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Nancy Reagan Died At The Age of 94; Republicans and Democrats Voting In Separate Contests Today; Democratic Debate on Flint, Michigan. Aired 2-3p ET

Aired March 06, 2016 - 14:00   ET

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

[14:00:10] POPPY HARLOW, CNN HOST: Hi, everyone. I'm Poppy Harlow in New York. Today it is 2:00 p.m. eastern. We continue to cover very sad breaking news today. Reaction and tributes pouring in at this hour as the nation mourns the death of former first lady Nancy Reagan. She passed away this morning at the age of 94. Her more than 50-year marriage to former president Ronald Reagan, a true American love story. Nancy Reagan said her life really began when she married him. A lost for so many today who knew her and who loved her dearly. We will have much more on her life and her legacy. We will speak to those who knew her best.

We also have a big political day full of news. We are expecting results from the Republican primary in Puerto Rico at any moment. We're also monitoring the democratic caucus in Maine.

Meantime, my colleague Victor Blackwell is live for us today in Flint, Michigan, as we lay out is a huge night to have there for the Democrats.

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Poppy. Big night here in Flint, Michigan. Thank you so much. 8:00 p.m. eastern Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton face off at the Democratic debate right here on CNN.

A new NBC/"Wall Street Journal" and Marist poll out today shows that Clinton has a wide lead here in Michigan over Bernie Sanders. And this comes, of course, as the water crisis in Flint is expected to take center stage.

CNN's senior Washington correspondent Joe Johns joins me now.

Joe, first to Michigan, are we expecting this will be a game changer in this race. We look after super Saturday, the momentum win goes to Sanders, but the mathematical win goes to Clinton. What could Michigan's role be as we move through the primaries?

JOE JOHNS, CNN SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: For Bernie Sanders Michigan could hold a big role partly because he needs some type of a breakout moment as we go through the primaries. And from the polls, if the right has suggest, he might not get it. The battle here in Michigan in large part is over a couple different groups of voters, certainly over African-Americans in Detroit, and it's also over those angry, white, Democratic voters who live in places like Warren, Michigan, where Bernie Sanders was yesterday, who are upset about the economy, for example, upset about the auto trade deal that happened in 2008, the bailout, I should say. They're upset about that. And they're upset because they have two tiers of wages, you know, certain people get one tier of wages, certain people get another tier of wages. They don't like that. They're angry. They want somebody to do something about that.

The problem is a lot of those angry white Democratic voters, sometimes called the Reagan Democrats, seem to be going for Donald Trump right now. So that is s problem for Bernie Sanders. Difficult for him to close the gap. Hillary Clinton continues to push on the African- American community and I think some of their ad buys reflect that, Victor.

BLACKWELL: Joe, let's talk about why we're here in Flint. I could see that the final prep is on the stage there behind you. And that of course is the water crisis. And people in this community, really around the country who will be watching, they want to hear solutions, not just sympathy and empathy for the people here. Are we expecting specifics from these two candidates?

JOHNS: I think we are expecting specifics. And we have already heard a little bit. Hillary Clinton has send a couple of her staffers out to help Flint for whatever they need to. She's called on the governor to ask for federal assistance. She's also asked for FEMA to essentially expedite review of the situation here.

Bernie Sanders, on the other hand has talked about it also a lot on the campaign trail. He has called on the governor of Michigan to resign. Of course, that hasn't happened. So this is the place where this issue of the Flint water crisis sort of comes to a head. And I think the people here are going to expect to hear a lot more from these candidates on what they should do and what could be done in the short-term and the long-term, Victor.

BLACKWELL: All right. Joe Johns there at the site of tonight's Democratic primary debate.

Joe, thank you so much. We'll get back to you later throughout the show.

Let's go back to Poppy Harlow now. Of course, all eyes are also on Maine as we await the results of the Democratic caucuses there tonight.

HARLOW: Absolutely, victor. Thank you so much.

Super Saturday yesterday certainly turns into a potential shakeup Sunday in the Republican presidential race, Ted Cruz stealing some of Donald Trump's thunder. In the process he inched a little bit closer in the delegate count to the front-runner. Cruz won Kansas and Maine. Trump took on victory, then Kentucky and Louisiana. Trump still leads in delegates 389 for Trump. For Ted Cruz, he has narrowed that gap with 302. We have more contests today. Two more on that side with more delegates on the line for both parties.

We will listen in a moment, just moments from now as John Kasich brings in some muscle from his campaign, literal muscle. We are talking about Arnold Schwarzenegger campaigning, stumping today for the Ohio governor as Kasich faces really make or break contest in his home state in nine days. That is Ohio.

The Republicans and the Democrats are voting in separate contests today. The Republicans are competing for 23 delegates in Puerto Rico. The Democrats going to the polls in Maine. That's where we find our Polo Sandoval.

When you look at Maine, it was interesting, because you had Cruz take Maine on the Republican side, even though the governor LaPage had just backed Donald Trump. What are we expecting on the Democratic side? Leaning any way right now?

POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And Poppy, true. It was a surprise yesterday. So the question is are we in store for another surprise today? You go down the line and people are hesitant to tell you exactly that they'll be voting here for many Maine. But I can tell you that the line is long. We initially planned on walking the entire line here, Poppy, to show you exactly how long it is. But that's virtually impossible because as we continue to pend to the right, we see this line thinking around that American flag and then eventually going into that tree line.

So it is impossible right now to actually show you how many people are here. This is something that organizers did not expect. As a result they're trying to take steps to try to sort of add some relief to the situation here. They're now giving some of these caucus goers the option to come in, cast their ballot and then head out as oppose of staying here and caucus. Because I can tell you that the high school that you see here to my right, Poppy, simply cannot fit the amount of people that we see right now here in Portland. Caucusing already underway for about an hour. There are 25 delegates at stake. You also have those five supers, couple of them have already committed. Three of them have already committed to Hillary Clinton. But I can tell you there, we have seen plenty of Bernie Sanders support, a lot of Hillary support as well. Ultimately we will have to find out which way Maine goes by the end of the day today -- Poppy.

HARLOW: Polo Sandoval, thank you so much live for us. And meanwhile, those lines, I mean, it's great, democracy in action. Seeing people coming out. We saw it all day yesterday. And clearly continues on what looks to be a beautiful day there in Maine.

Thank you, Polo. We will have much, much more on the voting going on today. Also on tonight's big CNN presidential debate. There you see that fast forward version of the big setup for the big night tonight. Much more on that.

Also, back to today's breaking news, very sad news. Former first lady Nancy Reagan, the wife of Ronald Reagan has died. She passed away this morning at the age of 94. Her love story with her husband, one for the ages. Much more on that ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) [14:11:11] HARLOW: There you see her, Nancy Reagan, the nation's first lady from 1981 to 1989. She passed away this morning at the age of 94 after a very, very full life, a life full of love for her husband of more than 50 years, a woman who had such a huge role in the White House. She was known by many as the personal protector of the former president Ronald Reagan.

Let's talk about her life and her legacy. CNN presidential historian Douglas Brinkley joins me now.

Where do I begin? I was reading a transcript of a fascinating interview Diane Sawyer did with Nancy Reagan not that long ago. And she asked the former first lady, what you want people to know the one thing about your husband. And she said is what he would like people to remember is that he made them believe in themselves again. And he did.

DOUGLAS BRINKLEY, CNN PRESIDENTIAL HISTORIAN: There's no question about it. And you know, Ronald Reagan had an alcoholic father. He had to kind of pull himself up in his hard scrabble Illinois youth and made it big in Hollywood. And when he marry Nancy, he felt very complete. She allowed Ronald Reagan to feel that his ambitions could be met. She backed all of his actions at every time. She organized dinner parties, traveled with him, did whatever it took. They were o of the great political couples, but also one of the great social couples of the Los Angeles area.

HARLOW: I had read that they were quote-unquote "an absolute team" in the White House. And that is there were many, many things that she did for her husband, with her husband side by side. Perhaps she wasn't the leader in foreign policy, though, she did do a lot when it came to negotiations as (INAUDIBLE) which we will get to in a moment. But she was his protector and she was his partner in every way.

BRINKLEY: Absolutely. And this is the key thing, Poppy. She decided who should be trusted and who couldn't. By nature, Ronald Reagan was gregarious. He liked everybody. It wasn't an act. He was extremely friendly. She started seeing people who were looking to ding or dent her husband. And she then would cut them off, just like cutting a wire off. She had a great judge of character. And in fact. I think it's her belief in people like James Baker and George Schultz, two men that she loved that helps Ronald Reagan's foreign policy take the contours that it did in the climate with Gorbachev coming into power.

HARLOW: And we are expecting comments in just about 15 minutes from comments from James Baker. So we will bring this to you live when he does come to the podium.

But let's talk about that. Let's talk about how - I mean, look, you knew her, you spent time with her. You got the diaries from her husband from her. She trusted you with these. Talk to me about hearing some foreign policy when it came to negotiations of Gorbachev?

BRINKLEY: Well, because we forget now that the hard right did not -- they loved the Ronald Reagan to have evil empire, but they did not like the Ronald Reagan that was willing to negotiate with Gorbachev. And so, you have people like Baker and Schultz that thought this was a big historic opening, let's do it. And Ronald Reagan naturally you have pillow talk at this. Nancy was so direct that she felt very strongly that this was the historic opening to make peace in our time. So she was the last say, if you would like. So I would have to put her as one of the extremely important advisor in the Reagan White House. And she didn't suffer fools lightly. And she was as you said a protector of her husband. So her influence is very large.

HARLOW: She wrote her own book in 1989 after her husband's presidency called "My Turn." And she spoke about her experience in the White House. She had a great impact on society during her time in the White House and out of the White House, especially when it came to the war on drugs, when it came to stem cell research, when she actually sort of broke ways with former president George W. Bush on that, backing current President Obama on that. She had a lot of influence even after her time in the White House.

[14:15:15] BRINKLEY: She did. But you know, we have to realize that her big crusade was to beat Alzheimer's. We forget she suffered a lot. You know, when Ronald Reagan was shot in 1981, she had fallen like a day afterwards and broke her rib. She was trying to bring a picture to put in her husband's hospital and she broke her ribs. Never said a word about breaking them to the press, didn't want anybody to focus on her. And even with her breast cancer that she had, she was more always worried about the health of her husband than herself. She was beyond loyal to Ronald Reagan. And as you mentioned at the start of the program that it's one of the great political and American love stories. There's no question about it.

HARLOW: Take me into that moment, Douglas, that day when you're sitting with her and she's handing over the diaries. And I think you said to her, you know, but I'm not necessarily a conservative.

BRINKLEY: Well, not just that. You know, I was told by Governor Pete Wilson that if I got into a jam with this, talk about Hollywood with her and just be direct and honest. She had felt burned by Edmund Morris who was the official biographer and came out with a book called "Dutch." And so she was very skeptical but she knew she needed to let these diaries go to a historian. And sure enough, we ate a Nancy Reagan Cobb salad. That was the name of it. And she talked to me a lot about not just her husband but about Hollywood at that point. See there is no, as Larry King said, loved to gossip about Johnny Depp and Brad Pitt and any movie that just came out. That was her recreation really was that the scoop on the streets of Hollywood. She was a very fun and delightful person.

HARLOW: And what is the one thing that has stood out to you most about their love and their life?

BRINKLEY: That there would have been no Ronald Reagan without her, because for all of his qualities, he lacked the ability to not like people enough. And he didn't really have that radar to say this person is screwing me over. This is where the person is leaking. Or you have to fire people sometimes.

Nancy Reagan didn't have those problems. She was tough as nails. She made grown men quake. If she would call on the phone, and it was Nancy Reagan, you just didn't want to have her ire aimed your way. She was tough.

HARLOW: Douglas Brinkley, thank you so much for helping us remember her today.

Nancy Reagan there, like her husband, well known long before she came first lady. She had quite a career in Hollywood.

Our Suzanne Malveaux looks back at her life.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Ronnie and Nancy, it was truly an American love story.

NANCY REAGAN, FORMER FIRST LADY OF THE UNITED STATES: I can't imagine marriage being any other way but the way that Ronnie's and mine was. And I guess that's unusual.

LARRY KING, FORMER CNN ANCHOR: Little bit of a miracle too, right?

REAGAN: Right.

KING: Something in the Gods brought you together.

REAGAN: Fortunately.

MALVEAUX: A relationship not based on politics or power, but simply admiration and affection.

REAGAN: Together we're going a long, long way.

MALVEAUX: Born Anne Francis Robbins in New York City. She grew up in Chicago known by the nickname Nancy. As an adult, she headed west to Hollywood to become an actress.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She signed with MGM. She became part of that family.

MALVEAUX: At first Nancy Davis was busy. But in 1949 she found her name on a list of suspected communist sympathizers, in danger of being ostracized by the business. The person on the list turned out to be another actress with the same name, but Nancy wanted reassurance. She turned into a friend for help who set up a meeting with the president of the Screen Actors Guild, a dashing leading man named Ronald Reagan. And thus began one of Hollywood's and Washington's most enduring romances.

In fact, one of her last screen appearances was playing opposite her future husband in a movie called "hellcats of the Navy." Soon after, they wed. They raised a family including her husband Patti and Ron Junior and her husband's two children, Maureen and Michael, from his previous marriage to Jane Wimen (ph).

In 1966, Ronald Reagan began a second as a full time politician and was elected governor of the nation's largest state, California. Nancy was always at his side and always gazing at him with that loving stare.

KEN DUBERSTEIN, FORMER REAGAN CHIEF OF STAFF: It was for real. That wasn't an actress. The adoration that they had for each other.

[14:20:06] UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Congratulations, sir.

REAGAN: I don't remember thinking anything except that, my God, here he is and he's president.

KING: My Ronnie.

REAGAN: My Ronnie.

MALVEAUX: After her husband's presidential inauguration, Nancy Reagan's signature was appearing in designing gowns, especially red ones. She also redecorated the White House, both moves drawing heavy criticism. But she had her own special grit, especially after an assassin's bullet struck her husband. She never left the hospital. Few knew then how close the president came to dying. Just a couple of months into his first term.

KING: Touch and go?

REAGAN: Yes, it was. I almost lost him.

MALVEAUX: She also battled breast cancer and survived. Through it all, she had many admirers and some critics too. (INAUDIBLE), her husband's former chief of staff, Don Reagan (ph) who wrote a blistering book about her including the fact that she sometimes consulted an astrologer.

RONALD REAGAN, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: He's chosen to attack my wife and I don't look kindly upon that.

MALVEAUX: She also used her influence to launch an anti-drug program which was reduced to a simple phrase when a young girl asked for advice and the first lady said simply, just say no.

REAGAN: I didn't mean that was the whole answer obviously, but it did serve a purpose.

MALVEAUX: After she and her husband left Washington, she needed her stamina more than ever after Ronald Reagan was diagnosed the Alzheimer's.

REAGAN: It's sad to see somebody you love and have been married for so long and you can't share memories. That's the sad part.

MALVEAUX: Through it all, she never lost her optimism.

KING: Do you ever feel that fate treated you badly?

REAGAN: No. When you balance it all out, I have had a pretty fabulous life. MALVEAUX: In 2004, President Ronald Reagan died. In one of her final

public appearances, the celebration of the Centennial of Ronald Reagan's birth, she said --

REAGAN: I know that Ronnie would be thrilled and is thrilled to have all of you share in his 100th birthday. Doesn't seem possible, but that's what it is.

MALVEAUX: Nancy Reagan, a strong woman in her own right, remembered also for her steady, unflinching devotion to her husband, both in and out of the spotlight.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:26:27] BLACKWELL: I'm Victor Blackwell in Flint, Michigan back live with coverage ahead of Democratic debate tonight. Now, in just a few hours Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton will go head to head tonight in that primary debate right here on CNN.

Now, there is a new NBC/"Wall Street Journal" Marist poll out today that show Hillary Clinton with a wide lead over Bernie Sanders, 17 points there you see it your screen.

We have with us former Michigan governor Jennifer Granholm and she is joining us now. She is a senior advisor for correct the record, a pro-Hillary Clinton super PAC.

Governor, great to have you.

JENNIFER GRANHOLM (D), FORMER MICHIGAN GOVERNOR: Great to be here. Thank you. Welcome to Flint.

BLACKWELL: Thank you very much. I have enjoyed my time here.

Let's start here with the reason why we're here, the water crisis that's been going on for some time. And I have said this to more than one guest and I want to get your take on it. People here want solutions. They want answers. And what Hillary Clinton is going to have to do tonight is balance, of course, the empathy, but also with solutions.

GRANHOLM: Absolutely.

BLACKWELL: What do you expect to hear from her?

GRANHOLM: I think she's going to say replace the pipes. She's going to tell the person who is holding several who is Mike Reid, senator Utah to back off. If there was an entire city in his state where people were poisoned, you would expect that the country would rally in the same there is an emergency. He needs to release that, the state needs to kick in, the pipes need to come up and kids need to be treated.

BLACKWELL: But senator this argument is there are many who agree with him that this is manmade state problem and state funds should fix it.

GRANHOLM: State funds should fix it. And state funds are at least starting to do so. But the state funds are not going to be enough. This is a huge infrastructure problem. And we need help from the federal government as well. So you know, you can have your theoretical arguments, but the reality is that the city has been poisoned and if a city somewhere else were poisoned, I would expect the citizens of the country would rally to say we are all in this together and we need to help cities like Flint.

BLACKWELL: You are obviously the former Michigan governor. You know, Flint well and know the people here. As you learn more about what the state knew, what the federal government knew, what goes through your mind?

GRANHOLM: It's just so -- I can't even -- honestly, I can't even express how hard this -- I mean, I'm not in the position anymore. So I feel somewhat helpless over it. But it's so utterly heartbreaking, because this city is a city that's sort of the poster child for, you know, deindustrialization. All these jobs left Flint. It is a city that is the second poorest of its size in the country. It's a city where, if anything, we should be rallying to help rather than having been abandoned. And this infrastructure issue, and Flint is symbolic of other older cities across the country where we need to invest in our infrastructure. If you look at - I mean, you study (INAUDIBLE) hierarchy of human needs, the most important things that citizen need are safe water, safe food, clean air, it's so basic.

BLACKWELL: Yes.

GRANHOLM: And this a basic thing that we should be providing.

BLACKWELL: Now for people who are slipping on the television and seeing the former governor here, they wonder what responsibility do you bear as people learn more about what the government knew.

GRANHOLM: Well, I mean, what happened -- when I was government they got safe water. That's all there is to. This decision to switch from the Detroit water system to the Flint River was made under the current administration in order to save money. They changed the law and the law said that he could put it, the governor could put in an emergency manager which would supersede the governor and the city council in order to save money.

[14:30:00] But the problem is when you talk like you want to run government like a business that means you are totally bottom line focused. But the bottom line when you are in government is serving citizens. This is not something you could look at like a CPA.

This is about human beings. So when I was governor, this was not an issue. This happened in 2014 three years after I left, but the decision to switch over to the Flint River was a decision that was made purely upon cost.

And that is what's wrong, because the Flint River was not a river that you could consume. It needed treatment. It needed to have corrosion control in it so the pipes would not leech led. All of these pipes are damaged and have to be replaced.

BLACKWELL: Let's turn to another issue that's resonating tonight. Senator Sanders is hitting Secretary Clinton on trade deals, NAFTA namely, TPP. I want you to listen to a line we're hearing a lot in his stump speeches. Let's watch and listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (I-VT), DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Secretary Clinton has supported almost every one of these disastrous trade agreements, NAFTA, which have cost us millions of decent paying jobs. Companies shut down and moved to China. I have opposed al l of them. We have to stand up for the middle class.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: The argument obviously there is that a lot of the agreements that Secretary Clinton supported led to the losses of jobs here.

GRANHOLM: She takes this on a case-by-case basis. She knows we have to learn the lessons of NAFTA. NAFTA did not live up to its promises to create jobs in America and Flint is an example of that.

But what she says is that she would take these trade agreements on a simple -- looking at what will create jobs in America. It's why she voted against the Central American free trade agreement. It's why she is opposed to the TPP, the Transpacific Partnership.

She is looking at it individually. What she would say we are as a nation 5 percent of the world's population. We have to do business with the other 95 percent. We want our businesses here to be able to make products and send them over there.

In order to do that you have you have to have a trade agreement, but you've got to make sure it's creating jobs in the U.S. and not facilitating the offshoring of jobs. Those are the principals that she will be using to evaluate any future trade agreements.

BLACKWELL: All right, former Michigan governor, Jennifer Granholm, thank you so much.

Here back in Michigan, we of course, want to count down the hours. Five and a half hours now until the big presidential Democratic primary debate. Again, 8:00 p.m., moderated by Anderson Cooper right here on CNN. We'll be back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:36:08]

HARLOW: We continue to remember the life and legacy of former first lady, Nancy Reagan. She passed way this morning at the age of 94. Quite a woman who has done so much for this country. Quite a love story that she shared with the former president. Let's talk to somebody who knew her incredibly well, James

Baker. He served as chief of staff for former president, Ronald Reagan. He served as secretary of the treasury during the Reagan administration. He later served as secretary of state for former President George H. W. Bush. Secretary Baker, thank you so much for being with me.

JIM BAKER, FORMER CHIEF OF STAFF RONALD REAGAN: Thank you very much. I'm delighted to be here.

HARLOW: You know, we all know what a woman she was and how forceful she was sort of behind the scenes in the White House. But before we talk about how she affected especially foreign policy, take us into the love that they shared, married for more than 50 years.

BAKER: Nancy Reagan was indispensable to every success that President Reagan enjoyed. She was his closest advisor. She was his constant protector, and of course, she was the love of his life. It was a really truly remarkable love affair.

But her goal in life was to be with her man and protect her man and she did a very good job with that particularly with respect to personnel and also occasionally with respect to policy.

HARLOW: She said in one interview after he passed away, they say it gets easier with time, but it hasn't gotten easier for me. I miss him now more than I ever did. Let's talk about foreign policy, something you had a very heavy hand in. You said if you wanted to get anything done, you needed Nancy son you on your side.

BAKER: Not to get anything done, but in some of the crunch points. And you know the first term I was White House chief of staff the first Reagan term and there were a lot of new things coming at us at that time.

And there was some tension and controversy in that White House. But she was very much a believer in talking to people. She encouraged him, yes, in taking the position that America had to become strong again before we could begin to deal with the Soviet Union.

But when the time came and after we rebuilt America's defenses and reinvigorated America's leadership role in the world, she was very much in favor of him sitting down and talking to the soviets, trying to get arms control deals done, trying to make progress toward ending a war that had lasted for over 40 years.

HARLOW: What about with Iran contra? Isn't she the one who eventually pushed her husband to apologize?

BAKER: Well, she did. Iran contra, of course, some people have said was the only stain on an otherwise successful extraordinary two-term presidency. When it broke, she was dismayed and very disappointed.

And I'm convinced she is one of those at least who convinced him to say this was a mistake. I didn't know at the time we were doing it, but we were doing it and it was a mistake and it shouldn't have been done. She got him to do that.

HARLOW: The one word that comes to your mind as you remember your friend, the former first lady, Nancy Reagan, what is that word?

BAKER: She was a remarkable woman and she was dedicated and committed and she was head over heels in love with her man. One thing that I continually think about is that she was his closest advisor and really his protector. You know, Ronald Reagan asked me to be his White House chief of staff after I had run two campaigns against him.

HARLOW: Right.

[14:40:08]BAKER: That's a pretty broad gauged approach to things and I'm not sure it will ever happen again in American politics. But the driving force behind that decision I think, or at least one of the driving forces was Nancy Reagan. She was the one that I really think moved the president towards making that decision.

She was extraordinarily protective of him and she was very, very, of course, committed to him. And she had a very good political antenna for judging people that he might put on his staff or work for him that would have their own canoe to paddle.

She could tell when someone was going to be loyal to the president's agenda and someone who was going to seek to perpetuate their own agenda.

HARLOW: A great judge of character. That is what we had heard. Secretary Baker, thank you so much for helping us to remember her today.

BAKER: You're sure welcome. Thank you.

HARLOW: We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLACKWELL: Welcome back. We are just hours away from the CNN Democratic debate here in Flint, Michigan.

[14:45:03]The people of Flint were, I should say, unwillingly thrust into the national spotlight after it was discovered that residents here were drinking toxic tap water.

CNN has partnered with the "Flint Journal" to bring you this debate just days before Flint residents and all the residents of Michigan head to the polls for the primary on Tuesday.

Joining me now is the editor of the "Flint Journal," Bryn Mickle. Bryn, good to have you with us this afternoon. I've been here for a few days. You've been working at the "Journal" for more than a decade. You know the people of Flint. What do they expect to hear today? I mean, realistically they know all of this can't be fixed immediately.

BRYN MICKLE, EDITOR, "FLINT JOURNAL": I think people want to hear that Flint is going to continue to be forgotten. Our problems here have been 30 years in the making. There's a feeling here with our economic situation that America has just forgotten us and that ultimately led to our people being poisoned.

We really want to hear a plan for what are you going to do for these rust belt cities like Flint who have been left behind through both Democrat and Republican administration?

BLACKWELL: That's what I've heard from people on the street. This is not just Flint, it's Pontiac and many cities across Michigan and across the country that have slipped into this state of dilapidation. I wonder what it means that, yes, the presidential candidates have been here, but the president, President Obama has not come to Flint.

MICKLE: I think that's disappointing because there's obviously gridlock right now in getting money to Flint on the federal level, on the state level, arguments back and forth. And you really need somebody to step to the forefront and say let's get this done. I mean, we're in America, but we're being treated like a third world country where people can't trust their water.

BLACKWELL: What brings Flint and cities like Flint back?

MICKLE: Well, the economy. Ultimately, we have got to figure out a way to reinvent these cities to get money back into these cities, to get industry back into these cities, to reinvent them. We can't just leave them to their own devices and say figure it out. We need a plan to bring these cities back to life.

BLACKWELL: Many of these problems not just here in Flint, but across the country have been going on for many years, through many administrations. Bryn Mickle with the "Flint Journal," thank you so much.

MICKLE: Thank you.

BLACKWELL: So last night's votes may have changed the game for Republican candidates. We're talking now about Super Saturday. We'll ask our political panel what it means for Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio in particular.

But first, Philadelphia. Let's talk about that great city. Has a new draw for tourists and business travelers and Italian food lovers. It's a pizza museum. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Pizza it's popular and lovely as a Mona Lisa. Now pizza lovers can revel in its beauty in proper fashion at the world's first pizza museum. Welcome to Philly's own Pizza Brain.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have buttons and videos and lots of toys.

UNIDENTIFIED CORRESPONDENT: It's the Guinness World Record holder for the largest collection of pizza related memorabilia. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We celebrate the culture of pizza and how pizza has become important to us.

UNIDENTIFIED CORRESPONDENT: And if you get hungry, it's also the renowned pizzaria. Since opening in 2012, Pizza Brain has quickly become a destination.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We get tourists who come from all over the world. They really are just bringing their love for the food and realizing that somebody else in the world is as crazy about pizza as they are.

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[14:52:50]

HARLOW: As we remember the life and legacy of former first lady, Nancy Reagan, I want to take you live to Simi Valley, California, to the Reagan Presidential Library where our Paul Vercammen is standing by.

You know, Paul, we all know it as a site of one of the first debates this year. The CNN debate was there and obviously that is the place where she will be laid to rest.

PAUL VERCAMMEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That is exactly right, Poppy. In fact, Behind me at the building is President Reagan's grave site. It's overlooking the Pacific. Nancy will literally be laid to rest right next to him. There will be coming up in the next few days a closed casket ceremony.

Visitors can come up here and pay their respects to Nancy Reagan. You are the executive director of the library, of course. As we look behind you, the trucks are here already. You are making plans for a huge turnout.

We know a quarter of a million people came up this hill to pay their respects to Ronald Reagan. What are the plans for Nancy?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Very similar plans. She'll be buried right next to the president, but in a couple of days it will be an opportunity for the public to walk by, to see her coffin. And then towards the very end of the week is when we'll have a funeral service and she'll be buried next to President Reagan.

VERCAMMEN: No doubt many dignitaries will be here. Can you tell me who you expect would be here?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Our board of trustees which include people like Secretary George Schultz. Many famous people that worked for Ronald Reagan. My understanding is that at this point President Bush 43 and Laura plan to make it to the library. Because this has happened so quickly, we don't know exactly who'll be coming. But in the next 24 hours, I'm sure we'll see a long list of dignitaries that will be coming. VERCAMMEN: As we see these flat trucks pull in behind us, what role will they play? What is going to go on here in terms of the library and people being able to pay their respects to Nancy?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, these trucks have been coming all day and they'll be doing everything from erecting tents to bleachers to seats and floors and lights and sound all that you can imagine involved in a large funeral like this.

[14:55:08]It will a good bit like you saw at President Reagan's funeral and she'll be laid right next to him.

VERCAMMEN: Thank you so much for taking time out. We really appreciate it. Well, as you hear Poppy now, a lot of plans underway. And they do expect many people to come up the hill here in Simi Valley and pay their respects to Nancy Reagan, who will be laid to rest here next to her husband.

As you know, she was always well celebrated for her loyalty and being by his side, and in this case quite literally. Back to you, Poppy.

HARLOW: The great love of her life, she will join him now once again. Paul Vercammen, thank you so much for that.

To politics now, of course, it is a big weekend in politics. Super Saturday may have changed the landscape for the Republican race. Donald Trump and Ted Cruz each took home two states yesterday.

Cruz supporters see yesterday as a bit of a momentum gain for their candidate. Was it? And ultimately can he get the delegates he needs to clench the nomination. Both Cruz and Trump are coming together in one way right now.

Both of them last night called or Marco Rubio to pull out of the race. Let's talk about it with CNN political commentator, Kayleigh McEnany and also a Trump supporter, and also with Buck Sefton, who is also a CNN political commentator.

Both conservatives, both not exactly on the same page on this issue. Thank you both for being with me. I appreciate it. Let's talk about Trump. Yes, he got two states, he got more delegates than Ted Cruz. However, he did not get a clean sweep. Some of the pundits see that as a crack in the Trump veneer. Is it?

KAYLEIGH MCENANY, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: I don't think so. It's no doubt Cruz had a good night. Maine is a state that Trump should have done very well in.

HARLOW: He got the endorsement of the governor.

MCENANY: Absolutely. It was a surprise to see Cruz come out so strongly and the Trump campaign needs to take a hard look as to why that happened. We didn't have polling in Maine up to the date. We had a November poll that we looked at. When you look forward to Michigan and Mississippi the NBC poll

shows Trump ahead by 19 points in Michigan. He's ahead by 20 points nearly in Mississippi. The big news for Trump is he's dominating the southeast.

This is an area where Ted Cruz should do exceedingly well, but he's not doing well.

HARLOW: Especially the Evangelicals. Both Trump and Cruz called for Rubio to get out of the race. If you're Marco Rubio, you're sitting with your team last night. You didn't take one state. Of 19 contests so far, you've taken one, Minnesota. What do you do?

BUCK SEXTON, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Of course, there's Puerto Rico as well. Maybe there will be another one that Marco Rubio can add onto his list. We'll see. This is supposed to become a two-man race at this point. Everybody in the GOP wants to see that happen.

Otherwise you just have this constant chaos. I think the worst possible situation is that this goes into a brokered convention for the party and for anybody who doesn't want to see Hillary Clinton in the White House starting next year. That's the worst possible situation.

That means this has to happen more quickly. You have to have that consolidation. Marco Rubio banking all on Florida where there are some polls showing Trump playing very well. That's a big roll of the dice for the Rubio campaign.

Why would he based on what we have seen be the one that could unify the party and also beat Trump? That's a tough case to make. Do I think he's going to step out? No. I think we're hurtling towards the worst possible thing for the party, which is a brokered convention.

HARLOW: Guys, stay with me. Sorry to cut it short this hour. You're back with me next hour. Much more to discuss then. Thank you so much. Buck and Kayleigh, appreciate it.

For all of you who are political junkies, you're obviously going to want to watch CNN tonight not just for the debate, but following that a brand new original series called "Race for the White House."

Host Kevin Spacey looks back at six races that changed this country. He sat down with our Alisyn Camerota and told her politics today looks a whole lot like it did years ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KEVIN SPACEY, ACTOR: All of these particular races that we have focused on throughout history are really interesting examinations of -- while some things may have changed, you know the way in which a politician gets their message out, which in earlier times was very slow, that someone's speech or idea would get across to voters across the country and how that's changed, now it's instantaneous. But how in many ways politics hasn't changed.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: Many ways politics has not changed. You will see his special tonight on CNN. Watch "Race for the White House" at 10:00 p.m. Eastern only right here on CNN. We'll be right back.

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