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New Day

Poll Shows Widening Gap In Kansas Race; Should U.S. Impose Travel Restrictions From Liberia?; Hannah Graham's Parents Make Emotional Plea; Interview with Rep. Pete Sessions

Aired October 06, 2014 - 07:30   ET

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

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVID AXELROD, FORMER SENIOR ADVISOR TO THE PRESIDENT: No, I would not. Understand, the context of the line was the things he is pushing forward minimum wage, pay equity, infrastructure. He said these are on the ballot. But the way, it was obvious when you saw the speech that that was not the way.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You are an ad man.

AXELROD: It was a mistake.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN KING, CNN HOST, "INSIDE POLITICS": It was a mistake. I guess you'd have to agree with him if you see how quickly the Republicans acted. This is now in a lot of ads from Republican candidates. The Republican super PAC saying, they're saying the president nationalized the election. They were looking to make it about his and the president made it about him.

JACKIE KUCINICH, "THE WASHINGTON POST": This is an election. There is no uniting factor of getting people to the polls except for the fact that people don't like Obama. Obama says I'm on the ballot. My proposal is on the ballot. It's not good for those Democrats in the tough races.

KING: It happens to be true. He's the president of the United States. He is the leader of the Democratic Party and yet, I guess it's one of those truths you are just not supposed to speak?

OLIVIER KNOX, YAHOO! NEWS: David Axelrod is right in the context of the speech, here are all the things I'm pushing for. That's a nice set to dance on. When you say I'm not on the ballot but my policies are. What are people just take away from that.

I will tell you that basically, everybody that got the speech ahead of time, a lot of the reporters in the White House got the remarks, a lot of us zeroed in on that segment immediately saying, I wonder how that will work out for these guys.

KING: It took the Republicans a couple hours. They were in the studio that same day cutting new ads with the president. So if you live in a big Senate battleground state, you are seeing those ads right now. We will see how they play out.

One of the most fascinating races we have and this one could determine who controls the United States Senate. Remember, Republicans need a net gain of six seats 29 days from today and they would control the United States Senate.

Everybody thought they'd keep their seat in Kansas, right, look at this new NBC/Marist poll out yesterday. That guy, Pat Roberts, he's ten points behind Greg Orman who is an independent.

There is no Democrat on the ballot here. There is a libertarian candidate. Greg Orman, Jackie, with 48 percent. Kansas, if the Republicans lose Kansas, that could mess up their entire Senate map.

KUCINICH: Mitch McConnell isn't happy about that. You know, Pat Roberts doesn't have the enthusiasm that he needs. He is losing independents something like two to one. They have a real problem there. He has a big gap to make up between now and election day.

KNOX: I was hoping Jackie would work in the hot air balloon analogy in that segment. You know, the rest of the GOP is not prepared to say yes to Pat Roberts. They are very upset with the way he has ran this campaign from the start and they are not that thrilled about the way the people in D.C. realized sort of blatantly how badly this campaign was off the rails.

KING: They've got 29 days. They were trying to tie Orman to Obama in Kansas as well. The question is, they got some other structural issues in the Kansas Republican Party. Can they get the intensity to turn out the votes?

That tells you, this is a quirky year. A few weeks ago, John Boehner went up to New Hampshire to raise some money for a congressional candidate, Marilinda Garcia is her name. She is a state senator in New Hampshire.

She's in a tough race, but a competitive race and Republicans don't win much in New England so you think here's a chance to pick up a seat. John Boehner went up to raise money for her, but she is also a Tea Party favorite.

She did a radio program a couple of days after John Boehner came up to raise the money and she was asked, are you going to support John Boehner for speaker? Here's what she said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARILINDA GARCIA: I've had Ted Cruz and John Boehner come to support me. Look, I appreciate both of them. I am seeking to represent the second district and respond to their concerns, education and that's what I'm about.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: No promises, she said there. She was asked no promises. She didn't wage asked if she would support John Boehner. I am told there was some grumbling in the Republican leadership back here. They were told there may be no money coming from the National Republican Party after that.

But I want to say after we aired that segment on Inside Politics yesterday, her campaign manager reached out and said, no, no, no, she didn't answer the question there. She fully intends to support the speaker. Why they want to clean that one out?

KUCINICH: They need the money for one. They are being out-raced by a lot by the Democratic incumbent in that race. I think this shows John Boehner has gotten his group back. The NRC of course is run by John Boehner proxies and he would have never done this kind of laid down the law a couple years ago with a Tea Party candidate. Now it feels like he can.

KING: We will watch that race. Republicans hope to make some gains in the northeast. One calculation is why get so invested in her if in two year going to lose it back in a presidential. Hardball politics one to watch.

Let's close with this one. Maybe being Joe Biden means you do have to say sorry. The vice president was up at Harvard last week. He said some things that most people think actually were pretty honest about Turkey, about the United Arab Emirates and Arab allies.

And their support for rebels inside Syria or in the case of Turkey, about having a porous border where people can go back and forth. Listen to the vice president here. He's up at Harvard, kind of laying the blame publicly where maybe he shouldn't.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: What do they do? They've poured hundreds of millions of dollars and tens of thousands of tons of weapons into anyone who would fight against Assad, except the people who were being supplied and the extremist elements of jihadis coming from other parts of the world.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: So Olivier Knox help me here, did the vice president say anything factually incorrect?

KNOX: The vice president said something you hear from American officials all the time, which is to say the Saudis and other gulf countries poured, in fact, millions of dollars and a lot of weapons into the Syrian conflicts. A lot of the weapons ended up in the hands of the jihadis, the real extremists. He is saying out loud what a lot of other people are thinking.

KING: So he had to apologize to the leader of Turkey, to the United Arab Emirate, one or two more apologies yet to come. Again, what he said is not inaccurate, is it?

KUCINICH: It's also, you know, it is also at a critical time.

KING: Just not diplomatic?

KUCINICH: Turkey had just voted to go after terrorists, before it had a tacit approval of this. So the timing wasn't great either.

KNOX: He made one big mistake. He quoted another world leader. He said the Turkish president told them we didn't do enough to seal the border. Any time you speak up and you report a private conversation like that, you will get a little fire.

KING: That was the same event the vice president of the student body spoke to the vice president and he said something about being a vice president, it's a bitch. Sometimes you can't speak the truth at least not in public.

Mr. Cuomo, as we get back to New York, I want to say on a Monday morning, I was so happy my Patriots saved me last night. I'm sorry about your Jets. I know it was a tough weekend. I want a great division.

CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: That's what you Patriot fans do all the time. You want to be at least competitive. Thanks, for that, John, for lets us as least be in there so can you crush us twice during the season.

KING: I want to win by two points.

CUOMO: I got to tell you, your panel had some strong points about Biden. It is about the betrayal of that private conversation and the pc quality the political correctness of what he was saying versus the truth. A strong panel, John King. I will let the Patriots thing go on this Monday no more green for him this season.

You will see John again tomorrow, of course. One of the big headlines is really this concern about Ebola. It has led to calls for outright travel bans, a move officials are resisting. Why isn't quite clear.

We will talk with Texas Congressman Pete Sessions about what more needs to be done to keep Americans safe. Then you can judge his ideas.

And three weeks now, still no sign of Hannah Graham. What is going on in that investigation? The parents of the missing University of Virginia student are begging for their daughter's return. You will hear from them, an amazingly emotional plea just ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CUOMO: Welcome back to NEW DAY. Breaking overnight, a fifth American with Ebola is back in the United States this morning. He is headed for treatment in Nebraska.

Texas is still at the center of Ebola concerns because Thomas Eric Duncan remains in critical condition. Several of his relatives are under the CDC quarantine. The CDC insists the chances of an Ebola outbreak in the U.S. are very low. Officials have used that to justify not instituting travel bans or anymore harsh restrictions. But is that the right move? Let's bring in Congressman Pete Sessions. He is a Republican from Texas. And Thomas Eric Duncan is being treated in his district.

Congressman, thank you for joining us this morning.

REP. PETE SESSIONS (R), TEXAS: Good morning, Chris.

CUOMO: So what do we know about the hospital involved? Because in your own backyard that's where the problem started. Not to blame Dallas, of course, but the hospital seemed to move back from accountability. It said we screwed up. We should have done it.

Then they said it was a software glitch. We have as to make sure that people own their protocols, the responsibility is taken seriously. What is your take on how the hospital is handling it?

SESSIONS: Well, first of all, Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas is one of the finest and most reputable hospitals, I think not only in Dallas but in the country. In fact, there was someone dropping the ball, whether it was protocol or having inattention to what happened. There was a mistake.

I think first of all, they were forthright about that now. The question is, how are we handling the circumstance here in Dallas? And I think by and large what I see from my perspective. I attended the briefing is just as you were alluding to, Chris.

The CDC seems to take this as an academic or statistical exercise saying terms like 100 percent chance or things are all safe as opposed to trying to gather what I believe should be the public's attention on this and focusing where we should go and how we should get there.

If we have an outbreak of measles or influence or flu, it is not uncommon for people to ask children stay at home. We try to quarantine people. This is scary thing to many Americans. I think the federal government should we respond in kind.

First of all, I think the CDC should have a more robust understanding of exactly how to handle a circumstance like this up to and including if you had to clean out the apartment, could you transfer or transmit those items down the street? I know that requires a different permit. These are things the CDC should be doing.

CUOMO: Right. It gets complicated. I don't disagree with anything you are saying, by the way, but it gets complicated. You have the local authorities. You have the state authorities. You're going to have like five different federal agencies involved.

We know what happens in government. When you have more -- the more chefs you have the worse the soup is going to taste, right. How much of that do you believe is at play right now?

SESSIONS: Well, I believe what is at play right now is the Dallas County is working directly with the CDC and taking them at their word literally on everything that needs to be done. Once again, it may be complex, but let's not say it's a 100 percent safe.

Let's play two people and be able to answer questions about what specifically we are asking them to do? I believe one of the biggest problems that will occur is as more and more people come to America for America to be compassionate and help either Americans or others.

There will be questions about containing this Ebola problem and that's where if we use this as a model and do it well and correctly and know what we are talking about then things will go better for CDC.

CUOMO: So there are two things to take a look at. One, how the family of Mr. Duncan has been treated suboptimal to say the least. You have people flying back on special airplanes and then you have them stuck in an apartment.

They didn't even really know as far as we can tell about the dirty sheets and towels that were in there until an interview with Anderson Cooper. That has to be addressed.

Then on the opposite end of the scale, you have something that you've taken very seriously. Travel restrictions, they don't even want to talk about them as being something that could to be helpful. What is your thought on that?

SESSIONS: Well, the thought is, when I was briefed immediately last week by the CDC, I asked the director of the CDC his opinion because I believe his opinion is important. He referred me to an article from two weeks previously in the "Financial Times."

I asked him to please re-evaluate now that what had been an academic exercise was now a reality. I think this is what the administration needs to be doing. There is a lot of finger pointing back and forth about what is the right or the wrong thing.

What is correct is, is that we treat this in the circumstance where we stop travel to the United States not just from there, but also understanding that the African travel goes to Europe and other places. We can have people who are visiting the United States.

This is a reasonable precaution that the American people would expect us to do as elected people and as servants of the people.

CUOMO: You asked the CDC, Dr. Tom Frieden, for his opinion and he gave you an article from the "Financial Times"? That was his response to you?

SESSIONS: In fact, that's correct.

CUOMO: I'm sure that didn't make you too satisfied in the moment, Congressman. But hopefully we'll get better answers going forward.

SESSIONS: What it did is it made me ask him to re-evaluate that process and we'll find out whether he is going to do that. The American public need to know that this is being handled correctly. Dallas can get that done. We are behind the curve. We need to catch up quickly. CUOMO: Congressman Sessions, thank you very much for joining us today. We will check in with you again.

SESSIONS: Thank you.

CUOMO: Another story we want to tell you about this morning is the desperate hunt for Hannah Graham. She disappeared three weeks ago. Her parents are making an emotional plea for help. You will want to hear it coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN GUEST ANCHOR: Welcome back everyone. An emotional plea from Hannah Graham's parents who are begging for her safe return. The 18-year-old University of Virginia sophomore vanished last month. Jesse Matthew is being held in her disappearance, but there are still no signs of where Hannah might be.

And now authorities have upped the reward to find her to $100,000. CNN's Jean Casarez has been tracking this story and she has more now.

JEAN CASAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It was a big weekend. A 110 searchers logged 2,400 hours. It was an 8-mile radius that they searched this weekend because the studies have shown that 8-miles out is likely where you'll find a missing person.

Now at the same time that everyone was searching and these were professionals that were out this weekend. Hannah's parents very bravely made a plea to the public.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SUE GRAHAM, HANNAH GRAHAM'S MOTHER: Please, please, please help end this night nightmare for all of us.

CASAREZ (voice-over): In this desperately plea for help, Hannah Graham's parents appeal to anyone with information about their missing daughter to come forward. After days of extensive searching and more than 3,000 tips, there are so far no additional clues in the 18-year- old UVA student's disappearance.

GRAHAM: Despite all your efforts Hannah is still missing. Someone listening to me today either knows where Hannah is or knows someone who has that information. We appeal to you to come forward and tell us where Hannah can be found.

CASAREZ: Police believed 32-year-old Jesse Matthew was the last person with Hannah before she vanished from a Charlottesville mall on September 13th. Arrested and charged with abduction with intent to defile, Matthew sits behind bars.

Law enforcement sources tell CNN that DNA evidence also ties him to the 2009 disappearance of a different woman, 20-year-old Morgan Harrington. But no charges have been filed in that case.

The attorney representing Jesse Matthew did not return CNN's calls for comment. The Virginia Tech student's body was found ten miles from where she was last seen.

GRAHAM: John has already said that this is every parent's worst nightmare. That is true, but it is also a nightmare for our son, James, Hannah's grandparents as well as all her many friends here in Charlottesville and beyond.

CASAREZ: The Grahams say they are hoping that someone will come forward with information and claim the $100,000 reward leading to Hannah's return.

GRAHAM: Please help us bring Hannah home. Thank you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CASAREZ (on camera): Also this weekend, a private plane went into the air to take high definition photographs of particular areas. This is the largest search in Virginia's history.

CAMEROTA: Let's hope that they can get some answers soon. Poor, poor parents. Jean, thanks for that update.

CUOMO: We're also going to be talking this morning about the fears of an Ebola outbreak. Whether you believe them or not, fears are on the rise in the U.S. this as the Pentagon prepares to send 4,000 troops to West Africa. The man running the U.S. military effort will join us next.

CAMEROTA: And on the domestic battlefield, CDC Director Thomas Frieden is front and center in the fight against Ebola. So is he confident we can stop the virus in America? You'll hear from him ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CUOMO: Ebola in America. The U.S. now considering extra screenings at U.S. airports. Question is will that stop the disease or just spread more panic? Can it be stopped at the source in Africa? We're going to talk live to the U.S. general heading U.S. efforts to contain the disease.

CAMEROTA: And breaking overnight, the NBC cameraman affected with Ebola back on U.S. soil, set to be treated in Nebraska. This as the Dallas patient takes a turn for the worse. Why wasn't he given the experimental drug that save the others treated in the U.S.?

MICHAELA PEREIRA, CNN ANCHOR: Terror threat, the FBI director speaks out on just how dangerous ISIS is to the homeland.