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Bill Cosby Remains Silent Regarding Rape Allegations; President Obama to Speak Tonight on Immigration Executive Order; Buffalo, New York, Getting Record Amounts of Snow; Police Agencies Across the Country on Alert Awaiting Ferguson, Missouri, Grand Jury Decision

Aired November 20, 2014 - 15:30   ET

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


BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN HOST: You're watching CNN. And I'm Brooke Baldwin.

Bottom of the hour and we have to talk about Bill Cosby because when Bill Cosby was asked about rape allegations in this National Public Radio, this NPR interview, the resulting silence was deafening.

When the Associated Press brought up the subject, Bill Cosby told the interviewer quote "I don't talk about that." But it's what happened after the interview that's raising some eyebrows. We are going to play this clip for you. It's brief. But I want to you watch what Cosby said with the cameras still rolling.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BILL COSBY, COMEDIAN: Now can I get something from you that none of that will be shown?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE REPORTER: What's that? I can't promise that myself. But you didn't say anything.

COSBY: I know I didn't say anything. But I'm asking your integrity that since I didn't want to say anything, but I did answer you in terms of I don't want to say anything of what value would it have.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Bill Cosby went on to ask the AP reporter to scrap that part of the interview and he issued an order to call the reporter's boss immediately. That video comes among this growing call, this chorus really for Cosby to say something.

You're looking at the cover of the "New York Daily News". Big bold letters it's time for America's dad to talk.

CNN national correspondent Susan Candiotti is here. We are going to talk a little bit about that video we shut showed.

And you know, listen. You and I both have interviewed people and asked them touchy and uncomfortable questions. Sometimes there's the post-interview question like how are you going use that again? But in that manner what did you think? SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: You know, I don't see

how anyone could not look at that and not feel uncomfortable watching that unfold, certainly. It's just very odd especially as the reporter pointed out, but you didn't say anything you simply said I don't want to talk about that.

Who knows what had gone on before that, perhaps he had advice from his lawyer not say anything at all period. We know later in that NPR radio interview in fact he just shook his head and the radio reporter had to say he's shaking his head no. So, you know -- but, yes, we've both gone through that where someone might just take off the microphone off, he yanked it off and storm off the, you know, interview set.

But you have to know when you sit down for an interview reporters are going to ask questions and that's what we do. Sometimes they are not the questions that you want to get. It's always good to prepare some kind of an answer.

BALDWIN: So as we watch Bill Cosby to his left our right is his wife Camille Cosby. She sit there's. How does she react through this? And tell us just more about her.

CANDIOTTI: I think just starting off with, you know, she was 19 years old when she met him. He was seven years older than she was at the time. They met on a blind date. She quit college to get married to him. She went on the get her Ph.D. later on in life, went back to get her Ph.D. in education. Married as I said for 50 years. They had five children, one of them, their son murdered, of course.

But watching her through all of this, it's painful to watch because she sits there's very stoically. She's a business woman in her own right. She's very successful at that. And yet, watching her sit next to him and keep that smile on her face it have been very difficult.

We haven't heard from her either, but you have to wonder what does she think of all this? They certainly, there's been rumors in the past, over the years of infidelity and she's never directly addressed them.

But we'll tell you something at 7:00 tonight, interesting interview she did with Oprah back in 2000 when the subject kind of came up and she talked about the fact that she doesn't believe in unconditional love, she believes in conditional love.

BALDWIN: Interesting.

CANDIOTTI: So I'll tell you more about that tonight.

BALDWIN: That's right. We'll watch on Erin Burnett, 7:00 eastern.

Susan Candiotti, thank you very much.

I want to stay on the topic and bring in this expert who has worked with many, many people public relations, Howard Bragman, vice chairman of reputation.com. Howard Bragman, I mean, the easy question is what does do? Does he

come forward? Should he speak, make this public statement addressing all these allegations?

HOWARD BRAGMAN, VICE CHAIRMAN, REPUTATION.COM: Well, he has three choice and they all have positives and negatives.

One is to not say anything and then, as you say, the silence is deafening. Two is to come out and deny it. And then that just brings these somewhere between 12 and 15 women who have accused him to come out and intensify their arguments or three potentially company come out and say yes it's true I'm going in for help but that's going to mean he's going to be in depositions the rest of his life.

If I were advising him, I think silence is golden right now. I really think that you need to be quiet. I don't think it's going to change anything. I don't see what talking is going to achieve either, though. I think silence --

BALDWIN: But don't you -- I mean, so many people out there think the silence is deafening. It sort of implies you have something to hide.

BRAGMAN: Well, you know, I don't know what he has to hide. I know that the court of law has not found him guilty of anything. Court of public opinion certainly seems to have rendered its judgment as evidenced by Netflix, as evidenced by NBC. And, you know, I'm kind of in a little shock number one that he did that NPR interview. It's like with all these accusations swirling, you know NPR is not some fluffy media out there incredibly talented journalists and they are going ask this question.

BALDWIN: But don't you think if you were work with him or certainly we know he has an attorney and knowing what's happening in the news and what's topical, he had to have known that that question would have been thrown at him. We just played the clip with the Associated Press reporter. What's your read on how he answered it and how should he have answered it is maybe the better question.

BRAGMAN: Well, I agree with Susan in that if I know my clients are going to get a touchy question, I almost never say that journalists don't go there ahead of time because I assume they are going to go there. And my job is to prepare my clients to answer it. And they either deflect it or say, you know, I'm really here to promote something else today and I would like focus on that. There's way to deflect that.

But the hardest thing I ever have to do in my job is to take somebody who is intelligent and articulate and charming like Bill Cosby is, and tell them you can't talk. You can't defend yourself. And so many people in his shoes think they can. Think I got there by my wit and charm and I'll get out of this by my wit and charm. But often silence is the best thing and that's really what needs to happen is to hope this story goes away soon.

BALDWIN: OK. You say zip it at least for now.

Howard Bragman, reputation.com. Thank you so much for joining me. I appreciate it. We will see what happens.

BRAGMAN: Thanks, Brooke.

BALDWIN: Coming up next, we'll take you back to our breaking news here, police being warned to be on high alert not just in Ferguson but across the country as a decision from that grand jury is looming. It's imminent.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: President Obama speaking tonight 8:00 eastern. We'll take it live here on CNN. Big, big speech. And we know, he recently said he would rather shift more resources to the border than separate families.

Let's go Mission, Texas, our Alina Machado there on the border.

And Alina, tell me what's happening. Is there this surge in people crossing over?

ALINA MACHADO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Brooke as you may remember this is the same area, this is the Rio Grande Valley, the same place where tens of thousands of unaccompanied minors crossed into the United States earlier this year.

We are being told that in recent weeks, in the last two weeks they have seen an uptick of the number of migrants coming through this area. We saw some that today. We stop by the bus station in (INAUDIBLE) and we saw dozens of women and children standing in line, apparently new arrivals. You could still see the dirt on their shoes. And they are waiting to buy bus tickets to go to their next destination, to meet up with family members with friends in other parts of the country.

We also stopped by the Sacred Heart church. This is a center that's been helping many migrants as they make their journey through the Rio Grande valley before heading on to other parts of the country. Listen to what they tell us about the situation.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BRENDA RIOJAS, ARCHDIOCESE OF BROWNSVILLE: Right now I think their main concern is meeting up with families. I don't know that they are fully, you know, aware of what's happening with the immigration issue here in the United States because even at this point we're not completely clear on all it would entail. But I think there's just -- there was an eternal hope, that possibility of a better life.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MACHADO: And that's exactly what many of these migrants told me at the bus station. There was one in particular that stuck out. She was a woman, a seven-and-a-half months pregnant, she was traveling with her 4-year-old from Guatemala and she was on her way to Alabama to meet with her mother. I asked her if the possibility of immigration reform was a factor in

her decision to come to the United States now and she told me she really didn't know anything about that -- Brooke.

BALDWIN: All right, Alina Machado for us. Thank you so much.

Again, the president is speaking tonight, moving forward on immigration reform through executive order. And that means doing it without Congress and that has Republicans fuming, calling the president's intended action illegal, warning of a legal fight ahead.

Others are pointing out the president stands on using executive action on immigration has changed. He has been contradictory.

Let me bring in our chief Washington correspondent Jake Tapper to talk about that.

And Jake, I mean, you know, people are saying hey, needs to read the constitution. What say you?

JAKE TAPPER, CNN CHIEF WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's interesting because if you go back at least as far back as 2011 whether in rallies or interviews, President Obama has repeatedly suggested that when it came to changes to the immigration situation he couldn't act alone. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: And sometimes when I talk to immigration advocates, you know, they wish I could bypass Congress and change the law myself. But that's not how democracy works.

For me to simply through executive order ignore those congressional mandates would not conform with my appropriate role as president.

I think it's important to remind everybody that as I said I think previously and I'm not a king, I am the head of the executive branch of government. I'm required to follow the law. And that's what we've done.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TAPPER: So this does seem in direct contradiction what President Obama is going to do this evening. So I asked the White House about this and they say a few things. One, they say that President Obama's comments were really efforts to put some pressure on Congress to act, the Senate did, the house did not.

Second they say these comments especially like I'm not a king, you just heard there, those were in response to specific questions about why the president would not end all deportations by executive fiat and the White House says it remains true. The president can't do as much to address these problems as Congress, the legislative branch, can. But they said he's going to do as much as he can. Now, when it comes to the actions he announce tonight, White House

officials obviously dispute the Republicans who say the acts will be illegal. They say the president is simply exercising his authority to address flaws in the immigration system. And they argue that previous presidents have done similar things ranging from Eisenhower paroling thousands of Hungarians to George H. W. Bush establishing a program granting deportation protection for some family members of people going through the immigration process back in 1990s.

But make no mistake Republicans in the house and Senate say these programs are vastly different. In fact, that far fewer people on what the president about goes much farther than what's allowed, Brooke.

BALDWIN: President talks at 8:00. We'll be watch for you. I know you will be tackling this thoroughly on "the LEAD" in about 15 minutes from now.

Mr. Tapper, in Washington, thank you very much.

TAPPER: Ms. Baldwin, thank you.

BALDWIN: Coming up next, Buffalo, New York getting record amounts snow, more than seven feet it thus far. These are pictures of this nursing home. We've been reporting on this. The roof collapsing because of the weight of the snow, they had to evacuate people from inside. We'll talk to somebody in the mid of this monster and historic snowstorm.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: Talk to people in Buffalo, New York. Ask them if they are used to heavy snowfall. Of course they are. But even they can't believe this do, this winter storm wallop they are getting, emergency crews there having a tough time to clear out the roads and rescue people who are stuck in their homes, stuck in their cars.

Joining me by phone is Buffalo city councilman, Chris Scanlon.

Chris, I know you are of the stuck group there in Buffalo. Let me just begin with I heard or read that you said people there are really nervous. What are people most nervous about?

CHRIS SCANLON, CITY COUNCILMAN, BUFFALO (via phone): Well I think the fact that this is kind of an unprecedented event. We've never seen this much snow fall in such a short span of time. And I think that's put people a little uneasy. The crews are out here doing the work and honest to God they cleared out the main roads. They are passable. We're out here, out on the streets with the National Guard, with county and state agencies, all doing the work. And they are working hard.

BALDWIN: I know you're not only a councilman, you're a dad. You had to go out and walk to the store to get your little baby formula. But for these, you know, emergency responders who have to get on the roads, how are they doing it? I know they able to -- they are in snow mobiles. How are they handling this? SCANLON: Well, that has been the big problem. It's not something --

the amount of snowfall that we've received, it's nothing that we can plow out. It's become a hauling operation. So you have high list rescuing out, put in the dump trucks, take it into large areas and dumping it. And that's what is taking so long. We -- instead of we just plowing like we would normally here in Buffalo, they are in a situation where it's a hauling operation and that's what is taking so long.

BALDWIN: We know, we've been reporting on the travel ban. People are being told to stay home. A lot of cars, a lot of abandoned cars on the streets, as you mentioned, is affecting the plowing operation. What's your opinion of the governor's response to this whole snow emergency?

SCANLON: I think the response has been great. I think there is that they have plan that work it. There's been great amount of coordination between the city level, county level, the state agencies. We have the National Guard, as I mentioned, working hard. And they really, as I mentioned, the amount of snowfall that we do have, it is pretty unprecedented. So for them to wrap their mind around it, it took a little time. And to be honest I do really think they are doing a wonderful job.

BALDWIN: Good deal. I'm sure they are. We will take your word for it and a lot there. Apparently more snow to come.

Councilman Chris Scanlon, thank you so much for calling in and taking a few moments with us. I appreciate it. Stay warm as best as you can to you and your family.

Coming up next, we are going to take you back to our breaking news. Police being warned to be on high alert across America as this decision in the Ferguson case is imminent. We'll talk to someone about what police officers specifically in Ferguson, what they are going through in anticipation of what could be next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: Back to our breaking news at police agencies across the country have now officially been on alert because the grand jury in Ferguson, Missouri, maybe a close to a decision on whether or not they plan to indict Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson.

A source tells CNN that the police alert is out of an abundance of caution. So, it's not just about law enforcement. It's also about their loved ones having to be cautious in the town of Ferguson. Some police families are now in hiding. This is according to one officer's wife who talked to out TV affiliate there, kTVi. She spoke. She didn't want to reveal her identity. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We don't have answers for them and it's -- it's very frightening. This is real. And that people actually do know how to find us and they do want to harm us. (END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Joining me now, the national chair and executive director of the national black police association Malik Aziz.

Malik, welcome back. Thanks for joining me.

MALIK AZIZ, NATIONAL CHAIR/EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, NATIONAL BLACK POLICE ASSOCIATION: How are you doing, Brooke?

BALDWIN: I am OK, Malik. But I want -- just thinking about this wife of this officer who, you know, is speaking in shadow just because, you know, she's so frightened, her word. I mean, I'm wondering, just your perspective, what are these police officers of Ferguson going through right now?

AZIZ: Well, I can imagine tensions are very high. A very high level of concern for what may occur since no one knows. And, you know, even hearing the young lady, a lot of police officers and their families may be going through anxiety, a fear of not knowing what may occur. And maybe not enough is being done to quell those fears, but they have a right to fear certain kinds of ways based on what has occurred here in the past 110 days.

BALDWIN: You know, in talking to so many people in Ferguson, it seems like they are waiting for those who want an indictment. It feels like this is more than just an indictment. It is like, you know, sort of symbolizes years of frustrations and injustices, specifically, on young, black people, on young black men. And I'm wondering for specifically these police officers in Ferguson, some of whom are African-American, that -- I don't know. Feeling conflicted -- that being an issue.

AZIZ: Well, you know, I suppose for the three offices that they have, you know, on Ferguson police force, unless they've hired more since then, then I can imagine that they do have a heightened level of concern even playing both sides. But most police officers are the vast majority of very true professionals in every sense of the world.

So they are about more concerned about keeping the peace and keeping citizens safe. And many times, police officers as myself, we are worried about the safety for ourselves in general.

(CROSSTALK)

BALDWIN: You really don't, Malik?

AZIZ: Well, our job, really, is to protect the citizens and we put our lives on the line each and every day. So by virtue of being a public servant, we go out each and every day in some 800,000 law enforcers across the country and we put our lives on the line every single day. So we must have a greater good for people we serve in the community. Then we go out there for them and we put ourselves. If we didn't, we wouldn't be out there.

So, yes, it can be a general concern, but we're more about the citizens on who we serve and we are public servants first and it's a God given -- a God calling and we answer to that calling each and every single day.

BALDWIN: And let me say that we are grateful. We are grateful for that. So thank you for that.

You know, with the issue in Ferguson, and we were just reporting on this alert that's officially gone out to these police agencies, not just in Ferguson, actually, but across the country because protests are expected across the United States at federal buildings. What, in your opinion, what do you think police leaders should be telling the men and the women who will be on the ground working those location this weekend?

AZIZ: Well, police chiefs are the best police across the nation with the most promising police department, this work started long ago. What they should be telling their officers is that they are there for protection, that people have a right to peacefully assemble, and I said the right to peacefully assemble.

The police are going to do what they have to do when anarchists or agitators step in front of people who have a general and genuine concern for the protests and for Michael Brown's family for what has occurred. And those are always going to be part of the protests that they want to do other things to agitate a situation, but on the wishes and desires of the Michael Brown family that the protests remain peaceful. So we're out of that peaceful assembly.

So the best police chiefs, they will tell their officers this directive that I'm giving, that people have a right to peaceful assemble and they will deal with those kinds of agitators for those who seek harm to the protests who are peaceful and the police officers there for their major protection. So I think in major police department are medium size police departments down to the very small, they will be issuing a directive to make sure that we, the police are safe, the citizens are safe, and they will have a peaceful outcome and hearing to the desire of the Michael Brown's family.

But again, that is though a long time ago, Brooke, decades, years ago.

BALDWIN: I'm so glad you brought up Michael Brown's family. They are -- yes, adding their voice, calling for calm.

Malik Aziz, thank you so much. Executive director of the National Black Police Association. Thank you.

Thank you for being with me. I'm Brooke Baldwin. See you tomorrow.

"THE LEAD" with Jake Tapper starts now.