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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin

All-Out War Among Republicans; Can Obama Fill the Supreme Court Vacancy?; Grammys 2016: Winners & Best Moments; 22 Dead in Strikes on Hospitals, School in Syria; Wade Gives Netflix Subscription to Retiring Kobe. Aired 5-5:30a ET

Aired February 16, 2016 - 05:00   ET

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

MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN ANCHOR: Republicans running for president pulling out all the stops. Jeb Bush taking his brother out on the campaign trail as his competitors launched vicious new attacks on each other.

ALISON KOSIK, CNN ANCHOR: In just hours, President Obama to address the Supreme Court vacancy, as more Republicans threaten to block anyone he nominates.

MARQUEZ: And breaking overnight. The Grammys honor the year's best in music. The big winners and moments, there were plenty of them.

Good morning and welcome to EARLY START. I'm Miguel Marquez.

KOSIK: And I'm Alison Kosik. Good morning. It is Tuesday, February 16th.

[05:00:01] It's 5:00 a.m. in the East.

And this morning, the fight in the Republican Party escalating to all- out war. None of the leading candidates holding back. Marco Rubio attacking Ted Cruz and vice versa. Cruz also targeting Donald Trump. Trump lashing out at everyone -- Cruz, Rubio and Jeb Bush, as well as at a non-candidate, George W. Bush.

The former president on the campaign trail in South Carolina ahead of the primary there in support of younger brother Jeb. Chief political correspondent Dana Bash has the latest.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DANA BASH, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Miguel and Alison, George W. Bush back in the political spotlight. He drew a huge crowd for his brother and also drew some pretty sharp distinctions between his brother, Jeb Bush, and Donald Trump.

Now, he never said Trump's name, but he never had to. He described the person and the persona that we have become used to see from Donald Trump, the kind of character that drawn so many supporters to him.

But the point that George W. Bush was trying to make is that Americans shouldn't go for somebody who preys on the fears and frustrations of Americans. Instead, they should go for a strong and steady hand, somebody who isn't necessarily the loudest person in the room, clearly describing his brother.

GEORGE W. BUSH, FORMER PRESIDENT: The presidency is a serious job that requires sound judgment and good ideas. And there's no doubt in my mind that Jeb Bush has the experience and character to be a great president.

(CHEERS)

BASH: But what was as interesting as George W. Bush's performance was his brother's, the fact that Jeb Bush seemed to come out of his shell. He was much more passionate, much more engaged with the audience, had more presence than he has in the eight months since he announced for president.

JEB BUSH (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: If you're tired of the politics of division, if you want someone with a proven record, solid conservative who acted on his conservative beliefs each and every day as governor, someone with 32 years of private sector experience, then you are looking at the nominee for the Republican nomination. And I can beat Hillary Clinton. I can promise you that.

(CHEERS)

BASH: So, the question now is whether or not that is going to be enough to give him momentum to come from behind in South Carolina in order to start to build his comeback that he keeps saying he's going to have -- Miguel and Alison.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KOSIK: OK, Dana, thanks very much.

Let's go ahead and get some help breaking down the campaign warfare this morning with CNN politics managing editor Zach Wolf. He is in our Washington bureau.

Good morning to you.

ZACHARY WOLF, CNN POLITICS MANAGING EDITOR: Good morning.

KOSIK: So, we saw George W. on the campaign trail for the first time with Jeb helping out. Let's take a little bit of what he said and then I'll come back to you for your reaction.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH: Strength is not empty rhetoric. It is not bluster. It is not theatrics. Real strength, strength of purpose comes from integrity and character. And in my experience, the strongest person usually isn't the loudest one in the room.

(APPLAUSE)

(END VIDEO CLIP) KOSIK: OK. If we are going to read those tea leaves, we can assume he is talking about Donald Trump, the loudest one in the room.

Do you think that he's going to really give enough momentum to Jeb not just for South Carolina, but South Carolina and beyond?

WOLF: Yes, I think that's a safe assumption that he is talking about Donald Trump. You know, it's really interesting to see him back out on the campaign trail for the first time since leaving office. His voice, just hearing it, for a lot of Americans, it was so important for so long. And it's been absent in a lot of ways.

So, I don't know if this is necessarily going to turn the tide for Jeb Bush, but Jeb Bush has been making the point for about Donald Trump for a long time, that he's not a serious candidate. That people need to look at this seriously. That they need real leaders.

So, bringing his brother back out is going to certainly drive that home. You know, the 9/11 terror attacks have been back. Donald Trump has been saying that George W. Bush didn't keep Americans safe. That issue, however, could have Americans thinking about it and could make them realize that security and foreign policy, these are really important things.

And that could help, I think, Jeb Bush in a lot of ways, who has been -- you know, has this lineage, his father and brother both presidents. So, I think it could ultimately help him. I don't think it's going to turn the tide necessarily.

MARQUEZ: Yes, one wonders if that attack on George W. Bush by Donald Trump will hurt Trump. Another thing he is doing is saying he's going to sue Ted Cruz because he's from Canada and shouldn't be running. Incredibly upset over advertisements like this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[05:05:05] INTERVIEWER: Would President Trump ban partial birth abortion?

TRUMP: I am pro-choice in every respect.

INTERVIEWER: But you would not ban it?

TRUMP: No.

AD NARRATOR: And Planned Parenthood?

TRUMP: Planned Parenthood serves a good function.

AD NARRATOR: And Hillary Clinton?

TRUMP: I think she does a good job and I like her.

AD NARRATOR: South Carolina cannot trust Donald Trump.

(END VIDEO CLIP) MARQUEZ: Boy, using his own words against him in an ad that is airing in South Carolina. Isn't this just politics?

WOLF: It certainly is. And South Carolina is where the gloves come off traditionally. You saw that from the elder Bush when he ran in 2008 against -- sorry, back in 2000 against McCain.

And, you know, it's also interesting, there is another issue on eminent domain. A lot of people think that can work against Donald Trump. So, yes, for the first time we see Ted Cruz really going after Donald Trump and trying to distinguish himself. For a long time, the two were friends essentially on the campaign trail and trying to occupy a little bit of the same political space. But now, the gloves there are certainly off.

MARQUEZ: Wow.

KOSIK: And we are seeing politics, speaking of politics, with filling the Supreme Court vacancy. Mitch McConnell flipping on the court nomination. In 2000, he supported having election year nomination. So, many are calling him a hypocrite. But at the same time, the Democrats are guilty of that, too.

I want to first play you a sound bite from Chuck Schumer, because back in 2007, during the Bush presidency, there was a vacancy in the Supreme Court and here's what Chuck Schumer had to say and I'll let you hear what McConnell says and we will talk on the backside.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER (D), NEW YORK: We cannot afford to see Justice Stevens replaced by another Roberts, or Justice Ginsburg by another Alito. Given the track record of this president and experience of obfuscation at the hearings, with respect to the Supreme Court at least, I will recommend to my colleagues that we should not confirm any Bush nominee to the Supreme Court except in extraordinary --

SEN. MITCH MCCONNELL (R), KENTUCKY: Our Democratic colleagues continually talk about the so-called Thurmond Rule under which the Senate supposedly stops confirming judges in a presidential election year.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KOSIK: So, we have hypocrisy on both sides of the aisle here. Does this give President Obama a leg to stand on knowing his party is guilty of this too?

WOLF: Yes, I don't thinking they really care about that right now. All bets are off with the Supreme Court nominee. It's a lifetime appointment to the highest court in the land. Both sides are going to do everything they can do to get their guy in.

Obama has the power to nominate. But Mitch McConnell is going to schedule that floor vote. So, unless they figure out a way to force him to do it, I don't know how this happens. So, we'll just have to see.

MARQUEZ: Yes, I think keeping that floor vote from happening is the number one Republican hope in all of this.

Zach Wolf, thank you very much. You're going to have a busy year ahead, my friend. Thank you.

KOSIK: We're going to see you later in the show.

MARQUEZ: Republican candidates speak out on CNN this week in a unique two-night event, Wednesday and Thursday, at 8:00 p.m. For the very first time this campaign, all six candidates will answer questions from the voters of South Carolina in two live town halls moderated by Anderson Cooper. Ben Carson, Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz on Wednesday, followed by John Kasich, Jeb Bush and Donald Trump on Thursday. That's live starting at 8:00 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, right here on CNN.

KOSIK: OK, I slept through this. Did you watch any of these, the Grammys last night?

MARQUEZ: I dressed as Taylor Swift and danced along with her.

KOSIK: And dance around the room. I bet you did.

MARQUEZ: Yes, absolutely.

KOSIK: It was the biggest stars in music night to shine at the 58th Grammy Awards.

(VIDEO CLIP PLAYS)

KOSIK: And Taylor Swift opened the show. She actually won three Grammys, including one of the top awards, Album of the Year for "1989".

Ed Sheeran, one of my faves, was awarded Song of the Year for "Thinking Out Loud." Record of the Year went to "Uptown Funk."

(VIDEO CLIP PLAYS)

KOSIK: There you have rapper Kendrick Lamar with the big pyrotechnic show behind him. He took home the most Grammys winning five.

(VIDEO CLIP PLAYS)

KOSIK: And this year's ceremony may be best remembered for the tributes to artists who recently died. Including Lady Gaga's salute to David Bowie.

[05:10:03] MARQUEZ: I miss Bowie.

KOSIK: I know.

MARQUEZ: I miss David Bowie.

KOSIK: Dozens killed as air strikes in Syria target hospitals and schools. New details on the devastation, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MARQUEZ: A grim search for survivors in Northern Syria after a strike hits hospitals and a school building on Monday, killing at least 22 people. Eight others are missing and presumed dead. The group Doctors Without Borders claims the attacks on the field hospitals were deliberate. It comes just days after world powers agree to a cessation of hostilities in Syria, due to take effect on Friday.

CNN Jomana Karadsheh is monitoring developments from Amman, Jordan.

[05:15:00] Jomana, MSF hit again. Do we know how this one happened?

JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Miguel, as you mentioned, devastating violence there focused in the northern part of the country. Several attacks targeting schools and hospitals drawing a long list of international condemnation with human rights groups saying attacks on medical facilities amounts to war crimes.

What we know in Idlib province, that's where MSF, Doctors Without Borders, says its hospital that it supports there was struck several times within a span of a few minutes killing and wounding several people. As you mentioned, they are calling this a deliberate attack. This is the fifth time so far this year since January that an MSF facility in Syria has been hit.

No one claimed responsibility for this attack, but a lot of blame pointed toward the Syrian regime and their Russian allies. Neither country has come out with official statement on this. But the Syrian ambassador to Russia coming out and saying, blaming the U.S.-led coalition saying it was a coalition strike that hit the MSF hospital.

Now, coalition officials were fast to dismiss this saying they did not have operations in the area around Idlib at the time.

Now, in the Aleppo province in the border town of Azaz, that's near the Turkish border there, a school and a hospital, the school housing displaced people and the hospital with mothers and babies were also hit. It's unclear again who was responsibility for this attack.

But the Turkish prime minister is blaming Russia. He says it was a ballistic missile fired from the Caspian Sea that hit the hospital and school there. Again, we have not heard anything official from Russia.

All of these developments, this escalating violence coming a few days, Miguel, before the cessation of hostilities that was agreed on between world powers in Munich a few days ago. It's supposed to take place. Lots of doubts that that is even going to happen. A much-need cessation of hostilities, that is.

MARQUEZ: Oh, my goodness. So many actors in the air hitting targets there.

Thanks for keeping track of all of it. Jomana Karadsheh for us in Amman, Jordan, thank you. And it's denials all around from former New York Governor Eliot

Spitzer concerning an alleged assault in a Manhattan hotel room. Spitzer's attorney says the allegation is false and was made by a Russian woman with, quote, "emotional difficulties". He says Spitzer has known the woman for sometime, but she is not his girlfriend. Police say she called 911 from the hotel room Saturday saying she had cut herself and was having a breakdown. Detectives are investigating the assault claim, but still haven't questioned Spitzer.

KOSIK: Three months after a deadly shooting rampage, a Colorado Planned Parenthood clinic is up and running. The Colorado Springs facility opened its doors Monday. Officials saying in a statement, clinic workers return stronger and with more conviction that ever. Three people were killed and nine wounded during a five-hour standoff back in November that began when a gunman opened fire and stormed inside. Fifty-seven-year-old Robert Lewis Dear faces 200 felony counts, including murder, attempted murder and assault.

MARQUEZ: The national president of the NAACP has issued an ultimatum over the water crisis in Flint, Michigan. Cornell Brooks says if Governor Snyder doesn't have a plan for replacing the city's lead water pipes in the next 30 days, the group will call for mass protest and civil disobedience in Flint. Brooks says it would be non- disruptive and like the civil rights demonstrations of the 1960s. The governor says the state is working with great urgency to fix the pipes.

KOSIK: All right. Let's get an early start on your money. Investors are returning from a long holiday weekend to a global rally for stocks. Futures are posting solid gains. Europe is pushing higher as well. And there was a big rally in Asian markets overnight.

Stocks are following oil prices which are back up near $30 a barrel. Oil prices crossing $31 earlier this morning, but that retreated a bit after reports that are saying Saudi Arabia, Russia and Venezuela will freeze production at current levels. It's a move those countries hope will boost prices, but analysts were hoping the group would cut production which could lead to faster price hikes.

International Energy Agency says it will outstrip demand by 2 million barrels per year. So, I think that our lower gas prices are safe for now. Production freeze is not the same as a production cut.

MARQUEZ: Oil politics is so crazy. OPEC has just kept -- has kept -- and with Iran coming on. It's a bizarre world that we're in right now. It was so high just a couple years ago.

KOSIK: Yes.

MARQUEZ: Amazing.

So, what do you give the future NBA hall of famer who already has everything, as a retirement gift?

[05:20:02] Wait until you see what Dwyane Wade did for Kobe Bryant.

Coy Wire with this morning's bleacher report. There he is.

Coy, we'll see you in a second.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MARQUEZ: We are hearing of more health issues for Miami Heat star Chris Bosh. Reports of yet another blood clot scare for the 11-time all-star.

KOSIK: Coy Wire has more in this morning's bleacher report.

Good morning, Coy.

COY WIRE, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Alison, Miguel.

Bosh was kept out of this weekend's three-point contest and the all- star game in Toronto due to a calf injury. But now, according to "The Miami Herald", the team is concern that the injury could be more serious than that. But the sources are saying it is not life threatening.

[05:25:02] Yahoo Sports is reporting that Bosh is expected to meet with doctors on Thursday to determine the seriousness of blood clotting in his left calf. Remember, he was diagnosed with clot lots in his lungs during last year's all-star break. He had to go on blood thinners and miss the final 30 games of the year last year.

So, what is the ultimate retirement gift for an NBA legend who already has everything? Well, it's year-long subscription to Netflix, of course. That's what Dwyane Wade gave to his buddy Kobe Bryant over the weekend at a private dinner at a rented out restaurant in Toronto with Carmelo Anthony and Chris Paul.

Now, CP3 gave Kobe a cane, reading glasses and dental adhesive. Carmelo, though, gave him a magnum of Italian wine. That is a link to Kobe's rookie year and growing up in Italy. The Netflix, though, that is thinking outside the red box.

The feel good story of the day with help of over 70,000 volunteers at 200 churches in 48 states in eight different countries, Tim Tebow sponsored a worldwide prom event for more than 22,000 people with special needs. The event was over the weekend and it was called "Night to Shine".

Look at these faces, though, guys. Tim Tebow, he wasn't that great of a football player in the NFL, but he was always inspiring and here in his post-playing days, still continuing to inspire and make a huge difference in the lives of others. He got to show up at a New York church and surprised some of the attendees.

Tim Tebow Foundation doing great work, guys.

KOSIK: Giving back. I like that. What I don't understand is how Kobe doesn't already have a Netflix subscription.

MARQUEZ: Hello, exactly. Are you kidding me? WIRE: I think it comes out to about $80 if you get the first level.

So, pretty fun stuff. Those guys had a blast.

KOSIK: Thanks, Coy.

MARQUEZ: Thanks, Coy.

WIRE: You're welcome. All right.

MARQUEZ: An all-out brawl on the presidential campaign trail. Republicans attacking each other and pulling out all the stops for votes in South Carolina. We are breaking it all down, coming right up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)