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The Legacy Of President George H.W. Bush; New satellite Images Reveal Activity At North Korean Missile Base; CNN Reality Check: GOP's Power Grab After Midterm Losses; Election Fraud Claims Roil North Carolina House Race. Aired 7:30-8a ET

Aired December 06, 2018 - 07:30   ET

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

[07:30:00] (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: In his old age, dad enjoyed watching police show reruns, the volume on high, all the while holding mom's hand. After mom died, dad was strong but all he really wanted to do was hold mom's hand again.

And we're going to miss you. Your decency, sincerity and kind soul will stay with us forever.

So through our tears, let us know the blessings of knowing and loving you, a great and noble man. The best father a son or daughter could have. And in our grief, let us smile knowing that dad is hugging Robin and holding mom's hand again.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Honestly, just beautiful. It gets me every time.

Here to discuss the moving ceremony, the author of "Leadership in Turbulent Times" -- 11 weeks on the "New York Times" bestseller list -- presidential historian Doris Kearns Goodwin.

And, Doris, that moment reminds me -- yes, this was a national moment, it is a state funeral, but it's a family moment. It's a moment between a son and a father, as well.

DORIS KEARNS GOODWIN, PRESIDENTIAL HISTORIAN, AUTHOR, "LEADERSHIP IN TURBULENT TIMES": Oh, without a question. I mean, I was listening to that and you couldn't help but find the emotion within yourself. I mean, when he -- the best father a son or daughter could have -- you know, I want him to hold her hand. I mean, there was just authenticity about it.

And the rest of his eulogy was lovely, and it was funny, and it talked about his father. But then, when the emotion breaks down I think is when all of us watching feel yes, this is a son whose father has died. This is a family who is now broken. However old he was, he was their man.

BERMAN: Yes. I thought about that and the beautiful words Jon Meacham wrote, and Alan Simpson, and Brian Mulroney, and George W. Bush. All those beautiful words I lost in that moment where what I could see was love between a son and a father.

There's also been talk Doris about the words themselves and whether they were sent as a message.

Let me read you something that Jon Meacham said. It was the mantra that George H.W. Bush liked to live his life. "Tell the truth, don't blame people, be strong, do your best, try hard, forgive, stay the course."

Now, I think that those words would have been spoken no matter who was president -- at the funeral of George H.W. Bush, no matter when he died. Yet, people hear that now and they think it's sending a message because of the current administration.

What did you hear?

GOODWIN: I agree with you that I think they would have been spoken, whoever was there. But I think they had an extra meaning because of the political culture that we're living in today.

I mean, just think of the different leadership traits that were mentioned for him. You know, humility, empathy, decency, courage. Letting resentments go, building teams, coalitions. I mean, you can't help but have an echo onto the political culture of our time -- bipartisanship.

So that I think we bring, as a viewer to it, a moment that this is in time. I mean, history will sort out later what we think about George Bush's presidency. Just as he said, I don't care about that "L" legacy thing.

But for this moment in this time, this was so fitting for our time to give us the emotion of believing that maybe there can be such a time again with such a person and people feeling so good about their political culture. There was such yearning all over the country that I think put itself upon that moment.

BERMAN: You know, Doris, you've studied so many presidents. What is their view -- or has been their view of their own legacies because I was watching that front pew with the living presidents and I -- it occurred to me they have to be thinking what will people say about me when my time comes -- hopefully, decades and decades from now.

But how do they see it?

GOODWIN: Well, at least the guys that I've studied, they all were aware of it. And sometimes it's a very good thing to be aware of it because it makes you want to have an ambition that goes beyond self for the greater good.

When Lincoln was in a depression so deep that they took all knives, and razors, and scissors from his room, and his best friend said Lincoln, you must rally or you will do. And he said I know that and I'd just as soon die now but I've not yet accomplished anything to make any human being remember that I have lived. That was in his thoughts to somehow do something that would stand the test of time. When LBJ had a massive heart attack when he was in his 50s and he had accumulated a lot of power -- the majority leader in the Senate. But then he said to himself what if I died now? What would I be remembered for?

And then he went for a civil rights bill in the Senate, the first civil rights bill since reconstruction. And then when president, was hoping that that would be his legacy.

The interesting thing about Teddy Roosevelt is he said you know, I don't want to think about what people are going to think about me 20 years, 1,000 years from now. It doesn't matter. It will all wash over like sand.

What matters is when I leave that people felt I've led a good and honorable life, that I played decently, and that the people I love know that that's what I did.

And that was more like I think what George Bush's legacy came down to yesterday. A 100 years from now we'll evaluate his presidency and its strengths and its weaknesses, but that he was a good and noble man who put his life toward public service and dealt with life decently, and had a family that loved him. That verdict is already in on history.

BERMAN: It's a really important point.

[07:35:00] OK, so that front pew -- the president's club -- the living presidents.

A lot of people have dissected every second of it from the time that the current president, Donald Trump, and Melania, the first lady, walked in. They shook the Obamas' hands. That was sort of the extent of it.

What did you see there, Doris?

GOODWIN: Well, you know what I saw in the last couple of days, anyway -- before looking at that awkward moment -- was that at this time, at least, I think President Bush, in death, cast a good meaning upon President Trump, who handled it pretty gracefully.

The statement he put out first was very graceful, he had a national day of mourning, they went to the Blair House. And maybe there's a part of me that hopes OK, when they get there on that first row they're all going to shake hands and they'll be fine. But I guess all we could expect was what happened.

You know, there's been so much tension between, especially, the Clintons and President Trump, and at least they all sat there together. There was a certain dignity and a classiness about it, so perhaps that's all we can ask.

Although there's always that part of you that thinks OK, they're going to put their arms around each other and things are going to be fine, and we know that's not true.

BERMAN: They're human beings. I mean, they are. They're human beings, after all. You have to give them that much.

One last moment. The moments that I choked up or more than choked up where when George W. Bush was talking about his father.

But also, when the minister was telling the story, which I hadn't heard, of James Baker, the former Secretary of State, rubbing the feet of the president as he was dying in that room. And I just -- the history of it overwhelmed me, as well of the humanity of it, Doris.

GOODWIN: You know, that's right. You think about how much the two of them had been together -- what large world events they had orchestrated together. And yet, something as simple and as helpful as being there when your great friend is dying and knowing that rubbing his feet is going to give him sort of solace. And then, knowing that you're ministering to that person.

I mean, that too, when President Bush was able to say the last words, he could say I love you -- and then, I love you, too, from the father's end. I mean, there's something about those final moments. If they're shared with friends you don't feel so lonely. You feel like you're together.

It was an extraordinary day and I think any of us who watched it unfold will remember it. I think if I were 100 years from now and a biographer, I would start with that day and then you could unpack the relationship between the son and the father, who happens to become presidents. What was good and what was troubling about the presidency, but that that moment captured a moment in time that is so fitting for our moment today.

BERMAN: Doris Kearns Goodwin, thank you for helping us understand that moment that we all saw. Really appreciate it.

GOODWIN: Yes, me, too.

BERMAN: Erica --

ERICA HILL, CNN ANCHOR: That's such a nice point to end on, too.

Another tragedy for U.S. troops overseas. Two planes crashed during a refueling mission. A frantic search is now underway for missing Marines. We have the very latest, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:41:20] HILL: We are following breaking news at this hour.

A frantic search and rescue mission underway for five missing Marines off Japan's southern coast after two U.S. military planes collide in mid-air. Two Marines have been rescued.

The crash happened during a refueling mission shortly after the planes took off from their base near Hiroshima. Now, the crash is under investigation.

BERMAN: Now, to a CNN exclusive. New satellite images obtained by CNN reveal that North Koreans are doing work on an unidentified, underground missile base.

CNN's Will Ripley has traveled to North Korea 19 times. He joins us now from Hong Kong with this new development. Will, what have we learned?

WILL RIPLEY, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, what we know is that despite the fact that Kim Jong Un hasn't launched a missile or conducted a nuclear test in more than a year, he still has all of his weapons and he is actively upgrading and expanding the bases from which those missiles could be launched towards the United States.

There are two locations that we're talking about here.

One is the Yeongjeo-dong missile base. This is well-known to U.S. intelligence for years. It has a narrow valley with five tunnels from which missile-launchers could roll out and launch an attack with almost no warning or notice for the United States.

Another location, seven miles away, previously unreported, where construction has been underway of a massive underground facility that could store even more weapons -- posing, potentially, a greater threat.

Now, you have to keep in mind that construction on these facilities began in 2017, at the height of tensions between the U.S. and North Korea. But the construction was continuing even two months after the Singapore summit between President Trump and Kim Jong Un.

Some might say why wouldn't North Korea stop that work? Well, the answer, they don't have to. There is no written agreement with the United States that prevents Kim Jong Un from continuing to expand his missile bases.

And frankly, until there is a specific requirement for denuclearization, analysts say he will continue to bolster his nuclear defenses -- 1) to provide defense, but also to give himself more leverage in talks with President Trump.

A second summit expected to happen early next year, possibly January or February -- Erica.

HILL: All right, Will. Thank you.

USA Gymnastics, we're learning, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in an effort to reach settlements in the dozens of sex abuse lawsuits it faces. An attorney for many of Larry Nassar's abuse survivors, however, said the filing stops depositions and discovery, keeping them from learning the full truth about Nassar and USA Gymnastics' roles in the scandal.

The filing may also disrupt the U.S. Olympic Committee's efforts to revoke USA Gymnastics as the sport's official governing body.

BERMAN: Yes, all right.

Outgoing Republicans in two states are using their last days in office to do everything that I can to weaken the Democrats who defeated them. This is more than just changing the rules of the game. It's kind of throwing the rules out the window and flipping the board over, and it looks like they may just get away with it.

John Avlon has your reality check -- John.

JOHN AVLON, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: That's right, John.

This year's elections saw the highest midterm turnout in more than 100 years. That's the good news. And the bad news is there's an effort right now to roll back those election results in the swing states of Michigan and Wisconsin.

Republicans are trying to use year-end lame duck legislative sessions to rein in the incoming Democratic governors. This is an end-run around the election results -- what some folks are calling a legislative coup.

In Wisconsin, Republicans pushed through a series of bills by a one- vote margin before sunrise on Wednesday. They aim to reduce the power of the new Democratic governor on issues like welfare reform, appointments to key state agencies, and even keep the attorney general from withdrawing the state from an anti-Obamacare lawsuit.

They also voted to limit the number of early voting dates, which increased turnout this cycle, in order to hurt Democrats going forward.

This is a partisan power grab, pure and simple. But the Republican speaker, Robin Vos, says he's only motivated by checks and balances.

[07:45:05] But let's be real. There's no way the Legislature would be doing this is Republican Scott Walker had been reelected.

And don't take my word for it. Here's speaker Vos admitting his real rationale. Quote, "We are going to have a very liberal governor who is going to enact policies that are in direct contrast to what many of us believe in."

This amounts to a discomfort with democracy. It's what happens when politics gets treated as theological blood sport, even at the state level.

And in Michigan, Republicans are trying to pull the same stunt before three Democratic women take over their roles as governor, attorney general, and Secretary of State.

Among the proposals, one that would allow the state Legislature to step in over the A.G. and stop the Secretary of State from overseeing the state campaign finance system.

They also pulled a bait and switch in the minimum wage hike, intentionally passing it just so they could amend it and grab it back.

Now, when North Carolina Republicans tried this two years ago it looked like an outlier, but now it seems like the new normal. What can Democrats do? Well, the next stop is the courts and former

Wisconsin governor and attorney general Jim Doyle says he's confident these moves will be judged unconstitutional -- may be.

But this is a dangerous precedent. Principles only matter if they apply no matter what party's in power and Republicans would be rightfully outraged if Democrats did this to them. Democracies depend on an assumption of goodwill among fellow citizens.

But the actions we're seeing in these states reflects the results of a 2016 Pew poll that found most politically-engaged voters now view the other party with fear, anger, and frustration.

And if you think the other party isn't just mistaken but out to harm the country then you'll do whatever is necessary to stop it -- even degrade our democracy by disrespecting election results -- and that's perilously close to where we are now.

As George Washington once warned us more than 200 years ago, "The alternate domination of one faction over another, sharpened by the spirit of revenge, is itself a frightful despotism."

And that's your reality check.

BERMAN: Throwing down number one --

AVLON: Oh, yes.

BERMAN: -- right there at the end. John Avlon with the quote from way back. Really, really good points. Thanks so much, John.

All right, boots on the ground journalism shaking up a House race. How one reporter's work may have uncovered election fraud in North Carolina. That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:51:16] BERMAN: So, there is a remarkable story unfolding in North Carolina. It is both a political story and also, a journalism story.

We're talking about 9th -- North Carolina's, rather, 9th Congressional District. The state's Board of Elections voted unanimously last week not to certify the results amid claims that absentee ballots were tampered with in favor of the Republican candidate.

So our next guest helped expose this story. Joining me now is WSOC report Joe Bruno. Joe, thank you for being with us. Thank you for your work.

I want to start, sort of, at the end here. You know, you've been on the ground covering the ins and outs of this story.

How confident are you that election fraud did take place?

JOE BRUNO, REPORTER, WSOC-TV, CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA: Well, we have people admitting to it. We have people admitting that they went around and picked up absentee ballots. In North Carolina, that's illegal.

Not only did they pick up the absentee ballots, they say they didn't put them directly in the mail. They delivered them to McCrae Dowless, the man who appears to be at the center of all of this. And not only did they deliver them to McCrae Dowless, they say they don't know what he did with them. They don't know whether the votes actually went into the mail from McCrae Dowless' office.

BERMAN: And again, you have spoken to people -- and we'll get to the journalism aspect of this -- the work that you've done on this -- in a second.

But you report that this man, McCrae Dowless, was working -- connected to the campaign of the Republican candidate Mark Harris.

You spoke to a woman who says she was paid by him in this case. Explain that.

BRUNO: Yes, two women tell me that they were paid by McCrae Dowless. They say they were paid about $75 or $100 a week to go around and collect these absentee ballots. And the way they described it to me, they said there were multiple people being by -- being paid by McCrae Dowless to do this same thing.

And what we are starting to see now is the results -- all these absentee ballots -- the unreturned ballots -- the ones that were accepted. They're starting to really be scrutinized now, now just in Bladen County but also Robeson County. And as this investigation continues, I think we'll continue to see more countings throughout this 9th District be looked at.

BERMAN: And again, just for people who are trying to understand what's happening there -- and it's complicated -- you almost don't have to get past your first sentence there, which is that it's illegal in North Carolina for people to collect absentee ballots. You can't do it unless you are the actual person turning in the ballot or a close relative, essentially, by North Carolina law.

One other thing here so people understand what's going on in one of these counties. Bladen County, only 19 percent of mail-in absentee voters were registered Republicans, yet, 61 percent ended up going Republican.

And just look at that. This chart helps explain the discrepancy there. So there's a data issue here, Joe, which jumps out at people.

BRUNO: Right, and not only that, the results really don't pass the eye test.

We can go back to the 2016 primary when McCrae Dowless was working for a candidate by the name of Todd Johnson. Johnson was running against Mark Harris and the incumbent, Robert Pittenger.

Johnson got 98 percent of the absentee by mail votes in Bladen County. Mark Harris got four votes. Robert Pittenger, an incumbent, got one vote.

We could be on the ballot and there's a good chance we'll probably get one vote by mistake, let alone an incumbent getting one vote in a primary.

The 2018 primary -- Mark Harris versus Robert Pittenger -- Harris received 96 percent of the absentee by mail votes.

BERMAN: It just doesn't happen in an election. It screams problem. And to a reporter like you, it screams opportunity. Go find out what's going on.

[07:55:02] And I want to point out you work in Charlotte, correct, which is about a 3-hour drive from these counties or a 3-hour drive from where you're headquartered.

What pushed you to go found out more and how did you do it?

BRUNO: Well, this is as much of a Charlotte story as it is a Bladen County story because Mark Harris and Dan McCready are both from Charlotte. The district stretches from Charlotte all the way down to Bladen County. It's a really long and interesting district in that respect.

But as soon as we saw that the Board of Elections chose to not certify this race, we knew they had to have something big, and we didn't know what it was at first.

Eventually, through sources and just being on the ground here in Bladen County, we were able to track down key players by going door- to-door, stopping by multiple times, and eventually earning their trust to do interviews with us. And that's how we really found out what was going on here.

BERMAN: Knocking on doors. Sometimes you have to knock on doors and ask people to tell you their story. And when that story is that I went and collected absentee ballots, you know you're on to something.

What was your feeling when you had these women admit to you, basically, that there was something that was not right -- something criminal here?

BRUNO: What they did was totally illegal but, at the same time, you kind of feel empathy for the people who were involved in this. They seemed sincere when they said that they had no idea what they were doing is illegal.

Now, of course, they were working for McCrae Dowless and Dowless has been doing this operation for years, and that's why the investigators are trying to figure out just how much did everybody know about this.

And -- but this is Bladen County. The average income in Bladen County is about $29,000. It was a community hit hard by Hurricane Florence and many of the people who were involved in this -- who were picking up those absentee ballots -- they say they really just needed that extra $75-$100 to help make ends meet. One woman actually told me she needed that extra $100 so she can afford to buy Christmas presents this year.

BERMAN: Oh. So what happens now, Joe? I was reading -- "The Charlotte Observer" is actually calling for a new election. Do you think that's a possibility?

BRUNO: It seems like it is a new possibility. What's interesting is that if the state Board of Elections orders a new election, we're back to the same candidates, Mark Harris, Dan McCready, and the Libertarian.

But, if the U.S. House orders a special election, then we're going back to a whole new ballgame with a new primary, a new general, and everything.

There is no time line for all of this. Of course, new members of Congress are being sworn in January third, but there's a chance that the 9th District could have no representation when that day comes.

BERMAN: Right.

There's a state option here to deal with. There is a federal House option to deal with. And while we don't know which way it will go, that's not clear. What is clear is there is a stink over this election that was exposed thanks to the good work you've done.

Joe Bruno, thanks so much for being with us this morning. I fully expect to be working for you someday in the near future. Thanks so much, Joe -- great work.

BRUNO: Thank you.

BERMAN: All right.

So, what is next in the Mueller probe? We're going to break down a big week. We have new developments coming tomorrow. That's now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Smoke is starting to generate on what happened in the team around the president.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think Paul Manafort is going to get the book thrown at him.

SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R), SOUTH CAROLINA: If there was collusion, it would be hard for me to believe that Flynn didn't know about it. I don't think there's anything there.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's no question in my mind that the crown prince ordered this.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Senators from the president's own party are firmly at odds with his administration.

MIKE POMPEO, SECRETARY OF STATE: We're doing everything we can to keep the strategic relationship.

BRIAN MULRONEY, FORMER PRIME MINISTER OF CANADA: When George Bush was president, every single head of government knew that they were dealing with a gentleman.

JON MEACHAM, PRESIDENTIAL HISTORIAN AND AUTHOR: An imperfect man, he left us a more perfect union.

BUSH: And in our grief, let us smile knowing that dad is hugging Robin and holding mom's hand again.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: This is NEW DAY with Alisyn Camerota and John Berman.

BERMAN: We've got a full table here. Good morning, everyone. Welcome to your NEW DAY. It is Thursday, December sixth, 8:00 in the east.

Alisyn is off. Erica Hill joins me at the head of the table this morning.

HILL: Oh, I get to be at the head of the table today.

BERMAN: Yes.

HILL: A fine day.

BERMAN: I clearly can't do the toast, myself.

We are at a critical point in the Mueller investigation. The special counsel's office is starting to release actual information -- court documents now that we're seeing -- and they provide insight into what they're looking at and to what they have already determined.

Of course, sometimes these documents are raising new questions, like this. What's behind the toner there -- the pages of redactions in the sentencing memo for fired Trump national security adviser Michael Flynn -- there's that.

And prosecutors will release a sentencing memo tomorrow for Michael Cohen and his plea deal with the special counsel. What more will we learn about his cooperation?

And also tomorrow, prosecutors tell us exactly what they say Paul Manafort lied --