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Legal View with Ashleigh Banfield

Hillary Addresses DNC Women's Forum; New Lead in Missing UVA Student; Chris Brown's New Release

Aired September 19, 2014 - 12:30   ET

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


(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ASHLEIGH BANFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Hillary Clinton is surrounded by a cloud of ifs right now -- if she decides to run for president, if she is planning a campaign strategy, if she is going after key voters when she speaks in places like Iowa.

But one thing is pretty sure. If she does have something in the works, women are going to be a very big part of her strategy.

Just moments ago, she spoke to the Women's Leadership Forum, the Democratic Leadership Forum. Here's a little piece of what she said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HILLARY CLINTON, FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE: It has been more than 20 years since Tipper Gore and I began gathering Democratic women together and formed this organization.

Now, a lot has changed since then. We've elected dozens of women senators and congresswomen. We've seen our first speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, and most important, we brought the concerns and hopes and dreams of women from the margins to the mainstream of American public life.

You've done that. You've moved those political mountains and I thank each and every one of you. But as much as things have changed, here's what's stayed as true as ever. The Democratic Party is at its best just like America is at its best when we rally behind a very simple yet powerful idea -- family.

Family is the building block of any society. It's the building block of our party and our country. When Democrats fought for labor rights so more families could make it into the middle class, when Democrats fought for social security so that our parents wouldn't live in poverty, when Democrats fought for health care and education and civil rights so all our children could grow up with opportunity and equality, we have fought for families, for moms and dads and kids and the values that hold us all together.

So don't let anyone dismiss what you're doing here today as women's work. Don't let anybody send you back to the sidelines. We're here, proud, Democratic women and proud Democratic men, to stand up not just for ourselves, not just for women, but for all our people, for our families, our communities, and our country. (END VIDEO CLIP)

BANFIELD: All of this comes a day after Mrs. Clinton said equal pay for women should become a political movement.

I'm joined now by CNN political commentators, Donna Brazile in Washington, and Sally Kohn right here in New York with me.

Donna, I'm going to start with you if I can. That's a lot of lady talk that seemed to be missing from '08, and I know you have strong opinions about that.

DONNA BRAZILE, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTARY: Absolutely. I think, if Hillary Clinton would have given that speech in '08 and especially early and often and those caucus and primary states, she would be President Hillary Clinton.

It was a bad strategy, a bad campaign year for her. Although she won the popular vote, it's clear she wasn't able to mobilize the kind of vote she need to in order to win the delegation.

It's going to be a crucial period for her. Not only are women voters, swing voters in the midterm election, they will determine the outcome in the next presidential race.

Her speech was very strong. She highlighted the issues that she's heard about all her life, her entire career, because she's fought for women and to close the equality gap for men and women for many, many years.

This is a crucial moment for her. Whenever she decides to run, as you say, if there's no question, the women vote will be an important vote for Hillary Clinton.

BANFIELD: So I get it, that this is a targeted demo. But then on the flip side, and, Sally, I'll get you to weigh in on this, when it's you and your image that you're promoting, clearly she's a woman, it makes me think about the Rudy Giuliani factor, when all he ever did was promote 9/11 and how connected I am to security, and it really backfired.

Is there any possibility that, being the woman, promoting the woman, just starts to be too much?

SALLY KOHN, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Look, I don't know about that analogy, and the fact is women are the majority of this country, so, you know, it's not like she -- there's not much to lose here. There's also a lot to gain.

BANFIELD: (Inaudible) pandering.

KOHN: No, but people never say when they are talking about the middle class or the working class or even the white working class, right? So we only tend to have these issues when you're talking about certain communities. I think what Hillary just did in this speech, it maybe possibly signals a very smart shift for her and if she follows through, it's a winning strategy.

Look, women voters are going to be crucial to her in the primary as defining her against other candidates, likely, no doubt if she runs. And they're also obviously critical in the general. They tend to favor Democrats.

But we've seen this divide historically in our politics between social issues, like women's issues, abortion, reproductive justice, family medical leave, all of those things, and then on the other hand, economic issues like the minimum wage, et cetera.

And what Hillary did in that speech was say there is no divide and what is good for women as workers is good for women as women, and it's good for America, and it's good for families. That's a very powerful message for every voter in America.

BANFIELD: You each have 10 seconds to give me your answer to this, and that is that she's the presumed frontrunner for the nomination in 2016. Is that a dangerous place to be? Donna, you first.

BRAZILE: Yes and no. Sorry, you gave me 10 seconds. Yes --

BANFIELD: You've got five left.

BRAZILE: Because she needs the energy and the excitement of a candidate that is going to build America's future, a pro-growth candidate, a candidate that will keep America safe and secure, a candidate that will lift the middle class.

So she has to be a candidate that is an insurgent, but someone who is with deep experience and the vision to lead our country. I think she can do both.

BANFIELD: OK, Sally, you only get five now.

KOHN: It seems to be helping her because she has an advantage to shape her message and get better at it and has the attention span of the nation to keep getting better as opposed to having only one bite at that first impression.

BANFIELD: I remember the last time she was the frontrunner too. That's why I ask the question.

Ladies, great to have you. Love having all of the ladies on. Donna Brazile, Sally Kohn, have a good weekend. Thank you.

KOHN: Thank you. You too.

BANFIELD: OK, we've got some new developments in that search that we've been reporting on for the missing college student.

This morning there were search warrants executed on not only a car but the residence where that car was parked. That missing UVA student was last spotted on surveillance cameras, wandering around Charlottesville late at night, and then, poof, she was gone, the fourth woman to go missing there in five years.

More, coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BANFIELD: Police say that they have had a major break in the case of a missing University of Virginia student named Hannah Graham. Search warrants were executed on an apartment and a vehicle in Charlottesville, Virginia, early this morning.

We don't have a lot of details available yet. Nobody's in custody, but we can tell you this. The car that they looked at was impounded, and it's being checked for forensic evidence, according to the police.

Miss Graham is the fourth woman in five years to disappear from this college town. The UVA sophomore has been missing since early Saturday morning when apparently she texted friends, seemingly lost, having earlier left a dinner party, and then, that was it. No one heard from her.

And now police are scouring a series of surveillance footage, including one piece of video showing a man following Hannah Graham.

Randi Kaye has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RANDI KAYE, CNN INVESTIGATIVE CORRESPONDENT: New video of University of Virginia student Hannah Graham caught on camera while out for a long night of drinking with friends. At times, she appears disoriented and confused.

At 1:06 a.m., these surveillance cameras show Hannah on the mall in downtown Charlottesville. See the man in the light colored shorts? He ducks into a doorway. When Hannah passes by, he follows her.

CHIEF TIMOTHY LONGO, CHARLOTTESVILLE, VIRGINIA, POLICE: She was vulnerable, that she may not have been in a position to protect herself or defend herself.

KAYE: The man seen in the video tailing Hannah told police she appeared distressed and he wanted to make sure she was safe. Also, that he stopped following her after he saw a black man approach Hannah and put his arm around her. Police have not commented whether or not they believe the first man's story. As for the second man, he isn't seen anywhere in the surveillance video. Though, late Thursday, police did say they want to speak with him. About 20 minutes after Hannah was seen on that mall surveillance camera, 1:20 a.m., police say she texted friends about a party but never showed up. The text was the last anyone heard from her.

LONGO: There was a particular text that will lead us to believe that she was lost. KAYE: Lost in an area police say she was familiar with. And there's

more. Surveillance video from earlier in the night. 9:30 p.m. Friday night. That's when Hannah Graham left her apartment. She grabbed dinner with friends, then went to a party. After leaving that party around 12:15 a.m. Saturday, she headed towards an Irish pub. Forty- five minutes later, about 1:00 a.m., police say cameras caught Hannah running toward the downtown mall. Strangely, nobody appeared to be chasing her.

Which brings us back to this video, a jewelry store on the mall at 1:08 a.m., the last time Hanna Graham was seen on camera alive.

LONGO: Pick up the phone and tell us something regardless of how insignificant you think it might be.

KAYE: Her parents released this statement. "Hannah is beyond precious to us. We are truly devastated by her disappearance. It's totally out of character for us not to have heard from her and we fear foul play."

And they may have good reason to. At least three other young women have disappeared here in the last five years, including Virginia Tech student Morgan Harrington. She went missing in 2009 after a rock concert at UVA. No arrests were ever made. Police have reportedly checked the area where Harrington's remains were found for clues in this latest case. That has some raising concerns about a possible serial killer. But police remain laser focused on finding Hannah Graham.

Randi Kaye, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BANFIELD: And yesterday the police said that they want to question a man witnesses say they saw talking to Graham on the downtown mall around the time that she vanished. That person of interest is said to be a black male, 5'10" to 5'11" with a close shave head and a goatee and slight beer belly. One other thing that the police chief said, and this is critical if you're in the Virginia area, there was a pub called McGrady's Irish Pub where she was seen on video possibly speaking to someone. The police chief is desperate to hear from anyone who may have spoken with Hannah that night or may have seen her. So if you're out there, please call the local police. There is a family desperate to know where Hannah is.

We're going to switch gears to entertainment after the break. Chris Brown has just released album number six. But is his violent past still overshadowing his current music?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BANFIELD: There's one thing there's no doubt about and that's that Chris Brown is a musical success story. His first ever single roared to number one on the charts and his first album peaked at number two. This week Brown released his latest album. But five years after assaulting his then girlfriend Rihanna, Brown's legacy is seemingly as much about violence as it is about music. Nischelle Turner joins me live with this now.

So here's the deal. I know you've got this fantastic spotlight coming up tonight, 10:00 p.m. Eastern Time, CNN, there's the plug and I'll plug it again too.

NISCHELLE TURNER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: Thank you.

BANFIELD: It's not just that he did what he did to Rihanna five years ago, it's that the stories kept dribbing and drabbing out -

TURNER: Yes.

BANFIELD: Because he didn't' fix his behavior. He was flooding the legal system -

TURNER: Exactly.

BANFIELD: And he was doing lousy things, which gives you a lousy image. So is it unfair to brand him a really bad boy?

TURNER: Well, I mean, that's a good question because he is a very complex person. We're talking about him again now, not just because he's releasing an album, but because of the whole Ray Rice domestic violence issue. Rihanna came back into it, so Chris Brown came back up. And he spoke about it this week and we can talk about that in a second.

But long before, you know, the Ray Rice issue, there was Chris Brown and he was a musical genius at the time, but his issue with Rihanna and that domestic violence situation quickly turned him from pop's it boy into the face of domestic violence.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARY MARGARET, STAFF EDITOR, PEOPLE: They looked extremely happy and in love just hours before.

TURNER (voice-over): Happy and in love, sitting side by side at the annual pre-Grammy party.

M. TYE COMER, EDITOR, BILLBOARD.COM: On the way home from that party, there was an argument that they had in the car and that erupted into a fight.

TURNER: A fight, rumor had it, sparked by a text from one of Brown's former flames.

MARGARET: It was an extremely massive argument and fight that escalated in a very physical way. Things got out of the control. And he physically assaulted her, left her bruised and bloodied.

COMER: There have been reports of him trying to (INAUDIBLE) her car. There are reports of him saying that he was going to kill her.

TURNER: Hours after the brutal attack, Brown turned himself in to police. News of the incident sent the country into a tailspin. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Unbelievable arrest of Chris Brown.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Accusations of domestic violence.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The alleged victim is his girlfriend, the singer Rihanna.

MARGARET: It was shock. It was disgust. It was horror. And it was confusion.

TURNER: The boy next door no more.

COMER: In a lot of people's minds, Chris Brown became a monster.

TURNER: Brown was slapped with two felony assault charges and hired famed Michael Jackson attorney Mark Geragos.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Chris, from day one, wanted to take responsibility. So he did what he was advised to do.

TURNER: In 2009, Brown pleaded guilty to one count of felony assault and took a plea deal. Five years' probation, as well as counseling, community service, and a restraining order. He'd have to stay far away from Rihanna.

CHRIS BROWN, MUSICIAN: And I always wish that I could take it back.

TURNER: Brown gave his first TV interview about the incident on CNN with his lawyer and his mother by his side.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Probably the most painful time of my entire life.

TURNER: Brown apologized again and lamented the loss of Rihanna.

BROWN: We haven't had contact at all.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you love her?

BROWN: Definitely.

TURNER: But this time, love wasn't enough.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TURNER: Love wasn't enough.

BANFIELD: I can't wait. I can't wait for that.

TURNER: It wasn't enough for them.

BANFIELD: I'm such a fan of his and it just drives me nuts that he keeps behaving so badly. But now he's even talking about Ray Rice?

TURNER: Yes, he is. He was asked about it in an interview earlier and he was talking about the fact that he recognizes now that he does have some anger issues. He's got some things he needs to work on. And his advice to Ray Rice was, you can't keep that in. You have to let it out. You have to talk about it. You have to - you can't keep it all bottled up because that's when you explode. So, we'll see. I don't know if this is kind of -- trying to be a rebirth PR for him.

BANFIELD: Right.

TURNER: But we go into it tonight, the good, the bad, and the very ugly.

BANFIELD: 10:00 p.m., right here, CNN, tonight.

TURNER: Yes.

BANFIELD: You always do these great spotlight reports.

TURNER: I love them. I love them.

BANFIELD: Well, we love you.

TURNER: (INAUDIBLE).

BANFIELD: Have a great weekend. Thanks, Nischelle. Nice to see you.

And thank you, everyone. Have a wonderful weekend. I'm going to hand the baton over to Wolf Blitzer. He starts right after a quick break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, I'm Wolf Blitzer reporting from Washington.