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A Tragic Milestone; Iraq's Political Impact at the Polls

Aired October 30, 2006 - 09:00   ET

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


TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning, everyone.
You are in the CNN NEWSROOM.

I'm Tony Harris.

HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Heidi Collins.

For the next three hours, watch events unfold live, right here on this Monday, the 30th of October.

Here's what's on the rundown.

A tragic milestone -- missing weapons and more attacks. We are live from Iraq in just a moment.

HARRIS: Disillusioned, dissatisfied -- candidates turn up the heat as election day nears.

But will voters warm up?

COLLINS: And get on the bus -- pay your fare, then call 911. A teenager takes the wheel. Get the story today, in THE NEWSROOM.

HARRIS: In Iraq, a milestone written in American blood. The combat death of a U.S. Marine marks the 100th military death in October. That makes this month the fourth deadliest since the start of the war three-and-a-half years ago.

CNN's Arwa Damon is in Baghdad and she joins us with the very latest -- Arwa, off the top, let's talk about this visit from National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley. He is in country, I understand.

ARWA DAMON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: He is, Tony.

We have, in fact, just received this information. He is meeting with his Iraqi counterpart, Mowaffak al-Rubaie, inside the heavily guarded green zone. The two are discussing cooperation between the U.S. and the Iraqi sides.

We have seen a number of high level meetings happening over the weekend. For example, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki met via videoconference with the U.S. president, George Bush. We have also seen meetings between Nuri Al-Maliki and the U.S. ambassador here, Zalman Khalilzad, as well as a number of announcements from General George Casey and, again, the U.S. ambassador here. All of this is part of an effort to really try to bring the security situation here under control. We have seen a number of plans put forward. Really nothing new in any of them. A lot of them just highlighting, or, rather re-highlighting and re-emphasizing old strategies.

But one thing that we have seen is that whilst it does appear that the Iraqis and the United States both agree on what the problems here are, they do seem to be deferring on exactly how to deal with them -- Tony.

HARRIS: Arwa, 100 U.S. troops killed in October. We've heard a lot of explanations.

But from where you are, what best explains that number?

DAMON: Well, Tony, it's always really hard to tell. A lot of what happened here is not really definable. What we have seen is an increased number of attacks against U.S. troops in the month of October. And we also have seen a progressing trend over the last few months in the types and the level of sophistication of the weaponry that the insurgents are using.

Those roadside bombs, the IEDs, improvised explosive devices, are only becoming more sophisticated, more deadly, more able to penetrate the U.S. armor. And we are seeing a progressive increase in sniper attacks, especially in the capital, Baghdad. Those sniper attacks becoming more deadly and more accurate -- Tony.

HARRIS: All right, Arwa, let's leave it there.

Arwa Damon in Baghdad for us.

Arwa, thank you.

COLLINS: The search continues for a U.S. soldier missing in Iraq. But new information is being reported about him.

According to the "New York Times," the Iraqi-American translator apparently married a Baghdad woman, which is a violation of military rules. The newspaper says the soldier was visiting her when Shia militiamen came to her home and dragged him into their car.

The soldier, who has not been identified, disappeared one week ago today.

Also missing in Iraq, thousands of weapons bought with U.S. tax dollars, according to a new report to Congress. The Pentagon cannot account for nearly one of every 25 weapons the military bought for Iraqi security forces. That adds up to more than 14,000 assault rifles, machine guns, grenade launchers and other weapons. It is not clear where the weapons are at this point. Even more, U.S. provided firepower is out of commission because parts or technical manuals are not available.

Well, it has been said all politics is local, but the Iraq war hits close to home for many Americans.

CNN's Ed Henry now takes a look at the political impact at the polls.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

ED HENRY, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): With violence in Iraq front and center in the mid-term elections, Republicans candidates continue to break with the president on conduct of the war. Michael Steele, the Republican contender in the hot Maryland Senate race was asked, does he think Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld should resign?

MICHAEL STEELE (R), MARYLAND SENATORIAL CANDIDATE: Well, let's put it this way, he wouldn't be my secretary of defense. And ultimately that's going to be a decision that the president of the United States makes.

HENRY: But House Majority Leader John Boehner joined the president in offering a ringing endorsement of Rumsfeld.

REP. JOHN BOEHNER (R-OH), MAJORITY LEADER: I think Donald Rumsfeld is the best thing that's happened to the Pentagon in 25 years. This Pentagon, and our military, needs a transformation. And I think Donald Rumsfeld is the only man in America who knows where the bodies are buried at the Pentagon, has enough experience to help transform that institution.

HENRY: Fuel for the Democratic mantra of change.

REP. CHARLES RANGEL (D), NEW YORK: It's true President Bush may not be on the ballot, but people like Boehner and people who support Rumsfeld and Cheney and Bush, they're on the ballot. This is a referendum on the war and the incompetency of the Bush administration.

HENRY: Republicans insist key races will turn on local issues, not Iraq. But just in case, they're once again pointing out some Democratic plans to withdraw U.S. troops.

SEN. ELIZABETH DOLE (R), NORTH CAROLINA: We're trying to find a way to -- to -- to complete this war and to get our troops home as soon as possible. The Democrats appear to be content with losing. And by losing, I mean, you know, if you don't complete the mission and you pull out, then there is going to be an eruption in the Middle East.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

COLLINS: And Ed Henry joining us now live -- Ed, we know that the president will be traveling both to Georgia and to Texas today.

But why Texas? Isn't that state kind of a lockup for him?

HENRY: Well, his home state should be a lock-up. But, as you know, Tom DeLay gave up his seat, resigned under an ethical cloud. That seat in Sugarland, Texas all of a sudden could be up for grabs, the president trying to nail that down today. So he'll be focusing there on getting some of his home folks to the polls.

COLLINS: Yes. Interesting that he is still on the ballot, though. People might be a little bit confused about that.

HENRY: Absolutely.

COLLINS: All right, also the first lady is on the road, as well.

Do her travels sort of give us a window on what kind of voters the White House is kind of targeting in these final days?

HENRY: Absolutely. We're seeing the president really focusing his efforts on trying to get conservatives to come home, get them to turn out. The first lady today in Pennsylvania, over the weekend in Connecticut, New York, states the president has not won that tend to be blue states. And what we're seeing is the first lady focused more on turning out moderate Republicans, independent voters, get those folks out in the middle to turn out.

Whereas the president is really focusing more on getting the conservatives to come home -- Heidi.

COLLINS: Eight days to go, Ed Henry.

We are watching it every single second, aren't we?

HENRY: That's right.

COLLINS: Thank you so much for that.

And just days before that crucial mid-term election, THE SITUATION ROOM expands to two hours. You can watch Wolf Blitzer and Paula Zahn live in New York beginning tonight at 7:00 Eastern.

HARRIS: That wildfire near Palm Springs, California now pretty much under control. Hard to believe that when we left here on Friday. Eighty-five percent contained. But will the danger may be almost over, horrible memories will linger.

CNN's Carol Lin has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

CAROL LIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Firefighters began their day with a prayer and a question.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We ask you why?

LIN: Why were four men dead, another fighting for his life?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We pray for the families of Jason, of Mark, of Jess, Daniel and Pablo. And we just thank you that we can come together and honor these precious fallen brothers.

LIN: At the Arrowhead Medical Center, Pablo Cerda's family waits, hoping the 23-year-old firefighter has the strength to survive the burns that cover 90 percent of his body. Cerda was part of a five man team trying to protect this mountain home. His four colleagues perished. His own future uncertain.

Up on the mountain, firefighters began their fourth day of battling the Esperanza Fire. With weather helping to slow the fire's progress, mop-up operations could begin in burned out areas. For the second day in a row, some homeowners were allowed brief visits to retrieve belongings.

MARTHA SCHENK, HOMEOWNER: Thank you so much, you guys. I'm so sorry for what happened, but thank you.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, it's just...

SCHENK: It's really sad.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: ... it's just (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

SCHENK: There are amazing heroes on this Earth, let me tell you.

LIN: Martha Schenk's home was saved from the fire. Many of her neighbors weren't as fortune.

SCHENK: Some are doing OK. Some aren't doing very well at all. I mean it's horrific. I mean it's -- it's, you know, I mean you're in shock. It's unbelievable. It doesn't matter that my house is standing. It's still like very bizarre

LIN: California's governor toured the burned area and delivered an expression of gratitude for the more than 2,000 firefighters.

GOVERNOR ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER (R), CALIFORNIA: Thank you for the great work that you're doing. Thank you for the bravery that you're displaying.

LIN: Carol Lin, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

HARRIS: And let's check in with Chad Myers now -- Chad, when we left here on Friday, it's sure hard to believe that we'd be talking today about 85 percent contained. The winds were whipping.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes.

HARRIS: It was two bad days in a row with regard to wind. But here we are.

MYERS: Not even a red flag warning today. Nothing. We're in great shape here. The winds are the numbers behind me. Hard to see, but two miles per hour for Glendale. Riverside at three, two or three. And then back out near the fire, one to two. That's what the firefighters needed.

They don't need rain all the time. You know, people think, oh, we need to get some rain. Just let the firefighters do their job without the wind blowing the fire at 45 miles per hour. They'll get it. And obviously they did over the weekend.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COLLINS: So do you want the good news first or the bad news?

HARRIS: Good.

COLLINS: OK. The good news. Here it is. These are the cities at the top of the list in the new safest cities survey. Brick, New Jersey, number one. About 78,000 residents, just 70 miles from New York City. Amherst, New York and Mission Viejo, California also in the top three.

Bad news for both World Series participants. See, I don't know what this means. But St. Louis tops the list of the most dangerous cities, followed by Detroit. The cities are ranked by crime rate, giving more weight to more violent crimes.

And Camden, New Jersey topped this list the past two years.

So, here are some other notables one. One being safest, 371 being the most dangerous. New York fared pretty well, but so good news for Washington and Atlanta, as you see the breakdown there.

HARRIS: Huh. All right, still to come, a community comes together in celebration after a controversy at the nation's most prominent school for the deaf.

What's it all about?

That's ahead in THE NEWSROOM.

COLLINS: Also, Democrats angling to take control of Congress.

Will crossover Republican voters and one divisive issue put them over the top?

We'll talk about that.

HARRIS: And teen drivers make you nervous?

In the words of Bachman Turner Overdrive, you ain't seen nothing yet, Heidi.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'd look into his face and it's the face of what I initially thought was a 12 or 13-year-old kid.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: Getting behind the big wheel and taking a smooth ride -- that story ahead, right here in THE NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) HARRIS: We just want to show you new pictures out of Baghdad this morning. There you see on your right, U.S. national security adviser -- of course you know who this man is. That is Stephen Hadley and the prime minister of Iraq, Nuri Al-Maliki meeting there. The U.S. ambassador, Zalman Khalilzad, in the picture, as well. All about getting the language together, getting everyone on the same page moving forward here. Nuri Al-Maliki issuing a statement over the weekend suggesting that hey, look, this is a sovereign country, we are not the U.S.' man in Iraq.

Well, but he truly, really is. But clearly this is a meeting now about making sure that everyone is on the same page moving forward with the security issues. Some seem to suggest it's spiraling out of control, keeping a reign on the country at this time.

If there is a little give and take, a little conversation that we are privy to in this, we will, of course, bring it to you.

COLLINS: Good.

A student celebration. That's the mood at Gallaudet University, the country's prestigious school for the deaf. After a month of protests, the board of trustees voted Sunday to withdraw the appointment of Jane Fernandez as the president of the school. The students who opposed Fernandez said she wasn't effective in her job as provost and that she's not the right person to deal with the school's problems.

Well, Fernandez says she has deep regrets about the decision. She was born deaf, but did not learn American Sign Language until she was in her 20s. Fernandez has said some people don't consider her deaf enough to be president of the school.

HARRIS: New information now on what may have caused Sunday's deadly plane crash in Nigeria. An Aviation Ministry official says the pilot ignored weather warnings from the control tower. The plane crashed shortly after take off, killing 96 people. There are, amazingly, nine survivors. Conditions at the time of take off included strong winds, rain and lighting.

Nigerian officials say they may change the rules a bit so that pilots no longer have the option of waiving off warnings.

COLLINS: Cuban leader Fidel Castro has a message for the world -- I'm still alive. In new video broadcast on Cuban television over the weekend, Castro said, quoting here now, "our enemies prematurely have declared me dead."

The 80-year-old Cuban leader was forced to hand over power to his brother Raul over the summer, after underground what the state said was intestinal surgery. Well, this is his first taped message now since that surgery. Cuban officials insist he's recovering and will re-assume the presidency.

HARRIS: Democrats need to gain six seats in the Senate, 15 in the House, to gain control of Congress. Will long time Republicans help them get there?

CNN's Allan Chernoff has that story.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Money manager Jim Awad is a proud Republican. There's proof in his wallet and his office, where he displays a framed letter from Ronald Reagan. But the war in Iraq, Awad says, has him disillusioned with his party, and especially its leader, President Bush.

JIM AWAD, REPUBLICAN VOTING DEMOCRAT: In many ways, he has embarrassed us as a nation.

CHERNOFF (on camera): Embarrassed us?

AWAD: Embarrassed us as a nation because we went into a war that did not necessarily need to be fought. My personal opinion is I think he's done the country damage that could take a century to repair.

CHERNOFF (voice-over): Awad says he wants the Democrats to reign in the Republican administration. So, for the first time, he says, he's voting for a Democrat for Senate, Hillary Clinton.

AWAD: I want Hillary so that she can stand up to the Republicans. And I would like to see the Democrats control Congress. I'd like to see what they would do.

CHERNOFF: Awad is voting Democrat even though his business, managing over a billion dollars in investment funds, has been thriving under the Republicans.

(on camera): Usually when the economy is healthy, as it is now, and stocks are rising, many people vote their pocketbooks for the party in power. But this year, some Republicans like Jim Awad are saying there's something more important than the economy -- the war in Iraq.

(voice-over): A CNN poll conducted by Opinion Research Corporation found 42 percent of Republicans said Iraq is extremely important to their vote. Only 29 percent cited the economy. And most interesting, 13 percent of Republicans said they planned to vote for Democrats, which would more than double the crossover vote of 2004. That could make the difference in tight races.

In nearby Connecticut, some registered Republicans say they'll vote against Republican Congressman Chris Shays, a supporter of the war, in favor of his anti-war Democratic challenger, Diane Farrell.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, I'm a registered Republican but I'm going to be voting Democrat this time around.

CHERNOFF: If the U.S. keeps troops in Iraq, as the president has pledged, the war could also be a decisive issue two years from now in the next presidential election. (on camera): Would you vote for Hillary for president?

AWAD: Yes, I think so.

CHERNOFF (voice-over): Allan Chernoff, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

HARRIS: With only eight days until election day, an "America Votes 2006" special. Tonight's "BROKEN GOVERNMENT," Candy Crowley reports on Democrats with two left feet. That's tonight at 11:00 Eastern.

COLLINS: It's time now to be Minding Your Business.

Andy Serwer is going to be doing that for us -- hey, there, Andy.

ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: Hey, Heidi.

We're going to be talking about Wal-Mart, first off, firing a Republican strategist. And then it tries to get trendy and stubs its toes a little bit there.

We'll tell you about that, coming up in THE NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: The Wal-Mart adviser who created the controversial GOP ad against Congressman Harold Ford, Jr. is apparently reconsidering whether that was such a good idea.

Andy Serwer Minding Your Business now -- good morning, Andy.

SERWER: Good morning, Heidi.

This is a story we've been following for the past couple of weeks. I guess it goes back to September, even, when Wal-Mart hired a Democratic strategist and a Republican strategist to help get out the vote amongst its 1.3 million

workers.

It turns out that the Republican strategist was a guy named Terry Nelson, who was behind the now notorious political ad that mocked Senatorial candidate Harold Ford, Jr. in Tennessee. You remember this one with the "give me a call some time, Harold" and all that stuff.

Wal-Mart's reaction initially was that -- and this is the part that you might remember with the "call me, Harold" -- was that this had no connection to Wal-Mart at all. And they said it doesn't have anything to do with us.

Well, Reverend Jesse Jackson got involved, and so did some union organizers, and put pressure on Wal-Mart. And over the weekend, Wal- Mart has dismissed this gentleman from doing work for the company.

COLLINS: All right. Probably not a bad idea there.

SERWER: Yes.

COLLINS: But it seems like they're not really doing all that well on several different fronts. Apparently they're now finding out that they're really not as trendy as they may have thought they were.

SERWER: Yes. And this is a bit of a bungle here on the retailing front, which, after all, is what they're supposed to be focusing all their energies on, Heidi.

Sales in October were kind of weak and the company blamed its new clothing line called Metro 7, which is a trendy line of clothing. And it had the spokes model of Dayanara Torres.

Do you know her?

COLLINS: Huh?

SERWER: A former Miss. Universe, Heidi, come on.

COLLINS: I don't. I'm sorry.

SERWER: I didn't know her either. I didn't. But -- and that's part of the problem. This is a lot of 1980s styles, leggings, boots, big belts over big sweaters, skinny jeans. And it worked -- now, I don't know, I could pull that off. I don't know about you.

COLLINS: Yes, no. It's the skinny jeans where I'm out.

SERWER: Tony wanted to weigh in there.

But, you know, it worked in some stores and it didn't work in others and it just really ended up costing the store.

COLLINS: But Target seems to have done really well in this area.

I mean, I wonder what is so different?

I mean they have those really hip ads and the fast paced music and -- I'm not sure about sales, though.

Are they doing much better?

SERWER: They are. You know, they really have been able to pull off this sort of cheap chic. Target has really made a market, a niche out of this for years and years. And they've really stuck with it. You know, they've got designers like Isaac Mizrahi and others. And people know to go there for that. And I think people, when they think of Wal-Mart, they think of cheap value, as they like to say in the business. And they're not exactly looking for real trendy stuff. They just want to get something at a bargain price.

And so when they stray from that, it didn't seem to work as well.

COLLINS: Hmmm. All right, interesting. Well, what's coming up at 9:50, Andy?

We'll see you again then.

SERWER: We're going to be talking about a subject near and dear to my heart, Heidi, sexy Halloween costumes.

HARRIS: Nice.

SERWER: The business of...

COLLINS: I knew there was a joke coming.

SERWER: Yes. Yes.

COLLINS: Wow!

All right, well, hey, that's a heck of a tease.

We'll be tuning in for that.

SERWER: Good.

COLLINS: Andy, thank you.

SERWER: Yes.

See you.

HARRIS: A healthier New York?

The city's health department says it is possible. But to do that, the city's almost 25,000 restaurants must stop using artificial trans-fatty acids.

Look at that stuff. French fries.

COLLINS: Yum.

HARRIS: Cookies. Yum, yum. Eat it up. Crackers. Out, out, out, Heidi.

A three hour public hearing on prohibiting trans-fat gets underway in about an hour from now. In anticipation of that, the KFC Corporation, you know, the people who come up with those buckets, literally, buckets of fried chicken?

Well, they're saying they have a major announcement today. Several franchise owners say KFC plans to stop using artery clogging fats. Harvard researchers say trans-fat contributes to 30,000 deaths a year.

Man.

COLLINS: I just want to know when it's all going to be gluten- free. HARRIS: There you go.

COLLINS: That's what I want to know.

Meanwhile, trees and power lines -- look at this -- come crashing down. In Maine, a construction crane toppled over. Straight ahead in THE NEWSROOM, we'll show you what a powerful storm system brought to parts of the eastern U.S. over the weekend.

HARRIS: In Iraq and under increasing fire, the U.S. military shoulders a grim milestone.

And standing by her man -- Lynne Cheney defends the vice president's comment on interrogation.

That story straight ahead in THE NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(MARKET REPORT)

HARRIS: New developments this morning in the fight for Iraq. President Bush's national security adviser is in Baghdad this hour on an unannounced visit. Stephen Hadley is meeting with his Iraqi counterpart. They're discussing an increasing source of friction between the two countries, cooperation on military and political issues. It comes as the U.S. military reports a grim milestone with its 100th death in October. That makes this month the fourth deadliest since the war began in March of 2003. The Pentagon says this fight was fueled by the Muslim holy month of Ramadan and on increased patrols in hostile areas.

And across Baghdad, at least six bombs rocked the capital, the deadliest in the crowded Shiite slum of Sadr City. At least 26 people are dead there and another 60 wounded.

Hard work, long hours, little sleep, and you're always a target. All part of the job for American troops in Iraq.

CNN's John Roberts rode with some of the soldiers as they patrolled dangerous territory north of Baghdad.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN ROBERTS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It has been a tough year for the 4th Infantry Division's 1st Brigade, trying to bring peace to the towns and villages north of Baghdad. So far, in October alone, they've lost 15 soldiers to insurgent attacks.

The commanding officer, Colonel Jim Pasquarette, says his unit has grown up quickly.

COL. JIM PASQUARETTE, U.S. ARMY: And every one is an individual tragedy. I write letters home to parents and spouses, talk to some of them on the phone when I get a chance. It's changed me. ROBERTS: The tragedies deeply wound every one of these soldiers, yet they carry on against a threat Pasquarette says has only increased since they took over this area.

PASQUARETTE: I knew this was going to be a challenge. Counter-

insurgency is the most difficult thing you ever want to do. It's the most -- it's the hardest thing I ever have done as an Army officer in 23 years.

ROBERTS: On top of the insurgency, in recent weeks, sectarian violence has engulfed this area, dividing Sunnis and Shiites. Some villages have been turned into ghost towns, others completely leveled.

LT. COL. ROCKY KMIECIK, U.S. ARMY: It was a small Shia farming village and with the sectarian violence in the area, the village was literally destroyed and the people driven out or killed.

ROBERTS: But as the violence escalates, the militias are gaining influence. Sunnis don't trust the Iraqi police and believe militias are their only source of real protection. When the Americans round up four gunmen in the Sunni town of Kudas (ph), a crowd gathers to protest.

KMIECIK: And what the crowds over there will say is that these four are totally innocent. They are here only to protect the citizens of the town and they have committed no crimes.

ROBERTS: It's frustrating for these soldiers, who are trying to build confidence among people, that militias are not the future of Iraq.

PASQUARETTE: Well, it is frustrating as a commander when you see how they operate and they -- and when they are effective on those days, it takes a lot of talking to your soldiers to explain why we've got to continue to do this, why it's important in the long run.

ROBERTS: The violence will last far longer than these troops will be in country. The 1st Brigade is scheduled to rotate home next month, many of them wondering if they'll have to come back.

John Roberts, with the First Brigade, Fourth Infantry Division in Tajit (ph).

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: In parts of the Midwest, the Mid-Atlantic and New England, some wicked weather on the weekend before Halloween. Cleanup is now under way after howling winds and flooding rains pounded the region. This scene, Portland, Maine, after high winds toppled a construction crane. It fell on several houses, but no injuries thankfully to report there. The storm system brought also down trees and power lines. In Massachusetts, a motorcyclist was killed by a falling tree.

Northeastern Ohio also pounded by high winds, and heavy rain and sleet. More than 30,000 people there lost power during this storm. Obviously quite a bit to talk about weather-wise.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HARRIS: Teen drivers make you nervous? You ain't seen nothing yet.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I look into his face and it's the face of what I initially thought was a 12 or 13-year-old kid.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: Getting behind the big wheel, and taking a -- well, it turned out to be a pretty smooth ride. That story straight ahead in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: A former boxing champ beaten to death outside the ring. Trevor Berbick was killed over the weekend near his home in Portland, Jamaica. A 20-year-old is now in custody. Residents of the town say Berbick may have been killed over a land dispute.

Here's Berbick in the ring about 10 years ago.

Berbick, you may remember, was Muhammad Ali's final opponent back in 1981. He beat Ali, and later ended up losing his heavyweight title to Mike Tyson.

COLLINS: He was Muhammad Ali's final opponent back in 1981. He beat Ali and later ending up losing his heavyweight title to Mike Tyson.

HARRIS: Talking tough on sexual predators. Candidates from both parties target parental voters in dozens of races.

CNN's Ted Rowlands has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How many more of these criminals walk our streets now?

TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Across the country candidates are trying to get votes by claiming that they're tough on Internet sex predators.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I have three daughters and I want to protect them. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: As attorney general, I'll create special training programs and task forces, so police can find Internet predators and we'll track them for life. There will be no place to hide.

ROWLANDS: So far this year, more than $38 million dollars has been spent in 91 different races on ads that deal with sex predators.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Now, it's your turn to help protect our children. Vote Juan Vargas, Democrat for Congress.

ROWLANDS: It doesn't always work. This man lost his primary, but experts say it's an issue that candidates from both sides love because nobody's against protecting children and the subject resonates with parents.

EVAN TRACEY, TNS MEDIA INTELLIGENCE/CMAG: Parents vote. After senior citizens, parents are the most reliable voting bloc. That's really the connection that candidates are going for. There's nobody out there that can say they've got a mile-long track record on this issue.

ROWLANDS: Except possibly Patty Wetterling, who is running for the open House seat in Minnesota's Sixth District. Seventeen years ago, her son Jacob was abducted and was never found. She's been a child safety advocate ever since. While her son's disappearance was long before the Internet, Wetterling is using child safety as an issue in her campaign ads, including a controversial TV spot that aired after the Mark Foley scandal.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It shocks the conscience. Congressional leaders have admitted covering up the predatory behavior of a congressman who used the Internet to molest children.

ROWLANDS (on camera): What's striking about most of these ads is that candidates can't really attack their opponents on this issue. Still, experts say they use it because it's an excellent way to connect with voters.

EVAN TRACEY, TNS MEDIA INTELLIGENCE/CMAG: It's absolutely fair. The goal of political advertising, all advertising really is to make an emotional connection with the viewers. In this case fear is the connection that candidates go for.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The most important thing I do is to help our police protect our kids.

ROWLANDS (voice-over): Whether or not those connections turn into votes is unclear, but expect to see more ads like this up until the election.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: With the Internet, you never really know.

ROWLANDS: Ted Rowlands, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE) HARRIS: Eight days until Election Day. Do you really know where your campaign contributions go? Anderson Cooper is back, keeping them honest and following the money trail Tonight, 10:00 p.m. Eastern time.

COLLINS: Alright, talking about the money trail, well, if you're planning to hit the ATM today, you should hear this first, a story that could save you a little bit of money. That's coming up in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: A torture and terror suspects at issue. The vice president asked whether dunking suspects in water during questioning is a no-brainer if it saved lives. Cheney said yes. The White House says that -- that's in no way an endorsement of water boarding when a suspect is made to believe he's about to drown. Cheney's wife, Lynne also defended her husband on CNN's "SITUATION ROOM" with Wolf Blitzer.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: This exchange with a radio talk-show host. Listen to this.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Would you agree a dunk in water is a no- brainer if it can save lives?

DICK CHENEY, VICE PRESIDENT: Well, it's a no-brainer for me. But, for awhile there I was criticized as being the vice president for torture. We don't torture, that's not what we're involved in.

BLITZER: It made it sound, and there's been an interpretation to this effect that he was in effect confirming that the United States used this water boarding, this technique that has been rejected by the international community that simulates a prisoner being drowned, if you will. And he was in effect supposedly confirming that the United States has been using that.

LYNNE CHENEY: That is a mighty house that you're building on top of that mole-hill there. A mighty mountain. This is a complete distortion -- he didn't say anything of the kind.

BLITZER: Because of the dunking -- using the water and the dunking.

CHENEY: I understand your point. It's kind of the point of a lot of people right now to try to distort the Administration's position. And if you really want to talk about that, I watched the program on CNN last night which I thought, it's your 2006 Voter program which I thought was a terrible distortion of the both the president and vice president's position on many issues. It seemed almost straight out of Democratic talking points -- using phrases like domestic surveillance, when it is not domestic surveillance that anyone has talked about or ever done. It's surveillance of terrorists. It's people that have Al Qaeda connections calling into the United States. So, I think we're in a season of distortion and this is just one more. BLITZER: But there have been some cases where innocent people have been picked up and interrogated, held for long periods of time and then simply said never mind, let go and they're let go.

CHENEY: Well, are you sure these people are innocent?

BLITZER: They're walking around free right now. Nobody has arrested them.

CHENEY: You made a point last night of a man who had a bookstore in London where radical Islamist gathered, who was in Afghanistan when the Taliban were there, who went to Pakistan. I think you might be a little careful before you declare this as a person who has clean hands.

BLITZER: You're referring to the CNN "BROKEN GOVERNMENT" special...

CHENEY: I certainly am...

BLITZER: This is the one John King reported on?

CHENEY: Well, right there, right there Wolf, broken government. Now, what kind of stance is that? Here we are -- we're a country where we have been mightily challenged over the past six years. We've been through 9/11, we've been through Katrina. The president and the vice president inherited a recession. We're a country where the economy is healthy. That's not broken. This government has acted very well. We've had tax cuts that are responsible for our healthy economy. We're a country that was attacked five years ago. We haven't been attacked since. What this government has done is effective. That's not broken government. So, you know, I shouldn't let media bias surprise me. But I worked with CNN once. I watched the program last night, and I was troubled.

BLITZER: All right. Well, that was probably the purpose, to get people to think, to get people to discuss these issues.

CHENEY: All right. Wolf, I'm here to talk about my book. But if you want to talk about distortion.

BLITZER: We can talk about your book.

CHENEY: What is CNN doing, running terrorists tape of terrorists shooting Americans. I mean, I thought Duncan Hunter asked you a very good question and you didn't answer it -- do you want us to win?

BLITZER: The answer, of course, is we want the United States to win. We are Americans. There's no doubt about that. Do you think...

CHENEY: Then why are you running terrorist propaganda.

BLITZER: With all due respect, with all due respect -- this is not terrorist propaganda. This is reporting the news, which is what we do. We're not partisan.

CHENEY: Where did you get the film?

BLITZER: Look, this is an issue that has been widely discussed. This is an issue that we've reported on extensively. We make no apologies for showing that. That was a very carefully considered decision, why we did that. And I think, and I think...

CHENEY: Well, I think it's shocking.

BLITZER: If you're a serious journalist, you want to report the news. Sometimes the news is good. Sometimes it isn't so good.

CHENEY: But, Wolf, there's a difference between news and terrorist propaganda.

BLITZER: If you put it in context, that's what news is. We said it was propaganda. We didn't distort where we got it. We didn't distort anything about it. We gave it the context.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: Lynne Cheney appearing on "THE SITUATION ROOM" with just days to go before the election. A primetime edition of "THE SITUATION ROOM" is expanding to two hours now. Paula Zahn joins Wolf Blitzer tonight at 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

COLLINS: Teen drivers make you a little bit nervous? Well, you ain't seen nothing yet.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I looked into his face, and it's the fact of what I initially thought was a 12-or 13-year-old kid.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: Getting behind the big wheel and taking a very smooth ride. That's coming up right here on the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Everybody get on the bus and say, what's up, to your driver. Some drivers in Orlando did quite a double take when they say who was behind the wheel.

Kimberly Houk of our affiliate WKMG has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KIMBERLY HOUK, WKMG REPORTER (voice-over): Ritchie Davis is not your typical kid.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If I would have been a blind person, I probably would have never even known.

LT. DENNIS LEMMA, SEMINOLE CO. SHERIFF'S OFFICE: Some of the passengers that were picked up had absolutely no idea that there was anything wrong.

HOUK: What's wrong with instead of sleeping in on a Saturday morning, getting up early and getting dressed.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The kids were in real baggy shorts, baggy shirt.

HOUK: He headed out. He needed a bus. He knew where to get one.

MATTHEW FRIEDMAN, LYNX: This is not something that anybody ever thought could possibly happen.

HOUK (on camera): This is where police say the boy came to get the bus in the early-morning hours. It's called the bus graveyard. It's where Lynx rings their old busses that their no longer using. It's out here at the Orange County Fairgrounds. But what police are most surprised about is that the boy was able to get up inside one of these buses. He knew how to start the engine. And then without even being stopped, he just drove off.

(voice-over): Off he went, out of the lot and onto a bus route, picking up riders like Jeffrey Johnson along the way.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I looked at his face and it was initially what I thought was a 12-or 13-year-old kid.

HOUK: No. This one's 15, but with the driving skills of a pro.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He was not weaving. You know, he wasn't coming close to cars. He was using his turn signals. You know, he knew how to operate the bus.

FRIEDMAN: He wasn't speeding.

HOUK: But the charade couldn't last forever -- he looked too young, the bus was too old, and riders with cell phones did him in.

LEMMA: The driver of the bus opened the door for the deputy, and then turned the bus off.

HOUK: His ride was over.

No, Ritchie Davis is not your typical kid, just ask his father.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He go around picking up people. That really blows me away.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: So that was his father's reaction. As for the police, Ritchie Davis has been charged with grand theft auto and driving without a license.

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