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NEW DAY
Barbara Bush: Not "Too Many Bushes"; Palin's Surprise Appearance On SNL Special; Egypt Launches Airstrikes Against ISIS In Libya; Hackers Steal $1 Billion
Aired February 16, 2015 - 07:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: And great, she looks great. All right, let's get to Inside Politics on NEW DAY with John King.
JOHN KING, CNN HOST, "INSIDE POLITICS": That's the third most beautiful woman I have seen this morning.
CAMEROTA: You are a diplomat.
PEREIRA: Chris is not here. He wouldn't let you get away with that as well.
CAMEROTA: Good to see you. Let's dive into politics. So the president asked for authorization to fight ISIS. He asked Congress. Where is Congress now with all of this?
KING: Congress is divided. Just about everything, but listen here to the president's chief of staff, Dennis McDonough, because you have liberals on the one hand who say the language the White House sent up to authorize the military force. They think it's too vague.
They're worried it gives the president power essentially to do anything even though the president says, I don't want ground groups. You have conservatives on the hand saying telling ISIS you are not going to use ground troops is ridiculous, why are you giving away the strategy? So they want something tougher. Listen to Dennis McDonough say, now the ball is in your court.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DENIS MCDONOUGH, WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF: It's very important in questions of war and peace for Congress to be heard. The president has given them a road map to follow. They can take that or they can come up with something else. But they should not take a pass on this important issue.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KING: They don't plan to take a pass, but because nobody likes the president's language. It's tough in this environment. The left doesn't like it. The right doesn't like it.
It's going to be interesting to see how long it takes them to work this out going through the committee process and as we've seen on other issues, I think we are about to talk to one of them.
We will see what the House does and we'll see what the Senate does. Can they bring it together? A lot of people say if it looks messy, it sends the wrong signal to the world, but it's going to be messy.
PEREIRA: Speaking of messy, I mean, I didn't think that we would be having this conversation so soon. The possibility of a government shutdown, John, let's listen to what John Boehner had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHRIS WALLACE, FOX NEWS: What if the Department of Homeland Security funding runs out?
REP. JOHN BOEHNER (R-OH), HOUSE SPEAKER: Senate Democrats should be to blame, very simple.
WALLACE: You are prepared to let that happen?
BOEHNER: Certainly, the House is active. We've done our job.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELA PEREIRA, CNN ANCHOR: Has he talked to Mitch McConnell about this? Because he says that there was no way that is happening on his watch.
KING: Well, that's the great sub-plot because we are watching the Republicans -- Speaker Boehner was re-elected speaker with the bigger majority in the House. The Republicans took over for the Senate. They promised we are going to prove to the American people we can govern.
Yes, we have a Democratic president, but we are going to be a part of a divided government. On this issue, it's because of the -- I call it the quicksand issue in the Republican Party is immigration.
You have huge divides. Mitch McConnell says he will not shut down the government. He believes that would hurt the party going into 2016 when he wants to keep the Senate majority and they hope to elect a Republican president.
Speaker Boehner, it's a little bit of a bluff there. Speaker Boehner is playing to the conservatives in his base. Does he want to shut down the department? No. But does he have a plan out right now? No, and part of it is because the Republicans have this divide over the president's executive actions on immigration.
CAMEROTA: So is it a fight between Republicans or as Boehner just said a fight between Senate Democrats and House Republicans?
KING: It's mainly a fight between and among the Republicans because they control both chambers. The issue is Republicans might be able to get a majority for the House passed legislation to the Senate. They need 60 votes to get it to the floor and they don't have enough Democrats to do that. So this is a game of chicken right now and the Democrats say they are not going to blink because they believe if you shut down the department, the American people will blame the Republicans.
CAMEROTA: Let's talk about former first lady, Barbara Bush. She is known to never sort of pull any verbal punches. She says it like it is and she famously said that she thought that there had been enough Bushes who had served as president.
And everybody interpreted that a year ago or whenever she said it as saying Jeb, she was not encouraging Jeb to run. Has she changed her tune?
KING: She has, and Jeb just before the weekend was at a big Barbara Bush Foundation. Whether you are a Democrat or a Republican, you can salute the Barbara Bush Foundation. It does remarkable work to help promote literacy. It teaches children how to read, give them other skills.
So Jeb was there to help her raise money for the foundation. He took a few questions about presidential topics, but you are right. Remember, Barbara Bush famously said we have enough Bushes and enough Clintons.
She says it's time for some other family to come forward, but Barbara Bush, change of heart, let's listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARBARA BUSH, FORMER FIRST LADY: What do you mean too many Bushes? That's not what I'm talking about. I've changed my mind.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KING: The voice of God there. You don't see Barbara Bush. In the Bush family, that is the voice of God. This is a part of Jeb Bush's march to running. He says he is still exploring. He is running. He is aggressively raising money. He is hiring staff.
There is the good housekeeping stamp of approval from mom. She is probably now will say not enough Bushes, but I am guessing next public appearance she will say we have had enough Clintons.
PEREIRA: I don't know if you have gotten a coveted ticket to the SNL 40th anniversary last night. The reason I bring it up is because one of the biggest I think arguably the greatest, what is the word I'm thinking impersonation, thank you, is Tina Fay of Sarah Palin.
I think it's brilliant and spot on. She appeared on "Saturday Night Live" last night. Let's take a look. I want to see what your reaction is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SARAH PALIN (R), FORMER ALASKA GOVERNOR: I'm just curious, Jerry, how much do you think Lorne Michaels would pay me if I were to run in 2016?
JERRY SEINFELD, COMEDIAN: Run for president, Sarah, I don't think there is a number too big.
PALIN: OK, just hypothetically then, what if I was to choose Donald Trump as my running mate?
SEINFELD: Sarah, you are teasing us, that's not nice.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KING: It's the right place for that conversation, a comedy show. Governor Palin says she might think about it, but she is not running. You sure that wasn't her? That wasn't Tina Fay?
PEREIRA: It's hard. You have to do a double look. Don't you?
KING: This would be my eighth presidential campaign. Would I love to Sarah Palin and Donald Trump out there? Sure. Is that going to happen? No.
CAMEROTA: I think it's also significant that she is willing to do something so self-deprecating as she did when she was running and went on "SNL," when she was going to be a key candidate. I mean, she has a history with them. It always gets a huge response.
KING: What you see there is look Sarah, a great debate about Sarah Palin depending on your politics about what kind of a vice presidential candidate was she. Was she ready to be president of the United States? That's in the past.
What we did learn during the campaign, if you are out in the 2008 campaign, she has amazing skills. She's a great performer. Will she be a great president? I don't think she is going to run so we probably don't have to have that conversation again.
Is she great on television? Does she have good timing? Is she a good performer? Absolutely.
CAMEROTA: It makes her a great guest on "SNL," but not necessarily a president of the United States.
KING: We will try to bring her in here on NEW DAY too.
PEREIRA: Will you come back more often?
KING: Sure. It's only a train right away. I might be here tomorrow if D.C. gets snowed in. We'll see if I get back or not.
CAMEROTA: It's so great to see you, John.
All right, the ISIS video machine marches on, the terrorists releasing a new propaganda video displaying again their brutality. Now Egypt is fighting back after more than a dozen Egyptian Christians were beheaded. What are the implications of this latest video and Egypt's move? (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CAMEROTA: Breaking overnight, Egypt striking ISIS targets in Libya after the murders of more than a dozen Egyptian Christians in a new ISIS propaganda video. The men kidnapped in Libya are seen crying, and they are seen crying out to Jesus as they are beheaded one by one.
The video is drawing strong international reaction. Let's discuss all this with Peter Beinart. He is a CNN political commentator, a contributing editor for "Atlantic Media," and a senior fellow for the New American Foundation.
And Robert Grenier, he is the author of "88 Days to Kandahar: A CIA Diary." He is the former director of the CIA Counterterrorism Center. Gentleman, thanks, so much for being here.
Bob, I want to start to you. ISIS slaughters more than a dozen Coptic Christians beheading them simply for being Christian. Is this some sort of a new wave in ISIS' mission statements?
ROBERT GRENIER, FORMER DIRECTOR OF THE CIA COUNTER TERRORISM CENTER: Well, unfortunately, this is nothing new with ISIS. We saw what they did to non-Muslims in Northern Iraq just a number of months ago. Unfortunately, this is very much in line with the pattern of activity that they've established wherever they've had influence anywhere in the Muslim world.
CAMEROTA: Peter, ISIS likes to claim that the west is at war with Islam. But clearly, they are launching a religious war. Is there any other way to see what they've done to these Coptic Christians?
PETER BEINART, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: No, not at all. This is a tragedy of historic proportions. The Middle East historically has been an area committed to adversity with large Jewish populations in Arab countries and large Christian populations.
What we are seeing under the influence of ISIS and other Jihadi like groups is there are few Christians left in Iraq. ISIS tried to wipe out the Yazadi population in ancient religion in Iraq.
Now they are going after cops in Libya and elsewhere. These minority populations are tremendously vulnerable to what is the totalitarian ideology, which had the tendency towards genocide.
CAMEROTA: Bob, they're wiping out Christians as Peter just said. They are also wiping out Muslims, who don't adhere to their particular extreme brand of dogma. So what -- you how can you interpret what ISIS' message is? Is everyone supposed to convert or are they happy just to annihilate anyone in their way?
GRENIER: Well, you know, they follow a very literal interpretation of Islam going back to its origins. They interpret Islam according to tear own likes, as far as they are concerned, anyone over whom they have control as a very simple choice to make.
They either accept Islam and particularly their brand of Islam or that they face death. That's what we have seen as Peter mentioned with the Yazidis in the north.
That's what we've seen with various Christian communities and that's how they justify what they just did to this group of Coptic Christians, who unfortunately for them were working in Libya.
CAMEROTA: Peter, Egypt launched airstrikes overnight. Does this change the makeup of the coalition?
BEINART: It could be the beginning. There were reports that Egypt had launched airstrikes in Libya back last year as well. The key issue in Libya is can there be a united anti-ISIS front.
You know, Libya is split now between two governments. It's completely fragmented. I think what we really need from Egypt and the United States is try -- to try to unify behind one Libyan force that can take on ISIS.
Because if Libya remains fractured, it's really open season for ISIS to continue to gain ground there, and we see what a horrific prospect that is.
CAMEROTA: Bob, how significant is it that this beheading video happened in Libya outside of Syria and Iraq, where we have seen them previously?
GRENIER: Well, you know, what I think we see going on here is essentially a branding exercise. ISIS is clearly in communication with others who have taken on the ISIS name and the ISIS brand not just in Libya, but elsewhere in the Islamic world as well. But this really isn't so much an idea of ISIS spreading the word, if
you will, sending people out and then somehow recruiting new adherence to the cause.
These are established extremists who for their own local reasons are assuming the ISIS name, the ISIS brand, in order to give themselves greater credibility, in order to make themselves appear to be a part of a much larger and more important whole. CAMEROTA: But Peter, does this mean that their footprint is expanding
geographically?
BEINART: Well, I think, the brand is expanding. These are may be initially local groups with their own local agendas, but they clearly share our totalitarian ideology. What we are seeing throughout the Middle East is, you know, perhaps the closest equivalent we have seen to something like World War I.
I mean, this is a war that has now taken place in a variety of different countries, in which a variety of different countries are falling apart and splintering. We have no idea what will come out of this in terms of the map of the Middle East.
But this is clearly something that is engulfing the entire region. We have sales states in Syria, to some degree in Iraq, in Libya, in Yemen. I think we have no idea what the map of the Middle East is going to really look like when this all over. CAMEROTA: That's frightening, Bob, because if the map is being
redrawn as we speak, who does take -- or what does this mean? Is there any way to see this as anything but frightening moving forward for -- that ISIS can get a toe hold?
GRENIER: Well, of course, it is frightening because there are extremists at work here in various parts of the region. As Peter mentioned in the context of Libya, what we need to see throughout the region is the majority of Muslims who clearly want to part of this extremist ideology to come together and unify in their respective ways, in their respective countries, in order to effectively fight this movement.
So long as there is division, so long as these communities are fractured, that creates an ideal environment for ISIS in order for it to spread its message and to move forward militarily.
CAMEROTA: Peter, in the video, an English speaking terrorist mentions Rome, and of course, that has all sorts of historic am significance. What message is ISIS sending with that?
BEINART: Well, this is bravado. This is the idea that ISIS is leading the war to take over the entire world, which is an absurd idea, but potentially a way for them to try to galvanize and rally support by claiming to be the defenders of Muslims against Christians.
You know, the absurdity of that claim, of course, becomes clear when you realize that most of their own victims have been Muslims and that the Christian populations that they have been killing are deeply indigenous to the Middle East.
You know, cops have been around in the Middle East since the time virtually of Jesus, but what you are seeing is a group that has no tolerance for diversity whatsoever. That's why I used the word totalitarian.
This is a totalitarian ideology in the spirit of Nazi Germany with no tolerance for any religious diversity, any diversity of thought and the willingness to use the most evil methods to bring about that ruthless conformity.
CAMEROTA: Bob, Peter says that their claims are absurd and we certainly hope that they are. Yet, look at what happened this weekend in Denmark extremism does exist. It is alive and well sadly in Europe. The fact that ISIS is so close to Europe there in Libya, that it makes it seem as though they believe that's a victory.
GRENIER: Well, yes, and this appeal unfortunately is not confined geographically to the Middle East. This is an appeal which is potentially effective anywhere there are Muslims. That doesn't mean that we should discuss our Muslims far from it.
But they are trying to appeal with their ideas to the Muslim community at large and unfortunately, there are people, wherever they may be geographically susceptible to that message, particularly when ISIS is enjoying the success that we see it enjoying now.
CAMEROTA: We see it so sadly this weekend. Robert Grenier, Peter Beinart, thanks so much for all the information. Let's get it over to Michaela.
PEREIRA: Alisyn, a brazen billion dollar heist. How on earth did hackers access over 100 banks around the world and steal money without raising any suspicion? CNN MONEY now is next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PEREIRA: All right, it's time for CNN money now. Chief business correspondent, Christine Romans, is here with a look at what is moving your money and perhaps news of a hack that's moving our money out of our accounts.
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN CHIEF BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: First, though, the stock markets are closed today for the President's Day holiday. But I want to tell you the Dow and S&P are at the highest levels of the year. The S&P is at a record high.
These are the gains so far this year. The Dow is up more than 1 percent. Nasdaq is the biggest winner at 3.3 percent. The S&P 500 is up about 1.8 percent this year. Close today though.
All right, this is the largest bank heist ever. Hackers stole as much as a billion dollars that's according to the security firm, Kaspersky Lab. The breach covers more than 100 banks, 25 countries including the U.S.
This firm is not naming the banks, but says the attacks remain active and could be happening right now. Here's how they're doing. It's so interesting. Hackers install spying software. They learn how to mimic bank employee work flows.
They actually watch how they move money in and out of accounts and use that information to transfer money into their bank accounts. They're also taking millions of dollars in cash out of ATMs. They send their henchmen to ATM machines and then all of the money comes spewing out.
They come from Russia, China, Ukraine and elsewhere in Europe. It is huge and ongoing. It's like "Oceans 11" except with computer screens and the dark web. They're using small enough amounts of money that the banks don't catch it as well.
CAMEROTA: It's happening here as well.
ROMANS: It's happening here.
CAMEROTA: U.S. banks.
PEREIRA: We will hear more about this because there has to be something that's done.
ROMANS: Your deposits are protected by the FDIC.
PEREIRA: Thank you. I can now sleep at night. Christine Romans, thank you.
CAMEROTA: All right, we have some breaking news overnight. Egypt hammers ISIS targets after a gruesome video shows ISIS beheading Christians. We'll take you live to Cairo.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is nothing that I have ever seen before.
CAMEROTA: Gruesome video shows the beheading of more than a dozen Egyptian Coptic Christians.
PEREIRA: Could this latest brutality bring Egypt into the U.S.-led coalitions?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Bang, bang, bang. We could understand that something was going on.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: In a shooting incident in Copenhagen during a free speech forum.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We heard a lot of noise and we realize it was a shooting.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And it stopped.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Stay calm and stay focused. Stay off the roads.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Someone else hit me.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You can't see anything.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CAMEROTA: Good morning, everyone. Welcome back to NEW DAY. It is Monday, February 16th. It is President's Day, 8:00 in the east. Chris Cuomo is off today.
We do have some breaking news overnight. Egypt on the attack, its target is ISIS. The country launching airstrikes against the terror group in Libya after horrifying video appears to show the beheadings of more than a dozen Christians on a Libyan beach.
PEREIRA: There is growing outrage around the globe. Will this latest round of bloodshed prompt Egypt to join the U.S.-led coalitions?
