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CNN Saturday Morning News

SWAT Team in Standoff with Suspected Murderer; Controversial Children's Book Promotes Veganism; Father Sues Teacher for Verbally Abusing Autistic Son; Guests Prepare for White House Correspondents' Dinner

Aired April 28, 2012 - 10:00   ET

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

RANDI KAYE, CNN ANCHOR: From CNN Center, this is CNN Saturday Morning. Ahead this hour, police say he murdered his wife and daughter then tried to burn down his house, but that didn't work. Now a Seattle SWAT team is staking out this underground bunker where police think this suspect is hiding out.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHERIFF STEVE STRACHAN, KING COUNTY, WASHINGTON: This isn't a hole in the ground. It's a large built up structure but hidden. It took some time to find it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: Also ahead, the future of our food. Wait until you see how some Americans are shaking up their eating habits in a big way. Are you on the bandwagon yet?

And what happens when you put Lindsay Lohan and Kim Kardashian in the same room as the president? Well, we're about to find out.

Good morning, everyone. I'm Randi Kaye. It's 10:00 in New York, 7:00 in Los Angeles. A lot to tell you about this morning, so let's start with the news. A man accused of murdering his wife and daughter is believed to be holed up in a homemade underground bunker. A SWAT team pumped in tear gas in order to force Peter Keller out. Police believe he is well armed and there may be booby traps in the area, so they're waiting.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STRACHAN: This isn't a hole in the ground. This is a large built up structure, but hidden. It took some time to find it. And in fact, our tactile team smelled the wood smoke coming before they actually saw it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: While the police are being patient, one friend of Keller's wife isn't hiding her feelings.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) SALLY FRENCH, MURDER VICTIM'S FRIEND: I hope he resists, because I want him to know what a bullet feels like. You know, I can't stop being angry.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: The bodies of Keller's wife and daughter were found in their home on Sunday. The House had been set on fire. Keller hasn't been seen since.

The Secret Service now has a new code of conduct coming in the wake of the prostitution scandal in Colombia. The new rules say that agents on assignment in other countries have to act like they are still in the United States. Also, they're forbidden from having anyone else in their room. There will be a list of places they have to stay away from and no drinking alcohol within ten hours of reporting for duty.

Meanwhile, sources with knowledge of the Colombia investigation tell CNN that Arthur Huntington is the agent at the center of the scandal. He's the one who had the pay dispute with the prostitute that brought the whole thing to light. Huntington, we're told, has left the agency.

A Florida judge is considering what to do about $200,000 in donations collected by George Zimmerman. Zimmerman is facing a second-degree murder charge for the killing of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin. Prosecutors have asked the judge to raise the amount of Zimmerman's bond because of the donations made to his Web site. The bond was originally set at $150,000. Zimmerman paid $15,000 in cash to get out this week, and $5,000 of that came from the Web site donations.

A former aide for John Edwards says he feared for his life when dealing with the senator and two big campaign donors. Andrew Young called the situation bizarre when describing his role in allegedly helping Edwards conceal nearly $1 million in campaign contributions. Prosecutors say Edwards used to money to conceal an affair with his mistress. Edwards faces up to 30 years in prison. He denies doing anything wrong.

An eight-year-old boy in Kansas is now being hailed as a hero. He was playing video games when a stranger came into their house and grabbed his mom's purse.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CADE HALL, EIGHT YEAR OLD HELP STOP ROBBERY: When I seen his face, I was like, that's nobody I've ever seen before. He came in, yanked on it, and I yanked back. He yanked harder, and he ran out the door.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: Well, that little boy won that one. His dad chased after the suspect. The man ran into a busy highway, was actually hit by a car. He's now in the hospital. By the way, that purse had no money in it.

Would you stay put if a towering volcano started spewing gas, ash, and rocks hundreds of feet into the air? That's just what Mexico's second tallest volcano is doing. It started rumbling two weeks ago and it hasn't really stopped. Authorities say they're keeping close eye on the rumbling giant and say there's no reason for alarm or evacuations just yet.

It is being called the nation's, quote, "largest community improvement movement." Some 10,000 volunteers are expected to take part today in the great American clean-up. It's happening in nearly all of the 50 states and including picking up litter and planting trees. Ten cities will have large-scale trash removal. Last year's clean-up results in the removal of 177 million pounds of crash.

Well, Reynolds, that sort of inspires me to get out and clean something up today. How about you?

REYNOLDS WOLF, AMS METEOROLOGIST: I agree. It sounds incredible. How many pounds did you say it was?

KAYE: It was 177 million.

WOLF: As long as we don't have to take it to the curb.

KAYE: That would be a big task.

WOLF: Something big might be the weather we're going to see across the United States. There will be a chance of possible flash flooding, small hail, damaging winds, maybe even tornados. We'll talk about that plus your travel coming up.

KAYE: OK, Reynolds, looking forward to it.

A scare tactic for kids. That's one complaint against the author of a new children's book. The book promotes veganism from a very young age and uses graphic images to illustrate a point. I'll talk with the author of the book and ask her what message she has for her critics.

Also ahead, cute little duckies. It's a great story about some wayward waddlers you might like. We'll bring it to you.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: Good morning, Washington, D.C. A beautiful shot of the capitol for you this morning. It seems like Mother Nature has everything in store for us today -- sunshine, some rain, maybe even some snow.

(WEATHER BREAK)

KAYE: You know how I can't resist a really good animal story? Look at this one. Some auto mechanics in New Hampshire found themselves working on a different kind of problem after this mama duck caused a commotion when her ducklings fell into a storm drain. The mechanics rescued the ducklings using a bucket and a water hose. They later took those ducklings and their mom back to the river. Give them a hand for all the hard work.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You know how you use this for pancakes? You're going to use it like this.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: Congratulation to this California boy who's now the youngest child chef on PBS. The show called "Hey, Kids, Let's Cook" features young cooks showing other kids how to make nutritious meals. Santino Bigliotti may be only eight years old but he started learning his way around the kitchen at the ripe old age of five. Wow, that's making me hungry.

Veganism for kids -- there's a new children's book that paints a stark picture. Is it too much for kids to handle? Coming up I'll talk live with the author about the message and the controversy it's created. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: Welcome back, everyone. We are focusing on food, what you eat, how, and how safe it is. You have probably heard of the mad cow scare in California. Public officials say there wasn't any danger to the food system. But it's these kinds of stories that fuel the debate between eating meat and becoming vegetarian. As my next guest says vegetarianism and veganism isn't just about eating healthy. Ruby Roth is the author of a controversial new children's book called "Vegan is Love." Good morning, Ruby. Tell me. Is the book meant for kids or parents?

RUBY ROTH, AUTHOR, "VEGAN IS LOVE": It's absolutely meant for kids. It's best when red for parents. It serves for those. They want to learn more about how they can have a positive impact on the planet and their own health.

KAYE: What do you think are some of the advantages to veganism, because you are a vegan yourself?

ROTH: Yes, the first thing I noticed was I was completely thriving on the diet. I stopped getting sick. I was getting colds or tonsil lie it is several times a year and that went away completely. My energy went through the roof, and my eating habits now match my morals and values. So the positivity and the benefits are really endless as I started looking into it.

KAYE: Let's take a look at a couple of pictures from the book. The first is titled "Animal Testing." Take a look here with us, because I'm just wondering, and obviously you don't think this, but a lot of people might think this is too graphic. You see only animals with bruising, open sores, wounds. Do you think this is appropriate?

I think is completely appropriate, and let me explain. When we adults look at this, we know the horrors. We have a context for what actually goes on in reality inside of the lab. We think of exposed organs and restrictions and restraints and pillories. When kids look at this image they're seeing animals in cages with ouchies, which I think is a completely appropriate place to have a jumping off point for discussion about animal testing and what we can do alternatively to protect these animals and make better choices.

KAYE: You became a vegan, though, as we just talked about for health reasons and it has made you healthier. So I guess why not just focus on that instead of some people might say, oh, she's trying to scare kids into being a vegan?

ROTH: Well, I think there's a wide range in the vegan community of why people go vegan. Some are more health-oriented. Some are more animal rights-oriented. To me, I fall straight down the middle of the line. I think that if the American public knew the level of both disease and abuse going on in meat and dairy and really any commerce that involves using animals, then the outrage would really be directed toward those industries and not a children's book about choices alternative to the status quo.

KAYE: This book is certainly getting a lot of attention. I have a lot more questions for you. Stay with me, Ruby. When we come back, I want to take you through a lot more pages through the book and also at home what the kids are saying about the idea of vegan. So we'll be right back with much more from Ruby.

But first, good morning to Hollywood. Folks waking up there on the west coast, glad you're with up us on CNN Saturday Morning.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: We are focusing this morning on food issues, safety and choices. Back with me now is Ruby Roth, author of "Vegan is Love." It's a children's book. We asked people or our hit Eatocracy blog to weigh in on your book and on your ideas. And here's what we heard -- 48 percent say veganism is fine for kids as long as they are getting nutrition, 32 percent say kids should decide for themselves when they're older. So we know that you have a seven-year-old daughter. Did she help you in the writing of this book?

ROTH: Yes, I definitely bounced ideas off of her and she saw the images throughout the process. And, of course, I wanted to make the book manageable for a child's capacity, and she definitely had input. She loves this lifestyle and chooses it on her own. It's never been about controlling. In the back of the book I say "In the end you need to decide how to eat and live." It's really about giving the kids the information that allows them to make educated choices. That's what goes on inside our household.

KAYE: You don't limit the food message for the kids. You say kids should know more about it and you say stay away from the zoos and the aquarium. I can hear all the parents now. What do you say to those parents?

ROTH: Well, the great alternative is going to an animal sanctuary or volunteering at a shelter where kids can get up close. And really instead of just a feeling of wonder, you're actually learning a real reverence for animals. When we look at zoos and circuses and marine life parks, even the best ones have track reports of abuse, unnecessary deaths, and illegal trafficking of animals. So they're really the opposite of what they purport themselves to be as far as animal protection in an animal conservation.

KAYE: And encouraging the kids to become vegans, I mean is that part of your message here? Do you want every parent who reads this book to encourage their child to become a vegan as well, and what are the benefits for the children?

ROTH: The purpose of this book is really for anybody and everybody who wants to raise kids to love deeply, think critically, and act responsibly. I think, again, it's a book that is a great resource for people who want to have a positive impact and engage their children in the public realm. I think there's no age too young to begin discussing how our choices affect the public realm. And I really believe that anybody can benefit. You don't have to be vegan to make vegan choices. And this book is an introduction to just how powerful our daily choices can be.

KAYE: We had hundreds of comments on our CNN Eatocracy blog on the book. What have you been hearing from people and parents, some of the criticism and some of the good stuff?

ROTH: Well, the support has been tremendous. Again, I'm linked into a very powerful and excited network around the world of vegans. But I think what's most interesting about the controversy is that by calling my book controversial that we're admitting that we're doing scary things to animals, too scary to talk about and that means people want to remain willfully ignorant and impose that ignorance on their children. And to me that's unacceptable. We know what happens in the world, the atrocities throughout history that happens when people become willfully ignorant.

KAYE: What do you say to the critics who say it's a nice message but it's still a little too much and maybe a little too harsh for kids. What's your final word to them?

ROTH: This book definitely has a strong message, but one of the most important lessons that you'll learn in this book is that we don't have to fear anything, that we have the power to change.

KAYE: Ruby Roth, great to have you on the show.

ROTH: Thank you so much.

KAYE: I look forward to seeing what kind of comments we get. We've asked people as well if you have a comment or any thought on this you can certainly tweet me @RandiKayeCNN. Send me your thoughts. The book is called, once again, "Vegan is Love." Thank you, Ruby, nice to see you.

ROTH: Thank you so much.

KAYE: CNN heroes is a chance for us to bring you incredible stories of people overcoming hardships to help others. This week we're introducing you to a woman who is facing death threats just because she's trying to stop violence against women.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) MAYLA VILLARD-APPOLON (via translator): Two years after the earthquake, the situation is still the same. The people are still under their tents. They don't have electricity. There's no security where they sleep. They are getting raped. In Haiti, things are very difficult. Before the earthquake, there were rapes happening. Now I can say it is total disorder.

Adults are not spared. Mothers are not spared. Even babies are not spared. My name is Mayla Villard-Appolon. I am a victim of sexual violence. I am on a mission so that other Haitian women do not fall victim.

We do awareness in the camps. We were working in 22 camps after the earthquake. Now we are trying to work in others'. We tell others to come out of silence, do not be afraid to say you have been victimized. We offer psychological and legal support. We have a call center. We company the victim to the hospital. And we have a safe house program.

For me, the first thing is justice that I want. I was a victim and I did not find justice. But I know I will get it for other women that are victims. We have to fight so we can say what was said in the past. Beloved Haiti. This is great nation. There will be a change.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAYE: And, remember, all CNN heroes are picked from your suggestions. Send your ideas to CNNheroes.com so you can nominate your hero.

A father takes matters into his own hands when he suspected his special needs son was being abused at school. What he found was shocking. Now he has strong words for one teacher who says she didn't do anything wrong. My interview with that father just ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: Welcome back, everyone. I'm Randi Kaye. Bottom of the hour now. Let's get you caught up.

Checking top stories, police near Seattle say a man wanted in the killings of his wife and daughter is, quote, "contained in a fortified bunker." SWAT and other teams are waiting outside the bunker, citing the danger of rushing in who they believe is armed. The man has not been seen since a fire last weekend of his home where the bodies of his wife and daughter were found.

A pair of robbers opened fire at a convenience store, shooting a clerk at close range in the arm. They then fired a couple shots at customers before leaving but they weren't injured. Police say they may be responsible for a string of recent robberies.

And Defense Secretary Leon Panetta says that while the U.S. is safer after the death of Usama bin Laden, Al Qaeda remains a threat. Panetta noting that there's, quote, "no silver bullet" to destroy the terrorist network. The family of a nine-year-old girl is trying to get a restraining order from her classroom bully. The lawyer for Joy Furman said the young boy has tormented her daughter. She once had to go to the hospital after allegedly being karate kicked, and says the boy harasses and threatens her. Court records show the girl was moved to a different classroom, but that didn't solve the problem. The Louisville, Kentucky school says it has an anti-bullying program, and the bullying has stopped.

We asked the family to appear on our show this morning, and but they said they stopped doing interviews because they were getting threats. We're told someone set their trash cans on fire. The little girl is going to class but they fear for her safety. The restraining court hearing is set for next week.

You may remember this story last week about the apparent suicide of a 14-year-old boy that rocked the community in Iowa. Kenneth Washue confided in his friends when he admitted that he was gay, but the relentless bullying that followed was just too much. In response to this tragedy, the "Sioux City Journal" featured a bullying editorial as their full front page this past Sunday. The paper makes a powerful argument, saying schools, parents, and the community must take a stand against bullying. Here's a quote. "Some in our community will say bullying is simply a part of life. If no one is physically heart, they will say what's the big deal? It's just boys being boys and girls being girls. Those people are wrong and they must be shouted down. We must make it clear in our actions and our words that bullying will not be tolerated."

In New Jersey, a teacher at the center of a bullying scandal says she did nothing wrong. Kelly Altenburg is accused of being one of the teachers who verbally abused a 10-year-old boy with autism. The boy's father Stewart Chaifetz taped some of this disturbing interaction. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You go to the look at any books in the library or are just going to look at sculptures?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: But Altenburg's attorney says it was not his client you just heard.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MATTHEW B. WIELICZKO, KELLY ALTENBURG'S ATTORNEY: The point today is not to attack the father of the student. I started by saying we respect his advocacy, but at a point there had to be a time that the comments he is saying my client said are simply inaccurate.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: Earlier this morning I spoke with the boy's father who said the teacher is not telling the truth when she said she wasn't even in the room when that taped verbal abuse took place. He also said he can prove it. I started by asking Stuart Chaifetz how his son is doing now.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

STUART CHAIFETZ: He's just a joy. I was thinking of him and smiling. He's such a happy kid. I heard the video and got as angry as I did the first time I heard it, and my heart broke again each time I heard it.

KAYE: What do you feel when you listen to that? That is just outrageous if that's going on in that classroom.

CHAIFETZ: You know, it is as a father or for any parent, when you hear your child in distress and you can't be there to protect him, it's the worst feeling in the world. I wanted to go forward to one day show him that people cared, that what they did to him was wrong in addition to showing him what an epidemic bullying is. All the children in that class had verbal impairments, so none of them could tell their parents. And they just ran and the staff ran wild, saying whatever they wanted, venting on the children, which to me is the ultimate act of a coward to pick on someone who can't fight back and can't talk back. My son actually learned to fight back and he relayed a message to me saying help. It was a cry for help.

KAYE: How did you know that something was up? What were you hoping to learn?

CHAIFETZ: Well, when we started getting notes back that he was hitting the teacher and the aide, that to me sent -- that immediately to me showed that something was wrong because he's such a gentle and loving human being. And we had meetings with the school. They brought a behaviorist in. The behaviorist never saw anything. He tried to aggravate him to the point he would lash out, and he didn't. Once that happened I knew there was something going on in that class that was specifically setting him off. And I said the only way I can find out, because he couldn't talk to me was to put an audio recorder into his pocket. And thank god I did because otherwise he'd still be there today still probably being tormented.

KAYE: As you know, Stuart, the teacher in this case denies being in class and making those comments but I want you to hear what her lawyer told CNN.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WIELICZKO: What we want to respond to is I went through every allegation that's been made against my client. I went through that YouTube video and we identified each instance in which he -- the father of the student placed on the screen what he thought were the transcribed words and one by one, we're just addressing each of those. The board of education details after their investigation that they determined that the people that said those word were no longer employed by the board. The attacks continue and now it's necessary for us to say, again, those words were not hers, the voice was not hers. Those comments were not made in her presence. She didn't con dose those words. She didn't instruct them to act that way.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: The teacher also calls the words disingenuous. We want to ask you how you plan to prove it coming up after this very quick break, so stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: Welcome back. Before the break we told you how Stuart Chaifetz, the father of a 10-year-old boy with autism secretly recorded what he claims is a teacher bullying his son. He wired his son to record what exactly was going to during school in that classroom, and what he heard was both shocking and disturbing. Listen to a bit.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Are you going to see any books in the library or will you just look at sculptures.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: Stuart, before the break with played a statement from the lawyer for the teacher defending the teacher, saying that she denies being in the classroom the day that these tapes were made. She calls your allegations "disingenuous." I'd like to get your response to that.

CHAIFETZ: First of all, they are incredibly disingenuous. Their press release says she wasn't there for the first hour and claim I knew that. I absolutely did not know that. That was a totally false statement. At no point was I ever told she wasn't there.

Also, the worst things that happened I did not credit to her. It was the aide, Jodie. And the clip they played where they called my son a "bastard," I cannot say 100 percent who it was.

Let me say since they went public with this, I held onto one clip that I did not release publicly but I'm going to be releasing this next week where the teacher was directly involved in what I call bullying of my son. And I'm going to release that along with more unreleased audio showing what else was going on in there.

KAYE: Can you give us a hint of what she said in that or what she allegedly said?

CHAIFETZ: It was involving a situation where my son was reading and he innocently put his finger in his nose. He was yelled at by the aide and then the teacher said it was gross and he was humiliated in front of the whole class, and he got very upset during it. So if they want to take me on and make out like I was putting out something false, I did not put it anything they think was false. And now I'm going to release this audio next week. I may have a press conference with additional things. I'm kind of handling things all by myself. But there were other statements she made during that day that I think people need to know. She's no innocent person in this. That was her class. She was the CEO. She, I believe, is responsible. And when you hear some of the other things she said, I think it's going to cause a bit of an outrage.

KAYE: How are you planning to prove it? Are you going to get a voice expert? How will you prove that is her voice on the tape.

CHAIFETZ: Because someone calls her "Kelly" right in the middle of it and she goes on for an extended period of time after it and goes on talking about something I have from a previous audio where I can identified her. Right in the middle of the incident you hear someone call "Kelly." I'll put it out to her and her lawyer. See if you can deny this was her.

KAYE: I want to play another clip, Stuart, of what was recorded in that classroom very quickly here.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, boy. Knock it off. You're going to get nothing until your mouth is shut.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: I'm not sure but I'm pretty sure that's not how teachers are supposed to respond when your son is having a probable there in the classroom.

CHAIFETZ: And let me say something. This is critical for people to know. The only times that he screamed or got upset was following when they had humiliated him. You know, that was -- what really started that -- he has autism, so he sometimes talks to himself. It's not an issue. It's not a problem. And whoever it was said to him, who are you talking to, nobody? And he got very upset by that. So he doesn't just scream for no reason. He was reacting to being made fun of. Each time he got made fun of, he got upset, and then they reacted worse to him. So it really was an absolute nightmare. It truly was.

KAYE: Most parents they send their kids to school and they worry about them being bullied by other students. They certainly don't worry about them being bullied by teachers and you've exposed here quite a case. Stuart Chaifetz, thank you very much for you time.

CHAIFETZ: Thank you so much.

KAYE: If you'd like to share your thought on this story or any story on bullying, something I'm very passionate about, you can tweet me. I'd love to hear from you on this one.

Coming up, politics and Hollywood mingle tonight at the White House Correspondents' Dinner. Politically active stars like George Clooney are going, but so are Lindsay Lohan and Kim Kardashian. I cannot wait to talk with comedian Bill Santiago and hear what he has to say about this one.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) KAYE: Welcome back. Glad you're starting your Saturday with us. Tonight is the White House's Correspondents' Dinner, or as some like to call it, the "nerd's prom." Late night comedian Jimmy Kimmel has been tapped to host this year's event. What can we expect from him? Joining me now is comedian and "Huffington Post" blogger Bill Santiago, a pretty funny guy himself. Good morning, Bill.

BILL SANTIAGO, COMEDIAN: Good morning, Randi, how are you, today?

KAYE: I'm well. This has got to be tough for any comedian. Jimmy Kimmel loves to make fun of the exact people who will be sitting in front of him tonight. How does that work? How does that happen?

SANTIAGO: Yes, yes, yes. It's definitely a tough gig, but the big question tonight is who is he going to kill tonight but who Obama is going to kill tonight. Tomorrow is the day after. I don't know if you remember last year after the White House Correspondents' Dinner Obama took out Osama. As he's sitting there laughing it up, he's got the Navy SEAL team. If I were Ahmadinejad, I would be very nervous. It is a tough gig though. It is a tough gig. I think it could be a new tradition. It's like the opposite of pardoning the turkey. Tomorrow we take out who we got to take out.

(LAUGHTER)

KAYE: Speaking of the president, does Jimmy Kimmel make fun of him? Can you go there?

SANTIAGO: Seth Myer did a great job last time. He entertained but he did not make people walk out. Colbert set the standard. Bush didn't even know what he was talking about. He went in there, ripped him a new one, and the next year they were so upset about it they brought in Rich Little to Johnny Carson and Lassie impressions. At least he's no Jimmy Fallon, you know. It will be fun.

KAYE: Let's talk about the guest list. A lot of A-listers, George Clooney, Stevie Wonder, Martha Stewart. But Kim Kardashian -- her mother, they're getting a nod and two of the real housewives of New Jersey.

SANTIAGO: Don't forget Lindsay Lohan, she's on the list too, yes.

KAYE: What's going on?

SANTIAGO: Yes. I don't understand how it works but they can invite -- Greta Van Susteren is the one who invited Lindsay Lohan and she is the one who brought Kim Kardashian. Greta is the one who, correct me if I'm wrong, she wanted to boycott a recent D.C. award sew because she thought the host was denigrating to women. So she brings along these women who -- I mean public displays of genitalia and homemade viral porn tapes are a credit it to her gender somehow. I don't understand the thinking.

(LAUGHTER)

SANTIAGO: This is a family-friendly morning, don't forget. This is what's going on. The second that this event starts to achieve some sort of visibility, they completely undermine its relevance and credibility and eventually what's glorified in this country is stupidity. I will say this though. It does prove by having them there that Obama is not an elitist when it comes to education or college.

KAYE: Very true, very true. Bill, listen. Stay with me. We have a lot more to laugh about because I want to talk about Mitt Romney possibly hosting or at least showing up on "Saturday Night Live." I want to get your take on that right after this very quick break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: Welcome back. I've got so much more to talk about with comedienne and "Huffington Post" blogger Bill Santiago. Watch this first.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'll bet you dollars to doughnuts the Broncos give the Patriots quite a run for their money on the gridiron tomorrow. Let me tell you, I'll be watching that game along with my five human sons, and my expectation is that I will enjoy it very, very much.

(LAUGHTER)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What's that? It's being played tonight? Well, that's wonderful news. The fact is the whole family and I love to watch sporting events on television of a weekend so normal are we.

(LAUGHTER)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: Oh, yes. Well, that was Jason Sudeikis imitating Romney, of course. But now they're saying the real Mitt Romney saying he is toying with the idea of hosting "Saturday Night Live." He's not exactly known to be a funny guy, so do you think he can pull this off?

SANTIAGO: That's the rumor. The funny thing says he will only do it if he deems the sketches funny. I don't know how he would be able to tell. It's not like he has that kind of perception. If he finds a way to install a human recognition program he might have a chance at this. Let's put it this way. He can be hilarious, but not intentionally. It's like the idea of Rosie O'Donnell doing gymnastics. It's great TV.

KAYE: We know, of course, Sarah Palin did a guest appearance on "Saturday Night Live." President Obama did it, of course. Is this the new norm for presidential candidates? Does it work?

SANTIAGO: You know what, you can't turn it down because it seems like you're not willing to poke fun at yourself. You have to go through it. It's no guarantee that it will get you any closer to the White House. It depends on the jokes. It may enhance your problems, in this case, that Romney is so unaware of himself and how he does not -- the kind of disconnection he has with the people. The visuals are going to be great, you know. I would like to see some sort of sketch where there's a dog driving a station wagon and Mitt Romney is strapped to the top.

KAYE: That's very funny. For those who might not be familiar with that story, of course Mitt Romney took a lot of heat for driving his car and putting his dog on top of the car.

SANTIAGO: Shamus, poor Shamus.

KAYE: Let's talk about Lindsay Lohan. She's going to the White House Correspondent's Dinner tonight, but she's also going to star in a Lifetime movie about Elizabeth Taylor. Rosie O'Donnell took it further suggesting that she can't pull the role off. What do you think? Look at them side by side? Do you think she can do it? Is she the right person to play Elizabeth Taylor?

SANTIAGO: Remember, Liz Taylor was a drug tailor for 35 years, in and out of rehab, married like eight times. Lindsay Lohan has done her homework. It's like she's prepared her whole adult life for this role. She's ready. All she has to do with pop in the violet contacts and she's good to go.

KAYE: What would be your advice to her in this movie?

SANTIAGO: Be yourself.

(LAUGHTER)

KAYE: I think that's good advice. All right, Bill Santiago. Always fun to see you on a Saturday morning. Thanks for the laughs. We'll see you soon.

SANTIAGO: Yes, let's do it again.

KAYE: We will, next Saturday.

SANTIAGO: Bye-bye.

KAYE: Bye.

SANTIAGO: All right, let's do it.

KAYE: Stay right there. Much more on CNN Newsroom right after a very quick break. We'll be right back.

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