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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin
Holder: Contempt Vote "Politically Motivated"; Eurozone Deal; Zimmerman Seeking New Bond; Clinton In Russia; Deadly Shooting At Fort Bragg; GOP Vows To Kill Health Care Law; Wildcats Go 1 And 2 In NBA Draft; Deadly Colorado Wildfires; GOP Vows to Kill Health Care Law; Interview with Rep. Phil Gingrey; Crisis In Syria
Aired June 29, 2012 - 05:59 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ASHLEIGH BANFIELD, CNN HOST: The president's legacy on healthcare intact. As for the GOP, they are vowing to continue this fight and repeal that law all together. We've got every angle covered this morning.
ZORAIDA SAMBOLIN, CNN HOST: Tens of thousands of people evacuated. Hundreds of houses destroyed, and a person found dead in a charred home. They're looking for a second person now. We're going to bring you the very latest in the Colorado wildfires.
BANFIELD: Market futures up in the U.S. Why? Not the ruling on healthcare, surprisingly enough. It has to do with Europe, Europe, once again. I'll tell you what. A breakthrough deal struck today is going to break down how these things affect your portfolio. All that coming ahead in just a moment.
SAMBOLIN: Good morning to you. welcome to EARLY START. I'm Zoraida Sambolin.
BANFIELD: Good morning, everybody. I'm Ashleigh Banfield. It is good to have you with us. It's 6:00 in the east on the dot.
Let's start with this, really a ground breaking day, not necessarily just about Obama care because that was a big deal. But guess what else is a big deal?
A vote in the House to hold the attorney general of the United States, Eric Holder, in contempt officially for refusing to turn over certain documents on "Fast and Furious" gun tracking operation.
That was the operation that was linked to the death of a border patrol agent, an American agent. More than 100 Democrats decided to walk out and boycott this historic vote all together, walking out to protest out of the chamber and gone.
The White House and Eric Holder for their part dismissed this whole operation as politically motivated.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ERIC HOLDER, ATTORNEY GENERAL: Today's vote may make for good political feeder in the minds of some, but it is at bates both a crass effort and a grave disservice to the American people. They expect and they deserve far more.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BANFIELD: So why is this so historic? Because Eric Holder is the first sitting United States attorney general to be cited for contempt of Congress.
SAMBOLIN: And new this morning, European leaders agree to a special bailout fund to help struggling banks in Spain, Greece and Italy.
Under the terms of the deal, eurozone countries can seek money from the fund to rescue local banks without incurring more debts on their balance sheets.
Stock markets in Europe have rallied on the news of this big decision. For more on stocks, Christine Romans joins us in just a few minutes from now.
BANFIELD: And also in the top story line up, George Zimmerman expected back in front of a judge today seeking a new bond hearing after that first bail he got of $150,000 got yanked.
Zimmerman had admitted that he misrepresented his finances at that first bond hearing. But his lawyers are arguing that he is not a flight risk and he's not posing any danger to the community and therefore he should get a second shot at this.
Zimmerman is currently sitting in a jail cell and awaiting a trial on the charges of second degree murder in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin.
SAMBOLIN: The crisis in Syria topping the agenda for Secretary of State Hillary Clinton as she meets in Russia with the country's foreign minister.
Russia has opposed the idea of regime change in Syria. Meantime, tensions are escalating between Syria and neighboring Turkey, which is sending troops and tanks to the border. It follows Syria's downing of a Turkish fighter jet last week.
BANFIELD: A soldier is dead, a U.S. soldier is dead and two others wounded, and this is not a story from overseas, folks. This is a story from right here in the United States, Fort Bragg in North Carolina, a shooting there.
A spokesman for the base saying that the shooter ended upturning the gun on himself after all of those wounded -- after the killing and the wounded. He didn't die after doing that instead was taken into custody.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
COL. KEVIN ARATA, SPOKESMAN, XVIII AIRBORNE CORPS, FORT BRAGG: This is obviously a tragedy for our community and we don't know the reasons for the shooting, but we are working with the unit and affected families to help them through this extremely difficult period.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BANFIELD: Victims in the story have not yet been identified because the military is in the process of notifying the families.
So renewing the war. Boy is this a war, just about four months to go until election day and Republicans certainly have a rallying point this morning.
It's our top story. We've been on this all morning, the Republicans saying, you know what, we're going to do what the Supreme Court did not do yesterday.
We're going to icks nay Obama's health care reform law. Even Sarah Palin got in on this and with a bit of sarcasm decided to thank the Supreme Court
And in a Facebook post she said this, "Thank you Scotus," if you don't know Scotus, it's the Supreme Court of the United States. She said this Obamacare rulings fires up the troops as America's eyes are opened. Thank God." She finishes off her post.
Our Joe Johns is live on Capitol Hill this morning with the rest of this story. All right -- you're in Washington, sorry, let me tell you.
All right, so Joe, it's kind of a little bit backwards, a lot of people saying a win or loss will have to be stomached evenly. In this sense it looks like the Republicans are taking a loss and making it a win by putting the fire in other Republicans' bellies.
JOE JOHNS, CNN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT: Yes, and we kind of thought it might play out like that if this was a scenario the Supreme Court came up with. It's all about election year politics right now.
We're going to hear the Republican battle cry of repeal Obamacare again and again. The simple analysis I think is that the decision the Supreme Court should help rally the Republican base though the battle lines aren't changed at all.
After the Supreme Court ruling, the speaker of the House made it pretty clear he and his troops are going to move quickly to hold a vote to repeal the law on July 11th.
Equally clear, it will be nothing more than a symbolic vote in the House because Democrats control the Senate and Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid said he's not going there. Listen to what Boehner said just yesterday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. JOHN BOEHNER (R-OH), HOUSE SPEAKER: I think the real outcome of today's decision is to strengthen our resolve to make sure that this law is in fact repealed.
We're going to work every single day between now and Election Day and the American people then will get an opportunity to make their decision on Election Day because elections have consequences.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JOHNS: Well, any substantive attack on the health care law will have to wait until after the election. There may be some attempts to nip around the edges of the Affordable Care Act.
For example, we could see some attempts to change contraceptive coverage provisions, which have already gotten so much attention also.
Look for Republicans to talk a lot about the health care as a tax burden. The Supreme Court certainly teed that up with its ruling just yesterday.
Tea Partiers have a whole new argument now about how much of your money the government is spending, and there you see, Mitt Romney, he's been pushing this repeal and replace Obama care mantra for weeks and weeks. And it's probably only going to accelerate as we move toward Election Day.
BANFIELD: So it's really about the marketing. It would see now how they're going to try to use this. But at the same time -- I have a question for you. I'm not sure you can answer much or anybody can answer it this early on.
They've got the fire in the belly. They've fired up the base. They've got anger. They've got outrage, but if the Republicans do push this as you said what's considered a symbolic vote because they won't get past the Senate.
If they're able to do that, is there a chance it could back fire and the fact is they might actually start to annoy people because people may have had enough of this and congress has about 79 percent disapproval rating?
JOHNS: You know, that's always possible, but I do have to tell you. I mean, if you look at the polling, it's been pretty consistent and for a while.
That polling has suggested that people don't like the individual mandate, now maybe that's partly because Republicans have done such a good job at attacking the health care plan.
They do like individual pieces of the health care law, but the individual mandate has been a problem. So that suggests that the president and his administration and Democrats as they move forward are still going to have to do a selling job of their own. It's marketing on the Democratic side too right now.
BANFIELD: Yes, boy is it ever? All right, Joe Johns, thanks very much. Appreciate it.
SAMBOLIN: It's 7 minutes past the hour. History at the NBA draft. Did you watch? For first time ever, teammates went one and two, the New Orleans Hornets selecting Kentucky big man and unibrow spokesperson Anthony Davis, the 19-year-old Chicago native was born just one month into Bill Clinton's first term as president.
Then Charlotte followed by taking fellow Wild Cat Michael Kidd Gilchrist. But the most touching and unexpected moment came in round two.
Moving for him as well, Chants of USA for Florida State Senator Bernard James. Why you asked? He was just selected 33rd overall. He is 27 years old, which is ancient by draft standards.
But it is because he'd already served three tours of duty in the United States Air Force in Iraq and Afghanistan. I can't wait to watch him play.
BANFIELD: You know, he's my favorite already, just from that. Just from that. Thank you, sir, for your service. You deserve every penny that you get in this new job.
We want to get you back out to Colorado. We've been following this huge story all morning, the wildfires in Colorado, nearly 40,000 people evacuated.
Now the president has decided he's got to go there and it is a disaster area officially. We're going to have a live report next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BANFIELD: Brand-new this morning, wildfires are burning across the state of Colorado and now that Waldo Canyon fire in Colorado Springs has become deadly.
There was a charred body discovered overnight in one of homes. A second person now officially declared missing. Close to 350 homes have been destroyed. That Waldo Canyon fire has doubled in size.
It's devoured more than 18,000 acres and the devastation is just remarkable. We'll show you a couple of before and after pictures so you can get an idea.
The pictures from before the fire back in October and then a comparative photograph of what it looks like now, look at the char on the right-hand side of that highway.
Our meteorologist, Rob Marciano, took to the field and actually has headed out to Colorado Springs to cover the story from there.
So obviously with that fire and the half dozen or so others that are, you know, equally damaging, destroying and also deadly, is anything looking like it could actually get in control soon? ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Well, the firefighters are doing the best can, Ashleigh, but they are up against several things. One, the record breaking snow fall we had two seasons ago, which built up the vegetation.
Then this past winter we had barely any snow, 80 percent less than what we normally get and a hot spring. So plenty of fuel, dried out fuel and no water and this is what we've seen.
So this is shaping out to be to rival 2002 as far as fire season goes and this Waldo Canyon fire, only 18,000 acres, but 346 homes. So this is the most destructive fire in Colorado history and the residents are taking it on the chin.
It's within the city limits of Colorado Springs. That's what's truly remarkable. People are spread out in friends and family homes. There are some in shelters, but all of the hotels are booked.
Even in our hotel, we ran into a number of victims and survivors. The chef who runs the kitchen at our hotel actually was displaced from his home and he told us yesterday what it was like just getting out.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PETER AIELLO, COLORADO SPRINGS CHEF: The whole mountainside looking up from my house was on fire and a lot of homes, families in my neighborhood and people that are my neighbors, their houses were engulfed in flames.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MARCIANO: They are staying in the hotel. They weren't sure if their home was burned. His wife admittedly has been a mess, but they found out that their street actually was saved, but the block over completely destroyed.
Some of the residents will be allowed to go back today, but many won't because the fire is just too close to the lines. Let's talk weather next five days, still going to be hot. There will be a threat for thunderstorms.
Anytime we get one, we didn't get any yesterday so we were able to get up to 15 percent containment. Hopefully, they get more today. But any thunderstorm that pops makes those winds more eratic and potentially strikes more lightning strikes. It's going to stay hot.
The core, the record searing heat has moved east, St. Louis, all time record, 108. Same deal at Little Rock, 107. Chicago hit 100 the first time since 2005.
So, this is the hottest rain we've seen in a decade and a lot of heat advisories out.
We do have one front cruising across the Northeast. Severe storms in Atlantic City but these are moving rapidly, New York City seeing thunderstorms as well.
This isn't going to cool you off. You're part of the heated advisories. There are 26 states under heat advisories or heat warnings. With the humidity it will be dangerously warm, 105 to 115 is what it could feel like. And some national record high temperatures could reach 105 plus in some of these areas.
So, this is the area, Ashleigh, that was over Colorado this past weekend that only excel rated the flames of these fires both here and Boulder and points to the West. So, it's shaping out to be a bad year for Colorado. And this Waldo Canyon fire in Colorado spring as the most destructive Colorado wildfire in history.
BANFIELD: Unbelievable, Rob, and 108 degrees in St. Louis. So, that is could cause actually the fire risk to shift as it moves eastward. We'll keep an eye on it. Thanks very much, Rob.
MARCIANO: Yes.
SAMBOLIN: And you can stay with us all morning long. We are live every half hour from Colorado on these horrific fires.
If you're looking to help, folks, the victim of the wildfires, just head to CNN.com/impact.
Take a look at your screen. This is what you do. You help these folks.
There you'll find all of organizations and ways you can help all of those in need. That is CNN.com/impact.
BANFIELD: It's 16 minutes now past 6:00 on the East Coast.
Let's get you up-to-date with other top stories making news this morning.
Christine Romans standing by.
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning.
Attorney General Eric Holder calls it a political stunt and dismisses the House vote citing him for contempt of Congress. It concerns Holder's failure to turn over some documents tied to the botched Fast and Furious gun sting that was an operation that led to the death of a U.S. border agent. It's the first time a sitting attorney general has been held in contempt.
Delaware wants to turn your iPad into a slot machine. The state has become the first in the country to legalize online gambling. Casinos can now offer games like blackjack or roulette on their Web site. And the state hopes to make games available on tablets and smartphones by next year.
He's likely to spend the rest of his life behind bars, but convicted sex offender Jerry Sandusky could end up collecting his full pension from Penn State nearly, $59,000 a year. The state's pension forfeiture laws cover 22 separate crimes but felony child molestation is not on the list. The former Penn State football coach was convicted on 45 counts of child sex abuse -- Ashleigh and Zoraida.
BANFIELD: All right. Thanks, Christine.
It is now 17 minutes past 6:00.
We're getting an "Early Read," look at the national news. A high profile priest named Thomas Euteneuer is being accused of sexually assaulting a woman during an exorcism and now she's filing a suit against the Catholic diocese in Arlington, Virginia. "The Washington Post" says the accuser sought Euteneuer's help in 2008 when she says she thought she was possessed by the devil. She says instead she was sexually during her two years worth of sessions.
SAMBOLIN: Listen to this. This one kind of creeps me out and I'll explain why at the end. The judge throws the book at the New Mexico Mom for not returning a library book. She checked out "The Twilight" book and "The Twilight, New Moon" DVD two years ago.
She was arrested earlier this month for failing to appear in court to face her fines. She spent the night in jail before posting over $600 bond. The overdue materials only worth 36 bucks.
When I moved to New York City, I found a couple of books that my kids forgot to return.
BANFIELD: Look under those beds, you know?
SAMBOLIN: I have to send those back.
BANFIELD: Jail? Lord.
SAMBOLIN: That's for not appearing in court.
BANFIELD: Six hundred dollar bond, $36 late fee, you do the math. Crazy.
All right. This was a moment that changed a couple of lives forever, certainly saved a life for sure.
See that guy on the right with the striped shirt? Delroy Simmonds. Yes, this New York City man had a job interview and he was waiting for his train, wanted to get their on time, and all of a sudden, a big gust of wind came down the track and pushed a stroller onto the subway tracks. There was a baby in that stroller.
So, Delroy just decided to jumped on those tracks, despite the fact that a train was coming and he got the baby and he got that stroller up on the platform, got himself back up on the platform and then missed the job interview. He missed the job interview.
But his story made headlines all over New York. "The Daily News" throwing it up on its headline. And you know what? JFK airport gave him a call and said come on back for your interview and he got hired. How about that?
SAMBOLIN: Absolutely. Right thing to do. That is correct.
BANFIELD: Delroy Simmonds, you are a hero in all of our books today.
SAMBOLIN: Can you imagine the mom?
BANFIELD: I cannot.
SAMBOLIN: All right. For an expanded look at our top stories, head to our blog, CNN.com CNN.com/EarlyStart.
BANFIELD: Health care and your wallet, clearly a lot of questions. How much are you going to pay? What's that new law is going to cost you?
Christine Romans, the smartest woman in the room about to tell you everything you need to know.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BANFIELD: That's officially the music that tells you we're minding your business. It's 23 minutes past 6:00 clock.
And here's how it shakes down. Stocks closing lower yesterday but it could have been worse. They really did claw back from bad losses during the day but the futures right now are rallying this morning. This ahead of today's open because European leaders have finally come together, amen.
They've agreed to a rescue deal to fund the debt problems and the crisis there.
SAMBOLIN: But joining us now is Christine Romans to talk more on health care decision yesterday.
ROMANS: A lot of you have been asking me, what this means, how it's going to affect you, and how are you getting health care?
Look, I can't overstate how sprawling these charges are. You got states that are now putting together state health insurance exchanges so that people who are uninsured will have to starting next year go out and to buy some health insurance. You're going to get subsidies to that. You can go to this calculator, this Kaiser Family Foundation, the calculator to tell you what your subsidies will be to help you buy insurance.
But the point here is you want people uninsured to be able to afford insurance and get into the system. If you don't buy the insurance, you will be fined.
And this is what these fines are going to like. Starting in 2014, a family of four, the fine would be $284 and it would be capped at 1 percent of your income.
The next year, it will go up to $975, starting to catch your attention, perhaps. And then, by 2016, that fine will be $2,000s or 2.5 percent of your income.
That's what they are using as the stick to get people into health insurance.
The carrot is subsidies to help you pay for it. A family that makes $60,000, they would get $10,000 in subsidies, you can go on that calculator and find out for yourself. If you already have insurance, you keep your insurance.
There is a chance, however, later on in later years, big companies could decide, you know what? It's cheaper for us to take the fine and push people on the state exchanges and so then you might have to go out and become a consumer of health care that way, a lot of big changes coming.
More people will be qualified more Medicaid, although the Supreme Court said some states -- that's for low income people, some states will be able to opt out of that if they want.
SAMBOLIN: It's, you know, very complicated and very confusing what happens in the future. But at least, for now we do know the changes are coming for folks who already have health care insurance. What they are? Don't know.
ROMANS: Right.
SAMBOLIN: Europe keeps hammering away at us. Even when we're dealing with all of this and it's a tough story in the United States, Europe comes hitting us again.
ROMANS: And that's the one thing you need to know about your money today, folks, the one thing -- expect stocks to rally today. European leaders agreed to a special rescue fund to help struggling banks in Spain, Italy and these other countries, swimming in debt overseas.
European markets all up big this morning. All the futures are up big this morning. I expect we're going to see a rally to close out the week.
SAMBOLIN: All right. Christine Romans, thank you.
BANFIELD: Thanks.
SAMBOLIN: Twenty-six minutes past of the hour.
Health care moving from the high court to the voting booth. This is all we're talking about. How Republicans and Democrats are planning to spin the ruling.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SAMBOLIN: The Supreme Court rules, the health care law stands. So, why are Republicans saying, thank you?
BANFIELD: Monster wildfire, close to 400 homes destroyed by a wildfire on the edge of Colorado Springs and moving into Colorado Springs. And the president is on his way there.
SAMBOLIN: And the other woman, an affair that brought down a former presidential candidate. You've heard a lot about her, Rielle Hunter speaks later this morning. She doesn't have many nice things to say about cancer victim, Elizabeth Edwards.
BANFIELD: It is 6:30. Welcome back, everyone. It's an EARLY START. I'm Ashleigh Banfield. It's very nice to have you with us.
SAMBOLIN: And I'm Zoraida Sambolin. It is 30 minutes past the hour.
The Supreme Court resuming upholding President Obama's health care law, giving the fight new life. Republicans are vowing to take this fight all the way to November.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MITT ROMNEY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: This is now a time for the American people to make a choice. You can choose whether you want to have a larger and larger government, more and more intrusive in your life, separating you and your doctor, whether you're comfortable with more deficits and higher death that we pass under the generations, or whether instead you want to return to a time when the American people will have their own choice in health care.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SAMBOLIN: Athena Jones with more on the election battle shaping up live outside the White House.
This is turning into quite a money maker, isn't it?
ATHENA JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely. As you said, this is heating up to be a big campaign issue, perhaps not surprisingly. We heard this from Mitt Romney yesterday. We heard in the statement from the Republican National Committee after the Supreme Court's ruling yesterday, and from Republicans in both houses on down talking about this whole idea that elections have consequences, and that if they really want to repeal this health care law, which is their still insisting they want to do and that Mitt Romney is running on, then President Obama can't be re-elected.
And so, if any of this is an effort to try to gin up their base, rev up support among the people in their party who are against this health care law and want to see it repealed, and if the numbers that the Mitt Romney campaign has reported last night are any indication they are having success with this, his campaign said that as of 9:00 p.m. last night, they had brought in $3.2 million after the Supreme Court's ruling.
So that's quite a haul. They did this through e-mail. They had a Twitter -- they were tweeting about this using hashtag full repeal to tout their efforts here.
So, over $3 million is a pretty big haul for one night. Those may not be the final numbers, Zoraida.
SAMBOLIN: And what about the Obama campaign? How are they doing?
JONES: Well, it's interesting. We haven't gotten solid figures from the Obama side of things in terms of fund raising yesterday.
I can tell you that the campaign manager, Jim Messina, send out an e-mail a couple of hours before the Supreme Court decision came down, yesterday morning, saying that no matter what the Supreme Court says, you're going to need to donate to this campaign to help support the president, to support his re-election. After that ruling, the president sent out an e-mail asking for supporters to add their name to a database.
So, while people like the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee are raising money off of this, it's unclear right now what happened with the fundraising figures for the Obama camp itself.
But the president did talk about this issue as a political issue. Let's listen to that real quick.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I didn't do this because it was good politics. I did it because I believed it was good for the country. I did it because I believed it was good for the American people.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JONES: And so, Zoraida, that's the case that the president and his surrogates and first lady and others will be making as they head up to Election Day the next four months. They're going to have to really sell this health care law all over again because it's shaping up to be a central issue of this campaign that could be important to whether he's re-elected or not.
SAMBOLIN: Yes, it seems that they are focusing on human issues, right? The pre-existing conditions that will be covered and the kids up to age 26 on their parents' insurance.
Athena Jones, thank you so much.
JONES: Thanks.
BANFIELD: Thirty-four minutes past 6:00 on the East Coast.
You figured health care reform deemed constitutional by the Supreme Court, game over, right? Not so fast. Republicans say they are not done fighting for this law, fighting against it. Republican- led House said it is going to vote on repealing the president's health care law this July 11th.
So, there's more -- while the Democrats are touting the ruling and saying it's time to move on, that Americans don't want to rehash the health care debate, there's this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OBAMA: The highest court in the land has spoken. We'll continue to implement this law and work together to improve on it where we can. But what we won't do, what the country can't afford to do is refight the political battles of two years ago or go back to the way things were.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BANFIELD: So, Representative Phil Gingrey is from Georgia and his one of the Republicans focused on a full repeal of this law. He's also the spokesperson for the Doctors Caucus in Congress and he's a doctor himself.
Dr. Gingrey, thanks for being with us. You heard the president just saying they are not willing to rehash this debate again.
Do Americans -- do you think Americans have the stomach to go forward in Congress and fight in battle all over again, knowing full well it's not going anywhere past the House? It's really sort of symbolic thing.
REP. PHIL GINGREY, (R), GEORGIA: Well, the Americans definitely have the stomach to fight battle again. I think what they understand now, since they have not so far been able to repeal Obamacare, the number one issue now as we two forward over the next four months, repeal Obama.
Because once we do that, then indeed if we have a majority in the Senate, we maintain that majority in the House of Representatives and we have the 45th president of the United States, Mitt Romney, then we can indeed repeal this bill and do it by reconciliation since it's a tax issue now as Justice Roberts has redefined the law, then it will be easier in fact, when we have the majority, we won't need to have 60 votes in the Senate. We can do it with 51.
BANFIELD: You know something, reconciliation is not something we haven't seen before, and it does get people fired up and angry as well, because some people look at that as the ultimate in politicking and going against what the majority of people elected want to feel like they should be doing.
I'm going to ad to that sir, add to that the statistics that show Americans can't stand Congress right now. The stats have you at a 79 percent disapproval rating and only 17 percent approval rating. So, there you go talking about all of the loopholes you can enact to try to repeal Obamacare.
Do you think Americans will have had enough by then?
GINGREY: Let me tell you this. I think Americans are very proud of Majority Leader Eric Cantor's position to put the House of Representatives on a date certain, July 11th, to once again to very forcefully say we want this law repealed because we know that's what the American people want.
All of the pundits in the world can say it's dead on arrival in the Senate. Well, miracles can happen. I don't think they will under the leadership of Harry Reid, but the American people understand that we are their voice in this Congress. We will continue to be --
BANFIELD: OK, I'm going to take issue with what you just said though.
GINGREY: The law may not be unconstitutional but it is un- American.
BANFIELD: Dr. Gingrey, I'm going to take issue with what you said when you said Americans want it repealed. I have statistics that show, if you look at he very surface, that the majority of Americans actually oppose Obamacare -- 43 percent favor, 51 percent oppose. But if you go into that 51 percent, it's not because they support what you're saying. It's because they are 13 percent of them who said we want it to go further, we want a more liberal version of this.
So, when you say the majority of Americans oppose Obamacare, it's a little misleading.
GINGREY: You know, we can argue those statistics all morning long.
BANFIELD: No, you can't. No, you can't.
GINGREY: You can. Well, that's what you're trying to do. Let me tell you what. You look at the results on November the 7th, the Obama administration today may be celebrating high fiving --
BANFIELD: I haven't seen that. Let's be fair, sir.
GINGREY: I guarantee you, we will make lemonade out of these lemons and you'll see that and the American people will prove it on November the 6th.
BANFIELD: Here's why I ask you that might be a Herculean effort, because when you look at what Americans say matters them most as they head to that ballot box that you're saying is going to favor your position, they don't seem to care that much about health care. It's just -- it's black and white.
The stats say 52 percent of Americans are fed up with the economy and jobs. Look third down on the list here after deficit and government spending and only 6 percent of Americans are going to be that riled up about health care. That doesn't speak well to what you're saying is going to happen.
GINGREY: You make a good point about the statistics on the economy, that is the number one issue -- 40 straight months of unemployment above 8 percent, 13 million Americans out of work. So yes, you're right, jobs and economy are the number one issue, but the health care issue so much interrelated with that.
Employers are not hiring people because if they go above 50, then of course, they -- the employer is penalized and fined if they don't provide not only a health insurance policy but the one dictated by the federal government, this onerous law Obamacare.
BANFIELD: Can you help me understand something? I was thrilled to have you on not only because you're a doctor and you would know more than I would know about the arcanity (ph) of this law, but also because the head of the Doctors Caucus.
You have this opinion of Obamacare and yet the American Medical Association and American Cancer Society, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Heart Association, have an absolutely opposite view, saying it is great.
How is it that you smart doctors can't all agree on whether Obamacare is good for Americans or bad for Americans?
GINGREY: Well, you know, there are about 750,000 physicians in the country, the American Medical Association maybe represents a fourth of those. I'm not denigrating the American Medical Association. We used to agree 100 percent of the time.
And I think the majority of physicians across this country and 21 members of the House GOP Doctors Caucus that I'm proud to co-chair that group. I think we're spot on in regard to opposition of this law.
What it will do to physician workforce, they'll be no doctors left in 10 or 15 years to treat our Medicare patients, most frail, our seniors.
BANFIELD: Then, it would be strange we would have those four groups and even further who agree with it and think it's stay great idea if they were going to be out of work.
GINGREY: Here again, I think these organizations sometimes speak from the top down and not from the bottom up, unfortunately.
Look what AARP did and the deal they cut with the White House? They supposedly purportedly represent 37 million seniors across this country. And 14-1 those seniors told AARP leadership, we don't want this. We're opposed to this.
Yet AARP, two and a half years ago, met with the White House, cut a deal and agreed to endorse it. For what reason? I think we need to connect those dots just as we need to connect the dots and get the e-mails in regard to "Fast and Furious."
BANFIELD: So, Congressman -- oh, you did it! You went there and I haven't got any more time. You'll have to come back and we'll talk about "Fast and Furious" as well.
GINGREY: I would be happy to.
BANFIELD: You were a fabulous adversary and I appreciate you coming on to talk about this and I hope we get a chance to talk further.
GINGREY: Thank you very much.
BANFIELD: Thanks, Congressman.
ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.
SAMBOLIN: We have breaking space news right now out of Florida. A rocket was supposed to blast off into space earlier but the launch was delayed. These are live pictures you're looking from the launch pad in Cape Canaveral. The United Launch Alliance says it was due to mechanical problems. But as of now, the launch is not scrubbed. I repeat, it is not scrubbed.
Engineers are trying to determine if they'll still be able to launch today. This is the second delay this week with the launch. Why? Tropical storm Debby caused the first delay. The rocket is carrying classified spy satellite into space.
When and if the Delta rocket launch happens, we're going to bring it to you live right here on CNN. We're used to seeing the space shuttles, right? But that is a rocket launch.
We're going to keep an eye on that for you.
It's 42 minutes past the hour. John Edwards' mistress is speaking out. Soledad joins us with a preview of the interview with Rielle Hunter.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BANFIELD: Soledad O'Brien joining us now with a look ahead at what's coming up on "Starting Point." She's just that (ph) moments away.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN HOST, "STARTING POINT": Yes. This morning, we're going to talk about the legal battle now being over, but of course, the most intense political battles over President Obama's healthcare law may just be beginning. Could this win end up costing the president in November? We've got an all-star lineup this morning to talk about it.
Stephanie Cutter (ph) is the Obama deputy campaign manager, and of course, the big advocate of the healthcare law, Virginia governor, Bob McDonnell supports the Romney campaign. His state, in fact, was one of the 26 states that filed suit against the government after the Affordable Care Act was passed.
Republican congresswoman, Michele Bachmann, is going to join us along with Democratic congressman, Steve Israel, of New York. So, we're covering all aspects of the healthcare ruling and what it means to you.
Also this morning, attorney general, Eric Holder, held in contempt. House Republicans have won this historic political fight, so far. Pennsylvania Democratic congressman, Jason Altmire, voted in favor of the contempt. He's going to join us live to talk about his vote this morning.
And also, Rielle Hunter stopping by our studio. She became a household name back in 2008, you remember, when she was exposed, her affair, with John Edwards was exposed. She had a child. He had denied both the affair and the child. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A report had been published that the baby of Miss Hunter is your baby. True?
JOHN EDWARDS, FORMER PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Not true. Not true. That was in a supermarket tabloid, but that is absolutely not true.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
O'BRIEN: Well, it would turn out to be absolutely true, and eventually, Edwards would come clean, but his political career was over. Now, she's got a new book out. People have been talking about it. It's called "What Really Happened: John Edwards, Our Daughter, And Me."
BANFIELD: Yes. And the book actually led to a break-up -- well, at least, the beginning of the book tour coincided with them breaking- up, especially.
O'BRIEN: Yes. You know, it's -- it is an interesting take on her side of what happened for sure. And she's being pummeled in the press by the -- you know? So, it will be interesting to sit down to talk to her, not only about the book but sort of the reaction to the book as well.
BANFIELD: I don't think I've seen an interview where she's been treated lightly. Anywhere.
SAMBOLIN: Also, her reaction, right, what she writes about John Edwards' wife who passed away. I think she's taking a lot of heat for that as well.
O'BRIEN: And she does -- she explains some of that in the book, too, what she has said, because she also would talk about her in interviews about what she said about with (ph) Edwards. So, yes, she's taking heat on a lot of fronts.
SAMBOLIN: Oh, yes.
O'BRIEN: We're going to talk about that.
SAMBOLIN: Can't wait.
BANFIELD: Probably rightly so. I mean, probably rightly so. Being the other woman at a time when a woman is dying and then having the nerve to call her all these names afterwards. It's just a little much for a lot of Americans.
O'BRIEN: We're going to talk to her about it this morning.
BANFIELD: I'm going to watch this, baby.
SAMBOLIN: Thank you, Soledad.
BANFIELD: It will be great.
Wildfires continue to be a huge story. They're exploding in Colorado. Hundreds of homes are destroyed. The president is on his way there to get a firsthand look at the damage. And by the way, the fires have now gotten into the city limits of Colorado Springs.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BANFIELD: Fifty-one minutes now past 6:00 on the east coast. Let's get you up to date with top stories and Christine Romans.
ROMANS: Good morning. Let's start in Colorado.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROMANS (voice-over): A monster wildfire there turning deadly this morning. A charred body discovered inside a home destroyed by the Waldo Canyon fire. A second person is still missing. That fire has now burned down close to 350 homes, forcing 36,000 people out of Colorado Springs.
President Obama is traveling to Colorado today to survey the damage. Meantime, firefighters are hoping calmer winds today will help battle that blaze.
The GOP is vowing to take the healthcare fight to November now after the Supreme Court upheld President Obama's healthcare law. President Obama declaring victory, not only for himself, but for all Americans.
Secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, in Russia for talks with the foreign minister, the Russian foreign minister on the crisis in Syria. The U.S. is seeking support for regime change, something Russia is against. Clinton will attend an emergency meeting on Syria tomorrow led by U.N. envoy, Kofi Anan.
George Zimmerman expected back in court today. He's hoping to convince a judge to grant him a new bond after his first bail of $150,000 was revoked. Zimmerman admitted to misrepresenting his finances at his first bond hearing. But his attorneys say he's not a flight risk. He does not pose a danger to the community. Zimmerman is being held on murder charges in the death of Trayvon Martin.
Nike stock skidding, plunging 10 percent in after hours of trading after a rare miss on earnings. The world's largest sneaker company said the increasing cost of making shoes took a bite out of its bottom line. It also spent a lot of money in advertising at the Europe's football championships and for the upcoming Olympic Games.
(END VIDEOTAPE) ANNOUNCER: This is CNN Breaking News.
BANFIELD: Breaking news out of Florida for you this morning. Take a quick look at some of these pictures of a rocket that was supposed to be in space by now, actually. It's not, though, because the launch has been delayed a couple of times because of some mechanical problems. It is a Delta rocket. And it's on the launch pad at Cape Canaveral.
It's being launched by United Launch Alliance. They're the ones who told us that, apparently, there's a mechanical problem, but what's interesting is that it hasn't been scrubbed. It's still supposed to go off, but what might be even more fascinating for space fans and mystery fans alike is there is a classified spy satellite on board.
We could tell you what it was about, but we have to kill you. But (INAUDIBLE) satellite about to go up into space, being launched by that contractor, and if that Delta rocket launch is going to happen, we'll bring it to you live right here on CNN.
SAMBOLIN: It is 54 minutes past the hour. What should you do when the environment around you becomes destructive? That answer coming up. It's actually our "Best Advice."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BANFIELD: "Starting Point" about to get under way in just about a minute or so, so we like to wrap up as always with "Best Advice."
ROMANS: And today, that advice comes from Joe Klein of "Time" magazine, and his best advice doesn't come from mom.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE KLEIN, COLUMNIST, TIME MAGAZINE: I got it from Joseph Conrad, the author. In Lord Jim, there's a line that says in the destructive element immerse, which means take some risks. Immerse yourself in the possibility of losing, because that's the only way you're really going to win in life and really experience life. So, in the destructive element immerse.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: A very smart, well read way of saying, take risks. Don't be afraid to take risks.
SAMBOLIN: I always when you feel that discomfort in your stomach, that's when you just need to close your eyes and dive in, right? Because if not, if you're failure will stop you from ever achieving anything in life.
ROMANS: You always have to learn from failure.
(CROSSTALK)
ROMANS: There are people who fail and don't learn from the failure. You got to learn from the failure, right?
BANFIELD: I also look at it like if there is destruction in the road ahead of you, swerve.
(LAUGHTER)
SAMBOLIN: You can always see the destruction though, right? Maybe embracing it is a good idea.
ROMANS: In the destructive element immerse. You know, that book was written in 1900. So, he didn't literally get the advice from Joseph Conrad.
(LAUGHTER)
BANFIELD: Let's be clear.
ROMANS: So, Joe Klein is not that old. But he got it from the book.
SAMBOLIN: Thank you.
ROMANS: You're welcome.
BANFIELD: Good advice. Good advice. Thank you, Christine. Oh, I just remembered, it's Friday.
SAMBOLIN: That's right. Stocks could go up this morning. We have futures still up, guys. So, watch that. So, you got a busy day.
BANFIELD: So, that's the new from "A" to "Z." Nice to have you with us on this last day of the week. I'm Ashleigh Banfield.
SAMBOLIN: And I'm Zoraida Sambolin. "STARTING POINT WITH SOLEDAD O'BRIEN" starts right now.
