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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin
Polls Buoy GOP Hopes; Florida Governor Race Draws Stars; Maine Nurse Hickox Apologizes; Daredevil Walks Tightrope Blindfolded; ISIS Forces Slaughter Sunnis In Iraq
Aired November 03, 2014 - 05:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: Happening now, new polls bringing Republicans good news, in their best position yet to take control of the Senate with mid-term elections now just one day away, Democrats sinking in tight races across the country. The White House is now preparing for the worst. We're breaking down these new numbers from the big races to watch this morning.
JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Nurse Kaci Hickox, who had treated Ebola patients, she has a new apology this morning just days after winning her fight against the state-imposed quarantine. Why she is now planning to stay away from the public?
ROMANS: Blindfolded on a tightrope between two Chicago skyscrapers, Daredevil Nik Wallenda with his latest death defying stunt. I thought my job here with you is hard. He had to walk across a wire.
BERMAN: I don't think that was necessary. I don't know why you had to go there.
ROMANS: Walking a tightrope every morning with John Berman. Welcome back to EARLY START. I'm Christine Romans.
BERMAN: I am John Berman. It is 31 minutes past the hour right now.
Republicans waking up to news they are going to like this morning. A swarm of new polls giving an edge to their candidates and sharply increasing the odds that Republicans will gain control of the Senate. This, of course, spells trouble for Democrats.
This weekend, the Senate majority leader, Harry Reid, told a progressive group that Iowa is critical and just hours after he said that, a "Des Moines Register" poll came out showing the Republican candidate there, Joni Ernst, is seven points up over Democrat Bruce Braley.
This is a much bigger margin than other recent polling. Democrats sending out the big guns to Iowa, getting a bigger than the big dog, Bill Clinton was there. That did not seem to dim Joni Ernst's confidence.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) BILL CLINTON, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT: America's 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. 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 we can. It is not just Republicans, but independents and a lot of Democrats that need to change direction.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: Another big gun deployed in another trouble spot for Democrats, the Kentucky Senate race, Hillary Clinton stumping in Lexington for challenger, Alison Lundergan Grimes. Democrats had been hoping to pick off Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.
But you know what, a new NBC News/Marist poll has McConnell now nine points ahead of Grimes, up slightly from that eight-point lead in early September. Grimes and Clinton speaking on Saturday to define McConnell as a creature of Washington.
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ALISON LUNDERGAN GRIMES (D), KENTUCKY SENATE CANDIDATE: He doesn't have a vision for Washington. He doesn't have a plan for you or me because our senator bought and paid for by the millionaires and billionaires, that's all he has 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)
BERMAN: In Louisiana, Senator Mary Landrieu leading a three-way race for re-election by seven points. The problem is in Louisiana, candidates have to reach 50 percent to win outright.
Otherwise, the top two vote getters go to a runoff. In a head to head match up with Republican, Bill Cassidy, the latest poll shows Landrieu trailing.
ROMANS: To Georgia now where Democrats are in a similar situation, their hopes that Michelle Nunn could beat Republican David Perdue in that traditionally red state.
Those hopes fading a bi, the latest NBC News/Marist poll there show Purdue ahead by 4 points. As in Louisiana, if neither candidate gets to 50 percent on Tuesday, they go to a runoff.
Even then, the poll shows the Republican would still be ahead 48 percent to 44 percent. In a debate on Sunday, Nunn went after Purdue on economic and equality. Purdue did his best to settle 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. Yet, there were 2,000 women that sued the company during in our tenure and they said they were paid less and it was found by federal investigators they were paid less.
DAVID PERDUE (R), GEORGIA SENATE CANDIDATE: There is no wonder 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 is on track to double our debt. Even though he said he would cut it in half.
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ROMANS: The president did not actually promise to cut the debt in half. But according to "Politifact," if you look at the deficit has been cut in half during the tenure. The national debt climbs and grows and grows every day because we still run deficits.
BERMAN: It's 35 minutes after the hour. President Obama just wrapped up campaign stops in Connecticut and Pennsylvania stumping for gubernatorial candidates in state where he is still really popular enough to help turn some voters out.
For the most part in this election cycle, the president has been up to is mostly headlining big money fundraisers. Most candidates don't seem to want to stand next to him at rallies.
CNN's Washington correspondent, Erin McPike has more this morning from the White House.
ERIN MCPIKE, CNN WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: John and Christine, President Obama headlined his last campaign rally of the season yesterday. He has campaigned in just seven rallies this year.
He was in Connecticut yesterday afternoon campaigning for the Democratic governor there. He has been trying to get out the vote, both women and Latino voters. Listen here to him make an appeal just yesterday.
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BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Hope is what America's all about, hope and better days. Hope and building up the middle class, hope and handing down something to our kids. That is why you have to vote. That's what Dan Malloy believes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MCPIKE: Again, President Obama won't be campaigning today or Tuesday. That was it. The White House is likely preparing for the 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.
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SEN. RAND PAUL (R), KENTUCKY: The wind is at our back. This is a referendum on the president. He acknowledged his policies will be on the ballot. He will be indirectly on the ballot.
FMR. GOV. ED RENDELL (D), PENNSYLVANIA: If the Republicans get the Senate, they better do something. They better send the president some responsible pieces of legislation or they will get crushed in 2016.
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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.
ROMANS: All right, Erin McPike, thank you. President Obama's Pennsylvania trip on Sunday faced a non- political hitch of its own. Air Force One developed what the White House called a minor mechanical problem with the wing flaps while the president attended a rally at Temple University.
It was replaced with a back-up plane, a modified Boeing 757 usually reserved for runways that are too short to accommodate the modified 747 the president normally flies.
BERMAN: Tight races for governor across the country drawing a whole lot 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 appearance making one last push for Charlie Crist at the University of Central Florida rally.
ROMANS: Also signs that the race for governor of Maryland may have tightened even though Democrats outnumber Republicans 2-1 in that deep blue states.
Democrat Anthony Brown, the current lieutenant governor, had slid to within a point of Republican Larry Hogan in the polls. The report just declared that Maryland race a tossup.
The National Democratic group is pumping money into that race. First Lady Michelle Obama is headed into Baltimore today for a big rally at the War Memorial Building.
BERMAN: A whole bunch of close races for governor right now. The Cook Political Report rates a total of 14 states across the country too close to call including ten involving incumbents. That is the greatest number of imperiled incumbents in the 30-year history.
The Democrats had been hoping to make gains in some of these governor mansions, but they are finding themselves on the defense in several states they now hold including as we said before Maryland and also Connecticut.
ROMANS: GOP candidates are cashing more checks from Wall Street than ever before. A record 63 percent of contributions from bank employees went to Republicans this cycle. That is $78 million.
Wall Street, which had been a big supporter of Obama in the early years, now looking and hoping for Republican victories because that could lead to more pro-business policies and that could be a huge win for several sectors.
First, financial sectors, Democrats have turned up the heat on banks since the financial crisis. A Republican-controlled Senate could change that.
And also energy, Republicans-elect would push for more lenient environmental policies or at least block tougher regulations.
And finally, industrial, the Republicans tend to support more defense spending. That could help companies like Lockheed Martin and Boeing. The Tea Party could be an interesting --
BERMAN: Defense spending which used to be a Republican issue is really now sort of in the middle of the both parties because there are plenty of Republican Tea Party just like Rand Paul who are not for defense spending in any kind of major way.
It's 39 minutes after the hour. Daredevil Nik Wallenda conquers the Chicago skyline. The tightrope walking between two skyscrapers blindfolded. What did he say the scariest part was? We will tell you next.
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BERMAN: An apology this morning from Kaci Hickox even though Maine, the Maine 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.
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KACI HICKOX, NURSE: I understand the community has been through a lot the past week and I do apologize to them for that. I will not go into town and crowded public places. I have had a few friends come visit me in my home and that's absolutely fantastic.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BERMAN: Hickox says her goal all along has been to make the national debate about Ebola about science and not politics.
ROMANS: A record-breaking snow this weekend from Maine to the Carolinas. This was a scene before the Patriots game. You can see the flurries coming down in New England. Crews working to clean up the field before the game.
Meantime, historic early snowfall in Maine where the weather center says it is the first time ever that Bangor has been hit with snow in the double digits this early in November.
Let's move south. This is the scene in Columbia, South Carolina. You can see snow blanketing parts of the city. It's the same story in North Carolina. This is Sparta. Plows out in full force trying to clear those roads.
BERMAN: Indra Petersons is here with us this morning. So is this like it for now? Is this winter and we have to live with it?
INDRA PETERSONS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: For the next ten years. It will be freezing. No. It will warm up over the next several days. Winter is on the way. We better get used to the pattern. Hard to say what is more impressive.
The double digits of snow in the northeast or Charleston actually even saw a trace of snow this early in the season. That is actually the record that most people are talking about. This cold air went all the way down to the southeast.
Look at the frost and freeze warnings we are dealing with even this morning. Those temperatures are chilly. We're talking about 30s out in Nashville, Atlanta, a mixture of winter rain and snow, 41 degrees this morning.
In New York City is in the 40s this morning so again, this will start to get better, John. We are talking about warmer temperatures making their way in as the system exited out of the area.
It is it time of year, another cold front on its heels. The Ohio Valley and back to the northeast and to the south looking for more showers for the next several days many Dallas, 2 to 4 inches can be seen.
It will feel better for a day or so. We are talking about the winds if you went outside yesterday, 30-mile-an-hour winds. We still have that.
BERMAN: We had all kinds of trees down in my neighborhood.
ROMANS: Thanks, Indra. Let's look at what is coming up on "NEW DAY." Chris Cuomo joins us now. Hi, Chris.
CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR, "NEW DAY": Happy Monday to you both. As we all know, tomorrow is the big, big day, several key races. Here, there is new information and stuff for us to dig into today. The polls are moving. That is not unusual as you get closer to Election Day.
Why are they moving? Which party is benefitting? I t is the Republicans. What will this mean going into tomorrow? How will it shift strategy? Everything is about Election Day. Everything is about how you get the vote out on the most important day. Who is doing that best?
Now we are going to hear from Joe Biden. He spoke exclusively with CNN. You do not want to miss his take on the midterms. He may often offend political correctness, but he is usually spot-on in terms of where he and his team are headed.
There are many questions raised also after Friday's Virgin Galactic crash. Investigators may be on to what caused the accident. That is good. This is supposedly the future. Will clients want to pay $250,000 given these risks? We will hear from Richard Branson himself as he answers his critics.
As you know, "NEW DAY" begins at the top of the hour. That is for you, Berman, because I know you are unsure.
BERMAN: Thank you very much. We will check our local listings. See you in a bit, Chris.
ROMANS: Unbelievable footage this morning from high above the Chicago River. This is what Nik Wallenda saw Sunday as he walked down the wire stretched between two skyscrapers in the windy city.
Unfortunately for him the city didn't entirely live up to its nickname. He inched along some 600 feet in the air and then for an encore, he walked between Marina City's West and East Towers blindfolded and juggling flaming chainsaws. Not that part.
BERMAN: Yet.
ROMANS: Wallenda called the record-breaking stunt the most challenging of his career so far.
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NIK WALLENDA, TIGHTROPE WALKER: The big thing is intimidation factor. You walk-on the edge of the building and say I'll do this blindfolded with the winds. The winds were light and praise God for that, still there are winds. Hearing them, it is extremely intimidating.
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ROMANS: There are signs of some good news in the fight to save Kobani from ISIS. We are live with that big story after the break.
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BERMAN: A bloody weekend west of Baghdad. ISIS forces slaughtering dozens of Sunni tribal members in Anbar Province. Many of them pulled from their homes in the dead of night and executed.
Now there is some good news in the fight to save Kobani from ISIS. Our senior international correspondent, Nick Paton Walsh, is live right now from the Turkish-Syrian border. Good morning, Nick.
NICK PATON WALSH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: John, I'm standing near kobani. In the background, we have been seeing artillery exchange between both sides. Hearing from the Kurds defending Kobani, good news, they say.
They say that because the Iraqi Kurdish Peshmerga have arrived with heavy weaponry and we've seen some of the rockets they are firing from that hill straight behind me being launched that way towards ISIS.
Because of that cover the Peshmerga brought in, the Kurdish fighters and some Syrian rebels too have managed to push ISIS far to the east of the city, they claim, but also three to four kilometers that way as well. The furthest tip they advanced.
We know there are still pockets of ISIS around here. There is heavy shelling of ISIS holdout of village houses. I'm hearing for the first time this morning, coalition air power flying above us. It's clear the Kurds feel emboldened.
They are pushing hard back against ISIS. We don't know whether ISIS has reinforcements to throw into the fight. I heard from a senior Kurdish official, they may clear Kobani within two or three days. Optimism want to say that pays off -- John.
BERMAN: All right, thank you so much, Nick. Our Nick Paton Walsh right on the border between Turkey and Syria.
ROMANS: All right, the gas prices below as we've seen in four years. Could they go even lower? Yes. An early start on your money next.
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ROMANS: All right. Let's get an early start on your money. Stocks back at records. After all that, stocks back at records. European stocks a tad lower right now. U.S. stock futures a tiny bit lower. Stocks closed Friday record highs.
The Dow claimed 195 points. That's a record so did the S&P 500. To keep the rally going, Wall Street is looking for a midterm Republican victory in hopes of more pro-business policies. Plus they need to see more of the strong corporate profits we've already been seeing here.
Gas below $3 a gallon. The average price for a gallon of regular now is $2.98. It's the lowest in almost four years. There's even better news, folks. Gas prices are expected to keep falling.
They could fall another 15 cents in states. Prices are dropping because global demanded for oil is down. Oil is about $80 a barrel right now that's down 25 percent from its summer peak.
BERMAN: That is wow. Just wow.
ROMANS: I know enjoy it for now.
BERMAN: All right, a lot going on today. It is a big day before an even bigger day. We have brand new polls this morning bringing a clear sign that Republicans will wake up very, very happy and perhaps on the verge of taking over the U.S. Senate. "NEW DAY" breaks down the new numbers now.
