Republican Candidates Arrive in South Carolina; Iran Marks 37th Anniversary of Islamic Revolution.
BARNETT: A warm welcome back to those of you watching all over the globe. This is your last half hour of CNN Newsroom. With that, I'm Errol Barnett.</s>CHURCH: And I'm Rosemary Church. It is time to check the headlines for you. And Russia's aerial bombardment of Aleppo will be the focus of a meeting of the international Syria support group Thursday. The U.S. is pressing for a ceasefire in the hopes of reviving peace talks that faltered early this month. A diplomatic source says Russia is proposing a ceasefire for all sides to begin March 1st.</s>BARNETT: A South Korean source tells CNN, Pyongyang has executed a high ranking North Korean military leader for, quote, "factionalism, misuse of authority, and corruption." That source declined to give further details on how or when the general Ri Yong-gil was executed. Ri's execution is the latest in a string of high profile deaths in North Korea.</s>CHURCH: Emergency relief officials say two female suicide bombers killed at least 58 people at a camp in Northeast Nigeria. The camp houses people displaced by the terror Boko Haram. There were apparently three bombers, but one, we understand refused to detonate her vest when she realized her family was there.</s>BARNETT: Iran's President, Hassan Rouhani is marking the 37th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution. These pictures are coming to us at least is a live pictures we're showing you right now. The president has been speaking to a large crowd of people there in Tehran. On Wednesday, Iran supreme leader pardoned more than a thousand prisoners as is tradition. It has been a big 24 hours in the U.S. race for president. Donald Trump of course is riding high from his win in New Hampshire and he's carrying that momentum into South Carolina.</s>CHURCH: The state's primary is a week from Saturday. At a rally Wednesday, Trump went after two of his familiar targets, Jeb Bush and Hillary Clinton.</s>DONALD TRUMP, (R) U.S. PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The last thing we need is another Bush. That I can tell you. That I can tell you.</s>BARNETT: Now Trump's competition in the republican field is shrinking. Chris Christie is ending his White House bid after a disappointing sixth place finish in New Hampshire. He was once seen as a potential frontrunner, but he says he leaves the race without an ounce of regret.</s>CHURCH: And Carly Fiorina is also pulling out of the race. She was the only woman in the republican field and finished second to last in Tuesday's New Hampshire primary.</s>BARNETT: But there's still plenty of candidates left. Meanwhile, John Kasich and Jeb Bush are trading blows off to coming in second and fourth respectively in the New Hampshire primary. CNN's Dana Bash has more.</s>DANA BASH, CNN'S CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: John Kasich arrived in South Carolina basking in the glow of his strong New Hampshire finish.</s>JOHN KASICH, (R) U.S. PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: But what I celebrated last night was the army of volunteers who had really delivered the victory.</s>BASH: To be sure, Kasich was a distant second behind Donald Trump, but he finished first among republicans vying for the mainstream mantle, leaving the GOP field even more scrambled, and Kasich preparing for political incoming.</s>KASICH: I'm not going to be a pin cushion or marshmallow but I'm also not going to spend my time trying to trash other people.</s>BASH: It's a fine line for Kasich whose calling card in New Hampshire was his upbeat campaign.</s>KASICH: When you spend all your time trying to drag somebody else down, maybe people have had enough of it.</s>BASH: And yet, Kasich sources tell CNN a key goal in South Carolina is to damage Jeb Bush who needs a strong Palmetto State showing to survive.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Quite a few of us here in this room attended the Kasich town hall.</s>BASH: Today, a South Carolina voter team Bush up for a pre-emptive strike against Kasich.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How would do differentiate yourself from Kasich?</s>JEB BUSH, (R) U.S. PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I like John Kasich. He has been an effective governor.</s>BASH: Bush took the opportunity to hit Kasich on a weak spot with conservative voters that the Ohio Governor accepted federal dollars to expand Medicaid under Obamacare.</s>BUSH: Did the governor was for expanding Medicaid, which is part of Obamacare.</s>BASH: Even before Bush left New Hampshire he went after Kasich on defense spending, a big issue in military rich South Carolina.</s>BUSH: John Kasich also has this belief that you can, you know, save money so much that you can't -- you know, that on a net basis you don't have to increase defense spending. It's not -- I don't think that's an honest evaluation of the needs of the military right now.</s>BASH: Team Bush already cut this anti-Kasich web video.</s>KASICH: I spent a whole career trying to reign in defense spending.</s>BUSH: We need to rebuilt the military.</s>BASH: Sixteen years ago, George W. Bush used South Carolina to turn his primary campaign around, and is still popular with republicans. Jeb is hoping to capitalize on that.</s>GEORGE W. BUSH, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT: There's no doubt in my mind that Jeb Bush will be a great commander-in-chief for a military.</s>BASH: Meanwhile, Marco Rubio's campaign is hoping that Bush-Kasich battle gives him time to recover from a devastating fifth place finish in New Hampshire.</s>MARCO RUBIO, (R) U.S. PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Our disappointment tonight is not on you. It's on me.</s>BASH: Rubio sources tell me they hope Kasich's battle in South Carolina with Jeb Bush helps Rubio. Because for Rubio the name of the game is climbing back to where he was perceived to be just a few days ago, and that was the establishment favorite. But that was before he plummeted in New Hampshire. Thanks in large part to bombing in Saturday night's republican debate. Now Rubio says he really had no idea how bad it was on stage. It wasn't until he got off, he saw social media, talked to his aids, that's when he started to get it. Dana Bash, CNN, Washington.</s>CHURCH: Well, fresh off his New Hampshire win democratic candidate Bernie Sanders had a busy Wednesday.</s>BARNETT: Yes. And it included a stop on the late show with Stephen Colbert. They've talked about health care and jobs and of course, Sanders helped Colbert out with his monologue.</s>STEPHEN COLBERT, THE LATE SHOW HOST: But Senator, this show is supposed to start with a host standing up talking to a camera.</s>BERNIE SANDERS, (D) U.S. PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Stephen, that's what the elites want you to think.</s>CHURCH: Senator Sanders made a few other stops after talking New Hampshire.</s>BARNETT: That's right. Senior political correspondent Brianna Keilar has more on that and what's ahead for the candidate.</s>SANDERS: Tonight, we serve notice to the political and economic establishment.</s>BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Reporter: Bernie Sanders claiming a big win in the New Hampshire primary taking a victory lap on the view tasting the ice cream named after him, Bernie's yearning...</s>SANDERS: It's the first time I taste it.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You did? Did you like it?</s>KEILAR: ... and showing off his basketball skills while also looking to expand his appeal to a broader swath of the Democratic Party.</s>SANDERS: There's a lot of hard work in front of us, but I think the message that we're bringing forth that this country is supposed to be a nation of fairness and we're not seeing that fairness right now.</s>KEILAR: Sanders is also firing back at former President Bill Clinton for recent attacks like this.</s>BILL CLINTON, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT: When you're making a revolution you can't be too careful about the facts.</s>KEILAR: Sanders trying to appear above the fray.</s>SANDERS: I was disappointed by President Clinton. I've known him for 25 years and I like him and I respect him. And I hope that this campaign does not to generate it into really kind of...</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: But he's fighting for his wife.</s>SANDERS: Yes, I understand that.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.</s>SANDERS: But nonetheless, let's keep it on the issues, not making personal attacks.</s>KEILAR: Sanders' New Hampshire victory is also proving to be good news for his campaign coffers, hauling in $5.2 million in the 18 hours after the polls close Tuesday night. As the democratic primary fights enters in new phase, Sanders faces a new challenge making inroads with the African-American voters. A crucial constituency in states like South Carolina, which holds its primary later this month. Part of Sanders' stepped-up outreach a meeting today in Harlem with the Reverend Al Sharpton. The civil rights activist saying afterward he'll wait until he meets with Hillary Clinton next week to pick a candidate. One South Carolina poll showed Sanders trailing Clinton by 57 points with black voters, a sign of his uphill climb. But that was taken before Clinton's narrow win in Iowa and Sanders' decisive victory in New Hampshire. Following last night's stinging loss, Clinton said she's ready for a long fight.</s>HILLARY CLINTON, (D) U.S. PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: And here's what we're going to do, now we take this campaign to the entire country. We are going to fight for every vote in every state.</s>KEILAR: One day after defeat in the state that delivered Hillary Clinton such a sweet victory in 2008, she spent the day taking it easy preparing for the democratic presidential debate hosted by PBS here at the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee.</s>BARNETT: We called upon two of our sharpest CNN political commentators to discuss the race ahead. Van Jones on the left of your screen. So, the former adviser of President Obama supporting democratic in general; and on the right you see Jeffrey Lord, a former Reagan White House political director supporting Donald Trump. I will keep the peace from the middle. Welcome to you both.</s>JEFFREY LORD, FORMER REAGAN WHITE HOUSE POLITICAL DIRECTOR: And that is right. He is on the left and I'm on the right.</s>BARNETT: That's exactly right. Literally and figuratively.</s>VAN JONES, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: That's exactly right.</s>BARNETT: Now it's getting exciting now. Trump is being pushed to get specific on what policies he would enact if president -- I just want you both to listen to some of the pressure coming from the campaign trail.</s>RUBIO: Hard thing about Donald in the short-term is he didn't have any policy positions. He tells you what he's going to do but he won't tell you how he's going do anything.</s>TED CRUZ, (R) U.S. PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The only way to beat Donald Trump is to highlight the simple truth of his record. It is not conservative.</s>BARNETT: And Cruz also is now coining this phrase calling Trump's bid a sign failed candidacy because it's about nothing. Jeffrey, when are those specifics coming?</s>LORD: Well, there are specifics out there. I've written a book on which I've included several of them on veterans, on immigration, on health care I believe is in there. I mean, he's quite specific on some of the things. I mean, it is just your basic political stuff that they want to do. I understand why do it. This is what primaries are about.</s>BARNETT: I know you've got quickly ignore that phone call coming in. Van, let me ask you, what do democrats make of the Donald Trump's factor at the stage because at this moment, he's both a certified winning candidate and the typical political rule book does not apply to him. Is that scary for democrats?</s>JONES: Well, right now it's very shocking to see the republican establishment completely falling apart incapable of stopping essentially a celebrity landlord from running rushes out over their party. And frankly, running rush out -- rush out over a lot of America's most cherished values. I mean, here's a guy who would fit very comfortably in Europe with some of the very, very right wing also photo fascist parties in his attacks on immigrants, his complete disregard for the basic rules of civil discourse. And yet, he seems to have found a place inside of the Republican Party. And frankly, if you look at his numbers from New Hampshire, lots and lots of different types of republicans for some reason like this guy. I think he's a very, very dangerous force in American politics. My hope is that republicans -- responsible republicans will get their act together and stop this guy, if they don't do it democrats will do it in the fall.</s>BARNETT: And speaking...</s>LORD: Of course, I feel the same way about Bernie Sanders.</s>BARNETT: Well, let's speak about what's happening with democrats and Bernie Sanders because they are arguing over specifics on how they will address the concerns of African-Americans now that we're moving toward South Carolina. Most African-Americans there are going to polls do support Hillary Clinton, but Bernie Sanders is making a strong play and raising tons of money. Van how much work does he have to do, though?</s>JONES: I'll let my good friend, Mr. Lord, take his shots at Bernie Sanders. Bernie Sanders were in Europe, though, he just would be a run of the mill social democrat. It's only in United States where those terms.</s>LORD: It could be a run of socialist.</s>JONES: He would be a social democrat they would probably call him in Europe. That said, Bernie Sanders has some very significant weaknesses when it comes to African-Americans and Latinos in the United States not because his policy doesn't appeal to them but because he's been the senator of a very, very white state, Vermont, and has not spent the past 10, 20, 30 years reaching out beyond that state to build a national constituency. As we all know the Clintons have been doing relentlessly for decades. They have a big, big head start among African-Americans. I think that Bernie Sanders can close that gap, at least in part, but he's going to have to work very hard.</s>BARNETT: And Jeffrey, Donald Trump has said African-Americans like him because he can do something about jobs, typically the unemployment rate for minorities is higher than the national average. But will we see some of that support coming out for him in South Carolina?</s>LORD: I don't know that you'll see it in South Carolina because I'm taking a wild guess here that a good part of the African-American community in South Carolina will be voting in the democratic primary between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders. But in the general election that's another situation all together. Errol, I have to say I find it vastly amusing to listen to Senator Sanders and Hillary Clinton debate and they're complaining about how terrible things are. And he's been the United States senator all this time for the last seven years and she has been the Secretary of State and President Obama has been in the White House. So, if they're in complete charge, why is everything so terrible? And the answer is that they keep moving the country left and these things don't work and that's why people are upset. So, that's why I think Donald Trump stands a chance of improving on the African-American vote in the fall.</s>BARNETT: All right. I appreciate you both. Our dynamic CNN political commentators, Van Jones in Chicag, and Jeffrey Lord in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Thanks, gentlemen.</s>LORD: Thank you.</s>BARNETT: Now while the Clinton and Sanders campaigns prepare for the next democratic contests the candidates themselves are getting ready to go head to head against each other. We'll bring you the PBS News hour democratic presidential debate on Friday at 8 p.m. in Hong Kong, 9 p.m. in Tokyo only here on</s>CNN. CHURCH: And after this very short break, Twitter made a grim announcement about its performance Wednesday and the stock market reacted quickly.</s>BARNETT: And Vogue a name open summers with fashion and style. See how the magazine's British version is celebrating its 100 birthday. Back in a moment.