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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin
Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders Sharpen Attacks; Zika Virus Outbreak in Florida; U.N. Ruling: Assange "Arbitrarily Detained"; New Allegations Against Johnny Manziel. Aired 5-5:30a ET
Aired February 05, 2016 - 05:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ERIC BRADNER, CNN POLITICS REPORTER: John and Christine, we are days away from the New Hampshire primary, and the gloves were off. Bernie Sanders hit Hillary Clinton accusing her of being influenced by Wall Street for taking speaking fees and for taking campaign contributions. Hillary Clinton got angry.
HILLARY CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I really don't think these kinds of attacks by insinuation are worthy of you.
[05:00:02] And enough is enough. If you have something to say, say it directly, but you will not find that I ever changed a view or a vote because of any donation that I ever received. So, I think it's time to end the very artful smear that you and your campaign have been carrying out in recent weeks. And let's talk about the issues.
SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (I-VT), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Let's talk about why in the 1990s Wall Street got deregulated. Did it have anything to do with the fact that Wall Street providing spending billions of dollars on lobbying and campaign contributions? Well, some people might think, yes, it had some influence.
BRADNER: It was a risky move for Clinton trying to extinguish the Bern here in a state where Sanders has a 2 to 1 lead, according to a new CNN poll. She is trying to pick up a few points and also stop his momentum nationally.
And during the debate, she flashed anger over Sanders calling her a moderate, saying that a progressive is someone who likes to make progress. She also offered a new response to Sanders' criticism of her 13-year-old vote to go to Iraq, saying that has little to do with fighting ISIS today.
Now, the two talked about the close results in the Iowa caucuses amid reports the Sanders camp might be preparing to challenge those results or ask for them to reexamine. But Sanders took a pass saying that a few votes here and there isn't the biggest deal in the world and they essentially tied -- John and Christine.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: All right. Eric Bradner for us in New Hampshire.
Let's talk about this debate and all the political action, because a lot more going on.
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: Oh, yes.
BERMAN: CNN politics reporter Tom LoBianco joins us now from Washington.
Tom, good morning to you.
This debate was a different Hillary Clinton. Not content to sit back and wait I think until more favorable political terrain. She went right after Bernie Sanders. She seemed to have an answer for everything he said. This was an exchange on who is more establishment and her, response. Watch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SANDERS: Secretary Clinton does represent the establishment. I represent, I hope, ordinary Americans. By the way, I'm not all that enamored with the establishment.
CLINTON: Senator Sanders is the only person who would characterize me a woman running to be the first woman president as exemplifying the establishment. I've got to tell you that it is --
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
It is really quite amusing to me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BERMAN: So, Tom, Hillary Clinton down 30 points in the latest CNN/ORC poll in New Hampshire. What is she trying to do here?
LOBIANCO: Well, she's got to put a dent in that. You know, the funny thing is both sides downplayed what the expectations are. You know, you could argue whether or not successfully.
But she's got to put a dent in that somehow. And she's got to move past this. You know, a lot of this -- you don't want to just hang it up in New Hampshire. She made that point. But they do need to have a strong showing here and put it away later in Nevada and South Carolina.
A lot of this is setting up this counter. You know, it was interesting how much she really came back at him in a way that her campaign had been doing before, but now it is her doing it directly.
ROMANS: She had new ammunition last night in this whole controversy over the e-mail and receiving classified or later marked classified email on a personal e-mail address and e-mail server in her home.
Listen to what she said last night about that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CLINTON: We had a development in the e-mail matter today. When it came out that Secretary Powell and close aides to former Secretary Rice used private e-mail accounts and now, you have these people in the government who are doing the same thing to Secretary Powell and Secretary Rice's aides. They have been doing to me, which is that I never sent or received any classified material. They are retroactively classifying it.
I agree completely with Secretary Powell who said today this is an absurdity. And so, I think the American people will know, it's an absurdity. I have absolutely no concerns about it whatsoever.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: Is that new ammunition for her? Is this going to help put this to rest? I mean, it's not a big deal among Democrats than it is among that will be the general election.
LOBIANCO: Well, that certainly helps her. You know, coming out like that and calling it an absurdity. Being able to point to two Republican secretaries of state where this happened.
You know, what it really does is it sets up further down the road.
[05:05:00] It also assuages some concerns among the Democratic base, part of that question on the drip, drip, drip emails coming out that she was responding to. It's really based on the Democratic base. You know, they don't say that they're concerned about it. That effectively they trust her on this.
That's not the question. The question is will this hurt her electability. This is her electability question.
BERMAN: So, a lot of action on the Democratic side, but there are a lot of developments on the Republican side of this race also. Donald Trump, who is still the frontrunner in New Hampshire, by a fair amount, sat down with Anderson Cooper last night.
It was a very different tone from Donald Trump. He wasn't complaining about the results in Iowa anymore. Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: You basically accused him of fraud, of stealing the election in Iowa. You talk about wanting a new election there. Have you spoken to Republican Party officials about that?
DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAJL CANDIDATE: No, look, I'm into New Hampshire now. It's just one of those things. It's sort of a lot of strange things. And, you know, I like Ben Carson very much. He got pretty roughed up, frankly, although it affected me more than Ben. I'm so much because I have been here for two days, I'm so much into this, into New Hampshire, that I just -- I don't care about that anymore.
COOPER: Do you think Ted Cruz was intentionally spreading false?
TRUMP: I don't care.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BERMAN: I don't want to talk about the Iowa controversy, Tom. I want to talk about the new sunnier Donald Trump we saw with Anderson Cooper and the more directly engaged Donald Trump with voters that we seem to be seeing in New Hampshire.
LOBIANCO: It's strange. It almost sounds like atonement. You know, in that same interview, he talked about his brother, you know, and why he doesn't drink and about his brother's own drug problems and how much that influenced him.
I don't want to say -- I don't think anyone has ever accused Donald Trump of being soft. But that was a softer side. That's been consistent with his tone in the last few days.
It's almost like they realize they need to do something different here. They are clearly changing it up. The bluster is gone, at least for now.
ROMANS: The bluster is gone, at least for now.
Can we quickly listen to Barbara Bush? She was on the campaign trail yesterday with Jeb Bush, talk about family -- talking about family and bringing out a new piece of ammunition. Let's listen to what Barbara Bush said yesterday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARBARA BUSH, FORMER FIRST LADY: Jeb is the nicest, wisest most caring, loyal, disciplined -- that's good, not by me. But he's not a bragger. We don't allow that. But he's decent and honest. He's everything we need in a president.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: You know, if you are Jeb Bush, you are trying to decide how to use your family, when to use your family, run from the name, embrace the name, only if it's Barbara Bush. You know, this is a new strategy for them, it looks like.
LOBIANCO: They got to do something here. You know, New Hampshire, he's put everything in there. The other establishment/moderate candidates put everything in there, Kasich, Chris Christie. But this is also focused on South Carolina. The Bush's really think that they have a chance down there. George Bush did really well down there.
So, you know, this is -- if you are going do it, you have to do it now, because this is -- we're right in the middle of the game. For him, you could argue this is maybe not the ninth inning, but perhaps the seventh inning.
ROMANS: Gosh, I wonder how many of those events she has been in over her lifetime, you know?
BERMAN: I think he's just hoping to get on the field, frankly, and take a few swings because he's barely been able to do that.
Tom LoBianco, great to have you with us. Thanks so much.
ROMANS: All right. Eight minutes past the hour, nine minutes past the hour. Time for an early start on your money this morning.
Asian markets, stock markets, they are mostly lower. Europe markets, they are moving up here, so are Dow futures. You know, it was a good day on Wall Street yesterday. Stocks higher for the second day in a row. Something we can't say very often this year.
The Dow gained 80 points, the S&P 500, the NASDAQ also up a little bit.
The one factor that could move the market is the government jobs report. That's out in just a few hours. Here is the prediction from CNN Money, 197,000 jobs added in January. The unemployment likely stayed steady at 5 percent.
One thing to watch for, if the mild winter helped or hurt jobs. Utility companies are hiring fewer people, but restaurants and retail stores may be hiring more. People are willing to travel and shop more during milder winter. They've also got a little bit more money in their pockets from lower gas prices.
BERMAN: It really hasn't been that bad so far.
ROMANS: No, it hasn't.
BERMAN: All right. New confirmed cases of the Zika virus in the United States. Florida now expanding its state of emergency. Details next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[05:14:04] BERMAN: This morning, concern is growing over the fast-spreading mosquito-borne Zika virus. Health officials in Brazil report two new Zika cases that were passed through blood transfusions. The outbreak has cast a shadow on Carnival, as tourists flood in the Rio de Janeiro and other major Brazilian cities. Workers have been frantically spraying the cities with insecticide. Look at that.
We should learn more from the CDC about the number of Zika cases here in the United States. Florida has now expanded its public health emergency.
CNN's Alina Machado with more on that.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALINA MACHADO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: John and Christine, we know none of the cases in Florida involve pregnant women. And we also know that the 12 people infected got the virus while traveling abroad. Four of the cases are right here in Miami-Dade County. The rest are in Broward, Hillsborough, Lee and Santa Rosa counties.
At this point, there is no indication that mosquitoes here in Florida or anywhere else in the United States are transmitting Zika. But state and local governments are working to get ahead of the virus.
[05:15:00] They want to make sure that the appropriate resources are in place in case we see an outbreak. And that's why a public health emergency has been declared in the five Florida counties affected.
Here's what the Florida governor has to say about the response.
GOV. RICK SCOTT (R), FLORIDA: We're going to get ahead of this. We're going to make sure our residents are safe, our visitors are safe. We're going to do everything we can to take care of everybody, everybody in our state. It's the right thing to do, always prepare for the worst and hope for the best.
MACHADO: Well, the state of Florida is also asking the CDC for additional testing kits. They want 1,000 Zika antibody tests. Those tests can tell if someone has had Zika in the past. They also want 4,000 more kits to test active cases. Remember, the mosquito that typically carries Zika is commonly found in Florida and there are already mosquito control plans in place throughout the state -- John and Christine.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROMANS: All right. Alina, thank you for that.
New developments this morning in the investigation into the Flint water crisis. Michigan's attorney general tells the Detroit News he expects the independent probe to reach back 10 years. And now, state government emails reveal senior officials knew about a potential link between lead contaminated water in Flint and a spike in Legionnaires' disease long before Governor Snyder made it public last month.
On Thursday, the Michigan Senate approved $30 million to help pay the water bills of Flint residents. A lot of people outraged, they're still getting water bills but they can't the drink. The bill is expected to pass the house next week.
BERMAN: Some welcome news for residents of Porter Ranch, California, near Los Angeles. State officials say a ruptured natural gas well that has been leaking since October could be permanently sealed by the end of next week. The gas leak forced more than 4,000 families in the area to relocate. The company's SoCal Gas is facing more than two dozen lawsuits filed by residents and public agencies.
ROMANS: All right. Rain and sleet and snow along the East Coast this morning. Let's bring in meteorologist Derek Van Dam for that.
DEREK VAN DAM, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, John and Christine.
A fast moving snowstorm threatens to bring the possibility of a messy morning commute for some of the major cities along the eastern coastal areas. Today, D.C. to New York as well as Boston.
Let's time this out. Look out for the I-95 corridor connecting these particular cities. We will start to see that snow come to end midday for places like Washington, D.C. and New York City. It will stick around from Providence to Boston. That, in fact is where we anticipating some of our greater snowfall totals in excess of perhaps six to even eight inches of snow.
Look out Portland, Maine. You have possibility of hefty snowfall totals for you. Perhaps the extreme eastern sections of Maine picking up to a foot of snow.
Now, the National Weather Service has issued winter storm warnings for much of Massachusetts and Rhode Island and the eastern sections of Connecticut. That includes portions of Long Island with winter weather advisories for New York City.
Look what's coming for the first part of next week. Arctic blast of air will impact the eastern half of the U.S., including New York City.
We've got a brief warm up this weekend, but look at the temperatures from Monday and Tuesday. New York is not the only place getting cold. Look at Chicago by Monday, only high of 29. Bundle up.
Back to you, John and Christine.
BERMAN: All right, Derek. Thanks a lot.
Troubling allegations against Johnny Manziel. His time in Cleveland is clearly over, but that is not the only controversy now surrounding this quarterback. Coy Wire now with more in the bleacher report, that's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[05:22:42] BERMAN: All right. Disturbing allegations against Cleveland Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel all this before the Super Bowl.
ROMANS: Coy Wire has more in this morning's bleacher report from Super Bowl City in downtown San Francisco -- Coy.
COY WIRE, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Christine and John.
Manziel's former girlfriend told police in Texas he hit her several times early morning last week. Now, according to a report released by the Ft. Worth police yesterday, Colleen Crowley told officers that Manziel reported to be on some kind of drugs when he hit her during an argument. A neighbor called 911 despite Crowley's objection.
At the time, Ft. Worth police said there was no evidence a crime had been committed in their jurisdiction and Manziel was not charged for the incident. The 2012 Heisman trophy winner denies the allegations and told TMZ sports he didn't hit his ex-girlfriend. Now, CNN reached out to Manziel and his agent, but did not receive a response.
Now we got the bad news out of the way, here is some fun news for you from Super Bowl City in downtown San Fran. After a long week of answering the same questions over and over, the players and coaches spoke to the media for the last time yesterday and, boy, did they get a treat. A special reporter asking questions, it's a bow to the wow, creeping and crawling and yiggy and yalling. Snoop doggy dog, and the players loved it. Listen..
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JARED ALLEN, PANTHERS DEFENSIVE END: Snoop Dogg asking a question on media day, the fact that Snoop Dogg knows my name, that's pretty awesome.
DEMARYIUS THOMAS, BRONCOS WIDE RECEIVER: I never thought I would get interviewed by snoop. It was cool. He's got great questions.
SNOOP DOGG: Can I get a 50 percent discount on pa John's pizza when I'm in the state of Colorado?
PEYTON MANNING, BRONCOS QUARTERBACK: Absolutely.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WIRE: Oh, you got to love it. Snoop Dogg.
Now, we're going to have a lot more fun on on the big game coming up this weekend. Be sure to watch "Kickoff by the Bay", a CNN Bleacher Report special tomorrow afternoon at 2:30 Eastern, hosted by Chris Cuomo and Hall of Famer Dan Marino. They'll be joined by special guests Brett Favre and Joe Montana. The bald dude will talk about some cool technology being used in sports.
Good time from right here in Super Bowl City, guys.
ROMANS: Oh, yes.
BERMAN: Looks like a lot of fun. All right, Coy, looking forward to it.
ROMANS: Tensions erupt on the Democratic debate stage. Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders with their sharpest attacks yet on who is the real progressive and who really can get things done.
[05:25:03] That's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROMANS: Tense moments and heated exchange on the Democratic debate stage, Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders in their first one- on-one match up with just four days until the New Hampshire primary. Who came out on top?
Welcome back to EARLY START. I'm Christine Romans.
BERMAN: I'm John Berman. About 30 minutes past the hour right now. And breaking overnight, Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders come out swinging hard. This was their first one-on-one debate, which itself created a very, very different feeling, especially from Hillary Clinton.
So, three days after barely winning Iowa, five days before the daunting odds in New Hampshire, increasingly daunting odds, she clearly decided she could not wait another day to fight back.
CNN politics reporter Eric Bradner was at the debate in Durham, New Hampshire, he brings us the very latest.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRADNER: John and Christine, we are days away from the New Hampshire primary, and the gloves were off. Bernie Sanders hit Hillary Clinton accusing her of being influenced by Wall Street for taking speaking fees and for taking campaign contributions. Hillary Clinton got angry.
HILLARY CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I really don't think these kinds of attacks by insinuation are worthy of you.
