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Major Detroit Drug Dealer to Be Resentenced; American Being Held By Rebels in Yemen; Presidential Campaign Revs Up for Fall; Clinton Leads By 11 Points in Iowa; Kasich Second Behind Trump in New Hampshire; Bernie Sanders Rises in Polls; Jeb Bush's Uphill Battle; Rescuing Refugees Off Turkey; Race for the White House; Europe's Refugee Crisis. Aired 1-1:30p ET

Aired September 07, 2015 - 13:00   ET

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

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, I'm Wolf Blitzer reporting from Washington.

This just coming into CNN. We're learning new details now about an American held captive by Houthi rebels in Yemen. Let's get straight to our Pentagon Correspondent Barbara Starr. Barbara, tell us about what you're learning.

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, a source close to the family of this man identifies the American as Scott Darden, 45 years old, a native of Atlanta, Georgia, working for a company called Transoceanic Development. In Yemen in March, he was taken captive by Houthi rebels as that country's government was falling. A good deal of violence in Yemen over the months.

And what we know is that Darden is now identified as one of, perhaps, as many as three Americans still being held by the Houthi rebels. No ransom demand for Darden, at this point. There has been a good deal of behind-the-scenes maneuvering and discussion between the Obama administration and the Houthi rebels about this small group, perhaps, again, as many as three Americans, continuing to be held by the Houthi rebels. Discussions to try and get them out of there.

One of them, a fourth man, was released earlier this summer. But they've clearly been making an effort behind the scenes to get them out of there. As the Houthis were taking over Yemen earlier this year, the U.S. embassy shut down. All Americans were repeatedly and urgently asked to evacuate the country.

Some Americans got caught in the middle, clearly it is believed that Darden was one of them. But the State Department very aware of the circumstances and we are told that his company, Transoceanic Development, out of New Orleans, which deals in freight and port services in very difficult parts of the world, obviously also aware of his circumstances. A lot of effort being made to try and get this man and the other Americans home -- Wolf.

BLITZER: As you know, Barbara, the "Washington Post" which first reported this information about Darden says the other two Americans include a 54-year-old man from Michigan and a 35-year-old man who was teaching English in Yemen. What else, if anything, do we know about these two other Americans apparently who were being held by these Houthi rebels?

STARR: Well, I don't know that there is any reason to suggest that that account is not accurate. It may very well be. But, look, Wolf, when it comes to Americans being held overseas in these kinds of circumstances, where they -- whether they are hostages, captives, Americans being held against their will.

One of the things that the news media does is, obviously, be very careful about identifying them. Families are sensitive about this. Governments are very sensitive. And, in this case, we do know that the State Department has been talking to the Houthis, had at least one very, very intense discussion with them to try and get all of the Americans that are there, to get them out of there. So, this is a very sensitive matter about any further identification of these people unless, of course, their families want them to be identified publicly.

BLITZER: And in the case of Scott Darden, his family and friends do now want to go public. They've got a Facebook page out there as well. They made the decision against the advice, I take it, of the State Department or the U.S. Government which urged them remain silent, to go ahead out of their frustration and go public. Is that right?

STARR: Well, there is, in fact, a Facebook posting now believed to be from the friends of Mr. Darden. You know, the State Department, the U.S. government, as we have seen in so many hostage situations, takes the route of trying to encourage families not to essentially go public. Many families feel that they want to and it is very much their decision about what they want to do and how they want to handle it.

Hostage rescue, captive rescue, getting people out of detention of any type, whether it's -- you know, political type, hostage taking, very difficult, very sensitive circumstances. The State Department, the administration over the years, over the decades, has tended to err on the side of trying to keep things quiet and work behind the scenes to get people out -- Wolf.

[13:05:00] BLITZER: Barbara star with that information for us. We'll stay on top of the story. Thank you.

All right, let's move onto politics right now. Labor Day marks the next phase in the presidential campaign as the race for the White House revs up for the fall. Many of the establishment candidates are facing some pretty tough challenges right now from political outsiders. A new NBC News Marist poll shows Hillary Clinton trailing Bernie Sanders in New Hampshire 41 percent to 32 percent. Vice president Joe Biden is at 16 percent. Clinton's lead over Sanders in Iowa has dwindled to only 11 points.

The vice president is still weighing, as you know, whether to get into the race. At a Labor Day rally earlier today, he said something is wrong when middle-class workers are struggling so much.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: How many people in your own neighborhoods -- how many people in your own neighborhoods are in trouble, can look their kids in the eye and say with heart, honey, it's gonna be OK. It's gonna be OK." Not enough because the level playing field doesn't exist.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: On the Republican side, Donald Trump remains on top in Iowa and in New Hampshire but Ohio governor, John Kasich, is clearly gaining ground. The NBC Marist poll shows Trump leading at 28 percent in New Hampshire. Kasich is now in second place at 12 percent, followed by Ben Carson at 11 percent. Candidates from both parties are out in full force this Labor Day. Hillary Clinton has three events after a Labor Day picnic in Iowa. She heads to Hampton, Illinois.

Our Senior Washington Correspondent Jeff Zeleny is already on the scene for us. Jeff, Bernie Sanders says the Clinton campaign should be worried about his surge in the polls. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Some of the polls -- and I'm not all that much into polls -- but some of the polls now have us leading in New Hampshire, substantially closing the gap here in Iowa and closing the gap all over America. So, obviously, I think the secretary's people are getting very nervous about the kind of energy and enthusiasm our campaign is bringing forth.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: What about that, Jeff? Is the Clinton getting -- Clinton team getting nervous? Should they be worried about Bernie Sanders and his surge?

JEFF ZELENY, CNN SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, there's no question they're taking it very seriously. What began, sort of, as a summertime fling, you know, we called it the summer of Sanders, has turned into a full-blown campaign here. And he is attracting so many crowds across the country, across all these battleground states. And he is really gaining the hearts and minds of liberal progressive voters out there.

So, what the Clinton team is trying to do is get some more enthusiasm. So, we're here at a picnic, at a Labor Day picnic where she'll speaking behind me, oh, in an hour or a couple hours or so.

And, Wolf, I can tell you, when you talk to the Democrats here, when you talk to the voters, they like her. They like secretary Clinton. But they are not ready to sign on the dotted line with her. They want to hear what Bernie Sanders has to say and they certainly want to see if Joe Biden is going to jump into the race. So, we're at a bit of a holding pattern here in this Democratic campaign, at least for now, Wolf.

BLITZER: All right, stand by. We're going to get back to you. Meanwhile, new poll numbers give vice president Biden something else to consider as he decides whether to run for president. The new NBC Marist poll shows Biden faring better than Hillary Clinton against Donald Trump. Biden tops Trump 49 percent to 45 percent in Iowa. Trump beats Clinton 48 to 43 percent in Iowa.

Let's go to our Senior Political Correspondent Brianna Keilar. She's in Pittsburgh where the vice president spoke at a Labor Day parade kickoff just a little while ago. Brianna, what about the tone of the vice president's speech today?

BRIANA KEILAR, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, he was so fiery and passionate. It was remarkable when you compare it to last week where we saw him address a crowd in Florida and he was very somber. As he talks -- as he talked honestly about still dealing with the death of his son Beau Biden just a few months ago.

But, today, he was really, really lively talking to this group of union members. He said he was mad. He said he was angry about the plight of the middle class. And he said -- really, he kind of laid out a populist message as he talked about wanting there to be free community college and railing against trust fund babies and saying that there should be --

BLITZER: Unfortunately, we just lost our connection with Brianna. We'll get back to her.

Donald Trump, meanwhile, holds on to his front-runner status in Iowa and in New Hampshire. But another Republican candidate is now in second place in the latest New Hampshire poll. Trump is at 28 percent followed by the Ohio governor John Kasich. Look at this, he's already 12 percent. Dr. Ben Carson is close behind at 11 percent with the rest of the Republican field all in single digits.

Let's go to our National Correspondent Sunlen Serfaty. She's joining us from Milford, New Hampshire right now. Kasich is getting ready to take part in a Labor Day parade there. Sunlen, what's behind Kasich's rise? And it's pretty dramatic in New Hampshire.

[13:10:04] SUNLEN SERFATY, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It is a dramatic rise, Wolf. And part of it has much to do about Jeb Bush because as Jeb Bush has seen his support here in New Hampshire drop, you're seeing Kasich get a lot of that support and his numbers just go up. And it's -- so, clearly, it seems here that he is picking up some support, tapping into voters that want to see a more establishment candidate do well in this race.

But, at the same time, parallelly (ph), Kasich has really done a lot of work, a lot of ground work here in New Hampshire, to lay a solid foundation for his campaign. He has invested a lot of money. He's up with T.V. ads. He's also invested a lot of time. For instance, last week here, he held three town halls in one day. At this point in the race, that's really outpacing a lot of the candidates. And his campaign noting that in reaction to these polls. They say he has put in the work. I should note, though, of course he has a lot more work to do because he is 16 points behind Donald Trump here in New Hampshire -- Wolf.

BLITZER: And it looks obvious that Jeb Bush, the former Florida governor, is in deep trouble in New Hampshire and in Iowa right now. His numbers going down, despite that super PAC that sports him with about $100 million. We'll see what happens if Jeb Bush can regain some of that earlier momentum. Sunlen, thanks very, very much.

Up next, we'll dig deeper into Bernie Sanders's dramatic rise in the polls, Jeb Bush's fall in the polls and how much Iowa and New Hampshire really matter.

Also ahead, CNN rides along with the Turkish Coast Guard rescuing refugees who are stranded in a rubber boat. The unbelievable video and a whole lot more on this story coming up.

[13:11:44]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:15:46] WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Let's get back to the race for the White House. Bernie Sanders surging, Donald Trump dominating in the latest polls, but some of the other presidential candidates are struggling as we head into the fall.

Let's bring in our panel to talk about this and more. Joining us, our CNN political commentator, the Democratic strategist, Donna Brazile. Also CNN's senior political analyst Ron Brownstein. He's the editorial director of "The National Journal." And Jeffrey Lord, our CNN political commentator, a former Reagan White House political director.

Guys, thanks to all of you for joining us.

Ron, Jeb Bush has seen his support in Iowa and New Hampshire drop roughly by half since July alone, only a few weeks, and lately he's becoming a little bit more aggressive in taking on Donald Trump. Is that the right strategy for him for his effort to revive his campaign?

RON BROWNSTEIN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, I think he has to show passion and he has to show that he is engaged and he has to show strength. I mean, you know, Jeb Bush is struggling I think largely for his own reasons to connect with voters. They still have a lot of time. They still have a lot of money and still is an overwhelming likelihood that the early states of Iowa and New Hampshire will produce one candidate from a center-right bracket that could be Bush or Kasich or Christie or Rubio, most likely the first two, and one candidate from a conservative bracket. So he still has an opportunity, but he has - he has struggled to connect and I think that he has been forced into taking a more aggressive posture toward Donald Trump than he originally intended because I think not long ago the Bush campaign was probably hoping that Trump was the winner out of the conservative bracket, most likely anointed by Iowa, because they thought he would be easier to beat in the long run than some of the other alternatives.

BLITZER: Donna, as you know, on the Democratic side, Bernie Sanders, he's surging past Hillary Clinton in the latest New Hampshire poll. Is this a sign of growing enthusiasm for Senator Sanders or a fallout from the e-mail controversy surrounding her?

DONNA BRAZILE, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well, I think it's - it's both, Wolf. Look, there's no question that Senator Sanders has been able to capture what I believe those Democrats who want to hear a robust message about the economy, growing income inequality, climate change. And it's not that those voters disagree with Secretary Clinton at all, but, you know, Bernie Sanders is a new face in the Democratic primary. So I think they're not just flirting with Bernie Sanders, I think some of them are coming to like Bernie Sanders. And there's no question he has enormous energy and he's expanding the electorate.

But Secretary Clinton still has strong favorabilities with the Democratic primary. I think she has done a fantastic job of trying to pivot over the last couple weeks from all the negative media attention that she seems to get just because her last name is Clinton. I think she has an opportunity still to build a - build, I think, upon all of the great strengths and asset that she brought to the campaign in 2008, but this is a different season and there's no question that Bernie Sanders is capturing not just Democrats who want to see a different person run, but he's capturing people on the issues as well.

BLITZER: Yes, I think it's fair to say Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump, for that matter, they've goth been huge surprises in their strength, at least so far.

Jeffrey, Carly Fiorina, who's also doing well in the Republican polls, she says she feels like she's the only candidate really attacking Hillary Clinton right now. She says - she questions why Donald Trump, in her words, she's not - they're not going after her more aggressively. You're a Trump supporter. What's your response to Carly Fiorina?

JEFFREY LORD, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well, I think he's focused on the establishment candidates within the GOP first and that has been primarily Jeb Bush. I suspect that John Kasich, if it turns out that he replaces Jeb Bush, you'll see John Kasich surge up there in terms of attack mode.

But I - you know, the Hillary thing, he has said she's the worst secretary of state ever. So it's not like he's paying no attention to her, but I do think, you know, first things first, is to focus on the - his competitors in the Republican field and he certainly has been doing that.

BLITZER: Yes, he's certainly been going after her, though. As you point out, he says she's the worst secretary of state ever but although he now - he now - he now adds -

BRAZILE: This is a - this is a candidate who can't even answer some simple questions about who is the leader of Hezbollah, who's the leader of Hamas. I'll tell you one thing about Secretary Clinton, not only does she know their names, she also know the game and she knows how to defeat them. So they can do all of this what I call shadow boxing against Secretary Clinton.

[13:20:01] LORD: Well, you know, Donna - BRAZILE: But get in the ring with her and I guarantee you she can prove her punches.

LORD: Donna, I do recall when she was running for president the last time, she didn't know who the prime minister of Russia was. But my - my point is, if you know all those people -

BRAZILE: I doubt that.

LORD: But you're still taking the country in the wrong direction, what good does that do you? And, you know, just listening to the news a few minutes ago, Wolf, we're talking about an American hostage situation in Yemen. You know, this is the kind of thing that upended Jimmy Carter and the Democrats in 1980 and we have no idea, you know, where that stands, but it's the kind of thing exactly like that that Secretary Clinton and President Obama and Vice President Biden have all had their hands on the tiller and that's going to be a problem.

BLITZER: All right, let's move on.

BRAZILE: Well, we definitely won't take the country in a direction that the Republicans took us in fighting the Iraq War. We won't take the country -

BLITZER: All right.

BRAZILE: In the direction the Republicans have tried to take us on the economy. So you - I think this is a debate that we're going to have next fall. But for right now, you've got to take a look at Dr. Ben Carson, who I think is going to give Donald Trump a run for his money both in Iowa and New Hampshire. He's the - he's the candidate that's catching a little seem as well.

BLITZER: All right. Go ahead, Ron.

BROWNSTEIN: One - one quick - one quick point, which is that, you kind of look at these NBC/Marist polls and you see a lot of weakness in these for both parties. I mean it is early, but this is a fire alarm poll for Hillary Clinton with 60 percent negative - unfavorable ratings in both Iowa and New Hampshire states that have voted Democratic in five of the past six elections.

On the other hand, if you're a Republican and you're still thinking beyond the Republican primary, Donald Trump is looking at unfavorable ratings approaching 60 percent in both states. And, still, only about a third viewing him favorably. In the Quinnipiac national poll last week, only a third of Americans said they believe he had the temperament to handle an international crisis. I mean you're looking at - and Jeb Bush is looking at very high unfavorable ratings as well. I mean, you know, it's kind of a little bit of, what else do you have back on the shell there at a point where Americas are deeply unhappy with, you know, kind of the direction of the country, the trajectory of the economy, what they're seeing out of Washington, you're looking at a lot of weakness in - in both - kind of even at the top of both fields at this point. A lot of candidates have a lot of work to do to repair their images, I think, before people start voting. BLITZER: But you've got to admit, Donna, it is pretty stunning that in

this new NBC News/Marist poll that Bernie Sanders, he may be from a neighboring state of New Hampshire, but he's now beating her, what, by nine points. That is pretty stunning, isn't it?

BRAZILE: You know, Wolf, it's - it's still early and I'm not surprised that Bernie Sanders, as I mentioned earlier, he has momentum. I've listened to his speech when he was at the DNC last week. There's no question that there's a lot of enthusiasm, not just for his message, but the way in which he's handling himself. Look, he's - he's not out there doing counterpunches against the Democratic candidates. He's out there talking directly to the American people and people really enjoy politicians who understand how to talk to them about the issues that they care about and also about the political system itself. So advantage Bernie Sanders.

BLITZER: All right, we'll see what Joe Biden then decides to do in the coming days as well.

LORD: Well, can I just make one quick point there?

BLITZER: You - one quick, final point. Go ahead.

LORD: Real - yes, real quick. New Hampshire is the best terrain for a candidate like Bernie Sanders, just as it was for Bill Bradley, Gary Hart, Gene McCarthy. It's virtually all white. It's got a lot of upper middle class white liberals who respond to a candidate like Sanders. In that poll yesterday, Clinton was even with Sanders among white - among New Hampshire Democrats without a college education. Those with a college education preferred him by 19 points. Same kind of constituency that Bradley had in 2000 against Al Gore. Once you get past New Hampshire, it gets more challenging as minority voters, are so far preferring Clinton by about 4-1, begin to factor in, in big numbers in the Democratic primary.

BLITZER: Yes, but there's still -

LORD: But there's no question that he's exposing a weakness in a portion of the electorate.

BRAZILE: Hey, Ron, we beat Bill Bradley. Al Gore beat Bill Bradley.

LORD: Yes, and he did.

BRAZILE: Just wanted to let you know, Al Gore did beat Bill Bradley.

LORD: And that's - and - 51-47.

BLITZER: All right, guys, stand by. All right, guys, we're going to continue, obviously.

BRAZILE: A win is a win.

BLITZER: Our coverage of all of all of this. So stand by.

For the latest in politics, by the way, on all the presidential contenders, head over to cnnpolitics.com.

Up next we turn to the refugee crisis as thousands and thousands of desperate people flood out of the Middle East. The pressure now on Europe to try to find some solution. We'll take a closer look at who's stepping up to help. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:28:20] BLITZER: Now to the worsening refugee crisis in Europe and the flood of desperate people fleeing from the volatile Middle East. Vulnerable families searching for sanctuary, some with just the clothes on their back, and facing an uncertain welcome in so many countries.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER (voice-over): Seventeen thousand people, exhausted and terrified, have poured into Germany over the last two days. Another 10,000 expected to arrive in the next 24 hours. Men, women, children, refugees desperate to get away from terrorism, civil wars, and persecution in their home countries. Their journey, a treacherous one, fleeing Syria by boat, bus, train, and by foot, through at least five countries on their way to Austria, Germany, and now France and the U.K. The first and so far only European countries to openly welcome some of the 350,000 to who tried to cross into Europe just this year.

These are the people who have made it to relative safety, but the U.N. estimates that almost 3,000 people died, prompting calls for the European Union to do more.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The European Union was built in decades after the Second World War on the experience of that war. Now we should remember our story and act. We have the duty to save and protect people that are fleeing from war.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: One of the most dangerous routes is by sea, where many make the journey in overcrowded rubber boats, attempting to get from Turkey to Greece. The power of the waves and the current can be overwhelming, leaving many stranded at sea.

[13:30:00] Our senior international correspondent Ivan Watson shows us how one group was picked up in a dramatic rescue.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Under the spotlight of a Turkish coast guard cutter -

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You see - you see the refugees?