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The Politics Of Fighting ISIS; Gov. Scott Walker Punts When Asked About Evolution; Chicago Little League Team Stripped Of Title

Aired February 12, 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: All right. We have some video shot by NBC station KXAS in Dallas for you. Take a look at this. Helicopter was over this high-speed police chase. It ends after the suspect rams into two vehicles before side-swiping and rear-ending that minivan. The man and woman in that minivan quickly got out of the vehicle, and then dragged the suspect out of his car and brought him to the ground. Police get to the scene, take the man into custody.

They say he stole the vehicle from a convenience store. He's now been charged with aggravated robbery and evading arrest. Don't mess with Texas.

MICHAELA PEREIRA, CNN ANCHOR: Do not. All right, let's get to "Inside Politics," on NEW DAY with Mr. John King. Happy Thursday, my friend.

JOHN KING, CNN HOST, "INSIDE POLITICS": Happy Thursday to you, Michaela, I might see you guys in the next couple days, coming to New York, might pay you a visit. Let's go "Inside Politics," this morning, a big debate in Washington about the president's war request, which you just mentioned.

With me this morning to share their reporting and their insights are Julie Pace of the "Associated Press" and Ron Fournier of the "National Journal." Let's just start by listening to the president. He's been at this for a couple of months. The administration's campaign against ISIS, but he said he wanted to get Congress's buy-in.

So yesterday, they sent up the wording, the authorization of the use of military force. The president says it will help him win the fight, but it has some restrictions.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: The resolution we've submitted today does not call for the deployment of U.S. ground combat forces to Iraq or Syria.

It is not the authorization of another ground war like Afghanistan or Iraq. I do not believe America's interests are served by endless war or by remaining on a perpetual war footing.

(END VIDEO CLIP) KING: You cover the White House every day. Nobody likes this on Capitol Hill. We'll get into some of the specifics of why the left doesn't like it, the right doesn't like it. They spent a lot of time working on this obviously. Why did the president present it this way?

JULIE PACE, "ASSOCIATED PRESS": The president spent a lot of time talking to lawmakers in both parties, but neither party seems to like this. That's couple reasons that the president wants to do this.

First, it's important to note that he feels like he has the authority to undergo this mission without new legislation, but he feels like it sends an important message.

It could set a precedent for future presidents that you should go to Congress to ask for authorization. He also wants to be clear that he's putting a time limit on this and that he's not seeking authorization for ground troops.

And yet, even in his remarks, he acknowledged that some of the provisions in this could be extended, we could end up with special operations forces doing small missions, but being in the ground in very dangerous missions.

RON FOURNIER, "NATIONAL JOURNAL": You could interpret that there's no limits on time or very little limits even on a numbers of forces. I think it's interesting for the president here. It kinds of shows the tension he's had throughout his presidency, not just on war between idealism and pragmatism.

Idealistically he wants to have limits on the presidency especially when it comes to war because that's what basically how he got elected. But once he gets in office, he realizes I don't want to have limits on my presidency. That's what you're seeing here is the tension playing out.

KING: It was striking. Matt Visor of the "Boston Globe," shows the picture there, Obama, Biden, Kerry and Chuck Hagel, four senators who made their mark with anti-war careers.

Let's get through some of the commentary, Nancy Pelosi, the House Democratic leader remember -- she remembers the Iraq war debate in 2002 very well. She called the president's proposal a thoughtful draft.

It's interesting when the leader of your own party in the House calls it a thoughtful draft. It doesn't say it's a good idea. Here's John Boehner who is on the other side. John Boehner leading Republicans, who say this isn't tough enough.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REPRESENTATIVE JOHN BOEHNER (R), HOUSE SPEAKER: If we're going to authorize use of military force, the president should have all the tools necessary to win the fight that we're in. And his point, the president's point, is he wants to dismantle and destroy ISIS. I haven't seen a strategy yet that I think will accomplish that. (END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: So Republicans say the president is putting limits on himself and this administration concedes the next commander-in-chief will inherit this operations, but Democrats, again, mindful of the George W. Bush administration and the 2002 authorization for Iraq say this is too vague for them.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REPRESENTATIVE ADAM SCHIFF (D), RANKING MEMBER, HOUSE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE: The other major issue is the language pertaining to ground troops, which is very broad, very ambiguous, none of us really know what enduring offensive combat operations means and deliberately, I think drafted to be ambiguous.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: So these guys can't agree on anything. So they've sent the president's proposal, this is a very serious issue, the campaign against ISIS, the war against ISIS. Will they work this out? Are they going to have hearings, the Democrats and Republicans going to be able to figure out a consensus?

PACE: Bob Corker who runs the Senate Foreign Relations Committee has said he wants to move on this quickly. He wants to start holding hearings immediately. It's difficult to see how you resolve the differences here when the parties are so far apart on this. When you have one party saying it's too broad and one party saying it's not broad enough. Where's the middle ground there?

FOURNIER: I'll give the president credit for at least putting this forward and keep working under the 2001. In Congress, they're finally stepping up and getting over their fear of debating this issue. We need to have a healthy debate. But the cynical side of me looks at these folks in Congress, they can't even agree on naming a post office. Are they going to agree on a war resolution?

PACE: I just don't think you would underestimate how the shadow of the 2001 and 2002 AUMF votes hangs over this. I mean, there are a lot of lawmakers who took tough votes on the 2002, the Iraq war authorization, who regret those votes.

KING: We'll watch how it plays out, how the 2016 Republicans deal with this and any Democrats who might be thinking of challenging Secretary Clinton. We'll wait for her views on this as well.

Let's move on and I'm tempted to move this part of the segment to the Natural History Museum at the Smithsonian here in Washington. Across the pond in London yesterday, many Republican presidential candidates should stop going to London. They don't tend to have good visits when they go.

Scott Walker, the governor of Wisconsin, who has been jumping up in the polls in Iowa and New Hampshire and elsewhere in recent days gets asked this question about science. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you -- are you comfortable with the idea of evolution? Do you believe in it? Do you accept it?

GOVERNOR SCOTT WALKER (R), WISCONSIN: For me I'm going to punt on that one as well.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, really?

WALKER: That's a question a politician shouldn't be involved in one way or the other.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: any British politician right or left wing would say, would laugh and say yes of course, evolution is true.

WALKER: To me I said it's one of those where I'm here to talk about trade, not to pontificate and I love the evolution of trade in Wisconsin.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: Got a couple of growns, a couple of laughs, Scott Walker tweeted after that, "Both science and my faith dictate my belief that we are created by God. I believe faith and science are compatible and go hand in hand."

FOURNIER: That's no answer.

KING: That's not an answer. That's a dodge. He says a punt.

FOURNIER: Look -- you're right, he should stop going to London and welcome to the big leagues, Scott Walker. I know there are a lot of supporters including him are whining, this is a manufactured controversy by the press and it has nothing to do with being president -- they're wrong. He wants to be president. There are no questions off the table when you're president.

KING: His party includes an Evangelical base that sometimes raises these questions in its questionnaire. It's not just us.

FOURNIER: Exactly, and almost half of his base doesn't believe in evolution and if you don't believe in evolution that really raises questions about the kind of leader you're going to be. Are you going to accept things that are no longer a theory? Evolution is a fact. It's not just a theory.

PACE: It's worth noting in the clip you just played, Scott Walker said I'm also going to punt on this. He punted on a whole range of issues. As a reporter, but as an American, you have to be frustrated with this.

These are people who want to run for president. You're president, you're going to have to tackle a huge range of issues, and you're going to have to talk about them. At times, you don't want to talk about them. You're not going to be able to plan your talking points that carefully. You have to step up to the plate here.

FOURNIER: He's an American leader laughed at by the Brits.

KING: It's is simple rule. You want the nuclear football. You should be prepared to answer just about anything. This footnote, this is a "Forbes" magazine article that my producer found for me this morning.

In 2008, ten Republican presidential candidates were asked if they believed in the theory of evolution. Only seven said yes. One was Governor Romney. In that same campaign, President Obama went on the record say he believes in evolution.

Alisyn, as we get back to New York, interesting to watch these Republican candidates deal with primetime, as we like to call it. Some of the questions might be out of bounds.

But again if you want to live in the big house, you want to control the nuclear arsenal. You want to make decisions about war and peace. You have to be prepared to answer anything.

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: Maybe their positions are evolving. Politicians do that also.

KING: Yes, they do.

CAMEROTA: All right, John, hope to see you this week up here. Thanks so much.

Well, there's controversy after a Chicago Little League team is stripped of its U.S. championship title. Should the kids have to pay the price for adults accused of cheating? We'll discuss that next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PEREIRA: Good to have you back. An all-African-American Little League team that won the U.S. championship and won the hearts of America has been stripped of its title. Little League officials accused the Jackie Robinson West team of violating residency rules.

Now keep in mind, this is a team that has been celebrated for sportsmanship and for bringing the city of Chicago during a tough time, a violent time in that city. The question becomes should the children pay the price for what adults are accused of doing?

We're joined by two people, who have a dog in this fight. This is Venisa Green. She is a mom of Brandon, who is one of the players on the team along with her is, of course, Reverend Jesse Jackson, president of the Rainbow Push Coalition.

Good morning to the both of you. Venisa, first of all, can I ask you how Brandon is doing right off the bat? I'm sure that he's trying to make sense of what's going on.

VENISA GREEN, MOTHER OF BRANDON GREEN: Brandon is a strong child and I'm so blessed to have a child with much resilience as he is. He asked me this morning if we can go shopping for Valentine's for his friends at school. So I think he's OK because he knows mommy is working on this.

PEREIRA: That's good to know because I know -- and Reverend, I'll ask you a question in a second here. I know you, you, Venisa and your son were vocal yesterday at the press conference. You said that you were completely blindsided by this news that the team was being stripped of its titles and being placed on probation.

GREEN: This is absolutely true. No one from little League International ever communicated with any of the parents and I learned last night that they had not communicated to the league officials of Jackie Robinson West, either.

PEREIRA: So you didn't know that there was an investigation going on as early as last December or the fact that these -- were you even aware of the residency rules to begin with?

GREEN: No, we were not. We were not given any written documents as it relates to residency rules when we originally registered Brandon and during several parent meetings, we were also not given any written notification as we supplied them with our proof of residency via a light bill and Brandon's birth certificate to prove his age and also our state-issued ID, and we supplied all of this and none of the rules were ever spoken about.

PEREIRA: So you think there's something else going on here, Venisa? You don't think this is about rule-following per se or even some sour grapes on the part of other leagues that are upset that they didn't make it this far. What do you think is behind this?

GREEN: There is a hidden agenda. I have not unraveled it all. But I do know that this is the first all-African-American baseball team and 50 years ago, we couldn't even play the game of baseball. And now that we play and we've mastered the game again, the rules changed. There's always a set of hidden rules in my experience when African- Americans are involved.

PEREIRA: Our sports department told us there are two other all African-American teams that made it this far back in one of the '90s and one earlier than that. Reverend Jackson, let me ask you, you have taken a great concern in this. What is your concern about what went on with Jackie Robinson West?

JESSE JACKSON, PRESIDENT, RAINBOW PUSH COALITION: One given the worst scenario that the harshness of the penalty, does not compare with the scenario, that is to say, if this was a case of overage children playing, 14, 15, manipulating birth certificates, outright lying, that would be a case.

Here the children have been charged with nothing. Yet they bear the burden of the sentence, whether it is an in professional baseball, if it's drugs or if it's a court bet or a deflated football, it's retroactive on the individuals, not on the team. So to come down on these children this way is unconscionable. PEREIRA: You're not the only who think this, in fact, the Chicago mayor, Rahm Emanuel, apparently had a call with the Little League president and said that the players don't deserve to be punished. Instead, the victims or the adults should be the ones sanctioned. He said, quote, "You have turned them into perpetrators when they are victims."

JACKSON: Some of them for example are facing at this school, facing hostile reaction, being called cheaters and liars. And this, strange that a man who brought the case over in the park, a mother indicated in a press conference last night, her son was recruited by him.

And her son did not live in Evergreen Park. There's a sour grape factor here. There will be a lawsuit filed, no doubt, and they'll have to deal with one set of rules. When Chicago plays a Mexico or Taiwan or South Korea, those are national teams versus local teams.

Part of the genius of the game is an even playing field and one to the rules if we do nothing other than reestablish an even playing field, that's a step forward for everybody.

PEREIRA: Venisa, I want to you to really make the point because I think it is important. This for you is more than just a game or a trophy or a title. It is important for you to have your son in Little League. Explain to people why it's so important.

GREEN: It is important to have children at this age engaged in extracurricular activities. Research shows that students and children who are involved in other activities are less likely to be involved in things that would have them punished by the law or end up where they are being buried or being shot in the city of Chicago. And so we work hard to make sure that Brandon is engaged in academic and sports activities, after school, my husband and I.

PEREIRA: OK, well, Venisa, can we send a message to you and your son, let him know that we know he and the team fought hard for that victory. The adults messed up in this situation, it wasn't the kids. We still think they're champions in our minds.

JACKSON: Can I say -- emphasis must not be trumped by access and inheritance, effort and excellence must matter.

PEREIRA: It must matter indeed. All right, thank you to both of you. We're going to watch this story -- Chris.

CUOMO: All right, Mich, bogus tax returns are on the rise. It's getting so bad the FBI is stepping in. How can this affect your tax returns? We'll discuss right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CAMEROTA: Well, it's almost tax time and Turbo Tax has a big problem. A surge in bogus tax returns filed with their software and now the FBI is getting involved. This could be bad news for your return. Cristina Alesci is here with today's CNN MONEY, your money report. What is the problem, Cristina?

CRISTINA ALESCI, CNN MONEY CORRESPONDENT: Well, this comes on the heels -- this new investigation comes on the heels of Turbo Tax saying last week that it had to suspend state filings because of an increase in fraudulent activity.

So for most people the question is what do you do from here? First off, don't respond to any suspicious e-mails looking for personal information. You could say that that is an obvious thing, but these things sometimes look legit.

If you are the unfortunate victim of this kind of fraud, you need to fill out a slew of paperwork including police reports. You need to report it to the IRS, the Federal Trade Commission.

The best piece of advice I can give is file your tax returns early because there's two benefits there. One, this is supposed to be a terrible tax season because the IRS is inundated and understaffed. So you get the benefit of getting that tax return potentially early.

Two, you beat the thieves to the punch because if you file they can't file -- they can't file another tax return.

CAMEROTA: Is it safe to file your taxes online given this?

ALESCI: I knew you were going to ask me that question. That is really a tough one to answer because it is really too early to tell. A lot of our personal information is already out all over the internet. There's an investigation underway.

Turbo Tax is saying it's not our software that's the problem. The fact is, we don't know where these guys are getting the information, and just to put this into context, tax fraud is not a new phenomenon.

The IRS said last year it paid out $5.2 billion in fraudulent tax returns so there you have it and more to come according to most experts.

CUOMO: But usually people are cheating on their taxes.

ALESCI: Exactly.

CUOMO: And not being hacked and having their --

ALESCI: This is a whole new problem.

CAMEROTA: Cristina Alesci, thanks so much for that warning.

ALESCI: Absolutely.

CAMEROTA: Well, breaking news, a deal reached in the Ukraine peace talks, but what exactly are the terms and what are the chances the ceasefire will hold? Christiane Amanpour will be here to give us insight. CUOMO: This is an issue that gets bigger and bigger. Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore thumbing his nose on the Supreme Court, he says the law is on his side and that he can block gay marriages in his state. Is he? We take it on and put him to the test. NEW DAY continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have an agreement to end the bloodshed in Eastern Ukraine.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A bit of a confusing situation for many of the separatist militants here.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is a broad agreement to pull back heavy weapons.

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: It is not the authorization of another ground war.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think it can pass, but certainly not in its present form.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The president says he wants to destroy ISIL, I don't think anybody believes him.