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Sanders Campaigning in Flint, Michigan Today; Russia Hits Syrian School, Hospital; The Supreme Court's "Odd Couple"; Trump Vows to Bring Back Jobs from Overseas. Aired 10:30-11a ET

Aired February 15, 2016 - 10:30   ET

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

[10:29:44] CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning. I'm Carol Costello. Thank you so much for joining me.

We are just hours from Bernie Sanders making his first campaign stop in scandal-plagued Flint, Michigan. It's a stop Hillary Clinton has already made and is already promoting in this new ad campaign. The big question now, will Sanders' economy-driven stance resonate with African American voters?

Here's what Mrs. Clinton had to say last night.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HILLARY CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Not everything -- not everything is about an economic theory -- right. If we broke up the big banks tomorrow -- and I will if they deserve it -- if they pose a systemic risk, I will, would that end racism? Would that end sexism? Would that end discrimination against the LGBT community?

I'm the only candidate who will take on every barrier to progress. I'm the only candidate who has a record of taking on those barriers.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: With me now to talk about this is Symone Sanders. She's Bernie Sanders' national press secretary. Welcome -- Symone.

SYMONE SANDERS, BERNIE SANDERS' NATIONAL PRESS SECRETARY: Thanks for having me -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Thank you for being here. What does Sanders say to Hillary Clinton? 1

SANDERS: Well, you know, with all due respect to Secretary Clinton, Senator Sanders' message is a multifaceted message that we believe speaks to hard-working American people across this country whether they are black, white, Latino, Native American, Asian American, or otherwise. And so when he's out on the campaign trail, he's talking about, yes, economic inequality, breaking up the big banks, raising the minimum wage. But we're also talking about criminal justice reform. And Senator Sanders is the only candidate in this race that has introduced a comprehensive racial justice platform that addresses the five different types of violence people in this country experience everyday. So you want to talk about Flint? That is environmental violence. That calls for environmental justice. Senator Sanders is talking about those issues.

If you'd like to talk about voting rights, that is political violence. Senator Sanders is talking about those issues, so I reject the notion that he's a one issue candidate.

COSTELLO: Well, you know, back to the economy and wage inequality. There have been times our economy has been quite good in the United States, and racism didn't go away. How can you argue that economic equality will solve discrimination?

SANDERS: Well, I agree with you -- Carol. And no one is arguing that. Senator Sanders has said that racial inequality and economic inequality are parallel issues that must be addressed simultaneous in this country so we have to attack these things from two ends.

But I mean to Secretary Clinton's point, you could eradicate racism tomorrow and there would still be poor people of color in this country. You can eradicate racism tomorrow and young black kids, young people from the inner city, young white children still would not have the opportunity to get a quality and affordable education.

So we have to attack this thing from all angles. That's what Senator Sanders is going and calling for.

Look, under Senator Sanders' plan to raise the minimum wage, 54 percent of African-Americans would stand to get a wage raise. Those are the things that we are talking about out here on the campaign trail -- the conversations we're having with folks right here in South Carolina.

COSTELLO: When you look at the polls, Hillary Clinton leads big time among minority voters. Why do you think that Senator Sanders is having a problem connecting with minority voters?

SANDERS: Well, I don't think he's having a problem. I think this is an opportunity. I mean look, Senator Sanders' name ID was very low coming into this race. Not a lot of folks knew who he was especially in African-American community. So we have had to do the work of breaking through the barrier of familiarity in South Carolina and across the country. And I think we're starting to see those gaps close.

We believe and we've been saying it for a long time, that once folks get to hear Senator Sanders' message, they get to know who he is and what he stands for, they're going to like him and they're going to want to vote for him. We're seeing that right here in South Carolina.

I mean, Carol, We had over 200 paid staffers on the ground right here in South Carolina. We have made over 1 million voter attempts -- that means doors knocked, phones called, and folks are saying that they're hearing from us, and we're the kind of only Democratic campaign they're hearing from. So we think we're making inroads, we're having great conversations. We're in the barber shops, the beauty shops and the bible studies and we intend to close these gaps.

COSTELLO: All right. Symone Sanders, thanks for joining me this morning.

Here to respond to all of that is South Carolina state senator, Margie Bright Matthews. She's a Hillary Clinton supporter. Welcome.

MARGIE BRIGHT MATTHEWS (D), SOUTH CAROLINA STATE SENATOR: Good morning. Good to be here.

COSTELLO: 1Good to have you here. You heard what Symone said, that Bernie Sanders is connecting with minority voters and the more they get to know him, the more they will like him.

BRIGHT MATTHEWS: Well, the only thing I can say to that is when we had the tragedy in Charleston with the Charleston Nine, at Emanuel, Hillary Clinton and President Clinton were here. They were not here to campaign but they were here to support the minority community as well as Charleston as a whole.

They've been here for years knocking on doors and greeting people at this point. We've been here with this campaign and before that to support Charleston. We intend to continue to keep our ground game active in South Carolina, and we're ready.

[10:35:04] COSTELLO: Some people say that there is a generational split even among minority voters when it comes to Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders. That young people, even African-American young people are attracted to Bernie Sanders because of his idealism, and Hillary Clinton just seems like she's been around a long time. Maybe she'll get something done and maybe she won't. What do you say?

BRIGHT MATTHEWS: Well, what I say to a lot of young people is we have to be realistic, and I want them to understand that idealism is wonderful. It is great. But realism is more important. We have to look at what Senator Clinton has done, what Secretary Clinton has done. Look at her resume.

Instead of listening to the rhetoric of Senator Sanders, look at the resume of Senator Clinton -- see what she has done. And I think when they look at that and consider the fact that Senator Sanders has been in the Senate or in some elected position for the last 27 years, when they look at that, all of these ideological suggestions and programs that he has, why hasn't he promoted those until now?

COSTELLO: All right. I have to leave it there. Margie Bright Matthews -- thanks for being with me.

Still to come in the NEWSROOM: a deadly day in Syria. And one prime minister says Russia is to blame. Details -- next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:40:23] COSTELLO: As the Syrian government fights ISIS within its borders, Turkey's prime minister says Russian support is causing collateral damage. The prime minister says Russian missiles struck a hospital and a school killing more than a dozen civilians in northern Syria. And then another hospital was hit about 60 miles south of the first one killing seven people.

CNN's Arwa Damon, live in Istanbul with more. Hi -- Arwa.

ARWA DAMON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Carol -- it's a very complicated situation unfolding right now in Syria, and incredibly devastating and deadly for all those that have been caught up in the cross fire.

A series of attacks taking place, and it would seem a lot of them were targeting medical facilities. The Turkish prime minister is blaming Russian missiles. Ballistic missiles, foreign attack -- in particular one that happened on the border town of Azaz where one medical facility, one that in fact focused on specialized treatment for women and children, was hit.

We spoke to an emergency services staff member who said that in between that strike as well as four others that happened in the town of Azaz, at least 15 people were killed. And then in a different province, in Idlib Province, doctors without Borders is saying that one of its facilities was struck multiple times in what they're describing as being a deliberate attempt to target the medical institutions there.

In this particular area, at least 40,000 people will be left without access to medical assistance. And you have various advances that are being made both by regime forces and by the U.S.-backed Kurdish forces, the YPG.

Now this is putting Turkey in a very, very tenuous position because it views the YPG as being an extension of the Kurdish separatist group, the PKK that it has been battling within its own borders. So over the weekend Turkey fired artillery into Syria telling the YPG to stop advancing or they would be facing even more strikes -- Carol.

COSTELLO: All right. Arwa Damon reporting live from Istanbul, Turkey.

Still to come in the NEWSROOM, they call themselves the odd couple. How Justices Antonin Scalia and Ruth Bader Ginsburg build an unexpected friendship despite being polar opposites on the bench.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:46:57] COSTELLO: It is a unique two-night event right here on CNN: all six Republican presidential candidates taking part in a South Carolina town hall answering voters' questions. It will be spread out over two nights. There are a lot of candidates still. It airs 8:00 p.m. Eastern on Wednesday and 8:00 p.m. Eastern on Thursday night only on CNN.

Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia's sudden death is shaking up the 2016 elections and igniting an epic battle between President Obama and Republicans. It's also a tragedy to the 79-year-old's family and friends. Friends like fellow Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who formed a long, deep and unexpected friendship with Scalia despite being his opposite on the bench. Last year CNN's Pamela Brown profiled this self-described odd couple.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JUSTICE ANTONIN SCALIA, SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES: Why don't you call us the odd couple?

PAMELA BROWN, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Justices Antonin Scalia and Ruth Bader Ginsburg -- two polar opposite legal minds with the closest friendship on the bench.

SCALIA: Well, you know, what's not to like? Except her views of the law, of course.

BROWN: Sharing a laugh about Ginsburg's sleeping habits at the State of the Union.

JUSTICE RUTH BADEN GINSBURG, SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES: The audience for the most part is awake because they are bobbing up and down all the time. And we sit there, stone face, sober judges. But we're not -- at least I wasn't 100 percent sober because before we went to the State of the Union, we had dinner together and Justice Kennedy brought in --

SCALIA: Well, that's the first intelligent thing you have done.

GINSBURG: So I got a call when I came home from one of my granddaughters and she said, "Bubby (ph), you were sleeping at the State of the Union."

BROWN: The sharp as a tack 81-year-old even admitted she's had some occasional help staying awake from now retired Justice David Souter.

GINSBURG: He had an acute sense of when I was about -- and so he would give me pinch.

BROWN: Ginsburg nicknamed notorious RBG and Scalia known as Nino, have long been vacationed together with their families.

Scalia admiring his pint size partner's taste for adventure.

SCALIA: And Ruth, honest to goodness, went up behind a motor boat in a --

GINSBURG: Parasail.

SCALIA: Yes. I mean she is so light you would think she would never come down.

BROWN: Their political differences -- an elephant in the room they aren't afraid to confront or ride as they did in India.

GINSBURG: That was a rather bumpy ride.

SCALIA: And some of her feminist friends gave me a hard time or her a hard time because she rode behind me on the elephant -- big deal. I'm not kidding.

[10:50:01] GINSBURG: It was -- the driver explained it was a matter of distribution of weight.

BROWN: Pamela Brown, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: Oh, that was lovely.

Still to come in the NEWSROOM: Donald Trump vows to bring American jobs back from overseas, but how?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:54:49] COSTELLO: Donald Trump has made many bold claims about what he would do as president. The bigger the boast, the more certain he sounds of pulling it off. One recurring pledge is to bring back millions of manufacturing jobs from overseas. Trump repeated that line on Saturday night at the Republican debate in South Carolina.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I'm going to bring jobs back from China. I'm going to bring jobs back from Mexico and from Japan -- they're all every country throughout the world now Vietnam -- that's the new one. They're taking our jobs. They're taking our wealth. They're taking our base, and you and I have had this discussion. We're going to make our economy strong again.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: CNN business correspondent Alison Kasik has been taking a closer look. It sounds good.

ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: He sounds confident, doesn't he? Well, you know, what economists say despite how he is, despite how he's on this crusade and this is a real campaign peg for him -- they just don't see how this is possible to bring back all of the manufacturing jobs we've lost.

Consider these numbers. Over the past 25 years we've lost 5.5 million jobs in manufacturing. Not just to China but other countries as well. There is one point that economists or most economists agree with, with Trump -- we are losing jobs to China. In fact, last year a study published by the National Bureau of Economic Research found that between the years of 1999 and 2001 we lost 2.2 million jobs to China.

And that's why this issue is resonating with people, not only because we are losing jobs to China but because we're actually in the middle of a recession in manufacturing in this country right now. In fact our manufacturing sector has contracted for four months in a row in January. That's not good news.

So you've got Trump putting out a list of how he would go about this. He put the following points up on his Web site saying that this is how he would do it including getting China to declare that it's a currency manipulator. You see them there, including lowering corporate tax rates to 15 percent to try to discourage companies from moving their companies overseas.

But, you know, critics say we need more details on this because the reality is, the universe of manufacturing in our country has changed. The kinds of jobs that we've lost overseas were those low-paying and labor intensive jobs where toys and clothes were made. And now any manufacturing job that would come back would require more technology, more training, more education. So it's not apples and apples. It's definitely apples and oranges at this point. And one analyst put it this way, Carol, saying the reality is no matter who wins the presidency, this analyst saying I can't foresee how anybody can bring back 5.5 million manufacturing jobs to the U.S.

COSTELLO: Many people would say just stop the flow. Just stop it.

KOSIK: Well, there's a lot more that goes into it than just trade. That's the interesting peg here is that there's a whole list of global economic reasons why jobs here in the U.S. Are moving overseas. Some may say it's taxes. Some may say it's competition. Some may say it's the value of China's currency.

I mean it's a whole host of reasons. To say that you're going to bring back every job I think that is going out on a limb. But maybe some of these items he's talking about can do something, but a lot of critics say they need more details.

COSTELLO: All right. Alison Kosik -- thanks so much.

Checking some other top stories for you at 57 minutes past.

Two men have surrenders for the shooting of a police officer in Clarksdale, Mississippi. The officer remains in critical condition. He was shot in the head on Saturday night while pursuing two suspects who allegedly were robbing a convenience store.

In San Francisco at least two people walking on the Golden Gate Bridge were wounded by five-inch darts from a blow dart gun. The darts are being analyzed to see if they were treated with any kind of chemical. A spokeswoman for the California Highway Patrol says she's never heard of a blow dart attack until now.

A California bride is delaying her honeymoon to help search crews look for her father. He hasn't been seen since right after the wedding. According to CNN affiliate KOVR, family members said he was feeling sad, possibly home sick after coming to the United States from India. Witnesses last saw him going for a walk toward a nearby bridge.

And new images in to the CNN of the Pope's arrival in the southern tip of Mexico. He's receiving a warm welcome right now as he travels in his Pope Mobile. He stopped, of course, to kiss many, many babies. In fact, we were watching him in the break, and we counted at least six.

Next hour, Pope Francis will lead a mass for the community. This is one of the poorest areas of Mexico. He's trying to give the people there a lift.

Leonardo DiCaprio finally gets his first academy award -- only this one from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts. DiCaprio wins the award for his role in "The Revenant". The movie also won best film and best director. Brie Larson won best leading actress for her role in "The Room".

Thank you so much for joining me today. I'm Carol Costello.

"AT THIS HOUR" with Berman and Bolduan starts now.

[11:00:00] JOHN BERMAN, CNN HOST: Hello everyone. I'm John Berman. Kate is off today.

This morning an extraordinary battle is underway. A battle for the future of the Supreme Court, for the future of the senate, for the future of the presidency and no one saw it coming.