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Colleagues Express Shock and Dismay Amid Charges Reverend Ted Haggard Didn't Practice What He Preached; Update on Congressional Races; President Bush On Campaign Trail Today With Blunt Warning; Arizona Man Wants to Give Lottery Money to Voter; Nevada Ballot Initiative Concerns Legalizing Marijuana
Aired November 04, 2006 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: here's a look at what's happening in the news right now.
With three days left until the elections, President Bush is battling to keep Republicans in control of Congress. He's in Colorado this morning. We have a live report coming up from CNN's Elaine Quijano.
Well, there's another attack on Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. This one in a group of weekly newspapers sold on U.S. military bases all around the world. "The Army Times" is calling on President Bush to fire Rumsfeld. The same editorial is running in three companion publications -- "The Navy Times," "The Air Force Times" and "The Marine Corps Times."
Another crisis of faith for conservative Christians. The president of the National Association of Evangelicals has resigned after charges he had sex with a male prostitute. Reverend Ted Haggard says he bought drugs and received a massage from a prostitute, but denies having sex. We have a live report just ahead.
T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: Iraq is bracing for possible trouble. A curfew will go into effect in Baghdad and two Iraqi provinces at 6:00 a.m. local time tomorrow. Vehicles and people will be ordered off the streets. Baghdad International Airport will shut down Sunday until further notice. And tomorrow's Iraq curfew is timed to coincide with the verdict in Saddam Hussein's trial. The former Iraqi president is expected to be sentenced to death tomorrow for crimes against humanity. There are fears Hussein's supporters will stage attacks to protest the verdict.
NGUYEN: A powerful Evangelist with access to the White House says he did buy drugs but he did not have gay sex and has quit his job. We'll have the latest on this live.
HOLMES: Plus, the final push for Election 2006. Ethics, Iraq, legalizing pot and a million dollars for your vote. All those pretty hot questions we're going to tackle this hour.
NGUYEN: And the wild wacky world according to Borat. The controversial comedian allegedly from Kazakhstan -- you are not going to believe some of the things that he told me...
HOLMES: Yes.
NGUYEN: ... and some of the things that he's wearing. I'm still traumatized from that.
But the news is unfolding live on Saturday, the 4th day of November.
Good morning, everyone.
I'm Betty Nguyen.
HOLMES: And you seem to be recovering from the whole Borat thing.
NGUYEN: I'm trying.
HOLMES: All right.
NGUYEN: Not so much.
HOLMES: See. He's got it.
And I'm T.J. Holmes and you are in THE NEWSROOM.
NGUYEN: He was one of America's most influential pastors, a prominent voice promoting family values. Colleagues are expressing shock and dismay amid charges the Reverend Ted Haggard didn't practice what he preached.
CNN's Sean Callebs reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SEAN CALLEBS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A man of god, the Reverend Ted Haggard admits to succumbing to temptation. He admits buying crystal meth through Mike Jones, a one-time Denver prostitute.
Jones recorded calls between he and Haggard.
REV. TED HAGGARD, FORMER EVANGELICAL LEADER: Hi, Mike.
This is Art.
Hey, I was just calling to see if we could get...
CALLEBS: Haggard says he never used the drugs, insisting he threw them away.
Jones also alleges he and Haggard had a three year sexual relationship. But he failed a lie detector test on the subject.
MIKE JONES, HAGGARD'S ACCUSER: I don't understand why I did fail the part about when they asked me if I have had sex with Ted Haggard, because that's the reason that he contacted me.
CALLEBS: Haggard denies a sexual relationship. The Evangelical minister says he did contact Jones for a massage after a Denver concierge recommended Jones as a masseuse.
This much is true -- the allegations forced Haggard to step down as head of the 14,000-member New Life Church in Colorado Springs. And he resigned as president of the politically powerful National Association of Evangelicals, which boasts 30 million members.
HAGGARD: Both of those roles are based on trust and right now my trust is -- is questionable.
CALLEBS: Haggard's accuser says this is a case of hypocrisy from an influential leader of the religious right.
JONES: You know, look at the position he's in. What I think is unfortunate is the more of denial that he gives, the messier it looks. I think what would be best is if he'd just admit it and move on.
CALLEBS: Haggard was at the top of his profession, one of a handful of ministers taking part in a weekly conference call with President Bush or top White House officials. Jones chose the timing, just before Tuesday's mid-term election, to show what he calls the hypocrisy of Haggard and others in the religious right.
The issue of gay marriage is on the ballot in Colorado and several other states. Haggard and Evangelicals are fighting gay marriage tooth and nail.
(AUDIO CLIP FROM EVANGELICAL CHRISTIAN CONCERT)
CALLEBS: It's been a series of stunning developments for many in the New Life Church.
Associate Pastor Rob Brendle says Haggard has been a mentor to him for the past 10 years.
REV. ROB BRENDLE, ASSOCIATE PASTOR, NEW LIFE CHURCH: And we know that all of us, except for the grace of god, are just one step away from that darkness temporarily defining our lives, as well. So it doesn't surprise me to see this.
CALLEBS: Brendle says he expects to play a videotaped message from Haggard at church services Sunday.
Meanwhile, an oversight committee has launched an investigation, which could very well determine Haggard's future.
(on camera): Do you think that he'll ever preach from this pulpit again?
BRENDLE: I don't have any way of knowing.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CALLEBS: And it's not just the oversight committee that is investigating. Apparently, the Denver police has now shown interest in this, saying it is going to interview the parties involved and they will also look to see if any crimes were committed in the Denver area -- Betty.
NGUYEN: Sean, this story has had some twats. And then we heard from the reverend himself.
So given all of this, what's the community saying? What's the congregation saying? Are they standing behind him or are they just in shock of it all?
CALLEBS: It's been interesting to watch this unfold.
Firstly, no one believed the allegations, even -- if you look at this area, it's really a hotbed for the Evangelical movement. A lot of Evangelical leaders in this area simply dismissed the allegations from Mike Jones at first.
Then came the admission from Haggard, after he initially denied even knowing Jones, that, yes, he had committed some indiscretions.
Now, he has sequestered himself somewhat. He's not talking anymore to the media.
For the most part, the parishioners we've had a chance to speak with here in this sprawling complex of the New Life Church, they stand behind Haggard. They want to know more about it. They say there is forgiveness in their heart and they say this shows that any man could be tempted by sin.
NGUYEN: CNN's Sean Callebs joining us live.
Sean, thank you.
Well, the Reverend Ted Haggard's influence extends far beyond his 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 since grown to 14,000 members.
As head of the National Association of Evangelicals, Haggard occasionally 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.
HOLMES: We are heading for the home stretch. The mid-term elections now just three days away. And control of Congress, as you know, is hanging in the balance. In red states, blue states, the candidates are making a final push for support.
CNN's Bob Franken is on the trail this hour in the battleground state of Ohio.
And Elaine Quijano is in Colorado, where President Bush is campaigning. We're going to begin in Greeley, Colorado with the president's bid to rally the Republican faithful -- good morning to you, Elaine.
ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, T.J.
Well, President Bush this morning, here in Colorado, took the unusual step of delivering his weekly radio address live, surrounding himself with small business owners to underscore his message that the economy is strong thanks to tax cuts enacted by a Republican-led Congress.
And just days before the elections, the president urged voters to send GOP candidates back to Washington, arguing that Democrats are the party of higher taxes.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The choice you make on Tuesday will have a direct impact on our economy, on the small businesses that are creating jobs and on the workers who depend on them. The last thing American families and small businesses need now is a higher tax bill. And that is what you'll get if the Democrats take control of the Congress.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
QUIJANO: Now, all long the campaign trail, including yesterday at a stop in Iowa, the president has been trying to, of course, fire up the conservative base, to get them out on Tuesday. Despite polls showing that Republicans are in danger of losing at least the House, President Bush and his aides, as you might expect, are saying that they are optimistic.
But, of course, the issue that continues to be front and center for Republicans, one that makes his fellow Republicans quite nervous about their reelection prospects, the Iraq war. The White House understands full well the political impact of the president's Iraq policy. The president's campaign itinerary has him heading into friendly territory for his stops, the states that he won, basically, back in 2004.
And the president staying away from swing states, where his presence might actually hurt GOP candidates.
So the president here at a rally set to begin within the hour, will be stumping for Republican Congressional candidate Marilyn Musgrave. But the president clearly trying to punch through some of the criticism over his handling of the Iraq war and the larger war on terrorism by talking about some good news on the economic front -- T.J.
HOLMES: Well, it certainly sounds like they're pretty fired up in there, Elaine.
Thank you so much. Let's get you now to Ohio and a key battleground state. Ethics one of the major issues there is in this election year.
CNN national correspondent Bob Franken is in Columbus and joins us now with the latest on that -- good morning, Bob.
BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Betty.
Well, the secretary of state is predicting that in Ohio, over 54 percent of the registered voters will vote, which would be a record for an off-year election. It's really no wonder considering the remarkable controversies they have here and races that are unexpectedly competitive.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FRANKEN (voice-over): Congresswoman Deborah Pryce, who is fourth ranking Republican in the House, usually hasn't had to battle this hard. But this time, she had a huge fight to get back to the toss-up category.
She was knocked for a loop a few weeks ago by the Mark Foley scandal and the controversy that swirled around House leaders like Speaker Dennis Hastert.
Her Democratic opponent, County Commissioner Mary Jo Kilroy, took full advantage on the fact that Pryce had once called Foley a friend. Kilroy took out a hard-hitting radio spot on Christian stations.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM MARY JO KILROY RADIO AD)
MARY JO KILROY (D-OH), CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATE: No wonder Pryce refused to criticize Hastert for ignoring the Foley problem.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FRANKEN: The campaign has moved on and Pryce has fought back from the eight point deficit in the polls after Foley exploded to statistically even. But the bitter taste lingers.
REP. DEBORAH PRYCE (R-OH), CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATE: It's a non- issue. My opponent overplayed her hand on a non-issue.
FRANKEN: Her opponent, Mary Jo Kilroy, obviously disagrees. But the campaign has moved forward.
KILROY: The biggest issue is that she has been part of the Republican leadership that has the wrong set of priorities, taking our country in the wrong direction.
FRANKEN: Though Foley has been relegated somewhat to the background, Republicans are dealing with the many ethics scandals swirling around their party, particularly in Ohio. Bob Ney, for instance, who was awaiting prison for corruption charges while a member of Congress, comes from a neighboring district. The potential spillover to Pryce could be a challenge to her. In the meantime, Kilroy and Pryce hurl their taunts on other matters.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM CAMPAIGN AD)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Candidate Mary Jo Kilroy said she wouldn't raise taxes. But just a year later, Kilroy cast the deciding vote to double the county sales tax.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM CAMPAIGN AD)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Who voted against a combat bonus for the troops but took a $30,000 pay raise for himself?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Deborah Pryce.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Deborah Pryce. Pryce is wrong.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FRANKEN: And, of course, Pryce is claiming that she is going to rely on what she calls a reservoir of goodwill in her district.
But the Democrats are hoping that their party's wave will carry the candidate here and the party to control the House of Representatives -- Betty.
NGUYEN: Bob Franken.
I take it that Election Express bus is going to carry you to the next stop.
FRANKEN: One can only hope.
NGUYEN: Yes.
We will see you then.
Thank you, Bob.
You want to tune in to CNN prime time election night on Tuesday, folks. Don't forget. Wolf Blitzer, Anderson Cooper, Paula Zahn and Lou Dobbs -- you see them all there. Well, they lead the best political team on television, as your votes are counted. We have the races, the results, the ramifications. That's Tuesday night beginning at 7:00 Eastern.
Then, CNN's election night coverage continues with a special edition of "LARRY KING LIVE." That's a midnight Eastern. You'll hear from winners and losers across the country, plus expert analysis from the best political team on television.
HOLMES: And, you know, sometimes it takes a hot button issue to get people to the polls.
So what's motivating voters this year? Is it Iraq? Is it pocketbooks?
Coming up in THE NEWSROOM, we'll take a look at issue with CNN political analyst Ron Brownstein.
NGUYEN: Well, the push to make pot legal, for pleasure, not medicine. It is on the ballot in Nevada.
HOLMES: Also, monitoring the vote -- who's taking cameras to their polling places.
Also, we've got this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BORAT: We in Kazakhstan are very big families of your Premier Bush. We think he is not only a wise man, but also very strong, although perhaps not as strong as his father, Barbara.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: He is on the big screen.
HOLMES: That's just wrong.
NGUYEN: And the things he says...
HOLMES: That's wrong.
NGUYEN: ... you won't believe him, believe me. He's way too much for us. But he's in THE NEWSROOM and my interview with Borat is coming up. Prepare yourself.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: We head to cyberspace now and among the most popular stories and videos on CNN.com, the Evangelical leader caught up in accusations involving drug use and illicit sex. The Reverend Ted Haggard now under investigation by his church. He's accused by a former gay male escort of paying him for sex and using drugs.
Haggard denies the sex charge. He does admit to buying the drugs, but says he did not use them.
To Texas now. A cell phone may have saved a truck driver's life. Police say a homeless man living under an overpass fired a rifle at a truck driver. The bullet struck the phone and then grazed the driver in the neck.
And the world according to Borat. The movie is all the rave at theaters this weekend and you know Borat -- if you don't know him by now, he's a journalist from Kazakhstan, traveled to the...
NGUYEN: So he says. HOLMES: I believe the guy. I take him at his word. He traveled to the U.S. to report on American life. The guy, Borat, is really comedian Sacha Baron Cohen. His experiences will just have you cracking up and his interview with my partner here, Betty Nguyen, is going to have you cracking up, as well.
NGUYEN: Yes, wait until you see what he's wearing.
HOLMES: Yes. That's coming up shortly in THE NEWSROOM.
NGUYEN: Now to Iraq. Security is being beefed up in Baghdad in advance of an expected guilty verdict against Saddam Hussein tomorrow. As for today, more violence and death.
Two civilians were killed and five wounded in a car bomb attack near the Sadr City slum. It happened as U.S. and Iraqi forces raided that area, which is a hotbed of insurgent and sectarian violence. In the Southern city of Basra, a militia rocket attack wounded four Russian workers. Unconfirmed reports said two Russians and an Iraqi colleague may have been killed.
HOLMES: Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki minces no words when it comes to Saddam Hussein. Regarding tomorrow's expected verdict in Hussein's trial, he says he hopes the former dictator gets what he deserves for the crimes he committed against the Iraqi people.
CNN's Aneesh Raman is in Baghdad with the latest.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANEESH RAMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Bracing, perhaps, for a spike in violence ahead of Sunday's verdict in the Saddam Hussein trial, Iraq's government has announced a ban on all traffic, both in terms of people in cars in the capital province and two others. It has also announced the closure of Baghdad International Airport starting Sunday. Both the curfew and the closure until further notice.
Sunday is when we expect to see Saddam Hussein in court after a year long process in this, the first of perhaps 12 the last he could face, hearing both the verdict and the sentence.
He has been charged with crimes against humanity. He could face the death penalty or life in prison.
It is the first time that international law has been tried in a domestic court, the first time that someone charged with crimes against humanity has been tried in the country where those alleged atrocities took place. But while it is legal precedent in the writing, many critics say it has been written clumsily. The chief judge has been replaced, three defense lawyers have been killed, there have been multiple breaks, multiple outbursts by the defendants, boycotts by both them and their lawyers.
All of that said, there will be an appellate process after the verdict Sunday if Saddam is found guilty, if he is sentenced to either life in prison or the death penalty. That automatic appeals process kicks in. But there is no timetable as to when that has to be finished by.
Keep in mind, Saddam is also in the midst of his second trial, for the Anfal campaign.
So a big day Sunday, the end of the Dujail trial. But this entire process enters somewhat murky legal ground on Monday.
Aneesh Raman, CNN, Baghdad.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: And you can stay with CNN for the latest from Iraq.
And coming up tonight at 8:00 Eastern, John Roberts is in Baghdad with a look at how the war will influence U.S. mid-term elections. A special edition of "THIS WEEK AT WAR" only on CNN.
NGUYEN: So, what motivates you to go to the polls? The issues or is it the candidates? How about a chance for this -- to win a million dollars?
HOLMES: Oh, yes.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I've seen people being denied the right to vote just because they don't have enough information.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Yes, why a lot of people are going to be taking cameras to their polling places.
Also, we've got this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think that the cultural differences are vast.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Exactly.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And I think he's a delightful man and it wouldn't take very much time for him to really become Americanized.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: You don't think?
I think it's going to take a lot of time.
You've heard about him. We actually talked to him. My interview with Borat, here in THE NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) HOLMES: Now checking Stories Across America, a member of the New York National Guard is charged with killing his two superior officers in Iraq. Staff Sergeant Alberto Martinez could be sentenced to death if found guilty. The case is the only known incident during the Iraq war of what's called fragging.
Also, police say a Florida teen's sales plan does not compute. The teen sold $800,000 worth of computers on eBay. The problem is police say he never sent the buyers any computers. He's now under arrest.
And the eyes of Texas are upon the Internet, watching for illegal immigrants. Texasborder.com monitors surveillance cameras placed along the Texas-Mexico-border. Authorities want the public to e-mail them when they see something suspicious over the Web cams. But users say the images are grainy and too hard to make out.
NGUYEN: All right, so it's not "Candid Camera." But on election day, it may seem like it. The call has gone out to anyone with a video camera to head to the polls and monitor the vote.
CNN's Thelma Gutierrez reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
THELMA GUTIERREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's a call to arms in cyberspace, a call for citizens to take action.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm a software engineer and on Election Day, I'll be videoing the vote.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm 18. I'm from Los Angeles. And on election night, I'll be doing poll monitoring.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm a mother of three children and I will be working on Election Day.
GUTIERREZ: Election Day 2006, concerned citizens across the country are in training to monitor the process.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's a lack of knowledge in our community about...
GUTIERREZ: At the national headquarters of a NALEO, a Latino political action organization, volunteers are learning what to look out for at polling places, like intimidation tactics and voter machine malfunction.
PEDRO GUZMAN, POLL MONITOR: I've seen people being denied the right to vote just because they don't have enough information.
GUTIERREZ: Exactly what a new generation of poll monitors is being asked to capture on tape. On the Web, VideotheVote.org is asking anyone with a video camera to sign up.
IAN INABA, "VIDEO THE VOTE": "Video the Vote" is really going to be the eyes and ears of America on Election Day.
GUTIERREZ: Bill Foote, an amateur photographer, is one of several hundred to enlist so far.
BILL FOOTE, CITIZEN JOURNALIST: I haven't been involved in any way in voter protection before. I think the stakes are higher. America is really at a crossroads right now. There are a lot of fundamental things we're deciding about our society.
GUTIERREZ: "Video the Vote" founder Ian Inaba came up with the idea of the citizen journalist after chronicling voter problems in 2000 and 2004 in his film "American Blackout."
INABA: I really saw that there was a pattern that I wanted other people in America to see, which was that certain communities in this country are targeted, it seems like, to make it more difficult for them actually to vote on Election Day.
GUTIERREZ: On Election Day, Bill Foote will wait to be dispatched to polling places that open too late, close too early, or where the lines are simply too long.
(on camera): After Bill and the other citizen journalists are done shooting their video, they'll immediately upload it on the "Video to Vote" Web site for everyone to see. Call it Internet accountability for the YouTube generation.
ARTURO VARGAS, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF LATINO OFFICIALS: I think it says two things -- a lack of trust in our system, to the point where we, as citizens, need to do what we can to ensure all of us have the right to vote; and then it also shows a real interest in our democracy.
GUTIERREZ: Foote and the other volunteer monitors say they hope they won't be too busy come Election Day. But if they are, they're now armed with information and technology to make a difference.
Thelma Gutierrez, CNN, Los Angeles.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: All right, just a couple of days away now from the election. Of course, some people -- there are sometimes long lines at the polling centers.
NGUYEN: Yes.
HOLMES: You're stuck standing outside.
NGUYEN: Well, you know, and the weather can be a factor.
HOLMES: Yes.
NGUYEN: And I know Reynolds Wolf, you don't like for us to put you on the spot...
(CROSSTALK)
NGUYEN: ... but if you can just give us a little hint, if you could, as to what the weather is going to be...
WOLF: Oh my goodness.
NGUYEN: ... so people could get prepared.
WOLF: ... I'm on the spot. See, right there?
NGUYEN: See, there you go.
WOLF: No, no, no. I'm a weather guy. You can -- you can put me on the spot.
NGUYEN: All right.
WOLF: Here's a look at what we...
NGUYEN: We're trusting you.
WOLF: Oh yes.
(WEATHER REPORT)
NGUYEN: All right. So just for the record, it's not going to be raining bowling balls anywhere, right?
WOLF: No, no, no, but I'm just saying if it were, you still need to get out.
NGUYEN: Just put on that hard hat and head out.
WOLF: Plus, free bowling balls. That's always a good thing.
NGUYEN: You're too much.
HOLMES: Big market for them.
WOLF: Yes, thank you.
HOLMES: Now in the news, bringing out the big guns, Republicans and Democrats using their party's leaders on the campaign trail this weekend. President Bush on the stump today in Colorado. Of course the election just three days from now. Polls show the Republican Party may be in a bit of a danger of losing control of Congress.
Then for President Bush's embattled defense secretary another blow. In an editorial on Monday, the "Military Times" media group will call for Donald Rumsfeld to be axed. The editorial says Rumsfeld has lost credibility with military leader, troops, Congress and the public. The group publishes a number of periodicals including the "Army Times."
NGUYEN: In Illinois, Democratic congressional candidate Tammy Duckworth says she's surprised but not offended that she's not getting the endorsement of the VFW. Duckworth lost her legs in the Iraq war and the veterans group is backing her Republican opponent who has no military experience.
Legalizing marijuana, it's on the ballot in one state and it is not for medicinal purposes.
HOLMES: Yes, sometimes also it takes a hot button issue to get people to the polls. So what's motivating voters this time around? Then of course there's this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
COHEN: You are very nice. How much?
NGUYEN: I know you're not talking to me because I'm not for sale.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: Oh, my. My interview with Borat. Need I say more? It's here in the newsroom. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: President Bush is on the campaign trail today with a blunt warning. In his weekly radio address from Colorado, he said the Democrats will go after your money if they win control of one or both houses of Congress on Tuesday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BUSH: The choice you make on Tuesday will have a direct impact on our economy, on the small businesses that are creating jobs and on the workers who depend on them. The last thing American families and small businesses need now is a higher tax bill. And that is what you'll get if the Democrats take control of the Congress.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Nonsense. That's the response from Democrats in their weekly radio address. They argue one of the main reasons to vote out the Republicans is the war in Iraq.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LOIS MURPHY, (D) CANDIDATE, PENNSYLVANIA: We can choose based on the fact that no matter how bad Iraq gets or how many respected Americans say that our strategy is not working, no matter how many times former secretaries of State Colin Powell or James Baker say that we need to change course, no matter how many different intelligence agencies tell us that Iraq is creating more terrorists than we had before and no matter how many generals say Rumsfeld should go, our president and his Republican Congress have promised not to change a thing if they are returned to power.
(END VIDEO CLIP) HOLMES: And Tuesday is not just about electing a new Congress. Voters also will pick new governors in 36 states, then decide on a number of ballot initiatives including those dealing with divisive issues as same sex marriage, abortion and immigration. So what's a vote really worth? If an Arizona man has his way, it might be worth $1 million, at least to one lucky voter in his state. Chris Lawrence looks at a controversial proposal to get people to the polls.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In the game show version, contestants had to answer multiple questions to win the money. Mark Osterloh only has one. Osterloh wants to take some of the Arizona lottery's unclaimed prize money and in every general election award $1 million to one lucky voter. I know the goal is to get more people to vote. But is this the way to did it?
DR. MARK OSTERLOH, VOTER REWARD INITIATIVE: Do you have a better way?
LAWRENCE: Arizona already offers early voting by mail, but the state still ranks near the bottom of eligible voter turnout. If the voter reward act passes and turnout increases, Osterloh says dozens of states could follow suit.
OSTERLOH: That could have a dramatic impact of who will have control of Congress in the United States and who the next president of the United States is.
LAWRENCE: Critics say it reduces voting to nothing more than a glorified scratch and win game.
MARTY BRENNER (ph): You've had people literally die to achieve and defend the right to vote in this country. And if that's not enough incentive for people to show up and be heard in the political process, it doesn't really seem appropriate to try to bribe them.
LAWRENCE: Marty Brenner says Arizona need voters who study political platforms, not show up for a power ball prize. You're talking about an informed voter, right?
OSTERLOH: Right.
LAWRENCE: OK, well, to be an informed voter, first you got to be a voter. Now some would say first you ever to be informed. Let me say this, if you're not going to vote in an election, why would you study the issues and candidates? Even if it passes, the act is sure to be challenged in court. And Federal law prohibits exchanging money for votes.
JACK CHIN, U. OF ARIZONA LAW SCHOOL: Even if it's a general payment made to a lot of people to get out the vote, it's still prohibited by the statute.
LAWRENCE: Osterloh thinks it won't apply if the state offers every voter an equal chance at the million. He says one will hit the jackpot, but the entire electorate wins. Chris Lawrence, CNN, Tucson.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: Got to get over there and register to vote.
Well, aside from the chance to become a millionaire, what drives people to the polls? At lot of times it's actually the issues even more than the candidates and what is the key issue this year? CNN political analyst Ron Brownstein joins us now with some answers. Ron, good morning.
RON BROWNSTEIN, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Good morning.
HOLMES: It used to be the case where people would vote their pocketbooks. This class of people voting with this class of folks. You're in this class you go this way. Well, that's not so much the case anymore, is it?
BROWNSTEIN: We've moved away from a political system based primarily on class to one that has revolved more around culture. In the middle of the 20th century, you could pretty much draw a line somewhere in the electorate and most people above that line in terms of income voted Republican. Most people below it voted Democratic that began to break down in the '60s and '70s.
And now we see the divide is more around issues like abortion, gay rights, gun control and the way the U.S. should advance its aims internationally in foreign policy and clearly that latter point, the war in Iraq is looming as the largest issue in this 2006 election.
HOLMES: Well, no matter where we are in this country, is it going to be Iraq no matter what? All 50 states, everybody is voting on this war.
BROWNSTEIN: I think it is the preeminent issue. I've been in seven or eight states. I was back from Missouri just last night and as I was talking to voters in various parts of the state, it is the biggest single factor, I think. You know, it's what has created the opening for Democrats to move beyond the areas where they are strong into places where Republicans have been strong.
That's why you see the president where he is on this final tour in southwest Missouri, a Republican stronghold, Montana, Nebraska, Kansas, places that Republicans didn't expect to have to defend, they are being forced to defend largely I think because of discontent over the war and the effect that it's had on the president's overall popularity.
HOLMES: Some people might call it the classic Bush campaigning. He's a little down. He's been down in the polls and whatnot, but he's going out there and he is attacking on the campaign trail, going right at Democrats. Again, some might call it classic Bush. Are you kind of surprised he's going at it like this again?
BROWNSTEIN: They are returning to the strategy that has worked for them before. I mean the cornerstone of the administration's political strategy has been mobilizing very large turn outs among Republican with a very sharp, often polarizing message and an agenda that aims at the priorities of their conservative base.
The problem they've got though this time is they are facing in really all regions of the country large deficits for Republican candidates among independent and moderate voters and it's not clear they are going to respond to that kind of message as much as the Republican base and it's also not clear that you can overcome the kind of deficits they're facing with independents in many places simply by turning out more Republicans.
HOLMES: Are they still, both sides, they use them because they know they work. These political ads, in every campaign it seems like oh man, this is the nastiest one I've ever seen. And a lot of people are saying this time around, are these things going to be effective as some people anticipate once again?
BROWNSTEIN: They used to talk about resistance to pesticides. You always have to spray more to kill the bugs because they grew resistant to the DDT. It's sort of like that with negative ads. You've got to get more and more extreme to get peoples' attention and it does work to some extent. But I think in an election like this where you have big national currents, they're probably a little less important. I mean the basic story here is that you have in every poll as we've seen, a level of discontent over the direction of the country, especially in Iraq.
And the question, the critical question in the campaign's final days is, is that wave big enough to overcome the Republican defenses in places where they have been strong, places like Missouri and Montana in the Senate races and these House races in places like Indiana or Kentucky. That will really determine, if we have a big wall in terms of Republican loyalties in many of these places, but we also have a big wave and election night will tell us which one was a little bigger
HOLMES: Yes or no, do you think that wave's big enough?
BROWNSTEIN: I think it's going to be very hard for Republicans to hold the House. The Senate is right on the brink with states like Montana, Missouri and Virginia probably the ones that will tell us which side rules the gavels after November.
HOLMES: Come on, say yes or no man? Come on. I'm kidding. Ron Brownstein, CNN political analyst, we do appreciate your insight as always.
BROWNSTEIN: Thank you.
HOLMES: All right, Betty. It's all yours.
NGUYEN: All right, thanks T.J. Well, call it the green initiative, that's the way some voters look at the question they're being asked to answer on Tuesday, whether to legalize marijuana.
CNN's Dan Simon reports now from Las Vegas. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAN SIMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Pushing Nevada's true green party candidate, only here, we mean green as in marijuana. These campaign workers are doing some old-fashioned politicking, trying to convince people here to vote yes and legalize marijuana.
NEAL LEVINE, CAMPAIGN MANAGER: We're taking on the entire establishment.
SIMON: Neal Levine is managing the committee to regulate and control marijuana. His group gathered 86,000 signatures to force the issue on November's ballot.
LEVINE: What we're proposing is a pragmatic, sensible approach to a very bad and failed policy.
SIMON: What they're proposing is allowing people 21 and older to legally buy an ounce of pot. The drug would be grown and sold by state licensed businesses. Just so there's no confusion, we're not talking medical marijuana which is now legal in 11 states including Nevada.
LEVINE: Right now, our marijuana laws put money in the hands of some very bad people and all we're proposing is we pull it out of the criminal market where it's widely available and put it into a tightly regulated taxed market.
SIMON: In a town where pretty much everything goes, organizers of the initiative hope to take things a step further. Think of it. If the vote passes and proponents get their way, you could see stores here in Nevada selling marijuana. The movement has some unusual allies. Nearly three dozen members of the clergy, including Sister Toni Woodson, a Roman Catholic nun.
SISTER TONI WOODSON, SUPPORTS LEGALIZATION: I don't think smoking marijuana is a sin, any more than drinking alcohol is a sin or smoking a cigarette is a sin.
SIMON: A position certainly not endorsed by the Catholic Church. A September poll conducted by the "Las Vegas Review Journal" shows the initiative trailing, 42 percent were in favor, 51 percent in opposition, the rest undecided. Levine says internal polling shows a dead heat. Either way, opponents are taking nothing for granted.
SANDY HEVERLY, STOP DUI: If marijuana was legalized, more people are going to use it. More people are going to drive under the influence of it. And what is that going to lead to? Obviously, more death, injury and destruction.
SIMON: Critics also point to marijuana's effects on the mind. Dr. Garn Mabey is a member of the Nevada legislature.
DR. GARN MABEY, NEVADA ASSEMBLYMAN: It impairs your cognition. It impairs the way you function. But if you got in a car, it would be very dangerous. I think it's a bad example to set for our children. SIMON: But supporters argue marijuana is no worse than alcohol and challenge the notion that it's a gateway to harder drugs like cocaine and meth.
LEVINE: If marijuana were a gateway to harder drug use, why don't we have 100 million hard drug users in this country? We don't. It's not. It's a complete myth.
SIMON: If the initiative were to pass, Levine and his group would have to hope Uncle Sam would stay on the sidelines. Marijuana of course is illegal under Federal law and since Federal law trumps state law, the Feds could shut down the providers at will, which is what it is increasingly doing to medical marijuana providers in California. Even so, if Nevada voters say yes, it would be a bold move by any measure in a state that has defined what bold truly is. Dan Simon, CNN, Las Vegas.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: And we invite you to join us election night. Wolf Blitzer, Anderson Cooper, Paula Zahn and Lou Dobbs, they lead the best team on television. We have the races, the results and the ramifications. That's Tuesday night beginning at 7:00 Eastern.
HOLMES: And then our election night coverage continues with a special edition of "Larry King Live." That's happening at midnight Eastern. You'll hear from the winners, the losers all across the country, plus expert analysis, again from the best political squad on TV.
NGUYEN: You know it. But right now, Borat is on the big screen and in the newsroom. What he told me about his trip to America. You want to watch for this.
HOLMES: Oh, yeah. Also Paul McCartney speaks out about his divorce. You want to hear this. You're in the newsroom.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Paul McCartney is finally talking about his divorce from Heather Mills. You know what he's saying? He's saying he's not going to say much. In a BBC radio interview, the former Beatle said a relationship with a partner is intensely personal and he prefers to keep it that way.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SACHA BARON COHEN, ACTOR PLAYS CHARACTER "BORAT": I get window from glass. He must get a window from a glass. I get step. He must get step. I get a clock radio he cannot afford, great success.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: This man isn't holding back anything. It's the world according to Borat. The move is all the rave at the theaters this weekend. Borat says he is a journalist from Kazakhstan who traveled to the U.S. to report on all aspects of American life. He's not real, neither is his reporting, which some actually call offensive, but the movie will have you doubled over laughing.
Borat is really a comedian named Sacha Baron Cohen and you may remember him from the "Ali G. Show" -- remember that -- where he first began raising eyebrows. Well, I spoke with Borat earlier and he told me exactly what he thinks about President Bush.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
COHEN: We in Kazakhstan are very big fannies of your Premier Bush. We think he is not only a wise man but also very strong, although perhaps not as strong as his father Barbara.
NGUYEN: That would be his mother.
COHEN: No, Barbara, the one with the big head and white hair. Barbara!
NGUYEN: I'm not even going to go there with you. But let me ask you one last thing because I'm very curious about this. OK, I have seen you in this movie in a neon man bikini. How in the world did you get into that contraption and why would you want to wear that?
COHEN: This bikini that I wear, it start on the shoulders, go down here until it makes a circumference around the wham (ph). It is the official costume of the Kazakhstan national swimming team.
NGUYEN: And you were on that?
COHEN: No, but I had a friend who was in it.
NGUYEN: And you found one that was a little too small for you apparently.
COHEN: Thank you very much.
NGUYEN: I didn't mean it like that. Oh, stop it Borat.
COHEN: No, please, you can come and stay at my house and I will show you.
NGUYEN: That's quite all right. I'll take your word for it. Borat, it's been a pleasure meeting you. Very interesting, a bit frightening, but still a pleasure.
COHEN: Please I would like to meet this Paula Zahn, wow, wow.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: He was really taken aback by Paula. That man will say just about anything.
HOLMES: He was pretty impressed with Paula. He's impressed with you as well. I know you guys exchanged numbers and whatnot.
NGUYEN: Don't even go there. The rates to calling over there are kind of high.
HOLMES: But yes, that was a good time with Borat, in theaters, of course.
But something else, a lot of folks, we're reporting of course for CNN but a lot of you all have been doing the same thing this campaign year. Ahead our Veronica de la Cruz is going to have some of the best political I-reports of the week. Stay here.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VERONICA DE LA CRUZ, CNN.COM: Hey there, I'm Veronica de la Cruz at the dot com desk. The politicians have been hot on the campaign trail, but apparently, so have a lot of you out there. We'd like to take a moment right here to share some of the best political I-reports for the week.
Let's start with this one in Tennessee. Sara Fincher sent us this picture she took before a debate between Republican Bob Corker and Democrat Harold Ford Jr. Fincher said watching the debate helped her decide who she would vote for. Tom Maydish sent us this picture of Republican candidate Tom Kean of New Jersey. He's running for a Senate seat. Maydish says that Kean is a real down to earth guy and a straight shooter.
This photo of Michael J Fox at a fundraiser in St. Louis, Missouri was taken by Brenda Ross. She says that Fox was so ill with Parkinson's disease he couldn't stand for more than 10 minutes and that his speech was short, but powerful. Ross called Fox the bravest man I've ever laid eyes on.
This final picture from Marcia Suminski of Democrats gathering for a rally in Fraser, Michigan. Suminski says that the group was passionate about the various causes listed on their signs.
Don't forget that Monday, November 6th, the CNN pipeline will be free for the entire day. It's your chance to catch up and watch all the hot political stories, issues and the various controversial TV ads before you head out to vote. Our special coverage begins at 7:00 p.m. Eastern on Tuesday and will be anchored by my colleague Richard Lui and yours truly. Don't forget that you can find it all online. Just head to CNN.com/election. I'm Veronica de la Cruz for the dot com desk.
NGUYEN: A lot coming up on Tuesday. Let's see what's happening outside today. Let's check in now with Reynolds Wolf, who has a look at the weather. Good morning.
WOLF: Good morning, we're looking at very windy conditions off the Florida coast, especially near Cocoa Beach, also near Daytona Beach. In upstate New York, looking at some scattered snow showers, possibly a foot of snowfall in I'd say Watertown.
Meantime, back in the Midwest, some scattered showers and snow showers also into the Rockies, but very, very light precipitation, just a light dusting. But we could see some raindrops in northern California up to Seattle. That is a quick look at your forecast across the nation. Back to you.
NGUYEN: Thank you.
HOLMES: That was quick. Thank you so much, Reynolds.
And of course Fredricka Whitfield here to bring you the headlines in just a couple of minutes. And then Jack Cafferty, he's taking on the left, the right and whoever else wants to get in his way.
NGUYEN: "BROKEN GOVERNMENT," that is coming up right here on CNN. Have a fantastic day.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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