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Senator Cruz Targets Immigration Internet; Does Obama Agenda Keep Him Relevant?; McStay Family Murder Mystery; New York Doctor Declared "Ebola Free"

Aired November 11, 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: All right, let's get to "Inside Politics" on NEW DAY with Mr. John King. How are you this morning?

JOHN KING, CNN HOST, "INSIDE POLITICS": Chris, Alisyn, Michaela, good morning to you. I'm doing great. We're going to get into the big debate about what to debate as we go "Inside Politics" this morning.

And with me to share their reporting and their insights are Molly Ball of "The Atlantic," Ed O'Keefe from "The Washington Post." I say debate what to debate because there will be a lame duck session of Congress.

Remember the Democrats will still control the Senate in this one and there is a big conversation about, do you do big business or do you just dot little things you need to do to keep the government running and then defer everything to the next Congress when the Republicans will control both chambers, the bigger majority in the House. What's the big question about how much to put on the table?

ED O'KEEFE, "THE WASHINGTON POST": That is really the only thing they've got to discuss Wednesday, Thursday, Democrats do because you could do five, six, seven different things over the course of three or four weeks or you could just do maybe two or three of them.

I think the biggest unresolved question at this point is, do you take up the Loretta Lynch nomination and get her confirmed as attorney general while Democrats still control the Senate or do you perhaps just begin the process, allow her to make the rounds and formalize it under the Republican Senate.

The concern the Democrats have out there right now is there been various public statements made by Mitch McConnell, Ted Cruz, Mike Lee and others about, you know, issues not necessarily related to her qualifications.

But to what she would say or think about for example the president taking executive action on certain things, if that becomes a proxy fight, the nomination for that, then certainly Democrats want to get it done now while they still control the chamber.

KING: Well, they control the chamber, Molly, but if you're Mitch McConnell, isn't there an opportunity here to get a few things done with Harry Reid in charge that you would prefer actually not be on your watch?

I don't know if the Lynch nomination is one of those, but you'd like to keep the government open and pass something and put that aside for as long as you can. So that the Republicans aren't involved in another conversation about are we going to shut down the government?

MOLLY BALL, "THE ATLANTIC": Well, the Republicans are involved in that conversation no matter what. I mean, there are some things that have to get done before the end of the year. The funding for the government runs out as you mentioned, and there are some things that the Democrats can do by themselves such as some nominations.

But beyond that you know you already hear a lot of conservatives sort of firing a shot across McConnell's bow saying don't let the Democrats go sort of run roughshod over you while they still have control.

And so I think this is going to send a big signal what happens in the lame duck session about how McConnell plans to position his new majority, but also how Harry Reid and the president plan to play things. So both sides showing how much confrontation they have an appetite for versus how much they actually want to get along.

KING: And we'll see how some people decide to use the post-election environment to help their own profile. You mention, Ted Cruz, he's been very, very active. He wants to ask those questions. He's on the judiciary committee.

He wants to ask the nominee for Attorney General Loretta Lynch, how much power does the president have? Do you think this is constitutional, again, not so much about her, but about the president?

He tweeted out yesterday when the president said we should have net neutrality, net neutrality is Obamacare for the internet. The internet should not operate at the speed of government.

Aside from the specifics, Ted Cruz has clearly decided this is his path to prominence among conservatives, to plant the flag and to be not only so much in the president's face, but maybe in his own leader, Mitch McConnell's face, right?

BALL: Well, this is not new for Ted Cruz, right. That's always been his sort of role. He is signaling that that's not going to change. You know, Ted Cruz is positioning himself for a possible run for president. If he does that, that is his angle.

For the presidency is to say to conservatives, I'm the loudest, most aggressive fighter for the conservative cause. I don't compromise. I don't back down. I'm putting these issues on the agenda and making sure that the leadership can't just sort of -- put them under a blanket and they go away and you don't know what happened to them. That's still going to be his role.

KING: Does he believe that being a loud senator is the best path to the presidency? I don't say that with disrespect. You can become a creature of Washington. O'KEEFE: It's the best way to raise a lot of money and keep your name out there, absolutely. I think what we're starting to see is, you know, the problems that John Boehner has had in recent years with the bloc of really hard-core conservative House Republicans is embodied in one person in the Senate.

The question is how many others will join him. Mike Lee cosigned that statement regarding Loretta Lynch and her position on executive action. You've got a bunch of new more conservative senators coming.

What will the size of the sort of ultraconservative bloc be in the Senate that causes problems for Mitch McConnell like John Boehner has seen in recent years?

You talk to House Republicans, who is the kind of snicker and say Mitch McConnell is going to start having the problems that we've been having, we're not going to have those inter-party fights, but McConnell and Cruz definitely will.

KING: Get some notes from John Boehner on that. This is also a test for the president and his strategy going forward and people starting to throw the lame duck term around. Is he relevant now with Congress controlled by Republicans? The president needs Ebola funding. He needs funding for Iraq and authorization of military forces there.

A number of other issues, his attorney general nominee, VA reform, what are we going to learn about the president before the end of the year that will give us hints about what we'll see next year?

BALL: Well, we're going to learn how much he plans to come to the table. A lot of Republicans were complaining after the president's statement on the election results that he didn't seem to get it. That he said he heard the electorate.

But he didn't seem to be listening in the way he seemed to be promising to march on with the things he wanted to do before. The Republicans feel like the president needs to look at the verdict that was delivered by the elections and instead of expecting Republicans to come to the table and do the things he wants to do.

He needs to come to the table and do some of the things that Republicans want to do. There's a relatively narrow set of things pretty small-bore things that, but most people probably don't care that much about. Like free trade that both parties actually do want to get done.

But even those little things I think will be symbolically important in signaling whether these two sides do actually want to get the things they can agree on or if they'll be angling for political advantage over further confrontation.

KING: Let's switch subjects a little bit. There's been a lot of talk in Washington over the last several years about the dysfunction in the relationship between President Obama and the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Listen to Vice President Joe Biden here yesterday. He's had an even near D.C., a Jewish federation event where he talks about I've had difference with Bibi, but he's my pal.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I signed a picture for Bibi, a long time ago. I have a bad habit -- no one ever doubts I mean what I say. Sometimes I say all that I mean, though. And I signed a picture a long time for Bibi. He's been a friend for over 30 years. It said be, I don't agree with a damn thing you say, but I love you. We really are good friends.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'KEEFE: If you have a signed picture from Joe Biden. You're all set. This is clearly designed, you know, to make amends. There was this report before the election where a senior administration official told a reporter that -- basically called the prime minister a four- letter word and that caused a bit of a stir right before the elections and you know, he's trying to make amends, as he's been known to do.

BALL: In his unique way.

KING: In his Biden-esque way. On this Veterans Day, as we salute our veterans, one son of a veteran is getting a big tribute to his dad, who is a heroic veteran. That would be President George W. Bush is releasing a book about George H.W. Bush.

This is one excerpt, about the Florida recall that ended the election in 2000. Shortly before the moment that so moved dad, Vice President Gore had delivered a gracious speech conceding the election. That prompted an unexpected phone call.

George H.W. Bush called Al Gore to congratulate him on his strong campaign and his courageous speech. "I've lost a few times myself," Dad told him, and "and I know how you feel."

Interesting moment there, the former vice president calling the current vice president at the time to say sorry you lost, my son won. That must have been an awkward call, but it reminds me I think of George H.W. Bush as our last gentleman president.

O'KEEFE: It's a really fascinating read. I mean, no matter what you make of Bush and Bush, the fact that one president can write about the other and also be about his father. It will be an incredible moment in presidential history.

KING: Alisyn, as we get back to you in New York, I think it's a great book. Every time I talk to W. about his relationship with his father, he gets teared up at the end. So I'm looking forward to some of those moments today.

I know I'm taking a couple of extra seconds, but Molly's brother is serving overseas in Turkey right now. So we give a shout-out to him as well and all of the veterans out there on this brave day. ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: Absolutely. What a great reminder, our thoughts are with all of the veterans serving and those who have returned as well. Thanks so much -- John.

All right, we want to tell about this big break in a gruesome murder mystery, Patrick McStay finally learns who may have killed his family. We spoke with McStay and the accused killer. So stay tuned because that's next.

And America is now Ebola-free. The last patient, who had contracted the disease, is being released from a New York hospital. We'll give you a live update on that.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MICHAELA PEREIRA, CNN ANCHOR: Imagine this he's been waiting five terribly long years to find out who murdered his son and his young family. Now Patrick McStay can't believe who cops say did it.

Our Randi Kaye spoke exclusively with the heart broken father. She also sat down with the suspected killer long before he was arrested. Randi has the chilling details, take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He knew if something happened --

RANDI KAYE, CNN INVESTIGATIVE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): We met Patrick McStay near his home in Houston just days after learning of an arrest in his son's murder. This is his first television interview since San Bernardino Sheriff's deputies announced they had Chase Merritt in custody.

(on camera): Did you get a sense of relief when you heard that name?

PATRICK MCSTAY, JOSEPH MCSTAY'S FATHER: A lot of people will say it's like lifting a ton off your shoulders. I said no, it was more to me like a boulder falling on me.

KAYE (voice-over): That's because Patrick's son considered Chase Merritt a friend. Joseph McStay sold Custom Waterfalls and Merritt was one of his welders.

(on camera): Do you think that Chase Merritt is capable of something like this?

MCSTAY: After all I've seen, through the years, and the information we found, I still can't say yes. But I can definitely say I wonder.

KAYE (voice-over): Patrick McStay has been waiting nearly five years to find out who killed his family. It was February 4th, 2010, when Joseph McStay, his wife, Summer, and their two beautiful young boys, Joseph and Jianni disappeared. Their remains were found a year ago.

Buried in two shallow graves in the Mojave Desert, investigators say they died from blunt force trauma. In our exclusive with Merritt earlier this year, he shared that the grave site is just 20 miles from his home.

(on camera): Would you ever have expected that this is how it would end in the desert like that?

CHASE MERRITT: In the desert, I had no clue.

KAYE (voice-over): We played some of our two-hour interview with Merritt for Patrick McStay.

MCSTAY: I hear him telling you and describing the area perfectly and telling you he knows that area really well.

KAYE: On that final day, Merritt told us he had met Joseph McStay for what he described as a business lunch and that they talked by phone a dozen times later that day.

(on camera): You were the last person he saw.

MERRITT: I'm definitely the last person he saw.

KAYE (voice-over): That night in 2010, at 8:28 p.m., Merritt says his phone rang, that it was Joseph calling from his cell phone. But Merritt didn't answer, he says, because he was too tired, a statement now raising eyebrows among those who have followed the case closely.

STEPH WATTS, FREELANCE INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALIST: The rest of Joey's existence was phone calls, text messages. If I want to make you look like you're alive for several hours, what's the person going to do, I'm going to take your phone, text, call myself.

KAYE: During our interview, Merritt also revealed he had taken a lie detector test soon after the McStays disappeared. He said he never got the results from authorities.

(on camera): Did detectives asked you if you killed Joseph McStay and his family?

MERRITT: I don't recall them asking me that.

KAYE: Nothing then direct? Not directly?

MERRITT: No. I don't call them being that direct.

KAYE (voice-over): If Chase Merritt did kill the McStay family, Patrick McStay suspects it had to do with money. Joseph had landed a Waterfall deal worth $9 million. So Merritt stood to make a lot of cash. But Patrick told him his son had said that Merritt's work had gotten sloppy and Joseph was in the market for another welder.

Patrick said he last spoke with Merritt earlier this year when the two discussed the books they were writing about the case. Looking back, he said he thinks Merritt was digging to find out what Patrick knew about the murders. Patrick hasn't seen or spoken to him since.

(on camera): What would you ask him?

MCSTAY: I wouldn't ask him anything. There would only be one person come out of that room.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PEREIRA: My goodness. Randi Kaye joins us now in studio. Randi, I've been following the story along with you. You had an exclusive opportunity to sit down with Merritt, incredible access to him.

KAYE: Two hours we spent with him.

PEREIRA: Did you get a sense that he could have done this and done it alone to get rid of a family of four?

KAYE: Well, first of all, when we sat with him, he was very warm. He would talk to our crew.

PEREIRA: You spent a long time with you.

KAYE: He spent a long time with us, but one thing he didn't show was any emotion. Could he have done it alone against a family of four? It doesn't make sense. Because he would, if they were killed at the house like the authorities are saying, then he would have had to have gone, so here's the house, he would have had to have been driven 100 miles north to bury them in the Mojave Desert.

And then 250 miles south to drop their car at the border of Mexico where it was found and then somehow he would had to get back up north because he had to be in place 250 miles north to get that cell phone call that pinged off his phone that he says he got from Joseph McStay that night at about 8:30.

PEREIRA: And what about the surveillance video that they had from the border. The family even had a chance to look at it and they thought that it could have the family walking the two young children across the border.

KAYE: That's what so interesting because the San Diego authorities, who were looking at this in the beginning, before San Bernardino took over, they found this video, it's a surveillance video of this family of four. It looked like them. Some members of the family said yes, it might have been them.

What's so interesting is I asked Chase Merritt about it and he told me that he actually told San Diego he didn't think it was them. He had an opportunity there if he was involved in this to get them off his trail.

And send them in the direction of Mexico, but he said Joseph had a very distinct walk, he walked like a duck and he told authorities, I don't think it's them.

PEREIRA: Getting them off their trail, yet, he sat, I keep coming back to this because it's extraordinary. Brazen that he would sit down and volunteered to sit down and talk to you and do a polygraph.

KAYE: Absolutely. He told us he took the polygraph, but when I asked him, I assume you passed because you're sitting with me. He took a polygraph soon after the family disappeared all those years ago. And he said I never got the results, he said he was the last person. He says it very definitively. He was the last person to see Joseph McStay.

PEREIRA: By that time, what was your sense of him when you sat with him?

KAYE: He struck me as not exactly forthcoming, but now you look hindsight is 20/20, you look at the video in a whole different way, all new eyes.

PEREIRA: Hopefully a measure of closure for this family that's been going through a five-year wondering where their family is you can watch "Buried Secrets." You can see the suspect, Chase Merritt's only on-camera interview tonight with Randi Kaye at 9:00 Eastern on CNN. Do not miss that. Randi, thanks so much for that -- Chris.

CUOMO: All right, Mich, here's some good news. New York City doctor, Craig Spencer, has fully recovered. That means right now there are no more Ebola cases in the U.S. The question is, how do we keep it that way? The controversy ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CUOMO: America is an Ebola-free nation this morning. Hooray! Officials say New York City Dr. Craig Spencer has fully recovered from the virus so he will be discharged from the hospital today. That means there are no more known cases of the deadly virus here in the U.S.

I'm repeating it, because a lot of people have a lot of speculation about this. The real question is how do we keep it that way? Deborah Feyerick is standing outside Bellevue Hospital where Dr. Spencer was this morning with the latest. Hi, Deb.

DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, Chris. Well, the 33- year-old Dr. Craig Spencer is expected to be released today. He's going to make a very brief statement. He says he's not going to take any questions and he plans to do no interviews, but he has been treated.

He was admitted here on October 23rd, kept in isolation ward, given a lot of liquids, a lot of electrolytes and also received a transfusion from another Ebola survivor, Nancy Writebol that was during the course of his treatment here at the hospital.

He was widely criticized, Chris, as you remember, because instead of staying at home when he returned from Guinea, having worked with Doctors Without Borders, he went out. He went bowling, he went to dinner, he was on the subway, he was also, took a taxi and a lot of people thought that wasn't the responsible thing to do.

Even though the doctor had been self-monitoring, he had been taking his temperature twice daily and it was when his temperature went up to 103 degrees that he actually called Doctors Without Borders and they arranged to have him brought here. Bellevue being one of those facilities that is very ready and equipped to handle anyone with symptoms and Chris, you say you're right, there's no Ebola patient here in the United States.

But let's keep in mind there's still 350 people as of a week ago who are being actively monitored and the majority of them had been overseas and traveled in these high-risk areas, but right now, eight of the nine people who were treated in hospitals in the United States in fact have survived -- Chris.

CUOMO: All right, Deb, who to monitor and how to do it still something that different states have to figure out. Thanks for the reporting this morning.

CAMEROTA: Just as dozens of U.S. soldiers arrive in Iraq's Anbar Province to advice in the fight against ISIS, the terror has issued a new, chilling warning.

CUOMO: Have you heard about this story, dozens of college kids possibly slaughtered in Mexico. The reasons why and who appears to be behind you will shock you. Enraged families are desperate for answers and they haven't really gotten them yet. We have the latest in a report.

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