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FAA Approves First Commercial Drone Flights; Hillary's Hard Choices and Her Future; Majority of Blacks Now Think O.J. is Guilty

Aired June 10, 2014 - 10:30   ET

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

RENE MARSH, CNN AVIATION AND GOVERNMENT REGULATION CORRESPONDENT: Right now, though, we should point out that drones are not allowed for commercial use unless the FAA approves it. The only other commercial drone the agency has approved is one that is flying in the Arctic.

But big picture here. This is really just a small step towards that big goal of fully integrating drones into our airspace. As you know the FAA estimates, get this, in the next five years, as many as 7,500 drones could be flying in the U.S. airspace at any given time.

So they want to make sure they can do this in a safe way. Carol?

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Unbelievable. Rene Marsh reporting live from Washington. Thank you.

Still to come in the NEWSROOM Hillary Clinton's book about her tenure as Secretary of State already a hit if -- well if these pictures are any indication. Fans lined up to get their copy. Jason Carroll is covering this. Good morning.

JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And good morning to you. Everyone waiting in line to get a copy of this and if you take a look at the line, folks have been waiting ever since last night. The line goes down the block and around the corner. Hillary Clinton expected to arrive in the next 20 minutes or so. I'll have an update coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Good morning. I'm Carol Costello. Thank you so much for joining me. For those of you eagerly anticipating Hillary Clinton's new memoir, well the wait is finally over. "Hard Choices" is officially on sale. And in New York City, you know, fans have lined up outside of Barnes & Noble in Union Square where Clinton will signing copies of the book in just about a half an hour.

CNN's Jason Carroll is there and you can probably safely call this Clinton country. So no surprise there are long lines.

CARROLL: Yes no surprise there are long lines. And what you are probably not likely to find in this very long line as you can see it out here Carol as you see it goes down the block here and around the corner. What you're not likely to find are a lot of Clinton critics. What you are likely to find are a lot of Clinton fans they've been waiting to get inside this Barnes & Noble here ever since yesterday some of them waiting for hours to come inside and get a copy of this "Hard Choices".

What they're basically going to do is come inside here. Pay for the book over there. Get a wristband and then they've got to wait in this line over here and go upstairs for another long line in anticipation of finally seeing Hillary Clinton.

So a lot of people here in line. A lot of them have been waiting again since yesterday. Some of them waiting for hours to come inside. Let's just talk to this one woman here very, very quickly if we may. You've been waiting ever since yesterday. I'm just very curious, what do you expect to get in the book that you haven't seen or read already?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well maybe details about some of the things that I haven't seen or read already. Yes some of the behind the scenes stuff that she hasn't put out publicly.

CARROLL: If you get a chance to talk to Hillary Clinton, what would you say to her?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I would probably ask her about some of her future plans as it relates to running and specifically about education.

CARROLL: I know there was one person in line who said they felt as though this was her unofficial beginning of her campaign. Would you agree? Yes or no?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

CARROLL: You would agree. Yes so once again Carol, a lot of people who have been waiting here in this line ever since yesterday in anticipation of speaking to the First Lady, she is expected to arrive within the next half hour or so. And she'll be signing books here until about 1:00 and then off again. A lot of folks coming out here feeling this is the unofficial beginning of her campaign -- Carol.

COSTELLO: All right. Jason Carroll, thanks for filling us in. We appreciate it.

Today's book signing just part of the Hillary Clinton tour, which as you probably have noticed is in full swing. For a third day in a row, Clinton soaked up the spotlight on ABC. Her book "Hard Choices" is number two on Amazon. As for her political capital, that's up in the air. But it is clear she's reaching out to women.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HILLARY CLINTON, FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE: When you're in the spotlight as a woman, you know you're being judged constantly. I mean it is just never ending. And you get a little worried about OK, people over on this side are loving what I'm wearing, looking like, saying. People over on this side aren't. And how -- your natural tendency is how do you bring people together so that you can better communicate. I'm done with that. I mean I'm just done.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Clinton also addressed Benghazi. An issue she will struggle with at a presidential run. Asked whether she would have done anything differently to save Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans at the American consulate -- listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DIANE SAWYER, ABC HOST: I wonder if people are looking for a sentence that begins from you I should have -- I should have. We saw your face on that tarmac. Something that said I should have done this differently. I would give anything on the earth to personally if I could have done this differently.

HILLARY: No I certainly would give anything on earth if this had not happened and I certainly would wish that we had made some of the changes that came to our attention to make as a result of the investigation. But I also am clear in my own mind that we had a system and that system of course ended with me.

But I take responsibility, but I was not making security decisions. I think it would be a mistake for a Secretary of State to sit and say, OK, let's go through all 270 posts and let me decide what should be done. That to me is inappropriate where the experience and the expertise lies elsewhere.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: So let's talk about this. With me now CNN senior media correspondent and host of "Reliable Sources," Brian Stelter and RNC communications director Kirsten Kukowski and DNC communications director and former senior spokesman for the Hillary Clinton in 2008 presidential campaign Mo Elleithee will also join me.

But Brian, I want to focus on you first of all before we get into all of the policy. I want to take a look at the political strategy here. Politico says Hillary Clinton's book is a perfect way to gather priceless consumer data that can be put to political use. How?

BRIAN STELTER, CNN SENIOR MEDIA CORRESPONDENT: Later the publisher Simon Shuster came out and said well no they campaign, if there is ever a campaign for the presidency, won't be getting the data. We keep data. But you've got to imagine of all these people in line waiting in to get autographed copies of the books you have all these people who were interacting with her, signing up to follow her on Twitter, et cetera, et cetera. And some of those pieces of this book campaign could apply to a presidential campaign down the line.

I think everybody who has read the book in political circles has come away thinking she is certainly making -- clearing the way for a run if she decides to do so in 2016.

And I've got to say lot seen her on "Good America" this morning I think she even dropped some hints about running she didn't mean to. At one point she said the reason I call this book "Hard Choices" is because that's what any president faces. I don't know you decide.

COSTELLO: I know well it struck me you know to see all these people standing in line waiting to buy her book that certainly does political operatives could use the demos that she is attracting. That would give them a hint right.

STELTER: Right, right absolutely.

COSTELLO: I mean she's not only writing this book, she's going to do several town halls one of them on CNN. She'll also be on FOX, CBS and NBC. Combine that with line with the rumored dramatic reading of "Hard Choices" it's Clintonmagedon I'm sure there are also be a social media component right.

STELTER: There already is. And you know books are a time honored way for politicians to warm up before a race. I think if you're a political reporter, if you're a media reporter like me, you're operating on the assumption that she is going to run and that she is already running basically until she says otherwise. Until she says she's not.

COSTELLO: All right. Brian Stelter, stick around because I want to bring in our RNC friend and our DNC friend. Actually we're having a little trouble with their microphones. You know this week has been plaguing me with technical problems. Anyway we're going to take a break and we'll get it all fixed up and we'll talk more right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: All right. Our technical problems are all worked out. Welcome to all of you again.

Brian Stelter, RNC communications director Kirsten Kukowski and DNC communications director and former senior spokesman for the Hillary Clinton 2008 presidential campaign, Mo Elleithee.

Welcome to all of you.

Before we begin, I want to replay the Hillary Clinton bite on Benghazi because Diane Sawyer asked her if she would have done anything differently to save lives. This is what she said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DIANE SAWYER, ABC ANCHOR: I wonder if people are looking for a sentence that begins from you, "I should have". I should have. We saw your face on that tarmac. Something that said I should have done this differently. I would give anything on the earth to personally if I had -- could have done this differently.

HILLARY CLINTON, FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE: Well, I certainly would give anything on earth if this had not happened and I certainly would wish that we made some of the changes that came to our attention to make as a result of the investigation. But I also am clear in my own mind that we had a system and that system of course ended with me. I take responsibility. I was not making security decisions. I think it would be a mistake for secretary of state to sit and say, OK, let's go through all 270 posts and let me decide what should be done. That to me is inappropriate where the experience and the expertise lies elsewhere.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: All right. The first question goes to you, Kirsten. Did Hillary Clinton allay any of the concerns that Republicans have with what went down in Benghazi?

KIRSTEN KUKOWSKI, RNC COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR: I don't believe so. I mean I think that was a pointed question that I don't really think she answered to the American public's liking.

I think the polling that's come out recently shows that there are a lot of questions Americans still have. They believe there should be more hearings. They don't believe that the Democrats, including Hillary Clinton and President Obama, have answered all of the questions.

I think that that's going to continue to be a problem for Hillary so I think that overall the things that we learned from this book launch are some real questions for Hillary and obviously this is a trial balloon for 2016. I think it puts the Democratic Party in a very difficult position.

I actually kind of have a question for Mo that I wanted to ask right off the bat here. Because I think, what, you know -- from my perspective, I can name ten Republican candidates who can win the White House in two years. And I think that what we've learned over the last couple of days with Hillary Clinton is they are all in on Hillary and I would wonder if Mo could actually name a couple other Democrat candidates who could win the presidency in two years.

COSTELLO: Mo, do you want to take that on?

MO ELLEITHEE, DNC COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR: Well, look, I like the Democratic bench a whole lot more than the Republican bench and there are a number of potential candidates who I feel very confident we put them up head to head against any of the potential Republican candidates and will win.

But I think the very nature of Kirsten's question, while I get what she's trying to do, really proves our point, which is that whenever there's a conversation about Benghazi, whenever there's a question about foreign policy, their initial instinct is to politicize it. That's what they're trying to do here. That's why up until now --

COSTELLO: I will say MO, that Clinton's Benghazi answer it didn't seem resonate to me. Is it really enough to say I'm not in charge of blueprints for security?

ELLEITHEE: Well, here's what I think. I think that what the Obama administration and then Secretary Clinton did in the wake of the tragedy while the Republicans politicized it within moments afterwards. Their first instinct was to deal with the situation at hand and then what do we need to do to prevent it from happening again?

They put forward an independent investigation, the Accountability Review Board which put forward 29 specific recommendations and they've taken steps to implement those recommendations to ensure it doesn't happen again. That's what Americans want rather than a lot of the blustering we're seeing from Republicans on the Hill and in Kirsten's headquarters calling for yet another hearing when in the past, briefings had been skipped by Republicans who went on TV to complain that they weren't getting enough information.

This was never for them. This is simply an elaborate and crass get out the vote mechanism for Republicans heading into a midterm election to fire up their base. It's sad. It's sad because it really dishonors what happened there.

COSTELLO: Kirsten -- let me ask Kirsten a question before you go on. Is it somewhat fair to say Benghazi has become so politicized that those who like ardently support Hillary Clinton won't really listen to Republican concerns?

KUKOWSKI: Look, I believe from the very beginning on this Benghazi issue the Democrats have been changing their stories. We continue to find more information out every time we look.

The White House was forced to put out e-mails that showed that the talking points were very political in nature from the very beginning, from the very first round of Sunday show interviews that were done on this subject. I think that's why the American people do not believe that we have all of the answers and why they actually believe that there needs to be more hearings.

While I understand why Mo would like to point fingers at the RNC and at Republicans on this issue, the fact of the matter is Americans really do believe there are still questions that need to be answered and Hillary was front and center in this. You can tell by the answer and the question she received that she's not comfortable answering this question.

COSTELLO: All right. I'm going to have to leave it there. I'm going to have to leave it there. Thanks for joining me. I really appreciate it. Brian Stelter, Kirsten Kukowski and Mo Elleithee. Thanks so much.

This morning on Capitol Hill more anger over the White House deal that freed U.S. Army soldier Bowe Bergdahl; many lawmakers say exchanging five Taliban detainees was too high of a cost and they're upset they were not informed beforehand.

Minutes ago, Republican Senator John McCain also weighed in on this case taking issue with those who accuse Bergdahl's fellow soldiers of sabotaging his name and reputation.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), ARKANSAS: I have one other comment that doesn't have anything to do with the hearing and that is I understand attacking people who disagree with the President's decision. I do not agree with attacking the reputation of these young men who served in the same platoon with Sergeant Bergdahl. To accuse them of swift boating is unacceptable.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Swift boating refers to an attack campaign waged against John Kerry when he was Democratic nominee for president and now, of course, Kerry is the Secretary of State.

Still to come in the NEWSROOM, it's been nearly 20 years since this infamous chase that led to the trial of the century. So just how much have race relations in the United States changed since the O.J. Simpson case? You're going to be surprised. We'll talk next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: 20 years -- 20 years, kind of hard to believe it's been that long, since this infamous low-speed chase -- you know, the one involving O.J. Simpson and his friend Al Cowlings in this white Ford Bronco. 95 million people were glued to their TV sets on June 17th, 1994 as police pursued Simpson along the Los Angeles freeway after he was charged with the murders of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman. A year later, after a trial that lasted more than eight months, O.J. Simpson would walk away a free man.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We, the jury in the above entitled action, find the defendant, Orenthal James Simpson, not guilty of the crime of murder in violation of penal code section --

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Remember that moment as clear as day. When that verdict came back, many whites were outraged. While the sentiment among many black Americans was that the jury got it right.

Fast forward to now on a new CNN/ORC poll, it shows a majority of black Americans now think the murder charges against the former football star were true. So what changed? Let's talk about this with CNN political commentator Marc Lamont Hill and Crystal Wright, an editor and blogger with ConservativeBlackChick.com.

Welcome to both of you.

MARC LAMONT HILL, POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Good to be here.

CRYSTAL WRIGHT, CONSERVATIVEBLACKCHICK.COM: Thanks Carol.

COSTELLO: OK. So I'm sure you two remember that day as clearly as I do when that verdict came down and Crystal many white Americans were appalled and many of them -- I'm just being frank here -- were saying what is with black America? How could that be?

WRIGHT: Well, Carol, I was appalled. I'm not a white American but I remember I was actually working at CNN at the time. I had just come off the heels of interning here in the D.C. Bureau, went out to get lunch the day of the verdict, and I was greeted by black Americans jumping up and down on the street, you know, because they thought O.J. had Righted all of the wrongs in the past when many black men before the civil rights act were wrongly convicted of crimes.

So I wouldn't say all black Americans thought that he was not guilty. I think, look, time offers reflection for many of us. I'm glad to see black Americans have the time to step back and say, hey, maybe we were wrong. You know, I think that there's a lot that's happened since then. But I don't know how any person if they were honest with themselves at the time, white or black, would think that O.J. Simpson -- how long did that chase go on? I felt it went on for hours.

COSTELLO: It went on forever and ever. Forever.

WRIGHT: And they found -- we should remind everybody when the police finally were able to get him to come out of his car at his house where the chase ended, they found $9,000 in cash in the Bronco, a mustache, a goatee, glue to put on his face, there was a suicide note. I mean surely -- I hate to say this but I laughed this morning not at the tragedy of the lives lost, but at how preposterous it was and how bungled the case was.

COSTELLO: Absolutely. Marc, I want to get your perspective on what you think changed in all that time?

LAMONT HILL: I'm not sure necessarily that anything changed. I don't necessarily begin from the premise that black people thought that O.J. Simpson didn't murder people. There were some who thought that. And I thought they were crazy then. It was obvious to me that O.J. Simpson was guilty.

But there's this difference between being innocent and being not guilty. One is a moral determination, one is a legal determination. And I think what many people saw in the case of O.J. Simpson particularly those who thought O.J. actually did do it was that the legal system still failed.

We saw Mark Fuhrman, we saw racism, we saw police dishonesty and what the law says is that if the prosecution doesn't make its burden the person has to be not guilty regardless of what we think of their individual innocence or guilt or morality.

And so for many people it was about O.J. Simpson finally getting the type of justice that other people get. I thought it was disappointing that O.J. Simpson got away with murder. I thought it was disappointing that those people died but nevertheless I think -- those of us who celebrated we celebrated because the justice system worked. It was just sad you had to be rich and guilty as opposed to poor and innocent to get that kind justice.

What you see now upon reflection is not people saying we got O.J. Simpson thing wrong. Some realize he's guilty now. But more of it saying "Look, yes, he was guilty but still that verdict was fair given what happened.

COSTELLO: That's just very difficult to understand that line -- I'm just being honest with you.

WRIGHT: Yes. I don't know how -- I mean Marc, I agree with a lot of what you said. But I mean how is it fair that he like as you said that he got away with murder? What it showed is that while our justice system isn't perfect, you know, the prosecution, L.A. Attorney's office, you know, they screwed up from the beginning.

HILL: I mean the police, you know, contaminated evidence. I don't think it's anything to celebrate about. That's the trouble I have with you saying it was something to celebrate about our justice system isn't perfect, correct. There was nothing to celebrate about as you point out that a man who bludgeoned his ex-wife and Ron Goldman, who we don't even know -- he was innocent in this situation and just stumbled upon the scene. I just don't think there's anything to celebrate and her children I think were upstairs sleeping.

HILL: Let me be clear.

(CROSSTALK)

COSTELLO: I have to wrap this up. I wish we could go on but I got to start with the next show.

Marc Lamont Hill, Crystal Wright, thank you.

Be sure to watch CNN special report "O.J.'S WILD RIDE -- 20 YEARS AFTER THE CHASE," 9:00 Eastern tonight.

Thank you for joining me today. I'm Carol Costello.

"@ THIS HOUR" with Bremen and Michaela starts now.