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New York Delegates; Brooklyn Voters; Sanders and Verizon; Kobe Bryant Says Farewell. Aired 9:30-10a ET
Aired April 14, 2016 - 09:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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[09:31:33] CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning. I'm Carol Costello. I'm live in Brooklyn this morning, and what a beautiful day. Thank you so much for joining me.
With less than a week before the pivotal New York primary, Bernie Sanders isn't just taking aim at Hillary Clinton, he's also slamming the state's election rules.
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SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (I-VT), DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We have a (INAUDIBLE) here in New York where independents can't (ph) get involved in the Democratic primary, where young people who have not previously registered and want to register today just can't do it. So this is going to be a tough primary for us.
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COSTELLO: And while Sanders' wife won't go as far as Donald Trump in, you know, in calling the system rigged, she does have strong feelings about a process she says isn't, quote, "very democratic."
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JANE SANDERS, BERNIE SANDERS' WIFE: Every single one of the states has a different way of carrying out their elections and figuring out how many delegates and how -- how they become delegates. I think we need a more systematic approach that honors one vote, one person. And let's -- let democracy work a little bit better.
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COSTELLO: All right, so let's talk about this with Charles Chamberlain, executive director for Democracy for America and a Bernie Sanders surrogate, and Lily Garcia, president of the National Education Association and a Hillary Clinton supporter. She's also a Democratic super delegate.
Welcome to both of you.
LILY ESKELSEN GARCIA, PRES., NATIONAL EDUCATION ASSOCIATION: Happy to be here.
CHARLES CHAMBERLAIN, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, DEMOCRACY FOR AMERICA: Thank you for having us.
COSTELLO: Oh, thanks. Charles, can you hear me? Oh, thanks for being here.
CHAMBERLAIN: Yes, I can. Thank you for having me.
COSTELLO: So before we start, I'd like us -- I -- oh, you're welcome for being here.
So before we start, I'd like us to harken back to elementary school. Remember when we stood up each morning and we recited the pledge of allegiance. So let's do it -- we don't have to do it together, but this is what it says. Just as a reminder, I pledge allegiance to the flag, to the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands. It doesn't say to the democracy. So< Charles, everybody -- I mean all these politicians know that we have a republic and how the system works. So why do they keep complaining about it?
CHAMBERLAIN: Well, I think what it comes down to is when you have a system where we are voting. The rank and file Democrats vote all around the country and through that system we get to choose the pledge delegates. I think the real question here is, when you look at super delegates and you see these individuals have enormous power. They've already voted in their own personal primary and caucuses and then they get to vote again and their vote is worth the vote of literally thousands and thousands of Democrats nationwide. That's not democratic. And so I think it's critically important that super delegates have to make sure that they end up supporting whoever wins the most pledged delegates based on the votes of rank and file Democrats. That's the key. If that's what happens, then that's a democratic process that works.
COSTELLO: OK. So, Lily, you are a super delegate. So are you unfair --
GARCIA: Not only -- not only that --
COSTELLO: To throw your support behind a candidate, you know, that most of the voters in your particular state, which be -- which would be Utah in this instance --
GARCIA: Right. Right.
COSTELLO: Voted for in a primary?
GARCIA: The -- I'm not only a super delegate, I'm a sixth grade teacher. And I got to teach things like civics. This is the selection of the democratic nominee. And so, yes, the Republicans have a process that they've -- that they've voted on and the Democrats have a process they've voted on. And it is different state to state. Some are caucuses. Some are primaries. So --
[09:35:05] COSTELLO: Well, what Charles is saying is like you're a super delegate. You're all powerful. You can like -- you can like look at the vote in Utah and you can say, uh-uh, I'm not going to decide that way. I'm going to change to the other candidate. GARCIA: And if I was looking at the votes nationwide, I'm excited that Hillary Clinton's winning, 2.5 million more votes on any level she's winning. And so I think it's not -- it's not a mystery why people like Donald Trump or even Senator Sanders would say, let's question the process right now, where it looks like they won't get the delegates that they need to win. If you're going to question the process, you do it at the beginning, not when you're losing. And so Hillary's winning on every level. This is what democracy looks like.
COSTELLO: So, Charles, is this just sour grapes on Senator Sanders part?
CHAMBERLAIN: No, I've got to -- well, first of all, I would argue that we've been making this case all along. In fact, in 2008, we made the case to the super delegates as well as how undemocratic they actually are. And it's a system that absolutely needs to be fixed.
But, you know, this number, this 2.5 million popular vote number, this idea that Hillary Clinton is somehow beating Bernie Sanders by millions and millions of votes, that's a fake number. The reality is, it's state likes Iowa, Colorado, Washington state, they don't report their popular vote totals. They only report the winner of the pledge delegates. That's why the choice has to be made by the pledge delegates and not based off of fake numbers like 2.5 million that don't even exist.
COSTELLO: So you call them fake numbers. It -- so you're saying Bernie Sanders is actually ahead in the number of votes cast in the nation at the moment?
CHAMBERLAIN: What I'm saying is that every report that gives us number of popular votes, that's not a real number because we don't know how many people voted for Bernie Sanders or for Hillary Clinton in several of the states. So if you're talking about an incredible number of popular vote leads, you're literally disenfranchising many different states. Iowa, Colorado, Washington state are being completely disenfranchised from that count.
Look, the reality is, is that Bernie Sanders has won the last seven states and we're looking at several more states coming up, New York, Pennsylvania, California, all of which have a very, very rich delegate total that we can win.
COSTELLO: OK, well, pause just there because I want -- I want Lily to -- I want Lily to refute what you just said. So is he right? Is it a fake number?
GARCIA: We're in the middle -- what we're in is in the middle of a primary season where some are caucuses, some are primaries. If you're looking at the numbers and -- and the question you asked me on where a super delegate should be, when you look at the pledged delegates, the delegates that were elected from their states, she's ahead. When you look at the numbers that we have on the popular vote, she's ahead. When you look at the delegate counts, she's ahead. She's winning. And this is what the primary season is all about. What you do is you get to the next state and the next state and the
next state. So this is all very interesting to talk about, you know, the numbers at this point. But what people have to do is just realize that this is democracy. This is what you were saying, in terms of the Pledge of Allegiance, the process that we have. We want a fair process and I believe we have one.
COSTELLO: All right, I've got to leave it there. Lily Garcia, Charles Chamberlain, thanks to both of you. I appreciate it.
Still to come in the NEWSROOM, he's Brooklyn born, she's a former New York senator. So who is more New York and why does it matter? We're asking voters, next.
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[09:42:55] COSTELLO: Tonight, Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton meet face to face for the first time in five weeks. It all goes down inside the Brooklyn Navy Yard. And if recent attacks are any indication, things could get heated on this stage. Both candidates have been taking the city by storm, plugging their New York credentials at every stop, but are New Yorkers really impressed by any of this? CNN's Chris Moody went to a coffee shop this morning to find out.
Hi, Chris.
CHRIS MOODY, CNN POLITICS SENIOR DIGITAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Carol.
We're at the Brooklyn Roasting Company, really in the heart of the political conversation right now. We're not too far from where the CNN debate will be tonight where Hillary Clinton has her campaign office and where Bernie Sanders was born. New York is a battleground state really, at least Bernie Sanders certainly hopes so this weekend or on Tuesday.
We're talking with Jim Munson, the owner of the Brooklyn Roasting Company.
I want to ask you, who do you believe is more New Yorker? Is it Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders?
JIM MUNSON, OWNER, BROOKLYN ROASTING COMPANY: I think it's a good question. I think both candidates resonate with New Yorkers, with Democratic New Yorkers. I think that Bernie is probably perceived as the little bit more principled and anti-establishment and Hillary is probably seen as a little bit more establishment and experienced. So I think New Yorkers -- some New Yorkers might think that Hillary has a better chance of advancing her campaign platform and promises, and others might hope that Bernie has success with his more purist and radical sort of approach to politics.
MOODY: And who do you think will make better inroads here in Brooklyn specifically?
MUNSON: I think they're both -- I think they're both candidate -- great candidates for Brooklyn. Brooklyn's seen a great revitalization, so I think having the debates here and both candidates being sort of associated with that new revitalized Brooklyn is probably something that is great for Brooklyn, great for the candidates and a great thing to see, frankly, at this point after -- after so long.
MOODY: What would you say makes Brooklyn special of all the boroughs here?
MUNSON: Brooklyn's the greatest borough in the world. The coffee makes -- the Brooklyn Roasting Company coffee makes the borough very special. But Brooklyn's got a long history. Of course, it was its own city until I think 1906 when it was incorporated into New York. There's a lot of pride in Brooklyn, a lot of strength in Brooklyn. People say that Brooklyn built New York City and Manhattan. And Brooklyn's come back. Brooklyn, after 20 years, really of brand building, Brooklyn has -- Brooklyn's stronger than ever and I think -- I think that's what a lot of people would like to see in the country.
[09:45:23] MOODY: Thanks, Jim. We'll be here all day talking to voters at the Brooklyn Roasting Company.
Back to you, Carol.
COSTELLO: All right, Chris Moody, thanks so much.
Still to come in the NEWSROOM, Bernie Sanders says he welcomes the contempt of American CEOs. First it was General Electric. Now the Vermont senator has his sights set on Verizon.
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[09:50:20] (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SETH MEYERS, HOST, "LATE NIGHT WITH SETH MEYERS": Bernie Sanders, this morning, joined the Verizon worker picket line here in New York. It's a perfect match because Bernie always talks like he's getting bad reception.
Can you hear me? Hello, can you hear me?
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COSTELLO: Yes, Seth Meyers joking about Bernie Sanders' attacks on corporate America, but they certainly aren't winning him any friends in big business. First it was General Electric that Bernie Sanders was complaining about. Now the CEO of Verizon is lashing out at Bernie Sanders' criticisms, calling Sanders, quote, "disconnected from reality." This is after the Vermont senator walked the picket lines in support of striking Verizon workers, claiming the media giant wants them to take pay cuts. He's also accused Verizon of not paying its fair share of taxes.
Cristina Alesci joins me now with more on Sanders' ongoing battles with corporate America.
Good morning.
CRISTINA ALESCI, CNN MONEY CORRESPONDENT: Good morning.
Yes, Sanders levels three criticisms against Verizon, one that it's strong-arming employees into taking pay cuts by threatening to send those jobs overseas. As you mentioned, not paying its fair share in taxes. And the third criticism is that Verizon isn't investing in lower income poor neighborhoods, that its higher end services are only in wealthier areas.
And the Verizon CEO shot back, saying, listen, we've paid billions in taxes, we've invested $35 billion in U.S. infrastructure and, you know, we aren't shipping that many jobs overseas. He does acknowledge, of course, that the realities of the business model has forced some labor overseas.
But here's the thing, Carol, neither side is giving us the kind of nuanced information to be able to figure out who's right in this argument. And here's what -- where I come out on it. I've been on the phones with companies over the past couple of weeks asking them, just tell CNN how much money you paid to the IRS last year in federal income taxes, federal corporate income taxes, and no company is willing to tell CNN or any other news outlet for that reason -- for that matter, how much they pay in corporate income taxes. And that's probably because they're paying a lot less than the effective rate, which they put out there all the time of 35 percent.
On the Bernie Sanders side, he's not going after a nuanced plan of how to fix any of this stuff. We've got $1.4 trillion in overseas cash that companies have parked -- that U.S. companies have parked there because they don't want to repatriate it and take a hit on taxes. So Bernie Sanders isn't being very nuanced, neither are these companies, and what you get are these very heated back and forth that don't seem to be stopping.
And let's keep in mind here, Bernie Sanders is being very selective about the kind of companies he's going after. He's going after companies -- let's face it, who loves their telecommunications provider, right? Companies that aren't really that popular or aren't really well understood, right? Everybody knows that GE makes lightbulbs, but do they know that it makes locomotives? Do they know that it makes jet engines? These are companies that are not very popular. Bernie Sanders took a slight swipe at Apple, but he's not going after that company for employing very similar practices. And that's probably because a lot of his voters have an Apple device in their pockets.
COSTELLO: Oh, that's fascinating. Cristina Alesci, many thanks to you.
Still to come in the NEWSROOM, Kobe Bryant's final game. And let me tell you, it was epic.
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[09:57:55] COSTELLO: Twenty years, five NBA championships, two Olympic gold medals, and it all came down to this final shot. Oh, aren't you nervous? Yes, you knew he'd make it. Kobe Bryan's was a farewell like a legend, scoring 60 points in his final games. Andy Scholes has more on this.
Wow.
ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS: What an epic performance, Carol. You know, Kobe going out like we all really wanted to see Kobe go out, scoring 60 points. And as you can imagine, the atmosphere at Staples Center last night was electric.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: For the final time, number 24, on the floor, (INAUDIBLE) five time world champion, Kobe Bryant.
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SCHOLES: (INAUDIBLE) going out in style. You know, he took a -- he took a career-high 50 shot in the game and it was vintage Kobe late in the fourth. Kobe, the step back three right there, pulls the Lakers within one. You see all the celebrities in the stands going nuts. And Kobe wasn't done yet, down one, time running out, pulls up, knocks down one last game-winning jumper. Lakers would win the game.
Kobe would then share an embrace with Shack after waving to the crowd. A pretty cool moment there for Lakers fans after everything those two had gone through over the years. Kobe, 60 points for the sixth time in his career, and in his final game.
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KOBE BRYANT, 60 POINTS IN FINAL GAME: No words can describe how I feel about you guys. And thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart. I -- God, I love you guys. And -- from the bottom of my heart, thank you. And, what can I say? Mamba (ph) out.
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SCHOLES: Now, if Steph Curry would have taken 50 shots last night, Carol, he might have scored 100. The Warriors easily breaking the Grizzlies 125-104 to break Michael Jordan's Bulls all-time record for wins in a season. And Curry was just incredible in this game. He hit 10 threes, 46 points. Didn't even play in the fourth quarter. Curry the first player in NBA history to have 400 threes in a season. The Warriors now on top of that NBA now an all alone best record ever, 73- 9.
[10:00:04] Of course, President Obama, a big Chicago Bulls fan. He tweeted, "congrats, the Warriors, a great group of guys on and off the court. If somebody had to break the Bull's record, I'm glad it's them."
