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First Dem Debate Set for Tuesday in Las Vegas; Iranian Court Issues Verdict for "Washington Post" Jason Rezaian; Former Investigator Accusing Benghazi Panel of Targeting Hillary Clinton. Aired 5-6p ET

Aired October 11, 2015 - 17:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:00:31] POPPY HARLOW, CNN HOST: Top of the hour. I'm Poppy Harlow in New York. John Berman clearly got the very time at this week.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN HOST: That's right. I'm John Berman in Las Vegas. Just off the strip outside the Wynn Las Vegas. Inside that hotel behind me, the first head-to-head matchups for the Democrats running for president just two days from now. The final preparations under way for the big show. Tuesday night, 8:30 p.m. eastern time right here on CNN. Brought you a live picture inside the ballroom of the Wynn Las Vegas.

We just learned the lectern layout up on that stage. Hillary Clinton will be center stage because she is out in front of the national polls. The latest poll out today gives her a 19-point lead over Bernie Sanders. Vice president Joe Biden who is still deciding whether he wants to run, he currently sitting in third place at 16 percent. He will be allowed to join the debate if he chooses to get into the race by Tuesday night.

As we talk about the people we know will be there, their challenge Tuesday is to differentiate themselves from Hillary Clinton to draw a contrast. That's what they say in the political business. This is what former Maryland governor Martin O'Malley and Vermont senator Bernie Sanders had to say earlier today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: From day one, I opposed the keystone pipeline, because I believe that if you're serious about climate change you don't encourage the excavation and transportation of very dirty oil. That was my view from day one. TPP. I believe that our trade policies going way back, I voted against NAFTA, CAFTA, PNT, on to China. I think they have been a disaster for the American workers. A lot of corporation that shut down here and move abroad. So people will have to contrast my consistency and my willingness to stand up to Wall Street corporations with the secretary. MARTIN O'MALLEY (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Secretary Clinton's

always quick for the military intervention. I believe that a no-fly zone right now is not advisable. And this is why. No-fly zones sound attractive, but no-fly zones also have to be enforced. And given that the Russian air force is in the air space is over Syria, this could lead to an escalation of cold war proportions because of an accident. And I don't think that's in the interests of the United States. There are many fights in this world. Not every fight is our fight. We have to stay engaged there. We have to put back against ISIS. We have to push up the diplomatic pressure to get Russia to focus on ISIS. But I don't believe in no-fly zone is advisable.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: All right. Jim Acosta is inside the Wynn ballroom.

Jim, you've been working all day to prepare the stage. Show us around.

JIM ACOSTA, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: That's right, John. A debate stage does not set itself, right? So we have got a team of CNN people inside. They've been working hard all day all night getting this debate ready for Tuesday night. The first debate for the Democratic of this presidential season. And you can see the debate stage is almost set. Two days in counting. You see five podiums up on the stage. That middle podium, of course, for former secretary of state Hillary Clinton. She's the obvious front-runner right now in this race.

But as you were saying just a few moments ago, John, Vermont senator Bernie Sanders, he has been really giving her a run for her money making her feel the heat, feel the burn, you might say, as supporters might say in polls in places like New Hampshire.

But there are other candidates up on this stage who have a lot to prove on Tuesday night. You mentioned one, former Maryland governor Martin O'Malley. He is going to be trying to differentiate himself from the other contenders. But also Lincoln Chafee, the former Rhode Island governor, the former senator for Virginia Jim Webb, they may have moments as well.

But it is Bernie Sanders who has really captured the imagination of the progressive wing of the Democratic Party. Much in the same, perhaps not the exact same way, but much of the same way that Barack Obama did back in 2008. He likes to remind his supporters that he opposed the Iraq war back in 2002. He is now saying, guess what, Hillary Clinton voted in favor of that Iraq war back in 2002. So echoes, shades of that battle Royale between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.

But earlier today Bernie Sanders was asked whether or not he can put together that same coalition, capture that same lightning in a bottle that Barack Obama did back in 2008. And here's what Bernie Sanders had to say to that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) SANDERS: I think what ended up happening is the president, because he happens to be a very decent guy, actually thought that he could sit down with the Republican leadership and work out some fair compromises. The truth is, number one, they never had any intention to compromise. But number two, more importantly, you have to be prepared to mobilize people to take on these big money interests. But you were right. I think we can do it. And I think that's what the bully pulpit is about. And that's what organizing efforts is about.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: Now, one of the interesting aspects of this debate on Tuesday night is the audience participation. And on the screen behind me CNN anchor Don Lemon will be standing beneath that. He will be helping co-host the debate on Tuesday night. He will be fielding questions from Facebook users who will be chiming in on what they want to ask these candidates. So that will be an interesting aspect of this debate.

But John, as you have been saying is we have been saying all day, looming large over this entire debate, what is going to take place on Tuesday night, the x factor, if you will, is vice president Joe Biden. Will he or won't he? Will the air force two suddenly start flying this way, start flying westward toward Las Vegas on Tuesday night, a dramatic landing at McCarran international airport, the speeding motorcade over to the Wynn hotel, Biden with the aviator glasses put on as he walks in, will we see some kind of dramatic political moment like that we haven't seen in this campaign so far? That would be fascinating to watch, John.

It is just unclear at this point. But you we can tell our viewers there's an extra debate podium waiting in the wings off stage just in case the vice president decides to join us. So far as people are saying no comment, no updates on whether he has made a decision on running for president, John.

[17:06:26] BERMAN: Right. Jim Acosta with a wild scenario for us if the vice president decide to come. But unless and until that happens, the big matchup that people are watching right here, Hillary Clinton, the former secretary of state, versus Vermont senator Bernie Sanders.

Here with me to discuss the implications there, Mark Preston, executive editor of CNN Politics and Paul Begala, Democratic strategist, co-chair of a pro-Hillary Clinton super PAC. A longtime adviser to president Bill Clinton. So Paul, you support Hillary Clinton.

PAUL BEGALA, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: I do.

BERMAN: No bones about that. I'm going to put you in the awkward position of giving advice to Bernie Sanders. Good advice now, advice that he would want to hear. What does he do on this debate stage?

BEGALA: Well, he is succeeding. He's doing great, first off. So stay in your game. Don't get out of your game. One of the reasons he is succeeding is what he is not doing. He is not attacking Hillary Clinton. By the way, Hillary is not attacking Bernie. That's the general rule. I love attacks. That's like my favorite thing in politics. I love negative campaign. But Bernie has figured out that Hillary has a very favorable, even though her votes has dropped.

BERMAN: Among Democrats.

BEGALA: Of course. That's who is deciding who the nominee is in my party. I'm a Democrats. Our favorable in the 70s. So Bernie has not once attacked her. They made a few a little I disagree with the issue. Good Lord, you ought to be able to do that.

But he needs to connect his populist economic message up with an audience that wants to hear it. But if he's drawn in, into like, the standard -- the stuff we saw in the Republican debate where they were just really going at each other, it's not going to go well. He won't do that, though. He's a very talented debater.

BERMAN: He may not go right after her, but Mark, this weekend of all the weekends in the political year, that campaign chose to release his speech in 2002 opposed to the invasion of Iraq. Clearly, timed to draw a contrast to Hillary Clinton who supported the war just days before the debate.

MARK PRESTON, EXECUTIVE EDITOR, CNN POLITICS: Right. And look, for Bernie Sanders, I think Paul is right. I mean, it is not in his nature to go after Hillary Clinton. I think he's going to have to go after Hillary Clinton, though, to some extent. It won't be as personal as we saw what Donald Trump did in the Republican debate. But they got a lot lies on Martin O'Malley as well. I mean, either he puts up or he shuts up after this debate. He's been very critical of Hillary Clinton. And Martin O'Malley is going to have to - he has been attacking her, as Paul knows, he has been attacking her in the press. He will now be standing next to her. Martin O'Malley has to make a move.

BERMAN: Paul, how do you prepare for guys like Martin O'Malley, Jim Webb and Lincoln Chafee who have nothing to lose, right? They have to go out of here with something. They could do anything.

BEGALA: Right. They could attack Bernie Sanders because that's the non-Hillary vote that Bernie is now really gathering very successfully. I don't think that's a good strategy. I think O'Malley has certainly hinted -- not hinted, he's been attacking Hillary on the stump, which is his right. If he doesn't in the debate, he is going to look like a was, right?

PRESTON: So he is like Tim Pawlenty.

BEGALA: Right. Went down the last cycle from attacking Mitt Romney.

BERMAN: How does Hillary Clinton then prepare? I mean, what's going on behind closed doors in this debate prep when there's a certain amount of unpredictability among these three candidates?

BEGALA: I can't coordinate with her campaign, as you know, because I run a super PAC. But I can imagine. I have been at a lot of debate preps in my life, a lot. Here is what's happening, I guarantee. One side of the room is practicing and somebody playing say Martin O'Malley attacks her. And they're saying hit him back, Hillary. Don't take any guff off of this guy, OK? And I know Hillary. She's tough and she's got a temper, OK? And so, they're saying show that. That's who you are. If you get angry, pop him.

The other side is saying, wait, no, no, please. The guy is below skim milk, OK? He is not even two percent. Don't give him a moment, for goodness sakes, Hillary, just let it go.

And I have no idea what she does. My own advice would be, actually, let it go, even though some in the press would say that's phony because he clearly took a shot at her. You don't want to give a guy who is, you know, he is one point ahead of me in the polls. You don't want to give him the air time.

[17:10:16] BERMAN: Last word, Joe Biden not in the room as far as we know. Is his presence, though, felt on the debate stage? How do candidates deal with him?

PRESTON: There's no question it is. I mean, that is what's hanging over the Wynn right now. What does Joe Biden do? We want to find out what direction he's going to go. And would have to say this. If Joe Biden is going to get in the race, it's kind of disingenuous for Joe Biden to get into the race after the debate, you know, to see how Hillary Clinton does. Now, obviously, it is a personal decision. He is going to make it up. But if he does get into the race on Wednesday, I don't know.

BERMAN: All right. Paul Begala, Mark Preston, great to have you here with us.

Just two days to go until the big debate on the stage behind me. We are going to have much more from Las Vegas coming up.

First, though, back to Poppy Harlow in New York.

HARLOW: Thank you very much, John.

Also to this very important story. Reports from Iran say that a verdict has been handed down in that country's espionage trial against "Washington Post" journalist Jason Rezaian. But what the verdict is and any possible sentence, those have not been publicly released. The lack of detail has added frustration and pain felt by his family and the U.S. government and, of course, his newspaper. They have been pushing for his release since his arrest in July of last year.

Brian Stelter, host of CNN's "RELIABLE SOURCES" is with me.

You've been on this story from the beginning. What's the family saying, what's "the Washington Post" saying?

BRIAN STELTER CNN SENIOR MEDIA CORRESPONDENT: It has been gut- wrenching news today to hear that there is apparently a verdict but then not be told what the verdict is. The other detail from the semiofficial in Rezaian news agency was that where Rezaian and his lawyer will have 20 days to appeal. Well, what would they appealing if not some verdict will keep them in prison even longer. So that is why there are such confusion and disappointments today.

I spoke earlier today with the foreign editor of "the Post" Doug Jehl. And he said this trial has been a sham. Here is what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DOUG JEHL, FOREIGN EDITOR, THE WASHINGTON POST: This remains a mystery to us. But I think it does underscore that what we're seeing unfolding here is a sham. For Iran to say that there has been a verdict but that it's not final simply suggests again that this is not a matter for the courts. It's a matter that's being decided in the political spheres in Iran. This suggests once again that Jason is not really a prisoner. He's a bargaining chip being used by the Iranian government to extract some concessions from the U.S.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STELTER: That was a few hours ago. I just checked in again, Poppy, with Doug Jehl, with the Post. They say according to their best information Jason Rezaian's lawyer hasn't been told any information about the verdict. Which means their client, Jason, has not either. So essentially this reporter who should be able to be covering Iran today is still in the dark about his own future.

HARLOW: Who is a U.S. citizen and Iranian citizen.

STELTER: Yes, dual citizen. And that's important because in Iran's doesn't recognized dual citizenship. So in Iran's eyes, he is not an American but in this country's eyes, the U.S.' eyes, he is.

HARLOW: Let's remember, this week we surpass that 444 day mark. That is how long the Iranian hostages were held in 79 to 81. He has been held the longest of any journalist in Iran. And you even got people coming out and saying this is a hostage situation.

STELTER: That's right. We have heard Republican candidates for president like Mike Huckabee say he is a hostage. We have heard some commentators, some journalists also use the word hostage. "The Post" is not gone that far. And the Obama administration has not gone that far. But you can hear with every passing week and month, the disgust from the "Post" editors and from the Obama administration officials who to their credit have been trying to keep this story in the news, trying to keep attention on this case. We've heard President Obama repeatedly say that the government is working diligently for this man's release. But for now we don't know what his status is.

HARLOW: He is also not the only American being held in Iran. We'll keep on it.

Brian Stelter, thank you very, very much.

Ahead here, accusations from a former Republican staff member on that Benghazi house select committee who says the panel is conducting a quote "partisan investigation" and that Hillary Clinton is the target. A CNN exclusive next.

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[17:17:13] HARLOW: Hillary Clinton testifies before the house select committee on Benghazi 11 days from now despite new calls that the panel be shut down completely. Those follow the fact that this investigator was fired by the committee and alleges now that it has become a political witch hunt aimed at derailing Clinton's presidential campaign.

The committee chairman Trey Gowdy vehemently denies that and says that the staffer was fired for cause. The committee issued a statement saying in part quote "the record makes it clear not only did he mishandle classified information, he himself is focused on Clinton improperly and was instructed to stop and that issues with his conduct were noted On the Record as far back as April."

In an exclusive television interview CNN Chief Washington correspondent Jake Tapper spoke to the fired investigator to get his side of the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JAKE TAPPER, CNN CHIEF WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It was a terrorist attack overseas that caught the nation off guard. September 11th, 2012, militants stormed the U.S. mission in Benghazi Libya and a nearby CIA annex killing four Americans including ambassador Chris Stevens.

REP. TREY GOWDY (R), CHAIRMAN, HOUSE SELECT COMMITTEE ON BENGHAZI: The House of Representatives constituted this committee and they did so for us to find all of the facts and I intend to do that.

TAPPER: Republicans determined to investigate established a new house select committee to focus on how it all happened and what happened after, the select committee on Benghazi.

But this man says that committee's mission has changed and is now focused solely on how to put blame on former secretary of state Hillary Clinton which is committee's Republican chairman Trey Gowdy has repeatedly denied.

BRADLEY PODLISKA, U.S. AIR FORCE RESERVES: I'm scared. I'm going up against powerful people in Washington. I was fired for trying to conduct an objective nonpartisan thorough investigation.

TAPPER: Major Bradley Podliska was an investigator on the committee for almost nine months before being fired in June. The air force reserve intelligence officer is planning a lawsuit against the committee. He says he was dismissed in part because of the time commitment required by his duty as a major in the air force reserve, but also he says for resisting pressure to focus his investigation on Hillary Clinton and her state department.

PODLISKA: This has become a partisan investigation. I do not know the reason for the hyper-focus on Hillary Clinton. TAPPER: Podliska is a conservative Republican who even once intern

for the conservative media research center.

PODLISKA: I would just like to state that I'm going to vote for the Republican nominee in 2016. I do not support Hillary Clinton for president.

TAPPER: He believes the Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton has much to answer for.

Republicans are going to listen to you and thing, this is some liberal trying to get Hillary Clinton off the hook. Liberals are going to hear you and say, oh, look, see, he's exonerating Hillary Clinton. This committee is all political and Hillary has nothing to explain. What's your message to these partisans?

[17:20:07] PODLISKA: I'm trying to be objective about this. And as I stated Hillary Clinton has a lot of explaining to do. We, however, do not need to shift resources to hyper-focus on Hillary Clinton. We didn't need to de-emphasize and in some cases drop the investigation on different agencies, different organizations and different individuals.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We were misled --

TAPPER: Clinton, of course, has faced intense questioning from Congress on the state department in Benghazi.

HILLARY CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: As I have said many times, I take responsibility.

TAPPER: Republicans have accused her state department of denying requests for additional security at the U.S. mission before the attack and for being slow to acknowledge it was a terrorist attack.

CLINTON: The fact is we had four dead Americans. Was it because of a protest or was it because of guys out for a walk one night who decided they would go kill some Americans? What difference at this point does it make?

TAPPER: The committee has called a string of Clinton's former state department aides to testify. Several investigations have detailed the many failures of the Obama administration in protecting Americans in Libya and in their explanations after the fact. The Democrats are now calling for the house committee to be disbanded after majority leader Kevin McCarthy touted the committee's role in hurting Clinton's poll numbers.

REP. KEVIN MCCARTHY (R), MAJORITY LEADER: Everybody thought Hillary Clinton was unbeatable, right? But we put together a Benghazi special committee, a select committee. What are her numbers today? Her numbers are dropping.

TAPPER: Did he accidentally tell the truth about the committee, that in recent months its focus has been on trying to bring Hillary Clinton's poll numbers down? PODLISKA: Yes, I think it was a slip of the tongue. Now, as I

explained earlier, his reasoning is wrong. I honestly do not believe this investigation was set up to go after Hillary. I believe it shifted that way.

TAPPER: Podliska says his problems began in March of this year when he told his bosses on the committee that he needed to take some time off to serve in the air force reserves.

PODLISKA: I said, gentleman, I'm obligated to serve the air force reserve for 39 days this year. My active duty supervisor wants me to report for an exercise in March for two weeks. So I'll be going on that exercise and also in May. They need me to report to backfield for some people.

TAPPER: And what was the response of the committee staff director when you told them that you had to go honor this obligation to the air force reserve?

PODLISKA: His response was one word and that word was "wow." And lower case, no punctuation, nothing. And honestly, I was horrified by it. I knew that he was upset.

TAPPER: In a statement to CNN the house committee said it, quote, "vigorously denies all of his allegations." Podliska, the committee says, quote "was terminated in part because he himself manifested improper partiality and animus in his investigative work." The committee went on the say that Podliska quote "has continued to imagine a variety of new outlandish never previously mentioned allegations since his departure including that his supervisors somehow manifested an anti-military animus toward him."

Podliska dismisses those accusations and says the reasons for his termination were clear. The house committee on Benghazi did not want someone with air force reserve obligations and they did not want someone focusing for the tragedy at Benghazi on the CIA, on the Pentagon, on the White House or anywhere else except for Hillary Clinton and her state department.

Do you think that the results of the committee based on what you saw will be fair, comprehensive, thorough, professional, honest?

PODLISKA: No. It's not possible. The victims' families are not going to get the truth. And that's the most unfortunate thing about this. And I know this because the nine months of research I had done is now lost. I have no idea where it is. And I know that I could give those victims' families a pretty thorough explanation of why they were told that this attack was due to a video.

TAPPER: Jake Tapper, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARLOW: Jake, thank you very much.

In the next hour, we will look at the broader impact of that former staffer's claims with our political insiders.

Also ahead a look at the biggest obstacle that Hillary Clinton faces on Tuesday night in the CNN debate.

But first, Anthony Bourdain.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANTHONY BOURDAIN, CNN HOST, PARTS UNKNOWN: So it's been a week of martial arts madness. And between the Okinawan and sumo and karate, there's really no part of my body that doesn't hurt. I've learned something. Okinawa is nothing like the Japan I know at all. Everything is different here.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Okinawa is happiness is number one.

BOURDAIN: Happiness first?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

BOURDAIN: It's laid back. It's mellow. The food is completely different. People are expressive and open and tell you what they think. What is the literal translation of that?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Once we meet, we are family.

[17:25:00] BOURDAIN: Once we meet, we are family.

Oh, thank you. It's all very, very, very confusing. Also this pork. Delicious, delicious pork and lots of it.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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[17:29:06] HARLOW: Continued violence and unrest in the Middle East today led to the death of a 13-year-old Palestinian boy. The Palestinian ministry of health reports the boy was shot in the West Bank by a rubber-coated bullet during clashes with Israeli forces. An increase in these clashes and several other violent attacks this weekend have prompted Israel's prime minister to order more police reinforcements.

CNN's Ben Wedeman is in Jerusalem tonight.

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Poppy, it could be a dangerous new twist in an already volatile mix. Israeli police say a woman tried to ignite a gas cylinder in her car at a checkpoint on the outskirts of Jerusalem. A potentially dangerous new escalation after a spate of stabbings. But it's not at all clear what actually happened.

One eyewitness CNN spoke with said it appeared there was something wrong with the woman's car and that police overreacted.

Israeli police say Sunday evening an Israeli Arab man stabbed four Israelis including a teenaged girl and female soldier near (INAUDIBLE), north of Tel Aviv. The attacker was apprehended.

In Elbira (ph), on the West Bank, a 13-year-old Palestinian boy died after being shot in the head with a rubber-coated steel bullet during clashes with Israeli forces according to the Palestinian health ministry. The ministry also reported that more than 150 Palestinians were injured, half by live fire in clashes across the West Bank since early Sunday. Security in Jerusalem has been dramatically ramped up.

Over the weekend Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu mobilized some 1600 border police officers to bolster security. After their regular Sunday morning cabinet meeting, he blasted Hamas, the Palestinian authority and the Islamic movement in Israel for what he called systematic and mendacious incitement regarding the temple mount, a similar charge leveled by PLO executive committee member Han Ashrawi at the Israeli government. She accused Israel of provoking violence in Jerusalem and creating a situation of instability and crisis as a cover to exercise control over the Aqsa mosque.

A publish Sunday showed a majority of Israelis feel Netanyahu is being too soft, with 73 percent either dissatisfied or strongly dissatisfied with the prime minister's handling of the crisis. A crisis that appears far from over -Poppy.

[17:31:39] HARLOW: Ben Wedeman tonight in Jerusalem for us. Thank you very much, Ben.

Also an update on this, Doctors without Borders says it has not officially received any details of a compensation package announced by the Pentagon for an air strike against its hospital last weekend. The United States said it would make condolence payments to the wounded victims and their families. Twenty-two people were killed in ta attack in Kunduz, Afghanistan.

Doctors without Borders said in a statement today quote "the offer of compensation at this stage cannot preempt the result of present and future investigations nor preclude any further claims or rights of those affected by the U.S. airstrike. The group also rejected an offer to pay for hospital repairs saying their policy is not to accept any money from foreign government so it can remain independent.

If you haven't heard yet, the Democratic presidential candidates get their first truly national audience on Tuesday night in their first debate in Las Vegas. And for three candidates in particular, it's their time to possibly move up in the polls. Up next, we take you to Las Vegas and take a look at their need for a very memorable moment.

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[17:36:01] HARLOW: In two days the most talked about show on the Las Vegas strip will be the Democratic presidential debate which you can watch only right here on CNN. You see them getting the stage all set. The podium's up.

CNN's John Berman is there outside the Wynn, Las Vegas. Quite a show, John. BERMAN: Quite a show indeed. Wayne Newton's got nothing on this.

I'm sitting here with David Chalian right now, Poppy. And we're talking about what the candidates need to do, the crucial decisions that they need to make coming into this debate.

Bernie Sanders, he says he has been the consistent candidate when it comes to issues like trade and standing up for the middle class. What does Hillary Clinton do about that? Does she take on Bernie Sanders? Well, that might not be her biggest challenge, at least not according to CNN's political director David Chalian who has three big things to watch for in this debate.

And David, you think the first thing is Hillary Clinton dealing with being Hillary Clinton.

DAVID CHALIAN, CNN POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Yes, Clinton versus Clinton. She's her toughest competitor. And this is what I mean by that. Obviously, with the email controversy or her recent moves on positions, it's less about, I think, for her, what others may bring to attack her on the stage and more how she takes this moment to explain those things. And we've seen her employing this strategy, John, over the last month. We have seen her do a ton more interviews, right, than we saw her do in the first five months of her campaign. And I think that she is trying to work out how she's going to answer certain of these questions that are potential vulnerabilities.

And what I mean, when you look back at her debate history in 2008, there was that illegal immigrants, driver's licenses for illegal immigrants question that she flubbed in that 2007 debate. And it was against her that she did it to herself. And that's what she has to guard against, I think, coming into this debate Tuesday.

BERMAN: There was a time that a lot of people has said this debate was going to be just about Hillary Clinton, but that's changed now. And Bernie Sanders is on this stage doing very well in some states. What are his objectives?

CHALIAN: This is Sanders' big moment, I really do believe. Because it is, as you noted before, John, it is probably the biggest introduction he is going to have to the American public that he has ever had in his entire career. Huge audience tuning in and he had now has to go from a guy who has had huge crowds at his events to a guy who can transform that into a credible presidential contender. So that not just the agitator in the outside and inside the nomination fight, but he has got to present himself as somebody that people can start seeing sitting in the oval office. And I think a big moment on Tuesday night for him is to come through as not just the guy that gets the big crowds but something more.

BERMAN: So we are in Vegas, let's talk about the wild cards. All the wild card in this case, it is fascinating. These three other candidates on stage.

CHALIAN: Listen, you've got O'Malley, Chafee and Webb. And they have to have a moment here. Because they have got to prove whether or not they're going to be in the next debate. They are so far behind in the polls, they are so far back in fund-raising, they're not really in the same league as Sanders and Clinton right now. And this is their moment to say to Democrats, hey, I belong in this conversation going forward. I've got something to offer here. Either with a very stark contrast against the other two or just by bringing their message to the stage that they're bringing something different to the debate. And I think if they don't have a moment that translates that way, I think they're just in danger of disappearing from the race entirely.

BERMAN: If they don't have a big today, there is no tomorrow.

CHALIAN: Exactly.

BERMAN: David Chalian, great to have you here with us. Fascinating outlook.

When we come back, we are going to talk about Nevada voters, what do they want to hear from the candidates? We are going to have to tell you the people in this state, they will play a huge role in electing the next president. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:43:40] BERMAN: Las Vegas, Nevada, this is the site of the very first Democratic presidential debate of this election cycle. A crucial moment for five Democratic candidates who will face off on a stage in the Wynn Las Vegas right behind me right now Tuesday night at 8:30 p.m. eastern time.

But not only is Nevada the site of that debate, it also could be a crucial state. It will play a huge role in the primary and caucus process very early in the election season. I'm now joined by a man who knows more about Nevada politics than any human being alive, a political celebrity. I am star struck, in fact. John Ralston is the host of the show on PBS "Ralston Live." He has correctly predicted probably every event in Nevada in history over the last 25 years or at least many of them.

JON RALSTON, HOST, RALSTON LIVE: How do I live up to this introduction now?

BERMAN: It will be hard. The bar is high, but I think you can do it.

Nevada coming in, it is an early voting state. For the Democrat, it is what? It is the third state for the Democrats after Iowa and New Hampshire. For the Republicans, it comes right after South Carolina. It will be crucial. How is it different particularly for the Democrats? How is it different than Iowa and New Hampshire?

RALSTON: Of course, we're a much more demographically diverse state, right? Iowa and New Hampshire are super white states. And so, it completely different system. Iowa is a caucus. Nevada is a caucus. That's about the only similarity.

Latino vote here is going to be huge. It is about a quarter of the state's population. It is going to be a huge percentage of the Democratic vote which is what Hillary Clinton knew and why she got some infrastructure built up here among Latinos with some Latino leaders helping organize her campaign. She has a huge head start in the Democratic race.

[17:45:24] BERMAN: And of course, that is quite intentional. Look. New Hampshire, she is trailing in the polls to Bernie Sanders. Iowa getting very, very close. So if things don't go great in Iowa and New Hampshire, she comes here to Nevada and do you think she's built that wall of protection?

RALSTON: I think that was her strategy all along. I think whether it was the email server problems or just the front-runner starts high and starts to come back, she knew she needed some kind of firewall. Look how well Bernie Sanders just doing in New Hampshire now. That's why she built this infrastructure early.

John, Bernie Sanders has been invisible in this state with any kind of organization until yesterday when he had his first organizational meeting. They're now trying to get going. But he will have the same kind of populous progressive appeal here than he will elsewhere. But a caucus is a different animal. It's an intense organizing effort. He is getting a late start. Yes, most people are saying what's this guy talking about, it's only October 11th. But still, you have got to get organized early.

BERMAN: He has got the union - some union support around the country. Unions are big in this city in particular. Is that enough to help him?

RALSTON: The culinary union endorsement which is the one that represents a lot of the workers in the hotel like the one behind us, they've not made an endorsement yet. They endorsed Obama very early in 2008 and it was very, very important for him. Even though he lost the state by a small amount, that endorsement means almost everything. They have stay out of it so far. Sanders has appeared before them. Hillary Clinton has appeared before them. Martin O'Malley, who you know is going to try to make some kind of statement, I think, in the debate. He has been nowhere and has appeared before the culinary several times including near here at the protest at the Trump tower to highlight a certain guy.

BERMAN: It is a shame that our audience can't see this right now. But there is a Trump hotel, the word Trump looming over us physically, looming over the Democratic debate. So let's talk about the Republican race for a second right now. Is this Trump wave that's hit so much of country, he is ahead in the national poll, he is ahead in Iowa and New Hampshire, does he has the same support here in Nevada?

RALSTON: You know, he was here just a couple of days ago. He gave a speech just across the street at the Treasure Island. And he was, of course, received with a kind of a cult fervor the way that he is everywhere. It wasn't as big of an event, 1600 people.

The problem with Nevada in polling, John, it is very difficult to poll because it's a caucus state. And it is just that we are a weird animal 24/7 town all of that. But does Trump have support here? Certainly. But his campaign is not organized here. He just hired a state director a few weeks ago. It is really the Bush and Rubio campaigns that are really, really well-organized.

Marco Rubio just finished up yesterday a three-day visit to Nevada. He has been here I think more days than any other candidate. And so, I think Rubio also was having a firewall strategy in Nevada appealing to the Latino population, getting organized with the Mormon vote which is very, very big here in Nevada especially in a low turnout caucus.

BERMAN: All right, Jon Ralston, great to have you here with us. Great to meet you in person, finally. Look forward to talking to you as this week goes on. As the campaign goes on because Nevada matters all the way until November 2016, a swing state of November.

RALSTON: Keep saying that.

BERMAN: It does matter, for sure - Poppy.

HARLOW: Berman, we'll keep saying that.

Berman, how much money have you won there yet?

BERMAN: $170. The craps table. True story.

HARLOW: Better than I would do, my friend. It is better than I would do.

All right. We will be back to John live in Las Vegas in just a moment. But you know Hillary Clinton, you know Bernie Sanders, but the other three people running for president on the democratic side, we are going to tell you a little bit more about them including which one was a rocker. Yes, a rocker next.

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[17:53:11] HARLOW: We are just two days away from the first Democratic debate. Those five candidates will take the stage and try to convince you they should be the next president. And even though Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders have gone the lion's share of the attention so far, three other candidates really desperately want to make a splash.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HARLOW (voice-over): Chances are you know her and you know him. But do you know them. Martin O'Malley, Lincoln Chafee and Jim Webb. They don't always make the campaign headlines. But all three will share the stage with Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders come Tuesday night.

MARTIN O'MALLEY (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Weather vanes tend to shift in the wind. I know where I stand.

HARLOW: Let's start with Martin O'Malley. You could say the married father of four born who is born in Washington, D.C. was tailor made for a career in politics. At only 20, O'Malley left college briefly to work on the presidential campaign of Colorado senator Gary Hart. And by 28, was ready for office himself, winning a seat on the Baltimore city council. From there, his political aspirations grew. First, mayor of

Baltimore, then governor of Maryland. But here's something you probably didn't know about Martin O'Malley. He's fronted a rock band. And he even used his guitar skills to tease his presidential bid.

On the issues, gun control, O'Malley wants stronger expanded background checks and assault weapons ban, plus a limit on the size of gun magazines. On immigration, he supports a path to citizenship. And on climate change, O'Malley says it is real and a real threat. He wants stronger regulation of greenhouse gas emissions.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST, THE SITUATION ROOM: Lincoln Chafee, the one- time Republican U.S. senator independent governor of Rhode Island just announced he is running.

[17:55:03] HARLOW: Next, Lincoln Chafee, a former mayor of Warwick and a U.S. senator from Rhode Island. He was a Republican then but he became an independent in 2007 as governor. But now, he want to be the next president as a Democrat.

On the issues, healthcare. Chaffee not only likes Obamacare but if president says he would take it a step further, pushing for even more Americans to be fully covered. On defeating ISIS, Chafee opposes American boots on the ground in Syria, but insists America must force stronger alliances in the Middle East.

In 2002, Chafee was the only Senate Republican to vote against war in Iraq. On social issues, Chafee supports is a woman's rights to choose to have an abortion and supports same-sex marriage.

JIM WEBB (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I am unbought and I am un- bossed.

HARLOW: And then there is Jim Webb, a highly decorated marine veteran, former secretary of the Navy, former U.S. senator from Virginia, author, teacher, husband, and father of six.

On the issues, climbed change, Webb wants to limit the environmental protection agency's power to regulate emissions and supports keystone pipeline and energy expansion. Immigration reform, he wants a path to citizenship but says the border must be secured first. On prison reform, Webb wants there to be more focus on treating mental illness and drug addiction, and would push for more dialogue on ways to reduce the high rate of incarceration among minorities.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARLOW: Stay with us. At the top of the hour, we are live from Las Vegas ahead of the first Democratic presidential debate. You won't want to miss this. We'll be right back.

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