Return to Transcripts main page
American Morning
Decision 2006: As Polls Open Some Long Lines Indicate Heavy Turn Out For A Midterm Election
Aired November 07, 2006 - 07:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR, AMERICAN MORNING: CNN correspondents are fanned out coast to coast covering all that and the key races to watch. There's our all-stars right there.
Let's go first to Florida and a surprise in Mark Foley's former district. Just weeks after that page scandal that ended Foley's political career the race to replace Foley suddenly red hot. CNN's John Zarrella live from Jupiter, Florida with that.
Hello, John.
JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT, AMERICAN MORNING: Hi, Miles. That's right. Five weeks ago, Mark Foley 16th Congressional District seat here seemed safely in Republican's hands. Now it is a tight race, a very tight race, and both the Republican and Democratic candidates are claiming they will win.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ZARRELLA: In the final hours before election day, Republican Joe Negron campaigned for votes at a busy intersection. A month ago Negron's political future intersected with the political demise of Congressman Mark Foley. Hand picked by the Republican Party to replace Foley, many experts felt there was no way Negron could overcome the congressional page scandal. But in four weeks, Negron has gone from no shot, to long shot, to a real shot.
JOE NEGRON, (R) CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATE: This is a conservative district. We want change, but we want conservative change. That's one reason that I think this campaign has really taken off.
ZARRELLA: In a district encompassing eight counties, from the West Coast to the East Coast, Negron, and his Democratic opponent Tim Mahoney, have put in a lot of miles.
TIM MAHONEY, (D) CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATE: I'm Tim Mahoney. I'm running for Congress.
ZARRELLA: Mahoney has seen his double-digit lead evaporate, but still believes people will vote for change.
MAHONEY: If you think that we can do better, if you think we can work together better in Washington; we can restore our values? I'm the person that's going to go up there and make the changes.
ZARRELLA: Bottom line, this election is much likely to be closer than either party thought just a month ago.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ZARRELLA: Now, Mark Foley's name is on the ballot, but Republicans say this is a smart electorate here. The voters here are very, very smart. They know that a vote for Foley is still going to be a vote for Negron. And again, expected to be an extremely tight race. The polls open at 7:00 a.m. this morning Eastern Time and Central Time in Florida, which encompasses both time zones and closes at 7:00 p.m. -- Miles.
M. O'BRIEN: John Zarrella in Jupiter. Thank you.
Soledad.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR, AMERICAN MORNING: Today could be the start of something new for Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman. Voters will decide today whether they send him back to the Senate as an Independent candidate. Leiberman is running against Ned Lamont, who beat Lieberman in the Connecticut primary. AMERICAN MORNING's Dan Lothian is live for us in Hartford, Connecticut, this morning
Hey, Dan. Good morning.
DAN LOTHIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT, AMERICAN MORNING: Good morning, Soledad.
Well, one thing I can say, this has not been a boring political season in the state of Connecticut. The polls here opened a little more than an hour ago, and will be closing at 8 o'clock tonight. The secretary of state's office expecting heavy voter turnout, could be as high as 66 percent. If that is the case, it would be the highest statewide voter turnout in some 16 years. The reason? Some key House races, and of course, the one competitive Senate race.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LOTHIAN (voice over): Joe Lieberman may be the odds-on favorite, running as an Independent, but he's still sprinting to the finish line.
SEN. JOE LIEBERMAN, (I-CT) SENATE CANDIDATE: I don't want my supporters to think this is over. And they're going to stay home, or decide they want to throw a vote to somebody else for some symbolic reason.
LOTHIAN: Meeting with workers at a utility company, Lieberman painted his Democratic opponent, Ned Lamont, as a one-issue candidate, and a partisan polarizer.
LIEBERMAN: It does get in the way of us getting something done for you, the people.
LOTHIAN: Lamont, a wealthy businessman who beat Lieberman in the August Democratic primary, put in the final miles of his campaign bus tour, trying to convince voters he's the right candidate for real change.
NED LAMONT, (D) SENATE CANDIDATE: Look at the crowds that are coming out. People fundamentally want a real change in how we're doing business in Washington.
LOTHIAN: Speaking to union workers, Lamont returned to the central theme of his campaign, the war in Iraq.
LAMONT: This war is wrong. It's hurting our country at home, it's hurting our country abroad. It's time to bring our troops home.
LOTHIAN: The Republican in this Senate race, Alan Schlesinger has not been a major factor. That, say political analysts, has helped Lieberman, who is attracting support from Republicans.
PROFESSOR KEN DAUTRICH, UNIV. OF CONNECTICUT: He's identified as a Democrat, but an independent Democrat. So, his voice rises above partisan politics.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LOTHIAN: There was some concern that weather would be an issue here. It was expected to rain all day long. But the latest forecast is that the rain will hold off until late tonight -- Soledad.
S. O'BRIEN: Dan Lothian in Hartford, Connecticut for us. Thanks, Dan.
Miles.
M. O'BRIEN: In New Jersey, Democrats hoping to hang on to that Senate seat. Robert Menendez facing off against Republican challenger Thomas Kean, Jr., after a nasty campaign; allegations of corruption and dirty politics. Allan Chernoff live from Hoboken, New Jersey with more.
Good morning, Allan.
ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN CORRESPONDENT, AMERICAN MORNING: Good morning to you, Miles.
And this is a critical race, the one seat in the Senate that is vulnerable for the Democrats. Democratic Senator Robert Menendez voted here in Hoboken, about a half hour ago. He said, right after voting, I wish I could just do it again. He said, I regret I can only vote one time.
His opponent Tom Kean, Jr., is scheduled to vote later this hour.
It has been an absolutely brutal campaign, especially the attacks coming from the Republican camp saying that Senator Menendez is corrupt, claiming that he is under federal investigation.
The senator told me, after voting, that he thinks voters are going to reject all this negative campaigning.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERT MENENDEZ, (D-NJ), SENATE CANDIDATE: You never want to have a campaign that's focused just on the politics of personal destruction. That's what my opponent chose to spend all of his time, all his resources, over $7 million on personal attack ads. Bottom line is, I think you'll see a rejection of that tonight.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHERNOFF: Menendez is slightly ahead in the polls. This is actually his first run for the Senate since he was appointed earlier this year to the Senate slot when Governor Corzine resigned from the Senate to run for governor, a race which he did win.
Now, if he does win, Senator Menendez, he actually will be the first Hispanic to win statewide election here in New Jersey. The polls are open 'til 8 p.m. -- Miles.
M. O'BRIEN: Allan Chernoff, thank you very much.
Soledad.
S. O'BRIEN: President Bush is going to cast his vote today in his home state of Texas. On Monday the president was the GOP's closer, delivering a final pitch for Republican votes. Even on the last full day of the campaign, some candidates seem to keep their distance. Elaine Quijano is live in Crawford, Texas this morning.
Good morning, Elaine.
ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT, AMERICAN MORNING: Good morning to you, Soledad.
After five days of barnstorming through 11 cities, in 10 states, President Bush will find out whether his efforts helped carry his party to victory.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
QUIJANO: President Bush contributed the final rallying cry for his party, from his home state of Texas. Exhorting the faithful to turn out at the polls.
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: My encouragement to you is to go out and keep dialing. And get people to the polls, send Rick Perry back to the governor's office, and the state will be better off for it.
QUIJANO: But falling approval numbers and the unpopularity of the Iraq war created a dilemma for candidates in close races; to be seen or not to be seen with the president? That came to a head Monday in Florida. Republican Charles Crist seeking to succeed the president's brother, Jeb Bush, as Florida governor, passed on appearing on the same stage with the president at a rally in the conservative bastion of Pensacola. It's an area of Florida the Crist campaign believes it has secured. CHARLES CRIST, (R-FL) GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE: We have to get out the vote.
QUIJANO: Instead, Crist campaigned in Jacksonville with Senator John McCain, a possible 2008 presidential candidate. Senior administration officials downplayed Crist's absence, but Karl Rove was a little more terse in his response.
KARL ROVE, PRESIDENTIAL ADVISER: Let's see how many people show up in Palm Beach on 24 hour's notice versus 8,000 or 9,000 people in Pensacola.
QUIJANO: And Mr. Bush took the snub in stride.
BUSH: I strongly suggest you vote for Charlie Crist to be governor of the state of Florida.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
QUIJANO: As for today, President Bush is set to cast his vote this morning. In fact, next hour here in his adopted hometown of Crawford, Texas before returning to Washington to await the election results -- Soledad.
S. O'BRIEN: Elaine Quijano is traveling with the president. Thanks, Elaine.
Miles.
M. O'BRIEN: More election day coverage coming right up, including a prediction on the weather. The national forecast is just ahead. The weather might be easier to predict than the politics. We'll ask Chad about that.
Plus, three battleground states and the key races that could decide which party controls the Senate.
And as voters cast their ballots, we are on the lookout for anything that is suspicious going on in polling places. Stay with us for more AMERICAN MORNING
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
S. O'BRIEN: Welcome back, everybody. Some of the day's top stories we're monitoring for you in Iraq. The streets of Baghdad and the city's airport is back open. The security lockdown is over following the Saddam Hussein death sentence.
And wild weather kills one person in Washington State. The man died when floodwaters washed his truck into a river.
It's 12 minutes past the hour. If you're heading out the door, maybe you're about to go vote, let's first check the forecast for you.
(WEATHER REPORT) M. O'BRIEN: From yellow, orange and green, let's get over to the more traditional political red and blue for just a moment. Let's give you a sense of some of the key races you should be watching today as some of the results come in.
As we look at our graphics here, which give you a sense of the balance of power in the Senate. Remember, the Democratic key number, the magic number, if you will, is six. That would shift the balance of power in the Senate, change all the committee chairmanships, change the tenor of the debate in the Senate.
Let's begin with Missouri and talk about this. This is probably the closest race in the country right now. By the way we're all talking about red states here. This is the incumbent, Jim Talent, elected in 2002. He's up against Claire McCaskill, who is the state auditor. The polls are a complete toss up in this race.
In general, Democrats have not fared well in Missouri of late. As a matter of fact, they have not won a statewide Senate election in 25 years in Missouri. That's one to watch.
Right next door, Virginia, this has been a race you've heard an awful lot about, the incumbent, Senator George Allen, versus his challenger Jim Webb. This was supposed to be a little speed bump for George Allen on his way to a presidential campaign. As you know, that race had changed significantly, mostly by self-inflicted wounds by Senator Allen himself. This is the only race in the country that we have had the issue of the fictional writings of a candidate becoming an issue. Jim Webb, a prolific author. Who wrote some steamy scenes in some war novels that he wrote about. Once again, that's a close race, one you should be watching as well.
Let's go to Tennessee. This is one, you've heard, probably the most about. That famous attack ad. Bob Corker, who is the mayor of Chattanooga, the Republican against Representative Harold Ford who is currently in the House of Representatives, trying for the Senate seat.
That attack ad, which many viewed as a racist attack ad, not by Corker's campaign, but by a separate Republican group, with the famous tag line with the woman apparently a Playboy bunny or whatever, saying, you know, just call me, Harold. In any case, as a dirty a campaign as they get, the polls put Corker in the lead there. There may be a surge there for him. Nevertheless, watch those three races tonight. You will have a sense. You'll be reading the tea leaves along with the pundits as to which way the Senate may go -- Soledad.
S. O'BRIEN: Let's get a closer look, Miles, at Ohio. Ohio is always a battleground, even more so today. You'll remember Ohio gave President Bush the electoral votes he needed to win reelection back in 2004. So, is he going to be able to count on Ohio today? Republican incumbent Mike DeWine is in a fight to save his seat against Democrat Sherrod Brown. AMERICAN MORNING's Bob Franken, in Columbus for us.
Hey, Bob. Good morning.
BOB FRANKEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT, AMERICAN MORNING: Good morning. And at this particular polling place we're seeing what's expected to be a substantial turnout today. With a live picture that CNN has from inside this polling place, you can see that there are pretty significant lines. People are expected to turn out in record numbers for a midterm election.
That's because this is such a high-interest state. Of course, Ohio is considered the bellwether. You have a situation here where the Republican incumbent Senator Mike DeWine has trailed substantially in the polls for quite some time, his Democratic challenger Congressman Sherrod Brown. If the polls are correct, he'll be expected to take over one of the hotly contested seats.
Also five of the congressional districts in the state, that has 22, are up for grabs. Republicans expected to have some substantial losses. The corruption scandals that have swirled around the party have also had quite a bit of local appeal. There's the Bob Ney matter, right next to Columbus, his district, he just resigned from Congress, faces conviction after pleading guilty to bribery-taking charges. All of that is having an effect in the state.
And, of course, the war in Iraq has created high interest everywhere. Soledad, Ohio is considered such a high-interest bellwether state. And one thing that seems to be happening is that Ohio is reflecting, if these lines are to be believed, reflecting the interest in the nation in this midterm election -- Soledad.
S. O'BRIEN: All right, Bob Franken, watching it for us. Thanks, Bob.
The Justice Department has hundreds of agents out at polling sites to make sure that every vote counts. AMERICAN MORNING's Ali Velshi has a closer look for us at just exactly what they're watching and what potentially could go wrong.
Hey, Ali. Good morning.
ALI VELSHI, CNN CORRESPONDENT, AMERICAN MORNING: Hey, Soledad.
Well, we have polls open for a little while. We're starting to get a few reports of things that are not -- wouldn't qualify as irregularities, per se. There are glitches. There are a few polls opening a little bit late.
Down in Virginia, for instance, we have reports of a poll in Richmond where we've confirmed that information was sent to the poll, some card that was need to set the polling station up, wasn't there, went to the wrong place, ended up opening the polling place about 15 minutes late.
In Kentucky, a couple of poll workers didn't show up at the right place. So, the board of electors there, saying that they opened late.
But here in the Northeast where polls have been opened in many cases since 6:00 a.m. Eastern, we have calls into all of secretaries of state. No calls in of delays of delays to polling stations here. And we are monitoring the situation across the country. Remember, for those people who haven't headed out yet, Soledad, take I.D. with you. There are some states, Indiana and Florida require photo I.D. But other states, the rules are different. Be safe. Take I.D. if you have your voter registration card take that with you, and a utility bill just so you don't have to end up challenging the system, if someone challenges you.
S. O'BRIEN: Yes, you'd hate to get to the front of the line and be turned away just because of that. All right, Ali Velshi for us this morning. Thanks, Ali.
Miles.
M. O'BRIEN: Top stories ahead, plus Andy is "Minding Your Business." How cuts at the big U.S. automakers are costing you money when you rent a car. That's ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
M. O'BRIEN: Cuts by the big automakers may be raising the price of your vacation. Andy Serwer "Minding Your Business".
Hello, Andy.
ANDY SERWER, CNN FINANCIAL CORRESPONDENT, AMERICAN MORNING: Hello, Miles.
As the Big Three automakers remake themselves as lean, mean auto- making machines, it may mean higher prices for consumers who are renting cars. And here's why. It looks like the Big Three will be cutting back -- in fact, they already have been -- on sales to car rental companies. That will serve to drive up prices.
In other words, car rental places will have fewer cars. That means higher prices, because say they have 100 cars on the lot. They're going to pretty much cut prices to make people come in. If they only have 50 cars on the lot, and they're all being rented out, well, they can pretty much charge whatever they want.
M. O'BRIEN: I feel like I'm in Econ 101, right now, Professor.
SERWER: But it's true. It's the real deal here. Plus they'll be paying more for cars. Dollar Rent-A-Car is suggesting a 7 percent price increase for 2007. The others are suggesting that it might be around the same thing.
M. O'BRIEN: Are they changing their name to Dollars Rent-A-Car?
SERWER: Many dollars.
M. O'BRIEN: Right.
SERWER: It also mean you are probably going to be looking at older cars when you rent. You know, ones with cigarettes in the ashtrays -- no.
M. O'BRIEN: My favorite.
SERWER: Yes.
This probably won't last forever. Because there is still overcapacity in this business. They could always switch to, say, Toyota, which has plenty of cars and is anxious to sell more and more.
M. O'BRIEN: Yes, sure.
SERWER: A few weeks ago we told you about Bill Ford in China trying to increase his company's presence there. Now it's GM's turn. CEO Rick Wagoner was over there, talking about new initiatives in that country. Pouring $3 billion, over the next couple of years, into new plants and new facilities.
M. O'BRIEN: What's he driving, there? What kind of vehicle is that?
SERWER: It's a GM Chinese car.
M. O'BRIEN: Oh, it is?
SERWER: Yes, it is.
M. O'BRIEN: Whatever that is.
SERWER: That was just a guess.
M. O'BRIEN: It looks pretty spiffy. It does.
SERWER: They have different models over there. You know, GM is having big success in China. They just passed VW as the number one import or foreign automaker, I guess. Because they make of those cars there in China; 645,000 units in China for the first three months of the year, and that way exceeds what they did last year.
So, this is a real bright spot. Not only are they gaining market share but are also making money there, which is something they're not doing in North America. They're losing market share and losing money.
M. O'BRIEN: Go where the customers are, I say.
SERWER: And there are a lot there.
M. O'BRIEN: There are. A billion Chinese getting off their bicycles, buying cars, right.
SERWER: It really is true.
M. O'BRIEN: All right. What's next?
SERWER: Next we're going to be talking about something called procreation vacations.
(LAUGHTER)
M. O'BRIEN: This is a family show. You can't do that.
SERWER: No, this is -- these are vacations to help people conceive, who are having problem doing that.
M. O'BRIEN: Oh, that is a tease.
SERWER: An interesting business.
M. O'BRIEN: I'm blushing now.
SERWER: Sure, is. That's hard to do, isn't it?
M. O'BRIEN: Thank you, Andy. Yes, especially under the makeup.
Coming up, the last-minute maneuvers from both parties on this election day. We'll talk strategy with the chairman of the Republican and Democratic committees.
Plus, state of emergency, deadly floods out west. A look at the damage and today's forecast from Chad, ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
M. O'BRIEN: Decision day 2006. Americans head to the polls this morning, decide who will control Congress. We'll talk to the men in charge of the Republican and Democratic Parties.
S. O'BRIEN: The stakes of scandal, why a New York congressman could pay the price for a Florida congressman, Mark Foley's e-mails to pages.
M. O'BRIEN: And wild weather turns deadly out West. All that and more on this AMERICAN MORNING.
Good morning to you. It is election day, Tuesday November 7th. I'm Miles O'Brien.
S. O'BRIEN: I'm Soledad O'Brien. Thank you for being with us.
So many battleground states and races to watch this morning. Polls are already open in states from Michigan to Louisiana and we've already seen lines of voters forming in Ohio. We're going to check in with CNN reporters at polling sites across the country this morning. That is straight ahead.
M. O'BRIEN: Also happening this morning, traffic flowing again in the streets of Baghdad. The Iraqi government lifted the two-day, around-the-clock curfew imposed to prevent violence following the sentencing of Saddam Hussein. Saddam was sentenced to death by hanging for mass killings, after a 1982 assassination attempt aimed at him.
It looks like Daniel Ortega will be sitting in the in this Nicaraguan presidential seat once again. With most of the votes counted Ortega has enough votes to avoid a run off in the four-way race. The United States has threatened to pull aid from an Ortega lead government. But Ortega says he wants to have good relations with the White House. Ortega was the Sandinista president of Nicaragua from 1985 to 1990. He says he's changed from those days as a U.S.-hating Marxist revolutionary.
Israel is ending a week-long operation in the Gaza town of Beit Hanoon. An Israeli army spokesman said more than 50 Palestinians were killed in the sweep aimed at stopping militant rocket fire.
And in northern Japan, this morning, a tornado tore through the Island of Hokkaido, carving a path of destruction a mile wide. At least nine were killed, 20 injured as buildings collapsed. Rescue teams are working through rain and power outages to search for survivors.
S. O'BRIEN: They may not agree on much right now, but Democrats and Republicans will tell you that the key to today's vote is turnout, turnout, turnout. This morning we talked to the leaders of both parties -- Ken Mehlman and Howard Dean. Let's begin with first the Republican National Committee chairman Ken Mehlman. He's in Washington, D.C. Ken, nice to see you as always, thanks for talking with us.
KEN MEHLMAN, REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN: Morning, thank you.
S. O'BRIEN: You're welcome. President Bush was campaigning in Florida for Charlie Crist. Charlie Crist wasn't there. He skipped out to go somewhere else to campaign. What do you read or what should voters read into that? Is it an indication that the president really is a liability and a big one for some candidates.
MEHLMAN: Well, let me before I answer that question, just open with what you said and that is that turnout, it is important that all Americans, whatever your political affiliation, go out and vote today. A lot of folks have sacrificed their lives for our freedom and everyone ought to exercise that freedom. As to the rally in Florida, I thought it was an awesome rally. I watched it on television and I thought it was cool to see. Here you have Jeb Bush, probably his last rally as governor, one of the great governors in America. His brother, the president is there for it. I thought it was an amazing rally. I think there were like 9,000 people there.
S. O'BRIEN: Yes, the pictures look terrific. Absolutely. But the only person missing was the candidate. Kind of strange, wasn't it?
MEHLMAN: Well, look Charlie Crist will be the next governor of Florida. He'll be a great governor of Florida. He was doing a rally elsewhere, but anybody who attended that rally in Pensacola had a great show and an incredibly -- not only an interesting rally, but I thought a moving rally as Jeb Bush did his last rally as governor.
S. O'BRIEN: All right, I feel like you're dodging me on that question a bit, but we'll move on. The president spent the weekend campaigning for people in Nebraska trying to help a guy who is in an overwhelmingly Republican district. Same thing in Wyoming, in Idaho, Kansas, Nevada -- all places that the president's been. Isn't that an indication that a lot of this election is going to be a referendum on President Bush and frankly, the progress or lack thereof in Iraq?
MEHLMAN: Well, we'll see. Obviously we'll know the answer to a lot of these questions in a few hours. But here is what's interesting, if you look at the national polls, four came out on Monday and they all show very important Republican momentum. They all show that the Democratic advantage on the generic ballot was cut in half, cut by more than half in the Democracy Corps poll and here's the reason for it. I think as Americans focus on the choice before them, the choice between higher taxes, which the Democrats would provide and keeping their taxes where they are, the choice between learning the lessons of 9/11, because we have a Patriot Act and a surveillance program, an interrogation program, and as Iran tests long-range missiles, we have missile defense versus surrendering those tools which, unfortunately, a majority of Democrats have been for. I think those choices and those differences explain why we've seen some Republican momentum in those polls.
S. O'BRIEN: Let me repeat for you a little bit of what Vice President Dick Cheney had to say over the weekend, he was talking to folks over at ABC Sunday. He said this in talking about the war in Iraq, he said: "The president has made it clear what his objective is. It's victory in Iraq, and it's full speed ahead on that basis." He was asked if there would be a change in strategy, depending on the election. So if voters send a message today that they don't like the way things necessarily are going in Iraq, it sounds like the vice president is saying, well, we're going full speed ahead on that basis with the original plan.
KEN MEHLMAN: What the vice president is saying we're going full speed ahead in making sure we don't allow Iraq to be another Afghanistan, which is what the terrorists said there goal is. The reason he's doing that is not because of politics but because it's more important than politics. The fact is, if you think about it, allowing Iraq to become another Afghanistan...
S. O'BRIEN: Yes, but, Ken let me stop you there because actually that wasn't the question, so let me just kind of get back on track. What the question was was will the vote on Tuesday have any effect on the president's Iraq policy. The vice president said the president has made clear his objective, it's victory in Iraq and it's full speed ahead.
KEN MEHLMAN: With all due respect, with all due respect, the vice president was answering a different question than you're posing to me. What he was answering was the fact that the president is not going to give up on Iraq, and the reason is we don't want Iraq to turn into another Afghanistan. However, we are absolutely -- they are going to be nimble and they're going to constantly adjust how we accomplish that objective. That's why we increased the number of troops before the Iraqi elections that were successful. That's why we changed how we're training. That's why we're constantly adjusting. That's why they look forward to the report from the Baker-Hamilton commission because absolutely they welcome lots of recommendations of how we accomplish what ought to be all Americans' objectives, which is not to allow Iraq to fall into the hands of terrorists the way that Afghanistan did.
S. O'BRIEN: Well, I guess we will wait and see how the vote goes. RNC Chairman Ken Mehlman this morning, thanks for joining us Ken as always.
Let's turn now to the Democrats and their fight to regain control of Congress for the first time in 12 years. Howard Dean is the chairman of the Democratic National Committee. He's in Burlington, Vermont this morning. Nice to see you sir as always. Thanks for talking with us.
HOWARD DEAN, DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN: Thanks for having me on.
S. O'BRIEN: You're very welcome. If the Dems do not take the House. If it's close, if they get 14, but not 15, should this be perceived as a failure?
DEAN: Look, I don't make predictions. I'm usually wrong when I do. We think we are going to do well because we think people want a new direction in this country. The president was not truthful with us when he got into Iraq. They are making a mess of Iraq. I heard Ken talk about the missiles in Iran. Well, the reason why Iran is testing missiles is because the president has been doing nothing for six years. North Korea just exploded a nuclear bomb. Where was the president when that was going on for six years. We're in the middle of a civil war in Iraq and Osama bin Laden is still at large. The truth is, you can't trust the Republicans to defend America. Not because they don't want to defend America, because they simply don't know how. And our own intelligence agencies have said that the situation in Iraq is making terrorism worse, not better. We need a new direction and that's what we're going to try and do.
S. O'BRIEN: I'm going to stop you there because while I appreciate that sort of lengthy answer, nothing to do with the question I asked, which was this. If you do not win, if you do not take over the House, should that be perceived as a massive loss frankly.
DEAN: I don't worry about that kind of stuff? I'm here to rebuild the Democratic Party long-term. And, I think we are going to win back the House tonight. II can't tell you what the numbers are going to be because I think wants a new direction. I think they're going to get out and vote and I think they want a new direction in this country.
S. O'BRIEN: No surprise to you that one of the tactics that President Bush is taking as he campaigns is to say the Democrats don't have a plan for Iraq. Listen to a little bit of what he had to say on Friday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: If you listen carefully to what the Democrats say about Iraq, you think about what they're saying about their plan for success, there isn't one.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
S. O'BRIEN: Do you think in retrospect it was a mistake to have a plan put forward by Jack Murtha, to have a plan put forward by Carl Levin, to have a plan put forward by Senator Biden. It gives a sense that there's not one cohesive plan -- those are three different plans.
DEAN: Well, they're not actually three different plans. First of all, I would say the president doesn't have a plan other than stay the course, which has gotten us in the middle of a civil war. Yes, we do have a plan. It was actually written by a Republican, Larry Corb, former Reagan defense official. And, every one of the people you mentioned has written their plan around the notion of phased redeployment -- brining our national Guard and Reserve home over a period of months, keeping a special forces task force in the Middle East in a friendly country for use in places like Iraq if terrorism requires that use. Look, we're not interested in bringing everybody home tomorrow, we can't do that. The president has made a huge mess in Iraq. We're in the middle of a civil war. We don't want to destabilize Iraq. We also don't believe we can't stay the course. That is a foolish, foolish, stubborn approach. And, I was terribly disappointed in the vice president over the weekend, when he said he didn't care what the elections were, we are just going to stay the course. That is not what this election is about. This election is about a different direction and we think we can supply a different direction.
S. O'BRIEN: Final question for you, you are the architect of a plan, which many people of your own party disagree with vociferously, which is putting money in all 50 states. If the Democrats win in some of the redder states like Montana for example, will you feel vindicated with your plan.
DEAN: Look, there's plenty of credit to go around. Rahm Emmanuel has done a terrific job, so has Chuck Schumer. We've had people in every state anticipating that we might win in some of these states. And we need to ask people for their votes. The bottom line Soledad is we need to ask people for their votes in a respectful way all over the country, not just in 25 states. If we want to be the majority party for a long time, we have to be the party that represents all Americans, even those who disagree with us. That's the fatal mistake the president made. He wanted to represent half of the Americans and didn't care what the other half said and that's a mistake we will not make if the turnout is big today and if we win.
S. O'BRIEN: DNC Chairman Howard Dean, nice to see you as always, thank you.
DEAN: Thanks for having me on.
S. O'BRIEN: Miles. M. O'BRIEN: Coming up on the program -- the Foley effect, how the Congressional page scandal is affecting a race far from Mark Foley's district in Florida. Plus, deadly floods and a state of emergency. A look at the damage and today's forecast ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
M. O'BRIEN: Some of today's top stories for you, Election Day 2006, Americans deciding local races today with nationwide consequences. And in Washington State, heavy rain and floods leaving a real mess, killing at least one person it should affect voter turnout there for sure. A man died when floods washed his truck into a river there.
(WEATHER REPORT)
(NEWS BREAK)
M. O'BRIEN: Stories we are following right now for you: A one- time shoe-in for re-election, now fighting for his political life. How he went from favorite to underdog because of the Mark Foley scandal. We'll tell you about that. And will voter turnout have a bigger impact for Republicans or Democrats? We'll take a closer look at that ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
M. O'BRIEN: Welcome back the to the program. It is Election Day. Let's take a look at our Election Day video grid. Incoming 85. There's the CNN election express. Where is it? I bet you can guess take a look at those yellow cabs -- it's right there on 58th street between eighth and ninth. Can you zoom in on that? This is getting good. A little altitude there. Yes. If you're in New York City today and you want to learn a little something about how we cover elections, if you want to weigh in, there's a studio there where voters can actually say what they feel about the election. There's a place you can write in your opinions. You can imagine New Yorkers have a few opinions to share -- that's a good place to be
Down below there, let's get off the election train for just a moment here. The Intrepid still at Pier 86 in New York. Apparently, the Intrepid likes New York, prefers it to New Jersey. Was supposed to go to Bayone yesterday, stuck in the mud. Unclear when the tide will be high enough or whether they'll be able to clear the mud from the propellers. I wonder if they'll refit it right there in New York, could be.
Incoming 18 there, take a look at that, that's Jupiter, Florida, John Zarrella's site. This is the Congressional District tat was held by Mark Foley. Of course, he resigned in the middle of that scandal over sending salacious e-mails to pages. That's turned out to be quite a race there, despite the fact that voters have to write in another candidate's name. In other words, a vote for Foley is a vote for somebody else. Incoming 16, that's the shuttle. This is interesting, they might have to delay the next shuttle mission until 2007. They're afraid if the shuttle is in orbit when the calendar shifts from 2006 to 2007, that the computers will go kablooie, so we're watching that. They may actually launch earlier or maybe wait until 2007. Deb Feyerick, incoming 12, hey Deb wave if you can. Can hear me Deb? There she is. She's in Buffalo, going back to the Foley scandal, that's Tom Reynolds' seat. And she's coming up very shortly to talk about -- well as matter of fact, next, she's going to be talking about that race and how close it, in fact, has become. Soledad.
S. O'BRIEN: Yes, you are absolutely right Miles, and in fact, not so long ago, nobody would have been talking about that race, Republican Congressman Tom Reynolds, talking about him on Election Day. He's a powerful figure in the House. He's considered a shoe-in for re-election in upstate New York, but ever since the Mark Foley scandal, in fact, Reynolds has been in a dogfight to keep his seat, facing off against his Democratic challenger, the businessman Jack Davis. Let's get right to CNN's Debra Feyerick, she's in Buffalo as Miles said. Good morning, Deb.
DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, good morning, Soledad. We can tell you there's been a steady stream of voters all morning when the polls opened at 6:00 a.m. A number of people who are on their way to work or going to work out. You also have a number of seniors. Political insiders will tell you this is one of the most intense Congressional races in local history. Republican Tom Reynolds, a political giant in New York, facing a serious challenge by 73-year-old businessman, a Republican turned Democrat, Jack Davis. Now, this is a rematch between the two men. Two years ago Reynolds squeezed out a victory, but that was before the turn in the war as well as a big Washington scandal.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FEYERICK (voice-over): To understand the political stakes of upstate New York, you have to understand the importance of Republican Tom Reynolds. He's spent his entire adult life in politics -- the last eight years as a U.S. Congressman. But now the man recently touted as a possible House Speaker is fighting for his political life against political novice, millionaire industrialist Jack Davis. Why the turn? The Congressional page scandal is partly to blame.
REP. TOM REYNOLDS (R), NEW YORK: Looking back, more should have been done.
FEYERICK: Reynolds heads the National Republican Congressional Committee and admitted he knew last spring about inappropriate messages sent to pages from Republican Congressman Mark Foley. Reynolds tried to deflect criticism, passing the buck to Republican House Speaker Dennis Hastert.
REYNOLDS: We have been taught that if you see a circumstance that isn't right, take it to your supervisor.
FEYERICK: After that, his chief of staff, a former Foley staffer, resigned. Whatever the fallout from the scandal, Davis is hoping his views on the economy, and keeping jobs in the beleaguered New York region will end the Reynolds tenure.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FEYERICK: Now, Reynolds was credited two years ago with orchestrating the win, that's because of his position within the Republican Party, but because of the scandal, because of other problems closer to home, this is where he's spent the majority of his time. It's a question as to whether that will affect other candidates who had counted on him going out to beat the drums for them -- Soledad
S. O'BRIEN: CNN's Deborah Feyerick for us in Buffalo this morning. Thanks Deb.
M. O'BRIEN: Some stories we're following for you right now -- six years after hanging chads, the issues now, touch screens. Will your vote count today? And how will we know if an election is tainted by a computer glitch or a determined hacker. And what are the biggest races and issues you should be watching as the day unfolds? We'll take a closer look at that ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(BUSINESS REPORT)
(NEWS BREAK)
S. O'BRIEN: Election Day USA, Americans are now voting in one of the most closely contested midterm elections in recent memory. We're live across the country this morning.
M. O'BRIEN: And a big test for electronic voting machines in use in a number of states today. Have the wrinkles and glitches been worked out.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.voxant.com
