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What Political Campaigns Know About You; President Bush Hits the Road

Aired November 02, 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: You are in the CNN NEWSROOM.
Good morning, everyone.

I'm Tony Collins.

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

For the next three hours, watch events unfold live, watch events happen live on this Thursday, the 2nd of November.

Here's what's on the rundown.

New developments from Iraq on that kidnapped soldier snatched 11 days ago. The military now telling us more about him.

HARRIS: A toast to a healthier you -- the benefits, one study says, of raising a glass of red wine.

COLLINS: And Big Brother is watching and he may be a Republican or a Democrat micro targeting voters. What political campaigns know about you.

You are in THE NEWSROOM.

Out of sight but no longer without a name. New developments this morning out of Baghdad.

The U.S. military has identified the American soldier who vanished in Iraq a week-and-a-half ago. And they confirm suspicions that he was kidnapped as he visited his Iraqi wife.

Let's get straight to Baghdad now for the very latest and CNN's Aneesh Raman -- Aneesh, what else have we learned about the status of this missing soldier?

ANEESH RAMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, ongoing operations, Heidi, according to Major General William Caldwell, at his weekly press conference today, to try and secure the release of that kidnapped American soldier taken on October 23rd.

For the first time, the military today confirmed his identity -- 41-year-old Ahmed Qusai al-Taai, an interpreter that was working for the U.S. military. They also confirmed that he had left the fortified green zone where he was, the base -- sorry -- and had gone to visit his wife, an Iraqi wife here, her family. It was there that three cars pulled up. They kidnapped him and then they were contacted, the family, by his cell phone.

It is, as I mentioned, the first time we have had confirmation of his identity by the U.S. military, as well, of what led to his abduction. There had been some stories on the ground specifically coming from his mother-in-law.

The major general also went on to say what they know as we speak.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAJ. GEN. WILLIAM CALDWELL, SPOKESMAN, MULTI-NATIONAL FORCE-IRAQ: At this time, we believe the ones who kidnapped Ahmed currently still have him. We're using all our assets at our disposal to find him and the government of Iraq is actively supporting this effort and doing everything it can, too, at its level.

Make no mistake -- we will never stop looking for our service members. And intensive efforts will continue as we pursue finding our missing soldier, Specialist Ahmed al-Taai.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

RAMAN: Now, the major general said some 2,000 U.S. troops are in line to try and secure the rescue of this American soldier. Some 1,000 Iraqi troops are aiding them.

Some background, as well, on Ahmed Qusai al-Taai. He had moved to the United States, and Iraqi-American, when he was a teenager. He had joined the Army Reserves back in 2004; mobilized in August, 2005; deployed here to Iraq in November of last year.

Actionable intelligence they say they have as to his whereabouts concentrating east of the Tigris River, three main areas in the capital. Also, there is movement on the political front as they try to secure his release.

As well, we should mention at this presser, the major general said, Heidi, there has been a 41 percent decrease in sectarian attacks in the past week alone. He said that is, in part, due to the end of Ramadan. That sees a spike in attacks every year. Also, calls by religious leaders.

But they caution that one week a trend does not make -- Heidi.

COLLINS: All right, CNN's Aneesh Raman out of Baghdad this morning. An update on all of those situations there.

Aneesh, thank you.

HARRIS: Well, the final push with just five days to go. President Bush hits the road today, trying to shore up support for Republican candidates. And he says his support for two embattled members of his administration is unwavering.

White House correspondent Ed Henry joins us live with details -- and, Ed, let's start with a busy travel day for the president.

ED HENRY, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right.

Good morning, Tony.

The president literally just about to take off. He's heading first to Montana. As you know, Republican Senator Conrad Burns is on the ropes there. The Senate very much in play right now for the Democrats potentially taking it over. So the president wants to shore that up.

Then on to Nevada, Missouri, where there is yet another toss-up Senate race.

The president also going to Iowa and Colorado over the next couple of days.

After that, we really don't know where his plane is headed. White House aides will be looking at polling data right down to the final minutes there in the last two to three days, trying to figure out where he can best help.

They obviously are not going to send him to the places where he's going to hurt.

And while he's stumping for these candidates, he's also stumping, as you noted, for two key people in his administration, both Vice President Cheney and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, sticking behind them. In an interview with wire services yesterday, Secretary Rumsfeld in particular has been pilloried, not just by Democrats, but by Republican candidates out on the trail trying to separate themselves from the president, separate themselves from the Iraq policy.

Yesterday, though, the president declaring: "On Secretary Rumsfeld, I have asked him to fight two fronts in the war on terror -- Afghanistan and Iraq -- as well as transform our military. Any one of those would have been a lot for any secretary of defense to handle. He's handled all three at the same time and I'm pleased with the progress we're making."

Also, the secretary getting yet another vote of confidence this morning right here on CNN by White House Spokesman Tony Snow.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TONY SNOW, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: Don Rumsfeld is a visionary leader and he's competent and, yes, a lot of people may second-guess things that he's done. That also happens any time during warfare. The president knows the people he's got working for him.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HENRY: Now, Democrats already pouncing on this, saying they believe this shows the president is out of touch and even though he has given up that phrase "stay the course," they say by sticking both with the vice president and the defense secretary, the president is doing just that -- Tony.

HARRIS: And, Ed, with this latest vote of confidence in Rumsfeld and, in particular, Cheney -- you've dealt with Rumsfeld -- is the president really drawing a line in the sand here?

HENRY: Oh, absolutely. And I think partly it's for his conservative base. Despite the criticism in Washington, despite the criticism from Democrats and, as I noted, some Republicans, with Rumsfeld, in particular with the vice president, he's considered a rock star among conservatives when he goes out on the campaign trail. He, in fact, the vice president, was in Montana last night ahead of the president, trying to fire up the base out there.

So he -- the president is drawing a line in the sand. He's also telling Democrats despite all the speculation that perhaps after the election he might dump either Cheney or Rumsfeld, the president saying no way.

You remember a few months ago the president saying I'm the decider. He's reminding everyone, in fact, he is the decider -- Tony.

HARRIS: White House correspondent Ed Henry.

Ed, thank you.

HENRY: Thank you.

COLLINS: The senator says he's sorry. John Kerry apologizing for what he calls "a botched joke." Now Democrats hope that's the last word on the subject.

But Republicans may have plenty more to say.

CNN chief national correspondent John King follows the fallout.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

JOHN KING, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): An upbeat Democratic rally in Philadelphia -- Senator John Kerry asked to stay away, so as not to spoil the optimistic mood...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes!

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

KING: ... or change the focus.

GOV. ED RENDELL (D), PENNSYLVANIA: It's a terrible distraction in the last couple of days. Bob Casey versus Rick Santorum, not Senator Kerry -- Bob Casey versus Rick Santorum.

KING: But much of the day's back and forth here in Pennsylvania and across the country was about John Kerry.

SEN. HILLARY CLINTON (D), NEW YORK: What Senator Kerry said was inappropriate. And I believe we can't let it divert us from looking at the issues that are at stake in our country.

KING: After definitely refusing for two days to apologize, the Massachusetts senator bowed to mounting pressure from fellow Democrats, angry he had given Republicans a late campaign gift.

In a statement issued Wednesday evening, Kerry said: "I sincerely regret that my words were misinterpreted to wrongly imply anything negative about those in uniform. And I personally apologize to any service member, family member or American who was offended."

At issue was this Kerry statement Monday night in California.

SEN. JOHN KERRY (D), MASSACHUSETTS: You know, education, if you make the most of it and you study hard and you do your homework and you make an effort to be smart, you -- you can do well. If you don't, you get stuck in Iraq.

KING: The apology was welcome news to Democrats like Iraq veteran Patrick Murphy, who is trying to defeat a Republican incumbent in the Philadelphia suburbs and says the GOP was trying to use the Kerry statement to steer focus away from the big picture.

PATRICK MURPHY (D), PENNSYLVANIA CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATE: Let's put it back in perspective. We have men and women that are dying every single day in Iraq and Afghanistan, with no end in sight. We need to hold this administration accountable.

KING: Kerry insisted he had mangled a joke and meant to criticize President Bush, not the troops.

But it was the president leading a coast to coast Republican condemnation.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "THE RUSH LIMBAUGH RADIO SHOW")

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Anybody who is -- who's in a position to serve this country ought to understand the consequences of words. And our troops deserve the full support -- they -- of -- of people in government.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: Pennsylvania offered a vivid snapshot of the fallout. This Philadelphia rally was wiped from Kerry's schedule, along with events in Iowa and Minnesota. And the senator now will stay off the mid-term campaign trail so that other Democrats don't face the swarm of questions Pennsylvania Senate candidate Bob Casey faced after his campaign made clear Kerry was no longer welcome here.

BOB CASEY, JR. (D), PENNSYLVANIA SENATORIAL CANDIDATE: He didn't make a mistake like this president did, and like Rick Santorum did, by failing to ask the tough questions about Iraq.

KING: Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell said someone with Kerry's experience should have been more careful, but predicted limited damage. RENDELL: Forget what John Kerry said about the war in Iraq and let's assume it was a stupid statement. Let's focus on what they've done in the war in Iraq.

KING: Top Democrats hope the apology ends the uproar, but worry it could impact a few of their top 20 House targets -- the Kentucky seat held by Republican Ron Lewis one of them.

REP. RON LEWIS (R), KENTUCKY: I don't know how they do military training in Massachusetts...

(LAUGHTER)

LEWIS: ... but we have the best and brightest right here at Fort Knox, Kentucky.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

KING (on camera): The White House issued a statement late Wednesday calling Senator Kerry's apology "late but welcome."

Consider that a rare point of agreement between President Bush and Democrats in this contentious election year.

John King, CNN, Philadelphia.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

COLLINS: For the latest breaking political news, check your updates throughout the day on CNN Political Ticker at cnn.com. And be sure to tune in every night until election for a special expanded edition of "THE SITUATION ROOM." Join Wolf Blitzer and Paula Zahn 7:00 p.m. Eastern all week.

HARRIS: Let's get a check of weather now.

Chad Myers standing by in the CNN Weather Center -- Chad, what are you watching today?

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Tony, did you know that wet leaves are more colorful than dried leaves?

HARRIS: No.

MYERS: Well, when the rain gets on them they shine a little bit more...

HARRIS: Ah!

MYERS: ... and they're more vibrant.

Hence...

HARRIS: Thank you for that.

MYERS: Hence, in point, here is a live shot from our affiliate -- actually, from our tower cam up there in New York City.

HARRIS: At Central Park.

MYERS: Central Park looking all colorful here. A lot of leaves still on the trees up here.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COLLINS: Call it frantic politics. It's definitely surprising what the campaigns know about you. Investigating your political DNA ahead in THE NEWSROOM.

HARRIS: Also, property taxes the bane of the existence of homeowners. The lifeblood, on the other hand, of local governments. Finding common ground in your own backyard.

Gerri Willis tells you how to trim your bill, ahead in THE NEWSROOM.

COLLINS: And eat up then drink up?

It sounds good to me. Red wine, your health and a new study. You're going to want to put down the remote for this one.

But, before you pick up a glass -- of, preferably, orange juice -- get the full story from our Dr. Gupta ahead in THE NEWSROOM.

You're watching CNN, the most trusted name in news.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Authorities are investigating an emergency landing in Florida. This chartered jet skidded to a stop on its belly as it landed early yesterday at Fort Lauderdale Hollywood International Airport in Florida. Airport officials say the plane's landing gear failed to extend. But no one at the airport knew the plane was having trouble until it landed. The runway was shut down temporarily while crews cleared spilled fuel. No one was hurt.

And fire in the chemistry lab.

COLLINS: Now classes are out for the year at a North Carolina school. The fire broke out in a second floor chemistry classroom at East Gilford High School in Gibsonville. The school was heavily damaged. No students or teachers were hurt, but three firefighters were injured while battling that blaze. No immediate word on what exactly caused the fire.

HARRIS: And health concerns in Boston this morning. Children's Hospital there reporting an outbreak of whooping cough. Three patients and 15 staff members have been diagnosed with the bacterial infection. Dozens of other staff members have symptoms and are undergoing tests. The hospital has sent letters to the parents of about 1,000 patients who may have come in contact with the disease. It's rare, but whooping cough can be deadly in infants who have not been vaccinated. COLLINS: You've probably heard that red wine can be good for you. But now something new. A study shows that a substance found in red wine had big health benefits for overweight mice.

So what does it mean for men and women?

Well, Dr. Sanjay Gupta here now with the story.

I mean you have to start the study with the mice.

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You have to talk about that this was in mice first.

COLLINS: Right.

GUPTA: And a lot of people are paying attention to this because it's in the red wine. An interesting study, though, talking about a substance known as resveratrol. People out there remember this name, because it's going to become something people talk about a lot.

But here's the study. They looked at mice who ate -- 60 percent of their diet was fat, which, unfortunately, approximates a lot of human diets, as well.

COLLINS: Yes.

GUPTA: And they were trying to figure out if they gave the substance, resveratrol, to them, could they somehow reduce some of the effects, like diabetes, liver problems, actually increase their life span?

And what they found was, in fact, they could do those things. The mice stayed fat, they stayed obese. But some of the risks, health risks associated with being obese went significantly down. They lived longer, as well. Obviously, a lot of excitement, but just in mice so far -- Heidi.

COLLINS: Yes.

But what is the resveratrol? Is it something that's used in the fermentation process of the wine? Or is it something that naturally occurs in...

GUPTA: It naturally occurs. It's really interesting, actually. The way they grow grapes is they grow them under stress.

COLLINS: Right.

GUPTA: That's how you grow this particular fruit.

COLLINS: Yes.

GUPTA: And resveratrol, they believe, is a substance that helps grapes actually accommodate to that stress.

So there's been a lot of interest in the scientific community, if you could take this sort of stress busting substance, isolate it and give it to the mice, might you reduce some of the effects of...

COLLINS: Wow!

GUPTA: ... a stressful life, like, you know, our bad diets, sun- exposure, smoking, whatever.

COLLINS: Sure.

So, you know, it is working in mice at this point.

But then how does that translate to how much red wine you can drink as a human being?

GUPTA: Well, you'd have to drink a lot. I mean the actual numbers of glasses of red wine, you'd have to...

COLLINS: How did I know you were going to say that.

GUPTA: Heidi, you'd have to drink a lot of red wine.

COLLINS: That's where the problem lies.

GUPTA: I'm the good doctor here. A hundred glasses, actually, a day is what they're talking about, which is...

COLLINS: Good lord!

GUPTA: ... which is obviously impractical for most people.

But, what they're talking about is actually being able to take the actual substance, maybe some way, turn it into a supplement or an injection of some sort and give that instead.

COLLINS: Yes.

GUPTA: I have to point out, as well, it's important that the lead author on the study in mice is also a stockholder in the company that might make the supplement. We've got to point that out.

COLLINS: Sure.

GUPTA: I don't know if it makes a difference in the research, but important to say.

COLLINS: You never know.

So, here's where we are with the mice.

How long before we might see some benefit to human beings?

GUPTA: Right now, there is some testing going on specifically with resveratrol, looking at diabetics -- could you somehow give this stress busting substance to diabetes and decrease their need for insulin?

They're looking at that. Probably at the end of next year you'll start to see some data. And than a few years after that, might you see a supplement of any sort.

COLLINS: Well, it's fascinating.

GUPTA: Resveratrol.

COLLINS: It is fascinating.

GUPTA: Yes, it is.

COLLINS: We knew red wine as the anti-coagulant, right?

GUPTA: That's right. Yes.

COLLINS: But now we're learning about possibly more.

GUPTA: It could be doing even more, that's right.

COLLINS: Very good.

Sanjay, thank you.

GUPTA: In moderation though, still, for now.

COLLINS: Yes, always. Yes, please.

HARRIS: Have you heard about this new trend in politics called micro targeting, the micro targeting of voters?

The idea is to maximize campaign efficiency. We will explain it straight ahead in THE NEWSROOM.

COLLINS: And we are also Minding Your Business right here on the CNN NEWSROOM.

Andy Serwer here now with a preview -- hi, Andy.

ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: Hey, Heidi, why is one of America's largest and most storied construction companies leaving Iraq?

We'll get to that coming up next in THE NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: A major government contractor completes its work in Iraq.

Andy Serwer is Minding Your Business on this -- Andy, usually we have a really good time with this segment with you, but this is a pretty serious subject here with Bechtel.

SERWER: It is. And, Heidi, of course, Bechtel is one of the nation's largest construction companies and it had been in Iraq for three years doing about $2.3 billion of work. Of course, roads, bridges, all the huge infrastructure projects -- power grid, water, phone lines. And this company has a long history of ties to Republican administrations. Casper Weinberger led this company. He was a former secretary of defense. George Shultz, also, who was a secretary of state during Republican administrations. He led this company, as well.

But what happened, Heidi, is that there was a terrible cost here. The company lost 52 employees, 52 workers were killed while doing work over there in Iraq and dozens -- dozens were also injured. And that is a very, very difficult cost to pay.

COLLINS: Yes, they were completing so many contracts over there, with a heck of a lot of work to be done.

But did they end up giving those contracts away because of these casualties?

SERWER: Well, you know, it is a little difficult to say right now. But it appears that basically their contract ran out and it just was not renewed. They basically did all their work except for two projects, they said -- a water treatment plant in Baghdad and a children's hospital that Laura Bush had championed. Otherwise, they said, their work was done and they were pulling out.

But you can understand that it might not be the best kind of business for them to be in.

COLLINS: Yes, you definitely can understand it.

What else has Bechtel done, though, besides its work in Iraq?

SERWER: Well, it's this huge global company based out of San Francisco, interestingly, a private company. But they've done some of the, you know most storied projects, construction projects around the world. They've built the Chunnel, the Channel Tunnel, under the English Channel, of course; and the Hoover Dam. And, interestingly, you know, we talk about the number of lives lost in Iraq by Bechtel, they actually lost more workers' lives -- more workers were killed making the Hoover Dam than were killed in Iraq.

COLLINS: Wow!

SERWER: That was an incredibly dangerous and difficult project for them.

So this is a difficult and dangerous business. But the price may have been just too high for them in Iraq.

COLLINS: Yes, boy, think of the architecture of that Hoover Dam.

SERWER: That's right.

COLLINS: You can see it, how incredibly dangerous it must have been.

SERWER: Yes. COLLINS: All right, Andy Serwer, thank you.

SERWER: Thanks, Heidi.

HARRIS: Now much personal information do you want political campaigns to know about you?

They know more than you think.

Micro targeting voters -- they know where you live. The story in THE NEWSROOM.

COLLINS: And securing Iraq -- it is a tall order, especially when the security forces are part of the problem. We'll talk about that in a moment here in THE NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: The search and had rescue mission intensifies in Iraq as the U.S. military updates the hunt for its missing soldier. Earlier today, we learned the name of the Iraqi-American translator. He is 41-year-old Ahmed Qusai Al Ta'ai, and he was apparently abducted while visiting his Iraqi wife.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAJ. GEN. WILLIAM CALDWELL, SPOKESMAN, MULTINATIONAL FORCE IRAQ: Iraqi security forces and coalition troops are working around the clock to return him to safety, and to return him back to his family. And also to catch the perpetrators of this crime. Search operations are based on actionable intelligence, and there has been a particular focus in areas east of the tie Tigris river. Elements of five bringing aid combat teams, more than 2,000 coalition forces, and more than 1,000 Iraqi security forces are directly involved in this search operation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: Well, he says his military career was a casualty of the Abu Ghraib Prison abuse scandal. Retired Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez served a year as commander of U.S. forces in Iraq. During that time he issued memos authorizing harsh interrogation techniques, but he was cleared of any criminal wrongdoing. Sanchez tells the "Monitor" in McCallen (ph) Texas, Abu Ghraib is the sole reason he was forced to retire. Photos of Iraqi prisoner abuse ignited international controversy. Sanchez says he was passed over for a position as head of the U.S. Southern Command after the scandal surfaced. He retired yesterday. There has been no comment from the Army.

Death squads, sectarian killings and suicide bombings part of the daily reality of life in Iraq. The U.S. is pushing for Iraqis to play a bigger role in securing their own country, but what do you do when those security forces are a part of the problem?

CNN's John Roberts explains. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN ROBERTS, CNN SR. NAT'L CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It was graduation day in Numinia (ph). Sixteen hundred recruits of the 4th National Police Brigade on the parade ground after four weeks of retraining in human rights and the law.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The idea is to make them from more paramilitary to actual policing-type organization. It's gone pretty well so far, there are a few bumps in the road. This is the first class to come through.

ROBERTS: The course was ordered after another national police brigade was taken off the streets early last month, suspected of involvement in the sectarian violence that has gripped the nation.

(on camera): This graduation ceremony is all very exciting for these recruits and for the U.S. military, which one day hopes to turn security of the nation over to them. But there are ongoing concerns about militia infiltration in these forces. In fact, taken as a whole, between the Iraqi police and the national police, some report say that up 70 percent of these members have some connection to a militia.

(voice-over): Publicly, the U.S. military is trying to put its best spin on the development of the Iraqi police. But privately, American solders who work them with them admit infiltration, particularly by Shiite militias, is a huge problem.

Iraq's Sunni vice president is demanding a purge of all police units, saying, "The security situation is deteriorating, and security forces are playing a big part in that."

At the same time though, Sunnis and U.S. commanders are praising the incorporation of tribal militias into the police forces in the western town of Ramadi, a Sunni stronghold. And down south in the Shiite town of Amarra, police commanders who were recently attacked by the Mahdi militia they proudly claim membership in the competing Badr Brigades, an organization with suspected ties to Iran, which in turn, backs Iraq's Shiite leaders.

The witches' brew of Iraqi politics has complicated the job of cleansing the Iraqi security forces. But the new top cop, Interior Minister Jawad al Bolani, assured us he is committed to the task.

JAWAD AL BOLANI, IRAQI MINISTER OF THE INTERIOR: (SPEAKING IN ARABIC)

ROBERTS: "We are talking here about individuals," he says, "and if those individuals violate the law, they will be punished. And we have very firm measures regarding this."

Ultimately the problem lies in the militias themselves. And as long as Iraqi leaders, who derive much of their support from Shiite militia leaders, refuse to put them out of business, this celebration may be short lived. John Roberts, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: This will come as absolutely no surprise. Big Brother is watching, and he may be a Democrat or a Republican. Political campaigns know more about you than you might think.

CNN's Randi Kaye has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Kevonna and Vic Tandon have two children, drink gourmet coffee, shop online and drive a Toyota Camry. May not mean much to you, but to Republicans and Democrats, knowing that could mean the difference between a victory and a loss.

KEVONNA TANDON, FOLCROFT, PA. RESIDENT: I don't know if it's necessarily such a good idea to categorize people and say they're Democrats or Republicans based upon how many people are in their households, or what they have a tendency to purchase.

KAYE: But the Tandons are categorized. They live in Folcroft, Pennsylvania, outside Philadelphia, one of the most micro-targeted areas in the country, according to consultant Alex Gage.

ALEX GAGE, TARGETPOINT CONSULTING: It's a way to manage your voters as individual customers.

KAYE: The Republican Party pays Gage millions to figure out voters' political DNA. The Democrats spend millions, too. The parties buy your personal data, just like any other company, but then cross-reference it with your voting habits, such as which elections you voted in. Their computer spits out a voter profile -- your political DNA.

K. TANDON: Big Brother may be watching.

KAYE: Micro-targeters know what you read, what kind of coffee you drink, even if you have caller I.D. These tidbits help political parties customize their message, and bring it to your front door.

Did I mention micro-targeters know where you live, too?

(on camera): Here in Folcroft, Pennsylvania, how do micro- targeters know which house is Democrat and which house is Republican? Well, the Republican household's DNA includes a playset in the front yard, a minivan in the driveway, a computer that's a PC and more dogs than cats. Republicans also, according to micro-targeters, watch football, not basketball. Oh, and they don't smoke.

Their neighbor, the Democrat, has a very different political DNA. They're more likely to have a hybrid car, an Apple computer and a platinum credit card. They shop at upscale stores, buy gourmet wine and cheese and own both dogs and cats. (voice-over): Armed with tiny electronic databases, canvassers from both parties go door to door, pushing issues your political DNA tells them you care about. If you've been identified as a likely opponent of the Iraq war, Republicans may target you with messages about other issues, while Democrats may focus on the war.

GAGE: We can build all sorts of models, and we can build models that say, well, here's some Democrat voters that happen to be socially conservative and are high turnout voters. So if you want to go in and try and pull out and generate some defection, you can do that.

KAYE: In a sense, the politician is choosing you instead of the other way around. After the canvassers get a sense of which way you're leaning, they rush that information back to the computer, so you can be sliced and diced some more. Sound like dirty politics?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think it's dirty, I really do.

KAYE: Privacy rights advocate Lily Coney (ph) argues micro- targeting manipulates voters, instead of sticking to the issues.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's an undermining of the fabric of personal information, literally buying and selling lives.

KAYE: Voters like the Tandons think politicians should spend a little more time examining their own DNA.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: Randi Kaye joins us now from New York. Randi, good to see you. Good morning.

KAYE: Good morning, Tony.

I won't ask you if you watch football or basketball, I don't want to know.

HARRIS: Good, good, because it depends from day to day, week to week, month to month, whatever I'm feeling at the moment.

So, Randy, bottom line this morning, isn't this really about identifying, expanding, growing your base?

KAYE: Well, first and foremost it's about winning elections, but yes, growing the base is certainly a nice bonus. There are plenty of what the parties call these floating voters out there. And the parties want to sway them to vote their way, of course, and support the party long term even better. And with microtargeting, the parties can look for issues that will actually bridge their base supporters with persuadable voters. They can figure out that John Smith on block A and neighborhood X will support them, but maybe Susie Jones across the street on block A in neighborhood X is leaning toward the opposition. And this helps them identify the supporters and potential defectors and grab them before the other party does

HARRIS: You know what I really want to ask you is whether or not one side goes to the other side to talk to the person who doesn't -- but anyway, let me ask you this. Does it really work?

KAYE: They do. The answer to that is yes, they do.

HARRIS: OK. Does all of this really work?

KAYE: Well, according to Alex Gage, from Targetpoint, he works with the Republicans, he says that the party wouldn't be spending millions on it if it didn't work. The Bush-Cheney campaign, you may recall, spent more than $3 million to produce micro-targeting models and to get votes in just 18 states. And the Democrats, they think it works, too. We went door to door with the folks from Working America, which is affiliated with Democrats and the AFL-CIO, and they told me that they expect 70 percent of the people that they micro-target, that they connect with, through micro-targeting to actually vote their way. So apparently, according to them, it works.

HARRIS: Good stuff. Randi Kaye for us in New York. Randi, good to see you.

KAYE: Good to see you, Tony.

CNN primetime next Tuesday night, beginning at 7:00, Wolf Blitzer, Anderson Cooper, Paula Zahn and Lou Dobbs lead the best political team on television. As your votes are counted, the races, results, ramifications, all Tuesday night, beginning at 7:00 Eastern.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HARRIS: Well, here's a question for you -- who approves of the latest trend in campaign commercials?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN SPENCER: I'm John Spencer, and I approved this message.

RICK SANTORUM: I'm Rick Santorum, and I approved this message.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I approved this message.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: CNN's Jeanne Moos has the last word on the last words in this year's political ads. You're watching CNN, the most trusted name in news.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: This midterm election now just days away, the airwaves are awash in campaign ads, many with one thing in common.

CNN's Jeanne Moos explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): You're now in...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: "The Twilight Zone."

MOOS: The zone right before an election, when it's impossible to tune out all of the campaign ads. They scare us.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Homosexuals are mocking holy matrimony.

MOOS: They apologize to us.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Should you forgive me?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And for that I'm sorry.

MOOS: They try to amuse us. For instance, with a shrub representing President Bush.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So what's our exit strategy from Iraq?

MOOS: And even if we don't approve, they do.

JON TESTER: I'm Jon Tester, and I approve this message.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And I approve this message.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And I approve this message.

MOOS: But these days, candidates are trying to improve on how they approve.

SEN. HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON (D), NEW YORK: I'm Hillary Clinton and I'm delighted to approve this message.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I approve this message even though I know it may not be what you want to hear.

HAROLD FORD JR: I approve this message because I won't let them make me someone I'm not.

MOOS: Back in 2004, when candidates were first required to state they approved the content of their ads, campaigns tended to think it was a waste of a precious five seconds. Now they're trying to make their approvals more interesting now.

KIRSTEN GILLIBRAND: I'm Kirsten Gillibrand and I approve this message because Mrs. Hannaman (ph) was the best teacher I ever had.

MOOS: Sometimes their approvals wreaks with disapproval of their opponents.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And I approve this message, because Brad Miller is out of touch, and soon he'll be out of Congress.

ANGIE PACCIONE: I'm Angie Paccione and I approve this message because if Marilyn keeps lying about my record, I'll keep telling the truth about hers.

MOOS: Sometimes one approver just isn't enough. NED LAMONT: I'm Ned Lamont and I approve this message.

CROWD: So do we.

TOM KEAN JR: I'm Tom Kean Jr.

CROWD: And I approve this message.

MOOS: Guess he hasn't heard that children should be seen, but not heard.

CHRIS CARNEY: I'm Chris Carney and I approve this message because I want to make Pennsylvania proud.

BRIAN KENNEDY: I approve this message to defend our border.

VERNON ROBINSON: I approve of this message and of traditional American values.

MOOS: Leave it to beaver, not to politicians.

TESTER: I'm Jon Tester and I approve this message. I approved the haircut, too.

MOOS (on camera): I'm Jeanne Moos and I approve this story because somebody had to.

(voice-over): Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: Still to come, health or hidden agenda? Voting and vaccinating. Some say the two don't mix.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: To pursue such a program we first, we believe, is a violation of the law.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: So, why would getting a flu shot be against the law? details ahead in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Some early voters in Houston were getting a little something extra with their ballots. Flu shots.

But as we learn from Mary Benton of CNN affiliate KPRC, not everyone was convinced the program was health oriented.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARY BENTON, KPRC REPORTER (voice-over): For 83-year-old Sue Cano (ph), it seemed like a good idea -- get a free flu vaccine at the same place she was going to early vote.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She said it helps because seniors can get the shot because most places they charge you, and this will help them to vote and take care of her shot at the same time.

BENTON: The vote and vaccinate clinics are set up at four polling locations, but the city is pulling the plug on the program.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When something is illegal, it's wrong, period.

BENTON: The Harris County Republican Party was preparing to file a lawsuit and had contacted the U.S. Justice Department. The GOP claimed voters in Democratic areas were being targeted by vote and vaccinate. Jared Woodfill blames the mayor.

JARED WOODFILL, HARRIS COUNTY TEXAS GOP CHAIRMAN: So, if his motivation is not to turn out the vote, then, one, let's move the date to November 8th after the election and let's open it up city-wide. Let's not target Democrat strongholds.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Nothing was done wrong. Nothing was done wrong.

BENTON: Still, the mayor says the city will return grant money it received to operate vote and vaccinate, a program he insisted was targeted at public health and not politics.

BILL WHITE, MAYOR OF HOUSTON: Perception is important and I want to make sure there's no perception that there be -- and I'm frustrated that people have tried to politicize a public health issue.

WOODFILL: Specifically, the statute makes clear that you cannot receive consideration or compensation in exchange for a vote, so to pursue such a program, we first, we believe, was a violation of the law.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: Still to come, ads that make you go ugh. How political attack ads hit their marks?

COLLINS: And sexual offenders who prey on children, beware. Police are on the hunt for you. That's ahead in the NEWSROOM -- Operation Falcon.

HARRIS: On the job and under fire, the perils of drawing a paycheck in Iraq. A closer look at civilian contractors. In the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Listen up. Hearing loss can become a problem at any age. In fact, there's a big concern about young people plugging in and turning up the volumes on those MP3 players, the iPods.

CNN medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen takes a look in today's "30, 40, 50".

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Crank up the music, and you may pay later for pressing play now. Having music piped directly into our ears has doctors worried that many of us are headed for hearing problems sooner rather than later in life. Gina Roell began having hearing problems in her early 40s. She doesn't think it was because of music.

GINA ROELL: I think mine comes from my mom. She had hearing loss.

COHEN: She's 50 now and has been wearing her hearing aides for about two weeks.

ROELL: You think of somebody much older having hearing aides.

COHEN: Actually, more than 65 percent of people with hearing loss are under age 65, including one in six baby boomers and one in 14 generation Xers. In your 30s, your ears have taken nearly a third of a century of abuse. Focus on preventing more damage. Use earplugs around loud noises, such as engines and wood-working tools and audiologists say you should wear them even while using your hair dryer. And turn down that iPod.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A good rule of thumb with the iPods to know that it's too loud -- is if someone can hear it next to you, it definitely needs to be turned down.

COHEN: In your 40s, significant hearing loss truly begins. You may notice you're asking people to repeat things or leaving your turn signal on in your car because you can't hear the clicking. Or turning the volume way up on your TV, or, like Gina, resorting to closed captioning on the screen

GINA ROELL: Last week we watched a movie and I got to watch it without any of the words on it and that was kind of neat.

COHEN: In your 50s, many people notice they have trouble hearing on the phone and get frustrated in crowded situations. Audiologists say everyone should have regular hearing tests starting at age 50.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: After the age of 50, 55, you may want to do it every two to five years.

COHEN: And if you do need a hearing aide, don't worry, it won't be this kind or even this kind. Today, hearing aides are tiny pieces of technology and very difficult to see. And, what did Gina Roell's think about her newest accessory?

ROELL: I haven't really shown anyone. I guess it's just that I would rather really wait for a while.

COHEN: Her friends may not know it, but Gina is finally hearing all the things she's been missing. Elizabeth Cohen, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Good morning everybody, I'm Heidi Collins.

HARRIS: And, I'm Tony Harris. Spend the second hour in the NEWSROOM this morning and stay informed. Here's what's on the rundown. Dirty politics, campaign ads getting downright nasty. How you may unwittingly be playing a role.

COLLINS: Has Iraq become a security nightmare? An internal Pentagon memo reveals how the military feels about the situation.

HARRIS: And if the Democrats take back Congress, who will be in some of the most powerful positions? It is Thursday, November 2nd. And you are in the NEWSROOM.

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