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Joint Chiefs Chairman Visits Iraq; President Visits Australia for G-20; New Police Dispatch Audio Concerning Shooting in Ferguson, Missouri, Released; Rape Allegations against Comedian Bill Cosby Surface; President Plans to Issue Executive Order Reforming Immigration System; CNN Hero Helps Children Grieve for Dead Loved Ones; with Navy SEAL Publicly Claims to have Killed Usama bin Laden; Popular Dutch DJ Profiled

Aired November 15, 2014 - 10:00   ET

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


CHRISTI PAUL, CNN ANCHOR: Is America's military presence in Iraq about to expand? A surprise visit to Baghdad this morning by the man in charge.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Get us several more units over here or there's going to be a problem.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JOE JOHNS, CNN ANCHOR: And 90 seconds that changed a city. For the first time we're hearing the dramatic police audio of the moments Michael Brown was shot in Ferguson, Missouri, and the new video of the officer at the center of it all.

PAUL: And the ugly allegations against a beloved American icon. This morning comedian Bill Cosby is asked about those, and we have his response.

Thank you for keeping us company, it's always good to see you. I'm Christi Paul.

JOHNS: And Joe Johns in for Victor Blackwell. It is 10:00 on the east coast, 7:00 out west. You are in CNN Newsroom.

We have some new developments out of the Iraq this morning. America's top general is on a surprise visit there. General Martin Dempsey is meeting with Iraq's Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, seen on left, U.S. Ambassador Stuart Jones on the right, and U.S. troops and commanders. The prime minister said the troops are part of a strategic plan for the liberation of the entire Iraqi territory and we're going to achieve this goal.

PAUL: Our senior international correspondent Arwa Damon joining live from southern Turkey right now. Arwa, so give us your take on what General Dempsey is hoping to achieve with this very surprising visit.

ARWA DAMON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, he at the very least wants to get as best he can an on the ground, boots on the ground, his own that would be, assessment as to what the situation really is. The prime minister ears office just put out a statement talking about this meeting, not giving a lot of details but saying they were speaking about the Iraqi security forces successes and what was going to be needed moving forward.

What is especially critical for General Dempsey to try to ascertain is just how big of a threat is ISIS posing and exactly what capabilities do the Iraqi security forces need? And do those American troops that are already in country and those that are going to be coming in, do they have the support that they require to achieve whatever goal it is that the U.S. and the Iraqis set out for them?

This is very important for the shear basic reason that the Americans already initially grossly underestimated the capabilities of ISIS. We saw just how capable they were in their swift takeover of vast swaths of Iraq, catching everyone unawareness. The Americans also underestimated or perhaps overestimated the capabilities of the Iraqi security forces. So General Dempsey's main aim is going to be to try to get to as real an understanding of the situation on the ground as he possibly can.

JOHNS: General Dempsey said earlier this week he does not rule out sending U.S. ground forces to Iraq. So let's listen now to some of the sound. OK, we don't have that. But the bottom line question, Arwa, is this -- are boots on the ground necessary to defeat ISIS from your perspective?

DAMON: That is tough to tell. We have to look at America's history in Iraq. And let's assume that they did send in tens of thousands of U.S. forces. Well, that's already been done and it wasn't necessarily successful. What is going to be key, if one really wants to talk about a long term strategy that is going to ultimately deny an entity like ISIS the safe haven from which to operate, which is the situation that we have in Iraq bearing in mind it's vastly different from the situation we have in Syria, is going to be having that political landscape in Iraq that is going to mean that the Sunnis don't feel disenfranchised, the Sunnis aren't going to be turning towards an entity like ISIS because they deem ISIS to be a lesser evil than the Shia led government in Baghdad. That is what's going to be vital, really creating that government of national unity that we've been talking about more than 10 years now. And that is not going to be accomplished but American military might and that's not going to be accomplished through American boots on the ground. Even if we have the U.S. military in country in Iraq and even if they were military able to drive ISIS out, once again, at the end of the day an entity like ISIS or another would reemerge if that political framework is not in place.

PAUL: Very good point. Arwa Damon reporting from Turkey. Arwa, thank you so much. We appreciate it.

Now, as she said, General Dempsey, he wants to determine whether more resources are needed there in Iraq based on what people are saying on the ground there.

JOHNS: So at this point let's bring in CNN's Erin McPike over at the White House. Are you hearing anymore more intel about General Dempsey's visit, Erin?

ERIN MCPIKE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Joe, as you were just discussing, I want to point out that Dempsey on Thursday testified before the House Armed Services Committee, and in his testimony he said essentially that he is considering whether or not he needs to recommend to the president to send U.S. combat troops into Iraq.

As you know, the president has repeatedly insisted that he does not intend to send U.S. combat troops on the ground in Iraq or Syria. So we expect that once this trip is over, Dempsey will report what he has found to both President Obama and Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, and of course this will be something that the president has to address yet again, Joe.

PAUL: All right, good point. I want to shift a little bit here. We were talking about General Dempsey, but this visit from him is coming as President Obama is at the G-20 summit in Australia. And Russian President Vladimir Putin, as we understand it, getting quite let's a chilly reception there. Erin, what have you learned?

MCPIKE: Christi, that's absolutely right. And you may remember that back in July, Russians shot down flight MH-17 over eastern Ukraine. So Australian dignitaries and the Australian media have been very upset with Putin and are calling him out. Now, President Obama did much the same in his official remarks at the University of Queensland earlier today. Listen here to those comments.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, (D) PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We're leading in dealing with Ebola in West Africa and an opposing Russia's aggression against Ukraine, which is a threat to the world, as we saw in the appalling shoot down of MH-17, a tragedy that took so many innocent lives, among them your fellow citizens. As your ally and friend America shares the grief of these Australian families and we share the determination of your nation for justice and accountability.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MCPIKE: There was some discussion too over whether or not Putin would leave the summit early. At this point he does not appear to be leaving early, Christi and Joe.

JOHNS: Erin McPike over at the White House, thanks for that.

PAUL: Thanks, Erin.

Something we also want to share with you that's new from overnight. We now have police dispatch tapes from the deadly shooting in Ferguson, Missouri, at the center of that national debate over race and the use of force by police.

JOHNS: The radio calls detailed moments surrounding the encounter between unarmed black teenager Michael Brown and Officer Darren Wilson, who is white. The new audio and new surveillance video of Wilson in the hours after the shooting come as a grand jury could decide any day whether to indict the officer in Brown's death.

PAUL: Stephanie Elam has the very latest for us. Good morning, Stephanie.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: "The St. Louis Post Dispatch" obtained the police audio and video through the state's so-called sunshine law according to the paper's timeline of the August night's encounter between Darren Wilson and Michael Brown. At 11:53 a.m. a dispatcher reports a stealing in progress at the Ferguson Market.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're detecting a stealing in progress from 90101, subject may be leaving the business at this time. Standby for further.

ELAM: The "Post-Dispatch" says about 19 seconds later dispatch issues a description of a suspect.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's going to be a black male in a white tee shirt. He took a whole box of the Swisher Cigars.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Black male, white tee shirt?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That's affirmative. She said he just walked out of store.

ELAM: And there's more detail in the police crosstalk.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's with another male. He's got a red Cardinals hat, white tee shirt, yellow socks, and khaki shorts.

ELAM: According to the paper, at noon Officer Wilson reports he's back in service from another call. He then asks officers searching for the suspect if they need his help.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you guys need me?

ELAM: Seven seconds later officers report the suspects have disappeared.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Dispatch relay. We couldn't hear.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He said that they disappeared.

ELAM: The paper says at 12:02 Officer Wilson responds.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And 21, put me on Canfield.

ELAM: On August 9th Michael Brown's friend Dorian Johnson says they were walking down the street when Officer Wilson told them to get out of the road. According to Johnson he and Brown told the officer they were almost at their destination and would be out of the street shortly. But Johnson said the officer grabbed Brown by the neck and drew his gun, eventually shooting Brown. By contrast, a Wilson family friend identified a Josie told local

radio station KTFK that according to Wilson, Brown started a physical altercation with him and grabbed the gun, which went off. Both sides agree that Brown ran and then turned back. The "Post-Dispatch" says 41 seconds after Wilson's call another officer was about to arrive at the location. The radio calls also show other officers arriving at the scene and a call for a supervisor. And then, according to the newspaper, this call at 12:07 p.m. was the apparent sound of a woman wailing in the background.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Get us several more units over here or there is going to be a problem.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Any available units that can respond to Canfield and Copper Creek advise.

ELAM: The "Post-Dispatch" also obtained surveillance video of Officer Darren Wilson hours after the shooting. The paper says the video shows Wilson in the white tee shirt leaving the police station for the hospital two hours after the shooting accompanied by other officers and his union lawyer. The video then shows him returning to the police station.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ELAM: And here in Ferguson people are focused on that grand jury decision when it comes out and what it will mean for their town. If you can see behind me there is one shop that is boarded up and a lot of the shops here have done the same thing, boarding up in preparation if there is more unrest here on this street where there was so much in August and the months that came after that. But that is the total focus here in Ferguson, Christi and Joe.

PAUL: Wow, that is something else. Stephanie Elam reporting in Ferguson there, Stephanie, thank you so much.

JOHNS: Still coming up this morning, the growing cloud over Bill Cosby as another woman comes forward alleging rape. And despite canceled TV appearances in the wake of the allegations, Cosby accepted an interview on NPR that just aired. We'll play some of it for you next.

PAUL: And a university makes a dramatic move after a college freshman died inside a fraternity house. You're with the CNN Newsroom.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARBARA BOWMAN, ACCUSES BILL COSBY OF RAPE: It was very controlled and he zeroed right in on my vulnerabilities, which was I had no father figure, so there was no man to come knocking on his door to find out what's going down. And when these things started happening, I wasn't silent. I told my agent what was going down.

(END VIDEO CLIP) PAUL: The accusations, you almost can't take your eyes off it as you're listening to it.

JOHNS: So true.

PAUL: Decades old rape allegations resurfacing against Bill Cosby. The comedian was asked a direct question just a little while ago during this much anticipated interview that just aired on NPR.

JOHNS: And let's bring in Alexandra Field. She has been watching the interview for us. She joins us live from New York. Alexandra, did he really respond to these latest allegations?

ALEXANDRA FIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Joe, I think people were hoping to hear more, actually anything at all from Bill Cosby. We heard about the interview. We knew that Scott Simon, the journalist from NPR, had asked Bill Cosby directly about the rape allegations. Simon had tweeted telling listeners they would have to decide for themselves whether or not Cosby said yes or no. He didn't actually say anything at all. So listen to how the exchange went.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SCOTT SIMON, JOURNALIST, NPR: This question gives me no pleasure, Mr. Cosby, but there have been serious allegations raised about you in recent days. You are shaking your head no. I'm in the news business. I have to ask the question. Do you have any response to those charges? Shaking your head no. There are people who love you who might like to hear from you about this. I wanted to give you the chance. All right.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FIELD: Shaking his head no. No response, no words at all from Bill Cosby. That silence speaking volumes to listeners though. Of course it is subject to interpretation. But here's some of what we're hearing from people who heard the interview. One listener writing on Twitter "Cosby was on NPR to not talk about those rape allegations." Another listener tweeting "Bill Cosby's refusal to answer reveals more than any words could. Still painful to watch a cornered bully cower."

Also some listeners coming to Bill Cosby's defense. A lot of tweets still continuing to support Bill Cosby. Again, he has never been charged with a crime. Through the years his lawyers have repeatedly denied any and all accusations and allegation after rape against him. Christi, Joe?

JOHNS: Hey, Alexandra, just one question before you go. I've heard there have been some non-disclosure agreements connected to all of this. Is it possible that Bill Cosby is not talking because he's bound by the non-disclosure agreements?

FIELD: It's certainly been suggested that he is not able to talk about this. I think that some people would have still hoped to or have expected to heard from him something along the lines of "I can't talk about this, I'm not able to talk about this, I won't talk about this." I think it was a little stunning for some people to be listening to the radio and to be told that he was simply shaking his head.

And of course we go back and forth. This is subject to interpretation. We don't know if he was say no to the allegation or if he was shaking his head no in a refusal to even address or answer these questions. A lot of the allegations came to light when the lawsuit was filed back in 2005 by a woman who accused Bill Cosby of raping and drugging her up. Police investigated at the time said they did not have the evidence to charge him in the case. He was not charged with any crime. But there was a civil suit and that was confidentially settled, so we'll never know the terms of that.

JOHNS: All right, Alexandra Field, thanks so much for that.

PAUL: Well, let's change the subject here, because this November, it's one for the record books, right. Our iReporters are sending in proof of that and we thank you for it, iReporters. That is Christmas cards pretty.

JOHNS: That is absolutely beautiful.

And by the way, it's a huge day for college football. So we're heading to Athens and other places. Check it out.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

JOHNS: OK. You want a sign of the season? Look at what a Boise, Idaho, iReporter sent us, the first snow of the season. It is a real beauty. Boise received 7.6 inches of snow, breaking the old record by just two-tenths of a inch. But remember, it is mid-November.

PAUL: Yes but that would make a beautiful Christmas card right there. Jennifer Gray is out in the cold, too. Jennifer, I have heard from so many people. They have been tweeting me. Penny from Topeka said it's 27. Susan from Pennsylvania said it's 26. Everybody is feeling it, Jen, everybody.

JOHNS: It's actually warmer here now right?

JENNIFER GRAY, AMS METEOROLOGIST: We've actually warmed up about 10 degrees since we've been out here. It's now almost 40 degrees. We're at 39, so we are above freezing. We have hit a milestone here at Centennial Park, warming up and it's actually starting to feel quite nice.

Unfortunately, much of the country is suffering. We are all feeling the cold, the worst of it up to the north. We're seeing temperatures in the single digits, a lot of areas haven't even gotten above freezing in almost a week. And so that's what we're dealing with, this arctic cold. And we are expecting another push of if as we go to the beginning part of next week.

So let's get to those graphics. We are looking at temperatures in the 30s across much of the south, which is well below normal. The south is running about five to 15 degrees below normal. Folks in the northern plains and Midwest are running 20, 30, 40 degrees below normal, so quite the change there. Minneapolis at 11 right now, four in Cheyenne. Look at Minneapolis. They have been below freezing since Monday, will continue to be below freezing at least until at least the 22nd. So it looks like with have another week of this bitter cold, and things aren't going to change any time soon.

Unfortunately we're also look at additional snowfall with all of this. Midwest could pick up two to four inches, and then that chilly air is expected to come through on Monday into Tuesday, reinforcing the cold air into the northern plains. And guys, the southeast and the northeast could be even colder next week than we have been this past week. So just trying to bundle up and stay warm this weekend. It's going to last on through next weekend as well.

JOHNS: OK. Good enough. Thanks for that, Jennifer Gray.

PAUL: Oh what a Saturday it is in college football.

JOHNS: There are plenty of games and rivalries and match-ups going on right now. The big playoff implications are in there as well. Brian McFayden joins us now live from the University of Georgia for this morning's "Bleacher Report." Hey, Brian.

BRIAN MCFAYDEN, BLEACHER REPORT: Hey, I'm trying to keep warm. I just saw the weather report right now. It is about 30 below here in Athens. Maybe it's not that cold. I'm in Athens, Georgia, home of the 15th ranked Georgia Bulldogs. They're playing one of their arch- rivals, the 9th ranked Auburn Tigers. Both teams still have an outside chance to make this year's college football playoffs. But they need to win tonight's game here in Athens to stay alive.

And Georgia's chances of winning drastically improved recently when they learned that their star running back Todd Gurley will be eligible to play. The NCAA suspended Gurley for four games after he admitted to signing autographs for money. The former Heisman frontrunner hasn't played since October 4th. He'll be a big boost to the Bulldogs. Kickoff is at 7:15 eastern. It's cold there too.

But the matchup of the week has to be Mississippi State at Alabama. Mississippi State is the number one ranked team in the nation, but they're going into Tuscaloosa to face the fifth ranked Crimson Tide. Mississippi State might be the top ranked team right now but Alabama is favored to win by the odds makers. This is why the regular season in college football is so exciting. Girls, guys, a really big weekend for a lot of teams around the country. I'm going to try to keep warm with these guys and keep some food my belly too.

(CHEERING)

(LAUGHTER)

PAUL: Brian you have a really tough job. Thank you so much for taking a couple minutes for us.

JOHNS: Amazing.

PAUL: He's got women cheering around him. That's everybody's dream. Thank you, Brian.

JOHNS: All right, Philae phone home, that washing machine sized robot clinging to a moving comet has provided some remarkable pictures from 310 million miles away. But there are new concerns this morning that could stop.

PAUL: And President Obama fed up with Congress. He now says that he's going to change the law by himself without them. The battle is getting a little ugly in Washington. That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PAUL: It's 31 minutes past the hour right now. Welcome. I'm Christi Paul.

JOHNS: And I'm Joe Johns. Here are the hour's top stories.

General Martin Dempsey is on a surprise visit to Iraq. The head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is meeting with the Iraqi prime minister and other U.S. officials and troops.

PAUL: His visit comes as the U.S. plans to expand its assistance to Iraqi can Kurdish forces battling ISIS.

JOHNS: Students at West Virginia University are mourning the loss of their friend. Police found 18-year-old Nolan Birch unconscious at a frat house Wednesday. He died yesterday at the local hospital. Now the university has suspended all Greek activities on campus.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This doesn't define him at all. Whatever happened, it does not define him.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JOHNS: Officials are not giving out details of the incident as they continue to investigate.

PAUL: A surgeon diagnosed with the Ebola is on his way from Sierra Leone to the Nebraska medical center. The doctor is expected to arrive this afternoon, but he's a native of the Sierra Leone, yet a permanent resident of the U.S. He'll be the third Ebola patient treated at the Nebraska hospital.

JOHNS: The hunt for alleged cop killer Eric Frein cost the state of Pennsylvania $11 million. And the Philadelphia Inquirer reports that was just for the Pennsylvania state police alone. Frein led authorities on a man hunt that lasted almost seven weeks after he allegedly shot two police officers, killing one.

PAUL: And the famous Philae comet lander we're told is dead or at least taking a very long nap. The space probe soared into history this week when it landed on a comet 310 million miles from earth. But apparently its batteries have run out of juice. Scientists were hoping solar energy would be able to power it, but Philae landed in the shade and just is not getting enough sunlight.

JOHNS: The system is broken and Congress hasn't done a thing to fix it. That's what President Obama says, and adds he'll do it on his own. We're talking about immigration reform, of course. The president says he's reading to use his executive power to overhaul the law, potentially granting legal status to as many as 5 million undocumented residents, and it could all happen in just days.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OBAMA: And I indicated to Speaker Boehner several months ago that if in fact Congress failed to act I would use all the lawful authority that I possess to try to make the system work better. And that's going to happen.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JOHNS: The president's move has Republicans fuming. House Speaker John Boehner says they will fight Obama tooth and nail even if it takes another government shutdown.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. JOHN BOEHNER, (R) HOUSE SPEAKER: This is the wrong way to govern. This is exactly what the American people said on Election Day they didn't want. And so all the options are on the table.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JOHNS: Joining me now to discuss this, Maria Cardona, Democratic strategist and CNN political commentator, along with Lisa Boothe, Republican strategist and senior director of Black Rock Group. Lisa, why are Republicans so resistant to this? Are they resistant because of the process, the way the president is doing it, or is more the substance, or is it both?

LISA BOOTHE, SENIOR DIRECTOR, BLACK ROCK GROUP: It's the process. I think it's important to note Republicans aren't resistant to immigration reform. John Boehner himself has had that the House will act, that Congress will act on immigration reform. What Republicans are so resistant to is President Obama's decision and his signaling that he will undermine the rule of law, that he will undermine the clear message that voters sent on Election Day that they want a Republican majority, that President Obama would be willing to circumvent Congress, undermine the rule of law, undermine the message that was sent and go it alone on immigration reform. That is absolutely unacceptable. And President Obama himself in 2011 said it would be unconstitutional for him to act alone on immigration. It's time to start listening to the American people and even listen to himself.

JOHNS: Maria, some core Republicans are really trying to frame this as amnesty. So let's just look at what the president's executive action is actually planning to do. It would allow parents of the American-born children to remain in the U.S. legally. It would protect undocumented residents who came to the U.S. as children, ensure deportations for convicted criminals.

Conservative columnist Charles Krauthammer said this planned action was, quote, "impeachable." He calls it a flagrant assault on the constitution. And he's really not alone on that. So I guess the question for you isn't the president going too far here creating legislation that the Congress out to be a part of?

MARIA CARDONA, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Let's be clear, Joe, this is not legislation that the president is creating. He cannot create legislation. That is up to Congress. And he has made it very clear that that is what he would prefer to do is for Congress to do this.

So the president is now looking to his executive action, which the constitution does give him the authority to do. Past presidents have done it. President Reagan had given relief to certain groups of immigrants on immigration. President Clinton did it. George Bush one did it. George Bush two did it.

So when Republicans fume about the president taking this authority into his own hands that he doesn't have, that is just not true. He does have the legal authority to do it. Other presidents have done tons of the executive actions, in fact much more so than President Obama has undertaken.

And to go back to Lisa's point, I would believe her except for we've seen this movie before and we know how it ends. Republicans have had over a year-and-a-half to act on immigration reform. They have refused to do it. So when they say they are not are resistant to do it, that they want to get it done, why didn't they do it when they had a chance to do it? And in fact I'll go further. They still have the chance to do it. They could do it tomorrow if John Boehner brought it up to the House floor for a vote. So if they don't want the president to take this action, then get the legislation done.

JOHNS: Let's give Lisa a chance to get in there. Give me a response to that. And also, aren't the Republicans kind of being setup here, because at the end of the day this could possibly turn into a problem for Republicans with Hispanic voters in 2016?

BOOTHE: To answer Maria's question, she mentioned presidents who have taken executive action on immigration. She also mentioned Reagan. Actually the immigration reform that happened under President Reagan was act of Congress. That was Congressional legislation, and none of those presidents over reached to the extent President Obama plans to do on immigration. So that is the first answer to her question.

Second, in regards to Hispanics in 2016, I actually think President Obama is doing Hispanics a great disservice by acting unilaterally on immigration reform because he is not addressing the key and the root issues that we're facing with immigration, and he is now allowing Congress to act on immigration if he moves forward alone.

And as I mentioned before, President Obama is not addressing the root issues. If anything he's inciting problems that we've seen, especially problems along the border like we saw over the summer. And according to a Pew research surveys, as recent as September, Hispanics list enforcement of our nation's laws and border security as top issues that they care about, and that's in line with Republican thinking.

CARDONA: So why didn't Republicans pass it when they had the chance, Lisa?

(CROSSTALK)

BOOTHE: If you want to look at the border crisis this summer, House Republicans, the House was the only body of Congress to pass an emergency funding bill. So they were the ones that acted. They were the ones.

CARDONA: They didn't do anything to fix the immigration system, Lisa. The American people want comprehensive immigration reform. Republicans have turned their back on that time and again.

JOHNS: Timeout.

BOOTHE: That's not exactly true that Americans want comprehensive immigration reform.

JOHNS: Let me ask you all a question. Hello.

BOOTHE: Sorry, Joe.

JOHNS: Quick question. What about the middle ground, here? There has been a suggestion that the president take the executive action then delay implementation of it long enough for the GOP Congress controlled Congress to push something through. Can we agree that is a good idea or not?

BOOTHE: I think for someone who is purportedly a constitutional law professor, I think for President Obama it would be in his best interest to brush up on the constitution. What needs to happen is the President needs to act within the parameters of the constitution and he needs to do his job, which is to work with Congress find a solution. It's President Obama's job to enforce the laws and it's Congress's job to devise the laws.

CARDONA: And I'll say this, Joe. The president does want to focus on his legislation and --

BOOTHE: No he doesn't.

CARDONA: And it's always been his preferred choice. When Republicans have decided to turn their backs on the American people and do nothing on immigration reform -- there is a bill right now that Boehner can call up for a vote tomorrow, Lisa. But they don't want to do it. So the president is taking his constitutional authority that he has, that is given to him by the constitution, to get something done.

And in the meantime when Republicans get it together, if they can get it together, then he will put the executive action aside and take up the legislation. JOHNS: All right, and now I just want to get your reaction to

something that happened earlier this week when two former presidents had a little fun with each other on social media. It started when Bill Clinton posted a picture of himself on Twitter reading George W. Bush's new book about his father. He thanked him for the book and included the hash-tag, "How are you still not on Twitter."

(LAUGHTER)

JOHNS: So Bush replies by Instagram, "Hope you like the book about your pal, hash-tag, "How are you still not on Instagram?" Brother from another mother. So to both maybe our current leaders in Washington could learn a little something from these guys, don't you think?

BOOTHE: Absolute, they could definitely learn something from these guys. And I think President Obama could learn a thing or two from Bill Clinton. If you remember, Bill Clinton worked with a Republican led Congress to pass welfare reform.

CARDONA: And I agree, they absolutely should. The leaders in D.C. should learn that you can work together, that you can meet in the middle. Unfortunately Republicans have demonstrated time and again that when it comes to President Obama, they have no interest in working with him.

BOOTHE: President Obama has not come to the table.

CARDONA: He is going to try to get things done.

JOHNS: All right, hey, thanks so much to you both. Maria Cardona, Lisa Boothe, really good discussion. We'll be right back.

BOOTHE: Thanks.

CARDONA: Thanks.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

JOHNS: We are shining a spotlight on the top 10 CNN heroes of the 2014 as you vote for the one who inspires you the most at CNNheroes.com.

PAUL: This year's honoree teaches young people to cope with grief from violent crime and death in the city of Baltimore. So we want you to now meet Annette March-Grier.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Chicken nuggets, French fries, honey mustard, and a milk shake. My daddy ordered had same things as me. That is my daddy.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My son's father was murdered. That bond, which is a bond that a lot of kids don't have with their fathers. ANNETTE MARCH-GRIER, CNN HERO: A child's grief can be very different

from adults. They can easily lose their identity and their security. And that shift can be very dangerous.

There you go. How are you feeling today?

Our program provides that safe place for a child to recover after the death of someone close. Our volunteers help the children explore their feelings.

Why did you choose red?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was angry when my dad passed away.

MARCH-GRIER: And talk about healthy ways of coping. We teach our children that it's OK to cry. Grief is truly a public health problem. We have got to begin to address it.

Coping is how we deal with our feelings.

We're helping to heal wounds and bring families back together again.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PAUL: This is the last weekend to vote for the CNN hero of the year. So go to CNNHeroes.com to vote once a day every day for the hero who inspires you most.

We want to share with you some pictures that we are just getting in of a surprise visit to Iraq today.

JOHNS: A surprise visit by General Martin Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chief, visiting with the Haider al-Abadi. These are new pictures just coming in. Of course, General Dempsey went to Iraq and nobody really knew, wanted to get a firsthand view of what was going on the ground there. And there are questions about whether he is going to recommend more boots on the ground for United States military forces in Iraq.

PAUL: Yes, again in the battle against ISIS. We're going to be right back. Stay close.

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PAUL: Well, the former Navy SEAL who says he shot and killed Usama bin Laden may have nerves of steel, but now tells CNN he is worried the Pentagon may prosecute him for speaking publicly about the 2011 raid on the Al Qaeda leader's compound in Pakistan.

JOHNS: In his most extensive live television interview to date Robert O'Neill sat down with CNN's Jake Tapper and not only described the harrowing mission, but he responded to the criticism he has faced for breaking silence about killing the most wanted man in the world.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) JAKE TAPPER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Before you walked into that room on the third floor where you thought bin Laden was, what went through your head?

ROBERT O'NEILL, RETIRED NAVY SEAL: There was two of us left on the stairs going up. We knew we had to get up there because they were doing something. We assumed rigging explosives, vests to blow themselves up. So when we went up, my thought wasn't, oh, we're about to shoot that this guy and be heroes. My thought was we're going to do blow up. Let's get it other with. And we up there to do that, but with the thought that we will die if he blows, but he will die too, and that is worth it. He was not surrendering. He was sort of moving, and just based on the level of threat of him not surrendering and the likelihood of him having a vest, I engaged him. I shot him twice in the head. He fell to the floor. I shot him one more time, and I killed him.

TAPPER: What did it feel like?

O'NEILL: The sense was recognition, first of all, an I.D. of him, and then he's a threat, and then I had to shoot him. And it wasn't the first I'd done that on a target before. I recognized the individual, which was Usama bin Laden, and I engaged.

At that minute it felt like that was the initial threat that I had to take care of. And then there were more threats. Threats are just potential unknowns. It wasn't until the room was cleared and there were more SEALs that it kind of hit me and I had a moment of pause, and I talked to a friend of mine who was in the room, and he came up to me and put his hand on my shoulder. And I said, hey, what do we do now? And he kind of smiled and he goes, now we go find the computers. And I said, OK. I'm back. That was quite a thing.

TAPPER: The Pentagon is, I'm sure, watching every word that you are making publicly. Are you concerned at all about a prosecution, about them taking issue with you or violating in their view the nondisclosure agreement?

O'NEILL: That does concern me. And if this comes up I will address it. Right now, like I said, I think I did this in a way that doesn't violate any tactics or any rules.

TAPPER: Do you think you are a hero?

O'NEILL: I think I was part of a team full of heroes.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PAUL: You can see the full interview with Robert O'Neill and Jake Tapper on CNN.com/TheLead.

JOHNS: As Taylor Swift says, some of the players are going to play and the haters are going to hate. Swift pulled access to free streaming of her music in the U.S. Now she's yanking it from another country too.

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PAUL: You should know everybody in our studio is dancing right now.

JOHNS: Yes. And so is my daughter.

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PAUL: Even more of Taylor Swift's fans are just going to just have to shake it off. Friday all her music was taken off streaming services in China. Earlier she yanked herself from Spotify in the U.S. because she wasn't getting paid enough. She's the top artist in the U.S. right now and Spotify said she would make around $6 million. But the CEO of her record label tells "TIME" magazine she actually only made less than $500,000.

JOHNS: Really?

PAUL: Not that that's anything to sneeze, but just saying.

JOHNS: And speaking of music, the fastest growing musical genre in the world believe it or not is electronic dance.

PAUL: So this week we continue our series "Ones to Watch" with a profile of one of the biggest names in the business.

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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The popular Dutch DJ Armin Van Buuren was voted the world's number one DF a record five times, produces his own songs, and now owns his own record label.

ARMIN VAN BUUREN: It is difficult to breakthrough because there are so many other DJs trying to be popular. Your quickest way to the top ironically is make your own music. Not to DJ actually but to make electronic dance music.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: His influence is such that he can boast 8 million Facebook friends, 1 million Spotify subscribers, and over 1 million Twitter followers. Dressed in a tee shirt jeans and trainers, you might not notice him walking down the street. But he commutes to work by private jet and can command a crowd by the mere raising of his arm.

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VAN BUUREN: I had to pick two ones to watch. First of all I chose Heat Beat, the duo from Argentina who have their own distinct sound within the scene. They have a very energetic but still very melodic sound. The second artist I chose is Andrew Rayel from Moldova. And he just has this beautiful classical influence in his tracks. Andrew is just a really, really, young very talented guy who sits in his little studio creating these wonderful pieces of art.

JOHNS: All right then. Thank you so much for watching today.

PAUL: Yes. Make some great memories but don't go away because our colleague Fredericka Whitfield is here.

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Yes. One must always cheer for one's self.

PAUL: Yes. We want to cheer for you -- always.

WHITFIELD: All right you guys. You have a great morning. It must be very busy --

PAUL: You too.

JOHNS: You too.

WHITFIELD: -- as will our afternoon be. Thanks so much. It is the 11:00 Eastern hour of the CNN NEWSROOM which begins right now.