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California Wildfires; Montana Race Could be Big Factor in Control of Senate; Connecticut Senate Race

Aired November 06, 2006 - 14:00   ET

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

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: That wildfire in southern California still burning. T.J. Holmes is in the newsroom.
Do they have it contained?

T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: Well, I'm told it's not quite -- about 30 percent contained, is what we're told, or at least being reported right now. But this shot here we're seeing, this is a live picture. And this is really the area where the fire started. And we're told, reported by our affiliate earlier, that it was started at some kind of abandoned business there, and this was the area where it started.

So you can see it's pretty much out there, a little flame still going there. But right across the street from this area we're looking at is where the homes are, 100 or so homes that were being threatened by this fire.

Now, the fire went from this -- this area where this abandoned structure was, and it just started to move. The wind was fanning these flames and started to move this thing along some of the brush and whatnot. This is not the live picture, but this is the one we were talking about earlier where -- where that thing just got going.

WHITFIELD: Yes.

HOLMES: And you can see all those homes across the street, literally right across the street.

WHITFIELD: Yes.

HOLMES: And this was the fear for many firefighters, and this is what they decided to focus their efforts on, attacking this thing from the air, with the helicopters and the airplanes, of course. But still, they were trying to keep it from getting to the homes again.

WHITFIELD: Right.

HOLMES: Five hundred acres at least we've been told by the California Department of Forestry that have been burned. Not quite completely have it under control, but at least the area where the fire originally started does seem to be pretty much out. But again, this thing...

WHITFIELD: Remarkable, T.J. You mentioned that it was an abandoned, you know, warehouse or storehouse, et cetera. But clearly there was something in there like paper, it would seem, that is burning just so easily.

HOLMES: Something got it going, and that thing -- again, the winds we were talking about, 30, 40 miles per hour...

WHITFIELD: Yes.

HOLMES: ... really started blowing that thing, and it got going and caused some issues with the firefighters. Not completely under control yet, but we're keeping an eye on it -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right. Fingers are crossed.

T.J. Holmes, thanks so much in the newsroom -- Don.

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Oh, it's just a few hours left of handshaking, baby-kissing, speechmaking, promise-making, prediction- making. Tomorrow, America finally votes. And you may be one of the voters who will help determine the balance of power in Congress.

The best political team on television is in place to cover all the critical races for you. Live reports and discussions coming up this hour in the CNN NEWSROOM.

And we're going to start with this. A state with a decidedly small population could decide who controls the Senate.

Our Chris Lawrence is in Billings, Montana.

Hey, Chris.

CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Don, depending on how things shake out on the East and the Midwest, this could be the last stand for both Democrats and Republicans. And because so few people live in Montana, control of the Senate could literally come down to the votes of just a few 100,000 people.

Now, President Bush carried this state by 20 points in 2004. It had been solidly Republican for years, but to show you just how tight it has become, there was President Bush, just five days before the election, making a campaign stop here to campaign for and get out the vote for the incumbent Republican, Conrad Burns.

Now, Burns has been in office for 18 years. He is a high-ranking Republican. But he did make about $150,000 in donations to convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff, and that donation has left him vulnerable. He's being painted in ads saying that he is out of touch with Montana.

His opponent is really redefining what it means to be a Democrat out here in the West. Jon Tester is a state lawmaker and he's also a third-generation farmer. He sports a buzz cut and proudly shows off his three missing fingers that he all lost in a meat grinder.

Both ads have gone negative in the past few weeks, and the race seems to be tightening -- Don.

LEMON: Yes, Chris, I was going to ask you about that. We've seen a lot this year with the campaigns, he said-she said, a lot of negative campaign ads. And you mentioned sort of the tone.

Tell me more about the tone of this particular campaign.

LAWRENCE: What I've noticed from the ads here is, because a little bit of money can go a long way in Montana, there's not a lot of people, you can buy a lot of ad time, you see them doubling up. What I've watched is a negative ad followed by a positive ad for the candidate.

So what you'll see is an ad that says, you know, Jon Tester is a high taxer, and then the very next ad, the following one, says Conrad Burns is a great guy for the state of Monday machine. And that's what I've been seeing. So it may be hard to determine exactly the effect of the negative ads because they literally followed right by a positive one.

LEMON: Yes. And we want to say the Republican candidate apparently -- apparently received -- I think you misspoke -- but not to correct you -- received the money from Abramoff.

So there we go. I just wanted to make sure we got it right for our viewers.

But Chris Lawrence, thank you. Great job on that campaign.

LAWRENCE: Yes.

WHITFIELD: Well, two things that are pretty clear in Connecticut, if Joe Lieberman wins his hard-fought Senate race, he won't be the same Joe Lieberman who won in 2000 or in 1994, for that matter. And if he doesn't, the war in Iraq just might be why.

CNN's Dan Lothian reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAN LOTHIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): At a Connecticut supermarket, Senator Joe Lieberman supporters pitching shoppers on one more item.

DANIELLE SELBER, LIEBERMAN SUPPORTER: We've been engaging the voters, telling them why we're sticking with Joe, why they should stick with Joe.

LOTHIAN: A few miles away, volunteers with challenger Ned Lamont's campaign makes signs and phone calls.

BRENDAN MAHONEY, LAMONT SUPPORTER: We're trying to get in contact with as many voters as possible and we're getting our volunteer base all set.

LOTHIAN: Lieberman, a three-term Democratic senator, is running as an independent after a surprising defeat by Lamont in the Democratic primary in August. The war in Iraq has been the central focus in this campaign. Lamont said the choice is clear. NED LAMONT, (D) SENATE CANDIDATE: A vote for Joe Lieberman is a vote for no change, stay the course in Iraq, more war. A vote for us is a vote for change, start bringing our troops home.

LOTHIAN: But Lieberman, who was also honoring veterans, portrayed his challenger as a one-issue candidate, with a narrow, negative agenda.

SEN. JOE LIEBERMAN, (I) SENATE CANDIDATE: Washington needs to be fixed, but the way to fix it is to break the partisan gridlock, and that's what I'm going to do.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: All right.

And the power of numbers, tomorrow it will be measured at the polls. Today we get a possible preview.

In a CNN poll conducted by Opinion Research Corporation, it shows Democrats with a double-digit lead over Republicans going into the midterm elections. Nationally registered voters say they favor Democrats 54 percent to 39 percent.

The gap is even larger among likely voters, 58 percent to 38. Now, keep in mind Tip O'Neill's observation that all politics is local. A national sampling doesn't necessarily reflect opinion in any particular congressional district.

And the waning Republican support comes as President Bush's popularity takes another dip. Only 35 percent say they approve of his job performance, 61 percent disapprove.

Get more election coverage and get it free right on your desktop. All day today, CNN Pipeline is free. That means no charge.

WHITFIELD: Free, people.

LEMON: That's right. Free.

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LEMON: With behind-the-scenes access for live feeds, campaign coverage you won't find anywhere else. It really is a very good and interesting service. Go to CNN.com.

WHITFIELD: Under investigation. The latest deadly Army helicopter crash in Iraq, it happened north of Baghdad. Two soldiers attached to the 25th Combat Aviation Brigade were killed.

A military spokesman says there didn't appear to be any ground fire at the time. This brings to the number 18, the number of U.S. troops killed in Iraq the first six days of this month alone.

As U.S. troop deaths mount, so do the calls for Donald Rumsfeld to be replaced. The latest from a publication that is widely read by the military.

CNN's Barbara Starr on the story at the Pentagon.

And what is this all about, Barbara?

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fred, hi. And hello to you.

The Military Times newspapers are owned by the Gannett chain. They are privately owned but very widely read by the U.S. military around the world. And that newspaper chain has now put out a new editorial calling for Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld to step down. The newspaper editors say it has nothing to do with the midterm elections tomorrow, but everything to do with President Bush's recent announcement that Secretary Rumsfeld would stay at least another two years, until the end of the president's term.

Here's a bit of what this editorial had to say.

"Rumsfeld has lost his credibility with the uniformed leadership, with the troops, with Congress and with the public at large. His strategy has failed, and his ability to lead is compromised. And although the blame for our failures in Iraq rests with the secretary, it will be the troops who bear the brunt.

Now, the editor of the Military Times newspaper appeared on CNN earlier this morning to talk a little bit more about the reasoning behind the newspaper's decision.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERT HODIERNE, SR. MANAGING EDITOR, "ARMY TIMES": It's pretty clear to us that the policies need some realignment, and that's unlikely to happen as long as Secretary Rumsfeld occupies that position.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STARR: Fredricka, the crux of this all seems to be that the Military Times newspapers says it's their view that there are many high-level officials within the U.S. military who have lost confidence in the secretary, and that's one of the reasons he should go, and that's why they put out the editorial at this point -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: And might there be an official reaction from the Pentagon on this?

STARR: Well, indeed, there is, and I think it's what everyone would expect. Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman of course issued a statement strongly disagreeing, saying, "The new 'chorus of criticism' noted by the editorials is actually old news and does not include commanders in the field, who remain committed to the mission." So, a dispute from the Pentagon that top senior commanders are -- have lost their confidence in the secretary or in the war -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right. Barbara Starr from the Pentagon.

Thanks so much.

STARR: Sure.

LEMON: Rallying the base and beyond. More and more activists are crossing party lines to get their candidates elected. That angle on the election, that's ahead in the CNN NEWSROOM.

WHITFIELD: Plus, a dark path, an uncertain future. A closer look at the personal and political implications of one preacher's demons.

That's straight ahead in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Americans preparing to vote in tomorrow's midterm elections are finding as many issues and controversies as candidates. And there are thousands of candidates.

Joining me now, Carl Jeffers, radio talk show host and contributor to "The Seattle Times". He is in Los Angeles.

And in Washington, CNN contributor and President of the American Cause, Bay Buchanan.

Guys, lots to talk about today. Why don't we start off -- let's talk about -- let's talk about Ted Haggard. Any effect -- and I'm going to let you handle this, Bay, because I think you probably know a lot about this. Any effect -- is this going to turn people off or energize them for going to the polls?

BAY BUCHANAN, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: On the one side, I think the Christian conservatives will be out there in the polls in large numbers. If anything, this will encourage them, energize them.

But I'll tell you, to have this gay prostitute, this fellow that took out the pastor, endorse a proposition, which is what he has done, the proposition for civil unions, that's like having David Duke endorse your candidate. This is not a good thing. This is not something you welcome. I think this, if anything, will do the damage in Colorado.

LEMON: All right, Bay. I'm going to -- I want to you listen to this. Of course a lot of people talked to some of the congregation coming out of church yesterday. I want to listen to what one -- at least one of them said, and then, Carl, I'm going to get your response to this on the other side.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you think this will encourage evangelicals to head to the polls on Tuesday or discourage them?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I hope it will encourage them. Like I say, what God has for us is so much more than we ever imagine or think. And to get that going, I'm going to say, yes, I think it's going to encourage more people to go to the polls. I certainly hope that's true.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: So, Carl, this appears to be backing up at least what Bay said. And, of course, religion is all about forgiveness, but what about the hypocrisy factor here?

CARL JEFFERS, CONTRIBUTOR, "SEATTLE TIMES": Well, Don, first of all, Bay and I were together on CNN Friday and we're back on Monday. Perhaps she had the weekend to reflect a bit, because I think what's happened has totally validated the position I took Friday, that neither one, the accuser nor the pastor, are in fact in good shape here.

But listen. That interview we just heard was from a parishioner in the church where Haggard was the pastor. If there's any place where there's going to be sympathy and a positive response to him, it's going to be in that church.

Now, I will say this for Bay, I do believe that in terms of impact on Christian evangelicals, it may be minimal because many of them have already voted. So in terms of the election and particularly the issue in Colorado on same-sex marriage, many of those votes have already been cast.

But in terms of the national impact, this just adds to the book by David Kuo saying that the president and the administration made fun of evangelicals. The Mark Foley incident...

(CROSSTALK)

LEMON: All right. Well, let's move on to another topic.

Let's talk about the president, out campaigning today in Florida, several other places. But Charlie Crist not even showing up with him.

Is this because -- let's take a look at this. There's a new opinion -- a new Pew poll that shows that -- let's see what it says -- 47 percent of Democrats -- there's an upsurge, rather. A small upsurge from the president.

It still shows that Democrats are going to get a higher percentage of the vote, or whatever, receive an upsurge. But still, it looks like Republicans are coming back, Bay. Good news for Republicans. Not a big surge, but it appears to be a very small one.

BUCHANAN: It's great news. Listen, it's the day before the election. You tell me that the weekend before there's movement our way? This is excellent news. There's 20 races out there that -- congressional races that are tied. Six Senate races very, very close, can't be called. You tell me there's some movement going to Republicans, there couldn't be better news for my party.

LEMON: And is that because of the president? We have seen that wherever the president goes, there seems to be some small surge, sometimes a huge one, sometimes a small one, wherever he goes to, you know, stump for a candidate.

BUCHANAN: Well, I'll tell you where he's going. A lot of these key race -- in fact, most of them are in Republican territory. So, the key here is the Democrats have done a very good job. They got us right into the wire here, down to the wire.

If we can get our vote out, if that's all we do is get that vote out, we will win a good chunk of these races. And that's where the president has some popularity still and he can rally and energize the troops and remind them we need -- we need their votes.

LEMON: Carl, how much of this can we believe for -- at least for the Democrats? Because we're also -- there are polls that show the Democrats are surging ahead. What does all of this mean so close to the election?

JEFFERS: Well, one thing's for sure. We won't have to worry about it for -- until another 24 hours. We'll know.

Bay made one point that I think is important for us to launch from. She said that the president is going out to Republican territories and he's helping.

That's good Republican strategy, Don, for the president to pick and choose and go to places like Montana and Missouri. But here's the problem, on the other hand. The president right now is limited to only going to strongly Republican territories because that's where he hopes to have some minimal positive effect at all to get those voters out.

LEMON: And Carl...

JEFFERS: But what they really need is the president out to get moderates and Independents. And he's not able to do that, which is why Crist in Florida will not campaign with him and is campaigning with John McCain.

LEMON: Well, Carl, that is -- it appears to be the conventional wisdom here, because he's in Panama City, or central Florida, at least, earlier campaigning, where he has very strong support and Crist is not even going.

JEFFERS: That's right.

LEMON: Let's talk about -- the Democrats are also bringing out -- brining out the big guns, too. This weekend in Tennessee, we saw Barack Obama, we saw a number of people out there. What do you think of this, why -- it was very interesting to me to see, especially in a race where race is going to play a factor, to see Barack Obama on the campaign trail with another African-American candidate. Did anybody find anything interesting about that?

BUCHANAN: Well, the key here is Barack is very, very popular. But in particular, obviously, a real role model for the black community in this country. And he can energize and excite them.

And they vote -- they do not have high turnout rates, generally speaking, but they do vote Democrat when they vote. So obviously, you want to go in there, try to energize them. He's been out there in Maryland, too, where we have a black American running as a Republican for Senate, and trying to bring that black community home, make certain they stay in the Democratic Party.

I think it's a very effective tool for the Democrats, is to use him to the full extent that they can to energize the black community.

LEMON: And Bay and Carl, you guys can't see each other, can you? Because you're matching. You're matching today.

BUCHANAN: I heard about that.

LEMON: So I think you guys are starting to...

BUCHANAN: Day and night.

JEFFERS: Yes, day and night. We'll have to get together on that.

LEMON: Yes.

BUCHANAN: We're in sync. We're really in sync. We don't even have to talk.

LEMON: It looks like you're agreeing, so we're going to have to find two new people that, you know, speak -- talk about the issues.

JEFFERS: Oh, well then let me get out some kind of a zoot suit or something, then.

LEMON: Oh, we're just kidding. We're just kidding.

You guys look very nice. Thanks for playing along with us today, Bay Buchanan and Carl Jeffers.

BUCHANAN: Sure.

LEMON: We'll see you next time. Thanks.

JEFFERS: Good to be here.

WHITFIELD: We like agreement from time to time, right?

All right. Well, a spark, a gust, and southern California erupts again. A new wildfire threatens dozens of homes and turns out scores of firefighters as well. We're tracking it in the NEWSROOM straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: The speeches, the issues, claims and counterclaims, all come to nothing if voters don't vote. So this year both parties are working both harder and smarter to maximize turnout.

CNN's Dana Bash reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm calling to ask you to join me in re- electing George Allen.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: ... George Allen to the Senate.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ... to re-elect George Allen.

DANA BASH, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Voices of a voter turnout operation Republicans hope keeps them in power.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right. We're ready to go? Let's get started.

BASH: GOP foot soldiers are marching battlegrounds across the country, implementing their 72-hour get-out-the-vote plan.

MICHAEL DUHAIME, RNC: The 72-hour program really takes about 72 weeks to put together, so there's no doubt it can make a difference in these close elections.

BASH: Since 2000, Republicans have been building a voter vault, files of GOP voters. Adding to that by microtargeting, using consumer data, what magazines or cars someone buys, to identify new voters.

DUHAIME: We feel with our targeting we're able to go in and find very specific voters in there as individuals and turn them out. And maybe instead of getting 10 or 12 percent, we get 14 or 16 percent.

BASH: That could make the difference where it's neck and neck, like this Indiana district.

BRIAN DIFFELL, GOP VOLUNTEER: We target these households based on folks we think may be friendly toward the reception we get at those houses.

BASH: GOP volunteers knock on doors in Democratic neighborhoods Republicans wrote off in the past. What's different this year is Democrats are doing the same thing here...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're volunteers of the local Democratic Party.

BASH: ... using the same strategy and technology to find Democratic voters, investing $8 million in turnout but playing catch- up.

KAREN FINNEY, DNC: We had some challenges in 2004 with our database. We've addressed those challenges and we feel very confident in our -- in our voter file.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Please vote for Democrat Jim Webb for U.S. Senate.

BASH: Back in Virginia, Democrats use bar codes just like Republicans to track voters. Who needs an extra push? Maybe a ride to the polls?

LARRY BYRNE, DEMOCRATIC FIELD ORGANIZER: In the old days when we used to have to do this, you know, one at a time, we would have never gotten to 100,000 contacts. And we got to 300,000.

BASH: But all the money and fancy microtargeting in the world can't replace moments like this.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Allen's an idiot. Webb is worse. You could convince me to vote for George Allen if you help me start my lawnmower.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right. I will start your lawnmower.

All the way up. There we go. One vote for George Allen.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Well, what's your definition? Is President Bush a lame duck or not? Well, he is clearly ruffling feathers all over the campaign trail. His performance in office is a huge factor in this midterm election.

Live pictures right now of the president. He's stumping for the GOP candidate for governor in Florida, in Pensacola, Florida. However, here's the catch: that candidate that he's actually campaigning for, well, he's not even there. He's campaigning elsewhere.

Mr. Bush is winding down a 10-state campaign swing.

Our Kathleen Koch has been watching it all from the White House.

Sometimes a candidate is there, and sometimes he or she is not.

What's going on, Kathleen?

KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, especially in these days and times, Fredricka, because there is quite a difference of opinion around the country amongst Republicans as to whether or not having President Bush campaigning for you is a good thing or a bad thing.

Now, right now this -- this final swing that the president is on, his mission is to rally the faithful, to energize the base. And so what you're seeing right now is he's in Pensacola, Florida, a very solidly conservative district. A crowd of roughly 10,000 is there. And it's like very much the other stops the president has made this week and will be making as the day goes on.

From here, he is going to be going on to Arkansas, and then later on to an appearance in Dallas, Texas. And these, again, are solidly Republican districts where now the candidates are very much in trouble. So President Bush is going out there and doing what he can.

Now, as you mentioned, notably absent on stage is the candidate, Charles Crist, who had invited President Bush to come to Florida in the first place. He's running to fill the vacancy for governorship that was left when Jeb Bush decided to step down from that office.

And there you see him campaigning, not with President Bush, but with John McCain. And what Crist's office said is that they decided at the last minute yesterday that the candidate would better spend his time going around the state, hitting areas where moderates and Independents are in play, people whose votes they will really need.

They believe that the president in Pensacola can do a good job on his own rallying the base, but obviously a bit of a snub for the Bush White House. There were some comments made by the chief political strategist, Karl Rove.

Let me see, do we have that sound that we can play?

WHITFIELD: I think we do.

KOCH: OK. Well, let's -- let's go right to it.

Oh, no sound? OK. We're told no.

Now, what happened is that reporters spoke to Karl Rove and said, what about this? Is this a snub to the White House? And rove said, "Well, why don't you take a look at the numbers that show up at the appearance, say, in Palm Beach, one of 10 Crist will be making around the state, versus the roughly 10,000 who are in Pensacola greeting the president.

And it's important to point out that the president did, in his speech just a few minutes ago, urge Florida voters to vote for Charles Crist as their next governor -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right, Kathleen. Well, we at least saw the pictures of Karl Rove, who is traveling with the president. We saw them yesterday as they were heading to Nebraska and Kansas, and then today Florida. We do expect to get that soundbyte of actually hearing from Karl Rove on his point of view on this strategy, if you will, in Florida.

Kathleen Koch at the White House, thanks you so much.

KOCH: You bet.

LEMON: A deadly fire at a real landmark, even deadlier than first thought. Grim discoveries ahead in the CNN NEWSROOM. WHITFIELD: Plus, homes threatened by a wind-fueled wildfire. The latest from Southern California straight ahead in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: And more now on this developing story. Familiar and frightening pictures out of Southern California. Another raging wildfire threatening homes and challenging firefighters there.

Let's head out to Thelma Gutierrez. She joins us live from Rialto, California with the very latest on this. What do you know?

THELMA GUTIERREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I can tell you, Don, that it is extremely windy out here. And these are the conditions that the firefighters are really up against in trying to put out this wildfire.

Now, the good news, though, is that San Bernardino County tells me that the forward movement of this fire is now under control. It is 30 percent contained. But to stand out here in front of this fire is literally like standing in a wind and dust tunnel, is all I can say.

If you take a look right behind me, this is the actual industrial yard that is burning.

LEMON: OK, apparently we lost Thelma Gutierrez. We've been telling you about that fire. It's a wind-fueled fire, burned about 200 to 400 acres in Rialto, California. I don't know if we have any live pictures. Look at that. This is it at the height of it, I guess at about 10:00 Eastern, just after it started coming in to us.

Let's head back to Thelma Gutierrez.

Thelma, we lost you for a second there, but you were describing what's going on behind you. Show us again.

GUTIERREZ: Yes, Don, the reason that you probably are losing me is because, as I was saying, it's like you're standing in a wind tunnel. I mean, the gusts that are out here, we're talking 30 mile an hour winds and even higher as they come off that pass and just shoot down this area.

Now, as we pan over, you can see where the fire actually started. It was up north. It began about 7:30 this morning. The fire came through this high-brush area, straight down into this industrial park. This industrial park behind me is about four to five acres. They make wooden pallets in this area. It went right into the area. It started burning furiously. And the big concern was trying to keep that fire away from the luxury homes that are just across the street from us.

But firefighters have attacked this very aggressively. They have 150 firefighters on the ground. They have about seven aircraft flying over the area. They have air tankers going into the golf course. That's about a half mile away into the ponds there, picking up the water, and then coming and making the water drops in this area.

Again, what they want to make sure to do is to keep the fire on this side of the street away from the luxury homes that are right across. But so far, Don, the good news is that the fire is contained within the walls of this industrial park right now. And again, the brush fire that's burning is short distance away is now about 30 percent contained.

LEMON: All right, Thelma.

GUTIERREZ: Back to you.

LEMON: I know it's windy. Can you hear me?

GUTIERREZ: Yes, I can.

LEMON: Where you're standing now, we can see fires behind you. Are those contained fires from firefighters, or was that part of the actual blaze? Show us what's happening over your left shoulder there.

GUTIERREZ: Yes, no. Yes, actually, these are the pallets that have been reduced to, in some cases, ashes. This fire began about 7:30 this morning.

This, though, to answer your question, is the area where the fire is actually contained. There is a chain link fence just a few feet away, and the fire is burning on the other side of that chain link fence. And much to the credit of the San Bernardino Fire Department, they have crews all along the perimeters of this yard, making sure that that fire does not escape the area, that it does not go into this luxury subdivision.

Now, one of the things that they were telling me about what has happened right within the last five years or so is that this subdivision, this area, would burn, every single year. People out here would lose their homes. But what they did right is they now put together -- they have a green belt, the homes have tiled roofs...

LEMON: Hey, Thelma...

GUTIERREZ: And so they were able to save this community. Go ahead.

LEMON: You're talking, and I don't know, we're running out of time, but there's also some firefighters, I think, coming right behind you. You can't see it, because you were talking to the camera. I'm wondering what those guys are doing there, and if they're members of the fire department as well.

GUTIERREZ: Yes, Don. Well, really what they've been doing is driving the perimeter of this fire. This was a five-acre industrial yard, and they're just making sure that those flames don't shoot across. And that's really what they're doing.

LEMON: They're out there working. Thelma Gutierrez reporting to us from Rialto, California. Thank you very much. Very active scene going on there.

WHITFIELD: This has been the season of fires, not just in California, but other states as well. Nevada, a hotel fire there, the deadliest fire in Reno history. Two more bodies were found yesterday from the Mizpah (ph) Hotel, an 84-year-old landmark, bringing the death toll to 11. At least 30 people were hurt, three critically, in a blaze that broke out on Halloween night. A woman is suspected of starting that blaze by setting fire to her mattress.

And an early-morning blaze guts one of Florida's oldest tourist attractions. Most of the animals at Gatorland hid safely in a lake, so they're okay. But a Gatorland official says two crocodiles and two pythons likely perished in the three-alarm blaze. They were kept in a holding pen near the gift shop which was a total loss. The park's famous main entrance, a giant concrete gator head, was also destroyed. Officials say they'll reopen the park as soon as they can. Gatorland draws as many as 400,000 tourists a year, so it's popular.

LEMON: That's a loss, too.

Election Day plus two years. Presidential possibilities for 2008. That's ahead in the NEWSROOM.

WHITFIELD: And five kamikaze attacks couldn't stop it, but Intrepid's latest mission is scuttled by mud. We're digging for the details right here on in the NEWSROOM.

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LEMON: Time and tide wait for no man and great ladies don't get a break either -- even legendary ones. CNN's Jason Carroll on a military quagmire that has nothing to do with Iraq.

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JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the Intrepid is a national landmark here in the west side of Manhattan. She's nicknamed the Fighting I and it looks like she's fighting to stay right where she is. You can see just how far she got when museum officials tried to move her this morning along with the help of the Coast Guard. They were only able to move her for about 15 feet. Here's what happened, the people at the Intrepid See, Air, and Space Museum, wanted to move the World War II aircraft carrier so it could be refurbished. They knew it was going to be a difficult task. The ship hasn't been moved in 24 years. It weighs 27,000 tons. It's 920 feet long, the length of 3 football fields. So what they did in preparation is they dug out the mud and silt that had collected beneath the ship. They waited for a high tide. They emptied 260 tanks inside the ship holding fresh water. That made it 500 tons lighter. They pulled out the powerful tugboats, they crossed their fingers, but the old great lady barely budged. Now the focus is on what to do next.

BILL WHITE, PRESIDENT, INTREPID: We're going to be calling in some survey dive teams that are on their way to the Intrepid as we speak. They'll give us a full assessment of the soil samplings underneath the stern area and these propeller areas that Jeff was speaking about. And so that we can have a proper assessment of exactly what's down there, how much we need to get around, and then how to deal with that problem, so we can get the Intrepid out.

CARROLL: Where the problems seems to be at the bow of the ship. That's where a lot of the mud has collected around one of the propellers. So that's where the divers will be focusing a lot of their attention. The next time they're going to be able to try and move the Intrepid is December 8th. That's the next time we've got high tide on the Hudson River. But once again, this is the fighting I, and officials say don't be surprised if she puts up another fight when they try to move her again.

Jason Carroll, CNN, New York.

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LEMON: All right Jason, that's what you call being stuck in the muck. And the other option has been floated, leave Intrepid right where she is and bring the refurbishers to Pier 86. We'll keep you posted on that.

WHITFIELD: And straight ahead, entertainment news with Sibila Vargas of Showbiz Tonight. Sibila, what you got?

SIBILA VARGAS, CNN ANCHOR: Well, it was a nice weekend for "Borat" at the box office and we'll get you ready for the biggest night in country music, Fred. That's coming up in the NEWSROOM.

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WHITFIELD: They've got a star from another country, sort of, and the biggest stars of the country music scene. And then, of course, there's our own star out in l.a. Sibila Vargas joining us live...

SIBILA VARGAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I love you.

WHITFIELD: .. in action there, host of our "ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT".

So, let's start with the big box office news from the weekend. What's up?

VARGAS: Well, can you say, nice, that's a nice?

WHITFIELD: Uh-huh. You say it well.

VARGAS: Thank you.

If you were at the movies this weekend, you know exactly what I'm talking about. The movie of the weekend was definitely "Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan".

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SACHA BARON COHEN, ACTOR: I get window from glass, you must get window from glass. I get the step, he must get the step. I get the clock radio, he cannot afford. Great success.

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VARGAS: Great success is right. The film only appeared in 837 theaters nationwide, and took in more than $26 million, making in the number one movie this weekend. Considering that the family-friendly "Santa Clause 3" was out in more than 3,000 screens and finished second, with $20 million, Borat's win was very, very nice indeed.

The weekend's take was a record for films appearing on under 1,000 screens and making more than $31,000 a venue. Now I don't know about you guys, but I was hearing stories about the ticker lines were so long that in some spots they were spilling into the street. So the expectations are high for more weekend, when Borat will roll out in more screens nationwide -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right. Well, let's talk about the country music now.

VARGAS: All right. Well, get out your dancing boots.

WHITFIELD: And you're not going to hear me singing that either.

VARGAS: OK.

WHITFIELD: You don't want to hear me sing, period.

VARGAS: You've got a great voice, what are you talking about?

Country music's biggest night is taking over Nashville this evening. Take a look.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Since you're gone, my heart says something's wrong.

VARGAS (voice-over): The show has been gaining strength in ratings over the years and last year, their ratings were second only to the Oscars among all award shows. And that means more people were watching the CMAs than the Grammys. Hosted by duo Brooks & Dunn for the third straight time, the show boasts it's focus on performances and not speeches too make it such a draw. That makes a lot of sense. Some of the notable performers include Sara Evans, who is dealing with that very public divorce we've all been talking about, and American idol cutie star Carrie Underwood, who is, by the way, nominated for four awards. Brad Paisley and hosts Brooks & Dunn will lead the pack with six nominations and are both nominees for the big award, entertainer of the year. The 40th annual CMA awards will on ABC starting at 8:00 p.m. so you can catch the awards, and when it's over, you can come see us because tonight on "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT", we're looking at big stars' amazing weight loss. Does Hollywood create unrealistic expectations for the people who are struggling to do the same thing? The story on TV's most provocative entertainment news show, "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT", 11:00 p.m. Eastern on CNN "HEADLINE PRIME".

Fred, back to you.

WHITFIELD: All right. Thanks very much. I know we'll all going to be up late tonight, so tomorrow folks will be rubbing their eyes. Watching the CMAs and watching you, tonight.

VARGAS: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: Thanks so much, Sibila.

LEMON: And watching us, of course, for the weather because flooding is a concern today and possibly again on election day. Here's Rob Marciano checking it all out in the CNN Weather Center.

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LEMON: All right, let's talk about women voters. Why are so many single women voters -- we're going to talk about something else. Forget the Hatfields and McCoys. Tennessee's got Corker and Ford. More on a Senate seat slugfest that could tip the balance of power in Washington. That's next in the CNN NEWSROOM.

NICOLE LAPIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: CNN.com is your campaign headquarters online. And with midterm elections coming up tomorrow, log on to our special report, "America Votes", to get the very latest. From the main page, you can navigate through various tabs to track live results in House and in Senate and in gubernatorial races. CNN.com will track key races, display vote counts and the percentage of votes each candidate is receiving, and also the percentage of precincts counted thus far.

If you're also voting on a ballot measure, we're going to have those results also. State by state, all of the propositions, all of the amendments, like Arizona's Proposition 103 that would make English the official language in that state.

And only today, CNN Pipeline is free for the entire day. So here's your big chance to catch up and watch all of the hot political stories. Get the issues and watch the various controversial television ads before casting your vote tomorrow. Just point your browser to CNN.com/Americavotes.

For the .Com Desk, I'm Nicole Lapin.

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