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Will DHS Funding Impact Terror Fight; Obama Signs 7-Day Homeland Security Funding Bill; United Airlines Issues Brutal Memo to Pilots; Snow, Ice Batter Texas; Investigators: Murder "Carefully Planned"; Four Missing Teens May Have Links To ISIS; Deadly Mass Shooting In Quiet Town; Lawmakers Barely Met DHS Funding Deadline

Aired February 28, 2015 - 08:00   ET

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

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN ANCHOR: Here is a look at other stories developing now. It was the story that terrorized Boston. Now new this morning, a court has ruled the marathon bombing trial can stay in Boston.

A federal appeals court denied a petition to change the venue for the trial of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. So that means jury selection is scheduled for this coming Tuesday.

CHRISTI PAUL, CNN ANCHOR: Take a look at this surveillance video. Some thieves made off with a trailer containing a NASCAR racer's car. This is ahead of the race tomorrow. The car belonged to Travis Capele and was stolen from a hotel parking lot near the Atlanta Motor Speedway.

How does that happen? This car is valued at $250,000. Well, we are just now getting word local affiliate, WXIA, reporting the car has been found. However, the car thief has not.

BLACKWELL: Michael Sam, the first openly gay player drafted to the NFL has reason to celebrate this morning. Sam announced good news on Twitter writing this. "Glad to be part of the NFL veteran free agent combine, working hard to show up big time. Have a safe weekend all." OK, so there's that portion.

PAUL: The inaugural event is scheduled to take place next month in Arizona.

BLACKWELL: Now, he also is on "Dancing With The Stars," we'll see if he drops out of that as well.

PAUL: OK, so Los Angeles Police, they may have found an Oscar winning actresses dress. The actress said the $150,000 pearl encrusted dress was stolen from her L.A. hotel room. The LAPD received a tip, looked in an abandoned bathroom at the hotel, and spotted a garment bag, inside a dress that looks a lot like the one that disappeared. The next hour of "NEW DAY" starts now.

BLACKWELL: One of Vladimir Putin's most outspoken critics gunned down on a Moscow street. Investigators this morning say this murder was carefully planned. PAUL: Plus, a town of 50 rocked by violence. Police say a gunman went on a house to house rampage killing seven people, four of them from the same family.

BLACKWELL: And Congress beats the DHS deadline approving funding for Homeland Security for a few more days, but listen, the drama is far from over. Good morning. Good to have you with us. I'm Victor Blackwell.

PAUL: I'm Christi Paul. We're always grateful for your company.

BLACKWELL: We're starting this morning with the manhunt underway right now for the killer that gunned down one of Russia's most outspoken critics of President Vladimir Putin.

PAUL: Investigators say there is no doubt yesterday's shooting of Boris Nemtsov was, quote, "Carefully planned" and they say whoever shot him dead knew the route he was taking. The opposition leader and former deputy prime minister was killed as he walked along a bridge with a companion last night. This was 100 yards, though, from the kremlin.

BLACKWELL: This morning grieving crowds of supporters gathered at the bridge where Nemtsov was killed. They say they just want justice here.

PAUL: CNN's Frederik Pleitgen is at the vigil in the heart of Moscow and has the very latest for us. Good morning, Fred.

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Christi, people here in Moscow are absolutely shocked at the killing of Boris Nemtsov, and at a time that we've been standing here, we've seen thousands of people come here and many of them laying down flowers, other people who are absolutely in tears.

Now we have heard from the Russian investigators they say that their investigation is moving forward, that they are questioning many of the witnesses. Let's have a look at what unfolded here last night.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PLEITGEN (voice-over): Gun downed in the heart of Russia's capital. Investigators work the crime scene where Boris Nemtsov's body lay on one of the main bridges across the Moskva River.

Law enforcement officials say Nemtsov, one of Russia's most prominent opposition figures was struck in the back by several bullets.

(on camera): The killing happened right next to the Kremlin walls and right in the vicinity of St. Basil's Cathedral. Now according to authorities, Boris Nemtsov was walking here with a friend when a car stopped and the assailant immediately opened fire.

(voice-over): As mourners laid flowers and lit candles, speculation who did it? Some blamed the government of Vladimir Putin, others disagree. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is a message go all of us. Hello, we have the guy that works for you and the best leader, bam, bam, bam. Who wants more? Who wants next?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have small part of -- in Russia people who wants to break Putin and maybe they make it -- people and as a country, government of country how bad Putin.

PLEITGEN: It's not clear who is behind the killing, but Boris Nemtsov had many enemies. He was Russia's deputy prime minister in the late '90s, but joined the opposition after Vladimir Putin came into power and was jailed several times for criticizing the government.

Vladimir Putin condemned Nemtsov's killing and offered the family his condolences. He also launched an investigation into the murder and said it bears all of the hallmarks of a contract killing aimed at provoking unrest.

Ilya Yashin is a friend and political ally of Nemtsov's. He was one of the first at the scene of the murder and strongly criticizes Russia's president.

I don't know who ordered the shooting or who pulled the trigger, he tells me, but I strongly believe it is Russia's government and personally, Vladimir Putin, who are responsible for it.

Vladimir Putin is responsible for creating the atmosphere of hatred in our country. They've incited hatred for all dissidents and for Boris Nemtsov.

Nemtsov was set to take part in an opposition rally criticizing Russia's role in the Ukraine conflict this Sunday instead there will now be a march of mourning for one of Russia's most eloquent opposition voices brutally silenced forever.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PLEITGEN: Christi, the big question moving forward is going to be will the opposition here in this country be galvanized by what happened or will it be intimidated. We'll see a lot of that tomorrow.

There is set to be a march of mourning for Boris Nemtsov. Meanwhile, the investigators are saying that they are also trying to gather more information. They say they are questioning witnesses and they also say that right now they believe that the gun that was used in all of this was a Makarov pistol -- Christi.

PAUL: All right, Fred, we appreciate it. Thank you.

BLACKWELL: Let's bring in law enforcement analyst and former FBI assistant director, Tom Fuentes. Tom, President Obama is calling for, and this is a quote, "Russia to conduct a prompt, impartial, and transparent investigation of Nemtsov's murder." Is that even a realistic request?

TOM FUENTES, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: Victor, in my opinion, we shouldn't be making any requests along those lines. We have no interest in that. It's an internal Russian matter. I think we should stay out of it.

BLACKWELL: Why?

FUENTES: Why should we? Why should we get involved? If we had a high profile murder in the United States, we wouldn't appreciate Putin telling our government to make sure you do a transparent investigation. So why should we weigh in on every problem like that when it's not in the U.S. interest to do it.

BLACKWELL: OK, let's move on to what Nemtsov said himself when he sat down for dinner with Anthony Bourdain last year. Let's listen.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANTHONY BOURDAIN, HOST, CNN'S "PARTS UNKNOWN": Critics of the government and critics of Putin, bad things seemed to happen to them.

BORIS NEMTSOV: Yes, unfortunately, existing power represent what I say Russia of 19th Century not of 21st.

BOURDAIN (voice-over): Critics of Putin beware. Oligarch Mitchell Korokovski (ph) accused Putin of corruption and wind up spending 10 years in prison and labor camps. Alexander Lidvenenko (ph) accused state security services of organizing a coup to put Putin in power. He was poisoned by a lethal dose of radioactive polonium.

Then Viktor Yushchenko, the former Ukrainian president poisoned, disfigured, and nearly killed by a toxic dose of Dioxin. I am not saying official Russian bodies had anything to do with it, but it's mighty suspicious.

(on camera): I don't think you need to be a conspiracy theorist to say whoever did this very much wanted to everyone to know who done it. Everybody understands?

NEMTSOV: Yes, of course.

BOURDAIN: And everybody is meant to understand.

NEMTSOV: Everybody understands. Everybody understands everything in this country.

BOURDAIN: Right.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLACKWELL: So let's use that as context, the information about those other leaders who met their fate questionably during the past few years under Putin's lead. You can also have the conversation about what's happening in Ukraine and dig deeper into your thought that the U.S. should not get involved or should not be calling upon Putin to investigate this.

If you have, as some believe a leader, who is not only encroaching upon the sovereignty of another country, but now systematically killing off opposition, that might be in the U.S. interest to stop.

FUENTES: We have no real mechanism to stop it and I think that Putin, the power that he wields in Russia, he has no reason to fear the United States. He has no reason to fear the Europeans. He has no reason to fear the United Nations.

The Russians themselves think he is doing great because he is trying to restore Russia to the good old days when they stood toe to toe with the United States through the cold war and lately because of the damage to their economy, which we are doing with the sanctions, and the European sanctions, they look at that as our fault.

They don't blame Putin for what he did in Ukraine. They just blame the west for interfering. I think that the Russians probably applaud the fact that thanks to Putin they have the Crimea back and what's going on in Eastern Ukraine is not something that the Russians are deeply against.

The only other thing on the murder that's true many of the people that have disagreed or been dissidents against Putin have met an untimely death, but you also have enemies of Nemtsov including within the activist movement in Russia.

So there are other people that would have motives and especially would have a lot to gain because you murder Nemtsov, it will look like Putin did it. They will activate the rest of the dissidents and whoever takes over leadership in that later will be able to replace him as the face of dissension in Russia.

So there are other people that stand to gain besides Putin and actually I don't think Putin has much at all to gain by it. This guy was no threat to him.

BLACKWELL: All right, Tom Fuentes, thank you so much.

FUENTES: Thank you.

BLACKWELL: Canadian authorities are racing to find at least four missing teenagers feared to be in or en route to the Middle East to join ISIS.

PAUL: Officials believe they flew from Montreal to Turkey in mid- January, but it's not clear where they are now. This case, though, marks the latest in the string of defections by westerners believed to have been lured by this terror group.

So CNN's Paula Newton has the very latest from Montreal for us. What have you learned this morning, Paula? Good morning.

PAULA NEWTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Christi. As we said at least four that have those links to ISIS, their families fearing they have in fact joined that terror group. Here authorities have opened investigations into several other young people from this area, who have headed to Turkey.

Some did have return tickets, Christi, but they did not tell their families that they wouldn't be returning earlier this month. That's when people alerted authorities. What they are trying to piece together now and it's so difficult, Christi, as we've seen with the British cases is figure out are they still in Turkey?

Who are they talking to online? Who are they talking to on their phone? What is more difficult here is that the online trail really is not as crystal clear as it would have been in other cases in some ways some of these young people disappeared without a trace.

In other cases, they hid from their families in terms of what their actual motives were. What is key here, though, is that authorities want to find out who is luring them there and how -- Christi.

PAUL: Right. And we know that these teens have been described as smart and kind and normal. I mean, have you spoken with anybody who could say I saw an indication, I saw a little bit of something that might make me think this isn't so odd.

NEWTON: I haven't spoken to any one personally who said that. The people said these were normal kids, all of them exceptionally bright as well, Christi, coming from good families. What the family members have said that look, we did see signs, we tried to stop them. We tried to kind of settle them down.

But it seemed to have been too late. What these families did not do and what the government wants them to do is alert the authorities so that their passports can be confiscated.

That doesn't mean the problem is going to be solved, but still radicalization, a huge problem, and a very complicated one to try and sort out, but it may at least stop them from boarding that plane to join ISIS.

PAUL: Absolutely, yes. All right, Paula Newton, thank you so much.

BLACKWELL: Meanwhile, here in the U.S., federal authorities are also battling the spread of home grown terror. Three men are behind bars this morning after an alleged failed attempt to join is in Syria. Investigators say the trio had plans to shoot and kill cops, even reportedly discussed assassinating President Obama.

Let's bring in CNN national security analyst, Peter Bergen. Peter, is there any consensus on how to stop this spread of home grown terror or are the inspirations so varied that it's hard to put your hands on it?

PETER BERGEN, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Well, Victor, as you recall, there was a White House three-day meeting about countering violent extremism. But you know, as Paula sort of indicated in her report, why people radicalize and how they radicalize is complicated and stopping it is not easy.

And also by the way, if you do stop somebody radicalizing before they become a militant, you know, how do you know you are even successful because, you know, we can't look inside people's souls.

You know, the reason that these people are often stopped at the airport before they leave is that's a very good indicator that they were going to do something nefarious.

Until that point, you know, unless you are buying airline tickets and doing things that are very clearly indicating that you're leaving it's often not very clear if somebody is merely a fundamentalist rather than a full-blown militant.

Paula in her report said that these were normal kids and came from well off backgrounds. That's pretty typical of this cohort. They are not people who are sort of coming from impoverished backgrounds.

The three guys in Brooklyn maybe sort of -- they don't appear to have been sort of upper middle class, but often the kids that are going that we've seen whether they are from Colorado or Chicago, come from very nice families.

And basically they have been influenced by the ISIS social media to believe that they are joining some kind of Islamist utopia in Syria even though that's clearly not the case. They are impressionable often teenagers, the ages of the people who are going are very young often.

BLACKWELL: Yes, the lifestyle they are promised is not the one they get. FBI Director James Comey, he made headlines this week after he spoke about this home grown ISIS threat. Listen to him and then we'll take about it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAMES COMEY, FBI DIRECTOR: We have investigations of people in various stages of radicalizing in all 50 states. ISIL in particular is putting out a siren song through their slick propaganda, social media that goes like this.

Troubled soul, come to the caliphate, you will live a life of glory, these are the apocalyptic end times, you will find a life of meaning here fighting for our so-called caliphate. If you can't come, kill somebody where you are.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: Investigations in all 50 states. Are there federal resources to keep track of all of these?

BERGEN: Well, you know, the FBI is a pretty large organization. It is a fact that if you are trying to survey somebody full time it does take quite a lot of people. But I don't think the FBI would make the claim they are under resourced.

But I think, you know, what Director Comey said was a very good summary of what the problem is. I mean, the vision that is sort of suggested to these kids and they are often kids, is that come to Syria and you'll be part of something very exciting even glorious and that the restoration of the caliphate.

The idea of -- you know, a Muslim empire that stretches from Indonesia to Morocco, you're going to be part of that, and that's an exciting message. And somehow these kids who are going discount the beheadings and all of the ugly things that ISIS does or somehow tune them out.

And they are inspired by this message and we're seeing unfortunately thousands of fighters from Western Europe and Canada and the United States and Australia go to join this supposed caliphate.

BLACKWELL: And of course, the conversation about surveillance resources became front of mind after the events in Paris several weeks ago, several months ago now, after authorities say that they knew about some of these individuals, but did not continue the surveillance because of limited resources.

Peter Bergen, we'll continue the conversation. Thank you so much.

BERGEN: Thank you.

PAUL: Still to come, a small Missouri town, can you imagine what they are feeling this morning? They were so shocked to the core by this. A shooter gunned down seven people in this house-to-house rampage.

BLACKWELL: Across this small community, plus down to the wire, lawmakers approve a short-term plan to fund the Department of Homeland Security, why next week's political fight could have major consequences, the one Republican in particular, House Speaker John Boehner.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLACKWELL: Investigators in Missouri are trying to find the motive behind this house-to-house killing spree that left seven people shot to death.

PAUL: The scene of the rampage is the small rural town, Tyrone, it's in Southeast Missouri, and most of its 50 residents, they know each other. They don't even lock their doors at night.

BLACKWELL: CNN Will Ripley is live in Missouri this morning. Will, what's the latest there?

WILL RIPLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Victor, the latest we expect police to possibly release the names of the other victims here later today. But you really need think about this for a second because it doesn't get much smaller talking about small town America than Tyrone, Missouri.

As you said, maybe 50 people live in the town and in the course of one awful night, they lost about a fifth of their population.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RIPLEY (voice-over): There's no stoplight in Tyrone, Missouri, no post office or even a gas station, but this tiny town is the scene of the deadly mass shooting in recent Missouri history.

JOHN SHRIVER, NEIGHBOR: I did not see it or hear it first. She was doubled over like a bunch of clothes or something. Just kind of bent over forward, and her head was down on the floor. RIPLEY: John Shriver got a phone call to go to his cousin's house down the street.

SHRIVER: When I got him by the arm, you know, it just -- you could tell that he was dead already.

RIPLEY: Shriver thinks his cousin and his wife were killed quickly. Their car and washing machine still running and their 13-year-old son alive and terrified in a back bedroom.

(on camera): He was in shock?

SHRIVER: I would say.

RIPLEY (voice-over): The house one of six crime screens and nine deaths. Seven people shot and killed, four from the same family less than three miles apart. The gunman's mother was apparently dead of natural causes. Police is investigating if her death somehow triggered the rampage.

JEFF KINDER, SPOKESMAN, MISSOURI STATE HIGHWAY PATROL: You know what? That's -- in our job we see a lot of bad stuff. This is bad and also hard on the police officers that are working that there. It's not natural to see that sort of thing.

RIPLEY: The Missouri State Highway Patrol said that the gunman, Joseph Aldridge, killed himself. Authorities say he had only a minor criminal history and nothing to foreshadow something like this. Many in this quiet corner of Southeast Missouri say they do not even look their doors.

SCOTT DILL, SUPERINTENDENT, HOUSE R-1 SCHOOL DISTRICT: My concern is children, and so our kids are having a really tough time, a wide variety of emotions and shock and tears, a lot of questions.

RIPLEY: Investigators working to figure out why someone would want to kill nearly an entire family. Hoping the sole survivor now in the hospital can provide answers.

(on camera): How is your community going to move forward from this?

DILL: One day at a time as a family. This community is based in faith and family. I have seen them come through some very difficult situations not inclined to this, of course.

RIPLEY: A massacre in a Missouri town and the few left behind the wonder why.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

RIPLEY: This corner of Southeast Missouri hasn't had a homicide in a year and a half, Victor and Christi. To think that most of the members of the Aldridge family were killed. Mr. Shriver's relatives who could be named later today, at least two of them killed as well. It is a stunning and devastating blow for the people who live here. BLACKWELL: And the question, of course, in everyone's mind, why? Hopefully, we'll get at least some answers later today. Will Ripley, thank you so much.

PAUL: That 13-year-old boy, my goodness.

Iraqi officials are slamming ISIS this morning for destroying antiquities that are thousands of years old. What is the significance of this?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLACKWELL: Developing overnight, President Obama has signed a short- term funding bill that will keep the Department of Homeland Security up and running for one week. House lawmakers approved the plan just hours before the midnight deadline.

PAUL: That means hundreds of thousands of TSA workers, border agents, other federal employees, will continue to get paid for the time being.

BLACKWELL: Let's bring in CNN's Erin McPike, she is live at the White House for us this morning. Erin, seven days they have to do something.

ERIN MCPIKE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Victor, that's right. And White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said yesterday from the podium that Republicans couldn't meet their self-imposed deadline that in two months they haven't figured out how to maximize their political advantage. Well, now House Speaker John Boehner has one more week to figure out how.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: -- vote, the yeas are 357 and the nays are 60, two-thirds being in the affirmative.

MCPIKE (voice-over): With the sound of the gavel, Congress compromised and passed a one-week extension to fund the Department of Homeland Security just hours before a Friday night deadline. Now, TSA screeners, border agents, and federal workers can get paid and keep working.

But chaos came before the compromise, for most of Friday, lawmakers seemed poised to avoid a nail-biter showdown, but when it came down to a vote to fund the department for three weeks, a shocking twist in the House to an already dramatic day on the Hill.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The joint resolution is not passed.

MCPIKE: Nearly every Democrat and a few dozen Republicans voted against it. It all came down to playing politics. Republicans wanted a provision blocking the president's executive order on immigration, which the bill didn't have.

And Democrats didn't vote for it because they wanted to force Republicans to fund the department for the full year rather than just three weeks.

As hope started to fade by the hour, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi told the Democrats to vote on a patch that would found the department for a week.

REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA), MINORITY LEADER: We certainly want to protect the American people every minute of every day, 24/7.

MCPIKE: The House apparently took note and passed the temporary fix. Congress is expected to continue the debate next week.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MCPIKE: And in that next week, there are conservative Republicans in the House, who are threatening that if House Speaker John Boehner brings a clean bill to the floor, that would fund the Department of Homeland Security for another year without stripping away President Obama's executive action on immigration. They are threatening that they would try to overthrow him from the speaker's chair -- Christi and Victor.

BLACKWELL: How realistic is that and have they identified an alternative?

MCPIKE: Look, this has come up before. There have been some conservative House Republicans, who say they would try to challenge Speaker Boehner. This has happened over the last couple of years. Whether or not they can get the votes to do that? That of course remains to be seen, but these threats are certainly out there.

BLACKWELL: Yes, the votes, that's the important part. Erin McPike, thank you so much.

PAUL: All right, despite the obvious shutdown of a lot of organizations, a lot of people are saying why all these ruckus? Why does this matter? Let's ask former New York City police commissioner, Bernard Kerik.

Commissioner Kerik, thank you for being with us.

BERNARD KERIK, FORMER NYPD COMMISSIONER: Thank you.

PAUL: I know that you have been really outspoken about this delay specifically. Talk to us about why that is, what is your beef here?

KERIK: Well, the beef is exactly what this segment is about -- politics. You cannot play politics with the national security of this country, number one. You should not be.

Number two, we are at a time when we are, you know, experiencing some of the biggest threats we've ever faced in our homeland -- the recent arrests in New York, the continuous threats around the country from ISIS and ISIL. And as the FBI director said in the last few days, we are surveilling, investigating these types of threats in all 50 states. And you have political leaders in Washington on both sides of the

aisle that are, you know, not doing their job. If you have a problem with the immigration issue, take it to court. Do whatever you have to do, but do not hold up funding for the Department of Homeland Security. It's just not -- it's outrageous, it's dangerous. And it puts us in jeopardy.

PAUL: Is there anything specific you would say to lawmakers if you could sit down with any of them right now and look at them face-to- face?

KERIK: Basically what I'd say is listen to the people who know what's out there in the streets. Listen to the FBI director. Listen to the attorney general. Listen to the ground commanders in Iraq and Syria, in Iraq and in the Middle East right now.

We are facing a threat like we've never faced before, and to even consider sending, you know, home the non-essential personnel for the DHS, the people that man the computers and you know, man the intelligence networks and, you know, do a bunch of the stuff that you know, ironically they will have to be replaced by enforcement officials if this happens. This can't happen. It cannot happen. We have to stop playing politics with national security.

PAUL: So it sounds as though you're saying to congress you've got to listen to the people on the ground and listen to the people that are directly involved here. Do you get the sense that -- I know you said they are playing politics but do you think Congress just doesn't get what this is -- the risk, the threat really is?

KERIK: You know what, Christi, there's no telling. I don't know what these people think. Here's what I know. On both sides of the aisle, it's all about their positions. It's all about them. It's all about polarization in politics.

It just can't be. Do your job. Do your job. Secure this country. And you're not securing this country when you're not funding the Department of Homeland Security.

PAUL: All right. Bernard Kerik -- Commissioner, we appreciate you being with us. Thank you so much.

KERIK: Thank you.

BLACKWELL: We'll examine the political in fighting behind all of this, our experts weigh in.

And still ahead, United Airlines is talking tough to its pilots. A new memo is giving a stern warning after recent mistakes in the cockpit lead to a number of close calls. How safe are we on these planes?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLACKWELL: After a day of drama the House approved a one-week extension of funding for the Department of Homeland Security -- one week, seven days. That means the bill will be back on the table March 6. But is that enough time to find a solution to this problem? Let's bring in CNN political commentator Maria Cardona and Republican strategist Lisa Boothe. Good to have both of you back.

MARIA CARDONA, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Good morning Victor.

LISA BOOTHE, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: Hi Victor -- good morning.

BLACKWELL: Maria, let's start with you. Is a week enough time?

CARDONA: Well, we'll see. What we saw last night, Victor, was a resounding and embarrassing and humiliating failure of the leadership of Speaker Boehner. And what a long trip we've come from the days right after the election when Speaker Boehner and leader -- and new senate leader Mitch McConnell vowed that the days of governing from crisis to crisis were over.

And so right now what we're seeing is that the Speaker has one week to prove that he can come to his senses, really try to govern, and focus on perhaps the path that his colleague in the senate took, Mitch McConnell after he realized that what he was trying to push through the senate wasn't going to work, and so finally he put to a vote a bill that cleanly funded the Department of Homeland Security until September. That was the way to go.

But right now what we saw this week is that Speaker Boehner is more interested in the security of his speakership gavel than in the security of the American people.

BLACKWELL: Let's go to Lisa. Do you think that the Speaker should or will be able to sell his caucus on a clean long term funding bill?

BOOTHE: Well, I don't think that's something that Republicans in the House are going to support but to Maria's point we're governing crisis to crisis right now because this is an unresolved crisis because of Democrats last congress. We have to remember why we're here right now.

We're here right now because Democrats failed to do their jobs last Congress. Republicans passed numerous appropriations bills last Congress, we debated those bills for over 90 hours in a transparent process and we considered over 400 amendments. Senate Democrats passed zero amendments.

We're also here right now because President Obama decided to do something that he said over 20 times he did not have the constitutional authority to do, and that's rewrite our nation's immigration laws on his own. And this is something that a federal court in Texas just struck down as unconstitutional.

So we're here right now we're governing crisis to crisis because of Democrats.

BLACKWELL: But Lisa, are you also here right now because the Republican leadership allowed it to go for two months, also allowed this element of not funding the President's executive order on immigration. The Republicans are in charge of when the votes are called and what gets into the bills because of their majorities here.

BOOTHE: Well, that's true as far as Republicans are in charge of the votes but, you know, you have to look at why we're here, Victor. And I think that's what's so important in this fight. And I think, you know, a lot of people would like to point to Republicans right now which Maria is doing but what they are not recognizing is the fact that we're here and we're facing this crisis, we're in this situation because Democrats failed to do their jobs last congress.

So quite frankly, it's not only ironic but it's laughable for Maria to point the finger at Republicans when it's Democrats' failed leadership last congress and unresolved issues last congress because of Democrats failing to do their jobs.

BLACKWELL: Could this backfire Maria on Democrats?

CARDONA: No. Actually I think it's back firing on Republicans. And what is actually ridiculous is for Lisa to blame this on the Democrats when I'm sorry, who is in control of congress, who is in control of both houses, the senate and the house? Oh, right, it's Republicans who vowed not to govern crisis by crisis.

And let's take a look at why we're here. The President did do an executive action and by the way, through his constitutional authority that many Republican presidents have exercised in the past.

BOOTHE: That's not what a federal court in Texas just said.

CARDONA: Completely legal. Completely legal -- well, we'll see. That is going to go through the courts. We'll see.

But let's also look at why he did that. Speaking of not doing their job, Speaker Boehner had a year and a half, Lisa, to go to the floor with a comprehensive immigration reform bill to get immigration reform fixed, done. He could even have done it piecemeal the way he says he wanted to do. He refused to do any of it.

So again, he is kowtowing to the most extreme conservative voices in his caucus. He is proving to the American people that he cannot govern and that he's putting politics before the safety of the Americans.

(CROSSTALK)

BOOTHE: It's not President Obama's job to rewrite our nation's immigration laws. The immigration bill that you're talking about would cost taxpayers $30 billion and does nothing to address the illegality of the border.

CARDONA: Lisa, I didn't interrupt you.

BLACKWELL: Hold on. Maria, Maria -- let me put me put this question to Lisa. There are two senior house Republican sources tell CNN that there is serious concern among those close to the Speaker that if he allowed the vote on this long term DHS funding bill, the clean bill, that conservatives would make a motion to vacate the chair -- a direct challenge to his job. How serious do you think that is?

BOOTHE: Well, I think it's a question for those House Republicans. But look, we don't know what's going to happen. I think there's going to be some serious debate happening over the next week and there are some serious issues that we're looking at right now.

But you know, I think what is important and what I continue to go back to because you know, I think it's absolutely important to address the root causes of what we're facing right now, that's Democrats failed leadership last congress and the fact that Democrats failed to do their job.

BLACKWELL: Well, we're in this congress. We're in this Congress.

CARDONA: Yes. Lisa you can't go back and blame it on Democrats.

BLACKWELL: It's now Republicans who are in charge of the House and the Senate and when -- all right. I just got a big wrap from -- in TVP cut it off, we got to move on from the producer.

So Maria Cardona, Lisa Boothe -- thank you very much. Of course, we'll continue this over the next week.

BOOTHE: Thank you Victor.

CARDONA: Thank you Victor.

BLACKWELL: Christi.

PAUL: Always good discussion.

BLACKWELL: Yes.

PAUL: Listen. The war with ISIS has left millions of Syrians and Iraqis homeless. They're hungry. They don't have clothing. There are organizations trying to help by providing food and shelter and medical care. So, for ways that you can help go to CNN.com/impact. We'll be right back.

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PAUL: You know, in one single scathing memo United Airlines has a message for its pilots: dysfunctional cockpit behavior stops now. This memo which was issued January 9, was recently obtained by CNN and it details two incidents which could have resulted in ground crashes; also a third where a plane landed with less than the required amount of fuel on board.

Howard Attarian, United's SVP of flight operations said to pilots, and I want to quote this here. "Every pilot must be willing to speak up if their safety is in question. In the same vein, every pilot must also accept the input of their fellow crew members on the flight deck in most cases one of the pilots recognizes an unsafe situation. In some cases a pilot's input is ignored -- this is unacceptable."

Let's talk to Alistair Rosenschein about this. He's a former pilot and aviation consultant. Alistair, thanks for being with us. So we hear a mandate like this, I wonder, what is the ego clash going on in the air? How much does it matter?

ALISTAIR ROSENSCHEIN, AVIATION CONSULTANT: Well they should -- well, it matters a great deal. There shouldn't be an ego clash. It's incumbent on both pilots to work as a well oiled team, a team who work together to maintain the safety of the flight. If you have a pilot who, for whatever reason be it arrogance or otherwise chooses to ignore the other pilot, and this could be either the copilot being ignored or the captain being ignored, it cuts both ways -- then the flight safety is compromised.

There's a method called crew resource management which is taught to all new airline pilots. And that is in fact a method to teach them how they must work together and be able -- each pilot must be able to speak out and say to the other one not happy, speed's too fast or the wrong glide slope and they must be able to do so and know that their response will be a favorable one.

PAUL: But is it usually? I mean is there an ego problem?

ROSENSCHEIN: Well, I mean occasionally there can be. There can be the odd clash of character. But you have to put that aside as a professional pilot.

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PAUL: Sure, I just wondered how often they actually do put it aside. I'm sorry -- I wanted to get this other quote in because I'd love to get your input on this.

Another quote from this said "We are currently seeing a lot of movement in the pilot group such as retirements, seat movement, new hires that while welcome introduces significant risk to the operation." What kind of risk do you see from that -- Alastair?

ROSENSCHEIN: Well, we're talking about promoting first officers to command so they move to the other seat. They then take on a different role which is that of the captain. While the role is not a great deal different they have to you know, develop their listening skills, and accept what the first officer might say to them.

The other thing is that new first officers might be a little reticent to speak out because they are new in the operation. They're not too certain whether they are supposed to speak out or not. And the straight answer to that is if in doubt speak out. And if your copilot says something as a captain, listen. That's a warning sign. And you should act on it immediately.

PAUL: So when you hear statements like this coming and mandates coming to crews like this, do you believe -- what is the danger to the passengers, what is the risk here?

ROSENSCHEIN: Firstly, United has acted perfectly correctly in highlighting this point and making it known to the pilots. It is up to the pilots now to take on board what's been said, to avoid any form of complacency whatsoever.

In that memo it's also said that you know, one pilot might say to the other a standard operating procedures today, well standard briefing. What in fact that means is they are not going to do a briefing. They are taking it as read that both pilots know what's going to be done. That is completely and awfully (ph) unacceptable.

PAUL: Ok. Good to know.

Alastair Rosenschein, we appreciate your input as always. Thanks for being here.

ROSENSCHEIN: Thank you.

BLACKWELL: 40 million people -- 40 million expected to get hit with winter weather this weekend. In Texas, the roads -- I mean they are bad there. And hundreds of flights are canceled. We've got the latest on this brutal weather next.

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PAUL: Folks in Dallas-Fort Worth metro area we feel for you. I know this is what you were dealing with yesterday and because of the snow and ice, snarling traffic, more flights are delayed this morning.

BLACKWELL: And they are not alone. About 40 million people are also under winter weather advisories. Meteorologist Ivan Cabrera is with us now. It seems like it just goes on and on and on.

IVAN CABRERA, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yes. And for Dallas it's continuing this morning, in fact, we have a ground stop right now which means if you're in another airport and you're trying to get in to Dallas-Forth Worth it's not happening. You are being held wherever your initial location is.

And of course if there is a flight in progress we're going to try to get you in here. But this is the issue with Dallas. Not much going on right now but you see some of this pink beginning to move in. That's an indication of some icing that will continue. We're talking about freezing drizzle this morning. Not snow, it is just rain that's coming down and it's freezing on contact because we have 27 degrees in Dallas right now. That is the current temperature.

As we put this into motion, you'll be able to see what happens here and by the time we get into 3:00, it's going to take a while to warm temperatures enough at the surface, it will begin to melt some of the icing there. So then we talk about upper 30s by later this afternoon and we'll be done with this mess.

And by the way, this is part of the energy that's going to be moving up to the northeast. This is why we're talking about 40 million people being affected. You may be in the path of this if you are in the Midwest -- there goes the snow and yes, eventually it gets into the northeast as well. New York will be getting two to four inch also. Boston four to six inches -- another winter storm for you. Compared to the last ones, this is not going to be a huge storm but nevertheless, it's still going to be disruptive for some of us here.

And look at that, the (inaudible) there Colorado getting whacked with some pretty good snow. But there is the forecast as we take you through Monday -- significant accumulations for some of the big cities once again -- guys.

PAUL: Ivan, thank you.

BLACKWELL: All right.

That's it for us. We'll see you back here at 10:00 Eastern in the CNN NEWSROOM.

PAUL: Don't go anywhere though. "SMERCONISH" is coming up with you after the break. Stay close.

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