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CNN Saturday Morning News

Mitt Romney's Comments on Women Draw Controversy; Libya Attack Examined; Pundits Assess Presidential Race; Shooters Loose in D.C.; NFL Punter Advocates Marriage Equality; Interview with Lilly Ledbetter; Anti-Bullying Activists Discuss Legislation

Aired October 20, 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 world headquarters in Atlanta, this is CNN Saturday Morning.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Governor Romney's campaign was asked about the Lilly Ledbetter rule and whether he's for it, and he said I'll get back to you. And that's not the kind of advocacy that women need in any economy.

KAYE: It was the issue that sparked a national dialogue about the women's vote. We talk with Lilly Ledbetter about equal pay, her reaction to the debate, and the number one issue for women issues.

They're the eight percent to 10 percent who may decide the election. All morning we're putting the uncommitted voter in focus.

One week after the tragic suicide of Amanda Todd, a Canadian lawmaker is introducing legislation to combat cyber bullying. So why is one father, who also lost his son, against it?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: Good morning, everyone. I'm Randi Kaye. It is 10:00 on the east coast, 7:00 a.m. on the west. Glad you're with us. We start with new evidence of security concerns in Libya and warnings from a murdered ambassador. Chris Stevens sounded the alarms before he and three other Americans were killed in the deadly consulate attack in Benghazi. Republican leaders in the House have now released dozens of documents in the investigation, 166 pages, e-mails and cables between the state department and people in the field. Those House leaders say it shows that the Obama administration ignored security problems.

But Obama administration officials say the documents don't tell the whole story. So let's bring in our intelligence correspondent Suzanne Kelly, who has been going through all of this. Suzanne, what new details are you finding in the cables and the e-mails?

SUZANNE KELLY, CNN INTELLIGENCE CORRESPONDENT: The cables certainly give us more detail into the thinking of ambassador Stevens in the months, weeks and even hours before his death. For example, we know that just hours before the attack that killed him and three other Americans, he expressed concern over the rising security threats in Benghazi and in nearby town where is the ambassador believed that Islamic extremists were gaining a strong foothold.

He was also worried that there was no deterrence to act against those groups and the U.S. security presence was shrinking rapidly. The ambassador noted that this was becoming a huge issue and a huge problem for them. And that the drawdown from some 34 U.S. security personnel to 27 in July, he noted once again in August that that number was expected to drop to seven. The ambassador was very concerned about the creation of a security vacuum as a result of all of this, noting that he couldn't rely on local security to fill that gap.

Another cable just before the attacks noted that host nation support is lacking and cannot be depended on to create a safe environment. A week, Randi, before the attacks, a cable sent from Benghazi noted that Police have established a 24/7 response to our request, but that raises the question, where were those personnel once that attack began?

KAYE: Right. It also raises the question, was there anything that could have been done to prevent the attack at the consulate?

KELLY: Right. And that's always what people want to know, this sort of Monday morning quarterbacking. Once all the pieces fell into place, what did you know? We do know that the U.S. would have had a much better chance had it beefed up security to ward off the attack once it again. We don't know yet -- because the ongoing drama, for lack of a better worked over the intelligence that was known and when it was known, we don't yet know whether there were pieces that were somehow missed, intelligence that should have been gathered, we simply don't have all those answers. As you know, that's become something of a huge political debate here in Washington.

KAYE: Yes. And it continues. Suzanne Kelly, thank you very much.

KELLY: Thank you.

KAYE: To the presidential race now. There are just 17 days to go until the election. The candidates are hunkering down this weekend, doing some more debate prep. After all, the third and final debate is Monday night. But before stepping back, both candidates put the pressure on voters in some of those key swing states, and that meant a lot of trash talking on the trail. So let's start with the Obama campaign. During a rally in Virginia yesterday, the president came up with a new diagnosis, if you want the call it that, for his competitor. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OBAMA: He's forgetting what his own positions are and he's betting that you will, too. I mean, he's changing up so much and backtracking and sidestepping. We've got to name this condition that he's going through. I think -- I think it's call Romnesia.

(LAUGHTER) OBAMA: And if you come down with a case of Romnesia, and you can't seem to remember the policies that are still on your website, or the promises you've made over the six years you've been running for president, here's the good news -- Obamacare covers preexisting conditions.

(APPLAUSE)

OBAMA: We can fix you up! We've got a cure!

(APPLAUSE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: Mitt Romney took no time to fire back against the president's comments. During his rally in Florida, he said Obama is avoiding real issues by talking about "Romnesia" and claims it's a sign Obama's campaign is shrinking.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FORMER GOV. MITT ROMNEY (R-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Have you been watching the Obama campaign lately? It's absolutely remarkable. They have no agenda for the future, no agenda for America, no agenda for a second term. It's a good thing they won't have a second term.

(LAUGHTER)

ROMNEY: They've been reduced to petty attacks and silly word games. Just watch it. The Obama campaign has become the incredible shrinking campaign. This is a big country with big opportunities and great challenges, and they keep on talking about smaller and smaller things.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: It's not just the candidates talking. There are also some influential newspapers making some picks. "The Denver Post" is throwing its weight behind President Obama. The newspaper wrote that the president has shown that "He is a steady leader who keeps the interest of a broad array of Americans in mind." The newspaper said that his opponent Mitt Romney "has not presented himself as a leader who will bring his party closer to the center. His comments on the 47 percent of Americans refuse to take personal responsibility and care for their lives were a telling insight into his views, and a low point of the campaign."

Another newspaper endorsement for the president, this time from "The Salt Lake Tribune." The president has earned a second term. Romney, in whatever guise, does not deserve a first."

But Mitt Romney wasn't shut out in the paper chase. The "Orlando Sentinel" gave him their support. The newspaper wrote that "We have little confidence that Obama would be more successful managing the economy and the budge net the next four years. For that reason we endorsed him in 2008. We are recommending Romney in this race." Meanwhile, the Obama campaign announced a new record for the largest single day of fundraising. They say that the day of that second debate, they raised the most money yet, even beating out the record numbers they put up in 2008. But they're not giving exact numbers.

Joe Biden is shaking it up again. I'm talking about the etch-a-sketch as a campaign punch line. You may recall the comment about shaking it up and starting fresh like an etch-a-sketch. That was seven months ago, but the reference isn't too stale for vice president Joe Biden.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The president stayed day after the debate that Romney's plans had become awfully sketchy, is the phrase the president used. I'm reluctant to correct the president on anything.

(LAUGHTER)

BIDEN: But I would respectfully suggest they're not sketchy, they're etch-a-sketchy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Paul Ryan was back near the scene of the line, the 47 percent line, that is. Ryan attended a fundraiser hosted by the private executive hosting the fundraiser for Mitt Romney when the Republican challenger uttered the now infamous 47 percent remark. At Friday's event, donors attended a general reception and for $10,000, they earned a picture with the vice presidential candidate.

A picture just isn't cutting it for some. They want a concrete plan with some specification from both sides. That's why they are uncommitted voters. We'll take a lack at how they can possibly be swayed and what it could moon to the outcome of this election.

But first, a question for all you political junkies watching. What state gave President Obama his largest margin of victory in the 2008 election? If you know the answer, you can tweet me @RandiKayeCNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: Before the break, I asked you if you knew the answer to this question right there. What state gave President Obama the largest margin of victory in the 2008 election? The answer is -- you see it there. Hawaii. He won his home state by 45 percent. That is the biggest state margin. But he won the District of Columbia by nearly 86 percent. A lot of you got it right. Nicely done.

We are now just 17 days away from Election Day, although for those of you in more than 20 states, early voting is already here. We've been watching the numbers go back and forth, both in the polls and the deciding factor could be so called uncommitted voters. We've been focusing on them throughout the morning. They, eight percent to 10 percent of people, who either haven't made their choice or have an idea who they want, but they could still change their minds. Joining me now as they do every week, CNN contributor Maria Cardona and Amy Holmes, anchor for "Real News" on "The Blaze." Good morning to both of you. Lots to talk about. Maria, what are people waiting for? What can still sway the vote at this point?

MARIA CARDONA, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: That's a really good question, Randi, one that I ask myself probably every morning and will for the next 17 days. But I think what is important in this election, if you are an undecided voter, especially one in the swing states, I can't imagine that it's because you don't have enough to go on on these records, given the barrage of ads and campaign events on both sides that these voters have really been exposed to.

I think at the end of the day, what is going to be important for these swing voters is who do you trust? Who do you trust to really fight for you and to really fight for the issues that you care most about. I was just flabbergasted this morning -- and you just mentioned this -- when I saw that the salt lake tribune endorsed President Obama, as opposed to Mitt Romney who is practically the hometown guy. These are their people. These are his people. And the fact that they basically underscored that Romney was a shape shifting nominee and that he continued to bring up the central question for his campaign, and I think the question for swing voters is, who is this guy and what does he truly believe? I think that's an important for swing voters.

KAYE: Let me let Amy weigh in here. What's going to sway the vote at this point?

AMY HOLMES, THEBLAZE.COM: I think Maria's right, that people are looking at the candidate that they can trust. Obviously you're hearing one side, and that person is not Mitt Romney. I think these undecided voters are also weighing the status quo versus the future and they haven't heard yet which candidate has the most convincing case for the future. You hear that a lot in the focus groups, and that doesn't bode well for President Obama, who, according to Gallup is trailing five percent, six percent behind Governor Romney. So for President Obama to try to make that sail with undecided voters, you have to remember these are vote who are have seen him in action the last four years and still aren't convinced. So that's the steep hill for the president the climb.

KAYE: Amy, what was the one moment from the second debate that had the most effect on the uncommitted voter?

HOLMES: Well, what we saw from CNN's own polling was that Mitt Romney led on the issues of the economy, but what we've talked the most about was that Libya moment where it seemed that both candidates weren't really on sure footing. I think President Obama is in a lot of trouble, though that the next debate is about foreign policy, and while they were having this very sort of weasely debate over three words, "act of terror," the voters don't want to see a president hiding behind three words. They want to see a president leading when it comes to foreign policy and America's national security.

KAYE: Maria, you want to respond to that? CARDONA: Sure. Just quickly on Libya. A lot of analysts say that was actually the moment where President Obama won the debate, and we've seen in poll after poll that President Obama did win this debate. And Romney, I think, really sunk himself when it was clear that he was politicizing the tragedy that happened in Libya for political gain.

Now, there's no question that this will be a big issue in the upcoming debate. And President Obama is absolutely prepared to handle that straight on. But one other moment that really stood out for me, and I even wrote a piece on this, is the binders full of women moment. While it was sort of a funny and odd phrase, it underscored all of the questions that women have when it comes to Mitt Romney, and their absolute lack of trust when it comes to how he would handle the issues that are important to them, including economic issues.

KAYE: We actually have that sound bite. Let me play it, and then, Amy, I want to get your reaction to it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROMNEY: We took a concerted effort to go out and find women who had backgrounds who could be qualified to become members of our cabinet. I went to a number of women's groups and said can you help us find folks. They brought us whole binders full of women.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: Binders full of women. Amy, what do you make of that?

HOLMES: It didn't strike me when he said it. I know that a lot of the cable networks are trying to hammer him over the head with this. But that is only because the women's vote is narrowing. And you saw it in the 2010 midterm election that the women's vote was evenly divided between Democrats and Republicans. The latest polling data shows that the president is losing his lead among women. So you have the president's supporters trying to gin up this totally phony, ridiculous story line about binders full of women, which was really a story about how Romney was trying to include women.

So there have been reports that women in the Obama administration are being paid less than the men. Women are looking at the economy as the number one issue and has this president worked for them, and does Mitt Romney have a plan that they basically can trust and believe in. Those are the questions those voters will be weighing.

KAYE: But in terms of women, you have the whole issue of abortion and Romney related to that and women, 39 percent now according to Gallup poll, saying that that's their number one issue. So Maria, I'll give you a final word on that one.

CARDONA: That's exactly right. What Republicans have done is put all of these issues, including abortion, front and center. When you have Mitt Romney saying he will defund plan parenthood and sign a law that would outlaw Roe versus Wade. When you have Republican legislatures passing 83 laws restricting services to abortion and restricting health care services for women, I think you're going to see the gender gap grow and grow between now and Election Day.

KAYE: It's going to be interesting. We'll watch it along with you. Maria, Amy, nice to see you both.

Of course, remember you can check out Maria's take on "Binders full of women." You can find it at CNN.com. It's an interesting read.

Manhunt in Michigan. After a rash of shootings rattles the residents there, what police are doing now to stop the suspect.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: Welcome back. I'm Randi Kaye. It's 22 minutes past the hour.

And 7-eleven is offering customers a choice of blue cups for President Obama and red cups for Mitt Romney. The company says it's poll is quote "unabashedly unofficial and unscientific," but it's actually done a pretty good job of predicting the winner. Right now, the president is winning with 59 percent of the vote against Romney's 41 percent.

Voter registrations forms stuffed in trash bags and dumped. That's what investigators say was found in this dumpster. Colin Small, a campaign worker, is the one accused of throwing those registration forms away. Small now faces 13 counts of voter fraud. Investigators say he worked for a private consulting firm, which was contracted by the Republican Party to register voters. The sheriff says Small threw out eight voter forms.

Now to a developing story outside of Detroit where a rash of shootings has drivers on edge and police on alert. Nick Valencia is here now to talk more about this. So 15 shootings have been reported. Where are they taking place, and has anyone been hurt?

NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This is really scary stuff. We talked to the police department earlier this morning, and they are scared. They said there's no common thread that weaves together all of these shootings but they do believe they're all connected. The scariest part is motorists are being targeted at random.

It's happening on the Interstate 96 corridor. Nobody hurt just yet, but the sheriff from Oakland county held the press conference on Friday, said there was a man taking out his garbage, heard a bullet whiz over his head. Another woman hears a loud boom, gets home, watches the news, hears this story about a shooter or shooters on the loose, goes to her car, finds a bullet lodged in her car.

KAYE: Oh, my goodness. That is scary, and too close a call for sure. Do police have their eyes on anyone?

VALENCIA: Yes, they're looking for a couple descriptions. Witnesses have described a ford mustang with racing stripes on the car. Other people have described another dark sports car. But this is the ten- month anniversary of the D.C. beltway snipers. They say this is really reminiscent of what happened in D.C. 10 years ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: People are getting shot at all over the place. The kids are scared. The parents are scared. Someone's got to put a stop it to.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank god nobody's been hurt, but it's still weird when you hear about stuff like this, bringing back memories of the sniper and everything that was happening in D.C.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VALENCIA: So Randi, no description of the suspect, but this person, whoever they may be, is a pretty bad shot or they're trying to scare the motorists. Either way it's a very tense situation right now.

KAYE: Good thing they're a bad shot, at least right now. Appreciate that update. Thank you.

Massive crowds of protesters are marching through London today. Union leaders say tens of thousands are marching for a movement called a future that works. They are showing their opposition to budget cuts approved by the U.K. government. The crowds started in central London and are making their way to a mass rally to be held in Hyde Park.

It was the first legislation signed by President Obama. The Lilly Ledbetter Act is against pay discrimination. She'll join me in a moment to talk about the critical women's vote.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: Welcome back, everyone. Bottom of the hour now. I'm Randi Kaye. Glad you're with us.

Will they vote paychecks and the economy, or will they be more focused on social issues? Whatever the reason behind their vote, women will impact next month's election. In 2008, they swept Barack Obama into office, giving him a 13 percent edge. The numbers say the women's vote will be split much more tightly this time around, though.

Joining me on the phone is Lilly Ledbetter. The Lilly Ledbetter fair pay act was the first piece of legislation signed by President Obama. Lilly, good morning. Welcome. Thanks for joining us.

LILLY LEDBETTER, WOMEN'S ADVOCATE: Good morning, Randi, thank you for having me.

KAYE: The candidates were asked about women's pay during the debate. I want you to listen to what they said and I want to ask you about it.

LEDBETTER: OK.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROMNEY: What we can do to help young women and women of all ages is to have a strong economy, so strong that employers are looking to find good employees and bringing them into their work force and adapting to a flexible work schedule that gives women the opportunities that they would otherwise not be able to afford.

OBAMA: When we talk about childcare and the credits that we're providing, that makes a difference in terms of whether they can go out there and earn a living for their family. These are not just women's issues. These are family issues. These are economic issues. And one of the things that makes us grow as an economy is when everybody participates and women are getting the same fair deal as men are.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: So the act with your name on it, Lilly, is all about equal pay. Did either candidate answer that one adequately for you?

LEDBETTER: Oh, absolutely. President Obama talked about having the Ledbetter bill being the first Bill that he signed into the law when he first went into the White House. And he's exactly right, and he talked about that he wanted equal pay, because his grandmother who worked all those many hours in the bank with less pay, he wanted to be sure that his daughters would have a fair chance to be given the equal opportunity to work and be treated like anyone's sons. And he is so committed to the women's causes, because like he said, it's not just women. It's the families. When you talk about a woman, you're talking about a family issue.

KAYE: Well, let me ask you about a comment, another comment that Governor Romney made related to women. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROMNEY: We took a concerted effort to go out and find women who had backgrounds that could be qualified to become members of our cabinet. I went to a number of women's groups and said can you help us find folks. They brought us whole binders full of women.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: The binders full of women comment getting a lot of attention. A lot has been made of that. What's your reaction to that statement?

LEDBETTER: That was very degrading the way he stated that, and he was dishonest with that comment because he did not go out and get those binders, as he put it. Those resumes were laying on his desk when he was sworn in as governor of Massachusetts. The women's organizations had prepared and gathered those resumes and had them there, and trying to promote more women in the cabinet and the state jobs in Massachusetts. Governor Romney did not go out and ask for them. And that was a degrading remark, in my opinion, when he called them binders.

KAYE: Let me ask you about this, because the numbers tell us that women didn't initially bounce back from the recession as well as men, just getting back to the economy here. The gap is closing, though. About 300,000 women have found work in the last six months. But is this still a concern for you?

LEDBETTER: The women are bouncing back, and a lot of the women have gone back to schools and training programs and they're getting additional training. They are bouncing back. More women are finding jobs, just like more men are today. The employment rate is -- the unemployment rate is down, and we're growing and we're on a forward move.

That's why I feel so strongly that President Obama needs another four years to complete his job and the mission that he has started to get this country back on track, and I think we're going in the right direction. In fact, I know we are. And it's like president Clinton said, not any one human being could have turned this country around in the first four years, the condition that he went into the White House and got when he was sworn in.

KAYE: When it comes to polling, the latest polls actually say that the issue of swim in swing states are most concerned with are abortion, by a margin of 39 percent compared to 19 percent over jobs. Does that surprise you at all when you see the number one issue for women there?

LEDBETTER: No, because I am concerned for that, too. I do not believe -- roe v. Wade, we fought hard for that to be passed and it's needed. I'm the age that I remember that young women and women who needed an abortion to save their lives could not get one back before Roe versus Wade. And I believe that this should stay. And Mitt Romney has committed himself already that he will reverse that. He will make sure that he supports Supreme Court justices that will overturn Roe versus Wade.

He's also stated very emphatically on several occasions that he would defund Planned Parenthood. So many women across this nation, they depend on that for their contraception, their breast cancer screenings and their pap smears, and that is the only way that they can get them. But he has already stated he will defund that program.

Governor Romney has not been truthful. In some areas, he's misleading about what he will do for women. And in that comment that you just played earlier, he wants to encourage employers to get going on jobs so that they'll be hiring men, and it sounded like he would encourage them to hire women part-time. He's talking about flexible schedules. Most of the women I speak with, they need full-time employment.

KAYE: Lilly Ledbetter, appreciate the conversation. Thank you for calling in this morning.

LEDBETTER: Thank you.

KAYE: This Minnesota Viking made headlines for taking a stand off the field for marriage equality. Now he tells us why and other issues are so important to him.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: It's 40 minutes past the hour now.

Another federal appeals court has dealt a blow to the government's defense of marriage act. The act denies federal benefits to married same-sex couples. A court in New York with a conservative judge ruled in favor of an 83-year-old lesbian. She sued the government when she was denied tax benefits when her wife died. It is the second federal appeals court to deem the act unconstitutional. The issue is expected to eventually get before the U.S. Supreme Court.

And a ballot measure that could make same-sex marriages official in Maryland has a chance of passing. A "Washington Post" poll shows 52 percent of likely Maryland voters say they support the measure. Compare that to 43 percent who don't. Maryland already passed a law legalizing same-sex marriage, but it doesn't take effect until January, assuming the ballot measure passes.

One of the people supporting that Maryland measure actually lives many miles away in Minnesota. His name is Chris Kluwe. Sports fans best know him for his day job as a punter for the Minnesota Vikings. But Kluwe was thrust into the national spotlight thanks to a scathing letter he wrote to one Maryland lawmaker who not only opposed marriage equality, but also another NFL player who spoke out in favor of it. Our Poppy Harlow travelled to Minnesota to get Kluwe's take on that and other hot button issues.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

POPPY HARLOW, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: This is the Chris Kluwe most football fans know. And this is the Minnesota Vikings punter posing for a prominent gay magazine.

What is this fight about for you?

CHRIS KLUWE, NFL PUNTER: To me this fight is about equality and human rights.

HARLOW: Kluwe, who isn't gay, isn't coming out, he's speaking out loudly.

Where would you say this real passion to defend gay marriage came from?

KLUWE: The fact is they're American citizens who pay taxes, who serve in our military, who defend this country who are not benefiting under the same legal protections and laws that the rest of us are. To me, that's flat-out discrimination. It's the same as segregation or suffrage.

HARLOW: In a state divided over a proposed constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage, Kluwe has taken his fight to blogs and twitter.

KLUWE: I will defend to the death your right to say or do what you want as long as it does not oppress other people.

HARLOW: Fellow NFL players certainly don't all agree with him, but Kluwe says attitudes are changing.

KLUWE: I think there is a very -- a much more tolerant atmosphere in the NFL now.

HARLOW: Reporter: Is America ready for an openly gay NFL player? KLUWE: I don't know. I think until someone comes out, we never will know.

HARLOW: You've tweeted that you'd like to debate any Minnesota politician on the same-sex marriage issue.

KLUWE: I'm still waiting.

HARLOW: It's not just same-sex marriage that gets him riled up. Ask about other hot button issues and he goes off.

KLUWE: Citizens united. That's a huge issue for me right now. Corporations are not people. If you look at the current presidential race right now, we're spending over a billion dollars to determine who our president is going to be. And to me, that says that money has an overriding influence in our politics right now.

HARLOW: And on taxes?

You would be part of the one percent.

KLUWE: I am part of the one percent.

HARLOW: Would you pay higher taxes as way to help balance the budget?

KLUWE: I would. As long as I have my couch and video games, I'm good to go. That's all I need. I mean, do you really need a diamond encrusted yacht?

HARLOW: But don't bet on him running for office. He has zero interest. For now, this is his fight.

KLUWE: It shouldn't be news when someone speaks out for equality. It should be news when someone speaks out against equality.

HARLOW: He's not wild about either candidate, but says he'll vote for President Obama, calling him the less terrible choice. He's not punting this election.

Poppy Harlow, CNN, Eden Prairie, Minnesota.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAYE: It's enough to drive some teens to take their own lives. Now lawmakers in Canada tackling the issue head-on.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: In case you were wondering why so many people were wearing purple, it was Spirit Day, where millions of people wear purple to speak out against bullying. I speak out against bullying a lot on this show, which is why we had Alan Hubley on this show. He lost his son to bullying. October 14th was the one-year anniversary of the suicide of his 15-year-old son Jamie.

That also happened to be the same week 15-year-old Canadian team Amanda Todd took her life, her ultimate escape from bullying. Amanda filmed the nearly nine-minute video that touched and outraged millions of people, and now it's part of an investigation of possible criminal activity leading to her death. It also sparked a nationwide discussion for Canadian lawmakers.

Alan Hubley joins us now. He is the father of Jamie Hubley and the counselor for Ottawa City. Good morning to you. I just have to say first, I'm so sorry for the loss of your son Jamie. I'd like you to tell me a little bit about him and why he was struggling.

ALAN HUBLEY, OTTAWA CITY COUNCILOR: Thank you, and thank you for the invitation to be here today. Jamie was struggling. He had been dealing with bullying as one of the issues for a few years, different situations. And also, it was a figure skater. He got picked on for that. He was one of those boys that was always smiling, happy to be around, and liked to make everybody happy. So that also made him a target. And at the start of grade 10, he had come out as the only openly gay male at his high school.

KAYE: Did he share with you that that was part of the issue for him, and that's why he thought in part he was being bullied?

HUBLEY: He didn't understand -- his exact words to me is that he didn't understand why people didn't like him. He hadn't done anything to hurt anybody. He enjoyed his skating when he was younger, for example. And he couldn't understand why that made him a target for bullies. He just thought everybody should respect each other. And it wasn't hurting anybody, what he was doing. So he could never come to terms with the fact that other people hated him for those things.

KAYE: And now following the loss of your son, you say it is time for Canada to take action against bullies. What kind of action do you want?

HUBLEY: Well, I've been trying to work on this issue for the past year. Jamie had actually started trying to form a club and working on this issue himself before he made his fateful decision. So I'm trying to carry on what he was starting. And what I see that needs to be done here and now is we as a community, as a society, has to put a stigma to bullying. We have to -- each one of us has to say no more.

KAYE: I want to bring in Dany Morin now, a member of the Canadian parliament working to push through some anti-bullying legislation. Mr. Morin, good morning. It sounds like you have a plan to study the prevalence of bullying, but you don't think the answer is actually to bring criminal charges against the bully. Why is that?

DANY MORIN, CANADIAN PARLIAMENT: Well, when we look at a kid who has been bullied for months or years, well, the harm has been done. So I would much prefer that my national strategy would do more than study prevalence and the impact of the various types of bullying, because it will also make sure that we look worldwide at the best practices.

I know Finland and Sweden have good initiatives, and Canadian families have this huge burden on their shoulders. Maybe they're afraid that their kids might be bullied. Maybe they know that they are, but they don't know what to do about it. We need more support to national organization underground. We need to put the emphasis on prevention rather than criminalization. I'm not saying that those extreme cases that sometimes we see in the media, some criminal charges should not be part of the solution. But I would much prefer that we prevent as many bullying cases as possible.

KAYE: Mr. Hubley, what is your reaction to that? Is studying the issue and planning more studies about prevention enough for you?

HUBLEY: No. I think that we're losing too many kids here in Canada and in the U.S. We're losing too many kids. If we study this for another year, there will be more lives lost. You can go on the government of Canada website, you go on the U.S. government website, the dot.gov, and there's a lot of information and studies already done on bullying. We have a definition we all agree to. We have legislation in place where charges can be laid for harassment, for example.

Right now, it's not being used. We need to, as a society -- and Randi, let me give you an example. What I refer to is drinking and driving. Now, 20 years ago, it was acceptable for people to drink and get behind the wheel and drive. There was a lot of it going on. Over the last 20 years we attached a stigma to drinking and driving in North America. And now you have -- like if you're throwing a party, you make sure your guests don't drink too much. They may come with a designated driver. You may ask them for their keys or call them a cab. If you go to a restaurant, the waiters and waitresses are trained not to over- serve you and to watch for that. Police have program where is they do roadside stops and charge people now. The courts are taking it more seriously.

KAYE: Right, right.

HUBLEY: As a society, we came together. Let's do that with bullying. Let's put that same stigma to bullying and each of us say no, it has to stop, because the missing link here -- and a study won't give it to us. Another piece of paper will not give this to us. It has to be individual action. It can't be top down from the government. We have to engage the bystander in the bullying discussion.

KAYE: Let me bring Mr. Morin back in. I'm curious what type of support you're getting for the legislation. Have you heard from others, other parents who have suffered a similar loss?

MORIN: Yes. And also, victims of bullying also support my piece of legislation. But to correct the record -- my national strategy will not create another study. It will create a nonpartisan committee that will draft together the national strategy on bullying prevention based on the framework that I provided. So at the end of the special committee, it will not take years, we'll have something concrete. And I can mention, very concrete action, such as disseminating best practices to Canadian families, getting more local support to our organizations. So I am very optimistic about this.

KAYE: And Mr. Hubley, for other parents watching whose son or daughter may be in trouble, who may be struggling, what's your advice for them at this point? HUBLEY: Well, they need help now. As he said, we need to get into the prevention piece of it. And we also have to have resources available for the kids that are in crisis today. So my advice to parents, if they're worried about their children or even if they're not worried right now, have a conversation with your kids. Sit down and say, you know, how are things in your life? Is there anything going on? Because in Jamie's case, it took us a while to find out that he was being bullied, because the mentality at that age was you're a rat if you say anything about it. You have to keep it to yourself. We might have been able to save him if we knew what was going on earlier before the damage was done.

KAYE: Well, I'm so sorry, again, for loss of Jamie, and I appreciate your advice and coming on to talk about it, and maybe reaching out to other parents as well. So I appreciate that. And Danny Morin, I appreciate your efforts as well. Thank you both.

HUBLEY: Thank you.

KAYE: If you'd like to sound of on stories about bullying, you can tweet me, you can use #bullyingstopshere. You can find me @randikayeCNN.

We have much more ahead in the next hour of CNN SATURDAY MORNING which starts after a very quick break.

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