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President Sends More Troops to Iraq to Fight ISIS; Americans Kenneth Bae and Matthew Todd Miller Freed from North Korea; The 25th Anniversary of the Fall of the Berlin Wall

Aired November 9, 2014 - 17:00   ET

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


POPPY HARLOW, CNN ANCHOR: Good evening everyone. You are in the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Poppy Harlow, live in New York. Thanks so much for joining us.

More U.S. troops are headed to Iraq about 1,500 more, the reason, of course is ISIS. But President Obama says he is not breaking his words, the Commander in Chief has gone on a record may times promising that American service men and women who go to Iraq now will not go there to fight.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The notion that the United States should be putting boots on the ground, I think would be a profound mistake.

This American forces will not have a combat mission. We will not drag into another ground war in Iraq.

The American forces that had been deployed to Iraq do not and will not have a combat mission.

I will not commit our troops to fighting another ground war in Iraq or in Syria.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: In an interview broadcast today, the President called his decision to deploy more troops quote "a new phase in the American lead strategy against ISIS," saying the airstrike are working and the mission needs Iraqi ground troops to push ISIS back further.

Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OBAMA: What hasn't changed this our troops are not engaged in combat.

BOB SCHIEFFER, FACE THE NATION: Should we expect that more troops may be needed before this is over?

OBAMA: You know, as Commander in Chief, I'm never going to say never. (END VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: Never going to say never.

Joining me from Dallas, James Williams, a retired marine corps general, who lead combat marines in Iraq. Thank you for being with me Sir.

MAJOR GEN. JAMES WILLIAMS (RET.), UNITED STATES MARINE: Thank you, Poppy.

HARLOW: I want to talk about, what would were the president say, just your reaction. I mean, of course, one can never say never. What is your reaction to this escalation of U.S. forces going now? Is it the right move? Is it enough? And to what you just saw the President say?

WILLIAMS: Well, I think, first of all, it is the -- it's a correct move, now whether it's going to be enough will depend on how the mission start to develop. You know, there is an advisory role, of course the President says they're not in a combat role, you know, that is relative, you know. Anybody that's in advisor in a combat area is going to -- not necessary be in direct combat but in some point they're going to have to defend themselves or the people that they are around.

HARLOW: Right.

WILLIAMS: So -- but I think the -- when the President says never say never, I think his becoming little bit more flexible on the position that he took earlier. And I would -- I would attribute that to the planners and the joint chase of staff talking to the President about what the art of the possibility is of defeating this organization called ISIS or ISIL if you will.

HARLOW: When it comes to -- you brought up, you know the point that what if they are attack? These -- these men and women going over to advice, to assist, to do logistics, also need to be able to defend themselves if they are attack. Can you give us sense of what they go over there with, in terms of a compliment of personnel and base defense weapons?

WILLIAMS: Well, essentially, I think the role here is to be integrated with the Iraqi forces, training and educating. And ultimately where the U.S. Forces will be, obviously, they'll protect themselves. And they'll protect themselves with the light to heavy weapons, they'll have air support obviously which were already used using you know. Now when you decide to become more offensive you'll need more of forces for that. Now, I believe the President's intent is that he would like to see the other of members of that 60 member coalition contribute to ground forces.

HARLOW: Right.

WILLIAMS: And so -- but our forces will be in this educating and training role but essentially to say they're not going to be in the combat role, may be giving American people a false impression of where they are.

HARLOW: We had a former marine on yesterday, who said to me, look, it's Symantec at this point. He really feels like we need to go either all in, have more troops and more supporter or not at all.

Let me ask you about this. ISIS' leader a man by the name of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. The Pentagon, at this point still, cannot confirm some reports that he might have been wounded in this coalition airstrike on Friday. Give me a sense, when you don't have U.S. boots on the ground technically, to go out in to the field and then to see was this person an injured? Was this person killed? How do you do that kind of battle damages assessment?

WILLIAMS: Well, first of all, you look at different resources and typically in our intelligence network we would look at two or three resources to actually confirm whether this is occurred or not. So sometimes the first report maybe a misperception but then again it could reality.

HARLOW: Thank you very much for joining us Sir, we appreciate it.

WILLIAMS: Thank you so much, Poppy.

HARLOW: Good to have you on.

Well, two Americans are reuniting their families today after terrifying detentions in North Korea. As they step on the American soil Kenneth Bae and Matthew Miller smiled with relief, they've hugged their families, finally free. What a day. Bae's first public words express gratitude to everyone who worked so hard for this release.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KENNETH BAE, AMERICAN HOSTAGE BY NORTH KOREA: Thank you all for supporting me and standing by me during this time. And it's been just amazing blessing to see so many people being involved getting me release for the last two years and not to mention -- now I'm mentioning for thousands of people doing pray for me as well. Such as want to say it thank you all for supporting me, lifting me up and not forgetting me.

It's been amazing two years, I learned a lot, I grew a lot, lost a lot of weight in good way. But I standing strong because of you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: And you know he did when he got home? He ordered pizza with his family.

Bae was held for years as a North Korean prisoners in a hard labor camp. He endured extrusion and pain, he had significant health problems throughout with kids doing a lot better though, he said he's recovering.

We now know what Kenneth Bae ate, as I said pizza, his sister spoke with our Ana Cabrera just a short time ago. Listen. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TERRI CHUNG, KENNETH BAE'S SISTER: We got home last night and none of us had eaten dinner. So we were trying to figure out, where we should eat, then you know, we've all favorite Korean restaurants and he said I don't want Korean food, that's all I've been eating for the last two years. He said I want a burger or pizza and of course, you know. So we thought Papa John was open around the corner, so that's -- that was the first meal he had. He had Papa John.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: Papa John, Ana Cabrera joining this now. Also David Sugarman who worked very hard with the family to help -- to help bring him home.

Ana, let me begin with you. I was so glad to hear that he had a sense of humor. He joked about he lost some weight in a good way and he had pizza when he went home. I know you just spoke with his sister, one- on-one. What did she tell you?

ANA CABRERA, CNN REPORTER: Well, so many stories were shared last night. They -- they apparently spent a long night eating and catching up as a family. And you saw that huge smile on her face, you saw the smile in Kenneth's face to face, everybody was so happy to be together.

Also asked her a little bit more about his health. As you mentioned there were concerns about him dealing with his diabetes, high blood pressure, kidney stone while he was in prison in North Korea. She talked about that as well as sharing some intimate details about their reunion with him.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHUNG: On the way home he's calling his children, you know we all cried again once more, you know, just listening to those phone calls and yes we're thankful that he's in -- he seems to be in good sprit and his health had recovered some because he spent sometime in the hospital prior to the being released. So we're thankful for all of that.

CABRERA: What are his plans moving forward?

CHUNG: I don't think anybody knows, I don't think he knows yet. I think at this point, it's just to catch up with family and I think he wants to talk with different people, to reconnect with old friends. He also very aware that so many people had been supporting him, so he wants to be able to kind a express his thanks and gratitude to all of those individuals as well.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CABRERA: In fact, he also expressed gratitude to North Korea for pardoning him, for letting him go free to be with his family and she went on to say that he hold no ill will against that country. In fact he has great affection for the people of North Korea which is why he was there in the first place.

She mentioned he does have a long road to recovery of course there are emotional scars, a lot of stress probably that he'll endure the next few weeks and months trying to re-acclimate to a life here in the U.S. But she said that it will be a very, very special thanks giving one the family will never forget. And that's the time when the whole family will hopefully be together, Poppy.

HARLOW: Right. Because at this point, Ana, as you were saying, he has not been able to see his -- his three children yet. So he still had that to look forward to great reporting out there.

CABRERA: Right. They are in another state.

HARLOW: Right. Right. Exactly, so what a thanks giving it's going to be.

Ana, thank you so much.

Also I want to bring in to the conversation.

David Sugarman, you really lead the Spring Bae back campaign. You've been very close to this family. You still haven't gotten to meet Kenneth Bae..

DAVID SUGARMAN, CEO, SUGARMAN WORLD ENTERPRISE: Not, exactly. No.

HARLOW: But you've been very committed to all of this. You've been talking to his family throughout, what do they said?

SUGARMAN: I mean there -- you know, there -- the events leading up to this have been, you know as we spoke about it's really hard on them. I was texting at Terri yesterday while she was waiting for Kenneth to land, I texted her, you know after -- I had -- I'm yet to speak with her on the phone. But I'm giving them their --

HARLOW: Right.

SUGARMAN: You know, the well deserve space that she wants.

HARLOW: His health was a big question because we knew his health was deteriorating while he was in prison. But last night he was asked about press conference by a journalist, how are you feeling? And he said I'm recovering.

SUGARMAN: Recovering. Yes.

HARLOW: Anyway, he joked a little bit about I lost some weight in a good while I was over there. We saw that photo about of him eating pizza with his family. What do you know about his health and his condition?

SUGARMAN: I don't know, I mean, the current health, I don't know. I know what was told which is what Terri have told -- his sister was told me and what I've heard from the State Department and what not. Which is how -- his health was not good, the hair is falling out, the way he lost the heart problems, so on and so forth.

HARLOW: So did you feel to see him looking a little bit better?

SUGARMAN: I was -- yesterday, last night from me personally, it was really moving. You know, because a lot of people put in a lot of time but there's still a lot of work to do with the families, you know in North Korea and South Korea, the reunification of these families, right.

We had, you know, the opportunity to bring one family back together, right. But there's thousands of other families that -- that we need to bring back together.

HARLOW: That's something very important not to forget.

Thank you very much David Sugarman.

SUGARMAN: Thank you.

HARLOW: And our Ana Cabrera, they're live for us.

Coming up next, it was on this state.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Tear down this wall.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: It is on this date in 1989 that the Berlin Wall was torn down. We are going to take you live to Germany to see the emend celebration.

So what else was happening in November 1989? If you watched the wall fall, chances are this was on your cassette player.

(VIDEO CLIP PLAYING)

HARLOW: Yes. It was on mine. Paula Abdul number one then in 25 years ago this weekend. She swept MTV's Video Music Award partly thanks to this single. She became the number one female artist. She was in the number female artist of the year.

We will be right back.

(VIDEO CLIP PAYING)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE REPORTER: A live look at the lanterns along the path where the Berlin Wall once stood thousands, 8,000 in fact to be precise. Balloons are strung across 15 kilometers.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE REPORTER: You get the ground level people's view of the balloons flying off into the night's sky. The balloons being released, sending hope into the night's sky from a place that saw so much darkness for so many years. And one more to go one final one is also in the air. And that is it from the east side gallery. All the balloons on the east side gallery have been released. As you can see, we're cheering it on. There you go.

HARLOW: That was great to see. It was no doubt one of the most iconic moment of the last century the fall of the Berlin Wall. And on today, the 25th anniversary of the collapse, we are looking back at the chaos and confusion surrounding it in the cold war in general.

Our Atika Shubert, let's take a virtual look at the creation of that wall and what eventually brought it down.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ATIKA SHUBERT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: In the embers of World War II, a defeated Germany was carved up, occupied by Britain, France, and the United States to the west and the Soviet Union to east.

Berlin which laid well within the eastern territory was also divided. The west an island of capitalism engulfed by a communist super block. Though many Berliners could move freely within the city. Well, that was until August 13, 1961.

Berliners are walled to barbed wire fence, surrounding the western part of the city. A barrier to contain the East German's hungry for the lifestyles of the west. Overnight families were split. And east Berliners working on the west were cut off from their jobs. Barbed wires soon became spooling concrete colossi stretching a 155 kilometers. Thousands of armed guards kept watched from 302 observation towers.

Now looking out from the east, half the other wall is an area known as the death stone, where guards were shoot to kill. A signal fence here sends a silent alarm when touched. Next metal tank straps before a terrible carpet of metal spikes, nicknamed Stalin's lawn. Then the wall as the west saw it, 3.6 meters tall, top with a hot plate in place to make scaling it almost impossible. More than 100,000 East Germans attempted to escape passed the wall. At least 5,000 succeeded but more 200 died trying.

JOHN F. KENNEDY, FORMER UNITED STATES PRESIDENT: (INAUDIBLE)

SHUBERT: One of President Kennedy's most rousing speeches was delivered here at the wall within earshot of the east. A message repeated years later by President Reagan.

RONALD REGAN, FORMER UNITED STATES PRESIDENT: Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall.

SHUBERT: In 1989, cracks began to show. Guards were told not to shoot. Thousands rallied for freedom in East Berlin. On the 9th of November, a sea changed. East Germans would be allowed to crossed the border. Thousands headed to the wall, tearful jubilant Germans from both sides began to hack and rip down the concrete, excited, welcoming hands reached over. East Berliners soaked up the range western wonderland, sparkling the things that they had so long been denied. In than less than a year the wall was in tatters. And the iron curtain was being pulled back. Germany, fractured for four decades was united once more.

Atika Shubert, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARLOW: What a moment in story. Thanks Atika.

Thousands of Berliners, dignitaries and visitors from around the world gathered near the city's Brandenburg Gate today remembering a moment many thought would never come.

Let's go to Fred Pleitgen. He is live for us in Berlin. What has it been like there today, Fred?

FRED PLEITGEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's been absolutely amazing, Poppy. You know, one of the reasons is not just people never thought this moment that would never come. And I was actually, there when the moment did come. Many people never thought that it come in peaceful way. Many people thought that the wall might fall at some point. But it's certainly wouldn't fall during our lifetime and then it's certainly wouldn't fall without a single shot being fired.

So that's one of the things that was a theme today in this commemoration. As the highlight was of course those 7,000 balloons getting released into the night's sky. That of course, to symbolize the border, the wall as it formerly was. It was lanterns that was put up along ten miles stretch along what used to be, the Berlin Wall which is a lot shorter than the actual wall was. But it was the part that ran through Central Berlin.

And then there was also solemn part of those celebration where people were remembered who didn't make it who tried to flee communist East Germany and were shot or drown in some of the rivers. Some people tried to swim to the west as well. Their pictures were shown on a large screen.

So it was a great celebration. Because there was a lot of jubilation because of course people were remembering that this was a time that communism started falling apart, but there are also was that solemn moment when they remembered those who died along the way -- Poppy.

HARLOW: Right. Some 200 lives. It's amazing to think what an economic power house Germany has become in the last quarter century since then. With for you, you live through this with your family. What is it like for you?

PLEITGEN: Well, I mean, you're absolutely right. It's amazing that a man -- that Germany was able to shoulder all of this but it was not like that all the time. I mean, after unification -- first of all of course, there was jubilation, people were happy that the two Germanys were united. But on the other hand there was also people who were very unhappy. There were a lot of East Germans who lost their jobs. There were West Germans were not happy because they had to pay a lot of money to try and bring East Germany back up to speed. I mean all the factories went bankrupt. They didn't have any highways to speed up. Their rail system was a disaster.

In total, Germany paid more than a trillion dollars to get the east back up to speed. It's a huge sum of money for a country this size. And of course, many people for people for a long time were not happy with it but now a day if you ask people they certainly will say, at least most of them will say that it was worth it. It was worth it and interesting statistic that came out very recently where 77 percent of Germans said they believe that the effort and money that was put into it was certainly worth it. And now 25 years later, as you said Germany once again a very big economic power house doing very well at this point in time.

HARLOW: And Fred, we do have to go. But really quickly, I can't let our viewers not see the amazing car behind you. Just a really show and tell.

PLEITGEN: The car. All right. Let's see it. Let's see it -- this is Trabant and it is, I know we have to go, I just want to say one thing. This is Trabant 601 station wagon, it's got 26 horse power, the 601S and S stands for sport. And what we've done, we've had an artist paint all over it and then today we let people here who came here to this celebrations signed their names on it. Their first and last name and the country or the city that they're from.

And we had people from all over the world. We have Israel, India, China, Taiwan. I mean, you name it they're on there. So this is now a CNN mobile and a CNN mobile that is very international at the same time that little grungy looks with tagraffi (ph) tags on it given that Berlin flavor. Love the car.

HARLOW: I love it Fred. I sincerely hope you keep that. Do not let that go.

Fred Pleitgen, what a special day and thank you for being live for us this evening there especially with the awesome car.

Fred Pleitgen, thanks so much.

Well, From teased out mullets to overused of neon, they were a lot really interesting treads in the 80's. The movies however was just classic.

Let's take a look at the top grousing movies of 1989.

Number five, "Honey I shrunk the kids," number four, "Look Who's talking", number three "Lethal Weapon", at two "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade" and the number one movie of 1989?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Don't kill me man, don't kill me, don't kill me man.

MICHAEL KEATON, BATMAN MOVIE ACTOR: I'm not going to kill you. I want you to do me a favor. I want you to tell all your friends about me. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What are you?

KEATON: I'm Batman.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: Michael Keaton, as "Batman." All classic.

Coming up next, on this week's "PARTS UNKNOWN" premiering 9:00 p.m. eastern time tonight. Anthony Bourdain visits the place where his career began, Massachusetts.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANTHONY BOURDAIN, CNN HOST, PARTS UNKNOWN: I hadn't been working for a while. I was a deadbeat. (INAUDIBLE) as everybody else. And he comes home from work and says our dishwasher didn't show up for work today. You're our new dishwasher. I said, really? The next day, I put on the apron and I didn't take it off for 30 years.

I'd wake up, with all of those go to the beach. Hang out on the beach until like 2:00, 3:00. Roll into work. Work all night. Drinking, getting high. Drilling out food. You got all of the food you wanted, all of the liquor you wanted.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All of the sex you wanted.

BOURDAIN: All of the sex you wanted.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was fun. We had a great time.

BOURDAIN: And you were an essential part of the economy.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was fun. I remember.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARLOW: President Obama arrived in China in just a few hours, picking up a weeklong trip throughout Asia. He left late last night and there is a lot at stake, starting with the Asia Pacific Economic Summit. It's early Monday morning in Beijing. That's where we find our very well rested White House Correspondent, Senior White House Correspondent Jim Acosta.

Jim, let's talk about this trip, especially the G-20 Summit in Australia because that of course has a lot of people asking any chance the president will have a face to face meeting with Vladimir Putin?

JIM ACOSTA, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Right.

Yes, I think that is one of the big questions of this trip, Pop, you know. No question about it, you know the president is going to be on the road for about a week now. Starting here at Beijing, he's going to be meeting with the president of China, President Xi. They have a lot to discuss, you know they have -- they have this protest going on in Hong Kong. The president has a whole slew of human rights and democratic rights issues that the president wants to bring up with President Xi.

We don't know at this point whether or not the President of the United States will be allowed to have a news conference here with reporters who are following him on this trip because they essentially have to go through the Chinese. And so that is one interesting development we're going to be following. And then the president has to Burma, well he'll -- the I guess getting reacquainted with the a mission he took there, two years ago.

He made a trip to Burma two years ago to what -- to check on democratization efforts in that country. And then he does wrap things up on this trip in Australia at the end of the week. And of course, we're all asking that question whether or not he'll run into Russian President Vladimir Putin. We've been told by Administration Officials that there's no formal bilateral meeting between President Obama and President Putin. But that they could very possibly meet on the sidelines. So that is something that we will be watching for.

But Poppy, you know, one of the things that you know, the president is going to be doing on this trip is just getting away from Washington. You know he had that domestic political shellacking, shellacking to in some called it back in the United States. And so this really gives him some opportunity to try and spread his foreign policy wings over the next week.

But, you know, keep in mind, we've been told by the administration officials that there may not be many deliverables as they call that might end of this trip. He wants a transpacific trade partnership, may not get that. He wants President Xi of China to agree to a whole slew of things including, you know, areas of cyber security and intellectual proper rights. He may not get those items as well.

And so the president, while trying to get away from Washington may end up with the only one deliverable and that is delivering himself out of Washington and out of what's has been agreed top political scene as of late, Poppy.

HARLOW: Yes. We'll be watching closely. Appreciate the report. Very early for us this morning in Beijing.

Jim Acosta, thank you.

As Jim was saying, President Obama has seen his party lose more House seats in this midterm election than any President since Harry Truman. But both sides say we're going to work together and get along. Are they?

Our political experts weigh in next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARLOW: The midterm has managed to big night for Republicans in the words of President Obama. But not everyone agreed on why Republicans did so well.

Two men, they generally don't agree on a whole lot. Let's bring them in. Our political commentators, Ben Ferguson and Marc Lamont Hill.

Thank you both for being here.

First up, I want to show you both what Mr. Obama said today about those election results. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OBAMA: Another saying Harry Truman was "buck stops with me." The buck stops right here at my desk. And so, whenever as the head of the party, it doesn't do well, I've got to take responsibility for it.

The message that I took from this election and we've seen this in a number of elections, successive elections, is people want to see this city worked. And they fell as if it's not worth it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: So the President said in this interview guys, is the buck stops with him when the part doesn't do well. But he also repeated that argument we have heard that it had a lot to do with anger on both sides over -- over gridlock in Washington.

Let me begin with you, Marc. Because one that thing throughout to me this week, Harry Reid Chief of Staff saying to the "Washington Post," the president's approval rating is barely 40 percent. What else more is there to say? He went on to say I don't think that the political theme at the White House was truly up to speed and up to far on doing what needed to get done.

That is criticism that the president is basically blaming him coming from the Democrat.

MARC LAMONT HILL, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well, you can tell when the president is in his last two years, everyone says what they are really thinking and feeling all of the sudden. I think that this is a really interesting moment right now for the party and for the president.

I do think that the president's approval rating matters, obviously. But I think it's also the Democratic party's failure to stand next to its own victories. And it is also the White House's failure to trumpet its own victors.

I think this presidential administration might be the worst that I have seen and trumpeting in celebrating its achievements. And as a result, Republicans pump in Democrats into thinking that they can't win if they stand next to Obama. That they can't win by running on the economic growth and development. And as a result, people got ticked off.

And lastly, yes, people are mad at Washington. Washington doesn't work. People are tired of gridlock. And somehow Republicans trick people into thinking that putting them in charge of the Senate is going in -- in gridlock.

HARLOW: No. You can't complain if you don't vote. But -- Ben, go ahead.

BEN FERGUSON, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Yes. No, I don't think that Democrats are as dumb as Marc is implying as they are.

HARLOW: I don't think he is saying that.

FERGUSON: He is saying they were tricked and duped. I mean, who tricks and duped them? If you're a Democrat, you don't care what the Republicans say. The point was he did not have a lot of successes in a nick of time (ph). But ultimately, I think one of the biggest reasons why Democrats has lost because they did not run on Obamacare in this midterm. And they did not run on the economy in this midterm because the reality is most people in the polls said they did not feel like the economy was good. And a lot of people sort of like Obamacare.

But I think even more than that, the biggest issue was this. I think the White House is incredibly arrogant. I think they looked at Congress as this place that they don't like dealing with, I'm talking about Democrats on their own team. They look at these people on Capitol Hill as beneath them. And I think it is bitter in there were in this time. Because the president never really had a relationship with Congress in the last six years.

(CROSSTALK)

FERGUSON: The only time he ever worked with them was on Obamacare.

(CROSSTALK)

FERGUSON: And then afterwards, he said see you.

HARLOW: Let me get to you, Marc, with this question. This week, the head of the National Republican Senate (INAUDIBLE) committee said Democrats made a big mistake by not campaigning more with the president. Saying they sideline their best messenger. Do you agree with that?

HILL: Yes. I do to some extent. I mean, on the one hand, people are frustrated with the economy and often times opinion polls, popularity polls of the president are really a proxy for people's sentiment about the economy or about ISIS or Ebola. All the things that are frustrating us at the moment. But when the president hits the campaign trail, regardless of how you think he governs, he campaigns very well. And standing next to people may have made the difference in part, may have made a difference in Illinois. I think he could have been helpful. But again, it is not just then next to Obama. It is standing next to the victory that has been pertains in habit.

And you know, if you start from --

FERGUSON: They have them but they're not victories any more. HILL: But if you start from eight years ago and say look, we have

grown this thing. We have repaired the damage that we have done, we want to stay the course. Now, all of the sudden, you have a different narrative. Democrats didn't buy into that narrative. And that is why they have got (INAUDIBLE).

And again, lastly, people are really mad at Congress. We can't ignore this. Democrats or Republicans have failed to do anything --

FERGUSON: It is more about Obama than ever was Congress. Because everyone in Congress, you know, a lot of guys got reelected. I mean, yes, everybody days they hate Congress in general. But you had all of the house up for reelection. And guess what? There was some Republicans and Democrats who got reelected.

HILL: In very safe districts there.

HARLOW: All right, guys, guys? Don't go anywhere. Hold that thought. We'll be right back on the other side.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARLOW: We're talking politics with CNN political commentators Ben Ferguson and Marc Lamont Hill.

Guys, welcome back. Let's focus on what the Republican Senate takeover means for the country, means for these two senators. You have Democrat Harry Reid and Republican Mitch McConnell. They have been senate colleagues since the 1980s. And they may be sort of like grandfatherly types in terms of their experience there, their relationships on the Hill.

But interesting stories from both men, right? You have got Reid turns 75 this year. He's a former amateur Boxer and police officer who fought his way out of poverty, living in Nevada. He won a Senate seat in 1986. Extended to the holes of power in Washington.

McConnell, 72. He was elected to the Senate in 1984. He was discipline focused and according to a Democrat who has known him since the 1960s, he is always thinking about how to acquire or maintain political power. We know this is a position that he has wanted for a long time.

Marc, are you hopeful -- are you hopeful, Marc, that we are going to see them working together?

HILL: The fact that him being an amateur Boxer is actually irrelevant in this conversation is exactly why I am not hopeful. I think a fistfight is more likely than any kind of compromise here.

I'm very concerned. And you know, again, it was wishful thinking that electing Republicans into the Senate to take over the majority would somehow end gridlock. At best, they are going to set President Obama up to be veto man, at best. It would be like going to see from the bunch of absurd stud legislations just like we saw at the House come up and get knocked down. That's what we are going to see. HARLOW: Ben, I thought it was interesting this week on election

night, our Wolf Blitzer asked Senator Ted Cruz, will you support, you know, McConnell as the leader of the Senate and he wouldn't. He asked him a few times and he wouldn't endorse him. What did you make of that and how do you think he is going to be?

FERGUSON: You have got the old guard and the new guard. And a lot of guys are looking at the present, see are not going to want to look like they are hard core old school GOP guys and understandably so. And let's be real honest. Mitch McConnell as it is exactly been walking around, giving hugs to the new guys, and show off in Washington. There are threat to him and there are threat to the old boy school the same way that we have seen on the Democratic side as well. I mean, if there is any good news that is going to come out is this. You know, with these guys, a late night on Capitol Hill is going to be 8:00, 8:30. So, you know, I mean, if you are looking like it like a government standoff or a jet down --

(CROSSTALK)

HARLOW: I thought everyone -- I thought everyone was going to have a bourbon party in Washington. That's all they have been talking about all weekend. And together, during --

But to you, Marc, assuming they stay up later than 8:00. I believe they do. seriously here, though, you have got guys who have been, you know, working in Washington for decades, neither of them are going to want their legacy to be we couldn't get along and get anything done.

HILL: Well, that is -- there are two things that play to Republican advantage here. One, Mitch McConnell is legacy driven. Two, they have got the Senate now. And they said look, if you give us the Senate we will get things done. They have to defend at least 24 seats in 2016. So if they want to maintain and expand power in the Senate, they're going to have to get stuff done. More gridlock probably means a return to democratic control in two years. And to have President Obama who likely does not want to have his legacy end without having any more significant domestic legislation come through. So all of these things speak to compromise.

FERGUSON: And here are the things too. These guys understand that Barack Obama is gone in two years. He didn't help them any this time. So, there is a little bit of end fighting between the Democratic party and Capitol Hill and the Obama White House.

I think that actually lends to getting better deals done on Capitol Hill because they realized that they are probably still going to be around after Barack Obama is gone.

And here is the other thing. They also have done deals in the past. They both have been around long enough to have see when there were compromises as if were successful when they could take away the partisan politics of it.

And I think ultimately Democrats and Republicans both realize if they don't work together now, a lot of them are going to be in trouble in two years.

HARLOW: Guys?

FERGUSON: And Barack Obama has already run his last election.

HARLOW: All right, Ben, we got to go. But really important breaking news here? Where are you going?

FERGUSON: Where am I going?

HARLOW: What are you growing?

FERGUSON: What am I growing?

(CROSSTALK)

FERGUSON: I'm doing the no shave November for a kid that asked me to do it for the Ronald McDonald house. He was fighting for his life with cancer. And he said I can't grow a beard so can you grow run for me? And I said you better believe it. So, yes, it's pretty exciting. And so, for everybody that is out there fighting for cancer, God bless them and we area raising them with cash.

HARLOW: No kidding.

All right, Marc, I want to see you next week.

HILL: I don't care what they say, Ben. You are a good guy.

HARLOW: Guys, thank you. Good to be with you. Appreciate it as always.

Coming up next, remember the arctic blasts that made last winter so unbearable? Guess what? They're back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARLOW: In today's American journey, an act of valor in the middle of a deadly shooting rampage at a U.S. military base.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HARLOW (voice-over): A few weeks ago, New York native army major Patrick Miller and his wife, Ashley, were living in Texas after being assigned to Ft. Hood following two previous deployments to Iraq. But on Wednesday, April 2nd, his life instantly changed.

PATRICK MILLER, SHOT BY FORT HOOD GUNMAN: Sitting in the office and all of a sudden you just hear bang, bang, bang, bang, six, seven gunshots and right away you know what that was.

HARLOW: Patrick was shot just inches below his heart.

MILLER: Every shot he's trying it reload, so I just pushed him as hard as I could, shut the door, locked it and then I just grabbed my phone, started calling 911 on one hand, putting pressure on it on the other.

HARLOW: As you're shot, you're trying to save all these people.

MILLER: Correct.

HARLOW: And calling 911.

MILLER: Yes, ma'am. Adrenaline is a heck of a thing. Like I said, because honestly, and Ashley doesn't like hearing this, but I didn't know how much -- I don't know how long I was going to live.

HARLOW: Patrick knew his chance of survival diminished each moment he waited for help to come to him. So instead, he went to it by climbing out of his office window.

People call you a hero. How does that make you feel?