Deep South Votes; U.S. Soldier in Afghanistan Not Talking
ASHLEIGH BANFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: And it is officially the top of the hour. I'm Ashleigh Banfield, in for Brooke Baldwin today. The American soldier accused of killing families in Afghanistan is refusing to talk. Voting is also under way in the Deep South, as Mitt Romney hopes to seal the deal. It's time to play "Reporter Roulette." And we begin with Chris Lawrence at the Pentagon, more fallout today from the massacre in Afghanistan -- Chris.</s>CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Ashleigh. This was no mere apology. This was some of the strongest words yet we have heard from an American president in describing what happened during that shooting in Afghanistan.</s>BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The United States takes this as seriously as if it was our own citizens and our own children who were murdered. We're heartbroken over the loss of innocent life.</s>LAWRENCE: The thing is murder has a very specific legal connotation, and this suspect has yet to even be charged with a specific crime. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta also said that capital punishment is a possibility in this case. Lethal injection is the method by which service members would be put to death. But, actually, that hasn't happened since 1961. The last time that a president even authorized the killing of a service member was in 2008, when President Bush approved the death penalty for a soldier. But that soldier's crimes were actually committed in the late '80s, when President Bush's father was president, so it's very likely that by the time this moves through the long legal process and appeals are exhausted, it will be some future president that may have to ultimately make this decision.</s>BANFIELD: And that is a tough row to hoe. Chris Lawrence, thanks very much for that. Moving on to decision day in the Deep South. Voters in Alabama and Mississippi heading to the polls today. Next on "Reporter Roulette," Shannon Travis following today's tight race in Mississippi joins me live now from Ocean Springs. Lovely temperature, it looks like, Shannon.</s>SHANNON TRAVIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Lovely day, and I'm sweating a little bit so forgive me if you see a few beads up there. But, Ashleigh, absolutely right. We're here at a polling station at the Ocean Spring Civic Center. This is a very Republican part of Mississippi. Of course, you know that Mississippi is Republican. Obama lost the state by 13 points in 2008, in this county alone, Jackson County, 33 points to John McCain. So we have been watching the voters come in and out and trying to basically ascertain who are they going in and voting for between Mitt Romney and Ron Paul and Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum? A lot of the voters have differing opinions, of course, but by my very unofficial count, I have been hearing a little bit more weighted in terms of Romney, and that's noteworthy because this is the South. Even Romney himself has said this is an away game for him, so he has a lot to prove in terms of showing that he can win these kinds of very conservative voters in a state like Mississippi. Again, we want to wait until later to see what the official tallies will look like. But he's been doing so well -- doing well so far with a number of people that I have spoken with, Ashleigh.</s>BANFIELD: Heating up in Mississippi. Shannon Travis, thanks very much. Moving on in "Reporter Roulette" a closer look at the Alabama primary. Senior congressional correspondent Dana Bash in Birmingham with all the details joining me now. And I'm guessing it's just about as warm where you are as where Shannon is.</s>DANA BASH, CNN SENIOR CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Not as warm. It's actually pretty nice here actually. It's a nice change. But this is going to be absolutely of course the state to watch tonight, primarily because it has the most electoral votes, but also because Mitt Romney has been doing surprisingly well in recent polls, neck and neck between him and Newt Gingrich. And Rick Santorum may be trailing a little bit behind. I'm here in Jefferson County because this is the most populist county in the entire state. About 20 percent of the vote will come into this particular county. And I'm actually standing outside where we're going to later on see the cars and trucks drive up to this loading dock with the actual ballots. They're going to come in from the 177 precincts from around this county, Ashleigh, and they're going to drive up. We have had a little bit of a tour behind. Right now that doesn't look like much, but behind that door over there is actually a vault and that is where the ballots are going to go in then and through there is where they're going to be tabulating the results for this very, very important county of Jefferson County here. You talk to Mitt Romney's people and they will admit they have to really run up the vote here. This tends to be a more affluent county, particularly around the areas of Birmingham where I am, and they know that these are the kinds of voters that they need to come out and come out big, but I will tell you also anecdotally we have heard that turnout is pretty low in this county, at least so far today -- Ashleigh.</s>BANFIELD: I thought you were going to tell me on that loading dock were the 47 delegates. Is it 47 in Alabama?</s>BASH: Exactly, for this particular -- 50 ultimately, but 47 today.</s>BANFIELD: I have to say, Dana, I can't believe how close -- our Paul Steinhauser always says how knotted up the race is between Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney, I think particularly because I expected Rick Santorum to be closer into that margin of error.</s>BASH: Yes, you know, it is kind of fascinating that Rick Santorum hasn't necessarily taken off here. I think part of -- or as well as maybe you would think. Part of the reason is because of a little bit of a north/south divide. You talk to people down here and they say he just -- he doesn't really connect with the voters and hasn't been connecting with the voters as well as he has in other sort of socially conservative pockets of the country. Then again, it is surprising that Mitt Romney, who also doesn't necessarily connect, he started talking about cheesy grits.</s>BANFIELD: I was just going to say, the cheesy grits.</s>BASH: Yes, exactly. But the reason why he is seeming to connect a little bit more just again anecdotally is because of the fact that jobs and the economy is such a big issue here, perhaps trumping social issues in this state. And Mitt Romney has been able to sell himself as the Republican candidate who could do best on those issues.</s>BANFIELD: And, Dana, there's always that sweater vest thing, too. Maybe they don't wear a lot of sweater vests in Mississippi and Alabama. I'm just saying.</s>BASH: I have not seen a lot of sweater vests here.</s>BANFIELD: I am not the least bit surprised, my friend. Take care. We will be watching you throughout the night as those tabulations come on in. Just two weeks after a string of deadly tornadoes ripped through the Midwest, several states have learned something they did not want to learn. They are not going to be getting any cash from the federal government, and one senator is none too happy about it. Dick Durbin from Illinois standing by live. He will talk to me about it next.