>> endorsement. >> keeping it, i guess. love the beard, yes. sort of. abby huntsman is with us, political commentator and daughter of jon huntsman, of course. and from the new york er, ryan lizza. nice to have all of you. dick clark struggled with his health when he was diagnosed with diabetes. but the impact his life had on music. >> reading the obituaries what strikes me is that this guy was important not just in the music business, but in the culture. he desegmeregated that show. he was the first show to have black teenagers appear on it. he said the only time he got swe sweaty palms in an interview was when he interviewed a black american youth. >> he talks about that integration, you don't get the sense that this was a big planned out, plotted out

strategy. >> no. >> it was just one of those thing that is -- >> no. >> joe levy is with us this morning. it's nice to have you. we've had lots of conversations and opportunities to talk. of course, the editor of billboard magazine. let's start with the desegregation, when dick clark tells the story of sweating through his first interview because he had invited black teenagers to dance on "american bandstand," the show was obviously about young people dancing. how big of an impact was that? >> it was a big deal. rock 'n' roll was ready to cross boundaries that the rest of america wasn't ready to cross. popular music was ready to integrate america, get listeners talking to each other in a way that the rest of america wasn't. what dick clark did so often was to present the music in a way that all of america could understand. this was a moment when that was exactly what he was doing. >> they have a camera now focused on the -- his star on the hollywood walk of fame. obviously, people are assuming

that in addition to these flowers by the time the sun comes up out there you'll see a will the of people coming out to mourn his passing. he died from a massive heart attack. he was 82 years old. why do you think he was so successful, do you think? he was successful financially and he was also successful, as you say, in the culture. >> i said to joe backstage -- joe kind of laughed at me. i said i can't talk about dick clark without thinking of ryan seacrest. >> he brought it up again. >> you did. >> sitting in your office thinking of ryan seacrest. >> he crosses my mind often, ryan seacrest. he has built this massive media empire, highly successful. the story is that he modeled it off of dick clark, this highly successful businessman. >> there's no doubt that dick clark blazed the trail that ryan seacrest is following right now. one of the reasons that dick clark diversified so much is during the scandal of the 1950s, it appears that he didn't do anything wrong but he had investments in record companies, in music publishing companies. abc, which was presenting

"bandstand" gave him a choice. either keep those investments and keep making that money or stay with "american bandstand." he divested himself of those companies. when it came to time time to go into business again, he actually got excited sitting in a room with accountants and lawyers and talking business. he loved it. >> he was, what, responsible for shows as far as award shows like the golden globes. >> american music awards. >> the $10,000 pyramid, which he stayed with so long -- >> the 25. >> it became the $100,000 pyramid. >> right. >> how was he able to break those barriers in 1950s and 1960s here where culturally it was not common to interview blacks. how was he able to successfully do that back then? >> look at dick clark. so clean cut, so presentable. he was able to present the music to parents that way.

at a time when his audience understood it, they dressed and looked like him. very respectable, presentable claen-cut teenagers, dancing and having a good time, coming together in a social context with respect. so much of what he did wasn't just to present music but to present teenage culture to other teenagers and their parents. >> i want to play a bunch of interviews. obviously, celebrities have been talking about really the difference that dick clark made in their lives and their careers as well. one word that kept coming up was kindness, that he seemed to treat the people coming out on stage very, very kindly. let's listen to marie osmond and neil sedaka as well. >> i did the first rockin' eve new year's eve show. and he wrote the liner notes. i remember he said i like your style. i'm going to write the first line of notes on your lp. so, i have some wonderful, wonderful memories. and i'll be eternally grateful

for him -- to him for starting my career. >> dick clark is truly going to be missed, because dick had an eye. he had a vision. he could -- he could smell a star. i swear, he could. he could just -- he could hear it and he knew it in their personality. not a celebrity, but a star. >> how many people would you guess, roughly, where he made their career or took them -- >> you can't even begin to calculate. think about this. the first time the show went national in 1957, one of his guests, jerry lee lewis. flash forward 26 years, famous clip of him presenting a young woman on her first single. her name is madonna. he says where do you see yourself in 20 years? she says i will be ruling the world. she turned out to be correct. but think about that across three decades, somebody who stood toe to toe with figures that important. >> consistently getting it right. >> yeah. >> bandstand existed as a show before they -- he came in to

host the show. the difference was that he genuinely liked the kids where the two hosts before, sounds like, were a little bit crotchety. he enjoyed watching young people dance and also was interested in the performers as well. >> he understood that the kids were crucial to the music and to the show. he cared about teenagers. he respected them. he was interested in them. not everyone in tv or music business was. they were interested in making tv. >> i saw someone describe him as america's older brother. the conduit between parents and teenagers. he looked like the older brother who was hip enough to know the music but made it okay for your parents as well. >> that's right. >> joe levy, thank you very much. a little bit later in our next hour, we'll talk to larry klein, a long-time producer of dick clark's new year's rockin eve. and then we'll chat with gloria gaynor, who got her big break on

"american bandstand." first, though, a look at the headlines. christine has that for us. good morning, christine. >> good morning to you, soledad. police divers will continue to a north carolina pond to continue searching for a ft. bragg soldier, who has been missing since the weekend. private first class kelly bordeaux was last seen at a fayetteville bar early saturday morning. investigators would not elaborate about a lead they got yesterday that led them to search for her in that pond. a toronto man has been arrested for allegedly convincing a 12-year-old new jersey girl to perform sex acts online by pretending to be justin bieber. 34-year-old lee moyer faces charges of pornography, extortion. he may be in contact with other young girls he met on facebook in canada, united states and the philippines. at-nra event, ted nugent

said he would be dead or in jail if president obama gets re-elected. nugent says he's looking forward to meeting with the secret service. a new judge taking the reins of the trayvon martin shooting, judge lester will preside over the zimmerman bail hearing tomorrow. zimmerman is charged with second degree murder. later this morning, florida's governor will announce a task force to examine that state's stand your ground law, at the heart of zimmerman's defense. minding your business this morning, futures are up. dow fewers 70 points higher, pointing to a market bounce at the open. quarterly income fell after an account adjustment of nearly $5 billion for bank of america. corporate profits have been stronger than expect ed this earning season, helping to push markets up this morning. next hour, how many people filed unemployment claims for the first time last week.

investors still waiting on those numbers for a fresh read on the health of the jobs market. the infamous janet jackson wardrobe malfunction could end up in a supreme court. obama administration is asking justices to weigh in on fcc fines from that case. cbs was slapped with $550,000 fines for the super bowl slip. but last year a federal appeals court said the fine was improper. they said they acted arbitrarily because they didn't give media prior warnings. the supreme court will decide whether to take this case later this year. i can't believe it was 2004. >> i know. >> time flies and we're still talking about it. >> yes, we are. still ahead on "starting point," first secret service agents being forced out over that prostitution scandal in columbia. now one of the escorts is talking. we'll talk to a former secret service agent who knows those agents involved. trying to turn her 15

minutes into four more years, kim kardashian is thinking about running for office. >> 15 minutes? >> all right, all right. her 35 minutes, four more years. i'd campaign for her. if you're about to head into work, check out our live blog at cnn.com/start i cnn.com/startingpoint. here is abby's playlist one direction "what makes you beautiful." ♪[music plays] ♪[music plays] ♪[music plays] purina one beyond. food for your cat or dog.

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♪ >> that's radiohead "creep" off ryan's playlist. >> setting up the next story. >> yes, it is. stunning new revelations involving the scandal of the secret service agents and personnel in columbia. three members have left or are being pushed out of the agency. as many as ten military personnel are also under investigation, including five

with the army special forces. the alleged misconduct unfolded last week in the hours before president obama arrived in columbia for an international summit. a former secret service agent who served under three presidential administrations and also republican candidate for u.s. senate in maryland joins us. nice to talk to you. good to have you back. >> thank you, soledad. >> your brother-in-law is a secret service agent, i should mention. what do we know of these three? one has been retired, one has quit and one is being pushed out. what do we know about the three that the focus seems to be on right now? >> it seems that they were the targets in the investigation. again, i don't have any inside information, not being a secret service agent anymore. it seems they were the central focus of the investigation and the service acted quickly. i think the investigation is

vigorously proceeding. i think they're looking to really move past this as to not further tarnish what was a stellar reputation up until this point. >> so eight others, i should mention, are on administrative leave. what happens to them? in your assessment, are their careers over even if they continue to work in the secret service? are they just done because they're part of this massive scandal? >> sure, fair question. i think the personal embarrassment alone is enough for them to just evaluate their own careers and say, yeah. i think at this point they would be happy to just keep their jobs and move on. but, yeah, this isn't the kind of thing you put on a resume. there's no question about it. it's unfortunate, but true. >> that may be the understatement, dan, of the week here. >> depends what your next yob is, i guess. >> exactly. >> will cain, dan. we kind of dive into the selacious details of the story. we've talked to, i guess, the main prostitute in the scandal.

how could this have compromised the president's security? how would this really and specifically -- i don't know if you can give a hypothetical. could theoretically these ladies have gotten access to the president's personal room? how was this a threat to his security? >> it doesn't appear that this was the case. of course, i'm not privy to details. when you're dealing with foreign nationals in a foreign country, you don't know who these people are. they haven't been vetted. what a perfect conduit to get action toes sensitive information, but to use, you know, prostitutes. and you're assuming that most -- that's why the secret service is very strict, very strict rules regarding their -- your contact with foreign nationals, especially in a foreign country and even on u.s. soil. they're very strict about it. >> "the new york times," the writer's name, i think, is ryan newman, interviewed one of these sex workers. one of the things that i thought was interesting was that she said that the guy in particular who she was dealing with didn't identify himself as a secret

service agent, which i think was seen in a lot of ways as a very positive thing. he also said this. let's play a little clip. >> one of them was essentially hitting on her, saying he wanted to be with her sheechlt says that she told him, well, that's great but you have to give me a gift. and he said, well, how much is the gift? and she says she told him $800. and then a lot of drinking happened and at some point she and him went back to the hotel. >> so, he sort of lays out what happened. $800 seems to be that big figure that later, the next morning when she said, okay, i want my $800, then he's like, there's no way. offered 30 and the thing kind of become a thing and he kicked her out of the room. that's when she got her friends and it became an issue and police were eventually called in. so, what happens next? there are some secret service agents who are saying they didn't know that these were prostitutes. i will confess to you, dan, i

laughed out loud when i read that. i literally was like, really? >> they're actually escorts not prostitutes. >> no, no, they weren't drawing the line. the sex worker said i'm not a prostitute. i'm an escort. there's a difference. but some of the secret service agents were like, i had no idea that these women were hookers. >> well, actions have consequences. i put out a statement yesterday to my e-mail list and on my facebook basically saying that, that everyone has to be held responsible for their actions here. and, like you said, there has to be a degree of common sense. i don't know if ignorance or stupidity is a defense. i'm not sure it is. but everyone should be held accountable who is involved. i know them personally. it's unfortunate. again, actions have consequences. i think that's the whole -- with the gsa scandal and this going on, people are just looking for some change in government right now and some responsibility taken by their government

officials using their tax dollars. this is an unfortunate time. the service is doing the right thing and handling this well. they're saying the right things. they're embarrassed. vigorous investigation. they've taken full, complete responsibility. there's no one running from this, including myself who has been in front of the cameras for three days talking about this. >> we appreciate that. you've spent a lot of time with us. dan bongino is a former secret service agent. thanks for being with us. >> yes, ma'am. a heart-stopping video. a car launches right through -- look at that. >> man. >> going fast, too. the first thing in its path is a stroller. we'll tell you what happened. also, political story that plays to almost all parties, kim kardashian is thinking about getting into politics. you go, girl. will cain's playlist will jennings "luckenbact, h, texas.

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♪ >> welcome back, that's off abby's playlist. of course it is, because she's so cool. >> it's not will cain's. >> i don't typecast people on this show, abby. >> i apologize. >> could be. could be. reality star and entrepreneur kim kardashian is now setting her sights on public office. the town of glendale, california, in her crosshairs. buzzing this morning that news wants to run for mayor of that l.a. suburb. a clip from her sister's reality

show, khloe and lamar. >> i decided i'm going to run for the mayor of glendale. i have to buy a house there. you have to are have residency there. i'm going to -- yeah, park right here. so noel and i are looking into like all the requirements and i'm literally going to have a huge -- she's going to help me with my campaign. >> i love it. noel apparently is going to help her with her campaign. >> this is not too far off from what politics -- >> you scare us, abby. you scare us. kim kardashian is armenian and they have a huge population. one problem. glendale doesn't elect a mayor. >> like five years. >> you have to take a while to

pla plan these things. >> i love it. abby who saw the republican primaries up close is like, that's not so crazy. >> will's being quiet over here. >> why this is going to be a great idea. these five city council members hold the job of mayor. they step in and it rotates every single year. here is why she's brilliant, right? glendale, i think, would be happy to have her. she made $18 million in profit off her 72-day marriage. hello? brilliant. she has a net worth of $45 million. she make $4,000 from keeping up with the kardashians and various spin-offs. she shows up at an event they pay her up to a quarter of a million dollars. think how you could fill the glendale coiffers in no time at all. >> i like a good reality tv show, a good reality star but at some point you have to realize we're all being played for the fool. if we acknowledge it, that's one thing. but between getting mayored, running for mayor, everything is

a publicity stunt. her entire life is a publicity stunt. lamar's life is a publicity stunt, playing for the mavericks. he didn't play for the mavericks. >> you sound a little -- keystone pipeline, we'll talk about that. and president obama is attacking mitt romney's silver spoon and mitt romney is going after the president's golf clubs. got. rv -- covered. why would you pay for a hotel? i never do. motorcycles -- check. atv. i ride those. do you? no. boat. house. hello, dear. hello. hello. oh! check it -- [ loud r&b on car radio ]

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♪ >> that would be the everly brothers. >> i love this song. >> they also made their debut on national television on "american bandstand." shoutouts throughout the morning

about that. first, though, headlines. christine has a look at that. good morning again. >> thank you, soledad. good morning. fallout from photos published in the l.a. times, showing u.s. soldiers dangling the remains of suicide bombers in front of the camera like trophies. cnn has not authenticated these photos. the taliban now vowing revenge. leon panetta saying this is not who we are. an investigation is already under way. india, staking its claim with world power by launching a missile with a range equivalent of 3,100 miles, potentially reaching targets in china. indian officials say the missile, though, is purely for deterence. mitt romney and president obama trading jabs on the campaign trail. president obama seemingly taking aim at romney at a speech

wednesday in ohio. >> someone gave me an education. i wasn't born with a silver spoon in my mouth. michelle wasn't. but somebody gave us a chance. >> romney returning the favor from charlotte, north carolina. >> even if you like barack obama, we can't afford barack obama. it's time to get someone that will get this economy going and put the american people back to work. >> that issue of who voters like better, perhaps, weighing on romney. his popularity still lagging well behind president obama in a new cnn/orc poll. 56% approval versus 44% for romney. favorable opinion poll of romney is up to 44% from march. propoegz a new route that would avoid nebraska's aquafor,

major source of drinking water for the state, very important for the agricultural industry there. president obama had approved a different portion of the old route but denied a full permit for the original project. some ranchers this morning are saying this new route still, they think, is too close to those fragile sand hills. bp says it has reached a class action settlement in the 2010 gulf oil spill. the total payout is estimated at $7.8 billion. but bp says the final tally could be even higher. bp says the deal will cover economic port and medical damage claims. a federal judge now has to grant federal approval of the settlement. more claims against transocean and haliburton. jetblue pilot who suffered a midair meltdown is planning an

insanity defense. clayton osbon allegedly left the cockpit, screaming about religion and terrorists, you'll recall, became enraged when the first officer locked him out of the cockpit. today's am house call, new york city considering a new policy for smoking inside apartments. it would require residential buildings to develop written rules on smoking inside and outside. that would include lobbies, courtyards, even individual apartments. new york city mayor bloomberg says he has no intention of an outright ban on smoking. he says, quote, if you want to smoke, i think you have a right to do so, but it kills you. bad night's sleep is bad for your health. a new study reveals people who sleepless than five hours a night up their risk for type 2 diabetes. healthy volunteers for almost six weeks were followed and sleep was strictly controlled

along with diet and sxie. they were only allowed 5 1/2 hours of sleep. what happened was starting. blood sugar increased after meals and their metabolic rate slowed by 8%. that could mean gaining 10 to 12 pounds over a year. check out this terrifying surveillance video of a woman in a toyota camry, barreling right through the doors. the video is disturb iing to watch. four people were sitting on a bench just inside the exit doors saturday morning when 76-year-old thelma wagenhoffer came crashing through. first thing she hit was a baby stroller. the baby was thrown 50 feet in the air and meeiraculously only suffered minor injuries. ten people were hurt, one in critical condition this morning. an 80-year-old man wound up pinned beneath thelma's car. you can see quick-thinking

customers lifting the car off the elderly man. >> there was probably about 10 or 12 guys that actually had the -- you know, had the smars s it to actually go over and they lifted up the car. i mean acres crane couldn't have lifted it up any quicker. >> police say the driver may have hit the gas accidentally while trying the break. she's been charged, soledad, with reckless driving. >> wow, wow! it's incredible. one person, critical condition. you see that almost direct hit from that stroller -- look at that. and all those folks sitting on that bench. that's just stunning that she didn't take out five or six people and didn't kill a baby. all right, christine. thank you. for the first time in ten years, congress is holding a congressional hearing on the issue of racial profiling in this country. those hearings will be led by senator minority whip dick durbin. from an african-american police chief from california on some of the lessons that he has had to teach his son. listen. >> as i mentioned earlier, i'm a

father of three. i have a 14-year-old boy, named glenn. and even though i'm a police chief with over 27 years experience, i know that when i teach my son, glenn, how it drive, i must also to teach him what to do when stopped by the police. a mandatory course, by the way, for young men of color in this country. >> joining us is senator majority whip dick durbin with us. >> good to be with you, soledad. >> you begin your remarks, talking about sort of the first time the hearings were held ten years ago. why do you think now is the right time to hold these hearings? >> several things have happened in the past ten years. we are still struggling with the issue of race. the trayvon martin case was a clear illustration of that. it is something that has haunted america since its creation. we're also struggling with issues of ethnic identity. arizona law, which i think frankly went too far, suggested profiling those who appeared to be hispanic or sounded hispanic. now we have issues involving muslim americans since 9/11. there were many in the hearing

room at the senate judiciary committee. the last point, soledad, is that 49 states now have concealed carry laws like florida. unfortunately, many people armed do not have the right judgment to decide who is a threat and who isn't. it brings up the whole issue of profiling from a different perspective. >> end racial profiling act. i'll lay out what it would do. law enforcement training and also data collections so that they could track profiling. will cain, do you want to jump in? >> yes. i heard you talk about the arizona law and how it potentially profiles along latino lines and how airports profile along muslim lines. you suggest that they go too far, that sometimes it is appropriate to racial profile but you can go too far. what is too far? is it ever appropriate to racially profile? >> if you are dealing with a suspect, subscription that

includes racial suspects or other things, of course, a law enforcement officer needs to use that information to keep us safe. when you decide to pull overall blacks or all hispanics, you really are -- when it came to actual criminal contraband in the cars, whites were more like likely to have that than blacks or hispanics. it isn't good law enforcement to use racial profiling. >> abby? >> abby huntsman here. we saw it brought up so much lately because of the trayvon martin case. why has it taken this long to bring something to the table like this? if it is passed, will it really make a difference? how much will it change? >> if you go back to the earliest days of america, the founding fathers were wrestling with basic issues. race, religion, gender. what are the issues we're wrestling with today?

race, religion and gender. this is something that haunts a democracy and republic, to try to strike the right balance of giving us our freedom but still keeping us safe. of course, in this society when more and more people are carrying firearms and there's more and more reporting of things that are happening, we are more sensitized to racial profiling in a modern america. >> there are proponents. frank gale testified as well, vice president of the fraternal order of police, biggest law enforcement association. here is what he had to say about this bill. >> this bill provides a solution to a problem that does not exist unless one believes that the problem to be solved that our nation's law enforcement officers are badly racist and their training is based in practicing racism. >> he says, listen, you're talking about a problem that doesn't exist. if we look specifically at the trayvon martin case at the end of the day, a lot of the question there is was it racial profiling? there's no dispute over whether zimmerman shot trayvon martin.

it's did he racially profile that young man? that's the $64 million question. how are you able to get into that kind of issue with a bill? >> whether racial profiling exists and whether it's wrong, you ask americans, the vast majority says yes. even white americans acknowledge that reality. let me say to officer gale what i said at the meeting. i respect officers who put on a badge to keep me safe and my neighborhood safe and i do not believe they're racist. but even african-american policemen and chiefs of police are inclined toward prejudice and have to fight back and say that's not good law enforcement. don't assume because of a color or ethnic background that a person is suspect. let's be specific and use good law enforcement technique. >> dick durbin, thank you for joining us this morning. >> thank you.

cnn exclusive in the wake of the trayvon martin case. a serious look at race and the law. blacks and whites both saying it is not a level playing field. who is mitt romney's number one choice for vp? we don't really know. but we know -- kim kardashian. no, i don't believe so. we know who the people would like to see him pick as a number one choice for vp. we leave you with abby's playlist, kenny chesney "summertime." [ male announcer ] when this hotel added aflac

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simple song off ryan's playlist. you like that? what? >> that was a huge endorsement. >> it was. i had a late night last night. i'm a little tired. >> talk to us some more last night. >> i went to see jazz at lincoln center. paul simon. it was awesome. i was up a little late. that was two thumbs up. ryan, great choice. >> very insecure about our picks. >> clearly, clearly. let's talk about mitt romney and

it looks like he's grabbing the gop nomination. people are talking about who could potentially be his running mate. he won't say. but the number one pick is the former secretary of state, condoleezza rice, at 26% of the vote. that surprises me only because it's not a name that has come up in some of the conversations we've been having over and over again. obviously, rick santorum is second. chris christie, his name has come up since the get go at 14%, tied with marco rubio at 14%. democrats, believe it or not, are wrestling with their own vp rumors. also there's a wrestle that's gone on for a while. some are wondering if secretary of state hillary clinton would replace the current vice president, joe biden, on the ticket if president obama starts running behind mitt romney. she respond ed to the notion on

with wolf blitzer. >> if he said i need you on the ticket this year in order to beat romney, are you ready to run as his vice presidential running mate? >> that is not going to happen. that's like saying if the olympic committee called you up and said are you ready to run the marathon, would you accept? well, it's not going to happen. >> but you might say yes, though. >> it's not going to happen. come on. it's fun to talk about. it's really, really not going to happen. >> okay. but let's say it's not april. let's say we're going into october or september, august. it looks as if it's getting so close, democrats are very, very worried and they need to do something that will engage the voters, bring people out in november. >> why is hillary clinton the answer to that problem? >> you don't think that that would solve a lot of problems? >> i think she would add a lot of excitement. >> thank you. >> she's a woman that we've seen talked about a lot this election

psy cycle. she's smart. she's a hard worker, done a terrific job as secretary of state. >> it would reengage the conversation, at least. i'm taking back my support for your song. >> independent women are key. look, does the obama campaign want to spend a month, two months on hillary clinton and the country talking about her and her long record? hillary clinton right now is incredibly popular, looks wonderful, is up on a pedestal because she's not in the limelight. as soon as these guys jump into the limelight, that changes. >> will cain is quiet. >> i think we over play the excitement. some of the voters might want to see condoleezza rice. that's not going to happen either. >> who do you pick then? >> for a strategic reason. >> who do you pick? >> rob portman. >> you stole my pick. >> you want ohio. he you need to win ohio. >> your pick is rob portman? >> the most calculated pick

we've ever seen. >> who would your pick going to be? >> i was going to say rob portman as well. >> what about jon huntsman? >> i think he's wonderful. but i don't think the romney team is going to go there if i have to quote the record saying that. i think rob portman would be a safe choice. he's in a swing state, has a great record. the only problem is that he was head of bush's budget. that might cause some problems. >> the first rule is do no harm. romney has a chance to win this race. it will be a close race to the end. he's goings do something safe. it's not going to like palin in 2008. >> who is that? >> condoleezza rice. the voters have spoken. condoleezza rice. >> that's who i want. >> that's who is the person whose name you reckon this list? >> i'm really taking back support of your song now. a poll that asks blacks and

whites if police treat them equally. check us out on our live blog cnn.com/startingpoint. will's playlist, rolling stones. we also have zero free time, and my dad moving in. so we went to fidelity. we looked at our family's goals and some ways to help us get there. they helped me fix my economy, the one in my house. now they're managing my investments for me. and with fidelity, getting back on track was easier than i thought. call or come in today to take control of your personal economy. get one-on-one help from america's retirement leader.

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welcome back, everybody. the trayvon martin shooting case will be the topic of discussion at two community meetings tonight. one is being held in sanford, florida, the other in tampa, florida. the shoot of racial profiling will be on the minds of those that believe that the teenager was targeted because of his race. if a new national journal poll is any indication, equal treatment by the police isn't a black versus white issue. both races agree. blacks and whites are not treated the same by the police in the poll. the poll found that 84% of blacks and 51% of whites share that view. joining us to talk about this and the survey's other findings is national journal editorial

director, cnn senior political analyst, ron brownstein. nice to see you. any big surprise? what was your biggest shocker out of of this poll? i thought research in this was fascinating. >> it's part of the kickoff of a multi-year project we're doing in partnership with the university of phoenix showing how everything is changing, economy, culture, politics. what was surprising to me about this poll was the sense of americans coming together and pulling apart. on one hand the poll documents as the country because more diverse, daily contact among people of different races is clearly increasing. a majority of african-americans, hispanic, and whites all say that they have at least some friends of other races. you get up to two-thirds of people under 29. on the other hand as you point out, there's still a lot of divergence on issues relating to the role of government and persistence of prejudice in particular. >> there was underlying tone about whether we're optimistic

where it is heading or pessimistic. let's look at these stats. when the question was have we made the changes needed to give equal rights. when you ask whites that, 46% say yes. blacks only 15% say yes that those changes have been made. hispanics and a lot of polling hispanics are in the middle at 21%. when they say have we made the changes needed to give equal rights and the answer is no, no changes, whites 44%, blacks 76%. exact flip from the previous question and hispanics at 74%. who you do you interpret those stats? >> that flows what what i mentioned a moment ago. what explains the continuing education and economical gaps between african-americans and why it's on one hand or hispanics and whites on the other. there was convergence on a lot of explanations with one big difference. a majority of african-americans and hispanics still say racial prejudice and discrimination is

a reason for income an educational gaps. only a quarter of whites agree. from that flows a different assessment about whether the country in effect has done enough to provide equal opportunity. that's a big divide. if you look at it even more broadly, we asked people what do they think is impact on the country of this rapid demographic change. we're over a third of the country now nonwhite. majority mond majority nonwhite. >> when the question is does it help america or hurt america, look at those numbers. growth in the minority population and i think -- what year are we looking at? 2019 or something that it will be majority minority. >> it will be majority minority in under 18 population in this decade in all likelihood. for overall population not until 2040. the under 18 population, the future is now. majority/minority nation probably around 2020.

>> let me pop up that graph. the question is does this help america or hurt america. look at the hurt america statistics. 29% of whites say it hurts america. 11% of blacks say it hurts america. hispanics 20%. does it benefit america? massive change in what our country is going to look at. 22% say it benefits america. 47% of hispanics. the populations that are booming higher, whites at 22%. i don't read that optimistically. what do you think? >> that's right. this is consistent with other polling that we and others have done. there is enormous ambivalence in the white community about the level of change we're living through. this is the most profound demographic change we've begun gone through since the melting pot generation. we are up past 36%. the under 18 population is changing even faster. if you look there are segments of the white community, older whites, blue collar whites, who

are uneasy about this. one point to note is we see a sharp political divide along that line. whites comfortable with the change are more positive toward obama than whites uncomfortable with the change. they lead more toward the republicans. >> that's why we're going to talk about this massive survey from the national journal as we head to the general election. always nice to see you. thanks. still ahead on "starting point," massive catch. a gigantic great white wider than their boat. and we'll talk about dick clark's incredible legacy. you're watching "starting point." we're back in a moment. homicide of young people in america has an impact on all of us. how can we save these young people's lives? as a police chief i have an opportunity to affect what happens in a major city.

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legacy of dick clark. the man who made pop stars. from the jacksons to gloria gainer, they're going to share their memories of dick clark. he says he was nude but he was not lewd. the man who stripped down to literally nothing at the airport. we've had to blur out those pictures is going to tell us this morning why he has no regrets. imagine if you will. >> my hero. >> that scares me. a lawsuit that says that "the bachelor" is more like who wants to marry a white guy. two guys suing the show and network alleging racial bias. we'll talk to their attorneys in this case. "starting point" starts right now. ♪ >> that was the band stand. the theme from american

bandstand. how long was that show on the air? more than 30 years. will cain is joining our panel today. a columnist for blaze.com. abby huntsman, daughter of jon huntsman and ryan lizza. >> over 30 years for "american bandstand." >> once you have kids, it's the only thing you watch. you don't go out. >> it's amazing. where he gets tremendous kudos as a businessman and entrepreneur who was able to take something so fleeting. a good hold on a culture that you are not necessarily the same age group of those people who are running the culture and pushing culture forward and managing to be on top of it. >> we found that fine line of just interviewing african-americans and doing

things that weren't popular back then and changing pop culture world. >> i love the story behind why he became a music entrepreneur. he was involved in a scandal and had to sell assets and became a music mogul. >> he suffered a massive heart attack. many shared memories of dick clark. >> i would watch "american bandstand" and every new year's eve. dick clark was the one. >> watching the ball drop and seeing him and even in the last couple of years post-stroke just his strength. that was really an amazing representation. >> it was like a ritual. every year new year's rocking eve. it made new year's what it is. he will certainly be missed. >> clark's first nationwide new

year's eve broadcast was in 1974. now we look back and think of course it made sense to do something sort of current and popular for new year's. the show spent two years at abc th and then moved to nbc where it has ever since. he became the host of shows like "the $10,000 pyramid." dick clark productions produced hours of television. larry klein is producer of dick clark's new year's rocking eve. it's nice to see you. thanks for talking to us. our condolences. you were a close friend and business partner. so many people find it hard to have both long careers and then careers that are successful financially and then mansion to stay a step ahead of the

culture. why was dick clark able to do that better than most? >> dick always kept his pulse on what was going on on a daily basis. he was always, always on to top of the music scene, television scene, film scene as well as what you were saying before, the business scene. i remember being on the road with him so many times where you would see a couple in an elevator with dick. the wife would go my god, it's dick clark. i love you so much and ask for an autograph. the husband, the businessman, i remember happened this one time, didn't know dick that well from television but knew him from the business side and asked for an autograph for another reason. >> that's a sign of success when the husband and wife are both asking for the autograph. one thing that was interesting was to see how many he general wenly seemed to like teenagers. he did an interview with larry king where he said success of "american bandstand" understood that they were the centerpiece

of the show and he respected them for that. >> dick always gave the dancers credit. he always said the star of the show are the dancer. people tune in to watch the kids dance. >> he had a stroke in 2004. and ryan seacrest stepped in to do the show. how difficult was it for dick clark to come back and why come back to do the show that you were the producer of? he had so much success for so long he could have said now is the time to retire and rest on my laurels. >> dick loved his job. dick loved his work. some people thought of him as a workaholic. that wasn't the case. he happened to love what he did. he partied hard. he worked hard. when he had his stroke, it is wasn't a question of had im com back or not, a question of when he was going to come back. you have to understand when dick did come back as he said the first time he came back that year, his speech was impaired.

that was it. his brain, his body, his heart, his soul. everything was there. just his speech was a little bit impaired. he was there. >> it was tough for fans of his because it was a struggle. it's hard to watch somebody struggle to watch something do something they've done so well for so many years. did you ever talk about how do you want to leave the world? how do you want people to remember you? >> no. i used to beg him to just tell stories. the life that he led starting in the '50s and what he did, he was the first person to start the world of touring in america. taking artists on the road to different cities doing shows. i would always beg for stories. dick always said, please, my life is boring. this is what i do for a job. he never really talked about a legacy. he never talked about anything like that. he just was like the every day person. that's who he was. >> it's all the people around him to credit him tremendously

for the success that they've been able to have in the business. thanks for joining us this morning. we certainly appreciate it. again our condolences to you. >> thank you very much. still ahead, we'll talk to the singer, glory gainer. one of the best known disco artist. we'll chat with her straight ahead. good morning, christine. >> three agents have been forced out. the first casualties of a prostitution scandal that's shaking up the secret service. one of them resigned. another was allowed to retire. a third agent was relieved of his duties and plans to fight his dismissal. eight others remain on administrative leave. listen to "the new york times" reporter newman who interviewed the call girl who wound up blowing the whistle. >> one of them was hitting on her and saying he wanted to be with her. she says that she told him that's great but you have to

give me a gift. he said well how much is a gift? she says that she told him $800. and then a lot of drinking happened and at some point she and him went back to the hotel. the next morning this woman asked for her payment and the guy became angry. i was drunk. you can't expect me to pay that. she insists and he calls her names and gets angry and throws her out of the room. >> earlier on "starting point" we spoke to a former secret service agent who served three administrations. he knows the agents involved in the scandal and says the eight who have been placed on leave may not be around much longer. >> the personal embarrassment alone is enough for them to just evaluate their own careers and say i think at this point they would be happy to just keep their jobs and move on but this isn't the kind of thing you put on a resume. there's no question about it. >> up to ten members of the u.s.

military are also being investigated for their alleged role in this scandal. the secret service will interview rocker ted nugent today. ted nugent got the secret service's attention with that anti-president obama rant at an nra event saying he would be dead or in jail if president obama gets re-elected. nugent said he's looking forward to that meeting. u.s. stock futures are up. dow futures up 25 points. in 30 minutes we'll find out how many people filed unemployment claims for the first time last week. investors waiting on those numbers for a fresh read on the health of the jobs market. a retired illinois couple has finally come forward with the third winning ticket in last month's $656 million mega millions jackpot. they took home $158 million after taxes. they are retired computer analysts. merle says he watched 10:00 p.m. news on march 30th and quickly

realized, something special was happening. >> the first thing i spotted was i had the megaball number. good. i'm going to win something any way. and then i started on the other numbers it was 2, 4, and the further i went the more they matched. i turned to my wife who was right there with me, i said, we won. she kind of looked at me funny. i said, no, we won. then she started giggling. and they giggled for about four hours i think. >> i would giggle for 40 more years. merle says he took the winning ticket to the bank the next morning. locked it in a safe deposit box. he spent the last few weeks meeting with financial advisers before going public, which is exactly the right thing to do. just keep it inside the family. quiet. plot out your strategy. >> keep it inside the family. i just want to say uncle merle, it's cousin soledad.

>> financial advisers have warned against people like you? >> me? what? that's my uncle merle. what are you talking about. come on. i got to call him later and check in on the family. >> call now. we'll wait. put the show on hold. you call merle right now. >> we'll see what happens. still ahead on "starting point," he got naked fighting for the privacy of americans. the portland airport stripper tells us what was going through his head. also, it looks like the ticket is locked up. who is mitt romney going to pick for number two slot? will the tea party get a sea? congressman alan west will chat with us in a moment. we leave with you christine's playlist. hey, did you ever finish last month's invoices?

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>> this is off abby's playlist. >> sometimes i mangle my way through some of the names i don't know. "eyes wide open." a consensus within the republican party about who would make the best running mate for the likely nominee, mitt romney. there's a new poll that shows that the former secretary of state condoleezza rice tops the list with 26%. former presidential candidate rick santorum is a close second. he comes at 21%. new jersey governor chris christie and also senator marco rubio tying for third with 14%. if you look at the tea party faction of the gop. a different order for their wish list. marco rubio at the top followed by chris christie, rice and santorum. nice to see you, sir. thank you for being with us. always appreciate it.

your name was brought up. herman cain said you would be a great vp candidate. the public doesn't pick you. do you want to be on that list? >> it's not about me. it's about my country. it's always been that. i'm happy to be here serving as a congressional representative and doing what i can to make sure i get our country back on track. it's not about myself. it's not about an ego. it's about the team. >> let me ask you a question about some of these remarks that ted nugent said over the weekend at the nra. i'll play a chunk and we'll talk on the other side. listen. >> if barack obama becomes the president in november again, i will either be dead or in jail by this time next year. >> so now he's going to be interviewed by the secret service. do you think he was threatening violence in any way, shape or form? what do you think he was saying? >> i think he was just expressing maybe his opinion about something and of course everyone wants to sensationalize things. let's leave it up to secret

service to interview him and get to the bottom of it. i don't think the motor city mad man has any ill will toward the president of the united states. >> i think he has ill will but i don't think he's threatening violence. >> there's people that didn't like president bush and we didn't have to cart them in front of the secret service. let's let people responsible for investigating take care of it. >> the romney camp through a spokesperson sent out a statement. they said this. deviivisive language is offensi. mitt romney believes everyone needs to be civil. the former governor himself didn't weigh in saying everybody needs to be civil is not exactly putting yourself out there on a limb in any way. do you think he went far enough in condemning what exactly, whatever it was ted nugent was trying to say. >> that's not for me to decide. i think the more important thing

for me to be focused on is our economic security, energy security and national security and not what ted nugent said and not the response of governor mitt romney to what ted nugent said. i just want to stay focused on the critical issues affecting the united states of america right now. >> let's talk about what you said last week. you were talking about members of the communist party. i'm going pay a clip about what you said. >> i believe there's about 78 to 81 members of the democratic party that are members of the communist party. >> you say you believe there are 78 to 81 parties of the democratic party that are members of the communist party. you mean like card carrying members of the communist party? >> unfortunately, soledad, you didn't play the entire thing. i talked about the congressional progressive caucus and we've been back and forth about this. i've had to give quite a few

people a tut orioorial. at the turn of the century, american communist renamed themselves progressive but strategy and tactics and ideology remains the same. when you're the member of a caucus that wanted to have a constitutional amendment to redistribute wealth in the united states of america, i don't think that's in keeping with the principles and values of this country. >> start naming of the 78 to 81. >> you can go look up the progressive caucus. >> so keith ellison is a communist? >> look, i'm just talking about the fact that the ideology and principles -- you can call it whatever you want. >> i want to know what you're calling it. >> i'm calling it this. communist progressive, marksist, statist, another term being

used. i'm looking at things they believe in. if you don't think we have to stand upon truth and be able to identify and clearly contrast different principles and values and ideologies here in this country, then we're never going to get to the fact of accepting the true debate happening in america. we don't need a bureaucrat state. we need to stay a constitutional republic. i think a lot of people need to understand what it is. >> there's a guy who is vice chairman of the national communist party so here's a guy that knows communists. he says i just think it's an absurd way, talking about you, to cast a shadow over his colleagues. it's kind of a sad ploy. it's guilt by association taken to an extreme. he says you're wrong. >> i don't care what he says. >> okay. we'll see if your colleagues being called communist. nice to see you, congressman west. pleasure having you on the show as always.

still ahead, naked and proud. we'll tell you about the man who stripped down to absolutely nothing at the airport. it got him in a lot of trouble. if you are about to head to work, check in on our live block on our website, cnn.com/startingpoint. this must be will's playlist. "national blues."

♪

>> the band. the weight. >> the drummer is critically ill from cancer. >> that's so sad. our next story involves this crazy story from yesterday. as we all know since 9/11 attacks airport security measures have become much more intrusive. they say it's to protect the flying public. portland, oregon, resident john brennan decided he would take a stand against these pat downs by stripping down completely. there he is. he shocked some onlookers who averted their eyes and covered up their kids' eyes. other people whipped out cell phones and started taking pictures and tweeting this. that's the 49-year-old brennan. he got naked in protest. >> i thought it was will cain for a moment there. >> there's a vague resemblance. beard going. >> i should just let everyone carry on. apparently they were testing

him. the wipe down of the fingers and positive test for explosives. he refused to get dressed as part of his protest. he was arrested charged with indecent exposure and second charge for disorderly conduct was eventually dropped. tsa issued a statement saying this. tsa partners with the traveling public to screen all passengers safely and efficiently. when a passenger chooses to be purposefully disruptive and i think this would qualify, we notify law enforcement. john brennan joins us now. nice to see you. let me ask you a question. describe the moment when you decided that that was it. you were going to get naked. they did that swipe of your fingers, right? it comes back with a positive read. at that point they have to pat you down. take me to that moment. did you snap or did you feel yourself just slowly getting more and more furious? what happened? >> they had actually already patted me down. and were testing the residue from that pat-down.

i had to ask what was going on. they were not informative about what was going on. at the point i found i tested positive for nitrates, which is an explosive, i decided the best way to show them i was not carrying an explosive by getting naked. i decided he would speed the process up. >> this is what we're trying to pars he parce here. was this spontaneous? >> as i look at any situation, i'm aware that a nude protest is one way i can communicate and have a voice. is was not premeditated. i had plenty of time. i thought i -- it was less than it is taking e ining me to tell. it's ridiculous. >> i'm not carrying a bomb, take a look is what you said.

>> i read you said you're only going to strip down once. you don't want to be on the no-fly list. is this basically to prove a point? if this happens again will you keep your cool and keep the clothes on and this really was a one-time thing? >> like i said, tsa needs to find a balance between our liberties and security and i need to find a balance between defining my own boundaries and complying with tsa and being able to fly. they're a powerful organization. >> were you mad at tsa people patting you down or kind of the system? >> these guys are just doing their job. in no way were they disrespectful. we have a broken system that is erring on the side of taking away our constitutional rights. >> can i ask you about that. you don't have to fly, right? you know that when you fly you give up a little bit of your liberty frankly in return for the security that the tsa

provides. what do you say to people who say just don't fly, buddy? >> i say that i do have a right to fly. i'm willing to give up some liberties. i went through a metal detector and i was patted down through my crotch by a stranger. that's giving up a lot. when they took me past that step, i said, here's what i'm going to do. i did not impede the search process. they were uncomfortable that i was naked but it shouldn't be illegal. my nakedness should not be illegal. >> are you uncomfokom forcomfor you were naked. your picture is everywhere. do you look back and say maybe i shouldn't have done it that way? >> like a lot of americans i wish i didn't have such a big belly. i am not ashamed of my body. i am not ashamed of my body. i was very calm and comfortable and complying with the tsa's request within my rights. >> within your rights as you pointed out.

we appreciate you talking to us. keep the clothes on for the next protest. thanks for telling us how it went down. still ahead this morning on "starting point," a lawsuit targeting the show "the bachelor." there are two guys who claim that the show discriminates. we'll talk to their attorney this morning. and from rock to disco, to hip-hop, dick clark was there for it all. glory bay gaynor will share her memories. - ♪ bum-bum - ♪ bum-bum, bum-bum - ♪ [ ice rattles rhythmically ] ♪ bum-bum, bum-bum, bum-bum ♪ ♪ [ imitates guitar noise ] ♪ [ vocalizing up-tempo heavy metal song ] ♪ [ vocalizing continues ] ♪ [ all singing ] the redesigned, 8-passenger pilot. smarter thinking. from honda.

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♪ >> that's gloria gaynor. that was back in 1979.

that show turned singers into stars and also broke down racial barriers. clark turned his show into an empire. he was the man behind the golden globes, american music awards, bloopers and pyramid and his year's rocking eve was the show for those that wanted to stay inside and warm on new year's eve. thank you for being with us. will you take me back to that day in 1979, how nervous were you about going on dick clark's show and how did he treat you? >> i tell you what, i wasn't nervous at all. i had been there several times before with other hits like "never can say good-bye" and "i am what i am" and then i was nervous because it was the first tv show i had ever been on. it was national exposure. and i was very nervous. he immediately set me at ease, which he always did with i think everybody that he met. >> what did he do to set you at ease?

the word people would use is kind. you're going to be great. make them feel comfortable. sometimes people do the opposite in that kind of thing. what did he actually literally do? >> just that. he said, you know what? you're going to be great. you are fabulous. these people are here because they love you. you know, it was just -- then he told me how to follow the cameras. made me feel very much at ease i was in the place where i was supposed to be and i would do great and i did. >> when you were coming to the end of performing "i will survive" did you know by the reception on that show that song was just a big massive hit? >> absolutely. i mean i believed it when i first read the lyrics and the song before i recorded it but i just say when i did that and got the response that i got from that audience, it was, like, okay, this is it. this is it. i have a hit on my hands. i'm on my way. >> we're watching the

performance on tv. i have to say, i'm loving the gold outfit that you are rocking. very fabulous. why do you think dick clark had the manuel magic touch when it the financial part of it and a cultural part that would make someone a star an make a show successful. how was he able to pull that together? i think it was incredibly rare. >> it was rare. it was just a gift. he just seemed to have that gift. i was listening to something last night on the news where he was saying he knew what he wanted and how to go get it. that was part of his many gifts to know what he wanted and know how to get it. the other thing that spurred him to instant success was always knowing what young people wanted. you always had a new generation while the generation that was growing up was still loving him. he was ready for the new generation. and giving them what they wanted. and so you just grew with him.

>> it was brilliant strategy. gloria gaynor joining us. "i will survive" as you performed it on that show back in 1979. nice to talk to you. let's get to other headlines. christine has that for us. this just in. 386,000 jobless claims were filed for the first time last week. it's a number we watch every thursday. we also saw that last week's numbers were revised higher to 388,000 jobless claims filed. a little bit worse than expected so we'll watch closely to see what that means for the markets when the bell rings in an hour. new fallout from photos published in "the los angeles times" which appear to show u.s. soldiers dangling the remains of suicide bombers in front of the camera like trophies. cnn has not independently authenticated these photos. the taliban now reportedly vowing revenge. the defense secretary leon panetta saying this is not who we are. an investigation is already under way. a new plan has been submitted to the keystone pipeline expansion project.

pipeline building transcanada proposing a new route that would attempt to avoid an area in nebraska that's a major source of drinking water for the state. many nebraskans fears a pipeline burst would contaminate the fragile sand hills region of nebraska. and we have this to show you. fishermen in the sea hauling in a massive great white shark. this is reportedly measuring nearly 20 feet. one of the largest great whites caught in history. the fishermen thought they were pulling in a fete full of fish. their boat is about 22 feet long. horse hour outboard 70 horsepower motor. they didn't need a bigger boat. they dragged that whole thing. can you imagine? >> you make sure you stay in the boat when you pull that in. >> where was that? >> sea of cortez. >> i'm staying away. >> no way. >> chicken.

all right. still ahead this morning on "starting point," they say that the producers of the bachelor refuse to cast black people in key roles. there are two many suing and they say the show discriminates. we'll talk this morning to their attorney. and a giant virtual flash mob of hope. we'll talk to a man who is trying to harness social media to help complete strangers who are in need. his name is shaun king. this is off his playlist. don't stop for anything. need any help?

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after ten years of "the bachelor" and counterpart "bachelorette" none of the leads have been anything but white. two residents of nashville are filing a class action lawsuit against the show's producers. the complaint reads like this. these applicants were denied the same opportunity to become the next bachelor or bachelorette as white contestants not because they were unsuitable for the role but because of the perceived risk that casting a bachelor or bachelorette who is

a person of color would alienate the show's majority white viewership. we reached out to producers for comment. one of the defendants is time warner which is a subsidiary of cnn's company. nice to see you, sir. how will you be able to prove what your complaint is? you say there's a fear that by putting on a black bachelor you would alienate white viewers. how are you going to be able to -- if this goes further down the road legally, how are you going to be able to prove that? >> we start with the information they just said. they are going into the second decade and they can't find a person of color to be a lead role in these shows. that's a starting point. as we get into this case, we'll get more information. we'll find out the details of how their process works. what the people are thinking. we're going to send out subpoenas for information as we get into this case. >> michael is the executive

producer of the show and as i said, the producers haven't returned our calls. he's been asked about diversity in the past. this is what he said. we really try but sometimes we feel guilty of tokenism. we have to wage african-american chicks in there we want to cast for ethnic diversity but for whatever reason they don't come forward. i wish they would. sounds like he's saying just can't find them. >> that shows his mindset. this is a case about equal opportunity and it's a case about purposeful discrimination. their business plan is to be exclusionary. that is sad for this country and we hope we can turn it around and make it a positive outcome for people going forward. >> i'm sorry. explain that to me. you say their business plan is to be exclusionary. what do you mean? >> here they have had 23 seasons. ten years. they believe -- it's our contention that they believe that it will hurt their viewership to have people of color in the lead roles. if they wanted people of color in the lead roles, they have had

ten years to have that happen on one of their shows and they haven't done it. we think that is actually -- that is the outcome they intend. >> can you explain to us what the audition process is like and what they personally went through that got them to this place right here? i mean, since 2008 -- i'm a big fan of the show. seems like they recycled a bachelor or bachelorette from a previous season because they have such a following. do they already pick, you know, their bachelor/bachelorette by the time the audition starts? >> yesterday our two clients spoke here in nashville and christopher johnson has been a fan of the show from the beginning. loves the show. he personally wanted to be on the show. very, very deeply wanted to be on that show. he came in with a full package of material ready to compete.

they gave him a minute and he was gone. he wasn't able to compete. and then nathaniel claybrooks was interviewed for 20 minutes and he was gone. the executive producer says he can't find any candidates. these people came forward and we don't think they were given the same shot as white counterparts. >> let me just jump in for one second. there's a guy that we had pictures we were showing a minute ago. handsome young man that looked like he would be a terrific bachelor. he was interviewed earlier this morning on "early start" talking about why he think there's a lack of diversity on the show. here's what he said. >> you see some of the stuff they do. swimming in the oceans. sitting on top of mountains. my black friends don't want to do that kind of thing. i mean really? i'm not sure, you know. it might be something that a lot of people haven't stepped forward into that role. it wasn't until this year that i accepted that responsibility to

step forward. i had a few people say i should do it. i shot it down initially. i finally accepted. you know, i'm really not sure. i'm guessing just like everybody else is. >> how hard do you think it is to prove in fact your case and win this case especially if lamar gets a certain -- makes headway into becoming the next bachelor maybe not picked himself but a leading contender. >> we hope lamar gets selected. that would be a great thing. all of these cases are tough to prove. we think we'll be able to prove this case because it's a very simple case about them purposely excludeing people of color. they've had ten years to bring this about. they haven't done it. if you look at all of the people that are on the show, it's all white casting. we think it sends a really dangerous message to this country that it reinforces negative stereotypes that says only certain colors and backgrounds are attractive and winning personalities.

that's not true. we'll turn this around by focusing on policies and practices that lead to this outcome so lamar saying i'm not sure why this is happening. we're going to be able to show why this is happening as we b f prove this case. >> nice to see you. thank you it we appreciate your time. >> great to be here. still ahead on "starting point," generous strangers uniting on the web changing people's lives even sometimes saving people's lives. we'll talk to the man behind this incredible idea called hope mob. here's shaun king's playlist. are you still sleeping? just wanted to check and make sure that we were on schedule. the first technology of its kind... mom and dad, i have great news. is now providing answers families need.

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♪ >> that was one of the favorite things we showed on our show. that was a delta airport flash mob. now there's a flash mob of hope where people come in and instead

of dancing in be a airport, they come together to help someone in need. that's the goal of hope mob.org. i think this is a brilliant idea. explain how exactly does hope mob work? >> we're so excited about hope mob. we just launched today. people can go to hopemob.org right now and we have just one story that we feature every day and so instead of telling a thousand different stories and splitting the community up, we just feature on one great story of need and so today we're telling the story about a great little boy named wyatt and the whole world can chip in and help bring wyatt and his family hope. >> wyatt is 4 years old. he's ill. been diagnosed with cancer. his father works as an air force fireman. his dream is to have his bedroom

decked out like a firestation really, which cost something like $9,000. people who are moved by that story can just go to the website and contribute? >> absolutely. you know, i think what we're finding is people really want to know that when they donate that every dollar that they give is actually going to helping somebody in need. hopemob is all about telling real human stories of people in need and for months we've built over 300,000 people that are part of our facebook community and follow us on twitter and our goal is to get millions of people to kind of chip in and every day we tell a new story and we stick with that story until we hit the goal. >> so wyatt's story will remain up until you reach the $9,000 goal and then the second person

in line gets moved up to first spot. >> we have a cue of stories. we stick with each story until we hit the goal. if we hit wyatt's goal today, which we hope we do, but if it takes a day or month or a year, we'll never abandon a story and stick with it. wyatt is first. we have people lined up to be helped after wyatt. we're going to do some great stuff. >> you are doing some great stuff already. shaun king, founder and ceo of hopemob.org. everyone should check it out and read stories and narrativnarrat. stories are amazing. end point is up next. back in a moment. ero free time, and my dad moving in. so we went to fidelity. we looked at our family's goals and some ways to help us get there. they helped me fix my economy, the one in my house. now they're managing my investments for me. and with fidelity, getting back on track was easier than i thought. call or come in today to take control of your personal economy.

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"american bandstand ". >> the west interview reminds me of the year of doubling down. he calls 80 measures of congress communist, 78 to 81, highly specific number. you go on tv and raise money off your base. everyone doubles down. >> abby? >> i'll give it to dick clark. i wasn't around during a lot of time that he changed really pop culture. it's really fun to look back and see how much he really has changed. he's a great man. >> you make us feel old but we appreciate that. >> will, you have 20 seconds. >> one of the things i like of stories i like to focus on entrepreneurship. we think about dick clark as a host of shows that might be frivolous not ones that were actually have a chance to change culture. this man started so many businesses. he spun off being a tv host into being a massive media mogul. >> he was financially successful and culturally successful. that's the final word. time to get to "cnn newsro