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CNN NEWSROOM

Same-Sex Marriage Ad; Details of a Bizarre Shooting Incident in Las Vegas; Trying to Stop Spam and Anonymous Website Posts; Female NFL Placekicker?

Aired February 21, 2013 - 14:30   ET

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


FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back to the NEWSROOM. I'm Fredricka Whitfield in for Brooke Baldwin. For the next 20 minutes, we will be discussing some of the hottest stories of the day. We are starting with a new ad supporting same-sex marriage and featuring several prominent Republicans including former first lady Laura Bush.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: None of us would want to be told we can't marry the person we love. That's why a growing majority of Americans believe it's time to allow marriage for gay and lesbian couples.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When couples are committed, they ought to have I think the same sort of rights that everyone has.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Former Secretary of State Colin Powell and Dick Cheney are also in the ad, but Laura Bush not happy about her appearance. She wants the group behind the ad, the Human Rights Campaign to remove her from the spot and by the way, the group has done so.

They have changed the ads, taken her out of it, but we're going to talk about it anyway, about kind of the power that one has to be included or excluded from an ad, especially when they are a person on the public stage.

The ad campaign comes as the U.S. Supreme Court prepares to tackle same-sex marriage this spring. So let's bring today's panel, Patrick Henry Bass, editorial project director for "Essence" magazine, good to see you.

PATRICK HENRY BASS, EDITORIAL PROJECTS DIRECTOR, "ESSENCE" MAGAZINE: Good to see you too, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Imogen Lloyd Webber, good to see you, author and political commentator and Jacob Soboroff, host of "Huff Post Live," good to see you, and Paula Bloom, author and psychologist.

All right, everybody. This is interesting. You know, this group acted very fast to take Laura Bush out of the ad, but let's talk about how one, especially on the public stage, Imogen, is able to say take me out of it after your comments have been broadcast. They've been made very public. Do you still have, I guess, the power of how your image is being used in an ad?

IMOGEN LLOYD WEBBER, AUTHOR AND POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Yes, you absolutely do especially if you are the former first lady of the United States and the Supreme Court are about to make a judgment on the issue.

At the end of the day, Laura Bush is on the right side of history and any number of conservatives, Jon Huntsman has just come out with the editorial. You've got David Cameron in the United Kingdom.

The conservative prime minister saying he is in favor of same-sex marriage because he is conservative not in spite of being a conservative. So, yes, she absolutely got her rights.

WHITFIELD: Well, Paula, I wonder, you know, once you are a public person, don't you sort of abandon a certain, I guess, sense of your privacy? It doesn't mean that, you know, part of your comments or part of your image become kind of public property so why should the ad company kind of (inaudible), even though it's the first lady.

PAULA BLOOM, PSYCHOLOGIST AND AUTHOR: Right. I mean, I think that's the decision for them, but I do believe that when you are a public figure, you have a lot of power. You have to choose your words carefully.

And my hope is that her wanting to be removed from the ad is not because she doesn't still stand by her position, but more because she wants to be more deliberate and who gets associated with and have some power and degree over her brand and her affiliations.

WHITFIELD: OK, and so Patrick, you know, Powell and Cheney, both Republicans, vocally supporting same-sex marriage. You know, is this a -- does this become kind of a party issue, a platform in which a party especially the Republican Party trying very hard to kind of reform itself might want to embrace as a whole.

BASS: Fredricka, any time Dick Cheney comes across this more progressive than Laura Bush, that's a big problem for the Republican Party. She was very much admired by women and what the Republicans desperately need right now are moderate women.

And the fact that she was on "Larry King Live" so emphatically, passionately and pathetically speaking about marriage equality, and then to withstand participating in an ad with the most admired men in the country, Colin Powell and the world, really and Dick Cheney is not a good look.

WHITFIELD: So Jacob in your view, Laura Bush kind of needs to explain herself?

JACOB SOBOROFF, HOST, "HUFFPOST LIVE": I don't know if she's to explain herself. You know, I supposed that human rights campaign should have picked the phone and called her. They are on the same side after all. That's why this is all a little bit bizarre.

Again, Laura Bush is on the right side of history on this. I frankly find it funnier and strange that she didn't want to be in this ad as a public figure sort of expecting --

WHITFIELD: Maybe she changed her point of view?

SOBOROFF: I don't think so. I really -- you know, I don't know that. Again, I suppose. That's for her to explain, but she was outspoken. Her daughter, Barbara, has been outspoken, has done a video with the Human Rights Campaign before. You know, I give them props for that. This is confusing to me honestly.

WHITFIELD: OK, well, there is more, gang. Up next, could it be the end of anonymity as it pertains to web posting? My panel takes on the proposal to out all web sites commenters next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right, this next story will make the trolls and spammers of the internet shake in fear. One lawmaker is proposing a bill that will require web site commenters to reveal their full identities.

Illinois State Senator Ira Silverstein has introduced the internet posting removal act, which states quoting now, "A website administrator upon request shall remove any comments posted on his or her web site by an anonymous poster unless the anonymous poster agrees to attach his or her name to the post and confirms that his or her IP address, legal name and home address are accurate," end quote.

So let's bring back the panel. Jacob, I'll begin with you. This bill most likely won't hold up, you know, legally to begin with, but it is in your view. Is it a good idea or a bad idea?

SOBOROFF: No, it's a terrible idea. I certainly hope it doesn't hold up. Every single day on "HuffPost Live," you know, people comment using pseudonyms anonymously and that's the fabric of our community at "HuffPost Live."

And Electronic Frontier Foundation who has done an incredible job protecting our digital rights and freedoms has pointed out that whether it's on paper and whether it's when you're out (inaudible), and people have the right in this country to speak out without using their real names.

And for this legislator in Illinois to tell people that they can't post online. People are going to say despicable, disgusting and stupid things. What do they do with their names or not and if you see something hateful and it crosses the line, you'd be investigated for it. But it's OK to comment anonymously in this country.

WHITFIELD: So, Paula, you see this as a free speech, first amendment right issue?

BLOOM: Well, I mean, at the risk of sounding like it's 2 a.m. in my college dorm room. Dude, you know, I just see it as individual rights versus everybody else and can solve the problems.

But here's as a psychologist one of things that would concern me, forget the civil liberties issue. So many people get so much support and so much help and so much information because they are able to feel safe and free because they are anonymous. That's terrifying.

WHITFIELD: So to kind of hide behind that cloak of secrecy.

BLOOM: Right. But that it's actually empowering for people to get a lot of information so I think it's a terrible idea.

WHITFIELD: And Patrick?

BASS: Well, I call it the curse of catfish. Now that the MTV shown us what some of these people really do look like. You know, I think that makes people want to remain more anonymous than they are.

I write a column for "Essence" called "Patricks Pick." This is a plug and I get a lot of nasty comments from folks. And what I've done I've developed a thick skin about it --

WHITFIELD: Well, don't you feel like people will behave a little bit better if their identities were revealed. Maybe there will be less kind of hate talk out there?

WEBBER: So we're trying to limit talk now?

WHITFIELD: Hate talk, right. Mean stuff.

SOBOROFF: People say a lot of stupid, hateful stuff whether they are using their real name or a fake name.

WEBBER: I think it's a pun -- the dark side of the internet, aren't they? But at the end of the day, this is America. I've been very lucky to be allowed to be in America and I've learned from Americans they are very protective of their free speech.

Now in Europe, European, E.U. are allegedly going to be going off the spy patrols coming up to the elections next year spending $3 million against them. That's a very un-American thing to do. So I think this is just a dark side to the good side that the internet brings to us all.

WHITFIELD: All right, very good. So, you know, half full.

BLOOM: Also just the idea that there needs to be consequences for the kinds of things that in real white they have bullying. There needs to be consequences. Just because it's the internet --

WHITFIELD: Nobody knows who you are, how and why will you suffer the consequences?

BASS: Exactly. There was the HBO show "True Blood." There were vicious attacks on the African-American characters on that show. Also with the "Hunger Games," there were vicious attacks on the African- American woman who was a part of the film.

Many people wrote about the hateful comments on those other sites and that's what great about free speech. Those people exercise their vicious, hateful language and they had a forum like essence.com to come to address and re-address those comments that they disagree with.

WHITFIELD: And Jacob, you think your material especially on your show would be different. Maybe it would be a little too sanitized if there was this kind of restriction imposed because it's that veil of secrecy I suppose that you are saying that allows people really to speak their mind or be creative about their thoughts.

SOBOROFF: Yes. We love people to come on "Huffpost Live" in the comments and use names that are not their own. I think it gives a lot of people the confidence to come and speak out on something they wouldn't normally speak out on, any of the interest that we talk about on the program.

You know, I don't think that, you know, if we made everybody use their real names, do I think that we would have a community that was as vibrant. Sure, probably, but they like the protection of being able to do it without using their real name.

WHITFIELD: All right, Paula, you concur?

BLOOM: I do. I just think that -- listen, most people are good and most comments are not hateful and terrible. So just in general, I think it would be a very bad idea to limit that.

WHITFIELD: Yes. We can hear good stuff all the time. Is that what you are saying?

BLOOM: Most of the stuff we hear is not so terrible.

WHITFIELD: OK, got it. All right, so up next for this panel, buckle up. Will history be made in the NFL? A woman is looking to become part of the team or a team. We will hear from her, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right, history is about to be made, a woman is set to try out for the chance to play in the NFL. Lauren Silverman of New York City is set to participate as a kicker during the March 2nd New Jersey Regional Combine.

In doing so, she will be the first female ever to compete and if she does well enough, she has a chance to move on to a super regional in April and perform for NFL scouts and staff, Silverman is a club soccer player at Wisconsin.

With no real football experience, Silverman however did speak to the NFL Network about the odds of making a team.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LAUREN SILVERMAN, FEMALE KICKER (via telephone): I realize that I may not make an NFL team this year, but for me, you know, I'm expecting to have fun, to meet really interesting people and hopefully perfect my techniques from the other tremendous kickers that will be in attendance. I'm going to be doing a lot of practicing from now until the try out, but you know, I'm really needing to start nailing those 60s.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Those what?

SILVERMAN: Those 60 yarders.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: All right, so is everybody OK with this? You know, a little history being made, a woman going out for the NFL? I mean, certainly it would make history, women on board with this, Paula?

BLOOM: I mean, I don't even know that this is such a big deal. I'm actually kind of surprise it's the first time. I find that very interesting. If there's no specific prohibition against it, I think it's great. I'm so grateful that whoever that expert person interviewing her was, didn't know what 60 meant either. I felt good about that because I have no idea what the heck they were talking about.

WHITFIELD: Imogen, how do you see this?

WEBBER: I have no idea about this NFL thing either. I am a feminist. I love the battle of the sexes with Billy Jean King. I still cry when I see that footage. From Daytona, when you had that woman -- race car driver doing that thing last week.

But really I think this belies common sense just a little bit. You know, when you got President Obama being out there saying that he wouldn't let a son play in the NFL, I'm just really not sure.

WHITFIELD: All right, so it's a breakthrough, but you see that there is a lot at stake here.

WEBBER: Yes, exactly.

WHITFIELD: OK, all right, guys. As the dudes on the panel here, football is associated with kind of aggression and the manly man thing and the locker room talk and all that, do you see women fitting in here, Patrick?

BASS: I think she would be fine. I'm just stunned that the NFL has not done a reality show about here. This is why a lot of money to be made off of this kicker.

WHITFIELD: So Jacob, you know, is it an issue of opening the gates and the women can go out for the NFL or is it an issue of really being an outstanding female athlete? She hasn't played football and soccer, but being an outstanding female athlete and being able to play with the guys.

SOBOROFF: This is great that the NFL has opened this opportunity for women to try it in the regional combines. First of all, she is probably a far better football player than I will ever be. So it's ridiculous that because of the fact that I am a guy, I will have a chance to play the rules to get into a tryout. It's inspiring. Realistically, who knows? We will see from my sisters around the country, they want to be active in sports. This is an amazing story.

WHITFIELD: So Paula, do you see this kind of opening the floodgates or even inspiring, you know, a lot of young girls or changing the views of many people?

BLOOM: I just think what's really cool is that, I mean, I don't know about trying out for football, but the idea that it's really not a subjective thing I would think. You kick, it goes a certain distance. It's not really about gender or subjectivity.

It's really about performance, which I think the same thing we are talking about with women in combat. You know, it's not about your reproductive system, but what you can do. I will say though I'm in an all women's book club and I've been in it for 13 years. I know we have husbands who know how to read books, and I like my book club to stay a girls' book club.

WHITFIELD: And Patrick, you want to punctuate this conversation?

BASS: I believe that she may very well be the most athletic person to ever come out of MIT.

WHITFIELD: All right, Patrick Henry Bass, Paula Bloom, Imogen Lloyd Webber and Jacob Soboroff, thanks so much all of you for joining us on this one.

WEBBER: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: All right, straight ahead, the gloves are off in the Jodi Arias trial. The woman accused in the death of her boyfriend is on the stand today. Arias on her journal entries on the case.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right, welcome back. This is a pretty brutal winter triple threat under way right now. Karen Maginnis at the weather center with an explanation on all of this.

KAREN MAGINNIS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yes, here's the triple threat, very heavy snowfall. We can kind of deal with the snowfall. It doesn't help if you are trying to get on the roads or the airplanes, but if you are watching out as far as the interstates go and driving, that is where the really big hazard has been.

In northern sections of Arkansas into Southern Missouri right around that Ozarks region, back in 2009, they had a major ice storm. It broke trees. It also weakened them. So the icing that they are expecting this go round.

Because of those weakened trees, it's just enough to tip them over so watch out for that. This is water vapor. You kind of there are a little bit of a dry slot in here. What does that mean? Well, we are not seeing complete wrap around as far as that moisture is concerned.

If we saw that, we might see heavier snowfall and thunderstorm problems. Well, as this makes its way towards the Midwest in its wake, we could see in some cases more than a foot of snowfall. The computer models are hedging between 12 and 18 inches around this Central Missouri region. So, Fred, that's the area that will be the bull's-eye.

WHITFIELD: All right, keep us posted. Thanks so much, Karen Maginnis.

The hunt is on for the black SUV involved in a shooting and fiery crash that shut down part of the Las Vegas strip today. It happened right outside some of the city's most famous casinos.

Although it looked like a scene from a movie, but it was real. When the smoke cleared, three people were dead. Three more injured. Miguel Marquez is on the scene near Caesar Palace and the Bellagio. So Miguel, what are police piecing together here?

MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (via telephone): Well, they are having a hard time piecing anything together. This is just so bizarre.

I can tell you there's an absolute surreal scene right now in front of the Flamingo. The Vegas Strip, which would be typically be bustling with cars, the Bellagio fountains, which are still going full-bore, all of it shut down, police taped off at Caesars Palace.

From Caesars Palace all the way up to Bellagio is taped off right now, the cars still in the middle of the road. Police they are going to have this section of the Strip shut off until probably dusk tonight so they can investigate this fully. They say they hope to have video evidence as well to what happened last night, but the way they believe this thing played out was this black Range Rover with dealer plates shot into the driver's side of a Maserati, killing the driver.

Both cars kept going through the intersection and the Maserati then hit a taxicab. You can't tell it is a taxicab right now. It burst into flames and the two people inside, the driver and a passenger, were trapped. They died, as well as the passenger of that Maserati, absolute shocking scene here in the city that is very, very tough to shock -- Suzanne (sic).

WHITFIELD: And, so, Miguel, have they identified any of these victims?

MARQUEZ: They have not identified the victims. They have not identified the shooters.

That's the big question mark in all of this. That Range Rover fled the scene and police are on the lookout for it. They warn people here that the occupants are armed and dangerous. A black Range Rover in Las Vegas they are about a dime a dozen here. There are a lot of those types of cars.

It did have dealer plates on it, they say. They're asking people to watch out for that. They are hoping the video evidence -- this is a very obviously videotaped area of the world -- they are hoping that the videotape evidence offer some more clues, but at the moment the police are holding tight.

We expect, we hope to have a fuller police briefing in the next couple of hours, Suzanne (sic).

WHITFIELD: All right, Miguel Marquez, thanks so much from Las Vegas.

And clearly lots of surveillance cameras all over the Strip there. Likely some information will be gleaned from that. Keep us posted, Miguel.