Transcripts for CNN Erin Burnett OutFront 20131219 07:24:15 archive.org - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from archive.org Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
he has been against us on syria, has blocked all the u.n. resolutions there. he has made life very difficult for ukrainians. and for those who want tea sea a democratic future. i think the president s feelings is it is time to get tough with president putin and show president putin we can be definite about protecting our values. so for me, i think this is a positive step the president is taking. let s talk about this. president obama gets to be somewhat tough against a reliable american foe. and also gets to be pro gay rights. kind of a twofer. yeah. if you re playing domestic politics with the olympics, sure. this is not like sending jesse owens to hitler s germany to prove a point. it is a strong symbolic step. our trump card as a country is freedom and diversity. two thing russia is not known for. this is a strong symbolic step but it is just a symbolic step. that said i think it will draw
let s get caught up some of the other stories. anderson, the senate has passed the compromise budget agreement that the house approved last week, the president is expected to sign it. the agreement reduces the chance of another government shutdown. a record day on wall street after the fed announced a modest cutback in its bond buying program that helped stimulate the economy. the dow surfaced 290 points, closing at a high of 1,167. and the s&p had good news, as well. and good news for a blind man and his dog who both fell on the track as the train approached. cecil williams and his black lab are doing well. and the donations will allow him to keep orlando, when the dog is retired, which is expected to happen soon.
delegates he is sending there, hopefully they can get a message out. you never know with how they re going to treat any of the interviews with their own propaganda in russia. so hopefully they ll be able to make a difference and even just their presence there as openly gay people. i think that s a step in the right direction. nick, this is obviously something of a big statement to make to the russians with whom the u.s. has not enjoyed the warmest relations in the last few years. is it possible that this would make a bad situation even worse? i don t think so. i think the president did the right thing. he is sending two messages. president obama to president putin. message number one, the united states is going to uphold the rights of gay and lesbian athletes. i think message number two, we re just not getting along with putin right now. he is harboring edward snowden.
still to colonel, denn, den rodman. president obama makes his olympic picks. she be doing more about russia s anti-gay laws? and a recommendation for major changes in the nsa spy program. my customers can shop around see who does good work and compare costs. it doesn t usually work that way with health care. but with unitedhealthcare, i get information on quality rated doctors, treatment options and estimates for how much i ll pay. that helps me, and my guys, make better decisions. i don t like guesses with my business, and definitely not with our health. innovations that work for you. that s health in numbers. unitedhealthcare.