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The Lead with Jake Tapper

Jeb Bush Clearing Path For 2016 Run; State Department Deeply Concerned By West Bank Incident; Florida State University Quarterback Taunted By Oregon Players; Bono: I May Never Play Guitar Again; Great Scott: It's 2015

Aired January 02, 2015 - 16:30   ET

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

JAKE TAPPER, CNN HOST: In other politics news, it's New Year so it's time for resolutions. Eat right, go to the gym, quit smoking, divest your interest from boards of non-profit organizations and private sector corporations that could complicate your presidential run.

OK that last one isn't really a common New Year's resolution, but it was breaking news as the ball dropped Wednesday night. Jeb Bush is taking that step getting ready for his 2016 possible presidential candidacy.

So let's talk about resolutions that he and the other would-be candidates need to make. We're going to make those resolutions for them. Joining me is Chris Moody, senior correspondent for cnnpolitics.com, and Molly Ball, national political reporter for "The Atlantic." Thanks for being here. Happy New Year.

Let me start with Hillary Clinton, one that I hear from a lot of people out there. Hillary Clinton's resolution perhaps should be, don't act as if this is your nomination to take for granted, work for it. Earn it. Act as if you're the underdog.

MOLLY BALL, NATIONAL POLITICAL REPORTER, "THE ATLANTIC": I think that's right. I think in general, Hillary has to make sure that she doesn't make the mistake she made eight years ago in 2008.

That's been a lot of what we've been hearing right from her inner circle, from her advisers as she gears up to begin this run officially, is that she wants to make sure not to have the same sort of top-heavy, consultant-heavy infighting ribbon campaign.

That it was so cautious that it could never show her as a human being. So I think part of that resolution also needs to be for her to open up, talk to reporters. This is a self-interested resolution by me. But I think she has going to have to show a side of herself that isn't just sort of Clinton, Inc.

TAPPER: And Chris, let me ask you about Jeb Bush because obviously one of his resolutions was a housecleaning. OK, I'm going to be hit for all this stuff, let me get rid of it as much as I can. I'm going divest and remove my name for all these boards. What else do you think Jeb Bush needs to do? What's his resolution?

CHRIS MOODY, CNN POLITICS SENIOR DIGITAL CORRESPONDENT: In 2015, Jeb definitely needs to make nice with conservatives but without compromising his principles. That's very important. He can't necessarily pull a Mitt Romney and say, look at all the things I did in the past 20 years, let's pretend that didn't exist.

Let's just shake the sketch. That's not something Jeb can do. But what he can do is have meetings with top conservatives, talk to them about his positions, on things that make them uneasy such as immigration or on education with his full-throated support for common core.

I think he's got a long way to go with them. But as we've seen with polls, CNN did a poll this month that showed him pulling more than 20 percent among Republicans. They are willing to listen to them. He has to set up those meetings.

TAPPER: Do you have a resolution for Jeb?

BALL: I think Chris is right. In a larger sense what he's done so far is very smart in terms of getting in the arena. I think that's a resolution that he's sort of already committed to by getting out --

TAPPER: He's ahead of the pack --

BALL: Yes, because he's been one of the first to make a not so formal announcement and to take some action. For someone who hasn't been in an elected office for nearly a decade, he has to get in there and show that he has the ability to make himself part of the conversation. And I think Chris is exactly right that the kind of political work is going to be the next step.

TAPPER: One resolution I thought of for Senator Rand Paul from Kentucky who is thinking about a presidential run, maybe even is the most forward-leaning in suggesting that he's definitely going to run, came when I was thinking about Steve Scalise.

The embattle House majority whip who is dealing with all these questions about this group that he may or may not have spoken to in 2002, a white supremacist group.

Bill crystal did a tweet about, if Scalise did this, what about Rand Paul, all the groups that he's been associated over the years so perhaps not housecleaning. Perhaps it's cleaning out of his closet.

Rand Paul, I think, as a New Year's resolution should just get it all out there. She just gets rid of it. Otherwise, the other campaigns are going to be dripping it for the next year and a half.

MOODY: The Democrats have a whole list of things they're ready to drip on him. Remember Rand Paul has several decades as a libertarian activist affiliated with lots of groups before he became a senator and we've seen him evolved on certain issues as he's seen certain things change.

And so what he's going to have to do is articulate those changes and if they are happening, explain why they've happened and why he's changed on certain issues and also what on the ground has changed? We saw that last year when he was talking about ISIS and with giving aid to Israel or revoking aid from Israel.

And he's going to have to be very upfront about if he's changed, admit it and then articulate your new position.

TAPPER: New Year's resolution for Rand?

BALL: He has to get better at dealing with criticism, too. I mean, when he's been confronted with some of these things by Chris and others in the past, he's tried to deny that there's been any change or he's gotten very defensive, for example, about the controversy involving a member of his staff who had some confederate writings.

So I think he needs to get much better at maintaining his equilibrium and not lashing out at people who make very valid criticisms of him.

TAPPER: OK, and lastly, Chris Christie, quick take on his New Year's resolution?

MOODY: In 2015, get the money. I'm talking about the big money, the big GOP establishment donors because Jeb Bush is coming in there and chilling a lot of the big donors right now saying, I keep your powder dry. I'm coming in. Christie needs to come in and make the case that he's the one that should get their dollars not necessarily Jeb Bush.

TAPPER: Quick resolution for Christie.

BALL: Yes. Christie's got to get his groove back. I don't know exactly how he does that. Bridgegate hit and ever since then, he's never recaptured that appeal that was so incredibly appealing to both New Jersey voters and national Republicans. So he's got to figure out a way to turn back into that guy.

TAPPER: All right, Molly Ball, Chris Moody, thank you so much. Neither of you need to make any resolutions. You're perfect as you are in my view.

This just in, the State Department says that it is deeply concerned by an incident in the west bank where Israeli settlers today hurled rocks at American diplomats and blocked a U.S. convoy. One witness told Reuters that an American security guard was forced to draw his weapon.

But the State Department refutes that claim. The episode took place earlier today near the west bank. Authorities are still investigating what happened and are coordinating with U.S. officials.

Hard hits at the Rose Bowl especially for Jameis Winston, how opposing players taunted the Florida State quarterback? Can he ever escape the rape allegations that never officially manifested with charges? We'll discuss that in our Sports Lead.

Also the big news revealed in a blog post that could be life- changing for Bono, his major concern ahead on THE LEAD.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

TAPPER: Welcome back to THE LEAD. The Sports Lead now, ever since he emerged as a redshirt freshman quarterback turned Heisman Trophy winner, Jameis Winston's career has been defined by two things, success and scandal.

While the Florida State University star's winning streak came to an embarrassing end in last night's Rose Bowl in the midst of a 59- 20 rout courtesy of the Oregon Ducks, it was not just the loss that made headlines.

Winston, as you may recall, was accused of rape but never officially charged. After last night's game, Oregon players took a shot at the quarterback by chanting "no means no" to the tune of the Florida State's fight song.

Winston has not said whether he plans to make himself eligible for the NFL draft this year. But if he does, did those Oregon players just give him a small taste of what he could be in store for in the pros?

I'm joined by "USA Today" sports columnist, Christine Brennan who's in Los Angeles and attended the Rose Bowl yesterday.

Christine, in your latest column about the players' taunting of Winston, you write, quote, "We should be pleased that they actually know the meaning and impact of the "no means no" phrase and shined a light on a famous man accused of rape," unquote. Explain what you mean by that.

CHRISTINE BRENNAN, SPORTS COLUMNIST, "USA TODAY": Jake, I do believe that, of course, the bigger headline for me is that the Oregon players, of course, should not have done that and the coach has said he will be internally taking care of this and punishing them for it.

The reason why is, of course, they're wearing Oregon uniforms. They are representing their school at the Rose Bowl on national TV. You don't taunt another player after the game as a representative of your school.

So I do believe they should be punished. But, it's a more nuanced thought here about, but I'll go for it anyway and the idea being that the fact that they knew the term, the fact that they were using it to mock Jameis Winston, the allegations of rape.

The fact that they were basically ignored for a year by Tallahassee police and Florida State, it was really an awful turn of events of how Florida State and the Tallahassee police, as you know, Jake, handled these very serious allegations against Jameis Winston.

So the fact it was being brought up and mocking Jameis Winston, again, I'm not for that, but there was a part of me that said, these players understood the issue.

This is not like "I can't breathe" at all. But it was a little slice of what you said, what I think Jameis Winston is going to see moving forward for the rest of his career. TAPPER: Really, do you think this rape accusation could impact where he ends up playing professionally?

BRENNAN: I think it could, Jake. I also think that -- let's take the rape allegation, which of course he was very charged. Take that out of the equation for a moment. It brought a spotlight on to Tallahassee and Florida State and Jameis Winston that I don't think he'll ever shake.

But these other things, shoplifting crab legs at Publix, stealing soda at Burger King, being in possession of a bb gun and several other things and the worst of all was screaming a vulgarity in the Florida State Student Union while standing on a tabletop as a leader of the football team.

This guy has a body of work, frankly, that is embarrassing, appalling. We might chuckle a little bit about some of it, but it's not funny. He is a role model and a young man representing a university.

All of that aside from the allegations of rape, Jake, I think absolutely are things that will follow him the same way Johnny Manziel deals with some of the issues that followed him into the pros.

TAPPER: All right, Christine Brennan, thank you so much and happy New Year to you.

The Pop Culture Lead, it is news that has U2 fans feeling like they are, quote, "stuck in a moment" they can't get out of. Bono has revealed he may never play the guitar again all because of a bicycle accident this past November in New York City's Central Park.

Bono broke his arm in that accident in six spots. He hurt his shoulder blade and even fractured his eye socket. And in a blog post on the band's web site, last night he disclosed his recovery has been so slow.

He is now worried that his days of guitar playing may be over. In fact, Bono has canceled all upcoming public appearances. Instead he said he plans to dedicate his time planning getting ready physically for U2's next tour, which is supposed to start this spring.

The Buried Lead now, if you're a nerd, like me, it's the first question you ask when the clock struck midnight 2015. Where is my hoverboard? I was promised one in the blockbuster hit "Back To The Future" which came out 30 years ago and its sequels. This, 2015, is the future. This is the year Marty McFly and Doc Brown zoomed off to visit in their souped-up flying Delorean.

You see the whole premise of the sequel was about all the amazing technology we would have in the future, today. How did the team behind the movies do in their predictions?

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TAPPER: Don't touch anything, Marty. We're finally here. We're at the future, the year 2015.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In 2015? We're in the future.

TAPPER: And it is exactly as "back to the Future" from 1985 --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Where we're going, we don't need roads.

TAPPER: And it's sequel "Back to the Future Part 2" foretold --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We were fortunate enough to have a time machine in our movie that we were able to stretch the sequel form.

TAPPER: Yes, that stretch included a future with hoverboards and flying cars --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I need to borrow your -- hoverboard?

TAPPER: Now hoverboards aren't exactly ubiquitous yet. This spoof from last year looked convincing. It even featured Doc Brown and legendary skateboarder, Tony Hawk, but just a few weeks ago, this video came out of Hawk riding a prototype of an actual hoverboard from Hendo Hoverboards.

How about those flying cars? Cars these days are still a ground-based technology, but there is something of a tech race going on to create the first flying car.

The Massachusetts firm has been working on a model as well as I-tech which sells a flying dune buggy today. And there was a patent filed for the self-tying shoes from Nike.

In the 2009, the shoe giant filed a patent for that technology, but no sign of them hitting stores just yet or self-adjusting jackets. So the film was a little optimistic and in some cases completely off.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Now they've abolished all lawyers.

TAPPER: The 3-d movies are big at the Box Office even if we never got to "Jaws 19" or a hologram-attacking movie poster. But on the small screen, nailed it, and those teleconferences on flat screen TVs look like pure sci-fi fiction in 1989.

But today flat screen TVs are everywhere and you can video conference on your cell phone, even, though phones were one area where the movie really whiffed. Pay phones dot the set, but they're almost nowhere to be found today.

And fax machines, though they're still around, barely, played a huge role in that movie's fake future. When it comes to the Mcflys at dinner, we're still waiting on those instant pizzas and ceiling mounted gardens.

But we did get kids preoccupied by their own digital worlds, of course, instead of iPhones and iPads, the film used glasses-based devices. Of course, you can pick up a call today on your Google glass. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Nobody calls me chicken needles.

TAPPER: A few years ago, the star of the film, Michael J. Fox said it best about the trilogy.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The irony of this movie about time is that it's timeless.

TAPPER: And one last thing --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Cubs win World Series against Miami?

TAPPER: Miami does now have a baseball team. But I wouldn't hold onshore breath for either the Marlins or the Cubbies to make the series this fall. That is truly the work of fiction.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hello, hello, hello? Anybody home?

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TAPPER: Also making appearances in the 1989 film, drones, automation and biometric identification, all of which are increasingly part of our lives today.

Back in 1989, Roger Ebert called the "Back to the Future" sequel and exercise in goofiness but fun. His blessing was often considered critical to a film success. Coming up next, we preview the amazing documentary that looks at Ebert's life and his influence at the movies.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

TAPPER: Welcome back to THE LEAD. I'm Jake Tapper. The pop Culture Lead now, before there were Facebook likes, he owned the thumbs-up, a man who could make or break a film or a filmmaker with just this single digit.

This Sunday, CNN will showcase a documentary about movie critic, Roger Ebert's life, behind the scenes from his early days to the legacy he leaves behind, including that patented seal of approval.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TAPPER (voice-over): Thumbs up, it's the unmistakably simple sign for good. The Fonz may have made it a sit-com staple in the '70s, but along with Gene Siskel, Roger Ebert in the 80s turned the single digit decree into one of Hollywood's most recognizable measures of success.

PETER DEBRUGE, CHIEF INTERNATIONAL FILM CRITIC, "VARIETY": He was the most famous thumb in America in addition to being at the end of his life the most influential film critic this country had ever had.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Roger Ebert called them like he sees them.

TAPPER: Now critics argued that the yes-no model was too simplistic. In 1987, for instance, Ebert gave Stanley Kubrick's "full metal jacket" a thumbs-down and Benjie "The Hunted" a thumbs-up.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is a show where you give Benjie a thumbs up --

ROGER EBERT: That's unfair. You realize these reviews are relative.

TAPPER: Ebert agreed with the limitations of the digit writing in his journal, quote, "The problem comes with the movies in the middle. The only rating system that makes any sense, he wrote, is the little man of the San Francisco Chronicle, which shows a range of emotion."

Nevertheless, Siskel and Ebert trademarked the two thumbs-up approach and as their influence grew, the ranking could sink a film.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Whoever thought that was a good idea for a movie?

TAPPER: Or shine a spotlight on new talent with the single flick of a risk. Director Steve James credits Ebert's support for helping to make the small budget movie a time-honored classic.

DEBRUGE: If that's the first sort of gust of wind you have in your sails is an endorsement from Roger Ebert, I think it's lasted many filmmakers an entire career.

TAPPER: Now nearly two decades later, James turned the camera on Ebert for the documentary "Life Itself," a look at the icon at his highest and lowest points.

Ebert kept his thumbs held high throughout his brutal battle with cancer and up until his final hours, he flooded social media with the kind of candid commentary that made him a household name.

DEBRUGE: There was real nervousness I think from any filmmaker that they would end up on the wrong side of that thumb because it was coming from someone who seemed as reasonable as Ebert.

TAPPER: His reasoning is what made even his most blunt reviews resonate with audiences and filmmakers.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's a nice guy, but he's not that nice.

TAPPER: Today, new films are flickering onto the screen without the benefit of Ebert's critical assessments, those made with one finger and all ten on his keyboard. Father Michael Flager concluded the memorial for Ebert with, "the balconies of heaven are filled with angels saying thumbs-up."

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TAPPER: I'm joined now by Kenneth Turan, a film critic for "The Los Angeles Times" and the author of the book, "Not To Be Missed, 54 Favorites From A Lifetime Of Film." Kenneth, thank you so much for joining us today.

I really enjoyed Ebert. But I have to say, I know that his thumbs-up, thumbs-down movie reviews were sneered at by many film critics in the 80s for being too simplistic and too dumbed down. What did you think?

KENNETH TURAN, FILM CRITIC, "LOS ANGELES TIMES": Well, I'm a critic and obviously you spend a lot of time and effort crafting things, getting nuance in there. And a thumb doesn't have a lot of nuance. But on the other hand, roger really used his positive thumbs to really make small films, give them more visibility, foreign language films, documentaries as in "Hoop Dreams." It went both ways.

TAPPER: You say that Ebert's impact on film was much larger than the syndicated show he did with Gene Siskel?

TURAN: You know, he's reached people. This was really Roger's gift. He'd like people. I'd be with him in all parts of the world and people would come up and say hello. He really liked that. He liked convincing people that his films, the films he loved, were worth seeing. This was a great thing.

TAPPER: This documentary, I watched it a few days ago, it is really -- it's wonderful. It's a wonderful celebration of film. I learned so much about the man. You knew him. Did you learn anything after watching this movie?

TURAN: You know, I did. I didn't think I would. You know, I heard the film was coming. I have great respect for Steve James and I wanted to see it. But I was surprised, I found out more about his illness and also seeing him battle the illness day in, day out.

You really got much more appreciation for kind of his courage and his stamina and his will, and also even though I knew about the battles he has with Gene Siskel, to see it in the way that the film portrays it gave me new insight into that too. So even I learned stuff and I didn't really expect to.

TAPPER: That was also something else that was very enjoyable. They really did dislike each other for a lot of their relationship although they did come to have a grudging brotherly love for one another towards the end when Siskel died.

TURAN: Yes, that's true. Begrudging is exactly the word. But it's wonderful how you see that developed and there are outtakes of them bickering off camera that will freeze your blood. They really didn't like each other. But as you say they came together gradually and they got to appreciate each other. And that's really a charming thing to see.

TAPPER: What in your view is Roger Ebert's ultimate legacy?

TURAN: I think it's the popularization of difficult films, the popularization of documentaries like "Hoop Dreams," foreign language films, because he brought this great credibility to everything he did, he could kind of go to bat for a small film, a difficult film and people would give it a try.

And I think once you see one of these films and you see that it works for you then you're open to see others. I think that's a great legacy. TAPPER: Kenneth Turan, thank you so much. Keep up the great work. I love reading and hearing your work on NPR as well. It's an extraordinary must-see Roger Ebert's life as a film lover now on film.

Don't miss the CNN documentary "Life Itself." You can see it Sunday night at 9:00 p.m. right here on CNN. Make sure to follow me on Twitter @jaketapper and also @theleadcnn.

That's it for THE LEAD. I'm Jake Tapper. I now turn you over to Brianna Keilar who's in for Wolf Blitzer in "THE SITUATION ROOM."