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American Morning

Legal Challenges; Interview With Marc Racicot; '90-Second Pop'

Aired November 01, 2004 - 07:30   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.


SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. Welcome, everybody. It's just about half past the hour on this AMERICAN MORNING. We're going to check in with the campaigns in just a few moments, get their reaction to the latest round of poll numbers. The president's campaign chairman, Marc Racicot, and a senior advisor to the Kerry campaign, General Wesley Clark, will be our guests.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Also this half-hour, "90-Second Pop" coming up today, locking in on a much needed moment of levity at the end of this very long campaign. Later tonight, "Saturday Night Live" and NBC is going to air a primetime special with the best spoofs on Bush and Kerry. Some new surprises in there, too. And if you look back at history, really, really funny stuff that they do over there.

O'BRIEN: It's hysterical. That should be great.

Before that, though, let's go look at the top stories this morning, Heidi Collins at the news desk.

Good morning.

HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning to you guys. And good morning to everybody.

"Now in the News" this morning, a suicide bombing leaves at least three people dead in Israel. The explosion takes place -- took place three hours ago at an open-air market in Tel Aviv. More than 30 others were injured in that blast. Palestinian sources say a militant group known as the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine has claimed responsibility for the attack.

The United Nations says it will not change its operations in Afghanistan despite threats from a group holding three U.N. election monitors hostage. The Arabic TV network, Al Jazeera, broadcast videotape of two women and one man pleading for their lives. The kidnappers are demanding the release of all prisoners in Afghanistan and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and want the U.N. to leave Afghanistan.

Delta Airlines could avoid bankruptcy. Its pilots union is set to vote today on a major contract proposal. Pilots would forfeit almost 33 percent of their salaries for a potential billion-dollars' worth of concessions. That vote, though, is expected to continue until next week.

And this just in now to CNN. Rescue workers in Alabama are trying desperately to get a hold of an 18-month-old baby who is stuck in a well. You see all of the people gathered there. A little boy fell down the 18-foot well last night in Frisco City. And officials say the child is still alive and doing well. We, of course, are going to have much more on this story just as soon as it becomes available to us. But you see all of the people there working very, very hard to get him out.

HEMMER: Shades of baby Jessica 15 years ago.

COLLINS: Yes, exactly.

HEMMER: It looks just like it. Heidi, thanks for that.

Back to the election now, huh? A day to go. Election monitors and representatives from both sides are now keeping a very close watch on Ohio. Many say the Buckeye State has the potential now to become the next Florida, of Florida 2004. From Canton, Ohio, this morning CNN Adora Udoji starts our coverage there live.

Good morning.

ADORA UDOJI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Bill.

I think it's telling that on this very last day of campaigning, both President Bush and Senator Kerry are making stops here through Ohio. Its 20 electoral votes possibly critical.

Now, this is a state that President Bush won in 2000, but it's going to be a tough race this time around.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UDOJI (voice over): Ohio perhaps the granddaddy of battleground states.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I'm asking for the vote, and I'm asking for your help.

UDOJI: No Republican has ever won the White House without it, and polls show the candidates in a dead heat.

SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Let's go out and get the job done.

UDOJI: Every vote counts, and this year they have 800,000 new voters to woo. Competition so intense lawsuits started weeks ago. In one, opponents attacking the right of each party to challenge a voter's eligibility at the polls. State Democrats charge Republicans are trying to intimidate traditionally Democratic African-American voters. Republicans accused Democrats of signing up illegitimate voters.

ED FOLEY, DIRECTOR, OSU ELECTIONS: It is unprecedented in the level of intensity and the level of litigiousness.

UDOJI: Then there is punch card ballots the majority will vote on, famous for igniting the Florida 2000 election controversy.

(on camera): When you hear things like Ohio is going to be the next Florida, you don't buy it?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Not a bit. There's many reasons why. Our system is different.

UDOJI (voice over): But it could come down to controversial provisional ballots, votes scrutinized post-election before they are counted.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

And already, Bill, this morning there has been a big decision out of a federal court, a federal judge ruling on that lawsuit, barring Democrats and Republicans from posting challengers at the polling stations tomorrow. But in this environment, that decision is very likely going to be appealed. And, if so, potentially could change again by the end of the day -- Bill.

HEMMER: We'll watch it. Thanks, Adora, live in Canton, Ohio, this morning -- Soledad.

O'BRIEN: The political stakes could not be higher, and the presidential race could not be closer, so says the final CNN/"USA Today"/Gallup pre-election poll.

Marc Racicot is the Bush campaign chairman. He joins us from Arlington, Virginia, to talk about that.

Nice to see you, sir. Let's begin with the numbers, shall we? If you look at likely voters, the approval rating for President Bush is somewhere around 51 percent, among all Americans it's 48 percent. Analysts, when they crunch these numbers, say that the president, of course, is walking a pretty fine line. For a guy who is calling himself the wartime president, why is he not doing better?

MARC RACICOT, BUSH CAMPAIGN CHAIRMAN: Well, I think, quite frankly, if you take a look at history, you'll find that these things are always tightly contested, particularly over the last 12 years. I mean, we haven't had a president in this country elected with more than 49 percent of the vote since 1988. And I think that reflects that people in this nation are very much engaged in the political life of the country.

These are perilous and difficult times. And there is a matrix of issues out there that makes it very difficult to see one candidate far ahead of another. So, I think this is right where we anticipated it would be from the very beginning.

O'BRIEN: Let's talk about some of the issues in Ohio. Senator Kerry is leading the polling there. Some say that if you don't win Ohio you're not going to win. Why isn't the president connecting with voters as strongly there considering he's had four years to do it?

RACICOT: Well, I think that we are. As a matter of fact, there's a poll out of the "Cleveland Plain Dealer" at the end of the week that puts him up 2 or 3 points. And so, the bottom line is Ohio has always been a hotly-contested state. There wasn't a huge distance between the candidates in 2000. You always have to prove your case to the good people of Ohio, and that's what we're doing.

O'BRIEN: Nine percent of voters say they could change their minds when they were polled. Conventional wisdom says that if an election is a referendum on the incumbent, people changing their minds would actually go for Senator Kerry. Do these numbers terrify you?

RACICOT: No, not anywhere close. We feel very, very good about the strong, steady leadership of the president. And when you compare that to the waffling, inconsistent proposals that are made by John Kerry, we believe at the end of the day these good rock-solid people in the state of Ohio will figure it out.

I mean, we don't take polls to figure out how it is that the president ought to address international or foreign affairs or the war on terror. I think the people of this country -- I think that's a metaphor for the entire Kerry campaign. Take a poll to figure out how you respond to the Osama bin Laden tape. At the end of the day, this president is principled and steady and strong. And I believe the good people of Ohio will recognize that in the end.

O'BRIEN: Well, let's talk a little bit about voter turnout. Some people are predicting record high numbers in this election. Doesn't that bode poorly for the president there? Again, if you go back to conventional wisdom and also some actual tangible signs shows that that would go in the direction of the challenger, Senator Kerry.

RACICOT: Well, we don't think so. We've been very aggressive in registering voters across the country. We've got 3.4 million new Republicans registered across the country. We've been very aggressive in Ohio.

We want more people to be involved in the life of this democracy. We think it's a triumph for the democracy to have more people involved. And we're working very hard to turn out our voters. So, it's not a surprise to us if there are significantly larger numbers of people who are involved in setting the direction of the nation.

O'BRIEN: A CNN/"USA Today"/Gallup poll on Iraq, 49 percent in this poll say that Senator Kerry could do a better job than President Bush. A week ago, the president was leading by 9 points. Now, Senator Kerry is leading by 2 points. A real reversal. How much damage do you think the issue of the missing explosives has done to your campaign?

RACICOT: Well, I think when the American people understand it all, it doesn't do any damage. I mean, that's one of the issues that I think has been the most dishonest by the Kerry campaign. That one and the issue that they have focused upon with Tora Bora and the outsourcing of the effort to secure Osama bin Laden, which is absolute nonsense. It's deceptive and it's shameful as the president has said.

On the one hand, it's deceptive because Senator Kerry was very much in favor of relying upon some advice and counsel from some members of our Afghan allies to provide counsel and direction in an area that's the size of Texas. We had our best, most elite forces there with the Delta Force, and we asked some of the locals about the directions and where we could go and some of the pitfalls that were there. They call that outsourcing. Kerry was very much in favor of that. He said so on national TV.

And, of course, he now controverts General Tommy Franks. And at the end of the day, Tommy Franks was on the ground. I think those kinds of things have been difficult filters for us to push our way through. But I believe that we are pushing our way through, and the American people will understand that that's a fraud. It doesn't matter how many times you say it, it doesn't make it any more true than the first time you said it.

O'BRIEN: It is certainly coming down to the wire, and the candidates are neck and neck. Marc Racicot joining us this morning. Nice to see you.

RACICOT: Thank you.

O'BRIEN: Thanks for your time -- Bill.

HEMMER: And both men, again, are traveling an awful lot today. Senator Kerry starts his day in Florida before heading off for Wisconsin, Michigan and Ohio, and then back to Wisconsin.

Candy Crowley is with the senator this morning.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CANDY CROWLEY, CNN SR. POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Time left is measured now in hours instead of days. And John Kerry marks the time with campaign laughs. The last Sunday, the fifth in a row at an African-American church.

KERRY: Through many dangers, toils and snares, I have already come. Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far, and grace will bring me home.

CROWLEY: The last trip to the first primary state of New Hampshire and maybe the last photo-op, a la Camelot; this one on the road between two church services in Ohio.

The campaign's biggest fears and fondest hopes are held within the itinerary. In the past week, Kerry has touched down in the 2000 Bush states of Ohio three times, Florida and New Hampshire both twice, Nevada. Fears are mapped out in the Gore states. Wisconsin and Iowa three times, Pennsylvania, New Mexico, Minnesota, Michigan.

Advisors say Kerry is concentrating on getting into the local news and specific areas with pockets of undecideds, not that they want to make news.

KERRY: On Tuesday, this election's in your hands. It's the most beautiful, it's the most powerful thing that happens on the face of this planet.

CROWLEY: With polls so close and time too short to correct mistakes, Kerry sticks to the script. Surprises are unwelcome. KERRY: I think it's unfortunate that anybody puts Osama bin Laden into any political context in the United States' election.

CROWLEY: Kerry's campaign says their polls show the impact of the bin Laden video favors Kerry.

These last hours are the most cautious time of all in this cautious campaign. It is, after all, the last chance to seal the deal.

KERRY: I pledge to you, I know what we need to do in Iraq and I know what we need to do to make the world safe.

CROWLEY (on camera): Monday, Kerry leaves Florida for Wisconsin, Michigan, and Ohio. There is nothing new to say now. This is that point in the election cycle where being there speaks volumes.

Candy Crowley, CNN, Tampa.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HEMMER: Candy, thanks for that.

CNN's election coverage begins Tuesday night at 7:00 Eastern Time live in Times Square from the Nasdaq Marketsite. And of course, we'll be here Wednesday morning for five hours, in fact. I'll let you know what happened from Tuesday night. And I'll also let you know if the fight still continues. So, it should be a huge week throughout the week here -- Soledad.

O'BRIEN: There's no question about that.

Let's get to this story. This just in to CNN out of Crystal City in Alabama. We told you about that 18-month-old baby that fell down an 18-foot well there. Well, the baby has been rescued. Some good news out of there.

They were able to lower a camera in to keep an eye on the baby during the rescue attempts. The reports were that the baby was alive and doing well. The baby has been pulled out on a stretcher. But there are some reports that the baby is OK. We're going to give you an update on that as we get more information, but really good news to be able to report this morning.

HEMMER: Indeed it is excellent news.

(WEATHER REPORT)

O'BRIEN: Still to come, the NFL and politics. Andy is going to tell us whether the president or Senator Kerry should be happy about yesterday's Redskins game?

HEMMER: Also, it seems Ashlee Simpson had one not but two issues on "SNL" last week. And the camera was there to capture it, too. "90-Second Pop" takes a shot at that, still to come this hour after this. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HOWARD DEAN, FMR. PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We're going to California and Texas and New York! We're going to South Dakota and Oregon and Washington and Michigan! And then we're going to Washington, D.C. to take back the White House! Yeowghhh!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HEMMER: That was back in January after the caucuses ended in Iowa. All throughout the week here, we're going to be looking back at really the moments that helped shape this election for campaign 2004. And that was one of them for Howard Dean.

How are you doing?

JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: I thought I was in a time warp there for a minute. You mean we have another nine months of this to go through?

One day before the election now, mercifully, the candidates are still accusing each other about who loses more as a result of that Osama bin Laden videotape that surfaced last week. William Sapphire (ph) in a "New York Times" op-ed suggests the tape shows that it's bin Laden himself who is the weakest link. Sapphire (ph) says -- quote -- "Generals do not call for a truce when they are winning" -- unquote.

On the eve of the election, the extent of the political fallout from the bin Laden tapes remains unknown. Here is the question: Did the Osama bin Laden change the way you view this election?

Pat in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: Osama bin Laden is today's boogeyman and represents a group of people who hate America for reasons we cannot understand. If OBL had any influence on my voting behavior that happened several years ago."

Randy in Lufkin, Texas: "Bin Laden is directly responsible for the deaths of 3,000 Americans. Saddam is not. Bin Laden is a free man. Saddam is not. Seeing him alive and well in a fresh video makes me furious and confirms that our mission is not accomplished."

Stanley in Tabernacle, New Jersey: "It won't affect the way I'll vote tomorrow. It wouldn't have affected anyone else's vote either if the media had not aired it. This is another time that not reporting something would have been in the public's interest."

Rich in the Bronx writes: "It's changed nothing but solidified everything I already felt. Bush is weak. Unfortunately, Kerry won't be any better. I'm willing to bet my money that Osama will die a free man."

And finally, Frank in Elkins Park, Pennsylvania: "Probably far more people are worried about the next Supreme Court nominees, education, our under-funded first responders and the environment than old what's his name."

Am@cnn.com.

HEMMER: Good reaction there. Keep them coming. Thank you, Jack -- Soledad.

O'BRIEN: So the Redskins lost yesterday. What does that have to do with the election and a market preview as well. Andy Serwer "Minding Your Business."

People look at that.

ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: That is a predictor.

O'BRIEN: It's an indicator, yes.

SERWER: Another predictor. We're going to talk about that.

Let's see what happened to the markets on Friday, Soledad. The winning streak continued on Wall Street. The Dow was up about 23 points here. In fact, almost 23 points, that's good enough. Futures this morning are looking mixed to up.

Now, let's talk about football, because, as Soledad mentioned, this great predictor, the Redskins game before the election, if the Redskins win, the incumbent or the incumbent party wins. Guess what? The Redskins lost. The Packers won. That means that it's good news for John Kerry, I guess. Mark Brunell getting picked off. You know W. did not like that play.

HEMMER: And the play before that he scored a touchdown.

SERWER: You know Karl Rove didn't like that play.

HEMMER: And it got called back.

SERWER: Yes, that's right.

(CROSSTALK)

O'BRIEN: It's an indication of how close the election is...

SERWER: Another indication, that's right.

O'BRIEN: ... if you're reading the lines.

CAFFERTY: Yes, but it's easy to score if you cheat on every play. You could make a touchdown on every play if you're allowed to cheat.

(CROSSTALK)

O'BRIEN: Then there is that.

SERWER: There was also another great game, the Patriots-Steelers game. We should talk about that, because... HEMMER: And you're a genius.

SERWER: Yes. Well, I tried three times in a row to call this thing.

HEMMER: You're a genius.

O'BRIEN: You're finally a genius.

SERWER: We finally got this thing right. You can see here. Yes, that's great. That's Foxico (ph) I believe doing that one.

Now let's look at how the standings are the anchor standings. Super Soledad, she's a mom, she's an anchor, she's a football picker.

HEMMER: All right!

O'BRIEN: I do it all. Thank you, Todd, who really does my picks for me.

SERWER: You can see there I'm in the middle of the pack and there's Jack.

CAFFERTY: I'm not doing well in this.

SERWER: Jack tells it like it is.

O'BRIEN: Do you want me to help you out, Jack?

SERWER: He doesn't pick football games necessarily. He tells it like it is.

HEMMER: I'm going to have Todd start picking my games.

SERWER: Yes, how fair is that?

O'BRIEN: I'm willing to share Todd.

SERWER: OK, thank you.

O'BRIEN: Todd, I love you.

HEMMER: The key to success.

SERWER: Yes.

O'BRIEN: I love you, I love you.

SERWER: Wow! That's more than I get.

HEMMER: Let's get a break. In a moment here, R. Kelly has at least one thing in common with Ashlee Simpson. We'll tell you what that's all about in a moment here. It may cost him a whole lot more, though. "90-Second Pop" has a shot after this on a Monday morning.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) HEMMER: Welcome back, everybody. "90-Second Pop" for a Monday. Andy Borowitz, humorist and big cheese over at BorowitzReport.com, maybe the only cheese as a matter of fact.

ANDY BOROWITZ, BOROWITZREPORT.COM: I stand alone.

HEMMER: Sarah Bernard, contributing editor for "New York" magazine.

Good morning, Sarah.

SARAH BERNARD, CONTRIBUTING EDITOR, "NEW YORK" MAGAZINE: Good morning.

HEMMER: And Toure, CNN pop culture correspondent.

Good morning, Toure. Nice to see you.

TOURE, CNN POPULAR CULTURE CORRESPONDENT: Thank you.

HEMMER: What's going on with Jay-Z and R. Kelly? These guys have issues, huh?

TOURE: Yes, yes.

BERNARD: What?

TOURE: Two big things happened at the concert on Friday night. R. Kelly and Jay-Z have the best of both worlds concert that has been going on. But there's a lot of friction backstage. It basically boils down to, R. Kelly doesn't like it when Jay-Z gets all the applause. So Friday night they're at Madison Square Garden...

HEMMER: And you're there.

TOURE: I'm there. They did about three or four songs together. R. Kelly didn't like the way it was going down. He comes out by himself and says, somebody in the crowd -- two people in the crowd pointed guns at me. I'm out of here.

BERNARD: That (UNINTELLIGIBLE), right?

TOURE: No.

HEMMER: One of them.

TOURE: As he's leaving, somebody in Jay-Z's crowd pepper sprays him backstage.

HEMMER: Who gets maced?

TOURE: R. Kelly goes to the hospital everything. Now, this was no problem for me because I don't care for R. Kelly. So, I'm like he's leaving, great!

BERNARD: Now, Toure! TOURE: All right, Jay-Z makes a call. Mary J. Blige is in the audience. Usher is in the audience. You man, Jarules (ph), is in the audience.

HEMMER: Jarules (ph)!

TOURE: Come up -- they come up and they perform one after the other in their street clothes.

HEMMER: Really?

TOURE: It was amazing. It was the most hip-hop thing I have seen in years.

HEMMER: Why can't all of these million-dollar hip-hoppers get along, huh, Toure?

BERNARD: Oh...

BOROWITZ: No, it's not just the hip-hop, because I saw a very similar thing that went down a few years at VH1's "Divas Live." It was between Celine Dion and Faith Hill.

HEMMER: And they're still fighting it out.

BERNARD: I don't understand why he thought R. Kelly was a good partner anyway. He has been charged with child pornography, right?

TOURE: Well, he started...

BERNARD: His trial -- his actual court date is this week.

HEMMER: Sarah, details, details, please!

"60 Minutes" last night showed another side of the Ashlee Simpson side.

BERNARD: That's right.

HEMMER: Did it actually play in her favor? Because they showed that she did have voice trouble. You saw it.

BERNARD: It did a little bit. Now, they happened to be there on a good week. They were just doing a profile of the inner workings of "Saturday Night Live," and they caught her dress rehearsal actually, which showed that she was already upset because her voice wasn't so great. And she kind of ran off the stage crying. So, it did support her theory that there was something wrong earlier in the day. But, you know, they didn't explain that that was the acid reflux problem. That I still don't know if I buy.

HEMMER: That didn't happen until Wednesday, remember?

BERNARD: Exactly. But I think the most shocking thing was that Lorne Michaels, who is, you know, credited as the genius for 20 years behind the show, said he had no idea that she was lip-syncing. HEMMER: Do you think that was the most shocking thing?

BERNARD: I do. I did not know.

HEMMER: I thought it was the fact that Eminem was the music guest on "Saturday Night Live," and he did not make a headline.

BERNARD: Oh!

HEMMER: That guy is losing his edge. Tonight on NBC, kind of -- well, they're going to play all of the great spoofs on "SNL."

BOROWITZ: Yes, the presidential bash.

HEMMER: This is great stuff, isn't it?

BOROWITZ: I think it's great. I think, you know, because there has been so many great moments, I mean, John Lovitz as Michael Dukakis was fantastic. I mean, there were so many great ones, and the current guys are funny. I don't think it's going to have any effect on the election.

HEMMER: No?

BOROWITZ: No, because -- for this reason. I don't think any undecided voter will watch the show, because think about it. If you can't decide between two candidates, how are you going to choose between 500 TV channels? You'll see them there like this all night, right?

HEMMER: The folks at Gallup will be massively confused.

BOROWITZ: Exactly.

HEMMER: Watch this from a few weeks ago on "SNL."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The fact of the matter is I have consistently supported the war in front of pro-war audiences and condemned it when speaking to groups that oppose it. That is not flip-flopping!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And it's hard work thinking of a plan, you know, let alone two plans. You know, a regular plan and a contingency plan.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HEMMER: You're going to get a little bit of that later tonight. You're also going to get from 2000 a lockbox (UNINTELLIGIBLE). So, it should be a good night tonight for "SNL" and good memories. Thanks. Enjoy. And maybe we'll have an answer on Wednesday morning, OK?

BOROWITZ: On the Ashlee Simpson thing?

HEMMER: Was it really acid reflux? Thanks, guys. See you later -- Soledad.

O'BRIEN: All right, still to come this morning, the last CNN poll before the election is out, and it shows something we've never seen before. That's ahead on AMERICAN MORNING. Stay with us.

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Aired November 1, 2004 - 07:30   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. Welcome, everybody. It's just about half past the hour on this AMERICAN MORNING. We're going to check in with the campaigns in just a few moments, get their reaction to the latest round of poll numbers. The president's campaign chairman, Marc Racicot, and a senior advisor to the Kerry campaign, General Wesley Clark, will be our guests.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Also this half-hour, "90-Second Pop" coming up today, locking in on a much needed moment of levity at the end of this very long campaign. Later tonight, "Saturday Night Live" and NBC is going to air a primetime special with the best spoofs on Bush and Kerry. Some new surprises in there, too. And if you look back at history, really, really funny stuff that they do over there.

O'BRIEN: It's hysterical. That should be great.

Before that, though, let's go look at the top stories this morning, Heidi Collins at the news desk.

Good morning.

HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning to you guys. And good morning to everybody.

"Now in the News" this morning, a suicide bombing leaves at least three people dead in Israel. The explosion takes place -- took place three hours ago at an open-air market in Tel Aviv. More than 30 others were injured in that blast. Palestinian sources say a militant group known as the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine has claimed responsibility for the attack.

The United Nations says it will not change its operations in Afghanistan despite threats from a group holding three U.N. election monitors hostage. The Arabic TV network, Al Jazeera, broadcast videotape of two women and one man pleading for their lives. The kidnappers are demanding the release of all prisoners in Afghanistan and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and want the U.N. to leave Afghanistan.

Delta Airlines could avoid bankruptcy. Its pilots union is set to vote today on a major contract proposal. Pilots would forfeit almost 33 percent of their salaries for a potential billion-dollars' worth of concessions. That vote, though, is expected to continue until next week.

And this just in now to CNN. Rescue workers in Alabama are trying desperately to get a hold of an 18-month-old baby who is stuck in a well. You see all of the people gathered there. A little boy fell down the 18-foot well last night in Frisco City. And officials say the child is still alive and doing well. We, of course, are going to have much more on this story just as soon as it becomes available to us. But you see all of the people there working very, very hard to get him out.

HEMMER: Shades of baby Jessica 15 years ago.

COLLINS: Yes, exactly.

HEMMER: It looks just like it. Heidi, thanks for that.

Back to the election now, huh? A day to go. Election monitors and representatives from both sides are now keeping a very close watch on Ohio. Many say the Buckeye State has the potential now to become the next Florida, of Florida 2004. From Canton, Ohio, this morning CNN Adora Udoji starts our coverage there live.

Good morning.

ADORA UDOJI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Bill.

I think it's telling that on this very last day of campaigning, both President Bush and Senator Kerry are making stops here through Ohio. Its 20 electoral votes possibly critical.

Now, this is a state that President Bush won in 2000, but it's going to be a tough race this time around.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UDOJI (voice over): Ohio perhaps the granddaddy of battleground states.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I'm asking for the vote, and I'm asking for your help.

UDOJI: No Republican has ever won the White House without it, and polls show the candidates in a dead heat.

SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Let's go out and get the job done.

UDOJI: Every vote counts, and this year they have 800,000 new voters to woo. Competition so intense lawsuits started weeks ago. In one, opponents attacking the right of each party to challenge a voter's eligibility at the polls. State Democrats charge Republicans are trying to intimidate traditionally Democratic African-American voters. Republicans accused Democrats of signing up illegitimate voters.

ED FOLEY, DIRECTOR, OSU ELECTIONS: It is unprecedented in the level of intensity and the level of litigiousness.

UDOJI: Then there is punch card ballots the majority will vote on, famous for igniting the Florida 2000 election controversy.

(on camera): When you hear things like Ohio is going to be the next Florida, you don't buy it?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Not a bit. There's many reasons why. Our system is different.

UDOJI (voice over): But it could come down to controversial provisional ballots, votes scrutinized post-election before they are counted.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

And already, Bill, this morning there has been a big decision out of a federal court, a federal judge ruling on that lawsuit, barring Democrats and Republicans from posting challengers at the polling stations tomorrow. But in this environment, that decision is very likely going to be appealed. And, if so, potentially could change again by the end of the day -- Bill.

HEMMER: We'll watch it. Thanks, Adora, live in Canton, Ohio, this morning -- Soledad.

O'BRIEN: The political stakes could not be higher, and the presidential race could not be closer, so says the final CNN/"USA Today"/Gallup pre-election poll.

Marc Racicot is the Bush campaign chairman. He joins us from Arlington, Virginia, to talk about that.

Nice to see you, sir. Let's begin with the numbers, shall we? If you look at likely voters, the approval rating for President Bush is somewhere around 51 percent, among all Americans it's 48 percent. Analysts, when they crunch these numbers, say that the president, of course, is walking a pretty fine line. For a guy who is calling himself the wartime president, why is he not doing better?

MARC RACICOT, BUSH CAMPAIGN CHAIRMAN: Well, I think, quite frankly, if you take a look at history, you'll find that these things are always tightly contested, particularly over the last 12 years. I mean, we haven't had a president in this country elected with more than 49 percent of the vote since 1988. And I think that reflects that people in this nation are very much engaged in the political life of the country.

These are perilous and difficult times. And there is a matrix of issues out there that makes it very difficult to see one candidate far ahead of another. So, I think this is right where we anticipated it would be from the very beginning.

O'BRIEN: Let's talk about some of the issues in Ohio. Senator Kerry is leading the polling there. Some say that if you don't win Ohio you're not going to win. Why isn't the president connecting with voters as strongly there considering he's had four years to do it?

RACICOT: Well, I think that we are. As a matter of fact, there's a poll out of the "Cleveland Plain Dealer" at the end of the week that puts him up 2 or 3 points. And so, the bottom line is Ohio has always been a hotly-contested state. There wasn't a huge distance between the candidates in 2000. You always have to prove your case to the good people of Ohio, and that's what we're doing.

O'BRIEN: Nine percent of voters say they could change their minds when they were polled. Conventional wisdom says that if an election is a referendum on the incumbent, people changing their minds would actually go for Senator Kerry. Do these numbers terrify you?

RACICOT: No, not anywhere close. We feel very, very good about the strong, steady leadership of the president. And when you compare that to the waffling, inconsistent proposals that are made by John Kerry, we believe at the end of the day these good rock-solid people in the state of Ohio will figure it out.

I mean, we don't take polls to figure out how it is that the president ought to address international or foreign affairs or the war on terror. I think the people of this country -- I think that's a metaphor for the entire Kerry campaign. Take a poll to figure out how you respond to the Osama bin Laden tape. At the end of the day, this president is principled and steady and strong. And I believe the good people of Ohio will recognize that in the end.

O'BRIEN: Well, let's talk a little bit about voter turnout. Some people are predicting record high numbers in this election. Doesn't that bode poorly for the president there? Again, if you go back to conventional wisdom and also some actual tangible signs shows that that would go in the direction of the challenger, Senator Kerry.

RACICOT: Well, we don't think so. We've been very aggressive in registering voters across the country. We've got 3.4 million new Republicans registered across the country. We've been very aggressive in Ohio.

We want more people to be involved in the life of this democracy. We think it's a triumph for the democracy to have more people involved. And we're working very hard to turn out our voters. So, it's not a surprise to us if there are significantly larger numbers of people who are involved in setting the direction of the nation.

O'BRIEN: A CNN/"USA Today"/Gallup poll on Iraq, 49 percent in this poll say that Senator Kerry could do a better job than President Bush. A week ago, the president was leading by 9 points. Now, Senator Kerry is leading by 2 points. A real reversal. How much damage do you think the issue of the missing explosives has done to your campaign?

RACICOT: Well, I think when the American people understand it all, it doesn't do any damage. I mean, that's one of the issues that I think has been the most dishonest by the Kerry campaign. That one and the issue that they have focused upon with Tora Bora and the outsourcing of the effort to secure Osama bin Laden, which is absolute nonsense. It's deceptive and it's shameful as the president has said.

On the one hand, it's deceptive because Senator Kerry was very much in favor of relying upon some advice and counsel from some members of our Afghan allies to provide counsel and direction in an area that's the size of Texas. We had our best, most elite forces there with the Delta Force, and we asked some of the locals about the directions and where we could go and some of the pitfalls that were there. They call that outsourcing. Kerry was very much in favor of that. He said so on national TV.

And, of course, he now controverts General Tommy Franks. And at the end of the day, Tommy Franks was on the ground. I think those kinds of things have been difficult filters for us to push our way through. But I believe that we are pushing our way through, and the American people will understand that that's a fraud. It doesn't matter how many times you say it, it doesn't make it any more true than the first time you said it.

O'BRIEN: It is certainly coming down to the wire, and the candidates are neck and neck. Marc Racicot joining us this morning. Nice to see you.

RACICOT: Thank you.

O'BRIEN: Thanks for your time -- Bill.

HEMMER: And both men, again, are traveling an awful lot today. Senator Kerry starts his day in Florida before heading off for Wisconsin, Michigan and Ohio, and then back to Wisconsin.

Candy Crowley is with the senator this morning.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CANDY CROWLEY, CNN SR. POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Time left is measured now in hours instead of days. And John Kerry marks the time with campaign laughs. The last Sunday, the fifth in a row at an African-American church.

KERRY: Through many dangers, toils and snares, I have already come. Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far, and grace will bring me home.

CROWLEY: The last trip to the first primary state of New Hampshire and maybe the last photo-op, a la Camelot; this one on the road between two church services in Ohio.

The campaign's biggest fears and fondest hopes are held within the itinerary. In the past week, Kerry has touched down in the 2000 Bush states of Ohio three times, Florida and New Hampshire both twice, Nevada. Fears are mapped out in the Gore states. Wisconsin and Iowa three times, Pennsylvania, New Mexico, Minnesota, Michigan.

Advisors say Kerry is concentrating on getting into the local news and specific areas with pockets of undecideds, not that they want to make news.

KERRY: On Tuesday, this election's in your hands. It's the most beautiful, it's the most powerful thing that happens on the face of this planet.

CROWLEY: With polls so close and time too short to correct mistakes, Kerry sticks to the script. Surprises are unwelcome. KERRY: I think it's unfortunate that anybody puts Osama bin Laden into any political context in the United States' election.

CROWLEY: Kerry's campaign says their polls show the impact of the bin Laden video favors Kerry.

These last hours are the most cautious time of all in this cautious campaign. It is, after all, the last chance to seal the deal.

KERRY: I pledge to you, I know what we need to do in Iraq and I know what we need to do to make the world safe.

CROWLEY (on camera): Monday, Kerry leaves Florida for Wisconsin, Michigan, and Ohio. There is nothing new to say now. This is that point in the election cycle where being there speaks volumes.

Candy Crowley, CNN, Tampa.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HEMMER: Candy, thanks for that.

CNN's election coverage begins Tuesday night at 7:00 Eastern Time live in Times Square from the Nasdaq Marketsite. And of course, we'll be here Wednesday morning for five hours, in fact. I'll let you know what happened from Tuesday night. And I'll also let you know if the fight still continues. So, it should be a huge week throughout the week here -- Soledad.

O'BRIEN: There's no question about that.

Let's get to this story. This just in to CNN out of Crystal City in Alabama. We told you about that 18-month-old baby that fell down an 18-foot well there. Well, the baby has been rescued. Some good news out of there.

They were able to lower a camera in to keep an eye on the baby during the rescue attempts. The reports were that the baby was alive and doing well. The baby has been pulled out on a stretcher. But there are some reports that the baby is OK. We're going to give you an update on that as we get more information, but really good news to be able to report this morning.

HEMMER: Indeed it is excellent news.

(WEATHER REPORT)

O'BRIEN: Still to come, the NFL and politics. Andy is going to tell us whether the president or Senator Kerry should be happy about yesterday's Redskins game?

HEMMER: Also, it seems Ashlee Simpson had one not but two issues on "SNL" last week. And the camera was there to capture it, too. "90-Second Pop" takes a shot at that, still to come this hour after this. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HOWARD DEAN, FMR. PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We're going to California and Texas and New York! We're going to South Dakota and Oregon and Washington and Michigan! And then we're going to Washington, D.C. to take back the White House! Yeowghhh!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HEMMER: That was back in January after the caucuses ended in Iowa. All throughout the week here, we're going to be looking back at really the moments that helped shape this election for campaign 2004. And that was one of them for Howard Dean.

How are you doing?

JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: I thought I was in a time warp there for a minute. You mean we have another nine months of this to go through?

One day before the election now, mercifully, the candidates are still accusing each other about who loses more as a result of that Osama bin Laden videotape that surfaced last week. William Sapphire (ph) in a "New York Times" op-ed suggests the tape shows that it's bin Laden himself who is the weakest link. Sapphire (ph) says -- quote -- "Generals do not call for a truce when they are winning" -- unquote.

On the eve of the election, the extent of the political fallout from the bin Laden tapes remains unknown. Here is the question: Did the Osama bin Laden change the way you view this election?

Pat in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: Osama bin Laden is today's boogeyman and represents a group of people who hate America for reasons we cannot understand. If OBL had any influence on my voting behavior that happened several years ago."

Randy in Lufkin, Texas: "Bin Laden is directly responsible for the deaths of 3,000 Americans. Saddam is not. Bin Laden is a free man. Saddam is not. Seeing him alive and well in a fresh video makes me furious and confirms that our mission is not accomplished."

Stanley in Tabernacle, New Jersey: "It won't affect the way I'll vote tomorrow. It wouldn't have affected anyone else's vote either if the media had not aired it. This is another time that not reporting something would have been in the public's interest."

Rich in the Bronx writes: "It's changed nothing but solidified everything I already felt. Bush is weak. Unfortunately, Kerry won't be any better. I'm willing to bet my money that Osama will die a free man."

And finally, Frank in Elkins Park, Pennsylvania: "Probably far more people are worried about the next Supreme Court nominees, education, our under-funded first responders and the environment than old what's his name."

Am@cnn.com.

HEMMER: Good reaction there. Keep them coming. Thank you, Jack -- Soledad.

O'BRIEN: So the Redskins lost yesterday. What does that have to do with the election and a market preview as well. Andy Serwer "Minding Your Business."

People look at that.

ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: That is a predictor.

O'BRIEN: It's an indicator, yes.

SERWER: Another predictor. We're going to talk about that.

Let's see what happened to the markets on Friday, Soledad. The winning streak continued on Wall Street. The Dow was up about 23 points here. In fact, almost 23 points, that's good enough. Futures this morning are looking mixed to up.

Now, let's talk about football, because, as Soledad mentioned, this great predictor, the Redskins game before the election, if the Redskins win, the incumbent or the incumbent party wins. Guess what? The Redskins lost. The Packers won. That means that it's good news for John Kerry, I guess. Mark Brunell getting picked off. You know W. did not like that play.

HEMMER: And the play before that he scored a touchdown.

SERWER: You know Karl Rove didn't like that play.

HEMMER: And it got called back.

SERWER: Yes, that's right.

(CROSSTALK)

O'BRIEN: It's an indication of how close the election is...

SERWER: Another indication, that's right.

O'BRIEN: ... if you're reading the lines.

CAFFERTY: Yes, but it's easy to score if you cheat on every play. You could make a touchdown on every play if you're allowed to cheat.

(CROSSTALK)

O'BRIEN: Then there is that.

SERWER: There was also another great game, the Patriots-Steelers game. We should talk about that, because... HEMMER: And you're a genius.

SERWER: Yes. Well, I tried three times in a row to call this thing.

HEMMER: You're a genius.

O'BRIEN: You're finally a genius.

SERWER: We finally got this thing right. You can see here. Yes, that's great. That's Foxico (ph) I believe doing that one.

Now let's look at how the standings are the anchor standings. Super Soledad, she's a mom, she's an anchor, she's a football picker.

HEMMER: All right!

O'BRIEN: I do it all. Thank you, Todd, who really does my picks for me.

SERWER: You can see there I'm in the middle of the pack and there's Jack.

CAFFERTY: I'm not doing well in this.

SERWER: Jack tells it like it is.

O'BRIEN: Do you want me to help you out, Jack?

SERWER: He doesn't pick football games necessarily. He tells it like it is.

HEMMER: I'm going to have Todd start picking my games.

SERWER: Yes, how fair is that?

O'BRIEN: I'm willing to share Todd.

SERWER: OK, thank you.

O'BRIEN: Todd, I love you.

HEMMER: The key to success.

SERWER: Yes.

O'BRIEN: I love you, I love you.

SERWER: Wow! That's more than I get.

HEMMER: Let's get a break. In a moment here, R. Kelly has at least one thing in common with Ashlee Simpson. We'll tell you what that's all about in a moment here. It may cost him a whole lot more, though. "90-Second Pop" has a shot after this on a Monday morning.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) HEMMER: Welcome back, everybody. "90-Second Pop" for a Monday. Andy Borowitz, humorist and big cheese over at BorowitzReport.com, maybe the only cheese as a matter of fact.

ANDY BOROWITZ, BOROWITZREPORT.COM: I stand alone.

HEMMER: Sarah Bernard, contributing editor for "New York" magazine.

Good morning, Sarah.

SARAH BERNARD, CONTRIBUTING EDITOR, "NEW YORK" MAGAZINE: Good morning.

HEMMER: And Toure, CNN pop culture correspondent.

Good morning, Toure. Nice to see you.

TOURE, CNN POPULAR CULTURE CORRESPONDENT: Thank you.

HEMMER: What's going on with Jay-Z and R. Kelly? These guys have issues, huh?

TOURE: Yes, yes.

BERNARD: What?

TOURE: Two big things happened at the concert on Friday night. R. Kelly and Jay-Z have the best of both worlds concert that has been going on. But there's a lot of friction backstage. It basically boils down to, R. Kelly doesn't like it when Jay-Z gets all the applause. So Friday night they're at Madison Square Garden...

HEMMER: And you're there.

TOURE: I'm there. They did about three or four songs together. R. Kelly didn't like the way it was going down. He comes out by himself and says, somebody in the crowd -- two people in the crowd pointed guns at me. I'm out of here.

BERNARD: That (UNINTELLIGIBLE), right?

TOURE: No.

HEMMER: One of them.

TOURE: As he's leaving, somebody in Jay-Z's crowd pepper sprays him backstage.

HEMMER: Who gets maced?

TOURE: R. Kelly goes to the hospital everything. Now, this was no problem for me because I don't care for R. Kelly. So, I'm like he's leaving, great!

BERNARD: Now, Toure! TOURE: All right, Jay-Z makes a call. Mary J. Blige is in the audience. Usher is in the audience. You man, Jarules (ph), is in the audience.

HEMMER: Jarules (ph)!

TOURE: Come up -- they come up and they perform one after the other in their street clothes.

HEMMER: Really?

TOURE: It was amazing. It was the most hip-hop thing I have seen in years.

HEMMER: Why can't all of these million-dollar hip-hoppers get along, huh, Toure?

BERNARD: Oh...

BOROWITZ: No, it's not just the hip-hop, because I saw a very similar thing that went down a few years at VH1's "Divas Live." It was between Celine Dion and Faith Hill.

HEMMER: And they're still fighting it out.

BERNARD: I don't understand why he thought R. Kelly was a good partner anyway. He has been charged with child pornography, right?

TOURE: Well, he started...

BERNARD: His trial -- his actual court date is this week.

HEMMER: Sarah, details, details, please!

"60 Minutes" last night showed another side of the Ashlee Simpson side.

BERNARD: That's right.

HEMMER: Did it actually play in her favor? Because they showed that she did have voice trouble. You saw it.

BERNARD: It did a little bit. Now, they happened to be there on a good week. They were just doing a profile of the inner workings of "Saturday Night Live," and they caught her dress rehearsal actually, which showed that she was already upset because her voice wasn't so great. And she kind of ran off the stage crying. So, it did support her theory that there was something wrong earlier in the day. But, you know, they didn't explain that that was the acid reflux problem. That I still don't know if I buy.

HEMMER: That didn't happen until Wednesday, remember?

BERNARD: Exactly. But I think the most shocking thing was that Lorne Michaels, who is, you know, credited as the genius for 20 years behind the show, said he had no idea that she was lip-syncing. HEMMER: Do you think that was the most shocking thing?

BERNARD: I do. I did not know.

HEMMER: I thought it was the fact that Eminem was the music guest on "Saturday Night Live," and he did not make a headline.

BERNARD: Oh!

HEMMER: That guy is losing his edge. Tonight on NBC, kind of -- well, they're going to play all of the great spoofs on "SNL."

BOROWITZ: Yes, the presidential bash.

HEMMER: This is great stuff, isn't it?

BOROWITZ: I think it's great. I think, you know, because there has been so many great moments, I mean, John Lovitz as Michael Dukakis was fantastic. I mean, there were so many great ones, and the current guys are funny. I don't think it's going to have any effect on the election.

HEMMER: No?

BOROWITZ: No, because -- for this reason. I don't think any undecided voter will watch the show, because think about it. If you can't decide between two candidates, how are you going to choose between 500 TV channels? You'll see them there like this all night, right?

HEMMER: The folks at Gallup will be massively confused.

BOROWITZ: Exactly.

HEMMER: Watch this from a few weeks ago on "SNL."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The fact of the matter is I have consistently supported the war in front of pro-war audiences and condemned it when speaking to groups that oppose it. That is not flip-flopping!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And it's hard work thinking of a plan, you know, let alone two plans. You know, a regular plan and a contingency plan.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HEMMER: You're going to get a little bit of that later tonight. You're also going to get from 2000 a lockbox (UNINTELLIGIBLE). So, it should be a good night tonight for "SNL" and good memories. Thanks. Enjoy. And maybe we'll have an answer on Wednesday morning, OK?

BOROWITZ: On the Ashlee Simpson thing?

HEMMER: Was it really acid reflux? Thanks, guys. See you later -- Soledad.

O'BRIEN: All right, still to come this morning, the last CNN poll before the election is out, and it shows something we've never seen before. That's ahead on AMERICAN MORNING. Stay with us.

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