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Starting Point with Soledad O'Brien
Mitt Romney Sweeps Primaries; New Jersey Officer Suspended in Wake of Speed Racing Scandal; Pakistan Tests Nuclear Capable Missile; Edwards Aide Back On The Stand; Post 9/11 Plot; Rising Up; Best Seat On A Plane?; Immigration Law Battle; "World Peace" Suspended; Fight To Keep Alleged Killed Behind Bars
Aired April 25, 2012 - 06:59 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN HOST: Thank you, ladies. Our STARTING POINT today, Mitt Romney putting primary season behind him.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MITT ROMNEY, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: A better America begins tonight.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: After a five-state sweep, his focus now, firing at President Obama.
And birds cause another scare in the sky, the second one this week. A flight with 54 people onboard turns around after geese smack into the windshield.
Plus, the scandal involving state troopers who cleared the way for sports cars to tear down the highway at 100 miles an hour. A lawyer for one of those officers now suggesting he was only doing his job. We're going to talk to him.
And how close to the exits, how far from the John. How to pick the perfect seat on a plane?
It's Wednesday, April 25th, "Starting Point" begins right now.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
ROMANS: The two people traveling together know each other and they're talking over you.
JOHN FUGELSANG, POLITICAL COMEDIAN: Not reclining seat in the back row.
ROMANS: What is the seat that is the best seat on the plane? Plus, we have Representative Mary Bono Mack, Run DMC, "Mary, Mary." she's joining us in just a minute. Our panel this morning, Ron Brownstein, editorial director of the "National Journal," has a couple things to say this morning after all those primaries. John Fugelsang is a political comedian, and Will Cain is a columnist with TheBlaze.com.
(CROSSTALK)
ROMANS: A lot to talk about this morning. This morning Mitt Romney turning his full attention to the general election after sweeping yesterday's GOP primaries in Connecticut, Delaware, New York, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MITT ROMNEY, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: A better America begins tonight.
(APPLAUSE)
ROMNEY: Tonight is the start of a new campaign to unite every American who knows in their heart that we can do better. The last few years have been the best that Barack Obama can do.
(BOOS)
ROMNEY: But it's not the best America can do. Tonight is the beginning of the end of the disappointments of the Obama year.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: But Romney hasn't quite clinched the number of nominations just yet. Right now he has 764 of the 1,144 need. Newt Gingrich 141 and Ron Paul 75. Joining us now, Romney supporter Congresswoman Mary Bono Mack of California. Nice to see you this morning.
REP. MARY BONO MACK, (R) CALIFORNIA: Thank you. Nice to see you, too.
ROMANS: I want to talk about Rick Santorum, who was holding on for a long time and the cultural conservative kind of vote for so long now and he was on Piers Morgan last night and I want to talk about whether or not he is endorsing your candidate. Listen in.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PIERS MORGAN, CNN HOST: Am I mishearing things? You just endorsed Mitt Romney?
RICK SANTORUM, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: If that's what you want to call it --
MORGAN: Am I wrong? Karen, you know your husband, has he just endorsed Mitt Romney?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Not at this point, no. We're working through it and talking about it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: She's sort of clarifying his position on this. Congresswoman, do you want Senator Santorum's support here?
MACK: Of course we do. I'm sure Rick will be there all along. First of all, I have no idea what was said last night. Piers was doing all the talking, as usual.
(LAUGHTER)
MACK: But Rick will come around. Rick recognizes that our best shot in November is going to be Mitt Romney, that we need Mitt Romney desperately to turn our country around. So I'm confident rick will get there. Of course, it will take a little time to get over all the hard work he has done, but I know he'll be there in the end.
ROMANS: There's also that lingering concern about the comment from Santorum on the campaign trail that your candidate was a worst choice than the president. You can get over that?
MACK: Well, look, all sorts of things are said in the heat of the battle of a campaign. It's unfortunate. As you know, negative campaigning have really taken over all campaigns in America. But rick is going to recognize and I'm sure, you know, what is interesting about Mitt Romney. He's the kindest candidate I've ever met. Four years ago I met him right after Rudy Giuliani dropped out of the race, I was backing Rudy way back then and he was very forgiving of me and very kind of wanted to move forward back then. I am sure it will be the same thing now.
ROMANS: Meantime Ron Paul, Newt Gingrich say they're still in the race at this point. Ron Paul saying Monday he won't step aside, even if Romney clinches the nomination very soon here and Gingrich spokesman says the decision on that campaign's future could come in a few days. We've heard that before, reassessing and reassessing, again. Gingrich saying he's still sticking on the issues that he disagrees with Obama and sounding very much like a candidate. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NEWT GINGRICH, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: One of the reasons that we are determined to go all the way to Tampa is to fight for a platform that does have these kinds of issues in it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: Is Newt Gingrich a distraction at this point?
MACK: No, Newt is -- look, he's a great thinker. He has a great mind for American politics. He has a great mind for taking the country in a different direction. He recognizes, I think, at this point in time, that his voice is still quite important in American politics, maybe just not as our presidential nominee.
ROMANS: Ron Brownstein.
RON BROWNSTEIN, EDITORIAL DIRECTOR, "NATIONAL JOURNAL": Good morning, Ron Brownstein from "National Journal." Speaking of coming together, Governor Romney campaigned with Senator Rubio. Senator Rubio developing a proposal a version of the dream act that would allow young people brought here illegally to stay in the U.S. legally, but not make them citizens as the Democratic version would. Is that something you want to see Governor Romney and the House Republicans more broadly embrace?
MACK: Well, I think it's a very important topic and I'm glad that Senator Rubio is leading the way here. We really need to do something with immigration, there's no doubt about it. I think Marco has a great voice to do just that. I'm personally very encouraged and I look forward to watching as he rolls this out and working with him to bring some kind of common sense legislation forward.
ROMANS: Can we talk about student loan interest rates? There was a rare moment of agreement between your president and your candidate. President Obama proposing to extend interest rates when they expire in July. Your candidate supported that move on Monday. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROMNEY: Particularly with the number of college graduates that can't find work or only find work well beneath their skill level, I fully support the effort to extend the low interest rate on student loans.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: But back in December he was whistling sort of a different tune. This was an exchange caught on tape by a liberal PAC back in December with a student who was worried about higher interest rates. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I have federally subsidized loans and they're at 7.9 to eight percent interest.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: It was a student in dental school who have federally subsidized local and at seven to 8.9 percent. He said that's a good question. Hopefully you'll get a job. "New York" magazine taking that moment and saying it's another Romney Etch-a-Sketch moment. How do you respond?
MACK: The real question here is, while President Obama is out on the campaign trail while he's visiting these colleges, is he truly delivering the speeches that he should. That he's borrowing 40 cents on every day for the spending that he's doing. Is he talking about the need to reign in government spending? Is he explaining to these students that their futures do matter and what his policies are doing is truly, if you would, is beholden to a large federal government that is fill would waste, fraud and abuse.
ROMANS: Both of those candidates now support, you know, this interest rate move on student loans that will cost $6 billion that we'll have to borrow money to do that. Your candidate supports it, too.
MACK: As I said, I'm going to support it, too. I have to look at the final details, of course, but it's a temporary extension. And, now, it's an important time. Look, more kids right now are either underemployed or unemployed since they've been taking these numbers. I think there's a real crisis with our youth. My point is president Obama used to be making the case and he needs to recognize himself that these are among the hardest hit people from the very policies that he's put into place over his term.
ROMANS: Congresswoman Mary Bono Mack. Thank you.
MACK: Thank you for having me.
ROMANS: Zoraida is here with other news headlines for us. Good morning, Zoraida.
ZORAIDA SAMBOLIN, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning to you. And we start with breaking news this morning. There is new hope for missing British girl Madeleine McCann. Madeleine was three-years-old when she vanished back in 2007. And now U.K. authorities are saying she may still be alive. She will be nine years old this May. She was last seen in Portugal on a family vacation. Since then, there have been a number of unconfirmed sightings.
For the second time in five days, a passenger jet departing New York has been forced to make an emergency landing because of a bird strike. The latest incident happened last night at Westchester County airport just outside New York city. A JetBlue flight bound for West Palm Beach forced to turn back 15 minutes after taking back when two geese slammed right into the windshield and damaged it. None of the 54 passengers onboard were heard. Listen to it from the cockpit transmission.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: JetBlue 571, we have to come back. We hit two big geese.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: JetBlue 571, roger and, standby. JetBlue, 571 make right traffic runway one through six.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Would you like to declare an emergency?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are declaring an emergency.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SAMBOLIN: Very calm, exactly how you want your pilots to sound. Just last Thursday a delta flight out of Kennedy Airport made a quick turn around after birds were sucked into an engine right after takeoff there.
And the first U.S. case of mad cow disease in six years confirmed in California. It has people concerned about the safety of the food supply. A random test discovered the disease in a dairy cow in central California. The carcass has been quarantined at Baker Commodity's Rendering plant and it will be destroyed. Officials say no meat from the cow was bound for the food supply. Still, at least one major South Korean retailer has suspended U.S. beef imports in response to the case of mad cow disease.
And two more members of the secret service have resigned. The latest casualties of the Colombian prostitution scandal, and two other cleared of serious misconduct. A total of nine agents are now out of a job.
And the first criminal charges filed for the 2010 Gulf oil disaster. A B.P. engineer is accused of destroying 200 text messages related to that spill. He was designed to estimate the size of the spill and they say the text indicate the leak was far worse than the company reported at the time. He faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted. And 11 people were killed in that incident.
State police in Louisiana joining the FBI and investigating allegations that New Orleans Saints General Manager Mickey Loomis eavesdropped on his opponents. That was beginning in 2002. The Saints deny the allegations calling them 1,000 percent false. At 8:00 eastern, we'll talk to the ESPN reporter who actually broke the story.
Minding your business now, U.S. markets poised to open higher this morning shaking off concerns about Europe at least for the time being. Corporate earnings continue to be a bright spot, pushing stocks up across the board. Apple's earnings, in particular, crushing Wall Street's estimates. Apple CEO Tim Cook report that company profits doubled in the first three months of the year. Strong iPhone sales playing a major factor there. The company sold on average, listen to this, 385,000 iPhones per day in the quarter. That's about 16,000 iPhones per hour every hour for three months. If that is not enough, Apple stock is up almost 10 percent in premarket trading this morning.
ROMANS: Ten percent. This is a stock no one ever gets tired of looking at that stock chart because you're up five percent over five years. Thank you so much Zoraida. And Tim Cook, who runs that company, he said it was mind boggling. When you heard a CEO say the earnings were mind boggling, that is gaudy.
(LAUGHTER)
ROMANS: That's 90 percent market growth, it's crazy. That's why the stock is up so much. If only apple, if only Apple can lift the entire U.S. economy, right?
FUGELSANG: They could have afford to give their Chinese laborers a second five minute break.
ROMANS: It's day two of president Obama's three-state swing to college campuses, part of a big push for the youth vote, which included a stop to one of late night's most popular shows for young people, "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: What we said is simple. Now is not the time to make school more expensive for our young people.
(MUSIC)
JIMMY FALLON, LATE NIGHT TALK SHOW HOST: Oh, yes. You should listen to the president.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: A good move?
BROWNSTEIN: Culture affinity, a way to amend some alliances with voters on the election year. On one hand you have a cultural and on the other hand pretty tough economic situation for people coming out of college and that's the big opportunity for Mitt Romney in 2012. Good location and very good timing.
WILL CAIN, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: I hate to be hypercritical and I'll turn it to you for the entertainment. I wish the president had been a more, a bigger participant in the joke aspect of it. He was being himself.
BROWNSTEIN: You know what happens if he does that, then he gets criticized for being flippant.
CAIN: People like me criticize him for everything.
BROWNSTEIN: We have come a long way. We expect to see our candidates in these kind of pop culture venues, which was not true.
FUGELSANG: I can't wait to see President Romney on "Pawn Stars."
(LAUGHTER)
ROMANS: We'll play more of the president on Jimmy Fallon coming up a little bit later.
Ahead on STARTING POINT, new developments after cops cleared the way for sports cars to peel out on a New Jersey highway. We're talking to one of those officers attorney who says, look, he was only doing his job.
Then, the latest disgusting publicity stunt from the guy who brought you a website from cheaters. This time Tim Tebow is the target.
If you're headed to work, check out the rest of the show online on our live blog CNN.com/StartingPoint.
From my playlist, Rolling Stones "Jumping Jack Flash."
(MUSIC)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) ROMANS: All right, flying down the road at more than 100 miles per hour with the police escort. Two state troopers in New Jersey are suspended after allegedly escorting dozens of luxury cars on a dangerous high-speed run to Atlantic City last month. The video you're looking at shows a similar incident back from 2010 which officials are also investigating. Charles Sciarra is the attorney and one of the troopers suspended this week in connection with last month's joy ride. Welcome to the program. First of all, what happened last month?
CHARLES SCIARRA, ATTORNEY FOR SUSPENDED NEW JERSEY STATE TROOPER: What happened last month is what happens frequently. You have these escorts given on the road, funerals, security details.
ROMANS: Escorting a celebrity.
SCIARRA: Escorting a celebrity. You have giant stadium, people going back and forth. You have these charitable events. You go to the charitable events and you see these high-end cars and people buy these cars, something they do to give back to the community. Brandon Jacobs, this is a guy --
ROMANS: The Giants --
SCIARRA: Giants running back plays for the NFL. And he sticks around for charitable events and knows my client through that. Kids hospitals, fund-raisers, calls up my client and says, can we do an escort?
ROMANS: Does your client have permission to do that?
SCIARRA: Let's be clear on this --
ROMANS: Wait, before you talk about it, what is safe about going 100 miles per hour with a line of luxury cars down the garden state parkway where you have other people driving and saying, wow, ten amazing cars going 100 miles per hour.
SCIARRA: First of all, that is a fair question.
ROMANS: What is the answer? Is that safe?
SCIARRA: I would suggest it's not safe and has to be looked at, but don't throw my client on to the P.R. fire because you have to try and tap down the negativity. This goes on routinely. You have the 2010 video --
ROMANS: If you just call up the cops and get a nice ride somewhere?
SCIARRA: I think that goes too far. I think what this comes down to is you have community leaders and people get involved and one thing the state police have done for years. My client has been ordered to do this for years. My client set this one up. He is authorized to do so. These are done by the local station commander. He stepped forward, Brandon Jacobs calls out and says we have these guys and we're going to lay out our charitable foundation, what we're going to do. And he said --
CAIN: This is what I think is hard for a lot of us to wrap our heads around. We've seen police escorts for situations like funerals, as you mentioned. We expect to see that. But I don't understand what, how you get a police escort under situations like this. Is it being a celebrity? Is that the standard that kind of --
ROMANS: Well, 100 miles an hour is not an escort, it's a drag race.
SCIARRA: This is the other thing. Death race 2012, everyone got from point A to point B safely.
ROMANS: I haven't called it that.
SCIARRA: Granted, I'm not going to argue with you that the posted speed limits and you have pace, all of us, in all due respect, we all go above the speed limit, depending upon what the road is. South Jersey Parkway, middle of the day, not a lot of traffic. Now, you're getting to something where -- we'll get to an investigation at some point where you get the easy pass at this exit and then you'll get the speeds in between and you'll figure that out.
But why is my client suspended? We went in on Monday ready to give a statement and the newspaper came out on Sunday morning, I'm sure the powers at be were all choking on their eggs and bacon. We go in to give a statement and answer these questions.
BROWNSTEIN: This is an institutional problem and I understand your argument that your client is being thrown under the bus for this one instance. But your client is no way authorized to let civilians disobey the speed limit.
(CROSSTALK)
ROMANS: Let me tell you what the superintendent said. He said "As troopers we cannot require the public to obey laws that we are not willing to uphold for everyone equally. I will not tolerate this egregious breach of public safety and those responsible will be held fully accountable." Do an investigation and change the rules?
SCIARRA: Do an investigation. No discipline. He has a stack of accommodations and awards this big. There's nothing in this file negative. Say let's look at our policies and procedures and what happened in that particular case, and let's look at it. The first thing I said, these are very rare. That was Monday morning. I'm getting all the information in my own investigation.
BROWNSTEIN: From talking to your client, was an escort necessary in the first place? What convinced him it was necessary? What convinced him it was necessary to travel at that speed?
SCIARRA: First of all, we don't know what speed they were traveling. First, OK.
BROWNSTEIN: That's probably 150. SCIARRA: Above the posted, absolutely. Above the pace of the traffic -- sure. Here's what I'm talking about in terms of necessary. Should my client's career be ended over --
BROWNSTEIN: I'm asking what your client has said to you about why it was necessary for the caravan to travel at a speed above the speed limit. That's the only question.
SCIARRA: Here's the technical stuff. You have a trooper car in the front and trooper car in the back. Sometimes they get too much space and they close it up a little bit and they slow down. Let's get to the investigation on that. Let's not turn around and jump to conclusions that everyone is out there running a road race. They all sat in the left lane. That other 2010 video is of someone else who jumped in and joy riding in it. I'm not suggesting that this is an invitation to that type of stuff. And don't tell me a guy with 25 years who jumps into burning cars, and the colonel had to admit that yesterday, and does all this positive work should be sacrificed.
ROMANS: Thank you so much.
SCIARRA: Thank you for your time.
ROMANS: Thanks, guys.
Ahead on STARTING POINT, the NBA not giving world peace a chance. It's going to cost the Lakers big time.
Plus, the founder of a dating Web site for cheaters, you'd expect so much out of a dating Web site for cheaters. Dirt on Mr. Clean Tim Tebow. Here's a little George Michael "Faith."
(MUSIC)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROMANS: Now it's time to get real. The publicity grabbing, home-wrecking founder of the cheating AshleyMadison.com is at it, again. Noel Biderman is offering $1 million for anyone that can prove they had sex with New York Jets quarterback Tim Tebow. Tebow, an evangelical Christian, has vowed that he is a virgin and waiting for marriage, even though he might be the most eligible bachelor in the country right now. We think Tebow should turn the tables and offer an award to anyone who can actually find a real woman with a real future on that --
(LAUGHTER)
ROMANS: You expect so much more from a Web site.
(CROSSTALK)
FUGELSANG: I must say, if Mrs. Biderman is watching right now, give me a call.
ROMANS: She's a woman with incredible confidence, apparently, either his mother or his wife.
CAIN: Now, prostitution is illegal, right?
ROMANS: Yes.
CAIN: This would be some form of entrapment, wouldn't it?
ROMANS: It's actually called publicity. It's actually a million dollars -- paying nothing to get a million dollars.
Ahead on STARTING POINT, a showdown a deciding factor on Election Day. Arizona's tough immigration crackdown heads to the Supreme Court today and other states with similar laws are watching. We'll talk to a Republican lawmaker who was key in getting this legislation passed.
And want to be less cramped and cranky on your next trip. We have news you can use and it doesn't mean leaving your kids at home. A new study has pinpointed the perfect seat on the airplane, which seat to get on a standard airplane. You're watching STARTING POINT.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROMANS: "Addicted To You" from Zoraida Sambolin's playlist. Good morning, Zoraida. You got some more news headlines for us.
SAMBOLIN: I do indeed. Thank you.
Nuclear experts keeping a close eye on tensions between India and Pakistan this morning after both test launched nuclear- capable missiles. Pakistan announcing today it launched a new version of a medium-range missile.
India said it test launched a long range missile last week. Relations between the two countries are reportedly getting better, but experts say a nuclear war would cause major worldwide disruption, even a possible famine here in the United States.
John Edwards' former aide and confident will be back on the witness stand this morning, but this time, Andrew Young will be cross examined by the defense.
Young told the court yesterday about detailed plans Edwards made with him to hide his affair with his pregnant mistress Rielle Hunter. He testified about a day when he said Hunter made so many frantic calls to him.
He told her, quote, "somebody better either be pregnant or dying." Young said she replied, quote, "Nobody's dying." Young says when Edwards found out Hunter was pregnant he called her a, quote, "crazy slut," and said there was a one in three chance that it was his child.
A convicted al Qaeda operative said Osama Bin Laden was planning follow-up attacks involving airplanes in the days immediately following 9/11. He says Bin Laden wanted to bring down airliners in the U.S. and Southeast Asia.
He outlined that plan during videotaped testimony in the trial of an American who was charged with plotting attacks on New York City subways, train lines and Wal-Mart stores.
One World Trade Center will soon be the tallest building in New York City. The Port Authority says construction is moving quickly and it could surpass the empire state building's height as soon as Monday. When it's completed One World Trade will be the tallest building in the western hemisphere at 1,176 feet.
A ridiculous and possible basketball shot and we are not overselling it. Check it out. After a miss shot, a player hustling to save the ball from going out of bounds, flipping it blind with his back towards the basket and swish!
This happened during the playoff game. The crazy shot cut the team's deficit to three and they ended up winning the game.
A new study pinpointing the best seat on a plane. Flight comparison site, Sky Scanner asked more than 1,000 airline passengers a question of where they prefer to sit.
The best seat in the house, that would 6A, apparently. The survey found it is the best position to get off that plane quickly and just the right distance from the toilets.
The most miserable seat, 31E, an uncomfy middle seat near the back of the plane, far away from the exit. They also found 60 percent of people favor a window seat, yes, indeed, 40 percent an aisle and apparently, 1 percent actually prefer the awkward middle seat, seriously?
That is weird. That is really weird. What do you get out of that?
ROMANS: I was recently assigned a middle seat and then they asked me if I wanted to pay $75 to sit on a window or an aisle. And you know what? I paid the $75. My pet peeve, though, the two colleagues who are traveling for a meeting and they're talking over you.
JOHN FUGELSANG, POLITICAL COMEDIAN: You have the elbows in your ribs, too. I don't want to make fun of 31E because I call that home base. If I don't have a middle seat that doesn't recline right next to the airport and I get that -- it's not a complete red eye flight.
ROMANS: Zoraida Sambolin, thank you.
All right, today the highest court in the land takes up the question, who can enforce immigration law. In just a couple hours, SB 1070, Arizona's immigration law goes before the Supreme Court.
Among the issues up for debate is whether states can require police to check the status of suspected illegal immigrants who they arrest or stop for other reasons.
The lower courts have said this is not OK, but, apparently, most Americans think it is. A new poll from Quinnipiac finds 68 percent of people nationwide support the Arizona law.
Kirk Adams is the former Arizona speaker of the House. He's also a Republican candidate for U.S. Congress and he's been watching this whole thing very, very closely. Welcome to the program.
KIRK ADAMS, FORMER ARIZONA SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: Thank you. Thank you for having me.
ROMANS: So the way that is stands on this law. I mean, the people who oppose it say it is racist and the people who support it say, we are enforcing immigration laws because the federal government has failed. Is the Supreme Court going to be able to move the conversation beyond those two polls?
ADAMS: I think so. As a matter of fact, what is most constructive is the Department of Justice lawsuit against Arizona SB 1070 mentions nothing about this racial profiling.
And the reason why they didn't sue on the issue of race is simply because the bill itself on four separate occasions specifically prohibits racial profiling and, in fact, goes above and beyond the underlying federal law upon which it is based.
The issue before the court today is a mere technicality of whether or not this bill is pre-empted by federal law. They will not be discussing so-called racial profiling today in the court.
WILL CAIN, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Kirk, this is Will Cain. So I think we need to underline that important point. What the Supreme Court is considering today is over the legal issue of pre-emption.
While the justice -- why you guys, I'm assuming you guys are arguing that the federal government is not enforcing its immigration policies therefore the state should step in and do that.
The Justice Department and at least one federal appeals court has said you're dealing with an issue now that is supposed to be under federal purview.
And if all these states start adopting their own little immigration policies, they're essentially wading into foreign policy. How do you respond to that?
ADAMS: The constitution does provide the federal government with primary responsibility over immigration law --
ROMANS: The Supreme Court has ruled on this, as well. That it is federal jurisdiction.
ADAMS: Yes, they've ruled it is federal jurisdiction, but since 1976, the Supreme Court says that the states have an equal role in enforcement of immigration laws. What we did in 1070 is we created no new immigration regime or scheme. We just simply took the federal law and are applying state penalties to federal law. We've created no new federal law and no new immigration scheme.
ROMANS: We're showing right now on the screen what this law does. This allows or requires law enforcement to verify the status if police suspect that somebody is undocumented, but that's during the course of another stop.
It would be a crime for a noncitizen to be without registration papers. It would also make it illegal for somebody who is not in the country legally to apply for a job.
It would authorize police to arrest anyone they believe has committed a deportable offense. These are the things when you poll people like the Quinnipiac poll, guys, people say they support it.
ADAMS: If I could just make a slight modification to how you described the bill. It does not require police officers to check immigration status.
It gives police officers discretion for violation of another stop or crime and only if it does not impede the investigation of another crime. So, this actually gives officers discretion. The policy of sanctuary cities does just the opposite. So --
ROMANS: Before we get to sanctuary cities, which is a related but different topic. I want to talk about Mexican immigration to the U.S. though. Because there's a Pew/Hispanic Research Center report this week that showed that basically you have net zero from 2005 to 2010.
You had 1.4 million Mexicans immigrated to the U.S. and then 1.4 million left. After 40 years of mass migration to the United States, that has slowed.
Is that vindication? Is that do you think because of laws like this? Is it because of a weak economy, you know, job market trumps everything else? What is it?
ADAMS: Well, in my opinion, the recession has proven to be the most efficient deterrent to illegal immigration that we could possibly imagine.
It's very difficult for us, especially in the state of Arizona where we lost over 300,000 jobs during the recession to say this specific piece of legislation caused this slow down in illegal immigration.
The likelihood is that it's a large part because of the economy. But you have to know that SB 1070 is only one of almost a couple dozen bills that the state of Arizona has passed dealing with illegal immigration in an attempt to step in where we feel the federal government has not.
ROMANS: I will let me panel -- FUGELSANG: Good morning, Mr. Adams. John Fugelsang. If a law- abiding Latino citizen made an illegal u-turn let's say and an officer stopped him and decides to ask to see his immigration papers.
Can you understand how having the burden -- to present proof of citizenship for one race of citizen would cause Americans to think that this is a racist law?
ADAMS: Yes, if the law actually did that, I wouldn't have voted for it. Then I would have killed it in my role as speaker of the house, but the law doesn't do that because I agree with you.
That would be an unconstitutional law and an immoral law. In the scenario that you just gave. If I was pulled over by a police officer, they're going to ask for my driver's license and my I.D. and the moment I would introduce that, whether I was Hispanic or not, they could not under this law ask any questions about immigration status.
What I really want America to understand is that in the state legislature in Arizona, we agonize over the details of this law. We have a strong Hispanic heritage and culture in our state. Our history is connected in many ways to Mexico. And we want to be certain that this law would be applied appropriately and focus specifically on the problems.
ROMANS: Now, the Supreme Court will weigh in and we'll get the final word on that. Kirk Adams, former Arizona speaker of the house and Republican candidate for U.S. Congress. Thank you, sir.
ADAMS: Thank you for having me.
ROMANS: Ahead on STARTING POINT, too harsh or not harsh enough. The NBA coming down on Metta World Peace for throwing a nasty elbow on the court.
A teenager turning to Facebook to help the alleged drunk driver who killed her sister stay in jail. This morning a setback, hear from the family coming up. You're watching STARTING POINT.
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ROMANS: We first showed you the nasty elbow hit yesterday. Here it comes. Ouch. Now the NBA has decided to suspend Laker's Metta World Peace, formerly known as Ron Artest, for seven games.
That means he could miss the entire first round of the playoffs. The elbow floored Oklahoma City's James Harden and left him with a concussion. World Peace responding on his web site, I apologize to the Oklahoma City Thunder fans and the OKC organization. I look forward to getting back on the floor with my teammates and competing for the Lakers fans.
CAIN: In the second round, if they make it. He's going to be suspended for the first round of the playoffs.
ROMANS: Laker's fans are hurt, too. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, kind of hard to imagine why he is back one day before James Harden, at the least. You can change the name, but you can't change the guy.
FUGELSANG: If Wolf Blitzer neck elbowed Dr. Sanjay Gupta, I think he would be suspended --
ROMANS: How did you know that? Did they put that video on YouTube yet?
OK, ahead on STARTING POINT, Blair Underwood taking on one of the most iconic roles ever. His recreation of a street car named "Desire" and that fabulous, famous "Stella." In the break, we're all going to do our "Stellas." He's going to join us live.
Up next, a teen's fight for justice on Facebook after her sister is killed by a drunk driver. The family, this very brave family joins us, next. You're watching STARTING POINT.
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ROMANS: A teenager in Florida turning to Facebook to fight to keep her little sister's alleged killer behind bars.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BREE ANN CAMACHO, SISTER KILLED BY ALLEGED DRUNK DRIVER: Even if you know don't me or my family or my sister, we can save lives. This isn't supposed to happen. We need to stop drunk driving and we can start here. This guy needs to get what he deserves.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: Dozens of people Bree Ann Camacho's call and turned out at a bond hearing yesterday, many wearing t-shirts with her little sister's name, Caley Marie on them.
Two weeks ago, the sisters were in their father's car when a drunk driver sideswiped them and Caley was killed. Driver, Sander Guian was charged with vehicular homicide. His bond a record $1 million and that's where Bree Ann wanted it to stay, but the judge decided to lower it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JUDGE LEON FIRTEL, MIAMI-DADE CIRCUIT COURT: I want to tell you that I have heard you via the press, both TV and print, but this is not a popularity contest. In this courtroom, we're going to follow the law.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: Caley's family joins me now. Her big sister, Bree Ann, her mother, Angela, her father, Kirk and her uncle and family attorney. First of all, I wanted to say that our hearts are with all of you. This has been a terrible two weeks for you. The loss of your little sister is just unnecessary and it just hurts everyone.
But you have taken Facebook, Bree Ann and you have tried to use that as an outlet to rally people behind this. Tell me what gave you the idea to do it.
BREE ANN CAMACHO: Well, as a strong believer in God, I think that there is a purpose that I survived the crash and that's to be an advocate for drunk driving. And I just wanted to get the word out there for my sister and also for anyone else because I do think we can save lives by having this case turn out the way we want it to.
ROMANS: It's clear, Bree Ann, that the judge knows about this public response to your movement and recognized that, but he said it's not a popularity contest. How did you feel when the judge lowered the bond?
BREE ANN CAMACHO: I mean, it's not what we wanted, but at the end of the day I do respect him because it is the law. He has to follow that. You know, it's not really what we wanted.
ROMANS: Kirk, I want to ask you. You were driving the minivan. You are grieving one little girl. You must be so proud of the other.
KIRK CAMACHO, DAUGHTER KILLED BY ALLEGED DRUNK DRIVER: Definitely. The role Bree is taking up to assist and become an advocate for this cause is fantastic. And she's super strong and we're definitely very proud of her.
ROMANS: I know that -- if you could tell me a little bit about the legal process from here on out and what you're expecting. The bond has been lowered. Do you know if the driver -- do you expect him to meet that bond? What are you bracing for next?
KIRK CAMACHO: We're not too sure. We're looking at all possibilities of that happening, of course. Hence the reason why everybody was a little upset. The bond was lowered for legal reasons and we have to respect the law. And that's what Bree is doing here to try to get the word out that everybody respects the law so that this doesn't happen again.
ROMANS: You know, Kirk, your family is now the face of drunk driving really. And as painful as that is to you, it's a reminder to everyone that this is still something that happens every single day. Can you tell us a little bit, you were driving the minivan, can you tell us about that day and the accident?
KIRK CAMACHO: Yes, it was a typical morning that I would take the girls they would come over to my house a couple times during the week. I was taking them to their mom's house so they could get ready for school.
So we would leave pretty early to avoid traffic and so on. There was never a rush. We always leave on time. We were driving the typical route that we always take.
And as we approached the crossroads to my surprise I just saw a flash and then an extremely loud what sounded like an explosion. Thank God both of my daughters were sleeping so rest in peace she didn't feel pain and that's very comforting for us.
Bree immediately woke out of a sleep screaming what happened? What happened? I turned to her. I asked if she was OK and for the most part she was with the exception of her leg.
She was very unselfish and didn't say she had any pain at the time. She didn't feel anything I suppose immediately turned back when we didn't hear anything from Caley.
ROMANS: Just a tragedy.
KIRK CAMACHO: When we looked back we saw the devastating. Everybody has seen the pictures of the minivan.
ROMANS: It's just hard to imagine that your family went through that. Thank you so much for coming and telling your story. Thank you for doing this on Facebook.
I mean, I think in some cases many people when there's a tragedy like this you don't have an outlet beyond your own family. But Bree Ann being able to have an outlet and bring more awareness.
It certainly shows how social media and Facebook is literally changing the world, but changing even how we grieve and how we look at justice.
Bree Ann Camacho, Angela, her mother, Kirk, thank you so much. I'm sorry I couldn't talk with all of you. Thank you for coming and telling us your story.
Ahead on STARTING POINT, birds force another emergency landing. The evidence splattered all over the windshield of a JetBlue flight.
And the FBI now getting involved in the Saints Spygate scandal. Did the general manager spy on opposing teams? The reporter who broke that story joins us live. You're watching STARTING POINT.
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