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Rage in Afghanistan over Quran Burning; Cardinal's Alleged Evidence Shredding; Countdown to Two Key Primaries; Homeless to World Champ

Aired February 26, 2012 - 22:00   ET

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


DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Burning backlash. Afghan protesters up the ante, injuring military workers just one day after they killed U.S service members. Is this the Afghanistan war's Abu Ghraib? And what does it mean for U.S. relations?

What would you do? A man is carjacked while pumping gas. He's ignored as he crawls past witnesses. Oh, he's a World War II vet. You have to see it to believe it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I opened the door, and he proceeded to get in. All I knew, I was on the ground.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Million dollar baby. This man was once homeless. Now he's on the brink of becoming a million-dollar champ. Meet the man and hear his amazing story live. That and more right here right now on CNN.

Good evening, everyone. I'm Don Lemon.

Until just a few minutes ago, we had only heard of him as one of two U.S. service men killed this weekend in Afghanistan. But now it has become all too real as we learn his name and we see his face.

He is Lieutenant Colonel John Loftus, a 44-year-old Air Force officer from Paducah, Kentucky. Colonel Loftus died at a Kabul ministry on Saturday along with another U.S. officer who has yet to be identified. Loftus, like you and me, has a family -- a family, a mother who is mourning tonight. We'll hear from the mother in this broadcast in just a few minutes.

Colonel John Loftus died because of this -- protests raging in Afghanistan over the improper disposal of the burning of the Quran at a NATO base. Nearly a week after the story first broke, the unrest that took Colonel Loftus' life and that of his colleague is far from over.

This was Northern Kunduz Province today. A demonstration that turned violent. The mob attacked a U.S. base with grenades and guns, injuring seven American troops. The Taliban is exploiting the controversy to call for attacks on foreign soldiers.

The longer this goes on, the longer our men and women in uniform are at risk. And for more on this we're joined now by Paula Broadwell. She spent more than 15 years in the military working in geopolitical analysis and counterterrorism and much of the past year in Afghanistan as an embedded author writing the book "All In: The Education of General David Petraeus."

Paula, thank you for joining us tonight.

PAULA BROADWELL, CO-AUTHOR, "ALL IN: THE EDUCATION OF GENERAL DAVID PETRAEUS": Thanks for having me.

LEMON: You know, this is our entire situation, has put a bull's- eye on the backs of all of our men and women in uniform in Afghanistan.

BROADWELL: Well, I think that's taking it a little bit too far. There isn't a bull's-eye on the back of every one of our service men and women over there. In fact, I think a lot of this dialogue is overlooking the very strong relationships that many units have with their partner Afghan units and in the ministries where this happened. In fact, some of these soldiers, and they're typically called Afghan hands, have great rapport and respect with Afghans. So I think we can't go too far and say that there's a target on everyone's back, but we also have to be careful.

LEMON: If there are -- if there are -- if there's indiscriminate firing and indiscriminate killing, I think that any one of our men and women in uniform could end up sadly the way that Colonel Loftus ended up. So I don't think it's far-reaching to say that.

BROADWELL: No, but it's important to take prudent steps to prevent it, you're right. And I think that's the larger point here, and that's why General Allen has wisely, I think, pulled some of the -- or all of our troops out of the ministries and Ambassador Crocker has done the same. I think that they're taking an evaluation period to see how things sort of pan out.

But they intend to put those forces back in there because it's really vital to have those lines of communication with the key ministries.

LEMON: Yes.

BROADWELL: And I think our troops believe that, but they understand they're at risk. This is a war. They are at risk, you know, just traveling from one base to another within Kabul. They fully recognize that. But more prudent measures are in place now.

LEMON: Paula, I want to talk more with you, so I want you to stand by because some are comparing this incident to Abu Ghraib, the infamous prison in Iraq, where mistreatment of prisoners enraged Iraqis and spurred the insurgency. So later we're going to ask Paula Broadwell whether the comparison is fair. And I want to -- I told you at the top of this newscast that we're going to hear from that colonel's mother. Here she is tonight in her own words about her son.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

CHRIS JANNE, MOTHER OF AIR FORCE OFFICER KILLED IN KABUL: His birthday was last Wednesday, called me so I could wish him a happy birthday because it was hard for me to reach him. And we had about a 45-minute conversation, very good, very upbeat. He was very much committed to what he was doing in Afghanistan. He felt that the way to help the people there was to become their friend and he trusted them. He was a very, very good father. He did the bedtime stories. He did the puppet shows for them. Very close to his children. I guess the best way to sum it up is he lived more in 44 years than most of us will live in 80. He lived life to the fullest.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

LEMON: Chris Janne, the mother of John Loftus who lost his life, one of two service members in Afghanistan this weekend.

I have some new information to tell you about. CNN is just getting some information about the GOP presidential candidates. We're hearing tonight that Rick Santorum will get Secret Service protection this week, and Newt Gingrich has also asked for it. Mitt Romney already has it. Our political team working on the story, and we're going to have more for you in about 10 minutes right here on CNN.

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(SOUNDS OF EXPLOSION)

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LEMON: When this is happening in Syria, it is hard to imagine anyone doing anything but hiding in their homes. And believe it or not, Syrians went to the polls today to vote on a referendum to change their constitution. According to activists though, 55 people were killed today across the country including 25 in the city of Homs.

International Red Cross still trying to work out a ceasefire so they can get some humanitarian aid into Homs. Those talks have gone nowhere, and sadly, though, the consensus is that the vote that people risked their lives and some lost their lives for probably won't change the balance of power in Syria.

And a police motorcade, that one that you're looking at right there, is former South African President Nelson Mandela being escorted home today from the hospital. Mandela was discharged after a short stay that included minor surgery for a stomach ailment. Members of the government say doctors assure them the 93-year-old anti-apartheid icon is in good health. Mandela was last seen in public in 2010. He also spent some time in the hospital last year for an acute respiratory infection. The Catholic Church sex abuse scandal just got a whole lot worse for the Catholic Church, that is. Something just uncovered could be a smoking gun. Potential proof that a major cleric knew about dozens of priests suspected of preying on young boys and ordered the evidence destroyed. And as our Susan Candiotti reports to us tonight, all this has been kept secret for 18 years.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): A newly discovered memo stamped "confidential" and labeled "Secret Archives" is stunning, now part of court documents. It suggests Philadelphia's Roman Catholic Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua wanted to destroy possible evidence of 35 priests sexually abusing children.

On the memo is a note handwritten by a bishop implicating his boss, the cardinal. "I shredded four copies of these lists from the secret archives. This action was taken on the basis of a directive I received from Cardinal Bevilacqua at the directives meeting of 3-15- 94."

PAUL CALLAN, CNN LEGAL CONTRIBUTOR: If this claim proves to be true, it's a shocking indictment of one of the highest-ranking people in the Roman Catholic Church in the United States.

CANDIOTTI: Court documents show one of those files was secretly kept in a safe, put there by a bishop who was supposed to shred the papers. The file was discovered after the bishop died. Cardinal Bevilacqua died last month.

CALLAN: For the first time, the hierarchy of the Roman Catholic Church is possibly being implicated in this child abuse scandal in a very, very definitive way.

CANDIOTTI: The explosive files are part of a defense motion in the trial of Monsignor William Lynn, believed to be the first high- ranking Catholic priest charged with knowing about alleged child abuse and not doing anything about it. Based on the newly surfaced memo, his lawyer wants the charges dropped, claiming it proves Monsignor Lynn told his superiors about the sex abuse, but they did nothing about it.

CALLAN: Defense attorneys are saying, we want the whole story told to the jury so that they can see the context in which Monsignor Lynn did what he did because it might suggest that he, in fact, was an innocent dupe of the cardinal.

CANDIOTTI (on camera): Court documents state the chief counsel for the Philadelphia Archdiocese found the file in 2006, but somehow it was only recently turned over to prosecutors trying sex abuse allegations. Neither prosecutors, defense attorneys, nor the archdiocese will comment on the case because of a court-imposed gag order. Jury selection is now underway.

Susan Candiotti, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: All right, Susan, thank you very much.

Coming up next, we head to Michigan, the place for Tuesday's GOP primary, Mitt Romney's native state. So why is he having such a hard time pulling into the lead? A live report from Detroit next.

And why is this 86-year-old man crawling? Wait until you hear what happened to him and who he is. Straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: As we talk about politics now, keeping the safety of the Republican presidential hopefuls in mind, and as we count down the hours until polls open for the Arizona and Michigan primaries on Tuesday, and we want to tell you right now polls are showing a virtual toss-up in both states between Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum. Our Peter Hamby standing by live in Detroit for us.

Excuse me, my voice is changing as we speak, Peter. We're learning some new details about Secret Service protection, aren't we? What are we learning?

PETER HAMBY, CNN POLITICAL REPORTER: Yes, well, Rick Santorum, the national frontrunner according to most polls, at least it's a tie nationally, requested Secret Service. It's supposed to start this week, perhaps as soon as tomorrow. We've also learned that Newt Gingrich put in the paperwork last week for Secret Service. He has not officially been granted it yet. Mitt Romney, as we know, got Secret Service right after the Florida primary, so he's had it for about a month now.

So we could have as many as three of the four Republican candidates, Ron Paul would be the exception having Secret Service soon but, again, Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum, this week. It looks like both of them, Don, are going to have Secret Service protection on the campaign trail.

LEMON: Is this going to change -- their protection -- change the voter access to these candidates at all once they get Secret Service protection? Is it a little bit more limited?

HAMBY: Yes, you're absolutely right. It really changes the dynamic of a campaign. You know, Mitt Romney's campaign sort of has this air of a top-flight organization, frankly, because they're surrounded by security at all times.

So Rick Santorum is going to have all kinds of security around him. You've got to show up several hours in advance to his campaign events whether you're a reporter or a voter. There's just a bit of a lair between the candidate and the people once you get Secret Service. That's a far cry from the Rick Santorum of Iowa, covering him a year ago, flying coach with the guy from New Hampshire when he was just carrying his own bags, and now he's surrounded by -- soon to be surrounded by Secret Service agents, Don. It's incredible. LEMON: They've got the security sweep and then everyone has to be in and then out. So, yes, it does provide an extra layer and time as well.

I got to ask you this, Pete. You know, you're in Michigan, a state that many thought would be a slam dunk for Romney, but I'm wondering -- and it's tight now. People are wondering, why hasn't he pulled ahead? I'm wondering if it's premature because he really hasn't lived there in a long time, and most young people don't know him. They know his dad. So is that premature for people to think, oh, it's a slam dunk for him?

HAMBY: Yes, I think it is. And he was the frontrunner here for a long time. Santorum really closed the gap and took the lead just a few weeks ago. It's tightened, as you said. But Romney has been talking about his Michigan roots for a long time, and it hasn't really helped him catch on.

And Santorum -- this is a more conservative state than people think. There's a lot of evangelicals here, for example. Listen to what Rick Santorum said today, really hammering home the fact that Mitt Romney is not conservative in his view, Don. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RICK SANTORUM (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: He said he would protect a woman's right to choose when he ran for office in 2002 for governor. He said he had a conversion, and two years after he had his conversion, he provided public financing for an abortion clinic in Massachusetts. And for him to go out and say, I am somehow the liberal in this race is a joke.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Straight off, after hearing that, let me ask you this question.

HAMBY: So the candidates are really trying to out-duel each other, trying to be more conservative than one another. And it's really starting to get under Rick Santorum's skin a little bit there as you heard, really lashing out at Mitt Romney.

LEMON: Let me ask you this, so, one would think when you hear about Jan Brewer who is very conservative and you know how she feels about immigration. She had the incident with President Obama on the tarmac. One would think that she would endorse Rick Santorum. Rick Santorum would be her kind of candidate, but no. Now, Romney, she's endorsed Romney. Does that make a huge difference for him? Does that help him pull up in the polls, possibly?

HAMBY: I think this helps Mitt Romney in Arizona. Again, there's a lot of conservatives out there who are skeptical of Mitt Romney. A lot of endorsements, the cycle we've seen, don't really have much of an impact at all. But in a state like Arizona where immigration is such a hot-button issue right before the economy and jobs, this lends an air of conservative credibility to Mitt Romney. And, frankly, Jan Brewer wouldn't be doing this if she didn't really think Mitt Romney had a really good chance of winning her home state. So I think this is kind of an indicator that Arizona is heading in Mitt Romney's direction, Don.

LEMON: It looks cold where you are, so stay warm. We appreciate your analysis. It's nice and toasty here in the studio, by the way. Thank you very much, Pete.

Our coverage of the Arizona and Michigan primaries begin Tuesday, 6:00 Eastern with a special edition of "JOHN KING USA" followed by complete live coverage of the results starting at 7:00 Eastern for you.

And I want to tell you our Suzanne Malveaux already on the ground in Arizona. She is talking to folks there about some of the issues, one of them the skyrocketing cost of fuel.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN CORRESPONDENT: When gas prices go up, it doesn't just hurt commuters. I'm high above Phoenix, Arizona, with Kevin Flanagan to talk about how his small business is trying to stay afloat in these tough economic times.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: All right. Make sure you join Suzanne, 11:00 a.m. Eastern, next week right here on CNN.

The Republican candidates have hammered President Obama over his handling of the Quran-burning incident in Afghanistan, and some have compared the controversy to the uproar over Abu Ghraib, the Iraqi prison. Remember that? Well, Paula Broadwell is back with me again to discuss whether this is fair.

So, what do you think, Paula? Is this comparison accurate? Is it flawed? Is it fair?

BROADWELL: Don, I don't think it's quite accurate to say that they're the same. As we've noticed, there haven't been the same sort of wide-scale protestation that we've seen in the Arab spring. So there have been protests and there have been a lot of Afghans standing up and, you know, there is the threat of more violence, but it's not the same as Abu Ghraib. It wasn't sanctioned, additionally.

So in Abu Ghraib, we saw that these troopers intentionally did this sort of egregious act. In Afghanistan, at the Bagram Air Force Base, at Parwan Detention Facility, it was a mistake. There was a miscommunication with an Afghan interpreter, and U.S. troops disposed of the Quran which had inscriptions, by the way, between detainees. So this is a typical way that detainees share information. So those Qurans should have been dealt with in some way, but definitely not burning. So I don't think that you can compare the two.

LEMON: Well, I think in Iraq, there was concern about Abu Ghraib of winning over. How are we going to win over hearts and minds after this incident after seeing these pictures? And I think with the burning of Qurans, that is what many are concerned about in Afghanistan. How do you win over hearts and minds when you burn the holy book, which is forbidden?

BROADWELL: Oh, you're right, absolutely. I mean, it was an -- it was an egregious act. And that's why the president sent a personal letter to President Karzai. But you have to look at more broadly what's going on. And as I was alluding earlier, there are a number of strong relationships between Afghans and Americans. And I think that most Afghan leaders understand that this wasn't intentional.

One thing we've also learned from this is that we don't have a good handle on our strategic communications. And I don't think that the Afghan government did either. They could have come out with stronger statements earlier showing that it was a mistake, it wasn't intentional to probably preempt some of the large-scale demonstrations that are going on.

I also think that Hamid Karzai could have made stronger statements against the protesters and spoke out a little bit earlier. But it's an egregious act, obviously, but it was a mistake.

LEMON: Yes. And now we have this. And it's going to be interesting to watch the time line, whether or not the president's time line of pulling out of Iraq is going to remain as is.

Paula Broadwell, thank you. We appreciate you joining us here on CNN.

BROADWELL: Thank you, Don.

LEMON: Another part of this discussion, the president apologizing for this situation, the burning of Qurans in Afghanistan. Should he have? It's our "No Talking Points" discussion tonight coming up.

And video you have to see. An 86-year-old man caught on camera crawling for his life at a gas station. Why? After the break.

But first this. In this week's "Mastering Your Money," CNN's Ali Velshi looks at improving the job market with a creative idea that focuses on tweaking the skills of minimum-wage workers.

ALI VELSHI, CNN CHIEF BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: The U.S. lost 8.7 million jobs as a result of the recession. When it comes to jobs, we get the problem. We need more of them.

Richard Florida is a professor at the University of Toronto's Rotman School of Management. He's also a senior editor at "The Atlantic."

You say the only solution is to turn low-wage jobs into higher wage jobs which sounds like a great solution. How do you do such a thing? RICHARD FLORIDA, PROFESSOR, ROTMAN SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT AT UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO: Well, if you look at what makes a good job in America - and we did this -- my research team at the University of Toronto and me -- we dug into the numbers that the Bureau of Labor and Statistics provide, and we looked at what are the skills, what are the basic skills that a worker needs to do to get those wages up?

So for those knowledge jobs that we talk about, those professional jobs, those technical jobs that pay $70,000 or more a year, the good jobs, we know that if you add more knowledge skill, cognitive skill, analytical skill, wages go up. If you add more what we call social intelligence skill, team building, leadership, the ability to work well with others, to develop others, wages go up.

You know what? When we looked at the data, those same two skills, you add more analytical skill, you add more social intelligence skill to a service job, the wages in that job go up steeper and faster than they do for a knowledge job.

VELSHI: But ultimately, don't we have to control how much those wages go up, otherwise we end up paying too much for things that we assume that we pay less for?

FLORIDA: Well, I think this is the false dilemma in American life, you know. In the 1920s, when my dad worked in a factory -- started working in a factory, he had a terrible job. He made low wages. It took nine people, my grandmother and grandfather and seven siblings of my father and his siblings to make a family wage. We made manufacturing jobs good jobs in this country. They weren't always good jobs.

VELSHI: Right.

FLORIDA: How did we do it? We allowed people to form unions. We allowed productivity growth, but we paid more for our cars. What did Henry Ford say? We have to enable the people who make the cars to buy the cars. We have to let them -- we pay more for the car, their wages go up.

VELSHI: Richard, thank you.

I'm Ali Velshi with this week's "Mastering Your Money."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: An 86-year-old World War II veteran knocked down and carjacked at a Detroit gas station. Aaron Brantley was on his way home from church when he was stopped - when he stopped for gas. And as Cheryl Chodun of our affiliate WXYZ tells us, he was mugged in broad daylight and left on his hands and knees.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHERYL CHODUN, WXYZ REPORTER, DETROIT voice over): It was a violent carjacking right at the gas pump that left 86-year-old Aaron Brantley down on the ground and dazed. It happened when Aaron was just about to get into his car and go home.

AARON BRANTLEY, CARJACKING VICTIM: I opened the door and proceeded to get in. And all I knew, I was on the ground.

CHODUN: Aaron says he had just come from church. His Bible was on the front seat when the carjacker drove away.

BRANTLEY: He hit me in the eye. I don't know whether he hit me with something. At the time he hit me, he grabbed my hand and took the keys because I was getting ready to get in the car. I had the door open. And all of a sudden, somebody came up behind me. I didn't see them.

CHODUN: Aaron says, and you can see in the video, he literally crawled to the front door of the gas station, some people ignoring him, because he could not move his leg. The leg broke when he was thrown down. But this former soldier and autoworker, dad of eight, granddad of 18, says a broken leg he can deal with.

BRANTLEY: I could be dead, really, because, you know, that's what they do to you now. They don't care about your life. They don't care anything about your life. Could have shot me, you know. But, see, I didn't have a chance to try to defend myself because it happened so quickly.

CHODUN: When Aaron made it inside the station, he offered money to a man to take him home. The man picked him up, did take him home, but would not take any money. Aaron says he can't believe this has happened. His car was found hours after it was taken. The tires and radio were gone, but the Bible was still on the front seat.

LA DENA BRANTLEY, AARON'S GRANDDAUGHTER: He pushed my grandfather out of the way for a set of tires and a radio? Seriously? Seriously? To me, that's the definition of a true coward.

BRANTLEY: They don't care about you or anything. I said, boy, it's a shame that things are like they are now.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: Our thanks to Cheryl Chodun from our affiliate WXYZ in Detroit.

I'm sorry. Think about the last time you said it. Probably it wasn't very long ago. But is it ever appropriate coming out of the commander-in-chief's mouth? "No Talking Points" is next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: We want to get you up to speed on your headlines right now. Three railway employees were killed today when a passenger train derailed near Toronto, Canada. Another 45 were injured. The three victims were employed by Via Rail Canada and were riding in the cab of that locomotive. The train carrying 75 passengers. It was en route from Niagara Falls to Toronto when it went off the tracks. No word on what caused the derailment. Mexican gunmen commandeered a bus carrying passengers from an American cruise ship and made off with money, watches, cameras and other valuables. The hooded bandits took over the bus as the 22 passengers from the Carnival Splendor were returning Thursday from a jungle nature hike to the city of Puerto Vallarta. None of the guests was hurt and all made it back safely to the cruise liner which was operating out of Long Beach, California.

The high-profile legal battle centered around the massive BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico has been delayed. It was set to begin on Monday but has been postponed a week while settlement talks continue. The trial will determine the civil liability for the April 2010 disaster, the worst oil spill in U.S. history. Among the defendants are BP, rig owner Transocean and construction contractor Halliburton. Thousands of fishermen, hotel owners and other Gulf Coast residents are seeking compensation as well.

Paying at the pump has grown even more painful as gas prices climb for the 19th day in a row. The national average is up to $3.69 a gallon. That's according to AAA. That's a 30-cent increase from just a month ago. The average price is now more than $4 a gallon in California, Hawaii and Alaska.

All right. Talk about hitting the jackpot. This lucky United States Marine has won $2.8 million on a slot machine in Vegas. Alexander Degenhart was killing time at the Bellagio casino while attending a week-long military training session in Nevada. He says he'll help his mother and pregnant sister pay some bills and replace his car which has 250,000 miles on it.

Good for you. Congratulations, sir.

Time now for "No Talking Points."

All right. So tonight we're taking on a very touchy subject, the burning of the Muslim holy book, the Quran. U.S. military brass, well, they said it was an accident, but President Obama apologized for the mistake anyway. Was it right for him to do it? Not for me to say, but I'm not running for president.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RICK SANTORUM (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I don't think the president should apologize for something that was clearly inadvertent.

NEWT GINGRICH (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The president of the United States is commander in chief, apologizes to the Afghan government.

MITT ROMNEY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: For us to be apologizing at a time like this is something which is very difficult for the American people to countenance.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: All right. You heard from all three candidates but the last guy you heard from, Mitt Romney, even named his book "No Apology."

And from the way these guys are hammering the president over his mea culpa, one would think that Mr. Obama is the first president to ever apologize on behalf of America for an international blunder. Truth is -- he's not. His predecessor, George W. Bush, apologized to Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki in 2008 for, guess what, a U.S. soldier mishandling the Quran, using it for target practice. He also apologized in 2004.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, THEN PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I told him I was sorry for the humiliation suffered by the Iraqi prisoners and the humiliation suffered by their families.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: That was just part of Mr. Bush's mea culpa to the King of Jordan for that infamous Abu Ghraib incident involving the humiliating treatment of Iraqi prisoners.

And then there was President Bill Clinton in Uganda in 1998.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BILL CLINTON, THEN PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: European- Americans received the fruits of the slave trade, and we were wrong on that as well.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Now, there was some argument about whether it was an outright apology for slavery, but it sure sounded like one.

Let's go back even a bit further to a 1991 letter written and signed by President Bush 41, apologizing to Japanese-Americans uprooted and mistreated during World War II. And by the way, that letter was accompanied by $20,000 reparation checks to 82 Japanese- Americans and their heirs, totaling $1.6 billion.

Ronald Reagan, President Bush 41's predecessor, was responsible for those reparation checks. That's him right there signing the authorization back in 1988.

So what's the "No Talking Points'" point? Not up to me to decide whether President Obama should have apologized. He's not the first. He certainly won't be the last. And if one of the GOP hopefuls ends up in the Oval Office, more likely than not, he, too, at some point, will have to say sorry, my bad. And as Rick Santorum said at last week's debate, "take one for the team."

That's tonight's "No Talking Points."

Coming up on CNN, cliff notes for your week ahead including interesting timing on the president's part. That's next.

And ahead, a man who was once homeless becomes a big-time boxer with a shot at winning millions. You'll meet him live.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: These are cliff notes. It's time to check in on the big stories in the week ahead. From the White House to Hollywood, our correspondents tell you what you need to know and we begin tonight with the president's plans for the week.

ATHENA JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Athena Jones in Washington. President Obama speaks at the United Autoworkers Conference here on Tuesday, the same day Republican presidential hopefuls face off in a primary in Michigan, the heart of the U.S. auto industry. The president travels to New Hampshire on Thursday to deliver an economic speech and to New York City for campaign events.

DANA BASH, CNN SENIOR CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I'm Dana Bash in Washington where Congress will return after a week back home. The most interesting thing going on this coming week may be what they're not doing in the House, a huge transportation bill.

House Republican leaders shelved it for now because of internal Republican disputes over the size of the 250 billion-plus bill and differences over issues like oil drilling in Alaska. What will be front and center in Congress this week -- the issue of contraception and a Senate vote on GOP legislation repealing the Obama administration's controversial requirement that health insurance cover contraceptives even at religiously-affiliated institutions.

POPPY HARLOW, CNNMONEY.COM: I'm Poppy Harlow in New York. Coming up this week on Wall Street, investors will consider a host of economic news. We'll get the latest look at home prices across the country as well as new consumer confidence numbers.

Also ahead, the second reading on fourth quarter GDP will be released. The initial reading in January showed the U.S. economy grew at a rate of 2.8 percent in the final three months of last year.

Also, Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway will report earnings, and we'll track it all for you on CNN Money.

NISCHELLE TURNER, "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT": I'm "Showbiz Tonight's" Nischelle Turner. Here's what we're watching this week. I'll have all the epic Oscar moments that everyone's talking about, plus, the surprising behind-the-scenes stories that never fail to happen and all the Oscar fashion hits and misses. Catch "Showbiz Tonight" exclusively weeknights at 11:00 p.m. Eastern and Pacific on HLN.

LEMON: All right. And for the first time ever, the Daytona 500 did not run on its scheduled day. The first time ever. Rain across central Florida for most of the day led NASCAR to postpone the season opening race which is considered the Super Bowl, really, of the sport. Pole-sitter Carl Edwards, defending Sprint Cup champion Tony Stewart and, yes, Danica Patrick will try again on Monday beginning at noon Eastern.

But will the weather cooperate is the big question. Jacqui Jeras. That is a huge deal. So tell us about tomorrow.

JACQUI JERAS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: It's not looking great. In fact, it almost looks worse than today, believe it or not, Don.

LEMON: Oh, no.

JERAS: I know. We did have some breaks in the rain, but it just wasn't enough to dry the track out before they could get started and see more of that wet weather. Unfortunately, that boundary is still there.

(WEATHER REPORT)

LEMON: Oh, that's L.A. La-la land.

JERAS: It is. There's Oscar you could see sitting up front. We're looking at a storm system coming in. There probably could be some showers after the ceremonies later on for tonight. So, thunderstorms by the afternoon, really windy and yes, volume, going to deal with that at the airports. So, that's our number one city tonight.

LEMON: What did you call Thursday, March 1, a meteorological what?

JERAS: Meteorological spring.

LEMON: Really?

JERAS: Yes. It's not the equinox, but when we keep climatological records, March, April, May are the three months we consider spring.

LEMON: I'll be one year younger on March 1st.

JERAS: Happy early birthday.

LEMON: Thank you, Jacqui. Appreciate it.

All right. Next up, he began life as an abandoned and homeless child on the streets of the nation's capital. Today, he's on the verge of becoming a real-life million-dollar baby. An inspirational boxer's story after the break.

But first, in this week's "Getting Down to Business," some of the richest Americans are losing their homes to foreclosure. And basketball phenom Jeremy Lin's "Linsanity" name may be trademarked. Here's Alison Kosik.

ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Wealthy families are losing their homes to foreclosure faster than the rest of the country. Realty Trac says more than 36,000 homes valued at $1 million or more were foreclosed on in 2011. While that's less than 2 percent of foreclosures, it accounts for a bigger share of activity than in past years. Watch for a report on home prices Tuesday. More Americans plan to save the money they get back from Uncle Sam. According to a National Retail Federation survey, 44 percent of those expecting a tax refund plan to put some of it in savings. Look for a consumer confidence report Tuesday.

And even if you're not a basketball fan, you've probably heard of "Linsanity." Now New York Knicks player Jeremy Lin wants to literally buy into the hype. Lin recently filed an application to trademark the term "Linsanity". It would give Lin exclusive rights to put the signature term on products including clothing, mugs and even action figures. Call it "Lincorporated."

That's this week's "Getting Down to Business." I'm Alison Kosik.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: I think it's fairly safe to say that most people can't get through life without hitting a few bumps in the road along the way, and that would be putting it mildly for Lamont Peterson. Once a homeless child on the streets of Washington, Peterson is now boxing's newest champion and in line for a million-dollar payday. CNN's Mark McKay has his story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANNOUNCER: And new light welterweight champion of the world --

LAMONT PETERSON, LIGHT WELTERWEIGHT CHAMPION: It's something I've been working for for a long time, 18 years now. And just all the hard work paying off. It's just a great feeling.

MARK MCKAY, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Once down and out and forced to fend for himself as a little boy homeless, 28-year- old Lamont Peterson is now about to make his first million-dollar paycheck as the reigning light welterweight champion.

PETERSON: I just feel blessed, you know, just blessed to be living my dream, you know, boxing and being a world champion and fighting on TV has been a dream since I was 5 years old.

MCKAY: Lamont is one of 12 Peterson siblings. Their lives took a turn for the worse when their father was sent to prison for a drug offense. Their mother abandoned them. The kids were on their own where they slept on park benches, abandoned cars and bus stations.

PETERSON: Cold nights, wintertime. Not having the proper clothes on. And walking all night. Being hungry. That was just the toughest times where you knew that you were going to be walking all night.

MCKAY: All that changed when 10-year-old Lamont and 8-year-old Anthony were introduced to Barry Hunter. The boys were getting into trouble and headed down the wrong path. Hunter took them in and not only coached them in boxing but coached them in life. BARRY HUNTER, PETERSON'S TRAINER: Them are my boys. I can't say nothing bad about them. Good kids. And actually, I can't even call them kids no more. Good men. They do everything I asked them to do, man. I'm totally proud of them.

MCKAY: Grown men but with still a little bit of sibling rivalry. Anthony Peterson, also a boxer, says he'll soon be ready for his moment in the spotlight.

ANTHONY PETERSON, BOXER: We're 13 months apart. So it's like every time he wins something, going back to our pee-wee days, the junior Olympics, getting in the trials and turning pro, fighting on TV and stuff like that. It's like everything he do, I try to come right back. That year or the same year and try to be as dominant.

MCKAY: As for Lamont, he's back in the gym, prepping for his first title defense, a rematch with the man he took the title away from, Amir Khan. Peterson knows his time is now, but he hasn't forgotten the past. And he has a message for those who feel like they're at the end of their rope. Keep your head up and keep pushing forward.

L. PETERSON: Anyone who's in that situation, you know, I just want them to understand that just because you're dealt a bad hand don't mean you're going to lose.

MCKAY: Mark McKay, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: Thought you had problems? Too big to overcome? Think again. You're going to meet boxer Lamont Peterson live right after this break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: All right. So you know the economy's bad. A lot of people are out of work. A lot of people have issues. So if you think you have it bad and you need an uplifting story, sit down and watch this. You heard most of this story just moments ago before the break. Lamont Peterson was homeless as a kid. Then a man took him in and taught him how to box. Fast forward 18 years to this past December. Look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: A new light welterweight champion of the world!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: His name flashed out before the entire world. Look how happy he is. He's a world champion. Lamont joins me live now from Washington. An incredible story. An incredible story.

And it's good to see you smiling. So, first of all, before I ask you how you went from homeless to champ, you said in the story -- Mark McKay said you were one of 12 siblings, right? 12 of you.

PETERSON: Yes. Yes.

LEMON: And you were all out on the street at one point. How are you guys doing? How's everybody doing?

PETERSON: Everybody's doing really, really well right now. And I'm just really proud of everyone, you know, in my family right now, you know, because we were always dealt, you know, a really tough hand. But we all made it through and doing really well and really happy right now.

LEMON: OK. Do me a favor. Look right up at the camera. Don't look at yourself in the monitor because I want the viewers to look in your eyes. Maybe they'll get some inspiration from you.

So, we heard your story, but how do you, as you said, you were on the streets for a couple of months. And then you were in homeless shelters for about two years, a couple of years. How do you go from that to becoming a world champion?

PETERSON: Just believing in myself, just knowing what I wanted to do at a young age. So I guess, you know, I had no control over that and just have to put it, you know, all on God. You know, he had a plan for me and my brother, my whole family, actually. So, you know, I just rode his plan out, and it just led me to this point.

LEMON: Did you ever have any doubt -- and I'm wondering because as you look back, sometimes, you know, when you're in the middle of it, it's really tough. And then as you look back, you may romanticize it a little bit. You may not see it as bad as it was when you were actually dealing with it.

So how bad are the memories for you as a young boy living on the streets, and do you ever think about that today, and does it drive you?

PETERSON: It definitely gave me a drive. But to be honest, you know, it was actually fun at times, you know. At 6 to 10 years old to be living, you know, as a grown man and no rules, no do this, no do that, no go to school or things like that. You're just out on your own, I actually have a lot of good memories. You know, I learned a lot, you know. So I'm really proud of where I come from because I know it taught me a lot.

LEMON: And how's your dad? He's out of prison?

PETERSON: He's been out of prison for a long time now. He's doing really well. Everyone in the family's doing well.

LEMON: Including mom? Mom is doing great, too?

PETERSON: Including mom.

LEMON: OK.

PETERSON: She's happy. And, you know, we're all just trying to develop that relationship that we didn't have early on.

LEMON: I know you say, oh, everybody's doing great now, you know. You're very proud of everyone, but there's some sibling rivalry because your brother's also a boxer, right?

PETERSON: Right.

LEMON: And when you both have to box and you both have to -- I mean, is there a little professional jealousy there? Probably not considering what you went through, right?

PETERSON: No. I always depend on him to come right behind me. Like he said in the interview, any time I ever won, any tournament, he's right behind me. Next year, he comes right through. And he wins the same tournament. So I expect him to be a world champion this year or early next year.

(CROSSTALK)

PETERSON: I know it's going to happen. No, we never had to fight each other, but, of course, we spar with each other in practice almost every day. And, you know, sometimes it gets heated in there because, you know, I want the best for him and he wants the best for me. And he wants to prepare me the best we can. So, sometimes we get in there and, you know, we go at it.

LEMON: I have a short time left here. I want to know, is there anything that you can't overcome? Because I'm sure a lot of people are thinking their lives are so bad like, I can't get through this. What do you say to them? Quickly.

PETERSON: You can overcome anything. You know, you just have to know what you want and go for it, you know. Don't take no for an answer, you know. There's always a way out. There's always a way out, you know. Sometimes it's a long road. It takes some patience. But at the end of the day, you know, with the right guidance, you can make it.

LEMON: Yes.

PETERSON: Never give up.

LEMON: You have a million-dollar match coming up. And you know what? I hope you win it. And I hope you hang on to the money, spend it well, do a great job. Congratulations, OK, to you and your family.

PETERSON: Thank you. I appreciate it.

LEMON: All right. Thank you.

PETERSON: I really do.

LEMON: All right.

I'm Don Lemon at the CNN world headquarters in Atlanta. Great story to end on. Make sure you have yourself a great week and I'll see you back here next weekend. Good night.