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CNN NEWSROOM

Mitch McConnell and the GOP's Priorities; Retailers Spar over "Black Thursday"

Aired November 6, 2014 - 10:30   ET

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


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POPPY HARLOW, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. Thanks so much for joining me. I'm Poppy Harlow in for Carol Costello.

Triumphant Republicans will plant their flag on Capitol Hill in January when they march into Congress with the most dominant majority in decades and hoping to lead that charge is Mitch McConnell. Today he is the Senate minority leader. In a vote next week, he hopes to become the next majority leader.

But what about his goals beyond that? Always an interesting question -- our Athena Jones joins me now live on Capitol Hill. Good morning Athena.

ATHENA JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning Poppy. Unlike a lot of his colleagues in the Senate, Mitch McConnell doesn't dream of one day being president. The job he's always wanted is the job he's about to take. And he's already started talking about what he hopes to accomplish.

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SEN. MITCH MCCONNELL (R), KENTUCKY: A week from tomorrow I'll be elected majority leader of the Senate.

JONES (voice over): They're words Republican Senator Mitch McConnell has waited years to say. After a comfortable win Tuesday night in a high-profile race and eight years as leader of the minority, he's now poised to set the agenda for the Senate and, of course, for his party on the road to 2016.

DAVID GERGEN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: He has always aspired to be the leader. This is a dream come true for him. He sees the next two years as an opportunity for the Republican Party and for the country to make some progress.

JONES: Described as strategic and methodical, McConnell has won praise from allies of the President like former White House Press Secretary Jay Carney.

JAY CARNEY, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Mitch McConnell is a masterful politician and he is pretty transactional.

JONES: that means he's done a lot of deal making, including with Vice President Joe Biden on tax and budget issues. But what about with a president who once joked --

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Some folks still don't think I spend enough time with Congress. "Why don't you get a drink with Mitch McConnell," they ask. Really? "Why don't you get a drink with Mitch McConnell?"

JONES: Now the President may need that drink.

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

JONES: As for McConnell, after telling conservative audience in 2010 --

MCCONNELL: Our top political priority over the next two years should be to deny President Obama a second term.

JONES: The 72-year-old lawyer and one-time Capitol Hill intern must focus on showing that Republicans can lead, potentially striking bargains with Democrats on issues like tax reform and trade agreements. He also wants to pass the controversial Keystone XL Oil Pipeline.

And today in a "Wall Street Journal" op-ed, he said he'll renew efforts to appeal Obamacare.

GERGEN: We've seen the emergence of a new leader in Washington. Mitch McConnell is very likely to emerge as the second most powerful man in the United States government.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JONES: So what's next? Well, the President will be meeting with Senator McConnell along with more than a dozen other congressional leaders from both parties at the White House tomorrow to begin to chart a path forward. But with Republicans promising to try again to repeal Obamacare and the President promising again yesterday that he'll act unilaterally on immigration reform, it doesn't look like the relationship between the White House and the new Congress is off to such a great start -- Poppy.

HARLOW: It's just because they haven't had their bourbon yet, right Athena?

JONES: Maybe. Maybe the bourbon, the drink together will solve it all, but I doubt it.

HARLOW: Yes, I think you're right. Athena Jones thanks for that report -- fascinating.

Let's talk more about that. Now that the midterms are over, it's time for the GOP to turn campaign talk into real action. In a joint op-ed, that Athena talked about in the "Wall Street Journal" this morning, House Speaker John Boehner and the likely man to lead the Senate, Mitch McConnell are vowing to make changes saying, quote, "we won't repeat the mistakes made when a different majority ran Congress in the first years of Barack Obama's presidency, attempting to reshape large chunks of the nation's economy with massive bills that few Americans have read and fewer understand."

Promises like that will be up against the clock. In two years' time, 34 seats will be up for re-election in the Senate. 24 of those belong to, you guessed it, Republicans -- only ten to Democrats. Let's talk about this more and the long game here with CNN political commentators Ana Navarro and Hilary Rosen.

Hilary, let me begin with you because that really stood out to me reading the op-ed this morning. They sort of outlined some really big things but then said we're not going to do what Democrats did and we're not going to tackle these really big issues. We're going to do what can be managed now and effect immediate change for Americans. What did you make of that?

HILARY ROSEN, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: A lot to unpack here, Poppy. Let's start with kind of the two big potential electrifying things. The first has to be Obamacare. I thought the President sent a really nice tone yesterday when he said, look, if there are things that can be improved I'm sure our team thinks of things that can be improved. I want to work with the Congress to do that. That was the right message.

The other one though is that the Republicans are sending out kind of threatening messages, don't act on immigration alone. And if the administration continues to do that which I actually believe would be a mistake, then they're going to give Congress an excuse, the hard liners in Congress, to push back and not go right back to gridlock.

I think the President and his team ought to be sitting down first with the Congress to figure out, a lot of Ana's friends up on the hill in the Republican party want to see a balanced immigration proposal. They ought to find the middle ground there and do that.

The second piece is, to pass anything Mitch McConnell is going to need Democrats. He doesn't have a 60-vote majority. And those centrist Democrats want to get things done. In fact, he may need Democrats more because he'll have the attacks from Ted Cruz and Rand Paul and Marco Rubio -- the guys running for president who are less likely to cooperate and want to compromise to move things. So centrist Democrats are going to be key here to a lot the Senate has to get done.

HARLOW: Ana, what's your response?

ANA NAVARRO, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: I think there's great symbolism in this joint piece that Mitch McConnell and John Boehner wrote together for the "Wall Street Journal" today. Because what we've seen in the last several years, not only are they dysfunctional and gridlock-ridden relationship between Congress and the White House, but also between Congress itself, between the House and the Senate.

So you're seeing that the two Republican leaders of each chamber are getting together and outlining priorities saying, look, we're not going to change the world, we're not going to do huge things like Obamacare, we're not going to pass that kind of legislation, but these are some things that we are going to prioritize and we are going to try to do; most of them having to do with economy, with tax reform, with issues that affect your pocket and that affect the bottom line for middle class and that create jobs.

On Obamacare, I will tell you this, I think any realistic Republican understands that a repeal of Obamacare is not going to get through the President's desk. It's not going to be signed by the President. But there's also some symbolism that has to be done for the voters, for the voters who voted for it. So if they vote on it once, I think that's fine. If they vote on it 40 times, then you're getting into silly season.

But it's one of the things that, you know, happened where the House passed it 40 times and it never got voted on in the Senate. Now, once they get that out of their system, they should focus on things in Obamacare that need to be fixed immediately. And there is agreement on some of these things, even like repealing the medical device tax.

HARLOW: I want you both to address this question. We were talking about it in the 9:00 a.m. hour, whether or not the focus of many lawmakers in the next two years is going to be on 2016 rather than on the now. Are the American people -- Hilary, to you first and then to you, Ana -- going to suffer as a result of perhaps trying to throw many bills out there that the President will veto? That's what one of our commentators said this morning. Is that a risk that the American people suffer with a lack of action so that people can push their agenda for 2016?

ROSEN: Look, you know, we have this conversation after every single election for the last decade which is are they going to focus on getting things done or are they going to focus on getting re-elected? Unfortunately the entire Congress, Democrats and Republicans alike, have made the wrong choice for the last ten years. And they're equally to blame on this, I think.

And so what I think we have now though is with a Republican majority setting the agenda, and again, they don't control all the votes, but they do control the agenda, there is a kind of a forced negotiation with the President on big picture things. So to the extent that there is possibility for moving some of these things like tax reform, like education reform, like realistic things on immigration, like infrastructure, now may be it, the President has to help as much as the Republicans do.

HARLOW: I want to be able to get Ana in here for her response. Are you encouraged that maybe something will be different this time, Ana?

NAVARRO: Yes. I mean I'm encouraged that -- look, at least they're saying the right things now at the beginning. Will it disintegrate at some point as, you know, reality settles and they start confronting each other? Yes. But I think that if both sides focus on the areas where there is some agreement and try to get these things done in little chunks, we may be able to see some action.

I think Republicans understand that the election on Tuesday was about change. And change means institutions that work. Congress has not been working under a Reid and Boehner combination. The hope is that under a McConnell and Boehner combination it works much better, and they are sending positive signals as of yet. So we should take them at their word and we should stay positive until we have reason not to.

HARLOW: Amen. All right. Let's see what happens, guys. I wish the best for all the American people that are counting on Washington. Ana Navarro and Hilary Rosen -- thank you.

ROSEN: Thank you.

HARLOW: Still to come here on the NEWSROOM, turkey, football and deep discounts. That's the plan for the nation's biggest retail chains. But this year there's a bit of backlash at Black Thursday. Let's talk about it with Christine Romans. She has the story -- Christine.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN CHIEF BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: You said it Poppy -- Thursday. We used to always argue about black Friday, was it a waste of your time? Was it going anti the important holiday? No, no, no. Now, you can just have your turkey dinner and go shopping right away, too. I have that story right after the break.

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HARLOW: Checking your top stories this hour, U.S. Defense officials tell CNN than an air strike has allegedly killed a French jihadist, who is a key leader of the much-feared Khorasan terrorist group. The official says the Wednesday strike in Syria is believed to have killed a top bomb maker. The offensive first launched in September came amid intelligence suggestions that plots against Western targets including airports.

Tensions remain high at a Jerusalem holy site sacred to Jews and Muslims. More than 15 people were injured yesterday when stone- throwing Palestinians fought Israeli police. In a separate incident a Palestinian man drove a van into pedestrians, killing one person and injuring 13 others.

And drummer for legendary rock band AC/DC has been charged with attempting to have two men killed. Phil Rod entered a no plea in New Zealand courtroom today. The names of the men allegedly wanted killed and the alleged potential hitman though are not being released.

Thanksgiving is quickly becoming as well known for blowout sales as it is for turkey and stuffing. But not all retailers are on board with the fast track to Black Friday or Thursday I should say and they're pledging to keep their doors closed.

Christine Romans joins me now. We talk about this every year. You and I are in the same camp, staying at home with family eating turkey.

ROMANS: Full disclosure, Poppy and I don't understand why you celebrate nearly averting a famine by going out and spending money you don't have on credit card. We don't get that.

But we understand -- HARLOW: At least on Thursday. I have gone to Black Friday before I

must admit.

ROMANS: Millions of people do this. And now the retailers -- the retailers tell us, look, we have sales, we open our doors earlier and people come. Now JCPenney, the most recent, is going to open its doors earlier on Thanksgiving at 5:00 p.m. It's going to give itself a little bit of edge against some of the other big box stores and those soft goods retailers. They will be open a little earlier.

HARLOW: Every year they one-up each other. One hour earlier, one hour earlier.

ROMANS: They do. They do. It's called, you know, it's the Black Friday creep. I mean Black Friday is not just Black Friday anymore, it's now fully on Thursday. Then there's Cyber Monday which is sort of like a made-up online promotion to try to get you to spend even more money on the Monday after.

So all of this is about getting you to part with your money -- right; and the whole point of the national holiday is about abundance and about managing to cobble together the food after a very, very hard winter and hard year.

HARLOW: Right. And it's not even always the best deals at all because they know you're coming.

ROMANS: And we know this. Look, there are diehard shoppers who will make a bundle on Black Friday or Brown Thursday, who are going to be able to navigate. The whole system is devised with behavioral economists and retail experts to get the uninitiated to spend money that they weren't going to otherwise. So you're being taken. The whole point of the whole system --

HARLOW: What is it that you said to me earlier, it's truly American?

ROMANS: This is truly American to try to celebrate averting famine and extinction by going out spending a bunch of money. One time I asked Deepak Chopra -- he's a (inaudible)

I said why do Americans do this? I was trying to really understand why we do this. And he said it's so American to spend money you don't have, to impress people you don't like, for things you don't need.

HARLOW: Keeping up with the Jones.

ROMANS: That is the American. Look, some people love this. It's almost a family sport in some ways.

HARLOW: But then you've got some stores. I'm from Minnesota so going home to the Mall of America, I always notice that Nordstrom is closed on Black Friday.

ROMANS: Costco this year said they will be closed on Thanksgiving. They will not open on Thanksgiving. There's a lot of pressure to open on Thanksgiving. Nordstrom will be closed on Thanksgiving, Neiman Marcus and Game Stop. But it's interesting, you know. I've had a lot of discussions with retail experts about this who say that most people and really paycheck to paycheck people, that is a big part of our economy. They love this and they think they're getting good deals and this is part of the day after.

HARLOW: And also employees get paid more. Time and a half.

ROMANS: There are workers who don't like to be compelled to work. We're talking about Thursday, too. Black Friday, that's been settled. People shop on Black Friday. No question. We're talking about Thanksgiving.

HARLOW: Turkey day.

All right Christine, thank you. Let's go shopping.

ROMANS: I'm going to get all kinds of hate mail from people who love shopping on Thanksgiving.

HARLOW: Thank you Christine. Still to come here in the NEWSROOM. Sometimes you just need a little rhythm in your step like this fabulous anchorman. Maybe a little twist every now and then. It just happens this guy does his dancing on camera alone when they're rolling.

We'll explain.

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HARLOW: My favorite story of the day. My favorite story of the week -- this guy busting a move, doing the twist, cutting the rug. There's just one issue for this television anchor from West Virginia -- his co-anchor is not really feeling the groove.

Jeanne Moos explains.

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JEANNE MOOS, CNN SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT: Sometimes an anchor has to rise.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: From the ashes.

MOOS: Not from the ashes, from the anchor desk. Dan Thorn is shaking things up at WVNS in West Virginia putting on sunglasses and lip syncing to James Brown.

Rapping along with TI's "Where They At", stealing his co-anchor's iPad to use as a prop. During commercials or when waiting the go on air, Dan is one anchor you can't anchor down.

But it's his co-anchor's not so amused attitude that helped make the outtake Dan posted on his Facebook page go viral. No matter how goofy his face, miming to Taylor Swift, Sarah Pisciuneri ignores Dan Thorn as if he's a thorn in her side.

DAN THORN, NEWS ANCHOR: I was just trying to connect with my viewers and say, hey, I'm not a stiff.

MOOS: You're not peeved at him, are you?

SARAH PISCIUNERI: No, not at all. That's just who Dan is. He's a funny guy like that.

MOOS: By his third video, Dan was roaming around the studio. For more than a year now Dan and Sarah have been co-anchors, and they both say they are very close.

PISCIUNERI: We do like each other. Getting along isn't work.

MOOS: But Sarah draws the line at dancing during commercial breaks.

THORN: Come on, dance a little bit.

PISCIUNERI: I can't dance on camera.

Future employers might be looking at that and not taking me seriously.

MOOS: We did detect Sarah bopping her head ever so slightly. She even laughed. What's Dan say to those who call this unprofessional?

THORN: That this is just me being myself.

MOOS: Do you think he's a clown?

PISCIUNERI: Not in a bad way at all. But I mean he's a silly guy.

MOOS: Now Dan joins other talent in the viral hall of fame.

As for the speed with which the dancing anchor went viral, Dan quoted the anchorman he dressed up as for Halloween.

THORN: He said, "Well, that escalated quickly."

WILL FARRELL, ACTOR: Boy, that escalated quickly.

THORN: But don't drag Sarah into this. Her motto is anchors away.

Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: Dan and Sarah for "Dancing with the Stars". Can we start a campaign? That would be amazing.

Thank you for joining me today. I'm Poppy Harlow in for Carol Costello.

"@THIS HOUR WITH BERMAN AND MICHAELA" starts after a quick break.

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