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Missing Weapons Update; Kerry and Bush Campaigns Hitting Key States Today; Campaign Countdown; Israel's Parliament Prepares for Historic Vote To Remove Jewish Settlements From Gaza, West Bank.

Aired October 26, 2004 - 12:00   ET

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

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


WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: I am Wolf Blitzer in New York all of this week.
Unfolding this hour, one week from today, the presidential election, George W. Bush versus John F. Kerry. The stakes couldn't be higher. This hour we'll break down the key issues and take a close look at the latest poll numbers.

Also, missing explosives in Iraq. We're live from the Pentagon on what we know and don't know about what happened.

All that, much more in the hour ahead. First, some other headlines "Now in the News."

Iraq's interim leader slams the U.S.-led coalition. Ayad Allawi says coalition forces are guilty of what he calls major neglect in connection with the massacre of 49 Iraqi army recruits last Saturday. The recruits were unarmed and unprotected when they motored into a trap, strung -- sprung, that is, by insurgents.

The U.S. military says it has killed a known associate of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi in an airstrike in Falluja. The associate's name has not been released. Al-Zarqawi's group has claimed responsibility for the killings of the 49 Iraqi army recruits.

And a federal government has formally given the go-ahead to the merger of a cell phone team of giants. Cingular's acquisition of AT&T Wireless will create a new number one cellular service, eclipsing Verizon.

Up first this hour, the missing weapons story in Iraq, those hundreds of tons of explosives that can not be accounted for. CNN Pentagon correspondent is standing by live at the Pentagon, where a lot of questions are being asked, not yet answered, at least not yet fully being answered.

Barbara, what's the latest that we know about, how those explosives went missing?

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Indeed, Wolf. Still a very confusing story.

The first thing that's worth remembering is, whatever happened there, it appeared to have happened about 18 months ago, right around the time that the U.S. was going to war in Iraq, major combat ended. All of that during the winter and spring of 2003.

Now, the question is, what happened to this 380 pounds -- tons of explosive material that was at this site south of Baghdad? There was a bit of clarification.

Yesterday, the NBC News organization reported that it had a news crew with the 101st Airborne Division when it went to this site on April 10, 2003, the day after Baghdad fell. NBC News reported that its news crew, with the soldiers, reported there was no evidence of any of the weapons there that were of concern, this pile of high- explosive material. That the soldiers who went through there simply didn't find anything that looked like that. But that's just one data point.

The real question on the table now is when did the IAEA in Vienna know that this material was there? When is the last time they saw it there? When did it go missing and when did the U.S. government get informed that it was missing?

Now, we have spoken to officials in Vienna, and what they tell us is that in March 2003, just before the war began, they had been at this site. They were able to verify that none of the seals were broken and that, to the best of their knowledge, this material was there before the war began in March, 2003. But at some point between then and when those soldiers got there on April 10, apparently, it was no longer there, it went missing.

Who took it, how did it get moved out of there? Could it have really been looted by individuals? Three hundred and eighty tons is a considerable amount of material. It's not exactly like you could line up the wheel barrels at the backdoor.

So was it an organized movement of this high-explosive stockpile by the regime of Saddam Hussein just before the war began? Nobody can answer that question at this point.

The question about when the Bush administration knew? As of today, Pentagon officials still tell us that it was October 10 when the IAEA was informed, 2004, by the way, some 18 months later, that it was the first time they ever heard about this problem. Some confusion on the other side from the IAEA.

Again, they say that the last time they could verify the stockpile was there was March 2003, but other IAEA officials say that they didn't know any of it went missing again until October 2004, when the Iraqi interim government told them. So a lot to be sorted out here.

The people we haven't heard from yet is the Iraq Survey Group, the group of weapons inspectors that were sent to Iraq to look through all of the stockpiles, to look for WMD. Some of this material, of course, was affiliated for uses with nuclear weapons, so they would have known it was there, presumably.

So far, the Iraq Survey Group is not talking about whether they had any private notification that this material was there and that it was missing. So we still await final answers -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Lots of questions, as I said, that still must be answered.

A couple other things before I let you go, Barbara. The story in "USA Today" this morning on the front page suggesting the U.S. military may need another 20,000 U.S. troops in Iraq to at least protect everyone through the elections scheduled for the end of January, bringing the number from currently about 138,000 U.S. troops there to close to 160,000. What do we know about that?

STARR: Well, CNN, has spoken, of course, to its own sources here this morning here in the Pentagon. Two military officials very involved in this tell us they have not heard the 20,000 number. But what is going on is there are discussions about whether or not the troop rotation plan needs to be adjusted as Iraq moves closer to its elections in January, as the level of violence continues and the uncertainty about how many Iraqi security forces can really be on the street performing effective security.

The U.S. military is looking at whether or not some troops need to be kept in place, whether they need to accelerate the deployment of other troops to Iraq in order to have a greater overlap in this January time frame. It would bring the troop level up for some period of weeks. It would make the U.S. capability more robust.

They tell us they will have to make a decision in the next few weeks. They're not quite there yet, but that is on the table for discussion, according to very knowledgeable sources we have spoken to -- Wolf.

BLITZER: And finally, Barbara, "The Washington Post" reporting the Bush administration, assuming it will still be in office, is going to ask for another $70 billion, billion to help pay for the military operations in Iraq shortly after the election, the new fiscal budget coming up. What do we know about that?

STARR: Well, let's explain to people about this thing called supplementals. Wars are not funded as a line item in the budget. Congress does not give the Pentagon money off the top to go fight a war. They never have. They require a supplemental, a specific request from the Pentagon about how much money it thinks it needs to fight a war.

The war in Iraq is now running about $4.5 billion a month. So the Pentagon regularly goes to Congress and seeks more money as the month goes on in this war. The longer the war goes, the more supplementals they need.

What officials are indicating also may be coming up in this supplemental will be a request for additional money for equipment replacement, for the things that have worn out or been damaged in the war. It's a reflection of the fact the war goes on and more money is needed to fight it -- Wolf.

BLITZER: It's costing about a billion dollars a week -- a month, that is -- a billion dollars a week, that is. A billion dollars a week to maintain military operations in Iraq. If that $70 billion supplemental is requested and approved, that would then bring the total number since the start of the war to roughly $225 billion for the U.S. military operations in Iraq.

Barbara Starr with an exhaustive report, but good job as usual. Thanks very much.

STARR: Thanks, Wolf.

BLITZER: One week to go before the U.S. presidential election, and both campaigns are hitting a number of key states today. At this hour, President Bush is headed to a second event. That one would be in Wisconsin. And before the day is out he'll make a stop in Iowa before returning to the White House.

Like President Bush, Senator Kerry began his day in Wisconsin. Now, for Kerry, it's on to Nevada and New Mexico before an overnight rest in Iowa.

As for Wisconsin, it's a state that the Democrats carried in the last presidential election. And the frequent visits of both campaigns show the Badger State's 10 electoral votes may be crucial next Tuesday.

We'll start with the Kerry campaign. CNN's Frank Buckley has now moved to Kerry's next scheduled stop. That would be in Las Vegas. Frank joining us now live -- Frank.

FRANK BUCKLEY, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, Nevada here, where Senator Kerry is going to be holding a rally later today, is one of those traditional fly-over states in presidential elections, where the candidates fly over it, going back and force to the major population centers. And not a huge prize usually on Election Day. But because of the tightness of the race, the five electoral votes here in Nevada up for grabs, and both sides competing heavily here in Nevada.

Senator Kerry will be here for a rally later today. But earlier, he was in Green Bay, Wisconsin, to deliver one of a series of what he's been calling closing -- closing arguments of the campaign.

In this case, he was talking about domestic security. Senator Kerry critical of President Bush and the choices he's made in homeland security. Kerry saying the president hasn't done enough to secure borders or shipping containers coming into the U.S., and that's left America vulnerable. He also said the president hasn't properly funded first responders at the state and local level.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We don't need a president who thinks we can't afford to fund homeland security. We need a president who believes we can't afford not to.

(APPLAUSE) KERRY: And that is the kind of president I pledge to you I will be.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BUCKLEY: Now, a Bush campaign spokesman called today's speech a series of baseless attacks and distortions. This spokesman saying that President Bush has, in fact, tripled homeland security funding since 2001.

Now, while today's speech in Wisconsin was billed as domestic security, the item you were talking about in the news today about Iraq once again gave Senator Kerry an opportunity to go after President Bush on the issue of Iraq.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KERRY: And now this morning we have learned that the president wants an additional $70 billion of your money early next year for Iraq and Afghanistan, bringing the total cost to date to nearly $225 billion. This is the incredible price of rushing and going it almost alone in Iraq.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BUCKLEY: And now, one week out, Wolf, from Election Day, we're getting a little bit of insight into the candidate's schedule and strategy. We're told that that speech today in Wisconsin was the last of the so-called closing argument speeches, the last of the policy speeches.

Now we're just going to see a series of rallies over the next several days. And the candidate will be traveling -- I think you mentioned this -- to -- on Wednesday to Iowa, Minnesota and Ohio. On Thursday, Ohio, Wisconsin and Florida.

And we learned today, Wolf, that on Thursday in -- in Ohio and Wisconsin, that the rock and roll singer Bruce Springsteen will be joining Senator Kerry on the campaign trail -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Frank Buckley reporting for us from Las Vegas. Thank you, Frank, very much.

Now President Bush. Today he's making a bid for two key states where he failed in the last presidential election. CNN's Suzanne Malveaux is with the Bush campaign in Wisconsin.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: President Bush leads a bus tour through Wisconsin and Iowa. They are two states that he narrowly lost back in 2000, but the Bush campaign believes they have got a shot at it this time around.

Earlier today, I spoke with political adviser Karl Rove, who said that they are targeting three specific groups. First of all, areas in which the president has underperformed. Secondly, the excerpts (ph), those growing areas outside of suburbs and communities that typically don't vote. And, of course, the swing areas as well.

Now, today, President Bush for the first time made a direct appeal for the support of Democrats.

GEORGE W. BUSH (R), PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: If you believe America should lead with strength and purpose and confidence and resolve, I'd be honored to have your support. And I'm asking for your vote.

MALVEAUX: The focus, of course, on the stage was all about the president's economic agenda. But in the hallways, the talk, of course, was about the ongoing controversy over those missing explosives in Iraq.

Now, Karl Rove said he was so confident about an NBC report that he believes exonerates the president. He is considering e-mailing it to 7.5 million of President Bush's supporters.

Suzanne Malveaux, CNN, Onalaska, Wisconsin.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: And as you clearly can tell, the candidates are here, there and everywhere today, with the race for the White House still every bit of a cliffhanger. Some perspective now from our senior analyst Jeff Greenfield.

Jeff, thanks very much for joining us.

This hour we're expecting to hear from former President Bill Clinton. He'll be speaking at a synagogue in Boca Raton, Florida. Not -- he's not introducing Kerry. Kerry is someplace else.

Florida very much in play. The Jewish vote in Florida very much in play as well, to a certain degree.

JEFF GREENFIELD, CNN SR. ANALYST: This is one of the things -- I was just in Florida for a few days, and there's both anecdotally and in polling a notion that this President Bush is going to do better substantially than he did the last time. Last time he got about 19 percent of the Jewish vote nationally. That's about the low end of where Republicans get.

But he's an unswerving supporter of Israel. There's very little daylight between him and Ariel Sharon. And anecdotally, I've heard stories out of Florida.

People saying there are Jewish Democrats that voted all their lives for Democrats, disagree with Bush on every issue. But Israel is a -- you know, that's -- that's a basic life-and-death issue for a lot of Jews, and that's why Senator Lieberman was dispatched to Florida to make the case both Kerry and Bush are OK, so you can vote on other issues. And Clinton, very popular with Jewish Americans, and the Democrats' beloved figure down there trying to make sure that doesn't happen.

BLITZER: And there are a lot of Jewish voters in south Florida, as we know.

Let's take a look at some of the polls, the recent polls that we have. These just came out today.

There's a poll from the American Research Group in Ohio. Take a look at this: 49, Kerry, 47, Bush. The same organization did one today in Pennsylvania that just came out. Look at this: Kerry, 50 percent, Bush, 47 percent.

In Florida, the state we were just talking about, this same American Research Group poll, 49, Kerry, 46, Bush, one percent, Nader. Our own CNN-"USA Today" poll shows Bush ahead in Florida.

How much weight do you give to these snapshots a week before the election?

GREENFIELD: It's a tie, it's a tie, it's a tie. It's going to drive everybody into hospitals if we look at every time the poll goes up or down one point. That could mean five people didn't answer the phone.

All we can say is it's very close. And if -- you know, if you want a poll that chose Bush ahead, we've got one. If you want a poll that shows Kerry taking the lead, ABC-"Washington Post' has a tracking poll. So take your choice.

This thing in state after state after state and nationally is just too close. The one thing that I keep looking at is the potential, which I think I raised six months ago, that Bush is going to win the popular vote and lose the electoral vote. That to me is as plausible as anything else.

BLITZER: The opposite of what happened four years ago, when Al Gore got a half a million more votes nationally than George W. Bush.

GREENFIELD: Because Kerry is going to do -- Kerry is going to do less well in New York, California, New Jersey, than he did last time. And he's going to carry all those states, and that will be enough to make Bush the popular vote winner.

BLITZER: We spokes about the Jewish vote. Let's talk about the African-American vote.

Very interesting poll numbers that came out recently from the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies. Right now, at least, it shows Bush would get 18 percent. It doesn't seem like a lot, but it's a lot more than the 8 or so percent he got the last time. Kerry's at 69 percent.

Certainly -- certainly, this -- getting out the African-American vote for Kerry would seem to be critical if Kerry's going to win.

GREENFIELD: These numbers, if they're right, may reflect the fact that there are -- there are a number of African-American voters strongly tied to churches. Bush has been a big supporter of faith- based institutions. There's been help given from the Bush administration into that community, and some of the socially conservative stands that the president takes -- and there are a good number of people in the African-American community who agree with that, on things like abortion, on traditional values.

If Bush were to get 18 percent of the African-American vote this time, it's inconceivable to me that Kerry can win in a lot of those critical states. So whether those numbers are right or wrong, you and I and several dozen other of our colleagues will find out on election night. But sure, that's another reason why Clinton is out in Florida, why he was in Philadelphia the other day, why they want to send him as much as they can to critical constituencies.

I mean, look, just very quickly, the gay vote, a quarter of the gay vote went to Bush in 2000. With the gay marriage position, does anybody think Bush is going to get a quarter of the gay vote this time?

That declined from 25 percent to 10 or 15 percent. That could tip a state like Florida.

So as my grandmother used to say, "Go know." This is the best advice I have for people who ask me what's going to happen.

BLITZER: Let's finally talk about Iraq a little bit. We hear that maybe another 20,000 troops might be needed in the short term, through these scheduled elections the end of January. The administration may have to ask for another $70 billion or so shortly after the election to pay for all of this. The massacre of Iraqi troops over the weekend, missing explosives, it seems like there's a lot of bad news for this administration right now.

GREENFIELD: We've talked for months about what outside events might shape this election, and we generally talked about it in dramatic terms: Osama bin Laden's capture, or god forbid a terrorist attack. I think the steady drip, drip of news out of Iraq that the execution of the war has gone much more problematically than the Bush administration thought may wind up -- if Kerry wins, I think that's as big a reason as any.

Because you have a number of people who supported this war and who backed Bush, as opposed to Kerry in the general approach to terror, who said that the execution of this war has been done so badly it raises questions of competence. And the straw in the wind for me was a paper in Lehigh Valley in Pennsylvania, key area in Pennsylvania.

"Allentown Morning Call" endorsed Bush four years ago, switched to Kerry primarily on the conduct of the war. That's one where I think that this news, whatever the spin on it is, and whatever the complexities are, it just adds up to a huge political problem for the president.

BLITZER: Are we going to know November 2 who's the next president, or will we have to go into extra innings, as we say?

GREENFIELD: I don't even know what we don't know. Why don't you ask me about 1:00 in the morning on November 3 if we know.

BLITZER: I think I will be asking you that question around that time. Thanks very much, Jeff Greenfield.

GREENFIELD: Thank you.

BLITZER: More on the race for the White House coming up later in this program. I'll speak with two representatives, members of Congress from New York State, how the candidates are faring here and around the country. Carolyn Maloney and Vito Fossella, they'll join me live here in our New York studios.

And three years after a deadly plane crash that killed 265 people, federal authorities are set to announce their findings in the investigation of Flight 587. Details coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Long lines and even longer waits. Some voters feel the pre-Election Day frustration of casting their ballots early. Is it a sign of things to come? We'll have a live report straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: With Election Day only a week away, and the race this close, both campaigns are shifting into turnout mode. CNN's Larry King touched on that last night with the Democratic vice presidential candidate, John Edwards.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

EDWARDS: The more people who vote, the more likely that John Kerry will be elected president. And I made passing reference to this earlier, but I want to say it again.

You know, probably one of the best tests for how we're doing on Election Day is -- I heard a pollster say this -- if you look on Election Day at a long line, number one, at the polls. And then number two, there are a lot of young people in that line, then the odds are John Kerry will be the next president of the United States. And I believe that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Long lines are being seen at polling places already. Nearly 30 states allow voters to cast their ballots ahead of next Tuesday's election. Some polling stations already swamped by the turnout.

Denis O'Hayer with CNN affiliate WXIA is watching the lines in Hall County, Georgia.

Denis, where is Hall County and what's happening there? DENIS O'HAYER, REPORTER, WXIA: Wolf, Hall County is about 50 miles northeast of Atlanta, near Lake Lanier. It's a booming county.

Now, Georgia, as you mentioned, had long lines about four years ago, and it's added 490,000 voters since. So they went to early voting here for this election, tried to get the word out. And as you can see by the line behind me, it worked.

Hall County is just one of 159 counties in Georgia, and just about all of them are reporting lines at early voting stations. Some of the -- some of the waits -- listen to this -- have been averaging up to about three hours or more in some of the more populous counts. And it's true across the state.

Urban and rural Democratic areas, Republican areas, the waits have been long. But people have been very, very patient. So the secretary of state's office estimates that perhaps as many as 300,000 voters or more will take advantage of early voting this time. That would be between 7 and 10 percent of the total number of eligible voters.

And with me right now is Anne Phillips. She is the director of elections here in Hall County.

How long have the lines been here?

ANNE PHILLIPS, HALL COUNTY DIRECTOR OF ELECTIONS: Well, we've had consistent lines like this all day yesterday and today. And we expect it will be the same the rest of the week.

O'HAYER: Part of the problem for people has been there's only one place in the county to take advantage of early voting. People go to their registration office instead of to their precinct, and then there's only a handful of machines. Is there anything you can do to help folks in line?

PHILLIPS: Well, this being our first year, it was sort of trial and error. But in the future we need to have additional places.

O'HAYER: So is it safe to say you were surprised by the number of people who turned out?

PHILLIPS: Yes, we were surprised today and yesterday by this number, but we are delighted to have them, of course,.

O'HAYER: Is early voting working here in Georgia?

PHILLIPS: It's working. It's working, and you can see the results of it. We just need more days of it, I think.

O'HAYER: One of the things that you've done in Hall County is you've gone to a bilingual ballot because of the growing Latino community here. How has that worked, and is there any way to tell how many people have actually used it?

PHILLIPS: We are a pilot site for the bilingual ballots in Georgia for this election, and we won't know because it's an enhancement. When the voter gets to the booth they select the language they want.

O'HAYER: And there's no record of who uses the Spanish and who uses an English ballot?

PHILLIPS: No record at all.

O'HAYER: Anne Phillips, Hall County director of elections, thank you very much.

PHILLIPS: Thank you.

O'HAYER: And once again, the lines are longer today than yesterday. Early voting in Georgia lasts through Friday -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Denis O'Hayer, thanks very much. Denis is with our affiliate WXIA in Georgia.

Some Americans are doubting the election will be wrapped up quickly. A new AP poll of registered and likely voters shows 69 percent of Democrats and 56 percent of Republicans believe there won't be a clear winner by next Wednesday, the day after the election. Both parties thousands of lawyers on call, just in case.

Elsewhere across America, news that we're watching. Scott Peterson's double murder trial could be nearing an end. His defense team may rest its case as early as today without calling Peterson to the stand. He's accused of killing his wife and unborn son nearly two years ago.

A guilty plea is expected in a crime spree that terrified the greater Washington D.C. area. Lee Boyd Malvo is due in court later this afternoon to answer to the 2002 sniper-style killing of Kenneth Bridges and the shooting of Caroline Seawell. By pleading guilty, Malvo would avoid the death penalty. He's already serving life in prison for another related killing. CNN plans live coverage of today's plea.

Co-pilot error is the focus of a hearing into the crash of American Airlines Flight 587. The plane went down shortly after takeoff from New York three years ago, killing 265 people. Federal investigators say the co-pilot's response to turbulence just seconds after takeoff was unnecessary and aggressive.

Decision day in Gaza. A controversial vote has the Israeli prime minister, Ariel Sharon, on the hot seat once again. Details and a live report from Jerusalem, that's coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Beautiful shot of Central Park from high atop the Time Warner Center here in New York. We're reporting from New York all of this week, much of next week going through the election.

Meanwhile, there's been tension and tough talk in Israel today as the Knesset, Israel's parliament, prepares for a historic vote on whether to remove Jewish settlements from Gaza and parts of the West Bank.

Keeping up with the stormy debate in Jerusalem, CNN's Guy Raz, he's is joining us now live. What's the latest, Guy?

GUY RAZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, a historic vote indeed is set to take place here in the Israeli parliament in just about two hours' time -- a motion that, if passed, would bring about the eventual evacuation of all 21 Jewish settlements in Gaza and four smaller settlements in the West Bank, both areas that Israel has occupied since 1967.

Now, for Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, the key backer of this plan, a moment of truth. Ariel Sharon has spent much of his public career encouraging Israelis to settle land that Israel occupied in the war of 1967. Now, Ariel Sharon becomes public enemy number one for those very same settlers.

Now, Wolf, to get a sense of just how decisive this vote is here in the Israeli parliament, Mr. Sharon's opening speech was interrupted some 14 times by hecklers. Three members of the Israeli parliament were actually ejected from the chamber.

Now, just a short time ago, the prime minister passed by just behind us, surrounded by some 16 security guards. That gives you a sense of just how tight security is around the prime minister in light of several death threats that he's recently received.

Now, in order for Sharon to win this vote, he has to rely on opposition party, primarily the Labor Party, because about half of his own fellow right-wing Likud party members are set to vote against this motion.

Now, meanwhile at the same time, thousands of demonstrators -- both supporters and opponent of this plan -- have converged on the Israeli parliament voicing both opposition and support for the plan. Public opinion polls in the country show, Wolf, that about 65 percent of the Israeli population does, in fact, support this plan to withdraw from the occupied Gaza Strip by the end of next year -- Wolf?

BLITZER: Guy, before I let you go, very briefly, what's the latest on Yasser Arafat's health?

RAZ: Well, it's still very unclear what his condition is in right now. We understand from various sources that he may have some kind of very serious ailment. But according to the Palestinian Authority, it's the flu. He's been checked by Tunisian doctors, and they may recommend that Yasser Arafat, the president of the Palestinian Authority, be taken to a hospital outside of the region in order to receive treatment -- Wolf?

BLITZER: Guy Raz reporting from Jerusalem. A historic vote is set for the Knesset in a couple of hours. We'll watch together with you, Guy. Thank you very much. Let's check some other headlines around the globe right now. Election officials say there's clear evidence of ballot box stuffing in Afghanistan, but they don't expect that to change the outcome of the election. Most of the vote counting is done, and the interim President Hamid Karzai has a clear majority.

Secretary of State Colin Powell is in Seoul, South Korea, urging a restart of stalled nuclear talks with North Korea. His visit comes as North Korea says it's possible to re-enter such negotiations -- excuse me, it's impossible to re-enter such negotiations right now. Pyongyang accuses the United States of playing politics ahead of the election.

Government officials say 78 people suffocated or were crushed to death after a riot in southern Thailand yesterday. The dead were among 1,300 people arrested and packed into military trucks for some five hours. Six others were shot and killed during the riot.

What will make the difference in the final seven days before the U.S. presidential election? I'll speak live with a pair of U.S. members of Congress, both from New York State -- Democrat Carolyn Maloney, Republican Vito Fossella -- about how they see the final week playing out. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Want to show our viewers a live picture of B'nai Torah Congregation here in Boca Raton, Florida. They are getting ready to listen to the former president of the United States, Bill Clinton. He'll be addressing this group in Florida. The Jewish vote in Florida right now being courted by the Democrats and the Republicans. We're going to show you Bill Clinton's remarks -- at least some of them. That's coming up.

We also have two members of the United States Congress standing by to talk about this and other issues in this campaign. We'll take a quick break. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back.

Seven days and counting until Election Day. How much longer and until will we know -- how much longer will it take for us to know who won? Will we know next Tuesday, November 2nd? The presidential contest clearly very, very close and extremely contentious.

Joining us now in New York, Democratic Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney of New York State, representing New York City. We're standing by waiting for Republican Congressman Vito Fossella to show up.

The president's about to speak in Wisconsin, which is a key battleground state. We're going to -- he's -- in fact, he's speaking right now. He's speaking to a group over there of supporters, delivering his standard stump speech, the one he's been going after John Kerry on. In Florida, we're standing by to hear from the former Democratic president of the United States, Bill Clinton. He's going to be speaking at this synagogue, B'nai Torah Congregation, in Boca Raton.

How close -- New York State really not very much in the mix right now -- but from your vantage point, how close is this election around the country?

REP. CAROLYN MALONEY (D), NEW YORK: Oh, it's extremely, extremely close, Wolf. You know that. Everyone knows that. It comes down to who wins three of the big states: Ohio, Florida, and Pennsylvania. Whoever wins two of the three will be the next president, and I hope it will be John Kerry because of the economy and because of Iraq.

This president has misled us. The latest blunder is the missing of 380 tons of explosives in Iraq, and it's just outrageous.

BLITZER: It's unclear, though, when those explosives went missing. The IAEA apparently says that earlier just before the war, they did verify they were still at that location, the al Qaqaa location. But then when troops got there by April 10th, April 11th right after Saddam Hussein fell, apparently they were no longer there, those tons of explosives. And the Pentagon says they don't know where they are.

MALONEY: Well, David Kay, the weapons inspector, said that they were lost or missed during April and May after we invaded and after we rushed by the weapons site into Baghdad. And the interim Iraqi government also says that, after we invaded -- and this is the document, their confidential document that they issued on October 10th of this year -- that they were missing after April 9th of 2003, after our invasion.

BLITZER: That's when they -- when they -- they went through that camp, that facility over there, they were no longer there. So, the question is: Who's responsible for this? You can't necessarily blame the president of the United States.

There are military commanders on the ground. General Tommy Franks was the head of the Central Command. There were all sorts of steps that were supposed to be in place to secure these kinds of sensitive locations.

MALONEY: But -- but, Wolf, the Department of Defense is not refuting the Iraqi interim government or David Kay. The person refuting it is the spin machine out of the Bush administration, Mr. Rove. Another approach of being an ostrich -- stick your head in the sand and forget about the problems that you're confronting.

General Shinseki from the very beginning said that we needed more troops in order to secure the weapons' sites, in order to secure the areas as we moved into Iraq and to secure the peace. It's another example of failed leadership of the highest order. A huge blunder.

BLITZER: Let me ask you this question, because you're a member of the House of Representative -- if the president, if he's reelected, and he asks for a supplemental funding of another $70 billion or so to pay for the U.S. Military operation in Iraq, will you vote for that?

MALONEY: The first question that he should be asking is what happened to these weapons instead of trying to not accept blame and pointing fingers at others. I wrote the General Accounting Office on Monday asking for an accounting of where are these weapons?

You said -- you said, Wolf...

BLITZER: What about the money?

MALONEY: ... that one pound could shoot down every...

BLITZER: One pound of that highly sophisticated explosive brought down Pan Am 103 over Lockerbie. So, there's no doubt there's a lot of damage that can be done by those 370 tons...

MALONEY: And we need an accounting. Was it used in Madrid?

BLITZER: But what about the $70 billion. Are you going to vote for that?

MALONEY: We have the best troops in the world, and we need to support them at this point. But we need a change in leadership. We need a commander-in-chief that is as competent as our military. And certainly you should have the planning to secure the military sites and the ammunition.

We need to know are any of these weapons coming back to the United States? Are they being used against our troops in Iraq? Were they used in Madrid?

BLITZER: All legitimate questions, but if Kerry's elected president, he has said he's not going to cut-and-run. He wants to finish the job. And presumably he'll need the money, too, to pay for, what, a billion dollars a week to pay for the military operation in Iraq. So, he'll come to you and ask for that funding, as well.

MALONEY: I would vote to support the troops definitely, but I would also vote for a president who would lead us in a better direction, that would have some of the burden shared with the rest of the world. The entire world has a stake in securing these weapons and in securing Iraq and having a stable government there. And I would vote for -- right now, we're carrying the burden of 90 percent of the loss of life and 90 percent of the cost.

BLITZER: Did you vote for the $87 billion supplemental fund.

MALONEY: Yes I did. Yes I did.

BLITZER: Because John Kerry didn't, as you know. He voted for it, then he voted against it. And he's been hammered as a result of that supposed flip-flop, and that's cost him presumably votes.

MALONEY: Well, one of the worst things that the Bush administration has done is attack his military record and attack his honor and his courage. None of these leaders ever got in front of a bullet or defended America. Rumsfeld, Ashcroft, the president -- they did not serve in combat. John Kerry did.

And I respect him and I respect his leadership and his judgment. He will -- he is wise, and he will make decisions that will protect the American people and make us stronger, both economically and in the world...

BLITZER: On this specific issue, you and another fellow New Yorker, Rudy Giuliani, strongly disagree, because he's been going around the country speaking very, very passionately to get the president of the United States reelected.

He lived through 9/11. He was the mayor of New York then. He saw what happened, and he's worried that John Kerry simply cannot get the job done, that the president will fight the terrorists outside of the United States before they can attack America right here at home.

MALONEY: Well, Rudy Giuliani is a Republican. I support the Democratic party and what it stands for on a national level, both domestically and internationally.

We have blown our surplus. We're galloping towards a $400 billion deficit, the largest in the history. The January surprise that Senator Kerry's been talking about is this increased funding -- we'll be at a $500 billion deficit in a very short time.

BLITZER: But if he's elected, he'll need that money to protect -- to enable the troops to continue the mission.

MALONEY: But he will also follow domestic policies that will move to pay as we go, cut the deficit, and work with our allies in an international effort to secure Iraq.

BLITZER: As you know, the former President Bill Clinton about to address a Jewish audience in Boca Raton, Florida, at a congregation, Congregation B'nai Torah. You're looking at these live pictures. He's being introduced by various people there.

I've heard from, I don't know a lot -- but plenty of American Jews who are longtime Democrats who have never voted for a Republican in their life. This time saying, you know what, they're going to vote for the president because he supports Israel and he wants to fight the terrorists. I'm sure you've heard that from some of your constituents, as well.

MALONEY: Well, a vote for John Kerry is a vote to fight the terrorists in a more intelligent way. He certainly would have had a plan that would have secured the weapons dumps. This is an astronomical mistake, an example of many mistakes of the Bush administration.

And what do they do? They point fingers. They're not even calling for an investigation of what happened to these dangerous things. And John Kerry will be stronger both domestically and internationally. We need a change in leadership.

BLITZER: Congresswoman Maloney, I'm going to have you stand by. I think Congressman Vito Fossella, Republican from New York, your colleague, is here. We'll take a quick break. We'll continue this conversation when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back. We're continuing our conversation with Democratic Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney of New York, and now joining us Republican Congressman Vito Fossella, also a New York Congressman. Thanks very much for joining us. I understand you got stuck in a little traffic, but better to have you late than not at all.

This is an extremely close election, as you know, right now. New York State really not in play. Texas not in play for another reason. What's your reading of the situation right now nationally in the key battleground states?

REP. VITO FOSSELLA (R), NEW YORK: Well, I think it's fair to say it is close. But at the same time, I hope that the American people, especially those in the battleground states, understand the implications of this election. The fact is that we have been making progress in the war against terror. Afghanistan recently has had free and open elections. There's no longer a sanctuary for terrorists. Iraq is no longer a sanctuary and will no longer be a sanctuary for terrorists.

BLITZER: Hold on, hold on -- when you say Iraq's not a sanctuary for terrorists, the DIA, the Defense Intelligence Agency, only last week said they've doubled the number of insurgents. There are about 12,000 or 14,000 now. And only the other day, they discovered 370 tons of explosives missing.

FOSSELLA: What I mean -- let me restate. I think that with Saddam Hussein's regime gone that we have now put ourselves on a path of long-term security and re-established, I think, America's interest truly in the Middle East. And there may be day-to-day tactical errors.

But at the same time, I think Iraq, over the long term, what we're doing now is a noble cause and a just cause and will be in the best interest of our long-term security. And I think that the American people, when they go to the polls, have to ask that question: Do we want to risk another attack? Do we want to stand the chance to appease and bend, or do we stay on the offense?

I think President Bush has been able to do that as our commander- in-chief.

BLITZER: Are you ready to support another 20,000 U.S. troops being sent over to Iraq? You saw that front-page story in "USA Today," and another $70 billion supplemental funding request that could come in shortly after the election?

FOSSELLA: You know, when our national security is at stake, our personal security is at stake and we need do all we can to protect the American people. Carolyn and I share the same, as you -- we don't want to see another 9/11 here again. And sometimes there are financial costs involved. But it's much, much less than the human cost involved of another potential terrorist attack.

I have faith in the president. I have faith in our men and women who wear the uniform. And we need to continue this effort and fight the terrorists where they are as opposed to allowing them come here on our shores.

BLITZER: You want to respond, Congresswoman Maloney?

MALONEY: Well, John Kerry would fight the terrorists in a more intelligent and cooperative, collaborative effort with our allies, so that the burden would not be entirely on the American taxpayer and the American soldier. Ninety percent of the casualties are American. Ninety percent of the cost is American.

I would say the entire world has a stake in bringing stability to Iraq and to Afghanistan.

BLITZER: You know, during the first Gulf War -- which, of course, I covered for CNN -- the first President Bush put together an international coalition. And in the end, the U.S. wound up spending maybe five percent or 10 percent of the total cost of that war because other countries contributed huge sums. That has not happened this time around.

FOSSELLA: Well, I think, first off, we do have an international coalition. Our allies like Great Britain...

BLITZER: But the U.S. is paying for most of it.

FOSSELLA: Well, at the same time, I think our American president doesn't have to subscribe and pass a global test -- as Senator Kerry would like. And Senator Kerry, despite what he said in some of the debates, and credited President Bush's father for the Persian Gulf War, voted against that war, too.

So, you have to ask the question is what would have to occur for him to approve of this global test? We cannot and must not advocate our national security to the United Nations Security Council.

BLITZER: But you would support -- you would support a greater international coalition that contributed billions of dollars so that U.S. taxpayers could spend that money for healthcare or other important needs in the United States?

FOSSELLA: I think that's obvious and shared across the board. We would all love to have more participation, more cooperation.

BLITZER: Well, that's what Senator Kerry says he wants to do.

FOSSELLA: I just don't see how it's viable. And when the nations and leaders of Germany and France say they are not going to participate in this effort, we can't wait another day. We can't wait for another attack. We can't wait for the approval of another nation to protect the American people.

BLITZER: All right. Vito Fossella, thanks very much for joining us. Carolyn Maloney, thanks to you, as well. Unfortunately, we have to leave it right there. Good discussion.

We'll take a quick break -- actually, I'm not going to take another quick break. I'm just going to say goodbye. I'll be back, though, later today, every weekday, 5:00 p.m. Eastern for "WOLF BLITZER REPORTS."

He's one of the greatest coaches in NBA history. Now without a sideline to stalk, the former Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers coach Phil Jackson has turned his attention to writing. I'll talk with him about his days on the bench and his days caught in the Shaq and Kobe Bryant feud. All that coming up today, 5:00 p.m. Eastern.

Until then, thanks very much for joining us. I'm Wolf Blitzer in New York. LIVE FROM with Miles O'Brien -- you see him there -- that's coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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Aired October 26, 2004 - 12:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: I am Wolf Blitzer in New York all of this week.
Unfolding this hour, one week from today, the presidential election, George W. Bush versus John F. Kerry. The stakes couldn't be higher. This hour we'll break down the key issues and take a close look at the latest poll numbers.

Also, missing explosives in Iraq. We're live from the Pentagon on what we know and don't know about what happened.

All that, much more in the hour ahead. First, some other headlines "Now in the News."

Iraq's interim leader slams the U.S.-led coalition. Ayad Allawi says coalition forces are guilty of what he calls major neglect in connection with the massacre of 49 Iraqi army recruits last Saturday. The recruits were unarmed and unprotected when they motored into a trap, strung -- sprung, that is, by insurgents.

The U.S. military says it has killed a known associate of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi in an airstrike in Falluja. The associate's name has not been released. Al-Zarqawi's group has claimed responsibility for the killings of the 49 Iraqi army recruits.

And a federal government has formally given the go-ahead to the merger of a cell phone team of giants. Cingular's acquisition of AT&T Wireless will create a new number one cellular service, eclipsing Verizon.

Up first this hour, the missing weapons story in Iraq, those hundreds of tons of explosives that can not be accounted for. CNN Pentagon correspondent is standing by live at the Pentagon, where a lot of questions are being asked, not yet answered, at least not yet fully being answered.

Barbara, what's the latest that we know about, how those explosives went missing?

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Indeed, Wolf. Still a very confusing story.

The first thing that's worth remembering is, whatever happened there, it appeared to have happened about 18 months ago, right around the time that the U.S. was going to war in Iraq, major combat ended. All of that during the winter and spring of 2003.

Now, the question is, what happened to this 380 pounds -- tons of explosive material that was at this site south of Baghdad? There was a bit of clarification.

Yesterday, the NBC News organization reported that it had a news crew with the 101st Airborne Division when it went to this site on April 10, 2003, the day after Baghdad fell. NBC News reported that its news crew, with the soldiers, reported there was no evidence of any of the weapons there that were of concern, this pile of high- explosive material. That the soldiers who went through there simply didn't find anything that looked like that. But that's just one data point.

The real question on the table now is when did the IAEA in Vienna know that this material was there? When is the last time they saw it there? When did it go missing and when did the U.S. government get informed that it was missing?

Now, we have spoken to officials in Vienna, and what they tell us is that in March 2003, just before the war began, they had been at this site. They were able to verify that none of the seals were broken and that, to the best of their knowledge, this material was there before the war began in March, 2003. But at some point between then and when those soldiers got there on April 10, apparently, it was no longer there, it went missing.

Who took it, how did it get moved out of there? Could it have really been looted by individuals? Three hundred and eighty tons is a considerable amount of material. It's not exactly like you could line up the wheel barrels at the backdoor.

So was it an organized movement of this high-explosive stockpile by the regime of Saddam Hussein just before the war began? Nobody can answer that question at this point.

The question about when the Bush administration knew? As of today, Pentagon officials still tell us that it was October 10 when the IAEA was informed, 2004, by the way, some 18 months later, that it was the first time they ever heard about this problem. Some confusion on the other side from the IAEA.

Again, they say that the last time they could verify the stockpile was there was March 2003, but other IAEA officials say that they didn't know any of it went missing again until October 2004, when the Iraqi interim government told them. So a lot to be sorted out here.

The people we haven't heard from yet is the Iraq Survey Group, the group of weapons inspectors that were sent to Iraq to look through all of the stockpiles, to look for WMD. Some of this material, of course, was affiliated for uses with nuclear weapons, so they would have known it was there, presumably.

So far, the Iraq Survey Group is not talking about whether they had any private notification that this material was there and that it was missing. So we still await final answers -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Lots of questions, as I said, that still must be answered.

A couple other things before I let you go, Barbara. The story in "USA Today" this morning on the front page suggesting the U.S. military may need another 20,000 U.S. troops in Iraq to at least protect everyone through the elections scheduled for the end of January, bringing the number from currently about 138,000 U.S. troops there to close to 160,000. What do we know about that?

STARR: Well, CNN, has spoken, of course, to its own sources here this morning here in the Pentagon. Two military officials very involved in this tell us they have not heard the 20,000 number. But what is going on is there are discussions about whether or not the troop rotation plan needs to be adjusted as Iraq moves closer to its elections in January, as the level of violence continues and the uncertainty about how many Iraqi security forces can really be on the street performing effective security.

The U.S. military is looking at whether or not some troops need to be kept in place, whether they need to accelerate the deployment of other troops to Iraq in order to have a greater overlap in this January time frame. It would bring the troop level up for some period of weeks. It would make the U.S. capability more robust.

They tell us they will have to make a decision in the next few weeks. They're not quite there yet, but that is on the table for discussion, according to very knowledgeable sources we have spoken to -- Wolf.

BLITZER: And finally, Barbara, "The Washington Post" reporting the Bush administration, assuming it will still be in office, is going to ask for another $70 billion, billion to help pay for the military operations in Iraq shortly after the election, the new fiscal budget coming up. What do we know about that?

STARR: Well, let's explain to people about this thing called supplementals. Wars are not funded as a line item in the budget. Congress does not give the Pentagon money off the top to go fight a war. They never have. They require a supplemental, a specific request from the Pentagon about how much money it thinks it needs to fight a war.

The war in Iraq is now running about $4.5 billion a month. So the Pentagon regularly goes to Congress and seeks more money as the month goes on in this war. The longer the war goes, the more supplementals they need.

What officials are indicating also may be coming up in this supplemental will be a request for additional money for equipment replacement, for the things that have worn out or been damaged in the war. It's a reflection of the fact the war goes on and more money is needed to fight it -- Wolf.

BLITZER: It's costing about a billion dollars a week -- a month, that is -- a billion dollars a week, that is. A billion dollars a week to maintain military operations in Iraq. If that $70 billion supplemental is requested and approved, that would then bring the total number since the start of the war to roughly $225 billion for the U.S. military operations in Iraq.

Barbara Starr with an exhaustive report, but good job as usual. Thanks very much.

STARR: Thanks, Wolf.

BLITZER: One week to go before the U.S. presidential election, and both campaigns are hitting a number of key states today. At this hour, President Bush is headed to a second event. That one would be in Wisconsin. And before the day is out he'll make a stop in Iowa before returning to the White House.

Like President Bush, Senator Kerry began his day in Wisconsin. Now, for Kerry, it's on to Nevada and New Mexico before an overnight rest in Iowa.

As for Wisconsin, it's a state that the Democrats carried in the last presidential election. And the frequent visits of both campaigns show the Badger State's 10 electoral votes may be crucial next Tuesday.

We'll start with the Kerry campaign. CNN's Frank Buckley has now moved to Kerry's next scheduled stop. That would be in Las Vegas. Frank joining us now live -- Frank.

FRANK BUCKLEY, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, Nevada here, where Senator Kerry is going to be holding a rally later today, is one of those traditional fly-over states in presidential elections, where the candidates fly over it, going back and force to the major population centers. And not a huge prize usually on Election Day. But because of the tightness of the race, the five electoral votes here in Nevada up for grabs, and both sides competing heavily here in Nevada.

Senator Kerry will be here for a rally later today. But earlier, he was in Green Bay, Wisconsin, to deliver one of a series of what he's been calling closing -- closing arguments of the campaign.

In this case, he was talking about domestic security. Senator Kerry critical of President Bush and the choices he's made in homeland security. Kerry saying the president hasn't done enough to secure borders or shipping containers coming into the U.S., and that's left America vulnerable. He also said the president hasn't properly funded first responders at the state and local level.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We don't need a president who thinks we can't afford to fund homeland security. We need a president who believes we can't afford not to.

(APPLAUSE) KERRY: And that is the kind of president I pledge to you I will be.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BUCKLEY: Now, a Bush campaign spokesman called today's speech a series of baseless attacks and distortions. This spokesman saying that President Bush has, in fact, tripled homeland security funding since 2001.

Now, while today's speech in Wisconsin was billed as domestic security, the item you were talking about in the news today about Iraq once again gave Senator Kerry an opportunity to go after President Bush on the issue of Iraq.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KERRY: And now this morning we have learned that the president wants an additional $70 billion of your money early next year for Iraq and Afghanistan, bringing the total cost to date to nearly $225 billion. This is the incredible price of rushing and going it almost alone in Iraq.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BUCKLEY: And now, one week out, Wolf, from Election Day, we're getting a little bit of insight into the candidate's schedule and strategy. We're told that that speech today in Wisconsin was the last of the so-called closing argument speeches, the last of the policy speeches.

Now we're just going to see a series of rallies over the next several days. And the candidate will be traveling -- I think you mentioned this -- to -- on Wednesday to Iowa, Minnesota and Ohio. On Thursday, Ohio, Wisconsin and Florida.

And we learned today, Wolf, that on Thursday in -- in Ohio and Wisconsin, that the rock and roll singer Bruce Springsteen will be joining Senator Kerry on the campaign trail -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Frank Buckley reporting for us from Las Vegas. Thank you, Frank, very much.

Now President Bush. Today he's making a bid for two key states where he failed in the last presidential election. CNN's Suzanne Malveaux is with the Bush campaign in Wisconsin.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: President Bush leads a bus tour through Wisconsin and Iowa. They are two states that he narrowly lost back in 2000, but the Bush campaign believes they have got a shot at it this time around.

Earlier today, I spoke with political adviser Karl Rove, who said that they are targeting three specific groups. First of all, areas in which the president has underperformed. Secondly, the excerpts (ph), those growing areas outside of suburbs and communities that typically don't vote. And, of course, the swing areas as well.

Now, today, President Bush for the first time made a direct appeal for the support of Democrats.

GEORGE W. BUSH (R), PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: If you believe America should lead with strength and purpose and confidence and resolve, I'd be honored to have your support. And I'm asking for your vote.

MALVEAUX: The focus, of course, on the stage was all about the president's economic agenda. But in the hallways, the talk, of course, was about the ongoing controversy over those missing explosives in Iraq.

Now, Karl Rove said he was so confident about an NBC report that he believes exonerates the president. He is considering e-mailing it to 7.5 million of President Bush's supporters.

Suzanne Malveaux, CNN, Onalaska, Wisconsin.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: And as you clearly can tell, the candidates are here, there and everywhere today, with the race for the White House still every bit of a cliffhanger. Some perspective now from our senior analyst Jeff Greenfield.

Jeff, thanks very much for joining us.

This hour we're expecting to hear from former President Bill Clinton. He'll be speaking at a synagogue in Boca Raton, Florida. Not -- he's not introducing Kerry. Kerry is someplace else.

Florida very much in play. The Jewish vote in Florida very much in play as well, to a certain degree.

JEFF GREENFIELD, CNN SR. ANALYST: This is one of the things -- I was just in Florida for a few days, and there's both anecdotally and in polling a notion that this President Bush is going to do better substantially than he did the last time. Last time he got about 19 percent of the Jewish vote nationally. That's about the low end of where Republicans get.

But he's an unswerving supporter of Israel. There's very little daylight between him and Ariel Sharon. And anecdotally, I've heard stories out of Florida.

People saying there are Jewish Democrats that voted all their lives for Democrats, disagree with Bush on every issue. But Israel is a -- you know, that's -- that's a basic life-and-death issue for a lot of Jews, and that's why Senator Lieberman was dispatched to Florida to make the case both Kerry and Bush are OK, so you can vote on other issues. And Clinton, very popular with Jewish Americans, and the Democrats' beloved figure down there trying to make sure that doesn't happen.

BLITZER: And there are a lot of Jewish voters in south Florida, as we know.

Let's take a look at some of the polls, the recent polls that we have. These just came out today.

There's a poll from the American Research Group in Ohio. Take a look at this: 49, Kerry, 47, Bush. The same organization did one today in Pennsylvania that just came out. Look at this: Kerry, 50 percent, Bush, 47 percent.

In Florida, the state we were just talking about, this same American Research Group poll, 49, Kerry, 46, Bush, one percent, Nader. Our own CNN-"USA Today" poll shows Bush ahead in Florida.

How much weight do you give to these snapshots a week before the election?

GREENFIELD: It's a tie, it's a tie, it's a tie. It's going to drive everybody into hospitals if we look at every time the poll goes up or down one point. That could mean five people didn't answer the phone.

All we can say is it's very close. And if -- you know, if you want a poll that chose Bush ahead, we've got one. If you want a poll that shows Kerry taking the lead, ABC-"Washington Post' has a tracking poll. So take your choice.

This thing in state after state after state and nationally is just too close. The one thing that I keep looking at is the potential, which I think I raised six months ago, that Bush is going to win the popular vote and lose the electoral vote. That to me is as plausible as anything else.

BLITZER: The opposite of what happened four years ago, when Al Gore got a half a million more votes nationally than George W. Bush.

GREENFIELD: Because Kerry is going to do -- Kerry is going to do less well in New York, California, New Jersey, than he did last time. And he's going to carry all those states, and that will be enough to make Bush the popular vote winner.

BLITZER: We spokes about the Jewish vote. Let's talk about the African-American vote.

Very interesting poll numbers that came out recently from the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies. Right now, at least, it shows Bush would get 18 percent. It doesn't seem like a lot, but it's a lot more than the 8 or so percent he got the last time. Kerry's at 69 percent.

Certainly -- certainly, this -- getting out the African-American vote for Kerry would seem to be critical if Kerry's going to win.

GREENFIELD: These numbers, if they're right, may reflect the fact that there are -- there are a number of African-American voters strongly tied to churches. Bush has been a big supporter of faith- based institutions. There's been help given from the Bush administration into that community, and some of the socially conservative stands that the president takes -- and there are a good number of people in the African-American community who agree with that, on things like abortion, on traditional values.

If Bush were to get 18 percent of the African-American vote this time, it's inconceivable to me that Kerry can win in a lot of those critical states. So whether those numbers are right or wrong, you and I and several dozen other of our colleagues will find out on election night. But sure, that's another reason why Clinton is out in Florida, why he was in Philadelphia the other day, why they want to send him as much as they can to critical constituencies.

I mean, look, just very quickly, the gay vote, a quarter of the gay vote went to Bush in 2000. With the gay marriage position, does anybody think Bush is going to get a quarter of the gay vote this time?

That declined from 25 percent to 10 or 15 percent. That could tip a state like Florida.

So as my grandmother used to say, "Go know." This is the best advice I have for people who ask me what's going to happen.

BLITZER: Let's finally talk about Iraq a little bit. We hear that maybe another 20,000 troops might be needed in the short term, through these scheduled elections the end of January. The administration may have to ask for another $70 billion or so shortly after the election to pay for all of this. The massacre of Iraqi troops over the weekend, missing explosives, it seems like there's a lot of bad news for this administration right now.

GREENFIELD: We've talked for months about what outside events might shape this election, and we generally talked about it in dramatic terms: Osama bin Laden's capture, or god forbid a terrorist attack. I think the steady drip, drip of news out of Iraq that the execution of the war has gone much more problematically than the Bush administration thought may wind up -- if Kerry wins, I think that's as big a reason as any.

Because you have a number of people who supported this war and who backed Bush, as opposed to Kerry in the general approach to terror, who said that the execution of this war has been done so badly it raises questions of competence. And the straw in the wind for me was a paper in Lehigh Valley in Pennsylvania, key area in Pennsylvania.

"Allentown Morning Call" endorsed Bush four years ago, switched to Kerry primarily on the conduct of the war. That's one where I think that this news, whatever the spin on it is, and whatever the complexities are, it just adds up to a huge political problem for the president.

BLITZER: Are we going to know November 2 who's the next president, or will we have to go into extra innings, as we say?

GREENFIELD: I don't even know what we don't know. Why don't you ask me about 1:00 in the morning on November 3 if we know.

BLITZER: I think I will be asking you that question around that time. Thanks very much, Jeff Greenfield.

GREENFIELD: Thank you.

BLITZER: More on the race for the White House coming up later in this program. I'll speak with two representatives, members of Congress from New York State, how the candidates are faring here and around the country. Carolyn Maloney and Vito Fossella, they'll join me live here in our New York studios.

And three years after a deadly plane crash that killed 265 people, federal authorities are set to announce their findings in the investigation of Flight 587. Details coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Long lines and even longer waits. Some voters feel the pre-Election Day frustration of casting their ballots early. Is it a sign of things to come? We'll have a live report straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: With Election Day only a week away, and the race this close, both campaigns are shifting into turnout mode. CNN's Larry King touched on that last night with the Democratic vice presidential candidate, John Edwards.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

EDWARDS: The more people who vote, the more likely that John Kerry will be elected president. And I made passing reference to this earlier, but I want to say it again.

You know, probably one of the best tests for how we're doing on Election Day is -- I heard a pollster say this -- if you look on Election Day at a long line, number one, at the polls. And then number two, there are a lot of young people in that line, then the odds are John Kerry will be the next president of the United States. And I believe that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Long lines are being seen at polling places already. Nearly 30 states allow voters to cast their ballots ahead of next Tuesday's election. Some polling stations already swamped by the turnout.

Denis O'Hayer with CNN affiliate WXIA is watching the lines in Hall County, Georgia.

Denis, where is Hall County and what's happening there? DENIS O'HAYER, REPORTER, WXIA: Wolf, Hall County is about 50 miles northeast of Atlanta, near Lake Lanier. It's a booming county.

Now, Georgia, as you mentioned, had long lines about four years ago, and it's added 490,000 voters since. So they went to early voting here for this election, tried to get the word out. And as you can see by the line behind me, it worked.

Hall County is just one of 159 counties in Georgia, and just about all of them are reporting lines at early voting stations. Some of the -- some of the waits -- listen to this -- have been averaging up to about three hours or more in some of the more populous counts. And it's true across the state.

Urban and rural Democratic areas, Republican areas, the waits have been long. But people have been very, very patient. So the secretary of state's office estimates that perhaps as many as 300,000 voters or more will take advantage of early voting this time. That would be between 7 and 10 percent of the total number of eligible voters.

And with me right now is Anne Phillips. She is the director of elections here in Hall County.

How long have the lines been here?

ANNE PHILLIPS, HALL COUNTY DIRECTOR OF ELECTIONS: Well, we've had consistent lines like this all day yesterday and today. And we expect it will be the same the rest of the week.

O'HAYER: Part of the problem for people has been there's only one place in the county to take advantage of early voting. People go to their registration office instead of to their precinct, and then there's only a handful of machines. Is there anything you can do to help folks in line?

PHILLIPS: Well, this being our first year, it was sort of trial and error. But in the future we need to have additional places.

O'HAYER: So is it safe to say you were surprised by the number of people who turned out?

PHILLIPS: Yes, we were surprised today and yesterday by this number, but we are delighted to have them, of course,.

O'HAYER: Is early voting working here in Georgia?

PHILLIPS: It's working. It's working, and you can see the results of it. We just need more days of it, I think.

O'HAYER: One of the things that you've done in Hall County is you've gone to a bilingual ballot because of the growing Latino community here. How has that worked, and is there any way to tell how many people have actually used it?

PHILLIPS: We are a pilot site for the bilingual ballots in Georgia for this election, and we won't know because it's an enhancement. When the voter gets to the booth they select the language they want.

O'HAYER: And there's no record of who uses the Spanish and who uses an English ballot?

PHILLIPS: No record at all.

O'HAYER: Anne Phillips, Hall County director of elections, thank you very much.

PHILLIPS: Thank you.

O'HAYER: And once again, the lines are longer today than yesterday. Early voting in Georgia lasts through Friday -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Denis O'Hayer, thanks very much. Denis is with our affiliate WXIA in Georgia.

Some Americans are doubting the election will be wrapped up quickly. A new AP poll of registered and likely voters shows 69 percent of Democrats and 56 percent of Republicans believe there won't be a clear winner by next Wednesday, the day after the election. Both parties thousands of lawyers on call, just in case.

Elsewhere across America, news that we're watching. Scott Peterson's double murder trial could be nearing an end. His defense team may rest its case as early as today without calling Peterson to the stand. He's accused of killing his wife and unborn son nearly two years ago.

A guilty plea is expected in a crime spree that terrified the greater Washington D.C. area. Lee Boyd Malvo is due in court later this afternoon to answer to the 2002 sniper-style killing of Kenneth Bridges and the shooting of Caroline Seawell. By pleading guilty, Malvo would avoid the death penalty. He's already serving life in prison for another related killing. CNN plans live coverage of today's plea.

Co-pilot error is the focus of a hearing into the crash of American Airlines Flight 587. The plane went down shortly after takeoff from New York three years ago, killing 265 people. Federal investigators say the co-pilot's response to turbulence just seconds after takeoff was unnecessary and aggressive.

Decision day in Gaza. A controversial vote has the Israeli prime minister, Ariel Sharon, on the hot seat once again. Details and a live report from Jerusalem, that's coming up next.

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BLITZER: Beautiful shot of Central Park from high atop the Time Warner Center here in New York. We're reporting from New York all of this week, much of next week going through the election.

Meanwhile, there's been tension and tough talk in Israel today as the Knesset, Israel's parliament, prepares for a historic vote on whether to remove Jewish settlements from Gaza and parts of the West Bank.

Keeping up with the stormy debate in Jerusalem, CNN's Guy Raz, he's is joining us now live. What's the latest, Guy?

GUY RAZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, a historic vote indeed is set to take place here in the Israeli parliament in just about two hours' time -- a motion that, if passed, would bring about the eventual evacuation of all 21 Jewish settlements in Gaza and four smaller settlements in the West Bank, both areas that Israel has occupied since 1967.

Now, for Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, the key backer of this plan, a moment of truth. Ariel Sharon has spent much of his public career encouraging Israelis to settle land that Israel occupied in the war of 1967. Now, Ariel Sharon becomes public enemy number one for those very same settlers.

Now, Wolf, to get a sense of just how decisive this vote is here in the Israeli parliament, Mr. Sharon's opening speech was interrupted some 14 times by hecklers. Three members of the Israeli parliament were actually ejected from the chamber.

Now, just a short time ago, the prime minister passed by just behind us, surrounded by some 16 security guards. That gives you a sense of just how tight security is around the prime minister in light of several death threats that he's recently received.

Now, in order for Sharon to win this vote, he has to rely on opposition party, primarily the Labor Party, because about half of his own fellow right-wing Likud party members are set to vote against this motion.

Now, meanwhile at the same time, thousands of demonstrators -- both supporters and opponent of this plan -- have converged on the Israeli parliament voicing both opposition and support for the plan. Public opinion polls in the country show, Wolf, that about 65 percent of the Israeli population does, in fact, support this plan to withdraw from the occupied Gaza Strip by the end of next year -- Wolf?

BLITZER: Guy, before I let you go, very briefly, what's the latest on Yasser Arafat's health?

RAZ: Well, it's still very unclear what his condition is in right now. We understand from various sources that he may have some kind of very serious ailment. But according to the Palestinian Authority, it's the flu. He's been checked by Tunisian doctors, and they may recommend that Yasser Arafat, the president of the Palestinian Authority, be taken to a hospital outside of the region in order to receive treatment -- Wolf?

BLITZER: Guy Raz reporting from Jerusalem. A historic vote is set for the Knesset in a couple of hours. We'll watch together with you, Guy. Thank you very much. Let's check some other headlines around the globe right now. Election officials say there's clear evidence of ballot box stuffing in Afghanistan, but they don't expect that to change the outcome of the election. Most of the vote counting is done, and the interim President Hamid Karzai has a clear majority.

Secretary of State Colin Powell is in Seoul, South Korea, urging a restart of stalled nuclear talks with North Korea. His visit comes as North Korea says it's possible to re-enter such negotiations -- excuse me, it's impossible to re-enter such negotiations right now. Pyongyang accuses the United States of playing politics ahead of the election.

Government officials say 78 people suffocated or were crushed to death after a riot in southern Thailand yesterday. The dead were among 1,300 people arrested and packed into military trucks for some five hours. Six others were shot and killed during the riot.

What will make the difference in the final seven days before the U.S. presidential election? I'll speak live with a pair of U.S. members of Congress, both from New York State -- Democrat Carolyn Maloney, Republican Vito Fossella -- about how they see the final week playing out. Stay with us.

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BLITZER: Want to show our viewers a live picture of B'nai Torah Congregation here in Boca Raton, Florida. They are getting ready to listen to the former president of the United States, Bill Clinton. He'll be addressing this group in Florida. The Jewish vote in Florida right now being courted by the Democrats and the Republicans. We're going to show you Bill Clinton's remarks -- at least some of them. That's coming up.

We also have two members of the United States Congress standing by to talk about this and other issues in this campaign. We'll take a quick break. We'll be right back.

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BLITZER: Welcome back.

Seven days and counting until Election Day. How much longer and until will we know -- how much longer will it take for us to know who won? Will we know next Tuesday, November 2nd? The presidential contest clearly very, very close and extremely contentious.

Joining us now in New York, Democratic Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney of New York State, representing New York City. We're standing by waiting for Republican Congressman Vito Fossella to show up.

The president's about to speak in Wisconsin, which is a key battleground state. We're going to -- he's -- in fact, he's speaking right now. He's speaking to a group over there of supporters, delivering his standard stump speech, the one he's been going after John Kerry on. In Florida, we're standing by to hear from the former Democratic president of the United States, Bill Clinton. He's going to be speaking at this synagogue, B'nai Torah Congregation, in Boca Raton.

How close -- New York State really not very much in the mix right now -- but from your vantage point, how close is this election around the country?

REP. CAROLYN MALONEY (D), NEW YORK: Oh, it's extremely, extremely close, Wolf. You know that. Everyone knows that. It comes down to who wins three of the big states: Ohio, Florida, and Pennsylvania. Whoever wins two of the three will be the next president, and I hope it will be John Kerry because of the economy and because of Iraq.

This president has misled us. The latest blunder is the missing of 380 tons of explosives in Iraq, and it's just outrageous.

BLITZER: It's unclear, though, when those explosives went missing. The IAEA apparently says that earlier just before the war, they did verify they were still at that location, the al Qaqaa location. But then when troops got there by April 10th, April 11th right after Saddam Hussein fell, apparently they were no longer there, those tons of explosives. And the Pentagon says they don't know where they are.

MALONEY: Well, David Kay, the weapons inspector, said that they were lost or missed during April and May after we invaded and after we rushed by the weapons site into Baghdad. And the interim Iraqi government also says that, after we invaded -- and this is the document, their confidential document that they issued on October 10th of this year -- that they were missing after April 9th of 2003, after our invasion.

BLITZER: That's when they -- when they -- they went through that camp, that facility over there, they were no longer there. So, the question is: Who's responsible for this? You can't necessarily blame the president of the United States.

There are military commanders on the ground. General Tommy Franks was the head of the Central Command. There were all sorts of steps that were supposed to be in place to secure these kinds of sensitive locations.

MALONEY: But -- but, Wolf, the Department of Defense is not refuting the Iraqi interim government or David Kay. The person refuting it is the spin machine out of the Bush administration, Mr. Rove. Another approach of being an ostrich -- stick your head in the sand and forget about the problems that you're confronting.

General Shinseki from the very beginning said that we needed more troops in order to secure the weapons' sites, in order to secure the areas as we moved into Iraq and to secure the peace. It's another example of failed leadership of the highest order. A huge blunder.

BLITZER: Let me ask you this question, because you're a member of the House of Representative -- if the president, if he's reelected, and he asks for a supplemental funding of another $70 billion or so to pay for the U.S. Military operation in Iraq, will you vote for that?

MALONEY: The first question that he should be asking is what happened to these weapons instead of trying to not accept blame and pointing fingers at others. I wrote the General Accounting Office on Monday asking for an accounting of where are these weapons?

You said -- you said, Wolf...

BLITZER: What about the money?

MALONEY: ... that one pound could shoot down every...

BLITZER: One pound of that highly sophisticated explosive brought down Pan Am 103 over Lockerbie. So, there's no doubt there's a lot of damage that can be done by those 370 tons...

MALONEY: And we need an accounting. Was it used in Madrid?

BLITZER: But what about the $70 billion. Are you going to vote for that?

MALONEY: We have the best troops in the world, and we need to support them at this point. But we need a change in leadership. We need a commander-in-chief that is as competent as our military. And certainly you should have the planning to secure the military sites and the ammunition.

We need to know are any of these weapons coming back to the United States? Are they being used against our troops in Iraq? Were they used in Madrid?

BLITZER: All legitimate questions, but if Kerry's elected president, he has said he's not going to cut-and-run. He wants to finish the job. And presumably he'll need the money, too, to pay for, what, a billion dollars a week to pay for the military operation in Iraq. So, he'll come to you and ask for that funding, as well.

MALONEY: I would vote to support the troops definitely, but I would also vote for a president who would lead us in a better direction, that would have some of the burden shared with the rest of the world. The entire world has a stake in securing these weapons and in securing Iraq and having a stable government there. And I would vote for -- right now, we're carrying the burden of 90 percent of the loss of life and 90 percent of the cost.

BLITZER: Did you vote for the $87 billion supplemental fund.

MALONEY: Yes I did. Yes I did.

BLITZER: Because John Kerry didn't, as you know. He voted for it, then he voted against it. And he's been hammered as a result of that supposed flip-flop, and that's cost him presumably votes.

MALONEY: Well, one of the worst things that the Bush administration has done is attack his military record and attack his honor and his courage. None of these leaders ever got in front of a bullet or defended America. Rumsfeld, Ashcroft, the president -- they did not serve in combat. John Kerry did.

And I respect him and I respect his leadership and his judgment. He will -- he is wise, and he will make decisions that will protect the American people and make us stronger, both economically and in the world...

BLITZER: On this specific issue, you and another fellow New Yorker, Rudy Giuliani, strongly disagree, because he's been going around the country speaking very, very passionately to get the president of the United States reelected.

He lived through 9/11. He was the mayor of New York then. He saw what happened, and he's worried that John Kerry simply cannot get the job done, that the president will fight the terrorists outside of the United States before they can attack America right here at home.

MALONEY: Well, Rudy Giuliani is a Republican. I support the Democratic party and what it stands for on a national level, both domestically and internationally.

We have blown our surplus. We're galloping towards a $400 billion deficit, the largest in the history. The January surprise that Senator Kerry's been talking about is this increased funding -- we'll be at a $500 billion deficit in a very short time.

BLITZER: But if he's elected, he'll need that money to protect -- to enable the troops to continue the mission.

MALONEY: But he will also follow domestic policies that will move to pay as we go, cut the deficit, and work with our allies in an international effort to secure Iraq.

BLITZER: As you know, the former President Bill Clinton about to address a Jewish audience in Boca Raton, Florida, at a congregation, Congregation B'nai Torah. You're looking at these live pictures. He's being introduced by various people there.

I've heard from, I don't know a lot -- but plenty of American Jews who are longtime Democrats who have never voted for a Republican in their life. This time saying, you know what, they're going to vote for the president because he supports Israel and he wants to fight the terrorists. I'm sure you've heard that from some of your constituents, as well.

MALONEY: Well, a vote for John Kerry is a vote to fight the terrorists in a more intelligent way. He certainly would have had a plan that would have secured the weapons dumps. This is an astronomical mistake, an example of many mistakes of the Bush administration.

And what do they do? They point fingers. They're not even calling for an investigation of what happened to these dangerous things. And John Kerry will be stronger both domestically and internationally. We need a change in leadership.

BLITZER: Congresswoman Maloney, I'm going to have you stand by. I think Congressman Vito Fossella, Republican from New York, your colleague, is here. We'll take a quick break. We'll continue this conversation when we come back.

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BLITZER: Welcome back. We're continuing our conversation with Democratic Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney of New York, and now joining us Republican Congressman Vito Fossella, also a New York Congressman. Thanks very much for joining us. I understand you got stuck in a little traffic, but better to have you late than not at all.

This is an extremely close election, as you know, right now. New York State really not in play. Texas not in play for another reason. What's your reading of the situation right now nationally in the key battleground states?

REP. VITO FOSSELLA (R), NEW YORK: Well, I think it's fair to say it is close. But at the same time, I hope that the American people, especially those in the battleground states, understand the implications of this election. The fact is that we have been making progress in the war against terror. Afghanistan recently has had free and open elections. There's no longer a sanctuary for terrorists. Iraq is no longer a sanctuary and will no longer be a sanctuary for terrorists.

BLITZER: Hold on, hold on -- when you say Iraq's not a sanctuary for terrorists, the DIA, the Defense Intelligence Agency, only last week said they've doubled the number of insurgents. There are about 12,000 or 14,000 now. And only the other day, they discovered 370 tons of explosives missing.

FOSSELLA: What I mean -- let me restate. I think that with Saddam Hussein's regime gone that we have now put ourselves on a path of long-term security and re-established, I think, America's interest truly in the Middle East. And there may be day-to-day tactical errors.

But at the same time, I think Iraq, over the long term, what we're doing now is a noble cause and a just cause and will be in the best interest of our long-term security. And I think that the American people, when they go to the polls, have to ask that question: Do we want to risk another attack? Do we want to stand the chance to appease and bend, or do we stay on the offense?

I think President Bush has been able to do that as our commander- in-chief.

BLITZER: Are you ready to support another 20,000 U.S. troops being sent over to Iraq? You saw that front-page story in "USA Today," and another $70 billion supplemental funding request that could come in shortly after the election?

FOSSELLA: You know, when our national security is at stake, our personal security is at stake and we need do all we can to protect the American people. Carolyn and I share the same, as you -- we don't want to see another 9/11 here again. And sometimes there are financial costs involved. But it's much, much less than the human cost involved of another potential terrorist attack.

I have faith in the president. I have faith in our men and women who wear the uniform. And we need to continue this effort and fight the terrorists where they are as opposed to allowing them come here on our shores.

BLITZER: You want to respond, Congresswoman Maloney?

MALONEY: Well, John Kerry would fight the terrorists in a more intelligent and cooperative, collaborative effort with our allies, so that the burden would not be entirely on the American taxpayer and the American soldier. Ninety percent of the casualties are American. Ninety percent of the cost is American.

I would say the entire world has a stake in bringing stability to Iraq and to Afghanistan.

BLITZER: You know, during the first Gulf War -- which, of course, I covered for CNN -- the first President Bush put together an international coalition. And in the end, the U.S. wound up spending maybe five percent or 10 percent of the total cost of that war because other countries contributed huge sums. That has not happened this time around.

FOSSELLA: Well, I think, first off, we do have an international coalition. Our allies like Great Britain...

BLITZER: But the U.S. is paying for most of it.

FOSSELLA: Well, at the same time, I think our American president doesn't have to subscribe and pass a global test -- as Senator Kerry would like. And Senator Kerry, despite what he said in some of the debates, and credited President Bush's father for the Persian Gulf War, voted against that war, too.

So, you have to ask the question is what would have to occur for him to approve of this global test? We cannot and must not advocate our national security to the United Nations Security Council.

BLITZER: But you would support -- you would support a greater international coalition that contributed billions of dollars so that U.S. taxpayers could spend that money for healthcare or other important needs in the United States?

FOSSELLA: I think that's obvious and shared across the board. We would all love to have more participation, more cooperation.

BLITZER: Well, that's what Senator Kerry says he wants to do.

FOSSELLA: I just don't see how it's viable. And when the nations and leaders of Germany and France say they are not going to participate in this effort, we can't wait another day. We can't wait for another attack. We can't wait for the approval of another nation to protect the American people.

BLITZER: All right. Vito Fossella, thanks very much for joining us. Carolyn Maloney, thanks to you, as well. Unfortunately, we have to leave it right there. Good discussion.

We'll take a quick break -- actually, I'm not going to take another quick break. I'm just going to say goodbye. I'll be back, though, later today, every weekday, 5:00 p.m. Eastern for "WOLF BLITZER REPORTS."

He's one of the greatest coaches in NBA history. Now without a sideline to stalk, the former Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers coach Phil Jackson has turned his attention to writing. I'll talk with him about his days on the bench and his days caught in the Shaq and Kobe Bryant feud. All that coming up today, 5:00 p.m. Eastern.

Until then, thanks very much for joining us. I'm Wolf Blitzer in New York. LIVE FROM with Miles O'Brien -- you see him there -- that's coming up next.

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