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CNN Saturday Night

Should Congress Have a Say in Schiavo Case?

Aired March 19, 2005 - 10:00   ET

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

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


CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: This is CNN SATURDAY NIGHT.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAEL SCHIAVO, TERRI SCHIAVO'S HUSBAND: ...my personal life, and they're getting in the middle of something they know nothing about.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LIN: Terri Schiavo's husband fights for his wife's right to die. The question tonight, should the government have a say in this decision?

And the man whom police say confessed to kidnapping and killing nine-year old Jessica Lunsford is on his way back to Florida to face charges.

Plus, Ashley Smith, the hero whose life has not been easy. Her husband died in her arms, a victim of a crime that's never been solved. Tonight, I'll talk to her brother-in-law about how her new found fame may help solve her husband's death.

These stories and a lot more next on CNN SATURDAY NIGHT.

Good evening. I'm Carol Lin from the CNN Center in Atlanta. And straight ahead this hour, the battle over Terri Schiavo. Tonight, I'll talk to her brother about his family's fight to save her. And also, in the wake of this week's Florida case, keeping your kids safe, how you and your child can prevent the kidnapping from happening. And the second anniversary of the Iraq War. Mixed reviews around the world and mixed views right here at home. So the voices weigh in, straight ahead.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARK LUNSFORD, JESSICA'S FATHER: ...love your children this much. And no one or nothing will come between you and them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LIN: We begin tonight, though, with a heartbroken father, philosophical after the worst news of his life. Now this is a small Gulf Coast Florida town, galvanized in grief tonight after the body of nine-year old Jessica Lunsford is finally discovered. And we have new developments to tell you about regarding the search for young Jessica. The man police say took her life has actually helped investigators find her body, coming up.

But we want to take you now to our top story and a family's painful struggle. It is one that began in a hospice room, migrated to Florida courtroom, then today, all the way to Capitol Hill and the White House.

This is the fight surrounding Terri Schiavo. President Bush is now joining it by leaving his Texas ranch early in case his signature is needed on a bipartisan congressional bill that aims to put this right to die case right back into court.

A feeding tube keeping the brain damaged woman alive was removed about 32 hours ago in compliance with a Florida court order. The story of Terri Schiavo right now is long and complicated and it pits an anguished family against itself and the legal system.

CNN'S Joe Johns is here with the very latest.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOE JOHNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Working together on a Saturday under extraordinary circumstances, members of both houses and both parties joined together in an effort to save the life of Terri Schiavo.

SEN. TOM DELAY (R), SENATE MAJORITY LEADER: Under the legislation we will soon consider, Terri Schiavo will have another chance.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are confident that this compromise addresses everyone's concerns. We are confident it will provide Ms. Schiavo a clear and appropriate avenue for appeal in federal court. And most importantly, we are confident that this compromise will restore nutrition and hydration to Ms. Schiavo as long as that appeal endures.

JOHNS: The deal, which still needs to be approved formally, would allow Schiavo's parents to take the case to federal court. And lawmakers say it would all but require the new judge to order her feeding tube reinserted.

It was a second try at a legislative solution in a week. And this time, it was far less acrimonious.

SEN. RICK SANTORUM (R), PENNSYLVANIA: ...getting the agreement by Senator Reed. Senator Harkin is representative here today. I think it shows a fine moment of bipartisanship.

JOHNS: The bill is expected to pass either Sunday or Monday, although prospects for a quick passage took a hit when Florida Congressman Bob Wexler said he would object to any attempt to pass it by unanimous consent.

But the measure appears sure to pass in the end. And the president is expected to sign it, triggering the court case and reinsertion of the tube after it was removed on Friday.

Under the legislation, a federal court is instructed to consider the case as if it were brand new, wiping out years of rulings by state courts that Schiavo should be allowed to die, according to her husband's wishes.

SEN. MEL MARTINEZ (R), FLORIDA: It's the trial all over again. Trial anew.

SEN. TOM HARKIN (D), IOWA: Anew. Trial anew.

MARTINEZ: Start all over again.

JOHNS: The legislation was narrowly tailored to apply only to Schiavo, but lawmakers made it clear they want to examine the rights of the severely disabled in similar situations.

HARKIN: There are a lot of people in the shadows all over this country, who are incapacitated because of a disability. And many times, there's no one to speak for them. And it's hard to determine what their wishes really area or were.

JOHNS (on camera): It's important to note that this does not assure Terri Schiavo would be kept alive indefinitely. That would be up to the federal courts.

Joe Johns, CNN, Capitol Hill.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: So now we've already reported that President Bush is cutting short his time at his Texas ranch to possibly take part in the Schiavo case. So straight to Waco and CNN's Dana Bash with more on that.

Dana, has the president already boarded his plane?

DANA BASH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Not quite yet, Carol. He's going to leave, we are told, tomorrow morning at 11:00 local time. He'll be back in Washington at the White House tomorrow afternoon.

Now as Joe was just reporting, this is unlikely to actually get to the president's desk probably until Monday, but what Scott McClellan, the president's spokesman, said is that the president wants to be ready for anything to happen for this to get his desk. Why? Because you see on the screen, he said this is "about defending life." And McClellan said that even a few hours from their perspective could make a difference.

Now you saw the quote, "defending life." That is really the key here from the White House perspective, from conservatives' perspective, that this is what they call a culture of life issue. You hear that when the president and other conservatives talk about the issue of abortion, but it is much broader from the conservative point of view that abortion - this is a particular issue that has really become a rallying cry over the past several days for this broader issue, but it's also something that is near and dear to the Bush family, Carol.

Of course, President Bush's brother is the governor of Florida. He has been highly involved in this, very emotional about it, and has tried to be -- has tried to fight taking the feeding tube out for years. So President Bush is going back, says that he will sign this bill, as soon as it gets to his desk, no matter what time that is, Carol.

LIN: All right, thanks very much, Dana, for those new developments out of Waco.

Now behind all of the legalese and the injunctions, the appeals, the stays, the delays, this is fundamentally the story of a 41-year old woman with a loving, but torn family, torn over what action they feel is Terri's true wish for herself.

Her husband, Michael Schiavo, told CNN today what's happening to Terri is long overdue.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAEL SCHIAVO, TERRI'S HUSBAND: I have a sense of relief for Terri. I feel that this is -- this is her time. This is -- this is going to work for Terri. She's going to finally be at peace.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LIN: Well at odds with Michael Schiavo, Terri's parents, who firmly do not believe their daughter would want her life to end this way.

But despite their strong and vocal resistance, they, like us, can only watch at this point while the system decides Terri Schiavo's fate.

CNN'S Bob Franken has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BOB FRANKEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Terri Schiavo's parents and sister walk past the small group of right to life activists into the hospice for a visit, even while many of the politicians in Washington struggle to find a way to reinsert the feeding tube. It had been removed Friday.

MARY SCHINDLER, TERRI SCHIAVO'S MOTHER: She is my life. I am begging Governor Bush and the politicians in Tallahassee, President Bush, the politicians in Washington, please, please, please save my little girl.

FRANKEN: In Washington, it's actually congressional leaders, mainly Republican, who have put the final touches on the bill they expect to result in the feeding tube being reconnected to Terri Schiavo within the next two weeks or so. Otherwise, she would starve to death.

Her husband, who has fought so many years to have the tube removed, charges the newest delaying tactics are blatant politics.

MICHAEL SCHIAVO, TERRI'S HUSBAND: They're stepping into my personal life. And they're getting in the middle of something they know nothing about.

FRANKEN: The bill's congressional reporters insist they have no choice.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: None of us likes the fact that we are here.

FRANKEN: And here at the hospice, the organized protest leaders were keeping a tight clamp on any civil disobedience, to avoid any disruption to the delegate negotiations in Washington.

They quickly disavowed the action of Bo Rights (ph), the once prominent former Special Forces operative, who was arrested for trespassing when he tried to get inside to feed Terri Schiavo water.

(on camera): As the battle is fought on the turf of politics and public relations, Terri Schiavo, from her peaceful surroundings inside, is silent, as the debate rages whether her death would be mercy or murder.

Bob Franken, CNN, Pinellas Park, Florida.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: So this particular story has come down to this -- the family, the courts, Congress. Why don't you weigh in on this? Leave it to our last call question. Who do you think should have the final say on Terri Schiavo's life? Give us a call at 1-800-807-2620.

Now I have an update on Florida's other heartbreaking incident -- the disappearance and the death of nine-year old Jessica Marie Lunsford. The man police say took Jessica from her home and killed her, and buried her [sic] is on her way back to Florida tonight from Augusta, Georgia. That is where he was arrested on Thursday.

46-year old John Evander Couey is a convicted sex offender with a long record. He allegedly confessed to killing the girl.

And Jessica's body was recovered before dawn today, exactly where her alleged killer told police it would be. A family and a community's torment enters a new chapter now.

So CNN's Sara Dorsey has more on that.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SARA DORSEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A community devastated.

MARK LUNSFORD, JESSICA LUNSFORD'S FATHER: She's home now and it's over.

DORSEY: A family destroyed. And a vibrant 9-year-old girl, her future ripped away. SHERIFF JEFF DAWSY, CITRUS COUNTY, FLORIDA: And in the early morning hours, somewhere between 3:30 and 4:30, we recovered Jessica.

DORSEY: Jessica Lunsford had her life ahead of her, but police say three weeks ago, John Couey, a convicted child molester with a rap sheet spanning three decades would forever change the Lunsford family when he snatched Jessica from her home in the night.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Tonight, the search goes on for little Jessie Lunsford.

DORSEY: Hundreds of people began a frantic search just after Jessica disappeared, none knowing Jessica's body lay in a shallow grave only yards from her own home. Her confessed killer was caught on camera by a Georgia TV station in a bar drinking a beer and laughing. The reporter, unaware of who John Couey was, but once authorities caught up with Couey, a confession, the first major break in a case that seemed to be going nowhere.

DAWSY: This guy is not a quality person by any means. And you know, he has also, to my knowledge, is a crack head. And I don't think we're actually ever going to be able to get a valid time line about him. He's truly a piece of trash.

DORSEY: Investigators converged on Couey's home and after less than 12 hours, Jessica's body was unearthed.

M. LUNSFORD: Jessie's home now and she's right here with me.

DORSEY: Later in the day, after hearing of his daughter's fate, Mark Lunsford, a rock through this entire ordeal, led a rolling memorial, over 300 people deep. Meanwhile, investigators continue building their case against John Couey. Three others are charged with obstruction of justice in this case for failing to lead law enforcement to Couey. Three weeks of uncertainty solved. A little girl will finally get the proper burial her family wants.

BRYANT: Now, I love her, and I always have and I always will.

DORSEY: Sara Dorsey, CNN, Homosassa, Florida.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: And still to come on CNN SATURDAY NIGHT, I spoke with the head of a national organization dedicated to ending the exploitation of kids. So please stay with me for that discussion.

In the meantime, a powerful earthquake rumbled through southern Japan about an hour ago, triggering tsunami warnings. The magnitude 7.0 quake was centered off Japan's southern most main island. It caused buildings to sway, caused water mains to snap, and tripped automatic circuit breakers to halt rail and train service. There are no immediate reports of any injuries. Keeping an eye on that one as it develops overseas.

In the meantime, we want to turn the political spotlight on Terri Schiavo.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BOBBY SCHINDLER, TERRI SCHIAVO'S BROTHER: We're hopeful. We're very grateful with what Congress is doing to help save my sister's life.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LIN: Up next, you are going to hear from people on both sides of the issue, including her brother Bobby.

Also, taking a stand. It's been two years, but emotions are still riding high over the war in Iraq.

And it's been quite a week for Ashley Smith, the woman who helped police find the suspected Atlanta courthouse killer. But a bit later, I'm going to talk live to a family member on her incredible story and her husband's murder.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: Back now to the hour's top story, that of Terri Schiavo. She lies in a Florida hospice tonight more than a day after her feeding tube was removed by court order.

Terri's fate rests now in a congressional effort, that if successful, is the only thing that will save her life. A short time ago, I spoke with Bobby Schindler, Terri Schiavo's brother.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: Bobby, what do you think's going to happen next?

BOBBY SCHINDLER, TERRI SCHIAVO'S BROTHER: Well, I'm hopeful that the bill that has been in Congress is going to get passed tomorrow. We're hopeful. We're very grateful with what Congress is doing to help save my sister's life, but I think people still have to contact, pick up their phones and contact their state -- you know, their U.S. senators and their congressman and ask them to please pass this bill to help save my sister's life.

LIN: I've taken a look at the draft of this bill. It is very specific to your parents. It's very specific to your sister. What happens if the bill passes, this case goes to federal court, and Michael Schiavo, the legal guardian, the husband, files an appeal?

SCHINDLER: Well, I'm not an attorney. So I don't know, you know what would happen...

LIN: I mean, we are talking about a series of delays potentially, right?

SCHINDLER: Right.

LIN: And the feeding tube was disconnected as of 1:45 Friday afternoon.

SCHINDLER: Right. Yes, I don't know if -- you know what would happen if an appeal was filed. I certainly hope the federal judge would know the -- you know, the consequences if the feeding tube isn't inserted immediately. So I would just hope that he would act in accordance to the new law.

LIN: Your parents have been spending quite a bit of time at your sister's bedside since the feeding tube was disconnected. What sort of physical condition is she in when you now consider that time is ticking away?

SCHINDLER: Well, it's only really been about a day. And I just spoke to my parents just a little while ago. And they said Terri's doing -- seems to be doing fine.

But as you can imagine, this is extremely difficult on my parents to have to sit and watch their daughter being slowly starved to death. You know, we love our -- we love Terri. I love my sister. And I got to tell you, I'm just so proud of her these last 15 years. And she is showing just an incredible will to leave. And she hasn't given up on her family in 15 years. And we're certainly not going to give up on her. She needs a chance at therapy and rehabilitation. And there's doctors that are standing by to provide that for her. And we just want that chance. And we just want to bring Terri home and take care of her.

LIN: Michael [sic], do you think she has any comprehension of the events that are unfolding? Are your parents talking to her, trying to get her to respond in any way to these events?

SCHINDLER: Well, we always try to talk to Terri and stimulate Terri the best we can, because as I said, she's not receiving any rehabilitation or therapy.

But you know, in the past, when I talk to Terri, or my family talks to Terri, we generally don't bring up, you know, anything that's bad news. And we just try to keep it a very light and just fill her with positive thoughts, and tell her that we're trying our best to get her home with the family again.

LIN: But is Terri aware of the circumstances? Does she understand? Have your parents made the effort to explain to her that the feeding tube has been disconnected and what her situation is?

SCHINDLER: I believe Terri knows what's going on. According to Barbara Weller yesterday, Terri evidently...

LIN: One of the family attorneys...

SCHINDLER: ...right. Terri evidently was trying to speak yesterday. And she was very moved by Terri trying to tell her she believes that she wanted to live.

So I believe Terri does know what's going on now, the situation. But as I said, my parents, we try not to focus on that, and try to tell her positive things. And we're trying our hardest to bring her home.

LIN: Bobby Schindler, thank you very much for being with us tonight.

SCHINDLER: Thank you for having me.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: All right, there he is, Bobby Schindler, speaking out on behalf of Terri Schiavo's family and continuing with the talk tonight, the other side of this delicate and polarizing issue.

Joining me from Tampa, Florida, Hamden Baskin III, the attorney representing Terri Schiavo's husband, Michael.

Mr. Baskin, clearly, the Schindlers are making an emotional argument. He was -- Bobby Schindler was saying that he hopes that if this gets to a federal judge, that he understand that time is ticking away for his sister. But frankly, it really does get down to a constitutional question, doesn't it? I mean, even if this law passes the House, is there a federal judge in this country that would take on this case?

HAMDEN BASKIN, III, MICHAEL SCHIAVO'S ATTORNEY: Well, what we would expect is that it would be brought over to the federal district court in Tampa. And one of the district judges there will examine the law. And we believe that it literally will be declared unconstitutional on arrival.

LIN: On what basis?

BASKIN: Well, on a number of bases. Of course, we haven't seen the precise language in the bill yet. But certainly, to have the United States Congress pass a special bill for an individual, which overrules over five years of litigation in both the state and federal courts. Terri's right to privacy was determined five years ago. And it has been affirmed in all state levels, both Florida supreme court, all the district court levels, as it's been in the district court, federal district court twice. It's been up to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Terri's right to privacy has been adjudicated. And if you can imagine the constitutional crisis that this is going to set up, where a special bill will go through to undo what our judiciary has done over the years is an abomination.

And we're very disappointed, quite frankly. And Michael also asked me to mention that he is amazed that all of the attention placed in this case by Congress, and now I understand the president will be flying in to make sure he can sign the bill, when there are so many other important issues that need the congressional attention. And this case has been adjudicated. And to overrule the judiciary is an absolute crime.

LIN: Well, has it ever been -- I mean, for -- this isn't the only case that has come before the federal courts before. I mean, has -- I mean, this is not necessarily precedent setting. It's just getting a lot of publicity.

BASKIN: Well, except to the extent that Terri's rights have been federally and -- have been adjudicated time after time in the state court. And they are final. The judiciary has taken its final act in this case.

LIN: So why do you think Congress went to the trouble to specifically name this bill as relief for Terri Schiavo's parents? I mean, they're specifically named that the president is getting on Air Force One tomorrow morning to sign legislation.

BASKIN: Well, of course, I can't surmise why they would do that. But it seems to us that that would place the bill and even further unfirm grounds. It is not a general bill. It is a specific bill to overrule the orders of courts of confident jurisdiction. And it simply can't stand.

LIN: You can't write a bill for one individual, right?

BASKIN: No, you can't. No, you can't. Hopefully not in this country. It happens in third world countries. But this is a country of laws. And we...

LIN: Laws that apply to all people?

BASKIN: To all people. And to have the law thrown out is something that all Americans should be very, very concerned about.

LIN: Mr. Baskin, I've got to ask you. Michael was at Terri's bedside after the tube was disconnected.

BASKIN: Yes.

LIN: Was there was conversation at that time he had with her? And if so, what did he say?

BASKIN: Well, I can tell you that I was not present myself. Attorney Bushnell was there. And perhaps at a later date, you can ask her. But Terri was determined to a medical certainty to have no electrical activity in her brain, except for the brain stem. This has been determined on two separate occasions.

LIN: So it was not an emotional visit, then?

BASKIN: Well, for certainly it was for Michael. But Terri does, from what you have seen, and I certainly wasn't there. Terri is not capable of an emotional reaction.

LIN: Hamden Baskin, Michael Schiavo's attorney, thank you very much for being with us tonight.

BASKIN: Thank you for having us.

LIN: We want you folks out there to weigh in on this issue. Don't forget our last call question. Who do you think should have a final say on Terri Schiavo's life? Give us a call at 1-800-807-2620.

In the meantime, more bloodshed marks the two year anniversary of the war in Iraq. Details straight ahead, as thousands, thousands hit the street worldwide in protest. We're going to take a look at public opinion on Iraq.

And later from rags to riches, to number one at the box office, you are going to go inside "The Diary of a Mad Black Woman" with producer Tyler Perry.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: Antiwar rallies around the country and the world mark today's second anniversary of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq. And about 3,000 activists gathered peacefully in Fayetteville, North Carolina, home to Fort Bragg and the Army's 82nd Airborne Division. A hundred counterprotesters held signs and waved American flags.

Now, by far the largest demonstration took place in London. Police estimate 45,000 people marched past the U.S. Embassy, some carrying signs demanding British troops be brought home from Iraq.

And several thousand protesters took to the streets in Rome today. They demanded the immediate pull out of Italian troops from Iraq. Italy has committed 3,000 troops to the U.S. led coalition.

But in Iraq itself, the second anniversary of the war was marked by more bloodshed. Insurgents killed two Iraqi contractors in a drive-by shooting. And three Iraqi police officers were killed in a bombing.

In the United States, public opinion and the political fortunes of the war's chief architects have risen and fallen, as developments in Iraq have unfolded.

So CNN's Judy Woodruff has that story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DONALD RUMSFELD, SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: When one thinks of Iraq today, compared to what it was just two short years ago, the changes are truly remarkable.

JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): The same might be said about the politics of Iraq here in the United States. Just after the invasion, 23 percent of Americans said they thought it was a mistake to send U.S. troops there. Two years later, twice as many people, 47 percent, think the war was a mistake. And they are divided about whether the U.S. is winning the ongoing battle against Iraqi insurgents.

But at the same time, recent polling suggests the public is more optimistic about Iraq's future and the spread of democracy after January elections.

With other Middle Eastern nations making their own moves toward democracy, President Bush has new ammunition for his next campaign, to secure his legacy.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Hopefully the march of freedom continues way after my presidency.

WOODRUFF: Over the past two years, the president has been both praised and vilified for his Iraq policy. The architects of the invasion have been along for the roller coaster ride.

Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld went from war time superstar to political target. But he managed to hold onto his job nevertheless.

While a far more reluctant Iraq warrior, Colin Powell, has left the Bush cabinet and the State Department, paving the way for Condoleezza Rice's promotion.

Even Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz, a lightning rod for criticism of the Iraq War, is preparing to move onto a bigger job, head of the World Bank.

PAUL WOLFOWITZ, DEPUTY SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: This is a mission in which people are looking for leadership.

WOODRUFF: As for the Democrats, losing the White House did not stop them from tapping one of the most prominent Iraq War critics to head their party.

And their '04 nominee John Kerry still thinks the administration's policy falls short, even if it did help plant the seeds of democracy in Iraq.

SEN. JOHN KERRY (D), MASSACHUSETTS: I still believe we could be doing a more effective job of transitioning, were we to have more of the world at our side in this effort.

WOODRUFF: Judy Woodruff, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: She leaned on her faith during a moment of crisis. But tonight, you are going to hear from a relative of Ashley Smith on her tragic past and the prospects for a better future.

Also in the wake of the killing of the nine-year old Florida girl, you are going to hear from a child advocate on protecting your kids.

And don't forget our last call question. Who do you think should have the final say on Terri Schiavo's life? Give us a call at 1-800-807-2620.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: I'm back now with this hour's top stories. Terri Schiavo, a disabled woman in Florida, for 15 years in what doctors call a vegetative state, lying at the center of a long swirling battle.

U.S. senators and representatives met today and will meet again tomorrow to possibly present the presidents with a bill that will put off the inevitable.

Joining me now from Washington, House Republican Steve King of Iowa. And from Portland, Oregon, House Democrat Earl Blumenauer.

Gentlemen, welcome. I know both of you have been knee deep, waist deep in this legislation and the back and forth. Let me start with you, Representative King. What makes you think that Congress can and should write a law that is specific to one family as the bill reads that is for the relief of the parents of Theresa Marie Schiavo?

REP. STEVE KING (R), IOWA: Well, Terri Schiavo deserves equal protection under the law, just like any other American citizen. And it's a constitutional right that she has. Any murderer, any mass murderer would have due process that would allow them to appeal all the way up to the United States Supreme Court.

It's not been the case for Terri Schiavo. We've got an obligation to protect our citizens. And that's the reason we need to step in. She's not seen, in my opinion, the opportunity to appeal for her life.

LIN: I want to play for both of you an earlier interview that CNN did with Michael Schiavo, the legal guardian and Terri Schiavo's husband. This is what he had to say about the legislation pending.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SCHIAVO: I should be with my wife right now, holding her hand, but I felt the importance to get out there and talk about what the Congress, this government is doing. They're stepping into my personal life and they're getting in the middle of something they know nothing about. They don't have the facts, and it's sad. It's sad what this government is doing. If they can do it to me, they'll do it to everybody in this country.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LIN: Congressman Blumenauer, is there anything in this bill that protects other families from Congressional intervention?

REP. EARL BLUMENAUER (D), OREGON: Absolutely not. What you're seeing here is an unprecedented intrusion. Representative King is just simply wrong. This has been litigated. It's been in the eye of controversy for the last five years. Anybody who's been following this knows that this has been going back and forth.

What we're seeing here is an unprecedented action on the part of Congress to reach down and interfere with this individual family. No small amount of irony. This is the same Republican Congress that last fall said that the federal courts weren't confident or trustworthy enough to make a decision on same sex marriage or pledge of allegiance. But now they're going to force this family to have one more hurdle to deal with, in a most personal of decisions.

LIN: What...

BLUMENAUER: It's wrong and it's outrageous.

LIN: Congressman King, I mean you're - Congressman, you're well versed on constitutional law, but the constitution. I mean, we're talking about a basic issue of federalism. So how is this bill going to even stand up to a constitutional test? Three experts tonight have told me that a federal judge will never accept this case?

KING: Well, it's obvious to me that Representative Blumenauer has not read the bill. And I'm not confident those other experts have read the bill. I have the read the bill. And we have drafted language that is very - it's very specific language. It's specific language to Terri Schiavo, but also, it broadens that into a sense of Congress that we will take a look at other similar cases of people who are incapacitated.

And it's clear to me that Michael Schiavo has a conflict of interest. And he has been able to benefit from court settlements and medical malpractice suits over in the millions of dollars. And a lot of that money has been spent. Much of it's gone to attorneys.

We need to have a provision to protect the rights of people when there's a conflict of interest, when they have a guardian that's not acting in their best interest.

LIN: Congressman Blumenauer, is this a shoo-in? I mean, is this going to pass the House tomorrow?

BLUMENAUER: Well, they can probably jam it through the House. It's not a shoo-in that it's going to pass muster with the federal courts. And it's something that the American public understands is an intrusion in their liberty.

The bill that they tried to - and in fact, they passed through the House, would have allowed them to interfere with the living wills that so many Americans have already executed. They're in dangerous ground here. And the more American public understands it, the more they're going to push back. And ultimately, they will fail.

LIN: All right, the vote's scheduled for tomorrow afternoon. Thank you very much, Congressman Blumenauer...

KING: Thank you.

LIN: ...Congressman King. We'll see what happens.

BLUMENAUER: Thank you.

LIN: Once again, this bill gives the right of the federal courts to review Terri Schiavo's case.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: The tragic murder of Jessica Lunsford focuses new attention on missing and exploited children. Jessica's body was found a few hundred yards from the home where she lived with her father and grandparents.

Ernie Allen is the president and CEO of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. And I spoke with him earlier tonight about this case.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: Ernie, the shock of Jessica Lunsford's murder is - it's what people are talking about now. I mean, what can you possibly do to protect your children when this girl was taken right out of her bed?

ERNIE ALLEN, MISSING CHILDREN ADVOCATE: Well, I think our first message to parents is it's very important that you not be paralyzed by fear. This needs to be put into context. There are about 100 cases like this a year in which children are taken by strangers in the most serious way, and are murdered or ransomed, or taken with the intent to keep.

That's not thousands. So it's very important that parents keep this in perspective, that they talk to their kids about it, and that they empower their children.

With very small children, clearly, there's no substitute for supervision. And as kids get older, it's important that kids understand that they should go places with other kids, that their parents should know where they are, and that they have the power to say no if someone approaches them or touches them in a way that makes them feel uncomfortable...

LIN: Right.

ALLEN: ...they need to say no. They need to get away from it. And they need to tell some trusted adult.

LIN: Ernie, you raise a really good point, because here she was taken from a mobile home. OK? I imagine it's not a mansion. All right. This guy gets inside, gets to her bedside, manages to get her out. Why didn't she scream? Why didn't she kick? Why didn't she fight? She was nine-years old? I mean, at least a child of some physical substance.

ALLEN: Well, Carol, we don't know all the facts and the circumstances yet about how Jessica was taken and what the circumstances were.

LIN: I mean, what could be the - what might - given your experience, what might - how might the scenario have played out in that span of time?

ALLEN: Well, the vast majority of these cases do not involve pure strangers. The vast majority of them involve someone known, at least casually, to the child.

LIN: So you think that she may have...

ALLEN: This offender was in the neighborhood.

LIN: OK.

ALLEN: Maybe she knew him. The most important thing that people need to understand is that for kids, strangers cease to be strangers very quickly.

LIN: Yes.

ALLEN: If it's somebody that they know, they've seen before, they've talked to as a friend of dad's, is somebody they know from the neighborhood...

LIN: Oh, Ernie, you've hit it. It is that level of trust. And it is that innocence and the violation of that, that has really struck a chord with people.

You know what people are saying about what should happen to this guy? I mean, you know what, I don't even need to go into the details when people talk about crime and punishment in a matter like this, where he's actually confessed to this crime.

ALLEN: Well, I mean, this is the ultimate betrayal, taking a child, violating a child, killing a child is sort of the ultimate violation of our fundamental bonds as a society.

And the fact that this man was already a registered sex offender. And Carol, we think it's important that your viewers understand there are 400,000 registered sex offenders in the United States. The vast majority of which have been convicted of crimes against kids.

Kids are the single most victimized segment of our population in sex offenses. So we really need to wake up America to the risk that our kids face.

LIN: Right. Ernie Allen, thank you.

ALLEN: Thank you, Carol.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: Now at one point, police had not ruled out Jessica Lunsford's father and grandmother as suspects. So Jessica's grieving father, Mark Lunsford, is going to talk about the family's ordeal on "LARRY KING LIVE" Monday night at 9:00 Eastern.

I'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: The woman held hostage by Atlanta courthouse shooting suspect Brian Nichols has seen more than her share of trouble. Ashley Smith is a widow and a mother of a five-year old daughter. Her husband Daniel Max Smith, Jr. was killed in a brawl four years ago. And the case has never been solved.

Joel Smith is Ashley Smith's brother-in-law, brother of her slain husband. And he joins me now from Augusta, Georgia.

Joel, it had to have been just fantastic when you saw Ashley on the news and the big break in the Brian Nichols case.

JOEL SMITH, ASHLEY SMITH'S BROTHER-IN-LAW: Yes. It really was. It was pretty, you know, it brought back a lot of memories of my brother.

LIN: I'm sure.

SMITH: Just kind of rough.

LIN: Yes. Have you had a chance to talk to Ashley? And if so, what has she said about the murder investigation and what might happen next?

SMITH: Well, I talked to her one time. I was sick last week. And I was at the doctor and she called me. And I believe that my brother's case is going to be solved through all of this. That's what we're really hoping for. And that's what I strongly believe.

LIN: Daniel Max Smith, Jr., what happened on that night four years ago?

SMITH: Well, they just went out on a Friday night and got into a brawl. And Mack got stabbed in the heart. It's a lot to it. It's a good bit to it.

LIN: When Ashley was talking to Brian Nichols and talking about the death of her husband, what would she have said to him about Mack, your brother?

SMITH: Brian, I'm sorry?

LIN: When Ashley Smith was talking to Brian Nichols that night, when she was being held hostage, and she had the chance to tell her story to this man, who had - she knew had been on some kind of killing rampage, what would she have said about your brother and your brother's murder that would have struck a chord in Brian Nichols?

SMITH: Well, I'm sure she talked about, you know, him getting stabbed and dying in her arms, and leaving behind, you know, a wife and a daughter.

I'm sure that was pretty devastating. And tried to make him understand, you know, what she had went through and maybe what the families were going through now, because of what he had done.

LIN: So what makes you think that, given the spotlight now on her your sister-in-law, what makes you think there might be a break in your brother's murder investigation?

SMITH: Well, because it happened four years ago. And people were young. And they're a little older now. And they're wanting to speak. You know, people are wanting to talk because somebody - they know what happened.

And the police have pretty good evidence. I mean, pretty good leads. New people are speaking now. And...

LIN: You have hope. Joel Smith, wouldn't that be wonderful if two cases could be solved? That would be a miracle indeed. I hope you...

SMITH: Oh, it would...

LIN: Go ahead.

SMITH: ...it would be awesome. I would love for my dad to have closure and for us to have closure. Mostly my dad. It really messed up the family.

LIN: Yes. And I know it severely affected Ashley Smith as well. Thank you very much, Joel Smith. I hope you do get the break in the case of your brother's murder that we're all hoping to see.

SMITH: Thanks.

LIN: We've got much more ahead here on CNN SATURDAY NIGHT, as we cover all the top stories. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: So can a homeless black man find success as a pot smoking black grandmother? The answer is yes. Not that many years ago, Tyler Perry was on the streets. And now he's a successful writer, producer, actor. And his latest project is "Diary of a Mad Black Woman" in which he stars in a most unlikely role.

The film is about a woman whose husband kicks her out of their mansion for another woman. Well, earlier, I talked to Perry.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: Tyler, congratulations on the success. This movie, the play was huge, and the movie seems to be getting even bigger.

TYLER PERRY, WRITER, PRODUCER, ACTOR: Yes, I'm so grateful for it. I really am humbled by it. It's been amazing.

LIN: Well, your characters represent the life that you lived. You draw from your own life experience. So when you look at the title, "Diary of a Mad Black Woman," what do you know about being crazy? And what do you know about being a black woman?

PERRY: I tell you, you know, I grew up at my mother's hip. So I watched her endure a lot of things. So when I'm writing for a woman, I'm totally thinking about her and the things that she endured, a wonderful woman who dealt with so much stuff that I got a lot of experiences from her.

LIN: But you yourself play a woman in your own...

PERRY: Yes.

LIN: ...creation. You play Medea, the pistol packing, pot smoking grandmother.

PERRY: Yes. This character was born in about '98 or '99, after I watched Eddie Murphy do "The Nutty Professor," I thought, you know, I'm going to try a female character and see what happens. And I thought who can I base it on? And I thought, my mother and my aunt, because they are hilarious women.

But there's a PG version of Medea.

LIN: Oh, yes?

PERRY: Yes, well Medea's the PG version of them, actually. They are the rated R version. Yes.

LIN: So you're telling me that your mother and your aunt smoke pot and know how to use...

PERRY: I'm not going to say that on CNN, but I will you handle that. My mother has glaucoma.

LIN: OK. All right, but clearly, a woman with a lot of guts.

PERRY: Yes.

LIN: Your main character, Helen, here she had the perfect life. 18 years into a marriage that brought her money and prestige. Her husband walks through the door and says, "I am going to leave you. You must leave the mansion. And the woman, my mistress is moving in."

This story about love and redemption, what is it about this story that you think has really tapped into the zeitgeist out there in society, that has made this movie so popular?

PERRY: The thing about it is it's a universal story, even though it's "Diary of a Mad Black Woman," it's a totally universal story that so many people are finding because we all want answers to our questions.

A lot of women have been in this situation. And they want to know about what do I do? How do I forgive? How do I get over this? How do I move on?

And it's the great way to blend the humor and the drama and the spiritual element, which is very important to me. You know, the God element in it, to show people that there is a way to get past this. And there is a way to forgive.

LIN: Because most people - you know, I shouldn't say most people, but some people who grew up as you did, dirt poor, maybe with no hope on the horizon, would not be as - I don't know - as positive about the outcome. And what was it about your life - what was the turning point in your teen years that got you to write about the subject matter, to grasp it, and to turn it into a success?

PERRY: The thing about it for me was I was watching an Oprah show one day. And she said it was cathartic to write things down. And I started writing down all of my childhood stuff. And that will eventually become my first play, "I Know I've Been Changed."

And that, for me, was the turning point. And from that moment until this moment, it's always been about - I learned the power of words when she spoke to me. And I wanted to have that same kind of influence on others when I used my words to help other people.

LIN: Tyler Perry, having an Oprah moment. All right. That is the key for - Tyler, good luck with the movie. And good luck...

PERRY: Thank you, Carol. I appreciate it.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: He was really fun. That's all the time we have for this evening. But we're going to leave you with your responses to our "last call" question. Who do you think should have the final say in Terri Schiavo's life? Here's what you had to say. Have a great night.

CALLER: Her mother and her father, sister and brother, I think is a human to make her die of starvation.

CALLER: I think her husband should have the final say. I agree with him completely. Politicians are interfering in his personal life.

CALLER: It should absolutely be a decision of her husband. The government, especially the national government, has no right to get involved in a case like this.

CALLER: So I think it should be up to her parents. And I don't know why he can't just give legal custody over to them, seeing that he wants no part of her anymore.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com


Aired March 19, 2005 - 10:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: This is CNN SATURDAY NIGHT.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAEL SCHIAVO, TERRI SCHIAVO'S HUSBAND: ...my personal life, and they're getting in the middle of something they know nothing about.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LIN: Terri Schiavo's husband fights for his wife's right to die. The question tonight, should the government have a say in this decision?

And the man whom police say confessed to kidnapping and killing nine-year old Jessica Lunsford is on his way back to Florida to face charges.

Plus, Ashley Smith, the hero whose life has not been easy. Her husband died in her arms, a victim of a crime that's never been solved. Tonight, I'll talk to her brother-in-law about how her new found fame may help solve her husband's death.

These stories and a lot more next on CNN SATURDAY NIGHT.

Good evening. I'm Carol Lin from the CNN Center in Atlanta. And straight ahead this hour, the battle over Terri Schiavo. Tonight, I'll talk to her brother about his family's fight to save her. And also, in the wake of this week's Florida case, keeping your kids safe, how you and your child can prevent the kidnapping from happening. And the second anniversary of the Iraq War. Mixed reviews around the world and mixed views right here at home. So the voices weigh in, straight ahead.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARK LUNSFORD, JESSICA'S FATHER: ...love your children this much. And no one or nothing will come between you and them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LIN: We begin tonight, though, with a heartbroken father, philosophical after the worst news of his life. Now this is a small Gulf Coast Florida town, galvanized in grief tonight after the body of nine-year old Jessica Lunsford is finally discovered. And we have new developments to tell you about regarding the search for young Jessica. The man police say took her life has actually helped investigators find her body, coming up.

But we want to take you now to our top story and a family's painful struggle. It is one that began in a hospice room, migrated to Florida courtroom, then today, all the way to Capitol Hill and the White House.

This is the fight surrounding Terri Schiavo. President Bush is now joining it by leaving his Texas ranch early in case his signature is needed on a bipartisan congressional bill that aims to put this right to die case right back into court.

A feeding tube keeping the brain damaged woman alive was removed about 32 hours ago in compliance with a Florida court order. The story of Terri Schiavo right now is long and complicated and it pits an anguished family against itself and the legal system.

CNN'S Joe Johns is here with the very latest.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOE JOHNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Working together on a Saturday under extraordinary circumstances, members of both houses and both parties joined together in an effort to save the life of Terri Schiavo.

SEN. TOM DELAY (R), SENATE MAJORITY LEADER: Under the legislation we will soon consider, Terri Schiavo will have another chance.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are confident that this compromise addresses everyone's concerns. We are confident it will provide Ms. Schiavo a clear and appropriate avenue for appeal in federal court. And most importantly, we are confident that this compromise will restore nutrition and hydration to Ms. Schiavo as long as that appeal endures.

JOHNS: The deal, which still needs to be approved formally, would allow Schiavo's parents to take the case to federal court. And lawmakers say it would all but require the new judge to order her feeding tube reinserted.

It was a second try at a legislative solution in a week. And this time, it was far less acrimonious.

SEN. RICK SANTORUM (R), PENNSYLVANIA: ...getting the agreement by Senator Reed. Senator Harkin is representative here today. I think it shows a fine moment of bipartisanship.

JOHNS: The bill is expected to pass either Sunday or Monday, although prospects for a quick passage took a hit when Florida Congressman Bob Wexler said he would object to any attempt to pass it by unanimous consent.

But the measure appears sure to pass in the end. And the president is expected to sign it, triggering the court case and reinsertion of the tube after it was removed on Friday.

Under the legislation, a federal court is instructed to consider the case as if it were brand new, wiping out years of rulings by state courts that Schiavo should be allowed to die, according to her husband's wishes.

SEN. MEL MARTINEZ (R), FLORIDA: It's the trial all over again. Trial anew.

SEN. TOM HARKIN (D), IOWA: Anew. Trial anew.

MARTINEZ: Start all over again.

JOHNS: The legislation was narrowly tailored to apply only to Schiavo, but lawmakers made it clear they want to examine the rights of the severely disabled in similar situations.

HARKIN: There are a lot of people in the shadows all over this country, who are incapacitated because of a disability. And many times, there's no one to speak for them. And it's hard to determine what their wishes really area or were.

JOHNS (on camera): It's important to note that this does not assure Terri Schiavo would be kept alive indefinitely. That would be up to the federal courts.

Joe Johns, CNN, Capitol Hill.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: So now we've already reported that President Bush is cutting short his time at his Texas ranch to possibly take part in the Schiavo case. So straight to Waco and CNN's Dana Bash with more on that.

Dana, has the president already boarded his plane?

DANA BASH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Not quite yet, Carol. He's going to leave, we are told, tomorrow morning at 11:00 local time. He'll be back in Washington at the White House tomorrow afternoon.

Now as Joe was just reporting, this is unlikely to actually get to the president's desk probably until Monday, but what Scott McClellan, the president's spokesman, said is that the president wants to be ready for anything to happen for this to get his desk. Why? Because you see on the screen, he said this is "about defending life." And McClellan said that even a few hours from their perspective could make a difference.

Now you saw the quote, "defending life." That is really the key here from the White House perspective, from conservatives' perspective, that this is what they call a culture of life issue. You hear that when the president and other conservatives talk about the issue of abortion, but it is much broader from the conservative point of view that abortion - this is a particular issue that has really become a rallying cry over the past several days for this broader issue, but it's also something that is near and dear to the Bush family, Carol.

Of course, President Bush's brother is the governor of Florida. He has been highly involved in this, very emotional about it, and has tried to be -- has tried to fight taking the feeding tube out for years. So President Bush is going back, says that he will sign this bill, as soon as it gets to his desk, no matter what time that is, Carol.

LIN: All right, thanks very much, Dana, for those new developments out of Waco.

Now behind all of the legalese and the injunctions, the appeals, the stays, the delays, this is fundamentally the story of a 41-year old woman with a loving, but torn family, torn over what action they feel is Terri's true wish for herself.

Her husband, Michael Schiavo, told CNN today what's happening to Terri is long overdue.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAEL SCHIAVO, TERRI'S HUSBAND: I have a sense of relief for Terri. I feel that this is -- this is her time. This is -- this is going to work for Terri. She's going to finally be at peace.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LIN: Well at odds with Michael Schiavo, Terri's parents, who firmly do not believe their daughter would want her life to end this way.

But despite their strong and vocal resistance, they, like us, can only watch at this point while the system decides Terri Schiavo's fate.

CNN'S Bob Franken has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BOB FRANKEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Terri Schiavo's parents and sister walk past the small group of right to life activists into the hospice for a visit, even while many of the politicians in Washington struggle to find a way to reinsert the feeding tube. It had been removed Friday.

MARY SCHINDLER, TERRI SCHIAVO'S MOTHER: She is my life. I am begging Governor Bush and the politicians in Tallahassee, President Bush, the politicians in Washington, please, please, please save my little girl.

FRANKEN: In Washington, it's actually congressional leaders, mainly Republican, who have put the final touches on the bill they expect to result in the feeding tube being reconnected to Terri Schiavo within the next two weeks or so. Otherwise, she would starve to death.

Her husband, who has fought so many years to have the tube removed, charges the newest delaying tactics are blatant politics.

MICHAEL SCHIAVO, TERRI'S HUSBAND: They're stepping into my personal life. And they're getting in the middle of something they know nothing about.

FRANKEN: The bill's congressional reporters insist they have no choice.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: None of us likes the fact that we are here.

FRANKEN: And here at the hospice, the organized protest leaders were keeping a tight clamp on any civil disobedience, to avoid any disruption to the delegate negotiations in Washington.

They quickly disavowed the action of Bo Rights (ph), the once prominent former Special Forces operative, who was arrested for trespassing when he tried to get inside to feed Terri Schiavo water.

(on camera): As the battle is fought on the turf of politics and public relations, Terri Schiavo, from her peaceful surroundings inside, is silent, as the debate rages whether her death would be mercy or murder.

Bob Franken, CNN, Pinellas Park, Florida.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: So this particular story has come down to this -- the family, the courts, Congress. Why don't you weigh in on this? Leave it to our last call question. Who do you think should have the final say on Terri Schiavo's life? Give us a call at 1-800-807-2620.

Now I have an update on Florida's other heartbreaking incident -- the disappearance and the death of nine-year old Jessica Marie Lunsford. The man police say took Jessica from her home and killed her, and buried her [sic] is on her way back to Florida tonight from Augusta, Georgia. That is where he was arrested on Thursday.

46-year old John Evander Couey is a convicted sex offender with a long record. He allegedly confessed to killing the girl.

And Jessica's body was recovered before dawn today, exactly where her alleged killer told police it would be. A family and a community's torment enters a new chapter now.

So CNN's Sara Dorsey has more on that.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SARA DORSEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A community devastated.

MARK LUNSFORD, JESSICA LUNSFORD'S FATHER: She's home now and it's over.

DORSEY: A family destroyed. And a vibrant 9-year-old girl, her future ripped away. SHERIFF JEFF DAWSY, CITRUS COUNTY, FLORIDA: And in the early morning hours, somewhere between 3:30 and 4:30, we recovered Jessica.

DORSEY: Jessica Lunsford had her life ahead of her, but police say three weeks ago, John Couey, a convicted child molester with a rap sheet spanning three decades would forever change the Lunsford family when he snatched Jessica from her home in the night.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Tonight, the search goes on for little Jessie Lunsford.

DORSEY: Hundreds of people began a frantic search just after Jessica disappeared, none knowing Jessica's body lay in a shallow grave only yards from her own home. Her confessed killer was caught on camera by a Georgia TV station in a bar drinking a beer and laughing. The reporter, unaware of who John Couey was, but once authorities caught up with Couey, a confession, the first major break in a case that seemed to be going nowhere.

DAWSY: This guy is not a quality person by any means. And you know, he has also, to my knowledge, is a crack head. And I don't think we're actually ever going to be able to get a valid time line about him. He's truly a piece of trash.

DORSEY: Investigators converged on Couey's home and after less than 12 hours, Jessica's body was unearthed.

M. LUNSFORD: Jessie's home now and she's right here with me.

DORSEY: Later in the day, after hearing of his daughter's fate, Mark Lunsford, a rock through this entire ordeal, led a rolling memorial, over 300 people deep. Meanwhile, investigators continue building their case against John Couey. Three others are charged with obstruction of justice in this case for failing to lead law enforcement to Couey. Three weeks of uncertainty solved. A little girl will finally get the proper burial her family wants.

BRYANT: Now, I love her, and I always have and I always will.

DORSEY: Sara Dorsey, CNN, Homosassa, Florida.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: And still to come on CNN SATURDAY NIGHT, I spoke with the head of a national organization dedicated to ending the exploitation of kids. So please stay with me for that discussion.

In the meantime, a powerful earthquake rumbled through southern Japan about an hour ago, triggering tsunami warnings. The magnitude 7.0 quake was centered off Japan's southern most main island. It caused buildings to sway, caused water mains to snap, and tripped automatic circuit breakers to halt rail and train service. There are no immediate reports of any injuries. Keeping an eye on that one as it develops overseas.

In the meantime, we want to turn the political spotlight on Terri Schiavo.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BOBBY SCHINDLER, TERRI SCHIAVO'S BROTHER: We're hopeful. We're very grateful with what Congress is doing to help save my sister's life.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LIN: Up next, you are going to hear from people on both sides of the issue, including her brother Bobby.

Also, taking a stand. It's been two years, but emotions are still riding high over the war in Iraq.

And it's been quite a week for Ashley Smith, the woman who helped police find the suspected Atlanta courthouse killer. But a bit later, I'm going to talk live to a family member on her incredible story and her husband's murder.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: Back now to the hour's top story, that of Terri Schiavo. She lies in a Florida hospice tonight more than a day after her feeding tube was removed by court order.

Terri's fate rests now in a congressional effort, that if successful, is the only thing that will save her life. A short time ago, I spoke with Bobby Schindler, Terri Schiavo's brother.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: Bobby, what do you think's going to happen next?

BOBBY SCHINDLER, TERRI SCHIAVO'S BROTHER: Well, I'm hopeful that the bill that has been in Congress is going to get passed tomorrow. We're hopeful. We're very grateful with what Congress is doing to help save my sister's life, but I think people still have to contact, pick up their phones and contact their state -- you know, their U.S. senators and their congressman and ask them to please pass this bill to help save my sister's life.

LIN: I've taken a look at the draft of this bill. It is very specific to your parents. It's very specific to your sister. What happens if the bill passes, this case goes to federal court, and Michael Schiavo, the legal guardian, the husband, files an appeal?

SCHINDLER: Well, I'm not an attorney. So I don't know, you know what would happen...

LIN: I mean, we are talking about a series of delays potentially, right?

SCHINDLER: Right.

LIN: And the feeding tube was disconnected as of 1:45 Friday afternoon.

SCHINDLER: Right. Yes, I don't know if -- you know what would happen if an appeal was filed. I certainly hope the federal judge would know the -- you know, the consequences if the feeding tube isn't inserted immediately. So I would just hope that he would act in accordance to the new law.

LIN: Your parents have been spending quite a bit of time at your sister's bedside since the feeding tube was disconnected. What sort of physical condition is she in when you now consider that time is ticking away?

SCHINDLER: Well, it's only really been about a day. And I just spoke to my parents just a little while ago. And they said Terri's doing -- seems to be doing fine.

But as you can imagine, this is extremely difficult on my parents to have to sit and watch their daughter being slowly starved to death. You know, we love our -- we love Terri. I love my sister. And I got to tell you, I'm just so proud of her these last 15 years. And she is showing just an incredible will to leave. And she hasn't given up on her family in 15 years. And we're certainly not going to give up on her. She needs a chance at therapy and rehabilitation. And there's doctors that are standing by to provide that for her. And we just want that chance. And we just want to bring Terri home and take care of her.

LIN: Michael [sic], do you think she has any comprehension of the events that are unfolding? Are your parents talking to her, trying to get her to respond in any way to these events?

SCHINDLER: Well, we always try to talk to Terri and stimulate Terri the best we can, because as I said, she's not receiving any rehabilitation or therapy.

But you know, in the past, when I talk to Terri, or my family talks to Terri, we generally don't bring up, you know, anything that's bad news. And we just try to keep it a very light and just fill her with positive thoughts, and tell her that we're trying our best to get her home with the family again.

LIN: But is Terri aware of the circumstances? Does she understand? Have your parents made the effort to explain to her that the feeding tube has been disconnected and what her situation is?

SCHINDLER: I believe Terri knows what's going on. According to Barbara Weller yesterday, Terri evidently...

LIN: One of the family attorneys...

SCHINDLER: ...right. Terri evidently was trying to speak yesterday. And she was very moved by Terri trying to tell her she believes that she wanted to live.

So I believe Terri does know what's going on now, the situation. But as I said, my parents, we try not to focus on that, and try to tell her positive things. And we're trying our hardest to bring her home.

LIN: Bobby Schindler, thank you very much for being with us tonight.

SCHINDLER: Thank you for having me.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: All right, there he is, Bobby Schindler, speaking out on behalf of Terri Schiavo's family and continuing with the talk tonight, the other side of this delicate and polarizing issue.

Joining me from Tampa, Florida, Hamden Baskin III, the attorney representing Terri Schiavo's husband, Michael.

Mr. Baskin, clearly, the Schindlers are making an emotional argument. He was -- Bobby Schindler was saying that he hopes that if this gets to a federal judge, that he understand that time is ticking away for his sister. But frankly, it really does get down to a constitutional question, doesn't it? I mean, even if this law passes the House, is there a federal judge in this country that would take on this case?

HAMDEN BASKIN, III, MICHAEL SCHIAVO'S ATTORNEY: Well, what we would expect is that it would be brought over to the federal district court in Tampa. And one of the district judges there will examine the law. And we believe that it literally will be declared unconstitutional on arrival.

LIN: On what basis?

BASKIN: Well, on a number of bases. Of course, we haven't seen the precise language in the bill yet. But certainly, to have the United States Congress pass a special bill for an individual, which overrules over five years of litigation in both the state and federal courts. Terri's right to privacy was determined five years ago. And it has been affirmed in all state levels, both Florida supreme court, all the district court levels, as it's been in the district court, federal district court twice. It's been up to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Terri's right to privacy has been adjudicated. And if you can imagine the constitutional crisis that this is going to set up, where a special bill will go through to undo what our judiciary has done over the years is an abomination.

And we're very disappointed, quite frankly. And Michael also asked me to mention that he is amazed that all of the attention placed in this case by Congress, and now I understand the president will be flying in to make sure he can sign the bill, when there are so many other important issues that need the congressional attention. And this case has been adjudicated. And to overrule the judiciary is an absolute crime.

LIN: Well, has it ever been -- I mean, for -- this isn't the only case that has come before the federal courts before. I mean, has -- I mean, this is not necessarily precedent setting. It's just getting a lot of publicity.

BASKIN: Well, except to the extent that Terri's rights have been federally and -- have been adjudicated time after time in the state court. And they are final. The judiciary has taken its final act in this case.

LIN: So why do you think Congress went to the trouble to specifically name this bill as relief for Terri Schiavo's parents? I mean, they're specifically named that the president is getting on Air Force One tomorrow morning to sign legislation.

BASKIN: Well, of course, I can't surmise why they would do that. But it seems to us that that would place the bill and even further unfirm grounds. It is not a general bill. It is a specific bill to overrule the orders of courts of confident jurisdiction. And it simply can't stand.

LIN: You can't write a bill for one individual, right?

BASKIN: No, you can't. No, you can't. Hopefully not in this country. It happens in third world countries. But this is a country of laws. And we...

LIN: Laws that apply to all people?

BASKIN: To all people. And to have the law thrown out is something that all Americans should be very, very concerned about.

LIN: Mr. Baskin, I've got to ask you. Michael was at Terri's bedside after the tube was disconnected.

BASKIN: Yes.

LIN: Was there was conversation at that time he had with her? And if so, what did he say?

BASKIN: Well, I can tell you that I was not present myself. Attorney Bushnell was there. And perhaps at a later date, you can ask her. But Terri was determined to a medical certainty to have no electrical activity in her brain, except for the brain stem. This has been determined on two separate occasions.

LIN: So it was not an emotional visit, then?

BASKIN: Well, for certainly it was for Michael. But Terri does, from what you have seen, and I certainly wasn't there. Terri is not capable of an emotional reaction.

LIN: Hamden Baskin, Michael Schiavo's attorney, thank you very much for being with us tonight.

BASKIN: Thank you for having us.

LIN: We want you folks out there to weigh in on this issue. Don't forget our last call question. Who do you think should have a final say on Terri Schiavo's life? Give us a call at 1-800-807-2620.

In the meantime, more bloodshed marks the two year anniversary of the war in Iraq. Details straight ahead, as thousands, thousands hit the street worldwide in protest. We're going to take a look at public opinion on Iraq.

And later from rags to riches, to number one at the box office, you are going to go inside "The Diary of a Mad Black Woman" with producer Tyler Perry.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: Antiwar rallies around the country and the world mark today's second anniversary of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq. And about 3,000 activists gathered peacefully in Fayetteville, North Carolina, home to Fort Bragg and the Army's 82nd Airborne Division. A hundred counterprotesters held signs and waved American flags.

Now, by far the largest demonstration took place in London. Police estimate 45,000 people marched past the U.S. Embassy, some carrying signs demanding British troops be brought home from Iraq.

And several thousand protesters took to the streets in Rome today. They demanded the immediate pull out of Italian troops from Iraq. Italy has committed 3,000 troops to the U.S. led coalition.

But in Iraq itself, the second anniversary of the war was marked by more bloodshed. Insurgents killed two Iraqi contractors in a drive-by shooting. And three Iraqi police officers were killed in a bombing.

In the United States, public opinion and the political fortunes of the war's chief architects have risen and fallen, as developments in Iraq have unfolded.

So CNN's Judy Woodruff has that story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DONALD RUMSFELD, SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: When one thinks of Iraq today, compared to what it was just two short years ago, the changes are truly remarkable.

JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): The same might be said about the politics of Iraq here in the United States. Just after the invasion, 23 percent of Americans said they thought it was a mistake to send U.S. troops there. Two years later, twice as many people, 47 percent, think the war was a mistake. And they are divided about whether the U.S. is winning the ongoing battle against Iraqi insurgents.

But at the same time, recent polling suggests the public is more optimistic about Iraq's future and the spread of democracy after January elections.

With other Middle Eastern nations making their own moves toward democracy, President Bush has new ammunition for his next campaign, to secure his legacy.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Hopefully the march of freedom continues way after my presidency.

WOODRUFF: Over the past two years, the president has been both praised and vilified for his Iraq policy. The architects of the invasion have been along for the roller coaster ride.

Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld went from war time superstar to political target. But he managed to hold onto his job nevertheless.

While a far more reluctant Iraq warrior, Colin Powell, has left the Bush cabinet and the State Department, paving the way for Condoleezza Rice's promotion.

Even Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz, a lightning rod for criticism of the Iraq War, is preparing to move onto a bigger job, head of the World Bank.

PAUL WOLFOWITZ, DEPUTY SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: This is a mission in which people are looking for leadership.

WOODRUFF: As for the Democrats, losing the White House did not stop them from tapping one of the most prominent Iraq War critics to head their party.

And their '04 nominee John Kerry still thinks the administration's policy falls short, even if it did help plant the seeds of democracy in Iraq.

SEN. JOHN KERRY (D), MASSACHUSETTS: I still believe we could be doing a more effective job of transitioning, were we to have more of the world at our side in this effort.

WOODRUFF: Judy Woodruff, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: She leaned on her faith during a moment of crisis. But tonight, you are going to hear from a relative of Ashley Smith on her tragic past and the prospects for a better future.

Also in the wake of the killing of the nine-year old Florida girl, you are going to hear from a child advocate on protecting your kids.

And don't forget our last call question. Who do you think should have the final say on Terri Schiavo's life? Give us a call at 1-800-807-2620.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: I'm back now with this hour's top stories. Terri Schiavo, a disabled woman in Florida, for 15 years in what doctors call a vegetative state, lying at the center of a long swirling battle.

U.S. senators and representatives met today and will meet again tomorrow to possibly present the presidents with a bill that will put off the inevitable.

Joining me now from Washington, House Republican Steve King of Iowa. And from Portland, Oregon, House Democrat Earl Blumenauer.

Gentlemen, welcome. I know both of you have been knee deep, waist deep in this legislation and the back and forth. Let me start with you, Representative King. What makes you think that Congress can and should write a law that is specific to one family as the bill reads that is for the relief of the parents of Theresa Marie Schiavo?

REP. STEVE KING (R), IOWA: Well, Terri Schiavo deserves equal protection under the law, just like any other American citizen. And it's a constitutional right that she has. Any murderer, any mass murderer would have due process that would allow them to appeal all the way up to the United States Supreme Court.

It's not been the case for Terri Schiavo. We've got an obligation to protect our citizens. And that's the reason we need to step in. She's not seen, in my opinion, the opportunity to appeal for her life.

LIN: I want to play for both of you an earlier interview that CNN did with Michael Schiavo, the legal guardian and Terri Schiavo's husband. This is what he had to say about the legislation pending.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SCHIAVO: I should be with my wife right now, holding her hand, but I felt the importance to get out there and talk about what the Congress, this government is doing. They're stepping into my personal life and they're getting in the middle of something they know nothing about. They don't have the facts, and it's sad. It's sad what this government is doing. If they can do it to me, they'll do it to everybody in this country.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LIN: Congressman Blumenauer, is there anything in this bill that protects other families from Congressional intervention?

REP. EARL BLUMENAUER (D), OREGON: Absolutely not. What you're seeing here is an unprecedented intrusion. Representative King is just simply wrong. This has been litigated. It's been in the eye of controversy for the last five years. Anybody who's been following this knows that this has been going back and forth.

What we're seeing here is an unprecedented action on the part of Congress to reach down and interfere with this individual family. No small amount of irony. This is the same Republican Congress that last fall said that the federal courts weren't confident or trustworthy enough to make a decision on same sex marriage or pledge of allegiance. But now they're going to force this family to have one more hurdle to deal with, in a most personal of decisions.

LIN: What...

BLUMENAUER: It's wrong and it's outrageous.

LIN: Congressman King, I mean you're - Congressman, you're well versed on constitutional law, but the constitution. I mean, we're talking about a basic issue of federalism. So how is this bill going to even stand up to a constitutional test? Three experts tonight have told me that a federal judge will never accept this case?

KING: Well, it's obvious to me that Representative Blumenauer has not read the bill. And I'm not confident those other experts have read the bill. I have the read the bill. And we have drafted language that is very - it's very specific language. It's specific language to Terri Schiavo, but also, it broadens that into a sense of Congress that we will take a look at other similar cases of people who are incapacitated.

And it's clear to me that Michael Schiavo has a conflict of interest. And he has been able to benefit from court settlements and medical malpractice suits over in the millions of dollars. And a lot of that money has been spent. Much of it's gone to attorneys.

We need to have a provision to protect the rights of people when there's a conflict of interest, when they have a guardian that's not acting in their best interest.

LIN: Congressman Blumenauer, is this a shoo-in? I mean, is this going to pass the House tomorrow?

BLUMENAUER: Well, they can probably jam it through the House. It's not a shoo-in that it's going to pass muster with the federal courts. And it's something that the American public understands is an intrusion in their liberty.

The bill that they tried to - and in fact, they passed through the House, would have allowed them to interfere with the living wills that so many Americans have already executed. They're in dangerous ground here. And the more American public understands it, the more they're going to push back. And ultimately, they will fail.

LIN: All right, the vote's scheduled for tomorrow afternoon. Thank you very much, Congressman Blumenauer...

KING: Thank you.

LIN: ...Congressman King. We'll see what happens.

BLUMENAUER: Thank you.

LIN: Once again, this bill gives the right of the federal courts to review Terri Schiavo's case.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: The tragic murder of Jessica Lunsford focuses new attention on missing and exploited children. Jessica's body was found a few hundred yards from the home where she lived with her father and grandparents.

Ernie Allen is the president and CEO of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. And I spoke with him earlier tonight about this case.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: Ernie, the shock of Jessica Lunsford's murder is - it's what people are talking about now. I mean, what can you possibly do to protect your children when this girl was taken right out of her bed?

ERNIE ALLEN, MISSING CHILDREN ADVOCATE: Well, I think our first message to parents is it's very important that you not be paralyzed by fear. This needs to be put into context. There are about 100 cases like this a year in which children are taken by strangers in the most serious way, and are murdered or ransomed, or taken with the intent to keep.

That's not thousands. So it's very important that parents keep this in perspective, that they talk to their kids about it, and that they empower their children.

With very small children, clearly, there's no substitute for supervision. And as kids get older, it's important that kids understand that they should go places with other kids, that their parents should know where they are, and that they have the power to say no if someone approaches them or touches them in a way that makes them feel uncomfortable...

LIN: Right.

ALLEN: ...they need to say no. They need to get away from it. And they need to tell some trusted adult.

LIN: Ernie, you raise a really good point, because here she was taken from a mobile home. OK? I imagine it's not a mansion. All right. This guy gets inside, gets to her bedside, manages to get her out. Why didn't she scream? Why didn't she kick? Why didn't she fight? She was nine-years old? I mean, at least a child of some physical substance.

ALLEN: Well, Carol, we don't know all the facts and the circumstances yet about how Jessica was taken and what the circumstances were.

LIN: I mean, what could be the - what might - given your experience, what might - how might the scenario have played out in that span of time?

ALLEN: Well, the vast majority of these cases do not involve pure strangers. The vast majority of them involve someone known, at least casually, to the child.

LIN: So you think that she may have...

ALLEN: This offender was in the neighborhood.

LIN: OK.

ALLEN: Maybe she knew him. The most important thing that people need to understand is that for kids, strangers cease to be strangers very quickly.

LIN: Yes.

ALLEN: If it's somebody that they know, they've seen before, they've talked to as a friend of dad's, is somebody they know from the neighborhood...

LIN: Oh, Ernie, you've hit it. It is that level of trust. And it is that innocence and the violation of that, that has really struck a chord with people.

You know what people are saying about what should happen to this guy? I mean, you know what, I don't even need to go into the details when people talk about crime and punishment in a matter like this, where he's actually confessed to this crime.

ALLEN: Well, I mean, this is the ultimate betrayal, taking a child, violating a child, killing a child is sort of the ultimate violation of our fundamental bonds as a society.

And the fact that this man was already a registered sex offender. And Carol, we think it's important that your viewers understand there are 400,000 registered sex offenders in the United States. The vast majority of which have been convicted of crimes against kids.

Kids are the single most victimized segment of our population in sex offenses. So we really need to wake up America to the risk that our kids face.

LIN: Right. Ernie Allen, thank you.

ALLEN: Thank you, Carol.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: Now at one point, police had not ruled out Jessica Lunsford's father and grandmother as suspects. So Jessica's grieving father, Mark Lunsford, is going to talk about the family's ordeal on "LARRY KING LIVE" Monday night at 9:00 Eastern.

I'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: The woman held hostage by Atlanta courthouse shooting suspect Brian Nichols has seen more than her share of trouble. Ashley Smith is a widow and a mother of a five-year old daughter. Her husband Daniel Max Smith, Jr. was killed in a brawl four years ago. And the case has never been solved.

Joel Smith is Ashley Smith's brother-in-law, brother of her slain husband. And he joins me now from Augusta, Georgia.

Joel, it had to have been just fantastic when you saw Ashley on the news and the big break in the Brian Nichols case.

JOEL SMITH, ASHLEY SMITH'S BROTHER-IN-LAW: Yes. It really was. It was pretty, you know, it brought back a lot of memories of my brother.

LIN: I'm sure.

SMITH: Just kind of rough.

LIN: Yes. Have you had a chance to talk to Ashley? And if so, what has she said about the murder investigation and what might happen next?

SMITH: Well, I talked to her one time. I was sick last week. And I was at the doctor and she called me. And I believe that my brother's case is going to be solved through all of this. That's what we're really hoping for. And that's what I strongly believe.

LIN: Daniel Max Smith, Jr., what happened on that night four years ago?

SMITH: Well, they just went out on a Friday night and got into a brawl. And Mack got stabbed in the heart. It's a lot to it. It's a good bit to it.

LIN: When Ashley was talking to Brian Nichols and talking about the death of her husband, what would she have said to him about Mack, your brother?

SMITH: Brian, I'm sorry?

LIN: When Ashley Smith was talking to Brian Nichols that night, when she was being held hostage, and she had the chance to tell her story to this man, who had - she knew had been on some kind of killing rampage, what would she have said about your brother and your brother's murder that would have struck a chord in Brian Nichols?

SMITH: Well, I'm sure she talked about, you know, him getting stabbed and dying in her arms, and leaving behind, you know, a wife and a daughter.

I'm sure that was pretty devastating. And tried to make him understand, you know, what she had went through and maybe what the families were going through now, because of what he had done.

LIN: So what makes you think that, given the spotlight now on her your sister-in-law, what makes you think there might be a break in your brother's murder investigation?

SMITH: Well, because it happened four years ago. And people were young. And they're a little older now. And they're wanting to speak. You know, people are wanting to talk because somebody - they know what happened.

And the police have pretty good evidence. I mean, pretty good leads. New people are speaking now. And...

LIN: You have hope. Joel Smith, wouldn't that be wonderful if two cases could be solved? That would be a miracle indeed. I hope you...

SMITH: Oh, it would...

LIN: Go ahead.

SMITH: ...it would be awesome. I would love for my dad to have closure and for us to have closure. Mostly my dad. It really messed up the family.

LIN: Yes. And I know it severely affected Ashley Smith as well. Thank you very much, Joel Smith. I hope you do get the break in the case of your brother's murder that we're all hoping to see.

SMITH: Thanks.

LIN: We've got much more ahead here on CNN SATURDAY NIGHT, as we cover all the top stories. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: So can a homeless black man find success as a pot smoking black grandmother? The answer is yes. Not that many years ago, Tyler Perry was on the streets. And now he's a successful writer, producer, actor. And his latest project is "Diary of a Mad Black Woman" in which he stars in a most unlikely role.

The film is about a woman whose husband kicks her out of their mansion for another woman. Well, earlier, I talked to Perry.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: Tyler, congratulations on the success. This movie, the play was huge, and the movie seems to be getting even bigger.

TYLER PERRY, WRITER, PRODUCER, ACTOR: Yes, I'm so grateful for it. I really am humbled by it. It's been amazing.

LIN: Well, your characters represent the life that you lived. You draw from your own life experience. So when you look at the title, "Diary of a Mad Black Woman," what do you know about being crazy? And what do you know about being a black woman?

PERRY: I tell you, you know, I grew up at my mother's hip. So I watched her endure a lot of things. So when I'm writing for a woman, I'm totally thinking about her and the things that she endured, a wonderful woman who dealt with so much stuff that I got a lot of experiences from her.

LIN: But you yourself play a woman in your own...

PERRY: Yes.

LIN: ...creation. You play Medea, the pistol packing, pot smoking grandmother.

PERRY: Yes. This character was born in about '98 or '99, after I watched Eddie Murphy do "The Nutty Professor," I thought, you know, I'm going to try a female character and see what happens. And I thought who can I base it on? And I thought, my mother and my aunt, because they are hilarious women.

But there's a PG version of Medea.

LIN: Oh, yes?

PERRY: Yes, well Medea's the PG version of them, actually. They are the rated R version. Yes.

LIN: So you're telling me that your mother and your aunt smoke pot and know how to use...

PERRY: I'm not going to say that on CNN, but I will you handle that. My mother has glaucoma.

LIN: OK. All right, but clearly, a woman with a lot of guts.

PERRY: Yes.

LIN: Your main character, Helen, here she had the perfect life. 18 years into a marriage that brought her money and prestige. Her husband walks through the door and says, "I am going to leave you. You must leave the mansion. And the woman, my mistress is moving in."

This story about love and redemption, what is it about this story that you think has really tapped into the zeitgeist out there in society, that has made this movie so popular?

PERRY: The thing about it is it's a universal story, even though it's "Diary of a Mad Black Woman," it's a totally universal story that so many people are finding because we all want answers to our questions.

A lot of women have been in this situation. And they want to know about what do I do? How do I forgive? How do I get over this? How do I move on?

And it's the great way to blend the humor and the drama and the spiritual element, which is very important to me. You know, the God element in it, to show people that there is a way to get past this. And there is a way to forgive.

LIN: Because most people - you know, I shouldn't say most people, but some people who grew up as you did, dirt poor, maybe with no hope on the horizon, would not be as - I don't know - as positive about the outcome. And what was it about your life - what was the turning point in your teen years that got you to write about the subject matter, to grasp it, and to turn it into a success?

PERRY: The thing about it for me was I was watching an Oprah show one day. And she said it was cathartic to write things down. And I started writing down all of my childhood stuff. And that will eventually become my first play, "I Know I've Been Changed."

And that, for me, was the turning point. And from that moment until this moment, it's always been about - I learned the power of words when she spoke to me. And I wanted to have that same kind of influence on others when I used my words to help other people.

LIN: Tyler Perry, having an Oprah moment. All right. That is the key for - Tyler, good luck with the movie. And good luck...

PERRY: Thank you, Carol. I appreciate it.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: He was really fun. That's all the time we have for this evening. But we're going to leave you with your responses to our "last call" question. Who do you think should have the final say in Terri Schiavo's life? Here's what you had to say. Have a great night.

CALLER: Her mother and her father, sister and brother, I think is a human to make her die of starvation.

CALLER: I think her husband should have the final say. I agree with him completely. Politicians are interfering in his personal life.

CALLER: It should absolutely be a decision of her husband. The government, especially the national government, has no right to get involved in a case like this.

CALLER: So I think it should be up to her parents. And I don't know why he can't just give legal custody over to them, seeing that he wants no part of her anymore.

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