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CNN NEWSROOM

Laying Out the Next Four Years; Dressing the First Lady; Dressing the First Lady; 40th Anniversary of Roe Versus Wade; Harbaughs: Focus on the Players

Aired January 22, 2013 - 09:30   ET

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


(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning to you. Thank you so much for being with us. It's 30 minutes past the hour.

If you expected President Obama's inaugural speech to be all warm and fuzzy, you were wrong. It was a tough speech. And unlike his first address, the president laid out his second term agenda, and it very much includes government as a solution.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Together, we determined that a modern economy requires railroads and modern highways to speed travel and commerce, schools and colleges to train our workers. Together, we discovered that a free market only thrives when there are rules to ensure competition and fair play. Together, we resolved that a great nation must care for the vulnerable and protect its people from life's worst hazards and misfortune.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Don't agree with all of that? Expect a fight. Bipartisanship was not part of the president's speech.

Senator John McCain said of Obama's speech, quote, "This is the eighth inauguration that I've been to, and always there's been a portion of the speech where the president says, 'I reach out my hand because we need to work together.' That was not in the speech."

Maria Cardona is a Democratic strategist and CNN contributor.

Ana Navarro is a Republican strategist and CNN contributor.

MARIA CARDONA, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Thank you. Good morning, Carol.

ANA NAVARRO, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Good morning.

COSTELLO: OK. Some conservative strategist says Obama's speech was actually an ode to big government. It was a hymn to big government.

Ana, are those conservatives right? NAVARRO: I think it was an ode to the progressive agenda. I've heard progressives on TV describing it as one of the most progressive speeches they've heard. And so, I can tell you that if that's what progressives are thinking, conservatives and Republicans are thinking much more so.

I heard, Carol, what I heard a lot of progressive ideology sandwiched in between some talk of togetherness and unity. I was one of those Republicans that was hoping for a speech that would inspire the nation, that would unite. We've got so much division.

Look, this is his inaugural. It's his speech. It's his tone. It's the way he's going to go down in history.

But for those of us who were expecting sag that would be inspirational to the entire nation, that would do what President Kennedy do -- did, make us all ask what can we do for our country? This speech wasn't it.

It was President Obama's speech. He had his right to do it. I don't resent it.

COSTELLO: Well, Maria, some conservatives say you can pretty much tell that President Obama's agenda, part of his agenda in the second term is to absolutely crush Republicans in Congress, and do what he wants as president, with the power of the office.

CARDONA: Well, I certainly wouldn't go that far, but I definitely think that, from this speech, we do have a preview of a president who is absolutely much more confident about the values that he underscored during the campaign, and that, frankly, got him elected and this was his message, basically saying he will continue to fight for those values because he believes that the majority of the American people are with him.

So, what are those values? The fact that we need to make sure to fix our problems, focused on the middle class, that the solutions cannot be unbalanced, and that this is where Medicaid and Social Security and the social safety net come in. It doesn't mean that he's not going to deal with the debt and the deficit. He's going to deal with it in a balanced manner.

He talked about immigration reform. He talked about gay rights. He talked about equal rights for women.

This is where the country is or is headed, Carol, and I think this was an underscoring of this president, basically telling the American people that he's going to fight for those values, because he believes that's where the majority of the American people are.

He also talked about unity that we can't do any of this unless we do it together, and that, I think, was the notion of unity and demonstrating to Republicans that he wants to work with them on this.

COSTELLO: Well, I didn't really get that from his speech, Maria. I didn't get the unity thing and working with Republicans. In fact, Ana, I want to ask Ana about this --

NAVARRO: Neither did I, Carol.

COSTELLO: -- because Republicans are at an extreme disadvantage, for example, the debt ceiling, let's just use that as one example. Republicans said, oh, we don't want to raise the debt ceiling. President Obama said I'm not going to bargain with the debt ceiling and Republicans in Congress are going to vote to raise temporarily the debt ceiling on Wednesday. So it seems the president has the upper hand, and maybe that's why his speech was so darned tough.

NAVARRO: Well, look, there's no doubt that being the president of the United States gives you the biggest bully pulpit there is in the nation, and I think he realized that and he is using it. Part of that speech yesterday talked about taking it to the citizens and having the citizens continue being part of this process and pushing.

But, you know, with the debt ceiling, I think Republicans were actually trying to extend an olive branch and they found themselves rebuffed yesterday. If we had said pick the most controversial, divisive issues in the country right now, they are the issues that President Obama chose to speak of yesterday.

He's got a State of the Union coming up in a couple of weeks. I would have expected that that would be a place where he laid out his agenda, his priorities, his specifics but I didn't expect it in yesterday's inaugural.

But again, it's his speech, his party, he can cry if he wants to.

(LAUGHTER)

COSTELLO: Ana Navarro and Maria Cardona, interesting and fun as always, thanks so much.

NAVARRO: Thank you.

CARDONA: Thank you, Carol.

COSTELLO: A commuter on a Madrid rail line takes a terrifying fall onto the tracks, ooh! We'll tell you what happened next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Forty minutes past the hour. Checking our top stories:

Look closely at this video from Madrid, a woman waiting for a subway train. She faints and she falls over onto the tracks. It happened while a train was entering the station. A police officer jumped down to get her out safely and the driver managed to stop the train just in the nick of time.

Honda recalling 748,000 of its odyssey mini-vans and pilot SUVs. Some of the driver's side airbags may have been assembled without rivets to security airbags, plastic cover. If the rivets are missing, the air bag may not deploy properly. It is Honda's second recall of those models in over a month.

In Michigan, strong winds damaged what's left of the roof of Pontiac Silver Dome outside of Detroit. That's where the Lions used to play before they moved to Ford Field. Small tear could be repaired. The dome was about to undergo renovation, which include a new hard roof with solar panels.

Chinese censors have snipped of "Skyfall," the latest James Bond movie. "The Hollywood Reporter" says the scene where a security guard was shot in a Shanghai skyscraper was cut out, as well as a reference to a character being a prostitute in the past. Experts say it's not unusual for Beijing to censor Western films, especially since China has no movie ratings system.

Michelle Obama, once again she was the belle of the inaugural ball. The first lady wowing the crowd in the vibrant ruby red dress designed by Jason Wu.

Alina Cho is in New York with the man the first lady has called on for some of her most high profile fashion moments.

Good morning, Alina.

ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey there, Carol. Good morning.

And I am so proud and happy to say that I have Jason Wu, the designer of Michelle Obama's inaugural gown, live here with me in the studio.

Jason, first of all, congratulations.

JASON WU, FASHION DESIGNER: Thank you.

CHO: I mean, last night, you tweeted #inshock.

(LAUGHTER)

CHO: I think we need to remind people, you had no idea, didn't you?

WU: I had no idea.

CHO: Just like the last time.

WU: And just like the last time and I felt just as good.

CHO: I bet it did.

WU: I was just elated.

CHO: I bet it did.

Four years ago, you were having a Domino's Pizza with a friend in your apartment.

WU: Yes.

CHO: This time, it was more festive. You were in your studio. WU: It was more. Right now, we're working on the fall collection and we were all still working, we had been working until like 10:00, 10:30, and we had to watch. And when the second she came out and everyone just let out the biggest scream. I mean, the whole entire studio, it was amazing. The energy was amazing.

CHO: You had a little bit of a problem with the computer, didn't you? It was buffering.

WU: Of course, it was buffering the moment she was about to come out. I was like no, this cannot be, and thankfully --

CHO: You know, we were able to obtain, thank you very much, an exclusive look at your sketch of the gown.

WU: Yes.

CHO: That is a sketch. Just sort of walk me through your thoughts and what was going through your mind beginning with that color, red. It was so striking.

WU: Well, I chose ruby red, and, you know, it was a custom weave fabric. I wanted it to look festive, but I had also wanted -- wanted it to be soft and -- so that combination of velvet and chiffon was really important so we wove, it was all hand loomed, the fabric, and it's little bets of velvet woven to a floral pattern within a chiffon fabric. It's a two-process.

CHO: And you felt like red was right for the moment. You felt it was right for a confident first lady is what you said, right?

WU: Yes. Well, I feel like, you know, with dressing for big occasions, I think it's really important to always really think about the client and to me I just had Mrs. Obama in mind. You couldn't think about everything that comes with it, being so nervous or start second-guessing myself.

My first image was red. I felt that red was confident and it was -- you know, it's commanding and it's beautiful and passionate -- and all of those things describe Michelle Obama to me.

CHO: I mean, I think this was the shocker of all shocks to the fashion world. I mean, I think everyone was thrilled that you got a shot four years ago.

WU: Yes.

CHO: But to have it happen twice, it's like lightning striking twice.

WU: It's really been -- you know, of course, it's incredible that the first lady decided to wear me again. I'm beyond honored and I'm beyond thrilled to have this opportunity, and to be a part of American history in such a significant way, you know, in my own little field.

And, you know, it's really -- what is quite interesting is that, how the two of us have evolved over the last four years. I mean, the first lady has really evolved beautifully into her role and her style has really evolved and myself as well, and my own way, I as a designer have matured. And, you know, I keep owning my craft.

And that's been really interesting to see what it's like four years later, to do it again, and to see how far we've all come. I'm really proud of it.

CHO: You talk about her, you both evolving. She evolved her look, too, with the new haircut and bangs. What do you think? Up or down?

WU: I mean I love her new haircut. I mean, I love her new haircut, I -- to me, she can do no wrong.

CHO: All right, well listen, Jason Wu, congratulations.

WU: Thank you.

CHO: I think we should remind our viewers you're just 30 years old. There's a lot more left for you to do, even after you've received all of these accolades, congratulations.

WU: I got to put on a show in two weeks.

CHO: That's right. You've got work to do, four hours of sleep, that's right.

WU: Yes.

CHO: All right, Jason Wu, thank you so much.

WU: Thank you, Alina.

CHO: Carol back to you.

COSTELLO: All right thanks Alina and Jason Wu.

WU: Thank you.

COSTELLO: Still ahead, your responses to our "Talk Back" question, "Obama's speech what was your takeaway," Facebook.com/CarolCNN or tweet me @CarolCNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Forty years ago today Americans were fighting in Vietnam, Watergate was just a bungled burglary and the Supreme Court legalized abortion. It's that landmark case Roe v. Wade; that still divides and enflames. And nearly two generations later millions of Americans choose opposite sides of the argument, legal rights versus moral wrongs and those divisions maybe growing wider.

According to a new poll from NBC and "The Wall Street Journal" a majority of Americans for the first time want abortion to be legal in most or all cases. 54 percent in all feel that way. 35 percent say abortion should be legal only in the case of rape, incest and to save a mother's life. Nine percent say illegal without any exceptions. Legalizing abortion is one of the biggest single issues to shape American culture both legally and politically. Our next guest is involved in the abortion rights debate as well as a cultural analyst and ethicist. Pia De Solenni is also a widely published expert on women's health, life issues and Catholicism, she joins us live from Seattle. Welcome Pia.

PIA DE SOLENNI, WWW.MORALTHEOLOGIAN.COM: Hi, Carol, good to be with you.

COSTELLO: Good to be -- we're glad to have you here. We crunched the poll numbers and the polls show in the last four months a slight uptick among Americans supporting abortion rights, most or all of the time. Why do you think that's changed?

DE SOLENNI: You know, honestly I'm not surprised to see those numbers change. Abortion has become, it's become a values issue and the past election cycle showed us that. The Democratic Party ran with abortion as a value and people responded. I think it's something that in many ways is a given and we see that with our funding.

I mean we -- Planned Parenthood is funded more than half a billion dollars every year. I mean, it's become -- this has become part of our culture. And I think we need to do -- do more to really focus. To my mind this is a civil rights issue of now, of today and we need to make it a civil rights issue and really talk about what's involved -- the lives that are involved.

COSTELLO: Right and I just want to make it clear. You're anti- abortion rights -- that's correct, right?

DE SOLENNI: That's correct, yes.

COSTELLO: Ok and just to follow-up to that first question about why those -- the poll numbers have risen and the number of people who support abortion rights. During the election, as you know, Todd Akin, Richard Mourdock, two men running for federal office said some unwise things perhaps about race and abortion. Do you think that kind of hurt your cause?

DE SOLENNI: Oh, I'm sure it did and we had -- those clips were run over and over and over and over again and there's no way that that did not affect public opinion. And it's unfortunate. I think both of those candidates have very good pro life voting records.

They -- what they said was simply unfortunate. And they clearly did not know how to communicate what it is that they believe and why they believe it and I think that it became a huge liability for them costing them both their -- their races.

COSTELLO: Now the other side would say, you know, especially the comment by Todd Akin when he said this legitimate rape can protect a woman against pregnancy and somehow a woman's body can protect itself when -- from a pregnancy in the course of rape and, of course, that's ridiculous as you know and I know. But the other side would say that Todd Akin's comments were actually a reminder to women of their abortion rights and how they might be taken away and that's why the poll numbers changed.

DE SOLENNI: You know, again, I think it was a clip that was played over and over again. The reality is that in this country there is a very strong pro life movement, it's the strongest in the world. We -- we are a global example of how to keep the issue going.

We also are an example in terms of our pregnancy help centers. I serve on the board of Heartbeat International which is a global network of pregnancy help centers. In the United States there are about 25 of these centers. Some are full medical clinics, others aren't, and they help women to feel as if they have some choice besides abortion because if you talk to women who have had abortions, most of them feel as if they had no choice but to have an abortion.

And in these centers we see pro lifers. They are stepping up to the plate. They are helping women with their basic needs. They're saying, hey, what is it that you want? What is the problem? How can we help you?

Medical care, is it, you know, helping you to find a place to live? Is it helping you to get a job? What can we do to help make your life more stable so that you're in a good place to make a choice? And most of these centers are staffed by volunteers. And to me this is a tremendous indication of the heart of the pro life movement and yet we're going to have some people that speak, you know, poorly, they don't know how to articulate thoughts.

But if you look at the heart of the pro life movement, this Friday in Washington, D.C., there will be hundreds of thousands of pro lifers coming out from all over the country, and this is a story that usually doesn't get reported on the main street media, but they will be there. And they will be marching to -- to commemorate the 40th anniversary of Roe. And those crowds grow every year and they're -- they're always young. I mean it -- it really is a great indication of the movement. And I'd say --

(CROSSTALK)

COSTELLO: All right.

DE SOLENNI: -- if you want to know what the pro life movement is about, look at the work that we do.

COSTELLO: Pia De Solenni, thank you so much for joining us. We appreciate it.

DE SOLENNI: Thanks for having me.

COSTELLO: Coming up on our next hour, a closer look at the other side of the abortion argument. We'll talk to Nancy Keenan, the outgoing president of the National Abortion Rights Action Week.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) COSTELLO: The head coaches in Super Bowl XLVII wants the focus to be on their players and not on the fact they're brothers. Jim Harbaugh of the San Francisco 49ers and John Harbaugh of the Baltimore Ravens think it's pretty cool for brothers to face off in the Super Bowl. Still, the two have coached against each other in a Thanksgiving 2011 game and John feels the family angle has been covered enough.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JON HARBAUGH, HEAD COACH, BALTIMORE RAVENS: Every story has been told. We're not that interesting. There's nothing more to learn, you know. The tape across the middle of the room story, ok? You got it, you know? It's ok. We're just like any other, you know, family really.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: Yes, just like every other family in America with two sons in the Super Bowl. Any who, thinking of buying a ticket for the big game? You'll have to go to the secondary market, as they say, and shell out some big bucks. Stubhub has seats ranging from $316,000, but you can also pick up a ticket for a mere $2,045.

That's crazy.

Well here's some news. A hockey fan gets kicked out not being rowdy but for wearing a coat and tie. To be honest the fan did more than that. He showed up in the seat behind the Ottawa Senators' bench looking just like head coach Paul McClain, bushy moustache and all. Ushers removed him from the arena. I guess the Senator's management really doesn't have a sense of humor.

And watch this closely. A high school wrestler gets pinned not by an opponent but by this huge light fixture. Can you believe it, it fell from the ceiling. Michael McComish (ph) of South Dakota's Madison High got up after the crash and simply walked away. He later tweeted that he was just fine. Just got some stitches on his face. McComish may be left with a scar but he'll always have that great story to tell.

That's a look at sports this morning.

The next hour of CNN starts now.

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