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U.S. Detected Heat Flash on Russian Jet While Midair; Interview with Alan Simpson; Paul Ryan Holds First News Conference as Speaker. Aired 10-10:30a ET

Aired November 03, 2015 - 10:00   ET

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

[10:00:02] SAMUEL BURKE, CNN TECHNOLOGY CORRESPONDENT: If you're on a budget or just looking to stream the basics like Netflix or HBO, you might want to consider the older, cheaper Apple TV for $69 or a competitor like Chromecast for $35. But if you're looking for the Bentley of streaming TV devices, Apple TV might be it.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning. I'm Carol Costello. Thank you so much for joining me.

A new era dawns on Capitol Hill. At any minute now we should hear from Congressman Paul Ryan. As the new House speaker, Ryan holds his first meeting of the GOP leadership. The House Republicans have a big challenge. Silence the in-fighting that doomed John Boehner's reign and left their party divided right as the high stakes of presidential race looms.

We'll bring it to you live when it happens.

Now let's turn to the breaking news on that Russian airliner crash that killed all 224 people on board. Sources tell CNN that a U.S. military satellite has come to a chilling conclusion. Whatever catastrophe doomed that plane happened in midair. And that so-called heat flash suggests an in-flight explosion of some kind.

CNN's Barbara Starr has been working her sources this morning. She has more from the Pentagon. Good morning.

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol. When we say heat flash, what do we really mean? Well, this is a detection by a U.S. military satellite by a heat event, a temperature -- a type of heat that is different than the natural environment that is out there. There is always heat out in the environment. This is clearly something very different, manmade, and that is what the satellite detected.

It detected it midair over Sinai associated with whatever happened of course to this aircraft. So midair, a midair event. What could it be? Could it be some sort of catastrophic mechanical event. Absolutely. It could it be -- it could be something that the aviation community has not seen before. So all of that is being looked into. But it is raising the scenario of an explosion and the possibility, just the possibility, that there could have been a bomb on board that plane.

U.S. intelligence officials, U.S. military officials emphasize strongly, they're looking at all scenarios. They don't know yet. But one of the reasons the bomb scenario, of course, is so significant is if there is a group or a person out there that is able to get a bomb on an airplane and bring it down, that is something the U.S. needs to know and needs to know very fast.

So they are looking at all the forensics. Now that they know it was midair and trying to determine what all of this means. Who might be out there that could do this? There is a claim by ISIS, but that is -- is not something that they really can center on at this point. They know it was not a missile. There's no technical evidence supporting a missile for this heat flash.

So it's either a mechanical event that is so catastrophic, the pilot couldn't even make a mayday call, or potentially some sort of bomb, some sort of explosive device on the plane -- Carol.

COSTELLO: All right. Barbara Starr reporting. Thank you.

Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump widens the attacks against his rivals, even as Ben Carson tightens his grip around the lead in the GOP race for the White House. Trump now unleashing a new wave of attacks against his competitors as Ben Carson pulls ahead in yet another national poll and Marco Rubio gains some major ground.

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I think that Ben just doesn't have the experience. You know, I'm going to make the greatest deals you've ever seen on trade. We're going to run the military properly. I'm going to take care of the vets. Ben can't do those things. Ben cannot deal on trade. Ben cannot deal with --

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS, ABC NEWS: Why not?

TRUMP: It's not his thing, George. You know, you're born with it. It's not his thing. He hasn't got the temperament for it. It's not the right thing for him.

I think Rubio -- personally, I think he's an overrated guy. Jeb is a nice guy. He's a stiff. OK. He's a nice guy. He doesn't have a chance. All right. He ought to do what Walker did. Walker saw --

STEPHANOPOULOS: You think he should drop out?

TRUMP: Oh, absolutely. He has no chance.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Minutes from now, Mr. Trump is expected to hold a news conference in New York to talk about his brand-new book, which comes out today. It's titled "Crippled America."

Despite the attacks, a new NBC-"Wall Street Journal" poll shows Trump trailing behind GOP frontrunner Ben Carson by six points. And here you can see Marco Rubio in third, followed by Senator Ted Cruz and Jeb Bush, who is at 8 percent.

So let's talk about all of this with former Wyoming senator and Jeb Bush supporter, Alan Simpson.

Thanks for being with me, sir.

ALAN SIMPSON (R), FORMER WYOMING SENATOR: You're very welcome. How are you this morning?

COSTELLO: I'm great. I'm excited to talk to you. So Trump has this new book out, which is essentially a campaign ad. He's on TV constantly. He wants to negotiate directly with the debate sponsors. Have you ever seen this kind of candidate before?

(LAUGHTER)

[10:05:03] SIMPSON: Well, I know Trump, but not well, but if that's the way he does life, but I think we need a guy that will show up, instead of a showman. And I don't know about the Donald. But you know, he's big time because he's just slashing away at politic correctness. People are so damn sick and tired of political correctness, it's -- it's like wearing duct tape over your mouth.

If you pretend you never have a nasty thought or an evil thing or a bias or prejudice, you're just old goody-goody two shoes that comes up like a fissure through the side of a volcano and he's loving to play on that one.

And Carson is a steady, soft-speaking man and Bush is the only guy in the whole crew that's ever done anything. And it's called governing. You don't pick a guy for charisma or showmanship or how much he can blast the other side or how cute he can look or how savage he can look. Why not get a guy that has done the job for eight years in one of the biggest states in the union and, you know, do all the things they're bitching about. Bring down the debt, bring down the staff, bring down the employees, balance the budget. I don't get it, but --

COSTELLO: Well --

SIMPSON: You know, I'm 84 so I can't even do Skype, so don't worry about me.

(LAUGHTER)

COSTELLO: I know you tried, though, Senator, and I appreciate that. Well, let's talk about Jeb Bush and why he can't get his message across. He's running at 8 percent. We saw that poll right there. Here's the reason Mr. Trump says that Jeb Bush isn't pushing through. He says your candidate is very weak. He called Bush's execution at the debate pathetic. He even said Bush should drop out of the race because he has no chance.

SIMPSON: Well, that's Trump. I mean, Trump is just one big pile of bragging. I mean, here you could give him an enema and bury him in a shoe box. I mean, that's what he is. He is just BS. And anybody that's going to just believe all that stuff, well, have a go at it. But let me tell you, I -- no, I'm not against Obama. He appointed me

to the Select Commission on Deficit -- Deficit and Debt, which is like the lost cause of the ages. Everybody ran for the deficit because we irritated everybody in America. But if the people want to pick another guy, who's only claim to fame to run the whole United States is that he served in the Senate one term or half a term, you're going to get what you get.

COSTELLO: You're talking about Marco Rubio now.

SIMPSON: I'm talking about any of them. Any of them. Any of them have never done anything but been in politics and done anything and then suddenly they're in the U.S. Senate for one term or half a term, and suddenly say, I can be president of the United States. That is what we picked -- when we picked Obama. It hasn't worked well.

COSTELLO: My final question to you, what do you make of all these arguments over the debate and gotcha questions and who should negotiate with the debate sponsors? What do you make of that?

SIMPSON: Well, OK, I got off a commission on presidential debates because -- and wonderful people there, but I would often say in our meetings, why can't we have the moderator ask this question? And they'd say, well, that's not our problems.

Let me tell you, the American people are out to lunch until these moderators have certain questions like this. What are you going to do about the national debt? Answer the question. What are you going to do about the solvency of Social Security? The trustees tell us it's going to be 23 percent short in 2034. What are you going to do about the Medicare trust fund, which they tell us is going to go short a couple of years after that?

What are you going to do about the disability insurance, which will end in next year? What are you going to do about the highway trust fund which has to run by a dedicated gas tax and you've all signed on to Grover Norquist and I guess just let it rot?

Don't talk about infrastructure, bridges, highways to me if you don't have the guts to even do a highway dedicated gas tax. What are you going to do about immigration?

(CROSSTALK)

COSTELLO: I get the message, Senator.

SIMPSON: And until those moderators ask those questions --

COSTELLO: Senator Alan Simpson joining me live this morning. Thank you.

Well, today Jeb Bush does sit down with CNN. His interview airs tonight in "THE SITUATION ROOM" with Wolf Blitzer. 5:00 p.m. Eastern. You can see it of course right here on CNN.

Still to come in the NEWSROOM, the paint in his office isn't even dry but the new House speaker Paul Ryan is already at odds with the White House. We'll take you live to Capitol Hill next.

[10:09:44]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: President Barack Obama zinged the Republicans running for president for complaining so loudly about those gotcha questions during CNBC's debate.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Have you noticed that every one of these candidates say Obama's weak. You know, Putin is kicking sand in his face.

When I talk to Putin, he's going to straighten out. Just looking at him, I'm -- he's going to be --

(LAUGHTER)

OBAMA: And then it turns out they can't handle a bunch of CNBC moderators.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: OK. So I apologize. We got there in the middle. But believe me, it was a good zinger from President Obama. Would like to know what you think about gotcha questions. I've written an op-ed for CNN.com. So please check it out, CNN.com/opinion. Give me your thoughts. I always appreciate it. Thank you.

[10:15:06] Can we replay that night from President Obama? We did? OK. So I was the only one who couldn't hear it. So hopefully you did, and I apologize.

The White House also took a more serious shot at the new House speaker, Paul Ryan, calling his stance on immigration reform, quote, "preposterous."

CNN senior political reporter Manu Raju live on Capitol Hill with more on that. Good morning.

MANU RAJU, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning. Now this is a fight that certainly Paul Ryan wants to have. When he was running for House speaker he told his Republican colleagues that he would not move on an immigration bill unless it had a majority of support from within his conference. And clearly, that is something that is not in the offing in President Obama's final time in office.

Now we're waiting for Paul Ryan to address reporters for the first time since becoming speaker. Actually taking questions from the press. He had just met with Republicans just next door in his first extended meeting with his conference since becoming speaker. Talking about the way forward. Also talking about keep things like fundraising and helping Republicans keep the majority here. One of the things that he also promised in that meeting, I'm told to

say, that he would change the makeup of a key committee called the steering committee that actually selects members to sit on key committees. He said that this would be done before Thanksgiving. This is one of the promises that he made as part of his campaign to become speaker, that he would have a more inclusive speakership.

So watch for him to continue to try to carry through with his promises to have a, quote, "more bottom-up approach" to the speakership, Carol.

COSTELLO: All right. Manu Raju reporting live from Capitol Hill.

When Paul Ryan gets behind that podium, of course we'll take you back to Capitol Hill live.

Checking some other top stories for you at 16 minutes past. Stunning images after a jet slides off the runway in Pakistan. All 122 passengers on board were forced to evacuate off emergency ramps into a grassy field. The plane made a hard landing, collapsing its landing gear. No injuries reported.

In California the man caught on tape appearing to attack an Uber driver will soon be searching the want ads. This after the driver posted this video on YouTube.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (EXPLETIVE DELETED), yes, you (EXPLETIVE DELETED).

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, I'm giving you (EXPLETIVE DELETED).

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: OK. So right before this man's arrest, 32-year-old Benjamin Golden worked as a corporate manager for Taco Bell. But according to the "L.A. Times," the fast food chain has fired him. Golden faces charges of public intoxication and assaulting a taxi cab operator. The YouTube clip, by the way, has been viewed more than 500,000 times.

All right, I'm going to take you back to Capitol Hill now. Paul Ryan is behind that podium. Let's listen to what he has to say.

REP. CATHY MCNORRIS RODGERS (R), REPUBLICAN CONFERENCE CHAIRWOMAN: Today marks two significant milestones for the Republicans. First, yesterday marked five years since we recaptured the majority in the House. And then, obviously, we have a new leadership with Speaker Paul Ryan.

And as we know, as Americans, this has been the greatest experiment in self-governance that the world has ever seen. And as we move forward, it's very important that we're asking ourselves, how do we function more effectively on behalf of the people all across this country? And it really starts with rebuilding trust in our ability to do the

people's work. You know, we see the judicial branch making rulings that do not reflect the will of the people. We see an executive branch, some rules and regulations, developing policies without a vote of the people, and it really concerns Americans. And rightfully so.

The House of Representatives by design is a body that is closest to the people, is most accountable to the people, and must be most transparent. And that's why we must rethink government from the top- down, restore representative power to Congress because as we restore that power to the people, we, the people, that means every man, woman and child in this country, will have greater opportunities to fulfill their version of the American dream.

REP. PAUL RYAN (R), HOUSE SPEAKER: First, let me just say that I am humbled, honored, eager and excited to be here with this fantastic leadership team in this role. Thursday was a great day. Thursday was a day where we came together as a conference and unified and agreed to proceed together with a vision.

This week you will see the Highway Bill is a good place to start. We're opening up the process. We're allowing members to participate in a way that the founders intended and we're advancing an issue that is a big priority to the hard-working taxpayers of this country. Fixing our roads and our bridges, improving our transportation infrastructure.

Chairman Shuster has done a phenomenal job putting this together. And that's why we're going to have an open process on the floor with lots of amendments considered by all members from both parties.

[10:20:05] I think it's a good example of how we're going to do the people's business. And I've told people, we're going to do more of this. I'm very committed to a complete set of changes to the House rules to make it a more deliberative and participatory process. We're going to do this as a team and we're going to get this right for the American people.

This is, as Cathy said, the people's House. And the people's House has to do the people's business. And this week we're getting started by doing the people's business by working on issues that are near and dear to the working Americans who need to see progress here in Washington.

So I'm excited about getting to work. I'm excited about this leadership team. And I want to now turn it over to our capable majority leader, Kevin McCarthy.

REP. KEVIN MCCARTHY (R), MAJORITY LEADER: Well, thank you. I'm excited about Speaker Ryan and all the new changes.

I want to take one moment to reflect on the differences between problem solving and politics in Washington. And there's a great example this week. Last night you heard from the company responsible for building the Keystone pipeline. They asked the State Department to suspend their permit application. Why? Because it's been seven years.

It's an example of this administration devoid of critical thinking or solutions. Then take what you're going to see on the floor, in the House. You're going to see us bring up the Senate Highway Bill, put the policies from the House and then have many amendments to take up ideas on both sides of the aisle because we're not afraid of having an idea. But more importantly, we strive for finding a solution to a major problem.

That's the difference you'll see between this current administration and this new leadership. We want to solve problems regardless of how difficult they may seem. We want to bring creative thinking and solutions and a process that lets every voice be heard in Congress.

So I'm excited about the change. I'm excited about what the future holds. And more importantly, I'm excited about making this the people's house.