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Obama, Congressional Leaders to Meet; Suspect Turns Himself in for Van Attack; Report: A-Rod Admitted to Steroid Use; Abducted Philadelphia Woman Found Alive

Aired November 6, 2014 - 06:00   ET

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


(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: Moving forward. President Obama acknowledges the obvious trouncing by Republicans in the midterms, pledges more cooperation, but then threatens to go it alone on immigration. The Republican reaction overnight.

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: And deadly violence, vans plow into pedestrians in Jerusalem and Israeli soldiers in the West Bank. The attacks were caught on video as clashes break out at holy sites in the Mid-East. Is the region about to erupt again?

MICHAELA PEREIRA, CNN ANCHOR: Found alive after nearly three days being held captive. The woman who's terrifying abduction was caught on surveillance video has been rescued in another state. She is on her way home. We're going to tell you how it all went down.

CUOMO: Your NEW DAY starts right now.

ANNOUNCER: This is NEW DAY with Chris Cuomo, Kate Bolduan, and Michaela Pereira.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CUOMO: Good morning, welcome to NEW DAY. It's Thursday, November 6th, 6:00 in the East. Chris Cuomo here with Alisyn Camerota. News over night of Republicans reacting to an alleged peace branch from the president.

CAMEROTA: The commander-in-chief sounding a conciliatory tone after Democrats coughed up the Senate in midterm election disaster for them. The president insisting he's even willing to partake in some fine Kentucky bourbon within the likely new Senate majority leader, Mitch McConnell. The president and party leaders from both sides of the aisle will meet tomorrow to figure out, they say, the way forward.

So let's bring in senior White House correspondent Jim Acosta.

Jim, the president sounds as though he's ready to compromise, but there still is a defiant streak, as well. What's happening there?

JIM ACOSTA, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Alisyn. That's right. After those messy mid-terms, President Obama offered no apologies and no signs of any major shake-up for his administration. Instead, there were plenty of indications he'll be butting heads with his main Republican adversary up on Capitol Hill, the expected incoming majority leader, Mitch McConnell.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ACOSTA (voice-over): A dejected President Obama, grimly admitting defeat to Republicans.

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Obviously, Republicans had a good night.

ACOSTA: There was no glossing over the bitter reality for Democrats.

OBAMA: They want us to get the job done. As president, I have a unique responsibility to try and make this town work.

ACOSTA: His party stung and in the minority, the president said he's ready to compromise with Republicans on road repairs, reforming the tax code and brokering new trade deals. But just as quickly, he says he's still going it alone on immigration reform.

OBAMA: I'm eager to see what they have to offer. But what I'm not going to do is just wait. My executive actions not only do not prevent them from passing a law that supersedes those actions, but should be a spur for them to actually try to get something done.

ACOSTA: The vow to act is pitting him against the new Republican Senate leader, Mitch McConnell.

SEN. MITCH MCCONNELL (R), KENTUCKY: It's like waving a red flag in front of a bull to say, "If you guys don't do what I want, I'm going to do it on my own."

ACOSTA: Aides to Mr. Obama saying the president is bullish about his final quarter in the White House, devising new ways to go around Congress to build up his legacy. And he's not letting the countdown clock stall his agenda.

(on camera): What do you make of the notion that you're now a lame duck?

OBAMA: I'm going to squeeze every last little bit of opportunity to help make this a world a better place over these last two years.

ACOSTA (voice-over): With a Republican-controlled Congress, making moves on those wishes won't be easy. Some critics say the president should get to know his rivals better over dinner or golf. With few allies left in power, he may be warming to the idea.

OBAMA: I would enjoy having some Kentucky bourbon with Mitch McConnell.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ACOSTA (on camera): Couldn't we all? That's right. Now, aides to the president say he'll be meeting with 16 Democratic and Republican leaders from Capitol Hill over here at the White House tomorrow. They'll have a big agenda on their hands, from the war against ISIS. They'll be talking about the president's call for congressional authorization for the war against ISIS. And Ebola funding. It will be the first time for Americans get to see whether or not anybody got the message from Tuesday night -- Alisyn, Chris.

CAMEROTA: That will be interesting. Thanks so much, John [SIC].

CUOMO: It's interesting whether the president means that he wants to spend some time or just needs a drink after what happened.

Let's get some perspective on that. Let's bring in John Avlon, CNN political analyst, editor in chief of "The Daily Beast"; and Margaret Hoover, CNN political commentator and Republican consultant.

We got the president's side. Just as important, probably more so is the other side of the equation. Let's play a little bit of the presumptive leader, Mitch McConnell, what he had to say about what he wants to do in the Senate. Let's just play this to set the table.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MCCONNELL: The first thing I need to do is to get the Senate back to normal. That means working more. I don't think we've had any votes on Friday in anybody's memory. It means opening the Senate up so that amendments are permitted on both sides. And it means occasionally burning the midnight oil in order to reach a conclusion.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CUOMO: Sounds great. Margaret, here's one thing. I don't want to go backwards. We want to go forwards. I get it, I get it, I get it. Leadership, OK? Governing is leadership. Leadership is often accountability. Don't you think that there should be some ownership of "and the reason all of this has been going on is because we did it. We're not going to do that anymore. We're going to do things differently on the Republican side."

Doesn't he need to say that? Instead of making it seem that is just how the Senate is?

MARGARET HOOVER, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: He didn't run the Senate for the last several years. A guy named Harry Reid did.

CUOMO: But he was clearly helping the obstructionist movement.

HOOVER: I've got a question for you.

CUOMO: Yes.

HOOVER: Who -- Yes, he did. Exactly he was leading the obstructionist movement. Because -- and that was his stated strategy and goal for the first few years of the Obama administration. His stated strategy and goal now is to get something done. Who's the master of the Senate? Who is brought in to work with --

with Vice President Biden when the leader of the Senate couldn't get anything done with the president? That was Mitch McConnell. This man has a very sophisticated tactical understanding and strategic understanding of how that institution works.

CUOMO: Sure. Or doesn't work.

HOOVER: And he has decided -- and doesn't work. He -- whether you like the obstruction tactic or not, he successfully implemented it with a -- only 40, 42 senators and was able to very effectively execute that strategy. Now his strategy is something very different. My guess is he will be very effective in executing getting the Senate working again, as he said.

JOHN AVLON, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Yes. So let's put aside the situational ethics, which are kind of odious about that, whereas, you know, people say, "Look, you know, I'll obstruct as long as it's in my interest, and then I'm going to try to govern and lead because it's in my interest." Let's just accept that at face value.

And let's give him the benefit of the doubt. His conference -- Mitch McConnell's press conference yesterday, he really did try to take a statesman-like role. He did actually talk about reforming and opening the rules of the Senate and trying to work with the president on issues of agreement. So that's a good sign. That's a good sign.

The problem is, you know, the whole institution is going to need to put the bad blood behind them to get anything done. They're going to need to focus on modest goals, which I think exist, where they can move the ball forward. It's going to be economic, which is trade, maybe tax reform, maybe infrastructure. But, you know, they're going to need a big bourbon summit, man. They're need a real goblet of bourbon to get over a lot of that bad blood.

HOOVER: I'm a lot more optimistic than you are.

CUOMO: Of course you are. You just won.

HOOVER: But -- but I -- I've seen Mitch McConnell work for the last few years.

CUOMO: Not work, actually.

HOOVER: Well, that was what he was doing, quite effectively. You may not have liked his strategy, but again, it was quite effective.

CUOMO: It's just -- it's just -- it's honestly moronic to say it's effective obstruction. That's all I'm saying.

HOOVER: I appreciate that that's how most Americans feel. And I get that. And I empathize with that. You know, and there are some, you know, in the weeds tactics of how these institutions work. AVLON: If Harry Reid tries to do the same thing, are you going to be

angry?

HOOVER: He can try. The problem is he's not as good at his job.

CAMEROTA: Interesting point. Senator Lindsey Graham had some interesting suggestions for ways to move forward.

CUOMO: Good.

CAMEROTA: He takes a different tact. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R), SOUTH CAROLINA: Test us in 2015; don't go it alone. Work with me and others to replace the defense cuts under sequestration that are destroying our ability to defend the country. I'd like to do a mini Simpson-Bowles deal. He really embraced that idea.

So I just told him, be patient, invite people down. You know, you're an engaging fellow. It's hard not to like the president. But he's a very distant figure in Washington. Get that behind you and, finally, unleash Joe Biden. Everybody likes Joe.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CAMEROTA: Unleash Joe Biden for the next two years.

CUOMO: Release the hounds.

CAMEROTA: That's his suggestion.

AVLON: And the weird thing is, that's a metaphor.

CUOMO: I just got that.

AVLON: No. No, here's the thing. If you're Lindsey Graham, newly re-elected, really speaking a bit of compassionate common sense. Or he's being honest, right? The president is likable but seems remote in Washington. And given the -- given the period of time to try to get something big done, Lindsey Graham risked a lot politically to pass bipartisan congressional reform when it wasn't in his political interest, when it wasn't necessarily a priority for his state.

So let's see what we can get done. The danger right now is that red flag in front of a bull is, you know, if you don't do -- if you don't do something quick on immigration, I'm going to do executive action. That drives a wedge. So Lindsey Graham is giving good advice to the president.

HOOVER: Yes, and that -- you know, "You guys -- you guys should do it. We should do it together, but if you don't, this is exactly what I'm going to do" is not the kind of olive branch, you know, good -- era of good feeling. CUOMO: Do you think that's where they should start? What about

starting with the war? How about starting with convening something that should be in everybody's interest?

You've allowed a war to be begun by the president, which is a bigger assumption of constitutional authority by the president than anything he could do on immigration. And they just let it happen. How about having a debate, have a real vote so the American people know what the hell is going to happen in this war?

HOOVER: And Congress needs to authorize any action.

CUOMO: For real.

HOOVER: And authorize spending. And I...

CUOMO: They're not talking about that.

HOOVER: ... think they know that. This is what Mitch McConnell is talking about, though, when he says, "We're going to have to burn the midnight oil. We're going to have to have less conversations..."

CUOMO: He didn't mention a war vote.

HOOVER: But everybody knows that's actually probably the first thing that's going to happen.

AVLON: You know what? That was promised when they kicked the ball, when they punted until after the election. That was the promise, but no one in Washington is going to want to touch that. It actually is an area where Republican leadership and the president have a lot of overlap. As long as they both try to be constructive, not undercut each other.

But let me tell you, man, the gutless wonders on Capitol Hill are going to want to hide from that one again. Because no one wants to be a yes in a war vote right now.

CAMEROTA: All right. It's a NEW DAY in Washington.

CUOMO: NEW DAY.

CAMEROTA: We'll see if it really is a new day.

HOOVER: All around.

CAMEROTA: Exactly. John, Margaret, thanks. Good to see you guys.

Also new this morning, officials say a Palestinian man has turned himself in to Israeli security forces, claiming he was the driver who ran over three soldiers in the West Bank. The attack happened Wednesday, a white van slamming into the soldiers. In a similar attack, another van drove into a crowd in Jerusalem, killing an Israeli border officer.

Erin McLaughlin is following all these developments. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ERIN MCLAUGHLIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Surveillance footage shows the moment a Palestinian man drives into a Jerusalem tram station. He crashes the van and continues his attack on foot. Israeli forces shoot him dead. Thirteen people are injured. A border police officer was killed.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There was no pre-intelligence that a terrorist attack was going to take place here. Obviously, we're looking to see if it was a lone terrorist who worked on his own or if he was sent.

MCLAUGHLIN: The suspect was later identified as 38-year-old Palestinian Ibrahim Alakari, a resident of an East Jerusalem refugee camp.

These attacks are part of a wave of violence. That same day, late in the night, surveillance footage shows a driver colliding with three Israeli soldiers. The three soldiers survived. The van, with Palestinian plates, fled the scene.

The violence is fuelled by tensions surrounding the Noble Sanctuary. Also known to Jews as the Temple Mount. Last week there was an attack on right-wing Rabbi Yehuda Glick, one of the leading voices calling for Jews to be able to pray at Islam's third holiest site. For the first time in 14 years, it was completely closed, angering many Muslims.

DR. MUSTAFA ABU SWAY, AL-QUDS UNIVERSITY: Definitely, they feel that their place of worship is, you know, is being lost.

MCLAUGHLIN: Thursday morning, tensions at the site boiled over. Clashes broke out between Israeli forces and Palestinian youth.

(on camera): As you can see, the police have just cleared this area using stun grenades and force. They're trying to get all of the people that were out here waiting to get inside the site from the area.

(voice-over): Minutes later, there's an uneasy calm. The city of Jerusalem remains on edge.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PEREIRA: And you're certainly right there. Erin McLaughlin with that report. Thank you so much.

Ten minutes past the hour. Let's give you a look at your headlines now.

President Obama calling for a big change in the war on ISIS. The president is seeking authorization from Congress for the use of military force. This move comes following months in which his administration insisted the president already had sufficient authority to fight the terrorist group as commander-in-chief. In the meantime, overnight the U.S. carried out airstrikes against the

terror group al-Nusra Front in Syria. The attacks in this video shows a car on fire in the aftermath.

The U.S. Army under fire for approving the use of the word "negro" to categorize African-American service members. The word appears in the latest publication of the Army's regulations. Pentagon officials would not -- could not say when the word was added or who OK'd it. An Army spokesman says the portion of the regulations where the word "negro" appears is now being reviewed, and it will be updated shortly.

Breaking overnight, a story that captivated Los Angeles, to be sure. The body of a missing entertainment executive has been found two years after he went missing in California. Gavin Smith's remains were found in the Angeles National Forest north of L.A. Wednesday. Smith was an executive for 20th Century FOX. John Creech, a convicted drug dealer, was named a person of interest last year after Smith's car was found in his storage facility. Smith allegedly had some sort of relationship with Creech's wife.

A report in the "Miami Herald" says that Alex Rodriguez confessed to DEA agents that he used steroids supplied by Biogenesis founder Tony Bosch between 2010 and 2012. He previously denied any connection to Bosch during that time. A-Rod reportedly admitted using banned substances after he was given immunity from prosecution. The Yankee slugger was just reinstated after a year-long suspension for alleged performance-enhancing drug use. OMG.

CUOMO: Yes, right?

CAMEROTA: So reinstated. How does that work?

PEREIRA: Talk about asterisk.

CUOMO: I think this really speaks to -- he's like a metaphor for the problem. He's not "the problem." The one thing that he's been right about from the beginning is that he felt that it was all being put on him, when this is something that happens with so many different people in the league. Then of course, he had to lie to them.

PEREIRA: But do we have to take -- don't we have to take personal responsibility?

CUOMO: Absolutely. And that's why people are against him. But look, what did he drive out of there in? A Maybach. All right? It's about as expensive a car as you can get. You get paid to perform in that game. And I'm not saying you should take performance-enhancing drugs. But I'm saying they do take performance-enhancing drugs.

PEREIRA: There's a greater conversation to be had, you're right. We've been having it for a while now.

CUOMO: That's a big deal that he admitted it. Because you know, it's no longer just about the game. That's just as big a felony. You're better off, like, beating someone with a bat than taking drugs in sports. CAMEROTA: Right. He admitted it to avoid prosecution.

CUOMO: Well, that's right. But the idea that...

CAMEROTA: So that was his impetus.

CUOMO: ... that it's a criminal offense now? I mean, doesn't -- it just seems like this is a very odd situation there, and A-Rod certainly paid a big price.

CAMEROTA: We'd love to hear your thoughts on it. You can find us all on Twitter.

CUOMO: Chilly effect of A-Rod, chilling effect in the weather.

PEREIRA: Mr. Segue.

CUOMO: Appropriate as anything I would say. Let's get to meteorologist Jennifer Gray in for Indra Petersons. What do you see? I know it's cold. I see the blue up on the map.

JENNIFER GRAY, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, very well done, Chris. It is going to be very cold over the next couple of days. We're also seeing the rain out there in some of the major cities: New York, Philly, D.C., all the way down to Houston. Actually, some much-needed rainfall across Texas. Drought-stricken portions of Texas. San Antonio got some much-needed rainfall in the last 24 hours. And it is all pushing up to the northeast. So a wet commute for a lot of folks this morning, even on the outskirts of Chicago.

Temperatures are chilly: 56 degrees in D.C., 49 in New York right now. Temperatures aren't going to warm up all that much. In fact we're going to have a series of cold fronts moving across the east part of the country over the next couple of days. Very chilly air behind it. And then another cold front as we move through Saturday, bringing some showers through Chicago, and then into New York.

If you think that is cold, that is nothing. We have a strong storm impacting Alaska that's eventually going to cause a dip in the Jet Stream and cause very cold temperatures across the Midwest and the east. Highs in the 30s in Minneapolis, Chicago. By midweek, New York City, highs in the 40s by Wednesday and Thursday -- guys.

CAMEROTA: Jennifer, thanks so much.

All right. Well, wait until you hear this story. A woman was abducted right off a Philadelphia street. Her terrifying ordeal was all captured on video, and now we are happy to report she has been found. So how did police crack this case?

CUOMO: And what kind of booster seat are you using for your kids? It's an important question. There are rankings out. There are a few makes and models you may want to avoid.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) CUOMO: Breaking overnight, a woman violently abducted off the streets of Philadelphia has been found alive. What a rare and good outcome this was. She was found in the back seat of her alleged kidnapper's car in Maryland.

Carlesha Freeland-Gaither, that's her name, she is already out of the hospital. The incident drew national attention, of course, after it was captured on surveillance video. The question is how did police track down the suspect and the victim? We're going to speak with the Philadelphia police commissioner in a moment.

But let's just get to CNN's Jean Casarez, because she has the latest developments for us from Maryland.

Jean, you know, we've got to be honest, this rarely happens. Surprising good news.

JEAN CASAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Chris, this case has so many things that rarely happen. Carlesha Gaither, 22 years old, a certified nurse's aide, was released from this hospital behind me just a few hours ago. And it's the first time that law enforcement ever remembers seeing a kidnapping on tape, videotape. Her family now says this is a miracle.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ED HANKO, FBI SPECIAL AGENT IN CHARGE: Carlesha Freeland has been rescued.

CASAREZ (voice-over): A Philadelphia woman, kidnapped on Sunday, now found alive. Carlesha Freeland-Gaither was rescued in Jessup, Maryland, Wednesday, after authorities identified the vehicle used in her abduction and tracked it down. Law enforcement spotted them inside and surrounded the car.

HANKO: When the subject exited the vehicle, he was apprehended and that's when Ms. Freeland was recovered.

TIMOTHY JONES, ATF SPECIAL AGENT: Once she had the time to process what had occurred, you could tell she was very emotionally distraught. So as a result, we took her immediately to the hospital.

CASAREZ: Police identifying her kidnapper as 37-year-old Delvin Barnes. He is currently being held on attempted capital murder charges in another case.

CAPTAIN JAMES SMITH, PHILADELPHIA POLICE DEPARTMENT: All of our prayers were answered when we were able to locate her in a safe condition and we were able to place this male under arrest.

CASAREZ: Overnight, Barnes' uncle speaking out, saying he is not surprised.

LAMAR BARNES, DELVIN BARNES' UNCLE: My experience and knowledge of him is a thing about women and females. It's just hard for me to accept the viciousness of it. Not necessarily surprised. CASAREZ: The 22-year-old nurse was abducted Sunday night in

Philadelphia just blocks away from her home. This disturbing video captures her kidnapping from beginning to end.

The suspect parks his car and waits and approaches her as she walks across this intersection. She tries to walk away when the man grabs her and aggressively drags her down the length of this block. She struggles to break free and yells for help, but he violently pushes her into his vehicle.

The next morning surveillance video captures a man dressed much like the kidnapper, using Carlesha's ATM card at a bank in Maryland. He is also spotted inside this convenience store shortly after.

Investigators do not have a motive but say there is no indication she knew her abductor.

Her mother thanking law enforcement and the public, grateful for their part in bringing her daughter back safe.

KEISHA GAITHER, MOTHER OF CARLESHA: Thank you for being there for us. I'm taking my baby home. Thank you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CASAREZ: And Delvin Barnes is being held right here in Maryland, an out-of-state warrant out of Virginia for attempted capital murder, assault and malicious injury with explosives, acid or fire. Carlesha, on the other hand, right now is being reunited with her family -- Alisyn.

CAMEROTA: What a wonderful and unusual outcome. Jean Casarez, thanks for all of that background.

And joining us now is the commissioner of the Philadelphia Police Department, Charles Ramsey. Good morning, Commissioner.

COMMISSIONER CHARLES RAMSEY, PHILADELPHIA POLICE DEPARTMENT: Good morning.

CAMEROTA: What a relief for your department this morning. Can you give us some more details about how this rescue happened?

RAMSEY: Well, we are relieved. I mean, this is an unusual case in a lot of ways. I heard your reporter mention earlier that it's unusual for this to be captured on video, and that's very, very true. I've been on the job 46 years. First time I've ever seen a kidnapping actually on videotape, which really was horrific to watch it unfold.

We're very fortunate that we were able to recover her and apprehend the offender. A lot of police work went into it. A lot of tips from the public. But we were able to track it down. And we were able to successfully get her out of his custody and back to with her family.

CAMEROTA: Congratulations. Now when I watch this video as it's playing on our screen, all I see is sort of a dark, you know, hooded figure dragging a woman down the street. How was the public able to identify this guy?

RAMSEY: Well, the first video was not a very good video. Unless you really knew the person well, you wouldn't be able to tell exactly who it was.

But we were able to, after he used the ATM card, we certainly had a photograph from that. We were able to locate some video from a convenience store. We actually found a scene where some items were discarded that belonged to her. A receipt was found there. So we were able to back-track. It was a grocery store in Philadelphia. We pulled video from there, very good video. We got that out.

The media was a great help to us, because by putting that video out, we got a phone call from a person who sold this individual a car. And from that, we were able to trace the car. We were able to then contact Charles City, who they had an outstanding warrant for this individual. And things started falling in place very quickly. And we were able to track him to Jessup, Maryland, and rescue Ms. Gaither.

CAMEROTA: That's so great. And it is wonderful when the police and the media form that partnership. It is so powerful.

So has anyone spoken, in your department to Ms. Gaither yet? How is she doing? And what -- I don't have to tell you how unusual it is to find a missing woman more than 48 hours after she's been abducted. What was -- what were his plans for her?

RAMSEY: Well, we don't know what his plans were. But based on information from Virginia with the previous case he was involved in, it probably was not going to be a very good outcome. So it's good that we found her as quickly as we did.

FBI, ATF, U.S. Marshals, I mean, there was a task force put together to deal with this. Our detectives from northwest -- excuse me, detective division drove the family down to Howard County Hospital, reuniting Ms. Gaither with her family. She is now home in Philadelphia. We brought her back last night. And then we'll begin interviewing her to get more detail once she has a chance to kind of settle down a little bit.

CAMEROTA: Well, great work, Commissioner Ramsey. Thanks so much for sharing all the details with us. I'm so happy that the police department and the public were able to come together to rescue her. Great job.

RAMSEY: Well, thank you.

CAMEROTA: Let's go over to Chris.

CUOMO: I got to tell you, Alisyn, you know, you and I both have to deal with it. You're trying to figure out what seat to put your kid in. You're trying to get the right one. Of course, all we care about is safety. Well, there's a new best and worst list out for booster seats. What do you have in the back seat of your car? Is it keeping your kid as safe as you think? And she is considered a front-runner for the White House in 2016. You

don't need for me to say her name. There's a new article in a national magazine warning readers not to vote for Hillary Clinton and laying out some very interesting reasons why. We have the author of the article right ahead for you.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)