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New Day

Obama Changes The Subject To The Economy; Pelosi: Dems Will Control Congress, White House In 2016; Children Paralyzed By Mystery Illness

Aired October 02, 2014 - 07:30   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: The show is good, but what happened during the commercials that really --

MICHAELA PEREIRA, CNN ANCHOR: If you only knew.

CUOMO: We're going to take you now to "Inside Politics" on NEW DAY with John King. John, good to see you.

JOHN KING, CNN HOST, "INSIDE POLITICS": I'll yield back my time if you want --

PEIRERA: Keep it pushing, John. Take it away.

KING: You guys get your stories straight. We'll be back to you in a couple minutes. Let's go "Inside Politics" this morning. With me to share their reporting and their insights, Ed O'Keefe of "The Washington Post" and Peter Hamby of CNN.

The president hits the road today. We are a little over four weeks from the midterm elections. The president is trying to convince you, the voters, that the economy is doing a little bit better than you might think and that he deserves some credit.

Let's look at some numbers as we begin the conversation. As the president goes to Chicago, his personal approval rating on the economy, 42 percent of Americans approve of how the president is handling the economy. Look, nearly six in ten Americans disapprove.

And yet, if you look at this timeline, over the past several months, there's no question, that the people's views, your views about how the economy is doing, are getting a little bit better, 42 percent in our latest poll say economic conditions are good.

So Ed O'Keefe, what is the challenge for the president, who appears to get no credit for some increase in economic optimism and how important is this to Democrats standing midterm day?

ED O'KEEFE, "THE WASHINGTON POST": Absolutely essential that they remind not only their base voters, but maybe swing voters, that look at your pocketbook, look at things are going, look at the stock market, except maybe the last few days, things are getting better. The problem is there's this growing sense, bared out in data that you know, regular everyday workers aren't necessarily seeing the riches of the rebound and that's been a challenge not only for him, but for Democrats generally.

They've tried to make the point this year, trying to raise the minimum wage. Equal pay legislation it doesn't get out of door because of Republican opposition, and part of his struggle. This is basically all he's got.

When foreign policy is a mess and other things are going badly. The economy is really the only thing he can turn to now as he hits the campaign trail.

PETER HAMBY, CNN NATIONAL POLITICAL REPORTER: I look at this trip to Illinois a little bit as a campaign hack. You would think Illinois in his home state would be a place he could go. There is a competitive governor's race this year.

Obama's approval in Illinois his home state is about 45 percent, better than nationally but still not very good. Look at the dynamics of the campaign, Barack Obama is doing a closed-door fundraiser for Governor Pat Quinn in Chicago.

The one they're putting out there is Michelle Obama, who has cut a radio ad for Pat Quinn in that governor's race. So it's kind of interesting that even in his home state he can't go out there publicly.

KING: He has to try to change perceptions about the economy up here at 30,000 feet, but he's not really welcome at the ground level in most of these campaigns in key states. That's not going to change in the final month.

You write a piece today in "The Post," that essentially I'm going to make, the lead is, the president should stay in Chicago and have dinner with his friends, not come back to Washington tonight.

Because he's supposed to come back for this Hispanic gala in town at a time when there's a lot of dissatisfaction. He promised in his first year in office to introduce comprehensive immigration reform.

He promised to come back at it again. He promised then to do executive action this year before the election. Now he has punted that until after the election.

A lot of red state Democrats, vulnerable Democrats in Senate races are were happy with that decision. You write that at the House level and elsewhere in the party, there is some dissatisfaction.

O'KEEFE: There is. In fact, there's a lot of groups especially out west that are trying to register as many Hispanic voters as possible, places like Nevada, Arizona, California and Texas.

If more Hispanics start showing up, it will demonstrate to both parties their sustained political power. You talk to some of those people trying to do that leg work on the ground and they say we're having a harder time convincing people to sign up to vote.

Why? The reason is because the president punted. They say once again, over the course of six years, he has broken a promise on immigration and people are saying to us, why should I bother if he isn't showing up to do this?

You look at polling numbers, he has dropped more significantly among Hispanics than any other subset in polling over the past year. Because of this issue, because of the economy, because of other things, but most especially because again they see that promise broken.

It's a big problem for him, because he'll walk into the room where he's supposed to be a revered figure, loved by them and there's a lot of anger really that he's once again taking advantage of them.

HAMBY: His numbers have dropped precipitously, I think about 20 points according to Gallup, since 2012, since his re-election. And then the sort of immigration reform push in early 2013. But what's the alternative?

Right? Where do Hispanic voters go? They went 3-1 to him in the last presidential race and Republicans are still grappling with the politics of immigration. With their primary vote and the conservative base versus the general electorate and Hispanic voters. So he has options here in that where else do Hispanic voters go.

KING: Where else do they go? The question is do they come out at all this year, midterm drop usually drops anyway. Let's see what the percentage are. You watch the House races. We'll go into 2015 and 2016 to see if Congress wants to touch immigration reform.

But the Republican leadership has been overly cautious on that front as we go forward. Let's take a look at how it's playing in some campaigns this year. Ed makes a point about registering voters, turning out voters, House races around the country.

In Kansas where the Republican incumbent, Pat Roberts, is in deep trouble. In Kansas, the Republican is in deep trouble. He has an independent candidate running against him. Not a Democrat, the independent is winning if you look at the polls.

Pat Roberts, listen to this, trying to use immigration as an issue. His opponent's position to say this guy is not an independent at all.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: Ormond gave thousands of dollars to elect Barack Obama. Even Harry Reid. Now Orman says he would support giving amnesty to millions of illegal immigrants. Greg Orman is not independent in Washington Orman would vote with Obama for amnesty.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: If that's the tone of a Republican ad in the final weeks this year, it is hard to see and maybe miracles do happen, hard to see a different position from the Republican leadership next year, right?

HAMBY: That's absolutely the case. Not just Senate and House races. It's governor's races, places like Texas where Democrats want Hispanics to turn out. Florida is another example. Not that Hispanic voters are the same everywhere.

They are Cuban in Florida, Mexican-American in Texas, et cetera. That dynamic is interesting there, because Greg Orman, the independent has refused to say what he would do in Washington and who he would caucus with.

And Pat Roberts' campaign finally has a message and a campaign team and is finally running coherent television ads against this guy and these are pretty tough.

KING: He said he would caucus with the winners and try to use his leverage there. That's brave.

Let's quickly get to this one. Nancy Pelosi remembers now she's the Democratic leader in the House, she was the speaker. She would love to be speaker again. The question is when. Listen to Nancy Pelosi's take on maybe 2014 won't be so great for us but --

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REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA), MINORITY LEADER: Their days are numbered. I know in two years, there will be a Democratic Congress and a Democratic president. I'd like it to be in two months.

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KING: She'd like it to be in two months. Ed, unlikely. I think most unlikely that will happen. Does Nancy Pelosi stay around as Democratic leader through 2016? Hoping to be speaker in 2017, when she would be 77 years old?

O'KEEFE: That's her plan. She suggested it at the press conference, she would like to stay. The idea is to make sure the Democrats don't lose as many seats as anticipated so that they can keep the margins close enough to Republicans.

That let's say a Hillary Clinton for president campaign helps compel people to also vote for a few more House Democrats and you would have a female president and a female speaker. She's not going anywhere.

HAMBY: And don't forget also in terms of the Senate, all of those Republican pick-ups from 2010 are going to be up in '16. So it is possible that the Congress could be in Republican hands for two years and then in a presidential year, switch back and yes, you could have potentially President Hillary Clinton and Vice President Warren and Speaker Pelosi.

KING: The margins this year, how many seats the Republicans pick up in the House, assuming they pick up. It doesn't matter a lot if heading into the 2016 calculation. Ed and Peter, thanks for coming in. As I get back to Mr. Cuomo in New York and Michaela in New York. This is Congressman Jim McDermott celebrating a new exhibit at a museum in his district of Seattle. Remember Bruce Lee? Remember the Kung Fu movies? Now look at this.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you know Bruce? That's the new uniform for NEW DAY, I think.

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CUOMO: He looks good. He looks like a Bond girl. He looks good. How do you ask, do you remember Bruce Lee? Be like water, be like water. Who does not remember Bruce Lee?

KING: You need the jumpsuit, though, that was perfect, except for the jumpsuit.

CUOMO: I would wear a jumpsuit. It's all about team, John. He looks good.

KING: You first.

CUOMO: I'll go through the beta stage. John, thank you very much.

All right, so parents out there, you may want to put down the coffee and listen up, here's why, dozens of kids have been mysteriously paralyzed from a virus. Not Ebola, something different. We spoke with one family dealing with what's going on, their story is next.

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PEREIRA: All right, time for some headlines. John Berman is here this morning taking a look at those for us.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN GUEST ANCHOR: Good morning, Michaela. The first female director of the Secret Service forced to step down after getting carved up by lawmakers in a fiery hearing on Capitol Hill.

Julia Pierson offering up no explanation for a series of embarrassing security breaches that posed a risk to the president and the first family. The White House seemed to pull its support because Pierson never told them about a breach last month at the CDC in Atlanta until minutes before it broke in the news this week.

The Navy Marine Corps searching for air and sea for a Marine who bailed out of a plane in distress with the Persian Gulf. He was in a MV-22 Osprey Wednesday when it lost power. Two crew members bailed. One was rescued, but the other is still unaccounted for. The pilot of the Osprey was able to regain power and land safely.

The Mexican Army capturing one of the most wanted drug lords in Mexico. They closed in on Hector Beltran Leva also known as the engineer (NEH) at a seafood restaurant in a popular tourist area. Mexican officials say intelligence officials tracked his moves over the last 11 months. They say he headed a large corruption and money laundering network. A big capture that is -- Chris.

CUOMO: JB, thank you very much.

We want to give you the latest now on a different virus sweeping the nation. Forget about Ebola. The enterovirus is actually making an impact here. More than 500 cases right now, 42 states, 500 cases, 42 states.

So this is a massive spike in just the last two weeks. It's been suspected in the deaths of a 10-year-old Rhode Island girl and three others, so it's spreading and potentially deadly. Also suspected of paralyzing dozens of other children. The question is obviously what can we do about it?

Let's get some more from CNN's Paul Vercammen.

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PAUL VERCAMMEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Sports fan, Will Baker, is 8 years old, minutes older than his twin, Emma, a piano player, a right-handed infielder who several weeks ago suddenly lost the use of his throwing arm.

CHRIS BAKER, WILL'S FATHER: It's heart breaking because there's so many things he does so well. That he needs his right arm for.

VERCAMMEN: The San Diego third grader is one of the latest children in the United States some clustered in Colorado, and in Boston, to suffer from weakness in limbs, neurological illness, and cranial nerve dysfunction. Will's parents asked us not to show video of his face, now swollen by steroids.

CARNE BAKER-BAILEY, WILL'S MOTHER: Not knowing was definitely the hardest part for me.

VERCAMMEN: After weeks of agonizing tests, uncertainty, doctors finally told Will's divorced parents, their son had a --

BAILEY: Positive nose swab for the entero viral virus.

VERCAMMEN: As with other cases in the U.S., Will suffered from a respiratory illness before being hospitalized with weakness in limbs. The Centers for Disease Control are now asking America's hospitals to keep their eyes open, to similar cases.

But the CDC says it does not know if there's an association between the enterovirus, EVD68, that's circulating and paralytic conditions that children like Will are experiencing. It's a maddening mystery for parents.

BAILEY: We just have to look at the positive and he's here. And start teaching him how to write stories and do sports with his left hand.

VERCAMMEN: Will's fingers on his limp right arm still move well enough for him to play piano. BAKER: It's just amazing and he's inspiring, at the same time.

VERCAMMEN: Will's parents say the prognosis is not good for their son regaining full use of his right arm. But Will told us off-camera, he still dreams of playing first base in the major leagues. Paul Vercammen, CNN, San Diego.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PEREIRA: Incredible resilience.

CUOMO: Certainly our prayers go out to the family and the other families you are dealing with this. But the story hopefully is just kind of sounding the alarm, that's not all about Ebola. There's a lot of things out there that we have to contend with and that's why we tell you the story.

Now we are also covering Ebola obviously because that's a very scary thing as well. And the race to contain it has ramped up in a big way because of the first case ever in the U.S.

Doctors Without Borders has been on the front lines in West Africa. We're going to ask them what needs to be done to keep the virus contained there.

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PEREIRA: For the first case of Ebola diagnosed in the U.S., the race is on to keep it contained and prevent a dangerous outbreak. What can be learned from months of urgency in West Africa, the epicenter of the outbreak to this point?

Doctors Without Borders has been on the front lines trying to help eradicate the issue. We want to bring in Brice De Le Vingne, he is the director of operations for Doctors Without Borders.

He can bring us some perspective being on the front lines. He joins us from Brussels this morning. First of all, thank you so much for joining us. I want your reaction to the news that we have our first Ebola diagnosis outside of Africa in the United States.

BRICE DE LE VINGNE, DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS, DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS: This was a risk that was possible for months, that had happened in different countries. This is not somehow a big surprise.

But of course, in a country like United States, but also in other places in Europe, for instance, you do have a very good health system to be able to cope with this kind of case and it is what is happening basically today. There cannot be too afraid to have an increase number of cases.

PEREIRA: We know that the president of your international group addressed the U.N. last week and said something sobering, Ebola is winning.

VINGNE: Yes, indeed. Ebola is winning. In West Africa, of course, but today we still have an increase of cases in the three affected countries. The situation there is really still terrible, particularly in Liberia and Sierra Leone.

And the situation is not evolving in the right direction. We do see now better mobilization and deployment of actors, but it's still very, very little.

PEREIRA: Help us understand the challenges you face. Do you have enough personnel? Do you have enough resources? Do you have enough medical equipment? What are the challenges you're facing?

VINGNE: The challenge is really to be able to isolate the sick people. People, once they are sick and they are very contagious, basically they are looking for health care for a place to go. To set up those kind of centers it's of course not easy to do and we need more centers.

That's why for months, Doctors Without Borders, has been asking for more actors to be deployed including a state capacity like the capacity of the United States to help those countries.

PEREIRA: We know that the president of the United States, President Barack Obama, has committed up to 3,000 military personnel to the area of West Africa to aid in the fight and the isolation and support. Is that enough or what would you like to see happen from the United States?

VINGNE: It has to happen now. My question is now about the timing. It's a very good commitment. We need more commitments from other countries. It's happening, but still in terms of the situation on the ground, today we don't see. The time is running and actually we have been afraid it's going to take too long.

PEREIRA: We know that your doctors and medical professionals are putting themselves in harm's way to help people around the globe. We appreciate your efforts and appreciate you joining me today to talk about this ongoing battle. Keep it up, Doctor, we need you.

VINGNE: Thank you.

PEREIRA: Thank you so much. That's Brice De Le Vingne talking to us from Brussels. He is with Doctors Without Borders.

Turning to another story, Secret Service Director Julia Pierson resigning on the heels of a disastrous hearing on Capitol Hill amid new reports of another security lapse that put the president at risk. Is her exit enough to fix the Secret Service?

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