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At This Hour
Bernie Sanders Address United Steel Workers in Iowa; Sanders, Clinton Neck and Neck in Iowa; Marco Rubio Gets George Pataki Endorsement; Active Shooter Currently at San Diego Naval Medical Center. Aired 11:30-12p ET
Aired January 26, 2016 - 11:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:31:00] KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: Fresh off the big town -- Democratic town hall with CNN last night, Bernie Sanders is today speaking with United Steel Workers in Des Moines, Iowa. Let's listen in.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. BERNIE SANDERS, (I), VERMONT & PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Almost all the new wealth and income is going to the top 1 percent. And brothers and sisters, what a Sanders administration is about is a radical idea. Are you ready for a radical idea?
(CHEERING)
SANDERS: We're going to create an economy that works for working families, not just billionaires.
(APPLAUSE)
SANDERS: And not only that. In the last 30 years, as everybody in this room knows, technology has exploded. Almost every worker in America is more productive than he or she was 20, 30 years ago. Right? You're producing more. Question. If you are more productive, if we are producing more, why are millions of people working longer hours for lower wages? All right. Why is almost all new income and wealth going to a small number of people?
CROWD: GREED!
SANDERS: You guys are a smart group here.
(LAUGHTER)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BOLDUAN: Bernie Sanders speaking there to the United Steel Workers. Let's discuss this and what this means in the race ahead.
Let's bring in some of our best and brightest. Let's bring in radio host, Bill Press; and Mo Elleithee, the senior spokesman for Hillary Clinton's 2008 campaign and now the executive director of the Georgetown Institute of Politics and Public Service.
Gentleman, it's great to see you.
We decided we should play a bit of Democratic mad-libs.
In 10 seconds or less, first to you, Bill, finish this sentence. The state of the Democratic race is?
BILL PRESS, RADIO HOST: I think it is dead even right now between Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton and anything could happen.
BERMAN: So, Mo, given what Bill said in his mad-life answer, finish this sentence.
(LAUGHTER)
In the next four days Hillary Clinton needs to?
MO ELLEITHEE, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE GEORGETOWN INSTITUTE OF POLITICS AND PUBLIC SERVICE & FORMER SENIOR SPOKESMAN, HILLARY CLINTON 2008 PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN: Close out strong with the message that she is the most effective fighter for everyday Americans and Iowans.
BOLDUAN: Can you change it in the next four days? Can you change it to poll ahead like -- they are neck and neck. Everyone thought Hillary Clinton would be nowhere near neck and neck with him, Mo.
ELLEITHEE: I think a lot of people did. Iowa has always been a tough state for her. And so the fact it would narrow is not that much of a surprise. Look, can it change? Sure. I mean, your own poll, the CNN poll last week had Sanders up by eight, and today I just saw it has him up only by two. I think the rate is still in flux. Hillary has a good ground game. They invested in a ground game with t way we didn't eight years ago. I think that's going the matter. And she's hitting her stride with her message now. I think people are fundamentally looking for a champion, someone says they will fight for you, and they trust will fight for you. That's been her closing message. If she keeps that up, I think it will be close. The Clinton people seem to have more of a bounce in their step today than they did a couple weeks ago.
BERMAN: Bill, along those lines, that she will fight, I want to play a brand new ad that was released today. In a way, it's a message to the Bernie Sanders America ad. Let's watch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HILLARY CLINTON, (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE & FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE: One of the areas I've been particularly interested in is the area of children.
All of us have a responsibility to ourselves, to our children, to each other.
We intend to be sure that everybody in this room and every child in this state is somebody. No matter where they're born, no matter to whom they are born, our
children's future is shaped.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[11:35:22] BERMAN: Bill, you get the idea. She's talking about her fight for children over the years. Do you think this is a compelling closing argument?
PRESS: First of all, I think that's a better flashback on Hillary than we had on Ted Cruz when he was 18 talking about world domination.
(LAUGHTER)
I just have to throw that out there.
I think that's an effective ad, and it's for real. She was on the board of the children's defense fund before she became first lady of the United States. I think it does speak to her fight. I think it speaks to her experience, but I think people know about her experience. As the way I read it, Iowa is an iconoclastic state. When you walk into Iowa and say I have experience. I've been first lady and Senator and secretary of state. Of course, I should be the next president. It's almost like I deserve it. Iowans are going to say, not so fast, no matter who you are. They've done it over and over again. To a certain extent, people know Hillary is the most experienced, but they could be looking again for hope and change, and the hope and change this year I think is coming from Bernie Sanders.
(CROSSTALK)
BOLDUAN: Also when you see that ad that looks back and then comes to the president, everything she's done, you heard it last night in the town hall, her talking about all the fighting she did for children's health insurance way back when and still fighting today. Is Hillary Clinton still trying to introduce herself, Mo, to folks in Iowa?
ELLEITHEE: Yeah. And because, look, there are a lot of Iowans who are caucusing for the first time, just like there were a lot of Iowans who caucused for the first time in 2008. Not every Iowan knows her record or history. I see this a little bit differently. I don't think this is her making the case that I am the most experienced. That's certainly been part of her message. But, again, people I think are misreading this electorate a little bit. I don't think this is an electorate that's out to find disruption for the sake of disruption. I think this is an electorate looking for someone to fight for them day in and day out. That's what this ad is trying to do. You know I've been in public life for a long time, but this is what I've been doing, fighting for you and kids day in and day out. I think that is the interesting twist in this ad and why it's a good closing message.
(CROSSTALK)
BERMAN: Hang on. Hang on, Bill.
I want to bring in an interesting twist of definition. Bear with me. I want to play Jimmy Fallon, "The Tonight Show," last night having fun with Bernie Sanders, how he once did an album in the 80s.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JIMMY FALLON, HOST, THE TONIGHT SHOW: Bernie Sanders.
(CHEERING)
FALLON: I'm not joking. This is real.
(LAUGHTER)
It's an album he made in 1987.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BERMAN: Well, yeah, play it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(SINGING)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BERMAN: All right. You get the idea there.
The interesting thing here, I think, Bill, is that Bernie Sanders isn't being mocked. What you see is Jimmy Fallon in a way rejoicing in the thing that is Bernie Sanders, in a way. When I see something like that, I wonder if Bernie Sanders has successfully defined himself as maybe the wacky old grandpa from Brooklyn instead of a Democratic Socialist.
PRESS: Well, I think he's on his way to doing that. We can all be grateful he did not sing in that album. I played clips of it on my show too. He talks this land is your land. But, again, back to a little of what Mo was saying, I think this idea of I'm the fighter, I'm fighting for you, I'm different. I'm not fighting for that 1 percent. That's been Bernie's message from day one. That's why he's been so effective. The system is rigged against the middle class and the 99 percent. I think Bernie has showed I'm the one that's going to take on the establishment, the Democratic establishment and the Republican establishment, and fight for you. To the extent that Hillary is picking up that message now, it will help her. We'll see what happens.
BERMAN: She's going to have to sing.
Mo Elleithee, Bill Press, thank you for talking and being with us.
(LAUGHTER)
(CROSSTALK)
BERMAN: Appreciate it, guys.
BOLDUAN: Thanks, guys. (CROSSTALK)
BERMAN: All right. Marco Rubio just got an endorsement. We'll let you decide if it's big or not. It does come from someone who was just until a short time ago, running for president. Will it help him break in to the top tier?
[11:40:00] BOLDUAN: That is a tease, folks.
Plus, the manhunt is on for three inmates accused of brutal crimes, including torture, kidnapping and murder. Officials say jail insiders may have helped in their escape.
We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BERMAN: Just moments ago, Marco Rubio wrapped up a rally in Iowa, one of several stops he's making as he looks to try to secure his place as the front runner in the GOP establishment lane.
BOLDUAN: And just today, he also did pick up an endorsement from former presidential candidate, New York governor -- former New York governor, George Pataki, who tweeted, "I took a look at the candidates, and Rubio is the best candidate to bring us together. That's why I'm endorsing him."
CNN's Manu Raju is in Iowa with the Rubio campaign today.
What's the campaign saying about it?
[11:44:57] MANU RAJU, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL REPORTER: Well, they're very happy about it. I'm not sure how much that George Pataki endorsement will move voters in Iowa, given that he was low in the polls at 1 percent. And today the Rubio campaign touted the endorsement of a former Arizona Senator. What they're trying to do is showcase growing support within the establishment ranks behind Rubio's candidacy. He's trying to showcase himself as a unity candidate, someone who can bring folks in the center right of the party as well as conservative voters. That's why he's been attacking Cruz in Iowa.
A couple hours ago, he was in Pella, Iowa, just outside of Des Moines. He made that pitch to voters saying that he was the unity candidate. That's part of the closing argument that he made today here to voters.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. MARCO RUBIO, (R-FL), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I will be a president for all Americans. I won't just unite the Republican Party. I will seek to unite the American people. Does that mean we'll agree on everything? That's absurd. We debate everything in America. We argue about everything because we're a free people. It's OK to have differences of opinion. But there's a difference between that and unnecessarily pitting Americans against each other. And if there is an opportunity to unite our nation, I will work every day to do it. No matter how nasty people are to me or how angry they seem to be, I will never seek to be a president that divides us against each other.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
RAJU: Clearly trying to showcase a difference between himself and Donald Trump and Cruz. He's trying to look at the long game. He doesn't think this campaign is going to be over after Iowa and New Hampshire, the way Cruz suggested. The Rubio campaign is banking on a long haul. They believe this is going to go into Super Tuesday and beyond, and his aides think they'll have the resources to be successful.
Guys, that means he'll have to have a strong finish in Iowa, a strong third place finish in Iowa, and emerge the establishment alternative in New Hampshire. That means outpacing Bush, Kasich Christie, not an easy task.
BERMAN: Manu Raju, thank you so much.
On the non-establishment front right now, Robert Costa, "The Washington Post" and a host of others, and Jerry Falwell Jr, are going to announce they're going to endorse Donald Trump today.
(CROSSTALK)
BOLDUAN: Big pick up. We were talking about that evangelical vote earlier today.
Also coming up for us, a surprise twist for the activist who accused Planned Parenthood of illegally selling fetal body parts. A grand jury in Texas has cleared Planned Parenthood of wrongdoing and indicting the film makers behind the videos. We'll find out why.
BERMAN: Plus, why officials now say insiders may have helped three inmates accused of brutal crimes escape from jail. The latest on the effort to find them, ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:52:03] ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.
BERMAN: We have breaking news out of San Diego at the Naval Medical Center there. Reports of three gunshots fired in the basement of building 26, 8:00 in the morning Pacific tame. That will be about 52 minutes ago. It's being treated as an active shooter situation. All non-emergency personnel being advised to stay away.
BOLDUAN: You're looking at the Facebook page of the Naval Medical Center. It says, "Attention: An active shooter has just been reported in building 26. All residents are advised to run, hide or fight. And all non-emergency personnel are asked to stay away from the compound."
Let's bring in Art Roderick, CNN's law enforcement, analyst, to join us. He's on the phone.
Art, thank you so much for joining us. Clearly, very little detail coming out, but we do hear three gunshots
-- reports of three gunshots fired in the basement of this building. A massive compound, it sure looks. What are your first thoughts?
ART RODERICK, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST (voice-over): My first thought, it is a massive complex, and this is going to be a very complicated situation. What I find very interesting in the initial report is run, hide. That's the first time I have seen an alert message go out like that, but I think that's a good indication that, unfortunately, we've learned to experience that shelter in place or get out of the area is a good tactic, but also in some point you might have to fight. I think myself and several other law enforcement people have talked about this. In the past, if there comes a point in time where, you know, people are just going to have to fight, and to see this type of message coming out right away is a good indication that attitudes are changing involving these types of scenarios.
There's also some reports of federal law enforcement showing up early. Generally, what's going to happen in every one of these situations, whoever is there, whether state, local or federal, will respond immediately and try to take out the threat as soon as they can.
BERMAN: Again, the Naval Medical Center in San Diego. Bills itself as the largest, most-comprehensive military health care system in the Western United States. Eight clicks for active duty personnel, nine sites for their family members.
BOLDUAN: It's huge.
BERMAN: Very, very big. A military facility.
CNN asked the public information about those instructions, run, hide or fight. CNN was apparently told, Art, that would be the common language used. I don't know if that is because it is a military facility or not. But in your experience dealing with this type of situation, what's the difference between this occurring on military property versus civilian?
[11:55:01] RODERICK: Well, I mean, I think we all remember back when we had the shooting here at the Navy Yard. The military went ahead and, of course, we've had several -- a couple over the past year, in Chattanooga, and a lot of the governors began allowing the military to arm themselves as long as they were in uniforms and as long they were on the base. I think that would be the particular issue here. I haven't heard yet if they are allowed to carry sidearm on the base here, but each one of these bases generally has a fairly large -- especially due to the size of this facility -- a fairly large contingent of the Department of Defense police that are taking care of security at this type of base. And I think those were the first ones to respond and handle the situation as quick as they can. Of course, you'll have all the other law enforcement officers in a mutual aid situation responding to the scene to assist them in taking care of the threat.
BOLDUAN: We're also told that schools in the area are on lockdown as a precaution. To bring everyone up to date, if you're just tuning in, reports of
three gunshots fired in the basement of one of the buildings at the Naval Medical Center in San Diego, a huge Navy facility there, a huge compound, multiple buildings. Obviously, this is very early on. Not a lot of detail coming out, except on the official Facebook page saying, run, all occupants of these buildings, run, hide, or fight. The instructions coming out on this Facebook posting.
BERMAN: We'll have much more coming up right after this.
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