Transcripts For KYW CBS Evening News 20171019 : comparemela.

This is the cbs evening news. Mason good evening. Im Anthony Mason. It was an extraordinary scene at the white house today, chief of staff john kelly, whose son was killed in afghanistan, defended President Trumps handling of a condolence call to the widow of a fallen soldier. The retired general blasted the congresswoman who had criticized the president , florida democrat Frederica Wilson, as an empty barrel, saying it makes the most noise. Kelly said hed recommended early on that the president not call families of the fallen, but mr. Trump told him he wanted to call the families of the four soldiers killed two weeks ago in niger. And he said to me, what do i say . I said to him, sir, theres nothing you can do to lighten the burden on these families. But let me tell you what i tell them. He was doing exactly what he wanted to do when he was killed. He knew what he was getting into by joining the that 1 . He knew what the possibilities were because were at war. And when he died, in the four cases were talking about in niger, and in my sons case in afghanistan when he died he was surrounded by best men on this earth his friends. Thats what the president tried to say to a to four families the other day. I was stunned when i came to work yesterday morning and broken hearted at what i saw a member of congress doing. A member of congress who listened in on a phone call from the president of the United States to a young wife. And in his way, tried to express that opinion that hes a brave man, a fallen hero. He knew what he was getting himself into because he enlisted. There was no reason to enlist. He enlisted. And he was where he wanted to be, exactly where he wanted to be with exactly the people he wanted to be with when his life was taken. That was the message. That was the message that was transmitted. Mason the controversy over president ial condolence calls began with a reporters question about those deaths in niger. Heres nancy cordes. Reporter the four u. S. Soldiers were ambushed during a routine patrol just over two weeks ago by 50 isisconnected fighters. Our thoughts and prayers are with. Reporter but for 12 days, the president himself said nothing about the deaths no tweets, no statements until he was asked about his silence at a Rose Garden Press Conference on monday. Im going to be calling them. I want a little time to pass. Im going to be calling them. Reporter but then he made this explosive claim about his predecessors the traditional way, if you look at president obama and other president s, most of them didnt make calls, a lot of them didnt make calls. Reporter the comment drew instant fury from top obama frnlz one said, stop the damn lying. Another called him a deranged animal. But the president wouldnt back down, offering up his own chief of staff as proof. Kellys second, secretary lieutenant robert kelly, was killed in afghanistan in 2010. You could ask general kelly, did he get a call from obama . You could ask other people. I dont know what obamas policy was. I write letters, and i also call. Reporter on tuesday, President Trump did call la David Johnsons widow as he was riding to miami airport to retrieve her husbands body. Democratic congresswoman Frederica Wilson happened to be in the car. He never said the word hero. He said to the wife, well, i guess he knew what he was getting into. How insensitive can you be . Reporter she said his tone made johnsons widow cry. President trump said wilson was making it up. Didnt say what that congresswoman said. Didnt say it at all. She knows it. Reporter but the Fallen Soldiers mother told the Washington Post he did say it, and wilson said five other people were in the car, too. I dont have time to go back and forth with the president. I have work to do. He has work to do, too. So he needs to do it, like im doing mine. Reporter general kelly didnt dispute wilsons account of the call today, but said she shouldnt have listened in on such a sensitive phone call. Asked about that in florida, the congresswoman told a reporter, john kellys trying to do his job and keep it. Hell say anything. Anthony. Mason nancy cordes. Thank you, nancy. General kelly began his defense of the president with a gripping and emotional explanation of what happens when American Service members are killed in action. Their buddies wrap them up in whatever passed as a shroud, puts them on a helicopter as a routine, and sends him home. Their first stop along the way is when theyre packed in ice, typically at the air head, and then theyre flown to usually europe, where theyre then packed in ice again, and flown to Dover Air Force base, where dover takes care of the remains, embalms them, meticulously dresses them in their uniform with the medals that theyve earned, the emblems of their service, and then puts them on another airplane, linked up with the casualty officer escort that takes them home. While thats happening, a casualty officer typically goes to the home very early in the morning and waits for the first lights to come on. And then he knocks on the door, typically the mom and dad will answer wife and the casualty officer proceeds to break the heart of a Family Member. And stays with that family until well, for a long, long time, even after the internment. So thats what happens. Typically the only phone calls the family receives are the most important phone calls they can imagine, and that is from their buddies. In my case, hours after my son was killed, his friends were calling us from afghanistan telling us what a great guy he was. Those are the only phone calls that really matter. And, yeah, the the letters count to a degree, but theres not much that really can take the edge off what a Family Member is going through. So some president s have elected to call. All president s, i believe, have elected to send letters. If you elect to call a family like this, it is about the most difficult thing you could imagine. Theres no perfect way to make that phone call. It stuns me that a member of congress would have listened in on that conversation, absolutely stuns me. When i listen to this woman and what she was saying and what she was doing on tv, the only thing i could do to collect my thoughts was to go and walk among the finest men and women on this earth, and you can always find them, because theyre in Arlington National cemetery. I went over there for an hour and a half, walked among the stones, som some of whom were dg what i told them to do when they were killed. And i appeal to america lets not maybe let this last thing thats held sacred in our society a young man, young woman going out and giving his or her life for our country lets try to somehow keep that keep that sacred. Mason general kelly confirmed that when his son died he did not get a call from president obama. Kelly said he does not mean that as a criticism of mr. Obama. Former president george w. Bush made a rare appearance today and was sharply critical of the political tone in the country. Heres margaret brennan. Bigotry seems emboldened. Our politics seems more vulnerable to conspiracy theories, and outright fabrication. Reporter today, the 43rd president made no mention of the 45th, but his focus was clear. Weve seen our discourse degraded by casual cruelty. At times it can seem like the forces pulling us apart are stronger than the forces binding us together. Reporter he suggested that an America First mindset is distorting our democracy. Weve seen nationalism distorted into nativism, forgotten the dynamism that immigration has always brought to america. Reporter there was no specific reference to President Trumps mantra. That was fake news. Reporter but president bush pointedly called on journalists to uphold their integrity for the sake of the republic. A democracy needs a media that is transparent, accurate, and fair. Reporter a similar call to arms was made by another senior republican earlier this week, senator john mccain. For the sake of some halfbaked spurious nationalism, cooked up by people who would rather find scape goats than solve problems. Reporter today, former president barack obama also spoke out. The world counts on america having its act together. Reporter appearing at a democratic rally in new jersey, he urged young voters to fight back. We are rejecting a politics of division. We are rejecting a politics of fear. applause that we are embracing a politics that says everybody counts. Reporter president bush said he believes the american spirit will ultimately prevail. The american spirit does not say, we shall manage. Or we shall make the best of it. It says, we shall overcome, and that is exactly what were going to do. Reporter it is a standard rule for president s not to criticize their successors. But, perhaps, this is another example where the standard rules no longer apply. Anthony. Mason margaret brennan. Thank you, margaret. Were joined now by john dickerson, our chief washington correspondent and anchor of face the nation. General kellys unexpected appearance in the Briefing Room was deeply personal and political and expressed real regret that this debate had crossed into what he considered sacred ground. Well, what general kelly was talking about and specific today was a broader, more general fear, that secretary of defense mattis has been worried about for some time. He said one of the things that worries him the most is that political fights are now permanent and there has been a split in america that is forgetting our common humanity. Everything is a chance to score a point. And thankfully, secretary mattis has said, the military has not been corroded by that constant combat. But that may have now changed because this recent backandforth touches on this mostsacred part of public life a commitment by men and women to offer their life for their country. No one wants to cheapen that. But now were in the third round or so of this fight in which heech side is looking for the devastating blow to score against the other. The only way that these get reset is if someone shows restraint or extends a hand to the other side in the name of that sacred sacrifice that mr. Kelly was talking about today. Mason the backdrop, meanwhile, was different, but we just saw president bush express similar concerns about some of the same issues. Well, general kelly at one point talked about the standards that have fallen away in america, the norms that have guided behavior. And what president bush was doing was essentially making the same case. His speech was a call to action. His argument was america had gone off track. He said the health of the democratic spirit of at stake. Overseas this meant, according to president bush, that America Needs to keep up its historical role promotin promoting and figr common values overseas, and not to turn inward. At home, the president said, that those values need to be cultivated, too, through institutions and leaders, or else through these winatallcost arguments we will forget our common humanity. Mason an emotional day in washington. John dickerson. Thank you very much, john. The american soldiers killed in niger were helping that countrys military combat islamic militants. The tales of the ambush have been slow to emerge, including the militarys immediate response. David martin has what we know so far. Reporter after the bodies of three american soldiers had been brought out, pentagon officials believed Sergeant La David Johnson was still alive somewhere on the battlefield. For several hours, they tracked a locater beacon which then became intermittent and finally faded out. By the time they found him two days later, he was dead, raising the awful possibility an american soldier had been left behind air, possibility which the pentagons Lieutenant General Kenneth Mckenzie flatley reject. Ill tell you categorically that from the moment of contact, no one was left behind, either u. S. , our partner, nigerian forces, or french forces, were on the ground actively searching for the soldiers. Reporter according to defense secretary mattis, the first reinforcements to arrive were french aircraft, starting about 30 minutes after the ambush was reported. The french response included fighter armed fighter aircraft, armed helicopter gunships, medevac helloze that lifted our our wounded. The first to arrive was a helicopter operated by a u. S. Contractor who had been hired to provide support to the 1,000 american troops operating across a country the size of texas. We did have a contract aircraft that lifted out our killed in action. Reporter one question for which there is no answer yet is whether warning signs an ambush was in the workses were missed. Pentagon Officials Say an american Reconnaissance Aircraft was in the air, but it was not watching over the patrol until it was called in after the ambush started. David martin, cbs news, the pentagon. Mason still ahead, Important Health news. And Harvey Weinstein now faces a criminal investigation. So let me ask you this. How does diabetes affect your heart . It doesnt, does it . Actually, it does. Type 2 diabetes can make you twice as likely to die from a cardiovascular event, like a heart attack or stroke. And with Heart Disease, your risk is even higher. You didnt know that. No. Yeah. But, wait, theres good news for adults who have type 2 diabetes and Heart Disease. Jardiance is the only type 2 diabetes pill with a lifesaving cardiovascular benefit. Jardiance is proven to both significantly reduce the chance of dying from a cardiovascular event in adults who have type 2 diabetes and Heart Disease and lower your a1c. Jardiance can cause serious side effects including dehydration. This may cause you to feel dizzy, faint, or lightheaded, or weak upon standing. Ketoacidosis is a serious side effect that may be fatal. Symptoms include nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, tiredness, and trouble breathing. Stop taking jardiance and call your doctor right away if you have symptoms of ketoacidosis or an allergic reaction. Symptoms of an allergic reaction include rash, swelling, and difficulty breathing or swallowing. Do not take jardiance if you are on dialysis or have severe kidney problems. Other side effects are sudden kidney problems, genital yeast infections, increased bad cholesterol, and urinary tract infections, which may be serious. Taking jardiance with a sulfonylurea or insulin may cause low blood sugar. Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take and if you have any medical conditions. So now that you know all that, what do you think . That its time to think about jardiance. Ask your doctor about jardiance. And get to the heart of what matters. Something we all think about as we head into retirement. Its why Brighthouse Financial is committed to help protect what youve earned and ensure it lasts. Introducing shield annuities, a line of products that allow you to take advantage of growth opportunities. While maintaining a level of protection in down markets. So you can head into retirement with confidence. Talk with your advisor about shield annuities from Brighthouse Financial established by metlife. Mason if youre able to walk 10 minutes a day, you can reduce the risk of an early death. Thats according to a study out today from the american cancer society. Dr. Jon lapook says every step you take is one in the right direction. Reporter on a chilly morning in new jersey, the Duke Island Park Walking Group is off to a brisk start. Beautiful reporter 75yearold bonnie berger, and her husband, larry, are right in the mix. They try to walk a little bit every single day. Sometimes i laugh when people are chugging along, running by us, sweating, dripping, im going walk walk why are you killing yourself . Reporter she may have a point. In the study of nearly 140,000 older men and women, almost half of them reported walking as their only form of exercise. Those who walked on average only an hour a week, less than half the recommended amount of exercise, had a 21 lower risk of premature death than those who did no exercise. And it wasnt power walking. The average mile in the study group took 20 minutes. Dr. Alice cohen is an oncologist add can thnewark beth israel mel center. We start to see benefit by doing a little bit, which is an encouragement, because many people, particularly older people, its hard for them to start a new exercise program thats aggressive. I will counsel my patients that they should do walking 30 minutes at least three times a week. I think with this study now we can show them it does appear to make a difference. Reporter bottom line the best exercise is the one you actually do. So whats easier on cheaper than simply going out for a stroll . Anthony. Mason walk why are you killing yourself . Dr. Jon lapook, thanks. Dr. Jon lapook, thanks. Up next, the widening investigation of Harvey Weinstein. Go your own way copd tries to say, go this way. I say, ill go my own way with anoro. Go your own way oncedaily anoro contains two medicines called bronchodilators, that Work Together to significantly improve lung function all day and all night. Anoro is not for asthma. It contains a type of medicine that increases risk of death in people with asthma. The risk is unknown in copd. Anoro wont replace rescue inhalers for sudden symptoms and should not be used more than once a day. Tell your doctor if you have a heart condition, high blood pressure, glaucoma, prostate, bladder, or urinary problems. These may worsen with anoro. 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