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GOP to Face off in Iowa Debate; Oregon Cleans up from Mudslide; Study: Fasting May Lead to Better Arterial Health

Aired December 12, 2007 - 13:00   ET

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

KYRA PHILLIPS, HOST: Twenty-two shopping days until caucuses. Iowa, that is. And Iowans still shopping for candidates get one last chance to see them all in the same place, the same time. Republicans face off next hour in a debate that you'll see live right here on CNN.
Hello, everyone. I'm Kyra Phillips at the CNN headquarters in Atlanta. You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.

All eyes on Iowa. In just one hour, the presidential Republican candidates will gather before their final debate before the January Iowa caucuses. Here's a live look inside the spin room right now. We're going to bring you that debate live right here, 2 Eastern.

And while Iowa plays lead-off New Hampshire is on deck. That's where two new polls are making headlines today. Among Democrats, a survey by CNN and WMUR finds Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama now basically tied. Clinton had a 14-point lead there as recently as last month.

And among Republicans, Mitt Romney is keeping a tight grip on his lead in the Granite State. He has a 14-point edge over Rudy Giuliani and John McCain. Mike Huckabee is a distant fourth, at 9 percent.

Now in Iowa, though, Huckabee is a major player.

Let's get right to our debate preview, starting with CNN's Dana Bash.

Dana, what should we be looking for right out of the gate?

DANA BASH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, we are looking for all of these candidates to really try to leave their mark on the voters here in Iowa, three weeks before the caucuses. This is the last time that they are going to share the stage before the -- those first votes, again, about three weeks from now.

As you mentioned, really, all eyes will be on Mike Huckabee, in about one hour when this debate starts. He, of course, was barely registering in the polls just about a month ago. Now he is, in several polls, the clear front-runner.

A host of issues are going to be before these candidates. But the No. 1 issue that candidates like Mitt Romney and even Mike Huckabee know that they have to talk about in order to win over Republican voters here is the issue of immigration. It is red hot. And that is why you're seeing the candidates really go at it, especially the two key contenders here, Mike Huckabee and Mitt Romney, both on the air and on the stump over the last couple of days, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Well, religion also has become an issue again in this campaign. What impact is that having?

BASH: You know, it is really interesting. Mike Huckabee has surged here, primarily because of support that he's getting from evangelical voters. They are really key. They make up about 40 percent of the Republican electorate here in Iowa.

Now, he is an ordained minister, of course, but he has been trying not to comment on the campaign trail about what he calls the theology of Mormonism, even though some of his supporters are very critical of the religion. Some of them even call the religion a cult.

Look at what Mike Huckabee said in "The New York Times," in an article that will be published this coming Sunday in that magazine. He says, quote, "Don't Mormons believe that Jesus and the devil are brothers?" That is actually a question that he posed to the reporter, talking to him about, again, the theology of Mormonism.

Now, the Church of Latter Day Saints say that -- that say that is exactly the kind of thing that critics of Mormons use to smear their religion. And listen to what Mitt Romney said about those comments this morning.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MITT ROMNEY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I think it's totally appropriate, in a political process, for people to contrast their own record with the opponent, to talk about their differences on issues. But I think attacking someone's religion is really going too far. It's just not the American way. And I think people will reject that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BASH: Now, a spokeswoman for Mike Huckabee says that this was in the context of a broader interview, where he did make clear he didn't want to comment on the ins and outs of the Mormon religion, as he tries not to do on the campaign trail.

But just raising that question, certainly, plays into some of what critics have said, Kyra, about Mike Huckabee. That he says he doesn't want to talk about religion, yet runs an ad that has the words up called "Christian leader." He's playing very big in the religious community here. He's really relying on pastors, for example, to get out the vote for him. So critics say he's trying to have it both ways on this issue of religion.

And it will be interesting to see how that plays out be, in about an hour in this debate here in Iowam.

PHILLIPS: All right. Dana Bash, thanks so much.

Again, just as Dana mentioned, the Iowa Republicans' debate starts at 2 Eastern. Stay with CNN for live coverage right here on our network. All right. Chad Myers, this was the big story yesterday. Those mudslides.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes.

PHILLIPS: Also, the severe ice conditions. This video, we saw way too much yesterday.

MYERS: Yes, and those lines are still loaded up with some ice. Even though it's warmed up a little bit, now we're going to get a little wind storm in here, Kyra, and that could knock down more power lines and more trees, obviously. Branches falling on there. It just -- it's going to be something else.

It has warmed up now. It is raining in most of Oklahoma, although Oklahoma City right at 32 degrees right now. Take a look at Dallas, Texas, live shot from there. There's some rain, especially, into Ft. Worth. And at the airport, there you go, WFAA, Dallas, Texas, some cloudy skies. Rain headed your way.

Now I think the bigger story -- we're going to approach this probably more late tonight into tomorrow -- is the amount of snow that's going to be in the New York City region by late tomorrow afternoon into tomorrow night. The moisture is building here down across the southeast, Oklahoma and Arkansas. We are still seeing this rainfall here.

This rain will be sliding up through St. Louis, through Kentucky and toward the northeast. And when it gets to the northeast, it's going to encounter some colder air. That colder air is already there. It's 45 degrees right now in New York City but colder through the Catskills. So the Catskills, we're looking at 4 to 8 inches easy for you. The winter storm warning up here in the northern counties of the tri-state.

And I now believe that they'll probably be very close to four to eight inches, even at about White Plains and obviously more through the Catskills and through the Poconos. But this will be a snow event for New York City, a sloppy snow from La Guardia, and Newark and all those.

But you get up into Yonkers, anywhere north of there, a lot of people live, it's going to be all snow. Connecticut all snow, as well. And many areas will approach eight inches of snow with this storm system before it finally stops late tomorrow night. And that even probably keeps on going, flurries all the way into Friday -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right. We'll keep -- keep in close contact throughout the next hour. Thanks, Chad.

MYERS: You're welcome.

PHILLIPS: Well, first came the downpours, then a river of mud. And this was yesterday on the Oregon coast. Chad and I were talking about the mud, the trees, the debris all flowing across Highway 30. It came to a point where you couldn't even see it.

Today, crews are digging through that mess, trying to clear the highway.

Our Katharine Barrett is on the scene. How's the cleanup going, Katharine?

KATHARINE BARRETT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, they're making, it seems, good progress, Kyra. But still, nearly 24 hours after that mudslide, water is still steadily flowing over the road from what's backed up behind it.

And in the mess backed up behind it lie four homes buried up to their window-sills in mud, broken or both.

Highway crews and contractors are trying to clear this mess, working round the clock to try and clear this mess. They say they hope to have traffic moving later today, but they cannot guarantee it.

What came down the mountain as a ruinous river of sludge now has slowed to just a trickle, as I said, over the road. But the pictures of that massive slide really cannot convey just how swiftly and furiously this mountain side slid.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PEGGY CROM, CLATSKANIE, OREGON, RESIDENT: We started hearing a rumbling. It sounded like a freight train coming through your house. Some of the worst sounds I've ever heard. We started seeing trees just laying down like toothpicks, the telephone poles down.

The water started coming through, and it picked my trailer up and laid it on its side, picked it back up straight and sat it down on Highway 30.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BARRETT: On Highway 30, where it still is at this hour, sadly, looking shattered with all of the Crom family's possessions inside.

Nonetheless, while they're reeling from this, their second natural disaster in a week. A week ago, the house was flooded up to knee height with water and mud. They had to go out by boat. And now it's been swept away completely with all their possessions inside -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: That's tough for people in Oregon. That is for sure.

All right. Katharine Barrett, we'll follow up with the cleanup. That's for sure.

And another visit to Capitol Hill today for CIA director Michael Hayden. He appeared at a three-hour closed-door session at the House Intelligence Committee to answer questions about the destruction of sensitive interrogation videos in 2005.

Committee members are angry about the fact that the Congress wasn't informed.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAEL HAYDEN, CIA DIRECTOR: One particular theme that we discussed was how we, as an agency, keep the committee fully and currently informed about all of the sensitive activities that we have under way. And I think it's fair to say that, particularly at the time of the destruction, we could have done an awful lot better in keeping the committee alerted and informed as to that activity.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: The video showed al Qaeda suspect being questioned using a controversial technique called waterboarding. It's a practice that critics condemn as torture.

A follow-up now to a story that we brought you yesterday in the NEWSROOM. Almost 20,000 federal inmates jailed for crack cocaine offenses may get their sentences reduced. And they have the U.S. Sentencing Commission to thank.

Last month, the panel decided to reduce the wide disparity in sentences handed down over crack cocaine versus the powder kind. Yesterday, it made the changes retroactive.

Critics of the much harsher crack sentences say they discriminate against African-Americans. The vast majority of crack defendants are black, and the vast majority of powder defendants are white.

Crack inmates won't now automatically get shorter terms. Each will have to go back to court.

Straight ahead, murder was his homework. A law enforcement student, who is an alleged serial killer, he knew just what to do to escape suspicion for 30 years. How police finally cracked the case.

And you've heard a lot about Mormons lately. But here is something you probably haven't heard. We're going to tell you about a Mormon religious practice that may pay off medically.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: One-thirteen Eastern Time. Here are three of the stories we're working on in the CNN NEWSROOM.

More Capitol Hill testimony today from CIA director Michael Hayden about the destruction of sensitive interrogation tapes of terror suspects. House Intelligence Committee leaders say that they're frustrated they were left out of the loop. And this week's hearings are just the first step.

A memorial service near Denver today for two people killed at a suburban missionary center on Sunday. Another service was planned in Colorado Springs for two teen sisters killed by the same gunman.

And crews are now working to clean up a mudslide blocking a highway to the Oregon coast. The state was hard hit by heavy rains last night.

More news in just a moment. You're watching CNN, the most trusted name in news.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Live at the New York Stock Exchange. Dow Industrials. Look at that. Plus 86. That's a big bounce back from yesterday, let me tell you, when it was dropping.

Stephanie Elam is going to help us figure all that out. But investors are keeping an eye on the Federal Reserve's response to the mortgage crisis, a crisis that some say Fed policies helped create. But writing in today's "Wall Street Journal," former Fed chief Alan Greenspan says, in effect, "not my fault."

Greenspan concedes rock-bottom interest rates may have contributed to a steep rise in U.S. home prices. But he adds that, in his judgment, "the impact on demand for adjustable rate mortgages," some of which are classified as subprime, "was not major."

Now one day after disappointing investors with a modest interest rate cut, the Federal Reserve shows it has some other tools at its disposable.

Stephanie Elam on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange there to tell us what the feds have up their sleeves.

Actually, you're not on the floor. You're up on your perch. But hey, the Dow was just taking a serious dive. And it's getting back up there.

STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. It actually was even better off earlier this morning, Kyra. But when you take a look at what happened here, previously disappointed investors, they seem to be in a better buying mood today.

The letdown came yesterday after the Fed cut a key interest rate by a quarter point. One Fed governor voted for a bigger cut, and investors hoped for a more drastic action of maybe a half-point cut. Stocks sold off as a result.

But today is a new day. And the Fed announced a plan to coordinate with four banks around the world to ease the credit crunch. The Fed will set up a temporary auction of at least $40 billion.

Of course, many fear that, if the credit market actually dries up, it could have a serious impact on the economy. And that's why the Fed is showing here, hey, we will do what we need to do to make sure that the economy can continue to grow as much as we can control it, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right. How is Wall Street reacting?

(STOCK REPORT)

PHILLIPS: All right, Steph. We'll see you again in a little bit.

ELAM: All right. Thanks.

PHILLIPS: This just into CNN now. You know the story that we've been telling you about within the past couple of days, and that is that young man, Matthew Murray, that went on the shooting rampage at the New Life Church in Colorado Springs; also in Arvada, about 80 miles away, another shooting that occurred.

Four people in all, died. Pretty miraculous, with the kind of fire power that he had, that he could have taken even more lives. And then he ended up taking the gun upon himself. He was shot by a security guard at New Life. And then -- and then took another bullet from his own gun, where he finally died.

Well, his parents, Ronald and Loretta Murray, are now speaking out. It's the first time that we have actually heard from them. And they've given two statements, one saying, "Our thoughts and constant prayers are with the families of Stephanie and Rachael Works." Those were the two sisters, by the way, that were killed at the New Life Church.

And they go on to say, "Phillip Crouse and Tiffany Johnson, as well as those who were injured in the shootings."

Ronald and Loretta Murray, going on to say, talking about their son, Matthew, the gunman in these two shootings. "We are lost in grief as we prepare to bury our beloved son, Matthew. We loved Matthew with all our hearts, and we are groping for answers as we try in vain to understand the events of last Sunday."

Can't even imagine what it's like to go through that as parents. They lost a son and a son that had opened fire in two different locations, killing four people in all. Those last two shot and killed at the New Life Church in Colorado Springs.

Up ahead, food for thought. Why the Mormons' version of fast living could prolong your life.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: A new study is putting fast forward as a possible way to beat heart problems. CNN medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen chews on the facts.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Many different religions prescribe fasting, and that has doctors wondering, does fasting have any effect on health? Well, researchers in Utah were wondering this, and so they looked at Mormons.

Many Mormons, they fast the first Sunday of every month for 24 hours: no food, no water. And when doctors actually looked at their arteries, they found those observant Mormons who fasted had a 39 percent lower risk of having clogged arteries. Now, at this point, doctors are not recommending fasting. This is not a definitive study by any means. But they are hypothesizing as to why fasting may lead to better arterial health.

And they think one reason might be, is that when you don't have any sugar in your body for 24 hours, it gives cells that are involved in insulin production a rest, and perhaps they might work better and more effectively after that rest.

Another explanation is much more psychological. Doctors think perhaps that those who are disciplined enough to go without food and water for 24 hours once a month, maybe they're just disciplined about making other good food choices in general.

Back to you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Police say for more than 30 years, a serial killer used police tactics to cover his tracks. We're going to tell you how he reached the end of the line.

Culture clash: east versus west, north of the border. It may have cost a teenager her life.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Hello, everyone. I'm Kyra Phillips, live at the CNN world headquarters in Atlanta.

Just a half hour to go until the Iowa Republican debate. Here's a live look inside the spin room. Wolf Blitzer and the best political team on television will join me in just a little bit. But for now, you're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.

First this half hour, after nine -- after days, rather, of icy rain, sunshine returns to the heartland. That's good news. But 800,000 homes in six states are still in the dark, though. Power crews from neighboring states are helping out in hard-hit Oklahoma.

But in the northeast, the clouds are moving in, and the snow plows are lining up. Wintry weather is definitely in the mix.

Chad Myers, I guess it's still -- you know -- as a matter of fact, you know what, Chad? What's the situation in Iowa? Because we've got the debates, right?

MYERS: Yes.

PHILLIPS: But a lot of people still don't have power.

MYERS: Right.

PHILLIPS: I should ask -- I should ask our best political team in television about that. MYERS: There you go. And -- and now the wind is going to start to blow. So all these trees that are loaded with ice, Kyra, are going to start to move.

PHILLIPS: Oh, boy.

MYERS: And that's going to be a bad thing. There are probably more power lines coming down.

And ice is always the most difficult thing to get around on, in general. It's way worse than snow. And so, you guys still have a lot -- a lot to deal with there. Kansas, Oklahoma and Missouri, as well.

But what we're having, I think, in store for -- probably for tomorrow, this is probably going to be the big story for a lot more people than, let's say, the people that live between Omaha and Lincoln, which you know, I lived there for a long time. So I know the population density.

But can you imagine eight inches of snow right over Westchester, right over Hartford? This is what's going to come. This moisture is now coming over some colder air. So Port Jervis, Stroudsburg, all the way into the Poconos, four to eight inches. And in many areas, maybe even more than that.

Already winter storm warnings, at least only a couple of them right now. But they will be posted later today, I think. Because I think this storm is much more significant than anybody else thinks so far.

Everywhere that I've put on purple on this map, that would be eight inches of snow. We're talking Scranton, Wilkes-Barre, all the way back down to -- there it is -- Port Jervis, Stroudsburg, all the way up through the Catskills and then back into Hartford. All of Connecticut.

Now, if you live right along the water, OK, maybe you're going to be a little bit less snow, because well, you're lower in elevation, plus that water is going to keep you a little bit warmer. But even the potential for six to eight inches of very sloppy snow right around Central Park.

So, I think you need to worry about this storm a little bit more than what it was like maybe yesterday. I mean, the computers are picking more up on this now, putting a lot of moisture down, putting a lot of sloppy, heavy, wet snow.

But hey, look on the bright side. That's snowball -- snowball and snowman-making weather, Kyra. Just bad driving.

PHILLIPS: That's right. But the kids will be happy. That's for sure.

MYERS: That's right. All right.

PHILLIPS: All right, Chad. (NEWSBREAK)

PHILLIPS: Police in Missouri say the DNA links a 63-year-old man to a murder spree dating back 30 years. They also say that Timothy Krajcir is no ordinary killer. They say he graduated college with a degree in criminal justice, apparently while majoring in murder.

Rebecca Wu of CNN affiliate KSDK has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

REBECCA WU, KSDK REPORTER (voice-over): For decades, Vickie Abernathy carried this picture of her best friend, Brenda Parsh (ph), after she was murdered. The 27-year-old beauty queen had come home to Cape Girardeau because her father was getting heart surgery. That's when she and her mother, Mary Parsh, were shot death in their home.

VICKIE ABERNATHY, FRIEND OF MURDER VICTIM: Thirty years, I've been obsessively consumed. I was a flight attendant for a major airline, and every city I went to, I would talk to a psychic.

WU: Thirty years later, police say 63-year-old Timothy Krajcir killed the mother and daughter, and three other women. Twenty-one- year-old Sheila Cole, a southeast Missouri student from Crestwood, 57- year-old Margique Hall (ph) and 65-year-old Mildred Wallace, both of Cape Girardeau.

MORLEY SWINGLE, PROSECUTOR: This is an historic day in the history of crime and punishment in Cape Girardeau.

WU: The break came when a detective assigned to cold cases noticed similarities to another murder case in Carbondale, Illinois that was recently solved with DNA. Police say they got Krajcir's DNA and matched it to their evidence. Krajcir confessed to all five murders in exchange for not getting the death penalty.

BUTCH BOYD, FMR. POLICE OFFICER: It just lifts a cloud, you know, from the community.

WU: Butch Boyd was a lieutenant at the time of the murders.

BOYD: It brings to the forefront the necessity to create a national DNA database, just like the fingerprint files.

WU: Krajcir has been in prison since 1983 for a rape case in Pennsylvania, where he's from. He was already serving time for sex crimes before the murders.

Don Vogel says his nephew was in court to see Krajcir, but had already forgiven him for allegedly murdering his mother.

DON VOGEL, SON OF MURDER VICTIM: He said, but I don't have any anger. I don't have any stick to hit over your head with. He said, it's not worth it. It's all gone now. My closure is more important to me and my peace of mind is more important to me. WU: Police say Krajcir confessed to four other murders outside of Missouri. This makes it is a total of nine people he allegedly killed.

In Cape Girardeau, Rebecca Wu, News Channel 5.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(NEWSBREAK)

PHILLIPS: When planes nearly collide...

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Something needs to be done before there is a major catastrophe in this country.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Newly released tapes straight from the control tower.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(NEWSBREAK)

PHILLIPS: Too many planes, not enough runways, or not enough air traffic controllers. It seems every week that we hear about airliners getting too close to one another. And it happened just again yesterday.

CNN's Alina Cho reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The latest close call took place Tuesday, southwest of Greensboro, North Carolina. The FAA says a U.S. Airways pilot said he had to bank to avoid a Falcons business jet. On Sunday, at New York's Kennedy Airport, a near collision involving two planes landing on perpendicular runways.

CONTROLLER: Eagle 73, Heavy 747 off to the right on a missed approach 13 left, Eva 632 climb and maintain 200 feet.

EVA AIR: Climb 2000 feet. EVA 632.

CONTROLLER: Eagle 73 you're clear to land. You're clear to land. Just caution wake turbulence.

CHO: The FAA called Sunday's incident a controlled situation. And just last Thursday at Newark Airport in New Jersey a third near miss. The FAA confirmed two planes came within 300 feet of its other, and when a pilot operating a departing continental express jet near collided with an arriving plane from Toronto.

SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER (D) NEW YORK: New York's skies and New York's runways have become the wild west of American aviation. CHO: Nationwide, there were 370 incursions so far this year, according to a recent government study. That's an increase of 12 percent over last year. Air traffic controllers say they're overworked and understaffed.

PAUL RINALDI, NATIONAL AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS ASSOCIATION: You don't have an extra set of eyes to watch the air field or watch the radar scopes. The air traffic controller, which is the most stressful job in the world, is feeling this two, three, even ten times the amount of stress they'd normally feel.

CHO: And passengers say, this is just one more concern.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Something needs to be done before there is a major catastrophe in this country.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm going to keep my window shade open and keep looking and praying a lot.

CHO (on camera): Air traffic controllers have called for an urgent meeting with the FAA. The controllers say not only are they working 10-hour days, six days a week, there's a technology problem too. They say ground radar and runway lights are outdated, but major improvements in those areas could take years.

Alina Cho, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: When we come back, your best political team on television weighs in on who to watch in the Iowa debate, which we're bringing to you live right here at CNN at the top of the hour. You're watching CNN NEWSROOM.

And we can't get through the afternoon without sharing this video. Criminals aren't the only things being busted this week in Rhode Island. A traffic cop busts a few moves while he serves and protects. One more reason to look both ways when you cross.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: OK, that would cause me to crash. It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas. Retired traffic officer Tony Lepore is back for his holiday tradition. Making the mean streets of Providence, Rhode Island just a little jollier. Talk about a police beat. Lepore has been doing this since 1984. Even though he retired four years ago, he loves to serve and protect and entertain. Just one step at a time.

Still searching for the perfect gift for that political junkie on your list? CNN's Jeanne Moos may have it for you.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MOOS, CNN ANCHOR: We couldn't find a real snow globe containing all the presidential candidates. But maybe can you bring joy to the world of political junkies on your gift list with a few of our favorite things we did find.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's the talking Ann Coulter doll.

MOOS: We present the best political gifts of the season, from impeach-mints to the talking Larry Craig doll.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's posable, you can even put him in his famous wide stance, which has been in the press so much.

MOOS: Bathroom stall not included.

A stupid question, but that's OK, since many of these items come from stupid.com, which more than lives up to its name with items like the yodling pickle. Liberals seem to offer more gifts than conservatives. For instance, these disappearing mugs.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is the inconvenient coffee cup.

MOOS: When you fill it with hot liquid, coast lines vanish. Watch Florida recede before your very eyes. There's also the disappearing civil liberties mug and the Democratic dream mug. Just add coffee and all those red states turn into blue states. One item popping up on mostly conservative Web sites is the Mohammed bear, a poke in the eye to radical Islam, because Sudanese government threatened to punish a British teacher after her Sudanese school children named a teddy bear Mohammed.

There are the usual doggy chew toys. Michael Moore is so popular he sold out at stupid.com. And the Huffington Post is offering a poster of famous Bush administration phrases. Axis of evil, slam dunk, shock and awe, the internets. And one item merits this phrase.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: By far, it's the best selling political item we've ever had.

MOOS: Ever had?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

(AUDIO CLIP)

HILLARY CLINTON DOLL: She's a nut cracker, Bush whacker...

MOOS: Featuring stainless steel thighs. Visitors to the Hillary nut cracker Web site voted that Ann Coulter should be the next nut cracker.

(AUDIO CLIP)

ANN COULTER DOLL: How do they think their cocaine is delivered to them?

MOOS: Imagine that on your tree. Dolls, not the coke.

Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York. PHILLIPS: When we come back, the best political team on television will weigh in on who to watch in the Iowa debate, which we're bringing to you live right here on CNN at the top of the hour. You're watching CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: We're less than 15 minutes away from the Iowa Republican presidential debate. You can see it right here on CNN at the top of the hour. Let's get a preview now from our best political team on television. Our Wolf Blitzer is in Washington, John King and Candy Crowley they are at the debate site in Johnston, Iowa.

Wolf, lets go ahead and start with you. What can we expect to see?

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Well I suspect there will be some fire works. This is, as you point out, the last Republican debate before the January 3rd Iowa caucuses. And it's getting very, very testy out there. It's also very close, especially between Mike Huckabee, who now in several recent polls in Iowa shows that among likely Republican caucus goers, he beats Mitt Romney. Mitt Romney has spent millions and millions of dollars building up his organization, working in Iowa. Mike Huckabee has not. He doesn't have that type of money. Yet is ahead of Mitt Romney in these polls. It's a very, very close battle. So I suspect on issues, whether immigration, religion or taxes or other sensitive issues, there could be some serious disagreements between these two contenders.

PHILLIPS: How did Huckabee do it? Because it did, it happened literally overnight.

BLITZER: He did it by his emphasis on some of the social, the conservative issues, the way that he has portrayed himself as a former governor of Arkansas. He is very, very smooth. He's very articulate. He is a nice guy by almost all accounts. And he's got this religious background in the sense that he is an ordained Baptist minister. He studied religion and that clearly is resonating among many Republicans, who are likely to be caucus goers on January 3rd.

PHILLIPS: All right. We'll talk more about that in a second. Wolf, thanks so much.

John King, Candy Crowley, stay right there. We're going to check in with both of you there in Johnson, Iowa after a quick break.

The countdown is on. You're watching CNN, home of the best political team on television.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: And we're just minutes away from the last Republican debate before the Iowa caucuses. It starts at the top of the hour right here on CNN. There's a lot happening in the Republican race. Mitt Romney, holding on to his lead in New Hampshire, with Rudy Giuliani and John McCain tied for second. Mike Huckabee is fourth. But in Iowa, polls indicate he surged into the lead ahead of Romney. That means today's debate could be a free for all. Let's rejoin Wolf Blitzer in Washington, Candy Crowley is at the debate sight standing by in the spin room and CNN's John King in Johnston, Iowa, as well.

John King, let me get you to play off what Wolf was saying about Huckabee, the fact that he really gained some speed. We're talking about what he's able to do there in Iowa, the fact that he is an ordained minister. Is it religion that's taking him to a different level or do you think it's a number of things that's taking him to a more popularity to a different level?

JOHN KING, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, religion has helped him, Kyra, with the evangelical base, which is a large slice in Iowa. In Iowa and South Carolina, evangelicals are much more important in the Republican primaries and caucuses than in many of the other states where the race will move on. But no question about it, he's experienced as a preacher, he's also had pretty solid debate performances. In a long campaign, when people are tired of politics, he comes across as authentic and as less of a politician, if you will.

Now that is about to be called into question. Three weeks is a long time. With success in the polls comes the harpoons. His record is now under attack in Arkansas, whether it's on the issue of taxes and spending, whether it's on the issues of immigration, illegal immigration is the subject of a Romney ad here now, and whether it's on the issues of how he approached things like furloughs, and paroles from prison. So three weeks is a long time. But Huckabee has a great deal of success here, in part because of his position on the social issues and his baptist background, but in part because he just seems more genuine if you talk to the Iowa voters out here who have met him. He's less of a politician, if you will.

PHILLIPS: Well then when you talk about this Romney ad, Wolf what do you think? If people there are more genuine, they see Huckabee as more genuine they're not going to like a nasty ad campaign.

BLITZER: Well, they didn't like it four years ago, when there was real nastiness going on between the then two front-runners on the Democratic side, Dick Gephardt and Howard Dean, they were really going after each other on a lot of issues. And guess what, the Democratic caucus goers in Iowa didn't like that, and John Kerry came in first. John Edwards came in second, they were seen as sort of above the fray, they weren't being as nasty as the other two Democrats.

I think Candy and John might have a better sense on whether that same kind of phenomenon is developing on the Republican side right now.

PHILLIPS: Wolf we'll get to Republicans in a just second. I know we have some audio problems with Candy. She didn't hear that last exchange among the three of us.

But Candy, I understand you can hear me now. I want to ask you about these debates. Why 2:00 p.m.? Why the middle of the day? Why today? I know it's going to re-air tonight, right on public television. But explain to me the time and the date.

CANDY CROWLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Not exactly prime time and also in the middle of the week. Listen, as you know, the caucus dates have been kind of moving around. When they finally settled on the January 3rd, they looked at the debate time and realized it would be after the caucuses, which would be unuseful. So they moved it to this date and they had to sort of jiggle the time around. The Des Moines register's deadline and the also studio availability at Iowa Public Television. So, that's how we got here at this time.

PHILLIPS: And let's talk about where you are. You're in the spin room, which means you have to be a little more quiet. Explain to our viewers what the spin room is.

CROWLEY: Sorry I can speak up.

PHILLIPS: You can? All right, rock the house there, Candy. You always do. Tell us about everybody behind you. Where are you? Why is this called the spin room?

CROWLEY: Well it's the spin room because here is where we expect people to come back and tell us how well their guy did. Sometimes when it's -- the lower tier candidates, they'll come back themselves, generally those who are in the top three don't and they send their surrogates out here. So, you know, sometimes it's useful to see what candidates' surrogates think their best moment was. In general, I've never had somebody come back here and say, well, we didn't really do all that well.

PHILLIPS: OK. Wolf and John, lets bring you guys back in to the fold. We're looking at the lineup of the debates, everybody was just trying to get up on who was going to be there and the discussion points. And every single time that happens -- a lot of people will look up from the list and say ambassador Alan Keys? Huh?

BLITZER: He's running for president once again. He has been invited to participate, Kyra, in this debate in Iowa today. So, we're going to see him, really, in one of these major nationally televised debates for the first time. The former U.S. ambassador who ran unsuccessfully against Barack Obama as the Republican nominee for the Senate seat in Illinois, he's now back. And we will hear him. As all of our viewers, I'm sure remember, he is by no means a shy guy. So I assume his voice will be coming out loud and clear in this debate today.

PHILIIPS: John, can he make an impact at all?

KING: Well he certainly can question the anti-abortion, gay marriage, social conservative positions of the other candidates. And that is how he has impacted the race, when he has run in the past. One quick footnote though on that very point, Kyra. The format here is considered pretty restricted. They're going to go through the candidates and ask them questions and then ask each candidate to follow up.

The way the format has developed, several of campaigns have complained to me in private that there's not much opportunity as they would like for direct interaction to spice it up between the candidates. Watch the format, watch the early minutes of this campaign and see if one or two candidates decide I'm going to bend or maybe break the rules, if you will, if they want to get that interaction. But many candidates heading in saying if you're expecting a lot fireworks, you may come way disappointed.

PHILLIPS: All right, 20 seconds. Candy, final thought. Are we going to see anyone break the rules here, any fireworks? What are you watching?

CROWLEY: Let me tell you something. I think they're in this difficult position because this is normally the time in the campaign, three weeks to go, where you make nice, where you try to remind voters, in fact, why they should vote for you, not against the other guy. So even to begin with, they go into this with dual roles. My guess is they always break the rules, sure.

PHILLIPS: We all like to break the rules. Candy Crowley, John King, Wolf Blitzer, especially John King. See there you go. I knew it...

KING: Snowball?

PHILLIPS: Yes, save me that snowball pal.

All right guys so how will we know who did well, which points hit home with voters. CNN has assembled about 20 Republicans who describe themselves as undecided. They're going to watch the debate with dials in their hands to register their reactions. To see what's being said and who said it, Mary Snow is going to be right there with them. She's going to bring us the results right after the debate.

And today is just the beginning. Tomorrow it is the Democrats turn. They're going to take the stage for their Iowa debate at 2:00 Eastern. And CNN of course will carry that live. We'll talk again with Wolf and John and Candy.

And right now, we're moments away from CNN's live coverage of the Iowa Republican debate, so stick around. When it's over, THE SITUATION ROOM with Wolf Blitzer will get an early start at 3:30 Eastern.

I'm Kyra Phillips. The Iowa debate starts right now. We'll see you back here tomorrow.

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