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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin

Nobel Prize Awarded To Tunisian National Dialogue Quartet; McCarthy Withdraws From Speaker Race; Trump Takes Credit For McCarthy's Withdrawal; Carson Under Fire; South Carolina Gearing Up For More Flooding; Senate Warned About Syrian Refugees. Aired 5:30-6a ET

Aired October 09, 2015 - 05:30   ET

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

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back to EARLY START, everyone. I'm John Berman.

MICHELLE KOSINSKI, CNN GUEST ANCHOR: I'm Michelle Kosinski. It's half past the hour.

Breaking news, the Tunisian National Dialogue Quartet awarded the 2015 Nobel Peace Prize. The announcement is from Oslo, Norway within the last half hour. Let's go to CNN's Phil Black. Why do you think they awarded the prize to this group, Phil? PHIL BLACK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, in the reasoning, Michelle, they

talk about the real effort these four civil society groups made across religious and civil divides in a country following the Arab spring revolution, looked like it may fall into the same sort of chaos we have seen in the other Arab spring countries in Libya, Egypt and Syria.

These were all countries where back in 2010 and 2011, they rose up, one after the other, toppling authoritarian regimes. And what we've seen since that initial period of hope and optimism, really setbacks or worse particularly in Libya where there is chaos and violence.

Egypt to return to authoritarianism and of course, the bloodshed that has been taking place in Syria ever since. Tunisia is the one model of hope, a country where democracy has grown. You cannot say it has blossomed because it has been a very difficult road. At times it looked it may collapse.

This organization is credited with building that democratic tradition from scratch. Overcoming huge differences and divides within society to a place where the country was able to hold, its first Democratic presidential elections toward the end of last year.

So in some sense, it is a reward for the work that is being done and what has been accomplished, but it is also an aspirational award because the Democratic future of this country is not really guaranteed. Those differences, those divides still remain.

Terrorism has been striking hard at the heart of Tunisia this year attacking its tourism industry killing dozens of western tourists in two terrible separate attacks over the course of the year. So for all of these reasons, the democratic future of the country is not guaranteed. It is still working through it. It is still getting there. This organization of four civil society groups is significantly credited with making the difference that has resulted in Syria being something like it is today and not that worst-case scenario like Syria or Libya for that matter.

KOSINSKI: That's an interesting choice. Let's listen to part of that announcement.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It was instrumental in enabling Tunisia in the space of a few years to establish a constitutional system of government guaranteeing fundamental rights for the entire population irrespective of gender or religious belief.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KOSINSKI: Explaining some of it there. This is surprising to many people. What do you think of the message to the rest of the region that the committee might have wanted to send here, Phil?

BLACK: Well, what it is doing is sending a message that the Syrian scenario doesn't have to be the only result of a Democratic revolution, perhaps although, overwhelmingly, the results of the Arab spring did not live up to the hope they initially inspired.

This is one country through difficult hard work and some fortune and dedication, particularly, notably from the civil society groups. It has been able to bridge the divide that could have led it down a very different path.

This is also a country where those same threats and those same challenges to establishing democracy still exist where there is a strong Islamist component within the population where just next door, you have Libya, a country which is increasingly bloody and chaotic where ISIS has taken a foothold and from where the terrorist attacks were planned.

And those believed to have trained so a reward today for a country that has battled against great obstacle to establish democracy in the wake of a revolution, a country and civil society organizations within the country still working to overcome challenges that could and continue to pose a threat to that ongoing democratic development.

KOSINSKI: It's always some suspension surrounding this. That was an interesting choice. Phil Black, thanks.

BERMAN: All right, 34 minutes after the hour. Republicans, do you know where your next speaker is? At this point, the answer is no. Welcome to the political twilight zone. The capitol reeling after Major Leader Kevin McCarthy who had been the clear frontrunner for the job dropped out at the last minute unexpectedly.

Now there is no clear picture to replace John Boehner. This is how Kevin McCarthy explained his decision.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[05:35:07] REP. KEVIN MCCARTHY (R), HOUSE MAJORITY LEADER: I'll stay on as majority leader, but the one thing I found when talking to everybody if we are going to unite and be strong, we need a new face to help do that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: All right, there are many House Republicans who are now trying to convince Wisconsin's Paul Ryan to fill the void. The former vice presidential candidate, he said no way. Not once, but twice. But as we sit here this morning, maybe just maybe there is some wiggle room.

Let's get more now on all of this from CNN's chief political correspondent, Dana Bash.

DANA BASH, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: John and Michelle, shock, stunned, complete disbelief. We have run out of words to describe the feeling among House Republicans. What we witnessed and what we were part of when Kevin McCarthy went into what we thought would be an anti-climactic event.

We thought he would get the majority of votes within the Republican caucus to be the nominee for House speaker. Before it started, it was over because we were learning quickly standing right outside the door that Kevin McCarthy instead of giving his speech about why he wanted to be the House speaker gave a speech of why he was dropping out of the race.

Lots of reasons we are told why he did that. First and foremost, it was going to be very tough to get the majority of the House, 218 votes, at the end of October. And another we are told is even if he did get that, it would just be hard to govern. Right now the question is who is going to be House speaker?

Somebody has to do the job. At this point, the name of the game is Paul Ryan. Problem is he doesn't want the job. He has made that clear from the get-go. He doesn't want it. He wants to continue the current position of the chairman of the Ways and Means Committee.

He is a self-described policy wonk. He is looking forward to trying to reform the tax code and doing that with his current perch and then maybe leaving the House, not staying in Congress forever. He is a young man, but he is getting a lot of pressure.

The current House Speaker John Boehner is trying to convince him to stay and others are trying to convince him to put his hat in ring. There is a meeting later this morning among House Republicans where they are going to try to begin to sort out their differences and trying to figure out if they can find that person to replace Kevin McCarthy to be in the running who could get the majority.

All we know is that John Boehner, the current House speaker, still insists he is out of there at the end of October -- John and Michelle.

KOSINSKI: Congress full of surprises. Thanks, Dana. So with McCarthy now out of the race for House speaker, who else is left? Keep in mind, anybody could throw their hat in the race even John Berman.

Utah's Jason Chaffetz has already declared he is running and conservatives are backing little known Florida lawmaker, Daniel Webster, a fierce critic of John Boehner.

Also in contention is Lynn Westmoreland of Georgia, best known for backing an amendment to a spending bill that would have allowed confederate flags to fly at grave sites in federal cemeteries.

And former House Speaker Newt Gingrich indicating he would be interested if asked. Officially declaring, though, they are not running are Washington's Kathy McMorris Rogers and Trey Gowdy of South Carolina, chairman of the House Select Committee on Benghazi.

BERMAN: Now Donald Trump takes credit for knocking Kevin McCarthy out of the race for House speaker. Trump expressed doubts about McCarthy's fitness for the position last week after the majority leader made comments about the Benghazi committee. He bragged it had been hurting Hillary Clinton politically.

Listen to Trump's reaction to McCarthy's decision to pull out.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: You know, a lot of people are giving me credit for it and only because of the level of toughness. We need somebody that's very tough and I've been saying that, and I think Kevin is a very nice guy.

But we need somebody that's very tough and very smart. Not just tough. We need somebody that's very, very smart and can do the right thing for the country. Kevin was showing that it was a hard thing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: Chris Christie campaigning in New Hampshire. He insists voters don't care about the speaker's race. He says the American people just want the dysfunction in Washington to end.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOVERNOR CHRIS CHRISTIE (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: This is an inside Washington, D.C. game. I have to tell you the truth, Jake, nobody in America could cares less about. They don't care who the speaker is going to be. What they want is a Congress, who is actually going to do something.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: Dr. Ben Carson praised McCarthy for the decision to withdraw from the race. He says the California congressman is unselfishly putting the party ahead of his own political ambitions.

KOSINSKI: Carson, though, not backing down from comments about how he once deflected an armed robber at a fast food restaurant. The retired neurosurgeon drew a lot of criticism for suggesting the victims of the Oregon college massacre should have rushed the gunman instead of sitting back and getting killed.

[05:40:00] Now earlier this week, he told a story about how a would-be robber once put a gun against his ribs at a Popeye's. Carson claimed he redirected the gunman to hold up a store employee instead. Now he is trying to explain why he didn't attack the suspect instead.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BEN CARSON (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: This is somebody who comes into a joint to rob it. Not somebody who is sequentially killing people.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST, "THE SITUATION ROOM": You didn't know he was just going to rob the joint. He potentially could have killed you.

CARSON: I did know that. The fact of the matter is maybe this is a level of sophistication that people learn from living on the streets. I knew that guy was not there to murder everybody.

BLITZER: How could you possibly know that he had a gun?

CARSON: I knew he was not there to murder all the people. I knew he was there to rob the place.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KOSINSKI: Now Carson is triggering a new round of controversy suggesting the holocaust might have been prevented if more Jews had guns. Here's what he told Wolf Blitzer.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Just clarify if there had been no gun control laws in Europe at that time, would six million Jews have been slaughtered?

CARSON: I think the likelihood of Hitler being able to accomplish his goals, would have been greatly diminished if the people have been armed.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KOSINSKI: The anti-defamation league is blasting those comments calling them historically inaccurate.

BERMAN: Here are some big news about Joe Biden for those trying to read the tea leaves about whether he might announce he is running for president maybe as soon as this weekend. According to an official with a Democratic National Committee, representatives from the vice president's office held a meeting with DNC staffers yesterday. Those staffers briefed Biden aides on crucial rules that they need to understand if Joe Biden does decide to run for president, a lot of timing issues. A lot of ways you have to file in certain states for primaries.

The Democratic National Convention held similar meetings for all of the candidates who have already declared for president, Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, Jim Webb, Martin O'Malley and Lincoln Chaffee.

But of course, with Joe Biden, you know, the speculation is will he have the meeting because he wants to run or they are just trying to get all the information as they head into this weekend. Biden is expected to meet with his family this weekend probably to make a final decision.

KOSINSKI: Can we say the plot thickens?

BERMAN: It does indeed. Just in time for the first Democratic debate hosted by CNN and Facebook. It is Tuesday night at 8:30 p.m. Eastern Time.

KOSINSKI: South Carolina bracing for more flooding, a new warning from the state's governor next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[05:46:06]

KOSINSKI: There are more flooding concerns this morning for already hard hit South Carolina. Governor Nikki Haley warning the state is not out of the woods just yet with swollen rivers ready to spill over their banks.

Haley says areas northwest of Charleston could be flooded over the next 72 hours. The warning coming after the governor toward storm ravaged parts of the state.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOVERNOR NIKKI HALEY (R), SOUTH CAROLINA: What we saw is devastating. You are seeing boats in yards and you're seeing houses under water. You are seeing damage at levels we never thought we would see. The problem is more is coming. We saw that. We saw the water levels high. We see the water moving. We see which way it's going. It's coming here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KOSINSKI: For more on that flooding threat still facing South Carolina, we turn to CNN's meteorologist, Derek Van Dam.

DEREK VAN DAM, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, John and Michelle. Even though the rain has temporarily come to an end across the Carolinas, there are still flash flood warnings in effect for the greater Charleston area. This is for the potential of flooding into the early weekend.

Remember, rivers just to the north and east of Charleston, like the Santee River is still projected to crest at 24 feet. That could lead to the possibility of major flooding heading into Saturday and Sunday.

On top of this, there is additional rain in the forecast. Look at this. This is the radar. You see an oncoming cold front. That will bring anywhere between 1 to 2 even locally up to 4 inches of rainfall for the areas that were hardest hit last week by the heavy rainfall.

You can see the cold front sweeping across the great lakes already cooling our temperatures. Guess what? We will cool the weather across the New England coast as well. Temperatures taking a nose dive with the passage of the cold front unfortunately bringing rainfall to the areas that do not need it. Look at D.C., 66 on Saturday and New York, 64. Back to you.

KOSINSKI: Terrible to see that rain. Thanks, Derek.

Homeland Security has a new warning about Syrian refugees heading to the U.S. ahead on EARLY START.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[05:51:49]

KOSINSKI: The U.S. agreeing to take in 10,000 more Syrian refugees to help with the growing refugee crisis in Europe, top national security officials are sounding a warning telling a Senate committee there are serious gaps when it comes to our ability to screen them all. We get more from CNN's Evan Perez.

EVAN PEREZ, CNN JUSTICE REPORTER: John and Michelle, top U.S. national security officials say there is a gap in the data that the government will use to screen potential Syrian refugees. The U.S. says it plans to take in 10,000 Syrian refugees in the next year.

The chiefs of the FBI, Homeland Security Department and the National Counterterrorism Center, testified at a Senate hearing on Thursday. They say that incomplete intelligence information poses a problem for screening Syrian refugees.

Here is FBI Director Jim Comey discussing the challenge.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JIM COMEY, FBI DIRECTOR: My concern there is that there are certain gaps in the data available to us.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PEREZ: Officials are trying to avoid a repeat of problems in screening Iraqi refugees in the past decade. U.S. authorities failed to flag terror suspects who entered the country among legitimate refugees. In 2013, these two Iraqi men were sentenced to long prison sentences in Kentucky after their fingerprints were found on improvised explosives used against U.S. soldiers in Iraq

Now officials say they believe the U.S. is doing a much better job in how it screens these refugees. That is a key part of reassuring lawmakers and the public to support helping more refugees -- John and Michelle.

KOSINSKI: Now we know that process can take a year and a half per person. Thanks, Evan.

Your beloved Netflix that you maybe cannot live without will soon cost you more, an EARLY START on your money next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[05:57:29]

KOSINSKI: Alison Kosik is here because it is never too early to talk about money.

ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: It always a good time to talk about money, exactly. We are watching stocks around the world, Asian shares ending higher. European shares following their lead.

But U.S. stock futures are slightly lower at the moment, but yesterday, the Dow has another better day, triple digit rally, closing up 138 points. That is five straight days of gains for the Dow. The S&P is 500 closing above 2,000 for the first time since August.

All right, it will cost the Netflix subscribers a little more to watch shows like "Orange Is the New Black" and stream the latest movies. Netflix is hiking its standard plan by $1 to $9.99 a month.

Now the plan lets people watch programming on two devices at the same time, but this price hike is effective immediately if you are a new subscriber.

But it's not going to affect existing subscribers for another year. Netflix premium and basic plans, they are going to stay in the same price and you can't say no.

KOSINSKI: Yes, now people are hooked. Chaos in Congress this morning. "NEW DAY" starts now.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Congress in chaos.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The man expected to be the next speaker of the House drops out of the race.

BERMAN: Welcome to the political twilight zone.

BASH: This is not anything that I would ever report to you. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Absolutely stunned, did not see that coming.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are very shocked.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My choice right now, Paul Ryan.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think he could be a consensus candidate.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have a hostage crisis within the Republican Party.

CARSON: Many of the places where these mass shootings occur are gun- free zones.

BLITZER: What is the point you are trying to make? If there had been guns in Germany, there may not be a Holocaust?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The skies over Syria are extremely crowded indeed.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: At some point, the United States will have to decide the real goal.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, everyone. Welcome to your NEW DAY. It is Friday, October 9th, 6:00 in the east. Chris and Michaela are off. There is only one man who can fill Michaela shoes and that is John Berman.

Up first, House Republicans looking for a new leader on the day they were supposed to coronate their candidate to be the next speaker, Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy drops the bombshell that he was dropping out of the race.

BERMAN: Paul Ryan, if you are watching right now and have something to tell us, call. It is the minority of the party in the House stirring the ship right now to the extent it's being stirred at all.

Are there parallels this morning between the turmoil in the House and the rise of outsiders like Donald Trump and Ben Carson in the presidential race? Let's begin our coverage with CNN's senior political reporter, Manu Raju, live on our Capitol Hill. Manu, what's happening now?