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Another Beheading by ISIS; UK Ready to Destroy ISIL; Hillary Cilnton Visits Iowa; Hillary Clinton Addresses Crowd

Aired September 14, 2014 - 16:00   ET

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


(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN ANCHOR: Hey there, everyone. These are our top stories at this hour.

Another terrifying and brutal beheading by the terror group ISIS. This time it is British aid worker David Hanes. He was executed. His brother speaking out.

Plus the plan to destroy ISIS. Secretary of state John Kerry saying that some nations are indeed prepared to take action in the air right alongside the United States. But what exactly is that action going to look like?

And a live look at the (INAUDIBLE) in Iowa where Bill and Hillary Clinton are expected to speak at any moment. We'll be there live.

Heartbreak for the family of David Hanes. They are in mourning after terror militants behead the 44-year-old British aid worker. It was a gruesome video and again it was posted online. This video very much like the ones we have seen showing the executions of Americans James Foley and Steven Sotloff. And the mass militant well he sounds very much like the man that we saw in previous videos.

The U.S. and Great Britain made it clear today, that both nations are prepared to do whatever it takes to destroy the terror group and bring Hanes' executioner, his killer to justice. Haines' executioner blames Haines' death on Great Britain in what he called its evil alliance with America. British Prime Minister David Cameron says that Haines' death is not going to cause Britain to waiver but instead it is not going to strengthen the country's resolve to defeat ISIS.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVID CAMERON, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: We are a peaceful people. We do not seek out confrontation. But we need to understand. We cannot ignore this threat to our security and that of our ally. There is no option of keeping our heads down that would make us safe.

The problem would merely get worse as it has done over recent months not just for us but for Europe and for the world. We cannot just walk on by if we are to keep this country safe, we have to confront this menace.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FEYERICK: And while governments react, Haines is being remembered as a loving husband and father to his two children.

His brother, Michael Haines, just another bloke. He spoke out a short time ago. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAEL HAINES, BROTHER OF SLAIN HOSTAGE: (INAUDIBLE) a brother, son, father, nephew, husband and friend brutally and cold-bloodedly murdered by ISIS after being held hostage since March 2013.

At that time, we have been in constant contact with (INAUDIBLE) office, the police and other authorities. We have as a family received all support and cooperation that could, under the circiumstances be different. We can only praise and give our thanks to the agencies that helped us during our time of need. We agreed with the government (INAUDIBLE) are extremely dangerous and pose a threat to every nation, every religion, every politics, every person.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FEYERICK: And I'm joined now by our senior international correspondent, Nic Robertson, in London and Erin McPike covering the White House for us. Erin, standby. Nic, you first. What more do we know about Prime Minister Cameron's plan and how he will engage alongside the U.S. and the coalition that's being formed.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: He has ruled out boots on the ground, in much the same way the United States has done. He has not ruled out the use of aircraft for strikes inside Syria. He doesn't have the political support for it. But I think we can hear in the way that he is reaching to the British people, saying that the British people have to understand that ISIS has planned attacks against Britain continues, the planned attacks against Britain can't bury their heads on this one.

He's really setting an agenda here. It seems, begin a more earnest debate with the British population and therefore win the political support he needs to commit British forces more aggressively in Syria, supporting the United States.

He says he supports the United States with their air strikes in Syria but he has not yet in a political position to do that himself, Deb.

FEYERICK: And watching this brutal execution and listening to it seems as the executioner was really poking Great Britain. Not only did they have David Haines, the victim, read a statement in which he sort of says, you know, this is the same thing that Tony Blair did, when he allied himself with the U.S. but the killer also says this is something that you should not be doing.

How did British intelligence forces analyze what is being said?

ROBERTSON: It's a difficult proposition for them. They believed that they heard this same man before. It certainly sounds like the same executioner. They were indications that he may come from the east of London.

When I talked to David Cameron last week, I asked him this very question, what are you doing? He said we continue to investigate. We're sharing this information with our allies, meaning the United States. And he didn't give any details about it. But the British authorities are picking people up who are coming back from Syria, left Britain, gone to Syria, joined ISIS or the other radical groups there. They are being arrested when they get back to Britain. Some of them face charges. They are getting questioned about what they did there, who they saw, where they went and through that mechanism, in part, the British hoped to build up a picture of where this man might be, precisely who he might be.

David Cameron has said absolutely, this person, the people responsible will be brought to justice, Deb.

FEYERICK: It is interesting because David Cameron clearly has his hands full. He is dealing with Scotland right now. They are expected to take a historic vote. What is the appetite of the British people in terms of dealing with ISIS and getting the UK involved?

ROBERTSON: You know, like the people in the United States, they have seen these brutal beheadings over the past couple of weeks. They are repulsed by it. It strikes closer to home because it is a British national that's been killed. They've known for several weeks that it appears to be a British person who is the executioner, the government continues talking about how many people (INAUDIBLE) leaving Britain, going to fight in Syria.

So people here are very aware of what's going on. There's been growing support for stronger action against people, young man, young women going Syria to join the fight. If you will, the mood is one of increased anger. You're absolutely right. David Cameron entirely consumed of what could be a very momentous, historic and troubling time for Britain if Scotland breaks away in a referendum that is literally too close to call this week. Will raise many, many constitutional questions and it does seem that David Cameron while pushing ahead the agenda of trying to take stronger action inside Syria, support the United States must deal on the front burner with this issue at the referendum in Scotland which takes place on Thursday.

No prime minister in this country, least of all, a conservative like David Cameron would want to go down in history as the man that essentially oversaw the break up of the United Kingdom and lost Scotland. Deb.

FEYERICK: Interesting. Also, another British hostage is also being held and we can't under estimate the propaganda value of ISIS and what it is trying to do to recruit not only these jihadi fighters who are traveling but also Sunis there on the ground. Nic Robertson, thank you so much.

And we turn now to Washington, D.C. and the Obama administration which is reacting to the beheading of David Haines. Erin McPike joins us from the White House. Erin, Secretary Kerry, has he made any progress? Are we hearing names of actual countries that are going to go alongside and be part of this coalition?

ERIN MCPIKE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Deb, we are. It's becoming a much longer list than the administration started talking about just last weekend when there was this nebulous coalition forming of nine other countries in addition to the United States and it wasn't very clear what the goals were at the time.

Well, at this point, senior state department officials are starting to lay out the longer list of countries and what each country is willing to do. A lot of progress has been made over the past week but really in the past couple of days as Secretary Kerry has been in Cairo. He is in Paris today. He was also on CBS this morning and he addressed the progress that is being made.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN KERRY, SECRETARY OF STATE: We have countries in this region, countries outside of this region, in addition to the United States, all of whom are prepared to engage in military assistance, in actual strikes, if that is what it requires.

We're not looking to put troops on the ground. There are some who have offered to do so but we are not looking for that at this moment, anyway.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MCPIKE: That's actually a remarkable shift that he's saying that there are other countries who are willing to, at this point put troops on the ground when it was just a week ago, they were trying so hard to get other countries on board. But to that point, that Secretary Kerry is saying and President Obama is saying, no American troops on the ground, that combat troops, there are, of course, security personnel in Iraq as well as troops who are training Iraqi troops.

This idea that there can be no American combat forces on the ground is drawing a lot of skepticism in Washington, particularly from Republicans who are really sort of beating the drums and saying that something bigger needs to happen here. One of those is South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham and he was on Fox this morning talking about that. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R), SOUTH CAROLINA: This is a turning in the war on terror. We're fighting a terrorist army, not any organization. It's going to take an army to beat an army. This idea we will never have any boots on the ground to defeat them in Syria is fantasy. So I will not let this president suggest to the American people we can outsource our security.

And this is not about our safety. There is no way in hell you can form an army on the ground to go into Syria to destroy ISIL without a substantial American component.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MCPIKE: Now, what public opinion is showing us right now, at least, according to our latest polls is that large majorities of Americans do want to see action. They want to see air strikes against ISIS in a broader bigger way but they do not want to see American troops on the ground, some 60 percent or so said that.

However, public opinion has shifted very rapidly on this in the last month. So with some of the comments that we're hearing from some Republicans, that of course could change and we need to stay on top of that. Deb.

FEYERICK: All right. Erin McPike, thank you so much. A lot of skepticism as to whether this can be done via air strikes alone. Thank you.

And at any moment, former president Bill Clinton is going to take the microphone in Iowa. As a matter of fact, there he is. Look at that. You see Hillary Clinton there waving. They are at the Iowa State Pride. They are there, they say, to support the midterm elections. It will be interesting to see what they have to say.

Hillary Clinton was asked about immigration. She didn't comment on it. She was asked whether she's going to run in 2016. She didn't comment on that either. This is a good opportunity for the potential candidate to get out there and touch base with folks from Iowa.

Let's take a quick listen.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: ... (INAUDIBLE) in reciting the pledge of allegiance.

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic to which it stands. One nation under god, indivisible with liberty and justice for all.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FEYERICK: So, that is Ruth Harkin, the senator's wife, talking about the Clintons, talking about the state pride. This is his last term there. He is not going to be re-running. So you can see them enjoying what is a fine day in Iowa.

But what can we read into today's speeches by Hillary and Bill Clinton once they're made. Our expert political panel here with some answers. In Miami, political commentator Anna Navarro. In Los Angeles, senior political analyst, Ron Brownstein, and in Washington, political commentator Hilary Rosen.

Ron, I want to get to you first. Look, this is not just a photo op. There is something very serious going on here. What is happening that we need to know about? In terms of the whole Clinton machine?

RON BROWNSTEIN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, I think - the big question for Hillary Clinton really is whether she can convince first the democratic party and then a much tougher task, the country that she has solutions relevant to today's problems. She has two kind of intersecting challenges that really (INAUDIBLE) in the same direction.

One is the question of her age. She will be 69 on election day in 2016. The other is the question that Republicans have tried to raise about whether she is out of touch, whether it be the Clintons now have been so affluent that they don't understand the challenges of an ordinary American. I think both of them (INAUDIBLE) same hurdle that she has to get over which is convincing people that she has answers relevant to the challenges that they face today. And very quickly, she also has to deal with the fact that the Democratic Party is very quick today than it was when Bill Clinton was nominated in 1992.

Over the past 20 years, a lot of older blue collar (INAUDIBLE) all of them tend to lean toward the right, have left the Democratic Party and become much more Republicans and replaced by more liberals, by younger millenials and minorities and that is a different dynamic. His formula might or might not sell in the Democratic Party today and she is going to adapt herself to the party as much as she expects it to adapt to her.

FEYERICK: And so, Ana Navarro, how much more significant is Hillary Clinton as a candidate given the fact that she is secretary of state, has all that international experience and right now there is still heavy focus on U.S. foreign policy?

ANA NAVARRO, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well, I think it's helpful. I think what's happening now frankly makes it that much more helpful. Because experience does matter. But at the end of the day, the people in Iowa, you know, whether she flew two million miles around the world in a very nice United States of America jet, went to world capitals and sat down with international leaders to talk about lofty issues, that's all very nice.

But what they want to know is how she feels and what she thinks about issues like ethanol, farming, what she thinks about issues that affects their daily lives. What they want is to see her do some retail policies and we isn't seen Hillary Clinton do that since she left state. I think what you're going to see in this speech is a lot about the 14 races. There is a very tight race in Iowa for the Senate to replace Tom Harkin with (INAUDIBLE) on the Republican side. And I also think you're going to maybe hear her drop a joke or something about the last time she was in Iowa and what those memories were like, but I don't think - I think we'll be left reading a lot of tea leaves this time.

FEYERICK: Yes, she came in third in Iowa last time behind Barack Obama and Senator John Edwards. So unlikely that she's going to be looking back and reminding people of that fact.

Hilary Rosen, let me ask you, when you think about what Hillary Clinton has to do, she does have good international policy experience. But is she going to as Ana suggests, be able to point to domestic issues that are really relevant to the people throughout the United States in terms of farming, in terms of the direction that the country is going? Jobs? The economy, all of that?

HILARY ROSEN, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: You know, I agree with everything that Ana and Ron said which is that this election in November is about where the country is right now and by the time she's running for president she's going to have to be where the country is going. I think she knows that and I think that she has been thinking a lot about it. I have no doubt that the Clinton bonafides around being, you know, focusing on the middle class, really caring about individuals and how they put food on the table and how they are paying for the daily lives of their kids and education and the like are really strongly held things for Hillary Clinton and issues that she had a huge amount of credibility over the years.

So I think that we're going to see the next generation of her thinking on that. I don't think we're going to see it today, though. Our expectations should be pretty in check about that.

FEYERICK: And so Ron, you mentioned Hillary Clinton's age when she runs. Look, there are a lot of older candidates who ran for president. Barack Obama happens to be especially young. Do you think that that's really going to be an issue? The fact that she's going to be 69 when this all goes down?

BROWNSTEIN: I think the issue is really more kind of relevance and understanding of what Americans are going through today. I think that is the challenge. The Clintons have been on the stage for a long time. As Hillary said they have a tremendous brand for feeling your pain as Bill Clinton put it in relating to the middle class.

But you know, we are in an age where there is a lot of doubt about whether politicians truly understand, get what families are facing. I think ultimately is the challenge, I think both the age is kind of a function of that. There's not going be so much is she up to the job. It's does she still understand what's happening? And as Hillary said, does she have a new generation of thinking about how to deal with it? Part of her challenge, Deborah, you know, she is - will be coming after eight years of a democratic president who right now, at least, is facing a negative judgment from a majority of the country, making a case to continue in the same broad direction in that kind of environment, historically, has been very hard. She has to show where she should be different and why her results would be better than what many Americans judge those to what they have seen under President Obama.

FEYERICK: OK. We're going to squeeze in a very quick break. I'm going to ask when we come back, the top three issues that Hillary Clinton would have to address. Standby, we're going to be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FEYERICK: And we're looking at a live picture right now of Bill and Hillary Clinton there at the Iowa Steak Fry hosted by Senator Tom Harkin. He is speaking right now and I'm going to bring back our panel.

Senator Harkin refers to the Clintons as the comeback couple of America. Critics might say that perhaps they never really left. Ana, how do you see that?

NAVARRO: I think there might be a point to that. I think it's what makes them today part of the establishment in a Democrat Party. You know, it's funny because people are always talking about establishment Republicans but there's also establishment Democrats. And it's very hard to say that after a decade, in the public eye, decade in public service, decade as first lady, a senator and secretary of state, as candidate, the Clintons are not part of that establishment. It's part of the problem that she has because things have turned around. Before we used to like establishment, we used to like experience, today people like to run as outsiders, outside of Washington feeling the every day pain of regular, normal Americans.

FEYERICK: And so Ron, before we went to the break, you said something that on some levels, the Clintons have to really recast the brand. We just want to pause and see whether in fact, they're going to be taking the mic. Just so Ron, you said that they need to recast the brand. I want to ask each of you, starting with you Hilary Rosen. What do you think the three key issues are that the Clintons will have to use to redefine the debate about why if Hillary Clinton if she runs should be elected? You start Hilary.

ROSEN: So I'd say the first thing is that Hillary Clinton actually has to introduce herself to the country again. You know, we take for granted that everybody knows who she is, knows what she stands for, knows about her work in behalf of women and children. The first thing she has to do is talk about who she is and what she cares about. And I think that was kind of the failing of the book tour that she didn't start that way. That she started assuming everyone knew who she was. The second thing is she has to convince people to believe in politics that a Democrat can actually grab a hold of the system and govern. And I think if there's one sort of big divide between that she had over the years and President Obama has had is that she enjoyed the give and take of the Senate, she enjoyed legislating. She wants to do that.

And I think the third thing is just the policy, jobs and opportunities. That is what people are about. They care about their own pocketbooks, their own families and their own future. And she has got to be focused on what those - how those issues are going to get addressed in the future.

FEYERICK: And so, Ron, you know, when we saw Bill Clinton run he - he had probably one of the most memorable catch phrases, and that is, it's the economy. So what now? What kind of catch phrase can Hillary Clinton create that defines what the issues are for the majority of Americans at this moment in time?

ROB BROWNSTEIN, EDITORIAL DIRECTOR, NATIONAL JOURNAL: It's a great question. I think if you look at the big picture for 2016, you have two central forces that are pulling in opposite directions. On the one hand, you have that time for a change sentiment that grows naturally when one party has held the White House for eight years and is compounded by the fact that most Americans do not believe they are better off than they were when President Obama took office, and they don't believe they are safer. So that kind of creates a push towards the out party, and it's kind of a headwind for Hillary Clinton. The tailwind she has is the basic demography of the electorate continues to evolve in a way that benefits Democrats. And as Ana will tell you, Republicans are not doing anything to solve their problems with Hispanics in particular and Asian Americans, and may even be making those worse. And the fact is that Barack Obama won in 2012, despite losing white women by a larger margin than any Democrat since 1984, Walter Mondale against Ronald Reagan. She is extremely well positioned obviously to do better than that. So she has a lot of demographic advantages. The big challenge is time for a change, and I think the question is going to be, as Hillary Clinton noted, can you find a way to convince Americans you have, A, a plan to have a broader circle of prosperity, more people benefiting from the economy. Second, new approaches to keep us safe in the world, and third, some vision of how you break the gridlock in Washington and get things done. That was something Bill Clinton did very well. It's obviously been tougher for President Obama.

FEYERICK: And so Ana, let's talk about that. Let's shift gears a little bit. Ron mentioned it. The whole question of immigration. How large of a factor is that going to be? Because President Obama has not been able to make any sort of inroads because of what's going on in Washington, because of the gridlock, and so how does that impact this coming election should she decide to run?

NAVARRO: Let's remember that we're more than two years from the election, so it's really kind of hard to be predicting right now in September of 2014 what the issues are going to be and how much immigration is going to be an issue. If immigration miraculously gets resolved in 2015, if there is executive action, that answer will change from what it would be if I were giving it today. I think what Hillary is going to have to do, Hillary Clinton, is she's going to have to convince the American people that she gets it, that she gets people, that she gets the everyday lives and pain of people. I think she's going to have to show that she's a uniter. Part of what Barack Obama sold himself as in 2008 is to be a uniter, that he was going to be able to make Washington work. Well, I think people are sick of the gridlock, sick of the paralysis, sick of do-nothing Washington, and they want to see somebody that can lead, that can unite, that can govern.

And third, she needs to offer an overall vision for America. It was interesting to me today that Tom Harkin, Senator Tom Harkin, gave an interview on one of the Sunday shows, and he was asked if he knew what Hillary Clinton stood for. And he couldn't answer. He said he wanted to hear her vision for America. We don't know what her catchphrase is going to be, Deb. It is certainly not going to be hope and change. And she's got more of a problem than it just being eight years of a Democrat administration. She's got the additional problem that for four of those years, she was part, integral part, a rock star part of that administration. And we also know her campaign song is not going to be "Don't Stop Thinking About Tomorrow." Hard to sing that for somebody who has been around now for 30, 40 years.

FEYERICK: All right, Ana Navarro, Hilary Rosen, Ron Brownstein, stand by, we're going to come back to you right after this quick break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FEYERICK: And she's not officially a candidate but as you can see there, she is looking rather presidential. She is doing everything she can perhaps to become a White House hopeful. That includes an appearance right now at a key event in a critical state for any Democrat who plans to run for president. Hillary Clinton back in Iowa. Here is CNN's Brianna Keilar.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Hillary Clinton has been the inevitable candidate before. Nowadays, she's laughing along with the joke at a Friday service for poet Maya Angelou.

ELLIOTT MATTHEW JONES, GRANDSON OF MAYA ANGELOU: Next I would like to thank the amazing speakers and some dignitaries, first and foremost, Madam Pres -- excuse me.

(LAUGHTER)

KEILAR: This weekend, Clinton returns to Iowa for the first time since her stunning defeat to Barack Obama and John Edwards in the 2008 caucuses.

HILLARY CLINTON, FORMER U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: We're going to get up tomorrow and keep pushing as hard as we can.

KEILAR: The Harkin steak fry, hosted by the state's longtime Democratic senator, is a must on the checklist for any Democrat with presidential aspirations. But for Clinton, Iowa is the state that hobbled her White House ambitions right out of the gate.

BROWNSTEIN: She is as commanding a front-runner as we have had in the modern primary system. But there are a lot of Democrats who don't want her to take it for granted, and Iowa certainly from 2008 is a reminder of the risks if you do seem to take things for granted.

So I think she has to begin to show Democrats that this is not something that she's expected to be handed to her. She's going to work for it.

KEILAR: Clinton last spoke here at the steak fry in 2007, along with the rest of the Democratic presidential field.

CLINTON: What we're doing today is building a new field of dreams for the country we love.

KEILAR: This time she's headlining with her husband, paying homage to Harkin and his final steak fry after three decades in the Senate. Clinton will likely buck up Bruce Braley, the Democrat locked in a tight race to replace Harkin. Clinton began her reintroduction to public life this summer in a book tour with many stumbles.

CLINTON: We came out of the White House not only dead broke, but in debt. KEILAR: The missteps provoked observations that Clinton's political skills are still rusty, but a new CNN/ORC poll has her going into Iowa with a huge lead among registered Democrats.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FEYERICK: And we bring back our panel as we watch right there Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton waiting to take the podium. Senator Tom Harkin speaking about Iowa, about farmers, and about veterans, and those with disabilities. So let's go back to Hilary Rosen, Ron Brownstein, Ana Navarro. The first thing the opposition will do is they will try to get as much bad stuff on the opponent as they possibly can, so that they know. Is there anything about the Clintons, Ron, that we don't know right now?

BROWNSTEIN: You never know what you don't know, right? But clearly, the lines of argument that Republicans want to use, I think, are beginning to emerge. One is the argument she is too old. One is that the Clintons are out of touch because they've become affluent. I think that's a tough one for them, given the strength of the brand in terms of the middle class. Obviously, her stewardship as secretary of state, in particular Benghazi. And finally this kind of general challenge that you face at the end of eight years. Historically, it has been very difficult for the president's party, the outgoing president's party, to hold the White House if a majority of the country disapproves of that president when he leaves. After Woodrow Wilson in 1920, after Harry Truman in 1952, after Lyndon Johnson in 1968, after George W. Bush in 2008, the White House changed hands. They will try to paint her as a continuation of what people are dissatisfied with Obama, and her challenge is to show why she would be different while continuing in the same broad general direction.

FEYERICK: Ana, I find it hard to believe that the Republicans would actually bring up the issue of age, given that Senator John McCain was a candidate, Ronald Reagan was a candidate, both of them much older. But when we look at what they have to do, where are her weaknesses do you see that will obviously be exploited? Are they what Ron just said?

NAVARRO: You know, Deb, I actually think this age thing is not going to be a determining issue. But I do think it's going to be an issue, and frankly, it should be. As you just mentioned, John McCain faced it. If Joe Biden runs, Joe Biden, you can be assured, will face it. So even though I am a proponent of women shouldn't be asked about their age, I think that when they are running for president, there might be an exception to that, and I think she is going to have to talk about it and I think she's going to answer it. It's obvious that she has got stamina and it's obvious that she can conduct a very heavy schedule. So, will it be an issue? Yes. Will it be a determining issue? No.

FEYERICK: So Hilary, obviously age. But also the fact that Hillary Clinton, to state the blatantly obvious, is also a woman. And last time we saw a lot of what you could call anti-feminist notions. We saw Hillary Clinton sort of taking over the world. We saw a picture of her high heel. There was something sort of very negative. Is that acceptable any longer? Are people going to go after her because she is a woman? Despite the experience that she could potentially bring?

ROSEN: I'm sure people will go after her. Sexism isn't going to go away just because Hillary Clinton runs for president. One of the things that happened in the last campaign was that the attacks on her ended up having a kind of a galvanizing effect. It kept her in the primary longer, if you'll remember. It helped her in some respects fight back with a little more passion and win a few more states. And I think that much of what she was facing at that point is she was being out-organized in Democratic precincts by Barack Obama, and the excitement about the first African-American president. But I think the fact that she is a woman is not just going to be obvious but it will be enormously exciting for Democratic women, for independent women, and even a lot of my Republican women friends, who feel like the bar is a little higher for Republican men in this election if they're going to take on Hillary Clinton.

FEYERICK: And the bar being higher for Hillary because obviously the experience she now brings to any potential candidacy, correct?

ROSEN: Yes, for two particular reasons I think she appeals to independent and Republican women. Which is that is she is seen as strong on national security, that she has that experience. That she was -- would have been a little more aggressive than Barack Obama would be. And that she has that kind of fiscal conservative perspective about being a little more pro-business. Now, those are things that she has to be careful about in a Democratic primary. But in a general election, they are going to appeal in broader terms. So that will be a very tight balance for her to pull off, I think.

FEYERICK: OK, Hilary Rosen, Ana Navarro, Ron Brownstein, stand by. We have got more questions coming up right after this quick break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FEYERICK: And you're looking at a live picture of Bill and Hillary Clinton. They are being introduced. They're going to speak any moment, but first, we want to take a quick turn and go to Fredricka Whitfield, our intrepid weekend anchor and now our intrepid triathlete, there having come in third this week participating in the Malibu triathlon. Was it worth it, Fred?

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Oh, it was so worth it. Seventh months of intense training. Swimming, biking, running. It was fantastic. 3,000 athletes showed up for this event. It's a huge fundraiser. The Nautica Malibu triathlon for the children's hospital of Los Angeles, $1.2 million raised. All the athletes had to raise money, all of us did. I had my personal best. It was the first time I have been in this triathlon, but I came in third place in my division, but all the members of the CNN Fit Nation team are excited, they all did their best, we swam our hardest, biked our best, and ran as best as we could. Even though my run, if you're looking at videotape, please don't, forgive me, my run is awful. But it got me across the finish line nonetheless, and really glad to be a part of a great fundraiser and really a great team of folks. And we've all inspired each other, and I don't know. Deborah, are you inspired, maybe next year? You and me out here again? FEYERICK: I am completely inspired, but I like to leave athletics to the athletes, Fred. Would you do it again?

WHITFIELD: I will do it again. I am here next year. Even if I don't play, anything -- this was a complete surprise. I actually missed my name being announced during the whole podium presentation because I thought there is not a chance. I went to go get my stuff. Sanjay came running over. He got first place, by the way, in the division. He came running over and he's like, Fred, they just called your name, you got third place. So then I ran over and I said okay, I have got to have the moment of standing on the podium. And then they gave me my little medal here.

FEYERICK: That is--

WHITFIELD: We all got this medal for crossing the finish line. And this is another one. That's great.

FEYERICK: See, that's great, now you can go back next year and you can get first place. Well done. Well done. I will be right there with you, rooting.

WHITFIELD: I am just going to give it my best. Thank you.

FEYERICK: All right, Fredricka Whitfield, thank you. We appreciate it.

WHITFIELD: Thank you, have a beautiful day.

FEYERICK: Great job. We're going to go to a break right now.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FEYERICK: We're going to take you now live to Iowa. This is what everybody who came out today has been waiting for. Hillary Clinton at the mic.

CLINTON: I'm so glad to be with all of you on this beautiful day.

Now, we're all here to thank Tom and Ruth for their decades of service to our nation. For their generosity, their optimism, their unflagging energy and their passion to help more people in more places share in the American dream.

And I want to thank not only Tom and Ruth but I want to thank Amy and Jenny and the entire Harkin family for sharing Tom and Ruth with all of us over those years.

(APPLAUSE)

CLINTON: It's also great to be with a lot of friends. I see some special friends, Tom and Christie Vilsack, and heartily echo what Tom Harkin said about Tom's service as secretary of agriculture. He and I worked together. He really likes my book because he's in it.

(LAUGHTER) CLINTON: But I also want to thank Christie for her service, and she's carrying that forward at USAID, continuing the work on feed the future and a lot of the programs that Tom and I pioneered together.

You know, it does really feel just like yesterday when I was last here at the Harkin's steak fry, or as my husband now prefers to call it, the stir fry.

(LAUGHTER)

CLINTON: As I recall, there was a young senator from Illinois there. The same time -- and I wonder whatever happened to him.

(LAUGHTER)

CLINTON: Well, it's been several years and a lot has changed. Senator Obama became President Obama.

(APPLAUSE)

CLINTON: And to my great surprise, he asked me to join his team as a member of his cabinet. So we went from rivals to partners to friends. And sometimes we would even reminisce a little about old days, and let me tell you, he sure loves Iowa.

(APPLAUSE)

CLINTON: Now, when Tom Harkin called and asked me to come, I have to admit I wasn't sure what to say. I have got a few things on my mind these days.

(APPLAUSE)

CLINTON: First -- first and most importantly, Bill and I are on constant grandchild watch. I'm calling Chelsea every five minutes to make sure things are going all right. And when the big moment comes, you can bet that I will drop everything to be there in a flash. So I'm telling you now if you see us sprinting off the stage, that's why.

And then of course, there's that other thing.

(APPLAUSE)

CLINTON: It is true. I am thinking about it. But, but for today, that is not why I'm here. I am here for the steak.

(APPLAUSE)

CLINTON: For four years as secretary of state, I was more likely to be eating yak meat in Mongolia, having a great time doing it, but thinking a lot about being back home. And I'm here first and foremost for Tom, for Ruth, and for the great candidates that you have a chance to elect, for Bruce Braley and Jack Hatch and Monica Vernon, his running mate. For Stacy Apple and Dave Loebsack and Jim Mauer (ph) and Pat Murphy, all of the great candidates that are bearing the Democratic Party standard. (APPLAUSE)

CLINTON: Now think about it. In just 50 days, Iowans have a choice to make. A choice and a chance. A choice between the guardians of gridlock and the champions of shared opportunity and shared prosperity. A chance to elect leaders who will carry on Tom Harkin's legacy of fighting for hard working families. A chance to elect a governor who actually believes the economy should work for everyone. A chance to elect a senator who knows that women should be able to make our own health care decisions.

(APPLAUSE)

CLINTON: And that, believe it or not, equal pay should mean that you get equal pay for equal work.

(APPLAUSE)

CLINTON: So although it's wonderful we're all here to salute Tom and Ruth, and for Bill and me to come back to be with you, I know there are a lot of other things you could be doing on this beautiful afternoon. There are errands to run and kids to watch and television to catch up on, but you're here, too. And you're here because something or someone inspired you to get off the sidelines.

Now, maybe you want to do your part to strengthen the basic bargain of America. You know what it is. No matter who you are or where you come from, if you work hard and you play by the rules, you deserve the opportunity, the same opportunity as anyone else, to build a good life for yourself and your family. For Tom Harkin, that spark was lit just 20 miles from here in that small town of Cumming, Iowa. For Ruth, it was a small farming town in Minnesota.