the shallowest of all the Great Lakes and really the only one to freeze. Has not frozen yet. Normally water temperature, 33 degrees. Forty degree water temperature. So if the water is frozen, there's ice. That means it's not, as we call, open. It won't allow for lake-effect snow. But the differential in this cold arctic air coming over this warm water that is open is allowing for this lake-effect snow.
So, there we go. Lake-effect snow coming in. we're going to pick up some snow. You can see where we're getting it right now. And we're also going to see, in addition to this lake-effect snow, some snow farther east.
So, here's the big picture in terms of where this snow is falling. It's moving this way. And you can -- so, of course, the fetch going from west to east. So, dropping. So, actually, a lot of these areas are in not only the Towkil (ph) plateau, but the ski resorts here in western New York. So the ski resorts are getting it and boy do they need it.
Also on top of Lake Ontario, (INAUDIBLE) side of the lake picking up one to three. So, Rochester, Syracuse, Buffalo pick up a few inches today. So feeling a little bit like winter that's for sure. Temperature wise, definitely feeling like winter. It's been so incredibly warm. Breaking records kind of week in and week out. Not so now, 22. These are the temperatures currently. Twenty-seven in Province, 28 in New York. Farther west, of course, Chicago at 15, Minneapolis at six.
But part and parcel to this cold air, we've got some very strong winds blowing as well. So it may feel like these numbers. It's going to feel a lot colder today with these winds kicking in 20 to 30 miles per hour. So lake-effect certainly a major scenario.
All right, also winds. Winds not only in the Midwest, but in the Northeast. Yesterday, very windy in New York City. And even having some trouble around Berkland (ph) and Queens blowing over some structures in town because of these strong winds. So, gusting 20 to 30, sustained about between 10 and 20.
So, New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Cleveland, Deb, all seeing some troubles at the airports today due to those strong, gusty winds.
FEYERICK: You know, and I left and hour early yesterday simply because I knew that the winds were going to be bad. So, you know --
STEELE: Look at you. You're a seasoned traveler.
FEYERICK: There -- (INAUDIBLE). Catch the earlier flight whenever you can.
STEELE: That's right.
FEYERICK: Alexandra, thanks.
STEELE: Sure.
FEYERICK: We'll check in with you in just a little bit. Appreciate that.
Well, forget the little plastic toys. You know those ones that your kids really, really want. How about a book with your Happy Meal? It's what's happening in the United Kingdom right now. McDonald's restaurants, they're expected to give away around 9 million books when you buy a burger and fries for the kids. It is written by the same guy who did the children's book "War Horse," which Steven Spielberg turned into a movie.
And a president is giving knives to convicted rapists and murderers. And they say, you know what, it's a good thing. More on that coming up in a minute.
And also, take a look at this. Iranian navy boats speed dangerously close to U.S. ships. Not once, but two times in the same day. The details of those close encounters, 60 seconds. We'll see you in a minute.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
FEYERICK: We're taking a look there of New York City. The sun still waiting to come on up there. Cold day. It is 17 minutes past the hour this Saturday morning. Welcome back.
Well, this morning, the Department of Defense has released a video that shows Iranian boats speeding straight towards U.S. military and Coast Guard ships in two separate events on the same day. A U.S. military official says the close encounters took place last Friday, one of them in the Strait of Hormuz.
Here's the video from that incident. And take a look. You've got to look closely. What you're looking at are Iranian navy speedboats. A senior military official tells CNN, they suddenly sped toward the USS New Orleans, getting within 500 yards without any response. On the same day, the U.S. military says a Coast Guard ship was also harassed in a similar way near Kuwait City. The Iranians on the boat appeared to be holding AK-47 rifles. Keep in mind, this comes as Iran has threatens to close the Strait of Hormuz, the only outlet from the Persian Gulf.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: The thinking is that the Iranians really were not looking for a shooting match. They were going to break off, but they were going to cause a little heart-stopping action before they did that.
One of the things here is, look, the Iranians gained some intelligence by getting so close to U.S. Navy ships. They were able to gauge the U.S. military response as they came at those ships. That gives them valuable information if the next time it's not just a cat and mouse game.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FEYERICK: Word of the aggressive encounters with Iran comes as the United States has conducted two recent rescues of Iranians at sea.
Time now for our "Morning Passport." OK, so you've seen the show "Iron Chef." One of my favorite shows. The Food Network TV series that you see here, chefs are pitted against each other in a cooking showdown. Well, it has inspired the largest person in the Philippines to let their inmates -- that's right, convicted murders and all -- battle each other in a cook-off that's been dubbed "Iron Bar Chef." Our very own Nadia Bilchik joins me now.
And, Nadia, this sounds a little bit bizarre. A little bit dangerous. But these inmates take this pretty seriously.
NADIA BILCHIK, CNN EDITORIAL PRODUCER: They do. And it's part of a broader rehabilitation program. So what they've done in the prison, and they did it last week, in fact, the first ever "Iron Bar Chef." They had six teams of three inmates each. And they gave them exactly 60 minutes. And in the 60 minutes, they had to come up with a gourmet dish. And some of them came up with marinara roast beef. And some of them came up with squash crochets and all kinds of interesting things. And what they proved is, that it was a great team building effort and boosted moral.
FEYERICK: What about the people who were watching, because we see in some of that video that there are men who are actually watching. And, again, they're under a lot of pressure. They actually had real judges. But how did it -- how was this received?
BILCHIK: It was received so well. People got into the spirit of it. They also enjoyed the delicious food. And one of the judges, who's an executive chef at an all seasons resort in Australia, says he was so surprised by the caliber of the food because a lot of the inmates, in fact, had had jobs in kitchens before going to prison. So that was one of the things that he mentioned.
But, this is a broader program, as I mentioned. This particular prison has 17,000 inmates. Twelve thousand under maximum security. And they've really embarked on efforts like gardening and cooking and all kinds of hand crafts and playing tennis in order to really rehabilitate these inmates. And this is one of the things that has just proved so helpful and so cathartic and so therapeutic for these inmates.
FEYERICK: And what -- and that's remarkable because one of the things, especially with inmates, is once they have a direction, once they get the things they need to go out and succeed, then their chances of going back into prison obviously are less.
BILCHIK: Exactly. Are less. And this is a skill. This is a life skill. So, who knows, Deb, maybe we're looking at the next reality series, "Iron Bar Chef Inmates." Doing a reality show in cooking. Because we're all intrigued by watching people chop and cut.
FEYERICK: Oh, it's riveting. It is riveting. And I watch with my kids and, really, you just want to know what they're going to come up with and then you want to -- you want to be able to taste it, but you can't.
BILCHIK: Exactly.
FEYERICK: Nadia Bilchik, thanks.
BILCHIK: A new reality series.
FEYERICK: Exactly. Thank you so much. We really appreciate it. And we're going to be checking back with you a little later on in the show. Thank you.
Well, as a mom doles out some tough love for her son, listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DYNESHA LAX, MOTHER: I decided he broke the law and they only gave him a few hours of community service. So I decided that we were going to wear a sign. Since he's looking for attention, we're going to get you attention.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FEYERICK: Well, she's making him wear a sign that says, "I lie, I steal, I sell drugs." But is this tough love too tough?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
FEYERICK: And let's take a look at what's happening cross country. We're going to be starting in Illinois. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FEYERICK (voice-over): Speeders better learn to slow down in Johnston City, Illinois. This week, police started handing out more tickets along the interstate that cuts through town. The reason? To close a budget hole.
CHIEF DUSTY KING, JOHNSTON CITY POLICE: We're not looking to just go out and harass people. We're just looking to slow people down and help us out in the process.
FEYERICK: It costs $35,000 to run the police department. And the city plans to get about half that operating cost from speeders.
Now, take a look at this from Rio Vista, California. A gas pipeline ruptured Friday night causing these flames. That fire, it's shooting up as high as 100 feet. Fire crews were able to put it out quickly. No one was injured.
In Plainville, Pennsylvania, something to make you smile. Marine Corporal Greg Caron waited patiently to surprise his fellow soldiers who were coming home to their families.
CPL. GREG CARON, U.S. MARINE CORPS: I'm very anxious to see the guys. Especially the guys that I was with during the patrol. It will be my first time seeing them since the accident.
FEYERICK: Just two months ago, Caron lost both legs from an IED blast in Afghanistan. He was told it would take months and months for him to be able to stand up. But look at this. He's standing on two new prosthetic legs, greeting his comrades one by one.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's just amazing how fast he's recovered. I didn't anticipate this.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FEYERICK: Well, an Indiana mother is fed up with her son and the court system. She says authorities haven't punished him enough to change his behavior, so she's making him wear a sign in public. And that sign says, "I lie. I steal. I sell drugs. I don't follow the law." Elizabeth Fields of CNN affiliate WANE says not everyone approves.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DYNESHA LAX, MOTHER: Actually the sign that's hanging around my son's neck is because my son constantly chooses to keep breaking the law.
ELIZABETH FIELDS, WANE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Dynesha Lax says the list of her 14-year-old son's crimes is growing. She says the punishments aren't tough enough to get him to stop, so now she's showing him some tough love.
LAX: I decided, he broke the law and they only gave him a few hours of community service. So I decided that we were going to wear a sign. Since you're looking for attention, we're going to get you attention. What else more can I do? They put him on probation. And when they did -- when I did -- when they did probation, they quickly talk about the 300 and some dollars you've got to pay in fees, but nobody's trying to help me fix my son.
FIELDS: The teen's sign clearly states he doesn't follow the law. But apparently some drivers passing by didn't think his mom was either and called police. Officers say Lax is completely within her rights to make her son stand on the side of the street. It's unconventional, but not illegal.
LAX: I'm hoping that having him out here is going to make (INAUDIBLE). It wasn't for it to be a joke or anything funny. He just had to stand out here two hours and suddenly it blew up. Then again, they've got their way of parenting and I got mine. My object is to save my son.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FEYERICK: Well, what do you think? Did the mom go too far? Would you do the same thing? I'm on Twitter @debfeyerickcnn. Share your thoughts. And I'm going to read some of them on the air.
Moving up to the White House. It is the goal of the Republican presidential candidates. So, what are they hoping to leave behind? We'll check out their old addresses.
And the queen of talk, Oprah Winfrey, talks Obama and his re-election campaign. She doesn't exactly endorse the president. In two minutes, you're going to hear directly from the queen herself.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
FEYERICK: And it is 6:30. Welcome back. I'm Deb Feyerick. Thanks for starting your day here with us.
Joran Van Der Sloot has been sentenced to 28 years for killing a 21- year-old Peruvian woman. The court also ordered him to pay almost $75,000 to Stephany Flores' family. Van Der Sloot is also the prime suspect in the 2005 disappearance of Alabama teenager, Natalee Holloway, in Aruba. She's never been found.
Ford is recalling 450,000 SUV and minivans. That includes the Ford's Freestar and Mercury Monterey minivans, vans in 2004 and 2005. Also, if you drive Ford Escape model years 2001 and 2002, they are also part of the recall. Ford says it needs to fix defect that can cause fires or loss of power.
Former Penn State head football coach Joe Paterno has been hospitalized for minor complications from cancer treatment. Paterno's suffering from a treatable form of lung cancer according to his family. The 46 year career at Penn State ended after the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse scandal.
Will Mitt Romney keep his winning streak alive in South Carolina or will negative ads slow his momentum? Romney's record of cutting jobs as CEO of Bain capital has been the subject of an attack film produced by a super PAC supporting Newt Gingrich. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE NARRATOR: A story of greed, playing the system for a quick buck, a group of corporate raiders led by Mitt Romney, more ruthless than Wall Street. For tens of thousands of Americans, the suffering began when Mitt Romney came to town.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
Mitt Romney fired back promoting his business achievements.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: This is a business Mitt Romney helped start, and this one, and this steel mill. Mitt Romney helped create and ran a company that invested in struggling businesses, grew new ones and rebuilt old ones, creating thousands of jobs. Those are the facts.
We expected the Obama administration to put free markets on trial. But as "the Wall Street Journal" said, Mr. Romney's GOP opponents are embarrassing themselves by taking the Obama line.
MITT ROMNEY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I'm Mitt Romney and I approve this message.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FEYERICK: And joining me now to talk about the ad wars and how the race for president is playing out, Matt Towery, Syndicated columnist and a former campaign adviser to Newt Gingrich and Lee May, Democratic county commissioner at Suburban Atlanta, DeKalb County.
So, first of all, Matt, we are going to (inaudible). I want to talk about Virginia. Since we just heard the ad that was played about it being embarrassing. Are the Republicans simply destroying themselves? They are going after themselves in a way you would think that the Obama administration would be going after them.
MATT TOWERY, SYNDICATED COLUMNIST: Well, there's two ways to look at it. I have been saying they have been destroying themselves from the beginning when Mitt Romney first started his attacks on Newt Gingrich. And Newt Gingrich shot back and not it turn to all-out war.
At the same time, there's another argument to be said. And that is Mitt Romney is being tested. If he is in fact the presumed nominee, which some are saying right now, he's giving a test and taste for what he'll have for Barack Obama. And Barack Obama will come after him strong in a lot of different ways including this. They have made it clear with a new release they put out today or last evening about his involvement in the corporate world.
FEYERICK: Sure. He is going to have to come off as a stronger candidate. But, at the same time, there is a point where you can weaken the foundations so fundamentally that there's sort of no coming back. But Lee, let me ask you. I want to talk about Virginia because this is big. Apparently, four candidates will not be on the ballot; Newt Gingrich, Jon Huntsman, Rick Perry, also Rick Santorum. They failed to qualify on the ballot. How do you think that is going to hurt them, ultimately, going into super Tuesday?
LEE MAY, DEMOCRATIC COUNTY COMMISSIONER, DEKALB COUNTY: Well, it's going to hurt them. But really, it's a matter of time. Mitt Romney is the presumptive nominee. He's really the nominee by default. He has the money. He has the organization. He still has 60 percent to 75 percent of the Republicans not wanting him. And so, he's not an overwhelming majority in terms of this election. But he still has to be able to answer the critical questions regarding his history at Bain capital. His opponents are painting him as a Gordon Gecko kind figure on Wall Street.
And that is not going to hurt him as much in the primary. I think he is the presumptive nominee. But I think it's really killing him in terms of the general election. And I think President Obama is really going to take advantage of that.
FEYERICK: Well, you know, and Matt, it's very interesting because you talk about it in a blog you had posted. And you said South Carolina is kind of an interesting state because it's not a done deal because you do have different parts of the south. And now, there's a -- there's an evangelical conference that's going on. There's a conservative conference going on. They are trying to see if Mitt has the juice they need to go for it.
TOWERY: Yes. Really, in South Carolina you have three places, three nations of South Carolina.
In the northwestern section of the state, it's heavy evangelical vote. It's where Huckabee did well last time. The center of the state is business oriented and they should get down to the low country, Charlotte and those areas, Charleston rather and those you should raise a fund, that people down there vote on military issues. A lot of them are retirees from the Midwest.
So, no. No one has a lock on this. And what will happen today from the evangelist meeting, we don't know. My guess is this is going to be the tightest race. And as Newt Gingrich himself has said, if this doesn't win it, this thing is over. Then Romney goes on because nobody can compete in Florida. It's everything in South Carolina.
FEYERICK: You know it's so interesting because obviously, I think you also mentioned in your column and that is, is the guy who wants it most. Right now, Gingrich does seem to want it most.
But, when I'm left with the end of the day is the voters because the voters really are watching all this. And they are going to be the ones to decide. Has this negativity sunk in so deeply that is going to lose with women, that is going to lose with Latinos, that is going to lose with fundamental group that is Mitt will need to get?
MAY: I don't think so. This is not anything new to politics. And in South Carolina, it's overwhelmingly negative every election.
FEYERICK: Right.
MAY: And Republicans, they do love to fight each other. They will move on. The problem is this, going into the general election again, with President Obama focusing on jobs with this unemployment number that is decreasing. But, you look at South Carolina, you look at Nevada, you look at Florida, high unemployment.
(CROSSTALK)
FEYERICK: And that's going to be the key. That's going to be the key. So, it's very interesting. And obviously, we watch it state by state by state to see how it plays out.
Gentlemen, we could go in so many directions right now. Unfortunately we have to wrap it. Thank you so much, Lee May, Matt Towery, for joining us this morning. Thank you.
Well, the six Republican candidates are looking to upgrade their address to 1600 Pennsylvania avenue. But as CNN's Kate Bolduan reports, it's not like they are giving up one bedroom apartments where they are now.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROMNEY: Sometimes, I just don't think that President Obama understands America.
KATE BOULDAN, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Candidates often talk about their roots saying where they came from tells you a lot about who they are.
GOV. RICK PERRY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Grew up in a house that had no indoor plumbing. I didn't know about what I didn't have. What I did know was what I had.
BOULDAN: But while they try to relate to the common man on the campaign trail, what they go home to may not seem so common. Multimillionaire Mitt Romney owns several properties including this beach front home in La Jolla, California. Real Estate Web site, Villo values the Spanish style house at just under $10 million.
Jon Huntsman purchased his D.C. townhouse for over three and a half million dollars while he was living in Beijing serving at the U.S. Ambassador.
GINGRICH: The only debt -- everything I have is paid off. My home, my cars, everything.
BOULDAN: That everything for former speaker Newt Gingrich include this is four bedroom pad in McLean Virginia, currently valued at $1.3 million, 30 percent above purchase price.
GINGRICH: We have one rental house in Wisconsin. It's a very modest mortgage. BOULDAN: Sharing a Virginia address, Rick Santorum. He purchased this four bedroom, five bath home with a heated pool in Greek falls, Virginia for $2 million back in 2007.
PERRY: So, I tell people, I said I would an original conservationist. We didn't spend a lot of time in the water. We didn't waste too much water with the number two watch album at our back pole.
BOULDAN: Rick Perry hangs his hat in rental property in Austin right now while the Texas governor's mansion is undergoing $20 million in renovations.
You'll find a very different set-up though for congressman Ron Paul in Lake Jackson, Texas. He's currently selling his four bedroom house for $325,000. Those zillow values it $60,000 less.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BOULDAN: You can find out more about the homes behind the presidential candidates at CNNmoney.com. But of course, we don't want to leave President Obama out. The Obama purchased their home in Chicago back on 2005 for about $1.6 million. It's estimated to be worth $1.3 million now.
Kate Bouldan, CNN. Washington.
FEYERICK: Coming up, perspective employees at many companies must often get drug tests before they are hired. Will Georgia lawmakers be next?
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FEYERICK: Its 41 minutes past the hour. Winter spoiled us with warm temperatures. But now it is definitely biting back. Let's check in with meteorologist, Alexandra Steele, on our severe weather center on the weekend forecast -- Alexandra.
ALEXANDRA STEELE, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Well, as meteorologists we like a little winter. We have something to talk about. Hey, national weather service in Buffalo is happy the last couple days. Here is the big picture why.
Lake-effect snow. Here it is, Lake Ontario and Lake Erie. With most interesting about Lake Erie is the shallowest of all the lakes and the only one to really freeze. In fact this year, temperatures of the lake water, 40 degrees. Usually, it's 30 degrees. So, that's isonomy in the difference between this cold air coming over the warmer lake, the lake is open for business, as we say. Thus, we are getting lake- effect snow.
Buffalo, Cleveland, all the snow belts just on the least side of the lake and you can see it. Look at the snow coating all of these northeast states. Chicago, even, first time. Certainly late about a month late, but picked up 4.6 inches of snow yesterday, Northern Indiana, nine inches. Places around the great lakes for the most part between about four and six inches. And we have more on the offspring (ph). So that is some good news.
Here is a look at what we saw. Syracuse picked up eight. Freeville, New York. Buffalo, 6.3, Binghamton. So, there is usual lake effect area.
For the most part of balance of the greatest amount of snow is done. But still a few more one to three inches perhaps today up Lake Ontario and places like Rochester, and Syracuse, and Buffalo, Cleveland as well. Ski resorts picking up beneficial snow.
Also, the winds have been a huge factor even a safari is. New York City is some very strong winds gusting. And today, too, some windy conditions blowing and it will make temperatures in northern New England feel possibly between 20 to 30 degrees below zero with some very cold air. Aortic air in place, 25 right now waking up in Albany New York, good morning to you, 28 in New York, 28 in Philly. So, some colder temperatures than we have seen, that's for sure, so, winter making its appearance.
But, what we have in essence, this is the jet stream. What the jet stream is kind of like a gate. And it barricades the cold air. Cold air comes down from Canada. But if there's that jet stream, air can't go anywhere. So, its kind a like prevents it.
But, look at what we have got. Heat on Denver, Deb, 56 degrees, 13 degrees above average. So, certainly a big-time differential between the cold there. Temperatures well below average in northeast, and of course, in the west and southwest, temperature 60 degrees in midland, Texas where they had, remember, about a foot of snow just about a week ago.
FEYERICK: Not good news for those who want to go skiing in Denver. But, if you want to go sledding at least in the New York area, you can do that.
STEELE: Good to go.
FEYERICK: A little bit. OK. For more (inaudible) weekend. Thanks so much, Alexandra.
Bitter cold interrupted a Texas pastor's mission to get his congregation to have more sex. Yesterday morning, Dallas pastor, Ed Young and his wife snuggled up in a bed on the roof of their church. They intended to stay there for 24 hours to encourage other married couples to be more intimate. But that outside bedding would be wrapping up just about now but the cold and health concerns got them off the rooftop a little sooner than the anticipated. The couple has written a book called "Sexperiment, seven day to lasting intimacy with your spouse."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ED YOUNG, FELLOWSHIP CHURCH: Before far too long, the church kicked the bed out and God out of the bed.
LISA YOUNG, PASTOR'S WIFE: And what we want to say is look, there's a way to do it, a way to do it right and successfully.
ED YOUNG: We always like to say, what God created is never x-rated.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FEYERICK: While on the rooftop they spent the time tweeting and chatting via Skype with other pastors and couples. It was pretty fun to watch actually what they were talking about.
A Georgia state lawmaker wants colleagues to undergo mandatory drug testing. He says everyone should support this legislation. We're going to talk to him straight ahead.
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FEYERICK: A bill just introduced in Georgia would require the state legislature to take mandatory drug tests. Lawmakers would also have to prove they are not legislating under the influence. Georgia's state representative, Scott Holcombe is the bill's sponsor and he is joining me this morning.
And Scott, you said that it is pushback is really pushback on the wave of Republican bills to drug test the poor and jobless. Why did you decide to push back?
SCOTT HOLCOMB (D), GEORGIA STATE LEGISLATURE: It is, in fact, in response to that. The reason I wanted to push back was because I'm certainly not a defender of anybody who misuses taxpayer money, whether the working, poor, whether that's a corporation, or whether that's a government worker who wastes time on the job.
But, it struck me as being unfair that our state would seem allow a single group or citizen who receives taxpayer benefits, the working poor but nobody else for drug testing. And so, I think leaders should lead by example. And so, since state legislatures receive benefits I said, we should also abide by the same standard, if that's what we are going to do for the working poor.
FEYERICK: Do you see the measures -- a number of them proven unconstitutional that you can't mandate drug testing. But do you see this as essentially anti-poor, anti --
HOLCOMB: I do. I do see it as that. And really, I think what it is, in a bigger sense, is that the GOP is out of ideas. And so, they are recycling ideas from 20 years ago, which the welfare debate was under taken about 20 years ago and there was massive reforms. And so, they are using stale ideas because they can't come up with anything new to really recharge our economy.
And here in Georgia, what's even worse? Is not only does the GOP not have good ideas. They steal bad ideas from other states.
FEYERICK: You feel passionate about this. And I think one of the reasons is because, obviously, the people are getting money. You said that you don't want the money spent on drugs. However, there are children that are being penalized for this. And you can't necessarily, you know, you have a mom who has got an addiction problem, but you still have a kid who needs help.
HOLCOMB: Right. And that is what this program is designed to do. It's the help the neediest of our needy families. And to the point early about food, is that's really what this is about. And those that oppose it, it's almost as if many of them are saying that food is a luxury item which clearly, it's not.
And the agency that runs this program in Georgia, the example they give on their Web site is this is would be for a working mother with two kids who makes about $784 a month. That will be $26 a day. That's not $26 a day in spending money. It's $26 a day for housing, for electricity, for water and for food for two children. So, these are the very poor people.
And here in Georgia, we have been underperforming for the last decade. For our unemployment rate averages about a point higher than the nation.
FEYERICK: So, you are hurting the means and more?
HOLCOMB: And we are on the job opportunities.
FEYERICK: Alright. So Scott Holcomb, thank you so much. We really appreciate it. Thumbs up or thumbs down, do you think it will pass?
HOLCOMB: Mine will pass if they move the other one forward.
FEYERICK: OK.
HOLCOMB: But my sense is the other one will not move forward because I drop this bill.
FEYERICK: So, it's making a point. Alright, Scott Holcomb, thanks so much. We really appreciate this. Appreciate you coming in early this morning.
HOLCOMB: My pleasure.
FEYERICK: Well, we are taking you inside a Syrian city that many say the Syrian regime cannot afford to lose.
International observers recently visited the rest of city of Hama. It's been a focal point of anti-government protesting clashes. But, our own Nic Robertson saw a different scene when he was there. We'll show you that, next.
And we told you about this story earlier in the show. We are talking an Indiana mom forcing her son to wear this sign as punishment. But, is it going too far? We want to hear what you think. So, share your thoughts with me on twitter @debfeyerickCNN. We will read some of them on air in just a few minutes.
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FEYERICK: There's a new twist for Egypt's upcoming presidential elections. The former head of the U.N. Nuclear watch dog agent, Mohamed ElBaradei, is withdrawing his candidacy for president. He reportedly says there's no real democracy in the country. It's been nearly a year since Egypt's Arab spring revolution ousted long time president, Hosni Mubarak. He's on trial for allegedly ordering a killing of protesters.
This morning, Syria is bracing for more unrest. Thousands of anti- government demonstrators rallied across the country yesterday. A Syrian opposition group says at least 16 people including three children were killed in clashes with security forces. But, in what may be a significant shift, a Syrian opposition group says it's coordinating with the sectors from the Syrian military.
Also the Syrian government is allowing some foreign journalists in to the country but It's keeping a tight grief on information. The city of Hama has been the scene of unrest, protests and tension.
CNN's Nic Robertson takes us inside Hama.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Friday, close to noon, driving into Hama, streets deserted, check points manned, reinforcements raided. One of Syria's oldest cities braces for what's become the weekly day of rage against the government.
The streets here almost deserted, very quiet, just a few people wandering around, but all the stores shut. And as you drive into the city, you get a sense there's very little traffic on the roads. Army check points all along the highway between the city and Homs. It feels quite tense. Just look down here. You see the police, an army, lined up at the end of the street.
A two and a half hour drive from the capital, it's the city the president Bashar Al Assad cannot afford to lose. Thirty years ago, his father killed 30,000 people here putting down an Islamist revolt. Hastily covered writing on the wall tells you today's opposition is not far away.
In the center where Arab league monitors live, soldiers seem keen to show they have riot gear rather than rifles in the city synonymous world over with Syrian repression.
The soldiers here say that on a normal weekday, all these stores would be open. But, as we drove into the city, the whole city here is shut and closed. These cars and truck, some of the only vehicles we have seen on the streets. It's Friday. And this is the day where there are normally big riots in this country. And that's why the soldiers are on the streets. They have wooden sticks, batons, riot shields. Water cannons have been placed out, one over here, white one and another one back here.
Under government pressure, we leave without finding out what happens next. But within a few hours, opposition spokesman accused these soldiers of firing tear gas and live rounds, killing one protester. We weren't there to see. Nic Robertson, CNN, Hama, Syria.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FEYERICK: Usually long lines for apple products are peaceful. That wasn't the case at one store.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are running down and the mob continuing to follow them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FEYERICK: We are inside the crowd as it turns violent all over the new iPhone 4 s.
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FEYERICK: Earlier we told you about an Indiana mom who says the court system was too easy on her son. So, she's taking matters into her own hands.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DYNESHA LAX, MOTHER: I decided -- he broke the law. They only gave him a few hours of community service. So, I decided we were going to wear a sign saying, you're looking for attention, we're going to get you attention.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FEYERICK: Now, the sign around the boy's neck reads, "I lie, I steal, I sell drugs, I don't follow the law." And we asked earlier for your thoughts if this mom is going too far or would you do the same.
Here are some of your comments.
Melios333 from New York, tweets, "Mom of the year! It's about time parents stop pretending their kids can do no wrong. Hopefully, he learned his lesson."
But Miyu Kael in Ft. Worth, Texas, disagrees, tweeting, "I don't think putting a sign on your son like that will work unless he has to wear it at school in front of peers."
Nathan Lee Ward says, "This mother deserves applause. This is a clear call for juvenile court reform. She makes a very valid point."
So, keep those tweets coming. You can message me at Twitter @DebFeyerickCNN. And we will keep the conversation going.
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