Return to Transcripts main page
Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin
Polls Buoy GOP Hopes; Ebola Nurse's New Apology; Nik Wallenda's Death-Defying Stunt; The War on ISIS
Aired November 03, 2014 - 04:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Happening now: new polls giving Republicans the news they want to hear and their best position yet to take control of the U.S. Senate. The midterm elections now just one day away. Democrats sinking in some of the tight races across the country. The White House now preparing for the worst. We will break down the numbers from the big races to watch, coming up.
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: Ebola nurse Kaci Hickox with a new apology this morning, days after winning her fight against the state- imposed quarantine. Why she is now planning to stay away from the public.
BERMAN: And then blindfolded in a tightrope between two Chicago skyscrapers. Why? Television ratings. Daredevil Nik Wallenda with his latest death-defying stunt.
Welcome back to EARLY START, everyone. I'm John Berman.
ROMANS: I'm Christine Romans. It's 29 minutes past the hour. It is Monday morning.
Monday morning with a midterm ahead of us, Republicans waking up to good news this Monday. A swarm of new polls giving an edge to their candidates, sharply increasing the odd the GOP will gain control of the Senate.
Now, this spells trouble for the Democrats. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid told the progressive group that Iowa is critical. And then, just hours later, a Des Moines register poll showed Republican Senate candidate Joni Ernst now up over seven points over Democrat Bruce Braley. That is a much bigger margin than other recent polling.
Democrats have been bringing up the big guns. Bill Clinton was there, but that did not dim Joni Ernst's confidence.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BILL CLINTON, FORMER PRESIDENT: America is coming back. The question is how. We are going to come back. We have got to grow together, and to grow together, we have got to work together. And to get that result, Iowa needs to send Bruce Braley to the Senate. JONI ERNST (R), IOWA SENATE CANDIDATE: We are reaching out to every
Iowan that we possibly can. So, it's not just Republicans. It's independents and it's a lot of Democrats, too, that see the need to change direction.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Another big gun deployed in another trouble spot for the Democrats. This on the Kentucky Senate race. Hillary Clinton was stumping in Lexington for challenger Alison Lundergan grimes. Democrats had been hoping to pick off Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, but a new NBC News/Marist poll has McConnell with a nine-point lead over Lundergan Grimes. That's up slightly from an 8- point edge in early September. Grimes and Clinton were seeking to define McConnell as a creature Washington.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ALISON LUNDERGAN GRIMES (D), KENTUCKY SENATE CANDIDATE: He doesn't have a plan for the future. He doesn't have a vision that's for me or for you because our senator bought and paid for by the millionaires and billionaires. That's all he's been looking out for.
HILLARY CLINTON, FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE: Make sure you send Alison Lundergan Grimes to Washington to fight for you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: In Louisiana, Senator Mary Landrieu leading a three-way race for re-election by seven points. In Louisiana, a candidate has to reach 50 percent to win, otherwise, the top two vote-getters go to a runoff. And in a head-to-head matchup with Republican Bill Cassidy, the latest poll show Landrieu trailing.
BERMAN: In Georgia, Democrats have been hoping that Michelle Nunn could pick a Republican seat there. But the latest NBC News/Marist poll shows that Republican David Perdue is ahead by four points. Now, as in Louisiana, neither candidate gets to 50 percent on Tuesday, they will go to a runoff. The Georgia runoff is January. That's how long you'd have to wait.
Even then, if you look at the head to head matchup, the Republican still leads 48 percent to 44 percent. In a debate over the weekend, Nunn went after Perdue on economic inequality, where Perdue did his best to saddle Nunn with the president's deep unpopularity in Georgia.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHELLE NUNN (D), GEORGIA SENATE CANDIDATE: David, during your tenure at Dollar General, you made over $40 million. And yet, there were 2,000 women that sued the company during your tenure. And they said they were paid less, and it was found by federal investigators that they were paid less.
DAVID PERDUE (R), GEORGIA SENATE CANDIDATE: There's no wonder why this president wants you in Washington. He needs a rubber stamp to make this government bigger. He's already added $7 trillion to our debt. He wants to add $6 trillion more. He's on track to more than double our debt, even though he said he would cut it in half.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: The president, to be fair, said he would cut the deficit in half, not the debt in half. The debt keeps going up because Congress passes bills to spend the money.
Now, President Obama just wrapped up campaign stops in Connecticut and Pennsylvania, stumping for gubernatorial candidates in states where he is still popular enough to help turn out the voters. For the most part in this election, the president has been headlining big money fund-raisers for candidates who mostly refer to avoid standing next to him in rallies.
CNN Washington correspondent Erin McPike has more from the White House.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ERIN MCPIKE, CNN WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: John and Christine, President Obama headlined his last campaign rally of the season yesterday. He had campaigned in just seven rallies this year. He was in Connecticut yesterday afternoon campaigning for the Democratic governor. He has been trying to get the women and Latino voters.
Listen here to him make an appeal just yesterday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Hope is what America is all about, hope and better days. Hope and building up the middle class. Hope in handing down something better to our kids. That's why you have to vote. That's what Dan Malloy believes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MCPIKE: Now, again, President Obama won't be campaigning today or Tuesday. That was it. The White House is likely preparing for this possible Republican Senate takeover that would happen after the elections on Tuesday.
Listen here to Republican Senator Rand Paul and former Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell talk about the likely outcome on CNN's "STATE OF THE UNION" yesterday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. RAND PAUL (R), KENTUCKY: I think the wind is at our back. I think this election is going to be a referendum on the president. Even he acknowledged, his policies will be on the ballot. And he will indirectly on the ballot.
ED RENDELL (D), FORMER PA GOVERNOR: I think the Republicans, be careful what you wish for. If they get the Senate, they better do something. They better send the president some responsible piece of legislation or they'll get crushed in 2016.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MCPIKE: We also learned this weekend that Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell was briefed over the weekend. And he was told that he should expect that Wednesday morning, he will wake up and be the majority leader to be, John and Christine.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BERMAN: All right. Erin McPike, our thanks to you.
President Obama's trip to Pennsylvania on Sunday faced a non-political hitch. Air Force One developed what the White House calls a non- mechanical problem with its wing flaps. That was where the president headlined a rally in Temple University. The plane replaced by a back up with a Boeing 757, usually used for runways too short to accommodate the modified 747 that the president normally flies.
ROMANS: There are tight races for governor across the country, also drawing plenty of star power. In Florida, Vice President Joe Biden campaigned for Democrat Charlie Crist, while former Governor Jeb Bush stumped for current Governor Rick Scott. Later today, Bill Clinton will put in his own appearance, making one last push for Charlie Crist at the University of Central Florida rally.
BERMAN: Signs that race for governor in Maryland may have tightened, even though Democrats outnumber Republicans 2-1 in that state, a blue state. Democrat Anthony Brown, the current lieutenant governor, has slid to within a point of Republican Larry Hogan in the polls. And the respected "Cook Political Report" just declared the race is a toss up. National Democratic groups are pumping money into the race. And First Lady Michelle Obama headed in Baltimore today for a big rally at the War Memorial Building.
ROMANS: This is not the only close race for governor by any means. The Cook Political Report" now rates a total of 14 states across the country too close to call, including ten involving incumbents, the greatest number of imperiled incumbents in the report's 30-year history. Democrats had been hoping to eat into that lead on Tuesday, but they are finding themselves on defensive in several states they now hold, including in Maryland and Connecticut.
GOP candidates cashing more checks from Wall Street than ever before. A record 63 percent of contributions from bank employees went to Republicans this cycle. $78 million, Wall Street looking for Republican victories because that could lead to more pro-business policies. At least that's the theory.
That could be a win for several sectors. Financial sector, Democrats have turned up the heat on banks since the financial crisis. The Republican controlled Senate could change that. Also energy, Republicans will likely push for more lenient environmental policies or at least blocked restrictions. Finally, industrials, Republicans tend to support defense spending. That could help companies like Lockheed Martin and Boeing. BERMAN: That's interesting, though. Not always the Tea Party. The
Tea Party folks aren't for more defense spending.
ROMANS: That's right.
BERMAN: An apology this morning from Kaci Hickox, even the nurse has a court order blocking her quarantine, she still plans to stay away from her neighbors until her 21-day incubation period for Ebola expires.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KACI HICKOX, NURSE: I understand that the community has been through a lot in the past week and I do, you know, apologize to them for that. I will not go into town, into crowded public places. You know, I have had a few friends visit me in my home. And that's absolutely fantastic.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BERMAN: Hickox says her goal along has been to make the national debate about Ebola about science and not politics.
ROMANS: Meanwhile, a possible Ebola patient is being evaluated right now at Duke University Medical Center in North Carolina. This unidentified male patient flew into Newark International three days ago from Liberia. We are told he travelled to the Durham area on a commercial bus before developing a fever on Saturday. Lab results due back this morning.
BERMAN: A New York city doctor battling Ebola is showing signs of improvement this morning. Dr. Craig Spencer's condition had been serious, but stable, just upgraded now to stable. Nine days after he was admitted with a high fever. Spencer caught the virus in Guinea while treating patients. He was working with Doctors Without Borders.
ROMANS: It's been a raging debate. Should health care workers returning from West Africa, should they face mandatory quarantine even if they are showing no signs and symptoms of Ebola?
Take a look at the results of the NBC News/"Wall Street Journal" poll -- 71 percent of Americans say they should be subjected to 21-day quarantine. Only 24 percent, John, disagree with that.
Breaking overnight: investigators revealing what may have caused the Virgin Galactic spacecraft to explode.
BERMAN: Plus, daredevil Nik Wallenda conquers the Chicago skyline and the television airwaves, tightrope walking between two skyscrapers blindfolded. What do you think he said the scariest thing was? We're going to tell you, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROMANS: Federal investigators are blaming an improper pilot command for Friday's crash in the Virgin Galactic spacecraft. At a news conference Sunday night, officials say the spacecraft's co- pilot prematurely deployed the ship's feathering system, leaving the structure to violently break into pieces, leaving a debris field on the ground five miles. That feathering system is used to help the craft descent.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHRISTOPHER HART, ACTING CHAIRMAN, NTSB: Today, the investigators did extensive work on scene. They found almost all of the important parts of the space vehicle that we need in order to complete our investigation.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: The crash killed 39-year-old co-pilot Michael Alsbury. Pilot Peter Siebold parachuted to safety and is described as alert and talking to his family and doctors this morning.
BERMAN: You know, you're wonder why they are getting answers so quickly. One of the reason is this was a test flight. So, they had extra cameras everywhere and detection equipment everywhere. The job was to monitor the flight to find out how it did.
ROMANS: When it is a commercial flight, it takes a long time to get the determinations from what happened. It seems this is going quickly. And, of course, this whole endeavor was so that people could buy a seat to go to space, right? This is commercial space we're talking about here, a bit of a setback there.
BERMAN: We are learning details this morning how the police kept media away from the protests of the Michael Brown shooting. According to the "Associated Press", the FAA agreed to a request by police to restrict 37 miles of air space over Ferguson for 12 days, citing security concerns. But audio recordings reveal local authorities wanted to keep news choppers away during the violent street protest. The FAA is expected to release the audio today.
ROMANS: Breaking overnight, the woman who became the face of the controversial Death with Dignity Act has died. Brittany Maynard ended her own life Saturday at her home in Oregon. She had been diagnosed earlier this year with a fatal brain tumor and was told by doctors she had just six months to live. She made headlines after saying she intended to die under Oregon's Death with Dignity Act. Brittany Maynard was 29 years old.
BERMAN: The lava that has been racing to a town on the big island of Hawaii has slowed down a little bit, according to officials there. The director of Hawaii's civil defense says the flow has stalled 480 feet from the main road in and out of Pahoa. Still, authorities alerted about 50 household in the city to be prepared to evacuate. Lava has been erupting from Mount Kilauea since June. So far, it smothered part of a cemetery, cross the country road and burn through vegetation.
ROMANS: The United Nations has issued a new report on climate change. Officials say adverse consequences will become irreversible unless greenhouse emissions are curbed soon. Now, this report shied away from specific recommendations, but it did suggest that global warming can be reduced with shifts to renewable energy sources and technology that captured more greenhouse emissions from the atmosphere.
BERMAN: Snow falling in parts of Maine and Massachusetts. Snow. And this after record snow hit the Carolinas.
ROMANS: Look at that.
BERMAN: Look at this. This was the scene before the Patriots game. After the Patriots game, Tom Brady and others were celebrating, because the Patriots crushed the broncos. That's an aside. Obviously, you can see the flurries coming down. And crews were working quickly to clean them up.
Some parts of the state were hit with rain and gusty winds and a lot of hazardous conditions for drivers. An historic early snowfall in Maine where the weather service says it is the first time ever that Bangor has been hit with snow in double digits this early in November. This early in November, it's like the first minutes of November.
This was the scene in Columbia, South Carolina. Look at the snow there in the south, the same story in North Carolina. This is the city of Sparta where plows were out in full force clearing the roads.
ROMANS: From trick-or-treat to get out your shovel just like that.
BERMAN: Let's get an early look at the weather with Jennifer Gray.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JENNIFER GRAY, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Good morning. We are going to warm up across the East after a very cold weekend. Sunny and warmer across the Southeast and the warm air will filter into the Northeast as we go through the week as well. Cooler air will be found around the Rockies with the center part of the country being the warmest spot.
So, for this afternoon, Atlanta will be at 65 degrees, 63 in D.C. Temperatures in Dallas, 77 degrees. Close to 80 in Houston. And Denver starts to fall with temperatures around 44 degrees this afternoon.
That rain, showers and storms push a little deeper into the South and farther East impacting folks all the way from the Great Lakes, all the way through Texas. Warmer air ahead of front, though, will continue to impact the Southeast.
Temperatures tomorrow, 69 degrees in Dallas, 70 in D.C., 54 in Chicago. Temperatures around 57 in Kansas City.
Back to you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROMANS: All right. Jennifer, thank you so much. Unbelievable footage from high above the Chicago River. This is what
Nik Wallenda saw on Sunday as he walked on the wire stretched between skyscrapers between the Windy City. Fortunately for him, the Windy City was not too windy. He inched along some 600 feet in the air. And then for an encore, he walked between the Marina City's east and west towers blindfolded. He called the record breaking stunt the most challenging of his career so far.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NIK WALLENDA, TIGHTROPE WALKER: The big thing is the intimidation factor. You know, when you walk to the edge of the building and look down 600 feet and say, I'm doing this blindfolded, and there's winds. And even though the winds were light and praise God for that, it's still -- there's winds. And even hearing them, it is extremely, extremely intimidating.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BERMAN: The question is why. The why here is interesting, because a TV and where TV is headed -- I recommend you check out CNN.com. Brian Stelter is reporting on how this is the future of television, live events where people do these things. You don't DVR. You see what will happen to Nik Wallenda. Dangerous stuff.
Happening now. Signs of good news in the fight to save Kobani from ISIS. We are live right after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BERMAN: A bloody weekend west of Baghdad. ISIS forces slaughtered dozens of Sunni tribal members in Anbar province. Many of them were pulled from their homes in the dead of night and executed. Awful news.
There is some good news in the fight to save Kobani from ISIS.
Our senior international correspondent Nick Paton Walsh joins us now from southern Turkey.
Good morning, Nick.
NICK PATON WALSH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: John, I'm on the Turkish/Syrian border here with Kobani behind me, and we are told by Kurds fighting to defend that city of significant advances they claim in the last 24 hours. Now over to the east, they tell us the arrival of the Iraqi Kurdish Peshmerga who turned up on Friday night, great fanfare, with a lot of heavy weaponry. That heavy weaponry has, in fact, given them cover for the Syrian Kurdish fighters on some Syrian rebels, too, to push ISIS far out to the east of the city, they say.
But it is here to the west where they claim the most substantial advance. They say they're about three or four kilometers they pushed ISIS back. There's one ISIS holdout village that's been getting hit pretty heavily with artillery. In fact, we can see on the hill behind me now, just in the last half hour or so, the use of rockets on the back of a truck to really push ISIS back towards the western area here. Now, that's key because it gives more breathing room for the Kurds to defend the city. It stops the sense of feeling encircled.
So, I think, in the last 24 hours, some good news certainly. In fact, one senior Kurdish official here in Turkey claiming that they may be clear of ISIS in Kobani in the next two to three days, certainly optimism, may be misplaced. ISIS known to send reinforcements -- John.
BERMAN: That would be something. What an amazing perspective you have. Nick Paton Walsh right on the Turkish border with Syria -- Nick, thanks so much for being with us.
ROMANS: All right. Fifty-four minutes past the hour.
Gas prices the lowest in four years. Could they go even lower? Is it possible? We're going to get an early start on your money next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROMANS: Let's get an early start on your money this morning. Stocks back at record. European stocks a little bit lower right now. U.S. stock futures also taking a pause. But look at this -- stocks closed at records on Friday. Dow climbed 195 points to close at a high. So did the S&P 500.
To keep the rally going in November, Wall Street looking for Republicans victories in the midterms in hopes of more pro-business policies. Plus, more of the strong corporate profits they've been seeing.
Gas below 3 bucks this year, folks. The average price for a gallon of regular has fallen to $2.98 a gallon, the lowest in almost four years. And here's the better news, gas prices expected to fall even farther. They could fall another 15 cents in some states.
Prices dropping because global demand for oil is down. Oil about to $80 a barrel compared to over $107 this summer. At the same time, production is booming, especially in the U.S.
But cheaper gas prices will not mean cheaper plane tickets. Several airlines hiked air fare last month despite cheaper fuel input. Airlines know prices could rebound many times. So, while prices are low and they lock in cheap fuel for the future and boost their profits. If anything, they're hoping travelers put their savings at the pump toward plane tickets. Sorry about that, everybody.
BERMAN: Yes, just in case you thought good things were coming your way.
EARLY START continues right now.
(MUSIC)
