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Governor Scott Walker Targets Hillary Clinton; Governor Chris Christie's London Tour; Health Officials: Measles Vaccine Is Safe; Super Bowl Ads Get Serious

Aired February 02, 2015 - 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: So we don't want him to see it, but you know what? Yes, he saw his shadow, six more weeks to go, but what does he know? People have been questioning the veracity for years now, but we'll give it to you for what it is. That's it.

Here's what we know for sure. Another winter storm is just pummeling the northeast right now. Sixty five million people in 18 states are under a winter storm warning.

Thousands of flights already cancelled. Public schools shut down in more than a dozen cities from Nebraska all the way across to Massachusetts. Let's get the latest for you and maybe some nods to when this end, Chad Myers, meteorologist, what do you see? What happens?

CHAD MYERS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: I want to know how Phil never sees his shadow when there are 65 TV lights on him anyway, really, I think it's rigged.

CUOMO: I'll take it. Let's go with you. What do you know?

MYERS: I know it's 31 and raining and I don't think it can do worse than that in New York City. The sleet coming down, when I got here this morning at 4 a.m., it was 33 then 32, and now 31. It will get colder tonight. It will get down to 11 degrees tonight.

So things are going to get very, very icy all the way across the area from I would say Central Pennsylvania all the way over to Hartford, all the way into Boston. That's what we are seeing now. That's what we are going to get tonight.

This cold air mass is separated from rain down to the south, Sandy Hook, all seeing rain, up to the north of there. I-95 in Connecticut is an absolute mess. Snow is coming down at two-to-three inches per hour.

These plows can hardly keep up with it all the way up to Boston, same story into Portland all the up into Eastport. We are going to see that dark purple area. That is 1 foot of snow or more still to come. New York could get ice not snow this time.

But ice to me is worse to drive on than some of that and by tonight, when the temperature is down to I'd say probably 20 for the drive home. Everything that you see out there that just looks like slush is going to be one big ice chunk. Chris, it's windy here, back to you.

CUOMO: Fix your hat, Chad, fix your hat. Thank you for the latest. We'll check back in with you. Let's get to inside politics now on NEW DAY with John King. Look at the colors I'm wearing, John.

JOHN KING, CNN HOST, "INSIDE POLITICS": I like it. We're coordinated today. We're in Patriots gear. This is good.

CUOMO: Feeling good about yourself, aren't you, JK?

KING: I'm feeling good and lucky. That was a great game. The Super Bowl is not always a great game. That was a fantastic game last night.

CUOMO: Yes, congratulations, my friend, well earned.

KING: A nice chat with Malcolm Butler earlier. He has all of the Patriots nation's gratitude this morning. I can't believe they got him up at 4:00 in the morning. He's a good young man there.

A busy day to go inside politics on this happy Monday for Patriots fans, with me this morning to share their reporting and their insights at least temporary Patriots fan, Cleveland Brown fans is Jackie Kucinich of "The Daily Beast."

You can be in Patriots nation for a day, and Jonathan Martin of the "New York Times." Let's start, Mitt Romney got out of the race at the end of last week and the question is, we are talking 2016 presidential politics, who benefits from this?

The "Des Moines Register" has a poll out that shows, at least, in the short term, Scott Walker, seems to be benefiting now. If you look at these numbers here, nobody is a front runner.

This is a giant big Republican field. Everybody is lumped together, but there is a bit at the moment of a Scott Walker boom. He was just out of the big Iowa event. He performed very well. The poll was taken days after that event.

So perhaps no surprise Scott Walker bumps up, way up from 4 percent when this poll was taken back in October. Listen to Scott Walker yesterday. He's on ABC and he knows that Jeb Bush is probably the nominal front runner right now in the party. Scott Walker says the Republicans need to turn the page.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOVERNOR SCOTT WALKER: People want new fresh leadership with big bold ideas and the courage to act on it. If we are going to take on a name from the past, which is likely to be former Hillary Clinton, I think we need a name for the future.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: If you are Scott Walker or anyone else, you want to peak a year from now not today. But not bad, a little boom for Scott Walker right now. How does he take advantage of it?

JACKIE KUCINICH, "THE DAILY BEAST": You know, Scott Walker seems to have carved out this really interesting middle. That actually Joni Ernst in Iowa did. The establishment likes him. The conservative wing in the party seems to like him. He's not offensive to either.

Because of that speech in Iowa, he is experiencing this him boom and donors who might not really want another Bush presidency aren't sure about Chris Christie are definitely taking a look at Scott Walker at this point.

KING: Yet, you have to say the biggest instant winner of Romney getting out is Jeb, right?

JONATHAN MARTIN, "THE NEW YORK TIMES": Yes, absolutely. I think there were some donors who were basically hiding in a corner, sort of keeping their phones turned off because they wanted to avoid that tough decision between Romney or Bush.

That's an easier call for a lot of them now so in the very short term, yes. In the broader term, it's still tough to tell. Walker is an interesting figure. You know, in that same interview yesterday, John, he also sounded a Joe Namath as note speaking of the Super Bowl saying don't bet against me.

Basically, that he had won three times there in that state in four years. So he is not lacking in confidence. What's interesting, don't forget about his history with Romney because, you know, he's making a play sort of Romney donors now.

But don't forget, Walker was very critical of Romney 2012 and his campaign sharply critical, in fact.

KING: We'll watch that one play out right now. The biggest issue is who can raise the money. But a guy, one of the questions is do the Republicans turn to a new face, like a Walker, like a Rubio, maybe a Ted Cruz or do they go to someone, who has run before and won before in Iowa.

Mike Huckabee was on "STATE OF THE UNION" yesterday. He is an Evangelical pastor, the former Arkansan governor, won Iowa back in 2008 and then his campaign fluttered out, couldn't raise money in part.

Other issues there, listen to him here, he is trying to explain his personal views on homosexuality and same-sex marriage. He called it a choice like smoking and drinking, and got a lot of push back on that.

Then he said and he was very careful. He said he gave a speech to a lot of gay people. He listens to them. He respects their views, but he says his opposition to same-sex marriage is biblical and he's not going to change it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MIKE HUCKABEE (R), FORMER ARKANSAS GOVERNOR: This is not just a political issue. It is a biblical issue and as a biblical issue unless, you know, I get a new version of the Scriptures, it's really not my place to say, OK, I will evolve. It's like asking somebody who is Jewish to start serving bacon-wrapped shrimp in their deli.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: I respect anybody's opinion, but can he sell that? Can Governor Huckabee sell that beyond the Evangelical base in Iowa when we have seen what 31-plus states now allow same-sex marriage? We'll have a Supreme Court decision before the Iowa caucuses. It will put the court in on this issue.

KUCINICH: You'd imagine that he's -- I mean, among conservatives, yes, that's what they want to hear and that is his base. If he wants to expand it, that view may be a little problematic.

MARTIN: It's classic Huckabee sort of using the colorful metaphor, it sort of pushes the envelope there a little bit, but certainly get some attention. He has been a master at that, both in politics and doing cable news stick.

It also speaks to his limitations, too, in the sense that, yes, the right loves it, but when the sort of big donors and the party, yes, do still matter here that -- that's not a guy who is going to be president.

KING: Let's take a look. Chris Christie is overseas. He is in the United Kingdom this morning and he had hoped to be at the Cowboy Super Bowl. They didn't make it, of course. So the orange sweater is gone.

Look at Chris Christie here with the scarf. He is at the Arsenal game, Arsenal versus Aston Villa. Home team, Arsenal wins five nothing. Chris Christie wearing the team's colors now.

There has been some buzz before we came on. A lot of people didn't know who Chris Christie was. That's a good thing, right? They're not supposed to know who is, right?

KUCINICH: No, it's like the infamy. This is one of the things that presidential contenders do to furnish their foreign policy credentials. It's a trade mission. He is also meeting with David Cameron today.

MARTIN: Yes, I'm guessing, John, that if some prominent official, for example, in Wales showed up for a New York Jets game, he wouldn't have much name I.D. either. So I think it is par for the course and, but here we are seeing Governor Christie on the world stage trying to sort of establish himself as more statesman. It will be fun to watch.

KING: He said a few moments ago we are just seeing the interviews come across the pond. He was asked about vaccination, he says has had his kids vaccinated. He said there should be some options for some parents in some cases.

He is wading into a debate that is front and center now in the country that comes up every now and then, but this winter season has come up again.

KUCINICH: You know, you wonder, we were talking about this a little before, you wonder who he would have found if he said, you know, vaccinate your kids, full stop. The entire vaccination movement seems to be such a small focused group of people at this point. Who is he going to offend by saying that? I'm really just curious.

MARTIN: It's puzzling because those who actually have become a part of this, a very small group of anti-vaccination parents are actually sort of affluent liberals mostly in places like San Diego, San Francisco and Los Angeles. So it's not really a right wing.

KING: He says it's not every vaccine is created equal. Not every disease type is as great a public health threat. So that's what I meant by that. We will continue to watch those comments.

The president releases his budget today. He says it's a blue print for middle class economics. The Republicans say it is denial from the last election because he asks for a bigger government role in certain programs, higher taxes, and a redistribution of wealth.

Is there, what's the most important thing the president can do today knowing Congress doesn't like this budget, but he is hoping to increase his leverage down the road for negotiations.

KUCINICH: Focus on something like corporate tax reform, something that they can agree on.

MARTIN: Is this a starting document that can create a compromised or is this heated, starting the gun for the 2016 primary? That's the question.

KING: Jackie and Jonathan, thanks for coming in this morning on the first day of the Patriots' Super Bowl reign. Alisyn as we get back to you, I was so happy to hear about the steak dinner. I heard Cuomo say he was cheap. Don't let him be cheap.

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: He said where he wants to go had I lost, so we're going there for my steak dinner because of the Patriots win. John, you can come, too, I'm inviting you.

KING: Amen, it will be a very expensive dinner then.

CAMEROTA: That's right. Thanks so much. They think I'm gloating and it's true, so true.

All right, meanwhile, as just what John was talking about in terms of vaccinations. There are strong words from the president, President Obama also talking about the need for vaccinations as this measles outbreak spreads. A renowned expert, infectious diseases joins us next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CUOMO: All right. Welcome back. Listen up to this. Measles is spreading. It is deemed and outbreak by officials and here's why, put up the measles map. Starting in December, maybe two themed parks in Southern California, a handful turned into 58 cases, now there are about 100 all across the country.

Coast-to-coast you'll see them now. The question is why, how do we stop it and are we doing the right things? Here to discuss the outbreak is Dr. Anthony Fauci. He is the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the NIH.

Doctor, thank you for joining us, let's deal with the immediate, the spread, what do you know about the rate and the concerns?

DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES: Well, the concerns as you said correctly, that it is spreading. And the reason it is, is because there is a group of percentage of the population of children, who have not been vaccinated for a variety of reasons.

We have a very effective measles vaccine. Measles is a highly contagious infection and for one reason or another, different reasons that parents may give they are not getting their children vaccinated.

What we need to do about it is to try and explain because I don't think parents are trying to do anything bad. I just think they need to understand.

CUOMO: But two things, Doc, we will get into that decision-making process. We will play it out, test it. I will play the other side of you on that.

FAUCI: OK.

CUOMO: But first, how will this end? In 2000 the government had said measles was gone. Why is it back? What will make it gone again?

FAUCI: Well, it's back because there is not the level of vaccination that there should be. We need to get pockets of people who have not been vaccinated. You have a vaccine that if you get two of the prescribed doses, you can be up to 97 to 98 percent effective.

When you have regions of the country in which you have maybe 10 percent of the people of the children don't get vaccinated then you have a vulnerable group.

That is the reason why we're having this outbreak, which is a direct answer to your question. The way around that is to make sure we can get vaccinations for the children who can be vaccinated, very, very few exceptions about that.

CUOMO: All right. Now let's play to the concern here. OK?

FAUCI: All right.

CUOMO: I'm the parent. I don't want to get my kid vaccinated. Here's why. One, measles is a remote risk and I will have side effect chances on my kid. They could die. There have been 57 deaths because of the vaccine going wrong. You had almost 4,000 people compensated for government vaccines. It's not worth the risk. I'm not doing it. You can't make me.

FAUCI: Well, look, first of all, you don't attack a parent for their decision. You try to explain to them the risk benefit and the risk that the parents sometimes put on the vaccine is not based on scientific data.

What we forget is the seriousness of measles as an infection. Some people say it's trivial. Well, the reason we don't have measles in this country in 2000 until it now has come back is because there has been vaccination, which not only protects children who can be vaccinated, but also protects children who can't for a variety of reasons, of immunosuppression or what have you.

So there is a two-pronged reason to get vaccinated, one to protect your own child and two to protect the community. We try to explain to parents why that's the case. Measles is not a trivial disease.

You talk about the very rare toxic or adverse event of a vaccination. When measles was in this country prior to vaccination, we had serious problems. We had 500 deaths per year during the peak in the world today, right.

There are 20 to 30 million cases of measles and about 150,000 deaths. You can't forget that. We should not forget that.

CUOMO: So let's put it there. It's much worse in other places where they don't do the vaccine protocols. So what are you going to do about it? Just talking to people, obviously, isn't the solution, because the problem is being created because people aren't heeding your warnings, should government do something more in terms of enforcement.

FAUCI: Well, I think what we need to do, first of all the state restrictions are handled by the state. What we can do is try to respect the parents, but try and get the information to them to realize many parents don't want their children vaccinated not for deep philosophical reasons, but because they feel it might hurt them.

It hurts, it's painful or there are too many clusters. If you balance that against the deleterious effect of the disease, I think with proper and getting people to understand the risk benefit that you will start to see patients turn around or parents turn around and get the children vaccinated.

I think the amount of attention right now about the outbreaks. It's something that's a wake-up call to people. If you don't see any measles at all, that's one of the problems with vaccinations. We're the victims of our own success.

Because you suppress the disease, people don't see the threat. When they start seeing the threat, they can change their mind.

CUOMO: Victims of our own success, that's an interesting way to put it. The threat is real. We are seeing it spread across the country. Dr. Anthony Fauci, thank you very much for the word. We will help you as the data changes. We will report on the story as responsibly as we can. Thank you, sir.

FAUCI: Thank you.

CUOMO: Mich.

MICHAELA PEREIRA, CNN ANCHOR: All right, we'll change directions here a little bit. The dip and the wings have been eaten. The beer fridge emptied, cleaned up after that epic Super Bowl party you hosted, a lingering question remains, though, what were the Seahawks thinking by not running Marshawn Lynch? We'll get our panel of experts to weigh in.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CUOMO: The markets, they're squirrely so far this year. Why? I don't know either. But I know who does, chief business correspondent, Christine Romans laughing her way all the way to the bank in the money center. You can use it.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN CHIEF BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Squirrely, a good technical term for the market. January was a squirrely month for stocks, the worst in the year. The Dow fell almost 4 percent. The S&P 500 dropped 3 percent that's thanks to falling oil prices and global growth worries.

Perspective, last January was even worst and stocks still ended the year near records. The S&P 500 finished the year up 11 percent. All right, Super Bowl ads got serious this year, one fan favorite, this emotional Budweiser ad, Bud brought back the Clydesdale and the puppy from last year's hit.

It was also a big year for dad-vertisements, ads from Nissan, Toyota, Dove and others really celebrating fatherhood and McDonald's ads show a cashier asking customers to pay with acts of love or complement and this campaign unsurprisingly getting laughs on social media. A lot of sarcasm on social media, guys.

CUOMO: People are going to be sarcastic, but a lot of them got me last night. They got me.

ROMANS: It wasn't the beer drinking girl chasing guys that so many advertisements in the past have alleged.

CUOMO: We all take a cry over that any day, said no man ever. All right, Christine, thank you very much.

All right, so the north east, no question, we are in trouble again. The freeze is here. The winter storm warnings are in almost 20 states. We'll tell you what to expect if you travel today. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're expecting snow, sleet and freezing rain.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The real concern is that morning commute.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We want to make sure the city on the move stays on the move.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's pretty bad.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's pretty bad out there tonight.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The Seahawks were in position for a game winning touchdown, but a questionable play call.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You have to blame it on me because I'm the one that gave him the ball.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That is the best Super Bowl me and my friends have ever watched.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We've been on the other end twice now and this time made the play to win.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Measles is the most infectious disease known to man.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's something to be concerned about and something to be aware of.

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: There is every reason to get vaccinated. There aren't reasons to not.

ANNOUNCER: This is NEW DAY with Chris Cuomo, Alisyn Camerota, and Michaela Pereira.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CAMEROTA: Good morning, everyone. Welcome back to NEW DAY.