President Obama Meets With Chinese President; Dish on Tonight's State Dinner
BALDWIN: Look, I don't need to tell you this, you know this. Congress has a lot to worry about -- terror threats, jobs, nuclear weapons, but you now can add football to the list of worries. Here's the deal, NFL owners want to cut back on players' salaries. Now players are obviously none too thrilled about that, so if both sides don't agree on something, Sundays will be quieter this year. And today, they are taking that fight to Capitol Hill. The players want lawmakers to intervene, the league wants lawmakers to steer clear of this discussion. Several players are meeting with congressional staff so we're going to have to see what happens next. Speaking of football, President Obama says he will go to the Super Bowl if his hometown team makes it there. Of course, hometown being Chicago, the Bears. If the Bears beat the Packers this weekend, they head to Dallas for the big show. And time now for a little "Political Pop," keeping with the presidential theme here. We have some fun stuff on the slate today. Joe Johns is in D.C., as always, and we're been talking, Joe, a lot about this big state dinner tonight with President Obama and the president of China, Hu Jintao. And we now have some new video. This is just in here from inside the House. Want to walk me through it?</s>JOE JOHNS, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely. Well, to the extent I can because I've gotten a lot of information myself.</s>BALDWIN: I can help you.</s>JOHNS: Yes, we've gotten a brief e-mail from some of our producers over at the White House. We're being told, among other things, the little details. Dinner is being held in the Blue Room, Red Room and State Dining Room. As we told you yesterday, there's not going to be a tent where entertainment is. It's all going to happen inside the White House. There's 225 guests apparently coming to this thing.</s>BALDWIN: You see these pictures, Joe?</s>JOHNS: Yes, very beautiful.</s>BALDWIN: I think this is obviously the Red Room with some funky red/pink lighting. Looks kind of lovely.</s>JOHNS: Yes, fantastic stuff. These things are always Cinderella-like in many ways. Some of the other details we've gotten, we do know, according to our people over at the White House, that among the performers that are confirmed for this thing, the well-known, almost legendary jazz performer Herbie Hancock who has --</s>BALDWIN: Oh, wow.</s>JOHNS: -- something like 12 Grammys, I think, as well as Lang Lang. There's also been a lot of buzz out there about a very, very well-known jazz performer, Diane Reeves is the name that everybody will know, along with pianist Peter Martin who apparently posted a tweet -- now these things are not confirmed -- posted a tweet earlier today talking about how he was getting a tuxedo for the big gig at the White House. This hasn't been confirmed, of course. Still waiting for an e- mail. The White House loves to keep all of this stuff under wraps until the last minute because it's supposed to create a special experience for the guests.</s>BALDWIN: OK, so perhaps then you won't be able to answer my next question, which is I just have to talk food when we talk state dinner. Do we have any idea what's on the menu or not yet?</s>JOHNS: Not yet, I don't at least so far. I've been asking the White House for that information. We do know a little bit more about people we suspect will be guests at this dinner.</s>BALDWIN: Who is that?</s>JOHNS: Jackie Chan, the movie actor.</s>BALDWIN: Oh, wow.</s>JOHNS: Steven Chiu, the energy secretary. Interestingly, we heard Vera Wang, the very well-known designer was in town, but there were some reports she was just in town for the state lunch that occurred earlier today. Not clear as to whether she's going.</s>BALDWIN: Here's the menu. I'm going to jump in because I have my director in my ear, who's very excited about the poached Maine lobster. It' kind of hard to read. Orange glazed carrot cake. Continue, guys, I'm listening. Black trumpet mushrooms. Lemon sorbet. Dry aged prime rib. Thank you, Roger.</s>JOHNS: It's very hard to read.</s>BALDWIN: Buttermilk crisp onions -- this is hilarious. This is how I get information from my director.</s>BALDWIN: Stuffed potatoes and creamed spinach. OK, let's stop, because you're making me hungry, Roger. So, that's the skinny, that's the latest as we're just now getting it here. So, you didn't get the e-mail, but we're getting the video. Apple pie, Angie is telling me, apple pies for dessert. That is a total slice of Americana. And look at everyone putting the final pieces together. You mentioned Cinderella. There's no glass slipper but there's glass chairs. I don't know. What do you think of the glass chairs, Joe Johns?</s>JOHNS: As long as they don't fall over, fine with me.</s>BALDWIN: Wow. Pretty fancy schmancy. This looks like the kind of shindig you would be invited to.</s>JOHNS: Oh, right. Not so lucky. Maybe one of these days.</s>BALDWIN: Not so lucky. Well, listen, before we let you go, do we want to show you the video? We have one of the little Obama girls along this rope line. It was so cute. We noticed this today. Do we have this video. I think it was Sasha.</s>JOHNS: Yes, There she is.</s>BALDWIN: Is it Malia?</s>JOHNS: Yes, it's Malia, apparently in the rope line with a group of small children, and she was holding an American flag, we're told. But during the time she was there and being observed by the media people, she actually traded and got a Chinese flag. So, the president walking along the rope line there with President Hu Jintao apparently pointed at -- his daughter out as one of the people as shaking hands with the leaders of these two superpowers.</s>BALDWIN: Yes, I think we just saw Sasha do the little switcheroo on the left-hand side of the screen from the old red, white and blue to the Chinese flag, but loved it. Joe Johns. I like that. Getting things on the fly. Getting my director to tell me what's on the menu at the state dinner. Excellent. Joe Johns. Thank you. See you back here tomorrow.</s>JOHNS: There you go. Thanks. You bet, bye.</s>BALDWIN: Moving along here. A student bringing a gun to school. It goes off. Now a teen is fighting for her life. So how did this happen, and why are there suddenly more arrests in the case? That is next. Plus, it is already one of the most dangerous cities in the whole country. Now Camden, New Jersey, just got rid of nearly half of its police officers. So will criminals run wild? Lining up now, "Reporter Roulette" is next.