Page 21 - Strategy Session News Today

Judd. mcconnells campaign says that the office was bugged. that would be a big deal if true. fbi is involved. our jim acosta is "outfront." >> reporter: even though hes not up for re-election for more than a year, mitch mcconnell is gearing up. in an audio recording of "mother jones," mcconnell can be heard in what sounds like a typical strategy session discussing opponents back in february. [ inaudible ] >> reporter: later on, a strategist runs through the opposition research on actress ashley ...

Magazine, discussing ways to attack potential rival ashley judd. mcconnells campaign says that the office was bugged. that would be a big deal if true. fbi is involved. our jim acosta is "outfront." >> reporter: even though hes not up for re-election for more than a year, mitch mcconnell is gearing up. in an audio recording of "mother jones," mcconnell can be heard in what sounds like a typical strategy session discussing opponents back in february. [ inaudible ] >> reporter: later on, a strateg...

Launch preparations. pyongyang now telling foreigners in south korea to take steps to protect themselves. could congressman anthony weiner be planning for a run as mayor of new york city? he stepped down in 2011 after he was caught sending out explicit images on twitter. he is sending out feelers to see if he could be considered as a mayor for new york city. the fbi confirms they are looking at secret tapes that recorded a strategy session in minority leader mitch mcconnells office. the tape...

Unseat mitch mcconnell next year. but before she filed out, mcconnells staff was plotting their defeat and the plan was not pretty. we know that because the secret strategy session was caught on tape. and now the fbi is involved. heres cnns national political correspondent jim acosta. >> reporter: even though hes not up for reelection for more than a year, mitch mcconnell has been gearing up for a muddy kentucky horse race. and an audio recording obtained by "mother jones," mcconnell can be hear...

He talked about that -- also stuck strictly to his talking points. in other words, a reporter asked him a question. he ignored the question. heres his spiel. >> right. >> as you know last month my wifes ethnicity was attacked by a left-wing group in kentucky and then apparently they also bugged my headquarters. so i think that pretty well sums up the way the political left is operating in kentucky. >> is it fair game for you to question someones mental health or their religious sensibilities in ...

>> she is emotionally unbalanced shes suffered some suicidal tendencies. >> reporter: and her religious beliefs. in judds autobiography which mcconnells aide reportedly read carefully, the movie star said, "like saint francis she believes in a good who is close to nature and she talks to animals." >> reporter: is it fair game for you to question someones mental health or their religious sensibilities in a strategy session like that? >> apparently, bugging our headquarters, quite nixonian move. t...

Depression as a potential campaign issue? >> well, as you know, last month my wifes ethnicity was attacked by a left-wing group in kentucky. apparently they also bugged my headquarters. >> reporter: is it fair game for you to question someones mental health or religious sensibilities in a strategy session like that? >> yeah, as i indicated last month they were attacking my wifes ethnicity, and apparently unbeknownst to us they were bugging or headquarters. >> reporter: thats not what i asked, th...

Senator mitch mcconnells reelection campaign obtained a recording of political aides. jim acosta is coming into the situation room. youve been looking into this story. whats going on? >> wolf, the fbi has confirmed to cnn its looking into the allegations from the mcconnell campaign. when asked about the possible bugging of his campaign headquarters today, mcconnell, the top republican in the senate, called it salient. even though hes not up for reelection for more than a year, mitch mcconnell ha...

Points. a reporter asked him a question. he ignored the question. heres his spiel. >> right. >> as you know last month my wifes ethnicity was attacked by a left-wing group in kentucky and apparently they also bugged my headquarter ps. so i think that pretty well sums up way the political left is operating in kentucky. >> is it fair game for you to question someones mental health or their religious sensibilities in a strategy session like that? >> yeah, as i indicated, last month they were attack...

We had our lawyers vet the story for us. it is our understanding that the tape was not a product of any watergate style bugging operation. so for mitch mcconnell and jesse benton, his campaign manager, to say that, well, its just wrong and its just a way to dodge the issue. in fact, chuck todd on "hardball" just a few minutes ago said that, you know, he talked to the mcconnell campaign and they swept their offices for bugs and found nothing. >> well, let me ask you this, krystal. when you watch ...