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Will Biden Run?; Crisis in Syria; South Carolina Flooding. Aired 3-3:30p ET

Aired October 05, 2015 - 15:00   ET

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


[15:00:02]

MARGARET HOOVER, CNN POLITICAL CONTRIBUTOR: But he could -- he could have said that.

VAN JONES, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: No. He could.

HOOVER: It does -- what Donald Trump is very good at is going exactly for any candidate or opponent of his' Achilles' heel.

And this is frankly one of the challenges Marco has.

BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: His youth.

HOOVER: He is 44 years old. He hasn't had executive experience.

JONES: And he looks younger than that. And he does look younger than that.

HOOVER: But -- and one of the hits that is going around sort of quite seriously in the consultant class and the political class is that not only is he young, but he has sort of a young team around him. So, this is something Marco is going to have to address. He's going to have a strong answer for it. I have no doubt he will.

JONES: I have seen this movie before with a very young senator named Barack Obama. There's a way that...

(CROSSTALK)

BALDWIN: How did he do?

JONES: He did pretty well.

There's the way that the older establishment tends to write off the younger folks. They forget that, when they were younger, they were pretty bad. And so, I think this guy is stealing a mark on the establishment.

HOOVER: He's the only one who could actually build the big then back again for the Republican Party, both demographically, in terms of the new generation for America.

(CROSSTALK)

BALDWIN: That's huge.

Margaret Hoover and Van Jones, thank you both very much.

Quick reminder to all of you. Our CNN Facebook Democratic debate Tuesday, October 13 in Vegas 9:00 p.m. Eastern, do not miss it.

You're watching CNN. I'm Brooke Baldwin. Let's get right to it, beginning in South Carolina, breaking news out of that state, where the record-breaking rain is starting to ease, but the flooding that has now killed nine people may only worsen.

The governor sending a warning for folks who live there not to be fooled by the seemingly improving weather.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. NIKKI HALEY (R), SOUTH CAROLINA: This is not over. Just because the rain stops does not mean that we are out of the woods. We very much still have a vulnerable situation that's out there.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Stay home, stay home. This is part of her message here. Don't get anywhere near this. They need those rescuers out and about. That's the priority of getting to those in need. They have been working all day, all through the night.

This weather system has, according to Nikki Haley, the governor there in South Carolina, closed 550 roads and bridges, prompted 2,700 calls for help to the Department of Public Safety and sent close to 1,000 people to shelters in the capital city of Columbia.

We just got word minutes ago a grid-by-grid search is under way for those who are still trapped. One woman who was rescued admits her family waited too long to leave.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DANA MCMANUS, FLOOD VICTIM: A little while later made the decision that we needed to leave. Got in the car. By then, it was far too late. The car completely submerged. We had to escape via the sunroof of the car.

Fortunately, we have some wonderful neighbors who aided us on to the roof of their home, the second story of their home, and where we sat for hours until we were able to have a boat come out and take us out of the second story window to rescue us. So, we lost everything.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Everything, she says.

Nick Valencia is live in Columbia.

Part of the issue here, as you describe what you have been seeing, is water. The irony here is they need water. There's a boil water advisory for folks there.

NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This is the most water the state has ever seen, none of it drinkable. There's still large portions of this city here in Columbia, the state's capital, that don't have usable drinking water.

I spoke to the mayor just a little while ago. He said that's being restored to some, but there are still thousands in this area and beyond that don't have water, another 31,000 across this state that don't have power. At a press conference earlier, Governor Nikki Haley addressed all of these concerns.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HALEY: And the main thing that we have seen is everybody is requesting water, especially in the Midlands area. They are without water in a lot of places, like I said, 40,000. We're going to be setting up -- I know a lot of people have tried to go to stores and buy it and the stores are closed. We're setting up water distribution sites.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VALENCIA: There's a federal disaster declaration signed by U.S. President Obama that was signed over the weekend. That should bring -- help bring some relief here anyway to the area, added resources, we understand. Other resources from neighboring states such as Tennessee are being brought in here to help out.

Also, National Guard troops are at the ready in case they need to do any more airlifts. Already, 25 of those in the area. The big concern and you're talking about it, Brooke, staying home. Many residents are not staying home, whether it's out of curiosity or a sense of adventure and want to come out to see exactly what's happening in their community, the governor and other local officials stressing this is a life-threatening storm.

Already, nine people have lost their lives as a result of this flash flooding and severe weather system. And just when you think there's relief in sight, the rain picks back up again. Just in the last few minutes, it started to rain on us again -- Brooke.

BALDWIN: Nick Valencia, thank you so much.

Let me turn now to the person who took these photos. We will show them for you. His name is Van O'Cain. He lives in South Carolina. And this is what surrounds him and yet he said he feels very lucky.

He joins me now to explain why.

[15:05:00]

Van, thank you for being with me in the rain in Columbia.

VAN O'CAIN, FLOOD VICTIM: You're welcome.

BALDWIN: I mean, my goodness, a 1,000-year flood. Tell me what you are seeing right now. How bad is it?

O'CAIN: Well, right now, it just started raining quite heavily. We had a break for a couple of hours here and we thought maybe it was behind us, but yet again it's raining.

You can probably see behind me that's some of the flooding there. And there's a car that's in the water. That car yesterday when I saw it was about where it is now. Actually, it was a little bit closer to the major road and it has floated down since then. So, it's just been quite a mess around here all over the state of South Carolina.

BALDWIN: I hear you helped in a rescue yourself? Can you tell me about that?

O'CAIN: Well, I wouldn't call it a rescue, but, yes, there was a woman who was stuck in the water yesterday morning. She had a child with her. And she was outside. She was frantic and she was trying to figure out a way to get out of the water.

I came along and tried pushing. I couldn't do it by myself. But there were a few other people, some transportation folks who were riding out around looking at how the roads were. And I asked they could help and they said sure. And so all of us together, we pushed her out and got her to safety.

BALDWIN: I think you're being humble. I think a woman stuck in the water with a child definitely constitutes a rescue, Van.

I know you also have -- I think this is what we're looking at. I don't know. You have a drone taking these aerial shots of these streets. We're seeing cars that look like boats.

O'CAIN: Yes, and, as a matter of fact, and you didn't see it in the video because I just missed it, but there was a kayaker who actually went across the road because the road is completely covered in water. And he paddled into a nearby county park, Saluda Shoals Park, which is right next door, which I understand is also mostly underwater at this point.

BALDWIN: Do you have water, electricity where you are? How are you getting by?

O'CAIN: Yes, we're very fortunate. We do have electricity and we have water.

We are under a boil water advisory. We're making sure we do that, but, yes, we have been very lucky. I happen to work for electric properties around the state and we have a lot of people who are without power.

One of the biggest problems with our crews right now if they try to go restore power, they find roads that are completely washed over and the trucks can't make it across. That's hampering a little bit. But the outages have subsided a little bit.

It is getting a little better on that. But of course the biggest concern we have right now is with the waterlogged -- the ground that the trees, the weakened trees by the water could fall and we could have more trouble with power outages as the trees fall on power lines.

BALDWIN: Van O'Cain, thank you so much. I hope you all get the help you so desperately need there in South Carolina. I really appreciate it today in the rain, in the floods.

O'CAIN: Thank you.

BALDWIN: Thank you.

The United States is watching Russia's movements in Syria and what they are seeing is pretty incredible, because right now Russia is on the move, positioning several ground combat weapons and troops in Western Syria. And the U.S. is confident that the Russians are being sent there to back up Syrian forces in the field who are planning to attack anti-regime forces.

To the Pentagon we go to our correspondent there, Barbara Starr.

Barbara, when we talk weapons and troops, how big of a contingency is this and the fact that they are on the ground?

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: It's a big concern here evolving at the Pentagon, Brooke.

It's several pieces of artillery, several pieces of what they call multiple-launch rockets, systems that can fire at a high rate of fire, very lethal. No question that they are used for anything but going on the offense. And that's what the U.S. fears Russia is doing now in Western Syria, going on the offense against militias, against groups that are trying to battle Bashar al-Assad

Getting him out of Syria and getting him out of government, out of power is a top U.S. goal, not just for Syria, but for bringing stability to the region and fighting ISIS. So, this is a big concern to the U.S. Right now, they don't think that the Russians are going to go in all on their own in a full ground combat offensive, that they are doing this to back up Syrian forces those who are already overworked and exhausted in their efforts to go after these militia movements, so the Russians there to back up the Syrian regime.

But make no mistake, in this part of Western Syria, a big concern, because as always, it is the civilians who get caught in the crossfire -- Brooke.

BALDWIN: Barbara Starr, thank you so much.

Next, news just in on Joe Biden's decision on whether to run for president. CNN sources reveal what the vice president has been asking friends and allies.

Plus, he's in charge of the investigation into the Oregon school shooting, a sheriff who once shared a Sandy Hook conspiracy theory, but today new calls today for him to resign.

And as families hope and wait for answers, the Coast Guard making a massive revelation about the American ship lost at sea.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: "We are heading straight into it, Category. Last we checked, winds are super bad and seas are not. Love to everyone."

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:14:10]

BALDWIN: You're watching CNN. I'm Brooke Baldwin.

Vice President Joe Biden still trying to make up his mind as far as will he or won't he run for president, but he's getting closer to a decision and sounding more like a candidate according to people who have spoken with him.

Through exclusive reporting by our own Gloria Borger and Jeff Zeleny, we have learned that the vice president is getting more comfortable with the idea of a campaign.

So, Gloria Borger, our chief political analyst, joining me now.

My question is, what is it about these sources that are thinking this? What is the vice president asking them or telling them?

GLORIA BORGER, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, in our reporting and talking to people who have spoken with the vice president himself, they are telling me and my colleague Jeff Zeleny that the vice president does not seem to be concerned that if he got into this race, he could lose, that he has told someone, you know, look, I lost before and I always managed to come back from it, that he also seems to see this as a political opening, particularly after an entire life spent in public service that a sitting vice president should not cast aside.

[15:15:17]

He's also told a source of ours that -- quote -- "You would be surprised" at the people that he has heard from who would come out and support him. He doesn't think that organization or money would be a problem. So, overall, when you put it all together, he hasn't made a final decision.

We are also told that, but he sounds more and more like somebody who is leaning towards a run.

BALDWIN: So, in reading the reporting, some of the quotes from these sources that he's always come out on top and he's kept his head on straight no matter happens. Is it that he's less worried about the potential of losing or he really thinks he can pull it off?

BORGER: Yes, well, I think they are not mutually exclusive. He's not so worried about what if he loses. He's going to turn 73 in November. He spent a life in politics and he's lost before. Remember, he ran for the presidency twice and he lost. A lot of people are saying, though, you know what, it's likely you could lose again, because Hillary Clinton has got a big campaign and organization. And Bernie Sanders is doing pretty well, by the way.

So, he doesn't seem to be too worried about it. I think his view is that, why wouldn't I get into this? Shouldn't I get into this? I'm a sitting vice president. So, people who have spoken to him say over the last month -- say that he has moved from being totally undecided to really seeming to be on the I might just do this side of the fence, although a lot of people warn him, you don't want to be a spoiler here, do you? He could also end up being a spoiler for the Democrats.

BALDWIN: You brought up Hillary Clinton. This is my final question to you. And then I'm going to talk to Brianna Keilar all about...

(CROSSTALK)

BALDWIN: ... campaign strategy shifted.

BORGER: Sure.

BALDWIN: But when you look at the polls, the NBC/"Wall Street Journal" polls out of Iowa and New Hampshire, Hillary Clinton not very likable favorable. But on the flip side, the nation watched the vice president on "Colbert" and talk about authentic and likable with a capital L.

BORGER: Right.

He does have a better favorability rating. But don't forget once you actually declare and say I am a candidate and you have to be out there...

BALDWIN: Will that drop?

BORGER: Yes, your favorability will go down. And you know that vice president is prone to a lot of gaffes. We have seen them over the years. And so there are a lot of people who like him who are kind of worried that his best day on the campaign would be the day before he got in, Brooke.

BALDWIN: Gaffes.

BORGER: So, yes, people think he's authentic, but that doesn't mean that he would measure up well against the rest of the Democratic candidates in the long-term. You just have no idea right now.

BALDWIN: Gloria Borger, thank you, and to Zeleny as well for your great reporting.

BORGER: Sure. Yes, thanks to Jeff.

BALDWIN: Thank you.

And a reminder, the Democratic presidential candidates will be on stage together for the first time at the CNN Facebook Democratic debate. That's next Tuesday, October 13, at 9:00 p.m. Eastern.

Next, we mentioned Hillary Clinton. She got really emotional laying out a plan to prevent gun violence this morning, all of this of course as the father of that Oregon shooter joined the calls for stricter gun controls. We will talk about Hillary Clinton and her campaign and what she's asking for.

And the mangled remains of this lifeboat found just a short time ago as the Coast Guard is searching for any survivors from a cargo ship that sank in the midst of Hurricane Joaquin -- the latest on the rescue efforts there. Stay with me.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:22:58]

BALDWIN: The campus has reopened, but classes are canceled all week at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Oregon.

Survivors of last Thursday's deadly rampage are just now beginning to share their harrowing ideal. One woman who had been shot in the hand told CNN exclusively that she had to play dead just so the gunman would not kill her. Another told his parents that his life was spared because the 26-year-old shooter wanted him to deliver a letter to police.

In the meantime, the gunman's father is expressing disbelief and remorse and he is calling for stronger gun laws.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

IAN MERCER, FATHER OF GUNMAN: I know words will not bring your families back. And I know that nothing I can say can change what happened, but, please believe me, my thoughts are with all of those families.

How on earth could he compile 13 guns? How can that happen? They talk about gun laws. They talk about gun control. Every time something like this happens, they talk about it and nothing is done. I'm not saying that that's to blame for what happened, but if Chris had not been able to get ahold of 13 guns, it wouldn't have happened.

QUESTION: So, even you, you want changes? You want the gun laws to change?

MERCER: It has to change. It has to change. How can it not? Even people that believe in the right to bear arms, what right do you have to take people's lives? That's what guns are. They're killers. It's as simple as that. It's as simple as that. It's black and white.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: The man leading the investigation into last week's campus shootings is being asked to step down. Critics of Douglas County Sheriff John Hanlin, specifically the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, say he's unfit to be sheriff, he should resign immediately. They also don't want him investigating last week's shootings because

of his ideological and political beliefs on gun control, on background checks.

Sara Sidner specifically asked Sheriff Hanlin about his controversial stance.

[15:25:00]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SARA SIDNER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Thrust onto the national stage after the massacre at Umpqua Community College, Douglas County Sheriff John Hanlin talks tough and isn't afraid to share his opinion.

JOHN HANLIN, DOUGLAS COUNTY, OREGON, SHERIFF: I will not name the shooter. I will not give him the credit that he probably sought prior to this horrific and cowardly act.

SIDNER: His stance on the shooter cheered by many. But some of his other beliefs are putting him smack dab in the middle of the fight over gun control. A letter he sent to Vice President Joe Biden one month after the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary, one of the deadliest in American history, gives everyone a good look at his unwavering stance on gun control.

It says in part: "Gun control is not the answer to preventing heinous crimes like school shootings." But now a mass shooting has hit him at home. So we asked him about his thoughts as entire country asks, why is this happening in America yet again? And what will stop it?

(on camera): Can you talk to me on your stance on the fact that you feel like gun control is not a potential answer?

HANLIN: OK, I understand your interest in that. And I can appreciate that you have an interest in my position. But like I have said a number of times this morning we are focusing on getting this investigation completed.

SIDNER (voice-over): But he did talk to us a bit about a controversial post on his Facebook page that is also getting attention now long before the Umpqua College shooting. He reposted a viral video. That video delves into conspiracy theories involving the Sandy Hook shooting. It goes as far as to question whether some of the grieving parents were crisis actors.

He writes, "This makes me wonder who we can trust anymore," and goes on to say "Watch, listen, and keep an open mind."

(on camera): Did you post it?

HANLIN: No.

SIDNER: You didn't post it?

HANLIN: No, no. I know what you're referring to. SIDNER: Yes. We're just trying to clear that up.

HANLIN: That's not a conspiracy theory belief that I have.

SIDNER: An outspoken sheriff now measuring his words as the gun debate here is replaced with grief.

Sara Sidner, Roseburg, Oregon.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BALDWIN: Today, Hillary Clinton unveiling her plan to rein in gun violence during a town hall in New Hampshire. It targets background check loopholes for gun shows. At one point, she got emotional while introducing a mother whose 6-year-old son was killed at Sandy Hook.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: So many of the parents of these precious children who were murdered have taken the unimaginable grief that they have been bearing and have tried to be the voices that we need to hear.

NICOLE HOCKLEY, MOTHER OF SANDY HOOK VICTIM: I think it's a comprehensive solution that's needed between gun access and responsibility as well as mental health and wellness. And working together with all the other organizations and all the other people , as well as yourself, I have absolute faith that we can deliver this solution and protect children across America.

(APPLAUSE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Let's go to our senior political responsibility, Brianna Keilar, who is there live in Manchester, New Hampshire.

I know that the Brady Campaign Against Gun Violence, they applaud Hillary Clinton's proposal. Tell me more about what she said this morning, her plan.

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, right now, Brooke, it's possible to avoid a background check if you purchase a weapon at a gun show because it's seen as an owner-to-owner purchase.

What Hillary Clinton wants to do is close that gun show loophole, and because there isn't an appetite, and we have seen this in the wake of Sandy Hook, for bipartisan legislation to tackle gun violence, she wants to do this through executive action.

The other things that she wants to do include prohibiting domestic abusers from getting guns. She also wants to close what's become known as the Charleston loophole, which means that if you are purchasing a weapon and you have to go through a background check and there's a 72-hour waiting period on that, you get to the end of that waiting period and the background check is not completed, you wouldn't default towards getting the gun, which is what we saw with the Charleston shooter, but you would have to wait actually until the background check is complete.

And then the other thing has to do with allowing gun violence victims to sue gun manufacturers. This is a really interesting part, Brooke, because this is something that Bernie Sanders has voted against in the past. You may think of Bernie Sanders and you would think so accurately of him as being more liberal than Hillary Clinton, but when it comes to the issue of guns, he is actually more moderate than her, really reflecting what his rural state of Vermont kind of -- where they stand on the Second Amendment.

And Hillary Clinton, remember, Brooke, she is trailing Bernie Sanders by double digits here in New Hampshire. She really wants to draw some contrast.

BALDWIN: Let me just follow up with you. I really want to ask you about -- you have been covering her campaign for months and months.

And it seems to me, watching Hillary Clinton, it's like the -- the strategy has totally shifted. I mean, you were the one who -- who, you know, did the first TV sit-down with her.