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Establishment Candidates Emerge in GOP Debate; Did Bush Comeback Strategy Backfire in Debate?; School Officer Fired for Violent Arrest. Aired 7-7:30a ET

Aired October 29, 2015 - 07:00   ET

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

BERMAN: Ben Carson against what he calls political correctness.

[07:00:04] CARSON: They shouldn't automatically assume that, because you believe that marriage is between one man and one woman, that you are a homophobe.

BERMAN: But above all, way above all, it was everyone hitting the media.

RUBIO: Well, the Democrats have the ultimate super PAC. It's called the mainstream media.

BERMAN: Especially the debate moderators and questions the candidates deemed confrontational.

BECKY QUICK, CNBC ANCHOR: If we look back, your board fired you. I just wondered why you think we should hire you now?

CARL QUINTANILLA, CNBC ANCHOR: Why not slow down, get a few more things done first or at least finish what you start?

JOHN HARWOOD, CNBC ANCHOR: Is this a comic book version of a presidential campaign?

TRUMP: It's not a comic book. And it's not a very nicely-asked question, the way you say that.

CRUZ: The questions that have been asked so far in this debate illustrate why the American people don't trust the media.

CHRISTIE: Even in New Jersey what you're doing is called rude. So...

BERMAN: Republican National Committee chair Reince Priebus agreed.

REINCE PRIEBUS, CHAIR, REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE: I think it was one gotcha question, one personal low blow after the other.

BERMAN: But beyond the umbrage, perhaps a new trend in new faces. For long stretches, the debate did not focus on frontrunners Donald Trump or Ben Carson, an opening for Marco Rubio...

RUBIO: I'm against anything that's bad for my mother.

BERMAN: ... and Ted Cruz, who offered to patch things up with the moderators with some now legal-in-Colorado products.

CRUZ: I'll have a tequila.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK. All right.

CRUZ: Or even some famous Colorado Browns.

BERMAN: And New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, much more central to the mix this time, again, going after the moderators for the subject of their questions.

CHRISTIE: Wait a second. We have $19 trillion in debt. We have people out of work. We have ISIS and al Qaeda attacking us, and we're talking about fantasy football? What is that?

BERMAN: And on a night where many thought that Jeb Bush needed to break out, he spoke less than the other candidates, a performance that left some cold, despite one hot offer.

BUSH: You find a Democrat that's for cutting taxes, with cutting spending $10, I'll give him a warm kiss.

BERMAN: And if some candidates did not leave wearing a smile, at least Governor Mike Huckabee left wearing something memorable.

HUCKABEE: Love Donald Trump. He's a good man. I'm wearing a Trump tie tonight. Get over that one. OK?

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BERMAN: We have yet to hear from Governor Jeb Bush this morning. But we do know the campaign not at all happy with how this debate went last night. At one point last night, late in the debate, the campaign manager apparently knocking on the CNBC control room door to demand more time for Jeb Bush, complaining he wasn't getting enough.

CAMEROTA: We will speak with Jeb Bush's campaign about all of that very soon. Just moments away. Thanks so much, John.

CUOMO: All right. You just saw a little taste of Jeb Bush there. He needed a big night, period. This morning, the general consensus is he did not have a big night. CNN's Dana Bash spoke with Bush right after the debate and asked him to assess his own performance.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DANA BASH, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: There was a lot of buzz that your moment where you went after Marco Rubio...

BUSH: Yes.

BASH: ... turned out to be a moment for Marco Rubio and not you.

BUSH: Well, we'll see. I mean, the simple fact is that he has the worst attendance record in the United States Senate, plain and simple. He now has an unprecedented editorial of a major newspaper saying he should resign and continue his campaign. If he's not going to resign, he needs to show up and vote. And I just believe that's the way we should be doing this.

BASH: Your friend and mine, Ana Navarro, said on the air that she's feeling glum tonight because of the performance that you had.

BUSH: I'm running with the heart. I'm not a performer. If they're looking for an entertainer in chief, I'm probably not the guy. If they're looking for someone that has a proven record of results, 32 years in the business sector and eight years the most reform-oriented conservative, probably, in the last 30 years in the country, I'm their guy.

BASH: Reince Priebus came out to the reporters, those of us who were in the hallway, right after the debate was over, was barely over, and blasted CNBC for the way that they handled the debate. Do you share his frustration?

BUSH: Yes, they didn't control the debate. Plain and simple. It was not -- was not a fair debate in that regard. But look, we're all...

BASH: He said there were gotcha questions. Do you think that's true?

BUSH: Of course, there were. Yes. I mean, there were gotcha questions like they had been in the other debates, as well.

BASH: Yes. Except CNN, of course.

BUSH: Yes, except CNN. Am I laughing out loud?

It's a long haul, baby. We've got a few more debates to go. I'm out campaigning, everybody. I'm working hard. We're raising the resources. We're going to be -- we have the best ground in these early states.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CAMEROTA: All right. We have a lot to talk about. Did Bush's comeback strategy backfire last night? Here to discuss it all is Bush's communications director, Tim Miller.

Tim, thanks so much for being on NEW DAY.

TIM MILLER, COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR, JEB BUSH CAMPAIGN: Hey, thanks for having me.

CAMEROTA: Tim, it is nice to have you, but with all due respect, where is the candidate? Where is Governor Jeb Bush? Shouldn't I be speaking to him this morning?

MILLER: Well, you just heard him last night. Governor Bush was on with Dana last night. You know, he's flying to New Hampshire right now. We're going to have some news today and a bunch of big events. And so he'll be out today. You'll have plenty of time to see him. Talked about the debate last night. But more importantly, let's talk about who's going to be... CAMEROTA: Well, let me just -- Tim, sorry. Let me just interrupt

you. Because I just want to challenge you on that for one second. Because this morning, somehow, other candidates have made time to be on our program to give us sort of a post-debate wrap-up. We have Governor Chris Christie. We have Senator Rubio on this morning. We have Governor Huckabee. We have Carly Fiorina. We hear Ben Carson wants to call in. So shouldn't Jeb Bush be talking about what happened last night?

MILLER: Well, I'm sorry that you're stuck with me, Alisyn. But Jeb's on a plane to New Hampshire. He'll be available this afternoon. You've got a couple of great reporters who follow him around. And I'm sure he'll be doing interviews this afternoon when he lands in New Hampshire.

And you know, that's what this thing is all about. This is a decathlon, and there are a lot of elements to this race. Winning the early states is important. He's getting up there bright and early today. He can talk about who's the person that can do the job. Who's the person that can fix D.C. That's what this is about, not the performers on the stage that -- you know, who's going to...

CAMEROTA: OK.

MILLER: ... implement conservative policies that help people have a chance to rise up?

CAMEROTA: Look, Tim...

MILLER: So that's what he's going to focus on.

CAMEROTA: You're his communications director. How do you think that he did last night?

MILLER: You know, look, I think that he did the most important thing that he could do, which is talk about his record and talk about what he's going to do to help people rise up.

As far as the figure-skating judges, you know, that's you guys. But these debates aren't going to be won -- excuse me, this campaign isn't going to be won and lost by debates in October. It's a very long race. Debates are a big part of this. We've got another one in 11 days.

And, you know, another element to this is what are you doing on the ground in the early states? And do people trust you to do the job as president? I mean, for seven years, we've had a good talker in the White House, but he hasn't been a particularly strong president. And I think Republican voters are looking for somebody who's able to do the job.

CAMEROTA: Yes, of course. But a debate is one way that Republican voters get to hear from their candidates.

MILLER: True. CAMEROTA: And the general analysis is that Governor Bush did not live

up to what he had to last night. Let me read you the headlines this morning. According to Politico, "Bush Walks into Rubio's Trap." According to "The Washington Post," "Jeb Bush Needed a Debate Touchdown; He Didn't Come Close." "The New York Times" says, "The Disciple Strikes Back; Rubio Bests Bush in a Key Moment." "Wall Street Journal," "Jeb Bush, Marco Rubio Fight Breaks Into Open During the Debate."

So let me play for you, Tim, the moment that so many of these pundits have seized upon, when Jeb Bush went after Marco Rubio for his voting record. And Rubio was prepared for that. Watch this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BUSH: You can campaign. Or just resign and let someone else take the job. There are a lot of people living paycheck to paycheck in Florida, as well. They're looking for a senator that will fight for them each and every day.

RUBIO: The only reason why you're doing it now is because we're running for the same position, and someone has convinced you that attacking me is going to help you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CAMEROTA: Did Marco Rubio get the best of that exchange?

MILLER: I don't know. That's for you guys to judge. I think that Marco is obviously a very talented debater. Marco has some good zingers. But here's the thing: This is a long campaign. And in the broader debate, in the broader debate over who do voters trust to do the job, Marco's been in the Senate for six years, and he hasn't done anything. He didn't show up for votes not just since he started to run for campaign -- for president. But long before, as soon as he got there. He has the worst voting record in the Senate.

Compare that to Jeb Bush. He worked every single day, every moment in Florida. He had a clock on his desk, counting down those eight years, to make sure that he got as much done as possible for the people of Florida. He cut taxes $18 billion. He balanced eight budgets. He turned the education system around. That's what this campaign is about. Who can do the job? And I think, in that broader debate over who has the resume that demonstrated they have the leadership skills to get the job done, Jeb is going to beat Marco and everybody else on that stage in a landslide.

CAMEROTA: Tim, last night, Governor Bush was asked about his weakness, and he had a real moment of probably honesty, where he talks about what he believes his weakness is. So let me play that for the viewers.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BUSH: I am, by my nature, impatient, and this is not an endeavor that -- that rewards that. You've got to be patient. You've got to be -- stick with it and all of that. But also, I can't fake anger.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CAMEROTA: OK. That is interesting. I mean, that was an interesting window there into his psyche. Because manufactured anger and outrage is necessary on the campaign trail. And so is patience.

So, you know, he's sort of saying, these are the two weaknesses that might not work in a campaign. What is next for Jeb Bush's campaign?

MILLER: Well, first for starters, I was proud of Jeb for actually answering that question. I think everyone else who was asked about their weakness actually ended up complimenting themselves. I think that says a lot about Jeb's character.

And look, I think that voters are sick of the fake anger. You know, there's a lot of fake anger on cable news, no offense, on -- online, on Twitter. And people are tired of it. People are looking for somebody who is able to fix the problems that we face in D.C., restore Americans' strength in the world. So they have a chance to achieve their dreams. And I think that's what Jeb is worried about, and that's the bed that we're making that's going to pay off in the end.

[07:10:22] CAMEROTA: All right. Tim Miller, we appreciate you being on NEW DAY. Please tell Jeb Bush that we invite you on.

MILLER: Happy to be with you. Jeb will be with you soon, I promise.

CAMEROTA: Good. We look forward to that. Thanks so much.

Much more debate coverage ahead. We will talk live with the candidates themselves, coming up on NEW DAY. Carly Fiorina, Senator Marco Rubio, and in our next hour, governors Chris Christie and Mike Huckabee join us, as well -- Michaela.

PEREIRA: Let's look at some headlines. We start with some breaking news out of China. According to state-run media, that country is abandoning it's one-child policy, now allowing couples to have two children.

Chinese leaders have been facing mounting pressure to end this 35-year policy, which was introduced in 1980 to control the country's rapidly growing population. It was relaxed in 2013, allowing couples to have two children if one of the parents is an only child. So a reversal there in China.

Overnight, more stabbing attacks against Israeli soldiers. In two separate incidents in Hebron, one of them, Israeli forces shot a Palestinian attacker who allegedly tried to stab a soldier. In the other, a soldier was likely wounded by a knife-wielding attacker. Israeli security forces shot and killed that attacker.

Attorneys for the South Carolina police officer who slammed and dragged a female student inside a classroom insist their client's actions were justified and lawful. That officer was fired Wednesday.

Let's get the latest from CNN's Martin Savidge. He's live in Columbia, South Carolina, for us.

Good morning, Martin.

MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Michaela.

It's the first time, really, we're hearing from Ben Fields, albeit through his attorney. Let me read you this quick quote: "We believe that Mr. Fields' actions were justified and lawful throughout the circumstances of which he was confronted during this incident," unquote. No sign of remorse there.

Probably not a surprise, there's still a federal and local investigation underway. And likely, he'll have a number of lawsuits. The sheriff said in firing Fields, he's still got to put some blame on the student that started it all. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHERIFF LEON LOTT, RICHLAND COUNTY: The action of our deputies, we take responsibility for that. But we also have to put responsibility on her for disrupting that school, disrupting that class, and causing this incident to start from the very beginning.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SAVIDGE: The attorney that represents that young woman and the other young woman that was arrested during that altercation says that Fields' firing for too long didn't go long enough. There are some who are saying that there should be assault charges brought against the former officer -- Chris.

CUOMO: Martin, thank you very much for the reporting. We'll stay with you on that story.

The second-tier candidates last night were looking for an opportunity, and they had one. The frontrunners kind of laid low in this Republican debate. Part of that was how many people were up there. Part of that was by inclination. So what will last night mean this morning, tomorrow, next week? Our panel reacts.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:16:47] CUOMO: Welcome back to NEW DAY.

So, who helped themselves last night? Let's talk to our panel of CNN political commentators to get some perspective. Kevin Madden, Republican strategist; Geoffrey Lord, Trump supporter and former Reagan White House political director; Paul Begala, Democratic strategist and senior advisor to Priorities USA Action, a pro-Hillary Clinton super PAC. Big breath after that one, Paul. Get that intro out there.

So let's talk about your man first, Mr. Lord. First of all, it's very odd to see you outside of that office. I missed the picture of Ronald Reagan in the office.

CAMEROTA: It's disorienting.

GEOFFREY LORD, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: I'll lug it with me next time.

CUOMO: You're usually looking down on me when we do this. Now you're doing it figuratively because you're so much smarter.

So your man was relatively quiet last night, as was Ben Carson. Do you believe that that hurt him? How do you think it worked?

LORD: No. No, I think the two of them were just cruising along here. I do think that the notable fact here is that Donald Trump was fine. Ben Carson was fine. Ted Cruz had sort of a breakout moment. Carly Fiorina was fine. These are the outside candidates.

And to the extent that Jeb -- to the extent that Marco Rubio made progress, it was jousting with, you know, Mr. Establishment, Jeb Bush. So I really think it was a good night for the outsiders all the way around.

CAMEROTA: Kevin, what did you think was the highlight and who?

KEVIN MADDEN, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Look, I agree with Geoffrey. I think Trump and Carson kind of cruised along. I don't think they hurt themselves. And I don't think they really think they needed a breakout moment right now.

But I do think that Rubio and Cruz definitely seized opportunities to break through. I think Cruz, in particular, had a message that was pitch perfect for voters out in Iowa.

So I think if anybody is going to get a bump out of this, I would watch for one with Cruz in -- in the early state of Iowa.

I think with Rubio, look, he had a moment that helped him with George -- with Jeb Bush. And I think it's going to be one that continues to really help a lot of the -- the establishment buzz around Rubio right now is really helping Rubio. And I think it is going to help him continue. That slow steady climb into the first -- into the pole position, inside that establishment lane in what, you know, I think Geoffrey would agree is a race that has broken down to anti- establishment and establishment.

CUOMO: I've got to tell you, it's increasingly confusing to me. I don't know want outsider means. I don't know what establishment means.

CAMEROTA: Establishment, not establishment.

CUOMO: It's a little confusing to me. I get why you're trying to draw delineations within the field, Kevin and Geoffrey. But it's a little odd.

But Begala, first of all, let me own it. You were right. I was wrong. The Hillary-CIA discrepancy stuff did not come up last night the way I thought it was. So enjoy yourself on that. CAMEROTA: Just another example of this dynamic.

CUOMO: First time for everything.

Begala, let me ask you this, though. If you catalog all of my wrong predictions, Chris, but you'd need, like, a two-hour segment.

CUOMO: Oh, that was -- thank you for being a bigger man. That shocked me.

So now let me ask you this. Last night, when you heard Marco Rubio using tone the way he did to disarm the Jeb Bush attack, using the connection to his own mother and her interests about his policy. Seeing his acumen on the issues, did you get a little bit of a shiver up the spine?

PAUL BEGALA, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Oh, he's enormously talented. Look, there was a lot of talent on that stage last night. Can Hillary beat them? Yes. I think she probably would beat any of them. But let's focus on last night.

[07:20:12] Rubio turned in a terrific performance. I think Geoffrey and Kevin are pointing correctly to the fact that he's dispatched Jeb. And so let's just deal with that. Jeb is toast. Those few who at home who have a little butter, get it out for Jeb. He's toast.

But I think Marco is winning the wrong primaries. He's winning the establishment primary. And I -- the guy I've had my eye on for a long time who I thought was outstanding for a long time who I thought was outstanding last night was Ted Cruz. I'm telling you, I think Geoffrey's right. The two frontrunners emerge unscathed. You know, Dr. Carson did no harm. Mr. Trump at the very end had his best moment, where he talked about his own negotiating skills versus CNBC, which was correct.

But I would watch Ted Cruz. I think he is in a position to win the outsider primary, Geoffrey, which is probably the more important primary.

CAMEROTA: Geoffrey, is --is Jeb Bush buttered toast this morning?

LORD: Yes. I have to say, I watched that last night, and that was my thought exactly. I was on last night with Gloria Borger, and I believe she used the term "Shakespearean" in terms of the Marco/Jeb standoff.

What went through my head was the old movie, "A Star is Born" here. Where the younger up-and-comer, you know, has learned about as much as they're going to learn from their mentor, and now it's their turn; and the mentor is not quite ready to get off the stage. I mean, it was -- it was amazing. I thought Governor Bush was -- frankly, was very dispirited last night and afterwards.

CUOMO: Well, look, Jeb Bush seems to be playing politics, going after Rubio the way he needs to. Rubio responded in a very human way. We're just not used to seeing that in politics. Not authentic humanity, you know.

LORD: One of the things, remember the other week that Donald Trump was at a rally. And he said -- he used the B.S. words. And he was talking about the supposed friendship between Bush and Rubio and said -- he mocked them and said, you know, listen. They're out there trying to do one another in. There's no friendship here. Well, boy, last night, if there was, I don't know...

CUOMO: Rubio -- Rubio handled it as a friend would. I'll tell you that, not as an opponent. And he did Jeb a favor that way.

Kevin Madden, Donald Trump is tweeting this morning that 62 percent of those who watched the debates say he won. Do you question that?

MADDEN: I do. I don't know where the methodology is. I'm sure he's looking at some online polls that aren't exactly scientific.

Look, he -- in the past debates, Donald Trump has really been center stage. I know he's physically center stage last night. But he didn't control the tempo of the -- of the debate the way he has in past debates.

The other campaigns weren't as focused on drawing a contrast with Donald Trump as much as they were seizing on the opportunity to really drive a message towards voters on their own about their own campaign and their own candidacies.

So he sort of faded in the background but, again, I don't think he did so in a way that's really going to hurt him right now. He has had a little bit -- a slight decline. But I think that has more to do with the fact that this race is going to shift; less about personalities and more about electing a leader of the free world. And when that does, that is where -- and I know Geoffrey will disagree with me, that is where I think candidates like Marco Rubio are really going to step up and make a move.

CAMEROTA: Paul, very quickly, we have Carly Fiorina next. Did she do what she had to do last night?

BEGALA: She always turns in a good performance. She got more time than anybody else, even though she's at 4 percent in the polls. She has never yet, it's early, but she has not yet proven that she can consolidate gains from a good debate. I'm not sure she had quite a good debate as she had in the past. And I don't see any capacity to consolidate those gains the way Donald Trump and Dr. Carson have.

CUOMO: Paul Begala, Kevin Madden, the Lord, thank you for being with us.

Ladies and gentlemen, what did you think about the debate last night? What do you think after hearing about it this morning? Tweet us. Use the hashtag #NewDay. Go on Facebook. Go anywhere you want on social media. We are there.

CAMEROTA: Your choice.

PEREIRA: I like that you're not restricting people's social media movements, Chris. That's really magnanimous.

CUOMO: As long as it's to Alisyn and you, I'm fine with it.

PEREIRA: Exactly. But just not to him, he thinks. Good luck with that.

Hillary Clinton was a frequent debate target. The woman who calls herself Clinton's worst nightmare, Carly Fiorina, who we were just talking about, joins us next, live, on NEW DAY.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)