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Thousands of People Fill National Mall; Celebrating National Day of Service; The Hostage Crisis in Algeria is Reportedly Over; New App Created for Inauguration Day

Aired January 19, 2013 - 15:00   ET

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


KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: If you're just joining us, where have you been? It's such an exciting time in Washington. Everybody's getting ready for Monday's big events. Today, thousands of people are pitching in for the national day of service.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: It is just one of the events happening now. And as we await President Obama's big day and big speech, Brianna Keilar has more on what we can expect from him.

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, a lot of this is already written. I will tell you the speech. And the president has been working on it a lot. He has been doing this during the day if the oval office. And then he works at night after his daughters and his wife got to go to bed in the residence. He's been working on his speech.

There are major tweaks going on right now but some aides joke he'll be changing this, you know, until he sort of walking down there to the west front about to deliver this. The major theme, though they are set, and one, as we understand from the source familiar with the speech, is that he will acknowledge that there are differences obviously between him and Republicans but that there's responsibility to work on things where there can be common ground.

And as you know from listening to him four years ago, he talked about the unity of purpose, of putting differences aside as he tried to sort of usher in this post partisan era which ultimate little failed. So he as to acknowledge that reality and we expect in a way he will do that and try to bridge that gap, mend some fences along the way.

BOLDUAN: But, this is a difficult speech also to give, Brianna, because second inaugural speeches are not usually that memorable.

KEILAR: No, they aren't. And so, I'm going to say something and I don't want you to say I'm being negative because I will tell you. This is the opinion of experts. This is not coming from me. But generally speaking, not only are these addresses difficult in general but second inaugural addresses are generally not very good. That's what experts will tell you. There are some exceptions, very few. Lincoln in 1865, he talked about a lasting peace. This was right before the civil war ended right before he was assassinated, as well. It goes down in history as an amazing second inaugural address.

But this one is tough, not just because it's generally a heavy lift but also because for President Obama, it's situated between this bruising fiscal cliff battle that we just saw and another one that is right around the corner here upon us here in about a month over the debt ceiling and over the budget. And he can't ignore those fakes. You know, he has to acknowledge those in a way. We expect he will.

BOLDUAN: All right. We will also then see if President Obama can break the mold in this second inaugural speech.

KEILAR: It would be fun to see. That would be amazing to see a speech that is a historic second one. But the odds are against lim.

BOLDUAN: All right, the bar is set high, President Obama.

Thanks so much, Brianna.

BERMAN: Of course, besides the inauguration, there are big stories we're following for you today.

Among them the developments in the terror attack in Algeria involving American hostages. That crisis does now appear to be over. According to the Algerian news agency, 23 hostages and 32 kidnappers have been killed. The news agency is also reporting the Algerian military has freed 685 Algerians and 107 foreigners from the gas plant. An al-Qaeda linked group has claimed responsibility for this attack.

Backers of second amendment rights are holding rallies across the country today calling today gun appreciation day. The rallies like this one in Springfield, Illinois are being held at state capitol buildings. Organizers are hoping to bring pro gun activist who say their rights are under attack from President Obama's plan to curb gun violence.

And of course, it was a stunning two-part interview with Oprah Winfrey following cycling great Lance Armstrong confessed not a single one of his seven Tour de France wins was done without the aid of banned substances. He also teared up when he recalled at thing his son not to defend his record anymore.

BOLDUAN: It was a stunning interview. And then second, the jury is still out if what he was trying to accomplish in issuing apology actually worked for many people.

BERMAN: Seven years of cheating, not one championship won clean.

BOLDUAN: Yes. He figured that long road ahead.

It's not just inauguration weekend, it is also the Martin Luther King holiday weekend. And to mark that, thousands of people are taking part in a national day of service today, including the first family. The Obamas helped fix up an elementary school in Washington. See some video of it right there. After President Obama painted some shelves, he thanked volunteers for their service.

BERMAN: And again, we submit that Mrs. Obama was better at painting than her husband was. She looks much more into it.

We are talking about the day of national service on the mall. Suzanne Malveaux is there where it's all being held - Suzanne.

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, I'm trying to hear you. We're kind of competing a little bit with they're rallying up the crowd here. We do expect to see a couple of folks here. Angela Basset who is going to be taking the stage is taken soon. She is taking the stage right now we understand. We also are going to be hearing from Philadelphia mayor Nutter who is also going to be talking about the importance of giving back in the community.

It's been a lot of excitement, a lot of passion here. Of course, the different organizations that people are signing up to figure out what they can do to help folks in need on this national service day on this summit day.

We have seen Eva Longoria talking about the need to reach out to Latino community. Immigration reform is something she has been pushing. We saw her earlier this morning. We saw the vice president's son Beau Biden. You know, he serves in the military. He was talking about veterans' rights. Had a chance to talk to the new congresswoman Tammy Duckworth, as well who was emphasizing that.

And of course, Chelsea Clinton, she was here. She is one of the chairs of this day and of this event and she was very, very proud of her own family, her father, Bill Clinton, who was the one who signed the legislation signed the bill making MLK day a day of service.

And so, you've got a lot of high profile folks from politicians to actors, singers who are all gathering together to try to really draw a lot of support and enthusiasm on this day. Certainly, seems to be working here -- John.

BERMAN: All right, Suzanne Malveaux, here on the national mall on this day of national service. She has been there with celebrities, fabulously dressed people. But one of the best dressed there, as well.

Suzanne Malveaux, thanks very much.

So, Latino voters helps President Obama win a second term. Just ahead, we are going to show you how immigration could shape the next four years of his presidency.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BERMAN: A record turnout by Latino voters helped sweep President Obama back to power for another four years. Democrats scored more than twice as many Latino votes as Republicans did.

Nick Valencia looks at what this means for the next four years.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In 2012, the sleeping giant woke up. More than 70 percent of Latino voters supported Barack Obama, propelling him into a second term as U.S. president. And for the first time in the history of U.S. elections, Latinos made up a double digit portion of the electorate, 10 percent. But the win for Democrats was not as easy as it looked. Says "USA today" columnist and Latino vote analyst Raul Reyes.

RAUL REYES, COLUMNIST, USA TODAY: During his first term, there was a lot of anxiety among the Latino community because it really seemed like he had forgotten about his promise on immigration. And meanwhile, there were record deportations going on, breaking up families.

VALENCIA: While Obama may not have been entirely able to keep his word on immigration reform, it's the words used by Republicans when discussing the immigration issue that may have been their undoing. Latino voters from Nevada to Florida told CNN suggests like self- deportation by GOP contender Mitt Romney hurt the Republicans' chances at the White House.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): There are a lot of the Latinos that want Obama to win so that they won't be deported back to their country.

ANA NAVARRO, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: They couldn't get elected this year. They elected today. But, I think, we are going to have a conversation about this. If we don't do better with Hispanics, we are going to be out of the White House forever.

VALENCIA: Forever is a long time. And if Republicans expect to rally for the presidency in 2016, Reyes says the magic number is 35.

REYES: The magic number that any candidate needs in order to win the president is 35 percent of Latino voters because these days, the fact is, owing to demographics, the road to the White House, go through Latino neighborhoods. And this also has to do with the fact that Latinos tend to be in many of the most important swing states like Nevada, Colorado, Florida. So, any candidate or party who hopes to compete and be relevant nationally must at least meet that threshold number.

VALENCIA: In 2012, GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney got less than 30 percent of Latino vote. But the landslide victory for Obama doesn't necessarily mean that the Democrats have locked up the Latino vote.

Going forward in his second term, the Obama administration can expect the Latino community will keep a close eye on whether or not the president can deliver his promise on comprehensive immigration reform.

Nick Valencia. CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BERMAN: So given the la to in know voter support, it is no surprise the president has set immigration reform as a top priority for his second term. And now, gun control has also vaulted to the top of that list. Those are also big priorities for Los Angeles mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. He joins me now.

And Mayor, it's always great to see you. Thank you so much. MAYOR ANTONIO VILLARAIGOSA (D), LOS ANGELES: Great to be with you and John and Kate, as well.

BERMAN: You know, Mayor, you sent a letter recently to vice president Biden as he was working on his gun control proposals. You had some suggestions for him. What did you say?

VILLARAIGOSA: We need universal background checks. Forty percent of all the gun sales don't require a background check because they're private sales. We need to toughen our gun laws. We need assault weapons ban. We need to make sure that we deal with gun trafficking and what they call straw purchasers. These are people that buy guns legally because they can and sell them to someone who shouldn't buy a gun, a criminal or someone mentally ill. Those are some of the proposals. There were others, as well.

BOLDUAN: Mayor, you are the also the outgoing president of the U.S. conference of mayors. I mean, we often talk about here in Washington. We talk about the federal government and the president getting along with Congress and what the federal government should be doing. But, what do mayors across the country want to see from President Obama in a second term?

VILLARAIGOSA: Well, we want to see immigration reform. And today, I spoke to the U.S. conference and said that the pillars of that immigration reform have to be the following. One, we kind a have pathway to citizenship. We can't have temporary status or second class citizenship.

Two, it's got to be earned. It's not automatic. But there's a road to citizenship that you are able to go on if you pay your back taxes, if you have a criminal investigation, you find out there's no crimes, no serious crimes. And you get at the end of the line. But there has to be a path.

Three, we've got to have family unity as a central core of any policy. You can't deport the parents and leave their five million kids here. There are two million dreamers. So those are some of the elements of what we talked about, and I think I know that the president supports those core elements. And we expect that there will be bipartisan support for that, as well.

BERMAN: You, obviously, a very close to the White House. Can you give us a sense of the timing on this? Give us the inside scoop. When will we see these plans?

VILLARAIGOSA: It's going to depend on the congress, as well. But, I expect in the next month you'll see these proposals, certainly already, senator McCain and Graham and in Melendez and others are working together to come up with a comprehensive package.

Remember, there's been some movement from the Republicans as a result of the election. And I think they are going to want do it on a bipartisan basis and do it right. BERMAN: And can I just ask you about guns to go back to guns for a minute. Because you listed things you would like to see. It seems clear the president's not going to get everything he wants here. If you could put a priority on one thing, what would it be?

VILLARAIGOSA: Universal background checks. We've got to toughen them. You can't -- 40 percent of all the gun sales don't require a background check. That's very, very important in what we need to do. There needs to be better federal state and local coordination, as well. And we've got to repeal the TR amends which say that background checks can only be kept for 24 hours. That's ridiculous. We ought to be able to keep them and share them.

BOLDUAN: Mayor, what are you also say though, when you talk about universal background checks, what do you say to folks who do not like this list of gun control policies that the president is pushing and say what the government needs to do is enforce the policies and the laws already on the books and better enforce them?

VILLARAIGOSA: Well, those same people have been fighting enforcement of the laws. That's what the TR amendment does. The TR amendment says that we can't keep background checks for longer than 24 hours. They put forth policies that say we can't study the epidemiology of gun violence. They stopped us from even appointing an ATF director. They've done everything they can to stop the enforcement of those laws. And they use their opposition to the assault weapons.

And I said yesterday and I'll say it again. You know, if you need high capacity magazine clip on a Bushmaster to shoot a deer, then you're in the wrong sport. The fact of the matter, they use a lot of this as subject, used 90 percent of Americans support universal background check. And they do because it makes sense. It's common sense. It's not a radical notion. Any more than assault weapons are some violation of the second amendment. When they passed the second amendment, there wasn't any such thing as an assault weapon.

BOLDUAN: When we talk about gun policy and we talk about crime and we talk about violence, you also - you increase the number of police officers on the street in your city. Do you want to see the White House do more? What more do you want to see from the White House to help make your city more secure?

VILLARAIGOSA: Well, we are safer than at any time since 1952. We had a drop in crime for ten years in a row. Forty percent drop in violent crime and homicides since I've been mayor. But we could do a lot better if we had the federal government supporting the 100,000 cop program that Clinton had. We saw crime go down during these years and we want to see them go down again with the federal partnership.

BERMAN: With your forgiveness, let's talk politics for a second here. Because once he takes the oath of office here, in a sense President Obama becomes a lame duck and a whole lot of Democrats will look to the future. So, what's in your future?

VILLARAIGOSA: Well first of all, I don't think he will be a lame duck. They said that about me. I said look, I'm riding into the sunset but not right in to the sunset just yet. And I don't think - I think you're going to see this president engage, you're going to see him tough, you are going to see him try to reach across the aisle and work with respect to my future.

I'll just say this. I'm working as hard as I can on the job I got right now. We'll see what happens.

BERMAN: Always a politician dodging the tough questions.

BOLDUAN: Something I think we've heard many a time before.

Mayor, we will all sit by and wait and you are going to come on here and talk to us first when you decide your future plans.

VILLARAIGOSA: That's right.

BOLDUAN: Exactly. Thank you, Mayor Antonio Villariagosa.

Thank you so much, Mayor.

BERMAN: We have a lot more ahead in this hour including Hollywood legend Robert Redford. He weighs in on the president's second term. What does he want to see? We'll tell you. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BOLDUAN: Welcome back. President Obama and the first lady want everyone to pitch in for the national day of service which honors Doctor Martin Luther King Junior. And as you see here in the mall, lots of people are turning out to say hello, but also, to volunteer and to be part of the inaugural excitement.

The president took his message online. Let's watch it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Four years ago, my family celebrated inauguration weekend and Martin Lugar King Day by rolling up our sleeves and lending a hand in our community. That's because inaugurations are about more than just celebrating. They're about coming to together to make our country a better place.

For me, the national day of service was one of the highlights of the weekend and this year we're going to do it again on Saturday.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: The president and the first lady who took part in this national day of service. Here they are at a Washington school little earlier today helping volunteers who were staining a book case.

John Berman, very critical of the president's form in painting that book case, but, we are going to leave it right there. For now, you've been rough on him, buddy.

And speaking of service though, next month, CNN will begin introducing you to heroes who make service a way of life.

First, take a look at the young woman from Nepal who you named the 2012 CNN hero of the year.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON COOPER, HOST, CNN'S "ANDERSON COOPER 360": For 29-year-old Pushpa Basnet it begins on a high note. Basnet was named CNN hero of the year for her work providing a home for children of incarcerated parents in Nepal. I sat down with her right after the big moment.

How do you feel? You just won?

PUSHPA BASNET, 2012 CNN HERO: I think I'm dreaming. It's a big honor for me. I would never forget this night.

COOPER: What was going through your mind when you were walking up on stage?

BASNET: To seemed like a dream come true.

Thank you so much. We are all winners definitely. Ma is going to take you out from the prison and you're coming to my place and this is for my children. And thank you so much for everyone who believed in my dream.

COOPER: And the kids call you.

BASNET: Mamu.

COOPER: What does that mean to you when you hear that?

BASNET: It means a lot to me. Because reality, I know that I'm not the original mother but I'm their so-called mother to give them a better life and better education. That's for sure.

COOPER: What was the inspiration?

BASNET: I'm very fortunate to be brought up in the family what I was, I had a good parents. Until now they give me everything. But there are some parents who's o whose parents have done something and they are also suffered and I should give it to them.

COOPER: And so many are kids who are watching. What do you want to say to them?

BASNET: Your Mamu did it. And I'm sure you're proud of me whatever I'm doing.

COOPER: I'm proud of you too.

BASNET: Thank you, Anderson. Thank you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BERMAN: We have so much more ahead on this historic day in Washington. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BERMAN: Welcome back to Washington, everyone. It is inaugural weekend here.

Just about 3:30 on the east coast, 12:30 out west. For those of you just joining us, welcome to CNN NEWSROOM. I'm John Berman.

BOLDUAN: Welcome, everybody. I'm Kate Bolduan.

We are having fun here on the mall. Welcome to CNN's special coverage of President Obama's inauguration weekend.

Lots going on here. It's not just inauguration weekend, it's also the Martin Luther King holiday weekend. And to mark that, thousands of people are taking part in a national day of service. And there is also a service summit being held today on the national mall and that's where Suzanne Malveaux has been al day doing -- seeing service prongs and also seeing some celebrities. I've been looking forward to this for all the hours we have been here.

What do you have for us now, Suzanne?

MALVEAUX: All right, Kate. This is very special here because as you know, the day of service and the summit for service very much tied to Martin Luther King Day of service. The person, the actress who is playing Coretta Scott King for an upcoming movie on Lifetime joins us now. Angela Bassett, the lovely Angela Bassett rocking the leather, love the leather, first of all.

You just met Martin Luther King III backstage. What was that like?

ANGELA BASSETT, ACTRESS: Oh, amazing. It just seems as if Dr. King and his family and his legacy, is around me as of late. So it was just a real pleasure to meet him, to embrace him, and to just speak on the respect and love that I have for his mother's legacy and his father's and his family.

MALVEAUX: How did you prepare for that role because those are some big shoes to fill?

BASSETT: They are. And that's what I expressed to him also that their lives were so immense. And it is still his life and in two hours, there's no possible way that we can distill it down to that. And even, and I hope that, you don't know to what degree what is completely true or what is, you know, a lot of things, lot of facts, distilled into one line. But, I was able to express the profound regard and respect we all had as a company to bring this story to bear.

MALVEAUX: Now, I understand there are some other high profile folks who are going to be - also starring in this film. Mary J. Blige, also has a role. What is she doing?

BASSETT: She is portraying Betty Shabazz (ph). So, there was a friendship between them after their husbands passed away and just their efforts to continue their legacy so that, with the death of these magnificent men, their legacy would not die also. And their lives would is not have been lived in vain. Ad as we say, we do recall them and remember them. The fiery and the gent teal, and you know, that can speak to either one of us, you know, but it's about opportunity and just going forward in terms of society.

MALVEAUX: Now, I understand that you were recruited for this event because you became one of the representatives for the campaign. You spent some time in the cold and you hit some of those states. What was that like?

BASSETT: You know, it's daunting at first. You know? Because you know, you're an actor. Have you your script or whatever. But it was so important that our president had another four years to continue the work that he had, you know, had begun. So it was, oh, it was a time that I won't forget. I was able to go to meet people in North Carolina and Florida, of course, I'm from Florida. So, that had special meaning and Colorado also.

And just to see those on the ground, young people, grassroots, organizing, organizing, coming together and the power and the surge behind that. It was just inspiring to me.

MALVEAUX: Angela, what do you think the biggest challenge is for the president going into his second term? There are a lot of folks very much suffering and looking to the government, looking to other places. They don't have work. Their mortgage is underwater. What does he need to do to help folks?

BASSETT: You know, I think he will do everything that is humanly possible that he can. I hope that he will be able, you know that others on the other side across the aisle, that will be able to come together to help our nation and forget, you know, some of the party divide.

But I know he's a president who cares, who cares deeply in opportunity and I think he'll do everything he possibly can to do that because as I say, the first term you worry about the re-election. Now it's the legacy. And I think he will cement it in a wonderful way. That is, of course, my hope and my prayer.

MALVEAUX: All right. Angela, it's good to see you. We will see you at some of the inaugural balls, hopefully as well. And we will be checking for your movie that's debuting in February, right?

BASSETT: Yes. February 2nd.

MALVEAUX: All right. Thank you.

BASSETT: Thank you so much.

MALVEAUX: Thanks again.

Kate, back to you.

BOLDUAN: All right, Suzanne, thank you so much. BERMAN: Besides the inauguration, of course, there are some other big stories we are following for you today.

First and foremost, that deadly terror attacks in Algeria involving American hostages. It does now appear to be over. According to the Algerian news agency, 23 hostages and 32 kidnappers have been killed. The news agency is also reporting the Algerian military has freed 685 Algerians and 107 foreigners from the gas plant. An al-Qaeda-linked group has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Former Notre Dame Line backer Manti Te'o says he was the victim of a cruel hoax. He tells ESPN that as recently as last Wednesday, he believed his girlfriend was a real person even though he had never met her. A source tells CNN at least three people have been identified as the source of this hoax.

Legendary baseball manager Earl Weaver has died. Weaver led the Baltimore orioles to four patents and a world series in 1970. During his 17th season, he wrapped up 1480 wins. He's a hall of famer known affectionally as "the Earl of Baltimore." He was 82. A lot of people loved him. Not the umpires so much but everyone in baseball mourning him today.

So, from gun control to health care, keep in America's cities are looking for answers in President Obama's second term. We will show you what leaders of our cities are hoping for in the next four years.

Plus, we'll give you an inside look what it's like to grow up inside the White House. And we're going to show you what makes the Obama daughters so unique.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BOLDUAN: Hollywood is onto the ski slopes of Utah right now, and soaking up the vibe of the annual Sundance film festival.

CNN's Nischelle Turner sat down with the founder Robert Redford who has mixed emotions about his phenomenal success and told her what he would like to see during President Obama's second term.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NISCHELLE TURNER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: You've been doing this festival for almost three decades now. Do you ever - and it's gotten so large. Do you ever sit back and just take a moment and think, God, look at what this has become?

ROBERT REDFORD, SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL FOUNDATION: I do. How can I not? As the thing grew and grew and grew, I thought, this is great. And then it wasn't quite so great. It was so big. It became almost like Frankenstein's monster in a good way.

TURNER: I was going to say, almost too big.

REDFORD: You build this thing. Is it going to work in people say, you can't create a human being out of mechanical parts. Suddenly you do, and you go, my God, great. Then it starts to tear the house down. In a sense, it's not as much fun as it used to be.

TURNER: You're not going to step away from it? This is still going to be your baby, yes?

REDFORD: In terms of shepherding, yes, it will, but, it's not as much as it was.

TURNER: There's been so much talk these days because of the mass shootings that we've seen, about gun violence and how Hollywood plays a role in that, what we see on the screen. Does it translate into our daily lives? What do you think about that?

REDFORD: I don't know. I don't know. I think that first of all, violence has been in films since they were invented. It's been there all along. So obviously, that's part of our culture. And if films reflect that culture, that's what they do.

So often we guns in ads. Does that mean guns bring business to the box office? If they become part of marketing, does that mean it's been proven, is has been documented to the powers that be that guns in an ad will create more business? I don't know. I mean, to me, it's not a statement. It's a question. But I think it's a question that Hollywood could ask itself.

TURNER: The president will be sworn in for his second term on Sunday. One of the criticisms for the first term were, people saying he didn't pay enough attention to environmental politics. What would you like to see him do in this second four years?

REDFORD: I would like to see him pay more attention to environmental issues. I think it's too dire. I think the situation too dire, the law of entropy is so extreme right now. The planet is shrinking. Is being dived up, carved up, dug up. And what are we thinking about future generations? Are we going to leave them anything?

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BERMAN: All right. Thanks to Nischelle turner. Such a cool, cool interview with Robert Redford.

Back here to Washington. Imagine spending your teenage years as the most famous child in the country. That's the life Malia and Sasha Obama are living right now. We're going to give you the inside story about what it's like to grow up inside the White House. We're going to find out what makes this first family so unique.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BOLDUAN: Looking at a live picture right now of the White House. Preparations under way for the president's second inauguration. It is one thing to be president for two terms. It's another to live your whole childhood in the White House.

BERMAN: Can you imagine, Malia Obama was just 10 years old when her father moved into the oval office and she moved in to the White House. Sasha was just seven. There is no doubt that being a president's child is a lot different from the way that most of us grew up.

Doug Wead is the presidential historian. He is a former advisor to Ron Paul. He has written extensively about children of presidents. You've interviewed more than a dozen presidential children. Is there any common thread to what they say it's like to grow up in the White House?

DOUG WEAD, AUTHOR, ALL THE PRESIDENTS' CHILDREN: Yes, actually, 19 and a lot of the first ladies and presidents. The children liked it, most of them. They look back on it as if it's surreal like it didn't even happen. And it's very quick in four years, eight years. It's a tiny part of their life. And most of them liked because they were together for the first time in their lives some of them. They're separated to get there. The dad's gone. He is busy getting there. And finally at the White House, they're there.

BERMAN: That's what the president has said again and again. He finally gets to sit down to dinner with his girls.

BOLDUAN: Because his office is close to his house now for the very first time is what he said.

So, what do you think if you had to pick out something, what do you think is different about Sasha and Malia and their time in the White House?

WEAD: I think that's different is their mom and dad. And when you're younger, when you're a child, you want to be with your mom and dad. That's whether you live in a slum or you live in the White House, and most presidents are too busy. They're gone.

Jimmy Roosevelt complained to Eleanor, the first lady, I can never talk to dad. She said why don't you make an appointment with him? That's what I do. So, he makes an appointment when he met with his father. He came out. He was furious and the first lady said what's wrong. Said he sat there reading memos the whole time we talked.

So today, we have a president who goes home to his children and talks about them in his speeches. He tells you as journalists lay off. And yet he talks about them himself because he's with them.

BOLDUAN: One thing that is similar to the Obama girls, as well as Chelsea Clinton, is they spend those fordable years, a very important and impressionable years, teenage years, in the White House. How does that impact them or how does that impact Chelsea and how do you think that will impact the Obama girls?

WEAD: Well, the real crisis for a presidential child is establishing an identity separate from the parent. And that can show up years later. And there are horrific stories and there are wonderful stories that presidential children, it's either feast or famine. They tend to do great things, lead armies, head universities, bell selling authors or they can fall tragically. So, we won't know the story till it's over.

But, I think it's going to be good because this is a new trend for first families, for example, they have discipline. Most first families have no discipline at all. They're so guilty about being part from their kids they don't have any structure. This family has structure. And you can't do that. You can't come home after you've been on the road and crack the whip. You can only do that after you get home, get in the family again, show them you love them. Then you can put down rules. But this family's together.

BERMAN: Based on what you've seen of this family compared to all the other families you've spoken to, care to make any predictions what will become of these girls four years from now? We are looking at a public existence, a private one?

BOLDUAN: They're going to be private as much as they possibly can. That's -- there's many reasons for that, security, many other reasons for that. But the interesting thing is, in an odd way because of the internet, they're able to go back to the pre-television years and pre- television, the first child could wander the streets of Washington. People wouldn't recognize them. The Wilson daughters would get on the tour bus and take and ask inane questions and go back to the White House and laugh at what the tour conductor said.

Well, in a curious way because of the internet, these girls can get on the internet even though that's limited and I'm sure this is part of the reason why it is limited and they can anonymously talk to people and hear what they're saying about their father and about themselves. That's good and bad. But once again, a child can enter the public like they used to be able to do before division.

BOLDUAN: And as you mentioned, you know, the press traditionally tries to give the first family space when it comes to their children especially if they're young. But there has always been this public fascination of the first family, the first children, if you will. Why do you think that still exists?

WEAD: Because we identify with them. And you know, that's pre-America all through history. Wherever there's power, you'll see, there's children. And sometimes it's because the people in power, they want children around because they tell the truth and say sassy things and they speak up and they're unpredictable.

And as you know, everything in the White House is choreographed, every word is parsed. And then, here comes the kids that say the wrong thing or the right thing.

BOLDUAN: Sometimes even first dog does that too.

BERMAN: Historically speaking, who are the most colorful White House kids?

WEAD: Teddy Roosevelt's kids are really, really fascinating. There's everything there.

BERMAN: Didn't they have a zoo in the White House?

WEAD: That's right, a snake.

BOLDUAN: Give more examples of that.

WEAD: Well, on inauguration, we are having inauguration here, on inauguration day, Alice, his daughter, was so famous, the number one hit song if you can imagine that in America was about her. They named a color after her. Every pulpit in America was preaching against her because she smoked cigarette and she drove a car and a woman should not drive a car. And she actually drove a car from Washington to New York un-chaperones. The newspapers followed that like it was crossing the Atlantic or something.

So on inauguration day, they parade through the streets and people are cheering like you hear them cheering here and Alice was waving at the crowds and the president pulled her aside and said this is my inauguration, not yours.

BOLDUAN: For one day, give me one day.

Doug Wead, thank you so much for your time and insights author of "all the president's children, triumph and tragedy in the lives of America's first family."

Thank you so much for your time.

WEAD: Thank you.

BERMAN: Such great stories. All right.

There is a first this year, an official inauguration app.

BOLDUAN: And it's already stirring up some problems, if you can imagine. We'll preview it next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BOLDUAN: We are here in the big city of Washington, D.C. for President Obama's second inauguration. And so let's talk more about cities.

BERMAN: That's right, because President Obama got a lot of support from big city voters in his bid for a second term. And whether its crime or jobs or health care, people who live in urban areas are now looking to the president to help them solve some of their problems.

BOLDUAN: That's absolutely right. And Atlanta mayor Kasim Reed supported President Obama, nice enough to be here with us to talk about these issues.

As we were saying in the break, we talked so much about the federal government. It's the cities where the rubber meets the road and it is so nice to have this conversation with you. What do you think, if you want to speak for your city, or you think big cities across the country, what is the biggest issue facing cities, facing mayors as we head into the president's second term?

MAYOR KASIM REED (D), ATLANTA: Well, I think cities are where hope meets the street. And our biggest issues are infrastructure related. Seventy percent of our country's GDP occurs in cities. So, if you want a healthy country, you want cities up and moving. And we have a good deal of delayed maintenance in our cities. They really is beginning to impede economic development and economic and our economic strength going forward. So to the extent that Washington gets movement, moving, invests or comes up with a deal around infrastructure investment, that's going to help cities and it's going to make the nation stronger.

BOLDUAN: Is it more -- is there something you would like to see coming from the White House, specifically, or is it more you would like to see Washington to get the economic engine of the country going again, which helps cities across the country?

REED: No, what I'd like to see specifically from Washington and in Congress is an infrastructure bank deal to help cities deal with major infrastructure projects whether it's Atlanta, Chicago or New York or Charlotte. We all have major capital projects, and we need a creative funding structure. So we're not asking for handouts. We have roads, bridges and tunnels that need to be repaired that can get folks back to work. But we need a creative funding mechanism.

The president has proposed a $50 billion infrastructure bank. Historically, that has been traditionally a nonpartisan space where Republicans and Democrats can get together. That's probably the biggest thing they could do to help America's cities get moving again right now.

BOLDUAN: The interesting thing, though, we don't hear them talking about that.

BERMAN: Both are talking about cutting back. Very few are talking about spending more or investment. It's more about thrift. Let me ask you about guns.

REED: Sure.

BERMAN: As we are hearing about these new gun proposals from the president. You're the mayor of a city. In cities, crime tends to be committed, gun crime, by handguns.

REED: Sure.

BERMAN: What's being discussed here in Washington? How will that affect your city?

REED: Well, you have more than 750 mayors that will come together, that you will see supporting the mayor and the vice president's initiative around gun control. We've actually been very fortunate in Atlanta. We had the second lowest number of murders, 85, since Lyndon Johnson was president. So, we have control around our crime issues. But the number of bullets that are fired from a magazine is something that we want to see stopped. Nobody needs more than ten bullets. Gun violence, background checks, is something we need to see in cities.

So, these common sense reforms, you now have more than 750 mayors that are standing behind the president and the vice president. And we think we're going to get a bill. It's going to be hard. It's going to be tough. But I think we're finally going to get major gun violence reform.

BOLDUAN: Let's talk about one topic real quick where we know there is not so much partisan politics, a real important, a very important question, Mayor. Will the Atlanta falcons go to the super bowl?

REED: Oh, no question. We're one game away, Kate. We're going.

BOLDUAN: All right.

BERMAN: The objective political analysis from the Atlanta mayor there.

BOLDUAN: Mayor, great to see you.

REED: Thank you, Kate.

BOLDUAN: Thank you so much.

REED: Rooting for the hometown. CNN.

BOLDUAN: For the first time, the presidential --

REED: Atlanta falcons, best in the world.

BOLDUAN: I'm no longer needed.

The presidential inauguration will have its own app. Our CNN Money reporter, Laurie Segall, is gives us a preview.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LAURIE SEGALL, CNN MONEY TECHNOLOGY REPORTER: The 57th presidential inauguration is coming up Monday and for the first time there is an official app for that. The PIC, that's the presidential inaugural committee, they released an app called Inauguration 2013. You're looking at it here. Let you view things like live stream, the ceremony and map out the day.

So, let's look at some of those features. First up, as I mentioned, mapping out the ceremony. The inauguration is happening at the national mall and you can definitely expect large crowds. So, for folks at the ceremony, the app will show you where to find the nearest viewing screens, nearest bathrooms, even the nearest first aid centers.

And another cool feature on the app right here, it is going to show you the map of the parade. So last inauguration, they ran into a little bit of trouble. Some crowds were stuck. They couldn't see the event even though they came there for it. So, this go around the app is aimed at fixing that.

Now, this would only be helpful if you're one of the people actually attending the ceremony. So for the majority of us who aren't in D.C. for the inauguration, the app let's you live stream the ceremony and check out pictures and updates.

Here is a rundown, if you take a look right here, there is an actual run down of the schedule of the day. If you're looking to volunteer, you can also pick a category you're interested on the app, everything from education to health, even the environment. And it will use geo- location to connect you with places to volunteer.

And, of course, for those of you who are just counting down the minutes, there's an app for that too, of course. It's called the inauguration countdown. It's available on IOS devices. The app is going to break down the days, the hours, the minutes, and yes, even seconds until the ceremony.

So, on Monday as President Obama takes the oath, your front row seat at the digital ceremony may just be your Smartphone.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BERMAN: And Laurie Segall joins us right now.

And Laurie, since this is Washington, no surprise, there is already a controversy over the inauguration app. Tell us about this.

SEGALL: You're absolutely right. People are worried that they're putting their cell phone numbers in here and a report came out that said maybe this data could be used, and handed to third parties and you could end up on an e-mail list you don't want to be on. I got on the phone with PIC, I asked the question, they gave me a statement. Let me read it to you really quick.

They say, contrary to some concerns, the app only collects one sort of user data, cell phone numbers. And they go on to say the app has no way to collect e-mails, names or other personal information.

So, they say that's not the case. But come on, we all know that every time you sign up for an app, not everything is just for free, guys.

BERMAN: Nothing is for free, Laurie. What else can this app be use for?

SEGALL: You know, it's the kind of thing that if you're on the ground, it's wonderful, because they can use GPS, you can locate yourself. And it's the kind of thing where you know, you might not be able to see the show as much as you want, and you can -- it will locate you, you can see where there is a viewing screen and that kind of thing. It's great for people on the ground. And also you can live stream through the app. Of course, you can also live stream on CNN.com. So, if you don't want to risk it, you can always come to us.

BERMAN: All right. Laurie Segall, thanks so much.

Of course, you can also follow the inauguration on our app and on CNN.com. We encourage everyone to do that.

BOLDUAN: Absolutely. You can see, they're showing the picture -- image right there for you on your screens.

Wanted to just say, CNN's live coverage today of the historic second inauguration for President Obama continues throughout this afternoon. Thank you so much for joining us.

BERMAN: I'm John Berman.

BOLDUAN: I'm Kate Bolduan. Have a great day, guys.

BERMAN: And thanks, everyone, back there.

BOLDUAN: Yes.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)