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Three U.S. Contractors Go Missing in Iraq; Clinton, Sanders to Face Off Tonight in S.C.; Democrats to Meet in Fourth Debate; Obama Taps Biden to Lead Fight Against Cancer; "The Person Who Changed My Life". Aired 6-7p ET

Aired January 17, 2016 - 18:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:00:22] ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.

POPPY HARLOW, CNN ANCHOR: Top of the hour, 6:00 p.m. Eastern. I'm Poppy Harlow in New York.

And we begin with breaking news. Three American contractors have gone missing in Iraq. An Iraqi security official tells us they were taken by a gunman on Friday. They were driven off in a convoy. We also now know two of them are dual Iraqi-American citizens. The third is an American national.

CNN chief national security correspondent Jim Sciutto spoke with the U.S. State Department just a short time ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT (via telephone): Their initial response is concern, right? This is a dangerous area, these are Americans. There are a number of groups who could be responsible. But, of course, you would be concerned about groups operating in the area. They, of course, would have Americans at the top of their list as people they'd like to take prisoner.

But we don't know at this point who the group is that took them. The State Department says that they're working closely with the Iraqi authorities to locate and contact them. In these situations, they work very quickly because they know time is of the essence.

So great concern. They're going to work with the Iraqis. The Iraqis, of course, you have more than 3,000 U.S. troops on the ground now, but these are civilians, these are not soldiers. The Iraqis would then have the lead on this in terms of trying to regain -- regain these Americans and get them back to safety.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: Back with me now, CNN intelligence and security analyst Bob Baer. Bob, you also served in the CIA. You heard what Jim just said, saying

that because these are private contractors, it's really up to Iraqi officials to take the lead.

What can the U.S. do? What can the State Department do?

BOB BAER, CNN INTELLIGENCE AND SECURITY ANALYST: Well, Poppy, first of all, we have to find out who took them. If they were Shia militia, for instance, we'll probably get them back fairly quickly. The government will work with us closely.

On the other hand, if it's the Islamic State or a criminal group that intends to sell them to the Islamic State, that's something entirely different. Baghdad is a very chaotic place, it's possible to kidnap people, get them out of the city, even get them to the Sunni ISIS areas. And that's what should really concern our government and us. And the best we can do is offer them intelligence, offer the government in Baghdad and see if we can do a rescue.

HARLOW: How much are the hands tied here of the United States?

BAER: There's not much we can do. Without American troops on the ground, you know, we can't go house to house and search for these. We can only play a very secondary role. It's up to the government in Baghdad.

But again, it's a chaotic city. And you can get away with a lot of stuff there.

HARLOW: All right. Bob Baer, thank you very much. We're awaiting, obviously, the names of these three Americans, finding out who they are. They've been missing now for two days.

I want to talk about this and also Iran and the latest developments with our military analyst, retired Lieutenant General Mark Hertling, and retired Lieutenant Colonel Rick Francona.

Thank you, gentlemen, both for being here.

General Hertling, let me begin with you. A source is telling us the men were taken at gunpoint. They were driven away in a convoy.

When you do search as much as you can, you just heard Bob talked about how the U.S.'s hands are really tied here. What's the process you go through in trying to find these three men?

LT. GEN. MARK HERTLING (RET), CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Well, the connection with the police is critically important, Poppy. And some of my contacts have kind of narrowed the scope down a little bit. They told me that this was done in the door, in neighborhood of southern of southern Baghdad. That is, in fact, a Sunni neighborhood, with a lot of gangs. As you recall, that was the early stages of the 2003, beginning of the war, that was where Saddam Hussein was thought to have been hiding out.

So, this was an area that seems to have some connection with the old Baathist regime and certainly is a Sunni area. Not confirmed yet, but that's what I'm being told. If that's the case, there will be policemen from that area who will have contacts. But, again, kidnapping in Iraq, all over Iraq but especially in Baghdad, is ubiquitous. It's everywhere, for gangs as well as these militias.

HARLOW: All right. I do want to switch gears here while I have you both and talk about Iran and the historic day yesterday and the prisoner swap. We've just learned that President Obama did just call the families of those freed American prisoners, they're back out of Iran, in Europe, heading back to the United States.

When we look at what still remains, you still, Lieutenant Colonel Rick Francona, have two Americans believed to be held in Iran, including Bob Levinson, who has been there it's believed for eight years. And you still have some sanctions against Iran, U.S. sanctions still in place for the ballistic missile programs, for human rights violations, being a state sponsor of terror.

How much leverage does the United States now have to get them home?

LT. COL. RICK FRANCONA (RET.), CNN MILITARY ANALYST: If you believe the State Department proclamations of much better relations with the Iranians, and I have no reason to believe that's not true, this may actually be a positive. And the Iranians did say they were going to look for Bob Levinson.

I don't think they really have them. If they did, he'd be part of this equation because there's no use for them to keep holding him. But there is one other American who is an intelligence asset that would be good to get back.

I think the goodwill built up between Secretary Kerry and Foreign Minister Javad Zarif is a good thing.

That all said, we can't just trust the Iranians to do the right thing. We still have to have leverage, and I think we're giving some of it away. But I think if you make -- if you replace that with goodwill, it probably will work out. There is nothing wrong with talking to the Iranians.

HARLOW: I want you both to listen to GOP presidential, one of the GOP presidential candidates, Marco Rubio, who's slamming the deal, but almost all of them are. Let's roll it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. TED CRUZ (R-TX), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: This deal is a really problematic deal. And it reflects a pattern we've seen in the Obama administration over and over again of negotiating with terrorists and making deals and trades that endanger U.S. safety and security.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: That was Ted Cruz there, one of the many critics. He was this morning on FOX News. To both of you, to you, General Hertling, first, do they have a point?

Are you at all concerned about whether this deal will work in the long run?

HERTLING: You're always concerned, Poppy, when you start negotiating with countries who have in the past been called irrational actors. You don't know what they're going to do next. And in this case, I think we're trusting, but we're attempting to verify, using that old cliche.

Not all of the deals have been made across the board. This is specifically on the nuclear deal. I think they're still enough leverage over the heads of the Iranians that they will continue to try and rejoin the community of nations. And I also believe that there is a moderate influence gaining in Iran right now. If you look at the long history of Iran, we've had times when we've had tumultuous relationships with that country, other times when we've had good relations with that country.

I'm a firm believer in that more engagement is always better to bring people to the table as opposed to completely shutting them out. For all the people who have claimed this is not a good deal, I haven't heard anyone suggest a better deal in terms of getting them back into the family of nations and trying to prevent more war in the Middle East.

HARLOW: Colonel Francona, you said you're not convinced this deal will work. Do you agree with the General Hertling that the moderate wing in Iran is winning over right now? You've got Rouhani, you've got Zarif, all of this, them convincing the ayatollah for example, and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, ahead of those parliamentary elections this month, that this was something they should agree to, and they did?

FRANCONA: Well, I think the moderates are on the rise. They certainly have been holding sway in a lot of the contentious issues inside of Iran. And if you just look at what happened last week with the ten American sailors, they were released very quickly because the moderates are in sway. If they were held by the IRC, they would still be in custody. So, I think the moderates have a good chance of increasing their influence in the area.

But back to the deal, I still think this deal has a lot of problems, talking about the nuclear deal. And the verifications are going to be very difficult because I think we may have given away too much on the verification side. But as General Hertling said, this probably was the best deal we were going to get. And right now, I'm almost to the point where I'm willing to say, and the general and I disagree on this a lot, but this deal is probably the best we're going to get and maybe this deal is better than no deal. But I'm not quite there yet.

HARLOW: All right. General Hertling, thank you. Lieutenant Colonel Rick Francona, thank you as well.

HERTLING: Thanks, Poppy. HARLOW: This could be the night in politics, the night of the race for the Democratic presidential nomination. Three Democrats facing off onstage in South Carolina with just two weeks left before the Iowa caucuses. What will they say, who will win, and will they attack the frontrunner for the GOP nomination?

And surrogates for Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton are making their case. I will speak with two of them about what they expect from their candidate.

Also ahead, the person who changed my life, that's my dad and me a long time ago. My father, Jim Harlow, part of our week-long series beginning on CNN tonight.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:12:38] HARLOW: It could get personal tonight in the Democratic presidential debate. This is the last time that Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, and Martin O'Malley will meet before the Iowa caucuses.

CNN's Mark Preston, executive editor of CNN Politics, joins me now.

What a night, a fun night to watch, no question. Some recent polls show that Clinton is trailing in both New Hampshire and Iowa to Bernie Sanders. His camp told me yesterday, we're going to win those two states. The momentum is going to take us through to win in South Carolina where she is leading.

How does she respond? How does she tap dance around this and deal with this onstage tonight?

MARK PRESTON, CNN POLITICS EXECUTIVE EDITOR: Well, certainly, Poppy, I think she's going to come out swinging. She's going to try to bring into question Bernie Sanders's bona fides when it comes to real liberal issues. She will hit him hard on the gun issue, Bernie Sanders in his past voting records, has not been as liberal as many progressives would like him to be on the gun issue, however, he is coming to their side, we saw this past weekend. He is now in favor of legislation around guns that before he had not been.

And on healthcare, we've seen Hillary Clinton saying Bernie Sanders wants to steal, or rather take away healthcare as we know it, when in fact Bernie Sanders is talking about a single-payer system which is actually being more being embraced by the Democratic Party. So, expect her to come out swinging and to try to take him down a few notches.

HARLOW: You know, it's interesting when you look at what Clinton's camp just said, former Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm on in the last half hour. She pointed out to me that more Bernie Sanders supporters make, I think, $100,000, and more Hillary Clinton make less. That sort of puts everything on his head, right, because he's pushing being the champion for income inequality, pushing on minimum wage, et cetera. What do you make of that, does that matter?

PRESTON: I think it's a hollow argument. And, in fact, we saw the Clinton campaign earlier or late last week argue that Bernie Sanders was being disingenuous because he had put out a negative ad about her, which in fact in the ad it didn't actually say Hillary Clinton's name, and if it was a negative ad about Hillary Clinton, it was very soft. And now you have surrogates from the Clinton campaign coming out now and saying that in fact Bernie Sanders is being representative of folks who are making over $100,000.

Bernie Sanders is an avowed Democratic socialist. Now, whether or not he wins the Democratic nomination, who knows? But the Clinton campaign is clearly in a little bit of concern right now when it comes to whether they can win Iowa, which is very progressive, and then go into New Hampshire.

[18:15:07] In New Hampshire, we've seen a poll, Poppy, just within the last week that shows Bernie Sanders up 14.

So, to that point, what Sanders told you yesterday, as people told you yesterday, if he were to win Iowa and then win New Hampshire, then this whole race takes on a whole different --

HARLOW: And the only person to win in the general losing Iowa and New Hampshire is Bill Clinton. So, it could happen, right?

PRESTON: Look, there's no doubt. Even if Bernie Sanders wins Iowa and New Hampshire, it doesn't mean Hillary Clinton is lost, she is still the frontrunner. But the fact is tonight will frame the next a couple of weeks -- Poppy.

HARLOW: No question about it.

All right. Mark Preston, gloves are off. We'll be watching. Thank you so much.

PRESTON: Thanks.

HARLOW: The Democratic candidates will certainly tout their electability tonight and explain their respective plans to try to win the White House. Next we'll hear from Senator Sanders camp. Symone Sanders joins me straight ahead on strategy tonight.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARLOW: South Carolina is where the Bernie Sanders dream may crash into the demographic reality. Is it? That's the question.

The final Democratic debate before the critical Iowa caucuses is there tonight. A FOX News poll in early December showed Clinton with 82 percent of the black vote in South Carolina, Sanders drawing 11 percent. That polling is a month old. Though, they're telling.

Aides for Sanders have floated a goal of winning a third of the black vote there at least. Sanders knows the importance of South Carolina. He spent a lot of time in the state, kicking off a bus tour there this week of historically black colleges.

But here's the question that remains, as our Nia Malika Henderson wrote this weekend on CNN.com, can a Democratic socialist from the second whitest state in the country win voters that actually look like the rest of the Democratic Party?

Who better to ask than someone from the camp? Symone Sanders is with me, the national press secretary.

Thank you for joining me this evening.

SYMONE SANDERS, SANDERS CAMPAIGN NATIONAL PRESS SECRETARY: Thank you for having me, Poppy. Glad to be here.

HARLOW: So, yesterday, we had Jonathan Tasini, a surrogate from the Sanders campaign on the program with me, and I said, how are you going to win South Carolina? He said momentum. In one word, momentum. We are going to win Iowa. We're going to win New Hampshire. We're going to build off the momentum.

Simone, is that a risky bet?

SANDERS: You know, no, Poppy, it's not a risky bet. Look, we know and we think we have to do well in Iowa and we have to do well in New Hampshire.

[18:20:03] But we're not waiting until Iowa and New Hampshire happen to invest in states like South Carolina. So, we have a very robust ground game right here on the ground in South Carolina, all throughout the state.

And we are counting on momentum coupled with a solely ground game, and really connecting with voters where they are, meeting them in their communities, as I like to say, the barbershops, the beauty shops, and the bible studies. That's what we're counting on.

HARLOW: You know, the three B's.

All right. This week, we heard Hillary Clinton call Senator Sanders, quote, "a pretty reliable vote for the gun lobby". We will likely hear something similar on the debate stage tonight.

I want you to listen to what she said earlier today to my colleague, Jake Tapper.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HILLARY CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I'm very pleased that he flip-flopped on the immunity legislation. Now, I hope he will flip- flop on what we call the Charleston loophole and join legislation to close that, because it's been a key argument of my campaign that we Democrats, in fact Americans need to stand up to the gun lobby and pass comprehensive, common sense gun measures that will make America safer. And that's what I intend to do.

(END VIDEO CLIP) HARLOW: When she talks, Symone, so our viewers know, about the, quote/unquote, "Charleston loophole", she's pointing to, Senator Sanders voting against the Brady bill in '93, establishing mandatory background checks. She has said previously, if she were elected president, we would see executive action on gun control.

Would we see the same thing from Senator Sanders?

SANDERS: Yes, Poppy. First, I would like to back down the notion that Senator Sanders is a reliable vote for the gun lobby. Senator Sanders has earned his D-minus rating from the NRA. And the Clinton campaign knows that and they should know better than the lobbed out, unfounded facts.

The fact of the matter is Senator Sanders definitely supports the executive actions President Obama just took on guns. He supports them. He's noted he would uphold them. He's in lockstep with President Obama on that.

He's not a flip-flopper. He made good on his promise to revisit the gun manufacturing bill. There was a new bill that was introduced. And he took a look and he's noted that he would most likely support that bill.

So, Senator Sanders believes in closing in gun show loopholes, he believes we need to make straw man purchases a felony, and he believes in comprehensive background checks.

HARLOW: And I want our viewers --

SANDERS: So, this notion that somehow he's wavering, he's not.

HARLOW: And I want our viewers to listen to that, because that is really critical. This 2005 vote on shielding gun manufacturers from liability, our Jake Tapper asked him about that this morning. Let's play that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I resent very much the Clinton camp saying I'm in the NRA lobby. I have a D-minus, that's a D like in David, D-minus voting record from the NRA. I likely lost an election, statewide election in 1988, because I was the only candidate running for Congress who said, you know what, military- style assault weapons should not be sold in America. I have always believed in a strong instant background check and doing away with the gun show loophole.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: But at the same time, here's what he said on CNN a year ago. Let me read it for you. He said, "If somebody has a gun and it falls into the hands of a murderer and that murderer kills somebody with the gun, do you hold the gun manufacturer responsible? Not any more than you would hold a hammer company responsible if somebody beats somebody over the head with a hammer. That's not what lawsuits should be about."

And that's what Hillary Clinton is pointing to when she says he's flip-flopping. When you're going after the voters that you want, Symone, where guns is a number one issue for them, how does he convince them that he's turned the corner on this legislation?

SANDERS: Well, Poppy, the senator has noted, again, since those comments you recently referred to, that he was willing to revisit the notion of the bill, again, if a similar bill came up, and that's what he did. So, he didn't flip-flop. He made good on his promise. In terms of winning voters where gun violence is a key issue, Senator Sanders is in lock stop with what President Obama has said and introduced in terms of executive actions.

But we also have to look at surrounding factors that contribute to gun violence in communities -- low employment, education, communities that are living in poverty. So, when we talk about creating jobs, when we talk about the real unemployment rate for African-American young men who have graduated high school at 51 percent, those are all factors that contribute to gun violence.

And so, you just can't attack this issue from taking all the guns off the street. We have to do a holistic thing here. And so that is somewhat senator Sanders is talking about. So, again, he earned his D-minus rating from the NRA. Anyone who says otherwise is not telling the truth. And we are very confident that tonight, if that issue comes up, he will be able to speak to it.

[18:25:04] HARLOW: We'll be watching. Symone Sanders, appreciate your time this evening.

SANDERS: Thank you. Glad to be here.

HARLOW: Thank you very much.

Coming up, Hillary Clinton and the fight for South Carolina. With Sanders surging in Iowa and New Hampshire, will the state hosting tonight's Democratic debate prove to be key for taking home this nomination?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARLOW: Tonight, the Democratic presidential candidates duke it out in their fourth and final debate before the first primary votes are cast 15 days from now. Nationally, Hillary Clinton is still the frontrunner by a wide 25-point margin. That's according to a brand- new poll out today from NBC and "The Wall Street Journal".

But other recent polls show Sanders is also surging in two key states, polling just about even with Clinton in Iowa. They caucus in two weeks, on February 1st. Sanders is also opening up a commanding lead in New Hampshire, which hold its primary eight days later. That is why shoring up South Carolina may be critical for Clinton, something she hinted at during a campaign event last night.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) CLINTON: The primary in South Carolina, the first in the south, is on February 27th. And I hope each of you will make the effort to be there to let your voices and your votes be counted, that you want a president, a president you can be proud of, a president who you know will do all the parts of the job, from making the economy work for everybody, to keeping us safe and dealing with all the problems we face.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: Joining me now is Bakari Sellers. He's a CNN contributor, former state representative in South Carolina. Thank you for being with me.

BAKARI SELLERS, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Thank you for having me, Poppy.

HARLOW: The Clinton camp says they always knew this would be a tight race and says they're not too concern about the, quote-unquote, "Sanders surge".

[18:30:01] I know you're a Clinton supporter. Am I correct?

SELLERS: That's correct, yes, ma'am.

HARLOW: How can you not be worried?

SELLERS: Well, I think one thing that the Clinton camp understands, and what I've always said, is that everyone around the country, everybody who's a Clinton supporter, they just need to R-E-L-A-X. Just relax.

(LAUGHTER)

SELLERS: And you know --

HARLOW: How can you relax in an election?

SELLERS: Well, I mean, I know that's difficult. I know it's really difficult to do. But you have Iowa, you have New Hampshire. I'm still firmly in the camp that will win Iowa. New Hampshire is going to be very difficult, it's in Bernie Sanders' backyard. But you come in South Carolina, and South Carolina and Nevada actually reflect the demographics of the Democratic Party.

And I believe that Hillary Clinton is going to do an amazing job in South Carolina. Bernie Sanders have some obstacles to overcome. And I'm really glad that the campaign is now focusing on Bernie Sanders and building those contrasts, and not running in their own lane. I mean, politics is a contact sport. You can't hope to avoid the other side the entire way. And I believe that they're actually engaging now. And I look forward to a robust debate tonight.

HARLOW: So here's the thing. When you look back at 2008, and part of what really got President Barack Obama elected is that enthusiasm, right? And when you look at the young, enthusiastic voters, there is a generational divide right now. You've got a lot of young people seemingly more enthusiastic about Bernie Sanders than they have been about Clinton.

Take a look at this Monmouth University poll out of New Hampshire. It shows Sanders leading Clinton among voters under 50. He's also leading her there among women. Why do you think that is? How do you turn that around?

SELLERS: Well, Poppy, one of the things that we attempt to do, which I think is unfair to Bernie Sanders, but it's just outright incorrect, and I have to say this, I'm going to say this throughout the night, Bernie Sanders is not Barack Obama. I mean, that's the fact of the matter. I was the co-chair of Barack Obama's steering committee for South Carolina. And the energy we felt then is unlike anything you'll ever feel again. 2008, even the president couldn't replicate that in 2012, I think he will tell you that.

So let's not call it that because that's not what it is. Bernie Sanders is running a hell of a campaign. I mean, he's running a campaign that other people -- if I would have told you this a year ago, I think I would have been lying, but he's doing an amazing job. But he still has to come to South Carolina, he still has to win Iowa. And Hillary Clinton understands that Bernie Sanders has to win both of those states. He can't slip up.

And I believe that Hillary Clinton is going to do what she needs to do not just in South Carolina but on Super Tuesday as well.

HARLOW: She referred to South Carolina Democrats there as her, quote, "first line of defense" in this race. Do you think it comes down to that? Is that where all the eggs lie?

SELLERS: Of course it does. I'm from South Carolina. We're the most important state in the union. Please, please take that.

HARLOW: OK.

SELLERS: I might run statewide one day, that's going to be important.

HARLOW: Personal opinion aside. Personal opinion aside.

SELLERS: OK. Well, no, I think that South Carolina -- you know, Iowa just laid the groundwork for Barack Obama in 2008. South Carolina propelled him to Super Tuesday and other states. I think that this will do the same. I think that Hillary Clinton has an amazing opportunity in South Carolina. She's not taking it for granted. I was actually in Charleston last night and this morning. The energy deficit that people are talking about is a little bit over exaggerated. She has work to do, but she'll do it.

And tonight, Poppy, let me tell you. Tonight's debate is less than a quarter block away from Emanuel AME Church. And I know that Bernie Sanders keeps talking about the fact he got a D minus from the NRA. However that D minus grade did include his vote from 1993 for that Charleston loophole. And I hope that --

HARLOW: You mean against the Brady bill? SELLERS: Yes. Correct. Which actually gave -- he actually voted for

a one-day, one-day background period instead of the three-day period which it ended up being. And I hope that Bernie Sanders looks in the camera tonight like Hillary Clinton did on the Iraq vote and simply apologizes. If he doesn't apologize, if he doesn't apologize to this country and to the voters of South Carolina, I'm not sure he can make his way out of that hole.

HARLOW: All right, Bakari Sellers, appreciate your time tonight, thank you.

SELLERS: Thank you, Poppy. Do well.

HARLOW: You will not want to miss our post-debate special tonight. Our very own Wolf Blitzer and the best political team on television debate who won, who lost, and whether it changed the race. Tonight 11:00 p.m. Eastern only right here on CNN.

Still to come, Vice President Joe Biden has a huge new mission. It is a moon shot to take on cancer.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, VICE OF THE UNITED STATES: And there's so many, so many changes that are just on the cusp.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: What will it take to put those new discoveries to work? We'll talk about it, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:37:30] HARLOW: No question, the State of the Union address had its fans and its harsh opponents. But there was a moment, there was this one moment when almost everyone on both sides of the aisle applauded.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: But we can do so much more. In the last year, Vice President Biden said that with a new moon shot, America can cure cancer.

Well, tonight I am announcing a new national effort to get it done. And because he's gone to the mat for all of us on so many issues over the past 40 years, I'm putting Joe in charge of mission control.

(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)

OBAMA: For the loved ones we've all lost, for the families that we can still save, let's make America the country that cures cancer once and for all.

(END VIDEO CLIP) HARLOW: President Obama putting Vice President Biden in charge of that fight against cancer. Here is what the vice president told our Gloria Borger this week.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BIDEN: I learned a lot about, for lack of a better phrase, the mechanics of cancer. And the delivery systems. And there's so many, so many changes that are just on the cusp. But then as I got into it more deeply after Beau passed, I realized a lot of this is siloed. I've now met with over 200 oncologists and cancer research centers and philanthropists involved. And what everyone acknowledges privately and what I hope I can they think I may be the convener, I may be able to bring them all together.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: Keep in mind, one in three American women, one in two American men, will be diagnosed with cancer. This affects all of us.

So is President Obama's JFK man on the moon moment a realistic goal? Who better to talk about this than Dr. Otis Brawley, the chief medical officer, executive vice president of the American Cancer Society.

Let me tell you, thank you for all that you do.

DR. OTIS BRAWLEY, EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY: Thank you, ma'am.

HARLOW: When you look at this, it's been a fight that this country, the world has been fighting for so long. Former President Nixon declared a war on cancer more than 40 years ago. He signed the National Cancer Act into law. Is it realistic that we can get this done?

BRAWLEY: I do believe it's realistic. You know, I've had the fortune of practicing medicine now for 30 years. I can tell you, things have gotten much better in oncology, much better at cancer. And I actually see a number of scientific findings, things that we learned from that National Cancer Act, and because of the National Cancer Act.

[18:40:03] If we can just organize ourselves a little bit better, we can go to that next level and we can have a lot more people who are cured, a lot more people that have effective treatments, and I might also add more cancer prevention.

HARLOW: And prevention has been very useful in bringing down the number of cases. No question. The vice president wrote about this on Medium this week, and he wrote this. "Right now only 5 percent of cancer patients in the U.S. end up in a clinical trial. Most aren't given access to their own data."

That shocked me. What do you think needs to change on that front?

BRAWLEY: Yes, if we could get more people in the clinical trials, we could actually advance treatment much faster, much, much faster. HARLOW: So not -- what's holding it up?

BRAWLEY: Well, unfortunately, clinical trials are only available frequently in certain hospitals. There's a lot of administrative hassles to get those clinical trials available to the patients who need them. And that's some of the stuff that the vice president can actually help us with. There's lawyers who are concerned about privacy issues in one hospital that are not privacy issues at another. We can get clarification of what the laws are. We can -- actually much of what needs to be done is logistical and not even new science. But when we get to new science, he can help us to streamline the system in which science is funded.

HARLOW: A cure is one thing, and having a drug that is widely available and affordable for everyone that needs it, that's another thing, isn't it?

BRAWLEY: That's right. You know, we have data to show that there's been a 40 percent decline in death rate from breast cancer throughout the United States.

HARLOW: Yes.

BRAWLEY: But there are states in the United States where there's been no decline at all, because unfortunately, some people don't get to share in the fruits of research that we've already had. So dissemination of research findings is actually going to be incredibly important and making sure everybody can enjoy in the fruits of this research.

HARLOW: And the affordability, right?

BRAWLEY: Affordability is certainly an issue. Distribution, even of cheaper drugs and cheaper techniques, is also a problem. But affordability, unfortunately some of the newer drugs cost $10,000 a month.

HARLOW: We also heard from the vice president, as he talked about these silos, Doctor. And the silos that need to be broken down between universities doing research, big pharma doing R&D. Do we need more coordination, sort of a central place where it all comes in? Competition is good to keep you -- you know, keep you going, but at some point you all have to be on the same page.

BRAWLEY: Yes. I'm a big fan of the command and control aspects. And indeed, I like the moon shot analogy because back in the 1960s we had a NASA administrator who said we need to invest in this because this is important, we need to decrease investment in something else because it's less important.

What's happening now in cancer medicine is you'll have an investigator at one university who does an experiment, does not share the results with other investigators.

HARLOW: Right.

BRAWLEY: Five or six other people will repeat it. And the government has paid for something six times it only need to pay for once.

HARLOW: How --

BRAWLEY: You can be more efficient.

HARLOW: So that's absurd. That wouldn't -- that wouldn't happen in the private sector in terms of how to run a business efficiently. How can you actually fix that while letting these pharma companies be competitive?

BRAWLEY: Well, I actually do believe that someone like the vice president, as a logistician, as a manager, can actually do this. It's going to take a long, hard time to do it. Now by the way, I would hope that the vice president would continue being interested in this beyond his vice presidency. This is a long-term commitment that we need in medicine.

HARLOW: Yes, I think there's no question, it means certainly quite a lot to him and to so many Americans. It's good I think for everyone that we're embarking on this even more.

Doctor Otis Brawley, thank you.

BRAWLEY: Thank you, ma'am.

HARLOW: This week on CNN, we are revealing a little bit more about ourselves and the people who changed our lives. For me, that was this guy, my dad. We're going to show you his story and what he taught me as a child that made me who I am today, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:47:25] HARLOW: Starting tonight, we are beginning a special week- long series here on CNN. It is called "The Person Who Changed My Life." CNN journalists share the people who had such a profound impact on us that they affected the course of our lives. For me, that person was my father, Jim Harlow. Here's our story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You were so central to his being.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: At trial he used to call home every night and read to you.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He adored you. He just adored you.

HARLOW: I'm going to the childhood home where I grew up with my mom and dad in Minneapolis. When I got this assignment, he just immediately came to my mind. Of course, my dad. Of course. Who changed me.

When I tell people my dad died at 49, they say, I'm so sorry, you were so young. I say to them, I had more of a dad in 15 years than a lot of kids ever get. MARY HARLOW, POPPY'S MOTHER: He managed to pack a hundred years of

living in 50 years. He was just kind of a wild man. He had lots of energy.

HARLOW: What in him do you see in me?

M. HARLOW: You are both dedicated workers. You were just -- you know, ever since you were a little girl, you were just a hard driving little charger. It was a challenge, it is a challenge still, to pry you away from your work. It was a challenge to pry dad away from his work, too.

HARLOW (voice-over): My dad was a trial lawyer. And he loved it. The work was all-consuming. But he prioritized us, family, managed to hold on to the most important things in life.

(On camera): Every morning he would wake up 4:35 a.m., drive me to skating practice, and then he would go to work. You know, it didn't matter what he had going on, how tired he was, he was always there for me.

M. HARLOW: This is the picture of your third birthday party.

HARLOW: He's still in his suit.

M. HARLOW: And he's still in his suit.

HARLOW: Like he just ran in the house.

M. HARLOW: That's right. That's right. He ran across three airports. And he kept saying to these people who were with him, I've got to make it home for Poppy's birth day. I've got to make it home for her birthday.

HARLOW: He took me to the office a lot. Right?

M. HARLOW: He did. And that's a picture he made one Saturday morning at the office. He saw every piano recital you did, every skating show. Yes, he was a wonderful father. He was really your model. I mean, you're your father's daughter, without a doubt.

HARLOW (on camera): This is Columbia, where I went to college. It's where my dad went to school. And I wanted to follow in his footsteps and be like him. I even found my college application essay that I wrote about him.

[18:50:05] "I learned what nobility really means from watching my father struggle so hard to live. Never complaining, never lashing out in his pain and always thanking everyone for their help. In the end, my father taught me the answer to a question I had never posed. How to die. My father died with dignity and love. Knowing that he had left nothing undone."

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Welcome back to St. Paul.

HARLOW: Thanks. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And Minneapolis.

HARLOW: You guys all look the same.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, of course we do.

HARLOW (voice-over): My dad's partners at the law firm were like a second family to us especially after he died.

TOM HATCH, JIM HARLOW'S FORMER LAW PARTNER: You say about everybody, well, there's no one like him. I mean -- you can't even get anything close to Jim. Seriously.

MIKE CRESI, JIM HARLOW'S FORMER LAW PARTNER: In those days you just sort of put your head down and go forward. But Jim was different, he actually made the time to make sure that he was there for you.

JAN CONION, JIM HARLOW'S FORMER LAW PARTNER: He knew when he was spending time with you, to devote 100 percent to it and he knew when he was working to devote 100 percent to it. You know, even though he was, you know, a well-respected partner high up in the organization, nothing was beneath Jim. We were trying a case once and Jim walked into the workroom, it was about 2:00 in the morning, he just picked up a stack of papers and started copying and the paralegal had to say, you know, go back to bed, Jim, you know, you need to be on your feet in the morning, but that's what he would do. I mean, nothing was above him and nothing was below him.

HARLOW (on camera): Hey, you.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey, you, too. Your interviews are really a reflection of your dad, I think.

HARLOW: Really?

CRESI: I mean, I see some of the same things, you know, the persistence, the nuance, you catch things that other people wouldn't catch. Watching you today, he would have been -- it would have been incessant. He would have been in the offices, did you see Poppy last night? Did you see --

CONION: We would have had a CNN TV channel on in every room of the office. You know, he would want you to enjoy life as much as he did. He would want you to find joy in everything every day. He lived 49 years, but my goodness, he had more fun than probably 100 people in 100 lifetimes.

SALLY SPECTER, MENTORED BY JIM HARLOW: This is where I worked with your dad. I first started working with him before I even went to law school right after I graduated from college. I wanted to tell you what your dad had done for me and the gift he gave me. I think there are some people that come into your life and help you learn how to be a human being, a better human being. And I really think that your dad was one of those people for me.

HARLOW: Do you see any of him in me? SPECTER: So much. You know, your dad, extraordinary listening comes

through in you. Your dad let his heart be a part of his passion, and I think you do that, too.

HARLOW: Hi, everyone, thank you so much for being with me. I'm Poppy Harlow in New York.

Every day I want to make him proud because he did so much for me. His death spurred me to want to do better. His death made me want to achieve.

I remember going into my freshman year of high school nine days after he died and the school said, well, you don't need to come, you can take some time off, but I just wanted to dive in.

FRANK SACHS, BLAKE HIGH SCHOOL COLLEGE COUNSELOR: Does it feel smaller?

HARLOW: It doesn't feel smaller. I feel a little bit older.

(Voice-over): Frank Sachs was my high school college counselor.

SACHS: I have a copy of my recommendation that I wrote for you when you applied to college. I said you have real inner strength, self- discipline, that you had overcome tragedy because, you know, your dad had just died. That's actually when we connected. Can I give you a hug?

HARLOW: I'll never forget the day that I found out I got into Columbia. I jumped around my house and I was so thrilled.

M. HARLOW: Almost identical. Yours in 2000, and dad's from 1965. Yes, you made your dad proud.

HARLOW: I wanted to be a lawyer just like my dad. I was so set on being like him that I forgot for a while to be my version of him.

M. HARLOW: Girls who lose a father young tend to do extremely well, tend to be very ambitious because they're trying to offer this as a gift to their father who's gone. And you definitely did that and you're still working hard just like he did.

HARLOW: What would he tell me at 33 years old?

M. HARLOW: Relax and enjoy life a little more. Life is short and precious.

HARLOW (voice-over): To live in the moment. That may be the core lesson my dad has left behind for me and it is still one I'm trying to learn.

(On camera): I still live a lot for what I need to accomplish. It's a good reminder to me just to maybe focus me again on what matters because he was only 16 years older than I am now when he died.

M. HARLOW: Quite a legacy, big guy. Quite a legacy. We're so happy that he lives on in you.

[18:55:07] HARLOW (voice-over): A total original. Witty, honest, and kind. My dad was my cornerstone and the person who changed my life.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARLOW: Thank you for everything, Dad.

You do not want to miss Michaela Pereira's story on the person who changed her life, that is tomorrow morning on "NEW DAY." I'll be there, we'll be there, you should watch it, 8:00 a.m. Eastern. you can see all of our stories one week from today, next Sunday night, January the 24th, at 8:00 p.m. Eastern and we know that there must be someone who changed your life. We want to know who that is. Tweet us with the #mylifechangers. We will feature your responses on CNN.com/lifechangers.

You can find a lot more of our photos and videos and stories about who those people are for us right there.

Coming up next, three Americans vanishing in Iraq. Now officials are trying to find out their fate.

And in South Carolina, a face-off in Charleston tonight. The contenders for the Democratic nomination debate how they would lead this country. We'll tell you what to watch out for.

Also, my conversation with Abby Wambach, soccer legend, on her new battle off the field. All straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARLOW: Hi, everyone, 7:00 in Charleston, South Carolina. Tonight where in just two hours the Democrats face off in their final debate before the key race in Iowa and New Hampshire. We will have a live report on that in just a moment.

But first we do begin this hour with breaking news. Three American contractors have gone missing in Iraq.