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CNN Live Saturday

Homeland Security To Not Raise Terror Threat Level; Campaigns Fight Over Politization Of New bin Laden Tape; Young Voters Live, Vote In Separate States

Aired October 30, 2004 - 16:00   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.


FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: All right. You are looking at an interview that was taped moments ago with the Terrorist Threat Integration Center Chief John Brennan, as well as Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge. Talking to reporters. Among those reporters, our own Jeanne Meserve.
We're now going to be joined live by Jeanne Meserve at the top now of CNN SATURDAY to talk more about what they are learning from the latest Osama bin Laden tape. It doesn't sound like an indication coming from Tom Ridge that they are willing, at this juncture, to raise the terror threat level, but, instead, they are still analyzing this tape most recently released by bin Laden, correct?

JEANNE MESERVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right. There's no raise in the threat level now.

I think what they were trying to do today is try to calm fears and reassure the public, because we've seen this Osama bin Laden tape. Also, the tape given to ABC News from Assam), the American, the person identified as Assam, the American. And also because they've been talking for months about the possibility that terrorists might try to disrupt the electoral process.

So, Secretary Ridge wanted to get out in front and tell the American public that right now there are no plans to raise the threat level, because there is no specific threat information in this latest tape from Osama bin Laden or the other one given to ABC News. However, they do reserve the right in the future to raise that threat level if they decide that is necessary.

Another thing I think the secretary wanted to get across to the public is that the country is safer now than it was a few months ago. He talked about a number of protective measures that have been taken by the federal government and in conjunction with state and local governments. He maintains that this makes us safer from the possibility of any attack. Of course, there are others who would say there are still gaps in that security. But He wanted to stress the fact that we're better off than we were.

To clarify one thing you heard in that press conference, the secretary seemed to imply there were some specific security measures being taken in response to this tape. I am told by other officials that taht is not the case. That was not his intention to relay that to the public. You will see some additional security in days to come, but that is security that has been planned for some time, because of this generalized concern about the election period.

You are right, Fredricka. The analysis of this tape is continuing. They are looking for any embedded messages that might be contained in Osama bin Laden's words, or perhaps even in the background, in which he is speaking in front of. They are trying to mesh this tape with other intelligence coming in at this point in time. And they are trying to clarify what linkage there might be between this tape and the one given to ABC News.

An interesting note, they said that the FBI is putting up excerpts of Assam, the American tape on their Web site asking for the public's help in identifying exactly who that individual may be. Back to you.

WHITFIELD: All right. Homeland security correspondent Jeanne Meserve, thanks so much.

Well, that recent Osama bin Laden tape hasn't stopped the presidential candidates from stumping like there's no tomorrow. John Kerry is in Des Moines, Iowa, reminding voters to reset their clocks for daylight savings time. And warning if Bush is re-elected, the nation's clock will be turned back 30 years. Our Frank Buckley is travel with Kerry's campaign -- Frank.

FARNK BUCKLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Thankfully, the sun hasn't gone down yet, because that would make the Iowa cold that much colder.

Senator Kerry just wrapped up his rally here in Des Moines, Iowa. Senator Kerry doing his best to try to rally the vote, rally his supporters in a state that was very close in 2000. Al Gore winning this state by only 4,100 votes. This time, both President Bush and Senator Kerry are fighting hard here in Iowa to try to win this state.

Now earlier, Senator Kerry was in Appleton, Wisconsin. And this final weekend of campaigning taking sort of a bitter tone after yesterday's release of that Osama bin Laden tape. The campaigns both accusing each other of trying to take political advantage. This morning, Senator Kerry tried to knock back that charge a bit saying that all Americans are united, as he did yesterday, against bin Laden and against terrorism. But he didn't back off of his criticism of President Bush in the war on terror.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: But I still understand, as you do, that we need the leadership of our troops and the strategies that make us safer. As I have said, for 2 years now, when Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda were cornered in the mountains of Tora Bora, it was wrong to outsource the job of capturing them to Afghan warlords who a week earlier were fighting against us instead of using the best trained troops in the world, who wanted to avenge America for what happened in New York and Pennsylvania and in Washington.

(END VIDEO CLIP) BUCKLEY: It was criticism of that kind immediately after the Osama bin Laden tape came out by Senator Kerry during an interview with a television station in Wisconsin that caused President Bush to say that that was shameful. Kerry aides pointing out that that language that Senator Kerry used is the same language he's been using for the past several months.

Meanwhile, right after that rally in Wisconsin, Senator Kerry visited a canvassing operation to try to excite the supporters who are going out to work for him this weekend. Of course, both campaigns have canvasers out all over the country this weekend doing their best to get out the vote. These political ground troops working hard in the final stretch here.

From here in Iowa, Senator Kerry is going on to Ohio. He'll also be in New Hampshire this weekend before returning to Florida -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: And Frank, you have to wonder if this tape is directly influencing Kerry's rhetoric over the next 3 days, or if he feels at this point that he's said enough and it's time to move on to talking about other issues so that he is not accused of further politicizing this tape.

BUCKLEY: Well, the Kerry campaign believes that the language that Senator Kerry is using will -- is the same language he has been using on this particular issue with regard to Osama bin Laden, this idea of outsourcing the operation in Tora Bora. Senator Kerry has been using this language for a number of months.

I'm told by Kerry campaign advisers that he'll continue to use this. He may not say it in every speech. For example, in this speech here, he didn't say the exact same thing. But that's the way he's been campaigning in the past as well, sometimes he uses that phrase, sometimes he doesn't.

And Kerry campaign officials say that they will continue to push on this effort. They believe that this, once again, gives voters a choice to see how Senator kerry would act as a commander in chief in the future.

WHITFIELD: All right. Frank Buckley, thanks so much.

Well, as Kerry moves on to the battleground state of Ohio, President Bush has set his sites on several important midwestern battleground states as well, today, including Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota. And the war on terrorism is at the front of his message.

Our John King brings us the latest on what's been a high-mileage day for the president.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN KING, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A five-state day to open the final weekend. Staple lines in the speech suddenly elevated by the re-emergence of Osama bin Laden. GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The terrorists who killed thousands of innocent people are still dangerous and determined to strike.

KING: Here in Wisconsin, and earlier in Michigan, no mention of the new bin Laden message. But Mr. Bush hit hard on his central campaign theme, that he is a proven war-time president, his opponent soft on security voting record and few convictions.

BUSH: My opponent's positions are kind of like the weather here in Green Bay. If you don't like it, wait a little bit, and it will change. Whether you agree with me or disagree with me, you know where I stand, you know what I believe and you know I'm going to lead.

KING: Vice President Cheney challenged Senator Kerry's assertion that bin Laden is at large because bush diverted resources from Afghanistan to Iraq. In Pennsylvania, Mr. Cheney says the commanding general at the time says Senator Kerry is wrong.

DICK CHENEY, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Given a choice between John Kerry and General Tommy Franks, I'll take General Franks any time.

KING: Bin Laden's re-emergence is a challenge for Mr. Bush, both as president and as a candidate in the final hours of a tough re- election contest.

BUSH: I ask for your trust, I ask for your vote, I ask for your help.

KING: National Security Adviser Rice joined the president for a morning secure video conference to discuss the tape. Homeland Security Secretary Ridge, CIA Director Goss, Attorney General Ashcroft and FBI Director Mueller among those participating.

Senior administration officials say initial analysis suggests the tape is more a political statement than a warning of new attacks. But that Mr. Bush convened the morning call to make sure all precautions were being taken.

(on camera): Senior Bush aides have voiced hope that the campaign in the end would boil down to a referendum on which candidate would be stronger leader in the war on terror. None, however, could have predicted that Osama bin Laden would add his menacing voice to that debate in such a dramatic fashion. John King, CNN, Grand Rapids, Michigan.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: And stay with CNN, your election night headquarters, 3 days and counting. Join us for special election night coverage live from the nasdaq market site in New York. Wolf Blitzer leads our election team as we cover every vote in every state all at once. That's election night right here on CNN.

Well picking apart Osama bin Laden's latest message. What the new tape reveals about al Qaeda's leader and America's war on terror. We'll have a live report from Washington coming up next.

And still to come, a plane carrying Vice Presidential candidate John Edwards is forced to make an emergency landing. Find out what a camera battery had to do with it.

Plus, it's an event Boston never thought it would see. We'll show you how Red Sox fans celebrated their World Series victory.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Terrorism has re-emerged front and center in the presidential race following the release of a new message from Osama bin Laden. Intelligence officials believe the tape is authentic and was made recently.

CNN's Kathleen Koch joins us from Washington with more on what intelligence agencies are learning from that tape -- Kathleen.

KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Fredricka first off, analysts are looking for clues to where Osama bin Laden is, information on any threats to the United States. The tape is truly a treasure trove for analysts who have not seen and heard Osama bin Laden on tape for nearly 3 years.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KOCH (voice-over): Military and intelligence analysts across the government spent Saturday pouring over the tape, immediately apparent that Osama bin Laden does not look like a man who has been hiding out in a cave.

PHILIP SMUCKER, AUTHOR: He's coming out and saying, here look, I'm here. I have real demands. I am a player both politically and militarily and you have to deal with me.

KOCH: Also, evident, a new tone. Bin Laden trying to present himself as a political leader setting aside his usual religious terminology.

PETER BERGEN, CNN TERRORISM ANALYST: I don't think there's any warning in this videotape. In fact, bin Laden is less beligerent in this videotape than he's been in the past. He's almost offering some kind of truce with the American people providing American foreign policy changes.

KOCH: Still, a cautionary government bulletin went out Friday evening to federal, state and local law enforcement officials. Quote, "We remain concerned about al Qaeda's interest in attacking the American homeland and we cannot discount the possibility that the video also may be intended to promote violence or serve as a signal for an attack."

The tape marks the first time Osama bin Laden has claimed responsibility for the 9/11 attacks. One Middle East expert says that could have a huge impact on those in the Muslim world who believe the conspiracy theory that the attacks have been staged by the U.S. and Israel to create an excuse to invade Arab countries.

MAMOUN FANDY, INSITUTE FOR PUBLIC POLICY: So in that sense, it will create more allies for the United States. It will create also a general sense of guilt amongst the many Muslims who believed that the Americans did it to themselves. All of this would really change the whole attitudes. It will affect the hearts and minds of Muslims tremendously.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KOCH: It's important to note that Osama bin Laden spoke on this tape for nearly 15 minutes, but only just over five minutes of that tape has been released. And federal officials who have heard it in its entirety aren't saying what the rest of it contains, good or bad -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right. Kathleen koch, thanks so much from Washington.

Well patience may be a virtue, but it's now become a requirement for some who want to make their voices heard in this presidential election. Why early voting isn't as convenient as it sounds.

And up next, capturing the youth vote. Why some voters may be suffering from an identity crisis.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Now for a quick check of other political headlines today. Some scary moments for Democratic vice presidential candidate John Edwards. Last night, his campaign plane made an emergency landing in Raleigh, North Carlina after an exploding camera battery started a small fire. The battery was part of an ABC News crew's equipment. No injuries were reported.

In the battle for ballots, Hawaii is getting some serious attention from the presidential campaigns. Vice President Dick Cheney is scheduled to visit Honolulu tomorrow. Former Vice President Al Gore rallied Democrats in Hawaii last night.

A Georgia voter is under arrest, accused of disorderly conduct at the polls. Police arrested Kevin Dodds for wearing a John Kerry T- shirt and a President Bush mask to a county election office in Gainesville, Georgia. It's against Georgia law to campaign outside a polling place. Police say Dodds's wife came to vote early with the child dressed in a Kerry T-shirt. She was asked to turn the infant's shirt inside out. But she refused and left. Dodds came to the polling place in his costume, a little bit later.

Well, young voters are expected to have a big impact in Tuesday's election. But there's a twist, many 20-somethings could live in one state but vote in another. Even those all-important battleground states included. "New York Times" writer Jennifer Lee joins us live to talk how this is possible. Good to see you, Jennifer.

JENNIFER LEE, NEW YORK TIMES: Hi. WHITFIELD: Well, it's encouraging to know an awful lot of young voters, perhaps it's going to be one of the large largest numbers on record, are coming out to vote. But you write about the ambiguity of the states if they are declaring to be residents. How is this confusion taking place?

LEE: Well, actually, what you'll find is that there air lot of people who are students who can actually live in one place, may have a driver's license from another place, may have a cell phone from yet another third state and they vote in any one of those three places. So, my favorite example is a girl at the University of Southern California who has a driver's license from California, has a New York City cell phone number, but is voting in Florida, even though she's never lived in Florida.

WHITFIELD: I thought the rule was you declare residency where your driver's license is declared.

LEE: No, it's not -- actually, that's not true. The residency is defined sort of on a state by state locality by locality level. And so what gives you sort of the definition of driver's license residency may be different from voter eligibility. So like a great example is, actually, the state of California allows you to put out of state addresses on your California driver's license, which I think is really interesting.

WHITFIELD: So, are you finding from a lot of the young people you interviewed for your articles, that there is some real strategy behind this? That they are paying attention to what the battleground states are. And how much more powerful their vote might be depending on the state they choose?

LEE: Oh, completely. Completely. These people are, for a long time, political strategists have always paid attention to the battleground states and electoral college. And now you see that same kind of savviness among 22-year-olds or 25-year-olds. I may live in Texas, but actually my vote in Florida or Pennsylvania or Michigan counts 4 times as much. So, I'm going to register where my parents live, even though I haven't lived in Pennsylvania in the last -- since college.

WHITFIELD: When did they become so savvy when there was so much criticism and worry that a number of the young people were very complacent about the importance of this election and others?

LEE: I think, everyone has become more savvy about the importance of the electoral college after the 2000 election. Because, to a certain extent, you had four or five states that were decided within 7,000 or 8,000 vote margins. I mean, you had 366 votes in New Mexico in 2000, you had 4,144 votes in, I think, Iowa. And then you had in other states, such as, in addition to Florida, you had other states that are -- Wisconsin was 5,700 and some votes as well.

So everyone in those states can see that their votes really count. That if you come out to vote, you as an individual can actually have an impact. Whereas people who live in solidly blue or solidly red states don't feel their votes count as much.

And so, you have lots of students thinking very strategically. And people going on college campuses in battleground states, a couple of weeks ago specifically trying to reach students and telling them to register locally as opposed to far away.

WHITFIELD: OK. Jennifer Lee with the "New york Times," thanks so much.

LEE: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: Well, the nation's oldest civil rights organization is apparently under investigation. Find out why the IRS is going after the NAACP and why are some are questioning the timing of this probe.

And the fate of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. We'll get a report from Paris.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Here's what's happening now in the news. A new government bulletin concludes with the high degree of confidence, that Osama bin Laden's recent videotaped message is authentic. The bulletin also says there's no information about a specific threat.

Coming up in the next few minutes, we'll talk with a terrorism expert about bin Laden's latest message.

The bin Laden tape will not force the terror alert level to rise, that's the word from Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge. He spoke to reporters just a short time ago. Ridge told Americans, while the tape is new, the threat is not, and they should feel safe voting on Tuesday.

A deadly day for U.S. Marines in Iraq. A military spokesman says at least eight marines were killed and nine wounded in the al Anbar province. The marines were involved in security operations trying to crack down on insurgent strongholds.

A claim of responsibility for a deadly explosion in Baghdad. The blast happened near the offices of the al Arabiya television network killing at least five people. An Islamic Web site published a statement from an Iraqi militant group called the 20th Brigade. The group said the Arab language network was the target of the attack.

Palestinian leader Yassir Arafat has overcome countless political challenges, but now it's a question of whether he can survive physically. Arafat is undergoing a battery of tests at a Paris hospital. While it's still unclear what he's suffering from, there's concern Arafat may not be mentally fit to remain in power. CNN's Paula Hancocks reports from Paris.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The Palestinian leader Yassir Arafat is spending a second day here at the Percy military hospital in southwest Paris. French doctors have been carrying out tests on him trying to find out what the mystery illness is that has kept him very ill over the last two weeks or more. Leila Shahid, the Palestinian delegate for France was briefing journalists earlier on this Saturday afternoon and she said that the Palestinian leader was feeling genuinely better than yesterday.

LEILA SHAHID, PLO REPRESENTATIVE: What I can tell you is that the doctors exclude from already what he has done in terms of exams, any possibility of leukemia. I repeat, the doctors exclude for the time being any possibility of leukemia.

HANCOCKS: This was the second day that Leila Shahid had given a daily briefing. She said that Yassir Arafat was better both physically and psychologically. She said that he had a good night to rest last night and spoke to his daughter on the phone this morning. It could be some days, though, before we have a official diagnosis of what is wrong with Yassir Arafat, the chief medic saying he needs a few more days to make his decision. Paula Hancocks, CNN, Paris.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

WHITFIELD: Concerns and uncertainty also mounting at home today after the release of a new tape from Osama bin Laden. U.S. officials warned that al Qaeda could ratchet up its campaign of terrorism just before the election. Is this bin Laden's intention? Joining us from Washington is terrorism expert Michael Swetnam. Good to see you.

MICHAEL SWETNAM, TERRORISM EXPERT: Thank you very much for having me on today.

WHITFIELD: Well, the last time the world seemed to see on tape Osama bin Laden, he looked weak. He didn't seem healthy. There were people who said it looked as though he may have been ill. How did he to you look this time?

SWETNAM: Actually, he looked very healthy. A little thinner in some ways, but, in fact, much healthier than last time we saw him. Clearly he hasn't been living in a cold, dark, wet cave somewhere. He's been receiving medical attention, obviously, and he's been eating well. So this is a bin Laden who is putting on an image of a thoughtful, well-dressed in the Arab world, well-dressed leader, trying to make a political point about our election.

WHITFIELD: That's the look of him physically, then. How do we dissect the words. Did you feel like his words directly were timed with this presidential election to perhaps influence it or was this also his way of letting his supporters know that he is fine, he's doing well, he's still in power and in charge?

SWETNAM: Well, it's both of those and something else as well. Remember, this is a war of terror and terror is all about keeping us afraid. If they are unable to perpetrate another event or two, and there haven't been any major events in the United States since 9/11, or that at least they need to get on the air waves and threaten events. So it served that purpose. But it also served the purpose, as you mentioned, of revving up his troops around the world who have not seen him on TV in over a year. So it's important they know he's still alive. But clearly, this tape was designed more than anything else to talk to the American people to help turn our election. He wants to be seen as a world political leader.

WHITFIELD: It almost seems as though the person getting the publicity as a terror mastermind has been abu Musab al Zarqawi and perhaps some are feeling like bin Laden felt like it was time for him to step up because he has not gotten the kind of publicity that Zarqawi has and that perhaps this was another indicator to his followers that he is still the one in charge, at least of al Qaeda.

SWETNAM: I think that's correct. In fact, there has been some speculation that Zarqawi mentioned on his Web site a little over a week ago, that he had allegiance to al Qaeda. Many have postulated that was an effective pressure from al Qaeda -- putting pressure on Zarqawi to declare allegiance, that he had been a little too public, that his name had been out in the leadership role too much because of his central fight in Iraq. So, clearly, the boss, if you will, the godfather, bin Laden, is stepping forward and letting the troops know that he is in charge. He's the number one leader. And as I said a minute ago, he wants the world to know he can have an effect on something like the U.S. election.

WHITFIELD: Terrorism expert Michael Swetnam, thanks so much, from Washington.

SWETNAM: Thank you. Appreciate it.

WHITFIELD: The upcoming presidential election -- questions about the voting machines now. Concerns about having enough poll workers. Next, we'll talk about why these issues are important, especially in battleground states like Ohio.

And are you having trouble remembering things? You wouldn't be alone. Increasing your memory. We'll talk about it a bit later.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Millions of Americans have already cast their ballots for president. Many states allowed early voting this year in an effort to head off some of the problems we saw in the 2000 election. Well, voters jumped at the opportunity. CNN's Denise Belgrave has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DENISE BELGRAVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For some, the wait was just too much.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I wish she could. I really wish she could.

BELGRAVE: The story on early voting includes long lines and patient citizens. Gracie Culpeper(ph) still has a positive attitude after spending two hours in line with another three to go. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If they are going to stand here, it has to be something important because it's a lot of effort to do this. But it's worth it. I mean, it's for our country.

BELGRAVE: It's a common perception that in this election the fate of the nation is at stake and it's bringing out thousands of voters who otherwise might not participate.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I've been registered since 1994, and this is my first time voting, and I feel it's very important we do it.

BELGRAVE: Counties in at least 20 states are reporting sharp increases in early voting and absentee ballots. This hotly contested presidential election is definitely having an impact, but Georgia's Secretary of State Cathy Cox says early voting would have been popular anyway.

CATHY COX, GEORGIA SECRETARY OF STATE: I think early voting is here to stay. It's just a recognition of the busy life we all lead. There's so many things in our modern day world that make it difficult to get to a polling place within a narrow 12-hour window.

BELGRAVE: More opportunities to cast a vote should help ease that burden. But this year's massive early voter turnout made for some tough choices.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There was a lot of people in line that were debating going to work, coming back and so forth. So a lot of them decided to stay and wait out, stay to vote instead of trying to go to work or whatever. So hopefully the bosses are understanding.

BELGRAVE (on camera): Long, long lines, technical difficulties, bad weather and Americans are still turning out in record numbers for early voting. If the numbers at this Georgia polling station are any indication, Tuesday's general election could be one for the record books. Denise Belgrave, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

WHITFIELD: Along with early voting comes reports of voting troubles at the polls and distrust of the new electronic voting machines. Joining us to talk about them is Edward Foley, law professor at Ohio State University. He joins us live from Columbus, Ohio. Good to see you, professor.

EDWARD FOLEY, OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY: Good afternoon. Good to be here.

WHITFIELD: Well, this was supposed to be the year that restored some trust and faith in the election process. What happened? Why so much distrust?

FOLEY: Well, you are right. Congress tried to fix the problems that occurred from four years ago. The problem, however, was that Congress wrote an ambiguous law, a law that was a compromise between two competing values but the ambiguity has resulted in dispute over what it means.

WHITFIELD: So let's break down what some of the problems are. Apparently there are reports that there aren't going to be enough poll workers at many of these precincts across the country. Why not?

FOLEY: Well, that's right. There hasn't been enough money for poll worker training. One of the things Congress didn't do was to set aside the kind of money that we need to implement a good electoral system around the country.

WHITFIELD: Is that why in part about 1,000 federal monitors have been sent out to what are believed to be some targeted trouble areas? However, the federal government isn't saying what those troubled areas are.

FOLEY: Yes. We do expect some potential difficulties, unfortunately, at polling places around the country. I hope there won't be too many problems, but the long lines, the insufficient number of workers, and the possibility of challenges to voter eligibility at the polling places, all could lead to a difficult environment. And if I might add one further thing, many states, including Ohio, but Minnesota and other states that are considered important battleground states have laws that prohibit the media like CNN and other networks, from watching what occurs at polling places. Of course, we don't want any media inside the voting booth. Obviously, behind the curtain, every voter should have a secret ballot. But I think this year, it's important that news media should be allowed to observe the polling place itself to see how the new law that Congress enacted is implemented.

WHITFIELD: But that isn't so unusual because in years past, the cameras have not been allowed in there, really for fear of some voters feeling intimidated or that their votes might be recorded.

FOLEY: Well, that's understandable, there are balancing of competing considerations. But I think this year with the possibility of these challenges to voter eligibility on the one hand, and then this new kind of ballot, called a provisional ballot, which Congress enacted in this new law, we're not quite sure how that's going to work. It means that I think people are going to want to know how the process is operating this year.

WHITFIELD: Do you see the provisional balloting bringing about potential problems just like the electronic balloting? Do you see one promoting more problems than the other?

FOLEY: Well, I think fortunately in of the issues involving the machines have been settled. For example, there are the punch card machines we saw such problems with four years ago. We now know how to count them if there's a question about a hanging chad or dimpled chad. We know what to do in that situation. I do think, unfortunately, this new provisional ballot is the place where there are more likely going to be problems. Of course, we hope there won't be problems at all and we hope that the vote count produces a clear winner that means that fighting over provisional ballots won't be useful at all. But because of the ambiguity, there could be questions about how to determine whether a provisional ballot actually counts as a vote.

WHITFIELD: Law professor Edward Foley of Ohio State University, thanks so much.

FOLEY: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: Remember CNN is your election night headquarters. We're only three days away. Join us for special election night coverage live from the NASDAQ market site in New York. We're covering every vote in every state all at once. Watch election night right here on CNN.

Well, one of the nation's largest civil rights groups is taking on the IRS. The NAACP is under investigation for possible abuse of its tax-exempt status. Presidential candidate John Kerry is questioning the probe's timing. CNN's Tom Foreman has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): John Kerry is calling for an investigation into the IRS investigation of the NAACP. The tax-free status of the civil rights group is under IRS review as a result of Chairman Julian Bond's speech at their convention this summer. In that speech, he supported Kerry and said Republicans have "appealed to the dark underside of American culture." "They operate a perpetual motion attack machine and squeal like stuck pigs if you answer back." If you don't vote, you'll be letting the bad guys win.

JULIAN BOND, NAACP CHAIRMAN: We're allowed to educate people, to tell them what we stand for, what we believe in.

FOREMAN: You don't think calling them the bad guys is tilting the table.

BOND: I didn't mention President Bush or Vice President Cheney's name in that sentence. No, I don't think so at all.

FOREMAN: The IRS won't talk about this investigation. However, twice this year, it warned tax-free charities, including the NAACP, they "cannot become involved in any activities that may be beneficial or detrimental to any candidate." Because that in effect forces taxpayers to pay for campaigns they may oppose.

JACK BURKMAN, REPUBLICAN ATTORNEY: The loser is the American taxpayer. You can't blame the IRS for enforcing the law. The IRS can enforce the law whenever it chooses.

FOREMAN: Other civil rights groups say the tax law should not muzzle activists.

NAN ARON, ALLIANCE FOR JUSTICE: Organizations that address policy issues, they must be able to. And, in fact, the law allows them to continue to speak out during an election year.

FOREMAN (on camera): The IRS has pursued other charities for similar actions. Nonetheless, African American leaders, including some congressmen are accusing the agency of timing this investigation.

(voice-over) They say it is designed to distract black voters as the election looms. But the NAACP was given notice of this investigation three weeks ago and is only now going public. Tom Foreman, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

WHITFIELD: While the IRS won't comment on the investigation, it did say in a statement that it has reviewed more than 100 tax exempt organizations this year and is not singling out the NAACP.

We all forget things from time to time, don't we? Especially as we get older. Not to worry. There are things we can do to increase our memory. We'll talk about that coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: A little over an hour from now, CNN LIVE SATURDAY with Carol Lin. What's on tap?

CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: Well, I'm going to be talk with a man who just spent some time with Yassir Arafat and maybe can give us a better idea on his health and condition and his mental state. It should be interesting. And at 10 o'clock tonight on our primetime show I'm going to be talking with Peter Bergen, our terrorism expert. He has some really serious questions about U.S. military intelligence in this Osama bin Laden tape. Did they miss their chance to get him just a few years ago. And I'm going to be talking to Ru Paul.

WHITFIELD: Oh my gosh. Where has Ru Paul been?

LIN: Making a CD apparently. So we'll talk to him about that.

WHITFIELD: OK. That should be fun. All right. Thanks a lot, Carol.

Well, doctors say, remembering and forgetting are normal parts of everyday life. Don't feel bad about the forgetting part. They also say memory loss doesn't have to be an inevitable part of the aging process. And there are things you can do to keep your memory sharp. Dr. Bill Lloyd of the University of California at Davis Medical Center. Hello, with your pumpkin. Happy Halloween. Joins us from Sacramento to talk about memory loss. So what's with the pumpkin?

DR. BILL LLOYD, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA: Happy Halloween, Fredricka. The little jack-o'-lantern is going to serve as a reminder about healthy adults and their memory. I have got a special Halloween memory quiz for you. I'm going to put four things inside this pumpkin. Don't write anything down. A Halloween witch in there. Next, a spoon. We'll follow it up with a pair of scissors and, finally, a light bulb. Let's see how many of these you can remember in order in just a few minutes.

WHITFIELD: Oh, no because my memory does stink and I don't know what my problem is. Let's talk about why a lot of folks think that memory loss is something strictly associated with aging. You say it's not. It really can happen to all of us. Why?

LLOYD: Well, forgetfulness is simply a nuisance in everyday life of healthy adults. It's not a sign that you are losing it. There's important things that happen throughout the day that can affect your ability to memorize things. And the first thing is fatigue. When you are tired and burnt out you don't remember things very well at all. Your general health is important. We know that adults with high blood pressure remember things poorer than people that don't have high blood pressure at the same age. A change in hormones. I'm not talking about estrogen, this time I'm talking about men. And when testosterone levels drop, the memory of men fails very quickly. Day- to-day stress can also jobble up your ability to remember things. Too much data. And finally, there is a variety of medications that can interfere with your ability to call things. This includes many popular prescription sleeping pills.

WHITFIELD: Interesting. Well, sometimes we can't get around the medication if your doctor prescribes it to you but maybe there are some other things we can do. I like the tape of the exercising. That always helps. But in what capacity? How do you choose the right activities to help boost your memory?

LLOYD: Well, physical activity is great for building physical strength. And mental activity can boost your brain power. So add some excitement to your life. Routine chores. Try them a different way. Become a gamer. Go for crossword puzzles, Scrabble, games that boost your memory or other activities that stretch your creative powers. Don't hesitate to learn new things. Perhaps a new language or maybe you are still trying to figure out how to get on the Internet. Dare to be different.

WHITFIELD: Or trying to figure out your VCR, or in this case, DVD.

LLOYD: Exactly. When you are around the house pick up a pen. Try to write with the opposite hand. It's a powerful way to improve brain activity. And finally, if you took a musical instrument as a child, go back to it, or even better, start a new instrument, learning new things is one of the best ways to strengthen your memory and keep your mind sharp throughout life. Now you almost allowed me to forget. Let's go back to that quiz now. What was the first thing that we stuffed inside the jack-o-lantern?

WHITFIELD: The witch doll.

LLOYD: It was the witch.

WHITFIELD: Okay.

LLOYD: And the next thing.

WHITFIELD: Scissor -- no, spoon.

LLOYD: A silver spoon, you're doing wonderful. Next up?

WHITFIELD: Scissors. LLOYD: The pair of scissors. And the finally, last memory test...

WHITFIELD: Was it a light bulb.

LLOYD: You had a great idea, and sure enough, it was a nice bright light bulb.

WHITFIELD: Don't ask me why I remember that stuff. Because, really, my memory is terrible, it's embarrassing.

LLOYD: Well, we teach us cues throughout the day to help us remember spot information like that. That's different than the kind of memory that we use to remember things that carry us throughout our life, like where were you born? What was your mother's maiden name?

WHITFIELD: And sometimes people need help remembering people's names as they are introduced to someone. Sometimes they need to associate it with something else or, you know, some kind of physical attribute. Is that still kind of the best advice on remembering people's names?

LLOYD: Let's see, if I can remember the four best ways to remember things. First, write it down. Second, establish a routine. Every time you go in the house, put the car keys in the exact same space. Also establish a variety of cues. You might put the car keys on an ironing board so that when you leave you remember the turn the iron off. And as you suggested, repetition, repetition, repetition Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right. I like that. I'm going to work on all these things because I need help. Dr. Bill Lloyd, thanks so much. And I love the prop. So apropos this holiday weekend.

LLOYD: Have a wonderful Halloween.

WHITFIELD: You, too. Happy Halloween.

Well, a huge victory parade in the streets of Boston. Something they'll never forget. Red Sox fans, hundreds of thousands of them celebrating victory with their world champs. That story coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: You are looking at the Red Sox Nation. And they all gathered in downtown Boston today to celebrate their team's first World Series win in 86 years. It's been a long time coming. The size of the crowd was estimated at more than 3 million people. In places fans were standing 25 deep. Well, the crowd was so huge that the original three-mile parade route was extended into the Charles River where team members rode amphibious duck tour boats to complete the parade. Whatever works.

And a reminder, tonight is the night to fall back and set your clocks back one hour. So one extra hour of sleep. Doesn't that sound good? Daylight saving time comes to an end on Sunday morning at 2:00 a.m. Eastern. You pay for it in the spring, so enjoy that extra hour of sleep tonight. Well that's all we have time for now. Stay with CNN. Up next on PEOPLE IN THE NEWS, profiles of First Lady Laura Bush and a woman who hopes to replace her in the White House, Teresa Heinz Kerry.

Then at 6 p.m. Eastern on CNN LIVE SATURDAY, rethinking punishment for criminals. How California may be having second thoughts about the so-called three strikes and you're out law.

And be sure to tune in for THE CAPITAL GANG special pre-Election Day coverage at 7 Eastern. They'll tackle all the hot issues of the day from final campaign strategies to the possible political effects of the new Osama bin Laden tape. Time now for a check of what's happening now.

Topping our news, Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge says the nation's terror alert level will remained unchanged despite a new video tape from Osama Bin Laden.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com


Aired October 30, 2004 - 16:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: All right. You are looking at an interview that was taped moments ago with the Terrorist Threat Integration Center Chief John Brennan, as well as Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge. Talking to reporters. Among those reporters, our own Jeanne Meserve.
We're now going to be joined live by Jeanne Meserve at the top now of CNN SATURDAY to talk more about what they are learning from the latest Osama bin Laden tape. It doesn't sound like an indication coming from Tom Ridge that they are willing, at this juncture, to raise the terror threat level, but, instead, they are still analyzing this tape most recently released by bin Laden, correct?

JEANNE MESERVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right. There's no raise in the threat level now.

I think what they were trying to do today is try to calm fears and reassure the public, because we've seen this Osama bin Laden tape. Also, the tape given to ABC News from Assam), the American, the person identified as Assam, the American. And also because they've been talking for months about the possibility that terrorists might try to disrupt the electoral process.

So, Secretary Ridge wanted to get out in front and tell the American public that right now there are no plans to raise the threat level, because there is no specific threat information in this latest tape from Osama bin Laden or the other one given to ABC News. However, they do reserve the right in the future to raise that threat level if they decide that is necessary.

Another thing I think the secretary wanted to get across to the public is that the country is safer now than it was a few months ago. He talked about a number of protective measures that have been taken by the federal government and in conjunction with state and local governments. He maintains that this makes us safer from the possibility of any attack. Of course, there are others who would say there are still gaps in that security. But He wanted to stress the fact that we're better off than we were.

To clarify one thing you heard in that press conference, the secretary seemed to imply there were some specific security measures being taken in response to this tape. I am told by other officials that taht is not the case. That was not his intention to relay that to the public. You will see some additional security in days to come, but that is security that has been planned for some time, because of this generalized concern about the election period.

You are right, Fredricka. The analysis of this tape is continuing. They are looking for any embedded messages that might be contained in Osama bin Laden's words, or perhaps even in the background, in which he is speaking in front of. They are trying to mesh this tape with other intelligence coming in at this point in time. And they are trying to clarify what linkage there might be between this tape and the one given to ABC News.

An interesting note, they said that the FBI is putting up excerpts of Assam, the American tape on their Web site asking for the public's help in identifying exactly who that individual may be. Back to you.

WHITFIELD: All right. Homeland security correspondent Jeanne Meserve, thanks so much.

Well, that recent Osama bin Laden tape hasn't stopped the presidential candidates from stumping like there's no tomorrow. John Kerry is in Des Moines, Iowa, reminding voters to reset their clocks for daylight savings time. And warning if Bush is re-elected, the nation's clock will be turned back 30 years. Our Frank Buckley is travel with Kerry's campaign -- Frank.

FARNK BUCKLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Thankfully, the sun hasn't gone down yet, because that would make the Iowa cold that much colder.

Senator Kerry just wrapped up his rally here in Des Moines, Iowa. Senator Kerry doing his best to try to rally the vote, rally his supporters in a state that was very close in 2000. Al Gore winning this state by only 4,100 votes. This time, both President Bush and Senator Kerry are fighting hard here in Iowa to try to win this state.

Now earlier, Senator Kerry was in Appleton, Wisconsin. And this final weekend of campaigning taking sort of a bitter tone after yesterday's release of that Osama bin Laden tape. The campaigns both accusing each other of trying to take political advantage. This morning, Senator Kerry tried to knock back that charge a bit saying that all Americans are united, as he did yesterday, against bin Laden and against terrorism. But he didn't back off of his criticism of President Bush in the war on terror.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: But I still understand, as you do, that we need the leadership of our troops and the strategies that make us safer. As I have said, for 2 years now, when Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda were cornered in the mountains of Tora Bora, it was wrong to outsource the job of capturing them to Afghan warlords who a week earlier were fighting against us instead of using the best trained troops in the world, who wanted to avenge America for what happened in New York and Pennsylvania and in Washington.

(END VIDEO CLIP) BUCKLEY: It was criticism of that kind immediately after the Osama bin Laden tape came out by Senator Kerry during an interview with a television station in Wisconsin that caused President Bush to say that that was shameful. Kerry aides pointing out that that language that Senator Kerry used is the same language he's been using for the past several months.

Meanwhile, right after that rally in Wisconsin, Senator Kerry visited a canvassing operation to try to excite the supporters who are going out to work for him this weekend. Of course, both campaigns have canvasers out all over the country this weekend doing their best to get out the vote. These political ground troops working hard in the final stretch here.

From here in Iowa, Senator Kerry is going on to Ohio. He'll also be in New Hampshire this weekend before returning to Florida -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: And Frank, you have to wonder if this tape is directly influencing Kerry's rhetoric over the next 3 days, or if he feels at this point that he's said enough and it's time to move on to talking about other issues so that he is not accused of further politicizing this tape.

BUCKLEY: Well, the Kerry campaign believes that the language that Senator Kerry is using will -- is the same language he has been using on this particular issue with regard to Osama bin Laden, this idea of outsourcing the operation in Tora Bora. Senator Kerry has been using this language for a number of months.

I'm told by Kerry campaign advisers that he'll continue to use this. He may not say it in every speech. For example, in this speech here, he didn't say the exact same thing. But that's the way he's been campaigning in the past as well, sometimes he uses that phrase, sometimes he doesn't.

And Kerry campaign officials say that they will continue to push on this effort. They believe that this, once again, gives voters a choice to see how Senator kerry would act as a commander in chief in the future.

WHITFIELD: All right. Frank Buckley, thanks so much.

Well, as Kerry moves on to the battleground state of Ohio, President Bush has set his sites on several important midwestern battleground states as well, today, including Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota. And the war on terrorism is at the front of his message.

Our John King brings us the latest on what's been a high-mileage day for the president.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN KING, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A five-state day to open the final weekend. Staple lines in the speech suddenly elevated by the re-emergence of Osama bin Laden. GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The terrorists who killed thousands of innocent people are still dangerous and determined to strike.

KING: Here in Wisconsin, and earlier in Michigan, no mention of the new bin Laden message. But Mr. Bush hit hard on his central campaign theme, that he is a proven war-time president, his opponent soft on security voting record and few convictions.

BUSH: My opponent's positions are kind of like the weather here in Green Bay. If you don't like it, wait a little bit, and it will change. Whether you agree with me or disagree with me, you know where I stand, you know what I believe and you know I'm going to lead.

KING: Vice President Cheney challenged Senator Kerry's assertion that bin Laden is at large because bush diverted resources from Afghanistan to Iraq. In Pennsylvania, Mr. Cheney says the commanding general at the time says Senator Kerry is wrong.

DICK CHENEY, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Given a choice between John Kerry and General Tommy Franks, I'll take General Franks any time.

KING: Bin Laden's re-emergence is a challenge for Mr. Bush, both as president and as a candidate in the final hours of a tough re- election contest.

BUSH: I ask for your trust, I ask for your vote, I ask for your help.

KING: National Security Adviser Rice joined the president for a morning secure video conference to discuss the tape. Homeland Security Secretary Ridge, CIA Director Goss, Attorney General Ashcroft and FBI Director Mueller among those participating.

Senior administration officials say initial analysis suggests the tape is more a political statement than a warning of new attacks. But that Mr. Bush convened the morning call to make sure all precautions were being taken.

(on camera): Senior Bush aides have voiced hope that the campaign in the end would boil down to a referendum on which candidate would be stronger leader in the war on terror. None, however, could have predicted that Osama bin Laden would add his menacing voice to that debate in such a dramatic fashion. John King, CNN, Grand Rapids, Michigan.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: And stay with CNN, your election night headquarters, 3 days and counting. Join us for special election night coverage live from the nasdaq market site in New York. Wolf Blitzer leads our election team as we cover every vote in every state all at once. That's election night right here on CNN.

Well picking apart Osama bin Laden's latest message. What the new tape reveals about al Qaeda's leader and America's war on terror. We'll have a live report from Washington coming up next.

And still to come, a plane carrying Vice Presidential candidate John Edwards is forced to make an emergency landing. Find out what a camera battery had to do with it.

Plus, it's an event Boston never thought it would see. We'll show you how Red Sox fans celebrated their World Series victory.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Terrorism has re-emerged front and center in the presidential race following the release of a new message from Osama bin Laden. Intelligence officials believe the tape is authentic and was made recently.

CNN's Kathleen Koch joins us from Washington with more on what intelligence agencies are learning from that tape -- Kathleen.

KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Fredricka first off, analysts are looking for clues to where Osama bin Laden is, information on any threats to the United States. The tape is truly a treasure trove for analysts who have not seen and heard Osama bin Laden on tape for nearly 3 years.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KOCH (voice-over): Military and intelligence analysts across the government spent Saturday pouring over the tape, immediately apparent that Osama bin Laden does not look like a man who has been hiding out in a cave.

PHILIP SMUCKER, AUTHOR: He's coming out and saying, here look, I'm here. I have real demands. I am a player both politically and militarily and you have to deal with me.

KOCH: Also, evident, a new tone. Bin Laden trying to present himself as a political leader setting aside his usual religious terminology.

PETER BERGEN, CNN TERRORISM ANALYST: I don't think there's any warning in this videotape. In fact, bin Laden is less beligerent in this videotape than he's been in the past. He's almost offering some kind of truce with the American people providing American foreign policy changes.

KOCH: Still, a cautionary government bulletin went out Friday evening to federal, state and local law enforcement officials. Quote, "We remain concerned about al Qaeda's interest in attacking the American homeland and we cannot discount the possibility that the video also may be intended to promote violence or serve as a signal for an attack."

The tape marks the first time Osama bin Laden has claimed responsibility for the 9/11 attacks. One Middle East expert says that could have a huge impact on those in the Muslim world who believe the conspiracy theory that the attacks have been staged by the U.S. and Israel to create an excuse to invade Arab countries.

MAMOUN FANDY, INSITUTE FOR PUBLIC POLICY: So in that sense, it will create more allies for the United States. It will create also a general sense of guilt amongst the many Muslims who believed that the Americans did it to themselves. All of this would really change the whole attitudes. It will affect the hearts and minds of Muslims tremendously.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KOCH: It's important to note that Osama bin Laden spoke on this tape for nearly 15 minutes, but only just over five minutes of that tape has been released. And federal officials who have heard it in its entirety aren't saying what the rest of it contains, good or bad -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right. Kathleen koch, thanks so much from Washington.

Well patience may be a virtue, but it's now become a requirement for some who want to make their voices heard in this presidential election. Why early voting isn't as convenient as it sounds.

And up next, capturing the youth vote. Why some voters may be suffering from an identity crisis.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Now for a quick check of other political headlines today. Some scary moments for Democratic vice presidential candidate John Edwards. Last night, his campaign plane made an emergency landing in Raleigh, North Carlina after an exploding camera battery started a small fire. The battery was part of an ABC News crew's equipment. No injuries were reported.

In the battle for ballots, Hawaii is getting some serious attention from the presidential campaigns. Vice President Dick Cheney is scheduled to visit Honolulu tomorrow. Former Vice President Al Gore rallied Democrats in Hawaii last night.

A Georgia voter is under arrest, accused of disorderly conduct at the polls. Police arrested Kevin Dodds for wearing a John Kerry T- shirt and a President Bush mask to a county election office in Gainesville, Georgia. It's against Georgia law to campaign outside a polling place. Police say Dodds's wife came to vote early with the child dressed in a Kerry T-shirt. She was asked to turn the infant's shirt inside out. But she refused and left. Dodds came to the polling place in his costume, a little bit later.

Well, young voters are expected to have a big impact in Tuesday's election. But there's a twist, many 20-somethings could live in one state but vote in another. Even those all-important battleground states included. "New York Times" writer Jennifer Lee joins us live to talk how this is possible. Good to see you, Jennifer.

JENNIFER LEE, NEW YORK TIMES: Hi. WHITFIELD: Well, it's encouraging to know an awful lot of young voters, perhaps it's going to be one of the large largest numbers on record, are coming out to vote. But you write about the ambiguity of the states if they are declaring to be residents. How is this confusion taking place?

LEE: Well, actually, what you'll find is that there air lot of people who are students who can actually live in one place, may have a driver's license from another place, may have a cell phone from yet another third state and they vote in any one of those three places. So, my favorite example is a girl at the University of Southern California who has a driver's license from California, has a New York City cell phone number, but is voting in Florida, even though she's never lived in Florida.

WHITFIELD: I thought the rule was you declare residency where your driver's license is declared.

LEE: No, it's not -- actually, that's not true. The residency is defined sort of on a state by state locality by locality level. And so what gives you sort of the definition of driver's license residency may be different from voter eligibility. So like a great example is, actually, the state of California allows you to put out of state addresses on your California driver's license, which I think is really interesting.

WHITFIELD: So, are you finding from a lot of the young people you interviewed for your articles, that there is some real strategy behind this? That they are paying attention to what the battleground states are. And how much more powerful their vote might be depending on the state they choose?

LEE: Oh, completely. Completely. These people are, for a long time, political strategists have always paid attention to the battleground states and electoral college. And now you see that same kind of savviness among 22-year-olds or 25-year-olds. I may live in Texas, but actually my vote in Florida or Pennsylvania or Michigan counts 4 times as much. So, I'm going to register where my parents live, even though I haven't lived in Pennsylvania in the last -- since college.

WHITFIELD: When did they become so savvy when there was so much criticism and worry that a number of the young people were very complacent about the importance of this election and others?

LEE: I think, everyone has become more savvy about the importance of the electoral college after the 2000 election. Because, to a certain extent, you had four or five states that were decided within 7,000 or 8,000 vote margins. I mean, you had 366 votes in New Mexico in 2000, you had 4,144 votes in, I think, Iowa. And then you had in other states, such as, in addition to Florida, you had other states that are -- Wisconsin was 5,700 and some votes as well.

So everyone in those states can see that their votes really count. That if you come out to vote, you as an individual can actually have an impact. Whereas people who live in solidly blue or solidly red states don't feel their votes count as much.

And so, you have lots of students thinking very strategically. And people going on college campuses in battleground states, a couple of weeks ago specifically trying to reach students and telling them to register locally as opposed to far away.

WHITFIELD: OK. Jennifer Lee with the "New york Times," thanks so much.

LEE: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: Well, the nation's oldest civil rights organization is apparently under investigation. Find out why the IRS is going after the NAACP and why are some are questioning the timing of this probe.

And the fate of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. We'll get a report from Paris.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Here's what's happening now in the news. A new government bulletin concludes with the high degree of confidence, that Osama bin Laden's recent videotaped message is authentic. The bulletin also says there's no information about a specific threat.

Coming up in the next few minutes, we'll talk with a terrorism expert about bin Laden's latest message.

The bin Laden tape will not force the terror alert level to rise, that's the word from Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge. He spoke to reporters just a short time ago. Ridge told Americans, while the tape is new, the threat is not, and they should feel safe voting on Tuesday.

A deadly day for U.S. Marines in Iraq. A military spokesman says at least eight marines were killed and nine wounded in the al Anbar province. The marines were involved in security operations trying to crack down on insurgent strongholds.

A claim of responsibility for a deadly explosion in Baghdad. The blast happened near the offices of the al Arabiya television network killing at least five people. An Islamic Web site published a statement from an Iraqi militant group called the 20th Brigade. The group said the Arab language network was the target of the attack.

Palestinian leader Yassir Arafat has overcome countless political challenges, but now it's a question of whether he can survive physically. Arafat is undergoing a battery of tests at a Paris hospital. While it's still unclear what he's suffering from, there's concern Arafat may not be mentally fit to remain in power. CNN's Paula Hancocks reports from Paris.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The Palestinian leader Yassir Arafat is spending a second day here at the Percy military hospital in southwest Paris. French doctors have been carrying out tests on him trying to find out what the mystery illness is that has kept him very ill over the last two weeks or more. Leila Shahid, the Palestinian delegate for France was briefing journalists earlier on this Saturday afternoon and she said that the Palestinian leader was feeling genuinely better than yesterday.

LEILA SHAHID, PLO REPRESENTATIVE: What I can tell you is that the doctors exclude from already what he has done in terms of exams, any possibility of leukemia. I repeat, the doctors exclude for the time being any possibility of leukemia.

HANCOCKS: This was the second day that Leila Shahid had given a daily briefing. She said that Yassir Arafat was better both physically and psychologically. She said that he had a good night to rest last night and spoke to his daughter on the phone this morning. It could be some days, though, before we have a official diagnosis of what is wrong with Yassir Arafat, the chief medic saying he needs a few more days to make his decision. Paula Hancocks, CNN, Paris.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

WHITFIELD: Concerns and uncertainty also mounting at home today after the release of a new tape from Osama bin Laden. U.S. officials warned that al Qaeda could ratchet up its campaign of terrorism just before the election. Is this bin Laden's intention? Joining us from Washington is terrorism expert Michael Swetnam. Good to see you.

MICHAEL SWETNAM, TERRORISM EXPERT: Thank you very much for having me on today.

WHITFIELD: Well, the last time the world seemed to see on tape Osama bin Laden, he looked weak. He didn't seem healthy. There were people who said it looked as though he may have been ill. How did he to you look this time?

SWETNAM: Actually, he looked very healthy. A little thinner in some ways, but, in fact, much healthier than last time we saw him. Clearly he hasn't been living in a cold, dark, wet cave somewhere. He's been receiving medical attention, obviously, and he's been eating well. So this is a bin Laden who is putting on an image of a thoughtful, well-dressed in the Arab world, well-dressed leader, trying to make a political point about our election.

WHITFIELD: That's the look of him physically, then. How do we dissect the words. Did you feel like his words directly were timed with this presidential election to perhaps influence it or was this also his way of letting his supporters know that he is fine, he's doing well, he's still in power and in charge?

SWETNAM: Well, it's both of those and something else as well. Remember, this is a war of terror and terror is all about keeping us afraid. If they are unable to perpetrate another event or two, and there haven't been any major events in the United States since 9/11, or that at least they need to get on the air waves and threaten events. So it served that purpose. But it also served the purpose, as you mentioned, of revving up his troops around the world who have not seen him on TV in over a year. So it's important they know he's still alive. But clearly, this tape was designed more than anything else to talk to the American people to help turn our election. He wants to be seen as a world political leader.

WHITFIELD: It almost seems as though the person getting the publicity as a terror mastermind has been abu Musab al Zarqawi and perhaps some are feeling like bin Laden felt like it was time for him to step up because he has not gotten the kind of publicity that Zarqawi has and that perhaps this was another indicator to his followers that he is still the one in charge, at least of al Qaeda.

SWETNAM: I think that's correct. In fact, there has been some speculation that Zarqawi mentioned on his Web site a little over a week ago, that he had allegiance to al Qaeda. Many have postulated that was an effective pressure from al Qaeda -- putting pressure on Zarqawi to declare allegiance, that he had been a little too public, that his name had been out in the leadership role too much because of his central fight in Iraq. So, clearly, the boss, if you will, the godfather, bin Laden, is stepping forward and letting the troops know that he is in charge. He's the number one leader. And as I said a minute ago, he wants the world to know he can have an effect on something like the U.S. election.

WHITFIELD: Terrorism expert Michael Swetnam, thanks so much, from Washington.

SWETNAM: Thank you. Appreciate it.

WHITFIELD: The upcoming presidential election -- questions about the voting machines now. Concerns about having enough poll workers. Next, we'll talk about why these issues are important, especially in battleground states like Ohio.

And are you having trouble remembering things? You wouldn't be alone. Increasing your memory. We'll talk about it a bit later.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Millions of Americans have already cast their ballots for president. Many states allowed early voting this year in an effort to head off some of the problems we saw in the 2000 election. Well, voters jumped at the opportunity. CNN's Denise Belgrave has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DENISE BELGRAVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For some, the wait was just too much.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I wish she could. I really wish she could.

BELGRAVE: The story on early voting includes long lines and patient citizens. Gracie Culpeper(ph) still has a positive attitude after spending two hours in line with another three to go. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If they are going to stand here, it has to be something important because it's a lot of effort to do this. But it's worth it. I mean, it's for our country.

BELGRAVE: It's a common perception that in this election the fate of the nation is at stake and it's bringing out thousands of voters who otherwise might not participate.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I've been registered since 1994, and this is my first time voting, and I feel it's very important we do it.

BELGRAVE: Counties in at least 20 states are reporting sharp increases in early voting and absentee ballots. This hotly contested presidential election is definitely having an impact, but Georgia's Secretary of State Cathy Cox says early voting would have been popular anyway.

CATHY COX, GEORGIA SECRETARY OF STATE: I think early voting is here to stay. It's just a recognition of the busy life we all lead. There's so many things in our modern day world that make it difficult to get to a polling place within a narrow 12-hour window.

BELGRAVE: More opportunities to cast a vote should help ease that burden. But this year's massive early voter turnout made for some tough choices.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There was a lot of people in line that were debating going to work, coming back and so forth. So a lot of them decided to stay and wait out, stay to vote instead of trying to go to work or whatever. So hopefully the bosses are understanding.

BELGRAVE (on camera): Long, long lines, technical difficulties, bad weather and Americans are still turning out in record numbers for early voting. If the numbers at this Georgia polling station are any indication, Tuesday's general election could be one for the record books. Denise Belgrave, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

WHITFIELD: Along with early voting comes reports of voting troubles at the polls and distrust of the new electronic voting machines. Joining us to talk about them is Edward Foley, law professor at Ohio State University. He joins us live from Columbus, Ohio. Good to see you, professor.

EDWARD FOLEY, OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY: Good afternoon. Good to be here.

WHITFIELD: Well, this was supposed to be the year that restored some trust and faith in the election process. What happened? Why so much distrust?

FOLEY: Well, you are right. Congress tried to fix the problems that occurred from four years ago. The problem, however, was that Congress wrote an ambiguous law, a law that was a compromise between two competing values but the ambiguity has resulted in dispute over what it means.

WHITFIELD: So let's break down what some of the problems are. Apparently there are reports that there aren't going to be enough poll workers at many of these precincts across the country. Why not?

FOLEY: Well, that's right. There hasn't been enough money for poll worker training. One of the things Congress didn't do was to set aside the kind of money that we need to implement a good electoral system around the country.

WHITFIELD: Is that why in part about 1,000 federal monitors have been sent out to what are believed to be some targeted trouble areas? However, the federal government isn't saying what those troubled areas are.

FOLEY: Yes. We do expect some potential difficulties, unfortunately, at polling places around the country. I hope there won't be too many problems, but the long lines, the insufficient number of workers, and the possibility of challenges to voter eligibility at the polling places, all could lead to a difficult environment. And if I might add one further thing, many states, including Ohio, but Minnesota and other states that are considered important battleground states have laws that prohibit the media like CNN and other networks, from watching what occurs at polling places. Of course, we don't want any media inside the voting booth. Obviously, behind the curtain, every voter should have a secret ballot. But I think this year, it's important that news media should be allowed to observe the polling place itself to see how the new law that Congress enacted is implemented.

WHITFIELD: But that isn't so unusual because in years past, the cameras have not been allowed in there, really for fear of some voters feeling intimidated or that their votes might be recorded.

FOLEY: Well, that's understandable, there are balancing of competing considerations. But I think this year with the possibility of these challenges to voter eligibility on the one hand, and then this new kind of ballot, called a provisional ballot, which Congress enacted in this new law, we're not quite sure how that's going to work. It means that I think people are going to want to know how the process is operating this year.

WHITFIELD: Do you see the provisional balloting bringing about potential problems just like the electronic balloting? Do you see one promoting more problems than the other?

FOLEY: Well, I think fortunately in of the issues involving the machines have been settled. For example, there are the punch card machines we saw such problems with four years ago. We now know how to count them if there's a question about a hanging chad or dimpled chad. We know what to do in that situation. I do think, unfortunately, this new provisional ballot is the place where there are more likely going to be problems. Of course, we hope there won't be problems at all and we hope that the vote count produces a clear winner that means that fighting over provisional ballots won't be useful at all. But because of the ambiguity, there could be questions about how to determine whether a provisional ballot actually counts as a vote.

WHITFIELD: Law professor Edward Foley of Ohio State University, thanks so much.

FOLEY: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: Remember CNN is your election night headquarters. We're only three days away. Join us for special election night coverage live from the NASDAQ market site in New York. We're covering every vote in every state all at once. Watch election night right here on CNN.

Well, one of the nation's largest civil rights groups is taking on the IRS. The NAACP is under investigation for possible abuse of its tax-exempt status. Presidential candidate John Kerry is questioning the probe's timing. CNN's Tom Foreman has the story.

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TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): John Kerry is calling for an investigation into the IRS investigation of the NAACP. The tax-free status of the civil rights group is under IRS review as a result of Chairman Julian Bond's speech at their convention this summer. In that speech, he supported Kerry and said Republicans have "appealed to the dark underside of American culture." "They operate a perpetual motion attack machine and squeal like stuck pigs if you answer back." If you don't vote, you'll be letting the bad guys win.

JULIAN BOND, NAACP CHAIRMAN: We're allowed to educate people, to tell them what we stand for, what we believe in.

FOREMAN: You don't think calling them the bad guys is tilting the table.

BOND: I didn't mention President Bush or Vice President Cheney's name in that sentence. No, I don't think so at all.

FOREMAN: The IRS won't talk about this investigation. However, twice this year, it warned tax-free charities, including the NAACP, they "cannot become involved in any activities that may be beneficial or detrimental to any candidate." Because that in effect forces taxpayers to pay for campaigns they may oppose.

JACK BURKMAN, REPUBLICAN ATTORNEY: The loser is the American taxpayer. You can't blame the IRS for enforcing the law. The IRS can enforce the law whenever it chooses.

FOREMAN: Other civil rights groups say the tax law should not muzzle activists.

NAN ARON, ALLIANCE FOR JUSTICE: Organizations that address policy issues, they must be able to. And, in fact, the law allows them to continue to speak out during an election year.

FOREMAN (on camera): The IRS has pursued other charities for similar actions. Nonetheless, African American leaders, including some congressmen are accusing the agency of timing this investigation.

(voice-over) They say it is designed to distract black voters as the election looms. But the NAACP was given notice of this investigation three weeks ago and is only now going public. Tom Foreman, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

WHITFIELD: While the IRS won't comment on the investigation, it did say in a statement that it has reviewed more than 100 tax exempt organizations this year and is not singling out the NAACP.

We all forget things from time to time, don't we? Especially as we get older. Not to worry. There are things we can do to increase our memory. We'll talk about that coming up next.

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WHITFIELD: A little over an hour from now, CNN LIVE SATURDAY with Carol Lin. What's on tap?

CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: Well, I'm going to be talk with a man who just spent some time with Yassir Arafat and maybe can give us a better idea on his health and condition and his mental state. It should be interesting. And at 10 o'clock tonight on our primetime show I'm going to be talking with Peter Bergen, our terrorism expert. He has some really serious questions about U.S. military intelligence in this Osama bin Laden tape. Did they miss their chance to get him just a few years ago. And I'm going to be talking to Ru Paul.

WHITFIELD: Oh my gosh. Where has Ru Paul been?

LIN: Making a CD apparently. So we'll talk to him about that.

WHITFIELD: OK. That should be fun. All right. Thanks a lot, Carol.

Well, doctors say, remembering and forgetting are normal parts of everyday life. Don't feel bad about the forgetting part. They also say memory loss doesn't have to be an inevitable part of the aging process. And there are things you can do to keep your memory sharp. Dr. Bill Lloyd of the University of California at Davis Medical Center. Hello, with your pumpkin. Happy Halloween. Joins us from Sacramento to talk about memory loss. So what's with the pumpkin?

DR. BILL LLOYD, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA: Happy Halloween, Fredricka. The little jack-o'-lantern is going to serve as a reminder about healthy adults and their memory. I have got a special Halloween memory quiz for you. I'm going to put four things inside this pumpkin. Don't write anything down. A Halloween witch in there. Next, a spoon. We'll follow it up with a pair of scissors and, finally, a light bulb. Let's see how many of these you can remember in order in just a few minutes.

WHITFIELD: Oh, no because my memory does stink and I don't know what my problem is. Let's talk about why a lot of folks think that memory loss is something strictly associated with aging. You say it's not. It really can happen to all of us. Why?

LLOYD: Well, forgetfulness is simply a nuisance in everyday life of healthy adults. It's not a sign that you are losing it. There's important things that happen throughout the day that can affect your ability to memorize things. And the first thing is fatigue. When you are tired and burnt out you don't remember things very well at all. Your general health is important. We know that adults with high blood pressure remember things poorer than people that don't have high blood pressure at the same age. A change in hormones. I'm not talking about estrogen, this time I'm talking about men. And when testosterone levels drop, the memory of men fails very quickly. Day- to-day stress can also jobble up your ability to remember things. Too much data. And finally, there is a variety of medications that can interfere with your ability to call things. This includes many popular prescription sleeping pills.

WHITFIELD: Interesting. Well, sometimes we can't get around the medication if your doctor prescribes it to you but maybe there are some other things we can do. I like the tape of the exercising. That always helps. But in what capacity? How do you choose the right activities to help boost your memory?

LLOYD: Well, physical activity is great for building physical strength. And mental activity can boost your brain power. So add some excitement to your life. Routine chores. Try them a different way. Become a gamer. Go for crossword puzzles, Scrabble, games that boost your memory or other activities that stretch your creative powers. Don't hesitate to learn new things. Perhaps a new language or maybe you are still trying to figure out how to get on the Internet. Dare to be different.

WHITFIELD: Or trying to figure out your VCR, or in this case, DVD.

LLOYD: Exactly. When you are around the house pick up a pen. Try to write with the opposite hand. It's a powerful way to improve brain activity. And finally, if you took a musical instrument as a child, go back to it, or even better, start a new instrument, learning new things is one of the best ways to strengthen your memory and keep your mind sharp throughout life. Now you almost allowed me to forget. Let's go back to that quiz now. What was the first thing that we stuffed inside the jack-o-lantern?

WHITFIELD: The witch doll.

LLOYD: It was the witch.

WHITFIELD: Okay.

LLOYD: And the next thing.

WHITFIELD: Scissor -- no, spoon.

LLOYD: A silver spoon, you're doing wonderful. Next up?

WHITFIELD: Scissors. LLOYD: The pair of scissors. And the finally, last memory test...

WHITFIELD: Was it a light bulb.

LLOYD: You had a great idea, and sure enough, it was a nice bright light bulb.

WHITFIELD: Don't ask me why I remember that stuff. Because, really, my memory is terrible, it's embarrassing.

LLOYD: Well, we teach us cues throughout the day to help us remember spot information like that. That's different than the kind of memory that we use to remember things that carry us throughout our life, like where were you born? What was your mother's maiden name?

WHITFIELD: And sometimes people need help remembering people's names as they are introduced to someone. Sometimes they need to associate it with something else or, you know, some kind of physical attribute. Is that still kind of the best advice on remembering people's names?

LLOYD: Let's see, if I can remember the four best ways to remember things. First, write it down. Second, establish a routine. Every time you go in the house, put the car keys in the exact same space. Also establish a variety of cues. You might put the car keys on an ironing board so that when you leave you remember the turn the iron off. And as you suggested, repetition, repetition, repetition Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right. I like that. I'm going to work on all these things because I need help. Dr. Bill Lloyd, thanks so much. And I love the prop. So apropos this holiday weekend.

LLOYD: Have a wonderful Halloween.

WHITFIELD: You, too. Happy Halloween.

Well, a huge victory parade in the streets of Boston. Something they'll never forget. Red Sox fans, hundreds of thousands of them celebrating victory with their world champs. That story coming up next.

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WHITFIELD: You are looking at the Red Sox Nation. And they all gathered in downtown Boston today to celebrate their team's first World Series win in 86 years. It's been a long time coming. The size of the crowd was estimated at more than 3 million people. In places fans were standing 25 deep. Well, the crowd was so huge that the original three-mile parade route was extended into the Charles River where team members rode amphibious duck tour boats to complete the parade. Whatever works.

And a reminder, tonight is the night to fall back and set your clocks back one hour. So one extra hour of sleep. Doesn't that sound good? Daylight saving time comes to an end on Sunday morning at 2:00 a.m. Eastern. You pay for it in the spring, so enjoy that extra hour of sleep tonight. Well that's all we have time for now. Stay with CNN. Up next on PEOPLE IN THE NEWS, profiles of First Lady Laura Bush and a woman who hopes to replace her in the White House, Teresa Heinz Kerry.

Then at 6 p.m. Eastern on CNN LIVE SATURDAY, rethinking punishment for criminals. How California may be having second thoughts about the so-called three strikes and you're out law.

And be sure to tune in for THE CAPITAL GANG special pre-Election Day coverage at 7 Eastern. They'll tackle all the hot issues of the day from final campaign strategies to the possible political effects of the new Osama bin Laden tape. Time now for a check of what's happening now.

Topping our news, Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge says the nation's terror alert level will remained unchanged despite a new video tape from Osama Bin Laden.

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