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New Day

Obama and McConnell: The First Test; No Trace of Kidnapped Girls in Nigeria; Stocks Celebrate GOP Win

Aired November 06, 2014 - 07:30   ET

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

CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: Look, we talk about it all the time. One of the main struggles we have in this society is what we do with people who are mentally ill and access to guns is what it is and people who are unstable do unstable things. I liked how the cop followed him along with a weapon. How often do we see them taking that shot, most cops don't.

All right, so what is going to happen here? All right, we just had this big election, let's get "Inside Politics" on NEW DAY with John King. They say they're going to work together, my brother. And then Obama says but I will do it myself on immigration, and then they write the op-ed saying, yes, and we will repeal Obamacare.

JOHN KING, CNN HOST, "INSIDE POLITICS": You're absolutely right. The odds of them working together are equal to the odds of the jets winning the Super Bowl.

CUOMO: That cuts deep.

KING: Just trying to make a point. It's a metaphor. I'm sorry, take a break to plan your response. We'll be back to you guys in just a minute.

Let's go "Inside Politics" this morning. With me to share their reporting and their insights are Nia-Malika Henderson of the "Washington Post" and Ron Fournier of "National Journal."

But to his point, you know, the president says we're going to get along. Mitch McConnell says we're going to get along. Here's how I view it, the Republicans are sitting around their campfire, having their s'mores and having a great time.

Here comes the president down the road with a big barrel of kerosene because he's about to do executive action on immigration reform and on to the fire. The little roast is about to become a bonfire. Mitch McConnell says the president acting by executive powers on immigration, bad idea.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. MITCH MCCONNELL (R), KENTUCKY: It's an issue that most of my members want to address legislatively. And it's like waving a red flag in front of a bull. To say, if you guys don't do what I want I'm going to do it on my own. And the president has done that on Obamacare.

He's done it on immigration and threatening to do it again. I hope he won't do that because I do think it poisons the well for the opportunity to address a very important domestic issue.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: It was not long after the soon-to-be Senate majority leader, Mitch McConnell, said no that would be a red flag in front of a bull that the president spoke to reporters and he said, guess what, I'm going to do it, although he did say Republicans have a way to fix it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: If in fact there is a great eagerness on the part of Republicans to tackle a broken immigration system, then they have every opportunity to do it.

My executive actions not only do not prevent them from passing a law that supersedes those actions, but should be a spur for them to actually try to get something done. And I am prepared to engage them with every step of the way with their ideas.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: So, essentially, Leader McConnell says do it our way, Mr. President, everything will be fine. The president says, do it my way, Republicans, everything will be fine. So that's it, right, kumbayah?

NIA-MALIKA HENDERSON, "THE WASHINGTON POST": That sounds like a recipe for compromise, right? That's what everyone is talking about. No, I mean it sounds like a recipe for disaster. Obama, put himself in this position, because he made this grand promise about doing this executive action before, before the end of the year.

He changed his mind and now he's looking at his legacy. He's looking at Latinos and he wants to jump out in front and really keep a promise that he made. But it's going to poison the well.

KING: John Boehner has more members in the House. Mitch McConnell has a new majority and the Senate did pass an immigration reform bill way back, it seems like 100 years ago, a little more than a year and a half ago.

But do either of the Republican leaders, Ron, have a long-enough leash after a big win where Republicans say we have a mandate, the president doesn't, to deal with past legal status or pass path to citizenship for undocumented.

RON FOURNIER, "NATIONAL JOURNAL": The president of the United States doesn't know how to cut a deal. Boehner's caucus doesn't want to cut any deals and McConnell in the Senate can't act alone. So I think even though there's enormous incentive for compromise and a real need for immigration reform, and a serious need for immigration reform, it isn't going to happen. KING: So let's talk about that moment. You said the president doesn't know how to cut a deal. That's my big question right now. He's been president for six years, whether you like him or support him or not, we've seen how he operates in the office.

Some of you love it, some of you don't, some of you are in the middle. We know Mitch McConnell, he's the majority leader. That's a different job, but he's been the Senate leader, the Republican leader for a long time.

By DNA he actually likes to cut deals, but the internal tensions of the Republican Party haven't allowed it. Speaker Boehner the same thing, used to be a guy who did business with Ted Kennedy, used to do deals on immigration and things like that.

But aren't they going to change? Are we suddenly going to get a Washington -- I bring it up in this context, in "The Wall Street Journal," Mitch McConnell and John Boehner write this op-ed, if you look at their list of priorities for the new Republicans are the tax code, health care cost, terrorism, education, regulations, antiquated government bureaucracy.

No immigration reform on their list that they publish, no raising the minimum wage or the things the Democrats want to do. Is there --

FOURNIER: And the American people want to do. Even in Arkansas they passed the minimum wage.

KING: So is there a stepping stone that they can say, you know what, we know we disagree on this and this, here's one thing we can agree on. Let's start by trying to do something.

FOURNIER: There are all kinds of stepping stones and incentives to compromise. The American public, the except for the economy, the number two issue that they want resolved right now is ending gridlock. But both sides are only listening to their base, and can only listen to their base.

That's why I think we're heading for an enormous period of disruption where the voters finally are just going to get sick of this. Look for alternatives besides these two parties and these leaders.

HENDERSON: And you hear people promising chaos, Ted Cruz basically saying he's going to be confrontational. People are reading the results of the election very differently. If it's a Republican kind of mandate, what does that Republican mean? Is it more conservative? Is it more centrist?

FOURNIER: It's clear what the American people want and it's clear that the leaders aren't going to give it to them.

KING: All right, you mentioned, everybody Republicans are happy, Democrats are looking at the rubble. I want to read you a couple of quick things from the inbox.

Reince Priebus is the chairman of the Republican National Committee, had a good year running the party. He says, "Americans are fed up with Obama's radical agenda." This is after the election. You won, Mr. Chairman. You can let it go for a day.

Eric Ericsson writing in redstate.com, he stokes up the conservative base. He says, "Hear all this talk about getting along. My hope is that the Republicans reject this patent nonsense." In his view Democrats should be kept across a large moat with sharp stakes, acid and alligators.

To be fair, from the other side, left, Democracy for America, an email quoting Elizabeth Warren saying, the Democrats have to stand and fight. We have to fight back against the GOP's extremist agenda. They got the message, right? Get along.

FOURNIER: They say they're listening, but they're not.

KING: They hate everybody. So if you're Hillary Clinton and you're thinking of running for president enter 2016 and the voters have made clear, we gave Republicans all these seats, but we disapprove of their leaders. We disapprove of their party. We disapprove of your party. What do you do?

FOURNIER: She's going to be running to be the third term Barack Obama not an easy thing to do, in a climate when people are down on Washington, politics and institutions and she's all three of those things. She's going to have to run a very 21st Century, very unique un-Hillary-type campaign to be able to breakthrough.

KING: You know me, but I'm new and I'm different.

FOURNIER: There is a part of her that she could show the American public if she would you know --

HENDERSON: If she would sort of -- she's kind of said she's Hillary unleashed.

FOURNIER: But we don't see that.

KING: Is there any chance leaders run this town and every now and then there's a grassroots revolt. We'll have nearly 100 women in Congress for the first time. The most Latinos in history, 29 in the House, three in the Senate, the first southern African-American senator elected, Tim Scott since reconstruction and the first GOP African-American Congresswoman Mia Love.

Do the new faces come into town and they say I'm not you. It's time to be different or do they get captive?

HENDERSON: I think they get captive. I mean, I think everybody is looking for instance at Joni Ernst out of Iowa. Is she more Tea Party or establishment? I think symbolically all of these numbers are good for both parties, but we know how things work, it's about leadership, it's about seniority. These folks aren't going to have much of that.

KING: Let's hope we're wrong in Washington.

FOURNIER: You have a good record of being wrong.

KING: Thanks so much. I appreciate that, Fournier. Nia-Malika Henderson, Ron Fournier, thanks for coming in.

And as I get back to you, guys, my apologies, Mr. Cuomo, that was a low blow. I'm tired. I need some sleep. I do hope I'm wrong actually. I hope that both the president and the Republican leadership decides let's try to make a try, at the little things, infrastructure, and a couple of things they could agree on and see if it brings some good will.

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, it is possible, it is the dawn of a new era, we can still hope today. He is still wearing his rose- colored glasses, sort of like one eye is using the rose-colored glasses.

KING: That's because I'm asleep.

CUOMO: You see my face right now, King? Can you see my face?

KING: I know I'm in trouble.

CUOMO: This is the stink eye.

KING: I'll be looking over my shoulder every second.

CUOMO: You're about citizen's advocacy and you beat a man when he's down. My Jets are the worst team in the league and you come at me now when your Patriots are on top? That's who you are, John King. That's what you are. You and your genes.

CAMEROTA: Bye, John.

CUOMO: You're also the best at what you do with the elections so I need you, but I don't like you. See you later, brother.

CAMEROTA: All right, here's a question we've been wondering about for seven months, where are Nigeria's missing school girls? Two hundred of them were taken by Boko Haram so long ago now. The latest on the rescue mission, next.

CUOMO: Everybody wanted to know where they were, what happened to the urgency? We'll bring it back.

Also we are showing you Wall Street, because overnight the markets are popping, Wall Street likes Republicans in power. But the reason why may surprise you.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CAMEROTA: It's been nearly seven months since 200 school girls were kidnapped by Islamic militants in Nigeria. With still no trace of the girls, hopes of finding them are diminishing. The leaders of Boko Haram are mocking attempts to find the girls despite the government's assurances that a rescue operation is under way.

Isha Sesay has been following the story since the beginning and just returned from Nigeria. What's the latest, Isha?

ISHA SESAY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Just days ago it seemed the mystery of Nigeria's missing school girls was finally at an end. But sadly, those hopes have given way to bitter, bitter disappointment.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SESAY (voice-over): Two hundred and six days and counting, where are Nigeria's missing school girls? Back in April, more than 200 young women snatched from their beds in middle of the night by Boko Haram.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Why my daughter?

SESAY: Day 100, their parents told me of their heartbreak and enduring day after day of frustration. Despite the girls' plight grabbing worldwide attention, bring back our girls championed everywhere online, it's as if they just vanished. The days became months with no word then suddenly, a glimmer of hope.

MIKE OMEN, COORDINATOR, NIGERIAN INFORMATION CENTER (via telephone): They've assured that the girls are alive and well.

SESAY: Last month, day 186, Nigeria's government announced a truce with the extremist group brokered by neighboring chad and the news the girls' families had been so desperate to hear.

OMEN: There's an understanding on the release of the girls.

SESAY: Having covered the girls' abduction from the beginning, I rushed to board a flight to Nigeria's capital in hopes of covering their release, but elation turned to frustration as day after day passed with no release and no reunion. To me, a roller coaster of stand-by calls for an imminent release, the parents of the girls, the continuing wait agonizing. On day 189, Nigerian officials I talked to insisted they were very close.

DR. DOYN OKUPE, SR. SPECIAL ASSISTANT TO NIGERIA'S PRESIDENT ON PUBLIC AFFAIRS: Indeed, it's attainable, a commitment from Boko Haram to release the girls.

SESAY: Days turned into weeks and on day 201 came in video from Boko Haram's leader, a man Nigeria's government claimed to have killed three times before. He is very much alive, laughed off the supposed ceasefire and denied there was any deal to free the girls. Saying we have married them off.

He also denied knowing the man claiming to represent Boko Haram in negotiations with the Nigerian government. Threatening, we will slaughter him if we get him. Nigerian officials continue to insist they were in substantive talks with Boko Haram representatives and hadn't been taken for a ride.

But on day 200, a deadly bombing, part of an escalation in Boko Haram attacks after the government's announced deal. Day 202 was the release of the girls clearly no longer imminent. I headed back to Atlanta bitterly disappointed. Even before this massive blow, leaders of the "Bring Back Our Girls" campaign told me a number of the parents had died from the heartbreak of losing their daughters. Now the hopes of those that remain have been raised once again only to be devastated in the cruelest of ways as the excruciating wait goes on day after day.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SESAY: And Alisyn, 206 days and counting. I just want our viewers, to pause and think about what that means for the families, not to have seen their children in that length of time.

I can tell you having spoken to members of the "Bring Back Our Girls" campaign, many, many times, the one thing they keep stressing to me is that these families, their greatest fear they say, is that because they are poor, because they are Muslim, because they live in rural Nigeria, their plight and the suffering of their daughters will be forgotten by the world.

CAMEROTA: It is so heartbreaking, Isha, and sickening and international pressure needs to remain on this situation until there's a resolution. Thanks so much for updating us on that.

CUOMO: All of those reasons that are offered are exactly why you have to cover the story because otherwise who will --

CAMEROTA: I think we should cover it every single day with an update. It's so heartbreaking that they're still out there.

CUOMO: Right now, stock futures are up, the question is. Do investors love the GOP in charge? It seems that way or could it be something else? We'll tell you.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CUOMO: Jingle, jingle, CNN money time. Your money, chief business correspondent, Christine Romans is here with what's going on in the markets. The futures are up, the question is why?

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN CHIEF BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: We had a really good day yesterday. Will it hold today? They called it the GOP rally, stocks enthusiastic over Republican midterm victories. The Dow is soaring 100 points yesterday, a record high. Stocks have never been this high. The S&P 500 same story there.

The theory is Republican leadership means pro-business policies and less regulation. Energy stocks great day for those yesterday. Could Republicans get approval for the Keystone pipeline? Lift the ban on crude oil export, all these things up in the air.

Stocks love midterm elections. After the past 13 midterms, guys, stocks gained an average of 16.5 percent the following six months versus 3.7 percent in years without a midterm.

Also a Democratic president and a Republican Congress have historically been the best combination for big stock market gains. Will it hold today? It looks like a pause for me here today. Overall the feeling is the stock market still has legs.

CAMEROTA: That's fascinating. You talked about how it was due for a correction.

ROMANS: We never got that correction.

CAMEROTA: Never got that correction and now it goes up.

ROMANS: On the record, at some point stocks do go down. They don't all just go up, but at least right now the midterms is the last little thing to boost it up.

CAMEROTA: What goes up?

ROMANS: Someday goes down. Stocks go up and down says Christine Romans.

CAMEROTA: You can quote her on that.

CUOMO: You've been making the right point all along is that stocks go up, stocks go down, but the rate at which they do it and why they're doing it is changing and not changing in a good way for regular folks.

ROMANS: And a lot of people wages is the most important thing to them, Chris. It's not the stock market. Half of Americans don't have stocks. Wages are flat. That's something that I think in 2016 both parties have to address what they're doing.

CAMEROTA: Christine, thank you.

Well, President Obama says he's willing to work with the Republican Congress, GOP leaders say they're willing to work with the president. What could go wrong? We're going to ask the president's top spokesman if any progress will be made in Washington.

CUOMO: You know this young lady. She made headlines at the second nurse in Dallas to contract Ebola. Amber Vinson goes on the record about her disease, treatment and more. You do not want to miss what she says it was like to fight this virus.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)