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Obamacare Hangs Over Virginia Race; GOP's Blackburn Rips Lack Of Choice; Governor Chris Christie Solidifies Political Power After Winning His Bid For Re-Election; Nevada Middle School Shooter's Family Discusses Teacher Killing Apologizes

Aired November 06, 2013 - 10:00   ET

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

ANDY SCHOLES, "THE BLEACHER REPORT": Texas voters on Tuesday rejected a referendum that would have authorized as much as 217 million in bonds to turn the astrodome into a convention and event center. The astrodome, which was the first ever air conditioned enclosed stadium opened back in 1965. I grew up in Houston, went to Wrestle Mania. It will be a sad day for me when, it is going to be torn down.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Taxpayers didn't want to foot the bill for something like a white elephant? I'm sorry. Andy Scholes, thanks so much. The next hour of NEWSROOM starts now.

Happening now in the NEWSROOM, election night is over and a new era is just beginning. A landslide victory for Democrats in New York City, Bill de Blasio and his family celebrate with a smackdown, the De Blasio signature dance.

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BILL DE BLASIO, NEWLY ELECTED MAYOR, NEW YORK CITY: Make no mistake. The people of this city have chosen a progressive path.

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COSTELLO: Oh, but get ready for a tax hike, New York City.

Plus, Virginia elects a new governor.

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TERRY MCAULIFFE, NEWLY ELECT GOVERNOR, VIRGINIA: Thank you for the honor of electing me to serve as the 72nd governor of the common wealth of Virginia.

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COSTELLO: Also, Chris Christie, squashes the competition in New Jersey, destroying his opponent to win another term. Now he's sending a message to Washington.

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GOVERNOR CHRIS CHRISTIE (R), NEW JERSEY: If we can do this in Trenton, New Jersey, maybe the folks in Washington, D.C. should tune in their TVs right now and see how it's done.

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COSTELLO: You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.

Good morning. I'm Carol Costello. Thanks for joining me on this morning after. Some bellwether elections across the country, a big victory in a blue state, New Jersey re-elects Governor Chris Christie, a top party hopeful for president in 2016. He distanced himself from the Tea Party and railed against the Washington dysfunction that partially shut down the government.

In Virginia, the botched Obamacare roll-out may have hurt Terry McAuliffe in his race for -- he survives by 3 percentage points.

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MCAULIFFE: The truth is this election was never a choice between Democrats and Republicans. It was a choice about whether Virginia would continue the mainstream bipartisan tradition that has served us so well over the last decade. At a time when Washington was often broken, just think about what Virginia has been able to accomplish when we work together.

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COSTELLO: The Tea Party also loomed large in New York mayor's race where Democrat Bill De Blasio coasted to victory. He linked his Republican opponent, Joe Lhota to Tea Party activists.

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BILL DE BLASIO (D), MAYOR ELECT NEW YORK: I will never stop fighting for the city I love, the city we all love so much, and I will never forget that as mayor, I work for you.

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COSTELLO: And there's one more set of numbers I want to share with you. And the news is not so good for President Obama. His approval rating has dipped to 39 percent, near an all-time low, that's according to Gallup. It found that 53 percent of Americans disapprove of how the president is doing his job. By comparison, his approval rating was in the low 50s right after his re-election.

Let's talk some more about the president because he is keeping his focus today on his signature health care law. The president is heading to Dallas to thanked volunteers who are helping people enroll in the Affordable Care Act market places. And while the president heads out of town, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius handles the fight on Capitol Hill.

Right now she is testifying in front of the Senate Finance Committee. The administration is doing more damage control as reports from Obamacare contractors indicate even more problems with the October roll out than previously thought. We're going to monitor this hearing.

As you could see it has not begin and we'll bring you news as it warrants. Sebelius, Secretary Sebelius is sure to face blistering criticisms, though, in that hearing. Not only over the web site debacle, but also over the false assurances that Americans could keep their current insurance plans if they wanted to. You may remember this colorful exchange from Sebelius' last appearance on Capitol Hill.

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REPRESENTATIVE MARSHA BLACKBURN (R), TENNESSEE: Some people like to drive a Ford not a Ferrari, and some people like to drink out of a red solo cup, not out of a crystal stem. You're taking away their choice.

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COSTELLO: That's Republican Congresswoman Marsha Blackburn, and she joins us this morning from her home district in Nashville. Good morning.

BLACKBURN: Good morning.

COSTELLO: You didn't mince words with Kathleen Sebelius and many Americans would say Sebelius certainly deserved it. Now I think Americans want solutions. Listen to what your fellow Republican, Chris Christie had to say.

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CHRISTIE: I think that the party has got to focus on winning again. You know, sometimes I feel like our party cares more about winning the argument than they do about elections and if you don't win elections you can't governor and change the direct of a state like we've done in New Jersey.

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COSTELLO: In other words, quit trying to win an argument you've already won and govern. So I guess my question to you, are Republicans willing to sit down with Democrats to come up with some solutions?

BLACKBURN: I think we've had plenty of solutions. We have been putting forward for going back to 2006 actually, Carol. And we agree, there are problems that need to be solved. We're going to begin next week with another way to let individuals to keep their health insurance that they like. And Congressman Fred Upton's bill that addresses that matter will be on the floor of the House next week.

COSTELLO: Are Democrats on board? Did he discuss this with Democrats before he's going to introduce the legislation?

BLACKBURN: You know, we already have 100 cosponsors. And I have to tell you, we're hearing from Democrats and independent constituents, we're hearing from some of the Democrats in the Senate that they also agree that individuals ought to be able to keep these plans. They like them. They like their doctors. They don't want to have to change. And people want to find something that is going to suit their needs. That is going to fill their needs. Many people have been happy with their insurance. Many have been happy with help savings accounts and that has fixed their needs. What went to do is solve these problems.

COSTELLO: Let's go back to the insurance plans because you know, we like to deal in fact. So about 5 percent of Americans roughly 16 million people will lose coverage because their plans don't meet the minimum guidelines set by Obamacare. The truth is that's bad. But not in all cases, not when people have bad plans and not when you realize that pre-Obamacare from late 2008 to mid-2009, 14,000 people every day lost their health insurance. That's the problem Obamacare tried to solve. So how would this piece of legislation that Republicans will introduce solve that problem?

BLACKBURN: It will let those individuals who are in the individual and small business marketplace keep plans that have been offered to them. Now the --

COSTELLO: What if they're bad plans?

BLACKBURN: No. But I think that is subjective view. Now the --

COSTELLO: It's not a subjective view.

BLACKBURN: Yes, Carol, it is.

COSTELLO: Some of them are bad. It's not.

BLACKBURN: Do you think that a health savings account is good or bad?

COSTELLO: I'm talking about an insurance plan.

BLACKBURN: That is an insurance plan and that is an offering that has been there. Do you realize, health savings accounts have been the most popular offering and more people have gravitated to those because they take responsibility for their initial health insurance components up to a certain point.

And they're able to go in and talk with a physician and say, 'I'm going to pay cash for this procedure. What are you going to charge me for it?' That is something that is helpful to the consumer. Then they have a major medical plan after they hit that $5,000 bench mark.

COSTELLO: Let me interrupt you for just a second because Kathleen Sebelius has just taken the chair. That's Max Baucus. He is the chairman of the committee and he'll make an opening statement and Kathleen Sebelius will answer more questions. What in your mind is the point of this? Haven't we heard enough from Kathleen Sebelius?

BLACKBURN: When we're looking at the out-of-control cost of this, of the website, of the roll-out, when they're looking at the cost to the consumer, when we're looking at the reduction of choice and options in the health care insurance marketplace, as I said, some like a red solo cup, some like a crystal stem, individuals want to be able to make these choices.

And we're seeing a contraction of those choices in the marketplace, oversight and the due diligence that we are doing is proper. We have been at it for a couple of years. We're going to stay at it. The American people do not want fewer choice and options. They want more.

COSTELLO: Don't these hearings have to end and don't lawmakers have to sit down and fix things, govern, come up with solutions, just like Chris Christie said?

BLACKBURN: Absolutely.

COSTELLO: You can sit and win an argument every day and say, you're wrong. And perhaps those people are wrong, but at some point don't you have to sit down and come up with solutions --

BLACKBURN: And we're doing that.

COSTELLO: -- and stop pointing fingers?

BLACKBURN: We're doing that. I am co-chairing a data security and privacy working group, bipartisan. I have been joined by Democrats and Republicans as original cosponsors on a mobile medical app bill called the software act. And this is going to allow a process for all of these mobile medical applications that increase access to health care in our rural and underserved areas.

Those are the type solutions we want to see. We also would like to see across state lines purchase of health insurance. One of the things there is bipartisan agreement for now is a delay of Obamacare. Let's suspend this because there are so many problems that are popping up every day. There are new problems that arise every day.

COSTELLO: I'm glad that you're saying these things because these are the things that people want you to discuss. Thank you for informing us this morning. Congresswoman Marsha Blackburn, thank you so much.

BLACKBURN: Happy to be with you. Thank you, Carol.

COSTELLO: Sure. Still to come in the NEWSROOM, he's a political powerhouse for Republicans. So will more party faithful take a page out of Chris Christie's winning playbook? We'll talk about that next.

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COSTELLO: Chris Christie has solidified his role as a Republican political rock star scoring a huge win last night across all of New Jersey including women, African-Americans, Latinos. Even Democrats voted for him. But there is one group Christie may not be winning, the Tea Party, whose members maybe frustrated with the governor's approach. In an exclusive interview with CNN, Christie had this to say about the Tea Party Movement.

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CHRISTIE: I think that there are elements of the Tea Party that are Republicans at their best. You know, limited government, in favor of individual liberty and freedom, tough on government spending. Questioning taxes and whether you need to expand them or grow them. So the core of the Tea Party Movement, as I understand it, I think is very consistent with good, conservative Republicanism. Now what happens is when some folks use that movement, use that theory just to try to enhance themselves politically, then sometimes that movement can then get perverted.

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COSTELLO: Joining me now, CNN political commentator, Ana Navarro and chairwoman of the Tea Party Express, Amy Kremer, welcome to both of you.

So Amy, when Christie -- when Chris Christie says some folks, it sounds like he's referring to Ted Cruz, do you think he is?

AMY KREMER, CHAIRWOMAN, TEA PARTY EXPRESS: I don't know who he's referring to, Carol. I mean there's no one that's more Tea Party than Ted Cruz. I mean, he is absolutely a constitutional conservative, a fiscal conservative, and he wouldn't have won without the Tea Party Movement. But look, you know, Chris Christie, I congratulate him on his victory last night.

While I'm from a red state and I would consider him a moderate, his victory proves that when he enacts fiscal conservative policies in a very blue state, people will vote for him because they see those fiscal conservative policies working and those are the policies that the Tea Party supports.

COSTELLO: OK, so Ana, I'm going to pose that question to you too. Was Christie referring to Ted Cruz?

ANA NAVARRO, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Carol, I couldn't care less. This day has nothing to do with Ted Cruz. I think it has a lot to do with Chris Christie and the kind of race he ran where he went -- aggressively he went after Hispanics. He went after the women vote. He proved last night that Republicans can win votes, can broaden the tent, should devote resources, should enact policies, should spend the time for -- to get these voters.

He won the majority of Latinos. He won the majority of women. He won 20 percent of African-Americans in an extremely blue state. So the accomplishments that Chris Christie reached last night, I think should be noticed by every Republican around the country. We need to have Republicans that can win general elections, over the base, plus other groups.

COSTELLO: I'll pose that question to you, Amy. If you compare Christie's win in New Jersey with Cuccinelli's loss in Virginia, he did not garner any of those voters. He garnered mostly male voters. Maybe the Tea Party is hurting Republican candidates?

KREMER: No, I don't think it's hurting Republican candidates. But one thing I want to point out we are seeing in politics, that our political environment is becoming a lot more about personality and about pop culture. We have a president that is tapped into pop culture where he is more of a rock star and you see him out there on Leno and Letterman and the View and what not.

COSTELLO: But I would like to concentrate on the Tea Party and how it's affecting Republican candidates because the Tea Party suffered from high profile losses. Cuccinelli lost in Virginia, a house race in Alabama, the Tea Party candidate eventually lost, so doesn't that concern you?

KREMER: Well, I just want to say Christie has a big personality and people like that. But you know what? Cuccinelli, yes, he did lose last night, but we closed that gap. And the Republican Party, where were they? In 2009, they spent $9 million --

COSTELLO: But the Tea Party closed that gap because of Obamacare.

KREMER: Wait a second. This cycle, the Republican Party spent $3 million. If anything, it shows how effective we are and we are going to be an important factor in 2014. We are not going away and we have raised awareness because of the defund Obamacare effort. We have raised the awareness of Obamacare. Otherwise that whole shutdown thing would have been about how much we were going to allow President Obama to spend going into the debt ceiling negotiations.

COSTELLO: OK, so Ana, you've heard that the Tea Party isn't going anywhere. Is that harmful to the Republican Party or is the Tea Party still welcome in establishment Republican circles?

NAVARRO: You know, Carol, frankly, we don't have the numbers in the Republican Party to be able to set forth one to say to the other, take a hike. We need to learn to live with each other. I don't want the Tea Party to go anywhere. But I think we all need to work together to elect candidates at primaries that fit the state where they're going to run in general elections.

It does no good to get a Republican candidate that may fit some purity test, but can't win in general election. I think the aftermath of the Cuccinelli race is going to do two things. I think you're going to hear two narratives from Republicans today. One is going to say, look he lost because the Republican Party was nowhere to be found and the donors abandoned him.

Then you're going to hear one say he lost because he's Ken Cuccinelli, had we nominated somebody that better fit the purple state of Virginia, he would have won. And the third thing is he lost because there's a libertarian in the race who took more votes than the margin of the loss. Those are the three things that I think are in play today in that race.

COSTELLO: All right, Ana Navarro, Amy Kremer, thank you so much for joining me this morning.

Still to come in the NEWSROOM, the father of a 12-year-old apologizes after his son kills a teacher.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And we have no idea that he -- that he was upset and so troubled.

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COSTELLO: The warning sign, the boy's parent did not pick up on.

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COSTELLO: Jose Reyes' parents knew he had problems in school. They just didn't know how bad things were and sadly, it's too late now. Reyes is the 12-year-old who shot and killed a teacher at a Nevada middle school last month. He also wounded two other students before killing himself. The boy's father is now apologizing and speaking of the struggles his son had.

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JOSE REYES, FATHER OF 12-YEAR-OLD SHOOTER: My wife and I want to express our sincere condolence to Mr. Lansberry's wife and family. We want to express our sympathy for the injured boys and their families. We are sorry for all of this happenings and grief to this incident has caused. We knew Jose was a boy who love his family. Jose was a good student. With that, he had a very good family life and very often makes us very proud, very proud that he was our son.

We did not know that Jose was angry or upset about conditions at school. He had never complained about any particular teacher or student. We knew that he had -- that he had been teased and that he was -- and that he was trying to work through his problem that he had. We never heard Jose say anything bad or unkind about any particular teacher or student.

And we have no idea that he had -- he was upset and so troubled. Jose was close with his sisters and his relatives. We miss Jose very much. It has been a horrible experience knowing that our son kill another person and injure -- and injure fellow students. It has been very difficult and hard to understand why Jose took his own life in the -- and did what he did.

We wish there was something we could have done to help prevent this nightmare. We wish this had never happened and we are hopeful that everybody involved can heal and go forward as best as they can with their lives. We want to thank all you have those people in the community who have recognized that we too as experienced a tragic loss.

We thank those who have been supportive and who have expressed sympathy for our situation. We thank them for -- also for the way that they -- for the way that they have treated us during this very serious investigation. They have treated us with dignity and with respect and have been very sympathetic to our loss.

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COSTELLO: The boy brought the gun he used from home. He actually got the gun he used from home, that's what I meant to say. The parents say they didn't realize that the boy knew where they kept it.

Still to come in the NEWSROOM, new details about the shooting at a New Jersey shopping mall, a look at the text messages the gunman sent before he took his own life.

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