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Senate Republican Leadership Addresses Massachusetts Win; Senator-Elect Scott Brown Greets Media; Haiti Rocked By Powerful Aftershock
Aired January 20, 2010 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, everyone. I'm Don lemon. Tony is off today. You are in the CNN NEWSROOM.
We begin this hour with a startling political upset that has republicans revved up and democrats really trying to regroup. Republican Scott Brown wins the Senate seat held for decades by the late Ted Kennedy. His victory puts health care reform and the rest of President Obama's agenda in jeopardy. Brown defeated state attorney general Martha Coakley, once considered to be a shoe-in.
As Coakley conceded, Brown said his win was a preview of what's ahead for democrats.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SCOTT BROWN (R), MASSACHUSETTS SENATOR-ELECT: We have the machine scared and scrambling and for them it's just the beginning of an election year filled with many, many surprises, I can tell you that.
They will be challenged again and again across this great land and when there's trouble in Massachusetts, rest assured, there's trouble everywhere, and they know it.
MARTHA COAKLEY (D), FORMER MASSACHUSETTS SENATE CANDIDATE: We will always remember our terrific Senator Ted Kennedy and his words, the work begins anew, the hope rises again and the dream lives on.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Let's get more now on Brown's win and what it means. We'll bring in our national political correspondent Jessica Yellin, she is in Boston, and congressional correspondent Brianna Keilar is on Capitol Hill.
Let's start with you, Jessica. You know, we've been saying that this was a surprise win, but really for the past couple of weeks or so, the polls have been showing that Brown was a favorite there.
JESSICA YELLIN, CNN NATIONAL POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Don. The polls about two weeks ago showed that Brown was surging, but it was a surprise before then. Part of the dynamic at play here is that the democrat who won handily in her primary was 30 points up a month ago and her campaign just stopped taking polls. They became a little complacent, the national democrats became a little complacent in trusting that the locals were handling it and they didn't see that this candidate, Scott Brown, local state senator, was going door-to-door around this state telling voters he was going to stand up for them and building a head of steam. By the time they actually saw a public poll, again as you point out it was two weeks ago, and by then in this short and contracted campaign because it was such a tight, special election campaign, it was too late to stop his momentum.
I've talked to a number of national republicans this morning who are enormously cheered. They think this bodes so well for them, the wind is at their back, they say, going forward to the midterms. But the word of caution is if the democrats take a course correction, and lots of democrats are saying it's time for Washington to do it, it will be -- it could be a fierce, fierce election campaign ahead come November -- Don.
LEMON: Here's the interesting thing. Everyone's saying, you know, the midterms, it's going to be interesting, it's a referendum on the Obama campaign. Here's the thing, lots of blame to go around. Some people are saying that Martha Coakley sort of thought she was going to win it so she didn't go out and campaign as hard or some are saying it's apathy on the part of voters. But really the republicans got revved up even outside Massachusetts donating some $12 million into Scott Brown's campaign.
So really, how much of this is the democratic party's own fault because they didn't get the same amount of support outside of Massachusetts behind Martha Coakley?
YELLIN: The lesson here is that the angry voters are the ones who are turning out to vote, which is what one of the key players in the Coakley campaign said last night, and that Scott Brown was able to tap into it. He was able to tap into that anger.
And when I talk to democrats, they say the course correction that democrats need is not necessarily a policy change but a communications strategy, a message to energize those angry voters. And Scott Brown was able to do it around the issue of health care here in this state, because it's a unique state that already has health care.
In fact I'm being reminded, we have some sound of Scott Brown talking about health care in the campaign. Can we play that just quickly? You can hear the energy he's tapping into.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: One thing is clear, one thing is very, very clear as I travelled throughout the state, people do not want the trillion dollar health care plan that is being forced -- that is being forced on the American people. And this bill is not being debated openly and fairly. It will raise taxes, it will raise taxes, it will hurt Medicare, it will destroy jobs and run our nation deeper into debt.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: We're going to get back to our Jessica Yellin and Brianna Keilar in just a little bit, but first we want to go live. Mitch McConnell is holding a GOP leadership press conference and we want to listen in.
(JOINED IN PROGRESS)
SEN. MITCH MCCONNELL (R-KY), MINORITY LEADER: ... and drive insurance rates up for most of the rest of our country. And I think we heard a large and resounding message yesterday in one of the most, if not arguably the most, liberal states in America. The people of Massachusetts spoke and spoke loudly.
One concern I know a number of you had about the outcome of this election would be whether the new senator would be seated soon. I'm convinced now that no gamesmanship will be played by the other side with regard to future votes in the Senate, thanks to Senator Jim Webb of Virginia. He's made it clear he will not participate in any additional health care votes prior to Senator Brown being sworn in.
And I noticed that elected officials in Massachusetts who are principally responsible for certifying the election after earlier saying it could take up to two weeks now indicated it could be as soon as today. So I don't believe that the kind of thing we've seen on full display with the Cornhusker kick back, the Louisiana Purchase, the Gatorade drafting of the bill behind closed doors. I think the majority has gotten the message, no more gamesmanship and no more lack of transparency. Let's honor the wishes of the people of Massachusetts and move forward with policy -- with our policy debates.
With that, let me call on our outstanding chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee who played an important role in yesterday's victory, John Cornyn.
SEN. JOHN CORNYN (R),TEXAS: Thanks, Mitch.
First and foremost, I know we all would like to congratulate Scott Brown on an outstanding campaign he ran and won yesterday. There is no election that can be won without a good candidate and one that understands the temper of the times, what people are concerned about, and is able to deliver a message that responds effectively to their concerns, and Scott Brown did it to near perfection.
And what was the message that the people of Massachusetts were sending? It is they are simply fed up and tired of being shut out of the process. And what did they get yesterday with electing Scott Brown? They got a seat at the table, and that's what we've been wanting all year is a seat at the table where we can work together on a bipartisan basis to come up with solutions to the problems that confront our country. Nothing more, nothing less.
And so I hope that this will usher in a new era of transparency and willingness to work together rather than the sort of special sweetheart deals cut behind closed doors that cause so much concern in the health care bill and elsewhere.
And let me just say that the health care bill is a very important part of what is debated and decided yesterday in this election, but it's not all that was decided. The American people sent a very clear message through the voters in Massachusetts they're concerned about the spending and the debt and the government intervention in their lives in ways that limits their freedoms and opportunities in the future of their children and grandchildren.
And so I hope that message has been received. I hope that we'll be able to work together in the best interests of the American people and, again, let me congratulate Scott Brown on an outstanding victory and a wonderful campaign.
Any questions?
QUESTION: Senator McConnell, can you talk a little bit about what's going to happen now with the health care debate moving forward? How does this change the game for you (INAUDIBLE) if the democrats say they want to continue to move forward?
MCCONNELL: Well, at the risk of being redundant, what I think will be clear is there will be no further action in the Senate, thanks to Senator Webb, until Scott Brown is sworn in.
I can't speak for the House. And there has been discussion obviously on the House side about whether or not they would simply take up the Senate bill and pass it. I don't consider myself an expert on the House, but I am aware of one issue that could be very problematic for them, and that's the issue of whether or not the taxpayers would pay for abortions. I know that the one republican in the House who voted for the bill initially has indicated he could not support the bill in the absence of the Stupak language and my assumption is the author of the Stupak Amendment might have trouble voting for it.
So I think there are a number of complications, but really it's an internal democratic matter about which none of us are great experts.
LEMON: All right. You're listening in now to GOP leadership holding a press conference there in Washington talking about the win of Scott Brown yesterday in Massachusetts.
I want to bring back in our CNN correspondents Jessica Yellin in Boston and Brianna Keilar on Capitol Hill.
Brianna, we're going to get to you quickly, but Jessica, you saw both men there, John Cornyn and Mitch McConnell, talking about health care and how important this was and that's basically what Scott Brown said just before we went to that press conference.
YELLIN: That's right, Don. One of the peculiarities of this race is that Scott Brown was in a state that already has health care, and so Massachusetts voters have a unique reaction to it. So in some ways the Obama administration is having a hard run here because they're getting repudiation based on a state that's not representative of the rest of the nation in that way.
But what was representative, the polls show was frustration with the big government, with the way these health care discussions have been carried on in private and that is what so many local elected democrats are feeling, that the administration has to consider more carefully how much ire and anger these democrats are going to face around the nation next November if the big administration doesn't sort of change the way they're approaching all this and make it feel more bipartisan, more inclusive and more open in Washington.
LEMON: Jessica, standby, you may have something to add to my conversation now with Brianna Keilar.
Brianna, we saw this sort of the 10,000-feet view hearing from the leadership, their talking points. But you're there on the ground, so give us the temperature of what you're seeing there both from democrats and republicans in Washington.
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I have to tell you, Don, it really seems like just walking in the halls here and seeing democrats and republicans, including just some of the staffers around here, republicans really have a smile on their face, they have a spring in their step. This was a huge night for them last night and they really feel that there is a wind in their sails now whereas before you might say that they were really kind of climbing uphill and trying to be relevant. They certainly feel very much that they are, and democrats are worried that they are here. Democrats doing some soul searching trying to figure out the how and the why of this. Some of them playing the blame game as well.
And there's a lot of internal chaos. Just listen to Congressman Anthony Weiner, he is a liberal democrat in the House. He actually pointed a finger at his party leadership for yesterday talking about the negotiations that they were having with the White House about what was going to be in the final health care bill while at the very same time it seemed the writing was on the wall Scott Brown was poised to take this seat.
Here is the colorful language, I should say, of the Congressman.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. ANTHONY WEINER (D), NEW YORK: They're talking as if like what our negotiations are at the White House. Yes, I mean if the last line is pigs fly out of my ass or something like that.
(LAUGHTER)
You know, I mean, it's got we've got to recognize we have an entirely different scenario.
When you have large numbers of citizens in the United States of America who believe this is going in the wrong direction, there's a limit to which you can keep saying, that OK, they just don't get it. If we pass a bill, they'll get it. I don't know. I mean, I think that we should maybe internalize that we're not doing things entirely correct here.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KEILAR: So what's so amazing about this, Don, is we're just talking about one Senate seat, but it's such a key Senate seat moving democrats into what's essentially, you know, a bit of a minority. You say 59, that's still a majority in the Senate, but they really need 60 votes to do anything and republicans have been very effective as a block in opposing democratic efforts at health care reform.
So at this point, without having that 60th vote, democrats, as they see it, their plan for a comprehensive overhaul of at least health insurance appears to be in serious jeopardy if it isn't dead, Don.
LEMON: So here's a question then, Briana, what is next? What's the strategy then if they feel that they can even pull this back on track?
KEILAR: Well, there's a few different ones, but you just heard from Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. One of the ideas that we heard about was this idea of rushing something through the Senate, rushing a final bill through the Senate before Senator-Elect Brown can be seated, but we're hearing there's no will on the part. You know, there's one democrat, Jim Webb, at this point at least who says that's really not a good idea and certainly other democrats who are fearful that something like that would really come back and bite them. So that doesn't really seem to be an option.
Then the other possibility, Don, would be for the House to just go ahead and take that bill that's passed the Senate, and it's very different than what the House has passed, mind you, but go ahead and run with that and then maybe through a different process change really the Senate bill. But that just seems really to have a lot of pitfalls for some moderate and liberal democrats who aren't happy with the Senate bill.
And then finally, there's this idea of really paring down what the whole plan was. But in that case, democrats really in order to get some republican support would have to give up some of their big priorities like universal coverage for Americans, Don.
LEMON: All right, thanks. Both of you stand by because there's a lot much more to talk. The ground is shifting under republicans and democrats feet as we speak and we're on top of it here at CNN. Thanks to Jessica and to Brianna as well.
We expect to hear from Massachusetts Senator-Elect Scott Brown this hour. He is scheduled to meet with reporters around 11:30 Eastern. Of course, live coverage right here today in the CNN NEWSROOM.
Storms walloping California and Jacqui Jeras tracking them. You see her right there. First we'll give you the latest on the Big Board. The Dow is down about 191 points. We'll get a full check right after this. (WEATHER REPORT)
LEMON: Now the story we have been giving you continuous coverage on. To the top story of Haiti, rocked today by a powerful aftershock. Here's what we know right now. A 6.1 magnitude earthquake hit shortly after daybreak, the strongest so far, creating panic among survivors of last week's catastrophic quake.
The European Union huts Haiti's death toll at 200,000 with another 250,000 injured and one and a half million people homeless there. A state-of-the-art hospital ship, the USNS Comfort, arrived just a short timing ago. It has six operating rooms for complex surgeries. They certainly need it.
I want to get now to the weather situation happening in our country, slammed again and again. The West Coast is getting pounded by another big storm. Flooding rains, heavy snow, hurricane-force winds, they're all part of the mix in California -- in California. And in the Los Angeles area, a fear of mudslides prompts evacuation orders for hundreds of homeowners.
Jacqui Jeras is tracking these big Pacific storms in the CNN Weather Center.
(WEATHER REPORT)
LEMON: We want to check now on your top stories. An intense manhunt ended quietly this morning in Virginia. Investigators say Christopher Speight turned himself in. He's accused of shooting and killing eight people in Appomattox County, about 75 miles southwest from Richmond. Police believe he knew the victims, but they don't know of a motive.
Federal contractors who hold out on Uncle Sam will find it tougher to score government contracts. The President has ordered a crackdown on companies that file false tax returns. He signed the executive order less than an hour ago at the White House.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: In a time of great need when our families and our nation are finding it necessary to tighten our belts and be more responsible with how we spend our money, we can't afford to waste taxpayer dollars. And we especially can't afford to let companies game the system. We need to make sure every tax dollar we spent is going to address our nation's urgent needs and to make a difference in the lives of our people.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: And the man President Obama tapped to head the Transportation Security Administration -- the TSA -- is backing out. Erroll Southers dropped his name from consideration this morning. Republicans say he gave incomplete information about using a federal database for personal reasons. They were also worried about the TSA becoming unionized under his leadership. You've seen the images from Haiti, and you may want to volunteer to help. So where do you go? It's possible, but where do you go? We'll have some answers for you right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Listen, you know with all the outreach for Haiti, it's good that people are giving so much money. But you need to know really where your money is going because Americans have donated more than, get this, $270 million to Haiti relief efforts there. Maybe even more. More money is needed, but there are other ways that you can help.
I want to bring in now our personal finance editor Miss Gerri Willis.
Gerri, you know, a lot of people are watching, right, and they may have been inspired. I've been getting a lot of Facebook messages, Twitter messages, where do I go to volunteer? Can I volunteer in my community. My own neighborhood even has a volunteering program where you can help go pack things.
So give us some advice on how people can help.
GERRI WILLIS, CNN PERSONAL FINANCE EDITOR: Sure, sure.
Well, you know, Don, the reality is if you want to go to the disaster zone, you have to have disaster relief experience. Most agencies require at least 10 years of experience, plus several years of experience working overseas. And of course time commitment's another factor. Often volunteers have to commit at least three months working on a particular disaster and there are economic reasons to keep you at home. Once a relief agency accepts you as a volunteer, that agency is responsible for your food, your shelter, your health, and your security. And this can be a big burden at a time when resources are strained.
So to get started, if you really want to volunteer on site go to your local Red Cross chapter and get more information on their disaster services training courses. This way you can work your way up to joining relief efforts overseas.
LEMON: Yes. And it's going to be a while, too, before Haiti is completely recovered. They're going to need some help.
So listen, I've had had a friend, a doctor call, Haitian descent. He wants to go over and help. I've had someone reach out saying hey, I'm a doctor, Don, how do I get over there.
So, what if you do have specialized training like that, what do you do?
WILLIS: Well, exactly. And there's a great medical need right now in Haiti, right? So, if you want to offer your services, make sure you're working with an agency that's working on the ground and has authorization to bring in personnel and medicine. The International Medical Corps is taking applications for volunteer doctors and nurses. For more information on them, go to their web site. It's IMCWorldwide.org. And you can click on their Work For Us tab -- Don.
LEMON: Very good stuff. And as I said to you, my own neighborhood, you know, we're donating things and then they need people to pack them, right, and the Red Cross or whatever need -- they need help in some way. So, locally, I hope I'm not stealing your thunder. What can you do?
Is it just as easy as going to help pack up stuff and box it?
WILLIS: Well, I think you're absolutely right. You know, you can go to your local Red Cross chapter, answer phones, organize and plan community fund-raising efforts. There's a lot to be done on the ground in your neighborhood.
The Red Cross also has a database so people can find their Haitian relatives. As a volunteer you can help out with this. The Red Cross also has disaster services training. These are classes that prepare you to deal with smaller disasters, like a house fire or other domestic disasters. So eventually you can be trained for international disasters.
Don, back to you.
LEMON: OK. Gerri Willis, thank you very much.
Hey, we want to get to Boston now because the Senator-elect in Massachusetts, Scott Brown walking out and we're going to listen in.
(JOINED IN PROGRESS)
BROWN: ... no, I certainly have not. And I said last night I'm proud about the campaign that we ran. We worked very, very hard and we traveled throughout the state talking with people and, you know, asking about the issues that concern them. And we couldn't have done it without an extraordinary effort by everybody from the top to the bottom. It was a true grassroots effort and for that I'm very, very thankful.
I look forward to getting to work right away, and try to deal with all the very important challenges we have before us. And as you know, this morning my campaign's legal counsel delivered a request to the Secretary Galvin for an unofficial vote count, and within that, the number of outstanding absentee ballots. And I'm confident that it will show that the margin of victory exceeds the amount of the outstanding absentee ballots.
And since the election is not in doubt, I'm hopeful that the Senate will seat me on the basis of those unofficial returns, just as they did for Ted Kennedy in 1962, and more recently for Niki Tsongas, in 2007.
So with that, I'm very happy to take some questions. QUESTION: Senator Brown, the Secretary of State's office said this morning that -- (OFF-MIKE) seat you immediately. I'm just wondering, what are your -- could you give us your reaction to that, and talk about your plans, and when you might go down, and why you want to get down there so quickly.
BROWN: Yes. We will 00 we're going down tomorrow. I've already spoken to Senator Kerry and Kirk and Congressman McGovern, and a whole host of other folks from the delegation. I think it's important that we hit the ground running because there's some very important issues facing our country. I've always had, contrary to -- the campaign is over now and now we have to focus on solving problems. I've had great working relationships with the delegation and I'm looking forward to getting down there as quickly as I can.
QUESTION: Congratulations.
BROWN: Thank you.
QUESTION: You said this is not a referendum on President Obama, but you did in a state he carried by 26 points just 14 months ago run against the stimulus plan, against his health care plan, suggest that he could be a little tougher on terrorism and also said there's too much spending and not enough bipartisanship in Washington.
If it's not a referendum on the president, as he and other Democrats assess these results today, what do you think the message of Massachusetts was?
BROWN: I think the message from traveling around the state, and I've tried to obviously do some self-reflection and analyzing as to why I'm standing before you today. And really the number one thing I've heard is that people are tired of the business as usual. And what does that mean?
That means the behind-the-scenes deals, the Nebraska subsidizing of Medicaid forever. Things like that have just -- just drive people crazy. They want to make sure that their elected officials are doing things in a transparent manner, and doing it with the best interests of our state and mine.
And the things that you just referred to, we have health care here. We have certainly very serious economic problems, but the first stimulus bill didn't work. We haven't created one new job. And then you take, you know, the expiring tax cuts. When you're talking about the marriage penalty coming back, and the child care tax credit being cut in half, those are things that affect every person from, you know, rich to poor, you know, Pittsfield to Boston and there are financial issues in a time when people are having a very difficult time paying their bills and just going out.
So, you know, people and the pundits, and I'll let them determine, you know, what this means in terms of the national race. But I think it's important to know that the main thing that they want is good government back and to be part of the process. And I think they sent a very, very powerful message that business as usual is not going to be the way we do it.
Yes?
QUESTION: (INAUDIBLE). You said this morning that you don't believe that it's the responsibility of the state to reform health care.
BROWN: No, I don't want to have you characterize what my strategy in the campaign was. It was -- while the health care bill was certainly an issue, the issues that were just referenced by your fellow journalist were issues that were in people's minds. You're talking taxes and spending, terrorism and how we deal with those issues, the health care proposal. Those are the more important things.
However, we already have 98 percent of our people insured here. We know what we need to do to fix it. But to have the one size fits all plan that is being pushed nationally, it doesn't work. So what I have suggested and what I'm hoping to suggest, because we've done it here, I have some experience. I voted for health care here so obviously I care very deeply of it, but is to let the states tell the federal government, hey, this is what we'd like to do. Can we work with you in a team effort? Maybe you can incentivize us to do something better. Model it like we have it, or maybe come up with something better so we can learn.
QUESTION: (INAUDIBLE)
BROWN: I think that -- I think that, first of all, just so we're past campaign mode, I think it's important for everyone to get some form of health care so to offer a basic plan for everybody I think is important. It's just a question of whether we're going to raise taxes, we're going to cut half a trillion from Medicare, we're going to affect Veterans care. I think we can do it better.
And to just be the 41st senator, and bring it back to the drawing board, there are some very good things as you just pointed out in the national plan that's being proposed. But if you look at, and really almost in a parochial manner, we need to look out for Massachusetts first. Because no one, I felt as a legislator and as a citizen that we haven't done that very well. We've always kind of, you know, thought about maybe Washington first or the party first. But the thing that I'm hearing all throughout the state is what about us. So thank you.
QUESTION: (INAUDIBLE)
BROWN: Yes, nice to see you.
QUESTION: You ran as an independent. You were elected as an independent. What's first on your agenda? What's your number one priority to show voters you are the independent that they wanted to send to Washington?
BROWN: I haven't had much sleep yet. That being said, when I go down to Washington tomorrow, I'll meet with the delegation, all of which are Democrats, and I'll certainly check in with the Republican leadership. And, obviously, Senator McCain, who was very helpful right from the beginning.
I think people need to give me a chance to do a little bit of a transition. See what's on the agenda. I'll look at each and every bill for its merits, and how it affects our state and then I'll make a decision. To say, am I going to do this or do that, it's really, I think, not appropriate right now. I just appreciate an opportunity to at least get down there, you know, open up an office, get a staff together and then do my very best to continue with that independence.
Yes?
QUESTION: Senator, what advice do you have for Senator Majority Leader Harry Reid on how to proceed with health care? Do you need to go back to scratch? Are there some things that are salvageable in this bill, or you have to start all over again?
BROWN: I don't know if I'll be giving him advice at all. He is the Senate president. And -- I'm sorry, the majority leader. He obviously has -- you know, he has his own way of doing things, and I don't want to influence that, but I think I can certainly offer guidance as to what we've done here and how we could maybe do it better there.
Yes?
QUESTION: Can you talk a little bit about this independence that you say that you talked so much about during the campaign. How you're going to maintain it down there? People go down there all the time saying they're going to be independent, and then when they get down there, they caucus every Tuesday with the party. Quite often they vote along party lines. What concrete are you going to do to maintain your independence?
BROWN: Well, you know, I remember when I ran (INAUDIBLE) -- oh, when you go to Beacon Hill you're going to change. And then when I was running for state Senate, oh, when you get in the Senate, you're going to change.
Well, that's kind of old to be honest with you. I've been in the legislature, municipal and legislative government for quite some time now and, yes, we caucus. We have to caucus because, you know, we try to figure out what's in fact happening, see if there are any issues that you want to be brought forth. There's a lot of good information. We've had many joint caucuses with the Senate president here in Massachusetts.
And one of the things I've -- when you're talking about transparency and the ability to do things the right way, one thing I've always admired about Senate President Travaglini and President Murray without even blinking. I've said this probably so many times, is even though we have five people, five Republicans in the Senate right now, we have had every opportunity to have full and fair discussion and agreements. We've had joint caucuses. We've come together on transportation, pension, ethics reform. You know, we've made some very, I think, super moves when it comes to the stem cell bill, you know, dealing with some of the budget issues. So there are times in Massachusetts that we can come together, and I'm hopeful that I'll go down there just like I always have, and of course, I'm going to caucus with the party. You know, that's how you ultimately find out what's going on. But I've already made it very, very clear that I'm not beholden to anybody. I've made that very clear.
(CROSSTALK)
Right here and then we'll go here.
Yes?
QUESTION: Senator John Kerry, he took some shots at you during this campaign. I was wondering, have you been in communications with him over how you'll be working with him, as well as others within the Senate?
BROWN: He was one of the second or third people I actually called, and he was trying to do the same. He was kind of hefting last night. Listen, I've had a great relationship with Senator Kerry. My daughter, Ayla, has a picture of the senator and her from one of the Penn-Mass challenges, obviously with his bout with cancer. And, you know, I have great respect for what he's done. And I know politics. But the campaign is over. And the thing that I've been most appreciative of is the fact that people that I'm going to be working with are being very gracious, and they're saying, OK, game's over, let's get to work.
QUESTION: Thank you, Senator. Congratulations on your win.
BROWN: Thank you.
QUESTION: A question about your view of the role as the Republican poster boy for GOP resurgence when you get down to Washington. There's a big debate in your party about whether it should adhere to conservative principle and be sort of purist or open its arms more and build a big tent party and allow folks with sort of differing views from the platform.
Some folks around the country might be suspicious of a Republican from Massachusetts. What's your advice for your party?
BROWN: Well, I would let the political pundits determine, you know, what's happening in the larger scale. Bottom line is I was always asked many times what kind of Republican I would be. And I really didn't know how to answer that, so I just said I'm going to be a Scott Brown Republican. Maybe there's a new breed of Republican coming to Washington. Maybe people will finally look at somebody who's not beholden to the special interests of the party, and who will look to just to solve problems.
You know, I've always been that way. I always -- I mean, you remember, I supported clean elections. I'm a self-imposed term limits person. I believe very, very strongly that we are there to serve the people, and we are there to do a job.
And I, like many others throughout the country, you know, when we're talking about what so and so said in his book and what so and so said here, my response is who cares, because we have terrorists that are trying to blow up our planes and kill our families at shopping malls. We have people dying in Afghanistan who are trying to -- and our soldiers are trying to make sure that we get -- you know, finish the job there, and we have very serious economic problems. So I like probably many of you say what's up with that. We need to make sure that we solve the problems. And if I can bring that type of message to Washington and create the dialogue that gets us back to the basics, I'm all for it.
Yes, Alison, did you have a question?
QUESTION: Senator, Barack Obama, JFK, they started eyeing the White House the day they were elected to the Senate.
Do you think you're presidential temper?
BROWN: Listen, I don't want to be disrespectful, but I've had no sleep right now. I haven't even been down to Washington yet. And I don't want to say that's a silly question, but I'm just so thankful for the support that I've received from everybody.
Last night when I stayed and shook everyone's hands who was, you know, sweating and pushing, those are the people I want to go down there and represent. And to think about something higher, I'm just honored to be in this position.
If you would have told me growing up that, you know, a guy whose mom was on welfare and parents had some marital troubles and, you know, I had some issues -- you know, growing up, that a guy from Wrentham would be here standing before you and going to Washington, D.C., are you kidding me?
I don't know if you guys understand that. I know you have jobs to do, and I have a wife and I respect those jobs. But let me just tell you something. It's not only overwhelming, but it's so -- I can't tell you how proud I am to be here standing before you all and being -- having an opportunity to maybe send the country in a different and better direction. That's my goal. Other people may say he's going to do this, he's going to do that. I've never listened to them. I'm not going to listen to them now.
Yes, sir?
QUESTION: Last night (INAUDIBLE) as part of your -- a minor part of your campaign organization. Today I wear a different cap as the membership of the IEEE, the world's largest technical organization.
One of the things your predecessors were famous for was constituent services, yet it was difficult for our organization representing more than 15,000 of the top technical people in the community to get word into his office. I'm hoping you would open your door to some of the people who are responsible really for building Massachusetts into the leading technological state in the country, and I would hope that that would be part of your commitment, and I'd just like to say that. Thank you.
BROWN: Well, thank you, first of all, and thank you for your involvement in your organization. But, as you know, I've always opened my door for everybody in the State House, regardless of whether I agree with their position or not. And the one thing I have to be honest with you, running throughout the campaign, even people who said they weren't voting for me, the one thing they said is thank you for running a great campaign, thank you for making it about the issues, thank you for not making it negative and bringing it in the gutter, and thank you for always being accessible.
I may not have agreed with you, but the information that you gave me was accurate and timely, so I can make a better decision. I am from a big tent philosophy. Regardless of the flyers and the commercials and all that stuff, I haven't changed a bit. I'm the same person. I woke up, I walked the dogs, I gave my daughter, you know, who's really very emotional about going back to college, a hug and a kiss. And, you know, I'm going to miss her very, very much.
So, of course, I'm going to allow people to come in and talk to me. I'm so excited to have that opportunity because I learn more and more and more about the wonderful type of this country -- I'm sorry, the wonderful parts of this state. I'm going to take one more question.
Alison?
QUESTION: Scott, many people see you -- many of your followers see you as the person who's going to put the brakes on the Obama administration, and they said that a lot last night.
Do you see yourself as the senator who will go down there as the 41st vote and put the brakes on the Obama agenda?
BROWN: Well, first of all, I had a great conversation with the president, first of all. I don't know if I was able to share that with you last night. But he called. He called right away, which I thanked him for.
And we were talking, and he said, you know, I look forward to meeting you and having an opportunity to work with you. And he said I heard that you -- you know, that you are open-minded and you're kind of an independent guy. And I said, well, Mr. President, I want to meet you, too. You have a wonderful family. I've always had great respect for your accomplishments. And, by the way, do you want me to bring the truck? And he laughed. He said, well, you know, when I came down there, I didn't go at you too hard. I said, well, all kidding aside, I do have a basketball player daughter and I know you play a lot of hoop. And I love to -- you pick your best and I'll take Ayla, and we'll play a two-on-two. And he laughed, again.
And I said, you know what, Mr. President, regardless, of you know, we may not agree on some things, but you have a sense of humor, and you have to have a sense of humor about politics. Thank you.
QUESTION: (OFF-MIKE)
BROWN: No. I said earlier, Joe, and this will be the last question. I'm going down tomorrow as a courtesy call, and then I'm sure it will all work out. I have great trust in Secretary Galvan, and I think everybody knows that this is an overwhelming victory and they're looking forward to it.
Thank you very much.
LEMON: There you go.
Scott Brown, the senator-elect, newly-elected senator in Massachusetts holding a press conference there. Actually handling himself pretty well. We're going to go over some of the nuances of his speech there.
Will he run for president? That question asked already. And what does he think this means for the president and health care? We're going to talk to the Best Political Team on Television coming up after this for analysis on this complete story. Don't go away.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: And I think it's important that we hit the ground running because there are some very important issues facing our country. And I've always had, contrary to -- you know, the campaign is over now, and now we have to focus on solving problems. And I've had great working relationships with the delegation, and I'm looking forward to getting down there as quickly as I can.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: The newest senator-elect, Scott Brown, spoke moments ago about his victory in Massachusetts. A Republican win will have a big impact on the future of the national agenda.
Our chief national correspondent and "STATE OF THE UNION" host John King and our national political correspondent Jessica Yellin joins me now in Boston.
Real quickly, John, I have to ask this, and then we'll go on and talk about what this means. He was asked already in the press conference if he's going to run for president. He handled himself very well.
Is this the new GOP star here?
JOHN KING, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Certainly, Don. He is the face of the GOP right now, and he is the source of a great hope in the Republican Party that they can have a very successful midterm election year. Look, Ted Kennedy, the liberal icon, held this seat 46 years. Massachusetts has an independent streak, but across the country, most people think of this state as a very liberal state. So he is the great hope of the Republican Party right now. And you saw his reaction. He said come on, I haven't had any sleep. With all due respect, I don't know what to make of that question.
LEMON: Hey, John, stand by. Let's listen to it, and then we'll talk about it a bit more, and we'll bring Jessica.
And let's listen to it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: It's not only overwhelming, but it's so -- I can't tell you how proud I am to be here standing before you all and being -- having an opportunity to maybe send the country in a different and better direction. That's my goal. Other people may say he's going to do this, he's going to do that. I've never listened to them. I'm not going to listen to them now.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: All right. So there you go. So as I said, John, he handled himself very well. Obviously, a politician, handsome guy, handles himself well, seems to be, you know, pretty articulate. So talk to me about that.
KING: Well, one thing I'll say before I bring Jess in, is that another thing to remember is this is a special election. Scott Brown has to run for re-election to this Senate seat in 2012, in just two years. So he needs to be careful here. He is a Massachusetts senator. He won as a Republican. He says he'll be the 41st senator meaning he can help Republicans block or at least force compromise on the Obama agenda, but he's going to be on the ballot in this state in two years. And he did win, and he won big last night, but President Obama carried this state by 26 points just 14 months ago, so he needs to be careful as he goes down to Washington now.
LEMON: So Jessica...
YELLIN: One of the things people were joking about here, Don -- folks were joking when that story about the president came up. You know, it's unheard of for a little known state senator whose in the U.S. Senate for barely two years to run for president, obviously, making parallels to President Obama. But there's no real sense that that's where this man's mind is, or where the voters want him to go.
As John says, he's got a lot to do, and he has a lot to prove when he goes there. But he is a new symbol for the Republican Party and what they're capable of doing in November.
LEMON: Well, that's what reminded me off. You know, we heard the Democratic speech from then Senator Barack Obama. A newly-elected senator. And you see this happening. That same sort of story could be playing out for the GOP so it's going to be very interesting to watch.
John, brings up a good point about inside of Massachusetts, Jessica. And you have been there on the ground. So what is the feel there from people about why this is happening? And, again, you know, we've been talking about apathy in all of that. But what is the feel on the ground from this?
YELLIN: The people I've talk to express a sense of real frustration. And it's less about any specific policy. It's about the sense that change isn't happening fast enough. They are feeling frustrated about their jobs, they're frustrated about the economy, and they want fixes more quickly. And there is a general sense that Washington feels like a bottleneck, not enough coming out. There is a vague dissatisfaction with the big-government feel, but it's really, like, what are you doing for me today? What have you done for me lately? And so that's translating into an anti-incumbent -- yes, go ahead -- that they got to get something done.
LEMON: Yes, he talked about that. Yes, you're right. He talked about that in his speech. And he said, I'm not beholden to anyone, Jessica, so I'm going to get up there, and I'm going to work with everyone. Talking about his phone call with the president. So he seems to be pretty open.
Hey, listen, we've got to run. John, I'm sure you're going to be talking about this this weekend on your program -- really, what happens next here.
All right, John King, Jessica Yellin, thank you very much. Giving us some analysis. Again, Scott Brown, the newly-elected senator in Massachusetts speaking there and, again, holding a very good press conference. So we shall see. It's going to be interesting over the next couple of days.
Back to that big story in just a moment. But, first, we want to talk a little bit more about Haiti. You have given money to Haiti, but how do you know your money will actually help the people who need it? We're getting some answers to your questions for you.
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LEMON: Listen, much, much more to really come in on this. But millions of dollars for clothes, food, medicine, your donations started pouring in only hours after last week's earthquake. But is all that money going where it is needed, where it should be going?
Let's pick up the conversation now. There you see her! Stephanie Elam holding it down over there for Ali Velshi. She's on the radio right now.
STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN BUSINESS NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Yes.
LEMON: Hey, Steph, good to see you. Good to see you.
ELAM: Good to see you, Don.
LEMON: We'll talk about other things. We said $270 million already so far.
ELAM: Amazing.
LEMON: So, how do you know? Some people are spending right and left. So how do you know that your money is going directly there?
ELAM: The benefit that we have now that we did not have before, Don, is that the fact that you can jump on the Internet and find out if a charity is really doing what they say they're going to do.
You've got Web sites all over the place. We were talking with a gentleman from Givewell.net. And he was saying that, you can find out. These companies like give well, they are disinterested parties and they just evaluate charities to find out where the money goes. But one interesting point that I found really intriguing is that it may not be exactly the best thing if all of the money you donate goes to whatever disaster it is, because there are infrastructure costs. There's ways they've got to get this stuff together to be nimble to respond to a tragedy like this.
No one knew an earthquake was coming. It's not even like a hurricane, right, where you know it's coming this way. So it makes it very different. And so being nimble enough to react and get that aid out there right away is really what's important -- Don.
LEMON: I thought it's fascinating, Stephanie. I know you're on the radio so you're probably getting -- you know, people, I don't know why, they are just really way more transparent on the radio, and they ask you some really tough questions, not that they don't here.
But when we're in the middle of, you know, this bad economy, and what some says a recession. Obviously, some say we are coming out of it.
ELAM: Right, right.
LEMON: Where are people finding all of this money to give now?
ELAM: Well, you know, what you are finding is that, it's not like people are giving hundreds of thousands of dollars. Sure you've got your athletes, you've got your stars who can do that. May be some people with a nice little cushion set aside, but what you're seeing is that people go, you know what, this has been rough, but I can't imagine not being able to find my mother or my son or my brother, and so because of that, they're, like, let me give $5, let me give $10.
So you're seeing a lot of Americans pony up barely what they can afford, but all of that together en masse just shows the American spirit and shows how quickly they want to respond and help out on the story. That's what I think is encouraging.
LEMON: Yes. Giving small amounts, Stephanie, and then every little bit adds up. OK, get back to your radio job.
ELAM: We will do it. Thanks, Don.
LEMON: Trying to do two jobs at once. Stephanie Elam.
(CROSSTALK)
ELAM: Hey, you know what, can I tell you, Don?
LEMON: Yes, real quick.
ELAM: Call in if you want to talk to us in the last few minutes. 877-266-4189. There you go.
LEMON: Thank you.
ELAM: Thanks, Don. All right.
LEMON: I want to do that, but my producer is saying, OK, we've got to run.
ELAM: All right.
LEMON: Thank you, Stephanie.
Here's what we're working on for you in the next hour of the CNN NEWSROOM.
Haiti's leadership. With government buildings damaged and destroyed, who is in charge of the relief efforts there. And why is it taking so long? Gary Tuchman goes in search of some answers for you.
LEMON: Plus, the big change in Massachusetts. What does a Republican win mean for the White House? And for health care reform? Some say it is not good. Our analysis -- our analysts, I should say, weigh in.
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