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Influential Preacher Caught in Gay Sex Scandal; Continued Violence Plagues Iraq

Aired November 03, 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 Harris.

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

For the next three hours, watch events live on this Friday, the third day of November.

Here's what's on the rundown.

A developing story out of Colorado. A well known Evangelical leader accused in a sexual scandal. Details on the allegations and the pastor's denial.

HARRIS: Missing in Iraq -- we're with troops on a dangerous hunt for a kidnapped U.S. soldier.

COLLINS: And same-sex marriage -- a campaign issue in 2006, even in places where it's not on the ballot.

That and more this hour in THE NEWSROOM.

A prominent Evangelical pastor, an outspoken opponent of gay marriage, now accused in a gay sex scandal.

The Reverend Ted Haggard has temporarily stepped down from the pulpit of his 14,000-member Colorado church. The acting pastor says Haggard has admitted to some indiscretion, but not to all of the allegations against him.

The accusations were made by a former gay male prostitute who says Haggard paid him for sex. He says he went public because of Haggard's support for a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage in Colorado.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MIKE JONES, ACCUSER/MALE ESCORT: People may look at me and what I've done as immoral, but I think I had to do the moral thing in my mind, and that is expose someone who is preaching one thing but doing the opposite behind everybody's back.

(END VIDEO CLIP) COLLINS: Before he stepped down, Haggard denied the allegations. And here's what he said in an interview Wednesday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REV. TED HAGGARD, NEW LIFE CHURCH: I've never had a gay relationship with anybody and I, you know, I'm steady with my wife. I'm faithful to my wife. And so I don't know if this is election year politics or if this has to do with the marriage amendment or what it is.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: Haggard also resigned as president of the National Association of Evangelicals. The attorney for Haggard's church tells "The Denver Post" Haggard's resignation is in no way an admission of guilt, but is in keeping with church policy.

HARRIS: The Reverend Ted Haggard's influence extends far beyond the Colorado pulpit to the national stage.

Here's a profile of the pastor.

He is 50 years old, married and the father of five children. Until his decision to step down temporarily, Haggard served as senior pastor of The New Life Church in Colorado Springs.

Since he started the church in 1985, it has grown to 14,000 members.

As head of the National Association of Evangelicals, Haggard participated in weekly conference calls with White House staffers. He has also campaigned against same-sex marriage and lobbied Congress for conservative Supreme Court judges.

Religion and politics -- more on the Evangelical movement and the allegations against one of its former leaders. Our faith and values correspondent, Delia Gallagher, joins us ahead in THE NEWSROOM.

Another top U.S. official makes an unannounced visit to National Intelligence Director John Negroponte is in Baghdad for meetings with Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki.

CNN's Aneesh Raman joins us live from Baghdad -- Aneesh, good morning.

ANEESH RAMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Tony, good morning.

As you mentioned, the second visit in just a few days by Bush administration officials. This one, the national intelligence director, John Negroponte, a big one because, of course, here he was formerly the U.S. ambassador to Iraq. He's got a rapport with the leaders of the Iraqi government.

He has met so far today with the Iraqi prime minister, Nouri Al- Maliki, something that the national security adviser, Stephen Hadley, did a few days ago, as well, here in the capital city.

It's part, it would seem, of an effort by the Bush administration to bolster support for this Maliki government. That relationship had come under strain in the past week or so. Maliki blasting out against the U.S. and a lot of criticism out of Washington as to whether the Iraqi prime minister was the right man for the job.

None of that was said today. Instead, Negroponte voicing full support from President Bush for the Iraqi government and its prime minister -- Tony.

HARRIS: Yesterday, General Caldwell talked about post-Ramadan violence in Iraq and a reduction there.

What did he have to say specifically, Aneesh?

RAMAN: Yes, he mentioned that, in terms of numbers, a 41 percent drop in sectarian attacks, a large drop in IED attacks. He attributed that both to the expected upsurge in violence that we saw during Ramadan that has come before. Also, he said, to calls from various religious leaders on the ground to stop the violence.

Now, he mentioned, perhaps importantly, that one week a trend does not make. And that was evidenced by what we've seen in the past 24 hours. We've seen 56 bullet-ridden bodies discovered throughout the capital city. And the U.S. military confirming today that yesterday, Thursday, four U.S. soldiers and one Marine were killed in separate incidents; the soldiers in and around the capital; the U.S. Marine killed out in that violate western Al Anbar Province -- Tony.

HARRIS: OK, Aneesh Raman for us in Baghdad.

Aneesh, thank you.

COLLINS: A U.S. soldier convicted in the Abu Ghraib Prison scandal goes back to Iraq. He's Sergeant Santos Cardona, a military dog handler at Abu Ghraib in 2003 and 2004. You may recall Cardona was convicted after pictures surfaced of him using a dog to threaten Iraqis.

Well, he's served his 90-day sentence. Now the military says he's with a unit assigned to train Iraqi police officers. A "Time" magazine report says some former U.S. military officials think that sends the wrong message. And according to "Time," friends say Cardona fears he is a marked man in Iraq.

How to build an atom bomb -- documents on Iraq's once secret nuclear research reportedly published on a Web site. We'll have that story coming up in THE NEWSROOM.

If Democrats take control of Congress after next week's elections, what would they do about Iraq?

CNN's Congressional correspondent Andrea Koppel takes a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE) ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): If Democrats win next week, does that mean U.S. troops will start leaving Iraq?

The vast majority of Americans think it does. According to a new "New York Times"/CBS News poll, four out of 10 Americans believe if Democrats take control of Congress, they will reduce the number of U.S. troops in Iraq, while yet another 40 percent believe Democrats will try to withdraw all U.S. troops.

Under one plan, co-authored by Rhode Island Democrat Jack Reed and supported by dozens of Senate Democrats, U.S. troops would begin to withdraw by the end of this year. But it stops short of setting a time line to withdraw all U.S. forces.

SEN. JACK REED (D), RHODE ISLAND: A precipitous withdrawal in a matter of a few weeks or months won't work practically and I don't think it would contribute to the best outcome.

KOPPEL: On the other end of the spectrum, Pennsylvania Democrat Jack Murtha strongly disagrees with Reed and has called for all U.S. troops leave Iraq.

REP. JOHN MURTHA (D), PENNSYLVANIA: There is no solution to Iraq, there's only an alternative, and that's to redeploy and let the Iraqis handle it themselves.

KOPPEL: And while Massachusetts Senator John Kerry and about a dozen other Senate Democrats agree with Murtha, Delaware's Joe Biden has other ideas, too. Under his plan, Iraq would be partitioned into three autonomous regions, with a strong central government responsible for splitting oil revenues among them. Experts say it's no surprise Democrats do not speak with one voice on Iraq.

MICHAEL O'HANLON, BROOKINGS INSTITUTION: On the one hand, they have to deliver in terms of a better policy. On the other hand, the public also wants them to get troops home. And those two thoughts are not necessarily compatible.

KOPPEL (on camera): For that and other reasons, some experts predict, the most likely outcome may be more of the same, with Democrats continuing to support the budget for U.S. troops, while at the same time continuing to criticize the president's policy.

Andrea Koppel, CNN, Capitol Hill.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

COLLINS: CNN prime time next Tuesday night, beginning at 7:00 Eastern -- Wolf Blitzer, Anderson Cooper, Paula Zahn and Lou Dobbs lead the best political team on television as your votes are counted.

We'll have the races and, of course, the results, Tuesday night, beginning at 7:00 Eastern.

Then, a little later, CNN's election night coverage continues with a special edition of "LARRY KING LIVE" from L.A. at midnight Eastern. Hear from winners and losers around the country. Plus, expert analysis from the best political team on television.

And for the latest breaking political news, check for updates throughout the day on the CNN Political Ticker. That's at cnn.com.

HARRIS: And let's get you to the Weather Center now.

Mr. Chad Myers is following some pretty foul weather in Florida -- Chad, good morning.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, exactly.

Gale warnings -- good morning.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COLLINS: How about this?

A million reasons to vote. Arizona voters could get a shot at big bucks.

Will it get people to the polls, though, or cheapen the process?

We'll talk to the man behind the mission in THE NEWSROOM.

HARRIS: Accused of betraying the trust -- a Virginia sheriff and a dozen deputies arrested in an alleged plot to sell seized drugs back on the streets. The story straight ahead.

COLLINS: A standoff at a mosque -- word that women were human shields. Details on a deadly incident.

You are in THE NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Sworn to uphold the law, now facing charges in a drug scandal. We had breaking news yesterday about the bust of a Virginia sheriff and 12 of his deputies.

CNN's Kelli Arena follows up.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

KELLI ARENA, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The sheriff of Henry County in Southern Virginia stands accused of betraying the trust of a community that he served for 14 years.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It breaks a lot of people's heart. I can tell you, it's done a lot of damage.

ARENA: Officials say Sheriff Frank Cassell and 19 others were allegedly part of a scheme that resulted in putting drugs and guns seized from criminals back on the street. JOHN BROWLEE, U.S. ATTORNEY: Since 1998, sworn officers, employees and associates of the Henry County Sheriff's Office engaged in a contentious scheme to steal illegal drugs, firearms and contraband from the seized evidence property room.

ARENA: Cassell was allegedly aware of what was going on and helped cover it up. He's seen here on an undercover tape talking about the alleged scheme.

Cassell was released on a $25,000 bond. His lawyer says he's innocent, and as an elected official, will return to work immediately.

The drugs that allegedly made their way back to the street were hard core -- cocaine, steroids and Ketamine, the so-called date rape drug.

And here's what officials had to say about the guns that were resold.

BROWLEE: There's one instance in which a firearm was seized as part of an investigation. That firearm was processed. It was given a properties tag and sticker and put in the property room. Somehow it was stolen or removed from the property room. Law enforcement, at a later date, executed another search warrant at a drug house, or at least believed to be drug house, and found that gun-in it.

ARENA: Out of the 20 people charged, 13 either worked or used to work at the sheriff's department.

Virginia State Police will temporarily fill the gap, while the sheriff and the others face the charges against them.

Kelli Arena, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

HARRIS: On the road and on the march to Tuesday's mid-term elections. President Bush stumps for Republican candidates in Missouri and Iowa today. It extends his cross country blitz in states that supported his reelection two years ago. But today, the focus is clearly on the party's future balance of power.

CNN White House correspondent Elaine Quijano is traveling with the president and she joins us from Springfield, Missouri -- Elaine, good morning.

ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Tony.

Well, here in the State of Missouri, the Senate race could not be any closer. Republican Senator Jim Talent is in a neck-and-neck contest with his Democratic challenger, Claire McCaskill.

So President Bush, as he has done for the last few days in recent weeks, is here to try to rally the GOP faithful.

Now, in this state, the issue that is front and center and one that's on the state ballot, as well, is the issue of embryonic stem cell research, specifically, the measure is called Amendment Two. And it's a proposal to protect all forms of embryonic stem cell research that are allowed under federal law.

Senator Talent opposes the measure because he says it would allow for the destruction of human embryos.

His opponent, Claire McCaskill, supports it because she says it's about finding cures in order to save people's lives.

Now, McCaskill has gotten some help in making her argument, specifically, a high profile endorsement from actor Michael J. Fox, who suffers from Parkinson's. Of course, that ad sparking some controversy.

But against that backdrop, Senator Talent is set to get a high profile endorsement of his own, President Bush making two stops in Missouri, one here in Springfield and then moving on to Joplin later today -- back to you, Tony.

HARRIS: OK, Elaine.

What's the rest of the travel itinerary look like for you and the president today?

QUIJANO: Well, he'll be heading on to Iowa after that. And what's interesting, though, here, Tony, is in the state of Missouri, this issue of embryonic stem cell research, it's interesting to note because it shows the divisions, even within the Republican Party, on this very complex issue. It's an issue that Missouri's former senator, John Danforth, doesn't agree with the current senator's view on.

HARRIS: That's right.

QUIJANO: President Bush himself, he does see eye to eye with Senator Talent on this. In fact, the president used his veto pen for the very first time on this particular issue. At the same time, this is a president who, back in 2001, actually authorized federal funds to be used for embryonic stem cell research, for the existing lines.

But, certainly a very highly charged, highly complex debate. But President Bush, it will be interesting to hear, Tony, what he has to say on this topic, when he speaks a little later today.

HARRIS: All right, Elaine Quijano traveling with the president.

Elaine, thank you.

CNN prime time next Tuesday, beginning at 7:00 Eastern, Wolf Blitzer, Anderson Cooper, Paula Zahn, Lou Dobbs -- it doesn't get any better than that -- leading the best political team on television as your votes are counted. The races, the results, the ramifications, Tuesday night, beginning at 7:00 Eastern.

Then, CNN election night coverage continues with a special edition of "LARRY KING LIVE" from Los Angeles, midnight Eastern.

COLLINS: Some steps forward, some steps back -- what's really happening on the ground in Iraq. A reality check, coming up in THE NEWSROOM.

HARRIS: Religion and politics -- more on the Evangelical movement and the allegations against one of its former leaders. Our faith and values correspondent, Delia Gallagher, joins us ahead in THE NEWSROOM.

COLLINS: And we're Minding Your Business.

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

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

Tom Cruise in the news. He's a Hollywood star. Now he's looking to become a Hollywood mogul. We'll explain, coming up in THE NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Tom Cruise in the news today and it has nothing to do with his upcoming wedding.

Andy Serwer -- thank goodness -- Minding Your Business.

What's going on here?

SERWER: Well, you may remember, Heidi, that Tom Cruise rather publicly split from Paramount, which is the studio he had been associated with for 14 years.

COLLINS: Yes.

SERWER: That was back in August, after the head of that studio, Sumner Redstone, said that he was acting strangely. Actually, just Tom Cruise probably didn't want to get a pay cut, is what was really going on there.

But now we learn that Tom Cruise and his partner, Paula Wagner -- that's not Katie Holmes -- his business partner, Paula Wagner, are going to be taking over the famed studio, United Artists, which is owned by MGM. And, ironically, this is the movie studio that was founded by other movie stars back in 1919 -- Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford and others.

The movie studio hasn't been that active lately, but Tom Cruise looks to revitalize this. And he's going to be making about four movies a year, apparently, and trying to crank this baby up.

COLLINS: Fascinating, isn't it?

SERWER: Yes.

COLLINS: What movies has United Artists put out recently? SERWER: Well, they made a lot of classics over the decades. But in 1987, they made "Rain Man" with Tom Cruise...

COLLINS: Oh.

SERWER: ... which is fun.

Lockers in five minutes (ph).

COLLINS: Yes.

SERWER: And then they made "Heaven's Gate" a year later, and that basically crashed the studio. It almost went dormant for a while. But recently they've done some smaller pictures like "Bowling For Columbine" and "Hotel Rwanda." But not that active a studio, and that's why Cruise is able to come in and he hopes to revitalize the whole baby.

COLLINS: "Hotel Rwanda" was amazing, though.

SERWER: It was a good film.

COLLINS: All right, well, that will be interesting to watch, for sure.

SERWER: Yes.

COLLINS: Also something interesting, the employment report for the month of October just came out. A lot of people looking at this with these elections just a few days away now, the mid-terms.

How is the job market looking?

SERWER: Well, this is big stuff this morning, Heidi.

I guess the headline here is that the unemployment rate hit a five year low in October, 4.4 percent. And I think obviously the incumbents, the GOP, the president, are going to be taking a lot of credit for this.

The number of jobs added in the month of October not so strong at all, only 92,000, down from 148,000 in September. But, you know, if you're able to go out on the campaign trail and say the unemployment rate is at a five year low, that's got to be a quiver in your little basket there.

COLLINS: Yes, we have learned here on this show that the agenda, for sure, is Iraq and then the economy for this election so...

SERWER: Right. Right.

COLLINS: ... we'll be talking much more about it today, I bet.

Andy Serwer, thanks for your time.

SERWER: OK. Thank you.

HARRIS: Same-sex marriage in Campaign 2006 -- an issue even where it's not on the ballot. That story ahead in THE NEWSROOM.

An American soldier missing into the dusty, dangerous streets of ancient Baghdad.

CNN's John Roberts with troops as they search for one of their own. That story straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: A prominent Evangelical pastor and outspoken opponent of gay marriage now accused in a gay sex scandal. The Reverend Ted Haggard has temporarily stepped down from the pulpit of his 14,000- member Colorado church.

The acting pastor says Haggard has admitted to some indiscretion, but not to all of the allegations against him.

The accusations were made by a former gay male prostitute, who says Haggard paid him for sex. He says he went public because of Haggard's support for a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage in Colorado.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JONES: People may look at me and what I've done as immoral, but I think I had to do the moral thing, in my mind, and that is expose someone who is preaching one thing but doing the opposite behind everybody's back.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: Before he stepped down, Haggard denied the allegations.

Here's what he said in an interview on Wednesday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HAGGARD: I've never had a gay relationship with anybody and I, you know, I'm steady with my wife. I'm faithful to my wife. And so I don't know if this is election year politics or if this has to do with the marriage amendment or what it is.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: Haggard also resigned as president of the National Association of Evangelicals. The attorney for Haggard's church tells the "Denver Post" Haggard's resignation is in no way an admission of guilt but is in keeping with church policy.

Let's get some more perspective on the accusations against Reverend Haggard and the impact. Joining us from New York our faith and values correspondent Delia Gallagher. Delia, good morning to you. DELIA GALLAGHER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Tony.

HARRIS: How big a deal is it that he has stepped down from his leadership position as the head of the National Association of Evangelicals?

GALLAGHER: Well, that is a sort of political umbrella group for many evangelical churches, so in one sense that's almost less important. That might be considered pro form a in this case because it is a sort of had high profile political position. What is more interesting is that he has stepped aside temporarily as the head of New Life Church. This is a church that he built from the ground, it's now got 14,000 members. And this man, although he's not really a household name, Tony, is very high profile in the evangelical community. That's why this is such a big story.

HARRIS: Yeah.

GALLAGHER: Because even though we are still at the allegation stage, as you know, allegations can still taint a person, and many evangelicals that I have spoken to are extremely upset about what they are hearing.

HARRIS: OK. Just try to sort out what, in fact, we are hearing. Delia, let's give everyone a listen to this bit of sound from the acting senior pastor of that church, you just mentioned, his name is Ross Parsley.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REV. ROSS PARSLEY, ACTING SR. PASTOR, NEW LIFE CHURCH: There has been some admission of indiscretion, not admission to all of the material that has been discussed. But there is an admission of some guilt. And that's what we're working with, with the outside overseers who are working with Pastor Ted and his family to investigate what's happened here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: Delia, talk about the size of this church and the impact something like this might have on that congregation.

GALLAGHER: Look, Tony, this is very important. What that interim pastor just said was that there was some indiscretion. Now, in the accusations, brought by this man, part of those accusations were the sex part but also that he may have engaged in drug use. And so while we don't know exactly what those indiscretions might be that this interim pastor was referring to, it's clear that in terms of the church community, 14,000 strong member, I mean, people that are really -- these kind of churches, Tony, are led by the pastor. I mean, it's cult personality here. These are independent churches.

So this man, for them and other evangelicals, obviously, because he was the president of the National Association of Evangelicals, he's got 30 million members there. So, this is a very important figure. And for them to hear an interim pastor saying there is some admission of guilt here is going to be very damaging.

HARRIS: Is it too early to gauge what kind of impact this will have on Colorado's vote on same-sex marriage?

GALLAGHER: You know, the evangelicals I have spoken to have said that their stance on gay marriage is quite apart from whatever their leaders may or may not be doing. In some ways, I think they see these as two separate issues. While other people may say, well it's very hypocritical of a leader to have a stand against homosexual marriage and yet engage in those things, they say, look, he's still innocent in their eyes, they are strongly defending him and they say their votes will still be cast the way they would have been on Tuesday, regardless of this.

HARRIS. OK. Let's leave it there for now. Our faith and values correspondent Delia Gallagher. Delia, good to see you.

GALLAGHER: Thanks, Tony.

COLLINS: And there's the opening bell for November 3rd, it's Friday. In case you haven't noticed, it's Friday, folks.

HARRIS: We know.

COLLINS: So we are looking at this, as usual, Dow ended up at -- closing at 12,018 points yesterday. Now it's 12,060. Wow, 40 points up already. It's been like four seconds. We are watching it, folks.

Same-sex marriage, the issue galvanized many voters two years ago. Will it bring people to the polls on Tuesday? CNN's Dana Bash has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DANA BASH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Reelect him and Republican John Hostettler says he will protect Indiana voters from threats to their values, what he calls a homosexual agenda. What's a homosexual agenda?

REP. JOHN HOSTETTLER, (R) IN: Well, the homosexual agenda is expanding, for example, so-called expanding discrimination to another area of, in my opinion, chosen behavior.

BASH: His radio ad is less subtle.

ANNOUNCER: Speaker Pelosi will then put in motion her radical plan to advance the homosexual agenda led by Barney Frank, reprimanded by the House after paying for sex with a man who ran a gay brothel out of Congressman Frank's home.

BASH: Hostettler is trying to lure conservatives by warning a vote for the Democrat is a vote for same-sex marriage, something his opponent calls a scare tactic because they agree on the issue.

BRAD ELLSWORTH, (D) INDIANA CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATE: I'm opposed to gay marriage. I think marriage is between a man and a woman. BASH: Hostettler hopes a state ban on same sex marriage will be on Indiana's ballot in 2008 but it is already is on this Tuesday's ballot in eight states, two, Virginia and Tennessee, have hotly contested Senate races where GOP candidates are jumping on the issue. In Tennessee, Republican Bob Corker is accusing Democratic Harold Ford of supporting same-sex marriage, forcing Ford to run this ad.

REP. HAROLD FORD JR, (D) TN: I'm Harold Ford Jr. and now they've attacked my faith. Said I'm for gay marriage when I voted against it.

BASH: In Virginia, Senator George Allen will vote for the state ban.

SEN. GEORGE ALLEN, (R) VA: I believe that marriage should be between one man and one woman.

BASH: Democrat Jim Webb opposes same sex marriage, too, but calls the ballot initiative too restrictive. Republican activists hope that will energize a frustrated GOP base.

MICK SHAW, MARRIAGE ADVOCATE: I think it has been negative enough that people might be discouraged from voting, but I think they see here a clear opportunity to define and not redefine marriage.

BASH: Back in Indiana, a conservative state where supporters of gay marriage are hard to find, Mark St. John quietly works against a ban. It's easy this year, he says, because voters are focused on other issues.

MARK ST. JOHN, INDIANA EQUALITY: They are really more concerned about their neighbors that are going to war and coming back in coffins. They're more worried about what's the economy going to like, their job future here.

BASH: Congressman Hostettler is worried about his job, behind in the polls, he says convincing so called values voters to vote Republican is how to win.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BASH (on camera): In 2004, same-sex marriage ban was on the ballot in 11 states. President Bush campaigned hard on the issue and lost just two of those states. It may not have the same kind of power this year, but even if the small number of Republican voters who wouldn't otherwise go to the polls do vote that could make all the difference for GOP candidates in tight races here and around the country. Dana Bash, CNN, Evansville, Indiana.

COLLINS: CNN prime time next Tuesday night, beginning at 7:00, Wolf Blitzer, Anderson Cooper, Paula Zahn, Lou Dobbs lead the best political team on television. As your votes are counted, we will have all the results Tuesday night starting at 7:00.

HARRIS: We need to get back to Chad Myers because you know what happens with the travel forecast. You get problems with weather conditions in one area and then what happens, Chad? Chad? CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: They told two friends and they told two friends and so on and so on. Hey, that was a shampoo commercial.

COLLINS: Yeah, it was.

MYERS: Gale warnings across the eastern part of the country today, blowing water, wind, waves onshore in Florida. Thirty minute airport delays in Atlanta so far this morning. Bigger delays out west. The airport delay now in Atlanta is actually runway construction. This is going to be with us for a couple more weeks but we have been promised that this runway construction will be done before the Thanksgiving rush.

And then there will be all of the runways running then and things will really be a whole lot better are there for the thanksgiving and obviously Christmas rushes. San Francisco, an hour and five minute delays at this point.

If you are traveling to Belize City, maybe on a cruise ship somewhere down here you may want to take a rain jacket with you or stay on the boat and gamble if you can because it is a mess down here. A tropical-like system although the hurricane center not impressed with any circulation and because it's so close to land probably not going to make any problems.

But if you are in that area, if you are in the Yucatan peninsula it's been raining for days now. There could even be some flooding there. From Vancouver down to Seattle seeing rain. Another probably five to six inches of rain expected here across the Pacific Northwest, in the next couple of days.

And these are the problem areas for travel for today. Also more wind problems for Georgia and Florida for the weekend, an onshore flow, terrible rip currents, life-threatening rip currents. Stay out of the water. Make sure the kids do as well. And all those things that go along with it.

The water is still warm, 72 degrees so I assume that there will be surfers out there, but you have to realize what's going to go on there on the East Coast with onshore winds at 40, a lot of water running offshore as well.

COLLINS: Gosh, yeah. Sounds like it. All right, Chad, thank you. We'll check back a little later.

HARRIS: Still to come, looking for middle ground in Missouri.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But the Democracy went so far to the left, then we started -- or I started to vote much more Republican and so on. And now it's just to me the pendulum has kind of swung past me, gone the other way.

(END VIDEO CLIP) HARRIS: CNN's Candy Crowley has the story from the Show Me State, straight ahead in the NEWSROOM.

COLLINS: And a million reasons to vote. Arizona voters could get a shot at some big bucks, but will it get to the people to the polls or cheapen the process? We'll be talking with the man behind the mission, in the NEWSROOM.

And a formidable militia with a powerful leader. And they have taken aim at U.S. troops. A closer look at the Mehdi Army and its impact on the mission in Iraq. That's all coming up right here in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Arson and murder charges against a man accused of setting a deadly California wildfire. Five firefighters were killed. Prosecutors will decide later whether to seek the death penalty in the case. CNN's Kareen Wynter has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KAREEN WYNTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A deadly inferno known as the Esperanza wildfire in Southern California, scorched hillsides and flattened homes

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It looks like it may bump the road.

WYNTER: Now a week after the blaze started, investigators have filed charges against a suspected arsonist. Thirty-six-year-old Raymond Lee Oyler of Beaumont, California.

JEFF STONE, BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA: I believe he's going to see his justice. I know that he believes that he's seen the fire of all fires, but as I said during the press conference that he is about to see a firestorm at the conclusion of his life that he's never seen before.

WYNTER: Oyler is charged with five counts of first degree murder, 11 counts of arson and 10 counts of using an incendiary device.

(on camera): These charges carry the possibility of life in prison without parole. The district attorney's office says it will also consider over the next 60 days whether or not to seek the death penalty.

(voice-over): Five firefighters died from their injuries in the massive wildfire that blackened more than 40,000 acres. Investigators say they saw a pattern of arson from wildfires dating back to May. They say that led them to Oyler, who's also a suspect in those cases. The district attorney called the evidence overwhelming.

ROD PACHECO, DISTRICT ATTORNEY-ELECT: In this case, it's everywhere. So it's a question of picking up those pieces of evidence literally and figuratively, putting them together and saying what is ...

WYNTER: ... of homes were loss in the Esperanza wildfire, the landscape was visibly scarred, but the deepest wounds were felt in the ranks of the firefighters who lost five of their own.

NEIL LINGLE: We have taken it personal. These are our brothers and sisters in the fire service, and I told the nation one week ago today that the men and women of our department would not rest and to their credit they didn't.

WYNTER: And there's an all out community effort to help displaced families rebuild their lives.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You just get to work and get through it.

WYNTER: And homes. From the ground up. Kareen Wynter, CNN, Riverside County, California.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: Want to get back to the story we have been telling you about in Colorado now, we are going to listen to a radio interview in just a moment, but quickly the background on this story in case you haven't heard, there's a prominent evangelical pastor there, he's an outspoken opponent of gay marriage. He has now been accused in a sex scandal. Those accusations came from a man known as Mike Jones. He is calling himself a former gay male prostitute and says Haggard paid him for sex. We want to go ahead and listen in to a quick interview he did this morning in Colorado.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: ... for a second, want to come back to what happened in Texas.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you know mike Jones?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, I do not know Mike Jones.

MIKE JONES, ALLEGED FORMER MALE PROSTITUTE: He knows I'm Mike Jones. I'm Mike Jones. I was with him.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's lying?

JONES: He is lying.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: The radio interview, you may have seen the microphone there, coming to us from 630 a.m., KHOW in Colorado. Once again, that was Mike Jones, the accuser in this case, accusing a prominent evangelical pastor there in Colorado Springs, Ted Haggard, of a sex scandal and paying him for sex.

We will continue to follow this story as it develops throughout the day. An American missing in Iraq. U.S. troops have now launched a major mission, finding one of their own. CNN's John Roberts with details on the search.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN ROBERTS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): At his daily briefing, Major General William Caldwell revealed what CNN has known for 11 days but did not report out of security concerns.

MAJ. GEN WILLIAM CALDWELL, SPOKESMAN, MULTINATIONAL FORCE- IRAQ: His name is Ahmed Qusai Altaie. He is 41 years old. He moved to the United States when he was a teenager. He is a specialist in the U.S. Army Reserves, currently serving on active duty.

ROBERTS: Altaie was detailed to a provincial reconstruction team as an interpreter. On Monday, October 23rd, he left the green zone to visit his secret wife in Baghdad's Shiite Karada neighborhood. During that visit, his wife claims, Altaie was kidnapped by members of the Mehdi Army, the militia loyal to Shiite cleric Muqtada al Sadr.

CALDWELL: Three cars pulled up to the residence. The hostage takers handcuffed him and forced him into one of their vehicles.

ROBERTS: I was embedded with the 172nd Stryker Brigade when the 911 call went out that Altaie had gone missing. The Strykers raced to Karada where the U.S. military had traced calls from the soldier's cell phone. They combed through homes and buildings in the area and interviewed another young woman who claimed she, too, is secretly married to an American soldier, but the mission hit a roadblock after U.S. troops search a television station owned by the leading Shiite political party and seized a cache of weapons, prompting a sharp response from Iraq's national security advisor

MOWAFFAK AL-RUBAIE, IRAQI NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR: We believe these are all wasted efforts. We should concentrate our efforts with our Strykers, our soldiers, your soldiers, against the terrorists, the insurgents and the death squads against us. We shouldn't waste a lot of time on our friends. These are our friends and allies.

ROBERTS: From Karada, the U.S. military believes, Altaie may have been taken to Sadr City, the sprawling Shiite slum, a strong hold of the Mehdi militia. Roadblocks were set up across Baghdad, Sadr City virtually shut down much. This map shows where U.S. ad Iraqi forces had been searching for the soldier. There's been plenty of intelligence on his possible whereabouts, but nothing has panned out.

CALDWELL: At this time we believe the ones who kidnapped Ahmed currently still have him. We are 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.

ROBERTS But the Iraqi government has also complicated the search. After Muqtada al Sadr protested the Sadr City checkpoints by calling for a general strike, Iraq's prime minister ordered the U.S. military to take them down. (on camera): Major General Caldwell also revealed that dialogue is ongoing to try to secure the soldier's release but he wouldn't say with whom. CNN has contacted senior officials at Muqtada al Sadr's political bloc in Baghdad and at his offices in Najaf but both deny they were engaged in either direct or indirect talks with the U.S. government. In fact, they denied any knowledge of the soldier's kidnapping. John Roberts, CNN, Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: Lending star power to a cause, Michael J. Fox, hoping a change in Washington will allow for a scientific breakthrough. That story ahead in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Well, the hours are long, the stress adding to his physical problems, but Michael J. Fox is pushing himself, campaigning heavily for politicians who support expanded stem cell research. Here's Anderson Cooper with today's, "Making Their Mark."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Guess what. I'm Dear Mallory.

MICHAEL J. FOX, ACTOR: Yeah, and I'm adorable Alex.

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): He was the boyish star of the breakout hit television sitcom "Family Ties" in the 1980s. His role, Alex Keaton made him a household name.

FOX: The future, unbelievable.

COOPER: As Marty McFly in the "Back to the Future" trilogy, Michael J. Fox became a Hollywood star, but in 1991, he was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. A degenerative brain disorder that causes tremors, slow movement, difficulty with balance.

FOX: Hey, Paulie.

COOPER: Fox kept working, taking on the role of Mike Flaherty in "Spin City" but in 1998 Fox went public with his illness and two years later announced that he was too sick to continue working. He went from actor to advocate, fighting for legislation that would expand embryonic stem cell research which some say offers the best hope for curing Parkinson's and other diseases

FOX: Stem cell research offers hope to millions of Americans.

COOPER: Fox and others say those aren't enough to make real progress which is why he's hit the campaign trail again. Speaking out in ads and in public, but it was his appearance for Missouri Democrat Claire McCaskill that earned him the wrath of some political pundits.

RUSH LIMBAUGH, RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: So this is really shameless, folks. This is really shameless of Michael J. Fox. Either he didn't take his medication or he's acting, one of the two.

COOPER: Limbaugh later apologized but his criticism served only to strengthen Michael J. Fox's resolve and he was on the trail again. His symptoms clearly visible at a rally for Maryland Democrat Ben Cardin.

FOX: I'm supporting candidates who support all stem cell research in races where their opponents simply don't.

COOPER: From there it was on to another rally, this one for Virginia Democrat Jim Webb. That's where I caught up for him just for a moment between campaign stops.

(on camera): What have you learned being on the campaign trail like this?

FOX: Truly, if you believe in something, if, if -- it gives you strength and it propels you forward. If you really -- it's funny. It gives you this strange kind of immunity, you know. Because I really believe in the message. I really believe in the promise of stem cell research, and I'm happy having the conversation.

COOPER: Anderson Cooper, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: A high profile pastor and allegations of a sex scandal.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HAGGARD: I, I have never had a gay relationship with anybody.

JONES: I had to do the moral thing in my mind, and that is expose someone who is preaching one thing but doing the opposite.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: The pastor's denials, word of some admission. We'll have the very latest, coming up in the NEWSROOM.

HARRIS: Job security both in the workplace and maybe in Washington, new numbers out this morning on the nation's unemployment rate. Will it help members of Congress keep their jobs? A White House insider joins us, Dan Bartlett. Dan Bartlett, in the NEWSROOM next hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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

HARRIS: And I'm Tony Harris. For the second hour in the NEWSROOM this morning and stay informed. Here's what's on the rundown.

Scandal growing in Colorado. Prominent evangelical leader Ted Haggard and allegations involving a gay male prostitute. COLLINS: A formidable militia with a powerful leader. A closer look at the Mehdi army and its impact on the mission in Iraq.

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