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Bomb Attacks Kills Dozens in Turkey; Upcoming Democrat Presidential Candidates Debate Hosted by CNN; Bernie Sanders Receives First Congressional Endorsement; "GQ" Magazine Prints Article Critical of Ben Carson; Black Lives Matter Representatives Meet with Hillary Clinton; CNN to Host Heroes Tribute. Aired 10-11a ET

Aired October 10, 2015 - 10:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:00:14] ALISON KOSIK, CNN ANCHOR: Breaking news continues this morning outside of Turkey. A deadly bombing outside a crowded train station in the capital killing dozens, injuring many more. We are following the very latest.

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN ANCHOR: Big weekend for Democratic candidates for president. They're preparing to face off in Vegas this week for the first debate here on CNN. This is happening as a new poll tightens the race between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders.

KOSIK: In disturbing new video released of a suspect who dies in police custody after a fight breaks out at a police station. You are going to see it play out as we ask the question, who is to blame?

You're in the CNN Newsroom.

Good morning, everyone.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is CNN breaking news.

KOSIK: Good morning. I'm Alison Kosik in for Christi Paul.

BLACKWELL: I'm Victor Blackwell. Good to have you. We've been following breaking news all morning. This is out of Ankara, Turkey, a deadly bombing outside of a crowded train station in the capital there killing dozens and injuring many, many more. We just got new numbers of the amount of people killed in this tragic bombing. The country's ministry of health says that 86 people are now confirmed dead and 200 others have been injured. The blast happened at 10:00 a.m. local while crowds gathered for a peace rally near the city's main train station. And one of the explosions was caught on video. Watch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(EXPLOSION)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: So far, no claim of responsibility for this attack. Journalist Andrew Finkel is following the story. He's in Istanbul on the phone with me know. Andrew, what more do we know about this attack and the circumstances surrounding it?

ANDREW FINKEL, JOURNALIST: Well, we don't know exactly how it was planted. There is suspicion there were two suicide bombers. There was one bomb right after the other. This was meant to be a joyful protest, an attempt to protest and demonstrate in favor of peace in the southeast of Turkey where there has been an increase in violence between Kurdish separatists and government troops. This was an attempt to give peace a chance, as it were. There's a general election in Turkey so there's going to be a great many more rallies scheduled in Turkey over the next month. But suddenly this mayhem broke out and the death toll rose from 30 to now over 80, 86 as you mentioned, clearly a blackened day in Turkey.

BLACKWELL: Yes, 86, dead, nearly 200, that's from the ministry of health. Beyond those numbers, are we hearing anything else from the government, condemnation, any other details?

FINKEL: Well, the government has been there to say what had actually happened, to give the numbers. They are saying that they had taken adequate security precautions. They are not claiming that it was their negligence behind the attack. Of course, the opposition has leapt in and said, particularly the Kurdish nationals leapt in and said it is the fact that no one is taking responsibility for this means there must be some degree of government complicity in this. And they see it as an attack on them and an attack on their potential success in the upcoming election.

So this incident will certainly lead to a great deal of political bitterness. In fact we've had the extraordinary news that the state broadcasting authority has actually forbidden television coverage of the event, which is, sadly, a black day as well for press freedoms in Turkey.

BLACKWELL: All right, Andrew Finkel. We're going to talk more about the reporting with Sajjan Gohel. Sajjan, thank you so much for joining us. He is also on the phone, terrorism expert and the international security director for the Asia Pacific Foundation. I first want to just talk about what we have heard from Andrew Fenkell, that there is a blackout of coverage in Turkey of these two explosions, and the government coming out to say there was adequate security, no negligence. We know there is an election coming up there soon.

SAJJAN GOHEL, INTERNATIONAL SECURITY DIRECTOR, ASIA-PACIFIC FOUNDATION: Very much so. And this election is extremely important. There was already one election in June, but that has proved to be indecisive because it has weakened the president's AKP party and they were unable to form an effective coalition, which is now why their upcoming elections.

And there has been a lot of instability inside Turkey, tensions with the Kurdish factions and especially the southern part of the country like the PKK, the militant group. The cease-fire with the government broke down recently.

[10:05:02] Then there is also of course the specter of ISIS. Turkey has finally allowed the U.S. to use air bases in Turkey to carry out air strikes against ISIS installations, and the worry would be that there could be potential blowback. There's a lot of different factors involved, and unfortunately in the midst of all the chaos, we have now 86 people dead in Ankara and that figure could increase.

BLACKWELL: What's the expectation of how this will impact Turkey's commitment to the fight against ISIS? For some time, Turkey declined to get into the fight against ISIS in any major substantial way. Do you expect the commitment they have shown so recently will change?

GOHEL: I don't think this attack is going to diminish Turkey's involvement. But potentially it will actually force them to be more involved because of the fact that they are on the front line against ISIS, and they have been off in a transit point for people to move across Turkey into Syria and Iraq and link up with ISIS. So in many ways Turkey has a lot of responsibility to deal with this problem.

And equally they are now very much in the target sites of ISIS itself. A lot of the propaganda material that ISIS produces has put the president on the front cover, which means they see Turkey as a target. And that will force the government to take more stringent measures in trying to defeat this terrorist group and work with the national coalition.

BLACKWELL: Sajjan Gohel with the Asia Pacific Foundation, Sajjan, thank you so much.

GOHEL: Pleasure.

KOSIK: Now to the latest in the race for the White House. We are just three days away from the first Democratic presidential debate on CNN. And last night Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders going off script in Arizona and making a fierce pitch for sensible gun control. It comes on the same day the state was shaken by gun violence, when a college student shot four people, killing one. Sunlen Serfaty joins me from Boulder, Colorado, where Bernie Sanders is yet to hold a rally later today. Sunlen, you know, it seems like Sanders is really starting to hone his message on gun control.

SUNLEN SERFATY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's absolutely right, Alison. And this is an area of real vulnerability for Bernie Sanders because it is one of the very few issues where Hillary Clinton actually runs to his left. He is much more moderate when it comes to gun control message. So as he is trying to tailor his message, really trying to align himself more with the Democratic base, it has been interesting to see him, like last night in Tucson, really deviate from his traditional stump speech and talk about his measures for gun control that he sees as necessary.

And last night at that big rally in Tucson, he acknowledged that he has been more conservative on this issue in the past. Here is what he said last night.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. BERNIE SANDERS, (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Overwhelmingly, the American people understand that it is crazy that people who should not own guns do own guns.

(APPLAUSE)

SANDERS: They understand overwhelmingly that not only do we need to strengthen the instant background check, we need to broaden it as well.

(APPLAUSE)

SANDERS: And they understand that it makes no sense that we have a loophole in the law so that people can go to gun shows and buy weapons without having to go through the instant background check. People understand that's wrong and that has got to change.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SERFATY: And very likely you will see Hillary Clinton up there on the debate stage Tuesday really capitalize on Sanders mixed record on gun control measures, especially as you saw him there really embracing some of these measures in the last couple of years that he was not in support of just a few years ago.

Now, today, for Bernie Sanders, it is all about momentum. He is going to hold another big rally here in Boulder, Colorado. He will roll out his very first congressional endorsement. To note, by comparison, Secretary Clinton, she has over 100 congressional endorsements. Next week she will get the endorsement of a key figure in the Hispanic community, HUD Secretary Castro.

KOSIK: All right, Sunlen Serfaty, live from Boulder, thanks very much.

Don't forget to watch the first Democratic presidential debate happening this Tuesday, October 13th, at 8:30 eastern time only on CNN.

BLACKWELL: All right, let's talk now about the Republicans who are in this race where it's the outsiders that are firmly on top. Look at the latest national poll as Donald Trump maintaining his status as frontrunner, 26 percent, then Ben Carson there, his strongest showing yet with 22 percent. All other rivals, Rubio, Bush, Fiorina, all in the single digits.

[10:10:11] CNN's politics reporter M. J. Lee joins us now from just outside of Atlanta in Norcross. Donald Trump has a rally set for today. Are we likely -- I would imagine he is going to talk about the Democrats preparing for their debate on Tuesday.

M. J. LEE, CNN POLITICS REPORTER: Donald Trump certainly continues to keep a very packed campaign schedule. He was in Las Vegas on Thursday, and today he campaigns in the state of Georgia for the very first time.

You all remember the last time he was supposed to be in Georgia, he was supposed to participate in a Red State conference. But he ended up being uninvited from it at the very last minute because of some controversial remarks that he made about Megyn Kelly.

Now, I am standing in an event space. I see that people are starting to trickle in now, an event space that is supposed to hold over 7,000 people. Crowd size is an issue that Donald Trump has certainly been sensitive about, that he takes a lot of pride in. So we'll let you know if the space really fills up with over 7,000 people. As to your question about Democrats and whether we might hear Donald Trump go after them, we got a little preview of that when he was in Vegas on Thursday. He went after Hillary Clinton and her now opposition to TPP, the Transpacific Partnership. Take a listen to what he said on Thursday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Hillary came out against it. Now, Obama wants it. Hillary came out against the president. Be careful, Hillary. You may be indicted. Be careful. Be careful.

(APPLAUSE)

TRUMP: That's very dangerous for her to do. I give her credit. But the reason she did is that she thinks that someday she is going to be debating me about this trade deal as one of the things.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEE: Now, one thing to remember about the state of Georgia, it is one of the many states that will hold a primary in March on super Tuesday. So this is a sign, although there have been some questions about whether Donald Trump is thinking about getting out of the race, that he is thinking about the long-term plan, that he is not just focused on the early states like Iowa and New Hampshire. He wants to be prepared when we get past the month of February. Back to you guys.

BLACKWELL: M. J. Lee, I see people running in. Thanks so much.

KOSIK: And we are also following another big political story. GOP in chaos, and efforts to get Paul Ryan to become the next House speaker. A live report next.

And speaking of Ben Carson, his book tour in South Carolina today was slowed down by the severe flooding in the state. But it's comments that he has made early this morning that is making headlines today.

And have you seen this? Disturbing video showing a fight at a police station later resulting in the death of a suspect. Who is to blame here? You will see it play out.

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[10:16:14] BLACKWELL: A pretty chaotic time in the history of the House. The one man that House Republicans say can fix this problem has said that he does not want the job they all want him to take. They are calling for Paul Ryan to replace Speaker John Boehner after Boehner suddenly resigned. Now, you'll probably remember this face. He was the 2012 vice

presidential candidate, the nominee running alongside Mitt Romney. The question this morning, will he actually run for this seat? He is spending the weekend thinking about it. Let's bring in CNN correspondent Chris Frates. Chris, give us an idea of the mounting support -- support is a nice way to put it -- the pressure that is being put on Paul Ryan to take the job and run.

CHRIS FRATES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Victor, a lot of support, a lot of pressure on Paul Ryan. But he is still keeping his cards very close to his vest. Remember when Speaker Boehner surprised everyone and announced his retirement, Ryan was often mentioned as a top candidate. He quickly took a pass and got behind Kevin McCarthy. McCarthy ended up saying and surprising Washington on Friday and saying I'm not going to do it. So now there is this big draft Ryan movement among his colleagues.

He is still a reluctant candidate. A couple reason for that. He has a great job on the Ways and Means Committee. It's a powerful committee. It writes our nation's tax laws. Paul Ryan is kind of a wonk. And if he still harbors national ambitions, remember he ran, as you pointed out, for vice president with Mitt Romney, running the House of Representatives, a lightning rod institution that's chaotic, that's fractured, not exactly a resume builder.

Third reason, the schedule, it is brutal. You have to be out traveling around the country several weekends a month at least, every night Congress is in session. His colleagues and leaders are saying, hey, we'll help you with the fundraising. You won't have to do it all on your own. In fact, here's how California Congressman Darrell Issa put it to CNN earlier this week.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. DARRELL ISSA, (R) CALIFORNIA: I think he has gone from a hard no to he knows he has to consider it. And I know he is going home to have that kind of real meeting with his family that would allow him to weigh that. All of us are trying now to make sure he understands that the support will be behind him.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FRATES: So there you have Darrell Issa saying the support will be behind him. We also heard from Kevin McCarthy who made the pitch after he took himself out of the running and said, he thought that Ryan would be amazing. Here is what Kevin McCarthy had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. KEVIN MCCARTHY, (R) HOUSE MAJORITY LEADER: We have very good conference working together, trying to work together. I know a lot of speculation about who should run and others. Paul is looking at it. but it is his decision. If he decides to do it, he would be an amazing speaker. But he has got to decide on his own.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Should he do it? MCCARTHY: There is a very good chance.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There is a very good chance?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FRATES: So there you go. You have Kevin McCarthy, Darrell Issa, the full-court press is on Paul Ryan. He went home. Congress is out for the next week, Victor. And we will see what he decides when he meets with his family and talks this very big decision over, Victor.

BLACKWELL: The one member that many believe can unite the more conservative members and the moderates as they move forward through a couple of months that have a lot on the agenda, could be tough voting. Thank you so much, Chris Frates. Alison?

KOSIK: Thanks, Victor.

There is a controversial video making headlines this morning. A fight breaks out at a police station, and hours later the suspect dies. CNN's Nick Valencia has the story next.

Also our continuing coverage of the breaking news out of Turkey. Bombs ripping through a peace rally at a busy train station. More than 80 dead and almost 200 people injured. A live report coming up.

(CROSSTALK)

[10:23:32] BLACKWELL: New video this morning, police fighting with a suspect just a short time before he was found dead in a jail cell.

KOSIK: These new images that you are seeing here of Matthew Ajibade fighting with police were shown in court earlier this week. They're shedding light on the final hours of the 21-year-old student's life who died in police custody earlier this year. Nick Valencia has been following this story. What kind of information is this giving not only the defense but the prosecution as well?

NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The family has been waiting for this video for nine months and they're hoping that it could help vindicate Matthew Ajibade. And it is this video that jurors will use to decide the fate of two Georgia deputies as well as a nurse who is charged in the death of 21-year-old Matthew Ajibade who died while in police custody.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

VALENCIA: This police surveillance footage from the night of January 1st in Savannah, shows 21-year-old Matthew Ajibade after he is arrested for a domestic dispute with his girlfriend. In the long awaited video seen for the first time, Ajibade, diagnosed as bipolar according to his family, appears agitated and resists with police during what his family calls a medical episode.

Seen here, he thrashes on the ground after deputies wrestle him down. At one point a deputy enters the scuffle with a Taser, but Ajibade is able to grab it. Then the situation escalates. Ajibade is struck in the head several times. He is eventually hogtied and dragged off camera. It's the last images of him alive. Hours later he dies in a Chatham County jail cell. The family attorney says the video crow shows officers went too far.

[10:25:09] MARK O'MARA, AJIBADE FAMILY ATTORNEY: There has been this philosophy of disrespect and then of covering up for it.

VALENCIA: But in court this week, the jail supervisor at the time of the incident says the video stands in favor of the officers.

DEBORAH JOHNSON, FORMER SHERIFF'S DEPUTY, CHATHAM COUNTY, GEORGIA: It appeared that he punched the subject because he had a weapon in his hand at that time.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That force is justified?

JOHNSON: That force is considered to be justified, yes, sir.

VALENCIA: Nine deputies were fired as a result of the incident. Two charged with involuntary manslaughter as well as a nurse who was accused of not checking on the inmate's well-being as is required by state law.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's painful just talking about it.

VALENCIA: Ajibade's cousin told CNN the entire incident has been shrouded in secrecy.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The whole world actually got the news the same time the family did. It's just not American.

VALENCIA: Was it excessive force or was it justified? That's the question jurors will attempt to answer in a manslaughter trial that is just beginning.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VALENCIA: CNN has reached out to the defendant's attorneys in this case. Only one got back to us to say it was not incumbent on his client to check on the well-being of Ajibade, that all deputies have that responsibility. He believes his client has been overcharged. Alison?

KOSIK: Nick Valencia, I know you will be following this trial. We look forward to your report.

VALENCIA: Thanks, guys.

KOSIK: Big weekend for the Democrats running for president. Frontrunners Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders on the same stage to face off for their first debate right here on CNN. We are going to talk about two lawmakers about the strategy they are going to need to win.

And we continue to follow breaking news out of Turkey, bombs striking a peace rally killing more than 80 people. A live report next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KOSIK: We're following breaking news out of Turkey this morning. A pair of massive bomb blasts have killed at least 86, injuring more than 180 others.

[10:30:06] The attack happening during a morning peace rally in the capital of Ankara. The blast, as you're about to see, was caught on video.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(EXPLOSION)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KOSIK: There are actually two blasts total. No one has claimed responsibility. The Turkish government has called an emergency meeting in response to the violence. Let's bring in Arwa Damon live from Ankara. Arwa, what have you learned about today's blast?

ARWA DAMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Alison, we just arrived on scene. The explosion happening right behind us in front of the train station here. And you can see forensic teams are on the grounds as well as other officials. The force of the blast evident in the blown- out windows of the train station.

Some 14,000 people had gathered all ready for what was supposed to be a peaceful rally, calling for peace between the Turkish government and the Kurdish PKK. There has been some pretty intense fighting that has been taking place for the last few months. People coming here wanting to express their desire for peace and what is now being called a despicable terrorist attack then unfolding.

Two explosions happening at around 10:04 in the morning. Not entirely clear at this stage if it was a bomb that was placed, if it was a suicide bomber. No claims of responsibility just yet either. People around us who have come to just look at the scene all very understandably somber. Everybody really shocked, reeling from this attack. The last such attack took place over the summer in the southern town of Suruc. There, in that instance, the attack was on a group mostly of youths who had come together to try to collect humanitarian aid to send into the Syrian city of Kobani. And now we have this attack as well, this time against a peace rally, Alison.

KOSIK: Arwa, this attack happening just weeks before a parliamentary election. Do you see any link to that and this attack?

DAMON: It is hard to tell exactly. Yes, a lot of people are talking about the fact that elections are coming up again. Again, this is obviously a very sensitive time for this country, not just because of the elections but because of the two-pronged attack on terrorism that the Turkish government has undertaken, not only going after ISIS targets inside Syria but also against the PKK within its own borders and outside of them. And there has been a lot of pressure on Turkey, also because of what's

happening in Turkey. Turkey is unable to isolate itself from the violence that is taking place next door. At this stage a lot of speculation only as to who might be behind it. Of course, yes, as you're saying, a lot of questions being raised about the timing of this attack and who would actually gain from carrying out this kind of violence in terms of the political scenario and landscape that exists here. But again, at this early stage, very difficult to tell what the motivation was behind the attack except for the sheer reality of the deaths that it caused and the impact that it is having on the country.

KOSIK: All right, and no one claiming responsibility just yet. Arwa Damon, thanks for that report

BLACKWELL: Switching now to the race for the White House. Three days until the Democratic primary debate right here on CNN. For the first time we will see the five Democratic candidates squaring off on the debate stage. All eyes will be on the front-runner and the man in second place, Senator Bernie Sanders. We'll see fireworks, possibly, maybe not. I want to bring in former Iowa Senator Tom Harkin, who is supporting Hillary Clinton, former secretary of state, also Arizona Representative Raul Grijalva who is the co-chair of Congressional Progressives Caucus. Good to have both of you with us this morning.

TOM HARKIN, FORMER IOWA SENATOR: Nice to be with you, thanks, Victor.

REP. RAUL GRIJALVA, (D) ARIZONA: Thank you very much, Victor.

BLACKWELL: Certainly. Representative, I want to start with you. You are endorsing Bernie Sanders. When you compare the number of endorsements, Hillary Clinton has more than 100 congressional endorsements. You are the first for Bernie Sanders. As I mentioned, you are the co-chair of this progressive caucus. Where are the rest of the progressives? Why aren't they standing behind Sanders?

GRIJALVA: I think each member comes to their own conclusions. The endorsement was formalized. Although everybody knew yesterday night here in Tucson, Arizona, 13,000 people, a cross section of our community and, quite frankly, a cross section of the nation there to welcome Bernie and to extend their support for him.

[10:35:09] I might be the first, but I won't be the last. But I think each member comes to their conclusion. I want to reinforce the agenda that Bernie is running on. I believe in his values. He is a friend. And I want to be there, and my endorsement, for whatever it is worth, is to help reinforce that message.

BLACKWELL: Got it, got it.

Now to you, Senator. Hillary Clinton has strong poll numbers nationally. But the latest numbers out in Iowa and New Hampshire she is not doing well compared to Senator Sanders against the top Republicans. Let's kind of roll through them as we see that Bernie Sanders does best against Jeb Bush, Carly Fiorina, also Donald Trump, as we put those up. Why is this that even in your home state of that Bernie Sanders is doing better than Hillary Clinton? HARKIN: Well, Victor, you know, I have been in a lot of campaigns in

my life. There is always ups and downs and ins and outs in the early part of the campaign. But I believe what Hillary has shown and will continue to show is that she has the experience, she has the knowledge, she has the vision to be president from day one, and a president who will fight for families and who will fight for a new America of real opportunity and fairness for everyone in our country.

And so there is going to be a lot of these bounces around right now. But I can assure you that Hillary has the toughness to be a fighter for our families, and she is going to come through this just fine.

BLACKWELL: One of the areas in which the former secretary has struggled is in the areas of trustworthiness and honesty based on polling numbers. If we think back, let's put the 2007 debate performance in context as we look ahead to Tuesday night in which she got confused. If people remember, we can put the video up to jog some memories, in a back and forth with John Edwards over driver's licenses for illegal immigrants in New York in which she kind of vacillated on stage. And now you have the Transpacific Partnership, this trade deal, which she supported before she was against it. How does she fight that even considering this reversal going into Tuesday?

HARKIN: Look, I don't think the American people want a president who is just going to shoot from the hip, who is just going to fly off the handle and say what comes to their mind and get us in trouble. A president has to have that demeanor to be able to see different sides.

That's the one thing that impressed me about Hillary Clinton when I served with her in the United States Senate. She had been first lady. A lot of people thought she was going to come into the Senate and be a prima donna and ride above everything. I was on the committee with her. I saw how she could work with Republicans and others with disparate ideas and to find the common threads that brought us together and how she could work with Republicans to get things done.

So I think when you look at this thing about the Transpacific Partnership, I think what she wants to do is read it, understand it all before she comes to any real iron clad conclusion about it. She said, from what she saw, and I can tell you that from me, too, from what I have seen, I could not support it either right now. But it hasn't really been made public yet.

BLACKWELL: Senator, we are running low on time. I want to get back to Congressman Grijalva. Senator Sanders, what does he have to do? I mean, should he bring up some of these weaknesses, the trustworthy numbers, the e-mail concerns as he debates on Tuesday night?

GRIJALVA: The senator hasn't brought it up during this whole campaign. I don't believe he is going to bring it up at the debate. What he is going to do is the thing that is hard to gauge about this election is momentum. And Bernie Sanders has momentum. He has to stick to a message that has been consistent from day one, 30 years in public life. Stick to that message. Does it resonate with the American people? Defend that message if others choose to attack it. But for Bernie, it is the message. And it is a strong message -- 13,000 people in Tucson, Arizona, on a Friday night and all over the country. I think people are horribly underestimating the reach and depth of support that Bernie has. And to be honest with you, it is a message that is resonating. And all he has to do in this debate is stick to his message, defend it when necessary. And I think a wider audience will hear that message and develop the same appreciation and support that people that are coming to his rallies already have.

BLACKWELL: Congressman, there has been a call that has been championed by another man in the race, former Maryland governor, Martin O'Malley, for more debates. Would you support more debates? And I'll come to you, senator, for the same question.

[10:40:01] GRIJALVA: Yes, thank you. I think what the DNC did in limiting and if anybody goes out this set number of debates, this he would be penalized and removed from other debates. I think the more debates, the better. Bernie said, the more, the better. And if we want to bring the Republicans into those debates, he sees nothing wrong with that. Neither do I. I think the more the American people hear the candidates, the more the American people begin to understand the messages and the visions that they are talking about, the better we all are.

BLACKWELL: Of course, there are a lot of people in the country who don't know your candidate as well, congressman. I think Hillary Clinton has maybe 100 percent name recognition. Maybe more debates wouldn't help her. What do you think, senator? Should there be more Democratic primary debates?

HARKIN: I think what has been set ought to be adhered to. I believe that once rules are made and people agree to those, you ought to abide by them. I am looking forward, quite frankly, to the debate between our candidate, who will get the nomination, Hillary Clinton, and the Republican nominee. Those are the debates that I'm looking forward to down the road.

BLACKWELL: Senator Tom Harkin, former Iowa senator, also Congressman Raul Grijalva, good to have both of you this morning.

GRIJALVA: Thank you very much, Victor.

BLACKWELL: All right, here is the reminder, another one. Catch the first Democratic presidential debate this Tuesday, October 13th, only on CNN.

KOSIK: And still ahead, a member of the group Black Lives Matter joins us with insight about their meeting with Hillary Clinton and what they want in the next president.

Plus, Ben Carson no stranger to getting backlash from his controversial sound bites. But did "GQ" magazine go too far with this headline? Brian Stelter weighs in next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) [10:45:26] KOSIK: Ben Carson isn't letting severe thunder, lightning, and flash flood warnings stop him from signing books and campaigning in South Carolina. He is not letting a controversial new "GQ" column slow him down. We partially blurred this for TV because the men's fashion magazine didn't mince any words with this headline, "F Ben Carson." But "GQ" didn't stop there. Here is just the first paragraph, quote, "You know, the only thing more alarming than Donald Trump leading the Republican presidential field is the fact that Ben Carson is the guy right behind him, while establishment puds like Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio can't decide if they want to beat Trump or emulate him. The good doctor made it clear this week that he is not only willing to replicate Trump's signature brand of hot garbage spewing but he will even say dumber" -- you get the idea.

CNN's senior media correspondent Brian Stelter live for us in New York. You know, that headline caught my eye, but pretty darn provocative with this one.

BRIAN STELTER, CNN SENIOR MEDIA CORRESPONDENT: Indeed. There are two different ways to read this, and depending on how you feel about Ben Carson, you are reading it one of two ways. On the one hand, how would people react if there was a headlines anywhere on the web that said, "F Barack Obama." On the other, there is an element, an example of coarseness in the discourse and desire for clicks that is rather ugly to see.

On the other hand, the columnist is trying to make an actual point. You were reading right there. It was trying to make a point basically suggesting we should have a better, stronger Republican field, basically dismissing Ben Carson for pandering to voters. So there are obviously two ways to read a column like this. But it is rather ugly, and we are seeing Ben Carson go very strongly against the media, not just against "GQ" but against the media. We know this is common in the Republican primaries. We have often see one or two candidates very strongly come out against the press. And that's what Carson is doing right now. Here is what he said on "FOX and Friends" this morning.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BEN CARSON, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I think the media has for a while been a reflection of the nonchalance of the general republic. However, I believe there is a phenomenon occurring where the people are starting to see through this. And they're starting to recognize that most of the media is on another planet. They have a different agenda. They are not interested in uplifting our society. And the reason that they were given protection under our constitution as the only business in that category is because they were supposed to be honest and they were supposed to be on the side of the people. And it is a great distortion what they are doing, and I think it has a lot to do with the direction of how other society is going in.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STELTER: We have seen in the past how effective it can be to campaign against the media. Carson went on this morning to say that many permanent members of the press are enemies of the people. I'm not sure that is entirely true. And I think how we shouldn't pretend that Carson has not been mired in controversy, legitimate controversies about things that he has said recently, including about how he would have reacted to the gunman in Oregon. There are stories he has clearly not liked and he is reacting to those.

But, like I said, at the same time we know the campaign against the media is oftentimes effective with Republican voters.

We should mention one other thing, though, Alison, and that is he is also very accessible to the press. And he has been benefiting from it. I think Carson has learned from Donald Trump how valuable it is to say yes to television interviews, yes to web and online and radio interviews. A lot of other GOP candidates are still saying no to a lot of interview requests. I think Carson is benefiting by saying yes.

KOSIK: Good point there. Brian Stelter, thank you so much for coming on the show. And you can catch "RELIABLE SOURCES" Sunday, 11:00 a.m. eastern right here on CNN.

BLACKWELL: Let's take some live pictures now. This is Washington, a commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the Million Man March. Louis Farrakhan, Minister Louis Farrakhan of the Nation of Islam who convened the original march back in 1995, he will speak at 1:00 eastern this afternoon.

Today's meeting is being called "Justice or Else." The original Million Man March was billed in 1995 as a day of atonement and reconciliation. We will continue to bring you live pictures throughout the morning and throughout the day.

Let's talk now about Hillary Clinton who met with activists, members of the Black Lives Matter movement. And they discussed everything from private prison system, demilitarization of the police, mental health services for children as well. I want to learn more about this meeting and speak with DeRay McKesson, a prominent activist with Campaign Zero. He was at this meeting. DeRay, Welcome.

[10:50:02] DERAY MCKESSON, FERGUSON PROTEST ORGANIZER: Thank you, it's good to be here.

After the meeting, you said this. I'm going to read it. We're going to put it up on the screen. "In the end, I felt heard. It was a tough conversation. And we didn't agree with every approach or everything, but she was willing to be pushed. And it was a candid conversation, and that's important." What led to that characterization? Tell us more about the meeting.

MCKESSON: We didn't agree with the role of the police in communities. We started off with Secretary Clinton sort of positing this notion that the police make people feel safe. And that was a big discussion item in the beginning of the conversation. I think she heard us in the end about the tension that the police bring in communities of color all across the country. We also talked a lot about the role of the federal government to

protect the right of people of color and the historical role and pushing her to do that. And also, she doesn't have a platform yet to try and be really intentional about making that platform is explicit about the lives of black people. Again, we had a 90 minute meeting, and in the end, I think we were heard. There was a good, tough conversation that she was willing to be pushed.

BLACKWELL: So no platform yet. I know you want to be more than heard. You want commitment. So any commitments from Secretary Clinton?

MCKESSON: So we got commitments around national use of force standards, so looking to see if that's going to be in it. We also talked about making sure that we prioritize alternatives to policing. The idea that we don't need to have a police first response to everything, that mental health is different from domestic abuse, is different from drugs. We need to be thoughtful about how we deal with crime and more nuanced.

And then we talked about ending private prisons. She made a commitment to doing that. Pushed her about campaign donations. It was unclear what her response was there. But she said she would end private prisons. So I'm looking forward to a comprehensive platform. I did leave the meeting with more expectation about the content of the eventual platform.

BLACKWELL: Is there any commitment from any other candidate on either side of the aisle for at least a meeting?

MCKESSON: Yes. So I reached out to Marco Rubio on Twitter and also I e-mailed his team. I got a response saying that someone else will respond to me and have not heard back yet. And also I reached out to Ben Carson's team to meet with Carson. So looking forward to that, and hopeful that we will get a meeting with O'Malley on the books as well.

BLACKWELL: Is there someone that you think, again, a Democrat or Republican who is best on this issue, best when it comes specifically to the things that are outlined in the Campaign Zero list of solutions?

MCKESSON: I think it is hard to answer that question given that everybody has not released a platform yet. I think the Sanders platform is really strong. It is clear he heard us in that conversation. After that meeting, he came out against civil asset forfeiture, which is really positive. And I am hopeful that the Clinton platform will also be strong.

O'Malley's platform is also really comprehensive. The dissonance there is what does that mean in relation to his tenure as mayor of Baltimore, which I think People are still looking for an answer on.

BLACKWELL: The first Democratic primary debate is Tuesday. If you had a chance to ask one question, what would that question be? MCKESSON: I want to know what the last year of unrest and its focus

on blackness and police violence and criminal justice will mean for your first 100 days in office. How will black lives be prioritized in your first 100 days in office?

BLACKWELL: All right, DeRay McKesson with Campaign Zero, thank you so much.

MCKESSON: See you later.

BLACKWELL: We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KOSIK: CNN is proud to announce the top ten heroes of 2015. Each honoree receives a cash prize and a shot at "Hero of the Year" which earns an additional $100,000 for their cause.

BLACKWELL: Yes, and you can help decide who that person will be. Here is CNN's Anderson Cooper.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Now that we have announced the top ten CNN heroes of 2015, I want to show you how you can decide who should be CNN hero of the year and receive $100,000 for their cause. Go to CNNHeroes.com where you will find more information about all of them. Each one will be honored at "CNN HEROES, AN ALL-STAR TRIBUTE" this December, but only one will be named hero of the year. That's where you come in with your votes.

Now, down here, you will see photos of each top ten hero linked to a page where you can watch videos and learn more about their important work. When you are ready, simply click "vote" over here and a new page comes up. Now select the person that inspires you the most. I am going to select somebody randomly. I am going to pick Jim Withers over here. Just as an example, any of the ten nominees would be worthy of being CNN hero of the year, and that's entirely up to you.

Once you select your favorite hero, his or her photo will show up down here in a separate box under your selection. Then just enter your e- mail address, type in the security code, and click on the "vote" box to cast your vote right there.

It is even easier to vote on Facebook. Just make your selection and click over here. You will see this thank you page where you can share your choice on Facebook or Twitter to encourage your friends to vote as well. And there is also a link where you can make a tax-free donation to your favorite hero's cause. Remember, you can vote once every day through Sunday, November 15th with your e-mail address through Facebook or by using the CNN app. We will reveal the 2015 hero of the year during "CNN HEROES, AN ALL-STAR TRIBUTE," a CNN tradition that promises to inspire.

(END VIDEO CLIP) KOSIK: Again, meet all the top ten heroes and vote once a day every day at CNNHeroes.com. All ten will be honored at "CNN HEROES, AN ALL- STAR TRIBUTE" hosted by Anderson Cooper. That is December 6th. But only one will be named CNN hero of the year. Thanks for watching.

BLACKWELL: Yes, there is so much more ahead in the next hour of the CNN Newsroom. We are going to turn things over now to our colleague Martin Savidge. Good morning, Martin.

KOSIK: Good morning, Martin.

[11:00:00] MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, Victor. Good morning Alison.

Horrible news coming out of Turkey. We will begin there.